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Chairman Carper’s Opening Remarks: Finance Trade Subcommittee Hearing on the Digital Economy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) today held a hearing as Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness to explore opportunities and challenges for trade policy in the digital economy.
Below is the opening statement of Chairman Carper, as prepared for delivery:
“Good afternoon. It’s my pleasure to call this hearing before the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness to order. Thank you to our witnesses for joining us to testify today. And I want to say a special thank you to our subcommittee’s Ranking Member, Senator Cornyn—as well as Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo, and their teams—for working with both Senator Cornyn’s and my staff to plan this hearing on digital trade.
“Today’s hearing will offer an opportunity for us to answer three central questions: First: what is digital trade, anyway? Second: why is it important to Americans? And finally: how can we work with our allies to strengthen our ever-changing digital economy? Today’s hearing will also be the first Senate hearing in this Congress to specifically explore the importance of digital trade. I’m glad we can take this dedicated time, in a bipartisan way, to dive into this critical issue with leading experts across our nation.
“When I first started learning about digital trade, I quickly discovered it is necessary for us to better understand and appreciate how digital technologies and the internet have transformed our economy. I’d like to take just a couple of moments to talk about this through an example that we have all come to know very well: smartphones.
“Smartphones are everywhere in our society—nearly everyone I know has one, and it’s almost impossible to imagine our lives today without them. We use them for everything: from checking work e-mails to logging into a Zoom meeting to purchasing goods from halfway around the world. Whether you’re booking a hotel in Dover, Delaware or Dover, England—smartphones have made our lives more accessible to just about everything.
“These are just a few examples in our daily lives that show how digital connectivity makes it easier, faster, and less expensive to trade goods and services across the globe. And this is all made possible because the Internet has made it easier for us to share information and data without geographic barriers. Without these tangible barriers, digital innovation has revolutionized nearly every industry across our economy, ranging from manufacturing to agriculture to financial services to e-commerce—you name it!
“As a result, trading goods and services, with a lot of help from the Internet, has exploded in recent years. Just look at the numbers: from 2005 to 2019, real value added for the U.S. digital economy grew at an average annual rate of over 5 percent per year, outpacing the 2 percent growth in the overall economy each year. And the pandemic has spurred digital growth even more, with people staying home and turning to the Internet to access medical services, stream their favorite movie, or book that next vacation in the First State, another state, or around the globe.
“And this growth isn’t just benefiting consumers—it’s also spurring job creation and enabling small businesses to thrive. With the digital economy, a small business that sells jewelry in Delaware or Texas can now sell their products to anyone, anywhere in the world with ease.
“However, it’s critical that as we examine the importance of digital trade for our economy, we must also acknowledge how digital technologies affect our national security. Right now, we are witnessing a global battle over the values that govern the digital economy. Foreign adversaries like China are using digital technologies to advance authoritarianism and crack down on freedom of speech and human rights. They are working overtime to shape the digital economy in a way that threatens our democratic values and jeopardizes our national security.
“Yet as Albert Einstein once said, ‘in adversity lies opportunity.’ And that’s exactly what we have before us today: a real opportunity to set rules of the road for digital trade that reflect our values. Those words were true then, and are even truer today. So far, the U.S. has taken a leadership role through negotiating ambitious digital rules in the USMCA agreement with Canada and Mexico and through digital trade cooperation with Japan—but that’s not enough. Our work cannot stop there.
“That’s why this past July, my staff and I worked closely with Senator Young and his staff and other members of this committee to introduce a bipartisan, bicameral resolution advocating for the United States to work with our allies across the globe to establish forward-looking global digital trade policies.
“I’m also eager to work with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and the Biden Administration to make progress on these important issues as they negotiate the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and other economic engagements related to digital trade.
“In that spirit, today I look forward to hearing from our esteemed panel of witnesses to pull back the curtain on the importance of digital trade and how we can work with our allies to advance thoughtful digital trade policies. And with that, I’d like to turn it over to Senator Cornyn for his opening statement—thank you.”


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Carrefour SA has failed to find buyers for 227 of the 273 stores of the Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación SA (DIA) chain that it had put up for sale, according to media reports on May 21st citing a spokesman from the French company. The retailer had earmarked these under-performing stores either for sale or closure, after it acquired over 800 French stores from Spain's DIA in 2014. Carrefour may now be forced to shut down these stores after June 4th.
The move will reportedly put about 2,100 jobs at risk. Carrefour will seek to place the affected employees at its other stores. These employees will also receive offers from companies other than Carrefour, according to the company spokesman.
Depreciation of assets of the former DIA stores contributed to a €1.3bn (US$1.5bn) charge that Carrefour incurred in 2017. This pushed it to a loss of €531m for the year ended December 31st 2017, compared with a profit of €746m a year earlier.
The plan to sell these underperforming stores forms part of a restructuring initiative being implemented by Carrefour's chief executive, Alexandre Bompard. The company is boosting its e-commerce operations, cutting jobs and looking to increase food sales, in order to save €2bn in costs by 2020.
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit

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Social Media Marketing World is becoming the annual conference to attend for marketers from around the world. The event is held in San Diego, California every spring. This year, the 4th annual meeting saw over 3000 attendees from 55 different countries.
There were several big topics. During his closing keynote address, Mark Schaefer talked about the content shock that is happening on the internet today. It is expected to grow by 500 percent by 2020, which presents a real problem for marketers: How do businesses get noticed will all the stuff out there?
To get noticed, Schaefer suggested creating great content and being more human.
Live streaming video was again a major topic at the conference. Last year, it was Meerkat and Periscope. This year, Meerkat has faded from view, Periscope is still around, and Facebook Live is coming on strong. This trend only appears to be growing as 73% of marketers who were recently surveyed report that they plan to increase the amount of video in their marketing strategies this year.
Facebook ads was also another hot topic at the conference. The social site picked up 505 more advertisers in the last twelve months. In fact, Andrea Vahl's Facebook Ads session was standing room only. Her presentations was slotted during the last session time on the last day of the conference, a time when most people leave these events early. It speaks to Andrea's popularity and that of her topic.
The mobile app Snapchat has also come on big this year. Once thought to be just a knock-off way for kids to share photos, this service is delivering some big numbers. consider this: in May 2015, the average number of video views was 2 billion per day. This year, in February, that number grew to 6 billion per day! That much video content being viewed has to be attractive to marketers looking to reach this young demographic.


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A study from the University of Utah released today shows that the State of Utah spent $46 million less over five years by delivering services online than it would have by providing the same services “offline”—through government offices, by phone or mail.
The study was conducted by the U’s Center for Public Policy & Administration for NIC, Inc., a company that provides online services for governments nation-wide, including Utah.
“Utah is among the most-wired states and our tech-savvy citizens increasingly demand state service online,” says Mark VanOrden, chief information officer and executive director of the Utah Department of Technology Services. “We’ve responded with over 1,000 online services. Registering a new business or renewing a car registration is not just easier and more convenient for our consumers, it also saves money for the state. This study shows that making the state’s services available online is just smart business.”
The study was designed to quantify the financial benefit of delivering services online and used cost avoidance as the measurement. Cost avoidance is the difference between the costs of providing a service online and the costs for providing the same service through offline means. Data were available for researchers to evaluate costs for a number of high-demand services over a five-year period between fiscal years 2007 and 2011. The average cost per transaction for providing a service online was $13.20 lower than the offline costs. When multiplied by the number of online transactions for the services studied, the state saved $46 million by offering an online option for its users.
“Considering the hundreds of services the state offers online, this is an impressive finding,” says Jennifer Robinson, director of the center that conducted the analysis. “In addition, because taxpayer dollars are not used to build or maintain the site, that provides further cost efficiencies.”
The state uses a “self-funded” model to provide services online. Utah agencies work with an independent contractor that incurs the direct costs for building, managing and maintaining the Utah.gov portal. While some services require modest user or transaction fees to cover expenses to operate the site, other services, such as voter registration, are offered free of charge. This model allows the state to offer a growing number of services online without upfront investment of taxpayer dollars.
“We found that by relying on the self-funded model, the state saved an additional $15 million in costs,” concludes Robinson.
This is the first of a series of studies designed to compare offline and online service delivery. Another survey of customer satisfaction is planned for the spring.
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY & ADMINISTRATION
The Center for Public Policy & Administration at The University of Utah is home to vibrant education programs and top-quality research. The Center’s professional staff works with governments, nonprofits and businesses to examine and solve real-world problems. Coupled with extensive research, the Center’s two graduate degree programs – Masters of Public Policy and Masters of International Affairs and Global Enterprise – provide a stimulating intellectual environment to prepare students for a variety of positions in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. More about the Center is available online at http://cppa.utah.edu.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH:
The University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Range, is the flagship institution of higher learning in Utah. Founded in 1850, it serves more than 31,000 students from across the United States and the world. With more than 72 major subjects at the undergraduate level and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level, including law and medicine, the university prepares students to live and compete in the global workplace. Learn more about all the U has to offer online at http://www.utah.edu.


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Pricing for Netflix's 4K Premium tier has gone up, but so has the HDR video quality according to a Netflix tech blog post.
Roku’s new software update that aims to make movie and TV show recommendations smarter and cleaner is already available in the US, and is coming to other countries including the UK.
LG's 2024 OLED TVs are expected to be launched in January, and details have already begun to leak
Premium headphones, a fresh Roam, a Roku/Apple TV-type set-top box and now, a high-end soundbar all tipped for 2024.
The LG StanbyME is an intriguing TV that no doubt has multiple purposes, but £1,199 / $999 for a 27-inch HD TV is a staggeringly high price
These cheap soundbar deals prove that you don't need to spend a fortune on spectacular, room-filling sound.
Sign up for Black Friday email alerts!
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.


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HID Global has introduced a software developer kit (SDK) for developers to create apps that make use of the company’s Trusted Tag Services platform, launched in October 2012. “We invite partners to join HID Global in developing new and exciting NFC applications that offer convenient solutions for brand protection and document validation, secure data logging and enabling trusted actions, while providing a platform for managing the future internet of things,” says HID’s Mark Robinton.
- Optus expands NFC payments to prepaid customers
- ICICI Bank launches mVisa mobile payments
- Barclays to support Apple Pay from early 2016?
- Starbucks, KFC and Chili’s to support Apple Pay
- Tangerine tests facial recognition


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Western Union Financial Services, Inc., a subsidiary of First Data Corp., and Publix Super Markets, Inc., one of the nation’s top 10 supermarkets, announced they have signed a multi-year agreement to offer the Western Union Money Transfer service at the nearly 650 Publix locations throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The addition of these locations significantly expands Western Union’s presence throughout the Southeastern United States.
! The five-year agreement comes on the heels of a successful pilot program in 16 Publix store locations in Atlanta and Miami. Publix, which had not previously offered money transfer services, received excellent customer response to the pilot and will be rolling out the Western Union Money Transfer service at the rest of its locations over the next several months.
“Publix has always sought to provide our customers with a premier shopping experience. That means supplying products and services of the highest quality and value,” says Publix spokesperson Lee Brunson. “The positive response to our pilot program tells us that our customers find money transfer a significant added value and that Western Union is a name they know and trust.”
“The addition of Publix to the Western Union agent network will provide customers with even more convenient locations to conduct money transfers,” said Mike Yerington, president, Western Union North America. “This partnership is a definite win-win proposition. Western Union services have the proven ability to attract repeat customers, giving Publix an opportunity to increase store traffic, and the addition of nearly 650 premium locations will significantly grow our agent network in the Southeast.”
About Western Union
Western Union Financial Services, Inc., a subsidiary of First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC), is a worldwide leader in consumer money transfer services. Consumers can quickly, safely and reliably transfer money at approximately 101,000 agent locations in more than 185 countries and territories using the Western Union and Orlandi Valuta money transfer networks. Famous for its pioneering telegraph service, the original Western Union dates back to 1851 and introduced electronic money transfer service in 1871. Western Union is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2001. For more information, please visit the company’s Web site at [http://www.westernunion.com].
About First Data Corp.
Atlanta-based First Data Corp. is a global leader in electronic commerce and payment services. Serving more than two million merchant locations, more than 1,400 card issuers and millions of consumers, First Data makes it easier, faster and more secure for people and businesses to buy goods and services, using virtually any form of payment: credit, debit, stored-value card or check at the point-of-sale, over the Internet or by money transfer. For more information, please visit the company’s Web site at [http://www.firstdata.com].
About Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Publix is the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the country, with 2000 sales of $14.6 billion. Currently Publix has 648 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. It has been named one of America’s top 10 places to work in the book, “The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America,” as well as one of the top companies in Fortune’s recent list of best workplaces. For more information, please visit the company’s Web site at [http://www.Publix.com].


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Don't miss the latest stories
Award-Winning Watch That Displays Time In An Hourglass Is Your Next Arm-Candy
By Izza Sofia, 17 Sep 2018
Brooklyn-based studio Anton & Irene’s ‘NU:RO’ watch is finally available to purchase.
This first analog addition to its portfolio was made by Anton Repponen and Irene Pereyra, both of who are specialized in digital experiences and have worked with top brands such as Balenciaga and Spotify.
The watch, previously called ‘OZO’, was developed eight years ago and its prototype won a Red Dot award for ‘Best Concept’. The watch features two dials—the hours are placed at the top while minutes are featured below—and a cool hourglass icon in the middle.
The time is displayed in the hourglass when the dials rotate. There will only be a limited 500 watches released to the public so that “owning one would feel more special,” according to Repponen.
Those interested can purchase ‘NU:RO’ on Kickstarter where they will be available for sale until 10 October. You can choose between white or black leather and stainless steel mesh straps. Backers who pledge US$100 or more will also received a ‘NU:RO’ poster.
[via CreativeBloq, images via Kickstarter]
More related news
Also check out these recent news


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World Oceans Day 2018
Happy World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day has been celebrated unofficially since its original proposal in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada.
This is a good time to celebrate the sea and acknowledge the efforts that some cruise lines are taking to help steward the sea. From new engine design innovations to maximize efficiency to Hurtigruten’s ban on single-use plastic by this summer, the cruise industry is trying to do their share.
Norwegian Bliss’s hull was painted by Wyland and the piece is called “Cruising with the Whales.”


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VC Backed Baby Food Company Yumi Launches
Yumi, a new venture backed nutrition and wellness brand for babies announced their launch in California. The science-based early childhood meal service delivers fresh, organic meals to your doorstep, providing the most convenient and healthy option in the market today. “We set out to create the ultimate ‘worry-free’ baby food, and our mission is to empower parents with better choices and trustworthy information” — Evelyn Rusli, Co-Founder. Yumi received venture backing from August Capital, Brand Foundry, NEA, Cross Culture Ventures and several prominent angel investors. Read the VC Marketplace piece.


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Please select a Make and Model
New iOS 12 Features
By Harry Brown |
8th June, 2018 |
Operating software seems to be constantly updated and the key players have fallen into the routine of rolling out a new software update every year, often to coincide with the launch of their latest flagship devices.
If you’re an Apple fanatic, you may not have thought much about the upcoming iOS 12 off the back of the Apple WWDC 2018 keynote, which seemed to whip through iOS 12. This may have been particularly frustrating given how buggy iOS 11 has been.
However, it seems there is a lot more to iOS 12 than you may have thought. Sure, it won’t be Apple’s biggest software update but, as Tech Radar notes, it makes it clear that the tech giant is working hard to make the operating system reliable and competitive with Google’s Android P.
Tech Radar has outlined some of the best iOS 12 features:
Use HomePod or Apple Watch to answer calls and chat
Apple announced that FaceTime would be getting group chats and now you’ll be able to join those calls (audio-only though) via your HomePod or Apple Watch, meaning you won’t always need your phone on you to join a chat.
iPhone X gestures coming to iPad
Just like you can with the iPhone X, iPad users will also now be able to get to the home screen by swiping up from the bottom of the screen – although it remains unclear whether users will also be able to jump between apps in the same way.
Access to the Control Centre will also be achievable by pulling down from the top right-hand corner.
Better QR reader
Many Apple users have struggled over the years when it comes to using a QR code on an Apple device but the tech giant has finally taken steps to make scanning easier. Now the camera will automatically pick up a QR code.
In its keynote, Apple talked a lot about how it would be encouraging users to spend less time on their phone. However, the iOS 12 critical alerts feature will ensure that users do not miss urgent messages by breaking through the Do Not Disturb barrier.
Easier photo search
Google Photos provides users with an easy way of searching for photos and it seems Apple is keen to bring that to iOS users. While the tech giant hasn’t gone into details explaining how it will identify photos, it did reveal that iOS 12 would enable users to search for a photo using an event, such as ‘Barcelona’, as an umbrella term.
Siri gets smarter
Siri is about to get a lot smarter and will be able to provide motorsport information, offer an additional 40 language pairs, have better food knowledge, and even remember your passwords. Although we’ll have to wait and see if people find the password knowledge a step too far…
When you can get iOS 12
The developer beta for iOS 12, available for paid Apple Developers, became available on 4 June. Based on the launch of the iOS 11 public beta, it is assumed the beta will go open to the public on 26 June. Meanwhile, all other iOS users will presumably have to wait until September to access the final iOS 12 software, which will likely launch with this year’s iPhones.


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A Samsung Note 7 smartphone exploded in a Brooklyn child’s hands over the weekend, leaving him with burn injuries and a fear of other electronic devices.
According to the New York Post, the 6-year-old boy was using one of Samsung’s recalled Note 7 phones at his East Flatbush home Saturday, Sept. 10, when it exploded and caught fire.
“The child was watching videos on the phone when the battery exploded,” Linda Lewis, the boy’s grandmother, told the New York Post, adding that the incident set off the smoke alarms in her house.
The family called 911 around 8 p.m. Saturday night and the boy was rushed to Downstate Medical Center with burns on his hand and body.
The boy’s family has been in contact with Samsung about the incident, but family members declined to comment any further. The boy was treated for his injuries and is now at home.
Although there have been dozens of reports of Samsung’s newly released Note 7 smartphones exploding and bursting into flames, the Brooklyn boy could be the first person with serious injury reported in connection with the devices.
Samsung recalled all of its Note 7 phones Sept. 2 as reports of explosions and fires mounted. The device had been on the market just two weeks when the Korean electronics manufacturer issued the recall of the 2.5 million devices it had sold.
Tech analyst Rob Enderle told USA Today that the Note 7 problems may be irreparable. “There is no way to recover this version of the phone … Samsung has a huge black eye,” he said, adding that Samsung “might be forced to ‘kill’ the Note 7, and skip to the next version, Note 8” according to USA Today.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission last week warned the public to stop using and charging the phones. The Federal Aviation Administration also advised air travelers to refrain from turn on or charging the phones and to avoid stowing the devices in checked luggage.


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HK Vs JER | Match 26 Oct 23, 2019
JER 134/6 (19.4)
Latest News on Airpods
Showing of 0 - 10 from 71 results
Airpods - Total results - 71
Oct 21, 2019
Apple AirPods Pro to launch by end of this month, may cost $260: ReportThe rumoured AirPods Pro have also been leaked with a silicone tip to create a proper seal with your ear.
Oct 03, 2019
AirPods with noise-cancellation could be imminent as per a leaked image in iOS 13.2 betaiOS 13.2 contains references to a "focus mode" which could be Apple's feature for noise cancellation.
Oct 01, 2019
Huawei's next-gen Kirin 1000 to be reportedly be a 5nm chipset, could debut on the Mate 40-seriesKirin 1000 series will quite likely be made using a 5 nm processing technique that would use A77 architecture cores.
Aug 30, 2019
Hearables market grows 56 percent in Q2 2019, AirPods market share declinesXiaomi and Beats have both been prominent members in Q2 with the launch of the Mi AirDots and the PowerBeats Pro.
Aug 28, 2019
Apple releases iOS 13.1 beta update with Shortcut Automations, Shared ETA and moreApple has never released a point update for a software upgrade that hasn't officially been released.
Aug 27, 2019
Apple iOS 12.4.1, watchOS 5.3.1, macOS 10.14.6 released: Here's what's newApple has given three minor updates in macOS that focus on fixing bugs and improving performance.
Aug 23, 2019
Apple's 2019 iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, AirPods and HomePods detailed in extensive leakiPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Max Pro, iPad Pro 11, iPad Pro 12.9, iPad 10.5, etc.
Aug 16, 2019
Smart clothing can boost wearable tech connectivity by 1000 timesThe invention called "metamaterial" allows radio waves like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to glide across clothing.
Aug 06, 2019
Apple will absorb additional tariffs resulting from US-China trade war: AnalystAccording to Kuo, Apple’s production facilities outside China will meed demand for iPhones
Jun 20, 2019
Apple might move production from China to Southeast Asia, India one of the favoritesChina is a key market for both production & sales but there is increasing tension between the two countries.


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Shoppers Look for Connected TVs When Buying a New Set, Says Study
Are shoppers catching onto connected TVs? A report created by the Council for Research Excellence (CRE) says yes. After tracking 100 and 50 Chicago area households in two separate studies, the CRE found that the majority of shoppers preferred connected TVs (the findings don't include percentages). This could show a change in consumer behavior, as buyers have previously shown a preference for set-top boxes, which are inexpensive and easier to replace than a television.
It's access to content that drives TV purchase decisions, the report says, with shoppers preferring sets that can stream online programs and movies. Regardless of demographic or technographic differences, all study participants looked for ways to stream online content.
The CRE found that family, friends, children, and "boomerang" adults (who have returned to live with parents) all influences the TV-buying decision. Families are more likely to watch TV together early on weeknights, the study found. Between 9PM and 10PM, family members are more likely to watch video on their laptops in their own rooms.
“We learned that consumers want to watch content on the best available screen -- typically the screen known as the ‘TV’ most often found in the living room,” says Bryon Schafer, chair of the CRE’s Digital Research Committee and senior vice president at Warner Bros. Media Research & Insights. “We also learned that kids in many ways are the gatekeepers due to their ability to grasp and advocate new viewing technologies.”
The CRE is an independent research group funded by Nielsen.
For consumers to finally embrace all that smart TVs can offer, operators must offer the kind of functionality, ease of use, and frequent updates that are only achievable via cloud-based services
Different encoding profiles and color issues mean that today's UHD sets won't play tomorrow's content. Buyers, avoid a costly mistake.
When people think of TV Everywhere, they think of streaming to mobile devices. But the apps are actually being used more on home televisions, says Roku.


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Integral Ad Science’s latest research found that mobile ad context increases memorability up to 40%.
For The Context Effect study, the digital ad tech company monitored the brain activity of 60 US consumers with Neuro Insight’s Steady State Topography (SST) technology to understand how likely they are to remember contextually matched ads.
The study found that endemically matched ads, the ads that match with the content, generate 23% higher memorability compared to unmatched ads.
In addition, when thematic ads, ads that are focused on emotional memory, are shown within articles with a matching context, they drive 40% higher global memory compared to those that don’t match.
The study also found that informational ads drive a 36% increase in detail memory when they match with the key message of an article.
Additionally, 63% of the participants said that the ads shown to them were not disruptive or distractive, while only 36% said they didn’t read them and scrolled down right away.
Earlier in July, Integral Ad Science raised $270 million in its US IPO. Last month, the company announced the acquisition of CTV ad platform Publica for $220 million.


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Tampa Police are investigating a robbery where masked men made off with approximately $250,000 worth of jewelry, according to a search warrant obtained by ABC Action News.
The robbery happened on December 9th, at Gold N Diamonds on East Fowler Avenue. Video shows a woman, who appears to be a customer, get let into the store through a locked door. Two men wearing masks barge in behind her pointing a gun at an employee.
"They had planned it very good. They must have been staking us out for a while." Kokab Arshad, owner of the custom jewelry business, said. "they knew exactly what showcase to go to, exactly what time we put our stuff up."
One of the men is seen shoving jewelry into a duffel bag. The two men and the woman are then seen running out of the store and into a white car.
We are not identifying the suspects because of an ongoing investigation, but the warrant describes one as a repeat offender who was arrested for pawning a stolen bracelet from Gold N Diamonds in May. He was released from jail a day before the December 9th robbery. That man is currently in the Polk County Jail on unrelated charges.
Arshad says they had very few problems in the 4-and-a-half years they've been open, but the robbery was the second blow in one week.
On December 3rd, thieves crashed a car through the front door after hours. At least two people went into the store and smashed several display cases, but almost all of the merchandise was locked in a safe. Still, Arshad says the damage caused cost them about $50,000.
The business is currently undergoing renovations. Arshard expects to be back open within a couple of weeks.


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The holiday season isn’t always joyful for Black Book when it tries to project how activity in the lanes might unfold during December.
Nevertheless, Ricky Beggs tried to ascertain what’s trending at auctions during his latest edition of “Beggs on the Used Car Market.”
Beggs noted in his video that "with all the variances in the numbers we must keep in mind that the market this time of the year can be the most unpredictable. And this year with the very limited supply of used vehicles in the market, the results might be even harder to understand.
“The recent flurry of new-car sales since the third week of November is at a level we haven’t seen for quite some time,” Beggs pointed out. “Those recent trade-ins could be filling some holes that have been filled from the auction lanes.
“Some sellers are holding out for the first of the year auctions with hopefully more aggressive bidders,” he continued. “Some buyers have decided to load up with additional inventory thinking that retail activity will be strong throughout December.”
So what is Beggs’ bottom line?
“Every player in this business will find a way, their way, to make it happen,” he responded.
Turning over to last week’s wholesale activity, Beggs acknowledged it was “quite a week” of auction activity with various reactions within the market.
“Some sellers had strong sales percentages with solid values in relation to the set floors, while others were not a successful in moving the metal, quite possibly by intended design,” Beggs shared.
Black Book determined there was enough strength in values of selling units that 30 percent of last week’s adjustments were increases. Those units that did decline for the week averaged a drop of $125.
Black Book’s average decline a week earlier was $147.
“Comments from the auction lanes definitely indicated an improvement in the market overall, with descriptive terms like ‘brisk,’ ‘buying additional inventory’ and ‘very active and upbeat,’” Beggs relayed.
Black Book editors noticed car segments continue to be the soft points in the market. Cars dropped by $68 on average last week, the largest overall drop in the past seven weeks.
Editors mentioned near luxury cars (down $84) comprised the lone segment to decline less than the prior week.
Black Book reiterated trucks continue to perform better than cars.
Beggs highlighted compact pickup trucks increased for the week as trucks overall declined only $37. This improvement was a result of 10 of the 14 truck segment types declining less than the prior week.
“The full-size SUV was an impressive $69 better than the prior week finishing with a decline of $46,” Beggs mentioned.
“By the way, don’t forget it is 4x4 season, too,” he added.
“We hope to see you at the auctions,” Beggs concluded.
Beggs’ videos can be viewed here.


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Features in June
Statements from the Chancellor
of the Exchequer aren’t always cause for celebration, but this
one has left us feeling cautiously optimistic. Chris Coxon, head
of marketing at Eurocell, takes a view.
up as the National Productivity Investment Fund
– £23bn between 2017 and 2021 – chancellor Phillip Hammond’s autumn
statement outlines investments in housing, transport, digital
communications and R&D. Within that there’s a £2.3bn housing
infrastructure fund, £1.4bn for affordable housing and £1.7m for
accelerated construction to speed up house building on public land. This
is obviously welcome because of the pressing issue of housing
If the Government can pump-prime
supply then it would be hoped eventually that the improvements in
meeting demand would reduce prices – at least at the ‘bottom’ end – and
enable the next generation of home ownership.
Lloyds' cash for Distinction
Barnsley based Distinction Doors
has secured an £11.5m finance package from Lloyds
Bank Commercial Banking. Distinction Doors is planning
to use the asset-based lending facility to help build stock
for the next generation door product range which will be
launching in 2017.
The new product range builds on the
success of the company’s current core door range by
introducing enhanced aesthetics and technical advances that
speed up the fabrication process, helping its commercial
customers to save time and money. Lloyds Bank also
the business earlier this year when it bought a £120,000 CNC
milling machine, used to create apertures for hardware and
glazing cassettes in the composite doors to a customer
With a turnover of £42m, Distinction
Doors is a leading supplier of composite doors in the UK and
employs 112 people at its Barnsley site. In 2014, the
company featured in the Sunday Times fast track 100 list.
A business 36 years in the making,
Everglade Windows has been named a finalist in the 2016 West
London Business Awards in the manufacturing and engineering
company and SME of the year categories.
“London is part of Everglade’s DNA,” said Jay Patel, sales
director at Everglade. “Our business has been based in West
began in 1980 and now we have factory premises covering
65,000 sq ft in Perivale.
London company born and bred, it’s a real honour to be a
double finalist in these awards which recognise the
achievements of companies across west London.”
the fourth year that the West London Business Awards have
been held, to celebrate business excellence in the region.
They are organised by West London Business, an organisation
which represents hundreds of companies across the world with
an interest in west London.
Kombimatec orbits Planet
Planet Partitioning, the sister division of Planet
Products Limited (PP) with a
DGS534 electronic doublemMitre
also an AMC602 machining centre.
“Kombimatec came out as the preferred
says Fraser Green, director of PP, "After shopping around
looking for the best machinery available with good
functionality and a solid support network at a reasonable
cost we were impressed by Kombimatec. The ability to
generate programmes for the CNC router from the office at
the order entry stage so that it can then be run on the CNC
simply by scanning a barcode is very impressive.”
more news pages
Rehau is congratulating
customers Sheffield Window Centre and Roseview
success at this year’s G-Awards.
Sheffield Window Centre was named
Installer of the Year, while Roseview picked up the award
for customer care initiative for its new programme of
installer training courses.
It was the fourth year in a row that a
Rehau customer has won the installer of the year title,
proof the company says that Rehau profile remains the
Rehau’s marketing and technical
director Gareth Jones says: “Both companies have been Rehau
customers for many years and both are very deserving
No surprises for Origin
Ben Brocklesby, sales and
marketing director at Origin on the autumn statement
Philip Hammond’s autumn statement had
no real surprises for us and included everything that what we
expected. Overall, it was a glass half full announcement, and those
naysayers must remember that it could have been worse.
We are thrilled that the Government is
going to provide funding to help
deliver 100,000 new homes in high demand areas, and 40,000 extra
affordable homes. This will give a major boost to our trade
partners, especially those with ambition to grow locally. We would
have hoped for a small caveat in the Statement that specified the
work must done by UK businesses, but you can’t win them all.
It was also pleasing to hear support
for UK businesses that export overseas, although we would have liked
to have seen a little more. This support will allow us to move
further afield and pitch for bigger contracts that previously seemed
The Editor writes
|I have always said that, if you want
to know how the window market is doing, look at the hardware
sector. If fabricators are making windows then they need handles
and hinges.The figures can't lie.
So one of the regular fixtures on the calendar at this time of
year is the Roto Frank international press conference. It is
tempting to think
that the main attraction for the 100 odd journalists that turn
up from across Europe, and this year China as well, is the
exotic venues they
choose – last year Vienna – which included a trip into Hungary,
previously Venice, this year Berlin. Not that you get to see
much of the
place, they keep you pretty busy.
The main attraction for me is the opportunity to find out what
the world of windows is doing.And I mean world. Roto is an
player and its reports cover just about every country in the
also tells it like it is and is prepared to tell us 100 journos
that it is unhappy with its performance; no gloss, no PR spin,
this it how it is.
2016 Rate Card & Features
Download 2017 Features
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text:
About Tips in India
Tips in India will serve robust and high-quality news from every corner of India and relevant global news from Tech Related. Tips in India is a leading technology Website, Latest Tech News, it, technology news, earn money, Trending Gadgets, Government Technology, Reviews, Paytm cash, information technology, it, Science. reviewing new Internet products, and breaking tech news.
Founded in 12Feb 2018, Tips in India and its network of websites. The https://tipsinindia.com community includes followers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, and other social media.
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Have a nice stay here!


text:
Posted at: 07/20/2013 7:04 PM
Updated at: 07/21/2013 11:02 PM
By: Josh Rosenthal
A group of Minnesota developers want to change your living room forever.
"We want to eliminate the remote control," explained Axel Chevaillier. "We want to eliminate the keyboard, the mouse, the PlayStation controller, all of it."
Chevaillier and partner Shafa Wala used to hang out together while attending Mounds View High School. Other kids argued about the Twins and Vikings; they argued about Apple and Microsoft.
"We were pretty geeky, yes," Wala admitted.
Now at age 29, the geeks started a company, called Tarsier, Inc., and hired a few more geeks -- Lee Schloesser, Paul Goedeke, and Danny Tormoen. Together, they've developed a new product called MoveEye.
Basically, it's a new way of interacting with televisions or any large screen from a distance by using 3D glasses outfitted with special technology. Unlike other products -- say Xbox Kinect -- MoveEye can localize gestures to certain areas on the screen.
"As if you were pointing at a star in the sky or that car. Check out that car," Chevaillier acted out. "You know, it's what you do. It's natural, it's human, and we want to translate that into that virtual space in your living room."
Chevaillier and Wala aren't the only ones who think they've got a good idea. They've been named semi-finalists in the Minnesota Cup -- a competition for the best breakthrough ideas from across the state.
"Certainly the Minnesota Cup gives additional credibility to these companies, saying they've been reviewed by fellow entrepreneurs, by investors, and people in the business community that believe that there's something there and believe that the management team is on the right track," said John Stavig, the professional director of the Gary S. Holmes School of Management at the University of Minnesota, a Minnesota Cup organizing sponsor.
Chevaillier and Wala hope to have a working, wireless prototype of MoveEye completed by January.
They aren't sure when the technology will be available to consumers.


text:
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)-- An enhanced website and open house are part of efforts by the Kansas Department of Administration to increase public awareness of state surplus property available for purchase.
The agency says in a news release that it launched the website in April to let the public shop online for items ranging from computers to office furniture, supplies and vehicles.
Property is available to the public one month after it's removed from the agency's inventory. An open house at the Topeka facility where the items are stored will take place June 6. The warehouse is open Monday through Friday.
The Department of Administration is also using social media to promote items available for sale.
Posted by Greg Palmer
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
The consolidated income of the company during October-December period dropped to Rs 699.15 crore, from over Rs 926.05 crore in the year-ago period, the filing said.
BEML Ltd (formerly Bharat Earth Movers Ltd) was established as a public sector undertaking to manufacture rail coaches and spare parts and mining equipment at its Bengaluru complex.
The government owns 54 per cent of the total equity capital of the company, while rest 46 per cent is held by public, financial institutions, foreign institutional investors, banks and employees.
BEML serves country's core sectors like defence, rail, power, mining and infrastructure. The company operates under three major business verticals viz, mining and construction, defence and rail and metro.
Shares of BEML closed at Rs 969.60 on BSE, higher by 1.22 per cent over its previous close.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Sumitomo Mitsui, 4 Others Sought Info on IDBI Sale
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and one other global bank are among five potential investors that have sought information from the Centre about the sale of state equity in IDBI Bank through a formal query process that closed on November 10, people familiar with the matter told ET.Flipkart may go in for $700m Esop Buyback
Walmart-owned homegrown ecommerce marketplace Flipkart is likely to facilitate a $700 million employee stock buyback as part of digital payments platform PhonePe’s new financing round, multiple sources briefed on the matter told ET.Falling Input Costs may Cool Prices of Essentials, Apparel
Prices of groceries, daily essentials and apparel are likely to fall over the next two quarters as input costs are expected to decline, spurring sales in the process, according to consumer goods makers.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.


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So, now new rumors have hit Resident Evil 8 which might have more than one villain, which might possibly release a bit earlier in this series.
The release of Resident Evil 8 is still a mystery to many gamers whereas some are really very much excited what is coming next in the series after Resident evil 7 which was released in 2017. Some leaks say that there is a possibility than Ethan might return as the protagonist. But, who will be the villain of this game still remains unknown.
Several villains of the previous season are already gone with the death of the characters like Albert Wesker and Evelyn from Evil 7. So there are possibility that there will be a new villain would enter the part 8.
According to a leaker AestheticGamer on Twitter, Resident Evil 8 will have villains more than one including someone named Alan whose identity remains unconfirmed. This was a reply to a tweet that said that there have been rumors about a return of any evil from Resident Evil 4.
Multiple villains are not new to the Resident Evil as there have been villains more than one in the previous series too. Such as Resident Evil 2 had two villains named Mr. X and Dr. Birkin. Resident Evil 3 Remake had a secondary human villain named Nicholai. So, the fact that Resident Evil 8 will have more than one villain is not surprising.
But, it should be noted that this information remains unconfirmed and are still rumors. AestheticGamer hesitates that this information is leaks i.e. they might not even be true. We can wait for Capcom to make some official announcement about some more information related to the game.
There have been rumors that game will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.


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Jindal helps you keep snacking
Some types of industries are made to weather any type of economy. Jindal Films, which makes labels and packaging for food products, is one of them, according to production manager Kevin Donovan.
“We’re kind of recession-proof because you’ll eat these things whether we have a recession or not. People will eat and people will drink water,” Donovan said. “People do all of that stuff even when the economy is bad, so we’re not one of those industries that [suffers], and that’s what’s good for LaGrange.”
Donovan said the company’s location in LaGrange has never had a layoff in 27 years.
Jindal Films make the labels and packaging of snack foods and bottles. Opal Hogg, community relations coordinator, said they make labels for Frito-Lay and Oreos.
“We manufacture that product, and we send it to a converter, and they actually print it,” Hogg said. “So if we send it to a converter that Frito-Lay uses, then they will print Frito-Lay’s logo and the name of the bag, the name of what’s in it and so forth. And then from there it will go to Frito-Lay and be used in food packaging.”
The company also makes pouches and is currently expanding another line for packaging, which is expected to be ready by Aug. 1, 2018, according to Hogg.
“We have a metalizer for metalized film, and then we have two additional lines that are produced in product. It’s supposed to be a much faster line, and it’s going to have all of the modern technology,” Hogg said.
The company broke ground for the expansion site in the fall of 2016.
“First, we did the clearing of the land and getting our general contractors in place,” Hogg said. “From that point, we’re at the point where we’ve started to install equipment into the new facility.”
Hogg said the expansion used local contractors and local suppliers for the job.
Donovan said the metalizer was added to the plant a year ago, which has expanded the product line. Donovan said the LaGrange location has robots and is in the process control industry.
“We’ve also opened up [a research and development/ innovation] center. We have customer service here, accounting, finance and human resources have all moved here in the last two to three years as well,” Donovan said. “We’ve added over 100 jobs in the last three years.”
Donovan said the company has more than 200 employees. About 60 million pounds of packaging is produced from Jindal Films annually, according to Donovan.
Progress means continuing to dominate the film and packaging industry, according to Hogg.
“We continue to dominate the market, so we hope to add another line in the next ten years to become even more dominant within the market,” Hogg said.
According to Hogg, the expansion will create more than 100 new jobs in LaGrange.
“Even during the acquisition of ExxonMobil by Jindal, we have not laid off employees,” Hogg said. “We’ve been able to keep production going to provide our employees with a secure job.”
The film production plant, originally owned by ExxonMobil, was bought by Jindal in 2013.
The facility has to be certified for it to pass packaging standards, according to Hogg.
“Because we’re packaging food, we have to be clean food certified,” Donovan said. “So we have to pass inspections.”
Donovan said Pegasus Parkway in LaGrange got its name from Exxon Mobil’s mascot.
“When Mobil came in 1990, because Pegasus was a part of their logo, that’s how we got Pegasus Parkway,” Hogg said.
“This was a dead-end street right down from us. Then they extended Pegasus Parkway, so we are tied to the industrial park, but we are not part of the original industrial park.”
As part of the industrial park, Jindal films is part of the industrial safety council for the City of LaGrange.
They also are an environmentally friendly site, Donovan said.
“We also partner with some of the educational (systems), like LaGrange College, West Georgia Technical College, THINC Academy and the school board to interact with them and be a part of their career focus so that it gives the students the opportunity to know what’s available as far as jobs when they complete their education,” Hogg said.
The future is wide for recruiting students and seeing how the economy will impact the city and Jindal. If anything, Jindal is looking more at expansion instead of about slowing down.
“Five years (from now), future expansions are dependent on market conditions that will determine whether we expand,” Donovan said.


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Czech Republic: CNB delivers further rate hike in December amid mounting price pressures
At its 22 December meeting, the Board of the Czech National Bank (CNB) decided to raise the two-week repo rate by 105 basis points to 3.75%, marking the fifth consecutive hike and surprising markets on the upside. In addition, the CNB increased the Lombard rate from 3.75% to 4.75% and the discount rate from 1.75% to 2.75%. However, the decision was not unanimous: Five out of the seven members were in favor, but two voted to stand pat.
The decision to hike rates came amid soaring inflationary pressures and unanchored inflation expectations. Inflation came in at 6.0% in November, well above the upper bound of the Bank’s 1.0%–3.0% tolerance range, amid faster core inflation, spiking energy prices and a weaker-than-expected koruna. Moreover, the economy performed better than forecasted in Q3 amid strong household spending, giving the Bank further room to tighten its stance. Looking at the coming quarters, inflation will hover well above the Bank’s target but should move closer to it in late 2022 or early 2023.
Looking ahead, the Bank’s baseline scenario sees a faster pace of tightening than projected in November, in a bid to anchor expectations and curb second-round effects. Moreover, the CNB sees inflationary risks skewed to the upside overall, largely stemming from longer-lasting global supply chain disruptions, a sharper-than-expected increase in energy prices and a weaker koruna. Therefore, the Bank stated that it stands ready to “to continue increasing interest rates next year in order to maintain price stability”.
The next meeting is scheduled for 3 February.


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Special K undergoes first recipe revamp for 30 years
Kellogg's Special K is to undergo a £5m marketing campaign supporting its first recipe change for 30 years, as the cereal maker looks to turn around flagging sales.
Special K: readies brand revamp
The marketing campaign kicks off in June, accompanied by a new pack design and a major sampling initiative. Kellogg's advertising agency is Leo Burnett.
The change in the recipe marks the first for the brand in 30 years.
From April, all variants of the cereal will include barley in addition to the current wheat and rice which is in Special K. It will also be made with wholegrain.
However, the changes have not prompted a change in the positioning of the brand, which will continue to target women and focus on weight management.
The new Special K recipe has been tested out in Italy and Spain.
Kellogg is also launching four lower-sugar children's cereals lines.
According to Nielsen, sales of Special K have fallen 15.1% to £103.5m between 2012 and 2011.Follow @johnreynolds10
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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Only five percent of adult Indians establish own business: Survey
Eleven percent of the adult population in India is engaged in "early-stage entrepreneurial activities", and only five percent of the country's people go on to establish their own business, a survey has found. This -- 5 per cent -- is among the lowest rates in the world, while the business discontinuation rate in India is among the highest at 26.4 percent, it says. The survey was conducted among 3,400 respondents aged between 18 and 64 years to assess the level of entrepreneurial activity. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) India Report 2016-17, prepared by Gandhinagar-based Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) and its associates, 11 percent of India's adult population is engaged in "total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA). " Around 4 percent of the population accounts for "nascent entrepreneurs," who are actively engaged in setting up a business they will own or co-own, the report says. Another 7 percent are the entrepreneurs who are owner-managers of businesses which are running for less than 3.5 years. Only 5 per cent of adult population in India manages to establish their businesses, which is to say, their businesses survive for longer than 42 months, the report says. This rate is among the lowest in the world, it adds. Among the BRICS economies, Brazil has the highest rate of established business ownership (17 per cent) and South Africa has the lowest (3 per cent). China has a slightly higher rate of 8 per cent, while it is 5 per cent in both Russia and India, the report says.


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Lil Wayne is ready for his digital close-up. The Grammy winning MC will be prominently featured on a new site BreadOverBed.com, which is being billed as a lifestyle destination curated by DJ Scoob Doo.
Scoob has directed Lil Wayne videos, including “Steady Mobbin'” and “I’m Single,” as well as DVDs featuring Weezy. While info is sketchy, there are reports that the video site will also feature exclusive footage of the Wayne in his everyday working environment.
“This Bread Over Bed thing is more like a lifestyle,” Scoob told MTV News, “it’s more like a way of life.”
Wayne has his own reasons of Bed Over Bed.
“There’s no quit, there’s no stopping, there’s no such thing as a break, and the best part about it is there’s no reason why — the reason is you,” the YMCMB frontman said in an interview in which he announced his involvement.
Lil Wayne’s enterprises are quickly expanding. Along with endorsement deals that include Mountain Dew and sneaker company Supra, last week Wayne announced a distribution deal with Macy’s department store for his apparel line Trukfit (“The Reason You Kill For It”).
–Keith Murphy, CBS Local


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Sonora attracted investment despite pandemic
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SONORA – Despite the economic consequences brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonora has registered the arrival of new investments, which are explained by the signing of the USMCA and the settlement near the border with the United States, said the minister of Economy of the entity, Jorge Vidal Ahumada.
He explained that the signing of the commercial agreement generated a secure horizon in economic matters for companies that intend to negotiate in the North American market.
Likewise, the relocation of Chinese companies operating in the United States and looking for sites close to the border with that country began to materialize, because changes in trade, derived from the pandemic, force them to be closer to their market.
This also happened with some American companies that had installed plants in Chinese territory and now want to be close to the US, because the ways of doing business changed, at least logistics wise.
This is the case of smoke alarm manufacturer Carrier, which brought its entire operation from China to Sonora, where it generated 1,200 jobs. Meanwhile, the American furniture manufacturer La Z Boy, is preparing to start operations in San Luis Rio Colorado.
Similarly, medical device manufacturer BD has just started work in Hermosillo, as well as industrial park developer SkyBridge and TE Connectivity.
According to the executive, tractor companies have decided to keep their operation in Sonora and some have even made new investments.
Source: El Economista


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Beam, a Boston-based company, is manufacturing products that are purely CBD sourced from hemp plants. Since their products do not contain THC, they are best for athletes and anyone else looking to treat their ailments with CBD as it eases their worries.
The company was founded in 2018 by two former athletes, Matt Lombardi, a serial entrepreneur, and former hockey player and Kevin Moran, an enterprise software salesperson and former minor league baseball player.
After the two friends realized the potential of CBD-based products to treat pain and inflammations without being addictive, they wanted to venture into manufacturing 100% CBD products while still ensuring they are not tainted with THC as it could be problematic for users in certain professions and states.
In collaboration with multiple independent laboratories, they produced three lines of products that were free of heavy metals, lead, and pesticide said the company. The products included CBD-infused oils, CBD-infused salve, and cannabis protein bars with CBD powders, which costs $60-$140, $60, and $25-$45, respectively.
Their commitment to manufacturing 100% pure products has attracted fitness enthusiasts such as Mat Fraser, Mikaela Mayer, and Tia-Clair Toomey to sign agreements with the company.
According to Lombardi, Beam is aiming at being a performance wellness company. He added that since many companies launching CBD-infused products; thus, Beam is differentiating its products through rigorous testing for purity and quality while aiming for the health and fitness market.
The company managed to secure financing of $5 million seed capital from Obvious Ventures to pursue its vision.
Obvious ventures invested in beam because of the entrepreneurial skills of the former pro-athletes and the potential of the company to generate profits faster said Joaquin, Obvious Co-founder.
According to Lombardi, the new seed capital will be used to launch two new products, daytime, and nighttime blend, as well as other products in the future.


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Solo travellers wanting to treat themselves to a holiday won't need to break the bank thanks to easyJet Holidays.
With research from the travel firm showing that 43 per cent of Brits have opted to travel alone, the company has unveiled a host of cheap holidays to the likes of Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain.
In fact, when we took a look on the website we also found plenty of packages coming in at under £400pp for getaways between March through to June.
There's quite a wide array of holiday types too, with everything from city breaks to beach holidays up for grabs.
To give you a helping hand, we've picked out some of the top deals that have caught our attention...


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Software developers get tough on pirates
Software developers are teaming up in the Czech Republic to clamp down on the piracy of their products. Recent statistics show that nearly 40% of all programs on Czech computers are not the official, authorized versions. Now, those who sell unauthorized versions of programs such as Word and Photoshop can expect to be shown ‘less leniency’ by the software’s creators. Microsoft is one of the firms leading the anti-piracy drive. I asked Markéta Mead from the company’s licensing department how big a problem software piracy currently is in this country:
“The Czech Republic currently has a piracy rate of around 39%, according to a study developed by the IDC agency conducted in the last year. This puts us in the top 20 countries in the world in terms of how low our rate of piracy is. We are currently best in Central and Eastern Europe in this regard.”
In that case why clamp down further on software piracy in this country when the current system already seems to be working?
“Well, although the trend seems to be decreasing over the past few years, it is actually harder and harder to keep such an average rate of piracy in the long term. Also, the trends are changing and so we have to keep up with the pirates.”
It has recently been reported that software producers are teaming up in this country in a bid to clamp down further on software piracy. What can you actually do to put a stop to such piracy?
“In practice, software vendors are now less willing to settle out of court with those convicted. It doesn’t mean that these firms will no longer settle in such a way, but it is more of an attempt to raise awareness that not every business will be able to pay damages out of court. We want to show that settling out of court is not a silver bullet or a get-out clause for pirates.”
Is Microsoft a big victim of software piracy in the Czech Republic?
“The rate of piracy of our products is similar to the Czech average. As for individual products, Windows and Microsoft Office are the most pirated products that we have. I think Microsoft Office is probably the biggest victim of piracy for us in the Czech Republic. In terms of the other products, our gaming software is certainly very frequently pirated in the Czech Republic too.”


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Two outlets going all out
Route 9 sites growing, but mum on tenants
Published 8:47 pm, Friday, July 25, 2014
Two outlet center operators along Route 9 have been expanding their retail space, but with summer in full swing, neither is yet ready to announce who the new tenants might be.
"Some stores are starting buildout now," said Corey Shanus of Sobert Realty, which operates The Outlets at Lake George. "The construction is more or less done. We're still leasing it," he added.
"We're trying to be very selective in putting tenants together," Shanus added.
Farther up the road, the Outlet Shoppes of Lake George is building the first 30,000-square-foot phase of its planned 120,000-square-foot outlet center expansion.
It, too, is not yet ready to announce the new occupants.
The Outlets at Lake George, formerly known as the Lake George Plaza Outlet Center, expanded across Route 9 after acquiring the former Montcalm Restaurant and razing it.
Shanus said more than $2 million has been invested in rehabilitating the center.
An underground parking garage has been spruced up to make it more inviting, and a crosswalk was installed across Route 9 to connect the building that replaced the Montcalm with the original outlet building on the east side of Route 9.
Shanus said a ramp links the building on the Montcalm site to another outlet center, French Mountain Commons.
David Kenny, meanwhile, is developing the Outlet Shoppes of Lake George. While Lake George appears in the names of both outlet centers, the buildings are in Queensbury. Kenny also is developing a Marriott Courtyard Inn in Lake George.


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How brands can ditch short-termism and build for long-term advertising success
The twists and turns of the Nescafe Gold Blend couple, the homespun anecdotes from the Oxo family and Aleksandr Orlov's mammalian antics have a lot in common with each other - they're all highly successful long-term campaigns. And they were each created by marketers with an eye on the next decade, rather than the next quarter.
But as the general public become thick-skinned to brands' advances and the working cycle of marketers speeds up - the average tenure of a chief marketing officer is now just 18 months - marketers are in danger of forgetting the lessons learned from the successful campaigns of the past and turning to short-term tactics to boost their brands.
At The Drum's Future of Marketing conference, Al Young, chief creative officer at FCB Inferno, Finola McDonnell, chief communications and marketing officer at the Financial Times and Zaid Al-Zaidy, chief executive officer of The Beyond Collective discussed how marketers can practice long-term thinking and stop focusing only on the immediate future.
Say no to nostalgia
While some of the best advertising campaigns now lie in the past, McDonnell asserted that it was important for brands to look forward. Considering the 130-year history of the Financial Times, she said: "How do we marry that historical legacy - which is even reflected in the colour of our paper, compared to our rivals - and not rest on our laurels?"
Speaking from experience as a former marketer for Lynx, Al-Zaidy suggested that long-term thinking allowed brands to secure their future. Reflecting on the brand's past use of laddish humour in its adverts, he said: "Lynx built fame for itself but it had to update to fit in with modern behaviour. And it's been continually reinventing what Lynx means since those days."
Be practical about purpose
"The New York Times, The Washington Post and Nike are each selling their brand as a proxy for democratic participation," noted McDonnell, who suggested that the same approach would not suit every brand, including her own title. "That isn't what we are. This rush into the political space by brands, it's opportunistic but it's not long-term thinking. We try to think more philosophically about what we can do that others don't."
According to Al-Zaidy, "hijacking culture is great if it matches a consistent set of principles." He explained that if political expressions from brands don't match pre-existing values, they will only function as short-term statements, and that brands must "understand their value in the world" if they are to use purpose effectively.
Reject data dependency
Citing Nike's long-running "Just Do It' campaign, Young said: "It's the supreme example of a big, simple idea. It's an organising idea, a simple though that any creative can pick up on and add to. It's about creating a legacy. It's not necessarily about a line - or a meerkat. There's a point of view. 'Just Do It' is about the way the brand views the world and it's an invitation for consumers to agree with them."
He laid the decline of long-term advertising thinking at the door of data dependency. "Everyone is short-termist now. Data can tell you in seconds whether a decision was smart or not. We're measured in a more ruthless way than when I started in the industry in the 90s. And it's led to a kind of stasis where no one wants to make any big decisions".
Young suggested that all long-term campaigns - from Tony the Tiger to the Energizer bunny - revolved around a single organising thought. McDonnell agreed, but suggested that long-term campaigns could leave room for the smart use of data. She said: "You have to have consistency so that you can take advantage of new technologies, new talent, new cultural zeitgeists when they come along."
The Drum has launched a campaign encouraging advertisers and marketers to work with long-term objectives in mind. At this year's Advertising Awards, The Drum will present a special award to the best long-term ad campaign of all time, as selected by a specialist panel of industry judges. The shortlisted campaigns include 'Vorsprung Durch Technik' by Audi, 'Should've gone to Specsavers' and Nike's 'Just Do It'.
Content created with:
Foote, Cone & Belding, a.k.a. FCB, is one of the largest global advertising agency networks. It is owned by Interpublic Group and was merged in 2006 with Draft Worldwide, adopting the name Draftfcb.Find out more
The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. It is part of Nikkei Inc., which provides a broad range of information, news and services for the global business community.Find out more


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Havas Media Group is taking its content offering for its clients to a new level through a global partnership with content marketing platform NewsCred.
Brands need to become publishers
The deal enables Havas agencies and clients to have access to more than 5,000 leading publishers worldwide covering a variety of topics and dozens of languages, including the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, BBC, Billboard, Bloomberg, CNN, Daily Telegraph, The Economist, EPA, Evening Standard, Forbes, The Guardian, Gawker, The Independent, Nielsen, New York Magazine, Reuters, Shutterstock, WENN and many more covering 100 countries in different formats, such as, text, pictures, videos, infographic and audio files. This platform will be also enhanced by the exclusive partnership between Havas and Universal Music Group announced last month during CES 2015.
Creating a leading content publishing platform
NewsCred’s cloud-based software, combined with Havas Media Group’s data analytics, gives clients access to a fully integrated management tool covering the complete content marketing value chain across all platforms: from content strategy and planning to production and validation through to content curation and publication. This deal comes following nine months of collaboration between Havas and NewsCred with the goal of producing a solution that simplifies and scales the entire content marketing process of each client.
The NewsCred software is also being used for Havas clients to enrich corporate websites and to create thematic sites. All agencies within the Havas group, including Havas Worldwide, Havas Healthcare, Arnold Worldwide and BETC have full access to this partnership and the deal has already resulted in more than a dozen commercial leads.
Content amplification with Socialyse
Havas global social pure player Socialyse will integrate NewsCred’s software to further increase the relevancy of social campaigns and all Havas Social Newsrooms (currently located in London, NYC and Paris with more opening in 2015) are already integrating NewsCred and its management platforms to engage with audiences. The partnership further facilitates social media monitoring, content performance tracking and audience engagement metrics, all of which are key to generating meaningful connections.
Dominique Delport, global managing director of Havas Media Group says in a press statement: “2015 is the year of content for Havas. This has been an incredible nine months of working together and we are so pleased to formally add the team at NewsCred to our future. This New York start-up, its inspiring CEO and their 210 employees have created a simple way to understand how we can use content to build meaningful relationships with people. Brands need more relevancy and consistency than ever. Our partnership with NewsCred provides our clients with the sort of agility and speed that can mean the difference between success and failure.
Shafqat Islam, CEO and co-founder of NewsCred adds: “Every brand has a story to tell. We firmly believe that the brands that will win in the future are the brands that think of content as a strategic asset across their organization. We’re excited to partner with such a major media network like Havas Media Group to help our joint customers reach key audiences with compelling, valuable content”.
App analytics and market data company, App Annie, have released a new report that sheds light on Gen Z’s mobile behavior, in order to help marketers develop effective strategies to reach them. 98% of Gen Z report owning a smartphone, on average receiving their first at the age of 10. They are also part of […]
Experticity, the world’s largest community of influential category experts have released a new study that sheds new light on the importance of micro-influencers on the average consumer. The study was conducted with online interviews of more than 6,000 individuals from the United States drawn from Experticity’s micro-influencer network and the general population. In addition, more […]
Market research companies eMarketer and Global Web Index have collaborated together to release the 10th edition of the global media intelligence report. The report is a detailed compilation of data and insights about internet users’ traditional and digital media usage in 42 key markets worldwide. Communicate will be highlighting the key trends that are shaping the […]
Social Bakers, a global AI-powered social media marketing company has released the Q3 edition of their social media trends report. The report reveals where the industry is currently standing with regard to spending and engagement globally. Here are the key findings – ADVERTISING Worldwide ad spend increased by 56.4% in Q3 compared to where it […]


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Tata Nano was launched in 2008 with a price of Rs 1 lakh Image: Twitter
The dream of owning a budget car for the lower middle class Indian just received a huge blow. With only one Nano built in June this year as compared to its previous production of 275 cars during the same month last year, Tata Motors confirmed the automobile is in its “present form cannot continue beyond 2019.”
The much-touted Tata Nano, hailed as a “milestone in frugal engineering", fell short on safety, ran behind schedule and also produced questionable crash test results. After such debacles, even Ratan Tata, the brain behind the initiative, had once admitted that the company made a mistake by promoting Nano as 'the cheapest car'.
As reports emerged, hell broke loose on social media and Tweeple started blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the car's fate which had envisaged to give a safer and affordable alternative to families riding two-wheelers.
The compact sized city car that sold primarily in India was initially launched in 2008 with a price of Rs 1 lakh. Issues such as factory relocation from Singur, instances of many Nanos catching fire, and the impression of the Nano being unsafe due to its low cost reportedly led to the decline in sales volume.


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A host of interested parties will be listening hard when the Government announces its decision to bid for the 2012 Olympic Games later this month. Not least the design community, where a positive outcome could lead to countless opportunities for groups.
The Olympics is just one of many global sporting events – now massive brands in their own right – with the potential to provide a plethora of design work. These days such jamborees are branching out to encompass sub-brands, merchandise, sponsorships, mascots, publishing and on-line work.
Indeed, opening and closing ceremonies have become massive events in their own right, witnessed by the appointment of Jack Morton Worldwide (Europe) to produce the pageants for Athens in 2004 (DW 9 January).
Even before any tournament gets underway, the host country (not to mention the unsuccessful candidates) will have commissioned identities and designs for its bid, together with bid documents and presentations. From there a brand identity will be commissioned. This gives rise to official mascots, merchandise, memorabilia, posters and marketing material, which may or may not be handled by the same group.
Individual teams, particularly in football, will also have their own requirements, ranging from squad booklets to designer kits and luggage. Stadiums are decked out to incorporate the identity, plus the flags of the competing nations and the interests of sponsors. Signage at such a massive international event is a huge consideration, and even such relatively minor ingredients as victory podiums can involve design commissions.
The sponsors themselves increasingly commission ‘brand experience’ visitor centres at venues, in an effort to increase their profile and heighten their association with the event. Equally, branded products are often themed around the event, necessitating additional packaging work.
Then there’s the television coverage. Idents, title sequences, on-screen graphics and trailers all increasingly cross over into associated media. XTV has carved out a niche for itself as a sports branding specialist, and it’s no coincidence that the move has also seen the group reinvent itself as a cross-media consultancy.
Richard Markell, XTV executive producer, says, ‘Most [sports] clients now expect their brands to be taken off-screen into other media.’ Consequently, XTV’s work for UEFA’s Champions League has seen the group’s pan-European, on-screen identities reproduced across Europe in the form of match tickets, car park passes, stadium identities, advertising hoardings and stadium signage.
Markell believes sports events are increasingly global in their reach. Consequently, UK consultancies shouldn’t consider a London Olympics as their only way into sports branding. Wolff Olins was appointed to design the marque for the 2004 Athens games after a lengthy bidding process.
The nature of this type of work often necessitates collaborations. Wolff Olins produced a design in conjunction with Greek group Red Design, in a process which Wolff Olins senior consultant Claudius KÃ¶nig describes as ‘the only way to treat the issue’.
‘Our partner was a key ingredient to the win,’ he explains. From there, the design changed ‘hardly at all’, with the sole exception of a single addition to the colour palette for the logo’s implementation across the vast array of marketing and on-site applications.
Jack Morton will enter into a similar partnership when designing the event’s opening and closing ceremonies. It will work with the Greek organising committee, ATHOC, headed by artistic director Dimitris Papaioannu, himself a member of the judging panel at the pitching process. While ATHOC will have creative responsibility, Jack Morton will act primarily as producer.
Contrary to Wolff Olins’ experience, Interbrand’s work on the identity for the 2002 World Cup involved a series of rethinks and consultations.
Former Interbrand creative director Jed Equi, now fulfilling the same role at Gospel, recalls how an initial batch of up to 30 designs was tortuously whittled down by FIFA, its marketing agency ISL and the Japanese and Korean organising committees. ‘The trickiest aspect of [creating] the identity was to balance the cultural profiles of the two host countries,’ says Equi. ‘We also had to produce it two-and-a-half years in advance, which meant giving it an enduring appeal and relevance.’
Not easy at the best of times, but with the political ramifications of such an international showpiece, coupled with the conflicting agendas of the two rival host countries, the project was a potential minefield. ‘We learnt a lot,’ says Equi, who believes such vast sports branding projects will increasingly be handled by specialists. ‘
If I was to revisit it today, I’d be able to do it 50 per cent faster and better.’
So convinced, though, of the sector’s potential was Equi’s former Interbrand colleague Chris Lightfoot, that he set up his own specialist sports branding group, Whitestone. His faith was rewarded with the commission to produce the identity for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, created with German group Abold.
FutureBrand Australia, meanwhile, has recently been appointed to design the identity for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Unlike the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games doesn’t boast an instantly recognisable marque, making a strong identity arguably even more vital to the tournament’s profile.
Niels de Vos, commercial director of the 2002 Games in Manchester, said, when the identity was designed by Race and refreshed by Access, that ‘before a single starting pistol has been fired, the games is wholly embodied by its logo, which must successfully sell the idea’.
Such emphasis on design now has a number of specialist consultancies on their marks in the race to milk the benefits.
Dates for your diary
• European Championships: June-July 2004, Portugal
• Summer 2008, Austria and Switzerland
• World Cup – June 2006, Germany
• August 2004, Athens
• July-August 2008, Beijing
• Winter Olympics:February 2006, Turin


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M-real Corporation Stock Exchange Release 1.6.2007
M-real, part of the Metsäliitto Group, has today, 1 June, sold its
carton plant in Hungary under a share sales agreement that became
effective immediately. The combined debt-free price of this disposal
and the disposal of the carton plant in Finland on 31 May 2007
amounts to approximately EUR 35 million. M-real will book a loss of
approximately EUR 2 million from the transactions in its result for
the second quarter of this year. The transactions will have a
slightly negative impact on M-real's operating profit excluding
non-recurring items in 2007.
The entire share capital of M-real's subsidiary M-real Petöfi Nyomda
Kft was sold to the German STI Group. The Petöfi carton plant is
located in Kecskemét, Hungary, and produces consumer packaging
products for the pharmaceutical, consumer electronics and other
industries. The plant has some 420 employees.
The sale of the carton plants in Finland and Hungary will result in a
reduction of the annual sales of M-real by approximately EUR 55
million. The divestments are part of M-real's restructuring programme
which was announced in October 2006."As part of the restructuring programme
announced in October we are
also evaluating our other assets from a strategic point of view. We
believe that these disposals will generate the targeted proceeds of
EUR 500 million or even exceed them during 2007," says Seppo Parvi,
CFO at M-real.
M-real continues negotiations with regard to the sale of its carton
plant in Belgium.
Seppo Parvi, CFO, tel. +358 10 469 4321
Anne-Mari Achrén, Communications, tel. +358 10 469 4541


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Bikaji Foods International, one of the country’s largest FMCG brands with an international footprint, has filed its DRHP for IPO.
MUMBAI/BIKANER, Feb 23 (The CONNECT) - Bikaji Foods International, one of the country’s largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands with an international footprint, has filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) for an initial public offering (IPO).
The snack-maker is backed by marquee investors like Avendus, Axis Asset Management, Lighthouse Funds, IIFL Asset Management and Intensive Softshare.
As per market sources the IPO target is around Rs 1,000 crore.
The issue with a face value of Re 1 per equity share is an entirely an offer for sale (OFS) up to 29,373,984 by existing shareholders and promoter group entities. The company will not receive any proceeds from the issue.
With thorough awareness of Indian tastes and preferences, Shiv Ratan Agarwal launched the Bikaji brand in 1993 and has established market leadership and reach in the ethnic snacks market in Rajasthan, Assam, and Bihar. Bikaji has gradually expanded its footprint across India, with operations in 22 states and three union territories as of September 30, 2021 and also exporting its products to 35 international countries, including North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, accounting for 4.60 percent of its food product sales.
Bikaji today stands to be the largest producer of Bikaneri bhujia with annual production of 26,690 tonnes, and the second largest manufacturer of handmade papad with an annual production capacity of 9,000 tonnes in Fiscal 2021 as mentioned in the F&S report quoted in its DRHP. It is also one of India's major producers of packaged sweets, including rasgulla, gulab jamun, and soan papdi and is known to be a pioneer in developing and reinventing classic Indian snacks with a contemporary taste to meet changing customer demands in India and abroad.
Bhujia, namkeen, packaged sweets, papad, western snacks, and other snacks, which principally include gift packs (assortment), frozen food, mathri range, and cookies, are among the company's six main product categories. It has recently launched Bikaji Café and Bikaji Funkeen brands to promote its western snack segment and has also launched an online retail platform via its website in February 2020 besides a mobile applicable application in June 2020 which allow consumers to browse our selection of products.
The company's six operating manufacturing facilities, four of which are located in Bikaner (Rajasthan), Guwahati (Assam), and Tumakuru (Karnataka), a contract manufacturing unit in Kolkata (West Bengal) that serves nonexclusively parts of eastern and north eastern India and a small facility in Mumbai catering to restaurant sales.
The company intends to establish and operationalise five more manufacturing facilities, one in Rajasthan catering to frozen snacks and sweet products owned and operated by them besides others across Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, where it will produce namkeen and western snacks.
Bikaji’s revenue from operations grew 21.98% to Rs. 1310.75 crore for the fiscal 2021 against Rs. 1074.55 crore for the fiscal 2020, primarily due to increase in volume and realisation of products, in particular, bhujia, namkeen, papad, western snacks and packaged sweets and sale of food products (traded goods), while its net profits grew 60.26% from Rs. 56.37 crore in FY20 to Rs. 90.34 crore in FY21. For the six months ending September 2021, revenue from operations stood at Rs 771.73 crore and net profit was Rs 40.93 crore.
The Indian Savoury Snacks market is worth Rs 72,800 crore in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13% to Rs 1,18,600 crore by 2025. The packaged food industry in India is currently valued at Rs 3,61,500 crore, and it has developed tremendously as a result of changing lifestyles, increased income, and urbanisation. The packaged food retail income was valued at Rs 2,43,400 crore in Fiscal 2015, and it has grown at a CAGR of about 10.40 percent to Fiscal 2020, with a CAGR of 11.50 percent expected over the next five years to reach Rs 5,58,100 crore.
JM Financial Limited, Axis Capital Limited, IIFL Securities Limited, Intensive Fiscal Services Private Limited and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Ltd are the book running lead managers to the issue.


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MSC’s Pierfrancesco Vago Named Global Chairman of CLIA
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, has been appointed to a two-year term as Global Chairman of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), effectively immediately.
“Mr. Vago is a visionary leader within the global cruise community. We will benefit tremendously from his ideas, insights, and direction as we look to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and support the restart of the cruise industry internationally and in the United States in particular,” said CLIA president and CEO Kelly Craighead.
Vago served as CEO of MSC Cruises from 2003 to 2013, during which time the company experienced over 800 per cent growth, according to a media release. As executive chairman, he continues to propel MSC’s growth. He previously served as chairman of CLIA Europe in 2014.
“With over 200 sailings that have taken place since last summer in various markets around the world, all with strict measures in place to promote public health, we have proven that a return to cruising is possible,” said Vago. “I look forward to working with CLIA leadership and our partners in the industry to continue down this path and help secure a vibrant future for all who depend on it.”
Vago succeeds Adam Goldstein, who recently completed his second term as CLIA’s Global Chairman.
“It has been an honour to serve as Global Chairman of CLIA these past two years and I am proud of all that we have accomplished together, even as we have faced unprecedented challenges,” said Goldstein. “I truly believe that the best is yet to come for this very special industry.”


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Wed, 01/04/2009 - 11:49
Children's licensing group Entertainment Rights has called in the administrators Deloitte, but it has immediately sold its UK and US subsidiaries to Boomerang Media, a US copyrights business. The money paid will not result in any return to shareholders, but 90 staff will transfer to the new company.
Entertainment Rights said it had...
Mon, 02/03/2009 - 09:11
Offers made for Entertainment Rights, which owns children's characters such as Postman Pat and Basil Brush, will not cover its debts, according to the Guardian.
None of the bidders for the firm are willing to buy ER as a going concern; instead they are offering to buy out its assets and the holding company is likely to be...
Mon, 12/01/2009 - 06:22
The main lender of Entertainment Rights, the debt-laden owner of Postman Pat, Basil Brush and Lassie, has drafted in a restructuring firm amid growing concerns about its future, reports the Telegraph. HBOS is understood to have hired Deloitte amid mounting concerns about the company's declining value and high debt levels.
Thu, 08/01/2009 - 14:54
Children's character company Entertainment Rights has warned that the business is "trading significantly below expectations" after a disappointing Christmas. The company also warned that the money owed to it by its North American DVD distributor Genius could be "at risk" after payments failed to be made on time.
Mon, 08/12/2008 - 15:09
Entertainment Rights has admitted that it could lose as much as £500,000 due to the loss of business resulting from the administration of Woolworth's subsidiary Entertainment UK. The figure was revealed as the company announced plans to cut its workforce by a third as well as the appointment of a new chief executive and short-term...
Wed, 05/11/2008 - 05:25
Penguin Group has agreed a global deal for the tie-in publishing rights to a new preschool television series, Tinga Tinga Tales. The series is created by Tiger Aspect, the production house behind the bestselling Charlie & Lola (Lauren Child) television programme.
Puffin has already worked with Tiger Aspect to produce the tie-in books...
Tue, 22/04/2008 - 07:47
Entertainment Rights, the company behind children's characters Postman Pat and Basil Brush, is no longer in offer talks for the company, after a period of takeover speculation.
Following the company's January announcement that it was in...
Wed, 09/04/2008 - 06:16
Takeover target Entertainment Rights saw sales increase 129% to £68.1m in 2007, thanks to its acquisition of Classic Media in January last year. Operating profit at the children's licensing company improved by 61% to £17.1m, with pretax profit up just 1% to £7.9m.
In the UK, the group said significant progress had...
Wed, 19/03/2008 - 06:00
The struggling company that owns Postman Pat, Rupert Bear and Basil Brush sought to appease its frustrated shareholders today by announcing the departure of its founder and chief executive, reports the Guardian.
Entertainment Rights, which has seen its shares tumble 73% over the last 12 months, has been hit hard by dwindling...
Tue, 22/01/2008 - 12:21
Entertainment Rights, the company behind children's characters Postman Pat and Basil Brush, has confirmed it is in preliminary takeover talks. In a statement to the City, the company said it had entered discussions about its future ownership, following weekend press reports.
The statement read: "The board of ER notes the recent...


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February 4, 2016
Hot Off the Presses — NSSF’s 2015-2016 Industry Reference Guide
The NSSF is pleased to announce that it has updated, compiled and recently released the 10th edition of its flagship research publication, the Industry Reference Guide. The 190-plus-page report covers a wide variety of data, referenced as industry indicators, for use in evaluating the overall health of the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries.
This important annual report is a compilation of data that includes (but is not limited to) firearms and ammunition excise taxes (FAET), hunting license sales, National Instant Criminal Background Checks (NICS), Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) and firearm production, along with imports and exports. Other sections in the publication address the topics of shooter participation, shooter and firearms owner demographics, safety and the economic impact of hunting and target shooting and a state-by-state listing of the economic contributions attributable to the firearms industry. Especially important in this crucial election year, we’ve also included the latest news from NSSF government relations.
Trend data and sources are included throughout the report. The latest edition (2015-2016) was released at the 2016 SHOT Show and includes the most current data available from dozens of sources. The newest addition to our annual publication is data from NSSF’s Hunting License Sales Index, which provides a more current view of license sales than previously available.
“Although NSSF research has grown substantially, this report has been a constant source of information for the industry for more than 10 years” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
With the industry gaining more and more attention from media and financial investors, it has never been more important to be up to date on the latest statistics. Rather than spending hours searching for information, the Industry Reference Guide will easily put a wide array of information at your fingertips.
Tom Shay, a favorite among the annual speakers at the SHOT Show’s SHOT Show University and principal of Profits Plus Solutions, an online resource for small business operators, says, “Any successful business person knows that the more they know about their industry, the more profitable they will be, and this reference guide is a must-have for anyone wanting to better understand the firearms and outdoors market.”
With this guide, readers will be able to see that violent crime in the U.S. is near an all-time low, while the number of NICS background checks has increased substantially. Additionally, dating back to 1930, the number of unintentional firearms-related fatalities is also now at an all-time low. Along with such statistics, the Industry Reference Guide includes images of several NSSF infographics that can be used and shared by members through their social media, print marketing and advertising efforts.
The NSSF encourages all firearms industry members, whether manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, range owner, media member, supplier or other professional ally, to utilize the newly updated industry throughout the year. To review the table of contents or to order 2015-2016 Industry Reference Guide, visit www.nssf.org/research/IRG/. Questions or orders from outside the United States or Canada, please contact NSSF Research Coordinator Dianne Vrablic at 203-426-1320 ext. 263 or email email@example.com.