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Dave Dickson Memorial Golf Classic
Great Plains Processing will be fielding a team again at the 2017 event
.The date for this upcoming year is May 17 at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wisconsin. The scramble format provides a fun environment for all skill levels so please join us and hopefully we can get together this upcoming May.
The Dave Dickson Memorial Golf Classic supports the University of Wisconsin – Madison dairy science department’s undergraduate student scholarship program. All proceeds go directly to the program to develop students growth and learning in the industry.
Number of certified organic farms up 13%
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new data indicating that the organic industry continues to expand domestically and globally, with 24,650 certified organic operations in the U.S. and 37,032 around the world.
The 2016 count of U.S. certified organic farms and businesses reflects a 13% increase between the end of 2015 and 2016, continuing the trend of double-digit growth in the organic sector. The number of certified operations has increased since the count began in 2002, and this is the highest growth rate since 2008.
Organic certification is an “opt-in” voluntary standard that is managed through a public/private partnership. USDA accredits and oversees approximately 80 businesses and state governments that directly certify organic farms and businesses. USDA provides a number of educational resources to help organic producers access this growing market. These include interactive videos that help candidate farmers understand how to get and maintain organic certification and fact sheets that explain the value proposition of organic certification and outline the standards in a clear manner.
The complete list of certified organic farms and business is available through the Organic Integrity Database of certified operations maintained by USDA-accredited certifying agents. Launched in 2015, the database discourages fraud by providing more accurate and timely information about operations certified to use the USDA organic seal. The database also supports supply chain connections between buyers and sellers of organic goods.
Laura Batcha, chief executive officer and executive director of the Organic Trade Assn., said the group “is thrilled and not surprised to see the strong growth in the number of certified organic operations in the United States and worldwide.” Organic certifiers reported record numbers of new applicants in 2016, the association added.
“That said, there are still significant gaps in the domestic production of feed grains. Achieving success in closing this gap will require dedicated attention and a long-term strategy,” Batcha said in an email statement to Feedstuffs.
Perdue’s confirmation set for April 24
Several Senate Democrats were reported to have placed a procedural hold on advancing the nomination due to some concerns, including Perdue’s stance on trade with Cuba.
The scheduled vote comes after the Senate Agriculture Committee held a confirmation hearing on his nomination on March 23 and held a vote out of committee on March 30.
A coalition of 16 agricultural organizations, led by the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), sent a letter to Senate leaders urging them to bring up Perdue’s vote as quickly as possible. Despite the push from the agriculture industry to confirm Perdue the first week of April, the Senate will vote after its two-week recess on April 24.
“NAWG is pleased that leader McConnell has taken this important step and has set a firm date for a confirmation vote. The (U.S.) Department of Agriculture has been without a confirmed secretary for over two months,” NAWG said in its April 6 newsletter.
During the week, the Senate has been debating the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, which has consumed most of the floor time for the week. Additionally, the Senate Finance Committee was slated to hold a vote Thursday on the nomination of Robert Lighthizer to serve as the U.S. Trade Representative, but the committee vote was unable to move forward.
In their letter, the agricultural groups noted that USDA “has been without political leadership for over two months, longer than nearly every other Cabinet-level agency. The list of key domestic and international issues that need to be addressed by the secretary and his team is long and growing, particularly given the troubling economic conditions in rural America. In addition, it is important to U.S. farmers and ranchers that USDA be at the table as the Administration considers recommendations on (fiscal year) 2017 appropriations and on the (fiscal year) 2018 budget,” the letter said.
The Senate and House both will have two weeks of recess before they are back in session on April 24. They return with an April 28 deadline looming to pass a funding bill for the remainder of fiscal 2017 before the expiration of the current continuing resolution that’s in place.
U.S. meat exports continue strong pace in February
Mexico pacesetter for February pork exports.
February results for U.S. pork and beef exports were well above year-ago levels, with pork exports posting the strongest February volume on record, according to statistics released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
Pork exports reached 197,025 metric tons in February, up 15%year over year, with value up 17% to $486.7 million. For the first two months of 2017, exports totaled 399,692 mt, up 18%, with value increasing 22% to $995.3 million.
February exports accounted for 27.6% of total pork production and 22.9% for muscle cuts only, up from 23.8% and 20%, respectively, last year. January-February ratios were also significantly higher at 26.8% and 22.2%, compared to 23.0% and 19.3% in the first two months of 2016. Export value per hog slaughtered averaged $51.94 in February, up 18% year over year, while the January-February average was up 20% to $51.05.
Beef exports totaled 90,417 mt in February, up 9% year over year, with value up 16% to $508.5 million. Through February, beef exports were up 13% in volume to 186,905 mt and up 17% in value to $1.02 billion.
February exports accounted for 12.6% of total beef production and 10.1% for muscle cuts only, which was steady with last year. January-February ratios were also fairly steady at 12.4% and 9.8%, respectively. Export value per head of fed slaughter averaged $276.96 in February, up 13% from a year ago, while the January-February average was up 10% to $266.34 per head.
“With trade deficits being a hot topic of conversation, especially with countries such as Mexico, China and Japan, it’s important to highlight the sectors in which U.S. products are competitive throughout the world and exports are thriving,” USMEF president and chief executive officer Philip Seng said. “The red meat sector is certainly in that category, as exports have helped fuel growth in the U.S. industry, and in turn, larger U.S. production has opened further export opportunities and generated positive returns for the entire supply chain.”
Pork exports strong to Western Hemisphere, North Asian
USMEF reported that Mexico was once again the pacesetter for February pork exports, with volume up 22% to 64,990 mt and value increasing 28% to $116 million. This pushed the two-month totals for Mexico 27% higher to 137,396 mt, with the value up 39% to $244.7 million.
“Mexico’s strong demand is reflected not only in increased buying from the U.S. but also in relatively high domestic hog prices, as per capita consumption of pork continues to grow,” USMEF said. Strong demand from Mexico helped move prices for U.S. heavy bone-in hams higher in 2017 — up an average of 4% year over year.
For Japan, the leading value market for U.S. pork, February exports increased 14% to 32,178 mt, with valued rising 18% to $130.4 million. For January-February, exports to Japan were up 10% in volume to 63,755 mt and rose 14% in value to $256.1 million. Chilled pork exports to Japan increased 7% through February to 34,682 mt.
According to USMEF, other highlights for U.S. pork included:
- China/Hong Kong continued to take large volumes of U.S. pork variety meats in February, offsetting the slowdown in pork muscle cuts and putting the combined February total at 42,881 mt, up 5% year over year, with value at $83.2 million, up 12%. Two-month totals were up 10% in volume to 80,893 mt and rose 15% in value to $159.3 million. China’s hog prices dropped below year-ago levels in February and have continued to drift lower, but China/Hong Kong’s total January-February imports were still up 35% from last year’s record pace at 532,600 mt.
- Pork exports to South Korea, which were slow in the first half of 2016 before gaining momentum later in the year, totaled 14,649 mt in February, up 26%, with value at $38.2 million, up 29%. Through February, volume increased 29% to 30,722 mt, while value improved 39% to $83.3 million. Korea’s hog prices have increased an average of 8% this year, even as production has been growing, which is indicative of strong demand, USMEF said.
- Led by a year-over-year doubling of exports to Colombia and Chile and solid growth in Honduras, exports to Central and South America were up 45% in volume to 27,022 mt through February, while value increased 42% to $61.8 million.
- January-February exports to the Dominican Republic were also well above last year’s pace, rising 28% to 5,279 mt, with value up 34% to $11.8 million.
Chilled beef to Japan, Korea and Taiwan drives growth
USMEF reported that Japan continued to solidify its position as the leading volume and value market for U.S. beef, with February exports to Japan climbing 48% from a year ago in volume to 23,789 mt and 55% in value to $134.3 million. Through February, exports to Japan were up 41% in volume to 46,276 mt and rose 44% in value to $259.6 million. This included a 60% increase in chilled beef volume to 19,404 mt.
Japanese import data showed that U.S. beef overtook Australian beef in the first two months of the year, with U.S. market share climbing to 45.6% while Australia’s dropped to 44%.
Strong momentum continued for U.S. beef in Korea, where February exports increased 11% to 13,093 mt and value rose 26% to $86 million. This pushed the two-month totals up 23% in volume to 28,287 mt and up 31% in value to $177.6 million. Chilled exports through February were up 95% to 5,384 mt.
In Taiwan, February exports jumped 33% from a year ago to 2,886 mt, while value increased 26% to $25.3 million. Through February, exports were up 28% in volume to 6,477 mt and up 25% in value to $55.1 million. U.S. beef holds 70% of the chilled beef market in Taiwan, the most of any Asian market. Through February, chilled exports to Taiwan increased 12% to 2,479 mt.
USMEF noted that other highlights for U.S. beef included:
- Exports within North America are off to a solid start in 2017, with January-February exports to Mexico increasing 14% from a year ago in volume to 36,235 mt and rising 3% in value to $147.4 million. Exports to Canada are showing signs of a rebound, with volume up 11% to 19,446 mt and value up 18% to $123.5 million.
- Beef exports to two key South American markets increased significantly in value through February, with exports to Chile up 22% year over year to $8.9 million and exports to Peru up 68% to $4.3 million. The increase in Chile was achieved despite a 16% decline in volume to 1,417 mt, while volume to Peru was up 16% to 1,130 mt.
- A rebound in the Philippines and continued growth in Vietnam pushed January-February beef exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region up 33% in volume to 4,774 mt and up 19% in value to $27.3 million. Exports to Indonesia, which set a value record of $39.4 million last year, are off to a slow start in 2017, with value through February down 48% to $3.5 million.
Strong growth in beef exports to most Asian markets helped offset a slowdown to Hong Kong, where January-February volume was down 21% to 16,131 mt and value was down 12% to $104.7 million.
Losses continued in the April fed cattle futures market, but the markets appeared to find support as the week progressed. Nearby contracts closed lower Monday at $119.425/cwt. but finished higher Wednesday and again into Thursday’s close of $118.80/cwt.
April feeder cattle futures were mostly lower this week. Nearby contracts closed higher Thursday at $131.95/cwt. after closing lower Tuesday at $132.025/cwt. and Wednesday at $130.525/cwt.
For the beef cutouts this week, Choice and Select closed lower at $207.90/cwt. and $200.28/cwt., respectively.
April lean hog futures were mostly lower but climbed as the week progressed. Nearby contracts closed lower Tuesday at $63.625/cwt. but finished higher Thursday at $63.925/cwt.
Pork cutout values were mixed on Thursday. The wholesale pork cutout was lower at $74.18/cwt. Loins and hams closed higher at $73.86/cwt. and $55.95/cwt., respectively, while bellies closed lower at $122.07/cwt.
Hogs delivered to the western Corn Belt were lower this week, closing at $60.72/cwt. on Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the Eastern Region whole broiler/fryer weighted average price at 95.83 cents/lb. on March 31.
According to USDA, egg prices were steady, with a steady to weak undertone. Offerings were mostly moderate, although moderate to heavy in California. Demand has been in a full range of light to good. Supplies have been moderate to heavy in the Midwest and California and moderate elsewhere.
Large eggs delivered to the Northeast were unchanged at 85-89 cents/doz. Prices in the Southeast and Midwest were also unchanged at 85-88 cents/doz. and 78-81 cents/doz., respectively. Large eggs delivered to California were unchanged at $1.36/doz.
For turkeys, USDA said the market was steady to barely steady. Offerings and demand have both been light to moderate. Prices for hens were lower on the upper range at 97 cents to $1.03/lb., while prices for toms were unchanged at 97 cents to $1.03/lb.
We hope to see you there in a few short weeks! If you plan on attending please give us a call or send an email and we can schedule a time to meet.
-The team at GPP
For more information visit IPPExpo.com
JAN. 31 – FEB. 2, 2017
Georgia World Congress Center
285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Various factors will determine where 2017 prices settle.
The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) “Hogs and Pigs” report indicated pork supplies in 2017 would likely be larger than pre-report expectations.
Purdue University livestock economist Chris Hurt said slaughter numbers have run high all fall and USDA revised upward the size of the spring 2016 pig crop by 2.5% to account for the heavier runs. In a similar fashion, the December survey also found more market hogs. The number of pigs that weighed less than 180 pounds was 4% percent larger than the inventory of a year ago and 2% percent larger than pre-report trade estimates. These will be the market hogs arriving at processing plants from January to May 2017, Hurt noted.
A similar story unfolded for the breeding herd, which was 1.5% higher and 1% more than pre-report estimates. Farrowing intentions were also above expectations. Winter farrowing intentions were 1.4% higher and spring farrowing intentions were 1% higher. Hurt said the expansion of the breeding herd has tended to follow the record corn yields, with the Illinois, Missouri, and North Dakota breeding herds up 10% and the South Dakota up 9%.
According to Hurt, the number of pigs per litter continued to march higher in 2016 with new records in each quarter. The last quarter of 2016 attained the highest level ever at 10.63 pigs per litter. For 2016, the new annual record was 10.5 pigs. Hurt said the average rate of annual increase over the past ten years has been 1.5%.
Given these numbers, Hurt said the industry will increase pork output by about 3% in 2017 to 25.7 billion pounds, a 12% increase since 2014 when PED reduced production and contributed to record high hog prices. He forecasted pork production will rise by 2% the first-half of 2017 and by about 4% in the last-half.
“Hog prices were extremely depressed in the final quarter of 2016 when live prices averaged about $37/cwt. That was the lowest quarterly price since 2003,” said Hurt, adding that the lowest prices were in mid-November, touching the extremely low $30s. “Recovery came quickly with prices rising to the lower $40s by the end of the year. For all of 2016 live hog prices averaged about $46.”
As for prices in 2017, Hurt said 3% higher production might mean annual prices will be lower. However, he said there are additional items to consider.
First, retail prices did drop in 2016, but there is opportunity for those prices to come down more. “Lower retail prices will stimulate the quantity of pork that consumers purchase.”
Second, Hurt said USDA expects exports to expand by 5%, which will move more of the increased production to foreign customers.
Third, with the addition of new processing capacity, the farm-to-wholesale margins are expected to drop, Hurt said. “Lower margins at the processing stage may contribute to stronger bids to hog producers.”
Live hog prices are expected to be about $48/cwt. in 2017, a $2 increase from 2016. Prices by quarter are expected to average $45/cwt. in the first quarter, the very-low $50s in the second and the third quarters, and then $43 in the final quarter of 2017. A range of $2 higher or lower would be reasonable for price projections, Hurt added.
Costs of production are expected to be around $50 on a live weight basis in both 2016 and 2017 based on current feed price expectations. Hurt pointed out that this means the industry operated at an estimated loss of about $12 per head in 2016 and is expected to have losses that average about $6 per head in 2017.
“Losses in the first quarter of 2017 are expected to be about $13 dollars per head. Modest profits may return in the second and third quarters, with a return to the largest losses of the year in the final quarter.”
Because the 2017 outlook is for weak returns, Hurt said it is important to keep further expansion to a minimum. “This will be difficult with new processing capacity coming in 2017 as those plants will want to stimulate some added production to fill their lines.”
Pork exports to China will particularly bear watching in 2017, Hurt said. Last year, exports to China nearly doubled growing to near 16% of total exports.
Trade positions of the Trump administration will also be of deep interest to the pork industry in 2017. Mexico became the number one destination for U.S. pork in 2015 and 2016, which Hurt said means trade relations with Mexico will need to be watched carefully for potential impacts on the hog market.
“Remember that a breeding herd that stays the same size will still enable a 1-2% expansion of pork production due to more pigs per litter and higher market weights. A 2% production growth rate is probably close to what is sustainable with modest U.S. population growth and some growth in exports.”
The December fed cattle future market was mostly lower this week after a long holiday weekend. Nearby contracts closed lower Tuesday at $114.875/cwt., posted gains Wednesday, but closed lower again Thursday at $115.075/cwt.
January feeder cattle futures were lower this week. Nearby contracts closed lower Tuesday and Thursday at $130.20/cwt. and $128.25/cwt.
For the beef cutouts this week, Choice and Select were lower at $201.52/cwt. and $193.39/cwt., respectively.
February lean hog futures started the week lower but climbed through the week. Nearby contracts closed lower Tuesday at $63.50/cwt. but closed higher Thursday at $64.875/cwt.
Pork cutout values were higher this week. The wholesale pork cutout was higher at $79.57/cwt. Loins were higher at $80.75/cwt. Hams and bellies were also higher at $62.02/cwt. and $118.16/cwt.
Hogs delivered to the western Corn Belt were higher this week, closing at $54.08/cwt. on Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the Eastern Region whole broiler/fryer weighted average price at 85.54 cents/lb. on Dec. 30.
According to USDA, egg prices have been steady, with a lower to sharply lower undertone. Offerings and supplies have been moderate to heavy. Demand has been mostly light to moderate.
Large eggs delivered to the Northeast were unchanged at $1.10-1.14/doz. Prices in the Southeast and Midwest were higher at $1.21-1.24/doz. and $1.10-1.13/doz., respectively. Large eggs delivered to California were unchanged at $1.66/doz.
For turkeys, USDA said the market was steady to weak, with light to moderate offerings. Demand has been light. Prices were lower, at $1.00-1.02/lb. for both hens and toms.
Source URL: http://www.feedstuffs.com/markets/livestock-markets-more-pork-higher-hog-prices-ahead
Procedure developed for organizations interested in having their standards and programs verified.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has developed a program under which it will offer assessments of independent animal welfare standards and programs to determine if they conform to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Specification (TS) 34700 – Animal Welfare Management/General Requirements and Guidance for Organizations in the Food Supply Chain.
The ISO TS applies to terrestrial animals bred or kept for the production of food or feed and was developed to ensure that food-producing animals are raised, transported and processed humanely. The TS also establishes a strong framework for industry animal welfare standards and programs to verify that they are rooted in science and can be widely accepted.
AMS has developed a procedure for organizations interested in having their standards and programs verified against ISO TS 34700. AMS invites organizations interested in this service to review the procedure, “USDA ISO TS 34700 Animal Welfare Assessment.” AMS will work with interested organizations to develop additional program materials, including objective, transparent audit checklists. Programs will be verified through routine independent and on-site audits by AMS to ensure that they meet the requirements of ISO TS 34700.
Sustainability: Beyond the Buzzword
For more information on AFIA’s sustainability efforts, please contact the AFIA manager of communications, Miranda McDaniel at (703) 558-3579.
“Sustainability in the Feed Industry.” AFIA.org. American Feed Industry Association, October 30th, 2014. Accessed December 5th, 2016.
The AFIA (American Feed Industry Association) has compiled some information about what we (as AFIA members) do and how it relates to feed, food, and your family. Take a look at the link below.


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Amazon: Goodbye Google Maps – Hello Nokia Maps (Kindle Fire)August 31, 2012 No Comments
Just like Apple, Amazon is looking to move away from Google Maps for its products. Amazon has teamed up with Nokia to integrate mapping on its Kindle Fire. Nokia is one of the largest mapping companies since their purchase of Navteq in 2007. Both companies declined to comment but this goes right in line with Nokia saying that they want to be the ‘where Company’.

domain: news


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NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PlaceIQ, the company building a new model of consumer behavior by connecting physical and digital activities across time, space, and mobile devices, today announced its selection as the location data and insights provider for Harmelin Media, one of the largest independent media firms in the United States.
PlaceIQ has partnered with Harmelin Media to deliver consumer insights using location data to the agency's diverse client roster, which includes Fortune 500 brands in retail, CPG, travel, dining, entertainment and more. With PlaceIQ, Harmelin Media will leverage location data to fuel effective media activation, strategy and analytics for the agency's brand clients.
Under the partnership, Harmelin Media will access various PlaceIQ innovations, including Place Visit Rate (PVR®), the company's proprietary, award-winning foot traffic measurement solution. Since 2012, PVR has provided brands real-world attribution with unprecedented precision, enabling a better understanding of customer audiences and accurate measure of campaign success.
In addition, Harmelin Media will access PlaceIQ's diverse data partner portfolio to further build a better understanding of the customer journey. This portfolio includes data leaders in CPG purchases, auto ownership, and TV viewership and includes providers such as MasterCard, IRI, Nielsen Catalina Solutions, Oracle Datalogix, comScore, and more. By layering these datasets on top of location data, Harmelin Media and its clients will build a holistic understanding of the customer journey, allowing for more effective media delivery.
"Media agencies continue to unlock value for their clients with location data," said Duncan McCall, CEO and co-founder of PlaceIQ. "Location data has applications for every aspect of the media decision process, from deciding on an audience to engage, to crafting relevant creative based on their visitation trends and cross-category affinities, to accurately measuring the effect of campaigns in driving consumers to stores. Location data is also opening new areas for agencies, such as measuring the effect of out-of-home and TV advertising on real world visitation. We are pleased to work with Harmelin Media in delivering these benefits to their diverse client roster."
"Harmelin Media has built a name for itself by solving brand business problems with insights and creative communication strategies," said Brad Bernard, vice president, digital strategy and innovation, Harmelin Media. "Location data has proven itself to be a powerful component in solving brand business challenges and crafting end-to-end media strategies. PlaceIQ's role as an industry pioneer in location data and insights, coupled with the maturity of its technology platform and data partnerships made them a natural fit to deploy across our organization."
For more information about PlaceIQ's innovative work with leading media agencies, please visit: www.placeiq.com.
About Harmelin Media
Harmelin Media specializes in strategic media solutions, and has more than 30 years of experience helping clients navigate a rapidly changing media landscape across traditional, digital and lifestyle forms. The firm has grown to more than $540 million in billings with a diverse client roster including Fortune 500 companies and is now one of the largest independent media service firms in the United States. For more information, visit www.Harmelin.com, or connect with us on Twitter @harmelinmedia or Facebook www.facebook.com/HarmelinMedia.
For brands seeking to understand consumer behavior, PlaceIQ connects physical and digital activities across time, space, and mobile devices to uncover opportunities to learn and connect with audiences. PlaceIQ is a powerful, location-based audience and insights platform that organizes a wide variety of consumer activity data around a precise location base map at massive scale. PlaceIQ uses its detailed understanding of location and consumer activity to reach a targeted audience, and also to derive powerful insights about consumer behavior to inform market and business strategies for national brands. The company is headquartered in New York City and has offices in Palo Alto, Chicago, and Detroit. For more information, visit www.placeiq.com. Follow us on Twitter @PlaceIQ and like us on Facebook: PlaceIQ.


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This definition appears very rarely
and is found in the following Acronym Finder categories:
- Organizations, NGOs, schools, universities, etc.
- Business, finance, etc.
Samples in periodicals archive:
The company introduced the comprehensive vehicle tracking and tracing system at The European Road Transport Show in Amsterdam late last year, aimed at trucks and semi-trailers.
The company is at the European Road Transport Show in Amsterdam this week showing off a concept vehicle, pictured, that reveals how the next generation of its award-winning Maxus van might look.
The van and the hardware that enables the vehicle to operate on both electric and diesel systems will be unveiled at the European Road Transport Show in Amsterdam, Oct.


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Halal Expo Canada, an exhibition and conference, is set to take place from May 12 -14 at the International Center in Toronto.
“As a gateway to the North American growing Halal market, Halal Expo Canada 2022 will gather the highest quality products and services of the Halal industry. A meeting point of Halal buyers and suppliers between East and West,” said the organizers.
“From Food & Beverage to Pharmaceuticals to Cosmetics, from Finance to E-commerce and Logistics to Tourism and more, the entire halal industry will gather under one roof providing traders and buyers with the ideal platform to network and share market insights.”
The Canadian halal food market is estimated to be worth over USD $1.2 billion. It’s a market that is growing in importance as Canada’s Muslim population of 1.5 million is increasing at roughly 13 per cent annually.
According to INTERPOC studies, the world’s Muslim population continues to grow at rates much higher than many other ethnic groups, and in North America specifically, it has already surpassed the annual global growth rate of 2.3% to 2.9%.
Consumers of Halal beef and other products in North America are primarily Muslims with a growing appetite for new products.
Based to a report from Thomson Reuters, the global halal food industry is estimated at USD $2 trillion, and it’s estimated that in the future it could account for 20 percent of the world’s food trade, making it most promising sub-sectors in the world today.
“Halal Expo Canada 2022 is not just an event or classic trade show. It is a unique platform with various business and trade activities that will offer manufacturers, traders, exporters, buyers the chance to have face-to-face negotiations to make business deals and right decisions immediately,” said the organizers.


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A landmark ruling freeing Unilever's Knorr Vie Shots from the grip of the VAT man has been described by Innocent Drinks as a "nail in the coffin" for the hated 17.5% tax on liquids containing healthy foods.
Sir Stephen Oliver QC, who presided over a VAT hearing into Unilever's case, ruled that Knorr Vie Shots, made up of part-veg and part-fruit juice, did not constitute a beverage legally liable for VAT but a food that was zero-rated for the tax.
Innocent is campaigning to get its fruit smoothies exempt from VAT on the basis that they do not merely quench drinkers' thirst but also contain enough fruit to contribute to the government's 5-a-day agenda.
But Jamie Mitchell, marketing director, said the company would not be challenging HMRC at a VAT tribunal in the way Unilever had done.
The company would be concentrating instead on its political campaign for no VAT on healthy drinks.
"For us, it's definitely a much broader issue than managing to win a single argument that is going to impact on your business. Unilever has obviously got shareholders to deal with. For us, it's much more about the nation's health."
Fifty MPs have signed a motion calling for no VAT on fresh fruit juice.


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Alibaba Cancelled the Launch of Aliyun Phone on Google Threats09-13 17:38 Caijing
AliCloud, a subsidiary of Chinese company Alibaba Group, said Thursday that it canceled the launch of a new phone carrying the cloud-oriented Aliyun OS, a Linux-based mobile operating system developed by AliCloud, after Google threatened to dissolve partnership with one of AliCloud's partner.
"We are extremely sorry to announce the temporary cancelation of the launch of our new phone carrying AliCloud's operating system, which was scheduled this afternoon, because one of our partners was pressured directly by Google," AliCloud said in a statement on its official microblog on Weibo.
AliCloud has partnered with a domestic phone maker K-touch, and chip company Nvidia to develop the new phone based on K-touch's W700. According to AliCloud, one of its partners was informed by Google that if Google would dissolve partnership with the company if its new phone carries Aliyun operating system. It didn't specify which partner but apparently it should be K-touch.
The company also expressed over Google's decision in its statement.
Aliyun was released in Chinese markets on July 28, 2011. The first device to run the OS was the K-Touch W700. In April, Aliyun began to sell its second-generation phone Bumblebee at a price of 1,499 yuan.
It took three years for AliCloud, involving 1,600 engineers, to develop the OS. The company is challenging the dominant Android OS in China and is looking to expand into Western markets too.
Editors’ Picks »
- 1Highlights: Premier Li's Government Work Report
- 2Chinese Regulators Vow Support for Internet Finance Products
- 3China’s New Funds Oustanding for Forex Surge in Jan.
- 4Xi Urges Shanghai to Spearhead Reforms, Opening-up
- 5NDRC Plans Internal Reforms
- 6China's 'Father of Hybrid Rice' Nominated for 2014 Nobel Peace Prize
- 7Jingdong Seeks Cornerstone Investors Ahead of IPO
- 8Chinese Tycoon Upbeat About Property Market in 10 Years
- 9Last 3 Suspects Caught in Kunming Manhunt
- 10Japan’s Fast Retailing Surges in HK Debut


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Ricky Skaggs and his wife, Sharon White, are only weeks away from the release of their highly anticipated first studio album. 'Hearts Like Ours' will hit shelves on Sept. 30, on their own Skaggs Family Records.
Ricky Skaggs is readying the release of his latest bluegrass project, ‘Music to My Ears,’ which is scheduled to hit stores on Tuesday, September 25. The album will contain 11 all-new tracks that will not only please his loyal bluegrass fans, but his more country followers, as well.
One of my favorite kinds of musical genres is bluegrass. Ever since I was a kid, I loved the sound of a banjo, mandolin, Dobro and fiddle. And, when you put them all together--it's magic. Country music is also one of my favorite musical genres. So,


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Paychecks are going up — but prices are too
There have been plenty of reports of wage gains over the past year; however, they haven’t kept pace with costs.
Nearly half of all paycheck-to-paycheck consumers say their salary only covers basic expenses, while some higher-income earners say paying for a family member’s expenses has proved a significant driver of financial distress.
This means there’s little left over at the end of the month for discretionary spending or savings.
And what is left over is also getting eaten away by record-setting inflation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index shows inflation hit a scorching 9.1% for the month of June.
Food at home was up over 12% for the year, while gas spiked by nearly 60%.
To rein in inflation, the Fed ticked up interest rates by 0.75% in June, but it will take time for the effect on prices to show.
For now, with another announcement coming after the Fed's next meeting July 26 to 27, it’s simply becoming much more expensive to borrow money, too.
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COVID encouraged bad spending habits
While low-income earners are facing the brunt of the effects, some middle- to high-income earners are also struggling.
“I think that COVID kind of warped everything financially,” says Rod Meloni, business editor at Local 4 News in Detroit and a certified financial planner.
Plenty of consumers who were still employed through the pandemic were able to use the time to hit pause on some of their usual expenses. For example, remote workers saved plenty on gas, work travel and lunches out.
But, Meloni counters, that doesn’t mean they put all that cash in savings. Many took it as an opportunity to spend on other things.
As the PYMNT study shows, people’s savings have taken a hit over the last year, too. For those struggling to meet their monthly bills, their average savings plummeted from $4,065 in May 2021 to $2,464 in May 2022.
And the end of restrictions and lockdowns this year has also encouraged people to spend hard to make up for lost time, causing expenditures on travel, dining in restaurants and other activities to surge.
“I think that we’ve sort of gotten out of the habit … of being intentional about what we're going to buy,” Meloni explains.
“And then when inflation ticks up and gas prices go up and groceries go up in unexpected ways — all of a sudden now, you have no discretionary spending left because you've not planned it.”
More: Compare savings accounts
The issue is becoming even more pressing
For the chunk of paycheck-to-paycheck consumers whose salaries comfortably cover basic expenses, Meloni believes that part of the issue may be a lack of financial education — some people see overspending as the limit.
“I don't think it's anybody's fault, necessarily. It's just that we need to pass [financial literacy] on. And one of the larger problems is I think a lot of parents don't know.”
He suggests that people write down how much they spend each month and compare that number to how much money they’ve brought in. One of the best pieces of advice Meloni has ever received was to set 20% of your income aside as savings.
And for those making more than enough to meet their bills, it’s time to think more long term.
“I think that the notion that you have unlimited discretionary spending needs to be dispelled,” says Meloni. “I call it the hamster wheel … because the faster you spin the wheel, you get no farther ahead.”
Getting off the hamster wheel takes some planning. One of the best tools to help break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle is simple: creating a budget.
Budgeting for three to six months of expenses is key to preparing for emergencies like an unexpected job loss, says Meloni.
And there’s no better time than ever to take this on, with talk of a recession on the horizon.
“I think that we all need to start getting ready for what is coming … it absolutely is going to get tough,” says Meloni.
“And the only way to weather that storm is to gain control, understand what you've got, what you need and then come up with a battle plan to go up against it.”


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Kuka AG Posts Loss In Q2; Sales Revenues Down 32.1% - Quick Facts
(RTTNews) - Kuka AG (KUKAY.PK, KUKAF.PK) reported a second quarter loss after taxes of 58.7 million euros compared to profit of 20.1 million euros, prior year. Loss per share was 1.51 euros compared to profit of 0.45 euros. EBIT was negative at 43.9 million euros, compared to EBIT of 23.7 million euros, last year. EBIT margin dropped to minus 8.1% from prior year EBIT margin of 3.0%.
Second quarter sales revenues were down 32.1% year-on-year to 544.2 million euros. Orders received were 551.7 million euros, a 39.6% decline from prior year.
"The coronavirus and its effects are creating a high degree of uncertainty. Many companies are reacting by holding back on investments. We are feeling this acutely in our markets, which were already under strain even before this crisis," said Peter Mohnen, CEO of KUKA AG.
For 2020, the company projects that both revenue and the EBIT margin will be clearly below the previous year's level. A negative EBIT margin is expected for the full year.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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by Dick Metzler, Chief Marketing Officer, uShip / One in a series of periodic guest columns by industry thought leaders. /
If you have ever purchased something on eBay, hailed a ride from Uber or vacationed in Airbnb lodging, you’ve participated in the sharing economy. The commonality with these on-demand companies is that customers transact online or through an app, but the service itself is fulfilled offline. A growing number of on-demand delivery start-ups —Instacart, Postmates and many more — have logistics at the heart of their value proposition. You want that meal, chinos or bottle of Smirnoff now? It’ll be in your hands in an hour. This pledge for instant gratification is leaving many in the shipping and logistics industry asking, “Will the sharing economy and this recent need for speed disrupt traditional transportation and logistics as we know it?”
The answer lies in how on-demand, two-hour delivery stacks up to time-tested logistics models that are the cornerstone of the biggest global companies: FedEx, UPS, DHL and others. In an era of instant gratification, old-school logistics are still what bring the bottom line — and on-demand start-ups would be wise to heed their experience. In other words, Internet/app economics and logistics economics are at odds with each other. And I’ve got $100 of my own money — and over 30 years of experience to back up my bet — that I know which system is going to come out on top.
How did we get here?
Every single industry is churning out the Uber of X, attempting to emulate the ride-sharing company’s success. These new businesses include Instacart’s groceries services, Luxe’s on-demand parking and valet, BloomThat’s flower delivery and the now-defunct HomeJoy’s maid services. Caught up in the wave, as well as a fear of missing out on the next Uber, venture capital firms last year pumped more than $17 billion into 214 companies that have some kind of on-demand delivery component. The logistics industry alone garnered more than 13 percent of all VC investments, with a disproportionate going to Uber. In fact, a significant portion of investment has gone into companies big and small that claim to be the “Uber of freight” — attempting to instantly match loads with trucks through the use of apps.
But after a giant — and irrational — influx of investment “exUberance” into physical delivery and logistics companies, the bloom is off the rose. This is making B-round investments extremely tough to come by for all but a few that remain in the game by adapting their methods to what consumers really want.
‘Uber of freight’
When it comes to logistics, in my estimation there are two companies that have the best chance to win in the need-to-have-it-now position: Uber and Amazon. Uber has empowered people with both speed and mobility, creating an expectation that within minutes, from the palm of your hand, you should have access to a car to take you to darn near anywhere for far less than a crusty old cab. Uber has even recently modified its tagline to: “Where lifestyle meets logistics.” In other words, it might very well add delivery of anything that will fit in a car with UberRUSH or UberEVERYTHING.
And it may go much larger. Just last week, Uber acquired self-driving truck developer Otto. The companies also announced they were developing a digital service that will match loads to truckers.
Meanwhile, Amazon has brilliantly propagated speed in the form of second-day or next-day free delivery through Amazon Prime. This is now quickly giving way to two-hour or even one-hour delivery as more Amazon distribution centers dot the map. Eventually, there could be more Amazon fulfillment centers than 7-Eleven convenience stores. This new expectation standard has created a system whereby smaller entities without deep pockets and infrastructure simply can’t compete.
But here’s the rub: Do consumers even want on-demand, two-hour delivery?
A recent study from the Internet Retailer found that free service is twice as influential as same-day shipping. In fact, a vast majority — 94 percent — would wait between two and seven days for free shipping. Even when paying for shipping, only 1.3 percent expected same-day shipping, while 13.5 percent expected it next day.
Despite these numbers that clearly reflect consumer preference, many a start-up has met its end trying to deliver on an Amazon-like same-day promise. Why is this? In the world of delivery, only two models work: “route density” (think FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service) and “high revenue per stop” (think white-glove delivery or those types of large shipments facilitated by companies such as mine, uShip). Most of the on-demand start-ups have neither. That will inevitably lead to a short and miserable life for them and their VC sponsors. This may continue for some period of time nonetheless, but no VC money can prop up those models in the long term. Recently, cracks have emerged in companies that haven’t figured that out, and this is a large reason why so many same-day deliver start-ups fail.
In logistics terms, this is a simple geography issue regarding physics and cost. With one-hour deliveries, there isn’t an overarching, streamlined process in place. There is no route density, and the items are typically low value, like clothing or a computer charger. Mostly, a driver zig-zags from current location to store to delivery location, racking up high costs per stop, wasting time, gas and money, ultimately delivering that pair of chinos to a buyer’s home for $5 when scalable operational costs were probably three to four times that. It simply won’t work.
So, how will it work? Surviving will require retooling an approach. Take BloomThat, for example. This flower-delivery start-up worked under the impression that people wanted bouquets and arrangements on-demand, and quickly found itself collapsing under the weight of its delivery and logistics costs. Instead of dying on the vine, BloomThat revised its services to offer next-day or later service, reducing costs by 25 percent while achieving the route density they needed to sustain a viable business model. It turns out that end-of-day or next-day flower delivery suited its customers’ demand just fine.
When the dust settles
I’m not going to sit here and claim I’ve a crystal ball, but here are my predictions about where we’ll find ourselves when the dust settles, including the winners and losers in on-demand delivery in the sharing economy:
- Amazon Effect: Based on Amazon’s efficiency, buyers have come to expect one- or two-hour services via Prime and can’t live without it. This presupposes that the USPS will survive in its current form and Amazon Flex can backfill, neither of which is a slam dunk. Having said that, I think FedEx and UPS should establish a bright red line and plan for when Amazon becomes more of a competitor than a customer. Right now, it appears that Amazon needs FedEx and UPS more than they need Amazon, but that could change rapidly.
- Reality Sets In: Delivery times become more reasonable and largely free, consistent with consumer demand and expectations. The companies that create a cool app, conduct no digital marketing, have one round of VC money, and charge $5 for one to two deliveries that cost $20 to make are dead meat. I would love to see them go on “Shark Tank” and get crushed by Mr. Wonderful.
- Go Big and Go Home: Large-format online buying continues to accelerate with new, more cost-effective solutions than white glove alone. Often the way to get these items moved is through a marketplace, such as uShip, where supply meets demand and pricing is transparent. The economics are there, assuming you have critical mass and the proper pull from both supply and demand.
- Convenience: I’m not sure about you, but I’ve got a job. I’m not at my house during the day, available for my items to be delivered when convenient for the company making the delivery. Carriers and consumers could collaborate to have everything they ordered this week delivered over the weekend, thus allowing the delivery company to establish route density and high(er) revenue per stop.
- Drones & Driverless Trucks: It may not be in my lifetime — and several hurdles remain — but it’s really not a question of if, but when and how. There are legitimate-use cases for drones today in specialized niches such as getting a live organ across a crowded metroplex. However, if Amazon, FedEx or UPS used drones for any significant part of their Christmas deliveries, it would blot out the sun. Driverless trucks have already made the scene with the most obvious applications being piloting and platooning in wide open spaces. But it will be a long time before you see a driverless delivery truck in Midtown Manhattan.
The Last Word
While the sharing economy has had its share of fits and starts, it’s ultimately a good thing for every market in which it is present, including transportation and logistics. Can it ultimately work? Yes, absolutely. But for all the speed and mobility an evolving new model like this brings, there are tried-and-true, iron-clad laws of physics, geography and time that need to be respected by newcomers to the industry. The Uber model doesn’t automatically translate to other businesses. It’s just not realistic, as has been written about fairly extensively. It really comes down to this: Will the need for speed captivate an Amazon and/or Uber-ruled kingdom? Or will consumers remain logical in their logistical expectations? Stay tuned.
Editor’s note: Richard Metzler is the chief marketing officer at uShip, an online shipping marketplace that uses technology to connect people and businesses with empty, discounted truck space. He has more than 30 years of experience in the logistics, transportation and e-commerce industries.
View the original article


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Mint Capital is pleased to announce exit from its portfolio company jNetX
Official press release of Amdocs:
Amdocs Acquires jNetX, A Leading Provider in the Service Delivery Platform (SDP) Market
Acquisition accelerates Amdocs' position in SDP; enables service providers to harness the capabilities of converged networks, IT and web in order to deliver rich, next-generation services
ST. LOUIS - October 27, 2009 - Amdocs (NYSE: DOX), the leading provider of customer experience systems, today has announced the acquisition of jNetX, a privately-held service delivery platform (SDP) provider, for $50 million net of debt and cash, subject to post closing adjustments. This acquisition accelerates Amdocs' position in the SDP market by combining jNetX's industry leading offering with Amdocs' existing customer experience solutions and service delivery capabilities. For perspective, the SDP market is estimated to grow at a 14% CAGR to $6 billion by 2013 according to a leading industry analyst firm. (Analysys Mason, August 2009).
Today, service providers are seeking to transition their businesses from predominantly subscription-based access services to include rich content, applications, and other next-generation offerings. The combination of Amdocs and jNetX products will allow service providers to expose both telecom and IP components in the network to offer convergent network, IT and web based services to all of their customers. This approach will benefit customers by enabling faster time-to-market and the monetization of next-generation services, and will differentiate Amdocs from most other SDP vendors, who support next generation services solely on IP-based networks.
"jNetX is a true innovator and has taken a different technical approach with its Java-enabled convergent service platform. This approach has provided greater value to service providers and helped jNetX achieve a strong position in the SDP marketplace," said Jim Liang, senior vice president strategy and corporate development for Amdocs. "Today's acquisition accelerates that value by not only offering a unique technological combination but by wrapping that technology with Amdocs' deep industry knowledge and leading consulting and delivery capabilities."
The combination also provides strategic enhancements to the Amdocs CES Portfolio as it:
* Enhances Amdocs' convergent charging offering by providing scalable and robust service control and service brokering capabilities
* Delivers closer integration with the Amdocs App Store to expose network services to developers
* Provides a holistic service delivery framework that enables a quicker launch time for new services
"One of the biggest challenges with this new, rapid service delivery model has been to ensure that services can be efficiently provisioned and properly monetized through real-time charging mechanisms, said Gary Miles, CEO of jNetX. "By incorporating the jNetX carrier-class service platform into the CES suite, Amdocs extends its market leading offering providing a consolidated OSS, BSS and SDP solution for consistent service creation, management, delivery, charging and customer care."
In addition to the product synergies, Amdocs and jNetX share a number of top tier customers, including Vodafone Group, British Telecom and Mobilkom. The combination will benefit customers as they seek to enhance the customer experience and become an active participant in the emerging Telco-Web eco-system.
Amdocs does not expect a material impact from the acquisition of jNetX on fiscal year 2010 non-GAAP earnings per share, which excludes acquisition related costs and equity-based compensation expense, net of related tax effects. The impact on GAAP results will be finalized after Amdocs completes the purchase price accounting for the acquisition.
Amdocs is the market leader in customer experience systems innovation, enabling world-leading service providers to deliver an integrated, innovative and intentional customer experienceTM at every point of service. Amdocs provides solutions that deliver customer experience excellence, combining the software, services and expertise to help its customers execute their strategies and achieve service, operational and financial excellence. A global company with revenue of $3.16 billion in fiscal 2008, Amdocs has approximately 17,000 employees and serves customers in more than 50 countries around the world. For more information, visit Amdocs at www.amdocs.com.


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TVXQ And Super Junior To Join SM Entertainment’s Live Concert Streaming Service “Beyond LIVE”
On May 11, it was announced that TVXQ and Super Junior would be the next artists to feature in SM Entertainment and Naver’s digital concert platform “Beyond LIVE.”
The live concert streaming service has already hosted concerts by SuperM, WayV, and NCT Dream, and NCT 127 is set to perform on May 17. TVXQ’s performance will be on May 24 at 3 p.m. KST and Super Junior will take to the stage on May 31 at 3 p.m. KST.
“Beyond LIVE” aims to create a brand new concert experience that is optimized to the online experience. It features technology such as live sync camera walking, enhanced 3D graphics, and also connects to lights sticks that fans have at home so they can change in color and pattern according to the song.
Will you be tuning in to watch TVXQ or Super Junior’s performances?


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Everything you need to need to know about the largest London startup funding rounds of Q2 2020; broken down by industry, stage, investors, and more…
Eight Roads Ventures
Digital experience analytics platform Decibel uses AI to automatically identify where, why, and how the user experience can be optimized. CEO and Cofounder Ben Harris shares how the company is improving user experience across every digital touchpoint. Since its founding in 2014, Decibel has scaled the team to over 100 employees and has raised a total of $54M.
The notable European Tech startup fundings for the week ending 30/5/20 featuring funding details for Aircall, Otrium, Scandit, and much much more.
The latest venture capital, seed, pre-seed, and angel deals for London startups for 29/5/2020 featuring funding details for Starling Bank, Decibel, and much more.


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Why should we care about Smart speakers? Tomas Granryd (SR, Sweden) thinks he has some answers.
Some people (inside and outside of the radio industry) believe they are just gadgets, but Tom disagrees. He told the Radiodays audience, that the important thing is not the system – instead it’s about the behaviour. Amazon Echo, Google Home and soon Apple HomePod are already available in selected countries and smart speakers such as these are changing listening habits.
So how are people using voice activated speakers? Tom Webster (Edison Research, USA) talked the Radiodays Europe crowd through The Smart Audio Report, a survey of smart speaker owners.
90% of people who bought a smart speaker initially wanted it to play music. Some listened to radio. But many people also just wanted to talk to their computer!
When people first purchase a smart speaker, they use it to listen to music. But the longer they have it, the more they use it for other things. 42% of smart speaker owners now say that they are essential to their everyday lives!
“It is important as this tech will get embedded into society” Tom says. It is also necessary to understand what it is replacing. “We know that 64% of smart speaker owners want the technology in their car”, but also, (and this is the scary bit), most respondents have gotten rid of their radios…
So if smart speakers are the future, what does that make radio?


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‘The industry is on its knees’: Wedding planners call for more clarity and support from Government
08th Mar 2021
Wedding planners are calling for more support amid COVID-19 restrictions: "It's hugely disappointing and disrespectful to us and our couples not to be recognised by the government."
The Irish wedding industry, which contributes over €2 billion to Ireland’s economy every year, is urging the government to provide clearer plans to help suppliers survive.
In their petition, posted to Change.org, the Irish Wedding Industry points out that despite its massive annual contribution to Ireland’s economy it is “not recognised as a valuable industry.”
Since March 2020 and the outbreak of COVID-19 weddings have been restricted in the number of people who can be in attendance. The industry has now come together, spearheaded by wedding professionals Tara Fay and Lindsay Moynagh, to launch this petition, have all come forward under one united grouping “of many different suppliers of goods and services located all over” Ireland.
“Our industry contributes over €2 billion to the Irish economy every year, yet we are unrecognised as an industry by the Government,” explains Lindsay.
In a survey of their clients, they found that 75% of respondents have had their weddings postponed or cancelled and that 51% were turning to social media to get details, so that in itself is an indication of the lack of information coming from the government.
“Weddings are often seen as frivolous occasions and as such are not considered a business,” says Tara. “The survey we have carried out, has added more credibility to weddings as a business and important contributor to the economy.”
With almost no weddings at all for the last 12 months and the likelihood of a bumper 2021 season dwindling rapidly because of lack of guidance for government, the situation is growing dire for many wedding vendors. Quite a few have already been forced to walk away from their businesses entirely.
“There are thousands of couples financially committed to events throughout Ireland at this time and we haven’t been able to get any clarity for them so in an effort to finally get the Governments attention, we are hoping that couples will sign the petition and add their voice to the campaign,” says Lindsay.
With the petition, they are looking for a cohesive place for industry professionals to turn to for clarity of restrictions.
The group hope to reach 21,000 signatures by the end of the month, which would correspond with the average number of weddings that take place in Ireland in a normal year. “Currently, couples are being ignored and they feel that their weddings are insignificant. In lots of cases, they are paying significantly for postponing their weddings, for a third and fourth time,” says Tara. “Wedding professionals are in many cases providing their services free of charge to ensure their couples can postpone all their services to a new date.”
They are simply looking for what is at this stage, basic information in regards to weddings taking place, they want answers about the following:
- When will weddings over 6 people be permitted to take place?
- What will the maximum numbers for weddings be for the rest of 2021?
- When will a plan be put in place for weddings to have music and dancing and hair and makeup?
- Recognition for the wedding industry and its value to the economy
“Unless the industry is recognised, many of our very experienced suppliers will not last through the next few months.”
You can show your support by signing their petition HERE


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Virtual progress: Adding tech to investor meetings
A growing number of companies are adopting virtual shareholder meetings, or VSMs, yet the debate over their use shows little sign of going away. In 2009 Intel used a system developed by Broadridge Financial Solutions to become the first company to allow shareholders to listen and vote online during its annual shareholder meeting. Later that year, Broadridge itself held the first virtual-only AGM.
During the following four years, the number of companies hosting VSMs has risen at a gentle pace. Looking at Broadridge’sclients, 28 companies held virtual meetings in 2010, followed by 39 in 2011 and 53 last year. Broadridge says it expects continued slow but steady growth in 2013.
Companies considering VSMs have several different options. First, they can choose whether to hold an audio meeting, which is relatively cheap, or a video meeting, where the costs are more substantial. Second, and more importantly, is the decision between a virtual meeting in conjunction with a physical meeting, known as a hybrid, or a virtual-only event.
The latter option is the one that continues to raise most concerns. While almost half of Broadridge’s VSM clients hold virtual-only meetings, larger companies that have tried to go down this route have met with considerable opposition from shareholders. Intel, for example, had to scrap plans for a virtual-only AGM in 2010 after an investor backlash.
While excited about the potential of online meetings to expand shareholder participation, US lobby group the Council of Institutional Investors (CII) says virtual-only VSMs should be avoided.
‘The opportunity for face-to-face interaction between shareowners and the company’s leadership is rare and should be preserved,’ says Amy Borrus, CII’s deputy director. ‘A virtual-only format may create the impression the company is insulating management and the board from shareowners.’
To help allay fears, Broadridge created the option for companies to make all the questions posed during VSMs visible for attendees. The fact that no client has taken the firm up on this functionality might raise concerns further.
As more firms take the online route, the debate looks set to grow. A consortium of interested parties has developed a best practice guide – ‘Guidelines for protecting and enhancing online shareholder participation in annual meetings’ – to help companies keep their noses clean. For now, however, if there is something controversial to discuss, it’s best to avoid further controversy by doing it in person.


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Acura came out with big news before signing off for Christmas, announcing the launch of an important new concept which, according to the company, will set the direction for future Acura design. There isn’t much known about the Acura Precision Concept at this moment, only that it’s a performance-luxury sedan.
We’ve been hearing rumors about a new baby super car by Acura, something that would sit below the NSX in the range. Oddly enough, the release of Acura Precision Concept makes us more optimistic about that car, as it shows Acura is dedicated to launching a whole new series of cars over the coming years. The one future Acura we’re waiting for is the Spyder version of the NSX.
“The Acura Precision Concept will signal the stronger and sharper focus of Acura styling on our core DNA we call ‘precision crafted performance’,” said Dave Marek, global creative director for the Acura brand. “It is our intention to more strongly express performance through design and the Precision Concept will serve as the inspiration for the styling and proportion of the next-generation of Acura vehicles, especially for our sedans.”


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In the Epic vs. Apple Trial today, Epic revealed Apple memo's discussing whether the 70-30 Split with Developers would stand over time
It's being reported this afternoon that Apple Inc.’s top executive in charge of the App Store floated the idea of cutting its fees a decade ago when the store reached $1 billion in profitability, according to evidence presented by Epic Games Inc. in its trial with the iPhone maker.
Phil Schiller, who runs the App Store and was previously Apple’s marketing chief, in 2011 asked Eddy Cue, the head of services, whether "we think our 70/30 split will last forever?"
The question refers to the 30% cut Apple takes from developers for paid app downloads, in-app purchases, and subscriptions bought on apps within the store. In a July 2011 email, Schiller said he was a "staunch supporter" of the fee, but didn’t believe it would remain "unchanged forever."
The 30% fee and the rules regarding in-app purchases are two of the central issues to Epic’s lawsuit against Apple, alleging the iPhone maker’s actions are anticompetitive and unfairly deprive Epic of revenue.
Apple, responding to the email, said Schiller didn’t say in 2011 whether the App Store made $1 billion in profit and and there is no indication the fee structure is tied to the profit produced by the App Store.
Apple tweaked its App Store fees in 2016, reducing its commission from 30% to 15% for the second year of users who subscribe to a service. Late last year, Apple started a program to cut fees from 30% to 15% for developers who generated $1 million or less in the previous calendar year. Still, the 30% level remains in some cases, including for developers like Epic who make more than $1 million a year. For more on this read the full Bloomberg report.
In a secondary Bloomberg report, Apple attorney Karen Dunn said at the start of an antitrust trial Monday in Oakland, California, that Epic is trying to "undo" Apple’s home-grown marketplace that has given rise to lucrative app businesses and earned consumer trust.
Epic is here, demanding that this court force Apple to let into its App Store untested and untrusted apps and app stores, which is something Apple has never done," Dunn told U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is hearing the case without a jury. "Apple’s unwavering commitment to safety, security, reliability and quality does not allow that, and the antitrust laws do not require it."
Later today Apple's CEO Tim Cook and VP Hardware Craig Federighi took the stand as well as Tim Sweeny CEO of Epic Games. For details, read Bloomberg's second report here.


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The watch Dutch astronaut André Kuipers is currently wearing in space was specially designed and made for him by watchmaker Roland Oostwegel from Heerlen, which is positive news from a city that has had to tear down an entire shopping mall right before Christmas for fear of collapse.
The watch bears the name R.O.1 SPACE Special Edition (pics) and will stay five months in space at the ISS on Kuipers’ wrist. It is the first-ever Dutch watch to go into space. I love how the second watch has a number four that looks like the capital Russian letter ‘d’ (Ð”).
When Kuipers met Oostwegel he told him about how astronauts lose their sense of time. Oostwegel then decided to create a watch for astronauts to solve this problem, with a mission counter that displays the elapsed mission time in days and weeks, and an extra sub dial for when the space ship has made one full lap around planet Earth in 91 minutes and 59 seconds.
Price for the stainless steel limited edition starts at 4900 euro.


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2019 will probably be described as a big-year for superhero shows. The could even be a touch too big as far as superhero interests get. Programs occur release a up to 9 superhero feature videos. Wonder Studios is targeted release a its regular three. D.C./Warner Bros. desires to putout four. And then there’s Samsung Companies, which owns the privileges to a lot of Spiderman figures. Samsung really wants to putout the villain collection Menacing Six to profit to the achievement of Suicide Squad.
Is all of this somewhat much?
Nobody will probably recognize the answer compared to that concern until the final months of 2019. By then, every one of the box-office totals for your different videos will be added up. Considering the superhero style has not slightly slowed down in early 2017 after many years of being preferred, chances of 2019 being a big year for superheroes are robust.
Audiences, however, may soon tire out. Or even more correctly, readers may end up experiencing extreme burnout. Just how many idol movies can be unveiled in theaters in one year before readers start looking for different things in their entertainment options?
Again, the clear answer compared to that query won’t be uncovered till 2019is box office documents are logged. Likely, a number of of the idol shows is going to experience at the box-office. Audiences are being inundated with superhero enjoyment. The excitement can’t last eternally and is surely going to cool off. 2020 and beyond could be the last years of the superhero style. More find out this here.


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GOOG Founders Could Buy All US Newspapers and Still Have $12bn
Valleywag reports that entire US newspaper business is valued at $20 billion. Sergey Brin and Larry Page are worth about $16 billion each.
Foremski's Take: US newspapers didn't realize GOOG is a media company until it was too late. Google was able to scrape its content virtually for free, from newspapers and other web sites, and sell advertising around that content. Newspapers spend huge amounts of money to create their content.
Newspapers, and other media companies, have allowed Google to commoditize content, and retain the value in the aggregation and distribution.
Yet the technology for aggregation and distribution is a commodity -- content is not a commodity.
Once the content creators and owners realize that simple fact, then we might have a turnaround in the media sector. If not, then the media sector is next for a bailout--it is too important to fail.


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At the cutting edge
04 April 2017
Manhattan Associates outlines some cutting edge tech it predicts could take hold in the near future, as retailers bid to close the gap between fulfilment reality and consumer’s wishes.
Henri Seroux, senior vice president, EMEA at Manhattan Associates, says: “Retailers need to be ready to meet the fleeting demands of ‘loyal consumers’ who want a personalised, streamlined and consistent service experience, no matter what the channel. We see key trends that are likely to influence the UK retail scene and shape retailer strategies in the coming year.”
As online and in-store channels merge, retailers will have to work harder than ever to ensure that the consumer experience over ‘the last mile’ is consistent.
Amazon managed a staggering 13 minute click-to-delivery service with their first ever customer drone delivery. While this kind of fulfilment approach might not become the norm straight away, Amazon’s historic achievement will inspire other retailers.
For example, at the end of 2015, Asda launched its pioneering toyou service. In partnership with a number of household brands, the service allows deliveries and returns to be made at greater convenience to the consumer. Another example is eBay's collaboration with Argos. In addition, courier services such as Deliveroo and Stuart have also expanded their services, providing retailers with another delivery option.
In 2017 there will be a more collaborative approach by retailers to respond to the consumer want / need to have something delivered within hours or even minutes. This is not only being driven by consumer demand, but also by retailers wanting to introduce greater efficiency to every aspect of their service operation. The real trick will be to give customers what they want, when and where they want, while ensuring new fulfilment options are not a drag on profitability.
AI clearly has the potential to have a huge impact on customer service expediency, particularly where it can plug into a retailer’s data on enterprise inventory and its customers. With AI assistants like Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant, Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana becoming more pervasive, they continue to accumulate more data and personal information to learn from and make them even more powerful. Imagine a world where retailers could combine AI technologies with sophisticated Order Management solutions that possess rich data on inventory and customer transactions. Such a world may not be that far away, meaning it won’t be too long before retailers know a consumer’s interests and tastes better than they do and will be able to pre-empt purchases and preferred fulfilment options before they even realise they have a need.
Virtual and augmented reality
What’s more, with major players of wearable tech looking to extend the positioning of their products into the B2B market, 2017 could also see the introduction of VR/AR technology onto the shop floor, allowing store associates to have one foot in the virtual stockroom at all times. Wearing a HUD (Head-Up Display) device or smart glasses would allow a store associate to be well informed and answer some of the most difficult questions about products, their availability, fulfilment options and costs, all in real-time, without ever having to leave the customer’s side or even look down at a tablet or smartphone.
Retailers across the globe have dedicated themselves over the last 7 to 10 years to optimising their front-end sales processes and systems, often investing in an enterprise-grade commerce platform as one of the cornerstones of their transformation to an omni-channel operating model. Many of those companies have in the last few years turned their attention to building the equally important back-end processes and systems that will allow them to provide the truly seamless, integrated, omni-channel service experience consumers have come to expect. A key part of this effort has been the adoption of an enterprise-grade Order Management System (OMS). But only six per cent of retailers believe they have an accurate picture of inventory across the business 100% of the time.
This is crucial, whether a retailer is offering something via an app, on a website, in-store on through a call centre, they should be able to tell a customer a) if it’s in stock, b) how quickly you can get it to them, c) which fulfilment options are available / most convenient for them, d) how they can pay for it, e) that they can pay, return another product of differing value at the same time, and can complete multiple transactions with a single swipe of their credit card, and be able to do all of this while ensuring the business can make a profit on every transaction.


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Shocking Video That Demonstrates How Healthy Foods Are Processed To Become Attractive Poison On Your Plate
When buying fruits and vegetables, most assume they are making a healthy choice. However, this may not be the case. Due to high demand and marketing purposes, food growers and manufacturers all across the globe have turned to artificial methods.
In this video, you see workers dying vegetables to make them seem more appealing to buyers. Little do their customers know, they are being deceived and potently poisoned. At the end of the video, watermelons are seen being injected with what is believed a harmful substance that enhances the watermelon’s pigmentation and flavor.
Market vendors use these harmful tactics in order to generate more business. By artificially ripening watermelons, they are able to sell them quickly to unsuspecting buyers. According to physician Dr. Shailendra Tiwari, the mixture contains Sudan red, methanol yellow and lead chromate. All of which are linked to numerous deadly diseases.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first watermelon scare. In April 2015, Chinese citizens took to the streets after a mass food poisoning. Officials encouraged people to destroy the contaminated watermelons after 17 people were hospitalized and one woman was forced to abort her baby. Illegal pesticides were linked to the incident.
As vendors continue dying and injecting produce with harmful chemicals, it is important for buyers to know the source of their food. Supermarkets normally state where produce is grown and give their suppliers name. Be especially cautious of roadside vendors who may not be reliable sources.


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Since rattan is experiencing something of a design revival at the moment, it’s handy that the good eggs at WWF have stepped in to ensure it’s got a healthy future. Responding to the fact that standard rattan forestry can damage surrounding vegetation, WWF swiftly set up the Sustainable Rattan Programme in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. With a plan to save the remaining forests of the Mekong region whilst giving a crucial boost to local
economies, the extensive project has seen the creation of seedling nurseries and plantations, as well as giving hands-on, skilled training to local workers. As if that wasn’t enough, WWF has now joined up with a number of Swedish designers to create a range of rattan products that would look good in the most design-particular homes. Viva la rattan revival!


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THQ, the troubled publisher of Saints Row, WWE games, Company of Heroes, Metro: Last Light, the new South Park role-playing game, Red Faction and more, may still be sold in its entirety to an investment group called Clearlake as part of a bankruptcy sale, according to a court ruling.
But other interested parties may also bid on pieces of the company, which is why word has been making the rounds that Warner Brothers and possibly EA as well as other parties of interest might want to pick off some of THQ's franchises.
All bids for THQ's stuff must be in by 9am ET on January 22, THQ reported this morning in an update regarding the bankruptcy court proceedings. There will be a hearing on the sale the day after. The sale(s) close on January 24.
The results could be similar to what happened with the shuttering Midway. Warner Bros. snatched Mortal Kombat. EA wound up with NBA Jam at some point.
So start the parlor game... which companies or people would you like to see take control of the various THQ series/studios?
Despite the guilty pleasures of Red Faction: Guerilla, all it took was one sub-par game in the series (Red Faction: Armageddon) for publisher THQ to, at least temporarily, pull the plug on the series. Which is a damn shame.
In memory of a franchise (or at least its contemporary revival) that lived too fast and died too young, then, here's a collection of top-shelf concept art from the pariah itself, Red Faction: Armageddon.
These character concepts and environment pieces were done by Massive Black, a creative studio based in San Francisco that not only breathes life into the world of video games but that of major motion pictures as well.
To see the larger pics in all their glory, either click the "expand" icon on the gallery screen or right click and "open link in new tab".
THQ has pulled the plug on its Red Faction franchise following poor sales of RF: Armageddon.
Speaking at an investor call today, CEO Brian Farrell confirmed that "we do not intend to carry forward with that franchise in any meaningful way."
He added that the development team at Volition has been moved onto Guillermo del Toro's inSane survival horror project.
The series began back in 2001 as an FPS on PC and PlayStation 2, with a formal sequel following on a year later. Red Faction: Guerrilla switched to a third person perspective in 2009, picking up a sturdy 7/10 from Eurogamer.
Red Faction: Armageddon, released last month, matched that score but, as revealed earlier today, failed to do the business at retail.
Brian Farrell, the THQ chief executive, told investors that "we do not intend to carry forward with that franchise in any meaningful way."
Volition, the studio developing the series, has now been reassigned to Guillermo del Toro's inSane game project, a survival horror game.
THQ Abandons Red Faction Franchise [Eurogamer]
Remember when we told you that Mr. Toots, a wee unicorn with a powerful, rainbow-spraying ass, would come to Red Faction: Armageddon? Well, here's your official confirmation from THQ who also reveals how we'll get our hands on Mr. Toots incredibly destructive rectum.
It's going to take a million downloads of the game's demo, according to the video released by THQ today. The demo for Red Faction: Armageddon was released today on Xbox Live and is supposed to come to the PlayStation Network whenever Sony's online service returns from its slumber. Given PS3's owners inability to grab said demo right now, Armageddon will have an uphill battle making it to a million. (There's no PC demo, sadly.)
Might want to tell your friends if you want to unicorn fart things to death.
Red Faction: Armageddon hits the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on June 7 in North America, June 10 internationally.


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As shares of Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) climb higher in anticipation of the iPhone device's June 29 launch, analysts are skeptical of new battery life claims and the hype surrounding the new unit.
Apple shares jumped nearly 4 percent on Monday, then dipped 1.2 percent Tuesday to reach $123.52 in afternoon trading, after news that the iPhone would have a better-than-anticipated battery life.
The device would now give up to eight hours of talk time, six hours of Internet use, or seven hours of video playback, according to Apple. Playback of audio files would be possible for up to 24 hours.
Previously, Apple had said the iPhone would be capable of five hours of talk time, Internet use or video playback, and 16 hours of music-playing time.
It's easy to look and say that the iPhone is overhyped, said analyst Andy Hargreaves, who covers Apple for Pacific Crest Securities . The attention that has been given to the iPhone is probably more than the significance of the product at this point.
The consumer electronics company has seen its shares jump more than 47 percent since the product was announced in January of this year.
As devices become more complex and include more features, there has always been a concern over the battery life. This is especially true with the iPhone.
Typical batteries lose their charge capacity with age. A consumer can replace the battery, however just as with Apple's iPod music players, the battery in the iPhone cannot be replaced.
While we believe this hasn't really negatively impacted iPod sales, our concern is that it will become a bigger issue with iPhone, said American Technology Research's Shaw Wu.
With regard to Apple's newly announced battery capacities, Wu said we hope those times are accurate, but some of our sources have indicated iPhone's active use battery life may be closer to around 4-5 hours for heavy use, similar to other smart phones
The Apple iPhone combines a cell phone with an iPod and Internet capability. The device will come in two models, a $499 version with 4 gigabytes of storage and a $599 model that has 8 gigabytes of storage.


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Not long have we told you about the Xiaomi India case: Manu Kumar Jain, former CEO of the company and current VP, has been investigated for an alleged violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The investigations conducted byEnforcement Directorate have taken place in the past few weeks and have led to the seizure of over 720 million dollars.
Upgrade 06 / 11: there are new implications in the story between Xiaomi and India. Find all the details at the end of the article.
Xiaomi India case, over 700 million dollars seized for violation of the law
Manu Kumar Jain, former CEO of Xiaomi India and current Global VP, has been investigated for violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act. The case was related to a series of foreign remittances made by Xiaomi in China via a third country, thus violating the guidelines of the RBI. The Enforcement Directorate who handled the case recently stated that they had seized as much as 725 million dollars (poco less than seven hundred million euros at the exchange rate) for violation of Rule 4 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.
According to what was declared by the same direction, this huge amount of royalties was remitted - and therefore donated to other parties - by Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited at the instructions of the parent company. On the other hand, Xiaomi India confirmed that the statements made by the management and the payment of royalties are legitimate and truthful, and it was said committed to working closely with government authorities to clear up any misunderstandings.
Here is the official answer from Xiaomi | Update 04/05
A few hours after the incident, there also arrives response official di Xiaomi, which we report in full below.
“As a brand in the Indian market, all of our operations are firmly in compliance with local laws and regulations.
We have carefully studied the order coming from the government authorities. We believe our royalty payments and bank statements are all fair and truthful. The royalty payments that Xiaomi India made related to the licensed technologies and intellectual property rights used in our Indian version products. It is a legitimate business deal for Xiaomi India to make such royalty payments. In any case, we are committed to working closely with government authorities to clear up any misunderstandings ”.
The Indian court revokes the freezing of Xiaomi's assets | Update 06/05
Da to Reuters news arrives for the case Xiaomi India, according to internal sources of the newspaper note. The Indian court would have suspended the blockade of the 725 million dollars of assets of Xiaomi, which occurred in recent days for suspected violations of foreign exchange laws. We recall that in recent days the Enforcement Directorate has seized the assets of Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited, claiming to have discovered that the company has illegally transferred funds to three entities based abroad in the form of royalties, including a group entity Xiaomi.
As we saw with the subsequent reply from Lei Jun's house, the payments would all be legitimate and truthful, and filed an appeal. On Thursday, the Indian court suspended the decision on the blockade; however it seems that at the moment the ordinance has not yet been made public. Furthermore, there is a lack of comments on the matter both from Xiaomi and from the Enforcement Directorate. However, the case will be discussed on May 12th and we will surely know more when the time comes.
Xiaomi denounces India of physical violence | Update 09/05
The bitter diatribe between Xiaomi and the Indian government continues. The Chinese company has blamed the authority of India to have exercised physical violence for coercion of its executives during questioning over alleged violation of the nation's tax laws. According to the indictment, vice-president Manu Kumar Jain and CFO Sameer BS Rao would have been threatened with "terrible consequences" to the detriment of their respective families if they did not release the required statements by May 4. Threats that would include arrest, as well as career damage and even physical violence. Xiaomi executives would have resisted for some time, the such pressures and abuses would have pushed them to desist and declare what was requested.
There was no lack of response from India's Enforcement Directorate, stating that the allegations are "false and baseless" and that the two executives deposed voluntarily and in a favorable environment. As an agency with a strong work ethic, it would not have exercised any coercion or threats.
Millions more seized from Xiaomi | Update 17/05
The controversy between Xiaomi and India does not seem to subside, with the Indian government having decided to knock down another ugly tile against the Chinese company. In the past week, in fact, tax officials have frozen another 478 million dollars deposited on Xiaomi's local bank accounts. A sum that is added to the previous sanction, for a total of over 1,2 billion dollars, practically 38% of global profits throughout 2021. The reason basically remains the same, namely the alleged violation of India's tax laws, in this case by purchasing smartphones at inflated costs, in order to sell them, record a lower profit and pay less taxes.
Xiaomi pronounces itself on the clash with India | Update 03/10
Months after the latest vicissitudes, Xiaomi returns to pronounce on its situation in India, defining itself "disappointed”From the behavior of the Indian authorities. India states that i 682 million dollars they were frozen following charges of tax evasion through payments to foreign countries; of these millions, Xiaomi claims instead that l84% were royalty payments against the American chipmaker Qualcomm, with which it has a regular agreement that provides for these payments. The Chinese company said it will continue to protect its interests and those of the shareholders, so we expect the affair to go on for a long time to come.
Deutsche Bank also involved | Update 06/11
Details continue to appear on the judicial affair that sees Xiaomi and the authorities of India clash. Following the investigations carried out, Indian investigators claim that Xiaomi would have cheated Deutsche Bank for years regarding cooperation with Qualcomm. The Chinese company allegedly claimed for a long time that it had a legal agreement regulating the payment of the royalties involved in the lawsuit; Xiaomi India would have denied the bank to see these documents for confidentiality reasons, when in reality the reason was their non-existence. This was confirmed by the CFO and CEO of Xiaomi India, Sameer BS Rao and Manu Kumar Jain, specifying that royalties were paid based on the indications received from the Chinese parent company. And according to the Indian authorities, "this shows the intention to get the money out of India according to the whims and fantasies of the Chinese parent". However, Xiaomi India responds by stating that, not being part of the production chain but only a reseller, it has no say in the management of royalties.⭐ Discover the new Weekly Flyer of GizChina with always different exclusive offers and coupons.


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AT&T has entered into an agreement with Grupo Salinas to acquire mexico's third-largest wireless operatorIusacell for US$2.5 billion, inclusive of Iusacell debt, as it seeks to grab a slice of a market with a fast potential growth. Under the terms of the agreement, AT&T will acquire all of Iusacell's wireless properties, including licenses, network assets, retail stores and approximately 8.6 million subscribers. The acquisition will occur after Grupo Salinas, the current owner of 50 percent of Iusacell, closes its announced purchase of the other 50 percent of Iusacell that Grupo Salinas does not own today.
Iusacell offers wireless service under both the Iusacell and Unefon brand names with a network that today covers about 70 percent of Mexico's approximately 120 million people. AT&T plans to expand Iusacell's network to cover millions of additional consumers and businesses in Mexico.
"Our acquisition of Iusacell is a direct result of the reforms put in place by President Pena Nieto to encourage more competition and more investment in Mexico. Those reforms together with the country's strong economic outlook, growing population and growing middle class make Mexico an attractive place to invest," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. "Iusacell gives us a unique opportunity to create the first-ever North American Mobile Service area covering over 400 million consumers and businesses in Mexico and the United States."
Mexico has the second largest economy and one of the highest per capita GDPs in Latin America. The country today enjoys a strong credit rating, relatively low inflation and low unemployment.
Iusacell operates a 3G wireless network based on the global GSM/UMTS technology that AT&T uses in the United States. Iusacell owns between 20 and 25 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum, primarily in the southern half of the country, including Mexico City and Guadalajara, and an average of 39MHz of PCS spectrum nationwide. Iusacell's Total Play business, including the network assets to support pay TV and wireline broadband services will be spun out to Grupo Salinas' existing shareholders prior to AT&T closing its acquisition of Iusacell.
Recent changes to government policies in Mexico have created a friendly climate for foreign investment. This transaction gives AT&T the assets necessary to create a North American Mobile Service area for U.S. customers calling or visiting Mexico, and Mexican customers calling or visiting the United States.
The percent of Mexico's population that has wireless service lags Latin America overall. Smartphone penetration in Mexico is about half that of the United States. AT&T expects that as the price to acquire a smartphone continues to decline and the availability of higher-speed mobile networks in Mexico increases, there will be higher smartphone adoption and increased mobile Internet usage.
The transaction is subject to review by Mexico's telecom regulator IFT (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones) and Mexico's National Foreign Investments Commission. AT&T expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2015.
Separate from its acquisition of Iusacell, AT&T said its Project VIP network investment plan is ahead of schedule. AT&T has essentially completed the expansion of its 4G LTE network, which now covers more than 300 million people in the United States. It has completed the build-out of wired high-speed Internet service to 57 million U.S. customer locations. And the company has deployed fiber connections to 600,000 of its planned 1 million multi-tenant U.S. business locations.


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Two years ago, HTC brought us not just the One M7 Android flagship, but also the pint-sized One mini. And last year, beyond the One M8 we also saw the launch of the One mini 2. But so far this this year, there’s been no new petite model to go along with the One M9. Is it just a matter of time until one emerges? We’ve got bad news for those of you who prefer smaller phones, as HTC has confirmed that it has no further plans for One mini phones, citing industry trends towards larger and larger handsets.
According to HTC North Asia president Jack Tong, “overall the industry is moving towards new phones over 5 inches in size and our product roadmap is close to that of the industry.” As a result of this trend, the market’s just not there for smaller phones, and HTC has no current plans to go after whatever sub-five-inch sales remain with a new One mini model.
While we’re not sure if HTC plans to drop phones under that five-inch cutoff entirely, the smallest that remain may be the 4.7-inchers that populate the Desire line: models like the Desire 512 and 612. It will be sad to see the end of the One mini lineup, but we suppose we can’t fault the company for going where sales are; we have only our own tablet-lust to blame.
Update: HTC is disputing that it’s done with mini phones for good, but also isn’t about to confirm a “One M9 mini.”


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Liberum reiterates 'buy' rating on Persimmon
Analysts at Liberum reiterated their 'buy' rating on housebuilder Persimmon on Friday, stating pricing and margins "should trump volume".
Household Goods & Home Construction
Liberum stated that while it can understand the market's "knee-jerk reaction" to Persimmon's reduced volume guidance, down around 10% year-on-year, it also thinks the bigger point has been missed.
The analysts said Persimmon's shares should be judged on the "resilience of demand" and "the sustainability of margins", where the group had better news, pointing to improving margins and accelerating selling prices.
Liberum, which stood by its 2,630.0p target price on the stock, said Persimmon remains one of its "key picks" in "a cheap sector", with its "high and sustainable dividend yield" being a key attraction.
"What's not to like about making the same level of profit using less units?," added Liberum.
"We have left our estimates unchanged for 2022E and 2023E as the negative impact of lower volume estimates is offset by better selling prices and margins. We continue to expect a fall in profit in 2023E as we forecast only 1% selling price inflation and 4% cost inflation – this is a call on the economy rather than Persimmon in particular."
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com


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Despite a virtual global ban on (and criminalization in the US of) the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, there are some users who refuse to return the unit to Samsung. Even after Samsung limited charging rates, several carriers are now remotely blocking the device from connecting to mobile networks.
Stuff reports that by November 18th, all carriers will block the devices, with Samsung’s blessing. It is also very likely that other countries will follow suit.
Telecommunications Forum chief executive Geoff Thorn said while most of the devices had been returned, it estimated there were still a few hundred in the hands of Kiwi consumers […]
‘Samsung Note 7’s won’t work on any of New Zealand’s mobile networks after November 18. Numerous attempts by all providers have been made to contact owners and ask them to bring the phones in for replacement or refund.’
That being said, if you haven’t returned the phone as of yet, what are you waiting on?