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Ubisoft will host a New York exhibition on video game photography
Ubisoft announced the Picture Mode in-game photography exhibition that invites all virtual photographers to participate for the chance to see their best video game shots showcased in a physical gallery in New York.
Video game photography has slowly grown in popularity over the past few years, to the point that most, if not all, single-player video games offer some form of in-game camera system. gamers feature robust manual camera controls that mimic those of real cameras.
Ubisoft has embraced this growing trend and has become the first major publisher to hold a photography contest that will give fans a chance to win a spot in their New York exhibit as well as other prizes, including a top MSI Raider laptop. range” and an art print of their in-game photo.
“In-game photography isn’t just about capturing the most realistic, awe-inspiring, or animated images, it’s about exploring the growing relationships we develop with these beautifully immersive worlds,” Ubisoft says.
“Today, our ambition is to offer a vast field of expression to promising young artists who push the limits of photography. Above all, we want to show everyone the incredible diversity of art forms and artists that make up the ever-changing world of photography in games.
The Photomode contest is active until October 16, where users can upload photos in-game to be judged by Ubisoft’s chosen panel. Registration is free and judging will end on November 9. The competition will select winners in a variety of categories, including portraiture, outdoors and wildlife, experimentation, still architecture, movement, sports and storytelling. Ubisoft says it hopes to encourage players to capture stunning moments in Ubisoft’s virtual worlds and create a new aesthetic that reflects a personal touch. If it wasn’t clear, the entries must feature Ubisoft games.
To enter, players can submit up to four photos in a single Instagram or Twitter post using the hashtag #UbisoftPhotomode or via Ubisoft.com/Photomode. The top three winners will win a trip to New York to see their photos on display, and a high-end MSI Raider GE67HX laptop to run the latest games with a free Ubisoft+ subscription for one year. Additional prizes for the top 20 winners include subscriptions to Ubisoft+ and art prints of their photos.
The physical art gallery will be on display for four days in New York City (exact physical gallery dates and location were not disclosed) as well as a dedicated digital gallery that will remain on display until July 2023.
Picture credits: Ubisoft


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Bucking trends, Macy's to open hour earlier on Thanksgiving
Just hours after you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, while you're still in the depths of a turkey coma, you can stumble into a store to start on your holiday shopping.
Amid a trend of retailers keeping their doors closed on Thanksgiving, Macy's is doubling down. In a statement made to the Associated Press, Macy's announced its plans to open at 5 p.m. on Turkey Day. They'll stay open until 2 a.m., close their doors for three hours, and re-open at 5 a.m. for Black Friday.
Macy's said the reason for the change was "ongoing customer interest in shopping on Thanksgiving, both at Macy's and at many other retailers."
However, other retailers don't seem to see that interest. Indy-based HHGregg will stay closed, saying, "it's time to stop the madness." Mall of America, the largest shopping center in the U.S., will also keep its doors shuttered. And so will dozens of other retail chains across the country. Most of the businesses say they'd like to keep employees home with their families on the holiday.
In its statement, Macy's said it was trying to work with employees who volunteer to schedule for the holiday. "Doing so means that our employees are able to make their own decisions about how they contribute to our most important and busiest weekend of the year."
Macy's has been struggling against increased competition in recent years. In August, the company announced the latest round of store closures -- 100 in all, or about 15 percent of their remaining locations.
There are currently three Macy's in the great Indianapolis area -- at Glendale, Castleton Square Mall and Greenwood Park Mall.
Allison Carter is an engagement producer at IndyStar. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonLCarter.

domain: news


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Tesla Inc. is in a strong position heading into 2022, with catalysts including robust Chinese demand and new factory openings in the U.S. and Germany, according to Wedbush.
Shares in the electric vehicle maker could gain nearly 30% over the next 12 months, analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a note. He expects component shortages to ease next year, allowing Tesla to better meet growing demand in China, while new factories in Austin, Texas, and Berlin should alleviate global production bottlenecks.
“The linchpin to the overall bull thesis on Tesla remains China, which we estimate will represent 40% of deliveries for the EV maker in 2022,” Ives said, reiterating his outperform rating and $1,400 price target. The shares rose 1.4% in premarket trading to $1,109.22.
Tesla shares have had a stellar year, with a 55% gain that propelled the company’s market value above $1 trillion. CEO Elon Musk has been offloading stock since November, and said on Twitter last week that he is “almost done” with a target of reducing his stake by 10%.
Wedbush’s Ives estimates that by the end of 2022 Tesla will have capacity to produce about 2 million cars annually from around 1 million today. “Right now Tesla has a high-class problem of demand outstripping supply,” he said.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing below or go here for more info:


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Land Rover is offering the world the chance to win a space trip for four people in the hope of creating a three-month talking point around its new compact SUV.
VPE Tradigital Communications founding partner John Echeveste has stepped down from his role at the firm to become CEO of museum and cultural center LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.
The second group of inductees to the PRWeek Hall of Fame will be honored at a dinner in New York City on December 8.
SAN FRANCISCO: Reddit, a social networking site where users can submit and rate content, has launched a mobile app dedicated to its Ask Me Anything interviews in an effort to be proactive and grow.
Pizza Hut cooked up a 136-character statement quoting country music star Blake Shelton to promote its new Bacon Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza on Tuesday. Its launch was also timed for the beginning of football season.
Ben & Jerry's is inviting 18- to 34-year-olds from 11 European and Asian markets who are using business to "create social change" to claim a prize.
SPRINGDALE, AR: Tyson Foods' Foodservice division has launched a blog called The Corner Table, designed to build and strengthen the relationships the company has with chefs and food-service operators.
Apple, FBI investigate hacking of celebrity photos; Ketchum work with Gazprom ends; Uber shut down in Germany; Muir steps into anchor role at ABC News; Fast-food workers plan Thursday strike.
Global software company Progress Software has awarded Racepoint Global its European hub and UK market PR programme following a five-way pitch.
A 'tweet-powered' fashion show in which teenagers control every aspect from clothes to hair and make-up launches tomorrow in New York.
The man who succeeded Steve Jobs at the helm of Apple is making the company and its PR team "friendlier and more transparent", according to an in-depth investigation.
Kenya is looking for a global PR agency to help turn around a decline in the number of tourists and investors coming to the country following assaults by Islamist militias.
Social video experts Be On review the latest viral from Old Spice
Marketing, with the help of social media experts Unruly, showcases three must-watch branded Vines from Red Bull and Starbucks.
North America contributed $190.6 million in revenue in the second quarter and $361.4 million in the first half of the year, up 5.3% organically for the quarter and 4.5% for the six-month period.
As Cinnamon Toast Crunch turns 30, it's connecting with Millennials who are doing the same through social-media-driven giveaways and events.
Malaysia Airlines restructures and cuts thousands of jobs, but does not rebrand; Obama, wearing a brown suit, gaffes on ISIS; Rovio CEO to step down; NFL draws praise for reverse on domestic violence; Partners at LA-based PR firm split.
Twitter has rolled out an analytics tool called the tweet activity dashboard, aimed at helping the social network's users learn more about the impact of their tweets.
After beginning a search for an agency to attract tourism from the Japanese and Korean markets, Texas is looking for agency help reaching Chinese-speaking consumers in other Asian countries.
Grayson Emmett Partners, founded earlier this summer, is specializing in employee engagement and working with major brands in sectors such as banking and finance, manufacturing, and consumer products.
The FDA is closing in on providing prescription drug and medical device companies with a clearer indication of best social media practices.
Financial communications experts say Burger King has responded well to the political and social media uproar over its decision to move its corporate headquarters to Canada - and save millions in US taxes in the process.
Media stocks surge as Chinese President announced plans to merge media into 'strong, influential and credible' groups. But what does this mean for the PR industry?
Does David Gregory's exit from 'Meet the Press' signal the decline of Sunday morning talk shows? Public affairs pros say no. Yet that doesn't mean they can resist change.
Like the teams themselves, the NFL's brand partners are also putting their strategies in place for the 2014 season.
Consumer brands are tying CSR to their back-to-school campaigns, and reaching out to new audiences in the process.
The CPG giant is making plans to rid itself of more than half its brands. While it does so, it must push a message of innovation and cost savings, say experts.
Airlines may be tempted to trumpet their safety records or the general safety of air travel following a number of aviation disasters that have left hundreds of passengers dead.


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European Tuna Conference 2019 Opens With A Bang
The 2019 European Tuna Conference (ETC) is off to a great start – the opening session speeches highlighted some of the major topics concerning the tuna industry: illegal fishing, sustainability, and tuna stocks assessment.
Stefaan Depypere, ETC Conference Chair, Independent Consultant of SDP-Consult c.v., stated that illegal (IUU) fishing is a huge global problem and makes up 15% of the global seafood industry. He said that the tuna industry “needs to say firm and vigilant against illegal fishing” and countries need to work together to accomplish this goal. Also, he affirmed that the EU has taken measures to protect the industry from illegal fishing.
Touching on the topic of sustainability, he said that “tuna is a big business and that is why it is so important that the whole [supply] chain should be accountable and transparent; from net to the catch.”
What would the industry be without the source itself?
Scientist at the Institut De Recherches Pour Le Development, Dr. Alain Fonteneau, took a comprehensive look into tuna catches and stock assessments spanning decades, especially on tropical species in the equatorial regions.
He added that although most tuna stocks are fully exploited, most of the stocks (85% of world tuna catches) are estimated at being in good health. Dr. Fonteneau also highlighted that RFMOs are facing increasing pressure to be more efficient in controlling tuna fisheries but work remains difficult because of scientific and political reasons.
The state of the European tuna market was another interesting topic that was touched on by another speaker, Pierre Commère, Delegate General, Fish Processing Industry in Adepale, France. The EU market is essential when it comes to canned tuna product as it is the second largest producer worldwide when it comes to this product type.
Tuna expert and author of the book, Tuna Wars, Steven Adolf, gave the last talk of the opening session at the ETC. So, how well do we know our tuna? Adolf traced back into the history of tuna and how the most consumed fish in the world has been traded and been part of the world global economy since ancient times. The tuna expert also highlighted the importance of sustainability and how it has become “a weapon” in marketing. For example, how the dolphin-safe mark is more a marketing tool than a real sustainable certification.
The ETC continues today, May 6, 2019, until 18:30 CET.


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“It’s going to take a lot of iPhones, watches and Genius Bar appointments to cover the cost of the new glass-enclosed Apple store being built along the Chicago River on North Michigan Avenue,” Robert Channick reports for The Chicago Tribune.
“A construction permit issued by the city Friday put the price of the project at $62 million, not including the $375 permit fee deposit or the total permit fee of $11,059.97,” Channick reports. “The 20,000-square-foot store is going up, or more precisely, down, behind a temporary black wall lining the southern border of Pioneer Court at 401 N. Michigan Ave. Plans call for a high-profile but virtually transparent plaza-level entrance leading to the below-ground store overlooking the riverwalk.”
“Work has been going on for some time, but the construction permit is the green light to build out the facility to completion, city officials said Monday. The Apple store replaces a vacant food court at the site,” Channick reports.
Read more in the full article here.
I give [Apple] two years before they’re turning out the lights on a very painful and expensive mistake. – David Goldstein, Channel Marketing Corp. President, commenting on Apple’s plan to open retail locations, May 21, 2001


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Read the full article on Greenbook
Artificial intelligence is top of mind with virtually every marketer, even if many practitioners don’t believe they understand it. In their report “Artificial Intelligence for Marketers 2018: Finding Value Beyond the Hype” eMarketer reported that it is still early days for adoption, but “AI technologies — including machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing and computer vision — are starting to show real promise, despite significant hype and confusion in the marketplace. . . the majority of global business executives who have implemented AI said it has resulted in new insights and better data analysis, as well as more creative organizations that make better management decisions.”
And it makes sense why AI is suddenly in the spotlight these days. We’re at an once-in-a-generation convergence where all the pieces to extract the benefits of AI are coming together. There is an overabundance of data – with people living digitally mediated lives; there is an incredible amount of open source AI tools available for anyone to use (ie tensorflow); and the infrastructure necessary for AI computation is getting cheaper and easier to implement (ie AWS). Now a handful of data scientists at any company can gain business impact using AI in a couple of days, compared to a couple of months and millions in investments just a few years back. And with larger and larger data sets, it is the only practical tool to make sense of insights that are buried in the under the sheer weight of consumer observations.
But what really is AI, and how can it be applied to marketing and research? Are market researchers prepared to understand what it can and can’t do?
One of the fundamental difference for market research starts from the type of data being analyzed: traditional market research relies heavily on behavior that is reported via quant or qual surveys, whereas applications of AI for marketing, as applied to generating insights, are based on observed event-level behavior.
But just because there is a lot more data doesn’t mean an AI solution can be immediately implemented. AI-based solutions work best when we know the problem we are trying to solve – a goal that we are aiming for – so we can then build an AI-solution that optimizes towards that goal. In the case of market research, it could be defining unbiased consumer segments based on people who are most likely to purchase a product, visit a physical or online store, or interact with some marketing touchpoint.
The knowledge required to properly tune AI-models for these specific market research use-cases also requires years of domain expertise. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all AI solution and any company who says they do it is probably not being completely honest about their capabilities. Market Research professionals are wising up to this and kudos to them for calling it out.
In the recent Research Live post dubbing “AI” the word of the year, Annie Pettit, research methodologist weighed in, “This year, services using basic text searches, linear algorithms, or higher level predictive functions have rebranded or changed their marketing strategies to promote themselves as artificial intelligence. As such, we are currently in a state of buyer beware when it comes to AI. Buyers should ask detailed questions, insist on speaking to the engineers behind the products, and find out whether you’re paying for AI or for marketing.”
Tom Ewing, head of communications, at the UK based System1 Group, shared his cautionary POV: “(AI) … can mean anything from the genuinely uncanny to ‘we have a chatbot’. AI and machine learning are going to change research, but a lot (not all!) of the conversation about it is frustratingly unspecific.”
We couldn’t be happier that AI, Machine Learning and Data Science are assuming their rightful place as tools to generate actionable consumer insights. Dstillery has been a data science company for almost 10 years, first as applied to the optimization of media (where we’ve gained years of domain expertise that allows us to create AI solutions perfectly tailored for market research research applications), now applied to many other decision support applications involving discovery and activation of new customers.
As experienced data scientists, we can be highly specific about the kind of insights that can be revealed through AI, machine learning and data science. Data scientists know the difference between the hype and the authenticity of these tools. The application of AI is yielding rich insights about consumers’ journeys and “paths to purchase” based on geo spatial data, browser data and consumer’s interactions with online content. When marketers can analyze vast amounts of actual observed behavior, rather than rely on relatively small amounts of reported behavior coming from surveys, insights can be revealed answering questions marketers didn’t even know to ask.
Most assuredly Buyers need to be confident that their trusted advisors for Data Science are competent, experienced, credentialed professionals who are were born data scientists. Buyers should beware of MR practitioners, however skilled in traditional qual and quant research methodologies, who have simply appliqued this current buzzword of AI to their older offerings, and called themselves experts in “data driven insights”. Even those in the facet of the MR business focused on text analytics and social media monitoring don’t necessarily have the expertise to advise on the full potential of data science to transform the world of MR.
Insights professionals, at consultancies and supplier partners, need to understand just what these tools can do and how they can complement services they will continue to offer. We predict marketers and their research suppliers will look for explanations and examples, in plain English, that reveal the ROI for deploying machine learning and AI solutions.
AI isn’t magic. However, it does have the ability to completely revolutionize an industry that hasn’t had major technological advancements in almost a decade.
In the hands of skilled data scientists, with domain expertise, it can provide new ways of finding meaningful and actionable stories, discovering new unique consumer audiences and helping companies drive brand growth.
Once the power of AI is de-mystified and better understood, we predict it will become the preferred method for brands for generating insights and understanding consumer behavior.


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Krafton is gearing up for the much-awaited PUBG New State 0.9.30 update that will be dropped out shortly. As usual, the developers will temporarily take the servers down for maintenance before the global release.
The game servers will be taken down while the PUBG New State 0.9.30 update maintenance lasts. As a result, PUBG New State will be inaccessible for a few hours, and players can’t enter the game until the update drops out.
This article lists the details of the PUBG New State 0.9.30 update maintenance schedule that Krafton has announced officially on their website.
PUBG New State 0.9.30 Update – Release Date
The PUBG New State 0.9.30 update will release on April 21, 2022 (UTC). As always, the servers will be taken down for maintenance. As soon as it drops, players can download the update from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Moreover, players can bag a bunch of free rewards when they update the game to the latest version. However, make sure to initiate the update at your earliest, as the rewards are valid for a certain period.
The maintenance for the PUBG New State 0.9.30 update will be held on April 21.
- Maintenance Schedule: Apr. 21, 00:00 – 06:00 (UTC+0)
You will not be able to access the game once the maintenance begins. The maintenance schedule may change depending on emergent issues. Any changes will be announced on this notice.
As soon as the maintenance break is over, players can download the latest 0.9.30 update from Google Play Store and Apple Store. The expected size of the update is around 1.5GB, and players will require 3GB of free storage space on their smartphones to install it.
These are some of the most notable changes of the PUBG New State 0.9.30 update:
- New Weapon: MCX
- New Weapon: Grenade Launcher
- 10x Deca Vision
- Poison Grenade
- New Party Features
- In-game improvements


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China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba has announced it will launch an online streaming service in China in the next two months.
Inspired by Netflix and HBO, Alibaba’s new content streaming service Tmall Box Office – or known as TBO – will focus on bringing in foreign content as well as promoting in-house original productions.
Patrick Liu, president of Alibaba’s entertainment business unit, said on Sunday at a press conference in Shanghai that the company aims to redefine home entertainment and become successful as Netflix and HBO in the United States.
Liu also said that 90 percent of TBO’s content will be charged either on monthly or pay-per-view basis while the remaining 10 percent will be available for free.
Learn more in our Global Ready China Seminars
Article: Marketing Interactive


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The founder and former executive chairman of electric truck startup Nikola, Trevor Milton, has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on three counts of criminal fraud for making false and misleading statements to investors. The charges, brought by the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, follow a year of turmoil for Milton, who resigned from the company in September 2020.
A year ago, things were looking good for Nikola. The company was drumming up hype about its Badger pickup (pictured above), which was to be sold with electric and hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains, and was about to announce a partnership with General Motors, with GM engineering and assembling the Badger and taking a stake in Nikola. Soon after, however, a short seller called Hindenburg Research released a report accusing Nikola of fraud and specifically accusing Milton of lying about the technology and capabilities of Nikola’s vehicles. The fallout from the report saw Milton resign and GM back partly out of the deal, saying in November that it would only supply the fuel cells for the Badger.
According to the indictment, from November 2019 until his resignation in September 2020, Milton allegedly deceived investors into buying Nikola shares by making untruthful statements regarding the company’s products and underlying technology. Following the indictment, Nikola released a statement clarifying that “today’s government actions are against Mr. Milton individually, and not against the company” and that “Nikola has cooperated with the government throughout the course of its inquiry
Last November, Nikola confirmed that it had received grand jury subpoenas from the Department of Justice regarding the fraud allegations, and in February, after an external review by a law firm, the company admitted that both it and Milton had made partially or completely inaccurate statements. Prosecutors in the indictment claim these false statements caused individual investors in Nikola to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Milton had previously tweeted that he would stand up against “false allegations” before deleting his Twitter account in September of last year and vanishing from the public eye. In its statement, Nikola said it is “focused on delivering Nikola Tre battery-electric trucks later this year.” The Tre is a cab-over semi truck that Nikola claims will have a 753.0-kWh battery and 350 miles of range, with production to begin this year and a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain joining the lineup in 2023. Nikola’s stock prices dropped 10 percent in pre-market trading today following news of the indictment.
The McLaren 765LT, the stripped-down, track-focused Longtail counterpart to the 720S, is the third-fastest car at our annual Lightning Lap test with a time of 2:38.4 around Virginia International Raceway’s Grand Course. That’s not its only accomplishment at VIR. It also hit the fastest speed we’ve ever recorded—174.6 mph—on the front straight. Now there’s a Spider convertible model available to order, and like the coupe it’s limited to 765 units.
Its one-piece carbon retractable hardtop can be raised and lowered in 11 seconds (quicker than the 675LT Spider) can operate at speeds up to 31 mph. McLaren says it provides more headroom than the Coupe, even with the top up. The Spider also has a power rear window that can be lowered even when the roof is up like the 720S Spider (or the Toyota 4Runner), and you’ll have to pay extra for air conditioning or a sound system. The 765LT Spider is 108 pounds heavier than the coupe, McLaren says.
The Spider is still powered by McLaren’s M840T twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that makes 755 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. McLaren says the Spider will reach 60 mph in 2.7 seconds, the same as the coupe. In our test of the 720S Spider, we reached 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. The 765LT Spider is equipped with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires and features all the same weight-saving measures and aerodynamic elements as the coupe.
McLaren will only build 765 units of the 765LT Spider, and it’s available to order now starting at $388,000.
Henrik Fisker’s EV startup will bring a production version of the battery-electric Ocean SUV to the Los Angeles auto show this fall, following its first appearance at nearly two years ago at the CES technology show. Promised to come with a 300-mile range and a $37,499 starting price,prior to any incentives, the Ocean is slated to be produced by Austria’s Magna Steyr starting next fall, using Magna’s own EV architecture.
The SUV is due to enter production in the fourth quarter of 2022, a timeline from which Fisker has not backed away from since the deal with Magna was announced, with the Los Angeles auto show later this year serving as its big debut. Testing of production prototypes is set to start later this year, with the company stating that it has 17,300 paid reservations for the SUV so far in addition to 62,000 hand-raisers, as well as fleet orders from companies including Onto, Viggo, and Credit Agricole Consumer Finance.
“Our reservation and order process was designed from the outset to be transparent, to prioritize quality over quantity and to ensure our stakeholders have confidence in the commitment of our reservation holders,” said Fisker chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker. “As we get closer to launch, we will be working with our prospective owners to transition their reservations into contracted orders. We have many loyal supporters of the company waiting for their Ocean, and the reservation system is purposely designed to be fair to those who reserve with the intention to ultimately take delivery.”
The company also plans to open six Fisker Brand Experience Centers. The first such locations will open their doors in early 2022 in Los Angeles and Munich, with the rest (likely New York, Copenhagen, Miami, and London) scheduled to open in the second half of 2022. The centers are expected to serve as analogues to various company-owned stores launched by a number of other automakers, an approach popularized by Tesla, where customers can experience the Fisker models, talk to vehicle experts, and place orders.
Fisker the company has been on the periphery of EV startups the past few years, after briefly offering its Fisker Karma range-extended electric sedan early last decade, starting in 2011. That was a year before the Tesla Model S debuted, and for a brief time the two looked they had about equal chances of success in the marketplace. But just under 2500 examples of the Karma ended up being produced, with the effort stalling after its battery supplier entered bankruptcy. Since that time, the remains of the Karma project had been bought up by a Chinese industrial giant and rebranded as Karma Automotive, while Henrik Fisker has been plotting a return to the EV game under his own name, which has been imminent for quite some time.
That return began to seem more likely almost a year ago when the company announced that it had reached a deal with Austria’s Magna International to produce the Fisker Ocean SUV.
The Ocean will also arrive in a markedly different EV landscape than that of just a few years ago, as the list of competitors by late 2022 will be quite extensive. Just how Fisker will be able to distinguish itself and grab a slice of the EV pie given all the other players that will be in the game by then remains to be seen.
“With less than 500 days to run before we start on-time production of the Fisker Ocean, we are simultaneously focused on crafting our customer journey,” Fisker added. “Our brand experience centers will be the primary physical touchpoint for the majority of our prospective customers. Our global rollout plans are focused on the largest metropolitan areas for electric vehicle adoption—and where we can meet the greatest number of our reservation holders.”
Toyota’s Prius lineup in the U.S. used to include several distinct models but has now shrunk to include just the standard Prius and the Prius Prime plug-in-hybrid. But while the larger Prius V and the smaller Prius C disappeared from our shores years ago, the Prius C has continued on elsewhere in the world. It’s especially popular in Japan, where it’s known as the Aqua, and a redesigned version is set to go on sale in Toyota’s home market soon.
The new Aqua looks far more modern than before both inside and out and rides on a new platform with a 2.0-inch longer wheelbase. Its gas-electric powertrain uses a 1.5-liter inline-four gasoline engine combined with electric motor-generators, and it’s available with either front- or all-wheel drive. A new system called Comfort Pedal is able to use the regenerative braking system to similar effect as found in many EVs; lifting off the gas pedal activates the regen to slow the car, meaning drivers won’t need to use the brake pedal as often.
We don’t expect to see the Prius C nameplate return to the U.S. market anytime soon, meaning the Aqua will remain a JDM-only oddity for the time being. But we may see the Comfort Pedal system or some of its styling elements on future U.S. models.
The semiconductor chip shortage that’s affecting new vehicle supply and causing used car prices to climb is officially, concretely affecting new car sales. It’s not a surprise and dealers and shoppers all knew this was coming, but now we have the data to prove it.
Numbers collected by Black Book, Hearst’s data and analytics arm, show that new-car sales for June were down about 14 percent compared to 2019 (2020 is not a good marker to look at for comparison to what’s “normal,” since that was during the pandemic). This was the first month where the shortage affected actual sales. As you can see in the chart above, which shows the average number of new listings using a two-week moving average, the number of new vehicles available in the marketplace has dropped substantially.
Starting from a base of around 3.4 million units in May 2020, the number of new-vehicle retail listings dropped off to around 2.5 million by last July. But then it stopped declining, hovering between around 2.2 and 2.7 million for about nine months. Things started to decline in May and have only just continued to fall. For mid-July 2021, the number of new retail listings is around 1.2 million.
“We saw a substantial drop in available new inventory starting early in the spring due to chip shortage,” said Alex Yurchenko, senior vice president of data science and analytics at Black Book. “The inventory was dropping fast throughout the spring [as] dealers were selling everything they got with very low incentives and high speed.”
Looking forward, the second half of 2021 is likely to be another wild roller coaster for people looking to buy and sell cars.
“We expect the sales to remain below 2019 (and 2020) levels at least in Q3 with some rebound later this year,” Yurchenko said. “The timing is still a big unknown. Even talking to OEMs does not help. Once the production numbers are restored, we expect the incentives to go up as many OEMs will fight to regain market share.”
Around 17 million cars were sold in the U.S. in 2019, the fifth year in a row the industry moved that much metal. Yurchenko said Black Book’s current projections for 2021 sales remain at 16 million, with sales numbers dropping in the third quarter, and possibly also the fourth, due to the shortage.
“Our current view is that it will get worse before it gets better,” he said.
Hyundai has priced its new compact pickup competitively, but not as low as its chief rival the Ford Maverick. The new 2022 Santa Cruz starts at $25,175 compared with the Maverick’s base price of $21,490.
Granted, the Santa Cruz is better-equipped in its base form than the Maverick is. The SE comes standard with features such as 18-inch wheels, several driver-assistance features, and a remote-opening tailgate. It has a 2.5-liter inline-four engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive.
All-wheel drive is a $1500 option for all models equipped with the base 2.5L engine, which also includes the SEL, starting at $28,375. The SEL offers an Activity package for an extra $3270 for either FWD or AWD models, but Hyundai has yet to say exactly what’s included with that option.
The optional turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four engine is available starting in the $36,856 SEL Premium model, which comes standard with all-wheel drive. The loaded Santa Cruz Limited also has the more powerful turbo engine and all-wheel drive; it starts at $40,455.
Hyundai’s online configurator lists FWD SEL Premium and FWD Limited versions as well, but the company has yet to release pricing for those models.
Expect to see 2022 Santa Cruz models rolling into Hyundai dealerships later this month, as the pickup has already started production at the company’s plant in Alabama.


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Freshpet (FRPT 0.37%) picked the wrong time to fall short. The provider of premium refrigerated pet food announced at an ICR Conference presentation on Wednesday -- and then shortly after that via press release -- that its fourth-quarter results would miss its initial guidance.
Two months ago, Freshpet management anticipated that sales for all of 2020 would exceed $320 million. Give that it had already rung up $234.3 million through the first three quarters of the year, that would have required fourth-quarter revenues to top $85.7 million. Analysts -- choosing to take the over given Freshpet's recent history of offering up conservative guidance -- were holding out for an average of $88.4 million. But preliminary net sales for Q4 landed at just $84.5 million.
This isn't the time for investors to panic. If anything, it's actually a good time to watch the growth stock in case it dips on the news, and take the opportunity to buy into this disruptive company.
It's raining cats and dogs
Freshpet isn't just another provider of high-priced foods for your canine or feline. It has also made some extremely clever moves to differentiate itself from its peers.
Stroll through the aisles of your neighborhood grocery store looking for pet food, and you'll mostly see bagged dry kibble or canned options. What you won't see are many fresh choices that require refrigeration. A retailer isn't going to stock pet food in the same coolers where it puts the human food -- that would be off-putting to more than a few shoppers.
But Freshpet made the brilliant call a few years ago to start cutting deals with major supermarket chains and mass-market retailers to install its own branded refrigerators for its wares in their stores.
As a result of those negotiations, it now has 22,371 of those fridges in stores across the country. That might not seem like such a big deal, but think about it. Do you think supermarket chains will be willing to commit a lot more of their retail space to specific companies' branded coolers? Of course not. This should limit Freshpet's competitors in the high-end refrigerated market to selling through specialty pet food stores or directly to consumers. Freshpet is the only player in this niche that provides the convenience of being available where you shop every week anyway.
There's no such thing as a good miss, and let's not sugarcoat this one. Freshpet's share price soared by 140% last year as a thinking investor's growth stock. After the "shelter in place" mandates kicked in during the early months of the pandemic, pet adoptions soared. The "humanization of pets" trend finds us treating our furry friends like members of the family, so of course many pet owners are ready to spring for fresh dog or cat food over dry kibble. Freshpet was -- and is -- sitting at the intersection of two big trends. How can it go wrong? Well, its $84.5 million in revenues may have been a beefy 28% above the $65.8 million it brought in during Q4 2019, but it was barely above the $84.2 million it served up in Q3 2020.
The counterargument to this is that the miss may have only been a hiccup -- and one that Freshpet unintentionally orchestrated. Demand has been so strong for the company's products that it's building a new kitchen facility in Texas that will more than double its production capacity by the middle of next year. When demand spiked a few months ago, management pared back its advertising to make sure it could meet the needs of its existing customer base within its current capacity constraints.
Freshpet will still increase its revenue by nearly 30% for all of 2020 -- its fourth consecutive year of accelerating top-line growth. It remains a uniquely positioned growth stock with a world of opportunity in its future. You can't applaud any miss, but some are easier to forgive than others.


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BANGKOK, 18 August 2011 – Tune Hotels, the pioneering value hotel chain, has come on board as a co-sponsor of the ‘EBA Share Love Charity Concert’ that seeks to raise funds to buy dialysis machines for Chulalongkorn Hospital.
Commenting on the co-sponsorship, Tune Hotels Group CEO Mark Lankester says: “Tune Hotels is very honoured at this opportunity to be part of the Share Love Charity Concert and to work together with Chulalongkorn University students and alumni to raise funds for such a noble cause. Kidney problems have become a big threat to our well-being today as it continues to affect the population regardless of age. We hope our small contribution towards this charity event will go a long way in benefiting kidney patients especially at Chulalongkorn Hospital.”
The organisers are targeting to purchase at least one new dialysis machine that costs 1.5 million Baht for Chulalongkorn Hospital.
Organised by students and alumni of Chulalongkorn University’s Bachelor of Arts in Economics (EBA), the charity concert will feature two of Thailand’s hottest bands – Armchair Pop Band and Mild Band, and will be staged at the M Theater on Petchaburi Road, Bangkok. The event is also to mark the 10th anniversary of the EBA programme at Chulalongkorn University.
Tickets for the concert to be held on 27 August 2012 are priced at 2000, 1500, 1000 and 800 Baht each. More information on the charity concert is available from its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/EBAShareLoveCharityConcert.
Chulalongkorn University is one of Thailand’s most prestigious universities, while Chulalongkorn Hospital is a public hospital named after King Rama V.
According to Lankester, this involvement marks the commencement of a number of initiatives in Thailand from Tune Hotels. As a young and exciting brand, introducing itself to the Thai youth market via music and through association with hot bands like Mild Band and Armchair Pop Band is a natural part of its engagement mission.
“We are consistently looking at ways to support the local community where we operate. Apart from contributing to worthwhile causes like fund raising for Chulalongkorn Hospital, it makes it all the more special when we are involved alongside incredible Thai homegrown musical talent in giving back to society. Armchair Pop Band and Mild Band are fantastic artists and we are delighted to be in co-operation with them in connecting Tune Hotels to their considerable number of fans and staying updated with us on Facebook,” adds Lankester.
The first Tune Hotel in Thailand is expected to open in Hatyai in December 2011, with Pattaya opening in February 2012 . Phuket and Bangkok hotels will also be opening within next year.
Tune Hotels currently has 12 hotels located in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, KLIA-LCCT Airport, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Damansara, Bintulu and Kota Bharu in Malaysia; Kuta and Legian in Bali, Indonesia; and London Westminster in the UK.
In just four years since opening its first hotel in downtown Kuala Lumpur in 2007, over two million people have stayed at Tune Hotels. Apart from Thailand, more Tune Hotels are scheduled for opening in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Australia and the UK.
Its popularity and high service quality have earned Tune Hotels numerous accolades. It was recently named among Top 20 Most Innovative Brands in Indonesia by MIX magazine, the country’s leading marketing communication publication. Standing at number nine, Tune Hotels was the only hotel brand on the list. Meanwhile, Tune Hotel Westminster in London was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the world’s largest travel website TripAdvisor, as a “result of consistently great feedback” from the hotel guests.
For real-time updates and promotion updates, guests can stay connected with Tune Hotels via Facebook at www.facebook.com/tunehotels and on Twitter via www.twitter.com/tunehotels.
For booking and further information, visit www.tunehotels.com.


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2 – Siggi’s (Icelandic yogurt): Yogurt isn’t supposed to taste like candy
By Elaine Watson
- Last updated on
Siggi’s – the brainchild of New York City-based consultant Siggi Hilmarsson - launched in 2004, secured national distribution with Whole Foods in 2008 and notched up revenues of $17m in 2013.
Icelandic yogurt or ‘skyr’ is thick, high in protein and low in sugar, and taps into a trend for more authentic, simple foods with a less sweet flavor profile that is also infiltrating the beverage aisle with products such as Hint Water and Dry Sparkling.
In 2014/15 Siggi’s has expanded into more conventional grocery channels including Target, Kroger and Safeway, said Dr Richardson.


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Little souls shine brightly at Pekin art camp
PEKIN — Kids aren't usually encouraged to get their hands dirty, but at the Soulshine Art Studio, it's expected.
"I can't wait to try this," said Rex Wendelin, 6, as he dipped his hands into a bowl of grayish water and wet down a lump of clay that soon would become his first bowl spun on a pottery wheel.
Art teacher Erica Ziegenbein has been running Soulshine since March of 2017 out of a converted, and artfully decorated, garage in the back of the Mansion on Walnut, 420 Walnut St., in Pekin. The Mansion is a venue for weddings, banquets and other social events, but had plenty of space Tuesday for ten kids, a teacher and a helper.
"Our goal is just to give kids somewhere to come and hang out in a low-stress environment and just kind of try out all sorts of different creative mediums," said Ziegenbein. From pottery to painting, sculpture to collages, and even yoga exercises — "we're a candy store of sorts."
Although most kids start out a little overwhelmed by all the activity, Ziegenbein says that when they settle into their routine, "their creativity really comes out."
"You can see the critical thinking start, and you can see the problem-solving and the planning...so it's really fun to watch that transformation."
This week's camp, which runs through Friday, is called The Art of Mindfulness, and according to the studio's Facebook page stresses, among other things, positivity, self-respect, communication, healthy choices and "peace in a digitally-dependent culture."
In the coming weeks, the studio will be hosting a popular Harry Potter camp that's expected to draw at least three dozen kids, and its first-ever Star Wars camp. For more information, visit https://www.soulshinepekin.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/soulshineartstudiopekin/ and https://www.facebook.com/pg/soulshineartstudiopekin/events/


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Bored with the same old burgers and franks? With more than 200 million people cooking on a grill each year, you are not alonei. In fact, according to a new KRC Research and JACK’S® Pizza survey, Americans are stuck in a grilling rut and keep returning to the same mundane menu options. The survey, which looked at Americans’ boredom with traditional grilled foods, found that two-thirds are grilling hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and steak frequently.
“After a historically cold winter, families are excited to finally get outside and fire up the grill,” says Mohini Joshi, Brand Director, JACK’S Pizza. “This summer is the perfect time to rethink your grilling repertoire because our recent survey found that both hardcore and casual grillers alike are looking for more food options to throw on the grill, including frozen pizza.”Burger Boredom and Frankfurter Fatigue
JACK’S Pizza Burger Boredom Survey, which surveyed 1,000 adult respondents nationwide about their grilling habits and food fatigue, revealed that nearly 8 in 10 consumers want more choices when it comes to what lands on the grill – especially foods that are quickly and easily prepared. The survey also found:
- Nearly 40% of Americans admit to being bored with standard grilling options such as hot dogs and hamburgers, with 50% noting that they grill hamburgers all or most of the time.
- More than 4 in 10 Americans would consider grilling frozen pizza, with more than a third saying they would like to give it a try.
- With 46% of moms and dads nationwide struggling with burger boredom and frankfurter fatigue, they are more open to grilling new foods such as frozen pizza (54%), compared to households with no kids (39%).
- Of those who use grills once a week or more with their family, 45% are from the Northeast and 43% from the Midwest regions.
Combining the ease of grilling with a meal that always delights, grilling JACK’S Pizza is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Now you can bring an indoor family favorite outdoors with these quick-and-easy cooking instructions tailored specifically for gas grills. The result? Crispy, hot, delicious pizza every time.
Turn your backyard cookout into a pizza party with three simple steps:
- Heat your gas grill to 400°F with the lid closed,
- Place the pizza directly on the center of the grate, and
- Cook for a total of 12 to 15 minutes – rotating half a turn approximately seven minutes into the cook time.
JACK’S Pizza, an affordable and great-tasting summer mealtime solution, is available nationwide at your local grocery, drug and convenience stores – visit www.nestleusa.com/product-locator to find a store with your favorite JACK’S Pizza in stock.
JACK’S Pizza Ultimate Grill Takeover Sweepstakes
What’s more, JACK’S Pizza is offering Facebook fans the chance to win a free gas grill to enjoy delicious pizza cooked outside this summer in the JACK’S Pizza Ultimate Grill Takeover sweepstakes.* From May 19 through August 9, fans are invited to visit www.JacksGrilling.com to enter for a chance to win in the weekly gas grill giveaways.
Named one of “The World’s Most Admired Food Companies” in Fortune magazine for seventeen consecutive years, Nestlé provides quality brands that bring flavor to life every day. From nutritious meals with LEAN CUISINE® to baking traditions with NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE®, Nestlé USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverages that make good living possible. That’s what “Nestlé. Good Food, Good Life” is all about. Nestlé USA, with 2013 sales of $10 billion, is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world’s largest food company with a commitment to Nutrition, Health & Wellness — with 2013 sales of $99 billion. For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or Facebook.com/NestleUSA.


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Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has announced the first train within the Amber Train project has departed from Muuga port.
Amber Train is a joint railway project aiming to create a new railway corridor between Northern and Western Europe through the Baltic States, targeting integrated logistics for Finnish cargo.
The project marks an important step towards shifting more goods to the sustainable transport mode rail, according to HHLA.
The first train departed from Muuga in Northern Estonia towards Kaunas Multimodal Terminal in Lithuania on 13 September.
The new corridor, tested for the first time, is expected to facilitate multimodal trade, offering more environmentally friendly and safer ways to transport goods from the Baltic States and Scandinavia, mainly Finland, to Western Europe and vice versa.
Once operational, the Amber Train is scheduled to run twice a week on Muuga-Kaunas-Muuga route.
HHLA’s subsidiary, HHLA TK Estonia, provides the handling cargo in the terminal of Muuga.
“For the Amber Train, HHLA TK Estonia takes on all multimodal terminal services, ensuring a smooth transition from ship to rail and vice versa,” said Riia Sillave, CEO of Estonia’s largest freight terminal HHLA TK Estonia.
“We will strengthen our role as a hub in Baltic Sea traffic in order to be ready as a future Rail Baltica freight terminal and its Europe-wide connection.”
The Amber Train is a cooperation project of the railway companies of the Baltic States and run by AS Operail.
Cooperation partners include Estonian railway infrastructure manager AS Eesti Raudtee, Latvian and Lithuanian rail freight companies LDZ Cargo and LTG Cargo, loading terminals HHLA TK Estonia in the Estonian Muuga and Kaunas Intermodal Terminal in Lithuania.
The group’s revenue rose by almost 10 per cent to €779.5 million ($797 million) in H1 2022, benefiting from a further increase in storage fees and longer dwell times for containers at its facilities.


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By Sid Salter
STARKVILLE – It is telling that Gov. Haley Barbour – the man who was famously “against raising anybody’s taxes” – waited until he had one foot out the door of state government to embrace a tax that should have been collected all along.
In recent days, Barbour came out in favor of the Marketplace Fairness Act – a federal plan to tax e-commerce. The legislation would allow states to collect taxes on items purchased online or through catalogs which currently isn’t collected because of a federal moratorium.
In the infancy of the online or e-commerce boom, Barbour staunchly opposed collecting existing state sales taxes on e-commerce. That opposition from Barbour came despite the obvious unfairness to local merchants who were forced under state law to collect state sales taxes while the online merchants without a physical business domicile in Mississippi were allowed to operate at a 7 percent price advantage.
In other words, the hammer you bought at the local hardware store cost you 7 percent more than the same hammer purchased online. Local merchants and the trade and business associations that represented them howled at the unfairness of the tax policy, but like Barbour, no conservative politician wanted to be accused of raising “anybody’s taxes” so the left the inequity to fester.
But now, Barbour sees it differently: “The federal government ought to get rid of that policy and allow states to collect sales tax,” Barbour said in recent days.
Under the Marketplace Fairness Act, states would have to rewrite their tax laws in certain areas to participate. In particular, states would have to write their laws to require that the sales tax be collected at the point of delivery rather than at the point of sale.
But Barbour’s original claim – that he was against “raising anybody’s taxes” – will still be true. Collecting sales tax on online purchases of items that are already subject to sales tax in Mississippi isn’t a new tax by any stretch of the imagination. It’s an existing tax that the state has failed to collect and that big corporations have fought to avoid.
Congress gave those corporations cover. But now, even mighty Amazon.com has seen the light and agreed to voluntarily collect state sales tax. The technology exists to do it. And the failure to do so remains as unfair to mom-and-pop, Main Street merchants as it was a decade ago.
A 2009 University of Tennessee study estimated that Mississippi lost between $102.1 million and $117.4 million in uncollected legal sales taxes due in 2010 and estimated Mississippi’s online sales tax collection losses between the period of 2007 and 2012 to be between $616.5 million and $667.6 million. That’s not from new taxes, that’s from uncollected present taxes.
Perhaps there’s one argument that conservative Mississippi lawmakers can embrace. Congress, after years of letting the lobbyists hold sway over the online sales tax issue, has the issue in its sights. If individual states like Mississippi don’t move quickly and decisively to collect existing state sales taxes and use that revenue to fund state government, then Congress is certain to look at online sales as a potential federal tax source.
But what is clear is that as Barbour was in 2003, Bryant is on record against collecting existing state sales taxes on online sales. Why? He’s planning on facing the voters again and doesn’t want to do so with accusations that he raised taxes.
Still, it’s clear that online sales tax collection isn’t a new tax at all. It’s full and fair collection of an existing tax that should be collected.
Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Business forum for national entrepreneurs organized in KoreaEconomy
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry organized event titled ‘Role of Mongolian expats in Korea in SME development’ on May 24-28. Over 40 entities participated in ‘Made in Mongolia 2019’ trade fair, selling MNT 19.8 million worth products.
In addition to Mongolian expats in Korea, the event attracted many Korean residents. A total of eight entities that produce wool, cashmere, leather, sewn products and national costumes signed Memorandums of Cooperation with each other.
Business forum for Mongolians in Korea, B2B meetings for business entities, project competition and training on project writing were also organized during the event. Participants requested to organize the event annually and more widely.
Delegates of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry met with the representatives of SME and Startups Administration of Seoul and NH Agricultural cooperative of Daejeon. Head of the cooperative proposed to train 2-3 representatives of Mongolian cooperatives and support the development of ‘Model cooperative’ in one chosen soum. Daejeon agriculture cooperative operates with 1500 members and earns about MNT1 billion profit annually.
The delegates also held meeting with Korean Authority for Finance, Investment, Technology, Innovation and Venture Fund for SMEs and Startups, exchanging views on cooperation.


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Cargo volumes through Mexican ports fell in 2019 for the first time in six years as the country and some of its trading partners faced stagnating economies. Total volumes fell 1.5 percent from 2018, to 4.93 million loaded TEU.
Exports led the decline, falling 3.75 percent to 1.89 million loaded TEU. Imports slipped by just under 1 percent to 3.038 million loaded TEU, according to figures released this week by the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT), which oversees Mexico’s ports.
The decline was most pronounced on the Pacific Coast, where exports fell 5 percent; cargo through the Gulf Coast fell 1.9 percent. Imports declined on both coasts by less than 1 percent, the SCT figures show.
The decline in exports suggests that factors well beyond the country’s weak economy had a hand in reducing cargo volumes. One ocean carrier executive, who did not want to be identified, said the export decline is likely due to a drop in plastic waste exports to China, as well as declines in shipments to Latin American countries
“The global slowdown in auto sales and productions also has an impact, since Mexico is not just producing cars, but also a big producer and exporter of auto parts, which saw a decline in demand in 2019,” the executive said.
Data from the Global Trade Atlas (GTA) shows that after the United States and Canada, the countries that experienced the largest decline in the dollar value of Mexican exports they received in 2019 were Germany, China, and Brazil. Their exports declined 61 percent, 30 percent, and 46 percent, respectively, according to the figures from GTA, a product of IHS Markit, parent company of JOC.com.
The decline in cargo through Mexican ports contrasts with the 8.7 percent growth in 2018 and 11.9 percent growth in 2017, according to SCT figures. Cargo volumes through Mexican ports have grown by at least 3 percent annually each year since 2014. Volumes last declined in 2013, by 0.3 percent.
Mexico experienced “economic stagnation” in 2019, with declines in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the first and second quarters, according to IHS Markit. The analyst estimates Mexico’s GDP barely grew in 2019 — 0.05 percent — and predicts growth of just 0.84 percent in 2020 as a result of the slowdown in the United States economy, which receives 80 percent of Mexico’s exports.
Imports into Mexico were likely affected by the country’s slowing manufacturing sector, which in September had its worst performance in more than eight years. Auto sector sales and production also dropped in 2019, according to IHS Markit. The auto sector brings in imports of raw materials and parts for the country’s car plants.
Weak peak season
Mexico’s economic weakness contributed to what shippers, freight forwarders, and ocean carrier executives last year described as a very low peak season, with West Coast ports experiencing little of the volume surge between July and October seen in past years.
The ocean carrier executive said his company is still trying to work out the reasons for the export decline and where “the leakage of volume was.” One likely reason was the loss of what had been a big business in shipping plastic scrap exports to China, which in 2018 stopped accepting most plastic waste.
The economic weakness in Latin American countries, which are Mexico’s main trading partners after the US, also likely pulled down exports, the executive said, citing Brazil and Argentina in particular. GDP in Latin America as a whole grew 0.8 percent in 2019, and Argentina was in recession during the year, with GDP contracting 2.8 percent, according to IHS Markit. And while Brazil’s economy improved over the year, with GDP growth of 1.1 percent, it was “relatively stagnant” at the start of the year, IHS Markit said.
The global slowdown in auto sales and production has also likely cut into exports, reducing foreign purchases of Mexican-made parts, the executive said.
Of Mexico’s four largest ports by volume of cargo handled, only the Port of Altamira saw an increase in cargo volume in 2019, rising 2.8 percent to 685,754 loaded TEU, the SCT figures show. Cargo volumes through the largest port on the Gulf Coast, Veracruz, fell 4.6 percent to 860,891 loaded TEU.
Volumes through the Pacific Coast port of Manzanillo, Mexico’s largest, declined 3.8 percent to 2,098,562 loaded TEU, SCT figures show. Lázaro Cárdenas, also on the Pacific, saw volumes fall 2.2 percent to 845,267 loaded TEU.


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People Don't Hate Advertising; They Hate Bad, Intrusive And Annoying Advertising
from the look-a-little-deeper dept
All advertising is not the same. Forrester Research has a report out that’s getting some press coverage claiming that consumers hate advertising. The evidence? More than half of US household use some kind of ad-blocking technology, such as a spam filter or a pop-up blocker. However, that hardly means that people hate advertising. It just means they hate totally annoying, intrusive and unwanted advertising. Not all advertising needs to be that way, and given the number of people who pass around the latest viral video ad or watch the Super Bowl just for the ads, it’s pretty clear that people like certain types of advertising very much. It just requires the marketers and the advertisers to stop thinking of advertising as a second class (or third class) type of content that needs to be forced on people. Instead, it’s about recognizing that ads are content, and if it’s good content, people will be willing to watch it (or even seek it out). However, it really does need to be good, relevant and non-intrusive. Then, there’s no problem at all. There’s never going to be a technology designed to block out the ads people want to see. So, no, despite Forrester’s claim, people don’t hate advertising. They hate bad advertising — and they always have. It’s just that technology is finally letting people be more proactive in avoiding that kind of advertising, which is a good thing.


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New services and features in operating systems coming later this year will improve security and privacy for everyone using Apple products, even outside the Apple walled-garden ecosystem. iCloud+ even adds anonymized browsing.
Apple’s upcoming operating systems have an impressively long list of supported models, but devils dance in the details. Older devices won’t be able to take advantage of all the new features, reasonably enough, but you should be aware of what you might be missing.
In addition to the work Apple does in providing explicit accessibility features, Steven Aquino notes that many of the marquee features of Apple’s upcoming operating system updates provide notable benefits to users with disabilities.
Craig Federighi gave an interview to Fast Company to discuss Apple’s new privacy features and offer his opinions on the privacy landscape.
This year’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote was chock full of innovative new features for apps and devices in the Apple ecosystem, far too many to cover at once. Here are our ten favorites.
At its Worldwide Developer Conference keynote, Apple shared numerous new features that cut across most of its operating systems. But what caught our attention for this article was how many of them caused us to exclaim, “Finally!”


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Over the weekend Clint brought you the news that the new Internet Explorer logo was revealed. The new logo also revealed that the name of Internet Explorer is now officially "Windows Internet Explorer." When I read that post (I always come to Ars first for news) I had to ask myself "Why did they change the name of the product to Windows Internet Explorer?" I decided to do a bit of research and it didn’t take long until I found the answer to my question.
Paul Thurrott, love him or hate him, has a way of stating the obvious.
According to a source at Microsoft, the change signifies that IE will no longer be made available for other platforms--previously, versions shipped for the Mac--and that users should simply consider IE 7 to be part of Windows.
Microsoft publically announced two years ago that there would be no future releases of Internet Explorer on the Macintosh.
Microsoft said Friday that it is halting development of future Macintosh versions of its Internet Explorer browser, citing competition from Apple Computer's Safari browser.
We all know that Microsoft doesn't simply give up due to competition so there has to be another reason for the development halt. I believe it is because keeping a non-Windows build of Internet Explorer is a very costly and time-consuming exercise. Microsoft relies heavily on the Windows API —the pros and cons of which will be argued until the day the sun implodes— which makes porting to other platforms difficult. Microsoft obviously didn't think that the effort was worth it and simply decided to cut their losses, using Safari as a convenient excuse.
There have been no releases for any non-Windows platform since June 16, 2003. To answer my own question, Microsoft changed the name to try to further show that Internet Explorer is a part of Windows, and there is no antitrust suit in the world that can or will change that.


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In almost two years, the sports and events world has been tackling a new challenge that no team or sponsor had probably ever anticipated when contracts were signed. It is the long-drawn lockdown caused by COVID 19 pandemic.
Most sporting events were either stopped or cancelled altogether while others were played behind closed doors. However, there are plans to gradually ease the conditions in some countries from the second quarter of 2021.
With all of this in mind, how can sponsorships change and evolve as fans have been locked out of events for a prolonged period of time? Even as partial lockdown threatens to continue with extra waves of the pandemic knocking at the door.
Early reports suggest that this is a big challenge for both the bigger and the smaller players in the events and sponsorship industry. Following the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics a figure of some £2 billion has been quoted as the cost of pushing back a year. Not to mention the impact on all the other sports events that were already due to take place in 2021. Cash and cash flow are kings for many businesses and sports organizations are no different.
At a certain point in time, so many events were cancelled or postponed during the lockdown. One of the challenges in the modern sports business is the relationships and agreements that have grown over a long period of time and in some ways have prevented drastic change in sponsorship. This is why many rights holders have dissected the unfolding scenario, as the crisis gradually gives way, on how to continue once the outbreak is totally under control and as the world returns to some normality.
Sponsors reactions during the crisis
For some sponsors, especially those with an only one-year agreement, many had allowed the contract to expire as they wait to see what happens before making a new decision. For the many contracts in the sponsorship business that run for three or four years for the established leagues, tournaments and major sports events, termination could prove very costly. It may effectively mean the loss of any future potential rights or benefits and the chances of compensation are minimal to zero at the moment.
Secondly, this opens up the position to other brands who might be in a position to take a risk and get on board. Now, after many years of building up a relationship and huge brand value, why would any visionary sponsor want to give competitors the opportunity to get on board and take away something that they’ve built up for such a long period of time?
Most organizations, rights-holders, federations have considered make- uprights for their sponsors and agreements, and many agreements have been extended by a year or more to allow the full package of rights to be delivered after the lockdown. The challenge sometimes has been at what cost for both parties? Not to mention all the other factors such as the athletes, fans, media partners, catering and hospitality and all those other suppliers who still need to realign with any future agreements to the sponsor and the rights holders might make.
In some cases involving long term sponsors, the dilemma has been deciding whether to cut their losses and exit or take the alternative to stay for the long term and be seen as a real partner of the sport and all the fans that normally follow that sport.
If the benefits of the sponsorship are considered non-essential may be entering a sleep mode for six months is taken as an option. It all depends on the contractual obligations and payments. Many have moved for the option of renegotiating their agreement. Many sponsors that choose to stick with the agreement take it as an opportunity to strengthen their partnership with teams, clubs or leagues and to demonstrate how much they value the relationship, the sport and all the stakeholders
Looking at the Olympics, despite the one-year extension and suspension of external visitors with their concomitant drastic reduction in values and benefits, yet all the major sponsors of their game have remained intact. Obviously, the long term value in the sponsorship relationship compels all sponsors to look beyond the current transitional challenges of the current period.
The Streaming option
Just as television expanded on the capabilities of radio, COVID-19 could lead to teams and sponsors re-evaluating the capabilities of streaming content. Teams and leagues could forge streaming partnerships with various online platforms, although it’s not easy to replicate the experience of being at an event in person.
This year's Olympic game is planning to create one of the most-streamed events ever in the globe as they plan to positively exploit the suspension of visas to visitors by promoting special packages that will make fans follow their stars globally as they compete in the games. The plan will also be to generate solid engagement for the sponsoring brand online. A lot is also planned around television rights.
The locking out of global fans from the Olympics could lead to sponsored activations on streaming platforms that have more engagement than on-site activations, and well as increase the potential streaming audience as die-hard fans seek to support their teams. A prolonged period without fans could really revolutionize sport sponsorship activations for good. It can lead to advancements in streaming and partnership activations during streams and introduce new engagement features to enable sponsor-fan interactions as the streaming audience increases.
Various influencer interactions and social media insights can lead to expanded audiences and increased sponsor engagements and teams and brands may even turn an increased eye to the strategies of eSports brands for new activation strategies.


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Does part of social media's future lie in the past? It's a question that's nagging some of the biggest names in the industry as they turn their attention to the swelling digital archives many of us have created online.
One of Facebook's recent overhauls saw the addition of a timeline to help users build a chronological narrative of their lives. Kevin Systrom, co-founder of photo sharing site Instagram, said this week he wants to give his users better access to their older images.
But as we increasingly rely on digital services as a repository for our life stories, is there any guarantee that we will be able to access them in years to come?
Multibillion dollar businesses such as Facebook and Google might seem like rock solid cornerstones of the Internet at the moment, but fortunes change and leviathans can and do go out of business. And a scroll through the fine print of most social media sites' terms reveals no mention of an obligation to safeguard our data.
With such a large question mark hanging over the tech industry, it was only a matter of time before someone smelled a business opportunity.
One of those people is Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, a service that allows users to archive images, documents and other data.
Libin made headlines at tech conference LeWeb London this week when he revealed that Evernote has 34 million users, of whom 1.4 million are paying customers -- up sharply from the 25 million users and 1 million paying customers he had announced in May. Three-quarters of these new users are coming from mobile devices, he said.
Already sitting on a $1 billion valuation, Libin's site -- often described as an "external brain" -- doesn't look like it has any immediate worries for the future. There's even talk of an Evernote IPO in the next few years.
But Libin believes that he can encourage even more people to park their data with Evernote if he can remove any question of doubt about his company's long-term destiny. To this end, he plans to later this year introduce a legally binding promise that guarantees users 100 years of access to their files -- not that his customers will be around that long.
This involves setting up a protected fund that, in the event of Evernote being taken over or shut down, will pay to maintain its data banks.


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Books – Muhammad Nassar:
Major General Khaled Abdel-Aal, Governor of Cairo, appreciated the efforts of the Supply Directorate, which aims to monitor and control the markets, and to address all forms of commercial fraud and trading in commodities that do not conform to specifications, and the periodic traffic and immediate dealing with any store that does not adhere to the established prices and trades expired commodities.
In a statement today, Tuesday, the governor of Cairo affirmed the keenness of the executive agencies in the governorate, represented by the Directorate of Supply and Neighborhoods, to continuously coordinate with the Supply Investigation to deter monopolists of commodities and anyone who harms the interest and health of the citizen.
He also stressed the need to commit to announcing the established prices to face the unjustified increase in prices, and to follow up on the arrival of support to those who deserve it.
The governor of Cairo indicated that the operations room of the Supply Directorate is in a state of permanent meeting to follow up the work of the sub-supply departments in the neighborhoods and continuous communication with the heads of the neighborhoods to follow up on controlling the markets and the availability of goods at reasonable prices, indicating that complaints and communications of citizens are received on the phone numbers: (27420025/27420019/27420038 /27420037).
In a related context, the governor reviewed the efforts of the executive bodies of the Supply Directorate, which aim to control bakeries, markets and all supply activities to ensure the availability of food and strategic commodities for the citizens of the capital at appropriate prices and good specifications, as follows:
1- Bread: The supply campaigns of the Directorate and the external departments monitor the availability of bread at legal prices and standard specifications, and confirm the availability of flour stocks for bakeries.
2- Strategic Commodities: Ensuring the availability of strategic commodities (oil – sugar – rice) in the stores of Egyptian and public wholesale companies and the availability of the necessary supply for them at the prices set through consumer complexes.-
The ration campaigns resulted in the issuance of 371 reports for bakeries due to non-compliance with the approved specifications for selling bread, 32 reports for catering outlets due to non-compliance with the established specifications and prices, and 141 reports for markets that do not adhere to announcing prices.--
The governor of Cairo stressed that the “Welcome Ramadan” exhibitions, which are opening in various neighborhoods of the capital, come in implementation of the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, regarding the need for concerted efforts by state agencies to lift the burden on the citizen, provide him with a decent life, and raise the level of the citizen’s quality of life.
He pointed out that the outlets set up by the governorate have all basic commodities such as rice, oil, sugar, flour, pasta, meat, poultry and fruits at prices that are less than what is available in the markets by rates of up to 30% in order to lift the burden on citizens, especially in light of the global crisis resulting from the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The governor of Cairo stated that 16 showrooms and sales outlets were opened in various neighborhoods of the capital, where the Bab Al-Sharia neighborhood witnessed the opening of a sales outlet in Bab Al-Sharia square to sell all kinds of food commodities, and the Al-Basateen neighborhood witnessed the opening of an exhibition selling food commodities at reasonable prices and with high quality to match the efforts of the Egyptian state to raise burdens on citizens.
The neighborhoods of Manshiyet Nasser, Abdeen, Al-Moski, Al-Amiriyya, Hadayek Al-Qubba and Al-Muqattam witnessed the opening of sales outlets aimed at providing food commodities at reasonable prices to counter the unjustified increase in commodity prices by some merchants.
The Shubra neighborhood also witnessed the opening of 3 sales outlets to provide food and meat commodities, the Maadi neighborhood witnessed the opening of 3 sales outlets, and an exhibition for the sale of food commodities was opened in the eastern neighborhood of Nasr City.
And based on the vision of the political leadership under the auspices of the people of the capital in alternative cities and neighborhoods for slums, a sales outlet was opened in the Asmarat neighborhood to serve our residents of the Asmarat neighborhood.


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Mobile phone users traveling within the European Union will pay less than before to make phone calls and use data. Roaming charges will be abolished altogether in June of next year.
New EU rules mean that mobile phone users no longer need to pay extra charges when they leave their countries for other member states. But critics say German and Spanish lobbyists have watered down those rules.
Not even the "EU Super Girl" was enough to keep Brexit talks in Brussels from stalling over lack of progress on the UK's divorce bill. She ended up getting tossed out of a press conference.
European travelers will no longer have to pay roaming charges for using their mobile phones within the EU after the 28-nation bloc has finally reached a deal that will take effect in June.
When the Scottish National Party meets in Glasgow this weekend, one significant issue will be officially off the conference agenda — independence. Peter Geoghegan reports from Glasgow on the party's directional struggle.
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Boots UK has appointed a new retail director in a bid to bolster its boardroom.
Victoria Beckham has appointed Marie LeBlanc de Reynies as the new chief executive with immediate effect.
Gant has announced its promotion of Eleonore Säll to executive vice president global brand.
Burberry hires new supply chain officer. Jerome Le Bleis joins from French retailer Lacoste. He will begin his new role on January 1.
Lacoste has appointed Marco Dippe as the new chief executive of EMEA and global travel retail.
Kering has appointed Kalpana Bagamane Denzel as its new chief diversity, inclusion and talent officer.
Waitrose managing director Rob Collins has announced his resignation.
The chief executive of Sainsbury's owned chain Argos, John Rogers is stepping down to become WPP's chief financial officer.
Monsoon Accessorize has appointed Laura Harricks as its new digital director.
Ted Baker has revealed the appointment of Rachel Osborne as its new chief financial officer.


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Buffalo Auto Show Promises Promotions, Discounts and Incentives
The 2010 Buffalo Auto Show is scheduled from February 10-14th and will attract thousands of New York car enthusiasts. Hundreds of dealers will be on hand to display the latest makes and models available in 2010 as well as offer special Auto Show discounts and promotions to prospective consumers.
Among the many exhibitors at the show will be The West Herr Auto group. They are Western New York’s largest automotive group, representing 18 brands of cars for sale in the greater Buffalo area. West Herr will be unveiling some of the most anticipated cars of 2010 which include the 2010 Jaguar XF as well as the 2011 Ford Fiesta.
According to Kevin Leigh, Director of eBusiness at West Herr, they are excited to take part in the event which helps bring dealers and consumers closer together in a fun and exciting environment. “Being at the show creates a more personal setting for dealers to interact with consumers,” explains Leigh. “The Convention Center is a great venue for learning more about your favorite cars, and since we’ll be indoors where it’s nice and warm, consumers can take their time browsing and checking out all of the new models.”
The 2010 Buffalo Auto Show will take place in the heart of downtown Buffalo at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. The Convention Center offers access to great accommodations, shopping, thriving nightlife, world-class theater and exciting restaurants.
West Herr Auto Group is running special Buffalo Auto Show promotions, discounts and incentives. Check their website at http://westherr.com for the instant savings on all new and used cars in stock with limited time show discounts.
- Contact Information
- Kevin Leigh
- Director of e-Business
- West Herr Automotive Group
- Contact via E-mail
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News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.


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Woz U Learning Platform Under FireOctober 4, 2018 | :
by Nate Swanner
Woz U, the online learning platform endorsed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, is again under fire.
In a new CBS report, one former employee (an “enrollment counselor” charged with signing people up for the program) says the program’s management has been pushing sales above all. In retrospect, he likens signing up for Woz U to “rolling the dice” with online learning and a career choice.


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Titanic director Cameron backs bid for ship's sunken treasures
Filmmaker James Cameron and Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard are backing a bid by a group of British museums to acquire a collection of 5,500 artifacts from the Titanic.
The campaign announced Tuesday aims to raise $20 million to buy the items from the private American company that salvaged them from the wreck. Members of the group say the future of the items is uncertain because the company has filed for bankruptcy.
"It is so important that the final chapter of Titanic’s maiden voyage is for her to come home. So let’s do it," Ballard said to USA Today.
The objects include a section of the ship's hull and a bronze cherub decoration from the ship's grand staircase.
"The sinking of the Titanic was a heart-breaking moment in history," Cameron said in a statement. "Securing the irreplaceable collection of artifacts—protecting and preserving them for future generations by placing them in the public trust—is a unique and important opportunity to honor the 1,503 passengers and crew who died."
The bid for the artifacts comes from the Royal Museums Greenwich, National Museums Northern Ireland, Titanic Belfast and Titanic Foundation Limited.
The bid was announced at Titanic Belfast at the location where the ship was designed, built and launched.


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Google has been iterating on Android N far more publicly than usual, with a couple of developer preview versions earlier this year. Now it has released a “beta-quality” build that it says is ready for regular use.
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If there wasn’t already enough Internet of Things platforms, Google is reportedly planning to announce another at Google I/O next week. Codenamed ‘Brillo’, the platform will run a lightweight version of Android, capable of powering devices with under 128MB of RAM.
Having the Android ecosystem should allow developers to make applications and programs with ease, instead of opting into a new platform entirely from a company like Qualcomm, IBM or Cisco, three providers looking for headway in the market.
Considering Google already has a smart home platform with ‘Works with Nest’, it is in a good position to become the major Internet of Things platform.
Internet of Things differs from the common idea of smart home, where devices will connect to a mobile and relay information back and forth. The Internet of Things platform is even smarter, relaying information into a cloud, where all other connected devices can take this information and run new commands.
The overarching goal is to create a platform capable of automating the entire process. Say, in the smart home world, when the owner wakes up the bed tells the blinds to open, the kettle to start brewing and the TV to turn onto the news channel. All of this would be done through the Internet of Things cloud.
The potential in the business world is even larger, if certain parts of a business can be fully automated it could save companies millions in human costs, alongside removing most of the errors that happen inside a supply chain.
Google has shown it is prepared to invest billions into the Internet of Things world, acquiring Nest Labs and Dropcam, but now it needs a platform capable of housing all of these devices and allowing developers the freedom to create.


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Alcoholic drinks maker Heineken East Africa has failed in its bid to block a Sh1.7 billion court award to its former distributor.
The High court has declined to issue orders stopping the execution of a judgement against Heineken which required it to pay Maxam Ltd the said amount after the latter contested the cancellation of its distribution contract.
Lawyers representing Heineken argued that the company has no assets.
"We have filed a notice of appeal and we shall be prosecuting it expeditiously. We ask the court to come at the earliest day to have the matter heard. During that time, we pray that a stay be granted and we are ready to provide security,” said the brewer's lawyers.
Lawyer Philip Nyachoti representing Maxam said Heineken had deliberately declined to obey the orders issued by Justice James Makau last month. “This is impunity by the company, they deliberately decided not to obey the orders issued on July 29.,” said Nyachoti.
Justice Wilfrida Okwani, however, declined to grant the beer maker its wish and directed that it serve its application to the respondents.
Last month, Justice Makau awarded Maxam Sh1.7 billion as special damages for loss of business after its distribution agreement with Heineken was terminated. The matter will be heard on September 17.


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As we navigate through 2023, we’re seeing the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the investing landscape.
The virus has ushered in significant shifts in how investors approach their strategies, leading to an evolution in markets worldwide. Let’s explore the four most significant changes in the investing landscape since the pandemic.
Embracing Technology and Digital Assets
The pandemic accelerated the already burgeoning trend towards digitalization in investing. With physical distancing measures in place, traditional face-to-face investing practices were largely replaced by digital platforms and tools. Online brokers and trading platforms witnessed a surge in use, giving birth to a new breed of retail investors. Much of that change is being wrought by Millennials and their more socially conscious outlook, Entrepreneur reported.
Moreover, digital assets, most notably cryptocurrencies, emerged as an attractive investment alternative. Despite their volatility, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and various altcoins saw an influx of interest as investors sought assets uncorrelated to traditional financial markets.
The rise of blockchain technologies also paved the way for Decentralized Finance (DeFi), enabling investors to access financial services without the need for traditional intermediaries.
Rise of the Retail Investor
The pandemic spurred an unexpected rise in retail investing, particularly among younger demographics. Fueled by increased time at home, government stimulus checks, and a desire to take control of their financial future, many individuals turned to investing.
In fact, retail investors have become one of the fastest growing segments in investing, Forbes reported.
DIY trading platforms and mobile apps made it simple for retail investors to enter the market. This democratization of investing has led to significant market events, including the GameStop short squeeze in early 2021, highlighting the growing influence of retail investors on the market.
ESG Investing Takes Center Stage
The pandemic highlighted the interconnectedness of societal health, the economy, and corporate performance, prompting a surge in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing.
Investors began to pay closer attention to companies’ ESG practices, recognizing that businesses that prioritize these factors tend to be better positioned to navigate crises, and shareholders “are getting serious about sustainability,” the Harvard Business Review wrote in 2019.
ESG-focused funds have since experienced record inflows, while companies have ramped up their sustainability efforts and reporting. This shift towards responsible investing signals a broader change in investor attitudes – a recognition that investments can generate both financial returns and positive societal impact.
Heightened Focus on Diversification
The unprecedented market volatility witnessed during the pandemic underscored the importance of diversification in investing. As global economies went into free fall, followed by a sharp rebound, investors were reminded of the risks of having all their eggs in one metaphorical basket.
Investors are now more keenly aware of the need to diversify not just across asset classes, but also geographically and by sector. Canadian hedge fund Anson Funds, for example, has long focused on classic shorts, value longs and opportunistic investments. But it’s also always watching the market and staying agile, Anson Funds’ co-founder Moez Kassam told NetNewsLedger.
In that and so many other ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably reshaped the investing landscape. As investors, understanding these changes is crucial to adapting our strategies and ensuring our portfolios are well-positioned for the post-pandemic world.
While the pandemic has brought significant challenges, it has also highlighted opportunities for growth and innovation in the investing realm.
It serves as a potent reminder of the need for resilience, adaptability, and a forward-thinking mindset in navigating our financial futures.


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WP Glimcher Inc. said this week that Michael P. Glimcher has resigned as chief executive officer and vice chairman as the shopping-center landlord reviews its business.
Louis G. Conforti, a board member who has been global head of strategy at Colony Capital Inc., will become interim CEO, the real estate investment trust said Monday in a statement. The company said it expects to record a charge in the second quarter tied to the management changes and the investigation of strategic alternatives.
The Columbus, Ohio-based WP Glimcher—which owns 118 shopping centers across the U.S.—also said it plans to propose a name change, to Washington Prime Group Inc., to shareholders at its Aug. 30 annual meeting. WP Glimcher was formed when the REIT then known as Washington Prime Group—a spinoff of Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group Inc.—acquired Glimcher Realty Trust in January 2015.
The company is shaking up its management as shopping malls come under pressure from the rise of e-commerce and a shift in consumer spending habits.
Reuters reported earlier this month that the Ohio-based company was in talks to merge with fellow retail landlord Kite Realty Group Trust, based in Indianapolis. WP Glimcher said June 13 that it was “not currently in negotiations involving a merger or other strategic alternatives with a third party.”
“During the next few months, the focus is straightforward: maximize current cash flow of the company,” Conforti said in Monday’s statement. “The bottom line is that we’ll be rolling up our sleeves and concentrating on the basics of our business.”
The company also will review its portfolio composition, Conforti said.
The predecessor company to Glimcher Realty Trust was founded by Glimcher’s father, Herbert. Michael Glimcher joined the company in 1991 and became CEO in 2005.