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Consumer product reviews: more believable when writers get paid more Monday, 16 April 2018
Consumers increasingly use online product reviews to make purchasing decisions – so businesses are increasingly offering money to people who write online product reviews. Usually, those payments are very small amounts – but that might do more harm than good, according to research by Dr Christilene du Plessis of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). She discovered that consumers put greater trust in reviews when the reviewer is paid more.
Existing research shows that 92 per cent of consumers do trust product reviews, and good reviews are an important predictor of sales, says Du Plessis. And now, an increasing number of companies will pay reviewers to write them. Five years ago, just two per cent of reviewers on Amazon.com were paid, but in 2018, more than half of reviews come from paid reviewers.
This leads many businesses to assume that they must pay their consumers to review their products if they want to sell to new potential customers. But are paid-for reviews really effective?
In a recent study, Du Plessis investigated how monetary incentives affect how reviews are written, and how readers perceive them. In the study’s first experiment, 237 participants tried out a pair of headphones and wrote a review about them. They also indicated how legitimate they felt in their role as reviewer. Results showed that reviewers who were paid a small incentive of € 0.10 felt less legitimate in the reviewing process, and as a result, more uncertain about the review they wrote.
Participants who were paid either a large incentive of € 10.00 or no incentive at all felt more legitimate as reviewers, and were more certain about the review of the product that they wrote.
Du Plessis then conducted a similar experiment on Amazon’s MTurk, one of the main platforms through which companies pay for reviews. In this study, 335 participants tested an online game and wrote a review about it. Some were paid US$ 0.10 and others US$ 10.00. Again, the results showed that participants who were paid a small amount were more uncertain of their attitude towards the product than those who were paid more.
The researcher then wanted to find out how the writers’ uncertainty affected how their readers evaluated the products. In the subsequent experiment, 267 participants wrote a review of yogurt and rated how uncertain they were of their attitude towards the product. Next, 268 other participants read the reviews and then evaluated the quality of the yoghurt based on those reviews.
Readers who had read reviews for which a small incentive had been paid gave lower evaluations than readers who had read reviews whose writers had been paid more or who had not been paid at all. Apparently, readers can sense the reviewer’s uncertainty and start to doubt the quality of the product, Du Plessis says.
When online reviews are increasingly important for predicting consumer behaviour, the practice of paying consumers small amounts to write those reviews may do more harm than good, says Du Plessis. It might be more effective to either pay substantially more, or to pay nothing, she concludes.
Download Christilene du Plessis's full PhD thesis here
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top 10 business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. Study information and activities for future students, executives and alumni are also organised from the RSM office in Chengdu, China. www.rsm.nl
For more information about RSM or this release, please contact Ivo Martijn, media officer for RSM, on +31 10 408 2028 or by email at email@example.com.


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updated - May 9, 2021 Sunday EDT
The Washington Post has been around for more than a hundred years, 137 to be exact. It has continued to be one of the leading publications in the United States, with so many people, even those who are not from the United States, getting their daily dose of news from the publication's online platform. So when Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon became its owner, after buying it last year for a whopping $250 million, a lot of people became excited as they thought it will make the publication better than ever.
Now, it has become more apparent what the Amazon CEO is planning to do with the century-old publication.
According to Business Insider, plans of having The Washington Post's CMS sold to other news organizations, particularly local and regional publications, are underway.
This started when some of its partners (also newspapers) brought the subject of licensing software up to the 137-year old newspaper. As of the moment, The Washington Post is already in a content-sharing contract with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser as well as the Dallas Morning News. There are also a number of educational institutions trying out The Washington Post's CMS, including the Columbia University, the Yale University, and the University of Maryland.
As Pando has also cited, Bezos' plans for The Washington Post also involve having New York and Virginia offices. To quote Shailesh Prakash, the Chief Information Officer of the newspaper, this move is a way to "prove that we are not a newspaper company - we are a truly scrappy, innovative technology company that builds stuff instead of manages and buys stuff."
While it is definitely not a rare occurrence for publications to enlist the services of software engineers, turning a more-than-100-year-old newspaper to a tech company is. In defense of the new plans, the Chief Information Officer also stated that one of the main reasons these steps are being taken is because it wants to follow in the footsteps of Amazon.
TOP 10 FRANCHISES OF 2021

domain: news


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| Nov 26, 2013
What Moline's Bob Vogelbaugh wants everyone in the Quad Cities and beyond to know most about his free Thanksgiving Day dinner is this: You're invited.
If you don't have plans and would like to enjoy the friendship of others on a day meant for...
| Nov 29, 2013
| 6:10 AM
A store manager of a Pizza Hut franchise in Indiana is mulling over a rehire offer from the worldwide pizza chain after he was fired for refusing to open the restaurant on Thanksgiving Day.
Pizza Hut's corporate office said in a statement it was "very...
| Nov 27, 2013
| 4:32 PM
If Abraham Lincoln had exercised better judgment in 1863 when he fixed the date for Thanksgiving, we'd have celebrated last month, this would be an ordinary week and I'd be writing happily on another topic. Instead, Lincoln settled on late......
| Dec 29, 2013
At the outset of "Want Not," the second novel by Jonathan Miles ("Dear American Airlines"), a freegan named Talmadge is rooting around for treasure in other people's trash. The snow-dusted garbage bags, heaped on a Manhattan sidewalk, appear to him as...
| Dec 4, 2013
| 3:58 AM
(Reuters) - U.S. retailers rolled out holiday promotions earlier in November this year, denting sales growth over the Thanksgiving weekend that typically marks the beginning of the holiday spending period, according to data released Tuesday by...
| Nov 10, 2013
It's a once-in-a-lifetime event that brings together two holidays, one sacred and one secular; two culinary traditions, both with a signature potato dish; and two guest lists, each with an unimpeachable claim to space at your dining room table.
| Nov 11, 2013
| 10:11 AM
At this rate, shoppers hoping to get in on "Black Friday" deals will have to eat their turkey for lunch, as both Target and Toys R Us announced plans to open Thanksgiving evening.
In its earliest opening ever, Target said it will welcome bargain hunters...
| Nov 15, 2013
Hanukkah coincides with Thanksgiving this year — a phenomenon that hasn't occurred in 125 years. The two holidays have common roots in religious freedom: Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple after the Jews vanquished their Syrian...
| Nov 19, 2013
| 5:04 PM
There are a few delicious reasons turkey serves as the centerpiece of so many Thanksgiving celebrations.
The versatile bird is adaptable to a multitude of preparations and comfortable with all sorts of ingredients. Long before it fed those Pilgrims at a...
| Nov 14, 2012
from our panel of staff contributors
An elderly relative went to some extra lengths to provide foodstuffs for a younger vegan relative one recent holiday. The relative read the fine print on a cheese package labeled "vegetarian" and told...
| Nov 14, 2012
Of all the holidays in this country, none may be as rich with tradition as Thanksgiving.
The turkey stars. Bit players include stuffing, potatoes and buckets of gravy. Everything is seasoned to taste, influenced by the flavorings and stuffings and side...


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YouTube leads Yahoo! as the world's second biggest search engine according the the latest numbers from comScore released on Friday. It is a different sort of search engine of course, as the queries are for videos. Seeking to monetize all that traffic, late last year YouTube launched "Sponsored Videos," a program modeled after and managed by Google AdWords.
It is a keywords purchase program. Owners of videos can choose to promote individual videos by purchasing keywords. Like AdWords, owners can set a daily or monthly cap on charges and they can determine the cost-per-click cost (CPC). The minimum CPC is $.50 and the maximum is $5.00.
Search results are displayed as small thumbnails on the upper right hand of the screen. The video images are just above the list of conventional Google AdSense (text) results.
Google announced the program back in November and there has been some initial press coverage.
Recently, YouTube placed a "new" function on the "accounts" page of uploading members.
A YouTube spokesperson declined to comment on the scope of the program, numbers of keywords or auction pricing. He explained that the program was in the early stages and very little data is available.
Spending time on the site, there are very few search results. Some film studios seem to have bought up a number of words. But, the field is quite open.
Of course spending money for viewers to watch a video is a very new concept. It is not, after all, a direct link to e-commerce, but some clever marketers are starting to use it.
A very popular video for Invisible Shield, a coating to protect electronic devices, comes up at the top sponsored video under the search term "iPhone" — the video showing how the product protects from scratching. The video has had 1.4 million views.
Yes, the monetization of YouTube may happen the old fashion way, keyword search.
On Monday, I was as the Google offices in Washington for the YouTube media conference. After the session, I interviewed Olivia Ma, YouTube News Specialist who co-hosted the event with Steve Grove. We spoke about the growth of YouTube in the news area, the impact of the Election on traffic and the Sponsored Video program.
In her comments during the panel, she said that traffic for news related videos jumped more than 500% in 2008.
Miquel Helft at The New York Times wrote today about the evolution of YouTube as a new kind of search engine.
— Andy Plesser, Executive Producer


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During 2019 Benedict Kabugi, a Safaricom customer, laid charges against the telecommunications company for leaking his data along with the data of other 11,5 million other customers. Specifically, on 20 May 2019 Kabugi reports that he was approached by someone in possession of a database containing the personal details of 11,5 million Safaricom customers which also contained their sports betting transaction history.
On the same day, Kabugi went to a police station to lay a charge against Safaricom.
Since then, the case and hype around it seemed to have slowed down. However, some information has come to light that, Charles Kimani, an ex-Safaricom employee, has implicated the company by saying that it allegedly sells customers’ data without the customers' knowledge or consent.
In his handwritten statement to Kenya’s Police (starting from page 18 onwards), Kimani makes some allegations that Safaricom sells customers data to various service providers. This, the selling of Safaricom customer data, especially to betting companies and micro-lenders, has always been a suspicion by many Kenyans.
These allegations seem to support what many people in Kenya have wondered about, i.e. how it was possible for micro-lenders and betting companies to not only have their mobile numbers but also their names so they could send them personalized marketing messages.
The invasion of privacy issue is obvious if these allegations against Safaricom are true. It has also been frustrating to get any comment out of Safaricom on these allegations and police reports for several months since 2019. To date, the company has yet to respond to any questions or communications that iAfrikan has sent.
For me though, the bigger question is what else is Safaricom, or other telecommunications companies doing that we are not aware of. I believe this is a valid question considering the amount of data, communications, and transactions that go through telcos every single day.Share this via:


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Rumours fly of firmware update coming in June
A firmware update that will transform Sony’s PS3 into a full 3D-gaming capable machine will arrive on June 10th, according to rumours reported by TheSixthAxis.
Once updated, consoles will be able to display compatible Blu-ray films in 3D as well as the upcoming generation of 3D games, though users will need a compatible TV (which will begin arriving at UK retail in June) and a pair of compatible 3D specs.
What certainly is true is that debug PS3 consoles – the units sent to developers and some journalists – already offer a 3D option in their menus.
Full story on MCV


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Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
To explore the futuristic potential of the metaverse for trade finance, TFG spoke with Megha Shrestha, co-founder and CEO of Metabloqs.
When Metabloqs was launched at the outset of the pandemic, the initial plan was for the platform to operate as an event space where people could come together virtually despite the physical distancing restrictions.
Soon thereafter, corporations began requesting to help set up digital office environments.
Shrestha said, “So, we extended our horizons from just being an event and education platform to a complete metaverse where we have our economy.
“What we found during our research is that a lot of the metaverse solutions that currently exist are based on games and are in fantasy or sci-fi spaces.
“But we think that the future of metaverses is going to be based in the normal world.”
It seems that there is a mass desire from the market to create a space where users can perform simple or everyday tasks such as; going to a bank, going shopping, or partaking in education.
Within this realistic economy-based metaverse, there are several key practical applications for trade finance solutions.
Trade finance in the metaverse
Experts often discuss a technological development in this regard: the non-fungible token (NFT).
NFTs are digital tokens that can represent ownership of unique items and can only have one owner at a time.
If applied to common trade finance instruments like a promissory note or a bill of exchange, these technological traits can lay the necessary groundwork for process digitalisation.
Shrestha added, “That’s where we see how we could include these kinds of systems that are already in the real world as an NFT to ensure that these kinds of trades are being safeguarded.”
The metaverse also has implications for trade beyond just transactional efficiency.
The global nature of trade naturally introduces challenges related to geographic distance.
Over the years, technology––from the telegraph to the internet––has facilitated cross-border commerce and made trade more efficient.
The metaverse may just be the next development in this line.
“Geographic restriction brings opportunity costs but also real financial costs,” Shrestha said.
“The metaverse can bring people together in both business and social contexts, facilitating genuine interactions between intermediaries without needing to spend the corporate budget––and carbon footprint.”
With the aid of visualisation technology, these interactions could even be more fruitful than a traditional boardroom meeting.
For example, participants could use the metaverse to visualise the entire supply chain, creating a better understanding of the problems they face.
Trust concerns in the metaverse
“In the crypto world, there is a benefit of anonymity, but with this also comes a lack of trust,” Shrestha said.
“If you don’t know who this other avatar is, how can you initiate a conversation and be 100% sure that they are an honest actor?
“For business, trust is one of the most important factors.”
Metabloqs and other metaverse designers are attempting to overcome these systemic trust issues by ensuring that the network adheres to a widely accepted and sound regulatory system.
This includes having levers in place to maintain proper Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance.
Without these guardrails, the ecosystem, but more importantly, the businesses within it, will have an opportunity to flourish.
“If you look at the metaverse space today, it’s filled with people having NFTs about art, music and so on––but actual business is not happening,” Shrestha said.
The primary goal for metaverse designers and developers is to change this status quo.


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Beware of produce bearing bogus New Jersey-grown labels
The warning came June 17, the same day that the state announced the start of blueberry season. New Jersey grew 53 million pounds of the fruit last year and is one of the top producers in the nation.
What prompted the warning was that the state Department of Agriculture was given a store advertisement several weeks ago for a northern New Jersey grocery store that claimed "Yellow NJ Corn" for sale. Trouble was, that crop wouldn't be ready for another four to six weeks. The state says the earliest harvest date is July 1.
"When someone misbrands or mislabels produce as being 'Jersey Fresh' or otherwise from New Jersey when it really isn't, consumers can be fooled into buying products that really don't come from New Jersey, our farmers are cheated out of their most important markets," state Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Alfred W. Murray said in a statement.
Department of Agriculture spokesman Jeff Beach tells Consumer Ally that shoppers can avoid being misled by checking the state Department of Agriculture's harvest dates availability chart to find out when genuine New Jersey produce will be available.
New Jersey sent out letters to stores and farmers markets to make sure the merchants accurately label farm produce. If inspectors catch markets mislabeling produce -- a violation of the state's consumer fraud act -- they risk a $10,000 fine for the first offense.


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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Youngstown police have charged four people accused of using fake money to buy things from online sellers.
Two of them have been arrested.
- Brandon Ogden, 20, of Youngstown, arrested and charged with theft by deception
- Ameerah Ziegler, 23, of Warren, arrested charged with complicity to theft by deception
- Robert Wilson III, 27, of Youngstown, charged with theft by deception
- Dontrell McCreary, 23, of Youngstown, charged with theft by deception
Ogden was picked up Tuesday at the same Mahoning Avenue location where police say he met a couple of victims.
Ziegler turned herself in on Wednesday.
Police are still looking for Wilson and McCreary, who have active warrants for their arrest.
Investigators said the four were involved in using counterfeit cash on at least 14 occasions. Upon looking closely at the bills, you can see that they say “for motion picture use only.”
The four are accused of placing ads on sites like Youngstown-area Facebook Buy, Sell, and Trade pages, Craigslist, LetGo, and OfferUp, looking for audio equipment and other items. Police said they then made the purchase with the movie prop money.
Officers said they also got reports from several convenience and corner stores about people trying to buy things with fake money.
Investigators are still looking into several other cases involving the same and different suspects.
They ask anyone with information to call Det./Sgt. Michael Cox at 330-742-8262.


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News and Articles About Restaurants
The outspoken owner of BaoHaus restaurant in New York talks about Taiwanese buns, hustling and challenging stereotypes.
Jeremy Umland came up with a quick-serve sushi concept: Customers design their own rolls at the counter, then a kitchen full of automated machines helps cooks prepare them for takeout in just minutes.
The restaurant franchise Moe's Southwest Grill has figured out a way to make money on Black Friday: Feed all those shop employees ringing up purchases.
These apps and devices are helping restaurants manage operations and offer customers more variety.
Does your restaurant or store need a face-lift? Consider these budget-minded tactics from a recent episode of 'Restaurant Impossible.'
A last-minute shortfall led a restaurateur to a speedy merchant cash advance in exchange for a cut of future sales.
On 'Restaurant Impossible,' top chef Robert Irvine swoops into town with a $10,000 materials budget and remakes failing restaurants. Here's why sometimes, even this splash of TV publicity and a quick fix-up isn't enough.
Opening day should be a big event for any new restaurant or business. Here are some tips on how to make yours a good one.
From 'Top Chef Masters' to food trucks, this restaurateur continues to reinvent herself.
Kenny Lao of Rickshaw Dumpling uses Twitter and Facebook to update his restaurant's fans on a "moment-to-moment" basis. Here are his tips on managing a social-media schedule.
At Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, customers are encouraged to linger. And the concept caught the eye of Ruby Tuesday, now a licensee.
Many restaurant franchises begin as small-town favorites. But when regional expansion calls, keeping that local flavor is difficult. How three chains have managed it.
This new app enables restaurant and bar patrons to cash out their bill via smartphone, simplifying the process for customers and servers alike.
Lower prices and a new restaurant design propel Pizza Hut back into the top 10 on this year's Franchise 500 List.
If you've been checked out and letting your business's problems multiply, restaurant expert Jon Taffer from the series 'Bar Rescue' has some tips on how to turn things around.
Area businesses call protestors camping in a lower Manhattan park a menace. Lost sales are only the half of it.
Sometimes the only way to save a business is to start over, even down to changing its name. Here's how bar owners learned that lesson on Spike TV's 'Bar Rescue.'
How a Silicon Valley veteran and an English-bred chef helped define the farm-to-table movement.
More people are exploring microfarming as a way to become their own boss. A look at two moonlighting gardeners in Cleveland.
This business analyst is an unlikely leader in the economics of food localization.
Producing and using locally sourced food is becoming a sustainable business. Call it Foodie Inc.
The New York restaurateur talks about starting and growing a successful business.
Here's a rundown of the top hotels in every price range in our in-depth look at how to do better business on the go.
From Philly cheese steaks to stuffed pitas, meet the companies devouring the competition.
Our list of the top restaurant franchises--and how to be innovative when it comes to the most important meal of the day.


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TORONTO — For years, Daniel Lewis has been crafting teas that draw scores of customers with witty names like Usain Jolt, Matcha Made in Heaven, and Nutflix and Tea, but weeks ago it was his wife Renata that stumbled across her own crowning glory.
He had been toying with a special blend of Ceylon orange pekoe, dried strawberries, safflowers and chocolate, when his wife suggested naming it When Harry Met Meghan — an homage to Britain’s Prince Harry and his future wife Meghan Markle. The flavours are said to symbolize love, while the final mix also features silver sugar pieces called dragees and purple sprinkles to represent royalty.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The sparkly blend, which sells in loose leaf form for $8.56 per 50 grams or by the cup at their shop, places their Brampton, Ont.-based business in a growing group of Canadian companies hoping to cash in on the royal couple’s wedding.
Ahead of the big day on May 19, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta stores selling imported British treats have made sure they’ve got plenty of Jaffa Cakes, Flake chocolate bars, clotted cream, scones and mince pies to sell to customers throwing royal wedding-themed parties. Many are also stocking tea sets, mugs, T-shirts and flags emblazoned with photos of the couple.
Others are taking their link to the royal wedding one step further, creating products specifically for the event, like the When Harry Met Meghan tea the Lewises said is already a hit online and at their shop called T by Daniel.
“People from all over have been driving in, online orders skyrocketed over the last week and we are still trying to fulfill those orders,” Lewis said, noting many of the requests for the product have come from the U.S. “It is just crazy.”
It is the second tea they’ve made with royal connotations. The first came last year when Prince Charles toured Canada for the country’s 150th birthday and the Lewises were invited to an army base in Trenton, Ont., to serve him their Lion Chai tea.
The prince quickly became a fan, soon after placing an order of the Lion Chai, a tea they’ve only ever sold by the cup at their shop.
“We did break the code,” said Lewis, who added that he sent the tea along with another brew called Polo with the Prince, a traditional English breakfast tea with two flavours that he heard the prince enjoys: lemon and strawberry.
His teas aren’t as wacky as the wares some overseas companies are flogging ahead of the wedding. Already, condoms, colouring books, socks, earrings, bowties and even a cereal called Harry and Meghan’s Wedding Rings are available online and in U.K. stores.
Andy Bradshaw, the owner of Sherlock’s The British Store locations in Surrey and Maple Ridge, B.C., isn’t stocking anything zany for the wedding, but will sell cups and saucers with the couple’s faces on them and Union Jack-emblazoned napkins and flags for those hosting parties for the nuptials.
Bradshaw pre-sold a lot of the wedding-specific products, mostly to Americans, shortly after ordering them months ago.
So far, he is seeing interest from Canadian shoppers in the royal wedding, but “it is not the same hype” he saw when Prince Harry’s brother, who is second in line for the British throne, wed Kate Middleton in 2011.
“William and Kate was really, really big for us mainly because of their situation,” he said. “I think Harry and Meghan are bigger in the U.S.”
He expects more products to flood the market once Markle steps out in her wedding dress and manufacturers race to create commemorative items with photos from the day, but isn’t sure how many Canadians will clamour for royal merchandise after the nuptials.
Those tempered expectations haven’t put a damper on royal wedding plans from Toronto-based charity Action Against Hunger Canada, an international organization that aims to address food scarcity and malnutrition. In exchange for a donation to their organization that can be made through a virtual garden they’ve set up online, the charity is offering to send personalized well wishes to the royal couple on behalf of donors.
“The royals have been great about always trying to draw attention to charity and we are putting our hand up,” said executive director Danny Glenwright, noting the lack of funding for non-profits and the increased competition for donations in the sector. “We think a lot of Canadians that do follow the royal family might want to do something to mark that occasion.”


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IoT Standards AllianceMicrosoft, Cisco, Electrolux, General Electric, Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung, ARRIS, and CableLabs in a joint press release say they will work together to create specifications and protocols to ensure devices from a myriad of manufacturers work in harmony.
Accredent specializes in the Business of The Internet of Things(tm). Formed in 2009 out a four year strategy and M&A engagement with companies that pioneered many of today's Internet-of-Things connected technologies, business cases and use cases.
Accredent has been successful partnering with business leaders of corporations and emerging ventures to develop and transform their businesses, accelerate revenue, growth and enterprise value through the Internet of Things. accredent.com


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Ryan Gosling on the Oscars red carpet. (Photo: Getty Images)More
Ryan Gosling left his better half, Eva Mendes, at home on Oscars night. Instead, he brought a ruffled shirt. A Gucci shirt, to be exact. It’s definitely a statement piece — a dramatic statement that had the La La Land star’s many fans all torn up.
Dakota Johnson also wore Gucci, a gold number from the fall collection.
But hey, girl, it’s Gosling’s shirt that was the talk of the red carpet.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.


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On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Caleb Denison break down the biggest tech topics of the day, including a Boeing spaceship ends up in the wrong orbit, Elon Musk versus Jeff Bezos, another Facebook data leak, the final Star Wars, and more.
Dr. Jeffrey Welser, vice president at IBM Research, joins the show to discuss five predictions for A.I. in this next year, and how it’s not likely to take your job, but it’s likely to change the way you work.
Then it’s time for Work/Life, where Ciara Pressler, founder and author of Pregame, talks about the important question many employees may be asking themselves: Should I stay or should I go?
DT editor Luke Larsen joins the show to talk about the last decade, including Instagram, AirPods, and other pieces of tech that defined the past 10 years.
Ken Yeung, editor at Flipboard, wraps up the week in tech for our Tech Briefs segment, where he talks about the Ring hack and The New York Times report on smartphone data tracking.
We then speak with Dr. Lupo, professional Twitch streamer, who discusses his new Twitch deal and his charity work with St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.
Finally, it’s time for Between the Streams, where we take a look at the big news in entertainment from the last week, including Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Witcher, Bill & Ted, and Cats.
- App store battles, Amazon’s palm payment, and more | Digital Trends Live
- Amazon’s fall hardware, top 5 tech predictions, and more | Digital Trends Live
- Tesla’s new battery, Samsung S20, and more | Digital Trends Live
- TikTok saga, Microsoft buys Bethesda, and more | Digital Trends Live
- TikTok’s ban goes through, reality TV heads to space | Digital Trends Live


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Chinese Lottery Gets You A brand new Car Possibly
In a bid to cut back pollution and smog surrounding the heavily polluted city that is chinese of (try saying that three times fast), a new kind of lottery is being introduced. But winning this lottery doesn’t yield economic independence plus an extravagant lifestyle; rather it entitles you to buy a vehicle that is new.
She actually is Got a Ticket to Ride
Licenses to have a car within the town and letting you drive will be issued using a lottery, while the regional officials have actually had to take drastic measures to reduce the smog and carbon footprint associated with the town.
Shijiazhuang, the capital for the steel-producing Hebei province which surrounds Beijing, has now become the locality that is latest from the biggest auto market worldwide to introduce this type of measure. Other cities that are chinese have imposed a restriction on vehicle purchases include Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Guiyang.
How many brand new cars in Shijiazhuang will likely be restricted to 100,000 for the year, and households within the city will be limited to owning ‘just’ two cars each, according to the government website that is local.
The authorities go on to state that the amount of new cars allowed will likely be further reduced to 90,000 in 2015, and those able to buy cars will be determined utilizing a lottery format.
Efforts to Lower Emissions
This move comes as part of China’s vow to boost their efforts to lessen emissions af Continue reading “Chinese Lottery Gets You A brand new Car Possibly”


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New Delhi:Mumbai-based tech start-up Firstouch
has collaborated with Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY
) to introduce text-to-speech technology in regional languages, which will be integrated in native operating systems.
This partnership with DeitY will drive smartphone penetration in the Tier2, Tier 3 cities and digitally connect 300 million consumers with Internet in the next five years.
“Now is the time to embrace the government’s Make In India directive by not just manufacturing smartphones in India, but also adopting an operating system made in India, for India, by India”, said Firstouch CEO Rakesh Deshmukh
The text-to-speech software will be integrated in the Firstouch OS, which already has a two-million smartphone user-base, and plans to reach a 100 million by 2018.
All Firstouch OS enabled smartphone devices will be priced at under Rs 10,000 to truly serve and benefit the rural market. The OS is used by Micromax
is some of its smartphones such as the Unite series.
Firstouch, creator of India’s first regional smartphone operating system and indigenous Android based customized OS, will customize the text-to-speech functionality to build a powerful native experience for its consumers.
Additionally, it will release some of its innovations such as SDK, allowing developers to integrate and make more localized apps. The company plans to release the text-to-speech technology as part of SDK for developers to maximize this partnership’s value by garnering a broader user base.
Department of Electronics and IT of the Ministry of Communications and IT has been promoting research in the domain of Indian regional languages through initiatives such as the Technology Development of Indian Languages (TDIL) program.
TDIL has funded research in the country’s premier technology institutes such as the IITs to develop regional language tools to make technology accessible to every Indian. As part of this initiative, the TTS consortium led by IIT Madras has developed 9 language TTS systems.
The consortium consists of partners from CDAC’s, IIT’s and other Engineering Institutions, an excellent example of collaboration in R&D. The partnership between the Consortium and Firstouch was facilitated by TDIL formalized through an MOU between IIT Madras and OSLabs Technology India Pvt. Ltd. TDIL has agreed to transfer this technology to Firstouch.


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Americans Used More Than 1.1 Trillion Megabytes of Wireless Data Last Year
To wit, the latest metrics from CTIA, which find that mobile data traffic more than doubled over the past year. According to the group, U.S. mobile networks handled 1.16 trillion megabytes of data between July 2011 and June 2012 — a 104 percent increase over the 568 billion megabytes they handled over the same period a year earlier.
Driving that spike, a big jump in the number of gadgets transmitting data over the nation’s wireless networks. As of June 2012, CTIA found 130.8 million smartphones and wireless PDAs in active use, 37 percent more than the year prior. And it counted 21.6 million wireless-enabled tablets, laptops and modems, 42 percent more than it did when it last conducted this survey.
Clearly, wireless data usage is on a tear, and with demand expected to continue to grow, the need for additional wireless spectrum is becoming increasingly urgent. And that’s really the point of the CTIA survey. The organization is using this data to further underpin its argument that the Federal Communication Commission needs to free up more spectrum. And it’s calling once again for the commission to reclaim broadcast TV spectrum for wireless use.
“With the persistent increase in usage, this survey is another proof point for why our members need more spectrum to meet consumer demands,” CTIA CEO Steve Largent said in a statement. “We appreciate the FCC’s [notice of proposed rulemaking] on the incentive auction of broadcast television spectrum and hope that it’s brought to market quickly so that our members may continue to innovate and invest in our nation’s economy.”


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Visitors at the Farmers' Market, May 2011
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 24, 2012) - The Farmers' Market in Little Rock's downtown River Market District celebrated its official opening of its 38th season this week.
"The opening weekend of the Spring Farmers' Market is going to be a lot of fun," said Director of River Market Operations, Diana McClung. "We encourage everyone to come down to the River Market and shop for their fresh produce, check out the local arts and crafts, and celebrate the birthday of our beloved 'Dean The Bean' with us."
'Dean The Bean' - a friendly, Arkansas-grown organic green bean will be celebrating the return of Farmer's Market and his first birthday the opening weekend of the Market.
The 6-ft.-tall walking costumed character - complete with glasses - will welcome guests to the Market and serve as the official greeter for subsequent Farmers' Market events.
Patronized by locals and tourists alike, the Farmers' Market has served as a seasonal institution and local destination favorite for over three decades. Filled with farmers selling farm-fresh produce straight to consumers from the backs of their trucks from early morning until mid-afternoon every April through October, patrons can find bargains on Arkansas crops as well as a bountiful array of handmade arts and crafts.
Among the list of fresh produce you'll find: peaches, eggplant, strawberries, watermelon, beans, peas, corn, herbs, plants, greens, tomatoes, plums, berries, goat cheese, beets, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, squash, asparagus, eggs, cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, cherries, lettuce, onions, spinach, and radishes.
On Saturdays, the market will offer a "veggie valet," which will enable shoppers to leave their purchases so they can be held for pickup while they continue shopping or retrieve their car.
The Farmers' Market makes its home in the River Market's two outdoor, open-air pavilions overlooking Riverfront Park and the Arkansas River located at 400 President Clinton Avenue. The Market is open twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The season will run from April through October.
(Source: River Market)


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These new raw materials will enable a circular approach to produce essential plastic items that meet the requirements of demanding food contact and medical applications.
Production will be based in Köln, Germany. Plastic Energy’s patented TA recycling technology will turn difficult-to-recycle plastic waste, otherwise destined for incineration or landfill, into a valuable raw material called Tacoil, a Plastic Energy product that can be used to create virgin-quality polymers.
Ineos will also invest in technology to process the Tacoil further before feeding it to their steam crackers, where it will replace traditional raw materials derived from oil. This use of advanced recycling enables plastic waste to be turned into new, virgin-quality materials that can be used in demanding applications where safety standards require the highest level of product purity and performance.
Ineos and Plastic Energy first announced a collaboration to explore the construction of a commercial scale plant in 2020. Working together, Tacoil has already been successfully converted into virgin-quality polymer through the Ineos cracker in Köln, Germany, and is being used by selected customers and brands to demonstrate the viability and demand for materials from advanced recycling. As a result, Ineos and Plastic Energy have now announced the extension of their partnership. Production is targeted for the end of 2026.
Using a mass balance approach, an independent, third-party organization such as ISCC or RSB will certify that fossil-based feedstocks have been substituted by the new, recycled materials and ensure that recycled benefits are being accounted for correctly. A mass balance approach enables co-processing of circular and fossil feedstocks, a key step in the transition to a circular economy.


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(click on news/podcast tab above to hear interview with Unified Pet Products co-owner Troy Becker)
Governor Pete Ricketts brought his Governor’s Cup thank you tour to West Point Wednesday, stopping by Unified Pet Products for a tour of the facility.
Nebraska received the 2016 Governor’s Cup from Site Selection Magazine for having the most economic development projects per capita in the nation.
The governor has been visiting communities this week to thank businesses for helping the state win the award.
United Pet Products took over the former Wimmers and Land O’Frost meat processing plant last year. The company processes specialty pet treats such as dog bones, jerky and chews.
Co-owner Troy Becker says they currently employ more than 30 people and hope to start a second shift in the coming months.
New equipment is expected to arrive in the next couple of weeks.
Becker says quality and safety are their main priorities. They’re the only USDA approved pet treat company in the country.


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Squire secures $25.5M to fund next-gen ASIC mining rigs for CoinGeek distribution
New details have emerged about Squire Mining Ltd’s plan to build the next-generation ASIC chips and mining rigs, which will be exclusively distributed by a CoinGeek.com associate.
On Wednesday, Squire, a listed issuer on the Canadian Stock Exchange, announced that it has completed a private placement funding of $25.5 million last Aug. 10 to fund the development, manufacturing and sale of data mining infrastructure and system technology—including ASIC chips and mining rigs—for mining of Bitcoin Cash (BCH) as well as alt coins such as those using SegWit technology.
The pilot production test run of the initial ASIC chip and mining systems for Bitcoin BCH is expected to be completed by the end of fourth quarter of 2018. Squire Mining will then deliver the ASIC chips and mining rigs to associates of Bitcoin BCH’s largest mining company, CoinGeek.com, which has been granted the exclusive right to market, promote, solicit, sell and distribute Squire’s new ASIC chips and mining rigs to Bitcoin BCH and other alt coin miners throughout the world.
Under the exclusive partnership, all marketing will be done under the CoinGeek.com brand. Initial sales will favor Bitcoin BCH miners, given the social benefits of the cryptocurrency’s utility as digital money as well as its unique ability as the only platform that scales and is secure for the development of applications needing microtransactions.
“We are very excited to be partnering with a market leader such as CoinGeek.com and its associates. This partnership will allow us to quickly gain a strong foothold in a fast-moving, global marketplace,” Simon Moore, executive chairman of Squire, said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Squire has teamed up with Hong Kong-based tech firm Future Farm Developments Ltd. for a joint venture called Arasystems Technology Corp., which will manage the development, manufacturing and assembly of Squire’s ASIC chip-powered mining rigs.
Bitcoin BCH, the world’s only functional low-cost, fast, secure digital money, is the only cryptocurrency that follows the original Satoshi Nakamoto white paper. Average transaction costs on Bitcoin BCH are $0.002 compared with $2.00 when using the non-scaling Segwit token system and subject to a 2-4% commission for transactions on the VISA network.
Enterprise-level miners are invited to the CoinGeek Week Conference, happening in London in the last week of November, to meet with the CoinGeek team and discuss how this product can improve your business.
Tickets are on sale now and discounts are available for early purchases, as well as for multi-day tickets. Additional discounts are available to members of the bComm Association, and all tickets must be purchased using BCH.
Note: Tokens on the Bitcoin Core (SegWit) chain are referenced as SegWitCoin BTC coins. Altcoins, which value privacy, anonymity, and distance from government intervention, are referenced as dark coins.
Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV) is today the only Bitcoin project that follows the original Satoshi Nakamoto whitepaper, and that follows the original Satoshi protocol and design. BSV is the only public blockchain that maintains the original vision for Bitcoin and will massively scale to become the world’s new money and enterprise blockchain.


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The most recent iOS update released in July is a source of concern for Apple users. This recent update accidentally reopened a vulnerability (CVE-2019-8605) that was patched several months back. According to Motherboard, a security researcher, Pwn20wnd, reported the bug on Github. According to him, this vulnerability will allow hackers to jailbreak the device.
Jailbreaking allows iOS device users to install apps and features that are not supported on the official store. For security reasons, Apple allows users to install apps from the App Store only. However, with this latest update, iOS devices will be vulnerable to cybercriminals who can exploit this bug to install malicious content.
This issue was previously identified by security researcher Ned Williamson in March, and Apple had issued a patch with the iOS 12.3 update. With iOS 12.4, Apple managed to fix a critical vulnerability that could allow a remote attacker to compromise the device just by sending an iMessage with malicious content, however, it accidentally reopened an old vulnerability in the process.
As of now, Apple has not released a patch to fix this bug. Meanwhile, users should exercise caution while installing apps and accessing links and attachments on their devices. If users have not upgraded to the latest version, it would be wise to wait and apply the bug-free patch that will soon be released by Apple.
You will receive weekly cybersecurity news soon!
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The Budweiser maker announced today their Super Bowl 2014 Ad plans.
Anheuser-Busch InBev is the official Beer brand of the Super Bowl. This year there will be 3.5 minutes of beer commercials from Anheuser-Busch featuring beer brands like Budweiser and Bud Light. The good news is that Budweiser Clydesdales are back again without any discussion. It appears that Anheuser-Busch InBev will only promote Budweiser and Bud Light and not any other beer brand like in previous years.
Super Bowl 2014 marks the launch of Bud Light’s new creative campaign, “The Perfect Beer for Whatever Happens.” The campaign kicks off with two corresponding “Epic Night” units— totaling 90 seconds and telling one cohesive story across two ad blocks—featuring top celebrity surprises when they are least expected. The Bud Light “Epic Night” spots were created by BBDO.
“’The Perfect Beer for Whatever Happens’ will be the most robust and digitally integrated campaign in Bud Light history,” said Rob McCarthy, vice president, Bud Light. AKQA is the lead agency for Bud Light digital.
The official beer sponsor of the NFL will also use advertising’s biggest stage to debut the new Bud Light reclosable aluminum bottle with a 30-second spot title “So Cool.” Holding the coveted 1A position in the game, “So Cool” will feature the world debut of a new song from a well-known artist. The spot was created by Cannonball.
Budweiser will be in the game with a 60-second and a 30-second spot—both featuring the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Budweiser will continue its long-standing support of the U.S. military and celebrate returning troops with “Hero’s Welcome.”
“The Budweiser Clydesdales are an icon of the brand and have become an icon of the Super Bowl as well,” said Brian Perkins, vice president, Budweiser. “These majestic horses represent the values of the brand and universal values of trust, quality and nobility that appeal to audiences of all ages.”
The beloved Budweiser Clydesdales will also be featured prominently in “Puppy Love,” which continues the story of 2013’s celebrated “Brotherhood” spot and focuses on the connections animals share with one another at Warm Springs Ranch, Budweiser’s Clydesdale breeding ranch. The ad features Don Jeanes reprising his role as Budweiser Clydesdale trainer and introduces a new, young star – a 10-week old puppy that forges a bond with the Clydesdales and, through tenacity, ultimately earns a place on the team. The creative agency for these spots is Anomaly, with AKQA as the lead agency for Budweiser digital.


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LOS ANGELES – Several major retailers have announced that they will be closing their doors again on Thanksgiving Day 2021, giving employees a well-deserved day off after a tumultuous 2020.
Companies such as Target and Walmart have announced similar plans, noting how well they were able to adapt last year during the pandemic to faster shipping methods for online shoppers and creating seamless border pickup. for in-store orders.
Here is a list of the stores that close on Thanksgiving Day 2021:
FILE – A view outside a Kohl’s store.
Kohl’s announced Thursday that it will close for Thanksgiving this year, joining a growing list of large retailers that have plans to do the same.
The retail store cited shoppers’ comments after closing last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and plans to offer the same deals online ahead of one of the biggest shopping days in the world. year – Black Friday – as it did in 2020.
The move comes after the positive response from last year’s closure on Thanksgiving Day, as well as changing preferences about how and when customers want to shop during the holiday season. Kohl’s has served millions of customers both in-store and online throughout Black Friday week last year, and we look forward to bringing that same amazing experience to our customers again this year, ”according to a company press release.
Holiday times, along with Black Friday weekday times, will be announced at a later date, the company said.
The retail company has announced it will close stores over the holidays after tackling the challenges of the 2020 holiday season.
“Our resilient team members used everything they learned in 2020 to bring these experiences to life – and our results show those efforts have resonated,” the company said in a statement. declaration.
Company executives said their data showed customers were doing very well during the holiday shopping season in November and December 2020. According to Target, customers purchased 150 million items using delivery options. and picking up orders from the store, more than four times the amount in the same period. period in 2019.
“Same-day service sales are up 193%,” Target said in its January release, comparing the numbers to 2019. “Drive Up is up over 500%. About 95% of Target’s sales were carried out by its stores. “
Walmart praised its employees for last year’s work, calling their actions “nothing short of heroic.” The big box retailer made the announcement
June 4, claiming that all of its sites in the United States will close on November 25 as a “thank you” to employees “for their hard work during the pandemic.”
“Throughout the pandemic, our associates have been nothing short of heroic in the way they have stepped up to serve our customers and their communities,” said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Walmart US “Closing our stores on Thanksgiving Day is a way for us to say ‘thank you’ to our teams for their dedication and hard work this year. We hope everyone takes the opportunity to be with their loved ones during what is always a special time. “
Stores will operate during normal posting hours on Wednesday, November 24. Walmart has yet to reveal store hours for Black Friday on November 26 and says the information will be announced at a later date.
The tech retailer has announced plans to run Black Friday deals online and in the Best Buy app, providing customers with a safe, contactless shopping experience.
“Last year, thanks to the amazing work of our employees, we helped millions of customers with their holiday shopping during Black Friday weekend. We’ve delivered all of our best deals online, expanded our curbside pickup options, and developed faster shipping methods to ensure customers have what they need in time for the holidays, ”a door said. -Best Buy speech at FOX TV Stations.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
The sporting goods retailer announced in February that stores will close on Thanksgiving Day and reopen on Black Friday.
“We closed our stores and distribution centers last year for Thanksgiving as a way to say ‘thank you’ to our teammates for getting through all the stress and tension of 2020 and to encourage our teammates and customers to move on. time with their loved ones, ”he added. said Lauren Hobart, President and CEO of DICK’S Sporting Goods. “This year we wanted to let our teammates know in advance that we will be closed again, so they have the opportunity to plan their annual traditions – whether it’s going in a fun race, watching football or enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. “
Curb and contactless pickup will be offered on Black Friday, the company added.
Chris Williams, Kelly Hayes and FOX 13 Tampa Bay contributed to this report.


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New York Fashion Week is in full flow and London Fashion Week kicks off on Friday. For the designers, months of caffeine, sweat and tears will culminate in a 15-minute crescendo. But who and what are they for?
Back in the olden days, the shows were elite salon events attended by super-rich customers and the fashion press. As time went on they became larger productions, with more editors and buyers witnessing bigger spectacles. More recently, press-hungry celebrities realised fashion shows made good photo-ops and designers (or their publicists) realised that those same celebs could get publicity (leading to sales) for them. Fashionista.com recently reported that celebrities like Chloe Sevigny and Mary-Kate Ashley can get paid five figure sums by designers to show up in their front rows – and there we were thinking they did it for the love of a Balmain harem pant. As if!
And now we’re in the age of the live-streamed show where anyone can watch the show from their couch or desk, or even Times Square if you’re an Alexander Wang fan. Fashion Week is tough on fashion editors. It’s not all champagne and air-kisses, there’s a lot of running around, a hell of a lot of waiting, plus in between, the trips back to the office to attend planning meetings and sign off page proofs. Eating and sleeping rarely factors. Oh to be able to sit in the office and watch it all online like everyone else! Could this happen?
Alas, not for a fashion editor. Because the days of attending the show purely to report on the clothes are long gone. These days, a fashion show isn’t about what’s on the runway at all but the ‘show’ happening front of house and backstage. The show isn’t just the models on the runway, it’s the celebrities, the editors, the backstage crew. It’s the overheards, the atmosphere, the hullabaloo. Social media has changed Fashion Week in the space of one season. WWD published an article on the influence of social media at fashion shows and reports that some brands now have as many as 40% of bloggers taking up press head-count. Those designers embracing social media (live-streaming, tweeting, blogger-courting) are also doing more to show the backstage and pre-show buzz. Marc Jacobs’ president Robert Duffy has spend the last two weeks Twitpic-ing model castings, set-building and other insights into the Marc Jacobs show build-up.
So are fashion shows morphing from exclusive industry-only events to become more of an entertainment thing? Yes indeed. It’s all about the marketing and commercial opportunities now, brought on by both the recession and the online revolution. The next stage is brands opening up to the public who in turn will, hopefully, open their wallets. On February 18th Diane Von Furstenburg puts on a separate show for Amex cardholders from which the $150 ticket price goes towards Amex’s $250,000 donation to the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Guests will watch models present the spring-summer collection and theoretically rush to buy whatever tickles their fancy in store shortly after. Meanwhile Proenza Schouler will make their AW10 handbags available to preorder online immediately after their show.
In this new era, old school fashion editors won’t like being lumped in with the ‘civilians’ but while the majority of brands can see the worth of going public, a few are still resistant. ‘We believe that luxury breaks down when access is in excess,’ Luca Luca president Yildiz Blackstone told WWD. My guess is that in time, there will be a split, perhaps with Fashion Week as we know it being used for entertainment and commercial purposes, and a spin-off being created for the trade press and buyers.
What do you think?


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This story is from the category Legal
Date posted: 25/08/2009
A French security guard said Tuesday he had received a faceful of glass when the screen of his iPhone exploded, the second such reported incident in France.
Yassine Bouhadi, a 26-year-old supermarket watchman from the southeastern town of Villevieille, said he "was typing a text message, on Monday at around 3:00 pm, when the screen exploded."
Bouhadi, who says he was hit in the eye with a glass shard, said he was "very angry" and planned to consult a doctor and file suit for damages.
"I want an explanation about this damned telephone," said Bouhadi, who bought the hugely-popular smartphone device for 600 euros (850 dollars) three months ago and now wants his money back.
A French teenager suffered an eye injury in a similar iPhone incident earlier this month, a few weeks after a brouhaha in Britain over an exploding iPod music player owned by an 11-year-old girl.
A US television station also reported last month that an "alarming number" of iPods had burst into flames, although without causing serious injuries, a problem apparently caused by overheated lithium ion batteries.
See the full Story via external site: www.physorg.com
Most recent stories in this category (Legal):
01/05/2013: Cispa bill on cyber security passed by the US House


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Google is one of the few companies whose services have more than a billion users. The company’s seven services -- Gmail, Chrome, Maps,YouTube, Android, Play Store and Search -- have a user base of more than a billion. The Mountain View, California-based company has now said that its eighth service, Google Drive, is expected to hit a one billion user mark “later this week”. The tech giant made this announcement at its Google Cloud Next conference, which is currently underway and will conclude on July 26, in San Francisco.
Google generally releases these numbers at its annual I/O conference. Last year at I/O, it said that the Google Drive has crossed 800 million daily active users and stores over 2 trillion files. This year, Google did not release any information at I/O. They could be waiting for this milestone to be achieved first. Google launched the Drive in 2012 and since then, it has been improving the service regularly. The company made it easier for users to access the Drive cloud-storage service on the Chrome browser by rolling out relevant applications of Drive – Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations – to the Chrome Web Store.
Last year, it launched business-centric features like Team Drives and Drive File Stream. Google has also rolled out a new and updated user interface for Google Drive for the web. There are no changes to the functionality of the Drive and the revamp applies visual tweaks to create “a responsive and efficient experience for Drive users.” Apart from these services, Google-owned Android OS has more than 2 billion users.


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Late last week, word started leaking out about the results of a Google settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over its ongoing antitrust case. And if you were worried about Google having to radically alter their search engine, you can breathe a bit of relief: it’s not happening.
After all of worst-case scenario handwringing over what a serious settlement with federal regulators could have done to shake up the search market, it looks as though it is business as normal. No fine, some minor changes, and, maybe most importantly, no changes to the way it searches its snapshot of the web.
That is, of course, excluding their own, near-constant tweaks.
Two months ago, I laid out here what a settlement could do to those sourcers who rely heavily on the search engine. Worst case scenario for Google?
There’s a slight chance that courts could demand Google change up the way they rank sites entirely. While it may not change the way boolean operators work, it could significantly change the results of those searches. Maybe a Google profile gets further buried because of the ruling or that a court-ordered parity in the algorithm could actually make search results less valuable. Far be it for me to suggest that this is a huge possibility for an antitrust case but it is still a possibility.
That won’t be happening. Of course, there’s a downside to that as well.
While Google is busy fighting a court battle and second guessing rankings, alternatives can position themselves aggressively. Bing could certainly be a big winner on this front but Blekko and DuckDuckGo could also benefit. While Bing might be a steady second banana to Google, smaller alternatives could use the mainstream support. Mainstream support brings more traffic and dollars to the site which would aid in their continued development.
For those who were hoping for some radical shake up of search engines, it isn’t going to happen due to this settlement. How the FTC positioned this ruling should give opponents of the search engine’s dominance a better focus for future cases (and I’m certain there will be future cases). While opponents focused on Google’s paying customers (namely the businesses that choose to advertise with them), the FTC (and Google) focused on search engine users and their experience. We’ll see if Google’s opponents shift to a user-driven antitrust argument in the next round.
In the meantime, there will be no great shake up of the search landscape today. New entrants will continue to come into the space and more established players will likely continue to fight for market and mindshare of both users and advertisers.


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Budweiser brings the biggest ever Halloween experience to India with its 'Join the Fearless' campaign. This Halloween, the brand urges consumers to come forth and face fears on their own terms.
This campaign brings together multi-faceted elements to turn this dark night into one of revelry by unlocking freedom like never before. The Halloween week will be ushered in with an anthem by American song writer and Grammy nominee, Kehlani Parrish in collaboration with Budweiser. The song called ‘Touch’ went live on Kehlani’s various music platforms on October 14th, 2017.
Joining the ‘Fearless’ movement are popular Indian personalities such as Kavya Trehan - singer-songwriter and one-half of indie pop band Mosko, Shaan – the talented and youngest ever electronic DJ/music producer in India and one of the first Indians to play at Tomorrowland and India’s leading super model - Erika Packard. Through a series of fun engaging videos, these trendsetters will reveal their most irrational fears.
For those who enjoy playing dress up and going all out on Halloween, celebrity Makeup Artist Elton J Fernandez has created a DIY Halloween make-up tutorial urging his fans to be a part of Budweiser’s #JoinTheFearless movement. Keeping up with the spirit of the occasion, fashionistas like Aashna Shroff from The Snob Journal, Kritika Khurana from That Boho Girl and Monalisha from The Grey Halfway will create customised Halloween looks one can experiment with on a fearless night out. What really elevates the drama of this celebration is a special concoction of Budweiser tipped with red dye, wittily referred to as ‘Bloodweiser’.
Speaking about the Halloween campaign, Vineet Sharma, Associate Marketing Director, AB-Inbev said, “Budweiser is being cemented as a culture shaping brand by constantly challenging the status quo, and pushing to innovate and present one-of-a-kind experiences for our consumers. Globally, Halloween is one of the most celebrated occasions and we are truly excited to bring the fear and fervor associated with it to India. We believe that one can be free by being fearless and through this campaign Budweiser is giving fans a chance to face their fears.”
To round off this exciting week Budweiser will present Halloween themed marquee events on 27th and 28th October, 2017 in Mumbai and Delhi respectively. The occasion will come alive with dramatically transformed venues, specially crafted ‘Clydesdale’ masks and Halloween inspired food and beer concoctions.
These events will also feature an exciting line-up of artists like MadStarBase, Kumail, and Zokhuma who will truly elevate the Halloween experience and make it a night to remember!view more - Creative


text: © . FILE PHOTO: The Swiss parliament building (Bundeshaus) is pictured at a Federal Council meeting in Bern, Switzerland, March 12, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File photo ZURRICH () – Neutral Switzerland had passed more European Union sanctions against Russia for Ukraine has invaded, the cabinet said Friday, keeping the country in line with EU measures it has decided to embrace in a departure from its traditional neutrality. The decision means that the export of goods and related services for the Russian energy sector is now banned, the government said https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-87747 . html in a statement. “It is also prohibited to participate in companies operating in the energy sector and to provide loans or other financial resources to such companies,” it added. Under the measures, which will take effect at 2200 GMT, the importation of iron and steel goods from Russia or originating in Russia is prohibited, as well as the export of luxury and maritime goods to Russia. In the financial sector, transactions with certain state-owned companies and the provision of credit assessment services are prohibited. “This means that all measures of the EU’s fourth package of sanctions have been implemented,” the government said. It added that it had decided not to implement the March 1 EU measure blocking Russian media Sputnik and Russia Today. “Despite the fact that these channels are used to spread targeted propaganda and disinformation by the Russian Federation, the Federal Council believes that it is more effective to refute false and harmful statements with facts rather than prevent them from being broadcast.” , the report said. said. Disclaimer: Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data on this website is not necessarily real-time or accurate. All CFDs (Stocks, Indices, Futures) and Forex prices are not provided by exchanges but rather by market makers, and therefore prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual market price meaning prices are indicative and not suitable for trading purposes . Therefore, Fusion Media does not bear any responsibility for any trading losses that you may incur as a result of using this data. Fusion Media or anyone associated with Fusion Media accepts no liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any information, including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals on this website. Be fully informed about the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest forms of investment possible.


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They stand in line outside stores waiting for midnight launches of new video games. When they get home after a long day, they plop down in front of the TV not to sit back and watch, but to play.
They're known as "core gamers." They are people like Greg Wilcox, who writes about video games and has bought roughly 100 this year, and like Mark Hengst, who's in law enforcement and says daily gaming gives him an "interactive form of escapism." Then there's Wyatt Du Frane, a geology graduate student who's been playing since he was a little boy.


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Following In the footsteps of the U.s. Federal Reserve decreases the reserve Bank of india the interest rate by 50 basis points to 0.25 per cent. That’s what makes the British Central Bank announced in a press release. Just as it is in America, it is a surprise cut. All of that is out of the closet at a time of recession, but is it enough?
Economy after the corona
According to a press release from the Bank of England will cut interest rates to stimulate the economy following the uncertainty triggered by the outbreak of the corona virus:
“The reduction in bank rates will help the confidence of businesses and consumers at a difficult time, to support the cash flow of firms and households, and to improve the cost and decrease the availability of financing is improving.”
The measures will have little impact on the Uk stock market. In fact, the shares continue to be today, even in the valleys. Below is a chart of the FTSE 100, the hundred largest British listed companies.
As it turned out, that the prices would recover, but that turned out to be short-lived:
Just as with the Us interest rate cut, the market has little confidence in the measures taken by the reserve Bank of india.
The governor is opposed to bitcoin is to ” Be prepared to lose your money’
Earlier this week, spoke to Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England to the Treasury Committee of the Uk parliament. He talked about the bitcoin and it would not chip a lot of the cryptocurrency:
‘If bitcoin wants to buy it, be prepared to lose your money. If you would like to buy, please do so. But understand that it does not have intrinsic value. Bitcoin has not yet achieved a great deal.’
BREAKING: The Bank of England’s governor-designate, Andrew Bailey, says those holding bitcoin should “be prepared to lose all of your money” and “bitcoin has not caught on much”
ok, banker pic.twitter.com/eu4bolovWf
— Blockfolio (@blockfolio) January 4, 2020
A good case for bitcoin
It is economically uncertain times, and this is a perfect case for bitcoin. Bitcoin has existed since 2009, and developed during a period of economic prosperity with them. However, the cryptocurrency is precisely because of the failure of the policies of the european union.
Satoshi Nakamoto created bitcoin in 2008, and since then, all of the rules for the addition of new bitcoins at all. Unexpected changes are impossible for anyone to know exactly what is going on. This means that the bitcoin is transparent and accountable. This is the perfect time for bitcoin to prove itself.


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Building on its longstanding efforts to drive the adoption and usage of LANKAQR-based payments in the island, Sampath Bank delivered LANKAQR payment acceptance capabilities to one of the country’s leading diversified conglomerates, Damro Group.
Damro’s showrooms around the island will now begin acceptingcashless and contactless paymentsusing LANKAQR.Customers- Sampath Bank accountholders as well as people with accounts in other banks – can simply scan these unique QR codes appearing on the PoS screens and pay using LANKAQR-enabled payment solutions like Sampath WePay, without having to touch cash, cards, or payment terminals.
The partnership was unveiled at the launch of ‘LankaQR Janagathakaranaya’, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s (CBSL) LANKAQR nationwide rollout campaign aimedat popularizing LANKAQR payments among small and medium merchants and consumers, held at the CBSL premises recently.
This move is part of Sampath Bank’s ongoing efforts to support the Government and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s (CBSL) vision of creating a less cash society by accelerating the adoption of digital payments. Serving as an active partner in the CBSL’s Ratapurama LANKAQR initiative, Sampath Bank continues to drive adoption and usage of LANAKQR-based payments by engaging and educating its customers and merchant partners around the island on the safety and convenience offered by digital payment systems like LANKAQR.
“At Sampath Bank, we have always strived to leverage technology to deliver innovative solutions that offer greater value to all Sri Lankans. Our team’s in-depth knowledge of evolving customer needs as well as fin-tech expertise has helped us drive the digital transformation of the nation’s financial services landscape through our pathbreaking solutions like Sampath WePay,”said Nanda Fernando,Managing Director,Sampath Bank PLC. “As a longstanding partner of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s initiatives around promoting the acceptance and usage of LANKAQR, we are excited to extend LANKAQR payment acceptance to the Damro Group. We invite more merchants and consumers around the island to avail themselves of the safety and convenience of digital payments.”
Bringing QR code-based payments to merchants, this innovative solution reduces the cost of adopting digital payments, making them more accessible to merchants of all sizes. They will also be able to receive confirmation of sales and have the funds creditedto their bank accountsasSampath Bank’s systems would be linked with the merchant’s PoS systems. Furthermore, merchants will also be able to save on transaction fees too on the LANKAQR platform.


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Dick's Sporting Goods moving into Monroeville Mall
Findlay-based Dick's Sporting Goods will be locating inside the Monroeville Mall, moving into the last remaining floor left over from the former Boscov's store which closed a few years ago.
Officials for Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties Inc. announced the plan to move Dick's into Monroeville Mall at the grand opening celebration for the new 12-screen Cinemark theater that debuts at the mall Thursday.
Dick's (NYSE: DKS) has long operated a store at the Monroeville Mall annex, a strip center located behind the main mall property. Now, Dick's will become a major anchor within the mall itself on the floor beneath the new JC Penney store, which moved into the upper floor of the former Boscov's last year, with its former location now where the new cineplex will operate.
In 2012, Dick's made a similar move at South Hills Village, moving into a floor of a former Boscov's store below a new Target store.
Tom Gerber, general manager of the Monroeville Mall, said the move is expected to happen late next year.
He described it as the final project to revitalize the mall after it lost its key anchor.
"Our expectation is it’s going to be an update store and we certainly think it’s going to be a tremendous asset to the mall," he said of Dick's.
Tim Schooley covers retail, real estate, construction, hospitality, arts and entertainment, and government. Contact him at email@example.com or 412-208-3826.
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For the last two years I have been running global research at Universal McCann that tracks the usage of social media. The results of which have clearly demonstrated the massive growth in usage that is occurring across the world.
The most recent report interviewed 17,000 people in 29 countries and is called “When did we start trusting strangers.” It conclusively proves that as we thought, social media is now directly impacting the way we buy products and services. The publishing of billions of thoughts, opinions and experiences online in the form of blog posts, videos, ratings, reviews and photos is fundamentally changing the way everybody online sources opinions on products, brands and services when they buy something.
This has huge impacts on the way that advertisers and brands have to think about social media - moving involvement from a “nice to have” to an “essential to have.”
The clear trend that emerged was that consumers were sharing opinions in unprecedented numbers. Instant Messenger and email were the top online channels for informing people about products and services, with 44.5 %, 42% having done so in the last month. But more importantly, social channels where opinion spreads wider have become hugely significant, with over 29% having commented on a product or brand on a blog and 27% having posted an opinion on a social networking profile.
The level of commentary varied between product categories. At the top were the entertainment categories, with 60% having recommended a film and 52% music. But technology wasn’t far behind; 57% have recommended home technology, 54% portable technology and 54% a mobile phone service.
In fact, it has become so easy to influence that we can now consider everyone, well certainly everyone online, an influencer to some degree. Of course we’re not all equal, some people shared more influence than others, the prolific bloggers, photo sharers and the video uploaders – the sort of people who read Mashable, are at the forefront.
The result of this new revolution is that we look to and trust new sources for information and the research clearly shows we now trust the opinions of strangers we read online as much as our closest friends and certainly more than advertising. This demonstrates the fundamental importance of the social media revolution that we are living through now.
What do we say to our clients? Participation in social media is not a choice, it is now a default. This is a consumer revolution, they choose who takes part and they are already talking about and commenting on all brands. It is down to companies to decide whether to be actively or passively involved.
Secondly, transparency is essential. Consumers are constantly commenting on products and brands, so honesty and openness are vital. Companies should share their inner workings. Mistakes have to be admitted quickly and control has to be loosened to allow consumers to discuss, share and interact with your brand.
Most importantly, invest in product. The number 1 reason that consumers review a product is a good experience, or a friend having a good experience. In a market driven by consumer recommendation, good companies will shine out.
It’s also remembering that Brands have a major advantage over consumers. They have the resources and contacts to create exceptional online experiences, content and services all of which can establish their presence and reputation online. In fact, brands have some of the most interesting stories to share and have every right to share them. This content needs to be in social networks, blog and video sites, not hidden away in branded websites.
Tom Smith is Head of Consumer Futures at Universal McCann, a global media planning company. Tom’s role is to understand the impact of technology on consumer trends, in particular how it impacts advertising, marketing and media consumption.


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Belfry Shopping Centre is thrilled to announce a free-to-enter competition that offers participants the chance to win £250 in Belfry shopping vouchers! The competition is open to everyone who signs up for our newsletter between January 17th and January 31st.
Here’s how you can enter and stand a chance to treat yourself to a shopping spree:
1. Sign Up for the Newsletter
Stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter. Simply locate the newsletter sign-up section in our website footer and enter your details. By doing so, you’ll not only receive the latest news, event highlights, and store updates directly in your inbox but also automatically enter the competition for a chance to win £250 in Belfry shopping vouchers.
2. Await the Draw
The competition runs from January 17th to January 31st, so be sure to sign up during this time frame to qualify. The prize draw will take place on the evening of January 31st, and the lucky winner will be randomly selected.
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The grand prize winner of £250 in Belfry shopping vouchers will be notified promptly after the draw. Treat yourself to a luxurious shopping spree at your favourite stores within the Belfry Shopping Centre!
Sign up for the newsletter today for your chance to win!
The competition is open to individuals who sign up for the Belfry newsletter between January 17th and January 31st, 2024.
All participants automatically enter the random draw for a chance to win £250 in Belfry shopping vouchers.
The prize draw will take place on the evening of January 31st, and the winner will be notified shortly after that.
The winner’s name may be announced on the Belfry Shopping Centre’s website and social media channels.
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Dentsu today released the last and by far most pessimistic update of the major agency holding company forecasts, estimating U.S. and worldwide ad spending fell 7.5% and 8.8%, respectively, in 2020, though those ad economies are projected to bounce back beginning this year. In terms of media, cinema and out-of-home were not-so-surprisingly the hardest hit during a global pandemic that kept many people away from public gathering places, though they also are projected to begin bouncing back this year.
The number of advertising and marketing services providers certified as being diverse by the Association of National Advertisers has more than doubled to 212, according to an updated version of the ANA's "Certified Diverse Suppliers for Marketing and Advertising" report. The directory includes agencies and media, production, promotion, and research companies and was launched in July 2020 following an ANA report, "The Power of Supplier Diversity."
The major agency holding companies and/or management consultant parent companies made fewer and smaller acquisition deals in 2020 than they did in year's past, according to the just-released 2020 MarCom Agency Acquisitions report from Comvergence. While the total number of deals declined only 20% to 47 in 2020 from 51 in 2019, the drop in value and staff additions were considerably steeper, year-over-year.
Twenty years ago, with very few exceptions, four broadcast networks were the only places you could find new original scripted series programming - and basically only six or seven months out of the year. This started to change in the late 1990s with the debuts of HBO's "Oz," "The Sopranos," and "Sex in the City," then changed for good in 2002 with the premiere of FX's "The Shield." In this week's edition, I examine how that all changed again with Netflix's 2013 launch of "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black," and why the shift toward original streaming …
A new report released as part of its campaign to convince Australian regulators not to impose a new law giving news media negotiating rights with Google, provides a glimpse inside the overall impact the company has on national economies. The "2020 Economic Impact Report" shows Google's total impact on Australia's economy totaled $53 billion last year, including $39 billions to businesses (mostly from search ads) and $14 billion to consumers Down Under.
Following one of the worst recessions recorded by the U.S. marketing industry, advertising and marketing spending are projected to expand 10.2% this year to $374.2 billion, according to estimates released today by Winterberry Group. That nonetheless represents a 1.3% declined from 2019, the previous year of U.S. marketing budget expansion.
Consumer technology researcher Parks Associates released new data in conjunction with this week's CES conference showing a significant percentage of U.S. broadband households have been experiencing disruption issues due while weathering the COVID-19 pandemic at home.
The global infodemic -- ie. disinformation and "fake news" -- has driven trust in all news sources to record lows with social media (35%) and owned media (41%) the least trusted, while traditional media (53%) saw the largest overall drop, according to the latest edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer.
A study released in conjunction with this week's CES conference, indicates that the pandemic has had a material impact on the role consumer technology plays for many Americans. Forty-seven percent of 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed by Toluna on January 4th, said the pandemic has changed the way they use and view the role of technology in their lives.
Slightly more than half (52.7%) of all Americans do not subscribe to any email newsletters for news or entertainment content, according to findings of a nationally representative survey fielded by What If Media Group in late December. One reason might be newsletter revenue models. The study found that 84.1% of consumers are not willing to pay a subscription fee to access the type of content they like to read the most.


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Several high-profile websites -- including Kickstarter, Etsy, Reddit, Mozilla and Meetup -- will display spinning-wheel icons next Wednesday in an attempt to show visitors the Internet slow lanes they say will appear if the U.S. Federal Communication...
Twitter and Foursquare both said Thursday that some high-ranking executives would be stepping down, with the changes coming as both companies look to expand and try out new products.
Foursquare, one of the first apps to put location-sharing on the map, is rethinking its service and dividing it in two in an effort to stay relevant.
Facebook now has its own take on location sharing -- an optional feature that periodically broadcasts people's locations to their friends.
Facebook has unveiled its new video feature for Instagram, five months after Twitter launched a very similar video app called Vine. Can the rival services co-exist?
South by Southwest Interactive is best known as the technology festival that put such social networking mainstays as Twitter and Foursquare on the map. But if there was a "next big thing" at this year's event, finding it would be pretty hard.
Could anonymous chat be the next big thing? At this year's South by Southwest Interactive, the place that helped put Twitter and FourSquare on the map, a fledgling app for anonymous chatting is gaining some traction.
This year's South by Southwest Interactive will play host to tech trends in areas as diverse as gaming, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and social networking, but whether the next Twitter will emerge at the conference is harder to say.
Yahoo is bidding to strengthen its presence in the increasingly important mobile space with the acquisition of Alike, a location discovery app.
Russian search giant Yandex is temporarily suspending the development of its Wonder social discovery app just one week after Facebook blocked the app's access to its API data.
Foursquare has launched a new mobile app aimed at making it easier for the 1 million business owners using the service to connect and share news with customers.
Users of Microsoft's Bing search engine can now see a wider range of Facebook content from their friends appear alongside search results, part of an effort by Microsoft to make the site more social.
Foursquare wants its mobile geolocation-based application to increasingly require less and less manual use and instead work in the background as people move around, automatically pushing notifications, recommendations and reminders to them, the compa...
Hoping to spark some entrepreneurial creativity in the Big Apple, online tools provider Aviary has organized a New York City event for developers to hack together new photo-based applications.
While debate rages on over the value of nonrelational, or NoSQL, databases, two case studies presented at a New York conference this week point to the benefits of using...
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The Vitamin Shoppe makes a 'sweet' move
The Vitamin Shoppe has hired a former Godiva executive as their new Chief Executive Officer.
Sharon M. Leite will become Chief Executive Officer, effective Aug. 27, 2018, by the Vitamin Shoppe’s Board of Directors. She is said to also become a member of the Board of Directors.
"I want to thank the Board for this opportunity and look forward to working with the leadership team and all The Vitamin Shoppe Health Enthusiasts. I share their passion for health and wellness and for providing customers with the best shopping experience," said Sharon Leite.
The Vitamin Shoppe has been searching for a new Chief Executive Officer since February, when it announced that its former CEO Colin Watts would leave the company “by mutual agreement.” His departure followed the chain’s disappointing performance in 2017 when sales went down nearly 12%.
Prior to joining The Vitamin Shoppe, Leite was the President of Godiva Chocolatier in North America since Oct. 2017. She led the business across all channels, including stores, E-Commerce and Wholesale. Prior to that, Leite was the President of Sally Beauty, US and Canada, an international specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty products, with over 3,000 stores. Earlier in her career, she held various executive leadership roles at Bath and Body Works, as well as various sales and operations positions with other prominent retailers including Gap, Inc., The Walt Disney Company and Express.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are excited to have such a talented executive as our new CEO. Sharon's broad experience and impressive track record makes her an ideal choice to lead both our turnaround and future growth," said Alex Smith, Chairman of the Board.
The Vitamin Shoppe operates 775 stores located in 45 states including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.


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Stanford University researchers devised a “Foundation Model Transparency Index” that ranks 10 major AI firms.
The best score—54 percent—was given to Llama 2, the AI model launched by Facebook and Instagram owner Meta in July.
Google’s PaLM 2 is fifth at 40 percent, just above Claude 2 of Amazon-backed firm Anthropic at 36 percent.
Rishi Bommasani, a researcher at Stanford’s Center for Research on Foundation Models, said companies should strive for a score of between 80 and 100 percent.
The researchers said “less transparency makes it harder” for “policymakers to design meaningful policies to rein in this powerful technology.”
It also makes it harder for other business to know if they can rely on the technology for their own applications, for academics to do research and for consumers to understand the models’ limitations, they said.
“If you don’t have transparency, regulators can’t even pose the right questions, let alone take action in these areas,” Bommasani said.
The emergence of AI has generated both excitement about its technological promise and concerns about its potential impact on society.
The Stanford study said no company provides information about how many users depend on their model or on the geographic locations where they are used.
Most AI companies do not disclose how much copyrighted material is used in their models, the researchers said.
“For many policymakers in the EU as well as in the US, the UK, China, Canada, the G7, and a wide range of other governments, transparency is a major policy priority,” Bommasani said.
The EU is leading the charge on regulating AI, and aims to green light what would be the world’s first law covering the technology by the end of the year.
The Group of Seven called for action on AI during a summit in Japan earlier this year and Britain is hosting an international summit on the issue in November.
© 2023 AFP
AI models lack transparency: Research (2023, October 19)
retrieved 20 October 2023
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part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.


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Gold Rate Today: Gold prices slip amid rally in equities
A fall in demand by local jewellers at the spot market, weak global sentiment and dollar's rise against its global peers weighed on domestic prices.
A fall in demand by local jewellers at the spot market, weak global sentiment and dollar's rise against its global peers further weighed on domestic prices.
Gold Rates - Spot & Futures (.995 purity) (MCX)
|Date||Gold Spot Price |
Rs/10 grms (Ahmedabad)
|Gold Future Price |
Rs/10 grms Expiry: 05-Jun-2019
As per Reuters, gold prices slipped for a fourth straight session in global markets as recent upbeat economic data and signs that Washington and Beijing were making headway in a nearly year-long trade tariff skirmish boosted risk sentiment.
Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, on Monday dropped to 754.03 tonnes, their lowest since November 9, 2018.
Silver prices also declined amid fall in demand by industrial units and coin makers.
The MCX Gold was trading at Rs 31,783 per 10 grams, down by Rs 73, while MCX Silver was trading Rs 63 lower at Rs 37,210 a kilo around 10:25 am.


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Luxury’s recovery is getting stronger for the larger conglomerates. Both LVMH and Gucci-owner Kering posted accelerating second-quarter sales performances from Asia-Pacific and North America, as well as signalled Europe is on a gradual rebound despite store closures.
Kering’s performance in the second quarter beat expectations, though not at the same magnitude as LVMH, with an 11 per cent revenue increase versus the second quarter of 2019, and a 95 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2020, to €4.2 billion. “All our houses contributed to a sharp rebound in total revenue, which comfortably exceeded its 2019 level, with a remarkable acceleration in the second quarter,” Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault stated. Sales at its biggest brand Gucci rose 4 per cent, Saint Laurent rose 15 per cent, Bottega Veneta 30 per cent and the other houses category (including Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen) climbed 20 per cent.
LVMH also said its fashion and leather goods unit climbed ahead of pre-pandemic levels in its second-quarter earnings, up 40 per cent compared to the second quarter of 2019, driven by its two powerhouse brands Dior and Louis Vuitton as well as Celine, Loewe, Fendi and Marc Jacobs. Watches and jewellery division rose 9 per cent in Q2 versus 2019 (excluding Tiffany), an acceleration on Q1’s 1 per cent uptick. The group’s total revenue for the first half climbed 14 percent to €28.7 billion versus 2019 and 56 per cent compared to the same period in 2020.
The US and China drove the bulk of spending growth for both houses, but Europe is looking promising after a prolonged pandemic downturn. For LVMH, Northern Europe countries showed strong local sales growth as more tourist-reliant countries including France, Spain and Italy lagged. For both companies, local clients are playing a critical role in driving Europe’s gradual rebound. Gucci noted double-digit growth among local clientele compared to 2019 both online and off, according to Kering group managing director Jean Francois Palus.
“Overall, Kering is reporting a more moderate rebound than what we have seen at LVMH fashion and leather goods division,” says Bernstein analyst Luca Solca, who notes that LVMH reported its strongest first-half ever on Monday. “But this was in a way known when one looks at traffic and social media traction analyses. The update is probably a touch short of buyside expectations as the growth gap between Gucci and LVMH fashion and leather goods widens.” Solca adds that new Gucci collections hitting the market combined with the release of the House of Gucci film could give the brand a boost in the second half of the year.