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Local retailers had a good January with poor weather believed to be responsible for sending people into the shops.
Paymark figures released this week showed the Bay of Plenty experienced a 3.2 per cent increase in eftpos transactions compared to January last year.
Last year, $257.8 million was spent in January compared to $266.8 million this year.
The rise is reflected across New Zealand with the country's retailers experiencing an average 3.5 per cent boost last month.
Mount Mainstreet manager Leanne Brown said retailers she had spoken to told her January had been a good start to the year.
"I believe that the weather probably worked in favour for retailers in the whole region because it wasn't conducive to spending hours at the beach.
"I believe it probably brought people in to the shopping area," Ms Brown said.
"The weather, events and the cruise ships and probably in a roundabout way the Rena probably brought people into town to have a look."
So far this summer 22 cruise ships have docked at Salisbury Wharf.
Kirby Weis, of Mainstreet Tauranga, said city retailers noticed a slight increase in customers and he also believed the lack of sunny days was responsible.
"Sometimes it's overcast weather that drives people into the CBD to do some shopping. People have to look at other ways to entertain themselves or spend their time," Mr Weis said.
Bayfair Shopping Centre marketing manager Nina Rivett said there was a 6.2 per cent increase in visitors to the centre compared to January 2011.
"In fact growth in the numbers of shoppers choosing to visit was experienced over 22 days out of 31."
Paymark's Paul Whiston said there was an increase in spending on house-related products.
"Consistent with some other early signs of improvement in the housing market, spending amongst building-related merchants via Paymark was up 5.1 per cent in comparison to January 2011. The level of activity amongst this group is still relatively low but this annual growth rate betters any experienced last year.
"This could indicate that in spite of the patchy weather Kiwis have stepped up DIY around their homes or called in the experts - in particular plumbers, who enjoyed a 17.5 per cent year-on-year increase this January."
Other sectors that fared well during the month were footwear (up 7 per cent), auto repairs (9.2 per cent) and the travel sector (4.6 per cent).
Palmerston North had an 8.7 per cent increase in January spending - the highest in the country. Canterbury was the only region to experience lower sales with spending down 1.9 per cent.


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Flinch is a new iPhone app that brings the awkward childhood game, staring contests, to mobile devices. It launched last July and an updated version was released a few weeks ago.
Like Chatroulette, a once-popular video chat app, Flinch uses video conferencing tool ooVoo to randomly pair up users.
The first to smile, laugh or “flinch,” loses. The app uses facial recognition software to tell who breaks their serious face first.
Users are having mixed reactions to the app.
I have way too much fun with this Flinch app
— Nick Bruemmel (@NBruemmel) April 14, 2015
During my first attempt at Flinch and my opponent makes some sicko comment. Y’all delete that app.
— Cards ✌ (@cardinale_amber) April 8, 2015
flinch is literally the greatest app I’ve ever had
— Zaddy Long Legs (@zhammanta555) April 5, 2015
the app flinch is the sketchiest thing ever
— danielle (@danielle291995) April 3, 2015
Already, the app is having some issues with inappropriate or dangerous content. People have streamed alarming things, like this:
There have also been reviews citing verbal abuse and indecent exposure by users of the app onTwitter.
Toni Bridsong, a Family Safety Evangelist at Intel Security, wrote about her Flinch reservations in an April 7 blog post. Bridsong finds Flinch “creepy” and thinks it’s the perfect cyberbullying and predator platform. According to Bridsong, the app has a mostly male 20-40 year-old audience, and it allows users to track the geographical location of their opponents.
“Frankly, the instant streaming video of strangers on my iPhone 6-plus screen was acutely creepy,” Bridsong wrote. “The app, which is now being downloaded and applauded by curious teens, is definitely gaining traction as more of a hook-up app. While Flinch features some awesome, advanced facial expression technology (it detects who smiles first and issues a win), my short time using this app sent it straight into the red zone when it comes to family safety.”
Matt Farrell, a product manager at Spitfire Technology, helped design Flinch. He says censoring against offensive content is a “significant focus” for him.
“We have taken several steps to create the safest possible environment for our users,” Farrell told Business Insider in an email. “In addition, the Flinch team takes account monitoring seriously; user accounts as well as social media channels are proactively monitored for violations and inappropriate uses of our app. When we identify inappropriate use through monitoring or other measures, we immediately deactivate the accounts.”
Farrell contends that all users have the ability to block other users so they will not be matched with them again. He also pointed out that Flinch is a game with a finite amount of time in which interaction can occur (each game is a maximum of 60-seconds).
Still the app seems to be gaining popularity and it’s one of the top free games in the iOS App Store. Farrell says the growth has happened “organically and virally” and that the app has been in the top 50 for the past few weeks. At the time of writing, Flinch was #46 on Apple’s Top Free App chart.
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Foxconn, known as one of Apple’s biggest partners, will increase its iPhone production capacity by employing a million more people.
Based in Taiwan but with production plants in Zhengzhou, China, Foxconn is undoubtedly one of Apple's biggest partners. The Asian company currently produces as many as 200,000 iPhones a day, with a total of 1.2 million employees.
China Daily reported on Monday that the company plans to nearly double its production capacity soon by hiring 1.1 million workers and totaling 95 production lines for its central Henan center in central China. This should allow the company to increase its revenues and raise just over $ 20 billion in 2012. In addition, the company plans to open a new production plant dedicated to the iPad.
We talk on the forum.


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At its annual GTC for AI Developers Conference, Nvidia announced its next-generation Hopper GPU architecture and Hopper H100 GPU, as well as a new data center chip that combines a GPU with a powerful CPU that Nvidia calls “Grace CPU Superchip. (Not to be confused with the Grace Hopper superchip).
As with Hopper, Nvidia is launching a number of new and updated technologies, but for AI developers, perhaps most important is the architecture’s focus on the Transformer model, a machine learning technique required for many use cases that supports models like GPT. become. -3. and Esbert. The new Transformer mechanism in the H100 chip promises to speed up model training by up to six times, and since this new architecture also includes Nvidia’s new NVLink switch system for connecting multiple nodes, large server clusters based on these chips can be integrated into large networks. , can be extended to support. at a lower cost.
“It can take months to train the largest AI models on modern computing platforms,” Nvidia’s Dave Salvator wrote in today’s announcement. “It’s too slow for companies. AI, HPC, and data analytics are becoming increasingly complex, with some models, such as the big language model, reaching trillions of parameters. The NVIDIA Hopper architecture was built to handle growing networks and datasets with massive compute and fast memory to accelerate these next generation AI workloads. ,
The new Transformer engine uses client-side tensor cores that can combine 8-bit precision and 16-bit half precision as needed while maintaining precision.
“The challenge for the model is to intelligently manage precision to maintain accuracy while achieving performance for smaller and faster number formats,” explains Salvatore. “The Transformer Engine makes this possible with a custom heuristic tuned by NVIDIA that dynamically chooses between FP8 and FP16 calculations and automatically rebuilds and scales between those precision values at each level.”
The H100 GPU will have 80 billion transistors and will be built using TSMC’s 4nm process. It promises 1.5x to 6x speedups over the 2020 Ampere A100 data center GPU using TSMC’s 7nm process.
In addition to the Transformer engine, the GPU will also include a new confidential computing component.
Grace (Hooper) Super Chips
Grace CPU Superchip is Nvidia’s first dedicated processor for the data center. The Arm Neoverse-based chip will have 144 cores with a memory bandwidth of 1 terabyte per second. In fact, it combines two Grace processors connected via an NVLink interconnect, which resembles the architecture of the Apple M1 Ultra.
The new CPU, which will use LPDDR5X memory quickly, will be available in the first half of 2023 and promises to deliver up to 2x the performance of traditional servers. Nvidia estimates that this chip will score 740 on the SPECrate®2017_int_base test, effectively putting it in direct competition with AMD and Intel’s high-end data center processors (although some of them get higher scores, they themselves have lower performance) . watt))
“A new type of data center has emerged: AI factories that process and improve mountains of data for intelligent purposes,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Grace CPU Superchip delivers the highest performance, memory bandwidth and NVIDIA software platform in a single chip and will shine as the world’s AI infrastructure processor.”
In many ways, this new chip is a natural evolution of the Grace Hopper superchip and Grace processor that the company announced last year (yes, those names are confusing, especially since Nvidia calls the Grace Hopper superchip Nvidia Grace). The Grace Hopper Superchip integrates the CPU and GPU into a single system on a chip. The system, due to launch in the first half of 2023, will feature a 600GB memory GPU for larger models, and Nvidia promises 30 times more memory bandwidth than traditional server GPUs. These chips, according to Nvidia, are designed for “huge” AI and high-performance computing.
The Grace CPU is based on the Superchip Arm v9 architecture and can be configured as a standalone CPU system or for servers with up to eight silo-based GPUs.
The company says it works with “leading customers in HPC, supercomputing, hyperscale and cloud computing,” so there’s a good chance these systems will arrive at your cloud provider next year.


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M-Go, the new digital entertainment service, has announced that owners of 2012 Samsung smart TVs are the first to gain access to M-Go’s library of movies and TV shows streaming on demand directly on their smart TVs.
M-Go offers the movies and TV shows on a transaction basis rather than a subscription. M-Go said it has content deals secured with Hollywood’s major studios, including the newest releases – the earliest it is available at retail – as well as a library catalogue.
The free M-GO app will be featured in the What’s New section of Samsung Apps on Samsung’s Smart Hub.
“Samsung is transforming the home entertainment experience by giving consumers control, choice and access to their favorite content on the largest screen in the home,” said Eric Anderson, VP, content and product solutions at Samsung Electronics America. “By being the first to offer M-Go to Smart TVs owners, consumers can get more of the movies and TV shows they love streaming right to their TV.”
“Providing easier access to the movies and TV shows people care about is M-Go’s mission,” said John Batter, CEO of M-Go. “Going live on Samsung Smart TVs is a huge milestone in giving consumers the power to enjoy an entire world of entertainment at their fingertips on the big screen at home.”
M-GO is a joint venture between DreamWorks Animation and Technicolor. The service is also available on tablets, laptops, desktops and Vizio Google TV sets.


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The Madden NFL 15 Xbox One Bundle will launch in US stores, including Microsoft’s own retail outlets. The official launch date of this bundle is August 26, and it will cost $399.
The special Madden NFL 15 Xbox One bundle can now be pre-ordered, and the two companies are saying that supplies are limited, although they are not announcing exactly how many copies are being offered to fans.
Madden NFL 15 for Xbox One
The limited edition can be pre-ordered and will include a download code for Madden NFL 15 Xbox One, the standard Xbox One console, wireless controller, Xbox One chat headset, special edition Madden NFL 15 packaging and token for three Madden NFL Ultimate Team Pro packs.
You'll be able to purchase the Madden NFL 15 Xbox One bundle in the US at select retailers for $399.99, which essentially means the copy of the game included is completely free, as are the three Ultimate Team Pro Packs. It'll be available alongside the game's launch on August 26th. The white Xbox One console with Sunset Overdrive has yet to be priced or dated, but you can probably expect it to arrive on October 28th alongside Insomniac's colourful shooter.


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Goldman Sachs expects commodity spike next year to mimic 2008 when oil rose to 150 dollars a barrel NEXT YEAR.
Comments that most bad news was now out and that future results would improve had heartened investors, said analysts
It means the consumer is down-for-the-count. His credit lines have been cut, his home equity eviscerated, and his checking account swimming in red ink. That spells trouble for an economy that’s 70% dependent on consumer spending for growth….which brings us to another interesting point. The uptick in GDP last quarter was almost entirely the result of the surge in government spending; ie “fiscal and monetary stimulus”. How long can that go on? How long will China keep slurping up US Treasuries rather than let their currency rise? Here’s a clip from the Wall Street Journal on Friday:
Zero Hedge: “Most interesting is the correlation between Money Market totals and the listed stock value since the March lows: a $2.7 trillion move in equities was accompanied by a less than $400 billion reduction in Money Market accounts!
Where, may we ask, did the balance of $2.3 trillion in purchasing power come from? Why the Federal Reserve of course, which directly and indirectly subsidized U.S. banks (and foreign ones through liquidity swaps) for roughly that amount. Apparently these banks promptly went on a buying spree to raise the all important equity market, so that the U.S. consumer who net equity was almost negative on March 31, could have some semblance of confidence back and would go ahead and max out his credit card. Alas, as one can see in the money multiplier and velocity of money metrics, U.S. consumers couldn’t care less about leveraging themselves any more.”
Every dollar that goes to Exxon is a dollar that won't get spent
Originally posted by fromunclexcommunicate
US HOT STOCKS: Chiquita, CBS, Crox Active In Late Trading
Chiquita's second-quarter earnings rose 46% as the food company's cost-cutting efforts offset a small drop in revenue. Shares soared 21% to $22.71 in after-hours trading as results easily topped Wall Street estimates.


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Nike has teamed up with TomTom, one of the world leaders in GPS mapping systems, to provide runners with the ideal digital performance coach. There are specific runner watches already on the market, Polar for instance, has been in exercise technology for years, but Nike does it with style. Large digital numbers and a dark … Continue reading Nike+ SportWatch GPS: Keeping you on track?
If this is the year you plan to run a marathon (or indeed run around the block in a bid to get fit), here’s a gadget designed to make the experience a bit more interesting. Sports legend Nike has teamed up with satnav specialist TomTom to produce the NIKE+ Sportwatch GPS. Unfortunately it has just … Continue reading TomTom and NIKE team up to motivate runners
Since sat navs first hit the high streets at the turn of the new millennium they have evolved at perhaps a slightly less rapid pace than other technologies in recent years and seem to have remained relatively generic rather than specific. Recognizing a niche in the sat nav market for more specialist GPS devices, TomTom … Continue reading The TomTom PRO 7100 – Specializing sat navs in the run up to Christmas
TomTom has announced a philanthropic “Traffic Manifesto”, which explains Europe’s problem with congestion (we may have noticed that on our own) and gives some viable – and some free – solutions. The core philosophy behind the manifesto is that if drivers are better informed about congestion issues, they’ll be better able to avoid it. And … Continue reading TomTom’s satnav “Traffic Manifesto”
Some awesome things make their way into the Latest Gadgets inbox. Here are just a few. John Lewis invited us to take a look at their Christmas range, despite the blazing heat. There was even a fake snow machine battling valiantly to create atmosphere. Being one of the larger combined online and Bricks & Mortar … Continue reading Latest Gadgets round up: John Lewis’ top tips, TomTom Yoda and a USB powerbank
After years of happily driving around the country using my trusty £2.99 AA map from the service station, I recently decided to join the 21st century by getting a satnav. The idea of not continually stopping to consult the map (why is the road you need always in the page fold?!) seems very appealing – … Continue reading Satnav via the iPhone: Hands on with TomTom and CoPilot
Here are just a few of the things that have caught our eye here at Latest Gadgets. ViewSonic 27″ LCD monitor Anything with “world’s first” makes our ears prick up so when ViewSonic released the world’s first 27″ LCD monitor with 1ms response time – the VX2739wm, we were eager to find out more. Low … Continue reading Latest Gadgets roundup: ViewSonic VX2739wm, Lifeforce iPhone app, Darth Vader TomTom and Firefox Mobile
LatestGadget.co.uk contributor Andrew Rafter braves the freezing weather to test the TomTom GO 950 Live. TomTom’s Live was a massive step forward when it arrived last year via the Go x40 series. It was such a step forward that TomTom’s new 950 offers less radical improvements but is now the ultimate Satellite Navigation System for … Continue reading Hands on with the TomTom GO 950 Live


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Iconix Brands hits record revenues and earnings in Q3
December 11, 2010-- Home Textiles Today,
NEW YORK - Multi-brand house Iconix Brand Group Inc. experienced "record" revenue and earnings in its third quarter, with high double-digit increases for both.
Total revenue for the third quarter soared 63% to approximately $96.9 million versus approximately $59.4 million for the year-ago period.
Net income on a non-GAAP basis, which excludes non-cash interest related to the company's convertible debt, also grew significantly but less so -- 32% -- to approximately $29.8 million, and diluted earnings per share for the quarter was 40 cents compared to 31 cents last year.
On a GAAP basis, net income increased 34% to approximately $27.4 million and GAAP diluted EPS was 37 cents versus 28 cents in last year's third quarter.
Iconix noted that its third quarter 2010 financials include $12.5 million of revenue, or approximately 2 cents of diluted EPS, related to the new five-year contract it signed with the ABC network for the Peanuts holiday program specials.
Year-to-date results were also strong for Iconix.
Total revenue for the nine-month period grew 47% to $244.6 million compared to $166.3 million last year.
Net income on a non-GAAP basis increased 36% to $83.3 million and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share increased to $1.12 versus 93 cents for the prior year period.
On a GAAP basis, net income increased 39% to $76.7 million and GAAP diluted earnings per share was $1.03 versus 83 cents.
Neil Cole, chairman and ceo, said during Iconix's quarterly conference call this morning that the "driving factor for the increases were a full quarter with the Peanuts revenue...a full quarter with the Echo brand, as well as the healthy performance across our overall portfolio."
Iconix's domestic business "remains strong and growing," said Yehuda Shmidman, evp, operations, with the company's more than 1,400 licensees.
A large contributor to this segment is Iconix's direct business, which achieved double-digit growth in the third quarter.
While the company did not offer many details on the recent progress of its home business, it did note that the Fieldcrest brand "is doing well," Cole said," having recently signed a five-year contract renewal with Target, and Waverly launched in the third quarter a new disposable tablewear collection that is being sold throughout the mass market, including Walmart and Kroger stores.
Shmidman said Iconix has high expectations for its recently acquired Peanuts brand. As the company continues to restructure it, there are many efforts in the works to build the brand nationally and internationally.
The company is currently "exiting unprofitable businesses, such a certain third-party representation contracts, and therefore we expect the revenue for Peanuts worldwide to reach approximately $70 million by 2011. This number does not include any additional [direct to retailer] or other initiatives in the works."
Iconix's international business - which represents close to 20% of the company's pro forma revenue -- remains a focus for Iconix. Among its many growth plans for this segment is a new office in Tokyo set to open its doors shortly.
Also coming soon is a second brand for an international audience with Madonna, through MG Icon, "that we believe can be as big and exciting as Material Girl," Cole said.
"With 27 brands today that represent approximately $12 billion in annual global retail sales, we are the second largest consumer products licensing company in the world, and we remain committed to expanding and growing our portfolio of iconic brands through new categories, geographies and distributions," Cole said. "As we look ahead to 2011, we feel confident about the overall strength of our existing brand portfolio and our ability to acquire world class brands."
Encouraged by its recent successes, Iconix is raising its full-year 2010 revenue guidance to $323million to $328 million from $305 million to $315 million as well as its 2010 non-GAAP diluted EPS guidance to $1.38 to $1.42 from $1.35 to $1.40 and its GAAP diluted EPS guidance to $1.26 to $1.30 from $1.23 to $1.28.
The company also said it expects to continue to generate strong free cash flow for 2010 of approximately $150 million to $155 million. This guidance relates to the existing portfolio of brands only and does not include any additional acquisitions.
Looking to 2011, Iconix offered revenue guidance of $340 million to $350 million, 2011 non-GAAP diluted EPS guidance of $1.53 to $1.58 and GAAP diluted EPS guidance of $1.40 to $1.45. The company estimates that free cash flow for 2011 will be approximately $160 million to $165 million.
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Previewing Heimtextil 2017


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Skype for Windows 10 recently dropped the preview label for all users, introducing a few core updates in the process. Users will find updates to messaging, calling, group video and more, as well as support for SMS messages using Skype credit.
For professional users, the improvements to messaging are key. Skype credit will buy you the ability to send an SMS message, but the searchable chats and new keyboard shortcuts could help improve productivity when communicating over Skype.
Contacts have been a sore subject with some users, who’ve seen overlap between the Skype and People apps. According to the changelog, the latest update simplifies the way Skype connects with the People app and could address these concerns.
“Skype will display the number of mutual contacts you share, making it easier to find the right people,” the support page said. “You can always opt out of this setting by updating your profile for People Search and Suggestions.”
Group video calling is getting redesigned as well, with a new view that is supposed to bring “everyone even closer together,” the page said. This could make Skype a more valid option for businesses who run other Microsoft products and wish to use it as conference call software.
Additionally, the support page noted, users who use Skype to call will gain the ability to switch their microphone or camera, or jump over to a new device during a call.
Users can download the newest version of Skype through the Microsoft store here.
The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers
- Skype for Windows 10 is out of preview for all users, bringing updates to messaging, contacts, and more.
- Chats will now be searchable, and new keyboard shortcuts will help users improve productivity in the app.
- Users calling on Skype will gain the ability to switch their microphone or camera, or jump over to a new device during a call.


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New & Notable
Internet of Things (IoT) Security Strategy News
August 14, 2019
Defending against the rising number and increasing sophistication of IoT botnet attacks isn't an easy task. Learn about the latest threats and the techniques to mitigate them.
November 16, 2018
Extended product lifecycles, consumer apathy and lacking federal regulation lead the top IoT security challenges in corporate settings.
September 24, 2018
A global Ponemon survey of security professionals found that many believe artificial intelligence and machine learning technology will improve enterprise and IoT security.
April 18, 2018
Azure Sphere extends security from the cloud to the device. It's the most holistic approach on the market and provides another example of Microsoft abandoning its insular past.
Internet of Things (IoT) Security Strategy Get Started
Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content
As IoT continues to grow, healthcare providers are left with a critical issue: IoMT cyberthreats. Combining automation with a system of best practices, policies and procedures can help prevent IoMT ... Continue Reading
As IoT usage increases, having a secure Wi-Fi network to onboard and connect your IoT devices is crucial. CEO and CO-Found of Portnoz, Ofer Amitai, shares four tips to help secure IoT devices onto ... Continue Reading
The power to improve IoT security caused by negligent developing practices is in the users hands. Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology's Parham Eftekhari suggests ways that anyone can ... Continue Reading
Evaluate Internet of Things (IoT) Security Strategy Vendors & Products
Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.
Before manufacturers even begin to develop an IoT device, organizations must consider if connecting devices will actually serve a purpose that's worth making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. Continue Reading
Security, though costly, is essential for IoT devices; a single breach can destroy a company's reputation. IoT security by design can avoid devastating incidents. Continue Reading
IndianAppDevelopers' Juned Ghanchi outlines the top three IIoT cybersecurity challenges and how they are exacerbated in today's connected landscape. Continue Reading
Manage Internet of Things (IoT) Security Strategy
Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.
Who's to blame for the IoT security problem: manufacturers creating devices, end user deploying them or governments not creating legislation enforcing security measures? Continue Reading
IoT's vast vendor landscape drives innovation, but working with so many third parties also comes with baggage in the form of third-party cybersecurity issues. Continue Reading
Securing the operational technology and IIoT devices that allow technicians to remotely access and manage machine data is critical. NCP engineering's Julian Weinberger explains how a cloud-based ... Continue Reading
Problem Solve Internet of Things (IoT) Security Strategy Issues
We’ve gathered up expert advice and tips from professionals like you so that the answers you need are always available.
As BMS systems are being implemented into smart buildings, security can become compromised. SCADAfence's Elad Ben-Meir explores BMS systems and how to best secure them against possible cyberattacks. Continue Reading
The number of cyberattacks on IoT devices has seen an alarming surge as the number of connected devices increase, and Lattice Semiconductor's Juju Joyce discusses ways to avoid these attacks. Continue Reading
Nontech manufacturers building IoT devices combined with resource constraints is a recipe for disaster. It's the reality of IoT security issues, and the problem isn't going away. Continue Reading


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Posted on 27 Aug 2020
With the prevalence of smartphones in the United States, it would be easy to assume that there is not much opportunity to accelerate the adoption rates of digital payments. However, due to legacy systems and rewards cards, the U.S. is actually behind in adopting mobile payments when compared to other countries e.g., China and India. For instance, in 2019, U.S. major mobile payments apps had adoption rates of less than 10% while China had 80%.
Current events have provided huge incentives to move forward and catch up with the rest of the world, and now is the time to facilitate digital payments adoption.
Download our latest article to read more.
21 Jan 2021 Articles & Trend Reports Looking Back: The Impact of COVID-19, Broken Down by Industry Here is a look back at 2020 and how the pandemic affected U.S. business.
16 Dec 2020 Articles & Trend Reports Checklist: What Credit Unions Should Look for in a Payments Fintech Partner. How Alacriti Scores. Find out why credit unions should choose Alacriti and Orbipay EBPP.
10 Dec 2020 Articles & Trend Reports Why Banks and Credit Unions Need Real-Time Payments Can Real-Time Payments Be the Key to Unlocking Competitive Differentiation?


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During the second Democratic debate in Detroit on Wednesday night, some candidates pushed against the slew of tariffs that President Trump has levied against China, as well as traditional American allies.
Continue Reading Below
“He betrayed the American people, he betrayed American families, and he will lose this election,” said Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii., also said she would not keep Trump’s China tariffs -- a 25 percent tax on goods worth $250 billion -- in place if she won the election next November, citing the “ravaging and devastating effect” they’ve had on farmers and manufacturers across the country.
Last week, the Trump administration rolled out a second aid package worth $16 billion to help those caught in the crosshairs of the trade war, which began more than a year ago.


text: Now, second-hand bikes are available, in mint condition, for nearly half the price of the new one. That is sSuperbike lovers could be in for a Diwali treat. In fact, the second-hand superbike market is flooded with sparingly used machines from the stables of Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Benelli, Triumph, and other top global brands. Several superbike owners don’t keep their motorcycles for more than one-two years before upgrading, thanks to multiple brands setting up shop in the country, which has led to widespread availability of new models at attractive price points. Almost all major global brands now sell their international bestsellers in India.


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The Federal Reserve hiked its short-term interest rate target for a fourth and final time in 2018. Here are the five things we learned from U.S. economic data released during the week ending December 21.
The Fed bumps up short-term rates but forecasts fewer hikes in 2019. The statement released following last week’s meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee once again noted that “the labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising at a solid rate.” Also, it indicated that core inflation was near its two-percent target rate, but also pointed out that business investment had “moderated.” Unlike with previous statements, this one included a comment that the committee “will continue to monitor global economic and financial developments and assess their implications for the economic outlook.” This is a reference to (among other things) the potential impact of tariffs, Brexit and partial government shutdowns. With all of this in mind, the committee voted unanimously to bump up the fed funds target rate by a quarter point to range between 2.25 and 2.50 percent. The hike was widely expected, despite some external cajoling to the contrary.
Released in conjunction with the policy statement was economic projections of Federal Reserve Board members and Federal Reserve Bank presidents and one big takeaway was an expectation for slightly slower economic growth than previously predicted. The median forecast now has gross domestic product (GDP) growing 2.3 percent in 2019, whereas the previous prediction had growth at 2.5 percent. The median projection for the unemployment rate next year remained at 3.5 percent, but the core inflation rate now is expected to be 2.1 percent in 2019 (versus the previous 2.0 percent forecast). Most notable is the median prediction among FOMC members now has two hikes in the fed funds target rate in 2019—previously, FOMC members had anticipated three hikes next year.
A revised Q3 GDP estimate continued to show robust economic growth. The Bureau of Economic Analysis’ third estimate of Q3 gross domestic product has the U.S. economy expanding at a healthy 3.4 percent seasonally adjusted annualized rate. This was just below the 3.5 percent rate of expansion reported in the first two previously published estimates. The downward revision was a product of lower than previously believed estimates of consumer spending and exports (only partially counterbalanced by an upward revision to private inventory accumulation). Corporate profits (with inventory valuation and capital consumption adjustments rose 3.5 percent to $2.321 trillion (+10.4 percent versus 2017 Q3).
Personal spending remained resilient in November. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates real (inflation-adjusted) personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis during the month. While this was half of October’s 0.6 percent bounce, it leaves real PCE up 2.8 percent over the past year. Real spending on goods rose 0.9 percent during November while services expenditures expanded at a more modest 0.2 percent. The 12-month comparables for both were a solid +3.4 percent and +2.8 percent, respectively. Funding the increased spending were 0.2 percent gains for nominal personal income and both real and nominal disposable income. Real disposable income has grown by 2.8 percent over the past year. The savings rate was +6.0 percent, down 1/10th of a percentage point from October.
Sales of previously owned homes grew for a second straight month after showing general weakness for much of 2018. The National Association of Realtors reports existing home sales increased 1.9 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.32 million units. Despite the rise, home sales were 7.0 percent under its year-ago market, representing the largest negative 12-month comparable since November 2011. Sales grew during the month in three of four Census regions, with the West’s 6.3 percent decline being the outlier. All four Census regions experienced negative year-to-year sales trends: West (-15.4 percent), South (-5.6 percent), Midwest (-4.3 percent), and Northeast (-2.6 percent). Inventories contracted 5.9 percent during November to 1.74 million units (+4.2 percent versus November 2017 and the equivalent to a 3.9-month supply). The median sales price has risen 4.2 percent over the past year to $257,700.
Consumer sentiment ends the year on a high note. The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment added 8/10ths of a point in December to a seasonally adjusted 98.3. This places the sentiment measure 2.4 points ahead of its year-ago mark and keeps it within the same five-point range where it has been over the past two years. In December, the present conditions index added 3.8 points to 116.1 (December 2017: 113.8) while the expectations index shed 1.1 points to 87.0 (December 2017: 84.3). The press release notes that 2018 was the best year for the headline index’s 12-month average (98.4) since 2000.
Other U.S. economic data released over the past week:
– Jobless Claims (week ending December 15, 2018, First-Time Claims, seasonally adjusted): 214,000 (-27,000 vs. previous week; +8,000 vs. the same week a year earlier). 4-week moving average: 222,000 (-6.0% vs. the same week a year earlier).
– Leading Indicators (November 2018, Index (2016=100), seasonally adjusted): 111.8 (+0.2% vs. October 2018, +5.2% vs. November 2017).
– Durable Goods (November 2018, New Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods, seasonally adjusted): $250.8 billion (+0.8% vs. October 2018). Nontransportation goods new orders: $163.8 billion (-0.3% vs. October 2018).
– Housing Starts (November 2018, Housing Units Started, seasonally adjusted annualized rate): 1.256 million (+3.2% vs. October 2018, -3.6% vs. November 2017).
– Housing Market Index (December, Index (>50 = “Good” housing market, seasonally adjusted): 56 (vs. November 2018: 60; December 2017: 74).
– Treasury International Capital Flows (October 2018, Net Purchases of U.S. Securities, not seasonally adjusted): -$6.5 billion (vs. September 2018: +$7.5 billion; vs. October 2017: +$10.5 billion.
– State Employment (November 2018, Nonfarm Payrolls, seasonally adjusted): Vs. October 2018: Payrolls grew in 4 states and were essentially unchanged in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Vs. November 2017: Payrolls grew in 37 states and were essentially unchanged in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Kevin’s current employer. No endorsements are implied.


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With just a few more days left until the worldwide release of Pokemon X and Y, The Pokemon Company has issued an announcement for… a future announcement. Tsunekazu Ishihara, president of The Pokemon Company, has hinted that there has been a game in development since the Summer, and is apparently worried that it may affect Pikachu’s popularity. No one knows what this mysterious game is, while some speculated that it was probably something to do with Mega Pikachu (which would be a first, considering that all of the Mega Evolutions thus far have been with final stage Pokemon).
Since Pokemon has already done puzzle, dungeon crawling, racing, picture, and a plethora of other games, what could this new unprecedented game be, and will it affect the content of Pokemon X and Y?
*Update: It seems like the original source did not even mention a new game, so it could indeed be Pokemon X/Y related. Whatever it is, something’s going to happen to Pikachu. Mega Pikachu then, perhaps?


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New Grand Cherokee Owner
Just got a killer deal this weekend on a end-of-model-year 2015 GC Summit.
This is our first Jeep, but it goes quite nicely with our 2013 Chrysler 300C Luxury Edition!
Very excited about the new ride!!
Pics will follow....haven't had a chance to take any because the weather here in my neck of Florida has been ugly since we got it.


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At Sony’s Gamescom conference today, a new Playstation Move horror game entitled Until Dawn was announced. Alongside the announcement is a launch trailer!
Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection will be available for digital download on the North American PlayStation Store starting today. The collection will include both The Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles and will be going for $26.99.
What is looking like to be the biggest blockbuster of 2012, may just be one of the biggest blockbusters of all time.


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A report published in February noted that only 35 sellers accounted for two-third of sales on Amazon
Cloudtail and Appario, in which Amazon is a shareholder, accounted for nearly one-third sales on the platform
Amazon as well as Flipkart are currently being scrutinised by enforcement directorate and the RBI for similar allegations
As the Indian government is scrutinising Amazon for allegedly flouting India’s foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, the US officials had rushed to defend the ecommerce giant’s business practices.
While Amazon has been accused of bypassing Indian FDI laws by many lobby groups like the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), All India Online Vendors Association (AIOVA) and others, a Reuters’ report published on February 17 this year was the final nail in the coffin. The report alleged that just 35 sellers accounted for roughly two-thirds of all sales on Amazon India’s ecommerce platform.
The report further stated that some 33 Amazon sellers accounted for about a third of the value of all goods sold on the company’s website in early 2019. Two sellers — Cloudtail and Appario — in which Amazon had indirect stakes made up around 35% of the platform’s revenue through sales in the same period.
According to the Press Note 2 which notified the FDI rule changes in December 2018, that foreign ecommerce entities are barred from selling products from sellers in which they have a direct stake to avoid any preferential treatment. To get away with that Amazon had reduced its shareholdings in the above-mentioned sellers to 24%. Thus, these companies were not Amazon group companies anymore and became eligible to sell on the marketplace.
A latest Reuters’ report has revealed that a day after its previous report was published, US officials had prepared a note for US President Joe Biden’s top envoy John Kerry, who was set to have a discussion with Indian union minister of industry and commerce Piyush Goyal on some unrelated topic on February 18. The US government was worried that Goyal would bring up the Reuters’ story, so it hastily drafted a note about the article in case Kerry brought it up.
“This could come up in the call since as you know Minister Goyal is prone to bring up tangential topics,” Thomas Carnegie, a US embassy official in New Delhi, emailed an official at the United States Trade Representatives (USTR) on February 18. Reuters had obtained these emails through the US Freedom of Information Act from the office of the USTR.
Philip M. Ingeneri, another US embassy official, also told the USTR official that he had “verified” the contents of the note prepared for Kerry with Amazon India’s government affairs chief as “true and accurate.”
The US embassy in New Delhi also referred questions to the US Department of State in Washington, which said it expected that any issues regarding US ecommerce companies’ practices in India would be reviewed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) “with the same level of independence, transparency, and professionalism it has demonstrated in the past.”
The emails do not describe what ultimately happened during the Kerry-Goyal call.
Notably, Amazon India head Amit Agarwal had called the Reuters’ report, published on February 17, “ unsubstantiated, incomplete and factually incorrect”. He is reported to have emailed employees assuring them that Amazon has always been compliant with Indian laws and will continue to do so. “We haven’t seen the documents referenced and Reuters hasn’t shared provenance to confirm veracity—the details are likely supplied with malicious intent to create sensation and discredit us,” he added in the email.
As the Indian government is prepping up to make India’s FDI policy more tight for ecommerce players, Amazon as well as its rival Walmart-owned Flipkart are being scrutinised by enforcement directorate (ED), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and others. The companies have also been investigated by the CCI in the past.


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Korean carmakers seek sustainable growth rather than blind pursuit of market share
FRANKFURT, Germany ― Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors overtook Toyota Motor in their combined sales in the European market in 2010.
The Korean carmakers’ aggressive sales marketing may catapult them to the level of Volkswagen and BMW in Europe. But the Hyundai Motor Group turned its eyes from market share to quality control.
“Separately, Hyundai is expected to surpass the Japanese competitor in European market share within two or three years,” Kia Motors Europe Corp. president Kim Sun-young said in a press meeting.
A Hyundai Motor dealership owner (right) introduces the i40 sedan to a consumer at the carmaker’s showroom in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday. (Hyundai Motor Co.)
Kim, who also holds the post of a managing director at Hyundai-Kia Group, said he is certain that Kia will also be able to overtake Toyota in sales in the coming years.
But he stressed that the automakers plan to prioritize minimizing risks ― particularly in terms of trade conflicts ― by refraining from rapid expansion.
“European carmakers and media are closely monitoring Hyundai-Kia’s every move,” he said, commenting on upgraded brand image.
In the past, they compared Hyundai-Kia with Suzuki or Mitsubishi. Recently, a German automobile magazine carried an article comparing the Korean companies’ cars with those of Volkswagen and Ford Motor.
“Under the assumption that we overtake Fiat (through aggressive marketing), for example, Italy will not sit idly by,” he said.
He raised the possibility that a European country will invoke “safeguard” measures against rapid sales growth of Hyundai-Kia under an accord of the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement.
A safeguard arrangement between the two parties allows a country to temporarily raise duties or restrict imports when there is a significant surge in car imports.
Concerning the possibly contradictory goal between overtaking Toyota and cautious stance, he said the European operation will be faithful to “sustainable growth,” a recent guideline set by Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo.
“Toyota has been in trouble in the aftermath of its aggressive sales aimed at becoming the world’s No. 1,” he said. “Now we are focusing on qualitative growth than quantitative one.”
The market share and sales ranking will ultimately increase if the two companies will take gradual steps via enhancing quality in overall sectors, he said.
For the sustainable growth, he said, Hyundai-Kia’s overseas operations are considering pushing for productivity rather than establishing additional factories.
According to Kia executives including Kim, launch timing of the K5 sedan in Europe has been delayed to the first quarter of 2012 from the fourth quarter of 2011.
Mentioning intra-group rivalry between the two affiliated companies, he added that Hyundai could be one of the key competitors of Kia in Europe.
Hyundai and Kia have been seeking to improve their brand awareness and image especially in the big five markets ― Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Spain.
While the big five account for about 75 percent of the European automobile market, Hyundai-Kia’s market share in those countries is relatively small compared to other European countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium.
Hans-Peter Goeres, an owner of a Hyundai Motor dealership, located in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, said Hyundai’s brand image has been upgraded among middle-income consumers.
He started selling Japanese cars in the 1980s and engaged in sales of Mazda and Hyundai over the past 10 years.
The dealer, who scrapped sales of Mazda last year, said he thought highly of Hyundai’s corporate philosophy and growth potential.
“(Compared to 10 years ago,) more customers with higher income are visiting here. That is attributable to diversified Hyundai car models,” he said.
He predicted that the i40, a European-style premium sedan, and a revamped version of its i30 hatchback will draw wide interest among the middle-income bracket among Germans and other Europeans.
By Kim Yon-se, Korea Herald correspondent


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Action for transparency, a project aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability in Kenya, is working on launching a mobile application that will enable Kenyans keep track of the government’s ..
How about a chopper ride to your favorite destination, that breath taking proposal in a scenic view or simply stuck in traffic? UberChopper will have you sorted at the tap of a button. Uber in partnership ..
Imagine your child lost, all alone without you or any familiar faces by their side. Imagine the horror and how frightened they would be. Just the mere imagination gives one the chills. Children going missing ..
If you are a Google Chrome user on Windows your browser may have failed you when you tried to access some Microsoft sites. You are not alone in this predicament. Many Chrome users on the Windows platform ..
A computer anti-virus is a piece of software that many overlook. More than half of the individuals who own a PC run an anti-software program that came bundled with their new device. Unfortunately the anti-virus ..
One of the features that Windows 10 introduced on board was the automatic updates. Through the Windows Update they were going to offer new versions of the OS apart from the regular software updates. Microsoft ..
It is time for the Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update, approximately two weeks since the Windows 10 Anniversary Update for PC was released. Microsoft began pushing out the update from 2nd August. The update ..
I am mad. I am angry at most of the tech community. Why? One of my favourite Android apps is severely underrated. It’s like driving an F-Type and having people ignore that little fact on the road, thinking ..
LIVELUVO, a Kenyan app based marketplace, taps into the growing popularity of digital platforms by linking entrepreneurs with local opportunities to earn a living and enhance their lives. The Android powered ..
There are only three things, maybe four, about smartphone keyboards that make the use of smartphones seamless (that is easy and interesting to use). One thing a keyboard should be able to deliver is the ease ..
There is a new Airtime App that targets Kenyans that’s under development – it is called OCharge. Right now, to get any details about the App you need to read this article by Techmoran or visit ..
Ovum predicts that mobile app revenue will double by 2020, outpacing download growth. The global analyst firm states that the global mobile app revenue will grow by 2.2 times over the next five years, ..
Things change, but there is nowhere that change is real as in the tech world, and more so in the software component of tech. If the hardware component is changing by a factor of two every 18 months, then ..
The launch of iPhone 4s brought with it Siri that became a revolution in the smartphone use. When I showed my wife videos of Siri at work, she remarked, “Are you sure those are real? Are you sure ..
South Africa introduced new visa requirements last month in line with equivalent requirements in the UK and US in a bid to prevent child trafficking and domestic child-custody disputes between divorced ..
We have talked about the irritating trend of every young-ling leaving campus or even dropping education to develop an application. The generation of today is clearly not very aware of how easy it is to misuse ..
Exciting upgrades just hit the screens of Truecaller Android lovers! Truecaller has now improved the service to keep you safer when it comes to unwanted disturbances. The new block tab feature gives you extra ..
Google’s next version of its Android operating system will boast new ways to fetch information, pay merchants and protect privacy on mobile devices as the internet company duels with Apple in the quest ..
I read the news that Cortana is set to launch in Android at the end of June and in iOS later this year and wondered whether that should be exciting or not. As a strategy to provide cross platform services, ..
Mobile money users in Kenya – and the rest of the word – have one major challenge: to send money only to land in the wrong hands. Many Kenyans using MPESA or Airtel Money have at one time lost cash ..


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We all have an impact on the Earth and its resources. It is for this reason that Etopa strives to protect all aspects of the globe with the focus of helping businesses create profitable, inspiring and functional spaces with attractive furniture, all while remaining eco-friendly. How exactly are they doing this? One word: Rubberwood.
“Etopa did a lot of research on materials for furniture and we found there’s a huge rubber industry in Hainan, China,” says Hawaii-based Etnobotanist Tasha Goldberg, primary chief environmental consultant for Etopa, part of the group of businesses owned by Neill Corporation, a company founded and operated by salon and spa owners who have been in the beauty industry more than 60 years. “Rubber trees produce latex for 30 years and then are cut down or burned. We tested the wood and found it was equal in durability to the standard maple wood. Also, the trees were local to where we manufacture the furniture, so we no longer had to ship the wood.”
In addition to the renewable, reusable benefits rubberwood offers, the extremely wide leaves of the plant create a natural “carbon sink,” which pulls carbon from the atmosphere by absorbing it.
During construction, all by-products are recycled and reused, even down to the dust generated in the construction process. “In other factories, you’ll see people wearing masks to be sure not to inhale the dust,” Goldberg says. “Our factory took it one step further and even has a mechanism to collect the excess dust from the air and compress it into boards that can be used to construct more furniture.”
In addition to being environmentally responsible, the company also made sure it was being socially accountable. “Neill Corporation took a strong position by making a project that was devoted to sharing our benefits with supply chain manufacturers,” Goldberg says. The company built 35 biogas units in a village nearby that generates free renewable energy.
“This undertaking really taught us to understand how wonderful and giving these simple projects can be,” says Goldberg.
“Being a part of it has been just amazingly rewarding.”


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The one-wheeled electric motorcycle that actually feels safe
Tim Moynihan's article in for Wired UK reveals the microcyle from Ryno Motors which has a single 25-inch motorcycle tire and reaches speeds up to 10 mph, uses a combination of gyroscope sensors and accelerometers to balance itself.
"My daughter drew a sketch of a one-wheel motorcycle she saw in a video game and asked me to build it," says Ryno CEO Chris Hoffmann. "She was 13 years old."
Read more about the self-balancing skills of the Ryno.


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Breaking News: Snow storm warning mid-week
5 years, 2 months ago
When is it ok for stores and radio stations to begin playing holiday music?
Last login: Friday, July 21, 2017
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We are incredibly excited to announce that Delta Global has featured in the annual Sunday Times WorldFirst SME Export Track 100.
Making our debut on the league table, we’re pleased to have been acknowledged as one of Britain’s fastest growing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). After doubling our international sales in recent years, we have been listed as the top-ranked company for the Midlands.
Marking the latest achievement in the history of our company, our CEO Robert Lockyer is proud to see Delta Global featuring alongside so many amazing businesses.
He said: “Delta Global has always seen great opportunities in the overseas market. Whilst we are proud to be a British brand, we have created a successful global infrastructure that stretches across South Asia, Hong Kong and New York.
“Since this expansion, our international sales have more than doubled and we have high hopes for the future of our activities in both the UK and international markets.
“We are incredibly proud to be leading the way on both a national and regional level and we hope that Delta Global will continue to climb the table in the years to come.”
As we continue to operate in the global market, we are dedicated to driving Delta Global’s reputation as a world-renowned brand in the luxury packaging space. Our recent rebrand will help us to continue pushing boundaries, always asking the question – “what’s next?”.


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Audi hires former LG marketer Dominic Chambers
Audi has hired former Vodafone and LG marketer Dominic Chambers as its new UK head of marketing.
Chambers, who left LG in at the end of last year, replaces Peter Duffy, who left the German automotive manufacturer in January to join easyJet as marketing director.
The role has been covered on an interim basis by former World Gold Council marketer Philip Olden, who is expected to leave the VW-owned marque as a result of the appointment.
Chambers left LG amid major changes at the Korean brand’s UK marketing team. Former UK group marketing director Paul Trueman recently joined MasterCard as head of marketing for the UK and Ireland, while Paul Meadows, head of brand at LG, also left the business.
Jeremy Hicks, director of Audi UK, said: "We have taken great care in making this crucial appointment that will take us into the next key phase of our development as a brand and an organisation."
Chambers said: "This is a tremendous opportunity to further develop the impressive and strong Audi brand, by deploying strategic communication campaigns."
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
- Media Planning Account Manager Lipton Fleming £30000 per annum, London
- Agency Account Executive - truly exciting multi-solution sell Ultimate Asset £35000 - £40000 per annum + Bonus + great benefits, West End
- Agency Group Head - exciting real-time social platform! Ultimate Asset £60000 - £70000 per annum + bonus, West End
- HEAD OF PROJECTS - DIGITAL AGENCY Live Recruitment Negotiable, City of London
- Ecommerce Content Manager - Travel brand - £40K + bonus Salt £38000 - £42000 per annum, London
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- Aston Martin appoints WPP to global marketing account
- Geometry Dubai hands over Cannes Grand Prix amid controversy


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Fiat, the small car brand of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU), has struggled with sales in the United States. Among the reasons, almost certainly, is that the brand gets poor marks in consumer automotive surveys. This continued as the brand was routed in the new J.D. Power 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study. It finished dead last among the 31 brands measured
J.D. Power uses a measure of problems per hundred vehicles. Data in the survey are for 2016 model vehicles that original buyers have owned for three years. A total of 32,952 people were questioned for the study over the period of October to December 2018. The industry average for the results was 136. Fiat scored 249, by far the worst score. The top brand, Lexus, had a score of 106.
Fiat posted poor sales for the full year 2018, down 41% to 15,521. This means Fiat dealers sold an average of only 43 cars per day nationwide.
|Model||2018 Sales||2017 Sales||Volume Change|
Fiat has done poorly in several surveys recently, including others from J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. As Ford and GM exit the small car segment of the U.S. market, it is a mystery why Fiat Chrysler has not done the same.
Other Fiat Chrysler brands did poorly in the survey. Dodge ranked fourth from the bottom with a score of 178. Ram, Fiat Chrysler’s truck division, ranked fifth from the bottom with a score of 171. Jeep ranked eighth from the bottom with a score of 167. Fiat Chrysler had a good year in terms of total vehicle sales in 2018, up 9% from 2017 to 2,235,204. The increase was well above the industry reading, which was up 0.3% to 17.27 million.


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“Underworld Gang Wars” or UGW, which revolves around the rivalry between two gangs, launched through India’s largest drone show designed for a game reveal
Mayhem Studios, India’s first studio for AAA games has announced its first title “Underworld Gang Wars” (UGW), a Battle Royale game set in India. With the characters and plot rooted in India, the game promises an exciting setting with some interesting characters inspired by stories of India.
The gameplay becomes intense in UGW as the underdog gang from the West wants to take control of the Eastern region from its arch-rival urban gang.
To provide an authentic experience, each region depicted in the game resembles a real location in India, be it the coal mines or the next-door apartment complex. It also has iconic landmarks including a fort, station, stadium and a racecourse.
— Mayhem Studios (@mayhem_studios) May 17, 2022
Scheduled to be launched later this year, the game’s pre-registration window will open from 22nd May.
Commenting on the announcement, Ojas Vipat, CEO of Mayhem Studios, said: “We are thrilled to come up with the first Battle Royale Title that promises to offer one of the most relatable storylines for gamers. UGW’s unique locations and the highly relatable universe with great graphics are sure to provide a great experience for Battle Royale players. We are also excited to put together a blockbuster game with some unique stories of India for the world.”
Mayhem Studios has conducted India’s biggest game reveal through a drone show at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Through this drone show, the studio revealed the game logo and also created a QR code that directed the onlookers to the game teaser. Here is the link to the game teaser.
The event was also attended by leading gaming influencers and enthusiasts like Tanmay Bhat, Mortal, Scout and Dynamo Gaming.


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MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
February 1-15, 2004 Edition
Penguin USA Poised
to Fill a Growing New
Market for Non-Fiction
NEW YORK, NY/2/1/04—The Penguin Group, second largest English-language publisher in the world, seems to be in the midst of reinventing its US affiliate, Penguin Group (USA), with a strong emphasis upon non-fiction lines. The naming last week of yet another new imprint at the U.S. group–the adult hardcover nonfiction imprint called Hudson Street Press—marks the fifth new nonfiction imprint introduced by the house within the past 18 to 24 months. A new children’s line also was been announced last year.
As the latest in a succession of new imprints, Hudson Street Press was founded in May 2003 by publisher Laureen Rowland and will release its first titles in Winter 2005, focusing on non-fiction categories such as narrative nonfiction, memoir, lifestyle, health/diet, women’s issues, popular history, biography, and science.
Ann Godoff’s new imprint, The Penguin Press, officially launched in April 2003 with the unprecedented acquisition of one of the largest and most prestigious lists of award-winning authors at one time—including 13 bestselling critically acclaimed authors for its debut list. The imprint will include an ambitious line of 50 American history books endorsed by a group of 12 prominent historians led by Arthur Schlesinger Jr. A majority of The Penguin Press trade paperback editions being published in 2004 will be overseen by Penguin Books, headed by Kathryn Court as president. Court reports to Susan Petersen Kennedy, president of Penguin Group (USA). Scott Moyers is editor of the history series, which is part of the Penguin History of American Life project..
Gotham Books was launched in August 2002 and published its inaugural list of seven hardcover titles and two trade paperback originals in Winter 2003. The imprint, with William Shinker as founder and publisher, offers a tightly focused list of high-quality commercial non-fiction with occasional fiction titles. The unit expects to turn about 35 titles per year, including 20 hardcovers and trade paperback originals, as well as reprints from its own repertoire.
Adrian Zackheim was hired away from HarperInformation in 2002 to launch two new nonfiction imprints. A business line, Portfolio, was launched at Penguin in September 2002, and a new conservative political imprint, recently named Sentinel, began in April 2003. Sentinel will release about four titles in 2004 and when fully mature, will produce 15 titles annually.
Razorbill, a new children’s imprint, was announced in 2003.
On naming Hudson Street Press, Laureen Rowland said, “Hudson Street, and the area where our offices now stand, boasts a long-standing a commitment to books and writing, as evidenced by the small presses and salons that flourished here in the early to mid-20th century. It is also an area known for individuality and creativity. As such, Hudson Street will endeavor to publish authors who bring a creative new perspective, or a distinctly unique voice, to some of the traditionally successful nonfiction categories, such as narrative nonfiction, memoir, lifestyle, health/diet, women’s issues, popular history, biography, and science. And, of course, I’m proud to build upon the long-established and successful roots that Penguin Group itself has laid here.”
When fully mature, Hudson Street Press will publish 30 hardcover non-fiction titles per year. Plume, one of Penguin Group’s longstanding trade paperback imprints, will publish Hudson Street Press’s titles in trade paperback.
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children’s trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Berkley Books, Dutton, Frederick Warne, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Grosset & Dunlap, New American Library, Penguin, The Penguin Press, Philomel, Plume, Puffin, Riverhead Books and Viking, among others. The Penguin Group is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.


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Netflix India’s director, films and licensing, Pratiksha Rao, has welcomed the competition in the country’s crowded streaming space.
Speaking at the Asia Video Industry Association’s Future of Video India conference on Friday, Rao was asked about competition, especially with rival Amazon Prime Video India announcing a massive 40-strong slate on Thursday and other players catering to the country’s heartlands.
Netflix India’s Pratiksha Rao Welcomes Competition in Crowded Market
“Competition is always great, it pushes us to do better. It also widens the market, widens the supply. It’s great for the creative community,” said Rao. “If you look at our slate right now, there is something for everyone. There are more and more films and series that we’re doing, which actually focus on lives across India. Not just the urban centers, but also the heartlands. And even on the regional language front, specifically the South Indian language front, we’ve already started some of our original slate.”
Rao cited the examples of Tamil-language titles “Jagame Thandhiram,” starring Dhanush, and Mani Ratnam’s “Navarasa” and Malayalam-language film “Minnal Murali,” starring Tovino Thomas, and said that while focused on the Indian market, they had considerable international viewership as well.
“Our aim is always to be more reflective of the market that we’re in. So while we are doing originals in those languages, we’re also licensing a lot from those languages. Whether it’s Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam. In fact, it’s very heartwarming when we premiere these films on digital after the theatrical release,” Rao said.
In Dec. 2021, the streamer drastically slashed subscription rates in India in order to appeal to a wider market. “We did a revision in our pricing to reach more audiences, become more accessible. So we brought in a more diverse set of audiences,” said Rao. “It also allows us to actually continue creating more diverse content, creating a wider range of content, to service those members.”


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Xterprise’s Clarity® Suite is already active in SML’s Corby, United Kingdom RFID Technology and Innovation Center, and will roll out in additional centers in the United States and Hong Kong later this year. Carrollton, TX (PRWEB) March 11, 2014 – Xterprise, the Texas-based item-level RFID solutions provider known for its Clarity® Item-Level RFID applications, has announced […]
Xterprise LLC, a subsidiary of SML Group, has seen its Clarity® solution suite successfully integrated with e-commerce systems, enabling hundreds of stores worldwide to offer click-and-collect services and ship-from-store fulfillment of online orders facilitated by the reliable and precise inventory accuracy RFID provides. With discussions around RFID and omnichannel fulfillment taking center-stage at this year’s NRF, brand owners […]
Specialist RFID solution provider and GS1 Business Alliance Partner RAMP RFID has announced the launch of the Clarity® Solution for item-level RFID to the Australian retail sector.
Xterprise (USA) L.L.C., a member of the SML Group and the RFID solutions arm of the company, announced today the bundling of its popular Clarity® RFID Item-Level software, RFID hardware, implementation and support services with SML’s extensive line of RFID-enabled tags. The company has begun offering what it calls Solution+Tag, or S+T, pricing to brand owners […]


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After 30 years, Microsoft's Paint gets a 3D lift.
Here are all the details from Microsoft's "Imagine What You'll Do" event on October 26.
With simulation playing a large role in designing cars, Swedish engineers are the first to make use of HoloLens augmented reality to interact with virtual parts.
The tech giant may soon launch a new collaborative chat service for businesses.
Also on the podcast, we discuss Friday's DDoS attacks that brought down the internet and Twitter's expected layoffs.
A new plan from Samsung attempts to retain customers. Meanwhile, a software update brings a much-touted feature to Apple's bigger phone.
Surface, an Echo-like home hub, and more software for HoloLens could be part of the surprises
Most experts say it's a matter of when, not if. Here's how to make sure the next outage doesn't totally wreck your day.
Following in the footsteps of other tech companies, Microsoft is adjusting prices to compensate for the drop in value of the British pound.
Technically Incorrect: Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he's had it with the tablet. Microsoft turns to its bench.
In this week's wrap-up, AT&T gobbles up a huge media powerhouse. Looking ahead, Apple will hold an event soon where it might introduce new hardware.
Microsoft says sales of its tablets surged 38 percent year over year in the company's first quarter.
Amazon Echo Dot is the future
The new and improved Echo Dot takes Amazon's best-in-class smart home speaker and wraps it in an ultra-affordable package. See why it earned our Editors' Choice award.


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There's about 160 million hectares of GM being grown around the world. There isn't a single piece of meat being served (in a typical London restaurant) where a bullock hasn't eaten some GM feed. So it's a complete nonsense. But, the humbug! You know, large amounts of GM products are used across Europe.
More top news
Drinking three to five cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of clogged arteries and thus heart attacks, a study has found.
There are five million British expats across the globe. Many have a vested interest in May's election and many still have the right to vote.
Abba's Bjorn Ulvaeus has a boyish enthusiasm for the cashless society - and he has a challenge for ITV News viewers.


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Nairobi, Kenya, September 10 – The coronavirus pandemic has presented the insurance industry with an opportunity to strengthen its relevance and vital purpose in society. At that critical moment, the insurance industry has realized the purpose of insurance by supporting affected individuals and businesses through expedited claims processing times, thereby positively impacting the rapid global economic recovery. I had to prove it. Especially when the crisis arrived, most insurance policies generally excluded the pandemic at this point. reward Basic.
Through coordinated efforts, the world’s pharmaceutical authorities have committed to the development and deployment of a Covid-19 vaccine, with the intention of containing the infection curve. It is worth noting that the restrictions on associations have generally been relaxed. Vaccine availability has acted as a catalyst to rebuild trust among people and businesses, fueling the economic recovery.
The expected recovery and additional innovative digital distribution channels will have a positive impact on insurers over time. As most insurers intend to leverage the post-pandemic period to innovate insurance solutions that resonate. However, a lot depends on how effectively the industry can adapt to new technologies and generational needs.
At a more fundamental level, there is also an emerging need to increase stakeholder trust in the insurance sector to increase retention and profitability. This could be achieved in part by increasing the transparency of how insurers collect and use personal data. Newly enacted data protection laws are paying special attention to how companies use and manage customer information.
In the post-pandemic era, insurers will more actively seek comprehensive solutions to solve social problems by reducing the economic impact of future pandemics and closing the coverage gap for natural catastrophes. became. At the same time, insurers must proactively communicate insurance issues frequently and consistently across multiple channels. This is because in a crisis like Covid-19, it’s hard to overestimate the value of communication.
Specialized niche insurance products are experiencing significant growth due to lessons learned during the pandemic. Many traditional products suffered significant setbacks as existing exclusions within policies had negative traction from customers, impacting the expanded business environment. For example, when it comes to travel insurance, the Black Swan Covid-19 crisis demonstrates the impact of large-scale disasters on international travel and business travel that has impacted multiple sectors.
The crisis has also accelerated the trend towards automation and digitization previously driven by changing demographics, customer expectations and competitive pressures. Customers now expect “the best digital experience” to be the norm, regardless of industry.
In other words, insurers are no longer competing against themselves, but against broader digital customer experience needs and product accessibility channels. With the existing broad digital competition in the market, customers are becoming increasingly informed and willing to reconsider their insurance options in rapid and unpredictable ways.
Customers forced to make other product purchases online have become increasingly accustomed to purchasing products online, even complex financial products. New or more digitally savvy customers are naturally drawn to companies that offer the best digital products. Transformation and increased usage in the financial services sector have played an equally big role in increasing the level of trust in financial products. Insurance included.
In my opinion, insurers could learn to take advantage of this post-pandemic period and, after reviewing the lessons learned, sought a more flexible, well-defined policy with minimal exclusions. It can shape the development of future products with coverage. Insurers should quickly consider supporting and implementing a system that digitally processes and distributes claims at the click of a button to increase customer trust and create a “wow” effect on the customer experience. .
Insurers must focus on meeting the needs of customers and stakeholders in the aftermath of the pandemic, but cannot afford to lose sight of long-term commercial opportunities and their role in fostering the broader economic recovery. I don `t go. This requires innovative insurers to create products that make sense for the general public. Mwananchi We provide an opportunity to access affordable insurance products. An example of a flexible and ideal product in today’s market is his Flexi Maisha Cover from Laser Insurance Brokers (LIB). This policy is generally aimed at small businesses and individuals who do not use traditional Group Life products, or individuals who are uneasy about years of monthly payments. Coverage terms are renewable annually and are packaged based on a flat coverage amount. The premiums paid are flexible and depend on the level of benefit chosen, eliminating the traditional requirement for a pre-insurance medical examination.
A proactive and decisive response from insurers could permanently reshape perceptions, solidify customer loyalty and build trust in the industry despite lingering concerns about the Covid-19 variant. increase. Digital accessibility of insurance products must be continually enhanced and encouraged.
Writer is the executive director of Laser Insurance Brokers (LIB).


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OfficeMax introduced a new format Friday at The Shops of Grand Avenue with a smaller footprint and an emphasis on integrating products and services specifically for small business owners.
The OfficeMax Business Solutions Center at the downtown Milwaukee mall is the first of its kind in the country. OfficeMax is evaluating other potential locations for the format in urban, business-dense areas, said Kristin Muntean, the retailer's vice president of innovation and strategic initiatives.
The company spent a year working on the new format, talking to 3,000 small business owners about their needs. The business owners were most concerned with business growth and marketing, keeping up with technology and staying organized, she said.
"What they were looking for was a fuller experience," she said.
The new store offers limited product lines targeted to small businesses, from laptop computers to office furniture to janitorial products. A digital kiosk allows customers to buy items not available in the store.
Service is a major focus of the format, with employee training boosted by 25 percent to learn about small-business needs, Muntean said. The store also employs a business solutions adviser that can customize plans for marketing, space planning, technology and other needs. Employees even can set customers up with websites.
"The heart of our store is our service area," she said.
The products and services revolve around five categories, Muntean said - marketing, web, information technology, printing and documents, and furniture. The store offers wireless Internet, a lounge area and a conference table.
The store occupies 8,000 square feet on the ground level of the mall on the western end, down from 15,000 square feet in the previous format.
The company chose downtown Milwaukee for its first store in this format because of its proximity to Chicago and focus on entrepreneurship, Muntean said.
About 4,000 businesses of 100 employees or fewer operate within a one-mile radius of the store. The recent announcement from Gov. Scott Walker and Mayor Tom Barrett about boosting entrepreneurship in the city also fits well with the new concept, she said.


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A federal court has granted the U.S. Department of Commerce’s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit aiming to block implementation of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, which will require importers to document the catch-to-table distribution chain. Alfa Int’l Seafood, Inc. v. Sullivan, No. 17-0031 (D.D.C., entered August 28, 2017). A group of seafood processing, distribution and retail companies argued that the agency violated federal law in promulgating the rule, alleging it was issued without proper authority or supporting evidence. Several environmental groups previously sought to intervene in the lawsuit to defend the rule, but the court denied their motion.
The court found for the defendants on all issues, finding that Commerce’s authority is broader than the plaintiffs asserted. The plaintiffs argued that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has exclusive regulatory authority over food labeling, but the court pointed to other relevant authorities that can affect labeling, including the trademark protections in the Lanham Act. The court further found sufficient evidence to support Commerce’s conclusions, including the identification of priority species and the determination of a compliance date. Accordingly, the court granted summary judgment to the defendant. The monitoring program is scheduled to launch on January 1, 2018.


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THE head of Coles says Australians are still paying too much for groceries, even as it posted a $1.5 billion full year profit.
A 13 per cent rise in earnings from Coles helped its parent company Wesfarmers grow its annual profit by six per cent to $2.26 billion.
Coles and hardware chain Bunnings were the strongest contributors to Wesfarmers' profit, but Target suffered a heavy fall in earnings, as did the company's coal mining operations.
Still, Wesfarmers managing director Richard Goyder is optimistic about the year ahead, forecasting further growth in most of its retail chains.
"There are challenging conditions in Target ... it's difficult to foresee how the resources business will perform, but we expect to see continued strong growth in Coles, continued strong growth in Bunnings and other retail businesses," Mr Goyder told reporters.
Coles' earnings and sales growth reflected a higher number of transactions, overcoming price deflation, which is mainly the result of discounting.
The supermarket chain's chief executive Ian McLeod indicated more discounting was possible.
"I'm still convinced that people in Australia are paying too much for some products that can be bought for less in other countries," Mr McLeod said.
"There are still certainly lots more opportunities in cost-of-doing-business."
Overall profit growth for Wesfarmers was weaker than analysts had expected, and Wesfarmers shares closed 67 cents, or 1.6 per cent, lower at $41.26.
Mr Goyder acknowledged that Target needed to change its fashion range to compete with Zara, Top Shop, Gap and online stores.
Target's 44 per cent fall in earnings was caused by lower prices, excess stock and increased costs.
IG market analyst Evan Lucas said Target's performance was a major concern for Wesfarmers, as a new management team took charge.
"How effective they will be remains to be seen as global apparel players such as Zara, Top Shop and H&M bite into the brand," he said.
Wesfarmers' coal division is also a concern due to falling commodity prices, and questions about a possible sell-off may soon be raised, Mr Lucas said.
The will deliver a $579 million Christmas present to shareholders via a 50 cent per share capital return, which will be paid in addition to its final dividend for the 2012/13 financial year of $1.03 per share.
Mr Goyder said the one-off payment was a result of a series of property spinoffs.
Originally published as Coles lifts Wesfarmers profit to $2.26b


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In the trade war between China and the United States, technological capability is one of many battlefronts. Most notably, Chinese smartphone and tech manufacturer Huawei was caught in the crossfire when the US government ordered American companies to discontinue business relations with the company for national security reasons. Businessman and professor James Jianzhang Liang explains what China needs to do to come out ahead in the global race for technological advancement.
The Trump administration’s ban on Huawei and other Chinese tech companies is part of a battle for technological advancement and innovative capacity.
Technology has become an increasingly significant battleground in the trade war between China and the United States. One tactic of US trade warfare was banning Chinese tech company Huawei from doing business in the United States. Experts have questioned the moral and legal legitimacy of the move, but they also disagree on whether the ban will cause harm to American companies and the US economy rather than protect them. The value of US technology stocks dipped in response.
Rather than retaliating in kind against US tech companies, the Chinese government reassured foreign companies in China that it will maintain a fair competitive business environment.
Market size, talent pool and information exchange are the keys to getting ahead of the pack in technology.
Both the United States and China are eyeing the top spot on the list of the most innovative countries with the best prospects for technological advancement. Essential factors are the size of your market...
Liang Jianzhang is a Chinese businessman and the chairman, former CEO and co-founder of Ctrip, a Chinese provider of travel services. He is also a part-time professor at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management.


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(Source: Business Mirror | November 14, 2018)
As online shopping in the Philippines continues to grow, Lazada, the No. 1 online shopping and selling destination in Southeast Asia, is encouraging more Filipino entrepreneurs, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to be more active instruments in the development of e-commerce in the country.
Lazada Philippines chief executive officer for logistics Juan Pavez Spencer, said it is important that SMEs navigate through e-commerce to get a bigger share in the market.
“SMEs need help to be onboard and scale up quickly. [And] Lazada empowers and educates sellers, and helps them to grow their business online. Lazada is empowering and extending the reach of entrepreneurs and big brands with its expansive ecosystem of warehouses and logistics partners,” Spencer said.
Spencer said SMEs must harness the advantages offered by online shopping, especially for consumers living in Metro Manila who regularly experience the horrendous road traffic situation.
“Online shopping allows Filipinos to enjoy the convenience of browsing through millions of products at their fingertips and receiving their purchase right at their doorstep without enduring the heavy traffic and crowded malls during the Christmas rush,” he said.
The Philippines has 47 million e-commerce users in 2018, posting a 4-percent year-on-year increase. On the same year, commerce in the Philippines reached $6 billion in transaction value, posting a 17-percent year-on-year surge.
“We can expect an exponential growth in the next three years. We also see e-commerce to grow 6 percent to 7 percent in the next three years,” Spencer said.
As part of their expansion, Spencer said, Lazada storage facilities, which the company calls fifth-generation facilities, have a double capacity compared to the current storage facilities. “It will not only have a double capacity but will it will be equipped with the latest technologies and equipment,” he said.
Read More: Here


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- Pete Davidson is OK and at work following alarming Instagram post Saturday 7:26 PM
- Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker doesn’t know how to use a Venn diagram Saturday 5:38 PM
- This college student made a movie trailer to tease her boyfriend, and Twitter can’t get enough (updated) Saturday 3:13 PM
- ‘Kappa Delta Crypto’ aims to break stereotypes in five-minute Snapchat episodes Saturday 2:29 PM
- Two iPhone X customers are suing Apple over screen size Saturday 1:18 PM
- Secretary Ryan Zinke is out at the Department of the Interior Saturday 12:03 PM
- How to watch the New Orleans Bowl online for free Saturday 10:25 AM
- Prada’s racist toys pulled from shelves after social media backlash (updated) Saturday 10:22 AM
- How to watch the Camellia Bowl online for free Saturday 10:00 AM
- How to watch the Las Vegas Bowl online for free Saturday 8:30 AM
- How to watch Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano online for free Saturday 7:30 AM
- ‘Runaways’ season 2 expands its universe and mysteries Saturday 7:30 AM
- How to watch the Cure Bowl online for free Saturday 7:05 AM
- How to watch Canelo Alvarez vs. Rocky Fielding for free Saturday 7:00 AM
- Politicians who inspired the internet in 2018 Saturday 6:30 AM
A brand new Pokémon game comes to your smartphone.
After the success of Pokémon Go, another Pokémon game has been released for iOS and Android devices internationally today. Pokémon Duel, developed by the Pokémon company and HEROZ, was originally released last year as Pokémon Comaster in Japan.
Duel plays like a digital board game, as players guide individual characters to move around and battle other Pokémon. The team of six monsters you send into battle will need to simultaneously protect your side of the board and attack the opponent. Get a brief introduction to the game with the video below.
While the app is free to download, it supports in-app purchases that provide new Pokémon and various items. Players can duel online or playthrough matches against the computer.
Pokémon Duel isn’t likely to have the explosive success of Pokémon Go thanks to its absent marketing and surprise release, but new players may come online in the next few days.
AJ Moser is a Brooklyn-based reporter who focuses on video games, movies, and internet culture. His work has appeared in Paste Magazine, Game Informer, and Big Spaceship.


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Sport-locker.net unveil the Neymar Jr. Nike Hypervenom Liquid Diamond football boot!
Sport-locker.net review the Nike Hypervenom football boot.
A pair of Nike Hypervenom football boots arrive at Sport-locker.net towers!
Sport-locker.net reveal the new Nike Hi-Vis collection – which features new colourways for the Nike Hypervenom, Mercurial IX, CTR360 and Tiempo IV boots.
Sport-locker.net bring you the news of Zlatan Ibrahimovic debuting the new flash lime Nike Hypervenom football boot.
Sport-locker.net bring you the news that Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke attend the Nike Hypervenom London Knockout event.
Sport-locker.net bring you the launch of the new Nike Hypervenom – a new football boot for a new breed of player.


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Amazon India on Monday collaborated with accelerator HAX and crowd-funding group Kickstarter to announce Startup C-Cube – a multi-level problem for the startups that can start in Bengaluru on December five.
“We are happy to bring Kickstarter and HAX to give Indian startups an opportunity to get their ideas noticed at the global stage and arm them with resources to convert these into real business opportunities,” stated Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Category Management, Amazon India, in a commentary.
The transfer is predicted to deliver corporations in combination to paintings against construction the product startup ecosystem.
The announcement marks the primary anniversary of Amazon’s flagship programme Launchpad.
“In the past one year, we have been overwhelmed by the response that Amazon ‘Launchpad’ has received from the start-up ecosystem in India. Business growth of some of the startups on Amazon ‘Launchpad’ has elicited interest from VCs as well as other funding agencies in the last one year,” Tiwary added.


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A logo of a mother cat carrying a kitten by the neck with its mouth is supposed to symbolize the level of customer care and service offered by Yamato, Japan’s largest home-delivery company. According to its founder in 1919, “service first, profit after” was the company’s guiding principle (link in Japanese).
Yamato’s black-and-yellow logo is ubiquitous across Japan, as customers use the company to deliver same-day grocery orders, luggage to the airport ahead of a flight, or equipment to a music festival. The company’s 60,000 workers delivered 1.87 billion packages in the fiscal year ended March; 3.9 billion packages (paywall) were delivered in Japan in total last year. In addition, re-deliveries due to customer absence are free of charge in Japan—some 20% of packages (paywall) in Japan in 2015 were re-deliveries, according to government estimates. (Leaving parcels unattended outside someone’s door is a no-no in Japan.)
But in today’s Japan, faced with a shrinking labor force and an insatiable demand for convenience and ever-faster deliveries, that level of service isn’t possible without something having to give. That’s particularly hard in a culture that prides itself on its level of service, and one where workers don’t usually speak up to managers about hardships, let alone ask for raises—and as a viral video last year of a delivery worker for Yamato’s rival Sagawa Express taking out his anger on a bunch of parcels shows, many employees are already at a breaking point.
Hiring more workers isn’t the immediately obvious solution, as Japan faces its tightest labor market in over four decades (paywall). In any case, delivery companies are hardly the employer of choice for Japanese people at the moment, given the government’s crackdown against companies that violate labor laws—Yamato recently reported a loss for the second-straight quarter because of charges for unpaid overtime.
Nor is raising the cost to consumers an easy task. Price increases aren’t only a potential affront to cultural practices, but a shock to the system (paywall) in a country long accustomed to deflation.
“There is a deep-rooted belief in Japan that when consumers purchase a product, they can expect any associated services to be free,” wrote Ogawa Kosuke, a professor at the Hosei Business School of Innovation Management in Tokyo, in May. “The delivery crisis is sparking a forward-looking discussion in Japan on whether the time has come to curtail excessive service.”
Yamato, and consumers, are changing their practices and expectations. After discussion with the union (paywall) in March, Yamato said it would do away with the noon to 2pm delivery window for its workers to allow them a proper lunch break and bring forward the re-delivery deadline by an hour to 7pm. In April, Yamato said it would stop making same-day deliveries for Amazon. Amazon, which is now using its own logistics network for deliveries, charges an extra fee for same-day grocery deliveries in parts of Tokyo.
“[It] is possible to change the way one works without discarding the customer-first principle, and it can also lead to more polished service,” wrote Yoshie Komuro, CEO of a consultancy called Work-Life Balance, citing an apparel retailer in Japan that recently tried to reform its work culture.
To ease the burden on delivery companies and reduce the waste in manpower and energy from missed deliveries, the government is also subsidizing the installation (paywall) of delivery lockers being installed around Japan, and delivery workers are increasingly partnering with (paywall) Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores to facilitate pick-ups.
But Yamato finally bit the bullet and announced in April that it would raise its prices starting in October for basic shipping for the first time in 27 years, from ¥140 ($1.30) to ¥180. Sagawa Express will follow suit (paywall) in November. But Yamato didn’t do so without a demonstration of deep contrition—it took out a full-page ad in a Japanese newspaper explaining in detail the reasons behind the price increase, and asked customers for their understanding and cooperation.


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DENVER Maui Wowi Hawaiian, the Denver-based franchisor of more than 500 juice bar shops, recently announced that it would expand overseas after signing its first international master franchise agreement with a Singapore-based franchisee.
CSK Franchise Pte. Ltd., lead by Kevin Chang, will have the rights to sell Maui Wowi Hawaiian licenses throughout Singapore, an island nation of 4.5 million people. The first store is slated to open in February. Local consultant T.K. Lee of Asia Franchise Networks will assist CSK Franchise in selecting sub-franchises.
In addition to Hawaiian blended coffee beverages and fruit smoothies, Maui Wowi also sells Hawaiian snacks and gourmet items.


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Tesla moves closer to opening plant
DOWNEY - Although Tesla Motors has not publicly confirmed plans to settle in Downey, the electric car company moved one step closer to completing all city pre-requisites last week after submitting an entitlement application to ensure its use of the former NASA property."The city of Downey is extremely pleased to be able to begin the official review process for Tesla Motors," said Mayor Anne Bayer in a press release. "Although a lot of work and a few approvals still stand between now and the first electric car being built on the site, having city staff officially working on the project is a major step forward." The planning application submitted by Tesla and the property owner, Industrial Realty Group, allows city staff to review Tesla's proposed 57-acre assembly plant while determining whether the facility is in compliance with the Downey Landing Specific Plan. According to the application, Tesla and IRG request that the city approve a subdivision of the property. While the proposed subdivision must be approved by the Planning Commission, city staff will determine whether the plant meets city standards. City officials believe the proposed use is allowed under the current specific plan for the property and estimate that both the subdivision and determination will occur within six to eight weeks. Even though the entitlement application moves the process forward, Assistant City Manager Gilbert Livas confirms that nothing is solidified yet. "Is it the final step - no, but it is a step in the right direction," said Livas over the phone. "I'd love to report that there's more, but there isn't as of now - each step is a step closer." Upon hearing of the submitted application, Rep. Lucile Roybal-Allard praised the city and Tesla for moving forward with plans to bring its plant to this district. "I commend Tesla Motors on its decision to build its state-of-the-art electric vehicle assembly plant in Downey," said Roybal-Allard. "I look forward to the day when the plant's 1,200 new high tech jobs become available to area residents." Last year, the City Council approved an $8.9 million deal to pave the way for Tesla Motors by granting IRG several economic development incentives to facilitate an assembly plant on the site. Once approved by the U.S. Department of Energy, Tesla will utilize nearly $365 million in low-interest loans from the federal government to manufacture and assembly the Model S, an electric, family sedan that can travel up to 300 miles per charge.
********** Published: January 22, 2010 - Volume 8 - Issue 40