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JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD), China’s largest retailer, has entered into definitive agreements for the approximately $2.5 billion financing for its logistics subsidiary, JD Logistics.
Investors included Hillhouse Capital, Sequoia China, China Merchants Group, Tencent, China Life, China Development Bank Capital FOF, China Structural Reform Fund and ICBC International, among others.
After the completion of this transaction, JD.com will remain the majority shareholder of JD Logistics with an 81.4% stake. The financing is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018, subject to customary closing conditions.
The financing will enable JD Logistics, which is led by Zhenhui Wang, CEO, to further enhance its smart supply chain network with openness and integration.
Led by Richard Liu, Chairman and CEO, JD.com owns and operates six major logistics networks, including normal-sized items, bulky items, cold chain, B2B, cross-border and crowd-sourced (New Dada). It is both the largest e-commerce company in China, and the largest Chinese retailer, by revenue, with a fulfillment infrastructure of 7 centers and 405 warehouses covering 2,830 counties and districts across China, staffed by its own employees.


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STIMULATING THE ECONOMY
By Leslie Fong
AN ECONOMY in recession badly needs a boost from increased public and personal spending, but cautious consumers here are likely to need more than just persuasion to open their wallets.
Government can help. On top of all the other measures it has in mind to help companies and the needy cope with the sharp downturn, it may wish to consider putting cash in the pockets of ordinary Singaporeans as well, or something equivalent to that.
It can do so through tax rebates or through one-off special payments - as it has done before with growth dividends - without compromising its long-standing aversion to straight welfare handouts.
Such payments will, arguably, produce immediate results. A computer store may benefit from official help to send staff for training or learn new skills when business slows down but its first priority must be to keep its head above water. That is possible only if, among other things, people who need, and can afford, to replace their old laptops do not hold back their purchases.
Economists have long advocated stimulating consumption to fight recessions, however counter-intuitive that may seem to prudent Singaporeans whose instinct in difficult times is to save rather than continue spending as per normal.
This was how John Maynard Keynes, one of the most influential economists and thinkers of the 20th century, argued the case in a radio talk on Jan 14, 1931, amid the Great Depression:
'There are today many...who believe that the most useful thing which they and their neighbours can do to mend the situation is to save more than usual...
'Now in certain circumstances, all this would be right but in present circumstances, it is quite wrong. Suppose we were to stop spending our incomes altogether and were to save the lot. Why, everyone would be out of work! And before long we would have no incomes to spend...'
Keynes also called for greater government spending, saying expenditure on infrastructure and other municipal improvement projects - pump-priming the economy as it has come to be called - was better than just handing out welfare payments. 'Is it better that men should stand idle and miserable drawing the dole?' he asked rhetorically.
In Singapore's case, spending on infrastructure and on education will certainly benefit the country in the long run. It would certainly be a good idea to consider re-starting some if not all of the $4.7 billion worth of public projects that have been put on hold since last year.
But it is also important to remember that not all the money earmarked for big projects will go to local companies that need business desperately to keep their staff in employment.
For example, Bombardier, a Berlin- based company, has just been awarded a $570.7 million contract to provide 73 electric trains for the Downtown Line, while Westinghouse Brake and Signal Holdings has been given the $287.5 million contract for the signalling system and platform screen doors. This expenditure would generate some local employment and business but there is bound to be leakage.
Thus in the interim, a more direct shot in the arm for consumers, whether through tax rebates or some other means, is called for - urgently.
The impact on the economy of stimulating local demand will not be insignificant. Official data show that from 1995, personal consumption as a proportion of the domestic economy (GDP minus net exports) ranged between 46 and 63 per cent. It contributed 0.7 per cent of the 3.5 per cent growth in domestic demand for the second quarter of this year, according to the Economic Survey of Singapore published by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
To put it another way, if every one of the estimated 288,000 people who have a personal monthly income of $5,000 or more - those who, arguably, can afford to spend on life's little pleasures, as Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong put it - were to cut back by $100 each month, local businesses will lose $345.6 million a year.
Stimulating personal spending will benefit two sectors directly: wholesale and retail trade as well as hotels and restaurants. Together they accounted for $43 billion or 18 per cent of Singapore's GDP of $243 billion last year, and employed 407,000 residents.
Tax rebates or one-off special government payments, best staggered over the next 18 months, need not be given to every Singaporean as the really needy are already receiving very substantial help from the Government. Those who earn more than $15,000 a month probably do not need them either.
If such payments were restricted to a target group of middle-class taxpayers whose annual incomes fall within a certain range, they will cost the Government a lot less than the $1.06 billion that the growth dividends for some 2.4 million people cost this year.
To ensure that incentives are not stashed away or spent overseas, they can be in the form of vouchers usable only in Singapore to buy goods and services from registered businesses, which can then redeem them for cash at approved banks.
The writer, a former editor of The Straits Times, is Senior Executive Vice-President (Marketing) of Singapore Press Holdings.
[Most persuasive argument to buy an iPod Touch or iPhone.]

domain: news


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Bosch and VW arm, Cariad collaborate for automated driving
Bosch, VW alliance will accelerate introduction of automated driving functions across all vehicle classes.
Bosch and the Volkswagen Group subsidiary, Cariad are now collaborating to make partially and highly automated driving suitable for volume production, and thus available to the broad consumer group.
For partially and highly automated driving, the two companies will jointly develop a state-of-the-art, standardized software platform. The aim is to use this platform in all privately used vehicle classes sold under Volkswagen Group brands – and thus in one of the world’s biggest vehicle fleets. It will also be possible to integrate all the component parts developed by the alliance in other automakers’ vehicles and ecosystems.
For the vehicles sold under the Volkswagen Group brands, the alliance aims to make functions available that will allow drivers to temporarily take their hands off the steering wheel. More specifically, these functions are Level 2 hands-free systems for urban, extra-urban, and freeway driving, as well as a system that takes over all driving functions on the freeway (SAE Level 3). The first of these functions are to be installed in 2023.
Software and volume-production expertise
“Together with Cariad, we will now be accelerating the market launch of partially and highly automated driving functions across all vehicle classes, and thus making them available for everyone. This will make driving on the roads safer and more relaxed,” says the Bosch board of management member, Dr Markus Heyn.
Cariad CEO Dirk Hilgenberg added that, “Automated driving is key to the future of our industry. With our cooperation, we’ll strengthen Germany’s reputation for innovativeness. Bosch and Cariad will further enhance their expertise in the development of pioneering technologies.”
Processing information from the real environment
At various locations belonging to the two companies, and especially in Stuttgart and Ingolstadt, associates from the Bosch Cross-Domain Computing Solutions division and Cariad will work together to develop partially and highly automated driving functions.
The focus of the project’s work will be data-driven software development on the basis of information from 360-degree surround sensing. For this purpose, a highly innovative development environment will be created for the recording, evaluation, and processing of data. The environment will also make use of AI methods. The alliance will also be working on these layers.
Dr Mathias Pillin, president of Bosch Cross-Domain Computing Solutions pointed out that “The best proving ground for the development of automated driving is road traffic. With the help of one of the world’s biggest connected vehicle fleets, we will gain access to a huge database. This will allow us to take automated driving systems to a new level. All our customers will be able to benefit from this.”
“Together, we can test automated driving functions on a broader scale in actual vehicles and implement them more quickly. Our engineering work will be done jointly, with Bosch and Cariad as one team. There has never been an alliance like this in the automotive industry,” added Dr Ingo Stürmer, the alliance’s project director at Cariad.
Exterior sketches showcase the new Kodiaq’s distinctive look and new design features; key highlights include a sculptura...
Becomes first automaker to receive U.S. state approval for deployment of a SAE Level 3 conditionally automated driving v...
Production of the upcoming fully electric Audi Q6 e-tron series, as well as all other vehicles built at the site, will b...


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. BABA, -0.63% said Friday it has received correspondence from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, seeking background facts and other information related to its interaction with the Chinese regulator, the SAIC. The Chinese e-commerce company said it is cooperating with the SEC's request. "Although Alibaba Group has no obligation to disclose the receipt of the SEC correspondence, we have chosen to proactively disclose the request because we value being open with our investors and feel that disclosure could help avoid false rumors or speculation," the company said in a statement. Alibaba has been engaged in a public dispute with the SAIC over a white paper it published, lambasting the company for failing to do enough to combat the sale of fake goods on its sites, as well as dealing with bribery and other illegal activities. Shares edged down 0.9% in after-hours trade.
Sentiment: Strong Sell
Futures and Russell 2000 will be lobster red by the time you awake for sure !!!!
Sentiment: Strong Buy
BEIJING (Caixin Online) — A meeting between Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma and the head of China’s commerce regulator on Friday may have helped calm a rare tussle between the leading e-commerce company and a powerful government agency.


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Google said Wednesday its efforts to fight online piracy have yielded $2 billion paid out to copyright holders whose content is shown on its YouTube platform.
The Federal Trade Commission says Warner Bros. has agreed to settle charges that it deceived consumers by not properly disclosing that it paid those with big followings on YouTube and social media to promote a video game.
When you see that a YouTube video has "16,685 views," take that with a grain of salt. Not all of those views may have been by human beings.
YouTube is testing a messaging feature in its smartphone app so people can share and discuss videos without resorting to other ways to connect with their friends and family.
Video portals have counters that register the number of views, thus reflecting the success of the piece. This data can have economic implications, since with some online advertising campaigns that use videos, the portals ...
Michael "Burnie" Burns hears a discrepancy. Before greeting moviegoers at the debut of his film, the writer-actor is eavesdropping on all the big-budget movie trailers playing ahead of his much smaller crowdfunded concoction, ...
Could it soon be time to YouTube and chill?
Sorry, Psy. Adele has outpaced the South Korean pop star on the race to 1 billion views on YouTube.
YouTube on Tuesday added interactive, 360-degree animation video to its line-up, with help from the makers of "Wallace and Gromit."
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Turkey had violated conventions on freedom of expression when it banned YouTube for more than two years.


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Disney Mobile released a few operating metrics. (See story from RCR Wireless) A couple of the big metrics missing were total subscribers and total ARPU. Impressive though were 44 percent of the subscribers are kids on their own plan at $25 per month and 30 percent using the tracking services. If that is 30 percent out of the 56 percent of adults, it's an impressive number at $13/month for the service. Our data show that few services rank higher than tracking a kid and controlling expenses.
Kids on their own "limited" plan tend to be younger – younger than 14 years. The tween market will be one of the hottest and fastest growing age categories according to our data. Looks like Disney is doing well with this younger segment. In his category, $25/month is better than $0 per month – what the majority of kids this age are generating in ARPU.


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TOKYO -- Rental clothing services are taking off in Japan as consumers tighten their belts and youths find different ways to stay well-dressed.
Fashion brand Renown announced on July 10 its entry into the rental apparel market with a flat-rate monthly service, to be followed by upscale department store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi with its own rental clothes in August.
Targeting mainly younger Japanese, whose consumption habits are increasingly based on usage rather than ownership, companies that deal in clothing are adopting the monthly subscription model to market their wares.
"From the age of buying clothes, we have entered the age of renting them," said Renown's customer relations and corporate communications head Tomohiro Nakagawa at the launch of the company's latest rental service, which involves men's business suits.
Dubbed kirudake, or Just Wear It, the service costs between 4,800 yen and 9,800 yen ($43 and $87) per month, with a minimum six-month contract. The 4,800-yen option covers two suits per season: spring-summer and fall-winter. After the term expires, Renown sends suits for the next season, cleaning and storing the returned items.
With each suit priced at around 60,000 yen, men can dress to the nines at less than half the normal cost. Renown also offers advice on coordinating suits, shirts and neckties, as well as clothing care.
Not owning suits reduces maintenance time and eliminates the chore of storing out-of-season clothes. After two years, the suits will be replaced with new ones from Renown's collection. The customer can either return the previously worn items or purchase them.
As workplaces grow more casual and government-led reforms promote comfortable office wear, demand for business suits has slackened. According to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, annual expenditures on suits have declined by about a quarter over the past 10 years to fiscal 2017.
Moreover, office workers are reluctant to spend tens of thousands of yen on a suit that might only be worn for presentations or official functions. By making quality suits easily accessible, the company thinks it can jump-start demand.
Sales are slowing in retail apparel overall, but Renown thinks the monthly subscriptions can prevent inventory buildup and price-slashing that would undermine financial results. It forecasts that 3,000 subscribers are enough to make the new service profitable.
Other retailers have joined the fray. From April, major menswear retailer Aoki began a subscription service called Suitsbox. For 7,800 yen per month, customers can rent a complete ensemble comprised of a suit, shirt and necktie.
The service has been a hit, with the original goal of 10,000 subscribers by March 2021 likely to be achieved a year ahead of schedule, according to Daisuke Naganuma, business director for Suitsbox.
Department stores, which have previously avoided rental and sharing economy-related businesses, are gradually warming to the idea. They hope to attract young shoppers who have been flocking to online stores like secondhand marketplace Mercari or Zozotown, which offers custom-fit clothes.
Younger consumers are also growing less accustomed to wearing out their clothes. So-called "one-shot buyers" purchase clothes only for social media photos, after which they sell them online.
To counter this trend, Isetan Mitsukoshi, whose clothing sales have fallen year-on-year over four years to 2017, will begin a clothing subscription service out of the Ginza branch of its Mitsukoshi department store between August and November.
The venerable establishment is targeting women in their 20s and 30s in need of something upscale for weddings or other special occasions. The service features about 180 items over 10 brands, including those from well-known designers, with more possibly added in December.
Customers can rent directly from the store or use a smartphone app. Two-night, three-day rentals go for between 15,000 yen and 20,000 yen -- about 20% to 30% the normal purchase price.
"We want young people to experience brands they might otherwise believe to be out of reach, giving them new options," according to Isetan Mitsukoshi. Getting young people to visit department stores again could be the first step in reviving the operator's online and in-store sales.
Music streaming services helped pioneer this type of business model in the early 2000s. Now, subscription services extend to high-end bags, expensive women's fashion, clothing for special occasions and casual wear. But as Mercari and its peers increase customers through easy smartphone accessibility, the next battleground for evolving Japanese retailers promises to be convenience.


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TTIP stands for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. It is a trade agreement currently being negotiated between the EU and the US, and negotiators want to conclude the talks this year.
This treaty represents a serious threat to food safety, human health and the environment. Some of the concerns are that it will decrease or eliminate EU restrictions on GMOs and food additives, challenge food labelling laws, and undermine the EU's food safety standards. There is a push by big food and biotech companies to removing the barriers for trade between EU and US and "converge" regulatory measures.
Trade harmonization rules further entrench a massive industrial agriculture system, making it more difficult for small-scale, locally based, and agro-ecological approaches to compete.
However, given the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it's clear that economic imperatives should aim to link local production mainly for local consumption and to localise energy sources. Such measures provide stable jobs and ensure viable economies, democratic participation, public health, and environmental integrity.
Food is one of the most important elements of our lives and through everyday choices of what we buy and consume we decide about the future of our food system. We, YFoEE, want every citizen to have the right to be informed and able to decide about the products they buy and in that way support local, environmentally friendly, high quality, healthy and tasty food.
The TTIP treaty being negotiated puts at risk the freedom of choice and forces into our system the harmful agricultural practices we have long resisted. This is a major crossroads for our food system.
We, YFoEE, want to support the transition to a sustainable food and agriculture system and that's why we want to act against TTIP being signed. For more detail about our vision of food and agriculture system, read our manifesto.


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The midvalley region (comprising the intersecting areas of Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties) reported a decrease in activity from July. August numbers, compiled by Land Title Guarantee Co., show a total of 14 transactions in the region, totaling $6.5 million. The bulk of that activity was in Carbondale (Garfield County) which represented 86 percent of the transactions with 12 and 84 percent of the dollars with $5.5 million. Basalt (Eagle County) represented the remainder of activity in the area with 2 transactions and a little more than $1 million in dollar volume. One of the transactions in Basalt was a bank-owned sale for vacant land totaling $75,000.
For the year, there have been a total of 147 transactions in the midvalley region. Those transactions total $98.6 million in dollar volume. Included in the 147 total are 17 transactions that were bank owned.
The Colorado Department of Revenue will offer a three-hour business tax class regarding the laws surrounding state sales and use taxes applicable to businesses conducting sales in Colorado. It will be held Tuesday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs City Building, 101 W. Eighth St.
Topics include: An overview of sales/use tax liabilities, state sales tax licenses, working with tax-exempt transactions, sales/use tax collection for state-collected jurisdictions, general guidelines for filing sales/use tax returns and available resources/electronic services.
Sandy Haber, nationally certified massage therapist, formerly of the Valley Wellness Center, which has recently closed, has joined the staff at Allure Medi-Spa. Conveniently located in Glenwood Springs at The Meadows with plenty of parking, appointments can be made by calling Allure at 945-8390.
The Roaring Fork Business Resource Center presents a series of workshops in conjunction with Colorado Mountain College. All workshops take place at 817 Colorado Ave. #107, Glenwood Springs.
To register, visit http://www.rfbrc.org and click on Education and Training; or call (970) 945-5158.
The first workshop is “Cost Effective Ways to Market Your Business,” taught by Susan Linden of Linden Marketing Group, from 8:30-10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5.
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Grand Valley hosted a triangular Saturday, taking down Glenwood Springs and Paonia in team scores.


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Stator scooters know how to go big when it comes to tires.
After the California-based company's giant, self-balancing electric scooter concept went viral a few years ago, the company actually managed to bring the vehicle to market now, albeit in limited numbers as only 500 scooters will initially be available.
It looks more realistic (and less severe) than the head-turning idea originally tested, which had wheels practically as tall as a toddler. But it's still a different enough design than most e-scooters you can currently rent.
On Monday, pre-orders went live for the $3,995 scooter. The first 500 of these all-electric scooters are supposed to arrive at U.S. customers' doors later this year after placing a $250 deposit.
For all that dough, you'll be the proud owner of a sleek all-electric machine with bladed wheels, "military-grade" tires, and a hand-controlled throttle that lets you reach up to 30 mph. You'll want to stick to riding on private land since most city streets won't let an e-scooter rider go that fast. But since it's electric, you can stealthily and quietly zoom past traffic. Just saying...
If you're plowing full-speed ahead, the scooter's battery will last for an hour. For more conservative riders, you can get 80 miles out of a fully charged battery. To recharge, simply plug the two-wheeler into a wall outlet and four hours later it'll be juiced up.
Sure, there's different ride modes (called Limp, Eco, Sport, and X) tailored for different road conditions and riding experiences, ranging from calm to extreme. But with tires like that, we're only going off-roading.
Topics Electric Vehicles


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Vivo is said to be experimenting a lot with its smartphone cameras. After unveiling a phone with a gimbal system, Vivo is reportedly working on a smartphone with an integrated flying camera. The reports reveal that Vivo is working on a camera that will have drone-like capabilities. It can get detached from the smartphone and fly in the air to capture aerial images or shoot videos. Vivo is said to be filed a patent for the smartphone with the World Intellectual Property Office in December 2020. A sketch of the purported Vivo phone with a flying camera has surfaced on the Internet.
The sketch of the Vivo phone with a flying camera was first spotted by Dutch publication Lets Go Digital. The sketch shows a smartphone with a pull-out compartment at the edge of the phone. The camera compartment houses four propellors to make it fly up in the air, there is also a built-in battery compartment. There are two cameras along with three infrared sensors to avoid collision when it flies in the air. The first camera takes the front aerial view while the other is placed to capture footage below. The patent shows that the camera compartment can be pulled out completely from the smartphone. The smartphone may house more than two cameras, there could be a third and fourth camera too to capture the surrounding well.
The flying camera is expected to be pretty small because it will be housed inside a smartphone. However, a patent does not necessarily confirm that the company will bring a phone like this to the market. There are fewer chances of such parents turning into reality. Smartphone companies file a lot of patents but only a handful of them get launched in the market.
Vivo had earlier launched a smartphone with a gimbal camera. The Vivo X50 Pro features Vivo’s gimbal system and uses 48-megapixel primary sensor along with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 13-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, there is a 32-megapixel camera for selfies.
The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 765G 5G processor coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256 GB. It features a 6.56 inch AMOLED display with a high refresh rate of 90Hz. The Vivo X50 Pro runs on Android 10 out of the box. The smartphone is priced at Rs 49,990 in India.


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(Ping! Zine Web Tech Magazine) – If you’re wondering how Netflix goes about deciding which films to put on instant, the popular video streaming service actually looks at what content is popular on websites that pirate videos.
The revelation was recently made by company VP of content Kelly Merryman in an interview with Dutch news website Tweakers, according to the BBC.
“With the purchase of series, we look at what does well on piracy sites,” stated Merryman.
Merrman pointed to the series “Prison Break” as being especially popular on piracy sites but noted there were some Netflix strayed away from. “But there are many programmes that we will not buy, such as The Voice. Such live programmes are better suited for live TV,” she continued.
Earlier this year in May, company Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos suggested that Netflix’s popularity might actually help cut down on BitTorrent websites. “One of the things is we get ISPs to publicise their connection speeds – and when we launch in a territory the Bittorrent traffic drops as the Netflix traffic grows,” he commented in an interview with Stuff.TV.


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The recent Toyota debacle has reminded me that I’m glad I live in a litigious society. As a college student, I interned in Japan and toured a Toyota manufacturing facility. I was so impressed with its high standards. Quality. Safety. Those were words associated with this gold standard company.
Yet clearly with time, those standards slipped. Every day, we are learning more and more about the accident-prone vehicles, how long the company knew about them, and how the company chose profits over fixing the problem.
Now faced with an onslaught of accidents, injuries, and even death – Toyota’s sales will surely suffer. But for the injured, the people so badly harmed by Toyota’s negligence, justice will only come through the court system. And if it weren’t for the lawsuits already filed and the detailed discovery conducted by dedicated lawyers, how much would the public have ever found out about these defective vehicles?


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STATE – New Jersey residents who dread holiday shopping slightly outnumber those who actually look forward to it, 46 percent to 41 percent, according to a new Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll. Nearly 4-in-10 planned to do much of their holiday shopping online, but a quarter went shopping in stores on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, the poll found.
Overall, 39 percent of New Jerseyans report that they leave most of their holiday shopping until the final ten days before Christmas while 21 percent try to wrap up their gift buying by mid-December. Another 27 percent already had most of their holiday shopping done at the beginning of the month. About 1-in-10 (11%) report that they are not shopping for gifts this season at all.
Overall, 16 percent of New Jerseyans say they will do all or most of their holiday shopping online this year. Another 22 percent will do about half of it online and 22 percent will do some shopping online. Another 38 percent will not shop online for any holiday gifts this year.
“It was not very long ago when online shopping was a relatively new phenomenon that would require changes in how consumers search for, evaluate, and purchase items. For many younger consumers, the online world is nothing new to them, so they do not face the need to change many of their prior purchasing behaviors. Quite simply, to these consumers, online purchasing has been the norm forever,” said Dr. Joseph Rocereto, Associate Professor of Marketing at Monmouth University’s Leon Hess Business School.
The Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll was conducted by telephone with 802 New Jersey adults from December 4 to 8, 2013. This sample has a margin of error of + 3.5 percent. The poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute and originally published by the Asbury Park Press and its sister publications (Courier-Post, Courier News, Daily Journal, Daily Record, and Home News Tribune).
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Photo by David Wachter
Porsche was the featured marque of EuroFest 2000, held on the grounds of BMW's manufacturing facility in South Carolina.
EuroFest 2000, held in October in Spartanburg, South Carolina, was that kind of a sheetmetal smorgasbord. The invitation was wide open and more than 17 European makes-from Austin Healey to DeLorean and nearly everything in between-comprised the field.
It wasn't always that way. EuroFest started small in 1995 when Ed Seagrave and the Foothills British Car Club, a local British car organization, asked BMW whether its soon-to-be-opened plant in the Greenville/Spartanburg area would host a British car gathering. BMW was interested, but suggested inviting all European marques to create a full-blown Euro car-lovers' fest.
The 1995 event attracted only 75 cars, but the idea caught on. EuroFest 2000 featured more than 350 cars. Seagrave, now the former event chairman, says one reason EuroFest has endured is its friendly nature. "We hope all kinds of people will come to this," Seagrave said. "You don't have to have a beautiful car, just come out and enjoy the beautiful cars. If yours needs two to three years' worth of work, bring it anyway. Just get inspired and have fun."
EuroFest 2000 attracted many of its participants from the southern United States, but enthusiasts from across the country did indeed attend. Consider Ed Tatio's story. Ed traveled from Philadelphia with his immaculate 1953 Jaguar XK120 fixed-head coupe. Four years ago, Tatio rescued the Jag from a garage in San Jose, California. The coupe had seen better days: It had been in storage for 35 years and was tattered from earthquake damage. But Tatio liked what he saw, and slowly massaged the car back to life. The restoration process was long and tedious, but according to Tatio, "It was well worth the toil, especially when I can show off the work at a multi-marque event like EuroFest."
And then there were guys like Mike Cook, who made the modest drive from Roswell, Georgia. Cook was the perfect example of the "anything European" attitude. He started with a 1979 rubber-bumper MG, but it's an MG with extra muscle. Cook wedged a 3.5-liter Rover engine under the car's hood, the same powerplant some might better remember as the 215-cid motor many Buick Skylarks had in the early 1960s. The creation wasn't original, and its heartbeat could be considered a bit domestic, but Cook's participation was welcome just the same.
While EuroFest is casual, every year it features a specific marque-for 2000 it was Porsche-and all entries undergo peer evaluation.
EuroFest chairman Bob Blenis said the event is popular because it offers attractions for participants who want to do more than shine their cars and swap stories. Festivities included a pay-to-play autocross, a road rally and tours of BMW's manufacturing facility and beautiful Zentrum museum.
With its laissez-faire format, and links to a company that is aggressively promoting its name in the United States, EuroFest is bound to attract the kind of enthusiasts that would make any sheetmetal event flourish.


text: ATLANTA ( TheStreet) -- Newell Rubbermaid ( NWL) CEO Mark Ketchum is expected to retire after the board finds a successor, the Wall Street Journal reports. The maker of consumer brands, like Rubbermaid storage tubs and Paper Mate pens and pencils, is expected to make the announcement Tuesday, the Journal reports. Spencer Stuart, a recruiting firm, has been hired to help the board consider internal and outside prospects, a process expected to take four to six months, a Newell spokesman told the Journal. Ketchum told the Newell board when he took the job in early 2006 that he would stay for five years. In an interview with the Journal Monday, Ketchum said he was leaving because the company has completed his transformation plan. Newell's share price has dropped since Ketchum was hired, but its gross profit margins have improved, thanks largely to cost cuts, a spokesman told the newspaper. Newell shares closed Monday at $18.08, up 1 cent. -- Written by Joseph Woelfel >To contact the writer of this article, click here: Joseph Woelfel >To submit a news tip, send an email to: email@example.com.


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Is BMW the World’s New Leading Motorcycle Maker? - Motorcyclist Magazine
BMW is on the gas, developing in
novative new models, growing exponentially and generally leaving the rest of the recession-racked motor-cycle industry in the dust. The F800GS jump-started the mid-sized enduro market in 2008, the best-selling S1000RR now dominates the superbike segment (nearly 25 percent of global sportbike sales in 2010 went to BMW), and the new K1600GT appears ready to revolutionize luxury touring. Taking business risks has really paid off: BMW Motorrad production is now back to pre-recession numbers, with 2010 global sales up 12.3 percent (to 98,047 motorcycles), out-performing the car division in profitability.
And this is just the beginning. In an exclusive interview during the K1600GT launch in South Africa, BMW Motorrad president Hendrik von Kuenheim candidly and comprehensively detailed plans for BMW’s coming decade, including expansion into the scooter, cruiser and even electric-bike markets. Von Kuenheim intends to make BMW the world’s most vital and vibrant motorcycle manufacturer. With the major Japanese OEMs in a holding pattern due to the downturned economy and the recent earthquake and tsunami, there’s never been a better time for BMW to make this move.
After showing a superbike-styled Concept C maxi-scooter at the 2010 EICMA Expo, BMW is slated to enter the “Urban Commuter” market later this year with two models targeted at Yamaha’s best-selling T-Max. One is sport-oriented; the other built for comfort. Both will offer the most storage capacity of any scooter. “The classic motorcycle market will always exist for us,” von Kuenheim says, “but Urban Commuter products will be a substantial part of our business in the future.”


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Local Motors and ORNL Partner for Automotive Manufacturing
Local Motors, a vehicle innovator, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have announced a new partnership that they hope will bring change to the automotive industry.
Due to the cooperative research and development agreement, they aim to aid in the design and manufacturing of vehicles in a way that is not only cost efficient, but time efficient as well. They plan to achieve this goal by using material science and advanced manufacturing techniques.
“By invoking the principle of open-source, this partnership – and future efforts like it – will drive a true paradigm shift in hardware product development and automotive manufacturing technologies,” said Jay Rogers, Co-Founder and CEO of Local Motors. “Just as exciting as the vision of delivering the first direct digital manufactured car is that we will be engaging future consumers to contribute and evangelize its creation. We are living in a time when speed to market trumps slow-going protectionism. Local Motors’ open development platform is what delivers this very speed.”
Local Motors will work with the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL. This facility is a research laboratory that focuses on additive, subtractive, and direct digital manufacturing. However, unlike others, they do so in a way that reduces life-cycle energy as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
“We expect the result of our partnership to be an indisputable win for open source design and the development of complex mechanical devices. The entrepreneurial nature of the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility and Oak Ridge National Lab is an inspiring example of this nation’s renewed commitment to leadership and innovation in manufacturing,” said Rogers.
“ORNL prides itself on 'solving the unsolvable' and 'making the unmakeable,'” said Dr. Lonnie J. Love of the lab’s Energy & Transportation Science Division. “This partnership will help push the envelope on emerging technologies, such as large scale additive manufacturing, and help accelerate the growth of manufacturing in the United States.”


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Gesture-interpreting, kinetic mobile technology could create a personal dictatorship at the wave of a hand
Two ticks of a lamb’s tail can be a short unit of time – but it can also be a command to conquer the world, if a new gesture-interpreting mobile technology from an Edinburgh-based start up, takes off.
Similar to Microsoft Kinect, but more subtle, Pyreos’ gesture sensors can interpret movement and turn it into information, according to the company founder and CEO Jeff Wright. The passive miniaturised IR sensor array technology creates massive opportunities in developing applications for hospital operating theatres and other environments where sterile conditions are vital. Conversely, gesture sensors could also help in dirty environments or occupations where thick gloves must be worn.
Pyreos claims its Gesture Sensors exhibit high accuracy with low power requirements, making them ideal for mobile phone and tablet applications. Capable of running off low voltage power supply rails, Gesture Sensors use micro-Amps of power to accurately detect the position of a user’s hand and trip software-defined triggers.
Using the technology, a driver could programme their phone to interpret hand signals and issue written commands. For example, in a connected world, a driver who wafted their hand twice to the left could automatically issue a signal to the midlane-hogging driver in front to “MOVE OVER”.
“You should have patented that idea before you mentioned it, as I like it too,” said Wright. “That and other simple commands are very do-able. We do have interest from the automotive industry for the gesture sensor as it is generally accepted as improving driver safety when compared to trying to press a button.”
Wright said he would be looking for creative partners who want to break new ground in a variety of markets that could use touchless, gesture control of mobile phones and tablet PCs. The opportunities range from prevention of gear box failure in wind turbines, ships and helicopters, to the early detection of diabetes, he said.
Pyreos has 100 granted patents and applications. It is currently backed by venture capital from Siemens, Robert Bosch Venture Capital and Mitsubishi-UFJ of Japan.
Pyreos is currently ramping up its sales team to boost global sales. Jeff Gray (pictured) will bring 20 years experience of building venture-capital-backed outfits to his position as VP of worldwide sales. Gray has previously created and managed sales channels for Glonav, Chipidea and On-Ramp Wireless.
Roy Goodloe has been appointed as sales director for the USA with a brief to capitalise on the interest from US mobile vendors in the company’s miniature thin-film, infra-red sensor arrays.
“The level of interest is just astounding,” said Gray. Infrared sensors are a growth area, but Pyreos’ gesture sensor invention has attracted curiosity from tier-one players across the world’s semiconductor and consumer industries. “I am looking forward to developing our sales channels and partnership programme worldwide,” he said.
The two new players will report to recently-appointed chairman Howard Ford. As managing director of Equant Network Services, Howard orchestrated rapid growth and a multi-billion pound flotation of the company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Paris Bourse.


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Nintendo has announced some very nice updates for are inbound for the Nintendo 3DS game console. The system update will bring several new features, including the ability to combine a balance on the Nintendo eShop from the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U consoles. This means that gamers who have account balances on either console can spend the money where they want.
If you can’t find a game you want to spend your account money on via the Wii U, the update will allow you to use the money to buy a new portable game on your 3DS and vice versa. The update will also allow 3DS owners that don’t own a Wii U to make their own Nintendo Network ID for the first time.
Another new feature that the update will bring to the 3DS is support for Miiverse. Once the 3DS user creates their own Nintendo Network ID, they will be able to access Miiverse when they are connected to WiFi to share experiences and more. The 3DS will also be getting a new video service this month.
Nintendo has announced that YouTube access will be coming to the 3DS this month. The console will have to be connected to a broadband network. Nintendo is also offering a new bundle pack featuring a customized 3DS XL console and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds game set to launch on November 22. The bundle will sell for $219.99 and was announced in October.


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In a potential test case for Europe, the French government on Monday ordered a big Internet service provider to stop blocking online advertisements, saying the company had no right to edit the contents of the Web for users.
The dispute has turned into a gauge of how France, and perhaps the rest of Europe, will mediate a struggle between telecommunications providers against Internet companies like Google, which generate billions of dollars in revenue from traffic that travels freely on their networks.
European telecommunications companies want a share of that money, saying they need it to finance investments in faster broadband networks -- and, as the latest incident shows, they are willing to flex their muscles to get it.
Source: New York Times. Read full article. (link)


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1 November 2022, London Marriott Hotel County Hall
21 November 2022, Hilton London Metropole
12 December 2022, etc.venues Monument, London
Eurostar has reported a 6 per cent growth in business travel bookings for the first half of 2014.
Compared to the same period last year the cross-channel operator posted “strong levels” of business travel passengers.
Eurostar said the increase coincides with the strengthening of the economy in the UK and “encouraging signs” of growth in business travel on both sides of the Channel.
Overall Eurostar said passenger numbers rose by 2 per cent in the first half of 2014 to 5 million from 4.9 million in the same period a year earlier.
Sales revenues rose by 0.5 per cent to £456 million from £453 million.
The company said leisure travel demand had been hit by a “convergence” of the Easter and May holidays in the UK, which saw passengers travelling only once when normally would have booked two, and people staying at home to watch the World Cup.
"Whilst a number of factors in the second quarter of the year lead to a dampening in demand, we are now beginning to see a more benign trading environment with encouraging signs of economic stability in France as well as the UK," said chief executive Nicolas Petrovic.
"These more favourable conditions have helped deliver strong growth in business travel across our markets."
This week (July 16) Eurostar unveiled plans for the refurbishment of its business lounge in Brussels-Midi, as part of a programme of station improvements.
The refurbishment is part of a series of improvements across Eurostar terminals – A new ticket office at London St. Pancras was completed this month, and work has started at Lille Europe station.


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The ground-breaking ceremony for the Graha Teknologi Nusantara Data Center at Lippo Cikarang in Bekasi, West Java, in July 2015. (Photo courtesy of Multipolar)
Multipolar's GTN Data Center to Be Ready in July
BY :EMANUEL KURE
APRIL 14, 2016
Jakarta. Graha Teknologi Nusantara, the data center unit of listed information technology company Multipolar Technology, will start the operation of its data center at Lippo Cikarang in Bekasi, West Java, in July, the company's executive said.
The GTN Data Center cost Rp 350 billion ($26.5 million) and offers 2,000 racks in a 6,500-square-meter area. The groundbreaking took place on July 2, 2015.
"We target the construction to be completed in June 2016 so we can begin operating in July," Graha Teknologi Nusantara chief executive Richard Kartawijaya said.
GTN – a joint venture between Multipolar Technology, Mitsui and Mitsui's subsidiary Mitsui Knowledge Industry – started their collaboration in 2014. It has set a target of having 400 racks ready for use by its customers by the end of this year.
The GTN Data Center offers a colocation center, cloud infrastructure as a service and a platform to every line of business, from small and medium enterprises to giant companies.
The data center is equipped with cold aisle containment – which lowers electricity consumption by up to 30 percent – and a chilled-water-based air conditioner, which could save up to 15 percent in electricity.
According to Richard, he considers all companies that form part of the Lippo Group as potential customers. Once the familiar companies give a positive response, Graha Teknologi Nusantara will also offer its services to other businesses.


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Guardian Interview with Sir Jonathan Ive
The quote you'll see from the interview will likely be this one:
“Our goal isn’t to make money. Our goal absolutely at Apple is not to make money. This may sound a little flippant but it’s the truth,” said the British designer, who is credited with shaping the iPad and iPhone.
But I prefer this thought when he was talking about when Apple was nearly dead and Steve Jobs was brought back in to help revive the company:
“You would have thought that, when what stands between you and bankruptcy is some money, your focus would be on making some money, but that was not [Steve Jobs’] preoccupation.


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Sony reveals PSP translation software, wireless multiplayer
Tokyo conference throws up new details of forthcoming handheld.
A number of new details about Sony's PlayStation Portable have been revealed, including the ability for up to 16 players to participate in wireless multiplayer games, and software called "Talkman" which translates between spoken languages.
Along with a number of new software titles and special editions of the PSP hardware, the new features were shown off at the PlayStation Meeting 2004 conference in Tokyo - although they were rather overshadowed by Ken Kutaragi's comments on the PS3, which we reported on yesterday.
The PlayStation Portable will be able to support up to 16 players in multiplayer games using the Wireless LAN link which is built into the console, it was revealed, with no "hub" hardware required for this functionality. It has previously been suggested that the system will also be able to play online multiplayer games when connected to a public Wireless LAN hot spot or a home Wireless LAN system, although this was not discussed at the conference.
The firm demonstrated a piece of software called Talkman, which utilises the built-in microphone port of the PSP and allows users to speak into the device in one language and have what they said translated into another, spoken, language. The software uses a cartoon bird as its main interface, which is able to converse in, and translate between, up to nine languages.
The demonstration at the conference only showed Talkman translating between Japanese and English, but the company suggested that in its final incarnation, the software will be extremely useful as both a foreign language training tool, and as a translation device for people abroad.
It's not clear whether it would be possible to use Talkman to translate real-time voice conversations between PSP users - a feature which was recently revealed for mobile phones by Toshiba.
A number of new software titles were also revealed for the platform at the conference - including Need for Speed from Electronic Arts, Harvest Moon from Marvelous and a title based on popular anime series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.


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6 months after its debut, Sucker Punch has released the first standalone DLC for inFAMOUS: Second Son titled First Light. Is there enough within this add-on to justify its $15 price point? Find out in our review.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Intel, IBM earnings eyed for tech direction
- Staff Silicon Valley Business Journal
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is expected to post declines in profit and revenue, with earnings per share of 50 cents on $12.84 billion in revenue. That compares to 56 cents a share in earnings on revenue of $12.85 billion in the same quarter last year.
Nonetheless, the Santa Clara-based chip giant has forecast that its revenue will increase by as much as 9 percent this year, following 24 percent growth in 2011.
It has boosted what it is spending on its chip factories by 16 percent to $12.5 billion this year and is spending $10.1 billion on research and development this year.
Positive reports last week of increased PC sales in the first three months of the year have some optimistic that Intel's earnings Tuesday will contain good news.
IBM (NYSE:IBM) is expected to post earnings of $2.65 per share on revenue of $24.81 billion, compared to adjusted earnings of $2.41 a share on $24.6 billion in revenue last year.
Unlike Intel, whose earnings are being watched for signs of the health of the PC industry, IBM is being watched for signs of global tech spending trends and service revenue. The company once synonymous with PCs has shifted more toward software and services.
Written by Cromwell Schubarth. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.org or 408.299.1823.
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Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón signed an agreement with Apple, the technology giant, where he pledged to produce exclusive content for several years for his new streaming platform, called "Apple TV +," specialized media reported.
According to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, Cuarón projects, two-time winner of the Oscar for Best Director (in 2014 and 2019), are focused for the first time on television content.
The negotiation of the director of "Rome" and "Gravity" has been in process for some time, and in fact was courted by other companies that seek to bring Cuarón to the small screen, such as Netflix and Disney +. However, the final agreement with the apple company would be for up to five years.RELATED
The leadership of Cuarón's productions would fall into the hands of his company, Esperanto Filmoj, based in London, England. However, the pact will allow the Mexican to develop films and projects with other studios, except those that are focused on television consumption and that are direct competition of the new platform.
The announcement was surprising for those who expected Cuarón to expand or deepen their relationship with Netflix, the platform that issued the multi-award-winning "Rome", which had to be released in a limited way in traditional cinemas in order to compete in past Oscar awards.
Apple TV + is the new subscription service of the Cupertino giant. There you can consume original content starring great celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, among others, to which Cuarón will join.
Apple unveiled its new Apple TV app and Apple TV channels that it launched in May. This new application allows you to watch sports, news, movies and TV shows on different devices: from iPhone to Apple TV, through iPad and Mac.
The subscription television service, meanwhile, will be available from November 1, and will cost USD 4.99 per month and when you buy an iPhone, Mac or iPad there will be a free subscription year.
In addition to entering the world of own content, one of the significant novelties of Apple TV + is that it will be available on competing televisions and devices such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio and Roku, which highlights the will of the company to build a cross platform beyond its own hardware.
Cuarón lives the best moment of his career. After the success of "Gravity" in 2014, which won seven Academy Awards, the Mexican returned to his country to film "Rome", with which, among other awards, he won the Oscar for the best foreign film, the first time that a Mexican band achieves that achievement in this category.
"Roma" also lifted the lid of a pressure cooker in Mexico by demonstrating the racism and discrimination that persists in this country and that faced its main protagonist, Yalitza Aparicio.
The hiring of one of the most sought-after directors such as Cuarón with the emerging Apple TV + took place in the context of the so-called “streaming wars.” After Netflix's worldwide success and the fall of chains like Blockbuster, other actors have tried to plant it face.
However, one of the main threats, beyond the premiere of Apple's service, has been the company founded by Walt Disney, which will have a subscription that includes all its streaming services, that is, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu, for a cost of USD 12.99 per month, as confirmed by the company's CEO, Bob Iger.


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For Spring/Summer 2015, NikeLab will be releasing a selection of new Tech Fleece pieces draped in camouflage.
Enigmatic Atlanta-based artist ILoveMakonnen continues to find his centre with his latest mixtape “Drink More Water 5″.
Grit Creative Group introduces #OriginalGrit – a guerrilla marketing and social media campaign created to launch their website, which pays homage to iconic photos and OGs in culture.
Nike has come through with a new and enticing colorway of the Air Max 90 Essential. Featuring a mint green mesh toebox, tongue and upper, the sneaker sports suede paneling for a premium composition.
With exclusive screenings beginning to take place this week, we now get to experience the second official trailer (you can find the first here) for upcoming action-comedy, Spy.
Driven by the manifesto “Gentleman at Play,” UNITUS enters the market with a range of elegant menswear.
While rumors were circulating that luxury fashion retailer Net-a-Porter (umbrella group of Highsnobiety favorite Mr.
Nike SB has released a luxurious take on one of the line’s most popular sneakers. Gold eyelets complement the black suede upper which is grounded in tradition by the indispensable white sole and Swoosh.
The Star Wars themed releases just keep coming. This time around Japanese game developer Square Enix has given the series’ iconic villains a bold redesign that has them looking more ominous than ever.
If you didn’t catch Comedy Central’s “Roast of Justin Bieber” last night, you may want to find the highlights on YouTube.
Zach Galifianakis and Owen Wilson will star as bumbling rednecks in the upcoming heist comedy Masterminds.
Dubai’s amongst few has teamed up with Singapore sneaker customizer SBTG and Casio Middle East to release a capsule collection entitled “Alpha Foxtrot.” Rooted in mutual respect for Arab culture, the traditional Ghotra pattern is the groundwork for twelve pairs of Militarized Air Jordan 1’s, a premium T-shirt, and a G-SHOCK DW-5600E.
There have been plenty of sneaker-related discoveries off the back of Nike‘s self-anointed Air Max Day, including 10 Facts you Didn’t Know and a selection of the best Air Max 1 releases to-date.
It looks like April Fools came early for Google as they now allow users to play the classic arcade game Pac-Man in their popular Maps platform.
German sportswear giant adidas are kicking things off for the warmer weather ahead with a new editorial for Spring/Summer 2015.
Given mankind’s childlike obsession with the future, we’re remarkably rigid when it comes to our clothing.
Ascensions is an ongoing short film series that focuses on some of the established, as well as up-and-coming names in modern fashion culture.
It’s been over a decade since De La Soul gave us their last full-length album, dating back to 2004 with the release of The Grind Date.
Azealia Banks has just released the official video for her new track “Ice Princess.” Taken off her album Broke With Expensive Taste, the video sees the rowdy rapper given an Ice Queen, Medusa-style makeover.
There is no doubt that world-renowned skateboarder Eric Koston obsesses over his craft. Showing further devotion to skateboarding, Koston has partnered with Oakley for their “ONE OBSESSION” campaign which encourages fans to join over 450 Oakley athletes in sharing and celebrating their obsession around the world.


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HOUSTON, TX -- Stealing cars usually comes down to how fast a thief is behind the wheel but in the age of computer technology it`s now coming down to how quick a thief is on a keyboard. Houston cops have arrested two suspects who are accused of stealing more than 100 cars, all using one tool; a laptop!
Here`s video of one of the thefts in action:
The man hops in the Jeep then out comes the trusty laptop. He quickly disables the alarm then, in what takes just over a minute, the Jeep is up and running and the thief is off.
Cops say the men used pirated computer software to reprogram the cars` electronic security so that their own key worked in the ignition. Police are now investigating how the thieves got access to the database codes used by dealerships, repair shops and locksmiths to replace lost key fobs.
Guess the technique of smashing a window in order to steal a car has been replaced with hacking the system. Hopefully catching these thieves will help other police departments around the country take a gigabyte out of crime.


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In the month of February, Tata Motors launched an all-new sub-brand. This branch, called TaMo, was created to focus on manufacturing new innovations and producing mobility solutions for the future. This would leave Tata Motors to concentrate on manufacturing volume-selling models.
The new company had made their intentions clear that they would be revealing an entirely new product at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show (currently underway in Switzerland). Today, the Indian manufacturer revealed the first product under the TaMo umbrella, a two-seater sportscar badged the RaceMo. Powered by a 1.2 litre, 3 cylinder, turbocharged Revotron petrol engine that produces 187 bhp, the RaceMo will hit 100 kph from a standstill in 6 seconds. The vehicle has also been kitted out with a 6 speed AMT with paddle shifters. The Tata RaceMo features new generation, lightweight construction and its stylish and sharp looks are courtesy of the Tata Motors design studio located in the Italian city of Turin.
RaceMo will use connected technologies such as cloud computing, analytics, geo-spatial and mapping, and increased human-machine interface, creating a new benchmark in the industry for connected vehicles. The inside of the car shows off its racy, edgy theme. The company has gone to enormous lengths to keep the weight down, even ditching the regular door handles with fabric loops. The triple screen display seems more like it belongs on a gaming PC than in a car, and the F1-inspired steering wheel and scissor doors look great as well.
A virtual avatar of the car has also been included in the new Forza Horizon 3 videogame available on the Xbox console. Exactly a fortnight ago, TaMo had also pulled the covers off of a new and futuristic hatchback concept called the C-Cube at an event by Microsoft, whom Tata had closed a deal with to provide better connectivity solutions while driving. Microsoft has lent its technical expertise for the RaceMo as well, in terms of providing a connected driving experience. At the event, Tata Motors also showcased the Nexon and Tigor Geneva Editions. This super stylish RaceMo sportscar will make its Indian arrival some time this year, keep your eyes peeled for it.


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G-Tech Optoelectronics Corp (正達國際光電), which makes cover glass used in touch-panel displays for Apple Inc’s tablet devices and other companies, yesterday said revenues were likely to peak this quarter as major customers cut orders for next quarter ahead of product launches early next year.
G-Tech’s comments came after JPMorgan Chase & Co said in a report on Sunday that Apple was trimming iPad supply chain orders by 25 percent in the fourth quarter, meaning that iPad maker Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) could ship 13 million iPad 2 units, rather than 17 million units.
Hon Hai Group (鴻海科技集團) — including Hon Hai and LCD panel maker Chimei Innolux Corp (奇美電子) — holds a 37.6 percent stake in G-Tech.
“Customers usually reduce orders in the fourth quarter, especially when they are set to launch new products,” G-Tech general manager Alex Jaing (江嘉斌) told reporters on the sidelines of an investor conference for the stock debut on Oct. 18.
The listing price has not yet been set.
“We are part of the supply chain and we will be affected, but it is hard to say now how big the impact will be,” Jaing said. “There could be a gradual decline [in revenues from the third quarter.] We are cautious about the fourth quarter.”
At the moment, G-Tech’s factory utilization is averaging 80 percent, while production lines for some popular products were still being fully utilized, Jaing said.
Thirty percent of the company’s output was shipped to Hon Hai Group, he said. European and US clients accounted for 40 percent of shipments, he said.
Third-quarter revenues were likely to break a new record, -Jaing said. In the second quarter, G-Tech’s revenues increased 41 percent quarter-on-quarter to a record high of NT$1.93 billion (US$63.3 million).
G-Tech’s net profits soared almost 70 percent last quarter to NT$316 million from NT$186 million in the first quarter, according to the company’s financial statement. It also represented a spike from net profits of NT$61 million a year ago.
G-Tech’s customers include HTC Corp (宏達電), LCD panel maker AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) and Apple’s touch module suppliers Wintek Corp (勝華) and TPK Holdings Co Ltd (宸鴻).
To support growing customer demand, G-Tech, based in Miaoli County, plans to triple its cover glass capacity to 1.8 million units a year in its Chinese factories in Shenzhen and Chengdu from 600,000 units in the second quarter.
Shares of G-Tech edged 0.35 percent lower to close at NT$93 on the Emerging Stock Market yesterday.


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The 2012 Olympic Games were accurately described by many as the world's "first social Games" for the unprecedented ways in which digital communication connected athletes, media and fans. For the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this meant promoting the Games online played out more or less like you'd expect, primarily happening on Facebook and Twitter.
But this year's Winter Olympics — beginning Feb. 7 in Sochi, Russia — require a different approach, according to Alex Huot, the IOC's social media director.
Facebook and Twitter are still in, of course; that's where most Olympics fans from around the world hang out online. But to reach Russian fans in the Games' host country, the IOC is relying on something entirely different: a social network called Vkontakte, or VK for short.
You may have never heard of it, but VK is all the rage in Russia, where many young people favor it over the social networks that dominate elsewhere. According to ComScore data, for example, more than 49 million people visited VK in July, spending an average of more than six hours on the site during the month. Just under 8 million Russians visited Facebook during the same month, each spending an average of 30 minutes online.
"Russia has not yet had their first social media Games and there is no doubt that these Games will be just that for them," Huot told Mashable in an email. "What is really exciting to me is that we will bring the Russian-speaking world’s 'fan experience' of the Games to the West via social media. We will also tell the stories and achievements of athletes from the West to Russians, which will build an Olympic virtual fan bridge."
The official Olympics page on VK now has nearly 2 million subscribers since the IOC started it 11 months ago. Huot and team have drummed up support in part through contests — recommending the page to a friend, for example, could win users free tickets to Olympics events. Subscribers have come from Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus as well as Russia, and Huot says the IOC's page is now the most popular brand on VK.
As for what VK users respond to best, Huot says it's about the same as any other social network: interactive content, visual posts and behind-the-scenes access are often popular. Olympics fans on VK aren't just passive users, either, as evidenced by this poll that gathered more than 48,000 votes. Huot calls the IOC's success on VK "huge" for the 2014 Games.
"We have noticed that Russian fans are like all other Olympic fans: They love sport and they support their team," he told Mashable. "One thing they do differently than users in other countries is stay engaged longer on social media. According to ComScore, Russian users are No. 2 in the world in terms of minutes spent on social media per month at 555 minutes, right behind Argentina at 565 minutes. I believe the account will grow exponentially as we approach the Opening Ceremony."
A booming VK page isn't the only new thing the IOC's social media team is introducing for Sochi, however. It's adding a Pinterest page this go-round, and added Spanish and Korean to the list of languages it uses to communicate with fans on social media, bringing the total number to seven. Huot also promises more people on the ground in Sochi. They'll comb Olympics venues and the athletes' village to share photos and other content, as well as facilitate online chats between athletes and fans.


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Saturday, December 7, 2013
Greenwood explains the parts, how they work and why they’re distinct in the application filed 136 years ago.
Earmuffs designer would have faced stiff challenges today
Quirky, hand-made items at temporary store site getting shoppers attention downtown.
Voting has ended, but finalist Lucie Amundsen doesn’t yet know whether her message encouraging egg buyers to “get locally laid” will win commercial competition.
Selectman Joshua Bell asked selectmen to remove requests from charities from the annual Town Meeting warrant in preparation for a difficult upcoming fiscal year.
A 1938 law requires the federal government to purchase dairy products at higher than wholesale prices if Congress can’t agree on a bill.
IN BENTON, Saturday, at 3:04 a.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Bridge Street.
Conditions of the officer and suspect have not been released.
Students, professors remember the legacy of Nelson Mandela, who died Thursday at age 95.
California man, 85, was deported by North Korea after being held for more than a month.
The problem is the once-ubiquitous handyman has faded from the American scene.
Couple married for just three weeks lured man to his death with a Craigslist ad so they could kill someone together, police said.
An unexpected offer of $25,000 in matching funds gave a needed boost to the pantry’s flagging fundraising campaign Friday.
Wildcats cruise in season opener
Mattagash, Maine is a fictional town filled with fictional people, but it might as well be real.
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The European Commission has informed Google that it believes the company has violated antitrust rules and "abused" its search dominance by "systematically" favoring its own content -- a comparison shopping product -- in general search results.
The EU sent a Statement of Objections to the company today (April 15), which is is essentially a notification of the allegation, but does not "prejudge the outcome" of the antitrust investigation.
"The Commission's preliminary view is that such conduct infringes EU antitrust rules because it stifles competition and harms consumers," the EU said.
At the same time, the EU is opening an investigation into Google's Android mobile operating system and whether it has similarly abused its "possible" dominant position in the market for operating systems, applications and services for smart phones and devices.
Both stem from an ongoing investigation of Google's practices by the EU.
"The Commission's objective is to apply EU antitrust rules to ensure that companies operating in Europe," said the EU commissioner in charge of competition policy, Margrethe Vestage. "Wherever they may be based, do not artificially deny European consumers as wide a choice as possible or stifle innovation."
"In the case of Google I am concerned that the company has given an unfair advantage to its own comparison shopping service, in breach of EU antitrust rules."
Vestage said Google had the chance to prove the commission wrong or change the way it does business.
Google has been the subject of complaints about abuse of its search power in this country as well. In 2013, the Federal Trade Commission closed a two-year long investigation into its search and advertising business with a promise to chance some of its business practices but no antitrust prosecution.
The FTC concluded that Google's search rankings, on balance, were to improve consumer experience rather than bias them anti-competitively in favor of Google content and closed the investigation saying Google's conduct did not violate American law that the FTC applies -- the vote was 5-0. Google volunteered to make some changes to that experience, however, including not disfavoring clients who advertise on other platforms. For example, websites can opt out of specialized search without being demoted in organic searches.
Google had not returned a request for comment on the EU allegation at press time.
“Brusselcrats don’t know a good thing for consumers when they see it — at least, if it’s ‘Made in the USA,’” said Berin Szoka, President of TechFreedom, in a statement. “Android is the most open operating system on the market today, allowing users to install an endless variety of apps, even through alternative app stores not approved by Google. This new investigation sounds like a continuation of the Franco-German obsession with ‘replacing’ Google’ with European alternatives, which recently led the EU Parliament to call for Google’s breakup — without actually waiting for any legal charges. Antitrust law shouldn’t be a tool for protectionism — or for technocrats to second-guess the preferences of European consumers.”
Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.
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General Motors Co.’s labor costs per vehicle may decline slightly under the proposed four-year contract with its U.S. union that calls for across-the-board raises, according to the Center for Automotive Research.
The key to controlling the costs lies in using cheaper temporary workers, some Mexican production and retiring older, higher-paid factory hands over the next four years. Those factors will offset some of the things the Detroit 3 carmakers agreed to with the United Auto Workers union, said Kristin Dziczek, director of the center’s Industry and Labor Group.
“The contract is not as expensive as people think because they can use temporary workers and some people will retire,” Dziczek said Friday in a phone interview. “You will have a different workforce in four years.”
Labor costs per vehicle at GM will drop to $2,350 in 2019 from $2,374 in 2014, while Ford’s will rise almost $200 a vehicle to $2,401 and FCA’s jump to $2,500 from $1,771, she said. Hourly labor costs rise from $57 to $60 at Ford, from $55 to $60 at GM and from $47 to $56 at FCA, Dziczek said.


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US investment bank JP Morgan is cutting its price target for Netflix’s stock by nearly 50% this year. The streaming service is facing increased competition in the on-demand video space and is likely to face major headwinds. As such, JP Morgan has downgraded Netflix into a bearish outlook. Netflix stock has plummeted in recent days. The company announced that it had lost subscribers for the first time in a decade.
According to documents filed by the streaming service, nearly 200,000 subscribers had canceled their membership during the first quarter of 2022. This was a sharp contrast to Netflix's expectations where it had hoped to add at least 2.5 million new subscribers to its service.
But things are not looking rosy. Netflix estimates that it may lose another 2 million subscribers during the current quarter. The streaming service notes that increasing inflation has been one of the key drivers of slowing growth.
As prices of basic commodities go up sharply, many people find it harder to afford subscription services. But many experts feel that Netflix has peaked and as more and more streaming services come in, it will be very hard for it to keep up. Shortly after the loss of subscribers was announced, Netflix’s stock dived. It lost nearly 40% in one single day.
At one point the stock price touched the lowest price recorded since 2018. JP Morgan was relatively bullish about the company in 2022. It had predicted that the coin will close the year above $605. But the recent data is changing the outlook massively. As of now, JP Morgan expects Netflix to end 2022 at $300. Although this is higher than the current stock price, it is nearly half the initial prediction of $600.
The investment bank also noted with concern that Netflix had "ticked all the boxes" you would expect from a bearish asset. This suggests that more pain is ahead for investors. Despite this, Netflix is trying to address some of these challenges. For example, to tackle the growing concerns about its high prices, the streaming platform is considering bringing in an ad-supported version.
This will be heavily discounted and users will have to watch ads. Netflix had often resisted the idea of adding ads into its streaming to give users the best possible experience. But a lot of consumers would welcome an ad supporter version of Netflix if it means paying lower monthly fees.
The streaming service has also been trying to expand its reach in emerging markets through innovative packages. More importantly, though, Netflix is cracking down on password sharing across accounts. The company sees this as a huge barrier to increasing its revenues.
If indeed it can do it, there may be some reprieve for investors in the end. However, the long-term outlook for Netflix remains bleak. The company will now have to deal with so many competitors in a market that appears to be shrinking every day.


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Reuters is reporting today that Asustek, the Taiwaneese company that partnerned with Garmin to introduce the GPS/Android phone, is severing that partnership. Hints of the widely popular maker of GPS devices, Garmin, abandoning it’s “Smartphone” product line began popping up over the summer. According to Reuters, Asustek is supposed to make an official announcement later today.
The Reuters article speculates that once the Garmin smartphone project is officially dead it will free Garmin up to focus on their stand along navigation units as well as starting development on apps for both Iphone and Android.
Analyst Tim Shepherd with the firm Canalys said “The smartphone market is seeing huge growth, but the Garmin-Asus alliance has, to date, delivered disappointing volumes,”
What did you think of the “Garmin Phones”?


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NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 06/10/13 -- What a Google search reveals about an individual or a brand can have a seismic impact on that individual or brand's online reputation -- and according to Reputation Changer, this is not limited to the listings on the search results page itself. While search result listings can prove make-or-break for people and for companies, the "suggested" search terms offered by Google Autocomplete can be just as advantageous, or just as damaging. In a new statement to the press, Reputation Changer opines on the fact that more and more people and brands are taking their Google search results seriously, yet overlooking their Autocomplete findings.
"More and more of our clients are aware that what an Internet search reveals about them effectively sets the tone for how the public perceives them," comments ReputationChanger.com president Michael Zammuto. "Adverse search engine listings can cost a person his or her job, and it can cause a business to lose clients. People are increasingly conscientious of this, and so they are taking great efforts to repair their search results and to suppress unwanted listings -- but sometimes, they neglect a key piece of the puzzle, which is Autocomplete."
Autocomplete is important for several reasons, Zammuto says, not the least of which is the fact that it often forms the first impression that a search engine user has about his or her search query. "Say that someone goes to the Google search bar to conduct a query for your business," Zammuto offers. "The first listing in the Autocomplete dropdown menu includes a word like 'scam,' 'complaints,' or 'fraud.' Right off the bat, the search engine user has a highly negative association with your business -- and this is before he or she even makes it to your first search engine listing!"
Zammuto also warns that many search engine users allow Autocomplete results to direct their inquiries. "Google intends for Autocomplete to be a helpful tool, which it is, and many users do allow it to dictate their search terms," he cautions. "So, if someone searches for your company and that 'scam' keyword comes up, he or she is likely to see where that term leads, just for the sake of curiosity -- and who knows what kind of damaging content that might turn up for your brand?"
The Reputation Changer president also says that Autocomplete can prove damaging to individuals. "What happens when a potential employer goes to Google you, and the first suggested search term implies illegal activity, or something else that's unsavory and potentially damaging?" Zammuto notes that this has happened before; as recently as April of this year, a high-profile defamation suit in Japan involved allegations that Autocomplete had falsely linked a local man with criminal activity, costing him his job and making it impossible for him to find further employment.
The question that many will have is what can be done to prevent unflattering Autocomplete results. Zammuto notes that these suggested searches are largely based on actual search engine user behavior, which means that attending to unwanted online listings can eventually have a positive effect on Autocomplete results. "To actively and efficiently change what Autocomplete says about you, though, you have to fundamentally alter the search engine's perceptions, which is something that takes vast resources -- the kinds of resources that only a firm like Reputation Changer can provide," concludes Zammuto.
Founded in 2009, Reputation Changer has a vision for providing individuals and companies with complete control of how they are portrayed on the Web. ReputationChanger.com delivers reputation monitoring and defense services to individuals and companies alike. Indeed, the company is known for its standard-setting technologies and also for its proprietary methodologies; the company's client list encompasses government bodies, noteworthy politicians, Fortune 100 companies, small businesses, doctors, dentists, lawyers, and private citizens.
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Nothing prepared Luke Tsai for “how truly excellent the food at 2207” would be, the EaterSF editor wrote in a Dec. 27 article. But it wasn’t necessarily Tsai’s best culinary experience of the year in Richmond.
In an EaterSF post published three days later, Tsai wrote that he “can’t stop thinking about his first bite” of the quesabirra taco by El Garage, the popular family-owned pop-up that began serving tacos from their driveway in Richmond. After El Garage announced last month that it would soon open in a permanent spot in the city, it earned a spot, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, among “the most anticipated Bay Area restaurants of 2020.”
Tsai is not alone in his excitement over an apparent emergent Richmond food scene. Sarah Han, editor at Berkeleyside Nosh, which aptly covers East Bay food, listed Richmond among the cities that “seem to be having a moment.” Berkeleyside Nosh was among the publications recently serving hat tips to Raymond’s Pizzeria in Point Richmond, whose owners are former professional skateboarder Brad Staba and Nathan Trivers of The Up & Under, as well as El Tucán, which just opened in the former Pup Hut site and serves Tijuana-style tacos.
Speaking of tacos: five Richmond eateries were recently named on an EaterSF list called, “22 Destination-Worthy Tacos in the East Bay.” That article prompted Richmond Mayor Tom Butt to launch “Tacos with Tom” where he chats with his constituents while trying “some of the best tacos our city has to offer.” The first such event took place at La Selva Taqueria at 1049 23rd St. on Dec. 20.
With restaurateurs catching on to Richmond’s recent growth and relative affordability in the high-cost Bay Area, the city is gaining more attention for its culinary hotspots. The Standard’s features writer, Kathy Chouteau, has been quite busy covering her city’s food scene. In 2019, she tried, and commended, a number of Richmond’s favorites: New Soul Café, The Artisan Kitchen & Café, El Agave Azul, Café Gran Milan, Anh, and Bubbaloo Cafe. Chouteau did not forget to stop by longtime favorites like Caspers Hotdogs and Andy’s Donuts.
In addition to popping up, new eateries are lighting up once-dormant corridors in Richmond. Last year, the Richmond Food Hall opened in the groundfloor of the BART parking garage and is home to Roux’s southern-style cuisine and Red Bay Coffee. The Food Hall shares space with CoBiz Richmond, a new co-working space and incubator launched by Chevron’s $10 million eQuip Richmond Initiative that is expected to add incentive for eateries to open near the transit center. According to the Chronicle, El Garage plans to establish its first permanent restaurant at 1428 MacDonald Ave., across from the BART station.
Is all this talk of food making you thirsty? Try the Bo Pils at East Brother Beer Company. Last year, the Richmond brewery’s Bohemian-style Pilsner won silver at the 33rd Great American Beer Festival, the nation’s largest beer competition, and gold at the California Craft Brewer’s Cup.
Meanwhile, the relatively new Armistice Brewing in Marina Bay continues its success, expanding its tap room last year. Point Richmond Social Club, by the owner of Catahoula Coffee on San Pablo Avenue, also opened to serve coffee, beer on tap, and food. Point Richmond, always known as a good spot for quality restaurants, invited a backyard renovation at its popular art-friendly café, Kaleidoscope Coffee, and around the corner, right next door to Raymond’s Pizza, is the new, highly regarded Maya Taqueria.
There’s much to look forward to in the food scene in 2020. Lara’s Fine Dining, for example, is set to open any day now in an updated restaurant on the Marina Bay waterfront that formerly housed Salute’s. Also opening soon is the Factory Bar, which celebrated its groundbreaking last summer on a property next door to El Tucan, the former Pup Hut site.
The list of new and existing gems appears to be growing. Would you agree? What destination-worthy food spots have we missed in this report? Let us know in the comments!


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A grand jury in San Francisco ruled that the battered Blackberry manufacturer, Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM), will pay 147.2 million dollars in damages for infringing patents from Mformation Technologies.
Amar Thakur, Mformation’s lawyer, said on Saturday that the verdict issued on Friday night followed a three-week trial and five days of deliberations by a jury of eight.
Mformation which is based in Edison, New Jersey, sued RIM in October 2008 under the argument that the Canadian-based company had infringed a patent for a 1999 invention which allows for remote wireless device management.
Mformation’s software enables companies to remotely access cell phones in order to update software, change passwords, or delete data.
This feature is particularly useful for removing sensitive information stolen equipment.
RIM executives, who have dealt with a slump in sales, a drop in stock prices, and other problems, issued statements on the ruling Saturday.
Thakur said the jury found that RIM customers must pay eight dollars for each of the 18.4 million devices that were connected to the Blackberry Enterprise Server from the date of the petition’s filing until the time of trial – a whopping 147.2 million dollars.
The lawyer added that the software in question is the heart of the business of Mformation, a company that has hundreds of employees and is not publicly listed on the stock market.
“We think this has been fundamental to the success of Research in Motion,” Thakur told The Associated Press.
The patent claim was requested in 2001 and was granted four years later, the lawyer added.


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PARIS — Yiqing Yin has been confirmed as creative director of Leonard, WWD has learned. The French fashion house is due to announce her appointment today, confirming a report in WWD on Oct. 1.
The Chinese-born designer succeeds Raffaele Borriello, who left last fall after three seasons at the house. Leonard has seen a revolving door of designers since the departure in 2011 of Véronique Leroy after eight years at the helm. She was replaced by Maxime Simoens, who lasted just one season.
A Stella McCartney sketch of a custom dress made from protein-based silk in partnership with biotech lab Bolt Threads. The dress will be displayed at The Museum of Modern Art's upcoming design exhibition, "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"


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Tag Archives: Lenovo
The office personal computer (PC) levels-up to new heights as PC maker Lenovo earlier today announced a range of their latest Lenovo ThinkPad devices.
Lenovo introduces a new “Legion” line designed for PC Gaming. A sub-brand of gaming PCs, Lenovo Legion intends to cater to the growing community of online gamers in the Philippines.
A lot of new smartphones are coming out recently. And one of the strong contenders is the new Lenovo A7000, as it was launched last week in exclusive partnership with online retailer Lazada, the biggest e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia.
I’ve just had my first Breakout Manila experience recently. It was part of Lenovo Philippines‘ challenge for Gadget Gambit and other bloggers to break out from a challenging room scenario using wit, team work, and some Lenovo laptops and PCs … Continue reading
Hear ye gadget-lovers and tech-geeks! If you’re looking into purchasing new smartphones, laptops, tablets, accessories, and related gadgets, then troop over to SM Cyberzone at the 4f of SM North Edsa Annex building for the TECH SALE!
The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 was released worldwide in October of 2013 and reached our shores sometime November of last year.


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Microsoft prepares Windows Blue, to accelerate Windows release cycles?
The latest hot information regarding Microsoft now claims that the US software giant will accelerate Windows OS release cycles by releasing a new Windows version every year, just like Apple has been doing in the last years.
The new Windows versions will bring additional features, updates and improvements so they are unlikely to be completely new operating systems with new kernels and the like. The yearly release of Windows operating systems may also bring the end of Microsoft’s Service Packs as we have known them for the last decade. Moreover, the yearly Windows releases will come with a low price – sitting around USD 25 – just like Mac OS X. What’s even better for Microsoft is that by doing this the company will be able to compete against Google and Apple better by offering an up-to-date product instead of an OS that has been in development for a few years.
The first representative of the new Windows life cycle is expected to be Windows Blue – expected sometime next year. Windows Blue is just a codename for now, but the upcoming software product is expected to be a major update to Windows 8 and the first OS to see a yearly release. Windows Blue is expected to be very cheap – and possibly even free – when it hits the market in 2013.
This news comes amidst a lukewarm reception of Windows 8 – despite selling 40 million licenses for the new OS in just a month PC sales have taken another serious dive and more and more consumers feel confused by the new Windows GUI and lack of Start button and demand a downgrade to Windows 7.


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U.S. stocks are moving gently higher as investors sit back and wait for Federal Reserve Board chair Janet Yellen’s final remarks before the June 14-15 FOMC meeting.
The S&P 500 is up by 4 points to 2,103, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is higher by 58 points to 17,865 and the Nasdaq is adding 5 points to trade at 4,947. The S&P Retail ETF is losing 14 cents to sell at $42.53.
Chico’s FAS Inc. continues to fight back in its battle with activist investor Barington Capital Group. On Friday, Chico’s issued a statement refuting Barington’s claims that it should receive credit for the improvements being made at the company. Chico’s also rebutted many of Barington’s other claims. This morning, Chico’s filed its definitive proxy materials and mailed a letter to shareholders regarding the upcoming shareholders meeting. Chico’s is suggesting shareholders vote for its board nominees and not for the board members that Barington has nominated. Chico’s said it vetted those nominees and found them to lack the needed skills. The stock is flat in early trading.
Burberry Group Plc’s chief executive officer Christopher Bailey took a 75 percent pay cut last year. The fashion house published its annual report and noted that Bailey received 1.9 million pounds, or $2.7 million at today’s exchange rate, versus last year’s 7.5 million pounds, or $10.8 million. Bailey also didn’t receive a bonus or incentive payments because the earnings missed the company’s goals. Bailey is also the company’s chief creative officer and there is concern that the dual role is hurting the company. However, Burberry did acknowledge that the slowdown of the Chinese economy and geopolitical events had hurt the luxury sector as a whole. The stock is gaining 7 pence to trade at 10.76 pounds or $15.52.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was upgraded to a “buy” from a “hold” by Jefferies following the company’s annual meeting last week. The stock is rising by 38 cents to sell at $71.25 on the news. The analyst also raised his price target to $82 from $60. The note said that the company’s investments are yielding improved store conditions resulting in better sales.
Cabela’s Inc. stock is falling by 1 percent to $51.33 after a story in Barron’s over the weekend suggested it was a good time to sell the stock. The article said that shareholders may want to lock in profits before the chain puts itself up for sale or tries to sell some assets. Cabela’s has been trying to sell its real estate and credit card businesses.
Revlon, Inc. revealed it has acquired Coty’s International Cutex business. The acquisition completes the consolidation of the Cutex brand’s worldwide operations.
Looking ahead, Vince Camuto Group reports earnings on Tuesday as Ralph Lauren Corp. holds its investor day. Lululemon Athletica Inc. and Tailored Brands Inc. deliver earnings on Wednesday.