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CEO Sharon Price John says Build-A-Bear’s old e-commerce system is a big reason for disappointing online sales in December.
Some 14% of online U.S. households purchased holiday gifts using the Web in 1998, and during the five weeks between this Thanksgiving and New Year, 22% of online households will participate in online shopping, predicts Forrester Research Inc., Cambridge, Mass. The market research firm also predicts that the holiday boom will continue well into 2000.
Half of the buyers that will make purchases online this holiday season-4.3 million shopping households-also purchased gifts online last season, it says. These "experienced shoppers" earn more than $62,000/household, have been online more than three years and have shopped online for more than two years by this fall. They will spend an average of $670 online for the holidays, according to Forrester.
Many online buyers chose to forgo the Web when purchasing gifts last year; however, more than half of this group-3.27 million households-will shop online for holiday gifts this season, it says. This less-affluent, less-experienced group of "holiday holdouts" will spend $300/household on presents, predicts Forrester.
Last year, novice Web buyers made up 14% of holiday shoppers, Forrester says. The trend toward free PCs and free Internet access may draw even more "first-time buyers" to the Web, it speculates. These 1 million newcomer households make up 12% of online holiday shoppers and will spend $150/household on online gifts, says Forrester.
The 8.6 million households that use the Internet to shop this holiday season will look for very different items online. Forrester says consumer electronics, computer hardware and home furnishings will generate nearly $2.2 billion in sales. Convenience goods such as books, CDs and apparel will continue to be popular gifts producing $1.5 billion in holiday spending, it adds. "Rookie" Web shoppers will spend 60% of their $150 online budget on these and other convenience items, Forrester predicts. The only retail merchants that Forrester anticipates will not score big this holiday are those that sell "replenishment goods" such as groceries and drugs. In total, Forrester says they will collect $300 million this season.
Forrester is also predicting that online shopping will not taper off after the holidays as in previous years. It says online retailers should prepare for an additional 11 million new households that will begin buying online in 2000. The company recommends crash-testing sites, hiring more customer service representatives and reassessing security and privacy policies.


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HOW far would you be willing to go to get your hands on a DVD player for 99p?
Well, three Reading teenagers were prepared to queue for 24 hours outside the front door of the town's newest bargain basement shop.
The 99p Store promised nine DVD players, nine videos and nine TVs to the first 27 people to step foot in the shop at the back of Broad Street Mall.
James Lambourn, 16, Luke Quirk, 15, and Jonny Hare, 16, arrived at 9am yesterday to make sure they were at the front of the line.
The three bargain hunters, who have just finished GCSE exams at Bulmershe School, were determined to save £150 on the hi-tech players.
James said: "We've finished our exams, didn't have much to do, and all of us wanted a DVD
player. It'll be worth the wait!"
But they weren't the only ones waiting. A line of people had set up camp, armed with food, drink and a sense of humour.
Broad Street Mall manager Gary Burrows said: "There were three people queuing up at 9am on Thursday. They're all lunatics!
"I think it's great for the Broad Street Mall. The more events and activities we have like this one has got to be good for Reading as a whole.
"The store is fun, it's exciting and it generates interest. It's amazing they are giving away things like DVDs for just 99p."

domain: news


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“AR adoption has been aggressive in limited cases, but it continues to be slow when viewed across all markets”
Only one quarter of US-based companies actively operate augmented reality (AR) technology, yet exactly three quarters of show varying levels of interest in future implementations, a new study has shown.
According to a recent business to business technology survey of 455 US-based companies across nine vertical markets, ABI Research found that this is in line with its market forecast, which shows a major inflection through 2018 and 2019. Survey results show that the state of the enterprise AR market, with high interest but low operating level, is prime for this inflection.
“AR adoption has been aggressive in limited cases, but it continues to be slow when viewed across all markets,” said Eric Abbruzzese, principal analyst at ABI Research. “Early adopter and pilot phases are ongoing. While these implementations are beginning to scale, they are still small. True AR scale will be seen in the next one to two years, with a greater foundation for growth in enterprise and compelling consumer products coming to market.”
While overall adoption has been unhurried, certain markets have been quicker to adopt AR. More than 40% of respondents in manufacturing state that they are in operation with smart glasses, with only 4% citing no interest in eventually implementing smart glasses. This is in line with ABI Research’s forecasts, in which manufacturing makes up nearly 20% of the entire AR market through 2021.
“Industry verticals are served best in today’s relatively young AR market, and this early adoption is critical for later adoption as use case potential expands and device capability grows concurrently,” concluded Abbruzzese. “A confluence of factors, built on top of an early enterprise foundation, spurs future growth: more capable mixed reality devices reaching the market; mobile augmented and mixed reality application growth; and more established content development tools and ecosystems pushing content to these devices. Although today familiarity and active usage is low overall, we now see the beginnings of growth.”


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Your party's glam factor is certain to be turned up a notch this holiday season with the latest Absolut vodka bottle, Absolut Masquerade.
The Swedish premium vodka company has unveiled a new, gorgeous, glittery bottle with a label that reads, â€œIn a Absolut World, Every night is a Masquerade.â€ The red sequined jacket zips off and reveals a 1 litre bottle of the spirit in its classic bottle.
â€œOur new gift pack builds on the legendary ABSOLUT history of creative and groundbreaking bottle and package design," says Katarina Nielsen, International Marketing Director for the Absolut brand. "We are confident that the new design will be just as much appreciated as its predecessors, ABSOLUT BLING BLING and ABSOLUT DISCO.â€
Check out Trend Hunter's coverage of its predecessors, Absolut Bling Bling and Absolut Disco below.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Thor Industries Inc. THO, +3.09% said Monday it has authorized the buyback of an additional two million shares. The company also said it has recently purchased 728,600 of its shares for $32.7 million, leaving 304,200 shares available to buy back under its current program. The company also said its backlog as of May 31 was $653 million. Jackson Center, Ohio-based Thor is a maker of recreation vehicles and commercial buses.
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to generate projected annual sales
of $98 million.
(Save the date: RealShare Los Angeles comes to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA, on March 27, 2013.)
LOS ANGELES-Those who follow @GlobeStcom on Twitter and @GlobeStLIVE may have seen a post teasing the announcement, but GlobeSt.com has learned that more than 60 dining and luxury retail shops will be launched at the New Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. The Westfield program, the culmination of the collective visions of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles World Airports and Westfield, will introduce 42 concepts to LAX for the first time—including 28 new concepts never before seen in an airport environment—and is expected to generate projected annual sales of $98 million.
Westfield and its tenant partners are investing $80 million to develop the new dining and retail program at TBIT. The dining lineup includes Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio’s sandwich shop ink.sack, Top Chef masters Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken’s Border Grill, Umami Burger, LAMill Coffee, Larder at Tavern, 800 Degrees Pizzeria, III Forks steakhouse, sushi restaurants Chaya and Lucky Fish by Sushi Roku and more. Retailers include such high-end shops as Bvlgari, Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, Fred Segal and Coach.
Also planned is a 25,000-square-foot, free-standing duty-free shopping lineup by DFS, which is investing $32 million in TBIT and is projecting first full-year sales for the duty-free concession of more than $300 million.
The first phase of the terminal, which includes a Great Hall and boarding gates on the west side of the terminal, is scheduled for completion Spring 2013. The second phase—which includes new gates on the east side of the terminal, a new federal security screening area and upgraded customs arrivals area—is slated for completion by 2014.
The New TBIT is the largest public-works project in the city’s history and one part of LAneXt, the $4.1-billion LAX modernization program composed of nearly 25 individual projects. The LAX project is creating 40,000 jobs and is funded without the use of taxpayer dollars. TBIT alone will support nearly 4,000 construction-related jobs and help support 1,700 permanent concession jobs.
“As Los Angeles is home to our US headquarters, Westfield takes great pride in being selected to help realize the Mayor’s vision,” said Peter S. Lowy, co-chief executive of the Westfield Group, in a prepared statement. “We are deploying global resources and development expertise to deliver an iconic, world-class airport experience at LAX.”
As GlobeSt.com reported last week, San Diego government officials and Westfield executives broke ground recently on an urban-plaza project adjacent to Horton Plaza Park in Downtown San Diego. The $14.7-million project involves the demolition of an existing structure that will make way for a 1-acre park, officials tell GlobeSt.com. The project is the result of a unique public-private partnership between the City of San Diego, Civic San Diego and Westfield and is intended to create a new central gathering space and restore the existing park and fountain, which have fallen into disrepair.


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Companies in Vietnam, including property developer Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) and mining firm Hoa An JSC, have announced plans to buy back their shares, while HAGL chairman Doan Nguyen Duc upped his stake in the company to 44.03 per cent.
HAGL chairman increases stake, company to buy back shares
Doan Nguyen Duc, chairman of real estate and furniture business Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group (HAGL), has finished the purchase of five million shares of this own company, increasing his holding to more than 44 per cent.
Duc had earlier registered to buy these shares, stating the purpose as “long-term investment”.
HAGL itself has also filed to repurchase 10 million treasury stocks from June 10 to July 9. The repurchasing price will range from VND16,000 ($0.74) to VND22,000, while the company’s stock was traded at VND18,000 on Friday.
HAGL has invested in Myanmar with the 550 million HAGL Myanmar Centre project. The latest development of the project has seen HAGL terminate partnership with Singapore-based lifestyle real estate and investment company Rowsley Ltd, and is talking to the Hong Kong based investors. It has also signed a hotel management contract with Spanish hotel chain Melia.
The Vietnamese group also implements investments in real estate, forestry and mining in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
Hoa An JSC to buy back 750,000 shares
Vietnam’s mining company Hoa An JSC will buy back 750,000 of its shares, at the highest price of VND18,000. That amount of shares represents 4.96 per cent of the company.
Hoa An’s stock price closed Friday’s session at VND17,700, up 0.57 per cent.
The company’s shareholders have approved a plan that includes the company registering a VND201.2 billion in revenue and VND27.3 billion in profit after tax for this fiscal; Up by 17.6 per cent and 80 per cent respectively, as compared to the figures of last year. Dividends are also expected to be paid at 15 per cent, instead of eight per cent last year.


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Valve Is Opening Up Their Steam Marketplace And Allowing ‘Everything’ As Long As Its Not Illegal
Valve just announced one of the biggest news of the year for the company as they are now allowing ‘everything’ on Steam. In a Steam blog post today, the team noted that they’ve been wanting to open up the marketplace for users to decide on the games. And as a result, they’ve come to the conclusion that they’ll allow all content on the platform as long as its not illegal or trolling.
“We’ve decided that the right approach is to allow everything onto the Steam Store, except for things that we decide are illegal, or straight up trolling.”
This will allow Valve to focus less on trying to police what should be on Steam and more on “building those tools” that gives people control over what content populates on their portal.
Steam is also going to allow users to override their recommendation algorithms and hide games containing the topics you’re not interested in. “So if you don’t want to see anime games on your Store, you’ll be able to make that choice,” said the team.
In addition, Steam will be building tools that supports developers from harassment as well. “Developers who build controversial content shouldn’t have to deal with harassment.” However, Steam will continue to perform technical evaluations of submissions. This means that they will reject games that don’t pass until their issues have been resolved.
This will be an ongoing test and trial for Valve. And with every country having their own laws and restrictions, it will take time to universally implement the right procedures. “We’ll be working on this for the foreseeable future, both in terms of what products we’re allowing, what guidelines we communicate, and the tools we’re providing to developers and players.”
This will definitely open up a lot of doors for developers creating content on both PC and VR.


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Digital TV News: Limelight Networks
Limelight Network cuts workforce by 16%
Mar 18, 2021 – Limelight Networks (Nasdaq: LLNW) has announced actions that it is taking to improve execution, profitability and accelerate growth. This has involved reducing the company’s workforce by 16%.
News categories: Limelight Networks, Bob Lyons, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Worldwide
All-time high for streaming video according to Limelight Networks
Oct 14, 2020 – Online video is more popular than ever with the average global viewer watching nearly eight hours (seven hours, 55 minutes) per week, according to a report commissioned by Limelight Networks.
News categories: Limelight Networks, Nigel Burmeister, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, Worldwide
SimulTV picks Limelight Edge services for global video delivery
Sep 22, 2020 – Limelight (Nasdaq: LLNW) has announced that SimulTV has selected its Edge Compute services to help deliver more than 130 live, online channels worldwide. SimulTV's entire workflow now operates inside the Limelight platform.
News categories: Limelight, SimulTV, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
Serverless computing added to Limelight Edge Platform
Sep 8, 2020 – Limelight Networks (Nasdaq: LLNW) has expanded its edge capabilities by launching EdgeFunctions, a serverless compute service which allows developers to tap into the power of the company’s global network and gives them the flexibility to deploy and run their own code.
News categories: Limelight, NAGRA, Bob Lento, Jean-Philippe Plantevin, Dave McCarthy, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Worldwide
Limelight adds serverless computing to its edge services platform
Mar 24, 2020 – Limelight (Nasdaq: LLNW) has introduced EdgeFunctions, a distributed serverless computing capability. EdgeFunctions allows developers to run code in Limelight's CDN locations, taking advantage of the company's global scale.
News categories: Limelight Networks, Nigel Burmeister, Ghassan Abdo, Advertising, Big Data, Content Distribution, Content Protection, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
Limelight Networks releases State of Online Video 2019 report
Oct 24, 2019 – Around the world, streaming video viewing has reached an all-time high of six hours, 48 minutes a week, with 82% of viewers binge-watching shows online, according to a report from Limelight Networks (Nasdaq: LLNW).
News categories: Limelight Networks, Michael Milligan, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, Worldwide
Limelight shows sub-second live video streaming and online video innovations at NAB 2019
Apr 8, 2019 – At NAB 2019, Limelight (Nasdaq: LLNW) will show Limelight Realtime Streaming, its sub-second live video streaming solution. Limelight will also highlight video delivery services to help maximize advertising revenue from online video and combat piracy of video assets.
News categories: Limelight, Nigel Burmeister, Peder Drege, Advertising, Content Distribution, Digital TV, NABShow, OTT, Watermarking, Worldwide
Telestream Wirecast integrates Limelight MMD Live video streaming
Apr 4, 2019 – Telestream is integrating Limelight Networks' Multi-device Media Delivery (MMD) Live into its Wirecast live streaming production software. The solution can also work with AdSparx automated ad break detection and server-side ad insertion.
News categories: Telestream, Limelight Networks, AdSparx, Mark Wronski, Stephanie Gaines, Advertising, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
Limelight and Ericsson collaborate on content delivery and edge cloud services
Oct 18, 2018 – Limelight Networks (NASDAQ: LLNW) and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) are to collaborate on content delivery and edge cloud services. Limelight’s content delivery technology will be deployed on the Ericsson UDN Edge Cloud Platform to expand its delivery capabilities.
News categories: Limelight Networks, Ericsson, Bob Lento, Marcus Bergstrom, Gary Traver, Dan Rayburn, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
- Irdeto joins AWS Media & Entertainment initiative
- TiVo ad inventory available through Xandr
- Proximus integrates Prime Video app into latest Android TV box
- HbbTV releases updated Test Suite and Test Descriptions
- Switch Media to provide OTT service for Solomon Telekom
- Amino bids for MobiTV
- Global SVOD subscriptions to grow to 1.5 billion by 2026
- Amagi ad solutions increase revenue at Cinedigm
- Blockgraph and The Trade Desk partner on Unified ID 2.0 audience targeting
- Sky Media pilots Shoppable Ads with Sky Mobile
- Paramount+ to debut in Australia on August 11th
- Strategy Analytics compares bundled communications service pricing
- NEXTGEN TV comes to Grand Rapids, MI
- Worldwide semiconductor revenue grew 10.8% in 2020
- Polestar develops streaming app for Polestar 2 cars in Europe
- JW Player acquires VUALTO
- 3SS powers TCC Android TV service on SDMC STBs
- du partners with ATEME on OTT and DTH projects
- Beachfront completes OAR-compliant ad trial on VIZIO TVs
- Peach launches global ad distribution platform


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Lea Michele is quickly becoming Hollywood’s brightest A-list star thanks to her turn on Glee, her daring fashion on red carpets and now, her new ad campaign for Candie’s!
Following Vanessa Hudgens, Hayden Panettiere and Fergie, the singer/actress was recently announced as the new face of the brand.
"Tomorrow's a BIG day. My @Candiesbrand campaign launches! They just posted the FIRST ad on Facebook! LOOK!" Michele tweeted recently.
Lea also stated that "Britney Spears is definitely my favorite past Candie's girl, her campaigns were gorgeous."
We’re positive Lea will be able to sell tons of Candie’s merchandise with the help of her sexy legwork in the pictures!
Lea’s Candie’s campaign is by far one of our favorites so far for 2012.


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While Apple will ship Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" this year, its tease campaign for Worldwide Developers Conference 2005 continues today with news of 30 more sessions to be held in June.
The company now offers details of 120 sessions on Mac OS 10.4 "Tiger" (and other topics) - it revealed 90 such sessions last week. The company has also added information on special events at the show.
Noteworthy session titles include: a graphics and media 'state of the union' address; a games development and publishing strand; and a close look at harnessing the audio (and also video) capabilities of QuickTime 7.
Special events for developers include a reception with Apple Developer Connection staff on June 6; a series of lunchtime sessions with O'Reilly publishing staff (including founder and CEO Tim O'Reilly); a session in which developers try to stump Apple's own engineers and the Apple Design Awards.


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Stuttgart, Germany – Electronic-rock musician/producer Voicians has released his third, full-length album, Wasteland. Featuring 16 tracks, ranging from heavy drum & bass, metal, atmospheric sci-fi to electronic-rock, Wasteland showcases Voicians wide-ranging influences. Previously released independently, the album now receives an official release through the Detroit, USA based label FiXT. The album now includes an unreleased bonus track “The Only Friend” with a deluxe edition available on Spotify.
In addition to releasing new material with FiXT, the independent record label owned/founded by entrepreneur artist/producer Celldweller, Voicians has also joined FiXT’s boutique roster of management clients.
Voicians has an exciting 2018 ahead with his inaugural DJ performance at Liquicity Antwerp in May and upcoming releases & collaborations on Liquicity Records, Hospital Records, Black Out Records, RAM Records, FiXT and more.
Purchase / Stream Wasteland:


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The Paris-based Kering group served a lawsuit in a Manhattan court on Friday, alleging that Alibaba has been complicit in the sale of fake handbags, watches and other luxury goods, Reuters reported.
Kering accused Alibaba of providing marketplace advertising and other essential services necessary for counterfeiters and that it profits from selling goods that infringe trademark laws.
This is the second time in a year that Alibaba has faced a lawsuit from Kering, which withdrew its previous complaint last summer after Alibaba agreed to co-operate over counterfeiting.
However, Alibaba issued a statement, insisting that it continues "to work with numerous brands to help them protect their intellectual property" and said it believed this latest complaint "has no basis" and it will be fought "vigorously".
Alibaba has been dogged for years by suspicions about the prevalence of counterfeit goods on its Tmall and Taobao sites and it has faced official criticism in the past that it has not done enough to police who sells there.
Just last month, the Chinese authorities announced a series of measures to crack down on counterfeit and substandard goods sold online in the country and the initiative was widely regarded as heaping further pressure on Alibaba.
But the company insists it takes the issue seriously and has announced that it has teamed up with Israeli startup Visualead to introduce a new dotless code that is able to confirm the authenticity of a product.
It will work with major luxury brands, such as L'Oréal, to add the codes directly to their products, which can be scanned with Alibaba's Taobao app to verify if they are real or not.
Data sourced from Reuters, Wired; additional content by Warc staff


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FOX 26 - There is bad news for Apple. The tech giant says dozens of its customers were targeted by hackers over the weekend using a software called Ransomware.
This type of software encypts data on infected machine and typically asks users to pay ransoms in hard-to trace digital currencies. The company says it has taken steps to prevent further attacks. Right now, it is unclear how many computers were affected.


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France approves digital tax on American tech giants, defying US trade threat
- Name a more iconic duo,I'll wait
- redstone is red, lapis is blue.
- Heart melted.
- TIL about shrinkflation, the practice of stealthily reducing a product's size while maintaining its price so that consumers may unknowingly pay the same for less. According to the UK’s Office of National Statistics, 2,529 supermarket products decreased in size or weight between 2012 and 2017.
- Germany introducing mandatory measles vaccination for kids
- r/Teenagers Karmawhoring Starter Pack


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Mobile-sign, cost phone speed and coverage when the time comes for you to get a 5g phone here's what you'll want to know. Data belonging to millions of indian citizens who had signed up for a mobile payment app called bhim may have been put at risk of misuse after it was left exposed and unencrypted, under the agreement etisalat misr will for the first time sign a long term agreement with te that includes an annual commitment to use the latter's telecommunications infrast. The increasing rollout of esim functionality will provide even further opportunities for telcos enabling 100 per cent, zynga will purchase istanbul based game developer peak for $1 8 billion marking the largest acquisition in the company's.
The covid 19 pandemic is leading consumers to embrace digital banking with community banks reporting double digit percentage, at t inc 's big bet on its new streaming platform hbo max depends on luring fresh customers who aren't just converting from. Otto motors a subsidiary of clearpath robotics that supplies autonomous mobile robots to manufacturing and logistics, the advent of cheap smartphones and widely accessible internet had opened new opportunities for companies to interact with customers via mobile apps to make my point here's a statista study.
Zynga inc said on monday it would buy turkish mobile game maker peak for $1 8 billion in a move that will boost the company's daily active user base by 60 shares of the company rose as, in this gdc 2020 virtual talk level ex's andy saia breaks down the process of creating what appear to be visually complex. Mobileiron research found c suite execs are most likely to ask for relaxed mobile security protocols despite being highly


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Cambridge Major Laboratories said Wednesday that it plans to build a new state-of-the-art pharmaceutical ingredient plant next to its headquarters in Germantown.
The firm said it will break ground on the 120,000-square-foot plant June 5. Completion is expected in August 2009. A development cost was not disclosed in a press release.
Cambridge Major said the development is in response to the company's growing pipeline of late developmental and commercial active pharmaceutical ingredients. The company opened in a new API development and small-volume manufacturing site in Germantown in 2004, and the facility is now approaching its operating capacity.
Cambridge Major supplies pharmaceutical intermediates, active pharmaceutical ingredients and other fine organic chemicals to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.


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Just days after claiming he lost his Bitcoin due to a software error, economist and crypto critic Peter Schiff, the chief executive officer of broker-dealer Euro Pacific Capital, now acknowledges that user error is the issue.
Schiff says he accidentally confused his pin for his password.
“My Bitcoin mystery is solved. I mistook my pin for my password. When Blockchain updated their app I got logged out. I tried logging back in using my pin, which was the only ‘password’ I had ever known or used. I also never had a copy of my seed phrase. Honest but costly mistake!”
The revelation follows Schiff’s announcement on Sunday that he got locked out of his Bitcoin wallet due to a system error, lambasting the technology.
“I just lost all the Bitcoin I have ever owned. My wallet got corrupted somehow and my password is no longer valid. So now not only is my Bitcoin intrinsically worthless; it has no market value either. I knew owning Bitcoin was a bad idea, I just never realized it was this bad!”
Although there is nothing wrong with his Bitcoin wallet, Schiff still says he has no access to his Bitcoin.
“To clarify my last tweet I was not able to recover my Bitcoin. Since I never actually knew my password, just the pin, and never had a copy of my seed phrase, I have no way to recover the Bitcoin. So the problem was not a corrupted wallet, but my confusing a pin for a password.”
The crypto custody confusion highlights one of the many reasons why Bitcoin is not more widely used as a medium of exchange. Despite theories swirling around social media that Schiff, who repeatedly compares Bitcoin to tulip mania, has orchestrated a ploy to discredit it once again, the confusion of pins for passwords – or forgetting them entirely – is not a new phenomenon.
A joint study conducted by Mastercard and Oxford University reveals that the average person is currently tasked with tracking 90 web-based accounts, each requiring log-in credentials and adding it to the tsunami of password overload.
“51 percent of consumers repeat passwords across multiple sites; 25 percent of consumers reset one password per day; 21 percent of consumers forget their password after two weeks.”
The researchers note that 93% of the study’s participants would like to abolish passwords altogether, opting for touch-and-go simplicity instead.
Although the study tracks the habits of consumers using e-commerce portals and online financial services, the message for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency developers, who are pushing new services to mainstream consumers, is equally clear – keeping track of private keys, pins and seed phrases is a challenge, particularly for average consumers who do not use custodial services and are tasked with tracking critical information that would allow them to access their crypto holdings.
Says Mastercard’s President of Global Enterprise Risk and Security, Ajay Bhalla,
“Financial services should be second to none when it comes to providing the proper payments experience – consumers should be able to buy whatever they want from shoes to cars – and our work with Oxford University made it clear that the time has come for an industry-level push to accelerate the use of biometrics in financial services…
Effective mobile biometrics melt into the broader experience of consumer-centric financial services, giving people the power to instantly access their financial information or make a payment. They’re driving the trend toward a password-free future where digital identity is all about who we are, not what we remember.”
In the the run-up to more biometric controls, using physical twenty dollars bills, credit cards, and other traditional digital forms of sending money is still easier than keeping and managing Bitcoin and numerous altcoins on a digital wallet.
“I will likely never regain access to that wallet as I remembered my pin thinking that my pin was my password.”
Despite solving his Bitcoin mystery, the podcast host continues to voice skepticism about crypto and champions gold as the best store of value.
“A lot of people are making fun of me for confusing my pin with my password. I made a mistake and it cost me my Bitcoin. But confusing Bitcoin for money is a much larger mistake and those who are making it will lose far more than I did!
The fact that the price of Bitcoin went up in the past does not qualify Bitcoin as being money and it has nothing to do with my analysis. I concede that many people who bought Bitcoin in the past and sell it now will profit. But those who buy it now and hold will suffer a loss.”
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.
Featured Image: Shutterstock/Michal Durinik


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By Jim Karpen on Thu, 02/06/2014
Since 2012, Apple CEO Tim Cook has been saying there are new products in the pipeline. Yet so far we've only had updates for existing products. But it's self-evident that they're up to something health-related, given the people they're hiring: a former executive vice-president of medical affairs, an expert on health sensors, an engineer who's a specialist in health-monitoring equipment, and, most recently, a sleep expert. You don't have to be too bright to infer that this suggests they're working on a product related to health monitoring. Plus, they hired a former CEO of Yves Saint Laurent. Why would they hire a fashion designer if not to help create a fashionable wearable device? All of this points to an iWatch or some other sort of wearable computer.
According to 9To5Mac, Apple recently hired Roy J.E.M Raymann, who's an expert on sleep research and who has extensive experience in wearables, sensors, and other methods of improving sleep quality. The post also says that Apple has previously hired other experts who are specialists in analyzing sleep patterns.
So what does Apple have in mind? One tends to think of health and fitness buffs sporting an iWatch. But according to an interesting article on Fortune, the primary market for an iWatch might be people with serous health problems and hospitals. Tim Cook has been quoted as saying, "The whole sensor field is going to explode."
Here's what I think. Clearly Apple is working on a health-related wearable product. But like a smartphone, it will be a general-purpose device, open to developers and a wide variety of applications. They'll create some built-in functionality, but they'll also create a flexible platform that will eventually be used for things we can't now even imagine. That's how it's been with the iPhone. When Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone, he positioned it as a phone, MP3 player, and device that connects to the Internet. But over the years the variety of uses has exploded in ways that even Steve Jobs probably couldn't have imagined. But Apple's genius was to create an appealing platform with a friendly interface that unleashed the creativity of engineers around the world.
So too may it be for the iWatch. Apple will create the platform, set the direction with some built-in functions, and then toss it into the marketplace to see what it becomes.


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Colombo, February (AdaDeranaBiz) – The Lotus Room at the Shangri-La (Colombo) was abuzz with eager anticipation today as Cricketing legends Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara announced their partnership with VirTrans Capital, the latest player in the Island’s e-Transport hailing game.
VirTrans Capital is the brainchild of CL Synergy (Pvt) Ltd, an innovative logistics and freight forwarding company in the industry operating for over 15 years. “Being in the cargo and logistics industry we understand transport, and for a long time experienced first-hand the inefficiencies in the industry such as lack of transparency, unproductive communication, unproductive reverse haulage and lack of real time visibility. After extensive research and feasibility studies, we decided to develop a software solution to automate existing processes, this is how SYTRANS came about,” said Roshan Silva, Managing Director of CL Synergy.
SYTRANS is an innovative software platform that facilitates transactions between customers and trucking companies. The platform will help to achieve greater productivity, safer working conditions, transparency and flexibility which has not been seen in the industry over the years, this technological breakthrough will go beyond the boundaries of Sri Lanka to other overseas markets as a proud tech-innovation of Sri Lanka.
Speaking to the press, Samantha Bombuwalage, Chief Operating Officer of SYTRANS stated “Customers are frustrated with the outdated process involved in fulfilling their transport needs. On the other side, low productivity and lack of hires is affecting the trucking industry as well. Idling of trucks has become a serious problem for the trucking companies in Sri Lanka and around the world. Therefore, step into the future and explore the untapped opportunities with SYTRANS.”
During the development of SYTRANS, CL Synergy also realized that, although there was an abundance of local and international taxi apps in Sri Lanka, a clear gap still existed in the market for sustainable passenger transport solutions.
Enter YOUCAB, the latest addition to the Island’s e-Taxi hailing mobile application market. Customers will be able to book a taxi, ranging from Three-wheelers to Luxury sedans and Vans using the YOUCAB mobile app or by calling the 24/7 hotline. As an intermediary online platform, YOUCAB will connect passengers in search of affordable and reliable transportation, with service partners registered across multiple vehicle categories, providing travel solutions on a real time basis.
Government statistics of 2017 states that more than 51.9% of the local population use public transport daily. Although a decade ago a large number of that attributed to commuters on buses and trains, a clear paradigm shift has been indicated in the last 5 years to three-wheelers and taxi cabs. Especially since the laws making taxi meters compulsory was introduced many people switched to first calling taxi company hotlines and now simply opening up an app.
“YOUCAB is not just another Taxi App, we are committed to adding value to the industry and empowering individual service providers, who are literally, the wheels that the taxi industry rides on. None of this would be possible if not for the pioneering local and international taxi services who paved the way for companies like YOUCAB to enter the market. We are grateful, and aspire to add value and build on the solid foundation that they have laid for the industry,” said Thushan Jayaratne, the Chief Operating Officer of YOUCAB.
Partnering VirTrans are Sri Lankan cricketing legends Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara. “Having Mahela and Kumar on board as partners will help take our brand values and commitment to the market. These two gentlemen have proved time and time again the importance of courtesy, respect, hard work and most importantly friendship, both on and off the field. These are attributes that we hope to establish among our staff, service providers and partners,” said Nirthaj Seelanatha, Chief Executive Officer of VirTrans Capital (Pvt) Ltd.
Jayawardena and Sangakkara are well known for seizing the opportunity both when they were playing the game and later on, when they ventured into their own businesses. Mahela said “we are excited to be a part of VirTrans because we believe that it has the potential to be a true game-changer in the industry. There are many values that YOUCAB and SYTRANS is committed to upholding, which both Kumar and I believe are crucial in running a business such as this”.
Also commenting at the event, Kumar said “Personally, I think that YOUCAB is an amazing opportunity for us to continue taking our message of passion, commitment, dedication, respect and dignity to the masses. Being a Sri Lankan brand, we believe that YOUCAB will inspire service providers in the taxi industry to embrace the inherent Sri Lankan spirit of service and add value to the industry.”
Both YOUCAB and SYTRANS have acknowledged the importance of enrolling high-quality service providers and transport partners to ensure a Supreme level of service to the end customer. Both operations will commence recruiting and registering vehicle owners and service partners during the month of February. For more information, you can contact them on 0115 634 634 or [email protected]


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LEONI TOWNSHIP, MI – The former Consumers Concrete plant in Leoni Township has been purchased by an Ypsilanti-based concrete mixing company and is currently undergoing renovations.
Doan Companies, a full service Redi-Mix company that has seven locations and 120 employees, took possession of the plant at 3342 Page Ave., on Aug. 1.
“We have so many local people that work for our company,” area manager Brian Rosenau said. “Jackson is just a great community.”
The family-owned business has been around since 1970 and has a concrete construction business based in Florida.
“We service the biggest jobs and the smallest jobs,” Rosenau said. “We’re open to residential do it yourselfers as well as large commercial jobs.”
Employees at the Jackson location are currently painting and doing other renovation work at the new plant to increase its curb appeal, area manager Brian Rosenau said. Doan Companies plans to have its grand opening on Aug. 25 at the new location.
The plant also has retail space that has been closed for years, Rosenau said. The company plans to make it a full-line concrete supply store that sells concrete and masonry tools, he said.
“In the next few months, we’re going to get that up and running,” Rosenau said.
Currently, Doan Companies has 12 employees working at its Jackson location, and the business could have more once the retail store opens.
“We think there are a lot of opportunities for growth in the Jackson area,” he said.


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Organic food retailer Whole Foods Market has adopted R-448A in its stores across the United States as it seeks to reduce refrigerant emissions under the Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill program.
The Honeywell refrigerant known as SolsticeN40 is based on hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) technology.
Whole Foods Market will retrofit their commercial refrigeration systems at more than 100 stores with Honeywell's reduced-GWP alternative, replacing high-global-warming-potential refrigerants R-404A and R-22.
Solstice N40 offers a GWP that is approximately 68 per cent lower than legacy hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants like R-404A.
When using Solstice N40, refrigeration systems also consume less energy than their counterparts that cool using HFCs.
In US and European supermarket trials, Solstice N40 demonstrated on average, a five to 15 per cent lower energy consumption than R-404A.
It can be used in new installations and to retrofit existing systems using high-GWP refrigerants like R-404A and R-507.
Food retailers around the world have adopted HFO technology to comply with regulations including the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.
Solstice N40 is a non-flammable replacement for R-404A, with more than 30,000 installations globally since its release in 2015.
Principal program manager for engineering, compliance and sustainability at Whole Foods, Mike Ellinger, said that over the past decade the company has implemented a range of measures to reduce CO2 emissions.
"After reviewing all of our available retrofit options for our refrigerated cases, R-448A was the clear winner, based on its performance, energy efficiency, reduced GWP and ease of conversion,” he said.
Whole Foods Market is a founding member and active participant in the EPA's GreenChill Partnership, with 12 stores certified.
The GreenChill program is a partnership with food retailers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using alternative solutions and minimizing refrigerants that deplete the ozone.
Honeywell Stationary Refrigerants vice president, Chris LaPietra, said N40 will help Whole Foods Market lower its carbon footprint, save energy and meet regulatory requirements without making massive changes to its systems.
He said Honeywell and its suppliers have completed a billion dollar investment program in research, development and new capacity for Honeywell’s hydrofluorolefin technology.
Worldwide adoption of Solstice products has resulted in the reduction of more than 200 million metric tonnes of CO2 to date, equal to eliminating the emissions from more than 42 million cars.
Whole Foods Market has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.


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A new IBM study of 26,000 global consumers released today at the 2013 National Retail Federation Big Show found they are diversifying the way they shop for and acquire goods, becoming increasingly open to buying both online and in-store depending on their needs at time of purchase.
While more than 80% of shoppers chose the store to make their last non-grocery purchase, only half are committed to returning there next time they buy.
IBM’s research finds that consumers are in a transitional state. According to the study, 35% are unsure whether they would next shop at a store or online. Nine percent are ready to commit to making future purchases online.
Of all eight product categories tracked in the survey, the two most popular categories chosen by consumers for an online shift are consumer electronics and luxury items, including jewelry and designer apparel.
The IBM study also found that nearly half of online purchases in studied categories resulted from showrooming. Significantly, nearly a quarter of these online shoppers intended to buy their item in the store, but ultimately purchased online – primarily due to price and convenience.
Younger, male and affluent shoppers are most likely to showroom. Although a global phenomenon, there is a higher incidence of showrooming in China (26%) and India (13%) than the U.S. (7%), for example.


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Sanderson Farms Gaps Up After Q4 Results
Shares of poultry producer Sanderson Farms (NASDAQ: SAFM) are slightly higher on Tuesday, after the company released its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings results prior to the opening bell. At last check, the stock had risen 0.34 percent to $49.94. At the open, SAFM gapped up and began trading at $50.75, so on an intra-day basis, the stock has actually lost ground.
The company reported earnings and revenue for the fourth-quarter which were ahead of Wall Street analysts' consensus estimates. The strength in the period was attributed to better pricing and selling conditions in the poultry market.
Sanderson Farms reported net income for the fourth-quarter of $9.35 million or $0.41 per share, compared to a net loss of $21.56 million or $0.97 per share, in the year ago period. This compared to Wall Street analysts' consensus EPS estimates of $0.32.
Net sales in the period were up 15.8 percent to $648.38 million versus $559.84 million last year. This also came in ahead of Street consensus revenue estimates of $635.75 million.
For fiscal 2012, Sanderson reported net income of $53.94 million or $2.35 per share, versus a net loss of $127.08 million or $5.74 per share last year. Sales for the year were up 20.8 percent to $2.39 billion. This compared to analysts' full-year 2012 earnings estimates of $2.22 per share on revenue of $2.37 billion.
"We are pleased that our profitability during fiscal 2012 allowed us to significantly reduce outstanding debt and strengthen our balance sheet," Chairman and CEO Joe Sanderson Jr. saild.
Year-to-date, SAFM has lost around 0.30 percent, underperforming the broader market. Over the last three months, however, Sanderson shares have now climbed a little less than 13 percent and remain in significant uptrend.
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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TOKYO • Japan is sticking to its view that the US won’t apply higher tariffs on imports of Japanese cars and auto parts so long as negotiations toward a trade deal continue, according to Tokyo’s lead negotiator with Washington.
The comments from Japan Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (picture) come as policymakers in Japan and Europe fret about the findings of a US Commerce Department report on vehicle imports submitted to President Donald Trump on Sunday.
Trump has threatened to raise US tariffs on car and auto part imports as high as 25% if they are deemed a US security risk. Higher tariffs would wallop Japan’s biggest industry, severely denting the country’s growth prospects.
Car and auto part exports made up 20% of Japan’s total exports in 2018.
Motegi said yesterday he had previously confirmed with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer that Washington wouldn’t apply higher rates amid talks on a trade deal.
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had also confirmed with Trump that existing rates would stay put while negotiations took place, he added.
Motegi’s comments echo the response of the European Union (EU) to the submission of the report, reminding the US to keep to its word on holding fire while talks continue.
The EU is readying retaliatory tariffs totalling €20 billion (RM92.75 billion) of US goods should Trump follow through on his threat to impose duties on EU cars and auto parts.
Japan has taken a more cautious view on revealing how it might respond, with no such counter measures unveiled so far.
But policymakers in Tokyo shouldn’t just assume that US-China talks will keep those with Japan on the back burner indefinitely, said Masaki Kuwahara, senior economist at Nomura Securities Co.
While Kuwahara believes the tariffs will ultimately be avoided, he estimates that Japan’s auto export volumes could halve if US tariffs were hiked to 20%, shaving as much as 0.5 percentage point off Japan’s economic growth.
Economists at Daiwa Institute of Research went a step further in characterising the potential fallout of US action. Auto tariffs are “life or death” for Japan, outweighing the USChina trade war as a risk, they said in a report. — Bloomberg


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NEW YORK Marriott is the official hotel partner of the U.S. Soccer Federation. To showcase its tie to the sport—and cash in on the hype surrounding the 2014 FIFA World Cup—the hotel brand staged an interactive promotion on May 30. Held in Times Square, the event included a Q&A session with American soccer stars Alexi Lalas (who's now a sports commentator) and Omar Gonzalez.
The two athletes are the face of the Marriott's new IMG-produced ad campaign, which has the hash tag #TravelVictories. On the morning of the Times Square event, Breakfast set up an Instaprint mosaic grid in the tent where the Q&A session was to take place. Throughout the day, social media images labeled with the campaign's hashtag were printed out and added to the mosaic. Just before their Q&A portion began at 4 p.m., Lalas and Gonzalez added the final two pieces to the interactive artwork. Grey handled publicity for the affair.


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Eclipse Laboratories, a sunscreen products company headed by former Chicagoan Steve Manenti, is making a splash in the fragrances business.
Eclipse has reached an agreement to acquire the Goeffrey Beene line of men`s fragrances, such as Grey Flannel and Bowling Green, and Niki de Saint Phalle, a women`s fragrance, Manenti told this column Wednesday.
The seller is Sanofi Co., a multibillion-dollar Paris-based concern that recently acquired those brands when it bought the Jacqueline Cochran Division from American Cyanamid Co. Sanofi is holding on to such fragrances as Nina Ricci and La Prairie, which it picked up in the Cochran purchase.
Manenti last November acquired the Eclipse line of sunscreen products from Sandoz Inc.`s Dorsey Laboratories. Eclipse, a top seller among sunscreens, became the new corporate banner of his Greenwich, Conn., firm, previously known as the Manenti Group.
Manenti, former president and chief operating officer of Faberge Inc., hopes to close on the buyout of the fragrance lines in December.
Grey Flannel, Bowling Green and Niki de Saint Phalle have worldwide sales estimated at almost $19 million at manufacturer prices, with most of the volume in this country.
These prestige fragrances have primary distribution in leading department stores.
At least one prominent department store executive is impressed with Manenti`s deal.
``They`ve (Eclipse) made an excellent acquisition,`` said John Stabineau, vice president and divisional merchandise manager at Marshall Field & Co.
``The brands being acquired are all doing well,`` said Stabineau, whose responsibilities include fragrances. ``The men`s fragrance category especially is very strong (in sales). With more promotion, Grey Flannel and Bowling Green can do even better.``
The fragrance additions will boost Eclipse to projected annual sales of $43 million at manufacturer prices. Since acquiring the Eclipse line, Manenti has introduced other products, including Cancer Garde, a sun block.
Manenti, who once headed a Lake Bluff manufacturers sales representative firm under his name, said he is looking for other acquisitions. Eclipse was one of the bidders for Lamaur Inc., which was purchased by Dow Chemical Co.
MAYER`S `LUNCHABLES` DEBUT
Oscar Mayer Foods Corp. has moved into test markets in Eau Claire, Wis., and Grand Junction, Colo., a line of refrigerated, prepacked, ready-to-serve meat-cheese-cracker combinations under the Lunchables banner, the company confirmed. There are four regular versions and four deluxe versions of these lunch packs, the former with a suggested retail price of $1.29 and the latter at $1.89. One of the deluxe packs contains ham, roast beef, two kinds of cheese, crackers and an Andes Candies mint, a condiment and a napkin; the latter three items are not available in the regular versions. J. Walter Thompson USA Chicago has the advertising assignment. Oscar Mayer, based in Madison, Wis., is a subsidiary of General Foods Corp.
- Foote, Cone & Belding consolidated its national broadcast buying with the agency`s New York office, a move that shut down the national broadcast unit at FCB Chicago. FCB said it hoped to absorb the five-person staff that worked in the buying unit here. Rose O`Connell, VP in charge of the unit at FCB Chicago, reportedly turned down an offer to relocate with FCB in Manhattan. FCB in New York now will be working on an estimated $400 million in broadcast billing, including an estimated $85 million-plus handled by FCB Chicago. By centralizing its national broadcast buying (network TV, network radio, TV syndication, cable TV, etc.) in New York, FCB figures to have more purchasing power. Or, as one FCB source said, ``more clout with the networks . . . better buys.`` Separately, FCB Chicago promoted Wendy Lapidus-Saltz and Jim Schwartz to creative directors.
On the move: Marilyn Kelly promoted to associate media director and Dave Rasmussen named media supervisor at Ogilvy & Mather Chicago. . . . Laura Ann Day promoted to vice president and sales manager at Gannett Outdoor of Chicago. . . . Laura J. Rezek joined Bally Midway Manufacturing Co., Franklin Park, as advertising manager. Judi Silverman joined Janet Diederichs & Associates as an account supervisor. . . . Jack R. Carollo named an associate VP in charge of marketing communications services at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke`s Medical Center. . . . Susan F. Ebaugh appointed director of public relations, a newly created post, at Serta Inc.
Strictly Personal: Birthday greetings to Leonard Lavin, Elizabeth Greenfield and adman Dick Kucera.
- Former Chicagoan Jeff Ward, recently associate national advertising sales manager for People magazine, was promoted to publisher of Cooking Light, the bimonthly published by Southern Progress Corp. The latter, a Time subsidiary, also publishes Southern Living. People is one of Time Inc.`s publications. Ward is based in New York.


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“Super Bowl advertisers know they will be judged as much as the players and coaches.” As the Los Angeles Times points out, the Super Bowl is as important as ever — not just for the players and coaches on the field and sidelines, but also for the companies shelling out top dollar for ad space. Each of the past two years, CBS and FOX have charged $4.5 million USD for just 30 seconds of air time (that’s $150,000 USD per second) on their networks during the big game while ad revenue has skyrocketed — from $134 million USD for 2002’s Super Bowl XXXVI matchup between the Patriots and Rams to $245 million USD just ten year later. The numbers are even more staggering if you consider advertisers paid just $37,500 USD for an ad during Super Bowl I in 1967 — meaning today’s $4.5 million USD is an 11,900% increase. And the numbers make sense if you consider how much television viewership has changed, especially in the last decade. With the proliferation of streaming and cable-cutters, the Super Bowl has become a rarity: an event that over 100 million people will watch live right on their TVs. The NFL’s annual championship is arguably one of the single most effective ways to shine a spotlight on your business.
As a result, Super Bowl commercials have gotten better and better, channeling as much celebrity wattage as possible to make the biggest impact (see T-Mobile and Drake’s “Restricted Bling”). Sometimes the ads prove even more memorable than the games themselves — especially if you don’t have a horse in the race. And while most “best of” Super Bowl commercials lists are dominated by beverage companies (who doesn’t love the Budweiser Clydesdales?), we decided to highlight another brand that continually puts out some of the most memorable Super Bowl spots of all time: Nike. From Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny to Tyra Banks and Lil Penny, the Swoosh’s annual big game ads have had it all — they even ushered in the “Hare Jordan” and set the stage for Space Jam.
Below, we take a look back at a few of Nike’s best Super Bowl commercials — all from the glory days of the ’90s — ahead of Super Bowl 50 this weekend.
Sport Announcers (1990)
Lone Runner (1991)
Hare Jordan (1992)
Space Jam (1993)
Fake Retirement – Part 1 (1994)
Fake Retirement – Part 2 (1994)
Love of Football (1995)
Pee Wee Ice Bowl (1996)
Pee Wee Football Bubba (1996)
Pee Wee Football No. 7 (1996)
Lil Penny’s Super Bowl Party (1997)


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Amongst the hubbub of all the flagship launches at Mobile World Congress this year, Nokia has gone and announced five budget smartphones that run Android apps and Microsoft services.
The Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL will be an experiment of sorts for the company whose phones until now have rocked Windows Phone OS. However, in a further departure from what has become the norm, the phones will have HERE maps and Microsoft services like Skype, OneDrive and outlook.com instead of Google Maps and Google Mail that Android phones usually come pre-packaged with.
Available in bright green, bright red, cyan, yellow, and black and white, the Nokia X has a 4” IPS capacitive display and 3-megapixel camera. The Nokia XL boasts a 5” display with 2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing autofocus camera with flash.
All the phones will have Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core processor and support Dual SIM, and users will also be offered free cloud storage using OneDrive.
The X family handsets will have the familiar tile-based user interface and come packaged with Fastlane, a screen which lets people switch between their favorite apps more smoothly.
These are the first launches for Nokia after the mobile business was sold to Microsoft in September 2013. The Nokia X will go on sale immediately and the Nokia X+ and Nokia XL are expected to roll out starting early second quarter.
'Our deliberate approach is to offer four tiers of products including our affordable entry-level devices like the new Nokia 220; our entry-level Asha touch-phones like the new Nokia Asha 230; our new Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL smartphones primarily for growth economies; and our Lumia portfolio, which is where we introduce the greatest innovation and provide full compatibility with the Microsoft experience,' said Stephen Elop, executive vice president of Nokia’s Devices & Services, on the launches.


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Virtual try-on technology was born at Stanford University 11 years ago.
“It was an evolution of ideas that started with facial recognition [technology],” said ModiFace Inc.’s chief executive officer Dr. Parham Aarabi. “The goal was to look at skin and use that as identification to create a dermal analysis.”
He went on to explain that instead of using the program to find wrinkles, it began as a way to simulate what different types of dermal fillers might look like on the user.
But the idea has since been extended.
Effective visualization tools now exist within the color cosmetics realm and for apparel, too — although Aarabi contended that no ideal solution exists for the latter quite yet.
About 24 brands currently use visualization tools — including Garnier and StriVectin — which are available to users on the iPad, Facebook and retailer Web sites, among other media. Aarabi said the goal was to devise HTML-friendly apps that were compatible across platforms (research showed that Flash-based makeover tools were harder to use and not compatible with all digital mediums) — and to date, almost 20 brands use HTML-based virtual, cosmetic makeover tools.
He referred to Stila’s Web-based try-on tool, as it combined social and e-commerce functionalities, as well as e-mailing users with personalized product recommendations. There’s also a new iPhone and iPad app that provides a unique way to “paint” cosmetics on users’ faces.
As for virtual dressing rooms, Aarabi said Brides.com launched a tool that addressed this, allowing consumers to share dress choices on Facebook and start a discussion with friends to get a vote on whether or not they should purchase the look.
@margotrobbie steps out onto the red carpet wearing @miumiu. The actress is nominated for “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role” in “I, Tonya” at the #SagAwards. (📷: Stewart Cook) #wwdfashion
For @massimogiorgetti of @msgm, the Nineties are his favorite decade. “They had a huge impact on my personal growth. What I like of the Nineties is that they are not so precise in terms of style as other decades…there was actually a bit of everything,” he said. As seen on MSGM’s Spring 2018 show: tie-dye and a bit of grunge, two styles that are synonymous with the decade #wwdfashion #wwddecades (📷: @kukukuba)
Breaking News: @hedislimane joins @celine as its new artistic, creative and image director. One of fashion’s preeminent image-makers and trendsetters, Slimane is to join the LVMH brand on Feb. 1 and unveil his first fashion proposition for men and women next September during Paris Fashion Week. It marks a major homecoming for Slimane, who cemented his reputation – and influenced men’s tailoring for more than a decade – as the designer of Dior Homme between 2000 and 2007. He went on to reinvent and ignite the house of Yves Saint Laurent, which he rechristened Saint Laurent, between 2012 and 2016 – all the while maintaining a close relationship with the Arnault family, which controls LVMH and Dior. Read the full exclusive story on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
“Personally I believe the Eighties have been the richest and more vivacious period for international fashion,” Giorgio Armani said when asked what his favorite decade of fashion is. It was a moment of disruption and experimentation and only thinking back to the first years of that decade is always an emotion for me, for what they have meant to me and my work.” The influence is clear in @giorgioarmani spring 2018 collection, pictured here, which was full of bright colors and unexpected prints. Read more about which decades designers loved most on WWD.com #wwdfashion #wwddecades (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)
For Lady Gaga’s only Italian show on her “Joanne World Tour,” the singer wore a range of @versace_official outfits. The standout piece: this custom-made bodysuit inspired by the brand’s spring 2018 collection. #wwdfashion (RG: @ladygaga)
@_camillaruth_ is expanding on the wellness-craze concept with @westbourne – a new NYC restaurant that’s both a healthy-minded café as well as a business that gives back to the community. Marcus works with the Robin Hood foundation to give back to The Door, a non-profit providing youth development services, and also hires employees through The Door. Read our full interview with Marcus on giving back through food on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)


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- Honkai: Star Rail reveals new playable four-star character Gallagher, expected to release during the Version 2.1 update.
- Gallagher will be the first Abundance character in the game to wield the Fire element, playing a supportive role in the healer-focused Path.
- Gallagher’s release will be joined by two five-star characters during Version 2.1, with Aventurine and the highly-anticipated Acheron expected to debut.
Honkai: Star Rail has revealed Gallagher as a new Fire Abundance character coming to the game with the launch of the Version 2.1 update, currently expected to debut in March. With the release of Honkai: Star Rail‘s newest playable world right around the corner, HoYoverse has given fans plenty of reasons to be excited about the new world. Penacony’s release is expected to bring three new playable characters to Star Rail, more areas to explore, and even new gameplay mechanics. Now, players are being teased with even more characters to come.
During the lead-up to Honkai: Star Rail‘s highly-anticipated Version 2.0 Special Program, HoYoverse has begun to roll out reveals for the following version’s characters. Version 2.1 has been confirmed to feature two new five-star characters joining the roster, with Aventurine and the highly-anticipated Acheron releasing. Acheron was previously teased during Honkai: Star Rail’s Game Awards trailer, with fans speculating that she may be Star Rail‘s version of popular Honkai Impact 3rd character Raiden Mei. The newest reveal from the game is now introducing players to Version 2.1’s lone four-star character, Gallagher.
Honkai: Star Rail Confirms Rarity and Path for New Character Aventurine
Honkai: Star Rail reveals the drip marketing of a new character, Aventurine, who will allegedly be playable in a future version.
A new post shared to Honkai: Star Rail‘s social media accounts reveals new character Gallagher, a security officer for Penacony’s Bloodhound Family. Gallagher is described as a “slovenly and indolent mixologist,” with his teaser image introducing the character as a bartender. The post reveals both his Element and Path, suggesting Gallagher will play a supportive role within Honkai: Star Rail as a Fire character in the Abundance Path. Gallagher will be the first Abundance character to wield the Fire element, with Ice as the last unrepresented element for Honkai: Star Rail‘s healer class.
While the official reveal from HoYoverse does not provide any details about his kit, leaks have already offered several hints about Gallagher’s gameplay within Honkai: Star Rail. According to previous leaks, Gallagher will act as a mix between a healer and a debuffer, providing increases to Weakness Break damage and on-hit healing. Gallagher is also expected to play a major role in the story of Honkai: Star Rail, first teased during Star Rail‘s Version 1.6 Special Program. Gallagher and Version 2.1 are currently expected to launch on March 20.
With teasers for Version 2.1’s characters already releasing, HoYoverse is gearing up to pull back the curtain on Honkai: Star Rail‘s next big update. Honkai: Star Rail‘s Version 2.0 Special Program is expected to air later this week, bringing with it the official reveal of the world of Penacony. The update is also expected to showcase gameplay for new five-star characters Black Swan and Sparkle, as well as four-star character Misha. With Penacony’s expected launch less than two weeks away, Honkai: Star Rail players are set to receive a plethora of new content in the near future.
Honkai: Star Rail
The fourth entry in HoYoverse’s Honkai franchise, Honkai: Star Rail is a free-to-play sci-fi RPG. Utilizing a turn-based combat system, the game includes dungeons, multiple planets, and a gacha system for unlocking new characters. Debuting on April 26, 2023, on PC and mobile, Honkai: Star Rail has also been announced for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.
- April 26, 2023
- T for Teen


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Hyundai Ioniq 5, Royal Enfield Himalayan the big winners at Autocar Awards 2024
Sixteen cars and 11 bikes were nominated for the Autocar Car of the Year and Bike of the Year awards, respectively.
To win the title, the electric Ioniq 5 had to face some fierce competition from the likes of the Exter, Maruti Fronx, Hyundai Verna, Citroen C3 Aircross, Maruti Suzuki Jimny, and more. The Himalayan didn't have it easy either, emerging on top in a category that had a variety of motorcycles like the Triumph Speed 400, KTM Duke 390, Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Harley Davidson X440.
2024 Autocar Awards category winners: cars
Apart from being crowned the Car of the Year, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 also bagged the EV of the Year award. Moving to the category above, the Luxury EV of the Year was the BMW i7, which beat tough competitors like the Lotus Eletre and the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
Reflecting the shifting market preferences in the hatchback segment, there were just two contenders this year, both electric. The Citroen eC3 beat the MG Comet to take home the award for the Hatchback of the Year.
Meanwhile, the Hyundai Exter bagged the Compact SUV of the Year. The MPV of the Year was the Innova Hycross-based Maruti Suzuki Invicto, triumphing over the Toyota Rumion – which, in turn, is based on the Maruti Ertiga.
The Midsize SUV segment has seen immense growth in India, and this year’s nominees consisted of the Citroen C3 Aircross, the electric Mahindra XUV400 and Honda Elevate – the Honda was crowned the Midsize SUV of the Year. The Mercedes-Benz GLC, on the other hand, was awarded the Luxury SUV of the Year title, defeating the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.
Amongst the many performance cars launched last year, the PHEV Lamborghini Revuelto stood out and stood strong, making the Performance Car of the Year. With its sharp styling, the Maruti Fronx caught the eyes of the jurors and it was awarded the Best Design and Styling. There were a multitude of facelifts introduced last year, but the Tata Nexon EV facelift took home the title of the Variant/Update of the Year.
2024 Autocar Awards category winners: bikes
The new Himalayan is the most radically different motorcycle modern-day bike Royal Enfield has ever made, and was declared the Bike of the Year. The stylish Hero Xoom was crowned as the scooter of the year, coming out on top against competition that included the Ola S1 Air and Ather 450S. While it might be expensive, the Ultraviolette F77 is impressive, which is why it trumped other nominees and clinched the Electric Two-wheeler of the Year.
With its move to V4 power, the Ducati Diavel makes a great proposition, which is why we crowned it as the Import Bike of the Year. And with its exceptional handling and ballistic engine, BMW’s litre-class weapon, the S1000 RR, was announced the Performance Bike of the Year. The Indian Performance Bike of the Year was awarded to the explosive KTM Duke 390, which got its most comprehensive update last year.
Viewers' Choice and Industry awards
We asked our viewers to vote for their favourite Car and Bike of 2023: the Honda Elevate and Royal Enfield Himalayan emerged as the winners. Mahindra Automotive was announced the Manufacturer of the Year, while Maruti Suzuki India MD, Hisashi Takeuchi, won the Person of the Year award for his work towards taking the company to the top in the SUV segment.
Modular, scalable design of Motor Control Unit enables integration across diverse EV applications. Claimed to be reduce ...
The global supplier of technology and services is betting big on both electromobility and hydrogen. While announcing the...
IIT Bombay, one of India’s top technical and research institutions, honours Kinetic Group chairman Dr Arun Firodia, one ...


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Many have already been shocked by the EU’s forthcoming regulation on green claims, which is pretty strict. The proposal to regulate environmental claims will radically change the way companies communicate and market their products and services.
Green claims are broadly defined as claims related to sustainability. According to various studies, a significant number of these are currently misleading. Companies such as Coca-Cola and Nestle have recently hit the headlines on account of their environmental claims.
Finnish companies have good reason to be aware already, as the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority and the Council of Ethics in Advertising, for example, have already tightened their supervision of claims.
There is no reason to be alarmed by this development, as the new regulation creates, above all, an opportunity to highlight genuine sustainability work in a credible way and in a way that allows you to stand apart from the rest.
Regulation is increasing at EU level
The EU’s proposal for future regulation is strict. Claims must be based on a life-cycle assessment in addition to which all claims must be approved in advance by an accredited verifier before they can be used.
Penalties for infringements could amount to up to four per cent of a company’s annual turnover.
In addition, the amendments to the EU’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive add terms such as ‘climate neutral’ or ‘natural’ that are unsubstantiated to the blacklist of marketing terms to prohibit claims where the excellent environmental performance cannot be demonstrated.
We will have to wait to find out what is considered an excellent level of environmental performance.
Increased monitoring also in Finland
But marketing and communication professionals don’t have time to wait around to find out what will happen next in Brussels.
In Finland, the Central Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Business Practice already published a recommendation in early 2023 that terms such as ‘green’, ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘climate friendly’ should be avoided.
All information relevant to the environmental impact of the product must be provided. Therefore, it is not enough for the claim to be true, as the claims should focus specifically on the most significant environmental impacts of the product.
For example, the most material environmental impacts of a large electric SUV are not going be related to the materials that are used in the car’s interior.
In addition to the wording, the recommendation also applies to other forms of communication, at factors such as the colours, images and sounds used also influence the overall impression.
The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority is already actively keeping green claims in check.
Earlier in the autumn, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority decided that the marketing of Aino ice cream by Froneri Finland Oy was misleading.
The company used the term ‘responsible’ too vaguely. The climate benefit of bio-based materials was generalised to claim that it provided broader benefits for sustainability, even though there was no evidence of other environmental benefits.
New era requires a new type of communication
We are in a new era of sustainability communication, where both public authorities and consumers are more critical of sustainability claims.
What kind of communication should you focus on now?
Companies should focus above all on describing concrete actions that relate to their core business.
For example, if more than half of a company’s emissions are generated in the production of raw materials, it is no longer credible for the company to tell people about the energy mix of its production facility.
In addition to the truth of the claims, it is necessary to critically assess whether there is sufficient evidence to support the claim.
Now is the time for new communication policies
So, it is not a good idea to sit back and wait for the EU regulation to become mandatory.
It takes time to update the key elements of corporate social responsibility communication and to develop the skills required in the organisation.
In the future, every single communication and marketing professional will need sufficient understanding of sustainability issues to be able to spot the real sustainability claims from the greenwashing of the past.
A good sustainability narrative – a credible and inspiring summary of how this particular company or organisation is making the world a more sustainable place – can help here.
A good sustainability narrative does not focus on trivial issues but is an integral part of an organisation’s reason for existing and description of itself. It is based on scientific facts and concrete action.
In this case, tighter regulation will provide good reason to shine rather than be a cause for concern.
A checklist for you
At Kaskas, we have created the checklist below to help you go through all your communications related to sustainability. We hope you find it useful!
- Is this a green claim?
- Is the topic relevant regarding the company’s core business? Does the green claim concern the material environmental impact of the product?
- Is the claim true?
- Is there reliable, up-to-date and credible evidence for this claim?
- Is the claim sufficiently accurate? Does the claim cover the entire company or a product, or just a part of a product?
Do you need assistance in encapsulating your organisation’s sustainability narrative or would your organisation benefit from coaching on green claims? We’d love to help!


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Samsung announced its 2023 financial results for the final quarter and current fiscal year and again set a record revenue for the full year
Months – South Korean Won302.23 Trillions (approximately $43 billions of dollars). This is an increase of 8% compared to 800; however, the operating profit was KRW 43. 23 trillion, 12% less than the previous year.
The South Korean company performed poorly in the fourth quarter as it recorded a decline in sales across almost all divisions due to weak demand amid a slowing global economy.
Mobile Experience (MX) segment revenue fell 9% year-over-year in Q4, but full-year sales were more than the prior year 01%. Profits were down across the board, though — down both sequentially and year-over-year in the final quarter and for the year as well. Samsung confirmed that the mass market has contracted sharply due to “inflation and geopolitical instability.”
While demand for Galaxy smartphones was unexpectedly weak during the holiday quarter, flagships remained strong relative to market forecasts. Samsung expects the downward trend to continue in the first quarter 2023, but things will eventually turn around with the launch of the Galaxy S 302 series. The new flagship, due to arrive tomorrow, will “feature enhanced camera and gaming features”. The mass-market model will take the biggest hit, and the company will try to counter that with competitive deals with carriers, including expanding among first-time 5G adopters.


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Budget 2018 to boost textile exports with Rs 7,148 crore special package
Chairman of The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil) said the Budget is pragmatic, growth-oriented and all inclusive.india Updated: Feb 01, 2018 20:24 IST
Textile players on Thursday lauded the Budget proposals of increasing financial outlay under the comprehensive textile sector package for apparel and made-ups from Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 7,148 crore, which will help promote production and exports.
Welcoming the Budget, Ujwal Lahoti, chairman of The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil) said, “the Budget is pragmatic, growth-oriented and all inclusive.”
“The government had approved a comprehensive textile sector package of Rs 6,000 crore to boost the apparel and made-up segments The Budget has provided an outlay of Rs 7,148 crore for the textile sector in 2018-19. I hope that the increased funds allocated for the textile sector will cover fabrics also under the rebate on state levies (ROSL) scheme,” Lahoti said.
The government will contribute 12% of the wages of the new employees in the EPF for all the sectors for next three years, which could boost hiring in the apparel sector. Also, the facility of fixed-term employment will be extended to all sectors.
The Budget has increased the funds allocation under the TUF scheme from Rs 2,013 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 2,300 for 2018-19. This is a positive step and will help in clearing some of the committed liabilities under the TUF scheme, the chairman said.
The reduced income tax rate of 25% allowed to companies who have reported turnover up to Rs 250 crore in the financial year 2016-17 will greatly benefit the micro, small and medium enterprises , Lahoti added.
The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) president Rahul Mehta said that the general focus on rural economy, including significant fund allocations, will help in pushing up demand for apparel in the domestic market.
Mehta stated the enhanced economic growth envisaged in the Budget will also help in improving demand for apparel, which is one of the primary needs of the masses.
Mehta added that the positive impact of the Budget on the apparel industry will also be reflected in job creation, since this is the most labour intensive industry in the country.
First Published: Feb 01, 2018 20:20 IST


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"As our view of the market’s path to recovery has come into focus, it’s become clear that it was necessary for us to adapt our company to the present reality."
Quote from tours and activities brand GetYourGuide in an article on PhocusWire this week about the company's layoffs.
Each Friday, PhocusWire dissects and debates an industry trend or new development covered by PhocusWire that week.
What a difference that six months can make - a saying that rings true at any point in the history of a company.
But what a difference the last two quarters for any business have been once it emerged that the outbreak of the coronavirus was not going to be a distant memory by the time the northern hemisphere's summer had kicked in.
It was an admirable decision of sorts by GetYourGuide in April, when it claimed to have a strategy in place to avoid any of the layoffs that numerous other brands across the industry had quickly implemented once many countries around the world had finally succumbed to lockdown the previous month.
Bold, perhaps smart, certainly lucky to be "reducing expenses, adjusting forecasting and conserving cash" in a bid to preserve the fabric of the company from a workforce perspective.
It was, some might argue, a typically ballsy move by GetYourGuide - a company that had defied the inherent skepticism that competitors and pundits have had on numerous occasions over the years with its ability to grow and raise huge sums of investment capital.
But the coronavirus didn't ever really go away at all and a vaccine hasn't arrived to help mobilize a decimated travel, tourism and hospitality sector.
The harsh reality of Q4 2020 is this: as dark as that March to June period (for most) was for people, travel brands and society, companies need more than a ballsy approach to ensure their survival as COVID-19 carries on.
The period of hedging one's bets is perhaps over.
It is time for the industry to accept that a recovery is largely not going to be backed by states to any meaningful scale; that many travelers are going to be hunkering down (either by their own decision or by restrictions imposed on them) for some time into 2021; and the way we experience the process of travel and destinations is going to be very different for years to come.
It certainly a time to be thinking smaller and smarter.
PhocusWire's regular editorials


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Poll of the Day
Kingdom Hearts χ NewsTweets by @KH13chi
Featured ContentTweets by @KH13community
Recent Status Updates
Finally getting a nintendo switch in a few days. Can't wait to add back all my post miiverse friends on switch. They won't miss me for long now :)
I feel totally defeated aaaand its Monday...Great! No wonder, I'm not a fan of it :v
Can we dream about some new KH3 juicy trailer being showed on the PS Experience?? Or a least a realease date for GoW and Spidey!
Kingdom Hearts Halloween Town Donald and Goofy Funko Pop! Vinyl figures announced as NYCC 2017 exclusives
Check out a video showing off all of the NYCC 2017 exclusive Funko figures, including the Halloween Town Donald and Goofy, below:
Even though they are stated to be exclusive to New York Comic Con, Disney Dan, a reputable source in the Disney/Funko communities, says he is "100% certain they will be shared exclusives." What do you think? Do you think they will be exclusive to NYCC forever, or do you think they will eventually be sold elsewhere as shared exclusives? Are you looking forward to these figures? Let us know down in the comments!
UPDATE 1: The NYCC 2017 exclusive Kingdom Hearts Halloween Town Donald and Goofy Funko Pop! Vinyl figures will also be available to purchase at Hot Topic only for the week of NYCC 2017.
UPDATE 2: The NYCC 2017 exclusive Kingdom Hearts Halloween Town Donald and Goofy Funko Pop! Vinyl figures are now available to purchase at Hot Topic for the week of the convention! You can purchase the Halloween Goofy Funko Pop! Vinyl on the official Hot Topic website here, and the Halloween Donald Funko Pop! Vinyl here.
UPDATE 3: The official Funko Europe Twitter account has announced that the NYCC 2017 exclusive Kingdom Hearts Halloween Town Donald Funko Pop! Vinyl figure will be available at the British supermarket retailer, Asda! Stay tuned for a date.


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Fuel panic triggers spike in electric car searches
Searches in electric cars have rocketed in recent days as the ‘fuel crisis’ sparks surging interest in EVs.
Research from a number of sources shows that searches on electric cars have jumped in recent days on the back of panic buying and lengthy queues at petrol pumps, which were in turn sparked by media reports of petrol station closures from the HGV driver shortage.
Auto Trader said advert views for new and used electric models increased by a record 28% and 61% respectively over the weekend while it also reported a huge uplift in the number of people sending enquiries to retailers, with one sent every two minutes.
Analysis by the energy team at Uswitch has also revealed that the fuel panic is driving interest in electric vehicles and providing a starting point for many people to start seriously considering an electric car. Its data published today (28 September) shows that during the last 24 hours, there have been 91% more searches for electric cars, with drivers in Cheshire searching the most.
And view data from automotive digital specialist Sophus3 also shows increased traffic to car brands’ electric vehicle web pages.
It says that on Friday, as the panic buying accelerated, visits to electric vehicle model pages on car brand sites had increased by almost 50% in just five days. Searches for the term ‘electric car’ on google had also effectively doubled since the start of the week.
The question is whether such initial interest will galvanise drivers into actually making the move to EVs, particularly with the Government and motoring organisations suggesting the fuel situation will return to normal in the next few days.
Scott Gairns, Sophus3’s managing director, believes it does mark a turning point for EVs.
“With concerns that structural problems in the supply chain will mean further waves of panic buying over the autumn and winter months, we expect to see a hardening of consumer interest in EV models.
“Choosing an electric car is beginning to look like a sensible, pragmatic choice to guarantee mobility, as well as the right thing to do from an environmental point of view.”
Sean Kemple, managing director of Close Brothers Motor Finance, also said the current fuel concerns may well be the catalyst for motorists to go green.
“Vauxhall is bringing out eight new electric models, Volkswagen will be releasing six new greener vehicles and Toyota is looking at double-digit growth in its EV markets. The luxury of EV choice, alongside long petrol station queues, may be the tipping point for consumers who are steering towards non-carbon options.”
However, he cautioned that action is needed to ensure ongoing momentum.
“The UK car industry is at a pivotal point in its journey to electrification, with sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles continuing to surge. But for this trend to continue, we need to see the infrastructure in place to support alternatively fuelled vehicle ownership. An extra focus on the quality, as well as quantity, of charging networks is essential, which in many cases are not working as they should be. The car market has the opportunity to build back stronger, and greener, but it’s down to government support and industry collaboration to make that happen.”
And while Auto Trader said its online data suggests that people aren’t simply flirting with the idea of electric but have been encouraged to actively pursue a purchase, it’s unlikely to represent a major step towards the Government’s Road to Zero ambitions.
“That’s because electric cars are prohibitively expensive for the majority of people, and despite the significant increase in range performance among new models, capable of reaching around 250 miles on a single charge, concerns of an inadequate charging infrastructure remain,” said commercial director Ian Plummer.
“To make them a genuinely viable option for mainstream buyers, we need more commitment to provide greater incentives to deal with the upfront cost, as well as more investment to improve the national infrastructure to support both those rare long journeys, and those without access to home charging.
“Concern about petrol availability won’t end when the pumps start up again, and so this increased interest represents a unique opportunity to inform, to excite and to incentivise car owners to make the switch. If the Government is serious about reaching its 2030 targets, then it is one it can ill-afford to miss.”


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Jaguar to leave Formula One racing 17 Sep 2004
Jaguar owners Ford have announced plans to withdraw from Formula One racing at the end of the 2004 season. The Jaguar Racing team, along with engine manufacturers Cosworth, have been put up for sale by the American car giant.
"Jaguar's presence in Formula One has been a valuable marketing and brand awareness platform particularly outside our main markets of the US and the UK, said Joe Greenwell, chairman of Jaguar Cars. However it was our collective view that it is time for Jaguar Cars to focus 100% on our core business.
After a thorough review over many months Ford Motor Company has decided it can no longer make a compelling business case for any of its brands to compete in Formula One.
Having reached this decision our focus has turned to securing the best future for our Formula One businesses and our employees in these businesses going forward. We are therefore putting our Formula One businesses up for sale.
Ford Vice-President Richard Parry-Jones, the man in charge of Jaguars Formula One operations, told news agency Reuters that a number of potential buyers had already expressed interest.
Jaguar came into the sport in 2000 after taking over the Stewart team. Since then they have seen only limited success and currently lie seventh in the 2004 constructors championship standings.
The sale of Cosworth could also have a major impact on the Minardi and Jordan teams, both of whom are powered by the companys engines. Minardi recently announced a deal to continue use of their V10s for the 2005 season.


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By Robert Grace
January 18, 2022: The United Arab Emirates announced on Jan. 18 plans to create a quality-assured trading platform for plastics feedstock, in a major development designed to facilitate the global trade of recycled plastics.
This platform, dubbed the Rebound Plastic Exchange (www.reboundplasticexchange.com), aims to enable buyers, sellers and governments to efficiently trade plastics feedstock for recycling with trust and confidence. Scheduled to open for trading by mid-2022, its founders estimate that Rebound will have traded 5 million tons of recycled plastics by 2025.
International Holding Co. (IHC), the largest company listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, is creating the platform, which will introduce globally recognized standards, certification, insurance and quality assurance into the supply chain for recycled plastics. The initiative aims to increase the efficiency of recycling plastics at scale, provide new economic opportunities and reduce the impact of plastics pollution on the planet, according to Doug Woodring, who conceived the project.
Facing increasing legislative pressure, global brands have been making public commitments to incorporate more post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics into their products and packaging. Many are aiming for 20 to 30 percent increases in their use of such materials.
IHC says the Rebound Plastic Exchange will fill a significant gap in the market, facilitating a circular economy as it creates a quality-assured platform to purchase and provide feedstock of recycled plastics to meet the growing demand from multinational companies.
The news takes on additional significance since more than 70 businesses—including major packaging firms such as Berry Global Group Inc., Amcor Ltd., Alpla Inc. and Greiner AG, and global brands like Coca-Cola Co. and Walmart Inc.—signed on Jan. 17 with a statement, urging negotiators at the upcoming UN Environment Assembly session to start serious talks on a global treaty aimed at cutting virgin plastics production.
(A more detailed story will appear in the February edition of Plastics Engineering.)


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North Somerset Council home
Secondary applications must be made by 11.59pm on Tuesday 31 October. Apply online now.
Residents and visitors to Weston-super-Mare are being asked to take part in a short online survey to give their views on the town centre after dark.
New state-of-the-art outdoor sports facilities have opened at Hutton Moor Leisure Centre in Weston-super-Mare.


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2016 Paris Motor Show: Mercedes trolls rest of motoring world
In the photos posted on the company’s Instagram site, the German car maker has partially revealed what initially appears to be the rear and front grille of what resembles a new high-performance SUV, with the words “A little big something is about to be revealed – soon.”
Quite a few were taken in by the prank, including several high profile UK motoring websites, who speculated, “Mercedes-AMG is preparing an electric surprise for the 2016 Paris motor show”. The story has since been deleted after Mercedes-AMG released a further set of images. The eagerly anticipated ‘electric surprise’ turned out to be this:
If Noddy was to drive a Mercedes, this is no doubt what it would look like. These follow up pictures show a toy for the child who prefers to drive ‘higher end’ vehicles. The mini Merc comes with everything, even a set of working LED lights.
And who said Germans have no sense of humour?
The mini AMG, yet to be officially named, will share a stand at Paris with two full-size drop-top versions of the AMG GT Coupe.
The GT and GT C Roadster both feature retractable soft-tops. The GT Roadster’s twin-turbo V8 engine is capable of 0-100km/h in 4.0-seconds, while the GT C, which has a power increase of 60kW over the standard 350kW edition, can do the same sprint in 3.7-seconds.