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Médiamétrie and Tape Consultancy present multiscreen audience measurement dataTuesday, October 3rd, 2017
Autumn 2017 – Innovative content and dynamic strategies in the 4-screen universe
The mid-year review from Eurodata TV Worldwide and Tape Consultancy presented today in London details the first lessons learned from 4-screen TV audience measurement. Watching TV programmes in this way is becoming complementary to viewing on the television set and is capable of reaching a wider audience.
Analysis was also presented concerning the increasingly original strategies being used by broadcasters to deal with fierce competition from the online platforms: disrupting timelines, using pop-up channels, etc.
Lastly, the spotlight is turned on the global trends in programming during the 1st half of 2017: 6,000 programmes launched, over half of which were original creations, with themes ranging from nostalgia, awaking to today’s world and escapism.
4-screen TV: young viewers continue to rally to the internet
Watched on average for 3 hours and 48 minutes per day per person in the first half of 2017 in the top 5 countries in Europe (France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain and Italy), TV unquestionably remains the preferred screen for viewing programmes. However, for a number of years now, internet viewing has enjoyed growing success in TV media consumption.
“In the major European countries, watching television programmes on internet is becoming general practice, and it can represent a substantial additional audience for certain content, such as targeted fictional content or youth entertainment,” noted Frédéric Vaulpré, Vice-President of Eurodata TV Worldwide. “Sport has also confirmed its appeal by continuing to perform extremely well. As king of live TV, it also attracts its own audience of catch-uppers whenever there is a significant time difference,” he added.
Fiction and Entertainment
Certain programme genres seem to be watched increasingly in delinearised fashion and via internet. “Demain nous appartient” (Tomorrow belongs to us) shown this summer on TF1 attracted an additional 36% of viewers thanks to time-shifted, catch-up and online viewing. The same was true for the Dutch series “Goede tijden, slechte tijden” (good things, bad things); episodes broadcast between January and August 2017 on RTL4 increased by almost 20% the number of viewers watching via TV broadcasts.
Computers are No. 2 and young people are using their smartphones
Computers are the leading screens just after televisions. In France, they represent 52% of online programming TV consumption. However, smartphones are one step ahead of computers for youth-oriented channels (such as W9 in France), and tablets rank first for children’s channels (Gulli in France).
Tablet in the morning, smartphone in the evening
Which device is being watched and when ? In France, tablets have become No.1 for watching TV online between 6am and 7am. In the evening mobile telephone use increases.
4-screen television audience measurement is expanding and has recently been introduced in four countries (France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark). These pioneers are due to be joined in 2018 by some 15 other countries, such as Japan, Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, the Czech Republic, Italy and Malaysia.
Innovative strategies for traditional channels and new players
In an environment where new usages are becoming increasingly significant, broadcasters of TV content on the web, and pure players in particular, are becoming serious competitors for the pay-TV channels. Some pure players now offer packages of channels in their SVOD offering. For example, in the United Kingdom, Austria and Germany, this is true of players such as Amazon Prime Instant Video (already present in the USA), and also PlayStation Vue in the United States, who are riding high on their successful reputations to attract online viewers. At the same time, traditional content broadcasters such as HBO or Canal+ are refining their business models and are offering increasingly competitive deals for their online packages. These allow viewers to combine their choice of online content and create their own TV line up at a lower cost.
In addition to these new business models, channels have developed innovative digital strategies to highlight their programmes. They can break with the traditional broadcasting timeline, for example by debuting the programme season with an online or SVOD broadcast. They have also launched ‘pop-up’ channels whose lifespan depends on the events to which they are dedicated. There are also some new story-telling formats, such as NBC Left Field, the US platform of short documentaries relayed on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube which is bringing video journalism into the digital strategy of traditional broadcasters.
The latest programme trends: nostalgia, awaking to today’s world and escapism
With nearly 6,000 new recurring programmes launched since the beginning of the year, of which 52% were original creations, the television industry and OTT platforms have increasingly demonstrated how dynamic they are.
“To date the OTT platforms have primarily concentrated on scripted and documentary content in terms of their original output…that is now changing and the unscripted world in general is fast becoming an area of interest. This could well present yet another key turning point in the content business, as the online players begin to deliver a breadth of content comparable to the linear outlets” according to Paul Youngbluth, Director at Tape Consultancy.
Whether in fiction, factual or entertainment genres, the new programmes largely fall into three broad trends:
- remembering the past and moving forward
- awaking to today’s world
- escapism (in every sense of the word)
Several fictions are thus set in the 30-year post-war boom, a prosperous era that is often perceived with nostalgia. In “House of Bond” (Australia), for example, we follow the life of a rich businessman from the 1960s to the modern day. Factual programmes are also looking to the past: “The Keepers” (Netflix) tells the story of an unsolved murder case from 1969, whilst the documentary “GW’s Murders” reviews the most famous cases encountered by a Swedish criminologist. Finally, we are seeing entertainment formats from the past return in force, with a modern twist : for instance, game shows “Sarabanda” in Italy and “De 3 Wijzen” in Belgium are back on screen after more than a decade.
New TV programmes launched during the first half of 2017 have also given prominence to the present and the future. “Creators are drawing inspiration from an ever-changing world that faces unheard of political and military problems, technological upheaval and scientific advances; it opens up new perspectives to us as individuals and collectively,” explained Florent Carême, Head of Research at Eurodata TV Worldwide. Some of the programmes confirming this trend are fictions like “Börü” in Turkey and “Al Hala Geem” in Egypt dealing with political events that have marked the recent history of those two nations. The factual genre is looking to the future with documentaries such as: “In Search of Artificial Intelligence” (China) and “Meine Lezte Chance” (Austria) and new consumer trends and ways of interacting, can be seen through entertainment formats such as “Hyori’s B&B” (South Korea).
Television has always been a great way to distance ourselves from daily life and to discover other cultures. This year, original creations offer escape from routine, through travel or by unveiling the lives of celebrities and eccentric individuals. For example, “Deception” (United States) is a drama centred around an illusionist who uses his talents to help the police, and “Break Out” (Netherlands) is an escape game featuring famous contestants. Lastly, the documentary “Vores ukentde Danmark” blends travel and celebrities to give its viewers the ultimate escapist experience.


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Research in Motion (RIM) is moving to retain its already dominant hold on the enterprise mobility market, readying a new version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server that promises to reduce IT costs and labor.
RIM (NASDAQ: RIMM) plans the new BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0 (BES) to ship during second quarter with a host of new management capabilities. Those include over-the-air device activation, downtime scheduling and simpler role administration, according to a presentation detailing the launch. RIM spokespeople were not available to comment further on the release by press time.
RIM’s news comes at a time when the BlackBerry maker is feeling the effects of slowing IT spending. The company said yesterday that it’s business customers are holding off on upgrades — a fact that it expects to negatively impact its next quarterly results.
But as corporate layoffs and budget slashing — especially within RIM’s large customer base of financial companies — is impacting tech spending, enterprises are looking for more cost-efficient tools and technologies.
That’s where RIM is expecting to shine with its Enterprise Server upgrade, which will replace the three-year old BES 4.16. The update arrives a year after the vendor promised to deliver on better functionality and document controls.
In particular, BES 5.0 aims to cut down on the time and effort required by IT to manage BlackBerry servers and clients.
Case in point: BES 5.0’s new over-the-air update feature. Deploying software upgrades over the air eliminates users having to plug their devices into their desktops before receiving critical software patches — and enables IT to monitor activation and handle troubleshooting issues in real time.
The new server’s dashboard also offers more centralized control over individual servers and software configurations, along with user and group policy control. That makes administration quicker and more efficient: For instance, if a user belongs to multiple groups, admins no longer have to manually set separate attributes for each.
Security also gets more locked-down in the upcoming release. The new version expands on security in BES 4.16 with more granular wireless policies and management capabilities. IT can modify security levels wirelessly, which eliminates asking users to connect devices using a desktop.
Network oversight features have been enhanced as well, with improvements like automatic failover. For example, if a server fails, the system can direct clients of that failed system to a failover server. IT has to manually handle that same task in the current version. IT can set alerts for system failures when a system’s status falls below a customizable threshold.
The BES upgrade process is easier due to another Web-based tool, which eliminates adding the software to desktops of IT administrators. The 5.0 server can accommodate up to about 100,000 BlackBerry devices. No pricing information was available from RIM as of press time.
Client and role updates
Other ways BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0 aims to simplify IT tasks is by allowing for scheduled upgrades and application maintenance work. Admins also can identify and monitor downtime and server outages through the new system. Additionally, a new migration tool enables admins to move accounts from one domain to another without downtime.
IT can customize roles and permissions with accounts, with increased control and security. For example, an enterprise could set a policy that restricts access to its top executives’ accounts to only a subset of the IT staff.
Through the server upgrade, BlackBerry device users will gain the ability to create, delete, move and revise names of their e-mail folders. They’ll also be able to forward calendar appointments and view attachments to meeting requests or calendar entries.
BES 5.0 also improves user contact synchronization and provides users with direct access to network drives.
Multimedia also sees an improvement in the release: Mobile workers also can now access Windows Media Audio files, which expands the number of formats playable on the BlackBerry. Currently, the device supports MP3 and WAV files.
In attention its making the pitch for a new version of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, RIM has also made its efforts in the consumer sector a key portion of its growth plans in recent years.
Last year, the company debuted several new consumer devices, like the BlackBerry Storm and Curve. Those efforts ultimately have won the company a sizable chunk of business from the non-enterprise segment. At the end of the year, consumers now represent 45 percent of its subscriber base, according to RIM.
Additionally, the BlackBerry maker is looking to expand its traction in the government sector, which requires higher-grade security technologies. Earlier this week, RIM expanded its security portfolio by sealing its $106.5 million acquisition of Certicom. Certicom’s cryptography technology has already found fans among government buyers, like the National Security Agency.

domain: news


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Pre-order for the US edition is now available on Crunchyroll Store
Seven months after its theatrical release, the DVD and Blu-ray of Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterfly, the second chapter of the trilogy anime film project based on the third route of Type-Moon's visual novel Fate/stay night, were released in Japan on August 21, 2019. As with the first chapter, its perfect production limited edition became the top-selling disc in the Oricon weekly Blu-ray sales ranking selling an impressive 60,000 units in its first week. Its total sales including all editions of the DVD and Blu-ray was 69,832 units.
The first chapter I.presage flower's DVD and Blu-ray were released on May 9, 2018, and had reportedly sold 100,000 units in total by January 2019.
Following I.presage flower that made 1.5 billion yen in the fall of 2017, II.lost butterfly was released in 131 theaters across Japan on January 12, 2019, and earned 1.67 billion yen with the 1.08 million ticket sales from its domestic run to become the seventh top-grossing Japanese animation film of this year so far.
Pre-order for the US edition Blu-ray of Fate/Stay Night [Heaven's Feel] II. Lost Butterfly is now available on Crunchyroll Store for November 21, 2019 release.
US trailer for the Blu-ray:
Japanese PR visual for the DVD/Blu-ray:
The third and final chapter, titled Fate/stay night [Heaven‘s Feel]Ⅲ.spring song, is confirmed to be released in Japan in the spring of 2020.
Source: Aniplex press release, Oricon News


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Biden’s Groundbreaking Plan for Cryptocurrency Revolution
The cryptocurrency Bitcoin has caused financial difficulties for governments all around the world. Despite being used to purchase goods and services, Bitcoin is still not subject to any unified international legislation. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom are just a few of the developed nations that accept Bitcoin. The usage of Bitcoin is prohibited in a number of nations, including China and Egypt.
The United States of America is getting ready to introduce some crypto regulations. These laws could have an impact on your tax obligations, the cryptocurrencies you can purchase, the obstacles you might face when trying to buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and more.
Joe Biden has provided some new updates on it. Let’s see what it is
Joe Biden has Directed Focusing on the Cryptocurrency Industry
President Joe Biden has directed federal agencies to concentrate more on the quickly developing cryptocurrency industry in order to combat illicit finance and facilitate research on digital copies of the US dollar for the country. In order to consolidate the previously dispersed approach to the new asset class, the White House launched an appeal to all federal departments.
In the upcoming months, the Biden Administration will make its goals for digital asset production and research public. The authorities think that U.S. government agencies should keep working to tighten regulations and, as needed, release new recommendations regarding cryptocurrencies. These new guidelines should address and minimize financial institutions’ exposure to the risks connected with digital assets.
The Government Has Felt a Need to Regulate the Industry
The year 2022 was difficult for cryptocurrencies. Fortunately, upheaval in the cryptocurrency markets has so far had no detrimental effect on the larger financial system. Nevertheless, many investors who had put their trust in cryptocurrency companies incurred significant losses. As a result, the government has felt compelled to intervene and impose regulations on the sector.
The government has spent the last year attempting to identify and solve problems under the direction of the president. First, experts from across the government have developed the first-ever framework for creating digital assets in a secure, responsible manner while addressing the risks they bring. Secondly, agencies are making use of their powers to increase enforcement when necessary and release new guidance when it is required.
The government wishes to put ideas into action in the next few months and seems enthusiastic about providing a digit assets framework. The USA being a superpower could inspire other countries also to regulate cryptocurrencies.


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When it comes to game sales, Sony remained one of the biggest customers of Activision Blizzard for years. Microsoft, however, has been trailing behind not only PlayStation, but Google and Apple as well.
Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad highlighted this information on Twitter, which was first released by Activision Blizzard in its annual filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
- As can be seen in a spreadsheet below, Sony accounted for 17% of Activision Blizzard’s total net revenue for 2020, or around $1.37 billion.
- It was followed by Apple (15%), Google (14%), and Microsoft (11%).
- However, Sony’s share fell to 15% in 2021, with Apple and Google (17% each) taking the first place.
- Microsoft accounted for less than 10% of Activision Blizzard’s net revenue last year.
Sony was Activision Blizzard’s largest customer in 2020 accounting for 17% of it sales or ~$1.37 billion.
Microsoft was Activision Blizzard’s 4th largest customer in 2020, behind Apple and Google, accounting for 11% of its sales or ~$890m pic.twitter.com/9dlm6vhDhA
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) September 7, 2022
On top of that, Activision Blizzard noted that Sony and Microsoft were the two biggest customers in terms of gross receivables (sales, for which the company hasn’t received payment yet) last year, accounting for 22% and 20%, respectively.
This data shows the four platforms where Activision Blizzard makes the most money, with PlayStation being the leader on consoles.
The news comes in the wake of regulatory concerns about Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Last week, UK’s Competition and Markets Authority pointed out competition threats this deal might bring to the market, including that Xbox could prevent Sony from selling Call of Duty and other games on its platform.
Although Phil Spencer recently stated that CoD will stay on PlayStation for at least several more years, SIE CEO Jim Ryan called Xbox’s proposal “inadequate on many levels”, adding that it also might affect PlayStation gamers.
So it is no surprise that a big platform holder like Sony doesn’t want to lose one of its sales drivers, especially given how much money the Call of Duty series has been generating on PlayStation for years.


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Disney & Cryptoys Team Up For Exclusive Star Wars Digital Collectibles Launch
The Star Wars franchise will soon mark its 46th anniversary of the premiere of “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” on May 25, 1977. The very first film, which took four years to complete, has grown into a cultural phenomenon, continuing to captivate audiences across generations.
To celebrate its rich history, Disney is joining forces with Cryptoys to release limited-edition digital collectible toys featuring iconic Star Wars characters, Luke Sykwalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader on May 24. With only 15 editions available, these collectibles are bound to be highly sought after by both Jedi Masters and Padawans alike.
The collaboration aims to bring the excitement of surprise pack toys to the virtual world, offering fans a unique and immersive experience. As collectors unwrap their digital Holocrons, the characters come to life, wielding lightsabers and firing blasters.
Collectors can anticipate discovering one of 15 rarity skins spanning the history of Star Wars. These 3D animated digital toys will reveal character personalities, weapons, and legendary moves as they come to life.
Calling all STAR WARS fans! No need to go to a galaxy far, far away to get an exclusive scoop on the just announced @StarWars collectible digital toy line that’s coming to the Cryptoys platform. Check out https://t.co/7G12W1nQxL. #Maythe4th #Maythe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/0IrWo0oxMS— Cryptoys ⚡👾 (@Cryptoys) May 4, 2023
This collaboration between Disney and Cryptoys is an opportunity for Star Wars enthusiasts to expand their fandom into the digital realm and become part of the growing Cryptoverse.
To start building a collection, fans can purchase digital Holocrons for $39.99 each. Major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are accepted as payment methods worldwide, with a 5% processing fee applied at checkout.
While the upcoming Disney and Cryptoys Star Wars digital collectibles release is highly anticipated, it is not the first project of its kind. In May 2022, VeVe launched its Star Wars Dark Side collection, highlighting the legendary Sith Lords across the Star Wars universe.
Since its inception, the beloved saga has garnered a worldwide box office revenue of over $10 billion as of 2020.


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Wen’s friend, who less frequently ordered rides in luxury cars, saw a lower price for the same ride. Wen blamed the company’s algorithms, saying they wanted to squeeze more money from her.
Chinese ride-hailing companies say prices vary because of fluctuations in traffic. But some studies and news reports claim the apps may offer different prices based on factors including ride history and the phone a person is using. “I mean, come on—just admit you are an internet company and this is what you do to make extra profit,” Wen says.
On March 1, China will outlaw this kind of algorithmic discrimination as part of what may be the world’s most ambitious effort to regulate artificial intelligence. Under the rules, companies will be prohibited from using personal information to offer users different prices for a product or service.
The sweeping rules cover algorithms that set prices, control search results, recommend videos, and filter content. They will impose new curbs on major ride-hailing, ecommerce, streaming, and social media companies.
The regulations will extend an extraordinary crackdown on China’s most popular and most valuable tech companies, which has included big fines and sidetracked stock offerings. “Some unhealthy and disorderly signals and trends have occurred in the rapid development of our country’s digital economy,” President Xi Jinping said in a speech in October, according to a translation by the newsletter Pekingnology.
Policymakers elsewhere are taking note. “I was just this morning in a meeting with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and I got asked if China is doing things we are not,” says Rogier Creemers, an expert on Chinese law and governance at Leiden University in the Netherlands. “They are moving extremely fast.”
The regulations, known as the Internet Information Service Algorithmic Recommendation Management Provisions, were drafted by the Cyberspace Administration of China, a powerful body that enforces cybersecurity, internet censorship, and ecommerce rules. Among other things, they prohibit fake accounts, manipulating traffic numbers, and promoting addictive content. They also provide protections for delivery workers, ride-hail drivers, and other gig workers.
Some provisions aim to address complaints about online services. Under the rules, for instance, companies will be prohibited from using personal characteristics to offer users different prices for a product; they also will be required to notify users, and allow them to opt out, when algorithms are used to make recommendations.
Companies that violate the rules could face fines, be barred from enrolling new users, have their business licenses pulled, or see their websites or apps shut down.
Some elements of the new regulations may prove difficult or impossible to enforce. It can be technically challenging to police the behavior of an algorithm that is continually changing due to new input, for instance.
But the Chinese public seems largely supportive of measures aimed at curbing the power of the big tech platforms, whose services they use every day. Lillian Li, founder of the Chinese tech publication Chinese Characteristics, compares public sentiment about the tech companies to the ambivalence of Westerners toward Facebook or Google, which offer great convenience at the cost of a user’s personal data.
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And the past 18 months have shown that Chinese regulators are not shy about punishing prominent companies. The Didi ride-hailing app was pulled from Chinese app stores soon after its American IPO due to government concerns about its data practices. Ecommerce giant Alibaba has been forced to pay millions in fines over antitrust violations.
Other elements of the regulations are hazy or open to interpretation, for example provisions that order companies to “uphold mainstream value orientations,” “vigorously disseminate positive energy,” and “prevent or reduce controversies or disputes,” according to a translation by Stanford’s DigiChina project.
Another section of the proposal requires Chinese companies to avoid policies that lead users to “addiction or excessive consumption.” Similar concerns led to last year’s crackdown on celebrity culture, and strict limits on how much time minors can spend playing video games.
Even before the rules take effect, Chinese companies are making changes. ByteDance, the Beijing-based company behind the popular short-video app Douyin, in October began showing five-second videos urging users to log off after they’ve watched for a long time. The move was designed to curb addiction to the algorithmically curated feed. The company has also introduced features to Douyin and other apps that let users opt out of having personal information fed into recommendation algorithms. An investigation by one Chinese media outlet found that 26 out of 28 popular apps introduced ways for users to opt out of personalized recommendations last year, in response to another law concerning the protection of private data.
Chinese tech firms already closely monitor content to comply with rules around sharing information that the government deems harmful. Earlier this month, the social media platform Weibo removed 71,000 posts attacking Olympic athletes—including American-born figure skater Zhu Yi, who competes for China. Tencent Video posted a version of the 1999 movie Fight Club with an ending altered by the Chinese distributor (the original was quickly reinstated). And scenes depicting LGBT themes in Friends, a sitcom that is wildly popular with Chinese viewers, have reportedly been excised or altered on Chinese streaming platforms.
A separate, but related, proposal aims to address “synthetic content,” an umbrella term encompassing fake news, synthetic audio, and deepfake images and videos, in which a person’s face is stitched onto someone else using AI. Among the provisions, makers of deepfake software would be required to verify the real names of creators and “conspicuously label” any deepfaked content. Deepfake apps, popular in China, have stirred public debate over privacy and ownership of personal data.
China’s AI rules are not the world’s first. The European Union has proposed regulations that would restrict use of facial recognition, prohibit algorithmic manipulation, and regulate AI-enabled products like chatbots and computer games. But the EU rules, drafted in April 2021, could be debated for several more years if previous regulations are any guide.
Silvia De Conca, a legal scholar at Vrije University in the Netherlands, says there are parallels between China’s regulations and the proposed EU legislation—particularly a focus on informing users and letting them opt out of targeting. But, she says, European lawmakers tend to think in terms of fostering markets and individuals’ rights; in China, by contrast, there’s an emphasis on societal wellbeing. Authorities “see these issues as collective issues,” she says, pointing to rules that address morality and “mainstream values.”
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The Chinese regulations are far more ambitious than anything being considered on a national level in the US, which has generally taken a hands-off approach to AI. Police use of facial recognition is restricted only in certain cities. An Algorithmic Accountability Act, proposed in the US Senate, aims to control algorithms that discriminate by gender or race, but has not progressed beyond legislative hearings. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) recently introduced legislation that would require platforms to implement tools to “to reduce addiction and the amplification of harmful content.” Even if such bills were to pass, however, they likely would face legal challenges from technology companies.
“The US is woefully behind in this space, and it might need to take a better degree of leadership, and help set the norms for how the technology can be used,” says Russell Wald, director of policy for Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
Wald argues that China is well-placed to influence other countries because it will have both the first working policies and home-grown companies with wide reach. He notes that the rules will not apply to the government’s use of algorithms or data, and he says that some new rules, such as those promoting particular values, are about maintaining government control. “We are talking about regulation that's geared towards benefiting the regime,” he says.
Efforts to regulate tricky new technologies in one country or region have sometimes had a discernible impact elsewhere. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which took effect in 2018 and restricts companies’ use of private data, has influenced company policies worldwide, and legislation elsewhere, including in California.
Bipartisan hostility toward China means US lawmakers are unlikely to cite Chinese regulations as inspiration. But Beijing’s maneuvers could perhaps have a subtle effect. In the UK, some lawmakers have called for online companies to shield young people from harmful content in an approach that some have likened to China’s proposals.
“These ideas could ripple out,” says Matt Sheehan, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who researches China’s AI ecosystem. “What's interesting in China is that they're going to be able to run experiments at a very large scale on what it actually means to implement these ideas.”
Other countries, including Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan, are exploring strategies to manage AI. China’s new regulations are likely to be most influential in countries that already have strong ties to China; one recent academic analysis finds the reach of Chinese tech companies has helped shape policies in countries such as Pakistan. Proposed regulations in Pakistan could give the government a greater hand in deciding what sort of online content is appropriate.
“What we've done with the digital realm [in the West] is to abdicate the sense that the government has a role to play,” says Creemers, the Dutch student of Chinese law. “It's really interesting China is going after its own. In a way one has to admire that.”
More Great WIRED Stories📩 The latest on tech, science, and more: Get our newsletters!They were “calling to help.” Then they stole thousandsThis is how humans are messing with evolutionBattery-powered trains are picking up speedHow did the bored ape yacht club get so popular?Cybercrime will cause more real-world harm👁 Explore AI like never before with our new database📱 Torn between the latest phones? Never fear—check out our iPhone buying guide and favorite Android phones


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Stop the Walgreens flu shot harassment! Employees rewarded with iPads for meeting vaccination recruitment goals?
October 13, 2011
(NaturalNews) Accounts are pouring in to NaturalNews that Walgreens customers feel they are being verbally harassed by Walgreens employees at the checkout counter over flu shots. Multiple accounts from NaturalNews readers describe aggressive verbal harassment by Walgreens employees who appear to be “over the top” in pushing flu shots, even onto pregnant women!
“I get my scripts filled at Walgreens so they know me real well at the one I go to,” one reader told NaturalNews. “When I was pregnant they kept trying to push one on me and I kept refusing them.”
Several readers who say they are Walgreens employees have also reported to NaturalNews — and requested anonymity out of fear of losing their jobs — that they were being rewarded with incentives or threatened with reprimands if they met a certain “goal” of pushing a certain number of customers into getting flu shots. “I have been told that I have to push the flu shot on my customers, arrange flu shot clinics at off-site locations and draw up flu shots to give to the customers,” one person who claimed to be a Walgreens employee told NaturalNews. They added, “Please don’t blame the employees who are asking about the flu shot, they are having their jobs threatened,” indicating the existence of a feeling of intimidation by their employer.
“Another employee informed me that they do not receive bonuses but will receive write ups and threats if they forget to ask each customer who enters their stores if they want a flu shot,” says blogger Aydan in Oak Park, California (http://aydansrecovery.blogspot.com/2010/10/vaccine-mandates.html).


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Redmond, Washington, October 21, 1996 — Microsoft Corporation today announced net income of $614 million, and earnings per share of $0.95 for the quarter ended September 30, 1996, a 22% increase over the $0.78 reported for the corresponding quarter last year. Revenues totaled $2.30 billion, representing a 14% increase compared to the $2.02 billion during the same quarter last year.
“We are pleased with these results,” noted Mike Brown, Chief Financial Officer. “Revenues were up nicely over last year’s strong first quarter, when the Microsoft(r) Windows(r) 95 operating system was introduced. This quarter, the company posted solid results across a wide range of businesses, including operating systems, personal productivity tools, and enterprise solutions.”
“We shipped version 4.0 of Windows NT(r) this quarter, and the momentum behind the product is outstanding,” said Jeff Raikes, Group Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “Corporate customers made the decision to adopt Windows NT Servers and Workstations in record numbers, driving 19% revenue growth over last quarter in the U.S. and Canada. Sales of Windows NT Server grew at nearly double the rate of other operating system environments. Additionally, sales of SQL Server(tm) nearly doubled over the last year.”
“Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 is on a roll,” said Bob Herbold, Chief Operating Officer. “It was released to rave reviews, winning seven of eight (tied the eighth) major head-to-head product reviews by industry and business publications. More than three million customers have downloaded Internet Explorer in just eight weeks, and major corporations are beginning to standardize on it. Internet developers are adopting it, too, with more than 300,000 web designers signed up for our site builders program. The outstanding success of this product affirms the strength of our Internet commitment and the value of our research and development efforts.”
In other news from the quarter, the company strengthened its cross-platform commitment by announcing a version of Microsoft Internet Explorer for UNIX, along with updated versions for Macintosh and Windows 3.1. The momentum for Internet Explorer 3.0 continued through the quarter, with AT & T and Microsoft agreeing to jointly promote and distribute Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 with AT & T WorldNet(r) Service. In related news after quarter end, Prodigy Inc. announced a cross-distribution agreement whereby Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 will be the default browser for Prodigy’s upcoming Internet-based service. Also during the quarter, Microsoft announced plans to transition specifications and appropriate technology for ActiveX(tm) controls to an independent industry-standards body, as part of the company’s vision to make ActiveX an open industry standard.
Subsequent to the quarter’s end, Microsoft Corp. unveiled the new Web-based MSN(tm), The Microsoft Network, featuring new services, original entertainment programming and an exciting new program viewer that puts MSN members just one click away from any major area on MSN or any other site on the Internet. Microsoft also announced Office 97, Developer Edition, a new tool for the more than one million developers building solutions with Microsoft Office .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day. For more information about the Microsoft Finacial Forum please visit http://.microsoft.com/msft/
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information page.


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Recently, Colorado’s new $0.27 retail delivery fee went into effect. The fee targets all deliveries by a motor vehicle that have at least one item of taxable and tangible personal property. This new levy impacts both in-state and out-of-state retailers, requiring those entities to register with the Colorado Dept. of Revenue and remit funds to the State.
All states but one that impose a sales and use tax now have laws requiring out-of-state companies to collect tax if they have a significant economic presence in a state. The Governor of Missouri, the last remaining state, is expected to sign a similar law this month. The change stems from a 2018 United States Supreme Court case, the impact of which is far broader than many realize.
Continue Reading The Expanded Reach of States for Sales & Use Tax Purposes – More Than Just e-Commerce Retailers are Impacted
On June 21, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., overturning a 26 year-old decision holding that a retailer must have a physical presence in a state in order to have a sales or use tax collection obligation. The Wayfair decision has an immediate and major impact on retailers of all sizes, but also leaves open numerous unanswered questions.
Continue Reading Monumental Shift in Sales Tax Collection Requirements for Remote Retailers


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Facebook will take a stand against the dangerous practice of spreading misinformation about vaccines. The social media behemoth, which has served as an online meeting spot for spreading memes of misinformation about vaccine safety and efficacy, will now try to redirect consumers on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to reputable sites for information about vaccines, as the Guardian reported.
Screenshot of searching for vaccines on Facebook.
- U.S. Measles Cases Hit 25-Year High - EcoWatch ›
- New York State Ends Religious Exemptions for Vaccines - EcoWatch ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
September 20 marked the one-year anniversary of the most devastating and deadly natural disasters in 100 years of U.S. history—Hurricane Maria. Today, Puerto Rico continues to face both challenges, such as Tropical Storm Kirk landing today, and opportunities.
Many wonder how Puerto Rico is doing so EcoWatch teamed up with the non-profit Para la Naturaleza (PLN) for an interactive Facebook live experience on Thursday. Watch the video below to learn how the community of Puerto Rico—the town of Comerío—came together to revitalize the natural ecosystems. PLN is working towards the ambitious goal of planting 750,000 native and endemic trees and establishing 33 percent of Puerto Rico's lands as protected by 2033.
- Hurricane Maria's Legacy: One Year Later ›
- Hurricane Maria ›
- 'We Are Not OK': A First-Hand Account of Hurricane Maria ›
Bringing your own reusable grocery bags when you go shopping is one of the easiest ways to cut down on your plastic consumption — according to the UN Environment Program, up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used globally each year.The most sustainable option is to use a bag you already have, whether it's an old tote or a laundry basket (thank TikTok for that idea). You can also make your own reusable grocery bags out of T-shirts. But if you'd rather purchase designated reusable grocery bags, here are our recommendations.
ChicoBag
Standard reusable grocery bags — foldable cloth "green bags" that typically have company logos on them — are bulky, can't be machine washed, and tend to break down after a number of uses. ChicoBag reusable grocery bags solve these problems and more. They hold up to 25 pounds each, can be tossed in the wash, and stuff down into a tiny attached pouch that you can easily keep in your purse or the center console of your car until you need them.

Customer rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars with over 1,000 Amazon reviews
Why buy: Machine washable; Certified B Corp; Climate Neutral Certified; Supports 1% For the Planet; Fair Labor Association member
Lotus Sustainables
If you prefer bigger reusable grocery bags that add convenience to your shopping experience, Lotus Trolley Bags may be perfect for you. These bags fold flat and nestle in your cart so that you can sort items while you shop. There's a large insulated cooler bag, as well as two standard reusable shopping bags and a bag with pockets for wine bottles and egg cartons. Each can hold up to 50 pounds and has double-stitched seams for added durability.

Customer rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars with over 3,000 Amazon reviews
Why buy: Machine washable; Removable rod for non-cart use; Supports 1% for the Planet
BAGGU
For another versatile option, try the Baggu Standard Reusable Shopping Bag. This product is modeled after a conventional plastic grocery bag but is made with 40% recycled ripstop fabric. Baggu reusable bags can carry up to 50 pounds but stuff down into a five-inch internal pocket for carrying.

Customer rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 50 Amazon reviews
Why buy: Machine washable; Made with 40% recycled materials; Ethically manufactured; Packaging made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified material
Ecodunia
Ecodunia's reusable bags have a sturdier feel than most products on this list. The canvas used to make each bag is produced from 100% renewable resources and natural cotton, plus they have long handles for comfortable carrying over your shoulder. Ecodunia's fun prints will likely make you want to use these bags for more than carting groceries, but they're great for a weekend trip to the farmers market.

Customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars with under 5 Amazon reviews

Why buy: Made from natural cotton; Machine washable; Handmade; Provides dignified work for communities in Kenya

Simple Ecology
Another canvas bag option comes from Simple Ecology. This brand's eco-friendly grocery bags are made with Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton and feature pop-out sleeves for more fragile goods and double-stitched seams for extra reinforcement. The large size has about the same capacity as a grocer's paper bag. Simple Ecology also has a reusable bag starter kit that comes with a tote and several reusable produce bags.

Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars with over 900 Amazon reviews
Why Buy: GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable; Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified packaging when purchased from manufacturer
BagPodz
BagPodz Reusable Shopping Bags are all about convenience. You can get a pack of five or 10 bags, all of which fit in a low-profile "pod" that can be stored for use on the go. When at the grocery store, the pod clips to your cart and has an easy-dispense pocket for when it's time to check out. After use, just stuff them back into the pod. BagPodz reusable bags are made with Bluesign® certified materials, which means they're manufactured sustainably.

Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars with over 2,000 Amazon reviews
Why Buy: Machine washable; Made with Bluesign certified material
Solar energy panels and wind turbines in Shanghai, China. Chinaface / Getty Images
Facebook announced Tuesday it will slash greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent and transition global operations to 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2020 in efforts to "help fight climate change."
Tackling plastic pollution is the theme of 2018. Stories of animals dying from ingesting plastic are all around the web. Did you ever think that the plastic packaging used for your groceries might be the cause of death for an animal species you love?
U.S. companies are taking a stand in these politically chaotic times.
So far, 127 technology firms are firing back at President Donald Trump's travel ban affecting immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.
Facebook, Apple and Google are leading the fight against Trump's immigration ban https://t.co/6lcwkRfP2a https://t.co/MoNxOmRmLP— Forbes (@Forbes)1486394161.0
The movement was led by nearly 100 Silicon Valley companies who filed a legal brief on Sunday to oppose the highly controversial executive order, arguing that it is unconstitutional and "inflicts significant harm on American business, innovation, and growth." Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Uber, Reddit, Netflix and Dropbox were among the 97 companies that initially signed on to support Washington state's lawsuit against Trump's order.
That list got substantially larger late Monday afternoon, when Tesla, SpaceX and 29 other tech firms joined the brief.
Tesla and SpaceX were notably absent on the original list of signatories. CEO Elon Musk, who happens to sit on Trump's business advisory council, previously said he would use his position to "express our objections to the recent executive order on immigration."
Regarding the meeting at the White House: https://t.co/8b1XH4oW6h— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk)1486085958.0
But as a Tesla spokesperson told the Verge, "as soon as we saw the brief this morning, we insisted on being added."
The suit is being heard in the ninth circuit federal court in San Francisco, California and has already succeeded in temporarily halting the enforcement of the executive order.
Many other companies are making real efforts to be socially responsible. The outdoor industry as a whole has taken a stand against Utah state's and the federal government's proposals to shed public lands.
In an open letter to Trump and Congress, more than 100 outdoor industry leaders led by REI have called upon elected officials to protect public lands and the integrity of the outdoor recreation industry, which powers $646 billion in gross national product.
Outdoor clothing big-hitter Patagonia also announced on Tuesday it will not participate in Utah's Outdoor Retailer shows after Gov. Gary Herbert signed a resolution on Friday urging the Trump administration to repeal the newly named Bears Ears National Monument.
A new Greenpeace report, Clicking Clean: Who is Winning the Race to Build a Green Internet?, finds that Apple, Google, Facebook and newcomer Switch are leading the charge to build a renewably powered internet. These companies are coupling transitions of their data centers to clean energy with strong advocacy for access to renewable options.
By now, you might have heard that "checking in" at Standing Rock, North Dakota, on Facebook is not throwing off cops who are using the platform to target Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protesters on the front lines. However, the million-plus Facebook users who have falsely updated their statuses are actually doing something important: It's bringing the protest to the mainstream.
On Monday, Oct. 31, a Facebook user posted a claim that the Morton County sheriff's department was using the social media platform to locate protestors.
"Water Protecters are calling on EVERYONE to check-in at Standing Rock, ND to overwhelm and confuse them," it read.
The Sacred Stone Camp told Snopes they are not behind the tactic but pointed out it was a "great way to express solidarity" with the pipeline protest.
Meanwhile, the Morton County Sheriff's Department stated in a Facebook post it "is not and does not follow Facebook check-ins for the protest camp or any location. This claim/rumor is absolutely false."
Native American communities and their supporters have been battling the construction of the controversial $3.7 billion, 1,168-mile pipeline since April. The proposed DAPL will transfer up to 570,00 barrels of crude oil per day from the Bakken oilfield in North Dakota to a refinery near Chicago, crossing the Missouri River less than a mile away from the Standing Rock Reservation.
The people of Standing Rock, often called Sioux, warn that a potential spill into the river would threaten their drinking water, desecrate sacred sites and risk the health of their reservation.
Thanks to social media, the protest is entering the national conversation. So how else can you help the protestors on the front lines? There are a number of ways you can support the campaign:
- Donate money to the Official Standing Rock Sioux Tribe DAPL Donation Fund or the Sacred Stone Legal Defense Fund via Fundrazr or directly via PayPal to save on processing fees to [email protected]
- The Sacred Stone Camp has an official GoFundMe account and an Amazon WishList. You can also physically mail checks, cash or supplies to Sacred Stone Camp, P.O. Box 1011, Fort Yates, ND 58538 or 202 Main Street Fort Yates, ND 58538.
- You can phone local leaders and other decision makers. North Dakota governor Jack Dalrymple's phone number is 701-328-2200. Call the Army Corps of Engineers and demand them to reverse the permit at 202-761-5903.
- And here are some numbers at Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the pipeline. Executive vice president Lee Hanse, 210-403-6455. Vice president Glenn Emery, 210-403-6762. Lead analyst Michael (Cliff) Waters, 713-989-2404.
- Sign and share the official White House petition.
[email protected] Delivers Solar Panels to Camp Where Hundreds Are Fighting Dakota Access Pipeline via @EcoWatch: https://t.co/KL8AwRuETJ— Leonardo DiCaprio (@Leonardo DiCaprio)1477603334.0
The Guardian reported that the United Nations advisory forum for indigenous issues is now investigating claims that North Dakota law enforcement has used excessive force, unlawful arrests and mistreated the protesters in jail.
Dakota Access pipeline protests: UN group investigates human rights abuses https://t.co/sh8Y7th0i7— The Guardian (@The Guardian)1477953420.0
Roberto Borrero, a representative of the International Indian Treaty Council who is assisting the UN forum told the Guardian that the activists' stories are "very shocking."
"When you look at what the international standards are for the treatment of people, and you are in a place like the United States, it's really astounding to hear some of this testimony," he said.
According to the Guardian, "jailed protesters said it seemed clear that police weren't prepared to handle hundreds of people at once in their local correctional facilities. A day after their release, many still had numbers and charges written on their arms in marker—which advocates said was an unusual and dehumanizing way for police to track inmates—and some were temporarily kept in cages that they said felt like 'dog kennels.'"
Police have accused the activists of being overly aggressive in their demonstrations and have charged many protesters with criminal trespassing.
According to a new Greenpeace report, the Web would rank sixth in energy demand if it were a country. The amount of Internet data out there is expected to have tripled from 2012 to 2017. In that time, the Web population is expected to grow from 2.3 billion in 2012 to 3.6 billion people by 2017, or half of the world's population.
With that sort of virtual volume on deck, Web companies have to become greener.
In Clicking Clean: How Companies Are Creating the Green Internet, Greenpeace researchers make it clear which companies are leading the movement and which ones are still relying on fossil fuels.
Greenpeace evaluated the energy choices of 19 familiar Internet companies and more than 300 of their data centers. Five of those firms have announced a goal of powering their operations with 100-perecent renewable energy.
“Apple, Facebook and Google are powering our online lives with clean energy, and building a greener offline world for everyone in the process,” Gary Cook, a Greenpeace senior IT analyst, said in a statement. “These companies have proven over the past 24 months that wind and solar energy are ready and waiting to power the internet, and the rest of our economy, with clean electricity."
While all three companies are known for the renewable energy investments of recent years, Greenpeace particularly singled out Apple, the only company to earn a 100-percent score on its four-category Clean Energy Index. The company powers facilities like its Reno, NV data center with all clean energy, despite the local utility's resource mix being more than half comprised of natural gas. The same goes Apple's facility in Maiden, N.C., where 57 percent of the local mix is made up of nuclear energy.
Apple's North Carolina data center, which is home to the iCloud service, is powered by the largest privately owned solar installation in the country. Amazon and eBay, on the other hand, received 15 and 6 percent, respectively, on their indexes.
“Apple’s rapid shift to renewable energy over the past 24 months has made it clear why it’s one of the world’s most innovative and popular companies,” Cook said. “By continuing to buy dirty energy, Amazon Web Services not only can’t seem to keep up with Apple, but is dragging much of the internet down with it.”
In the organization's own words, here is what Greenpeace wants all "major" Internet companies to do:
- Make a long-term commitment to become 100-percent renewably powered.
- Commit to transparency on IT performance and consumption of resources, including the source of electricity, to enable customers, investors, and stakeholders to measure progress toward that goal.
- Develop a strategy for increasing their supply of renewable energy, through a mixture of procurement, investment, and corporate advocacy to both electricity suppliers and government decision-makers.
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Today is a great day for the future of the IT sector.
Over the past few years, we’ve campaigned hard against Facebook to get them to commit to clean energy—specifically, we wanted them to change their siting policy—the decisions that they make about how to power their massive football-stadium-sized data centers.
When you go onto Facebook or Twitter or iTunes, your stuff—photos and music, status updates and party invitations—has to be stored somewhere. It’s not something we all spend a lot of time thinking about, but that’s how we use computers, and how we’re going to use them in the future. It’s called “the cloud." It’s growing fast—right now if the cloud were a country, it would be the fifth largest country in the world in terms of global warming emissions.
All that information is stored in massive data centers, which look like huge warehouses straight out of the Matrix. And more often than not, those data centers are powered by coal.
Like anyone else, I love Facebook. It’s changed the way we can talk to our supporters on the web—I can log in and see how people are engaging with our campaigns, what excites them and what motivates them, and what changes they want to see in the world.
We’ve won historic victories by relying on the power of Facebook—victories against major brands that happened virtually overnight. On our Facebook campaign, we set the Guinness Record for number of Facebook comments on a page in 24 hours. When I, or any of our activists, use Facebook, we want to know that we’re not contributing to the very problems that we’re fighting.
What we’re asking of corporations like Facebook is actually pretty incredible—we want them to be ambitious. We don’t just want them to “do no evil,” (as Google says)—we want them to do good. In fact, with the failure of the recent negotiations in Durban and America’s inability to pass climate legislation, we’re asking companies like Facebook to look far into the future, think about what’s good for their business and what’s good for the planet.
We’re asking them to be champions, and they’re stepping up and doing it.
Facebook has raised the bar for everyone, and we’re now looking for companies like Apple, Twitter and Microsoft to make their next move. What’s even more incredible is now that Facebook is demanding clean energy, utilities, like Duke Energy, are going to have to supply it.
This is the future of campaigning—big business isn’t going anywhere, so we want them on our side. We think corporations can be the good guys, if people demand it. We’ve asked them to step up and they’ve done it.
Since the beginning of our seafood supermarket campaign, along with other organizations, we’ve gotten 15 major supermarket chains around the country to improve their sustainable seafood policies. Just this year we’ve gotten two of the largest toy companies, Hasbro and Mattel, to stop sourcing their paper from Asia Pulp and Paper, a major contributor to Indonesian deforestation. And just this week, GE and Ben & Jerry’s were successful in pressuring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make green refrigerants legal in the U.S., a step that will make a huge difference for the climate.
There’s so much more to come in 2012—we’re working to get the major tuna brands to use better fishing methods. We’ve got even more planned for the IT sector because we want to be able to use our gadgets, tweet and live our 21st century lives knowing that the cloud is cleaner.
And, as we say at Greenpeace all the time—no permanent allies, no permanent enemies. We’re committed to standing up for the truth and pushing corporations to be their absolute best—not just dollar-driven profiteers, but true members of our global community. Sometimes that means flying an airship over their headquarters (yup, we did that with Facebook too!) and sometimes it means standing together to ask for better solutions. So here’s to 21st century campaigning and unlikely allies. And thank you Facebook for helping us make history!
Read the agreement between Greenpeace and Facebook by clicking here.


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February 18, 2014 -- Grand Opening is March 14, 2014.
February 18, 2014 -- Three Tiers of Products and Services Aim to Give Emerging Brands a Boost at an Affordable Price
February 18, 2014 -- On Monday, March 3rd, St. David’s Episcopal Church, Meridian Solar, and Austin Energy will unveil a solar panel project that is unique to downtown Austin and is gaining as a groundbreaking project...
February 18, 2014 -- Hiring managers that use AppliTrack, the flagship product of Aspex Solutions and the recruiting and hiring platform used in 20% of the school systems in the United States, will see a brand new look to...
February 18, 2014 -- Iscential has been recognized as one of the Wonderlic Top Ten "Most Engaging" Leaders in the Wonderlic Leadership Invitational. In addition to ranking as an organization, two members of the...
February 18, 2014 -- Accumulating an adequate down payment is one hurdle for many first home buyers. Guaranteed Home Mortgage Company, Inc. suggests several ways to find down payment help.
February 18, 2014 -- Michigan insurance agency warns of oncoming colds and other health concerns, while encouraging residents to stay protected with a health insurance policy.
February 18, 2014 -- The new wide format printing service can handle print jobs up to 98 inches wide and up to 2.5 inches thick.
February 18, 2014 -- Zelda Enterprise announces the arrival of HIPANEMA in Nordstrom and a feature in Marie Claire to introduce the 2014 line.
February 18, 2014 -- InventHelp, America's leading inventor service company, attempts to submit an invention, Stump Knocker, to companies for review.
February 18, 2014 -- A Georgia InventHelp client has invented the Reach And Scrub, which is being submitted to companies for review.
February 18, 2014 -- Edible Destinations and Lajollacooks4u have partnered to provide a fun culinary activity.
February 18, 2014 -- The ergonomics company surpassed the monthly sales of any other month in the 14 year history of the company. The popularity of sit-stand ergonomics is the reason for record sales.
February 18, 2014 -- Security Life, a leader in the ancillary benefits market, is proud to introduce the “Spark Leaders Club” agent loyalty program. This loyalty program will recognize and reward agents for selling our...
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February 18, 2014 -- United Domains, a frontrunner in successful New Domain registrations worldwide.
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February 18, 2014 -- Starting February 14, 2014, Angelic Bakehouse, a leading producer of sprouted whole grain products, will expand its nationwide distribution to include 17 new locations in Western Florida through a...
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The deal for Courage, a subsidiary of Australia's Foster's Brewing, is thought to be worth more than pounds 500m and would involve an S&N rights issue to raise pounds 200-250m.
Foster's is expected to retain its 50 per cent stake in Inntrepreneur, the 4,350-strong chain of pubs owned jointly by Courage and Grand Metropolitan, the international food and drinks group. It is understood that Courage's breweries will continue to supply Inntrepreneur pubs until the current agreement expires in March 1998.
A takeover of Courage would be an ideal geographic fit and considerably strengthen Edinburgh-based S&N's presence in the south of England.
Foster's had been negotiating with S&N - and, until February, with rival Whitbread - for almost two years. But the international nature of the deal and disputes over brand rights delayed the talks. An important hurdle was removed this week when the Office of Fair Trading cleared Britain's brewers of overcharging their tied houses. A reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission would have put the proposal on hold for several months, and could even have scuppered it.
Given the over-capacity in the brewing market, rationalisation of Courage's brands and assets can be expected, though this may also conveniently avoid inquiries by the OFT. A combined company would have more than 30 per cent of the market, and some analysts have doubted whether S&N would be allowed to retain such a large share. Bass, the current market leader, has a 23 per cent share.
One option might be for Foster's to retain Courage's half-share in the joint venture at Mortlake brewery in London with Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewer and owner of the American Budweiser brand. Anheuser is set to use Mortlake as a platform for an assault on Europe with its Budweiser lager.
Other Courage brands include Holsten, which is brewed under licence, Kronenbourg, John Smith's and Foster's lager. S&N's brands include McEwan's Export and Newcastle Brown Ale. S&N has a high-quality pub estate including 1,650 Chef & Brewer outlets, which it bought from Grand Metropolitan in 1993 for pounds 682m.
With S&N's gearing already standing at 41 per cent in October, the company may not be able to take on further substantial debt to buy Courage.Reuse content


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This has been a mixed week for cryptocurrencies. Things began peacefully when allegations began to spring up that the virtual currency had dominated its “death cross,” and that users need not worry about the slump because it was coming to a halt.
This appeared to be true as Bitcoin sprang from $6,900 to $7,100 (which is a $200 jump).
All Barricades Defied?
Under 24 hours, ideas of recovery were making rounds on social media channels, and news platforms on the internet as the virtual currency rose to $7,500 following the report that Coincheck would be rescued by Monex Group.
This upturn was short-lived, as a $600 drop in price occurred the day after, and bitcoin dropped to nearly $6,800. As at press time the coin has reached $100 less. It is trading at $6,800, which suggests that the virtual currency is holding ground, but has been undoubtedly affected by the recent trends.
The Downturn Isn’t Over
There are several reasons for this latest drop. The hack that affected Verge’s Blockchain is one. Verge, a privacy-oriented crypto, alleged that hackers might have implanted several bugs in their system to make it only peak at $15,000 to $1 million in virtual coins.
While this attack occurred on an altcoin, it has raised several questions. Verge’s Blockchain now requires proof-of-work validation, which inevitably makes users contemplate if other Blockchains are vulnerable to the same malware as well.
India’s Reserve Bank recently hinted that it intends to ban Bitcoin trading and build its virtual currency. This has resulted in adverse reactions among Indians, who feel that Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies wouldn’t be a threat to any national electronic currency. The move could ultimately be damaging because India accounts for 10% of the global cryptocurrency exchange trades.
By banning Bitcoin in the country, users won’t be the only casualties as the country’s stability in the global cryptocurrency exchange market will be affected.


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E-commerce marketplace, Snapdeal
today announced that it has crossed 50 million downloads mark on Google Play Store
“We have always endeavored to design features that our customers value. Through billions of daily clicks on our platforms and monthly consumer connects, we are constantly listening to our consumers’ feedback, and improving our offerings accordingly,”said Rajiv Mangla
, chief technolgy officer of Snapdeal.
Äccording to Mangla, achieving the milestone figure of 50 million downloads is a sign that more and more consumers are seeing value in the experience Snapdeal provide.Flipkart
, India’s largest e-commerce company, is currently undertaking its due diligence, prior to its anticipated takeover of Snapdeal, in a deal that could value the latter at between $700 million-$1 billion, and which is being orchestrated by its largest stakeholder, Japan’s SoftBank


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FPL Group Inc. and Constellation Energy Group Inc. promised Monday that combining their companies would benefit customers, but consumer advocates fear the opposite will occur.
FPL’s $11 billion acquisition of Constellation is the latest example of consolidation within the power industry, a trend that is expected to continue as companies seek to cut costs and balance their portfolios of regulated and unregulated businesses, while diversifying the regions they serve and the fuels they burn.
But as utilities expand, questions are being raised by consumer advocates about whether local regulators can effectively monitor interstate market activity. They also worry that homeowners and businesses will take on greater risk without sufficient improvements in service.
Executives with the two companies said the deal announced Monday would make both utilities more efficient and thereby help consumers by driving down costs. Any benefits to consumers wouldn’t come until perhaps 2009, said Lewis Hay, who will be chief executive of the combined company named Constellation Energy.
Hay said the primary benefits of the transaction would be to the unregulated power marketing subsidiaries of both companies, but that Florida customers would benefit from the more diverse mix of fuels the combined company would rely on to produce power, thanks to Constellation’s base of nuclear and coal plants. Also, Constellation would be an important backup power source for FPL customers in the event of a hurricane, he said.
The companies predicted the merger would generate $200 million to $250 million in annual savings.
“Whether any of those savings get passed through to the customers, I can’t really say,” said Harold McLean, who as Florida’s public counsel represents consumers in utility cases.
For example, FPL Group’s main subsidiary, Florida Power & Light, is a regulated utility without competition, so it’s highly unlikely that market pressures will drive rates down, he said.
FPL Group’s strong finances were partly the result of Florida Power & Light being able to charge customers for the estimated $1.2 billion in hurricane repair costs incurred the past two years, said Mike Twomey, president and founder of Florida Utility Watch, a consumer group.
Many Florida consumers have complained about having to pay for that, while FPL has raked in profits. FPL reported net income of $339 million in the third quarter, up from $320 million the year before.
Consumer advocates are closely watching for further consolidation in the utility market and its effect on the public after Congress’ repeal this summer of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.
The Depression-era reforms established rigid boundaries that confined utilities to regional markets and restricted investments by foreigners and companies from outside the power industry.
Utility executives and the Bush administration pushed to repeal the law, depicting it as an antiquated measure that retarded the industry’s growth and kept away investors who might help finance improvements in the power grid.


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A Tesco customer has been trolled online for "snitching" after she complained a store shut an hour early for the World Cup final.
The shopper complained to the store on Facebook after turning up to the store in Bury, Greater Manchester, on Sunday afternoon and discover it had shut early.
In a post she told Tesco: "I am absolutely dumbfounded that such a large chain like Tesco would allow the manager of a large Tesco in Bury to close your branch an hour early on a Sunday because of.....FOOTBALL.
"The staff on the doors were obviously enjoying turning potential customers away and many were complaining."
She added: "We are not all into football and many people work on Sunday and depend on that extra hour that Tesco opens to do their shopping.
"I can't imagine how much money you lost today but the manager obviously thought the world cup final was worth it.
"A very good job the local Asda branch did not have a football fanatic manager."
Facebook users flocked to the post to criticise the woman for ratting the branch out.
One responded: "Snitches get stitches."
Another commented: "Dumbfounded! Get a grip ya boot."
Another added: "First World problems."
And another said: "I'm just glad I don't bloody work in one! An extra hour for the football isn't going to kill anyone."
The post eventually attracted the attention of Tesco, who seemed keen to establish which Bury store had apparently shut early.
The firm posted: "I'm really sorry to hear this. Can you tell me roughly what time this was? Is it the Bury superstore, the Bury Esso Express or the Bury Tottington road Express store?"
A member of staff at the town's superstore confirmed they had shut early.
She said: "The shop closed an hour earlier but also opened an hour earlier. There was signage at the door displaying this."
Tesco admitted the store had shut early because of the World Cup final.
A spokesman said: "To make sure our customers could get everything they need in time for the World Cup final our Bury Superstore decided to open and close an hour earlier on Sunday.
"We encourage the shopper to come into the store and speak to the store manager to discuss her concerns.”
Last week, Lidl and Aldi announced that if England were to reach the World Cup final, then all their stores would shut an hour before kick off at 3pm.


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U.S. Interactive Media Spend to Surpass $103 Billion by 2019
U.S. marketers are downloading their budgets into interactive media and planning to spend more than $103 billion on search, social media, display, and email marketing by 2019. Search will get the greatest share of the media spend, while the fastest growth will be in social media, but all interactive channels will see more activity than ever. These were just a few of the media buying findings from a recent Forrester Research study that outlined how interactive media is becoming a must for marketers. MediaPost.com was the link to the study’s highlights.
3 Factors Driving This Interactive Activity
According to the study, these three factors are leading marketers to make many more interactive investments over the next five years:
- The ability to prove interactive performance.
- A recovering economy that increases our confidence in technology.
- A much larger amount of media to buy.
Search Spend to Soar
The search spend will surge by 2019, with media spending on paid search and organic optimization expected to exceed $45 billion. Google already saw a 17% increase in ad revenue in 2014 Q3, which was attributed to Google’s double-digit growth in click volume every quarter since 2007. And this stunning growth should continue, as well as continue to pay off for search.
The Spending is Already Starting
Marketers are already investing their dollars in digital, with the report projecting that U.S. marketers will make the following interactive investments in 2015:
- $31.6 billion in search marketing
- $23.6 billion in display advertising
- $9.7 billion in social media
- $2.3 billion in email marketing
Mobile to Grow for Those On the Go
The study states that mobile is a valuable deployment option for search, display, or social ad impressions. In fact, mobile will account for 66% of the growth in interactive spend by 2019. And the investment in mobile for search, display, and social media on smartphones and tablets will surpass $46 billion.
It’s easy to see that interactive media is where marketers need to spend their budgets, since that’s where consumers will be spending their time.
Tune into the latest media buying trends. Contact MDG.
MDG, a full-service advertising agency with offices in Boca Raton and New York, NY, is one of Florida’s top branding firms. MDG’s capabilities include print advertising, direct mail marketing, branding, logo design, creative, digital marketing, media buying and planning, radio and TV advertising, Web design and development, online video advertising, email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. To learn about the latest trends in advertising and branding, contact MDG.


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Taiwan authorities bust fake Argentine wine company
A Taiwan-based wine company has been busted by local authorities for mixing grape juice, alcohol and spices to produce fake Argentine wines which were selling for as much as NT$ 1,800 (US$61) a bottle.
According to Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, over 160,000 litres of semi-finished wines and unbottled grape juice were confiscated in a workshop in Gaoxiong after a police investigation lasting over six months. During the police operation, another 18,000 bottles of finished wine were also uncovered.
The bottles have labels either stating the origin of the wines as Argentina or as bottled in Argentina. According to the report, the costs of the wines are between NT$10 and NT$20, but are sold for from NT$ 200 to NT$1,800. One white wine, called ‘Oubangni’, carries a price tag of NT$1800.
The suspects, a father and son duo, have been making these wines about 10 years ago and during that period, have expanded their wine company called Wei Li Wine Company (威力酒厂) and developed 21 distributors in seven different cities, the report said.
The father Xie Qicai, aged 65, was previously convicted for selling fake wine 14 years ago, and was sent to prison for two years. Xie, according to the report, picked up the old trade for lack of other specialised skills.


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One of the most prominent examples is the rumors of a Bentley SUV. Given that (A) luxury sport-utes are seemingly forever rising in popularity with no end in sight, (B) that Bentley's existing Continental range already packs torque-tastic engines and all-wheel drive, and that (C) its corporate cousins Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche are already in the game (not to mention Lamborghini, which once was and might yet once again), the rumors make sense, but have just never seemed to get there. At least, not beyond the Dominator (pictured above), built in a limited run in the mid-90s for the Sultan of Brunei.
This time, however, a report from Germany's well-regarded Auto Motor Und Sport claims to have received confirmation directly from Bentley's Chief Executive saying that the project is a go. And Wolfgang Dürheimer should know: the former Porsche executive was one of the driving forces behind the launch of the Cayenne, with which Bentley's new SUV would compete directly, along with the Range Rover and rumored upcoming SUVs from Maybach and Lagonda based on the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.
No word just yet on a timeline for completion, but the sport-ute would reportedly slot in between the Continental and Mulsanne, giving it a price tag in the neighborhood of $230,000.


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North Americans account for 45 percent of Costa Rican tourism
The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) reports that, of the 2.1 million people that visited Costa Rica in 2010, over 45 percent hailed from the U.S. and Canada. According to year-end figures, over 950,000 tourists from the two North American nations visited Costa Rica in 2010.
More than 830,000 U.S. tourists visited Costa Rica in 2010, a 7.2 percent increase from 2009. Canadian visitors topped 119,000, a 14.3 percent increase from the previous year.
In recent months, the ICT has extended efforts to reach out to North American tourists (see related story). Advertising campaigns have hit the streets in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston and Toronto in recent months, and appear just the beginning of an all-out Costa Rica marketing blitz in North America. The ICT reports that they hope tourism figures, which topped the 2 million mark for the second time in country history in 2010, will exceed 2.5 million by 2014.
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If you’ve ever watched MTV’s hit show The Hills then you’ll probably recognise the name People’s Revolution. That’s the US-based public relations company that ‘hired’ the show’s stars Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port to work for them. Appearing on The Hills was undoubtedly a great way for People’s Revolution to gain massive exposure, and who can forget CEO Kelly Cutrone’s infamous put-downs and no-nonsense attitude? Now it seems that appearing on reality TV has caught the attention of The British Fashion Council (BFC), as they’ve appointed the company to promote London Fashion Week in the US.
This year is the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week, and it takes place in Somerset House from Sept 18th – 22nd. But don’t expect to see Lauren Conrad hanging around dressing the models; now that she’s a successful fashion designer herself, it seems unlikely that she would still be working for them as a lowly employee. If, indeed, she ever really did..hmmm?


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28 August, 2015, 12:00 am
HINDI Poet Jainan Prasad was inspired by his sister-in-law’s jovial nature to make people laugh, hence the launch of his book Gudgudi meaning tickle.
Prasad said the book, containing 47 funny poems sure to put a smile on your face, was a tribute to his sister-in-law Kriti Prasad, who committed suicide in 2013.
He said it took him one year to put together the book, which was launched yesterday by Education Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy.
Mr Reddy, while addressing a handful of people who turned up to witness the launch, praised the efforts put in by Mr Prasad in reviving the art of writing and compiling original Hindi songs and poems.
Prasad said all poems one can find in the book were original poems.
“I was inspired by my wife’s younger sister,” Prasad said.
She loves to make people laugh and always has a jovial mood, but sadly she took her own life and this book is in memory of her,” Prasad said.
There are 500 copies available with 50 copies already sold during the launch at the Defence Club on Thursday. Prasad has already written two books and believes there is still more to do in terms of writing, printing and publishing poems and stories in Hindi.


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Bankruptcy is a real risk for any company, says Boulder bankruptcy attorney Moorhead Law. Regardless of size or industry, there’s always a chance that a series of unfortunate events could send your venture careening over that proverbial edge. That’s doubly true now that the Coronavirus pandemic has made the business world a more precarious place, and as these following five examples will expertly demonstrate.
Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, things were looking precarious for J. Crew as they had started amassing substantial debt (some $2 billion or so). The pressures of Coronavirus sent things over the edge, and on May 4, 2020, J. Crew filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Meanwhile, J. Crew’s largest lender—Anchorage Capital Group—has taken over as its majority owner, converting about $1.6 billion of that debt into equity.
J. Crew was able to exit bankruptcy in September of 2020, stating that they were “well positioned for long-term growth. They’re capitalized with a $400 million exit term loan along with a new ABL credit facility. They’re expecting to turn things around by targeting new areas for growth and expansion within the purview of their brand.
As a retailer, J.C. Penney has near-mythical status in the minds of many who grew up with the stores being a fixture in their lives. Being a legend wasn’t enough to save J.C. Penney from struggling against competitors like Amazon, however, and in May of 2020 they had to file for bankruptcy. Thankfully for the company, they were able to exit bankruptcy on December 7th of the same year, but they’ve still got a long road ahead if they’re going to recover.
The name Hertz is almost synonymous with rental cars, but over the course of the pandemic the company became known for something quite a bit different. With everyone taking steps to mitigate their exposure to the virus, travel dropped, and along with it the need for car rentals.
With car rentals and used car sales down, Hertz had no choice but to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 22, 2020—with about $20 billion of debt. In fact, it wasn’t until June 30, 2021 when Hertz announced that they were finally exiting Chapter 11, now a “much stronger company.” It remains to be seen if the company can maintain profitability moving forward.
The pandemic even affected people’s energy consumption, and one of the hardest-hit natural gas producers was Chesapeake Energy. A combination of falling gas prices and deep debts from a history of overspending on deals left this energy company in dire straits—to the point where they had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2020.
Though they’ve had to dismiss hundreds of workers, Chesapeake also managed to exit bankruptcy in mid-January. They did so with a new focus on environmental responsibility and greenhouse gas reduction, along with a new capital and cost structure moving forward.
You may well know GNC for their nutritional supplements and vitamin products, but the company faced mounting burdens in the midst of COVID-19, and with $900 million in debt, they entered bankruptcy in June of 2020. Thankfully, they were able to sell themselves to their largest shareholder—the Chinese pharmaceutical giant Harbin—while they right the ship.


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Ricky Schroder is not too happy about Costco’s mask policy, and he is letting everyone know it.
On Sunday, the former child star from Silver Spoons has gone viral on Twitter for arguing with a manager named Jason after he wouldn’t let Schroder in the store for not wearing a face covering. The 51-year-old actor told the supervisor from behind the camera:
“Didn’t you see the news? You didn’t see the news. Nationwide, Costco has said you don’t need to wear masks.”
However, the employee explained the state-wide mask mandate in California and the company’s current rules, which is still following all of the local guidelines until told otherwise. Ricky, though, did not like the answer and proceeded to rant about the state being ruined by COVID-19 measures.
“Oh, if they allow us? If they grant us that, our kings? The people in power? You’re gonna listen to these people? They’ve destroyed our economy. They’re destroying our culture. They’re destroying our state, and you’re just gonna listen to their rules.”
While the CDC has lifted restrictions for those who are fully vaccinated, masks are still required in California until June 15, according to CBS Sacramento. The business also announced on Friday that U.S. locations with no state or local mask requirements may allow vaccinated members to not wear a mask in certain areas of the store. The official statement read:
“In Costco locations where the state or local jurisdiction does not have a mask mandate, we will allow members and guests who are fully vaccinated to enter Costco without a face mask or face shield. We will not require proof of vaccination, but we ask for members’ responsible and respectful cooperation with this revised policy. Face coverings will still be required in healthcare settings, including Pharmacy, Optical, Hearing Aid. Costco continues to recommend that all members and guests, especially those who are at higher risk, wear a mask or shield.”
Obviously, the New York native did not care to follow the rules. Schroder goes on to reveal he has asked to speak to the manager to get a refund — presumably to have his membership canceled.
“I’m getting my refund. I’m getting my refund from Costco. I suggest everybody in California get their refund from Costco. Give up your membership to Costco until they remove this.”
Ch-ch-check out the crazy footage (below):
It should go without saying, but it looks like some people still need a reminder. Don’t attack employees over policies they have absolutely no control over. They don’t make the rules; they are just there to enforce them. What are your thoughts on the viral video from Ricky? Let us know in the comments (below)!
Source: Read Full Article


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Monsanto In Our Sugar
By James Donahue
Having been born and raised in the heart of the Michigan sugar
beet industry, my wife and I were well aware when Monsanto began selling area beet farmers it’s genetically modified
seed laced with glyphosate, a toxic week killer known to be lethal to amphibian life and to cause miscarriages and premature
births, especially in the wives of beet farmers.
A recent French study found evidence that the Roundup Ready laced
seeds are toxic to all mammals and may even be classified as a carcinogen.
Dr. Don M. Huber, soil scientist at Purdue University, has warned
that he suspects Glyphosate may somehow be linked to an increase in cancers of the liver, thyroid, kidneys and skin melanomas.
He also wonders if the chemicals in the GM foods we are eating aren’t also involved into a recent spike in Alzheimer’s
and Parkinson’s disease, and a major rise in soybean allergies.
Knowing that Monsanto had infiltrated the sugar beet industry,
we made sure that every ounce of sugar purchased for our household was made from sugar cane. While everybody agrees that processed
sugar is an unnatural food that is not necessarily good for the body, we all have become addicted to the stuff. It just makes
everything taste so good.
Recently my wife, who is ultra sensitive to toxic chemicals and
many kinds of medicine, developed sores in her mouth after tasting a fresh batch of cookies that contained sugar from a freshly
opened container. She looked at the label and it was clearly marked cane sugar.
Thinking that something was wrong I went on line and Googled “Monsanto
Cane Sugar.” And sure enough, I found a story that announced that Monsanto is working on a Roundup Ready/Bt variety
of sugar cane and expects to have it on the market by 2015.
Knowing how Monsanto works, we suspect that this big corporation
has had thousands of acres of “test plots” of its toxic new varieties of sugar cane in fields throughout the south.
The courts have allowed Monsanto to grow these plots in secret, so nobody knows which fields contain the Roundup Ready varieties
and which are clean. And we know when it comes time for harvest, all of the crops are harvested and sent to the sugar factory.
What we found suspicious about the bag of cane sugar that caused
a reaction in my wife was that it had an especially marked label, with a packaging number unique to that brand of sugar. We
since found other cane sugar packages in stores, under the same brand, that do not have that marking label. Thus we suspect
that the toxic sugar is already in some of our stores as an experiment, to find out if anything happens.
Something has happened all right. We in our household are now declaring
a ban on processed sugar. We will be using honey or maple syrup on our cereal in the morning from now on, I suppose. That
is until Monsanto’s poisoned crops kill off all the honeybees and Monsanto’s new GM trees kill off the sugar maples.


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How Americans Consume Mobile Media
Consumers want their information to go, or more precisely, on their mobile devices, smartphones and tablets. Consumers have smartphones and tablets and they’re using them. In December, 2011, 8.2% of all digital page views were delivered via a mobile device. This breaks down to 5.2% for smartphones, 2.5% for tablets and 0.5% for other connected devices, according to comScore.
Marketers need to take note of this expanded mobile usage because it’s not just idle chatter. Here are some rough percentages of what Americans did with their mobile phones as reported by comScore.
- 75% sent a text message.
- 60% took a photograph with their phone.
- 41% accessed email from their device
- 35% visited a social networking site.
- 25% took a video with their phone.
While slightly less than half of Americans accessed applications (aka apps) and a similar number accessed a mobile browser, what’s critical is that owners used their smartphones and tablets to get content. Across the top ten categories reported by comScore, every one experienced amazing growth of roughly 70% or more in the past year. Bear in mind that part of this increase is attributable to the fact that the bases were low. Most of this mobile and tablet use is incremental reach and engagement.
Of interest is the significant increase in health information and job postings because these are areas that employees don’t want their bosses and coworkers to know about.
But there’s no doubt—consumers are seeking information via their smartphones and tablets. For marketers, this means your content must be readable on a smartphone or a tablet because consumers are using these devices to help keep up with the ever growing amount of information that’s available.
To put this in perspective, on average, Americans spend over an hour a day on their mobile devices or roughly 10% of their 11 hours and 33 minutes a day of media consumption, based on projections by eMarketer. Interestingly, TV shows and other video content viewed on a television set still dominate US media consumption.
A related issue for marketers is that their media spend isn’t aligned with consumer consumption. Print newspapers and magazines have a high cost relative to the low amount of time spent with these media options. Further, mobile opportunities, including Facebook, are underutilized. This is attributable in part to the rapid growth of smartphones and tablets as well as the complexity of mobile implementation.
What’s a marketer to do? Assess your 2012 marketing plans to ensure that you’ve got content that can be found and read on smartphones and tablets. Don’t overlook text messages and the ability to read email via a smartphone. Additionally, distribute some of your search budget to mobile so you can be found when and where prospects are looking for you. Further, assess whether your media and advertising spend is distributed appropriately for your target audience. As for media marketers, determine how you can diversify your revenue streams.
Do you have any other suggestions? If so, what are they and what is your rationale for making them?
Here are some related articles you may find of interest.
- 38 Mobile Marketing Charts
- Online shopping: Tablets versus Smartphones
- Social Commerce Defined
- Mobile Goes Shopping.


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The U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday made changes to its Priority Mail lineup, offering free insurance and tracking along with day-specific delivery in an effort to boost shipping revenue for the financially ailing agency.
“Our revamped Priority Mail product line should be a game-changer in the shipping marketplace,” said USPS Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Nagisa Manabe. “We’re meeting the rising expectations of customers.”
Under the plan, Priority Mail will include up to $100 of insurance coverage free of charge. It also provides scheduled delivery — one-day, two-day or three-day — based on the origin and destination of the package.
The Postal Service’s package business had grown in recent years, increasing by more than 14 percent since 2011, the agency said. Meanwhile, first-class mail volume has declined, dropping by more than 6 percent over the same period, according to USPS figures.
The agency lost nearly $16 billion last year, followed by losses totaling about $4 billion for the first three quarters of 2013. USPS officials said during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday that the Priority Mail plan would bring in an estimated $500 million per year in additional revenue.
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