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The vast majority of greeting card buyers are buying single cards to the same levels, or higher, than they did pre the Covid lockdowns. Furthermore, the majority believe they will continue this same pattern going forward – with more than one in ten (11%) intending to send more greeting cards in the future.
This reassuring news has come to light in a significant consumer research project commissioned by the GCA (Greeting Card Association) which tracks the public’s card buying habits as well as key considerations they have when selecting a card.
Undertaken by One Poll, the research survey involving 2,000 adults who give greeting cards at least once a year, took place at the end of July/beginning of August.
“It is so encouraging to see that since the first lockdown, four in five buyers (80%) have sent the same number of individual or more as they did before the pandemic, while 11% are saying that going forward they intend to send more greeting cards than they did before,” Amanda Fergusson, ceo of the GCA commented to PG Buzz.
The full results of this consumer research which will be presented at the GCA Conference and AGM, which takes place on October 14 in Manchester’s stunning Bridgewater Hall.
Already over 100 members of the greeting card community have booked tickets to this top networking and information ‘fest’, but there is still time for GCA members or would-be members to be part of it.
Set to be other highlights of a packed agenda are keynote talks from Emotional Rescue’s David Greaves; Card Factory’s Jo Bennett and JP Pozzi’s David Robertson.
David Robertson, of JP Pozzi in Elgin and Buckie will be speaking on “Rockstar Retailing”, with his views on building relationships with indies.
“Greeting Cards – A Fortunate Opportunity” is the title of David Greaves’ talk which promises to be a positive and highly engaging presentation based on his 40+ years in business, 30 of which have been in the greeting card world.
“It will be a brutally honest and frank snapshot of my business life and childhood,” promises David.
Jo Bennett, head of design at Card Factory will be linguistically dishing up a “A great big bowl of spaghetti”, giving plenty of food for thought and “unravelling the slippery future ahead” with changes in consumer mindsets and how this may affect the path ahead for our industry.
After lunch and plenty of networking, there will be a panel discussion which will address a myriad of salient topics, including sustainability, diversity, export post Brexit, brokerage and online sales platforms.
Attendees are encouraged to send their questions to Amanda Fergusson on firstname.lastname@example.org.
More details about the event and a link to book tickets are all the dedicated blog on the GCA website, which can be accessed by clicking here.
The Bridgewater Hall, where the AGM and Conference is to be staged is Manchester’s international concert venue that is home to three resident orchestras -the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata – and is also famed for its magnificent Marcussen organ which includes 5,500 pipes!
Top: Card buying is up to pre-Covid levels for the majority of adult card senders.


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Religious extremists and heavily armed American ruralists grab plenty of headlines these days, but they didn’t feature quite as prominently when Ubisoft Montreal first began making the video game Far Cry 5 four years ago. The Quebec studio simply wanted to make a compelling game about a doomsday cult in the U.S. heartland.
“We wanted to tell a story about a man who believes the end of the world is coming,” says Drew Holmes, lead writer of the latest instalment in the hit first-person shooter series, famous for its fiercely ideological antagonists. “We kept coming back to the idea of cults. The idea that there are fringe groups that separate themselves from the rest of society. We talked to experts who have spent most of their lives researching destructive cults. And we wanted a cult that we felt could really exist in the U.S.”
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Far Cry 5: Chaos, extremism, and lawless mayhem in ... Montana?
Ubisoft Toronto's big bet: A new spin on toy-based games
Will Rare's Sea of Thieves be the exclusive hit Xbox One desperately needs?
Far Cry 5 review: Potentially controversial sequel plays surprisingly safe
And while the Quebec developer certainly did not plan to take advantage of the paranoia the world is feeling on the topic of violent extremism these days, it might well benefit from it.
Far Cry 5, which launched globally this week, is set to further cement Ubisoft Montreal as one of the most important studios in the industry. With more than 3,400 employees, it’s already the largest game development facility on the planet, churning out one major game after another.
Studios are only as successful as their last hit, and with a development budget of between $80 and $130 million, there’s significant pressure on Far Cry 5. With no entries in its Assassin’s Creed or Tom Clancy series – the publisher’s bread and butter properties – set to launch this year, Ubisoft’s fortunes will depend largely on the latest iteration of this franchise.
But Ubisoft’s chief executive officer for Canada, Yannis Mallat, said the game’s success can’t be measured by sales figures alone. What the company has learned while making the game, which involved hundreds of developers from geographically disparate regions, is just as critical to the long-term success of the company as the revenue it will generate.
“I’m looking at Far Cry 5 in terms of how much expertise it has helped us build and what we’ve learned during the process to make our next games,” Mallat said.
The Quebec game maker is a subsidiary of France-based game giant Ubisoft Entertainment SA, which posted sales of 1.46-billion euro ($2.35-billion Canadian) in 2016-17, making it one of the world’s top five game publishers.
Last month, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and China-based Tencent Holdings Ltd. agreed to buy a $400 million stake in Ubisoft from one of its primary shareholders, French mass-media conglomerate Vivendi SA, ending rumours of a possible hostile takeover that had been circulating for years.
With that investment, Ubisoft is now tied to Canada more than ever. Mallat leads 4,500 people that account for more than a fifth of the roughly 22,000 people directly employed by the video game sector in this country, according to the Entertainment Software Association of Canada.
And Ubisoft is still growing.
“There will be another 1,000 staff in Quebec by 2027,” Mallat said, noting that a fourth Quebec studio is in the works.
Mallat says Canada provides fertile ground for farming Ubisoft’s ravenous appetite for highly skilled talent. Industry observers often point to the traditionally low dollar and generous government tax breaks – Ontario in 2009 made a deal with Ubisoft Toronto worth $264 million in subsidies over 10 years to lure Ubisoft to build a $500-million studio with 800 jobs in the province’s capital – as reasons for the rapid growth of the country’s video game industry. But Mallet sees Canada’s deep pool of homegrown professionals as being at least as important.
“When you look back, the reason we’ve stayed and continued to grow here is the talent that we’ve found,” says Mallat. “There are good universities here, which is very important not just for starting up a studio but for fuelling a creative perennial. Over the years we’ve worked hand in hand with these universities to help create a workforce. We’ve mutually nurtured each other.”
Ubisoft’s inventive processes and strategies have typically stood apart from those of other major publishers and studios. The publisher has developed workflows that allow it to spread development of complex games between as many as half a dozen specialized studios across the globe, with teams working efficiently and in tandem despite major differences in time zones.
Founded in 1986 by five French brothers with a passion for making games, the company is still led by one of those siblings, Yves Guillemot. Creativity remains at the core of its ongoing methods for growth.
“Without giving away any trade secrets, we expect a lot from our teams and studios,” Mallat said. “They carry the responsibility to come up with new ideas. For us, new intellectual property is very important. We want them to come up with breakthroughs, new ways to play, and to revolutionize genres.”
The very first Far Cry was developed by German game company Crytek GmbH and published by Ubisoft in 2004. The French publisher saw how the game’s open world and potential for emergent play resonated with players, so it purchased the brand and brought development in house, where it could foster the growth of the game’s innovations.
In the years since, the game has become known internally as an “anecdote factory” because of its ability to generate unanticipated action sequences and scenarios that players feel compelled to share with each other.
But there’s more to it than just compelling game mechanics. Ubisoft’s writers have turned it into a franchise known for its memorable stories and characters. And the fifth numbered entry’s potentially controversial themes, which began generating a spectrum of responses in mainstream media as soon as the story was revealed last May, are likely to draw the franchise even further into the spotlight. Industry watchers instantly drew parallels to the volatile political climate and rise of extreme ideologies in the U.S. and other countries.
And this topicality is bound to translate to increased sales, at least in America.
“It is a pretty timely launch for the U.S.,” says industry analyst Michael Pachter, of Wedbush Securities, referencing current events in the U.S. including Nazi marches and school shootings. “But it’s hard to say how it will perform internationally. Far Cry games typically sell around four to five million units, and account for around 10 per cent of Ubisoft’s annual revenue when released.”
Far Cry 5 landed on shelves last week, so it won’t be long before Ubisoft learns how its topical themes will impact the franchise’s fortunes. But Holmes, the game’s lead writer, thinks they’ll strike a chord.
“There’s this key concept of the world feeling like it’s on a precipice,” he said, referring to both his game and the consciousness of the world at large. “Globally, we feel uneasy every day. We’re not sure what will happen. What are we willing to do to pull ourselves back from the brink?”

domain: news


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Tyson Foods has recalled 36,000 pounds of chicken nuggets due to the presence of "rubber" in them.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service was alerted to the issue Tuesday after Tyson received consumer complaints about "extraneous material, specifically rubber" in the product, the agency said in a statement. There haven't been any confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions from eating the chicken nuggets, but federal health officials say some products may be in consumers' freezers. People are warned against consuming them.
Here's a guide to finding Tyson's nutricious rubber nuggets.
PREVIOUSLY: Enjoy delicious Perdue wood nuggets while you can


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Lund University Students Create Mobile 3D Printer to Print Concrete Furniture & Art, with Sights Set on 3D Printed Houses
For those of you who frequently follow the 3D printing space, the name Olaf Diegel probably rings a bell. He has been the subject of several stories which we have covered, ranging from his elaborate 3D printed guitars to his more experimental 3D printed saxophone. Whatever the case be, Diegel has certainly made a name for himself both within the music industry and 3D printing industry alike.
What very few people know, however, as Diegel tells 3DPrint.com, is that he is also the head of the product development department at Lund University in Sweden. This also happens to be where the first “3D Printed Live Concert” took place back in September of last year.
“We cover all aspects of product development, a reasonable amount of our research is focused around additive manufacturing because of the important role it plays in product development,” Diegel tells 3DPrint.com.
Recently, Diegel and other representatives from Lund University were talking with Helsingborg Hem, which is a department in the city of Helsingborg, responsible for providing housing to its citizens. They had shown interest in working with the university in order to develop a 3D printer that would be capable of 3D printing houses.
Working on a strict budget, Professor Diegel, Professor Giorgos Nikoleris, and students Borja Serra and Lars Henrik decided to start off by creating a smaller machine capable of printing concrete objects on a smaller scale.
“We happened to have a spare robot arm floating around, [so] we decided on a smaller proof-of-concept design,” Diegel tells us. “So we decided to make it mobile instead and use it to print stuff like street furniture or public art works. We have been testing the printer with both regular cement, and light-weight EPS cement.”
We have seen a lot of concrete-based 3D printers come and go over the past few years, most of which utilize either a pump to extrude the concrete or some sort of auger to drive it out of a nozzle. Diegel and team elected to go the route of the auger because it was more appropriate for their budget constraints, and because he had already created a similar device for extruding plastic pellets for 3D printing.
The 3D printer, which remains unnamed for the time being, consists of an ABB IRB140 robotic arm which is attached to a print-head based on Diegel’s aforementioned pellet polymer extruder. It utilizes a 100mm hole boring auger to deliver the concrete mixture to the print nozzle. The frame of the printer, which has a maximum print size of 910 x 676 x 1384 mm, is constructed out of aluminum extrusion. It features a removable bottom front linkage that ensures the frame remains extremely sturdy while being transported. When this portion of the frame is removed, it allows for the extended reach of the robotic arm/extruder.
The printer currently is set to print at a layer width of 30-40mm, and a thickness of 10-20mm. The layer thickness is controlled via the machine’s control software, and the thinner the layer height is set, the wider the layers become.
“It’s still very early days, and the project is on-going, and we’ll have a few more students working on it this coming semester, making further improvements to it,” Diegel explains.”
He currently has plans to improve the concrete feeding system, add paddles to smooth the objects being printed, and perhaps replace the robotic arm with a more conventional gantry type system. It will certainly be interesting to continue following this project to see if this system will ultimately be scaled up to print entire houses. What do you think about Lund University’s 3D printer? Discuss in the Lund University Mobile 3D Printer forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video of the printer in action below.
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Gecko’s Hospitality Group scores again in Sarasota Magazine Best Of awards
Best of Sarasota 2019
Sarasota Magazine editors’ picks for the best new restaurants in Sarasota-Manatee
Best New Way to Drink for a Good Cause
The Shark Lady
In the middle of last year’s red tide crisis, the folks at Gecko’s Grill & Pub decided to raise money for Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in the most delicious way: They created a new cocktail. The Shark Lady, named in honor of Mote founder and shark expert Eugenie Clark, is made with Don Q rum, blue curaçao and a few mixers and garnished with a gummy shark.
Read the entire article here.


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It is nothing unexpected that Toyota and Maruti together are preparing their all-new Creta equaling SUVs for India. Spy shots of those two SUVs being tried on Indian soil had surfaced last month, with a send off expected at some point this year. Presently, spy shots of a new, marginally more modest SUV have surfaced on the web and a nearby look uncovers that this SUV really looks like the Toyota Yaris Cross SUV that is sold in numerous nations abroad.
While Toyota sold the Yaris in India up to this point, the Yaris Cross SUV has no association with the car that was accessible here. Based on Toyota’s measured TNGA stage, the SUV depends on the most recent gen Yaris car. The Yaris Cross originally went discounted in the European market and is presently additionally being sold in business sectors like Singapore and Thailand, among others.
To the extent that aspects go, the Yaris Cross is 4,180mm long wheelbase, which makes it longer than the Toyota Urban Cruiser (Brezza Twin) yet more limited than the Hyundai Creta.
The Yaris Cross accompanies a solitary half and half powertrain including a 1.5-liter, three-chamber petroleum motor cooperating with an electric engine. As per Toyota, the burning motor has a warm productivity of up to 40 percent and can control the SUV in front-wheel-drive mode. When the in-constructed sensors recognize unfortunate hold, the AWD framework kicks in to handle various landscapes like downpour, sand and snow. The joined powertrain makes a 116hp.
While this motor may not come to any Toyota vehicle sold in India in future, sources let us know that a few parts or the crossover framework that is important for this motor could come to an India-bound vehicle in future. Toyota is likewise trying the most recent gen Yaris hatchback in India, which co-unexpectedly has the equivalent powertrain choices as the Yaris Cross.
As we announced before, Toyota and Maruti will have one SUV each in their portfolio to equal the Creta in India. The two SUVs will sit on a typical stage and will have comparable powertrain choices. The body shell, be that as it may, will have different styling signals relying upon the brand.


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Record revenues for Jimmy Choo fuelled by 'currency volatility'
Luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo has cheered record revenues and profits thanks to a leg-up from the Brexit-hit pound and strong sales across Asia.
The British designer firm saw annual revenues climb 15% to £364 million in the year to the end of December, while earnings lifted 16% to £59 million over the period.
Jimmy Choo, which has more than 150 stores worldwide, also cheered growing sales from its men's division, which accounts for 9% of revenue.
However, like-for-like sales fell by 0.8% over the period, as it counted the cost of "difficult market conditions" during the first half of the year.
Chief executive Pierre Denis said 2016 was a "landmark year" for the brand as revenues and profits reached record heights.
He added: "Revenue was significantly affected by currency volatility during the year, particularly post the UK referendum vote in June 2016, with all currencies stronger in relation to sterling, causing both significant reported sales value gains in the second half of the year and some sizeable shifts in client shopping patterns, largely in favour of UK trading."
Retail revenues stepped up 17% to £243.9 million following the launch of 10 new stores and the closure of one.
The firm said Asia continued to lead the charge on growth, with sales excluding Japan jumping by a third thanks to a strong performance in China where it launched three new stores.
But revenues across the Atlantic dropped by 1.7% over the period, with sales taking a hit from moves to "reposition" its US business and weaker demand for luxury goods.
Jimmy Choo counts Jennifer Lopez, the Duchess of Cambridge and Beyonce among its illustrious fans.
Liberum analyst Tom Gadsby said: " The company's outlook statement is strong.
"Retail trends are improving across all regions and Choo has very strong growth prospects across all its channels.
"We are encouraged to see the strength of the company's retail business following sensible investment and there remains plenty of scope for further store expansion."


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In the days before his death, Godaddy CEO and founder David Vladeck said that Godaddy’s motto should be “Get off Your High Horse.”
Vladesck made the remarks to Business Insider.
Godaddy is the leading provider of cloud hosting for the web, and is a huge player in the growing field of online marketplace services.
It is also one of the top 100 most popular websites in the United States, according to Alexa.
Vladks said Godaddy was the leader in hosting the world’s largest content marketplace.
Vlarks said he was asked by the founder of Amazon Web Services to join the company and was surprised by how much Godaddy could deliver on its promises.
Vltadks told Business Insider that he was “overwhelmed” by the company’s performance and the “greatness” it brought to the market.
“You have a great team that is very passionate about what they do, and they are a lot like me.
I’ve had a lot of respect for them, and I’ve worked with them on a lot projects,” he said.
The founder of Godaddy, David Vltados, on his role at Amazon.com. “
The only way to go is up.”
The founder of Godaddy, David Vltados, on his role at Amazon.com.
“I’ve been with Amazon for a long time, and it’s always been about bringing the best of Amazon to the world.
We always thought we would be in this position, but now it’s finally here.”
Vltadas said Godandas team was “on fire” after the company was bought by Amazon for $3.9 billion.
He also said that the “people” who helped create Godaddy were “the most amazing people I’ve ever worked with.”
“You know, you think the way to do this is to build a great company, but they really put their heart and soul into the company,” he added.
VLads said that he did not feel like Godaddy had been “overrun” by its “great, great team.”
“They were a wonderful team.
We’ve never had any problems,” he explained.
Vlaadks was referring to the creation of the new Amazon.
Vladys team at Amazon was a “smaller, less structured team,” Vlads told Business Insiders.
He added that “we never felt overwhelmed.”
Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, has called Vltads hiring a “great job.”
He said Vltades role was a good fit for the company.
“He’s a great person, very loyal to his team, very committed to their success, and has a great personality,” Bezos said in a statement to BusinessInsider.
“We are thrilled to welcome him to our team and look forward to welcoming him to the company.”
The CEO also expressed his condolences to Vltader, and noted that the team has been “one of the best teams Amazon has ever had.”
Vlatados’ comments come after Amazon announced it had acquired Godaddy for $2.6 billion, a huge win for Vltaadks family.
Vlnads father, who also works at the company, also weighed in on Vladi’s death.
“To know that you’re going to be leaving the company is a tremendous thing, it’s something that you have to be excited about, I don’t think you’re expecting it,” Vltado told BusinessInsiders.
“That’s why it’s so exciting.”
Vlaads father told Businessinsider that he would be very surprised if his son was not among those who leave Godaddy.
“His family, he would go home and be proud to be with them, I mean, it would be unbelievable,” Vlatads father said.
In an interview with Business Insider, Vlados said that his son and his wife had been trying to sell the company for the last year, but Amazon had refused.
“My son is the reason that I am here today.
He is the main reason that the company exists,” Vlas said.
Vlas added that he had also tried to convince Amazon to sell his company, to no avail.
“It’s not that they’re not interested in us, but the way they have approached the deal was very, very different from the way we were approaching it,” he told BusinessInno.
“Amazon, we were never offered a chance to sell, and we were told, ‘You’re leaving this company.
You’re leaving us.’
And they said, ‘No, no, no.
You’ll be working for us until we can get rid of you.'”
Vladas son has since quit his job at Amazon to focus on the company as a full-time job.
“If you work for the whole company for six years,


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Building Your List Rental Business
Public or private, consumer or business-to-business, publishing companies of all shapes and sizes are searching for ways to offset shrinking print ad revenues, and rising postal and operational expenses. Sometimes this search opens doors to previously undiscovered riches—as, for example, many publishers are gambling will be the case with their intensified e-media efforts. But a key factor in the profitable publishing model remains the ability to leverage one’s own assets and, these days, building list rental revenue is at the top of many publishers’, well, lists.
Few publishers manage their lists in-house anymore, and Hachette Filipacchi Media (HFM) was among the last holdouts to outsource its list management. The publisher of enthusiast magazines like Woman’s Day and Elle, New York-based HFM reaches 50 million readers monthly. RMI Direct Marketing assumed control of HFM’s list management operations on Jan. 1.
Alan Zamchick, who served as HFM’s list director for 25 years, says, “Consumer publishing in-house list management, with one or two exceptions, is really past the dinosaur era.”
Publishing Executive spoke to Zamchick and other list industry veterans about the state of today’s list rental business for publishers, and what publishers and their circulation staffs can do to build the bottom line of this important part of their business.
Today’s List Business Is Tough
If there was a recurring tenet present in most of the conversations leading up to this story, it was that the list business is more challenging today than it has ever been.
Compiled lists, technological advancements and a number of others factors mean that information is available cheaper—and in some cases freer—than ever.
“Every order is negotiated. No matter what the quantity is, it’s negotiated—either on price or waving of selections,” Zamchick says.
The main reason? Data that is much easier to access, says Dave Hendricks, senior vice president of sales and marketing for ARGI, a Montvale, N.J.-based subscription fulfillment, database marketing and Web services provider, which also offers list services to a number of its clients. “If you go back 10 years ago, the technologies for clearing a database and pulling files just did not exist. It was tough because data didn’t move around as much as it does now. So the freer the data is, the lower the prices become,” he says. “The lower the prices become, the more people can get into the business and the more choice there is. So what makes it more difficult is not the actual execution of pulling a list—or even pulling good data—what’s difficult is for list managers who used to have total control over a file, that data is now much more available.”


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A flaw in Pixel phones makes it possible to recover sensitive information from edited screenshotsMonday, 20 Mar 2023
Pixel owners, take note! Though the flaw has since been fixed, years of affected images are still out in the wild and could be at risk.
Google Pixel’s March 2023 updates bring fall detection to Pixel Watch and faster Night Sight on Pixel 7 and 7 ProWednesday, 15 Mar 2023
This month’s (March 2023) update sees newfangled tools cascading to older Pixels, on top of quality-of-life improvements all around.
Google I/O 2023 slated to start on 10 MayWednesday, 8 Mar 2023
Besides developer-focused updates and teasing the new Android operating system, we can expect more chatter around AI chatbots like Google’s very own ChatGPT, Bard.
Google Pixel’s Magic Eraser goes to other Android mobiles and iPhoneMonday, 6 Mar 2023
Google’s Magic Eraser feature, an AI-powered and possibly witchcraft-inspired tool for removing photobombers in your shots, is now coming to non-Pixel phones.
Android’s MWC 2023 announcements bring new features to phones and Wear OSTuesday, 28 Feb 2023
The Android team at Google shared that they are rolling out a massive February update that includes new tools for its users.
Android 14 developer preview comes online, live version to come after JulyMonday, 13 Feb 2023
The operating system is expected to go live after July, when the OS goes out to end-users, and the full set of features will be revealed.
Google is adding AI to help you search visually. But I wouldn’t trust it just yetThursday, 9 Feb 2023
While Google is working hard to include AI to improve search results, not everything has gone to plan for the company so far with one demo throwing up a mistake that has impacted the tech giant's stock price.
Samsung reveals its plans and partners on extended reality devicesFriday, 3 Feb 2023
Samsung says it is working on new extended reality products and experiences with partners such as Google and Qualcomm.
Android’s Google Chrome lets you lock your Incognito tabs with your fingerprintMonday, 30 Jan 2023
Previously available on the iOS version, Google is now rolling out fingerprint unlocking to Chrome for Android for your private tabs. ;)


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Soaring Russia-China Trade: Record Highs Amid Global Shifts
This comprehensive article, sourced from RBC, examines the remarkable surge in trade between Russia and China in 2023, highlighting record-breaking figures for China’s imports of aluminum and vegetable oil. It explores the broader economic implications of this partnership, particularly in the context of shifting global trade dynamics and sanctions, and provides a detailed analysis of the evolving economic landscape between these two major world powers.
In-Depth analysis of Russia-China trade milestones in 2023
The year 2023 marks a key moment in the economic relations between Russia and China, when the volume of trade reached unprecedented levels. According to detailed statistics, China’s procurement of Russian raw materials experienced a remarkable upswing. Imports of Russian aluminum and vegetable oils doubled, indicating a significant shift in China’s procurement strategies. In addition, imports of precious metals from Russia increased significantly, by almost one and a half times. This dramatic increase is a clear reflection of the evolving economic strategies of both countries amid the changing global landscape. The overall increase in China’s imports of Russian goods, which rose by 12.7% to a staggering $129.1 billion, is a testament to the deepening economic ties. Growth was particularly pronounced in key commodities: aluminum (up 2.1 times), vegetable oils (doubled), oilseeds and fruits (up 80%), and precious metals (up 43%). This surge in trade is indicative of a strategic reorientation in response to global economic pressures, particularly the sanctions imposed by Western countries.
Comprehensive benefits for Russia and China amid western sanctions
Strategic diversification of trading partners: Russia’s significant shift in export focus from traditional markets in the EU and US to friendlier countries, particularly China, demonstrates a strategic rebalancing in response to global economic pressures.
Robust growth in commodity exports: There has been a significant increase in the export of natural resources, especially oil and gas, from Russia to China. This increase not only boosts Russia’s economy, but also ensures a stable energy supply for China.
Expansion in non-energy export sectors: The doubling of exports in sectors such as aluminum and vegetable oils demonstrates Russia’s ability to broaden its trade portfolio and reduce its dependence on traditional energy exports.
Achieving market dominance: Russia’s overtaking of Saudi Arabia in oil exports to China marks a significant shift in the dynamics of the global oil trade, with Russian oil gaining a stronger foothold in the Chinese market.
Innovative financial practices: The increasing use of local currencies, the ruble and the yuan, for trade transactions is a strategic move to circumvent the restrictions imposed by Western sanctions and strengthen economic resilience.
Detailed study of key commodities in Russia-China trade
Trade relations between Russia and China are highly concentrated on a few key commodities. The top 10 product groups, which represent the broadest categories in the trade nomenclature, accounted for a significant 92% of all Russian imports to China last year. This underscores the focused nature of their trade relationship. Key products include mineral fuels such as oil and natural gas, with China importing a record 107 million tons of Russian crude oil in 2023, up 24% from the previous year. This is indicative of China’s growing dependence on Russian energy resources. There was also a significant increase in imports of metals, especially those belonging to the platinum group (platinum, palladium, rhodium). The value of these imports increased significantly, reflecting the high demand for these precious commodities. There were also significant imports of vegetable oils and oilseeds, highlighting the diversification of commodities traded between the two countries.
Dynamics and trends of Russian imports from China
In 2023, Russia’s imports from China will also see a remarkable increase, growing almost 1.5 times to an impressive $111 billion. This growth in imports is indicative of the growing interdependence between the two economies. About 60% of the value of Chinese exports to Russia was concentrated in machinery, equipment and vehicles, indicating China’s robust manufacturing sector and its growing importance in the Russian market. Exports of passenger cars from China to Russia increased more than sevenfold to $11.5 billion, a clear indicator of the changing dynamics in the automotive industry. At the same time, exports of trucks, buses, tractors, and auto parts increased significantly. This comprehensive growth in various sectors highlights the multifaceted nature of the trade relationship between Russia and China.
Photos courtesy of AI-generated Images
Future economic outlook for Russia-China relations
Looking ahead, the Russia-China economic partnership is expected to continue on its path of growth and diversification. Despite the challenges and complexities posed by Western sanctions, both nations are actively adapting and finding innovative ways to strengthen their economic ties. The development of new trade routes, the increasing use of local currencies for trade, and the focus on mutually beneficial sectors all point to a dynamic and resilient economic relationship. Current trends suggest that this partnership is not only robust, but also has the potential to significantly influence global trade dynamics in the years to come. The future economic landscape for Russia and China appears poised for sustained growth, further integration, and an increasing role in shaping global economic trends.


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Android 5.1 Lollipop SDK is now available with support for devices with dual-SIM cards
Following the official announcement of Android 5.1, and after giving us factory images for a few Nexus devices, Google has released the Android 5.1 SDK for developers. The Android 5.1 SDK brings the platform to API Level 22, which provides the API that supports multiple SIM cards and enhances enterprise features to better support the newly-announced Android for Work platform.
Also in the update is support for “Carrier Services”, which lets applications developed by carriers modify provisioning tasks such as altering IP addresses for different data connections and multiple other functions regarding the placement of phone calls.
Android 5.1 doesn’t carry with it too many new APIs, so most developers might have a hard time finding something that will revolutionize their apps. However, its always smart to have support for the latest version of Android, as 5.1 carries thousands of fixes that could be beneficial to you. For developers who’d like to begin using the new APIs, head to the source link below.
Google also adds that it will begin rolling out the Android 5.1 update to all current Nexus devices, including the Nexus Player. We’ve already seen 5.1 come to the Nexus 5, and according to a Sprint document, the Nexus 6 should be receiving it today as well.


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Microsoft's Cortana for Android and iOS is now dead
We're two days late, but in case you haven't noticed yet, after March 31, the Cortana mobile app on your phone stopped working at its full potential. Apart from the fact that Microsoft will no longer support the app, Cortana content that users previously created, including reminders and lists, won't work anymore.
The good news is that everything you created in the Cortana app on your phone, be it Android or iOS, you will still be able to access through Cortana in Windows. Furthermore, Microsoft announced that Cortana reminders, lists, and tasks will be automatically synced to one of its other apps, Microsoft To Do. The latter can be downloaded for free via the App Store or Google Play Store for free.
Apparently, Microsoft's decision to kill the Cortana mobile app has something to do with the fact that people didn't use it too much. However, the Redmond-based company does plan to continue to evolve it as a productivity assistant, at least on Windows.


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Good news if you are selling an open top car as values are about to rise. According to data from Glass's, the UK's vehicle valuations experts, buyers will once again be tempted by open-top motoring soon and as the weather warms up trade values will experience double-digit increases.
In January 2010, the average auction price for a general market convertible was £6,900, but by April 2010, the average price had increased to £8,000, representing a 16 percent rise for the quarter.
Adrian Rushmore, managing editor at Glass’s said “from March 2011 we would expect to see the higher trade prices being reflected in higher forecourt prices as dealers attempt to protect, or increase, their trading margins."
A free valuation is available with motoring.co.uk, enter your registration details and see what your convertible is now worth as summer approaches.


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Sears is attempting to make over its apparel business — once again.
The Hoffman Estates-based retailer is putting the finishing touches on revamping apparel at 200 Sears stores in four markets: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., the Tribune has learned. Sears hopes to transform the chain store best known for tools and dishwashers into a mecca of fashion for women and teens.
The transformation, which began in May, is slated to be complete this month and involves a "significant investment," bringing in new store fixtures of various shapes and sizes, scores of mannequins, faster deliveries of new fashion trends and additional store workers, said Melanie Henson, chief marketing officer for apparel at Sears stores and former head of brand strategy at Limited Brands Inc.'s Victoria's Secret.
The effort follows years of cost-cutting under Edward Lampert, Sears' chairman and controlling shareholder, who skimped on spending in Sears and Kmart stores in favor of investing in the Internet division and buying back company shares.
"Given that the housing market continues to be weak, they probably want to goose other parts of their business," said Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at Retail Systems Research, a Miami-based retail consulting firm. "They've got all this square footage they have to fill, and apparel has nice margins."
Clothing is typically among the most profitable categories in a department store, after cosmetics. A well-run apparel department can generate profit margins of 30 percent to 40 percent, according to retail analysts.
While the company doesn't break out the financial performance of its apparel business, analysts estimate Sears stores generate more than $4 billion a year in apparel. As for profit, Sears U.S. stores in total, including hardware stores and free-standing Sears Essential formats, generated a gross margin of 29.7 percent in 2009, according to a June report from Columbus, Ohio-based Kantar Retail. That is below the 39.4 percent at J.C. Penney Co. and 40.5 percent at Macy's Inc., stores that rely almost exclusively on clothing and home goods, the report said.
Lampert conceded that Sears' apparel business was a long-standing "Achilles heel," during a press conference following the company's annual meeting in May. The billionaire investor went on to add that "if we could turn apparel around, it would be huge for the company."
Long before Lampert arrived on the scene in 2005, Sears spent decades attempting to fix its apparel business. In the 1990s, the "Softer Side of Sears," under former Sears Chairman and Saks Fifth Avenue alum Arthur Martinez, put the spotlight on so-called soft goods, or clothing and home accessories.
After Martinez left and financial operator Alan Lacy took the helm, Sears churned through a long line of chief apparel merchants, each with a different agenda. One year it was basic pull-on pants and pullovers. The next year it was cutting-edge contemporary designs. Sears' biggest move came in 2002, when it bought direct merchant Lands' End for $1.9 billion. The contrast of selling the preppy line of full-priced fleece and turtlenecks alongside Sears' in-house promotionally priced brands confused customers.
Eventually, Sears built separate Lands' End shops inside 293 of Sears' 897 department stores.
The latest makeover differs from past attempts in one key aspect. Lampert moved the nucleus of Sears' apparel buying and merchandising operation to San Francisco in February and hired former Kmart and Mervyn's executive John Goodman to run it.
The office in downtown San Francisco has a staff of about 200. And Goodman works out of a cubicle like everyone else, an effort to shake up Sears' traditional corporate culture.
"We're looking at all different aspects of the business to tell people to give us another look," said Goodman, executive vice president of apparel and home at Sears Holdings. "There's a niche for us, and we can build it over time. It's not going to happen overnight."
Like many department stores that have lost teen business to fast-fashion retailers Forever 21, H&M and Zara, Sears is putting a spotlight on its juniors department. Teen clothing has been moved close to the mall entrance, where passersby can catch a glimpse of the more colorful merchandise, folded stacks of jeans and sweaters on half-moon shaped tables, runway groupings of mannequins wearing the latest fashion trends and flat-screen TVs playing music videos. And new merchandise arrives as frequently as every six weeks, instead of every six months.
In fact, the remade Sears apparel departments will have an average 200 mannequins, compared with about 12 in the old Sears format. And instead of a sea of circular garment racks, called rounders in the discount trade, new store fixtures will vary in height and shape and are portable so workers can change displays frequently. An ad campaign, called "Many Sides of Me," is appearing on TV and in fashion magazines Seventeen, Lucky and Vogue this month.
While the changes are needed, Sears is still steps behind its rivals, said Jason Asaeda, retail analyst at Standard & Poor's in New York. Sears has been losing market share to Target Corp., Kohl's Corp. and others for years. Getting it back will be hard.
"I'm skeptical," Asaeda said. "Apparel at Sears has been an afterthought for customers. Even though they might show some improvement, the bar keeps getting raised higher and higher. It's a tough uphill battle."


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|Bid||906.38 x 100|
|Ask||907.49 x 200|
|Day's Range||903.40 - 913.00|
|52 Week Range||727.54 - 988.25|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||30.65|
|Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||N/A|
Snap's commitments to Google and Amazon may be more than it needs.
Google will unveil its new Android O version at 11:40 a.m. Pacific Time -- as the solar eclipse begins in the East Coast.
Conservative Canadian website The Rebel said its domain provider cut its internet registration, making the site inaccessible to some users around the world on Monday as the company scrambled to get back online using a second provider. The move comes after GoDaddy Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google and other technology firms last week pushed the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer offline by terminating services of the online publication that helped organize the violent rally in Virginia on Aug. 12. Rebel Media founder Ezra Levant, whose website often rails against Muslims and refugees, did not identify the firm that severed his site's registration, although he said he was given 24 hours' notice and no explanation for the move.


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AOL has revealed a glimpse behind its re-brand curtain, releasing a variety of logos which come brandishing its new AoL. moniker.
Using a full-stop seems to be the in vogue thing to do for brands this year, with AOL following Sony's make.believe strategy and adding a dot to the end of its logo.
Oh, and just to annoy the stuffing out of grammar pedants, it's made the 'O' of its name lower case.
AOL will be hoping that its upcoming new look will re-energise the company, which announced recently it is to shed over 4,000 jobs.
While the new logo isn't going to set the world on fire, AOL is backing up its new look with a number of interesting backgrounds.
The ones we have had a glimpse of include: a fish, the universal hand-sign for rock, and lots of little squiggles.
This is only a taster of what we are to expect from AOL, as its brand-new branding won't be fully unveiled until 10 December.
Tim Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL, is unsurprisingly upbeat about the company's new look, explaining: "Our new identity is uniquely dynamic. Our business is focused on creating world-class experiences for consumers and AOL is centred on creative and talented people – employees, partners, and advertisers."
And presumably those who like to go angling and listen to Black Sabbath on the weekends.


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Businesses will be able to apply for a .wales or .cymru domain address from the start of September.
Only organisations with a registered Welsh trademark will be able to apply at first, with others who can prove 'interests and use of a brand name in Wales' following afterwards.
ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) says the system will allow people "to demonstrate their Welsh identity, language and culture online."
The addresses will be open to the wider public from March 1 2015.
More top news
A shopper has received a community order after he admitted uploading an explicit image to an iPad at a Tesco supermarket in Swansea.
Wintry showers this morning, particularly in the west. Turning drier and brighter this afternoon but still some sleet or snow showers.
A special service is being held in Swansea city centre to remember a popular homeless man who died earlier this week.


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By Mark Emmons, Reuters – 09/10/2003 – 12:00am
Ugly Americans are everywhere, and in greater numbers than before–so say Americans themselves.
A survey released on Wednesday by Public Agenda, a nonprofit organization dedicated to unbiased public opinion research, said three out of five people believed rude and selfish behavior had increased on highways and in stores in recent years.
“Lack of manners for Americans is not whether you confuse the salad fork for the dinner fork,” said Deborah Wadsworth, president of Public Agenda. “It’s about the daily assault of selfish, inconsiderate behavior that gets under their skin on the highways, in the office, on TV, in stores and the myriad other settings where they encounter fellow-Americans.”
The survey, “Aggravating Circumstances–A Status Report on Rudeness in America,” found that 73% of those polled thought Americans treated each other with greater respect in the past, although 21% called that idea false nostalgia.
A solid majority felt Americans had become more thoughtful and caring after the September 11 attacks, but far fewer thought the good feeling would persist. And just over half of respondents said they believed the money donated to September 11 victims would be misused or misdirected.
Bad service from sales staff drove 46% of respondents out of stores in the past year. Among those earning more than $75,000 a year, 57% said they had had left a store because of the service, the study said. A common complaint was that salespeople acted as though the customer did not exist. Eight out of 10 respondents said store owners were to blame for cutting back on hiring and making customers wait for service.
Survey respondents also voiced displeasure at inconsiderate cell phone users. Asked how to address the problem, 61% backed legislation banning cell phone use in public settings such as restaurants, movies and museums. Also, 58% said they often encounter rude drivers, with just 35% admitting to such behavior themselves.
The study, prepared for The Pew Charitable Trusts, surveyed 2,013 adults in a nationwide telephone poll between January 2 and January 23. It included focus groups in Cleveland, Ohio; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri; Frisco, Texas; Danbury, Connecticut; Fort Lee, New Jersey; and Berkeley, California. The margin of error was plus or minus 2%.


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In a shocking move, Apple Inc. has threatened to withdraw two of its most popular services, FaceTime and iMessage, from the United Kingdom. The tech giant’s ultimatum comes as a response to proposed legislation by the UK government that could potentially undermine the security and privacy features of these communication platforms.
The proposed legislation seeks to grant authorities enhanced access to encrypted communication, citing concerns over national security and law enforcement’s ability to investigate criminal activities. However, Apple argues that such a move would compromise end-to-end encryption, a fundamental aspect of FaceTime and iMessage.
End-to-end encryption is a robust security measure that only the sender and the intended recipient of a message can access its content. Even Apple cannot access the encrypted data, protecting user privacy from unauthorized access and potential data breaches.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, issued a stern warning in response to the proposed legislation during an emergency press conference held at the company’s Cupertino headquarters. Cook emphasized the importance of safeguarding user data and privacy, stating, “We have always put our users’ privacy at the forefront of our services. Removing end-to-end encryption is not an option, and we will not compromise on this matter.”
Potential Withdrawal of FaceTime and iMessage from the UK
The potential withdrawal of FaceTime and iMessage from the UK would significantly impact millions of Apple device users in the country. Many of these services have become integral to daily communication in personal and professional settings.
Apple’s threat has sparked heated debates among tech experts, privacy advocates, and government officials. Some argue that the proposed legislation is essential for national security and law enforcement efforts. In contrast, others maintain that weakening encryption could open the door to potential privacy violations and hacking risks.
The UK government has yet to release an official response to Apple’s ultimatum. Still, it is expected that negotiations will intensify in the coming days in an attempt to find a resolution.
As the situation develops, users of Apple devices in the UK anxiously await the outcome, hoping to reach a compromise that respects privacy rights and national security concerns.
This is a developing story; we will update it as more information becomes available.
Disclaimer: The news presented above is based on the current events as of July 21, 2023. The situation may evolve, and further developments may arise.


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Politics aside, President Barack Obama has one thing in common with many of our readers — he’s a huge fan of craft beer. So much so, in fact, that he apparently travels with bottles of the presidential homebrew, dubbed White House Honey Ale. On a campaign stop in Iowa yesterday, a lucky cafe patron was the recipient of a gifted bottle of the special beer, according to several pool reports.
The ale first made a showing in 2011, and has since showed up in two versions, White House Honey Blonde Ale and White House Honey Porter. The beer is brewed by White House chefs on premises, using what they’ve said are “traditional methods,” and features honey from Michelle Obama’s beehives.
As the President crisscrosses the nation to connect with voters in the runup to the election, expect to see several more bottles of the beer handed out. With their own custom label, they are quite the talking piece. Candidate Mitt Romney, of course, doesn’t have that prop — as a Mormon, he does not drink alcohol at all.
Come party with us at Franklin Park with Sixpoint Brewing Company...read more ›
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This beer is entirely worth your time and effort. You might even find yourself asking for s'more. ...read more ›
If you've been saving up or looking for a fun beer-centric escape, SAVOR is for you....read more ›
It's time to begin thinking about one of the great pleasures of springtime: an afternoon sitting under the shade of a blossoming tree, stationed at a ...read more ›
One category the Mid-Atlantic is doing better than anyone else right now is India Pale Ales, and these five are tops. ...read more ›


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When the economy spirals downward, it feeds on itself. But if we set our sights on the right prize, we can work together to prevent things from getting even worse
Deflation. It's the economists' dread word, and in the past week it has leapt from a dusty back corner of their lexicon to the front pages of our newspapers.
Deflation refers to a sustained drop in prices caused by falling economic demand - a situation where unemployment of both people and capital soars and where the standard monetary tools that policy-makers use in response, such as interest rate cuts, stop working.
In the worst case, deflation becomes its own cause. People become afraid their incomes might fall in the future. Or they see their savings being ravaged by the stock market collapse. So they stop spending and instead hoard their money. As demand for goods and services drops, companies' profits plummet, leading to layoffs, reduced working hours, and yet more declines in stock prices. The fear of lost income becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and people cut their spending further. Once the downward spiral starts, it's maddeningly hard to stop. People expect prices will keep falling, so they decide to put off their spending, because they think things will be cheaper in the future.
The world economy appears to be on the cusp of this kind of vicious cycle. It has entered a synchronized downturn, with economic demand falling fast in every region.
Most policy-makers and commentators understand that deflationary cycles are self-reinforcing. But few grasp another key characteristic: Deflationary cycles are, at their core, what social scientists call a collective action problem. And this characteristic has important implications for how we should respond.
The logic of this particular collective action problem plays itself out in our everyday lives. Recently my wife, Sarah, and I were at our kitchen table discussing whether we should renovate our family room this coming spring. Perhaps we should hold off until the economic storm clouds clear, we thought. But then we talked about how such decisions to be prudent, when added up across millions of households and companies, are the main reason why the economic crisis is getting worse so quickly. Yet we also recognized that our family - by itself - can't rescue the economy.
Our conversation cut to the core of the paradox. When everyone else is pulling back, individual families and companies must protect their own interests too. But in this economic crisis, behaviour that's rational for a single family or company is, when everyone behaves the same way, collectively irrational.
Collective action problems come in many forms, and social scientists have developed a whole subfield of research - "game theory" - to try to understand them better. The particular collective action problem we face right now is called a "stag hunt," after a dilemma described by the 18th-century Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Rousseau wrote about a hypothetical situation in which two hunters must co-operate to kill a deer. If a rabbit hops by one of the hunters, he would probably pursue the rabbit "without scruple," said Rousseau. Although the rabbit makes a less satisfying meal, at least it's a guaranteed meal. On the other hand, the deer isn't a guaranteed meal, because neither hunter can be absolutely sure that he can trust the other to help kill it. In the end, though, when one hunter chases a rabbit, collectively both hunters are worse off: While one gets the rabbit, both lose any prospect of getting a deer.
For families and companies in this economic crisis, the choice isn't between a deer and a rabbit, of course, but between spending and saving.
Because we can't trust other people to spend, we do the economic version of chasing the rabbit - we keep our money in our pockets. But this individually cautious behaviour worsens the collective economic crisis, and as the crisis gets worse, we're even more afraid and even less willing to trust others to spend. The main reason deflationary cycles are so diabolically hard for policy-makers to stop is that governments can't force people to trust each other. Instead, all they can do is inject spending directly into the economy, through increased unemployment benefits (because the jobless spend almost all the money they get) and infrastructure investment, and hope that by putting a floor under economic demand, people and companies will eventually become less fearful and start to spend again.
Governments need to move fast, because this crisis, which has taken several forms already, is about to change form again. In the past few months, we've moved from a seizing up of credit markets to the collapse of economic demand in the mainstream economy. Soon we could see a string of sovereign defaults of poor and emerging economies that can't meet their debt obligations.
Even worse, hundreds of millions of previously poor people from Hungary and Turkey to India and China - recent arrivals in the global middle class who've benefited from an economic boom fuelled by endless quantities of cheap credit - are about to see their standard of living fall of a cliff. Around the world, Western-style capitalism will be discredited, as it's perceived to have wiped out people's jobs and life savings.
Our global financial crisis could then morph into a global political crisis, as extremists of all stripes - neo-Nazis in Eastern Europe, hyper-nationalists in China, and Hindu fundamentalists in India - accumulate popular support and power.


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A 15-year-old is facing felony arson charges in a fire in the garden department of a Colorado Springs Wal-Mart Supercenter, authorities said today.
The fire was quickly doused by the store’s sprinkler system. The teen was not named, because of his age. He is charged with first-degree arson and fourth-degree arson and is being held in a juvenile detention center, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department.
The small fire was reported at about 4 p.m. Monday at the store at 5550 E. Woodmen Road. The store reopened Tuesday.
No one was injured, but more than 40 firefighters responded to the call, including four engine companies.
There was no structural damage to the building, and Wal-Mart is still assessing the value of damaged merchandise in the area of the fire and lost business, according to the fire department.


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How the Lighting and Interior Design Industry Can Thrive During the Coronavirus Crisis
“The importance of light crafts the entire perception.” – Vincent Goi [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
Image credit: Arkhilite
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the interior design and lighting industry. It changes the way we work and forces designers and vendors alike to rethink about the future of the business in Singapore. Earlier this month, Vincent Goi, Director of Arkhilite, and Joseph Ho, Co-Founder of Sol Luminaire, addressed those concerns via a live interview session – 7/10MIN with ARKHILITE C.
Watch the video for the full interview here.
In line with the Circuit Breaker measures implemented by the authorities to curb the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sol Luminaire and the LAB2.1 gallery will be closed from 07 April 2020 to 01 June 2020. We remain committed to serve and assist you through digital means.


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As the fallout from Hewlett-Packard's purchase of Autonomy continues, attention is turning to the advisers who took part in the deal — with one name emerging from the pack.
His boutique firm of advisers, Qatalyst, set up after he was exonerated on charges of obstruction of justice in 2006, has sold three companies to HP in recent years. Despite its relatively small size and short lifespan, it has made its name as a sell-side favorite, with Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility for $12.9 billion its biggest deal so far.
(Read More: Autonomy Founder 'Shocked' By HP Allegations)
Looking at some of the valuations Qatalyst has got, it's not hard to see why. It previously sold storage company 3Par to HP in 2010 for more than twice its market value at the time talk of a deal emerged, after sparking off a bidding war between Dell and its rival.
Earlier that year, it sold telephone maker Palm to HP for $1.2 billion. HP wanted access to Palm's operating software, but has since quietly dropped most of its development lines.
Quattrone, 57, has already come under the spotlight more than investment bankers generally like to in relation to this deal. In the light of HP's offer, rival Oracle made a rather sniffy statement about Quattrone having "shopped" Autonomy to them as well. A dispute erupted over whether a PowerPoint presentation prepared for a visit by Quattrone and Mike Lynch, Autonomy's founder and chief executive, to Oracle, was part of a sales pitch. Oracle even published the presentation online with a release accusing Lynch of telling "whoppers."
Quattrone said firmly at the time that he had approached Oracle separately, without Lynch's encouragement, but the dispute dragged out some of the back room dealing which accompanies most deals into the open in an embarrassing light.
At the time, it seemed like a minor setback for a banker who had survived a four year fight with U.S. authorities over charges of obstruction of justice, to re-emerge as one of the technology sector's biggest dealmakers, with a bulging contacts book including figures like Eric Schmidt.
The obstruction of justice charges stemmed from allegations that Credit Suisse pressured analysts to overvalue companies and set up brokerage accounts to give shares in IPOs to particularly valued investors at the height of the dotcom boom. Credit Suisse paid $100 million over the allegations without admitting guilt.
Before the charges, Quattrone worked for Credit Suisse, after building his career at Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley. He used his time out from the technology sector to donate substantially to the Northern California Innocence Project, which helps victims of alleged miscarriages of justice, as well as to defend himself.
Calls to Qatalyst's San Francisco and London offices were not returned.
—By CNBC's Catherine Boyle; Follow Her on Twitter @cboylecnbc


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Gearbox CEO Has Millions Stolen By Personal Assistant | Industry
Losing money is one of the worst feelings on the planet, though having it stolen from you may add some insult to the injury- especially when it’s stolen by someone once deemed trustworthy, which is, unfortunately, the case for Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, who had millions of dollars stolen from him by his former personal assistant, John Wright Martin.
Martin was hired by Pitchford back in 2014 with an annual salary $45,000. Then, a year later, Martin was given access to Pitchford’s American Express business accounts, which kicked off a multi-million dollar spending spree at Pitchford’s expense. During this spree, Martin bought everything from designer clothes and jewelry to a $519,000 house with custom finishes.
Martin also forged Pitchford’s wife Kristy’s name onto multiple business and personal checks totaling more than $73,000, which were then used to pay for multiple art pieces designed by one of his friends.
However, Martin didn’t use the money solely for selfish means. He also made tens of thousands of dollars worth of donations from the account to a variety of charities, as well as purchasing rounds of drinks for everyone at local bars, with one bill costing a staggering $657.
The Pitchford’s eventually received notice that they didn’t have enough money to make payroll, which prompted them to contact Martin, who had stopped working for them in 2016 to pursue a career in interior design. Martin claimed that he had mixed up his own personal account with the Pitchford’s and promised to repay the entire sum. The two parties signed a 6-page agreement that Martin would repay the funds, which the Pitchford’s believed was only $768,000 at the time. Martin wrote the couple a check later that month for $598,000, but the check bounced.
Pitchford said that he wished the $768,000 was all there was, but the couple “keeps finding stuff” and he now believes the sum totals more than $3 million.
Martin has since gone missing, failing to complete his court-ordered community service and being absent from multiple check-ins with his supervision officer. Martin has had a warrant issued for his arrest for alleged auto theft after a $76,000 check he wrote for a new car bounced, which sounds like the worst wanted level increase GTA V cheat code ever.
Hopefully, the Gearbox CEO is able to get at least some of his money back. Having millions of dollars stolen is probably as stressful as game development itself, and there shouldn’t be any distractions from Borderlands 3. All jokes aside, this is an awful situation, and Martin should quickly be brought to justice.
Source: Dallas News


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Last year we reported on the first limb of this litigation, being the unsuccessful application by Gilead for interlocutory injunctive relief to prevent generic versions of the Truvada product from being sold in the Republic of Ireland. Since then generic products have been on the market and the substantive stage of the litigation took place...Read more
General Court’s MULTIPLUS decision highlights status to be accorded to national registrations in opposition proceedings
- Sona Nutrition opposed the registration of figurative marks containing the element ‘multiplus’ in Class 5 based on the earlier Irish mark MULTIPLUS in the same class;
- The Board of Appeal found that ‘multiplus’ was devoid of distinctive character and, therefore,...
The similarity threshold for trademark dilution under Article 8(5) – how low does it go?
- Volvo opposed registration of V-WHEELS based on earlier VOLVO marks under Articles 8(1)(b) and (5);
- The Board of Appeal found that, as the signs were dissimilar, the first condition of the test under Article 8(5) had not been fulfilled;
Ireland’s implementation of the much debated Article 17 of the new Copyright DirectiveOn 17 April 2019 EU Directive 2019/790 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market (popularly known as the “DSM directive” or the “Infosoc Directive”) was adopted. The DSM Directive has been plagued by controversy from the outset...
The viewing habits of consumers have shifted from traditional TV screens to portable devices, particularly among younger generations. The revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (“the AVMSD”) emerged out of concern for minors and EU member state citizens who are exposed to harmful content online including illegal content and content that contains incitement to hatred, violence...Read more
This is an update on our note last year concerning interlocutory patent injunctions in Ireland. The decision of the Irish Supreme Court on the 31 July 2019 in Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp v Clonmel Healthcare Ltd  IESC 65 will be welcome news to SPC holders but alters the field for generic manufacturers as...Read more


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Peshawar bans poultry, beef export to Afghanistan
KABUL (Pajhwok): The government in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Wednesday imposed ban on export of poultry, beef and cattle to Afghanistan for one month aimed at controlling prices at home, Pakistani media reports.
A circular from the Deputy Commissioner office in Peshawar slashed the ban to control skyrocketing meat prices at home in the holy month of Ramazan, the Dawn.com reports.
Local traders and butchers increase the prices in the month of Ramazan, forcing authorities to ban export of beef and poultry to Afghanistan.
A cattle trader in Peshawar wishing anonymity told Pajhwok Afghan News since he was afraid authorities would create problem in his business if he criticized the inefficiency of the local administration in Peshawar.
“Everyone knows the local government officials get free meat and poultry for their use from the traders who have the right to increase the prices. The administrative officials also ask for Eid money locally known as Eidi from the traders and local businessmen when Eid comes closer. Corruption should be banned instead of imposing ban on beef and poultry,” the trader added.
Hundred of Pakistanis would lose their sources of income who were affiliated with cattle and buffalo trade with Afghanistan.
Abid Afridi, a resident of Khyber Agency, said he didn’t think the prices would decrease with the ban but he was sure the ban would increase financial sources of security personnel on check posts from Peshawar to Torkham.
Most of Afghans traders in eastern Afghanistan import daily usage items from Peshawar and the businessmen said the trade turned double before the month of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Azha.
Reports show Pakistani authorities always ban export of mutton, beef, chicken and livestock to Afghanistan when the demand increases in eastern Afghanistan.
Pervaiz Khan, a student in Nangarhar University, said most of Afghan families living in remote areas of eastern Afghanistan prefer to have beef or chicken during Iftari and the ban would increase the prices there.
Rehmatullah, a Pakistani journalist based in Kabul, said shops were filled with Iranian products and Pakistani traders and businessmen losing control over most of the markets in Afghanistan since Pakistani authorities did not facilitate Pakistani businessmen. He fears Iran would control even beef and poultry markets in Afghanistan if the situation remains the same.
It is worth mentioning that Afghan government showed interest in recent past to increase cement business with Iran which provide better quality cement than Pakistan.
The suitable grazing land has made animal husbandry an integral part of the Afghan economy few decades ago. Natural pastures of around 30,000 kilometers bless Afghanistan with sedentary, farmers who raise both animals and crops and nomadic, animal herders known as Kuchis, which used to contribute huge amount to Afghan economy.
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VOV.VN - Vietnamese coffee exports are anticipated to encounter a myriad of difficulties over the short term due to the complicated nature of developments relating to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to industry insiders.
Statistics compiled by the General Department of Vietnam Customs indicate that the country exported 453,000 tonnes of coffee worth US$808.8 million during the first quarter of the year, representing a decline of 9.8% in volume and 5.5% in value compared to the same period from the previous year.
Most notably, the nation’s coffee exports hit their lowest levels throughout the 2019 to 2021 period due to the negative impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to reduced consumption demand and unfavourable conditions with regard to getting products through customs.
Furthermore, the blockage of the Suez Canal in March contributed to slowing the process of transporting Vietnamese coffee to markets in both Europe and the United States.
The nation’s coffee exports to Asia during the first quarter experienced an upward trajectory, while exports to other continents decreased against the same period from last year.
The proportion of local coffee being sent to Asia accounted for 45.33% of the total export value, higher than the figure of 33.11% recorded during last year’s first quarter. Meanwhile, the market share to Europe fell from 50.06% in the first quarter of last year to 41.12% in the first quarter of this year.
Moving forward, Vietnamese coffee exports are projected to face numerous difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to spread throughout several European countries, while some Asian countries continue to be at risk of becoming the latest epicentre of the pandemic.
Despite these predictions, the global high-quality instant coffee segment is forecast to enjoy an upward trend due to many people tending to work from home since the early stages of the pandemic, according to experts.
Industry insiders believe that although coffee exports to the EU face hindrances over the short-term, there are bright prospects ahead for the local coffee industry to exploit the potential market in the future.
This is the case following the enforcement of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) which is expected to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese coffee enterprises to boost exports to the EU market moving forward.
Economists have therefore advised local firms to fully tap into niche markets in Eastern Europe, especially Poland, where there is a growing number of coffee shops.
Due to the positive developments brought about by the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in the US, coupled with favourable customs clearances, there continues to be a great potential for Vietnamese coffee exports to penetrate the demanding market in the near future.
Moreover, Japan’s coffee imports from the nation last year increased by 17.3% to US$169 million compared to 2019, with the country’s coffee market share making up 14.33% of Japan's total import value, marking a rise of 2.77% from the figure of 11.56% recorded in 2019.
Amid the recent decline in coffee exports to the both EU and US markets, the local coffee industry has strived to fully tap into markets throughout Asia, including the Japanese market, with export turnover to the fastidious market expected to rise in the future.


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By Dr. Johanna Kreafle (abcnews)
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released an updated clinical report with recommendations on the best toys for children's development -- toys that promote play between a caregiver and child. The report focuses on toys for children from birth through school age.
As "interactive" electronic toys increasingly fill stores and children's rooms, the AAP warns families against using them as a replacement to traditional hands-on toys and games, which aid in healthy development.
"Toys have evolved over the years, and advertisements may leave parents with the impression that toys with a 'virtual' or digital-based platform are more educational," pediatrician Dr. Aleeya Healey, lead author of the report, said in a statement. "Research tells us that the best toys need not be flashy or expensive or come with an app. Simple, in this case, really is better."
Toys are key to developing children's brains, problem-solving, social interactions, language and physical activity. One of the most important reasons for kids to play with toys, especially in their infancy, is to facilitate warm, supportive interactions.
Though the clinical report referred mainly to children ages 5 and younger, it said that the most ideal toys are those that match the child's developmental abilities while encouraging the development of new skills. Caregivers should choose toys that allow children to use their imaginations — ones that aren't overstimulating.
"The best toys are those that support parents and children playing, pretending and interacting together," said Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, co-author of the report and associate professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Population Health at NYU Langone Health, in a press release.
"You just don't reap the same rewards from a tablet or screen," he added. "And when children play with parents -- the real magic happens, whether they are pretending with toy characters or building blocks or puzzles together."
Many of the new "interactive" entertainment choices, including videos, computer programs and tablet apps, make claims about educational benefits in their advertisements. But according to the AAP, these are unsubstantiated.
"The more we know about early brain development, the more we understand the need for play that is based on human interaction," Healey said. "There is no screen, video game or app that can replace the relationships built over toys."
If caregivers choose to give children "interactive" media, it should work for them within their family values. When used inappropriately or without thought, these media can displace important activities like family time, interactions with friends, outdoor play and exercise.
Back to the basics: traditional toy categories
Toy characters and objects: Such as dolls, action figures and stuffed animals, and toy food, cars and planes. These toys allow for pretend and imaginary play, which is a big part of a child's social and emotional development.
Blocks, shapes, puzzles and trains: These help children learn problem-solving skills, develop fine motor skills and can improve language and brain development.
Card games, board games, books and toy letters: They create ways for you and your child to interact and help...(click here to continue reading)
Amaze to know about kids toys, now I can choose the best for kids to improve their learning. Thanks for this useful article.
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Full-size trucks may look tough, but not every load-hauler is created equal according to the IIHS safety test scores for 2016. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put seven large pickups through their paces - some of the best-selling models on the market today - in a more stringent set of tests than normal, and the results are likely to cause more controversy among truck fans.
We all know that autonomous cars will make our roads safer and reduce traffic we have to deal with. The autonomous future also includes autonomous big rigs and trucks that will haul cargo across the country. Trucks from 12 different makers recently completed a week's trek across Europe and most of the time the trucks were driving autonomously.
First we had the Nissan Titan XD, a not-quite-heavy-duty pickup that showed there was life in the Japanese brand's truck division after years of neglect. Now we've got the 2017 Nissan Titan showing its face (in digital form) at the Chicago Auto Show as the second prong in the automaker's two-tier attack on the full-size segment.
The little vehicle you see here isn’t exactly a truck and it isn't exactly an ATV. It's a bit of a mix of the two and according to the folks who have seen it in action and the video you can watch below, the Sherp looks to be a capable little beastie. The hallmark feature of this thing are the massive tires that are self-inflating and have their own patent. Those tires are 1600x600x25, gigantic enough to allow the Sherp to embarrass obstacles up to 70cm tall.
Gas prices might be at a refreshing low, but coaxing more miles - and fewer emissions - out of each gallon still has its charms. Ford plans to do that with its best-selling F-150 truck courtesy of a fairly simple tweak for the 2017 model year, fitting more of its EcoBoost engines with Auto Stop-Start technology.
Back in January of 2015 at the Detroit Auto Show Hyundai made a splash with a cool truck concept that was somewhat like a modern El Camino. That concept was called the Santa Cruz. Fast-forward a year and at the Detroit auto show this year Hyundai USA head Dave Zuchowski stopped just short of confirming that the truck will go into production.
It feels like the 2017 Honda Ridgeline has been a long time coming, but the hotly-anticipated truck aims to make a splash at the NAIAS 2016 this week. Set to go on sale in the first half of this year, the 2017 Ridgeline is larger, more powerful, but more efficient than the truck it replaces, offering features like rear-wheel drive and Apple CarPlay for the first time.
A Ford truck with the engine of the GT, but space for five and off-road abilities that could put a dune buggy to shame just has to wear the Raptor badge. Unsurprisingly, then, the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew takes the company's performance truck and gives it a four-door spin for the Detroit Auto Show this week.
"Try the Tahoe" I was told when, a month or so ago, I admitted that Cadillac's vast, attention-seeking, and generally louche Escalade had wormed its way into my cold British heart. According to the commenters, I'd have just as much success - not to mention save a few tens of thousands of dollars - with the 2016 version of Chevrolet's SUV. So, I thought I'd put that to the test.
There's probably a dozen different ways to advertise a dump truck, and they're probably all boring compared to this. Volvo has unveiled its new FMX, an 18-ton, 540hp, 8x6 all-wheel-drive construction dump truck. In order to promote the thing, Volvo basically turned it into a remote-controlled car, able to be driven from a remote location via custom-made controls, and then handed it over to a four-year-old to play with.
A new off-road racing car that happens to be street legal has been unveiled in the UAE called the Zarooq Sand Racer. It has the look of a sports car with the lifted style and big wheels of an off-road truck. The car was designed in the UAE by Anthony Jannarelly, the same guy who penned the design for the Lykan Hypersport.


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The consumer champion accused the two major British airlines of ignoring EU guidance, which stipulates that airlines should automatically refund any unused vouchers 14 days after they expire.
However, the guidance, issued by the European Commission back in May, is just that – guidance, rather than legally binding.
While other airlines, including Ryanair, have made it clear that vouchers can be exchanged for a full refund at any time, BA and easyJet have not given customers this option.
It means passengers who accepted a voucher early in the pandemic could end up left out of pocket if they don’t manage to use their voucher before it expires.
Under normal circumstances, if an EU airline or airline flying from an EU country cancels a commercial flight, it has a responsibility to issue customers with a cash refund within seven days of the cancellation.
However, when the coronavirus pandemic grounded the majority of services worldwide, airlines struggled to meet the consumer protection laws laid out in EU Regulation 261.
In many cases, customers were strongly encouraged to accept a credit voucher they could exchange for a future flight, rather than a refund. For example, back in April, while BA’s credit vouchers were easily obtained via an online form, customers had to call up the airline and endure lengthy hold times in order to claim a cash refund.
EasyJet also initially removed the automatic refund option from its website in a bid to persuade passengers to take vouchers for future travel instead. Like British Airways, it insisted passengers phone the airline to get a refund. The carrier later restored the option to claim a cash refund online.
Some BA passengers complained to Which? that they automatically received vouchers for cancelled flights, even though they thought they had applied for refunds through the website’s ‘Manage my booking’ page.
BA insists its claims process is clear and transparent.
In other cases, passengers say they voluntarily took a voucher to help out their airline.
But many travellers who took this option have struggled to use vouchers, given global travel restrictions and the UK’s own tumultuous travel corridors policy that has changed on a weekly basis since it was first introduced over the summer.
BA has extended the expiration date on refund vouchers; they can be used to book a flight up until April 2022.
“We do not auto-issue vouchers, they can only be issued when a customer has requested them by filling out the form,” a British Airways spokesperson told The Independent. “Our website is clear that when filling out the form it is to apply for vouchers. Our vouchers are valid for use until April 2022.
“Customers are always entitled to a cash refund if their flight has been cancelled, which is clearly displayed on our website. Customers have up to a year after their flight was due to operate to get in touch with us for a cash refund – and we have processed more than 2.5 million cash refunds to date.”
EasyJet’s vouchers are only valid for a year, and the airline says it would only swap vouchers for cash in “exceptional circumstances as a gesture of goodwill”.
However, while a voucher needs to be used to rebook within 12 months, dates of travel can be after the voucher expiry date for any flight currently on sale.
“Where a flight is cancelled, customers are notified in advance and informed of the options they can choose from which – as well as a voucher for the whole value of the booking – includes transferring their flights free of charge or a refund for the full value of the booking, even if just one leg of their trip is cancelled,” said an easyJet spokesperson.
“If a customer chooses a flight voucher this can be used to make a booking up to 12 months after the voucher has been issued and the booking can be for travel beyond the voucher expiry date for any flights currently on sale. Flights are currently available to book up until 30 September 2021 and we have been bringing our on-sale dates forward to provide customers with more choice to rebook their trip in the future.
“In the event their new booking is impacted by any changes in travel restrictions, customers would be provided with further options to rebook.”
Which? called on the government to extend the powers of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the aviation regulator, so that it is able to bring airlines into line when they are found to be giving misleading information on refunds.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “As we head into a winter that is bound to bring more flight cancellations, it’s extremely concerning to see the UK’s biggest airlines disregarding European guidance and letting their passengers down when it comes to their refund rights.
“BA and Easyjet must immediately make it clear that passengers will not face losing their money if they are unable to use a voucher, while all airlines should be offering cash refunds to passengers prevented from travelling by lockdown laws.
“Major airlines have acted shamefully and without fear of consequences during this pandemic – the government must urgently review the CAA’s powers as part of its aviation recovery plan to ensure passengers have a regulator that can effectively stand up for them.”
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White Print is India‘s first lifestyle magazine for the visually challenged and is priced at just Rs 30 which is a fraction of what a regular lifestyle magazine costs.
India is home to 12 million visually impaired people of which 56 lakh are literate. The number of newspapers and magazines published out of Mumbai were only about 60 till May this year until former PR professional Upasana Makati launched White Print, there wasn’t a single English magazine in Braille.
Also Read: MangoReader: How to make education a fun experience
White Print is India’s first lifestyle magazine for the visually challenged and is priced at just Rs 30 which is a fraction of what a regular lifestyle magazine costs. Upasana doesn’t want to stop here. She is already thinking of another offering in this niche space. Here is what inspired this 24-years-old to start-up.
Upasana Makati, 24, quit her public relations job after just a year to better her relations with the world of niche publishing. Launched in May this year, White Print is a 64-page Braille magazine that includes stories on politics, art and culture from across the globe, reviews of audio books, gadgets, travel and food.
Upasana tied up with the National Association for Blind in Mumbai to print the magazine but she is clear, this is not a charity venture. White Print has adopted a subscription based model but Upasana says she is banking on advertising to generate a bulk of the revenues even though it has been a challenge to get corporates to sign up.
Upasana Makati says "Braille advertising is something that has not been tried before in our country and for the first time we are reaching out to companies to advertise with us in Braille.
There have been a lot of doubts whether there will be images, whether they will be coloured, whether there will be a particular language that we could change text in and that has been a major concern. This is because advertising till today has been all about graphics and elabourate images and very fancy colours that have been used but with White Print and Braille that is not the thing. So that is the main challenge we face while approaching to any company for advertising with us."
The distinctiveness of the idea has attracted regular contributions from journalists like Barkha Dutt, freelance columnists and even friends at absolutely no cost.
Working with the team of seven, Upasana has already chopped up plans to launch another niche magazine in five years.
"With White Print we would like to reach out to the maximum number of people. There are 56 lakh visually impaired people in the country who are literate, they know Braille. So our first aim in the next coming years would be to reach out to maximum number of people. Once that is set, we would love to come up with a magazine once again maybe with a different topic or different area of interest that we would like to explore," Makati adds.


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A man who hid a group of shoppers, one with a baby, in a basement cold storage room at the Hyper Cacher supermarket to shield them from the gunman has been hailed a hero.
Lassana Bathily, 24, a Muslim shop assistant originally from Mali, in west Africa, was praised for risking his own life to save those led to safety.
“When they came running down I opened the door of the fridge,” he told French TV. “Several came in with me. I turned off the light and the fridge. When I turned off the cold, I put them in. I closed the door. I told them to stay calm and I said ‘you stay quiet there, I’m going back out’.”
Police originally thought Bathily was a conspirator when he managed to escape through a goods lift. “They told me, ‘get down on the ground, hands over your head’. They cuffed me and held me for an hour and a half as if I was with them,” he added. Once freed he was able to give them details of the layout of the store and where people were hiding.
After the shootout he said that many of the customers he had helped came out and shook his hand. “When they got out, they thanked me,” he said.
Several people took to social media to call for him to be officially recognised for his bravery as news of his actions spread. One tweet said: “A true hero of the hostage crisis in the kosher grocery store yesterday.’
Another read “Lassana Bathily, Muslim worker at Paris kosher shop, hid people, incl. baby.” A photograph of Bathily, labelled Malian Muslim, has been retweeted around the world as a symbol of the good of some people in the face of terrorism.
One of those trapped in the cold store Johan Dorre, 36, a father of four, was able to call his uncle and say he was trapped two floors below the ground floor. Another uncle, Jacob Katorza, said: “Johan and the others were terrified that they would be discovered by the terrorists and were forced to huddle together like frightened animals to avoid hypothermia.”


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The 2024 Specialty Coffee Expo will take place at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois from 12 to 14 April. Following the success of the 2023...
Following the success of PRF El Salvador in March 2023, Producer Roaster Forum – the coffee industry’s largest producer-focused event – will return to Colombia...
When it comes to the World Coffee Championships, we usually first think of the competitors taking part in the seven annual competitions. And understandably so...
We’re delighted to announce that today marks the official launch of the Perfect Daily Grind (PDG) job listings board, PDG Jobs. PDG was founded in...
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Parents will increase their back-to-school spending by 33% over last year, shelling out an average $1,642 in 2016, up from $1,239 in 2015, according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker conducted by Ebiquity.
The boost comes in part from increased spending on technology, mobile devices and musical instruments. Parents will spend an average $505 on technology, with 92% saying kids need the devices for school this year, compared to 82% last year, according to the study.
The increase in back-to-school spending could hit other purchases, however: 78% of parents are curbing their own spending in order to afford their kids’ back-to-school expenses this year, up from 74% in 2015.
The study from American Express, which shows a significant jump in back-to-school spending this year, bolsters the National Retail Federation’s contention that the 2016 back-to-school season is a “stock up” cycle rather than a “make do” cycle. The NRF survey found that U.S. families will spend $75.8 billion in the run-up to the new school year, compared to last year’s $68 billion.
The back-to-school season is nearly as important as the end-of-year holidays, especially for some retailers such as office supply stores, general merchandisers and, increasingly, Amazon. The Rubicon Project found that e-commerce giant Amazon is the number one technology retailer for back-to-school shopping — the first time it's not a brick and mortar store.
Similar to other studies, the American Express report found that technology devices are increasingly on the shopping list during back-to-school, especially as devices become more important in education. 59% of parents will be buying computers/laptops, tablets, phones, or other mobile devices for school purposes, according to the study, more than last year (46%). Mobile devices in particular are increasingly becoming a classroom item: More than half (52%) are buying a mobile device to prepare their child for school, compared to 41% last year, spending on average $172 this year as compared to $125 in 2015.
Parents plan to reduce other expeditures as a result. Much of those cuts were found to come out of entertainment budgets (42% compared to 38% in 2015), travel (40% compared to 32% in 2015), and activities like club memberships and hobbies (28% compared to 21% in 2015).