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Netflix Inc.'s second-quarter profit nearly doubled as the online DVD rental pioneer continued to attract new subscribers despite stiffer competition from the much larger Blockbuster Inc.
The Los Gatos-based company said Monday that it earned $5.7 million, or 9 cents per share, for the three months ended in June. That compared with net income of $2.9 million, or 4 cents per share, at the same time last year.
If not for accounting charges for stock options issued its employees, Netflix said it would have earned 14 cents per share. That trounced the mean estimate of 1 cent per share among analysts polled by Thomson Financial.
Revenue for the period totaled $164.5 million, a 37 percent increase from $119.7 million. The sales were just slightly above the average analyst estimate of $163.5 million.
Netflix announced its results after the stock market closed.
Emboldened by the second-quarter surprise, Netflix management predicted it will finish this year with a profit of $2.4 million to $11.9 million, a reversal from just three months ago when the company warned it might lose as much as $15 million with Blockbuster hot on its trail.
But Netflix didn't have to spend as much as executives anticipated to fend off Blockbuster in the second quarter, leaving the company in a much stronger position than almost everyone expected.
The performance underscored the continuing popularity of Netflix, which allows subscribers to keep up to three DVDs at a time for a $17.99 monthly fee. The concept, which depends on a combination of the Internet and mail delivery, has helped revolutionize the nation's entertainment habits. Some industry analysts have even linked Netflix's growth with declining attendance at movie theaters.
Netflix ended June with 3.2 million subscribers, a 53 percent increase from a year ago. Blockbuster's online rental service is believed to have between 750,000 and 1 million subscribers.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, provided the Netflix service with a major endorsement in May when it decided to hand over its online DVD rental business to its much smaller rival. Although Wal-Mart didn't have enough subscribers to provide Netflix with a significant financial lift, the publicity surrounding the move helped bring more attention to the service.
Netflix attracted another 178,000 subscribers between March and July, even as Blockbuster tried to overcome its late entry into rapidly growing online DVD rental industry by undercutting Netflix's prices by $3 per month.
Fewer subscribers are defecting once they sign up for Netflix, an indication that Blockbuster's push isn't hurting that much, if at all. Netflix's turnover rate fell to 4.7 percent in the second quarter, down from 5.7 percent a year ago.
"We are clearly winning the fight (with Blockbuster) on all fronts," Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings said during a Monday conference call.
Hastings predicted Netflix will continue to grow rapidly as the online DVD rental market swells to a projected 15 million subscribers by 2010.
While the company expects to continue making most of its money by mailing DVDs requested online, Netflix also is gearing up to introduce a service that will enable customers to download a handful of movie titles late this year. Netflix has earmarked 1 percent to 2 percent of its annual revenue for investments in the downloading service.
Netflix's recent success has been so heartening that the company has become less concerned about a possible challenge from online retail powerhouse Amazon.com Inc., which was believed to be mulling a possible entry into DVD rentals.
The Amazon threat "seems less formidable and less likely," Hastings told analysts.
Investors have been feeling better about Netflix, too. Even before Monday's strong earnings, Netflix's stock had climbed by nearly 40 percent so far this year.


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By Fred Pearce
Is cyber-shopping terrible for the environment?
Some say yes, with all those trucks heading out into suburbia to deliver your latest gadget, fashion garment or book. But online retailers insist theirs is the greener delivery route — much better than you driving to the store.
So, who is right? And are there even better ways?
This really matters for the climate. Online shopping makes up one in seven retail purchases worldwide. Its value in 2019 will be a staggering US$3.5 trillion, a figure that is rising by more than a fifth every year.
How much of the total carbon footprint of what you buy is attributable to delivery varies hugely. But wherever your latest purchase comes from — whether a Chinese factory or a field in your home state — transport from the store or warehouse to home likely dominates the delivery footprint, says Alan McKinnon, a professor of logistics at the Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg, Germany, and author of a new book Decarbonizing Logistics.
What logistics folks call the “last mile” is usually the most energy-intensive stage, McKinnon and colleague Julia Edwards have pointed out, “and typically generates more CO2 emissions than all the upstream logistical activities.”
It is also where the difference between online and in-store shopping is greatest — and McKinnon says most times delivery is best. A typical home delivery round of online purchases in Britain consists of 120 drops on a 50-mile (80 kilometer) round. That round produces some 50 pounds (20 kilograms) of CO2, or just over 6 ounces (170 grams) per individual delivery. If you went to the store, the typical drive would be around 13 miles (21 kilometers) there and back, which would generate 24 times more CO2. So you’d have to pick up 24 items to break even, he says.
Theory vs. Real World
That’s the theory. In the real world, the difference is much less, says manufacturing technology specialist Dimitri Weideli, who did an environmental analysis of online shopping while a research associate at MIT in 2013. For instance, 12% to 60% of home deliveries have been reported to fail first time. Either the van has to make a second and even third run, or customers end up driving to an out-of-town warehouse to pick up the product. Also, typically, one-fifth of products are returned, for whatever reason. Every false move increases the carbon footprint.
Just as bad, our growing love of speed deliveries almost triples the footprint of online delivery, says Weideli. That is because your supplier no longer has the flexibility to bundle multiple orders into a single delivery, and because it sends out vans less full and to travel farther per delivery than they would if you were willing to wait a bit longer for your purchase to arrive.
Weidel says such “impatient” cyber-shoppers have the worst carbon footprint of all. But even allowing for them, in general, whether buying laptops or Barbie dolls or T-shirts, he wrote in an analysis he did as a research associate at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics in 2013, “online shopping is the most environmentally friendly option.”
Of course, this assumes the comparison is with conventional shoppers who make special trips to the store for single purchases. Many don’t do that. We walk, bike or take the bus. Or buy many items on a single shopping trip.
In a bus ride, you share the emissions. On a typically half-empty bus, your share may still be greater than the emissions for a home delivery — seven times more if you are only buying one item, says Patricia van Loon, based on her research at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. But since the bus would have been on the route regardless, you haven’t added to the actual emissions.
EVs, Drones and Robots
If we can shop better, can online retailers deliver better too? That last mile is still a source of great (and costly) inefficiency for them, say logistics analysts. It’s where both dollars and carbon emissions can be saved.
So they are trying. Amazon wants half its shipments to be “net zero carbon” by 2030. But how?
Electric vehicles are one possibility. With no tailpipe emissions, they reduce transport’s contribution to urban smog. But their carbon footprint depends on how their electricity is generated. Right now, an electric vehicle is a lot greener in Vermont than in coal-burning West Virginia.
How about drones? They would mostly deliver one package at a time. But even flitting back and forth from the depot, drones could sometimes still reduce carbon emissions relative to delivery trucks, according to Anne Goodchild of the University of Washington. They are likely to work best with light, urgent deliveries, such as medicines, food or mail, and in confined high-demand areas such as university campuses.
But staying aloft for long with a heavy load is energy-intensive. Drones could be combined with trucks that drive to local transport nodes, and then hand over to drones for the last mile.
Or perhaps ground-based robots? This year, both FedEx and Amazon announced plans to deploy these smart, autonomous hampers-on-wheels along our sidewalks, dodging pedestrians and crossing at the lights. Lowe’s already has plans to deploy with FedEx, and FedEx says it is talking to Pizza Hut and Walmart about doing their deliveries as well.
Some say low-tech is still the best route to low carbon. Many European cities have companies such as Deliveroo using bicycle couriers for fast, zero-emission meal deliveries from local restaurants. The system could be extended for other goods. Ford recently developed software that could summon bike couriers to take parcels in a suburban London neighborhood the last mile from truck to front door.
Lockers in shopping malls also get around the last mile problem for online retailers. Customers are given a code and pick up their own package. But if you drive there, the carbon gain is lost.
The new kid on the block is crowd-shipping — hitchhiking for parcels. Start-ups like Roadie promise to “connect people who have stuff with driver already heading that way.” Drivers make bids to deliver. Right now in some places, half of all crowd-shipping trips are made specially for the delivery, while another third take long detours. So the potential carbon saving disappears. But the more people join in, the more efficient it could be.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line? Online shopping can be greener than driving to the store. Novel last-mile alternatives to conventional delivery trucks stand to make it even more environmentally friendly.
But the devil is in the details. If we bundle our orders, and avoid the speedy delivery option, we boost the environmentally friendly quotient. (Imagine if we were offered a “green shipping” button when choosing dispatch options?) Other tips for reducing delivery’s environmental impact: Do be in when the courier calls. Don’t buy on a whim and then take up the “free return” option.
Oh, and don’t binge on stuff. Some say the real danger from online shopping is it encourages us to buy stuff we wouldn’t otherwise. The purchase that doesn’t happen has the lowest delivery carbon footprint of all.

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Two controversial new apps unveiled at the annual TechCrunch Disrupt technology conference on Sunday promoted masturbation and staring at women's breasts, sparking yet another debate about sexism in the tech world.
A duo of entrepreneurs from Australia showed off an app called "Titstare," which featured photos of people looking at women's cleavage. Presenting what they had created during a hackathon to an audience of other entrepreneurs and influencers, the duo deemed it the "breast" hack ever.
Another entrepreneur demoed "CircleShake," an app that measures how quickly someone can manually shake his or her phone. As part of the presentation, the hacker pretended to masturbate on stage.
While the audience chuckled and cheered, not everyone was amused.
"There goes my attempt to teach my 9yo girl how welcoming tech industry is to women :/," Silicon Valley startup veteran Richard Jordan posted on Twitter. His daughter was presenting her own hack.
Jordan signed up for the hackathon to encourage his nine year old daughter, Alexandra to pursue her interest in technology. Currently taking online coding classes, she was present for both presentations.
"I felt uncomfortable and I thought if I were a woman, I would have felt tremendously like this is not a group of people that are letting me in," Jordan told CNNMoney.
Had both presentations been met with silence, Jordan said the impact would have been less severe.
"But when they're getting cheers," he said. "It's like the whole room's not with me on this."
TechCrunch editors immediately issued an apology and vowed to screen future presentations ahead of hackathons, banning "sexism or other discriminatory speech."
"Normally our hackathons are a showcase for developers of all stripes to create and share something cool," the AOL-owned ( site posted. "But earlier today, the spirit of our event was marred by misogynistic presentations. Sexism is a major problem in the tech industry, and we've worked hard to counteract it in our coverage and in our hiring." )
The conference, which attracts tech titans like Facebook's ( Mark Zuckerberg, )LinkedIn's ( Reid Hoffman, )Yahoo's ( Marissa Mayer and a host of burgeoning startup entrepreneurs has been a launching venue for startups since 2010. Each year, TechCrunch Disrupt kicks off with a hackathon, in which entrepreneurs spend hours building out new tech ideas. )
Whether made in jest or not, misogynistic comments are increasingly in focus at tech conferences. In March, two male attendees at software developer conference PyCon made a joke about "big dongles" and "forking," a play on tech terminology. The joke was made public and sparked controversy after developer Adria Richards snapped a photo and posted the image with a caption on Twitter.
One of the developers was fired, and in a bizarre twist, Richards was fired for "publicly shaming the offenders."
Despite the obstacles, Jordan still wants his daughter to pursue her interest in technology. Her presentation, an app to help schedule playdates, made headlines.
"It's all about her having a good experience because at this sort of age, it's the age we lose our young women from the sciences and technology," Jordan said.


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Google Introduced a Brand New Google Play Feature
Google has finally unveiled a thrilling and interesting feature to its Google Play Store right after it started allowing Android users to pre-register for the forthcoming Android Apps on Google Play for free.
The first game to take advantage of the brand new feature offered by Google is none other than Glu Mobile’s Terminator Genisys: Revolution. Those users who are interested to try this new feature and to experience Terminator Genisys: Revolution just need to tap the pre-register icon placed on where the “download” icon is usually located. They need to tap the icon in order to show their interest to the newly added feature.
There is no need for Android users to pay for anything for the pre-registration. Also, they are not obliged to buy or download the app once it is already live. How convenient can this offer be? This is why a lot of Android users do not let this chance slip.
So, how does the process really goes? Well, it sets up a notification that alerts users once the app is already available. Remember that it is not a lock-in. Users are free to cancel once they feel like they are no longer interested about it.
With this brand new feature, Google Play now has another edge over Apple Store. For sure, Android users will definitely love this feature.


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Business growth in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea 'slows'
Business growth in south Wales slowed during the second quarter of the year, partly because of the extended Easter break and royal wedding, it is claimed.
South Wales Chamber of Commerce surveyed 2,800 small and medium-sized companies such as hoteliers, shop owners and construction firms.
In Swansea, Newport and Cardiff more businesses reported a drop in sales than the first quarter.
But one Swansea business adviser said he found "cautious optimism".
In Swansea, over a third (34%) of companies said sales had fallen, up from 28% in the first quarter.
In Newport 28% of firms said sales had dropped, up from 25%, and in Cardiff 21% of companies agreed, up from 6% in the first quarter.
Growth figures in the first quarter of the year had been positive, the chamber of commerce said.
Inflation was the biggest worry, followed by competition, but the chamber said the second quarter slump could partly be blamed on the extended Easter break and royal wedding.
It said people had extended their holidays to include the days after the celebration at the end of April.
The chamber also claimed that many member businesses relied on contracts from the public sector, and they were feeling the pinch as this work started to dry up.
Director Graham Morgan said: "Overall, this quarter has seen a disappointing slowdown in the sales growth that we had been seeing in previous quarters.
He said the extended Easter break and disruption surrounding the royal wedding, had a detrimental effect on productivity.
"However, UK orders across all areas stayed fairly consistent with the previous quarter, which should allow order books to compensate somewhat for sales deficiencies," Mr Morgan added.
Among the firms surveyed were hauliers, hoteliers, shop owners, solicitors and manufacturers, including two firms manufacturing car and train parts.
"On the back of the sluggish results, optimism has stalled somewhat, although businesses in south east Wales remain more bullish about their prospects in the next quarter," Mr Morgan added.
Cardiff and Newport remained the most optimistic areas, while Swansea businesses were a little more cautious about their prospects for the next quarter.
He added that it was disappointing more than three-quarters of businesses reported no export activity.
But Mr Morgan said the knock-on effect of Swansea's promotion to the Premier League might translate into improved trading in the coming months.
Jon Hughes of Centre for Business, which advises small and medium-sized businesses in Swansea, Cardiff and Newport, said there was a "certain amount of truth" in what the chamber of commerce was saying about the Easter break and royal wedding.
"The extended bank holiday saw people bolting on holidays to the end of it, and this would have had an impact on productivity, although hotels and catering companies would have done well out of it," he said.
"But it's dangerous to read too much into figures from one quarter.
"The businesses I speak to have cautious optimism. They are asking if there's going to be a double dip recession, if there's a slight trend upwards in the economy, do they they invest now or later?
"This is reflecting people's shopping habits."


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Zero Motorcycles has just issued a recall notice through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) related to the front brake lever on Zero SR/F and Zero SR/S electric motorcycles.
recall Stories November 25, 2020
recall Stories November 20, 2017
Over the weekend rumors started floating around on social media about a possible stop-sale and recall on all the BMW i3’s sold in the United States of America. This morning BMW came out with an official statement, confirming that, during recent testing by the National Highway Safety Administration, it was discovered that the BMW i3 (BEV and REx) marginally exceeded one particularly edge case of the many Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard criteria with respect to frontal impact performance. expand full story
recall Stories April 11, 2016
Just as Tesla enthusiasts are waiting for the Model X online design studio to become available to non-reservation holders today, Tesla announced that it is recalling the Model X over a weakness in the third-row seat. The automaker says that all vehicles produced before March 26th are affected or about 2,700 units. expand full story
recall Stories March 29, 2016
Volkswagen recently confirmed (via Autoblog) that it is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 e-Golf vehicles manufactured between May 21, 2014 and March 1, 2016. We are talking about 5,561 units potentially affected. The problem is in the battery management system (BMS) which can falsely detect an electrical surge and shutdown the electric drive as a result.
The fix is fairly simple: a visit at your local dealership for a BMS software update. expand full story
recall Stories October 30, 2015
NHTSA submitted a recall report earlier this week for Daimler to recall all Mercedes electric B-Class over a problem with Tesla’s drivetrain. The report, which we embed below, perfectly highlights the need for over-the-air updates across the whole automotive industry. According to the filing, the recall is due to a problem with the gateway software of the electric powertrain, which is supplied by Tesla Motors, and affects all 2,618 Mercedes electric B-Class produced between November 2013 and May 2015. expand full story


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Our View: Arizona won the NAFTA battle. Now let's win the war
Editorial: The debate is no longer about killing NAFTA, but making it better. Here's how Arizona can (and should) be involved in its modernization.
Arizona needs to face it: NAFTA is a rotary-dial trade deal in a smartphone world.
So don’t cling to it.
Change is inevitable, and change can be beneficial.
So let’s embrace it.
As U.S. Trade Rep. Robert E. Lighthizer wrote to Congress
, “our economy and our businesses have changed considerably” in the more than two decades since the agreement went into effect.
“NAFTA has not,” he wrote.
They want to improve NAFTA, not kill it
Lighthizer's recent missive announcing the Trump administration was initiating negotiations with Canada and Mexico should be seen as an invitation to get involved.
He talked about “modernizing” the North American Free Trade Agreement, not burying it.
We don’t have to waste energy pushing back anymore.
Now we need to nudge things in the right direction.
This was the spirit of a letter sent to Lighthizer
from more than a dozen senators whose states benefit from trade. The first name on the list? Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.
First promising to take a “keen interest” in NAFTA renegotiations, these senators pointed out the “significant” economic benefit from trade and cautioned against imposing “unnecessary restrictions on trade.”
Topping our agenda: Border port staffing
Because so much of NAFTA trade involves cross-border supply chains, it is essential that changes emphasize fast, efficient and safe ports.
Arizona’s congressional delegation has long pushed for additional staffing at our ports of entry with Mexico. This is a good time to re-emphasize that and focus on the value of funding the CANAMEX corridor from Mexico through Arizona and into Canada.
This fits Trump’s promise to fund infrastructure improvements, which is one campaign promise worth remembering.
Happily, some other rhetoric may be forgotten.
Lighthizer’s letter to Congress made no mention of NAFTA being the “single worst trade deal” ever negotiated by the United States, as Trump previously said.
Nor did it reiterate the president’s previous claim that the three-nation trading deal resulted in “terrible losses” of U.S. jobs.
Instead, Trump’s trade representative talked about updating NAFTA to “address the challenges” of “an increasingly global economy.”
Lighthizer talked about modernizing NAFTA in the areas of digital trade and intellectual property rights.
No more defense. Let's play offense
Let's face it: Arizona and the other states that depend on trade have won the argument.
NAFTA’s here to stay. That’s a solid foundation on which to build.
Arizona’s experience as a border state has been a success story – despite some awkward moments when short-sighted politicians got carried away with their own rhetoric.
that begins May 25 in Hermosillo, that venerable Arizona organization pointed out that:
- Arizona’s exports to Mexico last year exceeded $9 billion.
- Bilateral trade topped $16 billion.
- Mexican tourists spend about $2.5 billion annually in Arizona.
- Mexico’s economy, now 15th largest in the world, is projected to weigh in at sixth largest by 2050.
The Town Hall's meeting in Mexico is emblematic of Arizona’s efforts to foster a trade relationship that has great growth potential.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, Gov. Doug Ducey and much of Arizona’s delegation – Republican and Democratic – understand the stakes.
It's time to stop defending the old NAFTA and start shaping its new look.
We can make this change to serve Arizona’s advantage.


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Infiniti announced earlier this year that it would be adding a 3-row crossover to its fleet, but only released a single teaser image. However, our spy photographers managed to catch up with the CUV while testing, giving us our best look yet at the people-friendly hauler.
Unlike the last time our spies nabbed the JX, we have detailed inside and out photos of the big crossover, which appears to be ready for its late summer debut.
Designated JX, the model will 1st be shown in concept car form at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August before a production model debuts at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Sales should begin in early 2012.
The JX will slot in above the 5-seat FX, which might not be redesigned when it is due in a few years, and below the 7 or 8-seat QX.
The new JX will go up against rivals from Mercedes-Benz (GL-Class), Audi (Q7) and Lincoln (MKT). For the most part, Infiniti appears to be ahead of the curve in offering a true 3-row crossover to luxury buyers. Most rivals have stuck with either 5-seat models or more utility-oriented SUVs like the Lexus GX 460 and Land Rover LR4.
Infiniti will almost certainly continue to offer its QX56, which went on sale barely a year ago. Sales of the boxier QX56 have been brisk, exceeding Infiniti’s expectations despite its hefty fuel consumption.
Although Infiniti has shifted to rear-wheel drive in recent years, the JX is expected to ride on Nissan’s front-wheel drive “D” platform. Nissan’s D platform underpins vehicles like the Maxima, Altima and Murano, and will give the JX the ability to offer all-wheel drive.
Infiniti’s 3.7-liter V6 is certainly a possibility for the JX, but a number of trademark filings — including JX20, JX25, JX25h, and JX30 — suggest Infiniti could be considering downsizing. Whatever the case, expect a hybrid model to be part of the JX lineup.
Outside, the JX clearly takes inspiration from the Audi Q7, at least in terms of its overall shape. In fact, at 1st glance, these photos could be of a camouflaged mid-cycle update for the Q7. But the difference is in the details; the JX uses Infiniti’s swoopy styling all around, drawing heavily on themes presented last year when the QX56 was unveiled.
For the 1st time ever, we now have a good look at the JX’s interior. Switchgear is borrowed heavily from other Infiniti models, like the automaker’s unique round heated and ventilated seat knobs and its small leather-wrapped gear lever. The design isn’t as expressive as that found in the company’s midsize M sedans, especially when it comes to a more conservative door panel treatment. But that’s fitting for this segment, which should be fairly high volume for Nissan’s luxury brand.
Look for more details to leak out over the coming months about the upcoming JX crossover.


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A woman who turned to shoplifting after frittering away her benefit money on fruit machines.
Bernadette O’Sullivan, 51, was caught trying to leave her local supermarket with £155 worth of groceries.
O’Sullivan, of Shawfield Close, Fallowfield admitted stealing food from Sainsbury’s and was given a two-year conditional discharge with £85 costs.
Her lawyer said O’Sullivan had been gambling for 10 years but she was now seeking the help of Gamblers Anonymous.
Manchester magistrates court heard she had also been cautioned for theft in January.


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The market has already forgotten Friday's good news on the COVID front, Jim Cramer told his Mad Money viewers Monday. Instead, investors chose to focus on a new litany of worries to start the week. Fortunately, as stocks head lower, the bargains become easier to spot.
What has investors worried? Well, for starters, Cramer said, there's a downside to the democratization of investing, and that's skittish investors. This year's flood of new investors doesn't know what a selloff looks like, he said, and they certainly haven't seen the late-September seasonal decline.
Over on Real Money, James "Rev Shark" DePorre writes that Monday was "one of those days where the action in individual stocks was much worse than what the indexes were indicating." Read more of what he has to say about the action in the Nasdaq 100, Facebook and the ARK Innovation ETF ARKK, and get his trading insights.
The second thing that has investors rattled are rising oil and natural gas prices. Rising crude prices typically means the economy is expanding, but only to a point. When prices get too high, they put a damper on our entire economy.
Third, the tech sector is crumbling, led by Facebook's (FB) 4.9% decline. Cramer said the social media giant has become a pariah after this latest round of leaked memos, not to mention Monday's outage of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Making matters worse, there are still too many tech IPOs, deals that need to get pulled to lessen the supply of shares.
Finally, Cramer said investors are worried about Washington, and the world, amidst gridlock over the debt ceiling and infrastructure and rising tensions between Taiwan and China.
All of these factors have made investors forget all about Merck's (MRK) new COVID treatment on Friday, Cramer concluded. That means we're likely to see more selling as the week progresses.
Executive Decision: IBM
In his first "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer spoke with Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM (IBM) , on the heels of the company's annual analyst meeting. Shares of IBM are up 20% in the past year.
Krishna said IBM has entered into a virtuous cycle, one where free cash flow provides the revenue needed to drive growth, which in turn provides even more free cash flow. The company expects to generate $35 billion in free cash over the next three years.
IBM continues to be a leader when it comes to technology consulting, Krishna added. In the case of Delta Air Lines (DAL) , IBM was able to provide a hybrid cloud solution that will move 90% of Delta's current applications to the cloud, powered by Amazon Web Services (AMZN) , RedHat and IBM's own applications.
IBM doesn't go it alone, Krishna said. The company partners with the best in the business including Microsoft (MSFT) , Amazon, Salesforce (CRM) and Box (BOX) , just to name a few. IBM is an ecosystem, he said, so even if they share revenue in some areas, there will always be a services opportunity for IBM.
Executive Decision: McCormick
For his second "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer also spoke with Lawrence Kurzius, chairman and CEO of spice maker McCormick (MKC) , the popular pandemic stock that has fallen victim to rising inflation.
Kurzius said that consumers continue to crave flavorful foods and McCormick's spices are the best way to get that flavor at home. McCormick is now the No. 1 maker of hot sauce, a category that's on track to surpass ketchup as America's favorite condiment.
Consumers are also looking for natural ingredients and clean labels, Kurzius added, something McCormick continues to provide. His company also offers a healthy dose of fun, as evidenced by their popular National Taco Day campaign that received 700 million impressions and over 5,000 applicants for their honorary Ambassador of Taco Relations position.
Turning to the topic of inflation, Kurzius noted that while McCormick has been able to deliver 20% sales and earnings growth since the pandemic began, the amount of inflation they're seeing is unprecedented. It spans from ingredients to packaging to labor and transportation, he said, and they're doing everything they can to keep it under control.
Executive Decision: Paychex
For his final "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer once again checked in Marty Mucci, president and CEO of Paychex (PAYX) , the nation's second largest payroll processor. Shares of Paychex are up 23% so far this year.
Mucci says Paychex just delivered another fantastic quarter that included 16% revenue growth. He said clients are rebounding and employees are starting to come back to work. When it comes to small businesses, Mucci added that growth is moderating, but is still quite strong as the recovery continues.
When asked about the ongoing labor shortages across the nation, Mucci explained that the lack of workers has been caused by a combination of early retirements, parents staying at home with their children and ongoing safety concerns about the workplace. He speculated that many of these shortages, particularly related to home services and repair, will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
Is Dimon Missing Out on Crypto?
In his "No Huddle Offense" segment, Cramer opined on Jamie Dimon's recent comments panning cryptocurrencies. He said the JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO is an excellent executive, but he's once again missing the mark.
According to Dimon, crypto is the Wild West, with no intrinsic value and nonexistent regulation. But Cramer noted that there are lots of asset classes that don't trade on their intrinsic values and when it comes to regulation, crypto should be regulated.
The opportunity that Dimon doesn't see, according to Cramer, is in stable coins. Currently, stable coins are led by Tether, a dubious coin backed by unknown Chinese securities. Tether has already run afoul of regulators and is currently banned in New York. Cramer said JP Morgan could own the stable coin market and help legitimize crypto in the process, if only Dimon saw the opportunity in front of him.
Here's what Cramer had to say about some of the stocks that callers offered up during the "Mad Money Lightning Round" Monday evening:
GrowGeneration (GRWG) : "I recommended this one in the teens, but then in the $40s it was time to go and move on. "
Vale (VALE) : "I don't want you to touch mining. China has cooled and they control too much of the market."
Bionano Genomics (BNGO) : "This is highly speculative. Be careful."
Ocugen (OCGN) : "No thank you. I'm a seller."
To sign up for TheStreet's free Daily Booyah! newsletter with all of the latest articles and videos please click here.


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Kantar, the world’s leading marketing insights and consulting company, today reveals plans for a new on-demand research and insights store. Kantar Marketplace will launch in March 2019 and provide access to Kantar’s growing portfolio of quick turnaround research solutions and insights from across Kantar.
Kantar Marketplace will be the only on-demand platform that combines high quality, validated sample reach to 80 million consumers worldwide with self-serve custom surveys, more sophisticated insights solutions and expert consulting.
Commenting on the announcement, Eric Salama, CEO, Kantar, said “The launch of Kantar Marketplace is yet another illustration of our continued emphasis on innovating for client impact. Kantar Marketplace will allow our bigger, established clients to choose from a spectrum of automated offerings; from self-service to deeper diagnostic full-service tools, and enable new types of clients to access world-class solutions in a cost effective way.“
Julie Kollman, Kantar’s chief research officer, added “Clients want solutions that are robust, but also faster and more cost effective. Kantar Marketplace will bring the most comprehensive consumer insights together in one place and allow us to deliver fast and accurate research at a fraction of the usual time and cost. The scale of our permissioned panels worldwide ensures that, post-GDPR implementation, the voice of the customer can remain central to decision-making.”
Full details of the solutions and capabilities available on Kantar Marketplace, as well as the solution roadmap will be released at the launch of Kantar Marketplace.
About Kantar TNS
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Apple have yet again taken aim at Samsung by getting an injunction to ban the sale of Galaxy handsets. The embargo is due to kick off in a few weeks time and concerns an Apple patent for an interface to “view and navigate photographs on a touch screen phone”.
In recent weeks we’ve seen Apple hit Samsung with a similar injunction against the Galaxy Tab. Doubts were cast over the evidence and sales restarted fairly recently.
Things have now taken a rather interesting turn, with Samsung telling techradar.com that it ban would not include the UK. A spokesman told the publication that …
Today’s ruling is an affirmation that the Galaxy range of products is innovative and distinctive. We will continue our plans to introduce new products and technologies that meet and exceed consumer expectations. And we will defend our intellectual property rights through the ongoing legal proceedings around the world.
Samsung have added this handy chart which details the rulings so far..
Link – techradar.com


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Senator Aquino wants to improve the freelancing industry - here’s how you can improve as a freelancer.
Posts Tagged: startups
Olacabs in India now comes in three flavours: Mini, Sedan, and Prime. The Sedan and Mini were already running; now Prime targets an addition...
KreditGoGo is a financial comparison platform that helps people compare and apply for financial products in Indonesia.
Executives from four Bitcoin firms called out twelve Philippine companies to accept the cryptocurrency.
Wander is all about creating a trusted, friendly singles community which is under-served in the travel market.
Ad spending in Indonesia is projected to reach $720 million in 2015. East Ventures and Valuklik want a slice of the pie.
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Here's why India's ecommerce poster-boy Flipkart is phasing out its electronic wallet, PayZippy.


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American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault to step down
Kenneth Chenault will step down as Chairman CEO of American Express in February, to be succeeded by Stephen Squeri, the company said on Wednesday.
It will be the end of a 17-year run at the helm of Amex, and a 37-year career with the company. Named CEO in 2001, Chenault, 66, is among the first African Americans to run a Fortune 500 company, and he recently completed a two-year turnaround.
In a statement he said, "We're starting a new chapter from a position of strength and this is the right time to make the leadership transition to someone who's played a central role in all that we've accomplished."
American Express shares have struggled since the company ended its partnership with Costco Wholesale in February 2015. That co-branding partnership accounted for one in 10 Amex cards in circulation.
Since the day before American Express lost the Costco partnership, the stock has returned just 12 percent, far below the 30 percent return for the S&P 500 and the 41 percent gain in the Financial Select SPDR, according to FactSet.
Chenault's track record is a bit better over the longer term but still not spectacular. The stock has returned 5.4 percent annually since December 2000, right before his tenure began, according to FactSet. That's nearly double the 2.6 percent annual return of the financial sector since that time.
More:Supreme Court to consider American Express fee dispute
More:AmEx adds Platinum perks as high-end cards court travelers
Squeri, 58, has been a vice chairman since 2015 and was group president of Amex's global corporate services group before that.
Tasked with guiding Amex into its next phase, Squeri is credited with building the company's commercial payments business and transforming its technology infrastructure in addition to leading the latest restructuring effort.
Amex's brand has been bolstered by association with its largest shareholder, Berkshire Hathaway, which holds a nearly 17 percent stake. "American Express is a very special company, one in which I first invested 53 years ago," Berkshire's Warren Buffett said in a statement. "Ken built on its storied history — not by abandoning traditional strengths, but by building on them and adding new ones."
After the bell, Amex also raised its guidance for full-year profit to $5.80 to $5.90 a share, up from the average forecast of analysts calling for EPS of $5.74. In the third quarter, Amex beat revenue expectations, reporting $8.44 billion versus the Street's expectation of $8.28 billion. Profit of $1.50 a share also beat the $1.48 expected.


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For years, there’s been talk of robots infiltrating the workforce and eliminating human jobs. Now, it’s finally happening, but not in the way that most people envisioned. Amazon has led the charge by using 45,000 robots at its shipping and distribution facilities, but soon consumers may also see more robots cruising the aisles of well-known brands like Lowe’s and Target. While the idea of robotics may sound overwhelming to both brand and employee, the age of robotics is robust with one thing for the enterprise CIO: opportunity.Read More
BTerrell Group Blog
Robotic process automation (RPA) has been one of the most closely watched areas of enterprise technology in recent years. It introduced the concept of a virtual workforce and has quickly become a new way to define the future structure of business.
IT leaders gathered in Sydney recently to discuss how their organisations were using RPA – a type of automation where a computer or virtual worker mimics the execution of human users’ repetitive activities without needing intervention or assistance.Read More
Talk of robotic process automation-- software that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to handle the high-volume, repeatable tasks traditionally performed by humans -- is becoming increasingly common in conversations about commercial IT and business operations.Read More
Robotic Process Automation Market share is forecast to exceed USD 5 billion by 2024; as per a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. The growing adoption of RPA technology by organizations to enhance their capabilities, performance and reduce operational costs is expected to drive the Robotic process automation market growth over the forecast timeline.Read More
This article looks at some of the challenges organizations face when deploying automated systems.Read More
B2B FinTechs are looking at robotics process automation (RPA) to empower their finance executives by going beyond basic automation. Recently released software such as Gappify offers an RPA-powered bot to automate accounting processes. Unlike other types of automation, Gappify’s software does not need any intervention from a human being; not even to start the task. Another corporate accounting software firm, FloQast, also released its RPA solution called Cloud Connect. The solution helps companies seamlessly access data stored in on-premise ERP systems.


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US: Saks slides to deeper Q2 loss
- Q2 net loss US$12.3m, versus $8.4m
- Underlying $8m versus $7.6m
- Net sales up 5.1% to $704.1m
Retail group Saks posted a second quarter net loss of US$12.3m after being impacted by exceptional items, but saw its underlying losses also widen in comparison with last year.
The loss in the three months to 28 July came despite a 5.1% increase in net sales and a 4.7% rise in comparable store sales for the US business.
Saks said strongly performing product categories included men’s and women’s contemporary apparel, women’s and men’s shoes, and fashion.
“Our comparable store sales increases of 4.7% in both the second quarter and six months were on top of very strong 15.5% and 12.7% increases in the second quarter and first six months of last year respectively,” said Stephen Sadove, Saks chairman and CEO.
Saks expects comparable store sales to grow in the mid-single digit range for the second half of its fiscal year.
Saks boss Stephen Sadove has been elected as the new chairman of the National Retail Federation's (NRF) board of directors and executive committee....
Upscale department store retailer Saks Incorporated today (13 November) said it remains cautious in its outlook for the rest of the year as the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy takes its toll....
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MTS India and Uninor to continue till 4 February
Mumbai, India, January 15, 2013: The 2G scam story, which resulted in closure of telecom companies like Videocon, MTS, Tata Teleservices and Telenor in India has taken another twist. The Supreme Court of India has now allowed telecom operators, MTS India and Uninor to continue offering its services in Mumbai circle. These companies were expected to shut shops in India, as their 2G licenses were due to expire on 18 January but the Supreme Court has ordered them to continue their mobile services until it hears the case next on 4 February, 2013.
The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) had filed petition urging the Supreme Court to allow the Mobile Operators like MTS India (SSTL) (all circles) and Uninor in Mumbai circle to operate until the next Spectrum auction which will be held by 11 March,2013.
MTS had informed its intention to continue its services even after 18 Jan to its users. This latest judgement from the Supreme Court allows MTS and Uninor to operate in Mumbai circle beyond its license date i.e. 18 January.


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To attract hourly workers, businesses turn to earned wage access (EWA)
Overall, hourly jobs are up 160% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 2% month-over-month drop, and a 2% year-over-year decline.
As the immediate ramifications of COVID-19 begin to lesson, we’re seeing how the past two year’s pandemic hiring strategies are now impacting businesses.
For example, companies that went all-in on hiring now find themselves overstaffed (which has in turn led to hiring freezes and layoffs). This is particularly evident in many white-collar segments, including technology. But it’s also having repercussions among other businesses that gained from the surge in pandemic business (think home gym makers, home food delivery, etc.).
Conversely, companies that were dramatically impacted by the lack of consumer movement during the pandemic are now severely short-staffed and scrambling to find workers. This includes airlines, hotels, and restaurants, among others.
Retail remained in the middle ground, as large companies that offered grocery delivery fared well, while smaller shops and traditional mall-based stores suffer mightily.
The point is, that while the labor market has shifted, hiring is still a major challenge for most businesses. For those hiring hourly workers, the biggest issue is that there are simply too many jobs to choose from. With 11 million open jobs, and 6 million unemployed job seekers, if every person searching took a job today there would still be 5 million open positions.
Earned wage access increases in popularity
If you’re looking to attract these elusive hourly workers, one recommendation is to jump on the bandwagon of offering earned wage access (or EWA, as it’s being promoted by savvy recruiters, although “on-demand pay” and “daily pay” are also popular terms). EWA allows hourly workers to receive their pay immediately (or soon after) the work is completed.
With inflation eating away at wages, and more and more workers living from paycheck to paycheck, the ability to get funds sooner than later helps avoid bank overdrafts, riding home from work in a car that’s running on fumes, and the worst money suck of all一payday loans. Hiring via platforms such as Shifts by Snagajob helps you provide this option to workers, which you can promote in your job posting to attract and retain more candidates.
This tactic promises to be a nice win-win for both businesses and workers.
Among hourly work, these sectors are now trending up at the highest rate.
Healthcare +4% month-over-month
Warehouse & Logistics +3% month-over-month
All industry data is from 3/2/20-8/23/22
Here are the latest overall job numbers:
Overall hourly jobs are up 160% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 2% month-over-month drop, and a 2% year-over-year decline.
Here are the latest job numbers by industry:
Food & Restaurant jobs are up 6% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing an 11% month-over-month drop, and a 26% year-over-year decline.
Hotel & Hospitality jobs are down 5% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 15% month-over-month drop, and a 63% year-over-year decline.
Healthcare jobs are up 189% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 4% month-over-month gain, and a 24% year-over-year decline.
Retail jobs are up 42% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 3% month-over-month drop, and a 9% year-over-year decline.
Warehouse & Logistics jobs are up 1191% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 3% month-over-month gain, and a 71% year-over-year growth.
The bottom line
We’ll continue to be your best resource for hourly job market insights as we collectively navigate towards our new normal and beyond.
Got one minute? Help improve this report. Share your feedback by answering five quick questions.


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Dana Peden Is Going To Have An Amazing 2015
THE DIRTY ARMY: Nik, Dana Peden (International Model and Actress) just voted LA’s top 100 hottest girls per Viva Glam! Director Sean Peden (lucky husband) states that Dana has several features and reality series hitting the air 2015. With productions already underway. Dana is also underway on Endorsement deals with several high end clothing companies due to her outstanding accomplishments on the red carpet.
Just another no name trying to use TheDirty.com for exposure. Sorry Dana, but your face is way too fat for TV.- nik


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The TRELOCK U4 PLUS U-lock has been awarded " Excellent" and " Recommended purchase"!
TRELOCK supports international bike workshop
TRELOCK promotes integration initiative of IFM Münster and supports the International Bicycle Workshop.
New packaging concept
The reduction of packaging material and the choice of packaging materials has also become more and more important for consumers in recent years…
New TRELOCK VECTOR Line
With the new VECTOR LINE, TRELOCK is launching the next generation of bicycle lighting.…


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Car dealership Pendragon hit its highest level in five months after a takeover approach by its major shareholder.
The company, which owns brands such as Evans Halshaw and Stratstone, jumped 19.8%, or 4.5p, to 27.2p after saying it had a cash offer of 29p per Hedin Mobility share. Group last Wednesday and was considering the proposal.
The offer represents a 26% premium to the closing price on September 20, the day before Hedin approached, and values the company at just over £405million.
Takeover target: Pendragon, which owns brands such as Evans Halshaw and Stratstone, jumped 19.8% after it said it received a cash offer of 29 pence per share from Hedin Mobility Group
Hedin, which operates car showrooms in countries including Belgium, Sweden and Switzerland and owns 27% of Pendragon, has been one of the board’s main critics, particularly over employee pay. leaders.
At its general meeting in June, the company suffered its third consecutive revolt over the remuneration of its bosses, with more than 65% of the votes cast against the salary package.
In August, Pendragon noted that a previous bid of 29 pence per share had been approved by all but one of its top five shareholders.
Liberum brokers said a bidding war was “unlikely” and that other shareholders were “likely to accept” the offer.
The FTSE 100 rose 0.03%, or 2.35 points, to 7020.95 while the FTSE 250 fell 1.39%, or 249.86 points, to 17,722.83.
Homebuilders slumped amid growing fears that soaring interest rates will hurt real estate demand, with soaring mortgage costs deterring potential buyers.
Taylor Wimpey fell 7.1%, or 7.31p, to 95.84p while Persimmon fell 6.6%, or 89.5p, to 1260.5p, Barratt Developments fell 5.1%, or 20.8p, to 385.2p and Berkeley fell 4.9%. or 169p, at 3315p.
Stock Watch – Magpie Music
Electronics retailer Music Magpie slumped to a record high after a profit warning.
The company, which enables consumers to buy and sell second-hand electronics, books and CDs, said performance in its consumer technology business was “weaker than expected” amid the downturn. continued pressure on profit margins.
Due to “increasing cost-of-living pressures,” it expects profits for the year to the end of November to be lower than previous expectations. It fell 67.6%, or 18.6p, to 8.9p.
As a planned stamp duty reduction announced in Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini budget last Friday aims to boost demand for housing, many fear spiraling inflation and the prospect of a sharp rise in housing payments. interest on mortgages only exacerbate the affordability crisis.
“Many will be forced to put their dreams of home ownership on hold until the cost of living storm passes,” said Myron Jobson, analyst at Interactive Investor.
As the pound plummets, there are growing fears that the sharp drop in the pound’s value could fuel runaway inflation, forcing the Bank of England to raise interest rates further.
“The problem for the new government is that the growth it hopes to generate through tax cuts is unlikely to materialize as quickly, while the reduction in the purchasing power of the pound will actually import more inflation at a time of already acute inflationary pressures,” said Russ Mould, chief investment officer of AJ Bell.
As bank stocks generally rise on expectations of rate hikes, NatWest fell 3.6%, or 8.7p, to 233.7p while Lloyds fell 3.3%, or 1.51p, to 44.71p, Barclays slipped 0.6%, or 1.04p, to 160.82p, and HSBC fell 1.7%, or 8.4p, to 501.6p.
As Brent crude traded below $84 a barrel, Shell shares fell 0.1%, or 3p, to 2,211.5p while BP fell 0.7%, or 3.15p , at 429.95p.
Property group FTSE 250 LXi REIT has pulled out of a £500million deal to buy several supermarkets from Sainsbury’s.
The scrapping of the planned acquisition, announced last week, came as investors speculated they weren’t ready to raise enough cash given market volatility.
LXi fell 0.8%, or 1p, to 126.6p while Sainsbury’s slipped 0.8%, or 1.5p, to 191.45p.
One of the winners was defense giant BAE Systems, which rose 2.2%, or 17.4p, to 813.2p after broker Jefferies raised its target price from 960p to 1000p.
And consultancy RPS rose 15%, or 31p, to 238p after reaching a £636m takeover deal with US group Tetra Tech.
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on it, we may earn a small commission. This helps us fund This Is Money and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any business relationship to affect our editorial independence.


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The Cassino plant in Italy produces premium vehicles for Alfa Romeo and Maserati
Stellantis has announced the allocation of BEV-centric STLA Large vehicles to its Cassino Assembly Plant.
The Cassino plant in Italy produces premium vehicles for Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
It is the second Stellantis plant publicly named to produce vehicles based on the STLA Large platform, joining the Windsor Assembly Plant in Canada.
Last year, the company announced a $2.8 billion investment at its Windsor and Brampton plants to accelerate its electrification plans. It said this investment will see the Windsor plant upgraded to support production of a new multi-energy vehicle (MEV) architecture that will provide BEV capability for multiple models.
The STLA Large platform, the base for several upcoming vehicles from Stellantis brands, is designed to deliver up to 800 km/500 miles of electric range with Stellantis-designed electric drive modules (EDMs) and modular battery packs.
Designers and engineers have the flexibility to adjust the platform’s length and width and powertrain configuration to tailor it to specific product designs.
The Cassino Assembly Plant opened in 1972 in Piedimonte San Germano, south central Italy. It is a highly automated plant using more than 1,200 robots and includes stamping, plating, painting and plastic parts operations.
Stellantis says the plant puts a high emphasis on energy and resource conservation - it has cut its use of water by half since 2017 and captures solar energy via photovoltaic cells in its parking lots.
The company is investing more than €30 billion through 2025 in electrification and software to deliver BEVs that meet customer demands, including fast charge capability.
Stellantis has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) to develop a manufacturing facility in South Africa.
The manufacturing plant is planned for setup in a South African Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The aim is to complete the manufacturing project by 2025.
Samir Cherfan, Stellantis Middle East and Africa chief operating officer, said: “The manufacturing site in South Africa will be a new building block in our industrialisation strategy that includes the plan to sell one million vehicles in the region by 2030 with 70% regional production autonomy and will bring us closer to our customers’ needs in the region.”


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Tencent Holdings is expected to report a small rise in quarterly net profit on Wednesday, with a steady gain in advertising revenue helping offset a slump in its core gaming business caused by a prolonged regulatory crackdown.
China, the world's biggest gaming market, stopped approving new games since March amid a regulatory overhaul, leading to Tencent reporting its first profit decline in more than a decade in the June quarter. Tencent is now cutting the marketing budget for the gaming division.
Its shares, which more than doubled in 2017, have dropped by about a third so far this year, wiping about $162 billion (roughly Rs. 11,76,873 crores) in value off Asia's second largest company by market capitalisation.
Daiwa analyst John Choi said he would be watching closely for any update Tencent would give on gaming regulation. "I think that is the No. 1 concern for the market right now...the biggest uncertainty that has been clouding the stock," he said.
Tencent is expected to post a 7 percent rise in third-quarter net profit to CNY 19.32 billion (roughly $2.8 billion or Rs. 20,170 crores), according to the average estimate of 15 analysts, data from Refinitiv showed.
Its revenue is likely to rise 24 percent to CNY 80.6 billion (roughly Rs. 84,140 crores), the slowest growth in more than three years, the average estimate of 18 analysts showed.
Tencent has yet to receive the licence to charge for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) video game and to launch Fortnite in China, a tactical tournament game developed by its portfolio company Epic Games. CLSA estimates PUBG Mobile alone could bring in annual grossing of $1 billion (roughly Rs. 7,164 crore) if approved.
Brokerage CICC's analyst Natalie Wu said games may perform weaker than expected, cutting the target price for Tencent stock by 16 percent to HKD 365 (roughly Rs. 3,400) last week.
With the gaming business under a cloud, Tencent's advertising business, accounting for around a fifth of its revenue, has come into focus, analysts said.
"We see tremendous growth potential in advertising revenue," Morningstar analyst Chelsey Tam said in a note, adding Tencent's WeChat, China's most popular social media platform, carries fewer advertisements than its industry peers.
CICC expects Tencent's ad revenue to log 48 percent growth in the third quarter, faster than the second-quarter's 39 percent, helped by WeChat and Tencent Video.
But some analysts warn of weakening demand as China's scrutiny on corporate taxation and bruising trade tensions with the United States tighten corporate advertising budgets.
Baidu Inc, China's top search engine, said last month that its advertising revenue will be impacted by economic uncertainty, and forecast fourth-quarter sales below analyst estimates.
Tencent could provide an update with the quarterly results on the US IPO of its music arm Tencent Music Entertainment, which sources said was delayed from last month due to stock market volatility.
Tencent's investment activities are also playing a bigger role in its results. It has so far invested in more than 600 companies, with over 100 valued at more than $1 billion, or "unicorns", according to the company. Its second quarter "net other gains" halved due to a drop in disposal gains.
As growth in core gaming and consumer-facing businesses is set to slow, Tencent in September announced a restructuring aimed at expanding into cloud and industrial services.
"We appreciate that Tencent is trying to create synergy by restructuring, but we believe that it has to move faster, as growth of its lifeline (games) has already slowed," said CICC's Wu.
© Thomson Reuters 2018


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In the wake of Hurricane Maria, tension has formed between Apple and the FCC. With 3.5 million Puerto Rico residents in need of aid after the storm, it has been extremely frustrating for so many to have limited power accessibility and no cell phone reception. Crucial messages are being sent out on FM radio stations, but recent iPhone models — like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 — do not have FM chips built in.
— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) September 28, 2017
FCC chairman Ahit Pai has called for Apple to enable FM radio chips in all of the devices, citing safety reasons. “The company downplayed the need for FM radio broadcasts in times of emergency, and said its iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 devices have neither the chips nor the antennas necessary to allow FM radio reception in the first place,” said a statement.
Also in the FCC’s statement, they have made it clear that it is far easier to get messages across to a wide spectrum of people after natural disasters with FM.
Apple hasn’t included FM chips in any phone since the iPhone 6. Here is how Apple responded to the FCC:
“Apple cares deeply about the safety of our users, especially during times of crisis and that’s why we have engineered modern safety solutions into our products. Users can dial emergency services and access Medical ID card information directly from the Lock Screen, and we enable government emergency notifications, ranging from Weather Advisories to AMBER alerts. iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models do not have FM radio chips in them nor do they have antennas designed to support FM signals, so it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products.”
It’s not just Apple products
Most smartphones do have the ability to stream FM radio stations directly, thanks to chipmakers like Qualcomm and Intel. That being said, most mobile carriers have disabled that function.
Critics say that part of the reason Apple has gotten rid of the FM feature is so their paid streaming services like Apple Music do better. Other companies, like LG and Samsung, have recently started to sell more handsets with the FM tuner enabled, but Apple has remained behind.
“It is time for Apple to step up to the plate and put the safety of the American people first,” Pai said. “Do the right thing, Mr. Cook. Flip the switch. Lives depend on it.’”
What’s your take? Should Apple change their products for the FCC or not?
— Peter Amirata


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rlg names new West Africa COO
BUSINESS| April 3, 2012, 12:08 p.m.
Ghanaian mobile phone and computer assembling firm, rlg Communications, has appointed David Afugani as Chief Operating Officer to oversee its West African operations.
He will work closely with the various rlg Country Directors with oversight responsibility of their commercial functions as well as oversee the setting up of full-scale operations in various markets in the sub-region.
The appointment, according to Group Chairman, Roland Agambire, is in line with the company’s drive to grow its market, re-engineer its processes and streamline the business structure.
Apart from its Ghana operations, rlg is in the Gambia and Nigeria, with plans to expand to Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia.
Until the new appointment, David Afugani, was the Chief Commercial Officer, Rlg Ghana. He has been with the company since 2010, designing and spearheading the company’s sales, marketing and distribution strategy and succeeded in building a strong brand.
David started his commercial career in 2003 as a Trade Marketing Representative with British American Tobacco Ghana and rose through the ranks to become an Area Sales Manager for northern Ghana.
He later joined Diageo Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL) as a Field Sales Manager in 2006 and promoted to the position of Sales Operations Manager in charge of administration and coordination of the sales and operations functions across the three GGBL plants at Achimota, Kaase and Ahinsan.
He resigned to join Zain Ghana to begin a new career in telecommunications; starting as Regional Manager in charge of Southern Ghana, and later seconded to a number of operating countries including Kenya, Uganda and Sierra Leone.
He rose to the position of National Sales Manager before resigning to join Rlg as the Chief Commercial Officer in 2010.
David holds a Bachelors Degree in Management Studies from the University of Cape Coast and is currently pursuing an MSc in Marketing from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.
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Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
Online advertising is fundamentally changing.
With increased pressure to bend to the calls for consumer privacy, corporations and governments are doubling down on regulations to block third-party technology that targets consumers. Recently, those winds have produced the California Consumer Privacy Act, GDPR, Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) and Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) initiatives. All are meant to protect consumer privacy, and all have created roadblocks for the advertising programmatic ecosystem. That’s because programmatic entities rely on third-party cookies as the foundation for user-level targeting and measurement. Without them, marketers can’t target users with highly relevant ads and determine whether those ads lead to sales.
Following complaints regarding its own consumer tracking practices, Chrome is next in line to follow suit. Recently, credible reports began circulating, suggesting Google would be the next frontier to block third-party cookies.
This is major news. With Chrome’s market share at 63%, the implications of losing third-party cookie access in the browser are far-reaching and potentially crippling to programmatic advertising as we know it.
How will this play out? That’s yet to be seen and is hotly debated. But this discussion signals a web of dependencies in programmatic. If the effects of Apple’s ITP has taught us anything, it’s that it is better to prepare for what effective programmatic advertising can look like without having to rely on third-party cookies.
So, what does programmatic look like in a post-cookie world? Here are some potential ways marketers will need to pivot their ad targeting strategies.
Targeting will become contextual
Retargeting will dwindle in terms of the importance of online marketing. Instead, context will become king.
In the current advertising landscape, the primary consideration is the person receiving the ad, but that focus would shift to what the user is consuming, where they are consuming it and what their mindset is. Key indicators like keywords, time and location and environmental factors will shape the new targeting. This could also drive IP targeting to the forefront, but that has a series of potential shortcomings. Advertisers will need to be smarter about analyzing the conditions around the consumption of content and consider signals above and beyond the user.
Context and formats will go together
In a future where the industry can’t rely on detailed targeting, ad experiences will need to capture consumer attention more effectively. As advertisers gather more contextual data around user behavior, they’ll need to imbue that relevance into their creative. Formats will be tasked with doing the heavy lifting in order to compete for engagement. As such, banner ads and intrusive pop-ups will be less effective. Advertisers who focus on high-impact formats like native, video and branded content (which often already outperforms other formats) will have a higher potential to resonate with their target consumers.
There will be increasing reliance on publisher data
First-party data will become more valuable for targeting users. Many publishers are already installing first-party cookies on their sites to collect this level of user data and others will likely follow suit. We’ll also see a significant increase in paywalls for content while publishers who want to continue an ad-monetization model will offer free content but with registration requirements that request more detailed data points in exchange for access.
The challenge is that this data still won’t be available to DSPs, so advertisers will have to work with publishers to combine first-party data insights into their programmatic strategy in a way that’s also privacy compliant. Expect an increased usage of insertion orders and/or programmatic guaranteed offerings, with data and decisions moving from the buy-side to the sell-side.
Walled gardens will gain new power
Walled gardens have direct access to their audiences and the means for easily securing consent for first-party data. Because of this, walled gardens will be one of the few areas where brands and agencies can leverage first-party data. That could make advertisers more dependent on these channels for reaching consumers. This has the potential to drive more ad dollars within walled gardens and other platforms with persistent first-party identification and meaningful on-platform engagement and purchase behaviors.
Outside channels look more attractive to advertisers
With new online challenges and legwork needed to find solutions, advertisers will begin to focus heavily on channels that don’t rely on third-party cookies. This will include email, traditional TV and OTT and in-app advertising as these systems help advertisers leverage persistent device IDs for targeting. There also will be new, more seamless ways for brands to leverage their email and CRM data to publishers for the purpose of targeting.
While these targeting changes may be jarring and will require new ways to advertise effectively, they are ultimately a reminder that consumers want more transparency and control of their data. This will be beneficial in the long run for the industry as brands, agencies, publishers and technology companies will have opportunities to innovate and develop more authentic ways to engage with consumers.


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On a recent visit to India, DxOMark Image Labs VP of Marketing Nicolas Touchard was interviewed by Amit Misra for Dazeinfo.com, an Indian technology publication. In the interview, Nicolas shares some insights into the intricacies of the DxOMark Mobile scoring system, talks about the impact the smartphone has had on the digital camera market, and explains what he sees as the future of smartphone cameras. You can watch the interview in the video below and read the full article on Dazeinfo.com.
How we test > Test Results
DXOMARK invites our readership (you) to post comments on the articles on this website. Read more about our Comment Policy.


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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is currently reducing its fleet sales.
Year-over-year for December 2017, the automaker had reduced these by 42% overall, bringing its total fleet sales percentage to just 12% of all FCA sales in December.
The Jeep brand’s reduction in fleet sales? A 75% drop year-on-year.
All of this, FCA says, is in line with its US strategy to lessen its sales to the daily rental segment.
In the figures, it means that Jeep, the sixth-best selling brand in the USA last year, fell by 11% on its sales total for 2016, with its market share shrinking from 5.3% in 2016 to 4.8% for 2017.
Here, we look at the sales stories of some of Jeep’s most popular products from last year, and discuss each in turn.
1 – Jeep Grand Cherokee
Total Sales YTD 2017: 240,696 | Difference to 2016’s total: +13.4%
Jeep Grand Cherokee sales increased a whopping 13.4% on 2016’s totals.
Jeep had been enjoying a growth streak in the USA with the Grand Cherokee that lasted from September 2014 all the way to October 2017. Three years of constant, year-on-year growth in its monthly sales figures since it last received a refresh.
The Grand Cherokee’s growth this year put it almost on par in terms of sales volume with its main rival, the Ford Explorer’s performance from last year. The Explorer widened the gap though, itself posting 9.1% sales growth on 2016.
The Grand Cherokee remains a comfortable second in the midsize SUV segment however, as the next-best-selling midsize SUV, the Toyota Highlander, remains 25,000 units adrift in the standings.
2017 also saw the addition of the ballistic Trackhawk to the Grand Cherokee’s lineup, broadening its appeal by providing a bit of everything, for the motorist who seeks the ability to seat five plus luggage in comfort and launch them altogether from 0-60 in a supercar-bothering 3.5 seconds.
2 – Jeep Wrangler
Total Sales YTD 2017: 190,522 | Difference to 2016’s total: -0.7%
The 2018 Wrangler was revealed by FCA in November 2017 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, one which Jeep will be very keen to get right.
Wrangler devotees are a fickle bunch, and by and large they’re not interested in the modern fripperies that adorn pretty much every other model in Jeep’s current lineup.
They just want it to be able to take a beating, and to be world-class off road.
Early reports suggest they have hit the mark with this one, which would put Jeep division in good stead going into 2018.
But the sales figures from 2017 do reveal something about the value of having a timeless icon in a brand’s offering. Even with the announcement of the new model, and the overall decline in vehicle sales in the USA, sales of the Wrangler remained fairly consistent with 2016’s levels.
And, barring 2007, the Wrangler is selling more than double in the States per year now compared with any year from the previous decade (2000-2010).
3 – Jeep Cherokee
Total Sales YTD 2017: 169,882 | Difference to 2016’s total: -14.9%
A sluggish Q1, Q2 and Q3 for the Jeep Cherokee saw it take most of 2017 on the back foot.
Sales recovered somewhat in the final three months of the year, the Cherokee drawing equal with its performance in October 2016 in 2017’s tenth month, before posting significant year-on-year increases in November and December.
A new 2019 Jeep Cherokee has only just broken cover at the Detroit Motor Show, and Jeep really need this one to be a winner in 2018.
The 2019 Cherokee receives more than just a visual update to bring it into line with its big brother, the Grand Cherokee. Also on offer are updated – and in some instances, turbocharged – engines, with the aim being to improve fuel economy.
With these, Jeep will be hoping it can bring the Cherokee back fighting, propelling it back up closer to the 200,000-units-a-year mark in the USA.
4 – Jeep Renegade
Total Sales YTD 2017: 103,434 | Difference to 2016’s total: -3%
After a 75% increase in 2016 over sales of the Renegade from its first year on sale, the smallest vehicle in Jeep’s lineup slid back 3% on 2016’s total in 2017.
A raft of updates for the littlest Jeep was announced by FCA back in September, which could help it claw back into the green in 2018.
With the Renegade aimed at younger customers, the updates focus on the interior, with updates to the audio system and the inclusion of reversing camera as standard across the range.
5 – Jeep Compass
Total Sales YTD 2017: 83,253 | Difference to 2016’s total: -11.5%
Sales of the Jeep Compass shot up in the last four months of 2017, with the introduction of the new Compass marking the end for the Jeep Patriot nameplate.
Compass sales are still not making up for the loss of the Patriot though, creating a net loss in units sold overall for Jeep so far. In 2016, sales of the Patriot were 121,926, to the Compass’ 94,061.
2018 will let the new Compass really get into its stride, as its first full year on sale in this guise. It’s pitching up in a tough segment – one ruled by the likes of Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Ford at present – and currently selling less than a quarter of the segment leaders. Time will tell if betting on the Compass is a step in the right direction for Jeep.


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By Noor Zainab Hussain
Jan 25 (Reuters) - Novartis called on Britain to act urgently to protect supply chains on Friday as the Swiss drugmaker, which imports more than 120 million packs of medicines from Europe each year, said it was stockpiling ahead of Brexit.
"Given the complex nature of the supply chain, government needs to implement a comprehensive continuity plan rapidly," Novartis said https://www.novartis.co.uk/news/media-releases/novartis-uk-brexit-statement in a statement.
Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, although Prime Minister Theresa May has not been able to get the accord she agreed with the rest of the bloc through parliament, leaving businesses facing the prospect of a "no-deal" exit.
"It is vital that government makes minimising disruption to the medicines supply the highest priority as it prepares for a potential hard or disorderly Brexit and ensures cooperation over medicines regulation in this event," it added.
Novartis said a divergence from the close regulatory and legal cooperation that exists between the UK and the European Union has "far-reaching implications" for the sector's ability to develop and deliver medicines for UK patients.
Basel-based Novartis urged Britain to implement a comprehensive continuity plan rapidly to ensure medicines can reach patients in the event of a no-deal Brexit, including clarity over customs arrangements.
"It is also imperative that NHS trusts and pharmacists adhere to the Government's advice not to stockpile medicines so supply can be managed centrally, minimising the risk of medicine shortages across the UK," Novartis said.
Britain has called for drugmakers to build an additional six weeks of medicines to cope with potential supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit - a target the industry has said would be challenging. (Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Alexander Smith)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Sony finally announced more details for Quantic Dream's upcoming PS4-Exclusive game, Detroit: Become Human. However, a release date was not announced. A new trailer was also shown for the game, showing gameplay for the first time. You play a robot character who questions their reality and leads a rebellion. We also learn that one of the main characters, Marcus, is played by Jesse Williams from the TV show Grey's Anatomy.
As mentioned, no release date has ever been announced for Detroit. The first part of Detroit's robot uprising story was first revealed in a tech demo short created by Quantic Dream in 2012. Sony's E3 2017 briefing is going on right now.
Data Breach Warning!In case you aren't aware, there has been an extremely large data breach of emails and passwords posted online! This is just a warning to check and ensure that all of your personal accounts are secure and for you to update passwords where necessary!
You can check your emails and passwords here to see if they are apart of the dump, but we would recommend updating passwords as a precaution!
Please also ensure that Two-Step Verification is enabled on your account(s)! You can add it to your Se7enSins account here!
Detroit Become Human Trailer
Sony finally announced more details for Quantic Dream's upcoming PS4-Exclusive game, Detroit: Become Human. However, a release date was not...


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Yesterday, Kurdistan farmers dumped their potatoes in front of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s agriculture ministry in Erbil, protesting banned imports that have pushed their produce out of the market.
“Look at our potatoes. They have no problems. We have brought the potatoes here because we cannot sell them due to imports from Iran and Syria,” farmer Diyar Abubakr told Rudaw.
This year, the Kurdistan Region produced about 300,000 tons of potatoes, according to official figures. The ministry banned potato imports in August, but this has not stopped the trade, especially from Iran. Farmers claimed that businessmen were paying around $1,700 to officials at the borders to smuggle potatoes into the Kurdistan Region.
A kilogram of locally grown potatoes sells for 300-350 dinars, while smuggled spuds can be bought for 200-250 dinars per kilo.
The Kurdistan Region consumes 90,000 tons of potatoes per year and produces more than it needs, selling about 70 percent to other Iraqi provinces, according to data obtained from the ministry. Farmers waiting to move their potatoes have to pay up to 100,000 dinars per day for cold storage.
The agriculture minister said upholding the import ban rests on the shoulders of ministries who control the border crossings.
[ 100 dinars = €0,072 ]


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GP brings revamped WowBox App with new functionalities
Published : 05 May 2016, 16:18
Cellular phone operator Grameenphone has introduced lifestyle app "WowBox" with new design, functionality and customer offers.
WowBox, developed by Grameenphone's parents company Telenor, is now available exclusively for the subscribers would enables easy access to a wide range of Grameenphone products, discounts from popular outlets, as well as news and lifestyle articles, competitions and games.
Grameenphone Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Yasir Azman today came up with the announcement of revamped app at a ceremony in a city hotel.
"Since the official launch in May last year, WowBox has experienced growth rates that previously have been unheard-of in Bangladesh. Currently over 3 million have used WowBox and we are now excited to offer an even better and easier app to use for our customers, and for creating common value together with our partners," said Azman.
He said functionality added for the brand new WowBox 2.1 version
includes improved customer navigation for easier use, cool new look, full news articles from partners within the app, and bigger choice of editorial articles such as fashion, beauty, sports and music.
Besides, it also incorporated social media functions to enable easy sharing of content to Facebook and more exclusive product offers from Grameenphone, added the Grameenphone CMO.
WowBox, which is free to use, has been developed for Bangladesh by Grameenphone's mother company, Telenor Group.
"WowBox provides a valuable channel to engage with the fast growing community of young mobile Internet users in Bangladesh and we are confident they will enjoy the new improved user experience, increase in relevant offers and the cool new look," said Holger Hussmann, Head of WowBox in Telenor's Product and Innovation Unit.
In addition, Grameenphone customers can enjoy the special benefits of the WowBox reward programme. Here the user accumulates points, called tokens, when purchasing Grameenphone products within the WowBox app. These points can later be redeemed for free Grameenphone products.
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has confirmed that it will not prevent alternative provider TPG Telecom from connecting large apartment buildings in metropolitan areas to its existing fibre networks and to use fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) technology. Having concluded an investigation into the operator’s plans on the back of a complaint, the regulator has said it does not believe TPG would be in breach of the ‘NBN level playing field provisions’ in the Telecommunications Act; these provisions prohibit the use of networks other than the National Broadband Network (NBN) to supply high speed broadband services to small business or residential customers, unless the network operator supplies on a wholesale basis only and is subject to open access obligations.
In outlining the reasoning behind its decision, the ACCC noted that networks that were capable of being used to supply high speed broadband services to retail customers as at 1 January 2011 were not subject to the level playing field provisions, provided they are not extended more than a kilometre from the network footprint as it was at that date. As such, making public its decision the watchdog stated: ‘Having carefully examined TPG’s plans, the ACCC does not propose to take further action in relation to TPG’s planned fibre to the basement network rollout to supply residential customers in high-rise buildings in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth … The ACCC has reached this decision based on information and evidence that TPG’s networks were capable of supplying superfast carriage services to small business or residential customers at 1 January 2011, and confirmation that TPG is not extending the footprint of these networks by more than one kilometre.’
However, the ACCC has revealed it will now conduct a declaration inquiry into whether superfast broadband services such as those to be provided by TPG should be the subject of access regulation. Amongst other matters, the inquiry will reportedly consider ‘whether regulation is necessary to ensure that consumers in TPG connected buildings can benefit from competitive retail markets for high speed broadband services’.


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NOVOMATIC is looking forward to hosting an exclusive networking event during Juegos Miami on Thursday, June 1st from 5-8pm, where guests will have the chance to get hands-on with new gaming innovations.
Open to all guests of the event, the evening begins on the outdoor terrace which will be transformed into an elegant beach theme and is the perfect backdrop for Juegos Miami. Guests will enjoy tray passed canapes, scorpion bowl cocktails, beer and wine at this bespoke event that will highlight NOVOMATIC’s new GAMINATOR® Scorpion machine.
Lawrence Levy, Vice President of Global Sales NOVOMATIC, commented that, “Participating in Juegos Miami allows NOVOMATIC to reach key decision makers in the Latin American market. The event format perfectly fits our brand’s approach to building relationships with our customers in the region. We look forward to showcasing some of our latest gaming machines for guests to experience during this year’s event.”
NOVOMATIC’s GAMINATOR® Scorpion has made a big impact on the world gaming stage since its release last year. Combining a proven concept of innovative design with leading technology, this new gaming machine delivers NOVOMATIC content in stunning high definition. It comes with three 24” full HD LED screens embodied in a matte black design with intrinsic glow frames that create stirring LED effects. Also on show will be the new V.I.P. Lounge™ and NOVOSTAR® II, two exceedingly popular cabinets in Latin America.


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Jason Wells, CEO of ContactPoint discusses what three things mobile marketers are doing wrong. I thought they were so on point, I’d like to share them. Note:mobile marketing is continuing to grow at a fast pace. Google states that mobile search will blow pass desktop search by the end of 2013 and mobile marketing spend will increase by more than 5x in the next 6 years. Mobile marketing is still in its infancy, and according to Wells, these are three of the biggest mobile marketing blunders:
1. Wrong Metrics: It is an accepted and known fact that mobile marketing produce phone calls. Google and xAd report that 50% of mobile searches result in phone calls. BIA/Kelsey report that by 2016, mobile marketing will account for 70 billion phone calls, from 20 billion today. With that being said, mobile marketers shouldn’t measure with click-through-rate, abandon rate, web leads, and time-on-site, instead, they should be tracking metrics surrounding phone calls. Ironically, this important data is being unused by most mobile marketers.
2. Bad Mobile Pages: A mobile landing page is different from a desk top landing page. Lots of form feeds and content should not be used on mobile landing page. Instead, liberal use of ‘Call Now’ buttons, a tap-able phone number, and possibly a location feature should be include on a mobile site. Mobile landing pages should go by the “less is more” theory on content, one form feed at most.
3. Don’t Go By Google for Measurement: Google charges mobile click-to-call advertisers for every call their ads generate. The problem that occurs is not all “taps” from a mobile device result in phone calls and not all phone calls are real calls. Some are accidental clicks or are not qualified leads. ContactPoint’s research reports that about 50% of the calls Google says are call are actually calls. Less than 15% are good, qualified leads. Case in point, most defiantly integrate mobile in the mix for effective marketing campaigns but do not rely on Google to report your mobile call metrics.