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Let the post-mortem begin. It is a ritual on Wall Street: forecast Apple’s quarterly numbers, then afterwards dissect the data the iPad maker releases. And once more, the coverage conflates shipment with usage to determine the status of Apple or Android.
Although Apple Tuesday announced selling 19.5 million iPads during the first quarter of 2013 – an improvement from 11.8 million tablets sold during the same three-month period in 2012 – the focus Wednesday was on the iPad shedding market share to Android. But do unit sales trump actual usage?
According to Strategy Analytics, Apple’s share of the global tablet market in the first quarter shrank to 48.2 percent, down from 63.1 percent during the same quarter in 2012. The research firm estimates Apple shipped a robust 19.5 million mixed iPads worldwide.
Strategy Analytics analyst Peter King said Apple produced a “solid performance” this quarter as the iPad mini had its first full term. By contrast, Android’s share of the tablet market rose to 43.4 percent, up from 34.2 percent. Global Android tablet shipments increase 177 percent annually to 17.6 million units.
Chart via BGR.
Overall, global tablet shipments reached a record 40.6 million units during the first quarter, up 117 percent from the 18.7 million tablets shipped during the first quarter of 2012.
At the same time some were bemoaning Apple’s slumping global market share, others hailed the iPad maker for dominating tablet usage online.
As we wrote earlier today, the online advertising network Chitika announced the Apple device held 81.9 percent of tablet-based web traffic in the US and Canada in March 2013. Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which uses a customized version of Android, came in a very distant second-place with 7.1 percent of tablet traffic online.
This is just one example of what I call the real smartphone dichotomy.
While Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are commonly referred to as holding a smartphone duopoly, Android devices tend to be purchased, then gather dust while iOS products show up online more often. Some observers, such as TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez call it the Android Engagement Conundrum.
Some believe there are quite a few Android owners who simply don’t use their phones like smartphones. IBM’s Black Friday 2012 data seems to back this up. These users are phone-first, and ‘smartphone’ second.
Engagement seems to be where iOS really shines.
Not only do IOS users go online more often, they use their tablets and smartphones in ways totally different than Android users. TechCrunch interviewed a number of app developers who have created iOS products before Android – even though the Google mobile OS has a numerical superiority.
Which brings us back to why bean-counting just doesn’t work to gauge who is ahead in the tablet race. Android tablet makers need to find a way to convert their customers from owners to users – a tactic where Apple currently holds a wide lead.


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The mouse is about to clean the house.
That was the message heard loud and clear in Disney CEO Bob Iger’s first earnings report since he retired from leading the global entertainment company.
In a call to analysts, Iger announced a major corporate restructuring that will result in nearly 7,000 layoffs to cut $5.5 billion in costs. The job cuts make up about 3.6% of Disney’s global workforce.
“While this is necessary to address the challenges we face today, I am not taking this decision lightly,” said Iger. “I have the utmost respect and appreciation for the talent and dedication of our employees worldwide, and I am aware of the personal impact of these changes.”
Related: Bob Iger returns as CEO of Disney and Bob Chapek steps down effective immediately
A course correction entails costs
The House of Mouse is the latest US company to cut major jobs, following in the footsteps of Google, Amazon, Facebook and Zoom.
Iger said Disney wants to resuscitate its film and TV business while cutting costs in “non-substantive” operations, such as marketing, labor and technology.
“We need to put creativity back at the heart of the business, increase accountability, improve results and ensure the quality of our content and experiences,” said Iger.
Iger said the company would reorganize into three segments: an entertainment unit that spans film, TV and streaming, a sports-focused ESPN unit and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
He stressed that the company’s streaming services, including Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, will remain their “number 1 priority.” But he added that “we will not abandon linear or traditional platforms as long as they can still benefit us and our shareholders.”
Wall Street responds
While Disney employees may not be happy with the news, Wall Street was pleased with what they heard as Disney shares rose 6% in aftermarket trading. After tanking in 2022, stock prices are up 26 percent this year.
Iger shared quarterly P&L numbers that came in better than many analysts had expected.
Disney’s streaming subscribers fell just 1%, from 164 million to 162 million. But ESPN+ and Hulu subscriber numbers were up 2%. Disney’s theme parks brought in $2.1 billion in profit, up 36 percent from last year.
The reorganization marks a new chapter for Iger, who first became CEO of Disney in 2005 and retired in 2020, only to return in 2022.

domain: news


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Twitter has announced its African presence by setting up a base of operations in Ghana.
The tech giant said in a statement that it is actively building a team in the West African country in line with its growth strategy, and hailed Ghana as a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the open internet.
“Twitter’s mission is to serve the public conversation, and it’s essential, for the world and for Twitter, to increase the number of people who feel comfortable participating in it,” it said in a statement.
The company said it wanted to be more immersed in the rich and vibrant communities that drive the conversations taking place every day across the African continent.
“Twitter is now present on the continent,” CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted. “Thank you Ghana and (Ghanaian president) @NAkufoAddo.
President Akufo-Addo said the choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is “EXCELLENT news.”
“Gov’t and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country. This is the start of a beautiful partnership between Twitter and Ghana, which is critical for the dev’t of Ghana’s hugely important tech sector,” he said.


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|The silk market at Vạn Phúc village. File Photo|
HÀ NỘI — Various activities celebrating traditional silk weaving will be held in Vạn Phúc Village between November 8 and 17 during the Vạn Phúc Culture – Tourism – Trading Handicraft Village event.
The event will include a worship ceremony, festive activities and a crafts market. Art shows and folk games will entertain tourists while trading will take place at silk stores every day until 11pm.
Food stalls will serve local cuisine while bonsai plants and flowers will be available at the site.
Vạn Phúc Village, located 10km west of Hà Nội’s centre, has a hundred-year history of handicrafts.
Its products were first introduced to the world at the Marseille Fair in 1931 and in Paris in 1932, where they were called delicate handicraft products of Indochina
Between 1958 and 1988, the village’s products were exported to eastern European countries before being exported to other countries all over the world starting in 1990. — VNS


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The three-year agreement will see WFS handling 150,000 tonnes of cargo annually.
In the EMEAA region, WFS will provide Etihad Cargo with cargo handling services in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Bengaluru, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Madrid and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
In North America, Etihad Cargo has awarded WFS with new contracts in Boston and Chicago to go with existing operations at New York JFK and Washington Dulles.
WFS and Etihad Cargo signed their first cargo agreement in 2005 for services at Frankfurt Airport.
Thomas Schürmann, Head of Cargo Operations & Delivery at Etihad Cargo, says, “Etihad Cargo’s long-standing partnership with WFS and addition of new stations are a direct reflection of a shared commitment to consistently delivering high-quality air cargo solutions globally. The combination of Etihad Cargo’s expertise in transporting general and specialised cargo and the capabilities of WFS give partners and customers the confidence that their air cargo needs are in the best hands, regardless of where they are in the world.”
Mohammed Esa, Global Head, Gateway Services Key Accounts & Strategy at SATS Group, adds, “We value Etihad cargo’s partnership approach and their confidence in our ability to consistently deliver the high levels of service the airline’s award-winning reputation is founded on. Being awarded responsibility for providing cargo handling services at so many major cargo airports highlights WFS’s ability to provide global network solutions to our strategic customers.”


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PTI, FATC post mild revenue increases in 1Q15
Apr 17, 11:04
Memory packaging and testing houses Powertech Technology (PTI) and Formosa Advanced Technologies (FATC) have reported on-year increases of 2.2% and 6.8%, respectively, in consolidated revenues for the first quarter of 2015.
Powerchip reportedly to set up 12-inch wafer fab in China
Apr 14, 11:32
Powerchip Technology will partner with the Hefei city government to set up a joint-venture fab in the capital city of China's Anhui Province, according to industry sources. The JV fab will manufacture 12-inch wafers and provide foundry services mainly for driver ICs.
Digitimes Research: Samsung semiconductor capex to reach record high in 2015
Apr 13, 15:53
Semiconductor capital spending by Samsung Electronics is expected to reach an all-time high of US$15 billion in 2015, making the company's capex the world's highest in the semiconductor industry for the sixth straight year since 2010, according to an estimate of Digitimes Research. Meanwhile, SK Hynix's...
Transcend 1Q15 SSD sales approach total for 1H14
Apr 13, 15:21
Transcend Information saw its cumulative 2015 shipments of SSD (solid state drive) products through March reach nearly the total shipped in the first half of 2014, according to the Taiwan-based company.
Global 2014 semiconductor revenues rise 7.9%, says Gartner
Apr 8, 21:26
Worldwide semiconductor revenues totaled US$340.3 billion in 2014, a 7.9% increase from 2013 revenues of US$315.4 billion, according to final results by Gartner. The top-25 semiconductor vendors' combined revenues increased 11.7%, which was more than the overall industry's growth.
Phison poised to expand SSD business
Apr 2, 11:08
NAND flash device controller supplier Phison Electronics is looking to expand its SSD operation in 2015, according to company chairman Khein-Seng Pua.
Micron raises NAND flash quotes
Apr 1, 21:31
Micron Technology has raised its prices for NAND flash memory amid short supply from SanDisk, according to industry sources.
Foundry chipmaker Powerchip developing SoC for IoT
Mar 31, 10:45
Taiwan-based Powerchip Technology is developing a single-chip solution integrating embedded flash memory and ARM-based processors, targeting Internet of Things (IoT), according to industry sources.
Intel, Micron unveil new 3D NAND flash memory
Mar 30, 10:46
Intel and Micron have jointly announced the availability of their 3D NAND technology. This new 3D NAND technology, jointly developed by the companies, stacks layers of data storage cells vertically to create storage devices with three times higher capacity than competing NAND technologies. This enables...
Taiwan semiconductor makers unaffected by water shortages
Mar 20, 16:24
Taiwan-based chipmakers including foundries Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and United Microelectronics (UMC), memory maker Inotera Memories, and IC packaging house Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) have said that measures will be taken to make sure their production lines will...
Transcend 2014 profits climb to 5-year high
Mar 16, 21:54
Memory module company Transcend Information has reported a net EPS of NT$8.67 (US$0.27) for 2014, up 16.8% on year and hitting the highest level in five years. The company plans to distribute a cash dividend per share of NT$7.80 for 2014.
National Instrument transforms Taiwan office to independent company
Mar 13, 15:59
National Instrument has announced it has transformed its branch office in Taiwan to become an independent company starting March and expects the company to achieve 20-40% on-year revenues growth in 2015 as its entry into the supply chains of semiconductor packaging and testing players in Taiwan starts...
Nanya to pour NT$40 billion into technology transition
Mar 13, 10:45
DRAM chipmaker Nanya Technology plans to invest a total of NT$40 billion (US$1.3 billion) to transition its production to a 20nm process node, according to company president Charles Kau. The investment will be made over a period of 2-3 years, said Kau.
Winbond intros 2 new high-density flash devices
Mar 12, 22:52
Winbond Electronics has announced an expansion of its flash product portfolio with the introduction of a new family of high-density SpiFlash memories. The new family, the W25N-series, achieves both the high-performance read of NOR flash and the fast program-and-erase attributes of NAND flash in a small...
Micron to expand NAND flash fab in Singapore
Mar 10, 20:34
Micron Technology recently hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to begin the expansion of its NAND flash memory fabrication facility in Singapore, according to the US memory vendor.
Inotera buys equipment from Hermes Microvision
Stockwatch - Mar 10, 20:22
DRAM chipmaker Inotera Memories has announced the acquisition of a batch of production equipment from Hermes Microvision (HMI) for NT$934.63 million (US$29.7 million).
Transcend revenues fall in February
Stockwatch - Mar 10, 15:30
Transcend Information has reported consolidated revenues of NT$1.76 billion (US$5.58 million) for February 2015, representing a 16.56% drop on month and 13.67% drop on year.
Winbond revenues increase on year in February
Stockwatch - Mar 9, 15:24
Winbond Electronics has reported consolidated revenues of NT$3.041 billion (US$96.25 million) for February 2015, representing a 11% drop on month and 7.96% increase on year.
Nanya revenues drop in February
Stockwatch - Mar 6, 16:33
Nanya Technology Corporation has reported consolidated revenues of NT$3.965 billion (US$126.12 million) for February 2015, representing a 0.46% drop on month and 4.67% drop on year.
Macronix reports decreased February revenues
Mar 6, 15:19
Macronix International has announced consolidated revenues of NT$1.42 billion (US$45.1 million) for February 2015, down 9.6% sequentially and 1.2% from a year earlier.
Commentary: Galaxy S6 to bring significant impact on supply chains
Mar 4, 12:07
The launch of the Galaxy S6 may help Samsung Electronics revive its flagging smartphone business thanks to improvements in terms of product design and functionality. And yet, the new Galaxy smartphone may bring significant impact on the upstream supply chains.
Samsung intros 128GB UFS storage for smartphones
Mar 2, 10:37
Samsung Electronics has announced that it is now mass producing 128GB ultra-fast embedded memory based on the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.0 standard for smartphones. The new embedded memory's UFS 2.0 interface is the most advanced JEDEC-compliant, next-generation flash memory storage specification...
TSMC, MediaTek move up in semiconductor R&D, says IC Insights
Mar 2, 10:33
Pure-play foundry TSMC and fabless chipmaker MediaTek both moved up in IC Insights' 2014 ranking of semiconductor companies by R&D spending. TSMC increased its R&D budget by 15% in 2014 while MediaTek's R&D spending for the year climbed 29%, according to IC Insights.
JEDEC publishes eMMC 5.1 standard
Feb 25, 14:59
JEDEC Solid State Technology Association has announced the publication of JESD84-B51: Embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC), Electrical Standard (5.1). eMMC v5.1 defines new features and updates for this embedded mass-storage flash memory that is widely used in smartphones and other mobile devices. Intended...
Global mobile DRAM output value rises 4% in 4Q14
Feb 17, 10:58
Output value for the global mobile DRAM industry came to US$3.61 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014, representing a 27.8% of the overall output value for the DRAM industry and a 4.2% increase on quarter, according to DRAMeXchange.
Kingston to increase investment in Phison
Feb 12, 11:05
Phison Electronics, a supplier of NAND flash device controllers, has announced that memory module vendor Kingston Technology will subscribe to 10.4 million shares out of a total of 11.9 million new shares to be released by it through a private placement.


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The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday edition that cannabis short sellers are ratcheting down their bets that the beleaguered sector will continue its slide. The Post's Stefanie Marotta writes that short interest in pot stocks has tumbled to $632-million (U.S.) from $3.14-billion (U.S.) in May, 2021, even as share prices plunged in the past year, according to data from S3 Partners. While analysts are skeptical that the U.S. federal government will approve a legal weed market soon, Congress is set to consider some cannabis legislation, which could lead to a rally in the sector. The highly volatile sector swings at the whims of lawmakers. Cannabis stocks jumped on news last week that Senate Democrats plan to introduce a bill to decriminalize marijuana, known as the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. Tilray Brands posted its best day in nearly four months, and the Advisorshares Pure U.S. Cannabis ETF jumped the most since February. The boost continued Monday, with Canopy gaining as much as 20 per cent. Even so, the rally barely dented the steep losses of pot stocks. Tilray is down 50 per cent and Canopy off 70 per cent this year. The companies maintain their rankings as the top two shorts in the sector.
© 2022 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.


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While year-over-year net income slipped, banks serving the Sacramento region continued to report profitability in second-quarter financial reports.
Sacramento’s Genevieve Ross saw chronic illnesses such as eczema and nasal congestion vanish as she adhered to the Paleo Diet, so she decided to make it easy for others to do the same.
When she opened an independent bookstore in 2012, Tina Ferguson, owner of Face In A Book in El Dorado Hills, wrote that she was called everything from courageous to crazy. It’s time to add canny to the list of ‘c’ words.
Envision Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, a pharmaceutical distributor with El Dorado ties, is buying a Kansas City competitor.
Citing the improving economy and a firming jobs markets, the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it was again trimming its monthly purchases of government and mortgage bonds by another $10 billion and is on pace to end the program this year.
In a final federal slapdown, a Bay Area company accused of thousands of fraudulent consumer loans – primarily against military service members – was ordered Tuesday to provide $92 million in debt relief to 17,000 consumers nationwide, including more than 1,100 in California. The enforcement action was a joint effort by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, D.C., and 13 state attorneys general.
Several food writers, including a New York Times reporter, have been subpoenaed by a meat producer as part of its $1.2 billion defamation lawsuit against ABC in regards to the network's coverage of a beef product dubbed "pink slime" by critics.
Food and beverage options in Sacramento International Airport’s Terminal A will be shuffled Friday (Aug. 1), with temporary vendors moving in while the terminal’s food court is remodeled for six new, permanent restaurant sites arriving in 2015.
SPI Solar, a Roseville-based solar-energy developer, said Tuesday that it has entered an agreement for the a $25 million sale of common stock in a private placement. The company said it intends to use the net proceeds for expansion of international activities, ramp up its solar program geared to residential/small business customers, for working capital purposes and to pay down debt.
A new, UC Davis-developed website, Electric Vehicle Explorer, enables car buyers to weigh the potential costs of operating a plug-in electric vehicle.
A Sacramento medical-device startup and its partners are about to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its first product, a home-purification system aimed at fighting lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients.
A Raley’s Food For Families pilot program and the Salvation Army will be providing fresh fruits and vegetables along with other groceries to the first 50 needy famlies arriving at a “pantry refresh” event Tuesday (July 29) in Sacramento. The distribution will be at 9 a.m. at the Salvation Army Family Services center at 4350 Raley Blvd., just north of the Raley Boulevard exit off Interstate 80.
Mutual Housing California, the Sacramento-based nonprofit developer of affordable housing communities, is using a $40,000 grant to start the design and development process for a 120-apartment community that also will feature a rooftop farm. The proposed seven-acre development south Sacramento site is at 7351 Stockton Blvd., just south of Florin Road.
Pacific Ethanol Inc., the Sacramento-based marketer and producer of low-carbon renewable fuels, has been awarded a $3 million matching grant from the California Energy Commission to develop a sorghum feedstock program.
National price tracker GasBuddy.com, which surveys more than 700 regional gas outlets daily, said the average retail price of gas in the area fell another 4.3 cents to $3.90 a gallon over the past week. Over the past three weeks, the average price has fallen more than 12 cents, after hovering above the $4-a-gallon threshold through the Indepedence Day holiday.


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ebay Team Up With myparceldelivery.com
eBay integration is now live on Parcel Delivery Comparison site.
- (1888PressRelease) September 08, 2010 - Online parcel delivery comparison site, myParcelDelivery.com have teamed up with renowned online auction site, eBay, to bring customers the very latest innovative service to hit the parcel industry.
The new service, named 'my eBay', can be found on the comparison site and allows users to link their eBay account to myParcelDelivery.com. The system will automatically retrieve the users' eBay bought & sold items, and present them with a range of parcel delivery options and services that can then be purchased through the website at unbeatable prices.
The eBay shipping tool launched on 1st September 2010 and is already tipped for unprecedented success following the first weeks results. eBay users have, in the past, stated the need for access to a simple parcel delivery service and myParcelDelivery.com have capitalised on this with the release of 'my eBay'.
David Grimes begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, director of myParcelDelivery.com explains "We are very pleased my eBay is now live. The market for parcel delivery on eBay is so big that we knew we had to act upon research that we conducted. The service is very user friendly and will save eBay users a great deal of time and money searching the web to find the best parcel delivery services and rates."
"The growth of myParcelDelivery.com has been quite remarkable and with the release of my eBay and other features like our 'myAccount' area, there are exciting times ahead."
Compare, Send & Save.


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Developer Deep Silver has released a new developer video for Saints Row 4.
You can view Saints Row 4’s newest developer diary video below:
You can check out the game’s review scores here.
The game releases August 20 across North and Latin America and August 23 everywhere else for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
Are you excited about playing?


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Departure of Aldi leaves supermarket void in South Peoria
PEORIA — The Aldi discount grocery chain is rearranging stores again in the Peoria area. The loss of one of those stores, however, will leave a void in South Peoria when it comes to supermarkets, said one neighborhood activist.
The German-owned company will close stores on 210 S. Western Ave. and at 250 S. Main St. in East Peoria on Jan. 23 and open a new store in the East Peoria Levee District the following day.
Last year, Aldi closed two Peoria outlets — on Sterling Avenue and on War Memorial Drive — while opening a new store at 3416 N. University St.
The new East Peoria store — set to open Jan. 24 at 251 Clock Tower Drive — will have higher ceilings and environmentally-friendly building materials "such as recycled materials and energy-saving refrigeration and light bulbs," noted Aldi division vice president Heather Moore in a statement.
Employees at the two stores that are closing will be transferred to other stores in the Peoria area, Moore stated.
Both stores being closed have operated at their respective locations since the 1980s. The Aldi store at 250 S. Main St. in East Peoria opened in January 1984, while the Western Ave. store opened in June 1989.
Dorothy Wendland, a resident of South Peoria, said she's shopped at the Aldi store on Western since it opened.
"I like the store's quality," she said Thursday morning as she wheeled her shopping cart down a store aisle.
Wendland said she would probably shop at the Aldi store on University Street when the Western store closes.
But LaVetta Ricca, president of the Olde Towne South neighborhood organization, said driving to another location was not an option for other South Peoria residents.
"There are a lot of people down here that don't have cars. They have to walk, ride the bus or depend on others (to buy groceries)," she said.
Ricca called the Aldi closing a disaster for area residents.
"Down here, it's not like any other part of the city. We don't have any other decent grocery stores. This leaves us with nothing," she said.
Ricca said the Aldi store has been a good neighbor.
"They've kept the store up, inside and out. They provide security. There haven't been problems there, and they seem to be busy all the time," she said. "In the past, stores have taken advantage of locating in a poorer section of town. Aldi never did that.
"I know (1st District City Councilwoman) Denise Moore has said it's her goal to get another grocery store in here. I hope and pray that we can get another good store in (Aldi's) place."


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Strong demand for these microcontrollers fuels NXP’s continued investment in its trusted solutions supporting companies throughout the lifecycle of their product designs
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI), today announced it has extended the product longevity for its popular family of Kinetis microcontrollers (MCUs) to 15 years. Strong market demand is fuelling NXP’s continued investment in its trusted Kinetis solutions that support developers and product managers across many markets throughout the lifecycle of their products.
“Broad market adoption for the popular Kinetis MCUs underscores the popularity for our proven microcontr…
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Specifically, Saum Noursalehi – tZERO CEO – reportedly discussed detailed information of an initiative to establish a one-stop-shop – which will boost crypto, security tokens adoption rate along with mainstream trading. However, tZERO needs to be legally recognized as a retail broker-dealer first.
The firm’s retail broker subsidiary tZERO Markets has reportedly submitted papers to get it registration with the US-based Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) done, at the start of 2020.
Should the authorization is granted, tZero will reportedly carry on its expansion plan, via combining equity and traditional securities with crypto and digital assets.
“Several of our blockchain companies have received public attention because the problems they are solving using blockchain technology have been brought into the spotlight in the current pandemic. Areas like mobile voting, digital identity, digital currency, and supply chain tracking have become more important in our COVID-19 world. I am looking forward to the increase in tZERO platform activity I believe will result from the upcoming issuance of the Overstock OSTK digital dividend.” Noursalehi further remarked.
After the tZero’s ICO round conducted by Overstock 3 years ago, the firm is reportedly seeking the greenlight to release a market for security tokens, with the papers for the Boston Security Token Exchange has been submitted with the US SEC.


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RadioShack Corporation (NYSE:RSH) is basically going to go out of business, Scott Tilghman told CNBC in a recent interview.
The comment comes from the B. Riley & Co LLC senior analyst after he put a price target of $0 on RadioShack Corporation (NYSE:RSH).
The analyst told CNBC:
“As we look at the various fundamentals, the challenges [the company is facing], the competitive environment, and what they are trying to do to turn this around, we really think that the downside is probably to $0. It just doesn’t look like this company is going to be able to make it out alive.”
Tilghman was also asked whether he sees the company just restructuring the equity down to $0 and reemerging after a few years or if the company will go away for good. The analyst said that it all depends on the kind of support RadioShack Corporation (NYSE:RSH) will receive from vendors.
He noted that what vendors will decide to do in terms of their relationship with the company will ultimately seal its fate. He cited the bankruptcy of Circuit City in 2008 wherein, he said, the vendors defined the fate of the company by changing payment terms and then stopping shipments of inventory. He added that if people see a similar pattern for RadioShack over the next key selling seasons, the company will really have to “fight to maintain any relevancy and rework its business model just to stay afloat even with a much smaller store base.”
The comments from Tilghman comes after another analyst also painted an unflattering picture of the RadioShack Corporation’s (NYSE:RSH) turnaround performance. Joe Feldman, Telsey Advisory Group assistant director of research, recently noted that Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY) has done better turning its business around than RadioShack.
Tilghman’s interview can be viewed below:
Investors in RadioShack Corporation (NYSE:RSH) includes Timothy S. Peterson’s Regiment Capital which had 1.1 million shares in the company, a stake that was valued at about $2.33 million, by the end of March. Another investor is Michael Kao’s Akanthos Capital which reported about 1.09 million shares in the company for the same period.
The 5 Biggest Kickstarter Scams That Swindled Backers’ Donations
50 Crazy Facts About Japan You Won’t Believe


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Transaction includes sale of two Albertsons and three Vons stores
Pacific Northwest grocery chain Haggen Food and Pharmacy is about to become a much bigger player in the highly competitive Southern California grocery industry.
The company announced on Dec. 19 that it is acquiring 146 stores, including five in Santa Barbara County, as part of a government-required divestment sparked by the pending merger of national grocery chains Safeway – the parent company of Vons – and Albertsons, which was announced earlier this year.
Locally, the transaction includes two Albertsons locations and three Vons stores in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria. However, some Albertsons and Vons stores in these markets will continue to operate under their current corporate ownership, said a Haggen spokeswoman.
None of the parties to the deal divulged a price for the store acquisitions, which is subject to Federal Trade Commission approval. Bellingham, Wash.-based Haggen will expand from 18 stores and 16 pharmacies to 164 stores and 106 pharmacies across Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. Of that number, 83 Albertsons, Pavilions and Vons stores in California will be acquired by Haggen.
Here are the local stores to be sold to Haggen:
- Santa Barbara: Vons, 163 S. Turnpike Road and 175 N. Fairview Ave.
- Carpinteria: Vons, 850 Linden Ave.
- Santa Barbara: Albertsons, 2010 Cliff Drive and 3943 State St.
After the close of the transaction in early 2015, Haggen will convert all of the acquired Albertsons and Vons stores to the Haggen banner in phases during the first half of the year. Officials said all Albertsons and Vons store workers will have the opportunity to become Haggen employees and the company plans to retain current store management teams,
“With this pivotal acquisition, we will have the opportunity to introduce many more customers to the Haggen experience,” said John Caple, chairman of the Haggen board of directors and partner at Comvest Partners, a private investment firm that owns the majority of shares of Haggen, in a news release. “We will continue our focus on sourcing and investing locally with this exciting expansion.”
It was also announced that Unified Grocers, Inc. will be the primary supplier for all of Haggen’s newly acquired stores in California, Nevada and Arizona. This agreement will represent about $750 million annually in new business for Unified, according to the news release.
Haggen may find it challenging to retain customer loyalty ñ as well as grow market share ñ once it enters the South Coast grocery market, according to a commercial real estate broker.
“We are definitely saturated in this market with grocery options,” said Brad Frohling, a broker with Radius Commercial Real Estate & Investments. “It is quite crowded,” said Mr. Frohling, referring to the large chain supermarkets already doing business in the area and smaller specialty chains such as Gelson’s, Lazy Acres, Whole Foods, The Fresh Market and Fresh & Easy, which have their fans.
“If Haggen can bring a new value of some sort (to the market), whether it’s new brands or competitive pricing, I would imagine they’d be profitable,” said Mr. Frohling.
Stores like Vons also have rewards program and the news release didn’t address this detail. Also, some Vons stores operate gas stations. “Gas is another profit center for some grocers and I would imagine they (Haggen) would keep a profit center open.”
Mr. Frohling also noted that many grocery shoppers are creatures of habit. Since the Haggen stores will be in the same places as the former Vons or Albertsons stores, shoppers will likely continue to purchase goods at those locations out of convenience since they will not have to change their driving patterns.
Besides the deal with Haggen, Albertsons and Safeway announced plans to sell additional stores in Texas, Montana, Washington state and Wyoming to three other buyers. The 168 stores being sold were deemed too close to each other to stay under common ownership under guidelines the FTC uses to ensure that markets remain competitive for consumers.
For example, Albertsons is keeping its store on Casitas Road in Carpinteria, but selling its stores in Santa Barbara to Haggen. Vons is selling its stores on Turnpike Road and Fairview Avenue but its stores at La Cumbre Plaza and in Montecito aren’t affected by the deal.
Noozhawk: Santa Barbara Officials, Business Owners Dispute Rat Tales and Say Outdoor Dining Should Remain
Three times since 2020, M. Special Brewing Co. co-owner Joshua Ellis has pulled up the parklet in front of his restaurant and tap room… Read more »


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16 November 2020
Model railway retailer and manufacturer TGauge shares a video of its forthcoming RTR Class 08 0-6-0 shunter, set to become the smallest ready-to-run model locomotive.
TGauge.com is expected to release its smallest locomotive to date, depicting the 0-6-0 Class 08 diesel-electric shunter. Models are being shipped a month later than planned to customers who pre-ordered, owing to the impact on the supply chain through Covid-19.
Pre-orders of the first batch of this new locomotive have sold out, though a second batch has been promised, with deliveries expected to commence in 2021. The manufacturer is inviting interested parties of its second batch to identify liveries they would like to see produced.
Demonstrating the size of T gauge (1:450 scale) is this small diorama inside a makeup case.
TGauge.com commented, "We apologise for delaying the pleasure of holding one of these beauties in your hands, but ask you to bear with us whilst we continue to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's to bring you the world's smallest diesel locomotive model."
The retailer recently posted a video of a pre-production sample of its forthcoming model:
Built between 1952 and 1962, 996 BR Class 08s were constructed for the marshalling of exchange sidings, yards and even pick-up freights. With a maximum speed of 15mph (some variants could achieve 20mph) the units were geared for power over speed. A number remain in service with operators whom require shunting duties to be performed, while some have found new lives on heritage railways.
For pricing and release dates and further information, see its website.


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Skype Ltd. again warned users of its software that malicious code targeting the voice-over-IP (VoIP) and instant messaging service was on the prowl, the second such alert in the past five weeks. A Trojan horse...
Windows 3.0 launched 25 years ago today
LG G4 Review - the phone that tries to offer everything
Our review of the Microsoft Designer Bluetooth Desktop
Galactic Civilizations III now available on Steam
galactic civilizations 3
Tronsmart's USB Smart Charger; an ideal solution for the household?
All the latest news for Windows 10 Mobile and Desktop previews


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Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 8:17 PM
The Internet giant is hiring thousands of workers in cities across the country but what kind of positions are open?
Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 11:23 AM
Russia is a dangerous place for members of the LGBT community and Dan Savage is calling for a boycott of all Russian vodkas.
Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 3:01 PM
The Spanx founder shares how simply refusing to take no for an answer helped her become the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world.
Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 11:32 AM
Televisions, gaming systems, mobile phones for a whole family and subscriptions for everything can eat into even the most solid budget.
Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 11:49 AM
Duracell is donating one million of its new Quantum batteries to first responders.
Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 9:39 AM
The new Monopoly Empire game doesn't include the famous 'Go To Jail' space.
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Starbucks and Danone are teaming up to bring Greek yogurt to stores, but will the yogurt use a bug-based colorant?
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 at 1:52 PM
Americans live longer and work longer, which is leading to a rise in age discrimination complaints.
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 at 11:08 AM
Restaurant owners will give away 28,000 backpacks to Arizona schoolchildren on July 27, 2013.
Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 5:08 PM
A single back-to-school supply request obliterated a bargain shopping streak.


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Image via Wikipedia
SN: Pathmark Dominates A&P's Store Closure List
A&P on Thursday made another senior level executive appointment from OfficeMax, naming Carter Knox senior vice president of human resources and communications. Here is their official statement.
More @ NorthJersey.com
Poughkeepsie Journal: A&P Sues Stop & Shop
A&P's parent company, Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. Inc., is flinging charges that Stop & Shop lies to consumers about having lower prices than A&P. "Stop & Shop is presently engaged in an advertising campaign, involving various of its stores … in which Stop & Shop falsely claims that customers can 'save more every time you shop' at Stop & Shop," lawyers for A&P wrote in the lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court here
A difficult situation for Stop and Shop as they opted out of a project in Massachusetts:
"The town received a letter from them on July 26," Town Planner Kathy Joubert said yesterday. "It does not say why - it simply states they're no longer pursuing building a store at the 77 Main St. address."
The announcement comes as an abrupt end to a five-year drama that saw Stop & Shop go to state Land Court to fight a 2006 Planning Board decision to deny the company's site plan proposal.
AFL-CIO Blog: Glen Beck to the Unemployed: Go Get a Job at McDonalds!
WNYC on The NYC Department of Consumer Affiars 'Supermarket Sweep'
BJ's Cuts Full-Year Forecast
NY1: Protest at Chelsea Trader Joe's
Protesters gathered in front of the new Trader Joe's in Chelsea on Thursday to call attention to the plight of farm workers. They said shoppers should know about the ongoing human rights abuses against farm workers, who they say pick tomatoes sold at the company's stores.
Target Aims at Groceries to Boost 'Soft Sales'
To juice sales, Target is hoping fresh eats and a 5% discount for store credit-card holders will do the trick.
Despite reporting Wednesday that quarterly profits rose a whopping 14% in the previous quarter, the nation's second-biggest discount retailer said sales came in "softer than expected." [Daily News]
And two UFCW Local's are set to merge in the mid-west.“Growing our union, negotiating good contracts and helping workers form and join a union will be the priorities of the new organization,”


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Microsoft is used to criticism; after all, it's a standing joke that the third version of any Microsoft software is the first one that works right. But the backlash against Windows Vista in 2008 was unprecedented. The new OS had been out for a year, finding its way into new consumer systems through 2007 but not getting much adoption by business.
Throughout 2007, InfoWorld heard IT staffers and CTOs grumble about the new OS, despite some nice features for IT, such as unified install images. Application incompatibility, a UI rejiggered without any user benefit to its changes, and a bothersome security mechanism increasingly annoyed individual users and small-business consultants.
[ Can your PC run the forthcoming Windows 7? Download InfoWorld's Windows Sentinel tool and find out. ]
InfoWorld contributing editor Randall C. Kennedy's Vista tests showed that it took way more resources than XP. As his tests revealed, the new Aero interface was a major resource pig, but it wasn't the only one. And in his testing, Service Pack 1 didn't help matters any.
The Vista Backlash Begins
By January 2008, 11 months after Vista shipped to the broad market, InfoWorld launched its Save XP campaign.
Our rationale was that Microsoft had already extended XP's kill date from Dec. 31, 2007, to June 30, 2008, due to customer queasiness over Vista, so we had hoped it might do so again. It was not a birthday present that Microsoft liked.
By the time of the "Save XP" campaign, consumers and businesses alike were beginning to realize that they could not get XP past June 30 and thus no longer had the option to ignore Vista if they didn't like it. In the six months that followed, more than 210,000 people signed an online petition to keep XP available indefinitely, and the news media was full of reports of an anti-Vista backlash. Resistance to Vista grew, especially by businesses. Major analyst firms joined in, recommending that Microsoft delay XP's demise until 2009.
Microsoft defended Vista, saying its usability studies showed that users loved its new interface and that the new security approach was needed to finally force developers to abandon sloppy programming techniques -- to be fair, Microsoft had been imploring developers since 1999 to change their behavior, to little effect.
But Microsoft was embarrassed by revelations that its own execs had trouble with Vista and that computers labeled "Vista Capable" in fact could not run Vista, calling into question Microsoft's honesty, as well as that of many PC makers. The result was a messy lawsuit that is still dragging on, as it became clear that Microsoft was split internally about the accuracy of its "Vista Capable" certification claims.
XP Does Die, Sort Of
During the six months of this anti-Vista brouhaha, Microsoft held firm to the June 30 kill date for XP and indeed pulled the plug as promised. But it also started talking about the "downgrade" option that let many users buy Vista Business or Vista Professional, then use that license to replace Vista with XP. Microsoft also let PC makers continue to sell XP on new systems by using the downgrade approach to call it a Vista sale.
Currently, Dell Computer and Hewlett-Packard offer downgrade PCs, though consumers need to buy them through their small-business storefronts. Originally, downgrade sales were to end on Feb. 1, 2009, but Microsoft recently extended their availability through June 30.
Windows 7 Takes the Stage as Vista Gets Better
As the Vista doubts became mainstream, Microsoft began to talk up Windows 7, the Vista-based successor to Vista scheduled for release in early 2010. As InfoWorld's Kennedy has shown in his tests of the Windows 7 pre-beta version, Windows 7 is essentially Vista with some interface changes, a claim Microsoft CEO Ballmer concurs with -- but he quickly adds that Windows 7 is "a lot better."
And Microsoft has continued to work on Vista, with the SP2 update now in beta. SP2 helps boost Vista's speed, Kennedy's tests show.
As 2008 draws to a close, Vista has returned to being a quiet failure as the world waits for Windows 7.
This story, "For Windows, 2008 Was a Roller Coaster" was originally published by InfoWorld.


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Gigabyte Gaming Laptop Has Discrete GTX 850M
This laptop packs a great CPU and GPU combo.
Here's a new gaming laptop from Gigabyte.
Gigabyte has achieved an excellent factory overclock of a well-tested GTX 750 Ti.
Gigabyte has bundled a WindForce cooler with one of its GTX Titan Black graphics cards.
This gaming laptop is now available in North America.
Gigabyte boasts of new records set using its motherboards
Attendees of Valve's Steam Dev Days received a little present.
A new brand in PC gaming hardware is set to launch in Las Vegas. We have the first bits of info on what it'll be.
Gigabyte has crammed together its popular BRIX compact PC with a 75 lumen LED backlit mini projector.
Gigabyte's adding a couple of new gaming machines in its repertoire.
Gigabyte has officially announced the arrival of its Intel H81 series motherboards.
Gigabyte has updated its GTX 780 WindForce 3X OC Edition to Rev 2.0 which now features two 8-pin PEG power connectors.
The Gigabyte GeForce GT 640 is a budget graphics card that features 384 CUDA cores, a core clock of 1046 MHz, and a single slot cooler.


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ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) for-hire truck tonnage index was down 0.2% in February after increasing 2.5% in January.
In February, the index equaled 117.4 (2015=100) compared with 117.6 in January.
“After a strong January, I’m a pleasantly surprised that the index didn’t fall much last month,” said ATA chief economist Bob Costello. “I continue to expect tonnage to moderate like other indicators, including retail sales, manufacturing activity and housing starts. Additionally, the level of inventories throughout the supply chain have increased, which is a drag on truck freight.”
Compared with February 2018, the SA index increased 5.4%, down from January’s 5.8% gain. In 2018, the index increased 6.7% over 2017, which was the largest annual gain since 1998.


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The delegation, consisting of peanut buyers from national and international food companies, toured a Georgia shelling plant in addition to Henry County farmer Ed White’s peanut farm. White, who serves on the National Peanut Board and Alabama Peanut Producers Association board of directors, said promoting American peanuts is a top priority.
“As a member of the National Peanut Board, I support all peanuts,” White said. “These buyers aren’t able to buy all the Texas peanuts they want, so by coming here and getting a taste for the sweeter Southeastern peanut, maybe it will open up some markets for us.”
Erica Hansford, marketing and communications manager for the American Peanut Council, said trade delegation trips provide positive interaction between buyers, processors and farmers.
“Mexico is one of the largest consumers of our products, so this is a good way to facilitate face to face meetings,” she said.
While at White’s farm, buyers posed for pictures, saw peanuts being harvested and asked questions.
Claudia Nakatani, a representative of Productos Nipon in Mexico City, Mexico, said her first trade mission was a pleasant one.
“I can say I will definitely consider buying Alabama peanuts,” she said. “I can taste the sweetness, and I can see how much quality peanuts in this area have.”
For Christian Ibarrola, a representative of Productos Winnuts in Monterrey, Mexico, attending trade missions allows him to interact with farmers and other buyers.
“It’s great for me as a customer,” he said. ”Even though we see a lot of the same things it’s also good to hang out with out competitors and get to know new vendors. We just started buying from the American Peanut Producers Association, and we’re looking forward to strengthening that relationship.”


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OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — When the pandemic hit, the world was told to stay home.
"It's going to be at least 2023, some would say 2024, 2025 before we might see travel at the levels we saw back in 2019," said Kevin O’Malley, CEO of Corporate Travel Management.
O'Malley said their demand dropped 95% since March.
"And we sit here in February of 2021 and our demand is still down 85%," O’Malley said.
He added that corporate travel, which makes up roughly 80% of CTM's business, remains slow; however, leisure travel is slowly picking up.
"Most people are staying inside the United States. Certainly, Mexico and the Caribbean are getting booked a lot, as well,” said O’Malley.
O'Malley said travel companies have worked hard to put in place safety measures. They're using things like COVID tests and mask mandates to ensure their guest safety.
"There is a ton of back and forth throughout the industry right now going on about what does an immunity passport look like? The problem is that there is no one standard on how it's going to look," said O’Malley.
Big questions remain on immunity cards here in the United States; however, countries like Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom have already developed prototypes.
Despite the unknowns, O'Malley has faith the travel industry will pick back up.
"People want to get out and see the world. People want to get out and see people. And so travel will return, it's just a matter of how long it takes," said O’Malley.


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Updated: April 1, 2013 3:30PM
NEW YORK —Stocks are opening April on a weak note, ending slightly lower after an industry group reported that U.S. manufacturing growth cooled in March.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell five points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 14,572 Monday.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 gave up seven points, 0.5 percent, to 1,562. The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high last week, beating the record it set in October 2007.
The Nasdaq composite fell 28 points, or 0.9 percent, to 3,239.
The Institute for Supply Management said manufacturing grew for the fourth straight month in March, but at a slower rate. Industrial stocks fell the most in the S&P.
Two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was low at 2.7 billion shares.
As stocks have climbed this year, so have investor expectations for economic reports, said JJ Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist at TD Ameritrade.
“The numbers have to be outstanding in order to drive the market higher,” said Kinahan. “It’s a different mindset when we’re at these levels.”
Industrial companies led declines for the S&P 500, dropping 1 percent. 3M, which makes Post-it notes, industrial products and construction materials, fell 66 cents to $105.6. Caterpillar, a maker of construction and mining equipment, dropped $1.23 to $85.73.
Gains for stocks this year have been driven by optimism that the housing market is recovering and employers and starting to hire again. Strong company earnings and continuing stimulus from the Federal Reserve have also increased demand for stocks.
EBay rose $1.95 to $56.16. The company said late Friday that it expects revenue and profit to keep heading higher in the coming years as its e-commerce business and fast-growing PayPal payments service continue to expand.
Brewer Molson Coors, which counts Coors and Miller Lite among its beers, rose $2.34 to $51.28 after Goldman Sachs upgraded its rating on the stock to “Buy” from “Neutral,” citing a better outlook for beer sales as the economy improves.
The new month should give investors cause for optimism.
April is historically the second-strongest month for stocks, Deutsche Bank said in report today. The S&P 500 has gained an average of 1.4 percent in April, based on returns since 1960, making it the second strongest month after December.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, fell to 1.84 percent from 1.85 percent.
Markets were closed in observance of Good Friday last week. European markets were closed Monday for Easter.
Among other stocks making big moves;
— Tesla Motors jumped $8.06 to $45.95 after the electric car company said sales are running ahead of schedule. The Palo Alto, Calif., company said Sunday night that first-quarter sales have exceeded 4,750 Model S sedans, above prior guidance of 4,500.
— DFC Global, a finance company that provides loans to consumers without bank accounts, fell $3.08 to $13.56 after it slashed its earnings outlook for its fiscal year.
— American Greetings rose $1.95 to $18.05 after the company agreed to be taken private for about $602 million by a group led by some of its top executives.


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Intel is mapping on launching its Core i7-4771 in this fall to take its premium line to 2014 when it plans to launch a refresh of Haswell. VR-Zone managed to get their hands on a copy of the chip early to run some benchmarks.
Intel is gearing up for the launch of their Core i7 “Ivy Bridge-E” high end desktop (HEDT) processors coming up in September. According to reports the Ivy Bridge-E lineup will consist of the Core i7-4960X, Core i7-4930K and the Core i7-4820K. These processors will fit current X79 motherboards with a simple BIOS update. VR-Zone has released the alleged prices of these processors when they come to market.
Intel has formally announced their latest SSD 530 series targeted towards those consumers and client who expect high-performance from their systems. The SSD 530 series is designed for the next generation of Ultrabook PCs along with traditional desktops and laptop setups.
The Xeon Phi Coprocessor family unit took a step into the limelight after the launch of the Tianhe-2 Supercomputer, which attached Intel’s Xeon Processors with the Xeon Phi Coprocessors to exceptional success. Unnecessary to say the landscape of supercomputing might be in for a change.
We will see Intel’s Core i7 “Ivy Bridge-E” series in about two months, but until then there seems to be a mysterious “Sandy Bridge-E” part listed on roadmaps on different retailers. The part is a Intel Core i7-3910K. We are pretty sure it is not a typo as the list you see below even mentions the S-spec code “SR0TN” which is not the same as the “SW0WR” S-spec code of the Core i7-3970X.
Intel has updated its road map with a new, low-power server chip to help it ward off competition from Calxeda and other makers of low-power chips. It seems Intel plans to take interest in the field of production it hasn’t explored befre. SoC design is mostly use to cut down power consumption and deliver a compact solution for both low and high end users. The Broadwell SoC will be manufactured with a 14nm process and targeted at the server market where power efficiency is prioritized above all.
Intel does not seem to happy about motherboard manufactures finding a way around their restriction and is said to be releasing a firmware update for their H87/B85 motherboard chipsets. This firmware update would actively block the Non-Z OC feature from various manufacturers.
According to Hermitage Akihabara, Intel Ivy Bridge-E processors will arrive in just 2 months on September 11th. These new bridges are expected to stay ahead of the Sandy Bridge-E line up but shall work on the same socket and X79 chipset with a BIOS update. New amendments of X79 motherboards with BIOS updates will be issued for release to most of the sellers. With its launch, we will see the Intel Core i7 4960K, 4930K and 4820K all releasing too.
Intel’s next unit of computing (NUC) is actually a tiny computer that highlights Intel’s ability to make small, interesting and useful form factors. It comes in two models; one is specifically catering the business applications while other is inclined towards consumers for general usage purpose. You will be surprised to hear the news which might not have come in anyone’s knowledge but for your information, Intel’s next unit of computing mini PC has a flaw, and the defect is; it does not cool the mPCIe card very well. The problem arises when the system gets too overloaded; the mini PCI express WLAN card can over heat which results in the mal-functioning of the mSATA SSD next to it.
Actually Intel’s revised 8-series chipsets were supposed to be available to motherboard OEMs as soon as this month turned up. According to a few sources, this won’t happen since chipset is just not ready. Intel Corporation has passed a statement to confirm the USB 3.0 interface on its Haswell processor supporting a chipset design defect. A portable drive disappeared phenomenon will appear in the system into standby. On the other hand, USB 3.0 ports stop working after entering or leaving windows sleep mode.
Jan 30, 2015 0


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The People's Friend
Safe Tanning For Fair Skins
If you’re fair-skinned, sunbathing is not only futile, but also potentially dangerous, as the freckled and pale are more vulnerable to the ultraviolet damage that triggers skin cancer.
But scientists from the USA are working on a new treatment which tans the skin without exposure to harmful UV rays. The molecules in the special cream penetrate the top layers of the skin, targeting the process which controls skin pigmentation which occurs when specialised cells produce melanin (the dark pigment which protects the skin from harmful rays).
The treatment prompts the pigmentation process, leading to a darkening of the skin which lasts 10 days before fading.


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The global lockdown resulting from the coronavirus outbreak changed e-commerce overnight. Online orders surged, capacity diminished, and carrier surcharges were applied. And even after restrictions are relaxed, there’s a good chance the e-commerce landscape won’t revert back to its pre-COVID-19 norms. In the early 2000s, the SARS outbreak made e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba and JD.com household names–and neither platform has since forfeited their winning positions. But are e-commerce supply chains prepared to sustain their current rate of order fulfillment? The first test will be peak season.
In a recent article in Direct Commerce, Logistyx Technologies President Ken Fleming describes how essential and non-essential businesses have responded to the COVID-19 outbreak and the measures many shippers are already taking to prepare against future disruptions, including implementing a cloud TMS for parcel shipping to successfully pivot to an omnichannel distribution approach.
Read Ken’s full article: COVID-19: How the E-Commerce Supply Chain is Reacting… and How it Will Impact Peak Season.
Consumers are placing an increasing importance on purchasing products that are environmentally friendly, and manufacturers are responding with product portfolios that include green goods and recycled packaging. However, it’s important to remember sustainability isn’t just about ethically sourced raw materials, it’s also about improving the end-to-end supply chain to both reduce environmental costs and waste as well as increase efficiency. In fact, it is often the combination of many small(er) changes throughout the supply chain that make a big impact.
In a recent article in Manufacturing & Logistics IT, Logistyx Technologies President Ken Fleming shares two key areas for improvement in sustainability in direct-to-consumer e-commerce: packaging and shipping modes. From “fitted” packaging that can be reused for returns… to consolidating shipments… to adding couriers to the transportation network… to offering incentives for longer shipment delivery windows, Ken discusses how a cloud Transportation Management Solution (TMS) for global parcel shipping with Business Intelligence provides shippers with the raw data and insights to manage complex supply chain ecosystems with an eye toward improving sustainability.
Be sure to read Ken’s full article on Manufacturing & Logistics IT: Improving Sustainability in the Parcels Market: Two Key Focus Areas and then contact us to explore opportunities to improve sustainability in your own supply chain.
Sales of luxury goods are increasingly driven by e-commerce sales. While many retailers strive to meet customers’ e-commerce delivery needs by offering quick and affordable shipping above all else, luxury retailers and the customers they serve tend to view e-commerce fulfillment differently. Often willing to pay more for premium goods and personalized shopping experiences, consumers buying luxury products typically want transparent fulfillment and white glove customer service.
In a recent article for Digital Commerce 360, Logistyx Technologies President Ken Fleming shares best practices for luxury retailers to help advance their shipping strategies to satisfy their customers’ elevated expectations. These include prioritizing white glove customer service, emphasizing reliability and transparency, and leveraging automation to meet these and other critical needs.
As supply chains evolve through the age of e-commerce – and especially in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic – leveraging tools that increase transparency, connectivity and personalized customer service can give retailers a greater competitive advantage.
Read Ken’s full article on Digital Commerce 360: “Optimizing the Ecommerce Fulfillment Experience in Luxury Retail During a Pandemic.”
According to Logistyx President Ken Fleming in a recent IoT World Today article, “the last mile should be the first thing you think about.”
So, how can shippers prepare for and execute successful last-mile parcel shipping while balancing cost, service, time management, and solid planning? The answer to this critical question varies for every shipper, but there are some considerations that can help any business take their last-mile strategy further. Data insights, tech solutions, and an integrated plan that ensures all systems are working together are all key to meeting consumer’s high expectations for parcel delivery and your company’s revenue and execution goals.
While the last-mile landscape is more intricate and complex than ever, it also contains a multitude of insights that shippers can use to their advantage. Utilizing advanced technology that supports the Internet of Things (IoT) and allows unrestricted access to real-time insights, shippers can effectively mine through this rich data to remove some of the complexity and achieve greater visibility into carrier data to more seamlessly fulfill last-mile delivery.
A solid plan of action must include proper use of IoT data to its full extent, including proactive team communication, forecasting, and researching new products and solutions that could help your company better understand the competitive last-mile landscape.
Check out IoT World Today for more on this topic from Ken and other logistics leaders. And, learn more about how Logistyx’s Business Intelligence helps shippers gain real-time visibility into each parcel shipment and invaluable insights for cutting costs and scaling your end-to-end shipping strategy, including critical last-mile delivery.
For the second year in a row, Logistyx President Ken Fleming has been named a Pro to Know by Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
A proven leader in guiding burgeoning technology companies, Ken directs the team responsible for driving Logistyx’s success and shaping the future of global parcel shipping to ensure a consistent strategic vision across the organization.
Spearheaded by Ken’s leadership and executed by the efforts of a collaborative team, Logistyx has achieved the following accomplishments in the past year which helped contribute to Ken’s recent Pro to Know honor:
The Pros to Know list highlights forward-thinking leaders who prepare their companies for today and tomorrow’s supply chain landscape. Ken is no stranger to the challenges of today’s e-commerce-driven logistics climate. His experience, insight and practical application of logistics expertise allow him to lead an effective team that uses challenges as opportunities to create advanced solutions for customers.
To learn more about this achievement and the other 2020 Pros to Know, check out the official announcement from Supply & Demand Chain Executive here.
Congratulations, Ken, on another well-deserved win!
Heightened customer expectations and growing demand for faster, more convenient delivery have changed the ecommerce fulfillment game for retailers. To better meet these needs, many retailers increasingly put the customer first – not the product – to build loyalty. Leveraging automation in ecommerce fulfillment processes can help retailers provide optimal service and streamline the customer experience without increasing costs.
In a recent article for Multichannel Merchant, Logistyx President Ken Fleming shares multiple creative angles for retailers to best optimize ecommerce fulfillment operations in the age of high consumer expectations and increased competition. While some view these modern changes to the supply chain as a challenge, Ken provides insights on how to turn them into an advantage. The key is establishing a proactive, data-driven strategy built around automated technology to optimize parcel shipping and better serve customers.
Ken’s advice offers retailers a fresh perspective on a variety of tactics they can implement or revise in their organizations to set themselves apart from the competition and stay modern. Read Ken’s full article on Multichannel Merchant: “How to Boost your Sales with Ecommerce Fulfillment.”
For retailers competing in today’s fast-paced, omnichannel landscape, staying on the cutting edge of emerging topics in the complex supply chain industry is key. So, when questions begin to outpace answers, where can retailers turn for reliable insight? Explore Total Retail’s “50 Best Retail Tips of 2019” report, featuring commentary from company President Ken Fleming on international shipping strategy.
Ken’s insight helps retailers save money through consolidation and awareness of the fees and surcharges that accompany cross-border shipping. Along with his advice, the report contains key points from other industry professionals on their retail strategies. Topics of interest include e-commerce, marketing, technology, returns, and more.
Add to your growing knowledge of retail best practices with tips from Ken and all of Total Retail’s featured industry leaders. Download the full “50 Best Retail Tips of 2019” report for free.
Every executive representing an e-commerce seller, a manufacturer or a retailer needs to have a vested interest in the effective fulfillment of customer orders. The profitability and customer service stakes are too high to ignore, and technology advancements are making the once-impossible possible when it comes to keeping step with the evolving needs and desires of customers in this increasingly competitive “same-day” market. With the right strategic plan and technology in place, shippers can address the need for fundamental-but-complex operational changes to get closer to customers, and as e-commerce sales, fulfillment and returns continue to grow, executives are making a more concerted effort to know what it takes to be successful.
In his first contribution for the Forbes Technology Council, Ken discusses the important trend of needing to be closer to customers to provide better service more cost-effectively and its impact on all of e-commerce fulfillment. Ken provides insights for shippers to help them determine what effects related to new carrier rate hikes will have on their own operations so they can effectively forecast the impact of the changes and take immediate steps to reduce their distribution costs.
In the Amazon era of next-day delivery and in-store pickups, many businesses have made great progress to get goods into customers’ hands quickly. They increasingly fulfill e-commerce orders from diverse distribution networks, casting aside the old model of using a single distribution center to cover wide territories. Behind the scenes, companies have been taking steps to stock and deliver their products from locations closer to customers to reduce the distances products must travel.
With major carriers like UPS, FedEx and DHL Express increasing rates for 2020, it’s getting more expensive at a faster rate to deliver goods over longer distances, giving sellers another incentive to get closer to customers. For shippers to provide the right level of service in a cost-effective manner, they need to establish a wider geographic footprint through their own distribution centers, converting stores into distribution nodes or contracting with third-party logistics providers.
Read Ken’s first Forbes article: “As Shipping Rates Hike, Sellers Can Get Closer to Customers to Minimize Impact,” and look for more in the future.
Ecommerce is changing everything in its wake, even well-established and efficient supply chains. In a recent article for Digital Commerce 360, Logistyx President Ken Fleming breaks down how ecommerce revolutionized the B2B world by letting the customer determine where, when, and by whom goods are delivered rather than the supplier.
By saying goodbye to their efficient, but very rigid, supply chains in favor of flexibility, successful manufacturers can prepare for the rapidly changing demands and the wide array of wishes of all their customers.
Read Ken’s full article on Digital Commerce 360: “Manufacturers: Say goodbye to your rigid, if efficient, supply chains”
The votes have been counted, and the readers of Supply Chain Brief have spoken.
Ken Fleming’s October 17 column for Logistics Viewpoints, “Brexit’s Profound Impact on Cross-Border Shipping,” has been voted the top industry blog post of 2019 and named the 2019 Supply Chain Brief MVP Winner as the Most Valuable Post in the Transport/Freight category.
“Brexit is likely to hammer unprepared supply chain and logistics professionals and the customers expecting to receive their deliveries, but I’m encouraged that Supply Chain Brief readers echoed the importance of this monumental event and the impact it’s likely to have on global shipping, especially in and around the U.K. and Europe,” said Ken. “With several postponements, shippers still have an opportunity to prepare for the changes and ensure their parcel shipments stay compliant, on-time and under-budget. Our TMS for parcels will make the process seamless for Logistyx clients.”
By rapidly incorporating all regulatory and resulting carrier changes, Logistyx customers will stay compliant to avoid delays and fees. Keeping clients compliant with these type of changes is nothing new for Logistyx; it’s one of the company’s biggest benefits and why the industry’s top warehouse management systems and 92 of Internet Retailer’s Top 1000 choose our TMS for parcel. Brexit, however, stands to be one of the most impactful logistics hurdles of modern time. Country codes will change and trigger a wave of other changes. Export volume will skyrocket for many shippers. Currencies may fluctuate. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you missed Ken’s 2019 Supply Chain MVP, consider giving it a read to learn more: https://logisticsviewpoints.com/2019/10/17/brexit-impact-cross-border-shipping/
Need to get ready for Brexit? Request a complementary consultation.
Omnichannel customers may account for only a small portion of retailers’ patrons, but they represent a hefty portion of sales by ordering more often than others. To better accommodate these omnichannel customers’ preferences, many retailers have begun to adapt their fulfillment processes by providing more convenient physical locations and pickup sites, 3D print & ship capabilities, manufacturer direct shipping, and more.
In a recent Multichannel Merchant article, Logistyx Technologies President and Chief Sales Officer Ken Fleming highlights this growing retail trend and the ways in which merchants are getting closer to customers to improve service and ensure profitability.
With the right enterprise parcel shipping and distribution software solutions equipped to handle the new omnichannel paradigm, retailers can increase efficiencies and build closer relationships with consumers to drive success.
Read Ken’s full article on Multichannel Merchant: “Omnichannel Merchants Shift Closer to the Customer.”
Interest in adding a TMS for parcel shipping continues to rise among shippers as e-commerce volumes increase, omnichannel delivery strategies become a priority and consumer expectations for same-day and next-day delivery persist. But while a parcel TMS can help shippers cost-effectively manage rapid increases in parcel volumes, it’s important to note it also helps shippers provide excellent customer service in a profitable way. (And how a shipper implements the technology impacts just how well the investment will pay off.) In a recent article in Logistics Viewpoints, Logistyx Technologies President and Chief Sales Officer Ken Fleming describes how shippers with a firm understanding of their current shipping environment can forecast the impact of a parcel TMS by asking two preliminary questions before starting an implementation:
- Do the benefits of a parcel TMS outweigh its total cost of ownership?
- Can adoption of a parcel TMS deliver ROI during each stage of its rollout?
Ken also advises shippers on how to leverage their own shipping data to answer each question with greater precision and better understand what’s at stake. Read Ken’s full article on Logistyx Viewpoints: “Determining the ROI of a Parcel TMS.”


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India will supply 14,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice this year to Mauritius and 79,000 tonnes to Bhutan under humanitarian operations, making an exception for two key diplomatic partners.
The decision has been taken after India received requests from both the nations to exempt the export prohibition on non-basmati rice, two government officials aware of the matter said.
Mint on 20 August reported that after the UN World Food Programme, and three nations—Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines—had appealed to New Delhi to resume rice exports to their nations following India’s decision to suspend non-basmati white rice shipments to check prices effective from 20 July.
Bhutan requested India to allow rice exports after India’s ban on shipments of non-basmati rice caused global rice prices to rise. Bhutan in late July made a diplomatic request for rice shipments of up to 90,000 tonnes.
Similarly, a request from the Mauritius to exempt it from the prohibition for a supply of up to 14,000 tonnes was also received earlier this month.
‘Consignments of 60 containers carrying about 1,500 tonnes of non-basmati rice were due to sail on 19 August from Mundra port (in Gujarat). After the clearance, the containers will reach Mauritius in the first week of September before their rice stocks exhaust on 15 September. A total requirement of 14,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice is to be imported from India this year,’ one of the government officials said.
Mauritius is a close and trusted foreign partner of India and annually imports around 24,000 tonnes of long grain white rice that is consumed by vulnerable groups.
During April-June of the ongoing financial year, India exported 784.14 tonnes of rice to Mauritius as against 843.46 tonnes during the corresponding period last year. In 2022-23 financial year, nearly 10,040 tonnes rice were exported to the nation by India.
Queries mailed to the embassies of Mauritius and the Bhutan in New Delhi, and India’s department of food and public distribution remained unanswered at press time.
India is the world’s biggest rice exporter, accounting for nearly 45% of the global rice trade. In April-June of the current financial year, the country exported 1.55 million tonnes of non-basmati white rice and 371,000 tonnes of broken rice compared with last year’s 1.15 mt and 141,000 tonnes, respectively.Neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh and Nepal, are heavily dependent on Indian rice, while some African countries are purchasers of broken rice.
India’s rice export ban, however, allows for government-to-government deals and for requests made by ‘friendly countries’ with genuine food-security needs
‘To ensure adequate availability of non-basmati white rice in the Indian market and to allay the rise in prices in the domestic market, the government of India has amended the export policy from ‘free with export duty of 20%’ to ‘prohibited’,’ the government announced in July.’But there is no change in the export policy of non-basmati rice (parboiled rice) and basmati rice, which form the bulk of rice exports. This will ensure that the farmers continue to get the benefit of remunerative prices in the international market,’ read a press release by the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
This article has been republished from Livemint


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24th Sep, 2020 to 26th Sep, 2020 at KAFUM Exhibition Center, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey Kahramanmaraş Textile Machinery Exhibition, which has brought together textile machinery manufacturers and various investors since 2014, will take place amongst 24th to 26th of September 2020 at Kahramanmaraş Fair Center (KAFUM).
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Remote control of Thermasolís ProSeries and AF Series steam shower systems developed after 2007 is possible with this iOS and Android app.Read More
Access the Lusio Solid-State Lighting catalog with this free app that includes the companyís product line and most recent cut sheets.Read More
Available on the iPad and iPhone, this free app allows users to browse and search Con-Tech's entire lighting catalog.Read More
By turning mobile devices into a Crestron Electronics touchscreen, the Mobile Pro Control app allows users to control a range of building systems, including lighting, heating and cooling, audiovisual, and security.Read More
The Venergy Advanced Metering System app displays the real-time energy usage of an entire building or its subcomponents, such as individual rooms or circuits.Read More
As its name suggests, the LightMeter turns mobile devices into portable light meters. Using the readings, the app will also suggest scenarios—such as "ideal for reading printed paper of high contrast"—for which the measured light levels are well suited.Read More
Lighting designer Christopher Cheap has started his own lighting practice in New York City. The name of the new firm is Dot Dash.
The Designers Lighting Forum of New York has announced its speaker lineup for its upcoming LED technology showcase, LEDucation.
Lightfair has announced that this annual lighting trade show and conference will return to New York City in 2015.
Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design has announced the promotion of three of its senior level staff: Carrie Hawley, Tina Aghassian, and Lee E. Brandt.
The IALD Education Trust has named Laura Prestwood Thompson the Trust’s President’s Select Director for 2014-2015.
2014 Hanley Wood Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Razer release SDK for PC motion control
Razer have announced that they have released software development kits for their as yet unreleased Sixense motion controllers.
The controllers were demoed earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The SDK software is now available via Steam labelled Sixense Truemotion SDK and offers developers the chance to start developing motion sensitive control schemes for their current games as well as forthcoming titles.
Razer explained just how easy the controllers are to code for by saying that it took two weeks to implement Sixense support in Left 4 Dead 2.
Valve's Greg Coomer supports the claims: "Together with Razer and Sixense, we are designing new, more enjoyable gameplay mechanics in Left 4 Dead 2, as well as future Valve titles."
Sixense still doesn't have a release date yet but the release of the SDK does indicate that we might have a concrete date very soon.
Thanks Big Download.
- Valve's Chet Faliszek has been confirmed as the first developer session for EGX Rezzed 2015
- One area from Zelda Wii U is as big as the entirety of Skyward Sword
- Telltale's new collaboration is with Mojang, on a Minecraft story game
- Franklin voice actor indicates GTA V story DLC is on the way
- Red Dead Redemption, LA Noire and Bully sequels will come when the time is right says Rockstar
- Telltale teases another collaboration with another game developer
- New Company Of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault trailer recognizes the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
- New Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer focuses on character customization
- Splash Damage's free-to-play shooter Dirty Bomb coming to Steam in the new year


text: South African Firms Sanctioned By Two States Over Crypto Debit Card Fraud ByAli RazaPRO INVESTOR Updated: 18 August 2020 Authorities in Texas and in Alabama have issued out emergency Cease and Desist orders against a group of South African companies. This order is due to these companies promoting a cryptocurrency credit card scheme to the public in these states. Sanctioned By Two US States As per the announcement made on the 14th of August by the Texas State Securities Board, as well as the Alabama Securities Commission, a Cease and Desist Order was simultaneously issued. These Orders were sent against the South African companies: Liquidity Gold Solution, Liquidity Global Card Solution, Liquidity Gold Trust. Alongside this, the order was sent against one Lance Angus Jerrard. All aforementioned entities have been accused of fraud, doing so through the promotion of a product called Liquidity Card on a local radio station in Austin, as well as social media. It was falsely claimed that investors had a guaranteed way to make money, all the while staying home during this pandemic. According to the orders, they claimed this card was a Mastercard with all the traditional functions of a debit card. False Promises To Entice The Desperate To add insult to injury, it’s reported that these companies, using their radio station ad time, even claimed that these cards would help avoid taxes. This was allegedly done through the use of receiving and spending profits in the form of stablecoins, such as TrueUSD Coin (TUSD), the USD Coin (USDC), as well as the PAX Coin (PAX). Joe Rotunda stands as the Enforcement Director at the TSSB, and explained that a guaranteed monthly income may seem like a dream come true to many within these trying times. However, he stipulated that these scams typically fail to support the promises they made of financial prosperity. Rotunda explained that this is typically just a technologically flavored act of smoke and mirrors. Promises Of Profit The campaign itself was set to launch in October of this year, stated the announcement. The goal of this company was to recruit 8 million in cardholders within a span of 36 months. The scheme entailed recruiting new members, then getting them to invest a minimum of $1,150 in 1 or more of the portions within the global project partnership of Liquidity. In total, the amount of portions available were $8,400. The claim was that these investors would promptly earn residuals that would’ve been derived due to fees that cardholders of Liquidity would pay. As is the norm, the TSSB explained that these companies claimed they would have a lucrative cash flow. The claims stated that they would receive a monthly payment of up to $1,516.72 per portion after the first 18 months. This would change to %5,008.62 a month per portion after 24 months’ time. As one would expect from this scheme, the profits were allegedly guaranteed, as well.


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tekgoblin writes "Reuters in a tweet have just confirmed that the iPhone 5 will start production in July and ship in September according to their sources. Originally rumors had stated that the iPhone 5 had already started production back in March." Link to Original Source
"If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in the library?"
-- Lily Tomlin


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Schneider Logistics Inc., Green Bay, WI, has announced that its American Port Services subsidiary has signed a significant warehousing contract with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Under the contract, American Port Services will provide Wal-Mart with full operating services in its 3.4 million square feet of warehousing space, creating a new Import Distribution Center in Elwood, IL, and bringing more than 300 new jobs to the area.
The American Port Services contract will support Wal-Mart's import business flowing from West Coast ports by rail to the Greater Chicagoland area. Products moving through the corridor will be forwarded to Wal-Mart distribution centers and stores throughout the Midwest.
American Port Services will provide warehousing services out of the CenterPoint Industrial Park, adjacent to the BNSF Logistics Park-Chicago. Operations at the facility will begin in mid-summer.
The Elwood contract comes on the heels of a major Mira Loma, CA, transloading and warehousing contract awarded to American Port Services by Wal-Mart earlier this year.
Report: Dynamic Distribution Improves Throughput
No longer confined within the walls of a distribution center, dynamic distribution networks are changing the way supply chain throughput is conducted, and early adopters have already experienced significant business opportunities as a result, according to a new study by AberdeenGroup, Boston.
The study, titled "The Supply Chain Integration Benchmark Report: Warehouse Without Walls," reported that best-in-class performers that adhere to a dynamic distribution philosophy reported the highest proficiency in reduction of cycle time and inventory within supply chains, along with providing high levels of customer service.
These best-in-class companies are experts in combining the skills of internal resources, service providers and suppliers to create a responsive and cost-effective network, it concluded.
Key findings in the report include best-in-class companies reporting:
- Cash-to-cycle times that are 25 percent shorter than their peers;
- On-time delivery performance and order fill rates that far exceed others responding to the survey;
- Less company assets committed to the fulfillment process;
- The ability to rapidly assemble or reassemble supply chain services to meet specific needs by using in-sourced or outsourced logistics and manufacturing services; and
- A willingness to evaluate logistics service providers on both their operational and technical excellence. The majority of the top logistics enterprises include supply chain performance metrics as part of their supplier agreements.
"Departmental rivalries, misaligned goals and performance metrics and poor partner management policies all contribute to a company's inability to create more fluid and flexible fulfillment operations," says John Fontanella, senior vice president of research at AberdeenGroup. "Top performers have enough confidence in themselves and partner organizations to rewrite the book on how fulfillment in a global supply chain is done."
GMA, FPA To Merge
The executive committee of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and the board of directors of the Food Products Association (FPA) plan to merge their two organizations at the start of next year, pending approval from their respective memberships.
If the merger is approved, current FPA president and CEO Cal Dooley will be the head of the new organization, which will be known as GMA/FPA for the first year and GMA after that. Current GMA president and CEO Manly Molpus has already announced his intentions to retire Dec. 31.
"This merger recognizes the unique strengths of each organization," Molpus says. "GMA/FPA achieves the long-sought objective of uniting the industry behind a common vision and agenda, with the resources and leadership to accomplish its goals."
"This merger brings together two very effective advocacy organizations and complements the exceptional public policy and industry affairs work GMA has conducted on behalf of its members since 1908," says Rick Lenny, GMA chairman and chairman, president and CEO of The Hershey Co.
"This merger will bring the best of both FPA and GMA into a single trade association, offering new services and expertise to all members and providing scientific, public policy and industry affairs representation to member companies," says Dooley.


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- Race seeks long-term presenting partner deal as new ownership want to make the race itself the master brand
- Authentic focus on sustainability and oceanic environmentalism shapes offer to current and potential partners
- Commercial team sees increased interest from brands planning for a post-Covid-19 sports industry
The new owners of The Ocean Race – once known simply as ‘The Volvo’ – are leading the multi-stage global sailing competition on a commercial pathway away from title sponsorship and focused on sustainability.
The Ocean Race 1973 SLU is a Spanish company that acquired the event from its previous owners, Volvo Cars and Volvo Group, in 2018. Volvo was both rights-holder and title sponsor for such time that the race became synonymous with the brand.
Now the new ownership, led by race chairman Richard Brisius and managing director Johan Salén – both former competitors and team managers in the event itself – are building a new commercial proposition.
No more naming rights
Most notable among their changes is the removal of the title sponsor position, driven by three beliefs within the company: One, that it would otherwise be impossible to build the event’s own brand; two, that it limited the event’s appeal to potential sponsors in lower-tier slots; and three, that it would colour the race’s perception as a commercial vehicle, when sustainability is the watchword.
Instead, The Ocean Race is seeking a principal partner, one prepared to make a long-term commitment of at least a decade.
Helping them do this is Ekrem Sami, former chief executive of McLaren’s commercial arm, McLaren Marketing, who tells SportBusiness: “With one focus being the building of the event as a brand, the idea was for it to be known as The Ocean Race, as opposed to being known by the brand name, as was the case with Volvo.
“It puts the race itself as the master brand of the competition, it’s a similar idea to the model that is used by the Olympic Games.”
The company’s commercial division is also working with agency CSM Sport & Entertainment, which helped develop its marketing strategy and tactics – The Ocean Race identifies the sectors and brands it thinks would be a good fit, and CSM takes an active role in going to market.
As well as landing the key presenting partner, the short- and medium-term goals are to close out the lower tiers or the portfolio.
Under the presenting partner will sit the premier partner tier, where former owner Volvo still resides alongside founding partner of the sustainability programme 11th Hour Racing.
Below that is an official partner tier comprising water purification specialists Bluewater Group and five other brands that the company is waiting to announce post-Covid-19. These deals often contain an element of value-in-kind, though this can be significant; Sami tells SportBusiness that The Ocean Race is looking to add three brands to the tier.
Typically, sponsorship deals with The Ocean Race start at a fee of approximately £1.5m (€1.7m/$1.9m) across a three-year race cycle. Key to The Ocean Race’s offering to brands is the geographical spread of locations in which to activate. The Race recently released its schedule for the 2021-22 edition, which sees it visit 10 host cities across the nine-month event.
Of the 2021-22 host cities, Alicante, Spain; Cape Town, South Africa; Auckland, New Zealand; Itajaí, Brazil; Newport, USA; Aarhus, Denmark; and The Hague, Netherlands have all hosted the race before, with the Republic of Capo Verde; Genoa, Italy; and Shenzhen, China new additions for the race.
Explaining the importance of this, Sami says: “Those cities represent tremendously important associations for the brands that we are attracting,” adding that water tech partner Bluewater has begun working with Cape Town and Genoa on the back of its involvement with the race.
Though The Ocean Race itself it a triennial event, the owners are keen for it to offer activation opportunities throughout the three-year cycle. As Sami explains: “There’s sometimes a perception that The Ocean Race is a nine-month race around the globe; one of the things that we’ve looked to do is broaden that out into a three-year program.”
One of the ways it does so is via its Ocean Race Summits, most recently its Hague Summit, held virtually on May 27, 2020.
The events are an opportunity to draw its partners into The Ocean Race’s core message of oceanic environmentalism; representatives of both Volvo and 11th Hour Racing spoke at the Hague.
The Ocean Race European Tour corporate sailing event in Kiel, Germany, June 19, 2019
It is hard to overstate the extent to which sustainability has been put at the heart of The Ocean Race’s messaging. “It’s embedded within the whole organisation,” says Anne-Cécile Turner, the event’s sustainability programme leader. “It has significantly increased since change of ownership. You can see that in the commitment of the management and the number of people working directly for sustainability.”
Turner and others worked alongside 11th Hour Racing and Volvo to develop the event’s ‘Racing with Purpose’ initiative to practically deliver on the message. It incorporates the Summits, the race’s education programme, and even the oceanographic data collection tech now embedded on all competing yachts.
Turner explains: “The idea is not only that the race is collecting the data, we are creating a working group, a collaborative platform that will engage external stakeholders including scientists, we are enlarging the discussion to include the private sector and media to ensure that the science has a destination.
“We want reports, modernisation, the idea is that the policy makers can create laws to accelerate restoration based on science.”
It is also vital to the commercial proposition. As Turner says, The Ocean Race will no longer sign sustainability partners because “every partner joining will be included and integral to this”.
Sami adds: “What’s happened in the last three-to-five years is that sustainability, diversity, those topics are now centre stage on the agenda of every major corporation, and they occupy the attention at board level.
“We are effectively an enabler for those brands to authentically claim that they are making a difference. What we and they know is that stakeholders, such as consumers and employees, value those brands that visibly show that kind of commitment.”
The Ocean Race is keen to emphasise the authenticity of its message, and has built sustainability into the entire edifice of the competition, working with the teams to create a sustainability charter they must all sign, stating their commitment to make sustainability part of all parts of their operation.
Turner says: “We are creating rights and benefits for the teams around sustainability. We have changed the rules of the race to integrate renewable energy on board, all the teams will have to renewable energy and the data collection science on board.
“It’s a new narrative and a new story for them. They can all offer sustainability to brands, as well as the education programme.”
Brisius can draw on his own experience when talking about what provides added authenticity to the race’s commitment to the health of the ocean.
He said: “I think it is the sailors, if you are out there for so long as they are, you become part of the Ocean almost, you have this relationship with it. You just start caring for it, it’s so natural.”
“The brands that we work with they really value these athletes because they are pretty unique people, they get access to utilise them for activation.”
The ongoing pandemic has delayed the announcement of new sponsors and led the company to consider postponing the 2021-22 race until 2022-23. But – even as a global event – it is hopeful that its retooled commercial proposition will thrive in a post-Covid-19 world.
Sami tells SportBusiness: “There are brands in some sectors that feel they want to plan ahead for 2021 and beyond and we’re fortunate to be talking to a number of those.
“I think that Covid-19 has also made companies, individuals, families, the world stop and rethink about the importance of core values and they will have a different perspective going forward. I see that as an opportunity for us, I think that in a post Covid-19 world the platform we’re talking about will be attractive.”
Brisius believes the nature of the race’s operational structure means it is well placed to negotiate the period.
He said: “Many organisations around sport are formed around big federations, it’s quite a big governance problem. It can take more time to create change, in a fast moving world, that doesn’t help.
“Many sports are trying to reorganise governance model but it’s not easy. Since we have changed the governance, despite being a global organisation, we’re organised in a way in which we can change extremely quickly.”