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A four-bedroom home in Waramanga, in the Weston Creek district, sold for $1,220,000 last week to a family who were only able to view the property online.
The sale is among some of the highest for the suburb and is well above the median sales price of houses in the area, which is currently $743,000 according to CoreLogic.
The house went on the market just days before the ACT plunged into lockdown and 37 interested buyers attended the first and only inspection of 19 Damala Street, Waramanga.
In the first weeks of lockdown, photographers and videographers weren't allowed to step foot inside a property, so the seller took on the task of filming their own video walk-through of the home.
"They walked through and did a video and we sent it off to our videographer to cut it up and organise a virtual tour so then we were able to send that out to people," said selling agent Cris O'Brien of Home by Holly Dickson.
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As the lockdown continued, the sellers were just about to make a decision on whether to go ahead with a virtual auction when two offers came through.
"The family who bought it had been in the market and looking for quite some time and they had just moved out of a rental property and were pretty keen to buy something so they bought it, sight unseen," said Ms O'Brien.
Located on a 774-square-metre block, the two-level home is well-suited to a family, with expansive living spaces, a central renovated kitchen and a separate parents' retreat downstairs with a master suite, walk-in robe and study nook.
According to CoreLogic, the four-bedroom home last sold in 2016 for $719,000.
The sale is one of the highest for Waramanga and follows a number of recent record sales, including as a four-bedroom home that sold for $1,505,000 in June.
Ms O'Brien said the area is following the rising price trends seen in Canberra's inner city suburbs.
"I think it's all due to still not enough stock to meet buyer demand ... across Canberra that's happening and definitely [in] Weston Creek we're seeing some of those suburbs that maybe were not as strong as others catching up," she said.
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Indus OS, the world’s First Regional Operating System, conceptualized, developed and designed in India, has overtaken global giants such as iOS, Windows and Cyanogen to emerge as the 2nd most popular OS in India. As per Counterpoint Market Research, Q1 FY 2016-17 saw a total of 24.8 million smartphone devices sold in India, of which 1.4 million devices were powered by Indus OS. The indigenous operating system is currently available in 12 Indian languages, adding close to half million OS activations every month, and growing at a whopping 150%; the company expects to double this number within 6 months.
Indus OS is addressing one of India’s biggest technological challenges – to develop technology to cater to the economic, social and regional diversity. Less than 10% of the Indian population considers English as their first, second or third language. It is well researched that the next 300 million users who will use a smartphone for the first time in the next 3 years, will be native language speakers, and Indus OS is working to create a mobile ecosystem for these users.
The award-winning platform boasts of a first-ever and complete regional ecosystem, with patented keyboards, auto-correction, matra-prediction features, and transliteration support. App Bazaar, the regional app marketplace for Indus OS, is today, the world’s fastest growing regional marketplace. Over 90% Indus OS users have activated App Bazaar and over 75% users use it on a monthly basis. Today, it has over 25,000 regional language apps on its platform, and allows users to download and pay for apps without any credit cards or email identification.
Indus OS is currently present across 25 handset models. The Government of India has also been a key partner in Indus OS’ growth story. In December 2015, Indus OS collaborated with the Ministry of Communications and IT’s DeitY (Department of Electronics and IT) to introduce text-to-speech technology in regional languages. Indus OS aims to be the vehicle to distribute regional language technologies, and digitally power Indian masses.
“Indus OS is not just a technology product – it’s a mission where government, linguists, tech geeks, mobile brands and thousands of developers are coming together to provide technology to the next billion users,” said Rakesh Deshmukh.
Indus OS recently won the prestigious TiE50 (Silicon Valley) Top Startup Award 2016. It was also awarded the prestigious Economic Times Telecom Award 2016 for ‘Innovation in Developing OEM Product’.

domain: news


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- Kristopher Fraser |
May 20 marks Blue Jeans Day, or as Levi's calls it, 501 Day. In honor of 501 Day, Levi's is releasing three limited-edition pieces, including a men's 501 original jean, a trucker vest and a women's 501 short. Levi's will also release the newest installment of their 501 documentary series that day. In addition, concerts will also be staged around the world including San Francisco, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Shanghai and Mumbai.
The Limited Edition 501 Day collection was inspired by the cities of Austin, Nashville, New York and San Francisco drawing on their history as music capitals. The collection has a rock and roll aesthetic featuring distressed denim, embroidery and vintage customizations. It will be available beginning on 501 Day on Levi.com and at flagship stores in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.
Levi's celebrates 501 Day
Price points for the collection range from 148 dollars to 198 dollars.
Today, Levi's also announced they will be pledging 1 million dollars in grants through the Levi Strauss Foundation that will bolster their support for marginalized communities in the U.S. and abroad, including immigrants, minorities, refugees, religious minorities and transgender citizens.
Like many fashion brands, they are responding to the current political climate with a progressive call to action.
Levi's has long been on forefront of political and social change, having been very vocal about their support for the civil rights movements in the 60s, the gay rights movement in the 70s and the AIDS awareness movement in the 80s.
It was no better time to announce their latest social initiative during the same week as they celebrate their signature 501s.
Photo: via Levi's Facebook Page


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In one of those typical San Francisco decisions that makes San Francisco a poster child for the liberal left, the city's Board of Supervisors is moving to block a paint store from renting a vacant building once used by a video rental shop.
That paint store is part of a chain, and chain stores are not liked by a vocal segment of the local population. Chain stores are already banned from some parts of San Francisco, and at least one member of the Board of Supervisors plans to introduce bans on chain stores in other areas.
Chain stores have been disliked for decades, at both local and national levels. Taking advantage of economies of scale that lower their costs of doing business, chain stores are able to charge lower prices than smaller independent stores, and therefore attract customers away from their higher-cost competitors.
The economics of this is certainly not too "complex" to understand. However, politics is not economics, so politicians tend to respond to people's emotional reactions-- and if economic realities stand in the way, then so much the worse for economics.
All sorts of laws and court decisions, going back as far as the 1930s, have tried to prevent the economies of scale that lower costs from being reflected in lower prices that drive high-cost competitors out of business.
Economists may say that benefits always have costs, that there is no free lunch-- but how many votes do economists have?
There was a time when courts would have stopped politicians from interfering with people's property rights by banning chain stores. After all, if whoever owns the vacant video rental store in San Francisco wants to rent it to the paint company, and the paint company is willing to pay the rent, why should politicians be involved in the first place?
However, once the notion of "a living Constitution" became fashionable, the Constitution's protection of property rights has been "interpreted" virtually out of existence by judges.
The biggest losers are not people who own property but people who have to pay higher prices because politicians make it harder for businesses that charge lower prices to come into the community.
Despite the political myth that government is protecting us from big businesses charging monopoly prices, the cold fact is that far more government actions have been taken against businesses that charge low prices than against businesses that charge high prices.
The biggest antitrust cases of a century ago were against the Great Northern Railroad and the Standard Oil Company, both of which charged lower prices than their competitors.
The Robinson-Patman Act of 1936 was called "the anti-Sears, Roebuck law" because it was directed again this and other chains that charged lower prices than smaller retailers could match.
For a long time, there were so-called Fair Trade Laws designed to keep low-cost businesses in general from charging low prices that drive high-cost businesses out of business.
Fortunately, enough sanity eventually prevailed that Fair Trade Laws were repealed. But the emotional needs that such laws met were still there, and today they find an outlet in hostility to Wal-Mart and other "big box" stores-- especially in San Francisco and other bastions of the liberal left.
People have every right to indulge their emotions at their own expense. Unfortunately, through politics, those emotions are expressed in laws and administrative decisions by people who pay no price at all for indulging either their own emotions or the emotions of the people who vote for them.
That is why the Constitution tried to erect barriers to government power, of which property rights were one. But, once judges started saying that "the public interest" over-rides property rights, that left politicians free to call whatever they wanted to do "the public interest."
Neither economics nor property rights are too "complex" to understand. But both get in the way of willful people who seek to deny other people the right to make their own decisions.
Anyone who doesn't like chain stores is free not to shop there. But that is wholly different from saying that they have a right to stop other people from exercising their own freedom of choice. That's not too "complex" to understand.


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Retail and food services sales fell slightly in May as consumers shifted spending away from goods and toward experiences that were limited during the coronavirus pandemic, according to new federal data.
Monthly sales by retailers fell 1.3 percent in May, according to the advance estimate released Tuesday by the Census Bureau, but remained 28.1 percent above their level a year ago. The figures are adjusted for seasonal factors but not price changes.
Much of May’s decline in retail sales came from sectors and industries that had led the start of the recovery from the coronavirus recession. Sales by building materials and garden equipment stores fell 5.9 percent, sales by electronic and appliance stores fell 3.4 percent, and furniture and home goods suppliers saw a 2.1 percent decline in May. Sales by motor vehicle dealers and auto parts stores also fell 3.7 percent.
Spending on goods from those sectors remains far above May 2020 levels, but has fallen off as the reopening of the economy and supply constraints push consumer spending toward other sectors.
"The dip in May, as the economy continues to re-open, will come as a disappointment to many US market watchers that were expecting further growth," said Cailin Birch, global economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit, in an analysis.
"Nonetheless, it is important to remember that overall spending was only slightly below where it was in March — when it was temporarily boosted by stimulus checks — and well above spending in January-February," Birch said.
Sales by clothing and accessories stores rose 3 percent in May even as general merchandise stores and miscellaneous retailers saw declines of 3.3 percent and 5 percent. Restaurant and bar sales also rose 1.8 percent in May and are now 70.6 percent above their level a year ago.
“While there are downside risks related to labor shortages, supply chain bottlenecks, tax increases and over-regulation, overall, households are healthier, and consumers are demonstrating their ability and willingness to spend,” said Matthew Shay, CEO and president of the National Retail Federation. “We are confident.”


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Telal Gents Fashion decided to bring to life the old saying with a twist: If the customer doesn’t go to the store, the store will go to the customer. With this premise, the Dubai-based fashion retailer launched a special fleet of buses fitted out to resemble one of their stores.
“We noticed a 30 percent dip in customer footfall during the pandemic due to lockdown restrictions and a reluctance from people to go outside for non-essential goods,” said Hassan Thurabi, a director at Telal, as reportd by ‘Arab News’.
The main idea was bringing the best experience to their customers, in a way that was innovative yet relatable. So Telal Gents Fashion built an actual fleet of buses, decorated to resemble their physical stores, to offer a similar selection of products to what is available online and in their stores. Customers can order a shopping session and the bus will drive directly to them.
“We had to find a solution to the situation fast, so we invented a platform to support the new needs of our customers and brought our services to our customers’ doorsteps at the click of a button. (It) is one of the company’s most successful projects, boosting our sales by over 50 percent as well as enhancing our customer satisfaction and experience,” he added.
Founded in 1987 by the Telal family, the company currently has 32 outlets throughout the Middle East and its own footwear factory in Italy. The bus campaign, which kicked off on Feb. 10, 2020, also saw the company awarded a Guinness World Record for the Largest Mobile Clothing Store.


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The new generation Hyundai Verna was spotted a while back during testing in South Korea. The company will first launch this car in its domestic market i.e. in South Korea itself. After this it will be launched in other markets of the world including India. However, no launch date or timeline has been revealed about when this car will be launched in India.
These cars will collide
This car of Hyundai will compete with cars like Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus. The camouflaged version of this car was seen during testing.
Features of the current model
In the Verna, Hyundai’s connected car technology BlueLink has been given with 45 features. These include features like voice commands for in-car functions, remote engine and air-con operation. With the BlueLink system, you can access many functions of the car through your smartwatch.
The Verna facelift is the first mid-size sedan to come with a full digital instrument cluster. There is also a 4.2-inch multi-information display (MID) at the center of the instrument cluster. Hyundai has introduced wireless charging feature in the Verna facelift, which is a first in the segment. The wireless charging pad is placed in front of the gear lever in the car. The new Verna comes with a hands-free boot opening function. Hyundai calls it the ‘Smart Boot’. Due to this feature, when the car key reaches the boot (diggy), the boot lid will open automatically.


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In today’s Veggie Athletic Weekly News Digest: UK public now consumes 50 percent less beef; Theresa May to announce u-turn decision on fox hunting; Aldi launch new meat-free line; ‘Lab-fish’ startup to match the price of bluefin tuna by 2019; Laverne Cox launches vegan nail polish line; Vegan eatery ‘Cook Daily’ to create new dish with Wagamama; Are vegan politicians the way forward?
A new report has shown that the UK public now consumes 50 percent less beef and veal than in the 1970s.
The figures, compiled by market research company ReportLinker, show that the British public is now consuming 110 grams less per person per week.
During the election campaign, Theresa May said that she would hold a free vote on whether to overturn the ban on fox hunting. Now, she’s set to abandon the idea.
According to the Sunday Times, Theresa May will formally announce this decision in early 2018, which will be sure to infuriate rural upper-class Tories.
Budget supermarket chain Aldi has launched a new range meat-free of products, in stores across the US.
According to a Reddit user, who claims to work for Aldi, the chain has begun rolling out a brand new range of vegetarian and vegan options in certain stores.
Food tech company ‘Finless Foods’ has announced they plan to make it accessible and cheap for customers to eat seafood without destroying the oceans.
The company, which uses fish cells to grow the fish meat, announced they will be able to match the price of bluefin tuna by 2019.
Together with beauty brand Orly, OITNB star Laverne Cox has debuted a new line of vegan nail polish.
Known for her role as transgender prison hairstylist Sophia Burset, Cox announced she was vegan earlier in the year in a video alongside fellow vegan and Orange Is The New Black star Ruby Rose.
London based eatery Cook Daily has announced that they have teamed up with Wagamama to create an exclusive vegan dish, especially for upcoming Veganuary.
According to Plant-Based News, the new dish will be available at the London location of Cook Daily, along with Wagamama’s noodle labs which can be found in central London.
With rumours circulating around Jeremy Corbyn’s consideration of becoming a vegan, are vegan politicians and their attitudes that come with it the way forward?
Corbyn has been a vegetarian since the age of 20 after working on a pig farm and being distressed by what he saw.


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The Next Supercar – Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and owner Jim Glickenhaus have been quietly plugging away building super street and race cars, dating back to 2005 when the company first told Andrea Pininfarina it wanted to build an homage to the old Ferrari P3/4 race car. A year and a half later, the company brought us the Enzo-based P4/5 by Pininfarina.
In 2009, it built a competition car based on the P4/5 called the P4/5C and raced in the 24 Hours Nurburgring. Two years after that, it turned the car into a hybrid and finished first in its class and won an FIA World Championship Cup for Alternative Energies. In 2013, it created the SCG 003 road car and SCG 003C race car, which ended up taking the pole at the 24 Hours Nurburgring in 2017 and finished first in class.
Glickenhaus usually delivers
Which brings us to today and Glickenhaus’ next piece of machinery, the SCG 004S road car. The company says in 18 months, which seems to be a proper time frame, it will deliver 25 “Founders Edition” road cars, race at the 24 Hours Nurburgring AND will have scaled up its production to produce 250 cars per year here at a factory in the U.S., possibly in Detroit. Those are big claims, we know, but Glickenhaus has given us no reason not to trust him. A competition version will come later in both GT3 and GTE/GTLM specification.
The Next Supercar Specification
SCG is certified as a Low Volume Manufacturer under NHTSA’s guidelines, meaning you will be able to get it ready for road use. The company says it already has some orders for the Founders Edition, which will be ready in early 2019. A prototype should be ready sometime next year, with the bigger batch of 250 ready by 2020-21.


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Quebec paint manufacturers launch marketing campaigns after layoffs
November 21, 2018 by The Canadian Press
November 21, 2018 – Quebec paint manufacturers are seizing on the American-owned Sico paint company’s move to Ontario from Quebec by launching marketing campaigns and tapping into renewed sensitivity around local ownership after a string of closures and layoffs.
Sico, an 81-year-old company bought by American giant PPG Industries Inc. in 2013, said last week it plans to close its plant in Quebec City and distribution centre in the Montreal area next September, eliminating 125 jobs.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault and Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume have both invoked the idea of a Sico boycott.
Denalt Paints, whose 60 employees make products under various brand names in Montreal, is buying ad slots on five radio stations around the province on top of a web and billboard campaign. Sales director Nicholas Le Marchand says pride in regional wares and “a perfect storm” of foreign purchases and local shutdowns is fostering more demand for Quebec products.
Patrick Rodrigue, director of operations at the Laval-based Micca Paint Inc., says he is revving up for a multi-platform ad push to capitalize on the “opportunity.” Nearby, MF Paints – which just hired a chemist laid off from Sico – aims to more than double its Quebec market share to 20 per cent after being “swamped” with calls by hardware and building materials stores.
Lowe’s Companies Inc. announced this month it will close 31 stores and other locations in Canada, including nine Rona outlets in Quebec, two years after acquiring the Montreal-area-based retailer.
Three days later on Nov. 8, Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. announced it will lay off 5,000 workers company-wide, including 2,500 in Quebec, and sell off two units.


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AMD has launched a lawsuit against four of its former employees for having stolen thousands of confidential documents before they moved to rival Nvidia.
Intel introduced the next-generation of processors at CES 2013, offering dramatically low power consumption and improved processing speed.
Nvidia took the wraps off its new SoC - the Tegra 4 chip, which it claims is the world's fastest mobile processor.
AMD has released its new line of eight-core processors based on the Piledriver architecture.
Gamers and enthusiasts would be delighted to hear about AMD's juicy new offerings for its Radeon 7770 series of graphics cards.
Android apps are going to get married with Windows operating system soon!
Advanced Micro Devices Inc.(AMD), the international semiconductor tycoon, on Monday announced its viewpoint regarding the revenue processed during the recently concluded second quarter of 2012.
Intel has officially launched its new line of processors based on the latest Ivy bridge platform, which are faster and lower in power than their Sandybridge counterparts.
Every year the CES exhibition sees a host of exciting and innovative products by hardware manufacturers.
Obesity is known to boost the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Now a new study warns that bulging tummy in middle age raises a man's risk of going blind later in life.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Brocade Communications soared Thursday after the networking-gear maker posted quarterly results that exceeded Wall Street's projections.
Brocade BRCD rose 14.45% to close at $7.13.
The company announced a loss of $63.1 million, or 16 cents a share, for its fiscal second quarter ended May 2, compared with a profit of $91.4 million, or 23 cents a share, in the year-ago period.
Revenue was $506.3 million, up 43% from $354.9 million for the same period last year. Adjusted income was 11 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research had expected, on average, profit of 8 cents a share.
"In general, we would say the results were better than expected," JMP Securities analyst Samuel Wilson told clients, noting that Brocade's revenue was "$26 million greater than we were expecting and $31 million greater than the Street's consensus estimates."
In reporting its results, Brocade noted its deepening ties with IBM Corp.
The move was widely viewed by analysts as a reaction by IBM and Brocade to Cisco Systems'
Analysts have been speculating for months that IBM and H-P will seek to strengthen their ties with Cisco's rivals in the networking-equipment arena, such as Juniper Networks


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Pensioners have started receiving payments of up to £600 to help them with the cost of living throughout the winter.
The government says around 11.5 million pensioners will be receiving the winter fuel payments for the second year running.
The winter fuel payments come on top of the additional £300 provided per household through the pensioner cost of living payment and will land in bank accounts automatically over the next two months, the Department for Work and Pensions said.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “We have delivered on our promise to halve inflation and will continue to support people right across the country, including pensioners who may be facing particular challenges over the colder months.
“As well as up to £600 to help our pensioners stay warm this winter, we’re boosting pensions through the triple lock – increasing the full rate of the new state pension by over £900 next year.”
In the autumn statement delivered this week, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced pensions are set to increase by 8.5% to £221.20 a week from April as the triple lock is maintained.
Middle-class shoplifters ‘partly to blame for rise in retail crime’
Record number of people seeking homelessness support
The triple lock is a government promise to raise publicly funded pensions by the level of average earnings, inflation or 2.5% – whichever is the highest.
The triple lock was designed to ensure people’s pensions were not affected by gradual rises in the cost of living over time, but there have been questions as to whether the government would stick to the manifesto promise given that pay and inflation are running at higher levels than usual.
The winter fuel payments will appear in bank statements with the payment reference starting with the customer’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’ for people in Great Britain, or ‘DFC WFP’ for people in Northern Ireland.
#Pensioners #start #receiving #winter #fuel #payment #Politics #News,


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Google has announced that it is going to bring the peer-to-peer payments feature of the Google Wallet to the Google Assistant on Android and iOS devices.
After the update is rolled out, you will be able to send money to anyone by asking the Google Assistant. Of course, the person has to be in your contacts list in order for you to be able to send them the money.
[blockquote cite=”Google”]When the weekend’s over, chances are someone owes you (or you owe someone) money for something—Friday night’s concert tickets, Saturday afternoon’s barbecue supplies, or Sunday’s matinee at the movies. Starting today, you can ask the Google Assistant to pay your friends back with Google Pay, so you can spend more time having fun and less time dealing with the hassle of paying each other back.
You can easily send or request money from your contacts—for free—using the Assistant on Android and iOS phones in the U.S. In the coming months, you’ll be able to send money on voice-activated speakers like Google Home. No worries if you haven’t already signed up for Google Pay—you’ll be prompted to set up your account as soon as you ask the Assistant to send money to your contacts.
Funds are transferred almost instantaneously, even if the recipient doesn’t have a Google Pay account. Your friends and family will receive an email, text message, or notification if they already have the Google Pay app installed, so they can cash out.[/blockquote]
Google also confirms that the same functionality will roll out to Google Home devices in “the coming months.”
What are your thoughts on the update? Do let us know in the comments section below. Also, do not forget to subscribe to Android Updated. To do so, just tap the bell icon at the bottom of your device screen.


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The outside ad agency dedicated to Apple marketing was hit with a big round of layoffs this week.
Media Arts Lab cut about 50 employees across multiple divisions of the company. Owned by Apple’s longtime ad partner TBWA Worldwide, Media Arts Lab counts Apple as its only client. The Los Angeles based company helps Apple come up with advertisements for many of its popular products, but is facing changes as Apple’s needs evolve.
Apple’s iconic “1984” Macintosh ad, directed by Ridley Scott, debuted 33 years ago last month, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still being ripped off by other tech companies.
The latest culprit is Sonos, which just debuted a new 90-second commercial in which a rebel with a cause (and apparently enough money to throw around perfectly good speakers) hurls a hammer… err, we mean Sonos speaker through the windows of her neighbors, who have the audacity to be enjoying a music-free evening.
Whether it was Slack’s CEO last week or SNL this past weekend, it seems the world can’t go more than a few days without paying homage to an iconic piece of Apple marketing.
In a new sketch for Saturday Night Live, none other than Benedict Cumberbatch stepped up to the plate bowl to offer a take on a futuristic toilet ad, which looks suspiciously like Ridley Scott’s “1984” ad for the original Macintosh.
Chances are you can vaguely remember the last Apple ad you saw, but do you remember it in the same way you remember the company’s “1984” commercial for the original Macintosh, or its wonderful “Think Different” campaign? It’s been a while since we saw anything quite as iconic.
Apple still creates great commercials we can’t help but talk about, but many fans would say those ads aren’t as good as they once were. Has Apple lost its marketing magic, or is it just too difficult to create truly iconic ads in the digital age?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over these questions and more!
Former Apple CEO and business parter of Steve Jobs, John Sculley dropped some interesting new tidbits about Apple’s history in a recent interview. He said that all the way back in 1984, Jobs was dreaming up the idea of a “Mac phone.”
This “Mac phone” would be a desktop device that acted as a phone, but ran a version of the Mac’s software.


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According to EducationSuperhighway, most schools lack fast enough connections to teach students digital skills, like basic computer programming. So the San Francisco-based nonprofit is working with K-12 school districts to remove any roadblocks to high-speed broadband Internet.
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg thinks the U.S. government screwed up when it comes to the NSA’s surveillance techniques.
“We’re hoping to modernize the curriculum to make coding easier to teach,” said Hadi Partovi, creator of Code.org.
“I certainly love the IT thing,” he told the Financial Times in a rare interview, published Friday. “But when we want to improve lives, you’ve got to deal with more basic things like child survival, child nutrition.”
Today, respected research and advisory firm Forrester dumped on Facebook, saying that it is failing marketers. The real problem, however, is actually that Forrester is failing its customers.
There are lots of things Mark Zuckerberg does well, but making inspirational videos is not one of them. Let’s all take a minute to remember when Facebook was a chair.
“I felt a void in the way we developed technology. Our brains are wired on communicating with other people. The way we built software and services didn’t reflect that at all,” said Zuckerberg.
That’s an astounding jump of $32 billion in company valuation in just 29 days. And if you look at the dark days of September 2012, when the stock price hit a low of under $18, that’s a massive $48 billion explosion in just ten months.
Facebook Home is so riveting, even Facebook employees can’t pay attention to anything but what their friends are doing. Even when their CEO is giving them a pep talk.
Facebook Home is in the house, and it’s taking over Android. But what about Apple’s iOS?
Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple are not just engines of technological innovation in America … they’re also the path to Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list. But there is a little catch — you gotta be a man.
Step aside, Nobel. You’ve got some competition in the prize category.
Many things you put on Facebook you want to save and share forever. Some things you wish you could delete immediately.
Editor’s Pick Entrepreneurs flocked to Stanford University to hear Mark Zuckerberg, the T-shirt wearing chief executive, open up about the early days of Facebook.
Ahh, the world is a wonderful place. And truth is indeed sometimes stranger than fiction.
Groupon’s first technology product Groupon Now appears to be a stinking dud, according to data released on Sunday. The Groupon Now mobile app chalking up some very dour numbers, according to a new report compiled by Yipit, an industry performance tracker. The app has generated approximately $2.6 million in gross sales nationwide in the six months since its launch in May of 2011.


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Stitch by stitch, Farida Gupta is growing her label and upskilling marginalised women
Ethnicwear label Farida Gupta, which promotes hand embroidery and block printing, clocked an annual turnover of $2 million last year and now plans to set up four stores in the metros.
The Indian apparel market is flooded with offerings for women. But among the many brands one stands out due to its focus on hand work. Farida Gupta, a Delhi-based ethnicwear label, known for its exquisite hand embroidery and traditional block prints, has grown significantly in the last few years.
Born and raised in Mumbai, Farida moved to New Delhi to pursue her Master’s in French Translation and Interpretation from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1987. After completing her post-graduation, she got married and settled in Delhi as a homemaker. However, her love for artisanal and indigenous crafts led her to design apparel two decades ago. After spending five years in the fashion industry, she launched her own label ‘Farida Gupta’ in 2011.
When she started out, Farida’s sole focus on hand embroidery and block prints came with a challenge. She started by training women in hand embroidery at a small home-run training centre. Today, the label that started with only two women workers has grown into a small chain.
“Initially, I had to do a lot of research to figure out India’s artisanal centres where traditional skills of dyeing, weaving and hand block printing were practised and promoted,” says Farida, the brand’s founder.
The label, which offers kurtas, short tops, dresses, farsi pants, shararas, lounge pants and dupattas, aims to help women from marginalised sections of society earn a better livelihood by employing and upskilling them.
“Employing for hand embroidery also meant being able to provide employment to women who had till now never been given the opportunity to be economically independent,” Farida says.
The company has also employed head field girls to collect and deliver projects to women who live in a predominantly patriarchal culture in the deepest alleys of Delhi villages, helping them generate their own income from the comfort of their homes.
Focus on ensuring customer delight
Farida highlights that customer delight has always been a core emphasis for the brand and ensuring quality products is the first step towards this mission.
The brand has its own office-cum-manufacturing facility in Delhi, where all products are manufactured in-house. A robust quality checking process, involving fabric, raw materials, initial samples, in-line machine, initial product and final product checks, ensures that quality never suffers. A second check of the readied goods is done before they are dispatched.
Farida Gupta also has a dedicated customer service department for addressing customer grievances and queries. It aims to enhance customer delight and strengthen operational stability, leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence.
Creating a niche in the market
A report, Growth of the Indian Ethnic Wear Market, by research firm Technopak reveals that the women’s segment currently accounts for an overwhelming 87 percent of the total ethnic wear market at Rs 54,425 crore. “Growth of this segment will continue to drive the overall sector,” the report says.
Anticipating huge growth in this segment, the space is flooded with popular labels, including W, Biba, Fabindia and Aurelia, among others.
Amid the many players, Farida Gupta aims to stand out with its sole focus on block prints and hand embroidery.
Sahil Gupta, Business Head at Farida Gupta, says: “Not every brand in the ethnic wear space is concentrating on just these two things – block prints and hand embroidery. The label’s other big differentiator is that we design all the merchandise, blocks and prints in-house so as to give our products a distinct look and identity.”
The road ahead
The label is currently bootstrapped and has no fundraising plans for now. Going ahead, the brand is eyeing a global launch through its website by December 2017 and also plans to set up four flagship stores in the metros over the next two years. It also plans to expand its product line, and is contemplating a night wear section soon.
Farida Gupta clocked an annual turnover of $2 million last year, a 400 percent increase in revenues compared to the year before that. The business is backed by a team of 30 employees, including two designers and the manufacturing staff.
With an aim to revamp the brand’s identity, the label shut down its three offline stores in 2015 and is currently offering products under its own sales channels through its website and solo exhibitions across different Indian cities.
“While exhibitions were always the company’s cash cow, we’ve seen a tremendous increase in footfall and sales because of the omni-channel effect of simultaneously promoting our brand through digital,” Sahil says.
Clothes make the man, goes an old saying. But at Farida Gupta, they’re helping make style statements for some women and transforming the future for others.


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SANTA’S PACK GETS LIGHTER AS CONSUMERS SPEND LESS AT FEWER RETAILERS THIS CHRISTMAS; WAL-MART THE ONLY WINNER
Charleston, SC, December 10, 2008... The number of consumers saying they will spend less for Christmas gifts is at an all time high this year at 40.1% – nearly double last year (23.0%) and approaching triple 'those spending less' in the previous three years, according to results of the fourth America’s Research Group/UBS Christmas 2008 Survey released today. Of those spending less, job fears motivate 63.6% this year versus 0% last year. The big concerns last year were high gas prices at 35.7% and high heating oil bills at 26.2%.
"With recessionary cutbacks top of mind, American consumers are flocking to Wal-Mart for discounts and their wide range of merchandise," said C. Britt Beemer, CEO and Founder of America’s Research Group (ARG) who lowered his Christmas retail sales forecast to minus 3.5% last week. Beemer has correctly predicted Christmas retail sales in 16 of the last 17 years.
So far this Christmas season, Wal-Mart shopping is at an all time high with 69.1% of consumers saying they have been to the store.
Of those consumers who shopped this past weekend, most chose Wal-Mart by a large margin:
Although the number of shoppers out this past weekend (49.8%) equaled the number last year (49.4%), they went to fewer stores. Over forty percent went to only two stores this year (41.6%) compared to 32.8% last year. Over fifty percent (54.5%) shopped at five stores or less this year, compared to 47.7% last year. More consumers are also returning to the same stores this year (44.8% compared to only 33.6% in 2007 and 33.8% in 2006).
Store traffic could get lighter over the next two weekends as 20.0% of consumers say they have finished all their Christmas shopping. Of those consumers who say they will wait until December 24 to finish shopping, 95.7% are looking for better/bigger bargains -- an all time high.
Internet shopping rose only slightly the Monday after Black Friday with 24.2% purchasing on-line compared to 22.5% last year. Only 15.0% of workers said their employers allowed them to go on-line at work compared to 17.6% last year. "This is hardly the basis to call this ‘Cyber Monday’," Beemer said.
In addition, few consumers bothered to go on-line to find a lower price after shopping stores -- 16.7% this year, compared to 19.7% last year.
More shoppers are not buying a gift card this Christmas (44.3%), a high percentage when compared to previous years (26.0% in 2007, 27.1% in 2006, 41.8% in 2005 and 37.0% in 2004).
Toy shopping is also down this year with 48.4% of consumers buying them compared to 54.7% last year.
The number of shoppers buying something nice for themselves is at an all-time low at 30.7% compared to 55% ten years ago and 33.8% last year.
Top purchases at Wal-Mart so far this season are:
The America’s Research Group/UBS 2008 Christmas Survey consisted of 1,000 telephone interviews conducted Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7, 2008 at ARG headquarters in Charleston, SC. The error factor is plus or minus 3.8%. UBS has teamed with ARG for six surveys this Christmas season. The fifth survey is scheduled next weekend.
America’s Research Group is one of the nation’s foremost consumer research and strategic marketing firms. CEO Britt Beemer is a key resource and advisor to leading brands and top retailers. He is author of The Customer Rules, a new book published by McGraw-Hill.
UBS Global Equity Research provides the broad global perspective and in-depth analysis that institutional investors need to make good investment decisions. With more than 600 analysts, associates, strategists and economists in EMEA, APAC and the Americas, UBS covers approximately 85% of the world market capitalization - over 3,300 companies worldwide across 46 different markets. In addition to UBS's disciplined fundamental research, clients also rely on UBS for corporate and expert access to give them the insight they need, when they need it.
Barbara Burns (212) 486-1140


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WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – Last month, a federal appeals court ruled against a Delaware company that sued the once-popular smartphone maker BlackBerry for patent infringement.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which handles all U.S. patent appeals, sided with BlackBerry, formerly known as Research in Motion Limited.
Mformation Technologies Inc. sued BlackBerry in 2008 over a process that remotely manages a wireless device over a wireless network.
Mformation currently owns the rights to U.S. Patent No. 6,970,917, or the ‘917 patent. The patent discloses the wireless activation and management of an electronic device without the need to have physical access to the device.
Such a feature is useful because many businesses request that their employees use smartphones to store and transmit sensitive information.
Should an employee lose his or her smartphone, the patent discloses a way to remotely delete the sensitive data.
The ‘917 patent also discloses methods to remotely deploy software updates and troubleshoot.
It also provides for the completion of these tasks without the need for a constant connection or an initial activation.
BlackBerry, mostly known for its brand of smartphones, also markets its Blackberry Enterprise Server, or BES.
The software allows its corporate customers to deliver email and other data to their employees’ BlackBerry devices. Additionally, the BES software allows companies to remotely manage their employees’ devices.
The BES software is installed on a company server and communicates with a BlackBerry device by sending data in packets over the cheapest available network.
If the BlackBerry device is connected via WiFi, the command is sent over that channel; otherwise, the command is sent, at a greater cost, over a cellular network.
Regardless of which network is selected, all communications between the BES software on the server and a BlackBerry device are sent using an additional proprietary Gateway Message Envelope, or GME, protocol.
In 2012, a jury found there was infringement of all asserted claims of the ‘917 patent and returned a verdict of $147.2 million in favor of Mformation.
Soon after, BlackBerry filed a motion for judgment as a matter of law, or JMOL, arguing that Mformation did not present evidence that a connection is completely established before the start of the “transmitting” sub-step.
The district court granted BlackBerry’s motion, overturning the verdict and granted BlackBerry’s conditional motion for a new trial.
Mformation subsequently appealed.
A three-judge panel of the Federal Circuit — Chief Judge Sharon Prost and judges Alvin A. Schall and Todd M. Hughes — sided with BlackBerry in its Aug. 22 opinion.
“Because the district court correctly found that there was no legally sufficient evidentiary basis on which a reasonable jury could have found that BlackBerry infringes the asserted claims of the ‘917 patent, we affirm,” Prost wrote for the panel.
The Federal Circuit concluded that the district court did not change its claim construction post-verdict.
“Rather, the district court at most clarified its previous construction that was already present in the jury instructions,” Prost noted in the 16-page ruling.
However, Mformation argued BlackBerry is not entitled to JMOL even if an order-of-steps requirement is read into the claims.
The company argued there is still “substantial” evidence of infringement because BlackBerry’s BES software need not create the communication channel itself, but instead could use an existing wireless communication channel.
Mformation claimed that a reasonable juror could find that the accused products establish a connection between the BES software and the wireless device before commencement of the “transmitting” sub-step.
The Federal Circuit disagreed.
“Neither preparing a GME message nor determining how to transmit that message results in establishing a connection between the BES software and a BlackBerry device, as the claim requires,” Prost wrote for the panel. “In other words, selecting a path for a wireless connection is not the equivalent of establishing a wireless connection.
“We therefore conclude that substantial evidence does not support a jury verdict of infringement under the proper claim construction of the ‘establishing’ sub-step.”
Mformation remains liable for the $206,363.28 in costs awarded below, the court ruled.
Neither BlackBerry nor Mformation could immediately be reached for comment.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at email@example.com.


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Lego and Caterham team up on a kit car with a difference
Caterham might be known for its kit cars, but it's never sold one quite like this. Following in the footsteps of the Porsche GT3 RS launched earlier this year, Lego and Caterham have teamed up to create a miniature 620R using the ubiquitous plastic bricks.
Made up of more than 770 pieces, the Lego 620R measures up at 10 cm (3.93 in) tall and 28 cm (11 in) long, making it around half the size of the Technic GT3 RS. Finished in signature Caterham yellow, with a replica engine shoved under the plastic hood and a replica gearstick wedged between the seats, the 620R also looks a lot less complicated than the 2,704-piece GT3 to assemble.
Once it's fully assembled, the engine cover and nose cone can be removed, and there are functional wheel stands included in the box. The first thing we'd be doing is putting the car on those wheel stands and trying to extract a few more replica horsepower from the replica engine, because Caterham is claiming a top speed of just 10 km/h (6 mph). Given a steep enough driveway or smooth enough living room floor, surely the little car has more to give.
"Caterham has always prided itself on producing bespoke, hand-built cars for its customers," says Caterham Chief Commercial Officer, David Ridley. "Our army of fans who build their own Caterham Sevens are equally discerning when it comes to the detail and craftsmanship which is central to Caterham, and we worked closely with the LEGO team to ensure the LEGO model replicated that."
The model will be priced at £69 (US$90) when it hits stores on October 1.


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Hit with a $130.2 million charge for Stride Rite’s acquisition, Collective Brands registered a $144.0 million loss for the quarter ended Jan. 31, compared with a $46.6 million loss last year. Revenues dropped by 5.4 percent to $735.2 million. Some $88 million of the impairment was charged to the wholesale operations of Keds and Stride Rite.
The adjusted net loss, not including charges, was $34.9 million. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) fell by 65.4 percent to $8.4 million.
Revenues from the Payless ShoeSource chain were $573.1 million, while Stride Rite reported turnover of $162.1 million. Payless sales were helped by a 5 percent increase in average unit retail prices.
For the fiscal year, Collective lost $68.7 million against profits of $42.2 million, and saw sales grow by 13 percent to $3,442.0 million, largely because of a full year of Stride Rite. The company noted exceptionally strong performances from Payless Latin America (up by double digits) and Stride Rite Europe.
Comparable store sales fell by 6.6 percent in the fourth quarter, and the company added 11 Payless stores in Latin America and five Stride Rite stores during the period, while closing 26 Payless and three Stride Rite stores. The gross margin fell by 10.8 percentage points to 16.7 percent. The results for the quarter were hurt by higher promotions, lower traffic, as well as mainstream brands bringing their prices down closer to Payless’ typical level to keep up sales in a difficult market. Collective also suffered from higher product costs from China. The company said it expected to see those cost pressures moderating by the second half of this fiscal year. Traffic at Payless stores fell by high single digits in the quarter, and while this business held up somewhat better than Stride Rite’s, the difference was minimal.
On the wholesale front, Saucony continued to shine with a double-digit sales increase on the strength of its running shoes, particularly the Omni, ProGrid Ride and Hurricane models. Collective sees continued growth for it in family shoe channels as well. Sperry Top-Sider was also performing well with another double-digit gain as it draws more female customers, but Keds fell in the low teens for the full year. Collective has reworked the brand around the Champion model in different fabrications and believes it finally has a plan to revive the brand. It also plans to launch a green collection for Keds and get into the men’s business. In the Stride Rite children’s business, the leading sellers were from Jessica Simpson and Nickelodeon.
With the end of the Tommy Hilfiger license, Collective will lose some $78 million in sales. However, during the fourth quarter it did make some new deals, such as Airwalk in Australia and New Zealand, and Vision Street Wear in South Korea.
Inventory at the end of the full year was $492.0 million, a 4.7 percent increase over the end of 2007, but aged stock made up a smaller proportion of this. The company gave no specific guidance for 2009, but said it plans to reduce by a net 100 the number of Payless stores in the U.S. while opening 35 stores net outside the domestic market for Payless, as well as five stores for Stride Rite. Capital expenditures are budgeted at $85 million for 2009, down from $129.2 million.


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By Bobby Carlton
Leading U.S. pet care company drove innovation using 3D visualization for category management strategy
As retailers look to improve the customer experience and increase the number of products they offer, they are also looking to implement a variety of category management solutions that can help them manage their inventory. Through the use of 3DVR Solutions’ virtual reality technology, Nestlé Purina Petcare has been able to create a more effective and personalized shopping experience for its customers.
The leading pet care company in the US, Nestlé Purina, provides over 20 brands to its retail partners. Through its planograms, which are designed to help retailers create a personalized shopping experience, it can also help its associates replicate the tasks that would typically be performed in-store. However, due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and the travel restrictions, it was not feasible for its associates to travel to the various regions of the country to carry out these tasks.
To help retailers create a more effective and personalized shopping experience, 3DVRS partnered with Blue Yonder, a leading provider of planning and merchandising software, to develop a virtual reality headset solution that combines the two companies’ data. This integrated solution allows retailers to create a whole new way to enhance their customer experience. Through the use of this technology, they can now bring people from different parts of the globe into a common virtual reality experience.
Thanks to this integrated solution, Purina has achieved some key benefits:
- Removed the need to be in a physical store to make shelfing decisions by bringing people together in the metaverse, which has in turn reduced environmental impact from less travel and decreased training costs.
- Reduced time to merchandise a shelf via an interactive planogram before moving real product.
- Incorporated true-to-life factors into shelf planning.
- Partner with retailers to enhance the customer journey in store and share global best practices.
“3DVRS’ integration with Blue Yonder delivers flexibility, speed and scale, giving us the ability to effectively deploy across the business. The evolution from virtual reality on the desktop to network avatars in the RVS VR Headset solution has been seamless. We can now hold meetings virtually in the metaverse, interact with layouts, products, and store innovations, allowing us to be right at the cutting edge,” said Gene Feldman, training manager, Nestlé Purina.
Through the combined capabilities of 3DVRS and Blue Yonder, retailers have been able to make faster and more accurate space allocation decisions, which have helped them improve the customer experience.
“Purina is a fantastic partner to innovate with as they are always looking to the latest technology to give their business the edge. The challenges they presented pushed technological boundaries. Our integration with Blue Yonder gives us the platform to support large enterprises such as Purina. It’s great to bring new tech to the market that makes a real difference. It’s amazing what we have achieved together already, but I sense there’s a lot more to come,” said Nigel Hemer, CEO and founder, 3DVR Solutions.
Through the integration of 3DVRS and Blue Yonder, Nestlé Purina Petcare was able to bring the capabilities of both companies to life in the metaverse, allowing retailers to create and manage interactive planograms that are designed to meet the needs of their customers. One of the first organizations to benefit from this technology was Purina.
Phil Teschemacher, Blue Yonder’s corporate vice president, said that, through its culture of innovation, Purina is creating a great place for its associates and partners.
Nestlé Purina Petcare is just one of many companies turning to XR technology for data, training, and engagement. Walmart is another company that has been using VR as part of their employee training.


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PBS KIDS Joins Forces with Happy Kid Toy Group to Develop New Toys
PBS KIDS has signed Happy Kid Toy Group, Ltd. as its master toy licensee to launch a new educational line for preschoolers. The new toys, being developed as part of the multi-year licensing agreement, will debut in 2011, and will be sold by a range of retailers including toy specialty, catalogue, internet, department stores, and all major mass retailers. Each PBS KIDS item will be packaged with information on the importance of child-driven play and ideas for parent or caregiver interaction.
PBS will invest the revenue earned from the new deal into the creation of the next generation of educational content for children.
Nintendo to Release 3-D Portable Console
Nintendo has announced that it will release a 3-D portable console, the Nintendo 3DS. The system will use two screens, will be backwards compatible with current DS and DSi games, and—most likely the biggest feature—players won’t have to wear any special glasses to see the game in 3-D.
Last month, Ars Technica posted a video of a downloadable game that is currently out in Japan, which allows the user to see a 3-D effect by peering into the game and moving the console back and forth. The 3DS may use similar technology.
The Nintendo 3DS is scheduled to be released before the end of the fiscal year, sometime before March 2011. The company has yet to release any images or videos of the upcoming system, or explain how the games will look or be played.
Ex-controller at Cepia Charged with Embezzling $400,000
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, a former controller for Cepia, LLC, manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets robotic hamsters, was indicted for mail fraud for allegedly embezzling more than $400,000 from the company. Joseph Van Gronigen was indicted by a federal grand jury on two felony counts of mail fraud, the U.S. attorney’s office said
According to the indictment, between September 2007 and January 2010, Van Gronigen allegedly embezzled more than $400,000 from Cepia for his own use and to pay his own expenses. He was employed by Cepia from 2005 to January 2010 and had been the company’s controller since 2008.
Hobby Store Game Sales Up
Game sales in hobby stores were up from 5 to 10 percent in 2009 despite the worst economy in generations, according to a report in the new issue of Internal Correspondence. The growth was driven by a resurgence in Magic: The Gathering sales and by board game sales being up by double-digit percentages. Yu-Gi-Oh! and the return of HeroClix also helped support improved sales. Non-collectible miniature sales were slightly down, and RPG sales were down approximately 10 percent in 2009.
Low Prices Replace Customer Service as Top Loyalty Driver
Walmart dominated the 2010 Colloquy Retail Loyalty Index, in results that reflect a reality of the Great Recession—low prices drove consumer loyalty. Colloquy, the publishing, education, and research division of LoyaltyOne, previously published the Colloquy Retail Loyalty Index in 2008. Colloquy’s index ranks the top U.S. retailers according to customer loyalty ratings.
The 2010 index was built from a December 2009 survey of 3,500 U.S. consumers in five regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and Northwest. “Our 2008 index showed that… customer service, store environment, and a wide product selection were the underlying factors for customers' self-professed loyalty. But our 2010 index proves that the Great Recession became the great equalizer,” said Colloquy Partner Kelly Hlavinka. “Low prices have stepped up to become retail’s strongest loyalty lure according to consumers.”
The 2010 Colloquy Retail Loyalty Index is available free of charge at www.colloquy.com/files/2010-COLLOQUY-RetailTalk-White-Paper.pdf.
Scholastic Named Master Publisher for Chuggington
Scholastic has been named master publisher in the U.S. for Chuggington, Ludorum’s new preschool property, which premiered in the U.S. on Disney Channel in January. Scholastic holds all storybook and novelty rights for the Chuggington children’s book program and will publish and deliver the titles through all of its distribution channels.
Chuggington is a CGI-animated train-centric preschool series that follows the adventures of Koko, Brewster, and Wilson as they learn to explore, work, and play in a safe and exciting world.
Aurora, Ty Jury Trial Date Set
Aurora World, Inc., which filed a federal copyright lawsuit against competitor Ty, Inc. alleging that Ty’s Beanie Boos infringe on its YooHoo & Friends plush, has announced that the court has set January 18, 2011 as the trial date in that lawsuit (a photo comparing the two product lines is available here: http://bit.ly/760yMR). A pretrial conference is scheduled to take place on December 20, 2010.
In papers filed with the Court, Ty informed the Court that it had no intention of selling “Cleo” and “Bubblegum” in the U.S. pending the outcome of this case. Ty’s lawyers also advised the Court that Ty had ceased sending out display racks and sell sheets containing images of “Cleo” and “Bubblegum.”
Chorion Appoints French Licensing Agent
Chorion has appointed Marathon Media as the merchandising and licensing agent for France. The two companies will work closely together to develop a licensing program for The World of Eric Carle. Marathon Media will manage all French licensing opportunities for the brand. The expected range of products will include apparel, plush, toys and games, stationery, health and beauty, arts and crafts, and giftware.
NYGIF and Consultant Firm to Host “Market Readiness” Seminars
The New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) and Right Angle Strategies, a business strategy and coaching consultancy, is producing four webinars for the show’s exhibitors. The webinars will be part of a monthly series of “Market Readiness” seminars that will begin in May for exhibitors of the summer show.
The first three pre-show webinars will focus on pre-show marketing (“Pre-show Marketing to Drive Your Sales”), sales techniques (“How to Attract Buyers and Close the Sale”), and tradeshow operations (“NYIGF Operations Made Easy”); and the fourth and final webinar (“How to Manage Orders and Leads Generated”), will be held post-show and will address market follow-up. Registration is available online at www.nyigf.com. The summer edition of NYIGF will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, from August 14 through August 19.


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Research In Motion launched a new low-cost BlackBerry in markets this Tuesday along with offering its iconic BlackBerry Messenger service on iPhones and devices powered by Android software.
Thorsten Heins, CEO suggested that the time is suitable to offer BBM on other competing devices. He added that free iPhone and Android firmware will be available, provided that Google Play and the Apple App Store approve it.
“It’s time to expose BBM to a greater proportion,” Heins said. “I am eager to see that our BlackBerry fans can send BBM invites to all their pals on other devices. They have demanded it since a long time.”
BlackBerry shares declined to its lowest level within a month after its BBM declaration, a step that deprives company of one of its important services.
The stock had a biggest decline of 6 percent since April 11. Shares of the Waterloo, Ontario-based company, Waterloo’s shares were up by 34 percent this year due to comeback plan initiated by company.
The new economical Q5 will be available in selected markets this summer .The new device is another move by RIM’s to get back market shares taken by Apple’s iPhone and Android smartphones. It is the BlackBerry’s third smartphone to operate the new BB 10 system. The new Q5 will feature a QWERTY keyboard, something that makes the difference between RIM’s devices and Apple’s iPhone and most Android phones.
CEO Heins said the “slim, smooth” device will be available in different colors.
RIM releases new BlackBerrys this year after long pauses that made Apple and others manufacturers gain control of the market.
RIM is doing quite well in many overseas markets; but the company had a number of long pauses to make its OS compete with the iPhone and devices operating on Google’s Android software.
Oscar-winning singer Alicia Keys, who is BlackBerry’s global creative director, declared the company’s new BB Scholars Program. The new program kicks off this year and provides science studies scholarships for students worldwide.
The scholarship program is optimistic about attracting women, who consist of about half of mobile users.
“It’s the start for a powerful network of women and a huge cultural change,” she said.


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General Mills to sell Pop Secret to Diamond Foods
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. General Mills today announced details of an agreement to sell its Pop Secret microwave popcorn business to Stockton, Calif.-based Diamond Foods for around $190 million. None of General Mills’ employees or plants will be affected by the sale because Pop Secret is manufactured at an outside facility, a company spokesperson said.
According to spokesperson Heidi Geller, the sale is part of a move by General Mills to reevaluate its priorities. Additionally, General Mills is also looking to sell its Nature Valley granola bar line and other grain-based snacks.
Diamond Foods, the creator of Diamond brand almonds and other snack nuts has said that it is very excited to add Pop Secret to its portfolio. The added brand will broaden Diamond’s presence in the snack aisle and the company expects to generate $85 million to $90 million per year from the sale of Pop Secret products.
General Mills is looking at a one-time $160 million profit gain, not including costs related to the costs.
Dr Pepper Snapple reports profit down for 2Q
PLANO, Texas Dr Pepper Snapple Group has announced that its profit dropped 21 percent in the second quarter of 2008. Speculators say that the drop was most likely the result of the new company’s break from former parent Cadbury Schweppes.
According to the company, net income dropped from $136 million, or 54 cents per share, in the second quarter 2007 to $108 million, or 42 cents per share for the quarter ended June 30.
Not including the costs of restructuring and separation and other transactions, earnings were reported at 60 cents per share, the company said. In comparison the second quarter of 2007, revenue did rise 1 percent to $1.56 billion from $1.54 billion, after predictions that it would reach $1.58 billion. And, while higher prices may have steadied the loss from a drop-off in sales, coupled with a “challenging macroeconomic environment,” the higher prices were also the cause for the for the drop in volume, the company said.
MillerCoors uses clothes hangers to market beer to female drinkers
NEW YORK SABMiller and MolsonCoors are preparing to launch the new beer, MGD 64, this fall with a campaign targeting women—especially those who watch their waistlines.
After giving original Miller Genuine Draft a reformulation so that it contains just 64 calories, the beer makers are driving ads towards female consumers by plastering them on clothes hangers in dry cleaners in Portland, Ore., and Seattle.
The ad campaign works with hanger company EcoHanger, which manufactures 100 percent recycled hangers. The dry cleaning locations have been using these hangers since July, but starting in the fall they will have signage with MGD 64’s slogan “64 calories is a light beer—a perfect fit.”
Hanger Network of New York, an advertising group, will distribute eco-friendly hangers with ads to around 35,000 dry cleaners in various markets across the United States.


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A St. Petersburg, Florida, man has been banned from Starbucks for life because he told people illegally parked in handicapped spaces to move.
Starbucks sent Rob Rowen a letter stating he has been disrupting business and threatening customers and is not welcome back, reports WTSP.
"I regret to inform you you've been expelled from Starbucks," the letter states.
Rowan expected the letter to be an apology from the chain because the South Dale Mabry, Tampa, location’s manager had kicked him out. Instead, Rowen is banned from any and all Starbucks.
It all began because Rowen got tired of seeing people park in handicapped spaces when they were capable of walking the extra distance to the store.
"My son-in-law has muscular dystrophy and is in a power wheelchair,” Rowen said. “I’ve seen so many times, the issue of him trying to find a parking space.”
Rowen began telling illegally parked Starbucks visitors to move.
"I threatened to embarrass him by telling everybody he was parked illegally," Rowen said.
He took a picture of another illegally parked vehicle.
"She said I'm calling the police, you're harassing me,” Rowen said. “I said go right ahead, so she ended up getting a ticket, which felt really good.”
A customer complaint resulted in the store manager banning Rowen for harassing customers.
“She said to me, you’re harassing my customers,” Rowen told Bay News 9. “I said, I’m one of your customers. I’m a regular customer and I’m trying to help you protect your other customers who might not be able to park anywhere else.”
Contacting the Starbucks district manager did not help the situation.
"Their response was go back to the manager, and the manager's bottom line was you're harassing people," Rowen said.
A Starbucks spokesperson released the following statement:
“We understand Mr. Rowen's concerns and have been speaking with him about this. Unfortunately, he became confrontational toward other customers, and we have asked him to refrain from visiting the store. We expect all of our customers to treat each other and our partners (employees) respectfully. We have been speaking with the landlord to improve the parking situation."


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September 11, 2001 was a devestating day for America. As we vow to never forget what happened today, here’s a look back at the tragic events that took place.
Amazon and Apple are going head-to-head against a handful of other companies - including Warner Bros - to purchase the rights for the Bond franchise.
Shortly after he made the decision to end the program, Trump sent out a tweet on Tuesday saying Congress had six months to legalize DACA.
Most dog owners love their pets dearly. In fact, there's nothing they would not do to keep their beloved pets safe
A lot of companies are turning their backs on anything that has to do with the family since consumers are boycotting those that are associated with Trump
According to a recent report by The New York Post, Amazon's concept of a high-tech supermarket may change how we shop groceries
The President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, is backing Trump and says that her country is developing further ties with the US under Trump’s presidency


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The biggest IPO of the year prices tonight, but how much are investors are willing to pay up for access to the elusive Chinese consumer?
Chinese delivery service ZTO Express (ZTO) prices Wednesday for trading Thursday at the NYSE, seeking to raise 72.1 million shares at $16.50 to $18.50 or roughly $1.3 billion.
It's not just the biggest IPO of the year, it' s the biggest IPO by a Chinese company in the U.S. since Alibaba in 2014.
"Our mission is to bring happiness to more people through our services." — ZTO Express
You know you're dealing with a slightly different mindset than Western companies when Chinese delivery service ZTO Express says right at the top of its F-1 registration statement that their mission is to "bring happiness to more people."
Bring happiness. Wouldn't that be great if that was a line item on a corporate income statement? Somewhere after "interest expense" but before "earnings before income taxes"?
They go on to state several other goals,including "to provide timely and reliable express delivery services to consumers" and concluding by saying what they want is to "ultimately help ordinary people accomplish their goals."
That would be another great line item. Maybe right after "discontinued operations", but before "net earnings."


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It says "404 not found"
Wow, amazing job, really inspiring !
Where do i send gold, i want the game!
Digital Domain, a well-known studio focused on visual effects and immersive experiences, revealed that they’re launching a new location in Montreal and it’s the company’s ninth location around the world.
Have a look at the Digital Domain’s 25th-anniversary video of the popular movies they’ve contributed to over the years:
The studio has other offices in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Taipei and Hyderabad. The Montreal office is a way to celebrate the studio’s 25th anniversary.
Digital Domain first opened its doors in 1993 and now operates in North America, Greater China and India with a team of award-winning supervisors, artists, technicians and R&D teams.
Digital Domain Montreal is said to launch in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood starting March 1, 2019.
“Montréal is fueled by creativity and innovation, and was an obvious choice for the next studio location for Digital Domain,” pointed out Daniel Seah, Executive Director and CEO, Digital Domain. “Given the strong animation and visual effects talent pool in Montréal, we are stacking the deck to make this studio location an attractive offering to partners, moulding the future of Digital Domain.”


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When the polls closed on Election Day May 10, local voters had overwhelmingly approved the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only, as well as the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate holders only.
Local Option Proposition 1 -- the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only -- passed 67.79% to 32.21%.
Local Option Proposition 2 -- the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate holders only -- garnered even more support as it passed 70.67% to 29.33%.
But don't expect to pick up a six-pack on the way home Monday, because applications and licensing is expected to take four to six weeks. Still, this decision is already creating jobs. While the number of new jobs will vary at establishments allowed to sell beer and wine for off-premise consumption only, at Brookshire's Grocery in Bonham, a place that takes great pride in customer service, this will likely lead to a dozen new jobs.
For fans of popular chain restaurants such as Chili's Grill & Bar or Cheddars Scratch Kitchen, the decision by Bonham voters' to approve the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate holders only means that Bonham will finally had a legitimate opportunity to bring one of these establishments to town.
The election also determined Bonham City Council members for Ward Nos. 2, 3 and 4 and was held in conjunction with the Charter Amendment Election designed to streamline and modernize local government.
Teresa Stapp will represent Ward No. 2 after defeating Chantal Carey 428 to 198.
H. Compton ran unopposed in Ward No. 3 and received all 523 votes.
Jerry Gay will represent Ward No. 4 after defeating Mike Connors 318 to 274.
City Charter Proposition No. 1, which stipulates three-year terms of office for city council members and the mayor, establishes term limits of two consecutive terms of service in a single office as either council member or mayor, and establishes term limit of four consecutive terms of service in a combination of offices consisting of two terms as mayor and two terms as a city council member, passed with almost 86% of the votes cast.
The other five City Charter Propositions designed to streamline and modernize city government, were all approved, as well.


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Aurobindo Pharma on Friday said it has received a warning letter from the US health regulator for its Hyderabad-based Unit I, an API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) manufacturing facility.
The action follows the recent inspection of the facility by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in August 2021, the drugmaker said in a regulatory filing.
"The company believes that this will not impact the existing business from this facility," it noted.
The drugmaker stated that it will be engaging with the regulator and is fully committed to resolving the issue at the earliest.
The company is committed to maintaining the highest quality manufacturing standards at all of its facilities across the globe, it noted.
A warning letter is issued when the US health regulator finds that a manufacturer has significantly violated its regulations.
The letter identifies the violation, such as poor manufacturing practices, problems with claims for what a product can do, or incorrect directions for use.
The letter also makes clear that the company must correct the problem and provides directions and a timeframe of its plans for correction.
FDA then checks to ensure that the company's corrections are adequate.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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…As oil price hits $45
By Adewale Sanyaolu
FROM a daily subsidy payment of N232 million per day two weeks ago, subsidy on petrol, Monday rose to N364 million, updated pricing template of the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has shown.
This amount is payable by the Federal Government to cushion the shortfall in the expected open market price of petrol at N95.05 and the actual pump price of N86.00 and N86.50k respectively. The expected open market price is landing cost plus margin.
According PPPRA template for petrol posted on its website, the expected open market price was pegged at N95.09 meaning a shortfall of N9.05 per litre of petrol is being subsidised by government.
Recall that Daily Sun had on April 4, 2016 reported the daily subsidy of N232 million per day. As at then, the expected open market price of petrol was pegged at N92.34k. But following Daily Sun’s publication, PPPRA had said there was no provision for fuel subsidy in the 2016 budget.
A statement from the acting Executive Secretary of PPPRA, Mrs. Sotonye Iyoyo, explained that that the funds from Over-Recovery in the first quarter (Q1) shall be duly utilised for whatever noticeable imbalance in April 2016 in line with the Price Modulation Principle (PMP).
Stakeholders are of the view that with expected open market price at N92.34k, government would be subsidising a litre with N5.80k. But rather than subsidise, PPPRA said what still exists is PMP, through which it considers and reviews pump price of petrol quarterly.
At N91.80k, government pays N5.80k on every litre of petrol at the retail price of N86.00 for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) retail outlets and N86.50k for independent marketers.
The national daily consumption, according to NNPC, is 40 million litres a day. When multiplied by N9.05, it gives N363,600,000 per day.
Meanwhile, Brent crude hit a five-month high of $44.53 per barrel yesterday, after news filtered in that top producers, Russia and Saudi Arabia, have agreed to freeze output ahead of the much-anticipated producers’ meeting on Sunday.
Brent crude prices were up $1.70 or 4 per cent, at $44.53 a barrel by 1:45 pm EDT (1745 GMT). US crude was up $1.63 or 4.04 per cent, at $41.99 per barrel.


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World Food Day is being celebrated across the country today
World Food Day 2021: Today there are many people across the country who lose their lives every day due to hunger. World Food Day is being celebrated across the country today. It is celebrated every year on this day i.e. 16 October. The most important purpose of celebrating World Food Day is to help people suffering from starvation. Also, making people aware about food or food.
During the corona virus epidemic, there were many people who did not even have bread for one time. During that time one nation-one ration card scheme from the government (One Nation One Ration) Under this, a target was set to benefit 67 crore people in 23 states of the country. This year’s Food Day theme (Our actions are our future- Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life) Our work is our future – better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life.
On this occasion, Union Minister Shobha Karnadalje tweeted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strengthened India’s food security with his far-reaching steps like One Nation-One Ration Card scheme. And has inspired lakhs of people to get free food grains through PM Garib Anna Kalyan Yojana. He further wrote that, many reforms have been done to help our Annadata.
PM @narendramodi Ji has strengthened India’s food security with his far-reaching steps like ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ & entailed millions to avail free food grain through PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) October 16, 2021
History of World Food Day?
World Food Day was established by the member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization in November 1979 at the 20th General Conference. Dr. Paul Romani, a member of the Hungarian delegation and the then Minister of Agriculture and Food, played a key role in the 20th General Conference of the AFO. The idea of launching World Food Day across the world was proposed. Since then, World Food Day is celebrated every year in more than 150 countries.
Why is World Food Day celebrated?
In today’s time there are many people living below the poverty line. Those who have to wander for food, but despite this increased difficulties, they get a balanced diet. Due to which many people become victims of malnutrition, and they die. That is why it is very important to think about such people. The main objective of World Food Day is to make people aware about food.


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Axonify Helps Grab Onboard New Drivers and Make Critical Ongoing Training Available on Mobile Devices WATERLOO, ON – (September 11, 2018) – Axonify, the world’s leading corporate microlearning platform,...
News and updates.
Waterloo-based learning software company Axonify will be expanding into the European market, with strategic new roles supporting the region.
In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” According to a D&D Daily “Retail Violent Death Report” for 2018, retail deaths are up 15% and criminal acts are up 10% since 2017. Of 488 total violent deaths in 2018, 47% involved customers (up 29% from 2017) and store … Continued
Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan speaks with Liz Thompson, chief people officer at Southeastern Grocers, one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S. Listen in as they discuss Southeastern Grocers’ partnership with Axonify, a microlearning platform, and how Axonify’s technology has improved employee training and communications.


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This week 180,000 fans of anime, comics, and video games will descend on New York Comic Con to connect with each other and brands IRL.
We spoke with Sarah Davis, senior director of content rights and partnerships at NASCAR Digital Media
Without a health kick, can brands still thrive?
This week, MTech CFO and Hypur Ventures MD Tahira Rehmatullah discusses working with the Bob Marley estate, as well as the challenges around the rapidly changing investment side of the cannabis industry.
Collaboration marketing is on the rise. Take a look at the fashion industry and you’ll quickly understand why.
On this week’s Branding Bud podcast, Drake sits down with Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden to discuss breaking out of the music box and branching into other cultural avenues.
Whilst much has been said about the show’s secret to success, how exactly has ITV’s Love Island expertly capitalised on the influence of social media, driving unheard TV success across digital media?
The Conservative Party made national news last week when they offered people the chance to win reusable water bottles in the style of those used by contestants on the ITV2 dating reality show Love Island.
It starts with a thought: What if this year we went somewhere different?
Our thanks to @HowieLongShort for participating in today’s #AWChat


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RPEC Weekly ACTION Newsletter – 3-20-2020
In This Edition
- IRS Delays Tax-Filing Deadline
- Inslee Orders Halt to Elective Surgeries and Dental Services
- Stores Offer Senior Shopping Hours
- WA State COVID-19 Website
- Stay safe and well
IRS Delays Tax-Filing Deadline
From Bloomberg: IRS Pushes Tax Date to July 15, Same as Payment Deadline
Tax forms and payments won’t be due to the Internal Revenue Service until July 15 this year, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a tweet, as the government looks for ways to respond to the coronavirus.
“We are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15,” Mnuchin said. “All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.”
The change gives individuals and corporations an additional three months to file and pay before they would owe interest and penalties for late filing. Many states have also delayed their filing and payment deadlines.
Mnuchin is encouraging taxpayers who are due a refund to go ahead and file despite the delay, so they can get their checks more quickly. The IRS recommends filing electronically and opting for direct deposit to get the money within about three weeks.
Inslee Orders Halt to Elective Surgeries and Dental Services
Inslee announced new restrictions today on non-urgent medical and dental procedures so the state can make sure Washington health care workers have enough protective equipment to wear as they work the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s order applies to any non-urgent procedure that requires medical professionals to wear personal protective equipment.
This impacts all hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and dental, orthodontic and endodontic offices in Washington. The governor’s proclamation makes clear that this restriction does not apply to treatment for patients with emergency and urgent needs.
There are exceptions. For example, doctors can perform an elective surgery if delaying the surgery would cause harm to the patient within the next three months.
“We know the health care personal protective equipment supply chain in Washington has been severely disrupted by the significant increased use of such equipment worldwide,” Inslee said. “We will do all we can to protect the women and men who protect us.”
Banned procedures include (but are not limited to):
- most joint replacements
- most cataract and lens surgeries
- non-urgent cardiac procedures
- cosmetic procedures
- some endoscopy
- some interventional radiology services
This order does not apply to patients with heart attacks, strokes or motor vehicle accidents. Hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers may perform surgery as long as a delay or cancellation would worsen the patient’s condition. For example, the prohibition would not apply to a patient who needs a serious cancerous tumor removed, or a patient who needs their dentist to relieve pain or manage an infection.
Stores Offer Senior Shopping Hours
Safeway and Albertsons are asking for customers to honor the hours of 7am – 9am on Tuesdays & Thursdays as reserved Senior Shopping hours.
Whole Foods announced it would provide service to senior customers who are 60 and older, access to the store one hour before it opened to the general public.
Walmart reduced it operating hours from 7am to 8:30pm effective March 19. The store also announced that it will be offering special shopping hours for seniors amid the pandemic. From March 24 through April 28, shoppers 60 and older will be able to enter the store one hour before it opens to all customers. Walmart’s pharmacies and vision centers will also be open to older customers, who are considered among the most vulnerable to the virus, during that time.
We hope that other retail stores follow suit. We suggest you call your local retailer and inquire as to whether or not they offer special senior shopping hours. We encourage our members to take advantage of these special shopping hours to reduce their potential exposure to COVID-19.
WA State COVID-19 Website
Washington State launched at comprehensive informational website pertaining to COVID-19 and specific information related Washington State. This is a great source of information regarding the disease, news and closures around the state. You can find this at: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/
Stay safe and well!
And finally, during this crisis, you may find yourself feeling anxious, angry, sad, or overwhelmed. In a message from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) try and find ways to reduce your stress to help yourself and the people you care about.
- Make time to unwind and do activities you enjoy.
- Talk with family and friends by phone, text, or email.
- If you or a loved one is feeling overwhelmed, get support 24/7 by calling 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746.


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Business intelligence software and services company SAS is the world's largest privately held software company, with nearly 10,000 employees in 50 countries and more than 40,000 customer sites worldwide.
With revenues of $1.18bn last year, SAS invests 25 per cent of its revenues into research and development, which it claims is nearly twice the average investment of large software companies.
Now the firm wants to move into industry sectors where it has had litle past presence, and to make strategic acquisitions to give it the necessary clout to back up this extended reach.
vnunet.com met SAS president and chief executive Jim Goodnight to discuss the company's plans.
The financial sector is your biggest customer, but in what other major areas is your software being used today?
The financial sector will still be one of our biggest customers, with new legislation like the US Patriot Act meaning banking organisations will need huge amounts of anti-money laundering software.
Fraud detection is a growing area around the world. Your bank could use our software to analyse someone who is likely to default on credit card payments and skip out.
We see a number of insurance companies using our software for fraud detection. Even retailers make use of it. Amazon used our software and managed to cut its credit card fraud by 50 per cent in the first six months of implementation.
But we have always been in other sectors and there is more interest from these companies now. For example, we are involved in the genomics-developing models to help pharmaceutical companies analyse this data and help develop treatments or understand diseases better.
Sony is using our software to better target people who download music and get them to pay for it, and our software will analyse customer data [and] even design marketing campaigns.
The retail sector will be our next target. We already have a presence but recently acquired Marketmax, a company that develops advanced retail planning and merchandise intelligence software, with a customer base that includes Marks & Spencer.
The current flat outlook for the IT sector doesn't put a dampener on your plans?
We expect to see double-digit growth. Our software is not the five-year $30m or $40m project.
So how has SAS managed to buck the trend?
Our revenue model is based on a licensing model and this has helped protect us, as people keep paying to use our software so we have a continuing revenue. [According to SAS, 98 per cent of its customers renew their yearly contracts.]
Unlike many other companies, we continue to invest in research and development. We've actually increased our research and development and employed more people in this area.
Does being a privately owned company also help?
My particular belief is that being public is dangerous for software companies, because you can't plan for the long term. By being a private company we can take the long-term view. We don't have to worry about meeting expectations each quarter like public companies.
So, in 2001, we could increase employment by six per cent when other companies were laying people off. Then in 2002 we increased employment by eight and a half per cent over that again while other companies were still having to lay people off.
My concern is also about my customers; I don't want to be in a position where I am always worried about shareholders.
Does this mean you have no plans now, or certainly in the near-future, to float the company? In 2002 you had plans to put 15 per cent up for grabs on the stock market - why the change of heart?
We don't have to go public, we have around $700m in the bank and no debts. But I think the question is the opposite, and I would have to ask anyone right now why they should want to float on the stock market with public companies being looked at with disdain - in this country [the US] anyway.
Public companies are also under incredible pressure to adhere to new reporting regulations, such as the 48-hour disclosure law. [Sarbanes-Oxley was introduced following corporate accounting scandals in the US and places a heavier onus on company directors and executives to ensure greater accountability and transparency in their operations.]
But these laws are to protect shareholders, so surely they are a good thing all round?
They could be very dangerous. Take the 48-hour disclosure regulations. If a company has to report a loss and was bidding on three contracts it could lose the first one and, if the other companies get to hear about it, it could lose the rest. It could turn out to be disastrous for a company and stockholders, and could lead to a lot of lawsuits.
Is your view of the problems of being a public company a widely held one?
You now see a lot of companies trying to take their companies private. The problem is they just can't afford to.
Are things getting better across the board for the software sector?
I think we are seeing an improvement in the economy. Take the Sunday newspapers and how thick they are becoming again: this is always a good measure and shows people are starting to advertising again. But I don't think there will be an increase in IT budgets soon and IT spending reaching the levels of 1999/2000.
What plans do you have for SAS over the next few years?
We are one of the best companies in America to work for, and what I am trying to do is build an environment that fosters creativity and innovation.
We have made three acquisitions this year and expect we will make more strategic aquisitions as we move further into phase three of our evolution and become more vertical, targeting specific industries.
Finding refutes many earlier studies that suggest that galaxies don't have much dark matter at the time of their birth
Boris the robot outed as man in rented robot suit
Mission will provide vital data about the performance of rocket, spacecraft, autonomous docking system and the landing system
The flight will take off from California's Mojave Air and Space Port and could happen as soon as 13th December


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Samsung has reportedly done a series of improvements to a Galaxy Fold hardware after a catastrophic launch, that saw early examination units private following a series of arrangement breakages.
A new news from Samsung’s South Korean homeland suggests a association has motionless to make some tiny changes before releasing a eagerly-anticipated foldable handset, to residence a viewed weaknesses.
Firstly, a association is now tucking a display’s protecting covering into a physique of a phone itself, a news says. You might remember some reporters peeled off this film desiring it to be a shade protector. That was notwithstanding Samsung formerly warning a covering shouldn’t be removed.
Now a film is going to be tucked in, there’ll be no event for users to flay it off anyway, according to a news from YNA (via SamMobile).
Related: Samsung Galaxy Fold problems
Samsung is also addressing another viewed weakness, that is maybe some-more critical than a aforementioned. Some of those reviewers who performed early versions of a device gifted arrangement repairs attributed to waste creation a approach inside a phone from a tiny opening positioned during a tip and bottom tools of a hinge.
Now Samsung is reportedly shortening that top in sequence to forestall neglected pieces of waste creation their approach into a device.
It’s misleading how many of a inclination Samsung had mass constructed before to a strange recover date, that has now been pushed behind to an vague date. It’s also misleading either Samsung is means to effectively change those pre-made inclination in sequence to solve a issues before shipping them out to consumers.
We’re still watchful on Samsung mobile CEO DJ Koh to announce a new recover date for a Galaxy Fold, that flew out off a embankment during US pre-orders notwithstanding a rarely restricted cost indicate of tighten to $2,000.
It stays to be seen either a pre-release issues have dampened a ardour for a ground-breaking foldable phone.