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The Threat:A new Trojan affecting Android devices has recently emerged in China. Dubbed “Geinimi” based on its first known incarnation, this Trojan can compromise a significant amount of personal data on a user’s phone and send it to remote servers. The most sophisticated Android malware we’ve seen to date, Geinimi is also the first Android malware in the wild that displays botnet-like capabilities. Once the malware is installed on a user’s phone, it has the potential to receive commands from a remote server that allow the owner of that server to control the phone.Geinimi is effectively being “grafted” onto repackaged versions of legitimate applications, primarily games, and distributed in third-party Chinese Android app markets. The affected applications request extensive permissions over and above the set that is requested by their legitimate original versions. Though the intent of this Trojan isn’t entirely clear, the possibilities for intent range from a malicious ad-network to an attempt to create an Android botnet.Lookout has already delivered an update for its Android users to protect them against known instances of the Trojan. If you are already a Lookout user (free or premium), you are protected and no action is needed.
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Breakfast is often touted as the most important meal of the day. For many hotel brands, the first meal of the day is also a critical piece of the guest experience. Below are several brands that recently renewed their focus on breakfast with new initiatives and amenities.
Westin Debuts New Power Breakfast
In celebration of Global Running Day on June 5, Westin Hotels & Resorts unveiled a new worldwide culinary program, adding to the brand’s existing wellness offerings and helping travelers fuel their workouts, productivity, and sleep. This new culinary offering provides options that suit guests’ individual dietary needs and preferences. Westin will also implement responsibly sourced and organic items. The new menu will be available at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and through in-room dining.
Additionally, on Global Running Day, celebrity chef and wellness expert Dan Churchill joined Westin in New York City to launch his Ancient Grain Power Bowl, which he crafted for the brand. The bowl has quinoa, amaranth, and coconut milk with house-made peanut butter and strawberry chia seed jam and is topped with walnuts. The dish will be available at seven select properties through June 30—Westin Denver Downtown, The Westin Nashville, The Westin Bayshore Vancouver, The Westin at the Woodlands, The Westin Edina Galleria, The Westin Cape Coral, and the Westin Sarasota.
“We know that travel is stressful, and that it is increasingly difficult for travelers to maintain their wellness routines while on the road. Sticking with an exercise routine, prioritizing a good night’s sleep, and focusing on nutrition helps us feel better, be more productive, and allows us to be more present during our travels,” said Brian Povinelli, Westin’s global brand leader. “Our new sourcing promise and commitment to regionally-relevant menus and personal dietary needs make it easy for travelers to maintain their personal eating habits while also getting a taste of their destination, all without leaving the hotel.”
Hilton Encourages Guests To Connect Over Breakfast
In May, five Hilton brands that collectively make up the “Hilton Breakfast Alliance”—Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Home2 Suites by Hilton—released a consumer survey conducted by Kelton Global, which found that Americans want more opportunities to make breakfast a priority and connect with their loved ones. Despite this ambition, the survey revealed that many continue to neglect the first meal of the day.
According to the results of the State of Breakfast survey, 79 percent of Americans surveyed agreed that breakfast is the most important meal, 80 percent believed a shared meal can set the tone for the day, and 89 percent believed breakfasting with family or loved ones is a recipe for a great day and would make them feel happier (47 percent) and more fulfilled (38 percent). Despite this, the majority of Americans (56 percent) admit they skip breakfast more than any other meal. Fewer than one in 10 get to share the morning meal with family or friends.
“The ‘Hilton Breakfast Alliance’ is on a mission to transform breakfast, taking it from an isolated, rushed, and disconnected experience to an enjoyable opportunity to start the day by connecting with others,” said Bill Duncan, global head, All Suites and Focused Service category, Hilton. “Every day in our hotels, we see the bonding that occurs when family and friends share breakfast together. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect while on the road— and should be at home, as well.”
At the kick-off to the summer travel season, the “Hilton Breakfast Alliance” encouraged people to make May 25 “Eat Breakfast Together Day” and take a pledge to enjoy the most important meal of the day with others to be entered to for a chance to win a weekend stay at a select Hilton hotel. The brands partnered with National TV personality and lifestyle expert Brandi Milloy to celebrate Eat Breakfast Together Day.

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Ogilvy will lead global strategic and creative duties for Absolut Vodka
Ending a 4-years relationship with BBH, Absolut has chosen Ogilvy to be its creative agency from now.
Ogilvy will lead global strategic and creative duties for the brand in leading markets," with the ambition to accelerate its leadership position,” Absolut said in a press release.
According to the media reports, “Absolut has an incredible legacy of creating extraordinary and unexpected communications, of being a cultural provocateur,” said Tad Greenough, the global chief creative officer at Absolut.
The Swedish vodka has consistently won awards and garnered buzz for its ads. Last year, Absolut worked with BBH for the “Vote First, Drink Second” advocacy campaign to encourage people to vote in the 2020 elections.
Last year, the brand passed on a message, Drink Responsibly, #SexResponsibility that coincided with Valentine’s Day.
This new partnership with Ogilvy follows Pernod naming Pam Forbus as Chief Marketing Officer, North America. Ogilvy also represents other brands in the Pernod portfolio. Earlier this month, Ogilvy was selected to serve as the lead creative agency for Olmeca Altos Tequila, Tequila Avión, and Del Maguey.
"The Absolut team have undergone an organizational change that led them to put the business up for pitch to service their new structure," said Adam Arnold, CMO at BBH, in an email. "We declined to participate. We are very proud of the work we developed together over the last four and a half years. We wish the team and Ogilvy all the very best. Absolut is a brand we will always love dearly," mentioned in the report.


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Rockpool’s tuna supplier is about to start selling sashimi-grade tuna at Coles, so that’s iso meals sorted for the foreseeable future.
With the coronavirus pandemic eliminating the export market for Aussie produce and forcing local restaurants to close, suppliers are looking for new ways to sell their products.
Now Queensland-based Walker Seafoods has entered into an agreement with Coles to sell its sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna, meaning there simply no excuse not to add tuna to your culinary repertoire.
“When the international market collapsed due to COVID-19, and local restaurants were ordered to close, we needed a way to keep our boats fishing and 50 staff employed,” the company’s co-owner Heidi Walker told Good Food.
“Two weeks ago I contacted Coles to see if they could help put our tuna in their supermarkets and they jumped at the chance.”
From Wednesday, the tuna steaks will be stocked in around 150 supermarkets in NSW, Victoria and Queensland at $35 a kilo – around half the price it was going for before the pandemic.
Coles advises customers to sear the tuna steaks in a pan before eating them.
Previously, Walker Seafoods had mainly supplied to high-end restaurants including Sydney’s Rockpool Bar & Grill and Melbourne’s Stokehouse, as well as to the American and Japanese markets.
Meanwhile, the prices for mud crabs and rock lobsters have also plummeted in recent weeks as the market dries up.
It’s a similar story for other kinds of produce, too. Most notably, there’s currently a glut of cheap avocados in supermarkets.
Name a more iconic duo than tuna and avocado. Try it. It’s just not possible.
So that’s it, we’re all set to live off homemade ceviche and poke bowls until lockdown’s over.


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B.C. salesman back in trouble with regulators
Lloyd Schell Jr. was banned from selling vacuums in B.C. due to 'high pressure' sales tactics
A travelling salesman who was once banned from selling in B.C. for five years is back in business and back in trouble with regulators.
Lloyd Schell Jr., 59, of Maple Ridge, B.C., has left a trail of complaints across northern B.C. and Alberta, where he's been charged with conducting direct sales without a licence and failing to give a refund as required by law.
Schell’s latest venture is Vin Water Systems, which is registered in Hinton, Alta., but most recently operating in Maple Ridge.
CBC News has spoken to several people who bought reverse osmosis water filter systems from Schell after a test known as the "Precipitator" apparently revealed hidden contamination in water.
Ruth McClounie, of Quesnel, B.C., took Schell up on an offer to test her tap water for free.
The 71-year-old says the device turned a glass of her water into sludge.
"It turned colours right before my eyes. And the black all rose to the top, and underneath was kind of a greeny colour," she said.
"I felt really scared of drinking the water, washing in it, the whole thing."
But scientists say the "Precipitator" is bogus and the scum comes from electrodes placed in the water, not the water itself.
"This is not a valid test. No one would use this," Lucio Gelmini, a chemistry professor at MacEwan University, told CBC News.
The "Precipitator" is shunned by reputable filtration companies. The industry’s Water Quality Association states, "the likelihood is considerable that the use of this test will mislead the public."
McClounie paid $2,576 dollars for the under-the-counter water filter system — which her daughter later found online for $400 dollars.
"I feel absolutely robbed, absolutely robbed."
‘Nothing I did wrong’
McClounie tried to cancel with Schell within the allotted 10-day period. Her registered letter affirming the cancellation was delivered on the 10th day but not picked up until after the deadline. Her cheque had already been cashed.
Subsequent attempts to contact Schell by phone were fruitless, and McClounie's messages were never returned.
She eventually had the water filtration device removed by a plumber.
"It was just like a Lloyd Schell ghost sitting on my sink," she said. "I simply couldn't stand the sight of it."
When CBC News reached Schell by phone, he shrugged off the complaints.
"I don’t think anything about it because there’s nothing I did wrong," he said.
He went on to accuse CBC News of "digging up garbage" about him.
"You know something? You should be a salesman because you're trying to screw things around and come around corners and different things," Schell said.
In 2005, Schell was banned from selling in B.C. for five years after complaints from seniors about his high-pressure sales tactics.
Consumer Protection B.C. found he "used undue pressure on vulnerable seniors," "charged grossly exaggerated prices" and dodged "the 10-day right to cancel by not returning or answering calls."
"We were very seriously concerned about the repeated nature of the violations, and the egregious nature of some of the violations at the time," said Manjit Bains with Consumer Protection B.C.
In 2010, the B.C. government took the unusual step of issuing a warning that Schell’s ban was about to expire.
Schell is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Vegreville, Alta., on July 8.
Consumer Protection B.C. is investigating the latest complaints against Schell.


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Award winning megastar Burna Boy is the latest to be the face of Dutch designer clothing company G-Star Raw.
The Grammy-award winning artist follows in the footsteps of previous ambassadors such as Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg and Cara Delevingne.
Burna Boy is not only renowned for his groundbreaking music, but also for his impeccable fashion sense.
A great match with G-STAR, because both the artist and the brand continually reinvent themselves and follow their own path.
The star and clothing company announced their partnership with a new video featuring Burna Boy in the latest G-Star Raw collection.
Shot in London and directed by the multi-award-winning director Dave Meyers, known for his famous music videos such as Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Billie Eilish.
The black-and-white aesthetic pays homage to G-STAR’s creative heritage, yet with a contemporary twist, and shows Burna Boy’s dance crew performing his singular ‘stomp’, spreading his infectious rhythm through the city.
Speaking about the collaboration, the award winning singer characterised it as an expression and continuation of his identity.
He says, "Denim isn't just fabric; it's an extension of who I am. Like my music, it's personal, a dialogue between me and myself. Every stitch, every fade tells a story. G-STAR gets that.
“They're not about following trends; they're about challenging norms, just like me. Our connection goes beyond fashion; it's about pushing boundaries and embracing authenticity. So, why not ride the wave with G-STAR? It's a match made in denim heaven."
Gwenda van Vliet, CMO at G-STAR, echoed the Afro-beats musician’s sentiment, saying the partnership is based on mutual understanding and history.
“We are proud to continue our legacy in working with the world’s biggest inspirational icons. says Van Vliet.
”Burna Boy is one of the most innovative artists of our time and the embodiment of today’s youth culture, challenging the norm in both style and music, which is very close to our heart.” she added.
Burna Boy - The Double Denim Edit
G-STAR designed two limited edition, premium Japanese denim looks for the Nigerian talent: an ultra-long denim military coat combined with a relaxed take on the iconic Elwood.
And a hooded sleeveless statement jacket with matching loose jeans. The utilitarian looks are completed with the new leather Benson Lea Boots.
The G-STAR SS24 Collection
Burna Boy’s dance crew is wearing the Spring 2024 collection, packed with new styles and durable essentials. With utilitarian origins running throughout, technical details meet strong silhouettes.
It features two new jeans fits; The Bowey is a 3D women’s style, engineered to be the ultimate boyfriend fit. With a back panel twisted towards the front alongside an artfully bowed leg and loose feel. The Lenney underlines that the 70’s are back.
Low-rise and boot-cut, with a slight opening from the knee. In celebration of the campaign, G-STAR launches a range of monochrome graphic tees with a unisex fit, made from 100% organic cotton
The campaign will officially launch on February 19, 2024.
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Pizza Hut in Oman has launched a newly designed website, upgraded and loaded with new features, and backed by a powerful new content management system that is more user-oriented with enhanced navigations and search.
Pizza Hut has announced its ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ offer that will be valid across its outlets on Tuesdays in Oman.
Sachin Malhotra, COO, Khimji Ramdas Lifestyle Group said: “We are the Sultanate’s most lo
Kuwait Food Co, which sells goods under the Americana brand name, reported a 10.4 percent increase in first-quarter net profit on Sunday.
The company made 18.1 million dinars ($64.4 million) in the first three months of 2014, up f
Pizza Hut Oman recently conducted a three-day managerial effectiveness workshop for its middle management.
A total of 16 representatives from different functions attended the programme at the Khimji Training Institute, Azaiba. The
Pizza Hut, the world's largest pizza chain with over 12,500 restaurants across 91 countries, is changing its name to Pasta Hut as part of a $174 million rebranding programme that will see it revamp over the 700-strong UK chain.


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Yes, CFIA, safe food is the priority but it’s not your only job
The CFIA has a clear legislative mandate to help the commercial interests of Canadian industry
The new Canada’s Food Guide
If all goes according to plan, Health Canada will unveil the newest edition of Canada’s Food Guide in early 2018
Canadians want food companies to stop animal abuse
A new poll from NRG Research Group says Canadian consumers want animals, such as broiler chickens, to be treated better from genetic selection to slaughter
Canada to further reduce the use of antimicrobials in chicken
The Canadian chicken industry has stopped using Category I antibiotics and is now looking to eliminate Category II antimicrobials of human importance
CFIA wants feedback from stakeholders
The CFIA wants to hear what stakeholders have to say about food safety, meat inspection and certification, animal health and plant health
The name game: Labelling & the IPPB
Labelling practices for “Identity and principal place of business” (IPPB) are due for modernization
Questionable assumptions in the SFCR
Estimates made in CG1 will impact the CFIA’s ability to carry out its mandate
Federal government launches online consultations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada wants Canadians to participate in a survey to help shape A Food Policy for Canada
Which province scored an A in the first-ever food report card?
The Conference Board of Canada has released Canada’s Food Report Card: Provincial Performance, a report that assesses each province’s food systems and food sectors.
Fishy food labelling
Seafood labelling in Canada was a recent focus of…
Happy birthday, CFIA
The 20th anniversary of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency…
Canadian governments finalize the Canadian Free Trade Agreement
Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments have concluded negotiations on a new Canadian Free Trade Agreement they say will help expand businesses and increase economic growth across the country.
SFCR and food safety – Part II
This month I’ll continue to look at some of…
The flavour in food labelling modernization
The flavour of food must be appealing in order to sell a product. But it’s not too often we get to sample food before we buy. Instead, the principal means of communicating flavours on a packaged consumer food is via its label.
More cheese, please
Flavourful artisanal cheese production continues to improve in Canada, but with import quantities about to rise, how will the industry handle the challenges of CETA?
Filling the growing labour gap
More changes are on the way to foreign worker programs, but the food processing industry is calling for a more permanent solution to its ongoing labour shortage
The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations
A cautionary reminder for regulators and their ministers
The food safety focus of SFCA
Food safety concerns contained in the Safe Food for Canadians Act
The future of food labelling
Redefining food labelling compliance rolls
Government proposes new food safety rules
The proposed changes would put a greater emphasis on preventing food safety risks for all foods imported into Canada or sold across provinces
New Saskatchewan regulations to protect livestock health
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture livestock programs will soon begin requiring applicants to have a Premises Identification number to participate
CFIA proposes animal transportation regulation changes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s draft amendments were published in the Canada Gazette in December
Health Canada making food labelling amendments
Regulation changes are expected to make the Nutrition Facts table and list of ingredients on packaged foods easier for Canadians to use and understand
Front-of-packaging nutrition labelling
Health Canada is turning up the heat on healthy…
Another victory for anti-science? Mandatory labelling of GE food
The United States has just adopted another policy that…
Fueling the agri-food economic engine
Federal, provincial and territorial governments are currently working together to develop the next Agricultural Policy Framework
Let’s make the week of Oct. 10 Agri-food Week
Is food labelling getting smarter?
There is an insatiable appetite by consumers to better know the food they eat. How much info should be on the label?
Tracking Progress on Canada’s Food Performance: How are we doing?
The Conference Board of Canada unveils a comparison of food performance by province
Canada’s food strategy: Now what?
Let’s ensure the food industry will succeed when export development opportunities arise
Food Lawyers: A brief retrospective
With the growth of food law in the last 20 years has come an explosion in media attention to food issues
The bitter and sweet on sugar labelling
The U.S. has recently finalized rule making on nutrition…
Regulatory Labelling: Protect Your Business
RECIPE TO RETAIL: Part 8 Sometimes brand owners make…
Canadian food regulations are very prescriptive and prohibitive on…
Prudent use of antibiotics in animal production
While the medical community recognizes that the emergence and…


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Wm Morrison Supermarkets' firsthalf results on Thursday will be a watershed, being the first time it shows the upside of its problematic acquisition of rival Safeway in 2004.
Britain's fourth biggest supermarket group is forecast to post a near trebling of first half pretax profit before exceptional items to 115.3 million pounds, according to seven analysts in Reuters Estimates.
Total sales were seen flat at 5.87 billion pounds, reflecting store disposals.
Analysts' forecasts were guided by a detailed trading update on August 3 when Morrison beat forecasts for first half sales, signalling a strong start to a three year plan unveiled in March and aimed at recovering from its purchase of Safeway, a move that pushed it to its first ever full year loss in 2005/06.
Morrison is expected finally to reap the initial benefits from the Safeway purchase, Charles Stanley analyst Jeremy Batstone said, adding that Morrison's results were seldom dull affairs since it bought Safeway.
Batstone, who forecast reported profit from continuing operations would rise nearly threefold to 122 million pounds, said: The outlook statement is, as ever, critical to sentiment as August's weather failed to live up to expectations.
The second quarter update to July 23 showed like for like growth of 6.1 percent. This may have slowed, he said.
Citigroup said it would be far too early to hear much from new chief executive Marc Bolland who took up his role on September 4. Analysts will be looking for insights and comments on strategy but it is unlikely that he will provide such insights and comments at this stage.
Batstone concurred, saying Bolland was likely to want to make the occasion a relatively downbeat affair. We suspect that the full year results should provide an appropriate platform for a more thoughtful summation of where (Bolland believes) the business is heading, he said.
At 2:20 p.m., Morrison shares, which have outperformed the food and drug retailing sector by 8 percent over the past 12 months, were up 2.4 percent to a 22 month high at 231.75 pence to value the business at 6.2 billion pounds.
The gains followed profit upgrades from Societe Generale, which previously raised its forecasts for Morrison at the end of July on the basis that there were strong signs food retailers were calling time on the value destroying price war.
Evidence since then ... suggests that the retailers are intent on holding onto a greater proportion of margin than we previously believed while driving price inflation rather than reacting to outside cost pressures.
Morrison remains the greatest beneficiary of this trend, Societe Generale said in a broker note, adding that it was upgrading its 2007/08 earnings forecast by 27 percent and 2008/09 by a further 26 percent.
Forecast Pretax profit Revenues
(all mln stg) pre exceptionals
Mean 115.3 5,868
Median 111.0 5,853
High 128.0 5,919
Low 103.0 5,842
Estimates 7 7


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PRO Group Forges New Direction
Retailers are faced with several challenges as they get deeper into the finicky world of home networking and the integration of PCs and other technologies. Despite the risks, though, Workman said it’s important for specialty retailers to learn as much as they can about the latest products and trends and carefully introduce them to consumers at the right time.
“It’s about setting people’s expectations and managing them,” he said. “The success of any retailer that’s a specialist is to grab a dominant share of an emerging market and to be aware that products become commodities, solutions don’t.”
In one move to address the supply chain issue, PRO recently signed a deal with Panasonic which opens up all Panasonic lines to PRO members and ties their POS systems into the manufacturer’s Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment system.


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Here are the statistics for June, single family homes only…
— Available inventory was at 17,784 units, up 6% compared with May figures and up 13% compared with June 2009
— Under contract listings are even with May at 3,162 units, down 29% compared to June 2009
— Sales were down 6% from May to 3,227 units sold, down 3% compared with June 2009
— Year-to-Date sales volume was at 16,506 units, up 7% compared with YTD 2009 sales of 15,432 units
— Average sales price was $299,375, up 10% from May 2010 ($273,285 avg price) and up 6% versus June 2009 ($283,312)
— Median sales price was $244,000, up 5% compared with May and up 3% from June 2009
— Average Days on Market (DOM) was at 81 days, a 20% decline from year ago
The trends in the market show us that the market will slow in the 3rd Quarter of this year, in addition to the normal seasonal slow down. Many of the summer and fall buyers bought this spring to take advantage of the tax credit, which may make fall much slower. Although the very low interest rates could help get additional buyers off the fence and into the market. If that happens, I wouldn't anticipate much of a slow down at all.
Historically, a consistent decline in Days on Market points to a better real estate market. The 20% decline in Days on Market may just be a result of the tax credit, but if that trend continues, we should be looking at a solid end to 2010 and an even better 2011.


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While BBNaija’s Beauty has yet to make a public post since her disqualification, fans are working hard to remedy the situation.
Beauty’s supporters started an online petition pleading with organizers of the show to bring their favourite back into the house.
The petition which has already garnered over 3000 signations online sparked mixed reactions from fans of the show on social media
Fans of former Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) housemate, Beauty Tukura, are not ready to accept the situation of their favourite who was kicked out of the house.
Barely a day after Beauty was disqualified from the show over her blatant disregard for rules, her supporters initiated an online petition on her behalf.
Fans sign petition for BBNaija organisers to reinstate Beauty.
The petition tagged “We are requesting the organization of Big Brother Naija to bring back Beauty” has already garnered over 3000 signatures with a total target of 5000.
Read what social media users have to say
lumi_x_x said: “Jobless set of people,signing so she can get disqualified the next week again.” echizzyawanah said: “Bring her back so she can continue tormenting poor groovy??? Abeg she should relax in her house!”
karimot_akinpelu said: “Who are these ones didn’t she read the rules and regulations. That’s how you people won’t support right things.”


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The Dubai Food Festival 2018 is running now until March 10th…and for residents and tourists both, this is an exciting time! How can you plan to enjoy the food festival in its entirety? Here are a few insider tips!
The Background on Dubai Food Festival 2018
This event has been going on for five years now, and each year it tends to get bigger and better! As, Ahmad Al Khaja, the CEO of Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment says,
“Over the years, Dubai Food Festival has become a platform for people across Dubai to connect over their love of food with its signature calendar of events and irresistible promotions.”
In an email to the Gulf News tabloid!, he added that last year there were 190,241 attendees.
It is a popular event for sure, so what can be expected?
Be Sure to Try…
There are several events that are all encompassed into the Dubai Food Festival 2018. These include:
- The Etisalat Beach Canteen: there are over 40 food trucks here ready and waiting for you to sample their cuisine!
- Dubai Restaurant Week: Where several five-star restaurants are going to be offering amazing deals for 15 course meals for rock bottom prices.
- Movies will be screening at night at Last Exit E11 and Last Exit Mad X
- Taste of Dubai, the festival closer will be offering masterclasses with chefs from around the world.
- Wrap up the Dubai Festival 2018 in style with the first ever Dubai Street Food awards that will be at the Etisalat Beach Canteen on March 10th!
This year, there may not be as many master chefs from around the world, as there has been in the past, but this is not going to affect a good time at all. The Dubai Food Festival 2018 is expected to be better than ever this year, with a little something for everyone. Be sure you don’t miss this!


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IBM (IBM) strengthened its ties with Thailand-based leading financial company Krungsri to help the financial company achieve its digital transition goal by building cloud-based infrastructure. On July 26, IBM secured the new deal worth $140 million for a period of five years.
As per the new agreement, the tech giant will offer its managed services across IBM’s mainframe z14, storage, servers, network, and ATMs.
Krungsri, which deals in 8.6M credit cards, sales, finance, and personal loans, entered into an agreement with IBM in 2012 to boost its infrastructure as a service. Last year, the financial company also performed a pilot project on the blockchain with the IBM Cloud Garage team.
Driving the system hardware business
IBM’s mainframe demand continues to witness strong growth, mainly driven by the higher adoption of z14. IBM’s storage facility also returned to growth buoyed by demand for flash storage technology. In its second quarter, its system hardware revenue climbed 31% YoY (year-over-year) on a constant currency basis. In the chart above, we can see the growth in the company’s system hardware revenue in the last five quarters.
The higher adoption of cloud storage facilities from Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) has affected IBM’s on-premises storage business. However, the company is gradually transforming its storage business with the launch of new flash storage technology and its hybrid storage platform, providing a highly secure environment to its clients. Such new facilities are helping IBM to drive its system hardware business.


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AB Tasty has raised a new $40 million fund round led by Credit Mutuel Innovation with existing investors Korelya Capital, Omnes, Partech and XAnge also participating. Overall the startup has raised $64 million.
The startup is focused on improving user experience on e-commerce programmes, pas entrances, way websites and more. It makes you customize the sense and the piece placed of your application depending on the person you’re interacting with.
AB Tasty started the fundraising process at the end of last year and managed to close this funding round around the end of April. “We were supposed to close the round by the end of March and then coronavirus hit, which delayed the closing a little, ” co-founder and CEO Alix de Sagazan told me. But it seems like lockdowns didn’t forestall the startup.
At first, AB Tasty was a web analytics bureau. In 2013, the company started working on a software-as-a-service product with a simple testing product — hence the name AB Tasty. But it progressed beyond that with specific recommendations engine.
After that, you can act on those segments to mail personalized letters. For instance, you have been able throw a discount to users who have a loyalty card employing dynamic widgets.
More recently, AB Tasty has been trying to make it easier to roll out new features and customize an app for a specific audience. It lets you obscure pieces behind flags and initiation them depending on multiple status. For instance, you have been able progressively roll out a new feature to 10% of your user base, then 20% of your user locate, etc. You could also obstruct boasts that aren’t available in some countries.
Overall, AB Tasty is trying to increase your average basket size, upsell your patrons with other products, perform clients come back more often and render more revenue.
Originally from France, AB Tasty now has units in many different countries, like germany, the U.K ., Spain, Singapore and the U.S. “I moved to New York in September 2018. It’s been nearly two years and we’ve had extraordinary expansion since I reached in the U.S ., ” Alix de Sagazan said.
Revenue in the U.S. has pranced by 480% over the past two years and 60% of the company’s revenue now comes from outside of France. The firm has around 900 clients, such as Le Bon Coin, LVMH, L’Oreal, Carrefour, Leclerc, Oui.SNCF, Sephora, Disneyland Paris, etc.
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- Can I use Google on Huawei?
- Is Huawei still banned from Google?
- Is it safe to use Huawei phone?
- Can I use Google on Huawei p40?
- Does Huawei steal data?
- Is Huawei a security risk?
- Which Huawei phone does not have Google?
- What does Huawei use instead of Google?
- Is Huawei better than Samsung?
- Should I buy Huawei phone now?
- Is Huawei better than Apple?
Can I use Google on Huawei?
On May 16, 2019, the US government placed Huawei on its Entity List.
This means that Google is prohibited from working with Huawei on new device models or providing Google’s apps including Gmail, Maps, YouTube, the Play Store and others for preload or download on these devices..
Is Huawei still banned from Google?
“Google is prohibited from working with Huawei on new device models or providing Google’s apps including Gmail, Maps, YouTube, the Play Store and others for preload or download on these devices,” Tristan Ostrowski, legal director for Android and Google Play, wrote in the post, which was picked up by 9to5Google.
Is it safe to use Huawei phone?
HUAWEI phones and laptops are still safe to use and buy despite the Government’s decision to ban new 5G tech from the Chinese telecommunications giant. … But new phone models won’t have access to Google or Microsoft apps, security officials have confirmed. The US previously stopped tech companies working with Huawei.
Can I use Google on Huawei p40?
Huawei P40 Pro has no Google apps Due to the company’s ongoing difficulties with the US government, Huawei phones do not use Google services. That means no Google Play Store for apps and no support for services such as Gmail, YouTube, Maps or the Chrome browser.
Does Huawei steal data?
T-Mobile claimed in its filed suit that Huawei’s employees snuck into a T-Mobile lab during the period of 2012–2013 and stole parts of its smartphone testing robot Tappy. … Furthermore, Huawei is now using the stolen parts and data to build its own testing robot.
Is Huawei a security risk?
Huawei’s networking equipment could potentially facilitate espionage, although it has not been detected doing so, and any evidence that Huawei equipment manipulated or monitored the data it routed would lead to an immediate response from all companies using it. It would have to be a single-time action.
Which Huawei phone does not have Google?
Huawei P40 Pro: Android phone without Google? No problem! For those of you like myself who managed to escape more important distractions last week, you might have noticed that Chinese consumer electronics giant Huawei released its P40 Pro flagship smartphone.
What does Huawei use instead of Google?
Huawei unveiled its own mobile operating system in August 2019. It is called HarmonyOS and the Chinese company could use to power its smartphones instead of Google’s Android. … At the company’s developer conference in southern China, Huawei said HarmonyOS would be first used in a new Honor smartphone.
Is Huawei better than Samsung?
Samsung has the sharper display, and bigger battery, but Huawei has much faster charging and more impressive camera capabilities. Samsung has the higher resolution screen, and it also has arguably the ultimate trump card: proper Android.
Should I buy Huawei phone now?
Huawei phones are good but due to recent events of the ban of huawei by American companies from now on new huawei phones wont be getting any android updates and they have a plan to come out with their own operating system so if you are a person who uses android this isn’t good news.
Is Huawei better than Apple?
Apple’s new iPhone shoots more true-to-life photos, but China’s Android beast takes more Instagram-ready shots. … Apple’s phones captured better videos, but between the P30 Pro’s quad-camera setup and features that include 5x optical zoom, Huawei (and Google) had topped Apple as an industry leader in still photography.


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Arconic said it plans to appoint two chief executives ahead of its planned breakup into two public companies by the middle of next year.
The metal and parts company said Tuesday that one company will make rolled-aluminum panels for the auto industry while the other will produces sophisticated parts and forgings for aerospace companies. Both companies will be based in Pittsburgh.
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Many states enforce outdated, flat-out bogus laws around breweries. Some of said laws were put in place for reasons that no longer apply in modern society, and some just never made sense in the first place. A prime case of this antiquated, ass-backwards phenomenon is — or was — the lovely State of New York.
In 1976, New York passed the Farm Winery Act, permitting grape growers to establish wineries and sell their products directly to customers. The state’s wine industry exploded. Fast-forward 30-plus years, and the legislative gears would slowly start turning in favor of the beer industry, taking a cue from the New York wine boom a few decades prior. After all, before Prohibition, a large portion of the United States’ hop cultivation took place in the Empire State. The climate was right, and New York was poised for an agricultural — and beer-centric — renaissance.
In 2012, the state of New York had just 95 breweries — dramatically fewer than its population would suggest. Within five years, that number had doubled, and the Empire State was well on its way to becoming the craft beverage hotbed it is today. Today on “Taplines,” we’re joined by Chris O’Leary, founder and editor of the venerable Brew York blog — and longtime observer of the state’s political brewing landscape — to discuss one since-disgraced governor’s successful gambit to boost artisanal booze production with an assist from Albany. Tune in for more.


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director Stefan Weitz, who is shaping Microsoft's search engine as it goes head to head with Google's, predicts search will disappear in the next few years.
Search engines will not cease to exist, but their tasks will become less and less visible and more and more intuitive, Weitz said.
"The future of search is that it won't be search anymore," Weitz explained during an interview with HuffPostTech. "The future of search is that the box you've come to know and love...won't be the constraining factor. Literally everywhere you go, every device you have, everything you touch will conduct a search, whether you know it or not."
Weitz argued that within ten years, the search box will be "as antiquated as a rotary dial phone," while search will be the "invisible agent."
He described a future two to three years away in which a user could wear glasses equipped with vision recognition technology that display the profile of any person the user comes into contact with, calling up their conversation history and other personal--but private--information.
"Search will become more implicit and more contextual," Weitz said. "It will be happening all the time on your behalf...There is this ability for us to...stop thinking about the web as a collection of pages, which is how it was designed initially, and think about the web more as a representation of the physical world in a digital format. "


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Bizzabo, an event management software provider, has unveiled an event app designed to offer event managers fully customizable branding capabilities. The company has worked with brands including WeWork, Hubspot, GitHub, EA Sports, CoinDesk and Gainsight.
With the white label app solution, brands can fully customize their event app’s appearance, from the initial touch in the app store as well as the app icon and label displayed on the mobile home screen, and the app’s interface colors and content. The app features private one-on-one messaging, attendee profiles and social media integration.
The platform also enables event planners to measure and analyze data gathered from the event web site and app, which can drive greater ROI from speakers, partners and sponsors.


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Latest Signage Stories
Whole New Concept - Where Intelligence Meet Industries' Leaders SHANGHAI, March 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ministry of Industry points out that China needs to speed up the development
LAKEWOOD, Ohio, March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Google and Onix will recap the Digital Signage Expo (DSE 2015) in a FREE Google Hangout Monday, March 16 at 1:00 pm EDT.
The systems will be used for the inspection and metrology of surface defects MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel, March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Camtek Ltd.
In an effort to simplify energy-efficient commercial lighting, 1000Bulbs.com now carries high-quality LED troffers from Cree and Cooper Lighting. Garland, Texas
Leading manufacturer and supplier of explosion proof lighting equipment Larson Electronics has announced the release of a 150 watt LED explosion proof light fixture equipped with a flat surface
Push, Wave, Motion and Elevate; Videotel to release four new ways to revolutionize interactive digital signage solutions.
Ping HD, a leading provider of digital signage solutions announces the launch of EngagePHD™, the next generation of Digital Signage Software. Denver, CO (PRWEB)
Lawrence Sign and Nordquist Sign were recognized as a finalist for the ACG Minnesota BOLD Awards.
InfoTrends and the China Sign Association of Equipment Suppliers are hosting an executive briefing and networking reception for leading technology vendors, distributors, and print service providers
- The analysis of literature, focusing on the words and grammar to the exclusion of context or literary merit.


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Following a significant makeover for Burger Project venues across Australia, Neil Perry and Rockpool Dining Group are celebrating the Australian Open by partnering up with Vegemite. You know what this means: vegemite burgers; a collaboration between the renowned chef and the iconic Australia spread that may or may not be delicious – on the one hand, it’s Perry, on the other hand, it’s a flipping Vegemite burger.
Still, we are very curious about the prospect of the distinctive spread working with Burger Project’s premium grass-fed Cape Grim beef and fresh-focused produce. If you’re curious too you can grab a Vegemite Burger from the Burger Project pop-up at the Australian Open or at any of the 12 stories across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, from now until January 28th.
“Vegemite is synonymous with our Australian way of life. It’s unique taste, smeared on a soft milk bun, alongside our premium beef patty, mayonnaise, fresh lettuce, tomato and crunchy onions, has resulted in an intense depth of flavour we think burger aficionados will love”, said Perry. “I’m excited to be given the opportunity to collaborate with such an iconic Australian brand and hope it’s enjoyed by all Australians”.
For more information any Burger Project locations head to their official website HERE.


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Samsung Galaxy S II indicated the processor performance will be improved, to 1.2 GHz dual core. Initially this change otherwise make S II delayed the launch of Galaxy, but Samsung confirmed release schedule has not changed.
A number of sources, including Samsung’s official Facebook page the region Estonia, confirm the upgrade the processor in the Galaxy S II of the original plan which ‘only’ 1 GHz dual core. While the source of leading media, GSMArena, also expressed the truth of the news.
Reportedly, the improvement of this processor that takes Galaxy S II will not be launched before June. But Samsung clarify that Gingerbread Android-based phone is still marketed as scheduled, which started this April.
“Samsung S II Galaxy will blast the first time in April, as planned. This handset will gradually approached each local market according to the scheduled launch,”it is written in SamsungTomorrow Twitter account, quoted from eWEEK, Friday (04/08/2011) .


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Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) shares jumped in pre-market after the company delivered better than expected results for the first quarter. Both its EPS and the top line came in well above the expected level boosting investors’ confidence on the stock.
Morgan Stanley reported net income of $1.9 billion or $1.00 per share, up from $1.1 billion or 55 cents a share in the year-ago quarter. Street analysts estimated the company to report an EPS of 88 cents.
The company’s net revenues advanced to $9.7 billion from $7.8 billion in the previous year period thus bearing the expectations of $9.29 billion. While revenue from institutional securities grew to $5.15 billion from $3.71 billion, revenue from Wealth Management advanced to $4.058 billion from $3.668 billion. Similarly, its revenue from investment management jumped to $609 million from $477 million.
Morgan Stanley indicated that it repurchased about $750 million worth of shares in the first quarter. The company declared a quarterly dividend of 20 cents a share payable on May 15 to its shareholders, whose name appears on May 1. The company’s book value and tangible book value per share was $37.48 and $32.49 respectively at the end of March quarter.
Reacting to the results, the company’s chairman and CEO, James Gorman, said, “We reported one of our strongest quarters in recent years. All our businesses performed well in improved market conditions. We are confident in our business model and the opportunities ahead, while recognizing that the environment remains uncertain.”
Morgan Stanley revealed that annualized return on average common equity was 10.7 percent.
At time of writing this, the stock is trading up 2.28 percent in pre-market trading on Wednesday.


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Freddies' new to-do list
New Fred Meyer president Lynn Gust has a long list of goals as he takes the helm of the Kroger-owned retailer
The new president of Fred Meyer Stores has a long to-do list.
As he steps into his new post, Lynn Gust’s top priority is ensuring that each of the 133 Fred Meyer stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska has the tools and independence it needs to cater to its own unique customers.
That may sound like standard retail strategy, but it promises to transform Fred Meyer into a federation of individual outlets, each tailored to its distinct shoppers.
“We could have 133 different focuses come out,” said Gust. “We’re a little nervous about this.”
Portland State University marketing professor Jill Mosteller said the new strategy is a smart move. Customer preferences vary from market to market. Customizing product offerings and pricing could yield higher turnover and margins, she said.
“That directly benefits their business,” she said.
Gust, 59, took the helm of Fred Meyer in early December, capping a four-decade career with the grocery chain that began when he took a job as a teenage clerk in his local Vancouver, Wash., store in 1970.
Gust was managing a store by his mid-20s and most recently served as senior vice president of operations under Michael Ellis, who left to take an executive post with Fred Meyer’s $100 billion parent, Cincinnati-based Kroger.
Capital program emphasizes remodels
Gust’s priorities go well beyond the day-to-day management of a company that employs 14,188 Oregonians and a comparable number in Washington. Fred Meyer is Oregon’s second-largest private employer with 52 stores in the state as well as its corporate headquarters.
Fred Meyer’s capital goals are relatively modest after a recent store-building spree that added new locations in both Vancouver and Wilsonville.
Wendy Culverwell covers sustainable business, manufacturing and law.
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Is “depression” a fashion statement? Urban Outfitters certainly seems to think so. Echoing an earlier gaffe, in which they produced a shirt with the phrase “eat less” on it, the company is under fire after releasing a tee with the word “depression” multiple times. The brand quickly caught flak for releasing a shirt that seemingly made light of mental illness by turning it into an aesthetic construct.
A Change.org petition was even created to challenge the company to get rid of the shirt. “Urban Outfitters are exploiting mental illnesses in order to make a profit and are completely disregarding the negative effects that this shameless promotion of mental illnesses can have on their target audience (primarily females in their teenage years),” it reads. “Mental illness is not something to be stigmatized or glamorized and therefore this petition is to urge them to ban all products glamorizing it. More than 5,000 people have signed it
In response, Urban has removed the shirt from its website, and says it will no longer offer it for sale. According to Laura Johnson, the executive director of women’s apparel over at Urban, it was all a big misunderstanding. The shirt was actually not an in-house design, but a shirt from the Japanese brand Depression, specially made for Urban.
“We did not create the Depression brand logo tee shirt and it most certainly was not a social statement of any kind,” Johnson told Fashionista. “It was brought to our attention that customers were offended by the product. Though is was not intended to exploit mental illness, we respectfully removed the product as to not further upset anyone. We’re sorry to those offended by the tee. We were trying to support a small brand, not glamorize mental illness in any way.”


text: Taiwan is tightening rules on mainland investment on the island, barring individual and corporate mainland Chinese investors with links to the government, political parties or the military. The decision follows a ban on settlement on the island by Hong Kong residents with mainland Chinese citizenship and who work for the mainland government, political parties or military . Taiwanese officials said on Thursday that the new regulations were meant to close loopholes and were in line with tighter rules in the United States and Europe on mainland Chinese investment. “We have amended Article 3, 4 and 6 of Regulations Governing the Permission of Investment by Nationals in Mainland Area, to redefine the status, proportion and structure of Chinese investment in Taiwan,” Su Chi-yen, a spokesman for Taiwan’s Investment Commission, said. Under the changes, companies in which the mainland government, political parties or military have a stake will be barred from investing in Taiwan. The same applies to companies in which the board is controlled by mainland Chinese stakeholders. The new ruling also redefines mainland Chinese investment in foreign companies. Su said that previously any company with more than 30 per cent mainland Chinese ownership was considered a mainland company. However, if, for example, a 40 per cent mainland-owned company had a 40 per cent stake in a foreign subsidiary, the subsidiary would still be considered a foreign firm, because the mainland-controlled company would only own a total of 16 percent of the subsidiary. “But under the new rules, the subsidiary company will now be considered a Chinese company,” he said. Mainland hackers attacked government agencies to steal data, Taiwan says Su said the restriction was to prevent mainland China from skirting the island’s regulations to expand its economic influence on the self-ruled island. Beijing regards Taiwan as a wayward province that must ultimately be brought under its control – by force if necessary. Tensions between the two governments have been especially high since Tsai Ing-wen, who rejects Beijing’s claim, won a second term as the island’s president in May. Su said the mainland’s attempt to increase its economic influence around the world had come under scrutiny from other governments. “Places like the US, Japan and Europe are tightening foreign investment requirements for China, and what we are doing is in line with the international trend,” he said. The new ruling is expected to come into effect later this year after a 60-day public consultation period from Thursday. The rule is not retroactive, meaning some companies like online merchandiser Shopee may avoid being considered mainland-invested. Although mainland Chinese internet giant Tencent is the biggest shareholder of Shopee’s Singaporean parent company, Sea – with 39.7 per cent of its shares – Shopee, which has operated in Taiwan since 2015, is still considered a non-mainland invested company. But online shopping firm Taobao Taiwan might not be in the same position, with its status still under review by the Investment Commission. Beijing may tolerate Taiwan-Somaliland ties, ‘unless they turn political’ Taobao Taiwan was launched last year by Claddagh Venture Investment, which is registered in Britain and linked to mainland China’s Taobao Marketplace, which is itself run by mainland e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post . “Taobao Taiwan and Taobao China are two entirely different platforms, and a number of the products sold online from Taobao Taiwan come from abroad and other countries,” Taobao Taiwan spokeswoman Ko Chung-ning said. Ko said Alibaba’s stake in Claddagh Venture was less than 30 per cent.


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According to Nation’s Restaurant News, “as casual-dining chains heavily promote traffic-driving, low-cost meal deals in the midst of a consumer spending slump, the average prices of dinner entrées, desserts and bar beverages have actually jumped this year, a new study released Wednesday said.”
“Intellaprice, a Boston-based restaurant pricing consulting firm, found that overall menu pricing at casual-dining restaurants fell 0.6 percent this year, but that prices of dinner entrées, desserts and bar drinks increased 2.2 percent, 7 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, from the same time last year. The survey also found that the prices of side dishes rose about 8 percent. On the flip side, appetizer prices fell 2 percent in 2009, and the cost for add-ons, like cheese or extra proteins, declined 4 percent, the study found. The firm’s 2009 study, in its third year, compares year-over-year menu pricing as of July, and covers 14 casual-dining chains in 21 markets nationwide. Intellaprice would not identify the chains included. It said it tracked nearly 2,900 beverages and 13,000 food prices in its sample. In 2008, the same study indicated that overall casual-dining menu prices had increased 2 percent and bar beverages rose 5 percent over pricing in 2007,” the story said.


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Public voting is now open until April 28 for the 30 African creatives selected to compete at the Digital Lab Africa (DLA) Online Pitch Competition...
Google News Initiative (GNI) Innovation Challenge expands to Africa...
BBC and Channels Television launch new current affairs programme called 'Gist Nigeria' on Channels TV in Nigeria...
Nigeria's Arcadia Premium Television will make its debut on StarTimes channel 176...
Netflix has inked a deal to team up with South Africa's Triggerfish Animation Studios and UK distributor CAKE on an African animated action-comedy series...
"Forbes Travel Guide has been verifying luxury for more than 60 years, and we look forward to sharing the finest properties in the region with consumers."
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Siemens has launched its Atlas of Digitalization, a new web-based application that reveals the readiness and potential of six major cities to embrace digitalisation...
4 hours ago
Cybersecurity incidents are gaining an increasingly high profile. In the past, these incidents may have been perceived primarily as a somewhat distant issue for organisations such as banks to deal with...
John McAlaney and Helen Thackray 6 hours ago
The International Public Relations Network (IPRN) surveyed its members to uncover ways brands can leverage their relationships with bloggers and influencers all around the world...
10 Apr 2018
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5 Mar 2015
Resorts and gaming group Sun International reported a 10% rise in diluted headline earnings per share to 732c for the year to June‚ from 665c a year ago. Adjusted diluted earnings were 18% higher at 715c from 606c before.
28 Aug 2013
NEW YORK, US: The Midas Awards, for the World's Best Financial Advertising, announced the award winners for the 2012 competition. This year's Midas Grand Jury awarded one Grand Midas, 26 Gold Ingots, 46 Silver Ingots, and 63 Finalists. The 2012 Midas Awards competition received entries from 28 countries and is reputed to be the only international competition that recognises excellence in financial services communications on a global scale.
21 Dec 2012
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND: IMD, a top-ranked global business school based in Switzerland, has announced the findings of its annual World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY). The WCY rankings measure how well countries manage their economic and human resources to increase their prosperity.
1 Jun 2012
NEW YORK, US: Global consumer confidence increased one index point last quarter to 89, while Europe led confidence declines in 24 of the region's 27 measured markets, according to fourth quarter 2011 global consumer confidence findings from Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy.
8 Feb 2012
NEW YORK, US: Global online consumer confidence fell for the seventh consecutive quarter as confidence in 31 of 56 global markets measured declined, according to from Nielsen, a leading global provider of insights and analytics into what consumers watch and buy.
9 Nov 2011
LIMA, PERU: Use of official advertising to reward or punish news media and government takeovers of media in several parts of the Americas continue to be powerful weapons used to hinder the free flow of information, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) concluded on winding up its 67th General Assembly held recently in Lima, Peru.
26 Oct 2011
NEW YORK, US: Consumer confidence fell in 25 out of 52 countries in Q4 2010 as hope for a global economic recovery evaporated at the end of last year, according to the latest edition of the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index, which tracks consumer confidence, major concerns and spending intentions among online consumers.
27 Jan 2011
MIAMI, US: The inaugural Festival of Media LatAm 2010 in Miami is said to have been a resounding success, attended by over 500 delegates from the Latin American and global media and marketing community. The winners of the Festival of Media LatAm Awards were announced at the close of the Festival.
29 Oct 2010
NEW YORK, US: After an upbeat start to the year with two consecutive quarters of increases in optimism, global consumer confidence fell three points in September to an Index of 90 as consumers' hopes for a full economic recovery this year fades in most parts of the world, according to the latest edition of the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index.
27 Oct 2010
MIAMI, US: Latam's jury of advertisers, media specialists and advertising experts has deliberated over work from 44 agencies across 11 countries in Latin America - covering entries from 77 brands in total. A shortlist of 45 entries has been announced.
22 Oct 2010
NUREMBERG, GERMANY: The global photo market is once again experiencing growth, after some regions recorded a decline in the previous year. For 2010, GfK Retail and Technology is forecasting sales of 141 million digital cameras, which even represents an increase on the high levels seen in 2008. These findings have been recorded in view of the upcoming photokina trade fair in Cologne.
20 Sep 2010
ATLANTA, US: CNN has announced the launch of a new initiative for journalism students, called CNN iReport University, linked to iReport, the network's user-generated news community.
16 Sep 2010
MIAMI, US: Biz Stone, co-founder of social media phenomenon Twitter, and Vicente Fox, president of Mexico 2000 - 2006, are the first two keynote speakers confirmed for the inaugural Festival of Media LatAm, October 24-26th 2010 in Miami.
15 Sep 2010


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One Rebecca Rubin has an FBI wanted poster and the other comes with toy challah bread.
Newly Marketed ‘American Girl’ Doll Accidently Named After Alleged Eco-Terrorist
By Tara Lohan / June 2, 2009
Apparently hoping to expand their marketing reach, Mattel recently released their Jewish-themed doll. But it seems the toy company may have accidentally stumbled onto another market. As ABC reports: “Rebecca Rubin — an alleged domestic terrorist on the lam since 2006 — appears to have devoted her life’s work to bringing down the capitalist system. But Rebecca Rubin is also an 18-inch doll, the newest in the American Girl collection, which brings in a whopping $463 million each year for the toy giant Mattel.”
Woops. Apparently Mattel does about as much research as those folks who organized the Tea Bagging protests.
Rebecca J. Rubin, who sometimes goes by the alias Little Missy, is a fugitive who was indicted in 2006 in a series of arson fires in Oregon dating to 1997, according to her F.B.I. wanted poster.
The wanted Ms. Rubin carries a $50,000 reward and “should be considered armed and dangerous,” her wanted poster says. The doll Ms. Rubin costs $95 and can be bought with pet kittens and a toy challah bread.
While Mattel is hoping people regard their Rebecca Rubin fiasco as an unfortunate coincidence, the FBI is hoping it may actually bring in their real suspect. But Hamilton Nolan writing for Gawker has a better idea: “Clearly the solution is to arrest everyone responsible for creating American Girl Dolls.”
Source / AlterNet
Thanks to Jeffrey Segal / The Rag Blog


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Drake’s Flash Marketing Strategy
The highly anticipated Views from the 6 album, set to release this upcoming Friday may have just seen expected sales forecasts surge even higher than originally planned. A few single tweets from rapper and Toronto native, Drake, providing addresses located in major cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Palm Springs, and most recently, Western Toronto, have drawn even more hype and attention to his new album.
At the addresses provided by the creator of the album himself you can find what are being called, “pop-up” shops. These last minute event set-ups have been attracting enormous crowds due to Drake’s immense social media following, and loyal fan base. The “pop-up” shops, hosted by Beats by Dre have been carrying limited edition T-shirts bearing the upcoming album’s logo. Content hungry fans have been lining up from all over in order to get their hands on the new swag while awaiting the release of the new album.
Social media, when coupled with an immense following, can be a very powerful tool to be used when promoting or activating a brand, as seen here. At Activ8 Media, these type of “pop-up” promotions are an example of a custom, strategic brand-building campaign that are extremely effective, a service Activ8 seeks to provide for businesses and individuals. Understanding customer demographics and wants are crucial for success in business today. Activ8 Media ensures that businesses and individuals are engaging to their utmost efficiency, to ensure business growth and activ8tion.
Activ8 Media is an industry-leading digital marketing agency specializing in brand activation, sports marketing, UFC advertising, talent management, and social media for businesses, athletes and entertainers.


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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Drop Tank, a loyalty technology and rewards company, has teamed up with blockchain startup SKUxchange to allow CPG brands to deliver smart and secure digital offers to thousands of participating convenience-store locations in the United States.
With headquarters in the Tampa Bay area, SKUxchange is a blockchain-based software company that partners with brands, retailers, online marketplace platforms and service providers across multiple industries to deliver smart and secure digital offers. The company’s mission is to eliminate promotional offer fraud while driving transparency through smart data and artificial intelligence-driven offers. The company’s core product, SKUx, includes near real-time offer reconciliation and settlement for its enterprise partners.
“Fuel and convenience-store brands are actively searching for new and innovative ways to drive sales across retail locations that often have inconsistent retail technology,” said Drop Tank CEO David VanWiggeren. “Combining Drop Tank’s loyalty integrations in the industry with the solution SKUx has developed represents a major step forward for this industry. We are excited to be working with them.”
Through an application process interface, SKUx’s brand partners submit promotional offer content into a shared blockchain database. Each offer is then serialized through SKUx and distributed by SKUx’s partner retailers, mobile app partners, online marketplace platforms and service providers. It allows brands to track their promotional offers across industry verticals in real time, ubiquitously recognized at any point-of-sale.
For example, Drop Tank’s loyalty programs are focused on driving incremental fuel and nonfuel sales through its partnerships with many loyalty programs. Members enter their phone number at the pump or inside the store to earn every time they purchase fuel, select c-store items and more.
“We are excited to be working with Drop Tank as we deploy our technology across the c-store industry and beyond. Drop Tank’s commitment to innovation, integrity, and adding value to its partners is right in line with our philosophy at SKUx, and we see tremendous opportunities to work together to push this industry forward,” said Kenneth Douglas, SKUx’s co-founder and CEO.
Burr Ridge, Ill.-based Drop Tank specializes in gas station loyalty technology and loyalty solutions, with thousands of retail implementations across the United States. Drop Tank partners with fuel and c-store brands to deploy consistent loyalty functionality across stations that may have inconsistent retail technology. Drop Tank's solutions unlock loyalty and data services for a wide range of participants in the convenience-store industry.
St. Petersburg, Fla.-based SKUx’s technology offers near real-time reconciliation and settlement while leveraging the power of blockchain and artificial intelligence to improve security, transparency and efficiency of promotional offers. The company’s mission is to eliminate promotional offer fraud for brands and retailers while activating engaged consumer transactions through transparent smart data and AI-driven digital offers.


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The Taiwan 2006 International Organic Fashion and Lifestyle Exposition will open on Aug. 24 at the Taipei World Trade Center and run for four days, the organizers said yesterday. According to Organic Lifestyle magazine, sponsor of the exhibition, the event is intended to strengthen Taiwan's organic industries and related "health and sustainable lifestyles" industries. Exhibitors will represent more than 100 companies from Taiwan, the US, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, South Africa and Thailand.
Wed, Aug 16, 2006 - Page 3 News List
Taiwan Quick Take: Organic Expo coming soon
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Big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the technologies instrumental in driving the growth of hardware storage market over the next five years, a new report said.
According to a paper published by India-based research and consulting firm, Global Market Insights, big data, and IoT have allowed the emergence of many new sources of data generation. These technologies also led to the development and existence of several tools and methods for collecting and analyzing a large volume of data.
These technologies also enable devices and automobiles to become intelligent and interconnected by evaluating the data generated by them. Coinciding with the enormous growth in data is the increase in demand for innovative analytical solutions to come up with meaningful insights from the collected chunks of data. The exponential increase in digital data is seen to accelerate the growth of the market.
The growth in smartphones and internet services is also a significant factor in driving the hardware storage industry. Innovations in these devices have made them essential and dominant computing and productivity devices. The rich media content and data generated for and transferred from these gadgets require high-performance storage devices.
As for the types of devices, the report revealed that the Network Attached Storage (NAS) market occupies the majority share in the hardware storage market. SMEs use NAS-based systems extensively because of their cost-efficiency. Other devices with significant market shares are Direct Attached Storage (DAS), used by enterprises for small private cloud installations and large databases and Storage Area Networks (SAN), used for media sharing devices to enable many server systems to find a shared pool of data.
In terms of regions, North America is the largest hardware storage market behind the presence of Dell, EMC, IBM, and other large players. Most companies in the area have invested considerably in developing advanced big data platforms and IoT technologies.
Meanwhile, the Asia Pacific hardware storage market holds the highest growth potential to expand further over the next five years. Global Market Insights attributes the growth of the region’s increased IT hardware spending. The introduction of data localization regulations across the region has also fostered market growth. A notable example of this is the Indian government’s enactment of a cloud computing policy in 2018, requiring all tech firms to store their data within the country.
Tech giants Dell, HP, IBM, NetApp, EMC, and Symantec led the hardware storage market, according to the research firm noting that advancements in technology and growing competition have prompted market players to come up with inexpensive solutions.


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C Spire Offers to Block Smut from Smartphones
C Spire Wireless today announced the availability of a new filter that will prevent customers from accessing adult content. The filter can be activated by an account holder to prevent family or employee devices from viewing inappropriate material. The filter, which is free to use, recognizes characters and images that are adult in nature and redirects the user to a web page that tells them the content has been blocked. The filter works in most, but not all, browsers, and also works on most C Spire devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and mobile hotspots. It cannot, however, block content accessed through third-party Wi-Fi networks.
C Spire Boosts WiFi Hotspot Access for iPhones
C Spire Wireless today expanded its WiFi On service to iOS devices, allowing its iPhone customers to more easily connect to some 20 million WiFi hotspots around the country. The WiFi On app is already available to Android handsets.
Instagram Adds Filter to Comments
Instagram users can now filter out offensive words in comments. The company is rolling out a new tool that allows users to list words they find offensive.
Twitter to Expand Availability of Quality Filter
Twitter is allowing people take more control over their experience with the help of tools and filters. Twitter is expanding the availability of a quality filter from a subset of users (e.g., celebrity accounts) to all users.
Verizon Discontinues Free Content Filtering Service
Verizon Wireless this week retired its content filtering service. The tool was initially made available to account holders in order to prevent devices from accessing certain types of content via the web and the Google Play Store.
ofc the jokes were a...


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Chevrolet Volt Owners Most Satisfied, According to Consumer Reports
Of course, as Consumer Reports points out, Chevrolet Volts said how satisfied they were before all the news broke about to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announcement that it would conduct a safety investigation into plug-in hybrid sedans following an incident with a Chevrolet Volt catching fire after being crash tested and GM offering to buy back Chevrolet Volts from owners.
There's also the issue that the Chevrolet Volt is relatively new (and has only been available nationally for a short time). Its numbers could drop as owners spend more time with them. As Consumer Reports points out in the announcement, " early adopters of a new technology tend to be among the most enthusiastic buyers."
Ninety-three percent of respondents who own the Volt said they would definitely buy it again, making it the highest-rated car in the nationally representative survey. The Volt narrowly edged out the V8-powered Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911, each with owner-satisfaction scores of 91 percent.
"These models reflect a larger trend we've seen in recent years: Sporty cars and fuel efficient cars with alternative drivetrains tend to generate more enthusiasm and loyalty than most other types of vehicles," said Rik Paul, Consumer Reports automotive editor.
For each of the 27 models that got Consumer Reports top owner-satisfaction rating—at least 80 percent of respondents said they'd definitely buy the car again—12 were sporty cars or convertibles and nine were hybrids or diesels.
Other fuel-efficient models that earned Consumer Reports top ratings include a number of hybrids, such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Lexus CT 200h and RX 450h, and Toyota Prius, as well as diesel versions of the BMW X5 xDrive and Volkswagen Golf and Jetta SportWagen.
Sporty models that did well include the supercharged Audi S4, Audi A5 and S5, Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette, Ford Mustang GT, Mazda MX-5 Miata, and Mini Cooper Convertible.
Curious what cars owners want next to nothing to do with next time out? That would be the the Chevrolet Aveo (37%), all-wheel-drive Toyota Matrix (43%), and Chevrolet Colorado pickup (47%). They received Consumer Reports lowest rating, which means that fewer than half of the respondents said they would definitely buy the car again.
Scores are based on the percentage of respondents who answered "definitely yes" to the following question: "Considering all factors (price, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?"
Full Consumer Reports' owner satisfaction survey findings are available online at www.ConsumerReports.org now. Findings will also be in the January issue of Consumer Reports magazine, which goes on sale December 6.


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New takes on the e-bike
Vanda Electrics is taking the growth of environmentally friendly city transport and giving it a design twist, including with the novel look for its Motochimp electric bike, which could soon be on the streets of Singapore, and beyond.
Business. Similar Videos
Fukushima cleanup at seven years
The Nikkei visited the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in early February to see how cleanup is progressing nearly seven years after a massive tsunami resulted in the meltdown of three of its reactors.
After 12 years, Sony has a new Aibo
Sony's iconic robotic dog Aibo is back on the market after the original version was discontinued a dozen years ago. We take a look at how this new AI-powered canine improves upon its previous incarnation, including smartphone integration.
Ginza now has its own robot hotel
The Japanese robot-themed Henn na Hotel chain has opened its fifth establishment, this time in the heart of Tokyo, where machines, not humans, deliver the hospitality. We take a look at what the hotel offers.
Cars are doing more of the thinking
The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show is center stage for Japan's carmakers as they make their pushes for AI integration that helps drivers stay alert and keeps roads, as well as a showcase of the latest in electric vehicle technology.
China's land of wine
The European luxury brand LVMH has found a little slice of wine paradise in the mountains of Yunnan Province, China, where it is creating wines under the Ao Yun brand that aim to rival any wine the world has to offer.
Making tech grow cacao sustainability
The agri-business Olam International is bringing the latest tech to the world's cacao farms, including in Sumatra, where small-hold farmers can benefit from increased access to price information and agriculture techniques.


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Retailers look for local boost
Tuesday 20 December 2011
With just a handful of days left before Christmas, retailers are hoping shoppers will be getting their last minute gifts locally to boost their sales.
Online shopping has hurt the retail sector across the nation, but as Christmas approaches, shoppers are expected to return to retail stores to avoid lengthy postal delays.
Port Douglas Chamber of Commerce president, Ken Dobbs, said that while it was necessary to head to Cairns for some items, local retailers needed the community's support.
"It has not been a good year for most retailers. I was at the markets yesterday (Sunday) and there were not too many people pre-Christmas shopping."
Manager of clothing store, Between The Flags, Michelle Whyte said that the decline of tourist numbers has meant the local market has become even more important.
"Sales have been down on last year. I really believe it is because of the high Australian dollar. Everyone seems to be heading overseas.
"I want to take the opportunity to say thanks to everyone who has supported us because it's the locals who get us through the quiet times," Ms Whyte said.
It is anticipated that Melbourne Business School consultants will investigate the effect of retail rental prices on the health of the retail sector, but Mr Dobbs said that it was not the role of
the Chamber to communicate with landlords on behalf of their members.
"We haven't done (in the past) and don't intend to negotiate with landlords."
Read more of today's news. Check out The Newsport home page.


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US healthy snack maker Terrafina is moving its base from New York City to East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
The move is expected to create 120 new jobs, according to The Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corporation, the economic development organisation for Monroe County, which covers East Stroudsburg.
Terrafina, which makes healthy snacks including nut mixes and dried fruit products under its own name and under private label, has bought a 72,000 sq ft facility in East Stroudsburg for US$2.6m.
It is also purchasing equipment, computers, and furniture and will fund renovations.
The company is investing more than $4.1m in the project in total.
Terrafina founder and CEO James Locke said: “As we have aggressively expanded in the last couple of years, we are excited to take the next step and increase our production capabilities at least five-fold to grow and provide even more amazing products for our rapidly expanding customer base.”
The company cited cheaper operating costs in Pennsylvania and space constraints in New York as the reasons for making the move.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said: “I welcome Terrafina to Pennsylvania and to Monroe County and look forward to continue to work with the company to help them achieve even greater success.”
Terrafina plans to relocate in the first quarter of this year.


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A parody commercial mocking House Republicans’ proposed tax on imports will run this weekend during “Saturday Night Live.”
The commercial was produced by the National Retail Federation, a retail trade organization, as part of a campaign to rally opposition to the provision, which would impose a tariff on imports.
Retailers would be hit hard by the tax: an estimated 97% of all clothing and footwear sold in the US is imported.
The infomercial sarcastically jokes about the “benefits” of the BAT:
“Too much dough got you feeling low? Too much cash breaking your back? Then you need… the BAT TAX!”
According to NRF, the retail sector provides one out of four U.S. jobs, or 42 million positions, and is America’s largest private-sector employer. The BAT tax could put millions of these jobs at risk, the NRF says.
“As a special…


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Musing on Huawei
US Tightens Restrictions on Huawei, HiSilicon Engineers Jumping Ship
The Trump administration announced further tighten restrictions on Huawei Technologies Co, aimed at cracking down on its access to commercially available chips. The expanded restrictions are aimed at preventing the Huawei from obtaining semiconductors without a special license - including chips made by foreign firms that have been developed or produced with equipment or software made by US companies. Add to the blacklist will be 38 Huawei affiliates in 21 countries raising the total to 152 affiliates since Huawei was first added in May 2019.
With U.S.-China relations at their worst in decades, Washington is pushing governments around to world to squeeze Huawei, arguing it would hand over data to the Chinese government for spying. Huawei, of course, denies it spies for China.
The new actions, effective immediately, should prevent Huawei’s attempts to circumvent U.S. export controls, Commerce said.
The Semiconductor Industry Association, which represents 95% of the US Semiconductor Industry released the following statement regarding export control rule changes made by the US Department of Commerce. Here’s the text:
“We are still reviewing the rule, but these broad restrictions on commercial chip sales will bring significant disruption to the US semiconductor industry. We are surprised and concerned by the administration’s sudden shift from its prior support of a more narrow approach intended to achieve stated national security goals while limiting harm to US companies. We reiterate our view that sales of non-sensitive commercial products to China drive semiconductor research and innovation here in the US, which is critical to America’s economic strength and national security.”
Many HiSilicon engineers have left the Huawei IC design arm's team in Taiwan. Huawei, struggling to survive the US trade ban, reportedly is looking to build its own 45nm chip fabs without using US technology, a move industry observers describe as "mission impossible."


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Fairline Yachts Americas added Nautical Ventures of Florida and Groupe Thomas Marine in Quebec to its dealer network.
The British luxury boatbuilder founded plans to chart its course for the future with a new CEO and the return of Derek Carter as chairman.
For the third time in five years, the esteemed U.K. builder has changed hands.
The U.K. builder has been sold to investment firm RiverRock.
Citing the need to reorganize production, Fairline axes 50 jobs at its Hythe facility.
Dennis de Roos will oversee design, sales and marketing for the U.K. builder.


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There’s no doubt that interest in sustainability has grown over the last year, with 50% of consumers saying they care more about the environment now than they did pre-pandemic. In fact, new research by Brita Vivreau has found that nearly half of consumers (45%) would not use a catering company if it had no sustainability measures in place.
You might think this is great for those that do, but consumers will still have questions about the impact and benefits of sustainability measures. So how can public sector caterers elevate their sustainability credentials and better communicate these to win the attention, trust and, more importantly, business of potential customers?
There are some simple steps to help you achieve all of these goals.
Reconsider your measures
If you claim to be a sustainable operator, then most (75%) consumers expect you to recycle cardboard, glass and plastic as a minimum, while just over half think this should also include measures such as no single-use plastics, limited food waste and offering reusable products.
Whether it’s a case of reviewing current sustainability measures in place or how these are communicated, there’s an opportunity to go above and beyond to wow your target customer.
Get creative with your communication
Talking about sustainability can be quite dry, so it’s great to bring the impact of your actions to life in more visual ways.
As 60% of consumers want to understand how any measures make a difference to the environment and 44% want to know how their own involvement supports change, there’s a real opportunity to get creative with your comms and excite your customers.
For example, many of us know that a filtered water dispenser helps to remove the need for single-use plastic bottles and therefore reduce waste to landfill, but did you know that if 100 people each drink approximately one litre of filtered water daily from a dispenser rather than plastic bottled water, it saves the equivalent of 506kg of plastic waste a year? That’s about the weight of a new-born grey whale.
Be honest and transparent
While being sustainable clearly has its advantages, for 62% of consumers it comes with the worry of increased cost, while 41% are also concerned catering companies may claim to be more sustainable than they are.
So it is important to stay honest and transparent with your offering, even if you currently have only a few measures in place. Use them as a talking point to discuss future ambitions and focus on savings across a longer time period.
Don’t leave sustainability as an afterthought
Food quality, prices and reputation remain the most important factors to consumers, but it’s important to remember that 45% wouldn’t use a catering company if they weren’t sustainable, so this needs to be front and centre of your communications.
Consider your network
Consider other suppliers with similar values you could partner with to expand your offering and bolster your position on sustainability. Over a third of consumers want to know about other businesses you work with which share similar values.


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Tesla, Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) Cybertruck met with many objections from investors when it was first launched. CEO Elon Musk has announced that the electric vehicle (“EV”) will not be profitable until around 2025. Pilot production of vehicles he has begun at Tesla's Gigafactory, but there are concerns that the Cybertruck will generate positive cash flow in the short term due to the difficulty of scaling the manufacturing process despite high demand.
My thesis is that while the significant near-term issues are real and could hurt Tesla's stock price, the long-term strengths of the brand and the revenue that Cybertruck provides outweigh.
Cybertruck: Current operational image
Elon Musk he mentioned that the problem is not demand but production. As evidence of this, Ark Investment Management suggested on Seeking Alpha that 1.5 million had been reserved in the cybertruck May. The same report suggested the truck could be as popular as the Model Y based on earlier Google Trends data.
Characteristic production challenges they include a stainless steel body that is difficult to work with, a challenging new high-voltage architecture, delays in battery production, and an intense 12-18 month ramp-up. While 40 Cybertrucks were spotted at the Texas Gigafactory recently, it will take the company a long time to work through its backlog for the product.
One of the immediate operational benefits the Cybertruck provides is targeting a new market for Tesla. This market is particularly popular in the U.S. Pickups were 20.5% new car sales in the US in 2022 and 16.8% in 2016.
In the long run, Tesla's new truck could positively boost sales growth and provide product diversity. If the electric vehicle trend continues, the Cybertruck will likely be another boon for Tesla. The market is experiencing exponential growth; Sales of electric cars in 2022 exceeded 10 million.
However, significant competitors in the space already exist. Rivian's ( RIVN ) R1T has already hit the market, Ford ( F ) has made its F-Series electric, and General Motors ( GM ) has announced electric versions of its popular pickup trucks. I think these are significant competitors to Tesla, especially if many customers are looking for a more traditional aesthetic and driving experience.
General financial aspects
Tesla's overall financial picture looks strong to me, with the weakest component being the company's surface valuation. It has a forward P/E ratio of nearly 80, which is considerably low compared to historical levels, while revenue has been growing at a very healthy pace over the long term:
Considering the Quant Factor Grade of F for Tesla's valuation, it may initially seem logical to consider the company overvalued. However, based on previous higher multiples and future traffic margin expansion to potentially more than 50% thanks to autonomous taxis, as estimated by RBC Capital Markets, the current valuation may be justified in the long term. However, this remains somewhat speculative at this stage. As such, I am not heavily exposed to stocks in my portfolio, keeping them around 6.5% of assets from an optimistic view of future operations impacting the company's fundamentals with a long-term holding period.
With Tesla's potential future margin expansion and Cybertruck production success around 2025, the stock could be considered an opportunity right now based on the lower price, even at such a high P/E multiple and poor valuation relative to others. I say this mainly because if the company lives up to positive expectations for its autonomous driving plans over the next few years, I think the share price should rise significantly based on the associated significant margin expansion. This opinion is also shared by Cathie Wood of Ark Invest.
However, there are significant hurdles as autonomous technology enters the mainstream, including significant regulatory issues that could delay and limit revenue growth in these divisions, and recent driving technology issues. Delaying the implementation of these plans, or implementing them as such, is a real risk. In my estimation it could be a 5-10 year worst case delay in fully autonomous taxis.
Still, I'm more optimistic about it and see it happening sooner in the next few years. Concerns about delays are especially heightened when we consider the company's recent recall 2 million vehicles, announced on December 13, 2023, to install new safety features in its Autopilot ADAS system. This was due to concerns raised by the National Road Safety Authority.
Cybertruck production and sales estimates
With Cybertruck on the way, it is critical to understand how this product could affect the company's financial situation. This is especially prescient when I consider buying Tesla stock at a current lower price than historically.
In his Seeking Alpha analysis, Victor Dergunov outlined an estimate of Cybertruck production capacity of 170,000 in 2025 with an average price of $85,000. However, Goldman Sachs estimates In 2025, 150,000 Cybertrucks will be produced.
Wedbush estimates 230,000 will be sold that year. The Wedbush sales estimate contrasts sharply with Morgan Stanley ( MS ) projections of 78,000 units sold. Morgan Stanley's estimate seems to be largely factoring in the production issues, in my view, which is a real and very valid concern, but not an insurmountable one.
If production targets can be met, data published by Finbold is promising for Tesla. As of July 2023, 1,943,876 cybertrucks were reported on reserve, which depending on how the company can ramp up its production capacity, I believe could significantly beat Morgan Stanley's sales estimate and look a lot more like Wedbush's estimate.
Reservations data and popularity, as reported in ARK Investment Management's Google Trends analysis, indicate to me that future Cybertruck sales could potentially exceed all conservative Wall Street estimates if the company's medium-term production goals are met.
Elon Musk's own production capacity is 200,000 units produced per year, with 250,000 units produced per year in 2025. Q3 earnings reportTesla said it could produce 125,000 Cybertrucks a year — the only official number currently available. Based on this, if 125,000 Cybertrucks are produced per year and each sells for an average of $80,000, the annual Cybertruck revenue would be $10 billion (125,000 units x $80,000 per unit). This estimate is based on the following price listwhich could change:
- Rear-wheel drive Cybertruck: $60,990
- All-Wheel Cybertruck: $79,990
- Top-level “Cyberbeast”: $99,990.
Based on a conservative figure limited to official production data released by Tesla, my Cybertruck annual sales estimate looks strong based on price and demand. However, the main concern that I and many others will have with this is the production costs, which seem to be quite high initially as the company expands its production capacity for the model, but lower compared to similar ones that will follow.
MotorTrend estimate a cost of only $30 million for 50,000 units, which I consider too low. He mentioned that for 600,000 units, production costs could increase to around $125 million, which is less than conventional trucks, with an estimated cost of around $615 million. While these numbers seem speculative and overly optimistic to me, I believe that the assumption that the Cybertruck, once launched and fully scaled, will be significantly cheaper to manufacture than traditional pickup trucks makes sense, especially when considering the source cost-effectiveness of the stainless steel panels body.
Cybertruck Cash Flow & Profitability Risks
The most significant risk to Tesla's success with the Cybertruck is its short-term profitability. The main risks I've noticed are the cost of production, the expenses required to build a scaled production situation, and the short-term effect of high demand and supply issues on cash flow.
Very little has been released at this time about the official production costs of the various Cybertrucks. Still, Musk he mentioned the difficulty of achieving volume production, therefore I expect an increase in research and development costs and a short-term decrease in the operating margin.
I think this could hurt the stock price in the short term, so Cybertruck could be called a short-term liability, but my analysis shows that it is definitely a long-term asset and will generate high income for years to come.
The chart above nicely illustrates my concern, which is already evident in the reported financials. I think that as Tesla implements more of its autonomous driving strategies related to taxis and other higher margin opportunities, as well as stabilizing Cybertruck production, the upward trend in R&D and declining margins could reverse, making it the best time to be a shareholder that bought companies at current low prices.
Still, there is some unpredictability surrounding these operations due to the low level of disclosures, specifically related to production costs and research and development expenses directly related to the Cybertruck. While Musk's comments and guidance shed some light on the situation, I believe the situation remains somewhat speculative for outsiders, and the reality of slow production, high demand, and increased expenses associated with the project will take some time to price the stock accordingly. Still, I believe in business and management that Cybertruck and autonomous taxis will give Tesla a strong picture in the coming years.
I am a confident Tesla shareholder. While this analysis describes the current situation regarding the Cybertruck, Tesla, Inc. is multi-faceted and there are many strong revenue streams on which the company can continue to innovate.
While I think the company may struggle in the short-term, I strongly believe that the long-term future for Tesla, including the Cybertruck, is extremely positive. Therefore, I consider the current share price to be a unique opportunity even with a high P/E ratio. I wouldn't say this if future operations didn't look compelling, but I believe that if margins increase and operations stabilize over the long term in relation to the Cybertruck and autonomous driving plans, Tesla, Inc. stock. are currently attractive.