text:
The one thing that economics professors emphasize when they teach their students about inflation is that while it is a phenomenon that affects goods and services on a large scale, it is important to note that not all goods and services prices increase at the same level.
For example, during the last wave of inflation we saw, the cost of some goods rose sharply. In 2021, the cost of meat, poultry, fish and eggs increased by more than 12 percent, furniture by nearly 14 percent, and the average price of used cars and trucks by 37 percent.
Of course, the geopolitical uncertainty caused by the conflict in Ukraine has pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel, which will undoubtedly contribute to higher inflation estimates in the near future.
However, one of the bright spots in our nascent inflationary times is that Internet access – an increasingly important service in our lives – has not contributed to a return to inflation. In fact, broadband prices have fallen across speeds and technologies over the past five years. The biggest change from the top speed category was seen with the average broadband price at 500+ Mbps dropping by about $60, or 42 percent.
This rarely mentioned phenomenon has been a boon to our economy – especially during the pandemic – and has not only curbed the economic downturn in 2020 but has also contributed to our booming economy in the past 12 months.
Calculating inflation is more complicated than it might seem at first glance. For example, the measurement of the cost of goods is usually (but not always) straightforward: a 10 percent increase in the cost of a land envelope in one year would increase any objective measure of inflation.
However, this is not the case for some goods: for example, cars made in 2022 are more reliable, comfortable and energy-efficient than those made in the 1980s, and the average cost of a new car is three times higher today. As happened 35 years ago, this does not mean that the actual cost of the car has tripled. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is aware of this fact and incorporates the fun improvements into calculus to calculate it.
This phenomenon is also evident in computers and smartphones: every year the latest models have faster chipsets, better cameras and more memory, allowing us to do more than we could before. A phone bought for $600 today is 20 percent better than a $500 phone bought five years ago.
What many people don’t realize is that broadband has also improved dramatically in the past two decades, as internet providers keep finding ways to improve the speed of the internet they offer their customers. Rob Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, notes that broadband speed has increased at an average of 40 percent annually in the United States in the past decade.
In our home, we’ve had to replace our router three times in the past decade due to service upgrades that have allowed us to increase our internet speed.
Cellular networks have seen similar increases in speed: only a decade ago did 4G service begin to become widespread, offering speeds many times faster than 3G. This year, major cellular network providers began offering 5G networks to their customers nationwide, which are several times faster than 4G. In the next few years, our phones will have more features and software to take advantage of the increased speed, allowing us to do more with it.
While the BLS adjusts for the impact of quality changes on Internet access when accounting for inflation, some economists believe it does not do so sufficiently.
Confused by BLS data that showed only modest declines in quality-adjusted prices, Fed economists David Byrne and Carol Corrado put together an alternative price index measure for digital access. Their analysis estimated that the actual cost of digital access, adjusted for connection speeds, fell by a larger amount than what the BLS reported.
For example, from 1998-2007 they found that prices fell by 41.3 percent, while the BLS report indicates a decline of just under three percent. In the ensuing decade, the BLS reported that internet access prices rose 0.3 percent, while Bayern and Corrado estimated average annual quality drop of more than 23 per cent.
These absolute improvements in the price and quality of Internet access are not intuitively obvious, given that most consumers have their Internet with cable TV, which has been rising in cost. And for most of the things families do using the internet — streaming movies, surfing the web, playing games — improvements in internet speed can be difficult to perceive.
But for those whose ability to work at home has been dependent on fast and affordable broadband access, it has been a welcome development and a major reason the economic fluctuations in the past two years have been more modest than most people expected.


text:
Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is stealing attention away from Apple this week as he just announced his site’s newest feature: a brand-new sidebar exclusively dedicated to showing users how poorly their friends and enemies have aged over time.
“For years the site had found growth with advertising, music, and apps, but now we’re bringing Facebook back to its intended use: letting you ruthlessly judge your peers,” said Zuckerberg.
Using Facebook to shamelessly compare oneself to friends and strangers alike has been the unsung major motivator for use, and with the rapidly aging millennial demographic, features like this one are sure to keep users coming back.
“Honestly, imagine waking up every morning to see your insufferable yet inexplicably successful freshman roommate packing on some pounds or getting wrinkly before your very eyes. In my eyes, that’s better than a million tag notifications or Bejeweled Blitz requests” stated Zuckerberg.
“Unfortunately, people are a lot more likely to share successes than failures on Facebook,” says COO Sheryl Sandberg. “So it’s kind of a bonus surprise when in between the birth announcements and Instagram photos you notice your ex is single again. The PWAP (People Who Aged Poorly) button takes the randomization out of Facebook searching, actively bringing the misfortunes of others directly to your fingertips.”
“As we like to say here at Facebook,” Sandberg continued, “A misplaced sense of self-validation based on the failures of others is just a click away!”
This negative mindset has been prevalent among users of the site for years. “Within minutes of debuting the ‘like’ button people were immediately demanding a ‘dislike’ button,” said Zuckerberg. “Seriously, I say ‘hey click this when you enjoy something’ and all everyone wants is a quicker way to express hatred.”
The social media landscape is both vast and fluid, and Zuckerberg knows the importance of being vigilant and staying on the right track. While MySpace faded away as it was “a place for friends” Zuckerberg believes that keeping Facebook a bastion of hatred and schadenfreude will make his website an in-expendable commodity.
The new feature will also work in conjunction with the “On this Day” function, giving users a “Loser of the Day” to mock. “Our users used to have to do a lot of legwork to suss out the coworkers who are languishing in debilitating depression or exes who are losing their hair, and that’s our bad,” continued Zuckerberg. “Now, we funnel that information directly to you, the consumer.”
The feature is set to debut next week for users to utilize immediately, somewhere in between reposting Harambe memes and self-indulgent statuses about how technology is overtaking their lives.

domain: news


text:
Beverage raises $12 million in seed round
US soft drink retailer, Boisson, has raised a $12 million funding round, co-led by Connect Ventures and Blue Scorpion Investments.
Other investors included professional mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou, Midnight Ventures and Red Krypton.
Launched in 2021, Boisson is a retailer and distributor offering non-alcoholic beverages – in categories such as wine, beer, spirits, aperitifs and mixers – from more than 125 brands.
The turn comes as Boisson expands its store footprint in Los Angeles, with three new locations opening in Studio City, Brentwood and Beverly Hills.
Additionally, the company plans to open more stores in the U.S. and overseas, as well as launch new content platforms “to support growth in the zero-proof category.”
Nick Bodkins, CEO and co-founder of Boisson, said, “Demand for non-alcoholic beverages has grown significantly over the past year, and we’re excited to use these funds to expand our presence and begin partnering with to restaurants and hotel organizations. We believe the non-alcoholic category will become a mainstay of the food and beverage industry and are committed to providing zero-proof sophisticated sips to consumers whether they are staying at home or enjoying an evening.
Michael Blank of Connect Ventures said, “As the popularity of non-alcoholic beverages continues to grow, Beverage has quickly become the leading non-alcoholic retailer and distributor, bringing efficiency and scalability to this fragmented market, while providing access and a variety of increased products. both to individual consumers and to the food and beverage industry. Fueled by the cultural and generational shifts taking place in the space, Boisson is poised to use this new capital to accelerate its growth and continue to expand rapidly in the United States and around the world.
The round brings Beverage’s valuation to $47 million.


text:
Traffic calming: How electric scooters can transform cities into safer spaces
The phrase traffic calming is often used when talking about the impact of electric scooters on cities, and it’s the reason why so many believe that the e-scooter’s mass adoption will change our urban landscapes for the better. But what does traffic calming mean? And how exactly can e-scooters transform our concrete jungles into safer, greener environments?
What is traffic calming?
Simply put, it’s the process of making roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians through the use of physical design. Speed bumps and speed limits, warning signs and road writing, all of these are traffic calming measures. They fall under three categories, known as The Three ‘E’s: Engineering, Education and Enforcement.
The International Transport Forum (ITF) and the OECD issued a report in February this year, which concluded that cars and motorbikes are responsible for 80% of fatal crashes in cities. These crashes are “much more likely” to result in the death of the driver and pedestrian than ones involving an e-scooter or other Personal Light Electric Vehicle (PLEV). If more car users switched to electric scooters, it stands to reason that road deaths would decrease, and not just in pure statistical terms; increased e-scooter use would transform the roads.
Traffic calming is an organic process, with urban environments changing to reflect their users. As the UK prepares for rental e-scooter trials and full legalisation, how might we see British cities adapting to increased micromobility? And how will these changes make everyone safer?
Electric scooters and safer cities
The first problem that needs to be solved is that of electric scooter use on pavements. If, as the report mentions, dedicated micromobility spaces were introduced, scooter users would not feel the need to ride along public footpaths. A lack of scooters whizzing down the pavement would then help pedestrians to feel more comfortable, especially those that are more vulnerable such as the elderly and visually impaired people.
Another possible course of action could be to widen bike lanes and physically separate them from the road, so they become easier for cyclists to share with PLEVs (a successful method to keeping scooter riders off the pavement, as we discussed in our previous blog post on bike lanes). This would result in narrower car lanes, which would mean slower speed limits. Minimising the speed differentials between different road users benefits everyone; if cars, bikes and e-scooters all had to travel at 20mph alongside busy pedestrian sidewalks, everyone would be safer.
Another crucial measure is dedicated parking bays for micromobility vehicles. This would eradicate the problem of dockless rental scooters littering pavements, something that has led to a phenomenon in the US known as ‘scooter rage’. Some pedestrians have been so angry at the obstacles that they throw them into the river or the road itself. It’s something that the dockless rental model encourages and, although parking spaces would help, this is an issue Taur hopes to help rectify by persuading consumers to buy, rather than rent their e-scooters.
A catalyst for calmer streets
The positive impacts don’t end here; choosing to travel by electric scooter will help to set off a chain reaction of traffic calming. For instance, it will shift authorities’ focus back onto the quality of road surfaces. While potholes may be tolerable in a car or on a bicycle, they pose more of a risk to those on electric scooters due to the smaller wheel size. An increase of e-scooter users could well put pressure on local authorities to make our roads smoother.
If bike lanes are widened and roads narrowed, the bike lanes will need protection such as bollards or some other kind of physical barrier. This in turn would encourage bike and e-scooter use amongst those who may be put off by cars speeding past them unsheltered, making our cities greener as well as safer.
There are some who will say this is too ambitious. Cynics claim that it couldn’t happen in a city like London, with its streets barely wide enough for cars, let alone a variety of different road users. As we touched upon in our post on Building Cities for People, many people claim that countries like the Netherlands have some sort of ingrained cultural advantage when it comes to allowing PLEVs, bikes and cars to share the same streets, one that is inherent and cannot be directly imported.
But when one looks at what cities like Paris have achieved, with their recently re-elected mayor Anne Hidalgo’s plan to make it a ‘city of fifteen minutes’, we can realise that change is indeed possible. Her ambitious plan, for every street in the French capital to have a cycle path, every bridge to have a protected cycleway, and for over two-thirds of central Paris’ car parking spaces to be removed, just won over 50% of the mayoral vote.
Even in places without forward-thinking political leadership, people are getting on with the job. In San Francisco, the original home of micromobility, there are serious moves to change the city from the bottom up. The ‘Vision Zero SF’ campaign has already made huge strides in the mass use of automated speed enforcement, as well as its goal towards shifting 80% of trips to sustainable travel methods by 2030; a move they hope will lead to zero traffic deaths by 2024.
Safety spurred on by coronavirus
It is also clear to many of us, as we cautiously re-enter the world after lockdown, that things are already changing. In London, as part of the new Streetspace campaign, roads have been narrowed, pavements extended, and cycleways constructed to aid social distancing for pedestrians and cyclists. This could not have been better timed, as rental electric scooters will finally be made legal to use on UK roads from this month.
Pop-up bike lanes and newly car-free streets will be with us for some time so it’s hard to see how, with an increase of e-scooters on the road, authorities will be able to return to the old layouts. The structure of our cities will have no choice but to change as people’s transport habits respond to Covid-19. If you’re looking for a more in-depth exploration of the pandemic’s impact on electric scooters, you’ll want to check out our previous blog post on Coronavirus: Has it Dampened Our Desire for Dockless Rentals?.
The View from the Taur
The electric scooter has a symbiotic relationship with urban safety. Although the safe image of e-scooters has been undermined by a rental model which can cause havoc for pedestrians, collectively they can encourage radical transformations of our urban spaces, by creating demand for more traffic calming measures.
Essentially, the more people choose micromobility as their way to travel around, the safer their surroundings can become. So why not consider using an electric scooter for that next short trip? By doing so, you’ll be doing your bit to create more secure spaces for everyone to walk, scoot, and cycle in.


text:
If you think that the future novelty in the first sketch is somewhat reminiscent of Ford pickups, it seems you do not.
The first image of the new “Amarok” was shown at the annual press conference of Volkswagen AG. And CEO Herbert Diess has confirmed that the new Amarok will be one of the first tangible results of the cooperation between the commercial division of the Volkswagen group and Ford.
About plans of creation of the global Alliance for two of the group announced more than a year ago (and rumors appeared even earlier): it became known that VW and Ford are going to divide into two expenses for the creation of new vehicles in the commercial segment (which officially applies Amarok). Accordingly, the Volkswagen pickup will share some running gear (and maybe the whole platform) with the future new generation Ford Ranger.
The sketch Amarok is depicted in quite an aggressive way – with a raised hood, impressive wheel arches in the developed, powerful suspension, off-road accessories and the like. It is highly unlikely that in this form the pickup will go into production. But it is curious that about a year ago in the global Network has leaked alleged images of the new “Ranger” and the American pickup truck looks very similar to its European relative.
Both of the new truck must be on sale by 2022. But apart from making the Duo Ranger/Amarok cooperation between the two companies may lead to consolidation of VW models Caddy and Ford Transit Connect. According to rumors, the Germans are planning to share it with compact Ford commercial “truck” in exchange for the development of larger vans.


text:
The health services are recalling a frozen foodstuff that was manufactured without the proper certification.
The foodstuff in question carries the brand name ‘Venezia Chicken Burgers’.
Health services urged anyone who may in the meantime have purchased the product not to consume it and return it to the point of sale.
Following a complaint lodged by a consumer, authorities discovered that the foodstuff was being manufactured at premises that had not been certified by the veterinary services.
In a statement, the health services said they are recalling all batches of the product.


text:
Software services exports showed growth in 2020-21 according to a survey by RBI
There was a two per cent growth in exports of software services, which also included services rendered by foreign partners of Indian entities, during 2020-21 as they stood at $148.3 billion, according to a survey conducted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The data related to the annual survey on export of computer software and information technology-enabled services (ITES) for 2020-21, which was released by RBI on Monday, said that the country's exports of software services - which excluded exports through commercial presence - are expected to be around $133.7 billion, thus recording a four per cent growth over the corresponding period.
Computer services and ITES consist of 65 per cent and 34 per cent of share in the overall software services exports, respectively.
BPO services formed the major chunk of ITES exports, the central bank data said.
In addition to this, private limited companies undertook 50 per cent of the exports of software services, according to the data.
For the 2020-21 round of the survey, 6,115 software export companies were contacted, out of which 1,815 companies responded, which included most of the large companies. The responding companies accounted for 86.5 per cent of the total software services exports during the year, the RBI statement said.


text:
MacBook Air Release Date, Specifications, Features, Price, Rumors, 3 Versions under Construction
If reports are to be believed Apple’s developers expected to design forthcoming MacBook Air, but it rumored to come in three various versions with different display sizes.
In one of the articles which published on technology websites, the next MacBook version possibly will have a 15-inch Retina Display with 2304 x 1440 pixels.
IT also said to be that two other versions are being developed by Apple’s designers which expected to come with a 13-inch and an 11-inch.
The America’s largest multinational technology company has set all to stir in worldwide markets by releasing three upcoming versions, which would be great disturbance for other laptop producers.
The Air rumored to be come with Core-M based Skylake processors and likely to hit markets in two month’s time.
With the addition of these processors, the efficiency of these next MacBook will be better compared to past releases or than currently machines in which Broadwell-based Core M processors was equipped.
The Skylake processors will have the capability to show stunning results to its users who will experience first time by using MacBook which expected to roll out with wireless charging ability.
Some experts have been revealing for months that it will have a retina display same as in the Pro models. The retina display feature improves the viewing experience.
If predictions are to be believed the company will roll out devices with unfussy look as well some tweaks in the design.
The giant machine speculated to have the USB-C port that like look same a micro USB connector but is slightly thicker and have Lightning, MagSafe feature.
By believing in revelation which are being carried out about the MacBook Air in terms of features, showing that Apple set all to stun its fans surely who waiting eagerly for these machines.


text:
Tencent has secured the necessary approval to sell Nintendo’s portable console in China. The console will be distributed with a test version of the “New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.”
The permission came from the authorities of Guangdong, the province where Tencent is registered. Reuters cites two unnamed sources who said that this approval was also valid in the rest of China.
The Nintendo Switch. Source: Nintendo
In 2015, China lifted its 14-year ban on foreign-made games consoles. Almost immediately Sony and Microsoft started selling their consoles in China through joint ventures. With Tencent as a local partner, Nintendo too can finally enter the world’s biggest video games market. Following the team-up, Nintendo’s shares went up 14% yesterday.
Although the Switch can now legally go on sale in China, it will take some time before the players can enjoy a big library of officially approved games. The country’s compliance regulations are strict, and Tencent and Nintendo will have to submit each game for approval.
Despite its late arrival and bureaucratic hurdles, Nintendo’s future in China looks promising. Serkan Toto, CEO of game industry consultancy Kantan Games, told CNBC: “The game portfolio is totally different from Sony and Microsoft, which appeal to hardcore gamers — who in China play on the PC. The Switch is a portable device, which fits nicely with Chinese users’ penchant for gaming on the go.”


text:
New Jersey can’t even begin the recreational cannabis legalization process until mid-January, but marijuana entrepreneurs across the country are descending on the Garden State in hopes of getting a first-mover’s advantage in what could become one of the most buoyant markets on the East Coast.
Indeed, many marijuana businesses already have a presence in New Jersey, including California-based Terra Tech and Weedmaps, and more are expected.
“The Green Rush is very much on,” said Joshua Bauchner, an attorney at Ansell, Grimm & Aaron, a law firm in Woodland Park, New Jersey.
He noted that his dedicated cannabis practice has taken a flood of calls from marijuana entrepreneurs expecting New Jersey to become the nation’s next recreational marijuana state.
“Since the election,” he added, “I’ve been doing this nonstop.”
Legislative head start
All signs point to Governor-elect Phil Murphy and the New Jersey legislature hitting the ground running after Murphy’s Jan. 16 inauguration.
At the time, Scutari said he wanted a bill ready in case New Jersey’s outgoing prohibitionist governor, Chris Christie, was succeeded by a pro-legalization chief.
If New Jersey lawmakers were to pass an adult-use cannabis law, they would make history as the first legislature to do so. The nation’s five operating recreational states were passed through referendum.
The draft bill is “a really good starting point,” said Dara Servis, executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association.
Scutari simply needs to reintroduce the bill after lawmakers return to session Jan. 8.
Although Scutari’s bill is far from final, it’s far along. Key points include:
- Governing entities and time frame: Establishment of a Division of Marijuana Enforcement under the state attorney general’s office and requires that regulations be promulgated and applications be released within one year after the governor signs the bill.
- Licensing and vertical integration: Five classes of licenses are mandated – cultivation/manufacturing, processing, wholesaling, delivering and retailing. Vertical integration is banned, but companies can own up to three types of business licenses.
- Medical operator grandfather preference: New Jersey’s existing medical marijuana operators are allowed to pursue recreational licenses.
- Taxes: There will be a 7% tax rate during the program’s first year, with annual increases of 10%, 15%, 20%. The rate then would top out at 25%.
- Products: All types of cannabis products are allowed, including flower, concentrates and infused products like edibles and capsules.
- Residency: Any company stakeholder must be a state resident for at least two years to qualify for licensing.
While Servis’ association is mostly happy with what’s in the bill, she said there are some points she’d like to see changed or clarified, including a less-stringent residency requirement and having separate recreational and medical programs instead of folding them into one.
While Murphy’s election sparked a wave of interest in New Jersey as a recreational business destination, some marijuana companies have already set up shop.
Terra Tech – a marijuana company with multiple cultivation, processing and retail licenses in California and Nevada – built a five-acre greenhouse facility in Belvidere in 2013.
But the facility doesn’t produce cannabis.
Rather, Terra Tech’s grow is a federally legal business, Edible Gardens, that cultivates herbs such as parsley, cilantro, thyme and sage. The products are sold in major groceries like King Kullen, Kroger, Market Basket and Stop & Shop.
“We did it as a hedge to our West Coast cannabis businesses,” said Terra Tech COO Mike James.
But now that legalization appears imminent in New Jersey, Terra Tech is prepared to enter the adult-use marijuana market.
“We definitely want to move forward and apply for the permits,” James said, noting that Terra Tech is eyeing growing, retailing and other parts of the cannabis supply chain.
Weedmaps, the online marijuana retail guide, handles its medical marijuana clients in New Jersey from offices in New York.
But the company is actively involved in trying to shape New Jersey’s adult-use regulatory process.
“We’re working closely and serving as a resource to the incoming Murphy Administration, the state legislature and key stakeholders,” Weedmaps spokesman Carl Fillichio wrote in an email to Marijuana Business Daily.
“We are all working to advance a first-in-class cannabis policy framework that will stand up as a safe, responsible and successful industry in New Jersey.”
Weedmaps hopes to sell its software solutions to rec businesses that eventually establish themselves in New Jersey, Fillichio added.
Two Colorado-based marijuana companies also have plans to do business in New Jersey: AmeriCann, a real estate company that leases grow sites in multiple states, and The Green Solution, a multifaceted cannabis firm.
Knowing that out-of-state companies could need in-state partners is good news to one Jersey-based entrepreneur.
“There’s a benefit to having a partner that is a resident of the state,” said Julie Winter, COO of CBD for Life.
Her CBD manufacturing company in Monmouth County sells to about 40 stores in the state and intends to vie for a recreational license.
Sales by 2018?
With New Jersey’s lawmakers so far along on an adult-use bill and the political will backing legalization, most observers believe the governor will sign rec cannabis into law by June 30 – when the fiscal year ends – at the latest.
So, could sales actually begin in 2018?
“It’s certainly possible,” said Michael Bronstein, a cannabis legalization lobbyist in New Jersey. “But no state has passed a recreational law through the legislature before, so it’ll take a lot of work.”
Servis is more confident.
“If the bill is introduced quickly, which I believe it will be,” she said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the first rec sales happen in 2018 – although it’s mostly going to come from existing medical operators who have been grandfathered in.
“We have a really good shot at it.”
Bauchner believes too much work remains.
“I’d be shocked,” he said.
Omar Sacirbey can be reached at email@example.com


text:
Schaumburg, Ill., — Automotive loans 60 days past due rose by nearly 17 percent from the fourth quarter 2007 to the fourth quarter 2008, according Experian Automotive.
During its quarterly State of the Auto Finance Market Webinar, Experian Automotive presented its latest analysis of automotive lending trends, providing a comprehensive view of the market from fourth quarter 2007 through fourth quarter 2008.
Currently, 1.04 percent of all automotive loans are 60 days past due, compared with 0.89 percent in the fourth quarter 2007. Thirty-day delinquencies rose 9.87 percent over the same period, to 3.06 percent in fourth quarter 2008 from 2.78 percent in fourth quarter 2007. Combined, 30- and 60-day delinquencies accounted for nearly $29 billion in at-risk loans.
“There continues to be a steep climb in the number of people past due on their auto loans, which causes a negative ripple through the industry,” said Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive. “As more loans become delinquent, lenders begin to tighten their criteria for automotive lending. Ultimately, this makes it more challenging for consumers to find funding when they want to buy a car or truck and more difficult for dealers to help consumers secure financing.”
According to Experian’s Scorex PLUS, the average loan score for a new vehicle loan was 765 in the fourth quarter of 2008, 12 points higher than the average credit score for a new vehicle loan in the fourth quarter of 2007. Although the average loan score for new loan originations rose — largely due to more stringent loan criteria from lenders — overall consumer credit worsened. The percentage of all outstanding loans to prime customers (680 credit score and above) fell by nearly 1.5 percentage points, from 57.97 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 56.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.
“The overall drop in consumer credit, combined with lenders’ tightening of loan criteria, is making it more difficult for auto retailers to find financing for their potential customers,” said Melinda Zabritski, director of automotive credit for Experian Automotive. “However, there are still financing sources out there if retailers know where to look. They need to develop a better understanding of lenders in their market and find out who has programs for various credit levels.”
Experian’s other findings from fourth quarter 2008 data include:
• Delinquencies are highest in the Southeast, as Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina have four of the five highest 30-day delinquency rates. The District of Columbia is second.
• The states with the lowest 30-day delinquency rates are North Dakota, Arkansas, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.
• The average loan for a new vehicle was $24,444 in the fourth quarter of 2008, down $338 from the first quarter of 2008 ($24,782).
• The average loan for a used vehicle was $15,904 in the fourth quarter of 2008, down $678 from the first quarter of 2008 ($16,582).
• From the first quarter to the fourth quarter of 2008, small economy cars and entry-level SUVs saw significant increases in prime loan market share, up 29.4 percent and 24.2 percent, respectively. For the same time period, prime loans for full-sized pickup trucks and large SUVs saw decreases of 17.31 percent and 13.01 percent, respectively.


text:
Telenor Platinum Star customers will be able to apply for CB-Telenor cobranded Visa credit cards on https://cardapp.cbbank.com.mm/telenor-star starting on May 8th 2019
No annual fee and 50% discount on issuing fees with double CB Reward Points will be applied
0% interest for IPP (Instalment payment plan) purchases for 6 Months (up to 5 times a year)
In order to boost financial service penetration in the country and to expand member privileges for Telenor Star Platinum customers, Telenor Myanmar joined hand with CB Bank and Visa to launch CB-Telenor Co-branded Visa Credit Cards for the first time in Myanmar. The launch event was held in Lotte Hotel in Yangon today where CEO of Telenor Myanmar Mr Sharad Mehrotra, CEO of CB Bank U Kyaw Lynn and Country Manager of VISA, Ms Lillian Wang, signed the partnership agreement with the presence of media.
With the partnership, eligible Telenor Platinum Star members will be able to enjoy special privileges such as no annual fees for the first 5 years and 50% discount on issuing fees when they apply for CB-Telenor Co-branded Visa Credit Cards. The growth of middle class and technology in Myanmar where consumer credits are largely absent, the partnership will bring more opportunities to the people in Myanmar to access to financial services.
“Telenor’s roadmap is to empower the societies by connecting people with what matters most and digitalizing their customer journey is a key component in implementing this vision. Our partnership with CB Bank in introducing this co-branded credit card to our star customers is a testament as customers could easily apply for the credit card online and at CB banks. We believe the launch of this service will further contribute towards enhancing cashless society in Myanmar. Telenor Myanmar is trying the best to give not only the telecommunication services but also to ensure the customers enjoy the full benefits of being connected in their daily lives,” said Sharad Mehrotra, Chief Executive Officer of Telenor Myanmar.
Telenor Star program is designed to recognize and appreciate Telenor’s loyal customers. Every Telenor user based on certain recharge and duration can be a star customer which entitled you special privileges and deals at over 300 partner outlets plus other benefits like three-time loans (Kyo Thone), priority services, and exclusive postpaid plans. There are three tiers under STAR status – Silver, Gold and Platinum based on both the length of stay with Telenor and the average recharge amount. More details can be viewed at https://www.telenor.com.mm/my/personal/telenor-star.
“We are very much pleased to launch co-branded credit cards together with Telenor and VISA. This new initiative will serve as a catalyst towards creating a cashless society and promote financial inclusion in Myanmar as more people will have access to finance and credit. This is also a good example of a strategic partnership between CB Bank and Telenor. We have come one step closer to take this to the next level,” said U Kyaw Lynn, Chief Executive Officer of CB Bank.
Lillian Wang, Country Manager for Visa Myanmar said: “We are pleased to collaborate with CB Bank and Telenor to jointly launch the first co-branded credit card in Myanmar representing another milestone in the country’s payment industry. With mobile phone penetration in Myanmar at almost 100 per cent, the integration of telecommunications and Visa card is a very effective combination that will enhance the consumer experience. In addition, the co-branded card features Visa contactless payment technology that will cater to cardholders who demand a fast, efficient and modern way to make payments without compromising on security. We believe the card will encourage the use of electronic payments, promote the integration of telecommunications and credit card service and, ultimately, driving Myanmar towards a less-cash society.”
Since the co-branded card is powered by Visa, customers will be able to use it at more than 53 million merchant locations worldwide. Additionally, for Visa cards issued in Myanmar, cardholders will be able to access a world of privileges through Visa’s very own premium platform including international travel, food and shopping as well as special promotions at a number of selected merchants in Myanmar.
Since the co-branded cards are powered by Visa, the customers will be able to use them both locally and internationally including online shopping and hotel bookings. Additionally, core privileges and exclusive deals are available for those co-branded credit card holders.
CB Telenor co-branded Visa credit card is the first ever collaboration in Myanmar between a local bank and a telecom operator. And for the credibility of individual cards, CB Bank will decide based on the individual’s eligible limit in accordance with Central Bank’s guidelines.
CB Bank and Telenor Myanmar have been in partnership for more than 4 years for handling the majority of Telenor’s cash management throughout the country.
CB Bank was the first bank in Myanmar to introduce credit cards in the early 2017 and card usage has grown over the years. Credit cards allow customers to make payment for goods and services with credit with a promise to pay back at a later date. CB Bank credit card holders also have access to Installment Payment Plan (IPP) at selected merchants and travel agencies which enables the customers to make installment payment.
About Telenor Myanmar
Telenor Myanmar has been providing accessible and affordable mobile communications to people across Myanmar since September 2014. With more than 8,300 sites nationwide, Telenor Myanmar serves more than 18 million customers in all States, Regions and territories through its 2G, 3G and 4G network. Telenor Myanmar is part of Telenor Group, one of the world's major mobile operators with more than 176 million subscriptions across Scandinavia and Asia and committed to responsible business conduct and driven by the ambition of empowering societies. For more information about Telenor Group, please visit:https://www.telenor.com . About Telenor Myanmar, please visit https://www.telenor.com.mm.
For media enquiries, please contact:
About CB Bank
CB Bank is one of the largest leading private banks in Myanmar established in 1992. With technology at the core of our key initiatives to reimagine the future of financial services, CB Bank has:
Established technology infrastructure and core banking systems,
Introduced banking products and services for customers and clients on our digital platforms
Forged strategic partnerships with many partners and service providers
Over 26 years, CB Bank has grown from 33 employees to around 9,000 employees and opened over 220 branches. Tailored to customer requirements, CB Bank offers financial solutions to corporate clients, SMEs and individual customers.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead with prepaid or pay later with credit products. For more information, visit https://usa.visa.com/, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.
For media enquiries, please contact: Trongjate Namwong, email@example.com


text:
Estonian mobile operator EMT has launched its commercial 3G network based on Ericsson 3G core and radio technology. As the sole supplier, Ericsson has delivered a complete 3G/WCDMA network and related services. Under the agreement, Ericsson will also provide its hosted personalized music service and video service for EMT based on Ericsson Service Delivery Platform-Media.
EMT's 3G network currently covers Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and will gradually be expanded all over Estonia. Ericsson's latest technology will enable EMT to offer their 3G customers an exciting package of advanced multimedia and mobile broadband services. EMT's new services will make popular TV shows, news and traffic cameras accessible on EMT's 3G handsets. Full-length download of the popular music tracks will also be available for 3G users.
Valdo Kalm, Chief Executive Officer, EMT, says: "Launching 3G with our attractive package of new services is a perfect opportunity for EMT to increase data revenues. We see it as the logical next step in the evolution of mobile services, and we are confident we can take that step together with Ericsson, following our successful partnership in GSM and GPRS/EDGE."
Veiko Sepp, President, Ericsson Estonia, says: "We are happy that our long-standing relations with EMT have reached a new level, and we see it as an exciting challenge to bring new opportunities to the Estonian mobile communications market. We hope that the combination of new technology and an attractive mix of video, music and mobile broadband services will thrill EMT customers and invite new content providers to join the race in Estonia."
Ericsson's hosted service makes it possible for EMT to introduce the latest content to its subscribers in an easy, speedy and cost-efficient manner. Ericsson ensures the delivery of the service whilst EMT will be able to focus on core business and customer relationships.
Ericsson and EMT have built a strong partnership over the last decade. Ericsson has previously been selected by EMT as sole supplier of GSM Core and Radio Network, including GPRS/EDGE.


text:
At her keynote address at CES Tuesday afternoon, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced that the company has acquired Aviate, an Android app that creates a live-updating, dynamic, and intelligent home screen solution for Android smartphones and tablets. Much like Google’s own service, Google Now, Aviate creates suggestions for apps to use based on prior use, displays meeting schedules, weather information, social accounts, and much more. The app also allows users to create specific screen scenes that can be used at different parts during the user’s day. For instance, there can be a default setup for when the user is at home, at work, or away on vacation.
Since Mayer’s appointment as CEO, she’s been snatching up hot startups from all over the globe. To date, Yahoo has acquired 31 startups. In those acquisitions, Yahoo has gained an incredible amount of mobile development talent. Mayer says she wants to create personalized mobile software that becomes part of a user’s daily routine, and she’s acquiring just the people to create those products.
Yahoo hasn’t said what it will do with Aviate – whether or not the company will operate autonomously is still unknown, but it’s safe to assume that Yahoo will take what’s great in Aviate and build its own solution, or simply rebrand Aviate altogether.


text:
The last five years have brought a wave of Chinese investors to Israel, including flagship technology companies like Alibaba, Baidu and Kuang-Chi. Whereas in 2013 only a handful of Chinese companies were active domestically, in 2018 more than fifty Chinese companies participated in financing local technology companies.
The surge in corporate activity is now yielding a new Chinese presence in Israel: investment promotion offices representing cities and provinces across China. More than a dozen of these offices are now actively supporting commercial activities between their localities and Israel, attracting new sources of Chinese capital and assisting Israeli companies in establishing operations in China.
Consider Dongguan. Located in China’s southern province of Guangdong – adjacent to Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou—Dongguan is the world’s largest IT manufacturing hub and one of China’s largest trade ports. For decades, the city was famous in China as the emptiest city during holiday season – with more than 70% of the population comprising migrant factory workers, Dongguan would become a ghost town as the workers went home for Lunar New Year.
In 2018, Dongguan opened an office in Israel to promote trade and investment. That office is the direct result of a series of government policies with direct implication for Israeli businesses. In 2017, the Guangdong provincial government announced plans to develop a “Chinese Silicon Valley,” creating a hi-tech economy that will drive economic growth in a region (“Greater Bay”) the national government has committed to building into the world’s largest economic zone. Due to its central location, transportation networks, manufacturing legacy and sound governance, Dongguan was selected to be the linchpin for this new technology industry. In response, the city government is devoting millions of dollars to incentivize technology companies to relocate. Within China, these policies have led technology leaders like Huawei, Oppo and Kuang-Chi to set up new R&D headquarters in Dongguan. Globally, the government has established a network of investment promotion offices, including in Israel in January 2018.
Alongside Dongguan, Israel is home to representative offices from a cross section of Chinese cities. The largest Chinese cities—Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong—are joined by cities unfamiliar to many Israelis— such as Qingdao, Zhuhai, and Xiamen. Although each municipal trade office varies in the services they offer, their importance for Israelis—especially companies seeking to enter China—is clear.
First, the opening of these offices over the last eighteen months is an encouraging sign of a maturing commercial relationship. Major US states, Canadian provinces and European cities all operate commercial representative offices in Israel. Like their Chinese counterparts, these government offices were established following private sector led growth in trade and investment. In China, where state and regional authorities provide support and oversight of local businesses, the establishment of foreign representative offices is akin to an endorsement of such activity. Moreover, government trade offices are a long-term commitment: public institutions operate on longer time-horizons than the private sector, and by opening an office overseas, the government is advertising that it is pursuing a long-term commercial relationship. As Dr. Ari Varon, founder of government relations firm 3Cubed explains, “Foreign companies operating in China need good working relationships with local governments at many levels, and government trade offices help legitimize and smooth a foreigner’s market entry.” For Israel, this is especially important given that the commercial relationship between China and Israel is at a relatively early stage. The new Chinese investment promotion offices are hence a natural and necessary resource for continued commercial activity.
Second, these offices provide Israeli companies with a literal blueprint to map out a successful business strategy in China. To avoid China’s complex cultural pitfalls, every company needs a soft landing, an entry point they can leverage to expand across the broader China marketplace. As Dorian Barak has written in this forum, a physical presence, in cooperation with a local government, is among the most effective ways to penetrate the local market. The Chinese trade offices in Israel provide that soft landing, securing Israeli companies Chinese public and private sector protekzia before they even arrive in-country.
The importance of leveraging both public and private sector ties in China cannot be understated. Given that Chinese companies often take their cue, if not their financing, from local authorities, every international company needs a government relations strategy in China—as tech giants like Google and Apple have learned at significant cost. The Chinese trade offices in Israel allow Israeli companies to develop these ties. In doing so, they can mine resources and knowledge to enable a China strategy that is aligned with local interests, industries and most important, customers.


text:
The Bayonne Urban Enterprise Zone has a plan to promote local businesses still open to the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UEZ coordinates the use of Community Block Grant funds, Special Improvement District funds, Clean Communities funds, Zone Assistance funds, and other grants and donations to undertake various projects to create jobs and to add to the economic vitality of the community.
As part of its efforts, the UEZ is asking local businesses that are still open to make residents aware of their continuing operation.
“In these difficult times, this would be an excellent opportunity for Bayonne merchants to provide words of comfort to their local customers,” the UEZ announced in a statement.
Currently in Bayonne and throughout many cities in Hudson County, many restrictions have been placed on businesses to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
All bars and restaurants in Bayonne are closed for in-house seating. Bars and restaurants may continue to do business and sell food and or alcohol in accordance with alcoholic beverage control and health laws, operating during their normal business hours on a takeout or delivery basis only.
All casino gaming floors, including retail sports wagering lounges, and casino concert and entertainment venues are closed. Racetracks, including stabling facilities and retail sports wagering lounges are closed.
All barber shops and beauty salons, nail salons, and tattoo parlors are closed. Gyms, fitness centers and classes are closed, as are entertainment centers including performing arts centers, other concert venues, nightclubs, shopping malls and indoor amusement centers.
Other retail, recreational, and entertainment businesses may operate from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Supermarkets, grocery stores, food stores, pharmacies, medical supply stores, gas stations, healthcare facilities, and ancillary stores within healthcare facilities are not subject to the time restrictions and may operate 24 hours.
These businesses are not subject to occupancy restrictions. Currently, the City of Bayonne is enforcing a limit of no more than 25 persons in any business at one time, as part of social distancing.
Despite the restrictions, a number of stores will continue to operate under business-as-usual circumstances in Bayonne.
The UEZ wants these resilient businesses that are still open to make themselves known by sending in photos of their stores and letting the public know if they are open.
“Your business serves the residents throughout the City of Bayonne,” the UEZ said in a statement. “Many residents would appreciate knowing what places are open and offer curbside pick-ups and delivery options, or where you can order an item on a website and then pick it up.”
Before being promoted by the UEZ, businesses will have to take some obvious precautions. After the business has been cleaned and sanitized, the UEZ would post on social media platforms that the business has a highly sanitized environment to keep Bayonne healthy.
For more information, interested businesses are advised to email any and all information to email@example.com.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
Designer News is where the design community meets.
over 9 years ago from Manik Rathee, Eng Manager @ Google
Web Designer Depot had me for a second.:
Where the design community meets.
Designer News is a large, global community of people working or interested in design and technology.
© 2023 Designer News Ltd.


text:
GHL to offer Alipay services in Philippines
“The company started with Alipay in 2016 in Thailand and Malaysia in April 2017 and now with the Philippine market, GHL looked to expanding further to the region as Alipay’s key Asean partner.”
To date, GHL Thailand has enabled over 900 merchant acceptance points and GHL Malaysia has enable 5,400 acceptance points in the hotels, retail chain stores, convenience stores and F&B space which has high Chinese tourist foot traffic.
GHL said 810,807 tourists from China visited the Philippines during the first 10 months of 2017, compared to the whole of 2016, which totalled 675,663.
“With the implementation of the visa upon arrival programme in the Philippines, it is expected to grow further. This bodes well for Philippine businesses and merchants as Chinese tourists generally carry the Alipay mobile wallet.”
Texchem to open 80 more Sushi King outlets by 2021
“This year, the capital expenditure of the group is planned to be around RM35mil, of which RM30mil is for the restaurant division while the remaining RM5mil will go to the industrial and polymer engineering divisions. There are presently 19 Yoshinoya and Hanamaru restaurants nationwide. Subsequently, there will be 20 new Sushi King restaurants opened each year until 2021.” Konishi said the group would also this year set up five new Yoshinoya and Hanamaru restaurants, costing about RM750,000 each.
“The polymer engineering division makes semiconductor trays and packaging for hard-disk drive. There are plans to diverse into manufacturing products to support the medical device and life science industries.”
Mexter’s healthcare business takes off
“The healthcare industry is a comparatively stable market and is anticipated to compensate for business cycle fluctuations. Mexter has chosen mother-and-child-related healthcare services as its maiden focus in the healthcare segment as Malaysia has a relatively young demographic, which makes this sub-segment an attractive business proposition with good long-term viability”
“This would make Mexter the first listed company in Malaysia (and globally to the best of our knowledge) to have postpartum care as its primary business,” CIMB Research stated.
IoT solution is Mikro MSC’s new growth driver
The new IoT solution would be a preventive solution for its consumers, as the real-time data and information collected could indicate if there are any possible defects. “For example, if the heat being released is more than usual, it could be an indicator that some parts have aged or need replacements. This helps avoid any disruption to our customers,” Fong added.
“It has taken longer than we expected to move to the new factory due to some approvals [that needed to be obtained]. Nonetheless, we are looking to complete the move by the first half of this year. Once all the new machines and automation are set in the new factory, they will also help enhance the efficiency of our operation. All these will eventually add to the bottom line moving forward.”
Saudee’s food service revamped
“We cannot keep operating a business-as-usual mode and expect to see changes in our earnings,” said Chong. Early last year, the group pulled up its underrated food service segment — involving the supply of ready-to-eat food products to restaurant chains — a non-core unit under the FPP sector, which was given a new lease of life. Chong said the measures were put in place in the second half of FY17.
“People tell us to sell cheap, but we don’t want to be branded in that category. We had no choice but to refocus on food service. The original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and exports under the FPP segment would remain. We want to do premium products only,” he added.
Saudee is also in discussions with a distributor in Japan to expand its food service business there. The group only supplies one OEM brand to Japan. Chong said more than 90% of its revenue is derived from Malaysia, with the FPP and trading segments contributing equally. Within the FPP, Saudee’s “own brand” product section makes up almost 80% of the business unit’s revenue.
“We are chopping the volume of trading tremendously because we don’t believe in that so much. It has incurred losses in the past. It gives revenue but not profit. We cannot control forex … it is unpredictable. We have to buy food products with cash. We have no time to react to forex [fluctuations]. It is like a hedging gambling business, which we don’t want to engage much in,” he said.
Perodua, Proton to be hit most by lending guidelines
“The continued high rejection rate for loan approvals will still be among the most difficult challenges not just for consumers but car companies,” MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad told a media briefing. “Excluding luxury vehicle sellers, as their markets have the money to easily buy their products, it’s the local players which will be affected the most.” Aishah pointed out two prevailing issues which could reinforce more stringent lending practices, namely the implementation of the Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards 9 (MFRS 9) since Jan 1, 2018, as well as the high household debt levels.
Ireka joins China firms to explore driverless rail transit
CRRC UT president Gu Yifeng said the ART system, developed by China-based CRRC Group, is already operating in Zhuzhou, China and the company intends to make Malaysia a springboard to the rest of Southeast Asia. “Why we chose Ireka? From what we have seen, Ireka has been in the construction industry for the past 50 years and it has a strong technical capability, focusing on professionalism,” he told a news conference after the MoU signing ceremony yesterday. Our investment in Ireka was a good start for both companies to create a synergistic collaboration and investment. If the Malaysian market requires us to invest more, we will definitely do so.”
“Construction still accounts for almost 90% of our turnover and our outstanding order book currently stands at about RM400 million, which should keep us busy for two years.”
Stronger ringgit good for F&N as net importer
“A stronger ringgit is definitely good for the group and its overall business. For example, we import a lot of dairy products, especially raw materials, from several foreign countries and transactions are predominantly done in the US dollar.”
“The first quarter [ended Dec 31, 2016 or 1QFY17] was a bit tough for us as it was the peak [of raw material costs]. But now, we can breathe a little.”
“Our products are for the masses and for that reason, we believe increasing prices are the last thing will consider. As it is, sugar prices are moderating, so increasing prices is not on the cards.”
iPay88 online transactions hit RM6.6bil
“In the month of January 2017, we recorded a little less than two million mobile-type online payments. Moving onward to December 2017, in that month alone this number shot up to 3.5 million mobile online transactions.”
“More shoppers are now accessing the shopping sites using a mobile (device) than a desktop. iPay88 statistics show that the trend of m-Commerce has been changing since 2015. In the first quarter of 2015, desktop transactions doubled mobile transactions. Subsequently in the first quarter of 2016, mobile transactions were on par with desktop transactions.”


text:
I love Raffles Place in Singapore’s CBD as it’s always a hive of marketing activity. There are always a plethora of brands trying to capture the attention of busy business executives who are dashing around. You soon learn that “free” is the only message that truly works to achieve this objective.
The era of ‘buy now’, ‘experience this’ and ‘order yours today’ in above the line advertising is over. With so many media channels for people to choose from and so much competition for attention, these traditional call to actions (CTAs) are becoming less effective – they are too obvious.
Welcome instead to the age where CTAs encourage their audiences to scrutinise and debate. The age where advertising promotes brand interaction instead of product sales. The age of ‘search for us’.
But why should you be driving customers to Google, instead of straight to your website? Read More
Both Facebook and Twitter have recently announced separate e-commerce plays which will make it easier to shop online using their services. Facebook has declared they are testing a ‘buy’ button, while Twitter has acquired payment startup CardSpring.
It’s a step by both to help brands deliver a ‘last click’ which can only be a good thing as social media companies progress with their push towards improved monetisation. Nevertheless it’s come at a time when marketers are increasingly embracing social content on their digital properties and moving away from engaging with consumers inside a social network.
Research by Rosetta Consulting suggests it is worth putting the investment in. It found companies who follow customer engagement best practices are 2.2 times more likely to have increased market share in the past year. Read More
Many organisations have recognised women as being an important and growing market based on factors such as income, workforce participation and influence in purchase decision-making. In the US, for example, women make more than 85% of the consumer purchases, yet only 9% of women feel that brands are effectively marketed to them. I have four concerns with current approaches to marketing to women:
As the ‘Facebook is invading our lives’ saga continues, new backlash campaigns are springing up to react. A Dutch movement called ‘99 Days of Freedom’ is a counter experiment that looks at what the impact could be on our moods if we left the social network altogether.
Already in the last week, 26,015 people have joined in. The campaign encourages users to join the 99 days of freedom experiment, boasting that it only takes a few minutes to join, yet saves the average user 1,683 minutes – which totals up to well over 28 hours of freedom. The non-profit will contact users after 33, 66 and 99 days to monitor users’ moods. Read More
Weber Shandwick recently conducted research investigating the trend of ‘hybridised’ marketing and communications functions. Ten chief communications and marketing officers (“CCMOs”) shared insights into the drivers and benefits of convergence at their organisations, as well as the challenges they faced in the process of integrating two traditionally disparate functions. Our study reveals firsthand knowledge about what to expect when integrating communications and marketing. Read More
Social media monitoring platform Brandwatch partnered with Brilliant Noise to analyse more than eight million online conversations about wearable technology from Jan 2013 – Jul 2014. It found that year on year the conversation around wearables has exploded – increasing a staggering 190% when you compare the first quarter of last year (973,300 mentions) to that of this year (2,816,814 mentions). Read More
Do you know which global drink brand’s first marketing slogan from the 1900s was ‘The Great National Temperance Beverage’? Or where the ‘Guinness is good for you’ tagline came from in 1929? In today’s infographic we look at some of the world’s most famous brands and how their marketing slogans have evolved over time. Read More


text:
Disney releases a new clip for the video game-centric animated feature, “Wreck-It Ralph.”
Disney has released a new clip for the video game-centric animated feature, Wreck-It Ralph.
Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman, Wreck-It Ralph tells the story of Wreck-It Ralph, a Donkey Kong-style video game villain who is tired of being the bad guy. Ralph sets off on an adventure to become a good guy, putting his friends inside the Wreck-It Ralph video game in grave danger.
Watch as Ralph meets cute with the feisty Vanellope von Schweetz:
Source: Walt Disney Studios
Jennifer Wolfe is Director of News & Content at Animation World Network.


text:
Reference News Network reported on November 6th, every month there are hundreds of the bride and groom came from Asia, wearing a wedding dress posed, in some of the most famous scenic spots (recently also includes less well-known scenic spots near the romantic shadows left).
In Paris, they’re becoming as ubiquitous as street vendors. They’re everywhere. Le Louvre Museum, in front of Eiffel Tower, in Luxembourg Gardens, luxury hotels and buildings, and sometimes even in parking lots.
Reported that this upsurge, new trends and traditional tourism maintains a profitable branch, it is not only in the world of romantic Paris spread to other places, but also spread to France and Britain, Greece, Italy and other European countries.
They were dressed in wedding dresses and flowers, although they looked newlyweds, but they were taking part in a “wedding before” event just for pictures. A real wedding takes place back home, sometimes after a few months. Then, with slides, posters and videos show the way those videos will become an important part of the wedding ceremony.
Reported that the view of Li Zhaoping of Finland University of Applied Sciences in the research on the industry before the wedding: “most couples are in just a few months before the wedding photography, this can be a complex and difficult process, need the efforts of several days, numerous sets of clothing, out to exotic places, but also have a take some photos of the big budget, up to $15 thousand. New people in the West often want wedding photos to capture real moments, while Asian newcomers hope to have sophisticated photographs that satisfy their romantic fantasies.”
It’s not a new fad, the report says. In fact, rich Asian newcomers have done this many years ago. The new feature is that the number of new people has been steadily increasing due to the decline in travel costs, leading to a thriving industry. The industry now offers one or more photographers, many selected European romantic attractions, and not just for fashionable wedding photographs. Floral designers, hair stylists, makeup artists, big brand dress shoes, luxury cars, and vintage cars are included in packages that are destined to meet – at least in the photos – the most romantic dreams of new people.
French television 2 explained: “this love dream costs about 2000 euros, the content is from thousands of miles away to Paris, take dozens of photos within a day, and then take them home.”.”
“World news” published an article on this special tourism trend of the article said that the Chinese red dress to rent new traditional Paris currently has several “wedding” or white wedding dress, shoes, tuxedo and jewelry, and hair and makeup to make arrangements. A company manager told the newspaper reporter: “in the basement, the bride can try hair and makeup.”. On the day of the filming, the bride will be given manicure and false eyelashes.”
Many people choose to replace multiple sets of clothing during shooting, wearing a gorgeous dress and Santorini fashion in England, the white cliffs of Dover in the south of France, lavender fields Greece and Big Ben in London and other romantic background before leaving dreamy photos. For example, the beauty of the parish church of Cotswold built in thirteenth Century had been coerced into this upsurge, the origin is a typical British couple filmed the taste of beautiful photos there. Bath and Lake District are also very popular.
The expansion of services in some offer exquisite to the extreme, the shooting time can last for a few days, in the famous luxury ski resort is dressed new photos, or in the famous film works for the new pictures.
An article published in the South China Morning Post in Hongkong calls the popular tradition “the manor effect of the photos before the Chinese wedding””. The newspaper said: “in this era driven by popular drama, hundreds of couples flew to Britain each year, spending thousands of pounds to hire photographers take pictures in Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton, York and Cornwall Peninsula atlands etc..”
The newspaper said that this trend “in part by” Downton Abbey “a huge hit driven, the show attracted 160 million spectators in the China, but also by Chinese singer and actor Jay Chou famous, he held the wedding ceremony in the Selby Church in Yorkshire, and then held a wedding party in castle Howard, Castle Howard is because of the adaptation of century broadcast in 80s, the British writer Evelyn Wo’s” Brideshead Revisited “of the TV series and the mingyangtianxia”.
In the shooting of Castle Howard as a high-end camera to spend 5000 pounds, including tickets and expenses in the castle and photo day. It costs 550 extra to hire a four wheel carriage.
The average price of a photo set before a wedding is 1000 euros at a famous scenic spot. Increasing the cost of two scenic spots depends on the distance, the fare increases from 500 to 1000 euros.


text:
Forbes magazine says there are 1,342 billionaires in the world, and by our count about 25 either made most of their money in the car business or have made a big splash in the auto world since getting megarich.
Three car dealers turned up on Forbes' annual super-rich list: Norman Braman of Miami (net worth, $1.6 billion); Red McCombs of San Antonio ($1.3 billion); and Tom Benson of New Orleans ($1.2 billion).
Billionaire dealers like sports franchises. Benson owns the New Orleans Saints and Hornets; Braman once owned the Philadelphia Eagles; and McCombs has bought and sold the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Vikings.
But so do aristocrats and supplier barons. Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford Sr. ($1.25 billion) is the only Ford family member on the billionaire registry. Shahid Khan ($2.9 billion), owner of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, is the richest parts maker on the list. Khan, who built Flex-N-Gate into a car bumper behemoth, out-placed car interiors tycoon Wilbur Ross ($2.6 billion), German ball bearings barons Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler and son Georg Schaeffler ($2.2 billion), and Magna founder Frank Stronach ($1.2 billion).
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, who made his first fortune selling PayPal to eBay in 2002, punched in at ($2.7 billion).
Forbes listed a few Chinese auto billionaires, including Wei Jianjun ($5.3 billion), chairman of Great Wall Motor; Wang Chuanfu ($2.3 billion), chairman of BYD; and Li Shufu, who heads Geely-Volvo ($2.2 billion).
One Korean made the list: Chung Eui-San ($2.2 billion), the eldest son of Hyundai Motors chairman Chung Mong- koo and a company vice president.
Tom Friedkin, founder of Gulf States Toyota, which has exclusive rights to sell Toyotas in Texas and four other states, is worth $1.7 billion.
Dealer giant and speed merchant Roger Penske was clocked at $1.2 billion. Russian car guy Vladimir Scherbakov, at $1.1 billion, controls Avtotor Holding, the second-biggest carmaker in Russia.
Who are the richest of the auto billionaires? German Susanne Klatten ($14.3 billion) ranked 58th on the Forbes list. Her brother, Stefan Quandt ($11.9 billion), was 87th, and their mother, Johanna Quandt ($10.6 billion), was 100th. Johanna Quandt, 86, is the widow of Herbert Quandt, who saved BMW from ruin a half century ago.


text:
German Slowdown Sends Global Warning Signs on Supply Chains, China
A bellwether of global growth, the German economy slowed sharply at the end of 2021
FRANKFURT—Germany’s economy hit the brakes at the end of last year as the export powerhouse was slammed by global supply-chain bottlenecks, surging material prices and weakness in its biggest trading partner, China.
With its outsize dependence on world trade and the critical role it plays in global supply chains, the German economy has emerged as a barometer for a number of global issues, including rising energy prices, the slowdown in China and supply-chain disruptions. More than that, German industry, especially its huge car sector, is grappling with both technological upheaval and fiercer competition from Chinese rivals.


text:
Despite all that the world is going through right now, the rich seem to be getting richer. Amid the global coronavirus pandemic and economies taking a dangerous hit, things are only looking upwards for Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Currently, the world’s richest person, Jeff Bezos just became the first person to be worth $200 billion.
On Wednesday, the billionaire’s Amazon stock edged up to 2% which increased his Bezos’ net worth by $4.9 billion. This ultimately made the 56-year-old the world’s first-ever person to cross the 200 billion mark. According to Forbes, Jeff Bezos’ exact net worth on Wednesday is a staggering $204.6 billion which is $90 billion more than the world’s second-richest person Bill Gates. Bill Gates’s current net worth is $116.1 billion.
Jeff Bezos’ Amazon Stock Rise during COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has forced consumers to change their purchasing habits which ultimately
resulted in a stock rise for Amazon by nearly 80%. Ultimately, Jeff Bezos’ net worth which was at $115 billion on January 1 has now scaled up exponentially. Bezos who has roughly 11% stake in Amazon, also owns the Washington Post, an aerospace company called Blue Origin, and has other private investments.
The news has shaken the business world who see this as a milestone in history while others point it as a reflection of unequal wealth distribution in society. It is important to mention that Jeff Bezos would have been even wealthier today had he not gone through the most expensive divorce settlement in history last year. During his split from ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, the billionaire gave her 25% of his Amazon stake which is now worth $63 billion. Scott is currently the world’s 14th richest person and the second richest woman behind L’Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers.
Apart from Jeff Bezos touching new heights, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg also became a centibillionaire on Tuesday. After adding $9.4 billion to his fortune in two days, the Facebook CEO’s net worth currently stands at a whopping $109.1 billion.
For More Such Updates, Stay tuned to Madam 360


text:
Common market for eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) is considering adopting standard governance requirements to woo multinationals into the market.
Officials at the continental bloc argue that despite Africa having attractive opportunities for business, corruption is a hindrance to SMEs seeking to tap into regional and global supply chains.
Sandra Uwera, Comesa Business Council chief executive said corruption had become part and parcel of doing business in many countries, with many SMEs eyeing shorter routes to make profits instead of long-term sustainable partnership.
“SMEs must consider that any misinterpretation of credentials, payments or favours in furtherance to obtaining or retaining a business, participating in anti-competitive business practices or ignoring the very same practices is deemed a great misconduct to corporates who would want to engage in joint venture partnership or contractual agreements that integrate SMEs into their supply chains,” she said.
The council last week conducted a workshop, which targeted companies in Kigali to design the bloc’s anti-corruption compliance and integrity code.
Ms Uwera told Rwanda Today that once developed, the code will be presented to Council of Ministers after adoption by the chambers of commerce and private sector federation.
African Union data show that corruption continues to be one of the key obstacles making the cost of doing business high in the region, constituting more than 10 per cent of the total costs of products coming to the final consumers.
In the case of Rwanda, which ranks among the least corrupt countries on the continent, corruption cases are reported in customs, transport and logistical processes.
Some firms also reported graft cases in transfers, dispute settlement, regulatory system, taxation and investment requirements.
Experts argue that with integration taking roots on the continent following the recent creation a much larger market under the continental free trade area, anti-corruption compliance is timely to woo multinationals.
As a result, failure to implement safeguards and controls that guarantee successful and fair business transactions could leave local enterprises with little chance to participate in regional and global trade at the expense of economies’ growth.


text:
Amazon.com Inc. is expected to report first-quarter earnings after the market closes Thursday.
The company, which makes money from Amazon Prime subscriptions, its marketplace and cloud services, will be closely watched this quarter as it breaks out cloud services revenue for the first time. In January, the company claimed to have over a million Amazon Web Services active users.
In a recent note to clients, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said he anticipated strong revenue growth out of Amazon
Baird analyst Colin Sebastian said he expected Amazon to report “generally in-line results,” while Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Youssef Squali said healthy U.S. growth should offset softer international trends, though he warned that “razor thin” operating margins will persist through 2015.
On Tuesday, BGC Partners downgraded Amazon to hold, saying Amazon’s shares have outpaced its expectations since the brokerage upgraded the company on Jan. 21. BGC analyst Colin Gillis also reduced his quarterly estimates, citing the negative impact of foreign exchange rates.
Here’s what to expect:
Earnings: Sell-side analysts on FactSet expect Amazon to report a GAAP loss per share of 16 cents, from a year-earlier profit of 23 cents a share. Adjusted for one-time items, they see earnings per share of 63 cents, which would mark a 30% year-over-year decline from Amazon’s non-GAAP EPS of 92 cents in the year-earlier period. Estimize, a fast-growing software platform that uses crowdsourcing to garner earnings estimates from hedge fund executives, brokerages, sell-side and buy-side analysts, has Amazon earning 5 cents a share. Amazon fell short of non-GAAP EPS estimates in five of the last eight quarters. However, earnings came in at 45 cents in the January quarter, sharply beating expectations of 23 cents.
Revenue: The Wall Street consensus estimate is for revenue of $22.4 billion, according to FactSet, which would mark a 14% year-over-year improvement from $19.7 billion a year ago. Contributors on Estimize are forecasting slightly higher revenue of $22.61 billion, while Amazon’s management has forecast revenue in the range of $20.9 billion to $22.9 billion. It’s worth noting that Amazon has missed revenue expectations in its last two quarters.
Stock reaction: Shares of Amazon are up about 26% over the last three months, since the company’s last earnings report. Before the company’s late January report, they had been on a six-month decline.
What to watch for: Amazon is still widely considered the best e-commerce bet of its peers. And this quarter will be the first time Amazon breaks out revenue data in its enterprise cloud business, Amazon Web Services. Amazon claims to have more than one million active users on AWS, with usage increasing 90% year-over-year.
“We think AWS growth will likely continued unabated during the quarter,” Wedbush’s Pachter said.
Cantor’s Squali said AWS could be one of the factors that keeps a short-term lid on profitability, but said he views the break out of the cloud segment as a positive.
Other things to look out for are any comments from management regarding Amazon’s testing of drones for its delivery service, as it was just given U.S. air safety approval to test drones in the U.S., as well as further expansion of Amazon Fresh.


text:
- The 10 products you may have missed at Natural Products Expo East
- Spangler Candy Co. introduces new holiday offerings
- Report: Kimberly Clark preparing to launch a new flu-tracker tool
- Actress Binky Felstead to appear in new Rimmel London campaign in U.K., Ireland
- Kimberly-Clark brand introduces new discreet pant to help bed-wetting kids build confidence
PHILADELPHIA — Kimberly-Clark has introduced a new colored sports wrap specifically created for children and teens.
Safeskin kids sports wrap is designed to secure bandages and splints, as well as cushion or support wounds. The self-adhesive, water-resistant, latex-free and reusable wrap is available in blue, red, green and yellow.
"More than 3.5 million kids under age 14 receive medical treatment for sports-related injuries each year, with strains and sprains being among the most common complaints," said Jamie Britton, marketing leader for the Kimberly-Clark home professional business. "When this happens, we think kids should have superior support to get back in the game, as well as the opportunity for self-expression. They shouldn't have to wear the same dull sports wraps as adults."
Safeskin kids sports wrap currently is available at Walmart for a suggested retail price of $3.94, with expanded distribution expected in early 2012.


text:
iPods seem to be dying after a successful journey of a decade. Analysts suggest that Apple will not refresh the iPod line up any more, and this year iPhone and iPad launch would not be accompanied by a new iPod. It is unlikely though that Apple will ditch the iPod Touch completely at this point.
Could Apple iWatch replace iPod?
Researcher Christopher Caso who is an analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group notes that iPod Touch could probably be replaced by iWatch. While Apple's iWatch is not strongly expected to be introduced this year, Apple may launch it a little later in the future. Whatever the launch date of iWatch be, iPods surely are not seeing a new successor, as far as this analysis goes.
These reports come after the year 2013 which saw drastic decline in the iPod business. Apple chief admitted that iPod revenue was under $5 billion in the year as compared to an $8 billion sales of 2008. It could also be a possibility that Apple may launch iWatch this year in Fall and delay the iPod launch based on how well the smartwatch does in the consumer market.
Here is the excerpt from Christopher Caso's research note which he has based on his trip to Asia:
During our Asia trip last month, our checks uncovered firmer indications that a watch product would enter production in 4Q14, and our more recent checks provided additional detail. We believe two versions of iWatch are likely, with different screen sizes. Our checks a month ago suggested that AAPL was looking to reserve production capacity sufficient for 3 mln units per month. Our more recent checks suggest production targets of 5-6 mln units in 4Q14, which we think is reasonable given the available capacity. We, however, aren’t assuming a material impact to earnings from iWatch, since the iWatch would essentially replace the iPod in the consumer portion of AAPL’s product lineup. While we don’t expect AAPL to discontinue iPod for some time, we also don’t expect an iPod refresh this year, and believe iPod could post Y/Y unit declines as a result as consumers purchasing iWatch as a substitute.
Analyst expects to see two versions of iWatch with different screen sizes. We surely are taking this note with some salt as iPods are still aren't losing Apple anything and cater to a market untapped by any other major tech company. What do you think about it - will Apple take this daring decision to let iWatch replace iPod?
- Source: Barrons


text:
- 1 December 2016
- Transport / Logistics Services
Belgian postal operator bpost, that yesterday gave a ‘final’ offer for a merger with PostNL, has announced that it has finalised the acquisition of the Belgian activities of Lagardere Travel Retail.
Bpost has now acquired 100% of the shares of the Belgian subsidiaries of the travel retail group, and it has been announced that the Belgian Competition Authority has already approved of the deal.
The postal operator has released a statement saying that it will now extend the activities of Lagardere Travel Retail with the opening of new points of sale, renovating existing outlets, diversifying the product and service range for the company’s customers and enlarging the karibol pick-up point network. This last effort will offer customers a wider range of parcel services as well as delivery options.
In addition, bpost is also to continue providing the press distribution service.
Another part of the deal agreed between the two companies is that bpost and Lagardere Travel Retail have signed a franchise agreement to operate and develop the international brands of Lagardere Travel Retail. These include Relay, hubiz, Hello!, So! Coffee and Hub convenience.
LS Distribution Benelux and Lagardère Services Travel Retail Benelux will change their name to Ubiway and Ubiway Retail respectively. The commercial entities such as AMP, the Press Shop/Relay network, the kariboo! pick-up points and the subsidiaries Alvadis and Burnonville will continue to operate under their existing name.
Now this acquisition is complete, it will be interesting to see whether bpost’s main target of acquisition, PostNL, is up for it.
Subscribe to Newsletter


text:
Virtuoso Doors has laid the foundations for a strong 2019 with the announcement that it is on target to achieve year on year growth of over 50%, making 2018 the best year ever in the firm’s 37-year history.
Virtuoso Doors’ record streak has seen production rates accelerate during the last 12 months – all culminating in the company turning in a record-breaking month in October where sales were more than double those of October 2017.
Tony Craggs, managing director of Virtuoso Doors, explains: “2018 has been a historic year for the business and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished. Our record-breaking month eclipsed every single other month in 37 years of trading – it’s a genuine highlight for us because it shows our customers just what we’re capable of. We’ve developed a winning package for customers, which is built on innovative products and incredible support, and our impressive results prove that it’s delivering tangible results.
“I’m really proud of our achievements, particularly when you consider that we’ve consistently maintained our industry-leading OTIF record of more than 99% as well. We are meticulous about quality with every single door being manufactured to exacting standards and we will always strive to achieve the highest levels of craftsmanship and service.”
Virtuoso Doors introduced a string of developments throughout 2018 to help installers win business and achieve growth. The firm kicked-off with a bold rebrand and the launch of a comprehensive marketing support programme to give customers all the tools they need to promote themselves.
The cornerstone of Virtuoso Doors growth however is new product development and the firm has credited much of its recent success to Virtu-AL – the ultra-modern aluminium textured, non-woodgrain finish composite door – and its newly launched aluminium outer frame. Virtuoso was the UK’s first composite door manufacturer to create an aluminium alternative composite door and the first to offer an aluminium frame for all of its composite doors.
With a high-end architectural aluminium appearance that’s virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, Virtu-AL looks and feels nothing like a traditional composite door, yet it benefits from all the features of a composite door. When teamed with the sleek new aluminium frame, Virtu-AL delivers the ultimate premium aluminium look that modern homeowners desire.
A growing consumer appetite for aluminium has driven demand of Virtu-AL and the aluminium outer frame. Virtu-AL is already in the top 5% of door styles sold by Virtuoso, making it one of the firm’s best sellers.
“Virtu-AL has been a runaway success for us and the new aluminium frame complements it perfectly,” Tony adds. “These two products give installers a vital point of difference to stand out from the competition and they have both contributed to our terrific success this year. We’re not content to stand still though and there will be plenty more innovations to come from Virtuoso in 2019 – it’s going to be another big year for us!”
With a reputation for manufacturing superior quality doors and providing unrivalled personal service, Virtuoso Doors is at the forefront of composite door development. Virtuoso’s doors are made from the most robust GRP skin for long lasting good looks.


text:
Hotel owners see Thanksgiving surge
The nation’s innkeepers had a good Thanksgiving –- at least compared with last year.
Both occupancy and average daily rates were up from last year, according to Smith Travel Research. Leading the way in growth were luxury hotels and such popular destinations as Chicago, San Francisco and New York.
The hospitality industry measures success in terms of revenue per available room -- RevPAR, they call it -- by multiplying a hotel's occupancy rate by its average daily room rate. That key gauge was up more than 10% from last year. For luxury lodging and what the industry considers “upper-upscale” hotels, RevPAR rose nearly 13%.
Hotel occupancy tanked in the fall of 2008 and has been weak ever since, according to an analysis by FBR Capital Markets released Thursday.
“More recently, however, both weekday and weekend occupancies have shown improvement, with the trend lines trending upward nearly across all” types of hotel chains, FBR said. “To us, upward sloping trend lines continue to signal a recovery.”
Average daily room rates continue to be depressed, but rose an average of 3% for Thanksgiving week compared with a year ago.
-- Roger Vincent
Photo: Chicago was a popular Thanksgiving destination. Credit: Associated Press