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India’s travel and hospitality sector, one of the hardest hit by the Covid-19 restrictions, is still looking for that helping hand to help it out of the quagmire it has slipped into since the pandemic. Will the Union Budget on February 1 have the antidote to misery?
The sector, ranging from travel agents to hotels and restaurants to airlines and transport services, has borne the brunt of the lockdown and the ongoing fear of multiple waves of Covid. Despite job losses running into the hundreds of crores and several small businesses going bankrupt, the government’s multiple tranches of relief measures have left the sector almost completely out in the cold – barring a lifeline of easy loans through the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS ).
“India’s travel and tourism industry has shown great resilience and recovered from the brunt of the pandemic. At this crucial juncture, the industry needs support from the government to ensure it continues to be one of the largest employers in the country,” said Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and CEO, MakeMyTrip.
One of the industry’s long-standing demands is to be treated as an infrastructure industry sector, something stakeholders feel should be done at least now, given that the government has not done much to help it through the tough times of the pandemic.
“Infrastructure status for the hospitality sector has been a long-standing demand and continues to be so. Given the pain the hospitality industry has gone through in the last few months due to Covid, there is no better time for this implementation,” said Tejus Jose, General Manager of Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golflinks in Bengaluru.
MakeMyTrip’s Magow explained, “Accommodating this long-awaited request will help ease access to institutional credit; will enhance the competitiveness of India’s tourism sector in the international arena and create a long-term path for sustainable growth of the sector.”
“We are particularly looking for proposals that speak specifically to the short-term and long-term revival of the Indian travel industry,” said Prahlad Krishnamurthy, Chief Business Officer, Cleartrip.
Tax rationalization is another pain point that the sector hopes will resonate with the finance minister. This ranges from differences in taxes between India-based travel companies and start-ups, as well as a higher GST rate for bookings through an online platform. Specifically, hotels want GST rationalization on room bookings.
Another demand is that the foreign exchange received through foreign tourists should be treated as export earnings.
With the dark days of the pandemic seemingly behind and domestic travel on the rise, the travel and hospitality sector believes the next one to two years will be critical in how Indian tourism evolves – with international tourist arrivals just beginning. Then the right measures in this year’s Union Budget would make all the difference.
In this context, this “question” from the leading organization of tourism and hospitality in the country does not sound too high. “A National Committee on Tourism, empowered as GST, headed by the Prime Minister and comprising all CMs (with powers) should be set up with all incentives and concrete time-bound action plans for tourism,” said Ashish Gupta, Chief Advisory Officer , Federation of Indian Tourism and Hospitality Associations (FAITH).
“If you take pure tourism (exclude NRI visits), India has less than 1% of the global tourism market. India has the potential to attract more than 5 percent of the global market — geography, culture, arts, etc. They need to be further defined to give us that global edge,” he added.


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Ellyn Levine, the ELC president, and LA Assistant Director, Vanessa, sold baked goods to raise money for ELC’s Haiti Relief Fundraiser.
ELC Los Angeles decided to have a bake sale on Friday to raise money for the International Rescue Committee and their efforts in Haiti. Students, teachers and staff baked food to sell, including cupcakes, brownies, cookies, scones, lime bars and pies. The cafe downstairs, Cravings, kindly donated coffee to go with the food and some of our Swiss students brought in Swiss chocolate to sell (they told other students it was the best chocolate in the world although we think our Belgian students disagree). Our bake-sale stall proved very popular with students, especially during break time, and we raised $179. In total, ELC Los Angeles has raised $265. All the food was delicious and we have to say a big thank you to everyone at the school for participating, by baking or buying or both!

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Dickey’s Barbecue Pit’s new location in Pennsylvania will hold its grand opening on Thursday, July 21 with a promotion to win free barbecue for a year and one dollar sandwiches all day.
Famous for its slow-smoked signature meats and home-style sides, the Texas-based chain will celebrate from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. while patrons enjoy dollar barbecue sandwiches all day.
“Our neighbors here in Wescosville love great, hickory-smoked barbecue and judging from our success so far, they love Dickey’s,” said Tony Trinchere, the owner/operator. “This past month has been truly rewarding—hard work finally culminating into positive results. The grand opening will be a great opportunity to celebrate the community and officially mark the beginning for this Dickey’s location.”
Based on previous openings of the franchise in other areas, the event is projected to draw a large crowd of people participating in the festivities at 1042 Mill Creek Road in Wescosville, the site of the new Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Restaurant.
Barbecue sandwiches will be $1 all day.
Dickey’s is growing at a rapid pace with 156 locations open in 38 states to date.
The first Dickey’s Barbecue opened in 1941 in Dallas, TX.
The original location is still open for business and Dickey’s Barbecue is still owned and operated by the Dickey Family.
Dickey’s only began franchising in 1994.
Even today, Dickey’s still slow smokes all of their signature meats overnight in every restaurant.
More information on Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is available at www.dickeys.com.
Franchising information is available at 866-340-6188.


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If you've ever uploaded a photo to a Facebook status update from your desktop, you're well aware of the number of steps it takes to do so.
You'll also be glad to know that the social network has eliminated those steps and replaced them with simple drag-and-drop technology.
You can grab a photo on your desktop, drag it to the photo icon below the status update box, and watch your image upload to the site without fuss or muss. Better yet, you can drag and drop multiple photos to a post without going through the rigmarole of creating an album.
Prior to the drag-and-drop change, it could take up to six steps to upload a photo to Facebook from the desktop.
Desktop members' convenience
Many of Facebook's photo initiatives in recent times have been aimed at mobile users, which it sees as an important growth area, as the purchase of photo sharing service Instagram for $1 billion illustrates.
However, only 14 percent of Facebook's ad revenues came from mobile users during the quarter that ended Sept. 30, and a little more than100 million of its billion members are mobile-only users.
That means lots of people are still accessing the social network through desktops, so keeping them happy probably makes good sense.
After all, happy members are "sticky" members, and sticky members are good for advertising. As Ingrid Lunden, writing for TechCrunch, noted, making photos easier to upload is an important part of increasing engagement and time spent on Facebook.
"And engagement and time spent on the site, of course, are crucial metrics for the ad-funded service," Lunden added.
Privacy review reminders
Facebook has also begun reminding its members to review their privacy settings. When users visit their Facebook status page, they're seeing this message:
"As the year comes to an end and we continue to improve tools like search, we’d like to remind you to review who can see your stuff—including photos you’re tagged in and things you’ve hidden from your timeline. To help you get started, we've added a new Privacy Shortcuts tool to every page."
The message included a help bubble that points to the new Privacy Shortcuts icon on the Facebook title bar.
This story, "Facebook adds photo drag-and-drop to desktop app" was originally published by TechHive.


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Deloitte has released its 2010 Survey of Healthcare Consumers. The survey, conducted with about 4,000 adults, reveals long-standing beliefs about the U.S. health care system, and what drives behaviors, attitudes and expectations of its consumers. The theme of consumerism in healthcare is complex: it embraces how people use their time and money, how they approach their wellness and health issues, and how they choose providers. The findings are interesting and important to marketers as we make decisions about how and what to market to these consumers and strive to better understand the mindset, biases, attitudes of our audience.
You can see the entire survey here, but a few of the highlights include: 76% of consumers grade the system as “C” or below; less than a quarter of consumers believes they understand how the health care system works; and one in five consumers rates their interest in accessing their health records by secure Internet connection as high, would switch physicians to obtain access and would be very likely to use a mobile communication device to maintain them.


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With General Motors dropping a teaser image of the new car, speculation abounds as to what exactly will power the next-generation Z06
The Z06 will be returning to the Corvette lineup as of the Detroit Auto Show in January. It was previously speculated the up-tuned sportscar would get a new Z07 moniker. But, with an official press release to the contrary from General Motors, the focus has changed to speculation on what will power the new model.
What we do know is the next-generation Z06 will wear some rather sticky rubber – Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires – wrapped around some significantly trimmed down wheels. The performance model will also see some increased carbon fibre usage for trim details such as side skirts and fender flares.
Under the hood, it’s all guesses at this point. The current Z06 uses a 7.0L V8 (LS7) that also powers the 2014 Camaro Z/28. This engine, in all likelihood, should continue in the new Z06.
A supercharged 6.2L V8 engine has been spied in the past and might see use in the Z06. Though, more likely, the force-fed mill will be used for the next ZR1 or equivalent model.
Another option being speculated is a twin-turbo 4.5L engine, conceivably giving the Z06 a significantly lower curb weight than the base Stingray and better fuel economy and torque than the current Z06. GM’s Mark Reuss has also hinted at wanting a hybrid Corvette in the future, though to introduce that on the C7 Z06 doesn’t seem plausible.
The next Corvette in the lineup – the Stingray Convertible – is set to go on sale this month.


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Microsoft's online Xbox services were severely plagued by connection problems over the holidays and to make up for all the inconveniences Microsoft announced it will give all Xbox Live members the opportunity to download one Xbox Live game for free:
Xbox Live General Manager Mark Whitten said the problems stemmed from a "massive increase" in new users of the service over the holiday season, when sales of video game hardware and software surge.
"While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance," Whitten said in a statement.
Whitten said all Xbox Live members around the world would be able to freely download one game over the service. Games sold on Xbox Live typically cost from $5 to $20, and Whitten said Microsoft would give details of the offer in the coming weeks.


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The economic climate remains uncertain and, as we enter 2017, we look towards a new President in the USA, challenging negotiations in the EU and continuing troubles for High Street stores. One such example is Next, a High Street retailer that has recently seen a significant fall in share price.
Prices of clothing and footwear increased in December for the first time in two years, according to the British Retail Consortium, and Next is just one company that will suffer from these pressures. This retail chain is well established, with over 500 stores in the UK and Eire. It has embraced the internet, launching its online shopping in 1999 and it trades with customers in over 70 countries. However, despite all of the positive actions, Next has seen its share price fall by nearly 12% and is forecasting profits in 2017 to be hit, with a lack of growth in earnings reducing consumer spending and thus hitting sales.
The sales trends for Next are reminiscent of many other stores, with in-store sales falling and online sales rising. In the days leading up to Christmas, in-store sales fell by 3.5%, while online sales increased by over 5%. However, this is not the only trend that this latest data suggests. It also indicates that consumer spending on clothing and footwear is falling, with consumers instead spending more money on technology and other forms of entertainment. Kirsty McGregor from Drapers magazine said:
“I think what we’re seeing there is an underlying move away from spending so much money on clothing and footwear. People seem to be spending more money on going out and on technology, things like that.”
Furthermore, with price inflation expected to rise in 2017, and possibly above wage inflation, spending power is likely to be hit and it is spending on those more luxury items that will be cut. With Next’s share price falling, the retail sector overall was also hit, with other companies seeing their share prices fall as well, although some, such as B&M, bucked the trend. However, the problems facing Next are similar to those facing other stores.
But for Next there is more bad news. It appears that the retail chain has simply been underperforming for some time. We have seen other stores facing similar issues, such as BHS and Marks & Spencer. Neil Wilson from ETX Capital said:
“The simple problem is that Next is underperforming the market … UK retail sales have held up in the months following the Brexit vote but Next has suffered. It’s been suffering for a while and needs a turnaround plan … The brand is struggling for relevancy, and risks going the way of Marks & Spencer on the clothing front, appealing to an ever-narrower customer base.”
Brand identity and targeting customers are becoming ever more important in a highly competitive High Street that is facing growing competition from online traders. Next is not the first company to suffer from this and will certainly not be the last as we enter what many see as one of the most economically uncertain years since the financial crisis.
Next’s gloomy 2017 forecast drags down fashion retail shares The Guardian, Sarah Butler and Julia Kollewe (4/1/17)
Next shares plummet after ‘difficult’ Christmas trading The Telegraph, Sam Dean (4/1/17)
Next warns 2017 profits could fall up to 14% as costs grow Sky News, James Sillars (4/1/17)
Next warns on outlook as sales fall BBC News (4/1/17)
Next chills clothing sector with cut to profit forecast Reuters, James Davey (4/1/17)
Next shares drop after warning of difficult winter Financial Times, Mark Vandevelde (22/10/15)
- With Next’s warning of a difficult winter, its share price fell. Using a diagram, explain why this happened.
- Why have shares in other retail companies also been affected following Next’s report on its profit forecast for 2017?
- Which factors have adversely affected Next’s performance over the past year? Are they the same as the factors that have affected Marks & Spencer?
- Next has seen a fall in profits. What is likely to have caused this?
- How competitive is the UK High Street? What type of market structure would you say that it fits into?
- With rising inflation expected, what will this mean for consumer spending? How might this affect economic growth?
- One of the factors affecting Next is higher import prices. Why have import prices increased and what will this mean for consumer spending and sales?
The Chinese economy was, for some time, the beacon of the world economy, posting strong growth and giving a much needed boost to demand in other countries. However, the weakening Chinese economy is now causing serious concerns around the world and not least in China itself.
China’s stock market on Monday 11th January closed down 5.3%, with the Hong Kong Index down by 2.8%. These falls suggest a continuing downward trajectory this week, following the 10% decline on Chinese markets last week. Today, further falls were caused, at least in part, by uncertainty over the direction of the Chinese currency, the yuan. Volatility in the currency is expected to continue with ongoing depreciation pressures and adding to this is continuing concerns about deflation.
The barrage of bad news on key economic indicators may well mean significant intervention by Chinese authorities to try to avoid its slowest growth in 25 years. However, there are also concerns about China’s ability to manage its economic policy, given recent events. IG’s Angus Nicholson said:
“Global markets are still in the grips of China fears, and it is uncertain whether the Chinese government can do enough to reassure global investors.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Paul Mackel, head of emerging markets FX research at HSBC:
“Different signals about foreign exchange policy have wrong-footed market participants and we are wary in believing that an immediate calmness will soon emerge.”
Perhaps key to turning this downward trend on its head, will be the Chinese consumers. With a traditionally larger saving ratio than many Western economies, it may be that this ‘cushion’ will give growth a boost, through the contribution of consumer spending. As we know, aggregate demand comprises consumption, investment, government spending and net exports (AD = C + I + G + X – M). Consumer spending (C) increased from 50.2% in 2014 to 58.4% in 2015, according to HIS Global Insight. A similar increase for 2016 would certainly be welcome.
As oil prices continue to fall and concerns remain over China’s weak economic data, we may well soon begin to see just how interdependent the world has become. Many economists suggest that we are now closer to the start of the next recession than we are to the end of the last one and this latest turmoil on Chinese stock markets may do little to allay the fears that the world economy may once again be heading for a crash. The following articles consider the Chinese turmoil.
Free lunch: China’s weakest link Financial Times, Martin Sandbu (11/01/16)
China’s stocks start the week with sharp losses BBC News (11/01/16)
China shares fall 5% to hit-three-month low The Guardian (11/01/16)
China’s resilient shoppers face fresh test from market headwinds Bloomberg (11/01/16)
China shares head lower again on price data Sky News (11/01/16)
U.S., European shares slip as China, oil woes continue Reuters, Lewis Krauskopf (11/01/16)
U.S. stocks drop as oil tumbles again Wall Street Journal (11/01/16)
China escalates emergency stock market intervention The Telegraph, Mehreen Kahn (05/01/16)
- How are prices and values determined on the stock market?
- Share prices in China have been falling significantly since the start of 2016. Has it been caused by demand or supply-side factors? Use a demand and supply diagram to illustrate this.
- Why has the volatility of the Chinese currency added further downward pressure to Chinese stock markets?
- With the expected increase in consumer spending in China, how will this affect AD? Use a diagram to explain your answer and using this, outline what we might expect to happen to economic growth and unemployment in China.
- Why are there serious concerns about the weak level of inflation in China? Surely low prices are good for exports.
- Should the world economy be concerned if China’s economy does continue to slow?
- To what extent are oil prices an important factor in determining the future trajectory of the world economy?
Valued by private investors at more than $10 billion, the future listing on the stock market of Twitter, is an eagerly anticipated event. The necessary forms have been submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ahead of the initial public offering (IPO). Twitter will be looking to avoid the mistakes made by Facebook when they were first listed in May last year. Twitter has also announced its intentions to purchase MoPub, which is a firm specialising in mobile advert exchanges.
So, what will this listing mean for Twitter? The public will now be able to purchase shares in Twitter, in much the same way as you can buy shares in RBS or Facebook. The financial performance of Twitter will come under much greater scrutiny from its shareholders, who will be interested in short term returns and long term stability. Becoming a public limited company will attract investors and is likely to provide a much larger scope for expansion for Twitter. However, as yet no details have been released on a likely date for the flotation or on the prices we can expect.
One thing Twitter will be trying to avoid is a repeat of the problems that beset Facebook and indeed of the problems that other public listings have created for giants such as Google, Zynga and Groupon. When Facebook moved to public ownership, its share prices initially fell below its IPO and subsequently Facebook lost more than half its value. More recent success in mobile advertising has restored the fortunes of this company, but Goldman Sachs, which is handling Twitter’s transition will be looking to avoid a similar occurrence. As Sam Hamadeh from PrivCo (a firm that gathers data on private companies) said:
Twitter will learn from Facebook’s flawed playbook and do the opposite … Unlike Facebook, which waited too long to IPO (until its growth rate decelerated), Twitter will IPO at just the right inflection point: while revenue grows in triple digits.
Twitter is a rapidly growing business, but still has significant scope for expansion and this move to public ownership may be just the thing. Setting the right IPO and the right date will be crucial, as a multitude of factors can and do affect the price of shares listed on the stock market. Twitter will also need to ‘focus on doing the right stuff’ to make a success of the listing and its purchase of Mopub looks to be a step in the right direction. For now, all we can do is speculate, but if the launch is successful, then the founders of Twitter are likely to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars each.
Twitte files for IPO The Telegraph, Sophie Curtis (13/9/13)
Twitter plans stock market listing (see also) BBC News (13/9/13)
Twitter files for IPO, hopes to avoid Facebook’s mistakes Independent, Nikhil Humar and James Vincent (12/9/13)
Facebook shares close 11% below flotation price BBC News (21/5/12)
Twitter fails to answer key IPO questions Financial Times, Richard Waters and April Dembosky (13/9/13)
Twitter IPO: how much is it worth? The Guardian, Juliette Garside (13/9/13)
Twitter IPO: Tech float successes and disasters The Telegraph, Gabrielle Putter and Szu Ping Chan (13/9/13
Twitter to see ‘strong demand’ for share sale BBC News (13/9/13)
Twitter IPO: Firm in stock market launch bid Sky News (13/9/13)
- What are the characteristics of a public limited company? Are there advantages and disadvantages?
- Which factors affect (a) the supply of shares and (b) the demand for shares?
- What mistakes were made by Facebook when it made the transition to public ownership?
- How does advertising generate revenue for Twitter?
- How might you go about valuing Twitter or Facebook?
- Companies such as Twitter and Facebook have hundreds of millions of subscribers. Are there network externalities of this?
- Twitter is purchasing MoPub. What type of takeover would you classify this as?
Over the past few years, the term ‘bail-out’ has been a common phrase. But, what about the term ‘bail-in’? The latest bank to face financial ruin is the Co-operative Bank, but instead of turning to the tax-payer for a rescue, £1.5 billion will come from bond holders being offered shares in the bank. This will mean that the bank will become listed on the stock market.
Back in 2009, the Co-operative Bank bought Britannia Building Society and it seems that this was the start of its downfall. It took over many bad mortgage loans and loans to companies, and these played a large part in its current financial difficulties.
In order to rescue the bank and raise the capital needed to absorb current and future losses, without turning to the tax-payer, bond-holders of £1.3 billion of loans to the bank will be asked to swap them for shares and bonds, thus leading to significant losses for them. These bond-holders include 7000 private investors.
Since the financial crisis five years ago, the conventional banking model has seen much criticism and many suggested that the mutual structure of the Co-operative provided a better model, creating trust, due to its many stakeholders, who are not as focused on profitability and returns as those shareholders of a listed bank. However, the problems of the Co-operative seem to have put paid to that idea. The bail-in will mean that the bank is now listed on the stock market and thus will have shareholders expecting returns and profitability. This will undoubtedly change the focus of the bank. Euan Sutherland, the new Chief Executive said:
We are very clear that the bank will remain true to responsible and community-based banking and retain its ethical investment stance … Clearly there are lessons to learn and clearly there will be a time to look back and do that but, to be honest, in the last six weeks, where I have been involved with the Co-operative group, we have focused on driving a very solid future for this bank.
The good news is that the savings of those in the Co-operative are safe and taxpayers will not have to fork out any more money.
Yet, the co-operative structure of the bank has long been praised by customers and government alike. But is it perhaps this structure, which has led to its collapse? Furthermore, will the change in structure that will see it listed on the stock market, lead to a change in its approach to banking? The following articles consider the latest bank to run into difficulties.
Co-op Bank unveils rescue plan to tackle the £1.5bn hole BBC News (17/6/13)
Co-op Bank travails show weakness of mutual model Financial Times, Sarah Gordon (21/6/13)
Co-operative Bank to list on stock market in rescue deal The Guardian, Jill Treanor (17/6/13)
Troubled Co-operative Bank unveils rescue plan to plug £1.5bn hole in balance sheet Independent, Nick Goodway (17/6/13)
Co-op Bank announces plan to plug £1.5bn hole Which? (17/6/13)
The Co-operative Bank and the challenge of finding co-op capital The Guardian, Andrew Bibby (13/6/13)
Co-op Bank seeks to fill £1.5bn capital hole Sky News (17/6/13)
Does Co-op Group deserve to keep control of Co-op Bank? BBC News, Robert Peston (9/7/13)
- Why did the Co-operative Bank move into financial trouble?
- What are the key characteristics of a Mutual? Are they disadvantages or advantages?
- What is a ‘bail-in’? Who will gain and who will lose?
- The Co-operative Bank will now be listed on the stock market. What does this mean?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of floating a company on the stock market?
- Why are all banks required to hold capital to absorb losses?
The technology sector is highly complex and is led by Apple. However, as the tablet market is continuing to grow, it is becoming increasingly competitive with other firms such as Samsung gaining market share. Although both firms sell many products, it is the growing tablet market which is one of the keys to their continued growth.
Tablet PCs have seen a growth in the final quarter of 2012 to a high of 52.5 million units, according to IDC. Although Apple, leading the market, has seen a growth in its sales, its market share has declined to 43.6%. Over the same period, Samsung has increased its market share from 7.3% to 15.1%. While it is still a huge margin behind Apple in the tablet PC market, Samsung’s increase in sales from 2.2 million to 7.9 million is impressive and if such a trend were to continue, it would certainly cause Apple to take note.
It’s not just these two firms trying to take advantage of this growing industry. Microsoft has recently launched a new tablet PC and although its reception was less than spectacular, it is expected that Microsoft will become a key competitor in the long run. There are many factors driving the growth in this market and the war over market share is surely only just beginning. The chart shows the 75.3% growth in sales in just one year. (Click here for a PowerPoint of the chart.)
A Research Director at IDC said:
We expected a very strong fourth quarter, and the market didn’t disappoint…New product launches from the category’s top vendors, as well as new entrant Microsoft, led to a surge in consumer interest and very robust shipments totals during the holiday season’
Apple has been so dominant in this sector that other companies until recently have had little success in gaining market share. However, with companies such as Samsung and ASUS now making in-roads, competition is likely to become fierce. There are already concerns that Apple’s best days are behind it and its share price reflects this. People are now less willing to pay a premium price for an Apple product, as the innovations of its competitors have now caught up with those of the leading brand name. The following articles consider this growing market.
Samsung gain tablet market share as Apple lead narrows BBC News (1/2/13)
Apple snatches US lead from Samsung Financial Times, Tim Bradshaw (1/2/13)
Apple revenues miss expectations despite high sales figures BBC News (24/1/13)
Samsung eats into Apple sales in the tablet market Mirror, Ruki Sayid (1/2/13)
MacWorld’s Apple celebration opens amid fears of tech giant’s decline Guardian, Rory Carroll (31/1/13)
Samsung’s tablet sales soar as Apple’s grip on market loosens Daily News and Analysis, Richard Blagden (2/2/13)
Samsung takes a nibble out of Apple’s tablet lead InfoWorld, Ted Samson(31/1/13)
Tablet Sales up 75% as Samsung and Asus Gain on Apple Interational Business Times, Edward Smith (31/1/13)
- Which factors are behind this exceptional growth in the tablet PC market?
- Using the Boston matrix, where do you think tablet PCs fit in terms of market size and market growth?
- Where would you place this market in terms of the product life cycle?
- What does the product life cycle say about the degree of competition, the impact on pricing on profits etc. in the phase that you placed the tablet PC market in your answer to question 3?
- Why have Apple’s shares fallen recently? Do you think this will be the new trend?
- Microsoft’s new tablet didn’t attract huge sales. What explanation was given for this? Use a diagram to help answer this question.
- Tablet PCs are relatively expensive, yet sales of them have increased significantly over the past few years. What explanation is there for this, given that we have been (and still are) in tough financial times?


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RuneScape Behind the Scenes: May 2016 Preview
RuneScape goes behind the scenes to look at the upcoming Mega May updates, including the new Kindred Spirits quest.
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Finally, your mother can tell you that she had a good reason for her strictly-enforced “no shoes in the house” rule, and it wasn’t just for the unsightly residue left behind.
Scientists have recently confirmed what most Asian countries and mothers everywhere have known for a long time: wearing your shoes around the house is not only dirty, but unhygienic and even dangerous.
The Bacteria You Just Can’t Kill
Professor M. Jahangir Alam and a team of researchers at the University of Houston conducted a study investigating the contamination prevalence of “clostridium difficile”, or “C.diff”, in household environments. This is a particularly nasty type of bacteria resistant to most household cleaning products. In short, the results were not encouraging.
The researchers found that about 40% of the shoes studied were carrying C.diff bacterium, and that this contamination spread with great frequency to other household areas such as kitchen tops, toilets, and of course, floors.
Most concerning about C.diff is not only it’s resistance to cleaning, but also it’s resistance to most antibiotics. The bacteria proliferate quickly, making recovery from infection very difficult. The intestinal lining in particular is attacked, resulting in colitis.
A follow-up study might consider investigating a possible reduction of C.diff infestation after shoes are consistently removed at the door; for now, why not play it safe and keep that bacteria as far from the home as possible?
The World Beneath Your Shoes
The University of Houston study wasn’t the first research to show the potential danger of wearing shoes inside. In 2008, scientists at the University of Arizona ran a study probing the harrowing depths of people’s shoes.
Inspired by the sorts of filth bred by the dust, bird droppings, dog poop and other unwanted material that cling to the soles of your shoes, these researchers discovered 421,000 unique units of bacteria in total, which can be classified into 9 different strains. These bacteria are the source of diverse variety of infections in the eye, lungs, and stomach.
E.coli is probably the most well-known – even notorious – of bacteria discovered. Making up about a third of all bacteria, most E.coli is actually harmless. The other’s, though, really pack a punch. Bad E.coli often causes severe stomach and intestinal complications that lead to diarrhea and vomiting.
Another type of dangerous bacteria they found was Klebsiella pneumoniae, which is known to cause massive damage to the lungs and lead to pneumonia. The death rate from these bacteria is nearly 50%, reaching nearly 100% for people who are suffering from alcoholism.
You might wonder, what are the chances of actually contracting E.coli or Klebsiella from the bottoms of your shoes? The same researchers from the University of Arizona tested to see if the bacteria on floors would transfer to the tile and carpet floors of the house; more than 90% of the time, it did.
Further, the scientists found their results suggested the bottoms of shoes were “dirtier than a toilet seat,” according to Jonathon Sexton, a research assistant of U of A’s College of Public Health.
There you have it, folks: when you where your shoes inside, you might as well be dragging around your toilet seat. Or worse.
Think About the Children
The University of Arizona researchers took care to stress their concern for infants and toddlers, who are most exposed to the threat posed by shoes. Children under 2 live most of their lives on the floor, and they put their hands in their mouths an average of 80 times an hour.
“That means that your child can possibly be exposed to every single bacteria that you picked up on your shoe […] all the bacteria from the park, the store, everywhere you went that day,” Sexton said.
Taking off your shoes inside is even more important when the most vulnerable among us – the children – are bound to be effected.
Minimizing the Risk
The easiest and most effective way to ensure that you don’t track germs into your home is, of course, to leave your shoes at the door or carry them to a closet. Many people have made use of a tray or bin by the door as an encouraging reminder to lose the shoes. To be safe, you should then wash your hands after handling footwear.
For guests who refuse to remove the shoes, another option might those over-the-shoe disposable covers that you see in hospitals and hazardous environments. An effective solution, to be sure, but perhaps not the best way to ensure your guests’ comfort.
The benefits to a shoe-free home are numerous, and the science behind them is convincing. The bacteria your footwear may carry and the dangers that come along with them are real and they are serious. Whether you opt for preventive measures or do damage-control after a contamination, the message is clear: shoes are gross. Do something about them.


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Jefferson County is now offering a visitor friendly tourism map for businesses.
Keywords: Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, Jefferson County, Tourism Map
Google Glass recently went on sale to the public for the first time on Tuesday. Would you like to own one?
call: (319) 653-2113


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Apple Pay can help you enjoy national parks in the United States. Apple shared a blog post saying how the company will donate money to the National Park Foundation.
From August 24 to August 31, Apple will donate US$1 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made with Apple Pay at any Apple Store, on Apple.com or through the Apple Store app in the U.S.
America’s national parks are treasures everyone should experience, and we’re proud to support them again this month by donating a dollar for every purchase made with Apple Pay at one of our stores. These awe-inspiring places are our national inheritance, and Apple is doing our part to pass them on to future generations — just as extraordinary, beautiful and wild as we found them.
Proceeds will support the National Park Foundation’s mission to protect national parks through projects like habitat restoration and historic preservation and engage the next generation of park stewards through programs like Open OutDoors for Kids.


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Oct 24, 2015 · Nokia's ill-fated N-Gage was, and still is, a weird little gadget to behold. An awkward halfway house between mobile phone and handheld gaming .
DOWNLOAD now N-gage games for nokia 5630d
DOWNLOAD N-gage games for nokia 5630d
Apr 22, 2004 · Nokia unveils new $99 N-Gage N-Gage QD drops MP3, triband phone support in favor of a cheaper, more usable device. By Curt Feldman and Jeff Gerstmann on April 22, 2004 at 5:18PM PDT.
Nokia 5630 XpressMusic smartphone; Nokia Battery (BL-4CT); Nokia tricks like this – for instance, NGage games start up considerably faster.


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(Bloomberg) -- Henkel AG has the right to buy back its Russian operations in the next 10 years if conditions fundamentally change, Chief Executive Officer Carsten Knobel said in an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper.
The German company would only act on that option if the relationship with Russia improved significantly, Knobel said. A mere end to the war in Ukraine or a ceasefire would not be enough.
The provision was part of Henkel’s agreement, signed in April, to sell its business activities in Russia for about €600 million ($643 million) to a consortium of local financial investors including Augment Investments, Kismet Capital Group and Elbrus Services, Knobel said.
Elsewhere, Henkel is looking for acquisitions to beef up both its consumer brands division, which sells shampoos and laundry detergents, and its unit that markets various types of glue, Knobel added.
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


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Top 10 COVID-19 resources
Top 10 COVID-19 resources
May 4th, 2020
The team at Startup Canada—like many organizations—has been working to bring together useful resources for entrepreneurs in this difficult time. Based on the sheer volume of information coming out in response to COVID-19, resources accumulate and it can become overwhelming to navigate.
As a result, we’ve decided to release a blog post each week listing the top resources to make it easier for entrepreneurs to find the information and support they need.
In no particular order, here are this week’s top resources for entrepreneurs in light of COVID-19:
Tabatha Bull, who was recently appointed as the President & CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canada’s Indigenous economy, and what measures the government and corporate Canada must take to ensure that Indigenous businesses can get the support need to survive the current economic challenges.
This article by Luc Fournier, the Regional Vice-President of Bank Channel for Export Development Canada (EDC), discusses how the EDC can safely help people and their businesses manage currency exchange risks. He also emphasizes the importance of building a foreign exchange policy for your business during the current crisis.
This webinar discusses what it means to become sustainable, and what measures need to be taken to ensure businesses reach that sustainability during times of crisis. This webinar also covers how different forms of sustainability can be beneficial during times of crisis.
The live webinar is scheduled for May 7, 2020, at 1:00 pm EST. A recording will be made available afterwards, here.
Through a series of Entrepreneur Town Halls, Startup Canada has facilitated discussions between members of parliament and entrepreneurs to discuss what the government is doing to support businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as give entrepreneurs the chance to voice their concerns and priorities.
Watch this recorded Entrepreneur Town Hall featuring Gord Johns, Member of Parliament for Courtenay-Alberni.
In this pre-recorded webinar, experts from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) such as Chief Economist Pierre Cléroux, share their expertise with Canadian businesses impacted from the COVID-19 pandemic and how they can adapt their businesses to take advantage of online opportunities.
Are you a Canadian employer whose business has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis? If so, you may be eligible for a wage subsidy, which you can use towards re-hiring workers that were laid off as a result of this crisis.
The Innovation Economy Council (IEC) of Canada—whose founders include the Ryerson DMZ, MaRS, and Invest Ottawa—was established as a coalition of industry leaders and entrepreneurs with the goal of driving Canada’s Industrial Innovation Policy.
You can also check out the IEC’s white paper on how tech startups can drive the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
During times of crisis, it is imperative to find new ways to prioritize the direction and efforts of your business and develop a new strategy to adapt. This article by entrepreneur Craig Follett discusses some of these strategies.
If you are an employer or employee concerned about losing employment due to COVID-19, be sure to check out the government of Canada’s Work-Sharing Program. This program provides Employment Insurance (EI) benefits and allows workers to keep their jobs and continue to work, while employers can retain the services of experienced employees, without having to find and train new employees.
You can find an overview of the program here.
The Ryerson DMZ is a world-leading tech accelerator for Canadian Startups. In this time of crisis, the DMZ continues to support businesses through a virtual workshop series to help startups with business decisions and to recognize potential opportunities during times of crisis. For more information on past and upcoming workshops, visit their website.
Sign up for our mailing list to receive weekly updates on resources and support for entrepreneurs through COVID-19 and beyond.


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Apple is all set to announce the launch dates for the highly anticipated Apple Tablet PC later this month, a person familiar with the project has reported. The anonymous source also mentioned that the product will start shipping some time in March 2010
Apple, which was expected to provide details about the tablet PC at the CES 2010 in Las Vegas, may launch the tablet PC at a convention in San Francisco in January 27th 2010.
The company, which is best known for its iPod and iPhone devices, will offer the tablet in order to capitalise on the growing demand for a device that lets users read, surf the web and watch movies from a single platform.
The rumored tablet PC offering by Apple is expected to sport a 10.1 inch multi-touch screen, a 3D graphics card and a price tag of $1000. It has also been speculated that the tablet PC will have a virtual keyboard similar to that of the iPhone and will be most likely be internet enabled via Wi-Fi or mobile wireless network.
However, rumours apart, the still unconfirmed and unannounced device is most likely to be the hottest gadget in the tech market for 2010... and we're only at the beginning of the year.
The tablet PC, which some have called an Amazon Kindle Killer, will look like a sophisticated e-reader with a full color display and the ability to play videos accompanied with sound. The success of the Tablet will depend on the price or whether it offers the device subsidised.


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Digital TV News: OPPO
Roku TV launches in Brazil in partnership with AOC
Jan 21, 2020 – Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) has announced that it is partnering with AOC to bring the AOC Roku TV to consumers in Brazil. The TV will offer consumers a smart TV experience that is easy to use, with great streaming entertainment at an affordable price.
News categories: Roku, TPV, Globoplay, G2C Globo, Anthony Wood, Arthur van Rest, Andre Romanon, Erick Brêtas, Fernando Ramos, Brazil, Digital TV, Middleware, OTT, Smart TV
NBCUniversal unveils Peacock freemium streaming service
Jan 16, 2020 – NBCUniversal has unveiled Peacock, a free premium ad-supported streaming service with subscription tiers offering more than 600 movies and 400 series, as well as compelling live and on-demand content across news, sports, late night, and reality.
News categories: NBCUniversal, Peacock, Steve Burke, Matt Strauss, Apps, Cable TV, Digital TV, OTT, Set Top Box, USA
Majority of U.S. advertisers using Advanced TV solutions
Jan 16, 2020 – FreeWheel (Nasdaq: CMCSA) has announced that according to a new survey of over 300 marketers and agencies, advanced TV is being used by the majority of advertisers to reach their target audiences.
News categories: FreeWheel, Advertiser Perceptions, Brian Wallach, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Market Research, USA
U.S. advertising and marketing spend to grow to $390 billion in 2020
Jan 16, 2020 – Winterberry Group expects continued outperformance of digital channels, with spend to increase 14.5%. Emerging digital channels, including influencer marketing and digital video (OTT and streaming), are expected to grow at rates of more than 30%.
News categories: Winterberry Group, DMCNY, Advertising, Digital TV, Market Research, USA
Bannister Lake integrates MPEG-DASH into data aggregation workflow
Jan 16, 2020 – Bannister Lake has added MPEG-DASH support to its Chameleon data management product, including integrating DASH into its design tool that allows users to build graphic templates that incorporate multiple real-time and static data sources.
News categories: Bannister Lake, Georg Hentsch, Big Data, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
NextGen TV offers clear upside potential according to BIA
Jan 16, 2020 – BIA’s forecast for NextGen TV reveals that local TV Groups stand to increase their revenue growth by 50% within the next ten years from NextGen TV rollouts. The potential growth rate with advanced TV has an 8.0% CAGR revenue growth opportunity compared to a 3.8% CAGR baseline.
News categories: BIA, Rick Ducey, Mark Fratrik, ATSC, Digital TV, Market Research, USA
ANA and Innovid release Connected TV insights report
Jan 16, 2020 – Innovid and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) have released a study that reveals that connected TV (CTV) significantly extends reach, provides more interactivity and increases earned time over standard ad experiences.
News categories: Innovid, ANA, Jessica Hogue, Bob Liodice, Advertising, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, USA
SK Telecom and Sinclair Broadcast launch ATSC 3.0 joint venture
Jan 13, 2020 – SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) and Sinclair Broadcast (NASDAQ: SBGI) have announced Cast.era, a joint venture focused on cloud infrastructure for broadcasting, ultra-low latency over-the-top (OTT) broadcasting, and targeted advertising.
News categories: Sinclair Broadcast, SK Telecom, Kevin Gage, Lee Jong-min, Park Kyung-mo, Advertising, ATSC, CES2020, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, USA
Cinedigm re-launches Viewster app on Philips TVs with ZEASN
Jan 9, 2020 – Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) has announced, through joint efforts with ZEASN, the re-launch of its Viewster AVOD service, now available via TV manufacturer Philips. The Viewster app was developed using Cinedigm’s own application development platform.
News categories: Cinedigm, ZEASN, Philips, Tony Huidor, Jason He, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, Smart TV, Worldwide
- Netflix releases fourth-quarter 2019 results
- U.S. weekly time watching Netflix and Hulu up 20 minutes in 2019
- Allegro DVT unveils VVC compliance test bitstreams
- Synamedia partners with USSI Global for the U.S. market
- Disney+ brings forward EMEA launch date
- BARB begins reporting reach and time spent viewing across screens
- Synamedia partners with World Wide Technology
- Roku TV launches in Brazil in partnership with AOC
- Realtek, Jiuzhou join NAGRA Android TV Reference Program for Pay TV operators
- ENENSYS DVB-SIS solution ready for deployment
- Syncbak to debut simplified OTT syndication and monetization tools at NATPE 2020
- No growth expected for MENA pay TV revenues
- Indian communication satellite GSAT-30 launched successfully
- NBCUniversal unveils Peacock freemium streaming service
- Comscore TV viewing data used to predict advertising audience decline
- Majority of U.S. advertisers using Advanced TV solutions
- US broadband households interested in innovative offerings accessed via TV
- U.S. advertising and marketing spend to grow to $390 billion in 2020
- Bannister Lake integrates MPEG-DASH into data aggregation workflow
- NextGen TV offers clear upside potential according to BIA


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Slide 1 / 43
It might seem like you've barely scratched the surface on getting your fall outfits together
, but the Hallmark Channel is already gearing up for its annual Countdown to Christmas movie extravaganza. That's right — the holiday movies are coming. And SOON.
This year, the Hallmark Channel and its sister network, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, are bringing us more than 30 new warm and fuzzy holiday originals — and that's not even counting the other original titles from past years
that they'll be adding into the mix as well. The new roster of films star beloved celebs including Lacey Chabert, Danica McKellar, Autumn Reeser, and lots more.
The Countdown to Christmas (Hallmark) and Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) start on October 28 — yep, before
Halloween — so get out your planner
and pen, and start marking these dates and times down. We have everything you need to know about the first 34 movies on the schedule! (Photos via RIcardo Hubbs/Crown Media + Christos Kalohoridis/Crown Media)


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All editions have been scooped up, but Google says it's looking for ways to expand the Explorer program.
As the Explorer edition goes on sale to normal folks Tuesday, the smartglasses promise better battery life, new photo features, and user-interface improvements.
No, it's not the much-anticipated consumer release. But now the Explorer version of Glass will be available to anyone who can pony up the $1500.
Why wait for the network feed when you can tap directly into a sports arena's video system?
Google Glass may or may not be a consumer hit, but the business applications for Glass could be far reaching.
OK, it's not like Gucci is getting into the smartwatch business. But this wearable tech actually adopts a fashion-forward aesthetic.
Patience, patience, young Explorer. Tomorrow's Glass will be more fashionable than today's.
University researchers develop spyware for Glass that snaps pictures and sends them to a remote server
Today's Glass Explorer edition will eventually look like a quaint relic of yesteryear, Google shares in a 10-point, myth-busting blog.
You want contextual overlays? Here are your contextual overlays.


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Thanks to technology, inviting customers in to come along to really embroil themselves in your personal brand experience has never been easier. Smartphones represent a multitude of opportunities for companies to engage with people and one of the best ways to do so these days is through the humble selfie.
Giving people the chance to both capture and share their own content at brand events can prove to be invaluable for businesses, not least because it’s easy and very cheap. When people share brand-related activity on social media, it serves to advocate and endorse that particular brand. They’re telling their friends that they like and trust you… so they should too.
So what are other companies out there doing already? At Parklife in Manchester earlier this year, retailer River Island had a selfie swing in action where people could take photos on a giant swing and then use the WiFi hub to share their photos under the hashtag #RISwingSelfie. This then meant they could win an upgrade to the company’s VIP lounge where they’d find free drinks and table service.
And mobile network Three recently launched a Selfie Tour Bus in Barcelona to celebrate the fact that Brits would now be able to use their phones while on holiday at no extra cost.
Thinking outside the box is important to get this kind of marketing campaign right and you need to make sure that whatever selfie activity you launch is relevant to you and your brand message. But as advertising strategies go, it seems the selfie can do it all.


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Coca-Cola Amatil will assume full responsibility for the promotion and marketing of the brand in Australia.
Rekorderlig Cider launched in Australia in 2010 and now accounts for nearly 10% of the $520m AUD cider category. Coca-Cola Amatil says the brand has an important role to play in its beer and cider portfolio, with growth in fruit-flavoured cider and premium products.
Rekorderlig was first launched in its home market of Sweden in 1996, brewing its beer from local spring water in Vimmerby. It is now stocked in a variety of Australian bars and retailers, as well as other markets such as New Zealand, the UK, US, Germany, South Africa, Chile and Brazil.
Amatil will take on two marketers from Chilli Brands (Australia), with whom Amatil previously shared Rekorderlig’s Australian marketing responsibilities.
“Flavoured cider didn’t really exist in Australia before Rekorderlig but consumers took the brand to their hearts instantly and as a result, Rekorderlig established a strong foothold in the market,” said Chilli Brands (Australia) owner Kieron Barton.
“We firmly believe the brand has the potential to become an even bigger player in the Australian cider category and that with this new structure and talent, Coca-Cola Amatil has a huge opportunity to accelerate this progress.”


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Sodiaal, the French dairy co-operative, has secured backing from the finance arm of local agri-food group Avril and Crédit Agricole to help the Candia milk owner push on with investment.
Sofiprotéol, the investment arm of eggs and cooking oil supplier Avril, and Crédit Agricole subsidiary IDIA Capital Investissement have “jointly subscribed” to an equity issue at Sodiaal. Terms were not disclosed.
In a joint statement, the companies said the move “strengthens the financial structure and equity of the leading French dairy cooperative in order to support its growth”.
The statement continued: “Thanks to the joint investment of these two new financial partners, Sofiprotéol and IDIA Capital Investissement, the dairy cooperative now has enhanced resources to continue deploying its new strategy and accelerate its investment programme.”
Sodiaal declined to comment further when approached by just-food.
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The statement announcing the equity issue said Sodiaal had been undertaking a “profound transformation” since 2017 to try to sell more higher-value products.
Late in 2017, Sodiaal unveiled #Value, a strategy to focus on making the business more upmarket and generating organic growth of EUR500m (US$602.8m) between 2017 and 2025, as well as boosting the share of sales its international markets make to 35% from 29%.
On the new investment, announced yesterday (2 March), Sodiaal CEO Jorge Boucas said: “In IDIA Capital Investissement and Sofiprotéol, we are delighted to have with us partners from the agricultural and agrifood world who are committed to the long term, who support us with their sector expertise and build a privileged, lasting relationship, based on mutual trust and listening.”
Among Sodiaal's interests are shareholdings in international yogurt business Yoplait. In October, according to reports in France, fellow Yoplait shareholder General Mills had asked Morgan Stanley to advise the company on its options on the business.
General Mills acquired 51% of Yoplait in 2011 in a multi-faceted deal. The Old El Paso meals and Nature Valley snack bars owner owns 51% of Yoplait SAS and 50% of a second entity – Yoplait Marques SNC – that owns the Yoplait and associated trademarks. The marks are licensed to Yoplait SAS.
The other shareholder in both entities is French dairy co-op Sodiaal, which supplies milk to Yoplait SAS.
According to Les Echos, Sodiaal has the right of first refusal on the General Mills shareholdings.


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Vodafone has announced that Google's Nexus S smartphone will be available today to existing customers, and will be free on a $79 cap plan.
Apple's iOS 4.3, the firmware update due this week for the iPhone and iPad, promises a handful of valuable and interesting changes for users of the company's new and old smartphones, tablet computers and music devices.
Google's Android mobile OS surpassed RIM's BlackBerry OS globally and in the United States for the first time last month, with the Google smartphone and tablet software nearly tripling its worldwide market share to 15.2 per cent over the past 12 mont...
Google's Android Market mobile software shop was hit last week with its first major malware attack.
While it sounds miniscule next to Apple's App Store and its more than 350,000 apps, the Windows Phone Marketplace now offers 9,000 apps and games and is growing by an average of 100 apps a day.
A security researcher lost a sure $15,000 at this week's Pwn2Own hacking contest because he had earlier reported the bug to Google, which has patched the vulnerability in its Android Market.
Sprint has scheduled a March 22 press conference that is expected to span two and a half hours -- and for good reason -- according to Engadget's anonymous tipster: Sprint reportedly plans to reveal the Nexus S 4G and the EVO 3D smartphones, as well a...
Sony Ericsson today announced that its XPERIA Arc Android smartphone will launch in Australia in ‘early April’ on the Optus and Vodafone networks.
Not getting enough sleep these days? You may have to blame your computer or your mobile phone.
For only the second time, Google last weekend remotely deleted Android apps from users' phones.
Research In Motion opened up its beta offering of BlackBerry Protect, a free service that lets users locate their lost phones and remotely wipe them, to users in North America and parts of Latin America.
As Nokia rebuilds itself to focus on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, it is selling its Qt commercial licensing and services business to Finnish company Digia.
Developers with Android skills are now in greater demand than those with iPhone expertise, according to a recent report.
You grab your Android smartphone, ready to play or friend or stream or navigate or tweet or something and suddenly you're gripped by a consuming anxiety: will this push me over my monthly data plan limit? Or maybe you just want to know which of my ap...
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TikTok hit with $5.7 million fine in US for violating child privacy laws
TikTok is now making changes to better accommodate younger users in the US based on guidance from the FTC. The settlement also requires the app’s operators to take offline all videos made by children younger than 13
Musical.ly, the popular teen video app now known as TikTok, will pay a record $5.7 million to settle claims by the US government that it illegally collected personal information from children.
Musical.ly reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, the agency said Wednesday in a statement, resolving allegations that the social-media company failed to obtain parental consent before collecting names, email addresses and other information from children younger than age 13.
"This record penalty should be a reminder to all online services and websites that target children," FTC Chairman Joe Simons said. "We will not tolerate companies that flagrantly ignore the law."
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, signed into law more than two decades ago, limits how websites and online services -- including apps -- can collect, use and disclose information from kids. Additionally, the FTC said Musical.ly accounts were public by default, meaning that a child's profile biography, username, picture and videos could be seen by other users.
TikTok is now making changes to better accommodate younger users in the US based on guidance from the FTC, the company said in a statement. Beginning Wednesday, users will be directed to age-appropriate environments. The app for younger users won't permit the sharing of personal information, and will also have "extensive" limitations on content and user interaction.
"We care deeply about the safety and privacy of our users," TikTok said. "This is an ongoing commitment, and we are continuing to expand and evolve our protective measures in support of this."
Musical.ly was acquired by the world's most valuable startup, Beijing ByteDance Technology Co., for $800 million and soon after was merged with its TikTok app. A hit in the US, Musical.ly was seen as a way for the Chinese company to expand abroad, and also to capitalise on an increasing appetite for short video.
"This FTC ruling underscores what we have long known: companies do not consider children's personal information out of bounds," US Senator Ed Markey, who helped author COPPA, said in a statement. "While this fine may be an historic high for a COPPA violation, it is not high enough for the harm that is done to children and to deter violations of the law in the future by other companies."
The settlement also requires the app's operators to take offline all videos made by children younger than 13, the FTC said.
Facebook Inc. is also facing a COPPA-related complaint from several consumer groups. The groups claim the social media giant knew that many of the games it offered were popular with children under 13 and were being played by some potentially as young as 5 years old. Facebook said Feb. 20 that it wasn't in contact with the FTC over the issue.


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It looks like the White House won’t be needing to take any action in response to the International Trade Commission’s decision on how to handle the feud between South Korea’s LG Chem and SK Innovation. The duo has reached a settlement that would allow the former battery manufacturer to complete assembly on its $2.6-billion plant located in Georgia.
LG alleged that SK had stolen intellectual property and the ITC was backing punitive measures that would have forbade the latter company from importing certain lithium-ion batteries into the United States under a 10-year exclusion order. While exemptions were made for the components necessary to manufacturer them in the country, the arrangement was tied to SK’s existing orders and limited to just 4 years. The settlement gives SK additional leeway and prevents Joe Biden from having to consider the possibility of blocking the ITC decision as a way of maintaining American jobs.
While the automotive industry continues cleaning itself up via electrification and moral corporate messaging, most aspects of doing business have remained decently dirty. For all this striving for a utopian society, businesses still don’t like losing money and will go to great lengths to screw over the competition.
South Korean battery suppliers SK Innovation and LG Chem are currently clawing at each other like a couple of mad tigers. SK managed to secure a contract to supply Volkswagen Group with EV batteries, leading to the construction of a $1.7 billion factory in Georgia. LG did not, leading to a lawsuit. Both automakers and analysts are worried the litigation is spinning out of control, and could effectively obliterate their ability to do business in the United States.


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Less than three years after it officially launched in the UK, sustainable certification body B Lab is fast attracting some of the biggest names in grocery.
Last week Danone, the second-largest player in the UK dairy market, became a fully-fledged B Corp, committing to extend the certification across its multi-billion pound global business by 2030. It joins 13 food and drink firms (and 150 in total) in the B Corp UK community, with Ella’s Kitchen, Cook, and Divine Chocolate all members, committed to ‘making a material, positive benefit to society and the environment.’
So, what’s the appeal? What’s involved? And will we see more behemoths sign up soon?
Founded in the US in 2006, with its first member certified a year later, the non-profit B Lab certifies for-profit businesses that meet a minimum threshold regarding their standards on social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Globally over 2,000 businesses have achieved certification, across 130 industries and in 50+ countries, with the UK arm launched in 2015.
Independent retailer Cook was among its founding UK members. “Fundamentally we believe as business owners that capital should be operated as a force for good,” says co-founder Edward Perry. “Government can only achieve so much. Charities can only achieve so much. If we want to live in a world where we can improve society, then business has got to start behaving more responsibly in terms of how it treats employees, how it behaves in communities in which it operates and how it behaves as far as the environment is concerned.”
How to become a B Corp
First, all businesses must complete the B Impact Assessment tool, available online free of charge. This self-assessment measures five core areas: governance, employee relations, community impact, environment, and the function of the business, generating a score out of 200.
Businesses that score above 80 will then undergo a review process with a standards analyst trained to carry out an “in-depth dig of responses” says B Lab UK’s Katie Hill.
Those that successfully pass both these stages are then able to certify as a B Corp, on the condition they amend their articles of association to “reflect a commitment to material, positive benefit to society and the environment”.
Each B Corps will undergo reassessment every two years, with criteria continually updated to reflect best practice. Annual costs for membership depend on turnover and range from £250 for a startup to 10s of thousands.
That’s echoed by Mark Cuddigan, B Corp ‘champion’ and CEO at Ella’s Kitchen, which signed up in 2016. “I could probably give you 20 reasons why we signed up,” he says. “The purpose behind B Corps just fitted as we were doing this all anyway.”
As well as simply reinforcing existing values at a business, certification provides a framework to measure and drive progress, say members, with amendments to a company’s articles of association a requirement of signing up, and members reassessed to new, updated criteria every two years.
US-based business Ben & Jerry’s is now in its third cycle of reassessment, says European MD Anuradha Chugh, and “every time you see progress. It’s a very good measure and way to keep yourselves as progressive as you can be.”
Membership also creates a network of like-minded businesses that can turn to one another for support, says Perry. “You become part of something much bigger than yourself, and that’s a powerful thing. You know if there’s another B Corp you can pick up the phone to anyone, almost at any level, and say ‘I’ve got a problem’ and they will share ideas and help.”
According to research released by the NGO this week, businesses certified as B Corp grew 28 times faster than UK GDP in the past 12 months, with an average year-on-year growth across members of 14%. A third (35%) of certified UK companies said they had attracted new audiences since joining up, while almost half (48%) found that prospective staff had been attracted to the business specifically because it was a B Corp.
On the consumer radar?
“The difference it’s made at Ella’s has been extraordinary in terms of engagement and excitement of staff,” says Cuddigan.
Awareness among consumers might be limited, admits Perry, despite the logo brandished on packs, but “that’ll build over time” and in the meantime “our teams really buy into it and feel we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.
“We’ve had our best three years yet since we became a B Corp. Our financial performance has gone through the roof.”
But if that’s the case, why aren’t all fmcg businesses rushing to certify? Despite the high profile announcement from Danone last week, scaling up the community has been slow, with less than six food and drink firms joining the ranks per year since the UK launch.
Certifying can be a challenging process, admits Katie Hill, executive director at B Lab UK, with a multifaceted assessment requiring a minimum score of 80 out of a possible 200 points (see box). “That sounds easy but is actually surprisingly difficult,” she says. “Some people are in the pipeline for a long time. Others shoot through. And there’s everything in between.”
“It’s not an easy journey for any company” but for public companies and multinationals the process can be particularly onerous. Businesses operating in different jurisdictions may require multiple impact assessments, says Hill, and “that’s a lot of data to gather”. On top of that all certified companies are required to amend their articles of association, which, for public companies, will require agm approval from shareholders.
“Since we became a B Corp we’ve had our best three years ever - by a country mile”
“The assessment is no mean feat,” says Adam Grant, MD of Danone Dairy UK, Belgium & Netherlands. “It was extremely rigorous but also collaborative. It gave us the opportunity to deep dive into our practices and establish what we’re doing well and where we can improve.”
The NGO has seen “so much interest” from similarly large, multinational companies, that it recently established a committee “to look at the challenges and work out how to make the process more efficient and meaningful, making sure the questions we pull on for multinationals are the right ones,” adds Hill, with a new piloted scheme set to begin in the next few weeks.
Cuddigan is adamant that appetite among fellow fmcg businesses is there, with four of its own five biggest suppliers committed to certifying by the end of 2018, which is “extraordinary,” he says. “We need a few more marquee brands, but that’s coming. I hope this time next year there’ll be 50 UK fmcg companies that are certified, with some really, really big brands.
And that could signal huge benefits for both business, and the world at large.


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Affordable VR headsets are making their presence known in the VR world. Recently, Google announced a cheap VR headset, called the Cardboard. And now, a new kid on the block is paving its way to mass production on Kickstarter.
VISR is a VR headset being funded on Kickstarter that is similar to Google Cardboard, yet different on some physical features. Launched by Louis Deane on the fundraising website, it targets majority of smartphone users to experience high-quality VR with a low price point. It is primarily made of laminated corrugate, a material designed to be low-cost yet durable enough for day to day usage. As opposed to cardboard, laminated corrugate is “highly durable” according to Deane. It is also fully assembled out of the box, with minimum setup required from the user. The cheap VR headset requires a minimum of a 4.7-inch smartphone screen to work, and unlike Cardboard, VISR works not only with Android, but with iPhones and Windows Phone smartphones as well.
The VR headset requires a smartphone to be inserted inside. An initial setup requires only two steps: first is to set the phone’s VR content working, and second is to insert the phone on the headset to enable the VR experience. “VISR is ‘the best way to sink your teeth into VR without spending a fortune,’” says Deane. The headset has been remarkably known to top executives of some companies. Chris Deering, former president of Sony Europe, said that the VR gadget is a brilliant and sensible concept to bring VR to millions of smartphone users. He added that the cheap VR headset brings a quality VR experience at a low price point. Another executive, Andrew McCartney of Microsoft Ventures, said that VISR is “the most exciting and disruptive piece of hardware to enter the VR gaming market”.
Set at a very low price point of only £15 ($22), consumers can get the opportunity to experience VISR for themselves. Currently, the project is being funded publicly on Kickstarter, and it aims to gain an amount of £25,000 ($37,536) for the headset to be sold to the public. Deane has set three stretch goals on VISR once their team reaches the £25,000 mark. The first of these stretch goals is to collect £60,000 ($90,078), and they plan to release VISR’s tech demos for free on their website. The next goal is to earn £100,000 ($150,084) and the VISR team will make a game specifically made for VISR. And the final goal of £200,000 ($300,168) will be pushing the VISR team to make a streaming capability for the VR headset from a Windows PC. According to Deane, the streaming feature will enable users to stream whatever content they wish from a Windows PC to the headset without limitations. No words of whether the headset will get streaming support for Mac and Linux when the final stretch goal is reached.
Everyone can fund the VISR project on Kickstarter, with a minimum funding of £1 and as high as £5,000. As of this writing, the project has earned £8,626 from 325 supporters. The VISR project has 4 days to complete its funding, and will end on Friday, February 6. If the project is successful, the VISR will be shipping on March.
For more information on the VISR VR headset, please visit the following websites:
https://virtualrealitytimes.com/2015/02/02/a-cheap-vr-headset-is-being-funded-on-kickstarter/https://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/9e05911d637acfb3c719c0bbdb47740f_large-e1422926718466-600x400.jpghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/9e05911d637acfb3c719c0bbdb47740f_large-e1422926718466-150x90.jpgJohn Marco OscilladaHardwareKickstarterVR HeadsetsKickstarterAffordable VR headsets are making their presence known in the VR world. Recently, Google announced a cheap VR headset, called the Cardboard. And now, a new kid on the block is paving its way to mass production on Kickstarter.
VISR is a VR headset being funded on Kickstarter that is...John Marco OscilladaJohn MarcoOscillada[email protected]SubscriberVirtual Reality Times


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In July 2020, Pakistan motorcycle industry produced and sold the highest ever 300,000 units in a month, which was also appreciated by the Prime Minister’s advisors and ministers in the government’s cabinet.
In August 2020, the country recorded second highest sales of 240,000 units despite heavy rains all over the country and flooding in Karachi.
Contrary to this, the figures of Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) did not give a clear picture of production and sales due to limited numbers of its members.
As per PAMA data, a number of manufacturers witnessed revival in the sales from depressed sales during lockdown due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country.
For instance, Atlas Honda Limited sold 179,003 units in 2MFY21 from 160,109 units in same period last fiscal while Suzuki and Yamaha sold 2,730 and 2,596 units versus 3,162 and 3,805 units in 2MFY21, showing a drop of 14 per cent and 32 per cent respectively.
Road Prince and United Auto Motorcycle registered massive jump in sales to 25,120 and 70,419 units from 16,062 and 52,379 units, up by 56 per cent and 34 per cent respectively.
Chairman Association of Pakistan Motorcycle Assemblers (APMA), Mohammad Sabir Shaikh said the buyers are still upbeat in the markets during September. As a result, the markets are facing a shortage of two wheelers against soaring demand.
One of the reasons of shortage of bikes in the markets are slow supply of parts by the vendors to their respective manufacturing units followed by huge demand from the buyers due to lack of transport in big cities and poor conditions of taxis and rickshaws, he observed adding people avoid sitting in old vehicles and their fares also do not allow buyers to take risk under pandemic situation.
“The current quarter of July-September 2020 will end with a record production and sales in the bike industry especially,” Sabir hoped with confidence saying that bike sales on credit at the showrooms have also been thriving.
Like other countries, COVID-19 had hit Pakistan during March and many markets and industries remained closed for three months, resulting in massive unemployment in the country and pay cuts in industrial and private sector business units. As a result of the above situation, a booming two wheeler market remained subdued, APMA chief recalled.
The largest bike maker – Atlas Honda Limited, however, managed to roll out 871,119 units in FY20 followed by 298,340 by United Motorcycle. Unique by DS Motors rolled out 135,226 units while Road Prince made 97,417 units.
Super Star assembled 65,909 units while Hi Speed ended the 2019-2020 with production of 49,989 units. Super Power produced 46,337 units while Crown assembled 29,171 units.
Zxmco and Metro made 28,039 and 26,969 units while Super Style, Roohi and Bionic produced 2305, 10,680 and 3,123 units.
Union Star bike assembler, a famous brand, declared 3,592 units in June 2020 while market sources said that the company had produced more than 60,000 units in 2019-2020. Some more than 20 small brands produced 56,231 units.
As per the date of Engineering Development Board (EDB), the country assembled 1.761 million units in FY20 while market sources said that the figures have exceeded 2.320 million units.
The market players have always remained skeptical about the actual or genuine production data as many companies are reportedly not sharing the true picture of their production to the government.
This is not the case in two wheelers’ industries as other industrial units are also playing with the figures.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has finally come up with an SRO on September 21, 2020 to check misdeclaration by the manufacturers and monitor and check genuine production of 30 different industrial sectors including motorcycles and auto rickshaws.
In a bid to curb ongoing rampant tax evasion, the FBR has made over 30 major manufacturing sectors “binding for installing electronic monitoring equipment at their premises to monitor real time production. “
The FBR has issued 889 (I) 2010 to amend the Sales Tax Rules, 2006. The manufacturers of over 30 major sectors are required to install “intelligent video analytics” at their premises for electronic monitoring of production on a real-time basis.
Sabir Sheikh said this SRO by the FBR may prove a game changer in unearthing real production data of various sectors depending on how the manufacturers really cooperate with the FBR.
Pak Suzuki Motor Company produced 16,175 units of two wheelers in FY20 followed by 17,987 units by Yamaha Pakistan.
Market sources said these two Japanese assemblers have never engaged in misdeclaration of production due to their market reputation. However, declining production of these assemblers have been attributed to strict rules and regulations and SOPs which they have been following since March. As a result, these two units have been operating with low staff and workers.
The models of these two companies are high priced due to low localization and higher imported parts and components.
Sabir Shaikh said the next quarter of the current fiscal year October to December may prove a good quarter keeping in view good crop prospects in cotton and higher prices.
According to the FBR’s issued rules, the provisions of these new rules shall apply to video surveillance for electronic monitoring of production on real-time basis. The production of specified goods, manufactured in Pakistan, shall be monitored through intelligent video surveillance, and video analytics by installation of equipment including video cameras, sensors, etc, at production lines, as are approved by the Board for real-time collection of data that shows production through object detection and object counting; transmission of data to central control room at the FBR on real-time basis, storage and archiving of data; detection of unexpected stops; quantitative analyses of productions and data analytics for required legal actions.
No person engaged in manufacturing of specified goods shall remove the production from its business premises unless it has undergone the process of intelligent video surveillance. The manufacturers of specified goods shall buy video monitoring equipment only from the authorized vendor. No manufacturer of the specified goods shall buy video monitoring equipment, which is not authorized or approved by the board. The FBR will set up an approval committee, which shall function in accordance with the provisions of these rules. The Project Director shall be the convener of the approval committee and its headquarters shall be located at the FBR House, Islamabad. The Board shall provide secretarial and other allied support required for functioning of the approval committee.
The approval committee shall devise procedures for its functioning, which shall be in accordance with these rules. The vendor shall be required to have and demonstrate ability to provide equipment with high security and efficiency for electronic monitoring of production and video analytics on real-time basis. The equipment offered by the vendor must have the following features including the equipment shall have high definition video camera and sensor that can record and count the production; the equipment shall have ability to weigh the product contained in bags; the equipment shall have ability to integrate with the software recommended by FBR which will be used for transmission of data to central control room; the equipment will conduct video analytics and communicate results thereof to central control room(CCR); the equipment will report any unauthorized stoppages of production through generation of appropriate alarm; the system should have sixty days remotely retrievable local, on-site, and at place, specified by the Board, off-site, data storage at each site; the CCR should have a central data storage capacity capable of storing and retrieving data on long term basis up to five years and the equipment must be stable, fault-tolerant, secure and accessible only by username and password as authorized by the Board.
Sabir said the Excise and Taxation Department, Sindh, has not been providing registration numbers of all brands on a monthly basis to the media and other concerned departments. It is important that how many brands are being registered in the biggest city of Pakistan – Karachi – as there is a need to study the last five years data of registered bikes in Karachi.
This exclusive article has been published in Automark Magazine’s printed edition of October-2020


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The release of Mass Effect: Andromeda is only two weeks away, and every day, EA and BioWare tease something new about the game. The latest trailer demonstrates the dangers of the Andromeda Galaxy, and there is no such thing as a simple mission.
Less than a week ago, the official Mass Effect YouTube page released a video which explains the concept of “Golden Worlds” and why the Andromeda Initiative chose them for potential new homes. According to the launch trailer, none of the worlds “panned out,” which leaves the mission in a bit of a bind. The initiative needs to find more resources, which requires more people, but it needs to secure resources in order to support these people first. This is a classic dilemma that is sure to test the resolve of the characters in the game.
The trailer also teases several hints about the main antagonists of Mass Effect: Andromeda, known as the Kett. According to Alec Ryder, the Kett are “visitors,” which implies they might not be from the Andromeda galaxy. Furthermore, the trailer shows a strange creature with chitinous bone armor not unlike the Kett, once floating in a large green vat and again jumping down from a platform. Bone armor aside, this creature is remarkably similar to a Krogan. BioWare could simply be repurposing an existing skeleton model to create a new enemy, or the Kett kidnap and genetically modify people to bolster their ranks.
Mass Effect Andromeda will release March 21st for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.


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- First espresso machine patented (1938)
Breweries Hit Historic Landmark
Today on The Daily Meal
Recipe of the day
- Beer Made From River Water? It’ll Be Available in Boston
- This Is the Best Bar in America for Watching Football
- Boston Bar Owners Accepted Thousands From Beer Distributor to Exclude Competitor Brands
- Mother of Dragons! ‘Game of Thrones’ Limited-Edition Beers Will Be Re-Released This Fall
- 5 Flavored Beers That Shouldn't Exist
This year, we're happy to toast the breweries of America: it's been announced that there are more breweries open in the U.S. now than at any other point in history.
The Beer Institute, an industry trade group, shared research that shows a record-breaking 2,751 breweries are now operating. In the last year alone, more than 400 breweries opened; California led the pack with 31 new breweries. Texas, Colorado, Illinois, and Washington all gained 28 or more breweries in 2012. Back in August, the Brewer's Assocation showed that means about one brewery was opening each day in 2012.
The statistics also showed a decline in the traditional "big beer" companies over the last few decades; only 20 have been operating since 2006, reports the Chicago Tribune. Whether you love Coors or craft beer, we can all toast to more beer!
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Despite rumors to the contrary, the Injustice 2 release date that would see the sequel release for Injustice 2: Gods Among Us, is not going to be on March 28. While this would match up with a number of other anticipated triple-A games that are going to be released in the coming year, we still have no idea.
We’ve been getting a large number of sneak-peak videos that have shown off various characters and a number of other mechanics, including characters like Gorilla Grodd, Atrocitus, Wonder Woman, Blue Beetle, and Supergirl. However, despite all of these videos, we haven’t gotten any sort of concrete Injustice 2 release date from NetherRealm Studios about when the game would come out.
Injustice 2 was first announced at the 2016 E3 conference, and in the months since then has gotten a large number of various preview videos as mentioned above, including NetherRealm taking some mechanics from Mortal Kombat X and putting them into the game, such as using bits of the scenery as weapons.
Previous titles from NetherRealm studios have arrived in April very often, including Mortal Kombat X, the 2011 Mortal Kombat, and more. However, if NetherRealm doesn’t hold true to this for the Injustice 2 release date (even though the first Injustice game also had an April release date), there’s no telling when the game will actually release. However, if it really is an April release date, then NetherRealm ruling out a March 28 release date makes more sense.
Whether or not the game ends up releasing in April remains to be seen, as NetherRealm hasn’t put out any sort of trailer or announcement of an official release date. In the meantime, we’ll just have to wait and see when exactly NetherRealm decides that the game is going to be released, but it will most likely be sometime early this year.


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Hot Topic Inc. HOTT expects its full-year earnings in 2013 to increase by 30% to 35% over last year, as the teen-apparel retailer plans to open new Torrid stores and other outlets.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters recently projected 2013 income growth of around 16%.
The mall-based retailer has seen strong growth recently from its Torrid stores, which focus on fashion for young plus-sized women. Its namesake stores draw most of their merchandising cues from music and pop culture, and it recently launched Blackheart, its lingerie, accessories and beauty products brand aimed at young women ages 18 to 30.
The retailer said Wednesday that its holiday same-store sales grew 2.2%, compared with growth of 1.8% last year. Torrid sales grew 5.5% in the period, compared with a decrease of 2.2% a year ago.
The company plans to open around 40 new Torrid stores, 15 new Hot Topic outlets and five to 10 Blackheart stores in 2013. It expects same-store sales to increase by a low single-digit rate during the current year.
Hot Topic said in November that its fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 38% on stronger sales and margins.
Shares of the company, which affirmed its fiscal fourth-quarter guidance, rose 1.3% to $9.85 in after-hours trading Wednesday. The stock is up 47% in the past 12 months.
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