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(MENAFN - Arab News) The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are expected to double customs tariffs on cigarette and other tobacco imports next month.
A meeting of the finance ministers from six Gulf states scheduled to be held in May will approve the increase, according to a senior Saudi official.
Majed Al-Monief, supervisor of the program for combating smoking at the Ministry of Health, said the ministers of finance and health from the GCC states have already agreed in principle to raise the levy charged on tobacco imports from 100 to 200 percent.
"The new duty will be known as the 'health tax,' taking into account the huge amount of money each GCC state spends on the treatment of tobacco-related diseases as well as for the rehabilitation of smokers. The finance ministers will decide when the tax will take effect," Al-Moneif told Asharq Al-Awsat daily yesterday.
Reacting to reports about the move of UAE's Federal Customs Authority to increase duty on all brands of tobacco products by 100 to 200 percent, Al-Monief said that it is impossible for any GCC state to take such a decision unilaterally without taking into account prevailing GCC rules and regulations with regard to tobacco products.
"The GCC states can take a decision in this respect unanimously. The Gulf states had earlier hiked tobacco customs tariff from 50 to 100 percent, and are now moving toward making a further hike of 100 percent," he said adding that the additional revenue will be utilized to combat smoking and reduce its impact on the younger generation.
Al-Monief said the GCC general secretariat has sent a formal letter to the World Trade Organization (WTO) requesting it to support the GCC initiative to double the customs tariff on tobacco products. The WTO had earlier rejected a similar request from the GCC states, noting some GCC states had already reached the maximum limit for customs tariffs on tobacco products.
"We are still awaiting a reply from the WTO to go ahead with our plan, in accordance with clause 20 B of the WTO Articles. This provision stipulates that any member country is entitled to take an appropriate decision with regard to any product that is harmful to human beings or animals or the environment," he said, adding the GCC states will take advantage of this provision while doubling customs tariffs on tobacco products.
The GCC Customs Union Committee earlier sent a proposal to the general secretariat to explore the possibility of increasing customs tariffs on tobacco products by 100 percent.
Despite the heavy custom tariffs levied on tobacco products in the Kingdom, their imports jumped 57 percent in 2011 compared to 2009, according to a statistical report issued by the Customs Department. The Kingdom imported 57,838 tons of tobacco in 2011 valued at SR3.3 billion compared to SR2.104 billion in 2009.
According to statistics, 22,000 people die in Saudi Arabia each year of various diseases resulting from smoking. According to figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 6 million smokers in the Kingdom, 1.5 million of whom are women.
Saudi Arabia is considered the fourth largest importer of tobacco with the average annual consumption per individual put at 2,130 cigarettes.
The WHO said 5 million people die each year in the world from smoking.


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Corporations now expect you to believe that higher wages are a bad thing. Don’t listen to them.
CNBC reporter Jeff Cox wants you to feel pity for American employers. Unemployment is so low, Cox reports, that employers are having a hard time finding workers. (The truth is way more nuanced than the bustling job market Cox is painting here, but let’s allow him to play his argument out.) In fact, his thesis statement is right in the first line of the story:
America’s labor shortage is approaching epidemic proportions, and it could be employers who end up paying.
Huh. But I thought that was how the free market was supposed to work? Don’t all those trickle-down pundits claim that the market establishes wages? And isn’t this a clear-cut case of the market demanding that workers be paid more? And anyway, don’t employers always pay for labor? What’s the big deal here?
I mean, the first thing you learn in Econ 101 is supply and demand. Based on Cox’s story, it seems like the demand for jobs is through the roof, while supply is dwindling because fewer Americans are looking for work. (This is a system so simple that even Mitt Romney can understand it.) So it stands to reason that because demand for labor has increased, businesses should pay more for that labor.
But wait! There’s a hitch! It turns out that those wages might have a downside. Cox interviews Jim Baird, an executive at Plante Moran Financial Advisors, about the conundrum:
“How much might rising labor costs chew into corporate profits? How much will be passed through to customers in the form of higher prices? That remains to be seen,” Baird said.
Wow. That sounds like the exact same brand of fear-mongering that local restaurant owners whip out every time a city contemplates going to a $15 minimum wage. So now large employers and corporations are going to try to protect their huge profits by coaxing American workers into skipping a pay raise—and they’re going to use the boogeyman of “higher prices” to do it.
And yet, the data doesn’t bear those threats out; when Seattle went to a $15 minimum wage, studies showed no overall impact on grocery store or restaurant prices. How can that be? The thing that the usual band of corporate-crony ‘experts’ fails to acknowledge is that when you raise wages, workers don’t invest it offshore like corporations—they spend that money, supercharging the economy by increasing consumer demand.
There is no all-seeing, all-knowing Free Market that fairly establishes wages. Workers don’t earn what they deserve—they earn what they can negotiate.And in this time of declining union power, when most workers are advocating for themselves against huge and insanely wealthy corporations, the deck is stacked against worker wages.
Last year, Paul Ryan and Donald Trump promised that the money from their corporate tax cuts would result in a $4000 annual increase in wages for American workers. They stopped talking about that $4000 raise when it failed to materialize. Instead, corporations just offloaded their newfound additional wealth to shareholders through stock buybacks. In fact, corporate America has broken all records for stock buybacks since the Trump tax cuts were passed.
Just once, I wish someone at CNBC would write a story about whether those buybacks—$189 billion in the first quarter of this year, thanks to companies like Apple and Bank of America—would result in higher prices for consumers. But of course, they’ll never do that, because CNBC knows that it’s corporations, and not workers, who buy advertisements.
Instead, CNBC and financial “experts” will continue to use a false “free market” narrative to blame workers for demanding a living wage. But as their claims become more and more ridiculous, it gets easier and easier to spot them as the trickle-down lies they truly are.

domain: news


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With a drop in the number of endorsements and the fees he commands, the iconic cricketer is casting himself in a new image. Can he get his groove back?
MS Dhoni has been staring down television screens and hoardings exhorting people to buy into the promise held by Exide Life Insurance, a private insurer that has just signed the cricketer on for an undisclosed sum.
For Dhoni, this is a far cry from the usual list of products he endorses -- colas, snacks, sportswear and such others -- all typically targeted at young consumers.
This is his first insurance endorsement and also one where he dangles a very different pitch; trust, stability and long term relationships against the speedy, young sharpshooter that he was once seen as.
The number of brands he endorses has come down from 21 to almost half the number and his brand fees, from about Rs 9-10 crore (Rs 90-100 million) a year to Rs 5-6 crore (Rs 50-60 million).
Can the captain steer himself out of the rough patch?
Many dispute that he is in a rough patch at all and cite his recent deals as proof.
The Exide Life Insurance marketing campaign with its tagline ‘Lamba saath, bharose ki baat’ (long term relationships spell trust) and the recent deal with Lava phones.
With Lava, he has a three year contract while Exide refused to divulge the details.
Mohit Goel, director (marketing), Exide Life Insurance says, “Dhoni’s appeal cuts across geography, gender and age groups.”
Solomon Wheeler, vice president and head (marketing & communication) Lava, says that he is one of the most successful captains in Indian cricket.
“His brand appeal cuts across demographics,” he says. Both brands are looking at Dhoni as an icon for the masses, but does the shrinking list of endorsements, the drop in fees and his poor form justify their faith?
According to several sports management professionals, with Dhoni’s retirement from the test format it is only natural that the number of brands will come down, but that is no reflection on his value.
Still, companies looking to get him on board are coughing up around Rs 3-4 crore (Rs 30-40 million) short of the amount they paid him a couple of years back.
“Dhoni will continue signing brands because he is at that level.
However, the frequency and value of these signings may slow down and the duration of the contracts may vary.
Brands won’t not want him,” says Indranil Das Blah, partner and COO at CAA KWAN, a sports and celebrity management agency.
“Brand Dhoni is here to stay. I don’t think it is fair to compare the value only in terms of endorsement fees, because the perceived value of a cricketer like Dhoni is much more,” says Jagdip Kapoor, founder-CEO Samsika.
Will there be a shift in his positioning however, given the emergence of the young brigade of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina? Virat, many believe has usurped Dhoni’s place in the endorsement sweepstakes, pushing him into the role of a mentor-leader from a cool and fast talking youth icon.
Even so, experts say Dhoni will still be relevant.
“Unlike some of his seniors, MS (Dhoni) has been able to add many facets to his personality.
"And the fact that he isn’t docile or unimpressive in his interactions with the media has helped build a strong resonance,” says a brand manager on the condition of anonymity.
Controversies help too as that keeps the cricketer in the news.
However it can backfire, as was the case of Dhoni’s entanglement with Amrapali Housing when the builder reneged on his commitment to the buyers and that, perhaps, led him to safer shores such as insurance.
Arun Pandey, chairman, Rhiti Sports Management (the company that manages Dhoni’s endorsements) says, “Life Insurance is one of the most important long term investments and brands have to be extremely conscious when it comes to associating with celebrities.”
For Dhoni he says, “I am glad we took our time to find the right partner in life insurance and am sure this will go a long way.”
Rs 12.5 crore (Rs 125 million), recently bought by Pune Warriors after Chennai Super Kings was disbanded
Estimated at Rs 5-6 crore (Rs 50-60 million a year, down from Rs 8-9 crore (Rs 80-90 million) around a year back
Pepsico (Pepsi and Lays),
MRF (sticker on the bat),
Grand Midwest (A Dubai-based hospitality and event management company)
LAST CENTURIES SCORED
ODI -- October 2013, against Australia, Mohali-139*
Test cricket -- Feb 2013, against Australia, Chennai-224
Co-branded ventures: SportsFit by MSD (gyms), Seven (running, training, indoor, and athletic-leisurewear apparel and footwear), FitSoul.com (online fitness portal)
- Has just launched a campaign with Exide life Insurance, his first endorsement deal with an insurance company
- Early this year, he backed out of a deal with Amrapali Housing after being trolled on social media by angry residents for the builder’s inability to meet deadlines
Image: MS Dhoni. Photograph: Reuters


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it's no secret, that they have lied to thousands of customers, and are continuing to do so. and if you try anything, they have the money enough to wash it away.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On 13/07/17 2:01 PM, Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. wrote:
Chief Rajmund wrote in part:
"correction: the touch runs kitkat, 4.4.2. to confirm, please go in
settings, about tablet, on your touch, and report back with your android
and it does not change the fact, that certain apps, like the newest version
of talkback, will simply refuse to run on the touch, despite the new
elements from newer android versions."
Preach it sir! I've written on that as extensively as has been possible. I
don't know why Humanware and its sisters simply won't be honest in their
dealings with their customer base. Imagine what would have happened to
Humanware if their so-called Android tablet had been in the mainstream!
Subway Sandwich was sued sometime back for claiming to offer a foot-long
sandwich when, upon real measurement by a buyer, it was short by less than
four inches or thereabout. Doctor Associates, Inc., its parent company, was
forced to settle the issue out of court.
The sad reality is that Humanware and its associates succeed in confusing
unsuspecting blind individuals who may wish to try out a new OS! Oh well, I
guess the savvy ones amongst us will continue to brave the hurricanes and
tornados and dip fingers in blue fin ranch dressing at all times!


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About Guest BloggerGuest blogger for TDS Home.
With Black Friday right around the corner, it’s already time to start planning for the holiday season. Before you whip out the holiday decorations, you might want to start thinking about what to give your loved ones. Luckily for you, TDS is highlighting six cost-effective tech gifts to make the 2019 holiday season one to remember!
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month—the perfect time to give your accounts and devices the protection they deserve, and learn about the current threats you face online. While there is no sure-fire way to completely defend your different accounts and devices, there are some general guidelines that everyone can use to fight back against unwanted intrusion at home and in the workplace.
There's a new twist on the Social Security Administration (SSA) scam. Listen to a SSA imposter robocall, which says your benefits will end. (That’s not true, by the way.)
Maybe it’s time we rethink the idea of grilling meat as the epitome of Labor Day cuisine. Think about it this way: your local farmer’s market is at its best—produce is thriving, and farmers are doling out beautiful fruits and veggies with reckless abandon. Get 4 recipes designed to make the most out of nature's fresh bounty plus one awesome meat recipe too.
For the past 12 years, Fieri has been cruising around the United States in his red, 1967 Camaro SS in search of the best “greasy spoon” restaurants and eateries. Visiting nearly every state in the country, Fieri has compiled an impressive list of “funky joints”—some of which happen to be in TDS serving areas.
Calling all fans of the Atlantic Coast Conference! Watching your favorite conference just got easier! On August 22, the ACC is launching its very own, 24/7 sports network: ACC Network (ACCN). How can you watch? For all TDS TV customers, ACC Network is joining the Expanded Programming Tier starting the day it launches—August 22! You can find it on channel 628 in Standard Definition, and 1628 in High Definition.
This past week, TDS Telecom employees from across the country participated in the organization’s first-ever TDS All-Company School Supply Drive. Offices in New Mexico, Wisconsin, Utah, Oregon, and Minnesota all collected items to be donated to their respective, local schools. The outstanding efforts of all the participating offices resulted in a collection totaling more than 10,000 items.
It seems like the grill has barely cooled off from your Fourth of July celebrations, and already the back-to-school deals are everywhere. Your student needs the gadgets that will make their busy lives more enjoyable and productive. Luckily, we have a short list—curated by a college student—of items that just might make all the difference come fall.
June marks the halfway point in the TDS 50 for 50 Golden Year of Giving initiative. The funds are being given to charities nominated and chosen by employees from all of the companies. In May we told about about three of the TDS-selected charities that were awarded funds, and we're pleased to share that two more have been added to list of winners!
In some cases entire towns commemorate the country’s independence—and some really do it up in style. Five of TDS’ communities were named as top small town places for celebrating July 4th in big ways. Check out what gives these cities an extra spark:
TDS Connect Blog
Learn more about how TDS can keep you connected in the home with Internet, TV, TDS Fiber, DVR and phone services and solutions.
- Cheap Tunes Tuesday: Freya Ridings November 19, 2019
- 6 Holiday tech gift ideas for the techie in your life November 18, 2019
- Straight-line winds impact TDS services in parts of Tennessee November 15, 2019
- Set your scam alert level to high this holiday! November 14, 2019
- A jaw-dropping look inside the phishing industry November 13, 2019
- Changes to TDS email: more details November 20, 2014
- New TDS email: how to change spam settings November 26, 2014
- What’s The Hold-Up? – Combating Slow Internet Speeds August 1, 2013
- TDS Fiber: how we’re building in your neighborhood December 20, 2018
- Six ways to manage your email account January 24, 2015
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- Debora Moes: How do I download the bingo cards?...
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Going public with a dramatic action is one thing. Building a durable organization of workers in the notoriously inhospitable low-wage service sector is another. But a small, spunky union in New Zealand offers an example of what a lasting union in fast food can look like.
The independent union Unite (no relation to UNITE HERE) launched its “Super Size My Pay” campaign in 2005. Now with more than 4,000 members at KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King, and Wendy’s, it has become one of the most successful fast food organizing efforts in the world.


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People could not exercise due to the closure of gym, park etc. in the lockdown. To maintain their fitness, people have now started buying bicycles, which has led to a boom in bicycle sales. Due to this boom, there may be a shortage of bicycles around the world.
Cycle sales have skyrocketed decades later due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Due to Covid-19, people are taking bicycles to go to the office, and then some people have started using bicycles for their fitness. In the lockdown, people could not exercise due to the closure of the gym, park etc. To maintain their fitness, people have now started buying bicycles, which has led to a boom in bicycle sales. Due to this boom, there may be a shortage of bicycles around the world. Jay Townley, who analyzes the trend of cycling industry trends, said the US has seen the biggest jump in bicycle sales in the last two months since the oil crisis of the 1970s.
He said, people are very nervous and they are buying bikes like toilet paper. In the beginning of the epidemic, there was a competition to buy essential things like toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Now people are crowding to buy the same cycle.cen
Government is spending 60% on buying bicycles in Italy
In Italy, the government is paying 60% of the expenditure on buying bicycles up to $ 575. Bike shop owners in the Philippine capital say that demand is stronger than Christmas. Many countries are making new transport policies. This trend is echoed around the world, as better cities are known for car-clogged roads like Manila and Rome. To increase interest in cycling, we install bike lanes, while public transport remains closed. Municipal authorities in London plan to go ahead by banning cars from some central areas.
90% of US dependent on China for bicycles
Townley said that there has been some shortage due to the trend of cycling, which will take a few weeks, maybe months. Especially in the US which is dependent on China for 90% of its bicycles. Mass production was stopped due to the Corona virus and is now resuming.


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In the context of a global health emergency, preventing the sale of fake medications and medical supplies has a higher profile than ever. Even before the emergence of COVID-19, counterfeit (otherwise known as ‘falsified’ under the EU Falsified Medicines Directive) and substandard medical products were already a growing problem, but the pandemic has further brought treatments, items of PPE, and now vaccines into the global spotlight. This article outlines some of the recent developments with counterfeit pharmaceutical products and highlights that effective online brand protection can be conducted against one of the major threats to pharmaceutical brands — websites selling fake drugs and medical products.
How Big is the Fake Pharma Market?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the EUIPO reported that the total value of the global trade in counterfeit pharmaceuticals was approximately $4.4 billion. Data extracted from Customs seizures suggested that antibiotics, lifestyle drugs, and painkillers were the most commonly traded goods, but there were many examples of fake cancer medicines and other drugs being traded also.
In recent months, however, the global demand for face masks, COVID testing kits, and personal protective equipment has created an unprecedented rise in counterfeits linked directly to COVID-19. According to some reports, February 2021 alone saw U.S. authorities seize more than 11 million fake N95 masks, including more than 1 million from one New York-based warehouse.
In an online brand protection survey of just one Chinese wholesale website that we performed in 2020, we found over 700 listings featuring the name of a leading brand of antibacterial hand gel. Some of these listings may have been genuine, but there were many hundreds which illegitimately used the brand trademark in listings for generic, untested products. These dangerous, untested products give a false sense of security to consumers and represent a serious public health issue if they fail to work as advertised.
Fake COVID Vaccines — The Next Challenge in Pharma Brand Protection
The rapid development of treatments for COVID-19 has created a global demand for access to these life-saving new treatments. As with any other example of falsified and substandard medicines, however, fake covid vaccines will pose a threat to public health. Thus far, national vaccination programs have been tightly controlled by individual governments, which has meant that the opportunities for pharma criminals have been largely restricted to phishing and scamming rather than actually providing jabs in exchange for payment. Reported cases of individuals claiming to sell authentic vaccines have been largely limited to dark web traders rather than more accessible websites, yet there are also worrying signs that this is changing.
Recent reports from China suggest that around 70 individuals have already been arrested for providing fake vaccines, with the most high-profile being a man identified as “Kong”. According to Chinese authorities, Kong led a network of counterfeiters who studied and replicated official vaccine packaging, but then loaded syringes with saline solution. Through this falsification of medicines, Kong generated $2.78 million in illegal profits and made 58,000 doses. It is concerning that a batch of these vaccines were smuggled abroad and their destination remains unknown.
Although some countries such as Israel and the UK have accelerated their vaccination programs, many countries have not. If vaccine shortages and delays continue, this may put more pressure on already stretched healthcare systems and leave some consumers so worried that they make risky choices such as paying for fake covid vaccines from illicit sources.
Pharma Brand Protection Strategies
The work done by law enforcement to tackle fake vaccines and other products certainly helps to limit the trade in fake medicines, but brand protection projects are equally vital. But how should those working in pharma trademarks and brand protection prioritize their work? Numerous projects undertaken in this sector over the years have led me to see the following points as a checklist for good working practices:
- Collaboration is key — Whether it’s with enforcement, IP organizations, or commercial competitors, closing the net on criminality is most effective when it takes place with a larger number of stakeholders.
- You need brand protection software — Manual searching for infringement is too time consuming to be effective. Having a software system dedicated to amassing millions of potentially counterfeit listings on a daily basis is necessary.
- Online-to-offline — Online enforcement is an important tool, but following up these actions with real world investigations and Intelligence reports can further limit the physical supply and target the biggest offenders.
- Customs registrations — A simple but necessary step for all brand holders.
- Know that anti-counterfeiting is interdisciplinary — Having the right mix of internal and external personnel to monitor, verify, and enforce on fakes is complex and requires coordination.
- There isn’t one “right” way — Each organization will work differently and will create unique workflows according to how it manages its cases.
Alongside all these points, it is crucial to have insights into the regions and platforms that pose the greatest risks to your brand. For the pharmaceutical industry, this means websites.
Why Are There So Many Websites Selling Fake Drugs?
In comparison to marketplaces and social media platforms, domains and websites are often seen as a more significant problem for pharma companies. There are numerous reasons for this, but perhaps the most important are the legal regulations and societal norms that govern the buying and selling of medicines.
First, many eCommerce platforms such as eBay and Amazon have strict seller policies that prohibit the sale of prescription medications. This means that many of the largest marketplaces automatically self-enforce and push fake medicines out to the fringes of eCommerce transactions. Although many restricted drugs are available on Chinese and South East Asian marketplaces, buying from those platforms requires a commitment that most casual consumers are less likely to opt for.
Secondly, although social media shopping has become more common, buying medications from a pharmacy (or at least from a website that looks like a registered pharmacy) is still more socially engrained as a behavior. This means that, for the time being at least, purchasing medications through social media sellers and groups may remain limited.
This leaves online pharmacies on standalone websites as a more common place to buy medicines. Although legitimate, licensed websites have become a helpful addition for many patients and consumers, there are also many unregistered pharmacies with professional-looking websites. Legally, prescription medications should be supervised by healthcare professionals and all online pharmacies must receive valid authorization before dispensing restricted substances — this may be in the form of paper or electronic documentation. On unlicensed websites, however, these prescriptions are not checked and the drugs supplied may be falsified or substandard. Many of these illegal drug websites are also connected to clustered networks of illicit scam sites and buying from them can result in stolen payment details and personal information.
Can Websites Selling Fakes Be Removed?
One particular problem with many of the websites selling fake pharma products is that they are hosted by hosting providers notorious for their noncompliance with genuine legal complaints. From experience, our Analysts note that many other key online stakeholders such as registrars, registries, and search engines can also be passive in their approach to removing these sites. This can make website removal a frustrating process for brand holders, yet not an impossible one.
Through a combination of legal and tech industry know-how, our Analyst teams specialize in tackling the most difficult cases. Our workflows include issuing warning or cease and desist letters, checking WHOIS data and comparing this against our broad datasets, creating networks of contacts who can assist with removals, and working closely with registrars, registries, and other stakeholders. Additionally, we work through search engine delisting, reporting sites to payment service providers, and collaboration with enforcement agencies such as PIPCU and Europol. It is only with determination and expertise that we are able to tackle the most serious threats to brand and public health safety.
If you want to learn more about how Corsearch works to create online brand protection strategies for the pharmaceutical sector please contact us today.


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With a whole day dedicated to eggs, the countdown to World Egg Day is on with an entirely free pop-up restaurant devoted to serving up the Aussie staple.
Nominated by the public and hand-picked by Manu Feildel (pictured), the finalist restaurants that will be dishing up the goods include:
The Bosphorus Benedict by Rustic Pearl, Surry Hills (NSW) – Poached eggs on sourdough with Bay lobster, smashed avocado, house hollandaise, fresh shiso, golden sesame and chilli.
Turkish poached eggs by Mount Street Breakfast Bar, West Perth (WA) – Fresh dill and cucumber yogurt with poached eggs, herby chimichurri sauce and nutty spicy Aleppo butter with crispy sourdough bread.
Awarma and egg pizza by Yum Yum Bakery, Guildford (NSW) – Confit lamb, topped with a runny sunny-side up egg, baked on a warm flat bread dough with a light sprinkle of zaatar.
Beef carpaccio, fried truffle egg, rocket, pecorino by Grain of the Silos, Invermay (TAS) – Grass fed beef carpaccio, crumbed, fried truffle egg, pecorino, rocket.
These top four dishes will be plated up across four sittings over lunch and dinner on the eve of World Egg Day, 10th October.
Tickets to the pop-up are free, so get in quick before they’re gone.
Founded by Australian Eggs, the Eggsellence Awards celebrate the joy of cracking eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The inaugural pop-up restaurant will see diners vote for their favourite dish to be crowned the best in Australia.
The 2019 winning dish will be announced at 9am AEDT on World Egg Day, Friday 11th October.
“With so many amazing nominated restaurants and cafes, helping Australian Eggs pick the top four wasn’t easy! Without a doubt, our finalists will do eggs justice with their incredible meals. Now we leave it in the hands of voters to crown their winner,” Manu Feildel said.
“We’re thrilled to have diners in the centre of the voting action this year, bringing them the joy of eggs and inspiring them through the versatility of the humble egg,” managing director of Australian Eggs Rowan McMonnies said
“We congratulate the finalists and can’t wait to see who will take out the win.”
The four finalists’ dishes will be showcased at an exclusive d-egg-ustation pop-up restaurant in Sydney on October 10th.
To be part of the pop-up restaurant and get a chance to taste each of the dishes, get your free ticket to your preferred seating via Eventbrite.
Be quick, before they’re gone!
For more information visit australianeggs.org.au/eggsellence


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When Mississippi’s economy is thriving, it’s because our small businesses are thriving. After having to close or significantly change operations because of COVID-19, we know our small businesses are struggling. This week, the Mississippi Legislature voted to set aside almost a fourth of the relief money sent from the federal government to help our small businesses.
Senate Bill 2772
sets aside $300 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to create two programs providing a direct payment to some businesses and a grant to others. The direct payment program would provide qualifying businesses which shut down — including hair stylists, fitness centers, and some restaurants — a $2,000 check. Small businesses, including sole proprietorships, with 50 or less employees can apply for a grant authorizing up to $25,000 for costs incurred as a result of the virus.
Once the legislation is signed by the Governor and becomes law, the executive agencies tasked with administering the programs will send out notice to businesses across the State. We’ll send out notice too so you won’t miss the application deadlines.
Please know how much we appreciate you. These challenges are temporary. Our resolve to make sure our small businesses survive this terrible pandemic is permanent. Stay safe.


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Record Store Day sparked a vinyl sales boom, a judge ruled that the Millennium Copyright Act does not fully protect online music services, and author/entrepreneur Rob Reid said he will give a talk on copyright law to celebrate the release of his novel Year Zero in paperback.
Tagged: Rob Reid
Rob Reid, author, entrepreneur and founder of Listen.com/Rhapsody talks about music piracy issues, how those in the music industry can benefit from new business models and his new novel, “Year Zero.”
Rob Reid, author, entrepreneur and founder of Listen.com/Rhapsody talks about his background in the technology, Internet and music space, his first novel and how writers, artists and musicians can connect personally with their audience.
The Rhapsody founder laid out the real cost of digital piracy, the head of A2IM talked about why artists must diversify to survive, and Billy Corgan discussed how an industry-wide obsession with fame is ruining music.


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Lavine did not set out to become an entrepreneur. But when she discovered that a crafty gift for her children’s teachers could become a marketable product that would support her family through hard times, Lavine did not shy away from the risk of starting her own business.
“You don’t have to be the next Bill Gates to have a great concept that people want,” she said.
Her creation, the Wuvit (pronounced to rhyme with “love it”), is a flat pillow filled with seed corn that can be heated in the microwave or frozen in the freezer for hot or cold therapeutic relief. Lavine has patented the Wuvit, and is introducing other product categories.
Six years after she sold the first Wuvits from her home and the back of her truck, Lavine has expanded her company, Green Daisy Inc., to include accessories and sleepwear. She has also introduced variations on her original product, including a children’s Wuvit called Sleepy-Head Fred, and a Wuvit pillow for pets. With all of this on her plate, she turned to Grand Angels for some help and guidance.
Grand Angels, a venture capital organization helping entrepreneurs in West Michigan, started two years ago, and has since invested in six companies representing various industries. Entrepreneurs can receive seed funding in any amount from $250,000 to $2 million from the Grand Angels investors.
Prospective entrepreneurs go through an evaluation process with the Grand Angels staff, followed by a second evaluation by a small group of Grand Angel investors. If a plan is accepted by the small group, the hopeful entrepreneur will present it in a formal meeting of all Grand Angel investors, who then decide if they are interested in providing personal funding.
“The decision of the Grand Angels to invest is always a matter of individual choice and it is not a group decision,” said David Hathaway, one of the founding investors of Grand Angels.
Lavine approached the organization after hearing Hathaway speak at Grand Valley State University in 2005. After a 10-month process of reviewing her company, Grand Angels decided to invest in Green Daisy. In addition to the capital funding, Lavine benefited from the expertise of a group of start-up experts including Hathaway, an attorney with Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone, and the former president of Precious Moments Inc.; Terry Cross, a first-round investor in Google; and Ron Lubbers, a CPA and veteran counselor to early-stage businesses.
“Fundamentally, our interest was driven by (Lavine’s) passion for Green Daisy and her commitment to excellence, as well as her work ethic,” Hathaway said. “What’s unique about Green Daisy is the underlying concept that Kim brings to the scene.”
That concept, Hathaway said, is that a woman can be a successful mother and a passionately driven entrepreneur without compromising the quality of either aspect of her life.
Green Daisy hit the ground running during the 2002 Christmas season. After Lavine’s husband, Dave, was laid off, she started to explore selling Wuvits commercially. She began by selling them on consignment at the Calico Cat gift shop in Grand Haven. She then opened several mall kiosks, which allowed her to sell 250,000 Wuvits. Following further success at a trade show in Chicago, Lavine began contacting national retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bed Bath & Beyond, which started carrying the popular gift.
Within three years, a woman without much previous business experience was heading up a $2 million enterprise. Lavine’s husband is now the company’s chief operating officer, handling shipping, manufacturing and logistics for Green Daisy. Lavine has also been able to hire Stephanie Milanowski, a design artist who has studied at Rhode Island School of Design, Yale School of Art, and the University of Michigan.
With the help of Grand Angels, Green Daisy is now branching out into women’s pajamas, including a line that will be featured in Saks’ Parisian catalog for Mother’s Day.
Saks’ interest in the pajamas may be inspired by their unique design. The button-up shirt and long pants are fairly traditional, but the colors are far from the plain pastels often found on sleeping apparel. With bright orange, pinks and reds, as well as blues, greens and purples, the colors can’t be missed. Lavine describes the sleepwear as “fresh, funky and fun.”
“We really thought we needed something different,” she said. “They are not your mother’s pajamas.”
If the Wuvits, bags and pajamas weren’t enough, Lavine is about to become a published author. Her yet-untitled book, set to be published by St. Martin’s Press in 2007, will tell her story of balancing the demands of being entrepreneur with the challenge of being a good mother.
“I wanted people to see what it really is to be a mommy entrepreneur,” she said. “It’s an extraordinarily important time for women entrepreneurs. It’s a big trend that’s just about to emerge.”
With her three years of experience and recent investment from Grand Angels, Lavine is proud to be part of that emerging trend.
“I, as a woman, can have it all.”


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New Delhi: Shares of Fortis Healthcare tumbled nearly 11 percent on Wednesday after the company said its board had approved demerger of its hospitals business.
The stock, after making a weak opening, cracked 9.96 percent to Rs 128.25.
On NSE, shares of the company plunged 10.57 percent to Rs 127.20.
Fortis Healthcare Ltd. (FHL) said its board had approved demerger of its hospitals business, which will be acquired by Manipal Hospitals and TPG Capital, along with the sale of 20 percent stake in diagnostics chain SRL Ltd, in a Rs 3,900-crore deal.
In a late night announcement yesterday, the healthcare chain said its board has given nod for the demerger of its hospital business into Manipal Hospital Enterprises Pvt Ltd.
"The board has also approved sale of its 20 percent stake in SRL Ltd to Manipal Hospitals. The resultant entity Manipal Hospitals will be a publicly traded company listed on NSE and BSE. The remaining FHL will be an investment holding company with 36.6 percent stake in SRL," the company said in a statement.


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Despite selling less consoles in a year than rivals Sony and Microsoft did in 48 hours, Nintendo’s Wii U is predicted to outsell both the Xbox One and PS4, according to online retailer Play.com.
Rakuten, the site’s Japanese owners, say that the Wii U has had a 75 per cent jump in sales on the site during October, and that their analysis of social media suggests that Nintendo’s console and the iPad range are “the most talked about presents for children this Christmas.”
“The marketplace’s social media analysis surprisingly showed that the brand new PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles are trailing in second and third place respectively behind the Wii U and iPad,” said the retailer.
“This is despite the fact that both new consoles sold out on Rakuten’s Play.com during Black Friday, which have since been restocked. It appears that those on the hunt for the latest consoles are gamers rather than consumers buying for their loved ones.”
However, Play.com’s claims have been met with scepticism from the gaming community, who cite analysts’ reports of the Wii U’s continuing decline.
Matt Peckham of Time points out that Play.com may have actually only been referring to which console children will want and this would make more sense – Nintendo’s family friendly products have always performed well amongst younger gamers and, more importantly, they also appeal to the “loved ones” (Play.com’s term) that might be shelling out the actual cash at Christmas.
The Wii U’s popularity will certainly receive a boost thanks to the recent release of Super Mario 3D World, which has been well received by critics, but this will probably not be enough to put it ahead of either the Xbox 360 or the PS4 – both of which sold more than 1 million units in 48 hours, with Nintendo currently reporting Wii U sales of around 4 million in 12 months.
However, Peckham notes another point worth remembering – the PS3 was for many years the third placed console of the previous generation, but has since matched the Xbox 360 with 80 million plus sales, beating them in every major market apart from the US.
Can a return of Nintendo's best loved franchises (Pikmin and Zelda are still absent) help the sturggling console? Only time - and sales - will tell.Reuse content


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STORY: Capping an already brutal week for Big Tech, Amazon’s shares plunged on Friday a day after the company forecast holiday quarter sales below Wall Street’s estimates.
The world's biggest online retailer, founded by Jeff Bezos, at one point hit its lowest share price since April of 2020, with its market cap briefly dipping below $1 trillion.
Amazon’s news was yet another gut punch for mega-cap tech shares… which took a beating this week after Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta Platforms all reported gloomy outlooks.
Meta’s meltdown was particularly rough – with shares on Thursday alone nosediving nearly 25%.
The Big Tech stocks are on track to lose more than $400 billion this week.
Only Apple shone bright, after the iPhone maker reported revenue and profit that topped analysts’ estimates.
And on Friday, shares of Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta bounced back from steep losses earlier in the week, avoiding Amazon’s downward pull.
Many view the mega-cap companies as bellwethers for how corporate America is faring during a year in which inflation has soared, pushing the U.S. Federal Reserve to enact a series of jumbo-sized rate hikes that have bruised markets.
As for Amazon, analysts fear macroeconomic factors, including a strong dollar, will continue to hit the e-commerce giant in the near term.
And sales growth in Amazon Web Services – the company’s lucrative cloud-storage division – has consistently ticked down this year.


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Thursday 6 April 2017 12:02pm
Physiotherapy patient Warren Herbert and former student Hannah Malloch use a Wii Fit gaming console of the type sought to complete a new research study.
Otago Physiotherapy researchers are looking for people who might sell them their Wii Fit gaming consoles, so they can complete an “exergaming” intervention study.
Dr Cathy Chapple of the School of Physiotherapy has secured funding for the study, which will look at whether interactive video gaming helps increase strength and decrease knee instability in patients with osteoarthritis. However, on the day she was finalising her funding application, she discovered the Wii Fit consoles selected for the study were no longer being sold in New Zealand.
"... we are asking any staff or students who might have one they no longer use if they would consider selling it to us."
“We could get some new from the United States, but we want to stretch the funding from Arthritis New Zealand as far as we can – so we are asking any staff or students who might have one they no longer use if they would consider selling it to us.”
Dr Chapple says the study will involve patients coming to physiotherapy once a week and playing on their Wii Fit at home twice a week. The study is intended to make exercising fun.
“Pain and muscle weakness are massive problems for people with osteoarthritis,” she says. “Exercise helps, but is only beneficial if people keep doing it.”
The Wii Fit was selected as there is a body of literature already using this particular product – but Dr Chapple believes any findings will be relevant to other forms of exergaming
“We are looking at outcomes of both strength and enjoyment, and these two elements would stand for any type of gaming intervention.”
Can you help?
If you have a Wii Fit console, balance board and games that you are willing to sell, please get in touch with Dr Cathy Chapple, Ph: 479 5428, Email: firstname.lastname@example.org.


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The following is the By the end of 2020, China Unicom’s 5g users will reach 70.83 million, less than that of China Mobile and Telecom recommended by recordtrend.com. And this article belongs to the classification: 5g industry, China Unicom.
After the 5g business is fully launched, China Mobile and China Telecom all publish 5g user volume data on time every month, and China Telecom even no longer publishes 4G user volume data, but China Unicom has been hiding it until today. On March 11, China Unicom released its 2020 performance data and disclosed the number of 5g package users for the first time. By the end of 2020, China Unicom has reached 70.83 million, with a penetration rate of 23%, higher than the industry average of 20%.
In contrast, the number of 5g users of mobile and Telecom has reached 165 million and 86.5 million respectively, accounting for 17.5% and 24.6% of the total number of users.
In other words, mobile 5g is the largest, telecom 5g is the most popular, and Unicom is a little embarrassed.
In fact, Unicom has been keeping its mouth shut about the number of 5g users. It can already guess that the performance is not particularly good, and it is not surprising in the end.
In addition, in the construction of 5g, China Unicom and China Telecom have achieved joint construction and sharing. The number of 5g base stations has reached 380000, which is basically equivalent to that of the leading operators (here is China Mobile) for the first time in history. It has saved more than 76 billion yuan in construction cost for China Unicom and China Telecom. It has also taken the lead in realizing the first batch of SA scale commercial use in the world, with 100% nfv of 5g core network.
In 2020, Unicom will achieve service revenue of 275.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.3%, which is higher than the industry average of 3.6%. The pre tax profit is 16 billion yuan, and the net profit is 12.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.3%.
The annual revenue of mobile services was 156.7 billion yuan, which turned from negative to positive on a year-on-year basis; ARPU (monthly revenue per user) reached 42.1 yuan, an increase of 4.1% on a year-on-year basis; mobile Internet traffic increased by 16.5%, and the average mobile user traffic was 9.7gb.
China Unicom: in June 2018, China Unicom’s 4G users exceeded 200 million China Unicom: in 2018, China Unicom’s 4G users reached 216 million China Unicom: in November 2015, China Unicom lost 346000 users China Unicom: 49.421 million 4G subscribers in January 2016 China Unicom: 2.78 million subscribers in December 2019 China Unicom operation data in June 2017 China Unicom has 138.8 million 4G users: in December 2014, China Unicom added 797000 new mobile users. In 2020, the number of 5g users of the three major operators in Q1 exceeded 50 million. Financial report of China Unicom: in November 2017, China Unicom’s 4G users increased by 5051000. How about the three major operators in 2019? Financial report of China Unicom: the net profit of China Unicom is expected to be about 4.98 billion yuan in 2019 A year-on-year growth of about 22% in November 2019, the data of the three major operators ranked at the bottom compared with Unicom’s 4G. In 2019, the data inventory of q1-q3 three operators earned an average of 403 million yuan a day. China Unicom: in 2019, the net profit of q1-q3 China Unicom was 9.823 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 11.9%
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Lists of the best-selling vehicles in America are starting to look somewhat familiar: pickup trucks always occupy the top spots, while compact crossovers have now firmly supplanted family sedans in the top 10. But it’s still interesting to follow the rankings throughout the year to see how things shake out. We’ve tallied first-quarter sales from every automaker in the U.S. market to bring you a list of the top 25 vehicles through March 2019.
However for those in Uganda and within the continent, don’t be so worried about the price because these are the latest babes in the market and the good news is 2018 car models are trending highly on this list as well and because also the 2017, 2018 and 2019 may as well not be so bad at and the best to surprise us all is the popularity of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The Cherokee is hardly a standout in the Jeep lineup—it’s neither the most off-road capable nor the most luxurious, but it occupies a popular middle ground. Its numbers so far in 2019 are down 2.0 percent compared to this time last year. Also check out the https://www.aigameresearch.org/joker123/ site which provides the best and most trusted online slot games.
The new Wrangler, code-named JL, exploded onto the scene last year and was briefly sold alongside its predecessor, the JK, which probably explains why the new model’s numbers are down 10.0 percent through March of this year.
Nissan’s mid-size sedan used to do battle with the Accord and Camry in the sales race, but it’s fallen far down the rankings lately with an 18.8 drop in sales so far this year. That’s despite a new 2019 model that’s vastly improved in design and driving dynamics—it even outcornered the new BMW 3-series in our testing.
2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
The current Highlander three-row SUV has been selling well throughout its life cycle, although it’s down 0.5 percent so far this year. We might almost say that Toyota barely needs to introduce the redesigned model launching this year, but the three-row SUV market is contentious, and the Highlander needs some updating to stay fresh.
2019 Ford Explorer
The new 2020 Ford Explorer made waves when it debuted earlier this year, but it doesn’t go on sale until this summer. For now, the outgoing model continues to rack up plenty of sales, beating out all other three-row SUVs despite being down 1.5 percent compared to last year.
The Sentra hasn’t been a competitive compact car for a while, and it needs a redesign to up its game in terms of style, features, and power trains. But Nissan is selling more of these than any other passenger car in its lineup, even if the word on the street is that fleet sales make up a large portion of its numbers. Sales so far in 2019 are down 5.3 percent.
Has the Grand Cherokee been around long enough to achieve icon status yet? As one of the first true popular sport-utility vehicles in the 1990s, it still ranks among the biggest sellers today, and so far in 2019 it’s the best-selling Jeep, with sales rising 8.0 percent compared to last year.
Among an increasingly crowded segment of mid-size pickup trucks, the Tacoma still stands tall, with sales up 8.2 percent in 2019 so far. It’s the best-selling non-domestic pickup in the country, although the new Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator are looking to steal some customers away.
The Escape is losing some steam so far this year, with sales down 9.9 percent. That slide is likely to continue for a few months as Ford prepares for the redesigned 2020 Escape to go on sale in the fall.
Honda’s Accord had a disappointing year in 2018, sales-wise, given that it was coming off a big, successful redesign. Things are looking up slightly in 2019, as Accord sales have risen by 4.6 percent so far.
Honda’s mid-size Accord used to outsell its compact Civic, but the Civic has been pulling ahead lately—and widening the gap. Perhaps it’s because the Civic offers several body styles and high-performance models, although Honda doesn’t break out sales numbers for the different sedan, coupe, hatchback, Si, and Type R versions. Still, Civic sales are down 4.8 percent this year to date.
The newest Toyota Corolla is attempting to shed the nameplate’s boring image with more daring styling and improved dynamics. Now that both the redesigned hatchback and sedan models are on sale, it’s enjoying a slight rise in sales so far in 2019, with numbers that are up 1.0 percent over last year.
2018 Toyota Camry
Toyota’s perennially strong-selling mid-size sedan continues to hold on to its crown as the best-selling passenger car in the United States, if only just. Its numbers are down 10.0 percent so far this year, however, so who knows what will happen by the end of the year?
Last year, the RAV4 claimed the title of the best-selling non-truck in the country, but it’s off to a slow start in 2019, with sales down 8.4 percent. We assume the changeover to the new model is at least partly to blame, so it still has time to catch up to the other compact crossovers that have surpassed it before 2019 is done.
2017 honda cr-v
The CR-V is the best-selling Honda in 2019 by a fair margin, but it’s not winning the crossover sales race, despite its numbers being up 6.4 percent over last year.
Chevrolet’s compact crossover is enjoying a strong year so far, with sales up 7.4 percent. That’s enough for it to surpass rivals such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, both of which sold considerably more units than the Equinox last year.
The fact that the Rogue is the best-selling non-truck so far in 2019 despite sales dropping 19.4 percent goes to show how strong a start this crossover family had in 2018. But it’s also important to remember that the Rogue nameplate includes both the compact Rogue and the smaller, subcompact Rogue Sport; Nissan does not split out sales for these separate models.
The Silverado has long occupied the number-two spot in the U.S. sales rankings, but things aren’t looking good for Chevy’s light- and heavy-duty pickups so far in 2019. Its sales dropped by 15.7 percent, which allowed a surging Ram pickup range to surpass it through March.
Ram’s sensational new 1500 pickup earned our 10Best Trucks and SUVs award for 2019, and it seems that consumers are pleased with the new truck, too. The entire Ram pickup range, which also includes heavy-duty trucks, jumped 15.0 percent through March, helping it pass the Chevy Silverado to earn the silver medal so far this year.
While it’s not surprising that Ford’s pickup trucks find themselves in the top spot once again, we admit to being a bit surprised that sales continue to rise, if only by a meager 0.2 percent, despite increased competition from Ram, Chevrolet, and GMC. Each of these competitors has redesigned both their light-duty and heavy-duty offerings, while Ford’s truck lineup hasn’t changed that significantly in a while.


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With an improving economy and subsequent pressure for operators to improve pay, it’s been a year of hard negotiation for many, and in some cases road transport businesses and even the DVSA have had to contend with industrial action including strikes. Motortransport.co.uk looks back at a year of disputes. January 2015 began with industrial harmony as Eddie Stobart ended its long-running dispute with 184 HGV drivers claiming unfair dismissal after the logistics giant took over the Tesco Distribution centre contract […]
Eddie Stobart Logistics will replace XPO Logistics as the logistics partner for Aggregate Industries’ Concrete Products division.
A campaign to recruit additional vocational driving examiners in England and Wales to help reduce the lorry driver shortage has been launched by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) today (17 August).


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Some retailers’ in-store tracking technology can pinpoint your mood
In the battle between brick-and-mortar and online retailers for customers, the physical stores are deploying a new weapon, testing and rolling out technology that uses video surveillance and signals from their cellphones and apps to gather data about shoppers and their behavior in stores.
Retailers from Family Dollar to specialty stores like Benetton are trying the technologies and using them to make decisions about store layout and offer targeted promotions to customers, according to a New York Times report.
Russian startup Synqera sells software for checkout devices or computers that shapes marketing messages according to a customer’s gender, age and mood, determined by facial recognition.
“If you are an angry man of 30, and it is Friday evening, it may offer you a bottle of whiskey,” said Ekaterina Savchenko, the company’s head of marketing.
While some customers like getting targeted promotions, others think tracking technology goes too far. Nordstrom ended an experiment that tracked customers in stores by Wi-Fi signals, partly because of customer complaints, the Times report said.
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The big railroad merger of Santa Fe and Southern Pacific was rejected by the Interstate Commerce Commission in a surprise vote that apparently left Santa Fe without a plan of action. The commission said the $2.6 billion merger, agreed upon in 1983, could reduce competition. Santa Fe now must divest itself of one or both railroads or come up with a new plan. It could also appeal, but analysts said that was unlikely. The rejection, which was made against recommendations by I.C.C. staffers, broke a 20-year Washington tradition of routinely approving big railroad mergers. When looked at in the context of regulatory scotching of big deals in soft drinks and close scrutiny of airline deals, the I.C.C. rejection threw into question the success of President Reagan's policy to allow big business to operate freely.
Economic growth sagged to a 1.1 percent rate in the second quarter, the lowest since the recession ended. Even the revision of first-quarter G.N.P. growth reports to 3.8 percent, from 2.9 percent, did not offset the reality that the economy is stagnating well below the Administration's projection of a 4 percent rate for the year. But the Administration has increased its estimate of overall growth in 1987, to 4.5 percent. It says inflation will be down sharply and unemployment will rise slightly.
Consumer prices rose five-tenths of 1 percent in June as energy prices spurted. It was the second consecutive increase, and the biggest this year. . . . Durable goods orders rose a healthy 2.1 percent in June, the first increase in four months. . . . Personal income rose one-tenth of 1 percent, while spending gained six-tenths.
Ford raced to the front of the second-quarter auto profits race, posting earnings of a record $1.08 billion, up 54.7 percent from the 1985 period. G.M.'s net, by comparison, fell 15.7 percent, to $978 million, and Chrysler fell an unexpected 18.1 percent, to $488.2 million. Donald E. Petersen, pictured, Ford's chairman, said the improvement came from overseas sales, Ford's financing subsidiary and new products. G.M.'s income drop was from higher marketing costs and lower interest income. Chrysler said its drop was due to lower truck sales.
Another bailout for Mexico is taking shape, although American commercial banks are still reluctant to make new loans to that debt-ridden country. A $12 billion package is being arranged that contains surprisingly few austerity requirements for Mexico, and provides for even more money if oil prices stay depressed.Continue reading the main story
Pepsico will buy Kentucky Fried Chicken for $850 million from RJR Nabisco, a deal that assures Pepsi a big outlet for its soft drinks and makes it the second-largest fast-food restaurateur, after McDonald's. Adding the chicken chain gives Pepsico, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, broad coverage of American fast-food tastes.
Mobil is selling Container Corporation to a Morgan Stanley-Jefferson Smurfit group for about $1.2 billion, including the assumption of debt. Jefferson Smurfit is already big in paperboard.
Big oil earnings plunged. Standard Oil lost $681 million after special restructuring charges, and said it could show a loss for the year. . . . Amoco's earnings dropped 60.3 percent, to $238 million; Shell dropped 35 percent, to $219 million; Texaco dropped 39 percent, to $185 million and Phillips slumped 93 percent. But Exxon said its net rose 50.3 percent, to $1.12 billion, after special charges, and Mobil soared 41.6 percent because of asset sales and write-downs. . . . Panhandle Eastern will take a $400 million charge in settlement of a dispute with Algeria's state oil company.
Salomon's net fell 19.3 percent and E. F. Hutton lost $4.7 million, both because of losses in bond trading. But Merrill Lynch rose 34.7 percent. . . . Xerox fell 44.5 percent, and Wang earned $800,000 in its fourth quarter. . . . Sears gained 7.3 percent . . . T.W.A. lost $87 million, but UAL earned $18.5 million.
Bond prices drooped with the G.N.P. reports, with long bonds taking the biggest hits. M-1, which fell $1 billion, is being virtually ignored. Stocks drifted upward through the 1,800 barrier, with the Dow ending the week at 1,810.04, up 32.06.
France dismissed top executives of 12 state-run companies in a sweeping housecleaning that poises the companies for sale to the private sector. Among the companies affected were Paribas, Rhone-Poulenc, Generale d'Electricite and Pechiney.
Bribery indictments accused 19 employees and a small machine shop of making or receiving payments in return for military contracts. Separately, Litton Systems pleaded guilty to overbilling the Defense Department by $6.3 million.
Hallmark is buying 10 Spanish-language television stations in a $301.5 million deal with First Capital.
Hammermill Paper got a $722 million takeover offer from Paul A. Bilzerian, the California investor who tried to take over Cluett Peabody.
Carbide wants to sell its farm products operations, which make methyl isocyanate, the insecticide ingredient in the Bhopal disaster, but will keep the Bhopal plant. Separately, it said its profits fell 45.5 percent.
Miscellanea. Hughes Tool is writing down $495.7 million in assets because of a slump in the tool industry, and will likely report a record loss for the year. . . . Beatrice may spin off its international food group and concentrate on domestic operations. . . . Petro-Lewis agreed to be acquired by a Freeport-McMoran investor group for $750 million.Continue reading the main story


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Apple tipped to be working on two foldable iPhones
Apple has had two of its foldable device prototypes pass durability tests at Foxconn. Here's what we know about them.
- Apple is reportedly working on two new foldable iPhones.
- The foldable iPhones have passed durability tests.
- The new foldable iPhones could launch in 2022.
By Sushant Talwar: Over the last year and a half, the smartphone industry has been moving swiftly toward foldable phones. With companies like Samsung and Huawei already involved in the production of consumer-ready foldable phones, tech giant Apple is already playing catchup. However, it appears this won't be the case for too long.
According to a new report, Apple has had two of its foldable device prototypes pass durability tests at Foxconn. The report comes courtesy of UDN, one of the main suppliers of Apple, Foxconn, has passed two distinct foldable devices through its durability test. The devices are said to be unique and feature a folding mechanism similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip.
This would mean that one of the Apple foldable phones will bend horizontally, while there will also be another one that folds vertically. As per the report, the two devices are at a very early stage in their production cycles with only the chassis and display components tested at the moment.
The UDN report states that Apple does not plan to launch both models, as the company is now looking to begin to evaluate both devices and choose one of them for commercial production. But it is interesting to note that since both the models have been cleared for durability, we should not have to worry about which design will finally come to the market, or for that matter, there's also a chance that Apple launches the other model at a later stage.
For now, there is no word on when this device may become reality, however, we can expect it to be launched in 2022. The report also claims that Apple plans to use iOS/iPadOS hybrid software on this device to bring the functionality of both a tablet and a smartphone on the foldable device.
Suffice to say, these reports are still unconfirmed at the moment and as such should be looked like that. Regardless, we at India Today will be following the news closely so watch this space for all the latest on Apple's rumored foldable devices.


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Bloomsbury India has landed into a fresh controversy which seems entirely novice and unnecessary. As a publisher, you sign up with an author, agree to the publication of content, and bring the book into the market. This is a simple 1,2,3 mathematics that anyone knows. However, the book by Delhi-based supreme court advocate and a vocal activist, Monika Arora, has been suspended by the publisher citing reasons which are not only juvenile and apparently absurd but also hint towards a bigger conspiracy which is calling a much-needed inspection. It is quite evident to the world, by now, that there is a group which is scattered internationally that tries to monopolise the intellectual discourse by deciding what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’. Not only that, there are the campaigners of the free speech in the world who don’t only campaign for the wrong but also ensure that the ‘right’ does not get any voice. Is it the new age truth? Well, it may be!
Delhi Riots: 2020, a book put for sale online, advertised on social media, and even bought by a few readers, have been suddenly disowned, disavowed and discontinued by a reputed publisher in the form of Bloomsbury India, which is, in turn, owned by Bloomsbury Group of publishers, UK. This not only hypocrisy on the part of the Bloomsbury group but also a clear partisan decision that they are taking by publishing a book on Shaheen Bagh, an apparent propaganda movement which derailed Delhi by instigating riots in the same year. Bloomsbury Inda has much explaining to do in terms of their policy decisions on how they find out a book based on facts that we don’t know and a book based on propaganda that we all know.
This decision by the Bloomsbury publishers has also re-ignited the debate on freedom of expression. Is this a one-way road? Can only those who are on the left side of the line or on the appeasement side of the line have the liberty to express themselves? While the author, Monika Arora, is very confident of her publication and many other publishers will certainly sign her up, the publishers are left with a red face and many authors who were already signed-up for publications coming in the future have begun to break their ties with the publisher.
On the other hand, this incident, which is more alarming than it’s unfortunate, exposes the double standards of the so-called champions of freedom of expression in India who advocate freedom to express one’s opinion on one side and conspire against others’ freedom to express their opinions. While the book will certainly be published and the readers will know the truth about the unfortunate and orchestrated Delhi Riots in the year 2020, the Bloomsbury publishers in India and their international headquarters are not only left with a blot upon their reputation but also find themselves on the verge of a massive boycott not only by the readers but by the authors as well. They have played their cards by playing into the hands of a pressurising lobby. The readers and the authors have their turn now.
Literature News, literary events desk


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Thermacell Repellents announced a new partnership with Outtech Inc., an Aurora, Ohio-based sales and marketing agency in the outdoor and sporting goods industry. Effective September 1, Outtech is representing Thermacell’s Mosquito and Tick products across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.
“Outtech’s impressive team of sales and marketing professionals demonstrates deep knowledge of the products, customers, and consumers they represent,” said Brian Pratt, Thermacell’s vice president of sales. “They live and breathe this industry, and their passion for the outdoors matches ours at Thermacell.”
Outtech has invested in strong working relationships across many channels of product distribution, said the company, and comprehensive dealer training is among its key strengths. Thermacell looks forward to leveraging that strength, said Pratt.
“We are so excited to be expanding our partnership with Thermacell,” said Outtech Chairman Jay Scholes. “There is no doubt that they are a leader in their category and their products are a must-have for any outdoorsman. We will work closely with the Thermacell team to grow their business across all channels.”


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Huffington Post lawsuit
The US newsgathering website Huffington Post is being sued by 9,000 bloggers following its sale to AOL for $US 315 million. The unpaid bloggers argue that the website profited from their free submissions in its recent sale, and therefore they deserve the backpayments that they were never promised.
- Jonathan Tasini
- Huffington Post blogger, trade unionist.


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Quincy Jones has backed a new environmentally friendly platform for non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Jones has partnered with a new platform which he describes as being “environmentally friendly, artist-friendly and fan friendly” in a new Instagram post.
A report earlier this year by Wired explored the impact of selling NFTs on climate change, suggesting it to be hugely negative. According to the publication, the 10 seconds it took for cryptocurrency website Nifty Gateway used up 8.7 megawatts of energy – which is similar to how much electricity one household uses in a year.
Writing on Instagram, Jones said: “I’m sure y’awl are sick & tired of hearing about NFTs by now because of the environmental impact, exclusive nature of pricing, or whatever else it is you’ve heard on Twitter…but I’m excited to partner with a new platform that is the exact OPPOSITE of all the negative things you may have heard…”
He continued:”ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY, ARTIST-FRIENDLY, FAN-FRIENDLY. Excited for this team to break down barriers in the tech space & bridge the gap between artists & fans in a new way.”
The platform, OneOf, has been designed “specifically for musicians and music lovers…to better serve fans looking for cheaper NFT options, including children and teenagers,” Rolling Stone reports, adding that the platform will “require zero minting costs”, making it more environmentally friendly.
The Damon Albarn-led band announced in March that they would be selling an NFT to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their debut album.
The German contemporary composer told the publication that he believes NFTs were “the most disgusting thing on the planet right now”, adding: “Even some of my heroes like Aphex Twin are selling, sorry, crap for 130,000 bucks.”
He went on to say that it is “unforgivable to participate in something which is so bleak and wrong”.


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Nothing brightens up a PC gamer’s day like news about Games For Windows Live. If Microsoft revealed they were going to harvest every person on Earth’s left eyeball, we’d probably still not be as pissed off as we are about the continue existence of their unreliable, unnecessary bloatware – which a frightening number of ignorant publishers and developers are still insisting on tacking onto their games to save a few quid. Yet Microsoft persists in trying to fix the unfixable. The latest release of the GFWL client adds something the console boys have had for a while – a games on demand store. Like Steam, Direct 2 Drive, Gamersgate, Getgames, the EA store… They’re absolutely right: there is room in the market for yet another games download client. We’ve all been begging for one, right?
Read the rest of this entry »


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Walton Hi-Tech becomes Walcart`s exclusive partner
Walton Hi-Tech Industries Ltd. Managing Director Goalm Murshed and Walcart Managing Director Sabiha Jarin Orona at the agreement signing ceremony.
Bangladesh electronics giant Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited has become an exclusive partner of Walcart, an upcoming full-fledged e-commerce platform. With it, Walcart customers will be able to easily purchase Walton brand products and get necessary supports.
Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited is the country’s leading electronics products manufacturing, marketing and exporting company. It is the top Bangladeshi company in country’s stock market in terms of market capitalization. On the other hand, Walcart, another subsidiary of Walton Group, will be launched soon with the aim of bringing groundbreaking and positive changes in country’s e-commerce sector.
On Thursday (August 19, 2021), both of the organizations inked a deal in this connection held at the Walton Corporate office at Bashundhara residential area. Walton Hi-Tech Industries Ltd. Managing Director Goalm Murshed and Walcart Managing Director Sabiha Jarin Orona signed on the agreement for their respective organization. Top officials of the two companies were present on the occasion.
Goalm Murshed said: E-commerce is a very promising sector. Online based shopping has gained popularity all over the world with the technological advancement. Specially e-commerce is playing huge role in delivering necessary products to consumers during emergency situations like Covid-19 pandemic. But the e-commerce sector in Bangladesh has not yet been able to gain the full trust of customers. We hope Walcart will fill that gap and it will emerge as one of the top global e-commerce organizations.
Sabiha Jarin Orona said: Beside Walton, customers will get the products of other top and reputed domestic and global brands. Walcart will have over 150 types of products and services including fashion, lifestyle, electronics, food and beverages, sports and exercise. With the formal agreement, we have got Walton as our exclusive partner. We will keep signing deals with other local and foreign brands and companies.
She affirmed that Walcart will ensure maximum customer services with reasonable discount facilities maintained by its highly skilled own quality control team through a strong countrywide delivery network. It will give Bangladeshi consumers an unique experience of online shopping. A vast number of sellers have already been registered with Walcart’s at its website (https://walcart.com).


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We’ve been following the ongoing legal battle between Psystar and Apple extremely closely here at Edible Apple, and this week should be a doozy with Judge Alsup scheduled to issue a ruling on both parties’ motions for Summary Judgment tomorrow.
With D-day only one day away, the Broward/Palm Beach News recently ran an interesting 6-page profile on the two brothers who founded and currently run Psystar, Rudy and Roberto Pedraza, aged 25 and 25 respectively.
The Pedraza’s tale reads like a movie – their family fled from Cuba in the early 1980’s and soon re-located to the Little Havana neighborhood in South Florida. In 1991, shortly after Rudy had turned 10, their dad was arrested and sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine. Add in a cancer scare, a near-fatal car crash, and an epic legal battle against one of America’s most iconic companies, and you have the backdrop for Psystar.
But one excerpt in particular caught our eye, specifically because it contradicts a legal motion recently filed by Psystar in its legal battle against Apple.
A quick refresher – During the course of discovery in the case, details regarding Apple’s security measures to prevent OS X from running on non-Apple hardware have been disclosed in depositions and via documents handed over to Psystar from Apple. Naturally, this information is not publicly available and has been deemed proprietary and highly confidental. As such, all references to such information are redacted in court filings by both Psystar and Apple, pursuant to a court order on the matter.
Psystar, however, filed a motion about a month ago seeking to make Apple’s technological circumvention measures in OS X publicly available to the masses. In other words, Psystar doesn’t want to redact any of Apple’s confidential security measures in its court filings, and argues that such information isn’t even confidential in the first place. In an attempt to back up its assertion, Psystar compiled and submitted to the Court a list of publicly accessible websites which not only detail OS X security measures, but also provide details on how to bypass them and get a Hackintosh machine up and running.
Psystar is basically arguing that Apple can’t designate its security measures in OS X as confidential information when it’s freely available all over the web. The legal merits, or lack thereof, of that argument aside, the profile on the Pedraza brothers references a telling quote from Rudy Pedraza, the business mind behind the Psystar operation.
Psystar, surprise surprise, has been accused by many of “borrowing” heavily from the work of the osx86project, a collaborative group of tinkerers who share information on how to get OS X running on PC hardware.
When presented with that accusation, the article noted that Rudy Pedraza “scoffs at the idea” that Psystar has stolen anything.
“The first thing you have to do is unlearn everything you’ve just read online about how to make this work,” Rudy stated, “because it’s all wrong.
Oh really? That’s funny, because Psystar filed a legal document in a Federal District Court asserting just the opposite – asserting that an ordinary user could use readily available information on the web to get OS X running on non-Apple hardware. Rudy Pedraza even signed a sworn statement, under the penalty of perjury, indicating as such. And now we find out that the web can’t be trusted. How convenient.
You can check out the full profile of Psystar and its founding brothers over here. It’s well worth a read if you’ve been keeping an eye on the case.


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ACC, HP govt tax battle heats up over Gagal II unit
After HP High Court dismissed its appeal against recovery of Rs 64 crore by state’s sales tax authorities, ACC moved SC with a SLP
The tax battle between ACC, India’s one of the leading cement companies, and tax authorities of Himachal Pradesh (HP) government is set to intensify over company’s second manufacturing unit at Gagal in Mandi district.
After the HP High Court dismissed the company’s appeal against recovery of Rs 64 crore by state’s sales tax authorities, ACC moved the Supreme Court (SC) with a Special Leave Petition (SLP).
Meanwhile, the cement maker has already filed a review petition before the state’s High Court.
A company’s spokesperson told Business Standard, “An SLP was filed with the Honourable Supreme Court and was heard on 1 April 2013. The Honourable Supreme Court directed withdrawal of the SLP since our review petition filed with the Honourable Himachal Pradesh High Court was still pending hearing and directed that we approach the Supreme Court again only after the Review Petition is heard and disposed off.”
The matter is in connection with ACC’s second manufacturing unit of 1 million tonne atGagal, for which the company said that it had availed sales tax incentives under the HP State Industrial Policy, 1991.
“Gagal Unit II, a new unit, is eligible for incentives, as per the Industrial Policy. However the Excise and taxation department, Himachal Pradesh, imposed certain restrictive conditions on eligibility,” added the spokesperson.
In its latest annual report, the company said, “The company had, as on Decebmer 31, 2011, claimed and accrued sales tax incentives aggregating to Rs 56 crore even though the sales tax authorities had introduced certain restrictive conditions after commissioning of the unit stipulating that incentive is available only for incremental amount over the base revenue and production (of Gagal I unit) prior to the commissioning of Gagal II.”
According to the report, ACC contends that Gagal II is a new unit, as decided by the HP High Court and confirmed by the Supreme Court while determining the eligibility for transport subsidy, and hence such restrictions are not applicable to the (new) unit.
“The department had recovered Rs 64 crore (tax of Rs 56 crore plus interest of Rs 7 crore) and the same is accounted as an amount recoverable,” adds the report.
Despite High Court’s dismissal of company’s appeal, ACC feels that the court had decided against the company based on erroneous understanding of certain facts and legal positions and has also failed to consider certain key facts in its order.
Himachal Pradesh is among the top states having high resources of limestone. With state’s tax incentives to attract investment, several companies set up their facilities in the state. ACC’s sister-concern company Ambuja too has presence in the state.
ACC is holding its annual general meeting (AGM) this friday. On the BSE, shares of the cement giant rose 1.4% on Tuesday to Rs 1,176.40, up Rs 16.3.


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M.A.C to Re-Open on Queen Street West in Toronto
M.A.C Cosmetics will soon be returning to Toronto’s Queen Street West. The brand is slated to open its doors at 368 Queen Street West, just east of Spadina Avenue, at the end of October.
This new location is about a block from M.A.C’s former space at 363 Queen Street West, which closed in 2015 and is now occupied by fast-growing L’Oréal makeup brand NYX.
At 1,500 square feet, the new store will have one private makeup chair and four additional stations. Unlike the previous Queen West location, it won’t carry the M.A.C Pro line, which will still be sold at the Bloor Street West store. Shoppers can also participate in the new-to-Canada M.A.C Select rewards program.
Owned by The Estée Lauder Companies since 1998, M.A.C was launched in Toronto in 1984, and this return to Queen West—a longtime stomping ground for the city’s fashion trend-makers—reflects the brand’s roots as an inclusive place for exploring personal expression.
Watch our recent Facebook Live interview with Gregory Arlt, director of makeup artistry for M.A.C:


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CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) --At the Clovis Recreational Center, for this weekend only, bargain shoppers are hunting for deals. The bi-annual Just Between Friends sale is back for fall and in full swing.
"It's like a huge community sale, you're not having to go from garage sale to garage sale or Facebook groups. You're actually able to find all the bargains here," said Mandi Milburn, Just Between Friends.
Milburn owns the local franchise of the consignment company. Twice a year they rent a space, get shoppers to the venue, and let consigners make money.
"We want to help families be able to get items for their families at way below retail and let other families be able to clear out their closets and cash in."
Inside, there's everything from strollers to baby equipment to clothes in literally every size imaginable.
"You know you don't want to keep buying new things, so, they're going to outgrow it. So I think it's a great way to recycle your stuff," said Xia Padilla, shopper.
And get this-- the average consigner makes over $350.
"We do have ones that make much more, especially if it's their first big haul. They're clearing out all their stuff that their children have outgrown, big baby equipment and all that. It really adds up," said Milburn.
Milburn operates the sales in Fresno and Visalia and in recent years expanded to Hanford with an annual winter sale.
Since 1997 the Just Between Friends company has grown to more than 150 territories across the country. Milburn said the sales do so well they get thousands of people through their venues over the course of one weekend.
If you missed Friday's sale don't worry, this sale is going on all weekend long at the Clovis Recreational Center and on Sunday some of the items are going to be 50-percent off.


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Thousands in Sri Lanka take part in protests calling for president’s resignation
New Delhi: Sri Lanka has sought the supply of fertilisers from India and the deferral of a payment of $2.5 billion to the Asian Clearing Union as part of efforts to cope with the island nation’s worst economic crisis in decades, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday (04).
At the same time, an amount of $200 million from the $1-billion line of credit provided by India in March has been set aside to fund the purchases of fuel, the people said. This will be in addition to the $500-million line of credit provided by India in February for fuel purchases.
With Sri Lanka switching back to the use of chemical fertilisers, there is a growing need for the commodity amid a global shortage created by the Ukraine crisis. It is in this context that the Sri Lankan side has made the request for the supply of fertilisers, the people said.
The Sri Lankan government banned chemical fertilisers last year as part of a phased transition towards organic agriculture. The sudden nature of the change and the dearth of adequate supplies of organic fertilisers affected agricultural output, especially rice and tea, and the government recently ended the ban on several key crops.
“There is a growing demand for fertilisers since the use of chemical fertilisers was cleared by the Sri Lankan government. The supply of other items under the $1-billion line of credit, including food items such as rice and pulses and medicines, has already started,” one of the people cited above said.
The Sri Lankan side has also asked the Indian side to defer the payment of $2.5 billion to the Asian Clearing Union (ACU), an organisation with its headquarters in Tehran that includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Earlier this year, India had deferred the payment of $515 million to the ACU at Sri Lanka’s request. It had also provided a currency swap of $400 million under the Saarc facility.
ACU is a payment arrangement whereby member countries settle payments for intra-regional transactions among the participating central banks. The main objective of the union is to facilitate payments among member countries to economise on the use of foreign exchange reserves and transfer costs.
Almost $400 million from the $500-million line of credit for fuel purchases has already been expended, and this led to the move to allocate $200 million from the $1-billion line of credit for additional purchases of diesel and petrol, the people said. These arrangements are being worked out by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the Indian Oil Corporation.
Sri Lanka’s energy crisis, especially the shortage of fuel and cooking gas, is one of the most worrying aspects of the economic crisis. Diesel-fired power plants account for almost a third of the country’s electricity generation. There are also reports of a shortage of cooking gas across the country.
The total financial aid provided by India to Sri Lanka since the beginning of the year is worth almost $2.5 billion. Sri Lanka has sought India’s help in garnering international support for bridge financing as it enters negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout programme.
Last month, Sri Lanka announced a default on its external debt of almost $51 billion pending a bailout from the IMF.


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Warner Bros has announced that it plans to bring a Spy Hunter reboot to the Nintendo 3DS along with the PlayStation Vita. The new game is described as being a more thrilling and dangerous version. Players will play as Agent, who drives the G-6155 Interceptor supercar which is equipped with advanced weaponry, will go up against a global terrorist organization set on world domination. Spy Hunter will be out this Fall.
“Spy Hunter’s classic gameplay has been upgraded to give PlayStation Vita and 3DS players a new, adrenaline-charged experience.”
“Gamers now have more choice in the transformation and customization with greater hand controls, brilliant graphics and enhanced action cameras.”– Samantha Ryan, SVP of production and development at Warner Bros


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Google has shut its music download service in China as it has not been doing as well as the Web giant wanted it to.
According to Google China's blog post today, the company made the decision because it had to prioritize the development of its products. "The impact of this product is not as great as we expected, so we decided to shift resources to other products," it stated.
Google added that its China-based staff working on the music site will be reassigned to work on other projects so there will be no job cuts. As of now, all its streaming and legal MP3 downloads have been terminated and users will be given until Oct. 19 to export their music playlists as downloadable files.
The China-based music service was launched in March 2009 and survived the fallout between Google and Chinese authorities over the latter's request for the search engine operator to censor search results.
This story originally appeared at ZDNet under the headline "Google shuts China-only music site."


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If you go back about a decade, Hadoop was hot and getting hotter. It was a platform for processing big data, just as big data was emerging from the domain of a few web-scale companies to one where every company was suddenly concerned about processing huge amounts of data. The future was bright, an open source project with a bunch of startups emerging to fulfill that big data promise in the enterprise.
Three companies in particular emerged out of that early scrum — Cloudera, Hortonworks and MapR — and between them raised more than $1.5 billion. The lion’s share of that went to Cloudera in one massive chunk when Intel Capital invested a whopping $740 million in the company. But times have changed.
Just yesterday, HPE bought the assets of MapR, a company that had raised $280 million. The deal was pegged at under $50 million, according to multiple reports. That’s not what you call a healthy return on investment.


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Package holidays continue to be the dominant choice for families – but the predicted switch from 14 night durations to seven nights has not materialised.
Packages accounted for the majority of holidays taken last summer, according to Ascent MI’s Leisure Travel Monitor covering sales through Thomas Cook, TUI Travel, and more than 50% of ABTA travel agents.
The LTM had predicted seven nights would overtake 14 nights in summer 2008 based on a significant shift to shorter duration holidays in summer 2007.
Ascent MI chief executive Sarah Smalley admitted: “Because of the speed of change in 2007, it appeared seven nights would overtake 14 nights for families but that didn’t happen in 2008. There appears to have been stabilisation.”
The 14-night holiday remained dominant, making up just over 40% in passenger numbers for family holidays in summer 2008, 4% down on summer 2007. Passenger numbers for seven night family holidays were 6% down year on year, making up approximately 35% of family packages in summer 2008.
However, revenues in the family market have been driven up by sales of short breaks – six nights or less. Revenue was up £34 million last summer but only made up only around 17% of passengers, up 4% on summer 2007.
For non-family holidays, seven nights remained the most popular duration last summer, making up just under 40% of passengers. This compared to 14-night holidays, which made up just 24% of passengers last summer but amounted to 36% of revenue, up 1% year on year.
The biggest year-on-year growth in durations of holidays sold in the adult market was for eight to 13 nights, up 20%, and short breaks, up 7% – or 200,000 passengers. Short breaks, which represented 30% of passengers last summer, represented £169 million in extra revenue.
Meanwhile, sales of all-inclusive holidays were up 18% last summer, overtaking half-board holiday sales, which fell. Self-catering holidays saw a double-digit decline last summer.
Homepage image: F1 Online / Rex Features
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AMD ratchets up chip battle with Intel
Intel has been the unchallenged king of PCs for more than a decade, but AMD is fighting back with its new Ryzen PC processor, which will reaches PCs next year. A healthy rivalry will be good news for PC users, some of whom may jump from the Intel to the AMD camp. AMD claims Ryzen is 40 percent faster than its current PC chips, which on paper is impressive. The chips will first hit gaming PCs, and then mainstream laptops and desktops later in 2017. Ryzen will battle Intel's Kaby Lake in early 2017, and the 10-nanometer Cannonlake in late 2017.
ARM-based laptops with Windows, again
The first attempt at ARM PCs, which ran on Windows RT, was an unmitigated disaster, and it left many users skeptical of the idea. But Microsoft hasn't given up, especially as 5G starts to become a reality and cellular connectivity in PCs becomes essential. Microsoft announced that next year PCs will be available with Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon 835, which is primarily for smartphones. Super-thin laptops will get integrated modems and a long battery life with the chip. The ARM-based PCs will run Win32 applications that run on regular x86 PCs via emulation.
For now, no PC maker has announced ARM-based Windows PCs -- manufacturers may be cautious in light of the Windows RT fiasco. There are also many challenges. Snapdragon isn't as fast as high-end x86 Intel or AMD chips, and won't support 64-bit applications initially. Also, emulation may limit the ability to exploit hardware acceleration.
Bluetooth 5 will take charge
The Bluetooth logo.
Laptops and 2-in-1s will be equipped with the latest Bluetooth 5 wireless specification, which is a longer and faster upgrade to the aging Bluetooth 4.2. Bluetooth 5 will allow PCs to communicate wirelessly with devices up to 400 meters away in clear line of sight, but a more reasonable range is about 120 meters, according to analysts. Bluetooth 5 will transfer data at speeds of up to 2Mbps, which is two times faster than its predecessor.
Beautiful screens, 4K and HDR
Dell's XPS 13 has an edge-to-edge screen.
Laptops like the XPS 13 and Lenovo's Yoga 910 have beautiful edge-to-edge screens, a feature that may be included in more laptops next year. Also, 4K screens and HDR (high-dynamic range) technology will make games and movies look stunning. HDR results in more vivid images, and TVs, cameras and monitors supporting the technology are already available. Netflix is also doubling down on HDR. An HDR standards battle is brewing with DolbyVision and HBR3, but GPU makers are supporting both standards. AMD expects DolbyVision to ultimately win.
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