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Twitter is expanding its advertising offerings by testing promoted videos on the platform. This move comes as Twitter aims to provide more opportunities for advertisers to engage with its user base and drive conversions. With mobile usage on the rise, the introduction of promoted videos aligns with the growing demand for video content on social media platforms. By incorporating video ads into its advertising options, Twitter hopes to capture the attention of users and deliver captivating and immersive brand experiences. This new feature holds the potential for businesses to reach a wider audience, increase brand visibility, and drive more traffic to their websites or mobile apps. In this article, we will explore the benefits of promoting videos on Twitter, delve into the potential impact on mobile app marketing, and address frequently asked questions related to this new advertising offering.
Inside This Article
- Video Ads on Twitter
- Testing of Promoted Videos
- Expansion of Advertising Options
Twitter, one of the leading social media platforms, is constantly evolving its advertising options to provide businesses with more opportunities to reach their target audience. As part of this effort, Twitter has begun testing promoted videos, offering a new way for advertisers to engage with users.
With over 330 million monthly active users, Twitter has become a hub for news, trends, and conversations. This vast user base presents an exciting opportunity for businesses to connect with their target market through innovative advertising strategies.
Video content has been gaining immense popularity across various platforms, and Twitter recognizes the growing demand for video ads. By incorporating promoted videos into its advertising options, Twitter aims to provide advertisers with a powerful tool to capture the attention of users and convey their message effectively.
Whether it’s showcasing a product, sharing a brand story, or promoting an event, video ads on Twitter have the potential to drive higher levels of engagement and increase brand visibility.
The introduction of promoted videos is an exciting development for both advertisers and users. Advertisers can now tap into the power of video content to connect with their audience, while users can enjoy a more immersive and interactive experience on the platform.
As part of its ongoing commitment to innovating in the digital advertising space, Twitter is continuously testing new features and expanding its advertising options. The testing of promoted videos is just one example of Twitter’s dedication to providing advertisers with cutting-edge tools to engage with their target audience.
With this expansion of advertising options, businesses have even more ways to leverage Twitter’s platform and connect with their customers effectively. Whether it’s through promoted videos, sponsored tweets, or other ad formats, Twitter offers a valuable opportunity to reach a large and diverse audience.
As Twitter continues to explore new ways to enhance its advertising capabilities, businesses can continue to harness the power of the platform to drive brand awareness and achieve their marketing objectives.
Video Ads on Twitter
Twitter has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with millions of active users worldwide. In an effort to provide more diverse and engaging content, Twitter has expanded its advertising options to include video ads. Video ads on Twitter allow advertisers to deliver captivating and visually appealing messages to their target audience.
With video ads, businesses can tell their story in a more dynamic way, leveraging the power of sight, sound, and motion to convey their brand’s message effectively. Video ads have proven to be highly engaging and can capture users’ attention within seconds, making them a valuable tool for businesses looking to connect with their audience on a deeper level.
Twitter’s video ads offer a range of targeting options, allowing businesses to reach the right people at the right time. Advertisers can target their video ads based on factors such as location, demographics, interests, and behavior, ensuring that their message reaches a highly relevant audience. This targeted approach helps businesses maximize the impact of their video ads and increase the likelihood of generating desired outcomes, such as clicks, conversions, or brand awareness.
Moreover, video ads on Twitter are seamlessly integrated into users’ timelines, appearing alongside other organic content. This integration makes them less intrusive and enhances the user experience. Users can choose to engage with the video ads by tapping on them to expand and watch the full video, or they can simply scroll past if they prefer. This non-disruptive nature of video ads on Twitter ensures that users can continue to enjoy their browsing experience without feeling overwhelmed by ads.
In addition, Twitter provides advertisers with comprehensive analytics and reporting tools to measure the success of their video ad campaigns. Businesses can track metrics such as views, engagements, click-through rates, and conversion rates to gain insights into the performance of their video ads and optimize their campaigns accordingly. This data-driven approach enables businesses to make informed decisions and allocate their advertising budgets effectively.
Overall, video ads on Twitter provide businesses with an exciting opportunity to engage with their target audience in a more immersive and impactful way. By leveraging the power of video, businesses can convey their brand’s message effectively and drive desired outcomes. With the availability of targeting options and analytics tools, businesses can maximize the impact of their video ad campaigns and achieve optimal results.
Testing of Promoted Videos
Twitter recently rolled out a new feature called “Promoted Videos,” which allows advertisers to run video ads on the platform. As with any new feature, Twitter understands the importance of testing before a wide release. That’s why they have embarked on a rigorous testing phase for Promoted Videos.
The testing phase involves partnering with a select group of advertisers to experiment with Promoted Videos. This collaboration allows Twitter to gather valuable feedback and insights, ensuring that the feature meets the needs of both advertisers and users. By conducting these tests, Twitter aims to iron out any potential issues and make necessary improvements before expanding the availability of Promoted Videos to a larger audience.
During the testing phase, Twitter will closely monitor various metrics to evaluate the performance and impact of Promoted Videos. This includes analyzing engagement rates, video completion rates, and user feedback. By examining these metrics, Twitter can determine the effectiveness of Promoted Videos as an advertising option and make data-backed decisions to improve the feature.
Another aspect of the testing phase is to gather insights on user behavior and preferences regarding video ads. Twitter is particularly interested in understanding how users interact with Promoted Videos, whether they find them engaging, and if the videos enhance their overall Twitter experience. This information will help Twitter refine the Promoted Videos feature by making it more relevant and seamless for users while delivering value to advertisers.
Overall, the testing of Promoted Videos on Twitter is a crucial step in ensuring the successful integration of video ads on the platform. By involving advertisers in the testing process and closely monitoring user feedback, Twitter can fine-tune the feature to offer a well-rounded and effective advertising solution. Once the testing phase is complete, Twitter will be better equipped to expand the availability of Promoted Videos to a wider range of advertisers, providing them with another powerful tool to reach and engage their target audience on the platform.
Expansion of Advertising Options
Twitter has always been at the forefront of innovation in the world of social media advertising. With its vast user base and highly engaged audience, it has become a go-to platform for advertisers looking to reach a wider audience. And now, Twitter is taking their advertising options to the next level with the expansion of promoted videos.
Promoted videos have already proven to be a successful form of advertising on Twitter. These videos allow advertisers to showcase their brand, products, or services in a dynamic and engaging way. With the ability to autoplay and appear seamlessly in a user’s timeline, promoted videos have the potential to capture the attention of users and drive more clicks, engagement, and conversions.
With the expansion of promoted videos, advertisers now have even more opportunities to connect with their target audience. Twitter is testing different formats and placements for these videos, allowing advertisers to choose the option that best aligns with their campaign objectives. Whether it’s a pre-roll ad before a video, an in-stream ad during live events, or a promoted video in the Explore tab, advertisers have more flexibility to deliver their message to the right people at the right time.
This expansion of advertising options on Twitter opens up new avenues for businesses to gain exposure and increase brand awareness. By incorporating video into their advertising strategy, businesses can leverage the power of storytelling and visuals to create a lasting impression on their audience. The ability to combine sight, sound, and motion in a video format provides a unique opportunity for advertisers to convey their message in a more compelling and memorable way.
Furthermore, Twitter’s advanced targeting options enable advertisers to reach a specific audience based on their interests, demographics, and even their Tweets. This level of targeting precision ensures that ads are seen by the most relevant and receptive users, maximizing the return on investment for advertisers.
As more brands recognize the value of video advertising and the potential for increased engagement, Twitter’s expansion of advertising options comes at the perfect time. It gives advertisers the tools they need to create impactful campaigns and connect with their audience in a meaningful way. Whether it’s telling a captivating story, showcasing a new product, or promoting an upcoming event, promoted videos on Twitter can help businesses stand out from the competition and leave a lasting impression on their target audience.
In conclusion, Twitter’s testing of promoted videos in their ad expansion marks another significant step in the platform’s efforts to provide advertisers with more engaging and dynamic advertising opportunities. By incorporating video content into promoted tweets, businesses can capture the attention of their target audience and convey their message in a more impactful and memorable way.
This new feature allows advertisers to leverage the power of video to tell their story, demonstrate their products or services, and create a deeper connection with users. With the increasing popularity of video content across social media platforms, Twitter’s introduction of promoted videos will help businesses stay competitive and reach a wider audience.
As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, incorporating video into marketing strategies has become crucial. Twitter’s expansion of promoted videos aligns with this trend and provides advertisers with a valuable tool to maximize their reach and engagement. With the potential for higher click-through rates and increased brand visibility, businesses should consider incorporating promoted videos into their Twitter advertising campaigns.
Overall, Twitter’s testing of promoted videos demonstrates the platform’s commitment to innovation and meeting the evolving needs of advertisers. This new feature has the potential to drive better results and enhance the overall advertising experience on Twitter. As the testing phase progresses, it will be interesting to see how both advertisers and users respond to the introduction of promoted videos, and what impact it will have on the future of advertising on the platform.
1. What is Twitter’s promoted video feature?
The promoted video feature on Twitter allows advertisers to pay for video content to be promoted and displayed to targeted users on the platform. It enables businesses to reach a wider audience and drive engagement with their video content.
2. How does Twitter’s promoted video ad expansion work?
Twitter’s promoted video ad expansion refers to the expansion of the platform’s ad capabilities to include video content. Advertisers can now choose to promote their videos to a larger audience, increasing visibility and potential reach.
3. Can anyone use Twitter’s promoted videos?
Yes, Twitter’s promoted videos feature is available for businesses and advertisers who utilize the platform’s advertising services. If you have a Twitter advertising account, you can access and utilize this feature to promote your video content.
4. How can I set up a promoted video ad on Twitter?
To set up a promoted video ad on Twitter, you can follow these steps:
– Log in to your Twitter advertising account.
– Click on the “Campaigns” tab.
– Select “Create New Campaign” and choose your advertising objective.
– Set your campaign details, including the budget, target audience, and duration.
– Select “Promote Videos” and upload the video you want to promote.
– Review and launch your campaign.
5. What are the benefits of using Twitter’s promoted video feature?
Using Twitter’s promoted video feature can provide several benefits, including:
– Increased visibility and reach for your video content.
– Opportunities for higher engagement and interactions with your target audience.
– Ability to drive brand awareness and showcase your products or services.
– Detailed performance analytics to monitor and optimize your video ad campaigns.
– The ability to target specific demographics or interests to maximize your ad’s effectiveness.


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Q1 results: Sun Pharma posts profit, shares surge
Net profit came in at Rs 983 crore for the three months ended June 30, compared with a loss of Rs 425 crore a year earlier
MUMBAI: India’s largest drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd posted a first-quarter profit on Tuesday, beating Street estimates. Net profit came in at Rs 983 crore for the three months ended June 30, compared with a loss of Rs 425 crore a year earlier, the company said.
In the year-ago quarter, Sun Pharma incurred costs of Rs 951 crore related to settlements in a US antitrust case over sleep disorder drug Modafinil.
Analysts on average expected a net profit of Rs 897 crore.
Total revenue from operations rose about 16% to Rs 7,224 crore.
Shares of the company ended up 6% on the BSE on Tuesday.
The US arm of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd recently recalled more than 5,200 units of testosterone cypionate injections from the American market, according to the latest enforcement report of the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). The injections were manufactured by Sun Pharma at its Halol plant.
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- EU’s push for WTO reforms may hurt India
- Petroleum products may not be brought under GST soon
- Govt hikes interest rates on small savings schemes
- PowerGrid gets shareholders’ nod to raise up to ₹20,000 crore via bonds in FY20
- Pidilite’s shares hold their ground despite weak rupee and rising crude
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- Steel companies are taking a shine to their home market
- Investments in HDFC AMC shares are subject to regulatory risks
- Spot electricity prices: Seasonal spikes becoming structural issue

domain: news


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Estimated read time: Less than a minute
NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah (AP) -- Bankrupt oil company Flying J Inc. is putting its Utah refinery up for sale. One analyst says it could go for cheap.
Flying J says it needs to unload the North Salt Lake refinery to pay some debts and emerge from bankruptcy.
New York-based refinery analyst Ann Kohler says about 10 refineries are up for sale nationwide with prices lagging. She says Flying J will have to offer a big discount.
Ogden-based Flying J says it's closer to selling a refinery in Bakersfield, Calif.
The company, which filed for bankruptcy reorganization last December, already has sold a pipeline subsidiary in Texas. It plans to merge its truck stops with rival Pilot Travel Centers.
Utah has five crude-oil refineries.
Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Oct 23 (Reuters) - Harley-Davidson Inc on Tuesday reported a 67 percent rise in quarterly profit, as it shipped more bikes to Europe, contrasting a drop in sales in its largest market again amid an aging customer base.
The company said its net income rose to $113.86 million, or 68 cents per share in the third-quarter ended Sept. 30, from $68.21 million, or 40 cents per share, a year earlier.
Revenue from motorcycles and related products rose 16.8 percent to $1.12 billion.
The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based company maintained its full-year shipments forecast range of between 231,000 and 236,000 motorcycles. (Reporting by Rachit Vats in Bengaluru and Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; Editing by Bernard Orr)


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Readings have been confronted by the Federal Reserve in 2013 on consumer spending, occupations and exports that have oscillated from great to poor. One thing, however, has been steady: poor U.S. company investment.
The central bank mentioned its disappointment with company investment in its statement declaring it’d’t increase interest rates. Company investment isn’t just an immediate building block of the country’s economical action, but in addition, it indicates whether they’ll probably have to hire more workers later on and whether companies are confident about the future.
Also, said UBS economist Samuel Coffin If companies we’re willing to be grand they’d probably be giving to the job market.
Measures of company investment are sending signs that are negative. One gauge has decreased for two successive quarters—the first back to back quarterly declines. Another means to estimate the degree of company investment, the number of capital goods that companies are purchasing (excluding military goods and aircraft), dropped 0.8% in April and is down almost 12% from its downturn peak in 2014.
Companies have dialed investment back for various reasons. Until oil prices fell in 2014 energy firms were investing heavily.
The Business Roundtable, several chief executives at the biggest U.S. companies, said Wednesday that CEOs somewhat lowered their outlook for 2016 economic growth.
Higher interest rates would allow it to be found and marginally more expensive for businesses to borrow new investments. The CEOs of the Business Roundtable said their reticence to lift is slowly expected by them: 37% plan to raise their capital spending over the remaining year, in contrast to only 18% planning to cut back.
It may be the confidence boost that the Fed needs to raise interest rates if companies follow through with those plans, indicating their renewed confidence later on.


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JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon took a shot at bitcoin, saying the cryptocurrency "is a fraud." PM · Sep 12, ·TweetDeck. But JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon hasn't been shy about his dislike for the cryptocurrency, blasting it as “worthless” during a virtual. NEW YORK, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) chief executive, said on Monday at a conference that cryptocurrencies. WHAT CRYPTO COIN TO BUY
Critics believe that bitcoin will do neither and call it a dangerous, modern day bubble like Holland's tulip bulb mania in the s. Morgan Chase, can be counted in the latter camp. He called bitcoin a "fraud. It won't end well. Someone is going to get killed. Centuries ago, tulips had became such a prized commodity that in they were being traded on many Dutch stock exchanges and many people traded or sold possessions to get in on the action, according to Investopedia.
The bubble came to an end in , which resulted in the bulbs trading at a fraction of their previous price, leaving many people in financial ruin. Dimon's comments about bitcoin touched off an explosive global debate among backers and haters. The J. Morgan CEO found himself being asked about bitcoin everywhere he went. Less than five months later, he threw in the towel, saying, "I regret making" those bitcoin remarks. Morgan and other major financial institutions are pursuing blockchain-related projects.
The first bitcoins were mined in a block of 50 coins called the "genesis block" in January However, it wasn't until that bitcoin gained public attention with the launch of the first exchange that allowed investors to trade it. Less-educated Asian Americans among hardest hit by job losses during pandemic. A glossary of the Federal Reserve's full arsenal of 'bazookas'.
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance. Taking to Twitter today, Dorsey answered a couple questions posed by a Twitter user: Was Musk investing contingent on Dorsey leaving? Did Dorsey leave because of Musk? The stock market has taken a hit this year. Stocks slipped this week, too: The dropped 0.
Bond yields, however, ripped higher this week, denting the stock market. In this article, we discuss the 10 stocks that Jim Cramer says you should sell. The finance world is abuzz with news that Tesla, Inc. Most Americans have less in their retirement accounts than they'd like, and much less than the rules say they should have. So, obviously, if that describes you then you're not alone. Bloomberg -- Twitter Inc. Earlier this week, I wrote about Musk's penchant for humor. Jamie Dimon was once convinced this year would see a booming economy, but not even he can stand in the way of the forces destabilizing the global economy.
High-dividend stocks can mislead. Here's a smart way to find stable stocks with high dividends. Watch seven dividend payers on IBD's radar. Take a look at this list of stock market holidays in to find out whether the market will be open on days like Columbus Day, Black Friday, Christmas Eve and more.
While the EU debates whether to slap sanctions on Russian gas and oil and member states seek supplies from elsewhere, the Kremlin has been forging closer ties with China, the world's top energy consumer, and other Asian countries.
Software giant Microsoft has earned plaudits for its successful pivot from desktop computing to cloud computing. Many investors may be wondering: Is Microsoft stock a buy right now? Peloton will boost the price of its all-access membership for U. Apple has been an American success story several times over with the Mac, iPod, iPhone and other inventions.
But is Apple stock a buy now?
INVESTING IN CRYPTOCURRENCY OCTOBER 2017
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Read the print edition on any digital device, available to read at any time or download on the go 5 international editions available with translation into over languages FT Magazine, How to Spend It magazine and informative supplements included Access 10 years of previous editions and searchable archives. Team or Enterprise Premium FT. Pay based on use. Does my organisation subscribe? Group Subscription. Premium Digital access, plus: Convenient access for groups of users Integration with third party platforms and CRM systems Usage based pricing and volume discounts for multiple users Subscription management tools and usage reporting SAML-based single sign-on SSO Dedicated account and customer success teams.
Learn more and compare subscriptions content expands above. Full Terms and Conditions apply to all Subscriptions. Or, if you are already a subscriber Sign in. ICOs [initial coin offerings], you got to look at every one individually. The bitcoin was always to me what governments are going to feel about bitcoin when it gets really big. And I just have a different opinion than other people. He added that he is "not interested in the subject at all," even though he has consistently made public comments about bitcoin.
Dimon has previously criticized cryptocurrencies, as well as the people who invest in them. In an interview last year, the banking executive said that investors "stupid enough to buy it" will "pay the price for it" eventually. The recent fall in price has led some analysts to speculate that bitcoin may have experienced a bubble in late , but others have dismissed such conclusions.
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CryptoPunks Watchlist. Best Crypto Apps. Best Crypto Portfolio Trackers. Best Crypto Day Trading Strategies. Best Crypto IRA. Best Cryptocurrency Scanners. Best Business Crypto Accounts. Best Crypto Screeners. Cannabis News. TV YouTube. He said that being fired by Weill impacted his net worth and not his self-worth. Dimon has gotten rich during his time at JPMorgan Chase, which started in However, his comments have earned him a reputation as one of the most prominent bitcoin haters and doubters.
In fact, Dimon has warned that he would fire JPMorgan Chase traders immediately if he caught them trading bitcoin. According to Dimon, trading cryptocurrency is a stupid idea that goes against JPMorgan Chase's rules. Dimon called bitcoin a fraud in Dimon lives in Manhattan. However, he has a country house in Mt.
Kisco and a weekend house in Bedford. Later, he walked back his political comments, but not before Trump fired back. Dimon is married to Judith Kent. They met at Harvard Business School and started a family in The couple has three daughters — Laura, Julia, and Kara.
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Dan Gill is convinced that it is true that there is a lack of information about the future of the United Kingdom after Brexit, and then he has also added that British businesses should now try to engage with new scenarios and with countries outside the European Union.
This idea is also shared by Victoria, who argues that her clients are more and more interested in expanding to other countries outside Europe. Many of them want to expand to new markets and, in particular to the Gulf, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia where Brexit is simply not a matter that is discussed nor even mentioned.
This is what also Margaret Wood thinks, since the most successful companies trade globally and not only in Europe, so British businesses should now focus on new markets. Moreover in such a global context, the Internet and social media, in particular could be very helpful, as they provide an important digital reach that could be useful for UK brands willing to expand overseas.
Overall, at the end of the debate the participants of the roundtable were quite optimistic about the future after Brexit. Although they agree on the fact that there is a consistent lack of communication, they all believe that information will start to crystallise as time goes by and everything will be clearer. After all, businesses can succeed only if entrepreneurs focus on what they can actually do , that is to say running their businesses and facing challenges, such as Brexit, with a positive attitude.
In addition to this IOD event Victoria will also be involved in the Doing business in Dubai event next month in Leeds


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Caffeine Linked to Lower Skin Cancer Risk
Still, Best Protection Is Minimizing Sun Exposure
No Link to Risk of Other Skin Cancers continued...
With another 10 years of follow-up, though, he and his colleagues might observe a difference in squamous cell cancer risk between the highest and lowest levels of caffeine consumption, Han says.
Caffeine intake was not associated with a lower risk of melanoma, the deadliest and least common of the three major types of skin cancer. There were only 741 cases of melanoma among the study participants.
Decaf coffee was not associated with a lower risk of skin cancer, so, Han says, "most likely we think [reduced skin cancer risk] is due to caffeine."
Mouse studies in which the animals received caffeinated water to drink have also linked the compound to a lower risk of skin cancer, says Han, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
And other studies in which caffeine was applied to the skin of mice have also found a connection to a lower skin cancer risk. The mouse studies have shown that caffeine promotes the elimination of skin cells damaged by ultraviolet light before they have a chance to develop into tumors.
"I'm not recommending people drink coffee only because of this paper," Han says, although he noted that other studies have shown that the beverage is linked to a decreased risk of diabetes, certain cancers, and Parkinson's disease. Linked is a key word with this type of research. Although this type of study can show a strong association between caffeine and skin cancer, it cannot prove cause and effect.
And, Han says, he's not advising that people drink coffee and then bake at the beach. The best way to prevent skin cancer is to minimize exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning booths, he says.
A Little Caffeine With Your Sunscreen?
Because topical caffeine reduces the risk of skin cancer in mice, should you expect to see a line of "Coffee-tone" sunscreen products any time soon? Some pricey sunscreens already list caffeine among their ingredients.
"It's not been studied carefully," says Allan Conney, PhD, a toxicology professor at Rutgers who's conducted research into the relationship between topical and oral caffeine and skin cancer in mice. "We've been trying to interest some of the major companies to put caffeine into products and do some studies."
Adding caffeine to sunscreen wouldn't be difficult, Conney says, but no company has yet expressed willingness to invest the time and money into clinical trials required to convince the FDA to allow a claim of reduced skin cancer risk.
Han's study appears in Cancer Research.


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Google is finally taking the conquest of Europe more serious and has expanded the availability of its Play Books and All Access Music services to 13 new countries.
The latest ones to get access to to the Books and Music part of the Google Play Store are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Sweden. Read more »
The GoPro Hero3 action camera was launched about a year ago and has gained some serious traction among extreme sports enthusiasts. Combining a rugged build with some serious video capture credentials the Hero3 has got the attention of the folks from DxO Labs, who have done their set of scientific tests on it.
As a fun experiment they even decided to compare the action camera to that of the Apple’s iPhone 5 and see which one does better with stills and videos. The comparison looks appropriate considering the fact that the iPhone 5 is still one of the more capable smartphone shooters around. Read more »
Google redesigned its popular email client in March with few new additions and tweaks. One of the notable changes was the new compose, which was available in your inbox as a pop-up window.
Now, Google has started to roll out a new full-screen compose window, which fills your entire display. Read more »
It looks like the Google Chrome App launcher is finally out of its developers preview mode, as the app is now available for all Windows users.
The Google Chrome App launcher will place an app on the start page, taskbar and desktop for Windows 8 and in menu bar for Windows 7, which allows you to quickly access the browser, Chrome store, Gmail or any other application that works with the Google’s browser. Read more »
T3 has officially announced its nominations for its seventh annual T3 gadget awards, which recognize and honors the gadgets, software and personalities who inspire the tech world over the past one year.
As one can expect, Apple and Samsung have bagged the most nominees with each brand presented in nine categories, including four where the two meet face to face. Read more »
The alleged images of next-generation affordable tablet from Google have already been leaked and we even saw a video of the upcoming Nexus 7. Now, the specifications of the second-gen of the slate have been revealed in a new leak.
As expected, the second-generation Nexus 7 will sport a 7-inch FullHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display and will feature a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 5 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera. It will run on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which will be the latest version at the time of its release. Read more »
Rovio has begun the global rollout of its game progress-syncing Rovio Accounts. So far the service was available globally only on The Croods and had very limited availability on Angry Birds.
As of today Rovio Account is available on Android and iOS globally and can sync your progress of the original Angry Birds as well. Read more »
We recently heard reports stating that an explosion of Samsung Galaxy S III had injured an 18-year old girl in Switzerland, causing third degree burns. The manufacturer had done its own investigation of the cause for the unfortunate accident and has now revealed its findings to the public.
It has been found out that the usage of unofficial thrid-party battery not approved by Samsung was the main reason for the explosion. Read more »
Off late, cameraphones have regained much of their popularity and we are starting to see smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, and Nokia Lumia 1020 with impressive cameras that have changed the game altogether.
According to a report from Sony Alpha Rumors, the next big thing in mobile photography might come from Sony. The Japanese manufacturer is said to be working on a “lens camera” accessory for its smartphones. Read more »
After being pulled off the App Store due to licensing issues, the capable VLC media player has been completely rewritten and is back on Apple’s mobile platform.
The open-source app is now bi-licensed under Mozilla’s Public License v2 and the GNU Public License v2, which VideoLAN believes won’t have any distribution issues under Apple’s rather stringent licensing regulations. Read more »
The first Halo game targeting the handheld devices has now made it to the Windows Stores. Halo: Spartan Assault is compatible with Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8.
The action in Halo: Spartan Assault takes place between the Halo 3 and Halo 4 time frames and offers “new insights into the first missions of the Spartan Ops program, the history of the Human-Covenant wars, and the rise of Commander Sarah Palmer.” Read more »
The Android 4.3 system dump for the Nexus 4 from yesterday is still not perfectly ready for daily use, but it’s now much easier to install. You can follow instructions here to flash it (using any recovery) to your Nexus 4, it shouldn’t delete your data (once again, proceed at your own risk and do a backup for peace of mind).
Why would you risk it when the official update could be just days away? Android 4.3 brings few changes over 4.2.2, but they are important – and better performance is seemingly one of them. Read more »
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra was announced last month as the company’s first foray into the realm of phablets with its robust 6.5-inch screen.
Besides the new Triluminous display engine, the Z Ultra features Sony’s handwriting recognition technology, which lets you write on the display using nearly anything with tip less than 1mm in diameter. This latest video takes a closer look at exactly what does and doesn’t work as a writing device – from a set of keys to Stanley knives. Read more »
Ever since Nokia announced its Lumia 1020, it has done all it can to create a buzz among the tech enthusiasts. The impressive 41 megapixel sensor in the Windows Phone 8 smartphone have mostly taken the spotlight so far, but now the company’s PR department is focusing on some of the cool side features.
Nokia has now come up with a new promotional video that Nokia highlights the smartphones rich sound recording technology and compares it to two of its direct rivals. Read more »
It’s clear by now to everyone that the Surface RT has been a failure. The first Windows tablet to run on the ARM platform was doomed to obscurity when people realized they could not run legacy Windows applications on the device and had to rely on their lackluster ARM counterparts from the Windows Store.
The latest earnings report has revealed that the tablet has cost Microsoft some $900 million in loses, but the company was still able to post a revenue just shy of $20 billion – a 10% increase over the same quarter last year. Read more »


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The National Retail Federation’s Annual BIG Show offered hospitality operators an array of the latest in next generation offerings in mobile solutions, mobile payments, PCI security and cloud-based technologies. Mobile payments were top-of-mind, with many vendors rolling out improved solutions to take the POS truly “out of pocket.”
A strong merchant base in Austin and Salt Lake City is allowing Isis Mobile Wallet to expand as consumers can use the mobile wallet at many favorite locations to pay and redeem offers. In addition to many retail establishments, Jamba Juice is among the first national merchants to join with Isis in advancing mobile commerce. Isis, the mobile commerce joint venture created by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, has announced the first of its local merchant partners across Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah. Read more in “Jamba Juice Joins Other Restaurants Accepting Isis Mobile Wallet.”
Also in mobile payments, “NCR Teams with PayPal to Accelerate Adoption of Mobile Payments.” NCR's hospitality footprint is coupled with more than 117 million PayPal customers to offer rich mobile and digital payment experience. NCR Corporation and PayPal, Inc., an eBay company, announced an agreement to integrate NCR’s innovative mobile solutions for hospitality and retail with PayPal’s leading digital payment technology. The combination provides restaurants and retailers an easy, powerful way to offer consumers a rich mobile and digital payment experience when buying the goods and services they want.
VeriFone not only focused on mobile payments, but also embracing the latest in cloud technologies, “VeriFone Showcases Latest in Mobile Payment and Cloud Services.” VeriFone Systems, Inc. has revealed how its comprehensive suite of payments solutions is helping leading retailers interact with, impact and impress their customers. Innovations showcased at the recent NRF Big Show included: A new, size-adaptable payment acceptance solution for tablets—the first to work with iPad mini; New versions of PAYware Mobile for iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch, plus new cloud-based services for bridging today with tomorrow’s innovations and managing ever-growing payments complexity.
Other mobility issues were also being addressed, with such announcements as “Benbria Intros Mobile Customer Engagement Solution.” BlazeLoop helps operators to close the loop with guests to increase satisfaction. At NRF 2013, Benbria introduced BlazeLoop, its Mobile Customer Engagement solution that helps retailers to increase in-store sales conversion rates by capturing and acting on customer input at the decisive moment in the shopping experience.
Epson has launched next-gen tech that raises bar for mobile, web-based POS. Epson America, Inc. introduced its OmniLink smart solutions at the recent NRF (National Retail Federation) 102nd Annual Convention & EXPO. “Epson Announces OmniLink Printers with BI” details how OmniLink is a new family of intelligent products that combines industry-leading POS printers with built-in intelligence to deliver flexible, mobile web-based printing, cloud-based services, peripheral connectivity and PC computing power—all in one small footprint. Epson’s OmniLink family represents a new class of intelligent solutions that allows retailers to take advantage of new POS applications and configuration flexibility without sacrificing their existing technology investment.
MokiMobility has released MokiManage2013, “MokiMobility Offers Turnkey Solution for iPad Kiosks.” MokiManage is the first and only full suite to market for configuring, deploying and managing tablet kiosk, mobile app and digital signage technologies – enabling businesses to manage device settings with ease, as well as the ability to monitor performance, connectivity and analytics in real-time all from one central location.
Payment security and the impending arrival of EMV in the United States was also impacting new releases at the NRF BIG Show. Revel Systems has announced it has become the first iPad point-of-sale (POS) system to provide EMV compatibility (device that allows the new standard of “chip and PIN” cards to allow processing on a point-of-sale system) in the United States in anticipation of upcoming deadlines for EMV certification and PCI compliance that could potentially cost business owners thousands of dollars in fees and fines. Read the full release, “Revel iPad POS First to Release EMV Processing in U.S.” With credit card fraud on the rise and standards set to change over the next few years, Revel Systems is focusing on boosting security and global interoperability with integrated circuit (IC) cards and increasing the flexibility and customization that Revel’s customers have come to expect for their retail, restaurant and grocery store iPad POS systems.
Ingenico also addressed the issue of secure payments, announcing a partnership with Microsoft to drive secure payment technologies.
Ingenico has announced teaming with Microsoft to deliver enterprise-class devices based on the new Windows Embedded 8 Handheld platform. As a global secure payment solutions provider, Ingenico joins other prominent enterprise device OEMs working closely with Microsoft in these innovative efforts. Ingenico will collaborate closely with Microsoft to bring fully integrated handheld electronic payment solutions and innovations to the retail industry. By leveraging Windows Embedded 8 Handheld, which is based on Windows Phone 8, Ingenico will provide its secure payment technology expertise to develop the future of retail payment acceptance with personal, seamless and differentiated consumer experiences.
TECHNOLOGY ASSISTS IN SMARTER MANAGEMENT
Hospitality operators are always seeking solutions to help run more efficient, intelligent operations. ParTech, Inc. (PAR) demonstrated its retail solutions at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Convention & Expo, Jan. 14-15 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. PAR was showcasing the PAR EverServ® 7000 POS terminal and the PAR EverServ® SureCheck to simplify checklists and improve food safety in their stores. Read about ParTech’s intros at the show in, “New Management Solution Saves in Labor Costs.”


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The folks from OnLive, who we met up with last week at CES, are understandably apologetic about the fact that the iOS app for gaming hasn't yet shown up in the App Store. But though they may be sorry it hasn't appeared, OnLive's Bruce Grove is still mum on what the holdup is all about, only saying that the app is still going through Apple's "approval process." Is Apple holding the app up for breaking subscription rules, or did OnLive submit it a little late to the App Store over the holiday season? Grove doesn't budge, only saying that OnLive is currently "learning about the process a little more." At any rate, the gaming app is still due out "soon" -- whenever that may be.
But that doesn't mean OnLive isn't working; The company did introduce its OnLive Desktop app last week on schedule, and that one is available right now for free. The app provides a full touch-enabled Windows 7 installation on the iPad, and just like the gaming app, the software is streamed in via audio and video from a powerful server, and controls and touches are streamed back, basically enabling you to use and run Windows apps on a computer of almost any make or power.
As you might imagine, that has a lot of consequences for all kinds of functions and businesses. The app also will run on the Mac, which means that from anywhere, you can log into OnLive's computer, and use the basic Word, Excel, or PowerPoint installations that come with the free version. 2 GB of files are saved on a cloud folder (with more memory and a persistent desktop saved under a $9.99 a month premium subscription charge that's coming soon), so OnLive Desktop really grants anyone with a fast enough connection access to their own super-powered Windows computer.
Grove says all of the software is already covered under Microsoft's cloud access licenses, so obviously it's all legal and taken care of. And OnLive is also working with other companies, including Adobe and Autodesk, to provide even more apps to users in both the free and premium programs. Users of the premium service will also have access to a browser, and of course since it's running in a full installation of Windows, that means you'll be able to access Flash-based websites directly on the iPad through OnLive's servers.
Running Word or Excel is one thing, but remember, says Grove, that these servers are extremely powerful, so even graphically intensive apps like AutoCAD or Maya can load and run quite easily. Once the deals are all made ("Autodesk was one of our investors from the beginning," Grove reminded us), users will be able to have access to big-time software running on very powerful hardware from nearly anywhere, all at a fraction of the cost.
That's not all -- OnLive also wants to start enabling multiple users to log into the same server at the same time, so they can even share collaborative work over the OnLive network. The company is also offering the server to larger businesses on an enterprise basis, so companies could create their own desktops for OnLive to send out, with specific apps available to specific users. The possibilities are really incredible when you think about it.
OnLive's other big news from CES is that the gaming service is itself coming to smart TVs, including Google's own television service. Obviously that won't directly affect Mac users (and this is, after all, an Apple blog), but Grove says that move will raise OnLive's profile "from a brand awareness standpoint", which should grow OnLive's user base, and give the company even more leverage to provide more apps and services to users on all of its platforms. Grove says the company is planning to keep the desktop and gaming services separate -- there will be a single logon for both, but customers have "a desire to keep productivity separate from gaming," he says.
As for what's next for OnLive, the company now offers a pretty complete set of features, and once that iPad gaming app comes out, Grove says marketing the service and gaining a larger set of users will be a priority. The company is also trying to get on "as many connected devices as possible," from those smart TVs to phones like the Xperia Play and other Internet devices. The company is also selling its wireless controller, and that controller is designed to work with many of these devices directly, in the hopes of creating a unified OnLive experience from box to box.
OnLive has created some pretty incredible experiences in these two services. It's hard to believe that cloud delivery of streaming software usage like this can work so well, but it is true: Just load up the gaming app on your Mac or the desktop app on your iPad while hooked up to a solid Internet connection to see the service working in action. OnLive seems destined to become extremely popular, and once more users realize just what's available here, all of those possibilities will no doubt be realized and then some.


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For Immediate Release
Sunday, May 26, 2013
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN- Afghanistan grows high-quality pomegranates, grapes, apples, and other fruits, but has trouble exporting them. Today, a group of Afghan officials, entrepreneurs, and international donors organized a workshop to seek ways to get Afghan produce to markets outside the country and to discuss transit routes, cold storage, trade agreements with neighboring countries, tariffs, customs procedures, and market opportunities. USAID Deputy Mission Director Jerry Bisson spoke at the workshop and highlighted the steady growth of Afghanistan’s dried and fresh fruit exports over the years.
“The dried and fresh fruit sector of Afghanistan has enormous growth potential, as the outcome of the Gulfood Exhibition in Dubai last February showed,” said Deputy Director Bisson.
Afghanistan’s fresh fruit, dried fruit, and juice traders who attended the world-renowned Gulfood Exhibition with USAID support signed millions of dollars in business deals with companies in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and India. Agriculture is a driving force in Afghanistan’s economy and the dried and fresh fruit sector in Afghanistan is one of the key export industries of the Afghan economy, providing thousands of jobs in rural areas.
Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industries Mozammil Shinwari and about 20 representatives from the Export Promotion Agency of Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Customs Department, and the private sector representatives also attended the workshop.
The workshop is one of several USAID efforts that enable the Government of Afghanistan and the private sector to work together to identify solutions to trade challenges and to boost Afghanistan’s exports and its overall economy.
Last updated: March 06, 2017


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The pandemic gave quick-service restaurants (QSRs) incredible motivation to get their digital acts together.
When in-house dining ceased to be an option, QSRs found they needed to pivot to make it easier for their customers to carry out food. That meant a bigger embrace of technological enhancements that trend lines had already been favoring for a few years, like mobile order-ahead, digital loyalty programs and increased curbside and delivery offerings.
Perhaps unique among players in the game, Starbucks had the advantage of starting this pandemic already rather far down the road when it came to digitally driving its core coffee product.
But the chain has called on all of that digital progress as it’s shouldered its way through what’s been a wild ride so far. Starbucks has been forced to radically adapt its operations to remain relevant in a landscape that’s looking increasingly like it will be forever altered.
Riding The Roller Coaster
Starbucks was already boasting about its mobile offerings’ powerful performance in January, when the chain released fiscal first quarter (Q1) results before the pandemic hit in earnest.
In his call with analysts then, Starbucks President and CEO Kevin Johnson noted that the company had added a record 1.4 million customers to its 90-day active Starbucks Rewards member base, ending the quarter with 18.9 million active U.S. members. That marked a 16 percent year-on-year rise and portended well for the future of the company’s revenue.
Johnson told analysts that the firm knew from historical experience when customers join its rewards program, “their total spend with Starbucks increases meaningfully.” Starbucks also reported its U.S. mix of mobile order and pay transactions grew to 17 percent in fiscal Q1.
Starbucks’ “industry-leading digital platform will further differentiate us from the competition over time,” the CEO said at the time.
And indeed it has — although likely under a much shorter timeframe than Johnson was thinking. Fast forward three months to Starbucks’ Q2 earnings in late April, and the landscape was a radically changed place.
Starbucks’ digital loyalty and ordering capacity wasn’t just a competitive edge, it was a tether to a suddenly socially distancing customer base. The chain saw earnings drop 46 percent year on year during the quarter as the pandemic began taking big bites out of sale due to closures first in China and eventually nearly every place on Earth.
“Given the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 crisis and how it is affecting our business globally, we are currently unable to estimate the full financial impacts beyond Q2 with reasonable accuracy,” Johnson wrote in a letter to shareholders.
He noted that by March’s end, Starbucks’ sales had declined by 60 percent to 70 percent.
But by Q3’s report, there were signs of improvement as lockdowns ended and Starbucks had reopened 95 percent of U.S. stores. It also had plans to bring 300 new stores online in the current fiscal 2020, although that was about half the number planned at the year’s start.
But more notably, Starbucks announced plans to close some 400 restaurants over 18 months. And as the summer wore on, it became increasingly clear that for the chain, reopening shops alone wouldn’t be enough.
After all, the firm’s customer base and consumers needs had shifted radically. For instance, Starbucks’ rewards program saw 90-day active membership drop 5 percent year over year to 16.3 million because of reduced customer frequency. And while Starbucks attributed that drop-off to store closures and temporary pandemic-related effects, “temporary” in this case might be a relative term.
Many consumers long favored Starbucks prior to the pandemic for their daily commuter cup of coffee and perhaps breakfast. But many of them have shifted to working from home, meaning they aren’t making a commute and have no need to stop for breakfast. That’s been a headwind for sales, and it has also shifted peak times at the coffee shop from early morning to around 9 a.m., with a second, minor peak at 2 p.m.
Adaptations Big And Small
But as its customer behavior has changed, Starbucks has been adjusting along with it.
The pandemic pushed several in-the-works innovations forward — particularly curbside delivery and the launch of new Starbucks Pickup locations in markets such as Chicago, New York City, San Francisco and Seattle. That recent announcement was paired with news that the company is considering store layout changes that would create a separate counter geared toward mobile orders.
“As we navigate through the COVID-19 crisis, we are accelerating our store transformation plans to address the realities of the current situation while still providing a safe, familiar and convenient experience for our customers,” CEO Johnson said in a post on the Starbucks website.
Those transformation efforts are extending into autumn, with Starbucks now moving to make its rewards perks more easily available to consumers.
Rewards members who order at company-operated stores will no longer have to pay for their purchases through the app to earn stars in the rewards program. The payments program will expand beyond prepaid cards to include debit and credit cards, cash and as yet-to-be-identified mobile wallets.
“Having a connection with our customers, whether in our stores or digitally, allows us to anticipate their needs and deliver the products and experiences they are looking for,” said Brady Brewer, Starbucks chief marketing officer. “Our customers have shared with us that they would like more options to pay and earn Stars in the app as a Starbucks Rewards member, in addition to the Starbucks Card. We expect the expansion of payment options will appeal to an even wider customer audience and deepen engagement with our members.”
Such engagement is more valuable to Starbucks than it’s ever been given the number and scope of changes the chain has seen in its consumer base over the last six months.
The bottom line: Starbucks definitely has the digital tools in place to service a customer who’s now more comfortable ordering remotely. But the question the firm is now attempting to answer is if it can leverage those tools effectively to adapt to such customers’ new lifestyles.


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India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. has confirmed that they will launch the MT-03, according to a report by the Economic Times. The MT-03, unveiled at the EICMA show in Milan is the naked street-fighter version of the Yamaha R3 that was recently launched in India. Expect the MT-03 to be locally assembled at either of India Yamaha Motor’s two manufacturing facilities at Faridabad (Haryana) and Surajpur (Uttar Pradesh).
The MT-03 features a single pod headlamp as opposed to the twin headlamps on the R3 and a single piece wide handle-bar replaces the clip on handle-bar from the R3. Other features include a fuel tank mounted air intake, a digital analogue instrument console and dual channel ABS brakes. An upright riding stance is provided by the new styling for comfortable urban riding.
The MT-03 borrows its engine from its sibling, the Yamaha R3. The said engine is a 321 cc, four stroke liquid cooled DOHC parallel twin engine producing 41 hp of peak power at 10,750 rpm and a peak torque of 30 Nm at 9,000 rpm. Transmission duties will be taken care of by a 6 speed transmission. While a majority of the aspects remain the same, expect the MT-03 to have a meager power to weight advantage. 165 kg is what the bike weighs sans the fairing.
The MT-03 once launched will lock horns with the Kawasaki Ninja 300, Benelli TNT300 and the BMW G310 R. We expect the MT-03 to priced Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 lower than the R3 that retails at a price of Rs. 3.25 lakh, Ex-Showroom (Delhi).
Are you ready to embrace the darkness?
Via: Economic Times


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With gas prices falling below $1.50 a gallon in some parts of the metro, dealers at the 48th Minneapolis/St. Paul RV, Vacation and Camping Show smiled Thursday when doors to the Minneapolis Convention Center opened up to welcome vacation-hungry gawkers, tire kickers and buyers.
The stock market has swooned of late. But employment is up and the overall economy has recovered sufficiently to further fuel an RV-buying binge now 10 years in the making.
RV ownership in the U.S. rose almost 13 percent from 2005 to last year, with about 9 percent of households now owning a wheel-based camper of some kind.
In fact, more RVs were dispatched from manufacturers to dealers in November than in any month during the past 10 years. Another 375,100 units are expected to be shipped this year.
Retired couples still make up a large segment of RV owners. But buyers are trending younger. People ages 35 to 64 are purchasing RVs faster than any other group, with the average age of an owner being 48.
Interest in RVs is high for many reasons, including:
• State parks — Minnesota being a prime example — offer great locations with relatively inexpensive camping fees and, of late, more of the amenities campers want, including electrical hookups and in some cases Wi-Fi.
• Campers, travel trailers and motor homes manufactured today (the industry is located virtually entirely within the U.S.) are far more dependable than earlier models, also more comfortable and they weigh far less.
“Weight of a travel trailer or fifth-wheel trailer is very important,” said Mike Pearo, sales manager at Hilltop Trailer Sales in Fridley (hilltoptrailers.com). Among reasons: Many late-model pickups and other towing vehicles are powered by V6 engines, not V8s.
“A Ford Explorer today can pull 4,500 pounds, whereas some of the older models could pull 6,000 pounds,” Pearo said.
For this reason, and because fuel costs are a primary consideration of RV buyers, manufacturers use materials with much improved strength-to-weight ratios.
RV engineers also offer innovative designs unseen on the market even a few years back. In addition to minimizing weight, the intent is to lower the cost to attract entry-level consumers.
Example: A “hybrid’’ travel trailer (a travel trailer is an RV that is pulled with a bumper hitch) that Pearo has at the show weighs only 2,800 pounds. Yet it has stand-up headroom, a microwave, air conditioner and a refrigerator. Plus, it can sleep six.
Another type of RV trailer — the fifth-wheel — in many cases offers more room and more amenities than travel trailers do (some fifth-wheels at the show featured four slide-outs and two bathrooms).
Still, considerably more travel trailers are sold today than fifth-wheels or any other type of RV.
One reason, said Brian Rignell of North Country RV in Ham Lake (northcountryrv.com), is that in many instances, only half-ton pickups are required to pull travel trailers, whereas many fifth-wheels require a 1-ton truck, or at least a three-quarter-ton rig.
North Country handles Durango by KZ and Open Range RVs, among other brands, including Lance travel trailers. Long known for its quality pickup campers, Lance now also builds travel trailers starting in the $20,000 range, with 20-footers weighing only about 4,000 pounds.
Also at the show are motor homes (think Winnebago, among many other brands), which still represent a key segment of the RV market. Some units on display can top $300,000.
Long before Robert White of PleasureLand RV Center in Ramsey (pleasurelandrv.com) sold RVs for a living, he was a motor home devotee.
“I bought my first motor home, a 29-foot ‘Class C,’ when my youngest child was 2 years old,” White said Thursday. “That was 17 years ago.”
Since then, White, his wife and their four children have traveled to each of the Lower 48 states and throughout Canada. “We stay mainly in national parks and state parks,” he said.
White has since graduated to a 31-foot motor home — not huge by industry standards — and his “kids,” now ages 19 to 24, still want to hit the road with their parents.
“They grew up traveling with us on vacation, and they still love to do it,” he said. “We all do.”
Interested in RVs, but unsure about owning one? Try renting, first.
Many dealers at the show offer rental units ranging from tent trailers ($315 for Thursday-Monday rentals from North Country RV; $450 for a week) to hybrid travel trailers that can be pulled with half-ton pickups or similar vehicles ($450 and $650 for the same periods).
For buyers, RV financing is available at the show, at rates as low as 3.9 percent, depending on buyers’ credit ratings, dealers say. Lenders typically prefer at least 10 percent down.
Show hours Friday are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Hours Saturday are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Adult admission is $10, with youngsters ages 6-12, $4. Kids 5 and under get in free.


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Kenwood Records Management in Cedar Rapids has been managing, storing and shredding documents for businesses in Iowa and across the nation for nearly 30 years. While paper documents and microfilm are still popular, more and more businesses are converting files to digital due to safety concerns and costs.
Jeff Wessel, sales manager at Kenwood Records Management in Cedar Rapids works with his team on providing new services for clients. In a recent interview with the Corridor Business Journal, Mr. Wessel explained how natural disasters, such as the flood of 2008, and the digital age have changed the way businesses store their records.
Q: How did the flood of 2008 change the way local companies store their information? Did the recent flood threat bring another influx of business?
A: The flood of 2008 really made businesses aware of the necessity to get their documents off-site and the need to capture these into a digital format. The recent flood was again another reminder of the value of digital imaging.
Q: How had the digital age changed the way records are stored and retrieved?
A: Despite the evolvement of the digital world, many businesses continue to store the hard copy also. The retrieval process has really become much more simplified and quicker because of the easy accessibility digitalizing provides from anywhere.
Q: Has it changed the bottom line for companies to use more digital than paper records?
A: Absolutely. For many reasons, with the greatest value of digital being the money saved, space created, and time saved, which allows companies’ staff to focus on doing what their job requirements are.
Q: Do you still have a fair amount of paper documents that need to be stored or shredded?
A: Yes we continue to provide the secure service of document storage and shredding.
Q: Kenwood has experienced a steady increase in the number of employees in the past several years. What has attributed to that increase?
A: The demand for digital scanning, both local and nationwide, has allowed our business to continue growing each year.
Reprinted from Corridor Business Journal. By Angela Holmes.


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North Hills hotel partners Concord Hospitality Enterprises and Kane Realty Corp. are teaming up again to bring what will be one the first AC Hotels by Marriott properties in the U.S. to Raleigh's midtown.
The new AC Hotel, a 133-room select service property, is expected to open in 2016 next to the new North Hills Tower Two office building that is under construction at the corner of Six Forks and Dartmouth roads.
Raleigh-based Concord and Kane were also partners in the construction and development of the 223-room, full-service Renaissance Hotel that opened at North Hills in 2008 and the 137-room Hyatt House extended-stay hotel that opened in 2013.
AC Hotels is one of the newest brands being introduced by Marriott International in the U.S. after launching a joint venture with the European hotel brand in 2011.
The brand has more than 90 properties in Spain, Italy, Portugal and France, but it has so far opened only one property in the U.S., the AC Hotel Bourbon in New Orleans that opened in November. Rates for a room at the New Orleans AC Hotel are running from about $190 to $350 per night.


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Aldi is set to axe online deliveries as part of a huge change to its website.
The supermarket will phase out its wine and spirits deliveries later this month, with Specialbuys to follow in the autumn.
Aldi will still offer a grocery click and collect service, which sees customers order their food shop online to pick up in store.
It isn't clear if there will be any job losses as a result of online ordering coming to an end.
However, the supermarket is said to be hopeful that affected staff can be moved to other departments within the company.
A spokesperson for Aldi said: “Aldi is more popular than ever, and we are prioritising making our wine and Specialbuy products available in our stores.
“We keep our prices low by being the most efficient retailer in Britain and we have therefore taken the decision to stop selling wine and spirits online for home delivery from later this month.
“We will also stop selling our Specialbuys online for home delivery later this year. Our grocery click and collect service will continue, and we would like to thank every customer that has bought Aldi products online.
“Aldi will continue to consider new digital services in the future.”
It comes after Aldi reported its "best ever Christmas" with sales jumping 26% to a record high of £1.4billion.
Fresh meat products saw a huge increase as shoppers stocked up over the festive season, with fresh poultry and pork options both up over 28%.
Chilled desserts and fresh cheeses jumped by almost 30% and 50% respectively.
In total, customers bought more than 48 million mince pies, 38 million pigs in blankets and more than 1,700 tonnes of sprouts this Christmas.
Meanwhile, snacks such as crisps and nuts were up over 40% thanks to the World Cup, which took place just before Christmas.
Aldi has just been named the cheapest supermarket in the UK as it continues to steal customers from the likes of Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's.
The budget supermarket was crowned the lowest priced for seven consecutive months, from June to December.
In comparison, Lidl was the cheapest for five months, from January to May.
The results for December showed a basket of 48 groceries cost £81.63 on average at Aldi - while Lidl shoppers paid £83.24.
Tesco came in third place (£93.42) followed by Asda (£93.44), Sainsbury’s (£95.71) and Morrisons (£97.12).


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Patrón’s Growth Continues Despite New Challengers At Tequila’s Luxury EndMay 16, 2016
Patrón, which pioneered the U.S. market’s thriving luxury Tequila segment, is now facing competition from a bevy of high-end entrants including Don Julio, Avión, Casamigos and others. Patrón, which rose by 4% to 2.1 million cases in 2015 (excluding Roca Patrón), still dominates the above-$40 Tequila category with a share of more than 70%. But key players like Diageo and Pernod Ricard have made inroads with their own high-end offerings, and they’re pouring resources into the category. Overall, Tequila’s luxury segment rose 8% to 2.9 million nine-liter cases last year, according to Impact Databank.
Patrón COO and president, international Dave Wilson says the brand is fending off competition from inside and outside the category. “We see ourselves as competing in the broader luxury white spirits arena,” Wilson tells SND. “People who would typically drink a luxury vodka or Tequila are switching to Patrón.”
In 2014, Patrón expanded in the luxury segment by launching Roca Patrón ($69.99-$89 a 750-ml.), which features Silver, Reposado and Añejo expressions. Roca Patron is made using the traditional “tahona” process, with the Reposado and Añejo rested in single-use Bourbon barrels for five months and 14 months, respectively. After selling 36,000 cases in its debut year, Roca grew by 5.6% last year 38,000 cases. But Patrón says Roca is on pace to advance by more than 20% this year, and Wilson says the company is “very bullish” on the range, which tends to skew much more toward the on-premise than Patrón’s core offerings.
Among the players aiming to carve out their piece of the luxury Tequila pie, Pernod Ricard’s Avión grew 27% to more than 130,000 cases last year. Avión includes a core lineup of Silver, Reposado and Añejo expressions retailing between $40-$60 a 750-ml., as well as an Espresso liqueur ($24.99) and ultra-luxury Reserva 44 label ($150).
Also rising at double-digit rates is Diageo-owned Don Julio, which advanced by 13% to over 300,000 cases last year. To further stoke momentum, Diageo is currently investing $400 million to upgrade and expand Don Julio’s production capabilities, as well as increase its advertising and promotional spend. Brown-Forman’s Herradura is also steadily gaining ground, up 10% to 140,000 cases in 2015.
One of the most recent luxury entrants, Casamigos, has generated some major buzz of late. The brainchild of actor George Clooney, nightlife entrepreneur Rande Gerber and real estate mogul Mike Meldman, Casamigos features Blanco, Reposado and Añejo entries ($45.99-$54.99 a 750-ml.), and has advanced rapidly since its 2013 launch, more than doubling U.S. volume to 80,000 cases last year.
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REDMOND (WASH): When Microsoft began selling its last video-game console nearly eight years ago, there was no iPad, smartphones had keyboards and Facebook was mainly for college students. But it is against those devices and services, all of which have tr
TOKYO: Few foreign activist investors have made much headway in forcing change in Japan, where a conservative corporate culture favours long-standing ties with banks, business partners and workers rather than shareholders seeking value. Struggling electr
An American hedge fund billionaire known for starting big fights has called for a breakup of the entertainment and electronic colossus Sony, according to people briefed on the matter, possibly setting off a battle that could roil Japan's famously staid c
Burdened by loan payments for his car and a weighty credit card bill, Prabhu is looking to cut corners. In the past three months, he has passed up countless offers for parties, a holiday to Southeast Asia with friends and has almost given up eating out.
GameStop’s continuing margin expansion, growing new businesses and market share gains are the results of executing our strategic plan ... We look forward to capitalizing on the upcoming new console cycle.


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What you need to know
- Vermont has proposed a new bill to add emojis to license plates.
- The emoji would be an addition to the license plate number, not a replacement.
- What emojis would be available and at what cost is still unknown.
Emoji have quickly become an integral part of our communication structure. You find them in iMessages, emails, and slapped all over Instagram stories and Facebook reactions. Now, residents in Vermont might be able to bring them into the real world and display an emoji right on their license plate.
Reported by Engadget, Rebecca White, a Democrat in the Vermont House of Representatives, introduced a new bill that would allow residents of the state to display an emoji on their license plate.
"The bill, introduced by Democrat Rebecca White, would allow drivers to add one of six emoji to their license plates. The pictographs would be in addition to whatever combination of letters and numbers the state's Commissioner of Motor Vehicles assigns to a car or a driver picks for themselves."
So, while you can choose an emoji to add to your license plate, it does not replace a character in your actual license plate number. Your emoji will be displayed in addition to your license plate number, so you don't have to worry about having to draw the poop emoji the next time you need to write your number down.
While Vermont would be the first state in the United States to offer such a thing, it is not the first place in the world to do so.
"According to NBC 5, that distinction goes to Queensland, Australia. As of last year, people in the country's second-largest state have been able to add one of five emoji to their plates for about $336."
Vermont has not said which six emoji would be available to choose from yet, or what a license plate that featured an emoji would cost. It also has yet to pass the House of Representatives, but if it did, license plates would start to get a lot more colorful in the Northeast US.
Apple removes Plague Inc. from Chinese App Store
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Your next iPhone might have a removable battery
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Apple was fairly muted about coronavirus at its shareholder meeting
Despite its prevalence in global media, the coronavirus outbreak barely got a look in at Apple's annual shareholder's meeting yesterday.
Show off your iPhone XS with one of these clear cases
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A new charity called Fairgrow says it aims to help get fresh fruit and vegetables to Kiwis in need.
The charity will work with growers who can donate unsellable or excess produce. Fairgrow will also raise funds to purchase produce, such as marginal or unharvested crops.
Fairgrow was launched today by T&G Fresh.
"Covid-19 has turned many people's lives upside down and right now large numbers of Kiwis are finding it difficult to provide healthy and nutritious food to their families - and this need is outstripping what's currently being donated," managing director Andrew Keaney said.
Fairgrow would help by collecting surplus and donated fruit and vegetables from across its 1200 grower partners, as well as from its own business, "thereby building a community of growers and partners who have a bit or a bunch to spare," Keaney said.
It's estimated $872 million worth of food is wasted annually – representing 122,500 tonnes sent to landfill, Keaney said.
"We know addressing food insecurity will require everyone, including business, Government and community groups, to work together and take collaborative action," Keaney said.
"Fairgrow will help with this by also raising funds to buy produce when it's not in abundance or readily available, thereby providing Kiwis in need with greater availability throughout the year."
"Furthermore, at various times of the year, some produce might be left in the ground or on trees as it may not have a natural commercial home. Fairgrow will make financial contributions towards helping harvest and donate some of these crops."
In July 2020, T&G Fresh became a foundational partner of the New Zealand Food Network, which is a centralised hub, collecting and safely storing bulk donated food from producers and suppliers, and distributing it across the country to food rescues, iwi and charities.
"Using our existing infrastructure like our trucks, nationwide distribution network and cool stores, we'll efficiently aggregate donated produce from across the country, and work with our partners at NZFN, so they can get it out to communities who need it the most."
Peter Aarts, from Sundale Farms grows broccoli and potatoes in Pukekawa, South Auckland. He said he was proud to supply produce to Fairgrow.
"As third generation growers, we take immense pride in growing healthy vegetables. The last thing we want to see is any of this food go to waste."
"That's why we're incredibly proud to support Fairgrow with regular donations of broccoli, that way we can help address this critical issue in New Zealand."


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NEW YORK (Reuters): Ford Motor Co is rolling out new Lincoln models with a panoramic glass roof option to lure younger, more affluent buyers, as the No. 2 U.S. automaker tries to revive a luxury brand whose sales peaked two decades ago.
The new signature retractable 15-square-foot roof is just one feature designed to distinguish the 2013 Lincoln MKZ sedan from Ford’s mainstream models. It will be unveiled at the New York auto show this week, one of seven new or revamped Lincoln models to be rolled out by 2015.
The MKZ is the first Lincoln model since the 1970s to be crafted by an exclusive group of designers.
The design team is headed by Max Wolff, a former Cadillac exterior designer at General Motors Co, who is charged with creating vehicles that stand out in the luxury market, which IHS predicts will account for about 13 percent of U.S. auto sales this year.
“They are really trying to make an effort to differentiate them from a content standpoint, from a ride and handling standpoint, a quietness standpoint,” IHS Automotive analyst Rebecca Lindland said. Although the MKZ shares a platform with the Ford Fusion sedan, “it’s not just a tarted up Fusion,” she noted.
The Lincoln brand was the top-selling luxury nameplate in the United States in the 1990s. But last year, brand sales totaled 85,643, less than half the vehicles sold by Lexus, Toyota Motor Co’s luxury brand.
Lincoln is offering the MKZ with three different powertrain options, including a hybrid that can get 41 miles per gallon in the city, and a lane monitoring system. As a standard feature, the MKZ will also come outfitted with MyLincoln Touch, a touch-screen entertainment and navigation system.
Ford aims to lower the average age of Lincoln buyers to 57 years from 65, and raise their average income by more than 50 percent to nearly $160,000 a year.


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For the Executive Decision segment of "Mad Money" Thursday, Jim Cramer spoke with Tim Boyle, president and CEO of Columbia Sportswear (COLM) , the outdoor apparel maker that on Wednesday posted third-quarter earnings that beat the consensus estimate by 20 cents a share yet saw its shares lose ground in trading on Thursday.
Boyle said the company's Sorel brand continues to see strong sales, up 27% for the quarter. Sorel is not a new brand, he noted; it began with men's work boots and was popular with snowboarders in the 1990s. Today, Sorel has reinvented itself as a women's footwear brand and Boyle said the name has a lot of growth still ahead of it. Boyle said unlike most branded apparel, footwear is a high-ticket item that helps bolster sales.
Turning to China, Boyle said China remains Columbia's largest geographic opportunity and that it has been selling into that country for over 20 years. On the manufacturing side, Columbia has been moving out of China for several years, he said, because the economics and quality are better elsewhere in the world. For brands such as Sorel, however, it will take time before alternate manufacturing can be found.
Let's check out the charts and indicators to see if they fit the story.
In this daily Japanese candlestick chart of COLM, below, we can see that prices have been holding support found in the $92-$90 area since May. Buyers showed up each time price declined to that area. On Thursday prices broke below that zone, but by the close they were back in that area. Follow-through buying and a higher close here on Friday would help the longs to safely exhale. Many traders will quickly sell a stock that has broken to a new low, but to me the key is the close as sometimes buyers step away (maybe the algos are stuck on a train somewhere) and there is a temporary break of support. It is just a way of reminding you that technical analysis is not perfect.
The price decline has not hurt the rising 200-day moving average line, but the 50-day line is beginning to show a bearish slope. The On-Balance-Volume (OBV) line has declined from the middle of October, and that is not a good sign as it shows sellers have been more aggressive. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) oscillator just slipped below the zero line for a sell signal.
In this weekly candlestick chart of COLM, below, we can see that the $90-$80 area should be good support. The lower shadow on the weekly candle pattern is all below $90, suggesting that traders have been buyers below $90. Price strength here at week's end would go a long way to improving the picture. The weekly OBV line is pointed down and the MACD oscillator is bearish, and that should not be ignored.
In this Point and Figure chart of COLM, below, we can see a possible downside price target of $74, but also that prices are down in what should be a support zone.
Bottom line strategy: There is no denying that there are lots of negative signals on these charts, but I am impressed for now by how prices came back from the lows on Thursday. A lot is resting on how prices perform on Friday. Keep a buy ticket and a sell ticket ready (I'm dating myself).


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JD.com becomes first online platform to accept China's digital currency
The e-commerce firm has become the first online platform to accept Beijing's homegrown digital currency, digital yuan.
Chinese e-commerce company JD.com Inc said on Saturday it has become the country's first virtual platform to accept Beijing's homegrown digital currency.
JD Digits, the company's fintech arm, will accept digital yuan as payment for some products on its online mall, as part of an experimental giveaway of digital yuan to citizens of Suzhou, near Shanghai, according to a post on the company's official WeChat account.
China's digital yuan is one of the world's most advanced "central bank digital currency" initiatives, as authorities globally respond to threats from private currencies such as bitcoin and Facebook's Libra.
Under the Suzhou programme, the municipal government and the People's Bank of China (PBOC) will issue 200 digital yuan "red envelopes" to 100,000 consumers selected through a lottery.
Suzhou's scheme is the second such digital lottery, after the PBOC issued 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) worth of digital currency to 50,000 randomly selected consumers in the southern city of Shenzhen.
PBOC Governor Yi Gang said last month that more than 2 billion yuan had been spent using China's digital currency so far in 4 million separate transactions.
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In This Issue
Try these varieties to extend sales and consumer interest into fall.
How do we at Greenhouse Grower put together a content plan? Here are some details
Consumers need assurances that they can grow the plants they hesitate to buy. Growers and retailers can improve consumer confidence by observing their shopping patterns.
Growers can offer a valuable perspective that water councils across the country could use in establishing water policy.
This is the second article in a two-part series featuring research from Purdue University that focuses on energy-efficient production strategies for annual bedding plants.
Seek out young professionals in the industry and in your operation to develop new ways to do business, improve communication and address consumers. How have you cultivated ideas from younger generations?
Learn about how the sustainability program being developed by the California Cut Flower Growers’ Association (CCFC), in cooperation with SureHarvest, can help you.
This summer, the California Cut Flower Commission released a grower self-assessment sustainability workbook. Next on the commission’s agenda is to roll out a comprehensive sustainability certification program.
Embrace fall’s traditions to create new opportunities for fall sales.
The more I meet positive people and learn about successful endeavors, the more I understand that consistency, not power is the key.
Tagawa Greenhouses has spent the past year improving its production team, in part by tapping into young talent. Blending new employees fresh out of college with more experienced staff has yielded positive results for the company.
Researchers determined whether or not garden mums can be grown with controlled-release fertilizer, and if it reduces fertilizer leaching, as compared with water-soluble fertilizers.
In the last of a four-article series highlighting the production and use of pine wood chips as aggregates in greenhouse substrates, the researchers found growers do not need to adjust their production practices when 20 percent pine wood chips are used as a perlite replacement.
Reduce fertilizer and water, and allow your poinsettias to develop slowly during the final four weeks of production to avoid bract edge burn.
The founders of BloomNation are changing the way flowers are sold online by focusing on customer experience and florists’ autonomy.
Tagawa Greenhouses’ has recently taken steps toward improving its operations, which largely involved expanding and improving its production team. The production staff is now made up of many individuals from the younger generation. Meet some of the individuals who have worked their way up to management roles before the age of 30.
The 2014 Seeley Summit offered growers and industry professionals information and strategies for dealing with the issue of water scarcity.


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(KMOV) -- Popular Swedish retailer IKEA announced it will build a 380,000 sq. ft. store expected to open in fall 2015 in midtown St. Louis.
The company said during a Wednesday morning press conference the store will be located on Forest Park Ave. near Interstate 64. Ground breaking is planned for the summer of 2014.
According to IKEA, the two-story store will be built on top of a parking structure that will contain roughly 1,250 spaces. More parking will also be available in a lot to be constructed at Forest Park Ave.
The store, which will sit on 21 acres of land, is projected to generate $250 million in new taxes.
The project is expected to bring about 500 construction jobs and IKEA says it will hire 300 full-time workers.
Company officials said the store will have a prominent perch in the new CORTEX research park and will be the first IKEA location in Missouri.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said the store is part of retailers fleeing to the city instead of the suburbs like in the past.
In September 2012, St. Louis residents who were hoping for an IKEA were disappointed when the retailer said it was building its next Midwest store in the Kansas City area. That store is expected to open in Merriam, Ks. in the fall of 2014.
IKEA will still have to go through the permit process in the city and the Board of Aldermen would have to sign off on a tax increment financing package before IKEA officially buys the land.
Already, the board has approved a $168 million TIF for the entire CORTEX district. Each project area would get a portion of that. IKEA's project area is tied to another four acre site that is currently under negotiations for another tenant.
IKEA and the nearby site are eligible for a $37 million dollar TIF, said Otis Williams - the executive director of the St. Louis Development Corporation.
A request for information about state economic incentives was not answered by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Williams said that discussions have begun with the state for additional incentives, but no specific agreements have been made.
The look of the central corridor of St. Louis will change in other ways.
As part of the CORTEX district, CEO and President Dennis Lower said Cortex is working to raise approximately $10 million for a new MetroLink station on the Cortex campus. Lower said CORTEX hopes to raise the money and get approval from Metro in a year. If that happens, plans call for construction to begin in 2015 and the station to open by 2016.
Lower says he's often asked about transportation by international companies that express an interest in moving into CORTEX.
"One of the things that is always asked, and it's usually early in the conversation, is tell me about your public transportation," said Lower.
IKEA currently has 38 locations throughout the U.S. The closest stores to St. Louis are currently located in the Chicago area in Schaumburg and Bolingbrook, Ill.


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Suresh Vaswani is new chairman of Dell India, will oversee services
Wednesday, 6th April 2011
Dell Services, the information technology (IT) services arm of Nasdaq-listed personal computer manufacturer Dell, on Tuesday said former Wipro joint chief executive Suresh Vaswani would lead its applications and business process outsourcing (BPO) organisation as executive vice-president. Vaswani will also assume charge as chairman of Dell India. He will report to Steve Schuckenbrock, president of Dell Services.
�I am very happy and excited to join Dell and help lead the company�s transformation as we expand our services offerings,� said Suresh Vaswani. �I look forward to taking the application and BPO organisation to the next level, driven by next generation technology and services. Dell has a great presence in India and I look to enhancing its tremendous global delivery model to make Dell a leading technology solutions provider in India and reinforce its position as an employer of choice in the country.�
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Twic, the life benefits platform, has announced a new brand name—Forma—as well as a $40 million fundraising round.
The new name is part of the company’s broader rebranding effort and renewed focus on providing customized benefits that “form” to customer needs, it said. The company’s $40 million was raised in a Series B round that will be used to scale operations, bringing its total raised to date to more than $57 million. The founder and CEO of Shopify, co-founder of Airbnb and co-founder and CEO of Lattice all participated in the latest round, the company said in an announcement.
“Employers have historically provided cookie-cutter benefits models as they aren’t able to make benefits flexible at scale," Max Hsieh, co-founder and CTO, said in the announcement. "However, with the new ways of working brought on by the pandemic, employees now demand more flexibility and choice from employers. Forma’s life benefits platform answers a greater market need for flexible benefits as companies redefine the way they work and look for new ways to engage teams.”
Forma, which was founded in 2017, offers benefit categories that include basic health and protection, and money and health. The process to set up traditional benefits programs is “very inefficient,” co-founder and CEO Jason Fan told Fierce Healthcare. That’s not the fault of employees involved in building out those programs, he acknowledged; there is a lot of bureaucracy to navigate with few resources. As a result, programs can be rigid and not meet all the varying needs of a diverse workforce.
Forma hopes to shift the paradigm from “one size fits some” in benefits to the ability to choose based on any characteristic, including age group, gender, lifestyle and culture.
The company manages contracting, renewal, payments, sign-up, fulfillment and shipping for clients, and manages $500 million in benefits budgets annually for more than 125 companies, including Lululemon, Zoom and Stripe. The company’s revenue has grown four times over the past year, it said, and it has increased its customer base by 330%.
“We worked intentionally with Forma to create wellness, professional development, meal delivery, work-from-home, and now co-working space programs for Rhinos,” Julienne Fleury, vice president of people operations at Rhino, said in the announcement.
The deposit insurance company has a high employee engagement rate (80%) on Forma’s platform and relieves the administrative burden on the people operations team, Fleury said.


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It’s coming. Rihanna is set to launch her very first Fenty x Puma collection next month.
The sportswear brand took to Instagram on Monday (Aug. 22) to announce a Sept. 6 release date.
“As creative director, Rihanna fuses her independent approach to music and fashion with the sport-driven design of PUMA. The result is fearless,” says Puma.
Further details are unknown, but we are just two weeks away.


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Surprisingly, Ford was nowhere near the top list till Q1 in Norway sales. With its entry into the country, Ford came at the top of the sales. With every 10 electric cars sold, one of them was Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Norway is considered a leading country in terms of shifting towards battery electric vehicles. Additionally, the sales of battery electric vehicles in Norway are 60% of the registered new vehicles in May. Contrary to Europe’s popularity with plug-ins, Norway is into battery vehicles, where China’s Nio recently announced its plans in Norway.
The CEO of Ford Norway, Per Gunnar Berg also stated that they expect more steady supplies into the country. He said, “Although this is obviously big for us. Our realistic goal is that it should also be clearly visible on the statistics for several months to come.”
Further added, “We have received several ships with cars to Norway in the last month and expect steady supplies to continue in the coming months,”
As the country seeks to end the fuel and combustion cars by 2025, their tax exception on battery vehicles is an attractive offer.
In May, 1,384 Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles were registered in Norway. Which makes 10% of the market share. Earlier in April, Volkswagen defeated Tesla sales by having the highest sales. Now the market is dominating with Mustang Mach-E.
The competition is getting interesting as more companies are looking to enter the Norway market. And Ford plans to keep up with high sales. As said by the CEO, “Our realistic goal is to remain prominent in the sales statistics for several months to come.”
Norway EV market
Last year around this time, the Norway EV market had only 54% of the car sales. Despite being a small country with 34,886 battery-electric cars sold in 2021 till May. Yet the country is far ahead towards shifting to electricity.
Volkswagen being the top-selling EV in April, went to the third position in May. While Tesla is losing its sales with having the 4th highest EV sales. This data is as follows,
- Ford Mustang Mach-E – 1,384 (1,429 YTD)
- Skoda Enyaq iV – 795 (1,179 YTD)
- Volkswagen ID.4 – 774 (3,458 YTD)
- Tesla Model 3 – 504 (3,074 YTD)
- Mercedes-Benz EQC – 492 (2,083 YTD)
- Audi e-tron – 447 (2,897 YTD)
- Nissan LEAF – 285 (1,963 YTD)
- Polestar 2 – 280 (2,010 YTD)
- MG ZS EV – 195 (1,242 YTD)
- BMW i3 – 130 (846 YTD)
However, the success might not continue as the new EV models are known to top the sales with their entry. In 2019 when Tesla entered Norway sales, it was a top-selling EV. It is considered as the perks of pre-orders by those who wanted to order from early on.
Prior to the triumph of Mustang Mach-E sales, Ford has already mentioned its goals for Europe. By 2030, their Europe sales are to be all-electric. For the initial 30 months, the company is investing $1 billion in its electric vehicle sales.