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In collaboration with the Geelong Football Club, Ticketmaster has announced the launch of a groundbreaking new collection of digital collectibles, backed by NFT (non-fungible token) technology, to be released during the 2023 AFL season, beginning in Round 6.
Geelong will release one unique and exclusive Digital Collectible Guernsey per home game at GMHBA Stadium, releasing nine in total across the season. Each Digital Collectible Guernsey will be released around the opponent and fixture, with the first release reflecting Geelong’s ANZAC Appeal Round Guernsey against the Sydney Swans.
The ultra-successful team is once again ahead of the game, with this digital collectible collection being the first of its kind to be released by any Australian Football League team in the 2023 season. The Digital Collectible Guernsey will initially be exclusive to Geelong Cats Members who attend and scan into GMHBA Stadium on the 22nd of April, as a targeted reward offering for members.
Bianca Wallis, General Manager – Marketing, Digital and Communications at Geelong Football Club said: “At Geelong we are constantly looking for ways to add value to our membership offerings and provide members with a unique keepsake to thank them for their support. These digital collectibles will give our members the opportunity to collect a range of our AFL guernseys in the digital world. It’s been a great project to collaborate with Ticketmaster on as we look at new and innovative ways to acknowledge and thank our members.”
“We’re always looking for ways that we can help to engage fans, connect them to the action on game day and now provide a special piece of memorabilia to remember the match. This impressive digital collectible collection is a market-leading innovation adopted by Geelong Football Club to deliver exclusive benefits to their members”, said Gavin Taylor, Ticketmaster Australia Managing Director. “The Geelong Football Club is one of the oldest and most successful clubs, with a passionate group of members that spans generations. Now those members who attend the remaining home games will have digital keepsakes of the amazing games they attended in 2023.”
Those members who scan into GMHBA stadium on gameday will be able to access their digital collectible guernsey through the one-of-a-kind Ticketmaster digital collectible marketplace. The Ticketmaster marketplace is a simple and easy way for fans to access digital collectibles, all through their Ticketmaster account, with no third parties involved.


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Fla.-based REV Group announced a multi-year partnership with Team Penske, putting the REV name in the racing spotlight. Among other products, REV will showcase its luxury motorcoach brands, American Coach and Fleetwood RV, during selected 2016 races of the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
In addition to showcasing REV’s stunning motorcoaches at these events, the REV logo will be featured on Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford Mustang during each race, which includes the Ford EcoBoost 300 season finale on Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
REV will also be the primary sponsor of three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves during the Phoenix Grand Prix of the Verizon IndyCar Series. REV will be featured on the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet during the April 2 race in Avondale, Ariz.
Tim Sullivan, REV president/CEO, says the partnership with Team Penske is a strategic move that will increase REV’s brand awareness throughout the United States.
“By teaming up with a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and a three-time defending XFINITY Series Owners’ championship team, we feel we’re well positioned to see our cars in Victory Lane this year,” Sullivan says.
Racing enthusiasts will want to watch out for the many REV brands that can be found at the racetrack on any given day. From a safety standpoint, REV has long serviced the industry with its E-ONE fire trucks and the company’s ambulance brands, like Horton Emergency Vehicles. Meanwhile, spectators might take some stock in REV’s buses, like Champion Bus, which can often be seen shuttling fans back and forth to the track. And some enthusiasts might drive their own REV vehicle to the track.
“REV is a natural fit to our NASCAR and IndyCar lineups because transportation is at the heart of the Penske Corporation,” says Team Owner Roger Penske. “REV is a terrific company that is very diverse, and many of its products are already used today at racetracks around the nation. Our goal is to get REV into Victory Lane.”

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Benoit Gourdon, president EMEA at Botify, says the travel industry does not always appreciate how powerful organic search can be for performance marketing
Guest Post: How your organic search strategy can prepare you for the unpredictable
The repercussions of the pandemic are still being felt in the travel sector, even though, for many, it seems like a lifetime ago.
With just 6.2% of the world's travel destinations closed to tourism, the 2022 World Travel and Tourism Council’s Economic Impact report shows that only the Asia-Pacific region is expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2023.
Travel businesses have learned from the pandemic that change is a constant and the ability to adapt with agility is essential to remaining relevant and competitive. Travel was booming in 2019.
Weekend trips to see relatives and friends in European countries and long-haul flights to party in Thailand were easily available to all. However, these options all but disappeared almost overnight when the world went into lockdown.
Organic search is not always considered as the powerful performance marketing channel it is by the travel industry, even though the first steps almost everyone takes when booking a flight or hotel is searching.
By organic search forecasting, the process of analysing search data to inform future business direction, a business can more effectively manage their organic search strategy to drive more relevant and therefore impactful results.
While this is done using internal data, companies should also consider external variables such as economic, political, and social factors and marry both internal and external factors when planning for organic search success.
Reacting to the current news cycle
With high inflation and a global recession looming, people are naturally being more cautious with their spending.
The good news for the travel industry is that Brits aren’t yet willing to give up their holidays now that it’s possible to take them again with 61% planning on going abroad in 2023.
However, this doesn’t mean that they will continue to travel in the same way as they had prior to the pandemic.
To stay competitive in the current economic climate, travel companies must adapt and offer such things as budget holidays, all-inclusive, and package deals. Adjusting key words to suit these terms will help the consumer and your business.
Organic search professionals in the travel sector also can continue to provide relevant content based on what consumers are looking for by keeping up with travel news and responding appropriately.
Looking at wider trends
Businesses should also think about broader travel trends, for example, the availability of wheelchair-accessible trips.
Brands can uncover these trends by examining competitor data and analysing a breakdown of keywords that are driving visitors to their site.
In this particular example, reworking the organic search strategy and making wheelchair accessibility information far easier to find through search could win back customers from competitors.
This could also apply to other trends. Consider environmental concerns, for example. It is evident that this is a key concern for many people, particularly when it comes to taking flights.
By tailoring a site’s organic search strategy to offer eco-friendly hotels and flights with carbon off-sets, those looking for a more environmentally friendly holiday will be led to a site with corresponding content first.
Marrying wider organic search changes with current trends and news
Organic search practitioners within the travel industry also need to adapt to the changing search landscape.
Just last month, Google made significant changes to its algorithm, dubbed the ‘Helpful Content Update.’
This update prioritises genuinely helpful content while penalising content that appears to have been created purely for the purpose of ranking well.
Organic search practitioners should be aware of these updates so they can make meaningful changes to their search strategy, rather than implementing updates that will no longer resonate if there has been a major overhaul in how content is ranked or crawled.
Therefore, in the context of the travel industry, understanding the changing organic search landscape as well as keeping abreast of travel trends is key.
By knowing that many people in their 60s are looking to take a gap year, that interrailing has gained momentum again, or that more people now want all-inclusive holidays, organic search practitioners in the travel industry can update their strategy by creating content that is reflective of these changing behaviours.
The power of data
The power of data in making any of these predictions and decisions cannot be underestimated.
Data is an incredible tool that should almost always inform the reason any business decides.
As much as we’d all appreciate a crystal ball to predict the future, data can help you make an informed decision rather than a wild guess. This is why organic search forecasting is critical to your overall search strategy.
Travel companies should be investing in receiving organic search data so they can understand where they are going wrong, what they are doing right and then make better-informed decisions.
Additionally, many organic search tools also allow you to see your competitor's data, providing your business with even deeper insight into what keywords could help your business rank better.
While nobody could have ever predicted the pandemic, a tight organic search strategy centred on data, can help your business plan for change that will certainly come – although hopefully not on such a scale any time soon.
However, with the current economic climate, unpredictable events are still on the horizon.
Not only is it never too late, but there’s also actually never been a better time to invest in your organic search strategy.


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Drury Southwest, Inc. (DSW), through its affiliate DSW Development Corporation, is pleased to announce the September 25, 2018 acquisition of Lorimont Place. The 5.8 acre property, located at 240-280 S. Mt. Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, features retail and office space with a total of 11 tenants spanning 90,364 square feet.
“We are excited to expand our commercial real estate presence even further in Cape Girardeau and continue the successful management of this highly visible property in a bustling part of the city,” said Larry Westrich, senior vice president of DSW.
The property currently has 12,240 square feet of available retail and office space. For more information, please contact Adrienne Henry, real estate leasing and development manager, at (573) 388-3576.


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Amazon, Paypal, Square and perhaps Facebook are engaged in what promises to be an intense “wallet war, ” a term coined by Steven Bertoni of Forbes. Paypal has been the leading player in online payments, but now Amazon has released its Local Register service which charges lower rates per transaction than Paypal and Square. This credit card reader for businesses is offering an aggressive promotion at slashed rates for those who sign on before October 31; 1.75% per swipe until January 1, 2015, when it will rise to 2.5% per swipe. Paypal charges 2.75% and Square, 2.7%.
The stocks of companies involved responded to the news, with Amazon rising 3% on Wednesday and Ebay, which owns Paypal, falling 1.5%. Square is privately-held and was founded by Jack Dorsey of Twitter. Mobile payments are expected to increase astronomically in the coming years, and are projected to rise to $720 billion by 2017 compared to $235 billion in 2013. Dominance in this area doesn’t just mean raking it in through transaction fees, but also gaining consumer data and having a larger reach in focused advertising. There is talk that Facebook might be jumping into the wallet race, since David Marcus left Paypal for Facebook Messenger. And with these huge players involved, can Apple and Google be far behind?
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text: It’s almost time to say so long to the Hester Street Fair for another year. This weekend’s finale will include a kid-friendly pre-Halloween celebration. There will be pumpkin carving, a costume contest and (are you ready?) an exotic pug petting zoo. Plus, there will be the usual mix of food and fashion. Among the food offerings, Langos House from Williamsburg will be offering up its signature Hungarian pastries. For more information check out the full lineup. The Hester Street Fair is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, where Essex and Hester streets meet.


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This could be seen as the year in which Kraft made its mark on the Cadbury brand. The past few months have brought a raft of innovation - much of it inspired by products developed for other markets and under other Kraft brands, such as Milka.
Among the new lines have been pretzels and toffee popcorn coated with Cadbury Dairy Milk, a revamped Cadbury Dairy Milk Bubbly, controversial ‘girly’ countline Crispello (see below) and the announcement of the forthcoming Egg ‘n’ Spoon - an Easter novelty that has proved a big hit in Europe under Kraft’s Milka and Freia brands. It was launched in Germany 10 years ago as Milka Löffel-Ei - literally, ‘spoon-egg’ - and accounted for 17% of Milka sales in Germany this Easter.
But perhaps the clearest indication of Kraft stamping its presence on this British institution was combining it with a classic US biscuit brand in the launch of chocolate bar Cadbury Dairy Milk with Oreo. Chocolate purists might be horrified at the thought, but the bar has caught the imagination of British shoppers, outselling other chocolate block SKUs by 2.5 to one in The Co-operative Group during its launch week.
“It is still early days for many of these launches, but we hope to see incremental growth into 2013 as they excite consumers and drive trial,” says marketing activation director Matthew Williams.
And it looks like Cadbury Dairy Milk could do with a boost, with rival Galaxy putting in a stronger showing, with volume sales up 10.5%. Dairy Milk’s overall performance - the brand has grown 1.2% in value and dipped 0.5% in volume - is also behind that of the overall chocolate confectionery market, which rose 3.4% in value as volumes grew 1.4%.
“Value growth in the chocolate confectionery market was largely driven by price increases this year, with volume growth remaining relatively flat,” says Nielsen senior client manager Thomas Davies. “The story really hasn’t changed that much from last time.”
Cadbury hasn’t been the only one cranking up the excitement this year. Sales of Mars’ M&Ms, which rose 22.9% by value year-on-year, enjoyed a boost from the roll-out of a patriotic red, white and blue pack for the Diamond Jubilee.
Nestlé, meanwhile, kicked off 2012 with its biggest-ever push for Kit Kat. The Choose a Chunky Champion event invited consumers to vote for their favourite of four limited-edition lines and resulted in Chunky Peanut Butter becoming a permanent extension to the brand. The drive increased the brand’s number of Facebook fans by 162%, while Nestlé says the number of Chunky shoppers increased by 275% during the promotion. The push also played a big role in driving growth in Kit Kat - up 9.9% in value and 8.2% in volume - and helped bring 200,000 new shoppers to the countline category, says Nestlé.
It’s been a welcome boost. Sales of chocolate countlines have suffered over the past few years, due to a combination of shoppers gravitating towards sharing formats and multipacks, a reduction in the number of CTNs and fewer women buying single bars, Cadbury told The Grocer earlier this year. The confectioner has looked to tackle the issue with the launch of a new countline format for its Dairy Milk Bubbly sub-brand - a 40g Mini bar in a resealable pack.
“Consumers continue to move away from chocolate singles and favour multipacks” Thomas Davies, Nielsen
The decline of countlines may also have been exacerbated by publicity around the falling size of chocolate bars. The trend for shrinking confectionery was officially recognised by the Office for National Statistics last month, with it estimating that the size of confectionery products had dropped by an average of 10% over the past year.
Given that this drop in pack sizes came despite a 45% fall in cocoa butter prices in 2011, the subsequent 80% increase in price to more than £2,800 a tonne recorded by Mintec this year suggests confectionery products will continue to shrink - unless prices rise.
“While manufacturers endeavour to recoup costs through downsizing packs, consumers continue to move away from chocolate singles and instead favour multipacks and sharing bags,” says Davies.
Not that the trend for sharing packs is necessarily bad news for individual brands - sales of Cadbury’s Twirl and Wispa, for example, are soaring following the rollout of new sharing formats for both brands. “The launch into bitesize bags with Bitsa Wispa and Twirl Bites has been hugely successful,” Williams explains.
Such product development helped Kraft increase its share of the chocolate confectionery market by 0.5 percentage points to 37.3%, while Mars used a different strategy to gain 0.4 points. “Kraft focused on NPD such as Bitsa Wispa and Bubbly, and also used Cadbury’s Olympic sponsorship as a springboard to growth,” says Davies. “Mars played more within the seasons and, while not launching anything too innovative, became more effective with promotions.”
Its volume sold on deal, he adds, increased by 4.2 points to reach 65.2%, putting it on a par with Kraft.
The sharing trend has also benefited chocolate assortments such as Celebrations and Heroes - which sits just outside our top 20 table but is in strong value and volume growth - while stalwarts Roses and Quality Street appear to be showing their age, with volume sales in double-digit decline. The Creme Egg - which turns 50 next year - is also looking a little cracked, staggering three places down the table on sales losses of 8.1% in value and 8.6% in volume.
That’s not to say all the classic chocolate products have run out of steam. Kraft’s Cadburyland umbrella brand - which encompasses such childhood delights as Freddo, Fudge and Curly Wurly - is in fine health, with value and volume in double-digit growth. “The star performer is Cadbury Dairy Milk Freddo, which is in 25% growth [Nielsen 52 w/e 6 October 2012] driven by the fantastic success of its multipack format,” says Williams.
Another children’s favourite, Nestlé Milkybar, is also in double-digit growth in both value and volume terms, although the fact that the star performers of the range have been sharing bags and larger blocks suggests it might be older Milkybar Kids - rather than their offspring - who are driving the growth.
Leaving aside the big three chocolate confectioners, Nielsen data shows Thorntons has grown its value and volume in the supermarkets - although the company recently reported a drop in sales through its own shops in the three months to 6 October. It will be hoping for a better performance next year following the announcement that it is taking its Continental range - previously available only through its own stores - into other retailers, starting with Tesco this Christmas with boxed chocolates, an advent calendar and a chocolate tree.
Lindt Lindor, meanwhile, has dropped two places down the table despite modest value and volume growth. While not part of the Lindor sub-brand, Lindt recently expanded its range with the Creation chocolate bars in Luscious Caramel, Divine Hazelnut, Velvety Vanilla Almond and Sumptuous Almond flavours.
TOP LAUNCH 2012
Kraft caused indignation among bloggers and commentators when it launched Crispello in October, as it launched its supposedly female-friendly countline. You’d have thought this was the first time a confectioner had targeted women - and that Kit Kat Senses and Twix Fino had never happened. The fact those lines have fallen by the wayside shows it’s not an easy road to travel, but Kraft has already enjoyed success with a similar countline to Crispello outside the UK.
A great year for sport. A washout for grocery...
- Currently reading
Top products survey 2012: Confectionery: chocolate - No love for singles but sharing soars


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. Rate fuelled by galloping food prices
The consumer price index (CPI), which measures the rate of increase in the price of goods and services (inflation), rose to 15.63% in December 2021.
Latest report released yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), showed that the rate is 0.23% higher than the 15.40% recorded in November 2021.
This is the first increase in eight months, mostly pushed by galloping food prices, which the NBS attributed to increases in the prices of goods and services driven by increased demand during the month under review, being a festive season.
Earlier, the Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr. Simon Harry, during a news conference in Abuja, however noted that the 15.63% year-on-year rate “is a decline when compared to the corresponding month in 2020 which recorded 15.75%.”
The report showed increases were recorded in all Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yielded the headline index.
It reads: “On month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.82 percent in December 2021 — this is 0.74 percent higher than the rate recorded in November 2021 (1.08) percent.
“The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve-month period ending December 2021 increased by 16.95 percent from 16.98 percent over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve-month period recorded in November 2021 down by 0.03 percent points.”
“In December 2021, all items inflation on year-on-year basis was highest in Ebonyi (18.71%), Kogi (18.37%) and Bauchi (17.81%), while Kwara (12.32, Edo (13.46%) and Cross River (13.93%) recorded the slowest rise in headline year-on-year inflation,” the report reads.
“On month-on-month basis, the highest increases were recorded in Ebonyi (4.01%), River (3.41%) and Taraba (3.28%), while Jigawa (0.56%) recorded the slowest rise with Cross River and Kaduna recording price deflation or negative inflation (general decrease in the price level).
Food inflation rose to 17.37% in December from 17.21% in November, caused by increases in the price of bread and cereals, food products, meat, fish, potatoes, yam and other tubers, soft drinks and fruits.
According to the CPI report, food inflation rose to 17.37% in December from 17.21% in November, caused by increases in the price of bread and cereals, food products, meat, fish, potatoes, yam and other tubers, soft drinks and fruits.
The report continued: “In December 2021, food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi (22.82%), Enugu (20.65%) and Lagos (20.27%), while Edo (13.24%), Kaduna (13.53%) and Sokoto (14.82%) recorded the slowest rise.
“On month-on-month basis, December 2021 food inflation was highest in Cross River (4.09%), Akwa Ibom (3.88%) and River (3.79%), while Nasarawa (0.21%), Jigawa (0.39%) recorded the slowest rise in inflation on month-on-month with Kaduna recording price deflation or negative inflation (general decrease in the price level of food or a negative food inflation rate).”
Also, core inflation, which excludes the prices of agricultural items, increased to 13.87% in December against 13.85% in November.
The highest increases were recorded in prices of gas, liquid fuel, wine, actual and imputed rentals for housing, narcotics, tobacco, garments, shoes and other footwear and clothing materials, other articles of clothing and clothing accessories.


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Hubbard Chicago Introduces New Virtual Remote Event
Traditional events generate buzz and energy, which is hard to copy in the online environment. Lockdowns and social distancing have made offline brand awareness a challenge for companies around the world. That’s why virtual events are gaining momentum.
Hubbard Chicago is excited to launch two-hour virtual remote events that both promote brands and attract listeners while complying with all the pandemic-related restrictions.
What is a Virtual Remote Event?
Hubbard Chicago is combining a virtual brand awareness campaign with an on-site promotion that follows all the social distancing rules. This one to two week promotional campaign includes a multi-platform awareness effort coupled with on-site presence.
Such hybrid approach is an entirely new way to raise brand awareness with the social distancing rules in place. Its uniqueness has the potential to put you ahead of the competition.
Promotion through Facebook
The campaign will revolve around attracting the audience to your website and brick-and-mortar location. A Facebook live event hosted by an on-air personality will last for two hours. In the beginning, your brand representative will give a 60-second virtual interview to inject personality in the event.
The rest of the program will include games, text-to-win contests, and giveaways to attract as many listeners as possible. This format will provide endless product and service promotion possibilities.
While many companies are taking advantage of virtual promotions, Hubbard Chicago takes a step further and merges it with an on-site campaign.
A branded radio station vehicle will park in front of your brick-and-mortar location to attract the passerby, conduct remote live interviews with your representatives, and share promo items without establishing direct physical contact with the target audience or your employees.
How Is Your Brand Promoted Before the Event?
Hubbard Chicago will be launching an all-encompassing promotional campaign to ensure high participation in the virtual event.
- Radio stations’ website — fans that come to the radio station’s website will be exposed to your event’s promotional campaign. They will see the event listing with your brand’s logo and a link to your website. This can attract the target audience, which you haven’t been able to reach before.
- 15 live/recorded on-air promos — the radio station will promote your upcoming event during and in-between shows to ensure high attendance. They will record high-quality ads aimed at both the station’s fans and your target audience.
- Social media posts — the radio stations will advertise your event on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Special social media posts will be going live several days before the event.
- Paid social impressions — the event will also be promoted through paid social media advertising. This effort can reach 200,000 viewers and listeners. Each paid ad is specifically designed to target visitors with the highest buying potential.
- Newsletter — when a radio station sends out its regular newsletter, it will include a link to the event page as well as your brand’s name and logo. This can boost attendance from the radio stations’ most dedicated fans.
All radio stations will be launching broad promotional campaigns to ensure the highest attendance rate. The uniqueness of such hybrid setups will be stressed during all phases of the event preparation.
How is Your Brand Promoted during the Event?
Before the event, you will speak with the radio station’s marketing team to discuss which content to air during the Facebook Live Event. This strategy session allows both parties to contribute to the event’s optimization and brand awareness efforts.
A Sophisticated Format
The event starts with a 60-second interview with your brand representative and goes on to contests, giveaways, and other promotional actions. During the entire event, your brand’s name and logo will appear on the bottom part of the screen so each viewer gets an opportunity to visit your website simply by clicking.
The Facebook Live event will last for two hours. During that time, you can potentially convert thousands of potential clients. At the same time, the socially distant road crew attracts onsite foot traffic and gives out prizes for the text-to-win contest.
A Distinctive Approach to Promotional Events
Since participation in traditional events is currently off-limits for the majority of your target audience, taking advantage of virtual remote events can boost your brand awareness efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic made virtual events highly popular. To stand out from the crowd, you need a unique approach.
Hubbard Chicago’s turnkey 360° promotion allows your target audience to learn about the event. The distinctive hybrid format makes the event highly appealing to consumers, who can’t wait for their lives to “get back to normal.” By implementing on-site promotion with social distancing provisions, Hubbard Chicago combines traditional tactics with the new norms.
We take care of all event promotional work related to your upcoming virtual remote event, from planning advertising tactics and implementing a paid social media marketing campaign to onsite promotion.
Our remote virtual events give you a competitive advantage since the majority of brands don’t explore (or even know about) this hybrid event opportunity during the pandemic. Consider taking advantage of this unique approach before the tactic becomes common knowledge.
Stay on top of industry news and trends.


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The FDA issued a press release on August 26th to notify the world that it had issued marketing order denials for 55,000 vape products. This represents the first time that official marketing order denials have been handed down since the September 9th, 2021 PMTA deadline and it doesn't bode well for many small vape businesses.
The rejected vape juices were made by three companies: JD Nova Group LLC, Great American Vapes, and Vapor Salon. Readers of this blog may remember the name JD Nova Group from our recent post about FDA's refusal to file nearly 4.5 million PMTA vape product applications from the same company just a few short weeks ago.
That previous refusal to file was based on the lack of an Environmental Assessment with the applications, however, the new marketing order denials have introduced a new factor. These denials were issued because they "lacked sufficient evidence that [the vape flavors] have a benefit to adult smokers sufficient to overcome the public health threat posed by the well-documented, alarming levels of youth use of such products."
In other words, the manufacturers didn't offer enough evidence that, although they were making flavors with names like Apple Crumble, Dr. Cola and Cinnamon Toast Cereal that could appeal to kids, the products were helping adults get away from smoking leading to a net public health benefit.
Such evidence is costly to come by. Kai's Virgin Vapor has hired expert consultants in order to create and execute a detailed study of customer use of our products in order to try to address FDA requirements. That study is currently underway--at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But many other companies lack the resources to address FDA behavior and use concerns and, from what we have heard, most if not all PMTA's submitted by smaller companies did not include any such information leaving them vulnerable to what is likely to come next.
The FDA is under pressure from anti-vaping organizations such as Tobacco Free Kids as well as members of Congress to give the boot to all flavored vape products. Some see the new FDA marketing order denials as heralding a sudden, swift purge of all flavored e-juices from the market in the coming weeks.
We don't think it's going to go that far but we do predict a wave of marketing order denials before the September 9th deadline as FDA rushes to boot from the PMTA process any company that did not address behavior and use studies in their applications in order to clear the backlog and demonstrate forward progress.
While Kai's Virgin Vapor supports the need for increased regulation of the vape industry, our hearts go out to our vaping brothers and sisters who are losing their favorite vape flavors, their jobs, or, worse, their livelihoods and the businesses they spent years building.


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Headkases -- Tougher Than you Realized
February 4, 2008
Veteran plastic manufacturers get in the music game.
Headkase has made cases like this amp head case for acts like Sugarland and Saliva
PG staffer Brett Petrusek pointed us in the direction of Headkase at NAMM. The bright colors, engraved logos and unique plastic material were enough for us to take notice, so when we got back from the show we called up Chad Falls, Operations Manager for Headkase, and he filled us in on the details of this new company.
A plastic manufacturer with more than 20 years experience, APR''s usual fare runs along the lines of plastic tanks used for nickel and gold plating -- activities that use highly abrasive chemicals. A crack in one of these cases could cost someone their limb or worse, so these guys have certainly perfected their craft. Translation: your precious gear is more than protected.
"We use high-density polyethylene, which is five times stronger than what everybody else uses, but weighs the same," explains Falls. Polyethylene is the most popularly used plastic in the world, and it is probably found all over your house, from plastic bags to shampoo bottles to bullet proof vests (who doesn''t have one of those around the house?). Falls says it won''t crack or break like the wood you find in normal cases. Simply put, "You can hit it with a sledgehammer," he says. "Other cases would shatter, but ours won''t."
The company makes cases for guitars, amp heads, combo amps, cables, mixers, pedal boards, projectors, LCD screens, speakers, wardrobe, and racks. And if you''re in the medical business, they make cases to protect your organs as well -- no joke. They even make lighter-weight cases from corrugated polypropylene. While they run about the same price as the regular cases, they weigh 40 percent less and their strength is comparable to wood laminate.
With no distribution and little advertising, Headkase''s reputation is spreading thanks to bands Sugarland and Saliva. The company is still working on distribution, orders can be taken directly through the company''s website, headkase.com, or by e-mailing Chad directly at email@example.com. Cases starts at $129, but most of the company''s products run about $400.


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INDOZONE.ID In January 2020, Microsoft has officially stopped its support for the Windows 7 operating system. Now Microsoft is trying to push users to Update to a newer version of Windows.
However, recently, NetMarketShare statistics published on the user’s computer-operating system, be it Windows, MacOS, and even Linux. Seem that the current users of Windows 7 are still paying 25%.
Of course, this proves that there are still Windows 7 users are reluctant to upgrade to a newer operating system such as Windows 8.1 and also Windows 10.
Although the current Windows user of Windows 10, the latest version is dominated, however, the percentage is the number of Windows 7 users is still very high when compared with other operating systems.
As informed earlier, Windows 7 users today, no security support from Microsoft, so that devices with these operating systems are very vulnerable to hacked by hackers.
But we will see over the next few months, if the Windows 7 are reluctant users to upgrade to the latest version of Windows or still comfortable with the Windows version, it is his safety can be guaranteed.
Other Interesting Articles:


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- Asus announced that the latest Asus Zenfone 10 is getting the Android 14 update.
- This Android 14 update brings several interesting features, revamped apps, and several other enhancements.
- Initially, Asus was uncertain about the future of the Zenfone series, but now, confirmed that it’s going to continue with the Zenfone series in the future.
Android Flagships have always been the most popular amongst all of us. There are a number of Android flagship smartphones arriving these days, and the popular electronics manufacturer Asus has ensured that it will give its best to the customers. With that, the Asus Zenfone 10 is the latest and most recent addition to the flagship smartphone industry. The brand has recentlySYA announced that it’s rolling out the latest Android 14 update to the Asus Zenfone 10.
The latest Android 14 update comes with a 34.1004.0204.65 detectable version number, alongside a number of features and enhancements, including a redesigned Contacts app, Mobile manager, Phone, and other bug fixes and improvements. For further details, you can also refer to the changelog mentioned below.
It’s interesting to note that the brand is so quick to roll out the latest Android 14 update to the Asus Zenfone 10, as the brand manufactures a comparatively low number of smartphones every year. In the meantime, initially, Asus was entirely uncertain about the future of the Zenfone series, but the brand has confirmed that it’s going to continue with the Zenfone series in the future.
- Revamped Mobile Manager, Contacts, Phone, Emergency Dialer, File Manager, Calculator, Clock, Gallery, Weather, Sound recorder, Settings, Phone Clone, Local backup, Launcher, and so on.
- Support the color and brightness customization of the clock widget on the lock screen.
- Support new “Photos and Videos” permission and system photo picker to further control apps to access relevant information.
- Adjusted the display method of battery usage to view app usage in segments.
- Improved speakerphone call echo issues.
- Optimized occasional Bluetooth headset disconnection and noise problems
- Fixed the ASUS customized power menu lacking restart and shutdown options
How to update to Android 14?
Here’s how to upgrade your Asus Zenfone 10 to Android 14 update. First off, make sure that your smartphone is upgraded to the 33.0220.0220.101, then go to the Settings app >> System >> System Updates >> check whether the Android 14 update is available or not.


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In expansion mode, the South Korean app market operator One store has announced its tie-up with global technology giant Microsoft to develop a global app market by next year. The move is in line with the tech operator's ambitions to enhance its presence against bigger rivals operated by global tech giants.
The app market is currently available on the Android mobile operating system as an alternative to Google's dominant Play store in South Korea. According to the company, following the tie-up, the company plans to incorporate Microsoft's cloud technology to create a global platform by next year.
Earlier One store's head of strategic partnership Jin Heon-kyu said the company is considering the launch in the Asian market. The move comes after Microsoft invested 11.3 billion won ($9.5 million) in One store in June.
The homegrown app market is backed by major wireless carrier SK Telecom, which holds a 47% stake in the company, as well as other carriers KT Corp and LG Uplus Corp that also have minor stakes.
One store has also announced its strategic partnership with Blizzard Entertainment. This comes amid growing discontent against top tech players Google and Apple for creating a monopolistic market for other tech players.
The two have been under pressure from local lawmakers as they are reviewing a bill that would ban app market operators from unfairly forcing in-app payment systems that levy commissions.


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Kagame makes case for African digital identity
Kagame: Digital identity is the start of a long and valuable chain of capabilities that make citizens better able to participate productively in the regional and global economy.
President Kagame speaks at a u201cHigh-Level Lunch on Digital Transformation in Africau201d on the sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday. Kagame has backed the on-going efforts by the African Union (AU) to further accelerate the adoption of digital identities, saying this would shore up citizen inclusion in the global economy. Village Urugwiro.


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The pushing and shoving so common on Black Friday was much calmer this year in the US compared to 2013, while sales in physical shops (not online) were lower. People’s shopping enthusiasm appeared to have been sapped on Thursday.
Brian Cornell, CEO of Target, said “The consumer clearly enjoys shopping on Thanksgiving.” However, he was happy to see that the shopping spree is now spread over more days.
In what is being dubbed “Gray Thursday,” consumers were forming lines outside Macy’s at 6pm, while still digesting their Thanksgiving turkey.
Stores opening on Thanksgiving may not go down well with people concerned about commercial encroachment into national holidays, but it is great for bargain-hunters who dislike being in crowds.
How good Thursday and Friday have been for retailers will become clearer in the next few days. The massive Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, said 100,000 shoppers walked in between 5pm Thursday and 1am Friday, which equals a typical full day.
Wal-Mart workers protested across the country (Photo: Black Friday Protests)
Record online sales
As far as online sales were concerned, however, business had never been so good. IBM reported that online sales on Black Friday were 8% up on last year.
Wal-Mart reported that Thursday saw its second-best ever sales day, after 2013’s Cyber Monday, the first Monday in December.
BestBuy had so many visitors that its website crashed and stayed offline for thirty minutes. It went offline again for an hour in the evening. According to Dynatrace, an online monitoring firm, there were website problems at J.C. Penney, Cabela’s and Foot Locker as well.
Retailers are hoping that lower unemployment, four-year low gasoline prices and a growing US economy will feed through into bumper sales during this holiday shopping season.
According to Shopper Trak, ever since 2005 Black Friday has been the best-selling day of the year for retailers, ahead of the Saturday before Christmas when shoppers try to get their last-minute gifts.
With Thanksgiving and online sales eating into the Black Friday slice of the cake, things may be different this year.
Store workers want a better deal
With shoppers extending their frenzy from one to several days, those who have to work in the stores resent having to leave their families because their employers now open on Thanksgiving Day.
Wal-Mart workers protested across the United States as consumers flocked into stores seeking out the best deals. They are calling for better hours and higher pay.
OUR Wal-Mart, a union-backed group of Wal-Mart workers, wants the minimum pay per hour in the company to go up to $15. Surrounded by dozens of police officers, workers outside a Wal-Mart supermarket in new Jersey shouted “Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart you’re no good, treat your workers like you should.”
In St. Louis, protesters interrupted shopping at several major stores, venting their anger at the decision not to indict the police officer who killed Michael Brown. Two large malls were temporarily shut down.


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Just over a year ago, thinking about investing in new capital equipment might have seemed like an obvious answer. Most of the covid-19 lockdowns were still in place and the lingering effects of a global economic shutdown were still quite apparent. With businesses being forced to cut hours, stagger their shifts, or close their doors all together, the prudent decision was for a company to tighten their belt and weather the ongoing storm.
Of course, with the reopening of many businesses this spring, consumer spending increased to levels not seen before; and with it a new problem facing global manufacturing, the proli c supply chain shortage that is still plaguing us today. With many of America’s ports operating at max capacity, sights of ships lining up outside terminals and stories of trucks sometimes waiting days to on-load or offload cargo has become common place. Just this past week President Biden announced on Oct. 13th that the Port of Los Angeles will finally begin operating 24 hours a day, a standard which most other global ports have operated. This should alleviate some of the pain points in the system, but in the short to medium term this is more likely to move much of the supply chain bottle necks only further downstream to trucking companies, rail yards, and warehouses. This is a problem that will take time to solve unfortunately.
Even further complicating these logistical issues, has been the national labor shortage. The most recent job report for September showed only 194,000 jobs were added. Anemic numbers like those in September will not do much to alleviate the already 11 million job openings and 7.7 million unemployed. Much of the decline in the current 4.8% unemployment rate has been from many employees completely leaving the job market.
Naturally, this all begs the question, why would I even bother asking if now was a time to invest in new capital machinery? The obvious answer would be an emphatic, “of course not!” However, that is not nearly the full story. Each of these issues has a much larger silver lining than might appear at rst blush. The backup in supply chains is largely from an increase in spending, which means that many factories are running at max capacity, and even turning business away, and the employment numbers mean that automation is filling the gaps where employees cannot be found. Much of this automation can only be found in large investments in R&D and investment. A fact that is not lost any many large manufacturers. Many are already betting on improvements in automation and investing heavily to beat the competition. Economists with Morgan Stanley predict that U.S. capital spending will increased by 116 percent from 2020 by 2024. The amount of money American manufacturers are pouring into new equipment to increase capacity and stay ahead of their competition has been staggering. So, my question above restated in a more accurate way should be, in today’s market can you a afford not to invest in new Capital equipment?
Save money by extending the lifespan of your machine oil....
Is now the time to look into automation for your company?...


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DETROIT — General Motors will quickly prevent giving heated seats, a single of the most well-liked options amongst automobile purchasers, in lots of of its crossovers and all but the top rated-end trims of its complete-measurement pickups setting up following 7 days simply because of the ongoing microchip shortage.
Afflicted automobiles also will not be developed with ventilated seats or a heated steering wheel until eventually chip materials improve. But GM explained it really is equipped to reinstate three other characteristics it beforehand removed to preserve chip supplies, like electronic temperature shows in some pickups.
Commencing as before long as Monday, heated and ventilated seats will no lengthier be installed on additional than a dozen nameplates — like the Chevrolet Colorado, Blazer and Equinox and the GMC Canyon and Terrain — GM told sellers in a letter dated Friday. The characteristics also will be removed on all Chevy Silverados and Traverses other than Significant Region trims and all GMC Sierras and Acadias besides Denalis.
Heated steering wheels will be eradicated from numerous of the same automobiles, as effectively as Chevy and GMC entire-measurement SUVs, starting up Nov. 22.
The alterations are anticipated to keep on being in position through the 2022 design yr. Potential buyers will get credits of $150 to $500 as compensation, in accordance to the letter, a copy of which was received by Automotive News.
“Each effort and hard work was created to protect as substantially as possible,” GM spokesman Sabin Blake claimed. “That’s why only sure trims are impacted.”
Heated seats are consumers’ most-required vehicle function, according to a study posted this thirty day period by AutoPacific. Two-thirds of the 88,998 prospects surveyed claimed they required heated seats in their up coming car. Fifty percent of the respondents explained they wished ventilated seats, which was the ninth most popular attribute.
Automakers industrywide have idled manufacturing traces and eliminated car or truck functions this yr due to the fact of the chip scarcity. GM earlier taken off weather handle digital temperature shows, facet blind zone warn and Super Cruise driver-help technologies on certain 2022 nameplates, but people capabilities are now offered in response to “a much better circulation of semiconductors in our offer chain,” the letter stated.
GM has resumed common generation schedules at most of its North American assembly vegetation.
The automaker claimed it was exploring no matter if it could retrofit motor vehicles with heated and ventilated seats and heated steering wheels as components come to be obtainable.
“By having these steps, it will allow ongoing output and shipping and delivery of inventory to aid respond to the potent consumer and dealer demand from customers for all our solutions as the field proceeds to rebound and improve,” the letter mentioned.
A confined selection of affected motor vehicles now have been marketed to consumers who are awaiting shipping, Blake claimed. Sellers are accountable for speaking to consumers about sold orders right away, in accordance to the letter.


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September 4, 2023
iPhone vs Android: Which is better for photography?
Want to know who makes the best smartphones for photographers? Amy Davies discovers whether the Android or iPhone camera is the better option.
May 12, 2023
Google users will be able to access Adobe Firefly via Google Bard and edit their generated images directly on Photoshop Express.
December 25, 2022
Apple and Google are right - pro photo modes on smartphones aren’t necessary - even for pros. Amy Davies wonders why we have Pro modes.
December 10, 2022
We share the latest image selected for AP Smartphone Picture of the Week taken by Brian Minkoff using a Google Pixel 6
November 19, 2022
We share the latest image selected for AP Smartphone Picture of the Week taken by Jerin Pappy Johnson, using a Google Pixel 4a.
November 5, 2022
We share the latest image selected for AP Smartphone Picture of the Week taken by Gervan Kelly, using a Google Pixel 6 Pro.
October 6, 2022
The wait is over for the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the latest flagship smartphones from the tech giant
September 24, 2022
With excitement building for the new Google Pixel 7 ahead of its announcement on October 6, we look at what we expect to see
July 22, 2022
Google has announced its £399 Pixel 6a mobile phone that has dual rear cameras, a front selfie camera and enhanced imaging features


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Twitch is removing the anti-union ads that its parent company, Amazon, was running on the platform. The ads showed Amazon employees talking about why they want to vote no on unionization and directed viewers to Amazon’s “DoItWithoutDues” website. A Twitch spokesperson said the ads “should never have been allowed to run on [the] service,” as they violate its political advertising policies.
Twitch also says that it is “evaluating [its] review processes to ensure that similar content does not run in the future.”
The ads were the latest entry in a long campaign aimed at disrupting organization efforts at an Amazon warehouse outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Those efforts involve pulling employees into mandatory meetings, near-daily texts to employees, relentless anti-union posters in the workplace, and even reportedly changing the timing of traffic lights to disrupt a union drive. Amazon running the ads on a streaming platform it owns, however, was a very public move. It’s unclear if the company was targeting certain streams or viewers.
Reached for comment, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) president Stuart Appelbaum denounced the ad. “Amazon feels that it has to go to extremes like this in order to gaslight its workers about the dreadful working conditions at its Bessemer warehouse,” Appelbaum said, “Amazon is leaving no stone unturned - including ads on Twitch - in its efforts to deceive and intimidate their employees into voting against the union.”
Amazon was not immediately available for comment.
The union has also been having its own media push, with actor Danny Glover and Georgia politician Stacey Abrams encouraging workers to vote “yes.” Both talked about their connection with the South and how their upbringings and parents gave them respect for unions.
The unionization fight comes after a string of troubling news for Amazon workers: the company allegedly forced its warehouse workers to work 10-hour overnight shifts, made plans to install always-on surveillance cameras in its delivery vehicles, and is being sued by the state of New York for allegedly failing to keep its frontline workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Alabama unionization vote began on February 8th and is scheduled to conclude on March 29th.
Update February 25th, 2:46PM ET: Added response from the RWDSU.


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With the goal of consolidating data from different resources and convey a clean message about the size, growth and dynamics of Hispanics online, 12 media research executives from companies including ImpreMedia, Terra Networks, Telemundo, Univision, StarMedia, AOL Latino, Batanga and Scarborough met at the IAC Hispanic Research Working Group some months ago. Portada got access to the data collected and discussed by them. Today we take a look at information about the Hispanic households, their decision making process and the role online advertising and media plays.
The social environment of Hispanics is different to the one of non-Hispanic households. Larger households, different decision making processes and a higher receptiveness toward online ads are the main three elements to take into account.
Hispanics outpace the average Internet user in BPI (buying power index) across a variety of online activities.
– 15% of Hispanics online visit shipping sites and spend 317% more in e-commerce than the average internet user.
– Almost two-thirds (61%) of Hispanic Internet users made a purchase online last year and spend on avg. $746.
– This is not far behind the total Internet population at 72% and annual avg. spending of $851.
Compared to non-Hispanics, Hispanic adult Internet users:
… are younger
– On average, 8 years younger
– Twice as likely to be 18-24
– 50% more likely to be 25-35
… live in larger hhlds:
– On average, 1 person more per hhld (4 vs. 2.9)
– 3x as likely to live in 5+ hhlds.
… are twice as likely to live in hhlds
– With 3 or more children and
… are 77% more likely to live in hhlds
– With 3 or more employed adults.
Online Hispanics wield strong influence over many of their households’ purchases.
Hispanics are more receptive to online ads than non-Hispanics:
– Hispanics that access the Internet at least once a week are twice as likely as non-Hispanics to respond to an email advertisement: 4.6 mean times per week vs. 2.3).
– Hispanics click on Internet ads one more time per week than non-Hispanics: 4.4 mean times per week vs. 3.3.
And the Internet has become part of their daily lives
– 61% of Hispanics said “When I need information the first place I look is the Internet”
– 60% said “I get more and more news from the Internet”. They indexed 109 vs. non Hispanics.
– 29% said “The internet has become a primary source of Entertainment for me personally”, a 121 index vs. non-Hispanics.
– 25% said the same about ”their family” and indexed 139 vs. non-Hispanics.
– 29% said “The Internet has become a new way for me to socialize or meet people”. They indexed 132 index vs. non-Hispanics.
Source: U.S. Latinos Online: a driving force. IAB Hispanic Research Working Group


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72% YoY Rise in Registrations for Electric Two-Wheelers in September 2020
The outlook for the electric two-wheeler industry for the financial year 2021 remains positive
October 9, 2020
India’s electric two-wheeler industry is showing signs of revival, the latest report by the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) suggests.
The registration of high-speed electric two-wheelers (E-2W) stood at 2,544 units in September 2020, a 72% year-on-year increase compared to 1,473 units sold in the same month last year.
“We are experiencing huge consumer interest in greener vehicles as they have seen how the environment looks like when no fuel-guzzling vehicles are running on roads. The upcoming festive season will add to the pent up demand and help original equipment manufacturers to recover what they lost in the first and second quarter due to the COVID-19 lockdown,” said Sohinder Gill, Director General of SMEV.
The first half of FY 2021 began with uncertainties for the EV industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the countrywide lockdown. Mercom recently published an article that shed light on the performance of the EV segment since the lockdown.
According to the SMEV, the sale of high-speed electric two-wheelers stood at 7,552 units between April 2020 to September 2020 compared to 10,161 units sold in the same period last year.
The SMEV report added that the performance of the top three EV manufacturers – Hero Electric, Okinawa Autotech, and Ather Energy, witnessed a decline in the first half of FY 2021 compared to the first half of FY 2020. In the first half of FY 2021, Hero Electric Vehicles and Okinawa witnessed a drop of 16% and 20% in sales, respectively. The sales of Ather Energy declined 64% in the same period.
“One of the main reasons for stagnant sales is attributed to consumers not being able to purchase products due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a lockdown in the country. However, the industry has been quickly able to enter the positive curve soon after the government announced the unlock process,” said the press statement.
SMEV said that the outlook remains positive for the financial year due to several positive measures on the policy front by the central and state governments, enhancing electric vehicle manufacturers’ and investors’ confidence.
In April, SMEV announced that the sale of electric vehicles in the country went up by 20% in 2019-20. The EV industry sold 156,000 electric vehicles in the financial year 2019-20. Out of the total, 152,000 were two-wheelers, 3,400 cars, and 600 buses. However, in FY2018-19, 126,000 two-wheelers, 3,600 cars, and approximately 400 buses were sold, totaling 130,000 units. The increase of 20% has mostly come from electric two-wheelers.
Mercom has been consistently tracking the infrastructure development for EVs, and this year has seen tremendous progress. Stay updated with all the latest e-mobility tenders through Mercom India’s Tender Tracker and keep a track of all regulatory changes subscribing to Mercom’s India RE Regulatory Updates.
Image credit: Muc10 / CC BY-SA
Harsh Shukla is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Indian Express, he has covered general interest stories. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.


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Nokia buys out Symbian, software goes free
June 26, 2008
Nokia will pay $410 million (E263m) for the 52 per cent of shares in Symbian it doesn't already own. Symbian’s software is used in two-thirds of smartphones and six percent of all mobile phones, but new platforms such as Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone could challenge its dominance. The Symbian software will now be made freely available as an operating system for smart phones.
Currently, Symbian’s closest rival is Windows Mobile operating system, which has just 13 percent of the market despite the maker’s efforts to gain share. Microsoft charges $8 to $15 per phone, according to Strategy Analytics, while Symbian has charged on average $4.10.
The purchase facilitates the establishment of the Symbian Foundation. Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DOCOMO have confirmed their intent to unite Symbian OS, S60, UIQ and MOAP to create one open mobile software platform. Together with AT&T, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone they plan to establish the Symbian Foundation to extend the appeal of this unified software platform making it a free operating system for all mobile phones.
Membership of this non-profit Foundation will be open to all organisations


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Google reclaims title of top traffic referrer, and search-focused publishers are enjoying the moment
Search-focused publishers are having an I-told-you-so moment now that Google is once again publishers’ biggest source of referral traffic.
On Dec. 11, Parsely data showing that Google now accounts for 44 percent of referral traffic for publishers made its way across the internet. That share represented a 10-point swing from the start of the year, when Facebook accounted for 40 percent, and Google accounted for 34 percent; Facebook now accounts for 26 percent.
The change could be chalked up to a number of things, including an 87 percent increase in AMP traffic and Facebook’s continued push for native video. But it gave publishers, particularly those focused on search, a fresh chance to talk about how misaligned publishers’ priorities are with Facebook’s.
“Facebook does not care about you,” said Neil Vogel, the CEO of Dotdash, formerly About.com, which gets 65 percent of its traffic from search. “Every publisher has algorithm dependence. But Google is very clear in their objective. With Facebook, your news feed is not a query. Facebook is just trying to entertain you.”
“When you create great content, Google tends to reward you,” said David Siegel, CEO of Investopedia, which gets a majority of its traffic from Google. “Facebook only wants to keep you on Facebook.”
“I wasn’t surprised by that data at all,” said Travis Bernard, director of audience development at TechCrunch, which has been putting far less resources into social and now gets 55 percent of its desktop traffic from search, according to SimilarWeb.
Facebook first surpassed Google as a referral traffic source in 2015, leading many publishers to start pursuing social traffic more aggressively. Many took the money they were spending on search engine optimization and put it toward buying Facebook traffic, according to SEO agency ClickSeed.
But as Facebook’s priorities began to change, some publishers began putting more attention on search. Investopedia tried to win Facebook by publishing more content — up to 1,500 pieces a month — but when that didn’t work, six months ago, it cut that back to 500 pieces per month.
But even if Facebook isn’t delivering the traffic bonanza it used to, publishers are using it to pursue other business goals. Investopedia, which gets a “low- to mid-single digit” percentage of its audience from Facebook, according to Siegel, has gotten 15 percent of its revenue for its Investopedia Academy from Facebook.
“Facebook’s future for publishers is driving the middle part of that funnel,” said Siegel. “What we’re doing is migrating our Facebook strategy from pageviews to leads. That is going very well.”
More in Media
Atlas Obscura looks to raise $10 million at a $24 million valuation with help from smaller investors in a tough market
For the first time, smaller investors are participating through the venture capital investing platform OurCrowd.
Companies like Priceline and various Amazon vendors are using large language models to update their e-commerce platforms.


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July 18, 2018
Recently, Juniper research has published a study stating that the global cybersecurity spends on IoT will increase by up to $6 Billion by the year 2023, this means it would grow by 300% per cent in the upcoming 5 years!
The study was published only a week after another study from Kaspersky, which revealed that 65 per cent of companies are worried about IoT security issues. However, it is not just the industrial sector that is struggling with IoT security threats; lack of proper security regulations in IoT solutions is posing serious threats for smart homes as well. The corresponding PR released by Juniper also affirms this with the statement, “The interconnected nature of the IoT means that even innocuous devices like the connected fridge can become a threat.”
However, the lack of consensus in this area has led the analysts of the research to believe that it would amount to only 17% of the total consumer market. Research author Stefen Sorrel has clarified that “Vendors see that risk [with IoT devices at home and consumer market] as low, while little has been done from a regulatory perspective to protect consumers.”
Other primary market areas that the researchers have included in this study are Industrial and Public Services. Spending in these markets, specifically in the smart energy market, will amount to $1 billion annually and will mostly be driven by the strict policies brought in effect by the EU’s GDPR and Germany’s BDSG.
As well as detailing the forecasted expenditure, the study also points out the key strategic approaches that will be a part of the future cybersecurity efforts with IoT deployments. If you would like to know more, you can buy the full report from the official website of the research agency, the hyperlink to this can be found in the resources.
Now since we know that the growing number of connected devices will not spur the security preparation in homes, here are some tips that you can apply to ensure a safer environment. Explore similar reports on the future of IoT and Cybersecurity with Machine Learning and other technologies.
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$20,000 Bitcoin caps Grayscale’s incredible year
This is the web version of The Ledger, Fortune’s weekly newsletter covering financial technology and cryptocurrency. Sign up here to get it free in your inbox.
Good morning, Ledger readers. Today, Bitcoin finally crossed—nay, smashed—the psychological mark of $20,000, and is now trading around $20,600. It’s a remarkable milestone for a currency that’s been written off as worthless more times than I can count.
The record high also comes as validation for a company called Grayscale, which has been a big driver of the current bull market. Grayscale has carved out a fabulous cottage industry by creating ETF-like products that let investors gain exposure to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies through the stock market.
Grayscale launched in 2013 and now has an eye-popping $13 billion in assets under management. The company, which is behind an ad campaign to persuade investors to ditch gold in favor of crypto, now controls around 2-3% of all Bitcoin in circulation and its owner, Barry Silbert—who was once the youngest stockbroker in the U.S.—has become a very, very rich man.
The question now is whether Grayscale can keep this up. The company has succeeded by exploiting a regulatory quirk to create a virtual monopoly in publicly-traded shares of cryptocurrency. Specifically, it has gotten around the SEC’s ban on Bitcoin ETFs by creating trusts that own cryptocurrency, and then selling shares in those trusts.
The technical distinction is mind-numbing to everyone but securities lawyers, but has some important implications. Namely, the trust structure means that Grayscale must sell first dibs on shares in the trust only to wealthy investors, who can then unload them on the public market after a year. For its trouble, the company takes a fee of around 2%.
For retail investors, buying Bitcoin this way means paying a premium, since shares in the Grayscale trust trade above the underlying price of Bitcoin. Why do this? Why not just buy Bitcoin directly from Coinbase, Kraken or another exchange? It turns out there is an appetite among some institutions that, for legal or other reasons, prefer to get their crypto in the form of shares. Likewise, trading-happy millennials have been buying the Grayscale stock (GBTC) at greater volumes than shares of Netflix or Disney.
This is a credit to Grayscale’s ingenuity in identifying a niche market and creating a product to serve it. But according to Ryan Selkis, the founder of crypto research firm Messari, Grayscale’s success also reflects terrible policy on the part of the SEC. The agency’s refusal to greenlight a Bitcoin ETF, says Selkis, has created a system that enriches the wealthy—those who can plunk down $50,000 to take part in Grayscale’s private offerings—while stiffing ordinary investors.
Given this situation, it feels like a matter of time before the SEC, which is about to get a new chair, comes to its senses, or before another firm figures out how to copy Grayscale’s lucrative model. And indeed, some newcomers, including a firm called BitWise, are trying to do just that. But for now, Selkis says Grayscale’s deep pockets and first mover advantage means no one is likely to dislodge it anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Grayscale doesn’t appear concerned about the future. I asked the company if it was worried about competitors or regulators killing its golden goose. In response, Grayscale managing director Michael Sonnenshein told me “The crypto industry is still young, and we believe the pie has a lot more room to grow,” adding that he welcomes competitors because they will help add liquidity and infrastructure.
Bottom line, Grayscale doesn’t sound too concerned about their fabulous ride coming to an end. Either that, or they’re too busy bathing in champagne over $20,000 Bitcoin to care. More news below.
Jeff John Roberts
Bitcoin (it's worth repeating) goes bananas ... Staid insurer MassMutual buys $100 million worth of bitcoin ... China's Digital Yuan in live tests ... Derivatives exchange Cboe prepares for crypto indexes ... Traditional asset manager Ruffer allocates 2.5% to bitcoin ... Crypto companies Paxos and BitPay seek OCC banking charters ... Klarna focuses on growth before an IPO ... Insurtech Bestow raises $70m ... Star DJ Deadmau5 launches crypto-collectibles ... CME Group to launch Ethereum (ETH) futures ... Binance Bitcoin Visa cards start shipping to Europe ... High frequency traders get even faster ... Student loan forgiveness could be great for consumer lenders.
Hackers breach U.S. Treasury computers ... Affirm delays its IPO ... Visa and Mastercard block payments to Pornhub ... Pandemic-fueled day trading is overwhelming online brokers ... FinCEN's report trove looks like a serious privacy threat ... Estonia withdrew 1,000 licenses from crypto companies in 2020.
The increase in trading volume this year on LocalBitcoins, a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading platform, in Argentina. The number of users on Argentinian cryptocurrency exchange Ripio is up 150% this year, and Bitso, a Mexico-based exchange, has also seen large increases in trading volume in Argentina. Coindesk reports that the explosion has been driven by anxiety over Argentina's deteriorating economy, inflating currency, and strict controls on U.S. dollar purchases.
FOMO NO MO'
“We had a lot of companies come in and say, ‘We’re going to do great things,’ and then they would be gone from the face of the earth,” Wright recalls. “People would say, ‘We’re here for long term,’ and then nobody would pick up the phone.”
Steve Wright, a public utility manager in Washington, recalling the fleeting interest of Bitcoin mining companies in 2017. The mining boom that unfolded that year is repeating itself right now, including a surge of interest in mining Bitcoin in the United States. As The Ledger's Jeff John Roberts reports, that could help offset China's current dominance of Bitcoin mining, which some see as a threat to the decentralized system. But a repeat of the price collapse that unfolded in 2018 could also cut those ambitious plans short.
THE LEDGER'S LATEST
Bankers can be the heroes of the pandemic recession - Aaron Fine and Ahmet Hacikura
Robinhood rival Public raises $65 million - Jeff John Roberts
Portfolio automation startup Vise raises $45 million - Lucinda Shen
MEMES AND MUMBLES
The start of an enlightening thread from Bitcoin veteran Eric Wall, showing the breadth and depth of misleading blockchain hype at an all-too typical conference.
This edition of The Ledger was curated by David Z. Morris. Contact him at email@example.com


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Car export for the month of April dropped 14.37 percent to 68,900 units from last April’s 80,400 units, representing the lowest export in 48 months.
Mr Surapong Paisitpattanapong, spokesman of the automotive industry of the Federation of Thai Industries noted that the export decline was in line with a drop in car production, with production in April having dropped 12.85 percent to 120,000 units – the lowest production drop in 64 months.
Except for markets in Asia and Australia, car export to the rest of the world dropped in April in line with global economic slowdown.
Domestic car sale for the month of April increased 15.1 percent to 63,200 units compared to 54,900 units recorded for the same period last year, thanks to increased purchasing power from improved farm prices, introduction of new car models and motor exhibitions.
About the author
Akanksha Singh is an Indian journalist based in the bustling city of Bangkok, Thailand. With a degree in Mass Communication and years of experience, she has become a trusted voice in reporting on Southeast Asian affairs.


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State officials reported the first week of legalized marijuana sales got off to a strong start.
The state’s 12 participating dispensaries sold cannabis and cannabis products to 12,438 recreational cannabis customers for a total gross sale of nearly $1.9 million, according to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
On the day before adult-use sales began, the alternative treatment centers (ATC) dispensed 5,400 ounces of medicinal cannabis and cannabis products across New Jersey. In the five days following the beginning of adult-use sales, an additional 7,500 ounces were dispensed to patients.
“We expected sales to be substantial and the data shows that the market is effectively serving both adult-use consumers and patients,” said Jeff Brown, executive director of the commission on April 27. “We continue to monitor inventory and access for patients and are prepared to take enforcement action against any ATC that does not meet the requirements for patient access and supply.”
State projections estimate there will be 130,000 cannabis patients and about 836,000 recreational customers from New Jersey—around 12% of the state’s adult population. Another 788,000 “tourism consumers” from outside New Jersey are expected.
Ensuring Medical Needs
The CRC said there were no major incidents at the dispensaries despite the long lines outside the 12 locations. Sales were delayed by the commission due to concerns about enough for medicinal cannabis patients but officials said there had not been any substantiated reports of supply problems.
To ensure medical marijuana patients continue to receive the treatment they need, each of the alternative treatment centers approved by the CRC confirmed their ability to continue providing access to existing patients and prioritized their needs through strategies such as patient-specific hours and parking spaces.
Recreational cannabis and cannabis products are available at dispensaries across New Jersey that already have been serving registrants in the state’s Medicinal Cannabis Program. Voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum in 2020 to allow cannabis products to be sold in the state and Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation legalizing marijuana in February 2021.
What, Where Available
Five of 12 dispensaries are in North Jersey in Bloomfield, Maplewood, Paterson, Phillipsburg and Rochelle Park. Roughly 29% of New Jersey’s municipalities now permit some element of the cannabis industry, including North Jersey municipalities Hoboken, Jersey City, Montclair, Newark, Hackensack, and Teaneck.
Recreational cannabis can be purchased as 1 ounce of dried flower or up to 5 grams of concentrates, resins, or oils, or 10 100 mg packages of ingestible items in a single transaction. The cost of one ounce in New Jersey ranged between $320 and $480 in 2021, according to the CRC.
Recreational cannabis is subject to New Jersey’s state sales tax of 6.625%, but municipalities have the option to tack on a 2% local tax to cannabis sales. ATC;s are required to meet critical social equity standards, including providing technical information to new cannabis businesses owned by individuals who have lived in economically-disadvantaged areas or have had cannabis-related convictions in the past. Seventy percent of the sales tax collected on adult use cannabis sales will go towards communities affected by marijuana-related arrests to further these social justice and equity goals.
New Jersey joined 17 other states and the District of Columbia in allowing the use of recreational cannabis; 39 states allow the use of medicinal cannabis.
Since sales started, North Jersey lawmakers have led the call to prohibit police officers on or off duty use cannabis-based products. The issue arose after Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin wrote that off-duty police officers in New Jersey are permitted to consume cannabis products and should not face discipline for doing so under the state’s legal marijuana law.
Among the towns that said they are prohibiting officers from using legalized marijuana are Jersey City, Bayonne and Woodland Park. Additionally, New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association President Pat Colligan is urging officers to refrain from using legalized marijuana products until a statewide policy is ironed out.
“The most important issue is that the attorney general’s office hasn’t come out with its new guidelines for drug testing so technically if I was to test positive for cannabis tomorrow I would still be placed on the national drug registry and still have the probability of termination in my department,” stated Colligan. “So we’re just saying if you want to partake in cannabis, we suggest you hold off until safeguards are put into place.”
Support Still Strong
But the police controversy has not dampened poll results showing the residents of New Jersey are supportive of the new industry. A Stockton University Poll released April 22 found that a majority of adults would welcome dispensaries selling cannabis in their towns, and half would market it as a tourist attraction.
The poll showed 56% said they would support dispensaries selling legal recreational marijuana in their towns, while 36% would oppose it and 8% are unsure. Additionally, 50% of those who responded were in favor of cannabis related attractions such as lounges and restaurants where weed can be consumed.
Most poll respondents were understanding about the long delay after the 2020 vote—22% said it was reasonable and 50% had no opinion. About one in four (27%) found the delay unacceptable.


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The past few years of rising credit card debt, unemployment, and economic hardship undoubtedly have made Americans’ wallets smart, but the experience may also have made consumers smarter. According to The New American Pantry, a study done by Deloitte and The Harrison Group, over the past couple of years consumers have reined in spending and wised-up their shopping habits.
The study, which surveyed over 2,000 consumers, shows that more than nine out of ten Americans have made changes to their shopping habits since the economic downturn that began four years ago. Not only that, but a full 81 percent actually find it fun to play the “how much can I save?” game.
Whether you’re already a fan bearer in the new, post-credit crisis Frugality Is Hip fad or simply looking for answers to stay on top of bills and wipe out that credit card debt, the study reveals some useful strategies that cash-strapped, credit card-wielding consumers are using to stay ahead in a difficult economy:
1. Delayed gratification. According to the survey, 40 percent of consumers are now waiting for a sale before buying products they need. Even 10-30 percent savings on small items can add up over the long run: just think, if your grocery bill alone saw a $20 reduction each week, that translates to $1000 in savings by the end of the year. Tip: To keep purchases at a minimum and avoid overspending, many consumers choose to leave their credit cards at home when shopping for niceties and just carry cash. That way, there is no temptation to spend more than one intended.
To read the following tips, click here.
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How well are you and your customers resting? Check out the following statistics … you might be surprised
The discipline of statistics offers a variety of insights into American consumers — how they spend their time, how much they value rest, and what keeps them awake at night. The following three recent surveys caught our attention because of the revelations they illuminate for sleep products retailers.
How Americans Spend Time
In the realms of work, leisure, household tasks and rest, how much time do Americans spend on each?
According to the annual American Time Use Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, women are working longer hours and spending less time sleeping or enjoying leisure time.
In 2018, women worked an average of seven hours and 20 minutes, more than any year since the survey began in 2003, reported a June 20 CNBC article. Men put in seven hours and 45 minutes on an average day, down 45 minutes from 2017.
In the realm of rest, working women got 10 fewer minutes of sleep for an average of 8 1/2 hours. Working men clocked in around eight hours and 20 minutes, the highest recorded in recent years.
Other tidbits from the survey:
- On an average day, 84% of women and 69% of men spent time doing household activities such as housework, cooking, lawn care or household management.
- From 2003 to 2018, the share of men doing food preparation and cleanup on an average day increased from 35% to 46%.
- On an average day, 96% of people engaged in some sort of leisure activity, such as watching TV, socializing or exercising.
Losing Sleep Over Money
Tossing and turning? For 56% of Americans surveyed by Bankrate, financial worries topped the list of problems keeping them up at night.
The annual survey, conducted by the New York-based consumer financial services company and published June 27, found the number of people up at night feeling anxious grew by 9% since the last survey. For those who worried about money, the concerns included:
- Everyday expenses (32%)
- Saving enough money for retirement (24%)
- Health care or insurance bills (22%)
- The ability to pay credit card debt (18%)
- Mortgage or rent payments (18%)
- Education expenses (11%)
- Stock market volatility (5%)
Of those losing sleep over money, Gen X worries the most (64%), followed by millennials (58%) and then baby boomers (54%).
What Is Good Sleep Worth?
More than $300, according to a recent survey of weary Americans.
A poll of 2,000 adults conducted by OnePoll on behalf of sleep supplement brand ZzzQuil found that respondents, on average, would pay $307.11 for a single perfect night’s sleep, according to a May 3 article posted on the Good News Network website.
And, the survey found, to be able to have an entire year of perfect sleep, people are willing to give up many of their treats, habits and activities:
- Alcohol (34%)
- Reality TV (33%)
- Sports (26%)
- Social media (26%)
- Coffee (25%)
- Eating out (24%)
- Chocolate (24%)
- Vacation (22%)
- Makeup (21%)
- New clothes (21%)
- Hair removal (18%)
- Cellphone (18%)


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Fashion is a weak suit at Let “Universe” Be “Books”, but since Disney declared Alice is the New Black at a Las Vegas trade show back in September, Alice, and the prospect of tie-in merchandise, have been inspiring a number of fashion creations probably worth mentioning.
The Los Angeles Times reviewed the playing field on December 6th, name checking designers such as Donatella Versace, Jason Wu, and Antonio Marras, one of whom I have heard of. Mr Tom Binns is also making jewelery around the theme of absolutely smashing tea parties (New York Times photograph below).
Then there’s Swarovski (pictured at top), always hot on Disney’s trail; Fashion Times warns us what is to come in the 2010 Spring-Summer collection:
Rabbits, watches, cups of tea, small muffins and donuts, flowers embellish necklaces, pendants, bracelets, rings and earrings, precious and ironic.
The cosmetics brand Urban Decay is coming out with a pop-up make-up box that Lewis Carroll would have been proud of, though he may have been less into the idea of little girls wearing eyeshadow with names like “muchness” (green) and “curiouser” (purple). (Thanks go to Diana Ajih from the blog Hot Beauty Health for locating sneak preview pictures.)
Vogue magazine’s naturally prophetic 2003 Alice-themed photoshoot, in which “the world’s most influential designers dress[ed] the original little girl lost in their own visions”, is back for viewing in the blogosphere, while the French department store Printemps has announced that the world’s most controversial designers will be dressing their store windows in one-off designs in time for Paris Fashion Week in February.
And for those who need that little blue dress now, Entertainment Weekly provided a short guide to “getting the look” of Syfy’s Alice.
Finally, Rock ‘n Roll Bride, “a little haven of kick ass weddingness in the overly poofy, pastel and often puke-worthy wedding world” posts Alice in her Wonderland, a photoshoot vision of a wedding with a difference (clue: the bride gets to eat the cake and the groom is nowhere to be seen).


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MOSCOW – Andrew Crapuchettes, the former CEO of what is now Emsi Burning Glass in Moscow, has founded RedBalloon, a company that places Americans “in careers that will enhance their freedom,” according to its website.
Its website has a searchable database with hundreds of job postings from many companies across the country. Positions last week included teachers in private schools in Los Angeles, an insurance agent in Chehalis, Wash., And a prefabricated steelwork technician in Sanford, Maine.
Attempts to reach RedBalloon through the Tribune for this story were unsuccessful.
“By subscribing to the RedBalloon service, you agree, as an employer, not to discriminate against the personal beliefs of your employees, to infringe their constitutional rights, to infringe their medical privacy or to make vaccination a condition of employment “, according to an employer’s commitment on the website. .
RedBalloon was created this year “as a solution to the ever-growing problem of government overbreadth and” cancellation culture “pervading the American workplace,” according to its website.
The company connects “like-minded companies and Americans who seek the freedom to work without fear of discrimination against personal beliefs, violation of constitutional rights or invasion of medical privacy,” according to its site Web.
The address of RedBalloon’s main office is southeast of Moscow, according to the Idaho Secretary of State’s website.
Crapuchettes brought 20 years of experience at Emsi to his new role as CEO of RedBalloon.
He was Emsi’s third employee and became its CEO, helping the company grow into a company of over 200 employees before merging with Burning Glass Technologies this year and becoming Emsi Burning Glass on June 14.
Now, Crapuchettes is an advisor to the board of directors of Emsi Burning Glass, which “has no interaction with the day-to-day operations of the company,” said Isaac Lopez, spokesperson for Emsi Burning Glass, in a report. -mail.
Emsi Burning Glass is headquartered in Boston and Moscow, with offices in the UK, Italy, New Zealand and India. It has the backing of KKR’s private equity, he said.
The Labor Market Analysis Company describes itself as “the world’s leading authority on professional skills, workforce talents and labor market dynamics, providing expertise that empowers businesses, education service providers and governments find the skills and talents they need and enables workers to unlock new career opportunities. . “
Lewiston’s fabric maker expands into new markets
Clearwater Paper is successful in increasing sales of its tissue paper products in both big box and club stores.
This update was provided last week by the company’s President and CEO Arsen Kitch during a conference call for stock analysts on Clearwater Paper’s net income in the third quarter of 2021 of 1, $ 9 million.
One of Lewiston’s largest employers, Clearwater Paper rebounds from its second quarter of this year in April, May and June, when it lost $ 52 million, leaving it with a loss of $ 37.6 million dollars for the first nine months of this year, despite stronger first and third. quarters.
Last year Clearwater Paper made $ 54.5 million in the first nine months of the year.
One of Clearwater Paper’s areas of focus, Kitch said, is the diversification of its customers.
Previously, more than three-quarters of the company’s private label toilet paper, paper towels, napkins and facial tissues were sold to grocery retailers, but that number has fallen to more than half, did he declare.
“There is more to do,” Kitch said. “We are always overweight in the grocery store.”
Mass merchants and club stores are important because the top three customers in that market account for about 65% of all private label fabric purchases, said Kitch, who did not name the stores.
“We’re always more focused on the grocery store, but it’s definitely something we’re working on to make sure we’re aligned with where the growth is taking place,” he said.
Clarkston Walmart gets a makeover
The pharmacy expansion is part of the entire store renovation underway at Walmart in Clarkston.
The pharmacy will have a health services room where pharmacists can see customers privately and vaccines can be administered, according to an email from Walmart.
The store is also adding a “mother’s room” where women can breastfeed their babies, according to the email.
A larger grocery pickup center for online orders, a cooler space in the dairy department and updated interior and exterior panels, as well as new flooring and automatic checkouts, are also part of the package. work.
The value of the improvements is $ 213,795, according to building permits filed with the Town of Clarkston.
Internal medicine doctor begins practice at Gritman
MOSCOW – Dr Christopher Bullard joined the Gritman Internal Medicine Clinic as an Internal Medicine Physician.
Bullard treats adult patients at the clinic and at Gritman Medical Center, focusing on solving complex medical problems, according to a press release from Gritman.
Grandson of a doctor in a small town in Iowa, Bullard was inspired to enter medicine after seeing how his grandfather helped patients and developed bonds with them, according to the press release.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, he is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington.
His wife is Dr Robin Sautter, a primary care and obstetrics physician, who has also just started practicing at Gritman.
Gritman Internal Medicine is located at 719 S. Main St. in Moscow. His phone number is (208) 883-1152.
U-Haul Dealer Added to Genesee Store
The Genesee Supermarket at 216 W. Chestnut St. in Genesee has registered as a U-Haul neighborhood dealership.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to a U-Haul statement.
The company, which provides services such as U-Haul truck rentals and the sale of moving supplies, caters to clients such as first responders, delivery companies, students, and moving families. ‘house to house, according to the press release.
More than 20,000 dealerships in the United States and Canada are earning additional income through their U-Haul partnerships, according to the press release.
Avista offers tips for staying warm on a budget
Setting the thermostat to no more than 68 degrees is one way for families to cut electricity and natural gas costs as the cold weather begins to set in.
That advice comes from Avista Utilities, which issued a press release with tips for minimizing heating costs during the colder fall and winter months.
Other suggestions include:
• Replace the furnace filters every one or two months to maintain good air circulation.
• Limit the use of radiators to small occupied areas for short periods and avoid using them as the main source of heat as they are more expensive than other heating methods.
• Restrict the use of wood-burning fireplaces in extremely cold weather and close the damper when not in use. Chimneys can deprive homes of the heat provided by heating systems.
• Turn down baseboard heaters in rooms with little use and close doors in those rooms, as well as vacuum baseboard coils to remove dust and improve heat transfer.
• Turn off the kitchen, bathroom and other fans when not needed. In an hour, fans can suck all the warm air out of a house.
• Wear a sweater or use an extra blanket instead of turning up the thermostat.
La Tribune wants to know what’s going on in your business. Send your news to [email protected] Please put “Biz Bits” in the subject line. Williams can also be contacted at (208) 848-2261.


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MTN Nigeria announces the adoption of LigaData Time Machine. The new product from LigaData will reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and improve the resiliency of business operations.
Palo Alto, California, May 16, 2022 (AfricaNewswire.net) MTN Nigeria, part of the largest mobile operator in Africa, MTN Group, announced the adoption of LigaData’s Time Machine product. Data protection, multi-million-dollar savings, and reduced carbon footprint are some of the many reasons the mobile operator made the selection.
LigaData Time Machine is a data management product that reduces the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and improves the resiliency of business operations. Time Machine provides a high performance, low-cost data protection solution that greatly enhances reliability for Mobile Network Operators.
“Data is a critical part of MTN Nigeria’s Digital Transformation mission,” said Shoyinka Shodunke, Chief Information Officer at MTN Nigeria. “With our latest Payment Service Banking license as well as our goal of delivering superior products to our subscribers, our data system and partnership with LigaData has been pivotal in harnessing our data assets and delivering the fastest time to value. All these efforts are continuing to result in enhanced day-to-day experiences for our customers.”
LigaData’s strategic data partnership with MTN Nigeria was established in 2018. The partnership has already seen great advancement in leveraging new technologies to support real-time decision-making, store new data types, and provide AI capabilities at scale.
Krishna Uppala, Chief Technology Officer at LigaData, stated: “MTN Nigeria is driving the introduction of cutting-edge innovative digital services to its customers. We’re thrilled our products and services are enabling MTN Nigeria to leverage data management and analytics even further as they enhance their existing infrastructure.”
LigaData’s data analytics products are currently deployed across sixteen MTN operating companies enabling data-driven digital innovation, optimizing network resources and enhancing customer experience.
LigaData of Silicon Valley specializes in managed data services and products for mobile operators to facilitate digital transformation, achieve data-driven outcomes, and optimize operator resources. LigaData’s services and software products are used by mobile operators around the world to extract greater value from their existing infrastructure, whether through improved analytics, decisioning or AI.
About MTN Nigeria
MTN Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting 71.6 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world. Guided by a strategic intent to drive leading digital solutions for Nigeria’s progress, MTN Nigeria’s leadership position in coverage, capacity, and innovation has remained constant, since its launch in 2001. MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group – a leading emerging market operator, connecting more than 250 million subscribers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. To learn more about MTN Nigeria and its various initiatives, visit www.mtnonline.com
LigaData Media Contact:
Marketing Program Manager
Notes for Editor: Articles of interest
1) Analysys Mason Report: Analysys Mason have reported on the digital transformation successes of LigaData’s relationship with client MTN: https://ligadata.com/2021/05/24/analysys-mason-report-ligadata-mtn/ (contact Media Contact for a copy or download for free).
2) MTN & LigaData win Cloudera Data Impact Award: Link:
3) Use Case Videos:
- Mobile Lending:
- Customer Value Management:
- Cell Tower Optimization:
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