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The National Association for Business Economists mentioned the panel of 47 economists it surveyed now expects US GDP growth of 5.6%. Although that is nonetheless sturdy, it marks a downgrade from May when enterprise economists anticipated 6.7% growth. Economists additionally sharply lower their name for third-quarter growth to an annualized tempo of 4%, down from 6.6% in May.
The downgrades replicate the harm from the Delta variant, which has slowed air travel
, resort reservations and workplace reopenings.
At the identical time, economists are bracing for price spikes
to proceed on the finish of this yr. Consumer costs are anticipated to surge by 5.1% through the fourth quarter on a year-over-year foundation, in accordance with NABE. That’s up sharply from a forecast for 2.8% inflation as of May and underscores the sticker shock Americans are experiencing in every thing from used automobiles and gasoline to meat.
The excellent news is that enterprise economists share the Federal Reserve’s view that top inflation will show to be momentary because the financial system continues to regulate to Covid. Consumer costs inflation is predicted to average to 2.4% by the fourth quarter of subsequent yr, NABE mentioned.
The Fed made similar revisions to its own economist forecasts
final week, downgrading its 2021 growth forecast whereas ramping up its inflation view for this yr.


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MyFitnessPal, an online service that allows users to track their diet and exercise habits via mobile, has closed an $18 million round of funding to accelerate the company's growth and help it push into new markets.
Mike Lee, the co-founder of MyFitnessPal, tells Mashable that this is the first time the 40-person company has raised venture capital. MyFitnessPal had been self-funded to date and is already profitable, he says. A spokesperson for the company adds that the company's income is generated entirely by advertising to its 40 million registered users.
According to Lee, the funds will be used "to develop our product faster," and attempt to make the tracking of diet and exercise on MyFitnessPal's apps and on its the site easier.
The company is also hoping to expand internationally and increase the language availability on its site. Presently, MyFitnessPal is available in German, French, Spanish and Portuguese, in addition to English. The site has a broad presence in the U.S., as well as a localized following in Europe and Latin America, but hopes to expand those services soon.
The Series A round was led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with participation from Accel. Kleiner Perkin's John Doerr and Accel's Andrew Braccia will join the company's board.
Image: Flickr, adifansnet

domain: news


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Deploying artificial intelligence not only beneficial for firms but may help govt identify corruption networks
Fintechs are already looking into methods to leverage data and artificial intelligence (AI) in services and products so that they can provide relevant, trustworthy insights, suggestions, and controls
In the early stages of computerisation, computers were dreaded for their capacity to kill jobs. And this had shaped the approach of labour unions, social scientists and even some governments on the ‘threat perception’ over computers. But as computerisation took hold, it became apparent that computers, instead of devouring jobs, were actually facilitating the jobs. Also, it opened up a new world of employment.
It is now the turn of artificial intelligence (AI) to set off a new cycle. Just like computers, this has also been marked by apprehensions of human functions being substituted by non-human skills. But as AI adoption begins to move away from the labs to the wide world outside, there is increasing realisation that artificial intelligence may not be as bad as it was feared to be. Rather it could mean a new world of opportunities and greater efficiency.
Thanks to AI, the world of finance is going through a paradigm shift. With the proliferation of more digital devices, a slew of data generated products and services promise the creation of new possibilities. Today, AI is reshaping the way financial institutions generate and use data insights. This usage of intelligent algorithms to offer improved financial operations and solutions has resulted in the genesis of fintech, the portmanteau developed using the words ‘financial’ and ‘technology’.
Fintech helps firms manage their financial practices more effectively. Financial incumbents that offer services in banking, insurance, risk management, and trade are all using fintech to enhance their operations.
It must be evident by now that fintech is not powered by AI alone. Technologies like blockchain, robotic process automation, and big data analytics also contribute to the fintech movement. Crowdfunding platforms, mobile payments, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, insurance, and budgeting applications are all examples of fintech which are now in use.
The adoption of AI algorithms has moved from the periphery to the central part of fintech. With data as a core component, the disruptive nature of AI brings enormous potential gains. Fintechs are already looking into better methods to leverage data and AI in their services and products so that they can provide relevant trustworthy insights, suggestions, and controls.
One of the primary uses of AI in fintech is to find anomalous transaction patterns in data that may indicate the presence of fraudulent activities. Prior to the AI-based approach, financial institutions leveraged a rules-based approach, which required manual work and human supervision.
Today, businesses employ supervised and unsupervised machine learning to train models so that they can detect fraud attempts faster than they can use human (rule-based) methods.
Fintech also uses chatbots that specialize in addressing consumer queries regarding their current balance, previous spending, and transaction history. Chatbots convert complicated business interactions into simple chats using natural language processing, conversational AI, and machine learning technologies.
Some chatbots provide answers to client queries about investments, trends, savings, loans, and insurance plans, among other things, to help customers keep good track of their financial situation.
In general, these chatbots are given inputs comprising keywords and sentences containing the relevant phrases that will be processed during the training phase. For instance, for a chatbot feature offered by a bank, the chatbot training data would contain the normal queries that come while making a transaction like, amount to be sent, payment status, etc.
When data is acquired from customers, it is tagged with annotation services to make the key phrases comprehensible to computers. This allows computers to learn from the conversation and respond appropriately.
KYC and identity verification are other important areas where AI can be very effectively used. Earlier, humans had to manually verify if the given documents of customers are accurate or not. This tedious task used a lot of time and resources. Now, AI can assist banking applications and other online financial services in automatically and securely verifying clients’ identities. This is referred to as KYC.
For example, to prove identification online, companies can use computer vision and cross-check if the input picture or a snapshot of the ID card of a customer is authentic.
Financial institutions like banks can leverage AI for the profiling and assessment of clients based on their risk scores. Through automated machine learning, artificial neural networks, these firms can assess borrowers with little to no credit information or history.
By analyzing thousands of data points, lenders can get transparency that conventional underwriting systems cannot. This allows them to properly categorize groups as per their ‘at-risk’ levels. Then, based on this classification process, advisors can opt to connect financial products with each risk profile and offer them to customers via targeted and automated recommendation systems. By more accurate prediction of risks, such profiling work helps lenders cut losses significantly.
In spite of advances in the fintech business, frauds have long been a source of concern, particularly in the financial and banking industries. To mitigate this, fintech firms use AI tools to gather evidence and analyze data, where they study and monitor user behaviour patterns to spot fraud attempts and incidents that are unusual.
With their self-learning abilities, if any suspicious activity is detected, AI algorithms can not only alert companies about potentially fraudulent transactions but also enable taking steps to avoid them. In case a pattern deviates from the confidence band, the issue is assigned to a human employee who could make a rational decision. Such use of AI can also help government bodies identify corruption networks.
AI is already playing a significant role in the fintech sector and it will continue to do so in the future. While its existing algorithms cater to a wide range of activities, they are continuously learning from massive amounts of data and closing the gap by moving the industry closer to a totally automated financial system.
Hence, companies are investing in AI-powered fintech to augment their financial capabilities and increase their return on investment.
Views are personal


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Amazon too is suggesting record-breaking sales after customers ordered more than 20 million items from small businesses and entrepreneurs on Prime Day previous year. The article 'When Is Amazon Prime Day?' originally appeared on NerdWallet. Amazon's "Prime Day Sale" is scheduled to go live in India today at 6 PM. The price on the Home is normally $129USD and the Chromecast is normally $35USD saving you around $65USD on the bundle.
Prime Day sales in the United States are popularly known as Amazon's "annual day of sales", and have a net worth of Dollars 500 million. You can bookmark this page and check back regularly for all of the best deals on the day. Beginning at 7pm ET today, July 10, voice shoppers will have exclusive early access to select Prime Day deals.
Unlike Amazon's sales event, these retailers are opening their deals to anyone, not just subscribers.
Consumers will want to check prices on items they planned to buy before the sale started and see if they are discounted further.
Under the newly launched Amazon Sale, buyers will have a plethora of exclusive products launches, flat discounts, cashbacks, and other deals across top brands. "This cluster of summer deals has come to be known as Black Friday in July". In the past, Prime Day lasted for 24 hours.
Make sure to Load Amazon Pay Balance, as you will get 20% cashback up to Rs. 200.
The Prime Day offer will be available for all existing Prime members in the aforementioned 13 countries and any new sign-ups - even on trial - on or before July 10.
You must do not forget to cancel the subscription afterwards if you do not want to continue with it.
Each deal will show you how much is left in stock or how much time you have left to purchase the deal.
Amazon shows sales that are now live, as well as upcoming deals, and lets you set price alerts that will send a notification to your phone when an upcoming deal you have your eyes on goes live. Those deals began July 5, Amazon says. You'll get a notification to alert you if more become available.
If you thought getting a refurbished Echo Dot at $30 or paying $130 instead of $180 for an unused "full-sized" Echo was convenient, wait only a few more hours and have $35 and $90 ready respectively. Keep an eye on this one if you're looking for a smart lock. Rarest and most valuable £2 coins in circulation revealed - do you have a design worth £72?
The promotional event grew from $1.5bn in 2015 to $2.5bn in 2016.


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Popular searches on the Internet Wednesday is the Dow Jones Industrial Average, after U.S. and European stock markets fell on Tuesday. The Dow hit its lowest level since March, and extended its losing streak to eight days, the longest since the 2008 financial crisis.
Cellophane became even Bill passed by the Senate and House of Representatives to raise the federal debt limit, which the Treasury to avoid a default.
Dow lost nearly 266 points Tuesday.
"Nexus S" is a hot search as retailer Best Buy (BBY) is currently selling the Google(GOOG) smartphone for free, online and in stores.
Best Buy started the free promotion on Tuesday night. It will run for 24 hours ending at midnight tonight. The phone might be free, but consumers will still need to sign up for a two-year contract with AT&T(T), Sprint(S) or T-Mobile.


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Samsung India on October 14 announced the expansion of its service network across the country that will bring Samsung service to every corner of India. This network, which includes 535 service vans, will reach out to over 6,000 talukas across 29 states and 7 union territories.
In addition to introducing 535 service vans, which are equipped with multi skilled engineers, key components, DG sets and key jigs/fixtures for providing quick response and on-spot resolution, Samsung has also added over 250 service points and over 250 resident engineers, ramping up its service network to over 3,000 service points within a month. Samsung plans to add more service vans, open new service centres, appoint brand engineers and further strengthen its service network.
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Rural Development, Government of India said, “As digitization and electrification expands into rural India, we are witnessing an increase in the adoption of electronics and mobile products. It is imperative for corporations to support this trend by establishing quality service network for addressing consumers’ needs regarding after-sales service of products in rural areas.”
Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Tourism & Culture, Government of India said, “Samsung’s manufacturing plant, two R&D centers and its design center are contributing in a big way to the economy and technology prowess of Noida and in effect Uttar Pradesh and the nation as well. Corporations that participate in the government’s focus on rural India, whether in product or services, will stand to gain rural consumers’ trust in the long run.”
“Samsung is committed towards providing best-in-class service across the country. With the new service initiative, our customers in rural India will enjoy the same level of speedy and high quality services as urban customers. Our aim is to bridge the urban-rural service gap and we devised a solution which is ‘Made in India’ and ‘Made for India’ which will create unprecedented service delight across the entire country,” said Mr. HC Hong, President and CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia.
The vans aim to provide speedy service with reduction in turn-around-time along with assured quality to each Samsung customer in every corner of India....


text: Steam\u2019s Halloween sale is now live. Players can now get discounts on some of the most popular horror games on their PC. Steam\u2019s Halloween sale is now live. Players can now get discounts on some of the most popular horror games on their PC, including Resident Evil 2. Earlier this month, Steam\u2019s sale dates were leaked. The Steam Database shared the upcoming big sales for the digital distribution platform. The sales included a Halloween sale that begins on Oct. 28 and ends on Nov. 1. The other sales were labeled as Autumn and Winter. The Autumn sale is supposed to start on Nov. 26 and end on Dec. 3, whereas the Winter sale is expected to begin on Dec. 19 and end Jan. 2, 2020. https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteamDB\/status\/1185598561779703808?ref_srctwsrc%5Etfw The first sale of the leak is now live. Steam\u2019s Halloween sale includes some of the biggest horror games that have been released in the last few years. Highlights for sale consists of Resident Evil 2 Remake, Dead by Daylight, Friday the 13th: The Game, Prey, and We Happy Few, which are all fifty percent off at steam right now. Related: Resident Evil 2 Remake Review The prices for some of the most popular games on sale can be seen down below: \tResident Evil 2 Remake \u2013 $29.99 \tDead by Daylight \u2013 $9.99 (Deluxe Edition \u2013 $11.99\/Stranger Things Edition \u2013 $20.20) \tFriday the 13th: The Game \u2013 $9.99 \tPrey \u2013 $14.99 \tWe Happy Few \u2013 $29.99 \tINSIDE \u2013 $6.79 \tDying Light \u2013 $13.59 \tRemnant: From the Ashes \u2013 $27.99 \tRage 2 \u2013 $29.99 \tThe Evil Within 2 \u2013 $19.79 \tBlair Witch \u2013 $22.49 \tVampyr \u2013 $16.99 \tOutlast 2 \u2013 $7.49 \tSOMA \u2013 $4.49 To check out all the games that are part of the sale, click this link. The information on this piece was provided by the Steam link as well as IGN\u2019s article about the Halloween sale. Steam\u2019s Halloween Sale will continue until Nov. 1, at 10 a.m. pacific daylight time.


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WJBE Set To Flip From Country To Alternative
February 4, 2011 at 2:00 PM (PT)
BIG SOUTH COMMUNITY BROADCASTING Country Noncomm WJBE (COUNTRY LEGENDS 88.5)/JASPER, AL will flip to Alternative as "88.5 THE PLANET, JASPER'S WORLD CLASS ROCK" on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7th, according to DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE.
WJBE GM BRETT ELMORE previously spent four years at now-defunct CITADEL Alternative WRAX (107.7 THE X)/BIRMINGHAM.
"We will play the newest Alternative music and feature a lot of local programming," said ELMORE.
THE PLANET on-air lineup includes BARRY PATILLA in mornings, ELMORE in middays and TOMMY BLACK & STEVE LAMBERT will host a SATURDAY night show at 9p called "ROCK UNDERGROUND."
THE PLANET will be streaming online at 885theplanet.com.


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It has been a challenging period for even the largest players in the tech industry.
But this week’s earnings show that sector leaders like Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta are adjusting to macroclimate headwinds and mixed economic signals by taking actions to optimize headcount efficiencies, steady their balance sheets, and double-down on future-fit innovations in generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
This, as “AI” was mentioned more than 200 times on earnings calls by Meta, Microsoft and Alphabet.
Amazon was no slouch in the AI department either, with CEO Andy Jassy saying on Thursday’s Q1 2023 earnings call that the company was working on an improved large language model (LLM) to power its smart assistant Alexa.
“I think that’s going to really rapidly accelerate our vision of becoming the world’s best personal assistant. I think there’s a significant business model underneath it,” Jassy said.
The large tech companies saw their shares respective jump after modestly surpassing Wall Street expectations, with Meta, in particular, leaping up 14% Thursday (April 27) after reporting its first quarterly revenue growth in nearly a year.
The tech giants have also reduced their headcount by a collective tens of thousands in recent months while spending billions on share buybacks.
Still, despite its peers’ performance, the market expects Apple, which reports its second-quarter 2023 earnings next Thursday (May 4), to deliver a year-over-year (YoY) decline in earnings as well as lower revenues when it holds its call.
Inflation and rising interest rates, as well as a mini banking crisis in the first quarter of 2023, have dampened the economy and prompted many customers to scale back their spending on the cloud infrastructure support and services that form a critical growth flywheel for tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
All three businesses reported slower growth in their cloud business in the final quarter of 2022, though 2023’s first quarter did see some bright spots for certain players.
“Customers are looking for ways to save money,” Amazon’s Jassy told investors.
Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky separately noted that enterprise retreat on cloud spending is ongoing, with Amazon’s cloud services business seeing revenue growth rates already 5% lower in April than in March.
For its part, Alphabet’s own cloud business reported a profit for the first time since its launch, raking in $191 million for 2023’s first quarter.
But the overall focus remained on AI.
“We have had pretty substantial investment in machine learning for 25-plus years at Amazon,” said Jassy. “It fuels our personalized eCommerce recommendations. It drives the pick paths in our fulfillment centers. We have it in our ghost stores, we have it in our Prime, our drones, it’s obviously in Alexa and AWS.”
Facebook-parent Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors that, “A narrative has developed that we’re somehow moving away from focusing on the metaverse vision, so I just want to say up front that that’s not accurate. We’ve been focusing on both AI and the metaverse for years now, and we will continue to focus on both.”
He added that, in his view, progress in the metaverse and generative AI are connected in key ways, noting that “metaverse technologies will also help deliver AI. For example, embodying AI agents will take advantage of the deep investment that we’ve made in avatars over the last several years.”
The Meta leader emphasized that already, “more than 20% of the content in your Facebook and Instagram feeds are recommended by AI from people, groups or accounts that you don’t follow. Across all of Instagram, that’s about 40% of the content that you see.”
Google-parent Alphabet’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, told investors on his company’s earnings call that the “opportunity in AI is as big as the shift from desktop to mobile computing.”
Pichai underscored that the potential of AI’s far-ranging applications was “incredible” for consumers, partners, and Alphabet’s own internal business operations.
The company is leveraging AI applications across the majority of its product lines, including advertising and YouTube shorts and reflecting DeepMind’s increasing AI-driven collaboration with Google Services, Google Cloud, as well as Other Bets moonshots.
During its own fiscal earnings call on Tuesday (April 25), Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella highlighted how the computing giant is bringing advanced Generative AI to clients through the “multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment” announced between OpenAI and Microsoft in January.
Famously close-lipped about its plans, industry observers believe it to be very likely that Apple is working on LLM-based improvements for its own voice assistant, Siri.
The tech giant’s strength is its ubiquitous hardware product lines, but it is likely feeling the heat from the AI advances its peers are making — as every major tech company besides Apple has announced their own LLM.
Generative AI is having transformational impacts on Microsoft, which is infusing its entire product suite from Dynamics 365 to Azure to Teams and beyond with integrations and enhancements are driven by the powerful capabilities of new world-changing AI technology.
During its fiscal 2023 third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday (April 25), Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella recited a litany of use cases and partnerships illustrating how the computing giant is bringing advanced Generative AI to clients through the “multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment” announced between OpenAI and Microsoft in January.
He added that “when people use these new AI features, their engagement with Bing and Edge goes up. As we look towards a future where chat becomes a new way for people to seek information, consumers have real choice in business models and modalities with Azure-powered chat entry points across Bing, Edge, Windows and OpenAI’s Chat GPT. We look forward to continuing this journey in what is a generational shift in the largest software category, search.”
For example, he said Unilever “went all in on Azure this quarter” in one of the largest ever cloud migrations in the consumer goods industry, adding that “IKEA retail, ING Bank, Rabobank, Telstra, and Wolverine Worldwide all use Azure Arc to run Azure services across on-premise, Edge and multi-cloud environments, with the Azure Arc user base up over 150% year over year.
Pichai says the opportunity in AI is as big as the shift from “desktop to mobile computing.”
However, industry observers believe Alphabet and Google has admittedly lost round one of the generative AI battle to ChatGPT and OpenAI. At the same time, its search business continues to feel the heat from competitors like Microsoft.
Pichai disagrees, telling investors on Tuesday’s (April 25) first quarter 2023 earnings call that “advancements in AI are driving [Alphabet’s] opportunity” and calling the potential of their far-ranging applications “incredible” for consumers, partners, and Alphabet’s own internal business operations.
For the first time since its launch, Alphabet’s cloud business reported a profit, raking in $191 million for the quarter.
“It is an exciting time, and we see an opportunity across the breadth of what we do at Google to improve experiences using AI,” Pichai told investors on Tuesday’s call.


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Despite buying Nokia’s mobile phone arm, Microsoft is trying to push their Windows Phone mobile operating system on devices made by other manufacturers. The company constantly in talks with HTC to provide Windows Phone as an option on phones powered by Android. Basically , will this change the smartphone platform trend or will it increase the sale of handsets is the real question.
Microsoft is offering to say goodbye to the licensing it levies for using its mobile OS in HTC’s Android smartphones as per source. Microsoft wants to keep working with partners other than Nokia which shows that they want to expand and they have expectation to be able to sign accords with some phone makers who previously have focused on Android.
Speaking technically and informatively , the Windows Phone OS has a 3.7% market share while the Android and iOS hold 79% and 13% of the market share. HTC as a company has posted decline in global sales which shows that the company is not in a good situation in business terms so let us wait and get to know more very soon.


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Apple’s “Sign In with Apple” login system will not work with Epic Games accounts as soon as September 11th, Epic said today.
This latest development in the form of new restrictions is another casualty of Apple and Epic’s ongoing spat. If you are already using “Sign In with Apple” for your Epic account, Epic says you’ll get to update your account with new login credentials before September 11th to retain access. Epic has put together a guide describing a way to make that update if you would like to try to do so. Epic also says that it’s going to be ready to recover your account manually after the “Sign in with Apple” option goes away, but you’ll need to contact the studio directly.
Apple entails developers to use its single sign-on system if they provide the other third-party options and need their apps within the App Store — presumably, a driving factor behind Epic offering the service as sign-in thinking about the primary place.
Epic tweeted about the upcoming change on a variety of its Twitter accounts, including the most Epic Games account, the Fortnite Status account, and the Unreal Engine 5 account. That wide breadth is perhaps because Epic Games accounts span quite just letting you play the studio’s blockbuster Fortnite — they’re also want to log into the Epic Games Store, access Epic’s developer portal, and more.
It’s also worth noting that Fortnite, which is out there across many platforms, is hottest on iOS. Epic said during a legal filing last week that it’s 116 million registered users on iOS, which accounts for nearly a 3rd of the 350 million total registered Fortnite users. If even a fraction of these users believes “Sign in with Apple” and don’t change their login credentials in time, there’s an opportunity that a lot of people could lose access to their accounts.
Fortnite was banned by Apple from the App Store on August 13th when Epic introduced an in-app payment system that violated Apple’s rules. Since then, both companies are fighting a legal battle over the longer terms of Fortnite within the store as well as Epic’s standing with Apple as a developer. Epic won a short-lived restraining order on August 25th that prevented Apple from terminating Epic’s developer account utilized in conjunction with its Unreal Engine, but that order didn’t force Apple to bring Fortnite back to the App Store.


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South Korean tech major Samsung, which opened the world’s largest mobile experience centre in Bengaluru last year, is now actively hunting for sites to set up similar large-format experience centres in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.
IANS has learnt from industry sources that Samsung experiences centres — like the iconic Opera House in Bengaluru will revolve around technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Virtual Reality (VR) and Samsung’s mobile and consumer electronics product line.
The new experience centres will be between 10,000-15,000 sq feet in size.
Spread over 33,000 sq feet, Bengaluru’s iconic Opera House on Brigade Road was given a facelift to turn it into ‘Samsung Opera House’ that brings together technology, lifestyle and innovation to offer unique experience to users and prospective buyers.
“Samsung Opera House is a playground where you come to play, learn and find solutions. Here you can meet our latest line up and learn how they can make your everyday life more fun and creative,” said the company.
Samsung currently has over 180,000 retail stores across the country, 2,000 of which are exclusive stores.
According to market research firm Canalys, Samsung has continued to stay on the second position in India with a share of 22 per cent. It shipped 7.3 million smartphones in the second quarter in the country.


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Dunkin’ Donuts took the gloves off in its battle against rival Starbucks with the October 21 launch of its "Dunkin Beat Starbucks" campaign featuring a national blind taste test where Dunkin’ coffee was preferred over Starbucks. Has the campaign resonated with coffee drinkers?
as a percentage of all U.S. Internet users online that day.
- 45,516 people visited the dedicated microsite dunkinbeatstarbucks.com the week ending October 25
- Weekly traffic to dunkindonuts.com jumped 61% to more than 196,000 the week after the initial media launch
- The daily reach of dunkindonuts.com saw a temporary increase on October 26 & 27
So, will the battles for coffee drinkers continue? Starbucks has already launched a new media campaign with a TV ad during Saturday Night Live offering free coffee to voters on Election Day. Daily reach to Starbucks.com the day before the Election skyrocketed. Coincidence? Not likely.
Below is some advice from one coffee drinker.
Taste matters. So does staying top of mind with coffee enthusiasts. Creative marketing campaigns that break through the media clutter and reach coffee enthusiasts regardless of their brand preference may help to grow the overall market, even if only temporarily. Consumers who visited both Dunkin Donuts’ and Starbucks’ sites last week jumped to more than 485,000, its highest level since mid-September.
Stay true to your brand promise. Make sure your brand strikes a chord with the coffee drinkers that are core to the brand’s identity. Go beyond demographic-inspired or comparison pricing messages to see how the behavior of your coffee drinkers differs from your rival’s. Find out what we’re searching for, our attitudes, and where we spend time online versus (hint — I have been known to spend time on hsus.org versus either Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks despite my love for and daily cup of, coffee!). How would you reach and engage me?


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Theatre and performing arts are currently going through a crisis as theatres remain closed but are still experiencing ongoing costs with no income. Performers are juggling new jobs to make ends meet. In the UK alone there’s a projected £74bn drop in revenue for the creative industries and the loss of 400,000 jobs. There’s a growing realisation that the Covid pandemic is going to be with us for a long time. Even when there’s a vaccine, it will take a long time to manufacture, only provide for gradual vaccination and probably require seasonal re-vaccination much like flu.
With this in mind, once theatres are allowed to re-open, they will have to adapt to the new normal. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s pilot performances are leading the way with improvements in hygiene, social distancing, temperature testing, mandatory face masks and special anti-viral sprays.
The Grand Theatre in Blackpool has a new article on the Future of Theatre In A Digital World. It describes new innovations that will improve the customer journey as well as provide for more automated contact-less engagement required for coping with the Covid crisis.
The aim is to integrate all systems to improve the customer experience, raise more online reviews and gain customer feedback. This starts with smart booking of theatre tickets through smartphones, watches and home speakers. Tickets reside on your smartphone with associated useful information such as casting biographies, announcements, behind the scenes photos/videos, reviews, cast introductions, offers and vouchers. This will allow for faster returns and seating updates. eVouchers allow contactless use of entry gates, concession areas, car parking passes, public transport tickets and pre-paid taxis.
Bluetooth iBeacons allow for location based:
- Checking in
- Provision of information such as waiting times, best bars to head for and where to go for personal or accessibility assistance
- Offering of vouchers based on previous spending habits
- Messaging to advise turning down phone when seated, that might even be done automatically
- When seated, promoting of upcoming productions with one click booking
Some of these things are starting to happen at theatres like the UK’s Blackpool Grand. The contact-less aspects are likely to be accelerated due to the Covid crisis.


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Ever since Carl Pei left OnePlus to form Nothing, his new company has been promising a radical new approach to modern tech design and based on some new tidbits, it appears Nothing is going to lean heavily on a tech trend from the 90s: see-through gadgets.
In what Nothing claims is the “first-ever close-up picture” of its upcoming ear (1) wireless earbuds, it posted a rather enigmatic image on Instagram featuring a transparent item surrounded by even more transparent swirls, which may or may not be part of the gadget’s design.
While Nothing has yet to confirm what part of its upcoming earbuds is pictured in the images above, after a little digging and checking out Nothing’s teaser doc, I suspect that the large rectangular shape is a transparent case for Nothing’s earbuds, while the earbuds themselves can be seen (even if they are highly distorted) in the bottom left. There are even some discernable components like the small whitish protrusions on the earbuds, which appear to be translucent ear tips of some sort.
The idea of transparency is something Nothing and Pei have been pushing quite hard, with Pei saying today that “Transparent design is one of the hardest things to accomplish for the engineering team,” and that the danger of going this route is that “It’s very easy to create something that looks cheap when it’s transparent.”
Previously, Pei has even said that Nothing’s goal is to completely eliminate things like logos and branding from its devices so that the only thing that’s left is “raw tech.” That said, trying to make a transparent gadget and actually doing so are two very different things, as a lot of components in gadgets like screws, glue, and batteries aren’t really conducive to being transparent or translucent, which is a challenge Nothing’s design team mentions in the company’s mini-doc.
Regardless, if we look past Nothing’s teaser to consumer electronics as a whole, it really feels like Nothing may be on to something with its quest for transparent tech, or at the very least coming full circle on a trend we last saw in the 90s and early 2000s.
Back when Macaulay Culkin was still a cute kid fending off incompetent robbers, toys and game consoles made out of translucent plastic were everywhere. We had see-through neon green N64s, iMacs with bright candy-colored shells, and all sorts of knick-knacks and gadgets constructed out of translucent plastic, and it was kind of awesome.
Now in recent years, a number of companies have danced around the idea of transparent gadgets with things like Xiaomi’s transparent TV or its special edition Mi 9. But for the most part, transparent or translucent tech has largely been confined to more niche segments like retro gaming, where there’s already a built-in fanbase for see-through gadgets.
But in a way, that’s what makes Nothing push for transparent tech such a tantalizing proposition. Not only is Nothing poised to tap into the nostalgia of millennials who are now grown up but still have fond memories of their translucent 90s tech, by aiming for transparency, Nothing should have a much easier time standing out from other big tech brands like Apple, Samsung, and others.
Unfortunately, with so little concrete info to go on right now, we’re mostly just speculating. But with Nothing set to officially debut its ear (1) earbuds on July 27, we should have a much clearer idea of what Nothing is really up to before long.


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Nigeria Customs intercepts goods worth N607m in Lagos
- The Nigeria Customs Service pleaded with Nigerians to support the efforts of its units to rid the country of smuggled goods
- Comptroller Mohammed Uba, head of the Lagos unit, gave an account of the service's activities and a breakdown of the smuggled goods
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) ‘A’, has intercepted alleged smuggled goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N334,042,396.8.
The smuggled goods were intercepted between April 1 and June 12, 2017.
In a statement obtained by Legit.ng, the controller incharge of the unit, Mohammed Uba Garba, revealed this while giving account of his stewardship since he assumed office
Comptroller Mohammed Uba said the unit also recovered N273,675,138.75 from duty payments and demand notices on goods that tried to beat the system.
He said 10 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures in the period under review.
According to him, 152 different seizures were recorded comprising vegetable oil, foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, used tyres and general merchandise worth N607 million.
READ ALSO: Grazing reserve: Kogi state government allay fears of citizens
“You will agree with me that smuggling is a global phenomenon which cannot be curbed entirely but can be brought to its barest minimum.
“I have to praise the commitment and diligence of the officers and men of the unit for thwarting the antics of some dare-devil smugglers, who used different methods for concealment,” he said.
Uba said the unit also intercepted 384 parcels of Indian hemp concealed inside six bales of second-hand clothing from Ghana along Iyana-Ipaja Road, Lagos.
“In the spirit of inter-agency relationship, the suspects and the contents were handed over to the NDLEA for prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Based on intelligence report, the unit has seized five containers that contravened Customs law over false declaration and breach of import prohibition list by trade.
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 new app
“Two of the containers were laden with 4,982 pieces of used tyres, while others were laden with 1,292 pieces of vehicle batteries and piston ring compressor,” he said while thanking the management of the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) for the motivation and support that led to this great feat.
He also urged Nigerians to support the anti-smuggling drive of the service, as this would encourage the service.
Recently, officers of the Nigeria Custom Service, Ogun Command exposed the ingenuous ways food smugglers take to smuggle food across various Nigerian borders.
Meanwhile, watch this video and see how traders complain about the economy:


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The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has long been known as a place where companies gather to exhibit and sell TV sets. In 2011, though, at least two major companies are talking about reinventing television altogether.
Network engineering company Cisco and Sony used remarkably similar language to describe their initiatives on Jan. 5 during the CES press day.
Cisco CEO John Chambers introduced Videoscape, a suite of tools designed to make it easier for viewers to get all their video content on all their devices, and to integrate video messaging and social media with all that content.
A few hours later, Sony prexy/CEO Howard Stringer said Sony would kick off a Television Redefined ad campaign this year. The next big industry transformation is the marriage of television and Internet, said Stringer, adding our aim is to redefine the way consumers interact with television.
On the surface, the two companies seem to be competing, but in fact they’re taking very different approaches to this reinvention.
Cisco’s pitch is for a network architecture, not a consumer product. The company is targeting traditional service providers who have been irked by Google’s attempt to deliver competing content to customers over the providers’ own networks.
It’s dangling the prospect of expanded business models and extended service reach, claiming these integrated services create entirely new businesses and enable the providers to sell video to customers outside their own networks.Sony’s pitch, by comparison, was straight to consumers.
Stringer said Sony’s goal is to become the world’s leading provider of networked entertainment, and he’s pushing its networked TVs, PlayStations and Blu-ray players as portals to Internet content.
Conspicuous by its near-absence was Sony’s Google-powered Internet TV, which got a brief mention and was not heard from again. Stringer didn’t dangle much of a carrot for network providers, who may not be eager to supply the infrastructure for their competition.
Sony’s concept of reinvention is modest compared to Cisco’s. In fact, it would actually fit neatly within Videoscape. A demo of the Cisco tools showed web content incorporated into a user’s channel lineup alongside traditional cable channels, and that’s just one part of the Videoscape concept.
However, Sony has tens of millions of web-enabled devices deployed and more coming. Cisco has, as of its announcement, a single Australian provider committed to Videoscape. So whatever else can be said about Sony, it has something Videoscape lacks and dearly wants: customers.


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A well-known city centre pub is now open seven days a week, with new business owners at the helm. Everards pub King Richard III in Highcross Street has just been taken over by experienced publicans Michelle Lovell and Steve Antoniak- and they've been sharing their plans for the place with LeicestershireLive.
The pub was previously run by Alan Eyre, who decided last year to retire after three years of working with Everards and more than 30 years in the pub industry. Prior to that, King Richard III had been run by The Beautiful Pubs Collective until the start of 2020.
Now, Michelle and Steve - who previously ran The Barley Mow in Granby Street - are keen to put their mark on the place, and turn it into a popular spot in the city centre.
Michelle is likely to be a familiar face to anyone who frequents the Leicester pub scene, having managed Molly O’Grady’s, The Litten Tree and Squares in her career in the hospitality industry. Before taking on King Richard III, she ran The Barley Mow for five years, with Steve having been there with her for the past three years.
Steve, who also works in business development, says the different areas of the pub as well as the location were key factors in them deciding to become the new business owners. He told LeicestershireLive: "You've got three elements - the outside area, the front and the rear of the pub, and we think there's so much we can do with it. Plus, we're close to Highcross, so we'll get a lot of customers coming from there."
According to the couple, the decor of the pub looks excellent as it is, so they aren't planning to make any changes to the appearance. Eagle-eyed customers will notice, though, that many of the lower dining tables have been replaced with high tables and stools, suited more to customers popping in for a drink - which is the main clientele that Michelle and Steve are aiming to attract.
"The two previous landlords went down the food route, but for whatever reason, it didn't really work out," added Steve. "We're taking it back to basics and creating a nice traditional pub with nice clientele, live music and DJs, where people can come and unwind and relax with a drink after a hard week at work."
Steve says that while Leicester city centre has a lot to offer when it comes to eating establishments and bars, it is missing a good traditional pub - and that is the gap that he and Michelle hope to fill. As well as beers from Everards, other options on the bar include Madri, Moretti and Peroni, along with wines and spirits.
A TV screen will soon be put on the wall in the rear room, so sports fans can watch rugby and football matches. The large dining tables in this room will also be replaced with smaller tables and more seating.
There are plans to introduce some food - perhaps breakfasts, or maybe traditional pub lunches - but that it yet to be decided and will depend on feedback from customers, says Steve. The couple will be running regular live music nights, and will have a Northern Soul and Motown evening in the beer garden on Sunday, May 8, from 3pm until 8pm.
Having previously only been open at weekends under the last landlord, the pub is now open seven days a week, from 9am until 11pm. It also has a late licence at the weekend, meaning it can open until 1am if the customer demand is there.
"We want to be known as a friendly, welcoming pub which is a great place to come and relax and enjoy a drink," added Steve. "Somewhere where everybody knows your name, a bit like Cheers!"


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|By RealWire News Distribution||
|September 10, 2012 07:49 AM EDT||
Revenues Increase 300 Percent Year over Year; 3200 Plus Global Brands Now Leverage BrightEdge's S3 Platform
London, UK Sept 10, 2012 - BrightEdge, the global leader in enterprise SEO, today announced unmatched growth and business performance for the twelve months ending Q2 2012. BrightEdge revenues have increased 300 percent Year-over-Year (YoY), from end of Q2 2011 to end of Q2 2012.
The company also announced that they now support more than 3,200 brands around the globe on the company's S3 platform making it the most utilized enterprise standard for search engine optimization technology. Leading brands rely on BrightEdge S3 for its patented SEO share-of-voice competitive tracking, support for Google Search+ Your World and unique social SEO capabilities for its customers.
The company has funneled its growing revenue back into its business, growing to more than 110 global employees across their San Mateo, Calif., New York City and London offices and has moved into a new custom-built corporate headquarters this week that will accommodate the company's growth up to 250 staffers. Hiring efforts also continues with more than 20 open positions available across the company's global locations.
Clients have been forthcoming with their support and acknowledgment of BrightEdge http://www.brightedge.com/customer-case-studies with enterprise clients such as Andrew Taylor, at Citrix commenting, "BrightEdge has the technology and the day-to-day people that stand behind the technology and work with you to strategize your goals."
BrightEdge serves as both a partner of Facebook, Twitter, and Adobe as well as the preferred supplier as these leaders in digital have selected BrightEdge to manage their organic search globally. BrightEdge and Twitter case studies highlighting the benefits of managing search and social channels together are hosted on Twitter's web site: https://dev.twitter.com/case-studies/tiny-prints-sees-47-increase-search-rankings-using-twitter-and-bright-edge
BrightEdge and Adobe case studies highlighting the benefits of managing paid and organic search together can be found here: http://www.brightedge.com/PPC-SEO
"The market for Enterprise SEO is hot right now, with tremendous demand from leading brands to grow their search marketing traffic and conversions. I am excited to see BrightEdge emerge as the trusted standard in Enterprise SEO," Jim Yu, CEO, BrightEdge. "Our business has scaled to be the clear leader and continue our track record of technology innovation and customer success for our 3,200 brands."
BrightEdge pioneered enterprise-grade search engine optimization (SEO) in 2008 by delivering the first and only cloud-based platform that systematically allowed enterprises to grow their web site traffic and revenue through organic search. Today, it is the most widely used enterprise-grade search engine optimization (SEO) platform around the globe.
Technology Innovation drives growth
The company has accelerated its momentum via leading technology innovation in the market and being the first to market to launch numerous innovations to its industry-leading SEO platform including:
Enterprise Grade and EU Safe Harbor compliant cloud based technology with reliability of 99.99% and integration with all major analytics systems http://www.brightedge.com/2011-12-14-BrightEdge-Enterprise-Grade
Adobe Integration for insights and management across PPC and SEO http://www.brightedge.com/2011-11-28-BrightEdge-Adobe-Digital-Marketing
Social Media Insight and Integration as a Facebook Preferred Marketing Developer http://www.brightedge.com/2012-04-19-BrightEdge-Facebook-PMD
The first to market with Local Search Management http://www.brightedge.com/2012-06-08-BrightEdge-Announces-LSM
Market leading research conducted with partners such as Twitter https://dev.twitter.com/case-studies/tiny-prints-sees-47-increase-search-rankings-using-twitter-and-bright-edge
On the 12th September the BrightEdge team will unveil numerous powerful new capabilities as the company's executive team takes the stage at Share12 in San Francisco. http://www.brightedge.com/share-2012 or #Share12 on Twitter
BrightEdge is the leading site, search, and social management solution for global enterprises, helping more than 3,200 of the world's largest brands stay ahead in the rapidly evolving Internet landscape. BrightEdge S3 harnesses the power of analytics on big-data to drive revenue from web sites, search engines and social networks across the globe in a measurable, predictable way. Client list includes seven of the ten largest retailers, eight of the ten top digital agencies, hospitality leaders such as Marriott, as well as technology and social titans including Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, VMWare and Symantec.
BrightEdge is based in San Mateo, CA and is privately held with financing from Intel Capital, Battery Ventures, Altos Ventures and Illuminate Ventures. For more information, please visit www.brightedge.com, friend us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/seoplatform or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/brightedge.
@DevOpsSummit has been named the ‘Top DevOps Influencer' by iTrend. iTrend processes millions of conversations, tweets, interactions, news articles, press releases, blog posts - and extract meaning form them and analyzes mobile and desktop software platforms used to communicate, various metadata (such as geo location), and automation tools. In overall placement, @DevOpsSummit ranked as the number one ‘DevOps Influencer' followed by @CloudExpo at third, and @MicroservicesE at 24th.
Oct. 28, 2016 04:15 AM EDT Reads: 4,140
Enterprises have been using both Big Data and virtualization for years. Until recently, however, most enterprises have not combined the two. Big Data's demands for higher levels of performance, the ability to control quality-of-service (QoS), and the ability to adhere to SLAs have kept it on bare metal, apart from the modern data center cloud. With recent technology innovations, we've seen the advantages of bare metal erode to such a degree that the enhanced flexibility and reduced costs that cl...
Oct. 28, 2016 04:15 AM EDT Reads: 638
“Media Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. CloudBerry Backup is a leading cross-platform cloud backup and disaster recovery solution integrated with major public cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform.
Oct. 28, 2016 04:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,536
In the next forty months – just over three years – businesses will undergo extraordinary changes. The exponential growth of digitization and machine learning will see a step function change in how businesses create value, satisfy customers, and outperform their competition. In the next forty months companies will take the actions that will see them get to the next level of the game called Capitalism. Or they won’t – game over. The winners of today and tomorrow think differently, follow different...
Oct. 28, 2016 04:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,144
According to Forrester Research, every business will become either a digital predator or digital prey by 2020. To avoid demise, organizations must rapidly create new sources of value in their end-to-end customer experiences. True digital predators also must break down information and process silos and extend digital transformation initiatives to empower employees with the digital resources needed to win, serve, and retain customers.
Oct. 28, 2016 02:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,781
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftNet Solutions will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. SoftNet Solutions specializes in Enterprise Solutions for Hadoop and Big Data. It offers customers the most open, robust, and value-conscious portfolio of solutions, services, and tools for the shortest route to success with Big Data. The unique differentiator is the ability to architect and ...
Oct. 28, 2016 02:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,177
You think you know what’s in your data. But do you? Most organizations are now aware of the business intelligence represented by their data. Data science stands to take this to a level you never thought of – literally. The techniques of data science, when used with the capabilities of Big Data technologies, can make connections you had not yet imagined, helping you discover new insights and ask new questions of your data. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Sarbjit Sarkaria, data science team lead ...
Oct. 28, 2016 02:00 AM EDT Reads: 4,385
A completely new computing platform is on the horizon. They’re called Microservers by some, ARM Servers by others, and sometimes even ARM-based Servers. No matter what you call them, Microservers will have a huge impact on the data center and on server computing in general. Although few people are familiar with Microservers today, their impact will be felt very soon. This is a new category of computing platform that is available today and is predicted to have triple-digit growth rates for some ...
Oct. 28, 2016 02:00 AM EDT Reads: 34,365
As the world moves toward more DevOps and Microservices, application deployment to the cloud ought to become a lot simpler. The Microservices architecture, which is the basis of many new age distributed systems such as OpenStack, NetFlix and so on, is at the heart of Cloud Foundry - a complete developer-oriented Platform as a Service (PaaS) that is IaaS agnostic and supports vCloud, OpenStack and AWS. Serverless computing is revolutionizing computing. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Raghav...
Oct. 28, 2016 01:15 AM EDT Reads: 2,223
In past @ThingsExpo presentations, Joseph di Paolantonio has explored how various Internet of Things (IoT) and data management and analytics (DMA) solution spaces will come together as sensor analytics ecosystems. This year, in his session at @ThingsExpo, Joseph di Paolantonio from DataArchon, will be adding the numerous Transportation areas, from autonomous vehicles to “Uber for containers.” While IoT data in any one area of Transportation will have a huge impact in that area, combining sensor...
Oct. 28, 2016 01:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,209
SYS-CON Events announced today that Transparent Cloud Computing (T-Cloud) Consortium will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. The Transparent Cloud Computing Consortium (T-Cloud Consortium) will conduct research activities into changes in the computing model as a result of collaboration between "device" and "cloud" and the creation of new value and markets through organic data proces...
Oct. 28, 2016 12:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,519
So you think you are a DevOps warrior, huh? Put your money (not really, it’s free) where your metrics are and prove it by taking The Ultimate DevOps Geek Quiz Challenge, sponsored by DevOps Summit. Battle through the set of tough questions created by industry thought leaders to earn your bragging rights and win some cool prizes.
Oct. 28, 2016 12:45 AM EDT Reads: 4,261
SYS-CON Events announced today that Niagara Networks will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Niagara Networks offers the highest port-density systems, and the most complete Next-Generation Network Visibility systems including Network Packet Brokers, Bypass Switches, and Network TAPs.
Oct. 28, 2016 12:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,454
In his session at Cloud Expo, Robert Cohen, an economist and senior fellow at the Economic Strategy Institute, will provide economic scenarios that describe how the rapid adoption of software-defined everything including cloud services, SDDC and open networking will change GDP, industry growth, productivity and jobs. This session will also include a drill down for several industries such as finance, social media, cloud service providers and pharmaceuticals.
Oct. 28, 2016 12:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,197
SYS-CON Media announced today that @WebRTCSummit Blog, the largest WebRTC resource in the world, has been launched. @WebRTCSummit Blog offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. @WebRTCSummit Blog can be bookmarked ▸ Here @WebRTCSummit conference site can be bookmarked ▸ Here
Oct. 27, 2016 10:30 PM EDT Reads: 9,810
Intelligent machines are here. Robots, self-driving cars, drones, bots and many IoT devices are becoming smarter with Machine Learning. In her session at @ThingsExpo, Sudha Jamthe, CEO of IoTDisruptions.com, will discuss the next wave of business disruption at the junction of IoT and AI, impacting many industries and set to change our lives, work and world as we know it.
Oct. 27, 2016 10:30 PM EDT Reads: 566
In today's uber-connected, consumer-centric, cloud-enabled, insights-driven, multi-device, global world, the focus of solutions has shifted from the product that is sold to the person who is buying the product or service. Enterprises have rebranded their business around the consumers of their products. The buyer is the person and the focus is not on the offering. The person is connected through multiple devices, wearables, at home, on the road, and in multiple locations, sometimes simultaneously...
Oct. 27, 2016 10:30 PM EDT Reads: 3,843
Everyone knows that truly innovative companies learn as they go along, pushing boundaries in response to market changes and demands. What's more of a mystery is how to balance innovation on a fresh platform built from scratch with the legacy tech stack, product suite and customers that continue to serve as the business' foundation. In his General Session at 19th Cloud Expo, Michael Chambliss, Head of Engineering at ReadyTalk, will discuss why and how ReadyTalk diverted from healthy revenue an...
Oct. 27, 2016 10:30 PM EDT Reads: 3,088
Established in 1998, Calsoft is a leading software product engineering Services Company specializing in Storage, Networking, Virtualization and Cloud business verticals. Calsoft provides End-to-End Product Development, Quality Assurance Sustenance, Solution Engineering and Professional Services expertise to assist customers in achieving their product development and business goals. The company's deep domain knowledge of Storage, Virtualization, Networking and Cloud verticals helps in delivering ...
Oct. 27, 2016 10:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,166
In the 21st century, security on the Internet has become one of the most important issues. We hear more and more about cyber-attacks on the websites of large corporations, banks and even small businesses. When online we’re concerned not only for our own safety but also our privacy. We have to know that hackers usually start their preparation by investigating the private information of admins – the habits, interests, visited websites and so on. On the other hand, our own security is in danger bec...
Oct. 27, 2016 10:15 PM EDT Reads: 693


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According to the latest Consumer Metrix survey from Strategy Analytics the awareness of 4k/UHD technology among US consumers has risen significantly. The US-based market research firm interviewed 2001 US consumers via an online survey in November 2014, asking respondents about their recognition of several terms that are used to describe 4k/UHD TV.
The most recognized term is Ultra HD which increased from 39% recognition in January 2014 to 57% in November. This means that over half of the US population has heard of the term ‘Ultra HD’. Other terms such as ‘4k TV’ and ‘UHD’ also grew in recognition but did not score as high as the term ‘Ultra HD’.
The survey also found that 23% of respondents claimed that they had already seen UHD images either in a home or in another location. Of those, 53% rated it as extremely impressive and 40% as somewhat impressive.
Strategy Analytics regards these numbers as very high for a new technology.
Display Daily Comments
This is a an extremely positive consumer response. (NH)


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Microsoft has promised it will keep producing software for the Mac for a minimum of five years.
Under a new agreement between Microsoft and Apple announced at Macworld, the software giant will continue to produce versions of Office for both PowerPC and the new Intel Macs into the next decade at least.
Roz Ho, GM of Microsoft's Macintosh business unit, said of the deal: "This should leave no doubt in your mind we're here to stay and we're in it for the long term," adding that 2005 had been the best year to date for Office on the Mac.
Microsoft also revealed a number of updates to its Apple-flavoured offerings at Macworld, including new features for Messenger for Mac.
The relationship between Apple and Microsoft has been an interesting one of late. Microsoft recently announced it intended to stop development of its Iternet Explorer browser for Macs, while late last year, Apple started to offer 50 percent of its Office software for the Mac.
However, while Office may be permitted to run on the Mac platform, there will be no such unequivocal welcome for Windows.
An Apple spokesman said: "Apple has no plans to sell or support Windows on this platform but we have no plans to preclude that."


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Hyliion CEO Thomas Healy joins Yahoo Finance’s Zack Guzman to discuss the latest innovations in the EV space as the company gears up to go public.
ZACK GUZMAN: But as we've been highlighting, there's been a lot of excitement around the electric vehicle space. Of course, Tesla garners a lot of that attention. Shares up nearly 600% since the March lows.
But it's not just the Elon Musk led company that's seeing a surge, even Chinese competitor, Nio, has seen investors flood into eat up shares. Nio's up about 700% since its own March lows. And more recently, a lot of buzz has been made by Nikola, as that EV newcomer went public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company, or SPAC, earlier in the year. And now, we have another one coming down the chute.
Austin-based EV company, Hyliion, announced it will be going public in a reverse merger plan later this year with Tortoise Acquisition company to trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares in Tortoise have surged nearly 300% since the deal was announced earlier in June. And unlike Tesla, which plans to sell fully electric semi trucks, Hyliion is looking to retrofit existing trucks with its e-axle hybrid bolt-on drive train. For more on that and what the company has planned, we're joined by the founder and CEO of Hyliion, Thomas Healy, joins us now.
And Thomas, I mean, talk to me about why you think that is the best strategy. I know you might have plans down the road for building your own semi trucks, but that seems to be the differentiating factor here. So what makes you want to go that way?
THOMAS HEALY: So we're a power train company, right? So what we're doing is actually focusing on the drive train of the vehicle as opposed to reinventing the entire vehicle from the ground up. Now, the benefit of this is that it's a lot quicker of a development, right? If you're designing the whole vehicle, you need to worry about the headlights, the steering wheels, the seats, all the above.
Versus for us, we're able to just focus on the powertrain, very similar to what Cummins does for the trucking industry, but then that allows us to put our powertrain in all of the existing OEM Chassis' like Freightliner and Volvo and Peterbilt, right? So we're able to work with those existing OEMs and enable them to have our electric power train in their vehicles.
ZACK GUZMAN: Yeah, and you've got that investment from automotive parts giant, Dana Inc, in terms of, I guess, helping market that technology to its slate of customers in some of those OEMs that you're talking about. But you also, I guess talk to me about the timeline too to get this out, because that's been one of the knock on some of your competitors is that the technology just takes a while to develop and actually get into market, but what are you seeing in terms of the orders that you already have from customers lining up?
THOMAS HEALY: So we've actually already started shipping some product into fleets today. So we actually have two products that we're bringing to market, the first that you mentioned before the hybrid electric solution, which is a bolt-on. We replace the rear axle of the truck with an e-axle, and you effectively make the truck like a Toyota Prius. We also have the Hypertruck ERX, which is a fully electric drive vehicle.
And on that vehicle, we actually use a onboard natural gas generator that can kick on and charge the batteries up as you're driving, so you don't have to plug it into the grid in order to recharge the batteries. So the hybrid system, already shipping that to fleet today in low volumes. It will be ramping up production next year and into 2022. And then with the Hypertruck, we'll start deliveries in '21 and then going into volume production in '22.
ZACK GUZMAN: In terms of some of your competitors commenting on that strategy, it was interesting to see Nikola CEO, Trevor Milton, commenting on Twitter about it. He said a few had asked him about your company, and he didn't believe that anything with emissions will survive regardless if it's carbon neutral. I mean, what's your take on either his comments here and why it might be the best strategy, and also, I guess, just outside of him and what he has to say. I mean, he's clearly benefited from a lot of the attention EV space has gotten right now. So, I mean, how does it all fit into why now is the right time to try this strategy you're going with and why you think he's wrong?
THOMAS HEALY: So all the efforts towards electrification are great, right? I mean, the ultimate goal by all these companies like Nikola, Tesla, ourselves is that we're trying to improve the operations of the fleet and reduce emissions. And, you know, all three of us just are taking a different approach to the same problem.
So, you know, what Tesla's doing is using an electric truck that charges off the grid. Nikola is doing an electric truck that uses hydrogen fuel cell to recharge. And what we're doing is an electric truck that uses natural gas, and specifically, renewable natural gas to recharge. And so, you know, when you look at those different solutions, what we really see is a game changer with ours is that with using renewable natural gas, you can actually have a net carbon negative emissions profile off of the vehicle.
So when you look from like a well to wheel approach, so, you know, if you think about charging a car off the grid, well, some of that electricity may come from wind and solar, but a lot of it's going to come from other sources like coal or natural gas or, you know, it depends on what area you're in. Versus, you know, so there is emissions that comes from that type of recharging of a vehicle. With our solution using RNG, renewable natural gas, it's actually a net carbon negative fuel, so in a strange way, it's actually cleaner for the environment to drive our vehicles than to not drive.


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Demand for consumer technology continues to be on the rise in the US, with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) forecasting [press release] record-breaking revenues for the industry this year. The drive to stay connected, healthy and entertained during the pandemic has led to predictions of 7.5% annual growth within the industry, with retail sales expected to reach $487 billion in 2021.
This growth includes music and video streaming services, as well as gaming. Audio streaming earnings, which includes music, audiobooks and podcasts, are projected to be 18% higher than last year. And, with an ever-growing list of video streaming services bringing in new subscribers, video streaming revenues are expected to see year-over-year (y-o-y) growth of 15% to reach $43 billion.
On the other hand, gaming services are set to see a slight dip in revenues (2% y-o-y) after seeing a 25% increase in 2020. As for gaming consoles, CTA forecasts 19 million units being sold this year (up 6% y-o-y), resulting in revenues of $6 billion.
The following covers some highlights from CTA’s predictions.
Emerging Consumer Tech
Unit Sales and Growth
Consumers remain enamored with wireless earbuds, with devices such as Apple AirPods and Samsung Galaxy Buds driving growth in sales to 88 million units this year, up 27% over last year.
While the estimated growth in wireless earbuds sales is impressive, the clear front-runner in unit sales growth is that of connected exercise equipment — a new category to CTA’s report. More than 2 million units of connected exercise equipment such as Peloton and MYXfitness are expected to sell this year, an increase of 43%. Along the same lines, some 1.2 million e-bikes (including battery-powered bikes and scooters) are expected to leave the shelves this year, up 15% y-o-y.
Exercise equipment isn’t the only health-related tech seeing unit sales growth this year. Connected health monitoring devices including smart thermometers, pulse oximeters and blood pressure monitors are expected to see unit sales increase by 23% (13 million units), while Smartwatches are predicted to see an 8% increase in units sold this year.
In the meantime, the number of virtual reality (VR) hardware units expected to sell in 2021 is estimated to increase by 30% to reach 2.7 million. Estimates put Smart Home device sales at more than 100 million for the year, an increase of 11%. And, for the youngsters or at least young-at-heart, consumer sales of e-toys such as robots and musical instruments will see a lift of 7% in units shipped. Some 4.7 million of the 61 million units are predicted to be in STEM toys (an increase of 19%).
Connected exercise equipment also tops the list of emerging technologies in terms of revenue growth (at least among those listed by CTA in its press release). Earnings are expected to reach $3.9 billion in 2021, up 40%. E-toys will also enjoy double-digit (14%) revenue growth to reach $3.6 billion, as will health and fitness tech — up 12% to reach $13 billion.
Wireless earbuds are expected to bring in $8.7 billion in revenue (up 8%), while earnings from e-bikes are estimated to total $1.9 billion (up 3%).
Maturing Tech Markets
Looking at more mature markets, smartphone sales are expected to reach 154 million units this year (up 10%). The majority of these units are projected to be 5G smartphones models (106 million units). Smartphones sales are expected to result in $73 billion in revenue, with $61 billion of that coming from the sale of 5G models.
Laptop sales are also on the rise, with CTA estimating 76 million units to be sold, up 9% y-o-y, to reach $45 billion.
Overall, unit sales of TVs are predicted to decrease from 47 million units last year to 45 million units in 2021. However, revenue is expected to grow by 5% to reach $24 billion. CTA reports that more than three-quarters of TVs sold this year will be 4K UHD. However, the largest increase in TV sales is expected to be with NextGen TVs. With units sold expected to be close to 6 times that of 2020, revenue is estimated at $3.9 billion, an increase of 425%.
The forecast data can be accessed here.
About the Data: Published twice a year, CTA’s US Consumer Technology Sales and Forecasts reports on US factory sales to dealers. The forecast utilizes input from nearly 50 companies across the consumer technologies industry.


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Shares of Marsh & McLennan Cos. had their biggest gain in six months on Tuesday as speculation increased that the company may be a takeover target.
The stock rose 3.2%, to $31.35 from its opening on Tuesday until midday on Wednesday. On Tuesday, 8.8 million shares of of the New York company were traded, which was more than triple the three-month daily average as the stock rose 3.7%.
Christine Walton, a spokeswoman for New York-based Marsh & McLennan, told Bloomberg that it is her company’s policy not to comment on market rumors.
Trading in options to buy the shares surged more than twelvefold. The number of call-option contracts traded jumped to 28,319 from 2,216, the average of the previous 20 days, according to Bloomberg’s data.
Analysts said they are waiting for the other shoe to drop following the announcement Monday of a leveraged buyout of student loan company SLM Corp., which is better known as Sallie Mae.
Sallie Mae announced Monday it accepted a $25 billion takeover bid from a group of investors.


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Philip Morris International has struck a $16 billion deal to buy Swedish Match as the tobacco company makes its biggest bet on cigarette alternatives.
Swedish Match is the leader in so-called snus or oral nicotine pouches, which originated in its home market but are growing in popularity outside Scandinavian countries.
The Stockholm-based company owns Zyn, the largest U.S. nicotine pouch brand, adding to the deal’s appeal to PMI, which has lacked a significant U.S. presence for more than a decade. Sales of Swedish match snus in the U.S. and Scandinavia rose more than 50 percent last year.
Under the terms of the deal announced Wednesday, PMI said it would buy Swedish Match for 106 crowns ($10.57) a share, a 39 percent premium to its previous closing price on May 9. talks between companies made public.
The board of Swedish Match, which has net debt of about $1.3 billion, has recommended its shareholders accept the offer.
“If you look at why PMI is buying Swedish Match, it’s because of the U.S. push opportunity,” said Jonathan Fell, a partner at Ash Park Capital, an investment firm that owns PMI stock.
best known for Sell Marlboro Outside the U.S., PMI has been the most aggressive of traditional cigarette companies to fight for market share in so-called next-generation products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco devices.
PMI’s history dates back to 2008, when U.S.-based Altria decided to spin off its international operations. Its largest smokeless product is the heated tobacco device IQOS, previously distributed by Altria in the United States.
Swedish Match and PMI have worked together before, including a short-lived joint venture in 2009 to “commercialise Swedish snus and other smokeless tobacco products”.
PMI on Wednesday did not detail any cost savings from the deal, but said its plans “do not include any significant changes to Swedish Match’s locations of operations or its management and employees, including their terms of employment.”
PMI Chief Executive Jacek Olczak said the acquisition will “open up an important platform for growth in the U.S. and internationally.”


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Technological advancements in shopping systems, particularly automated shopping, have shown value during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Simon Somogyi, a professor in the School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, has looked at consumer behaviour patterns in grocery stores and how technological advancements can limit contact between shoppers.
News related to research
Deus Mugabe, HQP Scholar and PhD candidate in the Department of Plant Agriculture, is researching Canadian soybean breeding and genetics with a twist.
A stubborn new fungus is attacking Ontario onions. Luckily, it does not cause food-borne illness, but it could make your onions smaller and more likely to sprout in storage, leading to potential lost revenues for growers and lower-quality onions for consumers.


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The Eurasian Economic Union, whose biggest member is Russia, says it is considering scrapping import taxes on electric cars until the end of 2020 in an effort to boost their sales, Russian media have reported.
Advocates of emissions free vehicles have long urged such measures to help bring Russia up to the standard of its electric-vehicle-friendly European neighbors. But even economic union politicians backing the tax break are skeptical it will be enough to spark a Norwegian-style run on electric cars from Russian dealerships.
Still, they hope it will be enough for electric cars to gain a bigger toehold in the Russian market – thereby stimulating growth in the country’s feeble charging infrastructure and reducing sticker prices that are prohibitive to most Russian consumers. Lopping the import tax of the cost of an electric car would mean a savings of 15 percent.
Whether to adopt the measure is still under consideration by union. But hopes are high that it will pass. In recent year, the union has mandated similar tax breaks on electric cars – between 2014 and 2015, and again for less than a year between 2016 and 2017.
But those discounts only applied to incorporated entities – such as car dealerships or large municipal buyers. This new discount, if adopted, would be passed on directly to consumers. What’s more, reports the daily newspaper Gazeta, the new measure would abolish customs duties on electric cars – which would amount to a markdown of as much as much as half the sticker price.
Over the past several years, the number of electric cars in Russia has been on a steady climb, with figures regularly doubling on a year-by-year basis. Russia’s far eastern regions, where there is a healthy market for used right-side drive electric cars from Japan – has seen even better statistics.
But the total number of electric cars in Russia remains unremarkable. According to Autostat, Russia’s vehicle registration agency, there are only about 6,300 electric cars across all of the country’s eleven time zones that were purchased new. Three hundred and fifty-three of those new cars were sold last year.
Used sales are far more encouraging. Autostat says that 3,303 pre-owned electric cars were sold in Russia in 2019 – representing an upward trend from the previous year, when 2,237 Russians bought used electric cars.
That’s still not much when compared with Norway, where 60 percent of all cars sold by only March of last year were fully electric. With over 296,000 electric cars on the road Norway has the highest per capita ownership of electric vehicles in the world.
But it was because of government initiatives like the ones currently under consideration at the Eurasian Economic Union that it was able to reach that perch. As far back as 1990, the government began to introduce incentives for EV owners – thanks largely to Bellona President Frederic Hauge, who imported the country’s first electric car and challenged road regulations.
Big changes started to come at the turn of the millennium when road tax was lowered, charges for toll roads and public ferries were removed, and free parking was offered in some municipal car parks.
Norway’s 25 percent sales tax was removed from new EV purchases in 2001, and drivers were permitted to use bus lanes from 2005. Although the country’s extensive charging infrastructure was kick-started by government money, private companies are now taking over operations and there has been a lot of interest from overseas.
It’s because of that runaway success that Russian proponents of electric cars say the Eurasian Economic Union’s tax cut proposal just isn’t ambitious enough.
Yury Sergeyev, the senior advisor on electric mobility with Bellona’s offices in Murmansk, says that while the tax break is a good idea, it needs to last for far more than a year for any real lift in Russian electric car sales to register.
“We are not expecting this to blow the market for electric cars,” he says. “Electric cars are still very expensive for ordinary Russians. The tax break could increase sales by one or two times, but to really stimulate the market we need other preferences for electric car owners from the government.”
Vladimir Bespalov, an analyst with VTB Capital, a major Russian investment bank, agreed, telling the business daily Vedomosti that electric cars “are a niche product and will probably remain as such for the foreseeable future.”


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The famous retail chain grocery Walmart has made public a statement in which it assures that 206 of its stores located in the USA will have an additional surcharge in their stores from now on. It is, exactly, the charge for shopping bags—this decision that does not seem to please consumers but rather the opposite. Below, we inform you about this new change in Walmart’s policy.
Most of the grocery stores where we can locate this new change regarding the cost of shopping bags at Walmart are in Colorado. In 105 of the stores located there, this new additional surcharge policy will be implemented. In the meantime, a few stores already have this surcharge policy in place, located in Vermont, Maine, and New Jersey.
Walmart’s Grocery Store’s New Change on the Cost of Bags in the United States
Contrary to what many people think, this new measure taken by Walmart has a win-win objective: to reduce the environmental impact caused by plastic bags. Thus, customers will be responsible for bringing their own bags to pick up the products they buy at their regular stores. Otherwise, they will be charged 10 cents for each bag they need.
Moreover, the leading retail chain has also switched from handing out bags to paper bags. This was implemented from the beginning of the year in Walmart stores in Colorado, which stopped selling plastic bags for paper ones from that same day, which is much less polluting. The chain is making changes to make its production much more environmentally friendly.
In 2020, Walmart issued a statement reflecting its commitment and goals to respect the environment and reduce its pollution footprint. Since then, it has been taking steps in that direction, although many consumers do not agree with some of the changes. Customers feel that, with the amount already done on plastic bags, suddenly eliminating them will have a counterproductive effect, polluting more than expected.
Alternatives to Plastic Bags for Grocery Shopping
The use of plastic bags has become a major environmental concern, and several alternatives to plastic bags are available. However, it is important to consider the environmental impact of these alternatives as well. A 2020 study by the UN Environment Program has analyzed the environmental footprint of various shopping bags, and the results vary depending on which criteria are considered. For example, while paper bags may score well in reducing litter, they require four to eight uses to have less impact on the climate than single-use plastic bag. Cotton bags, on the other hand, need to be used 50 to 150 times to be environmentally superior.
One alternative to plastic bags is reusable plastic bags or bins. Some retailers offer reusable bags made of plastic materials such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyester. While these bags can be made from post-consumer recycled plastic, they are still made from fossil fuel products and need to be disposed of carefully at the end of their life. However, they are easy to clean, durable, and flexible, and offer a cheaper and longer-term solution than regular plastic bags.
A paper bag is another alternative to plastic bags. While paper bags lack the strength of plastic bags, they are fully recyclable, easy to fold and store, and contain no harmful chemicals. However, they require more energy to make than plastic bags and need to be used multiple times to have a lower environmental impact than single-use plastic bags. Here are some alternatives to plastic bags for grocery shopping:
- Reusable canvas bags: Canvas bags are a great alternative to plastic bags as they are durable, washable, and can carry a lot of weight. They also have a long lifespan and can be used for multiple purposes. Society6 offers canvas tote bags with unique designs from actual artists, making them a stylish choice.
- Paper bags: They are 100% recyclable and biodegradable, making them a great option for single-use purposes like grocery shopping. They are also easy to fold and store for your next trip to the store. To add extra strength, try slipping one paper bag inside another.
- Reusable plastic bags: If you’re not quite ready to give up the convenience and reliability of plastic, reusable plastic bags are a good option. They are made with recyclable, durable HDPE or LDPE plastics and are easy to clean. They also offer a much cheaper, longer-term solution than regular plastic bags. Some companies even offer biodegradable options.
- Mesh produce bags: Mesh produce bags are perfect for carrying fruits and vegetables. They are lightweight, breathable, and can be washed and reused. All Cotton and Linen offers reusable foldable double-stitched grocery bags that are a great choice.
- Woven bags: made from jute, cotton, or recycled materials are a great alternative to plastic bags. Reuse This Bag supplies custom woven bags made from 100% recycled materials. They offer a variety of bag solutions, including reusable grocery bags, wine and beer bags, drawstring bags, and more.
The United States Has a Problem With Plastic Bags in Stores and the Whole Lifestyle
In the US alone, it’s estimated that around 35 billion plastic bags, sacks, and wraps are discarded each year. Only 1% of these are recycled, the rest ends up in landfills or as litter, causing harm to the environment and wildlife.
On a global scale, the problem of plastic waste is even more staggering. Around 8 million metric tons of plastic waste yearly in the oceans. This is equivalent to the weight of around 1 billion elephants. Plastic waste also causes severe damage to marine life and ecosystems. Plastic pollution also causes economic losses worth around $13 billion annually.
Learn to Reduce the Single-Use Plastics in Your Home With These Simple Tips
Single-use plastics are a concern, because practically everything comes packaged in plastic in this country. The first thing is to look for and prioritize the products that come, either free of plastics in the packaging, or with as little plastic as possible. Switch to reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and food containers. Not only will you be reducing your plastic waste, but you’ll also have a stylish and convenient way to transport your food and beverages.
Some other utensils are easier to ditch: I mean, you can learn to live without straws, don’t you? Opt for reusable options such as metal or bamboo straws, and metal or wooden utensils. These can easily be washed and used again and again.
Another great way to reduce single-use plastics is to bring your shopping bags to the grocery store, which will be your new routine when shopping at Walmart. Many stores now offer reusable bags for purchase, or you can even make your own out of fabric scraps or tote bags.
Costumers Are Furious For This New Walmart Policy
Customers of Walmart are expressing their frustration over the company’s decision to charge for plastic bags in their stores across the United States. The move, aimed at promoting sustainability, has not been received well by many shoppers who believe that the company should not be passing on the cost of environmental responsibility onto them.
Many customers have taken to social media platforms like Reddit to voice their concerns, with some calling the decision a “greedy move” by Walmart. John, a Walmart customer from Texas, stated, “I can’t believe Walmart is charging for bags now. They make enough money as it is. This is just another way for them to squeeze more money out of us.”
Similarly, Lisa, a frequent shopper at Walmart in California, commented, “I used to love shopping at Walmart, but now I have to think twice before going there. I don’t want to pay extra for something that used to be free.” While Walmart claims that the initiative is part of its broader effort to reduce waste and promote sustainability, many customers feel that they should not be penalized for the company’s environmental goals.
It remains to be seen how Walmart will respond to the backlash, but for now, many customers are feeling the pinch in their wallets.
Walmart’s Environmental Commitments in the United States
Despite consumer complaints, Walmart has not changed its mind, and the chain is more determined and focused than ever to reduce plastic bag consumption in its stores to 0. Only time will tell us if these measures benefit the environment or if, on the contrary, a new plan needs to be drawn up to do things better.
Say Goodbye to Plastic Bags at Walmart: Company Leads the Way in These States
Walmart does not have a national policy on its bags, and its approach to plastic waste reduction varies from state to state. For example, in states governed by Republicans, who are less supportive of reducing plastics and combating climate change, Walmart and other companies move more slowly and impose these changes more slowly. 20 states already have different laws requiring municipalities to discard plastic bags, according to the Surfider Foundation. The three states in which the retail chain will phase out bags are New York, Connecticut, and Colorado, and others that could follow in the near future.
Eliminating single-use plastic and paper bags is crucial to reducing single-use plastic bag waste, according to Judith Enck, former regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and current president of Beyond Plastics. Plastic bags and plastic itself is a problem because it is not biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to disappear, causing many of these types of packaging to end up in the ocean and rivers, causing damage to the environment. According to the EPA, only 10% of plastic bags are recycled and they are the fifth most common type of plastic waste, according to the Ocean Conservancy.


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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Kyodo) Russia’s brisk economic growth and rising purchasing power are drawing Japanese firms, most notably automakers, into the country like a magnet.
Toyota, which is building a plant in St. Petersburg with production slated to start in late 2007, is eager to exploit the quality deficiencies of Russian-designed and built vehicles. Nissan Motor Co. also will build a plant in the city and begin production in 2009, which will make it the second Japanese automaker to produce cars in Russia.
Business leaders in St. Petersburg have growing expectations that investments by the two major Japanese carmakers will help transform the nation’s second-biggest city into a Russian Detroit.
Local industry sources said that General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG of Germany are also considering setting up plants here. Ford Motor Co. already assembles vehicles at its St. Petersburg plant.
“Investments by Toyota and Nissan would increase the likelihood that St. Petersburg will become a Russian Detroit,” said Anton Savoschev, vice president of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“We expect them to boost the economy of St. Petersburg through job creation and tax revenue increases. It’s also good to have modern plants and workplaces.” Savoschev also expressed the hope that Japanese investments will spur technology transfers to Russia’s automobile industry.
Russia’s desire for Japanese investment is evident. St. Petersburg Gov. Valentina Matvienko said earlier this year that her city was in talks with six Japanese companies to attract auto-part manufacturing plants.
Toyota Boshoku Corp., a car-interior parts maker in the Toyota group, launched a subsidiary in the city in April, with an eye to beginning operations in December 2007 to supply seats for the Toyota Camry, which the carmaker plans to assemble 20,000 units a year here for two or three years and then raise it to 50,000.
Sales of cars in Russia rose to 1,767,000 units in 2005 from 1,609,000 the previous year, with sales of domestic makers falling but those of foreign brands increasing, according to the Feb. 6-12 issue of Russia’s Expert business weekly.
The Russian government, which has vowed to revitalize Russia’s auto industry, projects that figure will increase to 2.5 million units in 2010. Russian auto-parts manufacturers estimate annual potential demand for automobiles at 5.5 million to 6.0 million units.
In 2005, Toyota ranked second in foreign cars sold in Russia, selling 66,000 units, up 39 percent from a year earlier. Hyundai Motor Co. of South Korea topped the list with some 87,000 units, up 73 percent. The rankings were unchanged from a year ago.
Along with Nissan, Mazda Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., South Korea’s Kia Motors Corp. and GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. are among the top 10 in foreign car sales in Russia.
Experts have hailed South Korean makers’ savvy business strategy in Russia. They entered into the market earlier than their Japanese rivals and offered lower-priced products, with Hyundai and Kia tying up with Russian automakers for vehicle assembly to cut costs.
But experts do not see the South Koreans as a threat to the Japanese.
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A carpet cleaner from Aldi is being hailed by homeowners - after they branded it a "miracle".
The product, sold in the budget supermarket's stores across Birmingham, costs just £2.79.
The cleaner gives you these remarkable results, according to retail experts and customers.
Social media has been awash with rave reviews over the product, which has gone down a storm online.
Facebook and Twitter users have been flocking to the social media platforms to have their say - and urge others to buy it.
The Liverpool ECHO reports Dr. Beckmann Carpet Cleaner has rave five star reviews and customers can now pick it up for under £3.
The 'miracle' cleaner has even has the seal of approval from the cleaning Queen herself - Mrs Hinch.
The bottle even comes with its own built-in-brush that can help remove stains.
ECHO reporter Catherine Murphy used the product for herself after reading the rave reviews about this product.
She said: "Having spilled a can of Coca Cola onto a light grey carpet after moving into a new home, the panic started to set in about how the stain would ever come out.
"I tried everything but after hearing about Dr Beckmann, I thought I'd give it a go and I can confirm it really works."
According to the product description, it says: "With its powerful oxy formula and built-in brush, Dr Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover 650ml effectively removes heavy soil and unsightly spills such as red wine, coffee, fruit juice, grease and other common household stains from carpets and upholstery.
"The cleaning brush gets deep into the stain, whilst the special oxy-powered formula also eliminates odour."


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VICTORIAN farmers are returning to the sheep industry in droves thanks to an increase in sheep meat production and a surge in wool and lamb prices, according to the inaugural 2015 National Sheep and Wool Update.
According to the report, the recent trend of Victorian producers changing from wool breeds to dual-purpose sheep and prime lambs has continued contributing to the increase in sheep meat production across the state.
The report, launched by Rural Bank and Rural Finance’s specialist insights team Ag Answers, provides producers and industry with a state-by-state analysis of the sheep and wool sectors.
Rural Bank and Rural Finance general manager of sales and business development, Andrew Smith, said the increase in the number of sheep farmers throughout Victoria was a trend he hoped would continue well into the future.
“This recent upswing in interest in the sector is very encouraging,” Mr Smith said.
“While challenges remain, sheep producers have cause to be optimistic about the future of the industry.”