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It’s not just the high street that’s changing, it’s the entire retail landscape.
In the same way as new purpose is being sought for hard-pressed town centres, retail property owners more widely are rethinking their propositions.
Intu, owner of shopping centres such as Lakeside and Metrocentre, this week said that it was looking at alternative uses for some of its space.
With 470 acres of car parks and other land that could be redeveloped in six out-of-town centres, Intu is considering housing, hotels and flexible workspace. Potential for 5,000 residential rental units and 600 hotel rooms has been identified.
The initiative follows Brent Cross and Grand Central owner Hammerson’s decision in the summer to quit the retail parks market and to scale back car parks in urban locations and turn the space over to “more mixed-use lifestyle venues”.
The changes reflect dramatic technological and societal shifts in how people shop, what they want to buy and the sort of places they want to spend time in.
A driverless world
But the revolution may still be in its early days. The relevance of car parks is indicative both of increasing urbanisation and another tech shock on the horizon – the arrival of driverless cars.
On the same day as Intu revealed its thinking, John Lewis published its annual study, How we shop, live and look.
In it, the impact of driverless cars was on John Lewis futurologist John Vary’s mind.
He wrote: “As driverless cars become the norm, the need for car parks at retail outlets and shopping centres will become irrelevant.
“Instead, these spaces could be repurposed for 3D printing and manufacturing. Houses and even city farms could also replace parking spaces.”
If the decline of driving seems far-fetched, it’s not. Car service Addison Lee said on Monday that it was teaming up with driverless software company Oxbotica – which has also worked with Ocado – and hopes to provide self-driving taxis in London by 2021.
For retailers still struggling to adapt to the demands of omnichannel – and there are many of them – the prospect of further waves of disruption to established ways of doing business may prompt more uncertainty and even fear.
However, rather than wringing their hands retailers need to grasp the nettle of change because there will be so much more to come.
Focus on tomorrow’s shoppers
While new technology may bring threat and discomfort, it will also bring exciting new opportunity.
Vary raises the prospect of consumers sharing their DNA with retailers to enable products to be tailored to individuals, and of smart technology in the home that “will act as your very own personal shopper, alerting shops in advance when you are running low on something or looking for a gift or special product”.
For some, such a vision might represent a utopian brave new world of possibility. For others it’s the stuff of a dystopia straight from the pages of JG Ballard.
But retailers should never fear the future – an ability to anticipate consumer needs and desires has typically transformed businesses and galvanized innovation, whether that was the advent of self-serviced supermarkets or the exponential growth of Amazon.
As a difficult year for many draws close to its end, it’s perhaps unsurprising in the wake of turmoil and business collapses that industry debate has occasionally been inward looking.
That’s partly because of the refusal of legislators to reform outdated systems, such as business rates, at the same pace as retail is attempting to reform itself.
While retailers should continue campaigning against the unfair and punitive cost burdens they face, they need also to focus relentlessly on tomorrow’s shopper.
If there’s one conclusion to draw from the events of recent years, it’s that the future will come faster than you think.


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5 big name executives that think cryptocurrency is the future
Twitter, PayPal, Citigroup, Overstock.com, Deutsche bank bosses bet big on crypto, but in different ways.
Twitter and Square Payments CEO Jack Dorsey has been raising eyebrows lately with his outlandishly bullish predictions for cryptocurrency, and bitcoin in particular. His take might be one of the most enthusiastic, but plenty of CEOs and executives are betting big on bitcoin and other cryptocurrency in different ways.
1. Jack Dorsey – Twitter, Square CEO
"The world ultimately will have a single currency, the internet will have a single currency. I personally believe that it will be bitcoin." - Jack Dorsey in an interview with The Times.
Well then. It doesn't get much more bullish than that. But to be fair, as CEO of the Square payment company he has a vested interest in seeing cryptocurrencies, and bitcoin in particular, succeed.
It's also worth noting that in the same interview he declined to take any questions about Twitter, and if there's one topic that can sidetrack interviews these days it might be bitcoin.
2. Peter Thiel – PayPal co-founder
"I would be long bitcoin, and neutral to skeptical of just about everything else at this point with a few possible exceptions." - Peter Thiel, speaking at the New York Economic Club.
Venture capitalist and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel spoke lovingly of bitcoin as digital gold, describing the quest for wealth as the "bubble that never pops" while speaking at the Economic Club of New York. He naturally has a vested interest, estimated to be in the US$15 to $20 million range, in its success.
In the same presentation he described himself as being keen on "charismatic" technologies like bitcoin, naming artificial intelligence as a dull and uninteresting counterpoint, praised US president Donald Trump and complained about being bullied for his political views by the Silicon Valley crowd, explaining that it's what drove him to Los Angeles instead.
3. Michael Corbat – Citigroup CEO
"You won’t hear us be dismissive in terms of the nascent technology because it’s real and there is something there." - Michael Dorsey, Bloomberg Interview
Citigroup CEO Michael Corbat reckons that cryptocurrencies are inevitably the way of the future, although he sees it taking the form of state-sponsored digital currencies. Citigroup has reportedly been trialling their own digital currency, internally dubbed Citicoin in line with the usual crypto naming conventions, but probably doesn't see a whole lot in the future of bitcoin.
On the other hand, Citigroup chief economist Willem Buiter has described bitcoin as an "utter failure" and thinks its days are numbered.
"The cyber boys... they believe that this is something that can just work on its own and allow a seamless web of costless transactions around the world. Forget it," he said at the Davos economic forum.
On the other other hand, Buiter is dismissively describing exactly what a mature decentralised currency can do. It's doing the impossible, which is exactly why people are so excited by it.
4. Patrick Byrne – Overstock.com CEO
"It’s about time the world switches to real money. Either gold or bitcoin." - Patrick Byrne, on FoxBusiness.
Overstock was among the first major online retails to accept bitcoin, and it still does. Although there are signs that he's now expanding his view beyond bitcoin and looking for its next successor, which he reckons he might have found in a unknown and unusual cryptocurrency called Ravencoin.
There's a lot of reasonable concern about how cryptocurrency isn't like other assets, in that its value can actually drop to zero. But as Byrne accurately pointed out, the world's history is littered with now-worthless fiat currencies, and on the historical scale every single fiat currency is destined to hit zero at some point.
That the value of bitcoin is beyond any outside influence (even though it's most definitely not) seems to underpin Byrne's confidence in the future of the coin.
5. Peter Hooper – Deutsche Bank chief economist
"Ultimately, we’re going to have to find a way to accommodate and regulate [bitcoin]." - Peter Hooper, to Bloomberg.
Bitcoin is here to stay, agreed Deutsche Bank economists. "The whole idea has a potential future, but it could be better designed," said Peter Hooper.
It's not the most ringing endorsement, but it does suggest that Deutsche Bank sees an inevitable future in cryptocurrencies as a technology in general. It's an echo of Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan's previous views that cash will be extinct a decade from now.
Physical money is expensive and inefficient, and when you factor in its creation and handling costs inevitably worth a little bit less than its face value in the grand scheme of things, it's argued. Much like Citigroup, Deutsche Bank is well aware of the benefits of distributed ledger technology in handling money, but for fairly obvious reasons isn't too keen on public cryptocurrencies.
The balanced consensus might be that decentralised public cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, and centralised bank-backed cryptocurrencies will be coexisting in the future.
But there's no clear consensus, and there are still no bullet proof predictions anywhere. Some blockchain-focused investors have argued that it's worth buying bitcoin simply because there's a higher than 0% chance of it being worth a fortune in the future, while other experienced investors like Willem Buiter wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
To compound the difficulty of effectively predicting cryptocurrency's future, some countries like Russia have their own reasons to push public decentralised cryptocurrencies to the front of the world economy.
There's only one way to be 100% certain. Take aboard the opinions you agree with, ignore the ones you don't and then sit back with complete confidence.
Disclosure: At the time of writing the author holds ETH, IOTA, ICX, VEN, XLM, BTC, NANO
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domain: news


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The future of software and the web is rapidly changing, but it will be a challenge to adapt.
With that in mind, the software industry is developing a report that will offer a blueprint for how the world will look in the years ahead.
The report, called The Future of Web and Software, was commissioned by the Internet Association, a trade group for the web and the technologies it supports.
The Future Of Web and Web technologies, developed by the nonprofit nonprofit, will be published online in April.
It is the first comprehensive look at the future of the internet, which has emerged as a powerful force for innovation, change and change in the world.
The future will be “wider, faster and more ubiquitous than ever before,” the report said.
The key elements of the report are: Web browsers will evolve to handle the vast amounts of information that will be coming online in the coming years, including social, financial, medical, health, business, and entertainment news, videos and photos.
Web pages will become smarter.
They will have search capabilities, image recognition, video playback, video streaming, and other advanced features.
There will be faster and richer search for content.
They’ll be able to read text, analyze data, understand speech, and understand other types of information.
They’re also developing ways to support a wide range of online services.
Web browsing will become easier and faster.
The browser will provide access to a broad range of web content, from news, to social media, to financial and entertainment.
And the browser will be able create and display web pages.
It will even support mobile devices.
Web and web browsers will continue to evolve.
Web browsers are more powerful than ever.
They now include powerful search capabilities and a new version of Google’s Search engine that is better for search than it was when it first debuted in 2011.
The new version is built for the modern web, which is the type of experience we want for our children, our childrens, and our grandchildren.
And we expect browsers to evolve in other ways as well.
The browsers are increasingly connected to the Internet and will continue their role in managing the flow of information and connecting us to the web.
Web developers and web services will continue building on the current capabilities of browsers.
And browsers will develop new capabilities, like cross-domain requests, which will help deliver better experiences for users across all their devices and sites.
And more advanced features will be added, like data-gathering capabilities, to improve how people interact with their sites and applications.
These are some of the changes that are set to come as browsers become more advanced.
As the report notes, this will take time.
“For the first time, browsers will begin to offer new features and services,” it says.
“The next step is for browsers to offer a full suite of features, and for the browsers to gain broader support and acceptance.”
It says that some of these features will take many years to develop, while others will require only a few weeks to deliver.
The industry will continue its push toward the future.
The internet will be an even bigger force in our lives, and the future is going to be even bigger.
That means that the next step will be for us to think about how we’re going to use our tools and services, and how we can take advantage of their capabilities, and take advantage not just of them, but how they can help us do the work of helping others.
The world of the web, with its rich content and its wide range, will continue expanding.
The web will continue becoming more connected, and that will enable us to share our experiences and work in new ways.
And it will continue changing how we communicate and interact.
Web technologies are the foundation of our future.
We’ll be part of a much broader ecosystem, with the internet becoming a new world.
That’s not to say that the future isn’t going to have its ups and downs.
But the web will be the future, and we’re just getting started.
To learn more about how the web has changed, see this report from the Internet Society, which was commissioned to produce a report on the future: “The Future of the Web and the Future Of the Web Technologies” [PDF]


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HH Princess Noura Bint Faisal Al Saud just announced that Saudi Arabia is set to host its first ever Arab Fashion Week. The announcement was made in London and marks a new chapter for the Kingdom. The spectacle will be six days long, and will host the world’s leading designers and top models in Riyadh from March 26 to 31.
The event will take place at the Apex Center, the architectural icon designed by Dame Zaha Hadid, and will be headlined by the Italian legend Roberto Cavalli.
“The first Arab Fashion Week in Riyadh will be more than a world-class event, it is a catalyst through which we believe the fashion sector will lead other economic sectors such as tourism, hospitality, travel, and trade,” Princess Noura said in a statement on the council’s website.
“We are proud of the significant progress achieved by the Arab Fashion Council in Riyadh, as we announce today the first Fashion Week in the history of the Kingdom,” the Royal added.
The news follows the recent opening of an Arab Fashion Council office in the Kingdom, as well as the appointment of HH Princess Noura as Honorary President of the Arab Fashion Council. The launch of the fashion event comes under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious post-oil economic plan which aims to make Saudi a more modern, tourist-friendly destination.


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Those clever little exfoliating balls that float around in your shower gel and body scrub, as well as the teeth-scouring grains in your toothpaste, may be great cosmetically. But there’s a potentially huge environmental cost: the thousands of microbeads added to cosmetics and hygiene products are made from plastic. The non-biodegradable particles, tinier than a pinhead, are designed, once used, to be flushed away with your waste water – and because of their tiny size they end up in aquatic habitats.
As many as 8 trillion microbeads enter aquatic habitats after leaving water treatment plants in the USA each day, a study recently found. The microbeads have been found in most of the oceans and large bodies of water across the world because they pass straight through water purification systems. The video above by LUSH Cosmetics North America explains this in detail.
A global campaign to stop the inclusion of microbeads in consumer products called Beat the Microbead has attracted many large organisations to join in the cause. Locally the International Ocean Institute South Africa (IOI-SA) has added its support. The IOI-SA says it promotes the quick phasing out of plastic microbeads in personal care products. “There are natural alternatives available so there is no excuse for manufacturers to use plastic.”
While the exact impact of the beads is still being researched, the growing concern is that the beads could be mistaken for a food source by Zooplankton and other micro organisms and will then enter the ecosystem. “Not all animals are able to excrete the plastic, so in some species it accumulates internally. The surface of plastics attracts and absorbs persistent organic pollutants found in the marine environment, such as PCBs and DDT, which can then transfer into animal tissue. There are also toxic chemicals that are added to plastics during the manufacturing process that can pose threats to the marine environment and marine fauna,” says IOI-SA.
The state of California has become the latest to join the movement against microbeads in the USA. Canada is also considering banning the plastics. Beat the Microbead says every person can aid the change by not purchasing cosmetics and hygiene products with polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethyl methacrylate or nylon in them.
Image and video credit: LUSH Cosmetics North America


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The Consumer Price Index (CPI) flatlined between June and July as energy prices cooled. Core CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy sectors, edged up 0.1% during the month. A drop in used vehicle prices and airfares dampened an acceleration in inflation in prescription drugs and medical services.
The overall CPI rose 0.8% from a year ago, a moderation from what we saw in June, while core CPI rose 2.2% from a year ago, which is close to what we have seen in recent months. That will add fuel to the debate within the Fed about the timing on interest rate hikes.


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The Economic Benefits of Marijuana: Should Liberia Explore The Sector?
Monrovia – Smoking marijuana has caused many troubles for Liberia, rendering some users mentally ill while imposing a ridiculously daunting task on law enforcers to control its usage.
Report by Alpha Daffae Senkpeni / [email protected]
The plant, otherwise known as Cannabis, has many aliases in Liberia and very notorious for many wrong things.
But elsewhere in the world, the plant is offering tremendous advantages as investors pour in millions of dollars to shape this new sector.
However, in Liberia, few people dare venture into talking or writing about the goodies of Marijuana. Maybe, it’s the stereotypes that come along with postulating such discussion.
But if you think outside the box for a while and without prejudice, you’ll see the enormous opportunities that this sector is offering several other economies across the world.
Marijuana: A Market Making Billions
In fact, the world is beginning to recognize marijuana for its enourmous good side – health and economic benefits. There’s now a booming industry in the United States, Canada, Holland and across Europe.
Statistics show that the world marijuana market is expected to reach US$146.4 billion by the end of 2025. Investors are pouring in billions into the sector, while several countries are exploring the medical and economic benefits as well.
In 2017, Uruguay became the first country to legalize the sale of marijuana for medical and personal use. And then in 2018, Canada became the first western country to legalize the use of the plant for both medical and recreational use. The North American nation is projected to have US$4.34 billion in sales for 2019 with multiple levels of growth every year-on-year.
In the US, 33 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes and 10 of those states and the District of Columbia have legalized it for recreational and medical uses. California was the first state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in 1996. Before the end of 2019, it is expected that additional states will legalize the plant, including New York, Illinois, and New Jersey.
Israel also has a long history of legal medical marijuana use and this year the government approved legislation that will allow local cannabis companies to start exporting medical marijuana. The Israeli cannabis company “Together” recently signed a two-year deal to supply $300 million worth of medical marijuana to the Canadian market, bought a German marijuana firm for 2 million euros, and operates a farm while also building a factory in Uganda.
There are additional Israeli ventures eyeing European destinations such as Denmark and Portugal.
This year, marijuana remains one of the fastest-growing industry in the United States job market and it’s expected to reach sales of up to US$10.7-$13.5 billion before the end of the year. Approximately, 90 percent of Americans support medical marijuana and approximately 65% support it for all purposes, including recreational use. Currently, the Democrat-led House of Representatives has presented legislation that may bring forth a complete end to nationwide federal marijuana prohibition.
Africa Expanding The Market
In 2017, Lesotho became the first African country to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes and it also allows licensed marijuana farmers to export the plant when used for medical purposes. The Southern African nation is seeking to capitalize on the marijuana boom by encouraging international investment in cultivation and also processing.
The country plans to “cultivate and manufacture pharmaceutical products, nutritional products, cosmetics, and extraction of active pharmaceutical ingredients,” says Masello Sello, legal adviser at the health ministry, which is tasked to issue licenses.
Lesotho has granted a number of international companies licenses to grow, distribute and export marijuana products.
Also, in 2018, Zimbabwe followed Lesotho’s lead and legalized the production of marijuana for scientific and medicinal use.
Morocco is famous for a marijuana derivative product called hashish and is second only to Afghanistan as a producer of the substance, which employs at least 800,000 people and is worth $10 billion (USD) a year in sales.
Marijuana, A Medical Solution
Scientists have established that the medical application of marijuana can treat a wide range of conditions and diseases including cancer, neurological disorders, anxiety, stress, chronic pain, insomnia and as a proven treatment to help fight drug addiction and alcohol dependency.
Although this universal acceptance of the medical benefits is fairly recent, the medicinal use of the plant has historical roots. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs show the medicinal use of marijuana dating as far back as 5,000 years ago.
Sector Gains UN Support
Early this year, the World Health Organization called for marijuana to be removed from the UN’s Schedule IV classification—the most restrictive category of a 1961 drug convention signed by countries from around the world.
WHO has explained that the cannabidiol (or “CBD”) compound derived from marijuana, and CBD-focused preparations containing no more than 0.2 percent of the psychoactive compound THC, are “not under international control” at all. Many CBD products are available for sale today, but the best can be hard to find in such a crowded market. CFAH clears the air and brings reliable information about CBD products, including recommendations for reliable CBD oils from Gold Bee.
According to a Harvard Medical Journal, medicines made of Marijuana can be used for several treatments including easing pain and it is effective for the elderly.
The WHO’s support for its usage means countries cultivating CBD derived from marijuana would not be subjected to any United Nations prohibition. Ultimately, when the reclassification changes proposed by WHO are implemented, it will represent a major shift in worldwide drug policy going forward.
Some countries are exploring the cultivation of Hemp, which is a plant similar to marijuana but it does not contain THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana. For instance, the government of Malawi is now cultivating hemp on a trial basis, ahead of potential legalization for industrial uses such as fabric and food products.
The emerging significance of the industry around the world shows that the trend is to roll-back the restrictions and allow for wider application for the medicinal, industrial, and recreational use of marijuana and hemp.
How Liberia Could Benefit
Liberia, a country with a tropical climate and rich soil, is in a pretty advantageous position to maximize the economic opportunities this industry is offering other nations.
Investors are already eyeing countries in West Africa because of its good geographics. An international firm is now making significant moves to begin the production of medicinal marijuana in Ghana and the West African country is opening its arms too.
Canopy Growth is already well grounded in several countries and the industry leader is seeking to venture in West African countries.
For Liberia, such a move would be revolutionary although it may take massive efforts to eradicate the misconceptions. Experts say the industry will allow for governmental oversight and a more tightened regulation so that children are not exposed and the marijuana plant is not abused.
At the same time, the industry would be a breakthrough for the country’s economy, which has expressed willingness to lure investors.
Liberia already has the crude expertise for farming the plant which is complemented by its fertile land. Therefore, once the relevant firms’ ventures into investing into the sector it would be a booming industry hence creating hundreds of new jobs.
The industry would also help minimize the illicit use of the plant and provide a market for farmers who are constrained to smuggle it across the country.
For example, Marijuana farmers in Nimba and Bong County would prefer selling their fresh produce to a legal company that will produce medicinal products instead of going through the heck of being arrested and jailed for selling it illegally.
Once the illicit sale of Marijuana is reduced, the black market will struggle and abuse of the herb would significantly diminish This new sector would also impact the economy by creating jobs and increasing Liberia’s exports.


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Redmi A1+ Renders and Specifications Leaked: Tipped to Feature
Let's take a look at some leaked Redmi A1+ renders, colour options, and specifications.
Xiaomi launched the Redmi A1 smartphone in India earlier this month. Under the Redmi A lineup, the company is also expected to launch the Redmi A1+. The FCC and Google Play Console websites have already listed the upcoming Redmi A1+. The upcoming smartphone's FCC listing confirmed that it will have the same set of specifications as the Redmi A1, but it will also have a fingerprint scanner.
The renders, colour options, and specifications of the Redmi A1+ have now leaked online, courtesy of Appuals and Sudhanshu Ambhore. According to the leaked renders, the Redmi A1+ will have the same design language as the Redmi A1. The only visible difference on the upcoming Redmi A1+ is the fingerprint scanner on the back. Let's take a look at some leaked Redmi A1+ renders, colour options, and specifications.
Redmi A1+: Renders and Colour Options
According to the leaked renders, the Redmi A1+ will be available in three colors: pastel blue, pastel green, and black. Like the Redmi A1, all three variants will have a leather-textured back panel.
The Redmi A1+ looks exactly like the Redmi A1, with the exception of the inclusion of a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Redmi A1+: Specifications and Features
The upcoming Redmi smartphone is expected to have a 6.52-inch HD+ display with a peak brightness of 400nits and scratch-resistant glass. According to reports, the device will be powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 processor and 2GB LPDDR4X RAM. The A1+, like the Redmi A1, may come pre-loaded with Android 12 Go Edition.
As seen in renders, the Redmi A1+ will have a dual-rear camera setup. The device's primary camera will be an 8MP sensor. It is said to have a 5MP shooter inside a waterdrop notch for selfies. According to reports, the device will have a 5000mAh battery and 10W fast charging.
The Redmi A1+ will feature a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a micro-USB charging port. According to reports, it will include a 3.5mm audio jack as well as a dedicated microSD card slot.
What are your thoughts on the Redmi A1+? Please let us know in the comments.


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Apple, 4 publishers agree to stop price-fixing on ebooks in EU
The European Union’s competition watchdog has accepted proposals by four publishers and Apple to end agreements that set retail prices for ebooks — a practice the EU feared violated competition rules.
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BRUSSELS—The European Union’s competition watchdog has accepted proposals by four publishers and Apple to end agreements that set retail prices for ebooks — a practice the EU feared violated competition rules.
The decision reached Thursday is legally binding on Hachette Livre; Harper Collins; Simon & Schuster; and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, which owns Macmillan. The deal is also binding on Penguin.
The EU was concerned that Apple’s agreements with the publishers, which let the publishers set the price at which online bookshops sold ebooks to consumers, unfairly raised the price of the content.
The publishers and Apple must end all of the contracts in question and hold off on entering into new ones.
The United States is also investigating the practice and has reached a settlement with some of the publishers.
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Sales of mobile phones in the UAE jumped in the third quarter of 2020, with Chinese company Xiaomi emerging among the top three brands, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Data showed that one million smartphones were shipped into the UAE in the third quarter versus 0.94 million in the second, when the country undergoing movement and travel restrictions in order to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. This was an increase of 6.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter. The top-selling brands were Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei.
“With the opening of retail channels in Q3 2020 after the ease of lockdowns and Covid-19 measures that took place in Q2, the pent-up demand drove the performance of the market upwards in third-quarter. This is coupled with healthy performance of Samsung and Xiaomi, the brands that matched the pent-up demand with a balanced level of price and appropriate feature set,” the IDC said in a statement to Khaleej Times.
Q4 also looks bright
Data showed that the UAE, the GCC’s second-largest market, saw its share of smartphone shipments increase to 24.1 per cent in the region. The overall mobile phone market of the GCC experienced a slight quarter-on-quarter decline of 0.2 per cent in the third quarter to total 4.97 million.
Saudi Arabia accounted for 52.6 per cent of all smartphones shipped within the GCC region. However, the kingdom suffered an overall quarterly decline in shipments due to the tripling of VAT, which led to an increase in prices.
Meanwhile, Samsung extended its lead in the GCC smartphone market, accounting for a 44.6 per cent share. In terms of value, it ranked second with 30.8 per cent.
“With its large portfolio of models in the entry-level and mid-range price bands, Samsung not only maintained its leading position but also captured share lost by Huawei,” says Akash Balachandran, a senior research analyst at IDC. “The demand for low-end smartphones continues to remain strong as customers look for value and the channel remains cautious when it comes to stocking premium and ultra-premium devices.”
“Despite the ever-looming possibility of additional lockdowns and spikes in Covid-19 cases, an improvement in the market’s performance is expected toward the end of the year, particularly as countries begin to normalise travel and further positive news of a Covid-19 vaccine is released. Brands like Apple and Samsung will also post a strong performance in the upcoming quarters with newly released models in their portfolios. Chinese vendors, focused on driving penetration in the region, will continue their marketing investments, all of which will translate into a well-performing market in the short to mid-term,” he added.
Looking ahead, Ramazan Yavuz, a senior research manager at IDC, says the GCC smartphone market is forecast to see quarter-on-quarter unit growth of 6.5 per cent in Q4 2020.
“Q4 has traditionally been a strong quarter for the GCC smartphone market,” he added.
He recently faced a lot of backlash on social media for mass layoffs and his decision to charge $8 for the blue check
Rumours swirled on social media that the company CEO and Facebook founder will resign in 2023
Alexis Lecanuet, Senior Managing Director at Accenture, praises the young nation while elaborating on the IT major’s aggressive net-zero goals
The $7.99 subscription service for the blue check mark — riddled with problems — was scheduled to re-release on November 29
Users will be automatically alerted when battery level goes below 10%
Former employees have expressed their displeasure at how the billionaire is taking over the microblogging site


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U.K.’s economic forecast revised down
LONDON — The International Monetary Fund on Monday revised down its 2017 growth forecast for the U.K., citing slower-than-expected expansion at the start of the year.
The pace will slow to 1.7 percent from 1.8 percent in 2016, the IMF said in an update of its World Economic Outlook, after predicting a pickup to 2 percent in April. The cut comes after growth in the first three months of the year dipped to 0.2 percent, and data this week are likely to show barely any recovery in the second quarter.
While the U.K. initially performed better than many expected after the vote to exit the European Union in June 2016, accelerating inflation is starting to crimp consumer spending, the biggest driver of the economy. The pound’s decline since the referendum has pushed inflation to 2.6 percent, above the pace of average wage growth.
Information Handling Services Markit said Monday that its household finance index fell to the lowest since July 2014 this month because of rising living costs. There was a sharp reduction in consumers’ appetite for spending on big-ticket items like household appliances and holidays.
The U.K. Treasury responded to the IMF report by saying that the “fundamentals of our economy are strong.”


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WARNER ROBINS -- As cold rain soaked the area Monday, Mattie Brown scurried toward the post office, balancing three packages.
She wrapped her arms around the boxes, keeping them in place with her chin, and breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the lobby. She still had a few more trips to make.
“It’s quite a hassle. I’ve got 10 boxes,” said Brown, of Warner Robins. “And this weather doesn’t help.”
Dreary weather did not keep Brown and other customers like her away from Middle Georgia post offices on the nation’s busiest mailing day of the year.
The U.S. Postal Service anticipated Monday to be the biggest mailing day for holiday cards and packages, with more than 655 million pieces of mail expected to be processed compared to 538 million on an average day. The USPS predicts a record-setting holiday season, with 365 million packages expected to be delivered -- that’s a 20 percent increase compared to 2011. The U.S. Postal Service attributes that increase to the rising popularity of online shopping.
By 1 p.m., holiday traffic had been slower than usual at the Warner Robins post office, postal officials said, but a short line still stretched from the service counter, and a constant stream of customers carried boxes in and out of the office on Russell Parkway.
While Monday’s weather kept crowds down, on Saturday “we were slammed,” said Karen Bridger, business service network representative with the North Florida postal district. “Warner Robins is one of our busiest offices.”
Bridger was sent from Jacksonville, Fla., to work as a lobby director in Warner Robins, where she instructed customers, helped prepare packages and communicated with workers who sorted piles of letters and packages. Workers were trained to keep lines as short as possible, Bridger said.
In Macon, a lobby director was on hand at the Peake Road location. Rainy conditions did not affect customer traffic at that office, where long lines were constant Monday, said Cynthia Tuft, customer service supervisor.
“It’s been all day,” she said about the crowd.
Employees began preparing for this day a few weeks ago, and extra workers were on hand Monday to help sort mail, Tuft said.
“We don’t let a truck come in and leave empty,” she said. “We send everything out as soon as we can. As soon as we can get the containers filled, they’re out the doors.”
In Byron, Postmaster Mary Willis was overwhelmed with mail Monday as she and one other workers handled boxes, packaging, stamps and envelopes. A line of customers stretched from the service counter all day, she said.
“It’s been out the door the entire day,” she said, adding that the weather didn’t keep the crowds away. “I would have thought that it would, but it hasn’t.”
Back in Warner Robins, customers balanced umbrellas and fragile boxes. They pulled their raincoats tight as they gripped packages, bags and envelopes. Four workers stood behind the service counter, ushering people through as quickly as possible.
Quilla Mehrhoff had one package to mail this year, and she picked the busiest mailing day of the year to do it. But the Warner Robins woman was surprised at how quickly the line moved.
“Today was the fastest I’ve been in and out,” she said.
As she tugged a hat on her head in preparation for the third trip to her vehicle, Brown said she was pleasantly surprised by the small crowd.
“I am really shocked. Usually (going to) the post office is unnerving. ... It gets pretty darn crowded,” she said.
But it’s a holiday routine for Brown, who mails multiple packages to her grandchildren. As the rain began to slack, Brown slid her last three packages on the lobby counter.
“These are my last,” she said.
To contact writer Jenna Mink, call 256-9751.


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NEW YORK — Apple says it has reached a deal to bring the iPhone to China Mobile, the world’s biggest phone carrier.
The deal ends a long courtship and could boost sales of the iPhone in China. The iPhone, once hugely popular in China, has been eclipsed by the rise of lower-priced rival smartphones from Samsung and Chinese companies.
The iPhone 5S and 5C will go on sale in Apple stores and China Mobile stores beginning Jan. 17. China Mobile customers can register for phones starting Wednesday.
The companies didn’t announce pricing or the terms of the agreement.
The iPhone, while popular around the world, has faced tough competition in recent years from cheaper smartphones running Google’s Android software. Collectively, Android phones far outsell Apple’s iPhone.


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TomTom recently submitted a new version of its iPhone GPS application under the version 1.3 banner to Apple for the fruity company’s nod of approval. If all goes well, this new app ought to be available for download within a couple of weeks’ time, and will also boast a bunch of new features including HD Traffic service as an in-app purchase. Great stuff if you’re always on the go and want to avoid traffic jams at all costs, but can’t afford a helicopter to get around those traffic-choked streets. While its pricing structure has yet to be confirmed, one could probably safely guess that it ought to be similar to what TomTom is currently offering at £8 monthly.
Next Story: Archos 3 Touch portable media player


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The Chinese smartphone maker recently unveiled its first electric vehicle and also announced that it aims to become one of the top five automakers in the world.
Called the Xiaomi SU7, the sedan is a model expected to make the most of its shared operating system with the company’s popular phones.
Promo video of 60 seconds with a demonstration of the operation of the automatic parking system
Thus, utilizing all the latest technology systems, in a new promo video, it reveals its strengths. The SU7 parks itself in a multi-storey garage somewhere in China.
It parks with precision
In the 60-second video, the driver of the electric vehicle drives to the entrance of the parking lot, and then the autopilot takes over. The car, with a relatively high degree of difficulty, climbs a total of 5 floors, avoids obstacles in its way and parks accurately on the top floor in a designated position.
Xiaomi’s car debuts at a time when the world’s largest auto market is struggling with a glut of available models and slowing demand that have sparked a fearsome price war.
They will be produced by a unit of state-owned automaker BAIC Group at a Beijing plant with an annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
The Chinese company has pledged to invest $10 billion in the sector within a decade and is one of the few new players in China’s electric vehicle market, as authorities have been reluctant to add another player to an already saturated domestic market.


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How to: Make more money from your online business.Make more sales with online marketing.Use social media and video to reach more people.Learn how to make the most of your online marketing platform.What: Digital Marketing courses in Albuquerque, New Mexico.What It Is: This online marketing course offers a course in digital marketing that covers everything from email marketing to digital marketing c...
Millions of Google search results have been produced by a search for the term “Internet marketing footprint” that has generated more than 2.5 million searches in the past two months.
The search results, which are displayed alongside an image of a small box on the top of Google’s homepage, highlight the ways in which companies use online advertising to promote their own products or services.
The results are also used by publishers to advertise their own content on their own websites.
For instance, in June, Google published a Google Analytics search on the term ‘Internet advertising footprint’, which shows the number of websites or services that Google has linked to its AdWords platform.
The number is now higher than it was at the end of the third quarter of last year.
According to Google, this “is the largest-ever list of websites that have been linked to AdWords”.
However, the results are only a small fraction of the total number of searches generated by the term.
According a Google search on “Internet advertising footprints”, there are more than 50 million results in the first week of July.
That’s more than five times the number generated in the second quarter of 2016.
According the company, the growth rate of searches for the terms “Internet footprint” and “Internet ad footprint” is similar to that of Google searches on “Google search” and the terms’ search partners, such as AOL and Yahoo.
Google said it is also “very active in the space with our partners” and it plans to continue “providing insights into the Google ad market”.
Google says it has no plans to stop linking to AdSense in the future.


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Society is certainly experiencing a ‘new normal’ as many states begin to relax COVID-19 restrictions. Contactless deliveries and services have rapidly grown in popularity, for one. And in line with that, while many companies are hitting pause on big expenditures, Intel Corporation is doubling down on autonomous cars and advancing the mobility conversation with its recent Moovit acquisition.
What could this mean for the future of transportation – and is your business prepared to pivot?
Intel Isn’t Letting COVID Slow It Down
Intel Corporation recently announced the acquisition of Moovit App Global Ltd. Moovit developed a mobile travel planning app that helps their 775 million users navigate different modes of transit in over 3,000 cities worldwide. Having secured the autonomous car company Mobileye in 2017 for $15.3 billion, Intel is expanding its footprint in the mobility sector despite the downturn caused by COVID-19.
Many businesses are still reeling from the effects of the global pandemic. And certainly most are exercising an abundance of caution fiscally speaking. Not surprisingly, some companies in the mobility/autonomous vehicle industry, such as Ford and Waymo, have scaled back or halted those ventures given losses in the current economic landscape.
Consumers have embraced contactless interactions as the norm in receiving goods and services these days. The sentiment drivers surrounding person-to-person contact give a sense of where the overarching conversation stands:
It’s telling that ‘contactless’ and ‘contact-free’ are mentioned multiple times in the positive attributes. As restrictions begin to ease and the public ventures out to parks and hair salons again, it’s a no-brainer that a contactless, autonomous vehicle would have an appeal in the era of social distancing.
And Intel is betting on the long game. With a balance sheet that supports forward planning, Intel is going all in on creating a mobility-as-a-service provider by combining Moovit’s network and traffic analysis capabilities with Mobileye’s advanced driver assistance systems. It’s innovation personified – and perfect for today’s environment.
Mergers & Acquisitions in Mobility Space
We already know about Moovit and Mobileye, so let’s see what else Intel has been up to in the mobility sector. Using the company dataset in the Quid product, we centered our search around industry parameters relevant to mobility including automobiles, transportation infrastructure, internet software/services and technology hardware. Specifically, we narrowed our search to only include companies involved in mergers and acquisitions over the past six months. Our analysis returned over 700 companies with a median investment received of $1.5 million.
For a more granular look at acquisitions, we see a subset of 14 companies.
Of those, we can see in the chart above that Intel has acquired two new companies during our time frame. Namely ethernet developer Barefoot Networks Inc. and artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker Habana Labs Ltd. Both companies became official subsidiaries of Intel Corporation in December of 2019.
Of our 14 acquirers returned in our search, we can see that Habana Labs takes the top spot in M&A at a price tag of $1.7 billion while the amount of the Barefoot Networks deal remains undisclosed. Median investment here balloons to $316 million.
Therefore, by bringing Moovit under its umbrella, Intel has added a total of three new companies in the last six months; all of which bring unique areas of expertise relevant to the nascent autonomous vehicle industry.
Perhaps the most telling of all is that Intel went ahead with its Moovit deal in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it could have taken a wait-and-see approach in this economy, Intel is choosing to forge ahead to innovate in the mobility sphere. And its acquisitions are very interesting when considering its combined potential.
This is certainly info a competitor would want to stay on top of. And could give clues around detecting potential whitespace in the vertical.
Spotting M&A Whitespace
To get a bit of a broader picture of M&A in the mobility sector, we shifted over to timeline view to look at the numbers over the past three years. And we explored both mergers and acquisitions for both private and public investments to get a better look at the overall movement.
You can see from the chart below that activity surrounding the electric vehicles, computing/cloud infrastructure and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the industry is steadily trending upwards. It peaked at the end of 2019, but is still doing admirably well considering the state of things worldwide right now:
Figuratively speaking, it’s only a matter of time before Detroit and Silicone Valley fully collide. As fast as new technology is developed and refined, companies are using it in the race to full autonomy. Sure there have been legal hiccups and hurdles to overcome, but smart companies will continue to innovate their way through it just like Intel is doing now. Are you?
Time will tell if we are in a season of low hanging fruit in terms of mergers and acquisitions, as it may prove a necessity for many startups suffering in today’s economy. The tides are shifting, and forward-thinking companies are turning their eyes toward economic recovery through new lines of business, innovation and strategic mergers and acquisitions.
Through powerful visualized data, NetBase Quid puts >market intelligence at your fingertips enabling you to make sense of the white space surrounding your industry before the competition. Be sure to reach out for a personalized demo to learn more!


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MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHTL.NS), controlled by the Tata Group, reported a net loss for the July-September quarter as its operating costs and tax provisions surged, and the global economic uncertainty curbed spending on travel.
The company, which owns and operates the chain of Taj hotels and resorts worldwide, made an unsolicited $1.2 billion bid for U.S.-listed, luxury hotels group Orient-Express Hotels OEH.N in October.
Indian Hotels, whose flagship Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai overlooks the city's harbour and iconic Gateway of India arch, reported a net loss of 63.6 million rupeesfor the quarter ended September. It had posted a net profit of 83.5 million rupees in the year-ago period.
Net sales for the fiscal second quarter rose 6 percent to 3.79 billion rupees, the company said in a statement.
Shares in Indian Hotels ended unchanged at 63.15 rupees ahead of the earnings announcement, underperforming the wider Mumbai market that closed up 0.3 percent on Tuesday. (Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Sunil Nair)
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The uplift will come into effect from 4 November, impacting more than 30,000 employees working across Whitbread’s estate, totalling about £15m.
Minimum pay rates will rise by more than 4%, which the company said followed increases in April 2022 and October 2021.
It estimated the combined rises represented an uplift of more than 10% since October last year.
Additionally, Whitbread said rates of pay will continue to remain in front of the national minimum wage and national living wage and claimed between 2019 and November 2022, entry pay rates will have risen by more than a fifth (22%).
About 1,400 salaried hotel and restaurant managers will also benefit from salary increases to help ensure a minimum differential is maintained, which will also be applicable from 4 November.
The owner of Beefeater, Brewer’s Fayre and Premier Inn, also offers team members discounts of up to 60% off hotel stays, 25% off food, a matched pension contribution scheme of up to 10% employer contributions and its Whitbread share save scheme. Furthermore, during shifts hourly-paid staff can also eat meals for £2.
Furthermore, the company will also provide a one-off payment of up to £300 for all eligible hourly paid staff and customer contact employees at Whitbread’s headquarters in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
The company estimated more than 34,000 – equal to 90% - of its total UK workforce is eligible for this one-off payment.
Whitbread was pleased to confirm a pay increase and the one-off payment to help support teams with the rising cost of living, UK hotels and restaurants managing director Simon Ewins said.
He added: “As a business, we have seen a strong recovery in the first half as people return to overnight leisure and business trips and we’re hot off the heels of another very busy summer where our hotel and restaurant teams have continued to deliver the outstanding guest service for which they are famous.
“We want to thank our guest-facing team members for their continued support. It remains key to ensure our pay rates remain competitive and Whitbread remains the first port of call for new talent looking for year-round jobs in hospitality.”


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Nine years ago, the likes of Airbnb and Uber were unheard of. Today however, such organisations are transforming the way we do everything, from booking holiday accommodation to sourcing a plumber to fix a leaky pipe.
These companies form part of what is known as the “sharing economy” – the accessing, sharing and lending of goods and services via an online marketplace. Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) estimates global revenues generated by the sharing economy will be worth $335bn by 2025.
Part of this surging growth is credited to the expansion of sharing economy services in emerging markets. One such expansion region is Kenya, where business is booming.
As in much of the region, there is a large and growing population of potential consumers. Statistics from the World Bank put Kenya’s population at 46m, with that number rising to around 85m by 2050.
According to Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics, about 45% of the population fall into the middle class category, 54.8% have access to the internet and there is a wealth of relatively well educated but underutilised young people. All of this makes Kenya stand out as an attractive region to international investors and entrepreneurs.
The big players move in
Given its viability as a strong market for sharing economy businesses, Kenya has now been targeted by big global players who are reaping the benefits of the fertile marketplace. Airbnb, for example, now offers more than 4,000 homes for rent across the country, which is more than double the number in 2015. The number of guests choosing to stay at an Airbnb in Kenya has also more than tripled in the same period. Nicola D’Elia, managing director for the Middle East and Africa at Airbnb, attributes the company’s success in Kenya to the opportunity the organisation is offering users.
“What makes the sharing economy so powerful is the opportunity to monetise assets or skills you already have. Airbnb is a technology platform that’s generating wealth for millions of people around the world […] Now anyone can have a way to earn a little extra money,” he says.
Not so new
Yet the notion of the sharing economy is not really new to Kenya, according to former bank manager and blogger Limo Taboi. “Kenyans have always had a second job, or rented out a spare room, or shared their cars, making bargains here and there. What is new is that companies like Uber and Airbnb have formalised the sector,” he explains.
A number of smaller businesses have also emerged in the last couple of years, hoping to share a piece of the profits. One such is Little Cabs, an app-based ride sharing service that was launched by telecommunications company Safaricom in July 2016. In just five months the company, which has become a key competitor for Uber, has acquired 2,500 drivers with cars, and 90,000 active accounts. Part of this rapid growth has come from making the service meet the requirements of low-income users.
“People here were used to taking matatus [minibuses that tout for passengers] because cabs weren’t affordable. But when it rains the price shoots up. Little Cabs is providing a better option for a better price, by encouraging a group of friends to share the cost and take a cab instead,” says Maureen Chege, head of marketing and sales at Little Cabs.
“While on a [Little Cabs] trip you can buy airtime for your phone at a discounted price and the driver gets a merchant fee, like commission. We’re also taking less commission than our competitors at 15% of each trip, while others are taking up to 25%,” she continues. Many drivers, it seems, are relishing the opportunity to work in the sharing economy for companies like Little Cabs and Uber, and flexibility is a key attraction.
But according to Adam Grunewald, chief executive and co-founder of Lynk, a sharing platform that connects customers in Kenya to service providers across 150 categories – be it a plumber, a painter or a DJ – uptake in Kenya may be driven more by necessity. “The concept of the sharing economy came from US and Europe where most people work in formal employment but are looking for more flexibility. [In Kenya], however, there is not enough work, so people must work in the informal sector,” says Grunewald.
“For these informal workers, who often don’t have a contract or social benefits, more formalised platforms through which to acquire various types of work can be empowering. Perhaps one way to solve unemployment is that people have multiple jobs, which are puzzled together [to create a full income],” he says.
But how far do these organisations benefit the ordinary man or woman? The answer perhaps lies with a solution that the Lynk team have created. Grunewald and his team charge the consumer rather than the service provider. This is a differentiation that they feel makes the company fairer, and helps those at the “bottom of the pyramid” benefit more than at other organisations.
There are still challenges, however. For smaller start-ups, simple things like getting payments can prove to be a burden, as not all Kenyans have credit cards. Monster organisations such as Airbnb face issues over the legality of their products and services, and Uber has faced a backlash over the high commission rates it charges its drivers.
So what of the future of Kenya’s sharing economy? Joseph Huxley, regional co-ordinator at FSD Africa, an organisation that aims to reduce poverty through financial sector development, sees a number of exciting opportunities. One example of this is crowdfunding – raising capital for a venture by asking a large number of people each to contribute a little money.
“Access to finance is a commonly cited constraint to SME growth in Kenya. Because crowdfunding has the potential to finance growing Kenyan companies, it also has the potential to indirectly create jobs,” says Huxley. Kenya’s M-Changa is already making strides with this model. Since its September 2012 launch it has raised $900,000 through 46,000 donations to 6,129 fundraisers.
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Ghana’s cocoa cash injectionOne of the world’s biggest producers of cocoa, Ghana has secured USD 1.7 billion in financing for t...
One of the world’s biggest producers of cocoa, Ghana has secured USD 1.7 billion in financing for the 2014/15 season.
The government-owned Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) officially signed its 2014/15 trade finance facility for USD 1.7 billion in Paris on 11 September 2014. The deal constitutes annual crop financing for Ghana’s cocoa industry, now in its 22nd year.
The largest soft commodity deal in sub-Saharan Africa, according to COCOBOD, the finance will be used to purchase the main cocoa crop for the next season, which commences in October 2014. Ghana raised USD 1.2 billion in a similar loan last year, and USD 1.5 billion in 2012.
Sullivan & Worcester acted as lawyers for the syndicate lenders, primarily working with Deutsche Bank as documentation agent and post-signing as agent with Absa Capital. The Boston-headquartered firm’s trade and export finance team, which works regularly on structured trade transactions across the emerging markets, was led by London-based Geoffrey Wynne.
LithurBrew & Company in Ghana acted as Ghanaian counsel to the lenders, while COCOBOD and CMC used in-house legal counsel.
“We are delighted to advise on this significant annual financing; which has gone ahead despite challenging market conditions which are the result of a combination of sanctions and concerns with regards to financing in any emerging market,” Wynne commented in a statement.
The cocoa purchased from farmers will be sold to COCOBOD’s subsidiary Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC), which agrees to sell the cocoa to approved purchasers and assign the receivables generated to the lenders.
“The financing is a highly significant raiser of foreign currency for the government as the Government receives the dollar proceeds, but pays Ghanaian Cedis to the farmers,” Wynne tells ALB.
“It is unique in Africa in soft commodities by its size alone,” he adds.
The facility was oversubscribed by 15%, and the agreement also comes with USD 200 million of available on-demand capital for re-drawing from April to May 2015 for the light crop season.
Wynne tells ALB that that the transaction was completed on time and at a competitive rate in a potentially difficult year for Ghana.
He explains that the foreign currency reserves of Ghana were “not good” this year. At the same time, he reports that the financial position of COCOBOD was “not as good as it had been, although it did not default in repaying last year’s loan, and has never defaulted”.
More generally, Wynne says trade financiers have been concerned about political stability, in particular arising from the Ukraine crisis, with significant lender concern raised about the regulatory environment, especially around US and EU sanctions and the huge fines levied for breaches.
“Completing a financing against this backdrop was challenging for lenders and lawyers alike,” says Wynne.
“It is to the credit of Ghana Cocoa Board that it was able to meet concerns and reach signing and now first drawdown”, he adds.
COCOBOD has obtained a receivables-backed syndicated loan to finance its cocoa purchases each year since the 1992/1993 crop season.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, COCOBOD chief executive Stephen Kwabena Opuni said that programmes, such as disease control, had been enhanced to ensure the sustenance of the cocoa industry. A free fertiliser application programme has also been introduced this year to “increase yield and boost farmers’ income”.
“Realistic prices would be paid to cocoa farmers to build their confidence in the cocoa business and encourage the young generation to go into cocoa farming”, he added.
The short-term receivables-backed financing was put together by a group of lenders arranged by a mandated group of arrangers. This year’s arrangement was achieved through collaboration with a consortium of over 20 international banks, including DZ Bank and Ghana International Bank (as bookrunners) and Barclays, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, KfW Bank and Natixis (as co-ordinating initial mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners).
The bookrunners were joined in senior syndication by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Nedbank, Rabobank, Standard Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation as senior mandated lead arrangers. In general syndication, the banks involved were ABN Amro, Bank of China, BHF Bank, Credit Agricole, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Intesa San Paolo, Société Générale and Standard Chartered Bank.


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Mobile broadband subscribers will grow from 15 per cent of all mobile users worldwide in 2011 to nearly 40 per cent by 2016, according to US Infonetics Research.
VP strategy & corporate development, Intigral: “LTE will enable operators to sell content-based services”
Juan Jose de la Torre, vice president of strategy & corporate development, Intigral, UAE is speaking in the Innovate! track on Day Three of the Broadband World Forum 2012, taking place on the 16 – 18 October 2012 at the RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre, Amsterdam. Ahead of the show we speak to him regarding the importance of digital content and the opportunities that next-generation mobile broadband will bring.
Worldwide mobile data traffic will increase 18-fold over the next five years and reach 10.8 exabytes (EB) per month by 2016, with mobile video accounting for over two-thirds of it, according to statistics from Cisco’s latest Visual Networking Index.
A report from US firm Pyramid Research which details its expectations for the telecoms market in 2012 predicts that managed-network IPTV services will be in one per cent of households worldwide next year.
Ericsson has said that it increased its market share in mobile infrastructure by four per cent in the past six months, which means it has twice as large a slice of the market as its nearest rival, Huawei. The firm has increased its market share from 32 per cent in May 2011 to today’s estimated 36 per cent, it said.
The fast-growing popularity of smartphones and tablet PCs is driving the progress of mobile broadband services, with wireless broadband subscriptions in OECD countries estimated to have exceeded 500m by the end of 2010, up more than 10% from six months earlier, according to new figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Ericsson has announced that its embedded HSPA mobile broadband chip will be used in upcoming 2011 Panasonic Toughbooks.
UK mobile broadband users accessing the web over dongles and datacards are getting average throughput of 1.5Mbit/s, according to research released Thursday by UK regulator Ofcom. But there were significant differences between the five carriers’ performance, with O2 delivering the best performance, and Orange the worst. 3UK outperformed T-Mobile, with which it shares a 3G network.
Vodafone’s annual profits received a smartphone boost despite an overall fall in net profits of 7.8 per cent. Despite a £6bn+ impairment charge on operations in its European “PIIGS” markets (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain), a 26.4 per cent boost in mobile data revenue made a significant contribution to its overall profit of £9.5bn for the year.
The Swedish telecoms regulator, PTS, has set a date for the auction of wireless broadband spectrum in the 800GHz band, making the announcement on the eve of the first anniversary of the commercial introduction of LTE. The auction will begin on February 28th 2011, with interested parties required to apply for participation by the end of January. Nordic carrier TeliaSonera launched the world’s first LTE service in Stockholm and Oslo on December 14th last year.
Smartphone use accounts for 65 per cent of all mobile cellular traffic worldwide, despite smartphone penetration running at just 13 per cent, according to research released today from Informa Telecoms & Media. Usage is set to increase exponentially over the next five years, Informa found, with average traffic per smartphone user increasing by 700 per cent by 2015.
Global mobile data traffic almost tripled in the past year, growing ten times faster than voice traffic, according to statistics released by Swedish vendor Ericsson on Thursday. The firm said that, based on measurements it has made of real network traffic around the world, global mobile data traffic stands at 225,000 terabytes per month as of the second quarter of 2010.
Consumers are unlikely to buy mobile services based on speed of throughput and operators’ LTE deployments will even out so quickly that LTE in itself will not be an effective competitive differentiator, according to Mark Neild, head of business transformation, Western Europe, at Nokia Siemens Networks.
We recently conducted an exercise looking very closely at the major strategic initiatives that have been implemented by the European telco community. It was a fascinating exercise that revealed a perhaps surprising level of consensus amongst all major European telcos. Whilst the tactics in reaching the goals may vary, our analysis showed the long-term strategic priorities are shared and fall into four very clear and focused aims.
Most infrastructure vendors are failing to address the signalling burden placed on 3G mobile networks by high end smartphones, according to Nokia Siemens Networks.
It’s amazing what you can do with a SIM card isn’t it? Last week we wrote about a GPS-enabled SIM, while this week SIM card firm Sagem Orga has embedded a tiny wifi modem on one.
Matthew Key, CEO of Telefónica Europe, talks exclusively to telecoms.com about the challenges faced across his portfolio, his future plans and the new shape of the mobile industry.
This mobile broadband hotspot idea continues to take the operator world by storm, with US carrier Verizon Wireless also getting in on the action this week.
There seems to be a growing interest in mobile broadband hotspots, in the operator community at least, which may seem a little strange given the recent noise about femtocells and moving traffic off the macro network.


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Argus Research analyst Jim Kelleher reiterated a Buy rating on Sanmina-Sci (SANM – Research Report) on May 26 and set a price target of $50.00. The company’s shares closed last Friday at $46.05, close to its 52-week high of $46.40.
According to TipRanks.com, Kelleher is a top 25 analyst with an average return of 30.2% and a 69.4% success rate. Kelleher covers the Technology sector, focusing on stocks such as ASML Holding, Twitter, and Qorvo.
Currently, the analyst consensus on Sanmina-Sci is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $53.67.
Based on Sanmina-Sci’s latest earnings release for the quarter ending March 31, the company reported a quarterly revenue of $1.91 billion and net profit of $53.22 million. In comparison, last year the company earned revenue of $1.7 billion and had a net profit of $47.04 million.
Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 28 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of SANM in relation to earlier this year. Most recently, in March 2022, Mario Rosati, a Director at SANM bought 6,449 shares for a total of $74,679.
TipRanks has tracked 36,000 company insiders and found that a few of them are better than others when it comes to timing their transactions. See which 3 stocks are most likely to make moves following their insider activities.
Sanmina Corp. engages in the provision of integrated manufacturing solutions, components, products and repair, logistics, and after-market services. It operates through the Integrated Manufacturing Solutions (IMS); and Components, Products, and Services (CPS) segment. The IMS segment consists of printed circuit board assembly and test, final system assembly and test, and direct-order-fulfillment. The CPS segment includes interconnect systems and mechanical systems. The company was founded by Jure Sola in 1980 and is headquartered in San Jose, CA.
Read More on SANM:
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- Anglo American (AAUKF) was Upgraded to a Buy Rating at J.P. Morgan
- Biogen (BIIB) Gets a Hold Rating from Mizuho Securities


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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Amazon is bringing their brick-and-mortar clothing store, Amazon Style, to Easton Town Center later this year.
The store marks the first Amazon Style location in Ohio and the second in the nation, the first celebrating its grand opening on May 25 in Los Angeles. A date for the opening of the Easton store has not been announced.
“We’re delighted to be part of the Columbus community and offer customers a new and innovative way to shop their favorite looks from Amazon in person,” said Monica Ravi, director of operations for Amazon Style in a release. “We’re also eager to welcome hundreds of employees to our team. These are great jobs with competitive pay and benefits and come with the opportunity to grow a career with Amazon.”


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Finnish startups win at European Venture Contest
Finnish companies Surgify and LullaMe have won in their respective categories at the 12th European Venture Contest organised in Germany.
There were more than 2 400 entries from 27 countries to this year’s European Venture Contest, which brought promising startups and venture capital investors together in Düsseldorf between 11 and 12 December.
Surgify’s technology makes bone surgery safer by protecting soft structures and preventing associated complications. LullaMe, on the other hand, has developed a rocking mattress that helps babies to sleep.
“This is an excellent result for us Finnish companies!” said Visa Sippola, CEO of Surgify. “With respect to population size, there are surprisingly many startups coming from Finland that interest venture capitalists.”
LullaMe CEO Hanna Sissala commented: “According to professional investors we now belong to the most interesting percentage of European startups. This offers great possibilities for international growth.”


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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A new campaign in New York is being launched to curb underage drinking.
The governor’s office says the statewide education campaign include distribution of more than 15,000 display materials, in Spanish and English, to restaurants and liquor stores across the state.
“Far too many times we’ve witnessed the dangers of underage drinking and the tragic and life-altering consequences that come with it,” Governor Cuomo said. “With prom and graduation season just around the corner, this campaign sends the message that this reckless behavior just isn’t worth it.”
The New York State Liquor Authority in conjunction with the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility kicked off the campaign ahead of prom and graduation seasons.
According to the governor’s office, prosecutions for underage sales are up 50 percent since 2010. The number of licensees and staff completing training has increased 150 percent during the same period.


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Volvo Cars has acquired 100 per cent of Polestar, the Swedish high performance car company, including the Polestar brand. Polestar will now be used as the model name for special high performance Volvos. Polestar will also in future utilize Volvo’s twin engine electrification technology (plug-in hybrid) to develop next-generation performance cars.
Volvo and Polestar have been working in motor sport since 1996 and in recent years signed a cooperation agreement jointly to develop Polestar versions of Volvo cars that combine a comfortable Volvo driving experience with a very high level of power and handling.
In 2015, Volvo expects to sell 750 Polestar versions of the V60 wagon and S60 sedan globally. The company forecasts Polestar sales will increase to between 1,000 and 1,500 cars a year in the medium-term under Volvo’s ownership.
The Polestar brand is already firmly established internationally through the sale of Polestar-branded Volvos. Volvo will also benefit from the sale of aftermarket Polestar performance optimization kits for existing Volvos.
No financial details of the deal have been disclosed. Existing Polestar Performance employees will become Volvo employees.
The Polestar racing team will remain under the control of Christian Dahl, the former owner of Polestar, and will be renamed. The Polestar brand will continue to work alongside Christian Dahl.
Volvo has acquired Polestar Performance AB, which comprises performance activities including performance-related software and aftermarket tuning hardware, as well as Polestar Holding AB, which is the owner of the Polestar trademarks. It has not acquired the racing division of Polestar.


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ARM Holdings, a chip design firm that doesn’t manufacture or sell any chips, has just been bought by SoftBank for a cool $31.4 billion. That’s four times as much as Microsoft paid for Nokia, close to three times Google’s expenditure on Motorola, and an order of magnitude more than Palm cost HP. We think of these other companies as the authors of the mobile world we’re living in, but it’s ARM’s invisible contribution that has proven more influential — and now a lot more valuable — than all of them.
The smartphone revolution of this century might as well be called the ARM takeover. Practically every single phone, tablet, and smartwatch out in the world today runs on a processor using the ARM architecture — which means licensing ARM’s designs and paying royalties for every chip sold. Yes, that includes iPhones, Galaxys, BlackBerrys, Droids, and Lumias: all but the most loyal of Intel acolytes are manufacturing ARM-powered mobile devices. ARM’s portfolio extends beyond mobile processors to include graphics, wireless, and server chips along with physical design blueprints and software development tools. Simply put, if you want to build a mobile device of any kind, you’ll have to deal with ARM.
ARM is an intellectual property powerhouse
ARM’s product is information. The company spends its time and money on R&D, which it converts into successive generations of new mobile processor core and system designs. Its hardware partners would love to be able to build everything themselves, but ARM’s depth and breadth of expertise is such that it’s more efficient to license rather than compete with its technology. With more than 4,500 granted or pending patents, ARM is an intellectual property powerhouse — like a patent troll that isn’t actually trolling, it just develops smart production methods and designs and sells them.
An oft-cited aphorism from Tom Goodwin last year identified one of the prevailing trends of modern tech:
"Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba, the most valuable retailer, has no inventory. And Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider, owns no real estate. Something interesting is happening."
The "something interesting" is happening behind the scenes of the tech world too. ARM is another of these prospering companies whose profits keep improving even in the absence of any tangible, physical assets. It isn’t chasing consumers directly, but it’s just as much a trader in information as Facebook, Uber, and Airbnb are. Consumers recompense ARM via the intermediary of a hardware-manufacturing partner, but the core mechanics are still the same: obtain valuable information, secure your control over it, sell it to a willing purchaser, and profit.
It’s a simple formula that should be extremely familiar by now. Data and software might have high initial acquisition or production costs, but once you have them, the marginal cost of producing another unit to sell or license is zero. ARM has carved out its niche by continuously being ahead of the competition, nullifying Intel’s Sisyphean efforts to break through into mobile, and developing a wide network of satisfied licensees.
The headline reason for SoftBank’s acquisition of ARM today is the latter company’s instrumental role in developing the future Internet of Things. The pair have even set up a website dedicated to the deal, where they explain their rationale and talk up plans for world domination that’s even greater than the 90 billion ARM chips already out there. But the IoT future isn’t here yet, and a seasoned investor like SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son doesn’t spend $31 billion purely on potential. He sees that ARM is an already profitable company with comparatively negligible expenses, he recognizes the massive discount that Brexit’s impact on the British pound has created, and he knows ARM’s influence is far greater than its size. It just makes good business sense, especially at a time when debt is cheap to sustain and cash is more of a burden than an asset.
The information age is defined by companies like ARM, whose assets are intangible
To casual observers, the idea of a company with no brand recognition — anonymous to all but the geeky spec sheet explorers — meriting an 11-figure price will seem absurd. But just like the more consumer-facing acquisitions of WhatsApp by Facebook and LinkedIn by Microsoft, this is a big investment into the information economy.
As much as hardware companies like Apple and Samsung might dominate news coverage and people’s wish lists, it’s the software and service providers that load those devices up and make them truly desirable. In ARM’s case, its information provides the blueprint and architecture atop which everything is built. Hardware manufacturers may come and go, but the one essential and irreplaceable aspect of modern mobile computing is ARM’s portfolio of intellectual property. That’s where the value is.


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Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the Excess Crunch collection that recaps the most recent OS news, the apps they guidance and the money that flows through it all.
The app field is as scorching as ever, with a record 204 billion downloads in 2019 and $120 billion in consumer paying out in 2019, in accordance to App Annie’s “State of Mobile” annual report. People today are now spending 3 hours and 40 minutes for every day employing applications, rivaling Tv set. Applications are not just a way to move idle hours — they’re a significant business enterprise. In 2019, cellular-first businesses had a blended $544 billion valuation, 6.5x bigger than these without a cell emphasis.
In this Added Crunch sequence, we support you maintain up with the most up-to-date news from the planet of apps, delivered on a weekly basis.
This week we’re continuing to search at how the coronavirus outbreak is impacting the globe of cellular programs, such as a dig into Houseparty’s major surge, layoffs at VSCO, Google’s launch of a “Teacher Reviewed” tag, Bumble’s virtual courting, plus adjustments to Instagram in aid of tiny company and stay streaming, among the other things. Also this week, Google modified its Engage in Keep pointers, TikTok released parental controls, a report suggested Apple may well be growing its Look for Ads and far more.
Coronavirus Particular Coverage
Instagram adds functions for supporting small organizations for the duration of pandemic


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Earlier this week, Comcast — the largest cable operator in the U.S. — stated in a filing to the Federal Communications Commission that it would commit to limit interactive advertising in children’s programming as a condition of obtaining approval of its acquisition of NBC Universal. Specifically, as long as they have control over the program’s advertising, Comcast and NBCU will not insert interactive advertising into broadcast and cable programming that targets an audience of children 12 years old and younger. Comcast defined “interactive advertising” to mean:
advertising for commercial products that is primarily targeted to children 12 and under and includes: interactive, overlap pop-up advertising; telescoping; long-form advertising (but does not include enabling the consumer to ‘telescope’ to additional linear or on demand programs); voting or polling requests that promote a product or service or gain information about consumer commercial preferences; T-Commerce that enables a consumer to purchase advertised products using a remote; and branded, interactive gaming which promotes a product.
In 2004, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on interactive advertising, but the Commission hasn’t taken any further action to adopt any new rules in this area. In its Notice, the FCC tentatively concluded that it should prohibit interactivity during children’s programming that connects viewers to commercial matter unless parents opt in to such services. As noted by FCC staff during a recent ABA program on marketing to minors, however, industry and even some consumer groups have urged that requiring opt-in consent for interactive advertising in children’s programming might not be the right approach. As technology improves and interactive advertising becomes more widely used, marketers should pay attention to this ongoing proceeding.


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Standard Chartered, a UK-based multinational banking and financial services company with $688 billion in assets, announced on Tuesday it has made an investment in Contour, a blockchain-based open industry platform that will initially focus on digitally creating, exchanging, approving and issuing Letters of Credit (LCs).
Along with the investment, Contour, which was co-founded by ING Ventures and seven other banks in 2018, launched into the global trade finance market in Singapore. The launch follows a series of live pilots in a total of 14 countries and a global trial with more than 50 banks and corporates. Carl Wegner, Contour CEO, described the company by stating:
“Contour provides a network where trusted information is shared in real-time, effectively digitalising letters of credit across all users in the transaction. It is now available to provide a full commercial service to organisations looking to enhance their trade finance practices. We are now focusing on scaling the network with more banks, corporates and partners.”
Speaking about the investment, Lisa Robins, Global Head of Transaction Banking of Standard Chartered, stated:
“Our investment into Contour underscores our commitment to forge partnerships and solve common industry challenges – taking paper out of the process while improving speed and accuracy. With our footprint across the world’s fastest-growing trade corridors, we have the unique opportunity to support our clients in achieving a more sustainable supply chain, by improving access to financing through paperless trade and simpler processes.”
Through its new development phase Contour will reportedly look at further expanding its ecosystem to include more banks, technology providers and other established trade finance networks, with the vision of becoming a new industry standard for the digitization of global trade.


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As Volvo and Zenn accelerate drive into electric car market
A few more pieces of the jigsaw fell into place for members of the electric car industry this week, as manufacturers continued to jostle for position in this emerging but potentially lucrative market....
BusinessGreen brings you the latest green business news from around the world
This issue isn't going away for the e-commerce giant - and other industry leaders should consider themselves on notice
It's the largest purchase order by any company in the US
BREAKING: PM to resign leadership of Tory party on June 7, with Boris Johnson is favourite to win leadership election


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We've known for a while that the new iPhone 3G would have the magic of GPS, but we didn't fully realize how that power might benefit car owners. While we've seen a few semi-cool, car-centric applications available for the device -- from mpg calculators to maintenance reminders -- this program could prove the most useful for the forgetful among us.
For those living under a rock, you'll be surprised to learn that Apple announced a new iPhone today that, along with 3G support for faster downloads, features GPS built into the popular phone. While current iPhones can pinpoint your location and provide a Google Map to a destination, they can't hold your hand while traveling and let you know when to turn. The new iPhone available July 11th will be able to do just that like GPS nav systems from well known manufacturers like TomTom or Garmin. We d


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RAC European Breakdown spokesman Simon Williams said: "British motorists travelling to Paris, Lyon and Grenoble need to make sure they don’t get caught out by the new Crit'Air scheme that has come into force.
"The scheme requires vehicles to have an emissions sticker clearly visible on the windscreen. The penalty for not displaying one is an on-the-spot fine of between €68 and €135 (about £58 to £117).
"Foreign vehicles will be allowed to drive in central Paris without the sticker until 31 March, but our advice is to apply for one as soon as it is possible – from 1 February at the official Crit’Air website. We are aware of third-party websites already selling stickers for substantially more than French drivers are being charged by the French government, which motorists need to be wary of.
"From the beginning of February, the onus will be on UK car owners to check the Euro emissions standard of their vehicle by checking this table, visit the official Crit'Air website and apply for a sticker. We'd recommend drivers do this well before they intend to travel so they don't run the risk of driving without one."


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Please join Beet.TV on Wednesday, December 14 at 2:00 p.m. ET for a 90-minute Webcast about digital media, devices and a preview of things to come at CES. The show will be live from the Livestream studio in New York.
The session will be a series of one-on-one interviews with these industry leaders:
*Matt Durgin, Director of Smart TV Content, LG Electronics USA
*Andrew Grant, Industry Marketing Manager, Digital Media, Akamai
*Paul Kontonis, Chair, International Academy of Web Television
*Jens Loeffler, Senior Manager, Evangelism, Adobe Systems
*Tricia Lynch, Director of Content Strategy and Acquisition, Verizon
*Marguerite Reardon, Senior Writer, CNET.com News
*Avner Ronen, CEO and Co-Founder, Boxee
*Ross Rubin, Executive Director and Principal Analyst, Connected Intelligence, NPD Group
*Ashley Swartz, Senior Vice President Marketing / Leader, iTV Practice, Digitas
You will find the webcast on this page and on Beet.TV’s Livestream channel:
Twitter hashtag is #beetshow
Beet.TV will be covering CES extensively this year.


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- A store in Hanoi, Vietnam is supposedly selling prototypes of Google's unreleased Pixel 4 XL smartphone for just over $1,000, according to a translation of a Vietnamese written review of the supposed Pixel 4 XL on Thursday.
- This would help explain how two Vietnamese YouTubers recently posted videos about the Pixel 4 with the device in hand, as well as the written review posted on Thursday.
- The recent flurry of in-depth Pixel 4 details from Vietnam aren't necessarily accurate, but they do corroborate with many rumors.
- Google reportedly moved the Pixel 4 production from China to Vietnam, supposedly to circumvent growing production costs in China and tariffs, according to Japanese news outlet Nikkei.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
If they're true and accurate, the videos offer a complete look at the Pixel 4 XL, leaving little mystery to Google's upcoming devices.
It wasn't clear how those YouTubers got a hold of the supposed Pixel 4 XL devices, but a recent written review of the Pixel 4 XL, also from Vietnam, claims that a "smartphone store" in Hanoi has been selling them for 25 million Vietnamese Dong (about $1,078). At least, that's according to Google Chrome's translation from Vietnamese of the review.
The Vietnamese reviewer notes that the devices sold from the store in Hanoi aren't likely to be full production units, as features that Google already teased like Motion Sense and facial recognition weren't operational. They're supposedly prototypes of the Pixel 4 XL.
Keep in mind that the devices from the Vietnamese reviewers aren't confirmed by Google to be real, so there's always the chance that these are inaccurate, or simply fake. However, the sheer depth of the review, and the fact that the details mesh with what we already knew, lends credence to the notion that this is some version of the Pixel 4.
With that out of the way, the Pixel 4 XL will supposedly features Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 855 mobile processor and 6 GB of RAM, a 3,700mAh battery, and a 6.3-inch screen, all of which jives with previous rumors about the devices.
The reviewer also corroborates rumors about the Pixel 4's smooth 90Hz display, as well as the function for the secondary camera lens that Google previously teased. It's looking extremely likely that the second camera lens on the Pixel 4 is going to be a telephoto lens. It also appears that the Pixel 4 phones will have a glossy glass back rather than the two-tone glass textured back on previous Pixel phones.
Google reportedly moved its Pixel 4 production facilities from China to Vietnam to circumvent growing production costs in China, as well as increased tariffs under the Trump administration, according to a recent report from Japanese news outlet Nikkei. This information is still unconfirmed, and Google hasn't yet replied to Business Insider's request for comment.
Check out the videos from the Vietnamese YouTubers showcasing the supposed Pixel 4 XL:


text: We’ve been looking forward to inauguration day for quite some time. Sure, because it’ll be such an important historical moment, but largely so we can stop hearing all the speculation on which designer Michelle Obama has chosen to wear tonight. It’s been months of interesting, yet exhausting filler, like from this piece from the San Jose Mercury about bringing style back to the White House via the First Lady (with some speculation about who Michelle will chose) or this story from the Houston Chronicle going over the history of inaugural gowns and the designers who created them (with some speculation about who Michelle will chose). And when that isn’t clicking, there have been pieces like this in the Baltimore Sun about what a difficult job the Obama’s new interior man, Michael Smith, is going to have in a new home not very conducive to standard design practices. Again, all interesting for sure, we’re just worn out and ready to move on. Though from time to time, reporters are getting some stories out there, which while still peripherally related feel like a breath of fresh air, like this one about who Obama’s poet, Elizabeth Alexander, has chosen to design her outfit for today: designer b. Michael.


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Wolverine World's management promotions reflect global scope
27 Oct '05
3 min read
Casual and work related footwear maker Wolverine World Wide Inc announced key promotions and organizational changes relating to its Heritage Brands Group, Wolverine Footwear Group and global support operations.
Gordon Baird has been promoted to President of the Heritage Brands Group.
Mr. Baird joined the Company in 2004 as Managing Director of the European CAT Footwear operations. He replaces Blake Krueger, who was recently promoted to President and COO.
Prior to joining Wolverine, Mr. Baird held senior management positions with Timberland and Adidas. In his new role as President of the Heritage Brands Group, Mr. Baird will lead the Company's global Caterpillar Footwear and Harley-Davidson Footwear operations.
Ted Gedra has been promoted to President of the Wolverine Footwear Group, effective January 1, 2006. Since joining the Company in 1985, Mr. Gedra has held sales and management positions of increasing responsibility and was most recently Executive Vice President of the Wolverine Footwear Group.
Commenting on the promotions, Blake Krueger, President and COO stated that this announced promotions of Gordon Baird and Ted Gedra demonstrate the significant strength of Wolverine's management team on a global basis. Gordon Baird has been instrumental in driving sales and profits in their European CAT Footwear business and has a strong background in branded footwear operations.
Gordon is uniquely qualified to continueto build on the success and synergies in the Heritage Brands Group. Ted Gedra has been a key executive in their Wolverine Footwear Group for over 20 years and has demonstrated exceptional brand development, management and operational skills. Ted will lead the Wolverine brand in its further expansion of lifestyle and work opportunities, along with the other brands within the Wolverine Footwear Group. These promotions reflect the global scope of their operations and the brand development strategy that has been so successful for the Company.


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What to do with Governors Island has been a running question for a decade, ever since the Coast Guard stopped using the 192-acre island off the tip of Manhattan. So far, efforts to develop the island have never gotten off the ground. Now a design competition is under way to turn much of the island into new public parkland in the hope of attracting visitors – and businesses. WNYC’s Siddhartha Mitter reports.
Governors Island design competition under way
June 20, 2007 by


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Around 65% of Americans have had an idea for starting a new business. About half of those would happily ditch their day job if they could raise the capital to launch the new venture.
Those brave enough to follow their dreams have a tough job on their hands. More than 800,000 new businesses open each year in the USA. Roughly 1 in 5 fold within the first two years, and less than half make it past the five-year mark. Fast forward a decade and only a third of the original businesses will still be turning a profit.
So what separates the businesses that survive and prosper from those that fail? There’s no simple answer. The whims and complexities of markets are far too complex for that.
But as a general rule, business owners that understand (and can adapt) to the principles of supply and demand have a much greater chance of success.
“You have to know what your customers want and how that might change,” says Anna Segovia, a digital marketing expert and the founder of Alterno Marketing. “Don’t tell people what they want. Ask them. Every successful business is based on genuine consumer demand.”
Now you can see what US customers really want, thanks to the latest study from ZenBusiness. Its researchers looked at new business keyword search data to find the most in-demand businesses in 50 of the USA’s biggest cities.
The study shows enormous demands for gyms, car washes, and restaurants in all of the USA’s major cities. In some cases, there are over 1,000 google searches per local business per month; that’s a lot of potential customers looking for somewhere new to spend their money.
Check the maps and charts below to find the best location for your next big business idea.
The Most In Demand Businesses in 50 US Cities, courtesy of ZenBusiness