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Tariff protections on sugar were increased last week but not everyone is thrilled by the decision, particularly industrial purchasers.
The International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) increased the dollar-based reference price to $680 after the South African Sugar Association (Sasa) had applied for an increase, precipitated by a rapid increase in imports.
The reference price is a key determinant in how import tariffs for sugar are calculated and the rate at which import duties are set. Sasa had requested an increase to $856 a tonne.
The increase was granted despite objections from major industrial consumers such as Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), Tiger Brands and sugar importers.
They argued among other things that increases protect an inefficient industry, which needs to improve productivity.
They also warned that, as has happened in the past, an increased tariff could result in higher local sugar prices to the detriment of downstream customers. But Sasa denied these claims.
CCBSA raised concerns that price increases did not translate into increased efficiency in the local industry, which was exacerbated by prolonged under investment.
“The increase to the dollar-based reference price is going to be a short-term solution,” said Tshidi Ramogase, CCBSA’s director for public affairs and communications.
There were significant long-term issues facing local sugar producers that needed to be addressed, including ensuring that small-scale black farmers received appropriate levels of support and funding.
The CCBSA, in its submission to Itac, argued that an increase would “protect an inefficient industry from much-needed productivity enhancements and rationalisation at the expense of downstream clients and consumers”.
It also said that, after the last hike in the reference price in 2014, domestic prices were pushed up to a level comparable with import parity.
The level of tariffs directly affected domestic sugar prices and “had significant undue adverse pricing effects downstream”.
Any increases in domestic sugar prices would come on top of the recently introduced health promotion levy on sugar-sweetened beverages, Ramogase said.
In the event of a domestic price increase, the CCBSA would have to consider carefully whether to pass it on to consumers or whether it could absorb it.
But some of the major sugar producers such as Tongaat Hulett are already warning customers that prices are expected to rise by 19.5% as a result of the notional price increase.
A spokesperson for the company said it was in discussions with its entire customer base about pricing because of the increase in the notional price.
Although sugar millers negotiate prices with their customers directly, Sasa periodically sets a “notional price” for white and brown sugar.
This price, according to Sasa, is used to calculate what is known as the recoverable value price that millers pay sugar-cane growers.
Other factors informing this include the exchange rate and industry costs and it is legislated to ensure a fair price to all growers for the cane delivered.
Tiger Brands said that, although it recognised the importance of the sugar industry to South Africa, the industry “lags global peers from a yield and efficiency perspective”. It added that duty increases “will contribute to food inflation across the board”, and the recently gazetted duty was expected to add R180-million of cost inflation a year to the Tiger Brands business.
The proposed increases also had implications for locally produced food products, which could affect exports.
In addition, imported finished goods, many of which were not subject to import duties, benefited from a world sugar price that was half the South African price and was likely to see an influx of imports to retailers, according to Tiger Brands.
The Association of Sugar Importers also objected to the proposed increases. Its chairperson, Chris Engelbrecht, told Itac that, given the distortions in global markets, tariff support for the local industry was necessary, provided that any inefficiencies and structural flaws were not entrenched.
He also warned of the likely effects the reference price increase would have on local prices, pushing them to import parity, with no benefit to downstream users.The 19% increases meant the industry was using this as an opportunity to increase the local price, he said.
Sasa said it could only comment in detail on Itac’s decision after it had studied the report closely and had completed its interactions with Itac.
But in its response to the submissions opposing its application, Sasa denied the assertions.
Regarding the claim that the local industry had failed to invest, it cited among other things the R1.4-billion one major milling group has been committed to in the past five years, including in energy savings, packing plant upgrades and maintenance.
It also denied that the industry was taking excessive profits or that price increases would harm consumers.
The industry had taken a cumulative price reduction of 20% in the past year and sugar prices had dropped further below local production costs, which was unsustainable.
It pointed to a Sasa-sponsored study done in 2013 that showed the effect sugar price increases had a minimal effect on overall food inflation.
It also argued that, when the notional price was reduced in July 2017 and March 2018, the price of a 330ml beverage actually increased.
Although the introduction of the health promotion levy might have contributed to this, Sasa said “soft-drink manufacturers seem to have captured the value from the sugar-price reduction and not passed on these to the consumers”.
Coke denies cashing in on cheap imports
The threat posed to the local sugar industry has been complicated because, during 2017, increases in sugar tariffs should have been triggered but the government failed to implement them.
This was exacerbated by an administrative error that reduced tariffs to zero, presenting a golden opportunity to import cheap sugar.
Lobby group FairPlay, which watches for “predatory” imports in the chicken and sugar industries, has publicly quizzed Coca-Cola about buying cheap imports in recent months, which it says is happening at the expense of South African suppliers. It also questions whether this went against public interest conditions undertaken in 2016 when various bottlers of Coca-Cola merged.
But the company said that, although it has had to import sugar in recent years, particularly because recent adverse weather conditions, such as the drought, affected supply, the amount was “nominal”, given the public interest commitments to local sourcing made at the time of the merger. Since January 2015, it has sourced nearly 95% of its sugar locally.


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by Stephen Logan on 22nd June 2010
Google has released details of its new Google Commerce Search 2.0 initiative.
In anticipation of the summer shopping season, the SEO services company has aimed the program at retailers based in the UK and the US, it notes on its Affiliate Network Blog.
Although the solution was initially launched on Google’s cloud seven months ago, the new version aims to provide better return on investment while improving customer experience online.
As well as giving sellers greater control over filtering and promotions using a new merchandising dashboard, Commerce Search 2.0 also offers better browsing and navigation.
This means businesses can provide customers with the option of shopping by searching directly for products, as well as navigating their way around the website.
Another innovation that is likely to benefit customers is the introduction of query autocompletion, which allows retailers to "offer common queries to shoppers in real time, as they type, without any custom coding", Google adds.
Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Google Maps will now include property listings allowing users to search for homes on sale.

domain: news


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GoPro clearly didn't get the memo that Black Friday was last week, as the action-cam specialist has just slashed the price of the brilliant GoPro Hero4 Session.
Having originally set wannabe owners back a wallet-worrying £349.99, the compact, waterproof camera can now be snapped up for just £159.99.
This isn't just a one-day deal either. That's the camera's new price – amazing!
"I'm stoked that for just £159.99, everyone can GoPro this Holiday season," company founder and CEO, Nick Woodman said.
"The waterproof Hero4 Session is so durable and easy to use… it's the perfect way to capture rough-and-tumble family activities this holiday season. From snowball fights to snowboarding, the footage will look so immersive you'll feel like you're reliving the experience."
The small, 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.5cm camera cube is 50% smaller and 40% lighter than its Hero4 siblings but doesn't cut down on camera quality, capable of capturing 1440p footage at 30 frames-per-second.
Waterproof to 10 metres without any additional housing and capable of capturing 8-megapixel stills, the Hero4 Session features a simple single button control and can also be controlled via a smartphone app.


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6:58 a.m. Today6:58 a.m. Oct. 16, 2017
- By Therese Poletti
5 ways tech startups are avoiding IPOs Opinion: While recent tech IPOs have popped, there is a lot of money available to companies that want to avoid the processDon’t let the recent strong initial public offerings fool you: Tech startups are still avoiding Wall Street en masse, and there is big money offering them investments to stay private in multiple ways.
8:50 a.m. Oct. 12, 2017
- By Francine McKenna
JOBS Act is causing IPOs to be underpriced, but execs still benefit Research says a program aimed at giving smaller companies access to capital is having unintended consequencesThe JOBS Act created incentives for executives to underprice IPOs and is not reducing going-public costs, a new study shows.
5:00 a.m. Oct. 12, 2017
- By MarketWatch
Bitcoin’s on a tear above $5,000 — and these tech giants could spur it higherIt’s a big day for bitcoin faithful out there, as it’s cruising past $5,000 as we speak. There’s more where that came from says our call of the day. And it’s all down to big tech names.
11:22 p.m. Oct. 11, 2017
BNP Paribas to stop financing shale projectsPARIS--French lender BNP Paribas SA said Wednesday it will no longer finance shale and oil sands projects, in one of the clearest signs yet the banking industry is re-evaluating its relationship with the oil sector amid mounting pressure from investors and top financial institutions.
7:58 a.m. Oct. 11, 2017
BNP Paribas to stop financing shale projectsPARIS -- French lender BNP Paribas SA said Wednesday it will no longer finance shale and oil sands projects, in one of the clearest signs yet the banking industry is re-evaluating its relationship with the oil sector amid mounting pressure from investors and top financial institutions.
6:50 a.m. Oct. 10, 2017
- By Katy Stech Ferek
This startup has created a TurboTax equivalent for bankruptcy A cheaper alternative for struggling consumersThe software is designed to help people file chapter 7 bankruptcy without having to pay for a lawyer.
6:17 a.m. Oct. 7, 2017
- By Tonya Garcia
Artificial intelligence will be important this holiday shopping season even if shoppers don’t know it Artificial intelligence, or AI, is growing in value as a customer service toolArtificial intelligence is powering some of the new customer service components that retailers are offering.
5:02 a.m. Oct. 6, 2017
Kellogg to buy protein-bar maker Rxbar for $600MKellogg Co. plans to buy niche protein-bar company RXBAR for $600 million, joining other big food makers in tapping new brands to make up for falling sales of sugary, processed products. Kellogg mainstays like Frosted Flakes and Pop-Tarts have faced declining sales in recent years. Chief Executive Steven Cahillane, who took over this week from John Bryant, is tasked with bringing the company more in line with the turn many consumers are making toward more natural, fresh foods.
6:24 a.m. Oct. 3, 2017
- By Jon Hilsenrath
Why financial bubbles aren’t always bad things What do we know now about bubbles?Financial bubbles can be destructive when financed by debt, but they drive investment into ripe new areas of the economy.
7:35 a.m. Sept. 29, 2017
- By Max A. Cherney
After booming IPO, Roku thinks this is the future of the company Company will look to advertising, content partnerships and licensing revenue for growth amid rapid rise on Wall StreetThe company that started as a secret Netflix project to build hardware that could stream media to televisions no longer thinks those gadgets are the key to its Wall Street success.
3:09 p.m. Sept. 28, 2017
- By Steven Norton
Welcome to life in a post-password era Logging in with biometrics, behavioral monitoring and moreCompanies are embracing new technologies for fast, nearly invisible authentication of customers and employees.
1:45 p.m. Sept. 27, 2017
- By Greg Bensinger
Ford to develop driverless cars for Lyft Companies announce deal to compete with UberFord Motor Co. and Lyft Inc. said Wednesday they would develop self-driving vehicles for the ride-hailing service, adding to a growing number of alliances between auto makers and tech companies jockeying for control of the road.
3:24 a.m. Sept. 27, 2017
- By Caitlin Huston
Snap backlash, Facebook capitulation won’t stop founder-friendly stock structures Indexes and investors are fighting stock structures with limited or no voting rights, but many believe it is best course for some companiesThough it might seem as if the investor community is turning against dual-class share structures, there are still tough opponents who continue to argue for a founder-led approach.
7:17 a.m. Sept. 25, 2017
Nets A/S sold to private equity for $5.3 billion A consortium led by U.S. buyout firm Hellman & Friedman LLC on Monday agreed to acquire Denmark's Nets A/S for 33.07 billion Danish Krone ($5.3 billion), the latest bet by private equity on the payments-processing sector.
3:11 a.m. Sept. 24, 2017
- By Darrell Delamaide
Merkel’s government may get a fresh new partner Free Democrats under Christian Lindner could spark some changes in BerlinGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel could get a new coalition partner with some fresh, pro-business ideas, writes Darrell Delamaide.
9:17 a.m. Sept. 20, 2017
- By Shawn Langlois
All the $1 billion unicorns around the world, in one mapEverybody knows all about Uber and SpaceX, two multibillion-dollar private companies poised to forever change the world and enrich those fortunate enough to hop aboard for the ride in the early stages. But there are more than 100 of these so-called unicorns in the U.S. alone.
2:39 p.m. Sept. 18, 2017
- By Therese Poletti
Cisco is Chuck Robbins’s company now, for better or worse Opinion: Robbins will get the kudos or the blame for new strategy as Chambers departsWith the departure of John Chambers from Cisco Systems Inc.’s board of directors, Chief Executive Chuck Robbins is now fully in charge of the networking giant and its efforts to return to growth
5:49 p.m. Sept. 12, 2017
- By Mike Murphy
Sexual harassment allegations against SoFi CEO, other execs detailed in new report ‘Frat house’ culture described along with lewd detailsDetails emerged Tuesday regarding sexual harassment allegations against Social Finance Inc. Chief Executive Mike Cagney, who announced Monday that he would step aside.
8:41 a.m. Sept. 12, 2017
- By Kenneth Rogoff
If Trump gets 3% growth, only the stock market will be cheering U.S. should focus more on policies that reduce economic inequalityFaster economic growth is unlikely to reverse the current trend toward inequality and environmental degradation, writes Kenneth Rogoff.
6:00 p.m. Sept. 11, 2017
- By Peter Rudegeair
SoFi CEO to step down by year’s end amid ‘negative press’ Litigation against Mike Cagney revealed in Sunday reportSocial Finance Inc., one of the most highly valued private financial-technology startups in the U.S., said on Monday night that Chairman and Chief Executive Mike Cagney would step down by the end of the year.
2:02 p.m. Sept. 10, 2017
- By Peter Rudegeair
Female employees at SoFi report improper behavior at the fintech startup CEO, former CFO were subjects of allegationsSocial Finance Inc., a fintech company whose hard-charging ethos propelled it to success, is ensnared in the controversy over workplace culture and the treatment of women at Silicon Valley technology startups.
11:12 a.m. Sept. 10, 2017
- By Tim Mullaney
If you want economic stagnation, a great start is deporting 800,000 young workers Get used to it: America needs immigrantsGet used to it: America needs immigrants to keep consumption going and to pay for Social Security, writes Tim Mullaney.
6:00 a.m. Sept. 7, 2017
- By Alessandra Malito
Miserable at work? The one thing you’re probably overlooking Why the phrase ‘work-life balance’ does more harm than goodWhy the phrase ‘work-life balance’ does more harm than good.
11:10 a.m. Sept. 6, 2017
- By Claudia Assis
House passes sweeping self-driving car bill Bill means to spur adoption of self-driving vehiclesCompanies would be allowed to test up to 100,000 driverless cars under a bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday. The bill now moves to the Senate.
3:00 a.m. Sept. 5, 2017
- By MarketWatch
This technology may forever change how you sleepTech companies like Eight Sleep and Sense are personalizing your sleep with apps and data. Here's how.
2:58 a.m. Sept. 5, 2017
- By Max A. Cherney
The startup burning $1 million a month in hopes of selling $1 billion of pot a year Exclusive investor documents show complicated business of Eaze, the dominant weed-delivery offering in CaliforniaCannabis delivery startup Eaze Solutions Inc. has a lofty goal: By 2020, it expects to ship the equivalent of a 33 foot cube of marijuana—nearly three joints for every registered voter in the U. S.—to weed fans in America’s legal markets, according to information provided to potential investors and exclusively obtained by MarketWatch.
2:37 a.m. Sept. 5, 2017
Schneider Electric takes controling stake in AvevaFrance's Schneider Electric SE has agreed to take control of British engineering software provider Aveva Group PLC, the latest move by an industrial giant toward writing the software that will run the factories and machines of the future.
10:42 p.m. Sept. 4, 2017
- By Paul Vigna
Bitcoin drops after China bans ICOs Ether also tumbles as world’s No. 2 economy declares that initial coin offerings are illegalChinese regulators on Monday declared initial coin offerings illegal, dealing a blow to the latest financial-markets mania and sending the prices of the two leading cryptocurrencies, bitcoin and ether, tumbling.
8:05 a.m. Aug. 28, 2017
- By Sally French
All the companies in Jeff Bezos’s empire, in one (large) chart Bezos was briefly the richest person in the world.With a net worth of $88.5 billion, Bezos has made a number of investments and acquisitions. Here is a snapshot of his empire.
7:29 a.m. Aug. 28, 2017
- By Charles Clinton
3 ways to invest in a crowdfunded real-estate project Real estate is the fastest-growing segment of the crowdunding industryInvestments range from multifamily developments and shopping centers to micro-unit residences and self-storage facilities, and can be in urban or suburban areas across the country
1:05 p.m. Aug. 24, 2017
- By Austen Hufford
SoftBank raises its WeWork investment to $4.4 billion Additional $3 billion to help fund startup’s global expansionShared-office space company WeWork Cos. raised an additional $3 billion from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. as it continues its efforts to expand globally and grow its membership.
3:02 p.m. Aug. 23, 2017
- By Maureen Farrell
New investment vehicle gives tech startups an alternative to IPO SPAC to take minority stakes in more than 150 unicornsA group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs plans to launch an investment vehicle that will offer a richly valued technology startup an alternative route to public ownership.
4:35 a.m. Aug. 22, 2017
- By Jeremy C. Owens
Salesforce earnings: Looking to e-commerce, AI for growth as Dreamforce approaches Acquisition wave of 2016 is baked into software, now Salesforce has to sell it as it prepares for annual conferenceSalesforce.com Inc. went on a buying spree last year, and the resulting products should be on full display this week ahead of the cloud-software pioneer’s big annual party.
3:19 a.m. Aug. 22, 2017
Kleiner Perkins to invest $40 million in Tulip.ioTulip.io Inc., whose mobile software allows sales associates and retailers to engage more effectively with customers, has raised $40 million in a new round of venture-capital financing led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
3:09 a.m. Aug. 18, 2017
- By Ciara Linnane
NetApp shares slide 5% as analysts strike cautious tone on earnings NetApp is the latest company to find an earnings beat is not enough to boost its share priceStorage-appliance maker beat earnings estimates, but analysts are concerned about growing competition in the sector.
6:13 a.m. Aug. 17, 2017
- By Jillian Berman
Most students overlook these critical factors when picking the best college Author Jacques Berlinerblau says students sometimes put too much emphasis on a school’s reputationAuthor Jacques Berlinerblau says students sometimes put too much emphasis on a school’s reputation.
3:49 a.m. Aug. 17, 2017
- By Max A. Cherney
NetApp beats on earnings, has high hopes for new hyperconvergence offering Data-storage appliance maker expects next-generation product later this yearStorage appliance maker NetApp Inc. added to its string of stronger than expected earnings, as it announced its fifth beat in a row, and issued projections for its second quarter.
1:34 p.m. Aug. 9, 2017
- By Kari Paul
How bra startups are transforming the way women shop for lingerie Algorithms and big data are taking the bra fitting experience out of the dressing roomAlgorithms and big data are taking the bra fitting experience out of the dressing room.
10:54 p.m. Aug. 8, 2017
Vantiv seals $10 billion Worldpay acquisitionLONDON-- Vantiv Inc. agreed to acquire U.K. payments processor Worldpay Group PLC for about GBP8 billion ($10.4 billion) in cash and stock, one of the biggest deals in the fast consolidating sector. The tie-up, according to a joint statement Wednesday, will create a trans-Atlantic payments processing giant with a combined market value of more than $20 billion.
1:56 p.m. Aug. 8, 2017
- By Kari Paul
Why women support new bra startups and the profession with the largest wage gap Tuesday’s top personal finance stories Tuesday’s top personal finance storiesTuesday’s top personal finance stories


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A California judge has ruled that EA has to defend itself in a contract-interference lawsuit brought against them by Activision, who claim the company illegally attempted to lure away Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella while the two were under contract creating Modern Warfare games, CVG reports.
The judge deemed there's enough for the suit to go ahead, so it'll now be added to a multitude of others; West and Zampella sued Activision for alleged unfair termination, Activision counter-sued them for their supposed secret talks with EA, 38 other Infinity Ward employees sued Activion for unpaid royalties, and then everyone sued everyone, in homage to a famous South Park episode, which will inevitably end with a bunch of lawyers getting very, very rich.
Activision decided to bring EA into the fold because—well, probably because they want more money. Isn't this a little bit like Satan suing Cthulu for recruiting his followers? Who really wins in the end? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.


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This month’s theme: Emerging Technologies for 2009
Ask 10 people what "Unified Communications" means and you’ll likely get 10 different responses. Although UC has been around in various forms for over 15 years, opinions vary wildly as to what it is, what it’s good for, and whether or not businesses need to pay attention, much less buy in. Whatever you call it, technology analysts seem to agree that it can’t be as easily defined as a PC or a mobile phone. It’s much more than that.
The new VP, corporate and institutional affairs at Quebecor Media Inc. warns that Canadians will look elsewhere for their Internet fix if the federal government and its regulator don’t break with protectionist policies that stifle consumer choice and innovation. At the same time, J.Serge Sasseville told delegates yesterday at the 5th Canadian Telecommunications Forum organized by Insight Media in Ottawa that ISPs need to work with content providers to solve piracy problems and develop new business models.
The long-awaited rules for digital roaming and antenna tower sharing were released by Industry Canada earlier this week, giving incumbent carriers and new entrants the final rules on negotiating roaming and tower sharing agreements.
TelcoBridges has names Danny Paul Blouin its new VP of marketing. Blouin joins the company from Telus, where he held a variety of sales and marketing positions since 2003, most recently serving as product marketing director. Blouin will be charged with building TelcoBridges’ brand on a global scale, which will include expanding the company’s product leadership position with telecom solutions providers and operators.
The Canadian wireless industry is in for some tough times, according to two industry analysts. Speaking at Insight‘s 5th Canadian Telecommunications Forum conference in Ottawa this week, Dvia Ghose, of Genuity Capital Markets, and Jeff Fan, of UBS Securities Canada, said the incumbent mobile operators are going to suffer from lower revenue per user and profitability as a result of the wireless industry’s changing dynamics.
A new $10-million equity fund for early stage companies and up to $600,000 per company for international partnering are among the new initiatives announced this week to move homegrown digital media and information and communications technologies (ICT) more quickly into the market.


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By Dr Mustafa Mheta
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the fallout of the war and unprecedented sanctions on Moscow are shaking global supply chains and financial markets.
With Russia a major producer of commodities such as oil, gas, aluminium, palladium, nickel, wheat and corn, sanctions and market concerns about the war’s disruption on supply chains have caused commodity prices to soar.
Surging commodity prices will create winners and losers across Africa and the world. On the economic side, it’s going to be a mix of fortunes, depending on how deep some African countries’ economies have been doing business with Russia and Ukraine.
The fact that Russia and Ukraine provide 25% of the world’s grain supply may indirectly lead Africa, as one of their largest customers, into food insecurity.
On the continent, the countries most vulnerable to the conflict are those which import a large share of the wheat they consume, like Egypt. African countries that import most of their oil from Russia, such as Kenya, will feel the impact more. However, there are other countries in Africa that export to Russia that stand to benefit a lot from the war.
Countries such as Nigeria and Angola will be the biggest winners as the supply-induced commodity price boom that began last year will be prolonged because of the war. Some economists are of the opinion that Africa will be affected in various ways.
The most pronounced will be via the surge in global commodity prices, particularly for oil and wheat.
Sanctions and supply chain disruptions will drive up commodities prices and, in turn, inflation, causing spiralling crude oil and cereals prices for governments and consumers. Heightened energy prices will be felt most severely in rocketing transport and utilities costs, including electricity, gas and other fuels like kerosene and paraffin.
With Russia and Ukraine accounting for around 30% of global wheat exports, and Ukraine accounting for 15% of corn exports, disruption to supply due to sanctions and the war will push up the prices of wheat and corn, and of cereals in general. Most of the wheat consumed in Africa is imported.
We should expect Africa’s biggest wheat consumers to be the most affected, particularly if they import most of what they consume. The countries that consume mostly corn, which are mainly in southern Africa, tend to grow most of their corn, so the effect on inflation of higher prices will probably be smaller.
Since economics go hand in hand with politics, this could also spill over to the political side and cause irreparable damage to some African leaders. There is a likelihood of some political casualties emanating from this war in certain African countries. Some leaders may not be voted back into power because of this.
People in Africa tend to interpret what is happening on the ground economically in political terms. A hungry nation might not correctly interpret what is happening economically on the ground and blame it on the Russia/Ukraine war. It may be misconstrued and the blame apportioned to corruption on the part of the leadership.
Furthermore, on the political front, Africa will be divided into two blocks, as it was during the past Cold War (the US versus the USSR). There will be certain African countries that will align themselves with Western countries (the US and EU) and others with Eastern countries (Russia and China).
One can argue that this could be the beginning of a post-modern Cold War between the East and West. Its most dramatic playground might as well be Africa. The AU will have to display good leadership if we are to avoid the main pitfalls ahead.
We can only pray for good and wise leadership to appear on the scene in Africa, to steer the continent clear and never to take sides with any of the two sides of superpowers. If ever there was a time when organisations like the non-aligned movement were needed, it is now. Aluta continua!
* Mheta is a senior researcher and the head of Africa Desk Media Review Network SA.


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Editor's note: This story was updated June 15 and June 19, 2018 with additional states and reported illnesses involved in the recall.
June 11, 2018 -- Packages of precut melon -- including watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, along with fruit salads that contain those melons -- are being recalled from major retailers in 23 states.
The melon may be tainted with a dangerous strain of salmonella bacteria.
The plastic clamshell packages of melon, which carry generic labels, were sold at Costco, JayC, Kroger, Payless, Owen’s, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Walmart, and Whole Foods/Amazon.
They were distributed by Caito Foods. The list of states involved includes: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The packages have “Use By” dates ranging from April 27, 2018, to June 16, 2018. For a full list of affected products, click here.
So far, 70 people have fallen ill with salmonella infections. About two-thirds of them have been hospitalized. The illnesses happened between April 30 and June 3. The FDA and CDC are investigating the cause of the contamination.
Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Infections usually last 4 to 7 days, and people typically recover without treatment. Sometimes, people get severe diarrhea that requires a hospital stay to prevent dehydration. Severe infections may require IV fluids for hydration and antibiotics. People with weaker immune systems like children, older adults, and those with medical conditions that affect the immune system are at greatest risk for infection.
If you have any of this melon at home, don’t eat it. Either throw it away or return it to the store where you bought it for a full refund.


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Cyber Monday shopping at work? You’re not alone
ACCORDING TO CAREERBUILDER’S ANNUAL CYBER MONDAY SURVEY, MORE THAN HALF OF WORKERS (53 PERCENT) SAY THEY SPEND AT LEAST SOME WORK TIME HOLIDAY SHOPPING ON THE INTERNET, UP 3 PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR.
Cyber Monday's on the horizon, and you know your workday will be spent clicking through 50-percent-off offers on winter outerwear. Is your boss watching?
According to CareerBuilder's annual Cyber Monday survey, more than half of workers (53 percent) say they spend at least some work time holiday shopping on the Internet, up 3 percent from last year. Of this group, 43 percent spend an hour or more doing so. Employers aren't turning a blind eye to this. Eleven percent of employers say they've fired someone for holiday shopping on the Internet while at work (compared to 12 percent last year), and 54 percent say their organization blocks employees from accessing certain websites from work — down 2 percent from last year.
You might be monitored…
A third of employers (33 percent) said that even if performance isn't affected, they care if employees spend time on non-work related emails and websites. With the ever-looming distractions offered by technology, many have taken stronger measures to prevent loss of productivity this year, including:
- 35 percent of employers say their organization monitors the sites employees visit, compared to 36 percent last year.
- 52 percent of employers restrict employees from posting on behalf of the company on social media, and 29 percent have adopted stricter policies in this regard over the past year (compared to 55 and 32 percent last year, respectively).
- 24 percent say they've fired someone for using the Internet for non-work related activity, and 17 percent have fired an employee for something they posted on social media (compared to 28 and 18 percent last year, respectively).
So, should you hide your activity?
According to Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder, some online shopping is OK this holiday season, as long as it doesn't overhaul productivity. Here are some tips to stay focused:
- Set self-imposed deadlines: For open-ended tasks or projects, try giving yourself a deadline, and then stick to it, so you don't waste away the entire day browsing the Web. You may be surprised to discover just how focused and productive you can be when you're watching the clock.
- Stop multitasking: Psychologists have found attempting to do several tasks at once can result in lost time and productivity. Instead, make a habit of committing to a single task before moving on to your next project. If you're going to spend 15 minutes online shopping, do it and then move on to focusing solely on the business task at hand.
- Turn off personal notifications: During work hours, turn off your notifications, and instead build in time to check shopping-related email and messages.
"Employers realize that you are going to be tempted by the flurry of notifications regarding discounts throughout the day on Cyber Monday," Haefner said. "But it's up to you to self-police yourself and schedule your time to make sure you're getting your job done and productivity isn't hurt while you save money shopping online."
Are you planning on shopping at work this Cyber Monday? Tweet at us and let us know @CareerBuilder!


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Time to Capitalise on Freight Rate Opportunities
While most emerging market currencies remain under pressure with a strong US Dollar, the recent correction and continued shrinkage on freight rates comes as a welcome reprieve.
After several years of turmoil and turbulence in the industry with significant fluctuations in pricing and demand, further flamed by China’s “Zero Covid” policies, freight rates out of China have now dropped below Pre-Covid levels.
Yes, special market conditions in our changing world persists, but the recent drop in demand has left vessels empty with an upswing in container availability, which has been driving the cost of freight down.
Case-in-point, but a 20’container out of Shenzhen to Durban this time last year would set you back USD 5250. – The current freight rate sits at around USD 1880.
On a 40’ Container the cost was USD 9750 – Quoted rates are now at USD 2080.
The general congestion in the world of logistics has eased, with less supply chain disruptions. Container turnaround times are still dropping, which naturally frees up capacity.
Opportunity knocks. – Lower costs to transport goods.
Be sure to enjoy the gains with your next container booking.
Compliments – The Techmax Team


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Posted Tue Aug 24, 2010 at 06:00 AM PDT by Tom Landy
Werewolf fans can pick up a high-definition triple feature this October.
In an early announcement to retailers, Timeless Media Group says 'The Howling Trilogy' is heading for a Blu-ray release on October 19.
The release contains 'Howling III - The Marsupials,' 'Howling V - The Rebirth,' and 'Howling VI - The Freaks,' and it's worth noting that it appears all three films are housed on a single disc.
Specs and supplements haven't been confirmed yet, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $16.98.
You can find the latest specs for 'The Howling Trilogy' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 19.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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Free Fire, a popular mobile gaming app, was recently banned in India. However, there is still a chance that the game will be brought back to India.
The Singapore government and the Indian government are engaged in negotiations on this issue. According to reliable sources, the Singapore government has asked the Indian government why the Free Fire app was included in the Chinese app ban category despite the fact that it has no connection to China. Singapore is the company’s headquarters.
Singapore has expressed its displeasure with the Indian government over the app Free Fire being blocked. India recently banned 54 apps, one of which was Free Fire. These apps have been accused of sending user data to servers in China, according to reports.
Free Fire Game No Data Storage in China
A subsidiary of Technology Group C Limited manages and operates Free Fire Games (Sea Ltd). Garena, a Singapore-based gaming publisher, was founded in 2009 by Singaporeans of Chinese descent, Sea Ltd. Sea Ltd has requested a response from the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology on this matter. In addition, Free Fire’s parent company is based in Singapore, according to information provided in writing. This company does not store data in China.
Also, Google has been contacted by the company to explain why the app was removed from the Google Play Store on their behalf. However, no response has yet been received in this matter.
Free Fire is Singapore based company
According to the company, we do not store or transfer any personal data from Indian users to China in any form. Indian law is complied with, according to the company, which claims to be entirely Singapore-based. A statement from China expressed serious concern about the situation and stated that it expects India to treat all foreign investors equally.


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Warehouse stocks grow as Belarusian economy shrinks
In January – February 2015 grew by 18%. Demand for Belarusian products – primarily on the Russian market – has been declining at a faster pace than production volumes (reduced by 5.8%). Production volumes should be lined up with demand, which means further lay-offs for workers, otherwise economic recession will deepen and yet another devaluation will become necessary.
Since early 2015, stocks in Belarusian warehouses increased by BYR 5.9 billion and reached BYR 38.6 billion. This trend has affected all industries, except for oil refining, with food industry and machine building being the most affected (responsible for up to 50% of the growth). Stocks of some products have exceed the annual production. The situation is the most drastic for freight cars manufacturers – due to a sharp decline in production, their current stocks exceed seven years of the current production volumes.
The stocks situation is closely linked with the sharp deterioration in the Belarusian economy. In January – February 2015, industrial production shrank by 5.8%. Industries oriented towards the Russian market have suffered the most, such as textile, clothing, and vehicle manufacturing and electrical equipment production. Domestic market offers little support due to the need to accumulate resources to repay external debt. As a result, despite the fact that production volumes have declined, they still exceed effective market demand, which leads to further growth in companies’ stock volumes.
If sanctions against Russia remain unchanged for the next two years, the Russian market will not restore its demand for Belarusian products. The CIS market is largely dependent on the situation on the Russian market and cannot replace the shortfall in exports to Russia. In the short-term, reorientation towards markets outside the CIS is not feasible as it requires a new marketing strategy, which will take at least one year to elaborate. The most feasible option for Belarusian producers is to continue to reduce production, sell products with discounts, and optimise costs with lay-offs. If current level of production persists, stocks will continue to grow, non-payment risks will increase so as risks in the banking sector, and the National Bank will be prompted to turn on the money printing press.
The current decline in production was insufficient due to a significant decline in demand on the domestic market. If production is not further reduced to match the sales volumes, the negative effects on the economy may increase, including the risk of the national currency devaluation.
During searches of social and "green" activists and anarchists, law enforcement has seized computers, mobile phones and publications. The authorities have also exerted additional pressure on supporters of unauthorized street protests and independent lawyers, who represented defendants in the White Legion case. The security services have stepped up the persecution of opponents before the street protests announced by the opposition. Apparently, the Belarusian authorities aspire that participants in street protests would reduce in number and that the low interest of the population to socio-political agenda before the local election campaign would retain.


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It appears that Toyota has very big plans with its hybrid range, as the Japanese manufacturer aims to introduce six new hybrid vehicles by the end of 2012. Furthermore, Toyota wants also to introduce an electric vehicle to the to the United States by 2012, according to a top research and development executive.
According to Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota will show the electric vehicle its bringing to the U.S. (developed with Tesla Motors) at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.
Although Mr. Uchiyamada didn’t say, yesterday, on Toyota’s twitter account confirmed the fact that the RAV4-EV (electric vehicle) will make its debut in November at the 2010 LA Auto Show.
Also, the Toyota Prius PHV (plug-in hybrid) will make its US debut in 2012 (May/June) and will have a target sales of 20,000 units.
It appears that Toyota will be helped by Tesla in developing these vehicles, as the manufacturers announced a partnership in May to develop electric vehicles under the strategy of the U.S. startup company.
Tesla is known for its $109,000 Roadster, powered by more than 6,800 laptop batteries. [via autonews - sub. required]


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With the Fed’s record rate hikes in 2022, crypto assets quickly entered a downward trend. This decline was followed by bankruptcies and fraudulent activity by some of the major crypto exchanges and companies, including FTX, and the cryptocurrency markets disappointed their investors all year.
James Royal, from New York-based financial services company Bankrate, asked experts how this collapse process, called the ‘Crypto Winter’, will follow next year. In general, experts seem to take an extremely dark view of digital currencies. Marilyn Cohen, CEO of Envision Capital, said:
“Injured investors deserved it,” Cohen says. “They swallowed the crypto pill and believed it was a store of value. Whereas, cryptocurrencies were created out of nothing and have no value.”
“The collapse in cryptocurrencies shows people what they are all about: Big nothing,” said Kim Forrest, Chief Investment Officer and Founder of Bokeh Capital Partners. Miller and Washington CEO Michael Farr has simply echoed many of these sentiments. Farr commented:
“Cryptocurrencies, which lack any intrinsic value or fiat currency, relies on the next buyer’s willingness to pay to determine value. As sentiment turns negative, prices drop as well. I believe crypto values will rebound when sentiment changes. These are highly speculative investments.”
Dec Mullarkey, Managing Director of SLC Management, points out that the problem with cryptoassets has no spillover effect on other traditional financial markets. Mullarkey speaks:
“Fortunately, the problem with crypto tends to stay in crypto,” Mullarkey says. “But the risk is that continued high stress is forcing traditional assets to liquidate to cover losses that increase volatility in other markets. For now, there seems to be little chain reaction to the broader markets. looks.”
Charles Lieberman, Chief Investment Officer at Advisors Capital Management, also described this year’s crash as a “big blow to crypto”. “Speculators will continue to speculate, but cryptocurrencies are still far from being a mainstream asset,” Lieberman said. So the risks remain high.”
Sameer Samana from Wells Fargo stands out as the only investor with a positive outlook on the cryptocurrency markets.
“We think cryptocurrency technology is promising and for stronger participants, such as internet companies of the late 90s and early 2000s, the concussion will be positive in the long run.”


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At this year’s TV Connect (which you might remember as IP&TV World Forum), we’ll be showcasing RGB’s ‘Multiscreen 2.0’ solutions for delivery of advanced IP video services.
What is Multiscreen 2.0?Multiscreen 2.0 solutions enable video service providers to expand initial TV Everywhere capabilities with improved tools for efficient and effective delivery of live and on-demand video, and monetization of all multiscreen services.
The powerful combination of RGB’s VMG, TransAct Packager and TransAct Encoder/Transcoder (with critical SDI capabilities) enables key applications, including nDVR, targeted ad insertion and automatic loudness correction. Download these white papers now for more information:
And don’t miss this new report from Videonet – read how some of the most advanced operators in Europe are deploying hybrid networks for delivering multiscreen/OTT alongside traditional pay-TV services.
To learn more about Multiscreen 2.0, click here to schedule a meeting at the show or just drop by stand #236 for demos and discussion. We look forward to seeing you in London!
At this year’s CSTB show in Moscow, a hot topic will be the preparations being made for the distribution of next year’s Winter Olympics being held in Sochi, Russia. Last year’s London Olympics set a new standard for multiscreen distribution of The Games, so the local operators have a high standard to surpass.
One video service provider already well on their way is MegaFon – Russia’s second largest mobile operator. As outlined in yesterday’s press release, MegFon has deployed RGB’s Video Multiprocessing Gateway (VMG) and TransAct Packager to perform the transcoding and packaging for delivery of IP video services to iPhones®, iPads® and IP set-top boxes. They’re taking advantage of the high capacity of RGB’s solution, with an initial rollout of 130 channels, and soon they’ll capitalize of its flexibility by adding support for Android devices.
Further highlighting the activity in the region, MUX4, operated by Digital Broadcasting in the Czech Republic, is deploying both the VMG and RGB’s Broadcast Network Processor to grow their DVB-T MPEG-4 service. Take a look at the press release to learn more.
If you’re attending CSTB this week, come visit one of our reseller partners for more information on the next generation of multiscreen solutions: BCC booth #4.463, CTI booth #4.438, ISPA booth #4.460, Kontur-M booth #4.433 and Netris booth #4.468
Propelled by the availability of low-cost, high-resolution connected devices, consumers have rapidly bypassed the ‘novelty’ phase of TV Everywhere turning acceptance into expectation. With the demand that any media should be available essentially on any device over any network connection, 2013 is going to be an exciting year for multiscreen!
Looking ahead, we here at RGB Networks have compiled the top 10 industry trends we see for 2013:
1. IP Video
Internet-based video consumption will continue to boom, driven by the proliferation and popularity of mobile devices and connected TVs and changing consumer habits. With more than 70 IP video customers worldwide, including three of the top MSOs in North America, our advancements in video processing technology are enabling video service providers (VSPs) to retain the competitive edge for the year ahead.
2. TV Everywhere Expansion
Significant broadcast events like the London 2012 Olympic Games have hammered home how imperative it is for providers to establish an all-encompassing TV Everywhere strategy that can deliver premium quality video content to a myriad of viewing devices. With many TV Everywhere rights deals negotiated in 2012, and certainly more to come, many hurdles to the deployment and expansion of TV Everywhere services have been removed. Over the next year, operators will therefore need intelligent, high-capacity and scalable solutions to begin or grow their delivery of content to a multitude of devices, which can equally address all related infrastructure and network issues while still keeping the balance sheet in check.
3. Streamlining and Cost Reduction
The need for streamlining operations and cuttings costs will be imperative in 2013 and as a result, integrated, scalable, future-proof solutions will be the focus of attention. In the quest to deliver content to any connected device, innovative adaptive streaming technologies like RGB’s just-in-time packaging – which can alleviate the challenges intrinsic to growing TV Everywhere services such as storage, bandwidth and other headaches – will be in high demand.
4. nDVR Services
Operators’ enthusiasm for nDVR will see significant growth over 2013, driven by the fact that it is a “sticky” service that can reduce subscriber churn, while also generating revenue from subscribers who might not otherwise pay for multiscreen services. With the development of integrated solutions to deliver on-demand services alongside live multiscreen video, operators will be able to meet subscriber demands and reap the benefits of IP video’s rapid evolution better than ever before.
Content monetization through techniques such as targeted ad insertion will be a critical piece of the multiscreen puzzle in 2013. As the video delivery industry is busy keeping pace amid a landslide of changing consumer tastes and competitive positioning against pure OTT services, difficult questions concerning business cases and financial justification of multiscreen investments have come to the forefront. Coupling ad insertion with other revenue-generators such as nDVR services, as well as with cost reductions, VSPs will be looking for profitability in multiscreen this year.
6. Securing Content
As consumption of mobile video continues to grow, VSPs will increasingly require an access and rights management system that unifies revenue security for video services and prevents piracy of high-value video content delivered using adaptive HTTP streaming. Selecting the right streaming and security combination will enable providers to offer a richer consumer experience with more personalized choices in regards to content, time and place.
7.Multiscreen Ecosystem Partnering
As the multiscreen ecosystem expands to offer new services, strategic partnerships enabling integration with various market players such as ad decision systems, DRM and CDNs will be essential in adapting and thriving in a changed economic climate. We will see many multiscreen solution providers building sustainable and strategic partnerships over the next year to ease pressure on existing business models, further enhance technological offerings and help guarantee longevity of service.
8. Rise of the Second Screen
Social TV or second screen companion viewing is currently not only redefining how viewers engage with content, but also how they source and discover it. Presenting providers and advertisers with an unprecedented opportunity to engage and interact with their audiences, personalization of content and targeted ad insertion become two sides of the same coin for operators when endeavoring to capitalize on this trend for 2013.
9. Audio Regains Importance
High caliber audio is a cardinal ingredient in the consumer TV viewing experience. However, in recent years audio has taken a backseat to video as VSPs pushed to get basic multiscreen service offerings up and running. With 2013 being dubbed by many as a year of the “second wave” of adaptive bitrate delivery, audio has begun to enter the discussion again, primarily spurred by the CALM Act legislation in the US and other pending regulation around the world. In 2013 savvy VSPs will be turning their attention to implementing solutions capable of not only manipulating compressed streams in order to facilitate audio consistency and maintain industry compliance, but also to deliver a premium overall audio/video experience.
10. The Sum of it All: Multiscreen 2.0
Multiscreen 2.0 represents the next generation of TV Everywhere, consisting of a combination of solutions that enable operators to reduce costs and streamline operations in live, on-demand and time-shifted environments. This advancement of multiscreen technologies will facilitate the monetization of services across screens with hyper-targeted adaptive bitrate ad insertion, ensure the seamless delivery of premium audio across IP devices, and boost the multiscreen business case and return on investment.
Let us know in the comments below what trends you’re keeping your eye on for 2013. We look forward to sharing more on these topics in the weeks and months to come. Check back often, follow us through social media, and come see us at an upcoming trade show. Happy New Year!
After 16 intense and emotional days, the London 2012 Olympics has flown by. A herculean effort has been made by broadcasters around the globe to ensure coverage of the Games was constantly available to their audiences and at the touch of a button. NBC’s TV footage of the Games has been deemed ‘the most-watched television event in U.S. history’ successfully attracting 219.4 million viewers. It also trounced online records, recording nearly two billion page views and 159 million video streams of Olympics coverage. While on the other side of the pond, the BBC has reported that its overall Olympics TV coverage reached 51.9 million people, with 106 million requests for Olympic video content across all online platforms, more than double the amount of requests for any other event.
So, what has the 30th Olympiad told us about our viewing habits? In a poll of 100 visitors to the RGB Networks blog looking into how they were planning to watch the Olympics, we gained some intriguing insight into the consumption habits of our readers.
One key revelation is that more of our respondents (30 percent) planned to watch the Games on a PC/laptop than on a TV (28 percent) in a remarkable break away from traditional TV viewing habits. Indeed, nearly 70 percent of our readers said the way they were watching the Games this year differed from past years. Moreover, nearly 28 percent of respondents estimated they would watch online while at work – a trend that is sure to grow given the breadth of content and streaming capabilities available online.
With nearly 16 percent watching on their mobile phones while on the move, the survey further indicates that our readers were expecting to be able to access coverage of what they wanted to see, wherever they wanted to see it. This is reflected in NBC’s two Olympic TV Everywhere mobile apps which were ranked the #1 and #2 most-downloaded apps of the week on iTunes.
Forty-two percent of our respondents stated that they would definitely supplement their viewing experience with the use of a second screen. Billed as the first ever ‘truly digital games,’ viewers harnessed the use of social media platforms in record numbers to ensure they could constantly interact with the record-breakers and comment on events as they unfolded. Looking at Twitter numbers alone, a phenomenal 150 million tweets referencing the Olympics were generated over the duration – 9.66 million tweets captured the flurry of the opening ceremony while an astonishing 80,000 tweets a minute were posted as Usain Bolt swept the 200 meter sprint!
It has been thrilling to watch London 2012 unfold as a truly multi-platform event and one that catered directly to viewer’s demands. As sure evidence of things to come, our poll shows a growing trend of multiscreen viewing across multiple platforms and notably, the use of a second screen to complement the principal viewing experience. If there is anything we can learn from the raft of spectacular athletes that flew across our screens in those captivating 16 days, video service providers need to ‘go for gold’ with the best infrastructure systems in place for the next phase of multiscreen delivery. Without a comprehensive TV Everywhere plan, providers are sure to fall behind the competition as viewer expectations continue to change.
The biggest broadcasting event of the decade – and some even predict in all of history – the London 2012 Olympics is about to descend upon video screens across the globe. An estimated four billion people will tune in for over 5,000 hours of Olympic coverage, which will be provided to viewers in approximately 200 countries. Billed as the first ‘truly’ digital Olympics, the industry has been abuzz with what infrastructure overhaul will be needed to keep up with the various new demands that the London 2012 Olympics will require. Indeed, it’s astounding to think how technology has developed since the event last took place four years ago – mobile apps were rare, tablets yet to penetrate the market and watching live TV on mobile phones without any delay or jitter seemed a distant reality.
Discussions surrounding how video consumption habits have changed since the last Olympics have dominated media reports for months. Now, it is no longer essential that we either watch events live, wait for re-runs (which are often just as awkwardly timed as live showings) or settle for just catching the highlights during the news. Consumers today have the ability to watch Olympic moments wherever and whenever they wish, on pretty much whichever video-enabled device they choose.
So we thought we would conduct a poll over the next few weeks in the lead up to the opening ceremony on July 27 to get an accurate picture of how our readers will be watching the Games – we want to know which device will be your viewing platform of choice, where you’ll choose to watch them, if this differs from the last Olympics and how (if at all) you’ll be supplementing your viewing experience with a second screen. Fill out the poll here and help us take a snapshot of how consumer viewing habits have changed over the course of the last four years!
Last week RGB Networks returned to Cologne, Germany for our sixth year exhibiting at ANGA Cable. With an attendance of 16,000 trade visitors and the percentage of international visitors rising from 43% last year to 50% this year, the attention on RGB’s solutions soared with video service providers and the media focused intently on multiscreen deployment issues.
With discussions centered on the challenges cable operators currently face when developing successful, competitive strategies, our unique multiscreen delivery solutions ideally positioned us to address these concerns. There was particular interest in our eVIA solution, which enables multiscreen IP video delivery and monetization, our latest innovation just-in-time packaging, which reduces the need for storage and network bandwidth, as well as our support for MPEG DASH, the new adaptive streaming standard.
For those of you who were unable to meet with us at the exhibition, take a look through some snapshots below of RGB at the show (and on our Facebook page) – and check back often as we start our preparations for out next big European adventure at IBC in only a few short months!
As we welcome in June, RGB is preparing to head off to yet another European event. This time it’s ANGA Cable 2012, Europe’s leading trade fair for cable, broadband and satellite. With over 16,000 visitors from around the world it’s sure to be another great event for all participants.
We believe that 2012 will be the year that mass roll-outs of multiscreen IP video will really take off. As we now see the smaller operators entering the market, the larger operators with active deployments are taking things to the next level—looking to monetize services with targeted ad insertion and to optimize their architectures with new technologies.
Regardless of which category you fall into, the team at RGB can help you assess your requirements and design a multiscreen solution that will meet your needs today and provide future-proof options for your next phase of TV Everywhere services.
To get you thinking as you prepare for the show, here are a few of the hot technologies that you can see highlighted next week at RGB’s stand:
Just-in-Time Packaging: This newest innovation from RGB has been the hottest topic with operators at recent events and we look forward to its European debut. Download our white paper now to learn how this “on the fly” packaging technology can save you significant storage costs as you deploy adaptive bitrate VOD and NDVR services to multiple screens and reduce your headaches as you move to new adaptive streaming formats, such as MPEG DASH.
MPEG DASH: Are you up-to-speed on this new adaptive streaming standard? Take a deep technical dive with our new white paper.
Adaptive Bitrate Ad Insertion: RGB and BlackArrow just announced the first complete solution for multiscreen ad insertion and addressability. Read the press release and download the solution overview to learn how you can target specific ads to any device, increasing subscriber engagement and generating new revenues.
This year marks two of the United Kingdom’s national treasures reaching their 60-year ‘diamond’ celebrations, both of which had significant impact on the world of broadcasting – Queen Elizabeth II, one of nation’s longest-reigning monarchs, and Sir David Attenborough, one of world’s longest-serving broadcasting legends.
Almost exactly 60 years ago today, in 1952 the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the first to be televised live on British television. There was only one channel available (the BBC) and just over two million TVs owned in the UK. Many believe that the Coronation was the catalyst required for the nation to be truly interested in television – following the broadcast, the number of households with television sets in the UK shot up to nearly 7 million by 1957.
Today, the Royal Family’s Youtube channel alone has received over 37 million video views. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations are being broadcast live on hundreds of channels all over the globe (and on catch-up and on-demand). During the Queen’s Coronation most people had to crowd around the only television set in an entire village, while today, we have access to video content anytime, anywhere and on a growing number of devices that would likely boggle the minds of those original viewers. Bearing in mind that the first mobile phone (nicknamed ‘the Brick’ as it weighed nearly a kilogram!) was only released 29 years ago, the fact that consumers already expect high-quality video content on mobile devices today is pretty indicative of how fast video delivery technology is moving. With most large operators already offering TV Everywhere services and the majority of smaller ones following suit, it’s time for the rest to jump on board before they fall behind in an increasingly competitive video delivery marketplace.
In terms of technological advances, Sir David Attenborough, whose broadcasting achievements were recognized by the IBC’s International Honour for Excellence last year, has experienced all of these developments professionally. In fact, it was during his 60-year tenure at the BBC that the channel became the first to offer regular color programming in Europe, and his work spans black and white to HD and 3D video content.
However, while technology has certainly advanced, not all has changed in the broadcasting world. When color televisions were first released, the uptake was remarkably slow – primarily due to high prices – and as such, color programming was limited due to the lack of consumer interest. This bears quite the resemblance to what’s happened recently with 3D and Smart TVs. Furthermore, the development of color television in Europe was hindered by a continuing division on technical standards. Again, this strongly echoes the current market, with standards still not standard, and just a couple of months ago, yet a new adaptive streaming protocol—MPEG DASH—has been introduced (see our thoughts on that here).
It’s clear that in this day and age, the key for any operator looking to solidify their market position is to ensure they have a sustainable business model and to future proof against any new technological developments – an inevitability in the video delivery industry. What do you think are the biggest developments in broadcasting history over the past 60 years, and what will change for video delivery over the next 60? Leave your comments below.
As The Cable Show kicks off today, we’re excited to announce our partnership with BlackArrow to deliver hyper-targeted advertising across all video-enabled devices. The integration of BlackArrow’s Advanced Advertising System and RGB’s AIM multiscreen ad insertion solution provides video service providers (VSPs) with a first-of-its-kind, end-to-end ecosystem for monetizing TV Everywhere services.
Targeted advertising has long been the holy grail of ad insertion for VSPs, but it has been difficult to attain. Now, with the proliferation of unicast adaptive bitrate (ABR) technology and the introduction of the BlackArrow/RGB solution, VSPs finally have the tools to address specific ads to an individual, improving the user experience and offering a new source of revenue. Check out this solution overview for more information.
Advanced advertising isn’t the only hot topic we’ll be highlighting in Boston this week. Stop by booth #2141 for more on a variety of multiscreen technologies, including:
This year’s NAB is shaping up to be very exciting and you won’t want to miss RGB’s latest innovations in IP video. Here are just some of the hot new multiscreen technologies we will be highlighting at our booth:
Just-in-Time Packaging: This newest innovation in time- and place-shifted video delivery makes it easier and more cost-effective to deliver services across multiple screens. Read more and download our white paper >>
File-to-File Transcoding:Discover why the new iPad has video service providers looking for new VOD transcoding solutions.
Hyper-Targeted Advertising:Take a look at this video that highlights how adaptive bitrate ad insertion can help strengthen the business model for TV Everywhere.
IP Video Delivery:Read this article from IPTV International about meeting the challenges of the new multiscreen delivery model.
Click here to schedule a meeting at the show or just drop by booth #SU10412 for demos and discussion.


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April 4, 2012
By Bryan Navarro
CRESCENT CITY, Calif. — It starts with a roll of paper and ends up as a lip balm tube, patented as The Eco Tube. Beyond the eco tube, there’s also the eco jar for shea butter and other creams. The paper doesn’t leak or fall apart because the products inside are oil-based, and don’t contain water.
The idea started four years ago when the body of a dead whale washed up on a Crescent City Beach. It had starved to death because its stomach was full of plastic. At that time, CEO & Founder of Eco Vision, Ellery West, was making organic body care products, but the sustainability of the packaging didn’t match what was inside.
“Part of our vision of seeing all the plastic packaging that we use and throw away and it lasts for thousands of years,” says West, “These kind of packages can be used and recycled or composted in your backyard.”
Since then, Eco Vision has created biodegradable packaging in several sizes. Eco Vision is hoping to up the investment money from the Southern Oregon Angel Network. Eco Vision says the most important part of this whole process has been getting feedback from the S.O. Angels. The mentoring and coaching has helped the company improve its business plan.


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Scrap prices continued to recover in main markets last week as consumers showed buying interest after a long abstention period from new contracts. Activity in the Turkish market remains low, but it is sufficient for a slight price increase.
The Chinese market also recovered amid limited scrap supply and high steel prices.
In the US, scrap prices are supported by the positive trend in the Turkish market, although the prospects for trading in June are disappointing.
Scrap prices in Türkiye increased in the week of May 29-June 5, 2023, by another 1.3%, or by $5 per tonne, compared to the previous week, to reach $385-390 per tonne, the second increase during the second week in a row.
Generally, scrap prices have risen by 4% or $15 per tonne over the past two weeks.
Trade in the Turkish market rebounded on the eve of the second round of the presidential elections.
Steelmakers began replenishing inventories and increasing scrap purchases amid some recovery in domestic rebar demand.
However, the price increases are modest, as local consumers remain uncertain about prospects due to the lira’s sharp depreciation against foreign currencies, economic woes and lower steel sales.
According to steelmakers, no factor in the Turkish economy can support the scrap prices growth now, and prices have risen not due to domestic producers ramping up steel production but because steel companies are forced to replenish little supplies of raw materials.
Raw material suppliers, in turn, report low scrap collection rates, which does not allow them to sell large quantities at unprofitable prices.
Some market participants expect an improvement in demand and a rise in commodity prices this week as the market in China records recovery and positive signs for the global steel trade, in addition to Türkiye finally forming a new government after the elections.
In the USA market, scrap prices increased in the week of May 26 – June 2, 2023, by 1.7%, or by $6 per tonne, to reach $360 per tonne. At the same time, the price is expected to rise by June 9 to $371 per tonne.
Raw material prices increase in the United States stands due to the situation improved in the Turkish market. However, local players expect lower raw material prices during June trading due to rebar stagnation, hot rolled steel coil prices and scrap high supply in the local market. These factors will determine the price trend of the market during June.
Scrap prices in the Chinese market increased from May 29 to June 5, 2023, by 2.7%, or by $10.3 per tonne, to reach $381 per tonne.
Raw material prices rose last week amid lower supply and higher prices in the steel market.
The utilization level of the factories’ capacities operating in electric arc furnaces decreased by 5% during the week from May 26 to June 2, 2023, compared to the previous week, to reach 45%.
The average daily scrap shipments of all steel companies in the country decreased by 19.8% to reach 393.1 thousand tonnes, and the average daily consumption decreased by 4.36% to reach 447.5 thousand tonnes.
China’s imported scrap market is stagnant, and offers from foreign suppliers are still too high for domestic steel producers.
Ukraine’s scrap exports increased by 7.9% from January to April 2023, to reach 56.4 thousand tonnes, scrap production decreased by 40.8% year-on-year, to reach 366.6 thousand tonnes, and scrap supplies to Ukrainian steel plants decreased by 49.8% year-on-year, to reach 292.8 thousand tonnes.


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Tencent premieres WeTV in Thailand
First overseas market for China’s video platform follows success in music and games.
Telco Deep Dive 2018: OTT a tough market for Malaysian players to crack
When it comes to a choice between a subscription and advertisement model, audiences are more likely to choose the latter.
Hong Leong Bank customers can bind their debit card to WeChat Wallet
One of the first banks in Malaysia to partner Tencent’s local WeChat Pay as Master Merchant Acquirer.
Digi’s 4 Freedom to Internet propositions
Freedom to Internet builds upon Digi’s 4G Plus network infrastructure to offer in-demand digital services.
Digi introduces the Xiaomi Mi Box device bundle
The combination of free streaming quotas from Digi Broadband and the Android TV 6.0 interface on the Mi Box enables customers to access non-stop internet streaming entertainment at home.
Digi Q2 2015 revenue edges up 1.3%, expands music service
Digi.Com Bhd reported a slight increase in revenue for the second quarter of 2015 (Q2 2015), even as it expanded its music streaming service with new partnerships.
WeChat’s Tencent enters music-streaming fray with Joox
The music streaming world just got a whole lot more competitive, especially in Malaysia, with a new player joining the ranks of Spotify, Deezer and Raku, reports Edwin Yapp.


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ver-the-Rhine currently houses a late-night walk-up taco window in the form of Gomez Salsa (now open daily for lunch and Sunday brunch) and a couple spots for late-night pizza, but what if it’s 1 a.m. and you’re craving a different type of food from a window? Soon, OTR — and Cincinnati — will get its first walk-up french fry window, Fryed, from entrepreneur Lindsey Metz.
“Honestly, it was a late-night alcohol-induced thought, originally,” Metz says about the business venture. “When I woke up the next morning, I was like, that still sounds like a good idea.”
As is the case with many drunk people, Metz really wanted fries at that moment, but she couldn’t find a place that sold them. “I tossed the idea (for Fryed) around to friends and they were like, ‘I would definitely eat french fries,’ ” she says.
Metz, who lives in Over-the-Rhine, kept seeing posters for an accelerator program called MORTAR, founded last year by Allen Woods, Derrick Braziel and William Thomas (they also oversee the rotating pop-up shop Brick OTR). She took it as a sign to apply for the nine-week course, and in July she got a call announcing that out of 50 applicants, she was one of 15 chosen for the summer program.
MORTAR’s stated mission is to offer non-traditional entrepreneurs an opportunity to launch their businesses in their own neighborhood and positively affect their community. Metz explains that the accelerator teaches “the importance of knowing who you are,” along with offering business support and brand-development strategies, legal advice from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and one-on-one mentoring from SCORE, a nonprofit dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground.
Besides food, MORTAR’s summer entrepreneurs are also building businesses in areas such as lawn care, clothing and nonprofits. The nine-week course ends in a couple weeks, and Metz and her classmates will each give a Shark Tank-like pitch to judges and potential investors in an attempt to win funding. Not too shabby for someone whose only background in food service was an eight-year stint at College Hill Coffee Company.
MORTAR’s connections and resources have been helpful to Metz, and so have strangers. “I thought it would be more difficult to get people on board,” she says. “I was really shocked about it. It’s just been overwhelmingly positive so far, and I’m kind of waiting for something bad to happen. But so far, so good.”
She’s currently looking for a small space in OTR and thinks she’ll wait until the spring to officially open her window. But she is in the process of ramping up fry production to sell at events and breweries like Rhinegeist, because they offer “drunk people on demand,” she says.
When the time does come for Fryed to go full-service, here’s how it’ll work: Customers — drunk and sober — will be able to pick the size of their fries (snack, single and shareable), their style (thin, thick or sweet potato), seasonings and various dipping sauces. As a result, Metz has immersed herself in condiment R&D. She’s mastered Sriracha ketchup, a spicy chipotle mayo, a lemon-garlic mayo and a ranch, and she plans to offer a fancier dip of the day or week to complement the fries.
Until recently, Metz hadn’t made her own fries much, but she purchased a counter-top fryer from Amazon and has been experimenting with a few batches. “I haven’t made anything terrible that I know of yet,” she says. “That’s the hard part. I don’t like onions, but other people obviously like onions. So it’s hard to figure out when I’m the only one creating it how what might taste good to other people, doesn’t taste good to me.”
On Labor Day (Sept. 7), Metz and some of MORTAR’s food entrepreneur grads will present their labor-of-loves to the public during an event called Morsels of Mortar, held at Mortar’s headquarters (1329 Vine St., OTR). Metz will showcase her fries alongside cheesecake bakery Jazzy Sweeties, Aunt Flora’s Cobblers and Findlay Market’s vegan/vegetarian Jamaican soul food stall, JameriSol.
Metz, who works for the workforce development program at the YWCA, never envisioned Fryed happening, so she’s a little baffled by the whirlwind attention. “I like planning, but I don’t like thinking too far in advance and moving away from what’s happening now,” she says. “I had someone reach out already about opening a Kentucky location. Holy moly, let me get one location. Tom + Chee blew up. I don’t know if Fryed would do the same, or if I would want to go out of Tristate area, so we’ll see what happens as it happens.”
Her immediate goals are to start spreading the word about her fries — “if you make them, they will come” — getting ready for her pitch night, serving fries at Morsels and OTR’s Build the Block Party (Sept. 19) and just absorbing her unexpected and life-changing career path.
“This is really crazy,” she says. “It’s really ridiculous. I have no idea what’s happening, but I like it all. I’m ready for it.”


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From November 3, Apple
will be selling top model of iPhone
X, a special tenth anniversary edition, in India for Rs 1.02 lakh—and lots of Indians would make a beeline for it.
Why has no one dared ask if iPhone X is overpriced? The simple reason is that the Rs 1.02 lakh price tag is not the value of the phone but its most prized feature. Indians would be buying the phone more for this feature than the others publicised widely, such as wireless charging.
The use value of iPhone may be much less but it is the symbolic value that matters. The price above Rs 1 lakh is a clear signal of class for lots of Indians. More than a mere smartphone, iPhone has become an accessory as important as a piece of jewellery or a luxury watch. There is no other logic behind Apple launching such an expensive phone in India and hoping to attract a lot of buyers.
iPhone did not stand much chance in a price-sensitive market such as India. That's why initially Apple did not count on India. But slowly Apple has started making inroads. The reason? iPhone has emerged as a primary class marker. After car, smartphone is the biggest status symbol, and iPhone leads in that role. A big section of rich Indians has turned into Apple devotees who would upgrade their phone with every launch—not just because of new features but also as an easy and instant marker of their class.
iPhone's prospects in India are growing not due to the rich customers but a very large and emerging aspirational class of those who are no-so-rich but have significant disposable income. For this aspirational class which is growing by the day, iPhone's out-of-reach pricing is an attractive feature that gets upgraded every year.
That reflects in Apple's zooming sales in India. iPhone sales in India surged more than 50% in the year ended September 2016, when the smartphone maker reported its first annual sales and profit decline in 15 years. Apple shipped a record 2.5 million iPhones in India from October 2015 to September 2016, up 56% on year, according to an estimate by Counterpoint Technology Market Research. In quarter ended March 2017, Apple's revenue grew over 20% in India even as it saw a slump in iPhone sales globally.
Growing appeal of iPhone in India has made Apple recognise the huge growth potential. Apple has begun to take India seriously. It has offered discounts, buybacks and EMI schemes on all its phones. It has launched a new 'Assembled in India' iPhone SE.
India's growing aspirational class holds a lot of potential for Apple which has just a 3% market share in India's smartphone market.


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Jordan Fisher was troubled. Each and every selection of the Pink Bull vitality drink will come in a comparable metallic can, and his company’s digital camera procedure, which tracks merchandise that clients pick up in shops, was acquiring hassle distinguishing them.
This obstacle was a person of a lot of that his organization, Normal AI, confronted when retrofitting a Circle K ease keep in Tempe, Ariz., with laptop or computer vision application, which tracks just about every item clients decide on up so they can simply just scan their app-enabled phone to shell out as they leave, getting rid of the checkout line. A network of additional than 100 cameras can detect any of the countless numbers of similarly sized sweet bars or beverages grabbed by shoppers, together with cans of Red Bull, now identifiable many thanks to a mixture of geometric projections and greater-resolution cameras.
This tracking of purchaser action within just the retail store — the place purchasers glance and linger, with cameras capturing their interactions and their in the vicinity of-misses — is part of a expanding exertion to use data collection to make business real estate far more efficient.
“Checkout is form of the killer application, but which is just the tip of the iceberg,” claimed Mr. Fisher, the main govt of Conventional AI, which hones digicam precision in higher-volume, superior-density environments. “You have a system that understands the place folks are in true time, down to the centimeter. It is all about utilization of true estate.”
From the invasion of significant-box shops to the ascendancy of e-commerce and, most lately, pandemic lockdowns, actual physical retail might look trapped in perpetual disaster. But in-individual purchasing is still extremely well known and the matter of important investment. (Retail tech expenditure hit a record $31.5 billion in the second quarter this year.) Amazon has spent generously on actual physical retail, like $13.4 billion on the acquisition of Total Foodstuff, and the improvement of its Just Walk Out technique, which kick-began a race for cashierless checkout among the grocery suppliers and vendors.
The extra layers of technologies in outlets and enjoyment venues — group-tracking cameras, info gleaned from smartphones, tallies of community foot targeted traffic and refined demographic data — goal to replicate the details measurement and examination of the online encounter.
But privateness advocates are sounding the alarm about the technologies as Massive Tech is less than elevated scrutiny. Congressional testimony from the Facebook whistle-blower, Frances Haugen, in Oct has intensified calls for new laws to rein in Silicon Valley giants.
Complicating efforts to tackle privacy issues is a deficiency of regulatory clarity. Devoid of an overarching federal privacy legislation or even a shared definition of personal knowledge, shops have to form via layers of condition and municipal procedures, this kind of as California’s Consumer Privateness Act, claimed Gary Kibel, a husband or wife at the law firm Davis+Gilbert who specializes in retail privateness.
Engineering companies counter the pushback by noting that their units are developed to restrict what they collect and anonymize the relaxation. For occasion, Common AI’s method does not seize faces, so they cannot be analyzed with facial recognition know-how.
The increasing quantity of details on purchaser and group habits is owning important implications on actual estate style. It’s earning even actual physical area far more interactive for marketers.
WaitTime, an synthetic intelligence crowd-counting commence-up backed by Cisco Techniques, is utilized by venues these types of as Dodger Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. At the FTX Arena, where the Miami Warmth engage in, digital messaging on concourse entrances run by WaitTime tells enthusiasts not just where by to discover food items and beverages but the duration of the strains.
In today’s sector, “data eradicates the risk,” stated Ken Martin, govt director of international gross sales at Cisco, adding that group-tracking know-how could assure a superior return on investment.
The amplified use of crowd-counting technologies is aspect of a wave of adjustments that sector industry experts say sports activities and other amusement venues will use to strengthen safety and group move and let cell and contactless purchasing.
“The pandemic pushed persons who weren’t working with this technology about the edge,” mentioned Sanford D. Sigal, the chief executive of NewMark Merrill, which owns extra than 80 purchasing centers, and the chairman of BrightStreet Ventures, a company that develops retail technologies. “Is this technological innovation aspirin, that you just take when you are feeling lousy, or penicillin, the place it saves your daily life? Nowadays, it is undoubtedly penicillin.”
Quite a few sector observers suggest these methods can increase functionality, but there are doubters.
“I’m a fan of reality-primarily based choice-creating, but there are a lot of charlatans promising issues that are not sensible in conditions of outcomes,” mentioned Mark A. Cohen, the director of retail experiments at Columbia Business enterprise College.
But proponents argue that information can make a distinction in determination-making by streamlining the leasing and scouting of new locations. Thorough details about how clients use parking or certain merchants aids landlords and home homeowners better curate their malls and buying facilities.
“It’s not that the knowledge is so out of touch with intuition. It is that the details is authentic and provides brands the excess drive they want to open up a retailer,” claimed Adam Henick, a founder of Existing Authentic Estate Advisors, which focuses on social media and information analysis.
He in comparison the adoption of knowledge in true estate to Key League Baseball’s recent embrace of much more aggressive defensive alignments, working with statistical examination to shift fielders for each batter. It is the very same match, but played with a great deal additional method and certainty.
Brokers can more easily winnow potential destinations to a handful of places primarily based on local demographics and the combine of nearby merchants, reported Ethan Chernofsky, vice president of marketing and advertising at Placer.ai, which offers locale intelligence and demographic info for shops.
“Now, you genuinely recognize the demographics that arrive to a location, actual foot visitors, the worth of co-tenants and their site visitors, a far richer comprehension of a locale,” mentioned Kevin Campos, who operates the retail engineering fund at the undertaking funds organization Fifth Wall. “It’s a far more educated conversation between a landlord and a potential tenant.”
Placer has approximately 800 prospects in commercial genuine estate and retail, such as best brokerages and builders this kind of as Tishman Speyer and Marcus & Millichap. The Placer data has been a go-to software for measuring returning customers this yr, providing 7 days-previous insights the place earlier strategies would lag a few or 4 months, reported James Prepare dinner, director of retail investigation for the Americas at JLL, a industrial actual estate brokerage.
The growth of details mining has attracted extra business people, who are keen to develop a additional details-informed working experience for retail manufacturers.
Leap, a New York start off-up, operates boutique shops in a number of states for compact, normally digitally native, direct-to-client manufacturers, managing their real estate, design do the job and even details evaluation, said Amish Tolia, a co-chief executive of Leap. For case in point, Goodlife Garments, an on line retailer, employed Leap to work its two Manhattan destinations.
“I search at this business enterprise in a digital way, and they look at it the very same way,” claimed Andrew Codispoti, Goodlife’s co-founder and co-main government. “They’re becoming industry experts in a lot more and more places close to the state, wherever to expand, dependent on your facts as a model.”
The selection to open a turnkey spot is a massive providing issue, but Leap also amalgamates searching styles, which include local e-commerce profits, foot website traffic and community demographics, throughout all of its spots. This lets it to decide great tenants and even tell them the most financially rewarding items to show.
“Leap is correctly going to individual a details set nationally that is genuinely meaningful to shops and to actual estate owners,” explained Mr. Henick of Current Advisors, which has aided Leap discover Manhattan destinations for merchants. “It can give models comfort and ease with their results charge in a offered area.”
Details mining and examination are turning out to be key equipment to aid retail and entertainment recover from the pandemic-induced downturn, he included. “If you’re spending bucks, really do not you want to shell out them as accurately as achievable?” he stated. “I feel that’s the reward of info.”


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GameStop programming error: GME stock cost might see more disturbance as computer game retailer battles to satisfy pre-orders
GameStop (GME) the world’s biggest computer game retailer, might be winding up in steaming hot water again as the chain faces issues regarding pre-orders, because of a product misfire.
The supposed image stock, which has seen amazing offer cost action in the recent years, has as of late been very stifled, dropping over 47% since the four-month highs seen toward the start of August.
This most recent programming error might imply that GameStop’s troubles are not even close to finished. The offers, be that as it may, acquired 1% to $25.38 on Monday and were up 2.5% in pre-market exchange on Tuesday.
For what reason is GameStop (GME) battling with pre-orders?
Pre-orders represent an enormous piece of GameStop’s income. In any case, the organization is confronting a product misfire, which is keeping staff from entering pre-orders, or in some cases cleaning the whole history of pre-orders.
Stock ventures have likewise been impacted and frequently, duplicates of the things requested turn up late or neglect to show up by any means. This is prompting a large number of disappointed clients, who are probable making a beeline for different sites like Amazon (AMZN) or Best Buy (BBY).
The product issues have been because of a SAP programming switch which was sent off in the mid year and was expected to unite a few data sets.
Why has GameStop (GME) dropped such a huge amount over the most recent few months?
GameStop has benefited fairly from the meeting in image stocks, or at least, stocks that gain retail financial backer notoriety through web images, normally coursed via virtual entertainment. Notwithstanding, it is as yet battling with the last six quarters confronting misfortunes, as exhibited by its most recent income report on 7 September.
This is for the most part because of customers saving on optional things, as expansion continues at long term highs, with fundamental costs like lease and home loan on the ascent also. GameStop likewise saw a 4 for 1 stock split toward the finish of July this year, which saw the stock flood somewhat, yet all at once demonstrated fleeting.
Besides, GameStop (GME) is likewise rivaling Amazon and Best Purchase which are additionally well known sites for computer games. The organization has likewise as of late collaborated with a cryptographic money trade known as FTX, however this might have come at some unacceptable time, as NFTs and digital currencies are right now seeing a downfall.
What is the standpoint for GameStop (GME)?
As per CNN Business, GameStop (GME’s) year figure is around $16, with a high gauge of about $26 and a low gauge of about $6. The stock has likewise gotten a “hold” rating.
Specialist investigation distributed by Marketbeat gives an agreement rating of ‘decrease’ and a typical objective cost of $22.
Notwithstanding, financial backers are likewise watching out for the presentation of digital currencies and NFTs, to see whether the FTX organization ends up being a triumph, or an off track move before very long.


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Portland, OR — (PRESS RELEASE JET) — 09/29/2017 — Fitness and recreational sports center consists of facilities, which offer fitness equipment, exercise classes, swimming pools, playgrounds, and fitness instruction services. Marketing campaigns intended to fight obesity as well as increase in consumer trends toward improved health leads to the increase in popularity of fitness and recreational sports center. According to International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), in 2014, the number of fitness club memberships in the U.S. increased to 54.1 million, from 51.4 million in 2011.
Access Full Summary @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/fitness-and-recreational-sports-center-market
Obese population seeks ways to get back in shape, which leads to the rise in popularities of recreational sports center such as aerobics, swimming, and gym. Thus, rise in awareness regarding health and fitness has led to the growth of fitness and recreational sports center. Improved lifestyle and rise in disposable income of individuals accelerates the market. Growth in popularity of yoga in western world, which includes the U.S. and European countries further supplements the market. Moreover, increase in adoption of professions in sports and entertainment industry, which requires extreme fitness open new opportunities for the market players. However, high cost of memberships of fitness and recreational sports center hamper the market growth.
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The report on the global fitness and recreational sports center market exclusively focuses on type and geography. By type, the market is classified into gymnasiums, yoga centers, aerobic dance, handball sports, racquet sports, skating, swimming, and others. By geography, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.
Fitness And Recreational Sports Center Market Key Segmentation:
By Age Group
-Aged 35 & Younger
-Aged 35 to 54
-Aged 55 and Older
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