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Black Friday 2011: shopping websites already launched Christmas offers.
In 2011 consumers are starting their Christmas shopping earlier than ever, as Black Friday websites already launched their offers.
According to a new report, nearly 40% of holiday shoppers are already buying gifts, and some consumers have even finished their Christmas shopping.
Experts say frugal shoppers are cashing in at fall clearance sales and pre-holiday events.
However, anyone holding out for Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals still stands to save.
In 2010 the average consumer saved nearly 25% on Black Friday purchases.
Experts also said that it is easier than ever to find the retailer with the best deal. That’s because many Black Friday websites are already posting holiday hours and sale products.
“In 2009, we didn’t even launch what was then BlackFriday2009.com until November 2,” Brad Wilson, editor and chief of BlackFriday2011.com, told 9NEWS.
“So this year, we were two or three weeks ahead of that and it was primarily because retailers are getting so much farther ahead of it putting out ads and early Black Friday and early Cyber Monday sales. And then consumers, we have people on our Facebook page in September and October saying, <<Hey, when is this going to start? When is this going to start?>>”
TV and laptop deals under $200 are going to be hot on Black Friday 2011.
Brad Wilson predicts there are several items that are going to be hot this Black Friday.
The editor expects to see TV and laptop deals under $200. Brad Wilson also says tablet prices will fall this holiday season, due in large part to the release of the new, lower priced Amazon Kindle. And he says Digital SLR cameras will also come down in price as digital point and shoot cameras, a popular gift in years past, are made obsolete by smartphones.
Brad Wilson also expects a repeat of one of last year’s most popular promotions, $3 kitchen electrics.
If you need more information or tips on how to prepare for a Black Friday shopping trip, you can visit BlackFriday2011.com.
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Acadiana Mall to close on Thanksgiving Day
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)— CBL & Associates will be closing its doors for Thanksgiving Day, according to national news sources.
CBL & Associates, owner of the Mall of Acadiana said the company will close the doors at nearly all of its 73 properties on the holiday until 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
The closings will allow about 1,500 mall employees and between 750 and 2,000 retail workers per property to celebrate the holiday the company said

domain: news


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2022 Hyundai i30 N Fastback price and features: Style-focused Subaru WRX and Skoda Octavia RS rival returns as high-performing Limited Edition
As expected, Hyundai Australia has confirmed the facelifted i30 Fastback N will...
Browse over 9,000 car reviews
Car sales were at record levels for the first half of the year, but that isn't expected to last.
The Commodore and Falcon are doing it tough, but small-car sales are booming, compact four-wheel drives are going well and there is a growing trend towards work-and-play pickups by Tuppies - or Tradie Urban Professionals.
The Tuppie trend is as obvious as the showroom total for the Toyota HiLux, Australia's No.2 seller in the first six months of the year. It even beat the Commodore, though the baby Corolla did best, to record its first half-year term as overall No.1.
Toyota continues to power ahead and has experienced the best results in its history, helping to drive a string of records for the overall motor industry.
"We're up 9.4 per cent for the year. But we always want to do better and while we're running well ahead we're happy," the head of sales and marketing at Toyota Australia, Dave Buttner, says.
The overall figures at the half-time break in this year's showroom battle include record sales figures for June, a record for the year so far and a record performance for a financial year of 1,068,301.
But things do not look as bright for the second half of the year, even though all industry analysts are forecasting a full-year total of about 1,060,000.
"There will be a lot of competitive pressures. Prices are likely to stay where they are," Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Andrew McKellar says.
"The June figures need to be seen in a broader context. We have come from a situation where the market was growing at about twice the rate of the national economy ... we have seen growth rates fall from 8.9 per cent to 3.5 per cent this year.
"This is much more in line with growth in the general economy and a much more sustainable position."
So there are plenty of winners, but there are losers, too. Nissan and Honda trail last year's half-yearly totals. They have held their places in the top-10 sales chart but clearly need new models to compete with their rivals, as Honda's impressive effort in June - when it cracked 6000 sales for the first time in a month thanks to the new Accord and Accord Euro - prove.
But what can we see in the results, beyond the inevitable stuff from Toyota?
New vehicles are still up to 30 per cent less expensive to buy today than they were 15 years ago and strong competition, the growth of turbodiesels, improved safety and equipment levels are driving new buyer inquiry.
June had a record 106,541 sales, up 1444, or 1.4 per cent, on the same month last year, and a record for any month in Australian motor-vehicle sales history.
Toyota is now more than 60,000 ahead of its nearest rival Holden, with a tally of 127,440 sales.
Last month it became the first company in Australia to sell more than 25,000 vehicles in a month when it recorded 25,600 sales.
As it did in 2007, the Corolla is storming ahead, outselling the fleet favourite, the Holden Commodore, but it is the HiLux that has surprised pundits.
In April the HiLux knocked off the Holden Commodore as the country's best-selling vehicle and end-of-financial-year deals helped push its sales to 4530 last month, with a yearly tally of 22,132.
Toyota's success has a lot to do with its market clout and penetration in just about all vehicle segments.
It has cars from the economical Yaris to the V8 turbodiesel LandCruiser off-roader and its split strategy of the Camry four-cylinder and Aurion V6 seems to be paying off, even if rivals refer to the Aurion as the Camry V6.
Other Toyota strengths are its strong marketing, and knowing its buyers.
But with rising fuel prices, tightening credit and interest-rate issues, it is not alone in predicting some softening in the run to December.
But Toyota is buoyed by a strong order bank for many of its cars, including the HiLux and Corolla, and analysts say the company's pricepoints and reputation will hold up well against outside issues facing the car industry.
The Corolla is the company's hottest property. It became Australia's best-selling car in the first half of the year, the first time Corolla, or any Toyota, has topped the country's new-vehicle sales chart at the half-way point of a year.
Australian motorists bought 24,415 Corollas in the first six months of this year - an increase of more than 7.3 per cent on the same period last year.
Corolla was the best-selling vehicle last month, with 5023 sales, followed by the HiLux, with 4530.
The Holden Commodore was third last month, posting 4274 sales for a six-month total of 23,323 cars - 1092 fewer than Corolla.
Yaris, 2770, Aurion, 2552, and Camry, 2261, were among the top 10 sellers last month. Prado, 1749, led the SUV market.
Toyota's market share so far this year is 23.5 per cent, a slight gain of 1.3 per cent on the same period last year.
Holden's overall share is down 2.1 per cent, which will be worrying the bean-counters.
Despite having a strong sedan, ute and long-wheelbase line-up, the company's South Korean strategy has some holes in it.
Sales of the Viva sedan and wagon are down more than 14 per cent, and the Barina is struggling.
The Captiva has found 5633 buyers this year and even the lukewarm Epica has lifted numbers to 1332, up from 1096 for the same time last year.
Even its new mid-sizer, the Mondeo, has snared 2518, with Ford underestimatingd demand for the turbodiesel model.
The late arrival of the new FG Falcon meant that June results of 3483 were about what the company expected.
Ford's Broadmeadows factory is ramping up production of the G Series sedans after starting with the base XT model and dealers are reporting strong interest and growing orders for the G Series cars.
Luxury-car sales, too, with the impending rise in the luxury-car tax, shot up last month.
Mercedes-Benz sold 2054 vehicles, Audi 907 and BMW 2258.
The arrival of the new Jaguar XF bolstered Jaguar's June result, with 124 cars sold; and even Land Rover shifted 491 vehicles.
Small cars GOOD
Compact 4x4s GOOD
How the makes and models compare
TOP 10 MAKES (June)
1 Toyota 25,624
2 Holden 11,968
3 Ford 10,286
4 Mazda 7524
5 Mitsubishi 8336
6 Nissan 5352
7 Honda 6217
8 Hyundai 5447
9 Subaru 4116
10 Volkswagen 3305
TOP 10 MAKES (YTD)
1 Toyota 127,440
2 Holden 67,123
3 Ford 54,469
4 Mazda 42,493
5 Mitsubishi 35,167
6 Nissan 30,800
7 Honda 30,168
8 Hyundai 24,417
9 Subaru 20,806
10 Volkswagen 16,407
TOP 10 MODELS (June)
1 Toyota Corolla 5023
2 Toyota HiLux 4530
3 Holden Commodore 4274
4 Ford Falcon 3482
5 Mazda3 3286
6 Toyota Yaris 2770
7 Mitsubishi Lancer 2667
8 Honda Civic 2644
9 Toyota Aurion 2552
10 Toyota Camry 2261
TOP 10 MODELS (YTD)
1 Toyota Corolla 24,415
2 Holden Commodore 23,323
3 Toyota HiLux 22,132
4 Mazda3 17,458
5 Ford Falcon 14,781
6 Toyota Yaris 13,704
7 Toyota Camry 11,771
8 Toyota Aurion 11,387
9 Honda Civic 10,897
10 Mitsubishi Lancer 10,498
June was the 19th straight month of cumulative increases for Suzuki, which has cemented a place as one of Australia's fastest-growing brands.
A total of 2419 Suzukis were sold last month, making it the best month in the company's history with a 2.2 per cent gain over the previous high-water mark in June last year.
Another record result confirms Suzuki is now being considered against the historical volume players in the Australian market, Suzuki Australia general manager Tony Devers says.
Like so many others, Suzuki is cashing in on successful new models, including the SX4, though the baby Swift - a former CARSguide Car of the Year - is still the bedrock for the brand. It has also claimed a 21 per cent increase for Grand Vitara, and the tiny Jimny four-wheel drive, which has been relaunched in 2008, is up 35 per cent.
Suzuki sold 12,140 vehicles in the first half of the year, an 11.3 per cent increase on last year.
"With rising petrol prices having a noticeable effect on customer choices, Suzuki is perfectly positioned to offer a range of vehicles offering great fuel economy, superb build quality and terrific value for money," Devers says.
Mazda is well on track for an 80,000-plus year. Better than its most ambitious target.
Last month it sold 7524 vehicles, up 8.5 per cent on the same time last year.
The Mazda2's tally of 1540 is a record for the nameplate and even the ageing Mazda3 continues to perform well, selling 3284 last month.
The Mazda3's year-to-date sales of 17,458 makes it the third best- selling car - not vehicle - in Australia behind the Corolla and Commodore.
All-wheel drive continues to be Subaru's trump card.
It achieved a record of 4116 vehicles last month, with an overall lift in sales of 6.4 per cent for the year so far.
The new-generation Forester was a star performer, with 1668 sold, an increase of 13.2 per cent.
Impreza continued its strong start with 1031 sales, up 16.0 per cent. The refreshed Tribeca also performed well, with 161 sales, up 47.5 per cent.
Liberty and Outback sales of 788 and 468 respectively contributed to the impressive result.
This brand is struggling, with sales down 25 per cent this year despite a revamping of its model line-up.
A lack of cohesive marketing, low dealer numbers and quirky styling continues to dog the brand. Only 920 have found homes so far this year.
What can we say?
With only two models in the line-up, the 9-3 and 9-5, Saab needs an injection of product right away.
It's coming, in the form of a new four-wheel drive and small model but they are some way off.
With sales of only 806 so far this year, it makes you wonder why GM Premium Brands bothers with the Swede.
Even tough sales have improved 2.2 per cent overall this year, the French carmaker's typically arrogant attitude to the Asia-Pacific market is working against it.
The new Laguna and Clio sports model give it some hope, but only if the French executives get out of their ivory towers in Paris and come have a look at our market for a better understanding of what it needs to survive and prosper.
The model changeover from the 307 to the 308 may have upset Peugeot's strong run, but sales are off 17 per cent this year.
The 207 is a strong card and once the 308 becomes more widely known for its quality and driving experience we suspect things will pick up.
The 407 is in desperate need of some strong marketing.
Look beyond the nameplate and there are some strong individual performers, like the the X-Trail and Navara.
But the Tiida still mystifies people, a Pulsar by any other name really. The miniscule Micra is picking up some well-earned praise for its price and packaging, so there is some hope.
The Dualis has fallen short of the mark, though, and essentially Nissan still has to climb out from its tag as a four-wheel-drive brand if it wants to improve.
Sales have slipped 4.3 per cent this year.
Treading water a bit with sales up only 0.3 per cent this year, the six-model range is strong on quality but short on driver involvement. The IS and GS are perhaps the exceptions. They are competent, but not engaging cars, and the volume RX series is due for replacement soon. It cannot come soon enough.
Again, the French! Some perky little performers in the C3 turbodiesel and C4, but it seems Aussie buyers prefer Japanese.
Citroen sales are off 13.5 per cent on the same period last year.
The Grand Picasso is the only interesting one to watch.
Nothing wrong with the product but others do it better and more aggressively.
Alfa importer Ateco Automotive has sold 717 Alfa Romeos this year, down 25 per cent on the same period last year.
The arrival of the sexy Mi.To could spur things on for the brand.


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New edition of the successful “Music and Wine”
New edition of the cultural and tourist activity "Music and Wine" in Jardín de la Tercia, that will dress up on Saturday the 28th of October.
This initiative, which is carried out by the Department of Tourism of the City Council, run by José Antonio Zafra and the Association Cehegín Tierra Adentro, will hold a new activity of this event, which continues its annual program.
This event will feature a recital of Safari Evve, and attendees can taste fine wines from Bodegas Balcona. It will be at 8 pm and the price is 15 euros.
Reservations at the telephone number 628 408 565.


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Naver’s webtoon dominance continues
Naver Webtoon’s logo (Naver)
South Korean IT giant Naver’s webtoon business is continuing its dominance in the global market, getting recognized as the world’s best webtoon application while posting a record-high number of users.
Naver Webtoon has been honored as the world’s best webtoon application in the mobile app market by analyzer Sensor Tower’s 2021 Asia-Pacific Awards, the company said Friday.
Sensor Tower said Naver Webtoon is the most successful webtoon application in Asia, adding that it also has been recording the highest number of downloads and garnering the largest revenues in the US webtoon market, which is the world’s biggest.
In the US, over 70 percent of Naver Webtoon’s users were found to be 24 years old or younger, the company said, which indicates how its readership is building a fandom centered around youth.
The mobile app market analyzer said Naver Webtoon is one of the most popular apps among Asia’s younger generations, as it climbed to become the best global webtoon app with strong numbers in South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan.
Under the names of Webtoon, Line Manga and Line Webtoon, Naver Webtoon is providing popular web-based cartoons in 10 languages in over 100 countries, according to the company.
Naver announced last week that the number of Naver Webtoon’s monthly active users reached a record high of 82 million in the month of January. With the growth in the number of users, the monthly transaction volume surpassed 100 billion won ($83.6 million), according to the company.
For the reasons behind the increasing figures, Naver pointed to a jump in the number of foreign transactions and the inflow of more global readers based on Naver Webtoon’s intellectual property turning into video content from online comics.
According to the company, overseas transactions of popular titles such as “True Beauty” and “The Remarried Empress” were three times the domestic volume in January. “7Fates: Chakho,” a webtoon produced in collaboration with K-pop superstar group BTS, raked in 15 million views in just two days after its launch on Jan. 15. It saw record highs of daily active users in several languages including English, Japanese, Spanish, French and German, the company said.
In case of “All of Us Are Dead,” a Netflix series based on the original webtoon of the same title, the number of views increased significantly since the release of the content on the global streaming service. According to Naver, the number of the original webtoon’s weekly views jumped by 80 times, and the amount of weekly transactions increased by 59 times.
Naver Webtoon’s annual transaction volume surpassed 1 trillion won for the first time on the back of increasing global popularity, the company said last month when it announced the fourth quarter and annual earnings.
“Naver Webtoon is steadily growing in both platforms and contents by building a solid local webtoon ecosystem in the global content market,” a Naver official said.
“As an industry leader, Naver Webtoon will focus more on expanding overseas markets and strengthening global competitiveness.”
By Kan Hyeong-woo (email@example.com)


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From today, those curious about virtual reality or looking for the perfect stocking filler are invited to experience the immersive power of Freefly VR on Level 5 of John Lewis flagship Oxford Street London store.
John Lewis is the first UK retail store to stock the wide field of view headset, exclusively for the next four weeks as well as JohnLewis.com.
Customers wearing the lightweight headset can enjoy a collection of virtual reality experiences developed by VR production company Rewind, running on a regular Samsung Note 4.
Demos includes a HD version of their Strictly Come Dancing 360 experience, where you get a front row seat for a dance spectacular; A virtual reality fast lap with former Stig Ben Collins, and stereoscopic 360 music video Stonemilker, an intimate musical experience by Icelandic singer Bjork.
Rewind co-founder Solomon Rogers believes the deal with John Lewis marks the start of new technology category in stores, serving to increase its appeal to mainstream audiences.
” The release of the Freefly in John Lewis stores this Christmas marks a true firing pistol moment for VR production, and the start of mass adoption outside of the pure PC gamer market,” said Solomon. “Although the high profile gaming orientated VR headsets are coming out in Q1 2016, the Freefly VR headset has got a head start on them on price point, and ease of use as you can use any smartphone with it. By deploying and developing VR experiences for mobile use, we have access to the current two billion worldwide smartphone users. Over the past year, Rewind has created VR content specifically for use on smartphone app stores for the likes of the BBC, Red Bull, Lexus and Björk. We see this market being the most influential in this early stage of the VR race.”
For the Proteus VR team, having the Freefly stocked in John Lewis is a symbolic milestone of a journey that began as a simple blog post.
“To be able to open people’s eyes to the immersive impact of virtual reality in such an established well known store is hugely exciting for us.” says Proteus VR Labs designer Mark Little.
He continued: “What makes this achievement even more remarkable was that this all began as a small commission from co-founder Jonathan who ran a large virtual reality Meetup group. He wanted a simple VR adaptor for his Nexus 5 as part of an article to explore the potential of mobile phone powered virtual reality. We designed and prototyped the product and the results surprised us. We shared his belief that such technology can offer an alternative to the more expensive dedicated VR headsets and so decided to produce a commercially viable headset that featured a huge field of view and supported a large range of phones. Two years of R&D and constant product iterations later, we have a product we are extremely proud of and are delighted to give people the chance to try VR in the John Lewis Oxford Street store.”
Jonathan Tustain believes this is a turning point for virtual reality going mainstream saying, “Although we know how engaging and lifelike mobile virtual reality can be, our greatest challenge is educating the public. Now people can experience it for themselves and we can’t wait to watch their reactions.”
Jonathan adds, “A common misperception is virtual reality is exclusively for gamers but the scope is far wider. We hope this partnership will highlight the fact that virtual reality is already transforming comedy, hard-hitting documentaries, simulation, education and relaxation. Apps like YouTube and Littlstar provide hundreds of hours of 360 degree videos and there is a plethora of titles on Google Play and the Apple App Store.”
The Freefly is now available at JohnLewis.com and the Oxford Street, London store for £49.95. Customers are encouraged to share their experiences on Twitter with @JohnLewisRetail and @FreeflyVR.


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(photo credit: )
A new fund launched Thursday will allow Israelis to invest in environmentally friendly companies, as determined by Greendex, Ramco Investment House's new environment index.
"We believe that investing in 'green' companies is becoming more and more economically worthwhile in the long run," said Rami Rahimi, CEO of Ramco Investment House announcing the launch of Ramco Green in Tel Aviv on Thursday. "Furthermore, we consider 'green' investments to be the future hi-tech shares rather than a current fashion or trend."
The structure of investments of the Ramco Green fund will be determined by Greendex, the dynamic environment index created by Ramco put together by an advisory committee chaired by Dr. Miriam Haran, former director-general of the Environment Ministry. The main categories for investment included in the Greendex, which will be updated monthly, are energy efficiency, sustainable power generation such as wind and solar energy, water supply, purification and wastewater treatment, pollution control, recycling and environmentally responsible companies.
"The purpose of Ramco's Greendex is to create transparency for investors in real time and as such provide an indicator of the trends in the green industry at any given moment," said Rahimi.
Ramco Green is expected to invest mainly in overseas companies, whose products are committed to or involved in improving the environment.
"For the moment, Israeli companies are less interesting for Ramco Green compared with global companies such as Siemens or GE, which are investing into water technology," said Rahimi. "But we expect more Israeli companies to invest into the green field."
Rahimi mentioned the Israeli company Ormat Industries Ltd., which develops systems for producing energy from geothermal fields, as one of the very few local trendsetters the Ramco Green Fund could target.
Most Western countries, Haran noted, were promoting green legislation, whose goal was to preserve the environment, by offering tax incentives to companies whose products were less pollutive.
"We believe that the growth sectors in the green industry for the years to come are biofuels, the alternative fuel for cars and water purification," she said.
Ramco is following in the footsteps of Altshuler Shaham, which in October 2005, set up the Green Fund, the first of its kind in Israel.
Altshuler Shaham's Green Fund is a global share fund, most of whose assets are invested in securities of corporations involved in developing and manufacturing products, technologies and services, which contribute to preventing or decreasing pollution and waste and reducing use of natural resources. Assets are likewise invested in corporations committed to environmental leadership.
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>


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Over at Newsarama, Vaneta Rogers talks to retailers about POS systems:
“Making the transition from cigar box to cash register was not only expensive, but actually took longer to ring up customers. Yet, it was essential,” said John Robinson, co-owner of Graham Crackers Comics Ltd. in Naperville, Ill. “It’s ridiculous and laughable when you come across comic stores that don’t have cash registers to ring up their customers. The same is going to be true for the frightened few that don’t make the transition to POS system in the next few years.”
It’s not just Diamond’s POS system that is being adapted, but other systems such as Moby. We suspect this will continue to be a huge story in 2008, although not in a way that is obvious. It will be more evolutionary and slow as retailers discover the difference between what they think they sell and what they actually sell.


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Of the multiple positive catalysts should fuel Aphria Inc (NYSE:APHA) in the months ahead, the most intriguing one is is vaping, or using a vaporizer to get the desired effect from cannabis use. My InvestorPlace colleague Will Healy pointed out some of these catalysts in his June 6 article, when APHA stock was trading at more than 50% below its 52-week high.
The next day, Aphria announced that it had entered into a supply agreement for the Canadian market with San Francisco-based Pax Labs, a leader in the manufacture and sale of vaporizers. In the U.S. alone, Pax has sold more than 500,000 Era vaporizers to date with plenty of growth expected in the months and years ahead.
“As Aphria continues to drive the evolution of the industry, we are thrilled to partner with a technology leader like PAX to provide a new avenue for consumers to integrate cannabis into their lives,” said Irwin Simon, interim CEO of Aphria. “We are excited to bring our premium cannabis extracts from Solei, RIFF and our flagship medical cannabis brand, Aphria, to the PAX Era device and platform.”
Vaping is Going to Be Big in Canada
The vaping market in Canada is expected to be significant. Aphria estimates that vapes and concentrates will account for up to 30% of the entire adult-use market by 2021. The great thing about vaping, from Aphria’s perspective, is that concentrates provide a much higher margin than dried cannabis.
Statistics show that U.S. use of vape products is growing, while the use of dried flower is slowing. In Colorado, the use of vape products increased tremendously over three years. In 2014, vape products accounted for 12% of the legal market. By 2017, that number had grown to 23%. Meanwhile, over the same three years, the use of dried flower dropped by 12 percentage points to 54% of the market.
Between edibles, concentrates, and infused drinks, the cannabis industry is moving away from the dried flower to an industry filled with choice. The fact that Aphria is partnering with one of the premier vape companies is a sign that Simon understands the importance of moving beyond supplying dried buds.
APHA Is Not Alone
That only downside from Aphria’s announcement is that PAX pick three other Canadian cannabis producers to help sell its product: Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB), OrganiGram (NASDAQ:OGI), and Supreme Cannabis (OTCMKTS:SPRWF).
However, the fact that Aphria is near completion of it $55 million Extraction Centre of Excellence in Leamington, Ontario, makes this concern far less of an issue. That’s because when completed, Aphria will have annual extraction capacity of 200,240 kilograms, making it one of the largest extractors in Canada.
Currently, analysts haven’t factored Aphria’s extraction facility into their valuation models. Once the facility is running, and products are available for sale in late December or early in 2020, Aphria stock is going to be far more attractive to investors than it is today.
Bottom Line on Aphria Stock
In May, I highlighted the pros and cons of the regime change at Aphria. As I stated, it’s hard to know if Irwin Simon’s the right person for the job. While his work at Hain Celestial (NASDAQ:HAIN) was at times exceptional, in recent years he did little to impress investors, eventually stepping down as CEO in June 2018.
Joining the Aphria Inc board in December as chairman, Simon was appointed interim CEO on March 1 after former boss Vic Neufeld retired in January. Since then, Simon’s made a few management changes to put his own stamp on the company.
The PAX announcement is a sign Simon might be sticking around as the permanent CEO. If the board didn’t have confidence in him, this kind of deal probably wouldn’t have happened.
While not completely sold on Simon, the PAX deal in combination with the completion of the extraction plant, suggests investors aren’t giving Aphria stock its due.
Aggressive investors ought to consider buying this potential growth and value play.
At the time of this writing Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


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Testing stations may stay open and carry out MOTs on cars if they wish to do so, it has been revealed.
While the DVSA has now extended the MOT expiry date for cars, vans and motorcycles due from 30 March 2020, those that run-out before 30 March still require testing.
Vehicle owners who are not self-isolating may book an MOT at any test centre.
The DVSA advises owners of vehicles that have run out of MOT while in self-isolation to book an MOT test after their period of self-isolation is over.
Those who are extremely vulnerable from coronavirus must not take their vehicle for its MOT.
If a vehicle’s first MOT was due before 30 March 2020 and it did not pass, it won’t get an extension to its MOT due date.
Speaking to MOT Tester, head of MOT policy at the DVSA, Chris Price said car owners should only take their car for an MOT if it is the only vehicle available to them and its MOT is about to expire.
Households with another car which has a valid MOT available to them should use that instead.
It’s also been revealed that testing stations may carry-out tests “behind closed doors” in light of the current lockdown situation in the UK.
It means they do not have to allow customers into the viewing or reception areas as is usually required under the regulations.
In a bid to minimise contact, the DVSA’s requirement to provide paperwork is being waived if preferred by the MOT business.
Are you still carrying out MOTs? Share your comments and experiences below.


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From The Denver Post: Colorado’s marijuana business owners — nearly 1,200 of them — control a quickly growing and powerful industry that is approaching $1 billion in annual sales.
Yet basic information about these entrepreneurs is not available to the public without paying hefty fees, in contrast to what is available about owners of other state-licensed businesses.
The Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue will disclose the names of those with ownership interests in more than 2,500 active medical and recreational marijuana licenses issued since 2014.
But the agency will not provide a list that connects owners with their businesses — information it has provided in the past — or disclose the size of their ownership stakes, what kinds of marijuana licenses they hold and how many businesses they own. In response to several public information requests from The Denver Post, the state said it would provide that information one name at a time at a cost of about $10,000.
And information about any state disciplinary actions against a marijuana business is only available by paying the state hundreds of additional dollars in fees.
“This is not supposed to be secret,” said Larisa Bolivar, executive director of Cannabis Consumers Coalition, an advocacy group. “They are giving licenses for a public business and we have a right to know who owns them.”
The same details about the owners of dozens of other state licensed industries and occupations in Colorado and any discipline meted out to them — from liquor stores and automobile dealers to acupuncturists and veterinarians — is available on request or on the state’s various websites.
Visit The Denver Post for more.


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Track and compare classic car value trends that matter the most to you and your investments with our FREE Collector Car Portfolio tool.
Use our exclusive stock market-style indexes to follow value trends over the last six years covering everything from Muscle cars to British cars.
Expert data drawn from years of experience driving and insuring classic cars. Produced quarterly, multiple subscription options available.
Tune in to 'What’s My Car Worth'In the latest season of "What's My Car Worth," co-produced by Hagerty, expert appraisers Keith Martin and new co-host Josh Nasar evaluate classic car action across the auction block. Read more
Mecum’s recent Anaheim, Calif., sale turned out to be more of a success than at first glance. While slightly fewer cars were consigned than last year, the sell- … More
As the year winds down, Mecum Auctions hopes to end strong with three events in a month. The first in the series is its Anaheim sale. Slated for Nov. 13-15 at t … More
Mecum Auctions’ recent Windy City event turned out to be a little chillier than expected, as total sales fell to $13.8 million, down 35 percent from last’s Chic … More


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September 7, 2017
NEW YORK— Mayor Bill de Blasio, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and DCA Commissioner Lorelei Salas today announced the City‘s victory in the legal battle to license and regulate the car wash industry. Following a successful court ruling, the Car Wash Accountability Law, which provides DCA licensing and regulatory authority over the industry will go into effect when the judgment is entered. The ruling provides the City with another tool to protect consumers and ensure a safe marketplace for all New Yorkers. The bill, Intro. 125-B, sponsored by Speaker Mark-Viverito, was signed into law by the Mayor on June 29, 2015. The bill was originally heard in the Committee on Civil Service and Labor, chaired by Council Member I. Daneek Miller.
“This is a victory for workers, consumers and the environment,” said Mayor de Blasio. “We now have the tools necessary to enforce protections for consumers and the car wash workers, who for too long have been vulnerable to mistreatment. My promise to New Yorkers is simple – we will do everything we can to ensure you get the treatment and protections you deserve.”
“The City Council is proud of its on-going work to champion the rights of hardworking carwasheros across the five boroughs," said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. "Our Car Wash Accountability Law brings much-needed protection to New York City’s workers, consumers and environment, and we're pleased our legislation will now be going into effect.”
“With licensing authority, DCA will be able to help car wash customers, owners, and workers alike,” said DCA Commissioner Lorelei Salas. “By requiring car washes to have a DCA license, we can ensure that all of these operating businesses are aware of and complying with the consumer, labor, and environmental protection laws that apply to them."
Car wash operators also will be required to maintain a surety bond from an authorized surety company to provide a source of funds from which to satisfy judgments for wage theft and consumer claims and obligations to the City. The law also authorizes DCA to refuse to issue a license to an applicant who lacks good character, honesty, and integrity. For example, DCA can deny a license if the applicant fails to provide truthful information or documentation in connection with their application. The law also contains environmental protection requirements about groundwater wastewater discharge and the discharge of materials and substances into the public sewer to protect the city‘s water supply.
The DCA application fee will be $550 per location for a two-year license. Additional details about how to apply for a license and comply with the law will soon be made available by DCA. In preparation of this new license category, DCA will also conduct outreach and education for New York City car washes to ensure that they are aware of these new regulations.


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In the past month or so, Spend Matters has featured a number of articles about the fast-growing cannabis industry and supply chain. It’s complex, but the cannabis industry is not what it used to be.
While the earlier articles have focused on procurement and supply chain processes and technology, there is another area of the business that was not covered: on-demand home delivery. Over the past two years, a number of startups have emerged to provide the platform/app-based service — think of it as a Grubhub or DoorDash for pot, instead of food. The list includes companies like Nugg, Speed Weed and grasp.it, but perhaps the most recognized — and most well funded — is Eaze.
San Francisco-based Eaze was founded in 2014. Since that time, according to crunchbase, the company has raised more than $25 million in private equity funding (most recently a $13 million series B round in October of 2016). The company website says that Eaze was started to provide “safe, convenient and affordable access to marijuana,” and that its “technology connects hundreds of thousands of people with certified doctors and dispensaries, allowing them to get marijuana delivered quickly, wherever they are.”
The company also states that friendly, background-checked […]


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According to a new survey, most people consider short battery life as their phone’s biggest shortcoming.
The survey asked more than 2,000 Scientific American readers to describe their experiences with their phones. The top complaint by an overwhelming margin was the phone’s battery life.
Other complaints included small keyboards, high costs, poor camera quality and low durability.
Although users do have a number of complaints about their devices, they still get great use out of them.
More than 65% of respondents said their smartphones have replaced their iPod, mp3 player and GPS device. 61% said the device has replaced their landline phones.
More than 50% said they no longer use a digital camera because of their phones, even though poor camera quality was among the chief complaints.
Another surprising statistic from the survey showed nearly 45% of people have cut their computer use in half because of their smartphones. A combined 67% said they have either completely replaced their flashlight usage because of their smartphones or cut their use in half.
The two areas that saw the least amount of change were in the use of televisions and e-readers. 79% of respondents said their phones have hardly affected their TV use, and 53% said the same about e-readers.


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If you’re trying to find the latest organization news, there are numerous resources on line. Bloomberg Businessweek delivers economical and business news coming from around the world. Bloomberg https://businessinfopoint.com/2019/04/12/mobile-sign-questions-business-owners-might-want-answered/ News features the newest in business and technology. Forbes is a global media organization that includes business, technology, investing, life-style, and command. You can also find reports from business leaders. Economic news can also be found on International Organization Times and MarketWatch. You can subscribe to Organization Insider and follow the reports in your market sector.
TheStreet app gives real-time share quotes, online charts, and global organization news coverage. You can also watch full symptoms of CNBC shows. TheStreet’s app offers a amazing stock ranking model and allows you to track certain stocks as well as the news associated with them. This kind of app can be described as valuable source of investors. Their journalists compose articles that explain the stock market. They can give you the inside scoop on stocks and industry fashion.


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Investment in Local Food Manufacturing Welcome
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFCG) today welcomed the announcement of GrainCorp’s $60 million investment in 13 grain sites across eastern Australia.
AFGC CEO Mr Gary Dawson said the investment was good for farmers and the entire supply chain.
“Studies have repeatedly shown that Australia’s agri-food transport infrastructure is not internationally competitive – reducing returns to all of the participants in the supply chain. Investments such as these have the opportunity to share efficiencies across growers and processors, and make Australia’s agri-food exports more globally competitive” said Mr Dawson.
“The investment will be a significant boost to locally produced food and food ingredients which is vital if Australia is to take advantage of the opportunities in feeding Asia’s rapidly growing middle-class.”
Mr Dawson also welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of $100 million to improve roads critical to the Australian beef industry. The new $100 million Northern Australia Beef Roads Fund will make targeted upgrades to key roads necessary for transporting cattle.
“‘With up to 35 per cent of the market price of livestock comprised of transport costs, these government investments have the potential to significantly improve cattle producer’s returns.”
“These types of investments move Australia toward globally competitive supply chains. Most importantly, it moves us away from destructive arguments about ‘stealing’ profits through the supply chain and allows us to focus on meeting consumer demands.”
“In a tight budgetary environment, the Government’s announcement on beef roads highlights the opportunity for small, evidence-based investments to unlock the potential of the Australian agri-food sector. The Australian Food and Grocery Council strongly supports work by CSIRO and others to map agri-food supply chains and develop robust analyses of proposed investments,” said Mr Dawson.
Food and grocery is the largest manufacturing sector in Australia, directly employing almost 300,000 people and recording annual turnover of $114 billion.
More information: James Mathews – 0407 416 002.


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An online survey of 371 experts and 524 Internet users reveal more than three-quarters believe the Web will make people smarter by 2020 -- while21% think the Internet would have the opposite effect and could even lower the IQs of some who use it all the time. The study, released Friday from the Pew Internet & American Life Project and the Internet Center at Elon University looked at the Internet and its effect on human intelligence. Most respondents also said they believe the Internet will improve reading and writing by 2020,
Many of those considered experts are scientists, business leaders, consultants, writers and technology developers, such as technology scholar Nicholas Carr.
In fact, Carr's cover story for the Atlantic Monthly -- entitled "Is Google Making us Stupid?" -- prompted the study. Carr, whom I had the pleasure of sitting next to during a dinner at a semiconductor conference in 2000, argued in the article that the ease of online searching, plus the distractions of Web browsing, were possibly limiting his capacity to concentrate, according to Pew. I realize that in the article he made the assumption he's not "thinking the way [he] used to" because of Google. From my brief three-hour conversation and interaction with him, I can almost assure you that he's pointing the finger at the wrong culprit.
As the Pew study points out, search engines aren't the problem or the solution. The Internet and search engines just enable people to explore information or hide from it. If they are motivated to learn. they will use the tool to explore topics. If they are lazy or incapable of concentrating, they will find new ways to be distracted.
Some of those ways people could learn or get distracted are available in gadgets and mobile applications. About 80% of the experts agreed that "hot gadgets and applications" will emerge "out of the blue" to capture the imaginations of people in 2020.
Many surveyed said people have had little success in predicting the advent of key technologies and applications, but they do expect major advancements in mobile technology and devices -- a statement I don't fully agree with. Many innovative technologies are born from the need to spawn a new industry. For example, in 2001 during my talk with Roy Vallee, chief executive officer for electronic components distributor Avnet, he suggested that mobile would emerge as a trend in the next decade supported by the telecommunications and semiconductor industries.
I don't think, however, that the issues surrounding privacy could have been predicted. Experts participating in the Pew survey were divided on whether anonymous online activity will diminish, with nearly 40% predicting that anonymous Internet users will have their access sharply reduced.
Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, believes the privacy and civil liberties battles during the next decade will focus on demand for identity credentials. "New systems for authentication will bring new problems, as more identity information will create new opportunities for criminals," he said.


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Online food aggregator Zomato Ltd. has signed definitive agreements to invest $75 million for an 8% stake in Bigfoot Retail Solutions Pvt Ltd., which operates business-to-business (B2B) logistics technology player Shiprocket. The investment is a part of Shiprocket’s $185 million round.
Zomato has also decided to invest $50 million in Samast Technologies Pvt Ltd., which operates hyperlocal discovery platform magicpin.
Additionally, Zomato has divested sports discovery startup Fitso to fitness major Curefit for $50 million, in return for an active stake in the latter.
Zomato will also be investing $50 million in Curefit, giving it a cumulative shareholding of 6.4% shareholding worth $100 million in Curefit, making the latter the 36th Indian startup to turn unicorn this year, valued at $1.5 billion.
This is the second startup unicorn Zomato is creating with its investment, after Grofers. Including its $100 million investment in hyperlocal grocery delivery service, Grofers, this year, Zomato has already committed $275 million across 4 companies over the past six months.
Zomato is also setting aside a war chest of $1 billion to invest in multiple startups over the next two years, founder and chief executive Deepinder Goyal wrote in a company blog on Wednesday. “We plan to deploy another $1 billion over the next 1-2 years, with a large chunk of it likely to go into the quick-commerce space,” wrote Goyal.
He said his company is in talks with "various restaurant point-of-sale (POS) players, e-vehicle fleet operators, among others, to evaluate investments in these companies keeping the long term in mind”.
Zomato’s investment in these companies comes at a time when it has decided to shut down its grocery and nutraceutical verticals, to focus on its core business around food deliveries. On Wednesday, the company also added that it will be shutting down operations for its subsidiary in Lebanon, which is the only international business Zomato was left with, other than dining-out business in UAE.
Overall customer traffic on our platform in India increased to 59 million average monthly active users (India MAU) in Q2 FY22 as compared to 45 million in Q1 FY22.
Zomato pulled the plug on its international operations last year.
According to the company, adjusted consolidated revenue for Zomato for the quarter ending 30 September, 2021, stood at Rs 1420 crore, a 22.6% quarterly growth from the previous quarter. For the quarter ended 30 June, 2021, Zomato reported consolidated revenues of Rs 1160 crore
Its consolidated loss widened to ₹430 crore for the quarter ending September as against reporting losses worth ₹356 crore in the previous June quarter.
“This (losses were) was due to investments in the growth of our food delivery business. Three reasons to be specific – increased spending on branding and marketing for customer acquisition, increased investments and growing share of smaller/emerging geographies in our business (which are less profitable today compared to more mature cities) and increased delivery costs due to unpredictable weather and increase in fuel prices,” said Goyal in the company blog.
Overall customer traffic on Zomato’s platform in India increased to 59 million average monthly active users in the September quarter as compared to 45 million in June quarter.


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Intrapreneurship training to enhance senior government officials’ support for nationwide entrepreneurship expansionDec 15, 2014
Senior officials and experts from Federal and Regional Micro and Small Enterprises Agencies (FeMSEDA and ReMSEDA) are taking part in a five day customized workshop on intrapreneurship in Addis Ababa.
FeMSEDA and ReMSEDA are responsible for creating numerous jobs and help increase the income of Ethiopia’s workforce by creating a reliable, broad-based competitive sector for industrial development.
The training is organized by the Entrepreneurship Development Center (EDC), which is working with EMPRETEC Ghana to bring in trainers from Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The training on intrapreneship, aims to instill risk taking and innovation by staff at the FeMSEDA and ReMSEDA as a way to improve service delivery and support to micro, small and medium enterprises and thus fast-track private sector development in Ethiopia.
FeMSEDA and ReMSEDA senior managers and experts will be introduced to the art of thinking like the entrepreneurs whom they support in their day to day engagements.
Mr Gebremeskel Challa, Director-General at FeMSEDA stressed the importance of strengthening the institution capacity of government as it worked on implementing initiatives to transform the economy of Ethiopia through supporting the creation of a sustainable pipeline of indigenous, viable and successful businesses.
UNDP Resident Representative, Mr Eugene Owusu noted that the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP), launched by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in February 2013, was an extraordinary programme linked to the economic development of Ethiopia. “EDP is about the destiny of this country,” he underlined. Reflecting on Ethiopia’s ambition to become a middle income country by 2015, Mr. Owusu noted that this could be done by supporting more business plans to become realities on the ground. “By promoting entrepreneurship development, all of you here can ensure the take-off of the private sector in Ethiopia, providing an engine of growth for years to come.”
A follow-up training of trainers (ToT) will be organized in which some select middle-level managers and experts taking part in this week’s intrapreneurship training will also participate. This move is to supplement efforts at building a strong base of business advisors reaching all across Ethiopia.
In addition to the Intrapreneurship training for civil servants, EDC is also organizing this week customised Entrepreneurship Training Workshop (ETW) for medium size enterprise owners coming from a variety of cross-cutting sectors including food processing, textile, leather, chemical, metal and construction, as well as metal industries. Through this training, participants will receive skills that will enhance competitiveness and job creation capacities. Nine regular ETW sessions are also taking place simultaneously in Bahir Dar, Hawassa and Mekele.


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A major poster contractor has demanded that the company, Ansell Healthcare, pay £2,000 in compensation or face legal action and a possible police investigation.
The controversy erupted after the appearance of the Mates "ishaggedhere.com" campaign to encourage spontaneous outdoor sex. The campaign was booked by Rocket PHD and distributed by the ambient media company Diabolical Liberties.
Maiden Outdoor took action after the ad was pasted across its 96-sheet poster site on London's Great West Road, partially obscuring an ad for Ford. "This was a blatant attempt to steal space," Maiden said.
In a letter to Ansell's managing director, Mike Bennett, David Pugh, Maiden's managing director, accused the company of breaching town and country planning regulations and claimed its action amounted to trespass.
He added: "This cheap stunt is clearly intended to steal the limelight from your market-leading competitor, Durex, which has purchased a legitimate poster ad campaign."
Clear Channel Billboards said this week that it would also be taking up the issue with Ansell, describing the flyposting of its sites as "vandalism".
Ansell said it had no intention of causing offence with its campaign, which was aimed at increasing the use of condoms and helping to curb the number of unwanted pregnancies. It added that it was a responsible company, which would deal "promptly and effectively" with any complaints it received.


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Ali Health Buys Full Ownership of Small Medical Company
Alibaba Health Information Technology or Ali Health, which is a subsidiary of Alibaba Group Holdings has announced that it has recently bought the full ownership of Guangzhou Wuqiannian Medicine Co. for 16.8 million yuan. Guangzhou Wuqiannian Medicine is a small company with a registered capital of 5 milllion yuan and is engaged in retail business for drugs, traditional Chinese medicine drinks and operating a chain of retail stores.
The company also holds the Internet Drug Transaction Service Qualification Certificate and is allowed to sell OTC drugs that are prescribed within the laws and regulations. The company had suffered a full year loss in 2015 after earning after tax a net profit of 1 million yuan, having a pre-tax net profit of -355 thousand yen and an after tax net profit of -356,000 yuan in 2014. By purchasing the company Ali Health ca help it engage in the online drug retail business by offering more products and services to end consumers.
Relying on Alibaba’s advantage in e-commerce, cloud computing and big data, Ali Health is a market pioneer in the online pharmacy service and pharmacy O2O, but due to the cautious regulation policy the penetration rate of the pharmacy e-commerce in China is only 0.35 percent. CIConsulting predicted that the compound annual growth rate of the pharmacy e-commerce will hit 50 percent in the next five years and the e-commerce scale is expected to hit 110 billion by 2020.


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When you think of Japan, butter probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. That’s completely understandable, because Japanese cooking doesn’t rely on it very much.
But Japan Today reports that there’s one exception to that rule: Christmas, where Japanese traditions involve eating a beautiful sponge cake made with strawberries, as well as tons of fried chicken.
No matter what holidays you celebrate, can you imagine them without whatever traditional feasting you do with friends and family? Neither can we.
But due to a Japanese butter shortage that doesn’t look to be improving any time soon, that may be exactly what happens to an entire country.
In 2006 to 2007, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forest, and Fisheries downsized the nation’s number of dairy cattle. The reasoning for this? Less Japanese consumers were drinking milk, so the Ministry believed that herds should be thinned. A very hot summer also caused dairy cattle to produce amounts of milk that were well below expectations.
Unfortunately, by 2008, the country felt its first butter shortage at the holidays—and it’s only gotten worse since then. In May 2014, the country imported 7,000 tons of butter, but Japan Today reports that it barely made a dent.
Food Dive reports that the shortage is so bad, if stores happen to get some butter in stock, customers are limited to buying a single box each.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
This isn’t the first time a butter shortage has seriously messed with an entire country’s Christmas traditions. In 2012, the Guardian reports that Christmas traditions in Norway were under serious threat due to a butter crisis that saw some people actually using online auctions to obtain butter.
One elderly Norwegian told the Guardian,
At the height of the Norwegian butter crisis, daily newspaper Aftenposten published a two-page spread on how to make your own butter.
We always want everyone to feast well, so we’re definitely hoping this butter shortage doesn’t completely wreck Japan’s holiday plans.


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This week, members of the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of legislation that would force Apple to offer USB-C ports on all iPhones, iPads and AirPods in Europe.
The proposal, known as the Directive, would force all consumer electronics manufacturers selling devices in Europe to ensure that all new phones, tablets, laptops, digital cameras, headsets, handheld video game consoles and portable speakers have USB- C port. regardless of manufacturer. The discount will only apply to devices that are too small to offer a USB-C port, such as smart watches, health trackers and some sports equipment. This “common port” will be the first in the world and will particularly shock Apple, as it widely uses the Lightning connector instead of USB-C in many of its devices.
The Committee on Internal Markets and Consumer Protection voted in favor of the law on Wednesday, with 43 votes in favor and only two against. one in Press releaseThe MEPs claimed that the move would reduce e-waste, reveal the sustainability of the product and make it more convenient to use different devices.
MEPs also expressed a desire to see clear information and labeling on the new devices regarding their charging options, as well as whether the product includes a charger. He says this will help avoid confusion and make buying decisions easier for consumers who have multiple devices and don’t always need an extra charger. Apple removed the charger from all new iPhone models starting with the iPhone 12 in 2020.
In addition, MEPs want the European Commission to come up with a strategy to ensure interoperability between wireless charging solutions by 2026, to avoid fragmentation and reduce waste, ensure user convenience and prevent consumers from getting locked into charging solutions. Patented. It is unclear whether this will include Apple’s MagSafe charging system for iPhone and AirPods, as it is based on the Qi wireless charging standard.
In 2018, the European Commission tried to reach a final solution on the issue, but it failed to become law. At the time, Apple warned that forcing an industry-common charging port would stifle innovation and create e-waste as consumers were forced to switch to new cables. The EU effort led last year with the European Commission in an updated version of the Directive. To implement it, the European Parliament would have to approve the bill next month, before talking to individual EU member states about the final directive.


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|By PR Newswire||
|February 25, 2014 03:00 PM EST||
WELLESLEY, Massachusetts, February 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
BCC Research (http://www.bccresearch.com) reveals in its new report, Wearable Computing: Technologies, Applications, and Global Markets, the global market for wearable computing devices is expected to grow to $30.2 billion by 2018, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43.4%. The consumer market, the fastest moving segment overall, is projected to grow at a tremendous 52% CAGR.
Wearable or body-borne computers enable hands-free mobile real-time data monitoring, logic calculation, and network communication. Consumer applications, including wearable cameras, activity trackers, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart watches, augmented reality and gaming devices, are expected to explode onto the market over the next few years, reaching $22.1 billion by 2018. Non-consumer markets (healthcare, defense/security, enterprise, and industrial) are expected to reach $8.1 billion by 2018.
The smart watch product category is projected to account for the largest single consumer market, generating more than $12.5 billion in global annual revenues in 2018.
"Key for the future widespread adoption of smart watches in consumer markets will be for products to leverage the single unique advantage of smart watches over smart phones," said BCC Research information technology analyst Adam Weigold. "In other words, products must target consumer applications where it is a distinct advantage for a smart device to be permanently worn to prevent it from being misplaced, lost, or stolen. Hence, applications such as remote location of personal items, home automation and mobile payment processing could be "killer apps" for the smart watch."
Wearable computing: technologies, applications and global markets provides an overview of the wearable computing devices market. The report discusses recent technological advances in materials sciences, electronics, photonics, and software that are enabling a potentially vast range of new lightweight, wearable computing products to emerge. The history and current state of the market is reviewed and the types of devices available are discussed. An analysis of the industry structure, including major companies and market shares, and major markets and market drivers is made. Likely future industry developments are discussed and the future evolution of the technology is predicted. Patent evaluation, including coverage of the current state of technology, new patent applications, and newly issued patents is also included. This report is intended for developers, manufacturers, providers, suppliers, users, customers, commentators, analysts, and investors interested in where the Wearable computing devices and accessories market is heading.
Editors and reporters, who wish to speak with the analyst, should contact Steven Cumming at [email protected].
About BCC Research
BCC Research publishes market research reports that make organizations worldwide more profitable with intelligence that drives smart business decisions. These reports cover today's major industrial and technology sectors, including emerging markets. For more than 40 years we've helped customers identify new market opportunities with accurate and reliable data and insight. These include, but are not limited to, market sizing, forecasting, industry overviews, and identification of significant trends and key competitors. We partner with analysts who are experts in specific areas of industry and technology. Their up-to-date knowledge gives our customers unbiased measurements and assessments of these vital markets. Because our reports offer a global focus, our customers include the top companies in industries around the world as well as universities, major business schools, start-ups, consulting firms and investment companies. BCC Research is a unit of Eli Research LLC.
Data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC, 49-2 Walnut Park, Wellesley, MA 02481, Telephone: (+1) 781-489-7301; Email: [email protected] as the source and publisher. Thank you.
Developing software for the Internet of Things (IoT) comes with its own set of challenges. Security, privacy, and unified standards are a few key issues. In addition, each IoT product is comprised of (at least) three separate application components: the software embedded in the device, the back-end service, and the mobile application for the end user’s controls. Each component is developed by a different team, using different technologies and practices, and deployed to a different stack/target –...
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A strange thing is happening along the way to the Internet of Things, namely far too many devices to work with and manage. It has become clear that we'll need much higher efficiency user experiences that can allow us to more easily and scalably work with the thousands of devices that will soon be in each of our lives. Enter the conversational interface revolution, combining bots we can literally talk with, gesture to, and even direct with our thoughts, with embedded artificial intelligence, wh...
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19th Cloud Expo, taking place November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterpri...
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Ask someone to architect an Internet of Things (IoT) solution and you are guaranteed to see a reference to the cloud. This would lead you to believe that IoT requires the cloud to exist. However, there are many IoT use cases where the cloud is not feasible or desirable. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Dave McCarthy, Director of Products at Bsquare Corporation, will discuss the strategies that exist to extend intelligence directly to IoT devices and sensors, freeing them from the constraints of ...
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Let’s face it, embracing new storage technologies, capabilities and upgrading to new hardware often adds complexity and increases costs. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Seth Oxenhorn, Vice President of Business Development & Alliances at FalconStor, discussed how a truly heterogeneous software-defined storage approach can add value to legacy platforms and heterogeneous environments. The result reduces complexity, significantly lowers cost, and provides IT organizations with improved efficienc...
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Why do your mobile transformations need to happen today? Mobile is the strategy that enterprise transformation centers on to drive customer engagement. In his general session at @ThingsExpo, Roger Woods, Director, Mobile Product & Strategy – Adobe Marketing Cloud, covered key IoT and mobile trends that are forcing mobile transformation, key components of a solid mobile strategy and explored how brands are effectively driving mobile change throughout the enterprise.
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SYS-CON Events announced today that CDS Global Cloud, an Infrastructure as a Service provider, will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. CDS Global Cloud is an IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) provider specializing in solutions for e-commerce, internet gaming, online education and other internet applications. With a growing number of data centers and network points around the world, ...
Sep. 30, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,027
In this strange new world where more and more power is drawn from business technology, companies are effectively straddling two paths on the road to innovation and transformation into digital enterprises. The first path is the heritage trail – with “legacy” technology forming the background. Here, extant technologies are transformed by core IT teams to provide more API-driven approaches. Legacy systems can restrict companies that are transitioning into digital enterprises. To truly become a lea...
Sep. 30, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 570
24Notion is full-service global creative digital marketing, technology and lifestyle agency that combines strategic ideas with customized tactical execution. With a broad understand of the art of traditional marketing, new media, communications and social influence, 24Notion uniquely understands how to connect your brand strategy with the right consumer. 24Notion ranked #12 on Corporate Social Responsibility - Book of List.
Sep. 30, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 241
SYS-CON Events announced today that LeaseWeb USA, a cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider, will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. LeaseWeb is one of the world's largest hosting brands. The company helps customers define, develop and deploy IT infrastructure tailored to their exact business needs, by combining various kinds cloud solutions.
Sep. 30, 2016 10:15 AM EDT Reads: 3,354


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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have agreed on joint custody - but how does divorce affect a child’s mental health?
The range includes seven ultra soft styles in three neutral colour, all of which come in sizes XXS to 4X.
Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid have taken to Instagram to show their working from home looks during coronavirus lockdown.
Kim Kardashian wore nothing but a black bralette and joggers as she wished fans "Good Morning" on Instagram.
Chris Appleton has shared a tutorial on Instagram for those who need a trim while barbers shops remain closed.
A close-up image of Kim Kardashian West's skin has gone viral on Reddit, causing users to question conventional beauty standards. A user shared a Getty photo of Kardashian West at a Los Angeles Lakers game. As Allure describes it, the image
The 39-year-old mum has posted an Instagram photo of her four children with her husband, Kanye West.
Kim Kardashian West has broken her silence on Caitlyn Jenner taking part in this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!. She is the first of Jenner's famous family members to publicly acknowledge her appearance in the


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Terra Tech Corp. (OTCMKTS:TRTC) Releases Earnings Results
Terra Tech Corp. (OTCMKTS:TRTC) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The industrial products company reported $0.00 earnings per share for the quarter, Yahoo Finance Previews reports. Terra Tech Corp. had a negative net margin of 107.52% and a negative return on equity of 52.81%.
Terra Tech Corp. (OTCMKTS:TRTC) traded up 1.31% during trading on Tuesday, reaching $0.27. 4,522,312 shares of the company’s stock traded hands. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $0.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $0.24. Terra Tech Corp. has a 12 month low of $0.14 and a 12 month high of $0.56. The firm’s market cap is $158.41 million.
In other Terra Tech Corp. news, CEO Derek Peterson purchased 324,993 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 30th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $0.23 per share, with a total value of $75,170.88. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 324,993 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $75,170.88. Also, Chief Operating Officer Ken VandeVrede purchased 244,133 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $0.23 per share, for a total transaction of $56,467.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 244,133 shares in the company, valued at $56,467.96. Insiders have acquired a total of 1,057,392 shares of company stock worth $244,575 over the last three months. Insiders own 25.41% of the company’s stock.
About Terra Tech Corp.
Terra Tech Corp. is a cannabis-focused agriculture company. The Company operates through two segments: Hydroponic Produce and Cannabis Products. The Company, through its subsidiary, GrowOp Technology Ltd., is engaged in the design, marketing and sale of hydroponic equipment. It is also a retail seller of locally grown hydroponic produce, herbs, and floral products through its subsidiary, Edible Garden Corp.
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Winter is not just coming, it has arrived. The nights are cold and Japanese homes with their relatively poor insulation are no warmer than a popsicle fresh from the freezer. Fortunately, that also means Uniqlo is delivering their latest line of warm wear.
With everything from fleece sweaters to cashmere knits, you can always count on the Japanese clothing company to keep you warm for a reasonable price. You can also count on their stylish commercials to appear like clockwork each winter to announce their latest and greatest.
But a recent rediscovery of two 20-year-old Uniqlo commercials has left us shocked–and howling with laughter!


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STEPHENSON OPENS IMAGE EXPO WITH KEYNOTE
Posted on July 8, 2013
Opening Image Expo at the Lam Research Theater in San Francisco on July 2, Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson delivered a rousing and revealing keynote address to an audience of more than 500 comics industry journalists, retailers, and fans about the independent publisher’s upward trajectory in the comic book and graphic novel markets.
Welcome to the NEW ImageComics.com
Posted on July 2, 2013
Image's home on the web gets a new look...plus DIGITAL COMICS
THE UGLIEST KID ON EARTH GETS COLLECTED
Posted on June 12, 2013
Image Comics and the creators of TODD, THE UGLIEST KID ON EARTH have discovered that the endless hopefulness of a cheerful kid unaware of the rampant dysfunction in the world around him cannot be contained in a four-issue miniseries. Starting in September, TODD will become an ongoing series, following the publication of the trade paperback collection of the first, critically lauded story arc in August.
IT’S CAPES VS. TOMMY GUNS IN MASKS AND MOBSTERS
Posted on June 6, 2013
MASKS AND MOBSTERS was hailed as one of the best webcomics of the year when it was released by MonkeyBrain in 2012, and now the Image Comics imprint Shadowline is bringing it to print in style, with a deluxe hardcover edition that collects all seven issues.
THIS SIDEKICK IS ON HIS OWN IN NEW IMAGE COMIC
Posted on June 3, 2013
The Red Cowl and Flyboy brought peace to Sol City, fighting for truth, justice and some third goal that the Red Cowl could never quite put his finger on but was sure he’d figure out in time. But then the Red Cowl was defeated and killed — some say by the villain Terraform, others by one of the Moonglow sisters -- and Flyboy was left on his own. It is at this point that SIDEKICK, the latest J. Michael Straczynski comic from Image Comics, begins.
SEX, DEATH, AND LIVE TV
Posted on May 14, 2013
Fraction and Chaykin team up on SATELLITE SAM


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Manama, Bahrain: Batelco was awarded the Telecoms Company of the Year across the Middle East Region at the annual Arabian Business Achievements Awards 2009 ceremony held in Dubai under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Each year, the Awards, judged by eminent regional business and telecom executives, celebrate the very best in business performance, both on a corporate and individual level.
"We are obviously delighted and humbled by such an award especially in the company of many telecom giants who were also nominated," announced Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Batelco's Chairman.
"Batelco's reputation and position in the telecommunications industry has reached a new high across the Middle East and we have made Bahrain proud by being awarded such a public recognition in 2009," continued Shaikh Hamad.
"Our strategy and efforts over the last 4 years have transformed Batelco into a leading regional company of reference, delivering innovation, value and better customer care to all our customers. Our executives and all employees, through attention to operational excellence, have delivered the best performance in Batelco's history to date, in terms of financial results, products innovation and customer service levels," stated Peter Kaliaropoulos, Batelco Group CEO.
"We are judged every day by our customers and we set ourselves high standards to achieve so we can be rewarded with our customers' ongoing loyalty. In 2009 we have continued to grow our customer base right across all our operations, increasing associated revenues and margins.We are on track to end 2009 with over 5 million mobile customers and over 150,000 broadband customers," said Mr. Kaliaropoulos.
"The Award reflects the collective efforts of all our people, across all operations and their dedication to our customers and our company. Talented, hard working and passionate, our people continue to create our success in a very competitive market place and we are delighted that their efforts have been rewarded via such a prestigious award," added Mr. Kaliaropoulos.Back


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RPT-UPDATE 1-French consumer spending beats expectations in May
* Strong spending raises chances recession over
* With vast slack in economy, producer prices plunge
* Economy seen contracting over course of 2013
(Repeats to additional subscriber service)
PARIS, June 28 (Reuters) - French consumers spent significantly more than economists had expected in May despite concerns about surging unemployment, data showed on Friday, rekindling some hopes that France might be slowly emerging from recession.
However, although the risk of prolonged recession may be receding, activity remains far too weak in the euro zone's second-biggest economy for a rapid recovery, economists said.
The INSEE statistics agency reported that household spending rose 0.5 percent over the month, beating by a wide margin the average forecast given by economists of a 0.1 percent fall.
INSEE said the rise was due mainly to a rebound in purchases of food, which jumped 1.4 percent over one month, partially making up for a drop of 3.4 percent in April.
The improvement in French consumer spending mirrored an increase in German retail sales in May, which were up 0.8 percent over one month, their best performance since January.
French household spending, traditionally the motor for the 2 trillion euro $2.6 trillion) economy, has struggled for months as consumers retrench in the face of spiralling unemployment.
French consumer confidence fell this month to a record low on expectations that unemployment would keep rising in the coming months, after jobless claims hit a new record high in May.
Coupled with recent improvements in industrial production and business confidence, the bounce in consumer spending makes it more likely that data for the second quarter will show France returning to feeble growth or stagnation after a short, shallow recession entered in the first quarter.
Unicredit economist Tullia Bucco said that though private-sector consumption was now likely to prove stronger than expected this quarter, any hopes for a rapid recovery would be disappointed as any spare household income was dwindling.
"Overall, we continue to expect the underlying trend in household spending to remain weak and we foresee a likely correction in spending for June," she said.
Even if France shakes off the recession this quarter, it has barely any growth momentum behind it and INSEE forecast this month that it was likely to contract 0.1 percent this year. However, Standard and Poor's forecast on Thursday that a contraction of 0.3 percent was likely.
With demand weak, there is vast slack in the economy, pushing down prices. Producer prices fell 1.2 percent month-on-month for the second month running, INSEE said on Friday.
Weak growth is further complicating the government's task of trying to keep the national debt from rising with new data from INSEE showing it hit a record 91.7 percent of output in the first quarter. The French government is counting on public debt peaking in 2014 at 94.3 percent of GDP.
($1 = 0.7691 euros)
(Editing by Brian Love and Greg Mahlich)


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Last week, I kicked off a new column highlighting the PR crisis of the week, spurred by the seemingly unending opportunities for material.
While there were several major contenders for the title last week – Papa John’s, MGM Resorts and Burberry – this week, we have more brands making news for their missteps.
Forbes, a publication not known for its strong editorial oversight (articles riddled with typos often appear), found itself in a quandary this week when one of its op-ed pieces struck a nerve with…well, with pretty much everyone.
From Gizmodo: “…a jaw-droppingly bad op-ed (appeared) in Forbes explaining that the age of the crusty old library is dead, and instead of them, we should all get Amazon. Not some kind of Amazon-like digital public library, or even Amazon Prime itself, mind you, but physical Amazon Books retail locations.
Titled “Amazon Should Replace Local Libraries to Save Taxpayers Money,” it is written by Long Island University Post economics professor and seemingly prolific Forbes contributor section writer Panos Mourdoukoutas.”
The piece was later taken down, but no explanation was given. Per Mashable, “As of Monday afternoon, it appears as if the story has been pulled from Forbes without a note or any other reason.”
People are still talking about this one, although Forbes didn’t issue an apology and seems to be done addressing the issue.
Ritz and Goldfish Crackers
Snack lovers everywhere cried foul when two cracker makers issued recalls this week.
According to a Time article, ‘No Snack Is Safe.’ People Are Losing Their Crackers About the Ritz and Goldfish Recalls, both types of crackers were recalled due to potential contamination of the whey powder used in the products which can cause salmonella.
Both Mondelez, who makes Ritz, and Pepperidge Farm, maker of Goldfish, were proactive in getting the word out about the voluntary recalls. No illnesses have yet been reported, according to the Time article published July 24.
Our final contender this week may have committed the most egregious misstep.
Per The Washington Post, “The Z-Burger hamburger chain is facing criticism after it says a social media contractor posted an ad on Twitter depicting an American freelance journalist who was executed in the Middle East.”
What? Wow. PR and social media pros everywhere were scratching their heads, asking, “How could this happen?”
The question that ran through my mind was, “Does ZBurger vet its contractors?”
Apparently, yes, although maybe not thoroughly enough. Owner Peter Tabibian says he checked contractor Valor Media’s references before hiring them three months ago.
Tabibian apologized, saying, “I’m really sorry about what happened. I take full responsibility for what happened. It is my company.”
He continued, “I trusted someone to do stuff on behalf of us,” he said. “I made a big mistake doing that. I’m very sorry to the Foley family and his friends and anybody who knows him.”
Tabibian said the company was ending its relationship with them “immediately” after the incident took place.
Valor also apologized, but the damage had been done. Agency owner Michael Valor said the incident was “an act of ignorance, not an act of maliciousness.”
“Z-Burger had nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing to do with this at all,” Valor explained. “I want to apologize for putting Z-Burger’s reputation on the line.”
Which PR Crisis Stood Out?
Which crisis stood out for you this week, PR pros? Which brand is doing the best job of handling its PR crisis? We’ll be watching to see how things pan out in the days ahead.
Which brand will be next to join the list?
Like this post? Please consider sharing on social media and following me there. And be sure to sign up for my free monthly newsletter with exclusive content by typing your email address into the box below.


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One of the projects of the studio Remedy Entertainment, which has always been famous for single-player games, is the multiplayer shareware Vanguard (working title). In it, the company plans to find a solution to the problems that developers of cooperative games usually face. This was revealed by Remedy Entertainment CEO Tero Virtala in an interview with GamesIndustry.
Remedy Entertainment is best known for its two Max Payne games, Alan Wake and Control. But in the future, the studio will also release a cooperative shareware game, and the developer uses its own proprietary approach in it: despite the multiplayer basis, Vanguard will offer a world, characters and storyline that correspond to single projects. However, the online gaming genre is often faced with one problem – the monotony of the content.
When releasing content regularly, a developer cannot rely solely on manual work and make each level and mission unique, according to Virtala, because it takes time and updates need to be released frequently. Remedy faced the same problem and is now looking for ways to solve it.
Beyond Vanguard, the studio wants to own at least two growing gaming brands with long-term success potential. According to Virtala, the best way in the industry to implement this plan right now is to release service games that are updated within a few years of launch. But this does not mean that Remedy Entertainment will abandon single AAA projects.
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For some, the recent major update to the Xbox 360 hasn’t been all fun and games.
In fact, a handful of users are being blocked from one of the console’s main features and Microsoft can’t even tell them why.
The glitch prevents users from downloading their Xbox Live profile, which in turn means they cannot play online games or download new content from the Xbox Live Marketplace.
“We have recently identified an Xbox Live profile data error that results in Error Code ‘801540B7’ for a small number of Xbox Live members. The error instructs users to attempt to re-download their Xbox Live profile and directs them to customer service support for further assistance. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused to our loyal Xbox Live members and are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” an Xbox Live spokesperson said in an e-mail to Joystiq.
This comes after Microsoft released a huge update to the Xbox 360, which users had to download in order to keep using Xbox Live services. The massive software overhaul improved connectivity with the Kinect motion and voice activated camera, added new social integration features, and gave users the ability to stream live TV content.
But all of that is useless if you can’t even download your Xbox Live gamer profile. Microsoft did not issue a timeline of when it expects the bug to be fixed.


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By Olivia Carrara
Volkswagen has been under fire this month after it was revealed that they have been cheating emissions tests with software designed to misreport emissions and fuel efficiency. Volkswagen diesel owners have been seeking compensation ever since these reports came out and refuse to back down. Volkswagen has thus been forced to step up to the plate and give money back to those who purchased faulty cars.
Volkswagen has yet to make an official announcement, but many details of their compensation package, with a value of around $1,250, are already known. While some of the money can be spent on anything, a large portion has to be used on Volkswagen products and services.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen continues to deal with lawsuits over their illegal software. The executives at Volkswagen have acknowledged their mistakes and promised that they will remove the illegal software found in the diesel Beetle, Golf, Jetta, and Passat.
It was discovered by the Environmental Protection Agency that even larger diesel vehicles had illegal software, yet Volkswagen denies this claim and says that owners of those cars will not receive a cash compensation. Volkswagen has nearly ruined their reputation and these cash compensations are only the first step to recovering the trust of their customers.
Image credit: Tomo News


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Is GM Going Into Bankruptcy?
Read a news item today that suggested the possibility that General Motors is teetering on bankruptcy. This is very scary stuff. If GM goes down we're is huge trouble economy wise. I was just looking at a new Impala. Looks like a great car for the money, but what protection does a buyer gonna have in this situation?


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Exciting future for digital company
A respected company, recently highly commended at the Burnley Business Awards, could be in line for two more gongs.
Managed Service Provider Seriun, which has been digitally transforming Burnley businesses since 2003, has made it through to the finals at the prestigious BIBA awards, again under the Small Business of the Year category, and Bolton’s E3 awards as finalists for the Digital, Creative and Media award.
The Small Business Award (5-19 employees) recognises businesses who have demonstrated outstanding performance over the past 12 months through innovation, great marketing, commercial success, staff development, and potential for future growth. Seriun was pipped by overal winners Ian Mankin.
Justin Sherwood, managing director of Seriun, said: “We’re thrilled to have been recognised for the work we do and for the difference we make to our customers. Over the past two years we’ve invested heavily in bleeding edge technology and processes, and in developing our team, to ensure we’re delivering excellent services and going beyond expectation.”
The business awards organised by Burnley Council, in partnership with Burnley Bondholders, was established 11 years ago and is celebrated every two years to honour the achievements of Burnley based businesses that stand out from the crowd.
Compère Simon Brierley said: “The judges had been particularly impressed with Seriun’s digital transformation and growth over the past twelve months so wanted to award them with the 'Highly Commended' accolade for this category."Seriunhas plans to accelerate growth over the next two years, which will see it increase staff levels and relocate its head office to a larger site.


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SkyMall magazine, the adedictive in-flight shopping catalog that people loved to hate had to file for bankruptcy this past January.
But wait! Scott Jordan, CEO of ScotteVest (and former SkyMall advertiser), is in negotiations to revive the SkyMall brand according to laughingsquid.com using a new core business model: “We’re going to include items in the magazine that people actually want to buy,” he says.
Jim Louderback, a former editor in chief of PC Magazine, will co-manage the relaunch. He plans to transform the new SkyMall: “We’d not only include listings for, say, noise-canceling headphones, but also an article explaining how the technology actually works,” he said. “We’re going to make it an entertaining experience, a curated shopping journey targeted at real travelers and their interests.”
Don’t fret, some of off-beat products will still be in the magazine. “We want the readers to continue to have the experience of the unexpected, of wonder, of delight,” Louderback says, “so you’ll be seeing stuff like the next pet rock, the new fake Google Glass-type gag, whatever,” but it’ll be a small part of the magazine, sort of comic relief along with the real items.


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As Netflix (NFLX)’s hit series Stranger Things picks up narrative steam, its showrunners, brothers Ross and Matt Duffer, are doubling down on their thematic homages to the 1980s, perhaps America’s most iconic decade. In fact, according to a brand-new teaser trailer released on Sunday, it appears that the finale episode of the highly anticipated third season of the show will take place in one of the country’s greatest monuments to the Reagan years: a shopping mall.
The trailer is brief, but it does reveal every Stranger Things Season 3 episode title, which makes it rife for speculation. In order, the episodes are: “Suzie, Do You Copy?” “The Mall Rats,” “The Case of the Missing Life Guard,” “The Sauna Test,” “The Source,” “The Birthday,” “The Bite” and, crucially, “The Battle of Starcourt.”
Starcourt, you might recall, is the name of a shopping center featured in a much more detailed Stranger Things teaser released earlier in the summer.
The Starcourt-centric teaser didn’t tell us anything about the carefully guarded plot. It was really just a corny, silly and perfectly ’80s mock infomercial for the mall some of our favorite characters (plus a few new ones) will be working in.
However, the fact that we now know that the crucial last episode will include a battle in the aforementioned mall gives us major insight into what the Duffer brothers want their next season to build towards. David Harbour, who plays Sheriff Jim Hopper, said in October that the third installment will include a shift in focus.
“It’s really interesting to watch, because we’ve sort of cleared up the main problem,” Harbour told Vanity Fair. “You see in the end of Season 2 that the Upside Down is still kind of there, but we really sort of solved it. We closed the gate. So, this is a year for Hopper of real domesticity. Eleven’s been validated, she has a birth certificate. She’s a part of the world in some way. It’s really how Hopper deals with domestic issues.”
What better setting for resolving domestic issues and participating in the world than the mall, a.k.a. the Agora of the late 20th century? The Duffers have garnered their fair share of criticism for their “nostalgia-bait” idolatry, a lot of which included pandering to nerd culture with video game and cult movie references. Zeroing in on the mall, though, is a real masterstroke.
The once-popular cavernous gathering place focused around physical retail has seen itself ravaged by the internet and the uncontested domination of online shopping.
Within four years, experts predict, a quarter of American malls will be closed. Since 2002, department stores have eliminated 448,000 jobs for a total decline of 25 percent. This is a gutting development for those of us who discovered and reinvented our identities while walking up and down the glimmering tiled hallways and food courts of these mammoth marketplaces, many of which are already dead.
The Duffer Brothers know their audiences miss going to the mall as much as they do, which is why they’re bringing it back. Like a zombie rising from the grave in a classic horror movie, Stranger Things resurrects those impressionable, soul-stirring experiences we can never have again. While establishing a great reputation for its gripping, mysterious plots and impeccable casting (hello again, Winona Ryder!), the show primarily functions as a love letter to a period of American history that’s firmly cemented in our collective imagination.
Clearly, its wholehearted embrace of nostalgia has struck a cord with viewers: Stranger Things is the most popular streaming television show in the world.