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According to the final report from the European Commission, consumer confidence in the eurozone improved moderately in April, confirming economists' forecasts, while the economic sentiment index was almost unchanged compared to March.
The consumer confidence index rose to -17.5 points compared to -19.1 points in March (revised from -19.2). Meanwhile, the economic sentiment indicator increased to 99.3 from 99.2 in March (revised from 99.3). Consensus estimates suggested an increase to 99.9. The employment expectations indicator fell to 107.4 from 108.9 in March.
As for the EU countries, the economic sentiment indicator remained at 97.3 points, and the employment expectations indicator fell to 106.1 from 107.5 in March. The flat reading of the economic sentiment indicator mainly resulted from a combination of significantly higher confidence among consumers (+1.7 points) and significantly lower confidence among industry managers (-1.7 points). While confidence in services (+0.3 points) and retail trade (+0.3 points) also edged up, construction confidence remained broadly unchanged (-0.1 points).
The data also showed that the indicator of economic uncertainty fell in April to 21.8 from 22.1 in March, as managers’ uncertainty about their future business situation in industry, retail trade and construction as well as uncertainty of consumers as to their future financial situation declined, while uncertainty in services picked up.


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Can a big tech company simultaneously run and participate in an online marketplace in a way that’s fair to third parties who use the platform themselves? That is a core question at the heart of antitrust inquiries into Amazon, Apple, Google and others, and Microsoft is now trying to thread the needle on its own.
The Redmond company Wednesday morning issued a series of “Open App Store Principles” for its Windows Store and its future games marketplaces, seeking to preempt one of the likely regulatory objections to its pending $68.7 million acquisition of video-game giant Activision Blizzard.
The principles include a pledge by Microsoft to hold its apps to the same standards as competing apps, and to avoid using any “non-public” information or data to give its own apps an edge.
“This regulatory process begins while many governments are also moving forward with new laws to promote competition in app markets and beyond,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith in a post introducing the principles. “We want regulators and the public to know that as a company, Microsoft is committed to adapting to these new laws, and with these principles, we’re moving to do so.”
Smith and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke at a news conference in Washington, D.C., where they’re discussing the deal with lawmakers and others, the New York Times reports.
“We are proposing to write the biggest check in the history of Microsoft for $68 billion and will only be permitted to write that check if 17 governments around the world approve that transaction,” Smith said, according to the report.
Here are the principles as announced by the company.
Quality, Safety, Security & Privacy
1. We will enable all developers to access our app store as long as they meet reasonable and transparent standards for quality and safety.
2. We will continue to protect the consumers and gamers who use our app store, ensuring that developers meet our standards for security.
3. We will continue to respect the privacy of consumers in our app stores, giving them controls to manage their data and how it is used.
4. We will hold our own apps to the same standards we hold competing apps.
5. We will not use any non-public information or data from our app store to compete with developers’ apps.
Fairness and Transparency
6. We will treat apps equally in our app store without unreasonable preferencing or ranking of our apps or our business partners’ apps over others.
7. We will be transparent about rules for promotion and marketing in our app store and apply these consistently and objectively.
8. We will not require developers in our app store to use our payment system to process in-app payments.
9. We will not require developers in our app store to provide more favorable terms in our app store than in other app stores.
10. We will not disadvantage developers if they choose to use a payment processing system other than ours or if they offer different terms and conditions in other app stores.
11. We will not prevent developers from communicating directly with their customers through their apps for legitimate business purposes, such as pricing terms and product or service offerings.
Smith also addressed the issue of console exclusives in his post:
“To be clear, Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision. And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo’s successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business.”
One catch is that Microsoft isn’t applying all of the principles to the Xbox, only the first seven.
In his post, Smith sought to make a distinction in his post between marketplaces on gaming consoles, specialized computing devices, and those on phones and computers, or general-purposed devices. He said the company is “committed to closing the gap” on the remaining principles for Xbox over time.
Conclusion: So above is the Microsoft appears to be like to preempt Activision-Blizzard objections with new app retailer rules article. Hopefully with this article you can help you in life, always follow and read our good articles on the website: Doshared.com

domain: news


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Weak holiday sales led to a second consecutive quarterly loss at the J. C. Penney Company and a 59 percent decline in profit at Nordstrom Inc., the companies said yesterday.
J. C. Penney posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $284 million, or $1.11 a share, compared with a loss of $12 million, or 8 cents a share, in the quarter a year earlier.
Excluding charges for store closings, product discontinuations and inventory markdowns, the loss from operations was $1 million, or 3 cents a share, in contrast to a profit from operations of $126 million, or 45 cents a share, in the quarter a year earlier. Sales fell 0.8 percent, to $9.75 billion from $9.83 billion.
Analysts had expected J. C. Penney to lose 5 cents a share, according to First Call/Thomson Financial.
J. C. Penney is shutting stores and securing better terms from suppliers at its Eckerd drugstore chain to cut costs as Allen I. Questrom, its chief executive, tries to revive sales. Slow holiday sales worsened the situation.
Some improvement may be in store this year. The company will earn 20 to 25 cents in the first quarter, Bob Cavanaugh, the chief financial officer, said on a conference call. That would beat analysts' estimates for 19 cents a share.
Shares of J. C. Penney fell 15 cents, to $13.50.
At Nordstrom, net income for the quarter ended Jan. 31 fell to $27 million, or 20 cents a share, compared with $66.5 million, or 50 cents, a year earlier. The most recent quarter's results included a $1.7 million pretax charge for an Internet investment. Sales rose 7.5 percent, to $1.66 billion from $1.54 billion.
The results were a penny higher than analysts' reduced estimates, according to First Call/Thomson Financial. Nordstrom lowered fourth-quarter forecasts on Jan. 5. Before then, analysts had expected 38 cents a share.
Nordstrom estimates its first-quarter profit will be 14 to 17 cents a share, Mike Koppel, the corporate controller, said on a conference call. That would trail analysts' expectations for 19 cents a share.
Before the results were released, shares of Nordstrom closed down 56 cents, to $18.91.Continue reading the main story


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After 8 years, Google has decided to give Chrome a new logo. The logo has received a subtle design change and is barely noticeable. The 2022 logo has a bigger blue circle and a neater design when compared with the 2014 logo. The colours of the logo are now more deeper and vibrant. The 2022 version also doesn’t have shadows on the borders of each colour, making the logo look flat.
Illustration: Seemon, DailyO
Elvin Hu, a designer for Google Chrome, shared the announcement on his Twitter. He tweeted about the new logo, "We also found that placing certain shades of green and red next to each other created an unpleasant colour vibration, so we introduced a very subtle gradient to the main icon to mitigate that, making the icon more accessible."
Some of you might have noticed a new icon in Chrome’s Canary update today. Yes! we’re refreshing Chrome’s brand icons for the first time in 8 years. The new icons will start to appear across your devices soon. pic.twitter.com/aaaRRzFLI1— Elvin ? (@elvin_not_11) February 4, 2022
He also asked for feedback on the post, and as you can imagine, Twitter stepped up. Users expressed their thoughts on the negligible changes made in the logo. Safe to say, people were not happy.
Chrome: We changed our logo! Me: pic.twitter.com/PhX1nxS9Vm— DraglineDrummer (@DraglineDrummer) February 7, 2022
Google chrome changes its logo after 8 years pic.twitter.com/mUPjKFQxEP— SwatKat? (@swatic12) February 6, 2022
But this isn't the first time a brand has updated their logo and left users mind-boggled.
Here are 5 other times logos were a massive fail for these companies:
1. MYNTRA FACES A LAWSUIT
In February 2021, Myntra released a new logo after a Mumbai-based activist registered a complaint against it. To the normal eye, the logo seemed to be the alphabet ‘M’ with different shades of pink and orange, but to activist Naaz Patel who is also the founder-director of Avesta Foundation, the logo seemed to be obscene.
The old and new version of the Myntra logo. Photo: Myntra
The complaint stated that the placement of the colour scheme depicted a woman’s vagina. Specifically, the dark orange center could be interpretated as a woman spreading her legs in a suggestive manner. Myntra was forced to change the colour scheme to avoid facing legal action.
2. AMAZON SMILES LIKE HITLER
Amazon updated its logo with a strip of blue tape over its existing arrow. The blue tape was meant to represent the Amazon packaging tape and the arrow was meant to represent the brand's super-fast delivery service. But instead, some observers said that the logo resembled a toothbrush moustache, long associated with Adolf Hitler. The change took place in January 2021.
The old and new version of the Amazon logo. Photo: Amazon
One customer said, "It’s not just a ripped Scotch tape, it’s a ripped Scotch tape that has a similar shape and is right on top of a smiling mouth - Looks like a happy little cardboard Adolf to me."
Amazon’s new app logo be lookin like they’re the THIRD most downloaded in the “Reich” section. pic.twitter.com/znvvfQ5nst— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) January 26, 2021
Amazon changed the blue tape on its logo from being ripped to being folded.
3. CALENDLY'S TOILET RESEMBLANCE
Reportedly, Calendly spent about US $1.5 million on re-branding its logo but sadly, miserably, failed. Several Twitter users pointed out that the new 'C' just before the word Calendly seemed to be a toilet, if looked from a bird's eye view.
hold on.. calendly spent $1.5M on a new logo that looks like a bird’s-eye view of a toilet?lmao, fire whoever made that decision yesterday. pic.twitter.com/lYjW5o9c5J— Jay ( ? , ? ) (@MisterJHuffman) June 14, 2021
Revealed in June 2021, the logo was trolled on social media by the public and graphic designers as well for the use of single colour throughout. The company has not yet made any changes to the logo.
4. META COPIES FROM GERMAN COMPANY
A German company named M-sense Migräne tweeted in October 2021 that Facebook's new parent company, Meta, has taken "inspiration" from them for their logo. The company wrote, "We are very honoured that Facebook felt inspired by the logo of our migraine app - maybe they’ll get inspired by our data privacy procedures as well."
We are very honoured that @facebook felt inspired by the logo of our migraine app - maybe they’ll get inspired by our data privacy procedures as well ? ? #dataprivacy #meta #facebook pic.twitter.com/QY7cota36r— M-sense Migräne (@msense_app) October 29, 2021
Many jumped on board to lash out at Meta Man Mark Zuckerberg. One user tweeted, "One can fix the migraine the other is going to give me."
Here is what another user tweeted:
Meta has not responded to the claim and M-sense clarified on Twitter that they will not be pressing charges against Meta.
5. UBER LOSES THE U
Back in February 2016, Uber experimented and released a new logo and removed its signature 'U' from its homepage icon. Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick explained the change in a blog post. He wrote that the company new logo type was more 'grounded and elevated'. The CEO also said in that with the addition of colour and patterns, the 'atom' of Uber would now bring the human side of it to life.
The old and new version of the Uber logo. Photo: Uber
Twitter exploded talking about the change in Uber's logo and most weren't happy, with some saying that it would nearly be impossible to recognise the Uber app when returning home drunk and that the new logo was underwhelming and disgusting.
Currently, the company's homepage icon features Uber written with white ink on a black background.
Which one of these did you hate the most?


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Toyota Announces Manufacturing Executive Changes
ERLANGER, Ky. (December 16, 2010) – Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA) announces the following senior management changes, effective January 3, 2011:
- Yoji Suzuki (56) has been named president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia;
- Tim Platt (44) has been named vice president of information systems and Bob Young (44) has been named vice president of purchasing at TEMA;
- Susan Elkington (39) has been named vice president of administration and Bob O’Leary (56) has been named vice president of manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana;
- Mike Price (53) has been named vice president of administration at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky.
Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 14 manufacturing plants, including one under construction. There are more than 1,800 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sold more than 2.05 million vehicles in 2009. Toyota directly employs more than 35,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $23 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $25 billion. Toyota currently produces 12 vehicles in North America, including the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sienna, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, Venza and the Lexus RX 350. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com
Tania Saldana (859)746-7796


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Ten years ago on October 17, 2011, three friends and BigLaw colleagues met for dinner at South City Kitchen in Vinings. The goal? Map out the plan to launch their own law firm serving business owners and entrepreneurs.
Learn what Nwa’ndo and Roxann have in store as they celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the firm’s founding.
On this edition of “North Fulton Business Radio,” Roxann Smithers, a co-founder of Smithers + Ume-Nwagbo, LLC. , joined host John Ray to discuss why well-drafted legal documents are so vital for any business, resolving disputes out of court, effective negotiation strategies, and much more.
Start:ME is an intensive accelerator for promising local entrepreneurs who live in, work in, and/or provide valuable products and services to local communities.
The Metro Atlanta Chamber is proud to announce the launch of the second round of the RESTORE ATL Grant. Please share this opportunity with your networks!
If you would like to apply or know anyone who would be interested in participating, please forward them the information attached. There is no cost to participate.
Since we cannot gather for our annual End of the Year Dinner, we wanted to share a message with our clients, colleagues, and friends.
Once again, we want to thank Deltrease Hart-Anderson for a great conversation in October regarding how to get out of and avoid tax trouble.
This Legal Alert highlights the pressing issue that faces workers who live in states that are attempting to reopen their economy. Download This Legal Alert COVID-19 Legal Alert: Unemployment Benefits and State Openings.


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This Udaipur-Based Apparel Startup BeYoung Aims To Create Fashion Products That Represent The Young Souls
Fueled by increased digitisation and COVID-19-led lockdown, online sales is a rapidly growing aspect for many businesses.
Yet, few industries utilise eCommerce quite as much as the fashion industry.
The Indian eCommerce market is expected to reach $200 billion by 2027 from $38.5 billion in 2017, and the number of online shoppers may reach 220 million by 2025, as per a report by IBEF.
The online fashion industry is very competitive, making it hard for new players to leave their mark. However, few entrepreneurs with their unique business sense know how to provide the X factor to their target customer.
Today’s story is about Udaipur-based startup BeYoung that provides apparel and accessories designed to make people feel young.
BeYoung is involved in the manufacturing and sales of apparel and accessories designed to make people feel young.
Startup Story: BeYoung | Fashion Representing The Young Souls of India
Founded by Shivam Soni, Shivani Soni, Sakshi Soni, and Shankar Mali in 2018, BeYoung is a Udaipur-based apparel startup involved in the manufacturing and sales of apparel and accessories designed to make people feel young.[Read: Making Parents Worry-Free, Dabble Makes Toxin-Free Art Products For Children]
How BeYoung Started?
Belonging to a business family, Shivam Soni grew up with the entrepreneurial bug and always wanted to start up.
Shivam wanted to create his own business, and more importantly, generate employment.
With help from his sister Shivani Soni, a fashion designer, Shivam decided to foray into the eCommerce market, focussing on apparel and accessories.
Talking about starting up in Udaipur, Shivam says,
“Talents from most of the Tier III cities migrate to Tier I for job opportunities. Apart from this, I personally feel very homesick and did not want to leave my home. So, I decided to build opportunities that will allow us to stay in our hometown and also retain talent. Now, BeYoung has people from IITs and IIMs working from Udaipur.”
USP Of BeYoung
Working with no compromise on quality, BeYoung offers a premium range of t-shirts, shirts, boxers, mobile covers, wall decors and more, which are manufactured using the best quality raw materials.
BeYoung’s products are manufactured, keeping in mind the need to represent the young souls of India.
Shivam says the startup majorly focusses on plus-size fashion and combo sales. BeYoung’s t-shirt combos allow users to select the colours they want in the pack.
Speaking about the startup, Shivam says,
“BeYoung mainly targets people aged between 16 and 45 years. It majorly focusses on plus-sized clothing and makes customised products. As part of this, the startup allows users to submit their designs and custom make their t-shirts.”
“At BeYoung, we are targeting the youth, but it is everybody’s brand. We want people wearing our merchandise to feel young.”
The startup doesn’t let its customers wait long for the product and delivers its products within five to seven days across India.
Present Situation of BeYoung
The bootstrapped startup mainly focuses on B2C sales and earns from the online sale of its products.
Working with a team of 75 members, BeYoung claims to record over 40,000 transactions per month, clocking in monthly revenue of Rs 2.85 crore approximately.
Competing with notable players in the segment, including Bewakoof.com and The Souled Store, the apparel startup also works with organisations such as ICICI Bank to offer personalised merchandise like company t-shirts.
Future Plans of BeYoung
BeYoung is looking to raise its first round of external funding within two to three months and projecting revenue of over Rs 125 crore by March 2023.
Talking about the plans of the company, Shivam says,
“We are projecting revenue of over Rs 125 crore by March 2023, and Rs 300 crore by the end of March 2024.”
Want to publish your startup’s story? Contact us.


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If you thought Google deleting your ebooks when you cross a border is unreasonable, check this out: Amazon's textbook rental service comes with fine-print that allows the company to bill your credit card for the full amount if they think you've crossed a state line with it. It's not clear exactly what's going on here, but all signs point to this being part of Amazon's strategy for avoiding having to pay state sales-tax.
The “textbooks with borders” condition applies only to books rented through Warehouse Deals and not any other third-party sellers, according to Amazon.com. When asked why the condition was put into effect, multiple customer service representatives said they did not know. Amazon public relations representatives did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
At first glance, the restriction doesn’t seem to make much sense. But to those who have been following Amazon’s aggressive efforts to avoid charging state and local sales tax, the reasoning behind it becomes clearer. Kenneth C. (Casey) Green, founding director of the Campus Computing Project, theorizes that the restriction is a kind of “Mann Act” strategy (a law that made it illegal to transport women across state lines for "immoral" purposes) intended to minimize the company’s nexus -- or physical presence -- in states where the company is fighting the efforts of state and local authorities to collect sales tax.
“Presumably the concern is that if Amazon owns rented textbooks that cross state lines, state authorities could argue that Amazon has an official business presence in the state -- a business presence that would require Amazon to collect and to pay state sales taxes,” Green said in an e-mail.
Inside Higher Ed
Books With Borders
[Lauren Ingeno/Chronicle of Higher Education]
(Image: Books (74/365), a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from 8047705@N02's photostream)
Greenpeace has handed newspapers 240 pages of current negotiating documents from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a secretly conducted trade deal between the USA and the EU, which has run in parallel with the notorious Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The first McDonald’s in Quetta, Pakistan has opened in Millennium Mall, in the militarized Police Lines neighborhood, prompting an official position from the Taliban.
When Norway — historically one of the poorest countries in Europe — struck oil in the North Sea, the country put the proceeds into a “sovereign wealth” fund that invested it in other industries and used the returns to pay for an extensive welfare state that has given Norwegians one of the highest standards of […]
You may not love Microsoft Word, but you’ve definitely used it. Other than being one of the most ubiquitous programs on the planet, it’s been the go-to word processing system for more than a quarter-century because it’s as basic as it gets. But occasionally, you’ve got assignments that beg for a lot more options than simple […]
Almost everyone has their smartphone in a case of one kind or another. Beyond simple protection, finding a case that can charge your phone on its own, but doesn’t feel like it’s also adding a couple pounds to the phone’s weight is the tricky part. Billed as the world’s thinnest battery case, the ThinCharge iPhone […]
You never know when new projects, ideas or opportunities can drop into your lap at a moment’s notice. That may require you to learn a new programming language like Python. Or maybe you need a primer on 3D game development. Or you might realize you could use a serious brush-up on iOS mobile creation.Point is, […]


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- United Kingdom
Yorkshire and the Humber; North Yorkshire; York
- Location of affected unit(s)
Manufacture Of Food And Beverage
Manufacture Of Food Products
10.82 - Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery
- New offshoring locations
- United Kingdom, Czechia, Germany, Spain
- Announcement Date
- 20 June 2006
- Employment effect (start)
- Foreseen end date
Chocolate and confectionary manufacturer Nestle has announced major restructuring plans that will involve the loss of 645 jobs at the firm's York plant. The Swiss firm said part of its site in the city would be sold and some products moved to other factories in the UK and in Europe. Under the terms of the company's plans Black Magic will be made in the Czech Republic, Smarties in Germany and Dairy Box in Spain. Nestle said it hoped at least half of the job losses, which will start next year, could be achieved through voluntary redundancy or early retirement. The firm said it would continue to employ more than 1,800 people in York. The announcement follows an earlier cut of 234 Nestle jobs and takes York's job losses to more than 1,600 in a year. Chief Executive of Nestle UK, Alastair Sykes, argued that the UK confectionery market is very competitive. 'Our Nestle Rowntree business has market-leading brands and strong potential, and this restructure and investment programme will ensure that it is competitive and fit for the future.' But the move has angered Unions. GMB union organiser John Kirk said the firm had failed to invest in its York site. He said: 'Nestle's reasons for exporting so many jobs - namely that the plant and buildings are old and out of date - are self-serving.' City of York Council said it was 'saddened' by the announcement. Bill Woolley, director of city strategy for the authority, said the council's first priority was to support those made redundant. He added: 'Despite recent announcements, York's economy remains buoyant and we will continue to work with partners across the city to attract new jobs to the area through initiatives such as Science City York.'
20 September 2006: BBC News
Eurofound (2006), Nestlé, Offshoring/Delocalisation in United Kingdom, factsheet number 64131, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/64131.


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Gov. Doug Ducey said Wednesday that the stay-at-home order put in place March 31 will be extended to May 15.
Modifications to the order promote a gradual and phased approach to reopening the state's economy.
Monday will mark a partial voluntary reopening for retail business. Guidelines call for a limited opening with appointment-based services, physical distancing, limited occupancy and curbside pick-up and delivery.
On May 8, the order opens more retail businesses. The reopenings will remain voluntary with strict physical distancing requirements and reduced occupancy.
Retail business will also be required to keep fitting rooms closed, conduct comprehensive sanitation and have options for curbside or delivery. The state still recommends vulnerable adults should stay home.
Ducey didn't include restaurants in the initial phase but said they'll release a plan next week and provide notice to the industry before reopening.
"Our goal is to do this sometime in May," he said. "We are aspirational at this time. The best-case scenario, according to the industry, would be on May 12th, but it will have to be in coordination with the industry and public health."
Bars are not under consideration for reopening, he said.
He also said a travel restrictions order would remain in place until May 15 that includes New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Hospitals, clinics and dentists may resume elective surgeries beginning on May 1. Facilities must demonstrate an adequate capacity to continue elective surgeries.
"Today, there's 1,090 of these establishments that are eligible to resume surgeries," he said.
Ducey reported that COVID-19 patients occupy 18 to 20 percent of beds in Arizona, as well as 11 to 12 percent of ventilators. Both averages have remained steady.
Ducey responded to a question that some businesses reported they plan to reopen Friday morning regardless of the order's extension by saying the state would use fines to enforce the law if necessary.
He said compliance might not have been 100 percent so far, but most businesses have listened to the order.
However, he cautioned against businesses refusing to continue cooperating through the May 15 extension.
"If that's not there, this is an order that is enforceable by law," Ducey said. "A violation is a $2,500 fine and up to six months in jail. And for those that own an establishment and are publicly going to flaunt the order, you are playing with your liquor license. Don't do that."


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Canadian Tourism Commission releases promotional video
The Canadian Tourism Commission has released a new video called "The Power of Tourism" intended to support members of the tourism industry and educate others about the economic value of the sector. The video, which has been posted online at <http://www.corporate.canada.travel>, touches recent developments such as the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and being granted approved destination status by China. According to the commission, tourism represents two percent of Canada's gross domestic product and 3.8% of employment. "We see this video as a terrific business resource," said Michele McKenzie, president and CEO of the commission. "It demonstrates that by aligning our efforts we can bring great results for Canadians. The potential is tremendous, and we all want to do our best to support tourism in Canada."


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In recent years, the proliferation of ceremonial activities on the Internet has become the “new air” of Xue Qingming in China. It is also a suitable trend of digital transformation in social life.
This year, instead of shopping for votive papers and having to take a week off from work to return to Chengdu to visit the grave like in previous years, Ms. Wang’s family (Liaoning, China) gathered around a warm rice tray. worship at home to perform online rituals. This special method, although new, has quickly become popular and accepted by many multi-generational families in China.
“In the past, we all went to the cemetery to worship her, but this year our family decided to conduct online incense offerings at home,” said Ms. Vuong. “Every time we offer incense, we leave a message to the deceased, which is also a way to ease the entanglement in our hearts,” according to Ms. Vuong, the sacrifice of the soul is much more important than the sacrifice. form sacrifices, and anyone can record their pain on the Internet!
From the story of setting up an “online temple”…
The trend of online sacrifices is blooming in China, especially at the time when Xue Qingming, people are affected by the impact of the epidemic, causing a sudden increase in demand. The Chinese government also supports and promotes online sacrifice activities (known as green sacrifices), to mobilize people to give up bad practices, change habits such as burning votive papers… for the purpose promote traditional culture and contribute to social progress.
There are hundreds of online worship platforms in China that are officially operated. Users can use smart TVs, computers, and phones to access and pay respects to their ancestors and remember their loved ones “in a civilized and modern way”. On the platform space, sacrificial items such as incense, candles, fruits, and offerings are provided free of charge.
In addition, the platforms also offer additional paid options such as a luxury car that costs 88 yuan (about 310,000 VND), an exclusive memorial room that costs about 2 million VND a year, and 6.6 million VND. for 10 years. In addition, there are some platforms that also offer additional fee services with private jets, luxury villas, luxury watches, even some feudal and superstitious sacrifices. superstitious.
|Ancestor worship is one of the typical cultural beauties dating back to ancient times.|
However, there are also many funny stories that have happened since these “online temples” became popular and widely used. “A web page opens when I click on that link. Facing my eyes is the scene of green hills with white cranes flying around, with melodious music ringing in my ears. In the distance is a tombstone with candles, flowers, full of golden incense. When I zoomed in, I couldn’t believe it when I saw my picture with my date of birth on that tombstone”, recalling the experience, Truong Luong still feels his scalp is numb.
“Someone must have intentionally faked it and set up an online grave for me,” Zhang said. He was furious when he found out and the “grave” was removed after trying to contact the platform’s management. Truong Luong can be the victim of some harmless prank or can also become the target of those who take advantage of the loopholes of online sacrificial platforms for their own profit.
According to Tran Huc Huy, director of the Internet Information and User Behavior Research Center at the Business School (Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, China), there are situations of impersonation or distortion. In recent online ritual activities, it is because there is no specific sanctions.
“Platforms must be managed and regulated business behavior so that people not only feel the convenience but still ensure to experience the solemn atmosphere of sacrifices,” said Truong Bao Nghia, director of the Institute of Social Affairs. sociologist at the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences said.
To the spiritual culture of the technology age
According to statistics from the Department of Internal Affairs of Sichuan Province (China), more than 4,000 online memorial rooms have been recorded with 146,000 times of offering sacrifices, offering incense and leaving messages for the deceased from 42 online platforms during Tet holiday. Thanh Minh 2021. In addition, some platforms have just introduced virtual reality technology application services such as AI customers, voice simulation or cell recognition scanning by VR, so that children and grandchildren can chat with them. grandparents, deceased relatives.
It can be seen that online worship activities are gradually being accepted by users in China. Especially in the context of the raging Covid-19 epidemic, this method will help limit gatherings of people, reduce the burden on society, and contribute to sustainable environmental protection. Of course, it also entails unnecessary consequences and needs to be supplemented with appropriate sanctions.
Meanwhile, online offerings are also quite popular and received mixed opinions during the last Lunar New Year in Vietnam. This is said to be a suitable form for many people to make donations during social distancing or simply cannot arrange work to make offerings directly at worship facilities. In addition, also on the occasion of the New Year 2021, online courses and online prayers for peace were also held for the first time at Phuc Khanh Pagoda, Hanoi.
Although this is an appropriate form, especially when digital transformation has crept into every corner of social life, there are also opinions that this meaningful spiritual activity has been ignored by many people. bad use for profit. Therefore, people “should not make offerings online through unverifiable information sources on the Internet, but should go directly to the website or Facebook page of the temple, or go to the temple to scan the QR”, said a deputy head. President, co-founder of an e-wallet has just implemented a form of donation via QR, said.
Talk to negative people
Korean broadcaster MBC used to bring tears to viewers with two special documentary episodes in 2020 and 2021, sharing the same theme of resurrecting the deceased using virtual reality (VR) technology.


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“Buy buttons” are already prolific on Pinterest, Instagram and Google. And starting this fall, you’ll be able to shop for products from a wider range of YouTube videos as well. Until now, companies could only include shopping ads on their own YouTube videos, Business Insider reports. But now the links will appear on any video that allows it.
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki announced Tuesday that the video-sharing giant will roll out YouTube Shopping Ads this fall, a feature whereby product ads with direct links to buying options will be placed throughout the site’s videos, the New York Times reports.
Wojcicki announced the move during an event at New York City’s advertising week as part of a recent increase in efforts to, as the New York Times puts it, “turn the video-sharing site’s more than a billion users, and its near-ubiquitous presence on the web, into profits.”
Shopping Ads will function as an opt-in service, whereby once a user agrees to the service, each of his or her videos will appear with an icon in its upper-right corner. Upon clicking the icon, viewers will be able see a list of products that match the video’s content and audience—along with pictures, prices, and a link to the retailers’ websites.
Much like with YouTube AdWords, advertisers will only have to cough up the dough when a viewer clicks on the ads. But there’s no avoiding this new feature for viewers. We hope you like shopping!


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The number of internet users in the world is all set to cross the 3 billion mark in early 2015, and almost half of the world’s population will have access to an internet connection in four years from now, says eMarketer, a leading and much respected research firm.
The report also predicts a double-digit growth rate for India and Indonesia, while China will be the only country, out of the 41 countries studied, which will show an increasing rate of growth year after year.
Slow and Steady Increase in the Number of Internet Subscribers but at a Decreasing Rate
- 2014: It is estimated that there are 2.89 bn internet users in the world at present. By the end of this year, more than 40% of the world’s population will have internet access. That means, two out of every five people on this planet will be connected via the internet before the year comes to an end. The rate of Y-O-Y growth, however, will fall from a much healthier 10.5% over 2012-13 to a single digit figure of 7.4%.
- Number of people with internet access will cross 3 billion next year. The penetration of this facility is expected to register a 6.2% annual growth rate.
- The number of internet users will continue to increase slowly but steadily.
- By 2018, almost 3.6 billion people walking this planet will be connected to the internet- whether through their computers, smartphones or tablet devices. So to say, one out of every two (or, half of the total population on our planet) will be connected to the internet.
- The rate of yearly growth in the number of internet subscribers will continue to fall at a steady rate and touch an all-time low of 5.3% over 2016-17. After that, it is expected to touch the plateau.
However, the eMarketer’s prediction differs from the figures released by InternetLiveStats- According to them, the world already has 3 billion internet users. Slight differences can be attributed to the difference in methodology used by researchers and to the fact that eMarketer fonts only those who have logs in at least once in every 30 days. In a way, we can consider these numbers as active internet users.
Country By Country Growth Analysis
Data from 41 countries from all over the world – South East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America – was taken into account for extrapolating these figures.
- In the year 2014, Brazil will topple Japan off its fourth place in the list of the number of internet subscribers.
- In the year 2015, Mexico will supplant Germany as the eighth largest internet user base in the country.
- In the year 2016, India will become the second largest internet user population in the world, leaving United States behind.
- In the year 2017, Japan will be knocked off its fifth place as well- this time by Asian compatriot Indonesia which will make it to the list of top five internet user populations for the first time.
- In the year 2018, China will cross the 750 million user base mark- the only country in this forecast showing accelerated growth every year.
The Reasons Behind the Rapidly Increasing User Base
By 2018, there will be at least 3.6 billion internet users in the world, by which they mean people who will access internet over any of their devices at least once a month. A greater percentage of that increase will come from the rise in the number of mobile internet users, says eMarketer.
“Inexpensive mobile phones and mobile broadband connections are driving Internet access and usage in countries where fixed Internet has been out of reach for consumers, whether that’s due to lack of infrastructure or affordability,” says Monica Peart, senior forecasting analyst, eMarketer.
Further, the rate of Y-O-Y growth will be higher in emerging markets and developing economies as compared to the developed countries and matured economies- because the latter have already reached a saturation point and there is little room for further growth.
“While highly developed nations are nearly saturated in terms of Internet users, there’s significant room for growth in emerging markets; for example, India and Indonesia will each see double-digit growth in each year between now and 2018,” observed Monica Peart.
Although there is no denying the fact that availability of internet over the phone and cheaper entry level smartphones will contribute largely to the rapidly growing internet user base in the world, the role of tech companies which are going all out to extend internet access to maximum number of people cannot be denied.
The most laudable effort in that direction has come from Internet.org, a Facebook initiative. The online social networking site is building drones, satellites and lasers to deliver the internet to everyone. With their efforts, the number of internet users in Philippines and Paraguay had doubled by March 2014. A substantial leap in a twelve-month period! Not only South East Asia, Zuckerberg’s led charity has also made headway in connecting the population of Zambia in Southern Africa to the internet. Assisting him in this philanthropic effort are other tech giants like Qualcomm, Ericcson, Nokia and Samsung.
Only recently, Satya Nadella- the Microsoft CEO, has also proposed using ‘white space’ technology and provide internet access to rural and remote areas of one of its hugest user bases, India. The term ‘white space’ is used to refer to the unused spectrum between two channels. These unused frequencies, it is believed, could be vital to widen the reach of the internet. Experts have already used the white space to increase internet usage in countries like Ghana, South Africa and UK earlier, though they will be taking the biggest steps in this direction in India. If successful, it could mean the facility to use the internet at the speed of up to 4Mbps at a cost of only $2 per month. Well, Mr Nadella is an astute business man- he already sees cloud computing services alone in India as a $2 trillion market. Bringing out the maximum number of people within internet coverage could only work to Microsoft’s benefit eventually.
The search engine giant, Google, is also working on Project Loon which involves floating huge balloons in high altitudes in the stratosphere to fill the gaps in coverage areas. These balloons also propose to provide internet coverage during times of disaster. The project which was started as a small scale experiment in New Zealand in June 2013 and has been tested subsequently in the Central Valley in California and also North Eastern parts of Brazil envisages ‘balloon powered internet for everyone’.
Gainers and Losers
The tech giants, service providers, software makers taking interest in developing the infrastructure for internet services can be easily explained. That would translate into bigger markets and thus more business opportunities for them.
Other than that, industry in any region gets a big boost when it is well connected with the rest of the world through the internet.
The biggest gainers in this whole process, however, will be online retailers or e-commerce companies. They are dependent completely over the internet usage. As the internet user population in the world gets larger, they will have more people logging on to their sites for making online purchases. E-commerce is already burgeoning all over the world. eMarketer had already projected the volume of B2C sales in online retail to touch $1.5 trillion this year- and that is only a part of the picture!!
The biggest losers perhaps will be offline retailers and those running brick and mortar stores. Since online buying gives the buyers to option to buy anytime of the day they want to without having to move out and getting stuck in traffic jams and perhaps lower prices as well, retailers and sellers in the offline world are beginning to feel the heat already.


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However, direct to consumer brands in the health food space have managed to raise just about $100 million, despite most companies claiming that the sub-segment will grow significantly post covid.
"Historically, the Indian consumer has strongly preferred taste-led snack categories such as potato chips, extruded snacks, chocolates, and cookies. Hence, it only makes sense to give consumers healthier options in these categories rather than expecting them to change their taste preferences suddenly to health bars and makhanas," said said Anish Basu Roy, founder, TagZ Foods that is popular for its potato chips, and has recently launched gourmet dips and premium bar snacks.
For instance, health bars and makhanas accounted for a minuscule share of the Rs 80,000 crore healthy snacking segment in India last year with sales of Rs97 crore and 150 crore each.
This is despite snacking seeing a sudden surge in sales post covid, and are still growing at double digit. These segments saw huge panic buying during the first wave last year when consumers hunkered down in their homes due to coronavirus-related restrictions. Companies had expected the segments to slow down after mobility improved and out of home consumption occasions rose but it did not happen.
Research firm Kantar had forecasted snacking to grow by about 9%. About nine in 10 Indians or 88% said they are snacking more during the pandemic than before it, with millennials likely preferring snacks over meals, according to a 2020 study by Mondelez International and The Harris Poll, which covered nearly 6300 people across 12 countries.
Packaged salty snacks and biscuits are an over 65,000-crore market, and two of the largest categories within India’s fast moving consumer goods basket. While Indians prioritised snacks over meals over the past year , three-fourths of Indians have relied on snacks for nourishment and a majority of them are actively seeking snacks that are high protein and vitamin rich, the study added.
"It is improbable that consumers will completely ignore their taste preferences in their search for healthier snacks. The need of the hour is to innovate using global advances in food technology and provide the consumer with better-for-you chips, chocolates, and cookies," added Roy.
- Front page
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- US Will be India’s Best Natural Ally for a 100 Yrs
Few bankers have been as prescient and as prepared as JPMorgan chairman and chief executive Jamie Dimon to face a crisis and bail out those who get into trouble. In an interview with MC Govardhana Rangan, Bodhisatva Ganguli and Joel Rebello, the go-to banker even for the US Federal Reserve said he expects that global financial metrics could get worse before getting better.Car Production Hits High Gear on High-octane Sales
Workers across the automobile hubs in Gurgaon-Manesar, Chennai, Pune and Sanand are working longer hours and even on weekends, as carmakers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Tata Motors and Mahindra build up inventory.DGGI Raises ₹55,000-cr Tax Demand from eGaming Cos
The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has sent out a dozen pre-showcause notices to online real money gaming (RMG) companies over goods and services tax dues of about ₹55,000 crore, said people with knowledge of the matter.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
- Aviation leasing watchdog downgrading India is not a major concern: IndiGo CEO Elbers
- Blue Star QIP a well thought out decision, timing is also right: B Thiagarajan, MD
- Centre notifies final angel tax rules, retains all five valuation methodology from draft rules
- Mercedes on track to continue record sales in 2023 amid surging demand
- DGGI raises Rs 55,000-cr tax demand from eGaming companies
- Aviation leasing watchdog cuts India's compliance rating amid Go First tussle
- Travel companies seek government push to draw tourists
- Air India not chasing market share, but a healthy business, says CEO Campbell Wilson
- Need investment in auto scrapping centres : Nitin Gadkari
- Power companies plug into smart meters for sustainable solutions


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News from The Business Journals
Apr 30, 2014, 2:09 pm EDT
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Cary-based ChannelAdvisor (NYSE: ECOM) rounds out the week with more partnership news.
Sep 19, 2013, 6:04 pm EDT
“Girls prefer a narrative theme, characters,” Debbie Sterling told me. “It’s not what they’re building, but ‘Why?’”


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Motorola was one of the first companies to commit to Google’s Wear OS (then known as Android Wear) with the original Moto 360 smartwatch. It was also one of the first manufacturers to quietly step back from Google’s wearable platform. Now, Motorola has decided to release a new Moto 360 smartwatch, but it’s a Motorola product in name only.
According to a new report, Google canceled the effort at the last minute because the experience wasn’t good enough. The Pixel Watch hardware eventually debuted as LG-branded Wear OS devices, and indeed, they were not good.
Google’s Wear OS platform has been lacking in compelling wearable hardware recently, but a new offering from Misfit might pique your curiosity. The Fossil sub-brand has just announced its third Android-powered smartwatch, the Misfit Vapor X.
Samsung was one of the first large electronics firms to launch smartwatches running Google’s Android Wear (now Wear OS), but it pulled back to focus on its own Tizen-based wearables. Now, long-time leaker Evan Blass says Samsung is switching back to Wear OS on an upcoming Gear watch.
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The next chief of Tyro Payments, Jon Davey, hopes his appointment will bring greater certainty to the company after a tough period for the fintech, which is trying to shake up the payments sector.
Tyro, chaired by former Telstra boss David Thodey, said on Thursday it had appointed Davey, who runs one of its businesses and was previously a National Australia Bank executive, to replace outgoing boss Robbie Cook.
Tyro has faced recent challenges, including Cook’s looming departure, announced in June, and a weak share price, leaving it vulnerable to a possible takeover. This emerged last week when Potentia Capital lobbed a non-binding proposed offer at $1.27 a share. Tyro shares fell 3.8 per cent to $1.29 on Thursday.
Tyro, the largest provider of eftpos services outside the big four banks, is now considered to be in play, but Davey said it was too early to comment on his strategy for the company, pointing out he is not officially chief executive until October 3. Davey reiterated the company’s view that Potentia’s bid undervalued Tyro.
Davey said he was looking forward to leading the company through a “new chapter” and that his appointment would bring about greater certainty.
“I think any organisation that is going through a change in leadership does have a period of time where there can be some uncertainty. I think that both internally and externally, now the appointment has been made by the board, I think that will provide certainty,” Davey said.
Davey joined Tyro in May last year after the company bought Medipass, a health fintech that Davey led. Before that, Davey worked at NAB for a decade, including as executive general manager of digital, innovation and customer experience.
Since Tyro floated in late 2019, its share price has fallen more than 60 per cent amid a wider drop in technology stocks, while the company’s customers were also affected by a damaging outage last year. Some have questioned Tyro’s move into banking, and Davey would not comment on the merits of this strategy but acknowledged it was being discussed in the market.
“I’d certainly agree that it seems to be a key issue that people are talking about, but as far as I’m concerned, what we need to do is to drive the right outcomes for Tyro, so we will do that,” Davey said.
Morningstar analyst Shaun Ler said Potentia’s $1.27-a-share non-binding offer was “very cheap”, and the fact Tyro shares had traded above this price reflected speculation of other possible bidders. “The market could be expecting other parties to make a move,” said Ler, who has a $2.80 valuation on Tyro shares.
While Ler was relatively upbeat about Tyro’s business, he said a key a risk to the company was inflation, as spending at cafes and restaurants - key markets for Tyro - could be wound back in response to rising living costs.
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Rotating bezel is one of the most useful features offered by the Samsung smartwatches. While Samsung is going to introduce the next-gen Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro smartwatches, there’s still a lot of confusion on whether the top variant will feature a rotating bezel or not.
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Meanwhile, Samsung insider IceUniverse now comes up with new information that could disappoint you, in case you are wondering to buy a rotating bezel smartwatch. According to the info, Samsung will not introduce the rotating bezel Galaxy smartwatch this year which was previously expected to be the Watch 5 Pro.While the tipster is not sure about the exact availability of the rotating bezel feature on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, his information suggests that it might disappoint the consumers that love to use the rotating bezel feature on smartwatches.
Earlier reports revealed that the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will be equipped with a big 580mAh battery. Therefore, the battery upgrade could be a possible reason why the Korean tech giant is ditching the iconic rotating bezel from the upcoming smartwatch lineup.


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Rose Zhang most recently won the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur tournament, a title that has escaped her for years.
GPT-4 performed at the 90th percentile on a simulated bar exam, the 93rd percentile on an SAT reading exam, and the 89th percentile on the SAT Math exam, OpenAI claimed.
Club holding Salesforce (CRM)’s fiscal fourth-quarter results crushed expectations across the board Wednesday.
This year has, so far, been something of a Jekyll and Hyde market for equities.
DoorDash reported better-than-expected sales for the fourth quarter and gave upbeat guidance for the current period.
PepsiCo saw volume fall 2% across its food business as price hikes hurt demand even as they buoyed revenue.
Meta Platforms (META) reported a fourth-quarter earnings beat Wednesday, while CEO Mark Zuckerberg labeled 2023 the “year of efficiency.”
Facebook-parent Meta reported revenue for the fourth quarter that topped estimates and gave a forecast suggesting that sales could rise in the first quarter.


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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)- El Paso Roller Derby (EPRD) will be hosting its Double Header game Saturday, June 10 at Nations Tobin Recreation Center.
The event consists of two games and will feature half-time entertainment, food trucks and an exhilarating blend of speed and power.
The doors will be opening at 5:30 p.m., the first game will be at 6:00 p.m. and the second game at 7:30 p.m.
In addition, all EPRD home games are BYOB (bring your own beer) events for the 21+ crowd. No glass containers are allowed.
Early Bird tickets (online sales) will end at 10 a.m. on the day of the event. Tickets will be $12 at the door and $10 for active military. $1 from each ticket sold will be donated to the non-profit of the night, Project Vida.


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This week, on the Extra Serving podcast, a product of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister talked about how off-premises locations can thrive.
The NRN editors talked about Jack in the Box’s drive-thru-only prototype. Considering the past three years, many brands have pivoted to off-premises-only units and this one by Jack in the Box has proven to work. The company said on its latest earnings call that the unit was performing better than expectations, with average weekly sales of about $43,000. What does this mean for the future of both the drive-thru and off-premises-only units in light of some casual dining chains closing their own prototypes?
Plus, the NRN editors talked about Taco Bell and Taco John’s. The two chains are in the news because Taco Bell wants to “liberate” Taco Tuesday. Taco John’s, a 400-unit chain, owns the rights to the term “Taco Tuesday” in 49 states, with a small chain owning the rights in New Jersey. Taco John’s thanked Taco Bell for the free press, as the larger company outranks its adversary in terms of units by the thousands. Was this just clever marketing, or real, and who truly came out on top here?
Finally, the editors talked about Starbucks — again. This time, the chain is in the news not for its alleged union-busting or more stores voting to unionize — it’s quite the opposite. Three Starbucks stores have filed for decertification with the National Labor Relations Board. What does this mean internally at Starbucks, and has the company recovered its image?
This week’s guest is Shane Schaibly, the corporate chef at First Watch.


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LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Haier's no-compressor wine cabinet has become the brightest star at the 2015 International CES (International Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. Solid-state refrigerating wine cabinet, magnetic refrigerating wine cabinet and smart Wine-cool are three types of no-compressor wine cabinets on display. The three wine cabinets have overturned the traditional design concept that has been the basis of compressor refrigerating technology since the emergence of electrical refrigerating appliances.
Red wine is very picky about its storage environment; subtle vibrations or temperature changes can affect the taste. On Haier's open interactive platform, the world's top-level red wine aficionados said most wine cabinets vibrate excessively when operating, compromising the quality of the red wine stored within. Red wine enthusiasts have advocated on Twitter, Facebook and other social media channels for non-vibrating no-noise wine cabinets.
Demand for storage space akin to red wine cellars has found first-rate resources on Haier's open interactive platform. As a case in point, a Silicon Valley partner communicated with end-users on Haier's interactive platform and offered them a solution using CO2 and H2O as a refrigerant to replace traditional compressors. A field test confirmed there is no vibration at all when the cabinet is running.
The wine cabinet has not a single moving part, delivering a perfect no-vibration no-noise storage environment for red wine and satisfying demand for a "wine-cellar experience." Haier is also exhibiting the world's first magnetic-refrigerating wine cabinet, an energy-saving, environmentally–friendly and quiet storage device. It can drop the temperature by as much as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in a short time. With its small size and innovative refrigerating method, "the smallest cabinet of all time" Wine-Cool has attracted much attention from show visitors. The Wine-Cool is small enough for red wine lovers to take their favorite libation with them even on the move.
The Haier executive manning the booth at the show explained that the "no compressor" design concept will be applied to other refrigerating appliances, signaling that the day is near when noisy household appliances will become a thing of the past. According to the latest data, with a market share of 18%, the Haier wine cabinet, for the fifth time that the data has been released, has proven to be the most popular brand in world markets.


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Microsoft's search engine Bing has taken revenge on electronics company Kogan, removing it from its search results.
Last month Kogan imposed a 'tax' on its customers using the Microsoft browser, Internet Explorer 7 (IE7). Anyone attempting to purchase items with the browser saw a pop-up message explaining: “To help make the internet a better place, you will be charged a 6.8 per cent tax on your purchase from Kogan.com.”
It added: “This is necessary due to the amount of time required to make web pages appear correctly in IE7.”
The electronics firm urged its visitors to make use of alternative browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Opera, in order to avoid the charge and “make the internet a better place”.
Internet Explorer has long been associated with problems for website coders and designers. However, it appears that Microsoft has taken exception to Kogan's methods of alerting users to the issue as it has removed Kogan.com from searches on Bing and its affiliated search engine Yahoo!.
An official blog post from Kogan queried the issue: “This is very strange considering we are big Microsoft fans … We never waged war against Microsoft over IE7, we simply wanted people to upgrade their web browsers.
“Do you think this is just a glitch from Microsoft, or is there something more at play here? We are wondering the same thing, so tell us what you think in the comments section below."
It's debatable whether Kogan or Microsoft should be criticised for their actions. But the case does make one thing clear: search engines wield a lot of power over online business – it is worth keeping on their good side!


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Monday, September 13, 2010, 9:31 AM ET|Posted by Will RichmondWhen it comes to videos being viewed off of their own web sites through embedding, it turns out that newspapers lead all other verticals, according to a new Q2 '10 online video usage report from Brightcove and TubeMogul. For newspapers, 13.6% of their videos are consumed off-site, whereas for broadcasters, which had the lowest percentage of off-site viewership, it was 1.9%.
For minutes watched per view on-site vs. off-site, newspapers decline a little, from 1:25 minutes on-site to 1:10 off site, far better than broadcasters which dropped from 3:00 minutes to 1:59 minutes. Only one vertical, online media, actually increased its off-site viewership time, to 1:45 minutes from 1:32 on-site. Whether through proactive syndication or making video embeddable on other sites so that users can virally distribute video, off-site viewership is important because it helps bring content to where users already are, rather than forcing them to come to a destination site. Of course, more views equals higher monetization. With their primarily short-form video, newspapers are well-suited to off-site consumption, and from the data it looks like they understand this and are taking advantage.
Still, the report indicates that broadcasters remain the top source for online video streams, with 406 million for the quarter, up 25% vs. Q2 '09. Behind broadcasters is online media with 300 million streams, followed by newspapers with 225 million, up 65% vs. Q1, largely due to coverage of the BP oil spill. In terms of the number of videos, newspapers and magazines led with 2.3 billion "player loads" (defined as the graphics and components rendered on the video's surrounding web page), up 40% vs. a year ago. Related, almost 82% of videos were discovered from within the site itself. Third-party referrers were led by Google (64%), with Yahoo (11.9%) a distant second, followed by Facebook (4.3%). The report notes that with Facebook's growth rate, it will be ahead of Yahoo by year end.
Separately, a survey of 300 brand managers of major consumer and B2B companies found that 85% of them are now using online video on their own web sites, with almost 60% saying they plan to increase their spending on video initiatives. 80% of brands surveyed reported distributing their video on YouTube in addition to their own sites and almost 90% reported distributing to social media sites like Facebook. Conversely, when it comes to mobile video, over 60% said it isn't currently in their marketing mix, though the same number said they plan to pursue it over the next 12 months.
The video stream data is drawn from a cross-section of Brightcove's customers. It's meant to be a directional snapshot and is not meant to be statistically significant. Engagement is based on TubeMogul's online video analytics.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
See additional research »
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Five local bands came together to perform at Avalon Records for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 16.
The bands, including Willie Reavis & His Weary Boys, Local Ghost, Boss Rhino, Machine Animal and Baby Cakes performed outside downtown where locals gathered to listen, dance and take advantage of record store sales.
In addition to supporting local record stores, the event, which Avalon Records has participated in for eight years now, brings the community together for a fun celebration.
“You miss out on so much that music has to offer if you don’t get that record store experience,” Avalon Records owner Chris Lamb said. “This day focuses all that enthusiasm into one event.”
One of the best aspects of Record Store Day is that anyone can get involved, Baby Cakes drummer Kevin Chryst said.
“It gives a lot of new people the opportunity to come see the bands that wouldn’t have that opportunity otherwise. Whether it’s an age limit of 21, not being able to come to the bar shows, families with kids that aren’t out late at night or [people] who have to work through the day and the week,” Chryst said. “Here we are, midday Saturday. It’s free for all ages and that’s really important for all access.”
“When you buy a record, take it home, open it up and put it on it’s like this ritual you’re a part of.”
The transition from gathering at a record store for music to online playlists has hurt the independent record store industry.
In today’s digital culture, people don’t go to record stores as much for music anymore, but Record Store Day brings people back to that, Willie Reavis from Willie Reavis & His Weary Boys said.
Tom McKay, musician in both Willie Reavis & His Weary Boys and Local Ghost, was one of many record enthusiasts who were vocal about the benefits of owning vinyls rather than digital copies.
“I think it’s got this nice permanence whereas music on the internet always seems an extension of the kind of disposable culture,” McKay said. You don’t really connect with it at all, it’s just on the surface. When you buy a record, take it home, open it up and put it on it’s like this ritual you’re a part of.”
The partnership between local bands and the record stores allows mutual support in the Bellingham community.
Each year different local bands are introduced in addition to returning favorites like members of Moon Grass, some of whom have been playing together since elementary school before they split into the country-style Willie Reavis & His Weary Boys and the more rock n’ roll Local Ghost. Another crowd pleaser was Baby Cakes, which covered hits new and old as well as originals, including instruments ranging from keys to saxophone and three-part vocals.
Local Angela Hope spent the day listening to the different bands and enjoyed the event because both the good music and the effect it has on Bellingham.
“It’s important to support what’s in your community. Whether it’s through music, your favorite restaurants or the art that’s around,” Hope said. “That’s what is also important, bringing everybody together.”
Events like Record Store Day seem to thrive in communities like Bellingham, where local businesses are supported and community events prosper.
“Bellingham is such an oasis that allows things like this to happen and flourish,” Lamb said. “I feel blessed to be able to come into this position and an obligation to keep it going for at least another 30 years.”


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SNK will soon release the new The King of Fighters XV character Goenitz, and the best part of the deal is that he's free
Today we get a release date, which is June 20, just a week away. On top of Goenitz, we also get a Boss Challenge mode that prompts players to fight against powerful bosses. By defeating Goenitz you get his special costume and a bonus music track.
The announcement was accompanied by a trailer, which you can check out below.
As a free DLC, Goenitz isn't part of the ongoing second season pass, from which we're still waiting for Najd (who is coming in the Summer) with two more unannounced characters coming in the fall and winter this year. The latest character released for the game is Sylvie Paula Paula.
The King of Fighters XV is currently available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
If you're a fan of SNK's fighting games, the popular developer is currently developing a brand new Fatal Fury, also known as Garou Densetsu in Japan. At the moment, the game is mostly shrouded in mystery, but we may hear more at some point soon. Just recently, we saw a tease revealing returning characters Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi.


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Customer preferences w.r.t salon services have changed and for good reason. The nature of the salon business is that of contact, proximity while delivering services is usually a given. Unfortunately for the industry, social distancing has been one of the key precautionary steps the world is following in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, grooming and beauty services are essential for the well-being of the society. Here is why. The need to look good and consequently feel good is a primordial human need that feeds our self-esteem and the lack of it also affects us adversely. Consequently, to fulfill this need, the industry must ensure that customers are confident enough to come back to salons.
Customers prefer salons that have a good track record of following safety and hygiene protocols, salons where all service providers have certifications of training in COVID related heightened safety protocol, salons that have a quality team and a measurement and metrics of compliance to safety norms.
“COVID-19 has impacted the very foundation of the beauty and wellness business – i.e. human touch, which includes both physical contact as well as an emotional connection. Detailed safety measures and enhanced protocols are top priority for customers today. At Lakmé Salon, we have implemented 55 measures designed with the help of a panel of doctors for the utmost safety of our staff and customers. Customers are also demanding quick and result-oriented treatments that give long-lasting results like the Dermalogica 15-minute Zero-Touch FaceFit and Eye Lift treatments and TIGI Copyright 5-minute SOS treatment for their hair,” says Pushkaraj Shenai, CEO, Lakmé Lever.
“Consumers are more aware now, and their first question for a salon is always regarding hygiene and precautions taken by the brand. Consumers are visiting salons less frequently but are spending more time with each visit to ensure they get maximum number of services and treatments done,” adds Krishna Gupta, Founder & MD, Lloyds Luxuries.
Impact on Footfall
“There’s been an increase in footfalls month-on-month, the revenues have also been decent. With every round of lifting of restrictions, the customers’ confidence is increasing and so is the recovery. Across India we witnessed a recovery in footfalls, which is now at almost 60 percent of pre-COVID levels since the lockdown has been eased.
We are also hopeful that with the onset of the festival season, there will be a boost in recovery as we all like to be groomed and pampered during this time. From our side we are ready with the latest fashion and beauty trends that we will deliver with complete compliance to safety protocols, just as we have been doing for the past four months and more,” states Vikram Bhatt, Founder, Enrich.
“Our consumers have been locked away for most of this year with fewer occasions to socialise. While they were hesitant during the initial days, their confidence is retuning. Footfalls have been increasing steadily across our salons. We have seen the customer visits accelerate month on month across the 150+ towns that we operate our 450+ Lakmé Salons. Stringent screening, personal protection gear, continuous sterilisation, single use kits, zero touch protocols have increased consumer confidence. With the festive season, the footfalls have increased steadily across salons,” says Pushkaraj Shenai, CEO, Lakmé Lever.
“We have seen footfall growing steadily with a 40 percent growth, month over month and we are currently at around 85 percent of pre-COVID level footfalls. However, our sales are much lower, considering a lot of our customers are utilizing their annual membership which is pre-purchased. The big difference is in malls and in cities where the numbers of COVID cases are higher,” Krishna Gupta, Founder & MD Lloyds Luxuries states.
Home Salon Services
The home salon service is now a part of the mainstream offerings of most of the brands as consumers are opting for services in the luxury of their own houses.
“At Enrich, therapists from salons in the catchment render expert services. This helps to showcase the convenience and safety of services in the comfort of one’s home. The purpose of Enrich coming to customers’ homes is to provide services in an environment of the consumer’s choice, where they feel safe and comfortable. Since it is an extension of Enrich which is well established, people appreciate the detailing and care in our services,” says Vikram Bhatt, Founder, Enrich.
However, many brands are still refraining from providing such services.
“At Lakmé Salon, we are staying away from home services. We believe that our experts and clients will have the safest service experience in the controlled environment of a Lakmé Salon with stringent measures and checks in place. Our entire team – housekeeping staff, experts, salon managers, office teams and business partners – have undergone rigorous training in the new safety and hygiene measures to ensure complete adherence to protocols on ground. We are constantly monitoring these through our audit teams to ensure that the highest safety standards are met. Our customers have also voted in our favour – with 96.7 percent finding Lakmé Salon safer than their home,” says Shenai.
“We do not believe in this concept, as its extremely difficult to provide the same levels of experience and quality of services at home, especially in these times. Hygiene is extremely important to us and we feel it is difficult to monitor this and keep a strict protocol when services are offered at home. It is convenient for some customers, however it comes at a large cost. This is the service industry, and we provide an exceptional experience, which is only possible at our barbershops,” adds Gupta.
Online: A Bright Future Ahead
Brands are creating a lot of content, to make customers more aware about the quality of their products and its benefits.
“At Enrich, we see the future for us is in being more inclusive and holistic. Before we were largely offline, operating from salons, but now we have strengthened our online play as well. We provide information and bookings on our website and mobile app along with offering retail aftercare products. Similarly, before we were predominantly about services and products comprised only about one fourth of our services revenue. We are setting up to increase focus significantly on product sale as well, as it allows us to optimize revenue and realization. So, online and offline, services and products, salon and at home, a significantly higher omnichannel play is what we see, and technology will be the big enabler in providing a seamless experience across these channels,” Bhatt states.
“We have recently launched one of the first subscriptions for hair products for customers to enjoy our most popular products. Apart from this, visibility on several platforms and online marketing is helping us increase our sales online,” shares Gupta.
How Bright Is the Future?
Accepting the reality of working from home, physical distancing and wearing mask, it has become much less important to wear makeup. By contrast, skincare and hair-care appear to be benefiting from self-care and pampering trends.
“However, the salon industry has responded positively to the crisis, the footfalls in salons has come back to about 60 percent levels. Services like haircuts, hair wash, manicure and pedicure have currently been in demand, since the salons re-opened,” says Bhatt.
“Going forward there are a few significant changes I foresee for our industry, says Shenai, “and they are:
– Safety = Care! Customers will place their faith in brands they trust, based on their processes and services.
– Strong safety and hygiene measures are here to stay. This is the new normal for the salon industry.
– Consumers will be willing to pay a premium for result-oriented and time-efficient products and services.
– Customers will demand enhanced services and experiences from their favourite salons
– Evolved consumers will expect higher standards of expertise as per global standards.
– Consumers will vote for sustainable beauty and wellness with their time and wallets.
“We need to ensure that we focus on hygiene and safety, this is paramount to gaining trust and will eventually lead to success for everyone in the industry,” concludes Gupta.


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The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has implemented new regulations that require furniture makers to meet a standard for safety and stability.
Specifically, dressers, armoires, wardrobes, and other clothing storage units must be made in such a way, or secured against a wall to prevent them from tipping over and crushing small children. These types of accidents occur more frequently than you might think.
According to the CPSC, 234 people, mostly children, have been killed by falling furniture since 2000. During that time 84,100 people have been injured by furniture tip-overs, averaging 5,300 injuries each year.
Congress passed a law late last year called Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) that moved away from voluntary standards and toward mandatory requirements. It’s designed to protect children up to age six by setting requirements that include:
Tests for stability when the unit is placed on carpeting
Tests for stability with loaded drawers and with multiple drawers open
Tests that simulate the weight of children up to 60 pounds interacting with the unit
“With the implementation of the new mandatory standard, I expect industry to shift their efforts to quickly comply with these new safety requirements,” said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. “The CPSC will be actively monitoring the marketplace and enforcing this important safety standard.”
A number of public interest groups, including Kids In Danger, pushed for the new mandatory standards. The group’s executive director, Nancy Cowles, said parents who lost children to tip-over accidents made significant contributions to the effort.
Child deaths from falling furniture have led to a number of furniture recalls over the years. One of the latest came in January 2021 when Chicago-based CB2 recalled about 11,355 Junction Tall Chests and Low Dressers sold in the U.S. and Canada. The company said it had received 10 reports of the chests and dressers falling but did not receive reports of any injuries.
Amid growing pressure, IKEA recalled Malm dressers in 2016 but not all of the recalled dressers were removed or anchored to the wall. By 2017 the dressers were believed to be responsible for eight deaths.


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Butchers reassure shoppers
By Rhonda Dredge
With so many factors working against the meat trade, it was a miracle that butchers at the Queen Victoria Market (QVM) were still able to crack a smile on the first day of the new lockdown shopping.
Steven Saro, of Alec Watson & Son Butchers, said they had plenty of cuts to sell from abattoirs not affected by the virus.
The company sources its meat from the regular places in Victoria and South Australia.
Their glass cabinets were testimony to supply, with a good range of regular cuts, including lamb shoulder at $17 a kilogram, a low-salt corned beef and pork marinated for the barbie.
“There is no supply issue,” Steven said. “That is merely confronting the bigger corporate supermarkets.”
While supply was secure, the shoppers weren’t out and about as usual at lunch time and custom had dropped significantly.
“Being the first day of lockdown we’re not even sure,” Steven said, but he estimated a reduction of about 50 per cent. “We’re being optimistic.”
The big issue facing all stallholders at the market is the new lockdown rule that limits shopping to within a five-kilometre radius. That means that regulars to the market will have to shop closer to home.
Steven said that the demographic of the CBD was working against them.
“We have a lot of apartments near here, one bedroom without a kitchen,” he said. “It’s a thing in the middle of the city.”
But those customers who live close enough to shop for essentials will have the chance to get to know the range of products a bit better, he conceded. “We’re not so busy.”
Hunter Pork is their specialty, great for the barbie, “to be served up with steamed rice and Kewpie mayonnaise.”
He and other staff were dealing with the new conditions in a relaxed and friendly manner, not blaming the restrictions nor customers.
This is the human side of small business, the cooking tips and the banter that people in lockdown have grown to love.
Steven will tell you about his wife and warn you against buying too cheap. “You can’t get something for nothing,” he said.
“We were lucky that our abattoirs were not hit by the virus.” He said that any shortages would be swiftly rectified.
“I’ll be guessing that they will truck further out. They will go to an abattoir not affected. There’ll be some issue but the industry won’t grind to a halt.” •


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2C2P to Offer UnionPay’s Payments Authentication for Hong Kong Merchantsby Fintech News Hong Kong October 28, 2021
Global payments platform 2C2P announced a partnership with UnionPay International to offer the UnionPay 3-D Secure (3DS) payment authentication solution to its network of merchants in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.
2C2P will launch UnionPay 3DS in October first in Thailand and subsequently in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines and Singapore.
UnionPay’s payment authentication solution is compliant with EMV 3-D Secure, the latest security protocol designed to minimize payment fraud and make online debit and credit card transactions frictionless.
Piyachart Ratanaprasartporn, Chief Executive Officer of 2C2P (Thailand) said,
“We are committed to developing a full range of online payment services, and this partnership with UnionPay International demonstrates that commitment.
It also provides our merchants access to a wider range of customers and empowers the customers to easily and securely spend in stores across 2C2P’s extensive online payment network, which includes airlines, hotels, department stores and supermarkets.
Huiming Cai, General Manager of UnionPay International Southeast Asia said,
“UnionPay is a global payment brand that provides quick, convenient and secure payment solutions to the world’s largest cardholder base.
As consumers in Thailand continue to practice safe distancing by shopping online during the pandemic, our partnership with 2C2P will enhance the online payment experience for UnionPay Cardholders, making their payment journey seamless across the wide merchant network of 2C2P.”


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Are Detroit Manufacturers Just Kidding About EV Commitment?
Everything we hear from Ford, GM, and Fiat Chrysler, has to do with EVs. But now it seems like the Detroit 3 were just kidding. Or something. Product plans reveal that for all of the hand wringing and electrification pronouncements, that through 2026 GM and Ford plan on cranking out big-gun trucks. And EVs? Not so much. Plans rolled out to 2026 show them building more than 5 million SUVs and trucks, but only 320,000 EVs. This according to production plans revealed to Reuters. As a comparison, Tesla made over 350,000 EVs last year.
EV commitment calls for fewer Ford and GM EVs combined in 2026 than Tesla made last year
What this all means is that Ford and GM expect to make fewer EVs combined in 2026 than Tesla made last year. So, that’s what all of this hype about an electric future is about? Put another way, GM and Ford plan on making almost 90% of their vehicles like SUVs, pickup trucks, and crossovers six years from now. The number forecasts show a stunning about-face from what has been projected.
As for Fiat Chrysler, its plans are murky due to the pending merger with PSA Group. Set to be finalized in early 2021, neither company has shown big strides in EV technology. It was expected the merger would kick off a wave of EVs. But if Ford and GM’s numbers are any indication then the merged companies don’t need to look at EV conversion as urgent.
It seems like companies don’t see EV conversion as urgent
This is all predicated on there being cheap gas and continuing good fortunes. With the introduction of the coronavirus and its unknown impacts, things will be very different in 2026. Even with cheap gas big trucks and SUVs may not be selling if the coronavirus has long term consequences on businesses and incomes.
Car company executives are now saying they are completely committed to EVs. The problem is will the market accept them in large numbers. Based on these projections car companies expect that they won’t. In fact, it almost looks like they’re leaving a lot of the EV market to Tesla.
GM EV commitment is mostly for China, not the US
Just a couple of weeks ago GM CEO Mary Barra said GM expects to sell one million EVs by the mid-2020s. She said that GM would have to spend $20 billion in development to get to that amount of production. But it looks like that projection is more from expected customer demand in China not in the US. It also looks like the production of those EVs would likely be in China, too.
Some analysts see the financial strains on companies from the coronavirus crisis making less development money available. Companies will have to pick and choose projects, and with less projected EV demand more traditional SUVs and pickups will be elected for capital investments.
Consumer demand for SUVs and big trucks won’t last forever
There has always been more profit in big trucks and SUVs than in smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. So all of the manufacturers love to predict this will drive consumer demand forever. But as we’ve seen with a fuel crisis or recession the good times don’t last.
Easing fuel economy restrictions by the current administration are taking some of the pressure off of the car companies for now. But with a new administration or if the economy fails to bounce back quickly from the current pandemic future projections by Ford, GM, and Fiat Chrysler will need to be completely rethought.


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As per provisional results, net profit for the full year at Rs. 2.9 billion was in line with revenue growth and also benefitted from tax concessions on investments in fixed assets.
“Volatile market conditions, currency depreciation and a significant increase in fuel, energy and input costs posed massive challenges for Nestlé Lanka in 2012. However, we’re pleased that we were able to deliver double digit growth under difficult circumstances. We invested responsibly and sustainably and, with creativity and innovation, laid the foundation for future growth. Despite the many challenges we foresee, we remain cautiously optimistic for 2013,” said Ganesan Ampalavanar, Managing Director of Nestlé Lanka.
Continuing its ongoing investments in its manufacturing facility in Kurunegala, Nestlé Lanka has invested over Rs. 3 billion in the last two years. The company marked a significant milestone when it recorded its highest annual procurement of local fresh milk in 2012, evidencing a growth of over 20% from the previous year.
This, together with its procurement of other raw materials including coconut, marks the company’s highest annual contribution to the rural economy, paying out Rs. 4 billion in 2012 to more than 23,000 local farming families.
The ‘Good Food, Good Life’ company continued to add to its new product portfolio for 2012 in Q4 with Lactogrow – a unique growing-up milk formula fortified with probiotics to stimulate a healthy gut flora, tummy comfort, visual and growth development.
Other innovations for the year were Maggi Ricey noodles, the Maggi Devilled noodles range, Nescafé Ice Coffee ready-to-drink and the re-launch of Kit Kat. 2012 also saw the company expand its communications offering to the digital platform, launching its corporate website www.nestle.lk and its first Facebook page, Kit Kat Sri Lanka.


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- Apple is planning to launch two new pairs of AirPods next year, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
- One would succeed the standard AirPods, while the other would be a sequel to the AirPods Pro.
- The new $159 AirPods would have swappable ear tips and longer battery life.
- The launch of new AirPods would come just as Apple has decided to stop selling wired earbuds with its iPhones.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Apple is planning to update its popular lineup of AirPods wireless earbuds with two new models in 2021, according to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Debby Wu.
One model would succeed the standard $159 AirPods, which Apple most recently updated in March 2019, while the other would serve as a sequel to the $249 AirPods Pro. The new standard AirPods could debut in the first half of next year, the report says.
Wearable devices like AirPods and the Apple Watch have become increasingly critical for Apple in recent years, as the company as turned to such products to buoy revenue during periods of slow iPhone sales. The launch of new AirPods in 2021 would also come after Apple decided to stop including its wired EarPod headphones with the iPhone, an announcement the company made when unveiling the iPhone 12 earlier this month.
Among the biggest changes coming to the new AirPods Pro will be a new stemless design that more closely resembles wireless earbuds released by competitors like Samsung, according to Bloomberg. The new standard AirPods are said to retain the trademark stems that protrude from the ears, but Apple is reportedly hoping to shorten them.
Improvements coming to the standard $159 model include swappable ear tips and longer battery life, but no noise cancellation, according to Bloomberg. Both headphones will reportedly run on new wireless chips from Apple.
Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Bloomberg’s report lines up with previous predictions from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who says a new pair of AirPods with a design that more closely resembles the AirPods Pro is coming in early 2021, according to 9to5Mac. Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives previously said he expected a new pair of AirPods Pro to launch even earlier, in November of this year, he recently told Business Insider.
The new AirPods are just two ways in which Apple is expected to update its burgeoning audio lineup in the near future, coming after the company recently launched a miniature version of its HomePod smart speaker.
Bloomberg also reported that Apple considered developing another HomePod model that would fall in between the $300 HomePod and new $100 HomePod Mini. Apple is also planning to release a pair of over-ear headphones with a customizable design, Bloomberg reported. The new over-ear headphones are said to have been delayed after Apple had run into some issues with their development.
Apple launched AirPods in 2016 and has since come to lead the market for wireless earbuds. Apple accounts for 35% of the global market for wireless earbuds, according to Counterpoint Research, meaning it has a larger share of the market than rivals like Xiaomi and Samsung. The research firm also notes, however, that Apple’s grip on the market is slipping as competitors launch less expensive earbuds. Launching new models in 2021 could help Apple cement its lead as competition continues to grow in the industry.


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US plug-in vehicle sales have surpassed the quarter-million mark, just in time for National Drive Electric Week, September 15-21. Sales have increased by a healthy percentage every year since the Volt and LEAF went on the market at the end of 2010. 2014 sales total 76,799 so far, on track to handily beat 2013’s figure of 97,507.
“Plug-in vehicles have had a good year,” said John O’Dell, Senior Editor at Edmunds.com. “Despite a slowdown in the conventional hybrid segment, battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are up about 39 percent over last year. They remain a tiny part of the market – less than a one-percent share – but more and more people seem to be considering them as they shop for fuel-efficient transportation.”
Approximately 40% of US plug-in sales have been in California, which passed the 100,000-vehicle mark in August. “This milestone shows that industry and government can work together for the good of the environment and the good of the consumer,” said California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “Automakers are proving on a daily basis that they can rise to the challenge to meet California’s clean vehicle standards, advance the technology, and provide a wide range of affordable cars that are good to look at, fun to drive, and, of course, have zero emissions.”
The fourth annual National Drive Electric Week will bring test drives and related activities to more than 130 cities in 35 states and abroad. National organizers Plug In America, the Sierra Club and the Electric Auto Association are expecting at least 35,000 attendees, including elected officials.
“Some like the high-tech efficiency of EVs. Some thrill at the instant torque. Others feel that the real fun comes in knowing that you’re keeping your carbon footprint small, especially if you charge your EV with renewable solar energy, like so many of us do,” said Plug In America spokeswoman Zan Dubin-Scott. “I mean, cowabunga, man!”
According to Plug In America, the yearly celebration translates directly to increased plug-in vehicle sales, which have jumped by as much as 23 percent the month after Drive Electric Week in every year it has been held.
“Clean energy prosperity is on the way and there’s no turning back,” said Sierra Club director Michael Brune. “National Drive Electric Week and the dramatic increase in the number of plug-in electric vehicles on the road are just the latest examples of how American consumers are demanding 21st-century solutions to energy and the climate crisis, and given the choice would leave dirty fossil fuels in the ground.”