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Walgreens and VillageMD
The Walgreens Boots Alliance said Thursday it has agreed to become the main owner of VillageMD as it opens hundreds of doctor’s offices with the primary care company.
Under the agreement, the pharmacy network will invest $ 5.2 billion in VillageMD. This increases the share of Walgreens from 30% to 63%. VillageMD will remain an independent company with its own board and board of directors.
Walgreens said the deal is awaiting legal approval by the end of this year.
This investment is part of Walgreens ’extensive efforts to transform its stores not only into filling prescriptions, but into medical facilities that have doctors who write them and provide other types of medical care, e.g. , annual inspections. The company is accelerating plans to open rural medical clinics at Walgreens pharmacies. The goal is to have at least 600 primary care clinics in more than 30 U.S. markets by 2025 and 1,000 by 2027.
Walgreens CEO Rose Brewer said in an interview with Bertha Combs that clinics will simplify patient care. He said there will be pharmacists and doctors working together at Walgreens and VillageMD. They will have access to the same technological platform that collects medical records. And they are in a convenient location, a short walk or drive away.
“Your doctor’s recommendations will be shared directly with the pharmacist,” Brewer said. “I think it changes the game when you think about what we can do.”
Most of the clinics are about 3,300 square feet – almost a quarter of the pharmacy’s average size of 13,500 square feet.
Walgreens has about 9,000 stores in the U.S., and more than 75% of Americans live five miles from one of them. Brewer said doctors in the immediate area want to use the permit to reach fewer people. According to him, he plans to open more than half of the VillageMD clinics in urban and rural communities that do not have medical skills.
Walgreens and VillageMD said doctors will accept different types of health insurance and offer a pocket-to-pocket option for people without insurance.
With this move, Walgreens is following in the footsteps of competitors, including CVS Health and Walmart. Many CVS stores already have MinuteClinic, which administers vaccines and offers appointments for emergency medical care. CVS is also turning more stores into HealthHub, which has a wide range of medical services, such as testing for sleep apnea and diabetes management. Walmart is increasing the number of low-cost primary care clinics, but so far they are concentrated in Georgia, Florida and Chicago.
Walgreens and VillageMD have already opened 52 primary health care points and launched 33 by the end of the calendar year. The company announced the partnership for the first time in 2019 and decided to expand the movement after piloting five clinics in the Houston area.


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Digital passports to show your Covid-19 test results or vaccination status may be the way to a new normal and the restart of international travel.
IATA Travel Pass trials are now underway on Malaysia Airlines' London flights, the first of which, MH4 left for London on 29th April 2021.
airasia beauty shopping experience launches simultaneously in Malaysia and Indonesia with promo and free delivery offers.
Say hello to airasia chat, it's packed with goodies and you can even play to win BIG Points.
Hoping for the return of cross border air travel? AirAsia calls for standardised global protocols to ease the process.
BigPay DuitNow QR payment will soon be available for users as part of their financial services offerings.
BigPay scam warning for users. Scammers are targeting users on message apps including WhatsApp.
airasia.com Super Sale is on now, celebrating the launch of the airasia.com Super App on 8th October 2020.

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The new product, dubbed Yahoo Finance MarketTracker, will stream real-time quotes and financial news on a piece of software that consumers download. When launched, the service will give up-to-the-minute stock data that can be reached throughout areas on Yahoo. Subscribers will be able to create stock alerts that can be used on certain non-PC devices such as handheld computers, cell phones and pagers.
"We know there's this segment out there that doesn't trade super-often but is very active in monitoring portfolios and monitoring the markets," said Tim Sheehan, director of production for Yahoo Finance.
Sheehan declined to provide any projections on how many accounts the company expects to create.
Yahoo Finance MarketTracker is the latest "premium service" launched by the company. Executives have stated their desire to offer more fee-based services as a way to grow revenue that is not dependent on advertising.
Yahoo's exposure to the online ad slowdown has hurt the company considerably. In March, it drastically reduced its revenue expectations for the first quarter of 2001, largely because of the ad slowdown. At the same time, Chief Executive Tim Koogle announced he would step aside but remain as chairman once a new CEO is found.
The company will report first-quarter earnings April 11 after market close.
Finding new revenue that is not advertising related will not be easy. Yahoo has gained enormous popularity among Web users because it offers free information and services, such as news, stock quotes and e-mail. But as more Internet companies suffer from a slowdown in advertising stemming from dot-com failures and the hesitation of traditional advertisers, most are under pressure to compensate these losses with steady revenue streams based on subscriptions or one-time fees.
"Yahoo has made claims for some time that non-ad services would be an important leg of its growth going forward, and this seems to be a clear step in that direction," said Derek Brown, an equity analyst at WR Hambrecht.
Many areas on Yahoo already offer paid premium services, including auctions, careers, its GeoCities home page builder, shopping, yellow pages and photos. Yahoo Finance already offers a bill-paying service for $4.95 a month and a tax-filing service for $19.95 per use or $99.95 if an H&R Block professional assists.
Other Internet companies have also turned to subscriptions to add to their revenue lines. Last August, streaming media company RealNetworks unveiled GoldPass, a service that offers software and exclusive content for $9.95 a month. The company last week announced a deal to stream games for Major League Baseball, which will be included in GoldPass.
In addition, RealNetworks, along with major record labels Warner Music Group, BMG Entertainment and EMI Recorded Music, said Monday that it will create a new company called MusicNet that offers online music to subscribers. MusicNet will license its service to third parties and offer songs from the labels' catalogs.


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The Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit has released the first draft of the new Mexican Financial Technology Law that is aimed at creating a regulatory framework for financial technology platforms. It was also announced that the Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) and the Mexican Central Bank (Banxico) will work together to create a new fintech regulatory Council. The National Commission for the Protection and Defence of Users of Financial Services (Condusef) will also have increasing power to protect financial consumers.
Key areas covered by the law will be financial inclusion, consumer protection, financial stability and counter money laundering.
The law will impact financial technology companies such as those involved in crowdfunding, electronic payment funds and virtual asset management. Key areas covered by the law will be financial inclusion, consumer protection, financial stability and counter money laundering. For instance, fintech companies will be obligated to link their operations with a current/deposit account from a financial institution to regulate fintech transactions, protect consumers and encourage financial inclusion among the unbanked population.
According to the Mexican Financial Inclusion Report, 2016, access to information technology in Mexico has grown 395% in the last 15 years. Moreover, RFi Group data from H2 2016 shows that 87% of Mexican banked consumers use digital channels to conduct day-to-day banking activities. Together, these stats show that the technology to provide fintech services exists in Mexico and that there is demand for digital banking services. Therefore, this regulation is likely to be important in allowing Mexican authorities to achieve their goals of modernising the financial sector and increasing financial inclusion in the country.


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With the weekend behind us, the time has come to look toward the cryptocurrency markets once again. It looks like some interesting changes are taking place, especially where Monero is concerned. Although it appears the Monero price momentum would grind to a halt over the weekend, the trend has picked up steam again. Reaching that $150 mark is still a distinct possibility, although it will take some effort.
Monero Price Train Just Keeps on Rolling
It is quite amazing to see how much the Monero price has appreciated these past few days. For some reason, this currency has successfully flown under the radar for the longest time. Many people disregarded XMR as a viable currency, even though it has the anonymity traits so many people actively looking for right now. While it is certainly true Monero isn’t as convenient or easy to spend as Bitcoin – which is very limited in itself in this regard – things are certainly improving for the XMR ecosystem as we speak.
Moreover, it seems a lot of people are actively taking a liking to Monero as we speak. If that wasn’t the case, there would be no price jump like the one we are seeing right now. Pushing the Monero price to $150 and possibly beyond is certainly subject to market manipulation and massive speculation. Then again, we have seen Dash go from nearly no value to around $400 this year as well. There is no reason to think Monero can’t see a similar price pattern, as the current trend certainly looks pretty bullish.
One thing that will certainly help the Monero price move along is the listing on Korea’s Bithumb exchange. It has been mentioned by us previously how this exchange is known for shaking up cryptocurrency markets quite a bit. In an email sent out to customers earlier today, the company mentions how XMR trading will go live on August 31st. However, the market itself is open for action and it appears Monero is getting a lot of volume already. Right now, they value one XMR at $170, compared to around $150 across Western exchanges.
It is important to note there no longer appears to be a “premium ‘price” difference between Western exchanges and Bithumb. In the past, we would see most Asian exchanges trade 5% or more above the normal market average. That is no longer the case, and Bithumb is an exchange which operates on a zero-trading fee structure. If they value XMR at $170, the rest of the world will have to follow their lead in one way or the other. Whether or not that will be the case, remains to be determined.
Having this fiat currency gateway for Monero will certainly open up new opportunities. The Korean won is quickly becoming the go-to fiat currency market when it comes to cryptocurrency trading. It can easily dwarf USD, EUR, and GBP volumes combined, even on a bad day. It is evident for everyone to see South Korea has become the new China when it comes to dictating cryptocurrency prices right now. Bithumb is certainly one of the leaders in this market, although Coinone shouldn’t be discounted either.
All things considered, there are plenty of reasons to get excited about the Monero price. It is a great day for speculators and market makers once again. A lot of people still have high hopes for a massive Ethereum price jump, but it looks like the market is pretty much divided on this front. Then again, Ethereum has seen its biggest price jump to date already and it remains doubtful history will repeat itself for this particular currency. The altcoin season is in full effect as we speak, that much no one can deny.


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It’s no secret that thrifting has been pushed into the limelight of popular culture.
Over the last couple of years, fashion influencers like Emma Chamberlain have rebranded thrifting to be the new aesthetic, yet sustainable way to buy affordable statements for your wardrobe. The overall decreasing stigma of thrifting, as covered previously in our blog, has only further propelled thrifting’s popularity.
While lower-income individuals have long been represented as the face of thrifting, this seems to be no longer fully applicable. When taking a closer look at who represents the average thrift store shopper, research has shown a massive shift in the socio-economic demographics of thrifters in the past decade. More specifically, while second-hand clothing continues to be largely utilized by lower class shoppers, this has actually shifted towards individuals of a higher socioeconomic status—especially the middle class.
Not surprisingly, a study shows that there has been a significant increase of the middle class shopping at thrift stores for clothing. In line with the thrifting habits of lower-income families, there has also been a shift of middle class shoppers buying second-hand furniture, electronics, and household items more than ever before.
However, while more middle class shoppers are turning to thrifting, statistics show that higher-income individuals continue to be less likely to purchase thrifted items. In fact, James’ study states that “the odds of shopping for furniture, clothing, and housewares at thrift stores were four times higher for those from the lower income category than those from the higher income categories.” We see that while more middle class consumers have been drawn to the popular choice of incorporating thrifting into their shopping habits, higher-income shoppers continue to steer away from buying second-hand items (excluding antiques and trinkets).
On top of socioeconomic status, age has also played a large role in identifying major groups contributing to the rise of thrifting. As thrifting was introduced into mainstream pop culture, young people started flocking to thrift stores for cheaper, fashionable finds. Ultimately, this has led to the rise of Gen Z and Millennials being the forefront of the thrifting fashion movement; this can largely be due to 70% of millennial and Gen Z consumers stating that sustainability is an important factor while making buying decisions. For many individuals of this generation, many choose to shop for a second hand or resale item over eco-friendly products from sustainable brands.
Thrifting becoming a more popular trend means great news for increasing sustainability in the fashion industry. However, it also raises the question of whether this takes away more quality items for lower income individuals. While more wealthy consumers have turned to thrifting as a cheaper alternative, this in turn can reduce the already limited clothing options available to low-income communities.
“This means there are less quality items left on the thrift store shelves for those who truly have no other affordable options,” a Berkeley based study states. This could mean lower-income individuals lacking cheaper options for “professional attire that could mean the difference between impressing or crashing at a job interview.”
While the creation of thrift stores have originally been for lower-income individuals, the steadily rising popularity and appeal of thrifting has brought individuals of various ages and social-economic backgrounds to thrift stores. Though this entails increased sustainability practices and purchases in the fashion industry, it has also led to undesired consequences impacting the demographic who need thrift stores the most: lower-income consumers. However, this shouldn’t discourage current or potential thrifters; while thrifting is still a great way to practice sustainable fashion, it’s important to remember that sustainability isn’t limited to just purchasing secondhand clothing, but also entails decreasing unnecessary clothing purchases that perpetuate fast fashion culture.
Design credit: Ariel Chu


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Amazon has thrown its weight behind a new pop-up project called Clicks and Mortar, which enables small and medium-sized online companies to sell their products on the high street.
The Clicks and Mortar programme is supported by Amazon, small business network Enterprise Nation, insurance firm Direct Line for Business, and payment company Square, and Amazon.
Throughout the year-long pilot programme, more than 100 small online businesses will be supported to sell on the high street for the first time, through one of 10 Clicks and Mortar shops.
The first shop has opened at St Mary’s Gate in Manchester and will stock 12 brands across a range of categories, including clothing from womenswear brand Careaux, for up to four weeks. Pop-ups will also open in Wales, Scotland, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the south-east of England.
The programme will also help small businesses upskill their workforce through a new £1m fund to train more than 150 full-time apprentices. Independent research on the success of the pilot will be submitted to the government, to help shape its Future High Streets strategy.
A spokeswoman for Amazon said: ”Working closely with Enterprise Nation, jointly we identified up-and-coming businesses who have built successful online businesses and want to explore physical retail.
”[Brands] are typically based locally to their respective stores, have a great product offering, and offer a mix that creates a really compelling customer proposition.”
The programme will run for a year, after which independent research will be submitted to government to help develop new ideas for its “Future High Streets” strategy.
Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones added: “Our intention is to help small businesses succeed by combining the best elements of online and high street retail.
“This new concept will provide small businesses with the space, technology and support to experience physical retail for the first time, while enabling customers to discover new brands on their local high streets.”


text: Opening in Montreal. Carter expects the Vancouver consumer profile will be a 5050 combine in between locals and tourists with a preponderance of tourists in the summer and locals in the winter season. "Our Vancouver clients are very entrepreneurial, very sportminded and very lifestyle oriented," she said. division shops NeimanMarcus and Nordstrom. NeimanMarcus revenue increased by $three hundred million US final yr to $3.eighty two billion US whilst Nordstrom sales rose by $591 million US to $7.7 billion US. and a expanding assurance that the boom will continue for cheap monster beats by dre at least another four many years, we have Vancouver consumers that are very good and confident and optimistic about the long term," Thomas said. "So they are going out and purchasing beats by dre cheap cheap beats by dre uk highticket products like luxury cars and furnishings and haute couture style." He said many of the shops along Robson Road appeal to younger Era X and Era Y shoppers but the highestend luxurious shops like Hermes and Gucci nonetheless attract most of their customers from the babyboom marketplace. "It is mainly infant boomers that are driving company alongside Fifth Avenue in New York and Rodeo Generate in Los Angeles and I believe that's where we're heading in Vancouver," Thomas said. "We're obtaining clusters of highend style stores here and they're all feeding off every other. Highfashion shops adore that kind of cotenancy, exactly where clients can have a comparisonshopping encounter." He predicts the two downtown highend retail districts around Burrard and Alberni and near the waterfront will ultimately be connected by a luxury retail strip alongside Burrard Road. "In time, I believe the Burrard Street strip in between those two anchor districts will turn out to be extremely valuable real estate and the strip in Vancouver," Thomas cheap beats stated. "We're truly starting cheap monster beats a new era in accurate upscale shopping in this city simply because we've captivated a critical mass of upscale merchants." Retail advisor David Gray stated Vancouver now draws in brands like Hermes and Tiffany because they currently function in the biggest, richest retail markets all through the world. "All the very greatest global marketplaces have been captured so they are looking for new places to go and Vancouver is a great choice as a secondtier market," he said. "It is not like we are on a par with New York Metropolis because that's absurd. But Vancouver is a large worldwide gateway metropolis and many individuals who travel here have money." Gray said highend international retailers don't always anticipate to post huge revenue in Vancouver right absent but they can accept that because having a storefront in a hightraffic international city like Vancouver also functions as a great advertising vehicle. billionaire Richard Branson closed his Virgin Megastore outlet at Burrard and Robson last year simply because revenue remained beneath expectations. Gray agrees that highnetworth infant boomers continue to gas a lot of the improve in luxurious retail sales but stated brandsavvy more youthful purchasers have entered the marketplace in growing figures.


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BOULDER — LeftHand Networks announced recently it has received $20 million in its latest round of funding, double what executives had expected to raise.
The maker of data storage devices has raised a total of $39 million in two funding rounds that both brought in more than expected.
The money will let the company, which makes Internet Protocol-based storage area networks, achieve profitability in 2004 without more fund-raising, chief executive officer Bill Chambers said.
David Bangs, vice president of sales and marketing, said the firm is gaining a new customer every week.
LeftHand’s customers include Lockheed Martin, Array BioPharma and Fresno Pacific University.
The Sprout Group, the venture arm of Credit Suisse First Boston, led the latest round of funding with a $13 million investment.
All of LeftHand’s existing investors, including Garage Technology Ventures, Boulder Ventures and Sequel Venture Partners, also contributed.
Guy Kawasaki, founder of Garage Technology Ventures, said his firm is now focusing on small seed funding rounds for early stage companies. The firm’s first mission was to pull a lot of investors to go in together on a large early round.
“That has gotten too hard,” Kawasaki said. “The exception is LeftHand Networks. That has done very well.”
Kawasaki said companies that can prove their hardiness during the economic downturn will become successful.
“Very good companies are born in very bad times,” Kawasaki said.


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Macy's: J.C. Penney violated agreement selling Martha Stewart champagne flutes
Back in the courtroom Monday, Macy’s said J.C. Penney violated an agreement not to sell certain Martha Stewart products until the department stores could settle their dispute, specifically plastic champagne flutes and acrylic pitchers.
Macy’s (NYSE: M) and J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) were ordered by a New York State Supreme Court judge into mediation March 7, but returned to the courtroom Monday after those talks seemed to have failed.
A lawyer for Macy’s said in court that the Cincinnati-based company noticed this past weekend that Plano-based J.C. Penney was selling plastic party products online under MarthaCelebrations, the Wall Street Journal reported. J.C. Penney said March 8 that it would put its Martha plans on hold.
The judge has given Martha Stewart and J.C. Penney lawyers until Tuesday morning to respond to Macy’s claim.
MarthaCelebrations is part of a series of shops J.C. Penney launched on Friday, including Michael Graves and Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler.
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|By Business Wire||
|April 29, 2014 09:03 AM EDT||
GameStop Corporation today announced the launch of the first-ever in-store donation program benefiting Make-A-Wish®. During the month of May, GameStop will be providing customers an opportunity to donate to Make-A-Wish with each in-store purchase they make. GameStop has a goal to raise at least $100,000 in charitable donations.
GameStop and Make-A-Wish have a long standing relationship, where the world’s leading video game retailer and more than 40,000 of its store associates have supported more than 1,000 video gaming and shopping spree wishes for wish kids. This year, in an effort to increase awareness and support for Make-A-Wish, GameStop has created an in-store donation program where all funds raised will go directly to granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
“We are honored to work with such a worthwhile charity, like Make-A-Wish,” said Rob Lloyd, chief financial officer of GameStop and Make-A-Wish North Texas board member. “Wish kids are such an inspiration to me personally, and I’m excited to be able to offer our loyal customers an opportunity to show their support for this great organization by giving to those children in need. The money we raise during the month of May will all go towards wish experiences, which have the potential to medically and psychologically change the lives of wish children forever.”
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. A wish is granted somewhere in the country, on average, every 38 minutes. Since the founding of Make-A-Wish, more than 240,000 children in the United States have benefited from the hope, strength and joy of having their one heartfelt wish granted.
“Wish experiences can be game-changers for both the children and their families, helping wish kids feel better mentally, and in some cases, even get better physically," said David Williams, president and chief executive officer of Make-A-Wish America. "We are thankful for the generous support of GameStop. By bringing strength and joy to wish kids across the country, GameStop is really taking its ‘Power to the Players’ slogan to a whole other level.”
Customers who shop at GameStop, www.GameStop.com or Spring Mobile beginning May 1, 2014 until May 31 will have the opportunity to donate $1 or more to Make-A-Wish with their purchase. As part of its in-store donation program, GameStop is committed to raising at least $75,000 in charitable donations on behalf of Make-A-Wish.
About GameStop Corp.
GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is a global, multichannel video game, consumer electronics, and wireless services retailer. GameStop operates more than 6,600 stores across 15 countries. The company’s consumer product network also includes www.gamestop.com; www.Kongregate.com, a leading browser-based game site; Game Informer® magazine, the world’s leading print and digital video game publication; www.buymytronics.com, an online consumer electronics trade-in platform; Spring Mobile, an authorized dealer of AT&T wireless services; and Simply Mac, the largest certified retailer of Apple’s full line of products.
General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website. Follow GameStop on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/GameStop and find GameStop on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/GameStop.
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 240,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,000 in 2013 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to learn more.
In his session at @ThingsExpo, Eric Lachapelle, CEO of the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), will provide an overview of various initiatives to certifiy the security of connected devices and future trends in ensuring public trust of IoT. Eric Lachapelle is the Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), an international certification body. His role is to help companies and individuals to achieve professional, accredited and worldw...
Mar. 24, 2017 03:56 PM EDT
VeriStor Systems has announced that CRN has named VeriStor to its 2017 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Elite 150 category. This annual list recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services. Their offerings help companies navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of IT, improve operational efficiencies, and maximize their return on IT investments. In today’s fast-paced business environments, MSPs play an important role...
Mar. 24, 2017 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,055
DevOps is often described as a combination of technology and culture. Without both, DevOps isn't complete. However, applying the culture to outdated technology is a recipe for disaster; as response times grow and connections between teams are delayed by technology, the culture will die. A Nutanix Enterprise Cloud has many benefits that provide the needed base for a true DevOps paradigm. In his Day 3 Keynote at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Brown, a Solutions Marketing Manager at Nutanix, will explore t...
Mar. 24, 2017 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,490
What if you could build a web application that could support true web-scale traffic without having to ever provision or manage a single server? Sounds magical, and it is! In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Munns, Senior Developer Advocate for Serverless Applications at Amazon Web Services, will show how to build a serverless website that scales automatically using services like AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon S3. We will review several frameworks that can help you build serverle...
Mar. 24, 2017 01:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,504
SYS-CON Events announced today that Linux Academy, the foremost online Linux and cloud training platform and community, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Linux Academy was founded on the belief that providing high-quality, in-depth training should be available at an affordable price. Industry leaders in quality training, provided services, and student certification passes, its goal is to c...
Mar. 24, 2017 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 3,791
SYS-CON Events announced today that Interoute, owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Interoute is the owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform which encompasses 12 data centers, 14 virtual data centers and 31 colocation centers, with connections to 195 add...
Mar. 24, 2017 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 469
SYS-CON Events announced today that Telecom Reseller has been named “Media Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6–8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Telecom Reseller reports on Unified Communications, UCaaS, BPaaS for enterprise and SMBs. They report extensively on both customer premises based solutions such as IP-PBX as well as cloud based and hosted platforms.
Mar. 24, 2017 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,812
What sort of WebRTC based applications can we expect to see over the next year and beyond? One way to predict development trends is to see what sorts of applications startups are building. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Arin Sime, founder of WebRTC.ventures, will discuss the current and likely future trends in WebRTC application development based on real requests for custom applications from real customers, as well as other public sources of information,
Mar. 24, 2017 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 253
FinTech is the sum of financial and technology, and it’s one of the fastest growing tech industries. Total global investments in FinTech almost reached $50 billion last year, but there is still a great deal of confusion over what it is and what it means – especially as it applies to retirement. Building financial startups is not simple, but with the right team, technology and an innovative approach it can be an extremely interesting domain to disrupt. FinTech heralds a financial revolution that...
Mar. 24, 2017 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,966
Keeping pace with advancements in software delivery processes and tooling is taxing even for the most proficient organizations. Point tools, platforms, open source and the increasing adoption of private and public cloud services requires strong engineering rigor - all in the face of developer demands to use the tools of choice. As Agile has settled in as a mainstream practice, now DevOps has emerged as the next wave to improve software delivery speed and output. To make DevOps work, organization...
Mar. 24, 2017 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,329
SYS-CON Events announced today that Loom Systems will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Founded in 2015, Loom Systems delivers an advanced AI solution to predict and prevent problems in the digital business. Loom stands alone in the industry as an AI analysis platform requiring no prior math knowledge from operators, leveraging the existing staff to succeed in the digital era. With offices in S...
Mar. 24, 2017 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 895
SYS-CON Events announced today that T-Mobile will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc., is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 67.4 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on ...
Mar. 24, 2017 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,828
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloudistics, an on-premises cloud computing company, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cloudistics delivers a complete public cloud experience with composable on-premises infrastructures to medium and large enterprises. Its software-defined technology natively converges network, storage, compute, virtualization, and management into a ...
Mar. 24, 2017 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,590
Deep learning has been very successful in social sciences and specially areas where there is a lot of data. Trading is another field that can be viewed as social science with a lot of data. With the advent of Deep Learning and Big Data technologies for efficient computation, we are finally able to use the same methods in investment management as we would in face recognition or in making chat-bots. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Gaurav Chakravorty, co-founder and Head of Strategy Development ...
Mar. 24, 2017 11:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,295
Interoute has announced the integration of its Global Cloud Infrastructure platform with Rancher Labs’ container management platform, Rancher. This approach enables enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation and infrastructure investments. Matthew Finnie, Interoute CTO commented “Enterprises developing and building apps in the cloud and those on a path to Digital Transformation need Digital ICT Infrastructure that allows them to build, test and deploy faster than ever before. The int...
Mar. 24, 2017 10:55 AM EDT Reads: 404


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Leaders from the Mountain Collective Resorts have joined together to create the ‘Truly Ultimate Vacation” package to be auctioned off, with proceeds benefitting the Shane McConkey Foundation. Bidding is now open to supporters online and will close on March 29 at 6 p.m. PST. The top three online bids will earn the right to partake in the final live auction—emceed by Roy Tuscany of the High Fives Foundation—taking place at the McConkey Gala on March 29. The three finalists will be connected to the ongoings via web.
The ‘Truly Ultimate Vacation’ package includes private air transportation, premier accommodations, lift tickets, and ground transportation for four people to any of the six Mountain Collective Resorts. “Putting these legendary mountains together with private air travel will make for what we think will be a phenomenal package all in support of the McConkey Foundation and in celebration of Shane’s life and spirit,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows in a release.
The auction is a great way to kick off 2013 Pain McShlonkey Classic, which goes down March 30. This year, the event will help benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District’s environmental education programs.
The auction can be found online at: auctions.readysetauction.com/squawvalley/


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A delegation of over 100 executives from leading Japanese companies arrived Monday in Beijing to promote greater economic cooperation with China, but will not most likely be able to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping or Premier Li Keqiang while staying here as they had hoped.
At a time when no tangible progress has been yet made in improving government-to-government relations, the Japan-China Economic Association said it is instead scheduled to meet with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, who is in charge of commercial affairs, Tuesday afternoon.
The visit by the association, headed by Fujio Cho, Toyota Motor Corp. honorary chairman, is the biggest business mission to travel between the two countries since bilateral ties severely deteriorated more than a year ago following renewed tensions over a group of small islands that both Tokyo and Beijing claim sovereignty over.
The delegation was seeking to meet with the two top leaders, Xi and Li, while staying in Beijing through Thursday, in addition to discussing with other senior officials issues such as those related to trade, investment and the environment.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, "We hope that this kind of visit will help improve Japanese people's understanding of China" and China's position on bilateral relations.
He also said, "We hope that people from the two countries will make joint efforts to inject impetus to the improvement and the development of China-Japan relations."
In the afternoon, the delegation, whose members also include Hiromasa Yonekura, head of the Japan Business Federation or Keidanren, and Hitachi Ltd. Chairman Takashi Kawamura, held talks with China's Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng.
Gao told the business leaders he has high expectations for Japan, including the new economic fields of energy-saving and healthcare services, and added there is "a big potential" for bilateral investment, according to a delegation member.
Gao, however, did not forget to say that China believes Japan is solely responsible for the ongoing soured bilateral ties.
There have been no formal meetings between top leaders of Asia's two biggest economies since bilateral ties sank to their lowest point in years after the Japanese government purchased most of the Senkaku Islands from a private Japanese owner in September 2012 and put them under state control.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Xi, who assumed the presidency in March, have only had a 5-minute tete-a-tete in September shortly before the summit of the Group of 20 major economies in Russia.
China steadfastly maintains its claims to the Japan-controlled islands in the East China Sea, which it calls Diaoyu, and has insisted that Japan must drop its stance that no territorial dispute exists between the two countries before there can be a meeting of Abe and its two top leaders.
Despite a time of frosty ties between Tokyo and Beijing, however, there are some signs that economic activities between the two countries have been gradually recovering in recent months.
Sales of Japanese cars and other products in China tumbled for months after the purchase of the islands by Japan's previous government. But after one year sales are now back on track and Japan's exports to China rose 11.4 percent in September from a year earlier, while Japan's imports from its biggest trading partner hit a record value, soaring 30.9 percent.
Many executives from Japanese blue-chip companies were strongly hoping that the delegation's visit to China and a meeting if possible with Xi or Li would raise momentum of cooperation between the two countries.
But the Chinese government apparently has judged that the time is not yet ripe for Xi or Li to shake hands even with Japanese business leaders.
Still, China's decision to arrange a meeting between Wang and the delegation could be seen as a sign that Beijing remains interested in boosting economic exchanges with Japan.
Wang is known as having a good knowledge of Japan.
Before becoming one of the four vice ministers in March, Wang was the Communist Party's highest-ranking official of Guangdong Province, the country's major economic powerhouse where thousands of Japanese firms are operating.
In a separate development, former U.S. President Bill Clinton told an economic forum in Beijing on Monday, after meeting with Xi, that the international community does "not want to have conflicts between China and Japan."
Clinton urged the two countries to be future-oriented so that many countries in the Asia-Pacific region can "share prosperity."


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Gino’s East is digging deep — and not just with their deep dish pizza. They’re digging deep for the Great Lakes. Gino’s East is a Chicago-based restaurant chain that has been serving up Chicago-style deep dish pizza for more than 50 years.
We think that serving up some of the best deep dish pizza is already a huge service to the world. But Gino’s East decided to make the world even better by starting their #DigDeep campaign. They’re giving back to the environment and they’re starting in their backyard with the Great Lakes.
A Match Made in Heaven
Gino’s East sees protecting the Great Lakes as the logical choice when it comes to giving back. “Our passion for deep dish is as wide as Lake Michigan is deep (922 feet to be exact)! And, we know that our passion can only be sustained by a healthy planet.”
They kicked off their #DigDeep campaign this year with sales of their Great Lakes tote bags, which can be purchased at any Gino’s East location for $2.50. $1 of each bag sold this year will be donated to the Alliance. Plus, they’re functional! Maybe we’re biased, but we think they’re the perfect beach bag.
Getting the City Involved
Gino’s East committed to donating $25,000 to the Alliance, primarily from proceeds from reusable bag sales. They’ve also come up with a number of fun and exciting events around Chicago throughout the summer. After all, what better way to protect the Great Lakes than together?
This Tuesday, April 24th, Gino’s East will host Laugh for the Lakes, a comedy showcase fundraiser at the Comedy Bar. On July 7th, you’ll find hundreds of people running lakeside at Montrose Harbor for the inaugural Gino’s East 5k! Runners get a slice of pizza at the finish line, and they’ll be supporting the Great Lakes — worth it! Plus, the following weekend they’re holding an Adopt-a-Beach cleanup to care for the Great Lakes right at the source.
Walking the Talk
Plastic pollution is a big threat to the Great Lakes. It makes up 89% of litter found on Great Lakes beaches. And Gino’s East wants to do something about it. So, they’re making their business more sustainable. They’re cutting down on their own plastic use by switching from plastic to reusable bags, only offering plastic straws upon request, and using takeout containers made of recyclable materials.
Get in on the Fun (and Pizza)
You can dig deep with Gino’s East — and you might even get some pizza out of it. Be sure to check out their events around Chicago this spring and summer or stop in to buy a tote bag! Thanks to Gino’s East for all of the awesome, fun ways they’re giving back to the Great Lakes.


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Though the tech sector is going through a rough time, servers continue to represent an active market, according to one analyst.
Active, but not likely to see much growth in 2001, added Alan Freedman, research manager of servers and storage at IDC Canada.
” In Q1 (the first quarter), comparing it year over year, there was still quite a bit of growth because Q1, 2000, was a slow quarter because of the year 2000 (bug),” said Freedman.
“People hadn’t opened up their budgets for capital spending until at least late first quarter, if not second quarter. So we had US$365 million in Q1 and $310 million in Q1 last year.”
Freedman’s numbers show that, in 2000, the server market was worth $2 billion market.
“It experienced quite a bit of growth in 2000, and it will be quite a bit lower in 2001, not surprisingly,” he added. “As the economy goes down, people are putting off server purchases, especially at the higher end of the server market.”
According to last year’s revenue numbers, IBM sits in the number one spot, with about a 33 per cent share. Following ten points behind is Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer Corp. is third at 17 per cent.
It’s some of the differences between the two markets that are helping to keep Canadian vendors afloat.
“One thing about Canada is the five major players, IBM, HP, Compaq, Sun and Dell have a bigger percentage of the marketplace than they do in the U.S. or worldwide,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of the Japanese vendors doing significant business here in Canada and the number of smaller competitors (here) is smaller than in the U.S. The major vendors, then, take up a larger piece of the pie.”
Chris Pratt, national sales and marketing manager at IBM Canada in Markham, Ont., said that sheer size helped them weather turns in the market.
“I don’t want to presumptuous and talk about how we lead the pack and everything,” he said. “We have a broad product line so that we can be all things to a lot of people, so we are not impacted by downturns in part of the economy.”
Pratt said that any specialist would say their specific sector of the industry is a financial barometer for the market, but customers are the real indicators.
“Customers are being more discerning about how and when they spend their money, so decisions are taking longer to be made,” he said. “We are thinking harder before we buy something, and that is true of the market right now.”
Freedman said he doesn’t see any of the “big five”, including IBM, receiving any fatal blows because of the server market.
“I think that they are all working at revamping their product lines, coming out with new features,” he said. “HP is coming out with their Superdome – they are really pushing that. It’s not all about hardware anymore. It’s hardware, but it is wrapped around with value-added services and software. That’s the main push of vendors these days – they are talking about solution sales, not hardware sales and not server sales. But wrapping it with services, both professional and installation and support, as well as software programs that ease the installation of the servers as well as facilitate better management.”
IDC Canada in Toronto is at http://www.idc.ca. IBM Canada in Toronto is at http://www.ibm.com/ca/en/. Hewlett-Packard Canada Ltd. in Toronto is at http://www.canada.hp.com.


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Sony Ericsson Zeus Z1 PlayStation video leaked
4 December 2010 by Olav Hellesø-Knutsen
Another video of the rumoured PlayStation phone has emerged
The rumours say that Sony Ericsson is about to announce the Zeus PlayStation phone on December 9th or at the Mobile World Congress in February 2011. If I would have a guess, sometime in February should be the date.
Nothing official from Sony Ericsson on this device so far of corse, but the following technical specification could be true:
The Zeus and more upcoming phones can be discussed in The All New Sony Ericsson Portfolio for 2010 thread in our discussion forum


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Tesla managed to turn its first annual profit in 2020, but the money it made selling cars is dwarfed by its income from selling government regulation credits those electric vehicles earned. Those credits are unreliable, and as competition in the EV market increases experts are divided on whether Tesla can make profits long-term, CNN reports.
Tesla was one of 2020’s big success stories: a 743% rise in stock prices, a new Shanghai factory to take advantage of China’s burgeoning EV market and the first year the company turned a net profit.
Recent months, however, brought hints of trouble on the horizon. There is new competition in China’s domestic market, with old auto giants pivoting to take up Tesla’s space in the U.S.
Now it seems Tesla’s net profits might not be as sustainable as they seemed.
“These guys are losing money selling cars. They’re making money selling credits. And the credits are going away,” Gordon Johnson, founder of GLJ Research and perennial Tesla skeptic, told CNN.
Tesla’s credits are generated by laws in 11 states that mandate carmakers reach a proportion of electric vehicles by 2025, or purchase equivalent credits from companies beyond that benchmark. As an EV manufacturer, Tesla has a significant surplus and made twice as much money in 2020 selling credits than electric cars. Without those government subsidies, Tesla wouldn’t have been in the black.
Tesla’s own executives admit it’s not sustainable.
“This is always an area that’s extremely difficult for us to forecast,” Tesla Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn told CNN. “In the long term, regulatory credit sales will not be a material part of the business, and we don’t plan the business around that. It’s possible that for a handful of additional quarters, it remains strong. It’s also possible that it’s not.”
That’s not to say Tesla’s fans don’t see any bright spots. In 2020, Tesla showed cash income of $2.8 billion, in contrast to hemorrhaging money just two years prior. It projects 50% expansion for several years, a feat larger manufacturers won’t be able to match.
“They’re not going to stay at an 80 to 90% share of the EV market, but they can keep growing even with much lower market share,” said Daniel Ives, a technology analyst with Wedbush Securities. “We believe now they are on the trajectory that even without credits they’ll still be profitable.”


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The wait is finally over. Brawl Stars is finally going global in December! After one and a half years of being in beta, Supercell has at last decided to go global.
This exciting news is not only a thrill for everyone who has waited so long for the game but also beta players and content creators. The initial launch of Brawl Stars will be hectic since millions worldwide will rush to download the game from the App Store or Play Store. However, the huge surge in popularity and interest allows new content creators to rise and flourish. It will be electrifying to see what is in store for all players once global hits, and I can’t wait to see all the new players struggle to gain a few trophies on Shelly.
To prepare for global launch, Supercell has opened-registration for Brawl Stars. Pre-registration is open to everyone, and everyone who pre-registered or already has the game installed before 2019 will get the exclusive, stylistic Star Shelly Skin! You can pre-register here.
I hope you are pumped for global launch! Follow Brawl Stars Daily to get notifications as soon as we post! Within the next two months, we will be posting a lot of brawler guides, game mode guides, and strategies to help you start pushing trophies. Also, don’t forget to join our Discord! Brawl on!


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On the 3rd December one of the largest mobile communities Mobile Nations has given its users an opportunity to make a commitment to cryptocurrency movement by paying with bitcoin. The buyers’ response to this moment is positive.
In 2011 Mobile Nations has arisen from Smartphone Experts online retailer of mobile accessories as means of unification of mobile communities belonging to the latter. The Mobile Nations includes Android Central, Windows Phone Central, iMore and CrackBerry with each one responsible for the smarts operating under the according system. The community is claimed to have reached over 15 million unique visitors worldwide:
“…we like to think of Mobile Nations as the United Nations of mobile - independently each community stands strong on its own, built upon its own core group of mobile experts and enthusiasts.”
Although customers are able to relieve their bitcoin wallets in all of the four shops, so far only 0.004% of all purchases were made via this new option. On the good side, those who pay with digital currency tend to make much bigger orders. According to Kevin Michaluk, who is occupying the position of chief media officer in Mobile Nations, the single largest order in December was actually paid for with bitcoins.
Michaluk also states that their customers have been asking for such an option for the last six months. Having always been open to their users, Mobile Nations had no other choice but to grant them their wish these winter holidays.
The whole cryptocurrency implementation process is said to have been easy enough for the tech team to make it happen in just a few days. Now, for the end-user it’s as easy as clicking the right button.
So what’s it going to be? A one small step for Mobile Nations, but a strong push for the bitcoin on its way to masses!


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Limited Brands sells most of Express
The clothing retailer will sell majority stake in clothing store chain for $548 million; to explore possible sale of Limited Stores as well.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Limited Brands, Inc. announced Tuesday it has agreed to sell a majority of its retail clothing chain Express and intends to explore strategic options for its other clothing retailer, Limited Stores.
The company said it signed an agreement with affiliates of Golden Gate Capital to sell 67 percent of its Express brand for $548 million.
"Limited struggled with Express for a long time. They changed the format several time and that still didn't help. I don't know that Express ever really made money for the company," said George Whalin, CEO of Retail Management Consultants.
"Limited's strength is in its beauty, intimate apparel and candle businesses. By shedding Express and Limited stores, it gives the company a more narrow niche to operate in and well as a greater opportunity to expand within that niche."
Jay Margolis has been appointed chief executive officer of Express and the retailer will continue to operate under the same brand name. Limited Brands has not yet determined when it may possibly sell its Limited Stores business.
In addition to Express and Limited, Limited Brands operates Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works.
The company also lowered its outlook for first quarter earnings to 12 cents to 14 cents a share, from its original guidance of 25 cents to 28 cents, and from 25 cents last year, due to weak sales and merchandise margins at each of its retailers, particularly Victoria's Secret.
For the full fiscal year ending next January, Limited expects earnings per share of $1.55 to $1.65, versus $1.75 to $1.90. However, the estimate does not include any impact from the Express transaction or potential strategic options for Limited Stores, the company said.
Limited Brands is due to report first quarter earnings next week. Its competitors include The Gap (down $0.16 to $18.13, Charts, Fortune 500), J. Crew (down $0.43 to $38.61, Charts), and Nordstrom (down $0.70 to $53.49, Charts, Fortune 500).


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US Stocks Mostly Fall But Amazon Surge Lifts Nasdaq
NEW YORK, Jan 5, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 06th Jan, 2017 ) - US stocks finished mostly lower Thursday following disappointing holiday sales from Macy's and Kohl's although a big gain by Amazon helped lift the Nasdaq.
Macy's slumped 13.9 percent and Kohl's 19.0 after the department stores reported lower sales in the critical November-December period. Other leading retailers, including Best Buy and Target, also fell, on concerns about conventional stores' ability to compete amid the rise of e-commerce.
Amazon surged 3.1 percent as the online retailer's Alexa voice-controlled device emerged as a major presence at the giant Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, as several companies showcased new products that work with the artificial intelligence application.
That helped Nasdaq gain 0.2 percent to 5,487.94. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.2 percent to 19,899.29, while the broad-based S&P 500 shed 0.1 percent to 2,269.00. Private US companies added 153,000 jobs in November, a bit below expectations and fewer than in November, according to data from ADP payrolls firm.
The data is viewed as a warmup for the much more scrutinized Labor Department monthly jobs report, which will be released Friday. Analysts expect the December jobs report to show the US economy added 175,000 jobs last month and unemployment was 4.7 percent.
During the trading day, banks were in retreat, with Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo all shedding more than one percent. US shares of Toyota lost 0.6 percent after the Japanese company became the latest automaker to be the target of threats by President-elect Donald Trump over any cars exported from Mexico to the US.
Toyota said its US production would not fall as a result of a new plant under construction in Mexico. Alexion Pharmaceuticals jumped 9.3 percent after announcing that it would not have to revise its financial statements following an internal investigation of the pricing of a high-cost blood drug.
The announcement follows the sudden departure last month of Alexion's chief executive and chief financial officer.


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AutoInsuranceMM.Info – Low income insurance – Automakers focusing on driving experience and social awareness at State Fair of Texas
By David Wilfong, NDG Contributing Writer
The State Fair of Texas is underway, and since 1913 one of the biggest draws is the Texas Auto Show. Manufacturers from all over the world descend on Dallas for the event as the Texas market is pivotal for the product.
While Marcus Umlauff, Toyota’s general manager of product planning and strategy, did take a moment to highlight the Corolla’s being named “Compact Car of the Year” at the Texas Auto Roundup; trucks and SUVs are the stars of the show at the State Fair of Texas.
For obvious reasons, customers in the Lone Star State play a larger-than-normal role in the direction of this particular segment of the auto industry.
Ford’s SUV marketing manager, Craig Patterson, illustrated the impact succinctly.
“Twenty-five percent of all Expeditions sold in the U.S. are sold in Texas,” Patterson said. “The next two states aren’t even close.”
All automakers do their best to cater to the Texas market. As one example, Kia Motors unveiled a new Bespoke Telluride model created in collaboration with Texas-born fashion designer Brandon Maxwell that features leather accents — including hood straps — and other homages to the Lone Star State in its aesthetics. The vehicle made its debut on the fashion runway and is expected to be available in 2020.
But while top speed and trimmings were the talk of the town in the first Texas Auto, the big selling points for the 2019 models are tech improvements and social responsibility.
One by one, auto executives described the dashboards of pickup trucks in terms usually reserved for laptops. Digital apps and Wi-Fi hotspots are being built into the cabs of trucks normally touted for their off-road durability and agricultural applications.
But environmental consciousness and social responsibility are also big elements of the sales pitches for the new year.
“Everything that’s bigger is better in Texas,” said Jim Morrison, head of Ram brand for FCA-North America, touting the cargo capacity of his pickup trucks. But he then went on to announce improvements in gas mileage with tweaks in engine design.
Along those lines, Chrysler’s Maryann Capo, senior manager of product management for the Pacifica SUV line, highlighted the Pacifica Hybrid’s 30-mile all-electric range, for an 82 mpg equivalency, during her time with the media, throwing in the incidental economic advantages as well.
“There’s a federal tax credit of $7,500,” Capo reminded reporters. “You guys in Texas have a state tax credit of $2,500.”
Toyota, Chevrolet, and Nissan are making big pitches for their civic involvement along with their vehicle lines, seeing this as a big draw for pickup owners. Chevy’s Truck Marketing Director Sandor Piszar noted customer surveys suggesting 89 percent of their truck owners use their vehicles to help others.
Both the technical and cultural aspects of the automotive industry are on full display at the Texas Auto Show, running with the State Fair of Texas, through Oct. 28 at Fair Park in Dallas.


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This groundbreaking research provides in-depth insights into consumer behaviors, particularly focusing on the Marine, RV, and Powersports sectors, and is set to transform the way these industries interact with their customer base.
The study, which involved close to 27,000 participants, delves into the nuances of consumer engagement with brands and dealers during the shopping and purchasing processes of recreation vehicles.
It highlights the tools, technologies, and resources that consumers are currently utilizing and are likely to depend on in the future.
This research is poised to serve as a strategic guide for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and dealers, helping them navigate the evolving consumer landscape. The emphasis is on transparent communication, personalized approaches, and the agility of strategies to build and maintain customer loyalty across diverse outdoor recreation categories.
Bernie Brenner, CEO of Rollick, underscored the importance of the study in understanding the shifts in consumer buying behaviors, especially in the post-COVID era.
Brenner stated, “As we unveil the ‘Future of Buying’ study to measure the shifts in consumer buying behaviors from COVID, it marks a pivotal moment for Rollick and the entire outdoor recreation industry.”
He emphasized that the insights provided by the study are crucial for manufacturers and dealers to accurately gauge the shopping preferences of today’s buyers.
Brenner pointed out the changing demographics, evolving communication trends, and the dynamic shift towards online interaction as key factors influencing consumer behavior. He added, “At Rollick, we’re not just observing the changes but leading the charge in adapting products and strategies that make a difference to brand loyalty and purchase decisions for our valued OEMs and dealers.”
Rollick’s role in the outdoor recreation vehicle industry extends beyond research. The company plays a pivotal role in connecting manufacturers, dealers, finance, and insurance providers with in-market consumers in the Powersports, RV, and Marine industries. This connection is aimed at delivering a seamless customer journey. Rollick’s solutions, which are utilized by over 130 OEMs and thousands of dealers, include new customer acquisition, enterprise lead management, digital retailing, inventory marketing, customer experience/loyalty, and marketing automation.
Furthermore, Rollick has significantly expanded its GoRollick.com outdoor recreational vehicle buying marketplace. This platform now includes a nationwide network of dealers and an affinity partner network, providing access to over 250 million high-quality customers. These customers include policyholders of major insurance providers, employees at more than 2,000 top U.S. companies, and members of the military, veterans, and first responders.
The “Future of Buying” study is particularly relevant for the RV and outdoor recreation industry, which has seen a surge in consumer interest and market growth in recent years. The insights from this study offer these industries a unique opportunity to understand and adapt to the changing preferences and behaviors of their customer base. By leveraging the data and strategies outlined in the study, businesses in the RV and outdoor recreation sectors can enhance their customer engagement, tailor their marketing strategies, and ultimately drive sales and customer loyalty.


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Northeast states are creating a new identity for the region with its well-known skill for crafting beautiful handicraft works. The local artisans from the state of Assam, Manipur and Tripura are making various sustainable products like water bottles, tiffin boxes, decorative baskets, mats, furniture and various other products with bamboo.
Bamboo has the potential to become the mainstay of the economy for the mountains and Northeast states in India. These products are changing the consumer landscape throughout the nation. It is ensuring sustainability as well as the empowerment of local communities. Celebrities are also coming forward and endorsing these products made by local artisans of the Northeast.
Moreover, this sustainable bamboo work also found a place in the last Sunday’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program by PM Modi. He highlighted the value addition of these bamboo products in context to Atmanirbhar Bharat. He mentioned that these indigenous products are boosting the income of the people as well as helping the business ecosystem too.
Modi further added that these products are ensuring environmental conservation, subsequently reducing plastic pollution and are completely eco-friendly and hygienic in nature.
The Chief Ministers of the Northeast states have also expressed their gratitude to the PM for mentioning about the bamboo products in Mann Ki Baat. They shared that the state governments are working to facilitate and provide assistance to encourage the bamboo industry in the region. Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal called bamboo as the ‘Green Gold’ while thanking PM Modi.
It is important to note that there are around 1250 species of bamboo in the world and 145 of them are found in India. The bamboo forest occupies around 10 million hectares, which is 12% of the total forest land in India. Surprisingly, 28% of these bamboo forests are present in the northeast region.
(By: Gautam Kumar)


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One of the region’s leading companies has called for all businesses to commit to paying their bills within 30 days.
Newcastle-based computing firm Sage has launched a Late Payments Manifesto and an e-petition which aims to get all businesses to commit to monthly payments and reduce the problems facing companies further down the supply chain.
The move comes after The Journal launched its Pay Fair campaign in association with the North East Institute of Business Ethics to highlight the problems faced by companies of all sizes by late payment.
That campaign was boosted by an announcement from the Government at the weekend that a small business commissioner is to be created to help smaller companies chase debts with larger firms.
Sage has become the latest firm to join the debate after research it commissioned showed more than two-thirds of firms have had to wait for 60 days for payment while more than half are having to wait for more than 90. The research found that 70% of owners believe making big businesses commit to 30 days payment terms would have a positive impact upon their business.
Brendan Flattery, Sage’s President Europe, said: “Late payments is the scourge of British business today. For smaller businesses in particular, it can at best cause cash flow issues, and at worst prove fatal.
“It is disgraceful how some of the larger firms have historically behaved. We believe all businesses have a right to be paid quickly and on time. That is why we are calling for all businesses – big and small - to commit to 30 day payment terms.”
Previous Sage research on late payments has revealed that £55bn is owed in unpaid invoices in the UK, more than double the number estimated by Government.
The average small business is owed nearly £12,000 in outstanding invoices and one in eight small businesses have experienced “major” cash flow issues to due to late payments.
Carole Theobald, co-chair of the North East Institute of Business Ethics, said: “It’s heartening to see Sage leverage its influence and global networks to say ‘no’ to late payment.
“The North East has played an active role in changing business culture for the better. The first step was a Journal campaign to ‘Pay Fair’ in partnership with the North East Initiative on Business Ethics (NIBE) Ltd.
“At NIBE we encourage all businesses to pay fair and demonstrate best business practice to create worth and wealth and make the North East known for a great place to do good business. We are delighted to support and promote the Sage Late Payments Manifesto and e-petition.”
Mr Flattery added: “66% of the 2.2m jobs created in the UK economy since 2010 have been from Small & Medium Businesses - the engine room of growth, job creation and prosperity for Britain.
“We welcome the news that the Government has appointed a Small Business Commissioner. The UK small business sector is vibrant, but always under pressure. One of the biggest threats is late payments.
“This not only puts a business’ survival in doubt – it impedes growth by making it difficult to take advantage when things pick up. It also impacts productivity, forcing firms to spend hundreds of hours every year chasing late payments.
“If the new commissioner is able to tackle the scourge of the late payment culture they will do some real good for the cash flow of the UK’s 5.2m small businesses, and in turn, the wider economy.”
The Sage petition can be found online at http://bit.ly/payin30days .


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Active Shooter is a tactical FPS designed to simulate school shootings, which has unsurprisingly already been the subject of plenty of controversy. As of today, it can no longer be purchased via PayPal.
The Associated Press (opens in new tab) reports that PayPal has closed the account of publisher Acid Software, barring it from one of the most popular means of online payment.
"PayPal has a longstanding, well-defined and consistently enforced Acceptable Use Policy, and regardless of the individual or organization in question, we work to ensure that our services are not used to accept payments for activities that promote violence," PayPal said in a statement to AP.
Acid Software confirmed the closure on Twitter (opens in new tab), adding hashtags "QuitCensoringUs," "FreedomOfExpression," and "WeWillBeBack." The studio has also removed the option to purchase Active Shooter on its own site (opens in new tab), at least for now. However, a free demo is still available.
Active Shooter was previously banned from Steam (opens in new tab), along with everything else by Acid Software and developer Revived Games, with Valve calling the man behind Acid, Ata Berdyev, "a troll, with a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation." Active Shooter's Indiegogo (opens in new tab) campaign was also removed.
In a statement to AP, Bardyev said it "seems like everyone in US is trying to censor us, whilst not explaining what exactly we are violating." Acid's Twitter account indicates more information is forthcoming as the publisher figures out how to continue selling its games.
You can read the details of PayPal's Acceptable Use policy here (opens in new tab).


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Facebook recently sent out invitations for a press conference that cryptically read, “Come and see what we’re building.” Since then, the tech world has been abuzz with speculations of what the new announcement would be. The guessing games have been fun, ranging from a Facebook-specific smartphone (despite the clear denial from Mark Zuckerberg) to a new gaming platform, but the wait is now over.
This afternoon, Facebook announced their big secret: Graph Search. This new search tool is designed to utilize social information to find answers. I am personally delighted with this new option. Recently I had a long layover in Denver and wanted to find out if any of my Facebook friends were located there but could not. In addition to practical searches, the new search site will have the option for us to search things like “photos of Baylee and me from 1996” or “wall posts from my ex-boyfriend.” This sounds like SO much fun and not at all another way to waste my (personal, ahem) time.
As a content marketer, something that caught my eye in the announcement was the highly overlooked point that any searches that Facebook cannot complete will be sent to Bing. What was that? Yes, I said Bing, who thinks they’ve got what it takes to compete with Google. Maybe this integration with Facebook, the Internet’s largest social media site, proves that they do.
Of course, this begs the question as to how this search tool will affect SEO and search in general. Will this prompt people to use Facebook to search for answers rather than Googling them? Instead of going to Google and typing in “Italian restaurants in Greenville,” now I can just search on Facebook for Italian restaurants in Greenville that my friends have recommended or “liked” on Facebook. Sound familiar? Yep, this is exactly what Google had in mind with Google+. Will Facebook be more successful with its social search integration? Is this the end of Google’s reign on the Internet?
In addition to the search engine issue, this puts a whole new spin on the importance of developing a content strategy for Facebook. Your business page on Facebook just gained a whole new level of significance.
If you’re interested in testing out Facebook’s new Graph Search, they do have a beta version available to a limited number of users. You can sign up to be on a waiting list in the meantime.
Autumn Nicholson – EVG Project Manager


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Doritos Crash The Super Bowl 2013 competition has closed a couple weeks ago already. All submitted ads are up for voting right now. The five finalist Doritos Super Bowl 2013 ads will be announced on or after January 2nd, 2013.
Doritos also features a special vote for the Nacho Average Ad award for special categories including Best Pint-sized Performer and Sweetest 'Stache.
The winning Doritos Super Bowl ad will air on the Super Bowl 2013 and win not just $1 Million but also a gig with Hollywood director Michael Bay on Transformers 4.
Check out the Doritos Super Bowl 2013 ad contenders now here.
The Super Bowl 2013 will take place on Sunday, February 3, 2013 in New
Orleans. Super Bowl Ads for Geeks will again offer full coverage about
the Super Bowl Ads ahead and during the Super Bowl XLVII. The first big
news is that Kate Upton will star in the Mercedes Super Bowl 2013 Ad.
Until Game day, which will bring the new 2013 Super Bowl Ads you can check out the Super Bowl 2012 Ads.
Hot Super Bowl News
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Several Super Bowl 2012 ads are using the old marketing concept of sex sells. The Go Daddy Super Bowl ads have always been sexy and th...
The first Go Daddy Super Bowl 2012 Ad is here. Go Daddy released the 30 second Go Daddy .co Super Bowl 2012 commercial featuring sexy mode...
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When is the Super Bowl 2012? Such questions and many more are answered by our Super Bowl 2012 Facts Guide. The focus of Super Bowl Ads for...
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- ▼ December (14)


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'The sector has had to create flexible finance solutions and manage expectations'
With the strain placed on the economy by the pandemic and ongoing supply chain issues, as well as the looming prospect of the energy transition, fleet financing is a sector that needs to adapt swiftly. Chris Farnell talks to Tom Brewer of Volkswagen Financial Services.
As the pandemic has stretched into a second year, we have seen ongoing business disruption caused by shortages across the supply chain. This has made for a challenging commercial environment in the fleet management sector. Like the vast majority of motor vehicle markets, the supply of new fleet vehicles is reliant on semiconductor chips for in-vehicle technology and assistance systems. Car and van manufacturers have been hit hard, and many have been forced to cut production – leading to longer waits for delivery.
“Demand is strong, but the sector has had to create flexible finance solutions and manage expectations so that fleet managers are fully informed of the ongoing situation and can adjust accordingly,” explains Tom Brewer, Fleet Sales Director at Volkswagen Financial Services. “As a result, many fleet drivers have been keeping hold of vehicles beyond expected handover dates with adjustments made to fleet financing arrangements. Others are making use of rental options to support their operational needs whilst waiting on new vehicles to become available.”
As well as the macro-scale challenges the sector has been facing over the last couple of years, there is also the looming issue of energy transition to negotiate. The move to electric vehicles has continued to gather pace, as fleet drivers more readily recognise the personal tax (Benefit in Kind), and long-term sustainability benefits that EVs and hybrids deliver. This in turn has led to rising demand for ultra-low-emission vehicles (ULEV’s). The demand for greener vehicles, combined with supply chain issues, means that ordering new vehicles well in advance of contract renewal has become commonplace.
“As demand for ultra-low-emission vehicles rises and with the 2030 ban on new diesel and petrol cars now in sight, typically just two to three renewal cycles away, it is clear that drivers and fleet decision-makers are pivoting away from the internal combustion engine (ICE),” Brewer tells us. “In turn, this is impacting decisions on fleet financing and vehicle choice at an unprecedented pace.”
These rising concerns are also coming into conflict with concerns about the lack of adequate public charging infrastructure, creating tension between the goal of achieving sustainability and the practical operations of day-to-day business mobility.
“For essential use drivers with higher mileage, this is in many cases still affecting current vehicle preferences,” Brewer says.
Rising to the challenge
Vehicle manufacturers are working hard to respond to these challenges, expanding the choice of affordable EV models and further improving the electric driving range of ULEV’s. There are also innovative new solutions being brought to the finance market, including support for investments such as home charge points and charge and fuel card or app solutions for public charging.
Fleet management and finance providers are also working alongside clients in other ways to ensure adequate forward planning and practical short-term support to deal with new vehicle supply chain issues that are expected to continue into at least the middle of 2022.
“Early intervention can help manage expectations,” Brewer points out. “Fleet managers can also instigate additional practical policy steps such as adding new manufacturers to the choice list and financing workplace-based EV charging point installations to anticipate increased demand from employees.”
Meanwhile, the government continues to offer plug-in vehicle grants, as well as additional grants to help fund the cost of charging points both at work and at home, including the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme and the Workplace Charging Scheme.
The UK Government has committed to ending the sale of conventional petrol and diesel-powered cars by 2030, and under current proposals, hybrids will be phased out by 2035, leaving only zero-emission battery-electric and hydrogen-powered new cars on sale in the UK. It will be a challenge, but for fleet management and finance providers there are also opportunities to be found in this changing market.
“For fleet management and finance providers the opportunity lies in supporting customers with a new breadth of service provision and suite of product solutions,” Brewer says. “Forward-thinking providers are integrating solutions up and down the supply chain; clean energy provision, charging infrastructure, vehicle supply, new mobility sharing platforms, salary sacrifice car schemes, battery recycling systems and a host of driver support applications.”
The provision of solutions is accelerating, with sustainable solutions such as battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the rise, acting as the primary driver for changing fleet demands.
“Vehicle manufacturers will phase out old technology and with Euro 7 standards coming prior to a full phase-out of the internal combustion engine, it will be fascinating to see how motor manufacturers transition their model ranges and innovate around software,” Brewer says.
(Euro 7 emissions standard are expected to be brought in from 2025 and is considered to be the last of this type of legislation surrounding vehicle emissions prior to all cars becoming zero-emission enabled.)
The other environmental changes we can expect to see are in the tax and legislative environment, where can expect major and inevitable change as the market and product offerings adjust to the new normal. Government policy as it exists is built around traditional fuels and long-held travel practices that will not survive the combined influences of the post-Covid world, supply chain challenges and the energy transition. A new regulatory environment needs to come into place. The fleet management and finance companies that thrive will be the ones that best adapt to that environment.
“Pay per use models or road charging is a distinct possibility and the role of public transport, and shared services are expected to grow in importance,” Brewer says. “As well as continuing to support fleet managers with a range of added-value services that remove non-core business tasks, fleet financing can respond with product innovation, impartial advice and flexibility.”


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Half of Brits include pets in wedding plans
30 Jun 2016
New research from Pawshake has revealed that we are a nation of animal lovers, eager to involve our pets in our special day
Pawshake, a new website and app service that allows pet owners to find trusted pet sitters, has unveiled that 50% of UK pet owners have included their pet in their wedding day.
Not content with just an appearance, 17% of owners have even taken their pet's involvement one step further by giving them a job for the day - from best man to ring bearer.
Booking a pet sitter for the big day has also proved of utmost importance, with 9 in 10 animal lovers ranking it high on their 'wedmin' to-do list.
Pets have even been given priority when newlyweds arrange their honeymoon; while 40% of pet owners have taken their pet with them, 60% of couples would consider cancelling their honeymoon if they couldn't find reliable pet care.
Pawshake co-founder Tanguy Peers said: “Pets are becoming more and more part of the family, so it’s not surprising to see that we are now involving them in one of the most important days of our lives – our wedding. We’re passionate about pets at Pawshake so we love to hear stories of pets being chosen as a ring bearer or even part of the wedding party!”


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Also 2019 Taipei Cycle Returning to Original March Dates
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany – Next to Eurobike, also the Taipei Cycle Show is for next year returning to its original dates. Despite the fact that the 2019 Taipei Cycle Show will take place only five months after the 2018 edition, organizers Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taiwan Bicycle Association (TBA) decided to turn back to the original schedule for the Taipei Cycle Show which is in March.
The exact date for the Taipei International Cycle Show is set for March 27 – 30, 2019. As said, this edition of Taipei Cycle comes shortly after the 2018 edition which takes place from October 31 to November 3.
Unified view on dates
At a press conference held at Eurobike the reason for Taipei Cycle to return to its original March schedule next year was not explicitly mentioned. However, it obviously has to do with the fact that for 2018, due to divergent date preferences that ensure that an unequivocal solution in terms of schedule, was not available. That probably made Taipei Cycle turn to the October 31 to November 3 dates for this year. For next year however, a more unified view was expressed by the TBA during a last June meeting. Here the TBA members decided to turn back to the original schedule for the Taipei Cycle Show which is in March. TBA is co-organizer of the Taipei Cycle show while organizer TAITRA supports this decision.
TAITRA made use of the press conference at Eurobike to announce the rescheduling of Taipei Cycle starting in 2019. Next year’s show will be taking place from March 27 to 30 in Nangang Exhibition Halls 1 and 2 (the new hall which is across the street from Nangang hall 1). The 2019 edition will be the same size as this year’s show. Andrea Wu, TAITRA Senior Project Manager for Taipei Cycle, emphasized at the press conference that only exhibitors taking part this year will be prioritized for space at the 2019 Taipei Cycle.


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Starts and run, good battery, needs a couple side cover and haven't been registered since 05.
Posted with eBay Mobile
BMW X5 buyers beware: you own the UK's most vandalised car. The big BMW has long been a fixture in the top 10 – 7th in 2011, 4th in 2012 – but now it has risen to the top of the table that summarises a nastier side of our society. The data is collected from swiftcover.com's annual Vehicle Vandalism Index, and this year's results highlight a dramatic shift in the type of vehicles listed in the top 10.Mon, 17 Jun 2013
Volvo has confirmed that it has entered a factory team into the V8 Supercars for 2014. Volvo Polestar Racing will enter one of the world’s biggest touring car categories with a pair of V8-powered S60s, joining Nissan, Mercedes, Holden and Ford (which is rumoured as potentially departing the series). Where will the S60 get its V8?Fri, 27 May 2011
The same technology that saved IndyCar driver Simona De Silvestro from serious injury in a recent crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might soon be helping protect children in car seats. Dorel Juvenile Group, a car-seat manufacturer, is partnering with racing-product developers at Bald Spot Sports to use cockpit material that insulates racers from crashes in child-safety technology. Dorel makes child-safety items under brand names such as Safety 1st and Cosco.


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Either Sony’s designers have given up and gone home or the above image is fake. And we really do hope it’s fake because the phone pictured above looks skinny, ugly and prone to insane amounts of hand grease. In any case, the picture above landed on Picasa Monday morning and is allegedly being dubbed the “Xperia Nexus” or the Sony “Nexus S.” Google has tapped HTC and Samsung to build its Nexus-branded smartphones in the past, but it is tapping several companies to build its Android devices this time. We’ve seen detailed leaks of LG’s Nexus handset already.
So, does Sony have a Nexus smartphone in its future? Possibly, we just hope it’s not the one above (and below). AndroidCentral took a sharp eye to the pictures and noticed artifcating around the microUSB port, an oddly-faded Sony logo and that the EXIF data from the phone’s camera is actually tied to a Galaxy Nexus.
[via Android Central]


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Editor’s note: There is a provision in the bill that gives auto dealers time to enact the changes. It may be several years before the new system is put into place in Missouri. This article originally stated that the changes take effect at the end of August.
MISSOURI — The process to buy a car in Missouri may be changing later this month. The system used to collect auto sales tax may be streamlined to help cut down on the number of expired temp tags. That system may take several years to implement.
When you get a new vehicle, you start paying the sales tax on the purchase at the dealership. Right now, you have to make a trip to the Department of Revenue to pay for the sales tax separately.
State Representative Lane Roberts said it’s important to streamline the process for drivers.
“Why it’s necessary for someone to buy a car, and then have to make a trip to do a separate transaction to pay a separate fee seems like an unnecessary burden on the buyer. So what this bill does is it makes it a single transaction,” said Roberts.
The change is part of Senate Bill 389 and makes Missouri the 48th state to require dealerships to collect the sales tax when a vehicle is sold. It takes effect on August 28th.


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For meat eats, beef is out and bison is in as consumers look for a healthier alternative to what they normally stick between a hamburger bun.
Bison is grass-fed and is leaner than beef while still providing an awesome taste. The meat also has lower cholesterol and fewer calories than beef. The former niche item is becoming more popular – and more expensive – in restaurants and grocery chains around the nation, including Whole Foods Market, The Kroger Co., and Costco Wholesale Corp. The demand for bison is part of American’s move toward organic foods and away from rather disgusting factory-farming methods that account for most of the protein eaten in the U.S.
“The consumer today doesn’t trust the food industry,” said Roger Gerber, chief executive officer of Blackwing Quality Meats, a U.S. distributor of bison meat. “They can feel comfortable to know it doesn’t have hormones, it doesn’t have antibiotics.”
More than 500,000 bison currently roam North America, says Colorado processor Great Range Brand Bison. Thanks to private ranchers, the booming population is considered a huge conservation victory. Hunting almost put the giant beasts into extinction in the late 1800’s, when fewer than 1,000 of them existed. By the 1970’s, the species had made such a dramatic comeback that they started to be sold for meat.
Restaurant chain Eddie Merlot’s introduced bison to its menu 5 years ago as the demand for healthier food options increased. The Canadian Bison Association says one of the chain’s 6-oz. filets has fewer than 200 calories, one-third less fat than beef, and the animals are raised without steroids or chemical residue. The animals dine primarily on forage.
The price of bison has doubled in the last 5 years, but so too has the price of other forms of protein, especially pork and beef. As a result, consumers are willing to pay a bit more for a healthier cut of meat. Ribeye bison steaks rose 17% to an average of $31.76 per pound in August compared with a month earlier. That’s more than three times the price of a boneless beef ribeye.


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Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Increasing levels of salinity, due to rising sea levels, is posing a challenge for rice scientists in Bangladesh.
Researchers say increasing levels of salinity could ruin several hectares of arable coastal land in the country, reports oryza.com.
Scientists have been trying to develop newer varieties of rice that can tolerate higher salinity, but salinity levels in the coastal districts of the country have surpassed levels that new rice varieties can sustain.
Seven new salinity tolerant rice varieties developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) – Brri Dhan 40, Brri Dhan 41, Brri Dhan 53, Brri Dhan 54, Brri Dhan 47, Brri Dhan 61 and Bina Dhan 8 – have failed to sustain high salinity levels in some of the coastal districts, according to local sources.
While BRRI and BINA developed rice varieties that can withstand salinity levels up to 8 deci Siemens per meter (dS/M), the salinity levels in nearly five coastal districts – Khulna, Patuakhali, Satkhira, Bagerhat and Barguna – are ranging between 8 dS/M and 16 dS/M, according to the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI).
However, the Director General of BRRI says paddy cannot be made tolerant to salinity levels beyond 12 dS/M.
SRDI classifies salinity into four levels based on the degree of salinity per meter.
According to a study by SRDI, salinity affected land in 19 coastal districts of Bangladesh and totals around one million hectares, up about 22 percent from about 833,000 hectares in 1973.
Currently, Bangladesh rice farmers use high-yielding non-salinity-tolerant hybrid varieties which can withstand up to 0.7 dS/M.
The new varieties developed by BRRI and BINA also proved to be low-yielding and highly irrigation dependent, say experts.
They noted that rice farmers are reluctant to experiment with newer varieties giving lower yields, despite them being salinity-tolerant varieties.
The BRRI said rice farmers could opt for other crops such as soybean, maize, barley and sugarcane to avoid salinity induced losses from rice production.
The USDA estimates Bangladesh’s rice production at 35.6 million tons in MY 2013-14 (July 2013 – June 2014), up about 5 percent from an estimated 33.8 million tons in MY 2012-13.
However, due to rising consumption needs, the country is still expected to import about 300,000 tons of rice in 2014, up from about 213,000 tons in 2013.


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With the video game industry rapidly transitioning from a focus on retail game sales to a marketplace dominated by downloads, it's only a matter of time until a major home console decides to do without physical media at all. It seems that Sony thinks that time is not nigh, however. A report from the Wall Street Journal suggests the company briefly considered but ultimately rejected a plan to do away with an optical disc drive on the next PlayStation.
Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Journal said Sony did away with the idea of a disc-less system because "Internet connectivity is too inconsistent around the world." We can't say that's a bad call—even with a decent low-end broadband connection in the United States, downloading a Blu-ray's worth of data (or more) just to play the latest release could easily take more than a day. That effectively does away with all the convenience provided by downloading a game in the first place.
The decision is even less surprising given what Sony's Kaz Hirai said back in 2010; that the idea of a download-only gaming future in ten years time was "taking it a little bit to the extreme." The case of Sony's download-only PSP Go portable dying a quick death on most retail shelves might have also influenced the company's thinking.
Microsoft cited similar bandwidth concerns in confirming that it's next system would also have a disc drive, according to the Journal report. Both Microsoft and Sony have said they don't plan to officially unveil new hardware at E3 next week, but that doesn't rule out some brief mention of general future plans for either company.
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