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|By Business Wire||
|November 12, 2012 02:23 PM EST||
- Monarch Investment & Management Group, a private real estate investment firm, has chosen to leverage the combined G5 and Yardi solution to improve its digital presence and performance, optimize operational efficiencies, and deliver enhanced experiences for its residents and prospects. G5, the leading provider of Digital Experience Management (DXM) for the multifamily industry, and Yardi, the leader in providing multifamily solutions for property management, ancillary services, and end-to-end marketing, announced their alliance in June during the 2012 NAA Education Conference & Exposition. The alliance was a key factor in Monarch’s decision.
- The G5 DXM Platform includes five product suites that enable properties to create, deliver, measure and optimize amazing experiences at every digital touchpoint. The product suites can be used independently or as a single solution. In addition to new high performing responsive design websites that will launch by the end of the year, the platform will support Monarch’s ongoing SEO, Google+ Local optimization and reputation management. Monarch has also retained G5’s Strategy Consulting Services to help them maximize marketing performance and out-execute their competition.
- RENTCafé™ by Yardi is an end-to-end marketing, leasing and resident services platform built into the Yardi Voyager™ property management and accounting system. In a single platform, RENTCafé provides ILS, property marketing, online leasing with lease execution, resident portals for lease renewals, maintenance and online payments, and a resident referral program for social media – all with mobility. RENTCafé will seamlessly integrate with G5’s DXM solution to maximize the entire Searcher>Prospect>Resident>Advocate cycle for Monarch in a way that is unprecedented in the industry.
- This announcement coincides with the opening day of the 2012 NMHC Apartment Operations and Technology Conference & Exposition in Dallas.
- “With the combined G5/Yardi solution, we now have an end-to-end solution that will help us capture new rental prospects, make life easier for existing tenants and also give us a scalable platform for future success,” said Neal Cusick, Monarch’s Asset Manager. “Through the combination of G5’s digital marketing expertise with the high touch service of a dedicated Client Performance Manager and the seamless integration with Yardi, Monarch is poised to not only increase our business performance and brand equity, but also to take our resident and prospect satisfaction to a whole new level.”
- “The digital voice of the customer is increasing in volume, and multifamily communities need a new kind of strategy and system to address it,” said Dan Hobin, co-founder and CEO of G5. “We’re excited to be working with Monarch to help them build digital experiences that captivate their customers and drive revenue.”
- “RENTCafé handles the online leasing, payment, maintenance request and lease renewal portion of our combined offering to help Monarch keep pace with a rental population whose use of online and mobile services expands daily,” said Terri Dowen, senior vice president of sales for Yardi. “By providing online services for prospects and residents, it bridges the gap between successfully attracting new renters and ensuring that they will favorably review and advocate for Monarch’s communities.”
About Monarch Investment & Management Group
Monarch Investment & Management Group has been actively involved in real estate investment since 1992. Monarch currently manages over 10,300 apartment units in twelve states, in addition to a nationally franchised hotel and a ski and snowboard resort. Its principals are highly experienced in all facets of real estate acquisition/disposition, management, and financing. Monarch is more than just a broker and more than just a property management company. They research, acquire, own, operate and maintain all of their properties. During due diligence they are onsite; to inspect the physical plant, review all leasing history and current operations, and scrutinize the property to their own high standards. Monarch is personally invested and highly motivated to maintain high occupancy rates and effectively manage properties.
G5 is the leading provider of Digital Experience Management (DXM) software and services in the Multifamily Industry. The G5 DXM Platform enables owners and operators to put the right resident in the right property to maximize profitability. G5 helps thousands of properties turn residents into brand advocates by delivering amazing experiences at every digital touchpoint. As brand advocacy grows, so does demand—allowing properties to raise rents and revenue without adversely affecting occupancy. Founded in 2005, G5 was recently named one of the fastest growing private US companies by Inc. Magazine (3rd consecutive year), one of North America’s fastest growing technology companies by Deloitte (3rd consecutive year), and one of Oregon’s fastest growing private companies by Portland Business Journal (3rd consecutive year).The Bend, Oregon-based company is backed by private equity investor Volition Capital. For more information, please visit GetG5.com or follow our blog at GetG5.com/blog.
Yardi has been committed to the design, development and support of real estate investment management and property management software for 30 years. With Yardi Voyager™, Yardi Orion™ for SharePoint®, RENTCafé and the Yardi Multifamily Suite™, Yardi provides a full real estate management system that includes operations and accounting, ancillary services, and an end-to-end platform for the entire marketing, leasing and resident services cycle in RENTCafé, with unprecedented business intelligence. Yardi’s residential products and services are designed for various market niches, including market rate multifamily and single-family housing, affordable housing, public housing, senior housing, and military housing. Yardi serves clients around the world from offices in North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East. More information about Yardi products and services is available at www.yardi.com. More information about RENTCafé is available at www.rentcafe.com; the RENTCafé blog provides renters across the U.S. with a comprehensive and dynamic source of lifestyle information and interaction.
SYS-CON Events announced today that robomq.io will exhibit at SYS-CON's @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. robomq.io is an interoperable and composable platform that connects any device to any application. It helps systems integrators and the solution providers build new and innovative products and service for industries requiring monitoring or intelligence from devices and sensors.
Mar. 31, 2015 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,581
Internet of Things (IoT) will be a hybrid ecosystem of diverse devices and sensors collaborating with operational and enterprise systems to create the next big application. In their session at @ThingsExpo, Bramh Gupta, founder and CEO of robomq.io, and Fred Yatzeck, principal architect leading product development at robomq.io, will discuss how choosing the right middleware and integration strategy from the get-go will enable IoT solution developers to adapt and grow with the industry, while at the same time reduce Time to Market (TTM) by using plug and play capabilities offered by a robust I...
Mar. 31, 2015 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 543
After making a doctor’s appointment via your mobile device, you receive a calendar invite. The day of your appointment, you get a reminder with the doctor’s location and contact information. As you enter the doctor’s exam room, the medical team is equipped with the latest tablet containing your medical history – he or she makes real time updates to your medical file. At the end of your visit, you receive an electronic prescription to your preferred pharmacy and can schedule your next appointment.
Mar. 31, 2015 03:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,004
SYS-CON Events announced today that Solgenia will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Solgenia is the global market leader in Cloud Collaboration and Cloud Infrastructure software solutions. Designed to “Bridge the Gap” between Personal and Professional Social, Mobile and Cloud user experiences, our solutions help large and medium-sized organizations dr...
Mar. 31, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,009
While not quite mainstream yet, WebRTC is starting to gain ground with Carriers, Enterprises and Independent Software Vendors (ISV’s) alike. WebRTC makes it easy for developers to add audio and video communications into their applications by using Web browsers as their platform. But like any market, every customer engagement has unique requirements, as well as constraints. And of course, one size does not fit all. In her session at WebRTC Summit, Dr. Natasha Tamaskar, Vice President, Head of Cloud and Mobile Strategy at GENBAND, will explore what is needed to take a real time communications ...
Mar. 31, 2015 02:39 PM EDT Reads: 452
The world's leading Cloud event, Cloud Expo has launched Microservices Journal on the SYS-CON.com portal, featuring over 19,000 original articles, news stories, features, and blog entries. DevOps Journal is focused on this critical enterprise IT topic in the world of cloud computing. Microservices Journal offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. Follow new article posts on Twitter at @MicroservicesE
Mar. 31, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,554
SYS-CON Events announced today that Litmus Automation will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Litmus Automation’s vision is to provide a solution for companies that are in a rush to embrace the disruptive Internet of Things technology and leverage it for real business challenges. Litmus Automation simplifies the complexity of connected devices applications with Loop, a secure and scalable cloud platform.
Mar. 31, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 616
SYS-CON Events announced today the IoT Bootcamp – Jumpstart Your IoT Strategy, being held June 9–10, 2015, in conjunction with 16th Cloud Expo and Internet of @ThingsExpo at the Javits Center in New York City. This is your chance to jumpstart your IoT strategy. Combined with real-world scenarios and use cases, the IoT Bootcamp is not just based on presentations but includes hands-on demos and walkthroughs. We will introduce you to a variety of Do-It-Yourself IoT platforms including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Spark and Intel Edison. You will also get an overview of cloud technologies s...
Mar. 31, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,228
Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities. Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 16th Cloud Expo at the Javits Center in New York June 9-11 will find fresh new content in a new track called PaaS | Containers & Microservices Containers are not being considered for the first time by the cloud community, but a current era of re-consideration has pushed them to the top of the cloud agenda. With the launch of Docker's initial release in March of 2013, interest was revved up several notches. Then late last...
Mar. 31, 2015 09:15 AM EDT Reads: 2,293
The WebRTC Summit 2015 New York, to be held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York, NY, announces that its Call for Papers is open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 16th International Cloud Expo, @ThingsExpo, Big Data Expo, and DevOps Summit.
Mar. 31, 2015 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,705
SOA Software has changed its name to Akana. With roots in Web Services and SOA Governance, Akana has established itself as a leader in API Management and is expanding into cloud integration as an alternative to the traditional heavyweight enterprise service bus (ESB). The company recently announced that it achieved more than 90% year-over-year growth. As Akana, the company now addresses the evolution and diversification of SOA, unifying security, management, and DevOps across SOA, APIs, microservices, and more.
Mar. 31, 2015 08:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,106
Wearable technology was dominant at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) , and MWC was no exception to this trend. New versions of favorites, such as the Samsung Gear (three new products were released: the Gear 2, the Gear 2 Neo and the Gear Fit), shared the limelight with new wearables like Pebble Time Steel (the new premium version of the company’s previously released smartwatch) and the LG Watch Urbane. The most dramatic difference at MWC was an emphasis on presenting wearables as fashion accessories and moving away from the original clunky technology associated with t...
Mar. 31, 2015 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,562
The list of ‘new paradigm’ technologies that now surrounds us appears to be at an all time high. From cloud computing and Big Data analytics to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and the Internet of Things (IoT), today we have to deal with what the industry likes to call ‘paradigm shifts’ at every level of IT. This is disruption; of course, we understand that – change is almost always disruptive.
Mar. 30, 2015 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,187
SYS-CON Events announced today that SafeLogic has been named “Bag Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo® New York, which will take place June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. SafeLogic provides security products for applications in mobile and server/appliance environments. SafeLogic’s flagship product CryptoComply is a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic engine designed to secure data on servers, workstations, appliances, mobile devices, and in the Cloud.
Mar. 30, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,549
GENBAND has announced that SageNet is leveraging the Nuvia platform to deliver Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) to its large base of retail and enterprise customers. Nuvia’s cloud-based solution provides SageNet’s customers with a full suite of business communications and collaboration tools. Two large national SageNet retail customers have recently signed up to deploy the Nuvia platform and the company will continue to sell the service to new and existing customers. Nuvia’s capabilities include HD voice, video, multimedia messaging, mobility, conferencing, Web collaboration, deskt...
Mar. 30, 2015 01:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,525
SYS-CON Media announced today that @WebRTCSummit Blog, the largest WebRTC resource in the world, has been launched. @WebRTCSummit Blog offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. @WebRTCSummit Blog can be bookmarked ▸ Here @WebRTCSummit conference site can be bookmarked ▸ Here
Mar. 29, 2015 10:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,870
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cisco, the worldwide leader in IT that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cisco makes amazing things happen by connecting the unconnected. Cisco has shaped the future of the Internet by becoming the worldwide leader in transforming how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Cisco and our partners are building the platform for the Internet of Everything by connecting the...
Mar. 29, 2015 07:00 PM EDT Reads: 5,283
Temasys has announced senior management additions to its team. Joining are David Holloway as Vice President of Commercial and Nadine Yap as Vice President of Product. Over the past 12 months Temasys has doubled in size as it adds new customers and expands the development of its Skylink platform. Skylink leads the charge to move WebRTC, traditionally seen as a desktop, browser based technology, to become a ubiquitous web communications technology on web and mobile, as well as Internet of Things compatible devices.
Mar. 29, 2015 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,892
Docker is an excellent platform for organizations interested in running microservices. It offers portability and consistency between development and production environments, quick provisioning times, and a simple way to isolate services. In his session at DevOps Summit at 16th Cloud Expo, Shannon Williams, co-founder of Rancher Labs, will walk through these and other benefits of using Docker to run microservices, and provide an overview of RancherOS, a minimalist distribution of Linux designed expressly to run Docker. He will also discuss Rancher, an orchestration and service discovery platf...
Mar. 29, 2015 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 2,472
SYS-CON Events announced today that Vitria Technology, Inc. will exhibit at SYS-CON’s @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Vitria will showcase the company’s new IoT Analytics Platform through live demonstrations at booth #330. Vitria’s IoT Analytics Platform, fully integrated and powered by an operational intelligence engine, enables customers to rapidly build and operationalize advanced analytics to deliver timely business outcomes for use cases across the industrial, enterprise, and consumer segments.
Mar. 29, 2015 03:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,231


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Millennials are on everyone’s lips, which is not surprising at all.
Defined as those born between 1980 and 2000, the Millennial generation, also known as Gen Y, is a large and influential segment of the world’s population.
According to Deloitte, consulting and advisory services company, the Millennial generation accounts today for a quarter of the population and will tally for three quarters of the global workforce by 2025.
Millennials are tech savvy and activists for personal rights, while they strive to make a change and build a better world.
But how is this generation pushing this change forward?
Digital banking solutions
A study released by EY Global Islamic Banking Center in 2017 reveals that the Millennial generation has a clear preference for conducting their financial services on an end-to-end digital platform.
“Using FinTech innovations, banks worldwide are stepping forward to offer digital-only banking services to meet the differentiated needs of this customer segment,” it said.
The study said that a leading Islamic bank based in the UAE had recently announced the planned launch of a digital-only bank targeting the Millennials in the UAE, in partnership with a German online bank.
Emirates NBD, for instance, set up the Emirates NBD Future Lab, which fostered several of the bank’s new innovations, including Liv., the UAE’s first digital bank targeted at Millennials and launched earlier this year.
According to a study published in 2016 by Blake Goud, CEO at RFI Foundation, which promotes responsible finance practices, GCC banks consider Millennials as the new growth segment in banking, since they represent 40 per cent of the market.
The region’s Millennials showed a particular interest in areas, such as alternative payments, mobile wallets and mobile money, in which banks face competition from non-banks.
Millennials in business
Millennials are moving into positions of authority, which is increasing clashes in leadership styles, according to a statement by Hazel Jackson, CEO of Biz Group.
Jackson said: “The age of people working in the UAE is definitely dropping, even though traditional industries – such as oil and gas – still have a generally older workforce. New industries emerging in the UAE tend to be run and staffed by a younger, digitally-savvy demographic – and everyone is looking to monetise the new digital era. There is a culture shift happening and businesses need to be prepared now or risk falling behind.”
Moreover, Millennials are changing employers’ attitude to promotions, according to a new survey from The Cashlorette, a platform providing support to Millennials for a better use of their money.
The survey reveals that half of Millennials discuss their compensation at work with friends compared to 36 per cent of Americans overall.
It said that those workers between 18 and 36 are four times more likely than baby boomers to talk to colleagues about their salary, raises and promotions.
“This new openness about money has led to less secrecy around compensation, as well as put pressure on employers to formalize promotions and explain why some employees are paid more than others,” LinkedIn quoted the Wall Street Journal as saying.
Researches find that Millennials are driving the spike in online shopping.
With the recent acquisition of Souq.com by online giant Amazon and the launch of the new local e-commerce site Noon.com, the shift to online shopping in the GCC has become more apparent than ever, according to a recent study by YouGov.
The study found that 83 per cent of local GCC Millennials shopped online in the past 6 months, with 42 per cent shopping on local websites and 41 per cent on international ones.
The research also found that the items most likely to be purchased online by GCC Millennials are mobile phones (20 per cent) and computer software/hardware (20 per cent), followed by electronic equipment (19 per cent), games (17 per cent) and e-books (13 per cent).
YouGov considered that the most common barriers to online shopping were related to the discomfort of making online payments, high shipping charges and long-awaited delivery. As for female GCC Millennials, these barriers include a lack of cash on delivery options, uncertainty of authenticity of products found online and a lack of information about the return process.
Hence, the rise in online shopping by Millennials should prompt e-commerce websites to look at the Millennials’ concerns and come up with solutions, if they want to keep this segment of shoppers and further increase their sales.
Data from YouGov reports reveal how Millennials aren’t vacationing like their parents’ generation does.
“Unlike their elders, today’s youth want individualized experiences that explore local culture — a need largely unmet by traditional travel and tourism companies,” it said.
It added that Millennials, from the UK, US, Germany and China for example, are booking their trips online at higher rates than older consumers.
“These young people are also showing more interest in platform-based services, such as Airbnb and Uber, than older consumers, while simultaneously showing less interest in conventional car rental companies and national hotel chains, however chains such as Jumeirah have bucked the trend by adapting to the Millennial market with more targeted marketing efforts,” it said.
Data shows that traditional travel and tourism companies need to evolve, if they hope to remain relevant to today’s young travellers.

domain: news


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Sep 09, 2018 | By Sarah Housley
Experience Lifestyle & Interiors on WGSN.
Aug 10, 2010
The latest fragrance news indicates that traditional beliefs and practices are being shaken up with new product launches and interesting celebrity tie-ins.
Mary J. Blige recently proved the traditional fragrance sampling model wrong. Blige debuted her scent, My Life, on
HSN on Saturday, July 31st, and sold more than 72,000 units in 24 hours – an HSN record – generating at least $3 million in retail sales. Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSN Inc., said that 20% of those who purchased the scent were new to HSN and nearly 10,000 customers signed up for the Auto Ship program, which allows shoppers to set up recurring orders. That’s pretty amazing considering that most hadn’t even experienced the scent yet. The success has been attributed to Mary’s successful storytelling and a comprehensive 360-degree marketing campaign that included online, mobile and print advertising as well as PR, events and direct mail.
Will fashion editor fragrances be the next celebrity fragrance trend? Vogue Nippon’s Fashion Director at large, Anna Dello Russo, is set to launch her own fragrance at the end of the year. She announced on her blog that the scent is called Beyond and contains notes of vanilla and almond. The fragrance is set to come in a golden shoe, most appropriate for a woman who lives a fashion fantasy.
Related Stylesight News:
Vogue Nippon’s Anna Dello Russo to launch fragrance
Know what’s next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.


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Friday, February 24, 2006
Pontiac TV Ad Urges Audience to Google
Apparently, Pontiac did seek their permission to use Google in the ad. Google did not pay to be in the ad, nor was it any type of comarketing activity. Says Google:
"We are happy that Pontiac has featured Google search in their television ad campaign. This is evidence that mainstream brand advertisers are increasingly realizing the close relationship between broadcast advertising and search usage."
Have you seen similar ads anywhere that creates the link between traditional media and Internet search?


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Vietnamese Website Reveals New MacBook
Apple fans today are waking up and shouting good morning, Vietnam!
Another "leak" has been reported from this Asian nation, this one revealing what look a whole lot like the next MacBook. Images and video of the new computer's un-boxing first surfaced on the Vietnamese website dubbed "Tinhte." The laptop in question is a sweet piece of engineering, in that it serves up multiple hardware upgrades over presently available models - like a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and an NVIDIA GeForce 320M GPU.
In case you haven't noticed, Vietnam has been in the news an awful lot this week with regard to Apple's products. In fact, this report today is the second significant scoop out of Vietnam in the last few days. Earlier this week, it was Tinhte that displayed yet another iPhone 4G
in the wild. Naturally, Apple didn't comment on the authenticity of the device. And, chances are, they won't do the same for the new images of the new MacBook.
Those who have weighed in on the leak this morning seem "reluctantly convinced" that this story is legit and not a substantial and well-executed prank. Tinhte may have indeed scored another major scoop by gaining access to the new MacBook. And, if so, the specs are giving many Apple fans reason for excitement this weekend, as some herald the new MacBooks as the cream of the MacBook crop thus far.
Images via Tinhte


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Best Buy plans to exit Europe by selling stake to Carphone
U.S. retailer Best Buy Co Inc is selling its 50 percent stake in a joint venture with Europe's biggest independent mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse Group PLC back to its European partner for about 500 million pounds (or $775 million).
The move is the latest sign the world's largest consumer electronics chain is scaling back its overseas ambitions to focus on its mainstay U.S. business, which faces cut-throat competition from the likes of Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Amazon.com Inc .
The deal will strengthen Best Buy's balance sheet, simplify its business and improve its return on invested capital, CEO Hubert Joly said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the timing and economics felt right for the deal.
Best Buy bought 50 percent of Carphone's retail operations for about $2.1 billion in 2008 to tap the British firm's expertise in mobile phones and to act as a springboard for expansion across Europe.
While Best Buy was able to use Carphone's proficiency to boost its U.S. mobile phone business, the plans for a chain of European megastores fell apart due to weak consumer spending, low brand recognition and competition from local chains.
Ultimately, in 2011, Best Buy scrapped plans for the chain of European megastores and decided to focus on Carphone's existing smaller format stores there. It also bought Carphone out of its U.S. mobile phone joint venture for $1.3 billion.
On Tuesday, Best Buy said it had estimated its European unit to have sales of $5.5 billion to $5.6 billion, and "immaterial" diluted earnings per share, excluding items, in the current financial year.
Outside the United States, Best Buy currently operates in Canada, China, Europe and Mexico.
The sale of Best Buy's European operations "should not suggest any similar action" in other overseas markets, Joly said in the statement on Tuesday.
The boards of both companies have approved the deal, which is expected to close by the end of June. Best Buy expects to take a related non-cash asset impairment charge of about $200 million.
The sale price of 500 million pounds (or $775 million)included 420 million pounds in cash and 80 million in Carphone's stock.
Also, as part of the deal, Best Buy has agreed to pay Carphone 29 million pounds (about $45 million) to satisfy obligations under existing agreements.
Once completed, the deal will also mark the end of their "Global Connect partnership," which was aimed at replicating Best Buy Mobile's success in emerging markets like China.
(Reporting By Dhanya Skariachan; Editing by Michael Urquhart)


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The number of Argentine users who bought cryptocurrencies, both to preserve the value of their money or as a form of investment, grew by 300% during 2020, so it is consolidated as a savings option that is expected to continue to grow in the future.
Although alien to the majority of the population until a few months ago, the crypto universe has gained thousands of followers among Argentine savers who saw the possibility of buying cryptocurrencies with cryptocurrencies whose value was traded in foreign currency. «Until 2019, buying cryptocurrencies was a way to invest for people with a lot of money or who were from the tech world. That broke last year, when we saw that more and more people started migrating into the crypto world,» Maximiliano Hinz, Binance.Si’s director of Latin America operations, told Télam Maximiliano Hinz, well, the cryptocurrency universe is plentiful – there are more than 5,000 in circulation – the best known is Bitcoin, the first to appear in 2009 and whose price is defined by supply and demand. Next, the so-called stablecoins or stable currencies (such as DAI, among others) whose quote follows almost one by one at the value of the dollar are located. «Electronic dollars have the same security as a physical dollar, so you can have money in cryptocurrencies that are stable, secure and very difficult to steal as there are many security measures to withdraw the money,» Hinz added.
For Magdiela Rivas, Latin America’s management consultant at Paxful, «the main interest in Argentina is in stable currencies, as they allow to be dollarized digitally without limits». «This helps people preserve their money from inflation in a way not as volatile as Bitcoin, which is an option chosen by people most familiar with the crypto system,» Rivas said.
In this sense, the calculation they make in the crypto market is that about eight out of ten Argentines who buy cryptocurrencies choose those considered stable and not those that vary in price with supply and demand, such as Bitcoin or others. Although the crypto asset market is anonymous, specialists agree that the number of users grew exponentially in 2020.» From January to today, the number of Argentine users in Binance increased five-fold. But not on all platforms did this happen. If we talk about a market average, you could say that the number of users grew by 300% this year,» Hinz said. In this way, from Paxful they argued that Argentina was the country of the region that registered the most new users in 2020: more than 1,000% in users and 450% in volume operated.


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London-founded vegan fast-food company Globally Local will begin trading Friday on a stock exchange for emerging companies, eyeing a multimillion-dollar expansion across North America.
Founders James and Vasiliki McInnes say they hope to “revolutionize the fast-food industry” with healthier, plant-based versions of burgers and milkshakes served in highly automated restaurants.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“It’s amazing to see the support for what we’re doing, to see what can happen when a community supports a big mission and companies that are here to change the world for the better,” James McInnes said.
Globally Local will trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GBLY.
Rather than an initial public offering, Globally Local consolidated with TSXV-listed Black Lion Capital Corp., a capital pool company, as Globally Local Technologies Inc. to go public.
The TSX Venture Exchange is a public venture capital marketplace for emerging companies under the senior market Toronto Stock Exchange.
The company has already raised $4.2 million to open 20 locations across North America by this time next year, with the first U.S. eatery to open by the end of 2021.
“Now we’re looking to use those proceeds to rapidly grow our number of stores,” McInnes said.
Six more corporate locations are under development in Ontario on top of the current three, including in Windsor and Toronto.
The London outlet is in the process of moving from Dundas Street to Commissioners Road East and is expected to open there in June. A north-end London location is also in the works.
Globally Local was founded in 2014 as a grassroots vegan organization that brought fruits and vegetables from local farmers to consumers’ doorsteps. In 2015, James partnered with Vasiliki and expanded into a vegan meal kit delivery service.
The company’s boom began at London Ribfest in 2016, when its vegan “Famous Burger” — an homage to McDonald’s Big Mac, but made with a chickpea patty — sold out and spurred on a roving food truck.
Within a year, Globally Local opened Canada’s first vegan fast-food restaurant.
A manufacturing centre for food production, research and development opened on Consortium Court in 2018.
Globally Local Technologies Inc. bills itself as “a technology company that creates, manufactures and distributes a food service product line of proprietary plant-based proteins and dairy alternatives to corporate-owned and franchised restaurant locations.”
“We always wanted to grow a big business in London,” James McInnes said. “We plan on staying here, on greatly expanding our manufacturing here, and investing in the community.”
The founder said manufacturing capacity and supply chain stability have been cornerstones of the company’s success, allowing Globally Local to offer plant-based fast-food items at a comparable cost to its big-chain competitors.
“We heavily invested in food manufacturing technology and our restaurant cooking technology,” he said. “That has allowed us to make our own food at a price that is the same or less than other fast-food chains.”
The restaurants utilize what McInnes calls “smart kitchens,” including modern cooking technology, automation and self-checkout kiosks.
As the company goes public and aims to expand its eatery footprint, McInnes said keeping an eye on the manufacturing side and developing retail and grocery products are also in Globally Local’s future.
Early investors in the company include musician Tony Kanal of the Gwen Stefani-led ska band No Doubt.
Although the restaurant industry has faced hardships through the pandemic, McInnes said Globally Local’s fast-food takeout focus allowed the company to succeed.
Plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular, as consumers see the health and environmental benefits of eating less meat, he said.
“Our buying decisions do impact the world,” McInnes said. “That awareness is starting to trickle through society.”
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada


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Attorneys Leo Loughlin, Aydin Harston, Jess Collen, Mitchel Radin, Jane Collen, and Davide Schiavetti will attend the International Trademark Association (INTA) 2023 Annual Meeting taking place May 16-20, 2023, in Singapore.
INTA’s 2023 Annual Meeting will once again bring together the most influential brand professionals from across the globe and industries at the largest gathering of its kind. The event combines a cutting-edge look at the future of IP and unparalleled business development networking.
INTA is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and complementary intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation, and committed to building a better society through brands. Membership comprises nearly 6,000 organizations from 181 countries. The organizations represent more than 33,500 professionals, including brand owners from major corporations, small- and medium-sized enterprises, law firms, and nonprofits. The community also includes government agency members, professors, and law students.
To learn more about INTA's 2023 Annual Meeting, please visit the event page.


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8 Jun 2023
Travel and Tourism – the trials, tribulations and trends
A global pandemic brought the tourism sector to its knees in 2020 and forced us to reimagine travel as we knew it. Far from jetting off on last minute European city breaks, topping up tans on far-flung shores, or immersing ourselves in foreign traditions and cultures, we had to embrace the ‘staycation’.
This enabled us to appreciate the beauty and majesty of our own ‘green and pleasant land’, with seemingly everybody descending on our holiday resorts. This presented significant challenges but also opportunities for our campsites, B&Bs, hotels, and a multitude of other tourism businesses up and down the country.
As the sector started its recovery, the sector was then hit again by global events. The war in Ukraine caused further supply chain issues and caused costs of pretty much everything – fuel, food, energy, etc – to soar. There was also little opportunity to shop around to manage these costs, as prices went up across the board.
Many tourism companies have therefore been forced to increase their prices to cover these costs – as have many businesses generally, but holidaying at home is still the cheaper option than international travel and it’s the businesses that have been able to adapt and remain agile that are thriving.
Not everyone enjoys camping, but, when scientists proved that we were less at risk of exposure to COVID in nature than in hotel rooms, we explored our options and found a happy halfway house in glamping. Sites that were able to make small investments and install camping pods, shepherd’s huts and even converted shipping containers, brought in a different section of the consumer market, who were keen to venture out into the ‘great outdoors’ whilst still getting a decent night’s sleep. A slight change to the business model was all that was needed to capitalise.
Hints of the pandemic also linger in some of trends that have emerged from its wake. For example, COVID has caused us to be more ‘germaphobic’, meaning that hotels – many of whom were already cash-strapped – are having to invest in additional protocols that ensure elevated levels of cleanliness.
The above concerns about germs have also facilitated – or forced, depending how you look at it – the growth of touchless technology, which is increasingly allowing people to access menus, activate lifts, gain entry to their rooms, etc, on their phones. According to a recent Deloitte study, 60% of travellers are more likely to stay in a hotel that allows contactless check in and the ability to use a smartphone as a room key, and 16% even say it’s a ‘must have.’
Of course, technology is here to stay and, from the very ‘simple’ end of being able to book online and self-service check-in, to room service through a mobile app, even voice-activated rooms, hotels have to be hot on these trends in the digital age.
For some of the bigger players in the market, the necessary investment is achievable, but it begs the question as to how the smaller businesses will remain ‘current’ when costs are such an issue?
Compounding this is the fact that interest rates have also risen, putting even more cost pressure on businesses that are borrowing. So, while investment may be a necessity, this may be a struggle for small businesses if financed by debt. A projected easing in the rate of inflation may help matters but there is still a long way to go to return to historic levels.
Organisations must therefore return to what they have sight of when making business decisions and this reinforces the power of information. For example, there is the hint of occupancy growth, and the International Monetary Fund’s upgraded outlook on the UK avoiding a recession sheds a hint of positive light on forecasting. Meanwhile, a PWC report forecasts growth in the hotel sector in London this year, with “Revenue per available room in real terms … forecast to reach between 101% and 105% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023,” but businesses across UK regions must pay a little more heed.
We’ve said it before – and PWC’s report reiterates it – that ‘cash remains king’ in the current climate. Now more than ever, cash management of what’s coming into your business and qualifying it against outgoings is crucial for a steady balance sheet, especially as those wanting to invest may find that financing is more expensive.


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New Battlefield 2021 game leaks have appeared on Reddit, suggesting that the title may be one of the greatest Battlefield games ever.
According to the leak, posted on r / battlefield6, the game will actually have a Battle Royale mode for players to experience in the game.
Battlefield tested the water with Battle Royale mode with Fireteam mode in Battlefield before, but the mode failed to gain much traction after being locked behind the game’s payroll and declining player base.
The leak claims that a Battle Royale mode is actually back for the 2021 Battlefield game, but as of now it has not been confirmed how EA plans to distribute the mode ̵
This leak also claims that MP will support ‘up to 128 players’ in selected game modes as DICE pushes the boundaries of next generation consoles and PCs. Leaker also reveals that favorite maps from older Battlefield games are returning, such as Wake Island, Metro, Locker.
However, the biggest and most interesting feature that the leaker has noticed is the new feature that comes as part of the core experience. This is just a rumor and not confirmed, but if it is true, it can be an important part of the experience.
The game, which does not have an official title per person, will be a “hub for all previous Battlefield titles.” Players will have the ability to “boot servers” and play versions of old Battlefield games, such as 1942, or allow some players to access the 1942 arsenal, while others can use the Battlefield 3 weapons in the game.
Here is the description the leak gave:
Essentially, the game (no official title yet) will be a hub for most, if not all, previous Battlefield titles. You will be able to start up servers that exclusively play 1942, or even have the ability to play with settings so that one team has access to 1942 weapons / vehicles and the other team has access to BF3 weapons / vehicles. An example given was teams that fought against Panzers vs M1 Abrams. In addition, these settings include core game mechanics, such as not being able to sprint with 1942 settings and not being able to be exposed to Bad Company settings. I’m not sure how this affects balancing problems.
This leak has not been confirmed, but a moderator on r / Battlefield6 says that the user who posted this was able to show evidence that the source of the leak is someone “close to the game” and the project.
Battlefield 2021 is confirmed to launch in Holiday 2021. EA recently confirmed that they have seen the “first version” of the game’s revealing trailer. Recent leaks have indicated that EA is targeting a May release date for the title.
Stay tuned for the latest Battlefield 2021 news, and follow us @bravointel to stay up to date.


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- Youtap and Steward Bank to launch Zimbabwe’s latest digital payments service
- Aims to improve financial inclusion with mobile payments by making it easier and safer to transact
Singapore and Harare, Zimbabwe – Leading Zimbabwe financial institution Steward Bank and Youtap have partnered to launch, contactless payment services for Steward Bank customers in Zimbabwe.
The new service provided will allow customers to use e-money to pay at the point of sale and for selected transport services. The core payment services will be complemented by agency banking solutions which include digital peer to peer transfer services alongside loyalty and rewards programs and much more.
Another added bonus of the new service being introduced is that it will be able to be rolled out using Youtap’s Digital Banking solution allowing Steward Bank to reach customers who have been left behind by legacy systems. Agency banking solutions built around a digital wallet will allow Steward Bank customers to have greater access and control of their accounts.
Chris Jones, CEO and Founder of Youtap, was enthusiastic, saying, “We are excited to work with Steward Bank on this launch. They have consistently shown leadership in bringing banking in Zimbabwe into the digital age.”
Mr. Jones continues, “ We are also firmly committed to financial inclusion and we believe the rollout of this new service will be a boost to consumers, merchants and others who have been underserved by traditional financial services institutions. We are excited the further enhance the access of financial services through mobile platforms that fit the needs of the people that need them most.”
For further media enquiries contact:
Matt Hardy – Head of Communications, Youtap
About Steward Bank:
Steward Bank was launched in July 2013 following Econet Wireless Zimbabwe’s acquisition of TN Bank, a subsidiary of TN Holdings Limited (now known as Lifestyle Holdings). Following its launch, the Bank has since positioned itself as a mass-bank, focused on providing banking solutions through the use of technology.
It is the first bank in the country to have convergence with telecommunications and together with its technology focus the bank is set to change the way Zimbabweans view banking.
Youtap can transform your payments and bring you closer to your existing customers while helping you acquire your next million.Learn More


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With just one week remaining until Iggy Azalea‘s remoulded debut album ‘Reclassified’ fly’s into stores, the Billboard belle has previewed another of the set’s new songs.
This time it’s the turn of ‘Trouble’, the 23-year-old’s new duet with Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.
Take a listen to the snippet below…
We like. Of what we’ve heard thus far, the new songs sound sonically consistent – this included.
‘Reclassified’, the re-release of Azalea’s ‘The New Classic’, hits stores November 24th.


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Even before the release of "Pokemon Go," Niantic Labs and The Pokemon Company had revealed an incoming accessory called "Pokemon Go" Plus, which was supposed to release by July end.
But now its release has been pushed back to September, which was confirmed by a post on Nintendo's Twitter page.
"Pokemon Go" Plus is a wearable gear that can connect to the user's smartphone via Bluetooth. This will help users get notifications every time there is a new event or if there is a Pokemon nearby.
"Pokemon Go" Plus will vibrate and blink (LED) if the device is in the range of a PokeStop. Users can also press the button on the device to search for items in the PokeStop.
Players can use the button on the device to throw Poke Ball, but this can only be done if the Pokemon has been caught before. A successful catch will trigger the device to blink again and to vibrate.
"Pokemon Go" game requires players to hunt, catch and train virtual Pokemon using iOS or Android. But, an accessory like "Pokemon Go" Plus would have minimised smartphone usage. Moreover, the gear would also help players to be more aware of their surroundings, as they need not look at smartphones when hunting for Pokemon.
The company has not explained the reason for the delay, but one reason could be that the device is likely to witness a huge demand and the company might not be ready to meet the figures just yet.


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Could the addition of Gen 2 Pokemon be the breath of fresh air Pokemon Go needs? Take a look at what one of our writer thinks.
Tag Archives: pokemon go
The latest Pokemon Go update adds an Appraisal feature, providing a little more depth and strategy to those gym battles.
Players using unofficial Pokemon Go tracking services such as Pokevision and Pokewhere may have to start playing the game like everyone else, as Niantic plans to cut off the creature-finding apps in the very near future.
Pokemon Go could be coming to Europe, Japan and other regions this week, according to a new report. Also Niantic’s CEO talks about the future for the insanely-popular AR game.
Pokemon Go makes a surprising launch onto iOS and Android, starting in Australia and New Zealand.


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The West York Borough Police Department has charged two people for a burglary that happened in January.
Cory Baker, 22, of Spring Grove and Wesley Bentzel, 25, also of Spring Grove have been charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
The two are charged for a burglary that happened on January 30. The owner of a home in the 1900 block of Worth Street found the rear door kicked in and jewelry missing.
Police say Bentzel sold the jewelry to a local jewelry store so he could pay his phone bill, which had been turned off the night before. Police also used a search warrant on Baker's cell phone records which show he drove Bentzel to home and to sell the jewelry.
Baker admitted involvement to police during an interview.
Both men were taken to York County Prison. Baker is being held in lieu of $2,500 bail and Bentzel in lieu of $15,000 bail. Baker is currently out on bail for his part in the West York Organized Retail Crime Ring in which he committed several retail thefts and returned stolen merchandise valued at over $2,000.
Bentzel is among 22 others who are awaiting charges to be filed for his part in the ORC Ring.


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North Carolina has made great strides in solar installations over the past 3 years
Green energy system gives 19% return on investment and boosts firm's green credentials
City of Palo Alto, Clean Energy Collective, Solaire Generation, SunEdison & Whole Foods Market honoured at Annual Solar Power Generation USA Awards
The high calibre of all this year's submissions was commented upon by the judging panel, demonstrating real leadership and innovation in a US solar market undergoing much change.
A new advanced battery review has been released by the organizers of The Battery Show in response to industry demand and in light of the current rapid advancement of the battery industry.
Seven units will start delivering 21 megawatts of electric power in fall 2014 ---- Long-term agreement service and maintenance for 20 years
Energy: A total of 725 African students have already signed up for the Go Green in the City global business case challenge
Students from Engineering and Business Schools, Master's and MBA Programmes in Africa have until 15 February 2014 to sign up for the challenge
Over 7,000 visitors are expected to attend Seawork
Updated QP confirms quality and safety of digestate for biofertiliser
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Launching in San Diego County Six Cities
"These systems can be complementary and not competitive if we acknowledge that both systems benefit the customers and integrating them will enhance the benefit to all customers, while failure to integrate fully could lead to higher costs and lower reliability."
During a career spanning 50 years, Yerkes helped move solar technology from NASA spacecraft to home rooftops and developed manufacturing techniques that allowed solar panels to be produced and installed on a mass scale.
Our new online store allows customers to make product selections directly from their desktop, tablet or mobile device in just a few short steps. It truly is so simple, it's scary!
The world's first crowdfunding platform for the ocean energy industry launched today, designed to address a lack of early-stage funding for a fast-growing part of the renewable energy sector.
This pv fuse holder is uniquely designed with terminals to accept standard bus bar as opposed to fabricated custom bars. The ability to use standard bus bar enables system integrators to significantly reduce the amount of copper bar purchased, bus bar fabrication, engineering and assembly time.
Records 13126 to 13140 of 26341
Solar FlexRack's latest solar tracker technology bundles an advanced tracker design with a full team of seasoned engineering and installation experts at your service. The next-generation solar tracker delivers a package of features that both enable increased energy yields for commercial and utility-scale solar installations, and significantly reduce project risks. That translates to smart installation cost-savings across your project budget.


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By Damon Cantwell
A number of old fashioned trends need to be addressed if advanced manufacturing is to be of genuine value to Australian industry.
Make no mistake advanced manufacturing does represent an opportunity for local manufacturing to reinvent itself. It provides a new basis for competition for Australian manufacturing, and could move the local sector away from the areas where it cannot compete – that is, manufactured products where cost alone is the market driver. However, there are some fundamental barriers to adoption that need to be considered.
The stark reality for many smaller manufacturers is the skills and resources to successfully approach the advanced manufacturing issue will not currently reside within the business So they will need help from the research community and other advisers to assist in the process.
Australia continues to rank poorly with regards to global measures associated with our investment in innovation, as well as in terms of the efficiency of our innovation system.
The other issue raised here is around the way manufacturing integrates with the research and development community. In the most recent international rankings released by graduate business school Insead, we are ranked 81st in the world in terms of the efficiency of our innovation system. The uptake of advanced manufacturing techniques and processes, especially among smaller manufacturers, could help to improve our ranking.
One of the starting points for Australian manufacturers is understanding what business outcomes advanced manufacturing offers their firm, and what competitive risks it represents.
For many small businesses, it is important to look at some simple questions with regards to what is an endlessly complex area.
Does advanced manufacturing offer a way for companies to differentiate themselves, gain access to new products and markets, improve product development activities and reduce the costs of doing so? Importantly, the international experience around the uptake of advanced manufacturing is seeing supply chains being redefined as different tier levels are taking on tasks that were previously performed by other companies. Australian manufacturers need to consult with their suppliers and customers to make sure advanced manufacturing techniques solidify their position in supply chains rather than removing them.
For the majority of smaller manufacturers these issues are being addressed for the first time, and will represent a new way of thinking within their businesses.
So what is the role of industry policy here? The federal government’s recent Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda affords a special place for advanced manufacturing. It has been highlighted as one of five targeted growth sectors across the economy, and a particular focus around foreign investment in the field has also been highlighted. The development of an Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre to foster greater collaboration both between businesses and with the research sector is also an important development.
These are progressive developments that align with the federal government vision of shifting manufacturing policy away from handouts toward other catalysts for activity in the field. But as with all government programs they will be measured by the extent to which the private sector engages. This is where the rub comes with regards to our traditional reticence to invest in innovation and plan for the long term.
From a broader policy perspective, it is also important the impact on Australian manufacturing of the proposed free trade agreement with China is fully understood, and that collaborative opportunities around advanced manufacturing are encouraged by the agreement.
One of the starting points for Australian manufacturers is understanding what business outcomes advanced manufacturing offers their firm.
The demise of the automotive industry in this country has indicated that large swathes of the manufacturing sector can simply disappear. There were steps that could have been taken over many years from both and industry policy, and firm level perspective that could have avoided this outcome.
Advanced manufacturing techniques offer a more sustainable path forward for manufacturing in Australia and in regard to policy intent, the federal government has laid a potential foundation for the roll out of advanced manufacturing practices. The ultimate contribution this makes to the success of Australian manufacturing will depend on the extent individual companies and the research community buck the long term trend and engage.
Damon Cantwell is manufacturing partner at Deloitte


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Lucas Pope's highly acclaimed indie hit Papers, Please is set to arrive on iPad later this week.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection and The Crew are among the games those buying an Xbox One bundle can now get for free.
Users have free reign to send the most hateful messages imaginable to whomever they want – that appears to be the message from Twitter.
Nintendo has revealed some new additions to its upcoming Wii U game Mario Maker, including Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World themes.
Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming free-to-play zombie survival game H1Z1 will launch as a Steam Early Access title next month.
A sequel to Stoic Studio's hit strategy game The Banner Saga is heading to PC and new-gen consoles, publisher Versus Evil has confirmed.
Sony opened a shop today to celebrate 20 years since the launch of the first PlayStation.
The creators of The Witcher 3 says the firm had to delay the game to remove ‘small errors’ that the market is afraid of.
Nintendo has told GameSpot that it will continue to supply Amiibo toys to retailers, following confusion that some figures had been discontinued already.
The Wii U release of Super Smash Bros has sent Nintendo’s console back up the Japanese hardware charts, according to the latest data from Famitsu.
This week we’ve been celebrating the 20th birthday of PlayStation (well, the Japanese birthday anyway).
The flight simulation market has finally something to cheer at Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition will launch on December 18th.
Take-Two: Removing GTA V from stores 'flies in the face of everything that free society is based on'
Publisher Take-Two has slammed Target and Kmart’s decision to pull GTA V from its shelves.
With the holiday season just around the corner, MCV looks at the best stocking-sized gifts to make gamers’ Christmas wishes come true
The MCV Awards return on Thursday, April 16th. But the journey towards a prize starts with making your achievements known to us.
Gaming is now a fashion in its own right.
Sony are selling the super limited edition grey PS4 in the UK today… for just £19.94.
Garry's Mod and Rust developer Facepunch Studios has revealed its next effort, Before – a survival game set in the stone age.
DayZ creator Dean Hall has opened his own development house in Duedin, New Zealand – and the new studio is hiring.
The recently announced update to classic adventure series King's Quest will arrive on multiple platforms next year, publisher Sierra and developer The Odd Gentlemen announced during The Game Awards event ...
The first paid expansion to Destiny has been released – and with it comes a punishment for non-DLC buying players.
A charity that helps the physically disabled play video games has received death threats after refusing a donation from a charity event associated with GamerGate.
Why are so many consumers reacting badly to video game Facebook advertising? The social network’s global director of gaming sales, Rick Kelley, tells MCV why publishers ought to cover up ...
Rise of the Tomb Raider will be published by Microsoft, presumably on both Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Amazon has added a ‘Make An Offer’ option to some items that allows potential buyers to haggle with sellers.


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Report : Asia Pacific Rehabilitation robots Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis By Type (Therapeutic Robots, Prosthetic Robots, Assistive Robots, and Exoskeleton Robots), and End User (Rehabilitation Centers, Hospitals, and Specialty Clinics)
Rehabilitation Centers Segment to Dominate APAC Rehabilitation Robots Market during 2020–2028
According to a new market research study on “APAC Rehabilitation Robots Market to 2028 – COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis and Forecast by Type and End User” is expected to reach US$ 555.65 million by 2028 from 132.71 US$ million in 2021. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 22.7% from 2021 to 2028. The report provides trends prevailing in the APAC rehabilitation robots market along with the drivers and restraints pertaining to the market growth. Technological innovations in robotic rehabilitation is the major factor driving the growth of the APAC rehabilitation robots market. However, issues associated with high cost of robotic devices hinders the growth of the APAC rehabilitation robots market.
The APAC rehabilitation robots market is segmented into type and end user. Based on type, the rehabilitation robots market is segmented into therapeutic robots, assistive robots, exoskeleton robots, and prosthetic robots. The exoskeleton robots segment held the largest share of the market in 2020. Based on end-user, the rehabilitation robots market is segmented into hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and specialty clinics. The rehabilitation centers segment held the largest share of the market in 2020.
The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), officially named as COVID-19 by the WHO, has spread to more than 170 countries, including China prompting the WHO to declare the disease as a global pandemic. From its epicenter in China, the novel coronavirus has spread to infect 514,179 people and cause no less than 18,440 deaths in at least 160 countries across a three-month span from January 2020 till date. These figures are according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Situation report as of March 25th. Accompanying the tragic loss of life that the virus has caused is the impact to the global economy, which has reeled from the effects of the pandemic. As research details emerge, the data pool grows exponentially, beyond the capacity of human intelligence alone to handle. The use of robots in the medical sector, to help in areas such as nursing, physical rehabilitation, and surgery, has been a particular priority in Japan and China. Thus, the outbreak of COVID-19 has prompted hospitals to speed up the clinical application of robotic technology in China and Japanese region. Advancements in robotic rehabilitation application such as rehab exercise, neuro robotic rehabilitation, among Others. This has no doubt aided the control of the COVID-19 pandemic and helped to curb its worst effects. Hence, such outbreaks continue, the need for new technological advanced products nationwide increases and thereby positively impacting the market.
Cyberdyne Inc.; DIH Medical; Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc; Rewalk Robotics Ltd; Rex Bionics Ltd; Toyota Motor Corporation and VINCENT MEDICAL HOLDINGS LIMITED are among the leading companies in the APAC rehabilitation robots market. The companies are focused on adopting organic growth strategies such as product launches and expansions to sustain their position in the dynamic market. For instance, Toyota Motor Corporation launched its new Welwalk WW-2000, a robot designed to provide rehabilitation support to individuals with lower-limb paralysis due to stroke and other causes.
The report segments the APAC Rehabilitation Robots Market follows:
APAC Rehabilitation Robots Market – By Type
- Exoskeleton Robots
- Therapeutic Robots
- Assistive Robots
- Prosthetic Robots
APAC Rehabilitation Robots Market – By End User
- Rehabilitation Centers
- Specialty Clinics
APAC Rehabilitation Robots Market – By Country
- South Korea
- Rest of APAC
Contact Person: Sameer Joshi
Email Id: firstname.lastname@example.org


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India becoming the biggest manufacturing and online selling country after china
March 17, 2021
After the corona pandemic, the roles have been reversed with China being at the top of its manufacturing game to India booming to become one. Manufacturing Startups today are driving innovation and widening the frontiers of the industry by opening new avenues for growth in the country. Through some initiatives, the Government of India aims to invigorate the country’s manufacturing sector, enhance the country’s global competitiveness, facilitate investment, foster innovation and ramp up the ease of doing business in the country. Indian entrepreneurs have stepped up with app-based businesses and created innovative products using Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Analytics.
Startup India Initiative
With more than 4,750 startups, India has the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. The next generation of Indian startups focuses on the application of modern technologies in domains such as automobiles, logistics, hardware and food processing. This growth has been largely attributed to government initiatives such as “Startup India”. Under this initiative, a program based on an action plan to boost innovation and startups in the country, the government is offering simplification and handholding, tax incentives, funding support, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection benefits and a dedicated hub to provide support to start-ups.
One of the most growth imperative initiatives Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched was the ‘Make in India’ initiative, with the primary goal of making India a global manufacturing hub, by encouraging both multinational as well as domestic companies to manufacture their products within the country. Led by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, the initiative focuses on raising the contribution of the manufacturing sector to 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the year 2025 from its current 16%. Make in India has introduced multiple new initiatives, promoting foreign direct investment, implementing intellectual property rights and developing the manufacturing sector. It targets the following 25 sectors of the economy:
It also seeks to facilitate job creation, foster innovation, enhance skill development and protect intellectual property. The logo of ‘Make in India’ – a lion made of gear wheels – itself reflects the integral role of manufacturing in government’s vision and national development. The initiative is built on four pillars which are as follows:
New Processes: The government is introducing several reforms to create possibilities for getting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and foster business partnerships. Some initiatives have already been undertaken to alleviate the business environment from outdated policies and regulations. This reform is also aligned with the parameters of the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index to improve India’s ranking on it.
New Infrastructure: Infrastructure is integral to the growth of any industry. The government intends to develop industrial corridors and build smart cities with state-of-the-art technology and high-speed communication. Innovation and research activities are supported by a fast-paced registration system and improved infrastructure for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) registrations. Along with the development of infrastructure, the training for the skilled workforce for the sectors has been facilitated.
New Sectors: ‘Make in India’ has identified 25 sectors to promote with the detailed information being shared through an interactive web-portal. The Government has allowed 100% FDI in Railway and removed restrictions in Construction. It has also recently increased the cap of FDI to 100% in Defense and Pharmaceutical.
New Mindset: The government in India has always been seen as a regulator and not a facilitator. This initiative intends to change this by bringing a paradigm shift in the way Government interacts with various industries. It will focus on acting as a partner in the economic development of the country alongside the corporate sector.
Since the launch of Make in India in September 2014, an FDI inflow of USD 77 billion including an equity inflow of USD 56 billion has been received for the period October 2014 to March 2016. This represents about a 44% increase in FDI Equity inflow over the same corresponding period.
“Make in India Week” multi-sectoral industrial event at the MMRDA from 13 February 2016 was attended by 2500+ international and 8000+ domestic, foreign government delegations from 68 countries and business teams from 72 countries and 17 Indian states also held expos. Event received over ₹15.2 lakh crore (US$210 billion) worth of investment commitments and investment inquiries worth ₹1.5 lakh crore (US$21 billion), where Maharashtra led with ₹8 lakh crore (US$110 billion) of investments. Previously between September 2014 and November 2015, the government received ₹1.20 lakh crore (US$17 billion) worth of proposals from companies interested in manufacturing electronics in India.
‘Zero defect zero effect’ is a key phrase which has been associated with the Make in India campaign. In the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Let’s think about making our product which has ‘zero defect’ and ‘zero effect’ so that the manufacturing does not have an adverse effect on our environment”. Thus, sustainable development in the country is being made possible by imposing high-quality manufacturing standards while minimizing environmental and ecological impact.
Online Selling Progression
E-commerce has transformed the way business is done in India. With the increase in a number of online shoppers, the strength of online shopping set to grow exponentially both in volume and value. A lot of factors like the preference of varieties, product choices, quality of the product and its inspection online, comparing the price at the different websites for the similar produce, comparatively lesser price in the online stores when examining the same with the products sold in the malls or retail stores, congestion in the city traffic and the existence of fatigue among the sales personnel at the malls or business environments have forced the consumer and the business personnel to go for online shopping.
The Indian E-commerce market is expected to grow to US$ 200 billion by 2026 from US$ 38.5 billion as of 2017. Much of the growth for the industry has been triggered by an increase in internet and smartphone penetration. The ongoing digital transformation in the country is expected to increase India’s total internet user base to 829 million by 2021 from 636.73 million in FY19. India’s internet economy is expected to double from US$ 125 billion as of April 2017 to US$ 250 billion by 2020, backed primarily by E-commerce. India’s E-commerce revenue is expected to jump from US$ 39 billion in 2017 to US$ 120 billion in 2020, growing at an annual rate of 51%, the highest in the world. Some of the major developments in Indian e-commerce are as follows:
· In August 2020, Reliance Industries (RIL) acquired 60% stake in Netmeds, an online pharmacy, for Rs 620 crore (US$ 84.61 million). This acquisition gives RIL’s retail unit, Reliance Retail, entry into a vertical e-commerce space.
· In January 2020, Divine Solitaires launched its E-commerce platform.
· In February 2020, Flipkart set up a ‘Furniture Experience Center’ in Kolkata, its first offline presence in eastern India.
· In April 2020, Reliance Industries (RIL) started home delivery of essentials in partnership with local Kirana stores in Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Kalyan.
· In April 2020, Swiggy received an additional US$ 43 million funding as part of its ongoing Series I round.
· In May 2020, PepsiCo India partnered with Dunzo for its snack food brands that include Lay’s, Kurkure, Doritos, and Quaker.
· In May 2020, chocolate maker Hershey India partnered with Swiggy and Dunzo to launch their flagship online store in order to increase reach.
· In Union Budget 2020–21, Government has allocated Rs 8,000 crore (US$ 1.24 billion) to BharatNet Project to provide broadband services to 150,000-gram panchayats
· In August 2019, Amazon acquired a 49% stake in a unit of Future Group
· Reliance will invest Rs 20,0000 crore (US$ 2.86 billion) in its telecom business to expand its broadband and E-commerce presence and to offer 5G services
· In September 2019, PhonePe launched super-app platform ‘Switch’ to provide a one stop solution for customers integrating several other merchants apps
· In November 2019, Nykaa opened its 55th offline store marking success in tier II and tier III cities
The E-commerce industry puts a direct impact on micro, small & medium enterprises (MSME) in India by providing means of financing, technology and training. Indian E-commerce industry has been zooming to success and is expected to surpass the US to become the second largest E-commerce market in the world by 2034. Technology driven innovations like digital payments, hyper-local logistics, analytics driven customer engagement and digital advertisements has helped in the growth of this sector. The growth in E-commerce sector will also boost employment, increase revenues from export, increase tax collection by ex-chequers, and provide better products and services to customers in the long-term. The number of internet users in India is expected to increase from 687.62 million as of September 2019 to 829 million by 2021.
Growth Comparison of Indian and Chinese E-commerce
Online retail sales in China has reached $752 billion during the year 2016 representing 26.20 percent growth when one could compare the same during the year 2015, it is almost double the growth rate of overall retail sales. When we compare the same with India, the Indian e-Commerce revenue is anticipated to move from $ 26 billion in 2016 to $ 103 billion in 2020 revealed that China is found to be the world leader in e-Commerce trade. But if one could compare India’s annual growth rate of e-Commerce, it arrives at 51 percent while the Chinese e-Commerce market is prevailing at only 18 percent. The success was mainly attributed to the existence of e-Commerce organizations across India particularly the role played by Flipkart, Snap Deal and U.S based Amazon.
Besides the trade of non-agricultural produce, agricultural-based products and grocery shopping has become the priority products for Indian consumers. Compared to China, food product trade is expected to be a little higher in Indian online retail. In fact, the penetration levels of online grocery shopping in India are already higher when compared to China from the year 2008-09 onwards. Continued interest in getting the product at the doorstep of the consumers and the product quality found to be the main reasons apart from price to the city consumers. Food, feed, seed, grains, crop services, crop inputs, farm equipment, agricultural implements and machinery, and their parts were found to be the main items of purchase through e-Commerce mode in India and other e-commerce websites.


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New Belgium Brewery Announces New Beers For 2017
With some exciting new brews and some revamps too 2017 looks great for New Belgium and its fans too!
By Shira Kogut on Dec. 14, 2016
New Belgium Brewing has announced a a full line of new brews for 2017. They are being released as we speak and continuing into the new year.
They are releasing four new year-rounds and turning a few oldies into newbies.
This is our most ambitious portfolio re-imagining since our beginnings. We’ve got a lot of excitement, momentum, and energy coming out of the pilot system and that makes for a bounty of great beers with interesting twists. We are very much back into experimentation and risk taking and that is hugely energizing for the whole brewery. 2017 is shaping up to be an awesome year for drinking beer.
Bryan Simpson, New Belgium Brewing Spokesperson
Sticking with the Pilsener paddle theme The Blue Paddle Pilsener will become New Belgium Bohemian Pilsener (check out the label to see the common paddle theme). Unfortunately some of our old favorites have to ride off into the sunset to make room for these new flavors. Snapshot Wheat, Slow Ride Session IPA and Shift Pale Lager will be heading to that brewery in the sky.
Sunshine Wheat will be sticking around but getting a makeover with a Colorado State Flag to signify its roots.
Everything you need to know about #ABBeerWeek (Alberta Beer Week) 2016
A celebration of fresh, local beer, Alberta Beer Week is organized and promoted by the Alberta Small Brewers Association (ASBA), if you want to know more about #abbeerweek, head over to albertabrewers.ca Alberta Beer Week kicks off in Calgary on Friday, September 23rd with the start of Calgary Oktoberfest (though there is a sneak-a-peak
Carpe Beerum (seize the beer!) – 10 Ways To Be A Beer Festival Ninja
And Get The Most Out Of Your Calgary International Beerfest Experience This Weekend!
There’s A New Best Beer in America
Every year for eight years Pliny the Elder has been Zymurgy Magazine’s #1 beer in America, but the streak is over and a new beer is now #1.
Canned Beer’s 82nd Anniversary
On this day 82 years ago canned beer was invented and boy are we glad.


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Eastern European Acquisitions Pool (EEAP) announced recent film package sales in Slovakia and Poland.
In Slovakia, a five-picture package was sold to TV Joy and Markiza TV. The titles include Stevan Seagal's Ruslan.
In Poland, public broadcaster TVP acquired 34 international titles including Hello Goodbye with Gerard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant. Canal+ Polska bought a 15-title package. TV2 purchased 15 first run titles, include the documentary Meercats and a package of 13 library titles including Raise Your Voice.
EEAP also sold the first TV series it offered, Dean Devlin's Leverage, which has been picked up by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
For more information go to the Press Release section of FNE.


text: Tiffany & Co. , which is being taken over by LVMH, posted third-quarter earnings that blew past estimates on Tuesday, and said sales in key market Mainland China rose 70% from a year ago. The jewelry retailer posted net income of $119 million, or 98 cents a share, for the quarter, up from $78 million, or 65 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Adjusted per-share earnings came to $1.11, well ahead of the 66 cents FactSet consensus. Sales fell 1% to $1.008 billion, ahead of the $973 million FactSet consensus. "Further to continued management focus and investment in that important market, sales in Mainland China continued to grow dramatically in the third quarter, increasing by over 70%, with comparable sales nearly doubling in that period as compared to the prior year," Chief Executive Alessandro Bogliolo said in a statement. E-commerce sales rose 92% and accounted for 12% of total sales year-to-date, up from 6% in each of the last three fiscal years, he said. "Absolutely noteworthy is the performance of T1, our newest gold and gold with diamonds collection, which was received particularly well in all markets and channels," he said. Tiffany is now expecting fourth-quarter sales to fall by a mid-single-digit percentage, and for EPS to rise by a high-single-digit percentage. Shares were slightly higher premarket, but have fallen 1.6% in the year to date, while the S&P 500 /zigman2/quotes/210599714/realtime SPX +0.19% has gained 11%. LVMH shares /zigman2/quotes/201350549/delayed FR:MC +1.58% were down 0.1% in Paris.


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If women can get the financing, there could be some seriously good deals for them.
While we keep hearing about trouble in the cannabis industry, there are positives. Legal U.S. cannabis sales reached $26 billion in 2021, up from $20 billion in 2020. With this growth, the industry continues to be a source of opportunity for women. Are women the answer to the weed rebound?
According to a 2022 report by MJBizDaily, “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Cannabis Industry,” women holding executive positions in the cannabis industry grew to 23.1%. But this falls short of the greater US business world where women hold 35% of leadership.
Also, the number of cannabis consumers in the U.S. who identify as women is also growing, A recent report from Headset determined that the rate of growth for female consumers in the U.S. is outpacing that of males — 55% vs. 49%, respectively.
To help woman have a bigger impact, Green Market Report has chosen Women’s History Month as the perfect time to host its second annual Women’s Summit. It will be held on March 23 in New York City. Last year’s sold-out event was noted for its diversity among established CEOs and up-and-coming entrepreneurs. In a survey by Peterson Institute for International Economics of 21,980 publicly traded companies in 91 countries demonstrated that the presence of more female leaders in top positions of corporate management correlates with increased profitability of these companies.
Debra Borchardt, founder of Green Market Report, states, “There’s no doubt the industry has faced some tough headwinds, but this current disruption will lead to a stronger industry overall. The get-rich-quick folks will get pushed aside and those that truly perform well will remain. The upheaval creates a buyer’s market in the industry and could create opportunities for new entrants into the market.
“There are numerous cannabis properties for sale at bargain prices. New owners will be able to snap up these businesses with right-sized pricing. If women can get the financing, there could be some seriously good deals for them. Samantha Gleit of Feuerstein Kulick will be speaking at the Summit about the decision on raising capital and debt decisions that come with growing your brand.”
Curt Dalton, the founder of Cannabis.net, one of the leading voices for the stoner consumer, noted that “Debra and GMR has helped give creditability to the industry, lifted up women and called BS on players who have played fast and lose”.
“Leave it to Debra Borchardt and Green Market Report to be the champion of female cannabis entrepreneurs!,” shared Kim Ring, President of Ring Relations. “With the industry starting to catch fire again, it’s great to see that Debra is ensuring women have a seat at the table. By sharing the facts as a journalist, reporting on the good, bad, and ugly, she has helped provide the industry with creditability. Over the course of my cannabis career, not only has GMR has become my go-to woman-run cannabis publication, but I have powerhouse women in media (including Debra) to thank for educating me and helping me grow as a respected publicist in this industry.”
Anne Donohoe, Managing Director at KCSA Strategic Communications, echoed those sentiments. “Deb is a true pioneer in this industry. She was among the first financial journalists to see that this was a serious market with incredible potential. There were one off articles, full of puns and innuendo, but no one else was really covering it from a business perspective as a dedicated beat. She took the time to research, talk to everyone she could, and really got to know this industry inside and out — and has provided fair and honest reporting through the highs and the lows. No one knows this industry better than she does.”
Shawna Seldon McGregor, founder of Maverick PR had this to say about the value of the Summit. “This will be the second year in a row that I have attended the Green Market Report Women’s Summit. Last year, the room was packed with women and our male allies. It was one of the most energetic and informative summits of the year. Now I’m coming back and can’t wait to hear the unique perspective of the moment from the female cannabis industry leaders curated by Debra & GMR, while providing outstanding coverage of the expansion of the cannabis industry and ensuring diverse voices from female leaders are heard.”
In the fall of 2021, Green Market Report was acquired by Crains in a deal negotiated by David Feldman of Skip Intro Advisors.


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Innovative Analytics & Training (IAT), a privately-held company that specializes in research and analysis, announced a new practice designed to evaluate the impact of cloud technology across a variety of social, economic, political and other contexts, both in the United States and abroad. The practice will assess how adopters use cloud technology, including their adoption experiences, and examine the larger social and economic effects of these decisions. Remarkably, given that the cloud revolution is almost a decade old, there are very few rigorous case studies of how cloud technology actually impacts commercial and government organizations in areas like health care, scientific research, safety and security, and other areas.
“Cloud technology is one of the top issues in the digital agenda globally, and underpins the Internet of Things (IoT),” said IAT’s CEO Kevin O’Connell. “From the local business to national economies, cloud technology is radically restructuring budgets, organizational relationships and workflows, creating efficiencies, and creating entirely new approaches to innovation.” Beyond understanding the fundamental value of cloud technology, there are a wide range of related issues to consider, such as emerging platforms for global access to advanced analytic applications. “A whole host of emerging applications promises to expand cloud’s reach even more in the next decade,” said O’Connell.
This new IAT practice leverages the company’s other practices in anticipatory analysis and cyber strategy and analysis, which mutually support technology assessment efforts for IAT’s clients, including a number of Fortune 500 companies. What kind of penetration will cloud technology create in national economies and global businesses, with what additional benefits? What variations in implementation and practice will emerge? What will be the key drivers of productivity? What challenges will wide-scale cloud adoption present in the areas of governance, workforce development, job creation and education?
Successful cloud users will have to work through barriers to adoption – such as legal, policy and regulatory barriers, among others – and plan for appropriate physical and cyber security controls. How will these barriers be overcome in different political and economic settings in order to optimize benefits?
One of the key challenges for decision-makers is how to measure cloud effects, as cloud technology has partly defied traditional economic analysis. IAT has been working with top scholars and analysts to help understand how to measure both micro- and macro-level effects, as well as how cloud technology affects traditional international measures like GDP, economic growth rates, and internet penetration rates.
Over the coming months, IAT will publish a series of papers by both internal and invited experts on different dimensions of the benefits and challenges associated with cloud technology.


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Microsoft is shutting down its Azure Blockchain Service on September 10, 2021. Existing deployments will be supported until that date, but as of May 10 this year, no new deployments or member creation is being supported.
Microsoft's initial foray into Azure Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) began in 2015 with an offering on the Etherum Platform with ConsenSys. In late January 2016, Microsoft made available a preview of a lab environment in Azure's DevTest Labs so that Blockchain-related services and partners can decouple the Blockchain technology from virtual machines. Microsoft's short-term goal for the Azure BaaS was to make available a certified blockchain marketplace. In the interim, the focus was to add blockchain partners of all kinds, rather than trying to pick a limited number of potential winners, officials said.
Also: Bitcoin and 11 more cryptocurrencies you need to know
Blockchain is the technology that underpins the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. But many tech vendors and users felt it had far more uses beyond that. A blockchain is a shared ledger that can store the complete transaction history of not just cryptocurrency but other kinds of records. As such, it attracted initial interest among some enterprises, especially those in banking and finance.
Microsoft ended up fielding a preview of Azure BaaS, but lately had not done much to update the service. However, Microsoft's product page for Azure BaaS lists GE, J.P. Morgan, Singapore Airlines, Starbucks and Xbox as customers.
Microsoft's documentation suggests users start migrating to an alternative now. The recommended migration destination is ConsenSys Quorum Blockchain Service. Users also could opt to self-manage their blockhains using VMs.
I asked Microsoft for official word as to why the company decided to shut down Azure Blockchain. No response so far.
Update (May 21 -- better late than never): "We are asking customers to transition to the ConsenSys Quorum Blockchain Solution. Microsoft has a rich history of working with partners with the shared goals of innovating and delivering solutions to our customers. As industry dynamics have changed, we made the decision to shift our focus from a product-oriented offering to a partner-oriented solution."
Thanks to Tom Kerkhove on Twitter for the information on the Azure Blockchain shutdown. To keep up with deprecated Azure services, check out @AzureEndofLife.


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UC Berkeley researchers are perfecting microscopic fibers that can make electricity from simple body motions. The nanofibers may soon be woven into clothing, creating the ultimate portable generator.
Need juice for a dying iPod? You may soon be able to plug the gadget into a shirt, dance the electric slide and be good to go.
Researchers at UC Berkeley are perfecting microscopic fibers that can produce electricity from simple body motions such as bending, stretching and twisting. The filaments, which resemble tiny fishing lines, may soon be woven into clothing and sold as the ultimate portable generators.
It could take three years or more before it hits the store shelves, but the technology is already being hailed as a breakthrough.
The so-called nanofibers will have very significant implications," said Mihail Roco, senior advisor for nanotechnology with the National Science Foundation, which recently gave a $350,000 grant to the project.
In addition to helping reduce electricity demands on local utilities, new industries could spring up to manufacture the tiny personal generators, he said.
Researchers are envisioning hikers powering up their digital cameras while trekking up a mountain or a jogger charging up her cellphone in mid-run.


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WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy added 313,000 jobs in February, according to Friday's employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, smashing analysts' expectations.
The unemployment rate held steady for the fifth straight month at 4.1 percent, a 17-year low. Average hourly pay grew by 2.6 percent from this time last year, a drop from January's year-over-year improvement of 2.9 percent.
February produced the most jobs in a month since July 2016, when the economy grew by 325,000 positions, government data show. Economists appeared split over what caused the higher-than-projected surge of jobs.
Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor, a jobs website, said the surprise burst of new positions - 200,000 was the expected number - likely stems from the tax plan President Trump signed last December that slashed corporate rates.
"This is a result of fiscal stimulus - in other words: a $1.3 billion tax cut," he said. "Businesses are making decisions on a forward-looking basis. Even if the dollars aren't in the pockets of companies yet, they're making plans."
Cathy Barrera, head economist at ZipRecuiter, an employment site, questioned that interpretation, asserting it's still too early to see an impact from the tax measure.
"Really for businesses, what matters is demand for their products," she said. "If demand for products hasn't gone up, there's not more work for these companies to be doing."
Josh Wright, chief economist at iCIMS, a hiring software firm, said companies might just be ramping up for a potentially sunnier business climate.
"It's more about increased confidence," he said. "They like the outlook for growth and how supportive federal policy will be for it."
Construction, retail, manufacturing and health care drove most of the growth in February.
Specialty trade contractors saw employment gains of 38,000, while building assembly jobs jumped by 16,000. (Overall, the construction sector has added 180,000 positions over the last four months.)
Retail trade expanded by a whopping 50,000 jobs, with general merchandise stores leading the way (18,000 positions), according to the BLS data. The growth spurt follows a year of layoffs: About 67,000 positions disappeared from stores in 2017 - a plummet from the 203,000 jobs that were added in 2016.
Consumer spending increased by .4 percent in January, and retailers seem more optimistic, said Barrera, the economist.
"That speaks directly to the growing demand for retail and the need for more retail services," she said.
Manufacturing, meanwhile, maintained a course of steady growth in February, increasing by 31,000 jobs, with most of them sprouting in transportation equipment (8,000) and fabricated metal products (6,000).
Labor Secretary Alec Acosta doubled down on the stance Trump's tax moves unleashed growth in a statement Friday.
"President Trump's tax reform continues to boost economic confidence with more than 400 companies handing out bonuses, raises, or other benefits to more than 4 million Americans," he said.
"The 313,000 job gain is more than triple that necessary to meet the demand of new entrants into the work force, which if it sustained will continue to put downward pressure on the unemployment rate," said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US, an international consulting firm.
Economists point out that Baby Boomers are retiring faster than young people are entering the workforce to replace them, but they still don't know why so many workers appear to be stuck on the sidelines. Some blame the opioid epidemic, which, studies show, has knocked a chunk of potential hires out of the workforce.
One alarming example: The number of truck drivers, commercial pilots, railroad operators and pipeline workers who failed drug tests in 2017 has spiked 77 percent since 2006, according to federal data .
Brian Krenke, president of KI Inc, a furniture maker in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said his firm has raised wages and expanded its recruiting efforts into high schools but still struggles to fill vacancies.
"In the next 90 days, we need to identify and train 390 employees to do skilled positions," Krenke said. "But individuals are failing drug tests and that, combined with low unemployment, makes it hard to find people."
Researchers at the Bureau of Labor Statistics make their estimates based on a sample of employer payrolls (and the numbers are recalculated as more companies transmit information). The figures have a margin for error of about 100,000 in either direction.


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Washington and the video game industry have spent the past month reaching out to one another in the wake of the Newtown shootings. Vice President Joe Biden met with a number of figures from the video game industry this month, and now Senate Bill 134, the Violent Content Research Act of 2013, is gaining support in the United States Senate from both Republicans and Democrats. Key figures in the video game industry are showing equal enthusiasm for the effort to pay closer attention to violent content. Disney CEO Bob Iger swore his company would keep an eye on its own video games’ violent content.
“Fortunately at Disney there’s very little [violent content], but I still want to make sure we’re asking ourselves the right questions in terms of that standard,” Iger told attendees at an HRTS Newsmakers Luncheon with Brian Grazer, “ [I want to ensure] we’re willing to be a part of a dialogue in today’s world that I think is pretty necessary in terms of what our role is and what our role should be.”
He also said that Disney would “take stock in everything we’ve got that can considered near the line or over the line.”
Iger’s statement that Disney doesn’t have much violent content in its stable isn’t quite true, depending on your perspective. Disney’s core brands, from Pixar films like The Incredibles to movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, are incredibly violent as are the works of its subsidiaries Marvel and Lucasfilm. The majority of parents may consider The Avengers and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith to be films that are appropriate for young children, but it doesn’t change the fact that these are movies that have graphic depictions of murder.
It is vitally important that people take stock of our entertainment industry. We do live in a culture that glorifies violence at every turn, whether it’s our worship of our own military, the preponderance of gun-centric television, movies, and video games, or even just our predilection for football. Disney’s willingness to cast on eye on itself is respectable, even if its objectivity is questionable. People need to ever be on guard against censorship and restriction, though.
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