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Chef Shaun Doty wants to open another restaurant in Midtown.
The veteran restaurateur is in discussions to lease space along Crescent Avenue at the 12th & Midtown development. The approximately 2,000-square-foot space once housed restaurant Noon Midtown, which closed in early 2011.
If the deal gets done, Doty would open another location of his fast-casual chicken concept Bantam + Biddy.
He filed a permit in Atlanta this week for the project, but says he has yet to sign a lease.
Doty said the new location would differ in that it would get an espresso bar serving Batdorf & Bronson coffee.
The hope is to open around November, about the time other new eateries open across the street at 77 12th Street (the new luxury apartment tower from Daniel Corp., Selig Enterprises Inc. and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. that opened this May). It should this fall welcome restaurants Taco Diner, Tabla, Fig Jam and BurgerFi.
Doty, who was behind local favorites including Yeah! Burger, has recently been on a mission to promote chef-driven, casual dining in the city.
The first Bantam + Biddy opened in late 2012 at Ansley Mall. Another is set for the Alpharetta mixed-use development Avalon.
Doty also runs another chicken restaurant called Chick-a-Biddy in Atlantic Station that opened this summer.
The two eateries were designed for different audiences, but both serve organic, seasonal vegetables and local, regional and pastured poultry. That’s a slower growing breed of chicken raised on a pasture. Doty is among a handful of chefs in the city who are advocating the use of the bird.
Hope still for Hotel
A plan is still alive to build a new luxury hotel in Sandy Springs.
Kessler Collection Hotels, based in Orlando, Fla., continues to seek a construction loan to build its long-planned Grand Bohemian hotel, an estimated $100 million project.
Sandy Springs City Council this week extended the land disturbance permit for the project once again.
Georgia Tech alumnus Richard Kessler, who heads boutique hotel firm The Kessler Enterprise Inc., first proposed the 275-room, four-star hotel for Atlanta just before the Great Recession hit and the credit market collapsed.
Kessler paid about $2.5 million in 2006 for a nearly 3.5-acre site in Sandy Springs to build the hotel. The triangle-shaped tract sits in a prime spot at Perimeter Center, bounded by Mount Vernon Highway, Peachtree-Dunwoody and Abernathy roads, and catty-corner to a busy MARTA station.
The project has been on hold since that time, due to the lack of financing for new hotel construction.
But, lenders are now returning to the market as demand starts to surge.
The Perimeter Center/Roswell submarket is one of the hottest in metro Atlanta. In July, occupancy rates reached 78.2 percent, according to data from Smith Travel Research Inc.
New hotel projects are already being planned. Few have secured financing but that could change soon, especially for hotels with 150 rooms or less.
Some Sandy Springs officials anticipate that the Grand Bohemian will get funding in the next year. Kessler already is talking with Bank of America and Columbus Bank & Trust, said one local leader.
Smash coming to town
Atlanta-based Here to Serve Restaurants is adding a new concept.
Smash Kitchen & Bar is set to open Sept. 10 at Town Brookhaven. It will be the restaurant group’s second eatery in the mixed-use development. It also has Noche Tequila and Tapas Bar.
Longtime restaurateur Tom Catherall, founder of Here to Serve, designed the menu at Smash to be “his greatest hits,” according to an announcement. Dishes include Southern fried foods, steaks and burgers, flatbreads and salads.
“Smash Kitchen & Bar perfects the black-tie food at blue-jeans prices,” Catherall said.
Some Atlanta restaurants, hotels and hospitality firms have recently named new leaders.
- Upscale Buckhead restaurant Ocean Prime Atlanta announced this week a new executive chef, Mitchell Brumels. The Culinary Institute of America grad hails from Michigan, where he worked at several high-end Italian restaurants.
- Dunwoody-based Hotel Equities has promoted Brad Rahinsky to chief operating officer. Meanwhile, the company’s vice president of development, Andrew Pace, has left after six years to work for Strand Development Co. LLC in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- The Sonesta ES Suites Atlanta, which is located in the Perimeter area, has named Marc Greenberg as its general manager.
Amy Wenk covers hospitality, retail and restaurants.


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MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Agriculture (DA) said they will begin the importation of pork products in February amid supply shortage caused by the African Swine Fever (ASF).
DA Spokesperson Asec. Noel Reyes said they will import pork from countries with no cases of ASF.
“Under the minimum access volume, mayroong pong 54,000 metric tons. So starting February 1st, iyan ay pwede nang angkatin at pwede na po silang mag-apply ng pag-import ng baboy mula sa Europe, US and sa iba pang bansa na walang ASF (We have 54,000 metric tons of pork products starting February 1, that can be imported. [Agriculture companies] can apply and import pork from Europe, United States, and other countries with no ASF),” he said.
He reported that pork supply in the country decreased by an estimate of 10%. Several reports also noted that the supply decreased by 15-16%, he added.
“May kulang po ang suplay ng baboy bunsod ng ASF. Bumaba. Ang taya namin nasa 10%, taya ng PSA, 15-16%. Pero ang taya po ng industriya ay bumaba ng 30% dito sa Metro Manila (There is a pork supply gap due to ASF. It reduced supply. Our estimate is 10%; the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimates 15%-16%, but the industry estimates a decrease of 30% in Metro Manila),” he said.
Aside from increasing the supply in the country, Reyes said the DA also aims to normalize market prices. AAC (with reports from Joan Nano)
This is in support of the Duterte government’s initiative to revitalize hog production amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) epidemic.
During its regular meeting on Wednesday (February 24), the PCIC Board of Directors approved the DA proposal to pay losses resulting from government-ordered culling or slaughter of insured hogs.
Likewise, the Board agrees to raise the payable amount up to 100 percent of the insurance cover or the total sum insured.
The move is expected to help encourage the raising of over 10 million heads of swine among commercial and backyard raisers.
The stocks to be insured will be a mix of fatteners and breeders, including grandparent stock, among the commercial raisers; and fatteners and breeders, among the backyard raisers.
“Backyard hog raisers currently receive free insurance, provided they are listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), the country’s database of bona fide subsistence farmers and fisherfolk. But they will be covered by the relaxed provision on indemnity payment and culling or emergency slaughter,” the DA further said.
“Moreover, the Board directed the PCIC to increase the number of backyard hog raisers to be provided insurance coverage,” it added.
The agriculture department guarantees that these enhanced insurance policy features for the swine industry “will remain in place until such time that the industry shall have stabilized or a vaccine or other veterinary solutions will have been developed for ASF.”
Consistent with the DA policy, the PCIC will require commercial and backyard raisers to adhere to prescribed biosafety protocols, such as cleaning, disinfecting, and training in biosafety measures.
This protocol is contained in the DA Administrative Order No. 6, issued on February 6, 2021, entitled “Guidelines on the Implementation of the Recovery, Rehabilitation and Repopulation Assistance Program for ASF-affected and Non-ASF Affected Areas.”
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Risa Hontiveros has urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to focus its efforts on preventing the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) instead of imposing price ceilings.
“The government should instead channel its efforts to bring credibility to testing, reporting, and responding to local outbreaks, among others. Hindi na nakakatulong ang ipinataw nilang price control (imposing price control is not helping), so let’s look deeper than the surface,” the senator said.
Hontiveros noted that the DA is already boosting local hog supply by distributing mother pigs and feeds to ASF-cleared areas, however, hog raisers still fear subsequent waves of infection.
Instead of repopulation plans, Hontiveros said the DA should also teach hog raisers preventive measures to protect livestock from ASF. She added that the price cap is making it almost impossible for vendors to recover from the “twindemic” of COVID-19 and ASF.
“Nakararanas tayo ng ‘Twindemic’ —pandemya ng COVID-19 at epidemya ng ASF. Kambal din ang dagok sa ating magbababoy na nalubog pa dahil sa itinakdang price ceiling (We are experiencing a ‘Twindemic’—COVID-19 pandemic and the ASF epidemic. Our hog raisers are also experiencing twin challenges due to the price ceiling),” the senator said.
Hontiveros also proposed to revoke the imposed price ceiling to help affected producers and retailers recover from their losses.
“Dumadaing na ang ating producers at retailers. Ilang eksperto na ang tumutol sa pagpapatupad ng price ceiling. Bawiin na sana ito para makabawi naman sa lugi ang ating mga kababayan (Our producers and retailers are complaining. Several experts have already expressed opposition to implementation of a price ceiling. It should be revoked for the sake of our fellowmen),” she added. AAC
MANILA, Philippines — Meat dealers and vendors at Commonwealth Market agreed to not sell pork starting Monday (February 22).
They said it is not because they are protesting against the government but because of income loss due to the implementation of the price cap on pork.
“Lahat tayo namomroblema kung saan tayo kukuha ng baboy ngayon. Mayroon naman, sobrang taas. Lalong hindi natin masusunod yung P270 na iyan. Ngayon ano magiging solusyon natin? Ito. Nagpapaalam tayo sa administrator natin na hindi muna tayo magtitinda,” said Toto Rillo, a meat vendor.
Vendors argued that up to present, they still get pork at a higher price and not all of them are able to recieve from deliveries provided by the Department of Agriculture (DA) coming from other parts of the country.
“Paano naman kami? Ubos na ang puhunan namin at wala na kaming ipapaubos kasi ubos na. Yan ang totoo. Magpakatotoo tayo. Nagbibigay tayo ng 270 peso negative,” argued Norma Noma, also a meat dealer.
What they appeal is for DA to increase the price cap to at least P330 per kilogram that is effective in the entire Luzon region.
They also argued against reports that some supplies that are supposedly for Metro Manila are diverted to other provinces where they can be sold at the much higher price.
This shouldn’t be the case, they said, as the government even provided transportation subsidy for the supplies to reach Metro Manila.
According to DA, they are now investigating the matter while the agency is studying the possibility of implementing the price cap to the whole of Luzon.
“Susundan natin yung pagdating mismo ng shipment. Pupuntahan yan ng ating enforcement (team),” said DA Undersecretary Ernesto Gonzales.
“Susundan iyan hanggang sa slaughter house. Kung ilalabas yan, hindi nila matatanggap yung subsidy,” he added.-MNP (with reports from Rey Pelayo)
UNTV is a major TV broadcast network with 24-hour programming. An Ultra High Frequency station with strong brand content that appeal to everyone, UNTV is one of the most trusted and successful Philippine networks that guarantees wholesome and quality viewing experience.

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Preparations for a return to two-way traffic on Monnow Street in Monmouth are underway despite the impending firebreak lockdown. Monmouthshire County Council has confirmed that although delayed, the line repainting in Agincourt Square will take place as soon as the weather improves. This will be swiftly followed by a return to two-way traffic.
The temporary scheme, which will still enable social distancing as part of the measures to tackle COVID-19, will see short stay parking, along with blue badge spaces and loading bays introduced, in addition to wide footways. The existing cycle lane will be removed to make room for the two-way traffic as before.
“We appreciate the feedback received from residents and businesses and have adapted the measures introduced to help shoppers and visitors feel safe and able to social distance in town. These measures are still temporary and any future long-term plans for Monnow Street will involve public consultation,” said Councillor Bob Greenland, Deputy Leader of Monmouthshire County Council.
“Monmouthshire’s businesses have fought hard to overcome the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this latest lockdown will prove very difficult. But, we are here to support them and we will be announcing details of the latest firebreak business support grants shortly,” said Councillor Greenland. “In addition, we will be launching our Christmas Shop Local Shop Monmouthshire campaign next month to promote local shops and businesses.
“Work will continue on Monnow Street over the next fortnight and it is hoped that everything will be in place ready to welcome back shoppers when the firebreak ends on Monday 9th November. Until then, we continue to ask residents to stay safe, and stay home as much as possible.”


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Can Bitcoin be regulated?
Certain aspects of blockchain technology fall under the purview of NIST, IEEE, and a number of standards in the networking, computing, and information security industries. However, a technical standards committee has never been set up specifically to deal with Bitcoin or competing blockchain protocols like the legacy Ethereum network. In contrast, the digital currency industry usually praises itself for its lack of professionalism and celebrates the success of its own “decentralized” self-government: a meme that only stands up to scrutiny if there are no researches on the Digital Currency Group.
Of course, the self-praise of most blockchain groups is lauded by the same people who hope the general public will ignore their proximity and participation in an industry plagued by overt scams, cyclical hype bubbles, and sometimes globally coordinated fraud. Against this bleak backdrop, the Bitcoin Association has set up a Bitcoin SV Technical Standards Committee as the cornerstone of the growing distinction between BSV and the blockchain economy as a whole. Last week they reached the milestone of officially requesting a public review of a proposed technical standard!
What is the standard
A subject known to big blockers: Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) and Merkle Inclusion Proofs will be the first standard proposed for feedback and verification as the committee attempts to establish a standardized data format. Encoding the standard would allow SPV to be implemented by commercial entities in a way that is cross-compatible between wallets, much like USB devices are compatible between Mac, Windows, and Linux PCs.
If enacted, wallets could adopt the standard, promoting it to be compatible with the industry standard for simplified payment verification, and giving consumers greater confidence in the technology. Over time, Bitcoin SV could be distinguished from one another in two ways:
1: Produce professional documentation and standards that encourage development from outside the Bitcoin economy to leverage SPV (and other upcoming Bitcoin SV standards) while also allowing the Bitcoin economy to more closely align with the global technology sector.
2: Make more intentional connections to the Bitcoin whitepaper (Section 8 “Simplified Payment Verification”) as another point of reference for the Bitcoin protocol, which is only fully available on the Bitcoin SV network. Specifically, SPV is not available, unworkable, or completely out of date on most other competing Bitcoin-based networks.
While technical standards have their own pitfalls (often criticized in the tug-of-war between standardized and proprietary formats), they tend to lead to an industry-wide predictability that, when combined with a successful commercial takeover, helps industries professionalize and integrate with existing technologies. But they won’t be without their own critics!
As with any new idea, there could be some setbacks from commercial developers who don’t want to stick to (admittedly optional) standards. Or, as we have seen in other technology sectors, multiple governing bodies could emerge to propose incompatible, competing standards that, like VHS versus Betamax, would lead to Layer 2 wars.
However, standards could help clear up the confusion plaguing new bitcoiners, and they will clarify a way for Bitcoin SV to truly become the professional blockchain for corporate data management and peer-to-peer trading.
If you would like to participate in feedback to the Bitcoin SV Technical Standards Committee, please click to register and participate in setting standards that will help bring Bitcoin SV to the world!
New to Bitcoin? Read CoinGeek’s Bitcoin For Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide, to learn more about Bitcoin – as originally envisaged by Satoshi Nakamoto – and blockchain.


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On Monday, in a significant development, International Business Machines Corp (IBM) announced a new processor for data centers that can handle three times the workload of its predecessor.
IBM’s Power10 chip will be manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
The Power10 will benefit from Samsung’s 7-nanometer chip manufacturing process, which incidentally is similar to its peer Advanced Micro Devices Inc which uses Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd to make its chips.
AMD and IBM use third party chip manufacturers to compete against Intel Corp.
Incidentally, Intel dominates in the data centers chip market and is one of the few players that designs and makes its own chips. In recent weeks, Intel had stated, its next generation chip manufacturing technology faced delays, which according to analysts will allow rivals to gain market shares.
As for IBM, it has since long focused on high-performance computing systems, with three of the world’s top-ten fastest supercomputers using its chips.
In a statement on Monday, IBM said, it has designed the Power10 chip keeping artificial intelligence computing tasks in mind; the chip can do AI tasks 20 times faster than its predecessor.


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After foraying into the electric two-wheeler segment with the launch of a factory to manufacture electric scooters in Tamil Nadu, Ola Electric is reportedly planning to enter the electric four-wheeler segment with an indigenously built electric car.
According to a report in Autocar India, the Ola Electric car will be built on a born-electric skateboard platform, which is a type of configuration for an automotive chassis that brings down the cost and complexity of manufacturing an electric vehicle. It’s a self-contained platform with the electronic motors, battery, and driving components integrated into it, and which can be scaled to various sizes and topped with a variety of bodies. The Ola Electric car is expected to have a futuristic design and will fundamentally be a compact city car with limited range, but at a very attractive price.
Sources have told the publication that Ola Electric is looking to set up a global design centre for its electric car division in Bengaluru. The plant will be equipped with all the requisite facilities, including those for clay modelling as well as a CMF (colour, materials and finish) lab. Ola has supposedly also poached a few Tata designers for this project.
To counter the lack of public EV charging infrastructure in India, Ola Electric will look to provide its customers with home charging equipment for its electric cars.
Ola didn’t respond to Inc42’s queries about its electric car plans by the time of publication. This story will be updated if we receive a response.
In December last year, Ola Electric signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government for setting up an electric scooter factory in the state. The company is looking to generate an investment of around INR 2,400 Cr for the project which will employ 10K people.
The company claims that the factory will be the world’s largest such for two-wheelers, with a production capacity of 10 Mn such vehicles annually. Further, Ola says that the factory would not only cater to the demand in India but also export the electric scooters to other countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America. The company was said to have begun construction for the factory spread over 500 acres in January.
Inc42 had earlier exclusively reported that Ola Electric plans to launch electric scooters in India and Europe by 2021. These scooters will be priced at around INR 90,000-INR 95,000 per unit. Ola will compete with the likes of Bajaj Auto, Hero Motocorp-backed Ather Energy and TVS with its electric two-wheelers as it looks to sell these vehicles directly to buyers as well as use them in shared mobility.
Besides its vehicle manufacturing plans, Ola Electric is also building the world’s largest electric two-wheeler charging network named Ola Hypercharger Network for its upcoming Ola electric scooter range. The company claims that it will be the widest and densest electric two-wheeler charging network in the world, with more than 100,000 charging points across 400 cities. In the first year alone, Ola is setting up over 5,000 charging points across 100 cities in India, more than double the existing charging infrastructure in the country.


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I would be especially delighted to have an iPad-optimized version of OneNote
According to sources, the tech giant is actively working on adapting its popular software suite for Apple’s tablet. With the iPad making up over 80 percent of the tablet market and millions of people worldwide using Office, that could mean big bucks for the tech giant based in Redmond, Wash.
In addition to an iPad-ready version, a new edition of Office is expected for OS X Lion sometime next year. The current version of the desktop package, Office 2011, officially supports iOS versions up to Snow Leopard. A Lion version, likely available via the Mac App Store, is widely expected. Windows, too, is due for an update, with Office 2012 currently in beta form.


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It was selected as one of Time magazine’s Top 25 Blogs of 2009. The Observer (UK) went one step further and named it the most powerful blog in the world. According to Technorati, it’s the most linked-to blog on the Internet. And its founder, Arianna Huffington, came in at #12 in Forbes ‘ 2009 list of the most influential women in the media.
Now the Huffington Post is starting–drumroll please!–a book section. Last Tuesday the New York Observer announced that HuffPo’s new book section would launch October 5th under the editorship of Amy Hertz, an editor-at-large for Penguin’s Dutton division. Even more intriguing, Arianna Huffington is also starting a book club, Oprah-style, selecting the titles herself.
The fact that HuffPo–a highly respected and heavily trafficked site–is devoting time, space, and attention to BOOKS is simply phenomenal! In the current economic climate, we’ve seen more and more independent bookstores close and newspapers slash book sections–or cut them entirely. Readers, do you think the Huffington Post‘s new book section will help get people jazzed about books again? We’ll continue to cover updates on this exciting new bookspace, an opportunity for convergence of media new and old. Check it out for yourself on October 5th.


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Australia’s outdoor advertising sector will enter a new phase this year with the launch of a new platform that would streamline campaigns among media buyers and sellers.
The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) plans to release the Automated Planning Platform (APP), which will help its members respond to media agencies’ request for proposals. The software system will then allow agencies to check booking confirmations, aside from access to industry reports.
Outdoor advertising firms generally rely on the Measurement of Outdoor Visibility and Exposure (MOVE) standard to determine a campaign’s effectiveness among their target audiences. Some types of projects can be too large for an agency even if they have an in-house team, so they usually contract third-party firms to handle the excess work.
The contractual arrangement may include machinery and equipment, as well as wide-format printing services for billboards. Since nine out of 10 Australians leave their homes every day, it’s not surprising why outdoor ads are a big market with a value of $840 million.
While online advertising has become more popular, agencies and companies will still account for a certain share of expenses. By 2020, the outdoor advertising sector will be responsible for $1 billion of ad spending, or around 7 per cent of the total industry value.
The investments would comprise different aspects of a business from buying new digital printers to research and development of market audiences. In fact, outdoor advertising ranked among the top three media channels in 2017 aside from online and cinema campaigns.
The launch of a new platform for streamlining outdoor advertising campaigns will help different brands to gain more exposure. Imagine someone who sees a creative billboard and mentions it in a social media post, which is then picked up by more people on their news feeds. This is how digital word of mouth works today.


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PARIS: The Renault-Nissan alliance pledged on Friday to double savings from closer integration to 10 billion euros ($11.9 billion) by 2022, thanks in part to increasing cooperation with recently acquired Mitsubishi Motors.
Combined annual sales volumes are expected to rise to 14 million vehicles over the same five-year period from about 10 million today, with revenue advancing by one-third to $240 billion, the alliance said in a statement.
With 5.27 million cars and vans delivered in the first half, ahead of Volkswagen and Toyota, Renault-Nissan now claims the mantle of the world's biggest carmaker - although parent Renault has never consolidated the sales of its 43.4 percent-owned Japanese affiliate into its own.
Alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn has pledged to step up the pace of integration since Nissan took a controlling stake in Mitsubishi last year. The 18-year-old Renault-Nissan pairing has only recently begun rolling out cars on common architectures.
Also Read: Renault-Nissan seeks to double savings from closer cooperation
Under existing plans, the alliance is seeking to increase synergies - from costs cut or avoided and revenue enhancements - to 5.5 billion euros next year from 5 billion recorded in 2016.
(Reporting by Laurence Frost and Gilles Guillaume; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)


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NetSuite president and chief executive Jim McGeever opened the conference, themed "Ready, Set, Grow", explaining that the company sought to identify what are the characteristics that define a NetSuite customer; what is something that ties them together and makes them different, and which NetSuite could focus on.
The correlation they found is "NetSuite customers grow faster than non-NetSuite customers based on any index”, he said.
In 2017 NetSuite customers experienced 17% growth, compared to 8% for companies on the MSCI emerging index, and 6% for customers on the S&P 500 index, McGeever said, adding NetSuite was not so arrogant as to say it itself is the reason customers grow, but rather it is an enabler for growth. “If you’re Batman, we’re Alfred. If you’re Wonder Woman, we’re the golden lasso,” he said.
McGeever also noted global customers grow faster and that customers who use more of NetSuite also grow more, citing the following statistics:
- 19% growth for NetSuite OneWorld customers;
- 24% growth for NetSuite customers using SuiteCommerce; and
- 44% growth for NetSuite OneWorld customers using SuiteCommerce.
“We bought NetSuite to invest in it,” said Mark Hurd, Oracle chief executive. “to bring more features and more micro-verticals. All the things NetSuite wanted to do as a public company but were unable to, we can now do. From an Oracle perspective, we’re ecstatic about NetSuite’s performance.”
McGeever further announced new features coming in NetSuite 18.2 include
- Inter-company framework.
- Two-stage payments.
- Autocash, applying money received in the bank to receivables.
- Period end journal automation.
- GL matching, providing reconciliation for non-bank accounts.
- SuiteTax tax handling.
The writer is attending SuiteWorld18 as a guest of the company.


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LOS ANGELES — VRBangers.com has announced its offering of a pay-per-view option for fans seeking an economical à la carte viewing experience.
According to the company, as the VR porn marketplace continues to mature, it remains at the forefront of virtual reality innovation, launching what it claims is “the first website dedicated to [PPV] download distribution of top quality VR Bangers porn films.”
“We offer a monthly subscription service on our site, but we are also aware that some of our fans would prefer to just buy the individual scenes they want most on a pay-per-view basis,” said Daniel Abramovich of VR Bangers. “Adding this new VOD platform to our network gives our fans the best of both worlds and fills an important gap in what is now being offered by VR studios.”
Abramovich notes that since VR is all about getting the content fans want exactly the way they want it, this “makes VOD an obvious value add for us and our fans.”
The VOD catalog features hundreds of videos starting at $9.95 each.
“The videos can be purchased as direct transactions without tokens,” Abramovich concluded, “so the browsing and buying process is a simple and frictionless path from point A to the best VR porn you’ve ever experienced!”
For more information, click here.


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He revealed that the biggest challenge in his lifetime is currently represented by design of the future Golf 7 model. He says that after taking over the design department of VAG, the new version literally kept him from sleeping.
de’Silva revealed that he can’t sleep at night when he thinks of the new Golf. The model will be redesigned from head to toe, and might arrive around 2012. Work is already underway so de’Silva must repay the confidence that has been invested in him.
Another interesting statement from the Italian designer is in regards to the personal time, as it seems that de’Silva spent more time with the Volkswagen group boss, Dr. Winterkorn, than he spent with his wife.


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On May 15, one of the beauty industry’s most controversial makeup brand, Lime Crime, disrupted the internet once again, this time in a positive way (from identity theft to racism, and many other lawsuits, the company has done it all), with the debut of its first augmented reality app. The app is the first in producing interactive beauty packaging and could possibly change how we use AR in retail. Thinking beyond the makeup box, the brand wanted to give its customers an experience where products’ packaging would come to life in a way no one has seen before. Reimagining the in-store shopping experience by marrying tech, retail, and product into one cohesive experience is something the world was missing and frankly, I wish it came sooner.
The cruelty-free and vegan makeup brand was born on the internet in 2008, founded by Doe Deere, an influencer before influencers became a thing. Its ultra-bright shades and unicorn ethos of standing out from the crowd made Lime Crime one of the first internet cult beauty brands of its kind. The brand decided to create this augmented reality app as a way to reach out to their customers in a new and cutting edge way.
Using the app, makeup lovers can scan over the latest Venus XL 2 palette, where they are immediately greeted by the mascot of the palette, a green-haired Botticelli Venus who comes to life and talks you through the ‘highlights’ of the 18 buttery shades. Makeup tutorials by high profile beauty influencers like Lina Assayed and Lauren Rohrer pop up above the palette, showing you different eye looks using the grungey earth-toned shades as well.
Another product that possesses the same technology is the Softwear matte blush. Here again, you scan your phone over the graphic compact where holographic orchids bloom and you can then digitally swipe through the 12 matte shades—all while butterflies and gold fairy dust cascade down the packaging.
So what does this app really change in the beauty world? According to Business of Fashion, experiential retail has been on the lips of retailers, fashion, and beauty brands since 2018. While using digital makeup filters to swatch the latest products, or using facial recognition algorithms to tell you what’s the best skin care for you is innovative, it doesn’t really help when it comes down to actually putting it on your face. But Lime Crime showed it is aware of the fact that makeup is tactile and in spite of technological advancements, tech just isn’t—something that can’t be changed for now.
What makes this app a game-changer is that it’s showing a future for tech and beauty where YouTube, the go-to platform for the makeup community at the moment, could be cut out of the equation. Eliminating the middleman means unifying the brand, product, and customers at the same time. The app’s simple and straightforward design allows the consumer to interact immediately with the brand and turns objects into installations.
Many retail brands are now making their way into AR through the obvious routes of pushing for e-commerce purchases. Unlike other retailers using AR apps with an e-commerce approach, Lime Crime is sticking to its internet ethos of customers first and using its app to entertain, educate and offer its customers an advanced Lime Crime experience.
By foregoing the shopping cart icon altogether and focusing on telling the brand’s story, Lime Crime promotes a more organic way of buying beauty products to millennials and Gen Z customers. In a world where everyone is savvy to marketing and purchasing algorithms, Lime Crime is not force-feeding ads and products to us. By providing information, entertainment, and experience for customers, it brings meaning to its products and connects you to the brand in a way that hasn’t been done before. This is the future of retail and the future of how products should be presented—where buying products is secondary, but buying into the world and the story of a specific brand is far more important.
France recently received waves of congratulations on social media for moving to ban the destruction of unsold luxury goods within the country. With Paris aiming to be the world’s capital of sustainable fashion by 2024, it seems natural that they’ve now begun cracking down on the industry’s harmful practices.
As a widespread practice within the luxury sector in the country, it is estimated that more than $730 million dollars of returns and unsold inventory were routinely destroyed by retailers in France. The reason? For brands to maintain a sense of luxurious mystic and exclusivity. Much of this wastefulness, unfortunately, was due to an inability for fashion houses to quantify the demand for luxurious goods within the volatile industry they operate in.
As the world shifts its focus on each and every industry, and their unsustainable practices, the fashion sector itself has seen much of the backlash in terms of environmental action. The age of fast fashion has defined our generation, with an H&M around every block, providing racks of new items just days after similar trends have aired on the runway. The fashion industry in recent years has been almost characterised by its wastefulness, with a demand from consumers for sustainable products being a brand new concept. In the midst of all the chaos, one of my favourite proposed solutions aimed at helping luxury brands lower their environmental impact is the integration of AI within supply chains and stores. Which brand is possibly forging a solution to lead within this space? Gucci.
Typically, when looking at technology within the fashion industry, brands have been slow to adopt the newest gadgets and gizmos. Though the fashion industry is large and all-powerful, its size and seniority makes it hard to adapt, especially when looking at new operational practices. This slow adoption has hurt many, with 2017 having been the worst year on record for brick-and-mortar retail stores, with an estimated 6,985 stores closing across the U.S. that year alone.
Fashion’s inability to harness the potential in technology has hurt their bottom line, their attractiveness, and, most importantly, their impact on the planet. So what is the future of fashion? The management consulting company McKinsey has stated that proper AI integration can help reduce forecasting errors up to 50 percent, resulting in an overall inventory reduction for companies between 20 to 50 percent, an attractive and cost-effective opportunity.
Kering, an international luxury company based in Paris, is looking to be the first to aggressively push for the integration of AI within the industry. The company owns luxury goods brands, such as Gucci, Balenciaga, and Yves Saint Laurent. Kering is hoping to utilise the promised power of artificial intelligence to help brands decide on where to send new products, with Gucci being the first within the group to integrate such technologies. The technology will also be used on the sales floor, providing sales assistants with mobile applications to help increase sales by providing real-time information on available colours and sizes, as well as full access to client’s past purchases, and ultimately collect data points.
With brands like Gucci hoping to grow at twice the rate of the luxury sector standard this year, the use of artificial intelligence can prove to be a new competitive advantage for companies looking for aggressive growth. With every data point having the potential to unlock consumer trends on both a personal, regional, and national level, the value of collecting consumer data is evident. The Age of Information has shown the profit in collecting, analysing and summarising consumer data. Utilising this information to substantially reduce an international fashion brand’s impact on the planet is just the kind of solutions needed in this dire time.
The trend towards sustainability has been raved about in recent years, with searches for ‘sustainable fashion’ having said to increase by 66 percent in 2018. But as with many trends, consumers must be wary of what they are actually buying, and what products and practices are truly sustainable. Many products take advantage of marketing opportunities by ‘greenwashing,’ using ‘eco-friendly’ terms purely for marketing needs. Real change won’t come in the form of just stickers and logos on products, but systematic changes to how an industry as a whole operates.
Though trends within the fashion industry are hard to call too early on, Gucci’s steps to integrating artificial intelligence is exactly the direction luxury brands should all be marching towards. Creating a more sustainable supply chain, through better understanding consumers, is not only better for any company, but better for the planet as well.


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Survey: DVD, games not striking out
EmptySTRIKE ZONE: LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES
The writers strike could be a boon for the DVD and video game industries, according to a survey from new media consultancy Interpret Llc.
Because of the strike, TV viewership has suffered, particularly in the realm of dramas and sitcoms. The Interpret survey finds that 27% of respondents are spending less time watching network series and 12% are watching less cable and satellite series.
Conversely, 43% of respondents say they are spending more time watching DVD movies, and 23% say they are watching more TV-DVDs. An additional 26% say they are spending more time playing video games than they were before the strike.
"The strike makes scripted programming more valuable than ever," Interpret CEO Michael Dowling said. "As top shows disappear from primetime, viewers may go back and view critically lauded TV series they missed the first time around, play more video games or watch more movies on DVD."
The survey, conducted online Jan. 11-12 among a representative sample of Americans 18-49, also found that 94% of Americans are aware of the writers strike and about one-third have already changed their media consumption habits as a result.


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Z57, Inc. Internet Marketing for Real Estate Agents Reports 2009 Client Acquisition Up 107%
Z57, Inc., an industry leader of real estate online marketing services, announced 2009 new client acquisition was up 107% over 2008. This increase occurred during continued recessionary times. In its 11th year, Z57 continues to provide thousands of real estate professionals nationwide with professionally branded, top-performing, search engine optimized, IDX solution-based websites. 2009 also saw Z57 expand its customer service department in order to revolutionize the client experience. Feedback surveys after the website sale and delivery indicated an overall 82% “great” ranking.
According to the National Association of Realtors, 90 percent of homebuyers start their real estate search online. The survey, a “Digital Marketing Survey of the U.S. [Read the full article]
MINDBODY, Inc. announced today it has acquired ClientMagic Software, a private company based in Folsom, California, that provides scheduling and business management software to salons and spas.
“The acquisition of ClientMagic reflects our strategic focus of expanding our web-based software into hair, nail and skin salons,” said Rick Stollmeyer, founder and CEO of MINDBODY. “ClientMagic shares our values, with a long-time commitment to providing quality software at an affordable price. By combining ClientMagic’s salon expertise with our purely web-based platform, we intend to bring salon owners a host of powerful new features that will increase their revenues and cut their costs.”
MINDBODY’s platform enables salon, studio and spa businesses to manage their schedules, sales, customer relationships and payment processing from any web-accessible computer. [Read the full article]
Company Aims to Build a Leadership Market Position in the Fresh, Refrigerated Salsa Category; New Product Expansion Complements Calavo Ultra-High Pressure Guacamole and Will Leverage Existing Sales, Distribution and Logistical Strengths
Calavo Growers, Inc. (Nasdaq-GS:CVGW), the global leader in avocado marketing and an expanding provider of other fresh perishable products, today announced the formation of majority owned Calavo Salsa Lisa, LLC, and that business acquisition of Lisa Salsa Company of St. Paul, Minn.
Under the terms of the transaction, Calavo expansion into the growing fresh refrigerated salsa category comes through a 65 percent ownership interest in Calavo Salsa Lisa which acquired the assets of closely held Lisa Salsa Company. [Read the full article]
NameMedia and Oversee.net said today that Oversee would join NameMedia Domain Listing Service at AfternicDLS.com to open a new sales channel for its large domain name portfolio.
“This alliance expands our companies long-term relationship,” said Oversee President and CEO Jeff Kupietzky. “NameMedia has built the industry largest global reseller network for domain names, particularly for retail buyers and small and medium businesses. DLS will help Oversee tap into this retail channel and expose its inventory to millions of customers looking for a premium domain name.”
AfternicDLS is the leader in reaching retail buyers of premium domain names through its websites at Afternic.com, BuyDomains.com and a network of over 40 distribution partners, including many of the world largest registrars. [Read the full article]


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Personalised clothing business Clothes2order has strengthened its management team as its workforce grows.
There number of staff at the Trafford Park-based business has reached 170 following a raft of appointments.
This compared to 110 in April 2016 and just 28 in 2013.
New management roles, web and IT development team, account managers and production roles have been added.
Paul Rigby has joined as warehouse manager from The Hut Group while Greg Cockcroft has been promoted to client services manager for Clothes2order.com’s on-demand service, a division which supplies UK and overseas retailers with clothing where they require a quick turnaround on customer orders.
Maria Plachecka has joined as a production planner from malt loaf manufacturer Soreen.
Meanwhile Clothes2order.com has bolstered its development team with the arrival of Carlos Castillo, Michael Holland and Mason Jackson.
Kieran Grundy and Jane Toner have joined as account managers as the sales team expands to support growth in key client accounts.
Clothes2order prints and embroiders logos and designs on to t-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats and other items.
The company also exports to more than 35 countries.
Clients range from small businesses, start-ups, teams and communities to household names such as Google, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft and Kellogg’s.
Managing director Sam Jones said: “We continue to see strong growth across all business channels and we have created a number of roles to cater for the increased demand.
“At the same time, we have promoted from within in line with our strategy of nurturing our own talent.
“Further recruitment is planned as demand for personalised products continues to rise, and we are especially interested in finding experienced production staff for both print and embroidery.”


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Pakistanis in Dubai and the Northern Emirates urged to use new mobile app and call centre facilities so they won’t have to visit their consulate amid the pandemic.
26 July 2021, 12:00 AM
31 August 2021, 12:00 AM
Ahmed Shaikhani, president of the Pakistan Business Council, Dubai, urged the community to utilize the smart services introduced by the mission for their safety.
Pakistanis in Dubai and the Northern Emirates have been advised to take advantage of new mobile app and call centre facilities so they won’t have to visit their consulate amid the pandemic.
Giyan Chand, acting consul-general of the Pakistan Consulate in Dubai, said the new call centre can handle more than 1,000 calls a day and now, all the consular services are also available on the PakinDubai app, which was launched by the mission recently.
Chand revealed that the response to the PakinDubai mobile app has been excellent and around 15,000 downloads have been recorded so far.
“Earlier, the consulate was able to receive only 250 calls a day and the rest of the calls were dropped. Therefore, there were many genuine complaints from the community. But now, there are five calling agents during the day and the call centre can receive up to 16 calls at a time. We can receive over 1,000 during a normal day,” said Chand.
The main exchange number is 04-3973600 and the hotline number of 04-3970412 is valid from 8am to 4pm. The emergency number is 056-6472721 which is open for 24 hours.
The app is currently available in Google Play Store and will soon be introduced on App Store as well. It will soon have a version in the Urdu language for the benefit of blue-collar workers.


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The Latest News On The API Economy
Searching: No Search Term , Filtered By Category: "API", Category: "Telephony", Category: "Sales"
In this series we recap APIs that were added to our directory in 2016 and highlight some our readers may have missed that are worth a second look. We've chosen the APIs based on popularity on the site and in social media, as well as letting our team of researchers choose APIs they found compelling.
Eleven APIs have been added to the ProgrammableWeb directory in several categories including Tourism, Water, and Payments. One highlight today is the Continuum Connect API, which provides useful data for creating financial trading applications. Here's a rundown of the latest additions.
Given how so many companies that orbit the API economy are constantly pitching ProgrammableWeb in hopes of getting their latest greatest news covered, we thought we'd write-up some guidelines so that everyone has an idea of how to best work with us. So here are the do's and dont's!
eBay completely revamped its API portfolio to create a seamless experience across the eBay developer experience. The launch includes 10 APIs in total, on both the buy and sell side. The APIs replace some legacy APIs and include a number of completely new features for enhanced integration.
Eighteen APIs have been added to the ProgrammableWeb directory in categories such as Insurance, Testing, and Sales. One highlight today is the Vertafore API, which allows developers of insurance apps to gain access to previously unavailable agency data. Here's a rundown of the latest additions.
Microsoft has expanded its business application platform, Flow, to support Custom APIs and three new apps. Microsoft made the announcements at its Ignite 2016 event. As Microsoft continues to build its business application platform, more supported apps and more API connectivity will be essential.
YouMail launched its Spam Risk API. YouMail uses algorithms to analyze a database of hundreds of millions of phone numbers to determine the likelihood a particular phone number is spam. Historical call patterns and crowdsourced data are combined to determine an OK, caution, or danger designation.
Thirteen APIs have been added to the ProgrammableWeb directory in categories such as Passwords, API Design, Travel, Education, and Sales. Included today are two APIs for increasing sales lead generations, from Cognism and WhatConverts. Here's a rundown of the latest additions.
Voximplant has released Voximplant Web SDK 4.0 which features a number of new enhancements such as Microsoft Edge audio calls support, enable video during an existing audio call, modification of audio and video streams via filters, and h.264 video codec "high priority" setting.
Artificial intelligence is already all around us, but is more often used by consumers than by big business. Think Microsoft's Cortana, Google's Google Now, and Apple's Siri. Salesforce believes it is time to bring easy-to-use artificial intelligence to business apps on a grand scale.
Vonage has announced the launch of the Nexmo Voice API, a new API that can be used to integrate enterprise-grade voice capabilities with Web and mobile applications. The API includes a collection of features such as call recording, text to speech, conferencing, and call control.
Twilio has introduced the Twilio Enterprise Plan, an upcoming new service featuring security-focused capabilities such as single sign-on (SSO), customizable role-based access control (RBAC), and public key client validation. The service also features an API that is SIEM-capable.
Paw version 3 has been released and includes new features such as Paw for Teams, a dark theme, interface improvements, and several bug fixes. Paw is a native Mac HTTP client for testing REST APIs and features code generators, advanced support for cookies and sessions, and more.
Cloud communications platform Twilio, which offers a suite of APIs for text messaging, VoIP and voice, has filed its S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), setting the stage for the company to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering (IPO).
Square has launched the Register API for Android only a couple of months after releasing the API for iOS. The API allows developers to build end to end point-of-sale solutions that utilize Square's entire payment platform, or that integrate with third party infrastructure and applications.
Twilio announced at the SIGNAL conference that the company has partnered with T-Mobile to launch Twilio Programmable Wireless, a new cellular communications platform for developers. Twilio Programmable Wireless features API-driven cellular connectivity, full communications stack, and self-service.
Stitch Labs recently announced the launch of its API to help retailers innovate and streamline their operational infrastructure. This technical flexibility is critical for retailers to be successful in today's dynamic eCommerce environment full of competition and rising consumer expectations.
Virtual Incentives, a digital reward fulfillment company, today launched its innovative Application Programming Interface (API) for rewards and incentives. The new scalable API builds on the company’s commitment to constant innovation and nimble use of their end-to-end reward platform technology.
Vonage today announced that it is acquiring communications platform-as-a-service provider Nexmo in a cash and stock deal valued at $230 million. Nexmo counts some 350 customers and over 100,000 registered developers, and says that it is processing 5 billion API calls every year.


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Chute's user-generated photo tool adds permissions, because that's what big brands want
User-generated photos is turning out to be a real business. New York-based Olapic has 38 employees and 60 clients, Percolate, which offers a variety of services, including user-generated photo permissions, has 60 employees, and Chute has 36. They've raised respective $6 million, $10.5 million and $9.72 million from investors.
Brands know something is happening with user-generated photos, and they're in the early stages of trying to figure out what they should do about it.
As I wrote in July:
The benefits of including user-generated images is that it keeps visitors on a site engaged for longer. Further, contributing their images on a brand’s site or social stream makes them feel engaged and loyal to the brand.There are a variety of different approaches: Olapic focuses on commerce, integrating user-generated images from social media the same way they integrate reviews. Percolate helps brands pull user-generated images and use them for their own social media content. And Chute has specialized in media and publishing clients (it was part of the Turner Media Camp Incubator) and since expanded its client base to include brands, particularly for contests and campaigns.
Chute uses hashtags to collect user-generated images on behalf of its clients, which includes Vogue, Conde Nast Traveler, and Vanity Fair and puts them into a dashboard. The client can then use those images for everything from contests to social media, billboards and banner ads. Today, Chute adds a crucial function to its workflow -- tools that get permission from the user which took the photo.
For many brands, that permission is already implied. Users uploaded these images to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, which means they already fall under the Terms of Service the user agreed to on each of those sites. Olapic, for example, believes that its images are kosher because they comply with the social outlet's Terms of Service and are culled around a hashtag that's promoted by the brand with the right messaging.
Chute co-founder Ranvir Gujral says the implied consent around hashtags is typically fine, and Chute's early media clients, can easily claim fair use. However, it's not enough for big brands. "The biggest brands tend to be more conservative," Gujral says. "They want that extra step of, not only have you participated with the hashtag, but you also gave us express consent."
It's particularly important when Chute's clients want to put a user-generated image in an banner ad. We saw how freaked out Instagram users got when they thought Facebook would start using their images in ads without permission. Chute claims that user-generated images as banner ads (often in the form of a contest) can garner engagement rates that are three to four times higher than the industry benchmark. Now it has the right to use them.
Chute has 3500 developer clients which use its platform for free to pull in and manage UCG images and 100 enterprise clients who pay an annual SaaS license to use the software and run individual campaigns.


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Gone are the muted palette and "urban loft" aesthetic the company adopted several years ago in an effort to compete with such rivals as Target Corp. TGT 0.94 % , a push that almost sank the 50-year-old home-furnishings retailer.
Pier 1's return to an eclectic mix of bright, decorative items, analysts and shoppers agree, has helped the company stage a strong turnaround, despite the recession that killed off competitors such as Bombay Co. and Linens 'n Things.
Michelle West, a 38-year-old Dallas ad-agency employee, said she likes going to Pier 1 again, because "it carries a wide variety of items within the price range I shop in."
Now, as Pier 1's 1,200 stores in the U.S. and Canada barrel into their busiest season, it is optimistic it will notch strong sales gains at stores open at least a year—as it has for the past two holiday periods, with fourth-quarter sales climbing 8.9% and 6.5%, respectively.
Profits, too, have continued to rise, reversing a $129 million loss for the year ended in February 2009. In its latest fiscal year, Pier 1's net income gained 13% from a year earlier to $100.1 million.
Even so, Alex W. Smith, who has been chief executive since 2007, is allowing himself just a pinch of enthusiasm. "We've had a good run, but I don't want to get overconfident or allow an element of hubris to develop," he said in an interview in his Fort Worth, Texas, office, which features a Pier 1 credenza painted in a patchwork of Chinese patterns.
The company said earlier this month that it expects to beat earnings forecasts for the third quarter ending Saturday. Its second-quarter profit rose 15% from a year earlier to $16.6 million
"Mr. Smith returned this company to an upward track," said Budd Bugatch, retail analyst at Raymond James. "We don't know how far it can go."
Launched in San Mateo, Calif., in 1962, Pier 1 quickly developed a following with such exotic, often Asian-inspired, wares as Indian print bedspreads, brass incense burners, wicker and rattan chairs. As it grew and later went public, the company, which moved to Texas in the mid-1960s, changed its product mix along with the times. In 2002, it adopted the slogan: "From Hippie to Hip."
But hipsters didn't flock to the chain, which had loaded up on sleek Scandinavian-style furniture, and cut back on the candles and bric-a-brac that appealed to its regular customers.
Brought in after several years of losses, Mr. Smith tried to stanch the red ink by laying off employees, closing scores of underperforming locations, renegotiating leases and selling the company's $100 million 20-story headquarters. He also closed its chain of children's furniture stores.
Mr. Smith also made some moves he describes as counter-intuitive, shutting down Pier 1's six-year-old e-commerce site and canceling the chain's expensive glossy catalogs to cut costs. At the same time, he invested more in selecting the chain's merchandise, tripling the number of buyers to 25.
By the fall of 2008, 18 months after he took over, the recession had hit. Pier 1's same-store sales plunged 17% in the third quarter. By Christmas 2008, its stock was trading at 10 cents, and the New York Stock Exchange threatened to delist it.
Mr. Smith tried to keep the focus on buying interesting goods and wooing back shoppers. Among other things, Pier 1 brought back some styles of rattan furniture. The company also began buying back its debt at a discount. In February 2010, it posted its first a annual profit in years, was debt free and had a climbing stock price.
In 4 p.m. composite trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange, Pier 1 shares were down 5% at $12.08.
Mr. Smith concedes that he made some mistakes along the way. For a short time, Pier 1 stores stocked imported foods, but the margins were too low to make the foray profitable. In June 2008, he made a run at merging with World Market Cost Plus, a publicly traded chain of imported-food and home-goods stores. Wall Street analysts criticized the plan, which was eventually scuttled.
Pier 1 still has a way to go. Last year's sales of $1.4 billion remain below the company's high of $1.9 billion in 2005, when it had 500 more stores than it does today. Last spring, it announced a plan to re-launch its website, remodel stores, buy back stock and start opening new stores again.
Longtime customers are happy with the changes that have already been made. Emily Whitzel, a 39-year-old Dallas meeting planner, stopped by a Pier 1 the weekend before Thanksgiving to pick up a rust-and-copper table runner for her holiday dinner table.
Pier 1 is her "favorite store," she said, but she didn't buy much during its more minimalist phase. "It kind of got bland and cheap and tacky," she said, "but now I love it again."
Write to Ann Zimmerman at email@example.com


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Bringing Games to PC Won't Kill Xbox, Microsoft Director Says
"Today, if you play games, you're playing games on just about everything you own."
Not everyone has been thrilled with Microsoft's new PC/console unification program through Xbox Play Anywhere. Even before this was announced at E3, the confirmation that Quantum Break was coming to PC back in February ruffled some feathers. Some claimed it was the death of console exclusives and even further, that it might mean Microsoft is backing away from the console space.
This is not the case, according to Xbox executive Albert Penello. Appearing on the latest Inner Circle podcast, Penello said bringing games to PC doesn't take anything away from the console market, but instead gives gamers more opportunities to play games.
"There's a debate or a discussion that you can have with a certain type of people online and you want to argue details and argue nuance, but the reality is that most people don't make that kind of choice," Penello said about the idea that someone wouldn't buy a game just because it's on another platform.
"Today, if you play games, you're playing games on just about everything you own," he added. "You're playing games on your phone, you're playing games on your console when you want to lay back in front of that big TV, and you're playing PC games when you want that keyboard and mouse, up-close, highly customized kind of experience. Even guys that are diehard console gamers, we know they play on their phone and PC."
Similarly, there are hardcore PC gamers out there who also play on console and mobile.
"So to me, the idea that you're bringing games to the PC suddenly means that people don't want consoles anymore...it doesn't ring true to how gamers really behave," Penello added.
The Xbox Play Anywhere feature, as well as Microsoft's efforts to launch more games on Steam, is all about giving people more places to buy and enjoy games, Penello explained.
"Giving PC guys the opportunity to play Quantum Break and Killer Instinct doesn't doesn't really take anything away from the console guys," he explained. "It just gives more people a chance to play great games on the device they want to play on."
Some of the upcoming Xbox Play Anywhere games that will be released on Xbox One and PC include Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, and Halo Wars 2. No new numbered entries in the mainline Halo series have been announced for PC, but Halo 5's Forge tools are on the way to Windows 10 computers. A recent report claimed that future Halo games, including potentially Halo 6, could be released on PC.


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GenCorp Inc. is cutting 150 positions at its Evansville, Ind., plant as the firm moves refrigerator gasket production to its Fort Smith, Ark., facility.
Only 50 workers will remain at Evansville to splice thermoplastic elastomer refrigerator gaskets for customer Whirlpool Corp.
The move is part of Fairlawn, Ohio-based GenCorp's consolidation of its plastic extrusion business into Fort Smith — announced in November — and should be completed in summer, according to a company spokeswoman.
The consolidation also includes moving Evansville's plastic compounding and auto parts production to Fort Smith.
Roy Pointer, president of United Steelworkers of America Local 730, said 40 salaried employees at Evansville will be laid off June 1, and 110 union workers will lose their jobs on a yet-to-be-determined date. So far, no members of Local 730, which represents about 150 employees, have been let go, Pointer said.
Before the move, Fort Smith employed 95. The unit probably will add positions because of the consolidation, although not as many as the 150 eliminated at Evansville, the spokeswoman said.
Sales and profit for the plastic extrusions business — which GenCorp reports as part of its automotive segment — had fallen because of lower volumes and competitive pricing in the refrigerator gasket sector.
``Continuing business as usual is not the answer,'' Jack Faulkner, operations manager for GenCorp's plastic extrusion business, said previously.
GenCorp chose to consolidate at Fort Smith because the facility is nearly 60 years younger than the Evansville factory, and the company owns the Arkansas operation. GenCorp has leased the Evansville plant since 1960.
The Fort Smith facility also sits on 10 acres, providing room for future expansions.
The company wouldn't disclose the cost of the move.
Pointer said the union has filed a grievance against GenCorp, asking it to retain all of the workers. Local 730 will take the case to court if it has to, he said.


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As we wave goodbye to 2016, we say hello to 2017. You might want to take this time to sort out your wardrobe, so you can craft fabulous outfits throughout the coming year. Drawing on the latest Fashion Month showcases, LUXE Models reveals five massive runway trends for spring/summer 2017.
Down to earth
Throughout Fashion Month, we saw that brands are increasingly going down to earth. T-shirts and denim littered the catwalks, especially at Dior, showing that casual chic is all the rage. Even the evening wear was dressed down at shows like Prada. Meanwhile, if Christopher Kane’s decision to display glammed-crocs in London proves anything, it’s that the casual footwear revolution is going nowhere.
Little and large
Designers really seem to be playing with size right now, according to the Hollywood Reporter. At the spring/summer 2017 Hermes and Valentino displays, there were mini bags which were worn almost like jewellery. Meanwhile, the Celine and Balenciaga shows featured ridiculously large bags, with some even being big enough to sit on. Meanwhile, oversized clothes were also everywhere, from Jill Sanders’ baggy shorts suits to Balenciaga’s Working Girl blazers. Apparently size will matter in 2017.
If we learned anything from Fashion Month, it’s that pyjama dressing is here to stay. In Milan, for example, embellished pyjamas were huge, with Prada’s chinoiserie printed/jewel-encrusted pyjama sets being a particular hit. Lingerie looks set to be hot in early 2017 as well. From Dior’s embroidered tulle dresses, to Chanel’s 90s era, pale pink lace-edged slips, lingerie was all over the runways.
Experimentation has always been big in fashion. But designers took it to new extremes during Fashion Month Spring/Summer 2017, experimenting with the compositions of their outfits. We saw sliced and diced statement shirts at shows ranging from Stella McCartney to Michael Kors, while Simone Roche decided to hang sleeves from the back of coats. Prepare to break all the rules next year!
Skinny trousers, especially jeans, have ruled the runways for years now. However, it looks as though wider trousers are due to return in spring/summer 2017. Wider waists were everywhere, from the balloon-inspired pieces at the Kenzo showcase, to Stella McCartney’s paper bag-waist. Meanwhile, wider legs are also in, with Gucci’s amazing flared-legged, denim suit setting the bar for 2017!
See you in 2017
And with that, LUXE Models says goodbye for now. We’ll see you in 2017, when we’ll reveal more breaking industry news, top fashion trends and amazing modelling tips for your reading pleasure! You can also flow our coverage of Fashion Month Autumn/Winter 2017 in January, to discover which trends are set to re-shape the world of fashion through to the end of the year!


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According to Stephen Cranch, National Business Manager, Solahart Industries , the Federal government’s announcement of the removal of the solar panel rebate does not affect solar hot water incentives.
Peter Garrett, Environment Minister, has revealed that the Federal government will no longer accept applications for their solar panel rebate, but instead will start their replacement scheme of solar credits. However, this does not apply to solar hot water rebates currently on offer.
According to Cranch, the removal of the PV rebate for solar power is not to be confused with solar hot water incentives. They are two separate schemes. The government’s financial rebate for solar hot water systems is still available for consumers who are looking to make the switch to green-friendly hot water.
The combination of incentives and State and Federal government rebates can provide home-owners with between $2,800 and $3,700 back on solar hot water systems depending on which state or territory they live in, and what type of system they select. A fully installed solar hot water system is around the same price as an electric water heater.
Solar hot water is also a cheaper alternative for residents looking to reduce their energy consumption. Water heating accounts for around 25% of household energy consumption. By harnessing the sun, home owners can use less energy to heat the water resulting in substantial energy savings.
The environment is also a big winner in the growing trend towards solar hot water heating where each new installation saves around three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year compared to a conventional electric water heater.


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Total beef, pork, chicken and turkey in freezers on Jan. 31, 2018, was 2.317 billion lb., 6.0% above last year’s level of 2.177 billion lb. and 6.1% above the previous month, according to data in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest “Cold Storage” report.
Total stocks of chicken were 1% lower than the prior month but 13% higher than last year, at 877 million lb., USDA reported. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 21% from the month before and up 10% from last year, at 373 million lb.
Total beef in freezers was 2% higher than the previous month but 7% lower than last year at 500 million lb.
Frozen pork supplies, on the other hand, were up 16% from the previous month and up 8% from last year. Stocks of pork bellies continue to be higher, up 13% from the prior month and up 219% from last year.
Total stocks of natural cheese in refrigerated warehouses on Jan. 31, 2018, were down slightly from the previous month but up 7% from Jan. 31, 2017.
Butter stocks were up 33% from the month before and up 1% from a year ago.


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Five African commercial banks have partnered in a $375 million (R5.4 billion) financing deal to build a new diamond mining vessel for De Beers.
Reuters reported that Nedbank Namibia, RMB Namibia, Standard Bank, ABSA and Bank Windhoek have agreed to provide 80% of the funding for the ship, which will be the world’s largest of its type.
Debmarine Namibia – a 50-50 joint venture company between De Beers and the government of Namibia – will provide the balance of $94 million.
De Beers said that the ship will become the seventh vessel in the Debmarine Namibia fleet and is scheduled to commence operations in 2022.
In 2017 Debmarine Namibia launched a $157 million deepwater diamond exploration and sampling vessel – called the motor vessel SS Nujoma.
On completion, the vessel is expected to add 500,000 carats annually to Debmarine Namibia’s production, an increase of approximately 35% on current production.
“Some of the highest quality diamonds in the world are found at sea off the Namibian coast,” said Bruce Cleaver, CEO of the De Beers Group.
“With this investment, we will be able to optimise new technology to find and recover diamonds more efficiently and meet growing consumer demand across the globe.
“The new vessel is expected to create more than 160 new jobs alongside Debmarine Namibia’s current workforce of 975 employees.”


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When Novator’s telecoms team, PLAY’s launch CEO Chris B., and PLAY’s deputy CTO Stefan E. were visiting Chilean vineyards by helicopter in December 2014, we knew they were up to something! Since neither the British nor the Swedes grow much wine, they must be looking for growth of another, more familiar type! Like another mobile company to disrupt a noncompetitive, oligopolistic market, in order to create compelling services and products for people to get on with their lives, facilitated by great and inexpensive mobile voice and data services.
By May 2015, Alex was in Santiago de Chile for the first time, taking a detailed look as to how to raise bank financing for the company acquired, Nextel Chile, where American investors had managed to burn through USD 1 billion of cash and had nothing to show for it but 200k subscribers, 1,000 base stations, a handful of empty stores, 600 demotivated staff, and a near-bankrupt company.
Well, Chris and his successor Joergen, and their teams, supported by Novator’s seasoned experts, had built the most acclaimed European mobile challenger in PLAY, so ‘more of the same’ was not going to be on the cards once Novator bought the company in January 2015, and Chris rebranded it into WOM (for ‘Word of Mouth’) in July 2015.
As of mid-2018, WOM has exceeded 4m subscribers in this 18m population market, adding on a monthly basis more than Nextel bequeathed to Novator, with 2,000 highly motivated employees, 200+ stores where customers queue to be served, and a kick-ass brand that has taken young Chile by storm.
Prices for mobile data have dropped by 96% thanks to WOM's aggressive price positioning. The price for 1GB has declined from CLP 28k (~USD 45) as of May 2015 to CLP 1k (~USD 1.7) as of October 2017, as a result of WOM’s value-for-money market offerings. Given the importance of mobile internet for hundreds of thousands of small business and home office workers, the impact of this quantum leap in competitive mobile services cannot be overstated.
Chile, which is a wonderful country blessed by nature, and which for many years was relatively isolated in Latin America thanks to the high Andes mountains on its eastern border with Argentina, has recovered from the Pinochet dictatorship of the 1970s and 1980s. But in the structure of many of its industries, the old regime still casts a shadow, with limited levels of competition among a few oligopolistic companies in many sectors. WOM's hugely successful and relished push for more value, transparency, customer benefits and consumer choice has opened up awareness in Chile about how more competition might benefit society across a range of industries. WOM has just been named among the top 10 preferred employers in Chile, a mere three years after being reinvented.
The LF Team advising WOM and Novator, comprised entirely of PLAY veterans and alumni, and led for the most part by Piotr Jegier, has been privileged to work with WOM's management team and Novator, as well as withWOM's competitively chosen vendors and their banks, to structure three attractive senior financings exceeding USD 300m, in order to finance the build-out of WOM's 4G mobile network. This has no doubt been LF’s most global project to date, with a Chilean borrower and Chilean lawyers in Latam, English-law lawyers in London and Hong Kong, the vendor and its bank in Shenzhen and Beijing – and many days at most one hour of daylight shared between these three time zones for the umpteen confcalls necessary to get the deal to the finish line. There’s nothing a good team based in Warsaw cannot get done!


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2019-04-29 12:52:13 source: Zhejiang News; Translation: In Zhejiang
On April 25, Sebastian Kurz, the Prime Minister of Austria, visited Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. He expressed his appreciation for the tour and conversation with Jack Ma. During the conversation, they discussed how European small-sized enterprises can share the opportunities of globalization in the digital era.
Kurz posted two photos with Jack Ma on his Twitter and remarked, “I wish you all the best for the philanthropic efforts in education, female leadership and entrepreneurship, which you are dedicating yourself to.”
Kurz’s delegation included Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of the Lower Austria state, Petra Bohuslav, the economic minister of Austria, and Martin Eichtinger, the minister of foreign affairs of Austria. Led by the young prime minister, they showed interest over cutting-edge innovation and how Alibaba created miracles in the era of digital economy.
Jack Ma suggested that Europeans countries could consider introducing eWTP to assist the development of small-sized enterprises. According to Ma, under the conventional model, products of small enterprises can only be sold in their own cities. With the development of the Internet, their products can be sold to other regions of their country and abroad. Many European small enterprises have only sold their products in native market. Today these products can be spread to international markets, such as the ones in China or Southeast Asia via the Internet.
An increasing number of small and medium-sized brands of Austria are introduced into China via Alibaba. Apart from Swarovski, other 55 Austrian brands have also settled in Tmall International, a B2C platform part of Alibaba Group, including Lomography, AKG, hogl, Manner, Amaroy, RAUCH, Scoot & Ride, etc., which cover more than 20 categories of products including accessories, watches, digital devices, female shoes, snacks, coffee and oatmeal, toys and wines. In 2018, the overall turnover of Austrian brands on Tmall International grew by 500% year on year.
According to the data released by Fliggy, a travel brand under Alibaba, Austria has become unprecedentedly popular among Chinese tourists in recent years. Over the last year, the platform detected a 109 percent increase in the number of tourists traveling to Austria. On April 9, the National Tourism Administration of Austria and Piggy signed a cooperation agreement on co-building the Fliggy national hall of Austrian tourism.
In the future, Alibaba plans to promote the popularization of Alipay in Austria, with an aim to provide more convenience for Chinese tourists in all aspects such as travel, payment, information and products.
(Executive Editor: Yongliu He)


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“The Windows” Project Fills Vacant Storefronts DowntownAuthor:Lily Gahagan
Take a walk around downtown San Francisco and, along with many bustling holiday shoppers and decorated stores, you’ll still find plenty of empty windows. Despite a slow increase in consumer spending this season over last year, the recession continues to take down many a business, leaving empty storefronts and lease signs in its wake.
This year, the city’s branch of the International Interior Design Association came up with a brilliant idea to not only fill those vacant windows but also showcase the work of talented Bay Area designers and celebrate the holidays in the process.
“San Francisco: The Gift that Keeps on Giving” from HKS and Hathaway Dinwiddie
The project, appropriately called The Windows, works like this: Participants get a window in Union Square or the Financial District where they must artistically demonstrate the concept of “home”. Teams range from architecture firms to interior designers, artists, and vendors to the home market. We follow the map of window locations around downtown and get to see pretty art instead of vacant space. Nice, huh?
You can even vote on the one you like best by calling (415)498-0501 from now through January 31st. The window with the most votes will then receive the People’s Choice award at IIDA’s annual networking event in February. Find more information on the project and participating teams here.
An American Dream
Brothers Arin Der and Dion Der are leading PINKYS into the future while creating a lasting legacy Brothers Arin Der and…
- June 22, 2022
Designer Crush: Philpotts Interiors
Since the 1960s, Philipotts Interiors has curated idyllic residential and hospitality projects that further connect people to the historic roots of…
- June 1, 2022
When Jake Met Parachute
Interior designer Jake Arnold and Parachute team up for his first-ever design collaboration Interior designer Jake Arnold demonstrates how to make…
- May 20, 2022


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According to sources familiar with the matter, Microsoft has invested in Cyanogen, Inc., making a small contribution in the $70 million of the $100 million that the startup claims to have been able to raise. The startup has so far only accounted for the $30 million of the total. More than just a magnanimous donation, however, this move is seen to be Redmond’s play to wrest control of Android away from Google, a sentiment that it shares with Cyanogen. Of course, this rumor is likely to raise many mixed emotions over the future of the platform and Microsoft’s involvement.
CyangoenMod is, by far, the most popular Android ROM in existence, but it is no secret that it has little love for Google’s ways. In a recent interview, Cyanogen, Inc. CEO Kirt McMaster didn’t mince words when he said that “We’re going to take Android away from Google”. As they say, “them fighting words.” CyanogenMod already takes its base from the Android Open Source Project or AOSP, the “non-Google” part of Android that is available to the public. It adds its own features and services on top, some of them matching what Google offers. But how far can Cyanogen really go without, or even against, Google?
Cyanogen wants to build its own OS, Android-based most likely, but without any dependence on Google. It will be that OS that it will be pushing to OEM partners, like Micromax. But it will take more than just the core OS to make a mobile platform a commercially viable enterprise. You will need an entire ecosystem of services and apps. There are some that do already exist outside of Google’s control, outside of Google Play Store, but it wouldn’t be an understatement to consider them small. Then there’s the question of fragmentation, long pointed out to be Android’s Achilles heel in the crusade against the iPhone. Android is just slowly catching up in unifying its platform landscape. Should Cyanogen’s thrust be successful, there will be another major Android variant that developers might have to mind, unless the two branches can agree on a common trunk. That might be easy for simple apps, but when you insert APIs and services into the equation, things get a bit murky.
Cyanogen has basis for its battle cry, and it is definitely not the only one. Although technically an Open Handset Alliance (OHA) venture, Google practically has a stranglehold on Android’s development. OEMs may sometimes have the final say in what goes inside their devices, but even there Google is starting to put its foot down. Google has also been seen to replace core Android features and apps with its own proprietary bits. That may be good for unification, but not exactly for the openness that Android has been known for. Still, relatively speaking, Android is exponentially a more open platform than, say, iOS, but for how long, no one knows. That’s the dark future that Cyanogen and its supports are fighting against.
Things get more complicated, however, with Microsoft joining the fray. The tech giant has a rather complicated relationship with Android. For one, it has its own mobile platform which will see a renewed experience with Windows 10 later this year. At the same time, it actually also profits from Android through licensing fees. This investment leaves Microsoft with a minority stake in Cyanogen. A small one, but still a stake. Veterans in the industry might recall Redmond’s infamous “Embrace, Extend, Extinguish” strategy of the past and might shudder at what the future may hold.


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Asus recently showcased ZenFone 3 Zoom during CES 2017, alongside Zenfone AR smartphone, the world’s first Tango-powered and Daydream-ready smartphone. However, the company didn’t reveal the pricing of both the devices during the event. Though the price of Zenfone AR is still a mystery, but the company has revealed the pricing for the Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom smartphone. The top-end model sporting 128GB of inbuilt storage will come with a price tag of CNY 3,699 (approximately Rs 36,399). The pricing of other models (32GB and 64GB) will be announced later, may be before or at the time of launch, which is scheduled to take place in the month of February.
The major highlight of the smartphone is the dual-camera setup comprises two 12MP cameras, one with a f/1.7-aperture, 25mm wide-angle lens and a second with a 59mm lens. The smartphone also boast a SuperPixel camera technology that enables it to focus quickly and capture clear photos in low-light conditions. The company claims that its new technology enables the camera on ZenFone 3 Zoom to have 2.5-times (2.5X) greater light sensitivity than Apple iPhone 7 Plus and 10-times (10X) that of an average smartphone. On the front, it has a 13-megapixel camera with a Sony IMX214 sensor, a f/2.0 aperture, and a screen flash feature for selfies.
As for other specifications are concerned, the Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom features a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display with 1920×1080 pixels resolution. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, along with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and comes packed with a 5,000 mAh battery with reverse charging feature, which can also double up as a power bank for charging other devices. The company claim that the battery can give up to 42 days of standby time and capture up to 6.4 hours of continuous 4K UHD video on a single charge.


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Honda Australia has committed to rolling out electric cars in Australia, but only after it’s established a range of hybrid options.
The brand already has the cute E city hatchback in its global range, and has revealed a number of concept cars previewing vehicles that will live under the electric e:N sub-brand.
Introducing a range of hybrid cars will be the central focus for Honda in Australia over the next two years, however, before it starts its electric rollout.
“Our focus over the next couple of years is going to be on the introduction of full model changes, expanding the range where we can, and hybrids,” Honda Australia boss Stephen Collins told CarExpert.
“Certainly, beyond that period of time, electric is very much on our radar. Whether it’s the E or other options that are available to us in other parts of the world, then we will certainly be vigorously investigating that.
“Overall, sourcing from Japan will open up some doors on that front. Electric is definitely part of our plan, it’s just not a part of our plan over the next 18 months or so,” Mr Collins said.
Electric car sales represent a tiny slice of the pie in Australia. With 4029 sales (excluding Tesla) to date in 2021, pure-electric cars account for around 0.5 per cent of the market
Mr Collins said the electric car market is “clearly growing rapidly, but it’s growing rapidly off a very, very low base”.
“Amongst a number of brands there’s a race to bring electric cars to the market, and we want to bring them as soon as we possibly can – but in the whole scheme of things the numbers are still relatively small,” Mr Collins said.
“We see that, we want to be a part of that, and we’re confident that when we can bring the right product to market in terms of electric then we’ll be right in amongst the mix of the leading brands,” he said.
Honda has grand electric plans on a global scale. In his first major event as CEO, Toshihiro Mibe committed to ditching internal combustion engines for its cars by 2040.
Honda’s interim targets include 40 per cent of sales in “major markets” being electric (EV) and hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) by 2030.
The share of EVs and FCEVs in major markets will rise to 80 per cent by 2035 before hitting 100 per cent globally by 2040.
At present Honda sells only a smattering of electric vehicles, including the retro E hatchback for Europe and Japan, and a clutch of models based on the HR-V in China.
For the world’s largest car market, Honda is planning to introduce 10 EVs over the next five years. These will seemingly be based on existing vehicles using platforms designed primarily for internal combustion engines.
Honda previewed the first of these at the Shanghai motor show with the SUV e:Prototype (above), which is based on the third-generation HR-V.
In 2024 the company’s electric offerings will be boosted by two further models (one for Honda, one for Acura) aimed at North America.
Both will be built at General Motors plants and based on the Ultium platform, meaning they will be closely related to the GMC Hummer EV.
On top of this, Honda has confirmed it’s developing its own dedicated EV e:Architecture, which will go into production during “second half of the 2020s”.
Models on this platform will be launched in North America first before being made available elsewhere, and are previewed by the edgy concepts pictured higher in the story.
Japanese buyers can look forward to a pure electric kei car by 2024. The domestic market Honda range will only have electric and hybrid models by 2030.


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COVINGTON, Ky. - Friday is the deadline for small businesses in Covington to apply for the latest round of funding offered through two popular incentives programs offered by the City.
Covington hopes to award about $35,000 during the second quarter of the year under the competitive application process, which offers up to $500 a month for first-year rent or a forgivable loan of up to $6,000 to match investment dollar-for-dollar in façade improvements to a commercial building.
Under the first round of funding, awarded in September, the City gave over $38,000 to seven small businesses, including a new fitness center, a historic tavern, and a sporting goods store. (See story, HERE
"We designed this program to focus on the smallest of small businesses," Mayor Joe Meyer said after the City Commission voted to approve the first round of awards. "These businesses are the backbone of our city, they give us our uniqueness and our creativity, and they give us the bulk of job creation over time."
Time is tight, so businesses who are interested should contact Economic Development Project Manager Ross Patten at (859) 292-2144 or firstname.lastname@example.org
in order to submit their applications by Oct. 26.
For more information and the applications, visit the City's website HERE
During the first round of funding announced in September, the owners of the building on West Southern Avenue that houses Custom Woodworking Unlimited in Latonia received a forgivable loan to help with façade improvements.
The Covington City Commission doubled the amount of money for the Small Business Program in this fiscal year's budget and approved the request by the Economic Development Department to expand the geographic eligibility area to include businesses located throughout the entire City.
The year's incentives are also the first awarded under a new evaluation system approved in June that favors businesses that will bring the best return to the City and have the biggest positive impact on surrounding neighborhood business districts.
- A building owner that applies for a façade improvement loan is rated on whether the project is ready for construction, the ratio of matching funds, whether the work will be done by Covington contractors and suppliers, the visibility of the location, whether the building was previously vacant and for how long, and whether the project complements recent investment in the surrounding area.
- A business that applies for a rent subsidy will be rated on its visibility, the strength of its business plan and financial documentation, the number of jobs it will create, whether its product or service fills a need in the surrounding area and whether it complements the mix of businesses in that area.
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The return of cruise liners to New Zealand ports has been heralded with celebrations in Auckland harbour today.
The Pacific Explorer docked at Queens Wharf at around 9am, becoming the first cruise liner arrival since New Zealand’s maritime border opened at midnight on 31 July.
Mayor, Phil Goff says the return of international visitors was great news for the city.
“The lockdowns and border closures, while necessary to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, have had a significant impact on businesses throughout Auckland, particularly in the city centre,” the Mayor said.
“The return of cruise ships bringing international visitors will provide a welcome economic boost to affected businesses, particularly in the hospitality and accommodation sectors. It will also help enhance the vibrancy of our city with more people shopping, dining and spending time in our rejuvenated downtown.
“Returning visitors will be able to enjoy the significant upgrades we have completed in our city centre over the past two years, such as Te Komititanga, the public square outside Commercial Bay; the upgraded Quay Street and new harbourfront park, the improved Karangahape Road, and more.
“Despite the impact of the pandemic, Auckland is becoming a truly world-class, vibrant and people-friendly place to visit, and I’m pleased to welcome passengers on the Pacific Explorer to our city.”
Pam Ford, Director of Investment and Industry at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited said the return of cruise liners would bring much needed spend and vibrancy back to central Auckland.
“This is great news for central city businesses and tourism operators,” she said.
Ms Ford said the city’s business centre has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
“Prior to the pandemic, 20% of spending in the city centre stemmed from international visitors, and many of the 140,000 workers are still working from home.”
“Expenditure from cruise ships coming into Auckland more than doubled between 2015 and 2020, tipping over $200 million in the year ended June 2020; and two thirds of expenditure comes directly from cruise ship visitors benefitting local businesses.”
Auckland’s Sky Tower was lit up overnight in anticipation of the Pacific Explorer’s arrival.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited also coordinated volunteers to welcome and help direct disembarking passengers to ensure they make the most of their time in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Ports of Auckland Chief Executive Roger Gray says the whole team – including Sparky, the world’s first e-tug boat who offered a water salute to the cruise liner – was excited to welcome back the cruise industry.
“The Ports of Auckland team is excited to welcome the first cruise ship back to Auckland on August 12 and we’re working with our partners and the cruise line to ensure a great Auckland experience for passengers,” said Mr Gray.
“It’s been in a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, but we are ready, and look forward to more cruise visits this summer and the resumption of a thriving cruise industry.”
More than 100 ships are scheduled to arrive in Aotearoa before the end of March 2023.


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Nissan, which is due to start making Leafs at its Sunderland UK factory this spring, is also offering a 6.9-percent financing rate (we guess that's considered pretty good across the Pond) as well as a lease option equivalent to about $375 a month.
For anyone keeping score, Nissan earlier this month said it was cutting the base price of US Leafs by $6,400 to $28,800, making it the least expensive five-seat EV in the States. The US Leafs here also for a federal tax credit worth up to $7,500, and possibly also some state incentives.
Nissan has a few tricks up its sleeve to try and spur sales in the UK. In October, the automaker's UK dealers sent a letter to its customers saying that any Nissan owner could get access to a Leaf as a courtesy car during vehicle repairs as a way to possibly lure potential customers into buying electric. As Leaf salesman Paul Scott knows, getting "butts in seats" is a great way to turn interested parties into EV owners. Nissan UK's press release about the price cut is available below.
- Price reduction of £2,500 makes it easier to join the electric vehicle revolution
- Drive a LEAF for just £239 per month
- Offer available at all 180 Nissan LEAF dealers in UK
- Nissan is making zero-emission mobility more affordable by reducing the price of the all-electric Nissan LEAF by £2,500.
In addition to the reduction in the retail price, UK customers can also benefit from offers including low rate finance*. The new price is effective immediately, ahead of the arrival of an updated version of the LEAF.
This is on top of the incentive offered by the government and means a customer can drive away in a brand new LEAF for £23,490, or just £239 per month.
In addition to the new price LEAF buyers will also benefit from extremely low running costs, with a battery recharge costing a fraction of the cost of a tank of fuel. Being fully electric, the LEAF also benefits from zero road tax and is currently exempt for company car 'benefit-in-kind' tax.
An ever-growing number of public charging points also offer quick and convenient opportunities to top up the battery, including a network of rapid chargers. These allow LEAF drivers to charge from zero to 80% capacity in less than 30 minutes.
Winner of the World, European and Japan Car of the Year Awards when it was launched in 2011, about 50,000 Nissan LEAF electric vehicles have been sold world-wide. The LEAF demonstrates that battery-powered cars are ready to make a significant contribution to a world-wide reduction in vehicle emissions.
The Nissan LEAF comes with very high levels of standard equipment. Its standard satellite navigation system incorporates Carwings, Nissan's unique telematics system which allows an owner to control the heating and air conditioning settings and to monitor the charging process remotely via a smart phone.
Other standard equipment includes a rear-view parking camera, rapid charge capability, Intelligent Key, LED headlamps and Bluetooth connectivity. Nissan LEAF has been granted a top 5 star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests.
"There is no doubt that Nissan LEAF is a revolution and existing customers are passionate in their belief that zero-emission mobility is not the future, but is here now," said Paul Willcox, senior vice president, Nissan Europe.
"Nissan's objective for LEAF has always been to bring zero-emission mobility within reach of the mass-market. Our price reduction underlines that commitment and with no price premium even more motorists will become believers."
Production of the updated model is due to start at Nissan European plant in Sunderland, UK, in Spring 2013.
* Low rate (6.9%) finance available for PCP and HP purchases