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Cavetown, the indie-pop sensation, has officially launched a new merchandise extravaganza, much to the delight of adoring fans around the world. The young artist, who has gained a massive following with his heartfelt lyrics and unique sound, has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the streetwear and fashion industry to bring fans a range of exclusive products.
Fans can now get their hands on a variety of Officially Cavetown merchandise, including t-shirts, hoodies, socks, phone cases, vinyl records, and so much more. The collection is inspired by the artist’s distinctive style and features his signature illustrations, including his famous lemon boy character.
The merchandise extravaganza has been a long time in the making, with Cavetown teasing fans with sneak peeks and hints for months. The launch was highly anticipated and has already been a huge success, with merch selling out in record time.
The partnership with the fashion industry has been a strategic move for the young musician, helping him to expand his brand and reach new audiences. The merch has already attracted the attention of streetwear enthusiasts and fashion bloggers, with many raving about the unique designs and high-quality products.
But it’s not just the fashion industry that’s taken notice. Cavetown’s loyal fan base has also been quick to show their support, creating fan pages and social media accounts dedicated to showcasing their new merch.
The Officially Cavetown merchandise collection has also been a way for the artist to connect with fans and show his appreciation for their support.
In a recent post on Twitter, Cavetown thanked fans for their ongoing support and excitement about the new merch. He shared photos of himself wearing some of the products, emphasizing their quality and uniqueness.
The collaboration with the fashion industry has been a smart way for the artist to tap into new markets and reach new audiences, but it’s clear that the fans are the real winners. The high-quality products and unique designs are a way for the fans to show their love and support for the artist, as well as a way to wear their fandom on their sleeve.
For those who missed out on the first wave of sales, there’s good news. Cavetown has promised to restock some of the most popular products, giving fans another chance to get their hands on their favorite pieces.
In conclusion, the Officially Cavetown merchandise extravaganza has been a huge success. The collaboration with the fashion industry has helped the Cavetown store young artist to expand his brand and reach new audiences, but it’s the fans who are the real winners. They now have access to a range of high-quality products that allow them to show their love and support for the artist. With the promise of restocks, fans can continue to celebrate their love of Cavetown and his unique sound for years to come.


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Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com published an anti-graft announcement on Friday and revealed 16 cases of corruption. Four people were detained by the police, suspected of criminal offenses, and 16 were laid off. JD also published full names of all its former employees and some of the photos when the police came to detain them.
Most of the cases were associated with the bribery by or of a JD staff member and an external company or misappropriation of corporate assets. The involved departments ranged from to different sectors under the retail division to the company’s finance division. For instance, Ren Bing, a manager at JD’s delivery division, had taken money and gifts from carriers. Ren has been detained by the police. Guo Zhiduo, a business development staff at JD’s e-commerce division, borrowed money from several suppliers.
JD said in the announcement that it will not tolerate any type of corruption and the names of all parties that are involved in the corruption will be made known to the public.
The first anti-corruption announcement JD published can be dated back to November 2016 when a deliveryman took possession of RMB 500,000 worth of JD’s goods.
One of the highest-level staff that had been accused of corruption at JD was Wu Sheng, the former vice president of Jingdong Mall. The accusation was that Wu set up companies and used JD’s resources to help his own company to grow. Wu resigned after the accusation.
JD is part of the anti-corruption trend in the internet industry which has been expanding at a rapid pace. In February 2011, AlibabaB2B, the B2B division of the tech giant Alibaba, announced that it has cleaned up more than 1000 suppliers who were suspected of fraud. Wei Zhe, CEO of AlibabaB2B, and Li Xuhui, COO of the company, acknowledged their mistakes and resigned.
In February 2017, Tech giants including Baidu, JD, Meituan-Dianping and Tencent and other large corporates including P&G and Walmart co-founded Trust and Integrity Enterprise Alliance, trying to build up a better anti-corruption system.

domain: news


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MARQUETTE — Ron’s Taco Shop has been open for nearly a full year, and to celebrate the anniversary, the restaurant will be moving to a new location.
The motivation for the relocation is simple: space. The new venue at 219 W. Washington Street will have a larger kitchen, allowing the taco shop to expand its menu.
It will also feature a larger dining area so more guests can eat in at a single time.
Christopher Moriarty, the manager, said, “It’s been an issue here sometimes if we get busy; if you don’t want to take your food to go you have to wait for a seat. There, we’re going to have a whole open area dedicated to seating.”
And while the new location is a prime spot in the middle of downtown Marquette, not everyone is excited about the move.
“We get the ups and downs, like some people are like, ‘oh, yes; you’re going to be close to us downtown’,” Moriarty said. “On the other side of it, we get some college kids and some people who are like, ‘oh, why are you leaving? You’re so close.'”
Ron’s Taco Shop’s last open day is this Sunday, and they’ll be closed until re-opening in the new location on November 11th, which is the restaurant’s one-year anniversary.


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The holiday shopping season is about to start, all the leading social platforms will release new features and tools to help businesses increase the seasonal promotions. Ideally, they would regain as much as they can after the hugely distressing year.
This week, Pinterest has released the newest tool that will help businesses reach out to more potential online shoppers who are using Pinterest now as a sort of online mall that has artisan and unique products every day.
Firstly, Pinterest added more ad slots that will assist businesses in reaching people when they are looking for products they aim to purchase.
According to Pinterest:
“As more people use Pinterest to shop and look for ideas and products from brands and retailers, we’re integrating ads into more shopping experiences across Pinterest to deliver relevant content where it’s welcomed by shoppers.”
Presently, as demonstrated above, advertisers will be able to put ads in the Pinterest Lens matches the “Shop” tap in the search and also shopping matches on pins.
The new options for placement are being released by time and will be ready for businesses first in the UK and US.
Additionally, Pinterest is planning to give Pin marketers more information about the path from every pin with new detailed on particular performance.
“With new conversion insights, Pinterest Verified Merchants and Shopify retailers can easily see the impact of both their paid and organic Pinterest content on their site visits and checkouts, making their shopping efforts not just impactful, but also measurable.”
The new listings, as you can see above, provide more particular split among promoted and organic Pin metrics. With user’s Pin listings that are on the top performers. The update makes it similar to Facebook’s listings on the insights page that has to make it easier to understand for people who manage Facebook pages.
Also, Pinterest is extending the accessibility of its personalized shopping suggestions that was first launched last year in the US.
The option will help Pinners more in finding products, and for businesses to get more shown through related matches.
At this level, the new options are just being started in the UK and US where are Pinterest’s top markets.
For brands in these two nations, the new features will give more ways to increase the exposure for their products. And with Pinterest use is maximizing more than any other platform after the pandemic global lockdown (excluding tiktok), it’s worths considering the reason behind people using such platform for online shopping and if it’s good for your business.


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There have always been plenty of things to envy about Jennifer Aniston. Back in the day, it was all about the ‘Rachel’ haircut and wardrobe she rocked in Friends. Since then, we’ve wanted to know her lifestyle, beauty and skincare secrets that keep her looking fresh and glowy. Well, no longer will we have to only hope that our locks will ever look as luscious as hers because the haircare brand, LolaVie, that Jennifer Aniston launched last year is now available to shop in the UK.
The official Instagram account, which racked up 132k followers in just a week when it launched in September 2021, now has 366k fans. And seven months later, LolaVie confirmed it now ships to the UK.
Jennifer Aniston’s brand brilliantly used a gif from Friends to break the good news. It features the scene where Rachel leaves to go to London to tell Ross she loves him.
LolaVie has touched down in London,’ the caption started. ‘We’re so excited to announce we’ve expanded into the UK. Visit Lolavie.com to shop our award winning products — which now ship to anyone in the US, Canada and UK!’
LolaVie aims to help your ‘hair feel healthy and look effortless’. The products are made with plant-based, naturally-derived ingredients, without parabens, silicones, sulfates, phthalates, and gluten. Plus, they’re vegan and cruelty-free.
The first product launched by the brand was a Glossing Detangler, which is described as ‘a multitasking, lightweight spray that helps detangle, prime with vegan thermal shield, enhance shine with lemon extract, smooth with a superfruit complex and vegetable ceramides, and protect against damage by harnessing the power of chia seeds.’
Sounds impressive, right?
There’s also a leave-in conditioner available to buy, which promises to ‘hydrate, fight frizz, repair and hold style’.
So why is LolaVie called LolaVie? Die hard fans might remember that in 2010, Jennifer Aniston named her perfume ‘LolaVie’. On the LolaVie website, it explains the actress is ‘affectionately known by some of her friends as “Lola”. When she moved from New York to California and bought her first car, her friends asked her what she had decided to name her car. She didn’t realise it was a thing to name cars, so she answered back “Lola” from her favorite Sarah Vaughan song, “Whatever Lola Wants.” Over the years, the nickname stuck to her – long after the car was gone.
‘Now, the name stands for much more to Jen. To her, Lola is someone who owns who they are, believes in themselves, and lives life on their own terms. In French, “vie” means “life.” Thus, LolaVie = LolaLife.’
Browse the LolaVie website here.


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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
EdgeCast Application Delivery Network Enters GA
Santa Monica-based EdgeCast Networks, the operator of a content delivery network (CDN), said today that it has entered into general availability of its new Application Delivery Network service. The new service is focused on serving up web applications and dynamic customers for its customers. The firm has been in beta since December on the service, which is being used by such customers as Gawker Media. EdgeCast says the service is targeted at customized information portals, e-commerce applications, social media services who aren't able to cache their content at the edge.


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Arcade game lovers, get ready to lose your damn minds.
Perth is getting a new bar and (sorry, just catching my breath as I write this) it will be the new home of more than 100 retro arcade games.
We’re talking Donkey Kong, Double Dragon, Mortal Kombat as well as Daytona USA and Sega Rally.
Palace Arcade is set to open in Northbridge around August.
“I remember when you could play Double Dragon when it used to be, I think, 50 cents,” Paul said, almost self-combusting.
“And oh my god, I would beg my parents for just 50, gimme 50 cents just for Double Dragon.
Thing is, many of the games were part of Saran Bajaj’s personal collection of vintage arcade games -he’s currently on his final buying trip.
Arcade Palace is yet to open but its Instagram page, which was only launched on May 31, is fully active – and has already snagged more than 650 followers. Even other Perth bars, like Frisk, has asked about the games (for those interested, they asked specifically if they’re getting Golden Axe).
However, Arcade Palace will be far from an afterthought in a dingy pool hall.
Bajaj told Broadsheet that we can expect high-quality cocktails and craft beers. The arcade itself will be high-end.
“We didn’t want to set up a mass venue where the games would get trashed,” he said. “We won’t be serving drinks out of plastic red cups.”
Pre-loaded cards will be used to pay for games as well as food and drinks.
But the best news? During the week the machines will be set to free play.
Player one ready, we’re in.
Check out the vid up top.


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Shoppers Hit Mall For Last Weekend Before Christmas
MURRAY, Utah – Shoppers hit the mall in good spirits Saturday. The National Retail Federation expects shoppers to spend about $26 billion on December 22, compared to $24 billion on Black Friday.
A spokesperson for Fashion Place Mall said they are seeing about the same number of people as 2017, but he said people are spending more money. He said electronics, jewelry, and athletic-leisure wear were selling well.
This is the first Christmas for the Cotopaxi store at Fashion Place Mall. Workers there said they were staying busy.
“You definitely get that last rush vibe going on. A lot of people coming in looking for those last-minute grabs. Luckily, we’re a great store for that, we’ve got really unique gift ideas and I feel like people are coming in here satisfied with the things they’re getting,” said Rachael Fecteau.
A mall spokesperson said the key to an easy trip during the last couple of shopping days is to arrive early. Fashion Place Mall will be open Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Postal workers protested Thursday morning at Staples stores in South Carolina and 26 other states to blast a deal that establishes mini post offices within the office-supply giant's retail outlets.
The company introduced a pilot project in November that set up mail counters, staffed by its employees, in 82 of its stores. Staples has plans to expand the service to 1,500 locations, according to a statement from the American Postal Workers Union.
The Postal Service, which is not publicly funded, has struggled for years to stay profitable against the rise of email and online document sharing, as well as competition for package deliveries from large companies like UPS and FedEx.
Darleen Reid-DeMeo, a Postal Service spokeswoman, said partnerships with retailers could help stabilize the business.
"Staples joins more than 65,000 retail partner locations around the country that currently offer a variety of postal products and services, in order to increase access and convenience to customers in locations where they already shop," Reid-DeMeo said. "This retail partnership program could be an innovative step towards generating revenue to ensure the long-term viability of the Postal Service."
The postal union fears that "retail partnerships" could lead to more office closures. It also said that putting mail stations in stores without staffing them with trained postal workers threatens the reliability of the mail system.
"The American people have a right to know that their mail is handled by highly trained uniformed postal employees who have taken an oath to protect the sanctity of the mail and who are accountable to the people of the country - whether it's at the post office or an office-supply store," Mark Dimondstein, union president, said in a statement Thursday.
Demonstrations were held at about 50 U.S. Staples locations.
About 12 postal workers, AFL-CIO representatives and other labor rights advocates gathered Thursday morning at the retailer's store at 4464 Devine St. in Columbia.
Other regional protests took place outside a handful of stores in Florida, and one in Atlanta.
In Washington, D.C., more than 200 people gathered, drumming on buckets and holding signs that read: "Stop Staples. The US Mail is Not for Sale."
Gwendolyn Allen, who helped organize the South Carolina protest, has been an employee of the West Columbia post office for 25 years.
"The message to the American people is, you're going to spend the same amount of money to process your mail at Staples, without Postal Service employees and without the same level of security that you would have at a post office," she said.
Staples declined to comment on the deal with the Postal Service.
"As a matter of policy, we don't provide details on our pilot programs or on our agreements with vendors," said spokesman Mark Cautela.
Reach Abigail Darlington at 937-5906 and follow her on Twitter @A_Big_Gail


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Economics waves, as described by Kondratiev, are the rising and falling of growth and recession within capitalistic free trade practices. Kansas City, in the new era of free trade and rapid commerce in America, is wonderfully poised to act as a rising inland port for the transport of products.
The coastal American ports are burgeoning, even in a recession, and Kansas City has both a prime locale between the already active and overcrowded Gulf, Atlantic, and Pacific ports as well as the creative and ethical economic and political systems necessary to cradle the transport of goods and services as they move across the nation, through nations, and across continents.
By ensuring the construction of the “NAFTA Railway” by Kansas City Southern rail company’s purchase of a controlling interest in Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana, the existence of a single 1,300 mile railroad system was brought into reality under common leadership, connecting the Central US, Central Mexico, and Mexico’s Pacific seaports.
In addition to this rail purchase and expansion, the prime positioning of Kansas City between California and the East Coast, Canada and Mexico, makes Kansas City the prime target for the new heartbeat of America. With free trade opening new pathways between countries, the spillover from older ports through Kansas City will surely happen, especially during the rise of the next economic wave in the next several decades, and the infrastructure necessary to ensure the movement of products through this potential global city is already aptly in place.


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The accounting platform Snyder has raised $2 million in a seed round aimed at attracting new clients and promoting the company’s visibility.
As TechCrunch reported on Friday (Aug. 27), the funding comes as Snyder Co-founders Michael Astreiko and Ilya Kisel wrap up their tenure at the seed money startup accelerator Y Combinator.
Snyder bills itself as an accounting platform for eCommerce services. The subscription SaaS offers an initial free trial, then allows users to buy additional services on its platform.
Originally founded as CloudBusiness in 2016, when it was focused on accounting automation and finance management for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the company has since pivoted to helping commerce companies shift to omnichannel sales.
Speaking to TechCrunch, the founders said that shift can be “a huge pain” for SMBs as they wrestle with high fees and multiple payment systems.
Snyder assists companies by connecting sales channels such as Amazon, eBay and Shopify into a single platform that its customers can oversee with more seamless operations. Kisel noted that the company also identified a way to assist the accounting stream to enable the use of multiple payment methods.
Astreiko spoke about the need for flexibility in eCommerce businesses in an interview with PYMNTS last year. “When you start to accept payments online, you need to understand that cash flow management works quite differently compared to a regular, offline way,” he said.
It’s particularly true for companies using third-party marketplace platforms like Amazon and Shopify to launch their eCommerce efforts. For example, Shopify will take a fee for every recorded transaction, but daily summaries reported to the seller’s bank won’t take that fee into account, Astreiko said.
“You cannot record only the net amount received,” he said. “You have to reflect both gross amounts and fees in your accounting. Otherwise, your books will be unbalanced and your P&L [profits and losses] report will be wrong.”


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Will plastic I -- these -- here's hot gadget I'm Bridget Carey and --
Our company well summer vacation could mean standing in line for the next iPhone.
More reports are swirling that Apple's planning to launch annex I found some -- in this summer but it's more than just that.
The Wall Street Journal please report also backs the rumor that Apple is working on a cheaper version of -- -- on.
And it could be -- -- plastic if you're wondering why Apple would ever make it cheap version of its iconic high quality status symbol following.
It could be to target the growing prepaid market.
People just wanna pay for the phone without eating into a two year contract it also could be for emerging markets and other countries mattered to me anymore affordable phones.
The streaming music service -- is getting into them video business with CEO -- it's a store for buying renting and sharing movies and TV shows with friends.
At first only subscribers to -- can try out this video version.
And has thousands of titles if you're unfamiliar with our -- it's similar to Spotify and that there's a free ad supported version for listening to music on demand.
Or paying ten dollars a month.
Gives -- that Billy to listen without ads on a Smartphone.
Good news for his sisters -- ever bottom vinyl record on -- Amazon you can now get the digital copy for free stored in your Amazon cloud player library.
It's part of Amazon's new -- -- service.
Amazon first offered Otto -- for people who bought CDs and now it also applies for -- records.
Here's a -- trivia and today's round that the first cell phone call with me.
Forty years ago on -- -- -- phone in New York but the first commercial text message was sent twenty years ago.
And too many video chatting became a feature on cell phones in year ten years ago believe it or not.
Of course -- tech is much more reliable now -- Skype and face time.
So what the next advancement for communication.
Expect to hear more about each teen boy east it HDTV makes far sharper picture than HD -- sharper sound.
People with sound more like their natural voice and -- less interference.
It's already used in Europe but it's just coming out now in the US.
Team outlook says it's iPhone 5 will have HD voice -- T and sprint can't come out HE -- sometime this year.
But don't expect -- calls to suddenly sound better when it launches.
You first to have -- the new -- phones that can handle HD voice and then it'll only work if you're on the same network.
That means if you're on eighteen T you have to be talking to someone else with it HD voice down on -- T.
But there is good news if you -- at a call it's still wholly believable to say hold on he -- -- breaking out.
That's your tech news update you can -- beat out at the blog cnet.com slash update from march in New York.
-- -- hearing and.


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New York-based Payoneer, an Israeli-American global B2B online payments fintech company, said it has completed the first closing of a new $180 million growth equity funding round led by TCV, with the participation of existing investor Susquehanna Growth Equity.
Aside from its investment in newly issued preferred stock, TCV is also said to have agreed to acquire shares from existing shareholders, pending regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.
“TCV’s connections with fast growing e-commerce marketplaces, global brand-building expertise and its long-term investment philosophy are the perfect fit for Payoneer and will help us propel our growth in the years to come,” said Scott Galit, CEO of Payoneer.
“We have been watching Payoneer’s rapid growth for several years and have appreciated their ability to execute a unique business strategy aimed at empowering SMEs and leading digital platforms around the world to reduce the friction they face sending and receiving global payments” said Woody Marshall, general partner of TCV, who is expected to be appointed to the board subject to regulatory approvals.
Founded in 1995, TCV provides capital to growth-stage private and public companies in the technology industry. The firm has invested approximately $9 billion in leading technology companies and has helped guide CEOs through more than 100 IPOs and strategic acquisitions. TCV is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with offices in New York and London.
Payoneer was founded in 2005 with $2 million in seed funding from then-CEO Yuval Tal and other private investors. Since then, the company has raised $90 million in 12 funding rounds to date from Israeli, Chinese and American venture capital investors, including Greylock Partners, Carmel Ventures, 83North, Crossbar Capital, Ping An Insurance, Susquehanna Growth Equity, Nyca Partners, Wellington Management and various Israeli angel investors.
Payoneer empowers global commerce by connecting businesses, professionals, countries and currencies with its innovative cross-border payments platform. Payoneer enables millions of businesses and professionals from more than 200 countries to reach new audiences by facilitating seamless, cross-border payments. Thousands of leading corporations including Airbnb, Amazon, Getty Images, Google, and Upwork rely on Payoneer’s mass payout services. The company has 600 employees globally across six offices.
In May, Payoneer acquired Silicon Valley-based startup Armor Payments, the only licensed business-to-business payments provider offering Escrow-as-a-Service (EaaS). Armor enables buyers and sellers, whether transacting directly or through B2B marketplaces, to reduce the uncertainty and risk associated with high-value B2B purchases by making secure, online escrow payments anywhere in the world.


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Company’s next smartphone set to be revealed on September 9.
Apple has reportedly signed a deal with American Express to provide a new iPhone payments system which will allow users of its expected new iPhone 6 to pay for goods and services using their device.
According to several unnamed sources, the credit card provider is the first of several partners secured by Apple before it can launch a mobile payments service, which should debut alongside the iPhone 6’s launch on September 9.
Neither Apple or American Express were available to comment on the rumours.
Integrating a mobile payments system linked to a users’ credit or debit account would greatly simplify the ecommerce system for Apple device users, who so far have seen their devices lag behind Android-powered smartphones. The new system would also include some link to a users iTunes and App Store accounts, allowing customers to purchases goods such as books or games in the real world with payment taken from their digital account.
Apple had previously thought to have carried out successful discussions with both Visa and Mastercard regarding integration with its mobile payments system, giving the company access to a possible customer range in the millions.
The company was also reported last week to be in discussions with chipmaker NXP Semiconductors NV to implement NFC technology into the iPhone 6, which would allow customers to pay by touch with their handsets, as well as other functions such as changing the state of the handset when it is swiped over NFC stickers.


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Scania Malaysia won the confidence of bus operators and transport provider in Kelantan.
Events and Anniversaries
City-Link Express Aims for Fast Delivery and Customer Satisfaction with Isuzu
Isuzu Malaysia recently delivered 141 commercial trucks to City-Link Express (M) Sdn Bhd. Click here to read more about the delivery.
Hino Hands Over 10 Trucks to Hitachi Transport System
Soon Seng Truck & Parts Sdn Bhd, one of the Hino authorised dealers delivered 20 new trucks to Hitachi Transport System.
Scania Malaysia Delivers 17 New Trucks to Gateway Shipping
Scania Malaysia delivered 17 new trucks to one-stop solutions provider Gateway Shipping Sdn Bhd.
Apollo Launches Truck Tyres with Coltrac
Apollo Tyres Malaysia recently joined hands with Coltrac Sdn Bhd, its dealer in the central region, for a Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tyre launch dinner.
Shacman X3000 Truck Handover Ceremony in Sarawak
The Shacman X3000 Truck Handover Ceremony was held at the Thome Boutique Hotel in Bintulu, Sarawak recently.
Mastermac Equipment Delivers First 5 Dongfeng Mixer Trucks to Extrobright
Mastermac Equipment, one of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Malaysia's distributor, delivered a fleet of new mixer trucks to Extrobright Concrete recently.
UD Trucks and Tan Chong Industrial Equipment Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership Success
UD Trucks and Tan Chong Industrial Equipment Sdn Bhd (TCIE) celebrated the 40th anniversary of partnership – the longest ever principal and distributor partnership in UD Trucks’ history globally.
Johor Sand & Granite Lorry Operators’ Association Holds 6th Anniversary Dinner & Inauguration Ceremony
The Johor Sand & Granite Lorry Operators’ Association held its 6th anniversary dinner and inauguration ceremony on 17th August, 2018 at Pekin Sutera restaurant, Skudai, Johor.
Iveco Daily Celebrates 40 Years of Success
Iveco celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Daily range, which was first launched in 1978.


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These days, is it even news anymore when the S&P 500 reaches a new record?
The latest all-time high wasn't necessarily a happy development for every company, of course. Due to negative developments that were reported as the market was reaching its peak, a pair of familiar stocks were hit with investor sell-offs. Here's a brief look as to why, and whether they are worthy of consideration now that they're cheaper.
Nokia (NOK 0.57%) is a poster child for a once high-flying tech stock grounded by unwise business decisions and determined competition. Since effectively ceding the smartphone space to the likes of Apple and others more than a decade ago, Nokia has struggled not only to succeed, but to stay relevant in a market that often shifts with blazing speed.
This was brought into stark focus late last week when the company made significant cuts in its guidance and suspended its dividend when unveiling its latest quarterly results.
Now, these worrying moves don't necessarily mean its current business is hurting; both were made because Nokia is planning large-scale capital investments into promising areas for growth, specifically 5G networking.
In other words, Nokia is placing a big bet that it can become a player in 5G, and it's not going to take the path of Mature Tech Stock Producing Net Profits and Pumping Out Dividends. But given the sell-offs in the stock over the past few days, of which Monday's 5% drop was the latest, investors don't believe Nokia can succeed with this approach.
They might have something there. Retrenching for an assault on 5G seems like a late-inning rally. The technology has been in development for quite some time, and some of the biggest and toughest competitors in tech have been gearing up for years to take advantage.
So while it's sensible to go for this big prize, Nokia might not be a good vehicle for investors to buy into. Yes, the price fall in Nokia stock over the past few days might make it more attractive, but I'm not sure there's much upside in store for this fallen angel.
Restaurant Brands International
Monday wasn't a very tasty day for shareholders of restaurant chain operator Restaurant Brands International (QSR 0.85%). The stock slumped by nearly 4% on the day.
The clear reason why was quarterly earnings, which, although not bad, weren't inspiring enough to pull the company ahead of its fast-casual segment competitors.
For RBI's Q3 of fiscal 2019, the company booked $1.46 billion in net sales, which was 6% higher on a year-over-year basis and generally in line with analyst estimates. Meanwhile, non-GAAP (adjusted) net profit saw a more robust 13% rise to $337 million ($0.72 per share), yet like net sales, this essentially met analyst projections.
Of RBI's three business units -- Canadian coffee mecca Tim Hortons, classic fast-food joint Burger King, and the specialty Popeyes -- only the former saw a drop in sales of restaurants that have been open for a year or more. This decline wasn't major -- it was 1.4% -- while Burger King's result was in the black at almost 5% and Popeyes approached 10%.
The problem is, Tim Hortons is far and away the most important of the three for RBI, responsible for around 60% of RBI's revenue. So at least to some extent, as that unit goes, so goes investor sentiment in RBI.
Outside of McDonald's, which has done a much better job than anyone had a right to expect in cutting costs and bringing traffic into its restaurants, traditional fast-food operators have struggled in recent years. Many fast-casual restaurants offer healthier food served just as quickly as their more traditional rivals, in environs that are often cozier.
I think RBI is pretty well managed, and has done a good job getting a bit ahead of food trends (witness the recent rollout of the alt-meat Impossible Burger in Burger King restaurants). Analysts are predicting better profitability, with an average estimate of 9% in per-share net profit growth from this fiscal year to the next.
But even with Monday's decline priced in, RBI still trades at a forward one-year PEG ratio of over 2.5. This is high, especially considering that the company operates in a less-popular segment of the restaurant market, and its growth prospects aren't particularly strong.


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Amazon Unveils ‘Fire Phone’ Smartphone, and More
What’s News: Amazon CEO unveils the company’s first smartphone called the ‘Fire Phone.’ Federal Reserve officials raise projections for short-term interest rates in 2015 and 2016. U.S. Patent Office cancels Washington Redskins’ trademarks. Joanne Po reports. Photo: AP
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the speculation ... formally announce this ... it's big news saying ... this is what's news I'm WS J last I'm Joann Co ... Amazon CEO Jeff BES those officially takes the wraps off the company's new smartphone called the fire Phone ... device as a four point seven inch screen a thirteen megapixel camera ... earphones that this tabling ... and includes unlimited photo storage in the Cloud ... and Devices Amazon's first smartphone ... and a huge gamble that he can take on industry leaders Apple and Samsung ... eighteen tease the site says the fire phone will cost a hundred ninety nine dollars and ninety nine cents ... for a thirty two gigabyte model ... and two hundred and ninety nine dollars and ninety nine cents for a sixty four gig model ... based on a two-year contracts ... and a shift at the Fed officials at the Federer's serve are raising their protections slightly ... for short-term interest rates in twenty fifteen in twenty sixteen ... but there's slightly reducing their outlook for interest rates in the longer on ... the Fed now forecasts rates will hit one point two percent ... by the end of twenty fifteen compared to its last projection of one point one two five percent ... against twenty sixteen if that is now looking at rates to hit ... two-and-a-half percent compared to two point four percent ... meantime the Fed says it will wind down its monthly bond buying program by another ten billion dollars to thirty five billion dollars starting in July ... and appeal board of the U S patent trademark office cancels the Washington Redskins trademark ... the ruling is on grounds that the football team's controversial name ... is disparaging to Native Americans ... the legal battle over the Redskins game has spanned over the last two decades in over the last year ... critics have stepped up pressure on Redskins owner Dan Snyder to change it ... the Redskins have the option of appealing the ruling to a federal court ... that he would still be able to use a name but if that report is ultimately canceled ... would make it much harder for the Redskins to crack down on on offer price sales merchandise but the team name and love ... more to Bali series fits in to Des beest live or log onto the beest dot com I'm Thailand Co ...


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Nauru’s President signs shipping license agreement with Matson
7 February, 2013
Nauru's President signs
shipping license agreement with Matson
His Excellency President Sprent Dabwido signed a new shipping
license agreement with U.S Company Matson this week (6 Feb).
The license agreement will initially be for 12 months. Matson's
ports include America, Hawaii, Guam, Auckland, and the Pacific
islands of Nauru, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Tahiti,
Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu,
Tarawa and Majuro.
Matson takes over the service from Auckland based Reef Shipping
after it went into receivership late last year.
"Entering into a licensing agreement is the better option for
Nauru as we can be assured of a shipment each month and we are able
to negotiate terms with the shipping company as well as offering
our businesses options with products from new countries," President
The move to include Nauru in Matson's shipping schedule was a
matter of transition and continuation of Reef's core trade
Matson's Senior Vice President for the Pacific, Vic Angoco said
he is looking forward to working with the Nauru Government and
serving the community.
"For us it's not just about getting paid but serving the
community and to be part of the community. Nauru is an island and
we want to expand the package to serve light sized communities such
"Acquiring Reef's assets made it a little easier for us (Matson)
to move into new island markets," Mr Angoco said.
Matson's Strategic Development Manager and former All Black
Michael Jones is confident the partnership will be a strong
"It's a partnership, and the most effective way to stabilise
shipping services is to enter into a licensing agreement. We will
do our best to deliver the service and serve the community," Mr
The first Matson shipment is expected to arrive in Nauru early


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“Nobody has experience here”: Local Gainesville restaurants band together to bring in business
Five Downtown Gainesville restaurants work together in presenting creative ideas to commissioners to keep business flowing and safe.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Coronavirus based emergency orders have kept restaurants on their toes making changes to comply with safety guidelines.
“We had barely gotten our heads around the first order when we got our fifth change order,” said Danny Hughes, the co-owner of Loosey’s Downtown. He’s owned the restaurant/bar with his wife since 2010. Since May, Loosey’s Downtown has used a portion of SE 1 Ave. for outdoor seating.
“Figuring a bunch of things out that we never thought we would have to figure out before,” added Hughes. “One of the constants throughout this whole thing, when you come up in any business and you become a business owner or a business leader, you always have mentors.
“There’s people that you look up to that taught you something that you can call when things get bad. Nobody has experience here.”
The possibility of being shut down on Gator game days may be a threat to their existence. Although, Hughes said things get better when you work together. He has collaborated with other Downtown businesses like The Bull, Crane Ramen, Volta coffee and Madrina’s. Hughes’ end goal is to get city and county leaders to get creative.
“I hope that they are willing to try something that maybe they’re uncomfortable with,” Hughes mentioned.
It’s a sentiment that Madrina’s owner TJ Palmieri can agree with.
“You know a high tide raises all ships,” said Palmieri.
Madrina’s has been closed since the start of the pandemic. The small downtown cocktail bar has started selling to-go drinks to stay afloat.
“A creative attitude in terms of solving the problem a la opening up some of the streets to some open container rules,” said Palmieri. “The ability to do to go cocktails was great early on but largely that sort of business has dried up now. So yeah it would be cool if they would empathize with me personally and the fact that this bar is tiny.”
Gainesville city commissioners vote Thursday on potentially suspending enforcement of the open container ordinance. If it’s adopted, their agenda mentions it will help local restaurants keep large groups gathering downtown outside and socially distanced.
Copyright 2020 WCJB. All rights reserved.


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Five Announcements by Mukesh Ambani That Can Boost RIL Stock Tomorrow
Mukesh Ambani made some big announcements, including the much-awaited launch of Jio GigaFiber services from September 5.
Reliance Industries Limited chairman Mukesh Ambani.
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani on August 12 held its 42nd annual general meeting (AGM) in Mumbai. Mukesh Ambani made some big announcements, including the much-awaited launch of Jio GigaFiber services from September 5. Notably, RIL shares have rallied 20% since the company held its previous AGM on August 9 last year.
Here is a list of five key points Ambani made during his speech:
1) Investment by Saudi Aramco: Saudi Aramco will invest 20% in RIL’s oil-to-chemicals division at an enterprise value of $75 billion. The deal would be India’s largest foreign direct investment (FDI), besides being the biggest foreign investment in the history of RIL. The partnership will cover all RIL’s refining and petrochemicals assets, including 51% of the petroleum retail joint venture.
2) Jio GigaFiber launch: The Jio GigaFiber will be available commercially starting September 5, 2019. Mukesh Ambani outlined that service would be broad-ranging including a 1 Gbps network speed, free landline connection, digital set-top box, ultra-high-definition entertainment, virtual content, interactive gaming and more smart home solutions. Customers will have to pay between Rs 700 and Rs 10,000 per month depending on the plan. Users will be charged only for data and voice calls would be completely free from home to any Indian mobile or fixed-line operator.
3) Listing of retail and telecom units: Mukesh Ambani announced that RIL plans to list its telecom and retail ventures in the next five years. Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail, if listed separately, would be among the top 10 companies in the country, said Ambani. Reliance Jio has already crossed 340 million subscribers. Meanwhile, RIL’s retail arm has crossed Rs 130,000 crore in revenue last year.
4) RIL to be a zero-debt company: RIL will be a net zero-debt company within the next 18 months, Ambani announced at the AGM. He said the deal with Aramco, as well as the retail petroleum deal with BP, will be closed within this financial year. That would bring in Rs 1.15 lakh crore into RIL. These, along with other transactions to deleverage the group, would make the company a zero-net debt company in 18 months. As of FY19-end, RIL had a net debt of Rs 1.54 lakh crore.
5) Reliance Jio-Microsoft partnership: Reliance Jio Infocomm has partnered with Microsoft to launch data centres across India. “Jio and Microsoft have entered into a globally unique long-term alliance to accelerate the digital transformation of our country,” said Mukesh Ambani. As part of the partnership, Microsoft will bring its Azure cloud platform into Jio’s data centres across India. The two companies will offer comprehensive technology solutions from computing and storage to connectivity and productivity to small and medium businesses in the country.
Disclaimer: News18.com is part of Network18 Media & Investment Limited which is owned by Reliance Industries Limited that also owns Reliance Jio
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Guardian iT quits internet hosting
IT services company Guardian iT has reported a 23% rise in first-half profits in line with its earlier guidance and said it was quitting internet hosting.
Profit before tax, goodwill amortisation and exceptionals rose to £5.2m for the six months ended 30 June, 2001, against £4.2m a year earlier.
Turnover was £58.3m, up 75%. The company said last month it expected £58m in revenue.
Guardian iT said its core data recovery business was 'resilient' in the face of challenging market conditions. The company proposed an interim dividend of 0.63p versus 0.58p a year ago.
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51% of Americans say they get unwanted subscription fees
Have you ever subscribed to a free steam browsing trial and ended up unwittingly paying for the service for months? You are far from alone.
A Bankrate survey of 2,497 American adults found that 51% ended up with unwanted fees related to a subscription or membership. A separate study by Chase Bank found the number is actually much higher – 71% of Americans waste more than $50 a month on unwanted subscription fees.
It’s easy to forget about a free trial
These fees can come from anything from a video or music streaming service to a wine delivery club and online guitar lessons.
Linda Sherry, director of national priorities for Consumer Action, said the pandemic has caused many people to sign up for different online programs and services to liven up their daily lives.
But as anyone who’s ever purchased a subscription online knows, most of these plans automatically renew or don’t remind users when the trial period ends.
“It’s no surprise that people are paying for things they don’t want or use,” Sherry said in a statement for the study.
Perhaps because they are more present online, young people are slightly more likely to waste hard-earned money on unnecessary subscriptions. About 58% of millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) and 57% of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) reported recent unexpected subscription charges.
It’s not just the young and the rich
As the age group ages, they are also less likely to incur unwanted charges, although this number never drops below 43%.
Although wealthier households are more likely to accumulate expensive subscriptions, the differences between income levels are small: 59% of households earning more than USD 100,000 or more per year faced unexpected costs, while 49% of households earning less than USD 50,000 per year also experienced it. .
The most likely suckers were from subscriptions to places like Costco or your gym (31%), audio streaming services (23%), newspapers and other media (12%), games (12%) and food delivery plans (10%).
To prevent charges from accumulating, Bankrate recommends tracking all your subscriptions in a spreadsheet and setting up a calendar notification for the last day of a free trial.
If you’ve already been charged and notice it in the first few days, the provider’s customer service may be able to reverse it for you.
“Unwanted subscription fees are a significant issue for consumers,” industry analyst Ted Rossman said in a press release. “[…] Some merchants are surely not following the rules correctly, and in other cases consumers are overlooking key details.”


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July 13, 2017
By Marty York
Chief Media Officer
B’nai Brith Canada
B’nai Brith Canada is pleased to announce that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has rescinded its disturbing and discriminatory decision to remove wines from two Israeli companies – Shiloh and Psagot – from store shelves.
While advocating on behalf of the grassroots Jewish community, B’nai Brith exclusively revealed Wednesday night that it expected the CFIA ruling to be corrected in short order.
In a statement issued less than 24 hours later, the CFIA said it “regrets the outcome of the wine-labelling assessment which led to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s (LCBO) response regarding products from two wineries labelled as ‘Product of Israel.’ In our assessment, we did not fully consider the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). Further clarification of the CIFTA (Article 1.4.1b) indicates that these wines adhere to the Agreement and therefore we can confirm that the products in question can be sold as currently labelled.”
The statement added: “The CFIA will be following up with the LCBO to correct our original response.”
“We thank the Government of Canada for responding so quickly to the legitimate concerns of the Jewish community and all concerned Canadians,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “We will continue to make inquiries about the origin of this travesty, to ensure that nothing like ever happens again. B’nai Brith will always relentlessly advocate for our community.”
Mostyn said York Centre MP Michael Levitt should be specifically lauded for his quick work and leadership behind the scenes to help resolve this issue. In a statement, Levitt said: “I was shocked and deeply concerned (about). . .the discontinuation of the sale of products from two Israeli wineries as a result of a notice issued by the CFIA. This action was completely at odds with both the Government’s long-standing close relationship with the State of Israel and our focus on broadening the Canada-Israel trade relationship, such as the upcoming ratification of an expanded Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement.”
Levitt added that he will be travelling to Israel later this month and looks forward “to connecting with both wineries to demonstrate my support.”
“Since calling on Canadians from coast to coast to purchase Israeli wine,” Mostyn said, “we’ve been simply overwhelmed by positive responses from members of the community. In celebration of the CFIA’s apology for its disturbing decision, we ask all Canadians, in every province and territory, to head to your local liquor retailer and order products from the Shiloh and Psagot Wineries. These Israeli wine producers especially deserve all of our support at this time.”


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From California, an Eastwest exclusive. Stephen Brobst, Hermann Wimmer and Mike Kohler analyse the future of the web amid net neutrality, privacy and cloud computing as they are perceived in the US and the EU.
This year, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted in favour of net neutrality and making internet access a public good. In theory, this should ban the twospeed internet model, which would allow internet providers to speed up content delivery to consumers who pay higher premiums. Clearly, the major telecommunications companies – such as Verizon, Comcast and AT&T– disapprove. We met with Stephen Brobst, CTO of the Teradata Corporation, at the 2015 Teradata PARTNERS conference in Anaheim to discuss net neutrality and privacy.
What is your position on net neutrality? Will it change the relationship between internet users and major telecommunications service providers?
SB: Internet was born free and transparent and the ongoing discussions in the US and Europe must reinforce these qualities. I am in favour of keeping the internet access structure as it is, and the concept of net neutrality is already present in the way internet is organised. In Europe there have also been discussions about the physical residence of the data managed by US multinationals such as Google and Facebook. The Safe Harbour agreement, first stipulated in 1998 between the US and the EU, has been called into question because it allows the transfer of data from European to American servers guaranteeing an appropriate level of privacy and security. The NSA (National Security Administration) scandals on data surveillance have led the EU to suspend the agreement and insist that web service providers involved in processing European citizens’ data create server farms on European soil subject to the privacy rules established by the European Commission and forbidding their transfer.
Will the European Commission’s decision concerning privacy and data residence in Europe guarantee greater security for its citizens?
SB: Providing greater security has nothing to do with where the physical data is actually stored and there’s little sense in linking the concept of privacy to the physical location of our data. What is important is how the data is processed, the levels of security and information encryption, which have a serious bearing on management costs. It’s up to the consumers to decide what services they want to use based on the levels of security provided and it’s to the company’s advantage to offer the highest security levels possible so as not to undermine the quality of their brand. There’s plenty of talk about cloud services even in terms of cost savings for companies that offer online services. Previously, it was necessary to have one’s own servers and hardware architecture, which involved considerable material costs, maintenance and management of data security. Without cloud-computing architecture, companies like Netflix or Google could not provide services at such low costs. We discussed cloud computing with Hermann Wimmer (copresident, Teradata Corporation) and Mike Kohler (president and CEO, Teradata Corporation).
In Europe, cloud technologies are discussed in terms of their potential as well as problems regarding privacy management. Will it be more complicated for foreign companies to operate in Europe given the greater focus on the concept of privacy?
HW: Many companies are gearing up to comply with EU regulations. The increase in the use of cloud services will probably be slower than in the US, but the benefits of cloud services in terms of cost and performance compared to ‘on-premise’ solutions with the same functions will be self-evident. MK: The companies that offer cloud services have more resources and technologies compared to entirely managed solutions, and this is an advantage that in the long run will lead to a greater exploitation of these platforms.
In Europe, and particularly in Italy, the economy relies heavily on small- and medium- sized businesses. Can the cloud services available for the creation of web applications and big data analysis help smaller operations develop new online business models?
HW: Undoubtedly. Investments by the various cloud architecture service providers will expand the number of users and help them improve the experience of their consumers. Italy is an excellent example of how many different kinds of commercial operations can approach the world of big data regardless of their size and thus increase brand loyalty.


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Metaverse Daily for 20 July: Snapshot launches shielded voting; Cadbury to release charity NFT
To improve your local-language experience, sometimes we employ an auto-translation plugin. Please note auto-translation may not be accurate, so read original article for precise information.
Let’s have a look at the latest metaverse news.
- DeFi news: The price of the Metaverse Index is soaring, up by 8.15%, and the token is now trading for $46.41. MVI has seen an approximately $12 rise over the last seven days. Bluechip NFT Index is also seeing a price increase, with the price rising from 37.85 ETH to 47.08 ETH during the previous 24 hours. Finally, metaverse Land Index has similarly experienced a price increase, now trading at 2.13 ETH.
- Bitcoin prices are rising, with the coin trading for nearly $23,800. Famed meme-coin Dogecoin DOGE is up by 9.37%, marking one of the highest price increases today. Metaverse coins are also doing well, with Flow and ApeCoin up by 7.06% and 10.88%, respectively.
- Snapshot just released a shielded voting feature to democratize DAO governance and promote voting among those with lesser voting power. The new feature will not share real-time results but will only inform how many voters have participated until the vote is over.
- Bitcoin gaming ecosystem Zebedee received $35 million in a funding round led by Kingsway Capital, with participation from companies like Final Fantasy developer Square Enix.
- Azuki drops real-life jackets for Azuki Twin Tigers NFT. People have 30 days to order their high fashion jackets, with a price tag of $2,000, for free.
- Chocolatier Cadbury Gems has announced the upcoming release of a charity NFT collection. Cadbury will turn children’s art into NFTs to raise funds for underprivileged children in India to support their education and get them to school.
Read related posts:
In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice.


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AI, COVID Created a New Normal for the Supply Chain
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
HOUSTON — A supply chain expert said the emergence of powerful, open-source artificial intelligence arriving just as the global economy was emerging from the coronavirus pandemic created turbulent economic conditions that are reshaping how companies are run.
“A year ago — right about this time — I thought, ‘We’re coming out of it,’ ” said Nada Sanders, a professor of supply chain management at the Northeastern University D’Amore-McKim School of Business, during an Oct. 24 presentation at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association Digital Solutions Conference. “We’re done with the pandemic, businesses are struggling — a lot of them were managing cash pretty carefully — but we’re floating, we’re coming out. And then comes November 30th and out comes OpenAI with ChatGPT, and boom, there was yet another thing that very quickly changed everything.”
Sanders said the supply chain has entered a “new normal” in the wake of these intersecting circumstances. In particular, she noted that the supply chain has become very unpredictable, rendering irrelevant many assumptive parameters that businesses historically used to navigate future expectations.
But even as technology has become more important amid these changes, so, too, have human workers. She pointed out, for example, that humans are simply better suited for certain things; people have experience, judgment and knowledge of how to handle a situation that stretches beyond algorithms that propel AI capabilities.
But rather than rely on one over the other, Sanders said, forward-thinking companies can integrate both in a complementary way.
“The integration of people and technology,” she said. “We found that this was really what was making leading companies tick, at the end of 2019. And then we all know what happened shortly thereafter. The pandemic happened.”
But that model, she said, can help companies navigate the post-pandemic world.
“Most businesses are designed for what we call the blue sky environment — blue sky meaning, ‘OK, this is how we’re going to run the business; this is how things go, and then when really bad things happen, we’re going to invoke contingency plans, we’re going to clear it up, and then we’re back to blue sky days.’ Well, I can tell you that we are in this period — it’s not coming back. We’re just cascading from one event to another — more events, more fires.”
This turbulence is why, she said, companies can find some help with AI-based systems.
“We need the technology, but remember that there are certain assumptive parameters and in a volatile world — and we’re in a volatile world, no question — those assumptive parameters rapidly change.”
Complicating matters for businesses are broader geopolitical factors that shape the domestic economy. In years past, businesses might confront disruptions such as bad weather that could be resolved within a few weeks. Now, she noted, the economy is dealing with multiple disruptions occurring back-to-back, which makes it difficult for business conditions to stabilize.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing above or go here for more info
“[The business community] doesn’t have time to recover. They don’t have time to go back to baseline, and so there’s no end in sight,” Sanders said. “I mean, right now we’ve got droughts in the Panama Canal. We’ve got all kinds of things that are impacting and cascading — shipments, labor issues. There’s a cascade of things and a collision of all these things that have to do with this post-pandemic new normal. I’m monitoring them constantly and watching, ‘What is the Fed going to do, what are we going to do, how are we going to play it out?’ ”
Sanders noted that, on the ground level, individuals must realize how these various factors affect their daily lives.
“So much of the world still hasn’t really gotten it, or maybe they’ve forgotten,” she said. “I’ll be asked about things like, ‘Why are food prices so high again?’ and I’m saying, ‘Well, have you noticed the price of fuel and energy and transportation?’ That connection still hasn’t been made by the average person, the average consumer.”


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Cable Technology Feature Article
Disney, YouTube to Collaborate on Family-Friendly Programming
By Beecher Tuttle, TMCnet Contributor
Cable providers took yet another hit on the chin on Monday when YouTube and Disney (News - Alert) announced that they will be teaming up to develop family-friendly content that will be broadcast on Disney's renovated website and a co-branded YouTube (News - Alert) channel.
The move is yet another Google-sponsored initiative aimed at driving viewers away from traditional content media like cable TV. The company launched its Google (News - Alert) TV set-top box last year and, most recently, saw its subsidiary YouTube announce an aggressive original programming scheme that will give users more incentive to cut their cable cord.
YouTube has signed deals with more than 100 content creators – ranging from entertainers like Madonna to sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal – who will build dedicated channels that feature completely original programming. YouTube has reportedly dished out at least $100 million to producers of the content.
While not quite as aggressive, the Disney move –estimated to cost the two companies between $10 million and $15 million – is another big step toward monetizing YouTube and making it more than an amateur video-sharing site.
The co-branded page will include a mix of original Disney programming, Disney user-created content, select Disney channel programming and other family-friendly content that currently lives on YouTube.
The New York Times – the first outlet to break the news – says that the deal is designed to help Disney draw a larger audience to its online programming. The traffic on Disney.com has plummeted in recent months, falling from 17.9 million in June to only 12.7 million in September, according to comScore (News - Alert).
“It’s imperative to go where our audience is,” James A. Pitaro, co-president of Disney Interactive, told the Times, adding that the deal will “bring Disney’s legacy of storytelling to a new generation of families and Disney enthusiasts on the platforms they prefer.”
Meanwhile, the move will help YouTube continue its push toward rebranding the site as a complete content destination, not just an outlet to watch videos of cats doing crazy things.
The first Disney-sponsored original series to launch on YouTube will be based on the entertainment company's popular puzzle app, "Where’s My Water?" The show will debut in February with other, similar shows to follow. The rebranded Disney.com will be heavily integrated with YouTube and will launch in the fall of 2012.
Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Rich Steeves


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Acer has launched the new smartphone with triple-SIM support, dubbed as Acer Liquid X2. There is no word on pricing and availability details yet.
The Acer Liquid X2 was showcased during the company’s New York press conference. It comes with a massive 4,000mAh battery and also supports three SIM cards. It features a big 5.5-inch display and is powered by an unknown 64-bit octa-core processor.
The Acer Liquid X2 houses a 13-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.8 lens, while there is also a 13-megapixel shooter with an f/1.8 lens at the front for selfies. The firm additionally showcased the Liquid X2’s Quick Touch flip case with a vertical slot in between, which gives access to music controls, weather, time and other functions without opening the flip cover.
Not all the specifications are yet known, however it will be shipped with Android version.


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Q: With so many Chinese-madetoys being recalled, how do I buy safe toys this holiday season for my children?
A: Since June, parents have been bombarded by headlines about recalls involving millions of Chinese-made toys, including those tainted with lead paint. That’s enough to make every parent run away from the toy store this holiday season.
The big question is: What about the rest of the toys? How can parents be sure they’re safe?
To restore consumer confidence and ensure safety, plenty of retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Toys ‘R’ Us Inc. as well as a slew of toy makers are frantically retesting toys. In many cases, toys are being pulled off the shelves to be sent to independent laboratories. But parents can take control too by examining the toys they buy and keeping informed of all the product recalls.
Taking control doesn’t mean boycotting toys from China, experts say. With more than 80 percent of toys sold in the U.S. made in China, ‘you are not going to have a lot of choice,’ says Jack Gillis, director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America.
Furthermore, there’s no assurance that toys made in the U.S. or Europe don’t have problems either, like splinters or sharp edges or broken parts. The majority of the millions of toys recalled by Mattel Inc. in three high profile actions this summer were due to design flaws, which can be blamed on the company itself.
Stephanie Oppenheim, publisher of the independent annual guide Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, said that of the hundreds of holiday toys she recently tested, 15 percent had some problems, such as long cords that pose a strangling hazard. That’s up dramatically from a year ago.
That’s why parents need to stay informed and be their child’s safety advocate, she said.
Here are some tips to help parents with holiday toy shopping:
1. Become educated. Check out manufacturers’ and retailers’ sites for information about the latest recalls and other product safety information. Mattel’s site links to www.mattel.com/safety. And Toys ‘R’ Us unveiled a new safety site called www.Toysrus.com/Safety.
EToys, the online toy seller, just launched a site called www.etoys.com/safety. And the American Specialty Toy Retail Association has www.astratoy.org., which lists toys recommended by small toy sellers.
2. If you’re concerned about where toys are made, some retailers are helping customers find the product’s origin. FAO Schwartz has put up signs throughout its stores to designate the country of origin; the retailer’s Web site, www.FAO.com, allows consumers to shop for toys by country of origin.
3. Examine the toys. Avoid products with splinters, sharp edges, and long strings that don’t have any safety adjustments. Also, beware of fuzzy toys- if the fuzz can be easily pulled out, toddlers can inhale and choke on it, according to Oppenheim. For toddlers, don’t buy stuffed animals with sewn-on or glued buttons.
Also, for those concerned about small parts that can be swallowed, the rule of thumb is any toy that fits into a roll of toilet paper should not be given to a toddler under age 3, Oppenheim said.
Gillis says parents should also pay attention to the label that dictates age appropriateness. ‘These labels are generally related to safety issues not necessarily related to intellectual levels’ he added.
4. Use your gut instinct. As Gillis said, ‘You have to use your own judgment. If you are all concerned, just don’t buy that product.’
The watch words are caution, common sense and care, said Gillis: ‘And those are the three C’s that parents need to engage in when shopping today.’


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Latest HA D&T Perspective
Corporates call for distribution savings
Hotels’ move to push direct bookings may be at odds with the needs of corporate customers, according to a study by HRS.
The paper draws attention to the high distribution costs paid across many channels by hotels and calls for corporate customers to make use of specialist intermediaries that lower cost channels and pass the savings along.
Budgets dominate customer satisfaction
Budget brands’ websites in the UK rank significantly higher than their more upmarket competition in terms of ease of use, according to a study by Postcode Anywhere.
The survey found that hidden charges were the most frustrating aspect of booking a hotel online, and supported other studies that have indicated that the mobile channel remains a research, rather than a booking, tool.
Airbnb signs Russia distribution
Airbnb has announced a partnership with online travel agent Ostrovok, which will allow customers in Russia to book properties listed on the sharing platform.
The deal is thought to be the first of its kind for Airbnb outside the US, illustrating its determination to pursue global expansion.
Mobile remains research tool
Mobile channels are important in terms of research, but are used “sparingly” to make bookings, according to a report from Chadwick Martin Bailey.
At a time when online travel agents and operators are investing in apps and social media, the study found that meta-search channels and customer reviews had the greater influence on the final decision.
Skyscanner launches hotel challenge
Skyscanner has launched a new standalone hotels app, Skyscanner Hotel Search, a meta-search product that builds on the success of the group’s flight search products.
The app comes after the company’s purchase of hotel search company Fogg last year, and sees the group enter a highly competitive market, taking on the growing might of Google Hotel Finder, Priceline’s Kayak, Expedia Inc’s Trivago as well as industry giant TripAdvisor.


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Dr. Axel Kolb has resigned from T-Venture, the venture capital arm of German mobile giant Deutsche Telekom, where he was a managing director and head of the T-Mobile Venture Fund.
He will be succeeded as MD by Patrick Meisberger, who has been with the corporate venture business since April 2004, joining as an investment manager for the online fund before taking charge of it in November 2006, and at the end of 2008 became head of the new Connected Life and Work Fund, which invests in internet and media start-ups.
Stephan Noll is taking over Kolb’s role as head of the T-Mobile Venture Fund. He joined as an analyst in October 2000 before moving to the T-Mobile Venture Fund as
investment manager in October 2003, and has worked as the managing director of the American arm in Seattle since November 2004.


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NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report “Global Smart Seat Belt Technology Market Size, Share and Industry Trends Analysis Report, by Advancement, Sales Channel, Vehicle Type, Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022 – 2028” – https://www.reportlinker.com/p06352778/?utm_source=GNW
For example, ZF Friedrichshafen AG has created Active Control Retractor (ACR) technology, which uses the vibration of the seat belt to notify the driver if the car is leaving the lane or getting too close to another vehicle.
Several aspects such as increasing consumer awareness of automobile safety and increase in traffic accidents are expected to stimulate the market expansion of smart seat belt technology. Furthermore, the smart seat belt technology segment is expected to benefit from the increase in vehicle safety standards and the increase in vehicle production in emerging countries in the near future.
Many lives could be saved if countries’ manufacturing and production standards adhered to several UN vehicle safety standards. They require manufacturers to ensure that almost all vehicles have seat belts and airbags. If these basic prerequisites are not met, road accidents greatly increase the risk of internal and external injury. On the other hand, rising disposable income of consumers is driving demand for luxury car sales featuring enhanced safety measures as standard equipment. This factor is also accelerating market development. Growing demand for seat belts owing to increasing public awareness regarding the need for safe driving has contributed to the expansion of the market.
COVID-19 Impact Analysis
Auto parts makers have adjusted their operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic due to the pandemic’s disruption to the auto, transportation and tourism industries. Vehicle production and sales have been severely impacted due to disruptions to supply chains and manufacturing plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which adversely affected the smart seat belt technology market in 2020. Smart seatbelt sales are intricately connected on a global scale. Automobile production and sales industry. Output losses could increase if lockdowns around the world are prolonged.
Market Growth Factors
Increased consumer awareness of car safety
Globally, road accidents are a major problem, especially when driving on highways with heavy traffic and poor weather conditions. According to the World Health Organization, 1.25 million people die in traffic accidents every year around the world. Consumers’ lifestyles have become increasingly chaotic in recent years, with bad driving habits such as browsing the web, texting, and making phone calls while driving leading to crashes.
Increased number of road accidents
While the auto industry is rapidly expanding due to its significant advantages and improvements, the increased risk of road accidents for riders can sometimes be a factor limiting vehicle usage. In the United States, millions of drivers are involved in accidents every year. According to data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 6,756,000 police-reported motor vehicle crashes in 2019.
High initial cost and complex structure
The high cost of implementing safety applications in automobiles is expected to restrain the growth of the smart seat belt technology market as it increases the price of vehicles. The cost of installing sensors related to smart seat belt technology has led to higher car prices. Furthermore, smart seat belts offer additional features such as buckle lift, pre-tension and better safety compared to traditional seat belts; however, they are significantly more expensive than passive seat belts.
On the basis of type, the smart seat belt technology market is segmented into active buckle lifters, active seat belts, smart ignition systems, and attention retention systems (ARS). In 2021, the Active Buckle Lifter segment achieved a significant revenue share in the smart seat belt technology market. The Active Buckle Lifter is a relatively small example of innovation that improves convenience and safety. The vertical movement of the seat belt buckle is done by an electric motor.
Based on propulsion, the smart seat belt technology market is segmented into combustion engine, electric and hybrid, and alternative fuel vehicles. The ICE segment will have the highest revenue share in the smart seat belt technology market in 2021. This is due to the expansion of the auto industry in emerging countries. For example, the Indian government requires all local automakers to produce flex-fuel engines. Gasoline in an internal combustion engine (ICE) is ignited and consumed within the engine itself.
Sales Channel Outlook
On the basis of sales channel, the smart seat belt technology market is segmented into original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket. In 2021, the OEM segment will gain a significant revenue share in the smart seat belt technology market. Due to the growing emphasis on passenger safety, the production of technologies that could reduce the number of fatalities from motor vehicle accidents has increased significantly. OEMs have reinvented many safety-related technologies to make their products more reliable.
By vehicle type, the smart seat belt technology market is segmented into passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles. The passenger vehicle segment will capture the largest revenue share in the smart seat belt technology market in 2021. In developing economies, the number of passenger cars is growing at a considerable rate. This is due to improved lifestyles, increased purchasing power of consumers, and expansion of infrastructure. Airbags and seat belts are mandatory equipment in passenger cars in most countries to avoid fatalities from accidents.
From a regional perspective, the smart seat belt technology market is analyzed in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. In 2021, the Asia Pacific region will gain a significant revenue share in the smart seat belt technology market. This growth is attributed to the mature automotive industry in developing countries such as China and India. Furthermore, increasing investments by the market leaders and their strategic partners are expected to contribute to the market expansion in the region over the forecast period. Given the region’s growing population, Asia’s economies and industries are in a state of flux.
The market research report covers the analysis of the key stakeholders of the market.Major companies profiled in the report include Autoliv, Inc., Continental AG, Denso Corporation, Tokai Rika Co., Ltd., ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd., GWR Safety Systems, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, Joyson Safety Systems Aschaffenburg GmbH, Yanfeng International Automotive Technology Co., Ltd.
area of research
Market segments covered in the report:
• Active seat belts
• Active buckle lifter
• Smart ignition system
• Attention Retention System (ARS)
• Electric and hybrid
• Alternative fuel vehicles
in the sales channel
By vehicle type
• Passenger cars
• Heavy commercial vehicles
• Light commercial vehicles
• North America
o United States
o Rest of North America
o United Kingdom
o Rest of Europe
o Rest of Asia Pacific
o United Arab Emirates
o Saudi Arabia
o South Africa
o Rest of LAMEA
• Autoliv Corporation
• Denso Corporation
• Tokai Rika Co., Ltd.
• ZF Friedrichshafen AG
• Hyundai Mobis Corporation
• GWR safety system
• ITW Automotive Products Ltd.
• Joyson Safety Systems Aschaffenburg Ltd.
• Yanfeng International Automotive Technology Co., Ltd.limited company
• Detailed reporting
• Most market tables and data
• Offers a subscription-based model
• Guaranteed best price
• Guaranteed after-sales research support, 10% free customization
Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06352778/?utm_source=GNW
About the Report Linker
ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you can get all the market research you need right away in one place.


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Windows 10 build 18936 brings a password-less authentication system
Microsoft recently pushed Windows 10 20H1 preview build 18936 to Fast Ring Insiders. This release brings many exciting new features as well.
Some major features are Quick Event Creation for Calendar and password-less sign-in options. The phone screen feature is now available on additional Surface devices.
Here are the key features included in the recent Windows 10 build.
Windows 10 build 18936 changelog
Passwordless sign-in support
Many people are bad at remembering passwords. Therefore, Microsoft decided to launch a passwordless authentication system.
Users can now login to their Microsoft accounts by enabling a specific option. To do that, navigate to Settings >> Accounts >> Sign-in and tun on the Make your device passwordless option.
Keeping track of all your passwords is difficult. Use one of these password managers instead.
Phone screen compatibility
Previously, the phone screen feature was only limited to a few devices. However, now you can enjoy the same feature on many other Surface devices including Surface Book, Surface Book 2, Surface Laptop, Surface Laptop 2, Surface Pro 4, Surface Pro 5, Surface Pro 6.
Speaking of Surface devices, check out this guide to learn where you can buy the cheapest Surface Laptops.
Quick events and reminders
Microsoft introduced an exciting new option in Windows 10 20H1 Build 18936. You can now quickly add new events and reminders.
But if you’re not an Insider, you can use one of these software solutions to create reminders and never forget anything.
Game installation issues resolved
Previously, many gamers who used the Xbox app reported that the game fails to install on their systems. The good news is these issues have been resolved now.
Game install is taking forever? Use this guide to fix the problem and launch your gaming sessions.
Emoji panel crash issues fixed
Microsoft addresses an issue with the emoji panel in the recent build. Previously, the emoji panel crashed when users enabled the high contrast mode on Windows 10 devices.
Black screen bug
There were some reports that running some games in full-screen mode unexpectedly caused black screen issues. Microsoft has finally resolved this issue in the recent build.
Photos live tile
The recent insider preview build resolves an issue with the Photos live tile. Now you can install Windows 10 Insider Build 18936 to resolve the issue.
Windows 10 Build 18936 known issues
Microsoft acknowledged a couple of known issues as well. Microsoft warns you may experience some crashes with old versions of anti-cheat software.
Furthermore, Microsoft is currently investigating an issue with some Realtek SD card readers.
Microsoft plans to release the Windows 10 20H1 version next Spring. This OS version is work in progress and you should expect to encounter some bugs in the upcoming preview builds as well.
RELATED ARTICLES YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT:
- Microsoft confirms Magnifier overhaul in Windows 10 20H1
- Windows 10 gives users more control over their notifications


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Amazon has launched a film and TV streaming service on IMDb that is supported by ads and requires no subscription fee.
The IMDb Freedive offering is available on imdb.com/freedive via laptop or PC, and through a Freedive app on Amazon Fire TV devices.
IMDb Freedive is currently available to only US users and free-to-view launch content includes TV shows Heroes and The Bachelor, and Hollywood movies such as Memento, Monster, The Illusionist and True Romance.
IMDb already hosts video content including short-form original series, trailers and celebrity interviews.
Col Needham, founder and chief executive of IMDb, said: "We will continue to enhance IMDb Freedive based on customer feedback and will soon make it available more widely, including on IMDb’s leading mobile apps."
Amazon says new titles will be added regularly to the streaming service.
Freedive complements Amazon’s subscription-based Prime Video service, which was set up after the acquisition of UK-based LoveFilm.
IMDb was acquired by Amazon in 1998 for $55m.


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U.S. auto sales rose 17.3% in January from a year earlier, according to Autodata. Rising gasoline prices are pushing Americans into small cars and hybrids.
Sales were expected to total around 800,000 for the month. That’s still below pre-recession levels of 1 million or more, but better than last January’s sales of 698,000.
January Winner: General Motors General Motors has beat-out Chrysler for this month’s honor. Sales of GM’s “core” brands rose 23.3 percent in January, just topping Chrysler’s 23 percent gain.
“We have started the year on a strong note, and we intend to continue gaining sales momentum as our new 2011 models hit dealer showrooms during this first quarter,” said Fred Diaz, Chrysler’s U.S. sales chief.
Ford said that its weaker results reflected a decline in sales to car rental companies and the end of the Mercury brand, pointing out that its sales to individual buyers were up 27 percent.
Based on preliminary data, analysts estimated that the auto industry sold cars an annual rate of about 12 million to 12.5 million in January. The industry sold about 11.6 million vehicles in 2010


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Intel has demonstrated prototypes of a range of low-cost 'nettops' in India that could be available in the country for as little as $114 (£60).
The devices, which run on Intel's new Atom processor, will be priced low, but they will not have a display, a spokeswoman for the company said today. The plan is that users will be able to use their television sets or other displays in the home with the device, she added.
The demonstration of the new devices in Delhi was part of the launch of a joint industry and government initiative, called 'Connected Indians"', which aims to increase internet connectivity in India, so that it reaches a billion Indians.
Intel gave the initiative a "kickstart" by bringing industry, government, and other organisations together on this, but Intel does not run the programme, the spokeswoman said.
The Indian government aims to have 500 million Indians connected to the internet, with more than 100 million broadband connections, and 100 million broadband enabled devices in the field by 2012. The country has a population of over 1.13 billion people.
Internet penetration in India is currently very low. India had 4.6 million broadband subscribers at the end of July, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.


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Local journalist Andrea Reynolds interviewed Barbara Dubois shortly before Dubois was murdered.
Action News 12 has released the full interview.
The latent fingerprint kit is is a real, fully stocked print kit with instructions.
Free shippingfor orders over $40
Crime Scene3602 N 16th StPhoenix, AZ 85016
Voice (623) 565-8573 Fax (602)-274-7280
For Crime Scene Store inquiries: email@example.com
For technical assistance: firstname.lastname@example.org


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A rising Asian power, driving export industries that sweep all before them, fuelled by a seemingly bottomless supply of cheap capital and sheltered by a protective, opaque government -- such is the prevalent view of China and its challenge to the U.S. in the 21st century.
Almost the same description, though, was applied to Japan only a few decades ago when many Americans considered the country to be the biggest threat to U.S. global pre-eminence in the wake of the Soviet Union's demise.
In mid-August, U.S. President Donald Trump formally directed his advisers to investigate China's trade practices, an action he said was "just the beginning" in his pursuit of Beijing over its allegedly protectionist policies.
With China in America's crosshairs, it is timely to examine the similarities and differences between the U.S. trade war with Japan in the 1980s and China today.
American critics of Japan painted the country as not just another competitor, but as an alien system and an undemocratic one to boot. Far from beating the U.S. at its own game, Americans worried that Japan, like China today, might be playing on a different field altogether.
Does America's bitter trade war with Japan, which ran for about three decades from the 1960s, provide a road map for future economic conflicts with China that the Trump administration appears ready to ignite?
The answer, at first glance, is no. Washington's battles with Tokyo over trade were always tempered by the security alliance between the two countries and the fact that for much of the postwar period, Japan was a virtual U.S. protectorate.
A famous Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry official, Naohiro Amaya, used to rationalize this arrangement by arguing that Japan could prosper as a "merchant nation" while leaving "samurais" like the U.S. to fight its wars.
Such a template does not apply to China, which confronts the U.S. with a level of economic power matching that of Japan and the military rivalry of the former Soviet Union. To use Amaya's formulation, China is a samurai and merchant nation all in one.
Although trade conflicts with Tokyo were moderated by the defense alliance, the main reason Japan faded as a threat in U.S. eyes in the early 1990s was that its economy stalled and its postwar political system cracked.
Short of a calamitous economic slowdown, China is unlikely to collapse. Even if it slows, China will still rival the U.S. because of the size of its population. Its political system has proved to be more resilient than its critics have allowed and it is largely impervious to U.S. pressure, which gives Beijing the ability to leverage its market clout in ways the Japanese never could.
Beijing, paradoxically, has another source of leverage when it comes to the U.S. that Tokyo did not have: its economy has been, at least until recently, far more open to foreign products and investment than Japan's ever was.
U.S. car companies, for example, have made huge profits in China, although after being forced into joint ventures with state-owned Chinese partners. In Japan, by contrast, the U.S. "big three" never made any headway.
Beijing has been adept at driving a wedge between U.S. companies and the U.S. government, creating pressure in Washington for either hasty compromises or lengthy negotiations on trade issues.
Initially, the Trump administration publicly focused on reining in Chinese steel production and alleged currency manipulation. The real battle with China, though, is the area that the White House is now zeroing in on, which is the frontier of the modern economy, including electric vehicles, semiconductors and technology and intellectual property in general.
In the auto market, Beijing is demanding that foreign companies hand over their technology for next-generation electric vehicles as the price to manufacture in China and maintain access to the world's largest vehicle market.
In this respect, the conflict with China has deep echoes of earlier battles with Japan. Although initially focusing on the old economy, China, like Japan, has quickly turned into an existential challenge for the U.S.
The Chinese have studied past U.S.-Japan trade conflicts closely, particularly the most heated confrontations in the 1980s and 1990s, and have drawn their own lessons.
In the 1985 Plaza Accord, Washington forced a massive revaluation of the yen as part of an effort to reduce Japan's massive trade surplus. To offset a strengthening currency, Japan flooded their economy with cheap money, a response which in turn rapidly led to a boom in share and land prices. Japan's infamous bubble economy followed, which peaked in 1989 and took decades to deflate.
Far from blaming Tokyo for a misdirected policy response, Chinese officials have always seen the Plaza Accord as a U.S.-led conspiracy to hobble an economic competitor like Japan. Beijing views U.S. initiatives directed against them through the same dark lens.
The Chinese are also determined to avoid the kind of trade agreement struck by the administration of U.S. President Bill Clinton with Japan, under which Tokyo all but guaranteed U.S. semiconductor companies a set market share in Japan.
Like Japanese negotiators in the 1980s, however, the Chinese have become adept at small, symbolic concessions, such as the ones Beijing offered in the early days of the Trump administration, with commitments for increasing access for U.S. beef and financial services.
In areas it considers strategic, however, Beijing is unlikely to budge, a position strengthened by its World Trade Organisation accession agreement which gave it the power to force foreign companies into joint ventures with Chinese partners.
For those reasons, the coming trade war with China is likely to be a lot worse, last a lot longer, and spill over into broader strategic competition issues in ways that did not happen with Japan.
Richard McGregor is a Washington-based journalist and author. His book, Asia's Reckoning: China, Japan and the Fate of US Power in the 21st Century, will be published by Viking in September.


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The COVID-19 effects are far reaching, with businesses impacted and companies postponing investments in printers.
According to Agfa, in its Q1 2020 report, as the inkjet market almost came to a standstill in March, a strong COVID-19 impact will be visible in the coming quarters as many companies are postponing investments in high-end large-format printing equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Agfa’s top line decreased by 4.4 per cent due to “the issues in the offset printing industry, the refocus on higher margin activities in several business areas and the first effects of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
The group’s gross profit margin improved from 32.7 per cent of revenue in the first quarter of 2019 to 33.9 per cent of revenue due to the company’s refocus on quality turnover and improved service and manufacturing efficiencies.
Its adjusted EBIT reached 18 million Euro (3.6 per cent of revenue), versus 20 million Euro (3.9 per cent of revenue) in the first quarter of 2019.
The group posted a net profit of 1 million Euro.
“We feel deeply committed to our customers and the communities they serve. As many of our customers are operating in critical industries, we are taking all measures necessary to guarantee that we can continue supplying and supporting them during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Agfa-Gevaert Group president and CEO Pascal Juéry said.
“However, as always our utmost priority is protecting the health and safety of our employees. Furthermore, we are controlling our working capital levels, capital expenditure, and costs even more rigorously to mitigate as much as possible the impact of the pandemic on our liquidity and bottom-line result.
“As the printing industry – which was already under pressure – is being impacted by the pandemic, we are adapting our production capacity to the worsened market conditions, resorting to temporary unemployment where applicable.
“Despite some impact of COVID-19 on our activities in the printing industry, we delivered a solid set of results and we generated strong cash flows. Our program to reduce working capital continues to be successful. It allowed us to further lower our net financial debt to a very healthy level.”
In spite of these adverse conditions, Agfa said it still considers inkjet as an important growth engine.
The company continues to explore promising business opportunities in new market segments.
As for its Industrial Films and Foils segment, it started to feel a limited COVID-19 impact due to the slowdown in industrial activities, whereas the businesses in the Electronic Print segment resisted well in the first quarter.
The Offset Solutions division’s revenue decreased by 5.8 per cent to 187 million Euro. With the pandemic causing a decrease in advertising and commercial activities, the company expects lower print volumes and a lower demand for printing plates in the coming months.
The company has also postponed its earnings guidance to when it reports the second quarter results in August as a result of the unpredictability caused by COVID-19.
“It is impossible to predict how the COVID-19 pandemic will evolve and the timing of government decisions to ease restrictions is still very uncertain,” the company said.
“Furthermore, it is currently unclear how strongly the Agfa-Gevaert Group’s various markets will be affected. However, in the coming quarters a significant COVID-19 impact on the printing industry is to be expected.
“Today’s situation does not allow the group to assess a quantified impact of the pandemic on its 2020 financial performance and to provide a full year outlook for 2020. Management intends to give more guidance when it reports the second quarter results in August 2020.”
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