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According to the Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau, Cancun hotels recorded occupancy rates of 93 per cent in the first half of 2015; this represents a year on year increase of 2.5 per cent.
The figures are published as Mexico’s favourite holiday destination looks on course to enjoy a record year for tourist numbers.
The sargasso seaweed problem has not been an obstacle for Cancun to become one of the best performing destinations in the world for hotel occupancy levels.
According to statista.com, the independent online statistics analysis website, Cancun is outperforming the market with hotel rooms filling fast.
On average Caribbean hotels were at 67 per cent occupancy during the first half of 2015.
This compares to 61 per cent in the United States, 61 per cent in Europe and 66 per cent in the Middle East.
There were 4.8 million holiday arrivals into Cancun in 2014, which was a 7.5 per cent increase on 2013.
Of this number 202,276 were Europeans with 93,049 Brits choosing to holiday there.
Commenting on the figures Jesus Almaguer, chief executive of the Cancun CVB said: “If 2014 is any indication, we are confident that 2015 will be another record-breaking year for Cancun.”
UK visitors are taking advantage of the excellent air links to Cancun with Virgin Atlantic and British Airways operating direct flights from London Gatwick.
British Airways offer three direct flights a week while Virgin Atlantic customers can choose from two direct flights a week.
The CVB attributes the growth in tourism numbers to a plethora of hotel renovations and attraction openings, increased flight connectivity and to Cancun’s growing reputation as a first class holiday destination for service and quality.
In 2014 the CVB worked closely with its partners in the UK to highlight Cancun’s family product, vibrant nightlife and fascinating cultural sites.
It continues to promote these key messages in 2015 and strives to highlight Cancun’s burgeoning events calendar, enviable gastronomy scene and world class shopping and spa facilities.
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In 11 simple words, Eminem helped make Chrysler Group LLC history.
“This is the Motor City and this is what we do,” said the Detroit rapper in the Chrysler 200 commercial, which appeared during this year’s Super Bowl.
The 13-syllable statement, along with the riff from his Academy Award winning track "Lose Yourself," were credited this morning for helping the Auburn Hills-based automaker post a $116 million profit for the first three months of the year, compared to a $197 million net loss the same time period in 2010.
It was the automaker’s first net quarterly profit since emerging from bankruptcy nearly two years ago.
"It clearly had a fairly big impact also on market levels with (the) Eminem Super Bowl ad being extremely well-viewed on YouTube," said Richard Palmer, Chrysler chief financial officer during a teleconference and webcast today. "And introducing the tag line 'Imported from Detroit.' "
The two-minute ad, which sparked a clothing line bearing its tagline, has 10.5 million hits on YouTube.
Chrysler reports 10,000 Chrysler 200s were sold in the first quarter of this year, which averages out to be about 1,000 cars for every 1 million views.
“I think it’s fair to say that we are certainly — internally — very pleased with the results Chrysler has been able to achieve in the first quarter of this year,” said Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne, during the teleconference and webcast.
Chrsyler continues to have big plans for more its ads.
In April, brand CEO Olivier Francois announced that Detroit Lions star Ndamakong Suh, hip hip icon Dr. Dre and fashion designer John Varvatos will star in an upcoming campaign for the Chrysler 300.

domain: news


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LONDON -- PSA Group is evaluating whether to build the Peugeot 308 in the UK and Germany alongside the Opel/Vauxhall Astra in a production shakeup for the two key compact cars, a source familiar with the automaker's deliberations said.
A PSA spokesman denied that 308 production will move from its current production site in Sochaux, France. "There is no plan to produce the 308 in Germany or in the UK," the PSA spokesman told Automotive News Europe. "We will advise on the production site when appropriate."
The Astra is currently produced in Ellesmere Port, England, and Gliwice, Poland.
The Astra decision is being complicated by the UK’s unresolved relationship with the European Union. If the UK leaves the EU without a trading deal – a so-called hard Brexit – that would reduce output at Ellesmere Port to right-hand-drive versions only, with left-handed cars moved to Ruesselsheim, the source said.
Ellesmere Port’s future has been thrown in doubt due to Brexit. Production and staffing levels have been reduced to bring the plant’s profitability closer to that of PSA’s French factories.
PSA platform switch
After buying General Motors’ European business in 2017, PSA has been switching new Opel/Vauxhall models to PSA platforms. This cuts costs and allows the automaker to restructure its European production.
PSA said on Wednesday that Gliwice would switch to building large commercial vans for the group starting in 2021, ending Astra production there.
In 2017, PSA said that Sochaux and the nearby Mulhouse plant in northeast France will get new vehicles in 2020/2021. The company did not give any further details except to say that that plants will manufacture all their vehicles on PSA’s EMP2 platform for compact and midsize cars.
Sochaux also produces the Peugeot 3008, DS5 and Opel Grandland X models. Mulhouse builds the Peugeot 2008 and 508 cars, as well as the Citroen C4, DS4 and DS7 Crossback, according to Automotive News Europe's Guide to European Assembly Plants.
Transferring 308 production from Sochaux could ease pressure at the plant, which is running a full capacity because of the success of the 3008, which was the most produced car in France last year with 258,460 units built.
News that PSA was considering adding some Astra production at Russelsheim was reported last month by the German business paper Handelsblatt, which cited Opel sources. The factory needs an extra model after production of the Zafira Tourer minivan runs out in the summer, leaving the Insignia midsize car as its sole production model.
Producing Astra alongside the 308 will be easier after the new Astra is switched to a PSA platform from its current GM platform.
Cost-saving synergies between the two models will be even more important as the compact segment continues to decline because customer demand is increasingly moving to SUVs and crossovers.
Both models are still valuable to Opel and Peugeot in Europe, however. The Astra was Opel’s second-biggest selling model in the first quarter after the Corsa small car, while the 308 was Peugeot’s fourth best-seller. Astra sales fell 17 percent to 37,968, and 308 sales dropped 4.4 percent to 39,939, according to JATO Dynamics market researchers.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated with PSA's denial that the UK and Germany are being considered for production of the 308.


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Starbucks has launched a new keto-friendly beverage line, which includes the keto drink Ketos.
The coffee-flavored drink features chocolate-flavoured syrup, coconut milk, almond milk and vanilla.
Starbucks is calling the beverage Ketos, a reference to the popular pop star Beyonce.
Starbucks has also launched a line of k-beauty products.
In a statement to the media, Starbucks said: “Keto is an incredible keto diet and we’re excited to introduce a new line of high-quality, low-calorie products to our customers, and our team is actively working on more great ways to get the word out about Keto.”
Read more about Starbucks here.
More stories from Australia


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Is The Cruise Industry Getting a Fair Shake?
Is the cruise industry getting a fair shake by media outlets? We discuss a land-side outbreak that received minimal coverage while the cruise industry continues to get hammered.
Read the article here.
Sherry has cruise news:
- Carnival Cruise Line cancels more cruises in 2021
- Cruise ships are starting to make their way back to the west coast
- Viking Cruises announces the godmother of an upcoming ship
- A 55-year-old ship is getting scrapped
- Carnival earn a few more travel awards in 2020
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International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva urged global policymakers to create a strong regulatory framework to drive cross-border payments.
“Cross-border payments today are often slow, expensive, opaque, cumbersome, and for some people, inaccessible. Those who need them the most - the poor - are worst affected,” Ms Georgieva said in a virtual address on Monday.
"We must therefore fix all major hurdles at once, and ensure that solutions are interoperable between countries. The alternative—a piecemeal roll-out that would frustrate businesses and consumers—is really not a good approach."
Global cross-border payments are growing at an annual rate of about 5 per cent and are expected to reach $156 trillion by next year, a report by London-based consultancy Ernst & Young showed.
Business-to-business transactions make up the largest share by far, expected to account for $150tn, and the pandemic has quickened the uptake of cross-border digital payments.
Ms Georgieva pointed to Singapore and Thailand as an example of how closer cooperation can facilitate cross border payment efficiency. The two countries have linked their payment systems allowing a worker in Singapore to send money to their family in Thailand within minutes by using a mobile phone number compared with two days previously, she said.
“New technology will shape more than just money and payments. Financial systems more broadly will be affected, with implications for macro-financial stability, monetary policy, growth and the international monetary system,” Ms Georgieva said at the virtual event organised by the Bank of Italy.
The IMF is also acting as a “transmission line” of good practices from one country to another, Ms Georgieva said.
For example, in the Pacific Island countries, the fund is working with authorities to strengthen their anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism frameworks to enable cross-border payments and remittance flows.
The IMF also pushed for ensuring the privacy of consumers’ and businesses’ data crossing borders.
“As digital money gets transferred across borders, so too does data - a valuable commodity that deserves just as much attention as transfers of money. Co-operation will be key to ensuring that data crossing borders can be trusted, accessed and stored properly,” Ms Georgieva said.
A key priority is to "improve the enabling environment that will accelerate the adoption of new payment systems while guarding against fraud and errors," she added. "That means coordinating on clear legal, regulatory, and data frameworks—and I’m stressing all three are necessary—and developing the appropriate incentives for the private sector to bridge the gap to end-users."
The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, is leading the region in the cross-border transactions.
Digital payments in the Emirates have more than doubled over the past two years to $18.5 billion in 2020, FinTech company Stripe reported.
Two thirds of UAE residents expect the country to become fully cashless by 2030, a poll by Standard Chartered showed last year.
“Cross-border payments are considerably slower, more expensive, less transparent and less accessible than domestic ones,” Governor of the Bank of Italy Ignazio Visco said.
“To an extent, this reflects the large number of stakeholders involved and the need to encompass more than one single time zone, currency, jurisdiction and regulatory framework.”


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When Alibaba releases its quarterly earnings today (May 5) just before its call with analysts at 7:30 a.m. EST, there's going to be one sure topic that Alibaba will likely rattle off some new, impressive figures about.
Mobile — and how it's driving Alibaba's eCommerce business model.
“Increased mobile shopping and rural market demand will remain key growth opportunities,” said Andria Cheng, an e-marketing analyst, as cited in a Wall Street Journal report. “China’s voracious appetite for foreign goods also spells another big opportunity on the cross-border eCommerce front.”
Those are two more figures we're sure to learn a lot about when those earnings figures roll in this morning. Mobile and its active mobile buyer base is expected to play into Alibaba's overall revenue growth, which, according to analysts' projections, are expected to rise at least 33 percent — hitting 23.2 billion yuan (roughly $3.6 billion). That's up from the 17.4 billion yuan (roughly $2.7 billion) seen the year prior. That was also when China was seeing a larger market slump.
On the mobile payments side, Alibaba has a leg up in the Chinese competition, with more than 350 million users in China alone.
Alibaba's mobile commerce figures have been so strong quarter after quarter, it was pretty easy for Alibaba’s CEO Daniel Zhang to explain its growth, “We’re crushing mobile," he said when the company reported its earnings results on Jan. 28. And he had the stats to back it up.
Alibaba saw mobile revenue growth of 192 percent YOY to roughly $2.89 billion; mobile GMV in Alibaba’s China marketplaces for the quarter hit a total of $101 billion, an increase of 99 percent.
Now, as Alibaba's next batch of earnings results flow in, PYMNTS has gathered data from the past four quarters, including mobile active users, mobile revenue and mobile GMV.


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According to Cointelegraph, on November 13th, in order to increase the acceptance of cryptocurrency in Switzerland, cryptocurrency broker Bitcoin Suisse cooperated with European payment and transaction service provider Worldline.
(Source: needpix )
The two companies have signed a letter of intent to provide online and offline cryptocurrency payment services to merchants and consumers in Switzerland.
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65,000 Swiss merchants will accept cryptocurrency payments
The new system will serve 65,000 Swiss merchants currently using Wordline's National Payment Infrastructure (SIX Payment Services).
With the increasing cryptocurrency payment capabilities, traditional networks have also begun to help promote the large-scale use of such new assets in physical stores and e-commerce.
Marc Schluep, CEO of Worldline Switzerland, said:
By partnering with Bitcoin Suisse, merchants can benefit from new payment methods without any conversion risk.
The two companies promise that the service will be convenient for merchants and consumers, and that payments made by consumers to merchants will be converted into Swiss francs or euros for payment, and the entire transaction data will be fully integrated into the merchant's report.
In the future, Worldline also intends to introduce cryptocurrency payment terms across Europe.
According to reports, the Swiss-based cryptocurrency bank SEBA obtained a banking and securities dealer license from the Swiss Financial Market Regulatory Authority and opened its doors to professional investors and corporate clients on November 12.
Last month, Cointelegraph published an article outlining the current global business of accepting Bitcoin as a payment method.


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Monday 06-18-12. Today should be the mark of a new time for Microsoft. The tablet, Microsoft’s own should be released today. That is the expectation from many observers because they will be making an announcement Monday afternoon to introduce a tablet computer of its own design that runs on a new version of its Windows 8 operating system. In fact, it is the first time in the company’s 37-year history that it will offer a computer of its own creation. Why now? Well maybe because the device is aimed purposely at Apple’s successful iPad, which has begun to threaten Microsoft’s hegemony in the computer business.
Now or Never
The old ways may be the dead ways. What ways? In Microsoft’s world, they licensed their OS to PC manufacturers. They let the PC manufacturers do their thing, as long as the Microsoft OS ran without a glitch. But that’s not how Apple did it.
Apple has demonstrated that the most effective way to create easy-to-use consumer gadgets is by building the whole package from start to finish, undoing the longstanding practice in the technology industry of companies’ devoting their energies to either hardware or software. This goes the same for Google, which also has made a concession to Apple’s approach. This was done last year with its acquisition of Motorola Mobility so that it will also design its own devices.
The incredible success of Apple has shown its rivals that they can no longer rely entirely on the business models that were so successful during an earlier era of the tech industry. So the time to change is now or never.
So only time will tell if their new tablet will be the beginning of a new technology model for Microsoft. If it is successful, what will the future bring in the area of hardware? How will Dell, Hewlett Packard, and other PC manufacturers deal with the prospect they their independent PC manufacturing days may be over?


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The official website for Gamestop Italy has been updated to possibly reveal a release date for Rise of the Tomb Raider on PlayStation 4.
Gamestop Italy shows the release date for Rise of the Tomb Raider to be October 11th, 2016 on PS4, a release date backed up by the companies database which shows the exact same date. Both images can be viewed below.
The second game in the reboot of the Tomb Raider series developed by Crystal Dynamics was originally released in November 2015 as a timed exclusive on Xbox One before releasing in January 2016 on PC. A year long timed exclusive would put a PlayStation 4 release somewhere around the October 2016 mark, so all signs point to the leaked date being true.
Credit/Image Source: Portugal Gamers


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CO FOUNDER AND SVP
Urban Company hires Abhinav Tyagi as SVP
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Chingari, which allows users to upload and create short videos in over 20 languages and claims to have clocked over 30 million downloads has plans of launching in South East Asia and the Middle East in the next six months, CEOand co-founder Sumit Ghosh said.
Zeta appoints Myntra's Abhishek Sen as chief operating officer
With over 16 years of experience in human resource management, operations and leadership development, Sen will be responsible for working across teams in Zeta and spearheading the company’s operations.
Does your business need Amazon and Flipkart to sell online? For many, it cuts both ways
Covid-19 has fuelled the adoption of e-commerce among small businesses. However, the gains of selling on an ecommerce portal may be limited because of the rising cost of doing business online, limited awareness and lack of level-playing field.
NoBroker ties-up with OYO LIFE, to scale up its co-living service
The two companies combine their tech prowess to integrate and implement technology for map-based location search, e-meeting with the property manager and instant booking of property by secure payment of the token amount.
Wipro ventures invests in Yugabyte, plans to take its open source SQL database to its clients
Yugabyte has also added Scott Yara, co-founder and former SVP of Products of Pivotal Software, to its board of directors.
GiveIndia starts India COVID Response Fund with Rs 75 cr in initial donations
Some of the early donors to the fund include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google.org, HSBC India, Omidyar Network India, UBS Optimus Foundation, Marico, Uber India (through Uber Care driver fund), Binny Bansal and A.T.E. Chandra Foundation.
Lucideus appoints new director
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Flipkart has started preparing for another Big Billion-Day sale event at the end of this year that will be "many times bigger".
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The Bangalore-based online commerce biggie, which is locked in a fierce battle with Amazon and Snapdeal, is expected to touch $5 billion.
India Inc shaken up, companies start taking stock of women's safety
Following the December 16 gang-rape case in Delhi, issues such as sexual harassment and women safety have become top priority for cos.


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According to Tencent technology, Tesla, an American electric vehicle manufacturer, is involved in the lithium battery business, and cobalt is an important mineral material for lithium battery manufacturing. Tesla recently signed an agreement with Glencore, a global mining giant, to purchase a large amount of cobalt materials for the production of lithium batteries in Tesla's new plant, a financial media source quoted on June 16 as saying.
According to foreign media reports, Tesla plans to use Glencore's Cobalt in its new plant and other manufacturing bases in Brandenburg, Germany.
Glencore is also the world's largest supplier of cobalt. According to the cooperation agreement between the two companies, the company will provide up to 6000 tons of cobalt to Tesla every year.
The financial position of the deal is unclear, but the price of a ton of cobalt is about $30000, down from $95000 in May 2018.
According to reports, Tesla has used Glencore's Cobalt in its plant in Shanghai, China.
So far, the lithium batteries used by Tesla mainly come from external suppliers. For example, lithium batteries in U.S. factories come from a Nevada joint venture with Panasonic in Japan, and lithium batteries in Shanghai in China come from LG Chemical and Ningde Times.
However, various news shows that Tesla is ready to enter the field of lithium battery, which further reduces the cost of battery and vehicle (lithium battery is the biggest cost of pure TRAM).
Tesla is building a huge manufacturing base in Brandenburg, Germany. In addition to the model 3 and model y electric vehicles, the base will also produce lithium batteries. In addition, foreign media also reported that Tesla plans to add lithium battery production lines to its plants in Shanghai, China, so as to supply model 3 and model y production lines in a short distance.
According to foreign media reports, Tesla plans to build a pilot lithium battery production line at the Fremont plant in California, USA. when the technology is mature, it may be applied to other lithium battery production lines in other regions.
In the past few years, tesla has acquired a number of companies involved in lithium-ion battery production technology, and has obtained a number of technology patents, which can lithium battery life and life.
According to foreign media reports, Tesla is working with Ningde times to develop a lithium battery with a service life of more than 1.6 million kilometers (million miles). The new battery may be installed on the domestic model 3 at the end of this year or early next year.
It is also reported that Tesla's Cobalt procurement will come from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since 2008, Glencore has been operating a copper mine in the Katanga region of the country and producing cobalt as a by-product.
It is worth mentioning that the use of cobalt will lead to higher costs of lithium batteries, in addition to the purchase of cobalt, Tesla is also actively using cobalt-free batteries


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Upgrade the tourism industryIt is embarrassing to learn that Chinese group tourists are herded to at least six duty free and health food shops in Seoul all day. Some travel agencies are undercutting Korean tourism potential by chasing immediate profit instead of trying to promote and preserve Korean tradition and culture through sophisticated programs.
The Korean tourism industry expanded with the help of a surge in wealthier Chinese. The easy ride, however, deteriorated the quality in tourism programs. Fewer group tourists from China should not be entirely blamed on the retaliatory action by Beijing against Seoul’s decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.
Seoul instead should map out a blueprint to redesign tourism policy by stamping out abuses by agents who capitalize on cheap programs and addressing glut and over-competition among local travel agencies. It must seek to diversify and expand the tourist base beyond Chinese, who make up more than half of foreign visitors to Korea.
Each local government must work with neighboring cities to develop customized programs and services. Foreign visitors should have wider choices to experience Korean traditions and historical sites individually, instead of in groups.
Japan is a good example. Its ambitious tourism program has drawn Chinese away from Korea. It lifted visa restrictions, leading to bigger returns from increased foreign entries. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presides over tourism cabinet meetings, which include foreign and justice ministry members. The surge in tax refund shops also added to the appeal. We not only envy the 20 million foreign tourists to Japan, but also the amount they are spending in the country.
Tourism is a service sector that generates cash and jobs. Korea must upgrade its tourism industry to stimulate domestic demand.
JoongAng Ilbo, Dec. 29, Page 34


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With the first round of funding announced in January, the Southwest has put more than $1.3 billion into its travel funds program.
As of June 30, the program has provided more than 14 million travelers with $20,000 to cover travel expenses, the airline says.
The airline also said it has set aside $400 million in new capital to help expand the travel program, including $40 million in the first year, and $50 million in each of the next two years.
In the first two years, the company said, it expects to spend $1 billion in capital on its programs.
Southwest has been making some big strides in its efforts to make the travel fund more attractive for travelers, and now it’s giving people more ways to access it.
In its first year of operation, the agency has offered travelers $50 in cash to purchase their tickets on its website, and it also offers free travel with a gift card that travelers can use on the airline’s websites.
Now, Southwest says it’s offering travelers an opportunity to earn additional cash rewards for redeeming their Southwest Travel Fund cards at a participating airline.
It’s the latest in a series of steps Southwest has taken to offer rewards to travelers, especially those who use their rewards to pay for flights.
The company said it’s also offering a $100 gift card to travelers for every dollar spent on travel on its websites, and the company is adding a “travel check” to the app that provides a virtual check-in option for travelers.
The check-ins help people see if they qualify for a travel reward or if they’re eligible for the Southwest Points program.
The Southwest Travel Points program rewards those who travel at least five nights a week.
For example, if a traveler spends at least $100 in one year, he or she will get 10 points that can be redeemed for a free Southwest Travel Card or another airline credit.
Travelers can also earn points for every one dollar spent at Southwest.
Southwest says the travel card is available for purchases on Southwest.com, Southwest.ca, Southwest Rewards and the Southwest Mobile app.


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BUFFALO, N.Y. — A new initiative is underway aimed at encouraging shoppers to check out Black-owned businesses for all of their holiday gift needs.
Mayor Byron Brown gathered with supporters and business owners Friday to kick off Buy Black Buffalo Week.
Officials hope the campaign, which runs through December 11, will give a boost to black businesses the city says has taken disproportionate hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For the next eight days, I invite residents and visitors to experience some of Buffalo's best retail, professional services, restaurants and cultural spaces owned by Black entrepreneurs", said Mayor Brown. "A number of stores will be offering specials and promotions in celebration of Buy Black Buffalo Week and we encourage you to support these businesses by visiting in person, calling for professional services or ordering online."
To find a complete list of participating businesses or for more information about other activities taking place as part of Buy Black Buffalo Week click here.


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BLOCKBUSTER INC. may be the nation's biggest retailer of in-home movie rentals and video games, but the company has never been much for making money. The same cannot be said, however, for its longtime chief executive, John F. Antioco.
Since becoming a public company in 1999, Blockbuster has lost more than $3 billion on almost $30 billion in revenue. Over that period, Mr. Antioco has received $19 million in salary and bonuses and oodles of stock options.
During much of the time Mr. Antioco, the hired hand, was raking it in, the company's shareholders were not. Blockbuster stock, which made its debut in August 1999 at $15, hit a high of $30 in May 2002. Since then, the ride has been mostly downhill.
The stock closed on Friday at $8.31. Blockbuster shareholders did receive a special $5-a-share dividend as a result of the company's spinoff by Viacom last month. But even after factoring that in, the stock is down 26 percent for the year.
Shareholders are experiencing the pain of increased competition from online rental operations like Netflix and Wal-Mart, and from video-on-demand services. Blockbuster shareholders have also been buffeted by the consumer shift to buying movies outright instead of renting them.Continue reading the main story
Judging by his munificent pay, Mr. Antioco has been hurt by neither trend. He's just another data point if you're keeping track of chief executives who receive outsized pay regardless of their companies' performance.
In recent weeks, however, the disconnect between Mr. Antioco's pay and his company's progress has become even more remarkable. An especially sweet day for him was Oct. 21. Not only did he receive options on 1.7 million Blockbuster shares, with a strike price of $7.17, he also got 1.73 million shares of restricted stock, valued at $12.4 million. The options' strike price -- the level at which Mr. Antioco can exchange an option for a share of stock -- was very near the low for the year in Blockbuster stock: $6.78.
Less than a week later, Blockbuster reported its results for the first three quarters of 2004. Same-store sales, those for stores open at least a year, fell 4.4 percent, rental revenue declined 3.1 percent and overall revenue inched up 0.9 percent. The bottom line was a loss of $1.26 billion.
The day that Blockbuster announced these unenchanting results, Nigel Travis, its president and chief operating officer, resigned after a decade with the company.
About two weeks later, on Nov. 11, Blockbuster announced a $700 million bid for the Hollywood Entertainment Corporation, the nation's No.2 retailer of movie and video game rentals. On that day, Blockbuster's shares rose 11 percent, presenting Mr. Antioco with a delightful paper gain on both his options and restricted shares.
But that was not enough. On Nov. 17, Mr. Antioco reported receiving options on a third batch of 1.7 million Blockbuster shares, this time with a strike price of $8.39 each.
The three stock awards totaled almost 5.1 million shares, or 2.4 percent of the stock and options outstanding at the company. Add the options on 4.3 million shares that Mr. Antioco held before the recent grants, and he has a grand total of 9.3 million options or restricted stock units. That represents 4.45 percent of the company's stock and options outstanding. That's some transfer of shareholder wealth.
And his grants make the stock that Mr. Antioco has bought outright -- roughly 34,000 shares -- look small by comparison.
Of course, Mr. Antioco cannot begin to cash in this year's stock awards until 2005, and he can do so only in one-third increments annually. But a question remains: Why wouldn't the senior executive compensation committee of Blockbuster's board make a practice of dispensing lavish stock awards only at times when there is no news that could move the company's stock price?
THE members of the committee of Blockbuster's board are Jackie M. Clegg, president of Clegg International, a consulting firm in Washington; Linda Griego, president of Zapgo Entertainment, a television production company in Livingston, N.J.; and John L. Muething, a lawyer at Keating, Muething & Klekamp in Cincinnati.
None responded to requests for comment.
"It would seem good corporate governance practice to impose blackout periods for new equity awards in situations where a major corporate announcement following the award could lead to a dramatic changes in share price," said Tim Ranzetta, president of Equilar Inc., a compensation analysis firm in San Mateo, Calif. After all, he added, many corporations have blackout dates surrounding their quarterly earnings announcement when employees are barred from trading their company's stock.
Mary Bell, Blockbuster's treasurer, said that the timing of Mr. Antioco's grants was set last June, well before the Hollywood Entertainment deal was contemplated. The size of the grants was determined by the compensation committee based on company performance and comparisons with other chief executives, she said.
"Blockbuster and the Blockbuster board of directors believe that equity ownership is an important part of compensation and recognizes the sweat equity of its employees," Ms. Bell said in a statement. "Given the well-reported challenges of this industry, creating significant stock appreciation is an endeavor that should be rewarded appropriately."
Of course, investors may be inured to these kinds of pay grabs by now. Too many shareholders have seen this movie before. With apologies to Frank Capra, "It's a Wonderful Life, If You're a C.E.O." is getting really old. Isn't it time for a new script?Continue reading the main story


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Smartphone sales barely budge in 2019 for SamsungSamsung Electronics reported slow smartphone sales growth in 2019, but it managed to maintain its spot as the No. 1 seller of the devices globally.
Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner said on Tuesday that the Korean tech company’s share in terms of smartphone units was 19.2 percent, up 0.2 percentage points from 2018.
The U.S. research firm said that the total was helped along by a strong showing in terms of budget model sales.
“Samsung successfully revamped its mid-tier and entry-level smartphones in 2019. To attract price-conscious buyers of premium smartphones, it launched the Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite in early January 2019,” Gartner said in the report.
Samsung sold 296.2 million units globally in 2019. Huawei had a 15.6 percent share, selling 240.6 million devices. Unit sales for the Shenzhen, China?based company were up 2.6 percent.
The rivalry between the two companies will likely remain intense as they do battle in foldable phones.
“The fierce battle between Samsung and Huawei in the foldable phone market will be interesting to follow this year, as each vendor takes a different approach,” said Anshul Gupta, senior research analyst at Gartner. “Samsung has switched from a horizontal to a vertical fold with the Galaxy Z Flip and reduced this phone’s size and price. Huawei has launched the Mate Xs - with Huawei Mobile Services now accessible via the Huawei AppGallery worldwide and increased its price.”
Apple fell to No. 3 as its market share fell to 12.6 percent last year from 13.4 percent in 2018, when it came in second place.
In the fourth quarter Apple beat Huawei as iPhone sales grew.
“A slight lowering of the prices of the iPhone 11 series, compared with the iPhone XR, and other price reductions for previous-generation iPhone models increased demand. It also helped Apple regain the No. 2 position,” said Annette Zimmermann, research vice president at Gartner.
BY PARK EUN-JEE [email@example.com]


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The cryptocurrency market burned a lot of investors over the past year as rising interest rates drove investors away from riskier investments. Bitcoin (BTC -0.84%) has lost about 70% of its value since hitting its all-time high last November, and many of the smaller altcoins have collapsed.
The crypto meltdown might represent a buying opportunity for contrarian investors who can stomach the volatility, but most investors should probably avoid that sector and stick with better-diversified fintech plays. So today, I'll take a closer look at three promising fintech stocks -- Adyen (ADYE.Y 2.66%), MercadoLibre (MELI -0.81%), and Visa (V -0.03%) -- and explain why they could be better bets than most cryptocurrencies.
Adyen is a Dutch software company that provides an end-to-end platform for processing payments, data analytics, and financial management services. Its services can be integrated into existing online, mobile, and in-store payment systems with just a few lines of code.
Those flexible integrations enable merchants to accept over 250 payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, mobile wallets, and other payment apps. Instead of providing dedicated consumer-facing apps like PayPal or Block's Cash App, Adyen's back-end software enables merchants to launch their own payment cards and mobile wallets. Adyen also doesn't dabble in any cryptocurrency trading services, stock trading tools, or physical debit cards.
Adyen quietly operates from behind the scenes, but it's growing like a weed. Its revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increased 46% and 57%, respectively, in 2021 as it lapped a rare slowdown during the pandemic in 2020.
Analysts expect its revenue and adjusted EBITDA to rise another 35% and 36%, respectively, this year. The stock isn't cheap at 50 times this year's adjusted EBITDA, but its robust growth and disruptive potential -- which pulled eBay away from PayPal in 2018 -- justify that premium valuation.
MercadoLibre is usually known as Latin America's e-commerce leader. However, the company's PayPal-like Mercado Pago payments platform -- which tethers merchants, shoppers, and off-site businesses to its ecosystem -- also makes it the region's top fintech company.
That ecosystem also includes its credit-based payment services (Mercado Crédito), online insurance policies, investment services, and cryptocurrency trading tools. It ended the first quarter of 2022 with 35.8 million unique active fintech users, representing 31% growth from a year earlier, and that ecosystem included 20.2 million mobile wallet users and nearly 23 million investment accounts.
Its total payment volume (TPV) soared 81% year over year on a constant currency basis to $25.3 billion during the quarter. The take rate for its entire fintech ecosystem rose from 3.19% to 3.84% between the first quarters of 2021 and 2022, which indicates that economies of scale are kicking in.
MercadoLibre still generates most of its revenue from its online marketplaces, but its entire business is still growing rapidly. Its revenue and adjusted EBITDA surged 35% and 31%, respectively, in 2021. This year, analysts expect both its revenue and adjusted EBITDA to increase about 47%.
MercadoLibre's stock looks reasonably valued at 35 times this year's adjusted EBITDA -- and it could still have plenty of room to run as income levels and e-commerce penetration rates climb across Latin America.
Visa is sometimes considered a "traditional" financial services company, but its massive payments network -- which is currently tethered to 3.6 billion cards and accepted at over 70 million merchant locations in over 200 countries -- actually makes it one of the largest fintech companies.
On its own, Visa doesn't issue any cards or take on any liabilities from consumers. Instead, it partners with banks -- which actually issue and financially support their own Visa-branded cards. Visa then generates most of its revenue by charging businesses "swipe fees" to access its network.
Most digital payment platforms, such as PayPal or Apple Pay, are still often tethered to an underlying credit card from Visa or its top rival, Mastercard. Many of Visa's partners have also added near-field communications (NFC) chips to their cards to enable tap-to-pay features and contactless payments.
Visa even started rolling out crypto-linked debit cards across several markets over the past year, as well as its own "buy now, pay later" BNPL network, called Visa Ready, to help banks counter BNPL challengers like Affirm, Block's Afterpay, and PayPal's Pay in 4.
Visa's revenue and adjusted earnings grew 10% and 17%, respectively, in 2021, as its total processed transactions rose 17%. Analysts expect its revenue and earnings to increase another 19% and 21%, respectively, this year -- even as inflationary headwinds rattle the economy. The stock is still reasonably valued at 24 times forward earnings, and it should remain a solid blue-chip alternative to the market's more speculative fintech plays.


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Thursday, February 16, 2012
Industry News: Accelerating
Bennigan's plans to open 12 new locations in 2012. Bennigan's currently has 33 domestic and 45 international locations…Fantastic Sams Hair Salons has been acquired by Dessange International. Fantastic Sams operates 1,200 salons in 46 states, and Dessange operates salons and beauty institutes in 45 countries…Gap’s Athleta unit will open stores in Chicago, Boston, Houston and Denver in 2012. The company plans to open over 50 stores by the end of 2013…Planet Fitness opened its 500th location last month, and plans to add more than 100 new facilities in 2012. Planet Fitness had only 4 gyms in NH when the company began franchising in 2003…The Disney Store plans 13 new and remodeled locations in North America in 2012. New locations include Denver, Salt Lake City, Orlando, and Danbury, CT…Family Dollar plans 450 to 500 new stores in the current fiscal year. The discounter also plans to continue its store renovation program, making over another 1,000 location…BJ’s Wholesale Club opened 3 locations in VA and NY. BJ’s now operates 195 locations in 15 states as well as 107 gas stations…Auto supply chain Pep Boys has been acquired by private equity firm Gores Group in a $1 billion deal…7-Eleven, Inc. entered into an agreement with Sam's Mart LLC to acquire 55 Sam's Mart stores in North and South Carolina and convert them to 7-Eleven stores this year, part of the retailer's accelerated growth plan. 7-Eleven opened some 650 stores in 2011. The chain operates, franchises or licenses more than 9,000 stores in North America…Togo's Eateries, Inc. signed 23 agreements for new restaurants and opened 7 new California restaurants in 2011. The 241-unit company launched a strategic plan for expansion, which includes remodeling options for franchisees. In 2012, 26 franchise locations and two corporate restaurants will open, and 80 existing restaurants will be remodeled…Golfsmith plans to open 10 new stores and relocate 4 existing stores in fiscal 2012. The company operates 79 stores across the US…H&M will have opened 275 new stores by the end of 2012. The chain operates 2,500 stores in 43 countries...UFood Restaurant Group Inc. has signed an agreement with Euro Café Corporation to create co-branded restaurants at airports, shopping centers, malls, colleges, hospitals, casinos, health clubs and military bases. Euro Café operates cafés in airports in partnership with Hudson News. Headquartered in Boston, UFood Grill operates restaurants airports, hospitals, shopping centers and urban storefronts…Wendy’s plans to build 20 and remodel 50 Company-operated restaurants in the US and Canada in 2012...YO!Sushi will open its first 2 US locations this year in Washington, DC. The company plans franchise agreements for about 30 units by year’s end, with 12 US locations operating by the end of 2013…Flip Flop Shops will expand from its current 50 to 90-plus shops by the end of 2012, with an additional 40-plus already in the pipeline for 2013. The brand projects 236 locations by 2013…Chipotle Mexican Grill expects to open 155–165 new locations in 2012...The Container Store will open 6 locations in 2012, bringing the company's store count to 59 by year's end...GNC will open approximately 125 new retail locations, 15 new franchise locations, and 50 new GNC-Rite Aid store-within-a-store locations.


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General Motors Corp. surprised analysts yesterday by reporting better-than-expected third-quarter earnings, based on improved performance of its big North American automobile operations, a favorable tax break and the improved profitability of its cars and trucks.
The nation's largest automaker posted a profit of $642 million, or 42 cents a share. This represented a gain of 16.4 percent over the third quarter of 1994, when net income totaled $552 million, or 40 cents a share. Sales totaled $37.5 billion, up from $34.5 billion.
It was GM's best third quarter since 1988, a period that dealers call the "good old days" because industry sales of 15.7 million vehicles were the third best on record.
GM had been expected to earn 31 cents a share, based on the estimates of 11 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research. Those estimates ranged from a low of 15 cents, and even the most optimistic analyst felt that GM would earn only 40 cents.
"The battleship is turning," said Phil Gott, who heads the automotive consulting business of DRI/McGraw-Hill in Lexington, Mass.
"It certainly was a good quarter," said Smith Barney analyst David Garrity. "I think everybody was pleasantly surprised by what they did" in North America.
GM's North American operations (NAO), which traditionally account for about 60 percent of the company's earnings, reported a net loss of $93 million.
While that is not normally grounds to celebrate, GM's president and chief executive, John F. Smith Jr., said the company was "especially pleased."
The NAO finished the comparable part of 1994 $363 million in the red.
Mr. Smith noted that improvement of NAO "more than accounted for our overall year-over-year increase."
Last year's third quarter was particularly hectic for GM, as a strike at the company's Inland Fisher Guide parts plant in Anderson, Ind., slowed production at assembly plants around the nation and came within hours of forcing a shutdown of GM's Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari van factory here.
That strike, along with one at the Buick City complex in Flint, Mich., reduced the company's 1994 third-quarter profits by $150 million.
During the third quarter this year, GM benefited from an unusually low income tax rate of 1.2 percent as the company incurred losses in European countries with high tax rates and posted profits at other international operations, which had generally lower tax rates.
Overall, the tax situation added $110 million, or 15 cents a share, to GM's earnings.
"We can quibble about tax benefits but the fact remains GM came out with better-than-expected results," said Mr. Garrity, the Smith Barney analyst.
In presenting the third-quarter results, J. Michael Losh, GM's chief financial officer, noted that the company has made an average pretax profit of $629 on each vehicle it sold in North America this year.
That compares with an average profit of $200 per vehicle during the first nine months of 1994.
Some troubling numbers had to do with the company's supply of vehicles in stock. At the end of the quarter, GM had a 79-day supply of cars in its inventory, up from 56 during the strike-plagued part of last year.
There was a 97-day supply of trucks on hand, up from 81. The company likes to keep a 60-day inventory.
Numbers related to fleet sales were more favorable. They showed that GM is reducing the number of its less-profitable sales to rental companies.
Fleet sales accounted for 22.6 percent of car deliveries during the first nine months of the year, down from 24.3 percent last year. Truck sales to fleets fell slightly, to 18.9 percent from 20 percent a year ago.
For the first nine months of the year, GM posted consolidated net income of $5.06 billion, or $5.32 a share.
This was up from a profit of $3.2 billion, or $3.41 a share, in the comparable period a year ago. Sales totaled $124.9 billion, up from $112.4 billion.
Wall Street took the news in stride. GM shares closed unchanged yesterday at $46.50.


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Computer giant Acer is developing an Android phone to be launched later this year, it has been revealed.
The company’s president and chief executive Gianfranco Lanci confirmed his intention to enter the market for phones running on Google’s powerful operating system at an investors’ conference in Taipei yesterday.
He told attendees: “The entire industry is looking at Android. We are testing Android on a lot of different solutions.
"We are working on an Android solution for the smartphone, [but] I think it's too early to say if we're going to see Android on a netbook in the near future."
News of Acer’s Android-powered handset comes as a number of mobile phone companies are planning to launch rival devices this year.
These include Sony Ericsson, which is expected to unveil its handset this summer, and Samsung whose I7500 was confirmed for release earlier this week.
Currently, the only Android handset available in the UK is the one million-selling T-Mobile G1.
However, this is soon to be joined by the HTC Magic
on Vodafone, which is now due to appear on May 1st.


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Alibaba Group likely to float $15-bn IPO in US: report
18 Mar 2014
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd had decided to float its long-awaited initial public offer (IPO) in the US, and Thomson Reuters reported citing sources as saying that it was in discussions with six banks for underwriting the deal. The IPO would be the most high-profile IPO since Facebook Inc's listing nearly two years ago, the report said.
The company said in a statement on Sunday that it had decided on starting the US IPO process, putting an end to speculation about where it would go public.
Separately, sources told Reuters that Alibaba was in discussions with Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs Group, J P Morgan, and Morgan Stanley for lead underwriting roles.
Most of the six banks that would win the coveted role of joint global coordinator, the report quoted some unauthorised sources as saying.
According to projections by analysts, the Hangzhou, China-based company was worth at least $140 billion, and the IPO proceeds could exceed $15 billion, Reuters had reported earlier.
The big ticket deal for the banks is expected to yield an estimated $260 million in underwriting fees, assuming 1.75 per cent commission, and boost their rankings in the league table.
Meanwhile, founder Jack Ma and his team are taking rapid steps to consolidate Alibaba's position as a conglomerate, across the widening reaches of China's booming entrepreneurial economy. Ma told Bloomberg Businessweek in an interview in 2012 that the company would be totally different in the next five years.
He added, the team at Alibaba wanted to build up a company in Chinese history that nobody had seen before.
The first three months of the year saw Ma make deals at a scorching pace. Many but not all of them too aim at rival Tencent, currently considered Asia's largest Internet company. Earlier this month, Alibaba announced its intention to spend HK$6.24 billion ($804 million) to take a controlling stake in ChinaVision Media, a Hong Kong-listed company that, among other things, owned the Chinese rights for mobile TV broadcasts of English Premier League soccer. The deal would give Alibaba a massive library of movies, TV shows, and sports broadcasts, even as it kept the programming out of Tencent's hands.
Alibaba had also invested aggressively in gaming and instant messaging, two services that had not been central to Ma's vision for Alibaba until late last year.


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Walmart said it was changing the required age to purchase tobacco and vaping products to 21 and will discontinue the sale of fruit- and dessert-flavored electronic nicotine-delivery systems.
Walmart was among several retailers that received a letter last month from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noting a high percentage of alleged violations regarding sales of tobacco and vaping products to minors. The FDA sent similar letters to several retailers—including Kroger and various convenience, dollar, grocery, gasoline and big-box outlets—on April 5, with a request for written outlines on how these companies will work to solve the problem within 30 days.
Walmart's new actions will go into place July 1 at Walmart and Sam's Club stores. The retailer said it also plans to use virtual reality training to enforce age verification. This will allow employees to experience a number of scenarios and practice appropriate responses.
Additionally, Walmart implemented new disciplinary protocol last month for employees that failed secret-shopper checks.
Previously, the retailer disciplined employees for failed regulatory checks but used failed secret-shopper checks as an opportunity to "reeducate cashiers, reinforce training and provide individual instruction on the importance of age verification," John Scudder, Walmart's U.S. chief ethics and compliance officer, outlined in the retailer's response to the FDA letter.
"Going forward, however, a cashier who fails a secret-shopper check will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination," he wrote, adding that the retailer will also be working on a stronger positive-reinforcement protocol for successful regulatory and secret-shopper checks.
The retailer is also working to enhance its use of data, analytics and systems to more quickly identify "potential risks, trends and themes," according to Scudder.
"We unequivocally acknowledge that even a single sale of a tobacco product to a minor is one too many, and we take seriously our responsibility in this regard," Scudder wrote, assuring the FDA that Walmart will remain focused on improving its compliance program and that any sale-to-minor violation will be properly handled and "viewed not as a cost of doing business but as a breach of trust with the customers."


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Transmeta makes for an interesting Silicon Valley case study. The net of its announcement last week is that they will continue to be with us indefinably.
This company has an amazing history, and its story demonstrates the opportunities and mistakes that can surround a high-profile startup in Silicon Valley.
The Alien Influence: Marketing at Its Best
When Transmeta first appeared on the scene, it was housed in a building across from where I was working at the time with its windows blacked out, cloaked in massive secrecy. Rumors included — and I’m not kidding — that they were developing technology that had been derived from alien spaceships that would change the world forever. Segway later used a very similar process to drive interest in their offering to incredibly high levels, and both efforts set the benchmark for low- to zero-dollar marketing resulting in massive media coverage.
The underlying concept taps into the human tendency to want what is unavailable — in this case, information. If you can make something attractive and then dangle it just out of reach of the audience, you can garner an almost rabid response. This creates a virtual media feeding frenzy as reporters fight to get the “scoop” on the breaking news. Contrast this with what normally happens with a new release where the overworked reporter, after seeing the 30th “unique product” in a given week, has a hard time staying awake during the briefing, let alone writing about that product favorably — or at all.
As the announcement of Transmeta’s product drew close, the major news services were fighting each other to get the story out. To this day, I’ve never seen the kind of coverage Transmeta had at their launch. Had it been done right, Intel probably never would have been able to respond, and Transmeta could have had a near impregnable beachhead in the laptop market they could have used to challenge Intel broadly.
In War and Marketing, Timing is Everything
Unfortunately Transmeta fired too early. If they had just had one branded customer on stage with them during the launch that was announcing a product, the news stories would have been all about the massive damage they would do to Intel and their success. But Transmeta didn’t do this, and the stories spun south and instead focused on an apparent lack of customer support. The product that actually had been shown on stage never, to my recollection, actually showed up.
The real damage was that the presentation did scare Intel half to death, and subsequently, they put a massive amount of resources into creating what eventually became the Pentium M. This was a ground-up, redesigned product that, while not as power-efficient as Transmeta’s, hit the sweet spot of the laptop market well enough and removed much of the potential that Transmeta otherwise would have had.
Strangely enough, consumers actually saw a much better benefit then they likely otherwise would have as the Intel part moved more rapidly into a number of products and average efficiency and battery life jumped dramatically. However, Intel also got much of the financial benefit that otherwise would have been Transmeta’s.
Rebuilding the Wave
After this, Transmeta slowly built up more and more vendor interest, capturing Sony, Toshiba, and HP in what were market-leading products in various segments. Their first offering, the Crusoe, was adequate for Windows 2000 and Windows XP, provided vastly better thermal and battery performance then anything from either AMD or Intel, and was used in very high-profile products from the branded vendors mentioned above.
Step by step, Transmeta was rebuilding its image, now the hard way, and once again it was looking like a player. At the time, Intel was having trouble getting its new mobile processor out the door and its “Speed Step” technology (basically a stop-gap measure that cut processor performance dramatically in order to get barely acceptable battery life) was seen by many as a bad joke.
Meanwhile, IBM and others were rumored to be moving to Transmeta, and Transmeta was planning to bring a new chip to market, called Efficeon, that was vastly more powerful then Crusoe and capable of turning the company into a real player again.
Shot from an Enexpected Place
Transmeta had been using IBM to fabricate its parts, but like others who have looked to IBM for this, it was having recurring cost and delivery problems even though quality was first rate. In addition, many think that using IBM Microelectronics is the path into IBM hardware and this has, time and time again, has proven to be untrue.
Amid increased buzz in its favor, the firm moved to go public. News surrounding Transmeta was very positive, and the possibility that IBM would be the next company to use its technology was fueling a potential buying frenzy. The result, had it gone well, was expected to be a massive infusion of cash to a degree that Transmeta could have purchased AMD and the combined entity would have given Intel an instant heart attack.
At the peak, and right before the IPO, IBM made the surprise announcement (I’ve never known IBM to do this) that they would not be using Transmeta. While never proven, this was alleged to have resulted from a panicked request from Intel, which if true, was incredibly well timed to pull the rug out from under Transmeta. This, in turn, meant they generated a fraction of the capital they had anticipated which made it impossible for them to acquire any larger firm, let alone AMD.
Transmeta Stumbles Again
Before bringing out its new high performance processor and with companies like Toshiba basing product releases on that part, Transmeta stopped using IBM to fabricate its chips and found a lower-cost operation in Asia. Unfortunately the transition did not go well and Efficeon did not make its critical fourth-quarter launch date to the embarrassment of the PC product managers who depended on the part.
Additional commitments dried up, and the Toshiba relationship went into rapid decline. Transmeta was once again on the ropes. Still, once the part finally arrived, it performed as advertised and several Sharp branded products we’ve tested using it have been very impressive. However, at the end of 2004, Transmeta was clearly in trouble — costs were significantly exceeding revenues and new opportunities like the amazing OQO pocket laptop were not making up the difference.
Transition and Opportunity
The market continues to favor power conservation as a long-term goal, not only in portable devices but in products that traditionally were thought not to have this requirement. This is because current generation mainstream parts have become so powerful that the heat they generate and the power they utilize have become problems in markets ranging from consumer to corporate, from full-on PCs to embedded appliances. Transmeta just needs time for players in these markets to understand the timely benefits these parts provide, as well as time for them to regain their trust in the vendor so they can return it to growth.
The dramatic changes Transmeta just underwent, which cut their ongoing costs and provided sustained revenue sources, provides them with this much-needed time. The company’s licensing efforts should better allow its technology to proliferate — and there is a very good chance we will still be talking about Transmeta at the end of the decade as a result.
Still, it is interesting to look back at what might have been and remember that timing, the right partners, and execution remain the only sure way to success in this, and any, market.
Rob Enderle, a TechNewsWorld columnist, is the Principal Analyst for the Enderle Group, a consultancy that focuses on personal technology products and trends.


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For the past few weeks, Sony has been marketing next week’s PS4 launch with a campaign called #4ThePlayers. The ads so far have been mostly focused on stoking nostalgia for the PlayStation brand, but today’s ad is a little different.
In a new ad that’s obviously meant to go viral, Sony references Street Fighter II in a spot for a service called Hadouken Cab. It’s actually a pretty witty piece of entertainment, but is there a deeper meaning behind it?
Kotaku notes that the ad combined with the Web site tie-in point to something Street Fighter related coming to the PS4. Capcom did just recently announce Ultra Street Fighter IV for PS3 and Xbox 360, but could the publisher have a PS4 version in the works as well? This ad seems to indicate that it could be something like that. It wouldn’t be the first fighting game from the current generation to get a next gen touch up.
As of now, however, the only Capcom game announced for next-gen consoles is the free-to-play Deep Down. That one is exclusive to the PS4, and that exclusivity may carry over to whatever Street Fighter project Capcom has in the works.


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Truck & Trailer Association has warned of a ‘Chakka Jam’ if their issue is not resolved within next 10 days.
Jamshedpur: The Truck and Trailer Owners Association staged a sit-in and held a demonstration front of the Burmamines HSM Parking Gate. They were demanding an increase in the freight tariff.
On Tuesday, a delegation of the Association submitted a memorandum to the company officials and said that if their issues are not addressed, then they will cause a chakka jam from August 20.
The Association patron Dhananjay Rai said that the prices of diesel are increasing regularly. He said that Tata Steel is also increasing the freight tariff for its registered vendors regularly.
However, he added, the vendors are still sticking to the old tariff when it comes to paying the transporters.
This is causing a concern for livelihood among truck owners.
He said that Tata Steel management is directly responsible for this situation. He reiterated the demand that orders be placed directly with the local transporters by Tata Steel, instead of through vendors.


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Gone is the audible memory of the cameras of age: the click of the shutter, the rattle of the film passing by … Smartphones have practically extinguished photographic patience and sophistication, but not completely. One manufacturer, Kodak, has decided to stand alone in the market as the last supporter of traditional photography and that bet, against all odds, seems to be paying off.
in Brief tweetRochester has announced that it has begun a new contracting cycle due to the demand for traditional reels that has “soared” in recent years. At the age of smart phones And “point and shoot”, a new current against it indicates that a sector of the market wants to return to calm, patience and discovery of development.
More than 300 new employees
This unexpected jitter of a seemingly overrun production process partially disrupted the manufacturer’s plans. Although, as we noted, it has kept the reels in its product catalog alive, this sudden explosion in demand was unexpected. “Dealers keep telling us that 35mm film is disappearing from their shelves,” Nagraj Pukinkiri, Kodak’s head of traditional imaging, told Betapixel.
This executive highlighted that the company had to go from a single Monday-Friday shift dedicated to this product, to doubling down to three shifts working 24 hours a day, including weekends. Specifically, Kodak has hired 300 new employees in the past 18 months, and that doesn’t seem to be enough. because this Biology than the traditional pulley?
Material and imperfect
“This from Kodak is really very symbolic,” says Iker Morin, a photographic journalist. This expert hints at a return to the value of “physical form, imperfect aesthetics versus megapixels,” referring to the almost unbearable perfection of images captured with a modern smartphone. With the latest generation iPhone or Android, it’s almost impossible for a photo to be of poor quality, even if it’s taken on the move and almost out of focus.
Multiple optics, algorithms and artificial intelligence do the shooter’s dirty work, producing amazing results from any shot. And now there is no waiting: you can take a photo and it will appear on your screen instantly, completely free of charge. The mention of the cost is not trivial: in the days of the reel, each development cost money and, of course, time; This forced the photographer to be a little more nimble when it came to shutter pressure, and work more on elements like framing, focus, and diaphragm speed and aperture.
“Analog Come To Stay”
“For us, it is one of the most anticipated news,” says Albert Roeg, founder of the Analog Development Carmencita Film Lab, without hiding his enthusiasm. I have consistently resisted the wave of digital like Kodak. “Our goal has always been for the industry to bring analog photography back into the spotlight, and not just on a professional level, but we really believe it is a medium that contributes a lot to the creative community and has a strong reason for being important,” he explains.
On the other hand, this passion for what classic Photography was also noted in connection with the sale of reel cameras, which were experiencing their distinctive golden age, and caused their prices to skyrocket. The industry simply wasn’t ready for this text misrepresentation and the high demand has led to a shift reflex The new theme of desire for photography enthusiasts.
Why is this going back to the old? According to Roeg, a portion of customers seek to recapture “the experience of use and the magic that medium provides. The experience that analog provides to the five senses cannot be compared to the coolness of digital or taking pictures with a mobile phone.” In the shooting process, elements such as the camera’s weight, sound, touch “and even smell” have now lost value.
“It’s like comparing a piece of solid wood furniture to another from IKEA,” says Roeg, who doesn’t hesitate to create yet another impossible-to-avoid comparison. flow, like Spotify, a format that not only continues to resist, but recorded a 22% increase in sales in the first half of the year. Will the return of the reel be a fad? “Nobody has a crystal ball, but analog formats seem to be here to stay,” Roig explains, because, in his view, “life isn’t just made up of zeros and ones.” [el código binario de la computación]”.
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Wal-Mart is expanding its online grocery pickup test in the northwest Arkansas area to include five Neighborhood Market stores in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville.
Customers using the free service will be able to order groceries online and pick them up at a participating store without having to get out of their cars.
Beginning Wednesday, customers can shop online and schedule a pickup time on or after Sept. 23 at any participating stores.
Currently, the only pickup location in northwest Arkansas is located at 3701 S.E. Dodson Road in Bentonville, where service began last September.
The five new locations are:
- Fayetteville, 2690 East Citizens Drive
- Springdale, 4900 Jennifer Terrace
- Rogers, 808 West Walnut (opens Sept. 23)
- Bentonville, 1703 East Central Avenue
- Bentonville, 1400 North Walton Boulevard
"Right now this is just a test phase," Wal-Mart Director of Corporate Communications John Forrest Ales said. "It’s been really well received so far and we’re getting lots of feedback. We are always listening to our customers."
Customers can shop online for nearly 10,000 grocery items and consumables, including fresh meat, dairy, produce and common household items and schedule the pickup time that works best for them.
The locations will offer designated parking spaces for online grocery pickup customers and Wal-Mart personal shoppers will deliver groceries to customers’ vehicles.
According to Ales, Wal-Mart is continuing to explore new ways to make shopping easier by blending its digital and physical assets.


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The software service, called VIIZR, will be offered starting next year by the automaker's Ford Pro commercial vehicle and services unit. Ford said that the system will digitize paperwork for contractors, repair technicians and other tradespeople, and will start at $39 per month per user.
The target small-business market overlaps with a key market for Ford trucks and commercial vans because of the fact that VIIZR customers don't have to drive Ford vehicles.
Ford is working to build sources of steady recurring subscription revenue to supplement revenue from vehicle sales that can get hit by economic downturns or disruptions, like the recent shortage of semiconductors.
Salesforce and other software-as-a-service companies tend to command higher stock valuations than manufacturers. Salesforce has a market value of nearly $253 billion, compared to $76 billion for Ford.
Ford said it would offer businesses free trial use of the VIIZR system ahead of the launch in the first half of 2022.


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MONROVIA, Montserrado â€“ Grand Kruâ€™s Sen. Peter S. Coleman has dispatched a communication to Albert Chie, Senate pro tempore, complaining about the high charges levied on the importation of goods at the Freeport of Monrovia.
In his communication dated on February 13, 2018, Coleman said the high charges on goods are done at the detriment of struggling Liberian businesses, noting that the issue could â€œhurt the revenue generating capacity of the Free Port of Monrovia.â€
â€œI am bringing this issue of the continuous increment in the customs duties and port charges at the Freeport of Monrovia and its adverse consequences it is exerting on Liberian-owned businesses as well as the revenue generating capacity of the economy,â€ Coleman said in his letter.
He noted that as far back as 2008, many business people and port users would release a 20-foot container of general merchandise or mixed clothing purchased from China for under US$5,000 while a 40-foot container was also released for US$9,000. The Grand Kru senator said since the Ebola outbreak, those charges have now tripled.
â€œThe [National] Port Authority, her partners to include APM Terminals and Liberia Revenue Authority have had challenges in setting up a one-stop window as the associated paperwork is cumbersome and charges are fluid,â€ he stated.
The Grand Kru senator added that during the week of February 5-9, 2018, National Port Authority management announced a 100 percent waiver on storage and demurrage fees on over 180 abandoned containers. The demurrage fees are assessed when owners of goods fail to take their goods in the agreed upon time.
Coleman said the high fees led to those containers overstaying at the port, resulting in â€œmany Liberian businesses to be left stranded.â€
As a result of the high customs duties and port charges coupled with the bureaucratic bottleneck faced by Liberian-owned businesses, Coleman said port users are now using other ports in the sub-region, including in Guinea, Cote Dâ€™Ivoire, and Sierra Leone, which he said have lower customs duties and port charges. Those goods are then transported by land into Liberia, he added.
This action by businesses, according to Coleman, has led to a drastic reduction of ship and containers entering the Freeport of Monrovia and consequently, a reduction in revenues for the country.
â€œIf the situation is not addressed, Liberians would be spectators in their own economy, contrary to [President] George Weahâ€™s pronouncement that Liberians will not be spectators in their own economy,â€ he cautioned.
Coleman pleaded with Sen. Chie that the Liberian Senate should have a public hearing aimed at arriving at informed recommendations to resolve the developing trend.
He further said that it will be important to have theÂ Ministry of Commerce, the Liberia Revenue Authority,Â the Customs Brokers Association, the Liberia Business Association, the Concern Liberia Business Organization, and the Patriotic Entrepreneurs Association of Liberia invited to the public hearing to make a presentation as to how these issues can be resolved.
Featured photo by Zeze Ballah


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HCMC delegation at the meeting with leaders of Buenos Aires Province of Argentina (Photo: SGGP)
A delegation led by Vice Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai today worked with leaders of Buenos Aires and the Embassy of Vietnam in Argentina to promote a cooperative relationship.
The delegation included Head of the Propaganda and Education Board of the City Party Committee Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue, Secretary of the Party Committee of Thu Duc City Nguyen Huu Hiep and leaders of the Department of Culture and Sports, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Tourism Department.
At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai informed that Ho Chi Minh City has cooperative relations with about 53 provinces and cities around the world. In the process of international integration, the southern metropolis with 10 million population wishes to promote cooperation with Buenos Aires Province. With two-way trade between Ho Chi Minh City and Argentina reaching about US$128 million in 2022, he believed that the two localities still have ample room for bilateral cooperation shortly.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the HCMC Union of Business Association and member of the delegation, Argentina is famous for its developed football background in Vietnam, but Vietnamese businesses and consumers do not know much about Argentine products and vice versa.
Currently, Vietnam mainly imports corn, soybeans, oil, and vaccines for cattle from Argentina and exports electronic components, electrical appliances, household appliances, and mobile phones to Argentina. These products are exported by foreign-invested enterprises whose manufacturing plants are located in Vietnam with their brands.
Director of the HCMC Tourism Department Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa introduced the city's International Tourism Fair expecting that the tourism promotion agencies of Buenos Aires will come to the fair, which is slated to take place in early September.
Ms. Hoa said that on the trip to the fair, Argentinian tourism businesses can survey the typical destinations of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam.
|Vice Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai gives a gift to Mr. Mario Oporto, Senior Foreign Affairs Advisor, Minister of International Cooperation of Buenos Aires|
Director of the HCMC Department of Culture and Sports Tran The Thuan emphasized that Ho Chi Minh City is the cradle of cultural convergence for more than 4,000 years of Vietnam and 54 ethnic groups. Currently, the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage is a very important activity of the city, so international visitors will have interesting experiences in culture and history.
Minister of International Cooperation of Buenos Aires Province Mario Oporto wished to promote cooperation with Vietnam, especially Ho Chi Minh City in some areas such as tourism, education, culture, sports, commerce, and energy.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai conveyed city leaders’ invitation to the leader of Buenos Aires for a visit to the southern largest city to further promote the cooperation relationship between the two localities. Especially, this November will be the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
After 50 years, bilateral trade has continuously increased, from US$ 316 million in 2007 to more than US$ 4.5 billion in 2022. Argentina is one of the city's four main import and export markets in the region, along with Brazil, Mexico and Chile.


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You get in, you check your email, and you get out. That's the plan anyway, and Yahoo doesn't like it. That time spent using other apps is valuable time that could be spent using its own. To tackle this issue head-on, the company has updated its Yahoo Mail app with the goodies (read: distractions) from the Yahoo homepage that people know and love. Now instead of just the mail, users will have access to the latest current events, weather reports, sports scores, popular videos, and other non-mail related attractions.
Yesterday, Google began rolling out a small update to the Newsstand app, bumping it up from 3.2 to 3.2.1. While the version number suggests this was only a bug fix -and it mostly is- there were still a couple of interesting additions discovered during a teardown.
Google is adding a helpful walkthrough for people who are new to Newsstand. Until now, the app has lacked a proper "onboarding" step for the first time an app is run.
The Sonos Android app has been long overdue for an update, previously sporting a UI that looked out of date four flavors of Android ago. When version 5 hit beta, it brought about a much needed refresh, introducing a UI that looks just fine on KitKat devices. Now the app has exited beta and is ready for anyone with a Sonos sound system to download and fire up.
Instapaper is a popular service for saving web pages to read later, one that competes with the likes of Pocket and Readability. Today the app hit the big 3.0, so I'm going to take a moment to highlight what's new. The headlining feature is text highlighting, the ability to save a section of an article to read or share with others later. The app groups all of these snippets together in an accessible location.
The Amazon Android app has just received an update that should affect more than just your shopping. Now the company's apps support single sign-in. When you log into one, you're automatically signed into the other ones that are installed on your device. This works with the main shopping app, Amazon MP3, the Amazon Appstore, and the Kindle app.
Upon my extensive hands-on testing of this complex feature, everything seems to work just fine.
Facebook's entry into the alternative SMS game has quickly reached its fifth release. This update doesn't contain a huge visual overhaul, but it does have some impressive new additions to the main chat window that will make it easier to send all your non-textual communications. The update should be live for everyone now - check the Play Store if you want it immediately, or just wait for the alert or auto-download.
The changes that Google made to the way that Android uses external storage (read: MicroSD cards) in KitKat have been contentious to say the least. A few of the more widely-used file explorer apps have utilized a loophole in the Media Scanner service to restore at least some of the more widely-used functions for accessing and modifying files, and now the popular Solid Explorer has done the same.
According to the changelog for version 1.6, the work-around should function for Samsung devices that have been updated to Android 4.4, though the new Galaxy S5 is a notable exception.
The first notable update for the new Android version of Mailbox adds a spiffy, time-saving feature: action buttons in the app's email notifications. Users should now see a "Reply" button on the expanded Mailbox notification, as well as "Archive" and "Snooze" buttons, which are activated via swipes while in the app itself. These should help achieve the app's stated goal of making email organization faster and easier for time-strapped mobile users.
Duolingo is one of the most simplistic, visually appealing language learning experience someone can come across, and the fact that it's a mobile app they can take anywhere is just one heck of a perk. Today's update doesn't shake things up for existing users, but it has what it takes to bring in many more. Now English courses are available for people who speak Hindi as their native language, Russian speakers have the option to learn German, and German speakers are welcome to learn French.


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Today, on 3 November, the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) are launching EU Circular Talks, a new exchange concept of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. It aims to encourage stakeholders to interact and discuss circular economy topics in the platform, in the form of online workshops, webinars or interviews with high-profile supporters and experts of the circular economy. Additionally, stakeholders are invited to join the circular economy debate in the designated discussion forum, which features categories such as education, sharing good practices, financing and markets and engaging consumers. You can also subscribe to the EU Circular Talks newsletter to receive information on all of the platform’s upcoming events.
Ecommerce Europe participated in the organisation of today’s #EUCircularTalk webinar: The circular economy to revitalise retail, which gathered representatives of small, big and omnichannel retailers to discuss the role of circular economy to revitalise retail and wholesale, particularly in the context of their recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. The participants discussed how investments in circular economy initiatives could help retail and wholesale businesses respond to the evolving consumers’ needs, what the enabling success factors and barriers are and what the role of the Single Market is in enabling circularity. The webinar featured interventions from Commission officials from DG GROW, as well as representatives of La Redoute, IKEA, and REWE.
Ecommerce Europe welcomes the EU Circular Talks initiatives and invites all stakeholders to use the platform to engage with each other, ask questions, share their positions and further the EU debate on circularity.


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On May 21-22, 2019, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) hosted the “Safer Chemicals” conference at their headquarters in Helsinki, Finland that “offered an insight into the current priorities for the regulation of chemicals in the EU.” The two-day event featured speakers from ECHA, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), national regulatory agencies, and industry. Sessions covered topics such as improving compliance of REACH registration data, tackling substances of concern, and improving safe use of chemicals. Slides and video recordings of the presentations have been made available on ECHA’s website.
On May 23-24, 2019, the third Helsinki Chemicals Forum took place and brought together panelists from a wide range of international regulatory agencies, NGOs, industry associations, and academic institutions. The event’s program included panel discussions on topics such as risk management for substances of very high concern (SVHCs), chemical grouping and avoiding regrettable substitution, plastics and circularity, and the quality of and access to data on chemicals. In an article published by regulatory news provider Chemical Watch, the European Commission is reported to have emphasized the importance of ensuring consumer trust in the transition to a circular economy with respect to chemicals. Daniel Calleja, director general of the Commission’s DG Environment, used the example of flame retardants in toys as an issue that can “destroy consumer trust and support,” and he called for the phasing out of SVHCs and for industry to avoid these chemicals in products and ensure they do not return in recycled products.
ECHA (May 2019). “Safer Chemicals – ECHA Conference.”
Helsinki Chemicals Forum (May 2019). “Programme 2019.”
Luke Buxton (May 23, 2019). “Circular economy approach must secure consumer trust – EU Commission.” Chemical Watch
Chemical Watch (July 9, 2019). “CW report highlights Helsinki Chemicals Forum discussions.”


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Champagne De Watère VIP Terrace Friday 28th September 2018 . Le Méridien Beach Plaza Luxury News Online Partners with...
British luxury boat manufacturer, Fairline Yachts, is today celebrating one year since the all-new management team took over the boatyard.
Under the leadership of a highly experienced marine industry management team, the company has employed 227 people, launched two new models (the Targa 53 OPEN and Squadron 53), updated the interior finishes across the 48ft model range, added a hardtop option and new interior to the Squadron 65 and unveiled plans for two highly anticipated and completely new boats. These upcoming models are the Targa 43 OPEN and the Targa 63 GTO, both of which have been created by renowned Italian superyacht designer, Alberto Mancini.
(Left) Left to right – Karl Gilding, Business Development Director, and Russell Currie, Managing Director.
Russell Currie comments, “This time last year I said that our focus will be on creating high quality luxury motor yachts that boaters want to own and dealers want to sell. In that time over 85 boats have been sold, including ten during the first hour of this year’s London Boat Show.
“Key to our success has been getting our partnerships right. Combining the creative flair and style of Alberto Mancini, the engineering excellence of Vripack and the exceptional quality and British craftsmanship we already had at Fairline makes for an exciting combination, which has secured a very positive future for the brand. We have also worked hard to strengthen our dealer network, appointing new dealers in key global yachting destinations including Hong Kong, the Middle East, Malta, Argentina, Benelux and Denmark.
“I am proud of all that has been achieved by Fairline over the past 12 months, but we aren’t resting on our laurels. We are committed to building on the success of 2016 with continued growth of the dealer network and through launching beautifully designed, handcrafted yachts with cutting edge innovations. The Fairline brand is celebrating its 50th year in 2017 and we are honouring the anniversary with a host of Golden Moments, including the launch of the highly anticipated Targa 63 GTO at Cannes Yachting Festival in September. There is plenty more to look forward to from Fairline!”
Alberto Mancini with James Phillips
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Spanish fashion house Balenciaga recently unveiled a new design: airbrushed sweatshirts that celebrate New York City.
The hoodie is a bright hue of pink, giving the spray-painted graphics that cover the front of it plenty of contrast. Near the neck of the hoodie, "New York City" is written in extravagant lettering, which is accented by hints of white spray that look like clouds. Beneath this is are a range of iconic landmarks, such as the Empire State building and the Statue of Liberty. These landmarks cover most of the hoodie, making for a statement aesthetic.
The Balenciaga NYC Airbush Hoodie is currently available on its website for almost $900 USD, as well as from a number of retailers like Barney's.


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Dashiell Bennett writes that the Worldwide Leader is considering abandoning the 3D channel it launched in June if the company can’t find a sustainable business model. Which, of course, is ludicrous. 3D will succeed. But it’s going to take some time.
We bet that the majority of sports fans purchased a new, enormous, flat-screen television in the past two years. Expecting them to dish out another $1,500 for a 3D set isn’t realistic. It’s just not going to happen, especially when the offerings are so slim. But they will, eventually. The next set everyone buys will be 3D-enabled.
Someone is going to make a mint broadcasting 3D sports, but the money won’t start flowing for another couple years. ESPN would be foolish to get out of the business before it even began.
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Has there ever been a better time to be a warehouse worker?
Probably not, based on the 16th annual survey of the supply chain hourly workforce that was published earlier this month by staffing companies EmployBridge and Staffing Leadership Group. Of the nearly 20,000 survey respondents, about three-quarters said they were satisfied to various degrees with their current jobs. Nearly 65% said they were extremely or very optimistic about their financial future.
To understand the reasons behind this high level of confidence, start with the abundance of job openings. Through September, there were, on average, 400,000 weekly postings for hourly warehouse, distribution center and fulfillment center positions, the survey said, citing data from Indeed.com, an employment aggregation platform.
Around this time three years ago, there were about 220,000 open positions, said Brian Devine, president and CEO of Staffing Leadership Group and the report’s co-author.
The number of postings in September declined by 24% from the red-hot pace of fall 2021, according to the survey. Yet even with such a material drop, demand for warehouse labor continues, and will likely continue, to outstrip supply, Devine said.
The supply-demand imbalance has allowed warehouse labor to flex its muscles in different ways. For example, a worker can demand at least $2 more in hourly pay to move from a facility’s “first shift” — generally between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. — to either one of the other eight-hour shifts that are not considered as desirable from a work-life balance perspective, the report found. That is a 35% jump from 2021 levels and well above the historical year-over-year increases dating to 2012, the report found.
Warehouse workers still prefer to work day shifts and prefer five eight-hour shifts to fill their workweeks, according to the survey. Not many respondents prized working night or weekend shifts, the survey found.
An individual’s personal choice notwithstanding, shift and schedule flexibility are among the top three factors in determining workers’ job choices, and whether they remain at the company, according to the survey. In today’s tight market for supply chain labor, the pendulum has swung from applicants selling their skills to employers selling the company’s value proposition to the prospective employees, according to Devine.
Other than increases in pay, “opportunities for advancement” was the most important benefit a company could provide to earn a worker’s loyalty, according to the report. In last year’s edition, “advancement opportunities” came in third behind the employer caring about the employee’s growth, and a company’s culture and values.
Another critical feature, according to the report, is paid time off. In an eye-opening factoid, 82% of respondents said they would rather keep their current hourly wage rate and get five days of PTO than receive a $1-an-hour wage hike with no PTO days, even though choosing the latter might put more money in their pockets.
According to Devine, workers who are already satisfied with their wages would rather have more personal time, or time with their families, than receive an additional $1 an hour.
“They would rather have the time off to go watch their kids’ soccer game,” he said. “Or they may want an extra day or two to recover from what can be a very physical and strenuous job.”
The data point should be a wake-up call to warehouse operators about the value of offering generous PTO, Devine said. According to the survey, providing five additional PTO days to a worker making $17 an hour would cost the employer about $850 per year. A $1-an-hour increase with no additional PTO would cost the employer, per worker, about $2,600 per year, according to the survey.
The nationwide median wage for warehouse labor currently stands at about $17.80 an hour, according to the report. The pace of wage gains is running ahead of increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the third straight year, the report found. This comes after many years of warehouse wages lagging gains in the CPI.
Wages for the upcoming peak holiday season are expected to rise starting early next month by $1.50 to $2 an hour through the busy cycle.
The national wage estimates take into account varying pay scales based on a particular region’s cost of living. The data also incorporates the higher wages paid to workers like forklift operators who have an additional layer of skills compared with a general warehouse floor worker.
Not surprisingly, wages are by far the most important consideration for workers looking for a job. Yet the ability to attain a balanced work schedule was the most important reason why a worker chose a particular place of employment. Devine said that other factors became more important to a worker’s job satisfaction once the worker agreed to an acceptable wage.


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Pacific Crest Securities
Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson has predicted that packaged games will maintain flatness in 2010 while the industry as a whole will show growth of 6 percent.Wilson claims this is partly due to a 34 percent surge in digital sales.
Pacific Crest Securities headlines
Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson expects says that he recession may be hitting games harder than financial gurus and chart trackers previously thought.In his NPD preview note to investors, Wilson estimates software sales for June have dropped 20 percent year-over-year to $700 million.“Our most recent checks have indicated that the relative health that we […]
Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson has pointed to 2010 being a major year in the games trade’s cycle, with his company expecting a new console from Microsoft and the end of PSP and DS.“We believe that peak industry sales will occur in 2010, given that Microsoft will likely introduce its next console that year […]