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Consumer Price Index – Customer inflation climbs at fastest speed in 5 months
The numbers: The cost of U.S. consumer goods and services rose as part of January at probably the fastest speed in five months, largely because of excessive fuel prices. Inflation more broadly was still rather mild, however.
The rate of inflation over the past 12 months was the same at 1.4 %. Before the pandemic erupted, customer inflation was running at a greater 2.3 % clip – Consumer Price Index.
What happened to Consumer Price Index: The majority of the increased consumer inflation previous month stemmed from higher engine oil as well as gasoline costs. The price of gas rose 7.4 %.
Energy expenses have risen within the past several months, although they’re now significantly lower now than they were a year ago. The pandemic crushed travel and reduced how much folks drive.
The price of meals, another household staple, edged up a scant 0.1 % previous month.
The prices of food as well as food purchased from restaurants have each risen close to 4 % with the past season, reflecting shortages of some food items in addition to greater expenses tied to coping aided by the pandemic.
A separate “core” level of inflation which strips out often volatile food and power costs was flat in January.
Very last month charges rose for clothing, medical care, rent and car insurance, but people increases were offset by lower costs of new and used automobiles, passenger fares as well as recreation.
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The primary rate has increased a 1.4 % inside the previous year, the same from the previous month. Investors pay better attention to the primary rate since it can provide a better sense of underlying inflation.
What is the worry? Some investors as well as economists fret that a much stronger economic
relief fueled by trillions in danger of fresh coronavirus tool could force the speed of inflation above the Federal Reserve’s two % to 2.5 % down the road this year or next.
“We still believe inflation is going to be stronger over the remainder of this year compared to almost all others presently expect,” stated U.S. economist Andrew Hunter of Capital Economics.
The speed of inflation is likely to top 2 % this spring simply because a pair of uncommonly detrimental readings from last March (0.3 % April and) (0.7 %) will drop out of the yearly average.
Yet for now there is little evidence today to recommend quickly creating inflationary pressures inside the guts of this economy.
What they are saying? “Though inflation remained moderate at the beginning of year, the opening up of this economic climate, the risk of a larger stimulus package which makes it via Congress, and shortages of inputs all point to heated inflation in coming months,” mentioned senior economist Jennifer Lee of BMO Capital Markets.
Market reaction: The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, 1.50 % in addition to S&P 500 SPX, 0.48 % had been set to open higher in Wednesday trades. Yields on the 10 year Treasury TMUBMUSD10Y, 1.437 % fell slightly after the CPI report.
Consumer Price Index – Consumer inflation climbs at fastest pace in 5 months


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The stakeholders of the gaming industry recommended a self-declaration mechanism for registration and a graded approach to KYC in a meeting with the IT ministry on Tuesday, industry sources told Business Standard.
“The industry largely stated that powers given to the self-regulatory body will lead to significant delays to the launch of new games,” an official aware of the development said.
The ministry is also expected to release some guidelines to prevent a conflict of interest for the board of SRO.
The developments were confirmed by companies.
“We suggested a simple process of registration that relies on self-declaration and collecting basic information about a company, similar to what is already proposed in the Intermediary Guidelines for the OTT. This self-certification process does not require an engagement with the SRO to wait for confirmation before the launch of the game,” Paavan Nanda, co-founder of gaming platform WinZO told Business Standard.
Nanda added that the pre-registration process, which was proposed in the draft rules, might compromise the confidentiality of the information and lead to intellectual property (IP) leaks. The process may also lead to significant delays in launching the game.
“In case of any compromise, this would, in any event, be supplemented by the powers conferred on the self-regulatory body (SRO) to deal with grievance redressal, prevention of harm to children,” he said.
The industry also asked the ministry to take a graded approach to the proposed know-your-customer (KYC) process. They said that the users should be allowed to register on the platforms using a one-time password (OTP). If the spending goes above Rs 10,000, they must be asked to link their PAN and Aadhaar card with the account.
Largely, the industry welcomed the draft and the progress with regulating the sector.
“The meeting was fruitful, and we believe that both the government and industry have benefited from a clearer understanding of the future outlook for the gaming industry in light of the proposed rules. The framework offered by MeitY will go a long way towards creating a balanced environment for online gaming that provides for innovation within the confines of strong consumer protection standards,” said Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation (AIGF).

domain: news


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To say that spam calls are annoying would not only be redundant, but it'd also be a big understatement. These nuisances are primarily why I hardly answer my phone anymore and they've only gotten worse in recent months and years. T-Mobile is taking a stand against it by implementing what it calls Caller Verified technology, starting with the Samsung Galaxy Note9. Read More
Are you itching for a new big phone from Samsung? And are you a T-Mobile customer with little patience and not enough energy to go through pre-orders and then orders to get your shiny new gadget? Then today's your lucky day. John Legere has announced on Twitter that T-Mobile's orders for both the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ will be open today, Tuesday 18th, at 6am PT.
T-Mobile is now solidly in third place among US carriers, having finally passed Sprint. It got there by offering consumer-friendly services and low prices, and today we've got a lot more of the latter. T-Mobile is running sales on several great devices like the Galaxy S6 and G4. Read More
T-Mobile and its bombastic CEO John Legere have been making waves in the US wireless industry, and consumers have been taking notice. According to the latest quarterly earnings report filed by T-Mo, the carrier is now larger than its competitor Sprint, making it the number three runner in America. T-Mobile claims 58.9 million subscribers in the US as of July, narrowly besting Sprint's reported number of 56.8 million from today. T-Mobile has added at least a million customers each quarter for the last nine quarters, and 2.1 million in the last three months.
In truth, T-Mobile may have actually passed this milestone some time ago. Read More
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are already on the latest version of Android, but the T-Mobile variants are getting a small maintenance update today with a few fixes. It's not huge, but you may as well install it when you've got a moment. The changelog promises battery life improvements, which is always appreciated. Read More
Kyocera is one smartphone manufacturer that could care less about beating the competition on specs. It makes cheap phones that either won't receive updates or won't get them until long after you've given up hope. But the handsets are affordable, and many of the later models tend to be pretty rugged.
Both of these hold true for the Kyocera Hydro Wave, which is now available from T-Mobile and on its way to MetroPCS. This 5-inch qHD phone comes powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal memory. Fortunately, there's a microSD card slot for extra storage. Read More
VoLTE is finally starting to roll out on devices, but who uses their phone as a phone anymore? Luckily, there's a next-gen standard for text messages too, and T-Mobile is the first carrier to support it. T-Mobile's CTO just announced support for "Advanced Messaging" on the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard on T-Mobile, and it's starting its rollout now. Read More
T-Mobile has long since abandoned the traditional contract model for phone purchases, meaning in one way or another, you're paying for the entire cost of the phone. You can buy it upfront or pay it off monthly, but T-mobile will get a little less of your money right now if you want to grab a new LG G4—this device is on sale for 20% off on T-Mobile's website.
After blowing past Sprint in the last quarter, T-Mobile is still pulling out all the stops to increase its subscriber numbers. The latest announcement is a new family plan with 10GB of non-shared data per line. The price varies based on how many lines you have, but the sweet spot is four at $120 total.
John Legere just got done announcing yet another uncarrier initiative, and now we see what all those changes have earned the smallest national carrier—it's not actually the smallest anymore. T-Mobile reports 2.1 million net customer additions in Q2, bringing its subscriber count to 58.9 million. Sprint has only 57.1 million customers.


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Popular Australian non-dairy milk brand, Inside Out, has commissioned seven pieces of artwork that will be minted into a limited number of exclusive NFTs that customers will be in with a chance of owning.
The artwork was created by two artists and is an eclectic mix to showcase all elements of Australia.
From light-hearted, humorous pieces, to artwork that looks deeper into the rich Australian history, the farming industry and its incredible farmers and what modern lifestyle looks like in Australia.
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are the latest crypto assets trend that is currently taking over the internet.
NFTs are easy to understand and open the doors for people to share, view and buy works of creativity. NFTs are digital items that are often rare or one of a kind, that can be traded on the blockchain.
Similar to traditional crypto assets, NFTs are stored in digital wallets which allow them to remain secure.
NFTs Vs Crypto
However, a major difference between NFTs and other crypto assets is that instead of being used as currency they are similar to collectibles, assigned to digital works of art, videos and music.
If an NFT is minted on the blockchain, it means it has clear ownership, creating a collectors heaven. This can simply be enjoyed by the owner, or used as a potential investment for similarly minded collectors.
Inside Out is working with two Aussie artists, Sandra Cipriotti and Eryn Leggatt who, between them, will create the seven pieces of digital artwork that Inside Out customers will be in with a chance of securing.
Sandra Cipriotti specializes in portraiture and figures. She aims to tell a personal story while building a connection with the viewer, investigating space, context and composition in her methodology.
She will be creating two pieces of artwork that embrace the core values of Australia.
One will be crafted to focus on the Indigenous peoples of Australia, celebrating the richness and significance of their culture to the identity of Australia.
She will also create a piece that will celebrate the local farmers and growers, called “Unsung Heroes” which recognizes the contribution farmers make towards this country.
Eryn Leggatt has a very minimal, digital and ‘commercial art’ style to her work, which includes thick lines, flat colors, and oversimplification of shapes.
Eryn will be producing the six other artworks, inspired by a number of modern-day consumer habits and lifestyles including the Aussie beach lifestyle, ‘phone eats first’ culture and the trend of coffee art.
One of the pieces of art is inspired by Dali’s iconic ‘melting clock’ painting, which Eryn has called “The Persistence of Milk – Time’s Up”. In an artistic description of how some things are better left in the past.
Crypto market, area of interest for Inside Out clientele
Anthony Tuong, Co-founder of Inside Out said, “We’re really excited to take this step into the crypto market and as it becomes more of an area of interest for our consumers, we think it’s a really fun and interesting way to open ourselves up and show who we really are as a team, a company, a brand.”
“We commissioned “bigger than business” pieces to express that despite being a company that manufactures and sells non-dairy milk for money, there are so many things that matter more.”
“We are homegrown and we want to make it clear that this isn’t possible without paying respect and acknowledging our Indigenous people and the historical significance and richness of their culture.”
“Our business relies on the strength and resilience of our farming and agricultural industry – to me, they’re our backbone, the unsung heroes. We also want to show our light-hearted, playful side.”
“We’re a young, dynamic, contemporary brand and business so we thought we’d come up with a handful of self-deprecating, comical pieces that make fun of ourselves and this new digital age we’re living in.”
Inside Out clients keen to snag one of the exclusive NFTs need to follow some simple steps.
For the pieces created by Eryn which focus on the more light-hearted nature of modern-day lifestyle, they will simply need to set up a Metamask wallet and send their “receive” address to with their choice.
Inside Out will then transfer a uniquely minted artwork to own forevermore.
For the ‘bigger than brand’ pieces created by Sandra, customers will need to like and comment on the exclusive NFT competition post on Inside Out’s Instagram, telling them what it is that they love about Australia to be entered in the draw to win one of five uniquely minted NFTs.


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As the pandemic still continues, the only option left is to adapt & adopt. The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak left many brands unsure of their next move. All major sporting and entertainment events were cancelled. Restaurants, spas, and others closed their doors, and travelling was like a Goa plan.
The continued spread of the coronavirus has impacted all industries, and many advertising strategies that were drawn up months ago got wasted.
Social distancing has kept many people at home; with major shifts in behavioral trends. Consumers returned to broadcast, cable television and other premium media sources for credible information. They are also seeking more in the way of escapism and entertainment — with gaming apps, spending even more time on social media, streaming more movies, scripted programming, remote working arrangements, live-streamed workout classes, college lectures, and whatnot. This is where brands adapted and grasped your attention.
Online marketing has taken over the marketing space, and influencer marketing is the new face for the brands.
The few examples of brands and how their branding techniques have changed over time:
- Coca Cola – Mercado McCann worked with Coca-Cola to place a billboard in Times Square telling people to stay apart.
“Staying apart is the best way to stay united,” said the billboard.
- Nike in March 2020 had released a campaign to stress the need for social distancing during the coronavirus.
The ad stated: “If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance. Play inside, play for the world.”
Within an hour of its release, a batch of Nike athletes had posted the ad on their social media channels, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
- OnePlus – filters are the new unboxing
In April 2020, OnePlus launched a new Instagram filter that basically allowed users to unbox the new OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro smartphones and even experience them. It brought a closer virtual look at the devices. The potential buyer could look and decide, cause the pandemic physical analysation is difficult.
- McDonald’s Brazil supported the idea of social distancing by separating its Golden Arches into two separate arches.
The chain also promoted drive-in and delivery services, along with good hygiene.
- Even the popular logo of Audi was socially distancing
- In an effort to encourage people to stay safe in unprecedented times, Wunderman Thompson South Asia worked with its clients to conceptualize campaigns to raise awareness about social distancing and express solidarity with consumers during this global crisis.
- Brands took Twitter to communicate with consumers.
Influencer marketing on the other hand is playing a vital role in brands marketing. Brands have started to endorse their product more and more to the influencers & celebrities because Social Media is the new normal. Influencers are proven to be incredibly persuasive and trustworthy, especially among younger audiences / millennials per se.
Influencers have become a source of entertainment and such powerful voices that consumers can’t resist but to follow them on different social media platforms.
SOURCE – Later.com
Initially, there was COVID-19 drawback on this marketing but of course, changes have been adapted and things are reaching the pace. To say normalcy has returned is not a façade anymore.


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Binance, the Malta-based cryptocurrency exchange, has witnessed quite an eventful 2019. The Changpeng Zhao-led platform seems to be eyeing global expansion after the exchange announced its entry into various geographies. India is the latest country on Binance’s path towards global expansion, with the CZ-led exchange recently announcing the acquisition of WazirX, India’s premier cryptocurrency exchange. Binance CEO CZ addressed this acquisition in a recent interview, while also talking about the many updates in the exchange’s ecosystem.
The crypto-scenario in India remains uncertain, CZ said, adding that while the Indian government hasn’t taken a position on the issue, holding Bitcoin is still legal in the country. However, CZ expects to encounter certain legal implications if the government passes the draft bill that is presently going through legislative deliberation.
Further, CZ said that he believes Binance has found a perfect partner in WazirX, one which will not only allow Binance to access a market worth billions, but will also promote access to crypto.
Binance has already rolled out a platform for Australians, Binance Lite, with the exchange recently hinting that it may soon establish a fully-fledged exchange in the country. Earlier today, Binance announced its partnership with TravelbyBit and during the interview, CZ revealed that the team had been in talks with the Australian government, specifically an Australian Premier, about the same. The platform intends to launch a crypto-street in the country, streets that will have shops that accept cryptocurrencies as payments.
Additionally, with respect to developments pertaining to the exchange’s native cryptocurrency which currently stands as the eighth largest cryptocurrency on CoinMarketCap, CZ revealed that the team has been working towards promoting BNB, while rolling out several use-cases for the same.
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MP3.com launched its first WAP-enabled application Wednesday, a service allowing users to locate and purchase tickets to live events in any country from WAP-enabled mobile devices with MP3.com's Wireless Live Events Calendar version 1.0.
This marks the beginning of the company's plans to offer a broader array of wireless services.
Story to follow
Take me to the MP3 Special
Take me to the WAP Access Guide
Take me to the Mobile Technology Special


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The central bank for the 17 nations that use the euro currency can ease monetary policy by cutting its short-term interest rate target from its current 1.5 percent, or use less conventional methods such as buying vast sums of financial assets with newly printed money.
More in Business
A Denver man and founder of an oil and gas royalty consulting firm has been accused of defrauding a Weld County landowner out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in mineral royalties.
Fast fashion retailer H & M said Tuesday that it will open a new location at the Premium Outlets in Thornton, making it an even dozen when it comes to its locations in the metro Denver area.
ALBUQUERQUE -- Scientists at a federal laboratory have helped to unravel some of the mysteries of a rare specimen of wire gold discovered at a Colorado mine more than 130 years ago.
The new owners of a drab office building at the corner of 15th and Curtis plan to give the structure a new face as part of an effort to better compete for tenants in fast-developing downtown Denver.


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An Animal Crossing: New Horizons' player has found the perfect place to store their Gyro ids by providing their extremely own miniature village.
In a video published to the Animal Crossing Subreddit, customer bribri812 gives fellow fans a scenic tour of their Gyro id Village which comprises dolls residences, plaything vehicles, as well as the celebrities of the attraction, the Gyro ids themselves. To make the trip a lot more wonderful, the video was shot using the just recently included Animal Crossing: New Horizons first-person electronic camera, which makes us seem like we're taking a leisurely stroll via the Gyro id neighborhood.
One smart information we've found in the video is that this player has actually enhanced the village with tool young trees to help with the point of view of the little town. According to the comments of the Reddit blog post, the player managed to maintain the trees at their small size by planting them and also then two days later on putting an item of fruit behind it as this obstructs the tree from growing any kind of bigger.
An additional refined information that makes all the difference is the color synchronization taking place in between the Gyro ids and also their corresponding houses. You'll notice the dark brown Gyro id pairs up with the Gothic purple and black residence at the beginning of the excursion and also the pink, off-white, orange, and blue Gyro ids all doing the same.
In other Animal Crossing: New Horizons-related news, we also just recently uncovered a very thorough 7/11 corner store leisure in Happy Residence Heaven. It was additionally mentioned that resident scaredy-cat Bit has ended up being a lot more charitable given that the 2.0 update, as well as that the villagers on your island are recognized to utilize Disharmony.


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Dogecoin cryptocurrency slumps
after hashtag-fueled surge to
Dogecoin cryptocurrency slumps after hashtag-fueled surge to record high on Business Standard.
Dogecoin's rise came during a surge in online trading of stocks and crypto by retail investors, stuck at home
with extra cash because of the Covid-19 pandemic
Market News Meme-based cryptocurrency Dogecoin fell on Tuesday
after hitting an all-time high in a wild session that saw supporters of the
token once considered a parody use hashtags to fuel a rally until it lost
Dogecoin ultimately fell 15.4% to US$0.33, but during the session
when it hit a record peak, its market capitalization soared to more than
$50 billion. After the slump, its market cap dropped roughly $45 billion,
according to coinmarketcap.com.
ALSO READ: Localised lockdowns weigh; Sensex declines 244 points
By comparison, the wildly popular bitcoin has a market cap of more
than $1 trillion. "GIMME THAT DOGECOIN LAMBO!!! #DogeDay"
one tweeted, referring to the Lamborghini sports car popular in crypto
An 8,000% price increase this year has seen Dogecoin, launched as a
satirical critique of 2013's cryptocurrency frenzy, overtake more widely-
used cryptocurrencies like Litecoin and briefly Tether, to become the
sixth-largest coin...Read more.
News Source : BS / Business Standard


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Last week a couple videos of a new 7.8-inch 300 ppi ereader called the Icarus Illumina XL HD started showing up on YouTube.
A few days later it turned up on Indiegogo for pre-order. The early bird packages are already sold out, but they’re still taking pre-orders for $199 USD plus shipping.
Icarus is based in the Netherlands but they ship worldwide.
The Illumina XL HD is the first ereader besides the Kobo Aura One to feature a 7.8-inch 300 ppi E Ink screen.
They are priced about the same, with the Aura One being $229 with free shipping.
The Icarus ereader runs Android 4.2 so it’s a lot different than the Kobo. Plus it supports audio and it has a faster 1.8GHz processor and double the RAM and storage space.
See the post from last week about the Icarus Illumina XL HD for a full list of specs.
It’s good to see more medium-sized ereaders hitting the market. The 7.8-inch screen is my favorite size for reading. 6-inch ereaders are nice for portability, but I like 7.8-inch screens more for reading at home. Hopefully this is the start of a new trend; we’ve already got plenty of 6-inch ereaders to choose from.


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Remote identification of customers will enable competitive and higher-quality digital services
“Procedure and scope of remote identification performed by a subject of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing” (hereinafter referred to as “the Cabinet Regulation”) came into force on July 6th. The regulation will facilitate broader and quicker access to a variety of financial services, enable access to a number of finance products outside of regular customer service locations, and boost Latvia’s competitive edge internationally.
The Association of Latvian Commercial Banks (hereinafter referred to as the ALCB) thanks to the Ministry of Finance for its cooperation in drafting this Cabinet Regulation. While developing the regulation, we cooperated closely with the Alternative Finance Services Association of Latvia, the Latvian Leasing Association, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Latvian Insurers Association, and the Latvian Information and Communication Technology Association.
The ALCB Digital Transformation Committee and the ALCB Legal Committee were actively involved in developing remote identification based on suggestions from banking experts.
Slavomir Mizak, co-chair of the ALCB Digital Transformation Committee, and Technology Development Officer and member of the board at Citadele Banka, is glad that Latvia has finally joined the group of digitally advanced European countries by introducing remote identification.
Ģirts Bērziņš, co-chair of the ALCB Digital Transformation Committee, and Digital Strategy Manager and member of the board at Swedbank Latvija says: “The government taking initiative and developing a legal framework just in time for global digitalization trends is highly appreciated”. Bērziņš agrees that this is a good way to promote the creation of more innovative remote services in Latvia.
Iļja Nogičevs, co-chair of the ALCB Digital Transformation Committee, and Digital Development Manager at SEB Banka, says: “The guidelines and recommendations, i. e. a clear framework, is something we really need in our work here in the Baltics — and we can see that Estonia has already jumped on this opportunity. We are also clearly solving another crucial issue, as our customers keep asking whether they can open accounts without coming to the bank in person. Without adequate regulation, we have to pay the price in service quality, and customers remain dissatisfied.”
On the ALCB’s side, work on the Cabinet Regulation for remote identification of customers was implemented in accordance with the Open Digital Finance Framework priorities 2018, and the “Finance industry associations’ proposals for a joint position on the future EU and Latvian finance market, technological innovations in financial services” submitted to EC deputy chair V. Dombrovskis on 5th June 2017 by nine companies working in finance and related industries.
The banking sector is open to new financial technologies and is actively implementing innovative solutions to speed up service and increase security. Thanks to the infrastructure provided by its central bank, Latvia became the first EU member state to offer swift 24/7/365 euro transfers, available throughout Latvia and the EU.
In 2017, banks introduced numerous payment innovations, enabling the use of smartphones, wristbands and NFC stickers as payment methods, as well as introducing digital code cards and other novel solutions. We have a great foundation for developing new remote services by leveraging our remote transfers experience — customers in Latvia already execute 99% of their payments using internet banking or payment cards.
To facilitate discussion on the remote identification of finance industry customers and sketch out the scope of the Cabinet Regulation, we held an event entitled "Discussion On The Future Regulation Of Remote Electronic Identification And Onboarding" on 26th January 2018 in partnership with COBALT Latvia and the Innovation Centre of the University of Latvia and Microsoft.
In cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, we prepared a reference text on remote identification of customers. We plan to hold an informative event in the near future in order to explain the practical aspects of the Cabinet Regulation.
For more information, please contact:
The ALCB Head of Strategic Communications


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Web3: you either hate it or you love it. And the great arbiter of technology trends, Elon Musk, has decided it’s not so hot. The concept “seems more marketing buzzword than reality right now,” he tweeted back in December.
But the fact that it’s a marketing buzzword is the point. No one knows what the internet will look like in 10 years, but one thing is for sure. Web3 is going to bring a massive upgrade to the one area that’s been close to my heart for my professional career: marketing.
For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few months, Web3 refers to new internet services that run on the blockchain and often promise users a cut of profits. Consumer brands — from Pringles to Burberry to Visa — are already jumping in via non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Consumer-facing companies are always ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting new marketing channels, and it certainly gives me déjà vu about the channels I’ve seen come and go throughout the years. When I was doing an internship at Coca-Cola in 2008, MySpace was the hot channel, and we were even doing black and white phone campaigns. After that, at Spotify, I saw the rise of the social media department, and more recently, digital audio.
So many things have changed in the last decade. But one thing hasn't: huge budgets are still being spent on marketing to push products to potential buyers on the same well-known platforms. Frequently marketing is the biggest expense on company P&Ls — including VC-backed ones.
Now there’s a new kid on the block: Web3. I’m celebrating because this is everything I wanted to do as a marketer!
Web3 is all about a shared ownership approach, making sure that people feel that they have skin in the game and have real stakes (tokens) in the projects they like (be it a DAO, an NFT project or a social club like FwB). It’s a chance for marketers to shift away from thinking about people as passive consumers and more like fans and participants.
That's why crypto projects grow without traditional marketing spend. Plus, if a project goes well, there is the promise of a financial upside. That’s different from the status quo; companies reward consumers for sharing highly personal content and information with… hyper-targeted ads. We already know that 84% of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising. We can do better.
Instead of running expensive ads on Google, Facebook and the like, the marketers of tomorrow will start building a small community of the early, truly engaged fans. Community building becomes the new marketing that can help businesses grow organically.
[Web3] is a chance for marketers to shift away from thinking about people as passive consumers and more like fans and participants
Of course, community-oriented marketing is not something that is popping up with Web3 — it existed way before. Some products started with a community (like influencers building an audience and launching their own cosmetic or fashion brand later on), others have a community as a product (On Deck, Peanut, cohort-based learning platforms like Coleap) and others have a community built around their product like Peloton and Patagonia.
So far these communities have been fragmented across channels, rewards consisted of redeemable loyalty points and communication was rather one-sided (“one to many” messaging, not much interaction between the community members etc). Web3 will radically change these community marketing approaches by creating gated access with exclusive NFTs, sending airdrops to the most engaged contributors and ambassadors, and letting them participate in the governance and in the success of the business.
Companies should seriously think about introducing a head of Web3, at least temporarily within their marketing departments. The scope would not only be to drop an NFT, open a shop in the metaverse or offer crypto payment options, but to rethink and redesign the relationship to customers by putting communities at the core.
Web3 opens a whole new world of possibilities for marketers to create, grow and reward not consumers, but communities. I’m sure we’ll also be happy to see fewer one-sided ad campaigns too.


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PlayStation 5 games will be region-free, allowing you to play games that have been released in other regions, Sony has shared through FAQs posted on its PlayStation blog. The company has also shared release timelines for two of its major titles, Horizon Forbidden West and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. However, no exact date has been announced yet. PS5 Remote Play app has also been released for PlayStation 4 that will allow users to stream their PS5 games on the PS4.
In a long list of FAQs posted on the PlayStation Blog, Sony revealed that PlayStation 5 games will be region-free. It means games released outside the country you bought your console in will be playable without any issues. PlayStation 4 games were region-free as well. The FAQs also revealed that the PS5 will support PlayStation Now – Sony’s cloud gaming subscription service – for streaming and downloading supported games.
Coming to the release dates for Horizon Forbidden West and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Sony posted a video on the official PlayStation YouTube channel where it revealed that Horizon Forbidden West is expected to launch in the second half of 2021. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will come earlier and is expected to launch in the first half of 2021. Additionally, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon Souls will be released on November 12 when the console launches in select regions.
In a recent update, Sony added the PS5 Remote Play app to PlayStation 4 and it can be seen right on the dashboard. The app allows users to stream a game from the PS5 on the PS4. The app will allow you to switch between 540p, 720p, and 1080p streaming.
Which is the best TV under Rs. 25,000? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.
This article is auto-generated by Algorithm Source: gadgets.ndtv.com


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Maw Comms news
First Bus and DPD launch inaugural partnership in bid to make Glasgow greener
One year on from COP26, First Bus sees its legacy ambitions come to life
First Bus is helping UK delivery company, DPD, to carry out more green journeys in Glasgow in a milestone move which sees the transport operator’s ambitions from COP26 come to life.
At the global climate change conference last year, First Bus set out its aim offer local businesses use of the extensive electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at its Caledonia Depot.
One year on, DPD has become the first company to officially sign up to the scheme. The agreement means that DPD drivers will now have access to the site to charge their electric vehicles whilst in Glasgow, enabling them to travel a greater distance while making deliveries – without impacting the environment.
Through this arrangement, the green potential of First Bus’s charging hub will be maximised while its own electric fleet is out in service.
Graeme Macfarlan, Commercial Director at First Bus, said: “The partnership with DPD reflects the commitment we made during COP26 to help other businesses to achieve their green ambitions. We hope that this marks the first of many valuable partnerships and demonstrates the power that comes from working together to reduce carbon emissions.
“Electrifying fleets, and having the infrastructure in place to support them, is a mammoth undertaking, and it simply isn’t feasible for each and every business to build its own charging station. Reducing carbon emissions is a priority for us – not just to meet our own targets but because we’re committed to delivering cleaner, greener journeys for Glasgow. We’re already in conversation with other businesses and look forward to announcing further partnerships in the near future.”
Located on Glasgow’s southside, First Bus’s Caledonia Depot has 160 state-of-the art, rapid-charging points, supporting the operator’s ambition to be emission-free by 2035.
First Bus has worked closely with Hitachi ZeroCarbon to provide the systems that will enable charging commercial vehicles at the site. Originally designed for the buses operating out of the Caledonia depot, it is hoped the Plug and Charge solution will benefit businesses in Glasgow by providing the availability of DC ultra-rapid charging for commercial electric vehicles.
Minister for Transport, Jenny Gilruth, said: “We all have to work together to end our contribution to climate change, and by making its charging infrastructure available to DPD, First Bus are leading the way.
“The Scottish Government provided over £5.9 million to help deliver the infrastructure at the depot, and I am delighted that it is being used to support decarbonisation of last mile delivery as well as public transport.
“Our £500k Bus Market Transition Scheme, which aims to support businesses prepare for our next round of capital funding, is currently open for applications and I hope that this announcement today by First Bus encourages others to think creatively about how Government funding can be used to maximum effect.”
DPD’s aim is to be the most sustainable parcel delivery company in the UK and the company is on track to have over 3,000 EVs on the road this year and 4,000 by 2023, when it will be delivering to 30 towns and cities, including Glasgow, using EVs only.
Initially, eight DPD EVs from the firm’s Cambuslang depot will access the Caledonia site, as part of the trial period. The expectation is that this number will increase to help support DPD’s growing EV fleet in the city, which is planned to total close to 200 electric vans by the end of next year.
Olly Craughan, Head of Sustainability, DPD said: “The Caledonia depot is a fantastic facility and this is a really smart initiative between two brands that are investing in a greener future for Scotland. The partnership will be hugely beneficial as it will enable our drivers to access fast, reliable and secure charging stations in Glasgow during the day. Our plan is to be delivering in both Glasgow and Edinburgh city centres using only electric vehicles by the end of next year, and this is another step towards making that a reality.”
First Bus is continuing to expand its zero-emission bus fleet and electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Scotland over the next 18 months with plans already in place for the electrification of its Scotstoun and Aberdeen depots.
The operator is interested in hearing from businesses who wish to benefit from this partnership opportunity which, if successful, could be rolled out to other sites in future.
Notes to editors
Picture: DPD Staff Manager David Scott and First Bus Scotland Commercial Director Graeme Macfarlan at the Caledonia Depot.
For further information, please contact FirstBusScotlandTeam@grayling.com or call 07808 642 922
For DPD, please contact press@DPD.co.uk
About First Bus
First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all of our services and our First Bus App is voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators. Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks.
We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion and improving customer experience. We are focused on First Bus becoming a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future and are committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035; we have pledged not to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland.
Hitachi ZeroCarbon is a strategic partner of First Bus’s decarbonisation programme and was a principal partner of COP26.
First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
First Bus is an equal opportunity employer.
First Bus is an excellent place to work with opportunities for a rewarding career.
We are committed to equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion. We believe diverse experiences and attitudes help us better understand the needs of our customers.
For more information on First Bus: news-scot.firstbus.co.uk
DPD was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one-hour delivery service, Predict.
In 2018, DPD opened the UK’s first all-electric parcel delivery depot in Westminster and in July 2021, Oxford became DPD’s first all-electric city in the UK. Details of all of DPD’s sustainability initiatives can be found on its dedicated green website: https://green.dpd.co.uk/
DPD is a member of DPDgroup, the largest parcel delivery network in Europe. DPDgroup is the parcel delivery network of GeoPost, a holding company owned by France’s La Poste.
The company operates more than 10,000 vehicles from 84 locations and delivers over 400 million parcels a year.


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JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) - Jonesboro police are looking for a suspect who broke into a pharmacy and stole pharmaceutical drugs.
According to a report, someone broke into the All Care Pharmacy at 1112 Windover Rd. around 3:00 a.m. Sunday.
The officer who arrived on scene noticed the front glass door of the building was shattered, as well as an audible alarm.
The report states the suspect took two bottles of promethazine syrup, two bottles of promethazine with codeine syrup, two bottles of promethazine with DM syrup and two bottles of promethazine with VC syrup were stolen.
Police believe the suspect was parked somewhere south of the location and is believed to be driving a white four-door passenger car. Police also believe this incident is also related to other incidents involving pharmacies this year.
The same pharmacy was broken into in October.
Anyone with information regarding this break-in is asked to call Crimestoppers at (870) 935-7867.
Copyright 2016 KAIT. All rights reserved.


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An independent travel agency is set to subsidise the cost of PCR tests by 50% in a bid to help customers and drive business.
World Travel Lounge, which has eight shops across Lancashire and Merseyside, will begin offering tests for £30 per passenger this weekend.
The agency has chosen to absorb half the cost of the test, usually priced at £60 after it secured a deal with Randox.
Owner David McDonald told TTG he “wanted to do something to get people through the door” and, despite the discount cutting into booking margins, he believed “it’s better to have part of something than all of nothing”.
McDonald added he hoped the approach would help boost footfall into stores and win customer loyalty for the future.
“People are desperate to get away and we want to do what we can to help them. We’re a travel agency with the community at the heart of what we do and we want to be that trusted place for people to come and book,” he said.


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DETROIT (AP) — Automakers are unveiling a bevy of performance cars in Detroit, sending the message that people still want to have fun when they drive.
The cars include the Corvette Z06, a trio of BMWs, a souped-up Volkswagen Golf and a new high-performance small SUV from Mercedes-Benz.READ MORE: California Gold Rush Town Typifies Labor-Shortage Plight Vexing Businesses
A recovery in discretionary income is giving consumers reason to spend more on cars. And despite occasional spikes, gas prices have averaged around $3.50 to $3.60 nationwide during the past three years, a level that more drivers have grown accustomed to.READ MORE: UPDATE: News Crew Security Guard Shot in Oakland Dies From Injuries; Photo of Suspect Vehicle Released
Fuel efficiency and price are major considerations for buyers, but the improving economy is reinvigorating the high-powered market. And a common theme among performance cars at the North American International Auto Show is that power doesn’t have to mean pain at the gas pump.MORE NEWS: UPDATE: 2 Men Shot Outside South Bay High School Football Playoff Game
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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RIM aims to increase Africa market share
Tag: Africa market, Africa market increase
Summary: Research In Motion is banking on reduced prices for BlackBerrys and an increasing demand for affordable smartphones to increase its market share in Africa.
Research In Motion is banking on reduced prices for BlackBerrys and an increasing demand for affordable smartphones to increase its market share in Africa.
Smartphones were considered elitist and expensive, but the entry of affordable Chinese smartphones such as Ideos has forced manufacturers to rethink their strategies. Nokia had dominated the market with entry-level handsets, but Huaweii introduced Ideos, which retail at US$100, and proved the market was craving affordable smartphones.
The BlackBerry is currently available in over 40 African countries in partnership with over 85 carriers and the company says it is working closely with African carriers and distributors to provide affordable tariffs for its products.
In Africa, most mobile phone users are on prepaid service and their incomes are not high enough to support Black Berry services. RIM has had to work with operators to provide tiered BlackBerry Internet service options in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, where the number of Internet users is growing steadily.
"We will continue to provide smartphones with Internet connectivity, strong communications features and a rich application ecosystem into Africa at affordable prices," he said.
One of the biggest challenges RIM faces is the lack of developers on the platform, compared to Nokia, Samsung and Android phones.
In South Africa with higher penetration rates, the developer community is working on the platform, but in places like east Africa, RIM is trying to interest developers.
To engage Kenyan developers, RIM recently donated smartphones and tablets to the mLab, a developer co-working space in Nairobi. The donation was aimed at creating accessibility to RIM devices and encourage coding for the BlackBerry.
Developer interest depends on the level of investment and engagement with the community. In South Africa, RIM has a local office, while in east Africa, RIM is in the process of setting up local offices.


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Potbelly isn’t focused on unit growth this year. The Chicago-based sandwich brand expects to close 15 to 22 stores — and open only eight to 13 locations.
The sandwich brand is holding off on opening new company-run stores until it turns traffic around, said Potbelly CEO and president Alan Johnson, in a call with investors.
“The exceptions would be where we need sites to further refine our Shop of the Future concept or we see opportunistic and highly profitable locations, like airports,” said Johnson.
The first redesigned Shop of the Future opened in Chicago a few weeks ago, Johnson said. The concept is focused on an improved ordering process and customer experience.
While Potbelly’s overall store count won’t increase in 2019, the restaurant has picked up the pace on franchising deals.
“Our franchising strategy has been a big win for us this year. We signed deals for more units in the first half of the year than we have in the last eight years,” said Johnson.
Potbelly is hoping 2020 will be a turnaround year.
Third quarter performance wasn't strong:
Total revenue fell — 2.6% to $104.2 million.
Same-store sales fell — 3% at company run units.
And, while average checks grew by almost 6% due to a pullback on discounting, traffic declines weighed down overall performance.
Potbelly expects flat to low single digit decline in comparable store sales at company units for the 2019 fiscal year.
In an effort to move the needle on lackluster financial performance the sandwich company said it worked with a consulting firm to develop new strategies based on consumer research and trends.
“We felt we needed an outside-in perspective to develop the fact-based consumer insights that create a winning strategy,” said Johnson.
“In working with this firm over the past 16 weeks, we have been fundamentally addressing the strategic question of where are we going to play and how are we going to win.”
Johnson didn’t give a lot of detail on the new strategy, but he said it would focus on the in-restaurant customer experience and build on momentum with menu optimization and digital and off-premise sales.
Currently, off premise and digital programs are a bright spot for Potbelly, representing almost 22% of sales, an 18% increase during the third quarter.
A summer partnership with delivery platform Doordash drove the sandwich brand’s growth, and Potbelly extended its digital ordering and delivery reach in October with an additional partnership with Grubhub.
“We now offer delivery in every single shop, every single day, every single hour that we are open,” said Johnson.
“That was not the case at this time last year. And then lastly, we have pickup shelves that you can order using our app or on the website in every single one of our shops across the entire system.”
Potbelly’s also plans to simplify its loyalty program, Potbelly Perks, in 2020.
Investors showed confidence in the brand’s go forward strategy with the stock rising 3.6% following the third quarter earnings announcement.
Contact Jenna Telesca at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter: @JennaTelesca


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For all the problems Zap has had bringing vehicles like the Alias to market, they are taking reservations for the Zap Truck XL, an all-electric four-wheeled vehicle that might be the truck that Zap wants to build in Kentucky using DOE money. Zap isn't the only American company that wants to sell this truck though; GM already does, sort of.
In addition to the planned Alias from ZAP, the electric vehicle company reportedly wants to branch into the electric pickup truck market as well. According to the latest in a long line of press releases from ZAP, the company has completed the engineering stage of a project to develop a four-wheel electric pickup. The company claims it plans to build the new EV right here in the United States using parts and components largely sourced from U.S. suppliers.
I stopped by the Zap! booth on the AFVI expo floor and asked what was new. Not too much, they told me (aside from Larry Hagman visiting at the time), but it did give me a chance to go check out the new solar-powered mini-truck with Chairman and co-founder Gary Starr. Starr wanted to make sure our readers realized the truck's easy-to-tilt bed, which not only allows access to the batteries, but can also aim the solar panels toward early-morning or late-afternoon sun. Of course, if you've got a tru


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Asata ceo, Otto de Vries, told GBTA members at a webinar on July 29 that he expected the travel industry to shrink fundamentally as a direct result of COVID-19.
“Using the term ‘bloodbath’ would not be an over statement,” said Otto, describing the state of the travel agent industry and the issues that Asata members were currently facing. There is still nothing to sell, there is very little demand and there are no revenues coming in.
“Travel agents are working without any financial reward to support customers in managing everything from airline policies to refunds and cancellations. They also have to manage the huge task of working through the myriad of information constantly coming in every day.
“Retrenchments are the reality and many businesses are realising that they are going to need a lot fewer people than they previously did. If I needed 1 000 people [in my business] today, I can probably do the same work with 200 people going forward,” said Otto.
Otto expects to see fewer independent Iata-accredited agents because of the challenges involved with retaining those licences.
Asata has revised its strategy for its members from crisis mode to recovery and will host a virtual travel summit in early August. Among the themes to be discussed was the readiness of the market and what the new customer looked like, said Otto.


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UK’s fastest-growing tech businesses revealed
- 14th September 2016
- Innovation & Technology
The UK’s fastest-growing technology businesses have been revealed in the Sunday Times’ Tech Track 100 index.
Cloud services provider UKCloud was named the fastest-growing tech business, with their annual sales increasing by 262.66 per cent over the past three years.
UKCloud was followed by IT services provider Roc Technologies, whose sales have grown by 221.18 per cent over the same period.
Meanwhile, London-based online crafts business LoveCrafts came in third place, with a revenue growth of 214.97 per cent, whilst biotechnology company Immunocore scored fourth place, with a sales rise of 206.64 per cent.
The majority of businesses featured in the index are based in London, with 20 from the South East and eight from the North West.
All companies have had sales in the region of £10 million, with a growth of 88 per cent on average over the past three years.
A study from data analytics firm Consumer Intelligence has highlighted the impact of technology failures in banking, with more than…


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- CA new house price index: -0.1% vs. 0.1% expected, 0.1% previous
- CA capacity utilization rate: 83.6% as expected vs. 83.2% previous
- US initial jobless claims: 289K vs. 305K expected, 325K previous
- US retail sales: -0.6% vs. 0.3% expected, -0.8% previous
- US core retail sales: -0.1% vs. 0.5% expected, -1.10% previous
- US business inventories: 0.0% vs. 0.1% expected, 0.0% previous
- US Federal budget balance: -$192.3B vs. -$191.0B expected, -$17.5B previous
- Japan’s revised industrial production numbers due
Profit-taking was the name of the game during the U.S. trading session, as forex traders squared off long dollar trades at the release of Uncle Sam’s less-than-stellar retail sales data.
The report surprisingly printed a 0.6% decline after falling by 0.8% the previous month. Market players had expected a 0.3% uptick for consumer buying. Bad weather is a possible culprit for the weakness, although consumers are also starting to save more of their discretionary income.
EUR/USD hit an intraday high of 1.0684 before closing just above the 1.0600 handle. USD/JPY also fell to an intraday low of 120.67 before capping the day at 121.29.
Even the comdolls had a good day against the Greenback. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Australia printed a positive jobs report and the RBNZ refrained from cutting its rates.
AUD/USD reached a new weekly high at.7731 before closing at .7708 while NZD/USD hit the .7740 area before capping the day at .7388. Falling oil prices weighed on the Loonie though, and pushed USD/CAD 26 pips higher (+0.21%) to 1.2685.
The pound was another notable currency as it surprisingly fell across the board. Though the U.K. printed a better-than-expected trade balance report, forex traders had focused on Mark Carney’s remarks to a local newspaper. Carney signaled that he’s in no rush to raise rates, saying that the pound’s strength and low inflation could last for a while.
GBP/USD dropped by a whopping 104 pips (-0.69%) to 1.4881, while GBP/JPY slipped by 74 pips (-0.41%) to 180.60. Even EUR/GBP saw pound weakness with its 46-pip ascent (+0.65%) to .7146.
Will high-yielding currencies feel the wrath of Friday the 13th? Only Japan’s revised industrial production numbers is scheduled today, so Asian session forex traders will likely focus on risk sentiment and possible end-of-week positioning. Keep your eyes peeled for any news that might affect risk-taking today!
Bonnie and Clyde, peanut butter and jelly, Kanye West and Kanye West. Some things just go well together.
Head on to Big Pippin’s Daily Chart Art for some pip-locking technical setups!


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ComScore also reported earnings today, with revenues for the fourth quarter of 2009 coming in at $33.8 million, an increase of 7% over the fourth quarter of 2008.
The company says it has added 57 net customers during the quarter, which is the highest number of client adds since the second quarter of 2008 according to comScore President & CEO Dr. Magid Abraham.
For the entire (fiscal) year 2009, comScore reported revenues of $127.7 million, up from $117.4 million the year before, an 8.8% increase.
As for the acquisition of 42-year old ARSgroup: the company essentially helps advertisers measure, optimize and predict the effectiveness of their advertising messages. ARSgroup’s products help evaluate and quantify the impact of campaigns across various media, including television, print, radio, outdoor and digital.
With the purchase, comScore demonstrates that it is looking beyond online audience measurement for future business.
“comScore is a global Internet information provider to which leading companies turn for consumer behavior insight that drives successful marketing, sales and trading strategies. comScore’s experienced analysts work closely with clients to identify their business objectives and determine how they can best apply and benefit from comScore’s vast databases of consumer behavior. comScore maintains massive proprietary databases that provide a continuous, real-time measurement of the myriad ways in which the Internet is used and the wide variety of activities that...


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As Ohio begins to slowly open back up again, a process that started today, the coronavirus could have a lasting impact on life in Northeast Ohio.
Changes in Retail
Before the coronavirus outbreak, shoppers were already ditching traditional, large, indoor malls and flocking online to buy much of what they need.
When shoppers did go out to buy, they preferred smaller outdoor malls that mimicked small downtowns, often stocked with specialty shops.
Retail before coronavirus and the advent of social distancing was about the feeling a place gives the shopper and less about the goods they’re trying to buy.
“Sure, it’s fabricated,” said David Simon while he worked at The Van Aken District Market Hall in late 2019. “It’s completely built in this little bubble, but I think it’s really attractive.”
Restaurants and bars have taken hits during the stay at home orders.
“Are you going to trust to go out to eat,” asked Billy, who lost his job as a cook. “Are you going to trust to bring your family out to eat?”
Billy says even after stay at home orders are relaxed, he isn’t sure customers will come back, further hindering any effort to hire back workers like him.
“I think if we can allay people’s fears, that it’s safe to be out there, and you can carry on with some precaution, then that’s going to matter in how we recover,” said National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.
As more people sit at their screens for work and social interaction, business experts say the virus is only accelerating that no-touch experience.
Online retail companies like Amazon and Walmart are seeing revenues drastically increase at the expense of small businesses who remain closed down until at least May 12 in Ohio.
“And if they do come back, it will be different,” said Ashland University College of Business and Economics Dean Dr. Elad Granot. “It will be slower and it will be smaller.”
Granot says shoppers will see much more business consolidation with small and medium-sized stores coming together to compete.
“You know, Amazon, Costco, and Walmart are hiring more people, paying them more,” said Granot. “This is an amazing shift.”
Changes at Work
Before the coronavirus, more of Cleveland’s workforce was moving downtown, bolstered by the fact that Sherwin-Williams plans on turning three large empty parking lots into its brand new office complex.
Before the social distancing order, downtown workers like Wincy Wong were finding jobs downtown because it's more fun than when she first left Cleveland in 2012.
“I think that’s a big draw for young professionals. They want a place where they have access to everything,” said Wong.
Gyms, workout facilities and easy access to entertainment attracted companies like OpinionRoute to new office space in Post Office Plaza over a variety of spots in the suburbs because of its central location.
“Being in the middle of everything really allows us the opportunity to recruit talent from both sides of Cleveland,” said OpinionRoute CEO Terence McCarron.
Real estate experts say buildings that have extra features and amenities like new gyms and golf simulators are the ones with long wait-lists.
“People are stopping looking at offices as a place to put your jacket down and go to work,” said Newmark Knight Frank Vice Chairman Terry Coyne. “They’re now looking at it like, I want to recruit, I need a space that has amenities.”
But Ohioans have been working from home for more than a month and, for the most part, it’s been without too much of an issue.
Employees have adapted so well that businesses could start rethinking their physical buildings and see if they can save money by having more employees work from home more often.
“That would actually be less expenses for them, in terms of overhead, in terms of space and everything,” said Granot.
Granot says corporate headquarters and big office space projects could be in jeopardy. Hotels and conference centers will suffer as Zoom-like technology becomes more prevalent.
“If I don’t have to come down to give you an interview, I don’t have to fly to Chicago to talk to you about something,” said Granot.
But, companies are already telling News 5 that they plan on having employees eventually back under one roof.
Cleveland-based BoxCast is a company that helps other organizations live-stream events. Business has boomed during the outbreak while social distancing practices have drastically increased the demand for churches, businesses and other groups to reach employees and followers online.
“I don’t think everyone is going to stay remote permanently,” said BoxCast CEO Gordon Daily. “We love working together. We love seeing each other face to face and celebrating together.”


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Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) – part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation (QF RDI) – announced the launch of ELV8 today. It is an exciting new business accelerator program that aims to help Qatar-based tech startups expand into international markets. Applications for the program will be open from 19 September to 16 October 2021.
The first and only program of its kind in Qatar, ELV8 will be delivered by QSTP in partnership with the globally-renowned Plug and Play, the world’s largest innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, and investors, which is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California.
ELV8 is designed for registered tech-based startups that are located in Qatar that have an existing product or service. Applicants will have demonstrated significant growth in their customer/user base and have a defined strategy for moving into international markets with clear potential to scale globally. The program is available to startups that have previously secured funding from investors and are preparing to raise, or have already closed, their Series A round.
QSTP Executive Director, Yosouf Al-Salehi
After a thorough screening of all applications, a total of 10 startups will be shortlisted for the program. QSTP will conduct a comprehensive evaluation process to assess the business strategy and growth potential of these shortlisted startups. Two startups will then be selected for incubation at a Plug and Play location in one of the 35 cities worldwide across five continents. The exact venue for each placement will be determined by the vertical industry in which the individual startup operates and the specialty of each Plug and Play office.
QSTP’s Tech Venture Fund (TVF) will invest in the two chosen startups, with each one receiving investment to support their expansion abroad. A group of team members will relocate, with the business maintaining its HQ in Qatar. The first three months of the program will be dedicated to mentoring the startups for international business growth whilst the remaining nine months will focus on taking their offering to international markets and increasing their customer base.
Beginning 31 October 2021, ELV8 will be a year-long program which will further strengthens QSTP’s comprehensive value chain of innovation and entrepreneurship-based activities. A natural progression of existing QSTP initiatives such as the highly successful XLR8 program, ELV8 provides intensive mentoring and business support for existing tech-based startups – including those that are already incubated by or work with QSTP. Participating businesses will rapidly grow and establish themselves in international markets via an overseas placement, as well as a range of networking opportunities with international startups and investors.
Announcing the new program, said: “ELV8 is another strong addition to QSTP’s impressive portfolio and continues to strengthen its position as the go-to place for Qatar-based startups who want to make an impact in the competitive world of technology development and innovation. I highly encourage tech entrepreneurs in Qatar to apply and take advantage of this unique opportunity. As the next generation of leaders in technology, they will be playing a pivotal role in taking Qatar’s innovation to the international stage, while contributing robustly to the diversification of the country’s economy and enriching the local RDI ecosystem through knowledge exchange and local capacity building.”
For more details on the ELV8 program and to apply, visit: https://qstp.incubatorportal.com/apply/elv8


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Business Travel Show Europe Kick Off, 23 February,
Global Travel Risk Summit Europe, April 2023,
3rd Annual Sustainable Business Travel Summit
The Four Seasons hotel in Dublin is to be rebranded as part of Intercontinental Hotels in January 2015.
Four Seasons Hotels announced its decision to cease management of the property in October of this year, and recent reports had both Hyatt Hotels and Intercontinental Hotels in the running to take over the management.
Located in the Irish capital’s upmarket Ballsbridge neighbourhood, the hotel has 197 rooms and suites, two restaurants, two bars, a gym, a spa and an indoor pool. It also features 1,400 sqm of meeting space.
IHG will also be opening the Intercontinental Baku, in Azerbaijan, in 2016. It will have 105 rooms and suites.
Robert Shepherd, chief development officer for IHG Europe, said: “We are thrilled to have signed two flagship Intercontinental hotels in two important markets; and both properties are going to be fantastic additions to our portfolio."
IHG has almost 180 Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts around the world, with approximately another 50 in the pipeline.


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KREMLINOLOGISTS looking for a new job might want to start studying the goings-on at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. A rejig of the firm’s top management team involving the surprising departure of Scott Forstall, a highly regarded executive who ran the firm’s mobile software operations, has sparked speculation in Silicon Valley about tensions behind the scenes at the secretive technology giant.
The defenestrations, which also involved the ousting of John Browett, the boss of Apple’s chain of retail stores, comes as the company's share price has fallen sharply since hitting a high of just over $700 earlier this year. Apple said it had made the changes to boost collaboration between its hardware, software and services teams, but the fact that there clearly has been tension between them spooked shareholders: on October 31st, the first day of trading after the news emerged, Apple’s share price dipped to just over $595.
The news of the reshuffle comes at a sensitive time for the company. Although Apple has developed an incredibly powerful “ecosystem” of devices, software and other services, it now faces stiffer competition from the likes of Google, Amazon and Samsung. The company recently unveiled a smaller version of its popular iPad to compete with rival devices from Google and others that already have modest screens. Yet the firm’s share price started falling during the unveiling of the new gizmo when it became clear that Apple intended to price it at a premium to rival offerings. Clearly the market thinks that even the Colossus of Cupertino's pricing power has its limits. The company's latest quarterly results added to concerns about its prospects when they failed to live up to analysts' expectations.
The goings-on at Apple headquarters are also being scrutinised closely because the shake-up marks the first big reshuffle instigated by Tim Cook, the firm’s chief executive, who took over the helm from the late Steve Jobs. There has been plenty of speculation about the reasons for the high-level departures. Mr Forstall reportedly clashed with other executives at Apple, notably Jonathan Ive, the firm’s hardware design chief. He was also responsible for the flawed Apple maps offering in the latest release of Apple’s mobile operating system and is said to have refused to sign a public apology acknowledging its failings. Mr Browett, who arrived at Apple earlier this year after running Dixons, a British electronics retailer that does not enjoy anywhere near the same kind of prestige, raised eyebrows by seeking to cut costs with a new work rostering system for Apple's stores that triggered rumours of layoffs.


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Market Streets to host Healthy New You Expo today, Sunday
United Supermarkets hopes to help its Market Street guests start 2012 off right with its Healthy New You Expo from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m today and Sunday at both store locations in Lubbock, 50th Street and Indiana and 98th Street and Quaker Avenue.
The free event will offer guests educational tips on how to choose more nutritious foods for a healthier lifestyle by using the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System, according to a United news release. Created by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts from universities and health organizations, NuVal is an easy-to-follow system that scores food and beverages based on nutritional value from 1 to 100; the higher the score, the higher the food's overall nutrition. United Supermarkets became the first grocer in Texas to implement the NuVal system in 2010.Market Street pharmacists will provide blood pressure and cholesterol screenings at no charge, as well as complimentary body mass index readings.
Additionally, trained Market Street team members will offer complimentary coupons, recipe cards, preparation tips, nutrition information and food samples, including its Living Well menu items, and will answer questions about the NuVal system at designated stations throughout store.


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Los Angeles International Airport will soon ban rideshare companies and taxis from picking up passengers outside its terminals. Starting on or about Oct. 29, travelers wanting to use Uber or Lyft or a taxi will be taken by shuttle to a parking lot next to Terminal 1, where they can book their rides. Drop-offs at terminals will still be allowed.
The decision, according to airport authorities, is in response to worsening congestion at the airport, which is undergoing a $14 billion overhaul of its road network and terminals. And because airlines have been adding routes, more people are coming to the airport in general. Passenger volume increased from 63.7 million in 2012 to 87.5 million in 2018, according to LAX officials. Uber issued the following statement about the decision: “While we have concerns with aspects of LAX’s plan to move all rideshare pickups to a staging lot, we have shared those concerns directly with (LAX) and will continue operating at the airport. In the meantime, we hope LAX will listen to and incorporate our input so that LAX passengers can continue to access rideshare service in a seamless way.”


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Everyday consumers are reaping the benefits of brand loyalty points, as they can be used for future discounts or even free items, depending on how many points have been saved. For the brand itself, this is a great way to tie customers to their stores, and make them revisit the store every so often. But are we really using these loyalty points to their full effect? A recent UK study shows most loyalty points rewards
Tag Archive: commerce
Bitcoin, Bitcoin Breaking News Brief, Breaking Bitcoin News, Breaking News, Companies, News, News teaser, Technology Bitcoin, Bitcoin Acceptance, Bitcoin Breaking News Brief, Breaking Bitcoin News, Breaking News, News, News teaser, Technology
Nearly every physical retailer is accepting in-store card payments, either through credit, debit or bank cards. Most consumers have access to these types of payment in the Western world, and cashless payments are slowly but surely becoming the norm in several countries. But when merchants are not receiving the funds from these card payments due to the third-party company processing these transactions, it becomes clear once again why alternatives such as Bitcoin are so valuable.
Bitcoin, News teaser
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A forum post on MacRumors offers what could be the clearest glimpse yet of the next Nexus phone. Nearly a month after a Google employee appeared in a promotional video for Android Kit Kat holding what appeared to be a new Nexus, a single close-up image of a slate-gray phone has emerged. In response to questions from other posters, the author said the phone's back cover has a feel similar to the Nexus 7 and that its display is only "ok."
Days after the Kit Kat video went up, an FCC filing from LG described a phone believed to be the next Nexus. Notably, the device that surfaced at the FCC supports LTE, which could make it the first unlocked, Google-sold Nexus phone to do so. (The Galaxy Nexus 4G, from 2011, was the first Nexus phone to support LTE.) It is 5.19 inches tall, has a 4.96-inch screen, and uses a 2,300mAh battery, according to the documents.
Although it's impossible to say definitively whether the image is genuine, it doesn't bear the hallmarks of a Photoshop job and lines up quite well with what we have been expecting from the device. Assuming it's real, we should be hearing more about Google's next Nexus soon.
Correction: This post has been corrected to reflect that the Galaxy Nexus 4G supported LTE.


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AT&T customers, it’ll soon be a little more expensive to activate a phone.
AT&T has confirmed that it’s increasing its activation and upgrade fees by $5. That means that you'll pay $25 rather than $20 when you activate or upgrade. AT&T hasn’t said why it’s making the change, with a carrier spokesperson only saying that it’s “making a minor adjustment” to its fees.
The fee increase will take effect tomorrow, January 20.
AT&T’s fee hike comes a couple of weeks after Verizon made a similar move, bumping its upgrade fee up from $25 to $30. While AT&T’s fee increase isn’t a huge one, it still means that you’re going to be forking out more money the next time that you activate or upgrade.


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Retailers are spending 200 percent more on skippable YouTube ads this year
Retailers looking to flex their creative muscles on YouTube can do so on the platform’s TrueView ad model without time constraints, all while targeting the most interested customers. As a result they’ve been plunging resources into these TrueView ads at twice the rate they were last year.
A study performed by Pixability, a video marketing platform for YouTube, analyzed the YouTube ad spend from the National Retail Federation’s top 100 retailers. Across all retailers, spend on skippable TrueView ads has been climbing since the last quarter of 2014. For the final stretch of 2015, retailers are expected to spend 200 percent more on TrueView ads than during the same time period last year, while spending in the third quarter of 2015 rose 77 percent over the second quarter.
With TrueView, retailers can take their time to show products in action by running product demos, testimonials and how-to videos, according to Google. The ads appear either in-display (on the queue of related videos to the right of the YouTube screen) or in-stream (pre-roll ads that can be skipped after five seconds), and are opt-in, meaning retailers’ resources are going to viewers who have demonstrated interest in the ad.
This quarter, Pixability predicts that retailers will spend $41 million on TrueView ads, with Walmart leading the pack, slated to spend a total of $17 million in 2015 (outdoing Target five-to-one). The sector spending the most on the ads is online, however, with Amazon leading the charge and coming in second behind Walmart with a projected total of $10 million in TrueView spend in 2015.
YouTube, for its part, is pushing retailers toward its newer shoppable ad models, which rolled out this year (TrueView ads premiered in 2014). The company teamed up with YouTube stars who are popular for their product-focused “unboxing” and shopping haul videos for “Awesome Stuff Week,” a series to demonstrate to brands where they could fit shoppable ads into these highly viewed videos.
“Every day, people are turning to YouTube to help them shop,” said Vikram Tank, product manager at Google. “They’re looking for advice, or inspiration, or product reviews. We want to make the shopping experience better for everyone.”
Still, customers are just warming up to the habit of shopping through social media platforms (a Citi Retail Services survey found that 60 percent of consumers were open to the idea of social commerce, and 25 percent named YouTube as the top driver of purchase inspiration). Programmatic ad tech platform Unruly performed a study of the most shared brand videos of 2015 and found that the retail ads that saw the most engagement weren’t utility driven, they were entertaining.
Google’s “Furever Friends” ad, which featured unlikely animal pals, took the top spot with 6.4 million shares, while Disney’s “Surprise Shoppers” ad took second with 3.9 million shares. The spot showed Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other Disney characters surprising shoppers in a mall.
Other retail ads in the top 20 list of most shared brands included a Purina puppy-filled video, and three Adidas spots, all of which featured soccer star Leo Messi.
Retailers should remember this if they want to drive engagement during the holidays. Unruly’s survey of seasonal ads saw only two U.S. ads — Kmart and the NBA — in the top 20, the rest were U.K. advertisements.
As brands test Amazon’s direct link between digital ads and Whole Foods purchases, they spot new data nuggets — and gaps
Advertisers are using Amazon's recently-launched attribution feature to see how digital ads drive real-life purchases at Whole Foods.
‘I don’t think their outlook is dire’: Why a return to in-person events hasn’t deterred marketers on Clubhouse
Even with vaccine rollout and a return to in-person events, marketers still see the value in Clubhouse communities formed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Some agencies are giving summer Fridays a second look so employees can ‘enjoy their life again’
Agency executives say that the increased focus on taking advantage of summer Fridays this year is to help employees take the time they need to relax, improve mental health after a difficult year and avoid burnout.
SponsoredHow The Company Store is reimagining customer experiences for pandemic-era growth
Throughout the pandemic, some retail categories have been inherently successful. Home furnishings and décor are among them; with consumers spending so much more time at home, updates and renovations flourished. Criteo data from the first half of 2020 showed sales for items like outdoor furniture sets up 434% year over year, with other home items […]
‘Bridge the gap between paid and organic’: Why Reddit is building an in-house agency to work with brands
Reddit is building an in-house creative strategy agency, KarmaLab, in a broader bid in recent years to grow its ads business.
Cheat Sheet: Why Roblox is fast becoming one of the most important media businesses of the future
Gamers spent 9.7 billion hours on Roblox in the first three months of the year. Here's a look at how the company became one of the most important media businesses of the future.


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There’s yet another way to pay with your phone today with the launch of Google’s much-talked about Android Pay service in Singapore, the first in Asia to do so.
The mobile wallet service lets millions of users of Android phones – even models from a couple of years ago – tap their mobile devices at cashiers and pay for their purchases conveniently.
The latest such service works like what Samsung and Apple already offer currently. However, it expands the reach to a lot more users who don’t hold the latest models from either the Korean or American phone maker.
Android Pay works with phones running at least version 4.4 of the operating system that sports near-field communication (NFC) technology. This provides the contactless payment link with readers at a checkout counter.
You still have to link a credit card to the phone, like Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. However, if you already have a card pre-registered to pay for your Google Play Store purchases, this is brought up by default on sign-up, so you don’t have to enter the details again.
Just have CVC code on hand and enter a verification code sent by your bank for security’s sake. Then you’re ready to go.
In Singapore, Android Pay currently works with Mastercard and Visa cards issued by DBS/POSB, OCBC Bank, Standard Chartered and UOB. Interestingly, American Express cards are out of the equation for now.
The interface is easy if you have ever tapped your credit card to pay for items. Just place your phone near a reader to okay a purchase. After a few transactions, you may have to unlock it to approve the process, again for security reasons. A fingerprint sensor is highly recommended for fast checkout.
My own experience so far with Samsung Pay has been generally positive. The checkout is fast, as with a contactless card, plus the use of a fingerprint sensor to authenticate things gives added security.
I still get funny looks when tapping a phone on a reader, particularly at self-checkout counters at supermarkets where people often peer over to see if you’re holding them up. But you can say mobile tap-and-pay services are finally taking off in Singapore.
While banks themselves have had their own payment offerings in the past, Apple brought the new payment method into the spotlight when it launched its service here in April this year.
This was followed by Samsung just earlier this month. What it has over its two other rivals is an ability to work with even traditional card readers that don’t have NFC built in.
So, despite its usage being limited to owners of a handful of Samsung phone models, its technology may be accepted at more places. That could keep users loyal to the Korean firm’s offering.
It is, after all, in competition with Google for a share of users’ wallets. After I installed Android Pay today, my Samsung Galaxy S7 edge asked me which should be my default payment method – Samsung Pay or Android Pay.
With its ability to be read by different types of readers, Samsung looked handier to me. However, it has to compete for users who don’t already have Samsung Pay installed.
At the same time, there’s always the worry of confusion. Yes, choice is good (read a view from the industry), but this isn’t as easy as taking out a different card from your wallet. You actually have to pick one app over another.
My advice? If you have a Samsung phone that supports Samsung Pay, go for it. It’s fast and easy and lets you pay even at places with old readers. Okay, except if you need to use a UOB card, which is not accepted for now (see a useful comparison chart from The Straits Times here).
Otherwise, Android Pay is your ticket to tap-and-pay convenience. The technology has truly come to the masses, not just the digerati.


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The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be a rare sight in Germany for at least a couple more months, and probably a lot longer, thanks to a ruling on Friday (via FOSS Patents) by the Düsseldorf Regional Court trying the patent infringement case between Apple (s aapl) and the Korean electronics firm in that country. The court upheld the preliminary injunction it originally ordered against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on Aug. 9, and then upheld at a post-injunction hearing on Aug. 25.
Friday’s decision, which is the final result of that last hearing, means Samsung is out of options for fast-tracking a reversal with the Düsseldorf Regional Court. Samsung could still appeal to the Higher Regional Court, which might potentially result in a fast-track proceeding that lifts the injunction in as little as a couple of months. But if it doesn’t do that, or if its appeal is rejected by that court, the injunction will apply until the full lawsuit proceeds in front of the Regional Court. That means Samsung could be looking at about a year of not being able to sell the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and possibly more if decisions from the main proceeding agree with the preliminary injunction, making it permanent.
Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents also says that the way the Düsseldorf court judge worded the court’s decision might suggest the injunction could be extended to cover “any new products in Germany that infringe the successfully-enforced [sic] Community design for as long as the injunction is in force.” A Community design is an intellectual property protection for the outward appearance of a product or part of it. That means recently unveiled devices like the Galaxy Tab 7.7, which was recently removed from the IFA show floor in Berlin because of patent issues, could be affected, too, while the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab can continue to be sold.
While the injunction still only applies to Samsung in Germany, Mueller says the Community design, which is the basis of the patent suit, has far-reaching implications if upheld. If it remains in force, Apple will be able to fairly easily get similar injunctions against similar products; in theory, few tablets would be safe. Closing off the entire German market from tablet competitors would likely affect the decision of electronics companies to even make one at all, especially if Apple can win similar victories in its ongoing cases in other international markets.


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London set to start the 300th retail iStore in the Covent Garden from today which is apparently “The world’s largest Apple Store” The Apple iStore witnessed a long queue up on Friday outside this biggest iStore, which will have the highest volume of iPhones in any other shop worldwide.
Ron Johnson, Apple’s senior vice-president for retail said it would have more space for children, training, small business services and kit in stock than any of its other stores.
He further added that this iStores has the biggest staffs of 300 members. He was state saying that the entire Fifth Avenue Store in the New York City would come up under the roof of it three- storey central courtyard. The Regent Street store has served central London until now. Apart from these big stores, Westfield and Brent Cross has outlets which remain chaotic and crowded with customers.
And if you have a doubt or a problem and then is it! The family-size 🙂 Genius will help you in a jiffy.
And if you thought there was a crunch of iPads then just tip-toe to the ‘Gallery’, all questions answered!


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A €5000 shopping giveaway, A major Art in Action prize for local schools, The Táin March, family amusements and shopping bargains are all included in this year’s Super Saturday for Dundalk’s Independent Traders Day on Saturday June 3rd.
Event Organisers and Sponsors came together to unveil plans for what is set to be the liveliest June Bank Holiday in Dundalk for many years.
Radio Roulette, the €5000 giveaway which attracted hundreds to the Market Square last year returns and once again people will be able to enter via LMFM and via purchases made in Dundalk Town Centre.
A significant new addition to the Programme this year is the Art in Action by The Crafty Rock event which will be housed in a Marquee in the Dundalk Town Centre.
Focussing this year on children ages 5-12, classes throughout the day will include crochet, jewellery beading, planting seedlings, making foam mosaic masks and salt dough workshop to name but a few.
Entry will be via wristbands at a charge of €2 per class which will include the cost of classes and supplies as well as entry to the numerous children’s amusements in the town centre on the day. Wristbands will be available in the run up to Super Saturday, to allow people get their tickets in good time.
Local Schools are also getting involved in Art in Action by The Crafty Rock with a themed art competition, the winner of which will receive a wonderful Celtic Adventures excursion for their class, with transport included.
All events will be co-ordinated to run up to the arrival of the annual Táin March in the afternoon.
The Town Centre will also be the location for a number of craft and food stalls throughout the day.
Speaking at the Launch, Dundalk BIDS Manager Martin McElligott said he was happy to see an expansion on last year’s Super Saturday.
“The response to Radio Roulette last year was fantastic and the addition of Art in Action by The Crafty Rock is tremendous,. We have to give thanks to our sponsors too."
Council for getting on board with this project and supporting Dundalk Town Centre events.
“I do see this Independent Traders Day eventually being incorporated into a bigger Maytime Festival. The programme and sponsorship is increasing year on year and we would love to see everyone get behind this event particularly with our long term plan to bring back a full festival programme that the people of Dundalk are calling for.”
A full programme of events and details re Art in Action by The Crafty Rock classes will be published in the coming days and weeks.
You can also keep up with latest information via Dundalk BIDS website, Facebook and Twitter.
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Comprehensive corporate name change includes new logo and website; YouTube business renamed to WildBrain Spark.
With the rollout of a new corporate identity that includes a logo and website, global kids’ and family content company DHX Media has just announced it will now be known as WildBrain. The company also announced fourth quarter 2019 and year-end 2019 fiscal results, as well as a management and business reorganization that includes a new CFO.
Eric Ellenbogen, who took over last month as the company’s new CEO and Vice Chair, stated, “In Fiscal 2019, we advanced our priorities of creating premium content, growing our AVOD business, improving our cash flow and strengthening our balance sheet. In Q4 2019, revenue rose 12% to $108.8 million and adjusted EBITDA was up 26% to $20.2 million. Rebranding as WildBrain embraces our commitment to creativity, imagination and innovation, and our 360° approach to brand management. For many years, our WildBrain group has been at the leading edge of the digital media business. As that landscape continues to rapidly evolve, now is time to unify all the parts of our Company under both the name and entrepreneurial culture that WildBrain represents.”
As part of the rebrand, the company’s tagline now reads, “Imagination runs wild.” Their popular YouTube business, formerly known as “WildBrain,” has been renamed “WildBrain Spark.” The new company website can be found at www.wildbrain.com.
The reorganization includes the appointment of Aaron Ames, currently the company’s COO, as CFO, effective immediately. He succeeds Doug Lamb, who is stepping down, but will remain with the company in an advisory role until October 31, 2019. No new COO is being named.
Ellenbogen remarked, “Aaron has a lengthy history with the company and has made significant contributions as COO. I’m confident that with his deep knowledge of our operations and a background in business improvement, integration and synergies, Aaron will be a strong leader of our finance function. We thank Doug for his considerable contributions to the Company.”
Company shareholders will be asked to approve the corporate name change at the upcoming 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which is expected to be scheduled for December 2019. Following approval, the company plans to change its ticker on the Toronto Stock Exchange and NASDAQ to “WILD.” Until that time, the company will continue to report under the DHX Media name and to trade on both stock exchanges under its present symbols, DHX on the TSX and DHXM on the NASDAQ.
Ellenbogen’s strategic reorganization efforts, which began in Q1 2020, are expected to be completed by the end of Fiscal 2020. As a result, the company expects to incur one-time cash reorganization charges in the range of $10.0 - $12.0 million that are expected to generate annual savings of approximately $10.0 million. A portion of these savings will be redeployed to invest in growth areas of the business including AVOD business and brands.
You can find the complete company release, including Q4 and Final 2019 financial results, on the company website.
Source: DHX Media


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Mahatma Gandhi’s pocket watch and personal belongings realized just under $2.1 million as part of the Antiquorum Auctioneers sale of Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, Pocket Watches & Clocks, held March 4 and 5 in New York.
The auction as a whole took in $8.7 million. More than 500 online bidders, in addition to room and telephone bidders, bought modern and vintage watches at 142 percent of their low estimate resulting in 75 percent of all lots sold, the auction said in a statement.
Gandhi’s pocket watch, sandals, glasses, bowl, and thali were sold for $2.096 million to what the auction house described as a “prominent Indian businessman who intends is to bring the items back to India for permanent public display.”
“Despite continued global economic concern, we have achieved tremendous results for our first auction of 2009,” said Evan Zimmermann, Antiquorum president and chief executive officer.
“Antiquorum is pleased that the objects attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest spiritual and political leaders of the 20th-century, will be returning to India, added Robert Maron, Antiquorum chairman. “We know that this was the hope of the Indian people, as well as many others around the world.”
The auction also included a watch belonging to both U.S. president John F. Kennedy and Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis. Known as the “Kennedy Onassis” watch, it is the only known item connecting JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Aristotle Onassis. It fetched $120,000.
Another watch of great significance in the sale was the Patek Philippe Henry Grave’s platinum minute repeater, which sold for $630,000. The watch belonged to the late Henry Graves Jr. who inspired Patek Philippe to create some of its most complicated watches to date.
In addition, the “Giuseppe Bonanno” 1950’s Patek Philippe watch sold for sold for $36,000. Bonanno was an original member of the “Commission” whose purpose was to establish rule by consensus amongst the New York crime families and is thought to be the inspiration for the character of Vito Corleone in Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather.”
Several other Patek Philippe timepieces achieved excellent results, including: The Ref. 5016 in yellow gold, lot 536, fetched $ 494,000; the “TV Watch” in white gold, Ref. 5020 (lot 526), sold for $180,000; the Ref. 3970 in white gold (lot 525) attained $ 108,000; and the yellow gold “Celestial” wristwatch (lot 120), which sold for $186,000.
An Audemars Piguet watch, the “End of Days,” (lot 435) sold for $ 42,000. A Cartier Art deco desk alarm clock sold for $32,400, three times its’ pre-sale estimate.