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This article originally appeared on PR Daily in February of 2018.
In 2018, sending out a press release via a wire service simply doesn’t make sense as a PR tactic to garner earned media coverage.
Does sending out press releases make sense at all?
Well, not really.
Press releases are PR 101. Sending them out used to be part of a standard PR professional’s workflow—and as a result, many pros still send out releases simply because it’s what they’ve always done.
Newswire services like PR Newswire and BusinessWire are costing PR professionals millions of dollars each year, with foggy ROI at best. On paper, it looks like you can get your news in front of tens of thousands of media outlets for a nominal fee.
Who wouldn’t want to pay to play a little bit in that case?
However, press releases don’t really work in the modern era of media relations.
In today’s digital age, when there are tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Medium available, does it make sense to pay for a press release to be published on a wire service?
Let’s debunk a few of the common misconceptions around using wire services.
1. “In my industry I have to use a wire service to share important news, like quarterly earnings.” Nope. According to the SEC way back in 2013, companies are allowed to use social media outlets to announce key information so long as investors have been alerted “about which social media will be used to disseminate such information.”
2. “But my executives love seeing their names in popular publications and media outlets. News wires help me achieve this goal.” Consider this: Posting to social media allows you to @mention executives, depending on your platform of choice. This can help your leadership make business connections instead of just grabbing a quick mention on a static wire service.
3. “I use a wire service because it’s included as added value to a service I already use.” Awesome. You’re trying to make the most of the service you’ve invested in, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a smart decision. Releases sent through a wire can appear spammy to journalists. You don’t want them to think of your company in that way, right?
In many cases there are much stronger alternatives to sending press releases over wire services out there for PR pros.
Here are three:
1. Send a customized pitch.
Personalization is everything when it comes to building relationships with the media. Just consider this statistic from Muck Rack’s 2017 Journalist Survey: “When asked, why do you immediately reject otherwise relevant pitches, 22 percent of journalists cited lack of personalization.”
Crafting and distributing a custom pitch shows reporters that you mean business. It demonstrates that you thoroughly understand the media outlet and individual journalist you’re pitching and that you have something unique to offer their audience.
Sending a pitch directly to a reporter also means that journalists don’t have to spend time searching for material on a wire service; the news is coming directly to them.
2. Leverage your owned media.
Even if you’re a fan of the editorial control that comes with publishing a press release on a newswire service, there are still far better alternatives out there.
Start publishing a company blog or consider sharing the news on a site like Medium to increase your post reach. It’s no secret that earned media can help drive traffic and attention to your owned media properties, so consider seeking out an industry blog that accepts guest pitches and submit your story idea for the chance to be featured.
Both options offer greater control than a traditional pitch, because you can publish your announcement or story exactly as you desire (minus some editor’s notes if you’re submitting to another industry blog).
You can include links to sections of your website or other sites with relevant information and even mention internal executives directly to get their buy-in.
Plus, unlike a traditional news wire service, you have the chance to pick where you’re published so you know you’ll find the right audience for your piece and engage readers.
3. Share it on social media.
With billions of users globally, social media is a must-have tool in your PR arsenal.
Social media has removed the buffer between PR pros and the general public. Gone are the days when it was necessary to hold a press conference or publish a press release to attract the attention of the masses. What used to take hours now can happen with a few clicks of a button.
Also, journalists are also on social media. Whether they’re sharing recent stories they’ve published or seeking out sources on Twitter, reporters have become increasingly active on their preferred platforms.
As an added bonus, social media is an invaluable tool for impressing your bosses.
Sending out a Tweet or LinkedIn post with your latest blog post or media hit? Tag internal executives right in the message. They’ll be able to see your PR efforts in action and share with their network, amplifying the message even further.
What are your thoughts on newswire services, PR Daily readers?
Natan Edelsburg is the COO for Muck Rack and the Shorty Awards and is the executive editor of Found Remote. A version of this article originally appeared on Muck Rack, a service that enables you to find journalists to pitch, build media lists, get press alerts and create coverage reports with social media data.


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If you’re using iCloud to safely store files and other data, you’re already one step ahead of the game when it comes to protecting yourself online. But even iCloud storage isn’t 100 percent safe and secure, and it helps to be aware of settings that can put you more at risk for hacking attempts. “In today’s digital age, personal data is one of the most valuable assets we have,” said Tech Expert Kosha Shah, digital strategist at Technostacks Infotech Pvt. Ltd. “From credit card information to private messages, our devices hold a wealth of information about us that, if accessed by the wrong person, can lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and a host of other issues.. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the various settings on our devices that can leave our data vulnerable to attack.”
One of the most commonly used features on Apple devices is iCloud Backup, according to Shah. “This feature automatically backs up your iPhone or iPad to iCloud, including all of your personal data such as photos, contacts, and messages. It’s a convenient way to make sure your data is safe, but it can also be a security risk.” Here’s what you need to know about this setting and why it’s a good idea to turn it off.
What is the iCloud setting in question?
The iCloud Backup feature is the setting that automatically backs up your device to iCloud, Shah said. “This includes all of your personal data such as photos, contacts, and messages. It’s a great way to make sure your data is safe, but it can also be a security risk.”
Why is it a security risk?
“The problem with iCloud Backup is that if an attacker gains access to your iCloud account, they can easily access and download all of this sensitive information,” Shah said. “They can also use this information to gain access to your other accounts, such as your bank account or social media profiles. This is because many people use the same login information for multiple accounts, making it easy for an attacker to gain access to multiple systems.”
Another issue with iCloud Backup is that it stores your data in the cloud, which means it’s accessible from anywhere with an…

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Just after 8:00 today (14 December 2012) the current bid for the M6 on auction site Ebay stands at £150,600.
36 people have placed bids for the "used" motorway, which the seller admits is "not in great condition".
Postage and packaging is free.
More top news
A retired grandfather received a shock when he was sent a tax bill for £4.7 billion, paid with monthly instalments of £950 million.
Staying mostly dry for much of the day, and turning increasingly sunny.
Big celebrations for one couple and their families after they got married - in a busy shopping centre !


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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Another restaurant chain has realized just how much New Mexicans love their green chile.
The Chick-fil-A at Central and Eubank announced Monday that green chile is now on the menu.
It is the only one in Albuquerque offering it right now.
For a limited time, you can get a reward for stopping by.
Just take a picture in the store and post to their Facebook page with a #eatmorechile or #chickfilacentral. Show it at the register and you will receive a free mystery item.


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Zoe Saldana and her fiancé Keith Britton have called it quits after nearly 11 years together. That’s like 5 lifetimes in Hollywood.
In a statement, Zoe’s rep said the pair "have amicably separated after 11 years. Saldana and Britton remain committed business partners as co-founders of fashion resource MyFDB.com. Respect of their privacy is appreciated during this time."
Zoe has been really private about her relationship. We didn’t even know she had a serious boyfriend until she announced their engagement in June 2010.
She announced the news last June saying Keith is a "very independent soul".
She said: "I feel like the partners that stay at home, they have their lives, but they’re the ones that are living with the real you.
"I think that they need to be recognized, every now and then, every 10 years, just come out in public - put him on the spot and just say thank you.
"He’s a very independent soul. He understands what I do, but this is not what he fell in love with and that’s what I love."
Just last month Zoe told Hollyscoop that planning her wedding has been “a lot of work” adding that it’s “harder to plan a wedding than director a short [movie]”.
But its doubtful that the relationship didn’t work simply because it was hard to plan the wedding. Maybe that excuse could work for a couple who splits after 72 days, but not a decade long relationship.
I’m really bummed these two split, they seemed so genuine. And 11 years is no joke. That’s longer than 98% of all relationships in Hollywood. Zoe was so private about their relationship, they would hardly ever attend red carpets together, unless it was a huge one, like the Oscars. She barely spoke about the relationship, but when she did she only had nice things to say.
Zoe hasn’t made any comments about why they split up but she took to her twitter account to post a cryptic message. She tweeted: "'You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.’ – Buddha."
Looks like Demi and Ashton started a trend with cryptic messages about their relationship.
But just because the wedding is off, doesn’t mean their business is on hold. They’re going to continue to work together on their joint business venture, fashion website My Fashion Date Base.


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Fledgling companies specialising in biotechnology, radiotherapy, biopharmaceuticals and similar areas show the way with pioneering concepts.
Loans of up to MOP 2 million on offer as bank reaches out to both individuals and SMEs affected by Covid-19’s impact on the economy.
Melinda Chan Mei Yi calls for aid for small entertainment venues and businesses in locked-down areas as well as long-term support for SMEs.
Swift and simple service will be available at 1,100 ATMs across the city; plans to expand to Hong Kong in 2022.
Competition set to fire up future entrepreneurs in Macao, Hong Kong, China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Covid-19 forces three major expos to postpone until December, exact dates to be announced later.
Deal is subject to regulatory approval, but will mark a significant expansion into the Macao market for the mainland conglomerate.
Total value of retail sales grows 200 per cent year-on-year to MOP 20.70 billion between April and June.


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Apple's newest iPhones ran into some glitches Wednesday after users complained that a new software update blocked their calls, and a video circulated to suggest that the larger of the two new models is vulnerable to bending.
The government's own watchdogs tried to hack into HealthCare.gov earlier this year and found what they termed a critical vulnerability - but also came away with respect for some of the health insurance site's security features.
Longtime technology guru Ray Ozzie wants to bring back the emotions of the human voice to phones.
Yahoo may be losing some appeal on Wall Street now that U.S. investors can buy directly into Alibaba.
Apple says it sold more than 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models, a record for a new iPhone, in the three days after the phones went on sale.
Oculus has unveiled a new prototype of its virtual reality headset. However, the VR company still isn't ready to release a consumer edition.
NASA is sending a 3-D printer to the International Space Station in hopes that astronauts will be able to one day fix their spacecraft by cranking out spare parts on the spot.
It's easy to dismiss Apple's new iPhones as merely catching up to Android.
The largest U.S. e-commerce company is introducing two new e-readers and new styles of its Kindle Fire HD tablet as part of a fall lineup of Kindle devices.
The scores of new features in Apple's software update for mobile devices can be boiled down to one word: unity.
Alibaba Group's U.S. stock offering is a wakeup call about an emerging wave of technology giants in China's state-dominated economy.
San Francisco drag queens are sparring with Facebook over its policy requiring people to use their real names, rather than drag names such as Pollo Del Mar and Heklina.
Computer-driven cars have been testing their skills on California roads for more than four years — but until now, the Department of Motor Vehicles wasn't sure just how many were rolling around.
NASA is a giant step closer to launching Americans again from U.S. soil.
Some iPhone users are not happy that U2's new album, "Songs of Innocence," was automatically added to their iTunes music library, free of charge.


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For the past several months, bed bugs have had New Yorkers throwing out furniture, avoiding movie theaters and even questioning the subway commute. Now they seem to have gone after the most famous velour sweatsuits in the world.
Juicy Couture CEO, Edgar Huber, announced yesterday that bed bugs were discovered at the Fifth Avenue location. The mega-sized, girly fashion flagship store, and largest Juice Couture store in the country, will be temporarily closed to exterminate.
"Like other major retailers recently impacted by this issue, we are moving swiftly and aggressively to address the problem," announced Huber, who expects the store to re-open within the week. In the meantime, there are three other Juicy Couture stores that service the New York City area, none of which have reported any problem.
This is not the first instance of a bed bug fashion faux pas. Other previous cases include Victoria's Secret and Niketown. In addition, in July, Abercrombie & Fitch and its sister store Hollister also announced that they needed to close their doors to exterminate for the pesky critters.


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Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana delegation joined provincial officials from China’s Zhejiang Province this week to renew the Indiana-Zhejiang sister-state relationship, celebrating the economic, cultural and educational connections shared between the two states. In Hangzhou, the provincial capital city, the delegation also met with Indiana and Chinese businesses with operations in Zhejiang Province, establishing new connections and strengthening partnerships across the region.
“Now in the fourth decade of our sister-state relationship with Zhejiang Province, this visit is the perfect opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to growing together,” said Holcomb. “Our 32-year-old partnership has blossomed into a transpacific friendship that’s fueling business, academic, government and cultural exchanges on both sides of the Pacific. We look forward to what the future brings both our states in the decades ahead.”
Indiana has shared a sister-state relationship with Zhejiang Province since 1987, when the agreement was first signed by former Indiana Governor Robert D. Orr. In 2017, Holcomb joined officials of Zhejiang Province in Indianapolis to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the partnership, and this week, the Governor again affirmed Indiana’s commitment to Zhejiang, renewing the sister-state agreement with Zhejiang Party Secretary Che Jun.
In Hangzhou, the delegation also met with Zhejiang Governor Yuan Jiajun to further emphasize Indiana’s commitment to strengthening the mutually beneficial partnership between Indiana and Zhejiang Province. Since its inception, the Indiana-Zhejiang sister state has increased economic ties and cultural and educational exchanges between Indiana and China, and, last year, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC) established a business development office in Hangzhou to further support and strengthen the many opportunities for collaboration.
Indiana and Zhejiang Province already share many business ties, according to the IEDC.
In Hangzhou, Holcomb and the delegation met with leadership of China-based Zhejiang HengFeng Top Leisure and its Indianapolis-based subsidiary, Westfield Outdoors.
HengFeng is one of the largest exporters of outdoor leisure goods, producing more than 10,000 products, such as foldable chairs and beds, tents, fishing tackle and hunting gear, and garden furniture for customers worldwide. The company’s Indiana operation, Westfield Outdoors, was established in 2004 and supports R&D and U.S. sales for the products manufactured in Zhejiang and sold at popular retailers like Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, Target, Walmart and Costco.


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Engel Scouts Location for New Production Plant in MexicoEngel Scouts Location for New Production Plant in Mexico
Capacity expansion in Mexico will ensure uninterrupted delivery of products and services despite supply-chain issues and global unrest, said Engel.
November 13, 2023
In keeping with its strategy of being “close to the customer,” Engel has announced that it will build a new production facility in Mexico. The location has not yet been finalized.
Engel said in the news release that its goal is to establish optimal sales, logistics, and production structures for each of the three major regions — Europe, Asia, and America. Given supply-chain issues and global unrest, the decision to expand in Mexico comes at a crucial juncture, added the Austria-based maker of plastics processing systems. Engel believes that decentralization of key operations and the ability to adapt to dynamic market conditions have been key drivers of its success in the global market.
The plant will be the company’s 10th production facility. In Mexico, it currently operates a service and distribution center in Monterrey and a facility in Queretaro that provides those services along with training and technology development. The addition of a production plant in Mexico will enable the company to ensure uninterrupted delivery of products and services despite global supply-chain interruptions and transportation issues, said Engel.
“We are confident that customers in the United States, Mexico, and South America will all benefit from the capacity and expertise delivered by this expansion,” said Vanessa Malena, President of Engel North America. “It is designed to enhance an authentic collaboration with our clients and within the Engel team.”
The expansion south of the border has not diverted its attention from a well-established base of operations in North America. Engel said it recently added more capacity at its US headquarters in York, PA, concentrating on its custom automation centre, and renovated its office and technology center in Corona, CA.
About the Author(s)
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With people all over the world are getting restless in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic Snickers and BBDO Guerrero have partnered together on a new campaign looking to highlight one of the best things about staying home — being you.
The series of social posts that put a twist on the brand’s popular tagline “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry”, the series of social posts focusing on things that your not missing out on while working at home such as common workplace pet peeves such as being forced to stop on every floor on the elevator – things that don’t happen when you stay at home.
“We thought it would be good for the brand to champion the positive side of working from home. And as the team discovered, there are definitely some upsides to the situation,” said BBDO Guerrero Creative Chairman David Guerrero.
The social media campaign on Facebook ‘’You Stay You When You #StayHome’ is growing into a crowdsourced effort, as people fill in the blanks and share their own relatable and comical stories as well.
“BBDO Guerrero’s twist on the Snickers global line couldn’t have come at a better time. This campaign of humorous posts is exactly the positive boost our consumers need,” said Snickers Senior Brand Manager, Marilyn Chew.
You can see more of the campaign over on Snicker’s Facebook page for the Philippines.


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In February, the Taiwanese smartphone maker recorded revenue of about $390 million, down from $520 million in January. For the year so far, HTC has brought in approximately $910 million, which is down significantly from the $1.25 billion earned in the first two months of 2012. HTC is hurting, there's no doubt.
The HTC One, the company's flagship smartphone for 2013, goes on sale later this month. It will reach European markets first, followed by the U.S. on or around March 22. If the One fails to win over consumers, HTC's future will be in doubt. The company's timing is not great, as Samsung is expected to debut its 2013 flagship device at an event in New York City on March 14.
The One, announced in mid-February, has a solid chance of competing with Samsung and Apple. It is made from milled aluminum and features a dazzling 4.7-inch 1080p HD display. The result is a pixel-dense LCD panel that looks gorgeous. The One is powered by a four-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, with each core rated at 1.7 GHz. The processor is paired with 2 GB of RAM, and the One will be available in 16-GB and 32-GB versions.
[ Sergy Brin says smartphones are "emasculating," but InformationWeek's Thomas Claburn has ideas for He Men who need to stay connected. See Attention Google: 12 Ways To Make Smartphones More Manly. ]
Other features of the device include stereo speakers on the front that are combined with Beats Audio and a dedicated amplifier to create "Boom Sound." (Dontcha just love marketing lingo?)
One of the One's more interesting features is the camera. The company is taking a chance on new technology. Rather than continue to cater to the megapixel race, HTC rates the new camera at 4 "ultrapixels." These larger camera pixels are supposed to be more sensitive to low-light conditions. The camera also comes with novel software that captures video and still images at the same time, and can package them together into a single media unit.
HTC was sure to point out this week that the One may be the first smartphone able to record concerts without audio distortion. The One includes twin MEMS membranes for recording audio, one for normal audio, and one that responds to high-pressure (read, rock concerts).
These and the One's other features should be enough to give it a fighting chance against its competitors. In the U.S., HTC has support from AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile USA, but not Verizon Wireless. According to insiders, Verizon refused to carry the One unless it could rebrand it as a "Droid" handset. Losing access to the nation's largest wireless network is not a good start for the One, but hopefully its presence with the other carriers will make up for it.
Exact details regarding availability and price have yet to be revealed.


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Uber Eats and McDonald’s have unveiled a witty new spot to coincide with the start of the FIFA World Cup.
The ad stars Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo who’s clearly aggrieved his beloved national side fail to qualify for Russia 2018.
The campaign includes a number of iterations as former World Cup stars vie to try and get Pirlo to change allegiances to their respective national squads.
Former Socceroo great, Harry Kewell, is doing the persuading on behalf of Australia, while other cameos go to Cafu (Brazil), Marcel Desailly (France) Luis Hernandez and Jared Borgetti (Mexico), Rui Patricio (Portugal), Masahiro Fukuda (Japan) and Alexandre Guimarães (Costa Rica).
Check out a couple of iterations of the campaign below:
Commenting on the campaign, Jodie Auster, general manager, ANZ, Uber Eats said, “We believe the Aussies have a real chance to get past the group stage this year, but they are going to need all the support they can get.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with McDonald’s to offer 2018 FIFA World CupTM fans their favourite McDonald’s menu items at the press of a button. With average delivery times around 30 minutes, fans can place an order before, during or after the game to enjoy everything from Grand Big Macs to McFlurry’s without leaving the sofa. Get your mates around, get the TV on and let’s help Australia start the tournament as they mean to go on.”
In a year where ‘business as usual’ is anything but, AFR BOSS reveals six of Australia’s most inspirational and outstanding young leaders who excelled during the pandemic. The six have been crowned the 2021 BOSS Young Executives in the prestigious awards program, now in its 18th year. Run in conjunction with global leadership consulting firm […]
HUMAN Security (formerly White Ops) today announced two new founding Human Collective members: Index Exchange and MediaMath. Together they participated in thought-provoking panel discussions during the recent IAB Tech Lab CTV & Video Advertising: Growing with Standards virtual event where they emphasized how important it is to work together in the fight against fraud on […]
SCA has announced the appointment of Cathrine McVeigh to head of audio production and operations. She will be part of the content leadership team. In the newly created role, McVeigh will oversee the creation of SCA’s new audio production and content operations hub and lead a combined team across the country to deliver a rapidly […]


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The E-Commerce Show 2015 in the Philippines took place early September this year at the SMX Convention Center Pasay City. AdAsia reports about the trends in one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in Asia.
The E-Commerce show, organised by Terrapinn, features a host of companies and institutions, active in and around e-commerce. Among them are local e-payment hardware, software and service providers, courier companies, as well as e-commerce solutions providers. The show follows the usual format of closed door seminars with speaking sessions in open areas.
The Philippines is a diverse and geographically fragmented country. The following data points provide an idea of the e-commerce opportunity and challenges.
In the Philippines, e-commerce revenue has grown by 28% on average between 2013 and 2015. The market has challenges because of the lack of trust, lack of customer knowledge and market conditions. There is still a huge part of the population without a bank account or access to a physical bank. Only 31.3% or adults have a bank account. This figure can be increased by providing mobile e-payment options, clearly an area with serious growth opportunities for solution providers.
Filipinos are also using mobile a lot. For some businesses the mobile app is a bigger source of revenue than their e-commerce websites.
Logistic challenges are enormous as well with customers spread out over 7,100 islands. Some low density areas are hard to reach. These areas also have low retail presence, which leads to an expensive delivery infrastructure.
Finally, there are currently 35 million Filipinos with access to the internet and this is expected to grow to 70 million by 2018 driven mainly by mobile internet access.
This means that the Philippines present an opportunity with its own challenges for established and new players.
Two days of presentations provided great insights in the actual challenges and opportunities. The programme featured start-ups like, Foodpanda, Lamudi, CashCashPinoy, PinoyTravel, FlipTrip, FourEyes, MobExt and Carmudi. But also established corporate brands like Facebook, Philippine Airlines and McDonalds took the stage.
The topics and challenges addressed are mostly familiar to players in any part of Asia when it comes to e-commerce. Logistics e.g. is not only about reliable delivery. McDonalds explained how they deal with logistical challenges themselves so they can keep prices low and are still profitable.
Ensogo presented why payment, redemption and efficient return solutions should be part of the service mix. Foodpanda explained that they arrived late in the market and that they are competing against local incumbents.
Carmudi presented their growth strategy that is heavily geared towards emerging markets and explained how they use data to drive growth. Interesting enough they are not ‘digital only’. They advertise on television to drive awareness.
Small can be beautiful is how FlipTrip explains their business model and they rely on storytelling to sell trips to smaller and more remote travel locations in the Philippines.
Facebook is also an important player in the Philippines. They are very active in helping e-commerce players creating an omni-channel approach across multiple channels. Finally Philippine Airlines provided insights in their customer strategy. They focus on awareness, engagement, re-engagement and re-acquisition of customers. To achieve this they invest in fast, secure, reliable and multi-channel e-commerce services with relevant payment options for both banked & unbanked customers.
Since the event also hosted the Cards & Payments show, there was naturally a focus on payment and specifically mobile payments. We look forward to the next editions of these shows. One will take place in November in Jakarta and another one is planned in Singapore in April 2016.
For more information about future events, visit the Terrapinn website.


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Donald (Don) J. Schneider, who took over the family trucking business in the mid-1970s, shepherded it through trucking deregulation, and made Schneider National Inc. one of the industry's most recognizable and successful brands, died today in De Pere, Wis., after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 76.
Schneider was born the same year his father, Al, sold the family car to buy his first truck. The younger Schneider joined the family business in the early 1950s as a mechanic's helper and then became a driver. After leaving to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees, and to serve a tour of duty in Korea, he returned to the Green Bay, Wis.-area to rejoin his father's company as a manager.
In 1976, he became president of the then-$82 million-a-year company, a position he held until he retired from day-to-day operations in 2002 and turned the president and CEO duties over to Chris Lofgren, the company's then-chief operating officer.
Schneider continued as chairman emeritus until 2007, when he reached the board's mandatory retirement age.
An influential voice
During his long tenure, Schneider led the company through the challenging transition to deregulation in 1980, and built sizable logistics and intermodal enterprises to augment its traditional truckload business. Today, privately held Schneider, which operates 9,800 tractors and 32,000 trailers, generates about $3.4 billion in annual revenue.
Schneider became, along with his chief rival Johnnie B. (J.B.) Hunt, one of the trucking industry's earliest and strongest supporters of intermodal rail service as a way to move customers' freight more cost-effectively than over the road. "J.B. Hunt may have been one or two years ahead at the start of recognizing intermodal's value, but eventually they were right there together," said Charles W. Clowdis Jr., head of supply chain advisory services at consultancy IHS Global Insight and a former long-time trucking executive who has known Schneider since 1977.
Schneider also became known for its trademark orange tractors and trailers. Clowdis recalled that when the company was planning to expand into China, an outside consultant advised Schneider that he would be unable to paint the equipment orange because it might not belong to him. As Clowdis remembered, Schneider stiffened in his chair, thought for a moment, and said he would agree only if there was a Chinese law forbidding him to do so. The equipment was not painted orange.
"The transportation and logistics industry has lost one of its most passionate and influential voices," said Bill Graves, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, in a statement. "Don Schneider was a visionary, bringing business acumen and technology to blaze a trail and set the standard in the modern day development of our industry."
Schneider is survived by his wife of 53 years, Pat, five children, 13 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.


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Australian stocks have plunged for a second day after fears the coronavirus could become a pandemic sparked a major sell-off on global markets.
* COVID-19 is spreading in South Korea, Iran, Italy and in numerous other countries
* It is difficult to quantify the impact on demand for goods, services and global growth given no one is sure how long it will last and if it can be cured
* There will be disruption to supply chains if countries close borders to contain outbreaks that could see global trade grind to a halt
* Markets at record highs, such as the Australian Securities Exchange, are down in line with other markets, like commodities, that have already dropped
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON LOCAL SHARES?
* Since late January, a raft of Australian publicly listed companies have issued warnings the coronavirus will hurt their earnings in the short term
* Travel companies, education businesses, food stocks and oil and gas producers are among those whose revenue will be affected in the next few months
WHO'S TALKED ABOUT COVID-19 ON TUESDAY?
SERKO - The online travel and expense management business said bookings have begun to drop off in the past week so revenue growth would be at the bottom of its guidance range
BLACKMORES - Vitamin maker Blackmores said the coronavirus threat would have a material impact on its full-year result
APPEN - The developer of datasets for machine learning said its China operations were young and its targets modest so the outbreak should have a negligible impact on full-year earnings
SEEK - Online jobs listing provider said the virus had had a significant impact on business and hiring conditions within China and across Southeast Asian markets.


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Hartgrove Insurance, A Branch of TWFG Insurance Services. Blog: identity theft
View the latest blog posts from Hartgrove Insurance, A Branch of TWFG Insurance Services..
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 Online data breaches are just an unfortunate fact of life now—as the New York Times put it, you might as well assume that your personal information has been taken, because cyberattacks happen all the time. That’s why we recommend Safeco's identity-recovery coverage, available for just $1 a month for our homeowners customers. READ MORE >>
Wednesday, January 11, 2017 Resolve to Practice Better Privacy Habits Online Looking for New Year’s resolutions with more staying power than most? This year, how about resolving to be privacy-aware? The Internet and social media in particular have made it easy to share more of our personal lives with our friends. READ MORE >>
Tuesday, June 21, 2016 Keep Your Financial Life From Taking an Unplanned Detour While Traveling Travelers and tourists are a dream for thieves. They’re typically carrying plenty of cash and valuables. They often have smartphones full of personal information. And, they can easily get caught up in the sights and forget to be aware of their surroundings. READ MORE >>
Friday, September 5, 2014
Here are some great tips from a recent article by Eric Bell, founder and editor-in-chief of YoBucko!
Identity theft and cyber crime are major concerns these days. Modern advances in technology and cyber security are doing a lot to limit the risks you’ll be a victim of identity theft ... READ MORE >>


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After eschewing banner ads for years , BuzzFeed is finally embracing them.
BuzzFeed will start showing people display ads that will be bought and sold using third-party ad technology on a global basis. The move is a bid to tap into its scale and monetize its owned-and-operated platforms more effectively.
To read more about what prompted BuzzFeed to have a change of heart,click here.
In other news:
Uber has picked Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to be its new CEO.The company has not publicly announced the news – apparently Khosrowshahi hasn’t officially accepted the offer.
Facebook is running into privacy concerns while building its video chat device for the home. To assuage concerns about privacy, Facebook has considered creative ways to market Aloha, including pitching it as a device for letting the elderly easily communicate with their families.
Speaking of Aloha, here’s everything we know about Facebook’s mysterious video chat device. Though, details about Aloha (including the name) may change before it sees the light of day.
Snapchat is finally cozying up to internet celebrities and giving them special perks. The shift in strategy comes as Snapchat’s user growth has slowed in the face of fierce competition from Facebook-owned Instagram, which has worked closely with celebrities and users with large followings for years.
The 10 most popular apps people keep on their home screens.For most people, Google’s apps like Maps, Gmail, and YouTube took precedence, while others preferred keeping their social networking apps front and center.
Amazon’s $13.7 billion Whole Foods buy proves the concept of the ‘tech company’ is coming to an end. Amazon has transitioned into so much more.
Speaking of Amazon and Whole Foods, the former just made shopping at Whole Foods cheaper. Here’s exactly how much you’ll save on each item.
Applebee’s is ditching millennials after they forced hundreds of restaurant closures. The chain’s failed attempt to win over younger diners is at least partially to blame for struggles, according to executives.
Google is issuing refunds to advertisers over fake traffic, the Wall Street Journal reports. Google’s refunds, however, amount to only a fraction of the cost of the ads served to invalid traffic, which has left some advertising executives unsatisfied.
Follow us at @BI_Corporate to be among the first to hear about news and updates from Business Insider.
Also, sign up for the Executive Summary , a new biweekly newsletter that brings the latest marketing news, trends, and company updates straight to your inbox.[“Source-businessinsider”]


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It was previously reported that GTA 6 will “expand over time”. Players worry that this will take up more of Rockstar’s manpower, resulting in slower updates and development of other games.
Well-known whistleblower Tez2 responded to this. He stated that “expansion over time” means that GTA6 will return to the single-player DLC update method before the success of GTAOL.
The first wave of expansion content after the release of “GTA6” will be prepared before the game is released, so Rockstar has enough resources to develop new projects after the game is released.
In addition, Tez2 believes that “GTA6” will update islands or cities similar to Perico Island and North Yankton in the future, which will also facilitate the introduction of new heist missions in the DLC for the next-generation online mode.
Earlier this year, Rockstar confirmed that the development of GTA 6 is “going well” but needs to be “the best it can be”.
There are rumors that the game will be released in 2024, but there is no official confirmation so far.


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The Best Tech Brands for 2023
If you’ve ever encountered a pop-up that asks you how likely you are to recommend a company or the products it sells, the survey is likely looking for you to contribute to its Net Promoter Score, or NPS. Business strategist and author Fred Reichheld created the NPS system over 20 years ago as an indicator of customer loyalty (details on how it’s calculated are at the end of this story). NPS is used by most Fortune 500 companies, as well as many smaller firms, as an indicator of a company’s current status and what lies ahead, and even as a way to motivate employees.
Different industries can have wildly different Net Promoter Scores. We see that not only in various tech categories but even when it comes to business versus personal use. Products and services thrust upon people by an IT department tend not to score as well. Case in point: Not a single manufacturer from our Business Choice coverage this year makes it onto this list.
Check the bottom of the story for a list of all the vendors in every 2022 survey category to see how your favorite brands compare. We only bestow the Best Brand designation to those earning the highest NPS among its competitors. And to be included a brand needs to receive a score of 50 or better. Read on to find out which tech brands our readers hold in the highest regard.
Our top vendor in any category in 2023 is a Japanese firm that’s been around for almost 90 years, making everything from air conditioners to quantum computers. Fujitsu’s Net Promoter Score of 86 is earned from our first-ever reader survey on scanners. (Fujitsu specializes in sheet-fed document scanners.) The next-highest NPS for scanners is 62 for Epson. Interesting note: Perhaps if we had run our electric car survey in 2022, Tesla would be on top again, as it was last year (with an NPS of 92, the highest we’ve ever seen in our surveys).
For 2022, Sony ranked eighth on our list thanks to the NPS score of 74 that it earned for TVs. That number drops to 68 this year, which might have kept the company out of our Best Brands list—but then we reinstated our survey of audio devices. This is a boon for Sony, which is the most celebrated brand across various categories: all headphones (78 NPS), wireless-only (81), and specifically, noise-cancelling, with survey respondents giving it a stellar NPS of 84. Sony still makes excellent TVs, too.
The Net Promoter Scores for Malwarebytes are much higher than they were last time, when it earned 70 for Reader’s Choice and 77 for Business Choice, landing in fifth. For 2023, it shoots up to an NPS of 83 for security suites, to secure third place on our list. (It also receives a respectable NPS of 65 for its antivirus protection for home PCs.) This makes Malwarebytes the most-recommended security software vendor, ahead of Bitdefender, though the latter still makes the list (see below).
Last year,Apple‘s top NPS was 73 in desktops, which earned it ninth place in Best Brands. This time, Apple not only beats that desktop NPS with a score of 81, shooting up to fourth place, but the company also increases its laptop NPS from 72 to 79. (Last year, Apple won those same categories in business, but we didn’t run those surveys in 2022.) Apple also earns adequate NPS scores for smartphones, keyboards, and noise-cancelling and wireless headphones, though none of those recommendation numbers are at the top of their categories. One area in which Apple earns a tepid NPS is tablets, with the iPad score dropping from 69 to 62, but that still makes it the most recommended tablet manufacturer.
MSI won our Readers’ Choice award for laptops for the second year in a row in 2022, but it didn’t earn a high-enough NPS (67) in 2021 to make the 2022 Best Brands list. That changes this time, as the company leaps up to 81. That score bests Apple’s NPS both last year and this year in laptops; the only reason MSI is behind Apple is that Cupertino’s desktops earn so much praise. If MSI can keep its momentum going into 2023, it will accomplish a Herculean feat.
6. Mint Mobile
The category of mobile carriers is surprising to see at all in a Best Brands story—people have strong feelings about them. Those negative opinions are mostly reserved for the big three: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. Smaller carriers earn a lot more appreciation. For a long time, Consumer Cellular or Google Fi appeared on this list, but our most recent survey sees the upstart Mint Mobile claim not only the Readers’ Choice award, but now, the Best Brand award as well. That’s thanks to its NPS of 78, which outperforms even Consumer Cellular’s 77 from last year (that company drops to 73 this year).
Synology is a perennial favorite with PCMag readers. It has earned the Best Brand title in the Home Network Attached Storage (NAS) category every year we’ve done the story. This year, it wins despite an NPS of 77, which is lower than last year’s score of 84, when it was second on this list. Maybe that doesn’t matter when the brands a company is up against can’t muster an NPS above 50, but it’s not a trend anyone wants to see.
Our survey respondents have a lot more appreciation for their whole-home mesh Wi-Fi systems than they do for stand-alone routers. Last year, TP-Link stormed onto this list with an NPS of 75 for its mesh routers; this year, the title goes to Amazon’s Eero brand, which ups the ante with an NPS of 77, up from 70. (Meanwhile TP-Link drops to 68.)
Other brands in this story offer noise-canceling headphones, including Sony and Apple. But Sony’s position in this category is always under threat from the company that pretty much defines active noise cancellation in commercial headphones: Bose. It has many QuietComfort-branded over-the-ear and earbud options, about which customers are apparently raving. The company earns an NPS of 76 for noise cancellation, 73 for wireless headphones, and 71 across all types of headphones.
Bitdefenderearns an NPS of 76, which ties it with Webroot (below). This is slightly lower than its NPS of 79 last year, when it placed third on the best-brands list. But it’s still a strong showing, considering that Bitdefender scored 70 two years ago. Bitdefender also manages to earn the high NPS when it comes to protecting Andorid-based devices, with 73.
It’s worth noting that both are actually an NPS point behind a company we no longer recommend, Kaspersky Lab, which earns an NPS of 77.
10. Webroot (tie)
Webroot manages a nice increase from an NPS of 72 last year to 76 this year,specifically for security suites. It’s not the best score ever for the company—a couple of years ago, it earned an NPS of 87 for security suite use at home. But it’s more than enough to give Webroot a spot on this year’s list, tied with BitDefender (above).
When it comes to home-security-system ratings in our survey this year, only two companies make the cut. Those same companies also tie, with high scores. First is Amazon’s Ring; its increase to an NPS of 75 in this category is remarkable, as it earned just 62 last year. This shows that despite some privacy hiccups, customers are pretty happy with and willing to tell people about Ring security. The other is SimpliSafe (below).
13. SimpliSafe (tie)
This is SimpliSafe‘s fifth appearance as a Best Brand; its tie NPS of 75 is an increase from last year’s 70 (which still earned it a Best Brand slot) but is lower than the all-time-high 79 it won two years ago. This year, it ties with Ring (above).
Graphics cards is another new category in our surveys this year, and it yields a new Best Brand winner. EVGA is our inaugural Readers’ Choice winner in the group and now reigns as our first Best Brand in that category as well, with an NPS of 73. The only other card maker that comes close is Nvidia, with an NPS of 67.
For our fifteenth Best Brand on this year’s list, we dip into the Net Promoter Scores hovering at 73, of which we have quite a few from the past year’s surveys. That includes the aforementioned EVGA as well as Bose and Bit Defender; even previous winners, including Ooma (for VoIP services) and Consumer Cellular hit that mark. But we’re giving this final slot to Samsung for its stellar monitor offerings. The company wins our Readers’ Choice award despite a healthy field of contenders and scores even better with anNPS of 73 against the same players (LG’s 68 score puts it in second place).
The Samsung brand is also prominent in phones and tablets, of course, and it manages a score higher than 50 in both categories—even tying with Apple for phones at an NPS of 62. For tablets, though, it earned just 57.


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Irving-based 7-Eleven has launched 7Charge, a nationwide EV charging network, with at least two locations already available in Dallas and Fort Worth. [Photo: 7-Eleven]
Electric vehicle owners across Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas could use an extra spark when it comes to EV fast-charging stations. Now two bills in the Texas Legislature could help spur expansion of the stations statewide.
Currently there are only 329 EV fast-charging stations across Texas, according to TxDOT data cited by the Texas Tribune—which noted that two Senate bills aim to set the foundation for adding many more. Senate Bill 1002 offers guidelines for how EV charging stations would be funded and built, while Senate Bill 1001 lays down how they would be registered with the state and be subject to inspections.
Around $400 million in federal funding for EV charging infrastructure is heading to Texas through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and businesses aren’t waiting for the Senate bills to play out before getting started on new stations. Just two weeks ago, Irving-Based 7-Eleven launched its 7Charge EV fast-charging network and app, with at least two new locations in Dallas and Fort Worth.
And later this month, the Dallas suburb of Allen will get its first open-access EV charging station installed by San Marcos-based XCharge North America. It will be located at telecom service provider MD7’s corporate HQ at One Bethany West, and will allow two vehicles to be charged simultaneously.
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At 7-Elevens across North Texas, cars pull up to "slurp" down gas day and night. But electric vehicle owners may soon be joining them for their own fast, eco-friendly fill-ups, thanks to the launch of the new 7Charge EV charging network and app. Irving-based 7-Eleven today announced the rollout of 7Charge, which has begun delivering "a convenient and reliable fast-charging experience" at several 7-Eleven stores locations in Texas, Florida, Colorado, and California—including at least two locations in Dallas and Fort Worth.
In Fannin County east of Sherman and Denison, Texas's first new major reservoir in almost 30 years is slated to come online next spring. The nearly 17,000-acre Bois d'Arc Lake will be a source of much-needed water for the North Texas Municipal Water District, which serves Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Richardson and other areas of fast-growing northeast Dallas County. “But something just as precious has been created near the lake: a new forest with more than 6 million trees, designed over the last four years as a natural habitat to replace what the lake is swallowing up.


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The Future of Commerce and Payments Innovation are among the nine thematic “Deep Dive” content tracks that will be explored when financial technology (fintech) experts and enthusiasts gather in Barbados from January 24–26, 2024, at the Sam Lord’s Castle Wyndham Grand Barbados, for Fintech Islands Experience 2024 (FiX24).
From the smallest main street storefronts to gig economy marketplaces to global e-commerce giants, fintech solutions are enabling the future of where, when and how people shop. At the same time, powered by cryptocurrency, mobility, social networks, and new real-time solutions, the next chapter for digital payments is transforming business and providing more efficient, low-cost options for consumers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, because of restrictions on movement, many businesses in the Caribbean adopted e-commerce solutions and contactless delivery services to reach both local and international markets. Co-founder and CEO of Fintech Islands, Allison Hunte, noted that over the last few years, businesses have thrived in this new fintech-driven commerce ecosystem. “From small boutiques in Trinidad in the South to agribusinesses in Jamaica in the North, companies are expanding their reach through online marketplaces and digital storefronts,” Hunte explained.
The Fintech Islands CEO added, “Regionally, entrepreneurs are taking advantage of digital technologies to expand their businesses beyond their immediate geographical boundaries, catering to niche markets and providing unique products. With the help of fintech solutions, businesses can now conduct secure online transactions and reach a wider range of customers locally, regionally and internationally.”
The adoption of these tools in the Caribbean will be at the heart of the discussions during the deep dive sessions on the future of commerce and payments innovation during FiX24.
Fintech is not only powering new ways to buy and sell products and services in the Caribbean but also providing innovative solutions to help small and medium-sized enterprises overcome logistical and financial hurdles by enabling access to online payment gateways, inventory management systems, and digital marketing tools. Fintech is helping to level the playing field for businesses, allowing them to compete with larger corporations more effectively. Through innovations in payment technology, such as near-field communication and QR code payments, there is a progressive shift towards a cashless society and democratized access to financial services.
The FiX24 team is looking forward to exploring with delegates, the fintech-driven future, where commerce and payments are no longer constrained by geographical boundaries or traditional financial intermediaries.


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Timber industry assisted by the rallying housing marketDecember 20th, 2012
The wood products market is showing signs of recovery in the coming year, due in part to an uptick in new home construction in the second half of 2012.
Shawn Church, editor of Eugene, Ore.-based Random Lengths, a publication that tracks lumber prices, says 34 percent of its readers expect between 800,000 and 900,000 housing starts nationally in 2013, according to a survey conducted earlier this year. Twenty-two percent of survey respondents believe that number will be even higher, nearing 1 million, an improvement compared with past years, Church says.
This year, he says, the number of home starts nationwide looks to finish in the high-700,000 range.
"Further growth in housing is being widely forecast, with a greater share in multiunit projects," he says, adding that on the whole, the wood products industry is upbeat.
Despite rising demand, wood product suppliers haven't ramped up fully to fill that increased consumption as of yet, he says.
"Lumber is a true commodity that reacts to the principles of supply and demand," Church says, adding that demand has been relatively tight this year.
Northwest Farm Credit Services, in a forest products market snapshot released Sept. 30, projected that lumber prices will show seasonal weakness, but increase steadily during 2013, and said log prices have remained stable over the course of this year.
Despite demand outpacing supply, Church says some lumber harvesters and mills still are leery about increasing production.
"They need to have some certainty that bringing back a shift and restarting a mill is going to last," Church says.
Most that have continued operating during the economic downturn have added some shifts and increased hours this year, he says, but harvesters remain hesitant about starting back up.
Spokane-based Potlatch Corp., which owns more than 1.4 million acres of forestland in Idaho, Arkansas, and Minnesota and operates six manufacturing facilities in the U.S., projects lumber and log prices will firm up next year.
Potlatch experienced higher-than-anticipated demand for manufactured wood products through the first three quarters of 2012, the company said in its third-quarter earnings report, released Oct. 22. Potlatch projected fourth-quarter increases in lumber sales as buyers gear up for construction in 2013 on the heels of a slowly recovering housing market.
Potlatch reported wood-product revenues of $86.7 million in the third quarter, up from $83.6 million in the year-earlier quarter.
Clearwater Paper Corp., the Spokane-based tissue and paperboard products maker, reports it will start seeing between $35 million and $40 million in cost savings beginning in 2013 in connection with its acquisition of Cellu Tissue Holdings Inc. Clearwater Paper acquired the Alpharetta, Ga.-based tissue manufacturer in December 2010.
A new paper machine at its Shelby, N.C. facility is expected to be operational by the end of this year, the company says in its third-quarter earnings report.
The company reported net income of $19.1 million, or 80 cents a diluted share, in the third quarter of this year, up from $8.6 million, or 37 cents a share, in the third quarter of 2011.


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Editor in Chief
- Dec 30, 2010
- Reaction score
- Austin, TX
The latest Samsung Galaxy S8 rumor is already making its way around. This time we are hearing that the next generation Samsung Galaxy S device will include a 4K display and dual rear cameras. While having a 4K display on a smartphone is obviously overkill, the main reason Sammy would push that tech is the VR market.
Samsung has been one of the first proponents of the Virtual Reality segment by introducing the Gear VR Headsets which are powered by Samsung smartphones. By including the 4K capability, the device will be able to offer a much improved VR visual experience. Industry analysts also expect the Samsung Galaxy S8 to include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 chipset with the Samsung 10nm FinFET architecture.


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Finding the killer retention marketing channel is the dream of any marketer but last year retention automation platform Optimove claimed it had just done just that after its integration with Facebook Custom Audiences. And results since from a partnership with casino games developer LuckyFish Games shows just how powerful such an alliance can be, the company claims.
By integrating Facebook Custom Audiences Optimove claims LuckyFish games was able to run highly effective player marketing and retention campaigns that saw big results. Using Optimove LuckyFish was able to automate personalised Facebook campaigns to granular Custom Audience lists, automatically updated each day.
Previously LuckyFish had been doing limited campaigns via Facebook Custom Audiences following basic customer segmentation. However it was doing data analysis and customer list uploads manually and needed a more efficient way to scale and automate the Facebook marketing operations as well as better measure and evaluate the effectiveness of such campaigns.
The Optimove solutions allowed the LuckyFish customer database to be segmented daily, allowing the marketing team to run Facebook campaigns that target numerous individual player personas with highly focused messaging. This has allowed for 70% of the entire player database to be targeted via Facebook campaigns and led to some impressive results in the first three months with deposit rates 2.7 times higher and deposit amounts 2.2 times higher, especially as the marketing team was able to push players to higher value personas, based on the software’s value-based segmentation.
Scalability of campaign runs has also been key with a threefold increase in the number of campaigns executed via Facebook.
“Optimove has enabled us to dramatically increase the scale and effectiveness of our Facebook marketing campaigns, through intelligent, data-driven campaign automation and optimisation,” said Lee Cohen, vice president of marketing for LuckyFish Games.
Digital Marketing World Forum (#DMWF) brings together the worldwide digital marketing community to tackle the challenges that the digital future presents. To find out more visit #DMWF today.


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A cryptocurrency trader, Lee, was called for a bogus business meeting and was robbed by five men in Hong Kong. Two among the suspects had personalized as merchants and arranged for the meeting to trade bitcoin for cash. Victim’s belonging worth the US $180,000 was robbed by the suspects.
HK $1.4 million robbed from Bitcoin TraderIncryptsJan 19, 20180
Feb 18, 2020


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The art world goes online with virtual auctions
The pandemic has presented new challenges for auction houses, says Chris Carter
“Pandemics, sadly, are nothing new,” as Bonhams points out. The auction house in New York is holding an online sale of two pages containing Sir Isaac Newton’s handwritten notes on Flemish physician Jan Baptist van Helmont’s treatise Tumulus Pestis (The Tomb of the Plague). Van Helmont had practised in Antwerp during the plague of 1605, during which time he had searched for a cure. “Combining powdered toad with the excretions and serum made into lozenges and worn about the affected area, drove away the contagion and drew out the poison,” Newton noted carefully in around 1667. But perhaps the best advice, much as now, was simply that “places infected with the Plague are to be avoided”. Newton’s notes were expected to fetch up to $120,000 last Wednesday when the online auction ended.
Auction houses, galleries and art fairs have all heeded that latter advice. But while the “big-name auction houses may be making great strides online… there is a lot to make up for since the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on live events”, says Melanie Gerlis in the Financial Times. May is usually an important month in the art-market calendar. But this May, sales totals worldwide fell 97% at the big three action houses, Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips, to just $93m from $2.9bn in May of last year, according to analysts Pi-eX. “This is the lowest public auction total ever recorded for the month by the database (which tracks from 2007),” says Gerlis.
It wasn’t all bad news, however. Car specialists RM Sotheby’s showed online auctions can work by setting a record for the highest price fetched for a car at an online auction. On 29 May, it brought the virtual hammer down on a very real 2003 Ferrari Enzo at $2.6m, including fees. Another Ferrari, a 1985 288 GTO, sold for $2.3m at the same sale.
There was also good news for art fairs. “Frieze New York, the city’s first test of whether a virtual art gathering forced by the pandemic could survive online, wound down… [in May] with surprisingly strong results, suggesting that the schmooze-centric art market may never be the same” again, says Robin Pogrebin in The New York Times. Sales from the fair were “solid”. It may even be that an online virtual element becomes the norm in the art market.
On 29 June, Sotheby’s will be holding its high-profile New York evening sales of Impressionist, modern and contemporary art – from London. The auctioneer, Oliver Barker, will stand in an empty room, facing a bank of screens on which colleagues around the world will bid on behalf of clients. Up for grabs is a $60m Francis Bacon triptych. “This will be the very first time that I have taken to the rostrum in London in order to conduct a New York sale,” says Barker. “[It] will usher in a very exciting new era of marquee auctions... in which the best of the established live auction formats is married with the very latest auction technology.”


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It's using a Google-like strategy to collect more accurate info. Apple's quest to improve Maps' accuracy appears to include some on-foot action. Former Engadget writer Dante Cesa has posted photos of Apple
Tesla shares dropped more than 12 percent Friday morning following the Securities and Exchange Commission’s announcement that it will sue the company’s chief executive, Elon Musk. The SEC is seeking to
Slack, the workplace communications platform used by over eight million people, today announced it had acquired Astro — a beloved email client that uses AI to help users manage their overflowing inboxes.
Instagram’s co-founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, are leaving amid frustrations with parent company Facebook
Systrom and Krieger have shaped virtually everything about Instagram’s culture and product for the past six years. Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are resigning from the company they
Waze has been sending its partner cities a fire hose of data for the past four years through its free Connected Citizens Program. And while that aggregated and anonymized data holds critical information
Creating a neural network that can learn from its surroundings is a big step. One of the difficulties when it comes to creating visual recognition systems for an AI is to program what the human brain effortlessly.
Kroger is teaming up with Nuro, a startup founded by two veterans of Google’s self-driving team Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, is teaming up with Nuro, a two-year-company started by two
The Xbox One version will also include new DLC Nier: Automata was one of 2017’s most acclaimed games, and now it’s finally coming to Xbox One. Publisher Square Enix announced today that Nier: Automata
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Digital asset exchange Coinbase announced on Tuesday the launch of its first-ever index fund, marking the company’s foray into asset management. The U.S. firm, the largest cryptocurrency
Snap’s engineering team is expected to be hit hard, but other teams are also bracing for cuts. Update — March 8, 2018: A Snap spokesperson has confirmed the layoffs. In an email to Snap employees obtained
For years, one of the holy grails of web design has been trying to automate turning front-end design into clean code. Early attempts included tools like Dreamweaver and FrontPage. Pagedraw, a member of
But only in Yokohama, Japan. Nissan will start testing its self-driving taxi service Easy Ride in a few days in hopes of launching it in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The automaker and Tokyo-based
Snapchat owner Snap saw $1.3B wiped from its market value after reality TV star Kylie Jenner tweeted that she had stopped opening the app. Jenner has 24.5M followers on Twitter, and was (and may still
New futuristic convenience stores could appear in Seattle and Los Angeles. Amazon’s much-heralded convenience store of the future, Amazon Go, may seem like a crazy experiment. But the company plans to
Net neutrality protections moved closer to coming off the books today with the publication of the Federal Communication Commission’s new rules in the Federal Register. Parts of the change are set to go
As we reported last month, Google is uniting all of its different payment tools under the Google Pay brand. On Android, however, the Android Pay app stuck with its existing brand. That’s changing today,
Experts say it could provide a simpler way to predict cardiovascular risk Scientists from Google and its health-tech subsidiary Verily have discovered a new way to assess a person’s risk of heart disease
The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday said lack of transparency was the reason it thwarted a controversial bid by a group of Chinese investors to purchase the 135-year-old Chicago Stock Exchange.
The social network is splitting into two. The most vibrant new medium invented in past five years isn’t Facebook’s Oculus Rift or Apple’s animoji. It’s the story: the chronological procession of photos,
A special code must be entered when advertisers want to mention a specific candidate Facebook plans to mail out verification postcards through the US postal service to anyone purchasing ads related to


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“Laycon” bags Multi-Million Naira Partnership Deal with OPPO Mobile Nigeria
Leading smartphone brand, OPPO Mobile Nigeria has unveiled reality star, Laycon as its partner. This comes shortly after Laycon was announced as the winner of the fifth season of Africa’s biggest Reality TV Show, Big Brother Naija. Laycon
The timing of this news couldn’t have come at a better time according to the Marketing Manager, Nengi Akinola,
“We have seen potential in the Nigerian youth and as a youth oriented smartphone brand, we recognize that there is room for more and anyone can be anything they set their minds to. Just like Laycon, any young Nigerian is free to dream and free to live life by their own terms”.
Laycon who was elated at the announcement of the partnership, had this to say,
“OPPO Mobile is one of the most reputable smartphone brands in the world, and I am thrilled to be able to join the OPPO family. I can’t wait to connect even more with a passionate smartphone savvy audience”.
L – R: General Manager, Syracuse Africa, Adetola Durojaiye; Brand Partner, OPPO Mobile Nigeria, Olamilekan Moshood Agbeleshe; Marketing Manager, OPPO Mobile Nigeria, Nengi Akinola and Public Relations Manager, OPPO Mobile Nigeria, Joseph Adeola at the signing of Laycon as OPPO brand partner.
Since it’s launch back in April 2019, OPPO has delivered cutting edge technology, becoming a force to reckon with in the smartphone industry. The brand has actively supported creatives and has continuously invested in young talents giving them the platform to take their craft to the next level.
Follow the conversation on social media with #OPPOXLaycon.
OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO provides its users with the ColorOS operating system and internet services like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO operates in more than 40 countries and regions, with 6 Research Institutes and 4 R&D Centers worldwide, as well as an International Design Center in London. More than 40,000 of OPPO’s employees are dedicate
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Two Endsars Protesters Arrested For Burning And Eating ...
By 9ja2geez, 2 months ago


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To succeed in the competition and return to the circle of lights Microsoft has decided to take bold steps, most notably the abandonment of most of the exclusive Xbox One and the version of the PC, but in contrast the game has been supported by many wonderful services such as compatibility service for the last generation games and Xbox Game Pass She gained fame in a short period of time by owning more than 100 games available for the experiment for a limited monthly subscription.
During the meeting, which brought Microsoft’s management to investors for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, talked about the Xbox One’s current market position and its unique digital services, namely the Xbox Game Pass, which achieved a resounding success with constantly renewed content Including the company’s first-party games available on launch day, which has expanded since the launch of the service in 2017. To make the most of this, the PC service is announced in the near future.
Microsoft CEO’s remarks were very brief and did not include any clear details about the launch plan or the deadline for the release of the service, but it did not seem to take too long or a lot of effort as most of the Xbox One games on the PC are currently running very efficiently .
Xbox Game Pass currently has more than 100 games to try for a monthly subscription of $ 10, while Microsoft is expected to talk extensively about the arrival of the computer during the X018 conference.
Xbox Game Pass has been updated in early October and has provided a range of premium games, including Metro and Forza Horizon 4.


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In a major announcement, Ritesh Agarwal, CEO, and founder of Oyo Hotels & Homes of India, has informed that his company plans to invest 300 million dollars for its expansion in the United States. This growth has been driven by the company’s Oyo Hotels and Oyo Townhouse brands. According to Hotel Management Advances, the company is already established in more than 50 hotels in ten states and 35 cities, including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Oyo’s team plans to open a hotel a day. It operates nearly 9,000 hotels with 170,000 rooms throughout India. Including its international activity, it offers 460,000 rooms in eight countries. Ritesh Agarwal has received investment from Airbnb, SoftBank Vision Fund, Greenoak Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Hero Enterprise. Oyo Hotels & Homes has more than 23,000 hotels and more than 850,000 rooms, in addition to 46,000 vacation homes.
The company has secured a $1 billion venture capital loan last September from current shareholders – including SoftBank Vision Fund, Having become the largest Indian hotel chain and is now targetting global domination. OYO, which, as mentioned, was launched just five years ago as a platform to book cheap hotels in India, is adding rooms to its network faster than the three major hotel chains in the world put together.
Oyo’s expansion preparation in Germany goes well beyond mere market analysis. The company started looking for executives several weeks ago. The job of the country manager for Germany seems to be still vacant. Otherwise, Oyo is looking for people in the field of business development. Cities like Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Nuremberg.
Based in Gurgaon, a technology city on the outskirts of Delhi, the company now owns or franchises hotels in global cities, including London, Beijing, Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur.


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posted on Dec, 6 2004 @ 08:33 PM
BEIJING -- China has banned a Nike television commercial showing NBA star LeBron James fighting a cartoon kung fu master, saying it insults national
The commercial, titled "Chamber of Fear," was broadcast on Chinese stations and the state television's national sports channel before being pulled
The ad shows James in a video game-style setting defeating the kung fu master, two women in traditional Chinese attire and a pair of dragons,
considered a sacred symbol in traditional Chinese culture.
The advertisement "violates regulations that mandate that all advertisements in China should uphold national dignity and interest and respect the
motherland's culture," the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television said Monday on its website.
"It also goes against rules that require ads not to contain content that blasphemes national practices and cultures. ... The ad has received an
indignant response from Chinese viewers."


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Hours after the founder of OKEx regained his freedom from police custody, the crypto exchange has announced that it will resume its withdrawal service next week.
According to an official announcement today, OKEx users will be able to withdrawal their funds from the platform on or before November 27, 2020.
To compensate traders for the inconveniences caused by the service suspension, the company said it would launch a loyalty reward program, which will also commence this month.
The recent development came after Xu Mingxing, OKEx founder successfully wrapped up investigations with the police.
OKEx said during the investigation that the company was not indicted in any way for fraudulent activity, as opposed to rumors that circulated the internet at the time of Mingxing’s arrest.
Why OKEx Suspended Withdrawal
Crypto exchanges usually store a significant amount of users’ funds on a multi-signature wallet that requires more than one signature holder to authorize transactions.
Since OKEx also uses the same storage technique, the firm halted withdrawal without any prior notice on October 16, over failure to contact one of its private key holders, who was later confirmed as the exchange’s founder.
It was later revealed that Mingxing was operating with a public security bureau in investigations, which took over a month until yesterday when it was reported that he had regained his freedom from police detention.
Despite the report, the crypto community anticipated when the exchange would resume withdrawal service in order to put users’ minds at rest.
However, OKEx added in today’s announcement saying ”the private key holder has now returned to his normal business functions,” and withdrawal is scheduled to commence later this month.
Mingxing’s detention came when Chinese authorities cracked down on money laundering activities rumored to be taking place on most crypto over-the-counter (OTC) exchanges.
The saga led to notable players in the country’s crypto space interrogated, including Huobi’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Robin Zhu.
Affiliate: Get a Ledger Nano X device for $119 so hackers won’t steal your crypto.
Author: Lele Jima


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This article originally appeared in the blog published by the Content Marketing Institute.
We always thought that having a documented content strategy would improve content marketing effectiveness, but we now know what a difference it makes. Business-to-business (B2B) marketers who have a documented strategy are more effective and less challenged with every aspect of content marketing.
This is just one of the many findings revealed in the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs' fourth annual B2B Content Marketing: 2014 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report, sponsored by Brightcove.
Click to tweet: B2B marketers with documented strategy are more effective and less challenged with every aspect of #contentmarketing
This year's B2B content report compares findings with years past, looking at differences between marketers who rate themselves as most and least effective. Here are some of the key findings:
Not only is the adoption of content marketing on the rise (93 percent of marketers use content marketing this year compared to 91 percent last year), but 42 percent of B2B marketers consider themselves effective at content marketing, up from 36 percent last year.
Compared to last year, the average number of tactics used has risen from 12 to 13. The use of all tactics has remained fairly consistent, with one standout: Infographics have seen a considerable increase, from 38 percent last year to 51 percent this year. B2B content marketers continue to rate in-person events as the most effective tactic.
B2B marketers are using all social media platforms to distribute content more frequently than they did last year. In addition, they now use an average of six platforms, versus five last year.
The social media platforms that have experienced the biggest surges in use, year over year, are SlideShare (40 percent vs. 23 percent), Google+ (55 percent vs. 39 percent), and Instagram (22 percent vs. 7 percent).
Each year we ask marketers to rate the effectiveness of traditional tactics, but this year we also asked them to rate the effectiveness of social media platforms. Similar to what we've seen with traditional tactics, there is uncertainty in terms of effectiveness. LinkedIn is the only platform that the majority of B2B marketers consider to be effective.
Fifty-eight percent of B2B marketers plan to increase their content marketing budget over the next 12 months, up from 54 percent last year.
While B2B content marketers continue to be challenged with producing enough content and producing the kind of content that engages — in addition to the ever-present challenge of "lack of time" — they are still making impressive strides.
Read the entire report to get answers to these and many more questions:
You can also view Brightcove's infographic around the key findings of this year's B2B content marketing research.
What do you think of this year's findings? Do you agree with them? Do you see anything surprising? Let us know in the comments!
Joe Pulizzi considers himself the poster boy for content marketing. Founder of the Content Marketing Institute, Joe evangelizes content marketing around the world through keynotes, articles, tweets and his books,Managing Content Marketing and Get Content Get Customers. Joe's latest book is Epic Content Marketing(McGraw-Hill). If you want to get on his good side, send him something orange. For more on Joe, check out his personal site or follow him on Twitter @JoePulizzi.


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More than 40 out of 100 people play mobile games at least once a day, according to a recent survey.
AdColony, global advertising, and marketing platform surveyed 1,250 people on mobile games and social media platforms in Europe, Middle East and the Africa (EMEA) region.
While 88 of 100 people play mobile games, 42 of 100 play at least once a day, the survey revealed.
Players said the games have become a part of their daily lives. The time spent on games has increased day by day. Nearly 70% of respondents in the EMEA play for more than three hours a week.
More than 80% of respondents said they are in a good mood while playing and 47% play to make leisure time enjoyable.
But it is not only young people who play. Nearly 80% of adults play in Turkey. Action-adventure games are preferred by Turkish gamers at 49.2%. Puzzles and racing games are also favorable.
The survey revealed that advertisements for mobile games, which have become the biggest socialization tool, have started to turn into online stores.
While 72% of participants said mobile ads they encountered positively affect their shopping, 66% said they preferred to shop in-app.
*Writing by Gozde Bayar


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Clapham, which also owns The Real Greek chain, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed suitor and talks over a possible deal are ongoing.
But chairman David Page did not gloss over the problems facing the company.
He said: “The UK trading environment and outlook remain challenging and although August has shown signs of a return to the improved pre-World Cup sales trends, performance remains volatile.”
The company recently reported a 50 per cent rise in profits in the year to 28 March.
However, the World Cup and glorious summer weather contributed to a slump in the number of restaurant-goers.
Clapham operates 53 GBK restaurants in the UK and 15 internationally, as well as six restaurants under The Real Greek brand.
The stock closed down 5.2 per cent at 68p after the update, which came before the company’s annual general meeting. The firm’s market value is £28m.
Last week Middle Eastern giant Landmark Group agreed to pay £90.3m for Italian restaurant chain Carluccio’s.
Page added that the board was continuing talks with the possible suitor but no offer was certain.


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The hardware side of things has been locked down for a while now, while the company tweaks the software side of things. Overall, the executives are quite happy with the results and are ready to bring the phone to the marketplace by the end of this month. There are a few things being adjusted in the exit stage, but overall, the phone is ready to go.
Right now, the team is still working on whether or not they can accomplish Wi-Fi calling within the OxygenOS, but for now there are plenty of bands the OnePlus Two will operate on. Wi-Fi calling is hot right now with phone makers and consumers looking for a new experience and lower monthly prices.
Other specs that were revealed during the Q&A include the fact that the phone will come with a fingerprint scanner, Snapdragon 810SOC, 4GB of RAM, USB Type C port and a price tag that reads under $500.


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Online payment firm Payoneer launches in PHL
Seeing the potential of online outsourcing in the Philippines, New York-based online payments company Payoneer formally opened its office in the country.
"We see so much potential in the Philippines because of our people. Because of the fact that a big part of our workforce actually does online outsourcing," Miguel Warren, Payoneer's country manager in the Philippines, said in an interview during the firm's launching late Thursday in Taguig City.
Warren cited the World Bank Global Opportunity in Online Outsourcing report last year where the global online outsourcing industry is seen to rake in revenues ranging from $15 to $20 billion by 2020.
In the same report, the Philippines is listed among the top five countries for online outsourcing comprising 18.6 percent of the global online workforce.
"We feel that there's so much potential in the Philippines that now is the time for us to establish our presence and get closer to our clients and empower them to seize global opportunites," Warren said.
He said Payoneer has been operating in the Philippines since 2009 and being handled by its Asia Pacific regional office based in Hong Kong.
"We are strengthening our presence in this country that is already familiar with our services," Warren said.
He added that from 2010 to 2015, Payoneer registrations have surged 230 percent and volumes increased by 307 percent.
"Over the last five years, we've grown in terms of registrations and volume," the Payoneer's country manager said.
With this growth, Warren said Payoneer decided to formally establish presence in the country.
"So we continue to become very positive of the Philippine opportunities for Payoneer," he said.
With the establishment of its local office in Manila, Payoneer said it can now offer even better services to freelancers and creative outsourcing professionals as well as growing numbers of small medium enterprises.
Payoneer is a digital financial services firm that provides payments solutions with its cross-border payments platform. —KBK, GMA News


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“Guys are embracing the fact that the bathroom is the original man cave,” said Michael Dubin, 35, a founder of Dollar Shave Club in Venice, Calif. “It’s where you see yourself naked; you evaluate your progress; you prepare yourself for battle every day.”
In 2011, when Mr. Dubin and Marc Levine founded their company, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site with razors delivered monthly at a low cost, the industry was dominated by the likes of Gillette and Schick, “the big boys playing their big-boy game,” Mr. Dubin said.
But “guys don’t like to get ripped off,” he said, referring to drugstore prices, which he said were excessively inflated.
In March 2012 Dollar Shave Club introduced a subscription service costing $1, $6 or $9 a month, depending on the razor selected, advertised with a funny YouTube video that went viral. Today, the company has more than 300,000 members, Mr. Dubin said.
He envisions a wider counter for men’s toiletries, and already offers a shave butter and moist towelettes that are meant to replace toilet paper.
“There’s a real opportunity to change men’s behavior in the bathroom,” Mr. Dubin said.
Last March, Harry’s, another subscription razor service with a “Mad Men” aesthetic (its razors have names like Winston and Truman), began out of New York, charging about $2 a cartridge, with handles from $10 to $20. Its founders, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider, want to appeal to a worldly man who is “modern, sophisticated and considered,” said Mr. Raider, one of the four founders of Warby Parker, the online eyeglass company.
“Sure, there’s a market for that super low-cost, Dollar Shave Club guy,” Mr. Raider said. “But our customer cares about quality and craftsmanship.”
Mr. Raider has visibly borrowed from his Warby Parker experience. Both companies make charity donations with each purchase, and both mine American nostalgia, with elaborate back stories for many of the items sold on their Web sites.
“Guys really like to know the providence of their product,” Mr. Raider said. “It gives them confidence that they’re using a product that would work.”
Jean-Pierre Mastey, who has been in the men’s grooming business since 2000, has seen several companies in the field spark and sputter. As the creative director of Baxter of California, a 48-year-old grooming products company, he seems less concerned than curious about his new competition.
“Their timing is spot on and they’re both doing it right,” said Mr. Mastey, who bought the company from its founder, Baxter Finley, who was also his neighbor. Now owned by L’Oréal, the company offers blue steel straight razors, beard combs and shave creams with zingy peppermint oil.
“There’s acceptance now for going against the grain,” he said. “It took 10 years for guys to be up to that comfort level. Now they’re actively looking for options.”
Instead of showing up on the shelves at beauty emporiums like Sephora, Baxter of California products are sold through men’s wear shops like Saturdays Surf and Freemans Sporting Club. In 2010, the company opened a barbershop in Los Angeles called Baxter Finley, where the barbers also test products and provide feedback. Likewise, Harry’s is to open a barber shop on Tuesday at 64 Macdougal Street (Houston Street) in SoHo
“Once you get men to change, they are much more loyal than the female customer,” Mr. Mastey said. “They’re not looking for the flavor of the month or the new active ingredient talked about in InStyle.”
He plans to roll out more Baxter Finley barbershops and expand his product line.
“The shaving market is big and very lucrative,” he said. “It’s a billion-dollar business with half the world your potential.”
And like a large corporate record label buying a small independent one, the “big boys” of that business are not letting the trend for heritage razors pass them by. Procter & Gamble, which owns Gillette and Braun, bought the Art of Shaving in 2009 and has expanded the brand, taking it to 122 stores nationwide. It has introduced horn handles topped with Mach3 razor cartridges, safety razors inspired by Gillette models from 1901 and straight razors such as one intimidating 5/8-inch wide handmade blade set in an African grenadille wood handle. Sweeney Todd would have loved it.
The Gillette Mach3 razors certainly enjoy broad brand recognition, said Kumi Craig, a celebrity groomer for stars like Bradley Cooper and Chris Pine and the first groomer expert for La Mer.
“Guys like a bit of familiarity, and almost everyone knows the Mach3,” she said, which puts her in a better position with clients.
Ms. Craig buys her Mach3 cartridges from Amazon.com and clicks them into a weighty $300 palladium handle she found at MiN New York. She admires the simple elegance of safety razors, but they are more prone to cut or nick, which is unacceptable for important events, she said.
In her kit, she also totes a trimmer and a Norelco electric shaver. And she stocks up on English shaving creams, like those from Taylor of Old Bond Street.
“These are all luxuries men appreciate, but I don’t know if they’ll actually go out and buy it,” she said.
Instead, Ms. Craig will give these items to her clients as gifts.
“Then you’re not going to give them a cheap subscription razor,” she said. “Men really do take advice. So you want to give them something good.”


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The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union has reacted to the awarding of a major rail franchise to Govia, a consortium including the French state operator, by saying that fares in London will rise to subsidise fares in Paris:
"Once again the logical and popular option of bringing the massive Southern/Thameslink franchise under public ownership has been ignored and instead it has gone to a consortium involving the French state operator.
Fares in London will go up to subsidise fares in Paris.
This Government is quite happy to have state ownership of our railways as long as it isn't the British state. .. The bottom line is that those taking charge will have the green light to axe nearly 500 safety-critical guards and move the entire service to driver-only operation.
Commuters forking out up to £5,000 a year will end up paying through the nose to travel on de-staffed, unreliable, overcrowded and unsafe trains. The only safe and sensible option was to bring the whole lot under public ownership."
More top news
A "predatory" paedophile who kept a "sickening" and detailed account of his abuse admitted a string of offences including 10 counts of rape.
Plans for a two-and-half-year closure of a Finsbury Park station entrance where there was serious overcrowding have been postponed.
The London chip shop owner laments his youth hostelling holiday to his customers with a hand-written note on the shop door.


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Sometimes free costs too much. As of January 1, 2013, Flat World Knowledge, which used to describe itself as the world’s largest publisher of free and open textbooks online, will no longer offer content at no charge.
Cost partly motivated the decision, according to Jeff Shelstad, the company’s co-founder and chief executive officer. “We’ve got to be smart with the limited capital that we have” if the company is to survive 10 years from now, he said.
There’s also “an element of fairness” behind the move, Mr. Shelstad said. Some institutional partners have been paying as much as $20 to $25 per student for access to Flat World content, while other partners pay far less. The goal is to even things out while remaining affordable, according to Mr. Shelstad. “We have anchored ourselves around affordability, and we are still there with this move,” he said.
The company’s model allows instructors to customize textbooks and students to pick different packages of content—textbooks in different formats, related study guides, and so on—depending on what they want. The only thing that will change is that there will be no free option, Mr. Shelstad said. “We’re still a great, affordable solution that gives you control of content,” he added.
Flat World has recently begun to explore the possibilities of so-called MOOC’s, or massive open online courses. This fall, it agreed to provide access to a textbook for a free, introductory course in solid-state chemistry offered by edX, the joint Harvard-MIT online-education venture.
Mr. Shelstad doesn’t expect the lack of free options to hamper the company’s ability to work with edX and other providers of free online education. “I don’t see any reason why we won’t continue to partner with MOOC’s,” Mr. Shelstad said. “I’m not sure this will have much impact on that at all.”
Flat World has talked to some 200 of its institutional members about the change, the chief executive said. “I would say that 190 have more or less said, ‘Not a problem,’” he told The Chronicle. “Of course, we have some who are really committed to the open license.”
Flat World authors, meanwhile, “are almost 100 percent in agreement with this move,” he said.
“Campus Marketplace,” the newsletter of the National Association of College Stores, first reported Flat World’s decision to drop its free option. “A number of our members work with Flat World Knowledge or have its adoptions on their campus, so this will likely be of interest to multiple folks in the industry,” Mark Nelson, the association’s vice president and chief information officer, told the newsletter.Return to Top