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Thirty-one years after the first Elvis Festival attracted just 195 local attendees, Parkes is anticipated to come alive again for the 2024 festival. What started as a family dream and a cute name for a regional restaurant has become one of the most significant cultural events on the calendar, amplifying a regional NSW town on the world stage.
Today, the festival has the town of Parkes all shook up, delivering a masterclass in successful marketing and attracting upwards of 25,000 guests, all paying homage to the late king of rock and roll, along with a worldwide media audience of 599 million fans across the globe.
“Like all good stories – The Parkes Elvis Festival started over a bottle of vino back in 1992 with founders Bob and Anne Steel, along with some friends, dreaming up the idea for a night of celebrating all things Elvis. In its first year, 200 fans showed up, and throughout the past thirty years, the festival has grown exponentially. Originally taking place over one weekend, the Elvis Festival is now a five-day experience that sees the whole town convert into a festival playground,” said Joel Ulbricht, Parkes Elvis festival producer.
Since its inception, the Elvis Festival has put the town of Parkes on the map, with thousands of tourists flocking to the destination every year. “If you look back at the last thirty years of Parkes Elvis Festival, this has become an event that brings thousands of visitors to the Central West in the middle of January. Instead of escaping to the seaside, tourists migrate on mass to celebrate and experience the magic of all things Elvis,” said Ulbricht.
With guests arriving in style from the big city via NSW TrainLink’s Elvis Express and the Rex Hound Dog Express, the festival is all action, a showcase of all the town has to offer. “Parkes Elvis Festival showcases over thirty venues, clubs, bars, restaurants, and outdoor spaces that become live venues. In 2023, over one hundred and fifty shows and experiences will be produced from Wednesday, 10 January to Sunday, 14 January,” said Ulbricht.
The result is off the charts for a town with a population of just over fifteen thousand. With twenty-five thousand visitors descending onto the town, there is a significant increase in the local economy. Latest figures report an over 13 million dollar injection into the community in just the first few weeks of January.
“The increase in spending plays a significant role in what has traditionally been a very low season – not just for Parkes but also the neighbouring townships of Forbes, Orange, and Dubbo,” said Ulbricht.
A massive source of support for the festival and overall revenue for the town as a whole comes from sponsorship and advertising, with support coming from both local businesses and major national and international travel organisations. The festival is already in talks to secure partnerships that support entertainment, family, and brands that want to showcase tourism and travel ahead of their 2025 festival.
“Sponsorship and advertising play a critical role for the Parkes Elvis Festival. The rising costs of supply, production, artists, entertainment, and overall event expenditure means the team are continually focusing on partnerships, sponsorship and advertising to help offset the costs,” said Ulbricht.
So don’t board the conspiracy train if you see a troupe of Elvis’s making their way through Central Station early next year. Elvis has most certainly left the building, but his loyal fans have definitely not! The 2024 Parkes Elvis Festival’s theme is a tribute to the late stars Jailhouse Rock and will run from 10th – 14th January in Parkes, NSW.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Meta’s decision to stop paying for Australian news is “not the Australian way” and that he is “very concerned” about the announcement. Meta today confirmed it will walk away from funding Aussie journalism once the current content deals expire in what is a significant blow to Australia’s largest publishers. […]
The Australian media industry has responded to Meta’s decision to walk away from funding Aussie journalism once the current content deals expire. In a blow to local media outlets, Meta said it will not enter negotiations to extend deals to pay Australian media companies for the news that appears on its platforms. Michael Miller, News […]
Free TV has said that today’s announcement by Meta that it will not be renewing any of the deals struck with Australian media companies for use of news content on its platforms should be met with swift action by the government. Meta today revealed it will walk away from funding Aussie journalism once the current content […]
NOVA Entertainment has today announced the launch of a refreshed brand identity for FIVEAA, Adelaide’s premier commercial talkback station. The forward-looking brand refresh reflects FIVEAA’s new lineup and vision while paying homage to the station’s previous logo and rich heritage. Built upon the new tagline of Always Adelaide, the new direction celebrates the ‘AA’ branding […]
Australian social and content marketing workflow platform Fabulate has won big at the industry’s annual AiMCO Awards, taking out the highly competitive Best Influencer Marketing Technology Service category. Lead image: Fabulate team at Aimco Awards The win saw the start up platform, which has a team of around 50, receive the industry recognition against competitor […]
Australia’s newest transformative TV technology, Hubbl, will be on sale from March 10 in Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi retail stores nationally and via Hubbl.com.au. Lead Image: Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany at Hubbl Launch. Also from March 10, Hubbl will unveil a national advertising campaign starring brand ambassadors Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. The multi-channel […]
Marking a historic moment, THE LUME Melbourne will welcome original pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus to Australian shores for the first time, as they touch down on March 9, before going on display to the public from March 16, when Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius presented by Webuild opens to […]
Eyeota, a Dun & Bradstreet company and a global source of data for digital marketing, have selected Proximic by Comscore, a leading provider of audience and content targeting solutions for programmatic activation, as its preferred partner for making its full taxonomy of audience segments available for contextual cookieless targeting.


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Shares of Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) have raced 70% higher this year, smashing the broader stock market's 8% decline as of this writing. Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman said he exited his bet against Herbalife early in 2018; paired with rebounding sales and share repurchases, investors who believed in the nutritional supplements company should be quite pleased.
After a banner year, though, a repeat performance might be a tall order to ask.
2018 by the numbers
Ackman bet against Herbalife years ago because, as he said at the time, the company was a "pyramid scheme" whose stock would "go to zero." It's true that Herbalife distributes its product through multi-level marketing, selling through a network of independent members that earn income based on product sales and the recruitment of new members. However, as skeptical as many may be of the model, business regained traction over the past year both in the U.S. and abroad as the company worked to expand its membership. Sales are still off their peak back in 2014 prior to legal scrutiny and a $200 million Federal Trade Commission fine in 2016, but it's clear that Herbalife is far from broken.
What's next in the playbook?
By the time 2018 is finished, management thinks total sales will have grown 10% to 11% over 2017, good for adjusted earnings per share between $2.74 and $2.84. Things at Herbalife could be due for a cool down, though. For 2019, sales growth is expected to ease to 2.8% to 6.8%, with adjusted earnings coming in between $2.70 and $3.10 -- flat to up as much as 9%. That guidance does exclude any impact from share repurchases; the board of directors recently approved a five-year program to repurchase up to $1.5 billion in stock, which is currently 18% of Herbalife's total market cap. But there's no certainty as to when repurchases might occur.
Based on the mid-point of adjusted earnings expectations for 2019, Herbalife is trading with a price to earnings ratio of 19.9. Unless the company buys a substantial amount of its stock next year, that is a bit pricey for a company that is expecting a sales slowdown in the low- to mid-single digits, and a best-case earnings increase of only 9%. For comparison, the S&P 500 index has a one-year forward price to earnings of 15.1, indicating Herbalife is trading at a premium.
I'm certainly not suggesting anyone short the company as Bill Ackman did. But after a big run-up in price in the last year, Herbalife stock looks like a better wait-and-see scenario than a jump on-the-bandwagon investment.
10 stocks we like better than HerbalifeWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has quadrupled the market.*
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*Stock Advisor returns as of November 14, 2018

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Due to the progression of Zaxby’s CEO and co-founder Zach McLeroy to his current position as the company’s Chairman, the position of CEO has been designated for Bernard Acoca. He joins the franchise as the first-ever non-founder CEO, having inherited Zaxby’s from Zach, who has been the sole Chief Executive Officer since the company’s inauguration in 1990.
Established by two childhood confidants, Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley, Zaxby’s franchise makes mouth-watering sandwiches, chicken fingers, salads, and wings. Backed by a dynamic, actively involved franchise community, Zaxby’s has expanded to over 900 outlets across 17 states in the United States. “Spearheading Zaxby’s Chicken has been a remarkable, transformational journey,” Zach McLeroy said. “I am truly lucky to have had a rare opportunity to collaborate with dedicated and skillful team members and brand partners with whom we share the same commitment to our mission –– constantly developing extra performance experiences that enhance lives, an individual at a time.”
Having gained over twenty years of experience in marketing and management within the restaurant sector, Bernard Acoca is the ideal CEO for Zaxby’s. Since 2018, he has worked as CEO and president of El Pollo Loco, where he served for three and half years. During this period, Bernard took the brand through a digital e-commerce transformation that quickly accelerated and streamlined its growth. Before this, Acoca invested seven years at Starbucks, working in various positions, including senior vice president and marketing.
Bernard Acoca also served as president of Teavana and chief marketing officer for the Americas for L’Oreal while investing 10 years at Yum! Having worked in the industry and for various brands, Bernard Acoca has garnered experience that makes him the best CEO to take the brand forward to the next level. “It’s a great honor to take up this challenge of stepping into the shoes of Zach McLeroy as the first non-founder Chief Executive Officer, ” commented Acoca. Refer to this page to learn more.


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A bit of a facelift for Facebook.
And it's one that will have the site looking and feeling a lot more like Twitter. The online hangout is shifting around its home page so Facebook users can more easily choose the types of information they see.
The site will let users follow public figures like President Barack Obama or swimmer Michael Phelps or their favorite bands or sports teams.
Starting next week, Facebook will also launch a new home page that lets users get continuous updates from their friends, rather than getting them every 10 or 15 minutes.
And for those of us who have those friends who are always sending updates that we aren't all that interested in? Facebook will let you add a filter that will keep those updates at a minimum without "de-friending" them.


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The North-Oak NRZ (Neighborhood Revitalization Zone) and the New Britain Police Department are holding a tag sale to benefit New Britain Police Athletic League (PAL).
The tag sale will be June 3rd from 9:00am to 2:00pm. It will be held at America’s Food Basket, the new supermarket at 250 Allen Street.
Donations for this tag sale will be accepted from 8:30am to 9:00am. Cash donations are welcome as well.
More information may be obtained by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org or email@example.com.


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29 September 2006
Google has opened up its Internet telephony service to everyone, not just users of its Web mail.
Google Talk, which makes voice calls over the Internet and sends instant messages, had been limited to people who use Gmail. The search engine on Thursday decided to drop the requirement to encourage more people to sign up for the service.
Some features, however, remain limited to people with Gmail accounts. Those include chat histories and mail notifications.


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It should be remembered that on Monday, the monetary authority ordered that companies that sell soybeans through the Export Increase Program will no longer be able to access the purchase of the stock dollar -CCL or MEP- nor the so-called savings dollar. The measure does not include producers that sell soybeans but the companies that do so.
Meanwhile, the dollar today -without taxes- advanced 8 cents this Thursday, September 22 a $151.64 for saleaccording to the average that emerges from the banks of the local financial system. At Banco Nación, meanwhile, the retail note increased by 25 cents and was sold for $151 – without taxes.
In the parallel market, for its part, the blue dollar fell $2 to $285 after jumping $10 on Tuesdayaccording to a survey of Ambit in caves of the city of Buenos Aires, as a reaction to the implementation of a new stocks to soybean companies.
Savings dollar price, Thursday, September 22
The dollar I save or solidarity dollar-which includes 30% of the COUNTRY tax and 35% deductible of the Income Tax and of Personal property– won 14 cents a $250.21.
Price of the tourist dollar, Thursday, September 22
The tourist dollar or retail card plus COUNTRY Tax, and a perception of 45% deductible from the Income Tax and of Personal property– went up 14 cents at $265.37. A) Yes, the gap with the blue reached almost $20.
Wholesale dollar price, Thursday, September 22
The wholesale dollar, directly regulated by the BCRA, increased 27 cents a $145.16.
Dollar exchange rate CCLThursday, September 22
The Dollar Cash with Settlement (CCL)-operated with the Global 2030- rose 2% a $312.16, a new high in almost two months. The gap with the wholesale official exchange rate thus reached 115%.
MEP dollar priceThursday, September 22
The MEP dollar -valued with the Global 2030- increased 0.7% to $302.19. Thus, the spread with the officer reached 108%.
Blue dollar price, Thursday, September 22
The blue dollar fell $2 to $285according to a field survey in the Black Market of Currencies. Meanwhile, the gap with the official dollar was located at 96.3%.
Crypto dollar price, Thursday, September 22
The crypto dollar or Bitcoin dollar earn 0.2% to $304.40, based on the average among local exchanges reported by Coinmonitor.
More news about the Blue Dollar and the Dollar
Stocks for soybeans: they will not be able to buy the official dollar, MEP or CCL
Dollar: what are the new measures and what does the market expect
Dollar: how to unsubscribe from the rate subsidy to access savings, MEP or CCL


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Grand Theft Auto V is a radical re-creation of the GTA series.
Rockstar Games announced that the latest release of the Grand Theft Auto series of games will be on the market early next year.
Grand Theft Auto V alone in sieve-sieve by leading games publisher [...]
Screen sharing or screenshots into its own excitement for BlackBerry users. But how do I do this on the BlackBerry 10 platform?
Like on iOS and Android, BlackBerry 10 does not require an additional application for taking screenshots.
Quoted from CNET, [...]
From Windows 8, until Outlook.com and Windows Phone 8, Sinofsky gave the main color on the recent changes in Microsoft.
Less than a month after the launch of Windows 8 operating system, President of the Windows Division at Microsoft, Steven Sinofsky, [...]
After the release of the game Grand Theft Auto III in the mobile version, Rockstar Games is back doing the same thing for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Quoted from Slashgear, Saturday (27/10), the presence of iOS and Android version marks the 10th anniversary [...]
Given the importance to always be vigilant when surfing the internet, here are some practical tips from Microsoft Indonesia.
- Lock your computer and other accounts with strong passwords, as well as a unique four-digit PIN on the mobile phone.
- Do not [...]
According to research from GameStop, as many as 60 percent of gamers not interested in buying the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720.
This is related to the possibility of a second next-generation gaming consoles can not play the game used or resale.
If you like music, then you need to think of having mp3 downloader for pc since it can be a tool that you can use to pick any songs that you like the best. And there are many brands of mp3 downloader you will come across out there. With this condition, [...]
You look forward to welcoming the Microsoft Office applications on Android and iOS seems to be more patient.
Because, the latest news says that Microsoft is delaying its release until 2014.
Quoted from ZDNet, Thursday (11/4), the largest software producer [...]
Google Drive Users get 5GB for free rations from Google.
Google announced on Tuesday (11/27), will integrate Google Drive into Gmail. The move will create a Google e-mail service users can send files of up to 10 GB.
Requirement Gmail users also must [...]
News of the warm coming from two future Samsung products mentioned in this release, the Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Note 3.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Thursday (21/3), both rumored to appear first on IT exhibition IFA 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
This event is scheduled [...]
To promote Windows Phone 8, Microsoft took the actress Jessica Alba and singer Gwen Stefani as their commercials. The two celebrities have been selected for the top stars, their status was also a homemaker.
Ads featuring Windows Phone 8 is a busy celebrity [...]


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Only a quarter of British people trust food from the United States, according to a survey.
Research conducted online by YouGov with more than 3,500 adults across the United Kingdom in July and August looked at levels of trust in domestic and imported food.
Only 25 percent of British people trust food from the United States. This is the same level as Kenya and Brazil. Only 11 percent trust food from China.
Trust in chicken from the United States is especially low and the report suggests this could be a reflection of the debate and concern about chlorinated chicken.
UK public trusts domestic food
The Trust in Food index, launched by food chain assurance system Red Tractor, found the public believes that the UK’s food is safe, traceable and of good quality with 84 percent of consumers trusting food from Britain. Trust is highest in vegetables and fruit, followed by bread and milk but lower for meat and fish.
Of consumers that trust UK food a little or not at all, the main criticism is food available to them is unhealthy, overly processed or low quality. One in five base their criticism on the fear that UK food standards will drop because of Brexit.
Professor Susan Jebb, chair of the Food Standards Agency, said: “I find it really encouraging to see the results of this poll which reaffirms our knowledge that people have strong levels of trust in UK food.”
Ireland and New Zealand have the highest levels of trust amongst UK consumers, followed by EU food producers such as Sweden, Germany, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands. About six in 10 trust food from Australia and Canada. New Zealand is rated highly for its lamb, Ireland for beef, and Spain for fresh produce.
Half of those surveyed refer to high standards and regulations as the reason they trust food in the UK. Respondents also feel that inspection and assurance systems such as British Lion and Red Tractor play a greater role than government in ensuring the UK’s food is safe and of good quality.
More than twice as many people trust food bought in shops than in takeaways and deliveries. The low level of trust in the takeaway sector is interesting given the growth of the sector in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report.
Lower trust in takeaways
Christine Tacon, chair of Red Tractor, said the most important finding in the report is why most people trust the food they buy in the UK.
“By far the biggest reason why people trust food here in the UK is the strength of our food standards and our independent assurance schemes. Crucially, the parts of the UK food industry where those standards and schemes are less visible to consumers — such as takeaways and food service businesses — have much lower levels of trust,” she said.
“What that tells us is that if we want to maintain trust in UK food over the coming years, the most important thing isn’t what trade deals we sign with other countries. It’s whether we keep backing our food standards regime, led by the FSA, and supported by the many food assurance schemes which have been established over the past 20 years. We need to put a much bigger focus on the food service sector and make sure that food with poor standards and low traceability doesn’t creep in through the back door.”
Research will be repeated every year to track levels of trust by UK consumers in domestic and imported food.
Tim J. Smith, chair of the Trade and Agriculture Commission, said being able to trust that food has been produced to high standards is vital.
“On the one hand, we have the prospect of greater choice and more affordable food from around the world. On the other, we have the right to expect the food we eat in the UK to have been produced to the same ethical, environmental and animal welfare standards,” he said.
“This report shows that the government and food industry must do more to improve that transparency in the food service and out of home supply chains, and it is important that we take every opportunity to do so to maintain the levels of trust we have built in food in the UK.”
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)


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USA – Mondelēz International, an American multinational food and beverage company, has published its third annual progress report for its signature sustainable sourcing program, Cocoa Life.
Through Cocoa Life, the company also increased its sourcing of sustainable cocoa to 35%, up 14 points from 2016.
Cocoa sustainably sourced through Cocoa Life was expanded to more products, including the full Cadbury Dairy Milk line in the UK and Ireland as well as Oreocookies in Europe, connecting even more consumers who enjoy Mondelēz International brands to cocoa farmers.
The report shows that Cocoa Life is delivering on its mission of creating a strong cocoa supply chain while transforming lives and livelihoods.
It also addresses deforestation and building resilience to climate change across six cocoa origin countries: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, India and Brazil.
By the end of 2017, the program reached 120,500 farmers (up 31% compared to 2016) in 1,085 communities (up 26%).
“Cocoa Life is essential to our business, and I’m proud to see the progress we’ve made on the ground, working directly in cocoa communities.
This year’s Cocoa Life Progress Report shares significant accomplishments in securing the future of cocoa and thus, the future of our beloved chocolate for our consumers.
As we source more of our cocoa sustainably through Cocoa Life, we’re helping cocoa communities thrive,” said Christine Montenegro McGrath, Chief Well-being, Sustainability, Public & Government Affairs Officer at Mondelēz International.
Increasing cocoa farmers’ resilience to climate change was another important area of work for Cocoa Life in 2017.
Cocoa Life entered agreements with local governments and NGOs to help address deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire through several initiatives, including environmental and forest conservation training, mapping cocoa farms, monitoring protected land and distributing shade trees.
It also joined the World Cocoa Foundation and the Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit to establish the Cocoa & Forests Initiative with 11 other cocoa and chocolate companies.
Cocoa Life continuously identifies opportunities to scale up by working with independent partners to measure success and share on-the-ground learning.
This year, Ipsos published its impact evaluation of Cocoa Life efforts in Indonesia and impact studies for cocoa origins in West Africa are underway.
“We started Cocoa Life five years ago, and now is an important time for us to reflect on our progress.
Based on our achievements and learnings to date, we remain committed to our holistic, community-based approach.
In the coming year, we’ll continue working to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families, with a focus on climate change resilience, child labour prevention and women’s empowerment,” said Cathy Pieters, Program Director, Cocoa Life.


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BEIJING Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the world's biggest smartphone maker, said on Thursday more than 1 million people globally are now using Galaxy Note 7 smartphones with batteries that are not vulnerable to overheating and catching fire.
Recent Technology News
PARIS French video games maker Ubisoft is not aware of media giant Vivendi requesting a seat on the company's board, Chief Financial Officer Alain Martinez said on Thursday.
PARIS France's Safran has entered into exclusive negotiations with the owner of smartcard maker Oberthur Technologies over the sale of its Morpho business, the aerospace and defense company said on Thursday.
WASHINGTON A cyber security company on Wednesday asserted that the hack of 500 million account credentials from Yahoo was the work of an Eastern European criminal gang, adding another layer of intrigue to a murky investigation into the unprecedented data heist.
YouTube, Google's video streaming service, has hired former Warner Music Group executive Lyor Cohen as its global head of music as it looks to strengthen its relationships with the music industry.
PARIS/FRANKFURT Alarmed by the threat posed by Silicon Valley firms to their businesses in developing autonomous driving systems, it was evident at the Paris Motor Show this week that carmakers are seeking to fight back by cooperating in areas of technology development where previously they might have tried to compete.
- U.S. economy less sluggish in second quarter; companies investing more
- U.S. jobless claims rise less than expected
- Oil shares lift global stocks, crude dips on doubt over OPEC deal
- OPEC agrees modest oil output curbs in first deal since 2008 |
- Wells Fargo workers say they were fired for reporting 'gaming' of sales quotas
- Fed's Lockhart wants to see more improvement before hiking U.S. rates
- Takata should file for bankruptcy protection, all five bidders say: sources
- Sumner Redstone urges Viacom-CBS deal, rules out others
- Fed, BOJ add shine to risk-parity strategy


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Mobile phones are now one of the biggest parts of modern life, but why are they dangerous? Reportedly, radiation from mobile phones is believed to pose some health risks to people. It is known that mobile phones work by using radio waves. These waves can produce radiation and spread in all directions, including the user’s body.
However, the radiation on mobile phones is different from the radiation produced by other devices, such as X-rays and CT scans. There is no doubt that the device is very dangerous if exposed too often.
If you really want to know what health risks mobile phones pose to their users’ bodies, you can read our post. Here you go!
4 Health Risks from Mobile Phone Radiations and the Facts
Many health sources on the internet reveal the dangers of mobile phone radiation. However, many people are still unaware of the consequences for their health. We discovered some health risks from mobile phones that are supposed to be caused by mobile phone radiation from many internet sources. Let’s look at the facts below!
1. Decline in male fertility
It is such a common habit for men to put their mobile phones in their trouser pockets. If you always have this habit, make sure to stop it right now. Reportedly, putting your mobile phone in your trouser pocket can cause a decline in your fertility rates. Why does it happen?
Well, declining male fertility can happen since the radiation from mobile phones can affect sperm quality. However, some state that the effect of mobile phone radiation on male fertility declines is still in doubt since it requires further research to confirm this.
2. Impacts on pregnancy for both mother and fetuses
Another health risk of mobile phone radiation is that it will affect both pregnant women and fetuses. However, more research is needed because babies born prematurely can be caused by a variety of factors.
The study “Impacts of smartphone radiation on pregnancy: A systematic review,” conducted by Imteyaz El Jarrah and Mohammad Rababa, revealed that the evidence on the human body, especially on pregnant mothers and fetuses, is scarce. Furthermore, this study reported that the radiation from mobile phones during pregnancy is associated with miscarriages and fluctuations in the fetal temperature and heart rate variability, as well as infant anthropometric measures.
Even though studies about the impact of mobile phone radiation are still scarce, pregnant women shouldn’t put their phones on their stomachs and will be better off using hands-free when receiving calls.
3. Increased cancer risk
It is still controversial whether there is a link between mobile phone radiation and cancer risk. Until now, there has been no strong evidence revealing that the radiation from mobile phones can increase the risk of cancer. To prove it, it actually requires further research.
4. Negative effect on children’s health and development
Due to mobile phone radiation, children are at higher risk of experiencing health issues. Why? It’s because the children’s nervous systems are still developing and will be more susceptible to the effects of electromagnetic waves.
According to some studies, radio wave radiation from mobile phones really has an impact on the formation of tissue abnormalities and the metabolism of nerve cells in the brain. Once again, it will also require further research to prove that the radiation from mobile phones can have a negative effect on children’s development.
Some Tips to Minimize Radiation Exposure and Impact
Thankfully! There are several tips you can take to minimize the risks that may occur due to mobile phone radiation. Here they are:
- Make sure to use a mobile phone only when you need it.
- Keep your mobile phone away from the body when not in use.
- Make sure to use mobile phones only when the signal is strong since a weak signal can trigger mobile phones, which use more energy to communicate, so more radiation will be released.
- It is better to communicate through messaging rather than making a phone call to reduce radiation exposure from mobile phones.
- Never let your children use their mobile phones for long periods of time.
Overall, the negative effects of mobile phone radiation on health are still in doubt and, of course, require further research to be confirmed. Thus, preventive steps are still important to take in an attempt to reduce the health risks due to mobile phone radiation.
If you experience certain symptoms after using a mobile phone, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting, you have to immediately consult a doctor so that appropriate treatment can be carried out.


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After an upbeat 2012, U.S. consumer sentiment about the economy is sliding back into gloomier territory in 2013. McKinsey’s most recent survey of American consumers found that the average American is more price conscious than they were a year ago and that more people are living from paycheck to paycheck. Consequently, many Americans are tightening their wallets and actively changing their shopping behavior in order to save money. Thirty-two percent of U.S. consumers say they feel a decreased ability to make ends meet and 36 percent say they are living paycheck to paycheck, both larger numbers than in September 2012 (27 percent and 31 percent, respectively).
These results, which come from a survey of at least 1,200 people that McKinsey has conducted nine times since 2008, suggest that a true economy recovery in the U.S. remains elusive. While Americans are not as worried about their financial futures as they were five years ago, during the depths of the Great Recession, U.S. consumers are holding onto some of the behaviors they adopted during those severe economic doldrums. Many Americans (43 percent), for instance, have no intention of going back to pre-recession levels of spending or behavior. Reasons for this include the need to save for the future, a different set of values about spending, and uncertainty about the economy and job prospects. Twenty-eight percent of consumers report that they will perhaps ease the wallet strings in one to two years once they have paid down enough debt or rebuilt their savings.
In addition to the lingering effects of the recent recession, there are several long-term trends at play here too. The U.S. income gap has been widening since the 1970s and the income of top earners has grown very quickly compared to the rest of the population. In 1970, 43 percent of household income went to the top 20 percent. Now, 50 percent of income goes to this top group. Such absence of broad-based income growth is resulting in significant economic pressures for families earning less than $50,000 a year. Nearly three-quarters of such households say they are either getting by only after making spending adjustments (such as foregoing travel or selling a car), are having a really hard time making ends meet, or are in crisis. Even those making $50,000 to $74,000 are struggling. Forty-five percent in this group say they have had to alter their household spending and behavior.
Until these trends change course, it’s unlikely that U.S. consumers will go back to the sort of economic exuberance and generous spending levels seen prior to the recession. Americans have changed their spending behavior in various ways since the beginning of the economic crisis in December 2007. Some behaviors have experienced further regression, some are stabilizing, while others are changing in a more positive direction.
Here is an overview of McKinsey’s findings based on our most recent September 2013 wave of research:
1) Further regression in cutting back and penny pinching:
Forty percent of consumers say they are finding ways to cut back their monthly and discretionary household spending, an increase over last year’s figure of 35 percent (yet far below the elevated level of 65 percent cutting back in February 2009). Consumers in the lower income brackets are cutting back more than those with higher incomes. Forty-eight percent with annual incomes under $35,000 and 45 percent with incomes between $35,000 and $50,000 say they are trimming spending. Consumers are actively changing their shopping behavior in order to save money. This year, penny pinching intensified. Fifty-five percent of consumers say they are actively looking for ways to save money. Fifty-one percent are paying more attention to prices and 43 percent are using coupons more often.
2) Stabilized changes in eating habits and steady movements toward value brands:
The trend toward doing less eating out and ordering in has stagnated, yet consumers are increasing pleased with their adoption of more economical eating habits. Just over half of U.S. consumers say they are eating at home more often, 43 percent are eating more leftovers, and 30 percent are packing lunches from home, all figures roughly similar to what they were in September 2012.
During the recession many consumers stopped buying their favorite brands in favor of value brands, including private label, and experiences with these products have been such that many people (74 percent) say they do not intend to trade back up. Forty-three percent report better than expected experiences with less expensive brands, with 36 percent say they no longer prefer the higher priced product, either because the lower priced one offers a better than expected value for the money or because it is a higher quality than they thought it would be. Even many (38 percent) of those who say they prefer the more expensive brand state that going back isn’t worth it. Although the appeal of value brands is here to stay, the growth of their adoption in most food and non-food categories has slowed.
For food and beverage, the categories most susceptible to trading down are bottled water, canned vegetables, spirits, cereal, wine and frozen veggies. Sixteen percent of consumers, for instance, are switching to less expensive brands of bottled water. In non-food categories, it’s paper products, OTC drugs, and cleaning and laundry supplies that are most often traded down. Not surprisingly, the most popular brands to buy when trading down are private label. Sixty-two percent of consumers who traded down, bought private label.
3) Continued shift in where America does its household spending:
Consumers claim to be spending more in online sites, dollar stores, and mass/club stores, and at the same time say they are moving away from convenience stores, drugstores and traditional supermarkets. Surprisingly, this statement is true across income levels. Even though they might be able to afford shopping elsewhere, 22 percent of households with annual incomes of $75,000 and up say they are shopping more at dollar stores. When buying groceries online, consumers say that lower prices and time savings are their primary motivations.
4) Positive changes in easy meal solutions and category specific trading up behavior:
Money saving eating habits such as eating at home and packing lunches from home are adopted at rates similar to last year. Yet, more consumers rate the experience as better than expected. This year 60 percent of those eating at home liked the experience better than expected versus 55 percent last year.
Alcoholic beverages, hair care and cosmetics see consumers bifurcating towards less and more expensive brands. 7 percent of consumers claim to be trading down in beer, while 6 percent of consumers are trading up to more expensive and often imported beer brands.
The path forward
U.S. consumer confidence is not fully recovered. Those who had hoped the worst was over will have to contend with the fact that economic sentiment has taken one step back, with more regression than progression. And, with the upcoming changes in government spending on food stamps (officially called SNAP), another step backward is likely before we make progress again.
Here's what's in store:
- With government spending on SNAP starting to decline, those in the lower income brackets have less financial support for the purchase of groceries and need to make further adjustments just to put food on the table. Since one-seventh of the American population is currently receiving SNAP benefits, these household cutbacks are likely to have a slight dampening effect on economic growth, shaving an estimated 0.1 percentage point off the annual growth rate of the GDP.
- Merchandising is an increasingly important tool to sway consumers. Coupon usage is at an all-time high and is expected to increase – especially digital coupons. Thanks to the greater effectiveness of digital coupons, the total value of these types of promotions in the U.S. is expected to reach $22 billion in 2014 up from $8.3 billion in 2009 . Redemption rates for digital coupons are between 10 and 15 percent, compared to less than 1 percent for traditional coupons. Many consumer packaged goods players are partnering with tech-savvy retailers and digital coupon services to make the delivery of digital coupons seamless and the savings automatically applied at the check-out.
- The retail landscape will continue to change. Due to the increased popularity and penetration of the online channel, there is a shift away from physical stores. By 2020, online will represent 12-20 percent of total retail sales, up from 9 percent in 2011. This migration will have significant impact on the entire consumer landscape, and brick and mortar retailers will need to adopt a multichannel strategy in order to thrive in this new environment.
- Category behavior will follow an hourglass shift. In some categories such as bottled water, value brands will continue to grow in popularity. Although lower than what are seen in Europe, acceptance rates for value brands in the U.S. will accelerate in these categories. Other categories, such as skin care and baby food will be able to benefit from the concurrent trend of a subset of consumers trading back up.Manufacturers need to assess their brand position and margin structure to determine if they should expand into the mid-tier and value segment, or forge instead into the more profitable premium segment.
- Consumers are eating more dinners at home and report positive feedback about these experiences. The NPD Group estimates that the average number of meals eaten at home was 902 last year, up from 870 four years earlier. Strapped for time yet also wanting to put a healthy meal on the table, consumers are increasingly looking for meal starters such as the newly launched Campbell's Skillet Sauces and Kraft Recipe Makers.


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Milkybar, the number one white chocolate brand, today announces a new addition to its range with the launch of Milkybar Cookies & Cream.
Appearing in shops across the UK and Ireland from this week, the 90g sharing bar features creamy-tasting, smooth white chocolate studded with delicious, crunchy cookie pieces.
Molly Slater-Davison, Assistant Brand Manager for Milkybar said: “Cookies and cream is a classic combination for a reason, and we believe our delicious white chocolate makes it unbeatable! We are always looking for new ways to innovate and delight fans, and we hope they love this new sharing block as much as we do!”
Nestlé is believed to have invented the first white chocolate back in 1936, when workers who were making a vitamin-enriched condensed milk, added cocoa butter to make a solid tablet.>
In 2017, Nestlé introduced a lower sugar formulation for Milkybar that increased the quantity of milk in the recipe by over 10 per cent, making it the number one ingredient. By using more milk, Nestlé was able to naturally reduce the sugar content without using sweeteners. Milkybar is also free from artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives.
Today, Milkybar is more popular than ever. So far in 2020, over 11 million Milkybar blocks have been sold.
Milkybar Cookies & Cream is being made at Nestlé’s factory in York, which also produces KitKat, Aero, Yorkie and Polo. It will go on sale over the next few weeks in wholesalers and the convenience channel. Milkybar Cookies & Cream is available as a 90g sharing bar only (RRP £1.00).
Notes to Editors
Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company. With more than 2000 brands ranging from global icons to local favourites, we are present in 191 countries around the world.
For more information, please contact the Nestlé UK press office at [email protected] or call us on 020 8667 6005.
www.nestle.co.uk – Follow our UK
and Ireland team Follow us on Twitter @NestleUKI


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Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Learn more.
Nintendo announced today that its Switch console has now sold 17.79 million systems as of March 31. Nintendo released the information as part of its fiscal year report. Nintendo had forecast that it would sell 14 million consoles, a target that it easily passed.
The Switch came out on March 3, 2017, and has been a huge hit. The portable/home console hybrid had reached sales of 14.86 million as of December 31, so it has managed almost another 3 million sold since then. Nintendo is estimating that it will ship another 20 million units this fiscal year.
Super Mario Odyssey, the 3D platformer that we scored 100/100, is the console’s best-selling game. It has moved 10.41 million copies. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe follows with 9.22 million sold, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (which we also scored 100/00) is in third with 8.48 million games sold.
Nintendo is releasing more ports of Wii U games — including Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze (May 4) and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (July 13) — this year. It also delivering a new Mario tennis game — Mario Tennis Aces (June 22) — and a new entry in the fighting game series Super Smash Bros. (which will release sometime this year.)
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Learn more about membership.


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Richard F. O'Boyle, vice president- sales of the Western Hemisphere of Magnus Maritec International, Inc., 150 Roosevelt Place, Palisades Park, N.J. 07850, has announced that rapid expansion of sales activities has resulted in three promotions.
Seaward International, Inc. has announced the appointment of Dexter H. Brown as director of marketing. He will be based at Seaward's corporate office in Falls Church, Va. and will be responsible for marketing and sales of the company's marine products.
John W. Chandler has been named a vice president of Borg- Warner Corporation's York-International operation, York, Pa. He is responsible for all marine, military, and government sales of the c o m p a n y ' s air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment in the U.
Joseph Nolet, marine sales manager of Gamlen Chemical Company, a division of Sybron Corporation, Elmwood Park, N.J., has announced the appointment of Kevin Smith, president of Supplier's Marine and Industrial, Inc., to the position of Great Lakes Area sales representative.
A new president and chief of operations and two new directors were elected recently by the board of directors of The Foxboro Company, Foxboro, Mass. According to Earle W. Pitt, chairman and chief executive officer of the process control manufacturer, Colin I.
Brown & Root, Inc., Houston, Texas, a Halliburton Company, has announced the promotion of two new vice presidents, and the addition of another. Frank A. Akin, formerly manager of Business Development- Marine Services, was promoted to vice president-Business Development, Operations Services.
Flume Stabilization Systems, a division of John J. McMullen Associates, Inc., has announced the appointment of Peter C. Maschke as sales manager of the division. Mr. Maschke's responsibilities will include sales of the Flume and Elektrofin Roll Stabilization Systems,
H. Erich Nietsch has been appointed marketing manager of the Pollution Systems Division of Argo Marine. Mr. Nietsch will be concerned with the worldwide marketing of marine sanitation equipment, oily water separators, oil sorbents (for oil spills), compactors and incinerators.
The appointment of Theodore J. Lehman to the position of manager, marine and industrial sales, in the sales department of Electro- Motive Division of General Motors Corporation has been announced by Warren A. Fox, director of sales and service.
Frank W. McBee Jr., chairman and president of Tracor, Inc., has announced the election of Walter A. Clements as group vice president of Tracor Components. Mr. Clements, also president of Littelfuse, Inc., a Tracor subsidiary in Des Plaines, 111.


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Published in News
LG reports lower profit, keeps bleeding money in mobile
LG reported disappointing earnings for the second quarter and pinned the blame for the slump on its underperforming mobile division.
Total net income was just $138 million, up 50 percent year-over-year, but still 35 percent lower than the previous quarter. Luckily, LG's TV business did rather well, offsetting part of the loss attributed to mobile.
The Korean consumer electronics heavyweight recently pulled the plug on its tablet range, but it seems Optimus phones aren’t doing well, either. Sales of basic handsets declined, while at the same time LG started throwing money at promoting its new smartphones. Despite the effort, Optimus phones failed to gain much traction.
Analysts are skeptical about LG’s long-term outlook in the mobile space and they don’t see much hope for recovery. Taurus Securities analyst Eugene Kim told the Associated Press that it’s tough to be sure about LG’s possible recovery. Taurus Securities currently has a hold rating on LG.


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It’s clear that social media is one of the best ways to reach millennials. Asked which sites or apps they spend most of their time on, 51% of millennial teens cite Facebook and 45% say Instagram. Yet retailers don’t always allocate ad dollars accordingly.
Target is an exception. The brand’s ambitious holiday campaign encompasses Facebook, Instagram, and for the first time, Snapchat. Social accounts for 12% of Target’s paid media spend this year, a 30% increase over 2014 and a historic first for the retailer.
“Holiday this year represents Target’s most ambitious social spend for a single campaign,” senior social media director Colleen McDuffe told Adweek.
In addition to leveraging Facebook and Instagram ads to promote its Wonderpack crafting kits, Target is venturing into Snapchat for the first time with a Thanksgiving-themed geofilter. From December 1 until Christmas, the retailer will release a new holiday-related geofilter every day.
That dive into social is nothing new: Target’s social skills helped the retailer rank fourth in L2’s Digital IQ Index: Big Box. Target leads in its category on Facebook, garnering 85% share of voice among General retailers. Generating substantial engagement despite posting relatively infrequently, the brand achieves significantly higher reach than its counterparts except for Walmart.
Target’s social dominance is illustrated by the cross-platform “Share the Force” campaign, which not only generated substantial engagement, but also linked social content to commerce. The campaign leveraged anticipation around the upcoming Star Wars film by launching a microsite for users to share Facebook and Instagram content; each page includes a call-to-action button linking to related products on the Target site.
The brand’s holiday campaign offers an even bigger opportunity to promote shopping through social. By spending more on those outlets, Target will be able to drive sales among millennial shoppers.


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Even during this cold, hard winter, change is in the air, and in a few cases in this industry, it has little to do with “disruptive technologies” or anything of that ilk.
For instance, Sony’s decisions to sell its Vaio PC business and spin-off its TV operation may have been moves investors and Wall Street expected and been clamoring for, but to many in the industry it was disheartening. Stephen Baker, NPD Group industry analysis VP, said as much to Greg Tarr, TWICE’s executive editor, about the Vaio sale for our story that begins on p. 4.
In my view, the spin-off of Sony’s TV business has a good chance of working since by the end of this fiscal year, March 31, the company said it will just fall short of making a profit in the category. With a focus on what it stubbornly calls 4K TVs (Ultra HD for CEA and the rest of the business) and premium 2K, Sony still has enough brand strength to once again turn a profit in this all-important CE category.
As for retail, change continues to churn there too and, according to the top retailers and distributors who attended TWICE’s annual Retail Executive Roundtable during International CES last month, they were decidedly upbeat about industry prospects during 2014.
I attended the Roundtable and the optimism was a surprise since the admittedly shorter-than-normal holiday season and bad weather across the country during critical shopping weekends curbed sales and store traffic.
But the assembled executives at TWICE’s Roundtable are nothing if not realists. They can see that with Ultra HD prices poised to go to a point where it will be more broadly accepted, consumers will begin to not only see, but understand, why 4K is clearer than 2K, even if you are watching mostly up-converted programming.
Retailers whose operations were originally brickand- mortar (let’s face it; everyone is online now or else they are not in business) realize now that they now only have to emphasize their strengths – that they can demonstrate, sell and provide consumers products immediately without waiting for the FedEx, UPS or Postal Service truck to make a delivery.
They may not be able to, or choose to, compete in every category – especially commodities where price is always the thing. But Roundtable execs told TWICE senior editor Alan Wolf that retailers have the ability to demonstrate and sell the experience and not just emphasize selling one item based on price.
Of course, big boxes of all types are more challenged to do this than independents because their store personnel, for the most part, do not have the training or expertise to do that kind of selling.
And more independents are embracing, or should embrace, what TWICE likes to call “non-traditional” product categories – furniture, bedding, lighting, outdoor products of all types – and many more that they can explain, demonstrate, deliver and install profitably.
But that is a discussion for another day, specifically our March 3 print edition, where we will debut a special report called “[email protected].”
As I mentioned earlier, change is in the air.
- DEG Honors Dolby, Sony And Warner At Annual CES Awards Event - January 11, 2019
- LG’s CES Keynote: AI Is ‘Opportunity Of Our Lifetime’ - January 9, 2019
- Memories Of Our Friend John - April 12, 2018


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Jane Norman MD stands down
It has been reported that Ian Findlay, the managing director at Jane Norman, has stepped down. The news follows reports earlier in the week that the fashion retailer had been put up for sale by its banks due to a poor trading performance.
Findlay was appointed to the role in February when Saj Shah retired as chief executive after 16 years. In April, Findlay had indicated that he would be overhauling the business in an attempt to attract a younger more fashion conscious shopper.
PwC is leading the sales process and has sent out an information memorandum to potential buyers. Debenhams has been rumoured to be considering a rescue of the chain and, significantly, over half of the 200 Jane Norman branches are located in Debenhams stores.
Jane Norman had sales of £144 million for the year to 27 March 2010 and made an operating profit of £10.5 million, down from £11 million in the previous year.
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Facebook search helps nab Woodbury fraud suspect
A Minneapolis woman may be adjusting her privacy settings after police used Facebook to locate her in a Woodbury theft case.
The woman, 25-year-old Samantha M. Petersen, was sentenced last month on a felony fraud conviction in Washington County District Court. Judge John Hoffman sentenced Petersen to 106 days in jail and five years on probation.
The conviction stemmed from a December 2010 case involving thefts from vehicles at the Woodbury Life Time Fitness Center.
According to a criminal complaint, police were called Dec. 29, 2010, to the Life Time Fitness parking lot on reports of multiple break-ins to vehicles.
Victims reported finding windows of their vehicles smashed out and items missing. Among the stolen items were an iPhone, a laptop computer, a Coach purse and credit cards.
One of the victims learned that her credit cards had been used at various stores around Woodbury and Oakdale for purchases totaling $1,357.
Police were called back to the Life Time Fitness parking lot a week later for a report of a male and female using flashlights to look into vehicles parked there. Officers received a vehicle description and license plate identification for the suspects' vehicle.
Police tracked down the vehicle's registered owner and teamed up with other law enforcement agencies to find his Facebook page. His Facebook page included a photo of a female with facial scarring and a black tattoo identified as Samantha Petersen. A Woodbury detective learned from Wyoming, Minn., police that the suspect vehicle and suspect description matched up with Petersen.
On Jan. 31, a Woodbury officer met with workers at two of the stores where the fraudulent purchases were made. The workers identified Petersen as the person who used a credit card the prior month for purchases.
Petersen, of Minneapolis, received credit for 106 days already served in jail at the Nov. 18 sentencing hearing. Her probationary conditions include paying restitution of $444.


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LABOR MARKET COOLING?
In 2022, by some measures, it was easier for an American to find a job than it has been in over 50 years. Individuals were quitting their jobs at a record rate for higher-paying positions. With fewer workers and more jobs, employers raised wages aggressively to attract new talent.
Many job seekers found themselves in a strong bargaining position and could name their terms both monetary as well as intangibles. As wages rose so did benefits such as flexible schedules and free lunches. But as economists like to remind us, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Businesses’ profits got squeezed and the prices of everything from cars to eggs to sofas soared. Then the Fed’s Board of Governors raised the Fed funds rate from near zero to over 5% in what felt like a flash causing stocks and bonds to tumble, confidence to fall, and corporate profits to decline.
Despite the carnage the labor market hardly budged. Remarkably, the unemployment rate declined from an already low 4.0% in January 2022 to an even lower 3.4% the following year. In the meantime, wages moved in the opposite direction, increasing by over 6%. While the low level of unemployment is not in and of itself a concern for the Fed, wage growth is since wages feed directly into inflation and inflation continues to run uncomfortably high.
12-month moving average of median wage growth
With inflation slowing, but still uncomfortably high, the Fed faces a pressing question: Is the labor market slowing enough to further ease inflation?
Jobs are becoming harder to find. After a precipitous decline in workforce participation during Covid, more individuals are joining the workforce, driving participation rates closer to pre-pandemic levels. The percentage of workers voluntarily quitting their jobs has dropped back to the rate from 2019. More available workers mean less pressure on wages.
Despite this recent loosening of the labor market, it remains tight. Even though the number of job openings has fallen by about one third since early 2022, openings are still well above 2019 levels. Similarly, wage growth has eased from a peak of 6.7% in mid-2022 to 5.3% last month, but that latest number is still well above the pre-Covid rate of 3.7%.
For now, with the trend of fewer job openings and more workers, Federal Reserve officials are taking a wait-and-see approach. Broad price measures suggest that inflation is receding, but the Fed will watch for wage growth to soften further. In the meantime, stocks have staged an impressive rally, rising over 16% year to date, as investors bet that a softer labor market will translate to softer inflation.
BAD NEWS ON INFLATION, GOOD NEWS ON SOCIAL SECURITY
Earlier this month the August inflation data was released and showed a month-over-month gain of 0.6% up from 0.2% in the previous few months. As a result, the Senior Citizens League raised its estimate for an increase in Social Security benefits from 3.0% to 3.2% raising the average recipient’s benefit by $57 monthly. Of course, many will not see all of that increase as Medicare premiums are likely to increase. Stay tuned as we await the 2024 Medicare premium increases due in November.
WHAT DOES THE UAW STRIKE MEAN TO THE ECONOMY
Several weeks ago, union workers’ contracts expired without an agreement. Lacking a resolution, UAW organizers made good on their threat to launch strikes at three different companies: Ford, GM, and Stellantis, the maker of Chrysler, Jeep, and Alpha Romeo. They subsequently launched additional strikes expanding the walkouts.
With car prices already high, energy prices climbing, and wages rising faster than the Federal Reserve is comfortable with, what will the impact be for the broader economy?
Impact on Workers
After decades of declining union membership, unionization drives have grabbed headlines over the last couple of years. Unions continue to expand their reach at companies such as Starbucks and Amazon, as well as in industries such as Hollywood media. Some union negotiations, such as United Airlines and UPS, have successfully raised workers’ wages and improved working conditions.
Despite these developments, union membership continues to decline. Just 10% of American workers belong to a union, a level last seen in 1934. Interestingly, even with union membership declining, a growing number of Americans support unions.
Partly, the auto workers’ strike is about sticky inflation. With car prices roughly 22% above pre-covid levels and wages 18% higher, it would be easy to assume that both workers and auto companies would feel satisfied. Instead, inflation has driven the price of a wide range of goods and services ever higher, eating into both company profit margins and the workers’ buying power.
Real Wages: Auto Workers versus All Private Sector Workers
That said, this is not just about inflation because autoworkers’ real wages have fallen by 30% since their 2003 peak, well before inflation began to rise. At the same time, real wages throughout the U.S. have increased and, as UAW negotiators are quick to point out, auto companies’ managements have enjoyed large pay increases, helped by a strong stock market as much of this compensation came in the form of stock grants.
Union negotiators point to the disparity in compensation between a typical worker and the companies’ leaders. In this disparate experience, the auto companies are not unique. In aggregate, the compensation of America’s CEOs has grown to be nearly 400 times while the average workers’ compensation has grown 20 times since 1965. Given this growing disparity, workers at the auto companies are likely to continue to tip the scales back in their favor. We are not justifying fujhhhhhhhor against this difference in pay, we are just stating the facts.
Impact on the Auto Industry
The UAW is likely emboldened by the fact that auto maker profit margins have rebounded. Though it’s worth remembering the potential fragility of the business model; it was only fifteen years ago that both GM and Ford required massive bailouts from the government to survive. Only three years ago the pandemic interrupted supply chains and shut down factory floors, reducing the number of cars the industry could manufacture. Also, keep in mind that auto manufacturers are producing more electric vehicles and have not figured out a way to make a profit let alone compete with the likes of Tesla.
In the near term, fewer workers certainly mean fewer new cars and lower profits for the manufacturers. Longer term, even as production ramps up, the companies will face higher wage and benefits costs. However, the impact appears limited. The UAW strikes have focused on a handful of factories that produce midsize trucks and SUVs. While these models are among the more profitable for the auto companies, they represent a small amount of industry market share. If the strikes continue to expand, they will have an increasingly bigger impact on the companies, workers, and the economy.
Ford and General Motors Net Margin
Impact on the Broad Economy
The auto industry accounts for 3% of the U.S. economy. While not insignificant, the industry’s importance to the overall economy has diminished. In a full strike of all auto workers over ten days, the economic toll could reach $5.5 billion between lost wages and lost profits of the auto companies and related businesses. While a large number, it pales in comparison to the overall revenue of motor vehicle and parts dealers in the U.S. of $1.5 trillion.
Perhaps, the biggest risk to the broad economy is that a prolonged strike could start to drive up car prices once again, just as gas prices are also rising. Auto inventories had begun to rebuild after a drastic decline during Covid, but they remain at about one-third of their pre-Covid levels, leaving little cushion should production fall dramatically. With fewer new cars available, the average price of a new car remains over 20% above pre-pandemic prices. Even the threat of higher prices could drive car buyers to make purchases sooner than planned creating a sense of scarcity and further drive up prices.
The UAW strike marks a new chapter for the auto industry with workers and management openly pitted against each other. Though both sides still appear far apart, union members seem poised to make some gains in wages and benefits. How big those gains are remains to be seen. Given that neither side can afford a protracted battle, the strikes are unlikely to drag on for an extended period of time, which also limits the broader economic impact. Workers in other industries are watching closely.
LONGER TERM BONDS ARE BECOMING MORE ATTRACTIVE…ALMOST
Investors pay close attention to the U.S. Treasury market and Treasury bond prices are seen as an indicator of market sentiment. In volatile times, investors buy Treasuries for safety in what is considered a risk-free asset. Plotting the yields of Treasury bonds across different maturities creates the Treasury yield curve. A healthy yield curve slopes upward, rewarding investors with higher interest rates to compensate for lending out their capital for longer periods.
In the early days of the pandemic, yields dropped across the curve as investors flocked to safety on the long end of the curve. As vaccines were created and the world began to reopen, consumer confidence grew, and investors dumped their longer-term Treasury holdings in search of riskier assets thereby increasing yields on the long end of the curve (bond yields and prices move in opposite directions). The short end, however, was anchored by the Fed funds rate so the spread between the two grew. That dynamic changed at the end of 2021 as inflation took hold and spreads moved toward negative as the Fed began to raise rates in the Spring of 2022. The yield spread between 3-month Treasury bills and the 10-year Treasury bond turned negative last year and continued to decline through the first half of 2023. Many consider this to be a harbinger of an economic recession and it was a key talking point for those anticipating one this year.
As the Fed has slowed its pace of rate hikes amid cooling inflation, the spread has begun to reverse over the last few months. This curve normalization is being met with varying bullish and bearish opinions. We view this as a positive development. Properly functioning markets should reward investors for lending capital over longer periods and is in line with our “higher for longer” view on interest rates. The yield curve still has a long way to go before turning positive once again, but when it does, longer-term bonds could finally be an attractive investment.
We hope you continue to stay safe and well.
Proudly and successfully serving our clients for over 37 years. As always, we encourage you to call or email us if you would like to discuss anything.


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Jakarta. Reed Panorama Exhibitions in cooperation with the Indonesian Security Systems Industry Association, or Aiskindo, will host the Security, Safety and Facility Management Expo Indonesia at the Jakarta Convention Center on March 15-18.
The event will be the first convention in the country dedicated to the security industry, aiming to bring various security products, services and technology from all around the world to bridge customers and businesses.
The SSF Expo will also feature seminars and conferences themed "Security Technology Breakthrough," with security experts and professionals talking about the latest trends within the industry, and providing solutions and insights into current security issues.
With the growing market, the security industry grows as well. Demand has increased, as Indonesians are more aware about the importance of security products and services.
"The SSF Expo shows that Reed Panorama Exhibition plays an active role in advancing the security industry in Indonesia. The presence of various well-known brands will hopefully give our consumers more references and help people understand the importance of a good security system," Reed Panorama Exhibitions general manager Steven Chwee said during a press conference on Thursday (25/01).
"The importance of security systems cannot be overstated," Aiskindo chairman Stefanus Ronal Juanto said.
"We're very happy for the opportunity to hold the SSF Expo Indonesia with Megabuild Indonesia 2018. Through the exhibition, we hope customers and business owners and government officials can meet and share their insights about new products and technologies from the security industry," he said.


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The oft-rumoured Pixel Watch could finally have a release date, with a new report tipping Google to launch its first in-house Wear OS smartwatch some time in 2022.
The report doesn’t shed much more light on the Pixel Watch beyond its claim to confirm its existence, though additional sources speaking to The Verge said that the wearable would be positioned as an Apple Watch rival.
It’s apparently being developed by Google’s Pixel hardware division, separate from the company’s new Fitbit arm – Google having bought Fitbit for $2.1bn earlier this year.
As such, we can only speculate on a more exact Pixel Watch release date, with the annual Google I/O developer conference scheduled for May 2022 being the first potential stage for an official product reveal.
Source; Stuff tv


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The move follows a 58% year-over-year growth in revenue for the company
Branded Entertainment Network (BEN) Group, the company formerly known as Corbis that specializes in brand integrations, announced Tuesday that it will be expanding its business into China.
The company plans to open up an office in Shanghai in the coming months where it will continue to focus on brand integrations. The announcement follows a strong first half of the year for the company, which saw revenue increase by 58% since last year. The company did not disclose the specific amount of revenue generated.
BEN, which relies on an AI algorithm to match its clients with the best integration possible, plans to reach its target goal of 10,000 integrations by the end of 2019, a 40% increase from 2018. The company’s clients include TikTok, Frito-Lay, Old Navy and Tencent.
“The brand integration and product placement category is experiencing a significant expansion, and it’s being driven by innovative approaches to brand integration across influencer marketing and streaming,” Ben Group CEO Ricky Ray Butler said in a statement. “Our AI has been particularly successful through its potential to increase the scale, feasibility, and growth of brand…
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Beacon Securities analyst Russell Stanley has dropped his target on US cannabis multi-state operator Acreage Holdings (Acreage Holdings Stock Quote, Chart, News CSE:ACRG.U) but he said in a new update to clients on Tuesday that the company’s recent moves to cut costs and improve profitability are prudent given the current economic environment.
New York-based Acreage, which has cultivation, production and retail operations in the US including interests in 20 states, announced last Friday a number of measures aimed at addressing the current COVID-19-influenced business environment along with more cannabis-specific trends and “other uncontrollable factors that have greatly shifted the cannabis landscape,” according to management.
The company has furloughed 122 employees from both the corporate office and field operations, temporarily closed some operations including a dispensary in Maryland and one in North Dakota, closed wholesale operations in Iowa, and closed its Form Factory operations in California, Oregon and Washington.
Acreage has also converted its dispensary in Queens, NY, to a delivery hub and terminated the pending acquisition of a dispensary in Rhode Island.
As well, Acreage said it will be terminating the planned acquisition of Deep Roots Harvest, a private Nevada company which was set to be bought for US$120 million including US$20 million in cash and US$100 million in stock.
CEO Kevin Murphy said despite the difficult times, he is optimistic about the US cannabis industry and about Acreage, in particular.
“But as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the very difficult decision to furlough several of our employees and close certain facilities while we navigate through the crisis. Additionally, we withdrew from certain agreements with Deep Roots and Greenleaf as circumstances have materially changed. These bold measures will help to ensure that we emerge from this very challenging situation stronger than ever before,” Murphy said in a press release.
In his commentary, Stanley said terminating the Deep Roots buy was a good move, as the near-term disruption in Nevada (where cannabis companies are now operating as delivery-only during the COVID-19 era) and lingering uncertainty around new licenses and ownership requests in the state made the acquisition more dicey.
“We view the initiatives as sensible given the company’s balance sheet as well as the current market/regulatory environment. The termination of the Nevada and Rhode Island transactions alone conserve a combined $30 million in cash, and we believe that the temporary closures were focused primarily on markets that were underperforming, but may have good long-term potential that can be monetized at a later date.”
The analyst has reduced his forecasts and is now calling for fiscal 2020 GAAP revenue of $157 million (was $179 million) and EBITDA of negative $64 million (was $60 million) and for fiscal 2021 GAAP revenue of $387 million (was $470 million) and EBITDA of $68 million (was $92 million). (All figures in US dollars unless where noted otherwise.)
Correspondingly, Stanley reiterated his “Buy” rating but dropped his price target from C$5.25 to C$4.25, which at press time represented a projected 12-month return of 139 per cent.
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Though electronics manufacturers have made great strides in reducing their use of harmful chemicals in recent years, tech gear still may contain brominated flame retardants--chemicals used to reduce the risk of fire that studies have linked to lower IQs in children and reduced fertility rates.
"BFRs used in the manufacture of circuit boards can be converted to highly toxic brominated dioxins and furans if the products are burned at the end of their life," says Arlene Blum, executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute and a visiting professor of chemistry at UC Berkeley.
But even daily use can be dangerous, says Blum. "When used in plastic casings, BFRs can also migrate out of the plastic into the dust in the room and then enter the body via the hand-to-mouth contact."
The Fix: While major manufacturers such as Apple, Dell, and HP have moved away from BFRs in recent years, certain products built before 2009--especially devices that generate a lot of heat, like laptops and laser printers--may still contain BFRs, says Michael Kirschner, associate director of the Green Science Policy Institute. "Do some research," says Kirschner. "Almost all vendors now have an environmental section on their Websites that tells you about the materials they use."
The news isn't all bad, he adds. "Most manufacturers in the consumer arena have gotten the message to get additive BFRs out of their products."
As for older products still in people's homes? "They probably need to be replaced anyway, right?" Kirschner jokes.
Antivirus Software Won't Protect You
Security programs won't really protect you from the Internet's worst nasties. "Antivirus software only catches the low-hanging fruit," says Mark Kadritch, CEO of The Security Consortium and author of Endpoint Security. The increasing number of zero-day vulnerabilities--coupled with some vendors' failure to fix security holes in their products for months or even years--means that even the most up-to-date antimalware products may still be behind the curve when it counts, he says.
The Fix: You can't do without security software (see our Security Info Center for reviews of the latest security packages, plus how-tos and news), but to protect yourself more effectively you need to take extra steps such as saving your data to encrypted drives and installing VMware or other software that lets you create virtual machines and discard them as they become infected.
"At the end of the day, if you suspect your system has been compromised, blow it away and click 'restore' in VMware," Kadritch says. "You may lose some e-mail, but you'll get a brand-new system with the latest, greatest updates."
Your Cell Phone Is a Homing Beacon
We'll bet that you never leave home without your handset. Well, guess what: Wherever you roam, you can be found. You don't even need a GPS chip in your phone--your using cell towers allows your provider to triangulate your position within a few hundred yards.
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OFFICIAL claims notwithstanding, growers in many parts of the country continue to face problems in procuring urea or pay a premium on their purchase as conceded by the Fertiliser Review Committee. That the crisis continues to linger despite a significant increase in daily supplies from 342,000 bags to 440,000 bags confirms that the real causes — smuggling and hoarding — responsible for the shortage are yet to be tackled effectively. The prime minister’s orders for stern action against hoarders and profiteers as well as smugglers indicate that the crisis is far from over. The committee has expressed confidence that the enhanced supplies will boost the fertiliser’s retail availability, stabilising its market in the coming days, but the growers remain sceptical as is reflected by their panic purchases at a higher price to meet their needs over the next several weeks. Despite recent government actions to improve urea’s availability by providing uninterrupted gas supplies to the manufacturers and importing 100,000 tonnes of chemical from China, the crunch could extend beyond the wheat season.
Multiple factors — additional demand on better farm incomes, more rains, increase in the area under cultivation as well as hybrid varieties, smuggling, hoarding, etc — are blamed by the government and the industry for the domestic shortages and spiralling prices of one of the most essential farm inputs. This was despite record local production of 6.34m tonne fertiliser in 2021 against the annual average of around 6m tonne for the previous three years. What went wrong? In spite of signs of emerging shortages and warnings sounded by the wheat farmers and the urea industry as early as September, the government did not act to prevent an avoidable crisis. Even reports of nearly 343,000 tonne urea ‘vanishing’ from the market — presumed to have been smuggled out of the country — failed to budge the authorities. No effective measure was taken to stop smuggling to Afghanistan despite evidence. When raids began to be carried out on urea dealers’ premises to release ‘hoarded’ stocks, the crunch worsened as it spread panic in the market. In short, the urea crisis — similar to the sugar and wheat flour troubles in 2019 — is the outcome of the authorities’ inability to correctly forecast the demand-supply situation and take timely action. The urea crunch will ease in the next few weeks. But there are ample chances of it resurfacing if supply chain reforms are not implemented and governance not improved.
Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2022


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The third week of June saw a total of 10 fund-raising deals being struck by startups from the fintech, machine learning, foodtech, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and cyber security space. The deal that attracted the most attention and was the biggest among them pertained to fintech startup Mswipe raising $31 million from Matrix Partners, Ola, DSG Consumer Partners and others.
The second in the lineup was the deal where OneAssist Consumer Solutions raised $18 million from Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and others. Fintech seemed to be the flavour of the month with two to three startups from the sector raising fund every week.
A sneak peek into the last week's deals:
Mswipe raises $31 million in Series D funding
Independent point-of-sale (PoS) merchant acquirer and network solutions provider Mswipe raised $31 million in Series D funding. The company plans to use the funds to develop the largest network of merchants accepting digital payments in the country.
UC-RNT fund, a joint venture between Ratan Tata’s RNT Associates and the University of California, along with existing investors Matrix Partners India, Falcon Edge Capital, and DSG Consumer Partners participated in the round.
Mswipe claims to have a payment network reach of 2,46,000 terminals spread across more than 550 cities, with close to 80 percent of the customer base consisting of SME merchants typically supported by 1 to 30 employees.
OneAssist gets $18 million in Series C funding
OneAssist Consumer Solutions has raised $18 million in Series C funding. The investment round was led by Sequoia Capital with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners and Assurant Inc, all three being existing investors. along with a new investor Moonstone Investments.
The money will be utilised to improve technology, service and customer experience, as well as for product innovation.
Founded in 2011 by Gagan Maini and Subrat Pani, OneAssist Consumer Solutions provides assistance and protection services for assets like mobile phones, wallets, and appliances.
Grow Fit bags $4.5 million in Series A round
Growth Story-backed mobile health company Grow Fit announced that it had raised $4.5 million in Series A funding led by MEMG (Manipal Education and Medical Group), the PE arm of the Manipal Group. Grow Fit’s seed investors, The SAR Group, and The Grover Trust also participated in this round.
The funds will be utilised to expand to 10 geographical locations including Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Mumbai, as well as introduce new product lines.
Founded in February 2016 by Jyotsna Pattabiraman, Grow Fit is a full-stack health tech company that seeks to help Indians cure lifestyle diseases by leveraging data science, medical expertise, and personalised inputs.
Juila Computing raises $4.6 million
Juila Computing raised $4.6 million from US-based General Catalyst and Founder Collective. The money will be used to improve product development, sales, marketing, and services.
Founded in 2015 by the creators of the Julia language, the company helps customers solve complex and challenging computational problems that run on thousands of processors in the cloud or on matchbox-sized systems.
LoanTap raises $4 million in second round
Fintech startup LoanTap Financial Technologies has raised $4 million in its second round of funding. The round comprises of a mix of equity and debt instruments from Kae Capital, India Quotient, IFMR, and MAS Financial Services.
The startup has reported zero non-performing assets at the end of FY2017. At present, the platform is receiving 5,400 to 6,000 loan enquiries every month. LoanTap’s software carries out a complex set of underwriting on each and every application, which involves IP address, social media, and identity searches on individual profiles built over traditional underwriting.
Kissht raises $2 million
Fintech startup Kissht has raised $2 million from early-stage venture capital firm Endiya Partners, and Ventureast.
Founded in 2015 by Krishnan Vishwanathan, the app-based Kissht platform provides collateral-free loans for items like mobiles, laptops, jewellery, and electronics. It allows consumers to quickly get loans after uploading their bank accounts and their social media identities on the platform.
VoxWeb raises $1 million in round 3
VoxWeb, a mobile-first special purpose social network around "speaking-pics", has raised $1 million from individual investors in its third round of funding. The company said that VoxWeb promoters and employees will continue to own 80 percent stake.
The funding will be utilised to strengthen backend technologies and add engaging front-end features to cater to the new generation of social media users. The company will also invest in scaling marketing efforts to increase its user base.
MaxWholesale gets $1 million in pre-Series A funding
B2B grocery supply chain MaxWholesale raised $1 million in pre-Series A funding led by Indian Angel Network (IAN) and Maple Capital Advisors. The company will use the fresh funding to fuel growth and tech innovation.
Owned and operated by 99 Algorithms, MaxWholesale has developed a self-operated e-commerce platform to connect FMCG companies directly with small kirana stores disrupting the traditional supply chain. Founded in May 2016 by Samarth Agrawal and Rohit Narang, the app is available for both Android and iOS users.
Fabulyst raises $225K in angel funding
Fabulyst raised $2,25,000 in angel funding from iB Hubs, a startup hub. The funds will be used to enhance existing technology, acquire global e-commerce clients, and upgrade consumer interfaces for global demographics.
Founded by Vikas Jethnani, Vishal Chitravanshi, Raj Parakh, and Komal Prajapat, Fabulyst facilitates assisted online shopping, personal styling, and style consultation experience to users. The stylist of Fabulyst handpicks apparel for users based on choice, fit, mix-and- match options, etc. The startup uses proprietary machine learned algorithms (patents pending) to make the experience scalable.
Fynd raises $500k from Rocketship
Fashion e-commerce portal Fynd has raised a follow-on funding of $500k from Silicon Valley-based Rocketship. This new capital has been raised as an extension of the Series A funding round where Fynd had raised $500k from Venture Catalysts in March.
The O2O company directly sources products across categories, including clothing, footwear, jewellery, and accessories, from prominent brands in the country.
Want to make your startup journey smooth? YS Education brings a comprehensive Funding Course, where you also get a chance to pitch your business plan to top investors. Click here to know more.
- Matrix Partners
- Lightspeed Venture Partners
- Silicon Valley
- Kae Capital
- Matrix Partners India
- fintech startup
- mobile phones
- eCommerce platform
- e-commerce clients
- DSG Consumer Partners
- collateral-free loans
- sources products
- fashion e-commerce portal
- grocery supply chain
- Grover Trust


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Illinois Second District Appellate Court
Law & Courts /
State Appellate Courts
Recent News About Illinois Second District Appellate Court
A state appeals panel says a McHenry woman can't keep alive her lawsuit against Hobby Lobby after she walked into an automatic door at one of the chain's crafting stores.
A state appeals court has rejected the attempt by a used car dealer to undo a judgment entered against it in a consumer fraud case accusing it of selling a car that had been written off as a loss by an insurance company, yet not telling the buyer.
A state appeals panel has closed the door on a woman's attempt to sidestep a clause in her membership agreement, and still sue her fitness club and her personal trainer for a back injury she suffered, claiming the trainer had engaged in an improper "chiropractic maneuver."


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[tmcnet] Arbitron claims that the company has compiled population estimates for cell-phone-only “CPO” households for the first time down to the local markets. The report by the company indicates that the CPO rate vary considerably in different areas.
Over the last few years, there has been a tendency among customers to get rid of landline phones. Companies like AT&T noticed this shift some years ago and responded by introducing more wireless plans tailored to CPO customers. The younger generation likes to use only the cell phones and the recession has forced many mid age group customers to abandon their wired phones in favor of cell phones. Even the service providers are pushing their mobile services more aggressively than the wired phone services.
According to Arbitron, CPO penetration rates vary from as high as 38 percent in Bryan-College Station, Texas to as low as 5 percent in Hamptons-Riverhead. According to the report, there is a huge variation by region and market characteristics such as percent of the urban/suburban/rural population and age and ethnic distribution of the market population.
“We believe Arbitron is the first market researcher to track market-level cell-phone-only penetration," said Bob Henrick, Executive Vice President Customer Solutions at Arbitron. "We use the county-level CPO penetration results from our sampling operations as a building block to produce metro-level CPO penetration estimates.”
To facilitate measurement of people who have "cut the cord" and cannot be reached by landline, Arbitron introduced CPO sampling in 151 diary markets with its Spring 2009 survey. The estimates in the CPO penetration are based on more than 154,000 surveys that Arbitron has received from households in 151 diary markets.
The company recently announced commercialized its Portable People Meter radio ratings service in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, Florida market and is releasing radio audience estimates for the June 2009 PPM survey month to its subscribers in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood. The PPM detects inaudible codes embedded in the audio portion of media and entertainment content delivered by broadcasters, content providers and distributors.
Arbitron Releases a New Survey on Cell-Phone-Only Households