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With 2,310,185 vehicles sold in 2018, Mercedes-Benz is the top-selling premium brand in the automotive industry for the third time in succession. BMW has nearly 185,000 cars behind it, while Audi 2018 sold 500,000 fewer cars than Mercedes-Benz.
Despite the challenges for the entire industry and the introduction of the WLTP standard, Mercedes-Benz achieved the eighth record year in a row for Mercedes-Benz.
With 2,310,185 units delivered in 2018, Mercedes sales once again rose by 0.9%. This makes Mercedes-Benz the top-selling premium brand in the automotive industry for the third time in succession. The new sales record was driven in particular by the success of Mercedes-Benz in the Asia-Pacific region and its Chinese core market. The Asia / Pacific region is the only region in the world where Mercedes-Bens recorded an increase in sales. In the Asia / Pacific region, 943,473 units were sold. This corresponds to an increase of 7.8% in one year.
China is the world's largest sales market with 652,996 vehicles sold last year. Mercedes-Benz is the only premium manufacturer to have sold more than 600,000 automobiles in China in one year – a milestone that was reached in November 2018.
In Europe, 933,697 cars were sold, of which 303,862 in Germany (+ 0.1%). The SUVs, the S-Class and the new A-Class recorded the highest growth in Europe.
In the Nafta region, 378,013 units were handed over to customers in 2018. Despite a decline in sales of 5.6%, Mercedes-Benz was also the best-selling premium brand in the NAFTA region in 2018.
With 820,721 units sold (+ 1.9%), the SUVs contributed significantly to last year's sales success and accounted for more than a third of total Mercedes-Benz sales. The best-selling SUVs were the GLC and the GLA.
Every fourth car sold was a small car. 609,000 customers worldwide received their new A-Class, B-Class, CLA, CLA Shooting Brake or GLA. The new A-Class achieved 2018 global growth of 3.4%.
On the other hand, the C-Class, with 397,000 units sold in 2018 (sallon and estate), is the highest-volume Mercedes-Benz model. Double-digit growth was achieved with the long wheelbase version of the exclusive C-Class sedan built and sold in China.
The S-Class is still the best-selling luxury sedan in the world with 77,927 units sold, while the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class reached a new record in the top versions with a sales increase of 21.8%.
The V-Class set a new record with 62,699 units sold, while the new Mercedes X-Class 2018 found more than 14,000 customers.
The sports division of Mercedes-AMG sold 118,204 vehicles in 2018, making it a leader in the premium sports market.
BMW has announced that the BMW Group 2018 is the world's leading premium car company, because Bayern have cumulated the sale of BMW with mini sales. In 2018, 2,490,664 (+ 1.1%) BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce were delivered.
Despite a sales increase of 1.8% in 2018, the BMW brand delivered 2,125,026 vehicles, almost 185,000 less than Mercedes-Benz.
As with Mercedes-Benz, BMW posted the best results in the Asia-Pacific region. However, Bayern continue to publish revenue data by region only for the entire group and not for brands.
Nevertheless, BMW has sold less BMW and Minis in the Asia / Pacific region than Mercedes-Benz. In the NAFTA region, BMW was the only premium brand to record growth of 1.4% in 2018.
The SUV accounted for 37.3% of BMW's total sales, which equates to 792,635 cars.
Another significant growth came from the BMW 5 Series. Sales of the world's most popular premium sedan increased by 12.7% to 328,997 units in 2018.
In 2018, 142,617 electrified BMW and Mini were sold. The BMW 530e was the bestseller of all BMW and Mini Plug-In Hybrid models with 40,260 vehicles sold (12.2% of the world's BMW 5 Series Sedan). 34,829 BMW i3s were sold, an increase of 10.6% due to the new larger battery.
The BMW M GmbH division posted a new sales record with over 100,000 units sold. With 102,780 units sold (+ 27.2%), BMW M GmbH approached the Mercedes-AMG with 118,204 vehicles sold (-10.4%).
The bad surprise came from Audi, the only premium brand to report a 3.5% decline in global sales.
Dieselgate had a very strong impact on sales, especially in Europe, where Audi declined 13.5%, mainly because many versions were not available after 1 September 2018.
The future also looks bad, as Audi sales fell by 14.3% worldwide in December 2018 and by 20.9% in Europe.
The only region where Audi recorded an increase in sales was in China. Audi sold 663,049 vehicles in China last year, an increase of 10.9%.
In the US, Audi posted a result of 223,323 units sold (-1.4%), but is still very far from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
|18th of December||Change in%||January to December. 2018||Change in%|
|of it Germany||27528||27.60%||303.862||0.10%|
|of it USA||32016||-9.10%||315959||-6.30%|
|of it China||49.907||3.70%||652996||11.10%|
|of it Germany||16937||-10.00%||260.456||-11.60%|
|United States of America||22765||-15.60%||223323||-1.40%|
|of it China||62895||20.90%||639.953||7.7|
|of it USA||37.154||-4.40%||354.698||8.1|


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Mumbai, India – In a significant announcement, Reliance Industries Ltd. has said that it plans to soon list shares of Jio Financial Services. This move is part of the conglomerate’s grand strategy to make its newly created unit the biggest non-banking lender in India, using the strength of its digital and retail sectors.
Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire chairman of Reliance Industries, shared his vision in the company’s annual report for the financial year ending March 31. He believes that the fresh initiative will unlock value for shareholders and provide them with a new platform for growth.
Following the path of his late father, Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani, Mukesh Ambani has a history of unveiling big projects at the annual investors’ gatherings. Previously, he has delighted shareholders with free shares and launched affordable smartphones.
This year, there’s a lot of anticipation about Ambani’s plans for Jio Financial Services, alongside his clean energy and digital ventures. Reliance Strategic Industries Ltd., to be renamed Jio Financial, is valued at approximately $20 billion after its shares were spun off last month.
Even though the newly formed firm has minimal revenue at the moment, it already owns a 6.1 percent stake in Reliance Industries. Plus, a partnership with BlackRock has been announced to establish an Indian asset management venture.
According to Ambani, Asia’s richest man, “Jio Financial Services aims to provide simple, affordable, and innovative digital-first solutions.” This falls in line with his knack for transforming businesses, leading Reliance to shift from traditional crude oil refining and petrochemicals to a consumer services giant over the past decade.
Furthermore, the company is striving to make Jio Financial Services one of India’s leading non-banking finance firms. This move aligns with its desire to build an empire that rivals global giants like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd.
In conclusion, the upcoming listing of Jio Financial Services seems to herald a new era in digital finance for India. By leveraging existing digital and retail strengths, Reliance Industries appears poised to make waves in the non-banking finance sector. Time will tell if Ambani’s latest vision will translate into another success story.
This news is based on a cnbctv18.com article.

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March Madness Live is the top featured app in the tvOS App Store in the US. It deserves to be, as the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament is arguably the biggest annual television event here apart from the Super Bowl. While the tournament is just getting underway, I've been trying the app during the preliminary "First Four" games, including cheering on my alma mater, the University of Michigan. (They won!)
Setup of the app was less than flawless. With the first game already in progress on Tuesday evening, the app told me to "Come back after the schedule has been announced." Digging into the app's settings screen and entering cable account credentials brought it to its senses, but I was never prompted for that info. Once the schedule appeared, video wouldn't play until I force quit the app, something that many tvOS users probably still don't know is an option. (Just like in iOS, double tap home and then swipe up.)
I was excited at the initial announcement of the app, which according to Recode promised "a new split-screen feature available exclusively through Apple TV". While there haven't been concurrent games yet, no evidence of such a feature exists. The app is largely a grid of thumbnails that lead to unadorned streams: hit menu, and you're back to the grid (and restarting your stream earns you another playthrough of the same 15-second preroll for an Android phone — two strikes for an Apple user trying to watch live sports).
Incessant branding in the app indicates partnership with HBO Now, which likely means that MLB TV's streaming engine underlies the app. The quality is good, and the streams are reliable once they begin…but there's just nothing else there. Even if CBS/Turner wants their apps to just be stopgaps when viewers are away from their "real" TVs, it would be a joke if their iOS offering was just a plain UICollectionView. Yes, tvOS is a lesser platform, probably one of the smallest they've developed for, but the lack of effort makes you wonder why they bothered at all, or if Apple encouraged them at any stage before App Editorial. Apple wants tvOS to be taken seriously, but if March Madness Live is the best that a well-funded corporate developer can manage for a high-profile event, it's clear that on the outside, the TV is still just Apple's "hobby".


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Today, few minutes ago, another very new unique press release, called
Fiat 500L Adds Automatic Transmission for 2015 was circulated by the brand: FIAT – US
Summing-up, FIAT – US presented that FCA US Media – Press Kit: 2015 Fiat 500L:Fiat 500L Adds Automatic Transmission for 2015 FCA En Español Media Contacts Blog Brands & Products Alfa Romeo 4C 4C Spider Giulia Stelvio Concept Vehicles Heritage Museum Chrysler 300 Pacifica Hybrid minivan Pacifica minivan Voyager Concept Vehicles Heritage Past Products 200 200 Convertible 300 SRT PT Cruiser Sebring Convertible Sebring Sedan Town & Country Dodge Challenger Challenger SRT Charger Charger Pursuit Charger SRT Durango Durango Pursuit Durango SRT Concept Vehicles Heritage 100 Years of Dodge Motorsports Past Products Avenger Caliber Dart Dakota Grand Caravan Grand Caravan Cargo Van Journey Magnum Neon Nitro Sprinter Stratus Coupe Stratus Sedan Viper Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge Fiat 124 Spider 500L 500X Concept Vehicles Past Products 500 Abarth and 500c Abarth 500 and 500c (cabrio) 500e Jeep Cherokee Compass Gladiator Grand Cherokee Grand Cherokee SRT Renegade Wrangler Concept Vehicles Easter Jeep Safari Heritage Past Products Commander Liberty Patriot Compass Mopar 80th Anniversary Mile-High NHRA Nationals Moab Easter Jeep Safari Motorsports Parts & Accessories SEMA Service & Customer Care Ram 1500 2500/3500 ProMaster City Concept Vehicles Past Products Cargo Van Ram Nation Ram Commercial 1500 Heavy Duty 3500/4500/5500 Chassis Cab ProMaster ProMaster City SRT Challenger SRT Charger SRT Durango SRT Grand Cherokee SRT Motorsports Past Products 300 SRT Chrysler Crossfire SRT6 Dodge Caliber SRT4 Dodge Ram SRT10 Magnum SRT8 SRT4 Viper SRT10 Press Kits Specifications Corporate Advertising Awards Capital Markets Day Community Support COVID-19 Response Corporate Facts Dealers Design Diversity Executive Biographies Financials Heritage Labor Talks Manufacturing Plant Fact Sheets World Class Manufacturing and Logistics Safety Sales Photos 2021 Products 2020 Products 2019 Products 2018 Products 2017 Products 2016 Products 2015 Products 2014 Products Community Support Concepts Corporate News Executives Heritage Logos Manufacturing Motorsports Video Brand News Alfa Romeo Brand News Chrysler Brand News Dodge Brand News Fiat Brand News Jeep Brand News Mopar Brand News Ram Brand News SRT Brand News Community Support Design Events & Programs FCA Replay Heritage Industry News Manufacturing Motorsports Running Footage Alfa Romeo Brand Running Footage Chrysler Brand Running Footage Dodge Brand Running Footage Fiat Brand Running Footage Jeep Brand Running Footage Ram Brand Running Footage Ram Commercial Truck Running Footage SRT Brand Running Footage Under the Pentastar Auto Shows & Events Chicago CES Los Angeles 2019 Auto Show Season Miami SEMA Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Pikes Peak International Hill Climb New York Easter Jeep Safari (Moab) Geneva Chicago NAIAS CES Los Angeles 2018 Auto Show Season SEMA State Fair of Texas Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals 2018 Mille Miglia New York Easter Jeep Safari (Moab) Geneva Chicago NAIAS CES LA Auto Show 2017 Auto Show Season 2017 SEMA New York Easter Jeep Safari (Moab) Dallas Chicago NAIAS (Detroit) CES LA Auto Show 2016 Auto Show Season 2016 SEMA State Fair of Texas New York Spring Festival of LXs Moab Easter Jeep Safari Geneva CIAS (Toronto) Chicago 2016 NAIAS (Detroit) 2016 LA Auto Show 2015 Auto Show Season 2015 SEMA State Fair of Texas Frankfurt Woodward Dream Cruise New York Moab Easter Jeep Safari Spring Festival of LXs Chicago Toronto 2015 NAIAS (Detroit) CES 2015 LA Auto Show 2014 Auto Show Season Miami San Antonio 2014 SEMA Sao Paulo Paris Beijing New York Moab Denver Minneapolis Geneva Dallas Toronto Chicago Houston Montreal Detroit Los Angeles 2013 Auto Show Season 2013 SEMA Moab 2013 New York CES Geneva Chicago Detroit 2012 Los Angeles 2012 Auto Show Season 2012 SEMA 2012 Moab 2012 New York 2012 NTEA 2012 Geneva Canadian International Auto Show 2012 Beijing Washington, D.C.
As revealed before, 500l captured our mind distinctively for the argumentation in the piece of news aiming to bring the information. diversely, the perception of difficulties facilitates the creation of survey of the variables involved. with the large data above this news release, 500l was cited and its advised to be a indispensable theory on this issue.
Surrounded by the far-reaching info reporeted on this news release, auto has been quoted and its contemplated to be a fundamental approach on this issue. In this sense, the growing influence of the media maximizes possibilities on account of normative rules of conduct. Montreal Detroit Technology Electrification Powertrains Safety Systems Uconnect Global Markets Asia-Pacific Brazil Canada 2020 Labour Talks Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Mopar Ram Past Product Lineups 2018 FCA Canada Product Lineup 2017 FCA Canada Product Lineup 2016 FCA Canada Product Lineup 2015 FCA Canada Product Lineup 2014 Chrysler Canada Product Lineup 2013 Chrysler Canada Product Lineup European Markets Mexico Nuestra Empresa Nuestra Gente Nuestras Plantas Eventos Boletines Corporativos Boletines de Producto En Español Media Contacts Login/Register Blog Home > Products > Brands & Products > Fiat Share Download Print Press Kit: 2015 Fiat 500L Fiat 500L Adds Automatic Transmission for 2015 2015 Fiat 500L available with six-speed automatic transmission for a total of three transmission options Fiat 500L Trekking’s distinct, rugged exterior available in two new paint colors for 2015: Blue Tornado and Rosso Perla (Deep Lava Red) Fiat 500L combines the appeal of the iconic Fiat 500 with four doors and comfortable seating for five Innovative 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine provides the Fiat 500L with fuel efficiency combined with an output of 160 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft.. As revealed before, auto took our consideration specifically for the logic inside the piece of information planning to drop the info.
Encompassed in the extensive info released on this press release, 2015 was mentioned and its weighed to be a basic view on this matter. In this sense, the current structure of the organization shows trends towards approving maintenance of information flow. For 2015, the Fiat 500L is available with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is optional on the Easy and Trekking models, and standard on the Lounge model.. Like we revealed about before, 2015 draw our attention uniquely because of the density presented within the topic in order to deliver the report.


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Pokémon Go is one of the biggest smash hits in mobile gaming history, leading millions of players to go out in search of elusive pocket monsters in order to fulfill their dreams of becoming pokémon masters.
Developer Niantic is at the forefront of AR gaming, and is aiming to make the technology more accessible through the use of the Lightship ARDK. We spoke to the company’s director of production about the company’s history, its struggles, and where it’s going next.
Pocketgamer.biz: Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and briefly explain your role within your company?
I’m Kellee Santiago, Director of Production for Niantic’s gaming studios. In this role I get to work with our game team leads on developing best practices for production in AR and real-world game experiences, as well as oversee our Publishing slate. This includes our current titles Pokémon GO, Ingress and Pikmin Bloom. I also founded and now oversee the Black Developers Initiative, the goal of which is to foster more Black-led development studios in the AR industry.
What would you say has been the biggest change in the industry since you entered into it?
New distribution channels and new technology continue to shake up the industry - it’s what keeps me on my toes. When I started, the digital distribution of games through Steam, XBLA, and PSN were just starting. It very suddenly allowed so many people who had been previously shut out of the games industry to build businesses and careers. It's been incredible to see the evolution of gaming and the way new platforms have redefined the way we are entertained.
And I feel the same way about AR now. It’s a new, kind of wild space for game development. The people doing it right now are personally motivated and very passionate. And new platforms such as wearables and mixed reality headsets will define how we use and interact with this technology - it’s a very exciting time right now.
This next evolution will be critical for realizing the true potential of what we call the ‘real world metaverse.’ As Niantic’s CEO John Hanke once said, our overall goal is to turn the world into a game board — to make our physical environment a more magical, fun place. For us, it starts with a technology that connects the real world (the atoms) with the digital one (the bits).
Did you see the above mentioned change coming? If not, how did you adapt to it?
It was when I was in undergraduate college that we started downloading music. There had been “shareware” downloadable games for a long time before that. So, I think as a consumer myself it wasn’t shocking to see games going this way. What WAS surprising was just how much it changed who got to make a game, and why, and the business terms between publishers and developers. It’s what propelled me from being an independent console game developer into exploring newer gaming mediums. But finding a company that is dedicated to both making incredible games as well as investing in AR was very difficult! Niantic was a perfect match for me. Collectively, the team at Niantic has made products that have touched hundreds of millions of people in different ways — including Google Earth, Google Maps, and of course, Pokémon GO. Today we’re building technology that connects the digital and physical worlds in that real world metaverse.
And Niantic’s mission is in sync with this - to inspire people to explore the world, together. There are clearly areas where we feel we can make the biggest difference, including our own games and applications, but we also now offer the Lightship platform for developers. We want to give even more developers the tools to create innovative, real-world AR experiences that inspire movement and encourage exploration.
Thinking back over the past couple of years, what is the biggest hurdle you've faced?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone, and lockdown had a big impact on Niantic’s mission to help people get outside, exercise, and explore the world, with the ultimate goal of helping people connect with others. Our development team needed to respond quickly and efficiently and put in place creative solutions that let players embrace real-world gaming safely.
For instance, we added to our product roadmap to enable more ways to play inside and around the home, such as tracking steps indoors with Adventure Sync and enhancing our in-game virtual social features to enable players to stay in touch when they can’t meet in real life. We made a lot of changes to help our explorers feel a sense of connection to each other despite needing to stay physically distanced.
This year we’ve also been able to take Pokemon GO back to its roots and what makes it so special as a game for exploring and meeting friends and new people outside. The summer of 2022 was amazing, with millions of Trainers catching 1.75 billion Pokémon and exploring 150 million kilometers in the first-ever series of five Pokémon GO Fest events. We also got to launch Pikmin Bloom one year ago, encouraging people to move around outdoors again with an experience focused on creating beauty and whimsy wherever you are.
Where do you think the mobile gaming industry is headed in the next few years?
Mobile is already the biggest sector in gaming, and continues to grow. Just like with PC and console, I expect to see the quality of mobile games go up, and the sophistication in craft and range of experiences will grow. The medium has only been around for about 15 years, so it is still very young.
For Niantic, we’re going to see games and apps that push AR experiences into something even more immersive while also helping foster the growth of real world communities. It’s still a very new technology and it’s exciting to think where we’ll go with upcoming titles like Peridot, which is a game played entirely in AR.
Niantic has helped push technologies like AR and location-awareness closer to the mainstream. Which, if any, other technology excites you most?
Niantic is still very focused on AR and location-awareness, and we’re always looking to improve and expand these technologies beyond what people think is possible.
An important innovation is Lightship Visual Positioning System (VPS), which gives developers the power to localize users and AR content with centimeter-level accuracy in seconds. Lightship VPS is currently available at over 100,000 locations with particularly robust coverage in six launch cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, London, and Tokyo, and it is a big area of investment for us. It’s kind of the piece that’s been missing for AR creators, and I’m really excited to see what we make now.
Edited by Lewis Rees


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Local entrepreneur Grant Clouston is set to open the first NKD Pizza franchise in the UK in the city's Morningside area, after returning from working in Dubai's oil and gas sector and discovering there was nothing similar to the popular chain in the capital.
Clouston said: "When I returned to Scotland and I was out with my kids I was looking for something similar to NKD Pizzas and couldn’t find anything.
"I didn’t want to go down the traditional takeaway pizza route, so I got in touch with NKD Pizza and secured the rights to Scotland. I truly believe in the brand and products that are on offer."
The firm, which are famous for their NKD Tomato Sauce, Ancestral Blend dough and fresh ingredients, already have stores in Dubai and the US but this will be their first in Scotland.
Clouston believes NKD's attitude towards carefully sourced ingredients, and the fact that their hand-made 'healthier' dough is made from an ancestral blend of 10 grains, prebiotic agave fibre and probiotics (healthful bacteria like the ones found in yogurt for balance and digestive health), and bound by water, will quickly win over the capital's pizza fans.
Clouston added: "Eating NKD pizza can leave you feeling really satisfied.
"We believe it’s the diversity of grains, fibre and probiotics that can help provide a slow, sustained release of energy avoiding the crash some people experience after eating single grain, highly processed pizzas."
The new store is set to open in October as part of plans for a UK expansion, with six other units set to be opened in England 0ver the next few years.


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Earlier this week, Chris Pine was spotted wearing a pair of New Balance Made In USA 990s in Los Angeles, which saw him join a huge list of famous fans for the Boston-based brand. Timothée Chalamet rarely wears another label’s shoes, preferring dove gray 997s and Jaden Smith-designed NB Vision Racers, YSL singer Zoë Kravitz is also a fan of the brand’s 990 silhouettes, as is Kanye West, while Rihanna has been seen countless times in the 574.
Rewind two decades, however, and the mere mention of the brand would have got you kicked from any worthy sneakerhead forum, with New Balance clearly being seen as the favorite sneaker brand for men on leave of a certain age. So what has changed? “Over the past 12 to 18 months, New Balance has become the new sneaker of choice for sneaker enthusiasts and the general public,” says Sally Scott, CEO of global sneaker resale site Klekt, which has seen sales of New Balance sneakers increase. over 100% since January 2021. “It’s as much up to NB’s product innovation team to pull it out of the bag with heart-wrenching collaborations as it does smart celebrity seeding.”
Indeed, like most successful streetwear brands right now, New Balance’s unprecedented popularity has a lot to do with the carefully considered collaborative projects Scott refers to. In recent years, NB has teamed up with Jaden Smith, Aimé Leon Dore, Salehe Bembury, Stone Island (who rarely collaborates with other labels), Casablanca and Aries, to name a few. Each of the aforementioned drops sold instantly and, in turn, introduced New Balance to a daring new clientele. New Balance collaborations have made once-overlooked silhouettes like the 992, 990v3 and 2002R far more popular than the connoisseur’s choice, and see the vintage 550 basketball style overtake the Nike Air Force 1 as sneakers. Everyday’s Choice for Cool Kids, has been a truly refreshing attitude change, ”says Ross Wilson, streetwear expert and sneaker collector.


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Get ready for iD Fashion Week XV!
BE PART OF iD
If you are a designer or volunteer and want to find out how you can be part of iD click here.
He’s dressed some of the world’s most stylish women – from Cate more
The 10th anniversary of New Zealand’s only major international emerging designer more
2014 will see an exciting week of fashion events take place in Dunedin, New Zealand, including prestigious overseas guests, retrospective celebrations, and the 10th anniversary of the iD International Emerging Designer Awards.
The must-see international fashion event – which last year featured celebrity milliner Stephen Jones, alongside a show-stopping display from iconic Dunedin and other New Zealand fashion designers – will deliver two iD Dunedin Fashion Shows on Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, on the Southern Hemisphere’s longest catwalk at Dunedin’s historic Railway Station.
On Thursday, April 3, the 10th annual iD International Emerging Designer Awards will be held as part of the week, providing an international platform for rising national and global talent and attracting entries from some of the world’s most prominent fashion schools.
Media wanting to attend #iDFW XV? Register now


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The founder of Naked Wines shocked the City on Thursday by stepping down, as the online retailer’s losses continue to mount.
Rowan Gormley, who founded Naked in 2008 and took charge of the listed Majestic Wine group following a reverse takeover in 2015, announced he will step down after Christmas when the £111m sale of its store-based arm, including Majestic, is complete.
Naked said the decision comes after a secret 18 month succession planning process that will see current COO Nick Devlin take over leadership in the New Year.
Gormley said he didn’t have the right skills. He was “a startup guy” and “it takes one set of skills to take a business from zero to £200m [of sales]… and a different set of skills to build it from there”.
His departure comes with Naked posted widening losses in the first half of its financial year as it continues to spend heavily on recruiting new customers. Naked posted 16% revenue growth (in continuing business) to £87.5m in the six months to 30 September, representing underlying growth of 13%.
This growth was driven by its largest market, the US, which was up 24% on a reported basis and 17% on an underlying basis and is “trading well on all measures”.
However, investment in new customers was up 29% in the period to £10.3m, which caused the group to fall to an adjusted EBIT loss of £3.8m compared with a loss of £1.7m in the same period last year.
The £111m sale of its Majestic Retail arm as well as its commercial and Lay & Wheeler business is expected to complete before the end of the calendar year.
The accounts illustrate the extent of the turnaround needed at Majestic Wine, which was bought by private equity firm Fortress for £95m .
Majestic retail revenues fell 5.3% in the first half to £116.5m, which was “as a result of customer uncertainty… driving lower footfall”.
As a result Majestic’s profits fell by more than 60% from £3.3m to £1.3m.
After its unhappy marriage with Naked The Grocer reported last month that Majestic had already given its range a major shake-up ahead of its sale to Fortress.
The retailer, which earlier this year hired former Tesco booze boss Rob Cooke to revamp its range, has introduced a swathe of new wines, beers and spirits, including many ‘Majestic Classics’ – which had disappeared under the reign of Gormley.
Responding to Gormley’s departure, analysts at Peel Hunt said: “The sector will be a quieter and less interesting place without Rowan Gormley.
“The new man, Nick Devlin, hadn’t been rolled out extensively to investors in advance and we suspect that the shares will be shaken by the news.”
Majestic shares dropped 4.6% in morning trading to 250.5p, having been over 400p before its interim results in 2018.


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Scouts Go Secure ( Cyber Security)
During this serious pandemic, government of India have announced a strict Lockdown. During this lockdown, most of the people spend time in social medias and online browsing.
And this is the same time, most of the cyber crime, online thief, cyber bullying, etc.. these kind of online problem arises or people unknowingly falls for these online traps.
So, we the Rovers and Rangers and Bangalore North District, The Bharat Scouts and Guides, India decided to organise a virtual training session for all the scouting fraternity of our district to train them on protecting themselves from all this spams and traps.
In the training session, we showed the live demostration on spams, phishing, website security, password security,mobile security,etc...
Totally 63 people from Bangalore North District have participated on 17th May 2020 and learnt about Online Safety.


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Sending out a clear warning to industry rivals, Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) intends to double the sale of its Taco Bell brand to $14 billion within the next eight years. The management is embarking on a two-pronged approach to meet its target: boost the average restaurant sales to $1.8 million from $1.3 million currently and add another 2,300 stores. Compared to McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD), which has 14,000 stores nationally, Taco Bell only has 5,700 stores and the management definitely sees scope to add some more.
Restaurants that are typically associated with lunch or dinner are now stepping up their presence in breakfast hours. After a few early tests, Taco Bell will be rolling out its breakfast menu by the end of next year. Items such as crunchy breakfast wrap, bite-size Cinnabon-branded cinnamon rolls, oatmeal and coffee will be offered as part of their breakfast lineup.
Similarly, restaurant chains such as Dunkin’ Donuts owned by Dunkin’ Brands (NASDAQ:DNKN) that generate most of their sales during breakfast are now expanding their menu in order to attract more customers post-noon. It added 30 items to its menu including Breakfast Burritos, the Roast Beef Bakery Sandwich etc in 2012, to be better associated with the lunch segment. In 2013, some of the new items to watch out for are Turkey Sausage Breakfast Sandwich, Angus Steak and Egg Breakfast Sandwich, among others.
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Dunkin’ Donuts is on an expansion spree of its own doubling the number of restaurants to 15,000 by 2020. The Western part of the country and states such as Texas represent huge untapped markets so the potential to expand is certainly there. Moreover, the last couple of years has seen the number of stores rising within the U.S. (243 and 291 new stores were opened in the U.S. in 2011 and 2012 respectively). This year Dunkin’ will add 330 to 360 new stores in the country.
In that regard, McDonald’s restaurant level economics are pretty strong. Despite its ubiquitous presence, each McDonald’s store on an average is able to generate $2.5 million worth of sales in the U.S. But that is where the trouble starts for McDonald’s. There aren’t many opportunities to generate incremental sales. Breakfast already accounts for about 25% of its total sales. Therefore, the chain is opting for the more traditional low-price approach by expanding its dollar menu.
And then there are other restaurant chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG), which continues to expand aggressively within the U.S. Although its menu is priced higher than other fast food chains, it offers value proposition through the use of fresher and naturally raised ingredients while using more sophisticated cooking methods. The company is looking to open another 170-180 new stores in the U.S. this year.
Clearly, the mature U.S. restaurant industry market doesn’t have the room to accommodate the growth plans of all restaurant chains. The long term growth of the market size is expected to be in the region of 1-1.2% on an inflation adjusted basis, which should translate to about ~3% on a nominal basis.  Either some of the big players will miss their aggressive targets or a few of the smaller players will get gobbled up. Although restaurants lay out a clear strategy in order to achieve their targets, not all of them will be able to meet them.
We have a $40 price estimate for Dunkin Brands, which is roughly in line with the current market price.
- Analysts: Yum plans to double U.S. Taco Bell sales, May 22, 2013, nrn.com [↩]
- Projecting the restaurant industry’s economic might, restaurant.org [↩]


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A privacy bill introduced Thursday by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) would create a national “do not track” regime that gives consumers the right to prevent information about them from being shared or sold by ad-tech companies.
The “Mind Your Own Business Act,” which comes almost one year after Wyden first floated a draft privacy bill, allows the Federal Trade Commission to fine violators up to 4% of their annual revenue.
Currently, the FTC can't generally fine companies over privacy violations, unless the companies were already subject to a consent decree or court order. The measure also calls for criminal sanctions -- including sentences of up to 20 years in prison -- for senior executives who knowingly lie to the FTC.
“Mark Zuckerberg won’t take Americans’ privacy seriously unless he feels personal consequences for lying about his failure to protect your data,” Wyden tweeted Thursday. “I just introduced a bill that would put execs in jail when they lie to the government about how they protect consumers’ data.”
The proposed bill would beef up the FTC by allowing the agency to hire an additional 175 people dedicated to policing privacy.
Earlier this year, FTC Chair Joe Simons asked Congress for a “significant increase” in personnel, in order to investigate and prosecute privacy cases. Simons said at the time that the agency employs 40 full-time staff devoted to privacy and data security.
By comparison, the Information Commissioners' office has around 500 employees, Simons told lawmakers.
Another provision of Wyden's proposed measure would require companies to study whether algorithms threaten privacy or result in discrimination.
Earlier this year, Wyden along with two other lawmakers introduced a separate bill, the Algorithmic Accountability Act, which would also require companies to study whether their algorithms pose risks to privacy, as well as whether they may result in inaccurate, unfair or discriminatory decisions.)
The measure includes a provision that allows companies to charge a “reasonable fee” to people who refuse to allow data sharing.
Wyden's proposed bill would not override state laws such as California's new Consumer Privacy Act, slated to take effect next year. That law gives consumers the right to learn what personal information has been collected about them by companies, to have that information deleted, and to prevent the sale or other disclosure of that data to third parties.
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Blockchain technology is becoming part of a large-scale EU-funded project, intended to boost the digital transformation of the European countryside!
OriginTrail (TRAC), a blockchain company developing data exchange protocol for interconnected supply chains, has become the go-to blockchain solution for 108 organizations, from 22 different European countries, involved in a SmartAgriHubs project, managed by Wageningen University & Research, the world’s leading provider of scientific education in the healthy food and living environment domain.
European Farming Sector Needs the Blockchain
By 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. As a result, cities will, to an increasing degree, face issues concerning sustainability and quality of life. This will have an impact on food security, mobility and logistics, the availability of water, dealing with raw materials and waste, health, and well-being.
The European Commission recognized the importance of facing this…


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"Target is testing a service where orders placed online for pickup at the store can be brought out to guests in their cars," said Target spokesman Eddie Baeb. "The test launched this month and is currently open to Target team members at three Minneapolis-area stores."
Baeb said the curbside pickup service will be expanded to other stores in the Minneapolis area. “We hope to make the service guest-facing in the coming months,” he said. For now the program is limited to shelf staples and other products eligible for its in-store pickup service. Competitor Wal-Mart’s curbside program is focused on grocery items.
Target had been using a company called, appropriately, Curbside as part of a pilot curbside pickup program at 121 stores in five major markets, but suspended it in June 2016 after a 22-month test. The company did not have specifics on the results of the pilot with Curbside, and at the time was reevaluating its technology investments.
Taking an internal approach allows Target to control and operate the entire experience to make sure it best meets the needs of its customers.
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Wyoming Moves To Ban Sales Of New Electric Vehicles By 2035• https://insideevs.com by Tom Moloughney
Change is hard. Humans are creatures of habit and it's in our nature to avoid change. Transitioning our personal transportation fleet from vehicles that burn fossil fuels to plug in electric vehicles is going to be a massive undertaking.
And as with all new disruptive technologies, there will be winners and losers as the old tech is shuttered while the new technology proliferates. The oil and gas industry already knows that electric vehicles are poised to replace the internal combustion engine vehicles that it caters to, and the demand for its products will radically decrease in the coming years.
But that doesn't mean they aren't going down without a fight.


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Gamers get ready as Thumbs Up the ultimate hands on gaming experience takes over Woking Shopping. Perfect for little kids and big kids alike the three day long event will celebrate games from the last 30 years.
From early big games like Pong and PacMan to 90s classics like Sonic and Super Mario right the way through to today’s must-play games like Minecraft. The event will feature hundreds of games, all playable and all for free.
Taking place in the Peacocks’ food court, the event will open from 11 until 5pm on Saturday 27. Sunday 28 and Monday 29 May with one hour slots bookable.
It is recommended that you book your slot before attending to avoid disappointment via the Woking Shopping site.
Rowen De Grauw, Customer Experience Manager at Woking Shopping said: “This is a must-attend event for any keen gamers and provides the opportunity to experience the very best games old and new. Whilst this is a kids club event, big kids are more than welcome to book a ticket and come down and enjoy the fun.”
To book tickets head to http://wokingshopping.guestmanager.com where time slots are available.


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By Audrey Esther, News9.com INsite Team
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Bricktown's only grocery and convenience store is open for business. Simply called The Store, the shopette is a big step for the area.
Currently, there are no other grocery or convenience stores in Bricktown; leaving the hundreds of residents without a place to buy food or bare essentials within walking distance of their homes.
"Someone was going to pick up on the idea," said The Store's owner Mike Clark. "What I'm attempting to do is put in a small grocery that carries fresh vegetables, fruits, milk products, things of that nature."
The Store, located at 222 E. Sheridan, opened in early June. Sales of milk, candy and canned goods has averaged about $250 dollars per day. However, in a few months when a 200-room Hampton Inn and Suites opens next door Clark said he's likely to do four times that amount.
"The area that many people knew as a restaurant and night club area is changing," said Jim Cowan, executive director of Bricktown Association."We're continuing to see things that are welcoming to residents."
Cowan estimated about 3,000 people currently live within a six to eight-block radius of Clark's business. He said that by 2015 the number of residents could reach 10,000.
Most nights, The Store is open until 2 a.m. to accommodate the late-night crowd. Clark said he's not concerned about safety due to the number of police who patrol right at The Store's doorstep.
"The police department will not put up with any problems down here," Clark said.
Clark has also recevied a good amount of enforcement training. The retired 64-year-old Vietnam veteran served in the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. He holds a Silver Star medal of valor and a Purple Heart.
"I saved two men's lives of my platoon," he said. "I am in possession of a Silver Star, which I'm very proud of and I'm 100 percent pro-vet."
Something else Clark isn't concerned about is a large-chain grocery store.
"I have no fear of a Homeland or Crest coming in and running me out of business, because I'm building a clientele verbally and by action that I think will stay with me," he said.
Cowan said plans for a Bricktown grocery store are in the works.
"It will be the first development plan that Bricktown has had since the mid 80s," Cowan said.


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See which stunning hotel projects from the region have received the top honours at this year’s Asia Hotel Design Awards.
March 14th, 2016
Top image: The Asia Hotel Design of the Year, Phum Baitang, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Given that the Asia Hotel Design Awards was an event to recognise the best hotels in Asia, it was certainly fitting that the ceremony was held at The South Beach, itself one of the latest statement hospitality landmarks to open in Singapore.
The results were announced on the evening of 10 March, with over 400 prominent members of industry from across the region gracing the glittering ceremony.
The highest honour, “The Asia Hotel Design of the Year”, was handed to Phum Baitang, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Designed by AW2, the project also took home a total of three other awards that evening.
In addition to honouring hospitality projects in Asia, the awards also paid recognition to Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha, one of the world’s leading creators and operators of award-winning luxury hotels and resorts.
Commenting on this year’s event, Matt Turner, Editor-in-Chief of Sleeper Magazine, the organiser of the awards, said: “This year’s awards had an incredible response from the hotel design community across the Asia-Pacific region. Over 130 entries were received from 60 projects in twelve different countries. The quality and diversity of the nominated projects is a real testament to the creativity and professionalism of the designers and architects involved… We were also honoured to be able to acknowledge Adrian Zecha’s outstanding contribution to the industry over the past five decades.”
Members of this year’s judging panel included Khirstie Myles from IHG (Chair of Judges); Christine McGinnis, WATG/Wimberly Interiors; Carsten Lima, Design Hotels; Andre Fu, AFSO; Brian Lum, Hyatt; Loh Lik Peng, Unlisted Collection; Brian Williams, Swire Hotels; and Guy Heywood, Alila Hotels, just to name a few.
Asia Hotel Design Awards
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Sub-Zero and Wolf’s prestigious Kitchen Design Contest (KDC) has celebrated the very best in kitchen innovation and aesthetics for three decades now. Recognising premier kitchen design professionals from around the globe, the KDC facilitates innovation, style and functionality that pushes boundaries.
Winners of The Social Space category in the 2023 INDE.Awards, RooMoo Design Studio has made its mark on the Shanghai’s hospitality landscape with a new restaurant design.
This design for a combined workplace and cultural space in Beijing is sensitive to place, people and culture, all expertly executed by CUN DESIGN.
This executive lounge and Chinese restaurant in the Shangri-La Qiantan draws sumptuously from the architecture of Shanghai Shikumen houses.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Caring for our mental health is paramount these days and architecture and design can lead the way as Hassell shows in its latest project in Queensland.
In Malaysia Spacemen has created a world of perfumed wonder with their latest project, Trove, where treasures abound.
Continuing our new series on the design enthusiasts who work in all sorts of different roles across the industry, we speak to Rogerseller’s Claire Drummond.


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White House adviser Ivanka Trump visited Duluth Pack, a Minnesota manufacturer that pivoted from leather and canvas products to PPE during the coronavirus pandemic, as part of her Pledge to America's Workers that focuses on job training.
"Visited the oldest canvas [and] leather pack maker in the U.S., founded in 1882 in Duluth, [Minnesota]," Trump wrote on Twitter. "For 138 [years], Duluth Pack’s Made in America products have stood the test of time! Today they committed to expanding training [and] education opportunities through our #PledgetoAmericasWorkers!"
Trump toured Duluth Pack with Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn.
Duluth Pack said in April that it would make reusable hospital gowns to combat the PPE shortage, the Duluth News Tribune reported.
“During the COVID-19 stay at home shelter, we were down to 6 employees," Duluth Pack said in a statement shared by the White House. "We had a total of 62 employees at the end of 2019. We currently [employ] 73 employees. The increase in employees is due to our pivot to manufacturing Medical PPE gowns as well as the support of customers purchasing our made in America canvas and leather products.”
The administration's "Pledge to America's Workers" encourages businesses and groups to create opportunities for workers, including apprenticeships, continuing education, on-the-job-training and retraining. More than 440 companies have signed the pledge.


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Rural Haat inaugurated in Angangba village
|Residents of Angangba village and officials from NABARD during the inauguration of rural marketing haat on July 25.|
The 'Rural Marketing Haat,' sanctioned and endowed by the Government of India and implemented by the Better Life Foundation (BLF) was inaugurated on July the 25th of 2019 as a platform of Marketing for the various agricultural cooperatives (Farmers' Producer Organizations, FPOs) that are being nurtured by the Foundation. It's prime objective for the nex 25 years will be the development of market opportunities in the region---coordination of sales, training, research and technological development, advertising, technical assistance, etc.
Attendees to the inauguration consisted in dignitaries such as the deputy-general manager of the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development, Hon'ble Suresh Chandra Sahoo, and the head elder of Sangtam tribe's Angangba Village, Chief C. Tokyu.
The Marketing platform is optimally located for logistical purposes---adjacent to National Highway 202, which runs to all the major economic centres of India.


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(Doc Martens store in Harajuku)
NYT: More Customers Give Up the Cellphone Contract
From the article:
The savings can be considerable. An AT&T customer with an Apple iPhone on a traditional plan pays at least $130 a month, excluding taxes and fees, for unlimited calls and Web use. Compared with the $50-a-month, all-inclusive prepaid plans, the iPhone owner pays nearly $1,000 more over the course of a year.That's great, but you are still paying $50 a month for a (likely terrible) phone, which (likely) can't get 3G outside of a population center. iPhones are even worse: you could buy a new phone every month for the monthly cost of the contract.
The reason that cellphones suck in the US is simply, there is no real competition. Every cellular company is happy to make 1000%+ profit margin on text messages and internet access while providing terrible 3G coverage and Faustian contract bargains.
Compare to Japan: I bought my phone for ~$100, I regularly access the internet, and use the phone for calling and texting. My monthly bill has yet to exceed $30 a month. I can get 3G basically anywhere but in the subway and the elevator (some carriers such as AU have special infrastructure to retransmit signals in subway tunnels; I use Softbank which doesn't).
In the age of netbooks and free Skype, cellphone companies in the US need to stop pumping out crappy phone models, do some infrastructure building, and make contracts that do not resemble slave ownership agreements.


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If you’ve been waiting for new features for the Exposure X4 by Alien Skin Software, you’ll be pleased to know that a major update now has that covered.
Today, Alien Skin Software announced that the Exposure X4.5 update to their non-destructive RAW photo editor and organizer is now available. It’s been a while since we had a look at what the film-inspired, photo editing alternative offers. According to their announcement, the major feature from this update is the addition of LUT support to the Exposure X4. This now opens up more creative possibilities and tools, as users can now import LUT effects available online or produced by other photo and video applications to Exposure. Photographers can make further adjustments to the effects and their results using the software’s advanced editing and layering tools.


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While it’s notoriously difficult to pass up a box (or six) of Thin Mints when an adorable troupe of Girl Scouts intercepts you on your way to the bank or the grocery store, at least you can use the “they gave me the puppy eyes and seemed so genuinely invested in their little business that I couldn’t say no” excuse. And if you haven’t run into a cookie stand of late but have a hankering serious enough to warrant ordering your cookies for delivery, that at least takes the deterring extra step of filling out a form or contacting your
dealer niece. But what if all that stood between you and the wonder that is the Samoa was a click of your mouse while you’re curled up on the couch watching Grey’s Anatomy?
That’s right; Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., after barring online sales of their cookies for years, has officially approved “Digital Cookie,” an online platform that will allow Girl Scouts to sell and ship their wares via the internet superhighway. There will even be a mobile app; goodbye, skinny jeans.
“Girls across the country now can use modern tools to expand the size and scope of their cookie business,” said Sarah Angel-Johnson, who is in charge of digital cookie effort, “and learn vital entrepreneurial lessons in online marketing, application use and e-commerce.”
The digital sales will begin this month in limited areas, and will kick off nationwide when the majority of the 112 Girl Scout councils begin their annual selling season.
That’s not to say, though, that the girls will be abandoning their old standbys like door-to-door canvassing and office orders, reliable tactics which already yield roughly $800 million in annual cookie sales.
“I love going around my neighborhood, my parents’ jobs and my grandfather’s job,” 13-year-old Bria Vainqueur told the New York Times. “I’ve been selling cookies since I joined scouting when I was 6, including setting up a booth at our local Stop & Shop…But the digital option is going to make it easier to reach a lot more people and to take and keep track of their orders.”


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Ulta Beauty, a cosmetics retailer that can be found at most malls and power centers between Cherry Hill and Exton, is planting roots in the heart of Philadelphia’s retail corridor with a new flagship store.
Ulta signed a long-term lease on three-levels totaling 13,600 square feet at 1619 Walnut St., backfilling a space long left vacant when Brasserie Perrier closed up at the beginning of 2009.
“They are one of the strongest retailers in the market right now,” said Steve O’Malley, a broker with Fameco Real Estate who represented Ulta. “When other retailers are hunkered down, Ulta is in growth mode.”
The company opened a 373,000-square-foot distribution center in Chambersburg in June as part of strategy to open 1,000 new stores. Pennsylvania was instrumental in helping Ulta construct the center, which will eventually employ 400 people.
Ulta joins some other traditionally suburban retailers who are seeking population density and moving into urban settings. In Philadelphia, for example, Marshalls is opening a store at Market East, Walgreens will soon have a presence on South Broad Street, Target continues to flirt with Center City and others are poking around.
While retailers followed roofs that were popping up throughout the suburbs during the housing boom, they are now venturing into markets once looked at as “impenetrable and undesirable,” according to the International Counsel of Shopping Centers.
“As the population shifts from the suburbs to the urban core, big-box retailers have become interested in making a similar move because urban areas represent an untapped market,” according to an ICSC report.
Philadelphia’s downtown is the third largest in population and its demographics are increasingly desirable to retailers, said Jackie Balin, also a broker with Fameco. “It’s young, urban and modern.”
It didn’t hurt that other hip retailers such as Apple, Urban Outfitters and Free People are in the same block where Ulta will eventually move.
The road to get Ulta in the space was bumpy and required patience.
Vesper Property Group bought the six-story, 39,305-square-foot building in 2008 for $7.4 million from the Girard Estate. At the time Brasserie Perrier, a restaurant operated by chefs Georges Perrier and Chris Scarduzio, occupied 10,000 square feet on the first two floors of the building. With little notice, it closed in 2009 after 11 years in business.
The art deco building was constructed in 1937 and was originally occupied by Westinghouse Broadcasting and later KYW-TV. The studio space was once used to tape “The Mike Douglas Show.” Vesper planned renovations that got more extensive after pieces of the building’s marble façade fell off in June 2009. While it was initially a setback, it gave Vesper an opportunity to rethink the façade and have it totally redesigned.
Vesper’s ended up investing $6.5 million in interior and exterior upgrades to the property, including improving the lobby, lighting, elevators, mechanical systems and other common areas.
“We rebuilt the building from the street from all of the utilities up to the roof deck,” said Gary Silvi of Vesper. “We basically rebuilt it to modern-day high-rise standards. We have put time and energy into the building.”
The most visible alteration is the glistening glass facade designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, world-renowned architects who many know as the designer of the Apple stores. At one point, Apple was interested in leasing space in the building for its Philadelphia store and that’s when Bohlin Cywinski Jackson was brought in and as Silvi said, he “fell in love with BCJ design work.”
When Apple shifted its focus to a freestanding building a few doors down, Vesper enlisted the firm to go ahead and design a new facade.
Silvi was also committed to fill the basement, first and second floors with a retailer rather than a restaurant and he also wanted to find one that would embrace a vertical retail concept, or where a store would occupies multiple levels such as Boyd’s, Barney’s and Anthropologie. It’s something that Silvi believes the Philadelphia retail scene will see more of in the future.
Vesper courted Ulta, which has strong financials, and embraced the vertical concept, Silvi said. “We worked very patiently to conclude this deal,” he said.
The deal was on again and off again and finally sealed up.
The pool of retail tenants that size that can occupy that much space and at a high rents is small, said Douglas Green, a principal at Michael Salove Co.
“It was a nice marriage in the sense that it was a square peg in a square hole,” Green said. “Ulta is also a good fit for Walnut. These tenants want to be curated and near similar types of stores that promote cross shopping.”
These blocks along Walnut Street are beginning to be in and around each other so they can feed off of each other much in the same way a retailers feed off of each other at malls and shopping centers. In the end, that will only help to strengthen Walnut and Chestnut as vibrant retail corridors.


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The uncertainty of the tax position around buying and selling Bitcoins in the UK is a little clearer now. Despite fears that HMRC would impose a levy on Bitcoins, the taxman has now decided against doing so.
In discussions with UK Bitcoin traders last week, HMRC announced that it would not charge the 20 per cent VAT tax on trades, and that it would not charge the tax on entrepreneurs’ Bitcoin margins either.
This will go some way to making the UK one of the most tax-friendly regimes for the fast-growing cryptocurrency. Although Bitcoin has had its fair share of negative press in the last weeks, as one of the key exchanges Mt. Gox, collapsed, Bitcoin continues to be the most popular cryptocurrency on offer.
In total, there are some $6.9bn worth of Bitcoins currently in circulation up from just $150m one year ago.
Other countries’ taxmen have not been as open to Bitcoin, with many governments worried about how it could be used for money laundering and tax evasion. There is currently no way to trace Bitcoins they are not directly attached to their “owner”.
Speaking to the FT, Jonathan Harrison, an entrepreneur bringing Bitcoin ATMs to the UK, said the ruling by HMRC was good news:?
If they had added VAT that would have destroyed us, there would have been no point in starting this business at all. Its great that the UK authorities are seeing Bitcoin as an innovative technology that can help the economy.
Simon Dixon at Bank to the Future, which helps startups raise funding, added: The Bitcoin start-up community is booming. If we get favourable regulations that will build a lot of interest from start-ups around the world to come and base themselves in London.


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Dealers are looking for new ways to increase sales at the store level and in the service department. Juan Flores, Senior Director of Product Development at Kelly Blue Book (KBB), discusses what dealers need to focus on moving forward in today’s Power Lunch fueled by Cox Automotive.
The change in consumer demand from the used-car market to the new market has led to the macroeconomic patterns that dealers see and are the subject of discussion. According to Flores, “rising interest rates have led to higher monthly payments, which have made buyers more reluctant to buy a new car.”
Dealers used to make a lot of money selling used cars, but as consumer preferences changed, they had to concentrate on their service department. Especially given that many buyers keep their vehicles longer than average (eleven years instead of eight).
It’s vital to emphasize that seven out of ten vehicle owners leave dealerships after year five,” Flores says. They are departing because of the lack of pricing transparency, which strengthened the trade-in process. However, according to Flores, price transparency is evolving throughout the entire business, including the service lane. Therefore, “dealer principles need to focus on driving service in the service lane, or they will continue to see consumer leakage.”
To prevent the two primary pain points of customer leakage, Flores says:
1. Dealers need to focus on the lack of price transparency, as mentioned before. For example, “It’s not until the service manager slides the estimated in-voice across the desk that creates consumer anxiousness.”
2. Vehicle owners dislike that they can’t confidently obtain current recall information for their vehicles. For instance, with the recent recalls made earlier this week, KBB has searched the provided 17-digit VIN for sufficient recall data.
Conversely, forward-thinking dealers across the nation can seize chances to grow their service departments. When a service and price walk combined are utilized, it highlights the service department. For example, finding a worker to explain costs and expectations to customers and provide overall satisfaction is an intelligent move for dealers to prevent future leaks.
Because 7 out of 10 owners defect, Flores sees customer loyalty as temporary. But, he also believes that “if these issues get addressed in every dealers’ service department, it will create segmented loyalty.” He adds, “service centers will become, if they haven’t already, a genuine focus of dealer efforts and a significant part of the bottom line.”
Did you enjoy this interview? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by connecting with us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Instagram holds more of a sway than you may think when it comes to influencing millennials to purchase their first home. Check out this article from Forbes for great information on the importance of Instagram for this audience, as well as insights on popular hashtags to use on the platform.
Forbes | Andrew Arnold
Are social media platforms like Instagram pushing millennials into buying their first homes? According to a recent report from Bank of America, it’s definitely a motivating factor. 21% of respondents indicate that they want to buy due to fear of missing out. Another 27% see pictures of homes posted on Instagram and realize that if their peers can buy homes, they can do so as well. Below are some insights into how all of this plays out and how buyers and sellers can benefit.
To read the full article, click here: How Instagram Is Driving Millennials Towards Homeownership


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Pour one out for the Toyota C-HR. The smallest crossover Toyota sells in the U.S. is gone from our shores after 2022. Speaking to Motor Trend, a Toyota rep confirmed that the CH-R’s next generation will be sold everywhere else but the U.S.
On December 5th, Toyota showed a concept C-HR meant to preview the next generation of the small crossover, called C-HR Prologue. It stayed true to the C-HR’s funky design theme, just updated. It even has a little hint of the all-new Prius in the front facia. Toyota also threw in a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Given that the C-HR has been sold here in the U.S. for over six years, some assumed we would be getting the new model. But apparently, that’s not the case.
In a statement provided to Motor Trend, Toyota confirmed that the C-HR will be leaving the North American market after 2022.:
Effective following the 2022 model year, Toyota will discontinue sales of the C-HR in the U.S. and Canada. We are constantly evaluating our product lineup and we remain committed to the compact SUV segment. With the recent introduction of the Corolla Cross and Corolla Cross Hybrid, two great products that offer a great combination of utility and efficiency, and the best-selling RAV4, we are providing multiple options for compact SUV buyers.
Originally planned to be a Scion model before that brand was phased out, Toyota absorbed the model into its lineup as it did with the iM and FR-S. It was always hard to recommend the C-HR — its small size made for a cramped interior, and it was underpowered. It puttered around with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that developed just 144 horsepower, routed to the front wheels via a CVT.
Buyers who want something this small will have to go elsewhere as the Corolla Cross becomes the smallest crossover Toyota sells. There are still options like the Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Venue, and Honda HR-V.
More from Jalopnik


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Rates for the transportation of flour by grain trucks increased by 20%
The cost of renting grain wagons for the transportation of flour rose to UAH 600 per day.
The cost of transporting flour by UZ grain wagons from October 1 is UAH 600 per day (without VAT), compared to UAH 500 per day in September. This is reported by “APK-Inform” with reference to the data of “Ukrzaliznytsia”.
The fee for the use of tanks for the transportation of food products will increase from UAH 1,300 to UAH 1,400/day in October.
At the same time, the daily fee for the use of UZ mineral trucks for the transportation of grain cargoes for the current month has significantly decreased — from UAH 250 to UAH 50. The use of cement trucks for these purposes will increase from UAH 700 to UAH 800 per day.
The rate for renting a semi-car was reduced to UAH 1,350 per day. For comparison, in September this figure was UAH 1,500 per day.


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Junior and senior fashion design majors worked to design one-of-a-kind clothing for children in the Lubbock community.
The Surface Design course partnered with local Lubbock children to create custom designs that cater to each child. The students were tasked to incorporate techniques in their designs to help the clothing become adaptable for children. Students were paired up with a child and spent time getting to know them and learning about their style.
After meeting with children to get to know them and a sense of their style, each student was paired with a child to begin making a few ensembles for them to choose from. The project's purpose was to create clothing items that represented them and their interests.
Junior Apparel Design and Manufacturing (ADM) major, Hannah Trostle, said her goal for the project was to create a one-of-a-kind garment that would last a long time and fit the child's lifestyle.
"Most of the clothing these kids own is donated and given to them based on what fits, so it was very important for me to create something unique to my kid, giving her a chance to own something that matched her personal style," Trostle said. "I also wanted to ensure that the garments would last a long time and get as much use as possible."
Incorporating the child's style and wearability was important, but she also wanted to cater to the child's preferences and lifestyle. For Trostle, this project was exciting and brought new challenges.
“I think one of the biggest takeaways from this project for me was that no matter what your talents are, there's always a way to use them in serving your community,” Trostle said. “I hope that will inspire others to think about the unique ways in which they can make an impact in their communities with their own skills and hobbies.”
This project motivated senior ADM major, Luis Escobedo, to create something personal and unique. He was excited to make an impact and help the children feel special.
"I wanted to create something that would impact my child and make them feel special in the clothes I made," Escobedo said. "From the information given by the child, I was able to come up with designs that would fit his interests."
Students were able to connect with the children to learn about their interests and incorporate those elements in the garments. This project allowed ADM students to utilize their creativity in an impactful way.
“This project has made me realize that I can use my talents to do something for the community without expecting anything in return,” Escobedo said. “We can all make a difference in someone's day or life by creating something meaningful for someone, and that's something everyone should experience at least once in their lives.”


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A Danish fashion brand launched a Kickstarter to fund the creation of boxers, socks and t-shirts that it says “won’t need laundry for a few weeks.” NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) inspired underwear, created by Organic Basics, is treated with a high-tech silver formula that can kill bacteria and odors thus allowing the user to feel fresher for longer. The underwear is also designed to be breathable, with ventilation in sensitive areas.
But if you think this is an invention for the extreme lazy, you have to be told it isn’t. The brand highlights the benefits for the environment. Its products are aimed at environmentally conscious people, because less washing means less wasted water and less energy. Unlike the first models from Organic Basics, which hit the market after a successful Kickstarter campaign two years earlier, the new collection, SilverTech 2.0, is made from 100% recyclable materials..
NASA-inspired underwear – an eco-friendly Danish fashion brand project
The latest products are treated with Polygiene, a sustainable, recycled silver chloride treatment. According to the idea of this Kickstarter project, the solution “naturally kills 99.9% of bacteria, fungi and other microbes.” Curious fact: NASA uses silver in its water purification systems for astronauts.
Using recycled and recyclable materials at the same time is a fairly new practice, but very trendy
Boxers, socks and t-shirts are also made from 100% recycled nylon, made from reclaimed raw material. “The raw materials for our nylon come from post-industrial fibers, spinning mill yarns and weaving mill waste,” the manufacturers explain. “This process is purely mechanical and reduces CO2 emissions and water consumption by up to 90%. “
The process is purely mechanical – photograph showing the making of the NASA-inspired underwear
The brand’s overall goal is to break the “buy, wear, wash, throw, repeat” cycle in the fashion industry. “We know the fashion industry is not virtuous, but did you know that washing and drying accounts for two-thirds of a garment’s environmental impact? », They explain. “In our opinion, this problem must first be solved by the fashion industry (that’s us). We believe in setting higher standards and in this matter when it comes to sustainable fashion. “
Aspiring to lead a “Zero waste” and minimalist life – a project that helps the ecological cause
The Kickstarter for the new collection has already raised more than 33,500 euros. For more information on the project, you can visit their page on the Kickstarter.
Choose to wash less and wear more times your clothes that kill bacteria naturally


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A major player in New Zealand’s seafood industry says after two years of Covid-19 disruptions, demand for exports is rebounding, but there are still challenges for the primary industries.
The Ministry of Primary Industry’s Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries Report (SOPI) forecasts seafood export revenue will rise 9 percent to $1.9 billion in the year to the end of June 2022, driven by food services reopening and increasing demand.
The report forecasts overall primary industry exports will reach a record $52.2b for the current financial year.
Seafood export revenue is expected to remain at $1.9b for the year ending 30 June 2023, according to the SOPI report.
Sanford exports a range of seafood products to countries all around the world.
Its chief customer officer Andre Gardiulo said the lift in revenue was welcome news after two very tough years.
“What I am seeing, and what the industry is seeing, is that the recovery with regards to demand for seafood internationally is certainly strong and continuing to grow,” he said.
“I was personally in Europe and America over the past couple of months, and I saw it there firsthand, that food services reopened with a vengeance.
“People are out and about, really engaging in out of home dining, and that’s really encouraging for us.
“But we’ve also seen, as a byproduct of the Covid challenges, in-home consumption, and the retail environment and overseas markets have certainly embraced the New Zealand seafood sector and looking to grow that as well.
“It’s encouraging, and something that we’re continuing to take advantage of.”
However, the industry was still facing challenges as rising costs outpaced revenue growth, Gardiulo said.
“You can’t pinpoint it to one thing in particular, it is across the board, but when you look at the increased fuel costs, increase compliance costs, regulatory costs, people costs, it is certainly certainly across the board and affecting everyone.
“It’s been well-publicized in the past 12 months that the supply chain costs and uncertainty are continuing to be to be a challenge and will do for the short term future.”
Tackling those challenges required a collaborative approach within the seafood industry, with regulators and with primary industry sectors, he said.
“We are acutely aware that we can’t do this alone.
“We need to be eyes wide open, we need to have a level of of constructive conversation, and we need to think very differently about how we navigate the years to come.”
China’s Shanghai Port, a key access route into the market for exporters, is now back up and running after a series of lockdowns saw exporters unable to get their products into the country.
Gardiulo said about 14 percent of Sanford’s total volume was shipped to the Chinese market, and while the lockdowns led to some delays, the company was able to work with its customers and send products to other ports in China.
“One thing that we’ve been taught over the past two years is that we need to continue to have a high level of flexibility and agility when it comes to market access.
“And countries and ports in particular, will need to navigate the challenges around Covid-19 and the long-term effects it continues to have on some of those supply chains.
“We, for deliberate reasons, a number of years ago diversified our market and customer base quite extensively. Not necessarily for any reason, but more from a vulnerability of geographical location.
“So we do ship around the globe, but the key market for us continues to be at home here in New Zealand.”
About 40 percent of Sanford’s products were consumed and sold in New Zealand, with the remainder of its products exported to Australia, America, China and Europe, Gardiulo said.
“We do have the benefit of the diversification of our product mix and country mix, but that is something we continue to work on.”


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METALLICA's new album, "Death Magnetic", started circulating illegally online last week after a French record store mistakenly began selling copies.
"By 2008 standards, that's a victory," drummer Lars Ulrich told USA Today. "If you'd told me six months ago that our record wouldn't leak until 10 days out, I would have signed up for that. We made a great record, and people seem to be getting off on it way more than anyone expected."
Regarding the band's costly Napster battle in 2000 after an incomplete version of "I Disappear" hit the Internet before its authorized release, Ulrich said, "My fight on a daily basis is getting my kids to finish their vegetables. Technology is moving faster than the legal side. The focus should be on education, on choices and consequences. It's suppressing talent in guys who don't have record deals and don't have money for guitar strings or rent. Our issue was control, not money. We're OK, thank you."
Though their views haven't changed, "we're closer to accepting that once we make the record, and it leaves our hands, we have to let it go," said guitarist James Hetfield.
"Someone's always selfish enough to crush your master plan. Some rabid fans will steal it. Others resent that and don't want to shake the Christmas present. The majority of people who rip it aren't even fans. They do it because they can. It's a personality defect."
Read more from USA Today.
Photos by Greg Mason:


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Zagro: striving for rapid growth in Asia and beyond
For a small-sized animal health business, Zagro is certainly making its presence felt in the industry. The company may be based in Singapore, but its outlook and business activities are definitely global. It has been a publicly listed company for the past 10 years and made the headlines last year with its purchase of the BASF premix manufacturing plant in Taiwan. Animal Pharm speaks to Zagro's chief executive, Poh Beng Poh, to find out more about the company's plans for the future and the challenges that lie ahead.


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In another win for its ad network, Microsoft has signed with EDGAR Online to be the exclusive third-party provider of display, contextual, and video advertising for the financial publisher. EDGAR will provide SEC filing documents and other content to MSN Money as part of the deal.
EDGAR, which publishes financial information and corporate intelligence including corporate SEC filings, joins CNBC.com, MSN Money and other finance properties in Microsoft’s advertising syndication network. Display, contextual, and video ad inventory will be sold by Microsoft’s global sales team.
The agreement replaces a previous relationship EDGAR had with Google AdSense. EDGAR had worked with other ad networks for display advertising, akll of which will now be served by Microsoft. Video is a new ad unit for EDGAR Online, and one possibly underused by financial advertisers. “There’s not a lot of video today; we think there’s opportunity going forward,” said John Tinter, GM of strategy and business development for Microsoft’s Online Services Group.
Ads served by Microsoft will appear on EDGAR Online as early as March. Content from EDGAR is expected on MSN Money later in 2008.
That content will include SEC filings and other company intelligence information. “We think it’s a valuable addition to the MSN Money user,” Tinter said. The financial site currently gets SEC filings and other financial intelligence from Thomson. EDGAR will replace the SEC filing information Thomson currently provides. Thomson will continue to provide MSN Money with certain data other than SEC reports.
The addition of EDGAR Online maintains the momentum of Microsoft’s ad network business. Not long after CNBC.com joined, Microsoft announced a deal with Viacom and the company has also entered agreements with high profile Web players like Facebook, Digg and Piczo.
“We are incredibly happy with the traction we have with the marketplace,” said Tinter.
UPDATE: The story originally stated Microsoft had not said whether the relationship with Thomson will end when EDGAR content is picked up. A spokesperson confirmed EDGAR would replace Thomson’s SEC filing content, though Thomson would continue to provide other content to MSN Money.
Amazon Prime was launched in 2005 as an express shipping membership program and more than a decade later it has tens of millions of subscribers who enjoy a lot more than just free, fast shipping on millions of products Amazon sells.
Here we take a look at sales and abandonment data from the 2016 Christmas shopping season.
Facebook isn't just the world's largest social network. In the past two years, it has also become one of the world's most popular online destinations for consuming video content.
This past November Google announced that it was starting to test indexing their mobile index as the primary index above desktop.


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As seen in Global Corporate Venturing, December 2015 issue.
Many speakers predicted the emergence of "truly intelligent machines" – a harmonious combination of software and hardware that will make our lives vastly different.
As I prepared my 2016 predictions column, I found myself thinking about remarkable new technologies I learned about this year and decided to focus on how "frontier tech" industries are poised to change our lives. Frontier tech is a catchy name for the emerging wave of industries, or reinvention of industries, made possible by the advance of technologies that have the potential radically to affect how we live our lives – on Earth and in space. At Silicon Valley Bank, we define the category to include robotics and drones, artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and space-related businesses.
While drones and VR may have caught consumers' attention in 2015, frontier tech is so much more than eating a drone-delivered pizza while streaming the latest reincarnation of Star Trek through your VR headset. In November, SVB sponsored a frontier tech event in Boston, which brought together some of the best minds in the business to discuss the biggest opportunities and challenges ahead.
At the conference, my colleague Steve Allan, head of SVB Analytics – a non-bank affiliate of SVB – explained where we were headed. As Steve says, we have been through many "false dawns", but now "it is still early on … we are in the best position in 50 years to accomplish the vision". He says we are on a knowledge frontier.
Among the highlights:
• The infrastructure is now in place to support the "new dawn" of frontier tech. Data collection and is getting faster and cheaper. Software is catching up with the hardware, enabling data processing in real time or nearly so.
• Because the goals are so big and ambitious, we are already seeing a vibrant web of partnerships among start-ups, corporate players and VCs to pool investment and expertise. While corporates account for about 20% of all venture investments, Steve reports that the percentage is double in frontier tech industries.
• Frontier tech is very early in development on the hype curve, but industries are accelerating quickly and becoming integrated in daily life. Historically, it takes 10 to 15 years for companies to get through the curve – frontier tech companies are making it in half that time. And while most frontier tech uses today are specific point solutions with limited functionality, they have potentially huge future platform opportunity. While typically a platform-potential company comes along every seven or eight years, we have seen three emerge in frontier tech in the past year – SpaceX, Magic Leap and OneWeb.
While we talk about industries within frontier tech, they are often interconnected and highly reliant on each other to drive innovation. For example, artificial intelligence enables most of the new technologies. At the Boston event, many speakers predicted the emergence of "truly intelligent machines". They envision a harmonious combination of software and hardware that within the next five to 10 years will make our lives vastly different, impacting everything from food and energy consumption to medical treatment to how we learn and socialise.
To help get a handle on where we are headed, Steve and his team created a maturation index – a rating matrix that takes into account market opportunities and challenges, such as regulatory oversight and scaling barriers. Frontier tech is still early in its potential, especially when compared with technology overall, but measuring current progress in relation to future market opportunity highlights the vast game-changing potential of the underlying technologies.
Among the highlights for the future:
• SVB Analytics forecasts that investment in frontier tech industries – not including space, which requires outsized investments – will increase fivefold by 2020. Over the next five years, AR/VR and drones are expected to reach compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of more than 50%, while space and robotics are forecast to post considerably lower growth rates.
• While money is flowing into VR now, driven in large part by burgeoning consumer interest and high-profile acquisitions, Steve and other industry observers predict AR has much bigger market potential overall. This is because VR is likely to remain more of a niche – gaming, entertainment, possibly education – whereas AR, with a projected five-year CAGR of 266%) can become integrated with our daily lives, akin to the adoption of mobile.
• Drones are unlikely to have the same market growth potential as robotics. While a hot commodity now, drones are nearing technology maturation. Robotics, particularly in industrial settings, are well established, so the five-year CAGR is just 10%. But robotics, both for consumer and industrial use, have a substantially larger potential market over time.
• Looking past 2020, the biggest game-changers – and best long-term investment opportunities – will come in space, AR and affective computing – the human-computer interaction in which a device has the ability to detect and appropriately respond to its user's emotions and other stimuli.
Listening to the experts, it is clear we are just at the beginning in developing the technologies that will have the most meaningful impact, and, of course, technology, funding, scaling and adoption challenges still loom. Getting a machine to emulate our neural networks, for example, is not for the faint-hearted. Said one Boston speaker: "The more you work in robotics, the more you appreciate how good humans really are."


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Microsoft unveils its next-generation range of Surface tablets in a bid to claw back the $900m it lost on the original models
- Microsoft has unveiled the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 in New York
- Both tablets run a version of the Windows 8.1 operating system
- Reports suggested the tech giant lost $900m on the original Surface
- Surface 2 starts at £359 and the Surface Pro 2 starts at £719
- Pre-orders start 24 September and the tablets go on sale 22 October
Microsoft has unveiled its next generation of Windows-powered Surface tablets at an event in New York.
Called the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, the tablets will run the updated Windows 8.1 operating system and will go on sale 22 October.
Financial reports in July suggested Microsoft had lost around $900m due to poor sales of its original Surface tablets and the company slashed the price by around 30 per cent in worldwide markets.
Scroll down for video
Microsoft's Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, pictured left to right, run the updated Windows 8.1 operating system and go on sale tomorrow - the same day Apple and Nokia are expected to announce new products
The Surface Pro 2, pictured being held by Microsoft's vice president for Surface Panos Panay, is 20 per cent faster than its predecessor, with 75 per cent improved battery life. Panay added that the ClearType HD display also has 46 per cent more colour accuracy
The Surface 2, pictured, has added a full 1080p ClearType display and runs Windows 8.1 RT version - a scaled-down version of the full operating system that has been designed specifically for mobile devices, in a bid to make them quicker and more efficient
The Surface Pro 2 has the same ClearType HD display as its predecessor and Microsoft's vice president for Surface, Panos Panay said: 'We spent more and more energy to bring this thing to life.
'We added 46 per cent more colour accuracy to the screen.'
The rear of the Surface Pro 2 has also removed the Windows logo and replaced it with the word Surface.
Panay told technology site The Verge that the Surface Pro 2 is 20 per cent faster, and Microsoft has added 75 per cent to its battery life.
Panay also showed off a range of new Type Covers in purple, pink, black and blue. The Type Cover 2 is backlit, but dims if it's not used for nine seconds.
Before the event, analysts predicted Microsoft would
follow in the footsteps of Apple, which traditionally puts the features
of its previous high-end models into the next-generation lower-end
unveiling of the Surface 2, Panay confirmed this by saying: 'This product really is a
revamp. We've increased the CPU speed dramatically.
'We've revamped the product so you can see the true magnesium of the product coming out.'
He also announced the 10.6 screen is now full 1080p ClearType display, as seen on the Surface Pro.
Panos Panay, pictured holding the Surface 2, announced the Windows Store now features 100,000 apps. The tablet has also been made faster in order to cope with having four Office progams, for example, open at once
Panos Panay also showed off a range of new Type Covers, pictured, in purple, pink, black and blue. The Type Cover 2 is backlit, but dims if it's not used for nine seconds
The Surface 2 runs Windows 8.1 RT version - a scaled-down version of the full operating system that has been designed specifically for mobile devices, in a bid to make them quicker and more efficient.
Windows RT was criticised when it first introduced on the original Surface because of compatibility issues with certain programs and accessories, as well as the effect it had on battery life.
It is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor, which Microsoft claims will make apps run 'faster and smoother' and increase battery life to up to 10 hours for video playback.
Additionally, the Surface comes with a 3.5MP front-facing camera, optimised for Skype, and a 5MP rear camera.
Microsoft is also including free Skype calling to landlines 60 countries and free Skype WiFi at over two million hotspots for a year, as well as 200GB of SkyDrivestorage for two years to anyone who buys the device.
Both Surface devices will be available for pre-order from 24 September and will go on sale on 22 October.
Surface 2 is available in 32GB and
64GB models and starts at £359, while the Surface Pro 2 comes in 64GB
and 128GB versions and starts at £719.
Both tablets have a new kickstand with improved 'lapability', pictured. It has been made more flexible so that it sits a person's lap more comfortably
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US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had reached progress on a trade deal with China during the phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
“Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China. Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!” Trump wrote on his Twitter page.
According to the Xinhua news agency, Trump has also pointed out the importance of the US-Chinese relations for the whole world.
Xi has underlined the importance of the current stage in the Chinese-US relations adding that both countries’ delegations are working on the implementation of the recently reached bilateral agreements.
“Hopefully, the working groups of both countries will make steps toward each other in order to reach as soon as possible the mutually beneficial agreement that will be also in the interest of the whole world,” Xi said, as quoted by Xinhua.
The Chinese leader expressed a wish to develop trade, economic, military, law enforcement and anti-drug cooperation with the United States next year that will mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral relations.
Trump and Xi have also repeatedly exchanged opinions about the situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as on other international and regional issues of mutual interest.
The leaders have also reportedly wished each other Happy New Year.
China and the United States have been engaged in a trade war since US President Donald Trump announced in June that $50 billion worth of Chinese goods would be subject to 25 percent tariffs in a bid to fix the US-Chinese trade deficit. Since then, the two countries have exchanged several rounds of trade tariffs.
In early December, Trump and Xi called for a truce in their escalating trade war after their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.
Source: News Agencies


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Basically, do not use the lights too bright at night.
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