2013年2月19日 星期二

SMEs and why banks have to get up to speed

Not so long ago, SME banking revolved around basic transactions and loans, with relationships typically forged through personal meetings at the bank.

Now, many SME customers use smart phones or a personal computer to interact with the bank, while at the same time SME banking has grown in complexity, with customers moving away from "plain vanilla" banking in favour of more bespoke and innovative solutions.

In the past few years, digitisation has had a profound impact on how SMEs do business. Mobile technology, in particular, is transforming the way they source, produce, market and sell their products. The pace of change is also accelerating, with mobile phones widely predicted to become the preferred consumer payment device within just a few years.

Not surprisingly, all of this has changed what SMEs need from their financial-service providers. With the branch no longer the fulcrum of relationships, banks must find a way to reconnect with SMEs in the digital space. Despite impressive digital strategies and the launch of multiple new channels, however, many banks have yet to figure out how best to do this.

First, they should see digitisation as a great opportunity to reconnect with their SME customers. By investing time in understanding the digital agenda of SMEs, and developing a differentiated digital proposition, banks have the chance to recast themselves in a new role as digital partners to small businesses.

SMEs themselves have not changed. They are still on the constant lookout for ways to run their businesses faster, better and more cheaply. They still need banks to support them as they grow and expand. Digitisation merely offers a whole new set of options for achieving this and allowing customers to do their banking and to access critical information while they are on the move.

SMEs - perhaps more than any customer group - are embracing digital solutions at speed, with digital now widely predicted to become the main customer-relationship channel for such businesses in the next couple of years. To a large extent, this is being fuelled by the rapid advance of smart phones and tablets globally. In 2011, the sale of smart phones surpassed that of PCs for the first time. And by 2015, according to Gartner, a US-based information-technology research and advisory firm, tablets sold are expected to equal sales of PCs.

Driven by customer demand and the ongoing search for greater cost efficiency, many SMEs are embracing e-invoicing or mobile payment solutions to allow their customers to make purchases on the go. You only have to look at the fast adoption of mobile payments tools such as Square and iZettle to see that this is an area of priority for SMEs.

Banks should focus on developing a strong mobile banking proposition for businesses,Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials. allowing busy SME owners to manage their banking needs from a smart phone or tablet, so that they can concentrate on running their business. Virtual advisers can be useful,Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. reinforcing the relationship aspect of banking, while empowering SME customers to self-serve and bring down costs.We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead.

Banks can also develop mobile and Internet services that would help SMEs tap into new revenue streams and markets, and also to access relevant information beyond traditional banking services. By extending their online platforms, for example,How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? banks could help create virtual communities that allow SMEs to network or promote their products and find new customers or suppliers.

Most important of all, while pursuing their digital strategies, banks should not lose sight of the basics. Like all other customers, SMEs expect a seamless banking experience. They want banking to be as simple, fast, cost-efficient and convenient as it can be.

For all the investment in new digital channels and solutions, banks should continue to focus on this fundamental need. This means fully integrating all channels. It means having a comprehensive and user-friendly website, and it means helping customers save time and money on basic tasks, such as opening a new account, applying for a company debit or credit card, or looking through past transactions.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are a core client group for banks, as they have always been. Prosperous economies depend on SMEs to drive growth and employment, and SMEs depend on long-term support from banks. Getting digital banking right for SMEs, and reinventing SME banking relationships for the digital age, should therefore be an urgent priority across the industry.

Howard Brown rebranding Triad health clinic alongside expansion

As part of a plan to move and expand services at its Triad Health Practice in the Boystown LGBT enclave, Howard Brown Health Center announced Tuesday it is rebranding and opening the clinic at its new space on North Halsted Street late next month.

Branding for the clinic’s new name, Aris Health, has already appeared on windows at the redesigned 4,050-square-foot facility, 3245 N. Halsted St., formerly occupied by Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group. The changes will officially go into place March 25, the organization said.

In April, Howard Brown said it would relocate the clinic to the larger location from a smaller space at 3000 N. Halsted St. due to capacity demands for its expanding services, such as pediatric care.

The new storefront location, which is steps away from of one of the symbolic Halsted Street rainbow pylons and directly across the street from Steamworks, a gay bathhouse, will afford the clinic greater visibility, the organization said.

“We are excited about opening Aris Health in the heart of the community to serve patients in an environment completely focused on their care,” said Karma Israelsen, interim president and CEO at HBHC.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. “It’s important for us to meet the comprehensive health and wellness needs of those we serve.”

The increased prominence in Boystown will help the organization reach its goal of more than doubling the clinic’s current base of 2,000 patients to 5,000 patients in the first few years. The new space has capacity for nearly 10,000 patients, or about the amount served at Howard Brown’s Sheridan Road facility.

In addition to clinical health services and pediatric care, Aris Health will also offer adult primary and behavioral care.

“We added pediatrics as part of our core practice offering last year to serve our patients’ children; Aris Health and the expanded space allows us to fulfill this need,” said Israelsen.Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials.

Specifically, the facility will house nine exam rooms, including a separate space for pediatric care; an onsite Walgreens pharmacy and free lot parking off Halsted Street — all of which will translate into benefits for patients, said HBHC’s Medical Director Dr. Magda Houlberg, M.D.

“At Aris Health, we are proud to institute a patient-focused model of care in a new and fresh environment that focuses on our patient experience,” Houlberg said.

Patients served at the new facility will be part of its new “complete patient-centered care model,” a system which promotes the involvement of patients in their medical care and ultimately leads to the development of personal relationships with their providers, according to Howard Brown.

As part of that relationship, the patient and provider work together on preventive and chronic care management which might also include the care a patient receives at other health facilities, the organization said in a statement.

Among the features of the new column-free facility are tunnel space for four batting cages, two infield areas, a 28-foot high ceiling, video capability, a concession stand and pro shop.

“As we continue to position ourselves as a prime destination for baseball and softball players, the new building will enable us to provide a place for events and training for the entire year,” said Frank Zitaglio, general manager of BBH, a subsidiary of Steel Sports Inc. “Further, the addition of a former player of Frank Catalanotto’s caliber will serve to solidify Baseball Heaven as the leading facility of its kind in the region.”

Catalanotto will provide individual and group instruction to baseball players and teams. He enjoyed a 14-year MLB career with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers,Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services. Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets, compiling a .291 lifetime average in 1,265 games.How cheaply can I build a solar power systems?

“I’m very excited to be a part of this great complex, and I look forward to working with players of all ages as they continue to develop their skills,” said Catalanotto, a native of Long Island, N.Y.

The new building is part of an overall upgrade BBH is planning in the coming year, including the construction of two new concession stands, the creation of extra parking, live online video streaming of all games and the development and implementation of a variety of sports instruction and development programs.

Zitaglio said both the construction of the new building and other renovations to the complex will create new jobs within the community and underscores BBH’s commitment to Long Island, a large portion of which was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.

“We are extremely thankful to our community leaders and the Town of Brookhaven Planning Board for approving this excellent addition to our complex,” Zitaglio added. “We want to make sure that every current and potential player and team fully understands that we’re here for the long term. And through Baseball Heaven, we aim to continue to foster the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and integrity – all of the good things that baseball and softball are about.We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead.”

Nonprofits and corporations team for the environment

Natural disasters can be tough on the Houston area's environment. Hurricanes diminish marshes. Storms sweep litter and lawn-fertilizer runoff into waterways. Invasive plants muscle out native vegetation,Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials. and drought devastates the city's urban forest.

But green-minded nonprofit organizations and corporations are working together to protect and restore the environment. The oil-and-gas industry is a major partner in this effort, donating dollars and providing volunteers for the cause. As a result, bayous and beaches are cleaner; marshes are being replanted. Green spaces are expanding, and lost trees are being replaced.

"We are strong environmental stewards because it is the right thing to do and is part of our value system," says Joni Baird, who oversees public and governmental affairs for Chevron's Houston office. "By partnering with nonprofits, we can work together to solve issues of local concern."

It's a nasty, recurring sight. But for a decade, the nonprofit Buffalo Bayou Partnership has overseen an effort that's collected approximately 13,550 cubic yards, or 1,129 dump trucks, of yuck. A garbage-guzzling skimmer boat and the Shell-sponsored Clean and Green program's foot patrol of community service workers do the dirty work. They remove garbage and plants such as giant ragweed, tallow and chinaberry. They also plant native vegetation to improve habitats and biodiversity along the bayou.

"Shell partners with leading environmental organizations that promote sustainable communities and encourage healthy lifestyles among our employees and families," says Frazier K. Wilson, vice president of Shell Oil Company Foundation and manager of social investment for Shell.

Partnership director Anne Olson says Shell donates $100,000 annually to Clean and Green, and the Port of Houston gives $50,000.

"It's been a very successful program, and last year we expanded again. We can have it totally cleaned, then there's heavy rain and another round of trash,How cheaply can I build a solar power systems?" she says.

But cleanup efforts have paid off, and water quality has improved. "What was the Reeking Regatta is now the Buffalo Bayou Regatta," Olson says about the annual canoe and kayak trek along the waterway.

ConocoPhillips, EnerVest, ExxonMobil and Apache also have provided financial and volunteer support for Buffalo Bayou Partnership. And thousands of families enjoy environmental activities during KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou,We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead. Olson says.

It's a nasty, recurring sight. But for a decade, the nonprofit Buffalo Bayou Partnership has overseen an effort that's collected approximately 13,550 cubic yards, or 1,129 dump trucks, of yuck. A garbage-guzzling skimmer boat and the Shell-sponsored Clean and Green program's foot patrol of community service workers do the dirty work. They remove garbage and plants such as giant ragweed, tallow and chinaberry. They also plant native vegetation to improve habitats and biodiversity along the bayou.

"Shell partners with leading environmental organizations that promote sustainable communities and encourage healthy lifestyles among our employees and families," says Frazier K. Wilson, vice president of Shell Oil Company Foundation and manager of social investment for Shell.

Partnership director Anne Olson says Shell donates $100,000 annually to Clean and Green, and the Port of Houston gives $50,000.

"It's been a very successful program, and last year we expanded again. We can have it totally cleaned, then there's heavy rain and another round of trash," she says.

But cleanup efforts have paid off, and water quality has improved. "What was the Reeking Regatta is now the Buffalo Bayou Regatta," Olson says about the annual canoe and kayak trek along the waterway.

ConocoPhillips, EnerVest, ExxonMobil and Apache also have provided financial and volunteer support for Buffalo Bayou Partnership. And thousands of families enjoy environmental activities during KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou, Olson says.

LaHood said the country has fallen behind in its commitment to infrastructure and modernizing its transit services – shortcomings that have affected national parks and scenic lands.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.

“We’re not No. 1 anymore because we have not made the investment in transportation. Frankly, America is one big pothole right now and we need to invest in infrastructure,” he said.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data.

The transportation secretary said the new buses will reduce traffic congestion along the 50-mile road while alleviating parking shortages at Apgar Village and improving safety and efficiency.

“In his State of the Union address last week, President (Barack) Obama called on us to upgrade our nation’s transportation infrastructure to help grow our economy and improve energy efficiency,” said Secretary LaHood. “Improving access to modern transit services in Glacier National Park and other scenic parklands around the country will help us preserve these national treasures for future generations.”

Rogoff said an effective and modernized transportation system goes a long way toward improving visitor experiences at national parks.

“Visitors to Glacier National Park should be able to explore this stunning area without getting stuck in traffic or breathing harmful emissions,” Rogoff said. “By modernizing transit in our parks, we’re making it easier for people to get around, while ensuring that these areas are sustainable for years to come.”

Hamilton CBD open for business, says mayor

With 50 commercial property-associated developments worth around $300 million on the go in the CBD, Hamilton is saying "this city is open for business and the place to put your money",How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? says mayor Julie Hardaker.

She told a Cranes over The CBD presentation by some of the city's major commercial property developers in Hamilton yesterday that council staff had been "flat out" processing land use consents in recent months.

Of 116 consents, 38 had been for commercial property developments, she said.

More than 220 sector players turned out at SkyCity Hamilton for the presentation, organised by the Hamilton Central Business Association.

Lyall Green of Design Management Consultants, developer of Project Grantham, said the six-level riverside building rising on Grantham St would be ready for occupation in December, just 17 months from start.Our precision manufactured lasers and laser systems deliver the highest possible laser cutter performance on a wide variety of materials.

State owned enterprise Mighty River Power is the anchor tenant.

Green said space, including a retail option, was still available on the ground and first floors. The building will have a restaurant and function room.

Part of Project Grantham had been relocating the 109 year old heritage-rated building The Hamilton Club, beside the main building.

Green said his company "ran into a brick wall" in trying to discuss its ideas and concepts for the old building with the Historic Places Trust.

"They have their own passionate ideas which from a rationalist's point of view are completely irrational - and I told them so," he said.

"It is a concern there are a number of buildings with historic place designation (in this area) if this city really is going to pay homage to the river. There are a number of buildings that will have to deal with the Historic Places Trust."

Green said the next obstacle to progress were archaeologists, who had a budget of $300,000, and "held up the project for months" just to find a "few broken plates and a horse bone". The Hamilton Club building will offer 440 square metres of space over two floors.

The main building is "green star" rateable to the equivalent of a four-star rating.

Sustainability features include the use of recycled rainwater and the most efficient air-conditioning system on the market, Green said.

McConnell Group, developer of the distinctive triangular Citygate building rising on the Anglesea and Ward St corner site that has been vacant for 17 years, said its development would be the first in the CBD to be accredited with a "green star" four-star rating. The A-grade building with a 73 per cent interior daylight ratio, would be finished in mid-July, said spokeswoman Kate Watts. The six-storey building featured four office levels of 1000sqm each, largely column-free, and ground floor retail offering five to six tenancies, she said. It would accommodate up to 400 people. At basement level would have parking for 42 cars. A highlight of the development was its 735sqm public plaza.

Blair Wolfgram, managing director of Property Consulting Group, lead developer for the Les Mills project, said it would have a 2800sqm exercise area and a 440sqm group fitness studio, 150sqm bigger than the current facility one block south. The new facility is expected to have up to 5000-member visits a week, he said.

Club Cardio director Susie Vincent said plans included two 25m "fast" swimming pools and a flow pool, learn-to-swim classes and parking for 110 cars. A name change was on the cards, with Fast Lane a contender, she told the Waikato Times.

For the $40m Centre Place redevelopment, Ivan Bartley of owner Kiwi Income Property Trust said the shopping precinct formerly known as Downtown had closed on January 31 for conversion into a dedicated fashion mall, with new tenants and new shop fronts.

A $7m digital upgrade and refurbishment of the Centre Place cinema complex for Hoyts would open in October, Bartley said. Centre Place comprised 12 properties which KIPT starting buying in 1994. When the 2011 redevelopment of Centre Place as a focus of "fashion, food and entertainment" with new anchor tenant Farmers was complete, it would have more than 110 specialty stores, he said.

Oyster Property Group has launched its first proportionate ownership scheme for 2013 by offering investors the Orion Health building, known as Orion House, in Grafton.

The multi-level office complex, with more than 4670sq m of net lettable area on a 3003sq m freehold site in a popular fringe CBD commercial area at 181 Grafton Rd, was sold by Orion Health to Oyster Property Group for $21.5 million through Peter Herdson and Andrew Reed of Colliers International.

Orion Health is leasing it back for a 15-year term with three rights of renewal of five years each.

Mark Winter,We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead. Oyster director, is now marketing 115 interests in the property at $100,000 each, with a projected initial pre-tax return of 8.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.47 per cent. The remainder of the settlement price comprises bank funding.

Winter says investors will be attracted to the property's superb location and the recent substantial building upgrade to 100 per cent of new building standard.

Oyster's chief executive, Mark Schiele, says the property was attractive because of its location, quality of refurbishment, calibre of tenant and length of lease - all attributes that make for sound long-term property investment.

"There is no doubt that Orion Health is an exceptional business with strong international growth prospects; a true New Zealand success story. Orion's commitment to the site - with its 15-year lease with three five-year rights of renewal - as well as the further development potential will be attractive to investors."

Ian McCrae, Orion Health's chief executive, said the company decided to sell the property in order to focus on its core business, while retaining the site on a long-term lease.

"Orion Health purchased the Grafton Rd building with the goal of creating an ideal workspace featuring elegant design and maximum functionality for our employees," says McCrae. "We also needed to allow for long-term growth,Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. and so a flexible lease agreement was established for the property to enable expansion over time."

Herdson says the property offers an ideal income-generating investment and the strong sales result reflects the quality of the tenant, the long lease term and the income growth on offer.

"The sale of this prime city-fringe property offers investors significant potential for income and capital growth, through the inclusion of periodic reviews and a long lease to a large multinational tenant," he says.

The facility was constructed as two separate buildings in the 1970s. They joined in the 1980s. It includes basement carparking for 87 vehicles.

Orion Health has undertaken a full-scale rebuild and refurbishment of 181 Grafton Rd since purchasing it in mid-2011.

The building is now rated at 100 per cent of new building standard and provides an attractive open-plan workspace, says Herdson. "The significant rebuilding and upgrade works included seismic strengthening, new aluminium glazed partitioning in the office areas, new carpet in the office areas, polished concrete flooring in the staff kitchen, interior and exterior repainting, bathroom refurbishment and installation of showers, and an upgrade of the building management system."

2013年2月18日 星期一

An Overlooked Industrial Stock For Growth And Income

In the latest wave of yearly predictions, most analysts are touting industrial stocks for 2013. One reason is because this group has under-performed in the bull market of the past few years, and values are relatively attractive. Another is that industrial companies generally reflect the cyclical nature of the overall economy, which seems to be improving. Most economists expect further US and global recovery in 2013, with double-dip recession fears fading in the rear view mirror.

Of course, now that industrials have entered the spotlight, the obvious plays have been bid up. The following chart of the NASDAQ Industrial segment indicates the relatively flat return over the past two years until the dawn of 2013.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. The recent 17% rise is more than double that of the market in general in the past two months.

Engages in the precision contract metal machining business in the United States primarily for customers in the recreational vehicle, energy, aerospace/avionics/defense, and bioscience industries. WSCI provides single-source turn-key solutions, including engineering support, raw material procurement, outside services, supplier management, precision manufacturing and assembly and stocking of finished goods for large volume customers under multi-year arrangements.

The company recently reported a 43% sales increase in the first quarter of 2013 and a 310% increase in net income. This is no fluke as WSCI improved sales by 30% in the 2012 fiscal year, and it increased earnings by 64%. If anything, business is accelerating.

From a value point of view, it carries a trailing P/E of 10 and the stock, at its current price of $6.15, has a market cap of 1.5 times its book value and about half of its sales volume. It currently pays a very nice dividend yield of 2.6%. The dividend represents less than 30% of earnings, so coverage is reasonable, and there is room for distribution growth. So, with exceptional growth, value and income yield, why has WSCI not participated in the industrial rally?

Polaris is enjoying 12% sales growth and that trend is expected to continue through 2014. Obviously, the dependence on PII is a double-edge sword for WSI Industries. If PII were to reduce orders, WSCI would be in trouble. However, the engineering, tooling and volume requirements that WSCI provides in this relationship make it difficult for competitors to step in, or for PII to invest the capital to produce these precision components in its own facilities. Even if PII made that change, it would take some time for a WSCI competitor to be able to meet the growth needs of PII. Smaller competitors are not capable of investing in the appropriate technology, plant capacity and automation systems to be competitive and meet customer expectations for superb quality.

To deal with the growth expectations of its core customers, WSCI is currently building an additional facility to double capacity, and that should be on-line in July 2013. Management has stated that one-third of the new plant will be occupied with existing orders upon completion.

The dependence on Polaris is probably considered a negative by the market, but the growth trajectory and relationship with that customer is allowing WSCI to expand capacity and further separate from competition,My experience of your company has been excellent and I would happily buy mosaic tiles. as well as provide opportunities for an expanded customer base.

“We compared the results of PCBs with and without Photo Stencil’s Smart-Release nano coating and we found measureable advantages,This solar lamp and phone charger can improve the lives of millons living without electricity.” said John Ross, manufacturing engineering manager, OnCore Manufacturing Services. “Smart-Release reduces the spread of solder paste under the stencil even when the stencil is not making good contact to the PCB pad. The resulting process is faster and more efficient, while achieving excellent printing results.”

“The direct cost of cleaning a stencil is about $0.How would you like to have a personalized bobbleheads of yourself.15 for each cleaning, so each additional print that can be made before the stencil needs to be cleaned saves $0.15,” explained Rachel Short,Learn more about the different types of laser marking machine by careel-tech.com. VP sales and marketing, Photo Stencil. “As demonstrated in our collaborative tests with OnCore, using Smart-Release coated stencils can result in 40 additional prints before cleaning is necessary. And that cost savings doesn’t include the time and labor involved in cleaning or the loss of throughput.”

Why some businesses will fail to see the writing on the wall

You consider producing it yourself, but decide that life would be easier if a big pencil company introduced the pen under their brand, and just sent you a royalty cheque every month. So you search the web and send out emails to pencil manufacturers. You try to whet their appetite without giving too much away. Despite the global opportunity, you don’t get many replies, but eventually you are invited to a meeting. You’re nervous, but it goes well and everyone seems convinced. “This could be absolutely revolutionary!”, someone says. Well, you think, if they can just crack a tiny share of the potential market, I will make a fortune. Negotiations begin, but they are painfully slow. The eventual offer seems very one-sided. They are not paying much, they want exclusivity, they will not commit to any minimum sales, and if they improve on your pen design, that’s to their benefit, not yours. You haggle without really making any progress, and you start to worry they’re secretly working on their own pen invention. You read about the Apple – Samsung patent dispute and realise you could never afford to fight such a battle against a big corporation. And you begin to suspect that perhaps the pencil company doesn’t really want the pen to become successful; perhaps they think it will destroy their pencil sales; perhaps they are just hoping you will run out of money and disappear.

In frustration, you change course and decide to manufacture and sell the pen yourself. You fly to China (which is what everyone does), and look for a manufacturer. Even there, though, you realise it will be expensive to manufacture. The unit cost is very high unless you make a large order, and invest in tooling. But you re-mortgage the house, cut back on family holidays, and produce some stock. And you create a website and start cold-calling stationery stores.My experience of your company has been excellent and I would happily buy mosaic tiles. With just a few sales, you are welcomed to the world of retail: warehousing,This solar lamp and phone charger can improve the lives of millons living without electricity. advertising, collecting payment, distributing product, low margins, product returns, warranties. Overwhelmed,Learn more about the different types of laser marking machine by careel-tech.com. you need to hire staff and are continuing to burn cash. You lose a potentially significant order due to a mishap, and a pen leaks in someone’s suit, ruining it. Frustrated and nearly broke, you give up, just as you see something very similar to your pen hit the market.

Depressed? As a backer of early-stage businesses, imagine how I feel – these are my daily struggles. But struggles are lessons we could use. An idea is worth nothing. Brilliance in invention needs to be matched by brilliance in commercialisation. “Day zero” is the day a deal is signed or the product hits the shelves. Most new businesses fail. Sadly, not every new pen is something to write home about.

A solid earnings report is expected from Apple at this point; what's needed is the excitement and hype Apple is famous for, and that's only possible by delaying and teasing the inevitable, the one thing everyone wants: a new device -- in this case,Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. a new iPhone.

Earlier this month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – who has a particularly excellent track record when it comes to predicting products in the Apple pipeline, having correctly guessed most of last year’s devices and their release dates – said he believes Apple will release two new iPhones, including the “iPhone 5S” and “new design iPhone 5,” in Q3 2013, which will be some time between September and December.

Considering how Apple released the iPhone 4S in October and the iPhone 5 in September, one might assume Apple will release its next phone – the iPhone “5S” or “6” – in early September,How would you like to have a personalized bobbleheads of yourself. or even late August. However, instead of following this 11-month release date cycle, Apple should switch things up for its next iPhone, and release it at the very end of the year, either at the end of November or December.

Even though AAPL stock is not a great indicator of the company’s status or success, it does imply there is a general malaise among Apple fans. For the last 14 months, Apple has been going about its business as usual, releasing new products and services every few months with very few surprises. Each new iOS and Mac device is better than the last, but what else is new?

The iPhone 5, for whatever reason, created an incredible hype machine for more than a year. People originally believed the iPhone 4S would be named “iPhone 5,” but when it wasn’t, the “iPhone 5” rumors persisted throughout the next year, until Apple released the phone in late 2012.

The iPhone 5 has been a very successful product for Apple, but the company needs to reenergize its fan base if it hopes to outdo its iPhone 5 sales with the 2013 iPhone. To feed the hype machine, Apple should wait for a longer-than-normal period to release the iPhone 6.

Until the most recent quarter, the iPhone 4S was largely responsible for Apple’s most successful quarter in history in Q1 2012, despite no other iOS devices sold alongside it; even though the iPhone 5 was a hit product, the timing of its release date may have been slightly off; Apple gave itself more time to roll out the device in more countries, but customers were left more time to choose between Apple’s latest iPhone and all other smartphones released during that time.

Even though the iPhone 5 is a significantly better phone than the iPhone 4S, the 4S made a much greater impact than the iPhone 5 -- its only notable addition at the time being Siri. If Apple wants the iPhone 6 to be its best-selling smartphone ever, the company needs to release the phone closer to the Christmas holiday. Apple would be wise to release the iPhone 6 at the very end of November, which would leave it enough time to roll out in the U.S., as well as a handful of other countries, right before the all-important holiday rush.

Filipino Artist Ronald Ventura Is Making Connections Across Cultures

Like many emerging artists, early in his career Ronald Ventura tended to sell everything he produced. Now that his reputation is firmly established and he is dreaming of one day setting up a contemporary art museum in Manila, the 39-year-old auction star has found himself in the unenviable position of going back to collectors to buy back key pieces.

Ventura has seen the auction prices for his recent work soar in the past few years. The 2011 “Grayground” — a large-scale graphite, oil, and acrylic painting of horses in the midst of battle — was sold that same year to a phone bidder at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for $1.1 million, the highest auction price recorded for a contemporary southeast Asian painting at the time. Yet the Filipino artist says he was stunned to find out how much some of his older works had appreciated. “A couple of years ago, I was looking for a good drawing that I had done. Most of my drawings are usually covered in paint, but I was looking for a drawing that wasn’t. When I found out the price I was shocked.This solar lamp and phone charger can improve the lives of millons living without electricity. I couldn’t believe it. It was 10 times more than the original gallery price,” he said, his laugh underscoring his mixed emotions at the steep price increase.

The artist has learned his lesson. He says he now keeps one artwork from every solo exhibition. At the rate his pieces are selling, he should. In his latest show, “recyclables,” held at the Singapore Tyler Print institute, 70 percent of the works were sold by the morning of the opening. Ventura’s plan to set up a private museum to present his own works,My experience of your company has been excellent and I would happily buy mosaic tiles. as well as the collection of Filipino contemporary art he has slowly accumulated, is little more than a hope for the future, “maybe in three to four years’ time.” For now, he remains tight-lipped about the “other” Filipino artists he has been collecting.How would you like to have a personalized bobbleheads of yourself. “I don’t want to make any [other artists] jealous ... but I do buy a lot. There are a lot of good artists in manila,” he quipped while relaxing in the private exhibition room of the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).

A few hours later, at the show’s opening reception, Ventura appeared in a black t-shirt with a black jacket by Maison Martin Margiela, a label known for its understated approach. But he had paired these simple items with white jeans he had hand-painted with an elaborate, graffiti-like design. The contrasting fashion statement is a reflection of the artist’s personality: behind his quiet, soft-spoken demeanor lurks an edgier side that Ventura lets loose in his artworks.

Ventura loves nothing more than to subvert familiar cartoon figures, such as Mickey Mouse or a dwarf from Snow White, giving them a “new reality” with the help of a skull or a gas mask. The artist has risen to prominence on the Asian contemporary art scene with complex, layered works that juxtapose unexpected images, often rather dark — internal organs with flowers and butterflies, or a clown and a gas mask — always rendered with exquisite draughtsmanship. He is known for mixing different styles, such as hyperrealism and Surrealism, cartoons and graffiti.

By day, Ms. Kopka is a freelance editor/writer/illustrator, and at night, she works in her Perrysburg home making painstaking pencil-on-tissue paper drawings before transferring them onto thick paper and enlivening them with color. In December, 10 of her pieces were featured at the Columbus headquarters of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This summer, she'll lead all-level classes at Owens Community College.

Botanical illustration depicts the form, color, and details of plants. It was practiced in ancient India, China, and Egypt where images of plants were carved into pharaohs' tombs,Integrated Car park management system which can administrate regular and temporary customers. says Robin Jess, executive director of the American Society of Botanical Artists in New York.

Botanical art, expected to be beautiful and technically accurate, is riding a wave of popularity, says Ms. Jess, largely among women artists in the United States, England, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan, and South Korea. Concern for the environment and a passion for gardening are fueling the trend.

For hundreds of years, the medium was watercolor.Our parallel Parking assist system helps you park with ease - even in tight spots. These days, graphite, colored pencil, pastels, pen and ink, and oil paints are used.

In David Herzig's living room, water lilies and peachy-gold bearded iris adorn the walls, singing with dramatic colors and larger-than-life size. "It's more about getting you engulfed in a scene," says Mr. Herzig, who paints at his kitchen table, overlooking a small ravine in Monclova Township.

One of his most popular subjects is a four-part sequential unfolding of the majestic amaryllis, a huge bulb with a fast-growing stalk. "I like to say it's like painting a moving target," says Mr. Herzig. He tries to stagger the blooming of 35 amaryllis bulbs for winter painting. His paintings offer more dimension than meets the eye. "I'm trying to depict these things in the round, in a sculptural way."

He studied sculpture and painting at Siena Heights University, but after graduation, gravitated to the watercolors he'd done at Start High School. He owned the Ottawa Gallery in Sylvania from 1988 to 1996, leaving it to paint full time. He did landscapes, and as a homeowner tending to flowers was captivated by plump peonies.

He renders orchids, oriental lilies, cyclamen, and "whatever I find in the garden, whatever I stumble across that catches my fancy. It has to strike me as being graceful and bold."