text:
Online commerce is "getting healthier" before our eyes
# Market News
According to the results of the II quarter of 2023, the health index of Russian business in the field of e-commerce increased by 6% year-on-year, according to an analytical report prepared by the Calltouch platform, Tochka Bank, an online recruiting platform HH.ru .
Microenterprises feel the best in the small business segment. Their "health index" was 53 points, which is 12% more compared to the same period last year. The situation is somewhat worse for medium–sized companies: their "health index" has decreased by 11 to 39 points.
The increase in the volume of online commerce and the gradual "flow" of sales from offline to online platforms is a steady trend in recent years. According to forecasts, by the end of the year, sales in the e-commerce niche will reach 7.4 trillion rubles. In the second quarter of 2023, the turnover of SMEs in the field of online commerce increased by 63%, which is largely due to the rapid development of marketplaces and their popularity among the population.
The explosive growth of e-commerce in recent years has been explained by the attraction of new users. Now the opportunity to multiply the number of unique visitors is decreasing, so online stores are starting to use other ways to increase profits: increasing the average receipt, the appearance of new categories of goods and even services on sale," commented the head of customer experience at Calltouch


text:
FREEPORT — With the arrival of summer and plenty of tourists and shoppers, the town is seeing a surge of new businesses.
Eight businesses have opened or will be opening in Freeport by the the end of the month, according to Sande Updegraph, executive director of the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce, who said new businesses often open in Freeport at this time of year.
“It’s really indicative of not only springtime in Freeport, but of a surge in the state and national economies,” she said.
But Updegraph said it’s unusual how many have opened recently.
“We’ve never (had) quite this many in a five-week period,” she said.
Among the new arrivals are 18 Maple, a business offering group painting nights where wine is served. It also has a gallery, and owner Kit Munroe-Myers will be teaching art classes.
Artisan Maine on Lower Main Street is a crafts store, and Maine Wicked Goods Mercantile on Route 1 will be selling antiques, collectibles, and Maine-made items.
A hair salon called Freeport Salon is new on Independence Drive, and Coastal Maine Popcorn, a gourmet popcorn shop that also has locations in Boothbay Harbor, Portland, and Rockland, has opened on Main Street.
“We kind of always wanted to come to Freeport,” co-owner Julie Roberts said in May when the popcorn business was in the process of moving to town.
Updegraph said she’s glad the store is coming to Freeport because its unique.
“We’ve never had popcorn in Freeport and that’s a great tourist draw,” she said.
Stirling and Mull, a European-themed gastropub, is opening this week at 175 Lower Main St. The establishment, which will seat 120 in the dining area and 30 in a bar, will feature a beer wall and a wine wall, where customers can pour their own drinks.
The menu will mostly be Spanish, German, French and British.
“We are bringing food types that are currently lacking in the Freeport area,” co-owner Ed MacLean said in December. “And, while it is a restaurant, our desire is to share experiences to the greatest extent possible so we will have a European feel that no other restaurant in Freeport currently has.”
Updegraph said she thinks all the new businesses will all fit in well. “They’re all offering something different,” she said.
Updegraph said many of the businesses are locally owned, which goes against the common misconception that stores in Freeport are only national chain stores.
“The amount of locally owned businesses is increasing,” she said. “Adding more to the locally owned businesses will really bring more customers.”
Freeport Medical Center at 23 Durham Road will also be reopening. Updegraph said it’s been in Freeport for nine years, but has “expanded extensively.” The center will continue as a walk-in facility, but will now have more medical professionals, including two pediatricians and an obstetrician.
Updegraph said the new center is convenient because many departments are in one building.
“This is really a first for Freeport to have a coalesced group of medical practitioners,” she said.
While the chamber doesn’t record information to show how new businesses affect the town’s economy, Updegraph said she thinks the result of all the new establishments will be positive.
“I think this is a really positive thing for Freeport all the way around,” she said.

domain: news


text:
Bloom Festival 2018 launches in Dublin
Bloom 2018, the much-loved festival for gardening, lifestyle, food, arts and crafts, has opened its gates at Phoenix Park in Dublin, for a long weekend of magic and excitement for the entire family.
1 June 2018
Bloom 2018 has opened its gates at Dublin’s Phoenix Park, with Love Irish Food set to be one of the main attractions in the food area once again. This year, 27 member brands are representing Love Irish Food, which between them employ over 8,500 people directly and indirectly, and contribute an estimated €80m to the exchequer.
As Bloom’s visitors visit the ‘Meet the Makers’ marquee, they will sample more than 20,000 biscuits, 30,000 gelatos and 40,000 burgers, all while getting up close with some of Ireland’s most popular Irish food brands.
Visitors to Bloom are predicted to savour, sip and sample their way through the ‘Meet the Makers’ marquee, tasting more than 20,000 biscuits, 30,000 gelatos and 40,000 burger samples, all the while meeting the makers of many great Irish-produced food and drink brands.
Some of the Love Irish Food Brands include Flahavan’s, Ballymaloe Foods, Broderick’s Bros, East Coast Bakehouse, McCambridge Bread, Big Als & Bundys, Gino’s Gelato, O’Donnells Crisps, Golden Irish Eggs, Manor Farm, Coffee House Lane, The Jelly Bean Factory, Sussed and Spice O’Life. And new to Bloom this year Golden Bake and Sunshine Juices.
“We are delighted to return to Bloom’s food village again this year with our ‘Meet the Makers’ marquee,” said Kieran Rumley, executive director of Love Irish Food. “It has become a staple for foodies visiting this popular annual event. With the Irish food industry facing the challenge and the uncertainty from Brexit, it is vital that Irish shoppers have the opportunity to identify locally produced food brands, with the Love Irish Food logo. It helps emphasise their importance and contribution to local communities throughout Ireland.
“With 27 Love Irish Food member brands in the food village this year,” he said, “we’re looking forward to showcasing the best of Irish food at the festival.”
Bloom takes place until Monday 4 June, during which time an estimated 30,000 visitors are expected.


text:
Amazon Prime Video Mobile Edition (PVME) is the new mobile-only plan for prepaid customers announced by Amazon and Indian carrier Airtel on Wednesday, January 13, 2021.
PMVE subscription service starts at INR 89 per single user, it offers access to standard definition (SD) content for 28 days and includes 6GB of mobile data that customers can consume during the subscription period.
In addition, Amazon is offering a free month trial for PVME.
The other plan for PMVE will charge customers INR 299 but will offer 1.5GB of mobile data for each day of the subscription.
Here are other PMVE subscription services customers can choose from:
“India is one of our fastest-growing territories in the world with very high engagement rates. Buoyed by this response, we want to double-down by offering our much-loved entertainment content to an even larger base of Indian customers. Given high mobile broadband penetration in the country, the mobile phone has become one of the most widely used streaming devices.”said Jay Marine, vice president, Amazon Prime Video Worldwide, in a statement.
Source: Techcrunch, Amazon Prime Video IN


text:
Among the questions as the Covid pandemic recedes is how the gaming industry has been changed.
Initially, the discussion was often on the high margins that casino operators have achieved as they cut costs and how much of that improvement can be retained as normal business volumes resumed.
Based on first-quarter results, there is considerable optimism that casinos have learned how to permanently become more efficient, a surmise that may come closer to proven fact as companies begin reporting second-quarter financial performance and project into the future.
These changes might come under the category of blocking and tackling. The way to profit growth now isn’t so much spending on new properties, property expansions or new attractions as much as doing basic things right and freeing up revenue to fall to the bottom line.
Some companies, with two examples noted below, are using this era to fundamentally change their structures, both to dramatically reduce debt and financing costs, and to exploit the growth opportunities presented by online gaming.
Indeed, online gaming itself has been hastened by the pandemic as states legalize sports betting and iGaming to open new revenue streams and as both game developers and gaming operators develop omnichannel approaches to their businesses.
Scientific Games and Everi are two examples of companies whose stocks have been hitting all-time highs recently, and that are taking actions that promise to further reward investors.
First off, kudos to Chairman Jamie Odell and CEO Barry Cottle for a strategic review that proved to be just that.
Often, the term strategic review is a euphemism for “let’s just sell the company.”
In their case, the Sci Games strategic review is resulting in a strategic restructuring of the company.
And, in a sense, the proposed changes are just a dramatic way of achieving an end that the gaming industry is heading towards—being omnichannel providers of gambling entertainment.
Sci Games intends to slash the onerous debt built up financing a series of mergers by selling off the lottery business and non-core sports betting business to focus on the core business of supplying slots, table games and casino management systems plus fast-growing online gaming and social gaming.
Stifel analyst Jeffrey Stantial estimates that the sales could fetch $5.5 billion and allow Sci Games to cut its debt-to-EBITDA ratio to around three times. It was nearly 11 times to start the year, though that was inflated by Covid impacts on business.
Lower debt will permit Sci Games to invest in the fast-growing businesses that it is retaining.
The company is considering different routes to divestiture from IPOs to SPACs to sales. And, though it didn’t indicate as such in its announcement, Sci Games could keep a portion of the businesses, as when it IPO’d social gamer SciPlay.
Whatever path is chosen, the reorganization will simplify the corporate structure and help unify company culture, which had been challenged by the several mergers that created today’s Sci Games.
There is some irony that Scientific Games, principally a lottery company, had bought game companies during the merger binge and now will be a pure games company sans lottery. In retrospect, that seems to have been likely with former Aristocrat CEO Odell as executive chairman and in bringing on so many former Aristocrat executives.
Meanwhile, being an omnichannel supplier simply means that a game can be played in a slot machine, online or as a non-gambling social game.
It is the way the gaming industry is headed. For those who a couple of years ago asked where growth would come from in what was seen as a maturing industry, the answer is omnichannel.
Kudos To Everi, Also
Everi CEO Mike Rumbolz and COO Randy Taylor have their reasons to crow, too.
Everi is undergoing a comprehensive restructuring of its debt that, to use the popular term of the day, checked off all the boxes.
Everi already had given investors reasons to be bullish. The recovery in casino revenues directly benefits Everi’s fintech business. The expected rush to cashless gaming will benefit another fintech product. And Everi’s slots product line is now filled out and performing well.
The refinancing will cut debt from $1.145 billion to $1 billion, which B Riley analyst Dave Bain estimates will reduce debt-to-EBITDA to just 2.2 times by next year. That certainly will give Everi flexibility to invest in growth.
The first evidence of the success of this process was the announcement that Everi will sell $400 million in unsecured notes at 5 percent interest to redeem 7.5 percent debt.
It doesn’t hurt that Everi also announced that it will report record financial results in coming weeks.
Casino operators are also showing the benefit of rethinking how they do business and of exploiting the digital opportunities.
The list of operators reporting higher earnings thanks to a rethinking of how they do business is long. We expect that second-quarter results will prove this out for many of them, from the biggest, such as Caesars, to the smallest, such as Full House Resorts, and others in between.


text:
Better than we dared hope?
Journalists make a habit of writing ‘end-of-year’ blogs. It’s something that I’ve tried to avoid; partly because it always seems a rather lazy choice of topic and partly...Read more
Rather sad at the news that Nidd Vale Motors has gone into administration; and not just because it’s always a pity when one of our leading auto retail groups buckles, especially for the staff...Read more
This year’s SMMT annual dinner was a grand affair with an whopping 1100 industry luminaries in attendance. And me. Joking aside, as an industry we’ve found ourselves at the end of the year...Read more
Two fine examples of marketing hyperbole have kept me amused this week and both of them relate to electric cars – or rather, I should say, sales of electric cars. The first is the new tag line...Read more
Last week I attended the launch of Carcom, yet another web-based system that claims to be an ideal way of sourcing more used car stock. When I say ‘launch’ that’s probably a bit...Read more
Amusing to read the rather testy response this week from Halfords after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that one of its adverts was misleading. The ad tried to claim that Halfords...Read more


text:
Holistic Therapist and Coach, Kanta Motwani, has recently been named as one of America’s PremierExperts® in recognition of her knowledge and passion in coaching.
ORLANDO, Fla. – July, 2, 2015 - Kanta Motwani has recently been acknowledged by America’s PremierExperts® as one of the leading experts in her field. America’s PremiereExperts® recognizes leading experts, across a wide array of industries, who are willing to provide information and education to consumers as a public service.
Kanta is a graduate from Thames Valley University in London. She is the co-author of Soul of Success with Jack Canfield, and author of My life journey to self-awareness. She is also a public speaker and personal development coach. She works as a professional Holistic Therapist online as well as at her own private consultancy. As a CEO at a non-lucrative association the company works to contribute to international humanitarian projects.
About American’s PremierExperts®
America’s PremierExperts® is an organization that recognizes business experts for their willingness to promote free expert content in their field of expertise to consumers and journalists alike, while offering business owners, entrepreneurs, professional speakers, authors, professionals and corporate CEOs exclusive, invitation-only, opportunities for further exposure and growth in the marketplace. JW Dicks, Esq. and Nick Nanton, Esq., attorneys by trade and entrepreneurs by choice, founded America’s PremierExperts® to honor entrepreneurs, CEOs, authors, professional speakers and businesspeople who are dedicated to spreading knowledge and awareness in their field of expertise and making significant contributions to their industry and the marketplace as a whole.
For more information on Kanta Motwani please visit http://www.kantamotwani.com/
For more information about America’s PremierExperts® visit http://www.AmericasPremierExperts.com
Dicks and Nanton Branding Agency®
Phone: 407.215.7564 ext:7014


text:
2D printers are about to get their biggest step yet in a major technology revolution: The next big step in manufacturing is being used for 3D printing.
For the first time, printers will be able to print larger files than they ever have before.
The world’s biggest printer company, MakerBot, announced Thursday that it will begin offering the software-based printer at select stores in the U.S. and Europe, in a bid to revolutionize the way people shop.
MakerBot’s 3D printer is a desktop 3D scanner, and is meant to be used in manufacturing for small-scale projects.
3D printers have been around for decades, but the company that pioneered the process has only recently begun making commercial products.
MakerBot announced it is now offering a new version of its MakerBot Replicator 2 printer, called MakerBot 3D Scanner 2, for $1,499.
This printer has a larger footprint, and its prints have a higher density than any other current model.
Makerbot 3Dscanner 2 prints large-format images in a format that could be used for medical imaging, or even to make jewelry.
Makerbots first offered the new version to print jewelry in 2015, but that was soon replaced with the new printer.
It’s unclear how many printers will eventually be available, but Makerbot has announced that it plans to offer up to 100,000 in the next three years.”3D printing will revolutionize how people design and make everything from jewelry to furniture,” MakerBot CEO Jim Rogers said in a statement.
“This revolutionary technology will revolutionise how we print, ship, and design all of the things we use everyday.
Maker bots and 3D scanning will transform the manufacturing world.”
MakerBot said it will offer its new 3D-printed products at a range of retail stores including Lowe’s, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Staples, and Amazon.
The company said that the first batch of 3D printed jewelry is expected to hit stores in mid-September.
The printers will also be available in other major retailers.
In addition to being able to use the new printers, consumers will be given the option to order an unlimited number of them through a free shipping program, which the company said will start in the second half of 2019.
Maker Bot’s new product, which will be available at its home in the Silicon Valley, will include the ability to print with the MakerBot logo.
It will also have a wide selection of filament options, which can be used to print clothing, jewelry, furniture, or more.
Maker Bots’ new 3d printer will be the first 3D printable filament that is also a consumer product.
The product will also come in a variety of sizes and colors, and can be purchased through MakerBot and its partners.
The filament is available for $15 per liter, which is roughly 10 times the price of MakerBot cartridges that are typically used for filament, Makerbot said.
The printer has also been made to be able, via a special software, to print large-sized files.
This means that MakerBot is one of the few companies to offer 3D prints for small businesses, and the printer will allow them to print a large-scale file.
Maker’s latest product is a product that will allow consumers to print an image for a design, or to build a 3D model of a home.
The MakerBot Digital Designer 3D Printer is a $299 desktop-sized desktop-based 3D design program that uses an inkjet printer and laser-cut wood.
It is also available for consumers to use in home decor, office supplies, and more.
The company said it is also offering a “mini-3D printer” that will be used with the 3D scanners and printers it has already announced.
The Mini 3D Printing is an ink-jet printer that can print a 1-inch square piece of 3d model paper, as well as a 2-inch rectangle of plastic.
It has been designed for homes, retail, and office applications.


text:
In the near future, Karma might expand from sports and luxury plug-in cars (the company currently offers only Revero GT/GTS) to electric pickup trucks and SUVs.
According to Bloomberg's article, the concept version of a pickup is expected by the end of this year. A few months ago, Karma hinted at the possibility of using its powertrains in larger vehicle platforms - like pickup trucks, so it seems that the topic is further explored.
Karma's approach is to use a new all-wheel-drive platform (all-electric we believe), but there are no details.
Kevin Pavlov, the new COO of Karma (formerly at Ford and Magna) said:
"We can bring a utility vehicle into the market and be differentiated,"
The other area of expansion is all-electric cars, heralded by the Karma SC2 Concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show.


text:
Her business may not be as exciting as e-commerce, but Melissa Craig has found a way to successfully tap into the telecommunications revolution.
She has built a $14 million company in lower Manhattan in the mundane business of telephone call switching. General Telecom Inc. leases space on its computers to telecom providers, enabling them to route telephone calls into and out of the United States. Her customers range from international carriers and calling card companies to Internet service providers.
General Telecom has become so dominant in its niche that "going to Melissa's" has become industry code for buying switching services.
Ms. Craig was one of the first to spy the need in the market for an independent provider of switching services and create a business to satisfy it. While big carriers also lease space on their switches, they usually do it as part of a larger agreement that obligates customers to send traffic over the carrier's network.
Ms. Craig has made a bet that companies need the ability to route traffic in and out of New York and other U.S. cities cheaply and with no strings attached.
"There's an opportunity for one company to be the ubiquitous telecom utility," says Ms. Craig.
She won't disclose her profits but says her margins are wider than those of carriers with bigger revenue streams. The company expects to do $20 million in business next year.
Still, skeptics say that just selling space on a switch is too narrow a business, and that the future of telecom lies in providing network services.
A switch of our own
Ms. Craig, a former telecom equipment salesperson, started her company in 1990 as a reseller of used telecom switches, computers used to route calls. She learned early on that what her customers really wanted was their own switches in high-traffic cities. Most, however, couldn't justify spending $2.5 million to buy their own switch or hiring an army of engineers to operate it.
With her partners Tom Tilton, a former engineer with ITT and Cable & Wireless, and her sister Jeanne Swanke, she crafted a plan to put fire walls between small slices of a high-powered switch -- a process called switch partitioning -- and rent out the segments to different telecom providers.
They launched the new business the same week as the 1996 telecommunications deregulation legislation was passed and a raft of telecom wannabes were getting set to revolutionize the industry.
Nearly four years later, General Telecom is no longer a reseller of used equipment but a switch operator for upward of 50 telecom providers, which pay $500 to $700 a month per port on the switch. The company has become a way station for more than 1 billion minutes of voice and data traffic a year, 90% of it international.
Ms. Craig has operations in New York, Los Angeles and Miami, and plans to fire up switches next year in Hong Kong, London and Mexico City, all gateway cities for international phone traffic.
And she's looking at deals that would have General Telecom do customers' billing as well as ventures that involve the burgeoning business of buying and selling telecom minutes.
People will talk
She discounts critics who say the business is too limited.
"We're in the right place at the right time with this service," says Ms. Craig. "We have a huge range of customers and applications, from (foreign telephone companies) to two guys with a cell phone and a briefcase trying to figure out how to get traffic out of Beirut."
Customers say General Telecom's services allow them to look and act bigger than they are and to take advantage of rapidly changing network prices for moving their customers' calls.
"Melissa provides the ability to take advantage of least-cost routing without having to own your own switch," says Paul Butler, president of Empire One Telecom Inc., a Manhattan-based company that caters to Chinese and Irish populations that do a lot of overseas calling. "She gave us the ability to skim cream inexpensively."


text:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- AT&T's wireless customer base topped 100 million for the first time this quarter, even as iPhone sales slowed while customers waited for the new model.
AT&T (Fortune 500) activated 2.7 million iPhones in the quarter that ended Sept. 30, a decline from the 3.6 million iPhones it activated in the previous quarter. That trend should reverse in the current quarter: The new iPhone 4S hit stores Oct. 14, and Apple said it sold a record 4 million iPhones in the first three days it was available.,
AT&T activated 1 million new iPhones in the first few days after the launch, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said Thursday on a conference call with analysts.
"It's been our most successful launch in history," he said.
But Google's (Fortune 500) Android is chipping away at the iPhone's lead. Sales of Android devices doubled compared to last year, and almost half of the 4.8 million smartphones AT&T sold this quarter were Android devices, the company said.,
AT&T plans to release its first 4G LTE-capable smartphones this quarter. That plus the iPhone should make for "blockbuster" sales, de la Vega told analysts.
"We expect to have the best fourth-quarter smartphones sales we've ever had," he said.
AT&T's revenue for the third quarter was $31.5 billion, down very slightly compared to last year, but its sales from its two growth engines -- data and wireless services -- rose 5%, to $21.7 billion. The amount of money AT&T makes monthly off each of its core "postpaid" subscribers (those who take out long-term contracts) also rose for the 11th quarter in a row, reaching an average of $63.69. AT&T's net income for the quarter was $3.6 billion.
Smartphones aren't the only devices AT&T customers are snapping up: Data-only gadgets including tablets, aircards, MiFi hotspots and data-tethering plans are proliferating. AT&T added 505,000 data-only device connections to its network this quarter, for a total of 4.5 million.
AT&T archrival Verizon (Fortune 500), the nation's largest wireless carrier, will offer its third-quarter financial results on Friday.,
|What we want Apple to unveil at WWDC|
|Millennials squeezed out of buying a home|
|7 traits the rich have in common|
|Big Data knows you're sick, tired and depressed|
|Your car is a giant computer - and it can be hacked|


text:
Clergy are to be asked to discourage cremation because of the greenhouse gases generated, to drive around in electric cars and to urge congregations to wear extra coats to save on heating.
Tomorrow Williams will make a keynote speech outlining the church’s growing commitment to green causes and emphasising that humans should no longer see themselves as having “dominion” over the earth. Instead they are its stewards, he will say.
The archbishop has tried to set an example by taking delivery of an environmentally friendly, semi-electric Honda Civic IMA as his chauffeur-driven official car.
As part of the campaign, nine senior bishops recently held a meeting to discuss proposals to encourage “green” funerals.
In the ceremonies, designed by the Arbory Trust charity, the dead are…


text:
THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING has selected PragmatIC Semiconductor as one of the three finalists for the 2021 MacRobert Award, the most prestigious prize for UK engineering innovation. View the announcement and PragmatIC video to learn more.
INTERNET RETAILING. For the retail sector, the Covid-19 crisis has had a widespread impact, forcing brands to assess how technology can help them to understand, communicate with and reward their consumers in smarter and more effective ways.
THE ENGINEER. The rebound in automotive manufacturing has been hindered by a global shortage of semiconductors. Scott White, CEO at PragmatIC, believes the industry should be actively developing models that support tighter integration of semiconductor manufacturing into critical supply chains.
PragmatIC Semiconductor has a game changing FlexIC Foundry service. For the first time, it is now possible for design houses, product companies and R&D organisations to quickly prototype and then...
OPE JOURNAL. In this article we discuss the potential for PragmatIC's FlexICs in healthcare applications. Recent events have pushed the accelerator on innovation and digitisation. More is coming that will enable improved outcomes for us all.
ENTREPRENEURS' FORUM PODCAST. Listen to Scott White, CEO at PragmatIC, explaining why he is so passionate about driving forward innovation to deliver novel ultra-low-cost flexible electronics that help improve sustainability and healthcare.
SUPPLY CHAIN WORLD. Retailers and brands are looking for innovative ways to boost business, improve supply chain efficiencies and engage with consumers. Incorporating RFID and novel flexible electronics into everyday objects could be a real game changer. Read this PragmatIC article to learn more.
Silicon integrated circuits (ICs or chips) have evolved to depend on software to define what tasks they perform, enabling them to execute a variety of tasks, which is ideal for complex...
The PragmatIC Semiconductor team was thrilled to win The Award for Innovation at the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards, in recognition of our exciting flexible electronics technology that enables innovators to create novel solutions to improve everyday life.
SILICON.CO.UK. Inficon, a leading supplier of process control and factory operations software to the semiconductor manufacturing industry, has been selected by PragmatIC Semiconductor to provide a factory optimization and control system.
There are many challenging goals that have been set that aim to reduce climate change by increasing recycling and reducing the amounts in landfill. There is no magic wand that will solve the issue overnight, but this insight article explores how RFID can help to improve collection rates.
ELECTRONICS WEEKLY. Cambridge-based flexible electronics company PragmatIC has been awarded a £1.3m contract by the UK Government Sustainable Innovation Fund for a recycling scheme based on NFC technology. Up to a million electronic tags will be involved.


text:
Listen: MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International Expects $100 Million Profit Reduction Due to Recent Cyberattack
MGM Resorts International, the leading casino operator on the Las Vegas Strip, has announced that its third-quarter profit will be impacted by approximately $100 million due to a recent computer hack.
The company has also incurred less than $10 million in expenses to combat the attack, including costs for technology consulting services and legal fees. However, MGM believes that most of these expenses will be covered by cybersecurity insurance.
Despite the breach, the company assures that the damage has been contained. However, hackers have accessed customers’ personal information who visited the resorts before March 2019, such as Social Security and passport numbers.
In response to the attack, MGM swiftly shut down its systems to protect customer information and is conducting a thorough investigation.
CEO Bill Hornbuckle assured customers of the company’s dedication to mitigating risks and maintaining privacy. Reports suggest that the hackers accessed MGM’s computer systems by deceiving IT service desk staff.
It is worth noting that Caesars Entertainment Inc. also fell victim to the same group and opted to pay them off.
The cyberattack severely impacted MGM’s casino and hotel operations nationwide.
Guests had to provide their information through clipboards during check-in manually, and slot machine payouts were made in person instead of paper vouchers.
Furthermore, credit card usage and online room reservations were temporarily unavailable. As a result, the company reported an 88% hotel occupancy rate in September, compared to 93% in the previous year.
However, MGM anticipates a return to normalcy in October and November, especially with the upcoming Formula One race.
MGM ensures customers that no passwords or bank account information were compromised, and there have been no reports of identity theft or fraud related to the hack.
The company remains committed to enhancing its security measures to prevent future incidents.


text:
Jaguar Land Rover are creating 1,000 new jobs at their Halewood plant to keep up with orders for the Range Rover Evoque and Freelander 2.
We’ve reported umpteen times on Land Rover’s order book for the Range Rover Evoque, and how the stylish new entry-level Range Rover has scored a direct hit with buyers, And that’s now translating in to even more jobs at Land Rover, just nine months after Evoque production started.
JLR has announced the creation of 1,000 extra jobs at their Halewood plant on Merseyside to try and keep pace with the burgeoning order book not just for the Range Rover Evoque, but also for the Freelander 2 which is also being created as CKDs for shipping to India.
The addition of a further 1,000 jobs at Halewood will take the workforce there to nearly 4,500, three times the number employed three years ago, and will be accommodated by moving Halewood on to a three shift system of three 8 hour shifts over 24 hours.
The jobs on offer at Halewood include production operators, supervisors and engineers with all new employees getting training towards an Intermediate (Level 2) Apprenticeship. But it’s not just jobs at Land Rover, with JLR expecting jobs in the supply chain to increase by many thousands.
Real jobs in a real manufacturing installation. Can’t be bad.
Range Rover Evoque Photo Gallery
(19 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)


text:
China Telecom (Macau), which has been granted a 5G licence, expects to start its service in the city before the end of this year.
However, the other new licence holder, CTM, has already started registering customers and stated it will launch next Monday.
China Telecom (Macau) said it will develop various 5G applications in the city that are “conducive to Macao’s social development and will offer residents more convenience in their daily lives, by making full use of the extensive experience of its parent company, China Telecom, in running a 5G service in mainland China.
Neither operator has revealed how much customers will have to pay for the new service.
Both CTM and China Telecom (Macau) have noted that customers will be able to use the 5G service with an Android 5G smartphone, but those with iPhones will only be able to enjoy the 5G service next quarter at the earliest.


text:
The world’s most populous country already is the largest meat importing nation and “looks like it’s poised to play a major role in meat markets in the future,” said USDA senior economist Fred Gale on Thursday. China’s imports of beef, pork and poultry are projected by USDA to grow by 29% in the coming decade.
“Our projections show that China will continue to grow those meat imports up to more than 10 million metric tons by the end of the projection period (2030),” said Gale during a panel discussion at USDA”s Agricultural Outlook Forum of the trade landscape in China, the world’s largest agricultural importer. “This is something that’s caught us all off-guard.”
Meat imports by China totaled 8.5 million tonnes, including 4.8 million tonnes of pork, in 2020, according to USDA. The total would dip to 8.3 million tonnes, with pork dropping to 4.5 million tonnes, this year for a one-year wobble in an otherwise steady increase over the years.
Chinese meat production reached a plateau in 2014 of around 88 million tonnes. It fell due to a deadly swine epidemic in 2020. China says it is rebuilding its hog herd and expects its domestic prok supply to rebound this year. But Gale said China “may be approaching or surpassing its carrying capacity for animal protein production,” which would make imports a crucial question since China prefers to be as self-sufficient as possible in food.
“This year, they’re already well below those (self sufficiency in meat) targets…Will China restrict meat imports when Chinese pork prices eventually fall towards normal prices?”
The Biden administration is reviewing U.S. relations, including the so-called phase one trade agreement, with China at present. “As we go further into 2021, there’s a good chance we’ll start to see some negotiation between the United States and China,” said David Dollar, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution.
“Early in 2022,” responded Dollar to a question of when to expect a phase two agreement, which would tackle Chinese trade practices that the United States views as predatory and unfair. USDA trade counsel Jason Hafemeister said he believed there would be a phase two deal but “don’t ask me when. Asked for a thumbs up or thumbs down on prospects for phase two, Gale responded, “I’m going to go sideways.”


text:
Hotel digital marketing is rapidly going mobile, according to speakers at last week’s Digital Marketing Strategy Conference conducted by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International.
Lalia Rach, partner and founder of Rach Enterprises, opened the event by encouraging attendees to put away their electronic devices to test themselves.
“In some ways marketing is just digital today … take a pledge not to use any digital device for a day and see how long you last,” Rach said. “We are constantly attached and wearable technology will make it ubiquitous.”
In a seminar called “Mobile: Why the biggest opportunities are now in the smallest moments,” Shaun Aukland, senior account executive at Google, said mobile use continues to grow.
“Much of the usage growth is on mobile, but it’s not just usage,” Aukland said. “Mobile is the device people care most about whether it’s for work, research or leisure. The change is that we no longer ‘go online,’ we live online. And it has created what we call micro-moments—those times when we turn to a device with some urgency to learn, discover or buy something. It is an intent-rich moment. This is the new battleground—when people want to act.”
What does this mean for hotel marketers who are trying to reach elusive travelers?
“The phone is now the main screen,” Aukland said. “Mobile is not just for last-minute decisions, although that remains a strong component. And it’s not just about apps because half of travelers still use a company’s website after downloading their app. As a result of this shift toward mobile micro-moments, brand loyalty is eroding as consumers look to who can provide a solution right now.”
Aukland said that when it comes to what device people prefer to connect to the Internet, while there is some growth in tablet use, phone use is soaring as desktop and laptop use are declining. He said 58% of all searches are now done on phones.
Speed is a critical factor when it comes to reaching that elusive travel booker via mobile, he said.
“The greatest impact you can make is reducing a page loading time from three seconds to two,” Aukland said. “That will cut your bounce rate in half.”
Aukland cited a Google tool called PageSpeed Insights that lists companies by the speed at which their pages load. The most recent leaders in hospitality when it came to page speed were Booking.com, InterContinental Hotels Group, Airbnb, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation and TripAdvisor. Factors contributing to page speed include picture size, use of videos and complex design.
Maximizing digital marketing has even come down to how consumers physically hold the phone.
“We are working to understand mobile behavior,” said Anil Aggarwal, CEO of Milestone Internet Marketing. “For instance, a lot of people do everything on the phone with one hand and you have to design appropriately—even though that might create issues for left handers.”
Mobile platforms and content types
In a session titled, “Coming to a small screen near you: Mobile video in 2016,” Eric Schwamberger, chief marketing and content officer for Tenth Wave Digital, said that as content creators, marketers “not only have to consider the importance of the content we are creating but also how that content will be served to our consumer—in this case on mobile.”
“Mobile is now as much a mindset as a device,” Schwamberger said. “In 2016, mobile will go beyond smartphones and tablets to be considered part of a distributed mobile web where people want to move seamlessly among devices without having to start over when they switch devices. Brands that learn how to connect devices will have a huge advantage.”
Mobile cannot be considered an “afterthought for marketers,” Schwamberger said, as “mcommerce” (ecommerce via mobile) sales are expected to reach $130 billion by 2018 and three-fourths of mobile data use will be video by 2020.
Schwamberger said there will be significant improvements in push notifications on mobile, which he conceded have been a nuisance.
“You will see more purpose and reason for notifications, and if you send something that means something to the receiver, they will thank you,” he said.
Video is another content type thriving in the mobile environment, and Schwamberger offered tips for making videos work on mobile:
- Shorter is better.
- Think local and be relevant.
- Be engaging and never intrusive.
- Creativity is key for ads; include images that catch the eye.
- Start with a hook that captures users right away.
- Use quick cuts, not long scenes.
- Use oversized text.
- Make sound secondary—many people have it turned down.
- Have a call to action.
- Relying on emotion is very effective with mobile.
See more at: http://hotelnewsnow.com/Article/17685/HSMAI-Digital-marketing-goes-mobile


text:
Capçanes Cooperative (DO Montsant) has renewed its board and has promoted a strategic plan that it expects to increase sales by 5% this year and 15% in 2013 and 2014.
After 32 years as president, Francesc Blanc, the great promoter of this cooperative founded in 1933, has designated a new president, Marcel Ferre, who explains that his goal is "to return as a reference."
The new manager, Joan Maria Sabaté, sees "an opportunity" in the Madrid market. He claims that "it is a difficult area but not impossible".
It is working to introduce new high-end red wines while maintaining confidence in its organic wines started last year with the Mas Picosa.
Also still betting decidedly for the kosher wines: 30,000 bottles per year who have given great international visibility and prestige.
Tuesday, 28th August 2012


text:
June 21, 2013
By: Michael Ryall In its early days strategy was a loose affair. Content originated either from commonsense approaches such as SWOT analysis or from frameworks like the Boston Consulting Group's growthshare matrix. In 1979, however, Michael Porter's five forces model changed the field forever. It masterfully synthesised practical implications of economic research on industrial organisations from the 1960s and 1970s. Knowledge-based innovation put strategy on the map as a field of study, virtually overnight.
July 22, 2015 |
MUMBAI: The Raymond Group is reworking its consumer products strategy to enter newer categories, and has roped in a celebrity endorser to bump up sales of its deodorants. The textile major's FMCG company, JK Helene Curtis (JKHC), has signed up actor-director Farhan Akhtar to push sales of its Park Avenue brand of deodorants in the Rs 3,500-crore segment that has close to 1,000 brands. "Farhan Akhtar will appeal to younger consumers who are now getting fatigued...
April 13, 2015
By Neha Singh Verma, TimesJobs.com The focus of the Business Process Management (BPM) industry in 2015 remains on leveraging technology and strengthening human resource capabilities, says Hanumant Talwar , MD and country manager for Convergys India and China in an interview with TimesJobs.com. In a changing industry, what should a leader focus on to stay ahead of competition? Some qualities of an effective leader in the...
November 26, 2012 |
Statistical arbitrage is a strategy used by savvy traders to benefit from aberrations in prices of two or more financial instruments that are related or similar in nature. A simple arbitrage would be between a stock trading on two different exchanges at different prices, or a stock and its futures. Statistical arbitrage is more sophisticated and involves profiting from mispricing in a large set of stocks or financial instruments, including derivatives, currencies and...
June 18, 2003 |
Chennai-based Umak Resource Communications, which calls itself a creative strategy and solutions company, has launched a revenue-sharing partnership scheme called Honeybee. According to a news paper report, the company will be associating with interested parties, initially, in cities such as Hyderabad, Kochi and Coimbatore. The partners will have access to Umak's expertise and technical support and will be required to leverage their marketing skills to build the business for the latter.


text:
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
The “unauthorized” order to import sugar has stirred up a hornet’s nest. It was deemed improper because President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was not consulted and he promised that “heads will roll.”
As if on cue, Roland Beltran, an official of the Sugar Regulatory Commission (SRA), quit his post on August 14 as the millers’ representative in SRA “for health reasons.” His resignation was promptly accepted by Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez but “without prejudice to any investigation that may be conducted in connection with the issuance of Sugar Order No. 4.” Beltran is one of the signatories to the “illegal” sugar importation order, which would have allowed the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar by the third quarter of this year. Other resignations in SRA followed suit and Congress called for the whole “mess” to be investigated.
Other than Beltran allegedly sideswiping Marcos Jr. on the planned importation, the public was kept in the dark as to the reasons the aborted importation was deemed illegal. Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles only explained that her boss, who doubles as the country’s Agriculture Secretary, rejected the proposal because Sebastian had no authority to sign the order.
From my vantage point, it looks to me that the “Wharton-educated” Marcos Jr.’s knee-jerk reaction could have been a rookie misstep: unfamiliarity with the Philippine sugar inventory and the industry’s complexities. His action was eerily similar to his take on the country’s inflation rate, contradicting the numbers churned out by his economic advisers. In the end, he realized the need to import sugar. He announced that his government would import 150 metric tons, half of what Sebastian had proposed. This would be done by October, he said, when around 127 metric tons still stored in various sugar millers warehouses would have been consumed.
The government’s decision to import sugar highlights the urgency of stabilizing the market. There is obviously a local sugar shortage, gauging by the surging market prices. Refined sugar is hovering at P100+ per kilo, an increase of 50% from just a few weeks ago. World sugar prices are typically lower than the local retail prices. As of August 22, 9:09 PM, world sugar prices was at US$17.88 per pound, shedding US$0.2, down by 1.16% from the previous day (source: tradingeconomics.com)
More than going after hoarders (who the government blames for sugar shortage), I believe that this administration should be flexible in classifying its sugar allocation. As it is, under the quedan system, 4% of the country’s total sugar production is allocated for US quota (which is classified as class A), 76% for domestic sugar (class B), 10% for reserves (class C), and 10% for world market exports (class D).
If there is a shortage, does this mean we have used up our 10% reserve? Can we not reclassify the allocation for the United States quota and for world market exports as class B which will divert all allocation to the domestic market?
The problem hounding the sugar industry has persisted for decades. The major contributor has been the extent of protection the sugar industry has been enjoying from the government.
In a 2007 study for the World Bank penned by respected agricultural experts Cristina David, Ponciano Intal, and Arsenio Balisacan, sugar is the most highly supported product in the country. Tariff rates for sugar have been favorably above 50%, even if they are rated below for imports from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
While it is true that protected high domestic price of sugar has helped support the sugar industry, local production has not been productive; nor has it become more competitive over time. It only increased the cost of sugar for consumers and food and beverage manufacturers, and emasculated the competitiveness of the latter.
But the key reason, I believe, is the intrusion of the government in the supply chain, better known as the quedan system, wherein the government intervenes in the market supply for sugar. When milling season starts in August of each year, the SRA allocates a certain portion of the produced sugar to different markets, including those for export to the US, for domestic consumption, for reserves, and for export to countries other than the US. This system was created in the 1930’s for the orderly distribution of the US allocation or quotas among different sugar producers, as many planters and millers then wanted to sell their produce in the lucrative American market, which typically paid more than local markets.
This system continues by virtue of an executive order in 1986 which created the SRA. By keeping the quedan and allowing exports to the US market, both local producers and consumers lose. Local producers receive lower prices for their product and domestic consumers pay higher because of the reduced supply of the commodity.
At the same time, the quedan system enables the government to justify setting limits on the volume of sugar being brought into the country. Classified under one of the markets under the system, sugar imported by traders must first have clearance from the SRA before the cargo is released by the Bureau of Customs. Many observers view the quedan as a so-called nontariff barrier, which constrains trade in the commodity, and is apparently not allowed under multilateral trade rules. While the government has from time to time been responsive to domestic prices by periodically adjusting the amount of allowable importations, the experience in previous years has been that the volume of sugar imports has not adequately corrected high prices of the commodity.
There is also this planter-miller sharing arrangement that is exclusive to the sugar industry (Republic Act No. 809). Under this arrangement planters collect 70% of the milled sugar, while the millers get only 30% as “service fee.”
This is so unlike the direct crop payments practiced for other farm products, and with the cane purchase system that is practiced globally. Under the cane purchase system, the miller pays the planters for all cane delivered, at prices depending on cane quality. The cane purchase system allows the miller to procure full ownership of processed output. Still another alternative is toll milling, where the planter pays the miller a service fee while maintaining ownership of the cane and the product(s) derived from it. The sharing system implies shared ownership over the milled sugar, which introduces considerable disincentives on both sides of the transaction.
To illustrate: let us say that a mill is contemplating a change in its production practice or an upgrade in its equipment to add 100 tons of sugar to its yield. Such an investment will equal the value of 40 tons of sugar. Since the mill share is only 30% under the sharing system, the miller will get only 30 out of the 100 additional tons which means the investment will net a negative 10 tons. This makes no economic sense and would eliminate all incentives to invest in milling practice improvements. Under the cane purchase system, however, the mill keeps all 100 tons of increased output and gains a net of 60 tons.
Strong lobby to keep the status quo is what is pulling down the industry. No administration has succeeded in cutting the umbilical cord that is feeding the sugar barons’ ostentatious lifestyle. Perhaps it is high time for the government to disengage itself from the industry and let market forces rule its fate. The abolition of the SRA is the first step in the right direction.
Over the years, fewer hectares are being planted to sugarcane by farmers who have been shifting to faster-growing and more profitable crops. Extreme weather conditions and high fertilizer prices are further reducing yield. With a worsening shortage and surging prices of the commodity, is it any wonder that sugar is becoming a bitter pill to swallow for Filipino producers and consumers alike? – Rappler.com
Val A. Villanueva is a veteran business journalist. He was a former business editor of the Philippine Star and the Gokongwei-owned Manila Times. For comments, suggestions email him at email@example.com.
How does this make you feel?


text:
By Anna Ellis • 12 January 2023 • 16:02
Consumer card spending grew 4.4 per cent year-on-year in the UK during December which is slightly higher than November (3.9 per cent) but well below the 9.3 per cent rise in consumer price inflation.
Hospitality and travel received a boost from Christmas parties, the FIFA World Cup and 2023 holiday bookings, while the cold snap saw growth in utilities spending climb even higher, and postal strikes hampered online retail meaning shoppers headed to the high street for last-minute gifts.
Data from Barclays, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, reveals that spending on essential items increased 5.1 per cent in December 2022, though this was slightly lower than November’s year-on-year growth (7.1 per cent), with spending on fuel seeing its smallest rise (10.6 per cent) since March 2021, as petrol and diesel prices continued to fall.
Supermarket spending remained in growth (up 5.5 per cent) however this was lower than the 6.5 per cent growth observed in November. Food and drink specialist stores also fell back into decline (-0.2 per cent) a possible sign that shoppers had already stocked up on festive food and drink, making the most of discounts and deals offered in the run-up to Christmas, while also looking to get ahead of any supply chain issues.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories; remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you donâ€™t already have one. Review our
Originally from the UK, Anna is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at [email protected]
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.


text:
Avelo Airlines will offer a twice-weekly nonstop service to Palm Springs via RDM. Learn more here.
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Avelo Airlines on Friday began offering twice-a-week seasonal nonstop service to Palm Springs, California from Central Oregon’s Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM).
Avelo said it is the only airline at RDM offering nonstop service to Palm Springs. Very low, one-way fares between RDM and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) starting at $39* are available at AveloAir.com.
Here’s the rest of the airline’s news release giving the details of the previously announced flights:
The new route will operate on Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft…
The founder of Patagonia is giving away the company to help combat climate change and protect lands around the world. Learn more here.
Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, has announced that his family is giving away the wildly profitable apparel company. In lieu of selling the $3 Billion company, the family is donating it to a specially designed set of trusts and nonprofit organizations.
The trust and nonprofits will ensure that the company’s profits of around $100 million a year will be used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped lands around the world.
Patagonia will continue to operate as a private, for-profit corporation from its headquarters in Ventura, CA.
You can read all about how Yvon built…
Kah-Nee-Ta has plans to reopen! Find out all the details here.
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs will partner with Ski Bowl to reopen Kah-Nee-Ta Village, which closed in 2018.
According to a press release, Tribal Council “approved $4.58 million to bring back the popular “fun in the sun” experience for visitors, while greatly expanding the authentic hot springs soaking experiences in the recreational pool areas and Motel, Teepee, and RV lodging areas.”
An additional $1.5 million was approved for to repair the wastewater system that serves Kah-Nee-Ta and local community.
The resort is expected to reopen in 2023.
The rest of the press release is below:
The Tribe is funding the project with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.…
T-Mobile for Business teamed up with BackyardBend to help give a big boost to a small, local business. All of us would like to congratulate Jackaroo Pies as the big winner of the $10,000radio advertising grant to advertise Jackaroo Pies on our four Central Oregon radio stations.
BackyardBend would like to thank T-Mobile for Business for helping local businesses like Jackaroo Pies, the winner of the $10,000 radio advertising grant. Head down to Jackaroo Pies at the Box Factory in Bend today or visit them online at jackroopies.com.
Two long-standing Bend businesses will be moving to new locations.. Find out more here.
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Wall St. Bar and the Taj Palace, which have been in Bend’s downtown for 20 years, will be moving to a new location soon.
The move is because of a lease dispute, according to the bar’s owner, Dolly Miller.
Wall St. Bar has been in the historic building at 917 NW Wall Street for nearly 25 years. The Taj Palace, which shares the space with the bar, has been there for about 20 years.
“It’s a lot of history here,” bartender Chris Warlick said Tuesday.
Warlick has been a patron and occasional bartender of the bar for 15 years.


text:
Nintendo just finished a strategy meeting where new CEO Tatsumi Kimishima went into details about the future of the Big N. Here’s some things we learned:
Nintendo’s currently known roster of games isn’t all we’re getting this year. Both Wii U and 3DS will see new releases that we don’t know before the ball drops Dec. 31st. My guess is that one of them will be Twilight Princess HD.
The membership service to replace Club Nintendo is called Nintendo Account. It will connect phone and console games with a cloud-based service, hopefully allowing cloud backups a-la PS+.
Nintendo’s first smartphone game has been pushed back to March 2016. Its title is “Miitomo” and will be free to play with microtransactions. Your Miis communicate with other Miis while you’re away, “revealing a side of your friends you never knew”. It seems to be a spinoff of Tomodachi Life. This is the first of five smartphone games Nintendo plans to put out by March 2017. Other games will be pay-to-own.
This is Miitomo pic.twitter.com/2nkiLdZuPA
— Wario64 (@Wario64) October 29, 2015
There will be a new rewards program called My Nintendo that acts much like Club Nintendo’s. Buying games will net you digital discounts, physical goods, or exclusive digital items like Mii Plaza hats. Your bonuses can extend to stores, movie theatres, and theme parks, which seems to chart a clear course for things Nintendo will announce in the coming months.
No new NX details at this time besides Miyamoto reassuring the audience that they’ll be “aggressive in their use of IPs” on the console.


text:
Nowadays, Technology has become an integral part of human life and therefore numerous people consider it first over everything. In short, it’s an easier way get to reach the fresh and overwhelming technology around the entire world, because uncounted human beings depend on it therefore many organizations are waving their flag in the technology world, which is very wonderful and making. As we all are aware of many incredible and digital assistants that are available inside smartphones and technology service providers.
Presently, the Virtual Girl is getting viral on social media massively and making an impact on many people, In short, it has become a trend on Social Media. As per the recent reports or sources, a multi awards winner visual designing production company called Lightfarm Studious recently unleashed a new virtual Faces and this can prove to be a huge change in the lives of the people who use it. The company has replaced a virtual assistant called Bixby, and at the same time launched a new avatar called “Sam” which is getting viral.
Below you can get to know about the all essential details of Samsung Girl because many people want to know about her name, and is not she cool?. So the Samsung girl who got the name “SAM” presently working in Lightfarm Studios. You can know more about the company as well. So Lightfarm Studious mainly focused to build or create realistic CGI images, Videos, VR, and Filters as well. So nowadays an exclusive concept of them is getting viral on Social Media called “SAM”.
Uncounted people are supposing that maybe Bixby is being changed by the company and “SAM” would take place instead of it. So as per the sources, it will be released soon among the people, so that, they can also use it. Another attractive thing, that it’s getting trend on social media whether it Twitter or other platforms, which indicates the curiosity level of technology lovers. It is hoped that a feature will also be beneficial for the people, so to know more updates stay connected with us.


text:
Manufacturers have become highly attractive targets for cyber attackers, which can steal and sell the huge amounts of data they produce. But manufacturers can fight back by using Big Data, tying together supply chain systems, functionality, and network information to gain meaningful insight into security flaws and events.
A report released Monday estimates cybercrime's impact on the economy to be between $100 billion and $500 billion annually. For manufacturers, stolen corporate intellectual property, technology, and designs can be monetized by competitors and result in tremendous financial losses. Additionally, the downstream impact can be significant if there is a product tampering or a regulatory violation due to information that has been compromised.
"To put it into perspective, there was a manufacturer who lost the design of a new part they were about to launch in the market, and they see it as a billion-dollar loss," Kelly Bissell of Deloitte & Touche LLP told IMT.
Bissell leads Deloitte's Information and Technology Risk Management and Global Incident Response practices and went on to explain that stolen intellectual property tends to be recreated in the market and reduces market share for the victim.
"There's not a board that I know of that doesn't have security as a major risk initiative that they are worried about, and I have probably sat down with over 20 different boards this past year," said Bissell.
"Our cyber security is our national security, which is our economic security," Brian Raymond, director of technology policy for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), told IMT.
Manufacturers of all types can be at risk, including consumer goods companies, high-technology producers, pharmaceutical firms, automotive manufacturers and suppliers, and aerospace companies. From companies with only a few employees to world-class organizations, all businesses can be vulnerable.
"The level of sophistication that manufacturers have with their software is at the same or higher level of other industries," said Raymond. "What every company is faced with, no matter the size, is the advanced persistent threat that's out there," he added.
Can Big Data help security? The answer depends on how much companies have used Big Data sets. Bissell said businesses that already use Big Data can integrate security software into their analytics programs to watch for anomalies in security-related activity.
But it remains a double-edged sword. If a company does not install adequate security measures on the data itself, then any cyber attacker that is able to gain access to the data will instantly have access to a larger array of internal information that could further compromise the business and its operations.
What many companies are trying to do is combine their internal data warehouses along with other data sets from partners and suppliers to bring more contextual information to that data. "They can use a lot of data to determine behavioral issues and to detect security issues or anomalies in their data flow where something has gone wrong or data is leaving the environment where it shouldn't be," Bissell explained.
An RSA Security Brief advises organizations to "move to intelligence-driven security, which relies on security-related information from internal and external sources to deliver a comprehensive picture of risk security vulnerabilities."
The security brief goes on to say, "By incorporating big data security programs, organizations gain richer context for assessing risk in learning what's 'normal' for a particular user, group, business process or computing environment."
Irfan Saif of Deloitte's Security and Privacy practice told IMT there are a number of steps manufacturers can take to assess the threat landscape of their businesses.
Saif suggests companies should first ascertain what needs protecting and where it sits. It might be as straightforward as employee information or as challenging as source chemicals of hazardous materials.
Then look at the threat landscape. What are the threat vectors, such as the supply chain, business partners, contractors, or outsource systems.
Third, what are the company's responsibilities? Consider contractual and regulatory compliance to help determine the threat-tolerance level.
Each of these things must be examined in order to define a Big Data security program. "Then you've got to start thinking about how you aggregate the right information within the organization -- to the extent you have it -- in order to be able to do the right level of analytics, so that you can manage your risk," Saif said.
From a cost-entry perspective, cyber security is not limited to large manufacturers. "There are a number of solutions available that make it practical for smaller entities to 'get in on the game,' since they have similar analytics for their product supply chains and business solutions," Saif noted.
Manufacturers would also benefit from government help. Raymond stated that NAM member companies want the ability to know what the threats are beforehand and "the government to share more information about the threats they have insight into."
Raymond stated that the government does not share classified information or disclose what may be perceived as national security information. NAM is working in Washington to push legislation that would result in more information collaboration between the government and the private sector.


text:
“New normal” is the hottest buzzword in China to describe the country’s economic development. Long gone are the days when China was able to grow at double digits on the back of investment and exports. Instead, the economy is humming along at a much slower pace of around about 7 per cent.
In a world where sluggish growth is still the norm, 7 per cent is still enviable. To put that into perspective, the new additional Chinese GDP created in 2013 was equivalent to the entire Chinese economy in 1994.


text:
Up until this past year, Google’s Android TV has lacked the cheap hardware that pushed competitors like Roku and Fire TV to the masses. Now, Walmart is looking to wage a war on price by debuting an ultra-cheap $25 Android TV streaming stick.
Over the past day, a listing has gone up on Walmart’s website for the “onn FHD Streaming Stick,” an Android TV-powered streamer that costs just $24.88. That’s the lowest cost Android TV device set to be sold in the United States ever. News of the price comes from @AndroidTV_Rumor, who was able to capture a screenshot of the price, something we can’t see on the same listing.
This is the same device we reported on earlier this year when it passed through the FCC.
How is Walmart able to hit such a low cost? We don’t have specifics at this point given the product still hasn’t been officially announced. However, we do get a hint of where costs have been cut in the specs the listing does provide. 1GB of RAM is specifically mentioned, a total that’s pretty much the bottom of the barrel for Android TV devices. It’s something we speculated could be the cause of inconsistent performance on the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick last year. The device also drops down to 1080p streaming only, which hints at a less costly chipset too.
Walmart directly mentions that its Android TV stick supports Netflix but makes no direct mention of Prime Video. Disney+ and HBO Max are also mentioned on the remote. That remote, notably, is the same G10 design that Google commissioned for Android TV devices this year.
A release date for this product isn’t mentioned, but it’s probably safe to assume it’ll arrive around the same time as the $30 4K streamer we’ve seen from Walmart a few times at this point. With such affordable prices, it’s clear the retailer is aiming to make a major play against the likes of Roku this year.
More on Android TV:
- Walmart’s upcoming Android TV box gets the hands-on treatment ahead of launch [Video]
- Google’s new Android TV remote will live in Quick Settings on Android, Home app on iOS
- Walmart Onn Android TV streamer shows up on the retailer’s website with possible $30 price
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


text:
SEGA has announced that Alien: Isolation is due to be released on October 7th and will be available on the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Make the jump to find out more.
The game itself will be a first person survival horror game where you are hunted by one blood thirsty alien. Only one? I hear you cry, well yes. The developers are keen to capture what made Ridley Scott’s Alien such a classic with its tension, suspense and horror. Shooting down hundreds of Xenomorph’s would make them lose their scare factor, but being stalked by one powerful alien through the corridors of an old ship? Now that sounds tense.


text:
United Colours of Benetton, known for its thought-provoking and sometimes controversial fashion campaigns, has joined forces with the United Nations this time. Their latest advert shows a beautiful woman being 'stoned' with a shower of orange flowers inspired by the Italian saying, "women should never be hit, not even with a flower."
The campaign visual aims to bring attention to violence against women. It was launched on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th, which also marked the start of a 16-day initiative around the world in honour of women's rights.
The image is striking and at first belies the powerful message that becomes clear once you look more closely and see the blurred male figures in the background. Fashion being put to a good cause again.


text:
All about the BBC's new trial with Spotify
Business Development, Digital Music
As Spotify announces a partnership with the BBC, Karolina Joynathsing, Business Development, Digital Music, explains the details.
We’ve been experimenting with different ways of reaching international audiences with BBC radio output for a while now – whether it's through our own brands like the BBC World Service or through licensing our content overseas to third parties.
The latest example of this is a new trial with Spotify that will let users of the streaming service outside of the UK listen to a range of BBC speech radio programmes.
For a year-long period, overseas Spotify users will be able to listen to around 50 speech-only podcasts from BBC stations. These programmes are already freely available in the UK, so we’re running this trial only for overseas users. This means we can generate income for the BBC to reinvest in programmes for licence fee payers as well as reaching new audiences across the globe.
We do already offer our podcasts internationally through arrangements with third parties – like iTunes, Audioboo and Soundcloud – but this trial will allow us to test the commercial market for BBC audio in digital services overseas and will help inform our future activity.
Our colleagues in BBC Worldwide and BBC Global News Ltd are also partnering with Spotify to licence video content, enabling even more people around the world to access our great content on the platform of their choice.
You can read more on the Spotify press site.
Karolina Joynathsing, Business Development, Digital Music


text: IndusInd Bank has launched an online store – www.themorestore.in – from where its customers can redeem their reward points for purchase of merchandise from an online catalogue. It has tied up with Onemi, a catalogue-based retailer and retail e-commerce company, for this purpose. The bank said as part of an overall rewards enhancement strategy and with a view to further drive online purchasing convenience for its customers, it has launched the online store. The bank’s customers could redeem their reward points for purchase of items from an online catalogue from the site. The bank claimed that it was India’s first rewards redemption platform integrated into an online market place. The online store offered three options – redemption, shopping and redemption+shopping. Customers could redeem their reward points across both debit and credit cards against more than 200 products listed in the catalogue. They could also shop for products across categories such as lifestyle, health & beauty and gadgets. With `redemption+ shopping’, they could purchase products using their reward points and by paying the differential amount on their debit/credit cards issued by the bank. ‘Onemi’, the a catalogue-based retailer, with whom the bank has tied up, offers flexible payment options and offers products ranging from mobile phones/ home appliances to ACs, electronic goods to beauty products.


text:
Water has always been a precious commodity for Australian farmers, and it’s becoming equally valuable to those investors who can understand the market’s complexities.
He went from reading cartoons to writing and illustrating them. Now, former Pixar story supervisor Matthew Luhn is helping the likes of Google and Adidas tell their story and create a better connection with their customers.
Technology has made it easier to communicate outside normal working hours, but what are the limits?
Colin Cameron FCPA took the fight to Wall Street to get back the millions his Perth council lost in the global financial crisis. Ten years later, he won.
Social media can reveal a treasure trove of insights into the personality and possible commitment of a job candidate, but there are risks for employers who use it for research.
Scammers are using social media sites to research you and your company, but there are ways to fight back.
As Facebook makes a bold move into video, Facebook Australia and New Zealand chief Stephen Scheeler is keeping focused on being useful to business.
Measuring brand value is a nebulous business, but one thing is certain: in today’s disruptive and competitive environment, it counts for a great deal.
In the next few years, your car will be so highly equipped with electronic driver aids, vehicle controls, infotainment systems and performance monitors that it will barely be a car at all. It’ll be a convenience that moves.
Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm provides some valuable insights into how to bolster your small business brand through deals and partnerships.


text:
It’s the key to protecting your bottom line
Businesses can no longer afford to treat data security as just another problem for the IT department. It’s now a mission-critical issue for the executive suite. Companies that fail to adequately protect personal information not only run the risk of lawsuits and legal penalties, but also severe and potentially fatal hits to their bottom line.
Top executives and risk managers must recognize that the dangers posed by theft of personal data have escalated sharply in terms of financial liability and the potential for irreparable damage to a company’s reputation. The loss of confidence in a company’s ability to properly manage confidential information can jeopardize the survival of its business. A well-known credit card processor was dropped by several major credit card brands after a security breach in its system exposed millions of consumer accounts to possible fraud.
As consumers grow increasingly worried about identity theft and Internet-based fraud, Congress has set stricter standards for protecting personal and corporate data with privacy legislation. Examples are the Gramm-Leach-Bliley, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) and Sarbanes-Oxley Acts. In addition, the state of California now requires businesses to notify customers when their personal data has been exposed to potential misuse. The costs of notifying tens of thousands of customers can be significant, but inconsequential compared to the potential loss of consumer confidence and goodwill.
Along with new legal standards, companies must confront increasingly sophisticated attacks from computer criminals. The threat has escalated from teenage hackers bent on virtual vandalism to organized criminal gangs seeking to steal sensitive information and hijack corporate systems for their own use. Many are operating out of Eastern Europe and Asia beyond the reach of U.S. authorities.
Steps to take
Modern businesses run on digital data. Securing that data is an essential part of corporate risk management today.To protect themselves, businesses need to take a proactive approach to data security and information management that recognizes the significant financial, legal and reputation risks involved. It is critical that senior executives and risk managers take a leadership role in building privacy and information security into the culture of their organizations. As a first step, businesses need to formally inventory all of the data housed on corporate systems, classify it accordingly to value and sensitivity, and then take adequate measures to secure it. Recognizing that these information security and privacy exposures can also pose a significant threat to the balance sheet, companies need to protect themselves financially by seeking risk transfer options as part of their overall risk management program.
If you have questions or would like assistance determining your insurance needs, please call us at 800-622-7370.


text:
“We had nothing—no rice, sugar, salt, or soap,” said Meena Devi. With no supply, the only general store in her village in Rajasthan, soon ran out of provisions. That was the last straw. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, she was already at her tether’s end like many others across rural India, the worst hit by the nationwide lockdown in late March. With disrupted supply chains, empty shelves, opportunistic price hikes, and restricted mobility, people living in remote villages were struggling more than ever.
This is when Frontier Markets, a last-mile distribution company, stepped up to help the distressed villagers in eastern Rajasthan, where almost half-a-million people live in around 2,500 villages. The company, which delivers reliable solar power solutions and consumer durables in these villages, markets its products through a network of women—Saral Jeevan Sahelis (friends who make life easier). Every village had a saheli with a smart phone to help place orders.
“Once the lockdown was announced, Frontier Markets—like everyone else—had to close down,” said Ajaita Shah, the company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer. “Working from home, we quickly converted ourselves into a big call center, using all our employees to call our sahelis and take stock of the situation on the ground.”
Responding promptly, Frontier Markets, in a first, added groceries, personal hygiene items, and agricultural tools to its products basket, roping in several fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and agri-goods companies. Secondly, the company worked with the Rajasthan government to tackle the supply gap and reach every last-mile customer, ensuring the delivery team had the necessary permits to travel. Thirdly, the company focused on its technology platform to cater to the growing demand for essential goods.
The three-pronged approach worked. In just two days, following a call from her territory manager, Meena Devi—also a saheli—received a load of products for her village. Meanwhile, the delivery team was having a tough time with the situation constantly evolving. Sometimes it included unforeseen circumstances or new restricted zones, and at other times, the team was stopped from entering the designated villages. On top of that, they had to stay safe to avoid contracting the virus.
Despite the obstacles, the delivery team was not ready to give up. In one instance, two of them covered several villages at one go—the bulging side racks on their motorbikes holding all that the villagers needed. With safety an absolute priority, the company tracked everything—right from the time when an order was placed, to how long it was on hold given stocks not reaching the warehouses, and when it was delivered.
An alumna of Tufts University, Massachusetts, Shah spent many years in the microfinance industry in India, often visiting remote rural areas. That is how she noted huge gaps in the last-mile delivery of products and services. Little or no electric supply was a major problem, and Shah, well aware of the need to check emissions—even while helping villagers find lighting alternatives—founded Frontier Markets in 2011.
Shah’s goal was to exclusively supply clean energy products to village stores in the districts of Jaipur, Alwar, Ajmer, and Dholpur in Rajasthan. In line with its development vision, within a couple of years, Frontier Markets joined IFC’s Lighting Asia/India—a subsidiary of its Lighting Global program—which aims to accelerate access to clean energy by promoting quality and affordable solar solutions in rural India.
IFC helped Frontier Markets with several things—from improving its product range and pricing strategy to building partnerships with local NGOs and self-help groups. It also helped the company launch a consumer awareness campaign on quality solar products. Soon, with local feedback, Frontier Markets manufactured its own solar torch, the first in India to receive Lighting Global’s Quality Standard certification.
Most importantly, IFC helped the company change its marketing model. An Acumen Lean Data Study in 2015 revealed that though most of the company’s customers were male, 70 percent of its product users were women. It was just that they did not visit the shops physically. Following this, Frontier Markets stopped selling through shops and instead created an all-women sales force.
While the lockdown is
over, the pandemic remains a concern, preventing the company’s agents from
moving around freely to get fresh orders. In response, Frontier Markets increased
the number of sahelis to four per village, across 2500 villages, scaling up to
10,000 sahelis. “We also onboarded 350,000 households on our digital platform, selling over 1.6 million solutions this year—10 times the products to twice the number of customers compared with last year,” said Shah. Among other things, the company also developed an assisted learning tool to guide newly-recruited sahelis.
While over the years, Frontier Markets has widened its range of solar appliances, the pandemic pushed the company to explore uncharted territory. Moreover, last July, the company partnered with a fintech company, Eko India Financial Services, to offer doorstep banking services. Moving forward, Shah is keen to offer wider banking services and also ensure the availability of refurbished smartphones in villages at a fraction of their original cost. “Our success is based on recognizing that rural households are not poor beneficiaries, but—with the right financial tools—empowered customers,” she summed up.
About Lighting Asia/India
Program is implemented in partnership with Australia, Austria, Canada, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands and Norway.
Published in February 2021


text:
Domin. Rep. Economic Outlook
December 7, 2017The economy seems to have found its footing following a lackluster performance through most of Q2 and Q3, the latter partly the result of severe disruptions in economic activity caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. A looser monetary stance and measures implemented by the Central Bank have proven successful at shoring up growth in credit lending to the private sector as well as increasing the money supply, annual growth of which stagnated in June but has been accelerating since. Remittances up to September recorded another double-digit growth rate, which likely provided some support to private spending in the third quarter. However, the country is not completely out of the woods: Tourism arrivals for October showed a second consecutive decline compared with the previous year; the Central Bank has attributed this to the hurricane-induced temporary shutdown of tourist facilities in the north-east of the country.
Dominican Republic Economic GrowthOur panelists expect economic activity to regain some momentum in the second half of the year. GDP growth will be buoyed by the Central Bank’s accommodative monetary measures as well as by the government’s USD 431 million fiscal stimulus package aimed at rekindling growth. External forces will also support the domestic economy: A weaker peso will boost the country’s exports next year, while healthy remittance inflows will buttress household spending. FocusEconomics panelists expect GDP of 4.6% next year, unchanged from last month’s forecast. For 2019, panelists see the economy expanding 4.5%.
Dominican Republic Economy Data
5 years of Dominican Republic economic forecasts for more than 30 economic indicators.
Get a sample report showing all the data and analysis covered in our Regional, Country and Commodities reports.
Dominican Republic Facts
|Exchange Rate||48.06||0.80 %||Dec 06|
Start Your Free Trial
Start working with the reports used by the world’s major financial institutions, multinational enterprises & government agencies now. Click on the button below to get started.
Dominican Republic Economic News
October 31, 2017
Economic activity increased 3.7% in August from the same month a year earlier, according to the Central Bank’s monthly indicator for economic activity (IMAE, Indicador Mensual de Actividad Económica).
October 10, 2017
Consumer prices increased 0.64% in September compared to the previous month, which was above August’s 0.57% month-on-month increase and the highest rise in nine months.
September 30, 2017
A second data release confirmed that the economy’s performance in the second quarter was lackluster, with economic momentum shifting into a lower gear on a slump in fixed investment growth.
September 11, 2017
Consumer prices increased 0.57% in August compared to the previous month, which was above July’s 0.18% month-on-month increase.
August 31, 2017
In Q2, the economy struggled to keep up with the performance seen in recent years.


text:
Khangelani Dziba to run RAPT Creative’s new PR & Influencer Partnerships division
Just weeks after opening satellite offices in the United Kingdom and Ukraine to work with the clients it signed in Europe at the beginning of the year, South Africa’s trailblazing through-the-line marketing and experiential agency, RAPT Creative, has appointed Khangelani Dziba to establish and lead its new Public Relations & Influencer Partnerships division. With qualifications in journalism, and soon to be completing his Masters in Brand Leadership, Dziba joins RAPT Creative as Head of Public Relations and Influencer Partnerships after working for notable consultancies and agencies including Fleishmanhillard, DNA Brand Architects and Group Africa Marketing.
‘I am super thrilled to be joining this one-of-a-kind creative agency that, in its infancy, is punching above its weight to bring ground-breaking solutions to brands in search of an innovative way of communicating,’ said Dziba.
‘PR has, along with the aggressive evolution in the brand communications space, changed dramatically. As a result, now more than ever, there is a need for PR solutions to be disruptive, inclusive of current trends and innovations, while keeping brand purpose at the core of it all. What would have previously been seen as challenges to the space are now tools which the industry can use to pivot and bolster its offering to clients,’ he said.
‘When we were evaluating our business offering, we realised the need to expand our services to include PR and influencer marketing. This was fueled by the fact that our ever-changing environment requires a transdisciplinary approach if we are to offer clients the most effective and meaningful brand solutions,’ said founder and group Chief Executive Officer of RAPT Creative, Garreth van Vuuren.
He added that PR is a highly specialised discipline which is proving to be an asset to RAPT Creative’s business model. ‘I am a firm believer that digital, social media and PR should live as one function and bringing someone like Khangelani onboard will assist us in bridging that gap enabling us to dramatically differentiate ourselves from our competitors in what is already known as an oversaturated space.’
‘It is no longer enough for the PR function to push ‘earned’ opportunities and exposure. With the convergence of media and the blurring of the lines when it comes to marketing and advertising disciplines, PR has to shape and inform the messages wherever the conversations take place and opinions are aired. That’s Khangelani’s job.’
‘My hope is that he shifts the PR needle by merging the discipline’s necessary systems and processes with that which is called for by the ‘new media age. This will enable the brands we work with to resonate better with current and new market segments,’ concludes van Vuuren.
According to Dziba, after almost a decade working for some of the industry juggernauts, all of whom inspired him to briefly head up his own consultancy, the opportunity to join RAPT Creative could not have come at a better time.
‘I have often written about my passion for PR and the need for practitioners to be able to merge what I believe are necessary industry disruptors into the solutions agencies offer brands. My role at RAPT Creative will allow me to do just that, and I am excited for what the future has to offer,’ he said.
Dziba has worked across multiple blue-chip clients in various industries including but not limited to Standard Bank, Nestlé, Vodacom, USAID, Clark & Sons, Bongang Matheba and Penrod Ricard. He will be based at RAPT Creative’s Johannesburg headquarters but will work closely with all business units across Cape Town, Johannesburg, UK and Ukraine.


text:
When Amazon.com Inc.’s Chief Executive Jeff Bezos announced last week that the company’s Prime membership had reached 100 million, many were excited to hear the number, though it was roughly what had been expected.
“Amazon’s disclosure… globally reflects the power of the program, and validates the continuing substantial investments on various fronts to both attract and maintain this important core base,” said Charlie O’Shea, Moody’s lead retail analyst, in a statement.
“The number makes a lot of sense,” he added in a discussion with MarketWatch.
But the figure has also got some thinking that Prime membership growth is approaching a ceiling, and analysts will scour Thursday’s first-quarter earnings for evidence that would prove that thesis.
“Amazon’s growth has been breathtaking and impressive, but there is no way they can continue at that scale,” said Pete Killian, partner at Vivaldi, a business consultancy and branding company. “They need to find $25 billion-plus of topline growth every year to maintain their growth rate, and at some point that outstrips the speed of consumers’ behavior change. So the ‘hole’ in the 100 million number is that it’s the victim of its own success: there really is not much higher to go.”
Bezos, in his letter, talked up international expansion in places like India as an avenue for advancement.
Still, Stifel analysts see room for more.
“We believe Amazon continues to sit in a favorable competitive position in the retail landscape and should continue to benefit from strong/accelerating U.S. online sales growth, increasing Prime penetration, faster/more convenient delivery, and the continued shift of dollars from offline to online channels,” analysts led by Scott Devitt wrote in a note.
Analysts see further upside in devices, Amazon Business and advertising. Stifel rates Amazon shares a buy with an $1,800 price target.
Amazon /zigman2/quotes/210331248/composite AMZN -2.65% has an average buy rating and an average target price of $1,711.50 among analysts on FactSet.
Here’s what to expect:
Earnings: Amazon is expected to report earnings of $1.24, according to FactSet, down from $1.48 for the same period last year.
Estimize, which crowdsources estimates from sell-side and buy-side analysts, hedge-fund managers, executives, academics and others, expects per-share earnings of $1.35.
Amazon has beaten FactSet earnings estimates for the last two out of three quarters.
Revenue: FactSet analysts expect revenue of $49.92 billion, up from $35.71 billion the previous year.
Estimize expects revenue of $50.61 billion.


text:
Traditional Chinese lion dancing performances were presented by Lego at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. (Photo: VCG)
Merlin Entertainments, a global leader in location-based family entertainment, announced on Wednesday its plans to open a Legoland resort in Jinshan district in Shanghai, the largest Legoland park in the world, to cash in on the rising family tourism market in China.
The British theme park operator has reached an agreement with the Shanghai Jinshan district government, CMC Inc and investment company behind the Lego empire, KIRKBI Inc, to invest an estimated $500 million in the resort, and the project is not expected to open until after 2023.
The resort will also cover a theme hotel incorporating 250 rooms, coupled with other neighboring facilities.
The resort featuring Lego brick elements and Chinese cultural characteristics, will target families with children aged between 2 and 12. There are eight Lego parks in operation globally.
Merlin operates 13 attractions in China including Legoland Discovery Centres, Madame Tussauds, the Sea Life Centre, Dungeons, Peppa Pig World of Play and Little BIG City.
"A gateway city with modern consumers, Shanghai is already the home for many Merlin brands, and it has been our ambition for some time to build a full-scale theme park that offers visitors the opportunities to immerse themselves in a unique Legoland experience," said Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin Entertainments.
Globally it operates more than 120 attractions in 25 countries around the world.
Hu Weiguo, director of Jinshan district in Shanghai, said the Legoland Park in Jinshan not only supports the economic bridge between Shanghai and Zhejiang province, and better contributes to the high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta Region; it also promotes Shanghai as a theme park destination with Disney Resort in the east and Legoland Resort in the west, supporting the local tourism economy.
The location in Jinshan district is one hour distance to downtown Shanghai and one hour drive to 16 major cities in the Yangtze River Delta and two-hour drive to about 55 million potential visitors in the region.
In addition to Shanghai in East China, Legoland has also invested in western China. In September, Merlin entered into a partnership agreement with Global Zhongjun Cultural Tourism Development Co Ltd to build and operate a Legoland Resort in Sichuan province in western China. The resort is scheduled to open by 2023.
Global Zhongjun will fund the construction of Legoland Sichuan, as well as the required infrastructure and adjacent commercial developments, while Merlin will join in the resort development and operate it under a management contract arrangement.
Legoland Sichuan will be located within the Tianfu New Area in the city of Meishan, about 60 km south of Chengdu city center and is within a two-hour catchment of 30 million residents.
The Lego brand has increased its presence, revenue and contribution in China during the past decade to create a positive impact on the development of the Chinese society with learning through play experiences. The resort will give Chinese families even more opportunities to experience the benefits of LEGO play and have fun together, said Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, executive chairman of Lego brand group, KIRKBI.
The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark, opened a regional hub office in Shanghai in 2014 and a manufacturing facility in Jiaxing in 2016. It expects to have more than 140 stores in 35 cities by the end of 2019 and is on track to have 220 stores in more than 50 cities by 2020.
Merlin Entertainments purchased the Legoland parks from the Lego Group in 2005. It owns 70 percent of the Legoland franchise, the other 30 percent belonging to the Lego Group. Owned by the Blackstone Group, Merlin has risen to be the second largest amusement company after Walt Disney Parks. This June, a consortium including KIRKBI agreed to buy Merlin, with each of KIRKBI and the Blackstone/CPPIB group owning 50 percent upon completion.