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Internet auction giant eBay is the latest tech company to publicly release diversity statistics, and its numbers are a little more varied than those we've seen from other tech firms.
At eBay, 42% of the global workforce is female while 58% is male. That's a much slimmer difference than the gender gap at companies like Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google.
At Twitter, only 30% of worldwide employees are female and 70% are male. Google's gender statistics are the same.
When it comes to leadership, eBay's numbers were slightly better than other companies that recently unveiled their statistics, but not by much. While Google, Yahoo, and Facebook all reported percentages in the low 20s for female leadership roles, 28% of leadership positions at eBay are held by female executives.
Ethnicity statistics were just as troubling as some of the other numbers we've seen, however. More than 60% of eBay employees in the U.S. are white, while only 7% are black and 5% are Hispanic.
Still, eBay has expressed its intentions in building a more diverse culture. The company notes that it launched the Women's Initiative Network three years ago to help women build careers with eBay.
eBay is just one of several companies in the tech industry that's come forward to reveal its diversity conditions. Within the last several months, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and Yahoo have all done the same. Apple also recently said it plans to release its diversity numbers soon.


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The UFC’s “Embedded” cameras continued following the stars of UFC 195 this week, catching final preparations up through media day and the weigh-ins. Check out episode five below:
Attention iPhone/iPad users, if you’ve enjoyed our app in the past and followed us there, or if you’ve never checked it out, make sure to update to the latest version in the Apple store. We’ve launched a new look for the app, in line with our recent desktop overhaul. Make sure to check it out! An update to our Android app is on its way soon as well, so Android users keep an eye out for that update soon!

domain: news


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Experience Customized Gifting Like Never Before
KITCHENER, Ontario, Nov. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Customized gifting is now easier than ever at Things Engraved! Canada’s premier customized gift store is implementing a chain-wide relaunch across the country just in time for the holiday season. Enhancements include new cutting-edge engraving techniques, colour engraving, foiling, embroidery and hundreds of new licenced designs and new expressions. They’ve also relaunched their online store, unveiled a new assortment of trendy gift and home décor items, introduced interactive digital tablets to customers and made customization even more affordable with special pricing that won’t break the bank.
“This is a brand new Things Engraved that’s been a year in the making,” says CEO Shawn Brock. “We’ve made personalized gifting easier and more affordable for the everyday consumer by expanding our gifts to include new items like personalized jewellery, wine and whiskey sets, pet accessories and so much more! Our stores are more welcoming and interactive than ever with tablets that allow you to browse hundreds of design ideas with the touch of a finger and work directly with our artisans to create the perfect gift.”Customers can experience the relaunched stores immediately, along with a special early Black Friday sale up to 50% off. But to officially celebrate these exciting changes, Things Engraved will also be offering FREE engraving at all 78 mall locations between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. on November 29th.“We believe customization is that necessary added touch that takes any gift from ordinary to extraordinary,” says Brock, “So we want to give every customer a chance to not just buy a standard gift, but rather create a personalized and unique item, and see the difference it makes in their gift giving.”Already bought a gift? Brock says that’s no problem “With our carry-in service, we can personalize just about any item, no matter where a gift was purchased. And with our hassle-free insurance guarantee, you can feel secure bringing us items that are precious to you.”Being cognizant of current and upcoming trends is something Brock is determined to keep at the forefront of business decisions going forward. “We’re continuing to innovate and add stylish gifts that cater to today’s consumers and their gifting needs,” he explains. “If you want a one-of-a-kind Batman water bottle, we can make it! If you’re interested in a personalized disc necklace or the the cutest plush llama you’ve ever seen, we’ve got those too! What will we offer next? We can’t wait to show you.”About Things Engraved Inc.
Things Engraved is Canada’s premier customized gift store. Our Gift Experts will help you create hundreds of possibilities by combining finely curated gifts with state-of-the-art personalization techniques. With stores nationwide and online – the perfect gift is always within reach.For more information, please contact:
Things Engraved Inc.


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Two major winter storms have left millions without power and claimed more than a dozen lives since Sunday with cold, snow, ice and power outages.
Dallas local news station WFAA reported that at one point, Hotel.com searches for rooms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area showed Super 8 nightly rates at $400 and Days Inn at $900. On Twitter, screenshots of Ramada by Wyndham in South Austin nightly rates, from $500 to $999, went viral.
Other states are dealing with the issue, as well. In response to reports of unusual increases in lodging rates in Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order to declare an abnormal market disruption due to the severe winter weather emergency in nine Oregon counties.
Are the unusual increases in room rates a sign that hotels are price-gouging customers desperate for shelter, or are they products of pricing software glitches, as some Twitter commenters have claimed?
Hotel consultant and author Larry Mogelonsky said the answer isn’t straightforward.
“While these high snowstorm rates may appear as either blatant price gouging or an automated software error, the real reason is not so simple, with several mitigating factors involved,” Mogelonsky said in an email.
According to Bruce Rosenberg, HotelPlanner’s president of the Americas and chief operating officer, sharp increases in room rates are common during crises, same as for other essentials such as emergency airfare, gas and, as of the pandemic, hand sanitizer. When hurricane season hits and more people need rooms, hotel prices go up.
“It happens every storm,” Rosenberg said. “Prices are going to go up. It’s a question of reasonableness of the price increases.”
Meanwhile in Texas...5 degrees, no power, and Super 8 Hotels gouging at $400.— Kerry_Berry 🇺🇸 (@Kerry_Berry12) February 16, 2021
But just because a hotel raises its rates doesn’t mean it’s price gouging. The Texas Office of the Attorney General said high prices don’t always translate to price gouging as businesses are free to set their own prices for their goods.
“However, if a disaster has been declared by the Governor of Texas and businesses raise the price of their products to exorbitant or excessive rates to take advantage of the disaster declaration, then it is quite likely that price gouging is taking place, and a complaint should be filed with our office concerning the incident,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement to KVUE.
Rosenberg and Mogelonsky said it’s normal for a hotel rate to go up in cases of high demand, but the Ramada by Wyndham in South Austin skyrocketing to $999 is not normal.
The hotel says its now-viral rates were not intentional. A spokesperson for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts told The Washington Post in a statement that the brand does not tolerate price gouging and that its hotels comply with all local, state and federal laws.
“In speaking with the owner of this hotel, which is independently owned and operated as a franchise, it’s our understanding that the temporary rate increases seen online were the result of the property working to close out its inventory as it managed the loss of power and other utilities,” the statement said.
Furthermore, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts said no guests were charged the spiked rates.
Hotels jacking up your prices- we see you.— Diego Bernal (@DiegoBernalTX) February 17, 2021
After the unethical madness we witnessed during Hurricane Harvey we passed #HB1152, which makes price gouging of *lodging* (among other things) illegal.
If you guys see this happening report it. Tell your reps.
It's not OK. #txlege
In an interview with KXAN, a local news station in Austin, Jay Mazur, a spokesperson for the franchise operator, said the rate in question was posted when the property lost power around 2 a.m.
“Because the hotel didn’t have power, they were not able to go in and close out the rate system and block availability,” Mazur said. “So, an employee at another property who had multi-property access went in and manually raised it to the highest value in order to deter people from booking the hotel, which is a frequent practice among hotels during high occupancy times, but not during a pandemic, and this employee shouldn’t have done that.”
Once the employee error was discovered by management, it was fixed, Mazur said.
Should Ramada by Wyndham in South Austin have raised the rates on purpose, its operators could have faced a civil penalty of $10,000 per violation, KXAN reported. If the price-gouged consumer was elderly, that penalty could have been as high as $250,000, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Texans who have encountered price gouging or other disaster scams should call our Consumer Protection Hotline 📱 (800) 621-0508 or file a complaint online ➡ https://t.co/fru1c6PDbx— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) February 16, 2021
Learn more about disaster and emergency scams by visiting ➡ https://t.co/FhJnaG6mu8 pic.twitter.com/x8qN7A8qFg
For those who believe a hotel or other business is price-gouging customers, officials said to file a complaint with the state’s attorney general’s office or call their regional consumer protection hotline.
Rosenberg also recommended taking a screenshot of the offending rate and holding the business accountable on social media, or sending it to the brand’s customer service department.
“People at the corporate level who run the reservations, they will watch for this stuff,” he said.
Additionally, Rosenberg recommended paying for a room in advance to lock in your rate and reservation.


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The site reports that “some people have tested 500Hz high-speed brushing monitors before, using Core i9-12900K , 32GB DDR5 The game PC including the memory and RTX 3090 graphics card has been verified. Even if the minimum picture quality is turned on, the frame rate under FHD resolution is only 343 frames”. We all know that this would be in some, but not all games, as 1080p 500FPS should be achievable in plenty of games. You’re not going to be playing Cyberpunk 2077 at its highest graphics settings at 500FPS, even at 1080p, and even with DLSS working its magic. But Rocket League, Overwatch, Fortnite, League of Legends, and many more esports titles will drive 500FPS+ easily.
According to reports, AUO is working on a next-generation 540Hz gaming panel, which will outperform the already ridiculous 500Hz NVIDIA + ASUS ROG screen. Anthony Garreffa ASUS and NVIDIA introduced the world’s fastest gaming display, the E-TN (Esports TN) screen, which has a 500Hz refresh rate. However, MyDrivers reports that AUO is working on a new 540Hz “high-brush” panel, with the “precise specs of this ultra-high brush panel have not yet been released, and it is likely to be overclocked on a 500Hz panel, which is a product that is still being optimised.”
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24GB GDRR6X (RTX 3090 Ti SUPRIM X 24G) * Prices last scanned on 6/20/2022 at 1:14 am CDT – prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission. Anthony joined the TweakTown team in 2010 and has since reviewed 100s of graphics cards. Anthony is a long time PC enthusiast with a passion of hate for games built around consoles. FPS gaming since the pre-Quake days, where you were insulted if you used a mouse to aim, he has been addicted to gaming and hardware ever since. Working in IT retail for 10 years gave him great experience with custom-built PCs. His addiction to GPU tech is unwavering.


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China is emerging as an important export hub for international car makers as they rev up efforts to make better use of their manufacturing facilities, either because of competition from local car brands or the country’s expertise in electric vehicle production. Nissan said that it expects to export 100,000 vehicles made at its Chinese plants from 2025. This is part of the Japanese car maker’s new business plan called “The Arc”, which covers the period from fiscal years 2024 to 2030. It did not offer details about what models will be shipped from its Chinese plants to other markets. Last year, it sold 793,800 vehicles in China, down from 1.05 million units in 2022. Earlier last month, the Nikkei reported that Nissan might cut annual production capacity in China by as much as 500,000 units from the current level of 1.6 million. But the Japanese carmaker expects its sales in the country, its second-largest market after the United States, to return to the 1-million-unit level by the end of the fiscal year 2026, according to its new plan.
Nissan is not alone using China as an export hub. From the third quarter of 2023, Honda’s Chinese joint venture with GAC had started to ship the Odyssey MPVs back to Japan. Its other Chinese joint venture, Dongfeng Honda, saw its first shipload of vehicles, including the hybrid CR-Vs and the electric e:NS1s, leaving for Europe in May 2023. Ford, the second-largest vehicle maker in the U.S., saw its exports of China-made vehicles exceed 100,000 units last year. It was not the first year that Ford had exported vehicles made at its Chinese plants, but the exports hit a record high, said the carmaker. The destinations of those vehicles include the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Americas. Ford said the models exported from China are not locally made in those regions so they complement the carmaker’s local product portfolio.
Some other global carmakers have made China an export hub because of China’s advantages in electric vehicle production, including sound supply chains and experienced local employees. Tesla’s Shanghai plant has long been its major regional export center. It started to ship vehicles from 2020 and the export volume reached 344,000 units in 2023, accounting for over a quarter of China’s total new energy vehicle exports. When meeting workers at the Shanghai plant in June 2023, CEO Elon Musk said: “I tell people throughout the world, the cars we produce here are not just the most efficiently produced, but also the highest quality.”
German carmaker Volkswagen joined Tesla’s ranks in late 2023, as electric Cupras rolling off the assembly line at Volkswagen's joint venture plant in Anhui were shipped back to Europe. The German carmaker said the plant was built in a record 18 months. The batteries for its vehicles are locally produced at Volkswagen’s own plant as well. Most of the car plant’s annual capacity of 350,000 units is for the Chinese market, though. In 2023, China exported 4.91 million vehicles, up 57.9% year-on-year, the China Daily reports.


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Better Business Ethics for BAE Systems Saudi Arabia
BAE Systems Saudi Arabia has recently established a new department to monitor business ethics and to increase ethical awareness among employees.
The newly appointed team will receive and examine all work-related ethical issues, in addition to observing and monitoring risk-related issues and escalating them, if necessary, to senior levels in the company.
This new department is a further step by the company to build on its excellent reputation for ethical business conduct and continued commitment to providing the highest standards of performance.
The department will ensure the continued development of good business ethics throughout the company and will operate under the supervision of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).The appointed team will monitor existing trends and report to the CEO as well as the ethical review board. It will also make recommendations regarding the company's business.
Bassem Al-Fassam (photo), Director of Business Ethics and member of the committee for responsible behavior in the company, said: “BAE Systems Saudi Arabia founded this department to confirm their ownership and their deep interest in the culture of business ethics.”
“The Department is not there to be involved in administrative inspection; it is there to focus employees on awareness of business ethics and preventing the escalation of any moral issues,” Al-Fassam added.
Al-Fassam pointed out that the presence of such department is essential to the company as it will help determine the company’s ethical trends and allow it react in a timely manner.


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Baked Beer & Bread Co. Announces Closure
The pandemic has been tough on everyone especially small businesses and restaurants, including right here in the Quad Cities. Another Quad Cities staple gave us unfortunate news the day after Christmas citing the pandemic as one of the reasons for this announcement. Baked Beer & Bread Co. in the Village of East Davenport announced Sunday night that they are closing their doors for good.
In a social media post on Sunday night, December 26th, the owners of Baked Beer & Bread Co., referred to as Baked, announced they are closing their doors at 1113 Mound St. in the Village of East Davenport for good.
The Facebook post addresses negative rumors about the location, its employees, and where gift cards can be accepted in the future. The social media post read,
All employees have been offered positions at one of our other businesses. Rumors that state otherwise are simply untrue & irresponsible.
Our main priority has always been ensuring our staff remain employed & paid - even going as far to pay their salaries & paychecks out of our own pocket for weeks so that we could make it past the holiday.
Gift cards purchased at Baked will be accepted at Toasted, which is a new restaurant that opened in 2021 by the owners of Baked. The social media post said those who want a refund for their gift card can message Baked on Facebook.
The social media post blamed financial struggles for the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years and what the post calls " many bad luck events" for the closure. Back in February of 2021, a water pipe bursts in the dining area caused extensive damage, and forced Baked to temporarily close.
The social media post continued to say,
"...it is time we focus our efforts in more kind places with our other locations and partners. We look forward to serving you at Toasted or Cookies & Dreams and at our other partners businesses."


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Pew Internet and American Life Project Releases Updated Social Media Usage Statistics
The new findings about social media use in the United States appear in a new report titled, Social Media Update 2014.
Here’s are a few of the findings:
In a new survey conducted in September 2014, the Pew Research Center finds that Facebook remains by far the most popular social media site. While its growth has slowed, the level of user engagement with the platform has increased. Other platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn saw significant increases over the past year in the proportion of online adults who now use their sites.
The results in this report are based on the 81% of American adults who use the internet.
- Multi-platform use is on the rise: 52% of online adults now use two or more social media sites, a significant increase from 2013, when it stood at 42% of internet users.
- For the first time, more than half of all online adults 65 and older (56%) use Facebook. This represents 31% of all seniors.
- For the first time, roughly half of internet-using young adults ages 18-29 (53%) use Instagram. And half of all Instagram users (49%) use the site daily.
- For the first time, the share of internet users with college educations using LinkedIn reached 50%
- Women dominate Pinterest: 42% of online women now use the platform, compared with 13% of online men.
The report also contains demographic data for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Here’s demographic data about Twitter users and a social media usage matrix.
Direct to Full Text Report: Social Media Update 2014.
About Gary Price
Gary Price (firstname.lastname@example.org) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. Before launching INFOdocket, Price and Shirl Kennedy were the founders and senior editors at ResourceShelf and DocuTicker for 10 years. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com, and is currently a contributing editor at Search Engine Land.


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Elle Macpherson says her favourite red carpet look of all time was the lime green dress and flip-flop combo she wore to the Met Gala in 2005.
Elle Macpherson's favourite ever red carpet moment was wearing flip-flops to the Met Ball in 2005.
The supermodel hit the headlines nine years ago when she teamed a lime-green dress from the Calvin Klein Collection with casual sandals for the Costume Institute Gala held in New York City.
She explained: ''My favourite red carpet moment is the acid-green, strapless luminescent dress with flip flops that I wore to a Met Gala. And the tan. It was great.''
Meanwhile, the 50-year-old beauty has just launched a new campaign for The Body Elle Macpherson Intimate range, and believes she has found an innovative new approach to designing bras.
She explained to PEOPLE.com: ''I realised that silhouette is very important and I don't know any brands that focus on silhouette. So I said I actually want to create a performance bra that can change the shape of your body when you put it on according to what you feel like or your body type.
''It's a new concept in bra design, still with that really comfortable fit and still really pretty and feminine and a lot of colour.''
The stunning star admits picking out her lingerie in the morning is just as important as selecting her outfit for the day because she likes to colour coordinate every last detail.
She said: ''I always choose lingerie according to what I'm wearing. So if I'm wearing jeans, I find a bra that's blue like jeans. I like to match the inside and the outside.''
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Here's what Wall Street expects from Pangaea Logistics Solutions's earnings
- On May 11, Pangaea Logistics Solutions reveals earnings for the most recent quarter.
- Wall Street analysts are expecting earnings per share of $0.070.
- Track Pangaea Logistics Solutions stock price in real-time ahead here.
Pangaea Logistics Solutions will be releasing earnings for the most recent quarter on May 11.
In terms of EPS, 1 analyst is predicting earnings of $0.070 per share compared to losses of $0.090 per share in the same quarter of the previous year.
Wall Street analysts are expecting sales to increase 7.95% compared to the prior year quarter. The company is expected to report $103.5 million.
For the fiscal year, analysts expect earnings per share of $0.520 compared to $0.320 in the previous year. On average, they are expecting revenue to come in at $468.3 million, compared to $ 382.9 million last year.
This story was written by Markets Insider's RoboEddy, which automatically writes these stories based on data provided by our partners.


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A ground-breaking ceremony is held for JCZ's R&D heaquarters in SND on June 28. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]
Leading beam transmission and control product manufacturer Beijing JCZ Technology Co Ltd started constructing its research and development headquarters in Suzhou New District, Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on June 28.
The R&D headquarters is dedicated to the research and overcoming of technology bottlenecks such as LarmaMOS flexible intelligent manufacturing software platform, DLC intelligent controller, and 3D visual galvanometer and their industrialization.
It took less than 10 working days for the project to reach the land deal and receive a construction permit, setting a new record in the district.
A bird's eye view of SND. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]
JCZ is a high-tech company specializing in the R&D, production, and sales of beam transmission and control products. It set up a subsidiary company in SND, which has made breakthroughs in crucial technologies in flexible laser machining and other fields.
SND is ramping up efforts to build a photonics industrial cluster valued at 100 billion yuan ($13.81 billion). To achieve the target, the district is promoting the construction of public service platforms such as the Taihu Photonics Technology Park and national laboratories.
Currently, the district is home to over 250 photonics industry related companies.


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WELCOME TO The capital REPORT
Diamond Head Financial Advisors
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
Astorg, Bridgepoint, Fenergo | May 19, 2021
The acquisition comes after a period of rapid growth for Fenergo, and it will fuel investment in the company's SaaS plan, product line creation, and sustain an expanding team as it enters the next step of growth.
Fenergo's award-winning SaaS network, which was established in 2009, offers solutions to the world's biggest and most complex financial institutions, assisting in the battle against financial fraud and improving consumer journeys while being compliant at all t...
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINTECH
Dragonfly Financial Technologies | October 20, 2022
Dragonfly Financial Technologies Corp., a digital banking and treasury management FinTech, today announced its FinTech Integration Center, which provides banks with secure, seamless connections to leading FinTech applications. With the FinTech Integration Center, bank customers can interact in real time with their banks directly from within their business accounting and ERP systems. By embedding the bank's solutions directly in these FinTech applications, Dragonfly customers simplify their c...
Freedom Bank | November 29, 2022
The Freedom Bank of Virginia announced it launched a new digital invoicing and payment solution for business clients powered by Autobooks. These new services allow Freedom's small business clients to leverage easy invoicing and payments options seamlessly integrated and available within the Bank's online and mobile banking platform. Business clients can quickly and easily generate professional looking invoices and send them directly to their customers' inbox. Each invoice includes a ...
Revolut | March 24, 2020
As it launches its financial super app in the US, Revolut hits back at rumours circulating on social media that it is facing financial difficulties as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. The contraction in the economy caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has focused attention on the financial health of loss-making fintech firms as funding sources evaporate and exit options change significantly. The issue has been compounded by a swirling rumour mill on sites like WhatsApp and Twitter, spreading dis...
CORE BANKING, FINTECH
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The New Jersey Economic Development Authority will roll out applications for $70 million of COVID-19 relief grants later this month for businesses, many that were forced to close for months on end or dramatically scale back operations during the pandemic.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday, at Flounder Brewing Co. in Hillsborough, said the money would be vital to “keep our economic recovery moving” and to “help businesses” not only “get through this pandemic but emerge primed and ready for growth.”
The money comes from the state’s $2.3 billion federal COVID-19 relief aid.
Businesses that apply for the new round of aid first have to pre-register, which can be done between Oct. 19 and Oct. 27. Restaurants can apply beginning 9 a.m. on Oct. 29 and micro-businesses – those with up to five employees – can apply beginning 9 a.m. the next day. All other businesses can begin applying at 9 a.m. on Nov 2.
In any case, applicants have a whole week until applications open online.
“This will be a lifeline for businesses that have been struggling and will ensure that our communities don’t just survive the pandemic, but emerge from it stronger, fairer, and ready to rebuild,” Tim Sullivan, the agency’s chief executive officer, said in a Wednesday statement.
A third of the $70 million will go toward businesses within one of the state’s 715 communities considered federal opportunity zones – the poorest neighborhoods in New Jersey and the nation – even though the federal government picked just 169 communities.
Grants are limited to businesses with up to 50 “full-time employees,” those working at least 30 hours a week according to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
Micro-businesses could get grants up to $5,000, businesses with between six and 25 full-time employees can get up to $10,000, and businesses with between 26 and 50 full-time employees can get up to $15,000 in grants.
The NJEDA is setting aside $35 million for foodservice businesses like restaurants and bars, and $15 million toward micro-businesses.
The remaining $20 million can go toward businesses of any type of industry.
Sullivan said last week that upward of 55,000 applications have been processed by the NJEDA in 2020, compared to a “normal year” where it typically interacts with less than 500 companies for state financial assistance.
Roughly 14,000 businesses applied for NJEDA grants from a $45 million pool of money an hour after applications opened in July.
Outside of the $70 million of grant money, Murphy announced another $10 million toward an NJEDA program to subsidize the cost of businesses to purchase personal protective equipment, such as gloves and facemasks, with an eye toward propping up New Jersey-based producers.
The administration announced a $6 million business rent relief program over the summer, run by the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority, for businesses situated in New Jersey’s lowest-income towns and cities.
Another $15 million is going toward that, while $5 million will go toward food banks, soup kitchens and other hunger relief programs, and $15 million toward rental assistance.


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Although some small businesses might be laggards in cloud adoption, many likely already use cloud-based services for tasks like email, productivity and collaboration — oblivious to the fact that they are using the cloud. Such tools can help small businesses streamline their operations, expand their sales reach and boost productivity.
As National Small Business Week wraps up, with the Small Business Administration and companies around the country highlighting the role small businesses play in the U.S. economy, it’s worth noting the extent to which cloud applications and services can improve small companies’ return on investment.
The best way for cloud service providers (CSPs) to think about small businesses is to visualize how the cloud can solve business problems and provide companies with a path to better manage their operations. David Smith, vice president of worldwide SMB sales at Microsoft, says CSPs and those who work with small businesses “need to do a better job” at “demystifying what the cloud is for small and midsized businesses.” The focus, he says, should be on cloud uses cases and the practical effects they can have for small businesses.
“How can they spend more time growing or expanding? How can they lower costs?” he asked. “How do they boost productivity? How can they expand their customer presence and their marketing?
The Benefits of Cloud for Small Businesses
Traditionally, Smith says, only large enterprise customers “have had access to secure ways of leveraging and accessing data from any device.” That includes the ability to access large files, expense reports, invoices or other business data, he says. Those kinds of solutions have long been costly. However, Smith argues that small businesses have the right acquire those same kinds of cloud applications, and that they should “have a right to spend more of their time growing their business and less time spent managing their IT.”
Since many small business owners and their workers are usually on the go, between locations and doing business on the road, they need the mobility and flexibility that cloud services provide, Smith argues.
Using tools like Office 365, small businesses can get secure email offerings built on Microsoft’s Exchange Server, Smith notes, or they can get web versions of Office applications like Word and Excel. Microsoft’s SharePoint cloud offering also lets small companies access large files through the cloud. And Skype for Business offers cloud collaboration tools and real-time document sharing.
Office 365 also allows for group collaborations on files so that small businesses with remote workers can get the most up-to-date files for presentations on the road and access them on smartphones or tablets. Additionally, using Windows 10’s “Continuum” capability for phones, and the Microsoft Display Dock accessory, users can connect new Windows 10 to a monitor and add a keyboard and mouse. This will allow it to work like a PC with Windows 10 apps like Microsoft Office, while simultaneously taking calls or performing other tasks on the phone.
Smith notes that through the cloud small businesses can get continuously updated software for their critical business applications, whether it’s a customer relationship management system or other line of business applications. He adds that most small businesses do not have dedicated IT staffs and that business owners often perform the role of IT administrators. Cloud-based software that is always updated removes headaches for small business owners, and CSPs like Microsoft can offer continuous service without downtime.
Another benefit of the cloud for small businesses is added security. Cloud offerings can provide services like mobile device and application management, Smith notes. As more workers bring devices into the workplace, the chances increase that one of those phones could be breached or that sensitive information could be compromised. Being able to use the cloud to remotely lock or wipe a device is an important tool for small business owners, Smith says.
Bounce Uses the Cloud to Get Gains in Productivity, Sales
Microsoft has recently partnered on cloud services with a small business called Bounce Foods, a healthy snack company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2003, Bounce Foods saw sales take off in 2010, according to COO Gary Smith. He notes the company has been expanding into retail and sells its products in the UK, United States, Europe and Australia, and has seen an average compound annual growth rate of 53 percent over the last five years. The company sells Energy Balls (think energy bars, but round), and aims to sell 10 million units in 2016.
Bounce’s Smith joined the company in 2013, and he was employee No. 6. He was charged with doing an audit of the company’s business applications so that they could be professionalized. The company had been using Sage 50 applications for accounting, but he says the platform “wasn’t really cutting the mustard” and needed to be upgraded. It took Bounce a long time to get information and the firm wasn’t sure if it was accurate.
Smith says Bounce was attracted to Microsoft’s cloud offerings because they were all integrated and worked with each other. Working with UK firm Technology Management, Bounce chose Microsoft Dynamics NAV and CRM solutions. Bounce uses CRM for lead generation, complaint management and other customer relationship management uses; it uses NAV for inventory management, and sales order/purchase order processing.
The company licenses the software on a monthly basis and enjoys the Software-as-a-Service model. In July, Bounce plans to launch SharePoint in a move to make its workforce more mobile, Smith says.
Bounce liked the value it got for its money, Smith says, and was able to spend more money on implementing the software and training employees than on the systems themselves. He also notes that the software is continuously updated, which fits with the company’s vibrant culture and emphasis on continuous improvement.
Bounce has been using Microsoft’s services since July 2014 and is a member of Microsoft’s Technology Access Program, allowing it to test beta versions of Microsoft’s cloud products and get new versions quickly.
Before utilizing cloud services, Bounce’s sales and stock information was tracked on separate spreadsheets, and the disorder sometimes caused the company to make duplicate orders. Thanks to all of the tools, Smith says, Bounce has achieved greater visibility into its sales orders and stock, and has been able to boost shipments from 200,000 units per month to around 600,000. “That visibility allows us to make fantastic decisions,” he says.
Bounce also uses Office 365, which has allowed its workers to be more mobile and access documents more readily. “It’s revolutionized how we work at Bounce,” he says.


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Growth will be driven as the market focus expands beyond smart phones to other applications such as wearables, computing, medical, smart homes, kitchen appliances, power tools, robotics, industrial, infrastructure, electric vehicles and automotive in-cabin systems.
Combined Rx and Tx shipments will soar to 2.1 billion units in 2023, rising at a CAGR of 28.2 percent from 611 million in 2018, according to the Wireless Power Market Tracker report. This represents a massive market expansion, which will be propelled by broad-based demand growth from multiple markets, including mobile phones, consumer electronics, medical equipment and wearable electronics.
However, applications in the automotive sector including electric vehicles and in-cabin systems, will generate the strongest growth rates in the wireless power segment. Rx shipments for automotive applications are set to rise by 42.7 CAGR from 2018 through 2023, while Tx shipments will increase at a 44.4 percent rate during the same period.
Within the automotive market, the electric vehicle segment will generate the greatest increase in demand for Tx and Rx devices in the coming years. Shipments of Tx devices in EVs will increase at a stunning CAGR of nearly 50 percent from 2018 through 2023.
In EVs, these devices are used for wireless charging systems for car batteries. Wireless charging systems offer greater convenience and ease of use, with the charging conducted by a charging mat placed on the ground. To charge up their batteries, EV drivers simply have to position their cars over these charging mats, instead of plugging cords into their vehicles.
“The way that people, goods and vehicles get from one place to another will change dramatically over the next two decades,” said Dinesh Kithany, lead industry analyst, wireless power and power supplies, at IHS Markit | Technology.
“Driven by technological changes, along with a combination of economic factors and new policies and regulations, EV sales are set to show robust growth. Recent announcements confirm there’s a fleet of automotive manufacturers with launch plans for electric vehicles. Wireless charging technology will play a critical role in this growth, making the process of charging EVs dramatically easier and increasing their appeal to consumers. The speed and process in which EVs would be charged at home, offices, petrol stations as well as at charging points would differ, and the trick is how to fit in the ecosystem such that both consumers and businesses benefit.”
Another hot segment of the automotive wireless charging market is the in-cabin area, where the technology is used to replenish the batteries of consumer electronics products, including mobile and wireless devices.
Shipments of Tx devices for automotive in-cabin devices are expected to increase at a CAGR of around 50 percent during the forecast period. Devices of different types and power ratings are expected to be charged inside the vehicles, in front row as well as at back rows, and different automakers are adopting different (transmitter) strategies in order to enhance the consumer experience, with an important aspect of integrating wireless power technology with other technologies within the car, Kithany added.
In-cabin wireless charging systems, be it portable stands or integrated pads, have been placed inside of cars since around 2013. The number has increased since then, particularly for higher-end cars.
In general, automotive industry suppliers have been late adopters of wireless charging, as a new technology must be thoroughly studied for value, safety, integration, authentication, interoperability, and reliability before it is included in a product (cars) having 10- to 15-year lifetime. However, the automakers now appear to be catching up to the wireless charging wave.


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A breakdown of the Murdoch media’s ham-fisted attempt to demonise rooftop solar incentives, and Nigel Morris catches out some solar cowboys.
Search Results for: podcasts
NSW hinterland luxury rental home with 10kW solar, two Tesla Powerwall batteries, and a Model X EV, seeks to demonstrate Tesla’s vision of the new energy and transport future. So how does it shape up?
It has been a great year for solar, but as we reveal today, there are still some disturbing sales practices taking place. Customers be warned.
It’s been a huge year for solar in Australia in 2018. In the final podcast of the year, we review the highs and lows, the best and the worst, and take a peek at next year.
This week we go to Sundowners, discuss the collapse of RCR, and interview Andrea Gaffney from Planet Renewables, and Chris McGrath from solar innovators 5B.
Elon Musk’s giant catching mitt, new battery storage schemes, and the ongoing crackdown on crap solar.
The Solar Insiders team gets Fair Dinkum about solar, because that’s what we do, that’s who we are, that’s what we are about. Do you have a strawberry?
We talk to Solar Victoria and its pre-emptive strike against solar cowboys who moved in to try and fleece consumers in Victoria’s massive solar program.
Solar’s big year, an interview with German battery storage maker Senec, and a round-up of the highlights of the All Energy conference.
Some councils have rejected large scale and rooftop solar installations. Plus: A preview of the All-Energy conference.


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Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR), the leader in integrated payments and commerce technology, will release its fourth quarter 2023 financial results before market open on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Management will host a live conference call at 8:30 am ET to discuss these results.
Conference Call Details
The earnings conference call will be webcast live and interested parties can join the live webcast through Shif4’s website at: https://investors.shift4.com
X Spaces Simulcast
In addition to the webcast, the live audio of the earnings call will be simulcast via X Spaces. Follow @Shift4 on X (formerly Twitter) for additional information on how to access the simulcast. Investors are also encouraged to email questions to email@example.com in advance of the live earnings call. CEO Jared Isaacman will select a question from those submitted and respond during the live conference call.
Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR) is boldly redefining commerce by simplifying complex payments ecosystems across the world. As the leader in commerce-enabling technology, Shift4 powers billions of transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of businesses in virtually every industry. For more information, visit shift4.com.


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CHANGE is coming, but is change always a good thing? I read the report, 'Pasir Panjang Village Centre to go' (Nov 13), with great dismay.
I am a resident of Pasir Panjang estate, and for at least the past five years, there has been a slew of construction works around my home continuously. I cannot recall a moment of peace.
Every time a condominium is built, the piling and drilling noise is enough to drive me out my home. I am a student, and it is hard to find an ideal spot to study, especially during examination times. My parents are just as frustrated as they cannot stay at home to rest.
Also, Pasir Panjang Village Centre has always been a one-stop convenience centre for residents. We do grocery shopping at Cold Storage, dine at the restaurants and drop off our laundry at the laundromat.
Soon, the nearest amenities will be a good 10-minute drive away, in West Coast Plaza or VivoCity. Our family doctor will also have to move.
The reason we live in Pasir Panjang is for its tranquillity. 'Revitalising' the area with yet another development may not be in the best interests of residents.
Source, Straits Times, 23 Nov 2009


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ASPEN COMICS TO DEBUT TWO NEW SERIES IN FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2018 OFFERING
Aspen Comics is commemorating fifteen years of publishing in 2018, and as part of the yearlong initiative to celebrate, the publisher is debuting two brand new Aspen series in this year’s Free Comic Book Day 2018 offering. Free Comic Book Day 2018 is Saturday, May 5th.
Worlds of Aspen 2018 will feature the world premiere zero issue release of creator Jordan Gunderon’s fantasy action-adventure series, Dissension: War Eternal. Gunderson has previously drawn Aspen series Executive Assistant: Assassins, The Four Points, No World and Aspen’s mega-event series that crossed over Michael Turner’s flagship titles, Fathom and Soulfire, Aspen Universe: Revelations. The solicitation copy for Dissension: War Eternal reads:
Aspen creator Jordan Gunderson debuts his long-awaited first creator-owned series, Dissension: War Eternal, this summer, as the Gods have declared war on each other! Long ago, mankind suffered under the hand of a vengeful group of fallen angels. Now, a young woman, possessing a power that had lain dormant in the descendants of the first peoples of Earth, must rise to stop their return—along with the war they seek to unleash on the world!
The publisher will also be debuting the new Aspen series Nu Way, written by veteran Aspen scribe J.T. Krul (Michael Turner’s Fathom and Soulfire) with art by Alex Konat (Fathom, Mindfield) and John Starr (Fathom, Soulfire). Solicitation copy for Nu Way is as follows:
Set in 2051, where technology has infected every aspect of human life, and the last frontier may be our very souls as people sacrifice their flesh and blood for a chance at a better life. In New Sheng, the megatropolis in China that has become the center of the world, Zihao is trying to literally fight his way up from the city slums with his fists, hoping to make it to the big leagues where cybernetically-enhanced warriors battle for fame and fortune. But, he’s not the only one. The world is filled with such desperation, as mankind struggles to remember what it even means to be human. Sometimes even the brightest lights cannot destroy the darkness.
Both new releases will be immediately followed by each respective series debuting this summer, with Nu Way #1 in stores on July 11th and Dissension: War Eternal #1 in stores on July 25th. Aspen’s Free Comic Book Day issue will also feature special inside looks at their upcoming 15-Year Anniversary Legacy titles including Michael Turner’s Fathom and Soulfire, and Executive Assistant: Iris. Fans can check with their local participating retailer to grab their copy of Worlds of Aspen 2018 on Free Comic Book Day, May 5th, 2018.
Worlds of Aspen 2018 Item Code: JAN180017


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I'm shocked guys, I really am. Deep Silver has announced that it has delayed Metro Exodus, which now won't see the light of day until Q1 2019.
Deep Silver said in its press release announcing the news: "The development of Metro Exodus is progressing well; we are all really excited by what we are seeing. We have been constantly reviewing the games progress to ensure that we deliver a product that gamers and fans of the Metro series want and deserve, as well as keeping an eye on announcements from our competitor products".
The developer continued: "We want everyone to be able to experience what is the most ambitious Metro game to date at its absolute best and therefore we have taken the decision to move the release date to Q1 2019".
The usual excuse... "we want to make the game better for all gamers", except they didn't think of that when they announced the game and would've known this far into development that it wasn't ready for 2019. Also remember that NVIDIA put some weight behind Metro Exodus with its real-time ray tracing support, which we will see unveiled on their next-gen Turing GPU architecture and the release of the GeForce GTX 1180.


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Burning Dimension (ID: chaintruth) original
Author | Zhang Lin
Editor | Cao Yang
Can’t afford a down jacket with one month’s salary?
Recently, Bosideng, a domestic down jacket brand, has sparked heated discussions among netizens because of “a high-tech luxury down jacket that uses ‘aviation material technology’, with a price tag of more than 10,000 yuan.” Netizens expressed that “Bosideng is no longer the Bosideng it used to be”, “Who would pay for a Bosideng down jacket worth 10,000 yuan”, etc.
As the popularity of online public opinion continues to rise, the so-called “aerospace material technology” it uses has been further “deepened”. Among them, relevant textile experts pointed out that “this technology has been widely used in the industry, and the price is low.” Netizens even questioned that it is packaging products under the guise of “black technology”, but it is actually blindly priced.
In this regard, Bosideng responded in an interview with the media, “For Bosideng, the increase in product prices does not simply rely on the increase in direct costs such as down jacket fabrics and labor costs, but the price is high. It is based on the design, development and upgrade of the product itself. , technological function upgrades, product quality upgrades, and brand value enhancements are superimposed on the basis of comprehensive factors.”
In fact, this is not the first time that Bosideng has launched a down jacket worth RMB 10,000.
In 2017, after the failure of the diversified transformation, Bosideng cut off most of the non-down jacket categories, opening the door to high-end with the down jacket business. And reshaped the brand image by means of fashion week appearance, celebrity endorsement, cooperation with well-known designers, IP co-branding and multi-channel layout. In one fell swoop, the label of “middle-aged and elderly brands” was torn off, and it became synonymous with “high-end fashion”. In 2019, Bosideng launched the “Dengfeng Series” down jacket, and successfully ranked among the ten thousand yuan down jackets.
As prices continue to soar, Bosideng’s gross profit margin is also rising. According to statistics from Guosheng Securities, in fiscal year 2022, 46.9% of Bosideng’s products were priced at more than 1,800 yuan in online sales, and the gross profit margin also increased to 60.1%, a record high.
However, among the domestic down jacket brands, Bosideng may just be one of the representative brands taking the high-end route. Yaya, which has always followed the people-friendly route, has launched the “GOOSE Series” to benchmark international brands on the way to seek a high-end layout; Govan, which focuses on cost-effectiveness, has launched the “Black Gold Goose Down Series”, which is light and luxurious; The price of “SKYPEOPLE” invested by Kanyun Holdings is also between 3200-7200 yuan.
Therefore, topics such as “down jacket price increase” and “down jacket is getting more and more expensive” have been on the hot searches on social platforms in winter for three consecutive years. I’m sorry”.
Li Xi, a girl born in the 90s, bought the popular “Klein blue” down jacket before, but recently she “planted grass” for the “black gold” that has become popular on social platforms.
“In the past, down jackets were only used to keep warm and keep out the cold, and one piece could be worn for several winters. But now, down jackets have gradually become a fashion item, and the update speed is getting faster and faster. I also want to come in every style as I follow the trend. One piece, but the price is several thousand yuan, and the wallet can’t afford it.” Li Xi said frankly that after some struggles, he finally decided not to buy new down jackets and continued to wear “Klein blue”.
Unlike Li Xi who has “inventory” to keep out the cold, Yu Ning, who worked from the south to the northern city for the first year, urgently needs a down jacket to keep out the cold, but the more and more expensive down jackets make Yu Ning, a post-00s girl who has worked for less than a year, commit crimes. difficult. “I didn’t have the confidence to buy a down jacket until the year-end award was issued last month. Before that, I was frozen for a month.”
In stark contrast to the price of domestic down jackets that have jumped to more than 1,000 yuan, the budget for young people to purchase down jackets is less than 1,000 yuan. According to the survey data of the First Financial Industry Data Center, after 90/95, the proportion of down jackets purchased within the budget range of 700-1000 yuan is the highest at 39%.
In this regard, Cheng Weixiong, an independent analyst of the shoe and apparel industry, said to Ranjiyuan that the polarization of the domestic user market is particularly serious. Down jacket companies need to balance the current market situation of consumption upgrades and consumption downgrades. They cannot simply pursue scale and maximize gross profits. Higher prices and higher cost performance reflect the value of commodities. The price strategy and product strategy need to meet the price sensitivity of users in the popular circle and the comparison of cost performance.
Regarding the high-end exploration of domestic down jacket brands, Zhang Yi, CEO and chief analyst of iiMedia Consulting, said that in the next five years, Chinese down jacket brands will compete with international mainstream brands in the global market, and it will be possible to catch up or even lead in the mid-to-high-end market. But obviously, in the high-end field, there is still a long way to go.
Cheng Weixiong added that in the process of competition, product quality is the key, including product design and development capabilities and understanding of the industry, such as the use of new materials, research and development innovation of surface accessories, and new channel technology capabilities. As prices continue to rise, companies also need to meet the needs of different consumers in the market stratification, and carry out the development of full coverage of categories, so that companies and brands have sustainable growth value.
unaffordable down jacket
In order to buy a down jacket that meets her requirements in terms of shape, quality, and price, for nearly half a month, Qiqi, a post-95 girl, browses recommendations from bloggers on Xiaohongshu and Bilibili whenever she has time. But until now she has not placed an order.
“I feel like I could buy a good-quality down jacket for four or five hundred yuan a few years ago, but now I don’t seem to be qualified to buy a down jacket if I don’t have a budget of two thousand yuan.” Qiqi is a petite girl, and the clothing she cares about Most of the similar bloggers are similar in size to her. Soon, she was “planted” by the Korean version of the down jacket recommended by the bloggers.
“Fashion is really a reincarnation. In the past two years, Korean clothing has become popular again. The Korean-style down jackets recommended by bloggers are simple in style, and the colors are light yellow and milk green, which are fresh and age-reducing.” Following the sharing of the bloggers who planted grass After the brand found a store, Qiqi was directly persuaded by the price, “The price of a Korean-style down jacket from a niche brand is actually more than 3,000 yuan.”
In desperation, Qiqi had no choice but to settle for the next best thing, looking for a similar style of down jacket on Taobao, but found that the price was not cheap, and the quality was not guaranteed. According to the buyer’s show, the color is different from the original version.” In a hurry, Qiqi finally gave up her plan to buy a long down jacket and decided to choose a short down jacket for the winter, “Short ones will always be cheaper. “
Qiqi told Ranjiyuan that she finally took a fancy to a short down jacket with milky purple white duck down that was priced at 1,400 yuan in the original version. “The same model I found on a certain wholesale platform only costs 600 yuan. If you lower the requirement for down filling, you can buy one for 300 or 400 yuan, but the quality is estimated to last only one season.” I began to wonder whether it is necessary to spend several hundred yuan to buy an unwearable “look”.
Like Qiqi, Xiaoxiao, a girl born in the 90s, also gave up her plan to buy down jackets and bought a cotton jacket instead, “My budget is to buy down jackets within 800 yuan, but I found that the so-called down jackets are no longer available at this price. A down jacket with both brand and design.”
The down jacket that Xiaoxiao is wearing now was bought three years ago. “At that time, I bought a down jacket from a fashion clothing brand. It was catching up with the 50% off event, and the price was 800 yuan. Although the style is good-looking, the warmth is not very good, especially after wearing it for three years. Now this dress The effect of keeping out the cold is almost equal to that of a woolen coat.”
For this reason, Xiaoxiao originally planned to buy another down jacket, but after shopping around twice, she found out a “reality”. It is almost impossible to buy a decent down jacket in the season with a budget of 800 yuan, unless it is discounted after the end of the season. . “Professional down jacket brands don’t have 1,500 yuan, and it’s hard to buy a style with down filling that meets your needs. Even the average price of down jackets from fashion clothing brands is almost 1,200 yuan or more.”
So, in order to cope with the coming cold weather, Xiaoxiao decided to buy a padded jacket first. “You can buy a good-looking padded jacket for only two or three hundred yuan. The cost of decision-making is low. You can buy any good-looking clothes and create different styles. As for the warmth retention, I don’t think it’s a big problem to only wear it for one season.”
Different from Qiqi and Xiaoxiao, 2022 is the first year for Yu Ning to work in a northern city. As a southerner, she was so excited to see a real snowflake for the first time at the beginning of the year. No matter how helpless she was, the down jacket became what she just needed.
“As a southerner, I have never bought a down jacket before, so I don’t know how to choose it, as long as the style and price are right. So I finally bought a light down jacket from a casual clothing brand for 699 yuan.” Yu Ning told Ranjiyuan, I am still “sloppy”, and it is a torment to go out every day, and it is freezing cold on the commute.
Yuning’s colleagues couldn’t stand it, and forced her to go shopping to buy a down jacket, but in the end, Yuning still refused to buy it on the grounds that “there is no favorite style”. “Actually, I lied. The clothes I chose cost more than 2,000 yuan. After all, I just started working, so buying a piece of clothing for 2,000 yuan is not a trivial matter for me.”
Fortunately, there was a year-end bonus. With this money, Yu Ning bought a 2,500 yuan down jacket. “It’s funny to say, I got the confidence to buy a down jacket because of the year-end bonus, and down jackets are really too expensive now.”
Wearing a down jacket worth more than 2,000 yuan, Yu Ning also had the feeling of “really fragrant”. “The down jacket I bought before is thin, so I have to wear many layers every time I go out. But I heard from friends in the north that I should actually wear less under it in winter, because the heating in the northern house is sufficient, and it is easier to put on and take off when entering the house. I have never used it before. I have experienced it, but since I bought this down jacket, I have really experienced this feeling. It is not bloated, does not hinder movement, and more importantly, I finally don’t have to be cold.”
Why is it getting more expensive?
It is not difficult to see from the remarks of the above-mentioned consumers that down jackets are getting more and more expensive, which has become an indisputable fact.
According to the data of the China National Commercial Information Center, from 2014 to 2020, the average unit price of down jackets in my country has risen from 452.6 yuan to 656 yuan; the transaction price of large-scale winter clothing has exceeded 1,000 yuan, and the proportion of more than 2,000 yuan has accounted for nearly 70%.
However, Ranjiyuan recently discovered through offline stores that the average price of some brands of down jackets has exceeded 1,500 yuan.
According to the clerk of ONLY, a fashion clothing brand in a shopping mall in Beijing, the average price of down jackets in the store is about 1,500 yuan, and the reason for the price increase of down jackets in the past two years is attributed to “increasing costs” and “improved sense of technology, down jackets can be machine washed”. and “more stylish styles”.
The clerk of the Bosideng brand located in the same shopping center also told Ranjiyuan that the average unit price of down jackets in the store is around 1,500 yuan, and the filling of some series has also changed from duck down to goose down, which is lighter and warmer. “Under the influence of imported down jacket brands, consumers are increasingly accepting domestic mid-to-high-end products, which is one of the reasons why the price of domestic down jackets has risen.” However, the clerk also admitted that there are indeed many young consumers. After trying it on, I was “dissuaded” by the price.
As mentioned by the above two salesmen, the reason why domestic down jackets have become more and more expensive in recent years is related to rising costs on the one hand. As an important part of down jackets, down materials largely determine the cost and quality of down jackets. In recent years, affected by multiple factors such as the epidemic, the imbalance between production and demand has been caused, which has further pushed up the price of down.
Fu Miaokui, chairman of down supplier Liuqiao Group, once said in an interview with the media that the average unit price of down will rise from 150,000 yuan/ton to 300,000 yuan/ton in 2021, doubling. Liuqiao Group has the ability to produce more than 100,000 tons of down per year, but the annual production of down in 2021 has dropped by 10% compared with last year.
On the other hand, with the entry of foreign high-end down jacket brands such as Canada Goose and Moncler into the Chinese market, under the market education of these high-end brands, consumers’ acceptance of mid-to-high-end brands has also increased, but at the same time, they are also more concerned about the styles and fabrics of products. , quality, fashion, aesthetics, etc. have more diverse and high-quality requirements.
Of course, this also laid the foundation for the high-end road of domestic down jacket brands, and many brands have also moved towards high-end. According to the incomplete statistics of Ranjiyuan, in addition to Bosideng, which has already launched a price of 10,000 yuan, the price of SKYPEOPLE’s down jackets is generally between 3,000 and 7,000 yuan; the price of the “95 goose down jacket Goose series” launched by Yaya has also increased to 2,599 yuan. Gao Fan, who originally focused on cost-effective positioning, launched the “Black Gold Goose Down Series”, which is also priced at 2,899 yuan.
“The price of down jackets in my country has stayed within 1,000 yuan for a long time in the past. Now, with the improvement of people’s living standards, consumption levels have also increased. At the same time, driven by overseas brands entering the domestic market, my country’s down jackets have also begun to raise prices, and they have embarked on a mid-to-high-end route.” Zhang Yi said to Ranjiyuan that foreign luxury brand down jackets have spawned a domestic mid-to-high-end down jacket market with a price of 2,000-5,000 yuan.
“From the perspective of product quality itself, my country’s production capacity, manufacturing capacity and technological level are no different from other countries. Some domestic companies do OEM for overseas brands, which also provides a premium space for the price rise of some mainstream domestic brands.”
In addition, factors such as fashion design, quality improvement, technological innovation and seasonal restrictions are also reasons for continuously pushing up the price of down jackets.
A practitioner in the clothing industry told Ranjiyuan that in fact, the production cost of a down jacket is about 100 yuan, and it is very common for clothing brands to price more than 10 times the cost.
“In order to enhance the sense of fashion, clothing brands may choose IP joint names, or cooperate with well-known designers, and then carry out brand marketing, which will cost a lot. But unlike other clothing, down jackets are greatly affected by solar terms and weather. , it can only be sold for one season a year, and the price will naturally get higher and higher if the goods are overstocked if you are not careful.”
How to take the road of high-end?
The “Research Report on the Development Trend and Competitive Strategy of China’s Down Apparel Industry” shows that China is the world’s largest production base for down apparel. According to the data of CITIC Securities, the market size of China’s down industry will reach 162.2 billion yuan. It is estimated that the market size of my country’s down jacket industry will reach 195 billion yuan in 2024, and will continue to maintain rapid growth.
Therefore, the consumption of down jacket products in China is dominated by domestic brands, with a relatively high market share. But the problem is that domestic brands have been distributed in the low-end product market for a long time, and the high-end market is mainly occupied by imported down jacket brands, which leads to low gross profit of domestic down jacket brands and little room for brand development.
In order to change this situation, domestic down jacket brands have changed their usual marketing strategy of low-price promotion from R&D and design to production technology and marketing methods. Various marketing methods such as live streaming and delivery of goods have enhanced brand awareness and paved the way for high-end routes.
Accompanied by the diversification of marketing is the high cost of marketing. Taking Bosideng as an example, according to its financial report, from 2020 to 2022, Bosideng’s sales and distribution expenses will be 4.276 billion yuan (RMB, the same applies if not marked below), 4.807 billion yuan and 6.171 billion yuan, accounting for 39.4% of the group’s total revenue. , 29.7% and 38.1%, and the growth rate of operating income was 22.7%, 18.9% and 16.3% respectively, slowing down year by year.
Of course, the price of the product has also risen accordingly.
Also take Bosideng as an example. According to the research report of Dongxing Securities, before the brand transformation of Bosideng in 2017, the average price of the tag of its products was 1,000-1,100 yuan; after 2018, the price began to rise continuously, and the price increase reached 30%-40%. The proportion of down jackets with a unit price of 1,000-1,800 yuan has risen to 63.8%, the proportion of down jackets with a unit price of more than 1,800 yuan has risen from 4.8% to 24.1%, and the proportion of down jackets with a unit price of less than 1,000 yuan has dropped from more than half to less than 20%.
Judging from the financial report data, Bosideng’s high-end strategy seems to have succeeded. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, Bosideng’s revenue is 16.214 billion yuan. From the perspective of revenue composition, the brand down jacket business is still the company’s largest source of income, contributing 13.223 billion yuan in revenue during the period, accounting for 81.6%.
However, in terms of sales volume alone, high-end products, especially ultra-high-end series, obviously cannot replace low-end and mid-end products and become the main source of revenue for Bosideng.
According to Bosideng’s financial report, as of March 31, 2022, among the online sales of Bosideng brand down jackets, products below 1,800 yuan/piece accounted for 53.1%. In addition, Ranciyuan found in the sales volume of an online flagship store in Bosideng that among the down jacket category, the prices of the top ten best-selling products are all below 1,000 yuan, and the price range of down jackets with monthly average sales of more than 1,000 pieces is 600 yuan. -1500 yuan. In contrast, its 10,000 yuan down jacket, such as the Dengfeng 2.0 aviation technology innovation down jacket, only has 5 people to pay.
Cheng Weixiong told Ranjiyuan that as far as the current domestic down jacket market is concerned, from the perspective of the industry’s price increase rate and production costs, few consumers will pay for domestic down jackets that cost more than 3,000 yuan. More consumers still focus on down jackets worth less than 1,000 yuan when consuming.
“At present, there is no real high-end brand in the domestic down jacket industry, because high-end brands have their own brand stories and origins, and are more original and different, and have higher price increase ratios. They have excellent brand images and high-quality products. The product is effectively integrated with its own culture, and has a high-end life scene and a certain consumption base.” Cheng Weixiong further said.
Cheng Weixiong said that for Bosideng, although its exploration of high-end brands has brought about growth in performance, it is still in an awkward position. In the perception of users, Bosideng is still a popular down jacket brand. Bosideng should not be “higher than high” on the way of price increase. The product price needs to return to the position required by the market. It is not that the price increase can improve the brand power.
In addition, it should be noted that high-end is by no means done once and for all. Behind the high prices are higher requirements from consumers and stricter supervision from the market.
“In the down garment industry, it is correct and necessary for the brand to transform towards mid-to-high-end, which will drive the progress of the industry.” Cheng Weixiong believes that at present, the brand of China’s down garment industry is in the cultivation stage of transformation to high-end, which needs to include research and development. , Sales, advertising and other aspects of a lot of investment. However, if Chinese down jacket brands really want to develop towards mid-to-high end, they still need to continue to make efforts in brand power, product power, and service power.
*Li Xi, Yu Ning, Qiqi and Xiaoxiao are all pseudonyms in this article.
*Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall the information or opinions expressed in this article constitute investment advice for anyone.
(Disclaimer: This article only represents the author’s point of view, not the position of Sina.com.)
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We have covered the Adoption tax credit in detail on this blog before, so this is more of a refresher for those that need more information on the adoption tax credit.
NJ Today recently published this article which highlights six important aspects for adoptive parents to remember about the adoption tax credit.
As Adoption STAR mentioned in past blog posts, if you adopted in 2010 or 2011 you can be credited as much as $13,170 from “qualified adoption expenses.” The article defines qualified adoption expenses as “reasonable and necessary expenses directly related to the legal adoption of the child who is under 18 years old, or physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself or herself.” According to the article, these expenses can be adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees and travel expenses.
Many adoptive parents have filed for this tax credit and have been waiting for their claim, and this is because the IRS is reviewing all of the cases to “safeguard against improper claims” according to the article. However, if you are expecting a refund for more than the adoption credit, you will receive this part of your refund while your adoption tax credit application is being reviewed.
For more information on the Adoption tax credit speak to your Adoption STAR family advocate as well as a tax professional.


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Why did Target fail in Canada? It wasn't the U.S. Target
The collapse of Target in Canada can be partly blamed on the giant retailer neglecting to re-create the U.S. Target, says a business expert.
That is, shoppers expected the same type of store that drew them across the border but what they found was higher prices and a lack of the products they wanted, said Barry Prentice, a professor with the Asper School of Business in Winnipeg.
My surprise is that they're giving up so quickly.- Fang Wan, Asper School of Business
"The service wasn't the same," he said, adding Target maybe misunderstood the Canadian market.
"They may have had signals, based on cross-border shopping, in which they thought, 'Well, all of these Canadians are coming down, they must love us.' And perhaps they thought the Canadian retail [market] must be weak or something wrong if all these Canadians are coming across the border, therefore it would be a cakewalk to come in.
"Things went wrong, obviously."
On Thursday, Target announced it is pulling out of Canada, closing all 133 stores and putting 17,000 employees out of work. It has already filed an application for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.
- What you can expect as Target Canada winds down
- TIMELINE | Target's hits and misses
- ANALYSIS | Middle class retailers dying a slow death: Don Pittis
The decision comes less than two years after the first Canadian stores opened in March 2013 in Ontario.
Fang Wan, an associate professor of marketing at the Asper School of Business, says hearing of Target's business woes in Canada does not surprise her.
"My surprise is that they're giving up so quickly," Wan said.
"They just built a lot of the stores and they spent a lot of money. It's such a new expansion, right?"
Stores in Winnipeg, Brandon
Target opened stores in the Kildonan Place and Southdale shopping centres in May 2013, and the Grant Park shopping centre location in November that same year.
The biggest Winnipeg location, a 107,000-square-foot, stand-alone store near the Polo Park Shopping Centre, opened its doors just three months ago.
CBC News reporter Meaghan Ketcheson spoke to a couple of employees on the way into the Polo Park location on Thursday morning. They did not want to be interviewed but said they are shocked.
In addition to the four Winnipeg stores, Target has one other Manitoba location — in Brandon, where the store employs more than 100 people and is the anchor retailer at the Shoppers Mall, the city's main shopping centre.
"That shopping centre, I think, relies on a lot of the foot traffic from that Target store," said Jordan Ludwig of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
"I don't know if they have any any plans going forward. We know that it's been kind of a revolving door at that particular location."
Ludwig added that smaller cities like Brandon will be hit harder than others when the Target stores shut down.
"You take 120 to 150 people out of our labour force here in Brandon, Manitoba, a town of 50,000 people — that's a big effect, and it will have ripple effects for our local economy here," he said.
'Decided to cut their losses'
Prentice said the exchange rate changing probably had some impact on why Target's prices were higher in Canada than the U.S. locations, but the Canadian retail market is also competitive, maybe more so than Target thought.
"You have entrenched retailers here and coming in is very expensive to get started and established and they just probably had a hard time making ends meet and therefore it wasn't a profitable thing for them to do," he said.
"So rather than continue to lose money, which I suspect they were doing, they decided to cut their losses and retreat.”
Target lost almost $1 billion in its first year in Canada, and while the losses have shrank since then, the chain is still losing money daily. CEO Brian Cornell stated in a press release Thursday that the Canadian stores were on-track to continue losing money for at least another six years.
Target has hired international consultancy Alvarez & Marsal to oversee the liquidation and wind-down process. The stores will remain open while the company completes the that process.


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Lindsay Lohan is attempting to be a redhead again
Sometimes it seems that nothing can ever go right in Lindsay Lohan’s life. Whether it’s a night out that turns into a screaming match with her mom (featuring an appearance from the police) or a seemingly simple trip to the hair salon that ends with her the wrong shade of red, things aren’t always easy for Lilo.
The star of Liz & Dick (which we’re actually excited to see) walked the red carpet at the Mr. Pink Ginseng Drink launch party last night and debuted a new and extremely uneven dye job. After being a strawberry blonde for most the summer, the actress/singer/paparazzi’s #1 gal showed off a deep auburn colour with an accidental ombré effect. Her roots show a tinge of deep-purple, the middle is washed-out and the ends seem to be doing their own fiery red thing.
Much to our relief, Lohan said she’s not that into her new colour and told E! News, “It’s actually the wrong colour than it’s supposed to be … But it’s the colour of my natural hair and it will get there.”
We hear you, Lindsay. We hope it gets there, and gets there soon.


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Early last month, Tourism Selangor organized a “Pusing Selangor Dulu Travel Fair” at Concourse Square, Paradigm Mall, to revitalize domestic tourism, especially in Selangor. Successfully conducted by the Selangor State’s Executive Council Member of Tourism and Environment, Y.B. Tuan Hee Loy Sian, Tourism Selangor will be venturing into other Malaysian States in 2022 with Jelajah Pusing Selangor Dulu 2022, as part of the promotional initiatives of “Pusing Selangor Dulu” Domestic Tourism Campaign.
Exhibitors such as MAS Golden Holidays, Jump Street Asia, Sky Mirror Travel & Tours, Wet World Water Park Shah Alam, and Skytrex Sg. Chongkak had set up booths at the travel fair, where they offered exclusive travel promotions, cultural performances, pop quizzes, and lucky draws for the visitors.
The travel fair attracted more than 5,000 visitors during the opening; The collaboration between YBhg. Che Puan Juliana Evans and the travel fair to launch JEVANS Jewelry played a big role in attracting a large crowd.
Y.B. Tuan Hee Loy Sian stated, “In 2019, Selangor managed to attract a staggering 30 million tourists, which certainly imposed a positive impact on the state’s economy, particularly its tourism industry.” As he added, “The Pusing Selangor Dulu Travel Fair is among our many initiatives planned to revamp those numbers in this pandemic era.”
During the launch, Chief Executive Officer of Moovby, Encik Nik Muhammad Amin and Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Selangor, Mr. Azrul Shah Mohamad also made an appearance for the Pusing Selangor Dulu Travel Fair debut.


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Cannabis sales in Nevada hit $639 million in its latest fiscal year, a 20% jump over sales of $530 million for the same period a year ago, providing the latest sign of the strength of the state's MJ market. Riana Durrett, executive director of the Nevada Dispensary Association, said in a release the figures show that residents and tourists are "becoming more comfortable purchasing cannabis." But she added the illicit market continues to take sales away from the market. The release by the Neva...
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Nokia and Motorola both saw a notable rise in their market shares -- their combined share rose almost 10% and this is due to the two companies focus in the low-end mobile phone market in the first half of 2007. Lenovo, in fourth place, is the leading homegrown brand with a 5.7% share, slightly ahead of Sony Ericsson's 4.9% share.
Nokia and Motorola accounted for 57% of the market of mobile phones priced between RMB 500-700. Their share of the market of mobile phones priced under RMB 500 reached as high as 70%.
More than 71 million mobile phone sets were sold in China in the first half of 2007, a 25% rise on the year-earlier first half. Revenues rose just 5.5% year-on-year to RMB 85 billion in the first half of 2007.


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Businesses with a single property with a Rateable Value of under £12,000 will pay no rates under the new plans. BADA are concerned that the scheme will have little or no impact in helping London’s antique dealers.
“We have campaigned for protection for art and antique dealers in areas such as St James’s and Pimlico,” said BADA CEO Marco Forgione. “It will be interesting to discover how other landlords are treating dealers.”
Meanwhile, BADA auctions have announced their first online sale on July 14. Just over 400 lots have been submitted from more than 40 members. A further 20 members have expressed an interest in signing up for the second auction.


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On Wednesday, Apple fanboys around the world clamour about their Macbooks as Apple unveiled their latest iPhones, along with an updated version of its Apple TV, which now comes with its own app store and a voice-controlled remote control, and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro at a San Francisco media event.
The new phones, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, look like their predecessors that debuted last year, but with newer and cooler features that include an improved camera, a speedier processor and a new feature called 3D Touch that lets users make different commands and reach shortcuts and menus simply by pressing down harder or going softer on the screen.
Also, the phones now come in rose gold, on top of its existing selection of silver, grey and gold.
The release date for Malaysia has not yet been announced by Apple yet, so those of you who can’t wait to get your hands on the latest iPhones will likely be getting it from Singapore, where the phones will be available from September 25 onwards.
However, with the falling Ringgit (which is 3.04 against the Singapore dollar at this time in writing), it is now more expensive than ever for Malaysians to own an iPhone.
For instance, the cheapest 16GB variant of the iPhone 6s, which retails at SG$1,048 (RM3,188.98) will cost you approximately 36.80% more if you bought it from Singapore today than a 16GB iPhone 6 would have cost you in 2014.
But let’s face facts – you would probably want to get at least 64GB worth of storage. An iPhone 6s of this variant would today set you back by about RM3,706.28, that’s almost RM1,000 more than what you would have paid for a 64GB iPhone 6 a year ago.
Here’s a (highly depressing) comparison of how much more Malaysians will have to fork out for the latest iPhone models today:
|Price of iPhone 6 in 2014
|Price of iPhone 6s in 2015
|Price of iPhone 6 Plus in 2014
|Price of iPhone 6s Plus in 2015
*Conversion rates for SGD to MYR stood at roughly 2.54 in September 2014, and 3.04 in September 2015 (at the point of writing).
Why is it so expensive?
With new improvements come a heftier price tag. Let’s take a look at some new and improved iPhone features:
1. 3D Touch
According to Apple, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus introduce the 3D Touch that will allow users to navigate and experience the iPhone by sensing pressure to enable new gestures – Peek and Pop™ – so you can dip in and out of content effortlessly.
Press lightly to “peek” at a photo, email or webpage, and press a little harder to “pop” into the content itself. With these functions, the 3D Touch provides shortcuts to let you send a message or take a selfie with just a simple press from the home screen.
2. Camera innovations
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus both come with a new A8 processor and an upgraded 12-megapixel rear camera (from its previous 8-megapixel), and is able to shoot 4k (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) videos and “Live Photos”.
These live photos essentially turn photos into GIF-like short videos and is achieved by capturing moments before and after a picture was snapped, which is really quite cool.
The front-facing camera also received an upgrade with a 5-megapixel camera, a major boon for the selfie lover (or if you’re Kim Kardashian). Further, the iPhone camera can now fire a flash using the phone’s display, and is able to shoot panoramic pictures as well as slo-mo videos.
3. Technological upgrades
As predicted, the new iPhones come with a new processor. This time around it is the 64-bit A9 chip, which is 70% faster than the A8, and 90% faster when it comes to graphic performance.
That A9 chip is paired with an M9 motion co-processor that collates health and fitness data to help the A9 run more efficiently and focus on other tasks.
In addition, the second-generation Touch ID fingerprint sensor is also up to two times faster.
The new iPhones also support up to 23 LTE bands — the most in any smartphone — for better worldwide roaming.
Further, it comes with improved Siri features and more powerful built-in apps, including a new and improved news app for better news reading experience. Software updates for the new iOS will also require less space to install. It also comes with more advanced security features to further protect our devices.
Like it or not, our falling currency has had a direct impact on burgeoning iPhone prices (among other things). For instance, the new 16GB iPhone 6s only costs S$129 more than the 16GB iPhone 6 in 2014.
However, the conversion rate for the Singapore dollar to the Ringgit has risen from 2.54 to 3.04 over the past year.
So while the actual price difference between the two iPhone models is only S$129, when you take today’s exchange rate (3.04 at the point in writing) into account, the price difference in Ringgit is much more significant – at roughly RM857.98 more!
Had the exchange rate stayed at 2.54, the 16G iPhone 6s would have cost Malaysians just RM2,661.92, or RM527.06 less than what we would be paying today.
Will you buy the new iPhone? Are the new features worth the heftier price tag? Or are the new prices a deterrent? It does come in rose gold…and it takes pretty pictures…
Dream of owning the latest Apple gadget, but is fazed by the hefty price tag? Instead of parting with a kidney, check out these cool credit card hacks. The Maybank 2 cards for instance, lets you pay for big-ticket items with an easy, interest-free instalment plan.


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Two significant members of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) have announced the termination of their memberships due to perceived inaction following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On Wednesday (March 30) Pandora Group and Richemont made separate public statements declaring an end their respective relationships with the RJC.
Richemont is headquartered in Bellevue, Switzerland and is a luxury goods holding company which most notably owns Cartier, the iconic French watchmaker and jewellery manufacturer.
Richemont has a revenue stream exceeding €14 billion a year ($AU20.82 billion) and is the world’s third largest luxury goods company behind LVMH and Estee Lauder Companies.
According to Reuters, Richemont CFO Burkhart Grund spoke to reports at the Watches and Wonders industry fair in Geneva on Wednesday.
“We’re not trying to make a statement per se, we’re trying to uphold the very high standards we’ve been shaping over last 15 years,” Grund said.
“If RJC cannot uphold highest of standards, then we cannot be part of that. That’s why we stepped down.”
Cartier president and CEO Cyrille Vigneron doubled down on this statement.
“It is not part of our Richemont values to be part of an organization in which some members are supporting conflicts and wars.”
Pandora walks out
Until now, Pandora Group has been a member of the RJC for 12 years.
“We are shocked and saddened by the unprovoked attack on Ukraine, and our thoughts go to the people of Ukraine, who are victims of this senseless act of military aggression,” Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik said on Wednesday.
“The war requires all businesses to act with the utmost responsibility regarding any interactions or business dealings with Russia and Belarus.
“Pandora cannot in good faith be a member of an association that does not share our values.”
Pandora’s announcement highlighted the RJC’s failure to suspend the memberships of Russian companies following the invasion in late February as the core reason for ending the partnership.
Pandora stated that it has specifically requested the RJC make those suspensions and used the announcement to clarify the company’s position on business dealings with Russia.
“On 24 February, Pandora suspended all business with Russia and Belarus. Pandora has also instructed all its suppliers and business partners that no raw materials, products or services supplied to Pandora can come directly or indirectly from Russia or Belarus,” the statement reads.
Pandora was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Copenhagen in Denmark. As of 2021 the company has more than 7,000 locations world wide and reported revenue of 19 billion kroner ($AU2.95 billion). Since the invasion, the company has donated $US1 million to UNICEF to help fund relief efforts for children affected by the conflict.


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An additional 775 cases and 83 deaths were reported by provincial health officials in Quebec on Tuesday. This brings the total number of cases in Quebec to 25,757, and the total number of COVID-19-related deaths to 1,682.
Premier François Legault said in a news conference on Tuesday that the province will be reopening some businesses in May, including manufacturing businesses, construction and civil engineering businesses, and stores that are not located inside shopping malls. He said the goal is to see if there is any impact on contagion or on hospitals. Retail stores that meet the criteria will be able to open beginning May 4, except for those in the Montreal region, where it will be May 11.
Public Health Director Horacio Arruda said that all businesses that reopen could be subject to more closures, depending on what the result is.


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Amazon Fresh will open its second Montgomery County location at 8531 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace on Thursday, September 1, according to a BizJournals report. This will Also be the second Amazon Fresh in Chevy Chase with additional MoCo locations coming to Gaithersburg and White Oak.
According to the article, Chevy Chase Lake Amazon Fresh location will be “outfitted with Amazon’s cashierless Just Walk Out technology.” The upcoming Gaithersburg location will also have the same technology and may open later this month, though that has not been confirmed by Amazon.
Amazon Fresh has been described as an everyday grocery store with slightly lower prices, whereas Amazon-owned Whole Foods focuses on natural and organic foods at a higher price point. Some products from the Whole Foods 365 will be available at Amazon Fresh and the grocery store encourages the use of Amazon Prime.


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Apple is making updates to Apple TV. The company believes the future of television is apps. In one year, developers have built 8,000 apps for Apple TV.
By the end of the year, Apple says a major game will be added: Minecraft. The announcement was made at a product launch in Cupertino.
“Now, you can build new worlds on your Apple TV, and play with your friends using iPhones and iPads,” said CEO Tim Cook.
Apple showcased how Apple TV can let users stream live social media reactions while watching sports content as an example of how the interface enables multitasking on a single screen.
Apple also launched a new app simply called TV, a cross-platform app focused on searching, discovering, and saving content to watch. The company says it will “completely change how we watch television.”
“Using apps on Apple TV, iPhone and iPad has become the primary way for so many of us to watch television,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “The TV app shows you what to watch next and easily discover TV shows and movies from many apps in a single place.”
Siri also got some attention, now accepting voice commands to automatically tune into live streams across Apple TV apps.


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Will Dow Jones Outperform Nasdaq 100 as Inflation Debates Heat Up?
What's on this page
DOW JONES FUNDAMENTALFORECAST: BULLISH
- Dow Jones gained 11.4% while the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.2% since early February
- Rising commodity prices sent the 5-year breakeven inflation rate to a 13-year high
- Reflation hopes may continue to buoy Dow Jones as the US and Europe prepare to ease lockdowns
The reflation theme appears to have returned to center stage, encouraging investors to rotate away from pandemic winners and into cyclical sectors such as energy, materials and financials. Investors applauded reopening optimism as parts of the Unites States and Europe prepare to ease Covid-related lockdown measures. Meanwhile, the 5-year breakeven inflation rate hit a 13-year high as commodity prices continued to rise, underscoring supply shortages and pent-up demand.
The US aims to have 70% of adults vaccinated before July 4th. A positive vaccine outlook may dent demand for digital products and services, enticing profit-taking in some of the world’s largest technology companies such as Apple, Amazon and Netflix. The upcoming summer driving season may further boost physical demand for fuel, hotels, cars and entertainment.Against this backdrop, the Dow Jones Industrial Average may continue to outperform the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 as the economy moves towards normalization.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 11.4% since early February while the Nasdaq 100 index fell 0.2% during the same period (chart below). This makes perfect sense in the context of a return-to-normal earnings boost for brick-and-mortal businesses at the expense of digital services.
Dow Jones vs. Nasdaq 100 – February to May 2021
Chart created with TradingView
Reflation hopes and robust demand sent commodity prices to their highest level since 2011, according to an index compiled by Bloomberg. The gauge comprises a wide range of energy, metal and agricultural products. The 5-year breakeven rate, a proxy of bond traders’ inflation expectations, surged to 2.7% - a level not seen since 2008 (chart below).
Rising inflation expectations and robust economic data have seeded divergence among Fed officials. Some of them suggested it is time to debate tapering stimulus while a majority supported the view that upward price pressure might be transitory. The knee-jerk reaction last week following Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s interest rate comments reflected the fragility of risk assets amid tapering fears. Polarised views on the Fed’s future monetary policy guidance may lead to higher volatility in the stock market, especially the rate-sensitive technology sector.
Commodity Prices vs. 5-Year Breakeven Inflation
Source: Bloomberg, DailyFX
--- Written by Margaret Yang, Strategist for DailyFX.com
To contact Margaret, use the Comments section below or @margaretyjy on Twitter
DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.