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Molly Moon Neitzel has nothing against success. But she didn't set out to be the Howard Schultz of ice cream.
"I really wanted to create a community gathering place with my first shop in Wallingford," said Neitzel, the owner of Molly Moon's Ice Cream stores, which now include six outlets. "And I wanted to create a community gathering place for multiple generations: grandparents, young professionals, little kids."
Neitzel says most of those Seattle customers are all online and using social media in one form or another, so the company's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts are logical Web-based extensions of those communities.
"We love to do that offline in the ice cream shop - hanging with members of our community, neighbors and friends - but people are also hanging with neighbors and friends online too," she said. "So we like to just tie all those experiences together."
Molly Moon's has been so successful with that effort that the company is frequently cited as an example of how businesses can use social media to grow customer communities. Stories like the ones Molly describes help explain Wall Street's interest in social media companies - see Twitter's recent IPO - and how their futures are tied to ad sales and other ways of making money.
Molly and her project manager, Emilia Arnold, are often asked to sit on panels to describe how they've used their social media followers as an impromptu focus group. Neitzel and Arnold ask open-ended questions about favorite flavors and sundaes, and educate customers about Molly Moon's efforts in seeking locally-sourced ingredients.
But what about sweetening the bottom line? Has social media actually helped Neitzel sell more ice cream?
Her answer deviates from the expected script. Social media marketers frequently cite research showing that the proper use of these networks can indeed boost business leads. But she suggests that not every small or midsize business should begin a social media strategy with dollar signs in the owners' eyes.
"I don't really think that it leads all that much to direct sales," she said. "When we post about a new sundae, I can't tell if people are flocking to come get that sundae because they saw it on social media, or because it looks good on the menu." She also says her company doesn't necessarily see upticks in new or established "always" flavors simply because they write about it on Facebook or shoot an Instagram photo.
So where's the value of social media for a small business like Molly Moon's? If there's no way to directly tie it to better sales, is it worth it?
For her answer, Neitzel gazes out the window of her newest store in the University Village shopping center and points out the professionally-done landscaping.
"They spend millions of dollars on the flowers and trees here," she said. "Do they know if it impacts our bottom line as merchants? No, but I sure appreciate it, and it makes the environment and experience so much better here that I think I'd come here more often."


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Amazon celebrated the greatest Primary Working day in the gross sales event’s 8-calendar year record early this 7 days. But the event was adopted just several hours later on by information of a sequence of major proposed improvements to how Amazon does business in Europe aimed at settling accusations by regulators that Amazon engages in anti-aggressive behavior.
Amazon’s proposed concessions incorporate providing much more visibility to listings from several sellers for a presented item so shoppers have more selection. They also prohibit the corporation from making use of any non-community data from Amazon sellers to increase Amazon’s very own retail company, like its personal-label manufacturers.
But Recode has acquired that prime Amazon leaders have also internally mentioned building a more drastic move to ward off regulators: abandoning its personal-label business enterprise altogether. At minimum as lately as previous year, numerous leading Amazon executives, which includes its current around the world retail CEO Doug Herrington and its typical counsel David Zapolsky, expressed a willingness to make this distinctive but substantial alter if it meant preventing probably harsh solutions ensuing from government investigations in the US or overseas, according to a resource with expertise of the conversations.
Amazon’s private-label enterprise contains homegrown makes like Amazon Basics, which sells anything from garbage baggage to batteries to place of work chairs, as well as the clothing line Amazon Essentials. The organization line also contains models that really don’t carry the Amazon identify, this kind of as the paper-items label Presto, the food model Happy Belly, and the style line Goodthreads. This sort of a concession would not apply to the company’s have gadget lines, which include Kindle, Echo, and Fireplace Television products. Amazon’s use of private-label brand names has occur underneath fireplace from politicians and regulators not basically mainly because they exist, but due to the fact of the facts Amazon leverages to produce them and the techniques it utilizes to favor them in search benefits on its searching website and application.
“There was a potent consensus that this could be a practical option if the corporation was at any time pressed into a place where it experienced to negotiate a settlement,” the source told Recode. This man or woman asked for anonymity due to the fact they ended up not approved to disclose inside discussions.
Amazon spokesperson Betsy Harden explained the firm has not “seriously considered” shuttering the non-public label small business and carries on “to invest in this place, just as our lots of retail competitors have accomplished for a long time and proceed to do these days.”
Early on Friday, the Wall Road Journal described that Amazon has been chopping back on its non-public-label range.
The discussions at Amazon all over abandoning its private labels happened on and off for several yrs as scrutiny of the enterprise line heightened, the resource reported, with executives expressing a need to keep this possible solution beneath wraps so that it could arrive throughout to regulators as a key concession. Leaders in favor of this sort of a determination considered that Amazon experienced a proper to promote non-public-label makes as a lot of suppliers do, but that the enterprise was not strategically very important ample to protect in the encounter of more extreme probable remedies sought by antitrust enforcers. When a corporation like Amazon presents this kind of a concession, it does so with the hope of closing down any current investigations.
“One intention of negotiations is to arise from the overhang of inquiries completely,” Bill Kovacic, a former FTC chairman, informed Recode. “It suggests all of this goes absent.”
Amazon has mentioned that its personal-label brands account for a minimal-one-digit share of general product income in its online suppliers. But they are continue to undoubtedly a substantial source of gains for Amazon’s retail business enterprise, in aspect due to the fact the business does not have to expend a ton on promotion like an outside the house brand does. At competing shops like Walmart, Costco, and Goal, in-property brands account for a greater share of overall gross sales. As of 2019, the biggest effects of Amazon’s private-label business enterprise was felt in the so-called “softlines” group, which involves merchandise like garments and bedding. In that room, Amazon’s possess manufacturers accounted for 9 p.c of the company’s first-get together gross sales in that class, Amazon disclosed to Congress in 2020.
Amazon continually downplayed the significance of its non-public-label business enterprise in testimony and communications with Congress in the course of its Massive Tech investigation of 2019 and 2020. The Federal Trade Fee, a single of the two major US antitrust enforcement businesses, has been probing Amazon given that 2019 but has but to verify an investigation or file a lawsuit towards the corporation. The agency is now operate by chairwoman Lina Khan, who in 2017 penned a authorized paper known as “Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox.” In it, Khan argues that the framework for antitrust enforcement in excess of the very last 40 decades — which usually offers a move to providers featuring small rates or preferred services to individuals — has not accounted for the harms to level of competition that digital gatekeepers like Amazon pose. Khan also performed a essential purpose as authorized counsel for the House Antitrust Subcommittee’s 16-month investigation into the Large Tech giants and in making the 400-webpage Dwelling Democrat reports, which alleged that all four of the major US tech giants have interaction in anti-competitive methods and require to be reined in.
Amazon is also 1 of the principal targets of the American Innovation and Alternative On the net Act, which is becoming championed by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. David Cicilline. The “self-preferencing” laws would give regulators the authority to sue the tech giants for business procedures that favor their possess products and solutions and providers about those of third functions that do company on their platforms or that use non-general public information from their very own people to reward their personal products and services. Amazon’s use of non-public facts, like profits figures, has drawn accusations that Amazon takes advantage of this form of information to duplicate bestselling merchandise.
Amazon has fought the monthly bill aggressively, funding advertisement campaigns that make the questionable argument that, if handed into regulation, the American Innovation and Decision Online Act would split Amazon Prime. The bill’s supporters are continue to waiting around for Senate The greater part Leader Chuck Schumer to schedule it for a whole Senate vote in advance of the ramp-up to November’s midterm elections.
While it’s unclear what American lawmakers and regulators will do next, some of Amazon’s proposed concessions to antitrust officers at the EU’s European Commission seem to drop in line with some of the plans of the US self-preferencing bill.
For example, Amazon informed the European antitrust commission that it would bar its staff and laptop or computer systems from applying “non-public” facts from Amazon sellers — whether or not from an specific vendor or a team of sellers — to aid Amazon’s to start with-bash retail business enterprise. This 1st-bash small business is composed of goods that Amazon buys at wholesale charges from other models and resells to customers as effectively as personal-label brand names like Amazon Essentials that Amazon helps make and sells by itself.
Which is the to start with of five important concessions, which includes three associated to Amazon Prime. The to start with of the Key-connected improvements would permit sellers qualify for the Primary badge, even if they do not use Amazon’s warehousing and transport assistance recognized as Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) — Amazon has authorized a compact percentage of sellers to do this in modern several years, but it has made it increasingly tough to do so, which means that the huge the greater part of sellers have to have to use FBA to make the Primary badge for their goods. A second would prohibit Amazon from making use of data collected by way of Key about the overall performance or charges of exterior logistics companies to gain Amazon’s personal logistics and delivery business enterprise. The past Primary-linked proposal would see Amazon no extended variable the Key badge into the algorithm that decides which organization — whether it’s Amazon or just one of the third-party retailers marketing by Amazon — wins a given sale when a consumer queries for a product or service that’s bought by various parties.
Last but not least, Amazon has proposed exhibiting two different “Buy Boxes”to give extra visibility to merchandise listings from unique sellers when they are marketing the exact same product at diverse prices or supply speeds. Right now, Amazon buyers throughout the globe have to click on on a modest tab to see shopping for choices other than the just one that Amazon’s algorithm chooses as the Buy Box winner.
This is how Amazon could possibly include a 2nd “Obtain Box” on its application as component of concessions its presented to the European Union to close antitrust investigations https://t.co/IuaJyR7eC8
— Jason Del Rey (@DelRey) July 14, 2022
Now that Amazon’s European proposal is public, organizations affected by the way Amazon does business have right up until September 9 to provide feedback on the concessions. The European Fee will then decide no matter if to accept Amazon’s concessions or force for alterations or additions to the proposal.
There is at this time no indicator that the European regulators want Amazon to halt all sales of its non-public-label items. However, we now know that some prime Amazon executives have deemed the positive aspects of this sort of a shift, and it stays to be observed how they would reply to elevated stress from American regulators. Both way, proof is mounting that Amazon is having antitrust threats seriously.

domain: news


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The share price of SAP AG surged nearly 6 per cent
Wednesday after Europe's biggest software company said its
third-quarter revenues surged especially in the Americas and Asia.
Fees from its business software users, a large part of the German-based company's revenue, increased 17 per cent from a year earlier to 1.03 billion euros (1.34 billion dollars).
The stock traded at 55.65 euros in Frankfurt in the early afternoon, the top performer in the DAX index of 30 German shares.
Revenue shrank by 1 per cent year-on-year in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the third quarter, but this was offset by revenue growth of 37 per cent in the Americas, and 18 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region buoyed by sales in China and Japan.
SAP also scored strong growth with new database technology, cloud computing and software for mobile devices.
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Carvana Rapidly Expands in the State of New York
ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 30, 2019--Carvana (NYSE: CVNA), a leading e-commerce platform for buying, financing and selling used cars, has launched in five New York markets, offering its as-soon-as-next-day vehicle delivery to Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Binghamton and Albany area residents. In as little as 10 minutes, customers can shop more than 15,000 vehicles on Carvana.com, finance, purchase, trade-in, and now schedule as-soon-as-next-day delivery. Carvana customers can also sell their current vehicle to Carvana by simply entering their license plate online, and receive a real offer in minutes, then schedule as-soon-as-next-day pickup of that vehicle.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190130005044/en/
Carvana has expanded into five New York markets, offering as-soon-as-next-day delivery to Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Binghamton and Albany area residents.
Carvana customers can shop online from the comfort of home or on the go via their mobile device, saving valuable time and money. Every Carvana vehicle comes with a seven-day return policy, giving customers the peace of mind and time to ensure the vehicle fits their life. By shopping online at Carvana.com, customers get a great selection, great prices and a great customer experience.
Additionally, every Carvana vehicle is Carvana Certified, meaning it has no frame damage, has never been in a reported accident, and has undergone a rigorous 150-point inspection. Features, imperfections and updated information about open safety recalls are listed on the car’s vehicle description page.
“We launched in New York City last fall, and found that New Yorkers welcomed the transparency and ease that Carvana brings to the car buying experience,” said Ernie Garcia, founder and CEO of Carvana. “We’re looking forward to growing even more in the Empire State, bringing the new way to buy a car to Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Binghamton and Albany area residents.”
Carvana now offers as-soon-as-next-day vehicle delivery in 91 markets across the U.S.
About Carvana (NYSE: CVNA)
Founded in 2012 and based in Phoenix, Carvana’s (NYSE: CVNA) mission is to change the way people buy cars. By removing the traditional dealership infrastructure and replacing it with technology and exceptional customer service, Carvana offers consumers an intuitive and convenient online car buying and financing platform. Carvana.com enables consumers to quickly and easily shop more than 15,000 vehicles, finance, trade-in or sell their current vehicle to Carvana, sign contracts, and schedule as-soon-as-next-day delivery or pickup at one of Carvana’s patented, automated Car Vending Machines.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190130005044/en/
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ARIZONA NEW YORK
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ONLINE RETAIL AUTOMOTIVE RETAIL GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE
Copyright Business Wire 2019.
PUB: 01/30/2019 06:00 AM/DISC: 01/30/2019 06:00 AM


text: In a significant move towards enhancing their public relations strategy, Rajoo Engineers and Essen Speciality Limited have announced the appointment of Adfactors PR as their official PR consultancy agency. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in fostering stronger communication channels between the two industry leaders and the media.Established in 1986, Rajoo Engineers Limited stands as Asia's premier manufacturer of blown film lines, sheet lines, and thermoformers, leveraging extensive extrusion expertise. The company is renowned for its cutting-edge flexible packaging solutions catering to diverse sectors, ranging from industrial and laminating films to specialized packaging for medical and bakery products.On the other hand, Essen Speciality Films, founded in 2002, has carved a niche for itself as a manufacturer of sustainable plastic products primarily catering to home decor and furnishing needs. From humble beginnings as a family-run business, Essen Speciality Films has expanded its footprint globally, supplying eco-conscious solutions to Fortune 500 retailers. Their focus on eco-friendly materials such as bio-plastics and recycled content underscores their commitment to sustainability.As representatives of Adfactors PR, the chosen agency expresses eagerness in nurturing robust media relationships and ensuring transparent and timely communication channels between Rajoo Engineers, Essen Speciality Limited, and esteemed publications.This strategic partnership promises to amplify the visibility and reputation of both Rajoo Engineers and Essen Speciality Limited, reinforcing their positions as trailblazers in their respective domains.As they embark on this journey with Adfactors PR, the companies remain steadfast in their commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence in product offerings.


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Half of all illegal ivory ends up in China, where business is booming. In the past few years, the black market price of raw ivory has tripled.
As the economy there grows, so does the appetite for what is seen as a luxury item.
ITV News China Correspondent Angus Walker reports on Beijing's ivory market.
Illegal poaching in Africa is being fuelled by a growing demand for ivory from wealthy consumers in China, and across Asia.
The poachers who slaughtered 12 elephants at the weekend were likely big-time gangsters fuelled by consumer demand in the Far East.
A family of 12 elephants has been killed and their tusks hacked off in the worst recorded incident of ivory poaching in Kenya's history.


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Ubisoft will be hosting their annual E3 press conference on June 10 at 1:00 p.m. PT.
The conference is five days away but there’s still plenty of time to make educated guesses on what will be shown off during the presentation. We know that Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Skull & Bones won’t be shown off at E3 2019 according to GameSpot and Polygon respectively, but there’s will still be plenty of stuff to see at the conference.
Here’s what to expect and why for Ubisoft E3 2019.
Watch Dogs Legion
After a conga line of rumors and speculation that’s lasted for years (which we chronicled here), the next Watch Dogs game was finally confirmed.
Watch Dogs Legion is set to take the series in an interesting new direction as you can play as any NPC you recruit in the game, according to Kotaku. Each character will have their own set of animations, voice over, character traits and visuals guided by gameplay systems. The story may even change depending on what character you play as.
Watch Dogs Legion along with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint will likely be the two big flagship games for the company for the latter half of 2019, so you can expect a good chunk of their presentation to be devoted to Watch Dogs Legion and how it plays.
Watch Dogs Legion wasn’t the only Ubisoft game to be leaked recently. A brand new IP known as Roller Champions is expected to come according to leaked key art assets and gameplay details on ResetEra. The game is allegedly a multiplayer roller derby game complete with casual, ranked and custom matches with controls and arenas similar to Rocket League. It looks be a combination of either soccer or basketball as well as roller derby.
If the game is indeed real, it’s likely to be announced at Ubisoft’s E3 presentation where we’ll likely see gameplay and maybe even a release date.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Now Breakpoint is arguably Ubisoft’s biggest upcoming game, but they already gave us a massive info dump early last May. We already know from the initial announcements as well as the website that the game is an open world similar to 2017’s Ghost Recon Wildlands. The website also details the new gameplay features, modes and even post-launch content.
Never the less, Ubisoft confirmed in a blog post that we’ll see updates on Breakpoint during the conference.
New Splinter Cell?
According to GameSpot, during a financial earnings call Ubisoft announced that in addition to Breakpoint, there will be three other unannounced games from the company that are set to release within the next fiscal year (by March 31, 2020). We can guess that the first two are Watch Dogs Legion and Roller Champions, which leaves us to speculate on the third game. We know it’s not the open world pirate adventure game Skull & Bones because even thought it’s been delayed to spring 2020 at the earliest according to Polygon, it won’t be shown off at E3 2019 according to the publication we already know of its existence and Ubisoft specified that none of the three projects have been announced yet.
We’re hoping for a new entry in the Splinter Cell franchise. It’s been six years since the last game and there’s been a roller coaster of rumors and speculation.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands added new content themed after Splinter Cell last year with Voice Actor Michael Ironside reprising his role as series protagonist Sam Fisher, as we reported. The added mission even added a possible teaser for a new game. We even got a teaser from Ironside himself during Inside Xbox in April 2018. A new game was listed on Amazon’s Canadian website before being taken down according to IGN, and was even mentioned as part of a massive leak on Walmart Canada’s video game listings in May 2018 (which correctly predicted Just Cause 4, LEGO DC Villains, Borderlands 3, Gears of War 5, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Forza Horizons 5 and Rage 2).
This year, Julian Gerighty, the creative director for The Division 2, said on Twitter that he was working on the next Splinter Cell with Ubisoft Montreal Executive Producer and Creative Director Dan Hay and Ubisoft Montreal Creative Director Roman Campos-Oriola. Gerighty followed the tweet with another one saying “Ok – plz don’t retweet. I may be in trouble.”
However, A representative for Ubisoft told IGN that Gerighty was “joking” with his tweets regarding a new Splinter Cell game.
“Julian was obviously joking as Julian likes to do,” the representative told IGN via email. “It looks like our creative directors are having fun right now. We do not have any announcements to make at this time.”
Now is this really true, or is this just a cover up?
Also, a listing for a replica of Sam Fisher’s iconic goggles popped up on GameStop before being removed. The kicker is that it was listed as an “E3 collectible.”
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told The Game Awards Host Geoff Keighley on YouTube @ E3 in 2017 that the company hasn’t forgotten about the franchise, so we’ll just have to wait and see if the company holds true to that statement.
Just Dance 2020
Look, announcing a new Just Dance game via a choreographed dance sequence is pretty much a conference tradition at this point, with Ubisoft holding them each year since 2016. Expect another performance and announcement this year.
Support for Older Titles
Ubisoft will announce updates for their previously released games, according to their blog post. They will talk about Steep, For Honor, Trials Rising and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey during the Pre-Show on June 10 at noon PDT and then talk about The Division 2 and For Honor during the actual conference.


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However, despite the advantages of moving to a herd mentality model, the expert recognizes that there might be significant obstacles for vendors to overcome in making such a transition -- including the cost of shifting away form their existing malware signature creation and distribution methodology.
Among the biggest issues for anti-malware vendors to consider is the issue of false positives as many legitimate or nefarious programs may be misclassified by one vendor or the other, and behaviour detection-based tools will still be needed to keep an eye out for sites and applications that have been compromised.
Customers may represent another hurdle, Jaquith said, as not all companies will initially be comfortable with sharing the necessary level of access with vendors, and some may fear that such a system could offer new opportunities for data loss. Prevx, for one, is already dealing with the issue of privacy by guaranteeing that the only information being sent over its pipelines from customer PCs is related to executable files.
An even larger problem could be the "data glut" generated by the herd anti-malware networks.
"Telemetric data provided by herd endpoints will be substantial," said Jaquith. "Anti-malware vendors will need to spend significant millions of dollars of capital to create scalable infrastructures to collect, process, and store data furnished by endpoints."
The white lists of legitimate applications maintained by anti-virus vendors will also need to be updated frequently to address the release of approved programs and patches, a process that will require even additional levels of cooperation between many different types of software makers, he said.
Along similar lines, Symantec researchers recently detailed a new program through which they are gathering detailed information about software applications installed onto the computers of customers using its desktop anti-malware suite.
Using an opt-out participation model, the experiment studies the behaviour and distribution details of individual programs to help make recommendations to users about which programs they decide to install or avoid.
"Right now, this is just a long-term research project, but we hope that as we get more users involved in the system, we can truly get a better idea of what is on people's computers so that we can identify malicious software based on the demographics of who is using it versus what it does," said Carey Nachenberg, a senior member of Symantec's Security Research team.
"We're hoping to get more clarity through the large base of users we have," he said. "By collecting this data, we should be able to get the most comprehensive view of the usage patterns to derive reputation information for everything they use."


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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) – The Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office is warning the public that “movie money” or “prop currency” is being passed off as legitimate money.
In a post Sunday, the sheriff’s office said it’s unclear how many of the counterfeit bills are floating around and whether one or more suspects are involved.
“The bills look like real currency at first glance, but they’re printed with phrases like ‘In Props We Trust’ and ‘Motion Picture Use Only’ and other disclaimers about the bills being invalid legal tender,” the post said.
The sheriff’s office said if you come across the prop bills or other counterfeit currency to contact law enforcement immediately.
“The scammers often bundle, wrap, or crumple up the bills to obscure them from clear view, engage in a quick hand-off of the goods then flee the scene,” the post said. “By the time the seller realizes the bills are fake, the perpetrator is gone.”


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According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the agriculture sector is responsible for 10% of the total greenhouse gases emitted in the United States in 2019. This means that moving to plant-based or alternative sources of protein might help reduce those carbon emissions. And these alternative sources have many roles, from plant-based consumer products to animal and fish-feed.
Journalist Jamie Hailstone interviewed Volare's CEO and co-founder Tuure Parviainen on the future of insect-based protein sector and writes:
"The insect-based protein sector is poised for 'significant growth'. Parviainen added government incentives and regulatory support will further catalyze industry expansion, while collaboration with research institutions, stakeholders, and investors will facilitate the development of large-scale factories."
Read the full article by Jamie Hailstone on Forbes.


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A Dutch chocolate company’s fight to end illegal child labor
Clip: 07/11/2021 | 11m 43s
The chocolate industry has a dark side: almost 1.6 million children work -- illegally -- in the cocoa growing regions of Ghana and Ivory Coast. Tony’s Chocoloneley, a quirky but popular chocolate brand in The Netherlands, is on a mission to shake up the industry and eliminate illegal child labor completely. Special Correspondent Megan Thompson reports.
Problems Playing Video? | Closed Captioning


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San Francisco: Apple Inc.’s biggest surprise at its keynote address on Tuesday was not a new feature, device, or service, but an aggressive pricing strategy that’s a departure for the premium electronics maker.
The iPhone 11 starts at $699, down from the iPhone XR’s $749 price last year. The XR stays in the lineup for $599, a $150 decrease for a phone that’s only a year old. That’s one of the biggest year-over-year reductions in iPhone history.
“The biggest news from the Apple launch was the price cut for iPhone 11,” Chris Caso, an analyst at Raymond James & Associates, wrote in a note to investors. “We view this as an admission that Apple stretched too far with the price points at last year’s launch.”
The iPhone 8 from 2017 now costs $449, also down $150, while the Apple Watch Series 3 from the same year saw its price drop to $199 from $279. That should help Apple better compete with Fitbit Inc.
Apple became one of the world’s most valuable companies by designing innovative consumer hardware and charging a lot for the gadgets. However, it has struggled to maintain once-frenzied demand for the iPhone. Most Western and Chinese consumers already own a smartphone and are reluctant to upgrade due to a lack of breakthrough features and cheaper alternatives. Researcher IDC expects industry shipments to slip 2.2% in 2019, the third year of declines. It sees iPhone shipments down 15% this year.
Lowering prices may encourage more people to upgrade iPhones sooner, while luring new users for a growing digital subscriptions business. Apple shares rose 1.2% to $216.70 in New York on Tuesday, the highest close since early November.
“Many of the users who purchase lower priced devices will eventually become customers of Apple services,” said Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager at IDC. “They’ve shown they can do this in the past with hardware: If you bought an iPhone you were likely to buy an iPad or AirPods.”
It will likely be harder for Apple to make this type of connection between its devices and new services. That’s partly because there are so many existing digital service providers and their offerings already work well on iPhones and other Apple devices, Ubrani said.
Apple is tackling this challenge with aggressive pricing, too. The Apple Arcade gaming service is $4.99 a month, roughly half the cost of Apple Music and Apple News+.
The $4.99 monthly cost of Apple’s upcoming TV+ video streaming service surprised many analysts and undercuts Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Video, and the Disney+ offering. And when people buy an iPhone and iPad, a Mac or an Apple TV, they get a free year of TV+, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said.
Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, called the TV+ price a “show stopper” and said the move should help Apple gain more subscribers.
“With an installed base of 900 million active iPhones worldwide we believe Cook & Co. have an opportunity to gain 100 million consumers on the streaming front in the next 3-4 years,” Ives wrote in a note to investors. – Bloomberg
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Android TV’s outdated remote control app is getting overhauled
We knew Google has been quietly preparing to introduce a new remote remote control experience for Android phones, and the company officially shared what that will look like when it becomes available later this year.. The feature arrives alongside a flurry of news at Google I/O 2021, including Android 12’s new Material You design.
Google said it’s building remote-control features directly into Android phones, so even if your remote is lost, you can continue to control your TV.
“We’re making it easier to navigate your TV by building remote-control features directly into your Android phone, so you can watch your favorite show even if your actual remote is missing,” Google said. “And when you need to type a complex movie title or password, you can save time and use your phone’s keyboard to enter the text.”
We’ve all encountered an instance when our remote goes mysteriously missing. Now, thanks to Android’s built-in remote, you won’t need to frantically search your couch cushions only to realize the remote somehow wound up in the fridge. It’s a first-world problem, but we can all use a little more convenience in our lives.
According to Google, the built-in remote control on Android phones will roll out later this year and be compatible with more than 80 million Android TV OS devices, including Google TV.


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March 5, 2018
Viasat is now selling residential broadband internet service on its Viasat-2 satellite. Rendering courtesy of Viasat Inc.
Stories this photo appears in:
Carlsbad-based Viasat Inc. rolled out broadband internet service on its Viasat-2 satellite during the last days of February, billing it as the fastest satellite-based home internet service across the nation.


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With about 120 breweries and a still-growing demand for craft beer, the Michigan Brewers Guild estimates that the industry contributes more than $130 million to the state’s economy.
Breweries in Michigan are creating new brands, opening new facilities, adding bottling/canning lines and distribution deals, or expanding their operations. Several metro Detroit facilities have recently expanded or announced plans to expand.
/// Atwater Brewery
Mark Rieth, owner of Atwater Brewery, has been extremely busy the past few years. Expanding the original brewery, which included upgrading the fermentation tanks and adding a bottling line, would be enough to keep most people focused. But Rieth had other aspirations, as well.
The renovation of a historic church for Atwater in the Park in Grosse Pointe Park is in full swing, and it could open as early as March. It will serve as the company’s pilot brewery (smaller batches) and the site for winemaking and distillation. A restaurant and an outdoor biergarten round out the complex.
Rieth is also a managing partner in a new facility called Brew Detroit, which will allow for production of around 50,000 barrels annually. The expansion will allow Atwater’s half-dozen or so retail brands — including the popular Dirty Blonde — to reach markets in the southeastern and southwestern United States.
Atwater also released an exclusive beer for the July 2013 grand opening of the Meijer store on the for-
mer Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit. The aptly named State Fair Pale Ale is sold exclusively through Meijer and is a “reflection of the partners involved and to celebrate our shared heritage,” Rieth says.
/// Griffin Claw Brewing Co.
Born from the award-winning beers at Big Rock Chop House in Birmingham, Griffin Claw Brewing Co. is bringing Dan Rogers’ beers to retailers and craft beer fans across the state.
More than 20 years’ experience has garnered brewmaster Rogers a well-earned reputation. With 19 medals in brewing competitions worldwide, he’s a go-to resource for brewers experiencing problems with their recipes and/or processes.
Griffin Claw opened its 12,000-square-foot brewing facility, taproom, outdoor biergarten, and tasting room down the street from Big Rock last July (pictured above). They serve a seasonal roster of beers and plan to add a distillery.
Beer drinkers can also find bottles, 16-ounce cans, and glasses of Griffin Claw beer — including the gold medal-winning Norm’s Raggedy Ass IPA, Grind Line Pale Ale, and El Rojo Red Ale — at retailers, bars, and restaurants. The brewery has the capacity to produce 15,000 barrels annually.
/// Kuhnhenn Brewing Co.
Rising from the ashes of an independent family-owned hardware store that couldn’t compete with big-box retailers, the Kuhnhenn family’s modest Warren storefront was transformed into a brewery.
Over the past 15 years, the brewpub on Chicago Road gained acclaim from beer connoisseurs and the general public alike. Kuhnhenn brews gained global attention in competitions, and word spread fast. The demand for beer and adequate space started to exceed supply. Something had to be done.
The brewpub expanded into the space housing Brewing World, the Kuhnhenns’ homebrew supply store, which was relocated across the parking lot. But it wasn’t enough to keep up with the crowds showing up for events like “The Breakfast of Champions” St. Patrick’s Day celebration and the Solstice Releases. The Kuhnhenns were also finding it difficult to keep up with requests to get their beer distributed.
After several years of planning and purchasing equipment, the Kuhnhenns announced plans for expansion in Macomb County: a new production facility and tasting room in the former Evergreen Home & Garden Center in Clinton Township.
The 35,000-square-foot space is undergoing a major renovation, and will include a 20,000-barrel annual output. Brewing, bottling and canning, a tasting room, and eventually a distillery will be housed in the facility. Initial plans call for distribution of the gold medal award-winning DRIPA (Double Rice IPA) and the popular Loonie Kuhnie Pale Ale.
The original brewpub remains and will act as the pilot brewing system for special-release batches.
/// Rochester Mills Beer Company
Keeping up with demand for their beer, Rochester Mills opened an additional 48,000-square-foot production facility in Auburn Hills. Initially increasing their output capacity by 100,000 barrels per year, the facility will continue to be expanded — the goal is a whopping 200,000 barrels annually.
The production facility brews beer for kegging. They opted for 16-ounce cans that both reduce shipping costs and maintain the integrity of beer flavor, which can be changed with exposure to light.
Rochester Mills has been a key player on Michigan’s brewing scene since it opened in 1998 in Rochester’s historic Western Knitting Mill. They offer 11 selections on a regular basis and a rotating selection of seasonal and specialty beers. Retail beers include Rochester Red, Lazy Daze Amber Lager, Milkshake Stout, and Cornerstone IPA.


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Target (TGT -0.36%) did it again.
Shares of the "cheap-chic" retailer jumped after the company turned in another impressive earnings report, reaching a new all-time high and marking the second time in a row that the stock has climbed double digits on an earnings report. Target beat analyst estimates on all fronts, with 4.5% comparable sales growth driving adjusted earnings up 25% year over year to $1.36 per share. Target also lifted its full-year guidance, calling for adjusted EPS of $6.25 to $6.45, up from a prior range of $5.90 to $6.20.
A familiar combination of strategic initiatives helped drive the strong performance. Let's take a look below at three reasons why Target is one of the strongest retailers in the industry today.
1. Leaning into e-commerce
Over the past few years, Target has made significant investments in its omnichannel business, meaning the combination of its brick-and-mortar stores and its e-commerce storefront. The company acquired Shipt, allowing it to provide same-day delivery in as little as one hour, and has rapidly expanded services like Drive Up, which allows customers to conveniently pull up to their local Target store and get their order loaded into their car by a store employee. Year-to-date, the company made eight million parking lot deliveries, most of which were done in two minutes or less. And 80% of Target's digital comparable sales growth in the third quarter came from same-day initiatives, including Drive Up, same-day delivery with Shipt, and Order Pickup.
Target is in a unique position in the retail industry as it has stores across the country, in both urban and rural areas and neighborhoods ranging from high to low income. Its range of product categories and price points also make it a rare breed in brick-and-mortar retail. All that means its same-day fulfillment options are especially valuable, since Target can appeal to a wide customer base.
Those same-day fulfillment options are also especially useful during the holiday season when time is critical for shoppers searching for gifts, giving the company strong momentum going into the key fourth quarter.
2. Counting on private brands
In addition to e-commerce, Target has also had a lot of success with private brands, as its in-house lines generally afford higher profit margins than mass-market brands -- and when successful, their exclusivity can serve as a way to bring shoppers back to the store. CFO Michael Fiddelke explained the strategy on the earnings call, saying, "On the owned-brand front, it really starts with providing product that we think the guests will respond to, and so curated owned-brand products that drive repeat purchase and loyalty over time. So we start there, and when that owned-brand product goes well, it translates favorably to the gross margin line."
In the third quarter, the company said that apparel and accessories sales jumped by double digits, a contrast with competitors like Kohl's and Walmart that have struggled in apparel. Management also credited its "distinctive owned brands" for the strong performance.
Apparel isn't the only area where Target is counting on private brands to deliver growth. In September, the company launched Good & Gather, a food and beverage brand that doesn't use artificial ingredients or high-fructose corn syrup. Management said it saw encouraging results from the launch of 650 items, and it expects Good & Gather to become its biggest private brand when it makes the full line of 2,000 items available by the end of next year. Grocery is one area where Target has historically lagged behind its rivals, so the new private brand could help it gain share in an important category that drives high-frequency visits.
3. Filling in the gaps
Perhaps more than any other retailer, Target has succeeded at capitalizing on new opportunities in the market, filling in the gaps as other retailers close stores and go out of business and responding to changing consumer demands. Its omnichannel push is one example, and its success in apparel seems to have come in part from taking share from its struggling rivals.
However, the best example of this strategy may be in toys, as the company has seen significant growth in that category following the Toys R Us bankruptcy last year. Toys helped propel Target's growth over the holidays last year, and this year, it's making another big push in toys, selling 10,000 new and exclusive items. Target has also teamed up with Toys R Us and will be fulfilling the revived toy brand's orders through its website. It's launching 25 Disney shop-in-stores and selling exclusive toys from Star Wars and Frozen.
Finally, Target is stepping up to capture holiday sales, again offering free shipping on hundreds of thousands of items during the holiday season, adding nearly $50 million in payroll, and doubling the number of team members working on fulfillment so orders will be ready as soon as possible at peak traffic times.
With its moves in omnichannel and private brands, and its big push for the holidays, Target should continue to deliver solid growth on both the top and bottom lines, especially as so many of its rivals are struggling. Though the stock has already nearly doubled this year, it could have more room to run, as the company looks poised for another strong performance in the fourth quarter and beyond.


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NYT: Google and Apple feud has elevated to 'World War III'
- John Cook
Brad Stone and Miguel Helft of The New York Times offer a fascinating read today on the growing feud between Apple's Steve Jobs and Google's Eric Schmidt, with one Silicon Valley investor telling the reporters that the conflict has elevated to "World War III." The key battlefront in this new tech war between one-time allies centers around the mobile phone, with Apple's iPhone in one corner and Google's Android in the other. It also has extended into the M&A front, with both companies competing aggressively for AdMob, and the courtroom, with Apple suing Android-handset maker HTC for patent infringement.
And the story notes that the rivalry between the two companies has risen to such a level that it could spark unusual alliances, namely a partnership between Apple and Microsoft's Bing search engine.
Rumors have circulated that the the longtime rivals are working on a deal to make Bing the default search engine on the iPhone, as well as the soon-to-be-released iPad.
But the core issue in the mobile arena appears to be a core philosophical difference. Stone and Helft write:
Apple believes that devices like smartphones and tablets should have tightly controlled, proprietary standards and that customers should take advantage of services on those gadgets with applications downloaded from Apple’s own App Store.
Google, on the other hand, wants smartphones to have open, nonproprietary platforms so users can freely roam the Web for apps that work on many devices. Google has long feared that rivals like Microsoft or Apple or wireless carriers like Verizon could block access to its services on devices like smartphones, which could soon eclipse computers as the primary gateway to the Web.
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New skins for Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, and D’Vorah are now available.
Get new skins for Kitana, Jade, and Skarlet in Mortal Kombat 11’s latest DLC.
The first of three planned character skin packs has been dated.
A new job posting on the WB Games career website pretty much confirms next-gen versions of Mortal Kombat and Injustice.
Two cyborgs do battle in the latest trailer for Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath.
The God of Wind is looking to blow through his enemies in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath.
See Mortal Kombat 11’s non-violent fatalities in this latest Aftermath trailer.
Kingdom Hearts III, Anthem, Mortal Kombat 11, and more are discounted this week on Xbox.


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Service Express Expands Customer Service Hours to Offer 24/7 Support
July 30, 2018
Grand Rapids, MI– Service Express, a leading third-party maintenance (TPM) provider headquartered in Michigan, has announced expanded customer support hours to deliver an in-house customer service experience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Specializing in post-warranty server, storage and network support, Service Express offers cost-effective and customer-focused data center solutions for a wide variety of industries. Service Express previously offered 24/7 coverage through use of call center rollovers, but this marks the beginning of a fully in-house customer support line after hours.
“We listen to our customers in order to provide the best service experience, and one of the things we started seeing an interest in was a 24/7 Service Express call center,” said Service Express Vice President of Service Rob Miller.
By moving the support line in-house after hours, customers will have a more consistent experience at any hour they call for service. Service Express customer support coordinators have full access to account histories, so customers can expect a friendly and knowledgeable point of contact when placing support calls. As always, customers will receive a callback within 30 minutes from their engineer once a service call is placed.
“This new 24/7 team is always available to deliver a seamless experience for customers no matter the time or day they’re seeking help,” said Service Express Customer Support Manager Christine Farrell.
The 24-hour customer support team can be reached at 800.940.5585.


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Nvidia Investigates Password BreachNvidia Investigates Password Breach
Hacker posts "Apollo Project" leak involving 800 forum and developer passwords.
July 16, 2012
Graphics and mobile processor manufacturer Nvidia has confirmed that about 800 users of is online forums had their personal information, including usernames and passwords, posted online.
Thursday, Nvidia said that earlier this month it suspended Nvidia Forums "in response to suspicious activity and immediately began an investigation," and apologized for the investigation continuing. "Know that we are working around the clock to ensure that secure operations can be restored."
Nvidia Friday then confirmed that "a small proportion of users' hashed passwords for DevZone has been posted publicly," via a statement posted to its Developer Zone site. "We continue to strongly recommend that you change any identical passwords that you may be using elsewhere." For now, however, Nvidia said that its Developer Zone would likewise remain offline until the company concluded its investigation.
"All user passwords for our forums will be reset when the system comes back online. At that time, an email with a temporary password, along with instructions on how to change it, will be sent to the user's registered email address," it said.
[ Even Apple's security checks aren't safe from hackers. See Apple In-App Store Hacked. ]
According to Nvidia, "unauthorized third parties" had gained access to some of its forum members' usernames, email addresses, public-facing "about me" information, as well as "hashed passwords with random salt value." But the company said that it "did not store any passwords in clear text." Furthermore, while users' "about me" profiles could contain "a user's title, age, birthdate, gender, location, interests, email, and website URL," all of those profiles were already publicly viewable.
In response to Nvidia's Thursday advisory, a hacker Friday posted to Pastebin a list of what he called "Nvidia Admin Hashes," as part of what he dubbed "The Apollo Project." The 800 leaked accounts included numerous nvidia.com email addresses, plus Hotmail and Gmail Webmail accounts, as well as corporate accounts at ARM, Bloomberg, Fibertek, Givex, Honda, Patriot Memory, and many other companies. According to the Pastebin post, the list was only a "partial dump" of purloined data. In addition, the post also warned that Nvidia's online store had been hacked. That led Nvidia, on Friday, to also suspend operations for the Nvidia Gear Store.
"But let's put this in perspective, this is only a forum hack," according to a note included in the Pastebin post. "I am actually suprised [sic] nVidia decided to even disclose that they'd been hacked quite a few weeks ago ... It did take them a while though. We aren't acting extremely maliciously, we've used this database to target disgusting corporations who deserve to be brought to justice ... and we are getting there, slowly but surely."
As noted, Nvidia urged all users to reset any of their forum passwords that they've reused elsewhere. "Password re-use is a big problem--with an alarming number of people using the same password on multiple sites," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, in a blog post. "The consequences of that lax attitude to security is that if you get hacked in one place, your other online accounts could also be accessed. For instance, if you used the same password on Nvidia as you did on your Web email account, it would be child's play for hackers to gain access to your personal communications and steal other information about you."
Nvidia's password breach disclosure follows on the heels of a hacking group calling itself "WikiBoat" announcing via CodePaste.net Wednesday that it had obtained 35,000 usernames for customers of surf-clothing maker Billabong. But the attackers said they were only releasing a subset of the data they'd obtained, which appears to run from email addresses that start with the letter "A" through to email addresses that start with the letter "M."
Meanwhile, a hacking group calling itself D33Ds Company last week released 450,000 usernames and passwords associated with Yahoo Voices--formerly known as Yahoo Contributor Network--as well as 420,000 passwords from question-and-answer website Formspring.
Those incidents followed recent password breaches involving LinkedIn, as well as eHarmony and Last.fm. With the exception of Yahoo, which appeared to be storing user passwords in plaintext, all of those breaches came to light after stolen password hashes were posted to online cracking forums.
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(Pocket-lint) - At this year's virtual-only CES, Sony announced it is finally jumping into the drone business, by showing off its new Airpeak drone as it chased around the company's S-Vision concept car on public Austrian roads.
Sony is previewing the quadcopter for the first time at CES 2021, where it said it's the smallest drone capable of carrying a Sony Alpha camera for professional videography or photography. Sony also said it's been testing the Airpeak when filming various landscape and urban shots.
The company even showcased footage of its S-Vision - which was helped captured by the Airpeak. Sony’s Vision-S electric vehicle debuted at CES last year, but so far, it's been a prototype. Sony claimed last summer it wanted the vehicle on public roads - in testing, anyway - by the end of 2020. Now, Sony has confirmed it started testing the EV in Europe in December and shared a video of it.
Sony's Airpeak drone, of course, makes an appearance in the promotional video, which you can see above. A video of just the drone is below.
The new drone features two landing gear extensions that retract upward during flight so you can record and get a clear shot. Other than that, details were light, but this is CES 2021 after all, where products get introduced but are perhaps months away from actually releasing.
Sony, which first announced the Airpeak brand in late 2020, said it is currently targeting a “spring 2021” release timeframe for the Airpeak drone.
As for the S-Vision, Sony's prototype from last year featured two 200kW engines and had the ability to accelerate to 62 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds. It also had Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities. Little else is known at this point, but we'll let you know when we learn more.
For more CES 2021 announcements, see Pocket-lint's roundup.


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Egyptian Authorities set to release the giant container ship, the MV Ever Given on Wednesday, over 100 days after the megaship was refloated, having blocked the Suez Canal for six days, crippling global supply lines and costing billions.
This ends months of arrest of the ship by the economic court of Ismailia.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) plans to hold a ceremony in Ismailia, where its headquarters are located on Wednesday to celebrate “the signing of the agreement” and the “departure of the ship”
The 200,000-tonne container vessel became wedged across the canal during a sandstorm on 23 March, blocking the shortest route from Asia to Europe. The Suez Canal carries 10 percent of global maritime trade and pumps vital revenues into Egyptian state coffers.
After a round-the-clock salvage operation to dislodge the ship, Egypt demanded compensation from Japanese owners Shoei Kisen Kaisha for lost canal revenues, salvage costs and damage to the shipping channel.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced on Sunday that a final deal had been reached, without disclosing the amount of compensation to be paid.
The decision follows the signing of an agreement between Egyptian maritime authorities and the Japanese owner of the ship, Shoei Kisen Kaisha.
President of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie, also disclosed that in addition to the compensation, Egypt would receive, a tugboat with a capacity of 75 tons from the owner of the Ever Given.


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Samsung Galaxy M42 5G gets One UI 5.1 update
The Samsung Galaxy M42 5G, presented in 2021 with Android 11 and One UI 3.1, is currently receiving the stable One UI 5.1 update based on Android 13. The update has the firmware version M426BXXU4DWB1 and a download size of around 1 GB. It comes with the usual One UI 5.1 features and the February 2023 Android security patch.
The One UI 5.1 update for the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G is currently being distributed in India. However, the rollout should soon be extended to other countries. If you haven’t received the update yet, you can search for it manually as usual. To do this, simply start the manual search in the Settings menu under Software update.
Apple invests 1 billion euros in new chip design center in Munich
Apple has announced plans to invest €1 billion in a new chip design center in Munich. Just two years ago, the Californians spent just as much money on a new research and development center, which is also in Munich. In fact, the new facility will be treated as an extension of the existing one as it is directly across the street.
Apple wants to bring 2,000 of its engineers together in one place so they can work more efficiently. And with state-of-the-art equipment, of course. In addition to chip design, development priorities also include power management chips and future wireless technologies. The main goal is to improve the performance and efficiency of Apple devices.
As one of the most profitable companies in the world, Apple has no choice but to invest. Presumably similar news will accompany us more often in the future. In the last five years, Apple has invested over 18 billion euros in Germany and created numerous jobs in the country.
Samsung sells more foldables than all other manufacturers combined
The market for foldable smartphones is only just gaining momentum, with new manufacturers and devices appearing every week. So far, however, pioneer Samsung still has a large development lead and, accordingly, the most sophisticated devices. We were able to personally attest to this in both our Galaxy Z Fold4 review and our Galaxy Z Flip4 review. Consequently, Samsung is currently the undisputed market leader in the foldable segment. Th Koreans sold more foldables in 2022 than all other manufacturers combined.
According to a Financial Times report, citing data from Canalys, the foldable smartphone market recorded 14.2 million sales worldwide in 2022, with Samsung alone accounting for 11 million. Huawei took second place with almost two million foldable smartphones shipped, followed by Oppo, vivo, Xiaomi, Honor and Motorola, which only sold 40,000 foldable smartphones each.
However, Canalys estimates that shipments of foldable devices will double in 2023, reaching 30 million units. In addition, the market for foldables will become even more interesting and competitive as soon as Chinese manufacturers start offering their foldable cell phones outside of China.


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So, stating this year, SM Supermalls might be celebrating the month of July as the Jeans month. To kick-off the event, they held a fashion show showcasing all the clothing brand who sells jeans product at the SM Megamall Atrium where fashion bloggers attended, even some of them appearing on the Jeans fest video ad campaign encouraging shoppers to Get Your Jeans On as the video put it It’s In The Jeans!
There were two parts for the fashion show as there was soooo many brands with Jeans product but the first one who did include Levi’s,Petrol,Next, JagThug, Krissa, LeePiper and RRJ. The next show included Forever21, Mango etc. but I didn’t attend anymore as I had some personal errands to do.
I was not able to take a shot of the video, or did they have a press kit for the event but here’s a shot of the girls taking a shot of the video campaign.


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Business News›bulk deals
Block deals worth over Rs 25,200 crore take place this week; RIL, Airtel among stocks with significant action
In the largecap segment, 15 companies witnessed significant block deals on the screen which were worth Rs 12,612 crore led by Reliance Industries (RIL) with a 12 block count, totalling to Rs 2,874 crore. The next in line were Bharti Airtel (Rs 1,769 crore), HDFC Bank (Rs 1,757 crore), Zomato (Rs 1,208 crore), Adani Total Gas (Rs 1,019 crore), Tube Investments (Rs 944 crore), ICICI Prudential (Rs 705 crore) and ICICI Bank (Rs 589 crore).
GQG Partners bets Rs 1,672 crore on GMR Airports, acquires 4.7% stake
The shares were bought at Rs 59.09 apiece, a 4% discount to the previous closing price of the stock. Besides GMR Airports in the transport infrastructure space, GQG Partners also has investments in various companies of ADani Group, including Adani Enterprises, which operates the Mumbai international airport.
3 global funds sell 7.8% stake in Five-Star Business for Rs 1,656 crore via open market
TPG Capital, through one of its affiliates TPG Asia Vii Sf Pte, sold 89,07,493 shares of Five-Star Business or 3.05% stake at Rs 730 apiece, aggregating around Rs 650 crore, according to bulk deals data on the National Stock Exchange. As of September end, the global private equity fund held 14.29% stake in the NBFC.
Fireside Ventures sells 1.9% stake in Honasa Consumer for Rs 230 crore
Through the sale, the VC fund bagged about Rs 230 crore. As of September end, Fireside held 7.57% in the company. Meanwhile, Norges Bank on account of The Government Pension Fund Global has picked up 0.77% in Honasa Consumer, according to exchange data.
Blackrock buys 1.56% stake in Tata Communications, 1.17% in Polycab
Blackrock Global Funds-India Fund bought 44.62 lakh equity shares in Tata Communications and over 17.49 lakh shares in Polycab. Further, BNP Paribas Arbitrage net sold 59.87 lakh shares in the telecommunications company at an average price of Rs 1,704.1 per share, which amounted to Rs 1,020.36 crore.
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Rs 6,907-cr block deals take place this week; Paytm, Honasa Consumer among stock with significant actionIn the largecap segment, 15 companies witnessed significant block deals on the screen which were worth Rs 2,071 crore led by Bharti Airtel with 18 block count, totalling Rs 374 crore. The next in line were Bajaj Auto (Rs 352 crore), Shree Cement (Rs 218 crore), UltraTech Cement (Rs 144 crore), ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company (Rs 143 crore), Axis Bank (Rs 141 crore), HDFC Bank (Rs 141 crore) and Bajaj Finance (Rs 119 crore).
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway sells entire stake in Paytm via bulk dealBerkshire Hathaway's unit BH International Holdings sold about 1.56 crore shares in the digital payments company. As of September end, BH International Holdings held a 2.46% stake in Paytm.
Home First shares decline 4% post Rs 753-crore block dealSmallcap World Fund bought shares of the company worth ₹208.48 crore and Fidelity Global Investment Fund Asia Pacific Equity Fund bought shares worth ₹41.44 crore. Homefirst's shares have declined 8.17% in the last five days.
SoftBank pares 2.5% stake in logistics firm Delhivery worth Rs 739 croreThe shares were disposed of at an average price of Rs 403.51 apiece, taking the aggregate deal size to Rs 738.64 crore.
Zomato shares fall over 6% amid large block dealAt 11.41 a.m., the stock was trading 5.6% lower at Rs 102.1 over its last day's closing price of Rs 108.1 apiece. However, the stock has surged over 70% year-to-date, while it rallied over 75% in the past six months. Meanwhile, the stock has declined nearly 24% in the past two years.
SoftBank sells 1.09% in Zomato for Rs 1,040 crore; Goldman, ADIA buy stakeMarquee funds, including Citigroup, Axis MF, Bandhan MF, ADIA, Fidelity, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Motilal Oswal among others bought stakes in the company through the deal. In August this year, SoftBank offloaded about 1.17% Zomato stake under a block deal, which was valued at Rs 947 crore. Back then, Morgan Stanley, Nomura, Kotak Mahindra MF, Invesco MF, Goldman Sachs, Franklin Templeton MF, Avendus, and Societe Generale, among others picked up the stake.
SoftBank to offload 1.1% stake in Zomato worth Rs 1,024 crore via bulk deal: ReportAccording to reports, the offer price is set around Rs 109.4-111.6 per share and the transaction is valued at 1,024 crore. SoftBank holds a 2.17% stake in the company, at the end of September quarter.
Rs 11,000 crore worth block deals take place this week; HDFC Bank, Suzlon see significant actionIn the largecap segment, 15 companies witnessed significant block deals worth Rs 6,668 crore, led by HDFC Bank with a 49 block count, totalling Rs 2,963 crore. The next in line were Axis Bank (Rs 785 crore), Kotak Mahindra Bank (Rs 603 crore), Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company (Rs 325 crore) and UltraTech Cement Company (Rs 325 crore).
Promoter sells 12% stake in Voltamp Transformers via bulk deal for Rs 562 cr; marquee funds buyThe company caters to customers across segments including government and semi-government projects, refineries, fertilizer plants, power sector, pharma among others.
Ashish Kacholia sells 0.56% stake in Delta Corp through bulk dealIt is unclear how much Kacholia held prior to the stake sale in Delta Corp. It will most likely be below 1%. The stake sale comes after the casino operator received a notice from the government for a tax liability.
Bulk deal: Morgan Stanley offloads stake in SAMHI Hotels on listing dayIt is unclear how much stake in the company these shares amounted to as the shareholding pattern was not yet available with the exchanges
Tata Power shares climb 5%, hit 52-week high amid high volumeAlso as per media reports, nearly 52.5 lakh shares of Tata Power were sold in a block deal on NSE. The buyers and sellers in the deal are not known.
IDFC First Bank shares jump over 5%, hit 52-week high as GQG buys 2.58% stakeNRI investor Rajiv Jain's GQG Partners shot to the limelight earlier this year after it made contra bets in Adani Group stocks at a time when the conglomerate was marred by corporate governance allegations.
Adani investor GQG picks up 2.58% stake in IDFC First Bank for Rs 1,527 crore via bulk dealMeanwhile, Mauritius-based Cloverdell Investment has sold 4.2% stake in the company. As of the June quarter, Cloverdell held about 7.12% stake in IDFC First Bank.
SoftBank to sell 1.17% stake in Zomato via block deal on WednesdayThe deal price is said to be Rs 94 per share, which will take the transaction value to about Rs 940 crore
Tiger Global sells entire stake in Zomato for Rs 1,123 crore via bulk dealMarquee funds, including Axis Mutual Fund, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley Asia, and Societe Generale were among the buyers in the transaction.
Zomato shares jump over 5% amid block deal reportsZomato issued fresh equity shares to all the selling shareholders of Blinkit as consideration for the M&A last year. Following the transaction, Zomato had negotiated a 12-month lock-in for these shares, compared to the statutory lock-in requirement of six months.
Motilal Oswal MF buys stake in Jio Financial for Rs 754 crore in bulk dealThe domestic fund house has bought 3.72 crore shares in Jio Financial Services. After hitting multiple lower circuits in the previous sessions, Jio Financial shares jumped nearly 4% earlier on Friday. In about five sessions, including Friday’s low, the stock had lost about 23%, due to continued selling by passive funds
Promoter entity sells 29.5% in SJS Enterprises in bulk deal; marquee funds buyMarquee funds including HSBC, Morgan Stanley, ABSL MF, Sundaram Mutual Fund, and ICICI Pru MF, among others, picked up stakes in the company
Ace investor Ashish Kacholia sells part stake in SJS Enterprises for Rs 12 croreThe company manufactures a wide range of aesthetics products catering to two-wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, consumer durables/appliances, medical devices, farm equipment and sanitary ware industries
Pfaudler sells 13.6% stake in GMM Pfaudler; ChrysCapital among buyersPfaudler's stake in the company was held through DBAG Fund VI, a private equity fund advised by Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG). Following the stake sale, DBAG’s nominee directors Malte Woweries and Harsh Gupta tendered their resignations
GQG Partners further ups bet in JSW Energy, buys 0.6% stake for Rs 351 crorePromoter group entity JSW Investments Ltd sold 1.3% stake in JSW Energy Ltd through the open market on Wednesday for Rs 718 croreLoad More
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SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RetailNext Inc., the worldwide expert and market leader in IoT retail analytics for optimizing shopper experiences at brick-and-mortar retail stores, today announced new organizational investments and a continuation of its expansive growth in the Asia-Pacific region.
Strategic Equity Investment
As a critical enabler in driving business in the Asia-Pacific region, RetailNext has secured a strategic equity investment from EDBI, headquartered in Singapore.
"RetailNext is privileged to include EDBI among its equity growth investors," said Alexei Agratchev, co-founder and chief executive officer of RetailNext. "The opportunity to bring EDBI into our business allows us to leverage not only its deep understanding of the Singapore and APAC regional operating environment, but also its extensive technology expertise and industry knowledge as RetailNext aggressively captures new business opportunities in the region's retail industry."
"As a leading player in its industry, RetailNext enables consumer business owners to gain valuable insights on their customers while providing them with superior shopping experiences," said Swee-Yeok CHU, chief executive officer and president of EDBI. "Their integrated full-suite platform with advanced real-time monitoring analytics solutions will help improve businesses' sales performance, productivity and operational efficiency. EDBI is pleased to support RetailNext's growth strategies to extend its footprint in Asia as it builds its data innovation and software development activities in Singapore."
Expanded Operations in Singapore
In partnership with Newstead, RetailNext has added @Notebook to its rapidly growing portfolio of retailing customers in the Asian-Pacific region. @Notebook operates a chain of IT concept stores across Singapore for brands like Asus, Dell, Lenovo and HP. "RetailNext is one of the most comprehensive retail in-store analytic solutions we've seen, and we're proud to be RetailNext's strategic partner in this region," said Mindy Tan, chief executive officer at Newstead.
"RetailNext is strategically focused and committed to delivering its IoT solutions to retailers in the rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific region," said Sin Hin Wong, head of APAC at RetailNext. "Store deployments have grown over 300 percent in the last twelve months, and the expansion opportunities have led RetailNext to more than double the size of its regional offices headquartered in Singapore."
The first retail vertical IoT platform to bring e-commerce style shopper analytics to brick-and-mortar stores, brands and malls, RetailNext is a pioneer in focusing entirely on optimizing the shopper experience. Through its centralized SaaS platform, RetailNext automatically collects and analyzes shopper behavior data, providing retailers with insight to improve the shopper experience real time.
More than 300 retailers in over 60 countries have adopted RetailNext's analytics software and retail expertise to better understand the shopper journey in order to increase same-store sales, reduce theft and eliminate unnecessary costs. RetailNext is headquartered in San Jose, CA. Learn more at www.retailnext.net.
As a premier Asian investor with over 25 years of experience, EDBI invests in knowledge and innovation-intensive sectors covering Smart & Sustainable Technology (SST), Biomedical Sciences (BMS), Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and select industry clusters under its Strategy Growth Programme (SGP). Under SST, EDBI is interested in frontier technologies like Internet-of-Things, Robotics, Augmented/Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. EDBI helps to grow companies in Asia and globally through Singapore. www.edbi.com
RetailNext Inc. and RetailNext are trademarks of RetailNext Inc. in the United States.
SOURCE RetailNext Inc.


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U.S. is Losing the Gamble Launching Trade War Against China
Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hegemonic mindset is creating an environment of increasing uncertainty all over the world.
Part of the new additional tariffs recently announced by the United States government on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods took effect on September 1. The following day China announced that it had filed a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States.
The tariffs imposed by the U.S. severely violated the consensus reached by the two heads of state in Osaka, a statement released by China’s Ministry of Commerce said, adding that China is extremely dissatisfied with and resolutely opposes the tariffs.
Zengzi (Tseng-Tzu), an influential Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius, stated that the wrong word that one has uttered will eventually come back against him. This serves as a warning that a man should honor his word and should not go back on his word at will.
A Flashback of Trump’s Inconceivable Manner
During Trump’s first visit to China on November 8-10, 2017, he extolled Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “very special person”, a “good friend of mine” while boasting about their personal confabulations. Since then much water has flown down the mighty Yellow River and the Potomac River in the last two years. Trump’s euphony of that day changed when he labeled his “friend” an “enemy” amid escalations in the trade war row.
The President seemingly fired off his tweet without considering the extent to which his provocative remarks would sour relations with the world’s second-largest economy.
Trump may find some sausage in his 2020 presidential campaign from the Republicans supporters but his irrational comments about China only reflects his insensitivity, his ignorance about the United States’ top trading partner, diplomatic relations in general.
Since assuming office two years ago, this ambitious businessman-cum-president has already proved that he is a wazzock when it comes to world affairs. Beginning with promises of building a “great wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border and implementing a Muslim travel ban, then threatening a host of nations with punitive sanctions, and unilaterally leaving important international treaties, Trump’s acts of diplomatic vandalism knows no bounds.
Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hegemonic mindset is creating an environment of increasing uncertainty all over the world. His maxim is- “what is good for me is good for all.” Without any doubt, his opportunistic “America First” trade and foreign policy are also disrupting global economic growth.
During thirty-one months in his presidency, the U.S. President has complicated relations with China with his confrontational approach and series of tariff hikes on Chinese imports. In order to gain short-term benefits, instead of long-term national benefits, Trump has instigated an escalating trade war with China which began with a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese products worth $200 billion initiated by the U.S. in September last year and forced China to retaliate with a similar tariff hike on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods.
Although Trump triumphantly claimed that the tariffs applied on Chinese goods has hurt the Chinese economy, referring to China’s slowing growth rate – measured at 6.2 percent in the second quarter of 2019 – it should be noted that the bitter pills of the year-old trade war is damaging the U.S. economy, evidenced by its slowing growth rate of just 2.0 percent in the second quarter (down from 3.1 percent in the first quarter of this year).
The U.S.-China trade war has now reached a new plateau. On August 24, in a series of tweets, Trump lambasted China announcing an additional 5% hike in tariffs on over $500 billion worth of Chinese products which will come into effect from October 1. Trump’s new sword of 15 percent tariffs on $125 billion of Chinese imports went into effect on September 1. China responded by imposing new tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods starting on the same day. Anyone who is rational can see that the U.S. stand to suffer more from the escalating trade war, especially U.S. consumers.
“Dangerous Situation” for the U.S.
The significant majority of Americans are worried about the “twitter-tariffs” that Trump has unleashed against China. Concern amongst American citizens is that the fresh round of tariffs on Chinese goods will put new hardships on U.S. businesses, farmers, workers and consumers, and will weaken the U.S. economy.
Most analysts say that the U.S. will stand to lose from a prolonged trade war with China. The tourism sector is just one of the casualties given the significant decrease of Chinese tourists to the U.S. last year. Tourism Economics, an Oxford-based economics research firm, estimates that the decline of Chinese tourists could result in a loss of $11 billion in revenue for the U.S. (as reported a CBS news on August 23).
More importantly, the Trump administration’s aggressive trade feud with China will aggravate U.S. farmers’ economic plight. China (including Hong Kong and Macau) is the fourth largest export market for U.S. agricultural products.
An article carried by CBS news has noted that China made up $5.9 billion in U.S. agricultural product exports in 2018. China is the No. 1 export market for U.S. soybeans, animal hides, alfalfa, No. 3 in dairy, poultry; No. 4 in processed food, pork, beef and No. 5 in wheat, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the United States.
On August 5, China’s National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce officially announced that Chinese enterprises would stop buying U.S. agricultural products.
Former Lieutenant Governor of Iowa and Secretary of Agriculture, Patty Judge, rightly told CNBC on August 6, that the loss of a trading partner like China sets up a “dangerous situation” for U.S. farming. “There are going to be some serious repercussions for farmers,” she said.
Trade Wars Are Not “Easy to Win”
For months, Trump famously claimed that trade wars are “easy to win”. But that doesn’t appear to be so, given that U.S. importers and consumers are largely shouldering the burden. Chad Bown, of the Washington DC-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, wrote in a report on August 14 that the U.S. September 1 duties will hit 77 percent of the country’s clothing imports from China and 45 percent of footwear. “The bottom line is that, for the first time, Trump’s trade war is likely to directly raise prices for a lot of household items like clothing, shoes, toys and consumer electronics,” Bown wrote. The question many are asking is: How can the U.S. be ‘winning’ the trade war when American consumers are paying the price?
The fact is that the paranoid, arrogant Trump has miserably failed to stop China’s economic juggernaut by declaring a trade war with the country, blacklisting leading Chinese tech companies, declaring China a currency manipulator, closing U.S. markets to Chinese exports, and ordering U.S. companies to leave China. Undoubtedly, Trump’s disruptive activities will have a disastrous effect on the U.S. economy in the long run. Here a few words from an editorial published in the China Daily on August 26 which deserve to be quoted: “Beijing regards the trade war as an unavoidable trial by fire, from which the country will emerge stronger.” It appears the more severe the challenges, the stronger China becomes.
It’s encouraging to see that an unfazed China resolutely opposes Trump’s protectionist measures that are inflicting great harm to the existing global order. The Communist Party of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping has been taking the country and its people on the road to a “moderately prosperous society” in all respects by the centenary of the CPC in 2021, whilst also positioning China as a pillar of globalization.
It would be beneficial for Trump’s administration to view China as a true and important partner rather than a “national threat”, and work to strengthen the most important bilateral relationship in the world. Otherwise, Mr. Trump will lose the gamble, no matter how much he brags of making America great again.
Rabi Sankar Bosu, Founder & Secretary, New Horizon Radio Listeners’ Club, a China-watcher club based in West Bengal, India
Editors: Cai Hairuo, Jamie Leigh Wright


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Mexico's Walmex says Jan same-store sales fall 0.3 pct
MEXICO CITY Feb 6 (Reuters) - Mexico's biggest retailer Wal-Mart de Mexico said on Wednesday that sales at its Mexican stores open for at least a year fell 0.3 percent in January from a year earlier.
- Police hunt for motive as search for Malaysian jet spans hemispheres |
- Crimeans vote over 90 percent to quit Ukraine for Russia |
- Ukraine, Russia agree Crimea truce until March 21-Ukraine minister
- Malaysian PM says lost airliner was diverted deliberately |
- Democrats seek ways to limit Obamacare fallout after Florida defeat


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Win a shamrock Rated Rookie t-shirt from Panini America
By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor
LAS VEGAS – On St. Patrick’s Day, the 2014 Industry Summit was filed with dealers wearing shamrock Rated Rookie t-shirts. And once the collecting world saw them, there were many who wanted to know where they could get one.
Well, right here.
Beckett Media is giving away one of Panini America’s shamrock Rated Rookie t-shirts that were only available at The Industry Summit.
How can you win?
Leave a comment below telling us your favorite collecting tradition. We will pick one commenter to get the shirt on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
By the way, it’s a 2XL – the only spare we could find at the show.


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Paper Industry holds immense potential for growth in India as the per capita consumption is one of the lowest in the world. Around 15% of the world population stays in India but consumes only 5% of the total paper produced in the world.
“Tamil Nadu is the strongest coffee market in India so we are prioritizing this market first, but also expanding our presence to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh,”speaking to TOI, Puneet Das, president - packaged beverages, (India & South Asia), Tata Consumer Products (TCP) said.
The company is looking to add immunity infused products across its range like Sampann Haldi Doodh, Copper Plus Water or herbal ingredient infused Tata Tea Gold Care. Alongside, it also plans to grow its ready to heat/ready to eat segment and will add capacity and increase footprint.
“More price hikes are inevitable as there has been a 15% increase in input costs since January 2021. We have already increased prices twice to the tune of 5% and we will have to take another 5% increase very shortly,” said Gurmeet Singh, CMD, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India.
The small players who are into the business of packaging of fruits and other processed food are not able to meet the demand of tin cans and containers.
The switch to the Amazon platform will compliment Hidesign’s brick-and-mortar strategy for neighbourhood export markets. Hidesign is sticking to the store-led approach in markets like Sri Lanka where it has a ‘three-store tie up’ and in Nepal where it has a ‘similar arrangement,’ said Kapur. The company has a tieup with Noon for e-commerce presence in Middle East and Egypt.
"Given the synergies between the two iconic home grown Indian brands, and their shared focus on hand-crafted traditions and innovative design that underpins their offerings, this association promises to create an exciting destination," Hidesign said in a release.
“Since our food business relies mostly on oats it has a strong south focus and we also have the maximum number of plants in the south — one each in TN (Perundurai) and Puducherry
The online exclusive product has been launched on leading ecommerce platforms like Amazon and MilkBasket.
FMCG products, health security systems, wellness kits, software solutions, vehicle disinfection packages — a range of pandemic-related products and services have flooded the market.
Segments like durables are looking at around 20% growth during the festival month and food is looking at around 10% uptick year-on-year.
It’s been a lacklustre year so far but, from all accounts, it looks like this will be a cracker of a festive month for marketers.
Call it the Christmas effect. December saw retail sales peak as cars, two wheelers, white goods and durables flew off the shelves just days before the new year rolled in.
Thanks to the aggressive marketing efforts of online portals like Jabong, Myntra and Flipkart, pret-collections of some of India's top fashion designers are now available at anywhere between Rs 3500-15,000.
Manufacturers of big-ticket products like cars, cameras, high-end phones and laptops are putting out advisories or publicly speaking up in favour of brick-and-mortar sales citing issues relating to warranty and service support.
For years carmakers have spent billions of rupees building their brands. Now a new study shows brand image is among the least important criteria for buying a car in India.
The Luxury Line embodies the ultimate in elegance and exclusivity, while the Modern Line makes for an appearance that is particularly in tune with a contemporary lifestyle. M Sport celebrates future-oriented sporty design.


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A Dunedin engineering company is spreading success across paddocks around the world.
Helispread spreaders designed and manufactured by Dunedin engineering company Red One Fabrication have been exported to South Africa, the United States Midwest and Australia.
Red One Fabrication owner David O’Neill said the popularity of the heli spreaders marked a departure from the use of aeroplane spreaders.
The heli spreaders were among a variety of products being engineered in Dunedin and exported across the globe.
“Everything in it, except the motor, pretty much comes from Dunedin, from the main machine to the casting and powder coating.
“There is a team of Dunedin companies doing unique things on an international level.”
The spreaders were designed with efficiency in mind, and they spread in a large spiral pattern which resulted in less time in the air, Mr O’Neill said.
Unlike other spreaders, which were designed to spread only one product, the machines could spread fertiliser, seeding and slurry.
The aerodynamics of the machine meant if it was empty the helicopter could fly as fast as it would if the machine was not attached.
Demand for the machines was so strong the company, which had been operating for five years, would “definitely” have to add to its team of four full-time and one part-time staff, Mr O’Neill said.
“It is quite a complex thing to create but there is satisfaction in looking at the job.
“One guy has started from raw material to a highly technical product rather than just working on one stage in the creation of a machine.”
A 500-litre spreader weighed about 100kg, cost about $25,000 and operated on a 15hp motor.
Eight hundred and 1200-litre spreaders were also made by the company, as well as fire buckets.
Otago Daily Times


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Avery Dennison is partnering with Schreiner MediPharm and PragmatIC to leverage NFC technology by extending smart packaging to the unit-level for everyday pharma products to improve patient safety and experience.
The new portfolio includes a variety of sustainable solutions for single and multi-pack products, including the Rollor bottle pack, BiPack, and Pop-up insert. The surge in e-commerce due to the Covid-19 pandemic is evident across all sectors and the beverage market has also seen a significant impact.
Food producers and retailers are piloting a solution from Detego that utilizes RFID technology to gain insight into when fresh and perishable foods were packaged, shipped and sold. The aim is to reduce food waste and ensure an efficient supply chain and accurate shelf inventory levels, as well as enable faster and efficient recalls, according to a recent report in RFID Journal.
From the collaboration between Novamont, SunChemical Group, Ticinoplast and Uteco Group – an all-Italian supply chain of industrial and technological excellence – a new concept of food packaging is born, which responds to the growing demand for packaging with a lower environmental impact and which for performance and characteristics it has no comparison on the world market.


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Time has not been kind to Sony. While the Japanese electronics company enjoys great success with its PlayStation business, the number of people who'd wait in line to get its new Xperia smartphones has all but evaporated.
At IFA 2017 in Berlin, the company announced a new pair of Android smartphones, the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact, that show it hasn’t really learned anything in the last few years.
As competitors switch to bezel-less and edge-to-edge displays (even no-brands like Doogee are doing it) -- with and without notches -- and include wireless charging, Sony continues to fail to launch new phones even with fingerprint sensors or other forms of biometric security such as iris scanning or face recognition in the U.S. In 2017, that’s just unacceptable.
Sony’s Xperia phones used to be pretty damn cutting-edge and competitive, tech-wise, with iPhones and whatever Galaxy phone Samsung was touting. And while the internal specs on the new XZ1 and XZ1 Compact are there -- it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage (32GB on the Compact), and a microSD card slot -- the rest of the hardware is underwhelming.
Let’s talk design, because, frankly, I think they look dated. Sony’s stuck with its “loop surface and seamless metal” industrial design. Don’t get me wrong, the phones look very Sony, but the huge forehead and chin bezels above the and below the screens aren’t going to age well, especially with the iPhone 8 around the corner.
And speaking of the screens, they’re are on the small side and just average-looking. Sony used to go overkill with 4K displays in its phones, but the XZ1 only has a 5.2-inch 1080p full HD display and the XZ1 Compact has a smaller 4.6-inch 720p screen.
The XZ1’s screen is HDR-ready, and whenever you watch HDR content from places like Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube, it’ll automatically display more dynamic range, so you'll get a better, more accurate picture. But when most everybody has (or will) moved to longer 18:9 or 18.5:9 displays and embraced OLED for the deepest blacks and most poppin’ colors, Sony is still pushing sub-Quad HD resolution screens with a 16:9 aspect ratio. I’m sure there are tons of people out there that’ll appreciate the Compact’s smaller size, but 720p in 2017 for a premium phone? Ehh, no thanks.
Battery life is also peculiar. Both phones have the same 2,700 mAh battery. That’s a smaller capacity than just about every flagship phone, most of which have 3,000 mAh or greater. Granted, the smaller screens and lower resolutions don’t require as much power, but still. I’m concerned at how long these phones will last. Sony’s Compact phones are known for their stamina -- the Z3 Compact had a battery that could last up to three days -- so I am hopeful.
These shortcomings may be frustrating for people who want the best there is, but the new camera features really shows how out of touch Sony is with mobile trends.
Rather than dual cameras -- a feature every flagship phone is embracing in some way -- the XZ1 comes with a single 19-megapixel camera. The “Motion Eye” camera as Sony calls it has all of the jargon-named shooting features like pre-focusing and ridiculous 960 fps (frames per second) slow-motion recording introduced in previous Xperia phones.
New on the XZ1, however, is a 3D-scanning feature. Sony says users can scan four types of objects in under 60 seconds. Instead of spending thousands on a 3D scanner, you could use a special pre-loaded app to scan 3D objects and then send them to a 3D printer or third-party service to print out.
This would have been a genius idea -- a one-stop shop for 3D scanning and printing -- if it was 2013 and 3D printing was still hailed as the next big thing. But it’s 2017 and consumer interest in 3D printers has long evaporated. Even well-known consumer 3D printing brands like MakerBot had to sell themselves in order to survive.
Now, to be fair, the 3D scanning is pretty decent. There are four scanning modes: one for faces, entire heads, food, and freeform objects. The 3D scanning process is a bit tricky, requires a lot of patience (for the scanner and another person if you’re doing heads and faces), and the right background situations (translation: spaces without lots of crap in it).
During my brief time with the XZ1, I was able to get a couple of 3D scans, but not without some hiccups. Mashable photo editor Lili Sams grew impatient and annoyed as I followed the on-screen arrow markers indicating which direction to move the phone around her head for a proper scan. Confusing directions mid-scan also made me want to quit a few times, too.
After a few scan fails, we managed to get a few decent 3D scans of our faces and a bowl of fruit on a table, but the results were far from perfect. If you want the best 3D scan, you’ll definitely be investing more than 60 seconds per scan.
I know, I’m poo-pooing all over Sony’s new phones even though I haven’t thoroughly tested them, but that’s only because it’s so painful to see Sony stumble year after year. Sony used to be the world’s largest and most revered electronics company, but it keeps missing the mark in mobile. It’s unfortunate the new Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact continues that tradition.


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Bean's Greens Greenhouse and Market Garden held its official opening May 5.
Despite the cool wind and overcast skies, it was plenty warm inside the greenhouse as gardening enthusiasts browsed for the ideal plant for their yards.
Donn and Nicole Pool and family have embarked on a new and exciting business venture on their home quarter 16 kilometres northwest of Blaine Lake along Highway 12.
A large selection of floral plants including snow daisies, petunias, coleus, African daisies and pansies filled the shelves in flats, pots and decorative containers while hanging baskets highlighted cascading varieties. Herbs, ornamental grasses and vegetable plants were also available.
The cucumbers and tomatoes are forming and will soon be ready for the market garden.
Bean's Greens Greenhouse and Market Garden is open seven days a week. For more information call 306-497-2326.