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Log onto TikTok, and among the endless scroll of quick clips, you’ll find another, omnipresent temptation: the invitation to watch creators livestream.
A separate section on the app, constantly signposted throughout the For You Page by immersive prompts as well as a separate button at the top left of the home screen, TikTok’s livestreaming covers every interest users could possibly have—from people purporting to be based in Syrian refugee camps to those pointing the smartphone camera at a hurricane as it bears down on their home to videos of rock tumblers, all intended to keep you gawking for hours.
The app isn’t subtle about channeling users to visit its livestreaming section, and for good reason: It’s the next big driver of growth for the company.
A recent filing with UK financial authorities by TikTok Information Technologies UK, the London-based company that oversees the app’s operations in Europe, South and Central America, and Africa, highlights just how important livestreaming is becoming to TikTok’s revenue. Media coverage has focused on TikTok’s near-$1 billion in revenue in 2021 across those territories – but less attention has been paid to what’s contributing to that revenue, and how it’s changing.
In 2020, nine dollars in every 10 TikTok made across Europe, South and Central America, and Africa came from its online ads business – serving in-feed videos alongside organic content. The sums for prime positions, such as the first video shown when users open the app, are eye-wateringly large: $2.6 million for a single day in the plum spot.
In 2021, online ads had fallen to 80% of TikTok’s revenue. What changed? The proportion of turnover the app’s “livestreaming program” contributed. Livestreaming revenue as a whole still only contributes 15% of TikTok’s total turnover, but the rate at which it has grown year on year is almost double that of the company’s online ads business. In the last two years, TikTok’s online ads revenue has grown by 500%, while its livestreaming revenue has increased by 900%. A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment for this story.
“The fact that the revenue for TikTok in livestreaming is still smaller than advertising, but the growth is greater, signals the potential for it,” says social media consultant Matt Navarra. “It’s not that surprising the numbers are as they are. You’d expect the online ads business to be more developed out and mature than the live streaming, given where TikTok and social media is right now.”
There are a number of reasons for the increasing centrality of livestreaming revenue to TikTok’s income, not least the fact that the whole online ads ecosystem has taken a hit as businesses question whether to spend big in the face of what looks like an imminent global recession.
“We notice that TikTok across the board is doing a hell of a lot more to push forward with its ecommerce and shopping and livestreaming plans, because the revenue it can generate from that is so phenomenally large,” Navarra adds. “If you believe some numbers, they take up to 70% of the income from livestream creators. That’s a large chunk of money.”
The combination of economic headwinds and potentially huge returns on livestreamed content is in part why TikTok has decided to go full steam ahead with a livestreamed shopping experience in the US, potentially partnering with California startup TalkShopLive. The embracing of livestreamed shopping comes despite the company struggling to make the model profitable in the UK.
The potential for income and the opportunity to define the market ahead of competitors – not least given parent company ByteDance’s success in developing live shopping on Douyin, the Chinese sister app of TikTok – appears too good to turn down. “It’s got a lot of room for growth and exploitation outside of ByteDance’s core region of China and Asia,” adds Navarra.
And while in absolute numbers, livestreaming still accounts for a far smaller share of revenue than traditional online advertising, the momentum appears to be moving in favor of livestreamed content.
“Livestreaming is huge for TikTok,” says Brendan Gahan, partner and chief social officer at New York creative agency Mekanism. “Live commerce gets the lion’s share of coverage, but it hasn’t been rolled out broadly. So where is that revenue coming from? Digital gifting,” according to Gahan.
Gahan calls digital gifting “a turnkey revenue source for creators”, pointing to the way that the income from gifts can be converted into real cash – after TikTok takes its cut. While many digital gifts will only be worth a handful of in-app coins, the highest value gift a user can give a streamer, a TikTok Live icon, costs 34,999 coins, or nearly $450.
“Hosts often incentivize viewers to send gifts by offering shoutouts, follow backs and collabs,” says Gahan, who has identified educational creators offering gifts in exchange for services such an audit of their TikTok channel, or answering technical questions, and generally offering consultancy services that would ordinarily be paid for through cash. “It’s not uncommon to hear about top creators making upwards of low five figures off of a single Live,” he adds.
And given TikTok’s significant cut of livestream gift revenue, that makes it all the more profitable for the company – and goes some way to explaining why it’s so keen to promote it in-app. “Live revenue is likely to increase dramatically in coming years,” says Gahan, claiming it could become a “pillar” of TikTok’s revenue in the near future.
“Given some of the huge numbers coming out of ByteDance in terms of livestreaming and social commerce, you can see why they’re employing an army of agencies and third parties to recruit lots of new livestream talent to boost the level of activity in that area and ultimately increase the amount of income driven by livestreams from creators and brands,” says Navarra.
It’s all in aid of mimicking the vibrant, established livestreaming industry that typifies the Chinese internet. Douyin, ByteDance’s shortform video app equivalent in China, has a livestreaming ecosystem worth hundreds of billions of dollars that the app could well be looking to replicate in the west. One analysis estimates that 87% of Douyin users live stream content of their own. McKinsey has forecast that if the west were to follow China’s embrace of livestreaming ecommerce, it could account for up to 20% of all online sales by 2026.
Those with long memories will be remembering the mid-2010s push by Facebook into livestreamed video, which was an enormous success for a matter of moments before the company pivoted away from those plans, resulting in massive media job losses. TikTok’s turn to livestreaming is different, not least because the precedent that livestreamed video can work has already been established in China.
Key to that could be TikTok’s continued deployment and promotion of livestreaming within its app – creating a virtuous circle of revenue for the company. The ground for that has already been laid, according to those watching the company most keenly. “I suspect we’ll see similar numbers for next year, based on the activities and initiatives they’re putting in place now,” says Navarra.


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Mar 15, 2021By: Shaurya Shubham
Covid-19 vaccines are now available, so it gives hope of normalcy returning. However, June, the traditional month in which E3 is held may be too soon for mass gatherings. ESA has yet not confirmed anything about the offline or online nature of the event.
The game show may happen between June 15 to June 17. However, official confirmation is awaited.
According to ESA’s recent report, E3 online will be a four-day event which includes a media preview day and three days of livestream.
This is something that we will get to know closer to the event dates. However, last year most publishers backed out from the event. It will be really interesting to see how ESA takes the event forward this year.
Back in February, E3 posted a tweet saying ‘We’ve been hard at work on this year’s event and we can’t wait to provide the full picture of the E3 2021 experience. Keep an eye here for more big news from us soon! That’s all is officially available about the event.
It’s a little too early to predict anything. Based on the leaks and rumours, we can expect to see games that we could see at the event: Perfect Dark, Fable 4, Starfield, Avowed. Beyond Good & Evil 2, Battlefield 6, BioShock 4, etc.
Microsoft Xbox is expected to hold an event where it will announce more Bethesda games

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Waterford Dragon Warriors is a team of breast cancer survivors and supporters. We support breast cancer awareness in any way we can. In October we wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness month.
In October 2018, Waterford Dragon Warriors entered a team to walk/run 10km for the Solas Cancer Support Centre in Waterford City.
In October 2018, ladies from Waterford Dragon Warriors and The Ivy Wellness and Beauty Salon, dyed their hair pink to raise money for the Solas Cancer Support Center.
On the 20th October 2018, the Waterford Dragon Warriors pushed one of their dragon boats from the Boat Club to John Roberts Square in Waterford City to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness Day.


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Un progetto italiano nel settore biomedicale: pellicole molto sottili in grado di percepire segnali elettrici. Diversi campi di applicazione, dalla registrazione dei dolori muscolari all’elettrocardiogramma. La tecnologia è meno invasiva dei tradizionali elettrodi. Continue reading
When the automobile was invented in the 18th century, it was little more than an engine with a driver’s seat – a machine designed with the sole purpose of transporting its driver from Point A to Point B.
As more and more companies begin to tackle the wearable tech market with smartwatches and fitness trackers, we thought that is time to look at some of the weirdest wearables you might not have seen before (and for good reason). Continue reading
The 12 Most Exciting and Surprising Collaborations in Digital Health Continue reading
Adidas has bought Runtastic, bringing the popular fitness tracking app in-house and promising to “unleash its knowledge of sport” on its 70m users. The deal, which values Runtastic at around $241m, sees the app join Adidas’ own fitness wearables like the miCoach FIT SMART, and could give the sportswear brand a lower-cost way to engage new users via their smartphones.
That is right, the implantable. In the past decade of tech innovation, connectivity has been the name of the game. Call your friend in the middle of the night in Antarctica.
The next wave of wearables steers clear of fitness in favor of mental wellness. Continue reading
Google is bringing wearables to the medical profession. According to a new report, the company has developed a wrist-worn device laced with sensors to give physicians detailed information on patients in real-time, even when they’re away from the hospital. Continue reading
Ruchi Pandya, a soli 18 anni, ha inventato un device in grado di di rilevare un arresto cardiaco 72 ore prima del suo avvento. L’invenzione ha colpito anche il Presidente Obama che ha deciso di riceverla alla Casa Bianca. Continue reading


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Italy’s government has turned to gaming to connect with a whole new audience–a move which, in a sane world, should serve as a blueprint for fellow countries to embrace a ridiculously untapped market.
Today, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs–the republic’s equivalent of the U.S. Department of State–has launched ITALY. Land of Wonders, a free mobile game that aims to showcase Italian culture and heritage to the world, and young people in particular.
Available today on iOS and Android via the Italian MFA’s new portal dedicated to the nation’s impact on worldwide culture, Land of Wonders was designed and developed within the country. Looking at its trailer, the game appears to take influences from Monument Valley, The Witness, and even BioShock minigames, boasting 100 educational puzzle levels and a pretty damn nice art style.
Starting at sunset, Land of Wonders features Elio–a reference to Helios, the mythological sun god–who tasks players to travel around Italy to retrieve 20 sparks to light up a lighthouse and make the sun shine on Italy once again. As the game evolves, players meet five Guardians who help players “discover nature, cuisine, art, performance and design, the five main sectors of the Italian cultural heritage.”
Each of the game’s 100 puzzle levels features a 3D reconstruction of an Italian landmark, including headliners like the Colosseum, St Mark’s Basilica, and Leaning Tower of Pisa. Alongside the cultural and geographic elements of the game–plus 600 articles filled with stories, news and fun facts–the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also focused on making the game improve players’ grasp of the Italian language.
Ambassador Lorenzo Angeloni, director general for cultural and economic promotion and innovation at the MFA, said: “It is our objective to engage people from all over the world and to get them interested in our country and its beauties, creating a sense of familiarity that can guide them, one day, to the actual discovery of our territories and our products. It’s an adventure accessible to everyone to help discover the beauty, the creativity and the taste of Italy.”
It’s difficult to complain about any free, zero-microtransaction game on sheer principle, but this effort by the Italian government should be applauded. The fact that gaming has somehow negotiated all manner of red tape to become a focal piece in Italy’s foreign policy is a real surprise, and the effort couldn’t have come at a better time; the notion of travel and exploration is fraught, and the world feels more politically stand-offish and insular than ever.
While this might be the first true government-sponsored game, this isn’t the first time that a constituted body or institution has entered consumer media. Since 1997, international anti-criminal organization Interpol has recorded six albums, as have The Presidents of the United States of America; the state of Kansas and the city of Boston continue to have incredible success on the world stage; and, of course, the entire continent of Europe recorded ‘The Final Countdown’ in 1986.


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North Carolina authorities recently seized dozens of fake sneakers that were shipped to a local barbershop in the city of Raleigh, according to search warrants obtained by local news outlet WRAL-5.
The counterfeit goods were recognized by investigators with the North Carolina Secretary of State's Office at a FedEx facility due to similarities the packaging shared with previously tracked packages to the area. The boxes of fakes were shipped from New York and ultimately ended up at Paul's Barber Shop in Raleigh. According to the investigator's application for warrants, three of the boxes delivered were returned to a FedEx truck, and the remaining five were loaded into an SUV.
Police would later pull over the SUV and discover that each box contained eight pairs of fake Nikes. The total price of the 40-pair shipment was estimated at $10,000. The additional three boxes loaded back onto the FedEx truck also contained eight pairs each, an estimated total of up to $6,000. Meanwhile, other boxes were seized at the FedEx facility that contained more fake kicks along with fake designer belts. It is unclear which specific pairs of fake Nikes were present in the shipments.
Raleigh resident Omar Tariq Lucas has been charged with criminal use of a counterfeit trademark, but there are currently no further developments regarding the case. In the ongoing battle to prevent the sale of fake sneakers, consider this incident a very small victory in relation to the much more widespread epidemic.


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► The e-commerce industry has kicked into overdrive…
The migration of shopping online and away from brick-and-mortar stores has been steadily building for two decades. With stores closed and many shoppers afraid to leave their homes, it’s like the coronavirus hit the fast-forward button for online shopping.
It’s no surprise that e-commerce spending was up 49% in April, with online grocery being the fastest-growing segment.
This big spike in consumers shopping online presents a unique one-time opportunity for e-commerce companies to cheaply acquire new customers. While the pandemic is tragic, these businesses now have an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade.
While necessities – like groceries, cleaning products and other household goods, and pet supplies – are seeing massive growth online, some discretionary categories are also getting a boost in online sales.
Digital agency Common Thread calculates that since COVID-19 emerged, global e-commerce growth has been a powerful tailwind for beauty (up 53%), fitness and sports equipment (up 31%), electronics (up 25%), and outdoor products (up 19%).
Of course, e-commerce giants Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT) have benefited from this shift. Grocery-delivery service Instacart has, too. But they aren’t the only ones…
► Online marketplace for handmade goods Etsy (ETSY) has been a huge winner as well…
The company almost exclusively sells discretionary items. Investors were initially worried that Etsy would see a big slowdown in revenue growth. But then, Etsy’s business experienced an unexpected windfall…
Several weeks into the coronavirus crisis, government and medical organizations reversed course and started recommending the use of facemasks and coverings for the general public. Shortages in medical-grade masks meant that most consumers couldn’t get their hands on them… and even if they could, people were strongly discouraged from diverting supply away from medical professionals.
Etsy mobilized its army of independent crafters, seamstresses, and artists – who already had shops set up – to make masks with the fabrics and sewing machines many already had on hand.
The rapid production of new in-demand inventory, along with real-time modifications to Etsy’s internal search engine that made it easier for customers to find masks, led to a massive $133 million in mask sales during April. The activity in masks correlated with – and likely contributed to – an acceleration of growth on the rest of Etsy’s site. Sales of non-mask items were up 79% in April, and second-quarter revenue is expected to grow 78%, a big step up from prior expectations of 15%.
As you’d expect, this was a huge boost for the company’s share price. The stock has taken off and hasn’t looked back since. While the S&P 500 is up about 23% since bottoming in late March, Etsy shares are up nearly 160%…
While other retail and apparel companies scrambled to meet the surprise demand for face coverings, Etsy’s unique business model of connecting its 48 million customers with its 3 million sellers allowed it to respond faster than the competition. As CEO Josh Silverman told the Wall Street Journal…
Why am I going into so much detail about masks? It’s not because I’m convinced that masks are going to be an enduring category for months to come. They may not be, nor are we convinced that this new cohort of buyers is going to be with us for months and years to come in a highly active way.
We’re going to work really hard to try to earn their loyalty, and we’ll have to learn and see what their behavior is over time. The reason I wanted to tell the story is because I think it really highlights the dynamism of the Etsy model and our Etsy sellers.
Investors have a lot to like about Etsy’s business model. In addition to its large network of buyers and sellers, the company enjoys huge 66% gross margins because of its eBay-style, inventory-free marketplace model. Etsy also doesn’t absorb shipping costs, which the buyer generally pays.
It’s hard to say whether the stock is a buy here. A lot depends on how well the company can convert the first-time buyers who came in April and May looking for face masks into repeat buyers in other categories.
At 8 times enterprise value (“EV”) to sales, Etsy is a little rich for my blood… especially given the boost from its brief near-monopoly on masks. This is a big premium to e-commerce giant Amazon and the company that invented the marketplace business model, eBay.
Both Amazon and eBay trade around 3.5 times on an EV-to-sales basis. Neither comparison is perfect – both are much larger companies than Etsy, and are lower risk with their greater diversification and resources. Both are also growing much more slowly than Etsy (although Amazon is still growing quickly), and the law of large numbers makes it much harder for it to double in size versus Etsy. But to pay more than twice the multiple of Amazon for Etsy, when Amazon is one of the most powerful companies in the world, feels like a bit of a stretch. I’ll hope for a better point of entry for Etsy.
Be careful of paying up for a one-time event… But it’s a company worth watching. If it can sustain this momentum, COVID-19 could end up being a permanent turning point in Etsy’s history.
► Etsy isn’t the only e-commerce company experiencing a boom in business…
The acceleration of online shopping trends has been a huge tailwind for Shopify (SHOP) as well.
Last month, CTO Jean-Michel Lemieux tweeted the following eye-opening chart…
While I had experience with Shopify and how it works with its customers during my consulting work with several startups, I hadn’t looked at it with my investor hat on. My colleague Enrique Abeyta knows the stock well, and he’s a big fan. As he told me in a private e-mail earlier this week…
I first learned about Shopify about seven years ago when I was making investments in direct-to-consumer companies, like sock company Bombas. The dynamite CEO there (David Heath – look him up!) walked me through its software platform and how awesome it was for enabling e-commerce.
My current digital media business – Project M – is an active Shopify customer, as 80% of our business is e-commerce. I can attest to the fact that the company is getting better and better. The functionality of the platform continues to improve, and it also has become even easier to use. Shopify has also gotten into providing financing for customers. It’s a great deal for both them and us.
And now, we’re seeing a major acceleration in e-commerce results.
One driver of the acceleration is that advertising got a lot cheaper as major advertisers like hotels and airlines stepped away from the market. The other part, though, is that for people who didn’t lose their job, they have a lot of free time… and their disposable income is no longer being spent on beers, restaurant meals, and concert tickets.
The net result has been a boost in e-commerce, and the biggest beneficiary in the world is the largest “picks and shovels” company out there – Shopify!
Though the stock has been on an absolute tear of late, don’t let that scare you away. Enrique says its strong performance shouldn’t deter investors…
This hasn’t been lost in the stock price performance, as SHOP shares more than doubled from their lows (just about $300 to $765 today) and are sitting at all-time highs. It’s hard to buy a stock at these levels – and I’d never recommend investors taking a full position at this level of exuberance – but one of my biggest pieces of advice is to not make it too difficult.
In order for a stock to go up 10 times, it has to go up 2 times, 3 times, and 5 times first. A stock being up a lot is a good sign in the long term, not a bad one…
Investors should get to know Shopify, and at a point where it makes sense to them, consider adding some exposure to their long-term holdings.
► It’s clear that Enrique likes Shopify’s prospects…
But it’s much easier for a $2 billion company to become a $20 billion company than it is for a large-cap stock like Shopify to grow from $82 billion to $820 billion.
And in his brand-new Empire Elite Growth newsletter, he’s only looking for stocks with 500% to 1,000% upside (or more).
The two companies he recommended last week have sub-$1 billion market caps. One is a “picks and shovels” play in a budding industry with explosive growth potential. The other is a one-of-a-kind “trophy asset,” backed by an investor who has outperformed the legendary Warren Buffett over the past three decades.
For the next couple of days, you can access Enrique’s ideas for the lowest price we’ll ever offer. Get started here.
► In the mailbag, I received a wide variety of feedback from readers on whether they’d attend a movie in theaters or not…
Are you shopping more online? Besides Amazon, which sites or apps are you spending money with? Are there any online shops you’ve purchased from for the first time in the last two months… and do you think you’ll visit them again? Let me know by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
► “I would have no problem in going back to a movie theater if only JUST TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! We can’t wait for conditions to be perfect, or we just might DIE IN PLACE.” – Jim B.
► “You ask about movie theaters. I am 39, single, and healthy, and don’t have regular exposure to people in high risk categories. I’d go see any movie. However, 90% of the movies I see in theaters are big blockbusters. Mostly Marvel movies, because I feel like the smaller comedies and dramas are just as fun to watch at home and don’t require the expense / work of going to a theater. Hope you find this useful. Loving the newsletters!” – Patrick O.
► “I would have no problem returning to theaters at this time. I would consider it a perk if the theater was only 25% to 50% full. Especially with discounted ticket pricing. No matter the size of your home ‘theater’ screen/TV, nothing compares to the experience of sitting in a nicely air conditioned theater with fresh popcorn and an ice cold drink, watching the trailers and anticipating the main attraction. It’s on the top of my ‘hopefully soon to do list’.”- Karl S.
► “I would absolutely return to movie theaters, as soon as they open. It is something that my 10 year old granddaughter and I do together. We were going twice a month, pre-covid 19. I would go whether the theaters were half empty or completely full. It is something that we enjoy together. I want to keep making these memories with my granddaughter. I am 56 and in good health. I would take extra precautions, but I would return in a heart beat!” – Donna W.
► “I am sure I would go to movies. Take your wipes and masks. Keep social distancing and enjoy. No reason to stop life!”- Hemant P.
► “Berna, I’ve hardly been to a theater in the past 5 years after going most weeks for about 5 years before that. Small budget dramas, comedies, documentaries with spread out seating might get me to go back.”- Brian H.
► “I will not be going to see anything in a theater before November, possibly next year, and certainly not before we see a definite drop in covid-19 new cases.” – Geoffrey M.
► “No movie theaters, live theaters, concert halls, sports arenas, or restaurants for me and my wife until there is a vaccine. Even then, I must admit there may be a new normal for movies. We are finding that we enjoy streaming both free (i.e. Netflix) and PPV movies to our large-screen TV. The sound is fine with our surround-sound system. And it’s (a) cheaper, (b) more convenient*, and (c) safer to watch them at home. I’m having trouble envisioning what would lure me back to physical theaters.
“*convenience: Don’t have to drive to the theater, park, stand in line, wait for the movie to start, and watch fifteen minutes of commercials, then drive home again. Popcorn costs 40¢ instead of $5.00. Can pause the movie to go to the bathroom. Can watch the movie whenever we want to, not just at their scheduled times. Can watch it multiple times. Can watch with friends for no more money. Can sit in comfortable chairs and put our feet up, with a blanket and pillows. Can eat dinner while we watch. Tell me again what the advantage is of spending $20+ to watch it in a theater. P.S. Love the EFR newsletter.” – Dave S.
May 15, 2020


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The E14 luster lamp, which is only available here in Germany and the rest of the world as Hue White, has also been available in Japan for over a year as White Ambiance with a marginally larger E17 base. This will change in the coming weeks, as models with White Ambiance and White and Color Ambiance are about to be launched.
Just last week I was able to announce that Philips Hue is already offering a modified version of its E14 teardrop bulb in Japan, which was launched as Hue White only earlier this month. Equipped with a comparable E17 base, the Japanese are already enjoying the benefits of a technically much better White Ambiance teardrop bulb, where the colour temperature can be freely adjusted from 2,200 to 6,500 Kelvin.
Just two months ago, Philips Hue unveiled its smallest lamp to date: The Hue E14 Luster. The teardrop-shaped bulb is perfect for compact table lamps that are often found on desks or bedside tables. But it is precisely here that the new release reveals its biggest weakness: as a Hue White model, it offers only a fixed colour temperature.


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Unifarm S.p.A., a pharmaceutical products wholesaler which supplies 1900 pharmacies across Northern Italy and Sardinia, has implemented and fully rolled out RELEX’s system to improve the pharmacies’ inventory turnover and further increase the level of service they offer their customers. Unifarm is pioneering an innovative vendor managed inventory (VMI) service named SARA (Advanced Automatic Replenishment System, Sistema Avanzato di Riordino Automatico in Italian). It will be the first wholesaler on the Italian pharmaceutical market able to manage the inventory and replenishment of its products for a growing number of pharmacies.
Unifarm first piloted another well-known vendor’s solution but, after a thorough search, finally selected RELEX because it can handle Unifarm’s entire supply chain, from ordering from its suppliers to replenishing its customer pharmacies, in an advanced way. Another important factor in Unifarm’s decision was the flexibility of RELEX’s end-to-end solution.
Unifarm wanted to improve its supply chain performance and ability to adapt its automatic replenishment VMI service to the needs of individual pharmacies; for instance, one pharmacy might prioritize assortment and another availability. Unifarm also liked the fact that the system can perform highly complex forecasting calculations in near-real time, which makes it easier to ensure high service levels both to pharmacies and from pharmacies to the final consumer.
RELEX not only offered us incredible flexibility to tailor and finetune the level of service to our customers, but also the tools and ability to run the system ourselves.
“Unifarm needed an agile system that we could configure to our specific needs,” said Unifarm CEO. “RELEX not only offered us incredible flexibility to tailor and finetune the level of service to our customers, but also the tools and ability to run the system ourselves.”
The VMI element of the project, SARA, has already been completed. Currently 170 independent pharmacies are using the solution, and a growing number of pharmacies are being brought onto the system every month.
Given the success of the VMI solution with Unifarm’s independent pharmacies, Unifarm and RELEX have signed an agreement to offer—throughout the national territory—an automated replenishment software as a service to Italian groups of pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers not purchasing from Unifarm. With this initiative, Unifarm has become the first pharmaceutical wholesaler to offer specific solutions and assistance to raise the level of service in the Italian pharmacy sector.
“Unifarm has an excellent reputation in the Italian pharmaceutical market. It is considered the forerunner of innovation as it’s so focused on continually improve its already very high level of service,” says RELEX Italy Country Director Jarno Martikainen. “Unifarm’s team has been really easy to communicate with, they’re extremely keen to find new and better ways of doing things and they run a very impressive, finely honed operation.”
Meanwhile, the integrated supply chain phase has begun with the forecasting and replenishment of Unifarm DCs, which handle around 41,000 SKUs and see some €600 million worth of stock pass through them each year. RELEX’s solution roll out is in progress for the DC located in Genova and will start for the remaining DCs, based in Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Sardinia, in the Fall.
Unifarm is a healthcare company founded in 1970. The company supplies 1900 pharmacies across the Italian regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Liguria and Sardinia. Unifarm`s goal is to improve the well-being of people and focus on promoting good and healthy life choices as a part of their customers daily life.
More information: www.unifarm.it


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Cryptocurrency exchange OKCoin is reportedly moving to launch in South Korea – possibly as soon as next month.
According to The Korea Times, the Beijing-based firm is eyeing a partnership with NHN Entertainment, a Korean developer, publisher, and distributor of mobile and PC games, for the venture.
The news source suggests that NHN is considering the partnership and an equity investment, though the move has apparently not been finalized
OKCoin was established in China in 2013, but had to shutter its domestic exchange operations in October 2017, following Chinese regulators’ crackdown on cryptocurrency exchanges. Since then, the company has shifted to an over-the-counter model, and turned its attention to international markets.
The exchange has already put in place the OKCoin Korea website and is accepting pre-orders for cryptocurrencies before the official launch. It aims to offer more than 60 digital currencies to be traded against the Korean won, according to the site.
Cho Jung-hwan, CEO of OKCoin Korea, told The Investor that OKCoin is compliant with all the Korean regulatory requirements, and said, “there won’t be any problems.”
Market graph image via Shutterstock
The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is an independent media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. Have breaking news or a story tip to send to our journalists? Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Disclaimer: This article should not be taken as, and is not intended to provide, investment advice. Please conduct your own thorough research before investing in any cryptocurrency.


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An online raffle has raised more than £10,000 for an Aberdeen charity.
A popular Aberdeen cheese eatery announced it will now be open for one extra day to popular demand.
Siga van der Bank was raised in a family of craft lovers with a wealth of creative talents.
An independent Aberdeen bar is adapting its service with a new app.
An Aberdeen cafe has created an Insta-worthy French toast.
A talented Aberdeen baker has whipped up a delicious-looking cake.


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- Bryan G. StocktonCeo of Mattel
- Kathleen ShaverDirector of Corporate Responsibility of Mattel
- Robert NormileChief Legal Officer
- Lisa KleinSenior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility
Mattel: Stop illegal treatment of your workers
As the holiday shopping season kicks in to high gear, many shoppers will be searching for the hottest new toys on holiday wishlists. The world’s largest toy company, Mattel, had revenues of $6.3 billion and profits of $768 million in 2011. Given its profits, it would seem reasonable to assume that such a large corporation as Mattel would treat well the workers who make its products. But a new study uncovered a range of abusive conditions for the workers who make some of the world's favorite toys.
China Labor Watch recently released an investigative report recently that details an array of labor abuse throughout four factories in China that produce Mattel toys. Many of these violations have legal implications, like blank labor contracts, overtime wages 30% below statutory limits, overtime hours of up to six times the legal limit, and a lack of safety equipment when working with harmful chemicals.
In one factory, the investigator, posing as a worker, was required by his superviser to take off his gloves while do spray paint work. The superviser said, "after you wear the gloves, the product rejection rate increases. This is not good. Our factory values efficiency most. You have to take them off. Look, no one else is wearing them.”
(The full report can be found here: http://chinalaborwatch.org/pro/proshow-179.html)
CLW is demanding that Mattel's CEO, Bryan Stockton, and others at Mattel correct illegal treatment of workers immediately and begin instituting the following long-term reforms, like giving factories more time and money to produce, putting the source factory on every Mattel toy, and establishing independent worker hotlines, worker committees, and roundtable discussions in order to give workers a voice.
You can help by signing this petition and sending an email to Mattel's executives!
- Ceo of Mattel
Bryan G. Stockton
- Director of Corporate Responsibility of Mattel
- Chief Legal Officer
- Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility
Dear Mr. Stockton,
I have learned that a new series of investigations led by China Labor Watch at four of your supplier factories in China revealed serious violations of the rights of the workers that make your toys. This is not the first time that such violations have been reported at your supplier factories.
I am extremely concerned by the systematic labor violations found in your supply chain in China and of the working and living conditions of the workers that make Mattel toys. I urge Mattel to respond to the following demands, some of which are mentioned in the China Labor Watch report:
- modify Mattel practices by ensuring that the price Mattel pays and the delivery time it allows are sufficient to pay workers a decent wage and to not make them work more than what the Chinese law allows;
- make sure that grievance mechanisms exist at the factory level and workers are adequately trained and informed about their rights;
- publish a full list of Mattel’s suppliers.
China Labor Watch started this petition with a single signature, and now has 59 supporters. Start a petition today to change something you care about.
Today: China Labor Watch is counting on you
China Labor Watch needs your help with “Mattel: Stop illegal treatment of your workers”. Join China Labor Watch and 58 supporters today.


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Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Since it launched online in April, TikTakTo the daily deal aggregator taking almost 10,000 deals from sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, Hotel.com, Plum District, among other sites has gained an enormous momentum. And just recently the site launched mobile platforms for Apple (through the App Store) and Android users (through Google Play). Taking from both online and geo-local deals, the site makes it easier for mobile consumers to spend locally or save by comparison shopping.
· TikTakTo [Official Site]
· All Tech-Tacular! Posts [Racked]


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Apple Confirms Acquisition of Israeli Flash Memory Firm Anobit [Updated]
Bloomberg reports that Apple has confirmed last month's news from Israel that the company had acquired flash memory firm Anobit. The confirmation came in the form of Apple's standard boilerplate statement used in addressing acquisitions, and did not include details on the purchase or Apple's plans for the company.
Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, said today that the purchase had been made, while declining to elaborate. The statement confirmed a December report from in the Israeli newspaper Cacalist.
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Dowling said in a telephone interview.
Apple reportedly paid $400-500 million for Anobit, but neither Apple nor Anobit has confirmed the purchase price.
The report notes that Anobit is currently responsible for a key flash memory controller for the iPad and iPhone, and Apple likely opted to bring the company's expertise in house in order to draw more heavily on the Anobit's expertise, increase efficiencies, and exert greater control over a component important to the functionality of iOS devices.
Update: Bloomberg reports that Apple paid about $390 million for Anobit in a deal that was not finalized until January 6.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) acquired Anobit Technologies Ltd. for about $390 million, paying below the price sought by the Israeli maker of a flash-memory drive part for the iPhone, people familiar with the purchase said.
Negotiations continued for more than two weeks after Israel’s Calcalist newspaper reported Dec. 20 that Apple bought Herzliya-based Anobit for as much as $500 million. Apple finally signed the agreement Jan. 6 to buy the Israeli company, according to two Anobit shareholders, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Apple didn’t want details disclosed.


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Consulting firm R3 Worldwide released its December M&A global league table, showing that holding groups are spending substantial amounts of money in the marketing sector, primarily on martech acquisitions. Adobe made the biggest splash of the year when the company purchased Marketo for $4.75 billion.
Although this was Adobe’s only transation in 2018, the number of acquisitions of this type was up 16 percent YoY. Overall, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the marketing industry hit $33 billion last year—up 144 percent from 2017.
After Adobe, Alibaba had largest acquisition. In July, they announced they would buy a minority stake—around 6.63 percent—in China’s Focus Media becoming their strategic investor. The company also said they would invest $511.1 million “in an entity controlled by Focus Media’s chairman Jason Jiang by subscribing to newly issued shares.”
Greg Paull, principal at R3, told CNBC, “MarTech (marketing technology) is making fringe digital tech more centralized in marketing options.”
Ranking fourth in the global table, AT&T acquired AppNexus—an advertising software platform serving publishers, agencies and marketers for $1.6 million. In a press release, AT&T stated they would continue to “invest in and build” on AppNexus technology. It will merge with AT&T first-party data, video content and distribution.
“This is an important milestone in the young history of our company,” said CEO Brian Lesser in the release. “With the addition of AppNexus, I’m excited about the role AT&T will play in rethinking advertising not just for today, but for the future—advertising that’s better for brands, publishers and consumers.”
The acquisition was seen as AT&T’s OTT advertising chess move against Comcast and Google.
Accenture—ranking fifth globally and seventh overall in North America—bought martech company Adaptly in 2018. The New York-based company helps brands manage data-driven campaigns across major platforms. It was a move to strengthen Accenture Interactive’s (digital marketing division) programmatic services. However, they’ve been blamed for conflict of interest for their move into programmatic because Accenture has an auditing division that inspects its competitors.
Overall, Accenture gained eleven acquisitions for around $1.2 billion.
On R3’s North American list Cision ranked 14 with its acquisition of Prime Research. In a press release, Cision, a public relations and media software company, explains the decision as an effort to “enhance its global leadership position” in the media measurement service arena. They also outlined Cision’s goal to be the go-to provider for brands when choosing the best influencers and strategies for campaigns.
Forrester, a market research company, ranked 15 on the North American list. They acquired SiriusDecisions and Glimpzit for about $248 million.
SiriusDecisions, a B2B research and advisory firm, will aid Forrester in better serving their combined customers by expanding SiriusDecisions’ global reach, getting them into new verticals such as healthcare and extending their products to new roles like CIOs and CX leaders. It’s the biggest acquisition in Forrester’s history.


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Microsoft announce Windows 10 version 22H2, the feature update released last year, will be the last version of Windows 10 to ever be released. Microsoft will not provide feature updates for the nearly 8-year-old operating system. However, those running the operating system will continue to receive security updates until the end of support date, on October 14, 2025. This date has not changed.
Basically, nothing really changes for those using Windows 10. Windows 10 has already been mostly in maintenance mode since the launch of Windows 11, so that will continue for the rest of the support period. What this means, especially for those using the Home and Pro versions, is that you will no longer be required to install more feature updates in order to remain supported. Windows 10 version 22H2 is the version that will continue to get security updates until Windows 10 is no longer supported. Previously, each version of Windows 10 was only supported for 18 months after launch.
It should also be noted that LTSC (Long Term Service Channel) or LTSB customers are not affected by this change. LTSC releases have a separate support period and never get feature updates, so nothing changes there. Windows 10 2015 LTSB has the same end of support date of October 14, 2025, but Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 will be supported until 2029, and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 will be supported at least until 2027 (Microsoft has not announced this) Extended support period for this version ).
Windows 11 LTSC launches in 2024
On the topic of LTSC customers, Microsoft also announced that it has finally released Windows 11 LTSC in the second half of 2024. Although it has been around for a while, Microsoft has not yet released a version of Windows 11 for long-term customers Service channel , but it looks like it will finally happen next year. Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC and Windows 11 Enterprise IoT LTSC will be available. For businesses waiting for a LTSC release of Windows 11, Microsoft says they can begin testing for application and hardware compatibility with the current version of the operating system, which is Windows 11 Version 22H2.
This is a somewhat late release for a LTSC version of Windows 11, considering that the operating system will be three years old at that point and that Microsoft was reported to be working on Windows 12 for release in 2024. It looks like the company will wait until Windows 11 is in. A more stable state and no major changes are planned to make it available to LTSC customers. It is reasonable to see that reliability and stability are the main reasons why companies choose LTSC licenses. It’s a different approach than we saw with Windows 10, where the LTSB release occurred shortly after the operating system launched.
Microsoft has not provided a more specific date for this Windows 11 LTSC release, and nothing else has changed regarding Windows 11 support at this time. Microsoft has not yet shared an end of support date for Windows 11 as a whole, but Windows 11 version 22H2 will be supported at least until October 14, 2025.


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French car manufacturer, Peugeot has introduced a new brand logo for their future cars, showrooms and communication channels. The new logo will make its debut on the upcoming Peugeot 308 hatchback which is likely to debut this year in the international market. The new logo takes inspiration from the 2018 e-Legend concept car and features a two-dimensional Lion face inside a Shield. The new logo represents the brand’s clean-cut precision, with 1960 flair and the modern-day contemporary design.
The new Logo & Stellantis
The brand revealed the new logo after it joined the Stellantis Group, an Amsterdam-headquartered multinational automotive manufacturer but according to Peugeot, the brand had been developing the logo for the past two years and before it had plans to join the Stellantis group. The brand in 2020, celebrated its 210th anniversary and it is one of the oldest automobile brands in the world. The new logo took the centre place on the 2018 Peugeot e-Legend Concept fastback coupe with the logo set in the front grille with a black background highlighting its design. The new logo will take position on all brandings and dealerships by 2023 following its deployment on Peugeot cars.
Peugeot and India
While the brand used to do business in the Indian market in the 1990s with its parent company PSA rumoured to launch the brand again in India. But PSA recently introduced the Citroen C5 Aircross which is Peugeot’s sister brand and the flagship SUV will be launched soon. The Citroen C5 Aircross competes with the likes of the Hyundai Tucson and the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace in the Indian market. The C5 Aircross comes to the Indian market via the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) route produced at the PSA-CK Birla joint production facility in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu to keep its cost low. While the market launch of the Citroen C5 Aircross is still pending, we got a chance to drive the vehicle and here is a comprehensive review of the upcoming SUV.


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An Post announce that 8,000 of its customers' data has been breached
More than 8,000 customers have been affected.
An Post has announced today that some of its customers have been affected by a security breach.
According to the Independent, the breach happened April 2016 and September 2017, and it involved those who asked for their address to be changed in between those dates.
The publication states that thousands of customers who inputted their new details into the company's mail redirection service were affected, as their information was unknowingly submitted to a file containing details from customers who gave permission for their name and address to be used in external databases.
More than 8,000 customers received a letter stating that their information had been breached.
"Your new address may have been updated on the records of companies you interact with, and you may have received letters from some companies to your new address instead of your old address.
"Please be assured that Data Ireland never discloses names and addresses from the file they receive from An Post to direct marketing companies."
A spokesperson said: "The matter is now closed. We apologise for any inconvenience or concern that this error may have caused to the customers."


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It’s been called a tech-geek fad, a business flop-to-be, and a waste of time for most marketers, but the fact is big name brands are on Twitter. While detractors argue brands don’t even belong on the quick messaging platform, they are there — from Ford to Dunkin’ Donuts to Whole Foods. They’re engaging in experiments with customer service, branding, and corporate culture-building in the decidedly public forum.
Some see Twitter as an extension of the marketing department; others view it as a customer service tool, and some say it’s best for corporate communications.
Scott Monty tackles it from the communications side. Before joining Ford Motor Company in July as its global digital and multimedia communications manager — a position the automaker created for him — he had a decent following through his personal account on Twitter. “I wanted to get down and personal with people,” said Monty, who believes Twitter enables that more so than Facebook, MySpace, or blogs. Getting personal made sense for Ford, which, according to Monty, hopes to “humanize the brand.”
Eventually, he decided to maintain his personal account and use it as a communication tool in association with his new role at Ford, and he branded the account as such. “I knew there would have to be a combination of personal and corporate presence,” he said.
But he also needed to harness the stray Twitter accounts that had been created by Ford divisions, create new ones, and apply some sort of structure and dedicated purpose to them. Currently, the firm has about six accounts, including FordDriveOne, the main corporate account; FordDriveGreen, an account focused on environmental technologies; and FordCustService for, well, customer service.
Monty currently handles all the accounts, but plans to hand them over to the appropriate teams once they’re “warmed up,” he said. “If we hadn’t had the current financial crisis going on I would have trained and staffed up for the auto shows.” The North American International Auto Show 2009 will be held in Detroit in January, followed by the Washington Auto Show in February.
“There’s something so gratifying about being able to connect in real-time and in a real way,” said a Dunkin’ Donuts spokesperson regarding the chain’s use of Twitter. “We went into this without any set expectations other than to start a conversation and see if people would participate.” The firm has over 3,000 followers on Twitter.
According to a new report from HubSpot, at least 5,000 new accounts are created on Twitter each day. Thirty-five percent have 10 or fewer followers. In 2008, several brands established a Twitter presence, including H&R Block, Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue, Dell, and Home Depot.
“[D]o you sell bulk coffee? we NEED something better at work,” wrote a Twitter user to “Dunkin’ Dave,” whose response was quick and casual. Linking to a company Web site page dedicated to the “Regular Refills” coffee delivery program, he responded, “DD Coffee Subscription?” As a member of the company’s corporate communications department, Dunkin’ Dave tweets “on the behalf of the DD mothership.”
Many of his posts, or “tweets” are not responses to questions, though. Rather, they’re brief notes about things like the weather outside his office, or appearances at new store locations. “St. Augustine, FL! Grand Opening 12/13 9a-3p 7440 US 1 N. Appearances by frmr NFL All-Pro Marco Coleman and NY Mets’ Daniel Murphy,” announced a recent tweet.
Customer Service and Multi-Purpose Twittering
While Ford and Dunkin’ have some interaction with other Twitter users, Comcast’s experience tends to be much more conversational. “It’s key to really be a two-way dialogue and from a service perspective it’s the best way to approach that,” said Frank Eliason, director of digital care for Comcast, who thinks corporate communications people tend to be too focused on getting out a particular message to serve as Twitter brand reps.
Eliason has made a name for ComcastCares, the Twitter account he uses to interact with Comcast customers, as part of the firm’s customer service department. He also uses social spaces like blogs and online forums to seek out people with customer service issues he can respond to either through digital communication, or by simply picking up the phone and calling them. Comcast has three Twitter accounts run by Eliason and two other digital care staffers.
Though Eliason clearly sees Comcast’s usage of Twitter from a customer service perspective, it may have a branding effect, too. “Basically [Comcast is] improving the perception of the brand,” suggested Filiberto Selvas, recently hired as strategy director and social media discipline lead at Razorfish. “If you agree with a concept that brand is what the consumer perceives, then Twitter is a brand tool,” added his colleague, Strategy Director Andrea Harrison. The digital agency sees Twitter as one of many tools for what it calls, “social influence marketing.”
Other Twittering brands have evolved their accounts for use as forums for customer service, message dissemination, and branding. “Christmas is in two days! Check out this last minute Christmas help round-up from our very own Paige,” said a recent tweet from WholeFoods. The company, which has nearly 12,000 followers, also responded last week to a complaint: “I’m not sure what this @wholefoods ‘all-purpose baking flour’ is, but I do know it lead s to lumpy cookies,” lamented a Twitterer. The company apologized, adding, “you can def. return it for a refund!”
The 140-character limit for all Twitter posts lends to the casual quality of brand interactions on the platform.
Brand-building and customer service are only tertiary Twitter purposes for online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos. The firm’s CEO Tony Hsieh has been using the platform since March 2007, and has become somewhat of a celebrity Twitterer, with over 26,000 followers. “After using it with just my close friends for about a year, I realized how much Twitter had allowed me to form more personal connections with everyone, so we decided to introduce it to Zappos as a way of growing our company culture. We’ve found that it’s been great for building more personal connections with both employees and customers,” Hsieh told ClickZ News.
The majority of his posts are either silly musings (“Tried to make coffee. Forgot to put the actual coffee in the maker so wound up w/ just a cup of hot water. I think I’ll need a double now.”) or, more often, status reports: “Dinner with @kevinrose at Okada at the Wynn in Vegas. He was wearing a tshirt so they made him put on a jacket.”
The company has gone so far as offering Twitter classes to employees. “Employees aren’t forced to use it, but when there are so many Zappos employees using it, many employees just gravitate naturally to it,” noted Hsieh. Over 400 of the firm’s staff have Twitter accounts.
Personality and Dedication Are Key
While some brands and their representatives use Twitter for some strategic purpose, as part of a broader social media program, Hsieh bristles at the concept. “Personally, I hate the term ‘social media.’ “And I hate the term ‘social media initiatives’ even more. It’s like asking companies what their telephone initiative is.” He continued, “It’s not about marketing. It’s about building relationships, and it’s about being real and transparent.”
The brands on Twitter that seem to be most successful tend to recognize there needs to be a casual back-and-forth with other users, which can’t be bogged down by legal concerns or rigid PR messages. “It’s not marketing communications..It’s not a direct mail piece; it’s not a one-way conversation,” said Razorfish’s Harrison, who believes product managers often make the best Twitter reps for brands because they are knowledgeable and passionate about the things they help develop.
“If our tweets went through a multi-layered approval process, the authenticity would be lost,” said the Dunkin’ Donuts spokesperson.
Overall, despite debate over whether Twitter is a marketing-, customer service-, or PR-play, there is some consensus regarding the need to take a personal approach. “Nobody wants to have a conversation with a car unless it’s Knight Rider,” said Ford’s Monty, who said he “[doesn’t necessarily draw the line at all” between the Ford brand and himself when on Twitter. “I hope I am able to imbue some kind of personality through these accounts.”
“I intended for the [ComcastCares account] to be used by multiple people, but I realized very quickly it had to be personal,” said Eliason.
Another important element: dedication. ‘”To become part of your consumer’s social graph you need to dedicate resources to keeping it up,” stressed Harrison. If brands are not attentive, she continued, “It actually speaks louder about your disinterest in social media than if you’d never started in the first place.”
A class action lawsuit against an internet-connected pleasure device highlights the potential pitfalls a growing number of companies will face as they embrace ... read more
Google sparked a small firestorm last week as reports surfaced that its intelligent assistant device Google Home delivered an unsolicited advertisement to unsuspecting owners.
According to Internet Retailer's newly released The Best Digital Marketers in E-Commerce report, Target is the most effective marketer in online retail. So why is it struggling overall?
The rise of YouTube and digital video generally has a lot to do with the rise of the internet and the abundance of digital video content. But YouTube's ascendency is also the result of Google's savvy use of algorithms.


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New York’s Ingredient Disclosure Program Compliance DelayedJanuary 18, 2019
On January 9, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced it has delayed the deadline for manufacturers to comply with the “Household Cleansing Product Information Disclosure Program.” The program requires manufacturers of cleaning products sold in New York to disclose chemical ingredients and other information on their websites.
This policy as designed is incredibly problematic for manufacturers and, as a result, is currently being challenged in a lawsuit by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) and the Household and Commercial Products Association (HCPA).
Despite the use of the term “household,” the New York disclosure program applies to commercial and institutional cleaning products as well as their consumer counterparts. ISSA will continue to follow the lawsuit, provide ongoing guidance on compliance, and provide updates on compliance deadlines for members moving forward. ISSA’s Government Affairs Department will be monitoring and proactively advocating on behalf of our members’ interests in states that consider implementing similar programs in the future.
California. California enacted legislation in October 2017 that requires website ingredient disclosure for cleaning products sold in the state by January 1, 2020; and product label disclosure of ingredients by January 1, 2021.
Additional Information. As a benefit to our members, ISSA will be distributing a summary of the program ahead of the compliance deadline. In the mean time, you can review the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation guidelines.
For additional information, or questions regarding this program or other issues, please contact ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft.


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Experts at Strategy Analytics believe that consumers will spend more than $ 7.9 billion this year on smart home cameras, including video intercoms. By 2023, the cost of such equipment will grow to almost $ 13 billion, which corresponds to an average growth of 14% per year.
If you operate with quantitative indicators, analysts predict that in 2023, sales of consumer cameras for smart homes will exceed 111 million units. This forecast corresponds to an average annual growth of 19.8%.
Market growth is facilitated by lower prices and increased demand for video intercoms. This is partly due to the emergence of entry-level and mid-range models from Wyze, Xiaomi, Kasa Smart, Ring, EZVIZ, Zmodo and dozens of Chinese brands. It is the video doorphones that analysts call the driving force of the market.


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How Chivas Regal has restored its place in the Chinese market with the NBA
Sales of Chivas Regal in 2016 suffered double digital decline in China. However, last year Chivas Regal fought back with 2.4% increase sales over the first half of 17/18 financial year by partnering with NBA China.
Last September 1st, Chivas Regal and NBA China announced a multi-year marketing partnership at an official theme party held in Shanghai. Celtics legend Paul Pierce and Chinese actor Shawn attended the party, celebrating the partnership with more than 300 guests and media representatives.
Throughout the year, Chivas Regal has rolled out campaigns in-store, through online sweepstakes, and viewing parties. In addition, Chivas Regal also partnered with Tencent, one of the largest Internet and technology companies, as well as the largest and most valuable social media company in China.
Through it’s partnership with NBA China, Chivas Regal successfully built a strong connection with its audience. For example, NBA fans who purchased any bottle of Chivas 700ml or above, had a chance to win a pair of tickets to see the NBA China Games 2017 in Shenzhen.
In addition, several Chivas Regal experiential stores were opened around two NBA games in Shenzhen and Shanghai in which the audience could have a real taste and better understanding of the brand.
Besides offline campaigns, the cooperation with Tencent also played an important part in the success of Chivas Regal’s partnership with NBA China. With the support of Tencent, Chivas Regal has enjoyed sizeable engagement on broadcast and digital channels. More importantly, Chivas Regal got access to data which could be used to further retarget or drive more precision.
Generally speaking, Chivas Regal’s partnership with NBA China and Tencent is a successful example of how a brand can run localized marketing efforts across the globe.


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Dutch fine mobiles giants £20m
MOBILE phone groups Vodafone and mmO2 have been fined by the Dutch regulator as part of a 88m euros (£59m) hit on five operators in the Netherlands, it was announced today.
The regulator, Nederlandse Mededingingsautoriteit, claims the country's five mobile operators fixed prices by making a mutual agreement to reduce subsidies on post-pay mobile phone handsets in 2001.
It is fining Vodafone 24m euros (£16m) and mmO2 6m euros (£4m), while three other operators including Royal KPN have also been fined.
Fines were calculated in line with operators' market shares.
Vodafone said it would 'consider the context' of the regulator's report and would comment after reviewing the text in detail.
A spokesman for mmO2 said: 'We are surprised at the outcome. We refute any allegations of collusion but we need to look at the details of the report.'
Vodafone closed up 1.75p at 112 1/2p while mmO2 slipped 0 1/4p to 44 1/4p.
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Telenor launches Digital Welfare mobile internet package
Telco Telenor launched a government-initiated internet service package Tuesday tailored for people who are still not online, state news agency MTI reported.
About 18% of the Hungarian population between the ages of 16 and 74 are still not internet users, said MTI. The governmentʼs Digital Welfare Program is targeting this group, aiming to connect them to the net by offering lower than the average market price, it added.
Telenor Hungary CEO Alexandra Reich announced on Tuesday that Telenor is offering such subscribers an affordable service as well as a mobile device with the package.
Telenor is the sixth telco on the Hungarian market to include a Digital Welfare package among its products, but the first to offer a mobile internet package.
MEP Tamás Deutsch, who oversees the Digital Welfare Program, noted that the rate of internet users among the Hungarian population has risen from 72% to 78% over the past 18 months. The increase has occurred concurrent with reductions in the VAT rate on internet services, as well as the launch of the Digital Welfare Program, he added.
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Saturday, 30 June 2012
Tesco weighs future of Fresh & Easy
By James Davey
CARDIFF (Reuters) - World No. 3 retailer Tesco (TSCO.L) promised to pull the plug on its loss-making Fresh & Easy chain in the United States if it continued to disappoint, and rejected renewed calls for an independent review of its strategy for the venture.
"If we see there is no chance of success, we'll do as we've just done in Japan," said chief executive Philip Clarke, referring to Tesco's deal this month to exit that market.
"It is not about ego, we are businessmen," he told the British grocer's annual meeting in the Welsh capital, Cardiff, on Friday.
The Change to Win Investment Group, which advises U.S. trade union-sponsored pension funds, during the meeting asked Tesco to establish a committee of non-executive directors to review Fresh & Easy's future and set fixed benchmarks to measure its success.
"We will not be doing that," responded chairman Richard Broadbent.
He said the strategy for Fresh & Easy was regularly reviewed by the whole board, with the retailer providing full disclosure on the business in its annual report and accounts.
"We're not hiding anything at all on Fresh & Easy," he said.
Change to Win's proposals have been ignored by Tesco for several years. It regards them as union motivated. Fresh & Easy does not recognize trade unions.
Clarke has this year rejected shareholder calls to pull the group out of the United States.
In April he said he did not expect the chain to break even until its 2013/14 financial year, against a previous target of 2012/13.
This month, Tesco reported underlying sales growth at Fresh & Easy slowed to 3.6 percent in its first quarter from 12.3 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.
"What shareholders want to know is, where is Fresh & Easy going and how much will it cost to get there?," said Michael Zucker, Change to Win's director of retail initiatives.
Once one of the most consistent British companies in terms of earnings growth, Tesco stunned investors in January with its first profit warning in more than 20 years, saying it needed to invest heavily to stem a steady decline in UK market share.
However, it avoided becoming the latest victim of the 'shareholder spring' which has seen investors resist big pay rises at underperforming companies.
The phenomenon has led to the departures of Aviva (LSE:AV.) boss Andrew Moss and Sly Bailey, head of newspaper group Trinity Mirror (TNI.L).
Some 96.9 percent of shareholders who voted at the meeting backed Tesco's executive pay report, even though Pensions Investment Research Consultants (Pirc), a pension fund consultant, had called on investors to vote against it.
Last month's move by Clarke not to take his 372,000 pounds ($576,800) bonus may have headed off any potential rebellion.
He told the meeting Tesco's strategy to revive its core UK business, which accounts for about one in every 10 pounds spent in British shops, and about 70 percent of Tesco's annual trading profit, was making progress as he addressed shareholder concerns ranging from empty shelves to rodent-infested stores.
This month, Tesco reported a fall in first-quarter underlying sales in Britain and said tough trading conditions showed no sign of improving.
Broadbent gave Clarke his backing when one shareholder asked if the latter would resign if he could not deliver recovery in the U.S. and the UK.
"Phil is evidently one of the best retailers in the world. There is absolutely no question of Philip Clarke resigning," said the chairman.
After the meeting Clarke was asked if the British government should be doing more to stimulate economic growth.
"I think there's a case for it," he told reporters.
"Peoples' disposable incomes are squeezed. Until there's some change I think it will be hard for everybody."
But he welcomed this week's move by the government to scrap a planned increase in fuel duty and took some comfort from recent falls in the oil price.
Shares in Tesco, which lags France's Carrefour (CA.PA) and U.S. industry leader Wal-Mart (WMT.N) in annual sales, have lost nearly a quarter of their value over the last year. They closed down 0.6 percent at 310 pence.


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Motomu Toriyama, director of Final Fantasy XIII-2, has promised deep, campaign-expanding DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2
Square has previously announced extensive plans for post-release download content - even promising monthly updates - but all that's been confirmed so far are minor additions such as character costumes and a boss fight.
When questioned about DLC for the new game, Toriyama said: "For this installment, we have designed and planned for content including DLC that would expand on the world of XIII-2 since the beginning of its development."
He went on: "So I'm sure you will be able to continue playing the game long after its release."
Toriyama wouldn't be pressed into confirming anything definitive, however: "In terms of a lineup of specific DLC, please stand by for more information," he told the US PS Blog.


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A+W Hosts May User Conference
Customers from around the U.S. gathered the first week of May 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee, for A+W’s biennial User Conference to connect, network and learn from A+W employees, innovation experts and each other. A+W’s theme this year was “Innovating for Tomorrow.” A+W employees demonstrated how to work to “innovate software solutions that solve our customer’s toughest challenges,” according to Dennis Tiegs, COO, business unit, A+W Clarity.
According to the company, innovation initiatives at A+W are focused on the needs of the company's customers, allowing it to shape products, functions/features, supported systems, etc. A+W strives to develop software solutions, such as A+W Smart Companion, A+W iShape and A+W Smart Delivery, which meet its customer’s needs, increase competitive advantage/productivity and generate greater output/value with the same amount of input.
Sebastian Dick, manager of A+W Clarity Innovation, and Steve Mason, director of R&D, allowed attendees to take a dive into A+W’s innovation initiatives, starting with “A+W Smart Companion,” which is scanning software that acts as a mobile information terminal, allowing employees to display locations of order components and contents of racks.
A+W Smart Companion spawned seven new initiatives, each of which aim to enable employees to work more efficiently starting in the front office and ending at delivery. The first of these A+W Smart Companion initiatives rolls out at GlassBuild 2023.
A+W customers learned about initiatives around A+W Smart Delivery, A+W iShape, Augmented Reality (AR), etc. Dick gave the audience an interactive look at the future of rack and inventory tracking on the shop floor with artificial reality goggles. His hands-on demonstration was meant to highlight how A+W is looking at the future to address bottlenecks and information gaps on the shop floor.
A+W presentations also focused on issues facing flat glass fabricators, including IT threats and security, customer service, capacity planning, and shipping logistics. One of the company's goals as a software company is to educate customers and prospects as well as provide actionable information that promotes increased education, improves our customer’s optimization, decreases bottlenecks, and lends insight toward an exciting future.


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Mazda announced its future and sales plans on November 22nd. Among them, most worrying is undoubtedly continued advancement of share of electric vehicles until 2030. It is estimated that share of electric vehicles in global sales will be about 25%-40%. The new all-electric platform will be released in 2025, and based on it, models with different characteristics will be launched, and by 2035 it is planned to achieve goal of carbon neutrality for global factories. These measures contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality in 2050. Target.
At same time, Mazda Vision Study Concept was released. This concept car heralds Mazda's future design direction. Of course, first thing everyone thinks about is direction of MX-5. Unknowingly, current MX-5 (ND) has been around for a long time. Mazda has previously stated that this generation of models will last about 10 years, and this is very close to first purely electric platform in 2025.
By appearance, we can see possible appearance of future MX-5. The appearance of concept car is still quite compact. It can be seen that new car has a hardtop body structure, and LED light strip uses an inverted design, which is similar to inverted light effect. The body lines are also quite fluid, and extra-long engine bay is a classic front-to-rear ratio, but also adds a lot of futuristic touches. Relatively speaking, this concept car looks more like Mazda's other sports car, RX-7. With electrification in the future, this classic model may have a chance to be reborn.
However, it is also reported that MX-5 will add a mild hybrid system and an engine with SkyActiv-X compression ignition technology in 2024. With regard to relevant parameters of this engine, maximum torque is expected to increase by 30%. , allowing you to change driving experience of MX-5. On other hand, it doesn't seem like all-electric MX-5 will arrive so soon. After all, lightness is beauty of this car. After adding battery pack, it adds a lot of weight.
It's no surprise that Mazda's electrification plan even makes people feel like they're lagging behind. On one hand, major manufacturers around world are rushing to invest in electric vehicles and build their all-electric territory. On other hand, there are increasingly stringent emission regulations and policies banning sale of fuel-powered vehicles in various regions, which is also way forward for future development of car brands, at least for now. However, Mazda does not currently have many electric vehicles. With exception of "big four-wheel drive" CX-30EV released in response to policy, only MX-30 can be seen as an orthodox electrified performance. Currently, MX U-30 will also have Mazda's Totem - rotary engine is used as a range extender, and as for brand new electric car, answer will be only after 2025.


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Printwear & Promotion LIVE! – the only exhibition dedicated to the UK garment decoration industry – will opens its doors on Sunday for the first time since 2020.
Will you be joining us at the industry’s unmissable reunion?
Thousands of garment decorators will be heading to Hall 12 at the NEC in Birmingham to explore all that’s new from over 100 of the industry’s leading suppliers. This includes everything from ground-breaking direct to film printers to the latest sustainable clothing options. We hope that you will be one of them!
Haven’t registered to attend yet? What are you waiting for? Click here to register for fast-track entry today!
The lively aisles will feature a vast range of new equipment launches, as well as 2022 printwear styles for you to discover. In attendance this year, will be 20 new exhibitors joining us for the first time including Holiauma UK, Supacolour and The Brick Factory.
Many exhibitors use the show as a launch pad to showcase their newest products. This year is no exception with many exhibitors using P&P LIVE! to introduce their innovative direct to film printers to visitors. This new technology is set to take the market by storm this year, so be among the first in the UK to witness these launches.
New brands to explore
New brands to discover at the exhibition this year, include Jack Wolfskin, Simki and Anthem. Plus, Stanley/Stella, Craghoppers and Premier are all back at P&P LIVE! this year, with a whole variety of sustainable options for you to touch, feel and compare.
Receive invaluable decoration hints, tips and advice from industry experts on stand and in our two Seminar Suites. If you want to know how to use Instagram in 2022, don’t miss the fun session planned by Instagram expert Estelle Keeber, or if you’re keen to know more about direct to film printing then Dye Sublimation Supplies’ very own Adam Henderson will fill you in.
For more information visit www.printwearandpromotionlive.co.uk


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After Covid-19 spread around the world, everyone became far more conscious about how easily germs can spread, especially once the public were advised to cover their mouths and disinfect their hands as often as possible.
Even now the risk of being seriously ill with Covid-19 is significantly lower, many people remain much more aware about bacteria on public surfaces.
For instance, back in 2017, it was revealed that EColi, most commonly in faeces, was found on tube seats in London. At the same time, Enterobacteriaceae, including Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus, were discovered in this form of public transport too.
Door handles, menus, shopping trolleys, salt and pepper shakers in restaurants, public restrooms and fuel pumps also harbour lots of bacteria, as they are touched by hundreds of people every day, according to The Weather Channel.
When it comes to travelling, flight attendants revealed tray tables on the back of aeroplane seats are likely to be unhygienic.
Speaking to The Express, one said some passengers change their baby’s dirty nappies on them, even though it is where people put their trays of food.
It was also advised to always wear shoes on planes, as the floor can be extremely mucky. Some people do not wear their shoes when they go to the toilet, which means they spread lots of germs throughout the aircraft.
Knowing all this, it is advisable people stay safe from bacteria that is lingering on public surfaces, such as by wearing silicone finger protectors, which reduces exposure to germs.


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The Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi is gearing up to unveil its second generation gaming smartphone and it is dubbed as Black Shark 2 Pro. The company will launch the device officially on July 31, and now the company teases the smartphone.
The company has posted the teaser on the Chinese microblogging website Weibo, and that shows the rear design of the upcoming smartphone. We can see that the rear side looks similar to the current version of the Black Shark smartphone but the upcoming smartphone has two vertical lines, we believe it’s the customizable LED lights.
It will come with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus along with 12GB RAM, that’s all the information we have about the smartphone.
We believe to hear more about the same ahead of its official announcement, we recommend you to stay tuned with us for the latest updates.


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BHP Billiton is in protracted talks with Harry Winston, the Canadian mining and retail group, about a sale of its diamond business but could yet opt to keep the unit as discussions drag on with the sole remaining bidder.
Harry Winston has secured bank financing for a possible deal, according to people familiar with the matter, and is continuing negotiations with BHP to buy the Ekati mine in Canada. But the process, originally slated to conclude by the middle of this year, is moving more slowly than expected and could fail to result in a deal.
Rio Tinto’s decision in March to assess a sale or float of its diamond business has proved a complicating factor, said the people. Harry Winston owns a 40 per cent stake in Diavik, Rio’s mine located in the same region as Ekati, and is exploring whether to exercise its right of first refusal on the remaining 60 percent.
Toronto-listed Harry Winston, which also owns diamond jewellery and watch stores, has previously said it would like to acquire further mining assets, as retailers and luxury brands seek to secure supplies of precious stones.
But the company, which has a market value of about C$1.1 billion ($1.1 billion), is unlikely to have the means for both deals, according to industry analysts and advisers.
If the group decides to consolidate its interest in Diavik, it could prove a headache for Rio. The Canadian mine is a key asset in Rio’s diamond business and carving it out could make a flotation or sale more challenging.
BHP last November said it would explore selling its diamond operations, which analysts thought could be worth $750 million to $1.25 billion. But the business could fetch well below that given the market volatility and deterioration in the global economy this year.
Industry experts argue that the outlook for the diamond market is favourable, with no sizeable discoveries in recent years and fast-growing demand from China and other emerging markets.
But BHP and Rio have struggled to expand their share of the diamond market and are pruning their businesses to focus on their highest-quality assets.
BHP and Harry Winston declined to comment. BHP has previously said it would consider keeping Ekati if a suitable buyer could not be found. The miner excluded some possible bidders from the process, on concerns that they would not be seen as credible or environmentally sound operators of the mine.
Robert Gannicott, Harry Winston’s chief executive, said last year that Ekati was of “some interest” to the company but noted its limited remaining mine life and the potential future costs of restoring the area to its natural state.
Other bidders for the BHP mine have now distanced themselves from the process. KKR and Apollo, the private equity groups, struggled to get comfortable with the investment needed to extend Ekati’s mine life, according to people familiar with the matter.


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Why some science fiction phones are still science fiction
Why the dream of a mobile with a huge slide-out screen is still just a dream
Probing the innovation management implications of iconic ex-Valver Ellsworth’s ejection
Promoting Valve’s quirky employee handbook as a manifesto for unfettered workplace creativity set Gabe Newell on a collision course when he hired the legendary geek goddess
The switch from doing jobs to starting startups: will we even notice?
Could our increasingly online lifestyles morph smoothly into self-employment if today’s culture of ’employee-based careers for all’ gradually fades into oblivion?
Viewing the TV implications of Steam from 50,000 feet
Google TV, Apple TV, Facebook TV, Netflix, you need to watch your backs. A more ‘socially optimised consumer experience’ may give Valve’s Steam an unbeatable edge over other contenders for tomorrow’s TV
The intensifying innovation debate about mental diagnosis
The long-awaited update to the clinician’s guidebook DSM-V was released on May 18th, affecting mental healthcare for billions worldwide. How well is it keeping up with the latest developments in science, technology and ideas?
Lean Startup Methodology, Critical Design Theory: Separated at birth?
Lean startups use wild speculations about imaginary products to start conversations with customers aimed at eliciting real requirements. Critical Design aims to make things which provoke enlightening responses. Snap?
The post-screencast era
Screencast videos are almost all painfully harder to watch than they need to be: here’s our top 5 suggestions for making screencasts infinitely more watchable, mostly just by adding a little bit of post-production.
Turning churnalism back into journalism
Covering an innovation story? Re-hashing a press release may be better than nothing, but doing it whilst maintaining full disclosure and explicitly adding your own specialist perspective? Journalism!


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Where are Honda automobiles manufactured?
Honda vehicles produced for the North American market dealerships— like those sold here at Gates Honda— are manufactured at facilities in the United States, Japan, or Mexico. Within the United States, the Honda manufacturing plants can be found in the following locations: Marysville, Ohio. East Liberty, Ohio.
Are Honda cars still made in the UK?
Honda of the UK Manufacturing Confirms New Owner for Swindon Site. … In 2019, Honda Motor announced a restructuring of its global automobile manufacturing operations, which included the cessation of production at the UK plant in July 2021, at the end of the current model cycle of the Civic Hatchback.
Where are Honda Crvs made UK?
Honda makes CR-Vs for the UK — and European market in general — at its manufacturing plant in Swindon, England.
Why is Honda leaving the UK?
Honda has sold its remaining EU car plant in England to a logistics firm. … Honda said the closure, announced in 2019, was due to global changes in the car industry and the need to launch electric vehicles.
Are Hondas made in China?
First company to locally produce transmissions in China. In China, Honda manufactures automobiles with three joint venture companies: Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co., Ltd., Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd., and Honda Automobile (China) Co., Ltd. …
Which Honda cars are made in Japan?
- Sayama began operations in 1964 building the Honda L700, and currently builds the Honda Stepwgn, Honda Odyssey (international), Honda Jade, Honda Legend, Honda Accord, Honda Freed, Honda CR-V, and the Honda Fit.
- Ogawa is an engine plant that provides for the Yorii Automobile plant.
Where are most Hondas built?
While there are Honda cars that are still made in Japan, many are built in Mexico and the United States.
Is Honda UK closing?
HONDA UK has ended production at its Swindon car manufacturing facility, bringing to a close more than 35 years of vehicle production at the factory.
Is Honda closing down?
Suttons City Honda in New South Wales is one of the first retailers to announce closure and it recently sent out the following email to consumers, thanking them for their time with the company. In an email seen by Gizmodo Australia, Honda said it is making changes to its business operations and dealer network.
Is Honda producing cars again?
Honda had to cut production earlier this year due to the chip shortage. All of its North American plants were back to normal production by April 2021. Even with the setback, most of its SUVs and trucks set sales records in March. And the brand expects to sell 4.5 million mar cars this year than last year.
Which Hondas are made in UK?
Cars manufactured at Honda Manufacturing UK
- Honda Civic (1994–2021)
- Honda Jazz (2009-2014)
- Honda Accord (1992–2002)
- Honda CR-V (2000–2018)
Why is Honda closing factory?
Honda said the closure, announced in 2019, was due to global changes in the car industry and the need to launch electric vehicles.
What cars are made in UK?
What cars are produced in the UK?
- Aston Martin – Full range.
- Bentley – Full range.
- Honda – Civic.
- Jaguar – XE, XF, F-Type, F-Pace.
- Land Rover – Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar, Range Rover.
- Lotus – Elise, Exige and Evora.
- McLaren – Full range.


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Oaklands College website has just won an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2011 Interactive Media Awards (IMA).
Launched in September 2010, designed by Itineris, the website offers a range of online services including course selection, a career toolkit, online enrolment, personalised prospectuses and course baskets.
The website received over 38,000 visits in the first three weeks of operation, scooped the award under the IMA's 'education' section with an overall score of 476 out of 500. The IMA recognise the highest standards of excellence in website design and development internationally. The award comes just a few months after www.oaklands.ac.uk won the silver title in the website category at the FE First Awards in 2011.


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The following excerpt is from the USDA’s Dairy Market News for the week of July 17 to 28. Read the complete newsletter here.
Projections by some large organic dairy processors are for about 5.5% growth in U.S. organic milk production during 2017. Growth closer to 1% would be closer to the comfort level of some processors in terms of expanding processing, distribution and sales.
There is some apprehension as to the ability of processing capacity and sales, both retail and wholesale, to absorb the entire increase. One possibility is that more organic milk will flow into conventional markets until a new organic dairy equilibrium develops.
Wetness, heat and imports
A trinity of variables in this equation are wetness, heat and imports. The quality and quantity of organic feed grown during the current growing season is yet to be determined as weather conditions play out. Growing conditions domestically have been challenged in a number of areas by nearly constant wetness. Other areas are affected by extreme heat.
Heightened attention to sourcing of organic feed imports has yet to ripen into certain import quantities for the year. The final outcome of the 2017 organic feed crop year is still to be determined and remains an uncertainty at this point.
For a number of organic dairy processors, efforts to recruit dairy producers to transition into organic have stalled. A number of previous recruits remain in the transition process and efforts are being made to accommodate them as they fully transition. Interest in signing new prospects is near zero. Very few dairy producers are scheduled to complete the transition process beyond the end of 2018.


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What just happened? TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a research note published over the weekend slashed his first quarter iPhone shipment forecast by 10 percent due to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China.
In the note, seen by CNBC, Kuo said they are cutting their shipment forecast down to 36 million to 40 million units for Q2 2020. Apple no longer reveals how many phones it ships per quarter but Kuo estimates that the Cupertino-based company moved roughly 38 million handsets during the first quarter of 2019.
Apple’s stock appears to be unaffected by the note in early morning trading. As of writing, shares are valued at $311.71, a slight increase of 0.71 percent.
Apple over the weekend announced that out of an abundance of caution, it would be temporarily closing its stores and offices in mainland China through February 9 based on advice from leading health experts. The company’s online store in China, however, will remain open.
Forecasting beyond Q1 is difficult, Kuo noted, due to the uncertainties of the coronavirus and consumer confidence.
Indeed, if the virus is quickly contained and mitigated, the effects on manufacturing and consumer purchasing could be minimal. Should it play out for a bit longer, manufacturing efforts could take a further hit and consumers may be more leery about making frivolous purchases.