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Free publicity never hurts.
Sales of Stroh Brewery Co.'s Old Milwaukee have been rising steadily ever since the brand got a boost from Consumer Reports a year ago that was followed by a targeted advertising campaign.
Old Milwaukee was given top-taste ratings by the magazine last June, ranking No. 1 in the regular- and ice-beer categories. Consumers Union, the nonprofit organization that publishes the magazine, has a policy that forbids use of the organization's name or anything it publishes for advertising purposes.
``America's Best Tasting Beer'' is nevertheless the trademarked slogan Stroh is using for Old Milwaukee. After the ratings came out, sales for July 1996 bumped up 5 percent over July 1995, Stroh CEO William Henry said last year. But after Stroh began a targeted advertising campaign last October, sales really began to climb: 9.3 percent in October, 13.3 percent in January 1997, 14.3 percent in March and 17.3 percent in April over the same months in 1995 and 1996.
The percentage increases were drawn from A.C. Nielsen Scantrack data compiled from cash register purchases at grocery outlets, said Tom Fox, director of national retail sales for Stroh.
Citing Consumer Reports only as a ``leading national consumer magazine,'' the print and television ads tout Old Milwaukee's taste-test victory over the other national brands. One 30-second TV spot shows a beer can revealing several competitors' beer labels as it turns. It stops turning at the Old Milwaukee label, and the ad closes with, ``Now you know where to turn.''
Rana Arons, media liaison for Consumer Reports, said the organization was unaware of Stroh's advertising campaign. Arons said ``companies are pretty respectful of our noncommercial policy'' but said Consumers Union would review the Old Milwaukee campaign.
Dave Morris, vice president of brand management for Stroh, said Old Milwaukee's sales growth is helped by the TV time purchased during major sporting events.
Ads ran during the World Series and the top bowl games in January, Morris said. Ads also are scheduled during the Indy 500, NASCAR/Winston Cup races, NHL playoffs, Major League Baseball games and the All-Star game, Wimbledon and on ``The Late Show with David Letterman'' and ``Saturday Night Live.''
Morris would not reveal the dollar value of the ad campaign, calling it ``multimillion.''
In March, Stroh moved $5 million in advertising accounts from its former agency, Hal Riney & Partners in San Francisco, to the Detroit and Baltimore offices of W.B. Doner & Co. Riney had handled the Stroh, Old Milwaukee, Schlitz, Red Rider and Augsburger brands, reported Advertising Age, a sister publication of Crain's Detroit Business.
Stroh also has focused its marketing and sales on new retail stores and chains that had not carried Old Milwaukee, Morris said. The stores like that the brand is moving off the shelf quickly, Fox said.
Stroh's acquisition last year of the G. Heileman Brewing Co. and its West Coast breweries in Portland, Ore., and Seattle has helped get Old Milwaukee into Western markets where it was never a big seller, Morris said. At the end of March, sales in some markets on both coasts where Old Milwaukee had a small market share had increased several hundred percent based on the Nielsen data, Fox said.
Stroh would not release the actual revenue generated by Old Milwaukee's increased sales, and two beer industry analysts said no numbers have been published.
Despite Stroh's elation, one beer market expert said the brand is hampered by the factor that has held back Stroh brands in the past: ``Stroh has nowhere anywhere near as much advertising dollars as the other major brands,'' said Jerry Steinman, publisher of the trade publication Beer Marketer's Insights in West Nyack, N.Y.
``Generally, taste tests are unimportant in the history of beer trends,'' Steinman said. Creating brand awareness is a complicated blend of skill at the brewery, wholesale and retail levels, he said.
It's too early to see major changes because of the Heileman deal, he said, except for efficiency in production, shipping and administration. Stroh reported combined revenue for the two companies in 1996 of $1.65 billion, said Lacey Logan, senior director of corporate communications and public relations.


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By Haley Chi-Sing and Shawn Raymundo
The San Clemente Chamber of Commerce is shaking things up a bit with this year’s Seafest on Sunday, Oct. 6.
Rather than the traditional clam chowder contest most guests and patrons are accustomed to each year at the San Clemente Pier, the 32nd annual Seafest will instead feature the inaugural Street Taco Challenge, capitalizing on the popularity of the dish.
Various local restaurants will be on hand, serving up tacos from around 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The list of participating restaurants so far includes La Colombiana, The Fisherman’s Restaurant & Bar, Café Mimosa, H.H. Cotton’s, Sancho’s Tacos, The Shwack Cantina and Tamarindo, as well as The Lobster Shack, which is partnering with Los Patios.
Eventgoers will able to purchase tickets for the taco tastings, which will cost $15 for five tacos.
Much like the recent clam chowder showdowns, the taco contest will also be judged by a panel of local dignitaries and members from local organizations. According to the Chamber, Councilmember Laura Ferguson and Sgt. Paul Ketcham of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department are signed up as judges this year.
Those who sampled tacos will also vote in the contest, choosing their favorite local street taco. The People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice Awards will go to the restaurant with the highest-ranked tacos.
In previous years, nonprofit organizations were able to participate in the chowder contest, but the Taco Challenge will be open only to restaurants. The reason for the change is a decrease in the number of groups participating, according to Susie Lantz, the Chamber’s membership director.
“The chowder is really expensive to make, and we had nonprofits that were participating, and it was just getting really expensive so fewer groups were participating because of the cost,” Lantz said.
The Chamber, she added, also wanted to do something fresh for this year’s Seafest and felt the popularity of street tacos would be a good fit. The decision to limit participation to only restaurants was so the Chamber could continue abiding by requirements from the state’s Department of Public Health.
“The Chamber wanted to try something new, and because the restaurants already meet the health requirements with the cooking and preparing of food, and because street tacos are so popular now, it was a natural fit,” she added.
This year’s Seafest is set to run all day, with food, beverages, games and entertainment available. The event will include seafood from Fisherman’s, a surf contest, an arts and craft show and activities for children, as well as a business expo.
Parking and shuttle services will also be available during Seafest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at San Clemente High School.
For more information, call 949.492.1131 or visit SCChamber.com.
Shawn Raymundo is the city editor for San Clemente Times. He graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies. Before joining Picket Fence Media, he worked as the government accountability reporter for the Pacific Daily News in the U.S. territory of Guam. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnzyTsunami and follow The Dispatch @CapoDispatch.

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By Wendy Holdren
Suddenlink has announced a rate increase effective Dec. 2.
Michael Kelemen, director of government relations, said the average rate increase will be 3.89 percent.
“Suddenlink continues to make significant investments in its local network, increasing the number of high-definition TV services and increasing Internet download speeds, among other improvements,” Kelemen said.
“While we pledge to hold prices as low as possible, we continue to face the rising costs of TV programming, equipment, insurance and other expenses.”
He said the cost of basic cable networks and broadcast TV stations combined is increasing more than 8.5 percent each year.
“Suddenlink is absorbing a portion of these cost increases and passing along a portion to customers.”
Customers who subscribe to a bundled package of services with a promotional rate will keep that rate until its anniversary date.
Kelemen also recommends selecting a bundled package with two or more Suddenlink services to help customers “off-set adjustments and potentially save money.”
— E-mail: email@example.com


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Eileen Fisher Renew Field Trip
Learning on the road
Fashion students discover what’s old is new again at Eileen Fisher Renew
Students in the Fashion Design and Merchandising classes at Southern Westchester BOCES Center for Career Services are familiar with fashion trends that come and go and come back again. Recently they learned about one fashion designer who designs clothes, takes them back and redesigns them again during a tour of the Eileen Fisher Renew facility in Irvington.
The facility takes in gently used Eileen Fisher garments, sorts the contributions, dry cleans them and sorts them once more by color and fabric type before using the material to create a brand-new article of clothing.
These new items are then sold in the on-site store at 50 South Buckhout St., Irvington. The material that is not used for a garment may get repurposed into new fabric used for pillows, wall art or even a backpack or tote bag. Any item that cannot be used is donated. There is no such thing as a too small scrap of fabric here.
“Since 2009 Eileen Fisher decided she wanted to take responsibility of the products she creates — she makes clothes for women, women use them, and then she wanted to see what would happen if she asked her customers to give back the clothes that they didn’t want,” said Carolina Bedoya who led the tour at Eileen Fisher Renew.
Eileen Fisher customers responded very well. The facility takes in 10,000 units each month.
“We make clothes out of clothes,” Ms. Bedoya said, holding up a black jacket that had been made out of three pairs of pants.
During the tour students visited the two sorting areas, the first sorting space goes through and checks for damage or stains on the donated pieces. The second sorting area has workers dividing up items by fabric type and color. Students also saw where sewers make the new garments and the space where new fabric is made from donated items.
Any fabric that is not used to make another garment is sent to design assistant Ashley Edwards. She works with designers to develop new pieces of fabric. Once designers have an idea, Ms. Edwards is responsible for making the design come to life in the form of new clothe. She uses a large felting machine. She can make new, thin material for a garment, or thicker material for artwork or décor.
“What Renew cannot use, we use,” she said. “Here we want all the damaged pieces. We make pillowcases, upholstery bags and coats,” Ms. Edwards said.
Fashion Design teacher Carmen Galiano wanted to introduce her students to Eileen Fisher Renew so they could be inspired by the work done here.
“It’s good to know what they are doing and how they are doing it,” she said. “Right now, there is a real push for recycling.”
A big trend in the industry, she said, are customers who are increasingly more mindful of the waste and are shopping in second-hand stores.
Every scrap of fabric used in the Fashion classroom is saved and used again when possible to eliminate waste, Ms. Galiano said.


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There are always those parts of the college experience. Notes. Lectures. PowerPoint. Tests.
But the Loyola University College of Business is doing things a little differently, making the classroom a part of the real world—and making tests something that can get your career started before you even graduate.
Marketing majors at the College of Business are now becoming career ready from the comfort of their classrooms by earning certifications in Google Analytics and Google AdWords.
The certification process is part of Dr. Todd Bacile’s curriculum in his electronic marketing course, an idea that came from a simple visit to a local ad agency.
When Bacile asked the agency what skills they were looking for in potential employees, the marketing executive answered clearly and concisely: “I need and will hire people certified in Google Analytics and AdWords.”
Bacile immediately got certified in both areas himself and rebuilt his electronic marketing course to familiarize students with these Google tools—and to prepare them to pass the certification exams offered by Google.
And the course is working —to date, dozens of his students have successfully earned at least one certification from Google.
Recent alumnus Kevin Stanley ’16 (marketing) says he wasn’t one of those students who entered college with an exact idea of what he wanted to do upon graduation. Instead, he says, he found his calling at the beginning of his senior year in the electronic marketing course.
“The skills and knowledge I learned from that course opened the door for me,” Stanley says. “I was able to get an internship at an established ad agency while in school, which then turned into a full-time offer upon graduation. I now work as SEM [search engine marketing] director for the agency.”
Not surprisingly, given the results, Bacile was the recipient of the 2017 Loyola Faculty Senate Teaching Award for his inclusion of Google certification within his e-marketing course.
Google Analytics is the most widely used analytics software on the Internet. Its reports can display basic information like the number of site visits and clicks, as well as more advanced, detailed information like funnel visitation, custom visitor segmentation, e-commerce sales activity, revenue tracking, and more.
Google AdWords is an advertising service offered by Google for businesses wanting to display ads on Google and its network of sites. AdWords enables businesses to easily and quickly create ads, set budgets, track costs, and monitor various metrics to determine the most effective ad placement and performance.
For those who use both and especially for those certified, Google Analytics is seamlessly integrated with Google AdWords.
In Bacile’s class, students use Analytics to analyze real web traffic and e-commerce sales data, becoming familiar with both the platform and the types of data they’ll encounter in the real world.
This hands-on application creates the engaging experiential learning environment the College of Business is known for.
Feedback has been immensely positive from both students and the agencies hiring them. The end results of Bacile’s efforts show where it matters: Students are being hired for internships and full-time positions in the growing field of digital marketing.
And that’s data we’re happy to analyze.
View the full article and the current issue of the Loyola Executive Magazine here: https://issuu.com/loyola-university-new-orleans/docs/loyola_executive_ma...
For more information about the Marketing degree program visit: http://business.loyno.edu/marketing
For more information about Google Analytics certifcation visit: https://support.google.com/partners/answer/6089738?hl=en
For more information about Google AdWords certification visit: https://support.google.com/partners/answer/3154326?hl=en


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Super Bowl 50 and its golden anniversary theme has apparently put some advertisers in a nostalgic mood. Ads released already include references to Marilyn Monroe and "The Jeffersons," while classic tracks from Van Halen and David Bowie provide the soundtracks for other spots.
Now you can add Pepsi to the list of marketers going retro. The cola brand, which is again sponsoring this year's halftime show, will lead into the show with an ad that begins with "Do You Love Me," by the Contours. Then comes a Madonna 1980s classic, "Express Yourself." Contemporary pop star Janelle Monáe walks through each time period in the spot before ending the ad with her remake of the old "Joy of Pepsi" jingle, which Pepsi recently resurrected.
The ad, which was released today, is meant to play off the theme of this year's halftime show, which the NFL told Pepsi would be a "past, present and future celebration of music," said Chad Stubbs, VP of marketing for the Pepsi trademark. So far, artists slated to perform in the show are Coldplay and Beyonce, according to published reports, and that list seems likely to grow. Billboard has speculated that Bruno Mars might show up.
Ms. Monáe, who has previously appeared in global Pepsi ads, recorded a 10-second introduction to the spot that will air right before the ad begins. She will appear in a portion of the Levi's Stadium known as the Pepsi Fan Deck. (She is not in the actual halftime show, Pepsi confirmed.) The 10 seconds became available to Pepsi because it is the period in which the TV feed is switched from CBS to the NFL, which oversees the halftime production, Pepsi executives said.
That 10 seconds carries a media value of $1.5 million to Pepsi, estimated Justin Toman, Pepsi's director of sports marketing. "On the Super Bowl broadcast every second really does count," he said. Ad Age's Datacenter estimates that one second of ad time in Super Bowl 50 is costing advertisers $160,000, compared to just $1,333 in 1967.
Pepsi is in the final year of a four-year halftime sponsorship contract. Asked if the brand will return as the sponsor next year, Mr. Toman said, "we would love to if the cards play out that way."
In previous years, Pepsi has produced 30-second lead-in ads that were localized to the Super Bowl site. Last year's spot, for instance, was called "Halftime Touches Down," and showed the stadium landing like a spaceship from the Arizona sky. This year's ad, which is by The Marketing Arm, was created to have more lasting value.
"Those other ads were truly made just for a one time airing the night of the Super Bowl," Mr. Stubbs said. But this year's spot can be used the rest of the year, he added.
The Contours song was chosen because it was popular during the period when the Super Bowl began 50 years ago, Mr. Stubbs said. Madonna's association with Pepsi includes a 1989 commercial that was pulled due to controversy over her "Like a Prayer" video. While "Express Yourself" was never in a Pepsi ad, "it was within that album and era that we had worked with Madonna before," Mr. Stubbs said.


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THE Daily Telegraph is today launching a campaign to end the Australian fashion industry's use of unhealthily thin models.
The local modelling and fashion industry have traditionally been known as world leaders in promoting fitter, healthier bodies, championed by one of the country's original supermodels Elle Macpherson.
But over time, the athletic look has been replaced with that of the waif-thin girl so popular in the European fashion capitals.
Now, this newspaper is calling for Australia to again lead the world in promoting healthier body shapes on our runways and magazines.
The Butterfly Foundation's chief executive Christine Morgan backed the campaign, saying we can only teach our children resilience to the industry's messages to a point.
"That's why I love the idea of The Daily Telegraph's editor because I think that what we as responsible adults can do is we can say, 'Not only do we want you to learn to be resilient as young people, but we're going to fight to show you what healthy and good and gorgeous looks like and that is a diversity of sizes and shapes, all of which are healthy," Ms Morgan said.
Former Youth Minister Kate Ellis set up the national advisory group on body image in March 2009, which made recommendations for the fashion industry, including using healthy weight models.
However, there has been no enforcement of the guidelines and Ms Ellis has since dropped the issue.
Originally published as Time to promote healthier bodies


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A new study just released found little difference in egg quality when compared to eggs laid by cage-free and caged hens. The Wall Street Journal reports that while cage-free hens enjoyed higher mortality rates due to the less restrictive nature of their environment, their egg quality was no different than eggs laid by a caged hen. The research was conducted by the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply in conjunction with a group of animal-health scientists, egg suppliers and McDonald’s and Sysco Foods.
Some of the research is being published in peer-viewed scientific journals but the study is the result of multiyear examinations of three hen houses on a Midwestern Farm. Not surprisingly, prior to the manuscript’s release it encountered doubt by animal rights activists> Humane Society of the US head Wayne Pacelle whined that locking hens in cages causes them suffering and that the future of egg laying is one where chickens are cage-free.
California and several other states have laws requiring larger cage space for egg-laying chickens and fast food companies that serve breakfast are turning to cage free eggs for their meals. However, cage-free is nothing more than a feel good measure and does not have any factual basis. The whole premise behind cage-free or more room for egg-laying hen laws is to drive up the price of eggs in order to discourage people not to eat them. Animal rights and other environmentalist groups support such measures in hopes of prodding people to embrace vegan or vegetarian diets. In short, environmentalists are the enlightened ones who know better than you how to live your life and will do their utmost to run it including dictating to you what kind of foods you eat.


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Increasingly, automakers want to bring battery production closer to home, asbegin popping up left and right. Porsche on Monday became the latest to found a JV operation in Cellforce Group, a company made up of Porsche and battery firm CustomCells.
Development of the new high-performance batteries will take place at Porsche's grounds in Weissach, Germany, but the JV will soon announce a location for a brand-new factory to build the future batteries. Neither company spoke to the final selection, though Porsche said Tübingen is on the shortlist. The city, in southern Germany, will also be home to Cellforce Group's headquarters.
"The battery cell is the combustion chamber of the future. As a new Porsche subsidiary, the Cellforce Group will be instrumental in driving forward the research, development, production and sale of high-performance battery cells," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said.
Truly, it sounds like Porsche is targeting some serious battery technology with this move. It described these upcoming batteries with silicone as the anode material for better power density and a smaller overall battery pack. With this engineering, the two companies predicted much faster charging times than today's batteries, thanks to reduced internal resistance.
Neither company spoke to a timeline on when we'll see the first of these new battery packs, but Porsche said the plan is to hire workers for this new company through 2025 as it plots an even more electrified future.


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Coby has always been known for their low cost tablet PCs and it seems there is another one coming our way, if a recent FCC appearance of a Kyros 7 inch Android tablet is anything to go by.
Tablets from Coby, the company that was known for their cassette players, have never been stunning pieces of technology. However, Coby always made sure it matched the decent specs on board their tablet PCs with equally decent price to ensure they remain competitive. The latest Kyros MID7012 is no exception, a fact brought forth by its specifications.
The newest member of the Kyros family is based on a 800 Mhz ARM1176 CPU. It runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and has a display of 7 inch dimension, though the resolution is not known as of now. The tablet comes with an USB 2.0 port, while on-board storage amounts to 4 GB. Sure, that is paltry, but Koby has made that up an SD card slot that supports a maximum of 32 GB. System memory stands at 256 MB while the tablet connects to the internet via Wi-Fi. Also, if the specifications don’t make your heads turn, maybe the price will. The tablet costs just $100.
Coby hasn’t stated when the tablet will make it to the market.
Sovan Mandal is the senior tablet and tech corespondent for goodereader.com. He brings a international approach to news that is not just applicable to the North American market, but also Asia, India, Europe and others. Sovy brings his own writing flavor to the website and is interested in Science Fiction, Technology and Writing. Any questions, send an email


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HOUSTON (Oct. 13, 2015) — Sharon Goulet of Marysville, Mich., is the winner of Black Magic Detailing Products' and Gumout Performance Additives' “You Get My Drift” Ford Mustang RTR sweepstakes.
“We are excited to announce Mrs. Goulet as the winner of our fully customized Mustang RTR,” said Rusty Waples, global group brand manager for ITW Global Brands, which markets Black Magic and Gumout products. “The support of our fans for this sweepstakes has been overwhelmingly positive and we're honored to have had strong support from the extended Black Magic and Gumout family.”
The sweepstakes kicked off April 9, with “encouragement from Formula Drift Champion and Gumout Gang representative Vaughn Gittin Jr.,” according to ITW. The contest drew more than 500,000 applicants vying for a chance to win the customized Mustang. In addition to the vehicle, the grand prize winner receives two tickets to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas Nov. 3-6, round trip airfare for two, three days/two night lodging, a $300 car rental gift card, and $500 in spending money.
“We're all about car culture,” Mr. Waples continued. “We love cars and our passionate car fanatics here at Gumout and Black Magic and this sweepstakes shows our appreciation. We went bigger this year than ever before and over a half million fans signed up for this promotion.”
ITW claims its Gumout additives clean, protect and enhance key engine and automotive parts, while Black Magic offers tire care products including wheel cleaners, interior and exterior detailing products. It also markets Rain-X and Slick 50 products.


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July Next-Gen Debit Tracker®
The July 2020 edition of the Next-Gen Debit Tracker, a PULSE collaboration with PYMNTS.com is out. The issue explores how prepaid debit cards can offer fast, secure aid to vulnerable families that have been impacted during the current pandemic.
You’ll also find an interview with PULSE’s own Jennifer Schroeder, Executive Vice President of Product Management, where she talks debit expectations around purchasing behaviors in the coming months. And, as always, you’ll get the latest news and trends, including recent next-gen debit headlines, such as the U.S. Treasury Department’s response to questions regarding debit card fees and why the USDA is expanding online EBT payments for SNAP recipients.


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Quinoa has caused quite a lot of confusion during its short tenure on the worldwide scene. Raised for thousands of years in the Andean Mountain region of South America, it's only really blown up worldwide over the last decade. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization declared 2013 "the International Year of Quinoa" giving the crop a big boost on the world stage. The declaration was intended as a way to highlight crops that were unknown or forgotten (at least to the wider world) as a way of promoting food security. These crops are often referred to as "orphan crops."
But along with quinoa's rapid ascent to the top of the health food chain came news reports that local populations in Peru and Bolivia could no longer afford to buy it as the prices had doubled or tripled.
So what's the truth about that? Let's clear up some commonly asked questions about quinoa (by the way, it's pronounced KEEN-wah. You're welcome.)


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SAN DIEGO — Sony Electronics’ restructuring announcement, which involves the closing of 20 of its stores in the U.S., should not have come as a surprise to those who where closely reading the company’s recent financial.
When Sony Corporation reported its fiscal third quarter financial early last month, which included a 23 percent sales gain and a net profit vs. a year-on-year loss, it also said that it would sell off its Vaio PC business, make its TV operations a separate subsidiary, and lay off about 5,000 by the end of fiscal year 2014.
Vaio PCs have been a big part of Sony Stores, and conjecture was rampant that Sony Store closings would soon follow.
Sony U.S. said in a statement last week that the restructuring is designed “to maintain its competitiveness in an evolving consumer electronics market” in the U.S. It confirmed a total staff reduction of one-third by the end of the calendar year, affecting approximately 1,000 employees across all sites.
The company clarified the decision by saying, “In addition, in an effort to further streamline costs and continue focus on existing partner relations, Sony announced the closure of 20 U.S. Sony Stores,” the company said.
Mike Fasulo, newly named president/COO of Sony Electronics and a longtime company veteran, said in a statement, “While these moves were extremely tough, they were absolutely necessary to position us in the best possible place for future growth. I am entirely confident in our ability to turn the business around, in achieving our preferred future, and continue building on our flawless commitment to customer loyalty through the complete entertainment experience only Sony can offer.”
Sony said in its statement it “continues to drive its industry leadership in premium products across all of CE,” with an emphasis on 4K products of all types, “bolstering 2K models in 2014,” for the “future success of its U.S. television business.”
Sony said its focus will be on “its premium products — including its digital imaging line, high-resolution audio and full suite of professional solutions — while leveraging its strengths in hardware, content and gaming.”
Twenty stores in the U.S. are closing: Tysons, Va.; University Village, Wash.; Galleria Dallas, Texas; Forum Shops, Nev.; Pentagon, Va.; Boca Raton, Fla.; Menlo Park, N.J.; Las Americas, Calif.; Camarillo, Calif.; Aurora, Ill.; Gilroy, Calif.; Central Valley, N.Y.; Wrentham, Mass.; Pleasant Prairie, Wis.; San Marcos, Texas; Cherry Creek, Colo.; Dolphin, Fla.; Century City, Calif.; Valley Fair, Calif.; and Comcast, Pa.
Eleven stores remain open, including its New York City flagship store and its SPE store at the Culver City, Calif., studios.
Sony operated 44 retail stores at the chain’s peak in 2008, excluding outlets, and was the 20th largest CE retailer in 2012, according to TWICE’s Top 100 rankings. Sales totaled $829 million, down 7 percent from the prior year, as the company began closing locations.
Sony did not provide further details on other organizational changes regarding this announcement.
- DEG Honors Dolby, Sony And Warner At Annual CES Awards Event - January 11, 2019
- LG’s CES Keynote: AI Is ‘Opportunity Of Our Lifetime’ - January 9, 2019
- Memories Of Our Friend John - April 12, 2018


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January 26, 2023
Vox recently published an article where visiting Assistant Professor of Operations and Technology Management, Michelle Shell, discussed the challenges of phone-based customer service.
Some companies are making it difficult or impossible for customers to call, in order to avoid the cost of answering calls altogether. Instead, companies engineer chatbots that provide canned answers on their websites. If companies do offer the ability to call, they are often ineffective and consumers are required to go through automated options before getting to a live person – if they ever do.
“Eliminating human contact when people are feeling anxious causes them to be dissatisfied
with their own decision-making”
Shell discussed how it can be harrowing for customers when there’s no one on the other end of the line, especially when they’re anxious. Her research shows that it is “critically important” consumers feel as though they can reach customer service in moments of distress, explaining that, “Eliminating human contact when people are feeling anxious causes them to be dissatisfied with their own decision-making, even if they’re making good decisions.” People often want to speak to someone when they’re on edge, or at least should have the option to do so. “Reintroducing notions of human contact by giving them these options to connect with the company, even if they don’t actually use it, can restore trust.”


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US-based Diamond S Shipping has agreed to sell its 2008-built MR product tankers Atlantic Aquarius (pictured) and Atlantic Leo as part of the company’s fleet renewal initiatives.
The vessels are expected to be delivered to their new owners in the third quarter of 2019 or early the following quarter.
The company is expected to gain approximately US$19 million from the sale of the two vessels.
The best maritime site on the web. The sea's our scene!


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Society needs to work through its drone concerns
Society needs to work through its concerns about drones.
That is the view of DJI Director of Education Romeo Durscher who spoke to BBC Click about the technology and its possible applications.
Last year drone manufacturer DJI made around $500m (£330m) in sales.
The company sold about 400,000 drones and expects that to increase substantially this year.


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Wireless management firm Netgear today announced three new products due to launch this year aimed at helping small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) better manage their wireless networks.
Two of the products are specifically aimed at SMEs, and are designed to allow IT staff to manage access points more efficiently and at a fraction of the cost of traditional management applications, the company said.
The WMS105 software allows up to five access points to be configured from a central point to provide security and access management, and will be available from the first quarter of 2010 for $50 (£30).
For medium sized firms, the WMS5316 offers the ability to manage five to 16 access points for between 50 and 200 users, and has load balancing functionality to ensure that no single access point becomes overloaded. It will be available in the second quarter for $910 (£560).
The final product, the WC7520, is designed for larger enterprises with 200+ users and will be launched in the third quarter of the year for $6,280 (£3,867).
Peter Newton, director of product marketing for security and business wireless at Netgear, explained that the products had been designed in response to feedback from customers, and represent a growth area in the business market for Netgear.
"For many firms a full wireless management system is too expensive, and many may lack IT staff with specialist skills for wireless management," he said. " These releases are designed to meet the demand for products that allow firms to do this simply, efficiently and cost-effectively."
The products are all designed to work with the majority of Netgear access points which businesses may already have installed, and with 802.11n wireless devices, said the firm.
Resetting the telemetry circuits and associated boards brought the instrument back to operations mode
Fortnite news and updates: Flaw in Fortnite authentication could have helped attackers steal player login credentials
Attackers could have used Fortnite security flaw to buy in-game currency on players' stored credit cards
New photos show cotton seeds sprouting in sealed container - with other plants expected to sprout within days
Sudden increases in availability of sniper rifles on Vikendi


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November 16, 2011
Pork price drop eases China's inflationary pressures
China's pork prices have declined or stayed flat for eight consecutive weeks as of November 13, reaching the lowest level in more than four months and easing inflationary pressures, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed Tuesday (Nov 15).
Pork was the single largest contributor to the rise in China's Consumer Price Index (CPI) in last several months, as supply tightness drove prices of the country's most-consumed meat to record levels in mid-September, when prices were around 50% higher than a year earlier.
Last week, wholesale pork prices fell 1.9% to RMB24.28 (US$3.82)/kg, contributing to a total drop of 8.2% since mid-September, the ministry said.
Many hog raisers have sold their stocks before the winter - peak season for pig diseases - easing market supply tightness, while increased imports have contributed to price declines, analysts said. The release of pork reserves by some local governments also helped stabilise prices.
Last month, an on-year increase of 39% in the price of pork contributed 1.12 percentage points to the CPI rise of 5.5%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The pork price surge contributed 1.24 percentage points to the 6.1% CPI rise in September, and 1.27 percentage points to August's 6.2% CPI rise.
But traders said they do not rule out a rebound over the next two months, as the coming Lunar New Year holiday in January is the peak demand season for pork.
Returns from hog production, measured by the hog-to-corn price ratio, also fell for an eighth consecutive week, to 7.19 as of November 9, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. A ratio of 6 is roughly a break-even level for pig farmers.
The central government release state pork reserves when the ratio hits 9, which it has not so far this year.
In the first nine months of the year, China imported 870,000 tonnes of pork, up 40% from a year earlier, the commerce ministry said earlier. But this is a small amount, since China's annual pork consumption is more than 50 million tonnes, analysts said.
China produced 35.68 million tonnes of pork in the January-September period, down 0.6% from a year earlier, the NBS figures showed.


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A medical breakthrough?
WHILE NOT yet saying all of what the public needs to hear, the state Medical Board is at least making some encouraging sounds about a patient's right to know. Last week, perhaps bowing to the threat of new legislation, the board suggested that it is willing to substantially increase the amount -- and nature -- of information it releases to consumers about California doctors.
After years of balking, the board is apparently ready to disclose data on possible misdemeanor crimes and medical malpractice settlements involving doctors licensed by the state. "We are committed to providing more information, not less," is how Dr. Ronald Wender, the head of the board's Public Information Disclosure committee, put it.
Wender's pronouncement is a welcome start, but just a start.
The Public Records Act is supposed to guarantee consumers virtually unlimited access to details about a doctor's training, past disciplinary actions, criminal records and more. But the board, which is responsible for licensing, monitoring and disciplining the doctors, routinely disregards the law.
The board's refusal to make public records available forced three newspapers to file lawsuits and lawmakers to consider even sterner legislation.
But it has also has done immeasurable harm to patients, depriving them of a right to make informed decisions on issues of life and death.
By denying consumers all the facts about the skills and character of doctors, the panel is failing to live up to its basic mission. Criminal convictions, continuing investigations, malpractice judgments, jury verdicts, arbitration awards, discipline and even board certification information is typically withheld.
Wender is apparently only offering limited access rather than the thorough disclosure to which consumers are entitled. The Legislature should not back off until the board lives up to its promises and duty to provide more complete information to the public.


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Following a court hearing on its pending patent case with Netflix Rovi’s stock dipped almost 12%, but the company said it remains confident claiming no judgement has yet been made. Read the story »
Nintendo's Legend of Zelda game in development for Wii U is no longer due out in 2015, producer Eiji Aonuma announced in a video (embedded after the break) today. "I must apologize to you all that were expecting the game by year's end, but we are no longer making a 2015 release our number one priority," Aonuma says. "Instead, our priority is to make it the most complete and ultimate Zelda game. I hope to use the added time to make The Legend of Zelda for Wii U into a game that will reward you for your patience, so thank you for your continued support."
Source: Nintendo (YouTube)
Take the edge off of a full work week with a bit of Super Mario 64, available for download or playable right in your browser thanks to ingenious Unity developer Roystan Ross. He calls it Super Mario 64 HD, and it features the original game's first level, "Bob-Omb Battlefield." Ross promises that everything is just as players of the 1996 game will remember, with a few exceptions, including no red coins and no Big Bob-Omb. But, it's still Super Mario 64 in your browser (not your Bowser). Happy Friday, indeed!
Via: Kotaku UK
Source: Roystan Ross
Valve, the company that spawned Steam, Team Fortress 2, Portal and Half-Life, will hand out dev kits of its Vive virtual reality headset to select developers at no cost, company spokesperson Doug Lombardi tells Ars Technica. Valve plans to launch a new site next week where developers, big and small, can sign up to potentially score an early version of the Vive. There are no firm guidelines determining which studios will actually get a dev kit, the site reports, and it's unclear how many are up for grabs in this freebie round.
Source: Ars Technica
Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPT) has reached an agreement with Liberty Global to acquire the Film1 group in the Netherlands. Read the story »
The question of whether online portal TVCatchUp can rebroadcast UK commercial channels is heading to the European Court of Justice. Read the story »
Wuaki.tv, the European video-on-demand (VOD) provider backed by Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten, has appointed Sébastien Janin as its head of international business development. Read the story »
The DTG has published details of the technology foundations to Freeview Play, the new connected TV service on the UK’s terrestrial platform. Read the story »
KIPCO says it sees enormous potential in its Middle Eastern pay-TV operation OSN. Read the story »
The BBC is to rebrand its connected Red Button service as Red Button+. Read the story »
HBO will increase the network’s current events coverage, bringing Vice’s brand of journalism and breaking news content to its subscribers. Read the story »
French media group Lagardère is launching an African version of its children’s channel Gulli on the Canal+ platform in Africa. Read the story »
Russia’s MTS has launched a paid online video service known as MTS TV. Read the story »
[itvt] is pleased to present a video recording of 1) Rick Howe's (The iTV Doctor) keynote interview with Michael Willner, President and CEO of GreatLand Connections and Penthera, and 2) the TVOT session, "OTT and the Virtual MSO": Disintegration and Reintegration," which immediately followed it. The sessions were described in the show brochure as follows:
Broadband TV News and Telenor Satellite Broadcasting will be hosting a special event in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, on May 6. Read the story »
Among the many improvements of moving to a new console generation, the Xbox One left a few features from the Xbox 360 behind. Now, Microsoft is testing a preview for its April update that brings back one of the most requested features: voice messages. As annoying as voicemail can be on a phone, simply saying a quick message while trying to coordinate a raid in Destiny can often be faster than typing it with a controller or even the SmartGlass app. One more bonus? The voice messages will work across Xbox One and Xbox 360. The software update with the feature is already available to preview members, check after the break for more details and a demo video.
Source: Xbox Wire
German commercial broadcast group Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland will expand the DTT distribution of RTL Nitro. Read the story »
TV Connect has announced the shortlist for the 2015 TV Connect Awards. Read the story »


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Volkswagen have announced that its global battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales grew by 23.6 per cent in 2022. The brand continues to make rapid progress with the transformation to emobility with around 330,000 units delivered worldwide.
This is good news considering the brand’s overall deliveries of all vehicles are slightly down on last year. Plus, it shows the appetite for electric cars from consumers is continuing to grow.
Imelda Labbé, Volkswagen Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales said: “We achieved a solid sales result in 2022 despite persistent supply bottlenecks.
“The pronounced growth in BEV models confirms that with our attractive product portfolio, we are on the right track to becoming the most desirable brand for sustainable mobility.”
The roadmap is clear for Volkswagen, with the company stepping up the pace of its electric campaign with 10 new electric models by 2026. Volkswagen already has a broad portfolio of electric models. By 2026, the brand will have the right product in every segment, from the entry-level electric car with a target price of under €25,000 to the new flagship ID.7 electric saloon.
ID.4: Volkswagen’s Top Seller
Volkswagen’s all-electric ID. models have received a positive response on global automotive markets. With around 170,000 units delivered to customers in 2022, the ID.4 is the Volkswagen Group’s top electric world car.
In China, the company’s largest sales market, Volkswagen more than doubled deliveries of the all-electric models from the ID. family. This includes 143,100 ID.3, ID.4 and ID.6models being handed over to customers in 2022. This is up 102.9 per cent for the year.
There was also a major boost in sales in North America. In total, the company delivered 22,700 ID.4 (+27.7 per cent) in the region. With deliveries of around 8,900 units, the ID.4 was the bestselling car in Sweden across all drive types. That makes an ID. model the top-selling car in Sweden for the third year in a row (2020: ID.3; 2021: ID.4).
Electric Mobility Campaign
Volkswagen has already reached the first milestone in its electric mobility campaign. Since the first ID.3 was handed over to a customer in September 2020, Volkswagen has delivered more than 580,000 models from the ID. family worldwide.
The technical basis for the ID. models is the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform. Last week, Volkswagen showcased the latest addition to the ID. family, a specially camouflaged ID.7, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. With the saloon, Volkswagen is expanding its electric portfolio into the upper middle-class high-volume segment.


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July 25, 2021 at 07:00 pm
Alena Mae S. Flores
MORE Electric and Power Corp. of tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. announced over the weekend a 36-percent cut in the electricity rates of Iloilo City electricity consumers for July.
MORE Power said in a statement the electricity rate for residential consumers had dropped to P6.4562 per kilowatthour (kWh) for the month of July from P10.0149 per kWh rate in June.
The company said the lower rates will be critical to support to consumers and business in Iloilo City amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
MORE Power president Roel Castro, said the price cut will enable small businesses to resume and even expand operations, and recover losses from prolonged business closure during the lockdown.
The company’s commercial rates declined to P6.1809 per kWh from P9.4910 per kWh in June.
Castro said lower rates would also help residential users who are still hurting from loss of jobs,and reduced income.
“We have been able to find cheap source of power for Iloilo City,” said Castro.
MORE Power is reducing the electricity rate following the purchase of power supply from Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.


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Andy Beal wrote a guest column at WebProNews about click fraud. It seems there has been a drop in click fraud cases from last quarter until now. Beal asks the question, “is this drop a blip or a trend?”
Good question. I guess we won’t know until the next quarter so that we can see if there is still a continued downward trend in click fraud or if it goes back up to its normative 15%=17% range.
It would be nice to see less pay per click click fraud. That would be a big plus to the industry and a big plus to advertisers. Andy asked the question and I’ll ask it too. Are you see a decline in your click fraud statistics?


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For the second time in 15 years, first-time boat buyers of new and used boats surpassed 415,000 in the US, statistics the marine industry has not seen since 2007. According to a report constructed by the NNMA and Info-Link, 420,000 first-time boat buyers entered the market in 2021, accounting for 34% of boat sales — continuing the growth of the recreational boating industry and further supporting the increased demand we’ve seen over the last couple of years.
“The boating industry has seen tremendous growth the last two years as more Americans discovered the freedoms, special moments, and accessibility of the boating lifestyle, giving us valuable momentum and creating a strong foundation,” noted Ellen Bradley, NMMA senior vice president of marketing and communications. Moving forward, it is crucial that the marine segment maintain the upward momentum in light of potential uncertainties such as competition for consumer spending in the leisure market, inflation, and supply chain disruptions.
“We expect the trajectory of first-time boat buyers to soften as boat sales begin to normalize following a record couple of years. However, 2022 should see healthy levels of new boat owners enter the market as manufacturers work to refill the pipeline and fulfill the backlog of new orders,” noted Jack Ellis, managing director, Info-Link Technologies. Now more than ever, companies should focus on retaining new boat owners, engaging existing customers, and appealing to the next generation of boaters.
Since 1970, exceeding the expectations of our customers before, during, and after the sale, has been a steadfast team commitment. Our simple philosophy— always do right by the customer — starts at the top and runs right down to every one of our team members at all of our locations, regardless of their job title. We have the expertise, experience, and dedication it takes to ensure your experience is nothing short of exceptional. We are family-owned and operated and are one of only seven firms inducted into the Boating Industry’s Top 100 Hall of Fame. Contact us today to get started on your yachting journey.


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BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government is all set to apply for GI tag for Odisha Rasagola and Kandhamal turmeric after neighboring West Bengal was granted it for Banglar Rosogolla.
Odisha MSME minister Prafulla Samal said the state will ‘soon’ apply GI tag for the two products.
The state government has completed collection of primary data and it would apply for GI tag for Kandhamal turmeric at the GI Registry office in January 2018,
The GI status would enhance the trade value of the Kandhamal turmeric and its import to other states would become easy, he added.
Odisha and West Bengal have so far obtained GI tag over 15 items each, sources in the IPFC) for MSMEs at the Central Tool Room and Training Centre (CTTC), Bhubaneswar, said.


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How do you build a billion-dollar company selling insurance policies in a country like India?
A 10-year-old Gurugram-based online insurance aggregator cracked the code, and has joined the growing list of Indian unicorns (private companies valued at over $1 billion).
On June 25, PolicyBazaar said it had raised over $200 million (Rs1,330 crore) in a funding round led by Softbank, with participation from existing investors, including InfoEdge, which operates job site Naukri.com.
PolicyBazaar aggregates insurance plans and serves as a marketplace for policies. It claims to process nearly 25% of India’s life insurance and over 7% of the country’s retail health cover. And there’s lots of headroom for growth since only 4% of the country’s total population is insured.
Now, PolicyBazaar plans to expand into health care itself.
“We are going to be launching a free-for-all doctor-on-call service where customers anywhere in the country can call in for free or chat for free to a doctor,” Yashish Dahiya, co-founder and CEO of EtechAces, which owns PolicyBazaar, told the TimesNow news channel. A chunk of its latest funding will go into this diversification.
PolicyBazaar was launched in June 2008 by Indian Institute of Management (IIM) alumni Dahiya and Alok Bansal, currently the company’s CFO.
At that time, the 200-year-old Indian insurance industry still lacked transparency and policies were mostly sold through agents. Dahiya and Bansal’s firm changed that largely by listing the details of multiple policies for customers to choose.
PolicyBazaar has till now enjoyed its early-mover advantage, said Ashvin Parekh, managing director of consulting firm Ashvin Parekh Advisory Services. It has managed to lead the sector despite the entry of several new players like EasyPolicy and CoverFox since around 2011.
“The biggest asset they (PolicyBazaar) have is the customer traffic and stickiness,” Vivek Belgavi, who heads financial services technology for PwC India, told Quartz. “In this space, it is tough to create too many brands, but if you have the kind of recall they do, which attracts a lot of traffic as well as customers, that is definitely a strength.”
Over the years, PolicyBazaar has gradually expanded its business to allied services that generate higher revenues. “What started as a pureplay price comparison website has now moved to a place where you can buy insurance online. As you get into these spaces, you start getting a greater chunk of revenue,” Belgavi said.
Now, PolicyBazaar says it has over 100 million visitors annually and facilitates over 300,000 transactions a month. “Our revenue overall as a business for both financial services and insurance…would be to the tune of Rs600 (crore) to Rs700 crore. We would have a profit of about Rs100 crore,” Dahiya told TimesNow.
PolicyBazaar’s holding company now intends to launch a platform that will give consumers free access to the company’s empanelled doctors and medical consultants. It also plans a range of other offerings like in-hospital concierge services for its health insurance customers.
“A large part of our business already comes from health care. We want to tap into that existing user base and offer them a network of doctors and other services,” Dahiya told the Mint newspaper.
However, as it forays into newer areas, PolicyBazaar must hold on to its customer-focused approach. “The key is to keep on improving the conversion ratio—how many people are landing on the site versus how many are transacting,” Belgavi said.
Having Softbank as an investor will go a long way in helping the company on the technology front as the investor has a history of building tech-based companies. In India, Softbank has backed some of the most successful internet firms like e-commerce major Flipkart and ride-hailing unicorn Ola.
“There are challenges in reaching the last mile and they (PolicyBazaar) have taken an innovative digital-first model for solving for that problem. (With this investment, they) get further support for the mission they’ve set for themselves,” Belgavi said. “Overall it is a great sign for the (online insurance) sector.”


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We remember the long boring car trips and put televisions in the cars to help with backseat boredom. We remember injuring ourselves on the monkey bars and created safer playgrounds. We grew up in a time when school shootings were a real threat and had to go through metal detectors to get into our classrooms; toy guns don't seem appropriate to us.
Yes, every generation makes changes to (they hope) improve the world they leave to their children. And we are just starting to see the impacts that millennial parents may have on the world. A study by Crowdtap recently explores what effects the first generation of digital parents have on their children. The list includes:
- Being wary of social media distracting from family life
- Moms considering themselves to be the decision makers for their families
- Appreciating technology's role but still wanting their children to go outside and play
Who do you reach out to for parenting advice? Tell me in the comments.


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THE WILDWOODS — The annual All Breed Dog Show hosted by the Boardwalk Kennel Club returns to the Wildwoods Convention Center for five days in February. Competitions begin at 8 a.m. daily starting Wednesday, Feb. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 5. Multiple judges will determine the winner of each category, and various prizes will be awarded.
Additionally, vendors will offer unique merchandise for those looking for something special for their pooch – from collars and leashes to books and training tools. Guided tours and new exhibitor briefings will be available throughout the 5-day event to educate the public about all aspects of the sport of dog shows.
Ticket prices are $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and $2 for children under 12. Tickets will be available at the door the day of the event.
For additional information, call 856-456-2548 or see www.BoardwalkKennelClub.com.


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Stories 1 - 20 |
GM Recalls All Cruises for
Software Change After Injuries
Nov 8, 2023 5:55 PM CST
GM Recalls All Cruises for Software Change After Injuries
California revoked the vehicle's license
- General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit is recalling all 950 of its cars to update software after one of them dragged a pedestrian to the side of a San Francisco street in early October. The company said in documents posted by federal safety regulators on Wednesday that with the updated...
Cruise's Driverless Taxis
Oct 25, 2023 1:20 AM CDT
California Suspends Cruise's Driverless Taxis
Robotaxis have become increasingly controversial in the state
- After a series of incidents involving Cruise robotaxis, California has decided to halt their operation in the state effective immediately. Cruise is one of two companies (the other is Waymo, owned by Google's parent company) with driverless taxi fleets in California; the suspension order issued by the state's...
Mystery of Fatal Tesla Crash
With No Driver Is Solved
Feb 9, 2023 2:00 AM CST
Mystery of Fatal Tesla Crash With No Driver Is Solved
NTSB report finds that Autopilot was not in use after all in 2021 crash
- Authorities say they know why no one was in the driver's seat when a Tesla Model S crashed in 2021, killing the two men inside, and it's
the reason initially believed. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the driver moved into the back seat...
After Arrest, Driverless
Tesla Guy Does It Again
May 12, 2021 6:04 AM CDT
After Arrest, Driverless Tesla Guy Does It Again
California's Param Sharma defiant despite recent fatal crash in Texas
- A man has been arrested after repeatedly riding in the backseat of a Tesla in Autopilot mode, with no one in the driver's seat—something he says he'll continue to do regardless. California Highway Patrol said it was aware of "an incident involving a man riding in...
Is This the Car of the Future?
Dec 15, 2020 6:57 AM CST
Is This the Car of the Future?
Bezos-owned Zoox reveals self-driving taxi with no steering wheel
- Taxi service could someday look quite different: Zoox, a self-driving startup acquired by Jeff Bezos' Amazon in June, on Monday revealed its autonomous taxi prototype. The robotaxi, which does away with the steering wheel, pedals, and driver's seat entirely, "reimagines the entire premise of a car," per...
Oct 9, 2020 2:45 AM CDT
Waymo Launches Fully Driverless Ride Service
Phoenix vehicles will no longer have backup drivers
- Waymo is allowing the general public to hitch a ride in its driverless autonomous vehicles in Phoenix, expanding a service it had been quietly offering to a select group of riders for the past year. The vehicles, which will have no back-up drivers behind the wheel to take over in...
Uber Killed Her.
Her Family Targets
Where She Died
Feb 4, 2019 7:21 AM CST
A Self-Driving Uber Killed Her. Her Family Targets Where She Died
$10M claim says city of Tempe, Ariz., had brick path that encouraged people to jaywalk
- Family members of the first American killed by an autonomous Uber vehicle have settled with Uber itself, but now they're going after an Arizona city for the homeless woman's death. Per the
, Elaine Herzberg, 49, was killed March 18, 2018, in Tempe by an Uber Volvo...
Illicit Side Effect
of Driverless Cars
Nov 12, 2018 12:19 PM CST
Study Finds Illicit Side Effect of Driverless Cars
It's likely people will use them for sex, researchers say
- One possible side effect of driverless cars that may not have occurred to you? An increasing number of people having sex in cars. In a new study from the Annals of Tourism Research titled " Autonomous vehicles and the future of urban tourism ," researchers note that self-driving cars could...
Apple Employee Allegedly
Stole Self-Driving Car Tech
Jul 11, 2018 11:50 AM CDT
Apple Employee Allegedly Stole Self-Driving Car Tech
Zhang Xiaolang was arrested as he was about to leave for China
- A former Apple engineer was arrested as he was about to board a flight from San Jose to China Saturday, accused by US prosecutors of stealing tech secrets from the firm with the plan of passing them along to a Chinese startup, the
reports. Zhang Xiaolang, once a...
Tesla Crash Leaves Cops
With One Big Question
May 13, 2018 4:30 PM CDT
Tesla Crash Leaves Cops With One Big Question
A Tesla sedan rear-ended a fire department truck at 60mph
- A Tesla sedan with a semi-autonomous autopilot feature rear-ended a fire department truck at 60mph apparently without braking before impact, but police say it's unknown if the autopilot feature was engaged. The cause of the Friday evening crash, involving a Tesla Model S and a fire department mechanic...
Report: Self-Driving Uber
Detected, Ignored Pedestrian
May 8, 2018 1:47 AM CDT
Report: Self-Driving Uber Detected, Ignored Pedestrian
It was set not to react to 'false positives'
- Uber's self-driving technology detected a pedestrian before a deadly crash in Arizona earlier this year but didn't react quickly enough because it had been set to ignore "false positives," the Information reports, citing "two people briefed on the matter." The sources say the vehicle'...
Driverless Bus Crashes
2 Hours After Vegas Launch
Nov 9, 2017 1:26 AM CST
Driverless Bus Crashes 2 Hours After Vegas Launch
It was the other driver's fault, city says
- The robots won this one. A driverless shuttle bus was involved in a minor crash with a semi-truck less than two hours after it made its debut on Las Vegas streets Wednesday in front of cameras and celebrities. The human behind the wheel of the truck was at fault, police...
Domino's Delivering Pizzas,
Ditching Actual Delivery Guy
Aug 29, 2017 1:00 PM CDT
Domino's Delivering Pizzas, Ditching Actual Delivery Guy
Chain begins test with driverless cars
- No ring of the doorbell, just a text. No tip for the driver? No problem in this test, where Domino's and Ford are teaming up to see if customers will warm to the idea of pizza delivered by driverless cars. Starting Wednesday, some pizzas in Domino's hometown of...
Tesla May Bring Big
Change to Car Insurance
Feb 24, 2017 6:50 AM CST
Tesla May Bring Big Change to Car Insurance
It plans to bundle it, and maintenance, into total price of car
- If cars are becoming safer as they incorporate self-driving features—the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last month confirmed Tesla's first-gen Autopilot reduced Tesla vehicles' crash rate by 40%—consumers and experts alike are wondering when auto insurers will slash rates to reflect the minimized risk. Tesla CEO Elon...
Quadriplegic Gets First
Sep 29, 2016 8:36 AM CDT
Quadriplegic Gets First Driverless License
Paralyzed in 2000, Sam Schmidt gets a second chance to drive cars
- Ever since he was a little boy, Sam Schmidt wanted to race cars. He was living that dream, driving in the Indy Racing League when a crash on a test run in Orlando severed his spinal cord in 2000, leaving him paralyzed in all four limbs. On Wednesday, however, Schmidt...
Feds Roll Out
Sep 21, 2016 12:33 AM CDT
Feds Roll Out Self-Driving Car Guidelines
They're not going to leave it up to the states
- Obama administration officials have rolled out a plan they say will enable automakers to get self-driving cars onto the road without compromising safety. In drawing up 112 pages of guidelines, the government tried to be vague enough to allow innovation while at the same time making sure that automakers, tech...
Finally, a Car That Makes Potholes All but Disappear
Feb 19, 2016 8:05 AM CST
Finally, a Car That Makes Potholes All but Disappear
The tech is available for the first time in midsize non-luxury cars
- Potholes aren't just uncomfortable to drive over: The damage caused by them costs America's drivers $3 billion annually, reports the American Automobile Association in a study it released Wednesday. Good thing, then, that Ford's 2017 Fusion V6 Sport sedan should be able to handle them. The American...
Volvo: By 2020, No One
Will Die in Our Cars
Jan 21, 2016 6:15 AM CST
Volvo: By 2020, No One Will Die in Our Cars
Company makes bold pledge
- Volvo has just come out with a gutsy move, making what CNN Money is calling a "shocking pledge"—that not a single person will be killed or even seriously injured in a new Volvo car or SUV by 2020. (Not including a driver who does something "really,...
With Lyft on
Jan 4, 2016 8:23 AM CST
GM Teams With Lyft on Ride-Sharing, Driverless Cars
Detroit giant makes $500M investment
- General Motors and ride-hailing company Lyft are forming an unprecedented partnership that could help them beat their rivals to the self-driving future. Lyft said Monday that GM invested $500 million in the company as part of a $1 billion round of fundraising. GM gets a seat on Lyft's board...
Hackers Hijack a Jeep
—From 10 Miles Away
Jul 22, 2015 7:28 AM CDT
Hackers Hijack a Jeep —From 10 Miles Away
Downside of cars that resemble smartphones? Control can be grabbed
- In a stunt arranged by
, two "security researchers" hacked their way into a Jeep Cherokee carrying writer Andy Greenberg in St. Louis and, from a basement 10 miles away, took over the vehicle and steered it into a ditch. And it's not a one-off. Charlie Miller and...
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June 13, 20160695 Views
Lenovo has launched its affordable device Vibe K5 in India priced at Rs. 6999. The Smartphone will be available via flash sale on Amazon India...
June 13, 20160304 Views
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Twitter market value jumps more than $4 billion on news Jack Dorsey is stepping down as CEO; gains since erased
- Twitter stock jumped as much as 11% on news CEO Jack Dorsey is stepping down.
- Parag Agrawal, who has been Twitter's CTO since 2017, will be the company's new CEO effective immediately.
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Shares climbed as much as 11%, to $52.27, before trading was temporarily halted for pending news. That amounted to $4.2 billion of market capitalization added at intraday highs. Twitter stock had already pared gains before a trading halt, and ended up erasing the entire gain by mid-day.
Dorsey also serves as CEO of Square, a payments technology and services company.
CNBC noted Twitter stakeholder Elliott Management last year wanted to replace Dorsey as CEO before the investment firm reached a deal with Twitter's management.
Elliott Management founder and billionaire investor Paul Singer has previously called for Dorsey to step down from one of his CEO roles, wondering if Dorsey should lead both companies.
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Joint managing director Mr McGinn, 49, bought into Jenks three years ago and has 50pc of the company, with the remainder owned by Ross Beattie, who led a management buy-out of the company from spices group McCormick’s six years ago.
The company takes on the outsourcing of sales and marketing operations for big consumer brands, dealing on their behalf with Britain’s major supermarkets.
“We do everything from setting up in-store promotions to managing inventory, delivering it, recording it and collecting the cash,” says Mr McGinn. “It’s much more than just logistics. We are really adding value by representing clients from a sales and marketing perspective.”
Mr McGinn says that when staff at Jenks deal with supermarkets, they are regarded as though they actually work for the 75 brands and 30 companies they represent.
The business has expanded rapidly in recent years, with its turnover increasing from £75m to £175m in the past 18 months by adding deals with the likes of the fruit importer Del Monte to existing customers, including the confectioner Mars and health care group Johnson & Johnson.
It now employs 150 staff directly and a further 100 through a new strategic partnership with distribution group Wincanton.
Jenks moves 25 million cases of goods per year and in November announced the relocation of its entire operation to a new 320,000 sq ft warehouse and head office in Milton Keynes.
“Outsourcing in our industry is really going to come of age now as the efficiencies that we offer become even more important in the current economic climate,” Mr McGinn says.
“What we give clients is focus. We act on their behalf and are entirely focused on their customers.”


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iTunes’ users may have an easier and potentially less expensive way to download a song.
Apple wants to see if users could have an unlimited number of times that they download a song from iTunes after initially paying for it, according to media reports.
Currently, users who buy a song on iTunes download it once, and can’t download it again without paying again, explains TG Daily.
It is the user’s responsibility to store the audio file and not lose it.
It is a particular issue for users with many media devices. Transferring files among devices can be time-consuming.
TG Daily explains the record labels are the ones who put in place the one- download-per-payment requirement.
TG Daily points out that when Sony offered the Connect digital music store, users could download a song up to five times after they paid for it.
In related iTunes news, TechZone360 reported late last year that Apple’s iTunes was clearly dominant in the digital market.
iTunes has 66.2 percent of the digital market. The next closest provider is Amazon, which had 13.3 percent of the digital market.
Digital Trends reports that there are days that Apple’s iTunes got almost 90 percent of the digital market. This left Amazon at a distant 6-10 percent, according to TechZone360.
In other iTunes news, the Billboard Chart App is now available on the iTunes App store, according to TechZone360.
The App features 15 charts, from the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 to genre rankings and ringtones, according to TechZone360.
In addition, users will have access to 60 years of chart history, and can search the many offerings either by artist, album or song, view the Billboard rankings, listen to 30 seconds of the song of their choice, and then make their purchases directly through iTunes, according to TechZone360.
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Survival horror fans have quite a bit to look forward to in the coming months, and while the highly anticipated Dead Space remake is going to dominate the limelight for a while upon its launch later this week, it’s not the only major upcoming horror remake on people’s radars. Resident Evil 4 is due out in a couple of months as well, and Capcom is building up the hype in the lead-up to its launch.
Taking recently to Twitter, the Japanese company shared a batch of new screenshots from the upcoming remake. Unsurprisingly, it continues to look impressive where its visuals are concerned. A number of locations are shown off that fans will be very familiar with, including the village and Salazar’s castle. Check out the screenshots below.
Resident Evil 4 is due out on March 24 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PC. Capcom recently said the game is in “the final spurt” of development, while reports have claimed that the company is preparing to share new information on it soon.
We're just two months away from the release of Resident Evil 4!
Here is some of the art that is being shown as the setting for #RE4.
— 【公式】バイオハザード / RESIDENT EVIL PORTAL Official (@REBHPortal) January 24, 2023


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Binance said in a blog post today that Visa and Mastercard credit cards issued in Russia would no longer be accepted as payment methods on its cryptocurrency exchange. It was also implied that Russian consumers will be unable to use Mastercard and Visa cards issued by institutions outside of Russia.
According to the announcement’s wording, the ban applies to any transactions initiated using those cards. The new policy will start today. The new regulations are taking effect at 9:00 p.m. UTC on March 9th.
It is unclear if the limits would apply to subsidiaries of Binance that accept credit cards. As an example, we have the company’s recently established Bifinity payments service.
Binance Blocking Russian financial institutions
The reason for the new policy, according to Binance’s article, is the recent actions by Visa and Mastercard. Visa and Mastercard stated on Saturday that they will halt business in Russia. They are protesting against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, also suggested that the policy modification was an act of compliance. After the announcement, he posted on Twitter that they had no control over the decision. He also stated that it was not their choice.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao earlier termed a comprehensive ban on Russian users immoral. He noted that the company will mostly follow government restrictions.
The ban on Mastercard and Visa cards not stopping domestic purchases
The measure from a few days ago today does not appear to be a complete ban on Russian clients. Russian users may finance their Binance accounts using a variety of methods. Those methods include bank transfers, third-party payment processors, and cryptocurrency deposits.
Nonetheless, the announcement implies that the number of alternatives accessible to Russian investors is steadily diminishing.
The announcement comes only days after Coinbase stated that it had blacklisted 25,000 Russian-linked addresses. It also comes days after claims of widespread Russian IP blocks across South Korean exchanges.
After the slapped sanctions against Russian banks on Saturday, Mir claimed it had already witnessed a spike in demand for its cards. Mir is Russia’s payments system.
As of September 2021, more than half of Russians had a Mir card. It was accounting for 32% of all transactions, according to the company’s figures.
The rapid adoption is expected to confirm critics’ suspicions that the penalties are not that good. The economic penalties would only encourage Russia to invest in alternate projects.
Blocking Russia from SWIFT has sparked similar fears. There is a possible growth of alternatives such as Russia’s analogous SPFS system. SWIFT is the secure communication system used by banks for cross-border payments.
On Wednesday, PayPal suspended enrolling new clients in Russia. On Saturday, it announced that its services there, mostly consumer money transfers, had been blocked.
Paypal went on to say that withdrawals will be permitted for some time. The company stated that account balances are distributed following existing rules and regulations.
Your capital is at risk.


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Intrepid Studios released a new trailer yesterday with pre-Alpha footage from their upcoming MMORPG, Ashes of Creation. The footage features the Predator class, as well as a large-scale siege of a city.
Ashes of Creation – The Art of War
While the video may not entirely seem like game play footage, certain parts of it are definitely from the traditional over-the-shoulder angle so common in 3D MMORPGs. At the end, the video does point fans toward the upcoming game’s Facebook page, as well as their Kickstarter campaign.
Just yesterday, that Kickstarter funding campaign passed the US $1.5 million mark. Even since then, the total pledged is up above $1.7 million, still with 21 days left to go. It will soon eclipse what was considered at the time to be the wildly successful Kickstarter campaign of Crowfall, which topped out at $1,766,204. Crowfall has gone on to continue crowd-funding during development, and according to the official site, that team currently has over US $12 million in funding.
According to Intrepid’s Creative Director Steven Sharif, via the introductory video on their Kickstarter page, the team already had secured enough funding to deliver a complete game through production. The crowd-funding campaign, which originally set a goal of $750,000, was intended to expand the breadth and scope of Ashes of Creation during development.
The MMORPG is already looking to revolutionize the MMORPG genre, using a unique Node system that allows the world to respond and react to players actions within certain zones. Towns, cities, and fortresses will all be built by players, as their actions draw both friendly and industrious NPCs, and potentially tremendous monsters, to Nodes with increased activity.
Fans can contribute $25 to the Intrepid team for development of Ashes of Creation in order to secure one month of free play when the game is released. Anybody looking to get in earlier than that can bump their support up to $45 to gain access to the closed Beta. Currently, the game is still only in the pre-Alpha stage.


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A NEW FRONTIER: ‘MUCH’ BETTER
Byline: Anne D’Innocenzio
NEW YORK — A new category is beginning to gain ground in the sportswear market.
Capitalizing on two current consumer characteristics — a reluctance to spend a lot of money and an ever-increasing fashion savvy — a slew of companies have staked out bridge-style merchandise at price points that are about 20 percent higher than better and 30 percent below bridge lines.
They’re referring to the category either as “much better” or “young bridge.”
Retail prices for these labels are about $250 for jackets, while pants top out at $150, and skirts at $120.
The clothes, manufacturers say, are aimed at women in their 30s and 40s who want career looks, but with more updated styling than what is being offered from the more traditional manufacturers. At the same time, these designs are not as funky as contemporary merchandise, which is known for its casual, less structured California style.
The roster includes such firms as Finity, formerly a contemporary item resource, which reopened two years ago as a career sportswear collection; Harriet Parker, the one-year-old career sportswear division of New Frontier; Pacific Silk, a silk-based resource that now offers about 20 percent of its merchandise in bridge fabrics like 30-momie silk, and Shoshan Roland, a three-year-old Hong Kong-based silk and linen sportswear company that started marketing its label in the U.S. two months ago. “It’s a new catch-phrase in the industry,” said Nancy Roberts, a sportswear buyer at the Doneger Group, a buying service here that claims it coined the phrase “young bridge.”
“I started seeing the trend over the past year,” said Roberts. “This is an exciting new opportunity that retailers are beginning to get into. It gives a style and taste level that customers want, at a value price.” “I’ve been smelling the trend for some time now. And the time is right for a much better category,” said apparel industry consultant R. Fulton MacDonald. “It is bridging bridge and better. Contemporary is just too fashion-forward for the customer, and bridge has had its problems because of its pricing. The real big issue is how will retailers market it.”
Manufacturers agree that merchandising their labels at the department store level has been challenging. While the lines are getting space in stores, there’s no consistency to where they are being housed. While retail prices are 20 percent above better-price merchandise, the look does not fit in with the traditional better collections, such as a Jones New York or a Liz Claiborne. “Right now, there is no real home for my line at department stores,” said Howard Sheer, president of New Frontier, which unveiled its Harriet Parker line a year ago. The line, the career counterpart of New Frontier, features a lot of relaxed shirtjacket looks, bias skirts and short A-line skirts in such fabrics as rayon and acetate blends as well as wool tricatene.
“Some stores have us in contemporary, some have us in updated sportswear, and some put us near bridge,” said Sheer. “It is a hard call. Our line is more updated than better merchandise, but we don’t have anything too scary. People are not going to freak out because of the fashion. We don’t even touch the new knee length.”
He added that about 75 percent of his business is in specialty stores, with 25 percent in department stores.
Finity, which became a career sportswear resource two years ago, also had difficulty finding a home in department stores.
“When the line first reopened, we were bounced around a bit, from contemporary to better to bridge,” said Arlene Tynan, president, managing director and principal of Finity, who bought the company name from the original owners, Stanley and Ricki Stern, in 1992.
The company had been operating for 17 years until its owners closed it in 1991.
“Now, we have our own shops in Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s on the bridge sportswear floor,” said Tynan. “It was confusing to retail buyers. We were too much fashion for the better departments.”
The line offers such fashions as long shaped brocade vests, novelty silk crepe jackets with braid trim and organza flippy skirts.
At Saks Fifth Avenue, such labels as Finity, Albert Nipon Studio, Episode and Citi are grouped in one corner of the fourth floor, which also features such higher-priced bridge labels as DKNY and Company Ellen Tracy.
Neiman Marcus has been developing its own higher-priced version of the category over the past three years at all 27 units, according to a spokeswoman. Labels include Gruppo Americano, Item, Episode and Dana Buchman.
“It is filling the gap between better sportswear and bridge,” said Liz Barrett, a spokeswoman at Neiman Marcus, which houses these labels on the same floor as designer and bridge sportswear. “We’ve been quietly calling it ‘much better’ among ourselves.”
She added that the area is doing well, but wouldn’t reveal figures.
“It is helping us attract and keep young working women,” said Barrett. She added that these lines are at the opening price point of bridge. For example, retail prices for jackets from Item and Episode range from $250 to $350, while DKNY blazers go for over $400, she added.
Meanwhile, this new breed of resources in the “much better” category is making some inroads. Sheer of New Frontier said that the company’s Harriet Parker line is expected to generate about $3 million by the end of the year, with projections of about $10 million to $15 million by the end of 1996.
Officials at Shoshan Roland said they expect the line to generate about $3 million in the U.S. this year and double that for 1996.
“Our strategy is to get it into the specialty stores first, and then into department stores,” said Dennis M. Weinstein, vice president of Shoshan Roland, who has teamed up with his wife, Marsha R. Weinstein, to sell the line to stores here.
The line, designed by Roland Shoshan, who is based in Hong Kong, also sells to stores in Hong Kong and Europe.
The collection includes such items as celadon silk jackets, which wholesale for $52; cream silk crepe blouses for $37, and waffle silk pants for $45. So far, such specialty stores as Ceko in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Kay Fitzpatrick in Evansville, Ind., have bought the line for early spring. Finity generated sales of $25 million for 1994, and company officials expect a 20 percent increase for 1995. Tynan also noted that it is planning to open a petite division this year, based on strong retail response to the regular-sized line.
“We are below bridge in terms of price, but we are offering the appeal of the bridge product,” said Tynan. “We are aiming at a customer who can’t afford bridge, but doesn’t want Liz Claiborne.”
Still, Tynan believes that retailers have to catch on to the new category more aggressively.
“There are a lot more of us around,” she said. “And retailers are going to have to find a real home for us.”


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A non-profit trying to fight climate change has rated the shipping sector for its global warming efforts.
The U.S. Postal Service and DHL topped the list of shipping companies and organizations based on four benchmarks: measuring and tracking their carbon footprint, taking steps to minimize impact, their support or opposition to climate policies, and how they report their efforts to the public.
DHL scored 45 points out of 100 while the U.S. Postal Service achieved a score of 43. United Parcel Service ranked third with 39 points, followed by FedEx with 28 points.
"While we're pleased that the shipping sector has begun to take action on climate, but like most of us in the business community, they have a long way to go," Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm and Climate Counts board chair, said in a statement.
The shipping industry rating brings the total number of companies rated by Climate Counts to 60. The group compiled all company rankings into an index being released today called the Holiday Shopping Guide.
The guide is available for a pocket-sized download through the organisation's website, or via mobile phone through a partnership with CREDO Mobile.
Canon, Nike and Unilever lead the index with top scores. Near the bottom are companies that include Amazon.com and Levi Strauss.
No responsibility can be taken for the content of external Internet sites.


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December 6, 2016
Channel Shifting: Ominous Black Friday Trends for Health Systems
The results are in. The National Retail Federation (NRF) just released their survey results for post-Thanksgiving shopping. The numbers were strong. 154 million consumers shopped this holiday weekend, up 2% from 2015 and up 15% from 2014.
Embedded within the consumer sales figures are worrisome trends for facility-centric health systems. Consumers are increasingly comfortable shopping for products and services on-line. Moreover, they’re driven to find the best deals and not limited by geography.
What’s Happening to Black Friday?
Gone this Thanksgiving were the huge crowds of eager shoppers pushing through store doors in pursuit of deals. Numbers of Thanksgiving Day and early-morning Black Friday shoppers plummeted.
More consumers (44%) shopped on-line Black Friday than in stores (40%). Adobe Digital estimates Black Friday on-line sales skyrocketed to $3.34 billion, up 21.6% from 2015. Adding fuel to this on-line shopping fire, Adobe further estimates that “Cyber Monday” sales hit a record $3.39 billion.
NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay observed, “It was a strong weekend for retailers, but an even better weekend for consumers, who took advantage of some really incredible deals. In fact, over one-third of shoppers said 100% of their purchases were on sale.”
This is not good news for store-based retailers. Consumers no longer feel they must beat the crowds to get the best deals. This has forced retailers to host events, offer perks and/or slash prices to get customers into their stores. Promotions can increase in-store traffic and sales, but often diminish profitability.
Retail sales are homogenizing and democratizing simultaneously. Consumers can find what they want at very competitive prices irrespective of location. Moreover, retail stores find it difficult to differentiate their products. The same PlayStation 4 game console (a hot item this holiday season) is available in Omaha and Oakland as well as on-line.
Retailers have to worker harder to attract shoppers. A recent Coldwell Banker Commercial survey found that 74% of consumers say unique shopping experiences are more likely to lure them into a physical store. The report notes that “shoppers want stores to be a hub for convenience and entertainment where experiential retail meets blended retail.”
As shoppers explore new on-line purchasing “channels,” store-based retailers find themselves at competitive disadvantage. Their “channel” to customers is higher cost, less flexible and less convenient.
Healthcare’s Commodity Conundrum
On-line and in-store retailers sell commoditized products. Price, shopping convenience and customer experience drive consumers’ purchasing decisions. High-volume, low-margin retailers gain market share. Efficient cost management determines whether individual retailers post profits or losses.
Very few health systems are prepared to compete in true retail healthcare environments. Centralized reimbursement formularies incentivize providers to obscure prices, optimize revenues and largely ignore customer needs.
Customer experiences within health systems generally range from mediocre to awful. Healthcare executives have not developed the instincts, tools and customer-friendly cultures necessary to win retail business.
Moreover, health systems are not immune from commodity-based competition. The clear majority of their treatments are routine. They are easily replicable. This makes health systems vulnerable to efficient customer-centric business models that target high-margin services.
Great customer service and efficient cost management are essential to long-term success in retailing. Across industries, standardization enhances quality, improve outcomes and lower costs. Yet most providers tolerate unacceptable performance variation, avoid rigorous performance monitoring and resist demands for greater transparency. Fee-for-service reimbursement engenders complacency.
Health systems are asset heavy. They provide services in highly centralized, cumbersome and expensive facilities. Customer come to them. Too many health systems equate their facilities with their identities. They fail to realize that their ultimate value resides in their brands, cultures and customers.
The marketplace is not waiting for health systems to transform themselves. Consumers are becoming more discerning purchasers of healthcare services. New types of customer-centric companies are emerging to provide second opinions, deliver convenient primary care services, offer high-volume surgical procedures, grade provider performance and coordinate care transitions.
With better price, outcome and service information, consumers will apply their well-honed purchasing instincts to buying healthcare products and services. They will push healthcare providers to offer higher-value services.
The Rocky Road Ahead
To date, healthcare has largely avoided the digital disruption roiling other industries. That only means incumbents have farther to fall once they encounter customer-friendly competition and web-enabled consumerism.
In The Road Ahead Bill Gates remarked, “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.”
This is sage advice to health system executives. Retailers are learning the hard way that facilities can limit their ability to meet consumer needs and reduce their competiveness. The pace of change is accelerating across all industries. Imagine how different and customer-friendly healthcare purchasing decisions will be in 10 years.
The clock is ticking. Gates once noted that “success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” Healthcare executives cannot afford overconfidence. No healthcare system is too big or too essential to fail. Winning health systems will adapt service delivery to meet customers’ wants, needs and demands.
It’s time for health systems to change their delivery channels before consumers do it for them.


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2010 Ford Mustang badge
The differences are slight--but Ford says when you see the 2010 Ford Mustang, it's clear that the new horse is more "defined, more muscular and sure to catch the eye of Mustang enthusiasts."
As Ford draws out the Mustang story before the Los Angeles show debut planned in November, it says the new logo not only looks sharper and more dynamic, it's also changed color a bit. For the first time, a black-chrome version will be available on Mustang GT grilles.
To give you an idea of how far engineers go for authenticity, they sent senior designer Rick Howard into the wild to study the look of real Mustangs and to ride them.
Ford reminds us that the original Mustang took its bow at the 1964 New York World's Fair--and also, that for much of the 1980s and early 1990s, the pony disappeared, replaced by a Ford blue oval.
Stick with us as the driblets of Mustang news turn into a torrent with the approach of the L.A. Auto Show.