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There are big doings in the accessories market. "This business has gone topsy-turvy in a great way," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst of The NPD Group. "It's become evident that today, apparel is actually the accessory item to an accessory purchase." NPD Group has ranked accessories categories by unit share of market for women during the first quarter. Earrings and handbags reigned supreme, but for different reasons, he said. Earrings relate to price point and quantity. Handbags? "The momentum for this category has picked up so much speed, because handbags have really become signature items for consumers," Cohen explained. "Retailers need to do better featuring accessories on their floors, and they need to treat them for what they are: a leading driver of traffic and purchases in each store."EARRINGSUnit share percentage of accessories market for women during the first quarter of 2007: 21Of total accessories purchased for women during the first three months of this year, 21 percent were earrings. "Earrings are the ultimate impulse purchase for the accessories market," said Cohen of NPD Group. "This accessory is generally more affordable than other categories, so inevitably it is going to be one of the most often purchased." Quantity also plays a part in the popularity of this category. Consumers often wear different earrings every day, so they are constantly building up their collection. Sydney Price, vice president and divisional merchandise manager for jewelry and watches at Bergdorf Goodman, told WWD in June that the store's customer "wants to wear something that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. One-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces are key to the success of our business."HANDBAGS Percentage: 11So maybe there's no one particular "It" bag, but handbags have never been selling better. Designer handbags from Chanel, Prada and Gucci have been sending sales skyward, and luxury is still the name of the game. Companies from Coach to Fendi have bags that are climbing to price points in the mid-thousands. And sometimes a designer name isn't enough. Taking it even further, bags from Nancy Gonzalez, Dior and Bottega Veneta are featuring exotic skins, such as alligator and anaconda. These bags have flown off the shelves, because of limited quantities — the harder to get, the more coveted the bag. Hermès, the brand that arguably defines what luxury means to this market, offers an alligator Birkin to the tune of $148,000.CHAINS/NECKLACES Percentage: 8"Consumers will purchase a necklace because it shows off an individual's personality — wearing this one accessory is a way for consumers to differentiate themselves, to express their sense of style," Cohen said, noting that costume jewelry is very much in style. WWD reported on Monday that Miriam Haskell (the 81-year-old brand that helped put costume jewelry on the map) is "relaunching its costume collection and challenging stereotypes with high-fashion, red-carpet-worthy pieces, including gold-plated leaf necklaces." The collection retails from $150 to $1,500. And Bulgari, which opened its redesigned Manhattan flagship in March, offers limited edition coin jewelry, including necklaces, with Roman coins from the fifth century B.C.BRACELETS/ANKLETS Percentage: 5Bracelets are having their day. Though a bracelet is typically a spring or summer item meant to be worn on bare wrists, nowadays designers such as Roxanne Assoulin for Lee Angel and Alber Elbaz for Lanvin have been touting stacked bangles, worn on top of sweaters and even jackets. WWD reported earlier this week, "Alexis Bittar's eponymous brand offers Lucite bangles and gold vermeil rings that range in price from $75 to $1,000." On the fine jewelry end, Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier have been featuring estate bracelets in their collections.RINGS Percentage: 5Gina Genz, owner of Etc. East in Vinings, Ga., told WWD in May, "Everyone is buying rings for themselves — for the right hand and for the middle finger. If they love it, they buy it." And it's not just about diamonds anymore: Specific trends within the category including stackable rings, cocktail rings and large, unusual geometric shapes are performing well. "The key is, there is something out there for everyone, and consumers are very excited about that," said Deborah Rudinsky, divisional merchandise manager, accessories, at The Doneger Group, a New York marketing and trend-analysis company. "In the past, unless rings were 'real,' they might not have thought about them."KNIT GLOVES/MITTENS Percentage: 5Understandably, this category makes the top 10 because of the timing of purchases. Gloves and mittens were a solid bet during the winter months in early 2007. For fall, cashmere, leather and lambskin gloves will abound. During the fall collections in Milan, Barbara Atkin, fashion director, Holt Renfrew, Canada, noted, "The sleeper item of the season is the glove." Lines such as Blumarine opted for a more dramatic, dressy effect with opera-length gloves. Julie Gilhart, senior vice president and fashion director, Barneys New York told WWD, "We will be buying thousands of tights, long gloves and belts." And for back-to-schoolers: Grunge-inspired fingerless gloves are all the rage.SUNGLASSES Percentage: 4Deluxe sunglasses with diamonds, gold and other precious gemstones have been making statements from popular brands, such as Cartier, Chrome Hearts and Loree Rodkin. "Loree Rodkin offers diamond-encrusted crosses, peace signs and hearts on custom eyewear," WWD noted in April. Cartier's jewelry-inspired Panthère eyewear collection has a price range of $500 to $130,000 (the latter for a custom gem-drenched pair). But name brands continue to rule — and even though logos may be less prominent on eyewear now, it's still imperative to consumers that their shades have a familiar — designer — name. Designers have become so interested in the eyewear business, that they are launching eyewear to complement their secondary brands: A|X Armani, Marc by Marc Jacobs and O by Oscar are all featuring eyewear.WALLETS Percentage: 3"Wallets are possibly the most affordable small leather good," Cohen said. "They are an easy, affordable way to gain status." Consumers also utilize this accessory on a daily basis. "So when you find a signature style or brand you like, you will remain loyal to it and spend the money on that item." In June, retail analyst Dana Telsey of Telsey Advisory Group told WWD: "By reeling in teens with entry-level items such as wallets and wristlets, luxury brands have an opportunity to 'grow up' with their customers." Well-known luggage companies, such as Tumi and Samsonite, are including wallets in their collections, as well.BELTS Percentage: 2It's all about the waist. Ready-to-wear firms, such as Fendi and Marc Jacobs, have been completing their looks with a belt. Consumers have taken to the tent dress phenomenon over the past few seasons, and they've been feminizing and cinching them with belts. Meanwhile, firms such as Streets Ahead and Karen Zambos — both in Los Angeles, have been promoting belt wardrobes, saying consumers need everything from a corset belt to a jeans belt, and they even need a belt to finish off a black-tie dress. Zambos' "Elegantly Waisted" belt collection features double-wide belts, wrap belts, cummerbund patent leather belts and skinny belts with three and four buckles.COLD-WEATHER HATS Percentage: 2WWD reported in February that hats have long been a hard sell in the U.S., but Ed Burstell, Bergdorf Goodman's senior vice president and general merchandise manager of beauty, jewelry and accessories, said, "I think that after several seasons, we are due for a hat revival." Indeed. Hats for the winter months hit runways at New York Fashion Week back in February, as lines such as Michael Kors and Rodarte showed off their cold-weather versions on the runways. Even DKNY and Ralph Lauren featured berets, while Alice Temperley and Phillip Lim went more formal, with top hats and fedoras.
"In order for Shudu to wear garments, she needs to be able to put them on, just like you would in the real world. You have to digitize the outfits," said Cameron-James Wilson on dressing 3-D model @shudu.gram for her WWD photoshoot with @itsclo3d. #wwdfashion (📸: @cjw.photo)
“Shudu is a digital supermodel, a very glamour and amazing woman. But she’s 3-D,” says Cameron-James Wilson, a fashion photographer and the creature of @shudu.gram. Here, Shudu wears @cushnieetochs for her debut fashion editorial. #wwdfashion (📷: @cjw.photo)
“It is the fierce female performances that came before me that made be able to clearly identify for myself what it was that I wanted to do, what kind of artist I wanted to be, what kind of films I wanted to make,” said @brielarson at the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards. See more pictures from the event on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: Matt Baron)
“On a personal level, it’s my vision to create a really different idea with their look to be at the epitome of women’s fashion in South Korea – to create a new milestone,” said stylist @chochowon on dressing K-pop’s most fashionable girl group, @blackpinkofficial. WWD’s @mistywhitesidell sat down with Won ahead of the group’s new album release, “Square Up,” which is out today. Read the full interview on WWD.com. #wwdfashion #blackpink_squareup #blackpink
For @ralphlauren, 2018 is a reason to celebrate: It marks the brand’s 50th year in business. Last year’s chauffeured show in Bedford, NY featuring his vintage car collection may have seemed like the big celebration to show-goers, but they were wrong. The official celebration will be held on September 7 during #NYFW. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdfashion (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)


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Illovo Sugar Malawi Plc says it will remain “market focused” making sure that traders and consumers benefit and experience real brand the company offers on the market.
The company also said that it is now fortifying sugar in 20 and 50 kgs with Vitamin A so as to continue improving the nutrition aspects of the consumers.
Head of Domestic Sales at Illovo Walter Nyamilandu disclosed this during a media briefing where he also unveiled the company’s ‘Zikutheka Promotion’ which rolls off on July 9 2018 and for its flagship brand, Illovo 1kg brown sugar.
Nyamilandu said in the past they used to concentrate on their distributors and the supply chain but now they are trying to make sure that their consumers experience the real brand being offered to the market.
“So, when we are driving our sales strategies it’s not just pushing the product on the market but creating the pool and for us to creat the pool, there has to be something in it for the consumers. This is a win-win situation. As Illovo is benefiting, the traders and consumers must also benefit and the market must also enjoy the brand we are offering to the market,” said Nyamilandu.
According to him, a lot of people in rural areas accessing Vitamin A through the consumption of Illovo sugar and that nutrition aspects of most Malawians have tremendously improved since government enforced the law on fortifying Vitamin A in sugar.
“We are spending about K1.2 billion every year fortifying sugar so that Malawians should have healthy life and ensure that all have access to our Vitamin A fortified products,” he stated.
Nyamilandu then said they are rolling out the promotion as one of way of saying “thank you and reward our customers for the good business they give us and consumers for continuing to support our brand.”
He further said the promotion will give the brand an opportunity to connect and engage with traders and consumers by bridging the gap that has been there.
“Zikutheka connects well with the customers because its talks about their wellbeing which comes about by using Illovo Sugar which gives “mphamvu”, Vitamin A and its incomparable sweetness
“It talks about success and progress which will come by pocketing a share of K50 million prize money that Illovo will give away in total,” said Nyamilandu.
According to Trade Marketing Officer Olive Kawelama, entry is to be granted through the purchase of a 1kg brown able containing a lucky ticket enclosed with a unique code bearing 15 digits which will be different from each able of sugar.
Participants will have to enter the unique code on the lucky ticket by dialling *213# and follow the necessary instructions.
Each entry is to be recorded in a database that will be used to draw weekly, monthly and grand draw winners.
The promotion prize money amounts to K50 million with 40 people winning K50,000 each every week, 100 people winning K100,000 each every month and six grand draw winners (two per region) pocketing K1 million each.
During the promotion the participating sugar will be available in all outlets across the country along side other Illovo Sugar brands.
“Participants must enter at least once a week for the being drawn to qualify that week’s draw. Weekly entries that do not win in the weekly draw will not be eligible for the subsequent week’s draw.
“Only weekly entries for weeks previous to the date of the monthly draw will be eligible for the monthly draw. All participants must enter again to qualify for subsequent monthly draw. To qualify for the grand draw, participants must have entered a minimum of 10 entries from the same cell phone number during the promotional period,” said Kawelama.Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

domain: news


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eBay business study greater than 1,000 websites recognizes mobile trade, affect and international development as critical drivers of increases
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.—( COMPANIES WIRE )—Retailers expect expidited development for 2015 in accordance with data revealed now from eBay business, an e-bay Inc. business. The 2015 shopping Growth view, a U.S. study greater than 1,000 e-commerce and marketing and advertising pros from merchants with revenues of $3 million to $250 million, evaluated estimated income forecasts and vital conclusion stores can make this year to experience anticipated increases. The results in addition announced barriers impacting 2015 decisions, technologies goals and importance of worldwide development to fuel progress.
Assessing the present Merchandising Conditions
while huge retailers focus on the increase of development (25 percent), staffing (23 %) together with chance of re-platforming (22 percentage) as secondary issues.
Retailers pointed to fast growing mid-sized and B2C businesses as creating by far the most invention inside the trade space based on 51 and 55 per cent of respondents, respectively. Big merchants ($50 million to $250 million in internet based earnings) define innovation as pinpointing latest channel to engage customers, while mid-sized retailers ($10 million to $50 million in web income) explain creativity as engaging buyers across several channel.
“As retailers expect innovate throughout 2015 a crucial knowledge of consumer trips can decide brand-new networks to follow and how to finest improve investments,” said Steve Denton, vice president, advertising systems, eBay business. “eBay Enterprise supplies a holistic suite of advertising possibilities that provide excellent analytical abilities and actionable insights, allowing brands to make wise decisions that impact development.”
Despite an intricate retail planet, 75 percentage of participants noted a positive outlook on shopping in 2015. Big majority of merchants surveyed (72percent) expect on the web sales to boost by 17 per cent.
Self-esteem in commerce system can be higher with 95 % of participants declaring these are generally very or rather positive their own ecommerce skills meets buyers’ goals and objectives. Merchants are planning on making use of a rich environment of partners to experience their aim with a variety of doing nine development, service, station and consulting associates.
cellular business (22 per cent), digital targeting (22 %) and item advancement (22 percentage). Retailers may also be looking to test out brick and mortar creativity in 2015, with original investment in in-store experiences (14 per cent), worldwide local development (12 percent) and pop-up development (11 percent).
Helping Mobile Phone Commerce
Among those getting the mobile arena, smart phone optimization (54 %) and mobile application development (46 percentage) surfaced as new concerns of expense (against. proceeded aspects of financial investment). As well as those investing in mobile commerce, 51 percentage of respondents intend on constructing exclusive Android application and 50 percentage anticipate creating an original apple’s ios application.
“With all of our announcement of Magento 1.14.2 and Cellular phone program Development system we’ve managed to make it quicker than ever for stores to reduce her time for you to marketplace for receptive web design or speed up software developing,” said level Lavelle, elderly vice-president, commerce engineering, eBay business.
Affect can a growing focus for merchants with 26 percentage of large scale retailers ($50 million to $250 million), declaring that the technology is important for their team’s future growth. Also, 20 percent of huge stores claim https://datingrating.net/equestrian-dating/ that the cloud is an essential technology over more latest innovations.


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Apple’s iPad Pro is rumoured to be in development with the 13-inch tablet said to be a cross between the iPad and MacBook Pro lineup. However, according to a new report, issues with the development phase of the rumoured new product is said to have hit some road bumps and consequently the project put on hold.
Sources are reporting that supply chain and inventory issues are to blame for the development issues, citing that the multiple vendors involved are struggling to actually build the hybrid product.
“Brand vendors have started showing interests in large-size tablets since early 2014. In addition to Apple’s rumored 12.85-inch tablet, Samsung Electronics has already launched a 12.2-inch Android-based enterprise tablet, while Asustek Computer is planning to release a 13.3-inch dual-OS tablet.
However, most of the large-size tablet projects face difficulties because of lack of support from related platform developers and ecosystems. Apple has also been said to shelved its large-size tablet project.”
Should there be an iPad Pro?
With the iPad Pro not expecting to launch until next year anyway, there is still plenty of time for Apple to re-inject the product into development and resolve the issues experienced, but it raises a question as to if the market is ready for a 13-inch tablet.
Samsung released a 12.2-inch tablet and have reportedly only shipped around a million units, leading to concerns that there just isn’t a market for something of this size. With it overlapping with the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch models, will the iPad Pro offer the same functionality and productivity that you get with a full-sized laptop. Assuming the iPad Pro will run standard iOS, you have to argue that currently a laptop is still more productive than an iPad.
However, it does seem interesting that the production issues are related to suppliers not being able to source the parts, given there are other tablets on the market of similar sizes you would have thought it wouldn’t take too much effort to adapt these to the iPad Pro.
Whatever the reason, it seems there are some serious discussions to be had around the feasibility and build-ability of the iPad Pro.


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Lost Planet 3 News (PS3)
Posted: 10.04.2013 by JonahFalconComments: 2
Lost Planet 3 may have been til August, but a host of preorder bonuses have been announced for the North American release for GameStop, Amazon and Best Buy. Europe will probably have its own retailers with the preorder content.
Posted: 09.04.2013 by JonahFalconComments: 5
Capcom has announced in a brief statement that Lost Planet 3's launch has been delayed two months. The game, which was due to be released in June, will now get released on the 27th August in North America and the 30th August in Europe.
Posted: 06.03.2013 by JonahFalconComments: 2
Capcom has issued a press release announcing that Lost Planet 3 will be hitting PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on the 25th June in North America and the 28th June in Europe.
Posted: 06.03.2013 by JonahFalconComments: 0
Capcom will be holding a panel at PAX East 2013 called "World of Capcom". Among some of the upcoming titles the publisher will be showing off are the more intriguing "two new products" that Capcom promises to debut.
Posted: 16.10.2012 by JonahFalconComments: 1
At the New York Comic Con at Javits Center in New York City, Capcom had a gameplay walkthrough during their Lost Planet 3 panel.


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How much have you had to pay for a watermelon?
Today, a couple locals bought one for $10,000. It's a record amount in the Annual Panhandle Watermelon Festival held in Chipley.
Organizers of the event say that it's a family-fun event that's been held for 57 years. It was originally started by local farmers at the end of watermelon season, and has been going strong ever since.
"I think it's just about food and fun, and fellowship. Those are the three key ingredients."
"Today is about community, it's about family, just about something for everyone here," says Watermelon Festival Chairman Colby Peel.
"This is our little claim to fame every year to have folks from the surrounding areas and the panhandle come enjoy some watermelon or gator on a stick, whatever delights their fancy," says volunteer Dell Corbin.
The festival brings in hundreds of people from all across the southeast.
It features a wide variety of vendors, arts and crafts, a pancake breakfast, a 5K run, a car show, and lots of live music from big names like Andy Griggs.
Volunteers at the festival even give away watermelon slices for free.
It's also a tradition at the festival every year to auction off watermelons at extremely high prices. This year one even sold for $10,000.
"Prior to this year I think the most we had ever sold a watermelon for was thirteen hundred dollars," said Peel, "this year we sold a watermelon for $10,000."
That's a record amount for the festival's history.
All of the money made in the auction helps fund the festivities for the following year.


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Not content with dominating the television landscape in the home category, HGTV has been busily establishing a cottage industry (heh -- pun alert) in retail home products over the last year and a half. Its latest partnership just launched at midnight Tuesday ET: HGTV Home Outdoor Living, exclusively at HSN. You can browse the HGTV Home storefront on HGTV's website as well as on HSN.com.
HGTV says this is the beginning of a multiyear partnership, "with HGTV becoming the face for HSN's outdoor living category." Informational videos will be served up alongside products, and architect/designer John Gidding -- star of HGTV's "Curb Appeal" -- will appear on HSN to provide "tips and expert advice."
Other HGTV partnerships over the past 18 months -- which have racked up more than $100 million in retail sales altogether -- include a line of paint, wallpaper and supplies from Sherwin-Williams as well as flooring from Shaw.


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We pitted top UK food photographer David Robson against the AI platform Dall-E to see if the general public would be able to tell the difference between a delicious bowl of real steaming pasta, versus a computer generated image.
David captured a series of popular dishes from one of Slerp’s customers – the Italian food and drink destination, Eataly London, before the same images were then recreated by AI and shown to 100 members of the public.
Across the 10 different food images shared, over 60% of those asked could not tell if it featured real food or an AI generated image. And on individual food items, nearly three-quarters (73%) could not recognise an AI version of a margherita pizza and two-thirds failed to spot an AI croissant or a bowl of cacio e pepe pasta (66% and 69% respectively).
The AI experiment followed on from a previous piece of Slerp research* that highlighted nearly 50% of customers are more likely to order food when they can see what it looks like. Having put AI to the test, the results demonstrate just how easy it can be for restaurants to recreate their menu dishes using easily accessible digital resources. It is especially efficient, and a good budget hack for those who might frequently change their menus – such as those offering seasonal options.
JP Then, Founder of Slerp said: “The tools available to all of us now through AI are advancing incredibly fast, and the ways it can be applied to the hospitality sector are very interesting. We know the public generally like seeing food before they order online, so if a restaurant has the time and budget for a professional photo shoot that can truly reflect their menu, then we would always say to go for it. But this experiment shows that for most people when looking at pictures online, the AI version of the pizza is as appealing as the real thing. So, for those brands and companies constrained by resources, timings or budgets,we would say as long as the images still look good enough to eat and reflect the real item being offered, then why not try it.”
Professional food photographer David Robson who captured the real-life photographs said: “I’m intrigued by AI and its ability to generate images that are nearly indistinguishable from reality. While some might see this as a threat, I believe that AI has the potential to enhance the work of creative professionals. By embracing AI tools for photo editing and admin tasks, we can streamline our workflows and focus time on the creative aspects of our work. As technology advances, it’s important for creatives to stay ahead and explore how AI can assist them.”


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Friday, March 4, 2005
150M+ broadband subscribers worldwide
According to this new story [thanks to PaidContent.org] over 100M of the 150M+ broadband subscribers worldwide are DSL users rathre than cable:
IMS Research has revealed that the number of broadband subscribers has just passed 150 million worldwide. According to the company's latest broadband database update, this represented an increase of 51 million since the beginning of 2004. This tremendous rate of growth shows no signs of slowing, and IMS Research is forecasting that the number of broadband subscribers will surpass 400 million during 2009.


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Karma came back to bite a thief in the butt this week. A man admitted to stealing £9,000 worth of scratchcards from a supermarket in Aberdeen and all he won was £250 in winnings.
Daniel Milne, 26, robbed the scratchcards over a period of two months from the Sainsbury’s store in St Nicholas Centre before getting caught in the act on the shop’s surveillance cameras.
The thief appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 10th October, 2017 and admitted carrying out the theft.
The thefts of the scratchcards were carried out between 2nd April and 12th June earlier this year. They were the first criminal offences on Milne’s record.
In total, the scratchcards were valued at £9,250. It was also confirmed that Milne was an employee of the Sainsbury’s store when he stole the scratchcards.
What Are Scratchcards?
Scratchcards are a popular form of betting. The concept of scratchcards are that players purchase a piece of card where they have to scratch off sections to reveal cash prizes.
The aim is to match or reveal a selection of cash sums to win those prizes.
In the UK, scratchcards can be purchased for as little as £1 each, with prizes on offer as high as £1 million. Scratchcards like £1 Million Monopoly, Bingo Blue, and Cashword VIP produce winners on a weekly basis and are sold at a wide range of local stores.
A Troubling Trend
There appears to be a trend amongst thieves in stealing scratchcards in the UK recently.
Back in September, Walsall Magistrates Court heard how Nathan Boden, 26, from Wolverhampton, stole twenty-four boxes of National Lottery scratchcards between 28th December, 2016 and 5th May, 2017. Boden was working at a Co-Op store on Upper Church Lane in Tipton at the time of the thefts.
This summer also saw Janet Lloyd-Jones, 53, confess to robbing more than £60,000 worth of scratchcards from a family-run Spar shop in Caersws.
She won an estimated £20,000 from the fraudulent act but was jailed for two years for her crime.
Last year, another Co-Op employee was busted for stealing scratchcards. In that instance, Daniel Cassells, 29, won £11,000 from the cards he stole between the dates of 1st March, 2014 and 13th August, 2014.
What Was Said…
Fiscal depute Anne Macdonald said, “The accused was captured on CCTV concealing lottery packages and leaving the store with them. He knew where the scratch cards were kept. He had easy access to them. He said he realised there was CCTV when he was involved in taking the cards at the till.”
She added, “He said himself, when he was confronted by a colleague, ‘it’s a lot of money’.”
In a dark comical twist, despite stealing such a high quantity of scratchcards, Macdonald confirmed that Milne surprisingly only won £250 on the stolen scratchcards.
He also admitted to having an addiction to gambling.
Defence Solicitor Peter Keene stated, “It is quite a considerable sum of money. He is interviewed by police and apologises, says he is responsible.”
It was revealed that Milne is currently repaying the money owed for the thefts at a rate of £150 per month. However, Milne has only repaid £200 of the money owed thus far.
Milne is set to be sentenced next month.


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Indians used to be obsessed with gold, but now they are moving towards crypto assets. Will this trend continue?
According to data from blockchain firm Chainalysis, investments in cryptocurrencies in India jumped to nearly $40 billion last year from around $200 million. India has more than 15 million traders of these assets against the 23 million traders in the U.S and just 2.3 million traders in the U.K.
This report comes at a time when RBI has been warning Indians about the downsides of buying cryptocurrencies. Even though the country’s Supreme Court has quashed RBI’s order to ban cryptocurrencies, we are still not sure what the government’s stance is when it comes to cryptocurrencies. There was also reports in March 2021 by Reuters that said India will propose a law banning cryptocurrencies, fining anyone trading in the country or even holding such digital assets.
But Fewer Gains
Another report by Chainalysis said that Indians earn way less from bitcoin, the oldest cryptocurrency. The country ranked 18th in bitcoin investment gains, with Indian investors earning $241 million from bitcoin in 2020. Meanwhile, the U.S bitcoin investors earned around $4.1 billion in realized bitcoin gains while Chinese investors made $1.1 billion in bitcoin profits during 2020.
This is somewhat of a concerning report because the first report shows how Indians are buying more cryptocurrencies these days, but the second report shows how Indian investors aren’t making many profits from buying bitcoin. But why so?
The report said that it might be a result of the Indian government’s historical unfriendliness to cryptocurrency. Rameesh Kailasam, CEO at IndiaTech.org told Financial Express Online, “…Uncertainty prevents people from making long-term career and investment decisions. If we have enabling regulations that allow wealth and the developer ecosystem to compound, we will be in the top three in no time.”
In The End,
Indian households own over 25,000 tonnes of gold, but it looks like the latest generations have less interest towards buying gold. Latest World Gold Council data indicated that Indian adults under age 34 have less appetite for gold than older consumers. Also, it is easier to buy cryptocurrencies than it is to buy gold. However, there are also worries about what would happen to their holdings if the government bans cryptocurrencies altogether? Some traders are planning to shift their crypto holdings to other countries in case there is a ban.
But for now, it is obvious that Indians are buying crypto assets despite warnings from RBI and other uncertainties. And they might continue to do so as the value of cryptocurrencies keeps on increasing. With more and more companies accepting cryptocurrencies and countries like El Salvador legalising bitcoin, more Indians see crypto as a big investment opportunity and a massive gold mine.


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(Visited 32 times, 1 visits today)FacebookTwitterPinterestSave分享0 The tree of placental mammals has been solved, Darwinians say, if you can handle one little complication.Science Daily begins an article with Fanfare for the Common Descent:The roots of the mammalian family tree have long been shrouded in mystery — when did the placental mammals go their separate ways? Now, researchers say they’ve found where the family tree of placental mammals first branched apart — and when it happened.As the profs at University of Bristol slap their hands together over a job well done, and the press applauds, a carnival of the animals parades by, with armadillos, mice, elephants, lions and monkeys celebrating their kinship with the scientists.The researchers assembled the largest mammalian phylogenomic dataset ever collected before testing it with a variety of models of molecular evolution, choosing the most robust model and then analysing the data using several supercomputer clusters at the University of Bristol and the University of Texas Advanced Computing Centre. “We tested it to destruction,” said Dr Tarver. “We threw the kitchen sink at it.“Astute readers may wonder why this took so long since Darwin, and how the new solution differs from previous attempts to un-shroud the mystery.“A complication in reconstructing evolutionary histories from genomic data is that different parts of genomes can and often do give conflicting accounts of the history,” said Dr Siavash Mirarab at the University of California San Diego, USA. “Individual genes within the same species can have different histories. This is one reason why the controversy has stood so long — many thought the relationships couldn’t be resolved.“Through the wizardry of computerized phylogenetic analysis, the scientists came up with a tree they liked. There was one little complication, but it was quickly subsumed under an auxiliary hypothesis.Previously, scientists thought that when Africa and South America separated from each other over 100 million years ago, they broke up the family of placental mammals, who went their separate evolutionary ways divided by geography. But the researchers found that placental mammals didn’t split up until after Africa and South America had already separated.“We propose that South America’s living endemic Xenarthra (for exmaple [sic], sloths, anteaters, and armadillos) colonized the island-continent via overwater dispersal,” said study author Dr Rob Asher of the University of Cambridge, UK.Maybe the sloth did the backstroke so it could sleep and swim at the same time. Anteaters? Don’t they have a built-in snorkel? And the armadillos might have rolled up into balls to cross the Atlantic. The reporters appear restless as they imagine this.Dr Asher suggests that this isn’t as difficult as you might think. Mammals are among the great adventurers of the animal kingdom, and at the time the proto-Atlantic was only a few hundred miles wide. We already know that New World monkeys crossed the Atlantic later, when it was much bigger, probably on rafts formed from storm debris. And, of course, mammals repeatedly colonised remote islands like Madagascar.Hey, if the monkeys can swim almost 2,000 miles, can’t the rest of you zoo mammals do a few hundred? Where’s your sense of adventure? Just do the dog paddle like those wolves over there. If a cow can jump over the moon, this shouldn’t be so hard for you reporters to swallow. The reputation of Darwin is at stake! Get over it.Wasn’t it the creationists who got laughed to scorn for postulating that animals dispersed to remote continents after the Flood by floating on rafts of debris? The evolutionists could surely test their model. Just show us some monkeys on a raft with a sign that reads, “South America or bust!” Or how about some cows doing the cow paddle in the middle of the Atlantic? Reepicheep in a boat heading for Rio?
12 July 2016“Children are more likely to pass and stay in school when they are taught with their optimal language at primary level,” said Siya Masuku, author and illustrator of Siyafunda, a book made for children learning isiZulu at a primary level.It all started with a conversation Masuku had with his mother, a primary school teacher in Soweto. She was concerned because there was a shortage of books at the school. “When I was growing up, my siblings and I were fortunate to have access to books at home,” he said. “The impact of our conversation made me realise how important it was to create Siyafunda.”The book’s title aptly means “we are learning”. Siyafunda is designed for children learning isiZulu at a primary level. (Image: Supplied)Unesco, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, supports a multilingual approach to education. In its Advocacy Kit for promoting Multilingual Education: Including the Excluded, Unesco’s Principles on Language and Education it stated that “mother-tongue instruction is essential for initial instruction” and the best way to maintain literacy was to have a quality supply of reading materials.The organisation estimated 40% of the global population did not receive an education in a language they spoke or understood.Watch:Never too early tolearnMasuku started making the book in January 2015, taking about a year to lay the foundations. “We are still making it to this day.”The book, he said, focused on the phonetics of the isiZulu language. “The learner is able to pronounce all 25 alphabets in the isiZulu language through the aid of an isiZulu teacher.” Siyafunda is designed to focus on learning the phonetics in isiZulu. (Image: Supplied)It makes use of compelling visuals and new words to add to a learner’s daily vocabulary, especially in early childhood education.There is also an English translator page for non-isiZulu speakers, making it easier to understand for those who don’t read isiZulu.“Siyafunda aims to increase a growing interest in approaching literacy and learning as an extramural activity.”It would be available to schools in early 2017, Masuku said.Further plansThe goal is to create a digital version of the book to be made available online. Working with Danieteach, Masuku created a platform for learners to subscribe to Siyafunda, enabling them to learn isiZulu no matter where they were.“The best feature is the narration, done by Mamoroa Ledwaba, who is an isiZulu teacher by profession,” he said. “This means learners will be able to access Siyafunda with the guidance of a virtual teacher.”
Why IoT Apps are Eating Device Interfaces Role of Mobile App Analytics In-App Engagement Related Posts taylor hatmaker When they were introduced, Chromebooks made sense as a Google-branded evolution of the netbook for the tablet shy. But in 2013, consumers still don’t understand why there are so many versions of Android – much less what Google’s Chrome OS is or who it’s for. With the Chromebook Pixel, Google’s cloud-happy notebooks have created a full-on identity crisis. (See also Google Chromebook Pixel: Bold, Beautiful And Very, Very Expensive)Chromebooks Are Already ConfusingFollowing a leaked video and a typically detail-sparse report from The Wall Street Journal, Google has launched the Chromebook Pixel, an HD touchscreen notebook that will run on its Chrome operating system and retail starting at $1,299. The Pixel, with its high price and Google-built bare bones operating system is an odd bird. With a 239-pixels-per-inch display, the aptly-named Pixel one-ups Apple’s 13″ Retina MacBook Pro and its (paltry!) 227 PPI seemingly just for the hell of it. Oh, and it’s a touchscreen, too, meaning you can smear your fingerprints all over that beautiful display.The touchscreen means that beyond “taking on” the Retina MacBooks, Google’s Chromebook Pixel will also compete directly against Microsoft’s over-hyped, overpriced Surface tablets. But for all the buzz around hybrid devices that blur the line between notebooks and tablets (Lenovo Yoga, anyone?), consumers don’t seem to have the same hunger for them that they have for “pure” tablets. The advent of the touchscreen notebook was a weird side effect from 2010-era iPad panic – there’s no evidence that consumers even want a device that combines the power of a laptop with the finger-friendliness of a tablet. And if there was, a pricey notebook with a kajillion pixels running on the hamstrung Chrome OS probably wouldn’t be it.Missing The (Price) Point Want a powerful notebook with a (pretty) nice screen for around $1,200? Buy the $1,199 13″ MacBook Air. Want to spend a little less for a slightly weirder device, or hung up on Windows 8 for some reason? Buy a Surface Pro. Drunk? Buy an Ultrabook!Google has gained market share in recent times by offering well-built, affordable alternatives. Android tablets like the Nexus 7 and even existing entry-level Chromebooks can chip away at the competition because Google can afford to undercut the its competitors on price – the most important spec of all. The Chromebook Pixel seems to have forgotten that lesson. At $249 and $199, the existing Chromebook line is a smartly priced alternative for users heavily invested in Google’s cloud ecosystem. Starting at $1,299, Google’s touchscreen Chromebook Pixel can only hope to attract inebriated would-be power users who wandered into the wrong aisle of Best Buy.On the Venn Diagram of people who need a serious computer and people willing to put up with the limitations of the Chrome OS, that little center slice is altogether empty.Photo by Mark Hachman. Tags:#Android#Chrome#Chromebooks#Google#tablets What it Takes to Build a Highly Secure FinTech … The Rise and Rise of Mobile Payment Technology
Related Posts What it Takes to Build a Highly Secure FinTech … A great deal of the excitement about Glass is coming from people working in higher education, as well as from students. Ben Foster, a professor at DePaul University, is one of many academics that are eager to augment the teaching experience with Google Glass, pulling up pertinent data without turning his back to students, for example. For students, Google Glass could be transformative. Some are even talking about how Glass could potentially aid those with learning disabilities. Recording lectures, live streaming them for remote access, audio-note taking and supplementing lectures with related data are just the beginning. Of course, exactly how Glass is used (and how useful it is) will vary depending on the curriculum.3. Enhancing Less Formal, More Hands-On Learning Why IoT Apps are Eating Device Interfaces A number of the #ifihadglass contest respondents talked about how the technology could be use by surgeons as virtual assistants in the operating room. Timothy Lee, a surgical resident at New York University, proposes using Glass to record operations for teaching purposes, enable remote assistance via livestream and show the surgeon vitals, CT scan and other pertinent medical information. By tapping into real-time data, reference material and input from live surgeons across the globe, devices like Glass could reduce the number of errors made during surgery. Here’s hoping the voice recognition is spot on.2. Revolutionizing Higher Education Okay, so Google Glass won’t cure blindness, but the technology can be quite valuable to those with certain visual, auditory and physical handicaps. At the University of New Brunswick Libraries, Jeff Carter wants to use Glass to make things more accessible to the visually impaired via real-time optical character recognition and text-to-speech translation. Navigating the stacks would be a lot easier (for everybody, really) with digital signage overlaying the physical world. Indeed, for the visually impaired, navigating just about anywhere could be made much easier thanks to Glass’s augmented reality maps and voice control. At Shriner’s Hospital For Children in Portland, the assistive technology team is already brainstorming ways that Glass could be used to “unlock their learning potential and access their world.”6. Stargazing Role of Mobile App Analytics In-App Engagement The Rise and Rise of Mobile Payment Technology Google Glass is coming. Sure, the early adopters will be viewed as weirdos and the idea of a tiny head-mounted camera raises all kinds of creepy privacy questions, but Glass is cool. Google’s first iteration may or may not be a slam dunk, but wearable computing is unquestionably the next big thing, and heads-up displays are going to be a part of our future, once everybody gets over the dorky stigma. To get the ideas flowing (and promote its upcoming product launch), Google asked its users to propose use cases for Glass and hashtag them #ifihadglass. The campaign, which wrapped up last week, yielded some snarky — and, of course, some truly dumb — responses, but there are plenty of smart suggestions, each of which lets us envision the type of techno-utopian sci-fi future Sergey Brin dreams about every night. Yes, it will be awkward the first time one of your friends shows up to the bar wearing a computer on their face. That’s not what Glass is for, at least not initially. In general, people seem to be most excited about what Glass will mean for education, medicine, communicating, gaming and getting around. 1. Enhancing Surgery With Augmented Reality This is one of the use cases people seem most excited about. And for good reason: Wearable computing and augmented reality open up new doors when it comes to gaming, which is already huge on smartphones and tablets. With technology like Glass, game developers can overlay gameplay over the real world, and plenty of them are already thinking about how to take their Android games to this new, exciting (or creepy) level. 5. Overcoming Disabilities john paul titlow Tags:#Augmented Reality#Google Glass#mobile Previously the pipe dream of optimistic futurists, real-time language translation is a reality today (even if its accuracy could use a little more polish). Using technology Google already owns (OCR and Google Translate), Glass could translate foreign signs and menus. Even more compelling is the device’s theoretical ability to translate spoken language into real-time subtitles, effectively eliminating any language barrier between two Glass-wearing individuals. Lots of people are thinking about how learning and using sign language could change too. Pretty powerful stuff. No, I don’t mean surreptitiously snapping photos of Nikki Minaj at the grocery store (although I’m sure they’ll be plenty of that sort of thing). Amateur astronomers will be able to look at the sky with a whole new layer of digital insight using tiny, face-mounted computers. Mobile astronomy apps have been popular on smartphone users for years, and for good reason. It’s pretty neat to hold your phone up to the sky and see information about planets, constellations, galaxies and the like. Now imagine that experience without the smartphone, overlaid directly over what you’re seeing. 7. Healthier Living While universities and colleges will be among Glass’s earliest adopters, the advantages are not limited to formal education. Just like people post tutorial videos to YouTube, a camera-equipped camera you wear on your face opens up new possibilities for teaching people things from a hands-on, first person perspective. Fixing things, cooking meals, learning to play the guitar. Anything you use your hands for can be taught (and augmented with relevant details) via a Hangout or YouTube video. 4. Augmented Reality Gaming There are all kinds of ideas being thrown around about how Glass could help people better manage their health. First, there’s the somewhat obvious example of porting already-popular fitness tracking apps like RunKeeper over to Glass for a more seamless experience. Many of things runners and fitness buffs use their smartphones for now could be simplified by Glass. If nothing else, displaying real-time stats about your run in front of you as you go could be a serious motivator. Also, the bone conduction audio makes headphones unnecessary and reduces the odds of you getting hit by a truck. If Santa Clara University student Alexander Vincent Molloy has his way, you’ll also be able to return health-related information about foods while you’re cooking or even shopping. Using Google Goggles-style image recognition and search, a Glass app could do exactly that, helping the health-conscious make smarter decisions without fiddling with their phones as much. 8. Reconnecting With History One of the most delightfully nerdy Glass use cases being talked about is augmented reality historical tours and museum exhibits. Again, just imagine some of the work that’s been done with smartphone apps and remove the phone from the equation (or at least the act of taking it out and holding it up). Armed with Glass-supported Android apps, walking through the historical Old City District of Philadelphia or the history-rich parks of Massachusetts could be like taking one of those audio-guided tours on digital steroids. Even if an app is not built specifically to overlay data and imagery on top of historical buildings, the ability to do a quick, relevant voice search without pulling out your phone will make learning about history more immersive than ever. 9. Augmented Reality Art Like historical tours, the experience of viewing art could be enhanced using augmented reality. Some will undoubtedly balk at the idea of wearing a face computer to the MoMA. Why not just enjoy the art and leave gadgets out of it? Because there’s way more information in the world about a given painting, sculpture or design than could ever fit into an exhibit. It doesn’t have to bound by museum walls, either. European design agency Nuelandherzer says it would use Glass to create an augmented reality experience for viewing and learning about urban street art around the world.10. Real-Time Language Translation


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The controversy about alcohol’s health benefits has raged for years—but the key could be when you drink. Having a glass of wine with your evening meal does appear to be good for you, new research has found.
It can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by around 20 percent, provided you drink in moderation—and that equates to one glass of wine a day for women and two glasses for men.
The benefit is also only in those who don’t drink other types of alcohol. Drinking a bottle or two of beer with your meal has the reverse effect and increases your risk of diabetes by around 14 percent. And drinking outside of mealtimes can also be bad for you.
Researchers from the Tulane University Obesity Research Centre analysed data from more than 300,000 people in the UK Biobank project, and during the 10 years of the study 8600 developed diabetes.
Their findings could explain the contradictory advice from other studies that had discovered both positive and ill effects from alcohol. The focus had been on the amount people were drinking, but the key could be when they drink.
(Source: Proceedings of the American Heart Association conference, March 3,2022)


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Due to reduced capacity, a bottleneck has developed in the Panama Canal, one of the key maritime trade routes, and there is neither a cheap nor easy solution to unclog it.
A prolonged and unexpected drought in an otherwise rainy part of the year has caused the canal to reduce the number of ships passing between the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. Even though situated in one of the rainiest regions of the world, Panama has had almost 50% less rainfall than the historical average since the beginning of the year.
More than 200 ships queued up in line to pass through the Channel in mid-August, having to accept the most unfavourable options - a long wait, searching for another sea route, or transhipment of cargo to rail.
The drought that hit the Panama Canal region is unprecedented in its history, which will mark its 110th anniversary next year.
Its peculiarity at the time of its construction, but also decades later, appears to be an existential risk for the Panama Canal due to climate change.
Unlike similar mega-structures, it runs on fresh water from nearby lakes, not from the seas and oceans it connects, so regular traffic requires pumping a gigantic 100,000 cubic meters of water.
Strict restrictions on the passage of ships
The water supply decreased due to a severe drought, so the Canal administration was forced to reduce the daily flow of vessels to 32 at the end of July from the usual 40, as during 2022.
Also, restrictions on the maximum load have been introduced, reducing the permitted draught of ships from 50 feet to 43 feet (about 13 meters).
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP), the state-owned company that runs operations, has been forced to implement restrictions that will cost at least $200 million in revenue over the next year due to reduced cargo volumes.
In addition to the smaller number of ships passing through and limiting the draught, ACP temporarily changed the booking regime for passage through the canal at the beginning of August to enable faster passage of vessels without prior booking.
“This crisis is unusually severe. Significant restrictions will be in place until September next year”, said Ricaurte Vasquez, canal administrator.
This means that, in the long term, shipping companies will have to consider the risks they will be exposed to when passing through the 80-kilometer-long channel.
A solution in 10 years
The Panama Canal administration has been taking steps to address these risks, but the solutions are expensive, and what is more worrying for global trade, none will result in improvement in the next 10 to 20 years.
It took a full 9 years and cost about $5.5 billion to expand the waterway, which has been providing the passage of large container ships (about 10 per day) through new locks since 2016.
With this project, the Panama Canal tried to be more competitive with the Suez Canal and managed to shorten the journey from East Asia to the US East Coast by 7 days, and to redirect about 10% of the cargo from the ports on the West Coast of the US to its East Coast.
However, the prolonged drought and a reduction in the canal's daily capacity, both in the number of ships and in their capacity, threatened to nullify the increased benefits of the Panama Canal.
The management hired the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the original canal builder, and allocated $2 billion for a project to divert water from 4 additional rivers into the canal.
According to the ACP, it is a job that, under normal circumstances and in an unchanged climate, could be completed in 25 years, but under the pressure of disruption, it will have to be completed in 10 years.
“We have to find other solutions to remain a relevant route for international trade. If we don't adapt, we are going to die”, said Vasquez.
Carriers have been adapting and raising prices
Carriers will search for alternatives to the Panama Canal bottleneck, as they are already doing. Bypassing the canal will slow down deliveries and raise the cost of transport and, as a result, the cost of goods, but it is the only option left.
Exporters of time-sensitive food deliveries, those on the west coast of South America, for example, have been particularly affected by the Panama bottleneck and have had long waits for passage, which can last several weeks.
Food and drink (wine from Chile, bananas from Ecuador, for example) make up almost 80% of container shipments from the Pacific coast of South America to Europe, so some of them will search rapidly for an alternative to the passage through the Panama Canal.
Gas transporters from the US East Coast are diverting routes to avoid the Panama Canal, so their cargo ships sail through the Suez Canal, which lengthens transportation but does not expose them to the uncertainty of long waits for passage through the canal.
However, these cases are less frequent because shipping companies continue to choose to transit via this significant corridor, which accounts for around 6% of global trade.
Their plans will be altered by the lengthy nature of these restrictions, which will naturally result in an increase in shipping costs and the final price that customers pay.
Problems in the Panama Canal have already caused an increase in the cost by one-third of the transporting price of a standard 40-feet container from China to the US East Coast this summer.
This kind of adaptation to disruptions in supply chains will continue, which, due to the volume of goods that rely on transport through the Panama Canal, will undoubtedly affect the growth of inflation globally, particularly regarding food.
“Engineering-wise, I don’t know if there is a solution. It’s likely to be a continuing problem. It’s going to happen again and again”, said Jonathan Roach, container market analyst at shipbroker Braemar.


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InstaMed brings Apple Pay acceptance to health care providers
InstaMed, a health care payments network, announced that Apple Pay acceptance will be available to its customers within the health care industry, according to a press release.
Consumers will now be able to use their iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch to make contactless payments to health care providers using Apple Pay at the point of service. InstaMed also enables all providers, payers and vendors launching consumer-facing mobile apps to offer Apple Pay as an online payment method.
"Approximately 20 percent of consumers have unpaid healthcare bills as a result of confusion in the payments process. This will only grow as more and more consumers continue to enroll in high deductible health plans," said Chris Seib, chief technology officer and cofounder of InstaMed. "To resolve consumer confusion and rising bad debt, the healthcare industry must deliver a simple, secure and private payment process with innovative technology, including Apple Pay. As mobile payments are expected to reach $142 billion by 2019, the health care industry must leverage solutions like Apple Pay to meet these consumer needs. We are excited to bring Apple Pay to our customers and remain the leader in innovation for healthcare payments."


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Palm said its upcoming Pre phone needs “more polishing” but that it was on track to start selling the high profit device in the first half of the year as it looks to grab back smartphone business from rivals.
The company gave the update while it reported a wider loss and revenue that fell 70 percent from a year ago, in line with its recent warning for a weak fiscal third quarter.
Its shares fell 4.7 percent after the report as some investors may have hoped for a specific launch date for Pre.
The Pre is seen as Palm’s (NASDAQ: PALM) best hope to fight rivals such as Apple and Research In Motion (RIM), which have hurt Palm’s smartphone sales in recent years.
It said it is working hard to have Pre ready for a launch before the middle of the year at its exclusive U.S. carrier partner Sprint Nextel.
“There’s no showstoppers,” said CEO Ed Colligan in a call with analysts. “We plan on delivering on the time frame we said we would.”
Colligan also told analysts that he already uses Pre as his personal device every day and that it works well but just needs some polishing before it can go on sale. The company also said it has enough money to support the phone’s launch.
Pre, which will be up against Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone and RIM’s (NASDAQ: RIMM) BlackBerry, is based on a new software system known as webOS and has touchscreen controls.
Colligan told analysts that the company has a whole set of future products planned for the system.
He said some of these webOS devices could be simpler than Pre and some of them more advanced so that it can target different parts of the market.
“There’s certainly opportunity for going down stream and taking functionality out and clearly there’s things we can do going upscale” he said, adding that carrier customers that had seen its future product plans were impressed.
Pre to help margins
Once these new products are on sale the company said it aims to be able to report non-GAAP gross profit margins of 30 percent plus, similar to margins it had seen in the past for its Treo smartphone line up.
Palm said its gross profit margin was 5 percent in the third quarter, ended Feb 27 and 20 percent in the second quarter.
In the current quarter it still expects to be hurt by price pressure on its legacy products and weak consumer demand due to the recession.
Palm’s loss widened to $98 million, or 89 cents per share for the third quarter ended February 27, from a loss of $57 million or 53 cents per share in the year ago quarter.
Excluding items such as stock-based compensation its loss would have been 86 cents per share, roughly in line with estimates from two analysts contacted by Reuters.
Revenue fell to $90.6 million from $312.1 million, very slightly ahead of Palm’s March 3 warning that revenue would be in a range of $85 million to $90 million.
However, it was still well below the $155 million average analyst estimate prior to the early March warning.
The company had warned of a bad quarter as the poor economy aggravated already weak demand for its older phones, and shipments of its new Treo Pro phone were delayed.
“The quarter looks very much like what they said,” said Avian Securities analyst Matthew Thornton. “I’ve a tough time seeing how many people care about this quarter because the story is about the Pre and fiscal 2010.”
Palm’s shares fell about 4.7 percent to $7.35 in late trade after closing down another 4.7 percent in the regular NASDAQ session on Thursday.


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Moto Looks to Diversify, Build on Android Success
For the third quarter, Moto reported $3 million in operating profit compared to a loss of $183 million a year earlier. Total profit rose to $109 million, up from $12 million a year earlier. Helped by an $871 million sale of its network equipment unit, Moto also saw its revenue rise 6 percent year-on-year to $5.8 billion. (See Motorola Posts $162M Q2 Profit.)
Motorola shipped 9.1 million phones in the third quarter, including 3.8 million smartphones. Since the second quarter, the company has added 12 devices to its smartphone portfolio, bringing its total to 22 launched this year.
Now Moto is turning its attention to other areas that need improvement -- the mid-range of smartphones, international markets, and home networking.
Squeezing in the middle
Moto has some mid-tier phones, including the Citrus for Verizon and three new AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) feature phones. But Motorola's head of mobility and co-CEO Sanjay Jha said it wants to step up its game here, as well as in the enterprise -- not building enterprise phones per say, but ones that CIOs wouldn't bar from business.
Moto also wants to sell more tablets to consumers and keep the average selling price of its mobility products up, although Jha noted that he's not sure if Gingerbread, Android's upcoming OS release, is the right platform for them.
It is competitive pressure that is forcing Moto to diversify in the middle, Jha admits. He spent a lot of time in the analyst Q&A dispelling concerns over its dependence on Verizon Wireless and what might happen when its key partner gets the iPhone next year.
Jha says he sees High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) (Taiwan: 2498) and Samsung Corp. as its biggest competitors in Android. To differentiate, Moto will focus on refining certain key experiences on top of Android, by building better enterprise-level functions; concentrating on MotoBlur as a service; and making sure it provides end-to-end services with customization, optimization, and support.
However, Moto may have to move away from its main form of customization, MotoBlur, if it wants to save face with Android. Jha said that the company would continue to invest in MotoBlur, a statement he's wavered on in the past, but admitted that when it’s an Android product, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) calls the shots on the software stack. (See OS Watch: Operators Want Their Own OS.)
Outside of North America, Moto saw its sales grow 30 percent. It launched three smartphones in China under its MING brand, bringing its total Chinese portfolio to 13, all released within the year. Latin America, where Moto currently has 10 smartphones, is another market it will continue to focus on. Moto will also make a substantial investment to reenter into Europe, Jha said.
Connecting mobility and the home
Motorola has had its mobile devices and home business combined for the past eight months, and Dan Moloney, head of Motorola Mobility’s Home business, said that the synergies are paying off. The company is focusing on linking together MotoBlur and its IP video business to bring content to any device with the same look and feel.
"In 2011, you'll start seeing converged experiences from us and then, as we move forward, more opportunity to differentiate our products in both the home and mobile in this converged world," Moloney said.
— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile


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Examiner.com Twitter founder Jack Dorsey switched from vegan diet to paleoExaminer.comTwitter founder Jack Dorsey now follows the paleo diet after lapsing as a vegan, according to an Oct. 16 New Yorker interview with the social-media billionaire. “Formerly a vegan — too much beta-carotene turned his skin orange — he is now on the ……Twitter founder Jack Dorsey switched from vegan diet to paleo – Examiner.com
Check out more information below paleo foods
- Paleo Diet Foods
- Saving Money and Losing Weight On The Paleo Diet: Possible?
- Why The Paleo Diet Works for Me – U.S. News & World Report (blog)
- ‘Men’s Health’ nutrition advisor Alan Aragon slams Paleo diet as extreme, silly – Examiner.com
- Autoimmune-Paleo – WordPress.com


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Record 85% of US online retailers will offer special online promotions on Cyber Monday, up from 78.4% last year; 97.3% of online retailers will offer promotions over Thanksgiving weekend, up from 90.2% last year: NRF
November 23, 2012
– Shoppers won’t have to go too far to find great deals Thanksgiving weekend and Cyber Monday; in addition to the plethora of in-store promotions, many companies are planning to offer attractive online deals for the biggest shopping weekend of the year. According to Shop.org’s eHoliday survey conducted by BIGinsight, 97.3 percent of online retailers will offer special promotions at some point during the Thanksgiving weekend, up from 90.2 percent last year. Specifically, 45.7 percent will offer specific online deals on Thanksgiving Day, and a record 85.0 percent will offer special promotions on Cyber Monday, up from 78.4 percent last year.
"Consumers are increasingly shopping and buying both online and in-store this holiday season,” said Shop.org Executive Director Vicki Cantrell. “Savvy retailers are getting the word out to customers about in-store offers and events using online vehicles such as Facebook, email, Twitter, and mobile alerts. Now more than ever retailers are integrating their digital and in-store promotions, working to create that seamless shopping experience that they know consumers demand and expect."
As one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, there’s no doubt consumers are in for a treat when they log on to CyberMonday.com or retailers’ websites this year. Retailers will spoil their customers with gifts of coupons/percentage off their purchases (47.1%), limited time promotions (26.5%), and other online specific promotions (29.4%). However the biggest treat will be free shipping without conditions: 44.1 percent of retailers polled will offer the customer-favorite on Cyber Monday, up significantly from the 12.5 percent who said so last year. Another 29.4 percent will offer free standard shipping with conditions.
“There’s no question that one of shoppers’ favorite deals is free shipping—in fact, many expect it— and retailers are responding,” said BIGinsight Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow. “The free shipping ‘savings’ plus any additional discount or promotion should pique online shoppers' interest from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday this year.”
Cyber Monday, a term coined by Shop.org in 2005, began after retailers noticed a trend of shopping online the Monday after Thanksgiving when people returned to work. Today, Cyber Monday is viewed as the online equivalent to Black Friday – the ceremonial kickoff to the online holiday shopping season when shoppers flood retailers’ websites expecting robust promotions such as deep discounts and free shipping offers.
72 Million People with Internet at Work Shop at the Office
Holiday shoppers who simply couldn’t find the time to do it all over the weekend will look to Cyber Monday to help put a dent in their shopping list, even if they have to do it during their lunch hour at work. According to NRF’s holiday spending survey, 56.8 percent or 72 million people, will shop for a holiday gift from the office this year.
CyberMonday.com to Feature Deals of the Hour on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Those looking for great deals in one place need look no further than CyberMonday.com, a one-stop shop for online deals. This year, CyberMonday.com will feature special Deals of the Hour on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Black Friday deals can be viewed here, and Cyber Monday deals will be announced on Sunday, November 25 when NRF and Shop.org release information about the number of people who shopped online over Thanksgiving weekend and who expects to on Cyber Monday.
About the Study
The NRF 2012 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey polled 9,383 consumers and was conducted for NRF by BIGinsight from November 1-6, 2012. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.
BIGinsight delivers executives timely, consumer-centric insights from multiple sources. As a comprehensive resource of information, BIGinsight represents the voice of the consumer and provides knowledge to marketers regarding consumer views on the economy, personal finance, retail, lifestyle, media and domestic and world issues. www.BIGinsight.com.
The eHoliday Study, now in its tenth year, provides an authoritative snapshot of the holiday activities of both large and small online retailers, many of which have been in business for at least ten years, and also includes the sentiments of online holiday shoppers. The Study, conducted by BIGinsight for Shop.org, surveyed 2,988 consumers from September 26 – October 11, 2012 and 40 online retailers from September 25 – October 11, 2012.


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originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: paraphi
Small can of spray paint will probably work pretty good..find them in hobby stores..while at it maybe hold a lighter flame in front of the spray patter for a very neat effect.
originally posted by: SisterDelirium
a reply to: stormbringer1701
I was personally thinking of Teeth. Wasn't that the name of the film?
When she was questioned by trained specialists three days later “she immediately admitted that the story of the rape was not true”, said the spokesman for the state prosecutor, Martin Steltner.
He said the teenager had been scared of going home after the school had contacted her parents over an incident at school.


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CROSSVILLE, Tenn. — Buc-ee’s Ltd. has broken ground on a new travel center in Crossville, Tenn., the company’s first in Tennessee. A second, even bigger Volunteer State location will follow.
The “outpost” continues Buc-ee’s multi-state expansion across the South, joining two recently opened locations in Florida, as well as stores in Georgia and Alabama. Buc-ee’s broke ground on its first Kentucky location in April of 2021. Buc-ee’s first travel center in South Carolina is also currently under construction and is slated to open in 2022. Additionally, Buc-ee’s operates 38 locations in Texas, where it was founded almost four decades ago.
Buc-ee’s Crossville store will occupy more than 53,400 square feet, and the site has 120 fueling positions. It will also offer barbeque, fudge, kolaches, Beaver nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries.
“Crossville is centrally located between Nashville and Knoxville--an ideal stop for folks headed west to Music City or east to the Great Smoky Mountains,” said Stan Beard, Buc-ee’s director of real estate. “Crossville is also the Golf Capital of Tennessee, and a gorgeous destination in and of itself. We can’t wait for Buc-ee’s to provide another great reason for folks to make their way through Crossville.”
Throughout the project, Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s corporate development team will work closely alongside state and local leadership. Buc-ee’s Crossville will bring at least 175 new, permanent, full-time jobs to the area, the company said, with starting pay beginning above minimum wage, full benefits, 401k and three weeks of vacation.
Attendees of the Buc-ee’s Crossville groundbreaking ceremony on June 15 included Crossville Mayor James Mayberry, Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster, Buc-ee’s executives and other community leaders.
Buc-ee’s projects that the Crossville location will open in Summer 2022, a company spokesperson told CSP Daily News.
Meanwhile, Kituwah LLC and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) hqve revealed the first details of a 200-acre development in Sevierville, Tenn. The project, previously referred to only as Project 407 because it is on Interstate 40, Exit 407, has been named The 407: Gateway to Adventure. Buc-ee’s is the first company that will locate in the development, where it will build a flagship Buc-ee’s Family Travel Center.
At more than 74,000 square feet, the Sevierville location will be the company’s first “Big Store.” It will also have more than 120 fueling positions, electric=vehicle (EV) charging stations and a more than 250-foot car wash.
“Our goal is to be the first stop on everyone’s Smoky Mountain adventure, and Buc-ee’s is the perfect partner to ensure we give our customers a great beginning and ending to their family vacation. This is a business about excellence in customer experience with a huge fan following,” said Kituwah CEO Mark Hubble, who has helped other tribes nationally build tribal-owned businesses for the benefit of enrolled members.
“It is not a coincidence that we chose The 407 as our first big store location outside of Texas,” said Beard. “We will be the proverbial ‘welcome sign’ at the front door of the exceptional travel experience that the Smoky Mountains, Sevierville, and Sevier County has to offer. You won’t forget your first visit to Buc-ee’s and it won’t be your last! We are thrilled to share our over the top customer experience and be a pivotal part of the Kituwah and EBCI vision for the Gateway to Adventure.”
Sevierville Mayor Robbie Fox added, “With the largest Buc-ee’s Family Travel Center ever built anchoring this development, we believe the future at The 407: Gateway to Adventure will be incredible.”
Additional concepts for The 407: Gateway to Adventure could include a golf attraction, hotels, an ultimate sports experience, a state-of-the-art indoor go-kart facility, a distillery experience and unique “retailtainment” attractions that are a combination of both themed attractions and stores.


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ARI has made it exponentially more convenient for drivers to access vital information about their fleet vehicle with the launch of the new ARI Driver insights® app.
Available for iPhones and iPads, the app enables drivers to monitor their vehicle’s information and will send important updates to the driver through push notifications.
“Real-time notifications inform drivers of important events like overdue preventive maintenance, which we expect will spark drivers to take action sooner, extending the life of a vehicle and reducing its total cost of ownership,” said Tony Candeloro, vice president of product development and client information services.
The app allows drivers to manage vehicle maintenance and usage, check for upcoming service that may be due, and input their monthly business and personal mileage to ensure proper tax reporting.
Current ARI customers can access the ARI Driver insights app through the Apple App Store by searching “ARI driver.” A version for Android will be introduced by the end of the year.
Drivers can use the same log-in credentials they use with their ARI Driver insights account. Once logged in, drivers will be greeted with a dashboard of their vehicle, showing its image and description, notifications, driver score, fuel, operating expenses, the last shop visited, and odometers.
By tapping “Notifications,” drivers can see when the vehicle is due for preventive maintenance and other services. “Last Shop Visited” is connected to Google Maps, so directions are easily accessible. Drivers can call the shop directly with another tap.
The ARI Driver insights app also includes digital maintenance coupons, which can be emailed to the vendor directly from the app. This feature is linked to location services, so if the shop is found by the app, the email address will be automatically populated and can be sent with just one tap.
“We designed the ARI Driver insights app to be a convenient and simple way for drivers to stay on top of their vehicle maintenance on the mobile device they carry around with them everywhere they go,” Candeloro said. “When tasks are easier, they’re more likely to be completed. And when it comes to preventive maintenance, that’s of utmost importance to the health of a fleet.”
To learn more about the ARI Driver insights app, contact ARI today.


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Motor vehicle insurers are resisting pressure to offer premium rebates, despite a big fall in road traffic volumes and accidents because of the travel restrictions that have been imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Traffic on Australia's toll roads has fallen dramatically amid the health crisis, with the largest toll-road operator, Transurban, reporting up to 30 per cent falls on its east coast toll roads.
Consumer groups and motoring advocates are calling for major car insurers to give more back to their customers as they cope with tough economic times.
"While there may not be a rebate straight away, I believe that come renewals there will be, or ought to be, a reduction based on the fact that there will have been fewer accidents and motor vehicle thefts," says Allan Manning, managing director of the risk-management company LMI Group.
Some insurers in the United States have already decided to pass the savings they make on claims to their customers.
Campbell Fuller, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Australia, which represents general insurers, including motor vehicle insurers, concedes that falls in traffic volumes during the pandemic may result in fewer collisions.
"However, it is too early to gauge the direct impact this may be having on claims. Each motor vehicle insurer is best placed to determine how it can help its customers," he says.
"Motor vehicle policies are purchased for risks for a full year, and many of those risks remain unchanged, despite the pandemic.
"Some insurers are reporting a reduction in the writing of new comprehensive and third-party motor vehicle insurance policies and a decline in renewals."
LMI Group's Mr Manning says expectations of lower premiums should be tempered, as while we are not driving as much, there is the ongoing risk of storm and hail damage, including to parked cars.
The insurance industry has already been hit with "massive" natural catastrophe claims in the past 12 months, he says.
A spokesperson for insurer IAG, which owns such brands as NRMA Insurance, says it is too early to determine any direct impacts on motor vehicle insurance claims.
"At this stage we have a range of measures in place to support our customers experiencing financial hardship, including deferred premium payments for up to 90 days.
"We can also provide customers the option to change upcoming premium payments from annual to pay-by-the-month, and are waiving any cancellation and admin fees for customers who cancel their policies," the spokesperson says.
A spokesperson for Suncorp, which owns brands including AAMI and GIO, says the company is offering financial relief to all coronavirus-affected customers, including flexible payment options and the waiving of cancellation fees.
Insurers have more leeway to alter the premiums of their comprehensive polices, as compulsory third party (CTP) insurance is regulated by each state and territory. The impact of the pandemic on CTP claims and premiums is a matter for each jurisdiction’s statutory scheme regulators.


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Spinomenal is showing no signs of slowing down through the current year after a content integration agreement with Gibraltar-based operator Lottoland became the igaming supplier’s latest development during 2023.
Labeled as a “progressive partnership,” the tie-up with see Spinomenal supply its roster of online casino content to a “16-million strong customer base”. This will include the provision of games such as Majestic King, Demi Gods II, Wolf Fang and Book of Rampage.
This latest agreement alongside Lottoland, which boasts sportsbook, bingo and casino offerings alongside its core lotto products, is poised to “significantly boost” the Spinomenal footprint across a host of “key regulated markets”.
Nigel Birrell, Lottoland’s Group CEO, added: “Giving our 16 million customers access to new and exciting content is key to driving our business forward and attracting new players.
“We are pleased to be working with Spinomenal and look forward to getting their portfolio live on our site.”
This becomes the latest development of the year for the supplier, with a Lottoland partnership following a similar such deal being agreed alongside Flutter Entertainment’s PokerStars brand last week as well as Greek certification being earlier in the month.
Lior Shvartz, Spinomenal’s CEO, commented: “Lottoland is a highly respected operator that has an influential position within the igaming space. We’re excited about adding our extensive portfolio of games onto Lottoland’s platform and watching the relationship blossom.”


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Bioshock Infinite Dated for October Release
Posted on Thursday, March 1 @ 08:45:25 PST by Jaime_Severino
Bioshock Infinite is one our most anticipated games for this year, and we've felt that way since first laying our eyes on it last year at E3. There's been a ton of buzz surrounding the game, tons of info, and more. But one things has long been missing...
A release date.
It was originally speculated to launch some time in early 2012, but has been officially pegged for an October 16th release.
Tell GR: Is this one of the games you'll buy this holiday shopping season?
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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War III launch trailer. (1:48)
Neverwinter A Thank You From Cryptic Studios. (1:53)
Osiris: New Dawn
Proteus 2 Map Update. (1:15)
Batman Arkham VR
Batman Arkham VR launch trailer. (0:54)
Definitive Edition official launch trailer. (1:05)
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Most UK companies are failing to reap the benefits of e-procurement, despite all the excitement about e-commerce, according to a survey of 112 medium to large organisations. The survey, by ByLine Research on behalf of procurement-software supplier Tranmit plc, found that when it came to purchasing maintenance, repair and operating supplies, only 13% of companies had a fully-automated process. A quarter had a completely paper-based process and the rest were partially automated. Tranmit's business manager Shane Hussain said companies were missing out on big savings. Citing estimated per-item purchasing costs of £50, he said: 'For a large organisation issuing tens of thousands of purchase requisitions each year, these costs can run into tens or even hundreds of millions of pounds. Even by the most conservative estimate, automation could save a third of this expenditure, putting millions back on the bottom line.' Survey respondents said they were aware of e-procurement. A third had experimented with buying goods and services over the Internet, and most expected to do a substantial proportion of their purchasing this way in future. All but 11% of respondents expected to implement electronic procurement management within five years. There is a growing range of technology options for them to choose from. Tranmit itself recently unveiled Sprinter Purchase Management, an intranet-based application allowing employees to select and purchase goods and services from suppliers' websites. The system supports the completion and authorisation of requisitions. After delivery, it manages receipts for goods and matches scanned invoices with purchase orders and goods received documents. Other prominent e-procurement players include Commerce One and Ariba, arch-rivals from the US. Ariba's director of European marketing Ben Wright said: 'Over 50 major companies in the US have bought our solution, including 14 of the Fortune 100 companies. I wouldn't say the UK was dragging its heels though, particularly in the past four to five months, we've seen a dramatic increase in interest here.'
IBM and Technical University of Munich team demonstrate how Shor's algorithm, which can't be cracked by conventional computers, can be solved quickly with quantum computing
Hubble Space Telescope finds superflares from young red dwarfs could strip away planetary atmosphere
Younger stars are 100 to 1,000 times more energetic than when they're older
Two of the big four supermarkets will use the system to control sales of restricted products
PUBG news and updates: November's Update #23 to bring new Skorpion pistol and changes to blue zone visibility
Genuinely useful side-arm coming to PUBG in Update #23


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After Bastion and Nuclear Throne were released on Saturday during PlayStation Experience, this week’s Store update is a busy one with a further three games following them.
We’re Mostly playing catch up with the US this week as we get a couple of titles releasing a few weeks later here in the UK.
The decidedly amazing Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition makes its way to Europe this week, which I had the pleasure of reviewing, as does Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours which released stateside last week. Elsewhere we have Panda Run which has snuck its way into the store as an unannounced title.
Take a look below for the full listing and let us know if anything catches your eye in the comments below!
PlayStation Vita New Releases;
Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours (Out 08/12/15) – £32.99/€39.99/AU$59.95
Three Fourths Home: Extended Edition (Out 09/12/15) – £4.99/€5.99/AU$8. 95
Panda Run (Out 09/12/15) – £4.39/€5.29/AU$7. 90


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Casa Magazines on the corner of 12th street and 8th Avenue in the West Village has already received the first shipment of copies of Made In Brazil Magazine #9, dedicated to Marlon Teixeira and featuring over 80 pages of pictures of the model. If you happen to be in the city, make sure to purchase your copy of the magazine there this week!
If you are in Brazil, the magazine can be now purchased at Prince Books in São Paulo, and will also be available at Livraria Cultura throughout the country this week.
Many thanks to everyone who has purchased a copy of the new issue online. We start shipping this week, and all international orders will be shipped priority to expedite delivery times.


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Retailers saw strong results overall in Q3 2021 as the recovery continued, but supply chain shortages loom as they enter the holiday season. Large retailers like Walmart and Target prepared well in advance and expect momentum to carry them forward, and Lowe’s and The Home Depot are still benefitting from strong interest in home improvement. However, even though Victoria’s Secret posted positive Q3 results, the company warned that a significant portion of its Q4 orders had been delayed.
Walmart posted 9.2% comparable sales growth and 8% ecommerce growth during Q2 2022, which aligns with calendar Q3 2022. Solid results are the norm from the retail giant, and the company believes this level of performance will continue into the holiday season.
“Despite the various macro and industry challenges, our inventory position is good,” said Brett Biggs, EVP and CFO of Walmart on an earnings call with investors. “Stores and fulfillment centers are well staffed and our price position remains strong. Customers should expect to find the items they want [at] great values.”
Notably, Walmart didn’t kick off the holiday shopping season with October promotions like many other retailers, including rivals Target and Amazon. The company will offer Black Friday deals across the month of November, but Biggs told CNBC that the company hasn’t seen enough early shoppers to “pull forward significant demand into the third quarter.”
Target saw 12.7% comparable sales growth led by 29% digital growth in Q3, bolstered by Halloween, back-to-school and some early holiday shopping. Like Walmart, Target is secure in its holiday position and upped its forecast from high single-digit growth to between high single-digit and low double-digit growth.
Target is preparing for the future, as well as fighting current last mile woes, by fulfilling more and more orders from its stores. The retailer fulfilled 95% of digital orders from stores during Q3 and announced plans to add permanent storage capacity at more than 200 high-volume stores, introduce “flexible fixtures” to bolster storage during seasonal peaks and double the number of parking spots for curbside pickup.
Both retailers’ shares fell shortly after their results were released despite the positive outlooks: Walmart shares closed down 3% on Nov. 16 and Target shares closed down 5% on Nov. 17, according to CNBC. Both companies have been absorbing the rising costs associated with shipping and labor in a bid to maintain customer loyalty, but some investors feel they could increase prices to take advantage of the holiday surge without scaring away customers.
Home Renovation Interest Remains High in Q3
Lowe’s 2.2% comparable sales increase may seem small compared to the growth at Walmart and Target, but analysts expected a sales decline for the home improvement retailer. The increase was attributed to shoppers’ continued interest in home projects, which also led to a 6.1% comparable store sales increase at Home Depot.
Home Depot noted that the retailer is continuing to see “customers taking on larger home improvement projects.” That’s leading to even more significant sales growth to professional contractors, which outpaced the retailer’s DIY sales. The retailer also believes it is up to the task of maintaining growth despite the challenges facing retail.
“These results were driven by our associates to maintain their relentless focus on our customers while simultaneously managing industrywide supply chain disruptions, inflation and a tight labor market,” said Craig Menear, Chairman and CEO of The Home Depot on an earnings call with investors. “While these factors present challenges for retail as a whole, we will use our experience tools and our scale to manage through this environment with the intent to deliver a strong value proposition to our customers.”
Lowe’s is building on interest in improvement projects with the launch of Lowe’s Livable Home, a platform that will offer expertise, services and products for older customers. The effort will enhance in-store support and offer more services to Baby Boomers looking to age in their own homes, educating them on available options and connecting them with contractors who can install features like low-threshold showers.
Victoria’s Secret Spills the Beans About Supply Chain Challenges
Victoria’s Secret’s first post-spinoff quarter was promising: sales rose 7% compared to Q3 2020, though they fell 9% compared to Q3 2019 due to the closure of 260 locations. In-store sales rose nearly 22% year-over-year, but DTC sales fell 13.5%.
“Our work to transform our brand, deepen our customer connections and improve our operational fundamentals is gaining positive traction,” said Martin Waters, CEO of Victoria’s Secret in a statement. “We continue to improve our merchandise assortment and expand our already strong customer file. I’m proud of the commitment and resilience demonstrated by our teams, who delivered these results in challenging circumstances, and in doing so are demonstrating the power of a healthy culture. We continue to monitor global supply chain issues and believe our close partnerships with our vendors and our work to get ahead of the curve will help mitigate those challenges.”
Like many retailers and DTC brands, Victoria’s Secret will have its work cut out for it when it comes to navigating the supply chain: 90 million of the 200 million SKUs the retailer ordered for Q4 have been delayed, Waters said on an earnings call with investors. The retailer is reworking its plans to bring in 90% of the merchandise by air, but that product could still take nine days to arrive, as compared to the usual two-day air delivery timeframe.


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The small "for sale" sign that popped up in the past couple of weeks on the vacant lot at 905 S. 27th St. probably confirmed what many people already suspected.
Ideal Grocery is not coming back.
Not at its former home near 27th and Randolph streets, and not anywhere else in Lincoln.
Co-owner Chad Winters confirmed Monday that there are no plans to rebuild the store, which burned down two years ago after serving Lincoln for nearly a century.
Winters said he and his partners considered rebuilding at the original location, or a site near downtown or in southeast Lincoln.
But they couldn't make any of the sites work, for various reasons.
"I wish we could have (rebuilt)," Winters said. "We obviously bought that store with the intention of keeping it open for another 30 years or more."
But a faulty compressor threw a wrench in that plan, starting a fire on the morning of May 19, 2016, that left the building a total loss. It was later torn down.
Winters said a number of reasons went into the decision not to rebuild the store, which he and his partners bought in 2012.
One of the most prominent was a marketing analysis done by a Minneapolis firm that showed the site was too close to another store they own: Leon's Gourmet Grocer, which is only about two miles away. The analysis also showed traffic flow in that area is not conducive to having a grocery store on the site.
Winters said he also was hamstrung by city regulations that called for much more parking for a rebuilt store than the original one had, which he said would have meant that a new store would have only been about half as big as the 17,000-square-foot structure that burned down.
"I didn't want to put a convenience store there," he said.
Rebuilding elsewhere was an option, and Winters said he looked long and hard at a site just east of downtown, near the Telegraph District.
He said he thought a store would have worked there, but the real estate was cost-prohibitive, with a price tag of $1.5 million.
"We could just never get the numbers to work, even with (tax-increment) financing," Winters said.
He and his partners also considered building a new store in the Village Gardens development at 56th Street and Pine Lake Road, but then Costco announced plans for a store about three miles away, and they decided that wouldn't work.
Winters said the plan now is to concentrate on selling the Ideal site — for which he's asking $600,000 for just over an acre of land.
At some point in the future, Leon's, which is at 2200 Winthrop Road, will get a remodel.
As for the end of Ideal, Winters said it's a "tough deal."
"I wish I could turn back the hands of time."
Emerson Trupp, a longtime resident of the area who also worked at Ideal for nearly a decade, said he had already heard the news that the store wouldn't be coming back, but he knows many people were holding out hope.
"It's a big loss to the neighborhood," Trupp said.


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It won’t be long before design consultants will be striding around our streets with microphones, graciously bestowing stickers, scarves and lacy garters bearing their personal images.
This appears to be the atmosphere surrounding the election to the executive committee of British Design and Art Direction (DW 13 October). It started last year, when contender Linda Sutton direct-mailed a yellow pencil to everyone concerned, bearing the slogan “Vote for Sutton”.
This year Harry Pearce of Lippa Pearce has designed his own poster campaign and Richard
Mellor of Hyperinteractive has mounted one on the Internet. Apparently, D&AD director David Kester has circulated a letter to all concerned saying that the cost of self-promotion does not come from the D&AD kitty.
“It’s in the best tradition of elections. It proves that designers feel it’s important to be on the board,” says Kester, adding that “it’s weird that only designers are doing this. The advertising community isn’t bothering”.
Pearce designed the poster to save designers from the phone calls he has been inundated with in the past from nominees canvassing his vote. “It was a bit of fun,” he says. It features his Design Week Award-winning packaging for Boots’ Wart Remover.
Unfortunately, it put off one contender for the committee. “I think it’s an odd thing. Designers shouldn’t lobby each other and spend a lot of money on it. It’s naff,” says the disgruntled party.