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8 hours ago | POSTED IN News
HTC has been successful in appealing against a ban on the sale of its One range of smartphones in the UK. The ban came into force on Friday 6 December after a court case last week ruled that a chipset in HTC’s One...
8 hours ago | POSTED IN News
Women would rather give up sex than their smartphones. Bad news, boys -- a new report suggests that the ladies are losing it in the bedroom too due to excessive cell-gratification, with many stating they’d rather...
9 hours ago | POSTED IN News
The Taiwanese tech makers at Asus have combined the smartphone and tablet, creating one, affordable, device. The result, the Padfone Mini, has the potential to be the -- the best thing since Proctor and Gamble first...
17 hours ago | POSTED IN News
Music service Spotify has announced free streaming on iOS and Android devices, albeit with a few limitations. At a New York press conference yesterday, CEO and founder of Spotify, Daniel Ek not only told fans of the...
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Welcome to day 12 of Recombu’s Winter Wonderland, our fantastic December giveaway, with the help of some of our friends in the automotive, mobile and digital worlds. In the run-up to Christmas we’ll be giving...
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- Recombu Winter Wonderland Day 11: Win a £25 iTunes voucher
- The web not-spot where phone use is outlawed
- Amazon app blocks playtime until homework’s done
- Survey suggests smart-addiction not-so-strong among the youth
- AVG app ends online ad tracking
- Top 12 tablets for Christmas
- Recombu Winter Wonderland Day 10: Win a £25 Apple App Store voucher
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- Constantly checking your phone makes you stressed, finds report
- Smartphone addiction, aka nomophobia, plagues the nation
- Dutch doctors spread superbugs by smartphone shocker!
- Recombu Winter Wonderland Day 9: Win a 16GB Apple iPad Air
- Recombu Winter Wonderland Day 8: Win 12 months of Sky's Complete Bundle TV package
- Judge overturns UK ban on HTC One smartphones
- Sex vs Smartphone: almost half of ladies favour mobile over man
- Asus Padfone Mini: a Taiwanese tech-two-for-one
- Spotify brings free streaming to iOS and Android…well, sort of
- Recombu Winter Wonderland Day 12: Win one of three Plants vs. Zombies 2 goodie bags
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We’ve been talking about how to identify and engage influencers on CisionBlog for some time, and yesterday we announced a pretty exciting new feature to CisionPoint – the Cision Influence Rating. We’re excited about it.
We think services like Klout and PeerIndex are great, but in conversations with our customers we’ve discovered you need a slightly different measure of influence—one that takes a holistic view of a tastemaker’s presence online and off, through social channels and traditional ones.
Influencers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big on Twitter and Facebook, some reach millions through a cable talk show or a syndicated news column. Many people make an impact across both the social Web and more established venues, but as Jim Romenesko pointed out this week in a post about the light use of Twitter by top newspaper editors, influence can’t only be determined by analyzing Twitter or Facebook stats. Using our unique wealth of data on hundreds of thousands of media outlets and more than 1 million influencers globally, we’ve devised an approach that’s the first of its kind, and provides a 360-degree view of each journalist and blogger, regardless of which media they use to get their story out.
Along with the Cision Influence Rating, we’ve also launched our beta release of the Cision Influencer Database – the largest and most complete global data source covering tens of thousands of digital influencers.
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A Vallejo man was severely burned after an apparent cell phone malfunction ignited his pants pocket and touched off a fire in his hotel room.
Luis Picaso, 59, suffered second- and third-degree burns over 50 percent of his body and is in critical condition at UC Davis Medical Center.
Vallejo firefighters arrived at Picaso”s room late Saturday night at a residential hotel at 419 Georgia St., to find the sprinkler system containing the fire and Picaso lying on the bathroom floor.
“It seems like this was just an accident,” said Bill Tweedy, fire department spokesman, said. “Maybe the power button was depressed for a long time while in his pocket or there was some sort of short circuit in the phone.”
Picaso”s misfortune escalated because he was wearing flammable polyester and nylon clothes and sitting in a plastic chair when the fire began in his pocket.
“His clothes were pretty much made out of a petroleum product and when the chair ignited it became like melted gasoline and continued to fuel itself,” Tweedy said.
Tweedy would not reveal the brand of Picaso”s phone but said that he did not think the fire was connected to a specific company”s products.
This is not the first incident of a phone catching fire. In June 2004, a 16-year-old girl in Ontario, Ca. received small second-degree burns when her phone combusted in her back pocket. There also have been instances in South Carolina, Philadelphia, Beijing, Amsterdam and Finland in recent years.
Most of the previous incidents have been caused by defective or counterfeit batteries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
In June 2004, Verizon Wireless recalled thousands of counterfeit LG-branded phone batteries because of defects resulting in sparks or fire. The Kyocera Wireless Corp. also recalled defective batteries the same year after reports of overheating, smoking and burning.
The Vallejo incident caused about $75,000 in fire and water damage to Picaso”s room and the business below, Tweedy said.
Apparently Picaso is a generous neighbor, even to those he does not know intimately.
“I just moved in here three months ago and don”t know him real well, but he is very friendly and gave me money to buy food for my baby for no reason at all,” Antonio McNeal, a fellow resident at the hotel, said Monday.
The phone itself is still in Picaso”s damaged apartment and it is Picaso”s responsibility to notify the Consumer Product safety commission, Tweedy said.


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Turkey and Egypt are attracting more British holiday bookings, as prices in destinations seen as safer continue to increase. Both countries have seen a slump in visitor numbers due to a series of terror attacks, together with the closure to UK airlines of the main Egyptian resort airport, Sharm el Sheikh. But Peter Fankhauser, Chief Executive of Thomas Cook, said demand had picked up “as customers look for quality and value”. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Both destinations are wonderful countries, with great hotels, great beaches, nice people, and it’s really good value.
“People want to go back. We are not a security company; as long as we have the advice of the Foreign Office that we can fly to Egypt and Turkey, we offer a great product.”
Many holidaymakers have switched from the eastern Mediterranean to destinations perceived as “safe”, notably Spain.
Sales to Spain were unchanged, with “a very competitive trading environment” — due to the sheer number of aircraft seats from the UK to Spanish airports. Average selling prices for seat-only tickets are down 3 per cent, while holiday prices overall have risen by 7 per cent.
“Spanish hoteliers are taking advantage a bit of the increased demand, and prices went up because we have not enough beds for all the demand,” said Mr Fankhauser. He predicted “A 5 to 10 per cent price increase we’ll have for sure in Spain” for summer 2018.
Thomas Cook has faced criticism from some holidaymakers caught up in the extreme weather in the Caribbean and Florida earlier this month, in particular travellers who were in Cuba as Hurricane Irma approached and who say Thomas Cook was slow in responding.
But Mr Fankhauser said: “I am proud of how fast we acted in the wake of Irma to support our customers, and offer them alternative destinations for their winter sun.” (Simon Calder / independent.co.uk)


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NaijaVibe, a popular entertainment news site with diverse niches, focuses on bringing new heights to Afrobeats.
The most popular and amazing news site NaijaVibe connects Afrobeats updated news with its users. They are providing the latest news of entertainment and pop culture industry. This amazing platform has a lot to offer to its users. Anyone can easily get connected with diverse information and updated news regarding fashion, trends, culture, music, movies, Afrobeats, and much more. NaijaVibe makes it convenient for the users to get the latest news without hassles.
Being the oldest Nigerian music genre, Afrobeat is very popular amongst Nigerian and music lovers throughout the world. By bringing this old music genre into the spotlight, NaijaVibe aims to connect music lovers with their favorite bands, artists, and singers. It continues to provide updates regarding pop culture and Afrobeats every day. So, users enjoy fresh, unique, and latest content every time.
NaijaVibe is one of the popular entertainment news sites that connects its users with the latest updates regarding the pop culture & entertainment industry. Being a Nigerian site, NaijaVibe emphasis bringing the Nigerian pop culture and afrobeat into spotlights. By covering, international and Nigerian Afrobeat and pop culture, it recreates the bond between the users and Afrobeats.
By sharing the latest events, and news with numerous readers and users, NaijaVibe brings Afrobeats into spotlights. People like this initiative and enjoying the latest Afrobeat and pop culture news.
NaijaVibe is a Nigerian news website that started to connect users with the latest news regarding entertainment, music, lifestyle, movies, and much more. Users can easily get in touch with the latest news 24/7 via this platform. Besides this, NaijaVibe is also focusing on promoting businesses digitally through its out-of-the-ordinary social media marketing services.
Stephen Nzurum is the CEO of NaijaVibe and manages the whole platform closely to ensure that readers get authentic and engaging content. Besides this, Stephen is also an author of two books, “The Universe of doing small business online” & “Nigeria Music Streaming Market: Stream Music in Nigeria.”
His efforts and strive for success enable him to launch a platform, “NaijaVibe,” which is the most visited website in Nigeria in the entertainment niche. He states, “NaijaVibe is a platform that came into existence with a motive to let the users know about what’s happening around them.”
NaijaVibe is one of the most visited, amazing platforms that are popular for providing authentic, amazing, and engaging content. Its managing team, the staff, allows users to stalk their favorite entertainment niche and know the latest updates without hassles.
In addition to this, NaijaVibe’s writing is completely genuine and authentic that people can visit on their site. They always believe in providing the news that matters to the people.


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GTI Asia China Expo introduces new zone for virtual reality amusements
The upcoming GTI Asia China Expo is to include a new exhibitor zone for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) products.
Introducing the Expo’s new zone, a GTI Asia China Expo spokesperson stated “with the arrival of 5G, artificial intelligence will energise VR/AR equipment and enrich AR content of phones, while new opportunities for the VR industry are also emerging.
“The International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that the number of VR devices in the world will reach 78 million by 2021, while in China, the VR market value in 2019 will reach US$3.3 billion and the growth rate of AR and VR will reach 86.9%. of the population.”
Being held in Area A in the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou complex in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou from 10th to 12th September, GTI Asia China Expo’s VR/AR zone aims to provide an excellent platform for related companies worldwide with leading products, new technologies and new business models to be unveiled at the Expo, allowing cutting-edge technology to be integrated into entertainment life, exposing the most entertaining cutting-edge technologies, providing exhibitors a commercial value and socially influential platform.
The GTI Asia China Expo spokesperson added “global buyers, industry insiders and media workers can enjoy the endless fun of these high-tech products at the Expo and see the new trends and future technological development.”
Click here for more information on the GTI Asia China Expo in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.
18th January 2016 - Smart Digital Australia appointed Australian distributor for Huawei Blowers
18th May 2018 - Historic levels of growth in global theme park industry in 2017
6th February 2018 - IAAPA opens new Asia-Pacific regional office in Shanghai
3rd June 2017 - Global Theme Index shows mixed attendance trends for theme parks
5th September 2015 - More than 50 theme parks under development in China
12th October 2016 - Funfields launches Virtual Reality Pirate Ship experience
11th May 2017 - Chinese Super League delivers virtual reality in live broadcasts
14th March 2018 - Hoyts to introduce virtual reality experiences into cinema
8th May 2016 - Live Nation moves to present Virtual Reality music events
30th December 2018 - Virtual Reality amusement park opens in China
28th March 2018 - Virtual reality ‘theme park’ opens in Seoul


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The Ledger is a weekly music industry economics newsletter sent to Billboard Pro subscribers. An abridged version of the newsletter is published online.
Have 10 conversations about the recording industry and at least one will contain the phrase “artist development is dead”. This is an exaggeration, although many musicians and their managers have painfully learned that this is also true. A better term, however, might be the more mundane, “artist development is expensive”.
Record labels pay huge sums to find, record, promote and market artists. A 2020 report from IFPI puts global A&R and marketing spend at $5.8 billion, or about 34% of annual revenue. Admittedly, only a portion of this money is spent on developing new artists from scratch, while some is spent on more established artists. But the nature of the business means record labels have to deal with sunk costs – meaning they have been incurred and cannot be recovered – before decide how much to spend to promote and market a young artist. Holding your wallet is not an option.
Record labels like to minimize risk in an inherently risky business. This means that signing an artist with existing momentum may be preferable to developing a complete unknown. TikTok is the current A&R tool of choice because a song that enjoys viral success is already popular and takes the guesswork out of signing an artist. Likewise, a broad social media presence reduces the doubt that an artist will succeed and secures an existing following. And labels are only too happy to let someone else spend the money: competitions such as american idol, The voice and American song contest bear the cost of introducing an artist to the public, giving the winner – and anyone else who gets a label deal – invaluable exposure and recognition before they step into the recording studio.
In the context of risk reduction, it’s no surprise that entertainment companies are now creating content with virtual characters based on well-known non-fungible symbolic artwork. iHeartRadio announcement On Tuesday, he will create a series of podcasts based on NFT artwork from the Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks collections. The goal is to make the Non-Fund-Squad a “media franchise and shared multimedia universe” using iHeartMedia-owned characters built around CryptoPunk #2821, Mutant Ape #10144, and NFTs from other collections, according to the Press release.
In a strictly financial sense, the NFT artwork is like an artist or DJ with an existing audience. The owner of a Bored Ape or CryptoPunk NFT can tap into pre-existing communities and benefit from the promotional work of NFT developers, Yuga Labs and Larva Labs. (Yuga Labs bought Larva Labs in March.) Now, iHeartMedia didn’t buy a turnkey operation like a McDonald’s franchise — they still face the hard work of giving NFT personalities and creating compelling programming. But, on the other hand, they don’t start from scratch either.
We have also seen it in music. In November, Universal Music Group announced the formation of a music group, Kingship, consisting of four characters from Bored Ape Yacht Club. And because every four-piece band needs its own Brian Epstein, in March, 10:22 p.m. — the UMG imprint behind Kingship — paid around $360,000 for a fifth Bored Ape NFT who will be the band’s manager, called Manager Noet All. If that sounds unusual to you, consider UMG spent €588 million and €364 million (net) in 2020 and 2021, respectively, on advances it hopes – but will not fully recover – from artists and songwriters. If developing an artist is expensive, why not invest in a trending NFT?
The fact that giant entertainment companies create characters on NFTs isn’t the main point here. It’s about strengthening intellectual property and reducing risk. A virtual band is built on artwork, not a piece of code. An NFT is a digital token, its existence proven on a blockchain, which represents ownership of Something — digital artwork, a share of music royalties or even a house in Florida sold at auction by a company called Propy for $653,163 worth of ether. But the nature of some NFTs actually encourages owners to create characters, music, podcasts, and other content. Not only can owners of a Bored Ape or CryptoPunk NFT capitalize on the brand recognition of these collections, but they also own the rights to monetize the intellectual property of the work. This is not always the case with NFTs: you can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a piece of digital art without owning the copyright. But if you own a Bored Ape NFT, a Hollywood casting director might cast your character for “The Degan Trilogy,” a series of Bored Ape Yacht Club animated shorts. produced by CoinBasethe $39 billion publicly traded crypto exchange.
Some people may roll their eyes at the thought of NFT-based music and podcasts or predict doom for projects. But iHeartMedia and 22:22 have proof they can pull it off.
One of Japan’s biggest pop stars, Hatsune Miku, is a hologram. Miku has 2.1 million YouTube subscribers and 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. During live concerts, Miku is projected onto a glass screen – something American and European audiences have seen with deceased legends such as rapper Tupac Shakur and heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio. In 2020, South Korea’s SM Entertainment launched Aespa, an eight-member group of four singers and their digital counterparts that now has 4.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Avatars have enough mainstream potential that baby boomers can get on board as well. Next month, Swedish pop legends ABBA will launch a virtual concert, ABBA Voyage, in which the four members’ young avatars will be supported by a 10-piece live band in a custom-built London arena.
Then there’s Gorillaz, the animation group formed in 1998 by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. Tracks such as “Clint Eastwood” and “Feels Good, Inc.” helped make Gorillaz international stars, tour the world, sell millions of albums and win a 2006 Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals – a perfect category for a real band represented by characters from cartoons. Gorillaz didn’t have to start from scratch: Albarn had already achieved rock star status when the group’s first recording was released in 2000, and Hewlett was known to be the comic’s co-creator. tank girl. Still, the band’s success and longevity is surprising as no other artist has done it yet.
The saying in the music world is “it all starts with a song”. Before an artist walks into a recording studio, a songwriter creates lyrics, chord changes, and melodies in hopes of capturing listeners’ attention. A great song has a chance of finding an audience eventually. The saying deserves a reverse that says “everything ends with a bad song”. This will be the difference factor here. No NFT-based star, celebrity, or virtual artist – no matter how well known – is immune to failure when the music isn’t right. This is the real risk.
Until April 15, the % change over the last week and the change since the beginning of the year
Spotify (NYSE: SPOT): $136.27, -3.5%, -41.8% YTD
Universal Music Group (AS: UMG): 24.89 euros, +4.5%, +0.4% since the start of the year
Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG): $35.65, -4.4%, -17.4% YTD
HYBE (KS 352820): 294,000 KRW, +3.7%, -15.8% YTD
nation live (NYSE: LYV): $111.31, +3.2%, -7.0% YTD
MSG Entertainment (NYSE: MSG): $80.71, +2.8%, +13.8% YTD
Cumulus (Nasdaq: CMLS): $14.21, +40.7%, +26.3% YTD
Composite NYSE: 16,511.51, -1.1%, -3.8% since the beginning of the year
Nasdaq: 13,351.08, -2.6%, -14.7% since the beginning of the year


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A distributor, especially one the size of Poolcorp, touches almost every aspect of an industry. Few companies have a better view of the trends, problems and successes — and few are more able to influence and promote change.
Manuel Perez de la Mesa is celebrating his 14th pool season. The CEO of Poolcorp joined the company as president in 1999 and began his executive role in 2001. He’s seen the industry go through its heyday and watched it claw through a sustained recession.
Founded in 1993, Poolcorp now distributes more than 160,000 products. They have 300 sales
centers across North America and Europe that service 80,000 customers.
Perez says it’s time for those in the swimming pool industry to demand more professionalism from each other. And he’s making sure that Poolcorp leads the way.
Need for Industry Change
Perez says that for the last 40 or 50 years, the pool industry has had the “wind at its back.” So while many companies strove to conduct business in a professional way, many also could just breeze along. “Given that favorable business environment, there was a certain amount of complacency, a certain amount of resistance to change and lack of innovation,” Perez says.
Now that everyone must work harder for every sale and every dollar, Perez says, “In the last five years, the industry has evolved and changed, not radically, but certainly more so than the previous 34 years.”
But he says those welcomed and much-needed changes are not enough. Everyone must continue to strive to get better.
“Those who survive and succeed from an industry standpoint are those who invest in their own development and their own education to increase their professionalism and how they manage every facet of their business,” Perez says.
Leading the Way
If it feels like Perez is pointing fingers, consider that this is something Poolcorp did long before it started asking others to follow.
“We continue to invest in programs and tools to develop our people, to provide solutions internally that enable us to operate more effectively,” Perez says. Poolcorp has made changes in how it organizes its internal and external logistics and distribution networks. It also has an unparalleled breadth of worldwide products that they constantly review.
“All the investments that we make every year to develop new solutions and new technologies help us operate more efficiently and provide better service levels for our customers,” Perez says.
Poolcorp hasn’t just invested in itself. Fifteen years ago, the company decided to be proactive in helping the industry and its customers thrive: It evaluated what its customers needed to succeed and put programs in place to help them achieve those things. “Now it’s up to them what degree they want to choose to go that route, to utilize these tools and programs,” Perez says.
Perez and Poolcorp are passionate about improving the entire industry, but the money they spend serves their purposes as well.
“The reason we invest millions of dollars in consumer awareness and education, training our customers, and provide so much material on a subsidized basis is because we want and need them to succeed,” Perez says. “Because if they succeed, we in turn succeed.”


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Targeting female mobile users at the expense of male users could be a big mistake.
Everywhere we look, our industry seems to be telling us that when it comes to mobile marketing, women are the consumers to reach. Mobile Marketer's Mobile Outlook 2012 study asserts that female consumers are poised to embrace their smartphones for more than just communicating with family and friends. Last week The Wall Street Journal blogged that women and older mobile users are currently underserved by mobile advertising globally. Advertisers, they reported, are missing out on an opportunity to target female mobile users.
Since mobile usage among women is on the rise, and women make the majority of the purchasing decisions, it's natural to view them as a key target mobile market. And yes, female mobile users represent a viable market. To shift one's focus and begin targeting them at the expense of male users, however, might be a mistake.
The degree to which male consumers are embracing mobile ads became evident last year. Prior to Thanksgiving, studies were indicating 50 percent of men planned to make some of their holiday purchases by smartphone as a way to capitalize on pre-holiday deals without having to brave the crowds.
A new study from InsightExpress suggests male smartphone users - particularly those aged 18 to 29 - continue to shop by phone, and could make it a behavioral priority in 2012. The real surprise, though, is that besides spending more time shopping on their phones, they're putting mobile above other methods of shopping as well. The report found that 32 percent of these consumers rely on their mobile phones to make purchases rather than going online or in-store. Only 12 percent of women in the same age group do the same.
A Different Mindset Toward Mobile Ads
If a consumer is predisposed to shopping via mobile phone, it stands to reason that he'll pay some mind to mobile advertising. Sure enough, InsightExpress found men are both aware of seeing mobile ads and more likely to consider them "new and different" when compared with traditional ads and digital ads online. Couple that mindset with ad messaging that provides value to the consumer and men are apt to pay even more attention. Here are a few of the best ways to reach the mobile male this year.
Mobile marketing in 2012 won't be a war of the sexes. At the end of the day, it isn't about which gender is more favorable to marketers eager to make sales through the mobile channel; it's about recognizing that both have potential, and identifying exactly where that potential lies.
In this way, media planners and buyers will be prepared to address the needs of all of their consumers, in all of their varied campaigns. Be sure to check back next week for a look at the female mobile user and unique strategies for how to reach her.
Tessa Wegert is a business reporter and former media strategist specializing in digital. In addition to writing for ClickZ since 2002, she has contributed to such publications as USA Today, Marketing Magazine, Mashable, and The Globe and Mail. Tessa manages marketing and communications for Enlighten, one of the first full-service digital marketing strategy agencies servicing such brands as Bioré, Food Network, illy, and Hunter Douglas. She has been working in online media since 1999.
The holidays are just around the corner. Download this whitepaper to find out how to create successful holiday email campaigns that drive engagement and revenue.
Big data holds a lot of promise for marketers, but are marketers ready to make the most of it to drive better business decisions and improve ROI? This study looks at the hidden challenges modern marketers face when trying to put big data to use.
December 2, 2015
1pm ET/ 10am PT
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
5pm HKT / 5am ET


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Amid bus route cuts and rail strikes, can the answer to our future public transport needs be found in the hi-tech prototypes being trialled around the UK?
Dramatic improvements in computing, sensors and submersible engineering are making it possible for researchers to ramp up data collection from the oceans while also keeping people out of harm’s way.
The autonomous vehicle revolution was, according to its proponents, meant to have transformed daily travel by now. But they underestimated the task of developing a safe, truly driverless vehicle.
Consumers need to be aware that none of the vehicles on the market today are actually self-driving — vehicles still require active supervision from a human driver.
In a few Australian suburbs, a cup of coffee or toothpaste can now arrive via the air. But that doesn’t mean drones are going to be widespread – for now.
International and Australian laws need to be updated to cope with the newest drug-trafficking technique threatening maritime security: remote-controlled narco-drones.
Consumers are still unsure whether fully autonomous vehicles are safe and worth buying. Brands play an important role in influencing their decision.
Where it’s risky for aid workers to be on the ground, technology could help.
Studies show that when people can ride in a car without having to operate it, they increase their car use. That could increase traffic and pollution, unless government puts a price on car travel.
Drone delivery company Wing is out to transform the sky – and Australia is at the forefront of its plans.
An autonomous vehicle expert explains how Tesla’s Autopilot works, what prompted US authorities to investigate the system and what changes might be in store for the company.
The promise of self-driving cars hasn’t materialized, and we’re no closer to them becoming a reality.
Autonomous vehicles could one day transform urban transport and make roads safer, but some obstacles need to be overcome first.
The public holds self-driving cars to incredibly high safety standards – and we’re working to meet them.
Tesla has a lot more going for it than just its electric cars. VW must think wider and bolder to save the business.
As self-driving cars increase in popularity, the question of legal liability remains. The driver, automobile manufacturer and software designers all have a role to play.
The age of autonomous vehicles is edging closer to reality with the launch of a driverless taxi service in the USA.
Despite what Elon Musk says, there are numerous challenges to overcome in creating completely self-driving cars that work in the real world.
In order to create an efficient future transportation system, autonomous vehicles need to accommodate people with different mobility needs.
Driverless cars create an opportunity for more inclusive design – so why aren’t more companies using it?


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PwC partners ready for £100k payout following £1.8bn sale of mobility services arm
UK partners of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) are set to get a hefty payout after the accounting giant sold its mobility services arm for $2.2bn (£1.8bn) earlier this year.
According to reports by Mark Kleinman for Sky News, the firm’s 950 UK-based partners will be handed an average of just over £100,000 each.
Insiders said partners were told about the £100m payout by Kevin Ellis, PwC’s UK chairman, earlier this month, and a further £100m is expected to go towards the company’s growth and technology projects.
In a statement given to Sky News today, Ellis said: “As with any partnership there is always a balance to be struck between investment to underpin future growth and making a distribution to the partners as owners of the business.
“Half of the proceeds will be invested in growth opportunities linked to our people, technology and strategic programmes, including our ‘Next Generation Audit’ approach, to strengthen our partnership into the future.”
PwC officially sold its Global Mobility Tax and Immigration Services business to the private equity titan Clayton Dubilier & Rice back in April. The arm of PwC has approximately 3,000 multinational clients worldwide.


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Louisiana lawmakers are making food stamp fraud tougher starting this year.
Senate Bill 633, Act 677 stiffens the penalties for unauthorized use of SNAP funds. If convicted of SNAP benefit fraud, you face fines ranging from $5,000.00 to $1,000,000.00 dollars, or jail time up to ten years.
The new law also punishes state employees, retailers that accept SNAP benefits, and adult family members of snap recipients, for failing to report fraud. Fines range from $250 to $5,000.00.


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The summer travel season may have just wrapped up, but it’s already time to ink in plans for Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel—at least if you want to find the best deals.
Fortunately for travelers, airfares in general are becoming more affordable compared to the exorbitant prices over the summer. “With the many price drops we’ve seen in recent months, airlines seem to believe demand is softening for fall/winter travel,” says Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, which tracks flight deals and sends them to subscribers.
But that doesn’t mean that deals for the holidays will last forever. “Domestically, we saw pretty low fares for Thanksgiving even as recently as a few weeks ago, like Washington DC to Orlando for only $98, but now that we are getting closer to November, the likelihood of finding a rock-bottom fare is gradually drying up.”
Here’s how you can still find an affordable flight for Thanksgiving, plus a look ahead at when to book for the December holidays, too.
When is the best time to book flights for Thanksgiving 2023?
In short: as soon as possible. Usually, the ideal booking window for domestic flights in a peak season like over a holiday is between three and seven months ahead of time, according to Nastro. “If you are looking to fly domestically [for Thanksgiving], you should be booking immediately,” Nastro says. “You may be left with pricier flights the longer you wait.”
Fortunately for travelers, September currently seems to be a sweet spot for unearthing airline deals. “Domestic airfares are also trending down right now,” says Laura Lindsay, travel trends expert at Skyscanner. “So, for anyone staying in the US to celebrate Thanksgiving and in search of the best travel deal, strike now before the airfares climb back up.”
If you have flexible plans, consider international travel
Over the summer, international flights—especially to popular destinations in Europe—were prohibitively expensive for many travelers. But in November, bargains abound.
“When it comes to great deals for Thanksgiving, we are still seeing plenty of deals for international travel, especially across Europe, from cities across the US,” Nastro says. Some recent roundtrip deals include Grand Rapids, Michigan to Milan for $515; Sacramento to Munich for $581; and Miami to London for $353;
“Thanksgiving is actually one of the best times of the year to find international deals,” Nastro says. “Everyone is looking to fly domestically to visit family and friends, but outside of the US, it’s not a holiday week, and prices don’t spike nearly as early.”
As such, travelers who are interested in spending the holiday abroad have more time to find an affordable fare. Flight search tools can help find the most affordable routes. Google Flights’ Explore feature allows travelers to set their travel dates and departure airport and browse the map for the cheapest destinations. Skyscanner’s Savings Generator feature uses airfare data to show the cheapest time to book specific routes.
When is the best time to book flights for the December holidays?
For the cheapest fares on flights for Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s, Nastro says it’s best to book in the summer months. But if you didn’t planned that far ahead, you can still find bargains for several more weeks.


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New South Wales is officially the state with the largest number of public electric car charging points in Australia – but it has room to improve if it's going to continue servicing the growing number of electric cars on its roads.
A new study from insurance company Budget Direct has broken down the number of DC fast-charging and AC charging points in each state, ranking them based on how many sites there are per electric vehicles on the roads.
While NSW boasts 153 DC chargers and 630 AC chargers for a combined total of 783 charging points, there are roughly 4627 electric cars in the state – meaning there's only 0.17 charging stations per electric car.
Meanwhile, the state with the highest proportion of chargers per electric car is the Northern Territory with 0.43 – but that's because there are only 30 registered electric cars in the Northern Territory, with a total of 13 AC chargers available.
The state most under-servicing its electric car population is the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) with just 0.10 chargers per electric car, given it has the highest rate of EV sales of any state (83 EVs per 10,000 new car sales). That's only one charger per every 10 electric cars.
Still, Australia's provision of chargers is improving across the board, with a 40 per cent increase in the number of public chargers nationwide over the last 12 months.
Budget Direct's study also examined the viability of 15 of the country's most iconic road trips, based on electric vehicle range and accessibility of charging points, and found only nine of the famous routes were feasible in an electric car with a range of 480km.
The study found the longest road trip that can currently be completed in an electric car is the Nullarbor drive from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, measuring 1746km and taking eight hours, but with eight charging points along the way (all within 3.2km of the usual route).
Other iconic drives able to be completed in an electric car using public charging included the Great Ocean Road, the Great Alpine Road and the Grand Pacific Drive.
|STATE/TERRITORY||DC CHARGERS||AC CHARGERS||TOTAL CHARGERS||ELECTRIC VEHICLES||CHARGERS PER ELECTRIC VEHICLE|
|Australian Capital Territory||11||39||50||523||0.10|
|New South Wales||153||630||783||4627||0.17|


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The wait is finally over and Nokia have officially launched the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 in India. This is no regular launch and Nokia is certainly going over and above to promote the handsets on our humble shores. The Nokia Lumia 800 and 710 handsets are the first smartphones from Nokia to run on the Windows Phone OS as opposed to the Symbian OS used on their previous mobiles. Stylish looks and OS aside, Nokia is really pushing for the success of the Lumia 800. We saw a video earlier of how Deadmau5 rocked London with awesome 4D visuals to promote the handset. In India things are no different with the smartphone manufacturer having events in 6 cities across India.
According to a report by the Economics Times, Nokia’s The Amazing Everyday campaign in India is one of the brands biggest marketing endeavors with there being impromptu dance performances by foreign troupe in Mumbai, no toll fee for 15,000 cars on the DND Freeway in Delhi, helicopter rides for consumers in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and many more promotions. The report goes on to state that Viral Oza, Marketing Director of Nokia, India said, “It's a gamechanger for us. We have redefined what we mean to the consumers.”
Very exciting events from Nokia
Nokia has priced the Lumia 800 at Rs. 29,999 and the Lumia 710 at Rs. 18,999. It is no news that Nokia has lost ground in the smartphone game but hopefully for the Finnish mobile manufacturer, these handsets can put them on the right track once again. For those of you who are considering the Lumia 800, check out our review here. Hit the link here to know more about these handsets from Nokia.
Publish date: December 17, 2011 9:36 am| Modified date: December 18, 2013 9:10 pm
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When Chevrolet was engineering the Volt range-extended electric car, it gave the car a battery just big enough for 40-50 miles of electric range.
GM did this because it reasoned that this electric range would be most effective for most drivers--covering the average commute on electricity alone. That two thirds of Volt miles are all-electric proves the concept works.
Now, another survey has emerged confirming that the average electric car really can meet the needs of the average American consumer--they just don't realize it yet.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has found that 42 percent of American households with a vehicle could do their driving using one of the electric cars on sale today.
The UCS figures come from a Venn diagram based on three simple attributes of the average driver and electric car requirements: That of a space to park and plug in, enough seats for passengers, and lack of hauling needs requiring a bigger, beefier vehicle.
56 percent of U.S. households apparently have access to charging. A full 95 percent of U.S. drivers carry fewer than four passengers--a number most electric cars happily carry--and 79 percent of U.S. drivers have no hauling needs, ruling out the need for a big SUV or pickup.
Those numbers lead to the 42 percent figure--households that could be happily served by the average electric car on sale today.
In fact, with 69 percent of U.S. drivers covering fewer than 60 miles per day, most electric cars could easily cope with day's driving. Even the Mitsubishi i-MiEV with its 62-mile range covers that metric, though most would be happier with the 75 miles-and-up offered by cars like the Nissan Leaf or the 82 miles of a Chevy Spark EV.
They'd be saving a fair amount of money too, and reducing CO2 output in the process. UCS suggests the average 2012 compact doing 28.8 mpg would burn through $1,500 in gasoline each year and output 4.7 metric tons of CO2.
In comparison, a plug-in hybrid such as the Ford Fusion Energi may cost $764 to fuel and produce 2.9 tons of CO2.
A pure battery electric vehicle like the Leaf? Just over $400 and only 2.3 metric tons of greenhouse gases.
In the survey, 65 percent of respondents appeared to be positive towards EVs in general, agreeing that they're a necessary pathway for reducing oil use and CO2--and a full 60 percent would consider owning an electric vehicle, if it suited their needs.
As they'll see when reading the results of the survey they responded to--an electric car probably does meet their needs.


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China-focused cross border Retail REIT CapitaRetail China Trust (CRCT) (SGX:AU8U) has announced a Net Property Income (NPI) of RMB132.0 million for 1Q 2013, up 4.6 percent from RMB126.2 million for the corresponding quarter in 2012.
|CRCT is the first and only China shopping mall REIT in
Singapore, with a portfolio of nine income-producing shopping malls. Photo by CapitaRetail China Trust
Distributable income for 1Q 2013 was S$17.3 million, an increase of 4.2 percent over the S$16.6 million for 1Q 2012. Distribution per Unit (DPU) for 1Q 2013 inched up to 2.31 cents. Gross revenue for 1Q 2013 came in at S$39.3 million, an increase of 3.7 percent year-on-year. NPI was S$25.9 million, 1.8 percent higher than the previous year, mainly due to a stronger SGD against RMB.
Based on the annualised DPU of 9.37 cents and CRCT’s closing price of S$1.755 per unit on 19 April 2013, the annualised distribution yield stands at 5.3 percent.
Mr Victor Liew, Chairman of the Manager for CRCT said, “China has maintained its GDP growth target at 7.5 percent for 2013. With ongoing government measures to drive economic growth through domestic consumption, China retail sales are expected to grow 14.5 percent this year.”
Mr Tony Tan, CEO of the Manager for CRCT said, “Our tenant mix upgrade at CapitaMall Saihan and CapitaMall Wuhu resulted in double-digit growth at both malls. NPI grew 33.4 percent year-on-year at CapitaMall Saihan, and 23.3 percent at CapitaMall Wuhu. CapitaMall Qibao also achieved a healthy growth in NPI of 14.0 percent. The improved performance of our portfolio is a testament to our competency in changing our tenant mix to meet evolving consumer preferences.”
“On the capital management front, we have secured offers to refinance S$150.5 million debt due in June 2013 at favorable terms with cost of debt expected to be below 3 percent. The strengthened balance sheet will reinforce our capacity to capitalise on external growth opportunities", he added.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to strengthen the competitiveness of our malls. The asset enhancement of CapitaMall Minzhongleyuan, when completed next year, will provide additional uplift to our growth.”
Units of CRCT ended the day flat at S$1.76 on the day of the announcement.


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(Posted on May 11, 2019 at 06:46AM by Danielle Smyth)
Ford is decreasing production of its 5.0-liter V8 Coyote-equipped Ford F-150s in Canada as demand for the EcoBoost V6 option ramps up. With down shifts every week since January at Ford's Canadian Windsor Engine Plant, there are four more down weeks scheduled between now and the end of September as sales of the 5.0-liter engine continue to drop.
That doesn’t translate to job losses though, as employees will be able to work at the Windsor Engine Plant Annex on 7.3-liter EcoBoost engine production. Ford is working hard to get electric and hybrid powertrains available for the F-150 series on the market.
Here are the stats on current F-150 motor options:
3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 450 hp at 5,000 rpm and 510 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm
5.0-liter Coyote V8 395 hp at 5,750 rpm and 400 lb-ft of torque peaking at 4,500 rpm
3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 375 hp at 5,000 rpm and 470 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm
2.7-liter EcoBoost 325 hp at 5,000 rpm, and 400 lb-ft at 2,750 rpm.
3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6 290 hp at 6,500 rpm and 265 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm
Powerstroke 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 250 hp at 3,250 rpm and 440 lb-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm.


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Twitter reappoints co-founder Jack Dorsey as CEO
Twitter will make its interim chief executive and founder of the company, Jack Dorsey, CEO, after a protracted search.
Dorsey replaces Dick Costolo, who resigned in June. He faces particular challenges, not only in making Twitter more palatable to the mainstream, but because he is also CEO of payment company Square.
Dorsey confirmed he would lead both companies. Square is thought to be moving towards an IPO.
We are naming @adambain COO of Twitter, we're working to change the composition of our Board, and I will serve as CEO of Twitter and Square!— Jack (@jack) October 5, 2015
SABMiller sees beer sales rise ahead of AB InBev takeover deadline
SABMiller posted a 6% revenue rise for the third quarter, underscoring its value as a global brewery ahead of a possible AB InBev takeover.
Latin America and African markets were responsible for growth, though this was "materially" offset by foreign exchange movements.
AB InBev has a week to go until it must make a formal bid or a leave a deal, under UK law.
Facebook uses satellites to beam internet to Africa
Facebook has partnered with French telco Eutelstat to deliver internet coverage to 14 African markets next year.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed on his own Facebook page that a satellite called Amos-6 would orbit over the continent, providing coverage to sub-Saharan Africa.
The efforts are part of Facebook’s charity, Internet.org, which aims to give connectivity to the developing world.
Source: Wall Street Journal
In case you missed it...two longer reads
Marketing, in partnership with Sky Media, is proud to unveil the inaugural shortlist for the New Thinking Awards, composed of the leading brands and agencies that have shown they are pioneering change.
Cadbury's "gorilla" has been named the public's favourite ad of all time, while marketers' top ad is Guinness's "surfer', according to polls run by Marketing celebrating the 60th anniversary of the TV ad break.
If you watch one video today...
Rather than a video, this week we're pointing you towards our new podcast. Listen to the first episode below and find out more here.
You can also watch Marketing's interview with McDonald's CMO Alistair Macrow
He lifts the lid on the fast food giant's most significant campaign focused on quality and provenance.


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McDonald’s is set to trial longer breakfast hours at restaurants on the Isle of Wight.
Starting from today (12), seven McDonald’s restaurants will be trialling extending breakfast service to 11am, in a six-week test to see whether the nation really wants their beloved McMuffins after 10.30am, reports The Mirror.
All seven restaurants trialling the new timings will be in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, but if successful, the iconic fast food chain will then roll out the later end times nationwide.
It’s a big change considering the current 10.30am end point has been in place for nearly 25 years.
The Isle of Wight has two McDonald’s outlets – a restaurant in Newport and a drive-thru and restaurant in Ryde.


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I find the whole net neutrality issue playing out in a really interesting (and amusing) way. The big push for this was to help the American people. By rolling back the net neutrality rules, it was going to give people the option to make their own decisions when it comes to the internet. But as more and more states and even tech companies that are in opposition to the repeal, it makes me wonder who this will actually benefit. Sorry – when I say, it makes me wonder, it doesn’t. I think it’s obvious who is going to benefit from the repeal.
Now, six more tech companies have filed a lawsuit against the FCC. Joining the battle is – Etsy, Kickstarter, Foursquare, Shutterstock, Automattic, and Expa have petitioned the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit as part of a group called the Coalition for Internet Openness. The group’s goal is to stop the FCC from overturning the rules that ensure a free and open internet. Marc Ellenbogen, Foursquare’s Chief Compliance Officer, and General Counsel had this to say:
“We believe that everyone has the right to access information on places, spaces, and people and that business leaders and brands need to be able to interpret trends and patterns as they truly exist.”
This is what I’m saying – it’s not the evil tech giants who want net neutrality repeals. It’s the evil service providers who are benefiting from collecting more money from the people that they provide the service to. But this is just the latest group of tech companies to attempt to fight the FCC. Earlier this year, internet giants like Facebook, Amazon, Google, Netflix, and Twitter all sued the FCC as part of the Internet Association lobbying group. And as I alluded to before, this is in addition to 23 attorney generals who are also fighting the FCC on the repeal. The Senate is working on a resolution to undo the FCC’s vote as well.
The problem with the latter option is that Trump can veto any kind of resolution that is put forward. And he will. I mean, why wouldn’t he? The repeal will directly benefit his friends. Or should I say “friends”? But will that really make a difference? I guess it will show the world what his true motives are. Even if there are people out there who won’t want to hear this message.
I am hopeful that this will be successful. In whatever way it happens. I do think that the support from the tech industry is going to have a huge impact on how this plays out in the Senate, and hopefully in how it appears to Trump. I mean, if Amazon is saying that they don’t support the repeal, what ground does the FCC have in this fight? Like I’ve said before and will continue saying – the only people that the repeal benefits are those who are providing the internet service to the people.


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On June 21 the Federal Reserve Board published a Consumer Affairs Letter entitled Restoration of the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (CA-18-4), which is a reminder that the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTAFA), which had expired on December 31, 2014, has been restored by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (EGRRCPA).
Section 304 of EGRRCPA, which was signed into law on May 24, 2018, restores PTAFA effective on June 23, 2018. Although the reminder was published by the Federal Reserve Board, let us remind you that the reinstatement of PTAFA impacts all banks, not just Fed members.
The interagency examination procedures for PTAFA, previously used by the agencies, are being restored as well.
For our recent article on EGRRCPA go to: https://www.jackscomplianceresource.com/regulatory-relief-on-the-way/
A copy of the Consumer Affairs Letter is available at: https://www.federalreserve.gov/supervisionreg/caletters/caltr1804.pdf
For more information regarding the EGRRCPA visit: https://www.jackscomplianceresource.com/event-registration/?ee=180


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Teeth are an important part of physical appearance for many people, and they want to show a bright white smile. However, a new study reveals that many tooth whitening products can damage the teeth.
New research reveals why we should treat tooth whitening products with caution.
Studies have shown that most human teeth are not naturally pearl-white. In reality, most teeth are different shades and hues that tend towards yellow. Nor are teeth uniformly colored.
Despite this, there is an idea — which is especially prominent in North American societies — that perfectly white teeth are a symbol of beauty and self-care.
For this reason, many people opt to whiten their teeth, either on their own or with the help of a cosmetic dentist.
Statistic reports indicate that about 40.5 million people in the United States used tooth whitening products in 2018.
Various studies now show that whitening teeth with bleaching products that contain hydrogen peroxide can endanger tooth health.
Researchers from Stockton University in Galloway, NJ, aimed to find out exactly how hydrogen peroxide harms the teeth, and which part of a tooth it attacks.
The research — which was led by Kelly Keenan, an associate professor of chemistry at Stockton University — will feature at the Experimental Biology 2019 meeting, which is part of the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Orlando, FL.
Bleach attacks sensitive tooth layer
Specifically, the researchers looked at how whitening strips, which people can buy over-the-counter, damage one of the teeth’s three layers.
Dental whitening strips typically contain hydrogen peroxide as the main active ingredient. This substance is an oxidizing agent that some people use a sterilizer, although more people may know it as a color-lightening agent. This is also the main substance that people use to bleach hair.
If a person overuses or uses too much of this substance to lighten hair color, it can cause “significant damage” to the hair and scalp.
Now, Keenan and team have discovered how hydrogen peroxide damages dentin, the “middle” layer of teeth. A tooth contains three different layers: a shiny enamel external one, a dentin layer in the middle, and an inner layer that is mainly connective tissue, which helps keep the tooth safely in place.


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Mobile Games See a Significant Increase in Subscription Models
Subscription-based mobile games have experienced remarkable growth, with their share nearly tripling from 11% to 29% in just one year, according to a report by Liftoff and AppsFlyer called the State of App Marketing for Subscription Apps.
Based on data collected between January 2022 and April 2023, the report analyzed information from 6,000 subscription apps that acquired at least 3,000 new installs per month.
The Rise of Subscriptions in Mobile Games
The data shows that despite the current economic climate, consumer spending in subscription apps has increased by 35% on iOS and 22% on Android in 2023. These numbers are expected to continue to rise. An interesting finding is that conversion rates to subscription models are over 50% higher among iOS users compared to Android users, but both platforms have seen growth due to paywall optimization.
Scott Reyburn, Liftoff’s senior content marketing manager, said, “Despite the economic downturn, app marketers should feel assured by our latest findings – which show a rise in consumer spend and revenue growth per user, especially where subscriptions are concerned.”
While mobile games still account for a minority share of revenues generated by subscriptions, this is likely due to their smaller representation in the subscription market. Other app categories, such as health and fitness, entertainment, and utility, heavily rely on subscriptions for revenue. In the first half of 2023, mobile games generated $40.9 billion, compared to $26.6 billion from other app categories, according to data.ai.
Additionally, the report found that almost 50% of iOS users continue to consent to app tracking under the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompts. Users are more likely to consent if they are presented with a compelling reason and an improved experience.
“Marketers can gain confidence from the rise in consumer spend and should shift to a profitability mindset for the rest of 2023, expecting continued growth in revenue per user,” said Shani Rosenfelder, AppsFlyer’s director of content and market insights.
The full report, the 2023 State of App Marketing for Subscription Apps, provides further insights into user acquisition strategies and more.


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The following is republished with the permission of the Association of National Advertisers. Find this and similar articles on ANA Newsstand.
By Denise McDevitt
The ANA sat down with Ayiko Broyard, EVP of client services at Walton Isaacson, to get her insight on the power of multicultural marketing ahead of the ANA 2019 Multicultural Excellence Awards, which is now open for entries. Walton Isaacson is a winner of a Multicultural Excellence Award for its work on Lexus and Marvel’s Black Panther “Long Live the King” campaign.
Q. What should be your strategy for in-language marketing? Is it enough for a consumer to see an ad in their language or do you need to ensure the entire buyer journey experience is in their language?
It’s really important not to confuse in-language with in-culture — because you can communicate in-language and still not connect. Maybe it was just a translation or lacked a real cultural insight. Language isn’t everything. That said, used with purpose, in-language work is powerful. For bilingual/bicultural consumers, the in-language strategy is more about emotional resonance — speaking to the heart. An emotional connection will get people to pay attention. It will break through the clutter in-the-moment and make a lasting impression. When targeting consumers who aren’t as bilingual, those who do rely on a language other than English, it is advisable to carry language through to as many touchpoints as possible. The whole user experience should be thought through in that language and only then can you decide what is a must-have and what is a nice-to-have insofar as bilingualism is concerned.
Q. What do you see as being the most effective trends/strategies/platforms to be utilizing in reaching multicultural markets in the year ahead?
Multicultural consumers are digital leaders and influencers. Supporting multicultural content creators, artistic voices, and innovators will inspire engagement and loyalty. Experiential will continue to be a critical, culturally-rich platform — one that engages consumers in real-time and then allows for continued engagement via 360 initiatives that add scale and reach. Finally, we are seeing the pendulum swing back on Total Market. In other words, marketers are realizing that we need more cultural fluency not less. We have the technology and the talent to care about culture, about discrete groups and sub-groups within those groups. I see a move toward strategies that aren’t afraid to drill down on differences. Difference doesn’t divide us. Disrespect divides us. Our uniqueness inspires unity. The more specific the more universal. I see smart marketers deepening their ability to develop culturally specific strategies and execute across platforms that are really relevant to multicultural consumers in all of their intersectional dimensions.
Insight into Lexus and Marvel’s Black Panther Collaboration
Q. When did the concept click for you? What was that “aha” moment?
I was with a Lexus engineer who was explaining the LC — the innovations in technology and design — and he was explaining how the LC was “born this way.” It wasn’t a derivative of another model. Unlike most vehicles, there was no pre-existing platform for the LC. And I kept thinking about that phrase: “born this way.” It was compelling and it triggered a seemingly unrelated thought. That’s the beauty of innovation — things collide and a new creative path appears. It triggered a thought about Black Panther — unlike many Marvel superheroes, Black Panther was born into the role. That was the initial spark that connected Black Panther and the LC in my mind. Audi had turned down the film (they had the first right of refusal) and that opened up an opportunity for Lexus. The strategic alignment was evident in that “aha” moment — and that was the very beginning of the many parallels between the film and Lexus. Remember, this was several years before the film was made — there was no script — so a lot of instinct was involved.
Q. What was your biggest challenge in bringing this idea/strategy to life?
The original partnership between Black Panther and Lexus was for the LC. The bigger challenge came when the Super Bowl campaign was being developed. That was for the LS and it wasn’t immediately clear to all the stakeholders that Black Panther was the way to go for this model. The LC benefited from the fashion-forward, influencer cred of Black excellence — the strategic fit was indisputable. But again, remembering that the film had not yet released — in fact, it wasn’t even filmed yet — there were a lot of unknowns, particularly about the extent of its wide audience appeal and, therefore, its relevance to a broader LS audience. The biggest challenge was to bring this initiative to its full potential before there was even a script by getting everyone to envision how deeply cultural and universal this film could be. But we did it and everyone involved — Marvel, client, agency, and consumer of course — are glad we did.
Q. If given the chance to do it all over again, is there anything you would do differently?
Honestly, there’s not anything that I can point to — this whole experience unfolded, in a way, like an onion — each layer of discovery led to another discovery and another. It just kept revealing new possibilities and we kept taking the paths as they appeared. That said, I know there were many more layers and paths that we couldn’t take because there’s only so much time — and we were going 24/7 already.
Q. What was the biggest take away/key learning for you and your team in this experience?
It’s more of a takeaway or learning for the industry and, frankly, for the world: Do not marginalize Black stories and cultural experiences. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that if a story is not “yours,” it is not important to people or people won’t want to hear it. Ask yourself how much money you’re walking away from because of unconscious bias and a lack of true cultural insight. I can tell you — a lot.
Enter the ANA 2019 Multicultural Excellence Awards for the chance to be recognized for your outstanding multicultural work.


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Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy said the digital economy has been excluded from the 5% excise duty approved by the government.
A six-member committee was set up on September 5, 2022, to assess the potential effects on the economy of an additional 5% excise duty tax charge on the digital economy sector, The Guardian newspaper reported, citing a spokesperson to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.
After five months of intensive and objective deliberations, the committee submitted its report to President Muhammadu Buhari on February 13, 2023.
The spokesperson said the report recommended the exclusion of the proposed and suspending 5% excise duty tax on the digital economy sector.
The committee analysed the existing 41 taxes, levies and charges already imposed on the sector “and concluded that instead of burdening the sector with more taxes, concessions should be considered to sustain its unprecedented contributions to the growth of the Nigerian economy.”
President Buhari approved the exclusion on March 13, 2023, the spokesperson said.
The telecom sector’s contribution to GDP stands at 594 billion nairas ($1.29 billion), the report added.
(Editing by Seban Scaria firstname.lastname@example.org)


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At the Marvel Games San Diego Comic-Con panel, attendees had a chance to see Marvel’s Avengers gameplay footage of its A-Day demo. While the presentation was not streamed, it was confirmed that eventually everyone will get to see it. The game’s Twitter account said Shaun Escayg, the game’s creative director and writer, noted the video will be released “the week after Gamescom finishes.”
Gamescom 2019 will be held August 20-24, 2019. This means it could appear anytime between August 25-31, 2019. That version of the A-Day demo footage will also apparently be further polished.
In addition to confirming that the Marvel’s Avengers gameplay demo will eventually be shown to everyone, a series of tweets went over everything that happened during the SDCC 2019 panel. The third-person action-adventure game can be played alone and with friends, with people able to determine their roster. The A-Day demo covers the game’s playable prologue and begins with Thor arriving at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to help defeat enemies and aid survivors, with Iron Man following behind. Thor uses Mjolnir as his weapon and used a wind-based Heroic ability, while Iron Man has a Unibeam Blast Heroic ability and can use micro rockets and pulsar blasts to deal damage to enemies. Hulk was shown using enemies as melee weapons, while Captain America’s Heroic ability uses his shield to attack multiple enemies and stun them. Black Widow’s Heroic was described as making her temporarily invisible.
A few other details were covered. After the Marvel’s Avengers prologue, people will use the team’s Helicarrier as a hub. This is where people will be able to pick up single and multiplayer co-op missions. One tweet noted that it has “certain missions designed for specific heroes, and many can be played using any available Hero in your roster.” Costumes, gear, and skills that can be unlocked for the different characters as you play. Joe Fixit Hulk and Original Sin Iron Man will be two of the skins available. Missions after the campaign will let people use any available playable characters.
Marvel’s Avengers will come to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia on May 15, 2020. Its collector’s edition will include a Gentle Giant Studios 12” Captain America statue. The beta will appear first on PlayStation 4s, according to information shared at the SDCC 2019 panel.


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WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Some Wilmington businesses are joining together to create a very special prom night for a Beau’s Coffee Shop employee and his date.
Yesterday, we showed you their prom-posal video that went viral.
“Of course, I jumped on it to watch it and probably had the same reaction to it that everyone else had,” Camille’s Prom store co-owner Joanne Miranda said.
Miranda watched as Lillie asked Beau’s Coffee Shop employee Trevor to prom.
“It was just moving,” Miranda said.
Then, Miranda shared the video and proposed an idea.
“Right away, I was like, well, we’ve been fortunate enough to give tuxes to some other young gentlemen,” Miranda said. “Why not offer it up to him to?”
Design a Dream Events Owner Jana Ingraham saw Miranda’s Facebook post and the ideas started spinning.
“Why not run with this and make it even bigger and make this like a huge event for them?” Ingraham said.
Within 12 hours, she had a plan and almost a dozen vendors on board.
“Take them around the day on an excursion in an adventurous kind of way,” Ingraham said.
To start, a limo will pick them up.
“We go get his hair done and her hair and make up done,” Ingraham said.
Then, they will have lunch.
“They get pictures together,” Ingraham said. “From there, British Taxi is going to take them to Prom in one of their vintage cars.”
It is a once in a lifetime experience that Ingraham said everyone should get to experience.
“Prom is something you always remember,” Ingraham said. “For everybody, whether it was a good experience or a bad experience, prom is prom.”
At the end of the day, Ingraham hopes they take away something a little more than that.
“Just to always pay it forward and give back,” Ingraham said. “I mean we’re a community that needs to be kind and love each other. We’re a world that can be all about the bad things sometimes, so it’s nice to highlight the good things that happen around here too.”
Ingraham said she still has some details to work out before prom on May 7. She said they also have a photographer and videographer on board to document the whole thing.


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EXCLUSIVE: Standing with Ye? Caitlyn Jenner steps out in a pair of Yeezy sneakers in apparent display of support of her former son-in-law after the rapper lost his partnership with Adidas and other brands
- Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show Caitlyn Jenner wearing a pair of Yeezy sneakers while going on a coffee run to Starbucks in Malibu
- Jenner, 72, is yet to join the many A-listers who have publicly condemned Kanye West, her former son-in-law
- Her outing comes just a few days after Kanye lost his Yeezy partnership with Adidas and other brands over his anti-Semitic remarks
- Jenner, a staunch Republican, hasn’t commented on the scandal, but she did speak out against Biden’s meeting with trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney
Caitlyn Jenner was seen stepping out in a pair of Kanye West’s Yeezy sneakers in an apparent display of support of the rapper – despite him being dropped by Adidas and causing widespread outrage over his anti-Semitic remarks.
The former reality TV star, now a political commentator and staunch Republican, is yet to join the many A-listers who have publicly condemned her former son-in-law, with whom she enjoyed an extremely close relationship during their time together in the Kardashian family.
Caitlyn, 72, who is father to Kendall and Kylie Jenner through her previous marriage to Kris Jenner, was seen leaving Starbucks in Malibu after picking up a coffee to go on Wednesday morning.
Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show Caitlyn Jenner wearing a pair of Yeezy sneakers while going on a coffee run at Starbucks in Malibu
Jenner, 72, is yet to join the many A-listers who have publicly condemned Kanye West, her former son-in-law
Caitlyn was seen wearing the trendy sneakers just a few days after after Kanye lost his Yeezy partnership with Adidas over his anti-Semitic remarks
The two had enjoyed an extremely close relationship during their time together in the Kardashian family
She was casually dressed in a gray workout top, cropped jeans shorts, designer sunglasses and she carried a black handbag.
She wore a pair beige Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 sneakers, which have a retail price of $230.
Jenner’s outing comes just a few days after Kanye was dropped by Adidas, but on Tuesday an analyst said that the German-based sportswear company intends to sell existing Yeezy product designs using its own branding.
The company said it would cease production of Yeezy-branded products and halt all payments to West and his businesses, but added that it is the owner of the Yeezy design rights.
The deal with Adidas brought West an estimated $1.5billion.
West, 45, has drawn furious backlash since sharing an Instagram post saying he would go ‘death con 3’ on ‘JEWISH PEOPLE,’ an apparent reference to Defcon, the U.S. military defense readiness system, on October 9.
While Jenner is yet to comment on the scandal involving the rapper, she did speak out against President Biden’s decision to invite trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney to the White House last week.
Jenner was casually dressed in a gray workout top, cropped jeans shorts, designer sunglasses and she carried a black handbag
Jenner has not commented publicly on the scandal, and it is unclear if she was wearing the sneakers in a display of support
West, 45, has drawn furious backlash over his recent controversial statements and public stunts, particularly, an Instagram post saying he would go ‘death con 3’ on ‘JEWISH PEOPLE’, earlier this month
Ye’s deal with Adidas was a lucrative partnership, bringing the rapper an estimated $1.5billion
She warned the country should not ‘normalize’ anything she is advocating after her sit-down with President Biden.
Among those to criticize Mulvaney afterwards was Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who shared a video Twitter that showed the TikTok star – who began transitioning from male to female earlier this year – wearing leather shorts, and telling fans to start ‘normalizing the bulge’.
‘Dylan Mulvaney, Joe Biden, and radical left-wing lunatics want to make this absurdity normal,’ Blackburn said.
Jenner – arguably the most famous transgender woman in the world – echoed Blackburn’s worry.
‘Thank you for speaking out and having a backbone – one of the best senators we have. Let’s not ‘normalize’ any of what this person is doing. This is absurdity!’ she said.
Jenner, 72, came out in 2015 and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2017.
Jenner – arguably the most famous transgender woman in the world – echoed Blackburn’s worry about Dylan Mulvaney and her influence on millions of young people
Mulvaney was among young progressives who were invited to speak with Biden last week
Mulvaney, far right, is shown during a panel with President Joe Biden at the White House
In the video that Sen. Blackburn shared, Mulvaney sings that transgender women should be able to freely wear tight, revealing shorts even if they highlight the male genitalia they were born with and have not rid themselves of.
‘We are normalizing the bulge! Women can have bulges and that’s okay!
‘We’re not gonna stare at their crotches while they’re wearing their little shopping shorts at the mall!’ she sang.
Mulvaney has more than 8million followers on TikTok.
She shot to notoriety last week after appearing on a podcast to promote Ulta Beauty where she said she can ‘absolutely’ become a mom and have a family.
Source: Read Full Article


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Results of Study Called 'Very Disenchanting, But Not Surprising'
The average ad-industry employee likely agrees the diversity issue is a very unfortunate situation. One that should be remedied. By someone. But on a daily basis, he's likely to carry on, figuring for the most part the industry will evolve and that his nonwhite coworkers are content with the state of adland.
The reality, according to a new study, is that a whopping 74% of minority employees in the industry agree that "My experience as an employee from
Latino Hollywood Comes to Miami for inaugural National Latino Film Showcase of Hispanicize 2012, April 10-13
Latino Filmmakers, Celebrities, Industry Executives , Media and Bloggers Mix it Up
Hispanicize 2012 today unveiled its line-up of feature length, short and documentary films as well as more than a dozen professional development sessions that together comprise the first annual Hispanicize 2012 National Latino Film Showcase.
“With this inaugural showcase Latino filmmakers and filmmaking officially become a core part of our event’s DNA,” said Manny Ruiz, organizer and creative director of Hispanicize 2012,
Presented by Time Warner Inc.® and the National Latino Media Council, NALIP's Annual Conference will be held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, CA April 13 - 15. Oscar®, Emmy®, Tony® and Grammy® Award winner Rita Moreno to be Honored at Annual NALIP Conference. Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and President and COO of Universal Studios Ron Meyer to Give Keynote Talks
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) will hold its thirteenth annual NALIP Conference April 13 - 15, 2012 in
Billboard has announced the finalists for the second annual Billboard Latin Music Marketing Awards. The presentation of the Billboard Latin Music Marketing Awards is the climatic event of The Marketing Exchange, a series of panels and events that showcase the ins & outs of branding, sponsorships and partnerships. The Billboard Latin Music Marketing Awards, sponsored by Telemundo and mun2, take place during the 23rd annual Billboard Latin Music Conference & Awards, presented by State Farm®, from April 23 to 26
Around the world, companies have invested time, talent and treasure in social and environmental efforts for a range of complementary reasons. For many companies, cause marketing—the use of social and environmental efforts to build a brand and increase profits—has been a secondary if not primary motivation.
Cause marketing won’t work with all customer segments—some simply don’t care—but research suggests that there is a segment of socially conscious consumers that cause marketers should pay attention to.
Reflecting the growing importance of the U.S. Hispanic marketplace to marketers and advertisers, the last few months have brought a flurry of activity in Hispanic consumer research. In the latest development, uSamp officially unveiled its proprietary Hispanic consumer research panel, which aims to help marketers reach this growing audience through both traditional and online media.
The uSamp Hispanic research panel consists of more than 100,000 Hispanic adults living in the U.S., recruited via online, mobile and
Spanish Broadcasting System President and CEO Mr. Raul Alarcon Jr. will be honored at the American Cancer Society Annual Gala as the 2012 Gala Honoree for his continuous support to our community on Saturday April 21st, 2012 at the InterContinental Miami.
Mr. Raul Alarcon, Jr. joined in 1983 Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc (SBS) as an account executive and has been the President and director since October 1985 and Chief Executive Officer since June 1994. On November 2, 1999, Mr. Alarcon, Jr. became the Chairman of
For the sixth consecutive year, Lanza Group, LLC proudly announces State Farm as the Fiesta Atlanta 2012 insurance sponsor. The annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place at Centennial Olympic Park on Sunday May 6th, 2012.
Fiesta Atlanta 2012 enables State Farm to promote and strengthen the cultural values in the Latino community while celebrating with families, music, international food, and lots of fun! State Farm's mission in the Latino community is to build safer and more educated communities.


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Two women with separate complaints about Uber journeys have BOTH been refunded by the company.
Last week the ECHO reported on two stories from Uber customers in our region who were both unhappy for different reasons.
The first was the story of nurser Hannah Reilly, who took an Uber home from a night out in Liverpool to her home in St Helens with a friend.
After being quoted around £37 for the journey, Hannah was gobsmacked to wake up with a bill for £111.
Her Uber app was showing a range of different, added charges and also appeared to show a route that included the journey to St Helens - and a return journey back to Liverpool, which she did not take.
After the ECHO enquired about her case, we can now reveal that Hannah has been fully refunded by Uber.
The second case we reported on last week is a little more complicated.
We told how 19-year-old Elishia Thompson was furious after being accused of vomiting all over an Uber car after a journey in November.
She said she was taking the journey while transporting a television from her mum's house to her new home - and had a pleasant journey and a good chat with the driver.
Your rights as a taxi passengers
She was initially charged just under £7 but then said a further £80 was taken from her account - with the explanation from Uber that she had vomited in the back of the taxi.
Uber even provided images of the mess which they said Elishia made - and she categorically insisted it had nothing to do with her.
Uber has told the ECHO that it has now refunded Elishia - but this may not be the end of the story as it has reopened the claim for a continued investigation.
A spokesman said: “The Uber app is based on mutual respect for both riders and drivers.
"For licensed drivers who use the app, their vehicles are their place of work and any damage or mess can mean they are unable to continue working.
"When a driver claims a cleaning fee, they are required to provide us with the details of the trip, the passengers and the incident itself as well as photographic evidence and a validated cleaning receipt which our support team then investigates.
"In this instance, we have refunded the rider and have re-opened the claim for further investigation. We are constantly evaluating our processes and technology related to these claims and will take appropriate action whenever fraud may be detected.”


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This Steak news page includes headlines, articles, and citations about steak and steakhouse news from diverse, English-language news sources around the world.
News articles are ordered by publication date, with the newest article listed first and the oldest article listed last.
- How the quest for the perfect steak led this Alberta restaurant and ranch to buy an $80,000 bull
A restaurant in Calgary and a southern Alberta ranch have teamed up to buy a prize Angus bull and are using it to breed cattle with an ideal amount of marbling to make the perfect steak.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Wednesday, 11 Jul 2018.
- Restaurant tycoon Osmond eyes Gaucho bid
The leisure industry tycoon who took Pizza Express public 25 years ago is among a trio of suitors circling the struggling steak chain Gaucho.
Sky News. Friday, 6 Jul 2018.
- 5 rookie mistakes to avoid when grilling steak
Avoid the most common mistakes (almost) everyone makes, and get ready to cook the perfect steak every time.
Fox News. Sunday, 1 Jul 2018.
Delicious grilled steak
- Hunt is on for husband who chopped off his pregnant wife's arm and fingers with steak knife
Police in Brooklyn, New York are searching for a deranged man who cut off his wife's arm and two fingers before disappearing. Cops say that they want to talk to Yong Lu, 35 in the attack.
Daily Mail. Friday, 22 Jun 2018.
- Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond says she's thrilled she's been able to revitalize her small Oklahoma town
She and her business partner and husband Ladd Drummond have already created 250 jobs and will add to that when they open a steakhouse and saloon in the downtown of Pawhuska.
Daily Mail. Thursday, 7 Jun 2018.
- Mike Pompeo, top North Korean official have steak dinner in NYC
Kim Yong Chol is a former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leader's most trusted aides
CBS News. Thursday, 31 May 2018.
- Teen Seriously Injured in Touch Football Game Leaves ICU
A 15-year-old Arlington Lamar High School student seriously injured Saturday in a freak accident playing touch football is eating steak in the hospital and has been transferred out of intensive care. Photo Credit: Brett Green Sr.
NBC. Wednesday, 30 May 2018.
- Gaucho mulls closure of Cau restaurants
Steak and burger chain Cau's 22 restaurants are under threat of closure with 700 UK jobs at risk.
BBC News. Thursday, 10 May 2018.
- Steakhouse Del Frisco's to acquire tapas restaurant owner Barteca for $325 million
Barteca is a 20-year-old company with two brands, Barcelona and Bartaco, both known for wine and small plates.
CNBC. Monday, 7 May 2018.
- Boom or Bust, Harry's Has Been the Go-to Steakhouse in New York's Financial District
Once the historic India House in New York's Financial District, Harry's was opened in 1972 by Greek immigrant Harry Poulakakis.
Forbes. Tuesday, 10 Apr 2018.
- Hopes robot chefs will be able to dish up perfect Aussie steak
Robots that can cook dinner like a master chef catch the attention of Meat and Livestock Australia, who hope the technology will be able to serve up the perfect steak for consumers at home.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Friday, 6 Apr 2018.
- John Kruk slowly building cheesesteak empire like the Philly legend that he is
John Kruk slowly building cheesesteak empire like the Philly legend that he is.
Golf Digest. Wednesday, 21 Mar 2018.
- Palm steakhouse removing Matt Lauer's portrait from dining room
Page Six has learned that the legendary Palm steakhouse has taken down its caricature of Matt Lauer.
Fox News. Monday, 19 Mar 2018.
- Activist calls on Bloomin' Brands to spin off Outback Steakhouse, change up board
Barington is calling on Bloomin' to spin off its smaller brands into a new company and let Outback stand on its own.
CNBC. Wednesday, 21 Feb 2018.
- TBar Steak and Lounge Stands Out on an Otherwise Barren Restaurant Stretch of NYC's Upper East Side
NYC's Upper East Side has few good restaurant choices, but TBar Steak and Lounge has stayed in business for a decade because of good taste and a warm rapport with its guests.
Forbes. Tuesday, 20 Feb 2018.
Related Directory Page(s)
Steak Restaurants News Headlines and News Summaries


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More great news in the fashion industry comes from the UK with luxury brand Mulberry announcing that they are ceasing to use exotic animals in its new lines going forward. This comes hot on the heels of the same move in the US by Brooks Brothers. Both companies were subject to lengthy campaigns from PETA.
The market is changing quickly as consumers become aware of the issues associated with the animal trade for fashion. Currently, the onset of COVID 19 is dominating global headlines, which experts believe originated from the mismanagement of animals in a Wuhan market. It has been suggested that the trade in exotic skins is fuelling the spread of diseases.
This season’s fashion catwalks are increasing showcasing animal-free lines. Earlier this year Superstar Rihanna launched her faux leather capsule that Vogue cited as ‘ultra on-trend’. Cruelty-free fashion is making headlines, designers such as Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg, Paul Smith, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood already have bans on using exotic animals in their collections.
Mulberry, which already had an established ban on fur, continues to use leather which according to its website is sourced as a by-product of food production. This new decision will see an end to the company using alligators, crocodiles, ostriches, lizards, and snakes in its collections.
Rosie Wollacott, Group Sustainability Manager for Mulberry commented: “[We] have spent a lot of time determining and then continually reviewing our sustainability metrics and targets …. At an early stage of this process, we decided not to use exotics in our collections and this remains our position.”
PETA also commented: “Mulberry’s decision to ban these cruelly obtained materials is a sign of the times”. Join PETA in calling on LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, to stop selling items made with exotic skins and fur, too.


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Vail, Beav’ announce opening and closing dates for 2015-16
VAIL — Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek Resort announced Monday the operating dates for the resorts’ 2015-16 ski and snowboard seasons.
Opening Day at Vail will be Nov. 20 and Opening Day at Beaver Creek will be Nov. 25. Both resorts plan to close two weeks after the Easter holiday, on Sunday, | April 10.
Epic Passes are on sale now at $769 for adults and $399 for children.
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Co-Warehousing Operator Saltbox Lands $35M Funding Round, Expands To New Cities
A company that operates a coworking-style business model for distribution centers has raised $35M in a Series B venture capital round.
Atlanta-based flexible co-warehousing operator Saltbox announced the funding Tuesday, led by Cox Enterprises and Pendulum, an advisory platform focused on supporting companies run by minorities, with investments from Colliers, Lincoln Property Co., Fundrise, Flexport, XYZ Capital, Kapor Capital, Wilshire Lane Capital and Playground Capital.
Saltbox operates 10 locations nationwide and has 500 members, 70% of which sell and ship products directly to customers. Saltbox features include monthly memberships that give customers access to warehouse space and shipping services, private phone booths, stocked cafés and weekly community events.
“Supporting small-and medium-sized businesses as they navigate the challenges of their entire logistics stack, from warehousing to shipping and more, has been our main goal since day one,” Saltbox CEO Tyler Scriven said in a statement. “The next step for Saltbox is to advance our logistics and fulfillment technology while also continuing to expand our physical, human-centric spaces for members.”
This year, Saltbox has opened new operations in Alexandria, Virginia; Duarte, California; Carrollton, Texas; Arden Hills, Minnesota; and in the Upper Westside Midtown neighborhood in Atlanta. Saltbox also opened its first-ever fulfillment hub in Columbus, Ohio, according to the release.
The firm expects to open two more locations later this year in Tempe, Arizona, and Doral, Florida, with further expansion into Tampa next year.
Cox Senior Vice President of Strategy Andrew Davis and Pendulum CEO Robbie Robinson were added to Saltbox's board of directors. Since Saltbox’s founding in 2019, the company has raised $56M, including more than $10M in Series A funding last year.
Saltbox has taken inspiration from the office coworking space and brought it to the logistics industry — including learning a lesson from WeWork's fall and largely signing management agreements with landlords of industrial properties. The company is targeting as members the hundreds of thousands of small online retailers, especially those who have difficulties entering into traditional industrial leases.


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New Delhi: The decision to not have the Auto Gear Shift (AGS) option on the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza while offering it in cars like the Dzire and the new Swift had stumped many. The compact SUV has been doing high sales numbers ever since its launch in 2016 but the lack of AGS was sorely missed - especially by city commuters who otherwise tend to swear by Maruti cars. On Wednesday though, the country's largest auto company finally launched the Brezza with the AGS option and this could well spike up sales numbers.
Maruti announced that the AGS option will now be offereed in VDi, ZDi and ZDi+ variants. Claiming that the technology was well received in cars like the Dzire and the new Swift, RS Kalsi, Senior Director (Marketing and Sales) at MSIL, said that he expects the Brezza to now be even more attractive - especially to young buyers. "AGS has been very well accepted by customers, and sales of AGS variants in the Maruti Suzuki portfolio have tripled in three years. By making this technology available on Vitara Brezza, together with a refreshed design, we expect India’s number one SUV to become even more attractive," he said.
Maruti, which has sold 2.75 lakh units of Brezza since its launch, also announced changes in how the car looks with new glossy-black alloys, front chrome grille and back door chrome garnish as standard across variants and an all-black colour scheme on the inside.
The company expects these to jack up sales volumes at a time when rivals have been attempting to put up a strong fight. Companies like Tata (Nexon), Honda (WR-V), Ford (new EcoSport) and Mahindra (TUV300) have continuously tried to expand share in the highly competitive compact SUV segment in India - with varying degrees of success.
Maruti though has maintained its leadership position.


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Microsoft laying off thousands in global sales shakeup, Reno impact unclear
Job cuts to mostly impact workers outside the United States
Microsoft is laying off thousands of employees in a shake-up aimed at selling more subscriptions to software applications that can be used on any internet-connected device.
The company declined to confirm whether the layoffs will impact the Microsoft Americas Operations Center in Reno. The Reno facility is one of only three regional operations centers in the world and oversees the North and Latin American markets.
“We are not breaking out specifics geographically,” said a Microsoft spokeswoman reached on Thursday afternoon.
Most of the people losing their jobs work in sales and are located outside the U.S. The Redmond, Washington, company confirmed that it began sending the layoff notices Thursday, but declined to provide further specifics except that thousands of sales jobs will be cut.
“Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis,” Microsoft said in a statement. “This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time-to-time, re-deployment in others.”
MORE IN BUSINESS:HOA foreclosures tied to more than $1 billion loss in Nevada home sale value
Microsoft Corp. employs about 121,500 people worldwide. Nearly 71,600 of them work in the U.S., with the remainder elsewhere.
The job cuts are part of Microsoft’s shift away from its traditional approach of licensing its Office software and other programs for a one-time fee tied to a single computer. The company is now concentrating on selling recurring subscriptions for software accessible on multiple devices, a rapidly growing trend known as “cloud computing.”
That part of Microsoft’s operations has been playing an increasingly important role, especially among corporate and government customers, since Satya Nadella replaced Steve Ballmer as the company’s CEO in 2014.
Microsoft’s “commercial cloud” segment is on a pace to generate about $15 billion in annual revenue. More than 26 million consumers subscribe to Microsoft’s Office 365 service that includes its Word, Excel and other popular programs. That number has more than doubled in the past two years.
Meanwhile, revenue from licensing of Microsoft’s Windows operating system has been increasing by 5 percent or less in the past three quarters.