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When marketers discuss how direct mail fits into their overall campaign efforts, it is often described as the “workhorse” — dependable, reliable and effective; the channel that guarantees a tactile piece of marketing material will reach a prospect’s mailbox. For Kurt Konow, a Chicago marketing strategist at Ricoh, a global technology company, that is certainly true.
Konow says that direct mail remains a vital component of every marketing campaign he works on. But as the economy has struggled over the last few years and budgets have been squeezed, marketers like Konow are more pressed than ever to prove the viability of direct marketing and its many channels. And marketers these days, more than ever, are rising to the test. Literally.
In an age of multiple mailings, integrated campaigns and shifting audiences, some marketers are finding it more essential than ever to test the efficacy of their marketing. And they are leveraging a wide array of tools to figure out just how well their campaigns are faring and how to refine those campaigns along the way.
“It’s more important than ever to show the physical piece is still bringing in returns, that you’re getting people to respond and converting people with your message and offer — because it’s often the first thing to be eliminated,” says Konow, who estimates that he sends out a half-dozen direct mail campaigns each month to both B-to-C and B-to-B prospects.
Testing has been central to the direct marketer’s role for decades, of course, as companies work to ideally attain the highest response and conversion rates possible without maxing their budgets. Any number of testing tactics persist, from database and reporting interfaces and data analysis to test mailings that gauge the response of everything from the mailing list, the offer, the messaging, the type of package and even the kind of stamp.
Classic testing techniques include A/B splits (in which a baseline control mail sample is tested against several single-variable changed options), and multivariate testing (in which multiple design elements are changed at the same time), as well as list segment testing.
And all of it may be going on at the same time for various campaigns, says Renee Mezzanotte, executive vice president of client services at DMW Direct, a direct response advertising agency in Chesterbrook, Pa.
“We’re always testing variables with our clients — we’re never satisfied with the status quo,” Mezzanotte explains. “There’s an expense tied to testing, and marketers can be fearful of that, but you need to prove the performance of a piece because there’s definitely more eyes on DM than practically any other part of the budget.”
Changes to the test
With a proliferation of other marketing channels, some of which are still in a nascent evolution (such as social media and mobile) and others which have matured in recent years (such as e-mail and online advertising), today’s campaigns tend to be multichannel and holistic with a variety of response options — from e-mail, QR Codes and PURLs to simple toll-free numbers and in-person walk-ins, not to mention social media communications and text messaging.
When it comes to testing the success or failure of such multilayered campaigns, however, the vast possibilities have amplified confusion among marketers regarding the what, why and how of direct mail tests and created what experts describe as a combined sense of opportunity and a feeling of being completely overwhelmed.
“The variables have broadened, with far more channels to look at,” says David Henkel, president of Johnson & Quin, a full-service direct mail production company based near Chicago. “There is just so much more to test, and without discipline by the entire organization, there can be a lot of missed opportunities in terms of understanding response.”
And that includes the success of both the direct mail piece and the overall campaign.
Taking action in response to test results can be challenging as well, Henkel adds, as marketing staffs have been downsized in response to budget cuts. “There’s a pressure to show evidence of direct mail success, but there are fewer of the folks who would traditionally be able to analyze and take action on the information,” he says.
However, sophisticated and creative marketers willing to invest the money and manpower are doing innovative tests and experiments that take an out-of-the-box approach to measuring response and results, says DMW’s Mezzanotte.
“We’re testing in terms of creative positioning, different incentives, one-step packages versus lead generation, and even taking chances on concept testing,” Mezzanotte explains. “For instance, a national insurance company we work with had a sales force trying to connect with a small audience of credit union C-suite executives such as vice presidents of membership benefits and CFOs. We developed a warming campaign that included something oversized but not over-the-top in terms of budget. It had a little tactile-ness, but it cost only $5 in the mail.”
A personalized postcard was sent as a follow-up, and the company evaluated both soft and hard measurements. “Because the messaging was strong and a little different, the salespeople said every person they called and spoke to knew of the piece and it helped them a bit more,” adds Mezzanotte.
Carolyn Goodman — president of Goodman Marketing Partners, a multichannel direct response company in San Rafael, Calif. — says clients are beginning to turn their attention to testing communication nuances such as color, and addressing predictive modeling. Both areas are common in online campaign testing but far less common off-line because of the increased cost.
“Sophisticated marketers are learning and growing all the time and testing more subtle variables while seeing dramatic gains in results,” Goodman says. “I definitely think testing should be a staple in the direct marketing arsenal, regardless of channel.”
Staying disciplined and following up
Penny Ransom, vice president of strategic planning and brand management for Network Health, a Wisconsin-based health insurance provider that offers a wide variety of Medicare plans, constantly strives to test and improve the company’s mailings that peak in the fall selling season.
“We’ve become sensitive to that fact that one message might be appropriate for one county but they might not respond to it in another area,” she explains. For example, a travel benefit might be important to one population that tends to get away from Wisconsin winters, but another less affluent area might respond more to what doctors are in the network. Testing allows Ransom and her colleagues to determine which copy points have the most influence and which offers work best for which audiences.
For Tim Bannon, head of sales and marketing for Meemic — a Michigan-based insurance company that provides auto, homeowner and other coverage to teachers and other educational employees — the biggest overall challenge in terms of direct mail testing is how to follow up on successful results.
“We’re all focused on bringing in business, but for the most part we don’t have a way to go back to those households to welcome them, to cross-sell, or to seek a referral,” Bannon says. “We are testing prescribed, cross-channel contact to new households by customer segment so we retain and grow these new relationships.”
Kurt Konow of Ricoh says Ricoh’s integrated, multichannel campaigns — including e-mail, Facebook and mobile — add the complications of proper campaign sequencing and channel-response testing layered on top of the challenging variables of lists, copy and offers.
“I’m a big believer in integrated campaigns, but you need to test your sequence as well as ensure that you’re varying the message for each piece,” Konow says. “Perhaps one time you push the e-mail out first followed by the direct mail piece, or another time you push the mobile marketing message first. The problem is that marketers will typically begin every campaign with the direct mail piece. However, when the sequence is changed, then you need to change the message on the direct mail piece slightly to test which channel and message is working best.”
While modern marketers may face new challenges in today’s multichannel universe, however, all-too-common mistakes still plague mailers when it comes to testing. One of the most common missteps, says DMW’s Mezzanotte, is not keeping your attention on why you’re testing in the first place.
“You can get really tied up in minutiae, so you have to think about whether what you’re testing is really going to move the needle,” she says.
Leaping to wrong conclusions is also a classic direct mail testing error, explains Goodman, of Goodman Marketing Partners: “Someone will look at two mail campaigns and insist one type of creative did better than the other, but it turned out they were mailed at different times of the year. So how do you know it was the creative and not the timing?”
She also cites the example of a marketer insisting a postcard did better than a No. 10 envelope. However, the creative strategy was different for each piece. “It all goes back to setting up the test properly,” she says.
Refining the approach
Direct marketing experts agree that mailers have a long way to go in terms of elevating testing into a true feedback loop that moves toward true long-term, one-to-one marketing with personalization and relevance and that takes full advantage of testing results. “So much depends on the size and resources and sophistication of the company, as well as the intentions of the marketing leadership and whether they are really operating more instinctively than scientifically,” says Johnson & Quin’s Henkel.
“We’re learning and get better with each campaign we do,” says Meemic’s Bannon. “Have all of them been home run balls? No — but that’s why you test in the first place.”
For Ricoh’s Konow, that striving for improvement has turned into a resolution to do more campaign testing in 2012. “I’m going to continue integrated campaigns but be more critical about how many channels and paths I take — you don’t have to push everything out in every channel,” he says. “I want to stand back and be more selective.”
In the meantime, marketers will continue testing their lists, copy, offers and mailers, because, Mezzanotte points out: “Direct mail remains the channel that often has the best ROI. Because it works, we test to make sure it works its hardest.”Data Management, List Management, Marketing Tips, Measurement, Prospecting


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Kamm’s Instagram post suggests that Madewell made use of Google’s AdWords service, one in which brands and retailers seeking to attract consumers searching for “quilted bags,” “running sneakers,” or “red lipstick,” for instance, will purchase these words so they their handbag, sneaker, and lipstick products are favored in the search results. Smart marketers have since taken the practice of purchasing keywords a step further and are using descriptions of their rivals’ products – or even their competitors’ brand names – in order to entice online shoppers.
It is against this background (one that assumes that Madewell was specifically using her name to market its pants) that Kamm claims that Madewell’s alleged use of her name is “very confusing to the customer.” Asserting consumer confusion is, as the legally-minded amongst us will know, another way of claiming trademark infringement, as the likelihood that consumers will be confused as to the source of a product or a potential affiliation between parties in connection with a product as a result of the use of another party’s trademark is at the center of a trademark infringement inquiry.
For the sake of a hypothetical, since it is not unheard of for brands to utilize AdWords in this way (meaning that Kamm is not alone in arguing that the use of her name (i.e., her trademark) on competing products is both undeniably sneaky and likely to be confusing for consumers), let us unpack would it would mean – legally speaking – if that is what Madewell as actually doing
The Law (of AdWords)
Courts in the U.S. have been wrestling with issues involving keyword advertising and trademark infringement for quite a few years now.
Initially, courts tended to side with the so-called infringers (aka, the ones making use of other brands’ names as keywords), finding that use of a trademark in an advertising keyword manner does not constitute “use in commerce” that is capable of giving rise to trademark infringement in the first place. Courts across the U.S. have since agreed that this is actually a non-issue and that keyword use is, in fact, “use in commerce” and as a result, can give rise to potentially merited claims of trademark infringement.
Nowadays, the “overwhelming majority of courts have sided with the defense in these cases — with a lack of a likelihood of confusion as their primary basis,” according to Maral Kilejian and Sally Dahlstrom of Haynes and Boone LLP.
Up for debate instead of whether advertising keywords are sufficient “use” is what exactly the test for gauging consumer confusion in an ad word scenario should be. “The exact ‘likelihood of confusion’ factors may vary by jurisdiction, [but] one thing is clear: time and time again, courts analyzing likelihood of confusion in Internet keyword advertising cases find that purchasing a competitor’s trademark as a keyword ad trigger does not lead to a likelihood of confusion,” Kilejian and Dahlstrom state.
They further noted, “Since 2011, plaintiff wins [in] trademark infringement [cases] involving keyword advertising have been rare,” and part of this is due to the fact that most internet-using consumers are well-versed in how search engines’ sponsored results work.
That is probably not very good news for Kamm in our hypothetical scenario.
It would, however, be good news for consumers. Trademark law and modern competition policy, alike, recognize that at the core of their purpose is to promote competition, in large part for the benefit of consumers. With this in mind, University of Chicago Law School professor David S. Evans stated in a 2012 article, “Economists have found overwhelmingly that this type of informative and comparative advertising” – namely, how for searches for products or services using search engines help inform consumers about other competitive alternatives and enable them to compare different product offerings – “benefits consumers and, conversely, that restricting such advertising harms consumers.”
*This article has been updated to distinguish Product Listing Ads from Google’s AdWords service.
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Retail Banking Trends 2009
In their report on "Retail banking trends 2009" Christophe Angoulvant, Senior Partner at Roland Berger Paris, and his team analyzed the business and financial performance of 59 large retail banks in 24 countries in Europe and North Africa.
Personalized services are key
"Our key questions were: How do banks cope with a distressed environment? How can they emerge from the crisis in a better position, and finally, what are the industry's best practices?" says Christophe Angoulvant. "The main conclusion was that success will come from personalized services."
The authors found that although differences still remain between mature and developing countries, retail banking in emerging markets is catching up fast. They argue that there is an increased rivalry between banks on pricing and rates, and that banks have some difficulty in differentiating their offerings, due mainly to a lack of customer knowledge. The best-performing retail banks are increasingly customizing their offerings, prices and customer service. To finance this customization strategy, banks are pooling production and support function centers, from local to regional, regional to national and national to global.
Second study of its kind
The study is the second in a row published by Roland Berger, the European Financial Management and Marketing Association (EFMA) and Nordea, a financial services group in the Nordic and Baltic region.


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With a few hours left until the launching of the new Samsung Galaxy S8, a new leak comes to light claiming that the south Korean company is expected to launch a special dock that goes along with the new phone.
The dock is called “DeX Station” according to the leaked photos from WinFuture, it will allow the users to connect the new Galaxy S8 to high definition screens and change the mobile phone into a TV Box with to be used with your every day TV.
The new dock has one HDMI port and 2 USB ports, in addition to the power port.
And since the new dock uses the full potentials of the Galaxy S8 its expected to heat thus it has been designed with a small fan to cool the device if heated.
The new Dock won’t come cheap though, it is expected to be sold at the price of a little bit more than $160.


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New car sales in the UK fell to their lowest level in two decades last month as the global shortage of semiconductors hampered factory output.
March registrations fell to 243,479, which was 14 per cent down on a year earlier and their lowest level since 1998, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The month normally accounts for one in five vehicles sold in Britain.
The trade group branded the sales “massively disappointing” for the industry, which has been hit by supply chain woes since the pandemic began, including the global shortage of chips and more recent problems in sourcing some parts from Ukraine.
Chip shortages have forced carmakers around the world to cut production output and left consumers waiting up to a year for new models.
The global semiconductor glut, which is not expected to ease until next year, has also warped the second-hand market, driving used car prices above new models for the first time in memory.
Auto Trader, which runs the UK’s largest online marketplace, estimates that one in five used cars that are under a year old are being sold for more than their new counterparts.
March is typically the UK’s busiest month of the year for car sales because new registration plates come into force.
SMMT boss Mike Hawes said: “While demand remains robust, this decline illustrates the severity of the global semiconductor shortage, as manufacturers strive to deliver the latest, lowest emission vehicles to eagerly awaiting customers.”
There are warnings that demand, which has remained strong coming out of pandemic lockdowns, will waver as cost of living increases bite.
Richard Peberdy, head of automotive at KPMG UK, said the “rising cost of living poses significant questions about whether consumers will delay, or even curtail, larger investments, such as on a car”.
Despite the overall drop in sales, the popularity of electric cars continued to rise in March with 39,315 battery cars sold. This was 16 per cent of all new model sales and more than during the whole of 2019, the last year before new European CO2 targets forced most manufacturers to embrace the technology for the first time.
Carmakers have said they are focused on diverting the chips they can secure into electric models in order to meet the new CO2 emission rules in Europe as well as the UK and China.
“At the current rate, sales of new EVs will overtake both traditional petrol and diesel sales by 2025,” said Ian Plummer, commercial director at Auto Trader.
“If anything, the demand for EVs is now even stronger as prices at the pumps rise on the back of the Ukraine crisis,” he added.


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Mifani shoes were the official footwear sponsors at the first ever London Modest Fashion Week. First of its kind LMFW saw 40 fashion designers from around the world hit the runway at the Saatchi gallery in Chelsea, London.
Demand for modest fashion is increasing year on year and has caught the attention of the mainstream outlets, with retail giants H&M and Uniglo featuring women wearing hijabs within their advertising campaigns.
Adopting a ‘see it, like it, buy it’ model Mifani supported the designers with footwear from their SS17 collection. Shoe styles included their signature mules, mock croc courts and stilettos all chosen to complement the pan Asian, Afro-Arab influence being showed.


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UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) — An Upper Arlington woman said she feels victimized twice after her jewelry was stolen and she had to pay more than $2,000 to get it back.
It wasn’t ransom. It was a legal transaction under Ohio law.
“I became friends with a person who was in my home, who I entrusted,” said the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous. “That person stole all of my jewelry, all of my mother’s jewelry, every piece of good jewelry I had in the house. And I did not find that until approximately 10 days later when the person was already gone.”
According to the victim, about two dozen items were missing. A report from the Upper Arlington Police Department lists the total value of stolen items at just under $35,000, but the victim said some of the jewelry was worth more than any dollar amount.
“My mother’s wedding ring, my grandmother’s antique wedding set, my own wedding ring– some personal items that had been handed down to me when my mother passed away that I could never replace with financial reimbursement on any case,” she said.
Remarkably, police managed to track down some of those items at two local pawn shops.
“Then I was instructed that I would have to go to the pawnshop and pay the pawn dealer to get them back,” the victim said.
She described that revelation as “jaw-dropping.”
“I had just had all of my personal items stolen,” she said. “I felt very violated, and then to find out that I had to then pay the pawnbroker to get my own stolen jewelry back seemed a little bit out of the realm of possibilities.”
The victim now has eight of the stolen pieces back, but had to pay $2,100 to get them, she said.
That’s because the Ohio Pawnbrokers Act leaves room for pawnbrokers to charge people for their stolen belongings.
Raphael Tincher, president of the Ohio Pawnbrokers Association, said under the law, it’s less of a price tag and more of a settlement.
“It’s a civil matter, basically,” Tincher said. “The pawnbroker has a right to due process. Because they have constitutional rights, just like everybody else.”
Rarely, Tincher said, do stolen belongings end up in licensed pawn shops. There are a number of safeguards in place that prevent that from happening, including a requirement that people pawning the items show proper identification. Pawnshops are also required to hold certain items for 15 days before selling them, in case they’re stolen.
According to the OPA, stolen items typically account for less than 1 percent of a pawn shop’s inventory.
Tincher said the Ohio Pawnbrokers Act is designed to protect pawnbrokers from suffering losses after purchasing an item that turns out to be stolen.
“You sell it back to the person for the amount of money that you have in it, so you’re not making money,” he said.
The act does allow people to sue pawnbrokers to get their belongings back without paying, but the victim said she wants to avoid spending the money, time, or energy that goes into a lawsuit. Tincher said that’s most often the case.


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This Veteran’s Day, if you want to put your money where your mouth is, Citizen CBD might be the place to shop for your cannabidiol (CBD).
Citizen CBD is a veteran-owned and operated company that specializes in hemp-derived CBD products. Hemp and marijuana are both the same species of plant. The cannabis plant is identified as marijuana when it has over .3% THC, but the same species with below .3% THC (regardless of CBD content) is considered hemp.
Hemp, while illegal to produce federally, is legal to possess and used in supplements, food products, cosmetics, building materials, and more. Parallel to many states’ legalization of medical and recreational marijuana has been the legalization of industrial hemp production. Due to the fact that the legal definition of hemp does not address CBD content, many produce high-CBD hemp plants and extracts in the European Union and states such as Colorado within legal hemp programs. The federal government even legalized pilot research programs under the Farm Bill in 2014.
Citizen CBD CEO Grant Carstensen said that due to the grey area in the farm bill and other federal law they currently import all their hemp. “Our CBD is sourced from various farms in Europe and is CO2 extracted here in the states,” Carstensen said. “This is a source of debate within the cannabis community. We have been advised by our legal team that anything but foreign-sourced hemp would cause us to be out of compliance and, until we have very clear language to counter that statement, we will err on the side of caution. Not to mention our products are of the highest quality and anyone who has seen, smelled, tasted, or vaped our products would know that it would be a huge mistake to change anything whatsoever.”
Carstensen is a good person to ask about quality CBD products. He’s used them to help treat the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) he has experienced since serving in the Marines for more than 10 years.
He described the effects of the disease. “For me, it has been especially hard when having to focus. Over-analyzing situations, over-analyzing people and being anxious is also a real thing for me. But I have it way easier than many others that I have met.” Carstensen said that cannabis and CBD have helped him overcome these problems.
“Speaking for myself, CBD has been so helpful in allowing me to filter out the noise,”’ Carstensen said. “It allows me to focus. For others I have received numerous messages from, it is what [allows] them to carry on a normal life. A life without a constant sense of worry, fear, or the need to be constantly on high alert.”
Carstensen isn’t the only one who has benefitted from CBD as a treatment for PTSD. The DEA approved a first-ever trial for cannabis to treat PTSD under the guidance of researcher Sue Sissley and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) last year. While that study has faced trouble acquiring cannabis and university backing for the study at times, the science and law is slowly catching up with the knowledge that CBD is effective at helping veterans and others with PTSD and other conditions.
Carstensen’s partner and business development director Rick Martinez, an Army veteran, has witnessed the pain of soldiers returning from battle and healing power of CBD. Martinez served in the Army twice, reenlisting as a nurse to help treat veterans after the attacks on September 11.
“The hardest part for 18 months I took care of kids (they were the same age as my kids) [was the] soldiers, Marines, Navy, and Air Force troops who had been blown up,” Martinez said. “No other way to put it. We’d go to the airfield and off load blown up vets and we’d do that day … after day.… It was by far the absolute hardest part, both mentally and emotionally.”
Martinez and Carstensen founded Citizen CBD to bring the products that helped them and other veterans to a larger audience. In addition to working with veterans, Citizen CBD donates a portion of all sales to the We Defy Foundation, a charity that uses Brazilian jiu jitsu and martial arts lessons to help veterans rebuild their bodies and minds in the civilian world.
“BJJ (Brazilian jiu jitsu) is how they create wholeness and wellness.... The camaraderie, teaching, learning, physicality, and practicing new skills ... brings a sense of peace and health to our veterans,” Martinez said.
In addition to Citizen CBD products being used to fund a charity for veterans, they are also produced with quality in mind. The brand uses medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are used by many products because they cost less. MCTs are easier for the body to metabolize and help allow for higher bioavailability of products. Carstensen said the company has a white paper outlining the benefits of MCT use on their website.
Citizen CBD products are also tested for terpenes—molecules in the plant besides cannabinoids that create the effects of cannabis. Their products contain myrcene, terpinolene, pinene, limonene, and other terpenes, which help improve the entourage effect of the cannabis.
For more information visit www.CitizenCBD.com or go to www.wedefyfoundation.org to learn about the charity they work with.


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Specialty food sales outpaced the growth of all food at retail, the release adds: up 10.3% vs. 3.1%. Product innovation and availability plays a role in the industry’s success.
Top five categories with highest dollar growth:
- Refrigerated plant-based meat alternatives
- Rice cakes
- Frozen plant-based meat alternatives
- Refrigerated RTD tea and coffee
- Cheese and plant-based cheese
- Frozen, refrigerated meat, poultry, seafood
- Chips, pretzels, snacks
- Non-RTD coffee and hot cocoa
- Bread and baked goods
Extra details will be released during the Summer Fancy Food Show, held at the Jacob Javits Center from Sunday, June 23 to Tuesday, June 25.


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The UK has recently been hit by a wave of shoplifting, as reported by the media. The prevailing theory attributes this surge to the cost of living crisis and ineffective police responses, which have led to a crime wave. However, it is important to consider the context: shoplifting rates had actually declined by 60% during the pandemic. Therefore, reports highlighting year-on-year changes can be misleading.
Many other types of crimes have remained below pre-pandemic levels due to the increase in remote working. However, as we returned to our pre-pandemic shopping habits in 2023, shoplifting found a perfect cover and has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
In the first half of 2023, reported shoplifting incidents averaged 7% higher than the expected pre-pandemic level. This number further increased to 20% during the summer months. Nonetheless, it is crucial to note that the available data suggests the rise in shoplifting is not as dramatic as some accounts would have us believe. Blaming the cost-of-living crisis for the increase does not align with certain facts. Notably, shoplifting by dependent drug users cannot be attributed to the cost-of-living crisis.
Moreover, when high-end retailers like John Lewis report thefts of their products, it implies the involvement of organized gangs looking to make a profit. This contradicts the notion that shoplifting is solely a result of the cost-of-living crisis. Alternatively, it is plausible to consider organized crime as a major factor behind the increase in shoplifting incidents.
The pandemic has also influenced the rise in shoplifting through its impact on online shopping. The shift towards e-commerce has made it easier for stolen goods to be fenced online, driving the shoplifting trend. Online marketplaces provide a more efficient and less risky platform for e-fencing compared to traditional face-to-face methods.
As a result, some criminal gangs now steal specific items upon request. Recent estimates suggest that stolen and counterfeit goods account for approximately 10% of products available on online marketplaces. Additionally, the expansion of the retail sector has led to an increased availability of valuable products in large self-service stores. With fewer staff between potential thieves and exits, these items have become more vulnerable to theft.
In the long run, the changing landscape of the retail sector inadvertently promotes shoplifting. While more evidence is needed, organized crime provides a plausible explanation for the increase in post-pandemic shoplifting. It is important to recognize that the police have not been required to attend low-value shoplifting offenses for many years. This reflects a longstanding issue of certain shops relying on police resources without taking responsibility for preventing thefts.
Therefore, it is crucial to question whether taxpayers should bear the burden of these thefts or if retailers should take more responsibility, just as businesses are increasingly being held accountable for carbon emissions.
Similar to the prevention of pollution, reducing shoplifting opportunities can be achieved. Blaming the police diverts some of the blame, but it fails to address the root cause of the problem. In 2023, reports claimed that items like cheese, meat, and coffee were being locked away or tagged. Yet, the truth is that these items have been popular targets for theft for many years, and anti-theft measures like tagging have long been in place.
Over the years, there has been continuous improvement in retail security measures. As early as 2010, research identified 30 measures employed to prevent theft, including locking cabinets, radio frequency tagging, tethering items, and using dummy goods. As time passes, security measures can become more elegant and unobtrusive. For instance, wide aisles with clear sight-lines and clever packaging designs can make it difficult for thieves to conceal stolen items.
These incremental security measures have proven effective in reducing car crime and burglary, with a 75% reduction since 1992. The introduction of integrated locks on high-quality doors and invisible car security triggered by key fobs has played a significant role. Consequently, fewer young people are entering the criminal justice system. Generally, shoppers are supportive of crime reduction and safety promotion measures, even if they cause minor inconveniences, such as removing security tags at checkout.
It is important to acknowledge the impact of social media in exacerbating the shoplifting issue. Videos glamorizing shoplifting and providing tips on how to do it spread rapidly, as information now travels globally within seconds. TikTok explainer videos, for example, have been linked to a surge in thefts of Kia and Hyundai cars in the US. The situation only improved when the car manufacturers released a software update. Flash mobs organizing thefts in London’s Oxford Street stores have also been coordinated through social media platforms.
Social media platforms have the technical capabilities to develop measures that can impede the spread of illegal videos and make them less appealing to create and watch. Although not an easy task, evidence suggests that offenders will not simply find ways to circumvent bans on illegal videos. To combat shoplifting effectively, it is essential to gather accurate information about the problem. Prevention efforts should specifically target the small proportion of shops that experience disproportionately high levels of shoplifting and the small number of popular products that attract thieves.
As for e-fencing, online eCommerce platforms are best positioned to prevent such activities, while social media platforms can disrupt provocateurs. The government’s role should be to incentivize private sector entities to take action through measures like tax breaks for implementing security measures or the threat of regulation and fines.
In conclusion, the surge in shoplifting cannot be solely attributed to the cost of living crisis or ineffective police responses. Organized crime and the shift towards online shopping have played major roles in amplifying the problem. By implementing effective security measures, both physical and digital, and encouraging collaboration between stakeholders, it is possible to prevent shoplifting and safeguard businesses and communities alike.


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ALMATY (Reuters Life!) - Sick of the global credit crisis? Get yourself a diamond credit card as consolation.
A bank in Kazakhstan, an oil-rich Caspian nation, has unveiled a new VISA card encrusted with a shiny 0.02 carat diamond and laced with an elaborate gold pattern.
"It's (designed) for a private club of VIP clients," said Dmitry Nikolin, executive director of Kazakhstan's mid-size Eurasian Bank which released the card on Tuesday.
The card will be issued for clients with an annual income of at least $300,000, targeting a thin layer of affluent consumers in a vast nation where the average monthly wage is about $500.
Nikolin told Reuters it was the first VISA card of this kind in the world and will be offered to clients beyond Kazakhstan.
Like other resource-rich former Soviet states, Kazakhstan developed fast on the back of booming commodity prices but a sharp downturn in oil prices this year and the end of credit expansion has snapped its double-digit economic growth.
Kazakhstan is now facing the challenge of growing social tensions as the crisis eats away at people's savings and widens the rich-poor divide in a nation where up to one quarter of the 16 million population lives in poverty, according to U.N. figures. (Reporting by Masha Gordeyeva; Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by Katie Nguyen)
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European investment firm RiverRock acquires majority stake in Fairline Yachts, which British builder says secures its financial future.
Yacht Style Issue 54 highlights top charter operators and yachts in Asia, plus News, Columns, Reviews, Leader, Profile and the America’s Cup!
Available for bid, the Ferrari 500 represents the last generation of supercoupes produced between 1964 and 1966.
Custom Line has completed 11 hulls from 33m upwards this year, with a total LOA of 386m, and plans to launch another eight by year end.
The only Ford GT Roadster to ever race at the Le Mans, goes up for auction at the Mecum Auction’s upcoming Indy 2020 sale
Automobili Lamborghini and The Italian Sea Group unveil design of spectacular 60-knot Tecnomar inspired by Sián FKP 37 super sports car.


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ABC prepping <i>Lost</i> Web game
Interactive Web game will feature a parallel storyline not seen on the hit series.
ABC has announced plans to launch a massive interactive game based on its hit series Lost. The network says The Lost Experience will be the largest interactive game ever based on a TV show.
The Lost Experience will feature a storyline different from that of the show. Users will have to watch the show to collect phone numbers and other information to use in the game. The game itself will feature new characters and background on the Hanso Foundation, the mysterious group behind the Dharma Initiative.
"The game reaches back into Lost history and looks forward to future episodes," said Mike Benson, senior vice president of marketing for ABC Entertainment. "It's like a giant, worldwide, mysterious jigsaw puzzle that will come to life for all the world to solve."
ABC hopes the game appeals to "Losties" and nonfans alike. "We wanted to make it so that if you watched Lost from the beginning or if you've never watched the show before you can get into this," Benson added.
The network is teaming up with 19 other media outlets to bring the Experience to continents the world over. Each part of the world will receive different clues. The first clue will air in an episode of Lost scheduled for May 3.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
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The Mozilla Foundation has fixed 10 security bugs in its open-source Mozilla and Mozilla Firefox browsers and Thunderbird e-mail reader, with the release of new versions of all three products this week. Some of the vulnerabilities could allow attacke...
A man charged in one of the largest identity theft scams in US history pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and fraud in connection with identity documents Tuesday and could face up to 50 years in prison, according to a statement from...
Coldplay, Jet, The Beatles, Delta Goodrem, and even Shannon Noll featured in a list of 100 songs that record companies on Tuesday claimed were illegally made available on the Kazaa file-sharing system.
IT opposition spokeswoman Senator Kate Lundy today said the rapid growth of Australia's ICT trade deficit is a graphic symbol of the Howard Government's indifference to the local ICT industry.
The Labor opposition today launched a $69.3 million E-Australia policy aimed at getting every Australian online.
Logitech Monday introduced a new version of its digital pen, which can digitize handwritten text, featuring increased storage capacity and improved handwriting recognition capabilities, according to the company.
China United Telecommunications (China Unicom), China's second-largest mobile operator, plans to open up to 3,000 more Internet cafes by the end of this year, according to a report by the official Xinhua news agency.
Users accustomed to removing the memory card from one of their consumer electronic devices and plugging it into another will soon be able to do the same with mobile phones from Nokia Corp.
Canon and Toshiba will establish a joint venture next month to manufacture and market panels for large TVs using SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) technology, the two companies said on Tuesday.
The noose appears to be tightening around one of Europe's largest software counterfeiting rings as a German court sentenced a second member of the network to prison on Monday, and handed a sentence to his father for helping run front operations. ...
Yahoo will acquire the digital music software and services provider Musicmatch in a cash deal valued at US$160 million, the companies announced Tuesday.
A bug in Usermin, a widely-used administration console for Unix and Linux, could allow an attacker to run malicious code via a specially-crafted email, according to security researchers.
A proposed technology for identifying the source of e-mail messages suffered a blow last week when a group within the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) established to study the proposal sent it back for more work, citing concerns over vague inte...
A security flaw in the way many Microsoft applications process JPEG images could allow an attacker to gain control over a computer running the software, Microsoft warned Tuesday.
Nokia's latest Bluetooth phone headset, the HS-13W Wireless Image Headset, aims to transform a cell-phone accessory into a piece of high-tech jewelry.
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PayNearMe clients can now offer in-app bill presentation and the option for consumers to make bill payments via Automated Clearing House or card. Those customers can also access Prism Money’s features via API integrations with the underlying platform behind both platforms.
The companies are a natural fit, Prism cofounder Steve Gordon said.
“Like Prism Money, PayNearMe is known for combining technological innovations with a maniacal focus on user experien ces, so it was a natural fit for us. Our company cultures are very similar, and we liked each other, which really matters.”
Visa is one company offering the new suite to its enterprise customers, including those employing its prepaid consumer reloadable cards.
“Visa prepaid card providers can now easily integrate bill presentment and same-day bill payment into their existing apps, making it easier than ever for Visa prepaid cardholders to pay bills immediately when they receive wages onto their prepaid cards,” said Tony Chang, Vice President, prepaid product at Visa. “PayNearMe will provide new functionality for Visa prepaid cardholders, giving them access to new features that will save them time.”
PayNearMe debuted with a unique service allowing people to make cash payments at 7-Elevens, Family Dollars and ACE Cash Express stores. More stores will be added soon. This Prism partnership should help that growth continue, PayNearMe founder and CEO Danny Shader suspects.
“We continue to experience tremendous growth in our retail cash payment business, more than doubling the number of payments in the past year, and processing over $1 billion. Adding Prism’s powerful bill presentment, bill management and ACH/card payment capabilities enables us to offer a menu of bill presentment and payment capabilities that financial services providers can use to enhance their customer experiences.”


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The New York Times is reporting today that American television network NBC is going to end its relationship to sell TV shows through the iTunes Store.
According to the NYT:
The media conglomerate -- which is the No. 1 supplier of digital video to Apple's online store, accounting for about 40 percent of downloads -- notified Apple of its decision late yesterday, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked for anonymity because negotiations between the companies are confidential.
A spokesman for NBC Universal, part of General Electric, confirmed the decision, but otherwise declined to comment. A spokesmen for Apple declined to comment. The decision by NBC Universal highlights the escalating tension between Apple and media companies, which are unhappy that Apple will not give them more control over the pricing of songs and videos that are sold on iTunes.
NBC, if you don't know, makes shows including Heroes and The Office (the American version). As the story indicates, those properties are worth 40% percent of iTunes TV downloads - that's a hefty slice of pie to lose.
It's terrible timing, coming just two days after the announcement that TV shows are now downloadable in the UK via iTunes (here's our story). It's swings and roundabouts, or perhaps karmic retribution since Apple got a lot of free publicity with their attempt to spoil Nokia's own launch announcement earlier in the week.


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Nashville is attracting businesses from all industries. Not only are we seeing major players like Bridgestone, UBS, HCA and more making expansions and relocations in the Downtown Nashville area, we are seeing small and medium sized businesses staking their claim in the city.
This unprecedented influx of small and corporate business has put a strain on the Nashville market as businesses are looking for all types of office space to make Nashville home. This ramped up demand has turned Nashville into a seller’s market and driven vacancy rates to incredibly low levels.
As businesses continue to gobble up all the remaining space in Nashville, let’s take a look at the businesses looking to occupy a different types of commercial space. The rise in our local population is creating new opportunities for many entrepreneurs to open new eateries and retail grocery stores.
North Nashville is the future home of a new pizzeria and beer joint called Slim & Huskey’s. Opening at 911 Buchanan St, this restaurant runs parallel with the craft beer and artisan food scene. We are sure that the local residential neighborhoods are going to be excited to visit here.
Corsair Distillery has planted 12 acres of grapes at a local farm with plans to complete a 10,000-square-foot-distillery and winery. The rise of “microbreweries” and local distilleries has given many people the opportunity to showcase their talents. Corsair Distillery looks to be no exception and will be a great addition to a city that already boasts great businesses, such as Arrington Vineyards, and become a popular destination for Tennesseans.
One company is circumventing the real estate shortage by offering convenience and service over location. The Local Collaborative is coming soon to Nashville and will offer handcrafted artisan goods conveniently delivered to your door. With retail space being limited, they will add to the limited grocery options to budding markets while satisfying every Nashvillians desire to support local small businesses.
It’s no secret Nashville is growing at a historic pace. This surge in population has left all residents of seen a surge of new residents thirsting for more grocery and retail options. At a 97% occupancy, we believe there is enough people to support these new businesses.


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Slowdown 'points to UK economy stalling'
The UK's industrial production grew by 0.3% in March, with the manufacturing sector growing 0.1%, figures have revealed.
Year on year, manufacturing production fell 1.9%, the biggest fall since 2013, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The figures came in below economists' expectations and add to a spate of data indicating that the British economy is stalling.
Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said: "Producers are being squeezed by a combination of weak global demand as well as waning sales in the home market, the latter in some cases linked to decision-making and purchases by customers being affected by Brexit uncertainty."
Total production fell 0.4% over the first quarter, and manufacturing also slumped 0.4% quarter on quarter.
However, the ONS left its first quarter economic growth estimate unchanged at 0.4% and Mr Williamson added: "The goods-producing sector therefore looks to be on course to act as a drag on the economy again in the second quarter, contributing to a slowing in economic growth to near-stagnation.
"Growth could be even weaker if surveys disappoint in coming months, which seems probable given the intensifying uncertainty over the outcome of the EU referendum."
The ONS said Britain's trade gap in the first three months of the year widened to its biggest since the financial crisis, growing to £13.3bn from £12.2bn in the last three months of 2015.


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Singapore To Launch Free Trade Negotiations
Singapore To Launch Free Trade Agreement Negotiations
(First U.S.-Asian Free Trade Agreement to be established) (740)
President Clinton and Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, on the final day of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Brunei, announced the United States and Singapore will launch negotiations for the first U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) with an Asian country.
"This agreement will both develop and strengthen one of the Pacific's largest trading relationships, and bring us a step closer to the realization of APEC's vision of 'free and open trade' throughout the Pacific," said U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Charlene Barshefsky.
Geared toward the information technology-driven "new economy," the agreement will address significant service sectors of the economy including communications, the Internet and high technology and include provisions on labor and the environment.
According to Barshefsky, the agreement represents a major economic potential to reap the benefits of the new economy and has strategic significance for the overall mission of APEC.
"As we realize the commercial benefits of an expanding trade relationship, we are also setting an example of progress toward the long-term vision of an open, prosperous and stable Pacific region," Barshefsky said.
Singapore is the United States' largest trading partner in Southeast Asia. Trade between the two countries totaled $34.4 billion in 1999.
Following is the text of the U.S. Trade Representative release:
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Executive Office of the President
Washington, D.C. 20508
00 - 81
November 16, 2000
U.S. and Singapore to Launch Negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement
President Clinton and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, meeting in Brunei on the final day of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, today announced the launch of negotiations for a U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
"This agreement will both develop and strengthen one of the Pacific's largest trading relationships, and bring us a step closer to the realization of APEC's vision of 'free and open trade' throughout the Pacific," said United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky. "It will remove the remaining barriers to trade between our countries, and help us take full advantage of the new opportunities unfolding through communications, the Internet and high technology. It will also demonstrate again the Clinton Administration's commitment to accompany open markets with labor and environmental provisions."
The FTA will be only the fifth Free Trade Agreement the U.S. has signed, and the first with an Asian country. Modeled after the recently signed U.S.-Jordan FTA, but reflecting the substantial volume of trade between the two nations, the agreement will eliminate tariffs on all goods over time; cover substantially all services sectors, help to develop electronic commerce, protect intellectual property rights, and include safeguards and dispute settlement mechanisms. Like the Jordan FTA, it will include provisions on labor and the environment.
"President Clinton and Prime Minister Goh have taken a step of major economic potential and strategic significance," said Ambassador Barshefsky. "As we realize the commercial benefits of an expanding trade relationship, we are also setting an example of progress toward the long-term vision of an open, prosperous and stable Pacific region."
The agreement is expected to have significant commercial benefits, as Singapore is already the United States' largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, with two-way trade totaling $34.4 billion in 1999. The agreement will represent the new economy, focusing on removing Singapore restrictions on a wide range of services, including high technology sectors such as engineering, medical, information technology, environmental, legal, financial education and distribution. Furthermore, the agreement can serve as a significant step toward realization of APEC's "Bogor Vision," under which APEC's 21 members are working toward "free and open trade in the Pacific" by 2010 for developed countries, and 2020 for developing countries.
Singapore is the United States' 10th largest goods export market, totaling $16.2 billion in exports in 1999. The five largest export categories were: electrical machinery, machinery, aircraft and parts, optical and medical instruments, and plastic. The United States had a services trade surplus with Singapore of $2 billion in 1999.
Singapore is the 12th largest source for goods imported into the United States, totaling $18.2 billion in 1999, led by machinery, electrical machinery, special other repaired products, optic and medical instruments and organic chemicals.
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)


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Opel may have pulled out of the US-marked decades ago, but they have been thriving in Europe since then. Okay, maybe thriving isn’t entirely true. Surviving is more accurate. The Opel Corsa has been in production since 1983, and having driven the previous and current generations of the Vauxhall Corsa, I can say that they’re terrible. But a new generation has just been unveiled, and it might actually be good this time.
First, a little background. Opel has always been GM’s European division, with UK-market versions badged as Vauxhall’s. And because they were made by GM, they were always worse than the competition, because GM are bad at making things unless it has a V8. But in 2017, Opel and Vauxhall were bought by PSA, who also own Peugeot and Citroen.
As a result, the new Corsa sits on the same platform as the new Peugeot 208, and as a result weighs as little as 980kg (2160lbs). The GM engines, some of which date back to 1996, have been replaced by new gasoline engines and a diesel engine. They’re not very powerful, with 75bhp up to 130bhp, but its competitive with its rivals, and Opel claims that it offers improved fuel economy. These new engines are hooked up to a 5-speed manual, or an 8-speed automatic, the first car in its segment to have this option.
The new Corsa has lots of new technology too, including LED matrix lights, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and “sensor-controlled flank protection” which alerts the driver if they are going to hit an obstacle, such as a wall, while doing low-speed maneuvers. The latter two features are handy, given that the Corsa is one of the most popular drivers-ed cars in Europe.
The new Corsa hits dealerships (and rental lots) on the 1st of July, and starts at 13990 Euro’s, which is equivalent to $15899.


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Sega has announced their intent to bring Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X to North America.
Project Diva X is currently set for a Fall 2016 window. This news is great news for Miku fans, especially as it keeps hope alive for a chance at the PS4 Future Tone port.
The game features 30 playable tracks, as well as around 300 modules, or costumes, that function as loot drops throughout the game.
Here are the game’s first English screenshots:
(Editor’s Note, these are from the PS Vita version)
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X will be available on PS Vita and PS4 when it releases in the Americas. Both physical and digital versions will be available, according to Sega.


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Poll: More than half of survey respondents say they plan to adopt their next pet from an animal shelter
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Remember that old song, ‘How much is that doggie in the window?’ For most Americans, it seems it’s no sale.
More than half of people in an Associated Press-Petside.com poll said they would get their next dog or cat from a shelter, nearly seven times the number who said they would buy their next pet from a store.
And more than four in 10 said they thought store pets could have hidden medical or psychological problems. That’s significantly more than those who expressed the same concerns about pets from animal shelters or breeders.
‘I believe they overbreed the pets. I believe they couldn’t care less about the pets, they’re really in it for the money. I think you are more likely to get a pet at a pet store that is ill or has problems,’ said Sandra Toro, 62, of Colton, Calif.
Just 8% of those polled said they would get their next cat or dog at a store, while 13% said that’s where they got the pet they have now. Fifty-four percent of those polled said they would probably get their next pet from a shelter, while 23% went for a breeder.
Toro, who has a 14-year-old rescue terrier mix named Dancer, said she doesn’t understand how anyone can buy a pet from a store or a breeder.
‘There are so many wonderful pets out there that will be euthanized,’ she said. ‘There’s no reason for it.’
John Knight, 45, of Dallas, got his 3-year-old mutt named Liesl (rhymes with diesel) from an animal shelter that was holding a weekend adoption day at PetSmart.
‘There are plenty of animals out there that need good homes that don’t have them. There’s no reason to continue to breed animals when there are so many that have to be put down,’ he said.
When asked where their present pets came from, 26% said breeders and 30% said shelters -- a much smaller number than said they would go to a shelter for their next pet. More than half of those polled said their dogs or cats came from places other than shelters, breeders or stores. They might have been strays, gifts from friends or favors for neighbors. Since some people have more than one pet, the numbers add to more than 100%.
‘I’ve probably had 50 dogs and all but two came walking up our driveway,’ said Colleen Campbell, 71, of Fairview, Texas.
She and her husband have spent 50 years on their rural farm outside Dallas and it has been a perennial dumping ground for strays. They also take in any other animal that needs a home. Their vet talked them into Frito and Burrito, a pair of donkeys Campbell knew would need special medical attention.
The poll showed that dog owners (35%) were likelier to have gotten their current pets from a breeder than cat owners (5%).
Forty-seven PERCENT of those polled said they were strongly concerned that an animal from a pet store would have medical issues they didn’t know about, 38% had similar worries about animals from breeders and 32% were concerned about shelter pets.
As for psychological problems, 44% said they had significant worries about pet store animals and 33% worried about both breeder and shelter pets.
Fitting in with the family was of concern to everyone: 33% for stores, 30% for shelters and 28% for breeders.
When Mike Stoutenburg, 36, of Mishawaka, Ind., and his family are ready for their next dog, they will probably go to a breeder, he said, because they want an Australian shepherd. He is sure he could see any health problems in a puppy, but said he would ask his vet and groomer to check the pet out for any mental problems because the dog will be around a very young and active child -- and his 3-year-old son ‘loves to grab things.’
‘Our groomer is extremely knowledgeable about animals. We trust her opinion,’ Stoutenburg said.
Bill Machut, 40, of Rolling Meadows, Ill., got his dog, Sidney, a Siberian husky, from a pet store when the dog was 8 weeks old. That was 12 years ago.
If he were looking for a new pet, ‘I would buy from a pet store again. And I wouldn’t rule out a breeder if I was looking for a certain breed. But I would probably start off at the shelters,’ he said.
He said most people expect things like kennel cough or worms. ‘There is an assumption there is a good chance there is some sort of health issue, especially being at a shelter. You deal with it. It’s not that big of a deal,’ he said.
Several years ago, they got Sidney a playmate from a shelter, knowing before they took her in that she was sick. ‘She had seizures from the get-go. We knew she wasn’t going to be a long-life dog. We had her six years.’
People under age 30 (17%) were likelier to say they’d get a pet from a pet store than older groups (all were 7% or less).
The AP-Petside.com Poll was conducted April 7-12, 2010, and involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,112 pet owners nationwide. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
-- Sue Manning, Associated Press
Top photo: Cowboy, a terrier rescued from an Orange County animal shelter. Credit: daydreamer33 / Your Scene
2nd photo: A rescued tabby cat. Credit: JohnK / Your Scene
3rd photo: Deuce, a dog rescued from an animal shelter the day before he was scheduled to be euthanized. Credit: Nevadajack / Your Scene
4th photo: Valentine, a cat who was adopted from an animal shelter on Valentine’s Day. Credit: webdude / Your Scene
5th photo: Pepper, a rescued shelter dog. Credit: Peppy Lover / Your Scene
Share your photos of the rescued pet in your life at the Your Scene album Rescue Pets.


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GE Digital and SIG, a provider of packaging systems and solutions for the food and beverage industry, announced a strategic partnership to power digital innovation in food and beverage packaging. SIG will deploy GE Digital’s Predix Asset Performance Management (APM) and Predix ServiceMax industrial applications across more than 400 customer factories worldwide to drive new levels of efficiency and create intelligent solutions for its customers.
Food and beverage producers are facing competitive pressures, supply chain complexities and ever-shorter production cycles – creating an increased need for technologies that can enable them to quickly identify, predict and act on changing consumer and market demands, according to the announcement from GE Dgitial and SIG.
The combination of GE Digital’s APM and ServiceMax applications will enable SIG to build an end-to-end digital platform that will bring a new level of insight and data-driven intelligence to its customers, helping them manage and service the lifecycle of SIG filling lines. By automatically collecting and analyzing asset data – tapping into billions of data points across its operations globally in real time – SIG and its customers can move beyond traditional asset monitoring and predictive service models to enhance supply chains and quality control technologies.


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AO Tennis will be released in New Zealand and Australia next week, although we may have to wait a few more days in order to see more gameplay footage. Big Ant Studios revealed that more footage from the game should be shared when the real life Australian Open tennis tournament starts next week on this coming Monday.
Big Ant Studios posted the following message about the game on the official AO Tennis Facebook page: “We know that you’re all super keen to see gameplay footage, however there are some great things at this year’s Australian Open that need to be kept under wraps until the first match begins. Very soon all will be revealed and you will certainly have an opportunity to see the game in action before purchasing. Thank you for patience and interest in AO Tennis – we can’t wait to get this one in your hands. In the meantime we’ve got two new screenshots to share, captured from games in action. Have a great weekend everyone!”
The Facebook page also posted two new screenshots from the game where you can see them down below. The game is due to be released in New Zealand and Australia on January 16th, 2018 for PS4 and Xbox One.
If you live outside of those two countries, you will have to wait for another release date announcement. Big Ant Studios says the game should still be out in other countries in early 2018, although a specific release date has yet to be determined. Hopefully it can come out not too much longer than January 16th, 2018.
It’s been a long time since a decent and realistic tennis game was released on consoles. AO Tennis is not the only tennis sim out this year because Tennis World Tour is out in a few month’s time too.


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EDINBURGH, Scotland, June 29, 2013 (ENS) - Most Scottish retailers will have to charge a minimum of five pence for each plastic bag they hand to shoppers from October 2014 under a new move by government to reduce the number of single-use, throwaway bags littering Scotland.
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead announced the move Friday following a consultation held last year to gauge public opinion about how to cut down on the 750 million plastic bags used in Scotland each year.
Secretary Lochhead said, “Discarded carrier bags highlight our throwaway society. We use more carrier bags per head in Scotland than any other part of the UK and this is unsustainable."
“Carrier bags are a highly visible aspect of litter and we are taking decisive action to decrease their number. By reducing the amount being carelessly discarded we can cut litter and its impact on our environment and economy," said Lochhead. "A small charge should also encourage us all to stop and think about what we discard and what can be re-used."
The scheme is subject to the Scottish Parliament's approval of regulations that will be introduced in time for businesses to start charging for the bags by October 2014.
Lochhead says the charge is not a tax because retailers will be expected to donate the net proceeds to good causes.
“We have seen elsewhere that carrier bag charging has been effective in encouraging people to reuse bags, the secretary said. "This charge is not a tax but will see retailers donating the proceeds to charity - this could be up to £5 million per year after retailers have covered their costs."
“Thousands of Scottish people already use bags for life and some retailers already charge," said Lochhead. "It is now time, however, for a national effort.”
In the Irish Republic, retailers charge the equivalent of 19 pence, on an estimated total of 1.2 billion bags a year.
In Northern Ireland, the charge will rise from five pence to 10 pence in April 2014.
In Scotland, the charge will apply to single use bags of any material, not just plastic.
Zero Waste Scotland Director Iain Gulland said, "Zero Waste Scotland supports initiatives that tackle litter and help achieve a zero waste society, so we welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to implement a levy on single use bags."
“We can all reduce the impact of carrier bags by making sure that when we must take one, we re-use it over and over again as many times as possible and then recycle it at the end of its life," said Gulland.
All retailers will be required to charge for single-use bags, not just supermarkets.
Smaller businesses will be exempt from the requirement to report to the government the numbers of bags sold and how much they have given to charity to minimize administrative burdens upon them. But these smaller businesses will be expected to display this information on their premises in a poster for customers to see.
Some types of bags will be exempt, mainly for health and safety reasons and privacy such as bags for prescriptions, certain fresh foods - including fruit, unpackaged meat or fish - and unpackaged blades.
The details of which bags are to be exempted will be finalized in discussion with stakeholders to ensure the system is effective.
Encouraging the reuse of carrier bags will complement wider government action to tackle litter, which will be published later this summer. Moves to cut litter on land, in the sea and river systems will be set out as strategies for consultation.
But the Federation of Small Businesses says the Scottish Government should postpone plans to introduce the mandatory charge for plastic bags until businesses have time to adapt to the upcoming waste regulations.
From 2014, retailers and other businesses in Scotland must start to comply with new rules which mean the vast majority will have to look to install new ways to sort, store and dispose of rubbish and recyclable materials. Most businesses, including retailers, are unaware of these upcoming changes, says the Federation.
Said Andy Willox OBE, the FSB's Scottish policy convenor, "Independent retailers distribute a small proportion of the total number of single-use bags requested by customers on an annual basis. The proposed rules on bags should be postponed until these same businesses have had a chance to adapt to Scotland's biggest ever shake-up in the field of business waste."
"In the meantime," said Willox, "if the Scottish Government still regards plastic bag distribution as a key problem, they should start with the businesses which distribute the vast majority – namely the supermarkets and the large multiples."
"Successfully implementing planned new waste rules will be a huge challenge for government and businesses and will require big changes by small businesses," Willox said. "A mandatory bag charge, recognised as primarily symbolic by the Scottish Government, seems like a frivolous distraction.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2013. All rights reserved.
Cover photo: Edinburgh shoppers with cloth carry bags (Photo by Edinburgh Greens) http://www.edinburghgreens.org.uk


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Global shipping situation to get worse before getting better: DHL ecommerce VP
As the shipping industry goes through an unprecedented situation that started in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, things will get worse before they get better, Vice President of global ecommerce at DHL, Nabil Malouli, told Al Arabiya in an interview.
An “imbalance between supply and demand started to create shipping rates to go higher… and then we saw a sequence of events that has created even a higher situation in terms of like backlog and congestion,” he said.
“Labor shortage, capacity increase in terms of demand, and also the fact that we have a much lower airfreight capacity across the globe due to the fact that many of the airlines are not operating yet internationally at the level they were operating to pre-pandemic,” leading to a combination of factors creating an imbalance, Malouli told Al Arabiya.
According to the VP, this had led to a much higher demand and supply in the marketplace, which is consequently increasing the rates.
Q4 is the “peak season in shipping,” Malouli said, as it has the highest demand in terms of volume and consumption across the globe.
People should expect shipping lines and airlines to increase their prices during the month of October, however he expects things to balance out by February or March of 2022.
“I don’t think everything is going to be resolved by February or March. But at least we would have passed the peak of demand, which is now really… We are I think at the worst stage,” Malouli told Al Arabiya.
The Middle East is a region that depends a lot on import, according to Malouli.
“The Suez Canal situation has created… a challenge in the planning of vessels. And there is still congestion,” he said, adding that he expects more delays going into the Middle East, and prices going up for the trading.
Malouli said consumer spending towards material things is going to slow down, compared to last year when people were stuck at home during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“But every number we see from any organization that has been one of the winners of the [COVID-19] pandemic has seen an increase in e-commerce and even in the markets where the pandemic has been under control and where stores are open already for a couple of months, we still see very strong demand in e-commerce, and that is going to be even more evident going to the holiday season,” he added.
Malouli also said, however, there won’t be a slowdown of e-commerce adoption.
“I think we are going to see actually an acceleration; I think the convenience of online purchase is one of the primary reasons behind this,” Malouli said, adding that people got used to the convenience speed of e-commerce.
Source: Al Arabiya


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You are Here: TechClap.com » IDAPT i2+ Universal Charger Supports Charging of 4,000 Mobile Devices
IDAPT has announced the launch of revolutionary product, the IDAPT i2+ universal charger, which allows users to charge upto 3 different devices simultaneously, which saves the user’s time and reduce theneed for extra cables and power sockets. The IDAPT i2+ universal charger was introduced at CES 2011.
The all new IDAPT i2+ boasts 2 charging ports and a USB connection that supports charging of all mobile electronic devices. The i2+ features interchangeable tips system, which makes it compatible to work with 4,000 difference devices. These devices includes Bluetooth products, GPS systems, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Nintendo PSP, and XBOX controllers. When device gets fully charged, users can press ‘quick release’ button for safe and easy ejection of the interchangeable tips.
The all new IDAPT i2+ Universal charger is now available for purchase through the IDAPTweb.com at Price $39.99 (Approx Rs. 1820). Company said that the IDAPT i2+ will be soon made available at PC Richard, Batteries Plus, BiMart, Costco.com, Walmart.com, Crutchfield.com and Frontgate.com with other IDAPT branded products.
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The improved version of Aakash Tablet is finally seeing it’s launch soon in coming days. Union Minister, Kapil Sibal has unveiled Aakash 2 Tablet, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. The new generation of this tablet is highly anticipated, as initial version of Aakash Tablet was a biggest flop show by Indian Government….
Milagrow has further expanded its TabTop Series, which are women oriented Tablet Series, with the announcement of new Milagrow TabTop 7.4 Android 4.0 ICS Tablet. Company claimed it as India’s slimmest tablet, which measures just 6.5mm. The new TabTop has a weight of 361 grams, which makes it easy to carry wherever to go. Milagrow…
After Micromax and Karbonn, it’s Intex who just jumped high into highly competitive, tablet bandwagon, with announcing the availability of Intex i-Tab Android 4.0 ICS Compatible Tablet. Yes, you heard it right, I am calling it ‘compatible’ because it is shipping with Android 2.3 Gingerbread from factory, but it has been promised to get Official…
Micromax FunBook has a closest competitor, that is Karbonn Smart Tab 1. Though, Samsung also entered into ICS Tablets space, with the announcement of Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 310 recently. So, we can say we are going to see hard competition among these tree Tablets, and we’ll be comparing them in coming days, to help…
Aakash Tablet by Indian Govt. is totally losing it’s advantage of price, as better tablets foraying into the market at competitive price, but with far better features. After the launch of many Aakash Rivals, yet another company, Wicked Leak comes into the action to launch yet another cheapest tablet, Wammy 7 Tablet in India. Like…


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While AutoWeb sustained a net loss of more than $5 million during the second quarter, new president and chief executive officer Jared Rowe insisted the company “made great progress” with regard to a significant revamp of how it operates as a digital marketing platform providing advertising solutions for dealers and OEMs.
On Thursday, AutoWeb reported that its total revenues for the second quarter that ended June 30 came in at $29.3 million, down from $34.6 million a year earlier. The company’s advertising revenues totaled $6.9 million with click revenues constituting $5.8 million.
However, the company posted a net loss of $5.2 million or $0.41 per share. During the second quarter of last year, AutoWeb posted net income of $0.3 million or $0.02 per share.
Nonetheless, Rowe — who arrived at AutoWeb back in April after holding senior positions at FordDirect, Cox Automotive and Cerberus-backed YP Holdings — defended the company’s performance.
The company explained the decline in total revenues was primarily due to lower retail dealer count and lower lead and click volumes. The company attributed the quarterly loss to the decrease driven by investments in new traffic acquisition strategies and testing of new traffic sources.
“During the second quarter, we made great progress in working towards the completion of our operating review and the development of a new strategic plan,” Rowe said in a news release shared by the company. “This included a comprehensive review of our products, traffic acquisition strategies, pricing policies, distribution channels and organizational capabilities and structure.
“Although we are still engaged in our strategic review, we have already begun to redevelop and invest in the key pillars of our business, which will continue to impact short-term profitability, particularly as we invest in new product development and test new traffic acquisition strategies to improve quality and consumer targeting,” he continued.
“In an effort to improve consumer-to-advertiser matching, we are also investing to enhance our click algorithm, which we expect to complete and deploy later this year. Further, we plan to restructure our organization to better align with our revised strategic imperatives,” Rowe went on to say.
While the revenue and net loss figures likely aren’t what the company wants, AutoWeb made improvements in connection with its cash and credit situations.
As of June 30, the company reported its cash and cash equivalents totaled $18.3 million, compared to $15.2 million on March 31 and $25.0 million when 2017 closed, with the reduction from year-end primarily driven by the repayment of AutoWeb’s $8.0 million revolving line of credit.
The company added that total debt was reduced to $1.0 million compared to $9.0 million as of Dec. 31.
What’s the prognosis for AutoWeb’s financial fortunes going forward?
“With just over three months at AutoWeb, I am very encouraged by the progress our team has made to evolve our go-to-market approach. However, there is still work to be done to determine the proper new/used car targeting mix, channel mix and product mix, among other strategic decisions,” Rowe said.
“We look forward to laying this out in greater detail in the coming months as we finalize our revised strategic plan. We continue to expect that the enhancement of our platform and advertising solutions will enable AutoWeb to return to growth and profitability,” he added.


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DX Group said it has successfully raised approximately £200.5m through selling shares on AIM this morning, following a 3% increase in turnover for the first six months of its current financial year. Shares began trading at 100 pence per share at 8am today (27 February), with interest from institutional and other investors. Chief executive officer Petar Cvetkovic said: “We are delighted to launch as a public company today, and are particularly pleased with the strong show of support from institutional […]
UK Mail Group’s depot closure programme will cost it approximately £2m as it looks to continue to cut costs. In a pre-close trading update for the year ended 31 March, UK Mail says the closure of four depots in the past 12 months will leave it with a low-cost and integrated network. It is left with a network of 50 depots as a result. The parcels giant also reveals a Q4 revenue increase of 14% year-on-year. However, when adjusting for […]
Commercial vehicle rental company Fraikin has made its biggest annual purchase of rental vehicles in a decade, with a three-phase order plan worth £13m for 2015 already underway.
Pre-tax profit at Fowler Welch rose 12.8% last year, as a result of improved vehicle efficiency, new business wins and volume growth from existing customers.


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Thursday’s advance reading on U.S. economic growth in the third quarter shows that this winter might not be quite as bleak as feared just a couple of months ago. Despite jitters heightened by Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and Standard & Poor’s August downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, the American economy grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the July-to-September quarter, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. The growth offers hope that the U.S. can avoid a double-dip recession and that the gathering economic momentum could carry into the fourth quarter of the year and, possibly, into 2012.
The 2.5 percent jump was in line with economists’ expectations, which had been climbing in recent weeks—and it is more than double the weak 0.9 percent growth posted in the first half of the year.
Consumers and businesses both helped spur the improvement. Consumer confidence has plunged in recent months, but consumer spending — which makes up 70 percent of the U.S. economy — still increased 2.4 percent in the third quarter, up from 0.7 percent growth in prior three months. Business spending rose 16.3 percent as companies invested in equipment, software, and non-residential building. However, inventories rose only $5.4 billion because companies failed to anticipate more robust demand. GDP growth would have been more than a percentage point higher without that inventory drag, offering hope for further upside in the months ahead if companies boost production to keep pace with sales.
The stock markets, which have already seen a dramatic jump this month, soared again after the GDP data was released — though the gains may also have been in response to the crucial deal reached in Europe to reduce Greek debt. After rocketing more than 200 points higher to open trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is on pace for its best October ever, according to CNBC. The S&P 500 appears headed for its best monthly gain since January 1987.
Still, the new data wasn’t completely rosy. “Before we break out the Champagne glasses, there are still reasons to be cautious about growth next year,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Michelle Meyer wrote in a note to clients.
Personal income fell 1.7 percent, according to Thursday's Commerce Department report — the largest such decline in two years, suggesting that consumers can’t be counted on to sustain the recovery well into 2012. “With incomes down, consumer spending only accelerated because the saving rate dropped by a full percentage point,” IHS Global Insight Chief U.S. Economist Nigel Gault wrote in an emailed analysis. “That's not a solid foundation for growth.”
And modest 2.5 percent growth, while much better than forecast just weeks ago, is not strong enough to markedly improve the job market, where unemployment remains at 9.1 percent. Initial jobless claims for the week ending October 22 came in at 402,000, down from a revised 404,000 the week before. That stability in jobless claims, while welcome, is very different from actual payroll growth. “While the continued expansion is encouraging, faster growth clearly is needed to replace the jobs lost in the recent downturn and to reduce long-term unemployment,” said Katharine Abraham, a member of the Council of Economic Advisers, in a post on the White House blog. And IHS economist Gault wrote to clients: “With employment growth weak, debt levels still high, consumer sentiment still very negative, and housing still bumping along the bottom, we can't expect the consumer to be a strong driver of recovery."
Economists are also eyeing Washington for signs of what’s to come in 2012. Fiscal tightening and policy uncertainty could still lead to lower growth, some warn. For example, if Congress fails to extend the emergency benefits being collected by millions of unemployed workers, that could mean an additional $57 billion hit to personal income and a further headwind to consumer spending, Bank of America economists noted Thursday.
For now, though, economists are welcoming the signs of GDP growth and looking ahead with more optimism and less talk of recession. As Bank of America’s Meyer wrote: "Enjoy it while it lasts."


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Speaking as the chilled food specialist posted a 5% drop in turnover to £424.4m on continuing businesses for the 26 weeks to September 25, Ronald said Marks and Spencer’s decision to slash more than 10% of its SKUs in food and simplify its formats was good news for his company.
Uniq has more than 40% of its UK business with the ailing high street retailer, with a particularly strong presence in its sandwiches and wraps category.
He was also confident that Uniq’s UK operation would start producing better numbers following a restructuring programme that concentrated production in a smaller number of large, modern sites. Although exceptional costs - largely generated from the UK restructuring - plunged the group into the red, with a £14.2m pre-tax loss compared with a £6m profit last year, Uniq had also picked up £20m of new business in the UK, he said.
This included a £6m deal with Morrisons for desserts and salad and a £6m deal with Tesco for cottage cheese, which had helped to mitigate the loss of a major contract with Sainsbury.
The French operation, which underwent a significant restructuring programme two years ago, was now producing good results, particularly in spreads, he added.
The company, which is being courted by private equity firm Duke Street Capital, had also generated significant cost savings through supply chain initiatives, supplier rationalisation and more centralised purchasing on raw materials and indirect goods and services, said Ronald.


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The countdown to the 52nd ITB Berlin from 7 to 11 March 2018 has begun: many of the halls at the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show are already fully booked.
Altogether, the show’s management expects around 10,000 exhibitors and organisations from over 180 countries and some 110,000 trade visitors to attend the 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. The focus is on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the partner region of the show. It is organising the opening event which for the first time will leave a zero carbon footprint, setting an important trend. Over the five days of the show the German federal state will be exhibiting its wide range of tourism products in Halls 6.2a and 4.1.
”The outstanding number of bookings this year once again underlines ITB Berlin’s role as a driving force and the event mirroring the global tourism industry. Particularly in an age of political unrest, overtourism and the ongoing digital transformation, the industry faces new challenges. Against this backdrop the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show has become important for exhibitors and trade visitors as a networking platform and reliable indicator of the economy“, said David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin.
Growth, waiting lists and returning exhibitors reflect the dynamic development of the travel sector
Demand for places at ITB Berlin is particularly high from Arab countries, Asia and South America. In Peru especially, tourism has become an increasingly important economic factor. As an emerging travel destination the United Arab Emirates (Hall 2.2) are now expanding into the market. Abu Dhabi has almost doubled the size of its stand, and the displays of Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah are much larger than last year.
In Hall 26 Vietnam and Laos will be occupying more than twice the floor size of 2017. Japan has also significantly increased its representation. A number of exhibitors including Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Taiwan will be welcoming visitors on two-tier stands. ”Demand for two-tier stands has never been so high“, said David Ruetz. All the regions from the Caribbean are exhibiting in Hall 22a, a clear sign that even after the hurricanes they are still worth a visit. Martinique and Jamaica have even increased their stand size.
Egypt (Hall 4.2) will be making an emphatic return with a larger stand. Equally, as the largest exhibitor at ITB, Turkey will again be demonstrating that this colourful destination has lost none of its fascination. In Hall 3.1 bookings by the US and Russia have reached last year’s levels, while waiting lists exist for Ukraine and Tajikistan. The same applies to Nepal and Sri Lanka in Hall 5.2, where demand for individual stands is particularly high.
Hall 5.2b, where India is featured and which once again is fully booked, it was not possible to fulfil all the requests, so that there are now waiting lists. Rajasthan with its picturesque palaces will be represented again in 2018, along with numerous co-exhibitors. The state of Jharkhand is a newcomer to the show, as are Earth Routes and many smaller tour operators in this hall, where ayurveda and yoga will be major attractions again.
European destinations will also be attracting more attention with larger stands at ITB Berlin. Thus, the Czech Republic (Hall 7.2b), the UK (Hall 18) and Sardinia (Hall 1.2, featuring Italy) will be occupying larger stands. In Hall 1.1 Portugal will be exhibiting its products on an area that has grown by one-third. This year, in addition to Hall 15, Polish regions and hotels can also be found in Hall 14.1. Demand by Romania and Slovakia is high in Hall 7.2b, where there is a waiting list, as there is for Hall 1.1, which features Greece.
After long absences Belize, Guayana, French Guiana and the Turks and Caicos Islands will be returning in 2018.
Growth in topical segments
Adventure tourism and sustainable travel are important for the younger generation. This trend is reflected by the fact that Hall 4.1 is now fully booked. In the Luxury Travel segment the Loop Lounge @ ITB will be celebrating its debut in Hall 9. In cooperation with Loop, the trade fair for luxury products, ITB Berlin has created a new platform for networking exclusively with a select group of exhibitors. On the Thursday of the show the first ITB Luxury Late Night will provide an opportunity to cultivate the contacts previously made. At this new outstanding networking event at Orania.Berlin, a new Boutique Hotel, exhibitors will be able to meet leading buyers from the global luxury travel market. The event will be opened by Dietmar Müller-Elmau, the managing director of Schloss Elmau. Participation is by special invitation only.
The huge prospects that medical tourism has to offer the global tourism industry will be highlighted at ITB Berlin. Due to high demand this segment, which was introduced only last year at the World’s Largest Travel show, is moving to a larger hall (21b). A growing number of international exhibitors will be represented here, including from Poland, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, as well as two Turkish hospitals and Visit Jordan. Newcomers from Germany will include VisitBerlin and Berlin Health Excellence, as well Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which as the partner region of ITB Berlin 2018 will occupy a large stand. As in 2017, visitors to the presentation area can find out about developments and trends in medical tourism, for instance at a presentation on Tuscany’s many spas, or at a lecture by HTI Conference Zagreb on Thursday, 8 March. The Health Tourism Industry Conference, the number one event in Europe, is also the official partner of the Medical Tourism segment. Taking place on Gendarmenmarkt on Friday, 9 March, the ITB Medical Night sponsored by Tuscany will provide an exclusive networking opportunity. Participation is by special invitation only.
ITB Berlin currently features the widest-ranging Gay & Lesbian Travel (LGBT) segment at any trade fair, and it is continuing to expand. Newcomers in Hall 21b will include Colombia, New York, Bilbao, Costa Rica and Thailand, which for the first time will be the official ‘presenting partner’ of the LGBT Pavilion. Interesting presentations on LGBT travel are scheduled on the Pavilion’s own stage. Events will also include a reception by the Berliner Pink Pillow Initiative.
Huge boom in Travel Technology
The Travel Technology segment is booming and the waiting list is long. ”Unfortunately, for capacity reasons we have been unable to meet every request for floor space“, said David Ruetz. Exhibitors including eNett, Traso, Triptease and Paymentwall, which have increased their display areas, returning exhibitors, among them Travelport, as well as the Hospitality Industry Club, a newcomer, will be highlighting the excellent prospects of this fast-growing segment. Chinese exhibitor numbers are growing especially fast. The online portal Ctrip will be exhibiting its products at ITB Berlin for the first time. Other newcomers from China will include Flightroutes, Ucloudlink, Letsfly, Qyer and Qup.
For the third year running ITB Berlin will be organising the ITB Chinese Night, where visitors can find out more about the Chinese travel market, exchange views and establish new contacts. This year’s event on Wednesday, 7 March is being co-organised by Jin Jiang International and Ctrip and will welcome around 300 representatives of the travel industry (www.itb-china.com/itb-berlin-chinese-night/). At the ITB China 2018 Preview on Thursday, 8 March, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the CityCube Berlin, visitors can also find out about the fast-growing travel market and major attractions at ITB China, which from 16 to 18 May will be taking place for the second time.
Trade visitors who would like to find out more in detail about this year’s events at ITB China and ITB Asia can do so on the two ITB Global stands in Hall 3.2 (Stand 625) and Hall 20 (Stand 110).


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MSFT Q2 details; see the full article for more
In an interview, Christopher P. Liddell, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, said the sales of Windows Vista were $300 million to $400 million higher than the company’s internal projections, and Office 2007 sales were about $200 million higher.
In the online services business, where Microsoft trails its main rivals, Google and Yahoo, Mr. Liddell pointed to a 23 percent increase in ad revenue as “encouraging progress.” The continuing losses, he added, are regarded as investments as Microsoft tries to build that business. “We’re in investment mode, and that’s going to be our strategy for the foreseeable future,” Mr. Liddell said.
And it is a big-spending financial arms race for the major companies. According to Ms. Friar of Goldman Sachs, Microsoft is expected to spend an estimated $4 billion in 2007 on online services business, excluding capital expenditures, like equipping data centers. Yahoo, Goldman estimates, plans to spend $4.7 billion, and Google, $8 billion.
Reality check: Google is expected to spend twice as much in this domain as Microsoft in 2007, and Yahoo!, often considered a has-been in the mainstream press, is also projected to invest more than Microsoft. Let's see, if we add MSFT's $4B and Yahoo!'s $4.7B, ...


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- Related Games:
- The Division 2
The Division 2 sales remain strong in the UK, with the loot shooter making its way back to number one for the first time since release. The Division 2 lost out to Yoshi’s Crafted World by 63 units last week in one of the tightest UK charts in recent memory. Nevertheless, Nintendo is still having a strong showing in the UK chart. The Japanese game maker is represented in the top 10 by four different Switch-exclusive games.
The Division 2 has fended off competition from recent chart-toppers, Yoshi’s Crafted World and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, to reclaim the top position. Neither is the closest competition for The Division 2 sales this week, however. The top 10 ever-present FIFA 19 rises to number two from fourth position. The longevity of The Division 2 UK sales will likely be seen as a positive sign for the latest Tom Clancy’s title. This comes after a rocky start that saw the physical sales of The Division 2 drop 20% from its predecessor.
Nintendo’s strong showing in the chart is represented by Yoshi’s Crafted World, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. All of Nintendo’s games in the top ten are Switch exclusive titles. Yoshi’s Crafted World dropped to number three after its narrow victory in the last UK chart over this week’s number one.
Last week’s chart saw a surge from Ubisoft titles following its spring sale. However, now the sale has ended, Assassin’s Creed 3 Remastered has tumbled from the number nine position down to 28th this week. While more recent titles Far Cry New Dawn and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey also both dropped out of the top ten. Outside of Ubisoft, Shadow of the Tomb Raider made it to 21st position. Another rise potentially attributable to spring sales.
At the end of last week, speculation was rife about the setting of the next Assassin’s Creed game. The rumors emerged after The Division 2 players found an Easter egg which potentially points towards a Norse-inspired setting.


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Where to spend your weekend in
That’s what the largest circulating newspapers tell us.
With an opening of a fashion boutique look at the news space given with pictures, what about the news and pictures of an ordinary day of Below Poverty line. Don’t we need news that compare the 2 distant realities, why only news about how and what celebrities wear at Birthday Bash.
Does TOI the largest circulated news paper create a revolution in
We don’t want the generations to come spend time talking about issues and debating them, we need them to go one step further, we need them to discuss solution directed talks. Or else we have a generation of reactive talkers.
Like Americans lived in ignorance of what US policies were in Central Africa, where they still believed that world is