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For the second week in a row, you’ve got me, senior reporter Cara Eisenpress, with insight into the state of New York City. Hold off on placing this week’s Amazon order: first, we’re talking about e-commerce and its ups and downs for city businesses.
Crain's Extra: Down from pandemic boom, e-commerce holds onto consumer dollars
In 2020, when everything shut down, consumers migrated to online shopping, quickly hiking the share of e-commerce sales, even in categories that had previously been shifting to the Internet fairly slowly, like groceries.
As Americans returned to more normal routines, a question hung in the air: could e-commerce firms hang on to their gains?
The broadest possible answer is yes, but there are some exceptions.
In the first quarter of 2022, 14.3% of U.S. retail sales happened online, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest report, which is adjusted for seasonality but not for inflation. That represented a steady decrease from the high of 16.4% in the second quarter of 2020 when many more Americans were staying at home.
Still, with sales of $231.4 billion, the e-commerce sector saw an 87% increase from the first quarter of 2019, when the e-commerce total was $133.2 billion. Ontario-based Shopify, which powers other businesses to sell online, pointed to the same trend, releasing figures that showed growth starting to slow down (and layoffs begining), even as its customers saw second-quarter gross sales rise 11%.
As for New York City, here’s how the e-commerce reckoning is playing out for some of the players headquartered in the five boroughs.
Etsy: Etsy has figured out a way to hold steady for the first three quarters of the year, with gross merchandise sales of around $3 billion in the second quarter of 2022. CEO Josh Silverman pointed to a growing number of sellers on the platform and increased accessibility for buyers as the reason behind their sustained growth, adding that “by making Etsy more accessible and hence giving novice buyers an experience closer to that of habitual power users, we believe we can unlock significant frequency gains over time.” Silverman said he did not believe Etsy was overstaffed and would avoid layoffs.
Peloton: Purchasing a stationery bike or an exercise plan subscription seemed like a great idea to millions of consumers in 2020, but by 2022, the vibe had changed. Co-founder and CEO John Foley stepped down in February, amid a major quarterly drop in revenue; in May, the company had lost 90% of its value ; by July, it announced it would stop making bikes. Just last week, Peloton laid off an additional 780 employees.
Slice: Once pizzerias found out that customers often spent double on online orders versus phone orders, they made a sharp pivot to e-commerce platforms.The Flatiron District-based startup which provides ordering technology to around one in three of the nation’s independently owned pizzerias, said that even as Americans are returning to in-person dining they had not stopped ordering take-out pizza.
ShopIn.NYC: A small business that set out to elevate local brick-and-mortar stores by offering e-commerce services called it quits this spring. Maya Komerov, the founder, said she had been accepting about 1,000 online orders a month and doing fulfillment at a warehouse in Red Hook. Komerov did not respond to request for comment Friday, but the company’s site noted on a banner that “shopIN.nyc will not continue to deliver orders, but we encourage you to continue supporting local stores by visiting them and ordering directly through them.”
American Express customers who have Gold Cards will be able to purchase advance $110 tickets to a drive-through food festival called The Resy Drive-Thru, which will take place on Sept. 16 and 17 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The idea, hatched in Miami and Los Angeles during the pandemic, is to taste restaurants from all over the city during one chauffeured tour in a golf cart. Participating restaurants include Sylvie’s, Bonnie’s, Dhamaka, Crown Shy and Union Square Café.
The City Council will discuss the city’s infrastructure challenges in advance of the 2022 hurricane season. The Committees on Resiliency and Waterfronts, Transportation and Infrastructure and Environmental Protection will focus on how the city’s systems hold up to challenges from extreme weather.
New York’s Department of Labor releases July jobs figures for New York City, three weeks after a surprisingly strong employment report for the nation jolted some in the business community out of recession fears. The big questions for our local recovery are: What share of the jobs that came back in the leisure and hospitality industry were located in the five boroughs? And, will New York City see growth in some of the high-paid office sectors that are flourishing elsewhere in the U.S.? We will see.


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According to IBM's Annual Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021, the average cost of a data breach is around $4.24 million. In the United States and Canada, it's even higher. So what makes data breaches so costly, are business leaders aware of the risks, and what can be done to prevent breaches?
What makes a breach so costly?
A number of factors contribute to the cost of a breach including lost business due to reputational damage and system downtime, legal action and regulatory sanctions, detection and forensics, containment and recovery, and notifying authorities and affected parties.
For the average $4.24 million data security incident, here’s the overall cost breakdown (and percentage of total costs) for 2021 according to IBM:
- $1.59m (38%) — Lost business costs, which include customer churn, downtime and new business acquisition
- $1.24m (29%) — Detection and escalation costs, including hunting down and identifying the breach. Also includes getting key team members involved and/or any external services (forensic, legal, etc.).
- $1.14m (27%) — Post-breach response cost to cover containment, eradication and recovery processes
- $0.27m (6%) — Notification costs to inform regulatory agencies, partners, customers and the general public.
The United States was the top country for average total cost of a data breach for the eleventh year in a row. At $9.05M, their average is more than twice as high as the global average. Canada's average of $5.05M also puts them above the global average cost.
As data privacy laws like GDPR become more commonplace around the globe, the cost of regulatory sanctions are becoming a bigger factor in the cost of a data breach. Under the GDPR, the EU's data protection authorities can impose fines of up to up to €20 million (roughly $22 million USD), or 4 percent of worldwide turnover for the preceding financial year—whichever is higher. In countries like South Africa, Singapore or Thailand, consequences can also include criminal charges that may even result in imprisonment.
Are business leaders aware of the risk of a data breach?
It seems as if these risks are well understood by now. According to a recent global survey, the Allianz Risk Barometer 2022, decision makers and risk management experts from around the world, have ranked cyber incidents as the most important global business risk for 2022. They see this topic more critical than many others like the pandemic, or business interruption due to supply chain issues.
What is also interesting to observe is the landscape of job titles at organizations worldwide. The role of the CISO is not new, but it has certainly gotten a lot more visibility in the last few years. There has been a visible increase of roles such as Chief Data Officer, which is proof that executives certainly understand the importance of data. Discussions about data assets vs data liability have become top level topics, because the importance of data and the corresponding risks and potentials are so huge.
What can be done to prevent data breaches?
The reality is that data breaches are becoming more and more frequent and they are often detected long after the fact. You have to operate from the standpoint that you may have already been breached and simply aren't aware of it yet. The key principles to follow here are data minimization, data-centric security, and zero trust: know what sensitive data you have and where it's stored, only collect sensitive data you need to operate, delete sensitive data after you no longer need it, and protect any sensitive data you store or process whenever possible with an appropriate form of cryptography throughout it's lifecycle.
While traditional perimeter-based defenses have their place and purpose, modern IT environments rarely have a clear perimeter given that there are so many touchpoints and interconnected systems. In the likely event that perimeter defenses are breached, you should have sensitive data protected whenever possible. Not only is this the most sound strategy from a cybersecurity perspective, it is also required by various data protection laws and standards around the globe, such as GDPR and PCI DSS.

domain: news


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Two things are certain: 1) There continues to be a lot of excitement around warehouse robotics and 2) Geek+ is extremely good at fundraising based on that fact. The Beijing-based warehouse robotics firm has raised another $100 million in funding, dubbed “Series E1,” in participation with Intel Capital, Vertex Growth and Qingyue Capital Investment.
We last wrote about the company during the pandemic — June 2020 — when it raised a $200 million Series C, and the company raised an undisclosed Series D last year. There’s certainly no shortage of investor interest in the company right now, with the most recent round valuing Geek+ at around $2 billion.
I’d say it’s a good idea to get funding while the money is good. While the space will certainly continue to grow, there may be a slight correction here as investments respond to broader market trends. Meanwhile, Geek+ is posting impressive numbers last year, with $150 million in revenue and $300 million in orders. It’s easy to see why companies continue to invest in these technologies as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc in China and elsewhere.
Geek+ cites “international expansion” as one of the main incentives for additional funding. Notably, Beijing-based ForwardX Robotics announced earlier this month that it had expanded into the US with its own Series C, and in July it launched Geek+ in North and South America. The company has several partner agreements in Europe.
“With first-mover advantage, Geek+ has developed a strong competitive advantage in global markets and brought a constant driving force to business development,” said Yong Zheng, founder and CEO of Geek+, in a release. “This, combined with our three technology pillars of robotics, systems and algorithms, has not only enabled Geek+ to develop a full product line, but also improved R&D efficiency and reduced R&D costs.”
Of course, box office expansion finds the companies competing against a market of domestic warehouse robotics companies that offer a variety of greenfield and brownfield solutions for warehouse automation. Geek+ makes a variety of robotics systems, though at its core, the company’s Kiva-style wheeled robot is designed to ride around shelves.


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A government minister has warned UK firms they will “inevitably” face new customs paperwork and border checks on trade in goods with the EU.
Business groups reacted with alarm after Michael Gove set out the new barriers facing importers and exporters, bringing an end to the current system of largely seamless trade. There are fears the changes could mean new costs and delays for firms, and even “significant disruption” to fruit and vegetable supplies in the short term.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) urged the government to “move fast” in its preparations for when the Brexit transition period finishes at the end of the year. Trading arrangements currently remain the same as when Britain was in the EU, as the UK agreed to stay aligned with EU rules.
Gove, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said anyone importing or exporting goods to or from the EU would have to submit customs declarations forms. Different arrangements are expected be announced for trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK and Ireland.
Products could also face new checks at borders, such as health and safety checks or to ensure the right paperwork, VAT, customs or excise duties have been paid.
Firms will need to apply for a special registration number to be able to trade, and many are expected to need to hire customs agents to handle potentially complex paperwork.
The government also announced it had extended the deadline for firms to apply for funding to prepare for the customs changes, with £7.5m ($9.7m) still available.
Gove said in a speech at an event on Monday: “The UK will be outside the single market and outside the customs union, so we will have to be ready for the customs procedures and regulatory checks that will inevitably follow.”
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the BRC, said: “Without the necessary infrastructure up and running from day one, consumers in the UK will see significant disruption, particularly in the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables.”
He said firms needed detailed advance information on how controls would work, “or it will be consumers who suffer on 1 January.”
Elizabeth de Jong, UK policy director at the Freight Transport Association, also feared IT systems would not be ready for some years.
“We are naturally disappointed that the promise of frictionless trade has been replaced with a promise that trade will be as seamless as possible but not until 2025, with a more realistic but costly ‘make do and mend’ approach to be employed until then,” she said.
The European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator had warned earlier this month there would not be “business as usual” even if Britain and the EU struck a “best-in-class” trade deal this year.
He said checks were the “automatic” consequences of Britain’s choice to leave and pursue a looser free trade deal with the EU, outside the customs union and single market. “Businesses must adapt to this reality,” he said in a speech.


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Chinese telecommunications giant Ken Hu's boss is defeating US accusations against his company.
Presented by the United States as a business at risk for their national security, the Chinese giant Huawei must now do without Google services for its latest smartphones and is in a difficult position to impose its solutions on the global market of 5G. Ken Hu, the executive director of the company, responds to US accusations and presents to the World the development prospects of society.
Huawei has just released financial results up. Does this mean that US sanctions do not harm your business?
We have overcome the difficulties. The financial status of the company is good, and we have never interrupted deliveries to our customers. Our financial results for the first nine months of 2019 are satisfactory, with an increase of more than 24% of our revenues worldwide, and revenues already amounting to $ 85.7 billion (76.7 billion euros). In fact, we are confident that our revenues for the entire year will exceed $ 100 billion. Our sales in Europe remained stable despite the situation, although it is true that our national market (China) is much more dynamic than before, especially for the sale of smartphones.
However, the sanctions against us are not without impact on the smooth running of society. In the design and manufacture of our products, technological choices have always been based on a globalized economy and a global supply chain, in which US suppliers play a very important role. We buy a lot of components and parts in the United States. From now on, we are forced to turn more to European, Japanese and Chinese suppliers. This represents an additional cost, because we must invest in order to evaluate and validate these companies, their technologies and their products.
Do you understand Huawei's fears, particularly in terms of his relations with the Chinese state?
If we have fears only because we harbor suspicion, it is not favorable to the economy or to technological progress. We must observe the facts, look for evidence. We can not predict the future, but we can look back.
In thirty years, there has never been evidence of security problems at Huawei
In thirty years, there has never been any evidence of security problems at Huawei. But I can answer from a legal point of view. Chinese law imposes certain obligations on companies, but this constraint does not extend beyond the national border. As far as data protection is concerned, we are in full compliance with the European regulatory framework, and all our data in Europe will never leave Europe.


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Snowcastle games has shared what appears to be the logo for Earthlock 2 on Twitter this week along with a message to fans.
Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter! 📧 You never know when we're going to make our next announcement 🧐https://t.co/RN2FxmZNol
— Snowcastle Games (@snowcastlegames) May 18, 2020
The Earthlock channel on the Nintendo Switch has shared a logo along with a notice telling players to sign up for the game developer’s newsletter. This seems to be a tease the Earthlock RPG receiving a sequel. The game released on the Switch in 2018 after releasing on Steam in 2016.
So it seems likely that the sequel would be headed to the Switch as well when it releases.
Are you excited to learn more about Earthlock 2? Let us know below.


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Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has topped the 2022 list of Africa’s richest persons for the 11th year in a row, Forbes magazine said in a report.
Dangote’s wealth jumped from $12.1 billion last year to an estimated $13.9 billion.
Forbes attributed the growth to a 30% increase in the stock price of Dangote Cement, his most valuable asset.
“A surge in housing developments in Nigeria and growth in government infrastructure spending drove higher demand in the first nine months of 2021,” the magazine said.
Two other Nigerian billionaires – Abdulsamad Rabiu and Mike Adenuga – ranked 6th and 7th richest persons on the continent with estimated values of $7 billion and $6.7 billion respectively.
As a group, the continent’s 18 billionaires were worth an estimated $84.9 billion – a 15 per cent increase from 12 months ago and the most since 2014, when a larger number of billionaires–28–were worth a combined $96.5 billion.
On average, the continent’s billionaires were worth $4.7 billion now, worth $3.4 billion in 2014 with soaring stock prices from Nigeria to Zimbabwe lifted the fortunes of these tycoons, as demand for products from cement to luxury goods ticked up.
Jumping into the number two from the list, spot–up from number four last year–was luxury goods magnate, Johann Rupert of South Africa.
More than a 60 per cent surge in the share price of his Compagnie Financiere Richemont–maker of Cartier watches and Montblanc pens–pushed his fortune to $11 billion, up from $7.2 billion a year ago, making him the biggest dollar gainer on the list.
South African Nicky Oppenheimer, who formerly ran diamond mining firm DeBeers before selling it to mining firm Anglo American a decade ago, ranked number three, worth an estimated $8.7 billion.
The biggest gainer in percentage terms–up 125 per cent was Strive Masiyiwa of Zimbabwe, worth $2.7 billion, up from $1.2 billion last year.


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New York Attorney General Letitia James continued her efforts to crack down on unregistered cryptocurrency platforms by filing a lawsuit against KuCoin for failing to register as a securities and commodities broker-dealer and falsely representing itself as an exchange. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) was able to buy and sell cryptocurrencies on KuCoin in New York even though the company is not registered in the state. Through this enforcement action, Attorney General James seeks to stop KuCoin from operating in New York and to block access to its website until it complies with the law. Today’s action is the latest in Attorney General James’ efforts to rein in cryptocurrency platforms.
“One by one my office is taking action against cryptocurrency companies that are brazenly disregarding our laws and putting investors at risk,” said Attorney General James. “Today’s action is the latest in our efforts to rein in shadowy cryptocurrency companies and bring order to the industry. All New Yorkers and all companies operating in New York have to follow our state’s laws and regulations. KuCoin operated in New York without registration and that is why we are taking strong action to hold them accountable and protect investors.”
KuCoin is a virtual currency trading platform that allows investors to buy and sell cryptocurrency through its website and app. On its platform, KuCoin investors can buy and sell popular virtual currencies, including ETH, LUNA, and TerraUSD (UST), which are securities and commodities. This action is one of the first times a regulator is claiming in court that ETH, one of the largest cryptocurrencies available, is a security. The petition argues that ETH, just like LUNA and UST, is a speculative asset that relies on the efforts of third-party developers in order to provide profit to the holders of ETH. Because of that, KuCoin was required to register before selling ETH, LUNA, or UST.
KuCoin also sells unregistered securities in the form of KuCoin Earn, its lending and staking product. New York law requires securities and commodities brokers to register with the state, which KuCoin failed to do. The OAG was able to create an account with KuCoin using a computer with a New York based IP address and buy and sell digital tokens, for which KuCoin charged a fee. The OAG was also able to deposit digital tokens into the KuCoin Earn product, for which KuCoin also charged a fee.


text: Photographer and director Anton Watts worked with Top Gear’s Creative Director, Charlie Turner, to photograph the $90,000.00 Fisker Karma four-door sedan, the world’s first luxury hybrid. There is also an open-topped version called the Sunset which is in the works and is meant to debut later this year. Fisker Automotive is named after co-founder Henrik Fisker, the former head of design for Aston Martin. About a billion dollars has been invested in the launch of this new line of hybrid cars. Fiskers combine the looks of a Maserati with the performance and ride of a Jaguar while emitting fewer emissions than a Prius.


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KARACHI -- Amidst volatile trading and thin market
participation, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed Wednesday's session flat.
"It will be a fairly thin market
to begin with and maybe that's why a lot of these provinces haven't rushed to get retail locations and bricks and mortar for day one," said PI Financial analyst Jason Zandberg.
'I don't think the IMF wants free-float for Pakistan, it's such a thin market
One recent research paper found that a near-tenfold rise in Bitcoin's price in 2013 was driven primarily by two bots engaging in suspicious activity in a thin market
Although serving a thin market
of around 1 percent in the country, Sy said Focus Global is contended.
The result was an irregularly thin market
combined with a backlog of orders piling up during the halts, which caused some ETFs to trade more than 40% away from their NAVs, many of which were down to a lesser degree.
The reports reveal that the new transparent hybrid system draws on the strengths of a market based auction system, while accommodating the compulsions of having to raise Rs.1 trillion worth of bonds in a relatively thin market
to meet the Government's borrowing requirement in 2018.
"It's a very thin market
. That's why the demand is always so high.
KSE-100 Index again dropped by 212 points to close in red at 49,375 levels amid a thin market
volume of 373 million in the last trading session of the week on Friday.
A trader for a Japanese bank said the selloff was probably partly caused by the breach of option barriers, and triggering of stop-loss orders in thin market
Some have pointed to a lack of liquidity in leading markets as driving the massive price fluctuations; in a thin market
, a small change in demand or supply can sometimes require a big shift in prices to restore equilibrium.


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If you’re in the market for a Ford truck, we invite you to look through our new car inventory. Our Ford dealership is where you’ll find all the latest Ford models, and while you may want a pickup, you might not want or need a full-size truck. Luckily, Ford’s lineup includes a worthy alternative to its full-size truck models, and it’s the midsize 2020 Ford Ranger.
When the 2019 Ford Ranger was added back into Ford’s lineup last year, the truck got a lot of attention from motorists looking for a versatile vehicle. The new 2020 Ford Ranger is well-positioned to attract as much, if not more attention than its predecessor.
For the 2020 model-year, the Ford Ranger is offered in two cab/bed configurations, including an extended cab with a six-foot bed and a crew cab that’s attached to a five-foot bed. The pickup is available in three trims: XL, XLT, and Lariat.
All the pickup’s trims are powered by a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that’s matched with a 10-speed automatic transmission. When properly equipped, the truck can tow up to 7,500 pounds.
As you probably guessed, the new 2020 Ford Ranger has more standard equipment the higher you look in its lineup. When you visit our Ford dealership near Merrillville, IN, you’ll see that the base trim includes everything from an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot to a forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking system. The XLT trim adds pedestrian detection to the forward collision warning and also tacks on a blind-spot monitor with a rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, and Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ integration. If you step up to the Lariat trim, you’ll enjoy leather upholstery and LED headlights.
To see everything the 2020 Ford Ranger brings to the table, visit Fieldhouse Ford today!


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First veterinary clinic in Georgia Walmart to open this Friday
Published September 11, 2019
Essentials PetCare is now bringing convenient and quality veterinary care at affordable prices to Georgia with continued plans for U.S. expansion
ATLANTA – Essentials PetCare is scheduled to open the first walk-in veterinary clinic located within a Walmart store in Georgia this Friday.
Pet parents living in or near the Atlanta suburb of Dallas, Georgia, will soon be able to bring their dogs and cats to Essentials PetCare at Walmart for routine veterinary care and minor illness exams on a walk-in basis, without the need to set an appointment.
“We look forward to serving pets and their parents here in the greater Atlanta area,” said Essentials PetCare founder and president, Douglas Spiker, DVM. “It’s exciting to expand our reach to more U.S. pet families.”
Like Essentials PetCare locations in Florida and Texas, the Georgia clinic will provide routine vaccinations, labwork and treatment for a variety of minor illnesses, such as ear infections, common skin conditions and urinary issues. Patients with more serious ailments, like chronic illness, or those in need of emergency care and surgical procedures, will be referred to full-service veterinary hospitals in the surrounding community.
The mission of Essentials PetCare is to provide quality, affordable veterinary care to all U.S. pets. According to a 2018 study published by Access to Veterinary Care Coalition and the University of Tennessee, nearly 28 percent of U.S. households with an estimated 29 million dogs and cats experience barriers to veterinary services because of cost and not knowing where to access care.
In 2016, Essentials PetCare launched the first retail veterinary clinic located within a Walmart store in the U.S. Earlier this year, Essentials PetCare began executing their planned expansion with the first four of nine new veterinary clinic openings located in Texas since May.
By expanding the traditional model of veterinary care with a focus on convenience, quality and affordability, Essentials PetCare provides pet owners with better opportunities to care for their pets’ well-being while helping to reduce the number of pets not receiving medical care.
Essentials PetCare clinics also serve to compliment full-service veterinary hospitals by introducing veterinary care to a large segment of the U.S. pet owning market, which has traditionally not pursued veterinary services because of cost, and the company’s veterinarians educate clients on the benefits of full-service veterinary care when recommended.
About Essentials PetCare
Established in 2015, Essentials PetCare, LLC is a purpose-driven organization that provides easy access to affordable, high quality preventative and minor illness care for dogs and cats. The company’s mission is to expand veterinary services to more pet-owning families who would otherwise not seek care because of cost. Essentials PetCare believes that no animal should ever suffer or put its family at risk of contracting diseases due to affordability. In addition to caring for pets, the company is focused on the wellbeing of its employees by promoting work-life harmony, including flexible scheduling, comprehensive benefits, and employee stock options. For more information about Essentials PetCare, visit EssentialsPetCare.com, @EssentialsPetCare on Facebook, and @EssentialsPet on Twitter.
Media Contact – James Judge – Judge Public Relations: email@example.com or 813.279.8335.


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Search For "festive season"
Updated : 3 weeks, 3 days ago IST
New Delhi [India], December 29 (ANI/TPT): Fentiro Studio, based in Goa and Mumbai, launches its debut song, "Fentiro - The Reason", an international party song, right in time for the festive season. The song was announced at the heart of Times Square in New York, considered to be the cultura
New Delhi (India), December 29 (ANI/PNN): Moti Jewels Palace (MJP) is all set to welcome Delhiites to a festive looking store and add a New Year feeling with a sparkling collection of Classic designs and one of a kind Collection.
Updated : 4 weeks, 1 day ago IST
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 24 (ANI): In the wake of expected crowding at the time of upcoming festivals amid Omicron variant threat, the Maharashtra government on Friday issued new COVID-19 guidelines prohibiting gathering of more than five persons in public places from 9 pm-6 am
New Delhi [India], December 24 (ANI): As Christmas is around the corner, everyone is preparing for the festive season in their own way. You might be thinking of cosying up with your family and friends with some hot cocoa but that's not the only option you have.
Updated : 1 month ago IST
New Delhi [India], December 22 (ANI): The hotels in New Delhi that were hoping to recover after the second COVID-19 wave in the country, have reported less number of bookings in this festive season as compared to the pre-pandemic era due to the fear of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.
Updated : 1 month, 1 week ago IST
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 14 (ANI/NewsVoir): The festive season gets more glamorous with the much awaited Red Dot Sale at Soch.
Updated : 1 month, 2 weeks ago IST
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 6 (ANI/NewsVoir): Increff, a leading innovator of inventory optimization solutions for e-commerce, fashion, and retail brands, today launched its first-ever 'E-commerce Festive Season Sales Report - 2021'.
Updated : 1 month, 3 weeks ago IST
New Delhi [India], December 1 (ANI): Lockdowns due to COVID-19 and semi-conductor shortage globally are the key reasons behind the drop in automobile sales in the last two years.
Updated : 2 months ago IST
New Delhi [India], November 22 (ANI/PRNewswire): PayU, India's leading online payment solutions provider unveiled PayU Insights Report - Festive edition today, a comparative analysis between digital transaction trends in Festive Season 2020 and 2021.* The Indian festive season is a measure o
Updated : 2 months, 1 week ago IST
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], November 16 (ANI/BusinessWire India): BMW Group India launched the new BMW 220i 'Black Shadow' edition today.
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], November 15 (ANI/NewsVoir): Festive season 2021 was celebrated with much vibrancy and a stupefying response from Punekars. The mall was decked up with the latest decor-themed the 'Blooming Diwali' and to add to it, the festive fervour was amped up with the best de
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 13 (ANI/ATK): TTK Prestige has announced the launch of 'Shubhutsav', a special campaign to commemorate the festive season held from 16th September until 30th November 2021.


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The most fleshed out Windows 8.1 Phone yet
Microsoft trash-talked Apple and Samsung’s flagship at the unveiling of the Lumia 830 by claiming it will outperform Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy as a value buy. Does its Lumia 830 live up to the hype?
Australia will be one of three countries to receive an alpha release of Microsoft’s personal assistant. Unfortunately, the alpha model of Cortona will not support Australian accents and idioms as it inherits US and UK speaking models.
Microsoft-owned Nokia will take on Motorola with the launch of its budget Lumia 635, a quad-core smartphone running Windows Phone 8.1 and armed with 4G internet speeds.
An Android engineering team member earlier this week lashed out at critics who spread fears of fragmentation in the Android mobile phone market
Professional photographer Chase Jarvis lives by the maxim that the best camera is the one that you have with you. These days that’s likely to be your camera phone. How can you optimize the photos you take with it? Read on for some quick tips.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


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Parents: fad alert. Your kids may be asking for Squishies.
Squishies are similar to stress balls. Kids smush them in their hands. “The fun part is the slow rise back,” says Lori Badanes, owner of the Einstein’s Attic toy store in Northport. “The slower the rise, the more exciting it is.”
Popular Squishy characters include Millie the Whale, Bille the Whale, a jumbo strawberry, a panda, bread and a peach, says Badanes. She says she orders about 100 Squishies a week for the store and sells most of them for $8.99. Her top price is about $14, but prices elsewhere can hit $21.99.
“They’re very popular for the younger girls, kindergarten through middle school,” Badanes says. She says about 80 percent of her Squishies customers are girls.


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Panasonic has detailed the new LUMIX GF6 Wi-Fi enabled camera. The new installment to the GF6 line comes with a list of new features and improvements over previous models.
The new camera is the Lumix DMC-GF6, a digital single-lens mirrorless device, and the smallest model of the Lumix G family to date. The camera features a 16.00–megapixel Live MOS Sensor for both image and video and the new Venus Engine developed offers “high-performance signal processing and noise reduction” according to Panasonic. The camera can achieve a maximum ISO 25,600 (Extended) according to reports.
With an interchangeable lens camera, the camera also features (Self Shot, Creative Panorama, and Stop Motion Animation) plus the popular “Creative Control” mode with 19 filter effects. Stop Motion Animation offers stop motion video and the “Clear Retouch” function can erase “unwanted parts of a picture after shooting”.
Other important points are high precision Light Speed AF (auto focus) including practical full-time AF and tracking AF is available for video recording. The camera’s “Low Light AF” allows focusing on the subject “even in low-lit situations”. Panasonic states the camera is “ready to shoot in only 0.5 seconds after start-up saving the end-user from missing a shooting opportunity”.
As we mentioned before, the camera offers Wi-Fi connectivity and NFC (Near Field Communication) so consumers will be able to connect the camera to their smartphone or tablet, all with one button. You can also use a smartphone or tablet as a multi-capable remote shutter with a monitor. The “Instant Transfer” function allows images to be sent to a mobile device instantly. It should be noted that both images and video “can be archived to the registered digital equipment such as a PC automatically via the wireless access point (router) at home”.
The GF6 records 1920 x 1080 at 60i (60 Hz) full-HD video in AVCHD with high quality stereo sound. The P/A/S/M mode in video recording is also available for more expressive creation of motion picture footage. Despite its sleek, compact profile, the GF6 touts a built-in flash (GN6.3 ISO160･m / GN5.0 ISO100･m) and 3.0-inch large approx.180° tiltable monitor.
more info: panasonic
Meet the 2nd Generation Echo Buds
Anker updates its work-from-home line of products.
Roku introduced several new devices this week.
NASA is hoping to launch the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, a first attempt at powered, controlled flight of an…
The new 8BitDo Pro 2 controller is now available for preorder, offering players an impressive upgrade that works…
Razer Viper 8K Gaming Mouse: The new Razer Viper 8K gaming mouse launched this week, offering nan 8000Hz polling rate for users.
PopGrip MagSafe Options: New PopSockets are on the way with PopGrip MagSafe features, as well as wallets and accessories.
Linksys AXE8400 Wi-Fi 6E System: Linksys introduced the all-new Linksys AXE8400 Wi-Fi 6E System at CES 2021 this week.
Roku Accounts: In 2020, Roku surged to over 51M accounts, an increase of 14M accounts with billions of streaming hours served to customers.
LG QNED Mini LED TV: LG Electronics will introduce the company's new line of QNED Mini LED TVs during a virtual CES 2021 panel.
Arlo announced the launch of the all-new Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free, a new wireless option of the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell.
The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro Earbuds offer THX Certified audio for high-fidelity sound and advanced hybrid Active Noise Cancellation
Razer introduced the Razer Book 13, an ultra-mobile and professional laptop with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 11th Gen Intel Core Processor
Vizio announced this week that its ProGaming Engine, available on M-Series Quantum, P-Series Quantum, and P-Series Quantum X adds FreeSync.
Corsair announced that the company has acquired the smartphone app EpocCam, which turns your phone into a webcam
Razer' inaugural RazerCon launched over the weekend, introducing the company's newest line of streaming-gear, accessories, and laptops


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By Princewill Ekwujuru
Marketing ex-perts have projected increase in the use of video as major means for advertisement in 2019 with more than 48 percent brands expected to add storytelling into their advertising content this year.
The experts said this percentage is a result of technology and the storytelling techniques brands will deploy to drive consumer attention.
The experts also said as technology and search engines increase in velocity, so do the strategies marketers will employ to engage consumers online, especially through Youtube.
Likewise, they stated that social media presence, innovative new technology integrations, and strong behind-the-scenes strategies and measurement plans will be the benefits brands that use storytelling content will enjoy when they use search engines.
Vanguard Companies and Markets (C&M) investigation showed that storytelling was deployed by majority of brands in Nigeria, especially in 2018, with experts arguing that the trend will increase in 2019.
The findings also showed that content marketing are tools employed by companies to reach their target audience incorporating Youtube and other social media search engines.
Speaking at a briefing tagged: Ads Media Chat, Country Director, Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, said that 17 million eyes through Youtube viewed top Ads in 2018 in Nigeria, while 257.5 million viewed top Ads globally. In Nigeria, Ehimuan-Chiazor said: “Last year, MTN’s ad, Traditional Wedding Day, recorded 2.6 million views, Jumia’s Black Friday – 2.3 million views, Stanbic IBTC – Enabling you to be you – 2.1 million views, Union Bank of Nigeria – Enabling Success – 2.7million views, United Bank for Africa’s advert, 919 Dance Video recorded 1.6million views. Others are MTN Mpulse advert-The Takeover which had 1.6million views, Airtel NG – The-In-laws advert-Tutorial got 1.4 million views, P&G Nigeria advert- Ariel Assurance recorded 1.3 million views, GTBank advert-Come Let’s Eat Together – GTBank Food & Drink 2018 had 1.2 million views and LG Inverter advert–The new Inverter Equation of home appliances recorded 1.2 milion views.
She added: “Looking at this year’s top ads on YouTube, we find a few key trends such that emotive storytelling is key to building brand love and preference as shown in Airtel NG advert-The In-laws. How MTN’s Traditional Wedding day advert depicts how culture connects.
Music found a place at the heart of YouTube – so it’s no surprise to see many brands riffing on musical themes this year, like UBA’s advert, 919 dance video.”
Amid a year of political and social turmoil, she said: “Many brands chose to take a stance on social topics, leading to some of the year’s most thought-provoking works, including Union Bank’s commercial, Enabling success.”
In global Ad view, she stated that the 2018 Global Year-End, YouTube Ads show that Amazon Super Bowl LII Commercial-Alexa Loses Her Voice was viewed by 50.1 million eyes. On the YouTube music advert—Open The World of Music recorded 39.5 million views, OPPO F7-Real SHomePod — Welcome Home by Spike Jonze — an Apple advert had 16.3million views, Gatorade|Heart of a Lio advert, had 13.7million views and Support Makes Real Hero advert, had 31.7million views, Nike’s-Dream Crazy commercial recorded 27.3 million views.
Others are Turkish Airlines’ advert -Safety Video with The Lego Movie Characters had 25.2 million views, Groupon 2018 Super Bowl Commercial-Who Wouldn’t, recorded 25.5 million views, Samsung Galaxy commercial: Moving On, recorded 17.4 million views, Rescue Blue the Dinosaur-Lego Jurassic World-Pick Your Path commercial had 10.8 million views.
According to a content marketing expert with SpringBoards Nigeria, Morris Ibeabuchi, “storytelling content is the way to go now. I am glad some Nigerian brands are toeing the line. Content marketing is a strategic and storytelling marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and ultimately to drive customer action.
“I can tell you for free that this year, brands that follow the social media, especially Youtube will have an advantage over those that do not. Majority of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers who advertise using the social media will increase their market leadership because most consumers watch ads online these days.”
Speaking, Adewole Aromale of Darths Communications, Lagos said: “Video will be growing this year with estimated 48 per cent of marketers planning to add Youtube to their marketing plans, while 46 per cent plan to add facebook video. 2019 will be about creating interesting storytelling content people want to engage with. Do not talk about your brand, create content people can relate with, watch or listen to.”
Martha Nor of MarketHub International, taking the example of soft drinks said that as people begin to drink less soda, soft drink brands are faced with challenges in terms of retaining customers and keeping sales up. Coke has shown itself to be particularly good at content marketing, creating an online magazine and going all out with a marketing mission tagged: Content 2020. Simply put, Coke knows that it needs to produce the best and most engaging content if it wants to continue to connect with its customers.


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MarineMax reports quarterly loss
The recession-driven pain brought to the boating industry was clear in the most recent quarter for MarineMax Inc.
The Clearwater-based boat retailer posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, saying it was "hurt by soft retail conditions, dealer failures and the difficult retail lending environment."
"Our focus on reducing inventory has resulted in lower gross profit margins, which we believe is the right strategy given the challenges faced by the industry," Chief Executive William McGill said in a statement.
The company, which sells new and used recreational boats and provides yacht brokerage services, said it reduced inventory by 34 percent to $339 million at the end of the quarter.
For the third quarter ended June 30, the company posted a loss of $9.2 million, or 49 cents a share, compared with a loss of $113.3 million, or $6.15 a share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, it posted a loss of 38 cents a share, while analysts on average were expecting the company to post a loss of 9 cents a share, before items, on revenue of $167.4 million.
Revenue fell 44 percent to $151.5 million.
The company's shares, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange, were selling for $5.66 at the close of regular trading on Thursday, up 80 cents, or 16.5 percent.


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Morrisons, a UK retail giant, is reportedly considering selling its Rathbones bakery unit in West Yorkshire as part of efforts to reduce debt levels. According to reports, the supermarket has enlisted financial advisors from Deloitte to facilitate the sale of the site in Wakefield.
Potential buyers for the Rathbones bakery unit include private-equity group Endless, which acquired bread maker Hovis in 2020. However, Morrisons has not confirmed any decisions regarding the sale, stating that they are approached by prospective buyers regularly.
The 28,000-square-foot Rathbones factory produces a variety of baked goods, including naans, crumpets, pancakes, hot cross buns, and more, which are distributed nationwide in Morrisons supermarkets. The factory employs around 400 workers, and it remains uncertain how a potential sale would impact the workforce.
Morrisons purchased a portion of the Rathbones group in 2005, rescuing it from administration. In 2012, the retailer announced the closure of the group’s Wigan site in favor of expanding the Wakefield facility.
Endless, the potential buyer, did not respond to requests for comments at the time of writing. It is worth noting that the decision to sell the Rathbones bakery unit aligns with Morrisons’ strategy to streamline operations and improve financial health.


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GREENVILLE, S.C. – A few final slots are up for grabs for this weekend’s The Epic Quest.
The Epic Quest will be an all-day scavenger hunt around Greenville on Saturday, October 14, where teams of two will score points by visiting more than 20 “epic” local businesses and landmarks while adding to their totals by taking part in a social media challenge. The first place team wins $2,500, second place team wins $1,500 and the third place team wins $1000. Participating teams will be sent more details as the event draws near.
It is being hosted by Locally Epic, which is an app that allows local consumers via a mobile platform to enhance their ability to find local offers and promotions from a wide range of businesses in real time, while allowing businesses to effectively reach new audiences.
Interested teams can sign up here. In addition, both team members must download the Locally Epic app (available here), agree to make either their Instagram or Facebook accounts public during the event, both members must be over age 21, wear a provided Locally Epic T-shirt during the event and sign a waiver before being put into the pool of potential teams. The Epic Quest plans to cap the number of teams at 50. Teams will be notified if they are participating later this month.
The deadline is Thursday, October 12, 2017 at noon.
Details on locations in The Epic Quest will not be released until the day of the event to prevent teams from trying to plan too much ahead, said Dave Ropes, Locally Epic’s Chief Marketing Officer. One of the key measures in The Epic Quest will be social media interaction at certain stops. More information on how to interact can be found on Locally Epic’s Facebook page.
“We thought a fun obstacle would be Greenville itself, and Fall for Greenville definitely will make people think of new routes to get to things,” he said. “While not everything will be in downtown, there will be spots there so people will have to plan how to get there.”
About Locally Epic:
Locally Epic is the next generation of real-time location-based marketing technology for businesses and consumers. Locally Epic leverages time, space and message deployment with real-time aspects of engagement, implementation, customer loyalty and consumer acquisition metrics. Learn more at www.locallyepic.com.


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Belk Inc. is giving away daily prizes to celebrate its 125th anniversary.
The Charlotte department-store chain has teamed up with digital-engagement company ePrize Inc. to handle the multi-channel sweepstakes program.
Customers will have the chance to win prizes that retail for $500 to $6,500. They include vacations and products from Michael Kors, Karen Kane, Calvin Klein and KitchenAid.
“Belk is a brand with a deep history of customer loyalty,” says Jon Pollack, executive vice president of sales promotion, marketing and eCommerce for Belk. “We created this campaign to say thank you to our most valuable asset — our customers — and kick off our next 125 years of engagement in a big way.”
For shoppers to enter, Belk has created a microsite for the sweepstakes at www.belk125prizes.com.
Consumers can also access the contest through their mobile devices or Belk’s Facebook page.
Additional sweepstakes entries can be earned by being a Belk Rewards Card holder. Those who refer friends, submit photos of Belk memories or engage with Belk via social media also are eligible for bonus entries.
“This multi-channel campaign provides Belk customers a traditional giveaway, accessible in a modern and technologically savvy way,” says Sara Kowal, ePrize vice president of innovation.
Belk hopes the giveaway raises awareness of its 125th anniversary.
Belk is the nation’s largest family-owned and operated department-store chain, with 301 stores in 16 Southern states. It was founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe. The company has a ticker symbol (BLKI) but is not listed on any exchanges.


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Customer service is very important to keep consumers loyal to your brand and shipping is a part of good customer service. Learn how to keep customers...
What is Social Commerce?
With recent updates to major social media platforms, it's clear there is a major shift in focus for the ability for consumers to shop in-app instead of clicking an external link in a brand's profile.
First Comes E-commerce, Then Comes Social Commerce?
Apparently so! People have been inspired to purchase specific goods because of what they have seen on social media for years. Social media’s influence on the economy is more apparent now than ever - from partnered brand promotions to paid advertisements to random people on the internet just talking up brands they love for no other reason than sharing information.
So, what is Social Commerce? It is the capability to purchase goods from a third-party platform within the established social media experience.
“For example, you can browse and compare products on Facebook, and then make the purchase on Facebook itself instead of going to the company’s site to make the purchase,” says Shanelle Mullin from CXL, “Three social media sites that are dominating the social commerce space: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.”
Though this concept first made way in 2019, with recent updates to major social media platforms, like Instagram, it's clear there is a major shift in focus for the ability for consumers to shop in-app instead of searching for a brand or clicking an external link in a user’s profile.
Like It, Save It, Buy It
Social media companies are now working similarly to online marketplaces. By connecting consumers with brands, both known and new, social commerce helps broaden customer reach. This allows consumers to purchase directly from an app they already know and love. Fewer redirections mean higher chances of completing a sale.
A Wise Investment
E-commerce and social media companies alike are investing time and money in social commerce. “Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Social Commerce estimated at US$89.4 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$604.5 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 31.4% over the analysis period 2020-2027.” says a recent report from Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Social media’s most significant focus in recent years is to keep consumer’s eyes on their app. In the past, when consumers went shopping, social apps were losing money. According to Review42, in 2019, people spent an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes on social media. While we can assume that most of that time is taken up mindlessly scrolling or liking posts, retailers are trying to refocus that scrolling to shopping.
3 Reasons to Get Social
As previously stated, even before social commerce became a pivotal part of social media platforms, consumers used social media to influence their purchases. A study by Pixlee shows, 74% of consumers use social media to guide their purchasing decisions. On top of that, Pixlee also says that 60% of small to medium-sized businesses have gained new customers through social media. As the world is getting close to “getting back to normal,” post-pandemic shutdowns, it’s time to start focusing on ways to re-engage audiences.
Here are three reasons why your business should invest in social commerce:
Whether you are organically measuring sales conversion rates or measuring click-through rates (CTR) on paid advertisements, you can have a great return of investment (ROI) if done correctly. Though your ROI will change based on your campaign goals, reach, and dollars spent, social media companies want your business, so they want you to see an actual return on investment. No ad dollars? No problem. Organic marketing on social media may take extra time and effort, but social media platforms need your business profile just as much as those throwing money into paid advertising. Keep in mind you can use both for a higher reach. Most companies utilize organic social to engage their existing audience and layer in paid ads to find new customers or engage lost customers.
Creates Brand Awareness
Social commerce is a great way to gain brand awareness. Previously, when traditional e-commerce techniques, like paid ads or organic social content, link to specific products, it bypasses the “browsing” experience for shoppers by directing buyers to a particular page. The hope is that it will encourage them to add the item to their cart. This method results in higher cart abandonment, and no purchase follow-through. By utilizing new social commerce selling platforms, businesses can connect with consumers in ways never previously explored. This method helps reach a larger audience by allowing shoppers to explore a brand’s curated aesthetic and style. Consumers can scroll, see products grouped, and easily save products or add them to a cart to purchase. While you still need to create brand loyalty to convert customers to buyers, social commerce creates brand awareness, which develops into customer loyalty over time.
Improves Consumer Experience
A great customer experience is a sure-fire way to get new and existing customers to engage and convert sales from your shop. Not only are you promoting a brand to potential customers, but you are also inspiring trends, making it easy for shoppers to interact with your content, and helping them find new and old products in your inventory. Previously, businesses would have to capture consumer attention, then compel those consumers to click a link to shop through the e-commerce website. After that, they would have had to create a new account and insert all their information in order to complete the purchase. With social commerce, the consumer’s information is stored within the social platform, meaning that they can shop multiple brands and businesses from a single account.
Don’t be afraid to get social. By creating an interactive environment, consumers will connect your brand and merchandise with an easy, pleasing shopping experience, even if they don’t ultimately make a purchase. Utilizing social commerce gives consumers options without being pushy or overwhelming. With consumers able to shop similarly to an online marketplace, but from the comfort of an app they already know and love, customers are more likely to see new, exciting products to try.


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Downloads call the tune
Musicians find the net a sharp instrument for selling their wares
Published: 13 January 2008
It's not just rock bands such as Radiohead that are selling their wares direct over the internet. Hordes of contemporary avant-garde, classical and jazz composers are using the web to publish and sell their creations. Last week, we heard of the top violinist Tasmin Little releasing her latest recording, The Naked Violin, free as a download (available from tomorrow; www.tasminlittle.net ).
Maria Schneider, a Grammy-winning, New York-based composer of luscious, wide-vista "big band" music, gave up on the record industry several years ago. She now markets herself entirely online, and is critical of the way the business treats composers and musicians. "With a record label, you make nothing," she says. "I looked at the numbers and decided to eliminate the label, publisher anddistributor, and market myself direct to my fans." She signed up to ArtistShare (www.artistshare.com ), an innovative American website that encourages fans to fund artistic projects, from contemporary


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TURIN, Italy -- Fiat may form an alliance with General Motors' core operations in Europe and Latin America, a source familiar with the matter told Automotive News on Friday.
The deal would be on top of Fiat's plan to merge with Chrysler LLC and would create the world's second-largest auto group.
The talks with GM are in an early phase, said the source. He said the discussions are not an alternative to Fiat's ongoing negotiations with Chrysler.
Together, Fiat, Chrysler, Opel/Vauxhall and GM Latin America sold 7.05 million vehicles in 2008. That would have made it No. 2 in unit sales after Toyota Motor Corp.
The deal would not include Saab's and Chevrolet's European operations.
General Motors plans to carve out Germany-based Opel and British sister brand Vauxhall into a separate unit. GM CEO Fritz Henderson said today that GM has sent confidentiality agreements to more than six potential investors in Opel/Vauxhall.
“More than six people have expressed interest, serious people,” Henderson told a news conference. “Many of them are financial players, some of them are industrial players. I would expect that work would get done in the next two to three weeks, so that process has kicked off.”
A Fiat spokesman declined to comment on a possible link with Opel/Vauxhall and GM Latin America.


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The fate of Beats has been the subject to a fair measure of speculation since the fashionable audio brand was snapped up by Apple in a highly-publicised deal worth $3bn five months ago.Wed, 12 Nov 2014, 11:53am
News that Beats has been accused of patent infringement might be giving Apple a headache as it looks to close its $3bn (£1.8bn) purchase of the headphone maker and music streaming service, but there is some good news for the Cupertino giant.Tue, 29 Jul 2014, 11:06am
American audio manufacturer Bose has claimed that Beats has infringed five of its patents relating to noise-cancelling technology from its headphone range, and is now reportedly seeking to ban the sales and imports of certain pairs of Beats headphones.Mon, 28 Jul 2014, 12:16pm
Beats Electronics' first wireless earphones have been "designed for athletes" and boast IPX4 sweat and water resistanceMon, 16 Jun 2014, 03:59pm
Apple says Beats is the brand of choice in the sports world, part of the company's justification for spending £3 billion on the brand. But is that really the case?Fri, 30 May 2014, 12:53pm
The new SYNC by 50 wireless headphones use Kleer Bluetooth technology and promise better sound and battery lifeTue, 10 Apr 2012, 02:17pm
Beats Headphones news
We found 6 news for '


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Update: April 9, 2020
Flipkart SmartBuy has launched hand sanitizers and surgical masks to support the country’s efforts to control the COVID-19 outbreak. In line with the government’s directive, the sanitizers will be available at Rs. 250 for a 500ml bottle and the surgical masks (3 ply meltblown face masks) will be available at a starting price of Rs. 240 for a pack of 15. These medically certified products will be made available under the Health+ range of the brand. The Flipkart SmartBuy Health+ Hand sanitizer and Flipkart SmartBuy Surgical masks will be available on Flipkart’s platform under the Personal Care category in essentials.
#News: @Flipkart #SmartBuy launches hand sanitizers & surgical masks to support the country’s efforts to control #COVID19 outbreak. Medically certified products, priced as per government directives, will be available under the brand's Health+ range
More: https://t.co/zV6nF2wue8 pic.twitter.com/q7o092MjaS
— FlipkartStories (@FlipkartStories) April 9, 2020
Update: April 6, 2020
Flipkart has announced a partnership with Uber to provide people across Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi access to everyday essentials, amidst the ongoing national lockdown. This partnership will keep vital supply chains running and will address the growing needs of Flipkart customers to receive essential goods at their doorsteps every day. It will also support the government’s objective of keeping hundreds of millions of Indians at home to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Stay home and limit the spread.
Read more on Flipkart Newsroom: https://t.co/e1rmYA5MJA
— FlipkartStories (@FlipkartStories) April 6, 2020
Update: March 25, 2020, 7:45 pm IST
“Prime Minister Modi and the state government have taken strong, quick and decisive action to prevent the spread of the outbreak of COVID-19, and we are deeply appreciative of the measures taken to ensure that people stay at home to break the chain.
We are very grateful for the clarification provided by the government and local state authorities on the functioning of e-commerce as ‘essential service’ during the lockdown, and of them taking cognizance of the role we can play to ensure that people’s needs are met during this time, as India fights this unprecedented challenge.
We have been assured of the safe and smooth passage of our supply chain and delivery executives by local law enforcement authorities and are resuming our grocery and essentials services later today.
We continue to strengthen our supply chain in a safe and secure manner for our employees and consumers alike, and will leverage our efficient and robust delivery network to make products available to customers across the country and support the nation in this time of crisis through sanitized & safe supply chain.”
– Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO – Flipkart Group
We are grateful for the clarification provided by the government and local state authorities on the functioning of e-commerce during the lockdown. We are resuming our grocery services today.
India, we are committed to serving you at this time 🙏 Thank you for your trust
— Kalyan Krishnamurthy (@_Kalyan_K) March 25, 2020
Consequent to the government order issued on March 24 by the Ministry of Home Affairs announcing a 21-day lockdown across India to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19, Flipkart has temporarily suspended orders as we assess the possibilities of operating in the lockdown.
We are prioritising the safety of our delivery executives and seeking the support of the local governments and police authorities to meet the needs of our customers as they stay home during this lockdown.
We urge you to stay at home to be safe.
Update: March 18, 2020
As the Flipkart Group steps up its business continuity planning, Amitesh Jha, Senior Vice President – eKart & Marketplace, answers questions on preparedness and safety measures across the supply chain.
Update: March 17, 2020
In continuation of our preparedness, we have stepped up preventive action in the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the advisory on social distancing issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
- Sanitized Facilities: Our company facilities and warehouses are being sanitized and deep-cleaned at regular intervals
- Assured Hand Hygiene: All our warehouse and delivery partners are adhering to the World Health Organization’s hygiene advisory during deliveries
- Monitoring Health Hygiene: We are constantly monitoring the health of our employees and delivery associates as per WHO guidelines
Supply Chain and Logistics
- For our supply chain and logistics network, we have organized more than 3,000 awareness sessions covering over 100k employees across all our facilities on how our employees and partners can minimize their exposure by following simple precautionary measures
- We are providing all our wishmasters with alcohol-based sanitizer solutions and other required equipment to use while they are on the go, and are keeping track of impacted areas to minimize their exposure
- Wishmasters who are unwell are being advised to rest with all assurance of medical support and we are giving our full time contractors and wishmasters paid leave when needed
Update: March 13, 2020
In light of the current updates on the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and keeping in mind the well-being of our employees, we have decided to extend work from home for our employees till the end of next week (March 20, 2020). Our trial to check our system preparedness has given us the confidence that our teams will be able to meet their commitments to our customers and sellers.
Our supply chain and last mile delivery operations will continue to take necessary precautions while meeting our commitment to customers. We are providing our wishmasters with sanitizers and other required equipment to use while they are on the go, and are keeping track of impacted areas to minimize their exposure.
Update: March 11, 2020
Across the Flipkart Group, we are focused on prioritizing the health and well-being of our employees, wishmasters, customers and sellers. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are communicating with our stakeholders. As an additional precautionary measure, over March 11-13, 2020, employees at Flipkart and Myntra are working from home to check the system preparedness for working remotely using digital/video tools.
- In light of primary schools in Bengaluru declaring holidays on the directive of the government, we are encouraging parents with young children to work remotely to balance their commitments. We are promoting the use of video conferences for meetings, including job interviews, and are temporarily avoiding events and training programs that require large gatherings as a precautionary measure.
- The company’s facilities are being sanitized and deep-cleaned at regular intervals as per standard norms for such situations, and we are encouraging good hygiene outlined by health advisories issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
- Specifically, for our supply chain and logistics network, we have organized awareness sessions across all our facilities on how our employees and partners can minimize their exposure by following simple precautionary measures.
- We are providing all our wishmasters sanitizers and other required equipment to use while they are on the go, and are keeping track of impacted areas to minimize their exposure. Wishmasters who are unwell are being advised to rest with all assurance of medical support.
- We remain committed to leveraging the power of e-commerce and continue to serve communities across India in this time of need.
Update: March 6, 2020
Health and well-being come first. Amid rising concerns around Coronavirus and COVID-19, that’s the message the Flipkart Group has underscored in our communication to employees in our offices and across our pan-India supply chain, as well as our marketplace sellers and MSME partners across the Flipkart ecosystem. We appreciate the steadfast commitment of our supply chain employees and wishmasters for sparing no effort to ensure that consumers continue to get their orders, particularly essential products, in time. We remain committed to leveraging the power of e-commerce and continue to serve consumers across India in this time of need. We thank you, our customers, for your patience and understanding, and for your continued trust and faith in Flipkart.
Measures in place for employees and supply chain staff
- We are continuously monitoring the situation and have issued an advisory to our employees across all our establishments
- We have also issued guidelines and measures to be undertaken by employees and their families, keeping their safety in mind
- All domestic and international business travel have been suspended with immediate effect
- In our supply chain and logistics network, we have organized awareness sessions across all our facilities on how our employees and partners can minimize their exposure by following simple precautionary measures and good hygiene practices in line with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, Government of India
- We are promoting the use of video conferences for meetings, including job interviews, and are temporarily avoiding events and training programs that require large gatherings as a precautionary measure
- We are encouraging employees/staff who are unwell to not report to work and also providing our teams with all required material, including sanitizers as they interact with customers across the country
- We are working closely with our marketplace partners to ensure adequate availability of consumer sanitary products like hand sanitizers, gloves and masks
- Flipkart Travel, through our partner ixigo, is offering full refund (including convenience fee) on cancellation and rescheduling of air tickets booked on Flipkart Travel. This is applicable on travel to selected countries up to March 31, 2020
- We are aware of the possibility of surging prices of some products on the Flipkart marketplace. While we do not control prices of products on the Flipkart marketplace platform, we are working closely with our sellers to urge responsible pricing and behavior. Products with fake claims and inflated prices are being removed on an ongoing basis.
- Certain products may be out of stock on Flipkart due to high customer demand. We are working with our sellers to replenish products and encouraging them to be fair in the prices they are proposing.
For marketplace sellers
We value the health and safety of our marketplace sellers as well as MSMEs and their employees and partners.
- The Flipkart Seller Hub is continuously in touch with Flipkart sellers to promote preventive healthcare and hygiene. Our team has communicated necessary precautions in order to ensure the health and safety of our marketplace sellers and their staff amid concerns over public health during the recent global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
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Two models strike a pose at the 2016 Luxshine National Heritage Grand Ceremony. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]
Traditional Peking opera or latest fashion show? Well, the two seem to belong to different eras. However, what happens when they mix together?
Here comes the 2016 Luxshine National Heritage Grand Ceremony cum Peking Opera Young Performers Competition Awards.
At the ceremony, young Peking opera artists not only performed, but also walked on the red carpet, a highlight of the event.


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Today in Tedium: College is expensive—so much so that when a billionaire announces plans to cover the student loans of an entire graduating class, it becomes front-page news and leads to an inevitable flood of “Scott’s Tots” jokes. But college is complicated … and expensive. Which is probably one reason why online education is on the rise. Inside Higher Ed reported last year that 3.1 million students enrolled online exclusively in 2017, an increase of more than 4 percent from the prior year. (And lest you think it’s because for-profit companies were marketing really well, it turns out most of the growth in online colleges was happening with public institutions and nonprofits—for-profit institutions actually fell the year before.) But online learning had to come from somewhere, and it existed long before the World Wide Web. When you could first get credit for a college course from the comfort of your terminal, what did that look like? Today’s Tedium explains. Class is in session. — Ernie @ Tedium
Today’s Tedium is sponsored by East Brooklyn Labs, which has a new Kickstarter campaign going. More on that in a second.
The year the Educational Testing Service first created the College Level Examination Program, a key offering that helped bring consistency and value to correspondence education. This offering, which plays on the idea that one can earn college credit with knowledge already earned outside of a traditional classroom, is managed to this day by the College Board, is a key part of what made college-level telelearning programs possible as early at the 1980s.
How I bought the keys to a college education for a dollar … kinda
I’ve become pretty decent at sussing out a good deal in the past few years, but never did I think that I would be able to buy a whole university for a dollar.
Fortunately, I knew where to look: The Vintage Computer Foundation’s VCF East, where, hiding inside a pile of old software boxes, I spotted it: “The World’s First Electronic University,” a piece of software for the Commodore 64 that pledged to offer me a world of education on a computer.
The Electronic University Enrollment Package, sold for $49.95 upon launch by a company named TeleLearning, clearly thought a lot of itself, and some of that thought translated directly into the at-times odd branding within the package. The box, which is friggin’ massive and proved quite the object to carry around at VCF East, doesn’t even use all of its allotted space very effectively. Inside is a plastic binder, complete with a faux-leathery plastic case—which seems designed less to actually properly fit the information and more to highlight that this is an education product. Beyond the two 5.25-inch floppy disks, the booklet has a list of all the available courses, as well as a list of schools that accept college credit through the College Level Examination Program—a list that, at the time, included 1,700 schools. (These days, it’s closer to 2,900.)
“For the first time you can ask questions, receive instruction, and get advice on anything from computer literacy to wine tasting,” the manual stated, by way of introduction. “Your TeleLearning instructor will take you through the course of your choice step-by-step, from beginning to end.”
One notable thing included in the box? A 300-baud “Knowledge Modem,” which TeleLearning appears to have later sold individually.
For fifty bucks, the box itself didn’t get you much more beyond the software and the modem, however. You were still on the hook for paying for the education, as well as any charges you might incur by using the modem. It was the key to your virtual dorm, rather than a way you could access classes for free.
The software had both an educational pedigree—a number of major universities supported it—and a technological one. In the case of the latter, the founder of TeleLearning, Ron Gordon, was the President of Atari when that meant something—during the mid-1970s, at the time when its Pong consoles were the biggest thing out there—and stayed just long enough to save the company from disastrous mismanagement before Time Warner bought Atari out. He was literally the adult brought into the room.
TeleLearning was Gordon’s followup, and it was a pretty interesting one at that, one that’s likely had as many reverberations on modern education as Atari did on video games.
This program, for its time, was considered pretty ambitious and unusual, and received extreme praise from political figures. A New York Times article from 1983 included a quote from Terrel Howard Bell, then the current education secretary in the Reagan administration, who seemed to be outright endorsing the product in a speech at a news conference.
“This couldn’t come at a more propitious time,” Bell said. “The thrilling thing about this is its flexibility and adaptability and its potential to reach all individuals and then to teach them from where they are and individualize the teaching.”
His staff, aware that the perception might be taken the wrong way, was quick to walk back Bell’s comments, making clear that he was excited about the idea of an electronic university in general. But even more effusive in his praise? Then-Vice President George H.W. Bush, who had this to say:
“The educational breakthrough that the Electronic University promises will provide education on an unprecedented scale,” Bush said. “This affordable, personalized system has the additionally attractive by-product of generating thousands of new jobs in the recruitment of teachers.”
There’s no getting around high praise like that!
Tired of the constant scramble for chargers and the mess of tangled wires? East Brooklyn Labs has launched their Kickstarter campaign for iQonAir: The world’s first all-in-one universal wireless charging dock.
Wirelessly charge any two cell phones (Apple or Android), your smart watch, an additional device (think AirPods 2.0) on one convenient dock—plus an extra 4 USB ports for any additional devices.
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The iQonAir is perfect for your bedside table, office desk, coffee table & windowsill - or anywhere you regularly charge your electronic devices.
The best news? You can be the first to try the iQonAir at 40% below the retail price. Support the iQonAir Kickstarter campaign and kiss the cables in your life goodbye.
“TeleLearning is the bricks and mortar of a new type of classroom. This is a new means of learning. We don’t take place of the classroom, but we act as a supplement. TeleLearning is a vehicle to deliver the information.”
— TeleLearning founder Ron Gordon, discussing the conceit behind the platform that his company created in a 1984 InfoWorld article. Gordon noted that the service, which had about 15,000 regular users by 1985, was often purchased as a gift for computer users, who were often receiving their first machines around the time that the product was released.
Where the Electronic University sits in the grand scheme of digital learning
Now, to be clear, educational efforts long predated the work of TeleLearning. As I wrote previously, “edutainment” was gaining steam among software users around this time, and found even greater popularity in the 1990s.
It wasn’t even the first networked educational tool. The tool that takes that crown is PLATO, which I wrote about in 2017 in a review of Brian Dear’s The Friendly Orange Glow, was at least two decades old before TeleLearning released its product. But the two products differed greatly, something highlighted by a 1986 Computer Chronicles episode that literally put spokespeople for each technology side by side.
PLATO’s great gift was its ability to teach educational concepts with the technology itself—a powerful tool, and one that proved greatly influential to computing in general.
But where TeleLearning shined was in a more practical way—by actually putting learners in touch with real professors and educators who were working behind a computer screen. It was an Electronic University in every sense of the word, and through the service, it was possible to gain knowledge that could lead to an actual degree—or at the very least, college credit.
It was a further extension of the concept of the correspondence course, a concept that was not new by the mid-1980s—in the U.S., examples of it dated as far back as 1873, with the Society to Encourage Studies at Home created by the daughter of a Harvard professor. (A full history of the society was created at the time of its 1897 dissolution—which not enough organizations do when dissolving!) By the time the Society had shuttered, much larger universities had gotten in the correspondence game, which gained popularity in part because many Americans lived in parts of the country that did not have local universities of their own.
It was a system that had produced a significant infrastructure and was well-established and well-accredited by the time the computer came along—which made it perfect for modernization with the help of a computer.
A 1985 article for Compute focused on another way that The Electronic University innovated: In its use of email. At the time, the concept of electronic mail was still relatively unknown to most of the public, having been invented as a part of the ARPANET network, no matter what this guy says.
Certainly, other offerings existed at the time, such as what could be found on Compuserve and similar services also did this, but the Electronic University stood out because it was very much a consumer product targeted at a non-technical audience.
Running virtual classes through email isn’t the ideal structure, as some of its enthusiasts at the time were quick to note.
Tom Copley, a professor who moved to The Electronic University from Ohio’s Antioch College, noted the one-on-one format allowed him to more closely interact with individual students. But on the other hand, it did not exactly offer the benefits of working with peers—or even other humans.
“You lose the group dynamics of working in a class environment; some people find that very stimulating,” he admitted to the magazine. “Of course, a lot of educators are critical of the class environment. They say the students are being spoon-fed, entertained. There is none of that in this system. Alternatively, though, there are a lot of things you can do, like screen layout, to make it interesting.”
In a review for PC Magazine, writer Dara Pearlman felt that the service was fast and relatively inexpensive given the cost of online access in 1985, but found that the interface (which wasn’t made for real-time chat) sometimes made what were already limited interactions with course professors even tougher:
Technical difficulties kept my Reading Aloud instructor, Amy Spaulding, from responding to my questions for 4 days. Later, when we arranged a real-time chat, TeleLearning’s mainframe computer was down, which prevented our conversation. We rescheduled the chat and were finally able to converse via computer, but that too held its disappointments. The TeleLearning software did a fine job of keeping track of whose turn it was to talk by flashing “Instructor” when it was Spaulding’s turn and “Student” when it was my turn, but I found the process almost unbearably slow.
(Gordon said this was intentional—in an effort to save costs, it only polled data occasionally, meaning that it was good for email messages but unusable for real-time chat.)
So no, this offering wasn’t exactly a particularly educationally stimulating approach—certainly not compared to the plasma screens and impressive graphics of the PLATO system, and definitely minus the multimedia that would be in fashion just a few years later. But an education secretary and Vice President couldn’t be wrong, right?
The year the University of Phoenix started offering online courses. The for-profit school, perhaps the most closely associated with online education today, grew quickly off the move and years later became one of the largest universities in the world because of it. It wasn’t the only school that had thrown its hat fully into the virtual ring, however—so too was Thomas Edison State College (now Thomas Edison State University), a public New Jersey school, focused on continuing education, that was formed in 1972. The school embraced online education early with the help of The Electronic University, and was one of five schools of higher learning that fully accepted college credit from the platform by 1984. Nowadays, more than half of all TESU students don’t even live in New Jersey.
The Electronic University eventually evolved into a platform, later called the Electronic University Network, that could be easily accessed on America Online in the early 1990s, giving it a graphical user interface and helping to improve the interactions that users had with their instructors.
In a 1990 San Francisco Examiner article, the company discussed efforts to move beyond simply offering higher education, into producing products that make it easier for people to get online for the first time. Part of the strategy for the product (which I can’t find any record of being actually released) is that the company hoped to infiltrate “social networks”—the traditional kind, think Rotary Clubs—to help sell the product.
Essentially, the company hoped to sell something that was eventually baked into operating systems and web browsers.
Speaking of, the Web did a number on the company’s model. Throughout the ’90s, the company’s courses remained on AOL, but by 1998, the firm had started on the path of a series of mergers that seem to have turned his onetime innovative product, promoted by vice presidents, into a pile of dust. The only affiliated thing that seems to have survived is an online education counseling service called GetEducated, which was launched in 1989 around the time the AOL version of the service launched.
(Ron Gordon, by this point, had long since left the company and was working on something called MindDrive, a technology that promised the ability to control objects with your mind. Obvious next step, am I rite?)
This all, of course, means that TeleLearning, despite being early to the online university game, didn’t really get to see its groundwork through. It was an important bridge for universities (as well as students) that might have wanted to test out the benefits of a correspondence approach. (While probably not perfect, its strategy of partnering with actual accredited universities, rather than being one itself, helped avoid some of the pitfalls the model would later run into.)
It was, as well, probably the first online experience for a whole bunch of folks.
It’s too bad—because it’s likely that in an age where educational resources are found as easily as by typing in a search bar and online universities are proving important parts of the bottom line for some of the biggest schools in the country—schools as prominent as Harvard, Stanford, and MIT have online course or even degree offerings—it would sure be nice if the folks who helped originate this model got a little more notice.
Sure, the tech wasn’t quite ready, but TeleLearning, like PLATO before it, showed how close it actually was.


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Six Malaysian Students To Battle It Out At The
2021 APAC FedEx / JA International Trade Challenge Finals
FedEx Express / JA ITC Malaysia Concludes its 14th Year of Competition
Top 6 Winners
MALAYSIA, August 2, 2021 – FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, together with Junior Achievement (JA), announced the six Malaysian students who won the 2021 FedEx Express / JA International Trade Challenge (ITC) Malaysia. The students now advance to compete at the FedEx Express / JA ITC Asia Pacific Regional Finals later this month. FedEx Express Malaysia and Junior Achievement (JA), have been hosting the competition since 2008.MALAYSIA, August 2, 2021 – FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, together with Junior Achievement (JA), announced the six Malaysian students who won the 2021 FedEx Express / JA International Trade Challenge (ITC) Malaysia. The students now advance to compete at the FedEx Express / JA ITC Asia Pacific Regional Finals later this month. FedEx Express Malaysia and Junior Achievement (JA), have been hosting the competition since 2008. It may feel overwhelming for people to participate in this competition. If they want to distress for a short while, then can do so on sites such as 텐텐벳.
The FedEx Express / JA ITC provides a platform for students to gain firsthand experience of international trade and entrepreneurship while cultivating a business mindset. To date, the FedEx Express / JA ITC has reached over seven thousand students in Malaysia.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s competition was held virtually for second consecutive year. Over 500 students participated in a series of seven intensive virtual workshops held through April 2021 to prepare them for the competition. During the workshops, several FedEx volunteers facilitated and mentored the students on how to structure and present their business plans. This can be quite anxiety-inducing but you can always utilize products such as CBD Oil.
At the Malaysian finals, 15 shortlisted teams presented their market entry strategy plans for a fashion product targeted at the Pakistan consumer market. Applying the insights and knowledge gained from the virtual workshops, the students presented their teams’ business plan with value proposition, pricing strategies, identified market opportunities and distribution channels to a distinguished panel of judges that comprised of SC Chong, managing director of operations at FedEx Express Malaysia; Zaman Ahmad, head of corporate ventures of Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Jasmine Ng, co-founder of EnGame.
“We are delighted to see that more than 500 students from all over Malaysia have taken part in the FedEx Express / JA ITC workshops despite the lockdown,” said SC Chong, managing director operations, FedEx Express Malaysia. “The Top 15 teams that made it to the Malaysia Finals demonstrated thorough market research, creativity and smart pricing strategies, high quality financial analysis, and practical supply chain design. By organizing this competition year after year, we hope to continue inspiring a new generation that understands and appreciates the importance of international trade to help prepare their careers as future business leaders. The finalists this year have validated that we are on the right track.”
This year, the three winning Malaysian teams that will compete at the FedEx Express / JA ITC Regional Finals are:
• Team Venerable: Alyssa Goh Min Yi and Jayden Leong Jin Chern from SMK Seafield, created a handbag called “RRAW” (Reducing and Repurposing Agricultural Waste). The front and back panels of RRAW are made up of leather from natural fibres and the sides are made of hand-woven wheat straws. The pattern of this bag was inspired by combining Pakistani rugs as well as the Malaysian “anyaman” style. This product is targeted for women aged 15 to 54 years old, as they make up 54% of Pakistan’s population. Both Alyssa and Jayden believe that to reach the top of your game, you need to invest in an innovative and sustainable product just like this gold investments.
• Team Shamsi Co.: Sree Sanjana Manoj and Krithika from SMK Bandar Utama Damansara 3, developed the Solar Shield – a sun protective clothing made for women to protect them from the hazards of UV rays as 67% of the Pakistan’s population are exposed to extreme heat conditions. The Solar Shield is made from a range of Sun Protective Fabric which typically has an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of 30. Hence, only 1 out of 30 units of UV rays will pass through the fabric.
• Team Pyara: Lavanya Indran and Leanne Cheong from SMK Bandar Utama Damansara 3, who developed the AaRAM Boots, high quality footwear designed for labourers, working class women and young adults. It is made of plastic-free, natural fibres for the soles and tear-resistant shoelaces out of synthetic wool from recycled plastic bottles. This footwear caters to various foot types, from low to high arches. There were three objectives behind their design – meant for those unable to afford high quality footwear, have a footwear option that can withstand Pakistan’s weather conditions, and to provide a product that is Halal-certified.
Chairman of JA Malaysia, Stuart Dean shared his enthusiasm about the upcoming regional competition. Dean said, “Every year these young minds never fail to impress us with their talent and entrepreneurial spirit. Even though we are currently living in a challenging virtual world, we know that these students will excel at the Regional Finals. Thank you to FedEx Express Malaysia for this continuing collaboration and for sharing the same values and vision as us, which is to nurture and upskill our future talent.”
At the Regional Finals, the three winning Malaysian teams will be paired up randomly with students from other countries such as Vietnam, China, Japan, Hong Kong SAR, Philippines, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore, to boost cross-cultural exchange of ideas.
For more updates, insights and photographs of the FedEx Express / JA ITC 2021, log onto www.facebook.com/AsiaPacificITC.


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Unilever, owner of beauty brands Dove and Simple, is to drop use of the word "normal" on beauty products to be more inclusive.
The multinational group also announced it would be banning excessive editing of model photos used as part of marketing. This ban will include photographs of models alongside any social media influencers used to promote Unilever beauty products.
Management said Unilever wants to accommodate a "more inclusive definition of beauty", having previously faced allegations of pushing harmful stereotypes around dark skin tones.
'A new era of beauty that's inclusive, equitable and sustainable'
Removal of the word "normal" from products will be a first step in promoting this more inclusive definition, hopes Unilever, with the firm's president of beauty and personal care products, Sunny Jain, saying: "We know that removing 'normal' from our products and packaging will not fix the problem alone, but it is an important step forward."
The changes will be made from next year, with Unilever promising further action beyond this as part of "a new era of beauty that's inclusive, equitable and sustainable".
Further commitment include increasing the number of people from under represented groups shown in adverts and using ingredients that are more natural and biodegradable in beauty products.
The move comes after a series of criticisms levelled at Unilever products in recent years, with a skin lightening cream sold across Asia coming under fire.
Last year, Unilever rebranded the cream - previously named Fair and Lovely to Glow and Lovely, but has not bowed to pressure to stop selling the product, saying it has "never been and is not a skin bleaching cream".
In 2017, the company was criticised for a Facebook advert campaign which showed a black woman taking off her t-shirt to reveal a white woman beneath her skin. The third image then showed the white woman undressing to reveal an Asian woman.
Big brands are increasingly becoming sensitive to consumer demands for sustainable, socially aware products, with fallouts from controversies hitting sales.
This isn't the first time Unilever has expressed support for social issues, launching the Crown Fund UK in January to stop discrimination around black hairstyles.
Ben & Jerry's ice cream, meanwhile, has voiced support for a number of social and environmental issues, including the Black Lives Matter protests.


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January 8th 2013
By Mike Flaminio
Liquipel brought an innovative water resistant treatment for mobile devices, at CES they announced a new version of the product and application. Version 2 will go beyond splashing and incidental water content to full submission protection.
The company also announced a new Liquipel pod for retailers that should bring the product to local stores.


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Google has just rolled out the new Checkout Store Gadget currently running under Google Labs. This gadget lets users create their own online stores using Google Spreadsheet, Google Docs, and Google Checkout. The Official Google Docs Blog gave a rundown of the necessary steps that users need to take to create their online stores.
First users need to sign up for a Google Checkout account. The checkout account will be used for processing orders placed at the online store. It can also help them attract new sales leads as well as convert more sales for their products.
After signing up for a Google Checkout account, users then need to list the products they want to sell using Google Docs spreadsheet.
Finally, after preparing the Google docs spreadsheets, users will need to embed the Google Checkout store gadget on their websites. Instructions on embedding the Google Checkout to differents sites including Google Sites, iGoogle, Blogger and other blog sites are enumerated here.
The Google Checkout Store Gadget uses the new Spreadsheets Data API which include the Tables and Records feeds and were released to developers last month. These APIs provides a structured record-based table for storing and updating tabular data in a spreadsheet. The Table API allows placing of tables anywhere on a sheet while the Records Feeds is a feed of rows within a table.