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With few facets of our lives left unchanged by the unparalleled impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s almost certain that travel will forever look and feel different in a post-COVID world.
It’s not all bad news; innovation within the travel industry will accelerate faster than ever to respond to marked shifts in travel expectations and behaviours. Holidaymakers will prioritise a heightened level of travel safety and more sustainable travel offerings, as well as evolve their preferences for where and with whom they travel. Indeed, though things look uncertain right now, 2021 and beyond may well show itself to be a time of opportunity and unique growth.
All of this will catapult demand for a deeper value from the trips we book in the future. With the help of a recent survey by booking.com, who sought the views of 20’000 travellers across 28 countries on their future travel plans, here are 9 predictions for future travel trends.
BYE BYE TO 9 TO 5
Working remotely has become the norm during the pandemic, and it’s likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. A knock-on effect, we think, is that people will look to take longer trips in the future that more effectively combine work and pleasure.
No longer confined to five days a week in an office and desperate for a change of scene from the new, already staid Working From Home (WFH) existence, we’ll see a significant rise in the ‘Workcation’, with travellers looking to extend their vacation experience in new locales by staying an extra week or two to work remotely – or conversely factoring in a holiday around a stint of remote working. Expect laptops to become even more of a mainstay in luggage than ever before, and an attractive spot on which to run them a must-have when choosing where to stay.
We also anticipate that AirBnb and other accommodation rental platforms begin pushing home/office setups abroad with zeal. As a result, expect the recent years’ trend of digital nomadism to continue to rise exponentially once travel is once again properly permitted.
Amidst new waves of travel hiatuses, restrictions and continued uncertainty, our innate human desire to travel has not been dampened. In fact, it’s only been encouraged further, with the overfamiliarity of home’s four walls having Brits chomping at the bit to get away somewhere far flung and foreign.
Because of this, we can expect travel companies to get creative in 2021 with new itineraries and recommendations designed to capture the imaginations of travellers who missed out on trips in 2020 and are looking for somewhere unfamiliar and exciting to explore to make their next trip more meaningful. Until then, check out our tips on satisfying your wanderlust during lockdown.
The financial legacy of Coronavirus will inevitably see people demand more bang for their buck from their holidays in the future. Expect to see travellers take a more price conscious approach when it comes to searching and planning a trip, with promotions and savings sought out with enthusiasm.
The value consumers expect will go beyond the cost of plane tickets and hotel room rates. With trust issues and uncertainty likely to endure for some years after the crisis is contained, consumers will likely push travel booking platforms into increasing their transparency about cancellation policies, refund processes and trip insurance options. Refundable accommodation will almost certainly become standard, too.
As such, the industry will need to come together to respond inventively to offer deeper value, better choice, increased flexibility and transparency as well as more thoughtful experiences for tomorrow’s travellers as they scrutinise their spending in 2021 and beyond.
FAMILIARISTS NOT TOURISTS
Staycations and short distance excursions have offered great respite to itchy-footed Brits not able to board a plane and fly further afield.
Looking ahead, staying closer to home and becoming ‘familiarists’ rather than tourists will continue to be at the forefront of travel agendas. Expect travel within the UK to see a huge growth next year, as people take their first tentative steps into holiday mode once again.
Travel companies will likely respond by offering more historic and cultural heritage tours to educate and entertain visitors, as well as vying for tourists’ attention. All this will, in turn, fuel a road trip renaissance to explore forgotten local gems, a renewed passion to support local business and communities as they seek to rebuild, and inspire a newfound sense of pride in the history and beauty of Britain.
Our appetite to consume travel content, get creative with our travel plans and share our travel dreams with each other will continue to grow exponentially over the coming year. Seeking comfort and distraction during weeks in lockdown, a whopping 95% of travellers (according to the survey we mentioned earlier) spent time online looking for vacation inspiration and escapism.
As restrictions continue to ebb and flow, we can expect destinations and accommodation providers to come up with even more inventive ways to capitalise on travellers’ heightened desire to escape reality and connect them with the experiences that await – from accommodation companies revamping their social media presence by leveraging content created by influencers who visited pre lockdown, to local tourist boards creating inspiring Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) content to visually showcase the best these places have to offer. Perhaps even tours of potential destinations will be offered via Virtual Reality to entice tourists to unfamiliar climes.
SAFETY CLEANS UP
Unsurprisingly, global travellers are going to demand more visible safety and sanitary practices from airlines, travel companies and accommodation providers. Governments, travel associations and providers will have to work cohesively to set consistent standards to help keep travellers safe and reassure (and encourage) them to start spending on holidays again.
In the short-term, there will also be a change in transport preference and provisions, with many opting to avoid public transport altogether for fear of contracting coronavirus. This will cause a longer-term shift in how people travel to and around their vacation destinations, with more people choosing to rent or drive their own car. The ‘new normal’ will also see travellers prioritise and adhere to increased health and safety measures, with many becoming ingrained sooner than we think.
Just as we have become accustomed to travelling without liquids in our carry-on luggage and removing shoes to go through airport security, expect travelling to destinations that have health spot checks on arrival and wearing a mask on board all modes of transport to both become second nature, too.
Coronavirus has led to many holidaymakers wanting the travel industry to adopt a more sustainable mindset for the long-term by offering more attractive off-season travel packages and proposing alternative destinations to prevent overcrowding. Because of this heightened awareness of travel’s impact on the environment, expect airlines, tour companies and even hotels to go completely plastic free in the next couple of years.
There are also strong signals for travel operators to be more transparent about how travellers’ money is being used to rebuild a community, paving the way for more regenerative tourism. In short, responsible travel will be one of the key drivers in tourist spending patterns in future years.
As we learn to live with the consequences of the pandemic in 2021 and beyond, travellers will be keen to embrace a new and stripped-back way of experiencing the world. So much time spent in our own homes with our loved ones has given birth to adjusted travel priorities and a desire to enjoy the great outdoors with more gusto than ever before. Vast expanses, free from crowds and corporate intrusion will reign supreme.
Use of simple, streamlined messaging using terms such as ‘hiking’, ‘clean air’, ‘nature’ and ‘relaxation’ have increased since the start of the pandemic; expect the coming years to see rural, back-to-basics holidays thriving.
Considering the renewed emphasis on privacy, sufficient space and personal control over cleanliness and hygiene, it is not surprising that we will see travellers look for accommodation ‘closer to home’ with 42% preferring to stay in a rented holiday home, villa or apartment rather than in a hotel, contrasting 2019 when 64% of travellers favoured staying in a hotel.
Tech innovation will play a crucial role in rebuilding traveller confidence and we will see the accelerated use of tech to adapt to a new type of traveller. Technology will help us regain the spontaneity, confidence and ease of times past, while at the same time help people travel safely and responsibly. Hyper personalisation of holidays and travel experiences will likely follow.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The travel industry is set to be a very different beast in the post-COVID climate, with travellers demanding cleanliness, transparency and personalisation like never before. It’s going to be up to the industry to adapt with dexterity, flexibility and speed if it’s going to survive.


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A biomass plant located in Placer County, California, has developed a use for the dead trees covering the local landscape. Biomass is a source of energy that can be released, usually from burning wood or other organic matter. Due to the challenges of our current environment, new businesses such as these are being born.
One of the places where the innovative technology is being utilized the most is in the Sierra National Forest, where there are presently too many dead trees. In the past seven years, the California “die-off” crisis has claimed more than 102 million trees, which occupy more than eight million acres.
At the Rio Bravo Rocklin Biomass plant, they burn the trees to generate energy and electricity to run the plant. The Placer County facility receives between 25 and 40 truckloads of the state’s dead trees each day. “There’s a good amount that’s available to us right now. It’s good fuel for the plant,” said a plant manager. “We take woody waste material and put it in a boiler. The flame generates heat, which generates steam, which creates electricity.”
In addition to producing energy, there are other ways to put dead, rotted and even beetle-infested wood to use, and other companies are capitalizing on it. “We got into this because we want to help solve a problem,” said Sam Schabacker, co-founder of Sapphire Pine, a start-up furniture company that uses lumber from California’s devastated forests.
Sapphire’s other co-founder, Sandra Lupien, explains, “The pests, when alive, causes a fungus that leaves behind a bluish hue. It changes the color tones of the grain. So it creates these beautiful colors.”
“Instead of cutting down healthy trees, we can use trees that have already succumbed,” says Lupien. “We’re really hoping that people will have deeper conversations about what is happening with our forests in California.”
While the re-use of wood has become big business for some companies, the message is clear that what’s most important is the environment.

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Schwarzenegger: Decaying Infrastructure Is Hurting Economy
"Our infrastructure is more than just a quality-of-life issue. It is an economic issue. Americans waste billions of dollars while semi-trucks carry goods on gridlocked roads and lose millions of gallons of water in leaky old pipes. We lose time and dollars because our ports are not computerized or modern enough to meet today's demands. Our businesses lose real dollars because our buildings are not energy efficient. This kind of waste raises the costs of everything from clothing to cars to raw carrots. It's clear that the faster we can move people and goods, the stronger our economy is. In short, we are a dinosaur economy trying to compete in a space-age global environment."


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The entertainment store, in East Street, is one of 141 stores around the country which has been bought by Hilco UK, a retail restructuring company.
After news broke this morning of the rescue deal, a spokeswoman from Hilco confirmed that the Chichester branch was one of the 141 stores.
Hilco today completed the acquisition of the business from its administrators Deloitte.
It is estimated 2,500 employees work at the 141 stores.
Paul McGowan, CEO of Hilco, said: “We have spent a number of weeks negotiating revised terms with landlords and the key suppliers to the business, all of whom have been supportive of our plans to maintain an entertainment retailer on the high street.”
“We hope to replicate some of the success we have had in the Canadian market with the HMV Canada business which we acquired almost two years ago and which is now trading strongly.
“The structural differences in the markets and the higher level of competition in the UK will prove additional challenges for the UK business but we believe it has a successful future ahead of it.”
The HMV UK business will initially be led by a Hilco team working alongside existing management.
One of the team’s leaders, Ian Topping, said: “This is an exciting investment for the Hilco team and we will be able to use some of the developments already progressed in Canada to restore HMV to health.
“We intend to reverse the earlier decisions to sell tablets and other devices in the stores and to reclaim the space for an enhanced music and visual range.”


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Thursday, 18 December 2014
Last updated 14 hours ago
Dec 13 2006 | 11:06am ET
Bear Stearns Merchant Banking, the Wall Street giant's private equity affiliate, has added a former Toys “R” Us executive to its retail group.
Richard Markee, formerly vice chairman of Toys “R” Us and vice president of merchandising at Target, is the New York-based private p.e. firm's newest operating partner. At Toys “R” Us, he led both the growth and expansion of the Babies “R” Us chain and Toys “R” Us Japan.
Dec 1 2014 | 10:21am ET
As 2014 winds down, Northern Trust Hedge Fund Services executives took some time to share their outlook on trends facing the industry in 2015. Read more…
Jeff Sprecher was simply looking for a platform to trade energies when launching ICE 14 years ago but it has grown to reach the pinnacle of both the listed futures and equities world.


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The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence climbed for the third straight week, with a brighter outlook for long-term economic growth offset by concern around household finances.
The confidence index climbed by 0.9% last week to a reading of 112.3, which is still slightly below its long-term average:
ANZ’s head of Australian Economics David Plank identified signs of improvement in Australia’s labour market as one driver of recent increases in the index.
“ANZ Job Ads and other business surveys point to further gains in employment in coming months, following on from the strong result in March,” Plank said.
Household expectations for both the near-term (within 12 months) and longer term (five years) economic outlook both jumped last week, rising by 5% and 4.9% respectively.
Both readings are still noticeably below their long-term average, although the five-year outlook has now hit its highest level since mid-February:
Sentiment towards household finances was mixed, with views towards current financial conditions falling by 3.3% last week.
That more than offset a rise of 2.6% the week before, while the view towards long-term financial conditions rose slightly by 1.2%.
Plank said that while recent steady rises in consumer confidence were encouraging, sentiment towards household finances was unlikely to reach the levels seen in the second half of 2016.
That ties in with comments from RBA governor Philip Lowe last week, who noted the economy was more susceptible to reduced household spending as consumers focus on financing their mortgages.
This chart shows the fall in household’s views towards their finances since the 2016 peak:
“As pointed out by the RBA, household balance sheets are somewhat stressed because of high levels of debt and low wage growth. The outlook for spending remains under pressure as households adjust to this reality,” Plank said.
“Today’s retail sales release should provide more information on this front. We expect only a modest pickup in March, following the fall in February. We will then look to see whether this evening’s Budget provides any reason to expect a major move in household sentiment.”
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As the 2021 fiscal year nears its end in Malayasia the Solarvest Holdings Berhad group has rounded it off with all-time high profits while weathering the COVID19 pandemic. The annual general meeting with all of its shareholders has concluded on September 30th, at which all resolutions were approved.
The company delivered an all-time high net profit of RM16.1 million (3.8 Million USD) and as of September 1st, 2021 the company had a record-breaking unfilled order book of RM560 Million (133 Million USD).
The company is looking to further increase their growth, investments and involvement in driving Malayasia towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
“Our growth prospects remain intact, and the outlook ahead is promising underpinned by the recent Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12MP) where sustainability was tabled as one of the key recovery themes. This will further drive demand for solar energy as renewable energy source is a key pillar to achieve a sustainable ecosystem.” said Group Chief Executive Officer of Solarvest, Mr. Davis Chong Chun Shiong (张俊雄), “Solarvest is well poised to play a significant role in advancing the adoption of solar energy and contribute to the growth of green economy that will propel the country towards a carbon-neutral nation.”
The company will be implementing plans to expand their portfolio via solar generation and solar investments. Already Solarvest has invested in an LSS development (Large Scale Solar), Mr. Shiong continued “Our goal is to grow the contribution of our solar assets portfolio to represent one-third of our total revenue in five years. This will allow us to generate recurring revenue stream that improves our earnings visibility and long-term sustainability.”
The company has launched the “Powervest” financing program to reduce the financial barrier private and public consumers face when attempting to transition to renewable solutions. The program gives consumers two options, Powerflex and Powerlease, allowing them to choose to finance or lease their products and services.
This program hopes to increase the rate of businesses converting to solar energy solutions. Mr. Shiong concluded, “All in all, Solarvest remains steadfast in delivering a sustainable growth trajectory that creates value to our shareholders and stakeholders.”


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SF Supervisors limit ads for sugary drinks
Soda advertisements, such as the one above in Bernal Heights, are the target of three new city ordinances. Photo courtesy of The San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, last week, introduced three ordinances aimed at decreasing the purchase and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Sponsored by Supervisors Scott Wiener, Eric Mar and Malia Cohen, the three-pronged legislation, proposed on March 10, would prohibit advertising sugar-sweetened beverages on publicly owned city property, bar city departments from selling or distributing such drinks and require warning labels on advertisements.
“Soda companies are spending billions of dollars every year to target low-income and minority communities, which also happen to some of the communities with the highest risks of Type II diabetes. This is not a coincidence,” said Supervisor Malia Cohen. “This ban on soda advertising will help bridge this existing health inequity.”
According to the San Francisco Budget and Legislative Office, sugary-drinks contribute to a financial impact of over $50 million dollars when accounting for costs associated with fighting diabetes and obesity.
Last year, a proposed soda tax in San Francisco failed to gain a two-thirds majority vote. Soda companies reportedly spent $10 million to defeat the measure.
CalBev, a representative of the non-alcoholic beverage industry in California, released a statement attacking the Board, referring to the warning labels as, “anti-consumer choice.” The association also stated, “supervisors are further misleading the public by suggesting that soda is the driving force behind obesity and related health issues,” according to the San Jose Mercury News.
A 2012 study by the American Public Health Association estimated that a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages could reduce consumption by 10 to 20 percent over the next decade. This projected decrease in consumption, the study stated, could decrease instances of diabetes up to 5.6 percent in the same time frame, with higher reduction rates associated with Mexican Americans, African Americans and those in lower income brackets.
The proposed warning labels would be placed on advertisements for sugar-sweetened drinks with 25 or more calories per 12 ounces. According to a statement issued by Wiener, the labels will state, “WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. This is a message from the City and County of San Francisco.” The ordinance requires that these labels take up at least 20 percent of the advertisement.


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Virgin America is the first United States airline to integrate with Visa Checkout, a platform which does not require consumers to enter in credit card information while completing a purchase online or on a mobile device, proving that the airline industry continues to move quickly into the mcommerce sector.
Travel and hospitality
- No categories
Expedia’s announcement of its acquisition of fellow booking company Orbitz arrives on the heels of its recent integration with Travelocity, suggesting that the time has come for travel brands to consolidate in the mobile sector and combine services for a cohesive planning and booking experience.
JetBlue Airways is bolstering its mobile offerings by enabling travelers to purchase snacks, beverages and upgrades to premium seats via Apple Pay, making it the first airline to roll out this feature and suggesting that more will quickly follow as mobile payments cement their status this year.
HotelsByDay, a new mobile application that offers users intra-day hotel options and flexible daytime room stays, hopes to edge out other booking app competitors due to its novel approach at targeting business travelers in need of quiet rooms between flights.
Priceline.com believes that the growing volume of last-minute getaways booked via its services can be attributed to millennials’ browsing tendencies on their smartphones, as well as enhanced booking functions in apps that drive impulse purchases of vacations.
Car rental company Hertz is prompting consumers to enter in its Valentine’s Day sweepstakes via a mobile site to win a date night, including a rental car, dinner and post-dinner entertainment.
Mobile application ParkMe, which allows users to find and secure parking spots, now features a payment feature in Dallas for added value.
The Last Minute Travel Deals mobile application has seen more than half a million downloads since its launch in spring 2014, proving that travel apps with booking functions across all transportation and accommodation channels have appeal in an already crowded space.
Carnival Corporation & plc and MSC Cruises are further integrating mobile strategies onto their cruise ships as consumers look to personal devices for betting and gaming functions, as well as quick access to trip itineraries and the latest ship offers.
As the number of last-minute booking applications grows, travel marketers will need to adopt newer technologies such as Apple Pay and Touch ID to offer streamlined in-app payment options and remain competitive.


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The British economy would likely return to growth in the next six months, buoyed by falling inflation and higher consumer spending, a report from Ernst & Young ITEM Club showed Monday. The economy would see an "Indian summer" this year, the report said.
ITEM Club said inflation should hit 1.7 percent by the end of the year, giving consumers extra cash in their pockets to spend on the high street.
At the same time, it warned that higher consumer spending in the second half of the year would only enable UK GDP to mark time, with zero growth in 2012 as a whole. The Club forecasts 1.6 percent growth in gross domestic product in 2013 and 2.6 percent in 2014.
"Spiralling inflation has cut real wages by 7.5 percent over the last four years, but the squeeze is almost over," said Peter Spencer, chief economic advisor to ITEM Club.
"The boost to household finances and the subsequent pick up in spending should be enough to push the UK back into positive territory this year, but don't expect a consumer led recovery further out," Spencer said.
In the longer term, consumers are going to be more focussed on reducing their debt burden rather than splashing the cash, he added.
According to the report, real disposable incomes are forecast to increase 0.4 percent in 2012, before increasing 1.5 percent in 2013. Consumer spending is expected to be flat for the year as a whole, but may recover growing 1.5 percent in 2013.
ITEM Club said that in the longer term, sustainable growth remains dependent on an improvement in the UK's export performance and business investment.
Spencer said the EU summit in June could have laid the foundations for a gradual revival of business confidence while in the UK, the Treasury's 'funding for lending scheme' should help to free up credit flows.
Meanwhile, the contribution of net trade to GDP contribute very little to GDP this year, at around 0.1 percent.
The latest labor market figures showed a marked improvement in levels of employment in the first quarter. However, the Club report warned that sluggish GDP growth may reverse this positive trend. Unemployment is expected to hit 8.6 percent by the end of the year, peaking at 8.7 percent by 2013.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: email@example.com


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Gabe Aul tweeted a response to the new Start Screen being "so dull without that parallax effect" and said that transparency is coming to Windows 10, but will it arrive with the next Insider update?
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Super Mario Maker Free Game Update Comes Out Today
Today, a software update for Super Mario Maker on Wii U adds some additional items, modes and features to the game, making it even more fun to create, share and play levels from all around the world.
Fans of the Super Mario World game for the Super NES fondly remember the Key item, which, when grabbed, unlocks keyholes and grants access to new parts of the level. With this new free update to Super Mario Maker, both the key and locked doors with keyholes will be added to the game. With this, mandatory boss battles are making a return again!
There is a new obstacle in the game, the foreboding column come to make your life more hard and a “Super Expert” difficulty will be added to the 100-Mario Challenge.
Recently, there have also been some new costumes added to the game, including the always smart and sometimes crazy Professor E. Gadd from the Luigi’s Mansion games, the statue Mario has come back too from Super Mario 3 and even some cute ones like Charmander from Pokemon.
Check out the trailer for the new update down below:
Full Press Release – Source


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Coffee Declines on Signs of Ample Supplies; Cocoa, Sugar Gain
Coffee fell in London and New York on signs of ample supplies. Cocoa and sugar gained.
Arabica coffee bean inventories in warehouses monitored by the ICE Futures U.S. exchange in New York were little changed yesterday at 2.4 million bags, near the highest since May 2010. Exports from Brazil, the world’s largest producer, may rise 23 percent in October from a month earlier, according to Rio de Janeiro-based broker Flavour Coffee. World production may reach 160 million bags in the 2012-13 season, as output increases in Honduras and Mexico, INTL FCStone Inc. said Oct. 25.
“After the harvest from a high-yield year in Brazil had already put pressure on prices of arabica coffee, this effect is now being compounded by rising shipments from Central American countries,” Carsten Fritsch, an analyst at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt, said in an e-mailed report today. “This is having a dampening effect on price performance.”
Robusta coffee for January delivery slid 1 percent to $1,995 a metric ton on NYSE Liffe in London by 10:39 a.m. Arabica coffee for December delivery fell 0.1 percent to $1.615 a pound on ICE.
Yesterday, coffee jumped 2.6 percent in New York on speculation that Sandy, the Atlantic Ocean superstorm, would damage coffee in warehouses in the northeast U.S. About 38 percent of U.S. green-coffee inventories were stored around the New York area, including New Jersey, the Green Coffee Association said on Oct. 15.
“Concerns that coffee warehouses could be flooded by the storm were partly behind the rise in coffee futures,” said David Maloni, the president of the American Restaurant Association, a Sarasota, Florida-based commodity researcher. “Assuming no major damage has occurred, we anticipate coffee prices to once again drift lower over the coming days,” he said in an e-mailed report today.
White, or refined, sugar for March delivery gained 0.3 percent to $525 a ton on NYSE Liffe. Raw sugar for March delivery rose 0.6 percent to 19.53 cents a pound on ICE.
Cocoa for March delivery advanced 0.7 percent to 1,543 pounds ($2,478) a ton in London. Cocoa for December delivery was up 1 percent to $2,374 a ton in New York.
To contact the reporter on this story: Whitney McFerron in London at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Carpenter at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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- TikTok's new "Spark Ads" allow marketers to promote user-generated videos through its ad portal.
- The product lets brands apply demographic targeting, including age gating, to influencer posts.
- One marketer said Spark Ads cost 40% less than TikTok ads to achieve the same conversion goals.
TikTok released a new feature out of beta last week that's helping to bridge the gap between influencer marketing and traditional paid ads.
The feature, dubbed Spark Ads, allows brands to pay to amplify an influencer's video across the app. Creators need to give permission for their video to be promoted. They opt into the feature by sending a custom video-specific code to an advertiser that allows the brand to use it as a creative asset for a campaign.
Marketers are already dreaming up a variety of use cases for the tool.
For example, Lindsey Gamble, an influencer-marketing and -innovation strategist at the marketing platform Mavrck, said in a blog post that Ocean Spray would gladly have thrown marketing dollars at the TikToker Nathan Apodaca after the creator made a viral video of himself skateboarding and drinking its cranberry juice.
"You can see the briefs from the strategists writing themselves," Erin Dorr, Mavrck's vice president of marketing, told Insider.
Spark Ads arrives at a moment when TikTok is trying to assert more control over influencer marketing on its platform. The company recently updated its branded-content policies for influencer campaigns, banning sensitive categories like fintech and dating apps. Marketers told Insider that the move was made in part to prevent minors from seeing age-restricted content — a challenge on TikTok, where user-generated videos are accessible to all.
Spark Ads offers a partial solution. Advertisers can now apply age targeting to influencer posts so they're marketed to specific group of age-appropriate users.
"This is definitely a very strategic move by TikTok and a smart one," Gamble told Insider. "For brands that can't do branded content, this is also a way for them to do the proper age gating."
So far, Spark Ads is primarily being used as an add-on to existing influencer-marketing campaigns, said Anish Dalal, the CEO of the marketing firm Sapphire Apps, which has been testing the feature ahead of its broader release.
Dalal said his company had run Spark ads for direct-to-consumer brands that are using TikTok to try to drive a particular action, like a purchase. In early tests, he's found that Spark Ads cost 40% less than traditional in-feed TikTok ads for driving a conversion like a product sale. TikTok's own research on the feature has shown similar results. The company reported a 42% uptick in conversions on Spark Ads compared with its traditional ads.
Creators may also have more to gain from participating in a Spark Ads campaign versus a traditional influencer-marketing initiative.
Most brands are paying influencers for the use of their content in Spark Ads, Dalal said. But some creators have been willing to do it for free in hope that they'll gain followers by having their videos and accounts pushed out to more users.
"We've seen a few cases with smaller brands where the influencers are willing to do it for free," he said. "If a brand puts $20,000 behind the ad, that might result in thousands of new followers for the influencers."
"This is another opportunity for creator monetization," Gamble said.
"I imagine this is an early step to ad-revenue sharing," Dorr added.


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(Ping! Zine Web Tech Magazine) – Gamers in the World of Warcraft were recently in for a surprise when thousands of players in key virtual cities including Stormwind and Ogrimmar suddenly began dropping dead.
Blizzard, meanwhile, described the source behind the matter as an “in-game exploit,” noting the it had since been hotfixed.
“As with any exploit, we are taking this disruptive action very seriously and conducting a thorough investigation,” explained Battle.net community manager Nethaera in a blog post.
A report from the BBC signaled the dramatic aftermath of the hack attack. An image featured in the article showed thousands of player skeletons piled up in the virtual city of Orgrimmar.
Blizzard recently released the latest expansion for the popular MMO. Titled Mists of Pandaria, the set introduces a new giant panda race (Pandaren), among other features. You can view a video of the WoW exploit here.


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Rachel Roy Denies She’s “Becky With The Good Hair”
Rachel Roy has released a statement to People denying she’s “Becky with the good hair,” JAY Z‘s alleged side chick referenced in Beyoncé‘s single, “Sorry.”
#LEMONADE: Rachel Roy Gets Dragged Online After Outing Herself As JAY Z’s Alleged Side Chick – ‘Becky With The Good Hair’
The fashion designer claims her Instagram post stating “good hair don’t care” was actually a joke that was misunderstood.
I want to put the speculation and rumors to rest. My Instagram post was meant to be fun and lighthearted, it was misunderstood as something other than that. There is no validity to the idea that the song references me personally. There is no truth to the rumors.
Unfortunately, Rachel played herself and the Beyhive went on the attack. When they were done feasted on Rachel, they moved on to her teenage daughter, Ava. That was when the online shenanigans went TOO FAR.
Consequently, online haters have targeted me and my daughters in a hurtful and scary manner, including physical threats. As a mother – and I know many mothers would agree – I feel that bullying in any form is harmful and unacceptable.
I would hope that the media sees the real issue here – the issue of cyber bullying – and how it should not be tolerated by anyone.
Rachel Roy even pulled out of a public appearance at a seminar called “Mastering Your Métier” in New York City, where she was a scheduled speaker. Rachel cited “a personal emergency” for her absence.
Listen, Rachel knows the Beyhive is crazy.
Unfortunately, Rachel bought all of this madness on herself by trying to be funny.
What’s even more unfortunate is Rita Ora is now the new “Becky.” SMH….
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Facebook revealed more details about its announcement earlier this month that advertisers can target ads to Facebook users by email, phone number, or user ID, with Vice President of Advertising and Global Operations David Fischer officially debuting the offering at the Dreamforce conference in San Francisco Thursday and announcing eight advertising vendors that offer the capability.
As reported by TechCrunch, the eight vendors currently offering custom advertising ads are:
The social network announced earlier this month that it was rolling out the option to users of its power editor with managed accounts, also offering access to ads application-programming interface partners.
Readers: Do you think this option will help Facebook boost its advertising revenue?
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.


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Group revenue rose by 11.4 per cent from 9.22 billion rand to 10.27 billion rand due to price increases and volume growth in all divisions.
[DATA AVI:AVI Limited] is a South African based company specialising in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and fashion markets, with a portfolio consisting of 53 brands, 33 owned brands and over 20 international brands.
Gross profit increased by 7.8 per cent to 4.43 billion rand while operating profit rose by 12.2 per cent from 1.53 billion rand to 1.71 billion rand.
Headline earnings from continuing operations increased by 14.9 per cent to 1.2 billion rand while headline earnings per share rose by 12.4 per cent to 383.6 cents.
Cash generated by operations increased by 28.6 per cent to 2 billion rand while the board declared a 15.4 per cent increase in the final dividend to 180 cents per share, bringing the total dividend for the year to 300 cents.
Entyce Beverages, AVI’s producer of tea, coffee, juice and creamers, posted a 12.5 per cent increase in revenue to 2.72 billion rand with operating profit increasing by 11.2 per cent to 442.4 million rand due to volume and sales growth in tea and creamer revenue.
Tea revenue grew by 15.8 per cent while coffee revenue rose by 6.8 per cent and creamer revenue up by 18.6 per cent.
Snackworx, the group’s manufacturer of well-known South African snack brands such as Bakers, Provita and Willards, delivered a 14 per cent revenue growth to 3 billion rand with operating profit increasing by 22.3 per cent to 474.5 million rand with biscuit and snack revenue growing by 15 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.
(READ MORE: S.Africa’s AVI shows solid revenue growth)
Despite bad weather on wet fleet catch rates, I&J, the group’s deep sea hake fishing company, reported a 14.5 per cent growth in revenue to 1.82 billion rand with operating profit at 244.6 million rand due to an improvement in fishing fleet availability and freezer vessel catch rates.
In AVI’s fashion brands, revenue rose by 5.6 per cent to 2.66 billion rand with operating profit decreasing by 2.9 per cent to 560 million rand.
Indigo, the group’s manufacturer of Yardley cosmetic products, reported revenue growth of 6.3 per cent to 1.04 billion rand with a good performance from body spray volumes despite an offset by a reduction in Coty related profits.
In the Footwear and apparel category, revenue increased by 5.2 per cent to 1.62 billion rand while operating profit decreased by 5.3 per cent to 388.1 million rand due to lower footwear sales volume.
Spitz, AVI’s premium branded footwear retailer, posted revenue growth of 6.5 per cent due to weak consumer spending and price increases while Kurt Geiger clothing’s revenue rose by 21 per cent owing to several new stores opened during the period.
Green Cross, a comfort footwear retailer, reported low wholesale volumes due weaker demand and increased competition, resulting in operating profit decreasing to 58.8 million rand.
AVI said that a constrained consumer environment is likely to worsen due to rising interest rates, however the group’s I&J, Entyce, Snackworks and Indigo brands are expected to remain resilient.
The group also believes that new store openings for Spitz, Green Cross and Kurt Greiger should positively impact earnings.
(WATCH VIDEO: AVI – Hot or Not )
“Notwithstanding expectations of a difficult trading environment we remain confident that our unique brand portfolio can continue to deliver growth in key categories,” said the group.
“Accordingly, the board is confident that AVI is well positioned to weather a difficult trading environment while continuing to pursue growth opportunities from the current brand portfolio and remaining vigilant for brand acquisition opportunities both domestically and regionally.”


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Major brands like Tropicana are leaving Pepsi’s portfolio. Major drink and snack brand PepsiCo ..
The world’s largest jewelry brand is sticking to lab-grown stones. Diamonds are so coveted for jewelry ..
Be & Cheery is falling under PepsiCo’s banner. In an effort to extend its presence in the worldwide ..
The industry is growing extraordinarily quickly and the opportunity to reach out to younger audiences ..
Sports Illustrated’s brand and all of its accompanying intellectual property have been sold for $110 ..
Most fashion houses employ factories for their products in Asia and Indonesia, now are turning ..


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Adidas is following through with its commitment to turn plastic pollution into high-performance products. And clearly, consumers are eager to take part. In 2017, the global brand sold 1 million shoes made from ocean plastic.
As Interesting Engineering reports, each pair of shoes reuses 11 plastic bottles. Furthermore, recycled plastics are incorporated into the laces, heel webbing, heel lining, and sock liner covers.
To create the eco-friendly shoes, Adidas partnered with Parley for the Oceans. The initiative develops products from recycled marine plastic. In addition to shoes, Parley for the Oceans and Adidas have also made tank tops made from recycled waste and leggings that are made of fabric that has Econyl regenerated material.
In May of 2017, the sneakers made their debut online and in stores. Despite the fact that they are literally made of trash and are $200, Adidas sold 1 million pairs last year.
“As a global brand we have a responsibility to help change the world for the better,” said Mathias Amm, Product Category Director of Adidas Running, last spring. “These designs reflect our support for a great cause, while delivering the exceptional performance we are renowned for – a powerful combination, which we hope will excite and inspire our global community as much as it does us.”
According to a 2015 study, around eight million metric tons of all plastic waste enters the oceans from land every year. Most of that plastic gets sucked into giant convergences, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is not uncommon for wildlife, such as sea turtles and birds, to ingest the plastic debris and get ill, or die. In fact, one study estimates that by 2050, 99 percent of all birds will have plastic in their guts.
By selling sneakers that are made out of recycled ocean plastic, Adidas is alerting consumers to the pollution crisis. Furthermore, the brand is helping to remove trash from waterways. Last year, the company also switched from plastic bags to paper in its retail stores. By doing so, Adidas eliminated about 70 million plastic shopping bags. The company has also made progress in its efforts to reduce per-employee water usage and use more cotton sourced in an eco-friendly manner.
What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!
Image Credit: Adidas


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While Activision has announced how successful Call of Duty: WWII has been out of the gate, it seems the game’s not captivating players enough — at least on PC — as the player population has dropped by more than 20,000 players just a few weeks since launch.
Over on SteamCharts, it shows that the all-time peak of Call of Duty: WWII is at over 56,000 players, but the highest it’s been so far this holiday weekend is at 29.556. Note that this number is more than your average given the holidays and the weekends, which means more players can log on. Checking the numbers from launch day (November 3, 2017) until today, we see the COD: WWII player base drop to below 10K levels multiple times.
Does this mean that gamers are moving on to other games? Maybe, maybe not. We’ll most likely have a fairer assessment of how it goes a month or two after launch. Of course, there’s a good chance some players are not logging in until Sledgehammer Games fixes the issues that are still plaguing the game.
Do you think this is a cause for concern for Sledgehammer Games? Why do you think the player count is dropping that much just weeks after launch?


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Tasmanian organic infant formula producer Bellamy’s (ASX: BAL) has seen its share price nearly halved in early trade after reporting weaker sales in China.
Nearly 43% was wiped from the shares this morning to sit at $6.90, extending its decline from August 24 to 55%.
The poor result has also hit other players in the sector, with Blackmores down nearly 6%, along with Bega Cheese and A2 Milk falling 13%.
Bellamy’s share price has recovered slightly heading towards midday, but remain down by around 37%.
Among the reasons for the sell off was news that while Singles Day sales in China improved on 2015, they were below company expectations.
CEO Laura McBrain said: “We more than doubled revenue growth on Singles Day across all e-commerce platforms compared to last year. Bellamy’s Step 3 was the 9th best performing product across T-mall Global1 on the day. The growth however fell short of our expectations”.
The business is also facing headwinds due to regulatory changes there, warning of “temporary volume dislocation” as it gains approvals under the new regulatory framework.
The business is also up against brands it believes won’t be about to gain approval who are dumping their product, Bellamy’s says.
“Brands that are unlikely to gain registration are liquidating inventory at discounted prices, which impacts both imported brands such as Bellamy’s and the market overall,” Bellamy’s said.
“As with the broader infant formula market, Bellamy’s has experienced restructuring of the sales channels into China since the regulatory announcements. Management has worked closely with the various e-commerce networks to build stronger, more efficient routes-to-market that are expected to support increased demand following the regulatory change over.”
Subsequently, revenue has stagnated this financial year and is expected to be lower at $240 million, down from $244.6 million last year. Analyst expectations were around 50% higher based on growth over the previous 12 months.
The company’s view was much more subdued in its statement to the ASX, saying:
Based on Bellamy’s current view of its end markets, revenue for 1HFY17 is anticipated to be approximately $120 million.
While Bellamy’s remains positive regarding its long term outlook, if current trends in its existing channels-to-market continue, 2HFY17 revenue will be similar to the first half.
The Company has recently commenced initiatives to expand its distribution footprint in China. The benefits of these efforts are expected to contribute incremental revenue over and beyond this run rate and potentially beginning in late 2HFY17, although the timing is uncertain and could be early 1HFY18.
But Bellamy’s still argues the opportunities in China are “vast” because it’s only stocked in “less than 5% of the potential distribution points”.
Bellamy’s EBIT margin will be “moderately below 20%”, down on 22.2% on the previous financial year.
It says revenue is up 24% to November 20, compared to the previous year.
The early gold rush in supplying infant formula to China appears to have waned in recent months
In August, Bellamy’s, a pioneer in the Chinese market, posted impressive annual results for 2016, with the dividend up 316% on 2015, with net profit after tax up 322% to $38.3 million and revenue 95% higher at $244.6 million.
The company’s shares are trading at $14.27 at that point. Two years ago it was about $1.30.
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Galaxy M55 5G launches: A Galaxy A55 with several upgrades (and downgrades)
- The Samsung Galaxy M55 5G has launched in Brazil.
- The phone has a number of changes compared to the Galaxy A55 5G, such as 45W charging, a 50MP selfie camera, and more base storage.
- Samsung’s phone also brings lower resolution secondary cameras, while there’s no mention of an IP rating.
Samsung launched the Galaxy M55 5G in Brazil and it has a few changes compared to the Galaxy A55. One of the more notable changes is the switch to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset instead of the Exynos 1480. This isn’t necessarily a wholesale upgrade or downgrade as the Snapdragon chip has a newer CPU that’s more powerful in theory, while the Exynos 1480 brings an AMD GPU that looks like a notable upgrade for the mid-range segment.
The Galaxy M55 5G still has the same 5,000mAh battery as the Galaxy A55 but brings 45W wired charging to the table instead of 25W wired speeds. That’s a notable wattage boost and should shave plenty of minutes off the Galaxy A54’s ~85-minute charging time.
What else does the Galaxy M55 5G offer?
Another notable change is that the M55 5G is only available in an 8GB/256GB model in Brazil compared to the A55’s 8GB/128GB base model. You’re getting microSD expansion, either way.
The Galaxy M55 5G also serves up a 50MP selfie camera, which is a notable resolution boost over the 32MP shooter used in recent A50 series phones. That’s not necessarily a guarantee of better selfie image quality, though. Furthermore, the new phone brings a 50MP+8MP+2MP rear camera trio instead of the A55’s 50MP+12MP+5MP setup. So it looks like you’re being forced to choose between a focus on selfies or better secondary rear cameras.
Other notable features include a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED screen (FHD+), an under-display fingerprint sensor, One UI 6.1 atop Android 14, and a lengthy update pledge (four major OS updates and five years of security patches). There’s no mention of an IP rating, though, which would be a big downgrade over the A55’s IP67 rating.
In any event, the Galaxy M55 5G has a recommended price of 3,199 Brazilian reals (~$641), but it’s currently listed at 2,699.10 Brazilian reals (~$541). There’s no official word on a wider release, but we’ve already spotted a support page for the phone on Samsung’s Indian website. The Galaxy M series has never been available in the US, though, so don’t hold your breath for the phone to launch stateside.


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Smart Signature Postpaid plans Unveiled.
Smart the country’s fastest internet mobile internet provider offers the Smart Signature Postpaid plans were recently unveiled their best offering to date.
PLDT mobile services arm Smart Communications is ushering in a reimagined postpaid experience that puts customers first as it launches the new Signature Plans.
Designed for goal slayers who need a postpaid plan that can keep up with their fast-paced lifestyle, Smart Signature shatters the limitations of the traditional plans to deliver a prioritized, worry-free, and in-control mobile experience.
Watch our coverage and video highlights of the event.
With Smart Signature, subscribers are prioritized on the Smart LTE network, the country’s undisputed fastest mobile network as awarded by world-renowned network analysts including Ookla, OpenSignal, Tutela, and P3. This prioritized network experience makes sure that subscribers enjoy consistent data to connect to their favorite apps, send messages in real time, and make uninterrupted calls – even during peak hours.
“Smart Signature is postpaid reimagined. This is our way of catering to a new generation of goal slayers who need a plan that prioritizes their needs while they are busy ticking off milestones in their career or life,” said Oscar A. Reyes, Jr., PLDT-Smart SVP and Head of Consumer Business Market Development.
“We’ve built Smart Signature after a thoughtful process of listening to customers, identifying their pain points, and providing solutions so that there’s nothing that holds them back from reaching their goals. The result is a brand new postpaid experience that simply prioritizes customers.”
Reimagine life with Smart Signature Plans now! Sign up as a new subscriber, or upgrade your current Smart Postpaid Plan for free, at select Smart Stores nationwide.
Learn more about the Smart Signature Plan perfect for your lifestyle at www.smart.com.ph/signature.


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The USA based American Penaeid Inc (API) would supply 10000 shrimp broodstock to India in the second quarter (June-August 2020) in an effort to meet the growing demand for quality SPF broodstock in the country, said Venkata Kumar, Sales Manager (India), API.
The cancellation of all flights and transportation during the Covid 19 lockdown had partially impacted API’s supply chain.
Speaking to AQUA POST, Kumar said, “Because of the flight delay during the Covid period, we were slightly affected. We lost two consignments in June. But we are ready with upcoming batches. We are planning for 5000 animals in the coming month (July) and around 3000 in August. We are planning around 10000 pieces this quarter”.
The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) had permitted API to supply SPF High Vigor Broodstock for India’s hatcheries in March 2019.
API has a major share in China with a supply of about 4 lakh broodstock every year. Last year, the company had dispatched about 16000 broodstock to India.
Sharing his experience about India’s shrimp market, Kumar said, “At present, we supply shrimp broodstock to 10 hatcheries. We have received very positive response from both hatchery operators as well as farmers. API High Vigor broodstock are known for their high level tolerance and resistance. The broodstock are developed using state-of-the-art DNA based selection techniques that minimize inbreeding while favoring survival and growth in actual production environments.”
Exuding confidence, Kumar said, “We came last year only. We get positive feedback. We have also received repeat orders. The survival rate is very good.”
Adding further, Kumar said, “ API broodstock center is located on Pine Island on the Southwest Florida Coast of the USA. It has over 29 weekly flights under 26 flight hours to Chennai. Average broodstock shipping survival rates are greater than 99%. We do not use any chartered flight. The price per breeder is about 65$. We transfer the price benefit to our customers and farmers.”
On average 2.5 to 3 lakh broodstock are required in the country every year. And about 250 hatcheries in India are importing broodstock regularly.


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Apart from grappling with slowing iPhone sales, Apple is also embroiled in numerous lawsuits. One of the lawsuits is about Apple throttling its older phones. To recap, Apple came under fire after it was revealed that the software updates issued by the company, which the Cupertino giant stated improved the battery performance of the phone, actually slow down older devices, prompting consumers to believe it as an act of planned obsolescence so they’d be forced to upgrade to the newer model. Of course, Apple denies the claim and to get across its point in a better way, the company recently used an unusual analogy.
Apple Denies Claims That It Misled Consumers - Compares iOS Updates to Kitchen Renovations
The company has always argued that it slows down older processors to deal with the problem of aging batteries so that older iPhones do not shut down abruptly. In a 50-page filing submitted by Apple to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on January 24, the company denies the claim that it misled customers by encouraging them to download an iOS update without warning them what it entails.
Apple further said that its batteries are manufactured to retain up to 80 percent of their original capacity after 500 complete charge cycles and says that the company is under no obligation to tell people about the software capability and battery capacity if it does not cause safety hazards and there is a limit to the disclosure level.
Apple further said that updates were not installed without user's consent and by agreeing to the iOS license agreement, they provided the company with the necessary permissions to make the changes. The company used the example of kitchen installations to show that when residents give a building contractor the permission to upgrade their kitchens, they implicitly allow the contractor to demolish and change some parts of the house. So, since iPhone users provide their consent to the company before downloading an update, it cannot be held liable for trespassing.
The lawsuit hearing is scheduled for March 7 and it will be presided over by Judge Edward J. Davila. It is also worth mentioning that after the iPhone throttling scandal, Apple offered an out-of-warranty battery replacement program which reduced the cost to customers from $79 to $29. As many as 11 million iPhone batteries were replaced during the program, which represents a significant increase from the original $79 pricing.
Do you think Apple is right to dismiss the lawsuit? Tell us your thoughts down in the comments.
News Source: AppleInsider


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OYAMA, JAPAN; April 1, 2013 — Gigaphoton, Inc., a major lithography light source manufacturer, announced today that as of April 1, 2013, it has delegated Komatsu (China) Ltd. (“Komatsu (China)”) to take the place of Scientech Corp. Shanghai (“Scientech”) as its new service representative in China, and has commenced business operations under the former. Through Komatsu (China), Gigaphoton will aggressively promote new business opportunities to find potential customers in China by teaming up with lithography system manufacturers as well as further reinforce its local technical support system centered on its service support bases in China for existing Chinese customers of Gigaphoton excimer lasers for semiconductor lithography systems.
Until now, Gigaphoton has developed its excimer laser business in China with Scientech as its service representative. With that agreement having expired, Gigaphoton elected to transfer its service support framework to Komatsu (China), a regional supervisory company under Gigaphoton’s parent company Komatsu Ltd. Moreover, in order to ensure the seamless transfer of the high-quality service support provided to clientele up until now, on the occasion of its new delegation as Gigaphoton’s service representative, Komatsu (China) has established an Optical Instruments Business Department on April 1 with the full support of Scientech, and has accepted the transfer of excimer laser service personnel from Scientech.
Through its close network with Komatsu (China), Gigaphoton will continue to offer speedy, top-level service support to its clients in China, which has been positioned as a vital site of operations in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
Komatsu (China) Ltd.: Overview (As of April 2013)
|COMPANY NAME:||Komatsu (China) Ltd.|
|ADDRESS:||28 Floor, Hang Seng Bank Tower, 1000 Lujiazui Ring Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China|
|ESTABLISHED ON:||February 7, 2001|
|BUSINESS OPERATION STARTED ON:||April 1, 2013|
|REPRESENTATIVE:||Ziguang Wang, President & CEO|
|BUSINESS DESCRIPTION:||Sales of construction and mining equipment, sales of forklifts and associated services, and service support for excimer lasers used for lithography tools in semiconductor manufacturing|
Since its founding in 2000, Gigaphoton has developed and delivered user-friendly, high-performance DUV laser light sources used by major semi-conductor chipmakers in the Pan-Asian, US and European regions.
Gigaphoton's patented, innovative LPP EUV technology solutions lead the way to cost-effective, highly productive lithography sources for high-volume production. With a global business outlook, Gigaphoton strives to be the world’s number-one lithography light source provider, focusing on end-user needs in every phase of its business, from research and development to manufacturing to best-in-class reliability and world-class customer support. Visit http://www.gigaphoton.com


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The HotSpring World team has launched a new fundraising initiative to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK. The company has produced some special red ducks and are donating £1 to Cancer Research UK for every red duck photo taken at beauty spots across the country. Last year the team raised over £3,000 by producing […]
HotSpring World welcomed Hollywood actor Warwick Davis to its Peterborough showroom, as part of promotional video shoot. Warwick has been a loyal HotSpring World customer for more than ten years and was approached by the company to take part in a series of testimonial videos. During the interview, Warwick talks about his love of […]
Hot tub manufacturer HotSpring World has created a special pink hot tub, to raise awareness of Breast Cancer Research month. The one-of-a-kind hot tub will be raffled off later this month, with all proceeds going to the charity. The fundraising idea is the brainchild of HotSpring World’s marketing manager, Lynda Smart, who is herself a […]
Leading spa suppliers and water treatment specialists are expressing concern over increased sales of Tri-Chlor tablets, mostly via the Internet, to unwitting hot tub owners who are unaware of the potentially detrimental effect on their hot tubs, especially to heating components.
HotSpring World has supported the Scotsdales Charitable Foundation and Cambridge Cancer Help Centre by giving away a hot tub worth over £7,000. Having recently opened a new hot tub showroom at the Scotsdales Garden Centre in Cambridge, HotSpring World was eager to help reach this final fundraising goal so donated the hot tub from the […]


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Pricing and Availability
As with the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro models will no longer include a charger nor EarPods in the box, and while there’s been no price reduction for the removed accessories, Joz made a point of emphasizing that Apple has kept the price for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max the same as the prior models while also doubling the entry-level capacity, so in a sense, there has been a price drop.
The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro will start at $999 for 128GB, while the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max will enter at $1,099 for the 128GB version.
While some reports had suggested that both Pro models would be delayed until November, it turns out that Apple will have the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro available to pre-order this Friday, October 16th, arriving in stores next Friday, October 23rd alongside its same-sized non-pro counterpart.
Those looking for the larger iPhone 12 Pro Max with the better telephoto camera will have to wait until November, with the 6.7-inch model going up for preorder with the iPhone 12 mini on November 6th, and landing in stores on November 13th.


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The supermarket company's quality assurance manager Jackie Healing told guests at the Rural Press Club in Brisbane last week that beef was the critical ingredient in driving more sales through its checkouts, currently standing at about 11 million transactions from the 14 million customers who enter Coles' 744 stores nationwide each week.
Ms Healing, who came to Coles from her UK base in similar roles with supermarket chain Sainsburys and food manufacturer Batchelors, said it had been part of her mission to revive the fortunes of Coles when she joined the Australian-owned company in 2006.
She said conditions were so bad at the ailing retailer of the time, burdened by debt and a dysfunctional board, that she was ashamed to admit where she worked.
"Coles was a mess. It was broken and it didn't deliver for consumers," she said.
"It was in a spiral of decline, where it was continually in a cycle of losing customers and would therefore cut costs by downgrading quality, which in turn just drove more customers out the door and then the cycle would start again.
"We call this the 'doom loop'."
Under the guidance of new owner Wesfarmers from 2007, Coles is now the world's fastest growing retailer, employing 100,000 people, offering 40,000 individual items for sale and registering as the second most recognised brand in Australia behind Apple computers.
The key to the turnaround, Ms Healing said, was the supermarket's beef offer as the primary protein meal item, which then extends to other fresh food items.
"If you haven't got fresh quality beef, you don't have a proposition to offer people to entice them into your store," she said.
"We very much see beef as capturing the 'centre of the plate'. If you are able to capture the centre of the plate with beef, then you will capture the rest of the shopping basket, which per customer is worth about $85 to us."
While on the surface Coles' focus on beef as its key sales driver might spell good news for producers down the supply chain on-farm, the retailer is also sending some mixed signals about where it may take quality assurance in the future to meet the demands of its ever-expanding customer base.
As the accompanying image shown during Ms Healing's presentation demonstrates, Coles markets its products according to a prescribed 'hierarchy' of customer needs.
Among these are whether Coles can guarantee to its customers that the food it sells is safe and nutritious, has been ethically produced, and hasn't hurt people, animals or the environment in the process.
Ms Healing said the only way to deliver on that promise to customers was to know the intimate details of the whole supply chain, suggesting farmers might have to consider mounting closed circuit TV cameras on their farms so retailers could assure customers that their food had been humanely produced from paddock to plate.
Her stance was immediately applauded by Animals Australia activist Lyn White after the comments were reported in The Australian, but criticised by farm groups who called it an invasion of privacy and lacking common sense.
Ms Healing's comments sent Coles communications department into damage control, with the company quickly denouncing the idea but reaffirming its commitment to transparency in the supply chain.
Ms Healing also referred to Coles' involvement with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), specifically in the Marine Stewardship program, an initiative run by the green activist organisation to impose production guidelines on suppliers of seafood to Coles in the name of environmental sustainability.
Earlier this year, WWF attracted attention for its Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Australia, which has garnered support from various corporate partners, all pivotal to the Australian beef industry supply chain.
Unlike major beef customer McDonald's, Coles is not a member of the beef roundtable, but does participate in another WWF roundtables, such as the roundtable for sustainable palm oil.
Author and Institute of Public Affairs director Tim Wilson said WWF was now active in trying to push supermarket chains into adopting more of its roundtable initiatives, particularly in the area of forestry products and beef.
"WWF is a very clever organisation that works with retailers to push these costs down the supply chain," Mr Wilson said.
"Coles is sending very strong messages that it is keen to push these changes and costs down the supply chain where most of the obligation and cost sits with the farmer at the end who has to pay for what supermarkets want, while at the other end supermarkets use the changes they've imposed in their brand positioning to leverage further sales."
Mr Wilson said Coles had already shown that it was prepared to heavily influence how beef was produced after its decision last year to ban the use of hormone growth promotants (HGPs) in cattle destined for its meat halls.
Producers maintain the ban is still costing them upwards of $30 per head in extra time for cattle on feed, a figure that's not likely to go down as grain prices continue to rise.
Ms Healing said the HGP-free position had been a winning formula for beef sales, bringing an estimated one million more customers to the category.
"It was a good decision and we're more than comfortable with it," she said.
"We don't see any need to change that model because it's worked very well for us."
Last week, figures released by MLA through Nielsen research showed Coles pegging back the market share lead of its main supermarket retail rival Woolworths, which positions its beef offer with the trademark of MSA eating quality assurance.
For the rolling quarter ended July 7, Coles increased 0.3pc to 26.5pc of all retail beef sales, compared to Woolworths' 30.2pc, a drop of 0.5pc since the last survey was taken.


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Such as the word from Marvel Comics last week at their ComcisPRO meeting that comic book retailers could look forward to a new main X-Men title and Star Wars title to be announced soon.
Marvel have the twice-monthly X-Men Gold and X-Men Blue titles coming from ResurrXion as well as all manner of other titles. But that means no Uncanny X-Men or X-Men… could one of them also be relaunched? Maybe even for the upcoming Make Main Marvel relaunch?
As for Star Wars, they currently publish Star Wars, Doctor Aphra, Poe Dameron, Darth Maul and Rogue Squadron. Another ongoing to start?
ECCC might be the place to make such actual announcements. But C2E2 and Wondercon are close on its tail…
- How a Marvel Marketer Helped Rob Liefeld Persuade Marvel Comics to Publish X-Force - March 22, 2018
- Ch-Ch-Changes: Infinity Countdown, Hunt for Wolverine, X-Men Gold and Fantastic Four: Beyond Galactus - March 22, 2018
- Thanos to Fight His Own Future in Thanos: The Infinity Conflict by Jim Starlin and Alan Davis - March 22, 2018
- Second Printings for Thanos, X-Men Red, Avengers, Rick & Morty and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth - March 22, 2018
- Rumour: Apple to Buy Sony? - March 22, 2018


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According to sources who have spoken to both Kotaku and Game Informer, Disney is closing down game publisher, LucasArts. 150 employees will also be laid off, and Disney will keep the Lucasarts name around to license games. An official statement from Disney sheds some light on their reasons for the closure, albeit while attempting to put a positive spin on the event.
“After evaluating our position in the games market, we’ve decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games. As a result of this change, we’ve had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles.”
The future of Lucasarts has been the source of much speculation since Disney recently purchased Lucasfilm and its subsidiaries. Star Wars 1313, which made a splash when it was unveiled at E3 last year, hasn’t been heard from since and with this announcement looks to be dead. Recently leaked XBLA game, Star Wars: First Assault will no doubt never even be officially announced. Unless Disney decides to outsource the rest of their development to third party studios.
Lucasarts has a storied legacy of both top quality licensed games and original titles, some of which are considered to be classics. Making this a sad day indeed.
UPDATE: LucasArts titles currently in development, including Star Wars 1313, may survive with new developers, according to a Game Informer article.
Sources: Kotaku & Game Informer


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As per Mark Gurman from the sources very soon new iPad going to launch. He shares information about the Pro models which says that in the next year a new dock is coming.
From the reference, the iPad will release soon the date won’t know yet. Maybe this new upcoming iPad comes with new enhancements and new features also.
If it is iPad Pro then it won’t change that much. On other hand, if it is M2 then it will be going to be interesting.
About the launch of the new iPad, no announcement is heard before but sources say it will launch soon.
As per rumors, the design of the new iPad may have an angular design and the frame should be thinner. It could be the biggest upgrade for a base iPad. And Apple will certainly give us a final date for iPadOS 16.
In case it wasn’t obvious with the “days away” wording from Saturday, the launch should be tomorrow. https://t.co/moc5PU8hLk
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 17, 2022
Lastly, now two options, one advance sales start as soon as possible and the market launch in the coming weeks. People want it quickly then advance sales and the market launch is on October 28th.


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LONDON-- Gas supplier Centrica PLC (CNA.LN) said Friday that its North American subsidiary Direct Energy has agreed to acquire the privately-owned Texas-based electricity retailer Bounce Energy for $46 million in cash plus additional working capital.
-Bounce has more than 80,000 residential customers, predominantly in Texas, and has developed a leading internet-based platform for marketing innovative products to customers and servicing their accounts.
-Direct Energy will retain a core group of Bounce personnel.
-Shares closed Thursday at 374 pence valuing the company at GBP19.28 billion.
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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The license for the banking business is held by Paytm Payments Bank, and for it to be transferred back to Paytm, approval from the RBI is required, according to the report. However, obtaining this approval might be challenging given the concerns raised by the central bank.
Paytm has expressed its intention to keep the digital wallet business operational by establishing new banking relationships, the report said. Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma said Thursday (Feb. 1) that it would not be difficult to forge such partnerships.
In a Thursday post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sharma told Paytm users: “Your favorite app is working, will keep working beyond 29 February as usual.”
To every Paytmer,
Your favourite app is working, will keep working beyond 29 February as usual.
I with every Paytm team member salute you for your relentless support. For every challenge, there is a solution and we are sincerely committed to serve our nation in full…
— Vijay Shekhar Sharma (@vijayshekhar) February 2, 2024
However, operating the digital wallet business without the license held by Paytm Payments Bank may not be possible, per the report.
The RBI’s concerns have also affected Paytm’s ability to form partnerships with banks, according to the report. Several Indian banks have expressed caution about doing business with Paytm due to the regulatory concerns raised by the RBI. Any partnership with Paytm to provide banking services for their digital wallets would require prior approval from the central bank.
The uncertainty surrounding Paytm’s license has had an impact on its market value, the report said. Paytm’s shares have dropped 20% for two consecutive days, resulting in a loss of approximately $2 billion in market value. The company’s shares are trading near record lows, and several analysts have downgraded their ratings on the stock and lowered their target prices.
Apart from the impact on its digital wallet business, Paytm’s other services are also expected to be affected by the RBI’s order, per the report. Paytm’s digital highway toll payment service, known as FASTag, will no longer be able to accept replenishments after Feb. 29. This service holds a 17% market share.
This is not the first time Paytm has faced regulatory challenges, according to the report. In 2022, the RBI fined Paytm Payments Bank for non-compliance with regulations, including know your customer rules, and ordered an IT system audit. The company has also faced concerns about its valuation, business model and profitability.


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Samsung’s next Unpacked event is to be held next month. The big reveal will be the company’s next flagship phone, to be called Samsung Galaxy S20. But alongside the phones, there will also be new in-ear headphones on display.
A new report from sammobile.com claims that it has received information relating to the new earbuds, to be called the Samsung Galaxy Buds+.
Here’s what we know so far.
February 11 is the big day
Samsung Unpacked takes place in San Francisco on Tuesday, February 11, with the new S20 handsets. Although names like Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Buds (2020) have been bandied about, Buds+ seems to have been decided on as the most likely. Mind you, if you can leap from Samsung Galaxy S10 to S20 in one year, anything could happen.
Similarly, although there’s no certainty that the new earbuds will be revealed on the same day as the phones, it would make a lot of sense, not least because it was alongside last year’s S10 that the Galaxy Buds were unveiled.
The code SM-R175 has been seen on Samsung’s website, so definitely in line with the SM-R170 code that is the first-gen earbuds.
The big news is that contrary to previous rumors, which claimed that noise-cancelation would be on board, the latest information is that it’s not going to have active noise-cancelation (ANC) in the new earbuds.
This is a disappointment as the feature is one of the reasons the recent Apple AirPods Pro have been so successful – even if a recent report suggests that a firmware update has had a negative effect on the ANC in Apple’s buds.
But audio quality has been improved
It seems the audio quality has been improved overall, which is good news, but even so, ANC would been welcome. It’s worth noting that the Galaxy Buds fit the ears very snugly, so at least it’s likely there’ll be decent passive noise-canceling.
Wearable tech deals
Apple AirPods from Amazon
AirPods with wireless charging case $169, $30 off, here.
AirPods with charging case $129, $30 off, here.
Samsung Galaxy Buds from Samsung and Amazon
Buy the current true-wireless headphones from Samsung for $129.99, here.
Or, save $24.99 at Amazon where they’re $105. Buy here.
Sony WF-1000XM3 noise-canceling earbuds from Amazon
Sony’s in-ears have brilliant noise-cancelation and are at a bargain price on Amazon. Reduced by $20 from $229.99 to $209.99, here.
Samsung Galaxy Active2 smartwatch from Amazon
This is an outstanding offer. Samsung’s highly capable smartwatch is reduced in price like you wouldn’t believe. The R830 40mm size in Aqua Black is the standout, reduced from $499.99 to $259.79, a saving of $240.20! Buy it here.
If you prefer Cloud Silver, same size, it’s $266.28, a nearly-as-good $233.71 reduction. Buy that here. There’s also a reduction on the Pink Gold, reduced by $57.81 to $267.19, from its original $325 price. It’s here.
How about something a bit bigger, the 44mm version? In Aqua Black it’s reduced from $399.99 to $265, a $134.99 saving, available here. In Cloud Silver the reduction is smaller, $127.99 off the $399.99 price, so you can pick it up for $272, here. Finally, the pink gold 44mm model is reduced from $399.99 to $265, so you’ll save $134.99. Buy it here.
The current Galaxy Buds launched last Spring to largely positive reviews. Not least this was down to the fact that you could charge the earbuds wirelessly, which meant Samsung beat Apple to this feature. Second-generation AirPods were released a few weeks after with an optional wireless charging case.
There’s no decisive knowledge yet but it’s thought the new version will look similar to last year’s. Sammobile believes the design won’t change much at all.
This is the best rumor. As spotted by Droid Life last month, an FCC filing for an item called SM-R175 and this revealed what looks like being a significant uptick in battery size and, therefore, how long the headphones will last on a single charge.
Things can change between filing and release but if these details are correct, it’s estimated the upgrade from 58mAh to 85mAh – assuming it’s not just an accidental transposing of the two digits – should increase the battery life hugely. Perhaps to as much as 12 hours per charge.
Sammobile’s source says that the new buds will have four microphones, instead of the two on the current model. Usually, extra microphones are used to abet noise-cancelation, but can also be implemented to improve call quality by comparing what the separate microphones hear and prioritizing what the software considers is your voice over background noise.
One of the key points for. Last year’s model was the price. Not only did the Galaxy Buds come with wireless charging, but the price was still competitive with Apple AirPods.
I’d expect Samsung to keep to the same price, roughly, to keep the Galaxy Buds+ an appealing proposition.
Last year, the company gave away a lot of Buds as a gift when you bought a Samsung Galaxy S10. Expect the same technique to apply here, too.
We’ll know for sure in the next few weeks, but this is a fast-moving story, so please check back – I’ll be updating this post regularly with news and deals.
More on Forbes


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Kelley Gaines is back in California’s Southern District Court for another opportunity to sue General Motors Company (GM) over an alleged warranty violation caused by a leaking sunroof in her leased Cadillac. A judge previously dismissed portions of her previous lawsuit, however Gaines restated her previous claims in a newer court filing, of which GM claims is not worth the court’s time. Gaines’ original complaint was filed in July 2017.
According to a recent GM court filing, all of Gaines allegations against the vehicle manufacturer are baseless, as GM stated several reasons why this lawsuit should be dismissed.
“GM is in opposition to Gaines’ Ex Parte Motion for Leave To File the Proposed Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”) on the ground that the proposed SAC fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and that the motion therefore should be denied on grounds of futility of amendment,” a portion of the court document reads.
Gaines’ original complaint, claims GM was aware of the leaks in her leased 2010 Cadillac SRX. She said the leaks were “caused by either a void in the cowl seam sealer in the corners below the sunroof drain hose grommets, or the sunroof drain hose grommet(s) may not be connected or fully sealed in the cowl panel or at the sunroof frame spigot, or the sunroof front drain hoses are mis-routed or are too shot, and display a higher level of tension [that] may tend to cause a future disconnect or unseating of the grommet(s).”
GM however, maintains Gaines’ defective sunroof couldn’t have been covered by her four-year, 50,000 mile warranty because it didn’t start leaking until three years after the warranty’s expiration, and is therefore no longer a valid base for a lawsuit. In her amended complaint she stated others were allegedly affected by the defect and had to pay for repairs while their vehicles were under GM’s warranty. However she was unable to prove that claim, according to GM’s filed memorandum.
That wasn’t the only claim Gaines made, as she also accused GM of insufficient floorboards that caused mold to form on her floors from her leaking sunroof. Which she also claimed could lead to unsafe vehicle air quality, according to court documents. This was not supported in court, as her Cadillac was not found to have the alleged mold issue.
GM also combats claims that suggest the company knew about the alleged defect.
“… the Court observed that the First Amended Complaint did not “allege any facts plausibly suggesting GM knew about the Leaking Sunroof Defect before [plaintiff] bought her car” in May 2010 and that “the earliest event suggesting GM might have known about some widespread problem with sunroof leaks was its issuance of [a] bulletin in 2013,” a portion of GM’s memorandum reads.
GM’s three reasons of why Gaines’ second amended complaints should be denied include:
- The implied warranty of merchantability created by the Song-Beverly Act does not by its express terms require GM to expand its express warranty coverage or provide free repairs after the warranty has expired. Instead, goods to be merchantable need only “pass without objection in the trade” and be “fit for the ordinary purposes for which such goods are used.”
- There can be no dispute that plaintiff’s vehicle was merchantable at the time of delivery as it was driven for nearly seven years thereafter without any issues. Her claim fails because the implied warranty of merchantability does not guarantee perfection, let alone in perpetuity. Instead, it merely warrants “a minimum level of quality.”
- Her complaint is barred by the four-year statute of limitations of section 2725 of the California Commercial Code that applies equally to her implied warranty claim.
GM maintains, Gaines’ case claimed that GM breached the express warranty by not providing free-of-charge repairs three years after the warranty had expired and by not including her SRX in a voluntary customer satisfaction program that GM offered in other states. Currently GM’s filed report aims to dismiss Gaines’ additional acquisitions and prevent this case from going any farther.


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There's a giant sucking sound in the United States--and you don't need to be Ross Perot to hear it. It's the sound of hundreds of thousands of Americans smoking cigarettes smuggled from Mexico and other points of entry. And it's growing louder every day.
Over the past 15 years, the average state and federal tax on a pack of cigarettes has gone up 152 percent--from 21 cents to 53 cents. And some states are way above the average. Michigan, for instance, raised its state cigarette tax 200 percent in May 1994, from 25 cents a pack to a national high of 75 cents.
With politicians hot for tax revenue and cigarette prohibitionists on the march, the trend can only continue. Indeed, one of the few things Congress seemed to agree on during the health-care debate was the easiest way to get money to pay for national health care: Raise cigarette taxes. The Senate Finance Committee's bill proposed an increase in the federal cigarette tax of more than 900 percent.
The effects of such prohibition-by-taxation are as predictable as they are usually ignored. Cigarette smuggling is well on its way to becoming a major problem in the United States. Raising cigarette taxes any further risks repeating Canada's recent disastrous experience with cigarette smuggling, which threatened "the very fabric of Canadian society," according to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, when he announced deep cuts in cigarette taxes a year ago.
Contraband cigarettes held no more than 2 percent of the total cigarette market in Canada until 1991, when the government imposed a value-added tax and increased the federal cigarette tax by 146 percent. After the tax increase, however, the price differential between cigarettes sold in Canada and those in the United States soared to more than CDN$35 a carton. More and more smokers refused to pay as much as CDN$50 for a fully taxed carton of cigarettes when they could buy the same brand on the black market for CDN$20-40.
The result was an invitation to organized crime. Mohawk Indians from tribes along the U.S.-Canada border, biker gangs, and Asian Triads smuggled cigarettes across the border in boats, airplanes, trucks, vans, legitimate courier companies, and snowmobiles.
Ironically, most of the smuggled cigarettes were made in Canada. Canadian tobacco companies exported 15.6 billion cigarettes to the United States in 1993, up more than 830 percent from 1990. Because there was no apparent increased U.S. demand for Canadian cigarettes, it's widely accepted that almost all of the exported cigarettes, on which no Canadian taxes were paid, were smuggled back into Canada.
These cigarettes were sold by street vendors, out of the backs of cars, at flea markets, at restaurants, at bars, at convenience stores, and at high schools. When one smoker hooked up with a dealer, all of his or her friends and co-workers were connected as well. The October 20, 1992 Globe and Mail of Toronto reported that a 77-year-old woman was buying "hot smokes" for members of her bridge club and that a surgeon became the black market supplier for his co-workers at a Montreal hospital. Many of the smokers who were uneasy about breaking the law decided it was OK when they saw that "everybody's doing it."
Not everybody, but it started getting close. Before the tax hike, one in 50 cigarettes smoked in Canada had evaded taxes, estimates the forensic and investigative accounting firm of Lindquist Avey Macdonald Baskerville in a study sponsored by the Canadian tobacco industry. By the end of 1993, nearly one in three cigarettes was contraband. An August 1994 report by the Non-Smokers' Rights Association (Canada) disputes those figures. But it concedes that one in four cigarettes may have been contraband in 1993.
Smuggling particularly hurt "mom and pop" convenience stores, which rely heavily on cigarette sales. Rob Stamler, a partner with Lindquist Avey and a former assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, says that many retailers began carrying "dual inventory" --legal cigarettes over the counter, illegal smokes below. Retailers also were victims of a crime wave, as it became more lucrative for thieves to skip the cash register and head straight for the cigarettes.
The government tried cracking down on cigarette smuggling, but the police didn't get much support. "Everyone thinks the taxes on cigarettes are too high, so it's not a crime to buy them [illegally]," Staff Sergeant Walter Wafer, head of the Mounties' customs-and-excise section in Montreal, told the Toronto Globe and Mail.
The government's inability to enforce an unpopular law only emboldened Canadians to become more defiant. On January 24, 1994, 75 store owners in St. Eustache, Quebec, rebelled by openly selling contraband cigarettes. Hundreds of Canadians waited hours to buy cigarettes for less than half the legal price. The police, perhaps deciding in this instance that it was better to be loved than feared, made no arrests.
Such upfront defiance of the law alarmed Canadian politicians. Even more disturbing to them were signs that cigarette tax evasion was having spill-over effects on other taxes. To stop the fiscal, political, and social hemorrhaging, in February the federal and five provincial governments made deep cuts in cigarette taxes, which essentially eliminated cigarette smuggling in Canada.
Tax rates are still much lower in the United States than they were in Canada, but signs of rebellion are already apparent. Contraband cigarettes evading federal taxes made up 6 percent of the total U.S. cigarette market in 1994, up from a negligible level in 1991, according to a preliminary estimate in a new study by Lindquist Avey.
The study suggests that the United States is now at the same stage that Canada was in early 1991, the time at which cigarette smuggling there began to spin out of control. The United States may need just one more significant tax increase to unleash a full-scale revolt.


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U.S. call center firm Teletech Holdings Inc has acquired Canada-based customer experience provider Atelka for $59 million.
Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Atelka has 2,800 employees in four Canadian provinces. Most of its clients are in telecom, logistics, and entertainment. The company claims to be providing customer care services in as many as nine languages.
“Our acquisition of Atelka is part of our strategy to bring our holistic customer engagement platform to key geographies,” said Kenneth Tuchman, chairperson and chief executive officer of Teletech.
Teletech has been hunting for ways to bolster its digital capabilities and the acquisition of Atelka will likely cement its position in the Canadian call center service industry. “We now have a solid foundation for growth in the important Canadian market,” added Tuchman.
Founded in 2003, Atelka runs delivery centers in most of the Canadian cities, including Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
“This is a strategic move for Atelka. Through this new relationship, we will be able to extend our value to our clients with Teletech’s full range of customer engagement solutions,” said Tom Loberto, Atelka’s CEO.
Atelka is likely to operate under its own brand for now, but TeleTech will integrate it into assets years later.
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