text:
Fashion is all about experimenting, but sometimes it still raises some eyebrows. Lately, luxury fashion houses have been giving the world more and more bizarre moments, from Balenciaga’s towel skirt to Gucci’s distressed stockings. Now Louis Vuitton has become the latest to join the growing list of out-of-the-box fashion houses with its latest offering: a fake leg boot!
The Optical Illusion Boots
At the autumn/winter 2023 show in Paris, Louis Vuitton introduced these unique boots that create an illusion of wearing white ribbed socks and black pumps. Called the Illusion High Boots, they give the appearance of a leg wearing these shoes, hand-painted onto the boot’s upper part. The boots even come with two skin tones and in a calf-length style, too. The distinctive silhouette costs around $2,470. It’s a playful and daring design, and while it might not be on brand for Louis Vuitton’s usually classy looks, it is in line with the fashion house’s focus on pushing boundaries in leatherwork.
The boots are part of a dominating trend in fashion, “trompe l’oeil.” A French term meaning “a trick of the eye,” this trend has been seen on the runways as designers push the boundaries with 3D-like designs. Celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Tessa Thompson, and Bella Thorne have rocked similar styles, embracing this optical illusion trend on the red carpet. The boots have come at a time when the rules of fashion are changing, and people are more accepting of the change.
Public Reaction to the Boots
While some folks remain uncertain about these boots, others are diving headfirst into this new trend. One fashion influencer joked about them resembling “doll legs” and dubbed them “Polly Pocket shoes.” However, she also stated that even though she found them weird when she first saw them on the runway, she knew she had to get them immediately.
Whether you’re a fan of these Louis Vuitton boots or not, no one can deny that big fashion names continue to push boundaries and bring us fresh ideas when it comes to spicing up our wardrobes.


text:
Global warming ranks far down the concerns of the world’s biggest companies, despite world leaders’ hopes that they will pioneer solutions to the impending climate crisis, a startling survey will reveal this week.
Nearly nine in 10 of them do not rate it as a priority, says the study, which canvassed more than 500 big businesses in Britain, the US, Germany, Japan, India and China. Nearly twice as many see climate change as imposing costs on their business as those who believe it presents an opportunity to make money. And the report’s publishers believe that big business will concentrate even less on climate change as the world economy deteriorates.
Read the entire story here:

domain: news


text:
If you’re a flier just as committed to playing Words with Friends on your smart phone as, say, Alec Baldwin, this may be your week to rejoice.
The New York Times reports that the FAA will meet to complete a set of recommendations that will loosen the rules around use of digital devices by passengers, likely including allowing certain devices to be used regardless of flight phase.
According to several members of the FAA panel charged with creating the new digital guidelines, watching video, listening to podcasts and reading e-books will be allowed, meaning no powering-off at takeoff and landing. Making phone calls or sending emails or texts via data plans will, however, likely remain banned.
The panel’s recommendations will likely go into effect next year.


text:
The July 2016 edition of the Food Demand Survey (FooDS) is now out.
Results reveal a reversal in the three-month slide in demand for meat products. Willingness-to-pay (WTP) increased for all food products in July; there were sizeable increases in WTP for steak WTP (+46.44%) and deli ham (+33.15%) from June to July. This month, WTP for steak reached its highest point since FooDS began in May 2013. Compared to one year ago (July 2015), WTP is higher for all food products.
Results also suggest an increase in spending at food away from home. Compared to June expenditures on food away from home were up 6.3% and there was a near doubling in plans to eat out more in July compared to June.
Another major development was that this was the first time that farm animal welfare ranked in the top three issues of concern (behind E. Coli and Salmonella) since the beginning of FooDS.
This month three new ad-hoc questions were added.
The first dealt with the new GMO labeling bill I mentioned a couple days ago, which has been passed by the Senate and currently being considered by the House. Participants were asked: “The US Congress is considering a bill that would require food companies to disclose whether a food contains genetically engineered ingredients. Food companies can comply by placing
text on packaging, provide a QR (Quick Response) code, or by directing consumers to a phone number or website. Do you support or oppose this legislation?”.
Approximately 81% of respondents stated they would support the bill, 7% said they would oppose the bill, and just over 12% of respondents stated “I don’t know”.
At this point, we should all know these sorts of questions can be a bit misleading as consumers have very little information about the issue and can be shown to support other absurd policies like DNA labeling. However, I'd read these results to suggest that mandatory GMO labels that include disclosure via QR codes do not substantively decrease consumer support for the policy.
Second, participants were asked “Where do you tend to receive the most helpful and accurate information about food health and safety issues? (pick one issue)” Then 14 different sources were listed.
Local television news was listed most frequently as the most helpful and accurate information source (17%), while 11.7% of respondents said evening or nightly television news shows were the most helpful. Only 2.54% of participants listed books are their most helpful source of information. 5.37% of participants stated “other” as their most helpful source of information. Those who selected “other” gave examples including “NatrualNews.com”, “my own online research”, “Institute of Food Technologists mailing list”, “local highly educated farmer”, and “internet”.
Last, respondents were asked: “Where do you tend to receive the least helpful and inaccurate information about food health and safety issues? (pick one)” The same 14 sources were listed as in the previous question.
By far, social media was the most frequently listed least helpful and inaccurate source of information about food health and safety issues at 27%. 11.5% of participants stated that restaurant servers or chefs were the least helpful and inaccurate source of information. Friends and family was ranked third, with 10.1% of participants. 1.6% of participants selected “other” as their least helpful and inaccurate source of information. Those who stated other, listed examples including “internet news”, “nurses”, “family who think they know”, “Youtube”, and “Packaging”.
To further flesh out the results, the following chart plots the sources according to the percent of respondents indicating the source as most accurate vs. the percent indicating the source as least accurate. Sources on the bottom right of the figure would be more universally seen as most helpful land accurate, where as those on the top left of the figure would be just the opposite.
Restaurant chefs and servers are among least helpful/accurate with local television
news being among the most helpful/accurate. Friends and family are the most polarized group, with roughly equal numbers of consumers listing the source as most accurate and least accurate.


text:
This Fourth of July weekend, Burger King is inviting all of America to add one of its founding flavors to their holiday plans. Burger King restaurants nationwide will celebrate America’s birthday by offering all guests the BK Original Chicken Sandwich for a phenomenal price!
On Friday, June 29, Saturday, June 30, and Sunday, July 1, participating Burger King restaurants will serve up the brand’s popular Original Chicken Sandwich for $1.04 each.
A fan favorite on the BK menu for the past 35 years, the Burger King Original Chicken Sandwich is a lightly breaded, premium white meat chicken breast fillet topped with the combination of shredded lettuce and creamy mayonnaise, all on a toasted sesame seed bun. (Suggested retail price of the Original Chicken Sandwich starts at $4.49). At just $1.04 this weekend only, that means guests can celebrate the red, white, and blue, and save a little green, too.
“Last year, the Burger King Original Chicken Sandwich July 4th promotion was a big hit with our guests, so we are bringing it back again this holiday weekend,” says Alex Macedo, senior vice president, North America marketing, Burger King Corp. “July 4th weekend is about enjoying time with family and friends, and BK is celebrating those moments by offering our fans the chance to add one of our most popular menu items to the festivities, wherever their holiday plans take them.”
Feel like taking your Original Chicken Sandwich to the next level? Simply add cheese for an extra 50 cents or transform it into a Club Chicken Sandwich with thick-cut hardwood smoked bacon, fresh slices of tomato, shredded lettuce, and creamy mayonnaise for just $1 more.


text:
Web3 is a new version of the internet built on blockchain infrastructure, providing decentralized usage rights.
Recently, leading media platforms like Facebook, Youtube and Reddit have announced many Web3 related news and initiatives. For example, YouTube posted a director position for “Youtube Web3” that requires 15 years of experience and understanding of cryptocurrency, blockchain, consensus mechanisms, NFT, and other Web3 technologies.
Social media will be decentralized
Recent months have seen the rise of Web3 social platforms, as Web2 internet giants and many executives from tech moguls embrace Web3.
Julien Gaillard, head of data science at Twitter Spaces, Ryan Wyatt, head of gaming on YouTube, and Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, have all left big tech companies to join the world of Web3.
Meanwhile, the Web3 social platforms are particularly prominent.
On February 8, DeFi lending giant Aave launched its Web3 Lens Protocol social media platform. On the same day, Web3 social platform SO-COL (Social Collectables) announced the closure of a seed round worth $1.75 million.
On February 15, Chingari, an Indian social platform with 100 million users, integrated native tokens to develop the Web3 social network.
User data and voice will be protected.
The spirit of Web3 is decentralization. Specifically, users control their own data.
Traditional social platforms require user information to create an account. These data banks are very vulnerable, creating data mining loopholes. For example, Facebook has had a number of scandalous data breaches. However in web 3.0 people use crypto wallets but not their real information.
In Web3, user data is stored on the blockchain so it is tamper-proof. The Polkadot network-based social protocol stores data on-chain, ensuring personal data is protected.
Another problem with Web2 is censorship. Tech giants can easily moderate content based on terms of service. Many Web3 proponents imagine a world in which this is not possible.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey funded decentralized social media system Bluesky in December 2019, which aims to combat the spotlight economy by allowing people to choose their preferred recommendation algorithm. their own and therefore decide what the user sees for themselves.
On Bluesky, content can be kept for free forever. There is no central authority that can delete the content so it really makes the data the user’s own.
People will pay for JPEG
Web2 not only competes with new blockchain projects but with a huge user base, these legacy platforms can also play a big role in Web3.
Digital assets like NFT are at the heart of Web3. Twitter will launch the NFT Profile feature in 2022, allowing users to display their NFT in Twitter profiles. Twitter’s main competitor, Meta, is also working on allowing users to sell NFTs on Facebook and Instagram.
In 2021, when NFT explodes, the cumulative number of NFT transactions increases from less than 1.3 million to 65.4 million. Despite a 50-fold increase, there is still a long way to go compared to the number of users of social platforms.
Creators will have more control
On the Web2 platform, users are content producers, and web pages are generally user-generated. The platform also uses big data for accuracy marketing. This is in contrast to the decentralized, open and transparent vision of Web3. There, users can earn revenue for their creations, and blockchain technology largely reduces plagiarism, unclear ownership of content.
Social media Web3 Lens Protocol launched by Aave allows content creators to set conditions to follow them, e.g. payment. In addition, creators can also set content scope and conditions of use so that the content is actually owned by them.
The development of blockchain technology and the approaching Web3 era is becoming an increasingly obvious trend. The decentralized internet is a revolution, and the next Web3 era will likely reshape the way we live in every aspect of our finances, social interactions, and more.


text:
China Merchants Bank successfully issues blockchain-based electronic invoice
Tue, 06 Nov 2018, 03:44 am UTC
China Merchants Bank (CMB) has announced that it has become the first bank in China to issue blockchain-based electronic invoice.
In its official release dated November 1, the bank said that blockchain technology enables of complete end-to-end traceability, makes information non-tamperable, help avoid false invoices and improve the invoice supervision process.
CMB explained that the blockchain electronic invoice will connect each stakeholder to facilitate the traceability of the source, authenticity and reimbursement of the invoice. It will help address a number of issues that plague existing processes including false declaration and over-reporting of one vote and can significantly reduce operating costs and tax risks.
“With its keen insight into financial technology innovation, China Merchants Bank actively participated in the pilot project of electronic invoices in the blockchain of Shenzhen Taxation Bureau,” the press release said (loosely translated).
Once the development of the blockchain electronic invoicing system was complete, it was connected to the blockchain platform of the Shenzhen Taxation Bureau to provide customers with a new experience of issuing blockchain electronic invoice.
“At the same time, China Merchants Bank, as the direct link institution of the Shenzhen Taxation Bureau blockchain platform, can also provide blockchain electronic invoice agent access services for other enterprises,” it added.
CMB said that it has been actively exploring applications of blockchain technology in a number of areas such as cross-border payment, ABS, and bill transfer.
<Copyright © TokenPost. All Rights Reserved. >


text:
Fashion week is one of those occasions where celebrities deliberately switch things up in the style department, ditching their beloved wardrobe staples in favour of more ‘far-shun’ looks. Whether they’re sitting pretty front row, or running errands around New York City, the whole week is basically one big celebration of outlandish style and the art of peacocking.
While many are looking forward for sartorial inspo, trying to anticipate what’s gonna be the next biggest trend, others appear to be looking back to the archives for outfit ideas – and Kim Kardashian is a case in point. For her latest appearance in the Big Apple – at Serena Williams’ show – the star wore a look that instantly transports us back to 1998.
Kim stepped out wearing a sleeveless silver metallic top made out of the trippiest, stretchiest fabric – a piece she then paired with wide leg leather trousers and that lace-up crotch trend.
See the look here:
Talk about a throwback.
Rewind back to 1998, you might recall Jennifer Lopez rockin’ a very similar look to the 7th Annual MTV Movie Awards:
And again the following year, with Victoria Beckham’s 90s party get-up:
Throwback or not, Kim still slays this ensemble.
Ah Kim, how do you make even the most random outfits look so amazing? Asking for a friend.


text:
“I bet they don’t want us to visit them in March as usual," said Fai. At the company’s factory, meanwhile, it is uncertain how many of the 300-strong workforce will show up if the government allows units to reopen on 10 February.
In business decisions, both existential and sometimes inconsequential, the China question is looming larger than ever. Hong Kong is already reeling from the collateral damage from the coronavirus. On 4 February, the city of seven million, which in 2018 received a record 51 million visitors from China, announced it would impose a 14-day quarantine on visitors from the mainland. Its flagship airline Cathay Pacific has cut flights to mainland China by 90% and asked staff to take three weeks’ unpaid leave.
On 4 February, Credit Suisse cancelled its annual investment conference in Hong Kong next month. As many airlines across the world suspended flights to China—Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and British Airways among them—the economic implications of the epidemic were multiplying alongside the spread of the virus in China. The Asian nation is such an important market as well as a consumer and producer for so many industries that even trade fairs and conferences far from China are being affected. Swatch announced it was postponing its watch fair in Zurich.
No country in history has been as central to the world economy as China is today. Its economy may be second in size to the US, but China is now part of so many supply chains—from cars to iPhones—and its infrastructure companies lead such an array of port and road projects—from Africa to Central Asia—that it is hard to visualize a world economy in which the country is pushed to the sidelines.
In effect, with China in lockdown and its factories closed for an extended period to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, that’s exactly where the world finds itself in today.
Supply chain shutdown
A vivid demonstration of how supply networks and production lines could come to a shuddering halt was Hyundai Motor Co.’s announcement late on 4 February that it was closing all its vehicle factories in South Korea because of the unavailability of wire harnesses and other components from Chinese suppliers. Other global auto manufacturers may also be a couple of weeks away from similar shutdowns.
Apple Inc.’s plans to ramp up production of its iPhone 11 Pro model are almost certain to be affected. Oil prices fell below $50 a barrel, reflecting a 25% drop in demand from China, just weeks after the virus spread from its epicentre in Wuhan in the central province of Hubei.
Compounding matters are restrictions on travel to contain the spread of the virus, which has a much higher infection rate than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or the common flu virus. The coronavirus incubates in humans for up to a fortnight without showing symptoms. The New York Times reported this week that three Germans contracted the disease from a Chinese business partner who had shown no symptoms of the infection.
Coming on the heels of the tough trade deal between the US and China, some feel this outbreak may even prompt a material shift in global supply chains. Ranjan Mahtani, chairman of Epic Group, the Hong Kong-headquartered supplier of casual cotton trousers to US retailers—with factories in Bangladesh, Vietnam and one under construction in Jharkhand—said the virus will hasten the relocation of apparel makers from China. “If this situation does not correct itself very fast in the next two weeks, it could have a disruptive effect on the entire supply chain and all brands’ sourcing. Nobody really has a handle on the ramifications as China is yet to resume activity after the New Year holidays. The blow will get magnified every day that (the shutdown) goes on," he said.
In the past few days, I spoke to a random sample of businessmen in India to try and understand whether they had linkages to China. Each one of them did, from a leather exporter in Kerala, who anticipated that getting supplies of mould machines would be difficult, to a large distributor of insecticides already experiencing supply shortages from China. The owner of a mid-sized resort at a hill station in Maharashtra said she had been informed by the furniture supplier in Guangdong that the shipment the hotel had been expecting in a few weeks is certain to be delayed.
Comparisons with SARS
This week also marked a grim milestone for the coronavirus, as it raced past the SARS virus in terms of the number of fatalities in China: by 5 February 560 people had died from the new virus in China and 28,000 officially deemed to be infected. By comparison, SARS killed 349 people in China after 5,327 cases were reported, according to the World Health Organization.
Looking back, SARS is useful as a historical parallel, but it is a poor guide of how much damage the current lockdown on China could mean for the world economy—and for countries such as India that are dependent for raw materials as well as consumer goods from the country. China’s integration with the world’s supply chains was in its infancy in 2003. That was just two years after its accession to the World Trade Organization.
China accounts for 17% of global gross domestic product (GDP) today, up from 4% in 2003, but this figure underestimates its importance in complex global supply networks. In 2018, China was the world’s biggest trading nation accounting for 13% of global exports against 9% for the US, even though its economy is second to the US.
Visiting the factories of Guangdong, China’s most export-oriented province, for the Financial Times (FT) between 2010 and 2013, I recalled asking Ramesh Tainwala, then a senior executive with Samsonite, why the company did not move more of its production out of China as labour costs were rising at double-digit levels in its factory towns. Tainwala replied that a Samsonite suitcase had a few hundred components and most were made in China. Labour costs were a much smaller part of the decision-making calculus for companies such as his.
India’s trade linkages with China are also profound. Indeed, the past four budgets under the Narendra Modi government have targeted tariffs of goods imported predominantly from China, most recently raising duties on solar panels, furniture and toys, turning back two decades of steady progress towards bringing India’s tariffs in line with those prevailing in Asia. India’s imports from China were about $70 billion in 2018-19.
Ironically, India’s pharmaceuticals industry is likely to be one of the first sectors to be hit by the shutdown of travel to China and the extension of forced factory closures in 12 provinces that account for the majority of its industrial production. China supplies more than two-thirds of the bulk drugs and raw materials that are imported to make medicines in India.
A global pandemic usually refers to a major outbreak of a disease in two continents. Despite the spread of the coronavirus to countries such as Japan and Thailand, the world is not yet quite at that point. But what might be called a “panicdemic" was in evidence as airlines stopped flights to China. For instance, in Bali, some 5,000 tourists were stranded when Indonesian airlines were instructed by the government to stop flying to China this week.
This is another aspect of the coronavirus that makes its spread to countries visited by Chinese in large numbers potentially alarming, relative to 2003 when SARS struck. In 2018, as many as 163 million Chinese tourists travelled around the world; in 2003, just 20 million did.
The fact that this iteration of the coronavirus infects people via casual contact does make the imposition of quarantine on travellers from China and flight bans a practical way to contain the disease. However, there is no guarantee this will curtail its spread. In Japan, a bus driver working with a travel company caught the virus after ferrying around Chinese tourists.
Testing travellers from China, and then placing them in quarantine when they are showing no symptoms, will be a very difficult proposition for governments the world over. This will make containing the spread of the virus difficult. This week, two people from Kerala, who were evacuated from China, are reported to have ignored the Indian government’s request that they stay at home for a fortnight and left for Saudi Arabia.
Experts have pointed out that screening passengers from China creates a false guarantee that they are not carrying the virus because its incubation period is so atypically long. A throat swab test, for instance, would be ineffective if a traveller had no initial symptoms. Largely for this reason, the UK and India have used military facilities to quarantine passengers from Wuhan for a fortnight. Still, the need for honest declarations by travellers returning from China and Hong Kong, and the risk of non-compliance with such lengthy quarantine is likely to undermine efforts to contain the disease in much of the world, including in India.
Thus, the trajectory of the spread of the coronavirus, especially in densely populated countries such as India with inadequate public health systems, could be different than during outbreaks of SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome. And, it explains why countries are responding with actions such as flight bans and quarantine that might otherwise seem draconian and which were notably absent in 2003, after SARS struck.
I covered the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong, and then moved to London on a routine job transfer in April 2003. The FT doctor decided I should spend a week in an informal quarantine away from the newspaper’s headquarters, prompting my witty woman boss to joke that this had made me “more glamorous than a war reporter". At no point was I screened by the UK government; I was even invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace a couple of weeks later.
The long tail of Chinese supply and demand in 2020 makes the world a very different place from what it was when SARS struck. China’s economy is 10 times the size it was in 2003.
Shortages across a range of Chinese imports will be visible to a larger degree in the next few weeks as businesses across the world prepare by building extra inventory. If Chinese factory closures continue after 10 February—and they are almost certain to, given the rapid progression of the disease across the country—companies that depend on imports from China will feel the effects soon.
The decision by some Indian solar power companies to invoke the disruptions in supplies of solar panels from china as a force majeure event to explain the delay in project completion is extreme but also an omen.
Rahul Jacob covered the SARS epidemic in 2003 as the Hong Kong bureau chief for the Financial Times.


text:
Teen Splurge in Back-To-School Luxury
By Tom Ryan
Forget notebooks and pencils. Teens and tweens enamored with celebrities and fashion are looking for $200 designer handbags and $100-plus jeans this back-to-school season.
The increased luxury spend by teens arrives as websites, tabloids and TV shows detailing celebrities and fashion make kids more aware of luxury goods than ever before.
“They’re prime candidates for luxury,” Gerald Celente, publisher of Trends Journal told The Associated Press. “Their world is the entertainment world and that’s what they’re focused into.”
Jacqueline Nasser, ELLEgirl Fashion Market Editor, said teens take their cues from shows like “Laguna Beach,” “The O.C.,” “The Hills” and “My Super Sweet 16” that portray a high-class lifestyle.
“They have been surrounded by celebrities and TV programs where fashion is the central point,” she said. “They even have younger celebrities in the ads for designer labels–Scarlett Johansson for Louis Vuitton, Lindsay Lohan for Jill Stuart, etc.”
Bloomingdale’s fashion director Stephanie Solomon said teen shoppers at department stores nationwide this year are looking for $300 Chanel sunglasses, designer handbags by Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Chloe–which can cost between $900 and $1,250–and $200 to $300 Tory Burch shoes.
“It’s really about the accessories,” she said. “The fact that you can wear sunglasses every day and carry the same handbag every day justifies the expense.”
Also, the recent surge in lower priced lines by designers–Marc by Marc Jacobs, for example, or Proenza Schouler for Target–help teens afford designer fashion, but have also made them aware of even higher-priced lines.
“They’re a segue into the designer sectors,” said Ms. Solomon.
The increased spending comes as the luxury market prospers while mid-tier and discount retailers feel the brunt of rising gas prices and the depressed housing market.
Amy Klaris, a branding specialist at consulting firm Kurt Salmon Associates, said that where parents put their foot down depends on their income. While a Prada wardrobe might be too much, a parent might be more willing to spend on a key-item accessory.
“They want their kids to fit in,” she said. “They’re still buying t-shirts at Target, but still having that (luxury) handbag.”
Discussion Question: How sizeable is the luxury opportunity in teens and tweens? What do you think is driving this trend? Should retailers reaching this customer be aggressively pursuing this opportunity or should some caution be applied?
- Teens add luxury accessories to back-to-school wardrobes – The Associated Press/The Kansas City Star


text:
Dell Technologies has announced the planned spin-off of its 81% equity ownership interest in VMware . The transaction will result in two standalone companies positioned for growth in the data era. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of calendar 2021, subject to certain conditions, including receipt of a favorable IRS private letter ruling and an opinion that the transaction will qualify as generally tax-free for Dell Technologies shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Dell Technologies and VMware will enter into a commercial agreement that will preserve the companies’ unique and differentiated approaches to the co-development of critical solutions and alignment on sales and marketing activities. VMware will continue to use Dell Financial Services to help its customers finance their digital transformations.
“By spinning off VMware, we expect to drive additional growth opportunities for Dell Technologies as well as VMware, and unlock significant value for stakeholders,” said Michael Dell, chairman and chief executive officer, Dell Technologies. “Both companies will remain important partners, providing Dell Technologies with a differentiated advantage in how we bring solutions to customers. At the same time, Dell Technologies will continue to modernize its core infrastructure and PC businesses and embrace new opportunities through an open ecosystem to grow in hybrid and private cloud, edge and telecom.”
Upon completion of the spin-off, Michael Dell will remain chairman and chief executive officer of Dell Technologies, as well as chairman of the VMware board. Zane Rowe will remain interim CEO of VMware, and the VMware board of directors will remain unchanged.


text:
Associated Equipment Corporation (AEC) announced that Kim Cottle, formerly President and COO, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer.
Cottle succeeds William C. Cottle, who retires as CEO of Associated Equipment but maintains his position as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Cottle was hired by Associated in 2007 as Vice President of Operations after working at several Fortune 500 high tech manufacturing companies in product development and international operations roles.
“Kim has been driving the day-to-day operations, product development and sales at Associated for the last several years,” said William Cottle, Chairman, “her success focusing on increasing our product mix based on our core strengths, high quality products especially US made; as well as increasing our presence in the OEM, industrial and export markets, has been key to position ourselves for continued growth. Promoting Kim into this new role is part of our succession strategy as a family business to solidify Associated’s long term commitment to growing our valued customer base.”
Associated Equipment Corporation designs and manufactures, in St. Louis, a full line of battery charging, testing and portable power solutions, as well as booster cables and clamps, for automotive, aircraft and recreational vehicle use for a worldwide customer base including the Intellamatic series. AEC designs, imports and quality assures product under ATEC brand with unique packaging targeting the commercial and jobber channels. AEC also designs and manufactures a full line of fume extractors, downdraft tables and ambient air cleaners for the welding industry under the Ace Industrial Products and WeldSense brands.


text:
Honda Motor (7267.T)said on Wednesday it has suspended exports of cars and motorcycles to Russia, signalling the likelihood more Japanese automakers would join the global swell of companies halting business with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
According to Reuters, Western companies have spurned Moscow following the invasion, stopping sales in Russia and even saying they would exit investments there. Ford Motor (F.N) and other global automakers have already said they would suspend operations.
Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) also plans to halt exports of auto parts to Russia, the Nikkei newspaper said. A Mazda spokesperson declined to comment.
Nissan Motor Co Ltd is continuing operations in Russia and is closely monitoring the situation there, a spokesperson said. Its dealerships and offices in Ukraine are closed, the spokesperson said.
Nissan sold 53,000 vehicles in Russia in 2021, the spokesperson said.
Toyota Motor Corp’s (7203.T) business in Russia was continuing as normal, although there had been partial disruption to shipments to the country, a spokesperson said.
Mitsubishi Motor Corp (7211.T) said on Tuesday it may suspend production and sale of its cars in Russia citing potential supply chain disruptions as a result of sanctions on Russia.
But the response of many Japanese firms has been more muted so far. Honda had suspended exports to Russia as of Wednesday, a spokesperson said, without elaborating when the suspension took effect.
The spokesperson said difficulty in shipping vehicles and making payments was the reason for the suspension. The automaker does not have factories in Russia, where it sold 1,406 cars in the 2020 financial year.
Autos and auto parts made up more than half of Japan’s exports to Russia in 2020, according to the finance ministry.


text:
The PSP Go! should be hitting shelves in a couple of months, yet Sony is yet to announce a local price. What gives, Sony? Fortunately, David over at Kotaku has SCEA head honcho Michael Ephraim's number on speed dial (maybe), so he hit him with the hard questions. The answers may not be exactly what you want to hear...
When asked about the launch plans for the PSP Go!, Ephraim responded:
“Because of the fluctuation in the exchange rate, we’ve decided to hold off on our announcement until closer to launch date. We will probably make that announcement [soon]so we can start working with retailers and preorders and those things. You are definitely going to see a premium price on the PSP Go! as it was announced in Europe and the US.”
But exactly how much of a premium is still unknown. David floated a $400 price point, and Ephraim hit back with the "we want to bring it in as cheap as we can, that’s always our objective" response.
In any case, expect to be paying more than $300, which is the current price for the PSP-3000. Ouch.


text:
FedEx Corp (FDX)
$255.83 11.19 (4.19%)
15:35 EDT FDX Stock Quote Delayed 30 Minutes
Previous Close -
Market Cap 68.36B
PE Ratio 15.61
Volume (Avg. Vol.) 1.79M
Day's Range 255.56 - 265.99
52-Week Range 88.69 - 293.30
Dividend & Yield 2.30 (0.90%)
FDX Stock Predictions, Articles, and FedEx Corp News
- From InvestorPlace
- From the Web
FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith takes the fight with Amazon personally, while UPS treats it as yet another corporate challenge.
Thursday's big stock charts feature names that outperformed during a major market surge.
Who's hiring now? Plenty of Americans are asking this question as they deal with a lack of work thanks to the coronavirus from China.
FedEx (FDX) earnings for the delivery company's fiscal third quarter of 2020 have FDX stock heading higher after-hours Tuesday.
Amazon, Under Armour, Facebook, FedEx and Hasbro were our top stock trades for Wednesday. That said, here's a look at the charts.
Bank stocks kicked off earnings season, while Pinterest gains momentum. Here's what happened in the stock market today.
Even the best long-term stocks require some patience, but their viable growth industries make them the best stocks for 2019 and beyond!
These companies are limping into year-end and remain top stocks to sell heading into 2020. Here are three options trades that will profit
Following earnings FedEx stock investors can take delivery and buy back shares back for a very handsome profit relative to risk.
FDX stock's disappointment is unsystematic, so they're unlikely to weigh heavily on the Q4 earnings season. We're still cautiously bullish.
Match Group, Yeti, Shopify, Nvidia and FedEx were our top stock trades from Wednesday. Here's a look at their charts now.
Options trading was buzzing in FedEx, Netflix and Amazon stock on Tuesday. Here are the metrics that matter moving forward.
FedEx (FDX) earnings for the shipping company's fiscal second quarter of 2020 have FDX stock falling in after-hours trading on Tuesday.
Nike, Luckin Coffee, FedEx and Twitter were our top stock trades for Tuesday. Here's a look at the charts as we start the week.
The U.S.-China trade war is weighing on these large-cap stocks to sell. Volatile oil prices and the opioid crisis aren't helping, either.
Wednesday's 3 big stock charts highlight value plays looking for support in a nervous market.
Coupa, Peloton, Canopy Growth, Realty Income and FedEx were our top stock trades from Tuesday. Here's a look at the charts.
From Yahoo Finance
A group of business leaders and public policy experts will launch a new body to grapple with thorny questions surrounding the future of transportation including self-driving and electric vehicles. The group, the Future of Mobility Commission, to be formally unveiled Friday, plans to propose a new regulatory framework to address a global transportation sector "on the cusp of a worldwide transition driven by shared, connected, autonomous, and electric technologies." Alisyn Malek, the commission's executive director, told Reuters the goal is to tackle tough problems and improve safety.
Navellier RatingsPowered by Portfolio Grader


text:
Charles David is finding its sweet spot. The women’s brand is amping up its e-commerce business in order to connect with its consumer more than ever before.
Having soft-launched the new site in December, Charles David has now been able to speak with its customer directly and understand exactly who she is. Since the launch, the company has seen online sales growth over the past two months, with emphasis on its spring ’19 collection.
Plus, the company has a new creative director. Dana DeMartino took on the role late last year, and she’s looking to the past for inspiration on where to take the brand.
DeMartino, who had been working on the Charles by Charles David line prior to her promotion, told FN, “We are harking back to what [founder] Charles Malka did. We want to celebrate that legacy. He had this iconic brand, and he was known for keeping a close eye on trends and evolving.”
Malka launched the Charles David line in 1967. He relocated the company to Los Angeles in 1987, and after facing increased competition and a changing retail landscape, parent company Charles David of California Inc. was sold to New York Transit Inc. in 2013. Malka died on Oct. 28, 2018, after battling Alzheimer’s. He was 84.
Said DeMartino: “He was inspired to make affordable luxury in a very wearable way, so I’m trying to continue that, and I believe we are achieving it.”
For fall ’19, the brand is focused on updating its assortment for the modern woman by introducing new silhouettes and heel heights. Shoppers can find different types of animal prints in the collection as well as warm earth tones.
“People want to wear something day to night, and we are reacting to that with chunky heels, 65-millimeter and 80-millimeter heights,” DeMartino said. “The customer is polished and sophisticated. [We are targeting] a range of a young adults and above who are going to work, achieving goals and wanting to look the part.”
The company is also boosting its wholesale business by expanding its assortment with its current partners.
Said DeMartino: “We are expanding business that we’ve had, and the reaction has been great.”
This month, the label has been introduced to the Bloomingdale’s shopper through trunk shows across the country. So far, the pop-ups have been introduced in San Diego and Los Angeles, and on April 13, the New York location will host a special kickoff event 12-4 p.m. In the fall, Charles David will be available in select Bloomgindale’s.
Cupcakes and Cashmere Fashion Blogger Launches Shoe Collection That’s Perfect for Spring
This Cult Paris Label Reimagined Its Logo With Help From Fashion Week’s Favorite Artist


text:
Apple has begun the process of discontinuing sales and shipments of some Apple Watch models from its online store, even though the self-imposed deadline has not yet passed. The full ban on Apple Watch sales for shipped orders will start at 3:00 PM ET on December 21.
Some models are already affected, with a recent check showing that almost every model available for immediate shipping on Wednesday evening. However, there has been an overnight shift for most of them, with a new message in the shipping options column only showing in-store pickup instead.
Although Apple has not formally announced the cessation of online orders, it is still possible to go through most of the ordering process. Ultimately, users are shown no delivery options, other than “today from store,” meaning directly from a retail Apple Store.
“A Presidential Review Period is in progress regarding an order from the U.S. International Trade Commission on a technical intellectual property dispute pertaining to Apple Watch devices containing the Blood Oxygen feature,” Apple said previously. “While the review period will not end until December 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand.”
As well as still being able to buy an Apple Watch from Apple’s own retail stores, there are also many discount deals on the Watch from other resellers until December 24, 2023. As previously confirmed to AppleInsider, the ban will not affect retail stores until December 24.


text:
It’s no secret that collaboration is essential to growth, but the how of it isn’t always so clear—and it's the understanding of how that is a true competitive advantage. Join Adweek X, a uniquely formatted event on December 4 in LA, to unlock fresh perspectives, true collaboration and growth.
While many brands have had to adapt their email marketing messaging to quarantine life, Tushy didn’t have to make any drastic pivots. In fact, the DTC bidet company was primed for it.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic brought on toilet paper hysteria and shortages in the U.S. this spring, Tushy was already sending emails to new subscribers encouraging them to ditch toilet paper in favor of its bidet attachments.
Miki Agrawal, founder and chief creative officer at Tushy, said the brand didn’t have to stop with its pre-pandemic messaging—it positioned it to market an even more relevant product.
“For the last six years, we’ve always said that Tushy is better than toilet paper,” Agrawal said.


text:
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana got a huge update today for PC which improved graphics/performance, input/UI, and stability as well adding a co-op mode.
Falcom President Reveals Two New Kiseki Games are Coming; Ys IX Uses Motion Capture for Better Graphics
Nihon Falcom's President Toshihiro Kondo shared multiple updates on the future of the Kiseki series and Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.
If you're looking for new games to play after beating Octopath Traveler, these three titles should crave your RPG itch on Switch.
NIS America released new videos showing Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana running on Nintendo Switch hardware for those who want a preview.
NIS America reveals the extra DLC available to those who pick up the Nintendo Switch version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.
Nihon Falcom fans don't have that much longer to wait for the developer's first game on the Switch, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, coming in June.
NIS America is allowing western fans to vote for the reverse cover of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on Nintendo Switch
Nihon Falcom's Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is coming to a Nintendo Switch near you this summer, with a few pieces of exclusive content.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana will contain re-localized text on Switch cartridge natively.
The re-localization patch for Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana has been released on PS4 and PS Vita, and it comes in at quite a large file size on both systems.
NIS America has further delayed the PC version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, but the PS4 and PS Vita relocalization won't be affected.
Nihon Falcom's recent JRPG Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is getting a Switch port this year. Check out the trailer showing the adventure of Adol and Dana.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana had a complete localization revision to improve the story as well as gained a PC release date.
NIS America continues the Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana re-localization blog series by providing an update for fans.
The quest for NIS America’s re-localization of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is underway with a new update from the publisher.
NISA will now keep a blog about the progress made on Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana's new localization.
NISA provides update on the PC version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, which was delayed before the game's release.
NISA President states that Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana has "not reached an acceptable level by our own standards".
NIS America launched a new trailer to celebrate the release of Falcom's Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA, available now in North America for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, coming to Europe on September 15.
NIS America revealed that the PC release of the Falcom developed RPG Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA will be delayed from its previous release date of September 12 to an unannounced date.


text:
From independent artisans to global enterprises. We create brands for ambitious clients.
We are pleased to announce CANSO, the global authority in air traffic management, have asked us to create their 2012 ATM Report & Directory.
For the last seven years, CANSO (the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) has produced a yearly Report & Directory that has become a trusted source of information for industry decision makers. Timothy Hoy, Head of Communications at CANSO, says “I am absolutely confident that the 2012 edition is going to be something to be proud of and I am looking forward to working together.”


text:
Howard Tenens Logistics saw its profits hit as a result of losses made by its subsidiary, Howard Tenens (West London) after two major customers’ volumes dropped by up to 90%. Reporting its annual results to 30 September 2020, Howard Tenens Logistics said its diverse customer base and support from loyal clients has helped it weather the pandemic with turnover up by 13% to £74.8m (2019: £66.6m). However its pre-tax profit plunged to £268,000 (£4.7m) after the company was forced to […]
Hermes has revealed record results at its UK division, with revenue up 22% in 2011. The parcels company says this reinforces its position as the country’s second-largest home-delivery business. Revenue stood at €303m during 2011, up from €248m in the previous year. Hermes says its UK arm handled more than 140 million parcels during the year, as demand for its home delivery services increased with online retail sales. Carole Woodhead, chief executive at Hermes UK, says: “Our UK business has […]
The government’s furlough scheme has proven to be a lifeline for Scottish haulier John Mitchell (Grangemouth) during a “tough” trading year.
Meachers Global Logistics has signed a five-year agreement with broadband provider Toob to act as its national distribution centre across the south of England.


text:
Snapchat, a popular multimedia messaging platform has faced its fair share of problems previously. The Android version of its application has always been complained about not being on par with the performance of its iOS counterpart. While the app was fairly stable and easy to work with on the latter, the former faced a lot of lags and continuous slowdowns which resulted in a sub-par experience. The company has freshly announced a new, rebuilt version of its Android application which promises a more refined, lag-free user experience.Snapchat’s New Android App
To @Android. Love, Snapchat. #SnapForAndroid pic.twitter.com/MGOFQYa9Cj— [...]
Instagram’s new feature Instagram Stories takes on what Snapchat does best. With the new stories Instagram is targeting it’s 300 Million Active users, which is double of what Snapchat currently holds.
Although Facebook, Instagram’s Main Company, is known to take “ideas” for new features, Snapchat will still hold on to a lot of exclusives.
Thanks to the acquisition of Face mapping app Looksery, Snapchat’s exclusive filters like the dog face filter are not coming to Instagram soon.
The format is pretty similar, images stay for 24 hours and then they are gone, you can add filters, stickers and even draw on your images. [...]
Founders of Snapchat are known for taking risks and implementing bold ideas. The company has constantly added new features to Snapchat to reinvent and help it grow from just another photo sharing app to now what it has become a fun supplement to our social media lives. The addition of features such as Discover, Stories, and usage of filters have helped itself set apart in the market. But now, the company is looking at things even more groundbreaking.
Reports suggest that the company is looking at making Google-Glass like smart eyewear which it could use to make a renewed push for the social media industry. Details have emerged of a number of hirings [...]
In an attempt to make its Live Stories more interactive, Snapchat has introduced a new feature called Story Explorer. Users will now be able to see more of their favourite Live Stories.
There will be an “Explore” tab at the bottom of some stories, and swiping it up would allow users to see more Snaps related to that particular story. The idea behind this new feature, as the company suggests, is to allow users to see different aspects of the same story and explore several perspectives.
“It’s the first time you’ll be able to experience that incredible game-winning dunk from thousands of perspectives throughout the stadium – or feel like you’re [...]
SnapChat is rolling out a new feature specially for its celebrity users as an added verification setting. So, if you want to verify whether the celebrity you think you are following is actually the real deal, you just have to look for a small emoji signifying their status. This emoji functions just like the blue tick mark on Facebook that identifies an authentic account from a fake one.
These emojis will be appearing under the header “Official Stories” and will also appear on the stories of users you are already following. This feature is expected to help “Snapchatters” discover interesting stories easily.
“If a Snapchatter has an [...]
Facebook is currently testing a new feature on their messaging app in France to introduce a self-destruct option within the Messenger app. This is not too difficult to operate, since one just has to click on a hourglass button at the top of the screen to activate it. The activation of this button will allow messages to be destroyed after one hour. In order to deactivate the feature, you’ll just have to click on the button again. In a public statement, Facebook said:
“We’re excited to announce the latest in an engaging line of optional product features geared towards making Messenger the best way to communicate with the people that matter [...]
Snapchat seems to be changing its display, format and along with it, the way its users interact with each other. Snapchat originally became very popular amongst the younger generation because of the fact that it erased memories in 10 seconds and kept their live statuses for just 24 hours. So, unlike Facebook, where someone can look through your past and bring up an embarrassing status or profile picture, Snapchat erases it all.
However, there is one thing on Snapchat that does not self-destruct, and that is the profile GIF. The profile GIF was added in July along with the tap-to-view feature. So, now, on your profile [...]
Snapchat has launched a key update that allows you to recognize your closest friends based on a complex tier system of emojis. Previously, anyone could visit your Snapchat profile and check out who you sent the most number of snaps to. Hence, friendships would be questioned if a person did not appear in the ‘Best Friend’ list.
The app ditched the Best Friend feature in January, and now they are back with a new personal way to see who you’re closest to. The new Friend Emojis on your screen of incoming snaps will only be visible to you. Next to some of your Snapchat friends’ names, you will see an emoji [...]
Snapchat, the service that lets you send self-destructing text and picture messages is going places. In the latest round of funding, the company seems positive to raise its valuation to $16-19 billion. With this funding round, the company will become the third most valued startup after Xiaomi and Uber.
Last year, Snapchat raised $485 Million and was then valued at $10 Billion. This time around the company is targeting $500 million and is expected to be valued between $16-19 Billion. The company will over all raise $1 Billion after proposed funding.
Snapchat needs the funding as it plans to purchase the recording label Big Machine. This purchase is expected to cost [...]
Snapchat revamped its whole interface with a massive new update. Well, many are heartbroken after the update removed the ‘Best Friend’ feature. However, there is much more to it than that. Snapchat has added a new ‘Discover’ tool which seems like the beginning of a whole new chapter in the way we consume content online.
We are listing all the changes and new features of the updated Snapchat.1. Discover Tool
This is the most major change in the app, affecting both the users as well as companies directly. The Discover tool is more like an online magazine than a social media platform. It is intended to feed Snapchat’s young audience a daily flow [...]
Snapchat has recently unveiled a new feature that will let users send money to other users through the self-destructive messaging app. To send money to friends, users need to connect their debit cards to their Snapchat accounts through a partnership with Square Cash.
The service will only be available to Snapchat users in the United States who are above 18. None of the user’s personal financial information will be stored on Snapchat’s server. However, the company’s privacy is almost the first concern. The question arises – Would you trust Snapchat for your financial details? We [...]
The whole point of photo sharing app Snapchat is that photos, once sent, are supposed to disappear. However, thousands of these pictures have reappeared when hackers posted a database of purported stolen Snapchat photos and videos on the 4Chan message board. 4Chan, earlier, housed the first leaked nude photos of actress Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities.
As per reports, Snapchat has been breached of as many as 200,000 photos and videos, many of them extremely personal images. However, the company on Friday released a statement on Twitter saying, “Snapchatters were victimized by their use of third-party apps [...]


text:
Target Clinic® plans to open eight new locations this year to provide guests more access to quality, convenient and affordable health care services. The new clinics will open in Target stores in the Twin Cities, Chicago and Ft. Lauderdale-Davie areas by the end of July.
“Target believes that quality health care services should be accessible and affordable for everyone,” said Dr. Josh Riff, Target Medical Director. “By opening new Target Clinic locations, we will provide our guests with even more support and convenience to help them meet the well-being needs of their families.”
Target Clinic locations offer services to help keep families healthy throughout the year, including treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, skin treatments, vaccinations, tests and screenings, which are administered by highly trained health care professionals.
“Guests who already shop Target for their prescriptions, healthy foods and workout apparel will also get the basic health services they need in a quality, convenient setting,” Dr. Riff added.
All Target Clinic locations are open seven days a week, including evenings and weekends. The first new Target Clinic location opened March 2, with the remainder scheduled to open in July. The new locations are:
449 Commerce Drive, Woodbury (opened March 2)
1300 University Ave. W., Saint Paul
1515 County Road B, Roseville
1750 Robert St. South, West Saint Paul
313 E. Townline Road, Vernon Hills
3100 W. IL Route 60, Mundelein
28201 Diehl Road, Warrenville
Ft. Lauderdale-Davie area
5800 South University Drive, Davie
Along with increased access to health care services, the clinic openings also will bring new job opportunities. Hiring at the new locations is currently underway with open positions varying by market. For more information, please visit Target.com/careers
. For more information regarding the new locations, and to view Target Clinic locations’ hours and services, visit Target.com/clinics
Target Clinic currently operates 37 clinic locations in Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois and Florida. By the end of July 2011, Target Clinic will have 44 locations.
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,755 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood
# # #


text:
Auto shows are mostly about what’s new and hot. But a small oasis in the sprawling 2011 Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place is reserved for true connoisseurs of the iconic.
Yes, we’re talking about the instantly recognizable Airstream recreational trailer, encased in the same gently rounded, airplane-grade aluminum frame that has been the travel trailer brand’s hallmark since the first one was built in California some 78 years ago, the Chicago Sun-Times reported
Airstream founder Wally Byam’s motto was “Let’s not make changes, let’s make only improvements.” Most of the improvements over nearly eight decades have come on the inside of the trailers, where, amazingly, almost all of the modern conveniences of today’s home are found in a very compact space.
Take the classic Airstream Flying Cloud, built to be pulled by a mid-sized or larger sports utility vehicle or truck. The 25-foot-long Flying Cloud sleeps six, comes with stove, sink, microwave, coffee maker, a full bathroom, walk-in shower, flat-screen TV and we could go on. But you get the idea. The Flying Cloud lists for $56,900, according to John Dresselhaus of Airstream of Chicago in Joliet, a principal dealer for the trailers in the Chicago area.
A smaller version of the Flying Cloud, called, cutely enough, the Bambi, is pegged to appeal to travel trailer renters, who might want one just to pop out of the city for a weekend at the Wisconsin Dells, or maybe to take in the Kentucky Derby. Even though it has a smaller footprint, the Bambi comes with almost all the conveniences found in the Flying Cloud — just packed even more tightly inside.
With the economy rebounding, Dresselhaus said sales have begun to pick up for Airstream trailers. Sales at Airstream of Chicago were up 40% in 2010 over the previous year, and Dresselhaus anticipates a similar upswing in 2011.
Over time, Airstream trailers have proved to be remarkably sturdy and a good investment. About 68% of all Airstreams ever made are still on the road, and according to Dresselhaus, owners who can bear to part with their travel trailer can trade it in after 10 years and get back a large chunk of their initial outlay.
Airstream’s marketing is pitched toward those who like adventure — “restless spirits,” as the slick brochures put it. But there’s another important reason Airstreams are selling well. “People get to sleep in their own bed when they travel,” said Dresselhaus. Sweet.
Click here to see photos from the dealership’s display at the Chicago Boat and RV Show, held earlier this year.


text:
Nutritional Holdings returns to profit with R594m in earnings
Share this article:
DURBAN - Nutritional Holdings yesterday returned to profitability, reporting a profit of R5.94 million for the year to end February from a R5.40m loss last year.
The group said its earnings per share and headline earnings per share improved 183 percent to 0.04 cents respectively on the strategic plan by the management, which boosted its earnings.
The group wants to acquire the cannabis group Ukusekela Holdings after an interim management agreement between the companies raised its earnings during the period.
“The proposed acquisition which led to the signing of the interim management agreement has borne fruit and bodes well for future quarter-on-quarter growth and expected positive cash flows. The global trend for cannabis sector companies has achieved triple digit growth and this achievement further illustrates that the company is on track to mirror its global counterparts in delivering impressive profits in both the short and medium term,” the group said.
However, the group added the largest factor in the turnaround of its fortunes was exponential demand and resultant growth in the sale of cannabis associated products, The Ultimate Immune Booster with Cannabis Extract.
It said based on estimation, the industrial, medical and recreational potential of the cannabis plant is worth between $150billion and $250bn.
The group said it has developed a formula for medical cannabis edibles through its Nutritional Foods factory that will infuse cannabis extract with instant meals for use by cancer or terminally ill patients.
The group also credited its restructuring actions during the period, with its revenue increasing 7.80percent to R40.83m and net asset value per share 67.18percent to 2.19c.
“We have substantially reduced our expenses and cash burn. Our marketing and research and development investments are being re-allocated to programmes with high-return potential in order to drive sales,” it said.
“We have already proven we can deliver three-digit gross margin and are confident that we can surpass that level as we work toward higher capacity and economies of scale across our facilities as demand for our cannabis products continue to grow.”
Nutritional Holdings shares closed unchanged at R0.01 on the JSE yesterday.


text:
Harry Styles Participates in MusiCares Charity Relief Auction
Harry Styles was one of many artists to participate in MusiCares Charity Relief Auction on September 9th. The auction was held online through Julien’s Auctions and auctioned off numerous big-name musician’s instruments, costumes and other items. Styles’ cherry red Gibson Memphis ES335 guitar was among one of the top selling items selling at just under $30,000- almost 10 times its assessed value of $3000. The guitar was signed by Styles along with the message “Treat people with kindness”.
The charity auction raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Alongside Harry Style’s guitar other notable auction items included a Gucci metallic blue tracksuit with red, white and blue stripes which was owned and worn by Elton John, a Taylor Academy Guitar signed by Taylor Swift and a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Bubba Wallace in the 2018 Daytona 500. The largest bid was Bill Wyman’s custom Mesa/Boogie bass amplifier high used during The Rolling Stone’s 1990 Urban Jungle World Tour.
MusiCares was created by the Recording Academy as a charity which helps musicians in need, the charity is dedicated to ensuring the music community has the support and resources needed. Money from the auction was split between the MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief fund, which goes towards musicians and crew members in the music community struggling as a result of a the global pandemic, and the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund. MusiCare also announced they would have another online auction through Julien’s Auctions in January 2020.


text:
Instead of competing solely on delivery speed, retailers can assess the preferences of their customers and their willingness to pay for other delivery attributes, among them precision and flexibility.
As a result of the pandemic, many consumers turned to online shopping as a convenient and safe way to get their groceries, and as cases of the Delta variant increase across the nation, this form of grocery shopping shows no signs of slowing down. The latest Gallup research affirms an uptick in online buying, showing that nearly a quarter (23%) of people are ordering groceries online, nearly double the 11% share from the pre-pandemic (i.e. normal) year of 2019. However, the long-held assumption that speed is the most important online delivery factor for e-commerce customers is being upended by new research released in the article "Online Shoppers Don't Always Care About Faster Delivery," published by MIT Sloan Management Review.
The article is based on an analysis of the preferences of online shoppers of a grocery chain across 152,195 purchasing instances. The analysis found that a grocery shopper is willing to wait 10.8 hours longer for a delivery if the delivery window is one hour shorter, and will wait an additional 7.5 hours longer if the delivery can be received on a preferred day of the week, all else being equal. The data also showed that customers tend to prefer to receive orders at the end of the week rather than on weekends.
Customer loyalty and basket sizes are also factors in grocery shoppers' delivery preferences. Customers who have different levels of loyalty to the retailer have different delivery preferences. For example, repeat customers are willing to pay more for the same delivery attributes, compared with other shoppers. Moreover, customers with very large baskets are willing to pay double the delivery fee to improve delivery-window precision by one hour.
"Precision instead of speed is key," said Pedro Amorim, assistant professor of industrial engineering at the University of Porto and co-author of the MIT Sloan Management Review article. "Executing a strategy dedicated to speed alone can be expensive, particularly for grocery retailers, whose margins are notoriously thin. There is a less costly option worth considering: analyzing operational data about delivery patterns."
Amorim and co-author Nicole DeHoratius, an adjunct professor of operations management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, provide four recommendations for retailers:
Invest in data and analytics infrastructure. This includes tools that collect and manage data on customer behavior, such as how they navigate through a site. It's also essential to track purchases across both online and offline channels. That often requires changes in data management to give cross-functional teams access to data from both channels.
Collect and analyze customer-specific time-slot selection data. Retailers just beginning this effort can focus on basic descriptive analytics that highlight what attributes customers prefer, on average, given the options chosen by customers at the moment of checkout. More advanced teams can deploy discrete choice models to understand willingness-to-pay characteristics across customer segments and various order types.
Understand what delivery attributes drive loyalty and repeat purchases. This requires the retailer to have some capability in predictive analytics. Questions of interest include whether different customer segments prefer one delivery attribute over another.
Work across teams to roll out new delivery strategies. To capitalize on their newfound understanding of customer preferences, operations and marketing teams must collaborate closely. Operations can design the fulfillment strategy that best meets customers' needs. Marketing can promote the improved service and communicate how it differs from competitors' delivery options.
"Analytically minded retailers can craft delivery time slots that are unique to each customer, based on revealed preferences," said DeHoratius. "I strongly encourage retailers to rethink their operations to optimize not only on speed, but also the most appropriate combination of speed, precision and flexibility."
Cambridge, Mass.-based MIT Sloan Management Reviewis an independent research-based magazine and digital platform for business leaders published at the MIT Sloan School of Management. It explores how leadership and management are transforming in a disruptive world.


text:
USA Today is a daily newspaper founded by Al Neuharth. It has the most readers of any daily newspaper in the United States. About 2.25 million copies are sold on a weekday. It comes second worldwide. The Times of India sells about 2.6 million copies on a weekday.
- USA Today website.


text:
Only a few weeks into the fourth quarter, and five medical device deals have been announced, putting the year’s total at 95.
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and St. Jude Medical’s (NYSE: STJ) $1.12 divestiture of certain vascular closure and electrophysiology assets is among these five October deals, and the only one to disclose a price.
On October 18, Terumo Corporation (OTC:TRUMF) acquired St Jude’s Angio-Seal™ and Femoseal™ vascular closure products and Abbott’s Vado® Steerable Sheath. The $1.12 billion, all-cash deal is subject to the successful completion of Abbott’s acquisition of St. Jude Medical, which was announced in April 2016. All parties involved are bound by the terms of an exclusivity agreement.
Things are getting interesting in the Medical Device sector, as manufacturers are turning to new technology. One such deal involved privately held Essentium Material, a 3D printing and materials development company, which acquired privately held TriFusion Devices, a 3D printing products and services company that serves the needs of amputees and prosthetists by providing custom prosthetic devices.


text:
Tag - Transformer Prime
Owners of Asus' Transformer Prime TF201 will now be able to receive an update to the latest version of Google's Android operating system, version 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. The roll out is part of a larger string of upgrades on the part of the Taiwanese manufacturer, one that will see the TF700 upgraded to version 4.1.1 as well. Users looking to upgrade can initiate the process by going to the About tablet section section under settings and selecting System updates.
The Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 first revealed at CES 2012 is now shipping starting from just $343 discounted. The 10.1 Android 4.0 tablet comes in 16GB and 32GB flavors, with the optional keyboard dock adding only $56 to the overall asking price. It is also powered by a Snapdragon S4 'Krait' 1.5GHz dual-core processor processor matched with 1GB of RAM.
Amazon's Kindle Fire now makes up the absolute majority of the Android tablet platform in the US, comScore found in a fresh study. The e-reader and tablet crossover represented 54.4 percent of all Android tablets sold in the country. At second place, the entire Samsung Galaxy Tab lineup comprised just 15.4 percent of Android slates.
ASUS has put up its promised application page for those looking to get the GPS adapter fix for the Transformer Prime. As of Monday, ASUS Members can apply for a kit using the Android tablet's serial number to see if they qualify. The kit is free, but users have to apply for one before July 31.
Instagram has updated its Android app yet again to support a much wider range of devices. The app (Google Play) now supports devices using NVIDIA's Tegra 3 processor. Doing so enables both the HSPA+ version of the HTC One X, the ASUS Transformer Prime, and any other phone or tablet running the quad-core chip.
The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime's well-documented GPS issues are being addressed by ASUS now. Existing owners should receive the GPS Extension Kit for free, though this isn't yet confirmed and they will need to register for it on ASUS' website. It involves an external sensor that connects to the Android tablet's docking port to get a better satellite signal.
Just days after teasing "awesome" new features coming to the Transformer Prime, ASUS has begun rolling out a software update for its flagship tablet. The software update adds compatibility for an upcoming Ethernet accessory, which is expected to mimic the MacBook Air solution by plugging directly into an existing USB port.
Google is expecting to start selling Android tablets directly, sources claimed Thursday night. It would run an online store that would carry third-party devices from companies like ASUS and Samsung, the Wall Street Journal said. Some of these would be Google co-branded, but that was a reference to regular third-party devices that had met the terms for the branding and not part of an official Google-designed tablet.
Streaming TV show and movie provider Hulu on Thursday announced it has made its Hulu Plus service on seven new Android tablets. This includes the Acer Iconia Tab line, ASUS Transformer Prime and Eee Pad Transformer, LG G-Slate, Motorola Xoom, Motorola Xyboard 10.1, and Toshiba Thrive. The app (free, Google Play) will become available for more Android tablets in the future as well, Hulu added.
ASUS has promised that its next Transformer Prime software update will bring "awesome new features." The company has yet to provide additional details, though the Facebook teaser post reminds owners to "stay tuned."
Now AAPL Stock: The symbol you provided ("AAPL") doesn't appear to be registered
Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE


text:
World Thyroid Day
LAST UPDATED : May 24, 2019, 10:00 AM IST
- VG Siddhartha took homegrown coffee to the world
VG Siddhartha, to use a metaphor, grew up smelling the coffee. He merely continued in a family trade that was handed down for well over a century when he grew entrepreneurial wings. Siddhartha’s family, which owned estates near Chikkamagaluru, has been selling coffee since 1870.
- Kolkata: Green activists meet Lake morning walkers to discuss conservation
Paschimbanga Vigyan Mancha (PVM), a platform of rationalists that promotes scientific temper among citizens, has decided to take up a long-term awareness programme at Rabindra Sarobar so that the the violation of the National Green Tribunal order on the day of Chhath is not repeated next year


text:
KUALA LUMPUR -- The clock is ticking on Malaysia's drive to become a high-income country by 2020, and it has turned to China for some extra momentum.
The country's self-imposed development goals, originally set by the government of then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed in 1991 and refined by current leader Najib Razak in 2010, include achieving gross national income per capita of at least $15,000. The latest data projects 42,777 ringgit ($10,233) for 2018, suggesting the country is about two years away from hitting the target -- no small feat considering the figure was $7,600 in 2010.
In China, the government appears to have found a partner to provide a final push through e-commerce.
Malaysia has identified e-commerce as the fastest growing sector, and with state intervention, it believes the sector's contribution to gross domestic product could rise to 20.8% in 2020, from 12.8% in 2015.
"We have made it," Najib said on Nov. 3, as he launched an e-commerce project with China's Alibaba Group Holding. "We have proved to Jack that the Malaysian government can work just as fast as Alibaba," the prime minister continued, referring to Alibaba founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma Yun, who was present.
In the zone
The project, a combination of virtual and physical elements known as the Digital Free Trade Zone, or DFTZ, was conceived a year ago. It is tied in with Ma's Electronic World Trade Platform -- an effort to lower barriers and simplify regulations, supporting small and midsize enterprises that buy and sell goods online.
For a start, Malaysia said the minimum value of imported goods taxable in the DFTZ will be raised to 800 ringgit, from 500 ringgit, next year. This should speed up customs clearance.
Ma is serving as an adviser to Malaysia -- free of charge -- to help the country achieve its goal of becoming the e-commerce hub of Southeast Asia.
The DFTZ includes a fulfillment center for storage and logistics at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which is being used by Lazada Group, an online shopping operator controlled by Alibaba. Eventually, the warehouse will be folded into a larger facility at the same location, to be developed by Malaysia Airports Holdings and Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, a wholly owned Alibaba unit. The government has allocated 83.5 million ringgit to build infrastructure in the DFTZ.
Upon completion in 2020, the 24,000-sq.-meter facility is expected to reduce customs clearance times by half, to three hours, and speed up cargo terminal procedures from the current four hours to 90 minutes. Malaysia envisions the DFTZ creating 60,000 jobs and handling $65 billion worth of goods by 2025.
BMI Research, a unit of Fitch Ratings, said Malaysia is the "most attractive" e-commerce market among emerging economies under its watch, noting that 36% of the country's population is expected to be between the ages of 20 and 39 by 2021. Studies show that this young age group is more likely to shop online than buy at retail outlets.
From Alibaba's perspective, the DFTZ offers a gateway for further penetration into Southeast Asian markets, and could serve as the transshipment point for Chinese goods.
China's role in Malaysia's digital economy also includes collaboration in e-payments and cybersecurity.
Ant Financial Services, another Alibaba subsidiary, has entered into agreements with two Malaysian banks -- Malayan Banking and CIMB Group Holdings -- to develop local Alipay mobile payment services. The lenders will serve as settlement banks for transactions conducted with Alibaba's e-money system.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian government recently tied up with Huawei Technologies to strengthen the country's online defenses. State agency CyberSecurity Malaysia will set up a joint committee with the Chinese telecommunications company to look into technical standards and strategies for identifying threats.
The partnership came about after Malaysian authorities said they were probing a data leak involving more than 46 million mobile users. Databases belonging to companies and state agencies appeared to have been hacked and offered for sale online.
Apart from the latest partnership on cybersecurity, Huawei has been working with another government agency to develop an advanced video and facial analysis system for use by the country's security offices. The system is capable of tracking and analyzing moving objects in video recordings, enabling law enforcers to detect abnormal behavior and take preemptive action, said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at a recent conference.
Lax security has often been blamed for the country's high number of illegal migrants and crime rate, including the murder of Kim Jong Nam, elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport earlier this year.
Huawei, which has had a hand in Malaysia's high-speed broadband connections for the past 16 years, said it will share its best security practices with local players. It will also launch an OpenLab in Malaysia; these innovation hubs, which already exist in China, Dubai, Mexico, Germany and Singapore, are designed to forge partnerships with local companies and leverage Huawei's information technology.


text:
Even though many companies anxiety sharing a great deal to people and you may group, openness may have an effective impact on improving trust and you can respect, thereby providing companies finally.
When organizations divulge its will set you back so you’re able to users, so the customers know how the last price is calculated, sales is at some point rise. Cost openness in reality has an elevated influence on get attention than simply whenever enterprises highlight the private experience of a customer, according to research compiled by Harvard Company School (HBS), used because of the Bhavya Mohan, an assistant teacher within College away from Bay area, and you can Ryan Buel and you may Leslie John, an associate teacher and you can representative professor respectively from the HBS.
Whilst the boffins learned that the benefits of organization transparency deteriorate since organizations improve cost according to will set you back, its test out an internet merchant found that prices openness however lead to a forty two% plunge during the everyday product sales.
Aside from rate visibility, other types of pointers also are appreciated because of the people and lead so you can positive effects to your organization starting brand new sharing. Such, 37% regarding consumers said they’d key restaurants labels in the event that another team common more descriptive unit information about what exactly is on dinner, centered on a study of the Term Notion.
Likewise, several other research of the Buell, together with Tami Kim, a great doctoral scholar on HBS; and you can Chia-Jung Tsay, an associate professor in the College School London, unearthed that into the a restaurant, customer care ran up by 17% when chefs and you may people could see one another, and you can service is actually 13% less, according to efficiency distributed to Harvard Business Comment.
The fresh new Takeaway having Resources
Because means tools relate to their customers provides very little similarity to help you restaurants, the fresh new sessions to the value of openness have merit.
Instead of visibility, such as for instance toward speed, people could easily misunderstand how tools perform and you will expand enraged as its monthly payments change seemingly in place of cause. Even when in certain locations utilities’ payouts try decoupled from exactly how far times they provide otherwise send, users will most likely not know that and you can consider their electric company try inflating the cost, accidently faith they aren’t searching for ethical company practices.
Exactly how Utilities Increases Transparency
So you can let users understand what is about their month-to-month opportunity bills, resources can establish their customers in order to times analytics app (EAS). This technology combines historic and genuine-big date research so people can be obtain clear insight into the opportunity incorporate and how you to has an effect on cost.
Instance, people could be unaware that certain spikes from inside the energy usage results inside the high full charges. They could think that they’re not playing with lots of time total, meaning that its debts are down. Yet , with EAS, users can see how the individuals usage surges bring about demand and strength charges and you will what you can do to reduce such will set you back.
That with EAS to coach consumers on how he or she is energized for times together with factors behind can cost you to increase, tools can also be status themselves given that leading opportunity professionals to their customers. This which may in turn improve customer happiness and you will involvement, and https://datingranking.net/tr/grizzly-inceleme/ take off the idea one will set you back improved simply because they the electricity is trying to increase its income.
Beyond taking people to understand the energy costs, EAS support improve openness in the people and sense inside the times efficiency tips you to a certain team can also be apply to reduce costs and you may increase sustainability.
As much utilities are presently mandated by the regulation to reduce grid request, it is important that they efficiently reduce the time the means to access their clients. To reduce complete grid consult, all utilities are creating extra and you may money software so you can subsidize brand new adoption off commercial and you may domestic energy efficiency procedures.
From the leveraging EAS, resources is also top understand the energy utilize subtleties and you will designs from their customers around the some other organization and you may industry products. Using this research, the fresh new electricity is discern and that added bonus applications ideal align which have certain people in order to greatly help the emphasizing and adoption of its energy incentive plans.
It two-ways visibility looks like getting win-victory to have tools and their customer, once the regulating mandates is actually attained and you may energy consumers boost their profits.
Consult a politeness energy savings evaluation to ascertain exactly how Artis Energy’s RTIS ® energy statistics program can present you with the latest visibility and you can notion to convert opportunity from a fixed pricing towards a definite competitive virtue.


text:
It’s April 20th—higher identified by hashish fans as 4/20—and numerous meals manufacturers are discovering new methods to have a good time the nationwide marijuana vacation with hungrier-than-usual clients.
Companies have been cashing in on the vacation for years, with punny tweets and promotions in regards to the munchies. Now they’re using a tailwind of recognition, with the continuing inexperienced wave of state marijuana legalization and President Donald Trump in December signing the Farm Invoice, which comprises a provision allowing using cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-psychoactive chemical compound from the hashish plant thought to have well being advantages.
Right here’s a sampling of companies embracing the 4/20 wave.
Ben & Jerry’s
“Having enjoyable was our first objective, celebrating with our followers on the 4/20 vacation, and with the ability to ship a values element to the area people affected actually makes this significant to Ben & Jerry’s,” Justin Gural, the Vermont-based ice cream firm’s advertising supervisor, tells Fortune.
Ben & Jerry’s is once more utilizing weed wordplay for social motion. In a co-branded partnership with San Francisco-based marijuana dispensary Caliva, a “blunt” message is being broadcast by every firm on Twitter and of their blogs in regards to the racial disparity of who will get incarcerated for marijuana-related crimes.
“Despite the fact that black individuals and white individuals use pot at comparable charges, black individuals are nonetheless arrested far more usually than whites,” Ben & Jerry’s blogged, saying that it’s calling on Congress for felony justice reform, and asking followers to affix the marketing campaign.
The ice cream maker can also be giving a free pint of Half Baked ice cream as we speak in California for many who get a supply from Caliva. Moreover, Caliva is donating 4.2% of gross sales to Clear My Document, an initiative from Code For America in search of to clear hashish convictions within the state. From “celebration to expungement,” Gural stated of Ben & Jerry’s increasing 4/20 focus.
The quick meals chain has stepped up its 4/20 recreation another way: Launching a brand new product at a location in Denver, Colo. For sooner or later solely, clients should purchase a CBD-infused burger referred to as Rocky Mountain Excessive: CheeseBurger Delight. (In 2012, Colorado and Washington turned the primary states to legalize the leisure use of marijuana.)
As Patty Trevino, senior vp of name advertising for Carl’s Jr., instructed CNN, the “future Carl’s Jr. clients which might be youthful…are extra open to totally different flavors of merchandise.”
Different companies are betting the non-psychoactive hemp spinoff is interesting to all demographics. With 7% of People already utilizing it, a current examine by Cowen & Co. discovered the CBD market might hit $15 billion by 2025. Within the final month, CVS Pharmacy introduced it’s promoting CBD merchandise in 800 shops situated in eight states, Walgreens has plans to promote sprays, lotions, and patches manufactured from the hashish compound in 1,500 shops throughout 9 states.
For every week, the Mexican meals chain Dos Toros has been hyping 4/20 to its burrito-loving customers, utilizing munchie memes, comedy sketches, and previews of its promotional deal: Prospects who say “half baked” when ordering will get the restaurant’s lately launched nachos for $4.20.
“Yearly, we additionally move out branded Dos Toros lighters to the primary 100 company at each location who take part within the deal. It’s so nice to see that folks save their lighters and share them on social media,” a Dos Toros spokesperson tells Fortune. “The model has been taking part with enjoyable actions for the vacation for years… One of many advantages of being a smaller model is being extra nimble and playful.”
The late-night cookie store is giving a free cookie to anybody who comes into the shop all through the day—no buy crucial.
“With our faculty scholar demographics, candy dessert choices and three a.m. late-night supply choices, it’s solely pure that we embrace no matter tendencies and holidays which may align with these choices,” a spokesperson for Insomnia Cookies tells Fortune.
Wingstop is sponsoring the 4/20 competition at San Francisco’s Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park—giving all revelers free Lemon Pepper and Spicy Korean Q wings. On Fb, Hulu, and Twitter, the corporate’s additionally bringing again its Effie Award-winning adverts that includes cartoon characters Lil’ Ranchy and pals going to the restaurant to curb their munchies.
“Final 12 months Lemon Pepper was the preferred taste for 4/20 followers,” a spokesperson tells Fortune. “For the previous 4 years, Wingstop has positioned its taste as the right resolution to satisfying the cravings that include celebrating 4/20. Today resonates with followers worldwide and we aren’t afraid to embrace our product’s relevance in tradition!”
Right here’s how another manufacturers are celebrating on Twitter, and with in store-wide promotions:


text:
Sunday Business Notes
BDB launches task force to tout county’s education
WEST PALM BEACH — Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, announced that the organization has created a task force to identify the strongest selling points about Palm Beach County schools and showcase them through a marketing strategy now under development.
The task force, headed by BDB board members Carey O’Donnell and Kenneth Kahn, includes more than 40 business leaders and educators in the county.
Six firms among governor’s 2012 Innovators in Business
TALLAHASSEE - Five area companies are the winners of the 2012 Governor’s Innovators in Business Awards announced this month Gov. Rick Scott. The awards recognize contributions toward improving and diversifying Florida’s economy. Enterprise Florida coordinates this annual program now in its 29th year.
The local award winners:
Governor’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award: For Florida start-up companies (less than five years old or with a product less than three years old) that have set a standard for entrepreneurship and creativity.
- B4C Technologies, LLC (Martin County)
- Flagship Solutions Group (Palm Beach County)
Governor’s Innovators Under 40 Award: New this year, this award recognizes Florida residents under 40 who own or lead a Florida company with annual revenue of $1M or more and who have created at least 10 jobs since January 2011. 3Cinteractive, Mike FitzGibbon, co-founder and president (Palm Beach County)
City Advertising, Darren Cleveland, president and CEO (Palm Beach County)
Modernizing Medicine, Daniel Cane, CEO and co-founder (Palm Beach County)
The 2012 Governor’s Innovators in Business Awards program is co-sponsored by Bank of America and Florida Trend magazine
Dates set for FAU’s business competition
BOCA RATON — The FAU Adams Center for Entrepreneurship announces its annual Business Plan Competition. The contest awards more than $200,000 in prizes and a chance to get a business idea in front of investors and successful entrepreneurs.
Intent to compete and business concept deadline: 5 p.m. Feb. 17
Business plan submission deadline: 5 p.m. March 17
Event and presentation – April 11 and 12.
For more information, visit www.business.fau.edu/bpc
New showroom for Capitol Lighting
PALM BEACH GARDENS – Capitol Lighting opened a 4,100-square-foot showroom in the Prosperity Centre at 2458 PGA Blvd. This will be the 88-year old company’s fourth showroom in the South Florida area, replacing their Lake Park location.
The company’s other South Florida showrooms are located in Boca Raton, Royal Palm Beach and Stuart.