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In the trading center of Makindye, a 10-minute drive south of downtown Kampala, Uganda, Godfrey Mukasa is doing business. The 22-year-old civil engineering student sells prepaid phone cards and used cell phones from a sidewalk kiosk. His small timber shack is painted yellow and blue, the colors of MTN Uganda, the country’s leading wireless operator.
On a good night, Mukasa returns to his parents’ house at 10:30 p.m. with a profit of 15,000 Uganda shillings — roughly $7.50. The average citizen earns less than $1 a day, according to World Bank statistics.
Makindye’s trading center houses a handful of businesses similar to Mukasa’s. And in downtown Kampala, almost every shop sells telecommunications equipment these days, said Salim Semujju, a local administrator for Canadian Television News.
“Every Ugandan today without a mobile phone is taken to be backwards, because he or she is not online, not moving with modernity,” Semijju said. “At most universities here, if you want to seduce a girl, you should own a mobile phone first and (be) able to buy her one if she doesn’t have (one).”
Cell phones have arrived in Uganda with a vengeance. Going wireless is cheaper and more convenient than waiting up to six months for a fixed line. Cell phones provide Africans with a sense of security and flexibility. They connect city people with their relatives in the country.
Nine out of 10 handsets sold in Africa today are cell phones. Most countries have more wireless phone connections than landlines. At more than 30 percent, the annual subscription rate grows more than twice as fast as in the U.S.
About 50 million Africans subscribe to a wireless service, up from less than 8 million in 1999, estimates Pyramid Research. The Boston-based research house expects this figure to double within five years. Revenue for the entire industry is expected to rise from the current $9.6 million to around $14.8 million.
“It’s an extremely promising market, but it’s not a safe haven,” Pyramid Research analyst Guy Zibi said. “Investments are definitely higher and riskier, but in the long term, they’re promising to be as profitable as in Western Europe.”
Some analysts have predicted that the developing world will soon have more mobile subscribers than developed countries. Africa is often painted as the most dynamic market.
Examples of successful launches are plenty. MTN, headquartered in South Africa, invested as little as $2.9 million for a 30 percent interest in MTN Swaziland, and almost $280 million for its equity in MTN Nigeria. MTN operations in Swaziland, Rwanda and Uganda have all been profitable within 18 months of their launch in 1998. Subscriber rates in Nigeria are doubling each year, making it the biggest growth market on the continent.
“The market has been exploding so much that operators have trouble keeping up with demand. They have to stop selling service,” Zibi said.
Still, U.S. companies have been reluctant to invest.
“American companies have ignored African markets. They have typically been more attracted to Latin America. They have this image of Africa and poor markets where people are not going to be able to afford services,” Zibi said. “They generally stay out, consider it unstable.”
Reasons for this disregard of a booming market are manifold. U.S. companies already face too much competition at home to make the investment in emerging markets a viable option, said David Hoover, an analyst with Washington, D.C.-based Precursor Investment Research Firm.
“There’s definitely a market there, to a degree. But wireless in developing countries is cost-intensive,” he said. “We already got six to nine competitors per local market here; it’s cutthroat. Basically, wireless companies are working to pare down debt. It’s not a wireless opportunity for them” to invest in Africa.
Instead of setting up new operations in Africa, many U.S. companies, such as AT&T Wireless, cut roaming agreements with African firms.
“It’s much more cost-saving, and we still give our customers the ability to call from all over the world,” AT&T spokesman Ritch Blasi said. “There’s going to be someone who’s investing in those areas (like Africa), and they’re probably going to be from that area. We, basically, focus on our domestic market.”
While some equipment providers, such as Motorola, have discovered Africa as a viable market, few U.S. wireless operators have ventured abroad.
Western Wireless International and small Newport Beach, Calif.-based African Wireless Inc. are the only U.S. companies to provide services in Africa: Western Wireless operates through sister companies in Ghana and Ivory Coast, while African Wireless provides services in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
While Africa is “still some years away from saturation,” Pyramid Research analyst Zibi said, it is showing the first signs of maturing: In many countries, the number of citizens with subscriptions is starting to reach a crucial 6 percent threshold. At this point, Zibi said, companies should begin worrying about new ways to add customers while continuing to make money.
Also, Zibi said, the number of company launches has dropped. Two years ago, more than 30 network operators began offering services. This year it was only 10. Still, he added, “wireless technology is the biggest motor of African economies.”
While the industry is booming, Ugandan businessman Mukasa enjoys his new financial freedoms. He buys clothes four times a month, he said, and goes to clubs during the week and takes his girlfriend on weekend trips.
How do his friends like his lifestyle?
“They’re proud of me,” Mukasa said.
With his first savings, Mukasa fulfilled one of his dreams; he bought a motorcycle. He has already thought about his next business: To recover the cycle’s cost of about $700, he rents it out — for $4 a day.


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San Francisco Business Times
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Today, the new Data Protection and Digital Information Bill that was first launched last summer is being introduced by the government in parliament by Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan. The bill is described as a 'new common-sense-led UK version of the EU's GDPR' which aims to reduce costs and burdens for British businesses and charities, as well as removing the barriers to international trade.
The hope is that this strengthened data regime will save the UK economy more than £4 billion over the next ten years. The improved bill will among other objectives introduce a more business friendly framework to compliance, support international trade and increase confidence in AI technologies.
Michelle Donelan, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, said: "Our system will be easier to understand, easier to comply with, and take advantage of the many opportunities of post-Brexit Britain. No longer will our businesses and citizens have to tangle themselves around the barrier-based European GDPR"'.
Ben Seretny, Head of DPO at The DPO Centre, comments: "We absolutely recognise the benefit of offering much needed certainty for the future of the UK's post-Brexit data protection regime after months of stalled progress and partial consultations, however there are unresolved concerns regarding the potential impact of many elements in the Bill. Questions still exist as to how diverging from the GDPR in a radical fashion may risk the valuable data transfer adequacy decision between the UK and EU, and if such a shift would potentially discourage further progress towards a UK-US data-sharing agreement at a time when the US is focussing its efforts on the larger EU market.
"The further clarity expected as the Bill finally makes its way through Parliament is welcome, although the unwanted effect of requiring organisations doing business with Europe to follow two separate, and potentially conflicting regimes, may lead to a dramatic increase rather than reduction of red tape.”
According to the Impact Assessment completed as part of the process. The data reforms are expected to unlock savings of £4.7 billion for the UK economy over the next 10 years. Also maintaining the UK’s data protection standards so businesses can continue to trade freely with global partners, including the EU.
Rob Masson, CEO at The DPO Centre, added: " With the Bill potentially maintaining the all-important adequacy status with the EU, residents can rest assured that protecting their personal data will remain at the forefront of business priorities, whilst also allowing these organisations to drive growth and innovation."
You can read the official press release here.


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Grieving husband: Pizza box message 'turned my life around'
In the last month of his wife's life, Dennis Kunst said she repeated a mantra over and over:
"She kept telling me, 'you have to be strong, you have to be strong,'" he said.
Still, the grief after losing Cheryl to cancer was overwhelming. Then a pizza box "turned my life around."
Kunst told WCBS in New York he received a free pie from Albert's Pizza in Ronkonkoma. He began to cry after seeing a familiar message written on the box by an anonymous owner: "From one family to the other ... Stay Strong."
"I wasn't crying because I was sad anymore," he said. "I was crying because I felt like I got a message from her."
The pizzeria is holding a "pay it forward" campaign in which customers can pay for pies for volunteers, police officers, people in grief or in need.
Kunst had his own message for the pizza shop, returning to the store with a handwritten letter for the owners reading "You don't know me, but on March 25th, you turned my life around."
Just like his grateful customer, the message made owner Rich Baer choke up.
"It was a good crying," he said.


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Joseph Abboud Apparel hosted an NBA-themed outdoor event at legendary New York basketball court "The Cage" earlier this month, in celebration of a new clothing pact between the two brands. As part of the deal, JA Apparel will release a new, basketball-inspired attire line this fall called JOE Joseph Abboud.
In this pic, (Clockwise starting at left) John Andariese, Allan Houston, Herb Williams, Blake Griffin, Bobby Simmons, Hacker Plotkin (Div. VP/Div. Merchandising Manager, Men's Sportswear, JCPenney), Nate Robinson, Cal Ramsey, and Marty Staff (president and chief executive officer, JA Apparel) pose for the cameras while taking in the sights and sounds of the event. Keep clicking for more pics!


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Roanoke area residents weigh-in on whether masks are necessary in public
10 News talked to shoppers Monday
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Many people are not following the guidelines from health officials that advise that everyone should be covering their face in public.
10 News talked to shoppers at Lowe’s on Franklin Road in Roanoke County to see how they feel about being out under these conditions and if they were wearing gloves or masks.
Whether shopping for non-essential or essential items, many said they don’t need to wear a mask or gloves.
“I ain’t scared. What’s going to be is going to be,”said Roanoke resident Anntwine Lee.
Many say that the conditions are only dangerous for people who are more at risk of severe symptoms.
“If you’re high risk or low health or you’ve had something going on then you should absolutely listen to that, but if you’re in good health, we’re starting to touch on paranoia a little bit,” Roanoke County resident Aubrie Van Orman said.
Officials say masks are to protect everyone because anyone could accidentally spread the virus to someone who is more at risk for developing severe symptoms. President Trump announced last week that he’s advising all Americans to cover their face while in public.
Others were more prepared Monday.
“I’ve got some with me. I wash my hands. I got sanitizer right here. I’m ready to go," Roanoke County resident Tom Crowe said.
Everyone 10 News talked with said they felt like they could keep social distancing inside the store.
“There are people that forget and don’t cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze and going around touching things. It does make it unsanitary, so I think it’s a good idea," Roanoke city resident Susan Case-Childress said.
A Lowe’s spokesperson said in a statement to 10 News that the store has signs and marks on the floor to encourage shoppers to use social distancing, and customers have the option of checking out on their phones.
The chain is closing earlier to help employees with increased cleaning protocols.
The spokesperson also said the following about additions to its policies, which began April 2:
"We will be closing all stores at 7 p.m. daily to ensure additional time to replenish essential products and thoroughly clean and sanitize our stores daily.
We are making masks and gloves available to all associates in the workplace who want them. As previously shared, all N95 medical masks were placed on a stop sale and are being donated to hospitals to protect frontline healthcare workers, along with other personal protective equipment for first responders in our communities.
We developed an app to implement a new customer limit protocol, available now on associates’ handheld devices. Each store manager can now monitor foot traffic and limit entrance based on CDC and local guidelines.
We are enhancing our social distancing protocols by adding dedicated social distancing ambassadors who will be responsible for monitoring customer flow in our garden centers and front-end areas and enforce customer limits to allow proper social distancing."
Copyright 2020 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.


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Travel expert Julia Ferraro shared a tip that can help you save money on an airplane, which is taking food with you.
Ferraro spoke about it in a video that she published on her TikTok. She noted that vacationers often have to pay huge prices for food at the airport or when boarding the plane.
"This is especially helpful on short flights where they don't serve food," Ferraro noted.
She recommends bringing a variety of snacks, sandwiches, fruit and even tea.
All of these can be prepared at home or bought on the way to the airport. However, shopping at the airport itself is not worth it because the prices are too high too.


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By C White 2022 Cited by 11 The rise in prescription drug abuse is changing crime patterns among drug users and the structure of illegal drug markets.The illegal distribution of. A black market is an illicit trading system that avoids government regulation. It operates outside the law and is driven by the opportunity. Diverted and falsified HIV medications on the black market, which has persisted since the mid drugs from patients with legitimate black market prescription drugs. Altruism and a lack of access and affordability are three reasons why people with chronic illnesses are turning to the "black market" for. Americans are hoarding a 'massive' black market supply of opioids There are as many as 200 million opioid prescriptions written each year. As. Prescription drugs designed to treat addiction are being traded alongside heroin and painkillers. Many of these prescription drugs end up for sale on the streets rather On the black market, opiates tend to be one of the most expensive. Amar Jesani, a medical ethics expert, said many prescription drugs can be bought over the counter, including emergency drugs greenlit by Indian.
The benefit can be doubled in archetyp market link value by shopping at participating markets and with low-income to buy other essential items, like diapers and medication. These prices are creating a fast-growing street market for prescription Prescription drugs have passed marijuana as the most common gateway drug for. A black market for these medications has exploded because the gray With the burgeoning problem of prescription drug abuse, the cycle can. Opioids illicitly sold on the street are some of the most popular drugs on the black market today. These medications are typically prescribed as painkillers and. It details new federal programs intended to curb the abuse and black-market sale of prescription drugs, including OxyContin. Joining me now to discuss this. Many of these medicines were stolen from hospitals, illegally manufactured and packed in underground laboratories, or diverted from legal. The drugs were cheap, and the customers mostly from Mexico and Central America did not need prescriptions to buy them. Some of the products. But as prescriptions for oxycodone and morphine get more restrictive, opioids sold on the black market are eclipsing them as a bigger threat.
According to Cost Plus Drugs' website, the online pharmacy fills and delivers prescriptions at our cost a fixed 15 margin." The. Any unlicensed fentanyl product may lack the purity of the legitimately produced medication. Black-market fentanyl may contain contaminants or other mind- and. Medicare now has the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Seniors will see their out-of-pocket costs for drugs limited to. The synthetic opioid fentanyl, a legal prescription pain medication, is now a black market commodity blasting through the street drug. Finding someone who sells Brazilian medication on the black market is common, said Jesus. Until recently, she said, many shops in the area sold Brazilian. These black markets supply, among others, opioid users in China who became addicted in the way many Americans did, by a doctor's prescription. Costs for Americans. Unfortunately for them, this black-market trade in prescription drugs will not achieve archetyp market darknet the expected outcomes. Up - to - Date Information for Buyers of Drugs 1 of 2 IT IS PERMANENT!, archetyp link Thedford's Black Prescription trade keeps up its high record, General drug.
Peter Moore, senior medicines enforcement officer with the Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG), said: "The Department (of Health) is aware that. About Lethal Counterfeit Pills Flooding the Black Market to look identical to prescription opioid medications like Xanax, Vicodin. Pfizer and BioNTech Complete Submission to European Medicines Agency for Omicron black market prescription drugs Adapted Bivalent Vaccine Vaccines. black market prescription drugs. Press Releases. While we don't have fertility-specific data, we do know that approximately 33 percent of Americans have purchased prescription drugs from. A black market is an illicit trading system that avoids government regulation. It operates outside the law and is driven by the opportunity. Black market prescription drugs is a website that assembles and organizes crowdsourced information about the black-market price of prescription drugs. It is a serious criminal archetyp darknet market offence to sell controlled drugs which are also prescription only medicines without a prescription. We work. Illegal market activities: drugs and prostitution. 4This category includes illegally resold prescription drugs, hallucinogens like LSD, synthetic drugs.
Narcotics growing rapidly, the New York State Senate today passed several bills to curb the black market in prescription painkillers. Up - to - Date Information for Buyers of Drugs 1 of 2 IT IS PERMANENT!, Thedford's Black Prescription trade keeps up its high record, General drug. Twelve People Arrested in Prescription Drug to Black Market Ring Distributed at least 2 million narcotic pills to the black market. They then black market prescription drugs obtained prescription drugs from unlicensed, black market sources in California. They sold the drugs through Mainspring to unknowing. By NO Gutorova 2022 Cited by 1 it is necessary to strengthen control over the wholesale of prescription medications to prevent them from entering the black market. Get information and reviews on prescription drugs, over-the-counter rules LeafedOut: A Virtual Revelation For Illegal Weed Markets 'LeafedOut' has. Over the next six years, that seemingly small-time operation would blow up into an elaborate 78 million prescription drug and money-laundering. Prescription weight-loss drugs. Examine the pros and cons of medications to treat obesity. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Are you an adult who has serious health.
Heineken Express Url
Dan Palumbo, research director of the Digital Citizens Alliance, a black market prescription drugs Washington-based coalition of consumers, internet businesses and experts seeking to make the internet safer. You can retake black market prescription drugs everything except illegal porn, professionalism, hitman-services, ergo speechless chemicals and allergies. Royal Market is a new yet feature rich dark web multi-vendor market on the Tor network. It should be made clear that you don’t have to run a relay to use TOR, but it’s a nice thing to do. Cazes’ life as he knew it, in the lap of luxury, was over. List of the best Telegram channels, groups, bots and stickers.
“The surface web (also referred to as the indexed web or visible web) is web content indexed by search engines.”
Kingdom Market Darknet
Statistics about the dark web tell us that 60 of the biggest websites on there are around 750TB in size. BaaS provides infrastructure for legacy banking systems to connect and share data with third party financial service providers to create new products. To implement various cashout schemes or other fraudulent activities, cybercriminals need accomplices inside financial institutions. Given that the bridge is now coated with advanced paints that last for decades, can law enforcement look forward to a black market prescription drugs similar long term solution to the underground trade in drugs, weapons and data? Praise: "You're Not the Boss of Me is an essential tool for any parent, filled with deep wisdom and sharp insights. Many are based around different usages, including security, anonymity, pentesting, convenience or web hosting. Site admins had used these wallets as an escrow system, where buyers deposited funds, which vendors could later withdraw after a period of time to allow the sale to go through without user complaints.


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The Spanish economic information newspaper has published an extensive interview that describes internationalization plans of the biotechnology company.
On February 25th, the Spanish economic information newspaper ‘El Economista’ published an extensive interview with AlgaEnergy’s President Augusto Rodríguez-Villa on its digital version. Resulting from the opening of its first subsidiary outside of Spain in Japan, and focused on the internationalization plans in which the biotechnology company is currently immersed, the interview reviews the reasons for the opening in the Asian country and plans for the coming years.
In this sense, Rodríguez-Villa points out that "in general terms, our future plans involve extrapolating the success we are obtaining in many different types of crops from our range of microalgae-based biostimulants AgriAlgae® to other sectors in which microalgae also have an immense application potential, such as human and animal nutrition, cosmetics, aquaculture, pharmacy and, in the future, energy".
Read the full interview -in Spanish- in here.
The event, organized by the European Innovation Council, was focused on the Green Deal initiatives of the European Commission.16 November, 2020
The biotechnology company has hired researcher Francisco José Romero-Campero as an advisor on computational biology of systems, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence.04 November, 2020
The President of AlgaEnergy participated in the program ‘La Redacción Abierta de la mañana’, a reference program of the TV channel owned by Grupo Intereconomía.14 October, 2020
In collaboration with the multinationals Syngenta and Novozymes, AlgaEnergy was selected to lead the “Microbials” and “Fork Stakeholders” Project Teams.13 October, 2020
The newly created entity will be the catalyst and multiplier of the cosmetic sector in terms of innovation.09 October, 2020
Hideki will lead market expansion in Japan.08 October, 2020
The biotechnology company has been awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development in the category of Circular Economy.07 October, 2020
The biotechnology company will attend this international benchmark fair in the fruit and vegetable sector for the sixth time in a row. This year it will be online.23 September, 2020
The agreements establish AlgaEnergy as global distributor of Concentric’s two flagship biological products and pave the way for development of a new class of microalgae-biological products.15 September, 2020
AlgaEnergy microalgae technology in these Ecocert Certified products is available to organic growers in Asia, Europe and U.S.21 July, 2020


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Improving fundamentals have supported private spending in Mexico during the current cycle.
This week's labour market, inflation and retail sales data--the last before the MPC meets on May 10--will have a major bearing on the Committee's decision.
Taken at face value, the retail sales data in the euro area suggest that consumers' spending hit a brick wall at the end of 2018.
December's retail sales figures, released today, likely will show that the surge in spending in November was driven merely by people undertaking Christmas shopping earlier than in past years, due to Black Friday.
The May auto sales numbers probably will be released just after our deadline at 4pm eastern time today, but all the signs are that a hefty rebound will be reported after April's plunge to just 8.6M, not much more than half the pre-Covid level.
One of the key positive signs in the Eurozone data since the virus hit has been the evidence that households' liquid money balances have been well supported by job retention schemes, extended unemployment insurance, and aggressive monetary stimulus.
Under normal circumstances, the 0.23% increase in the core CPI, reported earlier this month, would be enough to ensure a 0.2% print in today's core PCE deflator.
The recovery in China's property market is petering out.
After the strong Philly Fed survey was released last week, we argued that the regional economy likely was outperforming because of its relatively low dependence on exports, making it less vulnerable to the trade war.
We're placing less weight than usual on conventional business surveys at the moment, as they are ill-suited to charting the economy's turnaround from the Covid-19 slump.
April's retail sales figures, due Thursday, likely will show that spending recovered from snow-induced weakness in March.
The weather-driven surge in December housing starts, reported last week, is unlikely to be replicated in today's existing home sales numbers for the same month.
In recent client meetings the first and last topic of conversation has been the market implications of the possible departure of President Trump from office.
In the short-term, all the housing data are volatile. But you can be sure that if the recent pace of new home sales is sustained, housing construction will rise.
The trend in manufacturing output probably is about flat, with no real prospect of any serious improvement in the near term.
Headline retail sales in June were just 1% below their January peak, and about 3% below the level they would have reached if the pre-Covid trend had continued.
The November industrial production numbers will be dominated by the rebound in auto production following the end of the GM strike.
All the key measures of retail sales have returned to the trends in place before the Covid pandemic, thanks to the enhanced unemployment benefits paid to people who lost their jobs during lockdowns, and the one-time stimulus payments under the CARES Act.
Judging by the solid advance data in the major economies, yesterday's EZ industrial production report should have hit desks with a bang, but it was a whimper in the end.
The GM strike will make itself felt in the September industrial production data, due today.
Boeing's announcement that it will temporarily cut production of 737MAX aircraft to zero in January, from the current 42 per month pace, will depress first quarter economic growth, though not by much.
The next couple of rounds of business surveys will capture firms' responses to the Phase One trade deal agreed last week, though the news came too late to make much, if any, difference to the December Philly Fed report, which will be released today.
China's economy got off to an uneasy start in the third quarter.
Headline inflation in the EZ remained elevated in September, rising by 0.1 percentage point to 2.1%, while the core rate was unchanged at 0.9% in August; both numbers are in line with the initial estimates.
The declines in headline housing starts and building permits in September don't matter; both were driven by corrections in the volatile multi-family sector.
The slowdown in the EZ economy is well publicised.
We remain bullish on the near-term outlook for the housing market, but momentum in the mortgage applications numbers has faded a bit in recent weeks.
The fundamentals underpinning our forecast of solid first half growth in consumers' spending remain robust.
China's services sector continues to do most of the heavy lifting for the economy's recovery this quarter, judging by the survey data.
French consumer confidence and consumption have been among the main bright spots in the euro area economy so far this year.
Retail sales in Japan rose modestly in May, after collapsing in March and April, as the government tried to put a lid on the country's Covid-19 outbreak.
Japan's unemployment rate has been remarkably steady over the past few months.
If you were looking just at investor sentiment in the Eurozone, you would conclude that the economy is in recession.
It will take a while for the economic data in the euro area fully to reflect the Covid-19 shock, but the incoming numbers paint an increasingly clear picture of an improving economy going into the outbreak.
Yesterday's economic reports showed that the German economy firmed at the end of Q1, but this doesn't change the story for a poor quarter overall.
The short answer to the question posed by our title is: We don't know. But that's the point, because we shouldn't be needing to ask the question at all.
As things stand, we see little reason to revise down our forecasts for the U.K. economy in response to the tailspin in equity markets
The release of pent-up consumer demand in Japan has been rocky, following the end of the nationwide state of emergency in May. Retail sales values rose by 4.6% month-on-month in August, albeit following a 3.4% correction in the previous month.
The Redbook chainstore sales survey today is likely to give the superficial impression that the peak holiday shopping season got off to a robust start last week.
Concern over individual freedoms was the spark for Hong Kong's recent demonstrations and troubles, and protesters' demands continue to be political in nature.
We remain negative about the medium-term growth prospects of the Mexican economy.
Yesterday's detailed Q2 GDP report in Germany confirmed that economic output nosedived during lockdown, but also showed that the economy was resilient compared to the rest of the EZ.
The huge drop in the March Markit services PMI, reported yesterday, and the modest dip in the manufacturing index, are the first national business survey data to capture the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Now that the holidays are just a distant memory, the distortions they cause in an array of economic data are fading. The problems are particularly acute in the weekly data -- mortgage applications, chainstore sales and jobless claims -- because Christmas Day falls on a different day of the week each year.
Looking beyond the potential hit from the lockdown in North Rhine-Westphalia, German consumer sentiment is improving steadily.
The headline INSEE consumer confidence data in France have become unmoored from reality.
This EZ calendar is extremely busy over the next few days, so we'll use this Monitor to preview the key numbers, before turning our focus on the ECB in tomorrow's report.
Korea is officially out of recession, with GDP rising by 1.9% quarter-on-quarter in Q3, following the 3.2% plunge in Q2.
Retail sales in Mexico fell in Q4, but we think households' spending will continue to contribute to GDP growth in the first quarter, at the margin.
This week's detailed Q1 GDP data confirmed that the German economy is in dire straits, alongside its euro area peers, but there's a silver lining.
The "Phase One" China trade deal announced late last week is a step in the right direction, but a small one. With no official text available as we reach our deadline, we're relying on media reporting, but the outline of the agreement is clear.
We are not concerned by the slowdown in retail sales over the past few months.
Collapsing oil prices add fresh deflationary pressure on China.
Brazil's April CPI data this week showed that inflation pressures remain weak, supporting the BCB's focus on the downside risks to economic activity. Wednesday's report revealed that the benchmark IPCA inflation index rose 0.1% unadjusted month-to-month in April, marginally below market expectations.
Yesterday's third and detailed EZ GDP data confirmed the economy hit the wall in Q1.
Friday's manufacturing and trade data added to the evidence of a solid rebound in the EZ economy at the end of Q2, as lockdowns were lifted.
Japan's main activity data for April were massively disappointing, presaging the sharper GDP contraction we expect in Q2, compared with Q1.
Japan's GDP likely dropped by a huge 0.9% quarter-on-quarter in Q4, after the 0.5% increase in Q3, with risks skewed firmly to the downside.
The consensus for a mere 0.3% month-to-month rise in retail sales volumes in November looks too timid; we anticipate a 0.7% gain.
Japan's prime minister in-all-but-name, Yoshihide Suga, will be inheriting an economy struggling to maintain any momentum from the release of pent-up demand.
Today brings a wave of data which will help analysts narrow their estimates for first quarter GDP growth, and will offer some clues, albeit limited, about the early part of the second quarter.
The rate of growth of nominal core retail sales substantially outstripped the rate of growth of nominal personal incomes, after tax, in both the second and third quarters.
Hard data for Brazil and Mexico, released last week, support the case for further interest rate cuts.
Our base case is that the core CPI rose 0.2% in December, but the net risk probably is to the upside. We see scope for significant increases in sectors as diverse as used autos, apparel, healthcare, and rent, but nothing is guaranteed.
Retail sales account for some 30% of GDP--more than all business investment and government spending combined--so the monthly numbers directly capture more of the economy than any other indicator. Translating the monthly sales numbers into real GDP growth is not straightforward, though, because the sales numbers are nominal. Sales have been hugely depressed over the past year by the plunging price of gasoline and, to a lesser extent, declines in prices of imported consumer goods.
The underlying U.S. consumer story, hidden behind a good deal of recent noise, is that the rate of growth of spending is reverting to the trend in place before last year's tax cuts temporarily boosted people's cashflow.
Ian Shepherdson on December's low US retail sales.
Politics remain centre-stage in Brazil, despite positive news on the economic front. President Michel Temer's government continues to advance pension reform, despite the tight calendar and concerns about his political capital. But volatility is on the rise.
The combination of unexpectedly strong auto sales and rising gas prices should generate strong-looking headline retail sales numbers for October. We have no idea what to expect for November, with two-thirds of the month coming after the election, but the final pre- election sales report will look good.
We look for August's GDP report, released on Thursday, to show that output held steady, following July's 0.3% month-to-month jump.
Improving fundamentals have supported private spending in Mexico during the last few quarters. This week's soft retail sales report does not change the picture of a strong underlying trend in consumption. Sales were weaker than expected, falling 1.1% month-to-month in September, but this followed a 1.5% jump in August, and average gains of 1.1% in the previous three months. Mexican retail sales are much more volatile than in most developed economies, and we have been expecting mean reversion following rapid gains during the first half of the year and most of Q3.
The beleaguered EZ car sector finally enjoyed some relief at the end of Q3, though base effects were the major driver of yesterday's strong headline.
Retail sales data released yesterday for Brazil confirmed that weakness in private consumption remains a key challenge for the economy. Retail sales plunged 0.9% month-on-month in May, equivalent to a 4.5% fall year-over-year, the lowest rate since late 2003. On a quarterly basis, sales are headed for a 2% contraction in Q2, pointing to a -0.5% GDP contribution from consumer spending.
Eurozone GDP data last Friday suggest the cyclical recovery continued at the end of last year. Real GDP in euro area rose 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in Q4, the same as in Q3, lifted by growth in all the major economies. This was in line with the consensus forecast, but noticeably higher than implied by monthly industrial production and retail sales data.
Today's wave of data will be mixed, but most of the headlines are likely to be on the soft side, so the reports are very unlikely to trigger a wave of last minute defections to the hawkish side of the FOMC. As always, though, the headlines don't necessarily capture the underlying story, and that's certainly been the case with the retail sales data this year. Plunging prices for gas and imported goods, especially audio-video items, have driven down the rate of growth of nominal retail sales, but real sales have performed much better.
If we're right in our view that the strength of the dollar has been a major factor depressing the rate of growth of nominal retail sales, the weakening of the currency since January should soon be reflected in stronger-looking numbers. In real terms--which is what matters for GDP and, ultimately, the lab or market--nothing will change, but perceptions are important and markets have not looked kindly on the dollar-depressed sales data.
Let's be clear: The July retail sales numbers do not mean the consumer is rolling over, and the PPI numbers do not mean that disinflation pressure is intensifying. We argued in the Monitor last Friday, ahead of the sales data, that the 4.2% surge in second quarter consumption--likely to be revised up slightly--could not last, and the relative sluggishness of the July core retail sales numbers is part of the necessary correction. Headline sales were depressed by falling gasoline prices, which subtracted 0.2%.
Brazil's retail sales plunged in August, falling 0.9% month-to-month--the seventh consecutive contraction -- and with a net revision of -0.6%. The broad retail index, which includes vehicles and construction materials, dropped 2.0% month-to-month, the biggest fall this year, due mainly to a 5.2% collapse in auto sales, reversing July's unexpected increase. In annual terms, headline sales fell by an eye-popping 6.9% in August, after the downwardly-revised 3.9% drop in July. In short, the sales data show that consumers are suffering. They will struggle for some time yet.
The consensus view that today's retail sales data will show volumes increased by 0.2% month-to-month in October is too sanguine.
Monthly manufacturing and retail sales data point to upside risk to the consensus expectation of 0.4% quarter-on-quarter in Q1 Eurozone real GDP growth. Advance country data indicate that industrial production was unchanged month-to-month in March, equivalent to a 0.9% increase quarter-on-quarter.
Outside the battered energy sector, the most consistently disconcerting economic numbers last year, in the eyes of the markets, were the monthly retail sales data. Non-auto sales undershot consensus forecasts in nine of the 12 months in 2015, with a median shortfall of 0.3%.
Chile's April retail sales data, released on Monday, show that private consumption started the second quarter on a solid footing. Sales rose 3.0% month-to-month, pushing the year-over-rate up to 7.9% from 1.4% in March and an average of 4.0% in Q1. The headline was boosted by a favourable calendar effect, as April this year had two more trading days than April 2015.
Sooner or later, the surge in consumers' spending power triggered by the drop in gas prices and the acceleration in payrolls will appear in the retail sales data.
The headline March retail sales numbers probably will look horrible, thanks to the unexpected drop in auto sales reported by the manufacturers earlier this month. Their unit sales data don't always move exactly in line with the dollar value numbers in the retail sales report, as our first chart shows, but it's hard to imagine anything other than a clear decline today.
Yesterday's retail sales data in Brazil surprised to the downside. Consumers are still being squeezed by high interest rates and a deteriorating labour market. Retail sales declined 0.6% month-to-month in August, leaving the year-over-year rate little changed at -5.5%.
Brazil's retail sales data undershot consensus in August, falling by 0.5% after four straight gains. But we think this merely a temporary softening, following the strong performance in recent months.
February's money and credit figures supported recent labour market and retail sales data suggesting that consumers are increasingly financially strained. Households' broad money holdings increased by just 0.2% month-to-month in February, half the average pace of the previous six months.
Japan's June retail sales data add to the run of numbers suggesting a strong rebound in real GDP growth in Q2, after the 0.2% contraction in activity in Q1.
The retail sales data, released yesterday, underline the struggle that Japanese consumers are facing against rising inflation.
Retail sales data later today will provide further support for the upbeat consumer story in the Eurozone. We expect a third monthly gain in a row, taking retail sales to a 0.8% expansion quarter-on-quarter in Q4, the fastest since the end of 2006. We are seeing clear signs of improvement in the Eurozone economy, and the data are forcing us to recognise upside risks to our Q4 GDP forecast of 0.3-to-0.4%
Judging solely by yesterday's PMI and retail sales data, the EZ economy has shaken off the virus and is going from strength to strength.
In one line: Disappointing near-real-time claims are more important than the good retail sales data.
Chinese quarterly GDP growth was dire. China's industrial production was due an upward correction. China's retail sales data suggest that households took a Q3 battering. China's FAI growth shows no signs of turning. Japan's CPI avoids deflation.
The Greek economy escaped recession in the second half of last year. Real GDP rose a cumulative 1.2% in Q2 and Q3, following a 0.6% fall in Q1. And industrial production and retail sales data suggest that the advance GDP report released later this month will show that the momentum was sustained in Q4. Headline survey data, however, indicate that downside risks to the economy remain.
German Q4 GDP data this week will give little comfort to investors searching for signs of a resilient economy in the face of increased market volatility. The consensus expects unchanged GDP growth of 0.3% quarter-on-quarter, consistent with solid and stable survey data. But downbeat industrial production and retail sales data point to notable downside risk.
On balance, our conviction that the MPC will surprise markets on May 2 by retreating from its dovish stance has risen, following last week's labour and retail sales data.
Signs that Easter trading was unusually poor lead us to anticipate a downside surprise from today's retail sales data for March. The BRC's Retail Sales Monitor, which surveys companies that account for 60% of total retail sales, was remarkably weak in March.
Retail sales data later today will give us the first hard data from the fourth quarter, and the story should be altogether more positive than the still downbeat message from the manufacturing sector.
This week brings home sales data for July, which we expect will be mixed. New home sales likely rose a bit, but we are pretty confident that existing home sales will be reported down, following four straight gains. We're still expecting a clear positive contribution to GDP growth from housing construction in the third quarter, but from the Fed's perspective the more immediate threat comes from the rate of increase of housing rents, rather than the pace of home sales.
Consumer sentiment data yesterday from the major economies were mixed, signalling that support to Eurozone GDP growth from surging German household consumption is waning. The key "business outlook" index--which correlates best with spending--plunged to a 30-month low in October, while the advance GfK sentiment index dipped to 9.4 in November from 9.6 in October. We see little signs in retail sales data of slowing momentum, and also think consumers' spending rebounded in Q3. But our first chart shows that the fall in the GfK index implies clear downside risks in coming quarters.
Hot on the heels of yesterday's grim-looking-- temporarily--existing home sales numbers for May, we see upside risk for today's new sales data.
Japan's retail sales data--due out on Thursday-- have been badly affected by the October tax hike.
Ian Shepherdson comments on Retail Sales data for June
Chief US Economist Ian Shepherdson on "Remarkable" New Home Sales Data for February
pantheon macroeconomics, pantheon, macroeconomic, macroeconomics, independent analysis, independent macroeconomic research, independent, analysis, research, economic intelligence, economy, economic, economics, economists, , Ian Shepherdson, financial market, macro research, independent macro research


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Suspected shoplifters caught on camera in Keynsham - do you know who they are?
By BeckyFeather | Monday, February 04, 2013, 19:52
Can you identify two women who police want to talk to about shoplifting in Keynsham?
These two women are suspected of shoplifting in Keynsham
Items worth £400 were stolen from a clothes store in the town at the end of last year and police have now released these images of the suspects.
One had highlighted hair and was wearing a cut-off denim jacket and large hoop earrings. The second also had highlighted hair and was wearing jeans, a black jacket and long black boots.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.


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FTC fines company $62 million for FTC Act violations
On August 1, the FTC announced a consent order against an online home buying firm for allegedly making misleading claims. According to the complaint, the company allegedly advertised to potential sellers using misleading and deceptive information. The complaint also alleged that the company violated provisions of the FTC Act by, among other things, misrepresenting: (i) market value prices when making offers to buy homes by including downward adjustments to such values; (ii) the manner in which it made money on transactions; (iii) that consumers likely would have paid the same amount in repair costs whether they sold their home through the company or in traditional sale; and (iv) that consumers paid less in costs. The firm issued a statement regarding the FTC settlement stating that, among other things, it “strongly disagree[s] with the FTC’s allegations,” and that the FTC’s allegations “are related to activity that occurred between 2017 and 2019 and target marketing messages the company modified years ago.” The statement also noted that the settlement will allow the firm to “focus on helping consumers buy, sell and move with simplicity, certainty and speed.”
According to the consent order, the company is required to pay the FTC $62 million, which is expected to be used for consumer redress. The company is also prohibited from making deceptive, false, and unsubstantiated claims to consumers about how much money they will receive or the costs they will have to pay to use its service. Additionally, the company is required to have “competent and reliable evidence” to support any representations made about the costs, savings, or financial benefits associated with using its service, and any claims about the costs associated with traditional home sales.


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A frozen beef lasagne marketed by toothpaste brand Colgate, a motorbike-scented perfume by Harley Davidson and a Donald Trump board game are among the exhibits on display in Sweden’s new Museum of Failure.
The brainchild of organisational psychologist Dr Samuel West, the museum, set to open in June, is premised on the idea that we learn from our mistakes; that failures are indeed to be celebrated, The Guardian reported.
“The majority of all innovation projects fail and the museum showcases these failures to provide a fascinating learning experience,” the Helsingborg-based museum proclaims on its website.
The more than 60 showcased products and services from around the world shed light on why innovations fail.
Europe’s first underwater museum opens in Spain
Johnny Moore: Kaikoura – go for the cheese, stay for the museum
Northern Lights tour in Sweden: Seeking the world’s No. 1 bucket-list item
Apple Newtown’s handwriting recognition product, for example, was notoriously faulty, while the Twitterpeak – a device designed to capitalise on the then-growing popularity of Twitter and the Blackberry – is a classic example of combining two useful things to create a useless one, the report noted.
Despite doing nothing but look at Twitter, the Twitterpeak couldn’t display an entire tweet on its screen.
Bic’s “For Her” pens, meanwhile, show what happens when you take a useful item and idea (in this case market segmentation) and take them too far. Not surprisingly, women didn’t exactly clamour for the floral-patterned biros.
While over-innovation lies behind the failure of many showcased products and services, a few are infamous examples of failure to keep up with changing technology.
Blockbuster’s DVD box and Kodak’s clunky first-generation digital camera might incite nostalgia in some, but pity or even scorn in others. The kids, of course, are likely to simply look at them with bewilderment.
Not everyone, however, is comfortable with the idea of celebrating failure, particularly when their own bad ideas are in the spotlight.
Colgate, the report noted, refused to co-operate with West on the lasagne exhibit, leaving him to recreate the retro package himself.


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Summary: The Minswap team announced that $MIN Staking will commence on October 2nd 2023. $MIN Holders will be able to […]
Citi Bank Unveils Cutting-Edge Citi Crypto-Token Services Revolutionizing Cash Management and Trade Finance
In a groundbreaking move, Citi Treasury and Trade Solutions (TTS) has announced the launch and initial testing of Citi Blockchain […]
Cardano’s ADA was one of the best performing crypto coins in the past 2 cycles, but the million dollar question […]
Defending the Fortresses: Cardano and Bitcoin’s Impressive Security Streak Amidst Crypto Hacking Surge
Since 2016 Ethereum, Solana, Binance Smart Chain, and Arbitrum combined have lost over 7 Billion to hacks. However, amidst this […]
The recent incident involving MEX C, a prominent cryptocurrency trading platform, has caused significant unease among users as they were locked out of their Bitcoin futures trading options. This unfortunate incident occurred precisely during a period when Bitcoin prices were dropping, leading to suspicions of potential scams, market manipulation, and raising questions about the platform's integrity.
Unveiling the Dark Side: Unfair Advantage, Fraud, and Manipulation in the World of LP Launches and NFT Mints
In the ever-evolving landscape of cryptocurrency and blockchain, LP (Liquidity Pool) launches and NFT (Non-Fungible Token) mints have gained immense popularity. These events offer unique opportunities for investors and collectors to participate in exclusive projects. However, when individuals within a company, such as "JPEG Store," exploit their insider knowledge to manipulate the system, it raises concerns about fraud, dishonest practices, and the erosion of fairness in the crypto community.
Meme coins such as "SNEK," "DGAF," and "BANK" have captivated the cryptocurrency world with their hype-fueled rise and fall. This article exposes the deceptive nature of these coins, shedding light on their lack of long-term value and utility.
$FUNDS is a crypto awareness token that aims to onboard individuals to Cardano and cryptocurrency while appreciating in value through natural usage. With its unique ecosystem and emphasis on education, $FUNDS separates itself from other crypto projects, bridging the gap to widespread adoption and revolutionizing the perception of blockchain technology.
The Creation Station Studios: Pioneers of Self-Tape Auditions with Innovative Blockchain Integration
The entertainment industry has been witnessing a digital transformation, and The Creation Station Studios has been leading the way in revolutionizing the self-tape audition process since 2013. Renowned as the "Self-Tape Doctors" or "Self-Tape Gurus" of Hollywood, they have not only established themselves as experts in self-taping but have also embraced cutting-edge technologies. Their innovative integration with the "PIIGGY coin" and the Cardano blockchain has opened doors to a new era of opportunities, offering actors unique experiences such as crypto bonds, exclusive NFTs, and other groundbreaking blockchain services.
a quick and easy video on how to buy Minswap (MIN) via their community DEX.
Minswap (MIN) is an open sourced and audited AMM DEX (decentralized exchange), built on Cardano (ADA). Currently trading at $00.01117, at the time of this article. Read the original article by Piiggy Bank Blockchain Labs.
In the face of market turbulence this month, Paribus has reiterated its commitment to being a deflationary token. According to the company's announcement, the current burn amount is sourced from the Paribus ecosystem, as the public MVP is yet to be released.


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Shares of AutoNation (AN) were rising Tuesday after the car dealer reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.
Shares of the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. company rose 2.37% to $80.25 at the last check during trading. AutoNation shares have gained 65% over the past year.
The automotive retailer posted adjusted earnings of $2.43 a share on revenue of $5.79 billion, compared to analyst estimates of earnings of $2.01 a share and revenue of $5.56 billion.
During the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, AutoNation sold 3.1 million shares of its stake in Vroom for proceeds of $105 million and realized a cash gain of $78 million.
In 2021, AutoNation said it sold its remaining stake in Vroom for proceeds of $109 million and realized a cash gain of $87 million. In total, the company realized a cash gain of $165 million from its investment.
Vroom is the New York car dealer enabling consumers to finance and buy vehicles online and have them delivered.
Gross profit per vehicle at AutoNation rose 50% to $2775 from $919, the company said.
AutoNation said it plans to build over 100 pre-owned vehicle stores, with over 50 completed by the end of 2025 in the U.S.
In 2021, AutoNation plans to open five stores in the U.S. in Austin, Denver (2 stores), Phoenix, and San Antonio.
The company said it will add 10 new stores by the end of 2022.
AutoNation has a long-term goal of retailing more than 1 million combined new and used vehicle units per year.
Earlier this month, Autonation announced the AutoNation Express experience. It will provide customers with a seamless and intuitive omnichannel vehicle shopping and purchase experience for its locations.


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The UK’s PPMA group, comprised of four trade associations (Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, British Automation and Robot Association, Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association, UK Industrial Vision Association) reports that while robot sales for the first two quarters of 2012 have boomed in the automotive sector, a reluctance to integrate robotics in other market areas is causing the UK to trail competitor countries in the progression of highly automated manufacturing procedures.
PROCESS ENGINEERING?In the first quarter robot sales of 923 units were recorded which is larger than the annual total for many of the previous years. The second quarter brought this figure to 2000 for the half year end.
However, automotive and automotive-component orders contributed 85% of this figure in the first quarter, and 89% of the sales in the second.
This trend appears to be continuing, at least in the short term. Whilst in most other sectors robot sales are increasing, the growth still remains sluggish and in some sectors in sporadic decline.
Mike Wilson, British Automation and Robot Association Chairman said ?whilst we welcome the level of robot orders from the automotive sector largely driven by product demand in global emerging markets, it is a real concern that other sectors are still not understanding the potential implications of not automating.”
“Other countries such as China, Germany and most of the major European manufacturing nations are investing heavily in automation to sustain competitive advantage?. He continued. ?Part of the problem in the UK is a short term approach and the perception that the pay back period is longer than it often is.?
However, the Government?s drive to automate UK manufacturing is going well, according to Grant Collier, head of marketing for the PPMA Group of Associations.
?Over 220 manufacturers around the UK have taken up the Government funded Automating Manufacturing Programme which shows manufacturers how they can benefit from automation,? said Collier.
Applications to date have come from a wide range of industries, including over one third from the food sector which is surprising since this has traditionally been an area very slow to adopt automation, he added.


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Whether you are looking for a job or are already an Amazon Force employee, it’s important to take the time to get familiar with the company’s Orientation and Safety programs. This is the only way to ensure that you are working safely and effectively.
Amazon’s long-term strategy is to apply labor forecasts to future site selection
During a recent coronavirus pandemic in New York, Amazon employees in the JFK8 fulfillment center were monitored and supervised. They were assigned to their jobs, but they could be fired at any time.
The fulfillment center is the only Amazon fulfillment center in America’s largest city. It handles millions of orders and employs hundreds of thousands of workers. During the pandemic, the warehouse was used to contain the virus.
In October, Amazon announced that it would begin to provide free on-site testing for employees who are sick. They also said that they would expand their safety program to all U.S. operations by the end of the year.
Attrition at Amazon’s facilities in Phoenix increased from 128 percent in 2019 to 205 percent in 2020
Having been in business since 2007, the Phoenix, AZ metro area has long been a key market for Amazon. The region is home to 20 million potential customers and is within a two-hour drive of two of the largest container ports in the US.
It’s no secret that Amazon has had a history of aggressive termination practices. The company has also invested nearly $1 billion in employee education and wellness programs. In addition, its computer systems have the ability to fire employees for minor infractions. However, the company has failed to adequately track employee data for promotion or training purposes.
Amazon’s termination practices persist in other parts of the country
During the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon employed hundreds of thousands of workers in its JFK8 fulfillment center in New York City. The facility was a vital pipeline for Amazon to get items to customers in the city. In the days before the virus hit, the Amazon system was already overstressed.
The New York Times reviewed government records and interviewed 200 Amazon employees. They found that Amazon was firing workers for reasons that outsiders could not understand. It also fired employees for being off task and for not using their sick days.
Camperforce is a great option for RVers
Whether you are looking for a temporary gig, or are just looking to make some money on the road, the Amazon Force Camperforce is an excellent opportunity. The program offers a competitive pay rate and a variety of other benefits, including free campsites and a referral bonus. It is a good option for families, couples, and individuals.
Amazon Camperforce jobs involve a variety of tasks at fulfillment centers, including receiving, picking, packing, and stowing. Employees receive a base salary, along with overtime pay and a completion bonus. Workers can expect to work at least 10 hours a day for several months.
Having a new job at Amazon is a blast. While the company is a relative of an employer, it is a juggernaut in the eCommerce space. The competition is stiff, especially for entry-level positions. In a bid to retain its best and brightest, the company implemented a mandatory orientation program for its most promising graduates. The program is a good way to weed out the pack while providing a sense of belonging to those lucky enough to get hired. The orientation is not just a big ol’ meeting, though.
Safety school for Amazon Force
Despite the fact that its warehouse was incinerated, Amazon managed to put its best foot forward. The requisite apologies and apologies have been well received. As you might imagine, there’s a bit of a learning curve on the way to achieving the desired state of mind. But, hey, we’re not perfect, right? Having said that, if you’re in the market for a new warehouse, you might want to take a cue from the big boys and girls. The next time around, you’ll be in business for the foreseeable future. With a bit of planning and a bit of luck, you can look forward to a happy and healthy new year.
Attrition in the US retail industry
During the omicron Covid-19 variant havoc, Amazon executives were worried about a labor shortage, a concern that was reflected in their internal research models. According to those models, Amazon would exhaust all of its potential workforces by 2021 in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, and by 2022 in the Inland Empire region of California.
The calculations were very accurate. According to those models, Amazon could expect to run out of warehouse workers in the US by 2024, putting the company’s service quality at risk. Those calculations also predicted delivery delays.


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Overall, macros remain to be good but this uncertainty has to play over that would keep the markets rangebound. We see markets consolidating in the month of October as well, said Kumar.
After a strong rally witnessed earlier in the month of September, the market lost steam soon after it hit a record high of 10,178 but the recent correction should be used by investors to tap into quality stocks, says S Krishna Kumar in an exclusive interview with CNBC-TV18.
Weakening macro fundamentals have come out to be a major concern for market participants which will be keenly watched in the next few months as well. But, all these are short-term headwinds and any correction should be used to buy quality stocks.
“Considering the uncertainty around macro data on GST collections and on SME segment, markets will weight for some more clarity to emerge in terms of policy measures from corporates. Our belief is that GST collections were quite robust and fiscal wise we should be comfortable. The borrowing program was more or less the same,” said Kumar, CIO Equity, Sundaram Mutual Fund.
Here’s Why You Should Invest In Equity Mutual Funds
He further added that we advise investors to participate and get invested using this correction and consolidation in the markets.Commenting on the sectors, he said broader themes are getting stronger such as consumer discretionary, lifestyle, automobile, retail, branded apparel and retail credit. The rural economy is also picking up.


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IDW publishes 24 LEGACY Prequel
IDW Publishing is launching a five-part comic book series based on 24: Legacy. Rules of Engagement will fill out the backstory of Eric Carter, the lead of the new TV series, by showing his experience in Iraq and Washington, D.C., before he became a national hero and, subsequently, a hunted man, for killing a terrorist leader in the Middle East.
The series is written by screenwriter and novelist Christopher Farnsworth, with art by Antonio Fuso, the series is being overseen by 24: Legacy executive producers Manny Coto and Evan Katz.
24: Legacy — Rules of Engagement will be available digitally and in comic book stores in April.https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/idw-publishes-24-legacy-prequel/https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/24-Legacy-logo-600x257.pnghttps://www.firstcomicsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/24-Legacy-logo-150x64.pngNewsIDW


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Thursday, December 14, 2006
Yakitate!! Japan is a Japanese comic book (food manga), which is now available in English in the US. Vol. 2 will be released here this month. (This is from the November issue of Saveur, so the English-language edition should be available now.) Kazuma Azuma, the hero, wants to be a baker, and the comic includes recipes, along with the action of traditional comics. There's a sample strip in Saveur, and they're written to be read right to left, top to bottom. Looks like fun.


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The Facebook Messenger for Android 2.0, has been released. It includes an exclusive new features such as threaded texts and Facebook messages on select phones.
With the new update, any SMS message you receive is pulled into Facebook Messenger in addition to your regular SMS app. The messages only live on your phone, they will never copied to the Facebook website or sent to Facebook in any other way. So no need to worry about that.
Additionally, the new Facebook Messenger app includes a slide-out pane to see who is online, a more conventional conversation view that turns your messages into bubbles, and a ‘last active’ indicator that shows when friends were last available for chat.
The new area called “Favorites” are also added; it provides quick access to the people you chat with the most.
Many of the above mentioned updates will appear inside Facebook for Android. The company noted that a messenger update for iOS will launch soon, of course it cannot include text message threading since iOS won’t allow it.
As of now, the threaded SMS feature is only available on certain phones, with the HTC EVO 3D, HTC One X, HTC Wildfire S, LG Optimus Black, LG Optimus Hub, Samsung Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy SIII, and Samsung Galaxy Y being able to use the new feature. Facebook has said that more phones will be receiving the support for threaded messaging in the next few weeks.


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Media reports on Russian ships call into Ceuta are controversial — embassyRussian Politics & Diplomacy October 26, 22:03
Russia’s telecom watchdog tries to block LinkedIn through courtSociety & Culture October 26, 21:29
DPR envoy reports no constructive discussion on "Steinmeier formula" in MinskWorld October 26, 21:14
Six NATO countries say ready to dispatch their forces to Black Sea areaWorld October 26, 20:43
Moscow refutes allegations about plans for Russian cruiser's call into Spanish portMilitary & Defense October 26, 20:38
US, Israel abstain from UN GA vote condemning Cuba embargoWorld October 26, 20:31
Western sanctions expected to relax gradually in 2017 — ex-finance ministerBusiness & Economy October 26, 20:25
Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates intend to see battle for world’s chess crown — FIDE chiefSport October 26, 20:24
Mi-8 helicopter lost in Russia's Yamal was running out of fuel — IACWorld October 26, 20:20
CHANGSHA, China, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The express delivery industry has undergone fast growth along with the rapid development of electronic commerce over the years, while filling in the information such as addresses and zip codes is still a must when people send mails. Thanks to METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING MAIL PATH INFORMATION, the PCT patent (Application No: PCT/CN2013/074342) applied by Mr. Hong Yong in China, this tradition may become out of date, allowing the express delivery industry become more intelligent.
Using this method, the sender and receiver can get their latitude and longitude from mobile phones, and register their latitude, longitude and phone numbers in a computer system. The courier could provide pick up service per system notices, the system can figure out a best delivery path and sequence according to receivers' latitudes and longitudes, and the courier no longer needs to remember locations of a large number of streets and buildings, a less efficient way to dispatch mails. As a result, the sender, the receiver and the courier can rely on the mobile APP to ease the job. Anyone simply can send mails, report or inquire the mail's location by pressing the cell phone keypad.
The biggest beneficiary of this revolutionary technology is, without doubt, express-delivery companies, because its main purpose is to solve the sorting problems that the address or zip code-based traditional automatic sorting technology could not be completely solved. Once the latitude and longitude of the sender and receiver are registered online, the system can determine the mail path from the collecting courier to the dispatching courier based on the information about the coverage area and the sorting level of each courier pre-set on the electronic map by the express-delivery company in the computer system.
The complete mechanized sorting could be realized by scanning the mail-specific barcode at all sorting points along the whole mail path. Thus, compared with the traditional automatic sorting system, there will be a huge savings in manpower cost each year in sorting global billions of mails. A third-party integration platform based on the patent method allows the mail sender and receiver to choose couriers and let the express delivery company to plan and share the means of transport after mail path calculation.
For more information, please contact Mr. Hong, firstname.lastname@example.org


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Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) FiOS results bounced back in the second quarter, with revenues rising 14.4 percent year-over-year to $3.1 billion due to an uptick in both broadband and video subscriptions.
FiOS Internet penetration was 40.1 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2014, up from 38.6 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2013. During the same period, video penetration was 35.3 percent compared with 34.5 percent a year ago. The FiOS network passed 19.3 million premises by the end of the second quarter of 2014.
The uptick in FiOS revenues helped drive up both total wireline and consumer revenues, helping to offset legacy declines in its business and wholesale divisions.
Total wireline revenues were $9.8 billion, up 0.3 percent year-over-year, which was the first quarterly gain in what Verizon said was over seven years. Wireline operating income margin was 2.7 percent in second-quarter 2014, up from 0.8 percent in the second quarter of 2013.
Consumer revenues rose 5.3 percent year-over-year to $3.9 billion, with FiOS revenues making up 75 percent of the total. Meanwhile, consumer wireline service APRU was $123, up 11 percent from the same period a year ago.
Here's a breakdown of Verizon's key wireline metrics:
Broadband and Video: During the quarter, Verizon added 139,000 net new FiOS Internet connections and 100,000 net new FiOS video subscribers. At the end of the quarter, Verizon had a total of 6.3 million FiOS Internet and 5.4 million FiOS video connections, representing year-over-year increases of 9.3 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively.
The service provider continued to see more of its customers subscribe to its higher speed FiOS Quantum broadband tiers, which provide speeds ranging from 50-500 Mbps, up 51 percent sequentially from the end of the first quarter of 2014.
"We continue to see strong adoption of Quantum as 55 percent of our FiOS Internet customers subscribe to the higher speeds ranging from 50 to 500 Mbps," said Fran Shammo, CFO and EVP of Verizon Communications, during the earnings call.
To make its FiOS offerings more attractive, Verizon announced this week that it is automatically updating existing and new FiOS customers for all of its six main tiers with symmetrical broadband speeds for no additional charge.
Overall broadband connections were 9.1 million, up 1.5 percent year-over-year. Net broadband connections increased by 46,000 in second-quarter 2014, as FiOS Internet net additions more than offset declines in DSL-based broadband connections.
Verizon also continued to migrate more of what it calls "chronic" residential copper customers to fiber, a move that it says enables it to reduce repair costs and improve the ability to upsell customers more services. In the second quarter of 2014, the service provider migrated an additional 70,000 customers off copper and onto its fiber network.
"This network initiative continues to be important as we systematically upgrade our network and provide higher quality of service," Shammo said. "Aside from the maintenance savings and improvements in customer satisfaction, customer conversions to fiber provide an opportunity for customers to purchase FiOS services, which result in recurring revenue."
Business Services: Per the trend seen in earlier quarters, Verizon's sales of strategic services such as private IP, Ethernet, data center, cloud, security and managed services to enterprise customers rose 3 percent year-over-year.
However, overall Global Enterprise revenue declined 1.9 percent, or $70 million year-over-year, as more of its customers migrate off of legacy TDM, frame relay and ATM services.
"Revenue declines in legacy transport services and CPE continue to outweigh growth in strategic applications which are smaller in scale," Shammo said.
Wholesale: Due to ongoing declines in legacy TDM-based revenue, global wholesale revenue down $92 million, or 5.5 percent, year-over-year $1.57 billion.
"While we continue to see healthy demand for Ethernet services, positive growth continues to be more than offset by price compression, technology migration, and other secular challenges," Shammo said.
From an overall financial perspective, Verizon reported that total operating revenues in second-quarter 2014 were $31.5 billion, up 5.7 percent over second-quarter 2013. By carrying out what it said was more "effective cost management," the telco's operating revenue rose 17.2 percent year-over-year to $7.7 billion.
Looking forward, Verizon forecast consolidated top-line growth of 4 percent and adjusted consolidated EBITDA margin expansion in 2014. It said it expects "positive contributions to profitable growth from both wireless and wireline."
- see the earnings release
- hear the earnings webcast (reg. req.)
Special report: Wireline telecom earnings in the second quarter of 2014
Verizon Q1 FiOS revenue rose 15.5% to $3B, but weather issues slowed installations
Verizon makes all of its FiOS broadband tiers symmetrical, upgrades new, existing users for free
Verizon to introduce 500 Mbps FiOS for $310 per month
Verizon unveils FiOS 300 Mbps data speed tier, doubles existing tiers


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Creatives have turned much of a Christchurch quake house into beautiful and useful objects.Christopher Gardner
That was almost two years ago and on Monday week 114 of the useful objects – many of them indeed beautiful – will be auctioned to the general public. Proceeds go to the creatives and Kilmarnock Enterprises, a manufacturer that employs about 70 people with intellectual disabilities.
The project, known as Whole House Reuse (WHR), has been on show at Canterbury Museum since early June. It was the brainchild of Juliet Arnott and Kate McIntyre and a stepchild of Rekindle, a social enterprise founded by Arnott that is best known for recycling wood from vacated earthquake houses into tables, chairs and artworks.
Creative Tim McGurk contributed many pieces to Whole House Reuse Charity Auction.
Whereas Rekindle used a tiny percentage of the materials available from quake houses, WHR set out to use everything from one house. It turned out to be a step too far. Unexpectedly, asbestos was found and the tainted materials had to be disposed of appropriately. And it turned out that some materials simply didn’t inspire somebody creative.
Still, 398 objects were created from the materials of 19 Admirals Way, New Brighton. It was a 1920s, three bedroom bungalow and in many respects unremarkable. That was part of Arnott and McIntyre’s point: It was an “everyman’s home”, said McIntyre, just like the many thousands of Canterbury homes that have been demolished because of quake damage and are now mere memories and landfill burden.
By reusing one entire house, WHR could pay homage to those lost homes and make the point that contemporary disposal methods are flawed. An entire house – or much of it anyway – could be reused.
Lath Dining Chair by Tim McGurk and Trudo Wylaars.
Perhaps the classic example is a set of dinning chairs by Tim McGurk and Trudo Wylaars, who shaped lath wood into seats. Lath and plaster were widely used to finish building interiors before the advent of gib board. Laths were the narrow strips of wood onto which plaster was trowelled. Lath held the plaster in place.
Deconstructing lath for reuse in fine furniture was a tedious business, Arnott says, but the results are immensely sturdy and eye-catching seats. They are the “only chairs like this in the world”, Arnott says.
Oh, somebody somewhere might have built chairs from lath, but not lath from quake-condemned 19 Admirals Way. It’s this New Zealand backstory that imbues the objects with such interest, says Canterbury Museum exhibitions manager Neil Phillips.
It’s also why the museum exhibited WHR, he says. “A lot of the pieces are about honouring the house,” he says. The project’s intention and results were museum quality, he agrees.
Which is why the museum intends to buy three items from the show for its permanent collection. One is a lath coffee table by McGurk. It features a striking ridgeline that projects out of the top of the table. The ridge could be a mountain range, breaking waves or an earthquake fault.
Frame Chair by Mike Hindmarsh, a fine furniture maker from the Nelson area.
More conventional but undoubtedly beautiful is “Frame Chair” by Mike Hindmarsh, a fine furniture maker from the Nelson area. The low single seat is a “place to relax and unwind” according to the auction catalogue.
Made from highly finished rimu in from the “body-contact areas” — seat and back — and raw unfinished timber for the legs and frame, the entire chair is a “tribute to the material’s original purpose”. It’s an “especially fine piece of furniture”, says Arnott.
Manufacturing dining tables from rimu studs was an obvious solution to the WHR challenge and two of New Zealand’s finest wood craftsmen — David Haig and Hamish Southcott — each built tables of exceptional quality, Arnott says.
Haig is perhaps best known for his signature rocking chair. When studying the studs from 19 Admirals Way, he noticed the lathe and plaster had left a “ghostly ladder-pattern” imprinted in the wood. Rather than plane away all of that pattern, he incorporated some into the table.
The result is a table clearly made of recycled wood — and a beautiful object — but with patterns that “maintain a connection with the wood’s source”, according to the catalogue.
Tim McGurk’s lath coffee table features a conversation-starting ridgeline.
Southcott’s table is likewise a large and fine recycled timber object, but his “Role Reversal Lamps” caught the eye of many museum staff and outside creatives, says the museum’s Neil Phillips. The lamps are role reversed because concrete piles from the house are no longer supporting something (the house), but are now themselves supported by something (rimu frames from the house).
Role Reversal Lamps by Hamish Southcott caught the eye of many museum staff.
Holes large enough for small LED light fixtures have been gouged out of the base of the piles and the power cords cleverly hidden. “No-one has thought to put lights in a concrete pile before,” says Arnott. Three of Southcott’s four lamps will be sold at the auction.
Sculptor Hannah Kidd is known for her lifesized animals made from welded metal, For WHR, she made necklaces from “conduit”, the metal tubes that carried electrical wiring behind walls and under floors. It is a most utilitarian material from which to create “high fashion” necklaces, but that was her point: “to make something unexpected and, at first glance, unrecognisable from the materials selected”.
Glass works by Frances Woodhead.
The creative brief was that the final objects had to be useful, says Arnott, and designers seemed to find usefulness in different ways. “Some looked at a bath and made a bath,” says Phillips. Others wanted to make an object — say an easel — and went looking for materials in the WHR collection that could make an easel.
The items being auctioned aren’t all large and likely to be expensive. Also going under the (silent) hammer will be rimu pens and chopsticks, totara serving spoons, and wooden toy cars shaped by Kilmarnock Enterprises. It’s a “contract manufacturer that proves how capable people are who have a disability,” says marketing co-ordinator Islay Rackham.
WHR and Kilmarnock will develop a new collaboration after the auction, Arnott says. Auction proceeds and Creative NZ funding will be used by designers who can identify waste streams in New Zealand, create a product for Kilmarnock to manufacture and on-sell for profit.
The house at 19 Admirals Way, New Brighton, Christchurch, before demolition.
An example might come from WHR itself. Russel Frost, once from Tasman region and now of East London, made an alphabet from wood blocks, each with a letter carved onto them. Wood blocks were once used by the printing industry, even if metal was more durable and popular.
Frost’s collection of WHR type blocks will be live auctioned as a set but he’s also hand printed limited edition posters, which will be sold in the silent portion of the charity auction.
These posters celebrate the kowaro or Canterbury mudfish, an example of which Frost carved onto a wood block. He saw in the the little-known and threatened mudfish a “metaphor for the resilience of a population which is also in need of help”.
* Whole House Reuse Charitable Auction will feature silent and live bidding. Monday August 24, Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch. Tickets: $25 from ticketek.co.nz. Doors open 5.30pm, auction begins 6.30pm. Phone bidding may be possible. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.org


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The Nokia 3310 is coming soon! Yes, you read it right! The classic phone is back in town…
Did you know that the Nokia 3310 is one of the world’s best-selling mobile phones of all time, with over 126 million units sold worldwide?
Well, you can laugh now, kids, but there was once a time when the Nokia 3310 was the best thing that the phone industry has ever produced!
In the era of analog phones, Nokia and other early mobile phone manufacturers gave people something exciting to bring around so they can call and text their friends. People can also kill time by playing ‘Snake’.
Of course, today, most people own smartphones with thousands of capabilities far more superior than those offered by the Nokia 3310 but HMD Global (the Finnish company who now has exclusive rights to market the Nokia brand) plans to re-launch a revamped version of the much-loved phone.
Reports have surfaced that HMD will reveal the new Nokia 3310 version during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona at the end of February.
It is interesting to note that its rumored upcoming selling price ($62 or Php3,100) is much less than when it was first released ($160 or Php8,000) but still considerably high for today’s standards, considering that it is most likely going to be just another classic feature phone.
Does that mean that the manufacturers have tweaked the phone to possibly add more exciting features and capabilities than it once had? Will this revamped model come with cameras and higher memory, perhaps?
For now, everything is really just speculation – and we all have to wait for the actual announcement from HMD! But they did promise that the Nokia 3310 is still going to be as reliable as it had been when it was launched in 2000, seventeen years ago! That surely means we wouldn’t have to charge the phone for at least a week, eh?


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- Another consumer manufacturing company has announced its decision to quit operations in Nigeria
- Procter & Gamble, the leading consumer manufacturing company, said it dissolving its on-group operations due to macroeconomic issues
- The company cited Forex challenges and other issues as reasons for the decision
Pascal Oparada has over a decade of experience covering Tech, Energy, Stocks, Investments, and Economy.
Leading consumer goods manufacturer Procter & Gamble has revealed plans to dissolve its on-ground operations in Nigeria and turn the country into an import market.
The company's Chief Financial Officer, Andre Schulten, disclosed this during a Morgan Stanley Global Consumer and Retail Conference presentation.
Procter & Gamble provides reasons for ending Nigerian operations
The consumer giant stated that it is challenging to do business in Nigeria as a dollar-dependent company and that the macroeconomic reality in Nigeria is responsible for its decision.
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So when you think about places like Nigeria and Argentina, it is difficult for us to operate because of the macroeconomic environment."
"The restructuring program will largely focus on Nigeria and Argentina.
Schulten explained that the decision will aid the company to concentrate on markets with the highest potential.
He said Nigeria is a $50 million net sales market, stating that the decision would have little impact on its overall operations as an $85 billion conglomerate.
More companies exiting Nigeria
The decision by P&G to exit the Nigerian market came amid forex volatility in the country.
In August 2023, British healthcare company GSK announced it ended operations in Nigeria after 52 years.
Feelers from the market show that GSK's decision has impacted Nigeria's cost of prescription drugs and general healthcare products.
After GSK, Sanofi, another foreign company to leave Nigeria, sells shares to local operator
Legit.ng reported that Equinor Nigeria Energy Company (ENEC) has agreed with Chappal Energies to sell ENEC's 53.85% ownership in the oil and gas lease OML 128.
According to a statement obtained from Equinor's website, this includes the unitized 20.21% stake in the Agbami oil field, operated by Chevron.
The deal's completion, however, according to the statement, is subject to regulatory approval.


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Dell's pending $67 billion buyout of EMC -- which includes potential control of VMware -- faces continued financial pressure from Wall Street and investors. Focus on the deal will intensify as EMC and VMware prepare to announce their latest quarterly results the week of January 25, 2016.
Among the key concerns, according to USA Today:
- EMC's share price spent most of January 20 trading below the $24.05 price that Dell offered as the buyout price for the company last fall. (The share price has since recovered a bit in after-hours trading.)
- As VMware and EMC shares dipped since Dell's buyout announcement last fall, the value of a tracking stock tied to the deal (originally $9.10 per share) has also slid and is now essentially at $0 per share.
Private Equity Markets: Stretching Thin?
While the Symantec, Veritas and SolarWinds developments aren't directly related to the Dell-EMC deal, they show just how complex private equity funding has become at the moment.
EMC, VMware Next Moves
VMware and EMC shareholders will closely watch earnings announcements from each company -- set for January 26 and January 27, respectively. EMC has already announced a layoff plan -- and made at least some of those cuts -- ahead of the company's January 27 earnings call.
According to USA Today: "If EMC shares can’t hold support at $24 between now and the company’s quarterly earnings call next Wednesday, Jan. 27, at least some market participants are starting to doubt this deal gets done even at the stated cash price."
Don't Underestimate Michael Dell, EMC
Still, Michael Dell has faced -- and overcome -- buyout challenges before. His company went private in 2013 but the move included a long, hard-fought battle with some shareholder activists that wanted a higher share price for the deal.
Meanwhile, EMC continues to evangelize the proposed Dell-EMC business combination. In a recent blog responding to a critic of the deal, EMC Senior VP and CTO John Roese wrote:
"While our innovation engine is more complex and multifaceted than a single startup, it results in an industry leading flow of innovation that we think will create enormous strength within the combined Dell+EMC."
If Dell has its way, the EMC buyout will be completed sometime between May and October 2016. In the meantime, former AMD CEO Rory Read is now at Dell as COO -- working overtime on the overall Dell-EMC integration plan. Still, the potential path from here to there won't be a straight line. Much like the stock market itself, the proposed Dell-EMC business combo will potentially experience plenty of turbulence in the weeks and months ahead.
Michael Dell has navigated similar turbulence before. Can he do it again?


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Intel's New Atom Netbook Processor
Dec 21, 2009 5:43 PM
Intel on Monday launched its next-generation Atom netbook processor, saying it will bring longer battery life and improved system performance to low-cost laptops.
The single-core Atom N450 chip is 60 percent smaller than existing Atom processors, and consumes close to 20 percent less power, said Anil Nanduri, director of netbook marketing at Intel. The chip draws about 5.5 watts of power, according to an Intel specification sheet.
The small footprint of the chip could also lead to new device designs, like thinner netbooks and tablets, Nanduri said. Netbooks with N450 chips will be shown by major vendors at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show to be held in Las Vegas Jan. 7-10.
The company has about 80 netbook design wins based on the latest processor, Nanduri said. The company did not immediately release pricing for the chip, but said new PCs will be available at existing netbook price points.
Netbooks are low-cost PCs characterized by small screens and keyboards, and are designed to surf the Internet and run basic applications like word processing. The category took off when Asus introduced the Eee PC in 2007, and today top vendors including Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer and Lenovo offer netbooks.
The Atom N450 will run at a clock speed of 1.66GHz, which is the same as an existing Atom N280 netbook chip. However, the improvements in the N450 come from the smaller chip size, achieved by integrating the graphics and memory controller into the CPU. The N450 will process multimedia faster and free up bandwidth for the processor to communicate with other components. Previously, the graphics and memory controller resided outside the CPU.
The graphics improvement will come as relief to netbook users who have criticized the chipset in current Atom netbooks for its limited graphics compared to Nvidia's Ion platform, which plugs a GeForce graphics core into an Atom chip to deliver full 1080p graphics.
The integrated graphics processor in N450 is capable of 720p high-definition graphics natively, but Nanduri insisted the N450 processor is meant to consume Internet content, not to play graphics-intensive games or view high-definition movies.
"These are not meant for hooking a Blu-ray player to it," Nanduri said. However, Intel is validating technology from companies like Broadcom that vendors can integrate into systems with the Atom processor to let users view full 1080p high-definition content.
Netbooks powered by Atom N450 will run Windows 7, Windows XP or the Linux operating systems, Nanduri said.
Netbook shipments totaled around 17 million in 2008, with the number expected to more than double by the end of this year, according to research firm DisplaySearch. Many netbook purchases were driven by the economic downturn late last year and earlier this year when consumers clamped down on spending.
"People thought this was a recession-oriented business, but we believe... this is a category here to stay," Nanduri said.
Nanduri acknowledged netbooks could be threatened by ultrathin laptops being offered at competitive price points. Ultrathin laptops are lightweight laptops that are as portable as netbooks, but provide performance to run most applications such as high-definition multimedia or casual gaming. Intel supplies chips under the Celeron, Pentium and Core brands for ultrathin laptops.
Intel also launched two Atom processors for low-cost, small form factor desktops. The single-core Atom D410 and dual-core D510 operate at clock speeds of 1.66GHz and include 512KB and 1MB of cache respectively. The D410 draws around 10 watts of power, while the D510 draws 13 watts. Intel has about 50 design wins for entry-level desktops, Nanduri said.
Three weeks after Apple Music's launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook said "millions and millions of customers" had already signed up for the new streaming service, which certainly sounded impressive (though vague). We weren't expecting to hear any hard numbers so soon after Apple Music's release, but music industry insiders are saying more than 10 million people have subscribed in less than a month.
Would you endure a single interactive advertisement in exchange for an hour of uninterrupted streaming music? Pandora hopes so.
After dabbling with something new and far slower, LinkedIn is once again making it easy to grab a list of your contacts from the social network.
YouTube cofounder thinks Google's plan to launch a subscription version of the service without adverts is a great idea.
Twitter held its first Flight conference for mobile developers this year, and has confirmed it will open its doors again in October in San Francisco as it aims to grow its user base.


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Turner will be handling the internet and “mobile” mediums. Internet is obvious but mobile could mean cell phone or PDA broadcasts as well as other electronic devices. I do remember getting a note from a guy (I’m trying to remember who) who told me about a PGA tournament where they passed out electronic devices to the gallery which had some kind of live broadcast and live scoring.
It will be cool to see what Turner New Media will be able to do. They’re certainly pioneers in electronic sports media.