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Could the grand Raf Simons experiment at Calvin Klein Inc. be in jeopardy?
Emanuel Chirico, chairman and chief executive officer of PVH Corp., parent company of Calvin Klein, last week stated for the first time — and in unusually blunt terms, even for an executive known for being a straight-shooter — that the reimagined Calvin Klein isn’t clicking.
“While many of the product categories performed well, we are disappointed by the lack of return on our investments in our Calvin Klein 205W39NYC halo business and believe that some of the Calvin Klein Jeans’ relaunched product was too elevated and did not sell through as well as we planned,” Chirico said as the group released third-quarter results. He vowed to quickly implement a new, more commercial direction for the iconic American brand.
Describing Simons’ overhaul of Calvin Klein Jeans, Chirico said, “From a product perspective, we went too far, too fast on both fashion and price. We are working on fixing this fashion miss, and we believe that our CK Jeans offering will be much more commercial and fashion-right beginning in 2019, especially for the fall 2019 season.”
Chirico’s statements highlighted the gulf that often exists between critical acclaim and commercial realities, and the complex relationship between creative types and the business executives charged with executing their vision.
”On a personal level, for me, this is a credibility issue,” Chirico said. “And I really feel strongly about what has to be done and the actions that need to be taken as we go forward. So we will reposition the expense structure.”
Reports have been circulating in the market for the past two weeks that PVH and Simons, chief creative officer of Calvin Klein Inc., might not renew their contract when it expires in August. Simons is said to be equally disenchanted — and those both inside and outside the company speculated he could potentially walk even before his contract expires.
When asked whether Simons’ contract was going to be renewed, a PVH spokeswoman said, “We aren’t commenting further than what Manny [Chirico] said on the call.”
Simons could not be reached for comment.
According to sources, relations between the designer and management soured long before Chirico’s public chastisement of Calvin Klein’s design direction last week. Simons is said to be frustrated by “mismanagement of resources” at the brand and production and distribution support for the runway and jeans collections. According to the designer’s camp, the underwear division, led by Cheryl Abel-Hodges, and certain licensed products are thriving by properly exploiting the “halo” of his runway and effective deployment of the “trickle down” effect — translating ideas and design elements in approachable, commercial ways.
What’s more, Simons claims PVH has run afoul of his current contract regarding his purview over certain functions such as marketing, and other protocols.
It is understood a renewal offer came to the designer in recent weeks, even though his current pact doesn’t expire until August. Sources indicated that when PVH presented Simons with the new contract, negotiations hit some roadblocks. When the designer signed his original contract he was given total creative control, and PVH was said to be trying to dial back some of that power, sources said. Simons is said to have rebuffed the new offer and is now considering his options, according to sources.
“How shameful for a company to attack its creative leader after all he’s done for them,” asserted one source. “Everyone’s assuming he’s leaving after this. He could walk out tomorrow and sue them.”
Despite Chirico’s comments, PVH is continuing with business as usual, and the company is planning to stage a runway show for Calvin’s 205W39NYC collection during New York Fashion Week in February.
To be sure, Chirico’s confidence in the Simons era at Calvin Klein dimmed sharply in a matter of months.
As recently as last May, the ceo was trumpeting the designer when he told investors, “We couldn’t be happier with Raf’s contributions to the brand and how it’s really benefited not just the 205 business, but clearly has benefited what’s gone on in our jeans and underwear business, in particular, where we’ve put a real focus on the marketing investment. As you go into spring, but really into fall 2018, you’re going to see that black thread that starts with the 205 collection. You’re really going to see that carry through our jeans, our sportswear and even our underwear business.”
In an interview in October when he received WWD’s Edward Nardoza Honor for Corporate Leadership, he said he was pleased with the hiring of Simons. “It was Steve’s recommendation,” he said referring to Calvin Klein ceo Steve Shiffman. “I met with Raf throughout the process. It was not only a big change and investment we were making, but the idea of bringing in someone of that skill level. Recognizing there would be a huge cultural change. So yes, I was intimately involved in that decision. It’s worked really well so I’ll take some credit for it. You make those decisions, you keep evaluating those decisions, and you hope that you stay on the strategic course.”
Shiffman’s compensation is tied to the performance of the brand under Simons’ design purview.
A May regulatory filing from the company noted, “Mr. Shiffman received an upward adjustment of his bonus of $120,000 [13 percent of his base salary] for his efforts, including the execution of his initiative to create a unified global vision for our Calvin Klein brand under one chief creative officer, Raf Simons, and his management of the business and creative organizations to facilitate Mr. Simons’ success and the business’ growth.”
The realignment of Calvin Klein under Simons has been a major enterprise for PVH, seen as key to the brand’s future growth. Prior to joining Calvin Klein, Simons was artistic director of Christian Dior for women’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessory collections for three years. Earlier he was creative director of Jil Sander for both women’s wear and men’s wear. He also continues to have his own eponymous men’s wear brand.
Simons has been the chief creative officer at Calvin since August 2016 when he was basically handed the keys to the Klein kingdom, given the kind of complete creative control that had not been seen since the days when Calvin Klein himself, and his partner Barry Schwartz, were running the business. Upon joining the company, Simons immediately set out to rethink the collections, change the teams, change the ad campaigns and basically reinvent the business, which was generating some $8 billion in sales but had lost its momentum in some respects. Chirico has repeatedly said he believes Calvin Klein will become a $10 billion business.
Simons has oversight for all the brand’s categories, from the signature collection, which he renamed 205W39NYC shortly after arriving to lower-price apparel and accessories, including jeans, underwear and fragrances — the cash cows of the brand — as well as home goods. In addition, Simons oversees all aspects of global marketing and communications, visual creative services and store design.
His inner circle that he brought with him to Calvin Klein includes Pieter Mulier, his longtime number two and now the creative director of Calvin Klein, and Mulier’s boyfriend, Matthieu Blazy, the design director of women’s rtw.
While Chirico expressed disappointment in the performance of the signature 205W39NYC collection, Simons has been winning a slew of awards for his work at Calvin. For the second year running, he won the CFDA Award for Womenswear Designer of the Year, and the year before, he scooped up both the women’s and men’s prizes — a feat that had never been done before. His directional, often disquieting fashion shows have brought the company a lot of buzz, taking the brand in a different direction from the clean, modern, minimalist roots planted by its renowned founder and strengthened by Simons’ predecessor, Francisco Costa. Over the last two years, Simons has explored the dark side of the American pop landscape, the immigrant “outsider” experience, cowboy culture, the high school years, horror movies and the actual apocalypse with models walking the runway in hazmat suits, firefighter coats and Mylar accessories.
”It’s not a balance of art and commerce. There’s too much art and not enough commerce,” said one industry source about the collections.
The brand’s ad campaigns, which had futuristic and artistic overtones, have featured androgynous and otherworldly looking models, as well as the Kardashian-Jenner clan, and was another shift from the highly sexualized and controversial campaigns for which the brand has been known.
As reported, sources indicate Klein might be making a change in its photographers, hiring Glen Luchford to shoot the spring campaign rather than Simons’ longtime collaborator, Willy Vanderperre, who has shot the campaigns since the designer’s arrival.
Chirico told analysts over the last three years the group has invested between $60 million and $70 million in 205W39NYC — and it hasn’t seen a return on the investment.
“First of all, we’ve been disappointed that our investments in the 205 collection business have not delivered the results we expected. We will cut back on a number of these planned investments in the 205 collection business, and we — as we move forward, will be taking a more returns-oriented commercial approach to this important business,” Chirico said. Throughout the hourlong earnings call, Simons’ name didn’t come up once.
In addition, Chirico said he would shift the focus of the brand’s marketing campaigns, as they have been too skewed toward the higher-end 205 line and the fashion-forward consumer. Klein now plans to take a digital-first approach to marketing. For holiday 2018, it is shifting more of its media spend from “halo marketing” to more commercial, digital and social media advertising — a strategy that had been somewhat followed prior to Simons’ arrival. The company plans to increase frequency on social platforms, like Instagram, use micro influencers and host local activations to drive meaningful engagement, especially with Millennials and Gen Z, Chirico said.
This suggests a trimming of Simons’ control over the brand’s marketing and a strengthening of the hand of Klein’s chief marketing officer Marie Gulin-Merle, who joined from L’Oréal in February.
In elaborating on the problems the business is facing, Chirico said the 205W39NYC collection had commercial issues, as did Calvin Klein Jeans, which was redesigned as a more elevated product at price points that are some 20 to 25 percent higher. “The fall jeans relaunch didn’t sell through as planned,” Chirico told analysts. He said he thought the product attributes would warrant the higher prices, but the company wasn’t getting the weekly sell-throughs it had anticipated. “It was too fashion-forward and price positioning was too high,” he said. The company is taking the markdowns on the floor and providing for markdowns for the balance of 2018 “to get the pain behind us.”
Chirico said that by the end of January, “our inventories will be in the right position and priced appropriately on the floor, that for jeans, there will not be an issue of carryover inventory on the floor from a margin point of view.”
He did note that Calvin Klein businesses from underwear to men’s and women’s apparel, tailored clothing, footwear and accessories were performing very well, and global brand awareness “continues to be exceptional.” But he said the company’s tracking studies indicate there’s opportunity in terms of Klein’s consideration to purchase ranking, particularly for its collection and jeans businesses, “which suggest that we have work to do on the product and marketing side of the business.”
Calvin Klein Jeans represents about 15 percent or 16 percent of the Klein brand’s total retail sales globally. But for the Calvin Klein businesses that PVH operates directly, it represents just over 30 percent of the business, Chirico said. The ceo pointed out that the Calvin Klein collection at G-III has been very strong and has had “outsized growth.”
Morris Goldfarb, ceo of G-III, which has the Calvin Klein sportswear license for North America, said Friday that his Calvin Klein business “has never been better.” The business, which has healthy distribution in major department stores, is reportedly on track to generate about $1.2 billion in wholesale volume by year-end, according to industry sources. Goldfarb said Simons is not involved in his Calvin Klein business. “We don’t need the halo. It [Calvin Klein] is our biggest trophy piece, and it continues to be that way,” said Goldfarb, noting it’s the strongest piece of the G-III portfolio.
PVH projects Calvin Klein revenues to grow 7 percent for the year.
The disconnect between spending and sales was clear to see in Calvin Klein’s numbers for the third quarter. Earnings before interest and taxes decreased to $121 million from $142 million a year earlier, which the company said was “primarily attributable to an approximately $10 million increase in creative and marketing expenditures compared to the prior-year period.”
The firm also cited gross margin pressure, principally due to the greater promotional selling in the jeans business, particularly in North America, as the company moved to adjust inventories.
As for retail performance, sources close to the company claimed that the 205W39NYC collection was wholesaled at too many stores and sell-throughs have become a concern to management. Many of the items are marked down on retail web sites. Stores that carry the collection include Saks Fifth Avenue, Matchesfashion.com, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Dover Street Market and Bergdorf Goodman.
Ken Downing, senior vice president, fashion director of Neiman’s, has had success with the collection.
“Customers have been very enthusiastic about the leopard pieces this season — the oversize leopard hair calf printed coat and the midi duster from fall runway. The full, circle skirt and leopard matching shirt have been popular as well. The check circle skirt has also been well received by customers,” Downing said. He also noted that the plaid Pendleton fringe trim coat has sold well. “The Warhol white and silver dress, and jean have been items customers have embraced,” he said.
But while Calvin Klein vastly expanded its 205W39NYC distribution, it didn’t expand its own collection stores beyond the sole one on Madison Avenue. As part of his mandate, Simons set out to redo that store in a bright yellow interior with scaffolding — temporarily.
The troubles at Calvin Klein also are in stark contrast to the performance of PVH’s other marquee brand, Tommy Hilfiger, which delivered a very strong quarter. The brand continues to experience global momentum, with strength across all product lines and channels of distribution, Chirico said. Revenues at Hilfiger grew 11 percent and earnings rose 16 percent, primarily driven by strong revenue growth and expense leverage. International revenues increased 16 percent in the quarter and comps rose 13 percent.
As reported, PVH’s overall revenues increased 2 percent to $963 million in the third quarter. Within that, Calvin Klein International revenue rose 3 percent, while North America revenue edged up just 1 percent to $481 million, as growth in the wholesale business was partially offset by a 2 percent comparable-store sales decline.
PVH’s stock price took a dip right after it released results Thursday afternoon, but inched up 0.7 percent to $110.51 on Friday.
While Chirico was blunt about Calvin’s performance, analysts were generally bullish that PVH could turn the brand’s fortunes around.
Alex Arnold of Odeon Capital said, “They’ve recognized and acknowledged where they have to make changes and they’re being very proactive about it.”
Michael Binnetti, a retail analyst at Credit Suisse, added, “I think the kind of product that they put out that didn’t work seems like the kind of product that he [Simons] is really enthusiastic about. It might be a little bit out there and a little bit too fashion forward for the true core Calvin Klein premium customer.”
He added that if the designer is unwilling to change some of the products, “he might be better off elsewhere.”
Binnetti added, “If it was another company that wasn’t as good at this, I’d be more worried. But I give them the benefit of the doubt that they’ll be able to fix this.”
When asked if he thinks Simons will stay on after August, Steven Marotta, analyst at CL King & Associates, said he had “no reason to believe otherwise.”
_ With contributions from Evan Clark


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Elliptical Mobile Solutions, whose pioneering micro mobile data centers were once adopted by AOL, has been absorbed into a new outfit promising “instant” edge facilities.
From around 2010, Elliptical sold self-contained modular rack units which included cooling and power distribution, including mobile units on wheels with their own electrical motors. Despite a contract to build these for AOL, the company went into bankruptcy in 2015. Now a marketing firm has bought the assets and plans to put them to use in a new micro-modular venture called Instant Data Centers.
Just add water?
Elliptical marketed the units worldwide and in 2012, AOL announced a plan to use Micro Data Centers, made by Elliptical, for distributed capacity, in an early example of so-called “edge” data centers.
But the company foundered, and went into liquidation in January 2015. Now an internet marketing firm, Managed Admin, has bought Elliptical’s intellectual property, and is putting it into a new company, Instant Data Centers.
The plan is to “put the old team back to work and help the company grow,” according to a statement from Managed Admin, quoted by Phoenix Business Journal (PBJ).
The new company, led by CEO Russ Daily, argues that micro-modular data centers can be more efficient because there is no wasted space, and only cools down the hardware that requires it: ”Do you bring your milk home from the store, set it on your kitchen table, then crank your air conditioner down to keep it cool?” asks its website. “Then why do this with your data center?”
Micro data center are certainly a more viable proposition in 2016, with the current excitement about placing capacity at the network edge.
The company behind this, Managed Admin is an SEO outfit, from its website, with no other visible experience in hardware. From the PBJ report the deal seems to be at least partly based on proximity, as Managed Admin, Elliptical and Instant Data Centers are all based in Gilbert, Arizona.
Daily told PBJ that Instant will inherit around 50 customers from Elliptical, including NASA and NATO.

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News > Google makes GMeet default video conferencing app on Chromebooks
Google makes GMeet default video conferencing app on Chromebooks
Ganjampost | 04/08/2021 12:09 PM | Click to read full article
The popularity and the importance of video conferencing apps are making companies constantly better their products and add new features.
Now Google’s latest update for Chrome OS will allow users to directly open the Google Meet app from the Launcher. Google has announced that with the latest Chrome OS update, its video conferencing app will come pre-installed on all Chromebooks.


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ETRMA joins auto associations in call to ‘save jobs while reducing emissions’
European automotive business organisations and trade unions have called on the European Commission to set out a “bold industrial recovery plan” following the Covid-19 pandemic. IndustriAll Europe, Ceemet, ACEA, CLEPA, CECRA, and ETRMA want a plan to stimulate sales and revive production, while supporting the industry’s “journey towards a carbon-neutral future, based on the Green Deal and Europe’s climate objectives.” The associations want to address fears that the recession will dwarf the effects of the 2008 financial crisis, in which it says 440,000 auto sector jobs were lost.
While much of the tyre industry has helped keep Britain rolling during the coronavirus lockdown, commercial vehicle technicians have played a particularly key role since they have serviced the fleets that have kept the blue lights flashing, the food deliveries moving and much more. In order to gain an inside perspective, Tyres & Accessories spoke with Bridgestone North Region Commercial Business Unit Director Greg Ward who, prior to his promotion into this role in October 2019, served as the company’s commercial sales director, UK and Ireland, for 17 years.
A 2021 edition of the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) “very uncertain” and therefore the next edition is not likely to take place until 2022. The news emerged on 26 May after the Foundation behind GIMS declined financial support from the Canton of Geneva because the rescue package stipulated that the even should plan for a 2021 event.
Supercar manufacturer and historic Formula 1 competitor McLaren is expected to cut 1200 jobs, according to UK news reports. The redundancies, which amount to more than a quarter of its 4,000-strong workforce, represent the UK company’s response to the damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic on the car sector. Staff reductions are expected to be spread across its road car, F1 and Applied Technologies divisions.
Pirelli: likely increase in car usage as motorists continue distancing
With coronavirus lockdowns lifting around the world, heightened vigilance in social interactions is likely to continue for some time. One effect of this could be an increased use of private cars, as commuters eschew public transport options to limit their contact with other people. The economic reality of this suggests that those in the financial position to drive are even more likely to do so. And in turn these motorists are more likely to drive cars that require the fitment of larger tyres. In its preparation for the launch of the new Cinturato P7 over the last month, Pirelli commissioned a survey of drivers using 18-inch and above tyre sizes. This highlighted the tendency for increased car use in future – especially while social distancing measures are in place. In China, 68 per cent of respondents said they would use their cars more, in Italy the figure was 31 per cent, and in Germany 20 per cent.
Pirelli launches Cinturato P7 performance tyre with ‘intelligent compound’
Pirelli has launched a new high performance tyre for premium cars in European and Asian markets, the next generation Cinturato P7. The Cinturato product line has one of the longest histories in the car tyre segment. The brand, with which Pirelli claims to have “invented the concept of the sporting tyre for the road”, celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. While the P Zero line is Pirelli’s primary focus for the highest performance vehicles, the Formula 1 tyre supplier includes Cinturato branding via the series’s wet weather tyres with good reason. Such is Pirelli’s focus on the ultra-high performance sector, that the Cinturato is positioned as another tyre line for top premium segment cars. Preparations for the launch of the new P7 focused on drivers using 18” and above sizes, while Pirelli’s original equipment focus has also yielded 70-plus homologations for the tyre.
Toni Silfverberg joings Nokian Tyres management team
Toni Silfverberg has been appointed to lead Nokian Tyres’ new Marketing & Sales Excellence team starting 1 June 2020. Silfverberg will be a member of Nokian Tyres management team and report to Jukka Kasi, SVP products and marketing. Toni Silfverberg moves to the position from Nokian Heavy Tyres, where he has been leading sales and marketing globally. Previously Silfverberg has worked in international companies like H+H International A/S and Inion Oy, where he had leading roles in sales and marketing, finance and ICT.
For the first time in nearly a decade, the Goodyear Blimp will take flight over Europe. The Goodyear Blimp operating in Europe will be a Goodyear-branded, Zeppelin NT airship, operated by Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei GmbH of Friedrichshafen, Germany. This marks the latest chapter in a nearly 100-year relationship between Goodyear and Zeppelin.
BKT launches Liftmax LM 63, adds sizes to its range
Agricultural and industrial tyre specialists manufacturer BKT launched the new Liftmax LM 63 on 14 May 2020. The tyremaker describes its later offering as “a perfect mix of resistance, stability, and comfort.” Meanwhile, BKT will soon release a range of new sizes for its Liftmax LM 81 and Container King tyres.
Kwik Fit warns of ‘1.1 million unroadworthy vehicles’
MOT exemption means many cars will not be checked for up to six months and 49 per cent of drivers receiving an MOT extension will go to the end of the period without getting car tested, according to Kwik Fit’s analysis. However, the leading fast-fit chain also reports that the majority of drivers think the MOT extension should be ended now.
April’s US trailer demand down 99 compared with 2019
Analysis of commercial vehicle trailer demand in the USA conducted by ACT Research has found that April 2020 trailer orders were down 97 per cent compared with March 2020 and down 99 per cent compared with April 2019.
Business welcomes government decision to reopen car dealerships
The government’s decision to include car showrooms in its first wave of of retail reopenings on 1 June has been welcomed by dealers. Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association stated: “Following our lobbying efforts where we highlighted it was vital to include dealerships in the first wave of non-essential retail reopening, it is positive that the Prime Minister has confirmed the Government intends to reopen car showrooms from 1 June.
Pirelli pitching its tyres as ‘the perfect fit for fleets’
Bearing in mind that Pirelli’s high-performance leading product portfolio is based on an OE-homologation heavy “perfect fit” strategy, it is no surprise to learn that the Italian-based manufacturer is pitching it tyres as “the perfect fit for fleets” as well.


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A Dundee estate agency has highlighted enormous demand for a Broughty Ferry house as reflecting the booming property market in Tayside.
RSB Lindsays recently put a five-bedroom semi-detached home in Broughty Ferry on the market.
Within nine days it was sold for well in excess of its home report valuation of £410,000.
In the time it was on the market, it had 28 viewings.
Six offers – all in excess of the home report value – were made by its closing date.
As the sale is still going through the final processes, RSB Lindsays cannot release the sale price.
RSB Lindsays sales record
The firm sold an average £6.4m worth of homes every month throughout Tayside during the last financial year from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
The average sale price was £181,849.
Partner at RSB Lindsays in Dundee Chris Todd said the first half of the year was particularly busy.
“It’s been another good year for us in the sales we have completed across Tayside,” he added.
“After the immense intensity we witnessed across the market in the aftermath of the first Covid-19 lockdown, we are starting to see things plateau.”
Over the last year, the value of homes sold rose from £74.8m in 2020/21 to £77.4m, an increase of 3.5%.
This is a record high for RSB Lindsays as average sale prices continue trending towards £200,000.
Mr Todd recently told The Courier he believes the housing market will return to “normal”, but stay busy.
The property expert does not expect prices to keep rising at the same rate as they have in recent years.
New build market positive
Mr Todd believes the ongoing impact of new house building throughout Dundee is having a positive effect on the market.
He added: “The new build market in the city is strong.
“We have seen a number of sales from people moving to these developments, where prices are, of course, fixed.
“That is freeing up some capacity elsewhere in the market, which is great as we see money flow in and around Dundee.
“There’s a positive knock-on effect.”
Coupled with sales through its sister office in Edinburgh, RSB Lindsays’ total homes sales for the last financial year were £207m.
That’s up from £177m in April 2020 to March 2021, an increase of almost 17%.
Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that house prices in Scotland rose by an average 11.7% to £181,000 in February.
That’s higher than the UK average rise of 10.9%.
Mr Todd previously predicted house prices will rise 5% this year.


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Watchdog organization StopAntisemitism announces the launch of StopDontShop — a campaign to support businesses advocating for Israel and spotlighting those that support Hamas, because where you spend your money matters.
Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, StopAntisemitism has received numerous requests from followers to expose businesses that support Hamas terrorists, as well as highlight those that stand in solidarity with Israel.
The result is StopDontShop, an interactive website that allows you to filter businesses based on rating, location, and category.
- StopDontShop (RED) – Businesses that support Hamas and/or espouse hatred towards the Jewish people and nation
- Caution (YELLOW) – Businesses that need clarity on any rumors pertaining to their real or perceived position on the Israel-Hamas war
- Shop (GREEN) — You should support this business. They have demonstrated unwavering support for the Jewish people and nation and/or have taken a stand against terrorism.
Ahead of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, it’s important for consumers to be aware of where they’re spending their hard earned money. This website highlights businesses across numerous industries such as fashion, tech, entertainment, sports, medical, retail, and more. Consumers can also filter businesses by brick and mortar locations in cities across the U.S. as well as online retailers.
“The mission of this campaign is to empower consumers with information,” said StopAntisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez. “As we approach the holiday shopping season, StopDon’tShop encourages everyone to think twice about the impact of their spending. By providing clear categories and detailed insights, our campaign aims to guide consumers across various industries, ensuring they make informed choices that align with their values.”
StopAntisemitism is a watchdog organization dedicated to holding antisemites accountable and creating consequences for their actions by exposing them through social media, blog posts, and other channels. Founded in 2018, StopAntisemitism has made a critical impact in the fight against Jewish hate and bigotry in America. For more information or to report antisemitic behavior, visit: StopAntisemitism.org.


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As nations endeavour to produce higher-value crops and land availability becomes ever more scarce, looking forward is beginning to mean looking up for the most plugged in farmers.
A report earlier this year from Global Market Insights suggested the market size for vertical farming would exceed US$13 billion (NZ17.7b) by 2024.
The technology involves stacked layers of produce in an indoor, controlled environment - often skyscrapers, but also warehouses and even disused bomb shelters in one case. This means farms can be found in urban areas and food may be produced in some of the least traditionally agrarian economies.
For example, Singapore has been a leader in the development of vertical farming as it attempts to reduce its dependency on overseas food sources despite the challenge of being just 720 square kilometres in size.
New Zealand does not face such challenges in terms of land mass. However, Jason Wargent, Associate Professor at Massey University and Chief Science Officer of BioLumic (a start-up that develops yield-stimulating light treatments for agricultural crops, and which has vertical farming on its radar) says New Zealand could still profit from the technology.
"One of the clearest opportunities for New Zealand is in the development of technology, which may support indoor farming system development, and have world-wide value," says Wargent. "New Zealand has a great ag-innovation landscape and developing cross-sector ag-innovation, that may be applicable or originally aimed at indoor, is a win-win for New Zealand."
Jaskirat Matharu last year wrote a research paper on the topic from an architectural perspective, and suggests New Zealand farmers should be exploring the technology too.
"I believe that vertical farming in New Zealand is not needed at this stage," says Matharu.
"Having said that, we should not wait to become a dense country for vertical farming to be used."
"It's more about being future-proof and laying the groundwork for the future. Like with most new things, society needs to educated for it to be taken seriously and it needs to happen sooner rather than later."
The advantages of vertical farming are manifold. Foremost, it enables precise control of environmental conditions to increase yields and maintain year-round production.
Additionally, vertical farming can reduce the distance crops have to travel to reach the end consumer and increase consistency between crops.
Wargent says this offers an opportunity for Kiwi producers to deliver niche products and cater to particular market segments.
"High-value culinary herbs would be an obvious example," he explains. "For New Zealand, smaller grower companies who wish to farm high value crops, at lower production volumes, could benefit from indoor technology."
"In the winter, for example, some higher value crops cannot be grown without a certain amount of risk in terms of access to optimum climate."
The advantages of urban farms could also extend beyond the production process to the very communities they inhabit.
"There are physiological advantages of living at close proximity to plants, such as fresh air and solar control," says Matharu.
Wargent points to education opportunities that are "wide open" for New Zealand via urban farming: "Living classrooms are already springing up overseas in major cities such as in the US, so the next generations can see how plants grow to provide food.
"Those next generations then have the incentive to become growers, scientists, and entrepreneurs themselves. This is the 'innovation pipeline' New Zealand must keep feeding in order to stay competitive."
Opportunity abounds, but last year's KPMG Agribusiness Report also sounded a stark warning, suggesting traditional farmers are no longer the world's sole food producers.
"Urban farming businesses will be established with multiple social and commercial objectives," said the report. "But they will all be focused on delivering sustainable local food, making them strong competitors for traditional producers."


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Knoxville-based Scripps Networks is establishing a dedicated government affairs office in Washington, D.C., the company said Monday.
It will be headed by SNI Chief Legal Officer A.B. Cruz III. SNI operates six pay channels, HGTV, Food Network and Travel Channel, as well as premium channels DIY Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country and their associated Web sites.
"We consider it a top priority at Scripps Networks Interactive to have a meaningful seat at the table as lawmakers and regulators address the many challenges and opportunities that are affecting our company and the media industry," Cruz said in announcing the new office. "The growing array of digital media platforms and the ever-changing habits of media consumers mandate diligence on our part as public policy on these issues is addressed and takes form."
One of those issues is how the FCC will deal with access to online delivery of content by over-the-top providers it sees as potential competitors to traditional cable programming distributors.
"As our industry grows in complexity, and as new digital media platforms rapidly evolve, it becomes increasingly important for an independent content creator like Scripps Networks Interactive to have a dedicated presence in Washington D.C.," said SNI Chairman Ken W. Lowe.
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Fresh off its rollout of an impressive set of cloud-based Big Data analytics tools, software maker Splunk Inc. is going after retailers and the MSPs who serve them with a new version of its PCI reporting...
Check out which articles grabbed the most attention this week
Daily tech news and analysis channel partners need to know now, including cloud computing's investments, ShoreTel's API, Microsoft's Check Point check and more
Forrester, Virtusream discuss common issues in migrating traditional apps to public cloud
What's been happening this week on Channelnomics?


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Com Hem is preparing to launch multiscreen services this year.
Tomas Franzén, CEO of the Swedish cable operator, told Digital TV Europe, that the company will enable its digital TV customers to control the set-top using a range of devices by the end of the year. He said they are also planning a TV Everywhere service offering content on various devices. “The products that we will come up with by the end of the year will offer a more seamless experience for the customer so they can control the TV screen with multiple devices and they will also consume TV services on multiple devices,” he said. “It is a TV Everywhere solution and we will focus on the ease of use.”
Franzén said the company would use on-demand and timeshifting services to tempt its analogue customers to switch to digital services. “Offering extra linear channels is not enough to make people pay extra to go digital,” he said. “We’ve seen that people taking an on-demand service and using timeshifting show a willingness to pay for it and to stay with us.”
Com Hem has around 650,000 digital TV subscribers from a total customer base of around 1.8 million.
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Man jailed for theft, assault and using stolen credit cards
A former cleaning supervisor was sentenced to 2½ years' jail for stealing from his victims, incurring charges totalling $3,215.71 on their debit and credit cards, and assault.
Sunda Singh Sirajanam, 46, pleaded guilty to six counts of cheating by personation and one count each of theft, cheating and causing hurt.
Eleven other charges, including four counts of cheating by personation and one count of misappropriation of property, were taken into consideration on Thursday (Aug 10).
The offences were committed between October last year and June.
The court heard that Singh was a cleaning supervisor at 313@somerset shopping mall but was fired some time ago when his co-worker, Ms Noorliza Jaffar - who was also his girlfriend at the time - reported him for consuming alcohol on the job.
At about 7.30pm on Oct 27 last year, Singh went to a cleaners' room on the third floor of Orchard Central shopping mall and stole a wallet belonging to Ms Jeevitha Gunasaragan.
It contained $30 in cash and an ez-link card with a stored value of $40, among other things.
About four hours later, he went to see Ms Noorliza at 313@somerset and they had a heated argument.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lim said that one of her colleagues, Mr Ong Siang Long, stepped in and accompanied her to a taxi stand after the argument.
After she left, Singh approached Mr Ong and punched him in the neck.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lim said one of her colleagues, Mr Ong Siang Long, stepped in and accompanied her to a taxi stand when the argument died down.
After she left, Singh approached Mr Ong and punched him on the neck.
On Feb 24, 2017, Singh went to Lucky Plaza and spotted Ms Jain Reshu's black bag, which she had left unattended inside a stroller outside a shop on the first floor.
Singh stole the bag, which contained a credit card and an iPhone 5, among other things.
Later that day, he used the card to buy items like alcoholic drinks worth $687.50 at Michikusa Lounge in Orchard Plaza, and a $238.50 watch.
On May 23, he dishonestly misappropriated a wallet belonging to Malaysian Ng Sin Yee, which contained two debit cards and a credit card.
After that, he went to the Coyote Ugly bar in Lucky Plaza and used Ms Ng's credit card to buy drinks, which cost $679.80 in all.
Four days later, Singh went to the Cuba Libre bar in Clarke Quay and stole Ms Shanine Van Zwienen's grey sling bag containing valuables as well as a debit card.
He then went to the nearby Highlander bar and used the card to pay for $1,478.31 worth of beverages.
For each count of cheating by personation, he could have been jailed for up to five years and fined.


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With many auto dealers closing their doors or cutting back on advertising, AutoTrader has announced that it has laid off a “modest percentage” of its field representatives to keep the company stable.
In a video addressed to the AutoTrader community, CEO Chip Perry and Alan Smith, senior VP of dealer sales, emphasized that the Cox-owned company is “rock solid” and is “very bullish on the future.” They noted that traffic to the site hit a record 16 million visitors last month, and they believe there is “pent-up demand” in the marketplace.
AutoTrader is beefing up its online advertising, as it anticipates more auto marketing dollars moving online. Three times more is being spent on advertising in 2009 than in 2008, said Perry.
The company is also investing “tens of millions of dollars” on technology and in a NADA program to train reps about how dealerships work. The tech investments include a new home page that makes dealer links and car offers more prominent.


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Verizon Wireless Teams With AmEx to Expand Mobile Payment Options
Two weeks after Sprint (NYS: S) signed on as the first mobile operator partner to support American Express' (NYS: AXP) fledgling Serve digital commerce platform, Verizon (NYS: VZ) Wireless said it will integrate Serve solutions across many of its mobile phones and tablets, enabling subscribers to make payments and redeem offers for goods and services in a matter of clicks.
American Express unveiled Serve in March. Serve unifies multiple payment options into a single digital account that consumers can fund from their bank account, debit, credit or charge card, or by receiving cash from another Serve account. After users set up an account at Serve.com or download the appropriate Android or iOS application, they can send and receive money, pay bills and make online purchases. In addition, AmEx issues each Serve subscriber a reloadable prepaid credit card linked to their account, which they can use at any merchant or ATM that accepts American Express.
Verizon Wireless and American Express will partner to source, distribute and simplify redemption of offers and promotions -- for example, when subscribers redeem certain discounts, the credit may automatically appear in their Serve account. In addition, the companies are collaborating with Payfone to bolster Serve checkout with pre-authorization and intelligent routing features designed to improve payment efficiency and security. Verizon adds that it will roll out Serve support over the coming months.
Last month, American Express, as well as rival financial services providers Visa, MasterCard and Discover, officially joined Isis, the mobile commerce joint venture spearheaded by Verizon Wireless, AT&T (NYS: T) and T-Mobile USA. According to Isis, the moves significantly expand the payment options available to mobile subscribers, at the same time extending the network's reach to encompass payment terminals already installed at U.S. merchant locations.
Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile USA first announced Isis in late 2010, promising services enabling consumers to conduct point-of-sale transactions, redeem coupons and use store merchant loyalty cards via mobile device. Isis initially stated it would roll out its own Near Field Communications-based contactless payment network designed to go head-to-head with the likes of Visa and MasterCard, teaming with Discover Financial Services to build out the necessary mobile payment structure and naming Barclaycard US as its first issuer partner. In May, Isis said it would instead open its system to all interested credit issuers and banks, aligning its technology with the existing m-payment infrastructure.
Isis has identified Salt Lake City as its first launch market, stating in April it will team with local merchants and business leaders to roll out a pilot program slated to go live in early-to-mid-2012. In addition, Isis will partner with the Utah Transit Authority to enable mobile phone-based payments across the entire UTA commuter system. In June, Isis named Austin, Texas as its second launch market, stating it will collaborate with the Austin Chamber of Commerce and local merchants to boost consumer adoption of m-commerce services.
- Sprint launching American Express mobile wallet solution
- Isis calls on Apple, Google and Sprint to join mobile payments network
- AT&T: Debit card regulations forced new Isis m-commerce strategy
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Guess which major US telco ISN'T cracking down on premium SMS spam?
Well, not right now, anyway...
AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile have agreed to stop charging their customers for premium text messages (PSMS), a practice that costs US folks an estimated $2bn in excess charges a year.
The ban isn't total – Verizon isn't stopping the practice because it says it is still in the process of winding down its PSMS service. But it's not a bout of altruism on behalf of network providers, rather the response to a campaign by 45 US states to stamp out the practice.
"While PSMS has some benefits, like charitable giving, it is also a major contributor to the current mobile cramming problem," said Vermont attorney general Bill Sorrell, who brokered the deal, in a statement.
"We are pleased that AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have decided to stop the flow of money from the pockets of ordinary people to the bank accounts of scam artists. We're hopeful the other carriers will soon follow their lead. There is still much work to be done."
Again, the ban isn't a complete ban – charitable giving via PSMS and some political donations will still be allowed. But commercial message spammers (known as crammers) who try to convince punters to sign up to news or weather alerts, or just trick money out of them, look to be out of business for the moment.
"The decisions taken this week in the US will put an end to the deplorable business of mobile cramming in that market," said Andrew Bud, global chairman of mobile trade association, the MEF.
"It is also an example of how a useful model of mobile commerce can forfeit its place in the market. This development vividly demonstrates the fundamental importance of consumer trust and confidence to the mobile content & commerce industry. Lessons must be learned and applied, in particular to the growing issue of consumer data privacy." ®


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Digital Trends, the world’s largest independent tech publisher, announces three wins at the 2019 dotCOMM Awards, the annual international competition “honoring excellence in web creativity and digital communication.”
Digital Trends today announced the hiring of two new editors to handle the publication’s coverage of smart homes and wearables -- growing areas of how technology plays a role in every aspect of our lives.
Digital Trends, the world’s largest independent tech publisher, is expanding their live channel again with a new Tuesday show called Jargon. The show will examine the technical and sometimes absurd insider terminology that makes different industries distinct.
Digital Trends, the world’s largest independent tech publisher, has been honored with the Digiday Content Marketing Award for Best Agency/Client Collaboration. The award is for last year’s annual Holiday Gift Guide, for which Digital Trends teamed up with animation studio HouseSpecial to tell the story of holiday giving through scenes in playful miniature.
Digital Trends, the world’s largest independent tech publisher, has been named as a finalist for the Digiday Content Marketing Awards. Digiday has acknowledged Digital Trends in two categories: Best Agency/Client Collaboration, and Most Effective/Measurable Campaign.
Digital Trends, the world’s largest independent tech publisher, announces the addition of Tony Patel as their new Vice President of Programmatic. Patel, who’s managed yield optimization for such brands as Microsoft’s MSN and Yahoo! will lead significant expansions in Digital Trends’ programmatic advertising offerings.
PORTLAND, Ore., January 9, 2019 -- Digital Trends, the world’s largest independent tech publisher, has announced its picks for the top tech of CES 2019. Leading the pack as the overall winner is the Impossible Burger 2.0, the latest iteration of the most meat-like veggie burger on the market. It’s made by Impossible Foods, and […]
PORTLAND, Oregon-- December 10, 2018 -- Digital Trends, the world’s largest independently owned tech publisher, has made its picks for Best Products of the Year. Each December, Digital Trends staff reviews the year in tech and looks for standout products that deliver both technical advancement and improved consumer experience. “Strong progress this year in Internet […]
PORTLAND, Oregon, December 10, 2018 -- NFL running back Marshawn Lynch is coming to Digital Trends Live for a special Thursday morning segment. Coming on the heels of Lynch’s 2018 Man of the Year Award nomination, the segment will center around Lynch’s nonprofit, the Fam1st Family Foundation, in addition to his business ventures. Lynch, who […]
PORTLAND, Oregon, November 28, 2018 -- Digital Trends, the world’s largest independent tech publisher, has partnered with animation studio HouseSpecial to produce its annual holiday gift guide, which tells a gift-giving story in elaborate miniature scenes. The guide showcases gift ideas for tech lovers, hand-selected by the editorial staff at Digital Trends. The visual stories […]
PORTLAND, Oregon, October 15, 2018 -- Digital Trends, the world's largest independently owned technology review site, announced today that Ben Hermel is joining the company as creative director. Hermel joins a growing list of major new hires as Digital Trends expands, including former Facebook executive Bob Gruters as chief resource officer. Hermel brings with him […]
PORTLAND, Oregon -- September 25, 2018: Digital Trends announced today its partnership with leading live video platform Brandlive. As a pioneer in enterprise streaming services, Brandlive will engineer the premium live video experience behind Digital Trends' new video concept, DT Live. “Digital Trends' ambitious move into live video programming is incredibly exciting and we […]
PORTLAND, Ore., September 4, 2018 -- Digital Trends, the world's largest independently owned technology review site, announced today that former Facebook executive Bob Gruters is joining the company as chief revenue officer. Gruters has also worked with media heavyweights Viacom, Condé Nast, and Univision, as well as recent indie entrant Revolt Media, among others, during […]
Portland, Ore., August 16, 2018 – Inc. magazine has ranked Digital Trends as No. 2,099 on its 37th annual Inc. 5000 list, its prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list celebrates innovation and entrepreneurial success and is the place where future household names first make their mark, including companies such as Pandora, […]
Andrew Beehler, Digital Trends’ senior manager of Programmatic and Yield Operations, is scheduled to speak at the 2018 Portland Publisher Forum. Beehler’s talk, Publisher Session 1: CDPs and Advanced Audience Segmentation, will introduce marketers to consumer data platforms (CDPs), explore their uses, and explain some of the surprising ways they can boost revenues. The Publisher […]
PORTLAND, Ore., June 12, 2018 -- Digital Trends, the world's largest independently owned technology review site, announced the winners of its annual Top Games of E3 2018. After evaluating the most anticipated games and hardware from the annual E3 gaming expo, Digital Trends editors selected winners for the following categories: Best New IP, Best Visuals, […]
Digital Trends, the consumer-facing digital media company with more than 30M unique monthly visitors, today announced a suite of GDPR-compliant programmatic offerings including desktop display, mobile, and video inventory. May 29, 2018 -- Portland, Oregon -- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect on May 25. The EU initiative to protect privacy by ensuring […]
Digital Trends' Editor-In-Chief Jeremy Kaplan recently gave a TechTalk on mobile, 5G, and the Internet of Things at Horizon Media. Check out the whole presentation below.
Digital Trends, a Portland-based media publication with 30MM unique monthly visitors, hires three key employees amid media hiring slump. April 19, 2018 - Portland, Oregon - Digital Trends announced today three key hires in the month of April. Chris Carlson joins the organization as chief operating officer. The digital media company also welcomes Lynda Mann as senior […]
Leading tech site offers cool tech for the hardest-to-please people on your holiday shopping list PORTLAND, Ore.-- Shopping for the holidays is increasingly stressful and full of complex tech – and the people we’re shopping for tend to be fussy about getting the best gear. To help consumers stay ahead of the the curve, leading […]
PORTLAND, Oregon -- December 6, 2017: Digital Trends has revealed its overall favorite products of 2017. To celebrate the best technology products with a 2017 launch date, the staff chose gear across 10 categories – Cars, Computing, Emerging Tech, Entertainment, Gaming, Home Theater, Mobile, Outdoors, Photography, and Smart Home. Nintendo Switch, the much-coveted portable gaming […]
PORTLAND, Ore., October 14, 2017 – Digital Trends, the leading independent technology publisher, has announced the winners of its annual Home Awards, celebrating the best in smart home technology produced for 2017. Digital Trends bestowed awards in six categories, spotlighting products for every room and function of an active household. Editors tested this year’s nominated products […]
PORTLAND, Ore., August 14, 2017 – Digital Trends, the leading independent technology publisher, has announced the winners of the 1st annual Digital Trends Outdoor Awards, celebrating the best in outdoor innovation produced for 2017. Digital Trends bestowed awards in six categories, spotlighting companies working to combine technology and the great outdoors in their latest […]
PORTLAND, Ore., July 12, 2017 – Digital Trends, the leading independent technology publisher, has announced the winners of the 3rd annual Digital Trends Car Awards, celebrating the top automobiles produced for 2017. Awards were given out in five categories with the Digital Trends Car of the Year Award presented to the 2017 Audi R8 Plus. […]
PORTLAND, Ore., July 5, 2017 – BGR (bgr.com) announced today it has enlisted leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends (DigitalTrends.com) as their exclusive ad sales and preferred monetization representative in the US, CA and the UK. Digital Trends will oversee BGR’s entire ad inventory in those territories, optimizing revenue with premium advertisers. In 2006, “Boy […]
LOS ANGELES, CA., June 15, 2017 – Digital Trends, the leading independent technology publisher, has unveiled the winners of its 9th Annual Top Games of E3 Awards, celebrating the most innovative products showcased at the 2017 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, CA. Awards were given out in six categories with a Best in Show award […]
NEW YORK, NY., June 7, 2017- Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends (www.DigitalTrends.com) will present Tech Talks at multiple advertising agencies throughout the month of June in an effort to educate and entertain partners. Global media agency OMD will host the latest event today at its Chicago office. Digital Trends Editor in Chief Jeremy […]
PORTLAND, Ore. Apr 26, 2017 – EY today announced that CEO and Publisher Ian Bell of Digital Trends (www.DigitalTrends.com) is a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2017 Award in the Pacific Northwest. The awards program, which is celebrating its 31st year, recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial […]
Portland, OR – (March 21, 2017) – Digital Trends, the leading independent technology publisher, is set to deliver its first TechPop event of 2017 in association with TechfestNW this Thursday, March 23. TechPOP is powered by Digital Trends as your exclusive opportunity to experience the newest and coolest tech from VR to drones to 3D […]
Portland, OR – (March 1, 2017) – Digital Trends, the leading independent technology publisher, has unveiled the winners of the 3rd Annual Top Tech of MWC Awards in celebration of innovative products showcased during the 2017 MWC technology show in Barcelona, Spain. Awards were given out in six categories with a Best in Show award presented […]
Portland, OR – (February 24, 2017) – Digital Trends, the leading independent technology publisher is set to deliver international coverage of Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona, Spain beginning this weekend sponsored in part by LG Electronics. Digital Trends editorial team has sent features and mobile writers along with video producers from Portland, […]
PORTLAND, Ore., February 13, 2017 – Digital Trends en Español, the leading consumer technology website for the Spanish-speaking market, has undergone a key redesign for 2017, adding video content for readers and greatly improving the overall website experience. Launched in April 2015, Digital Trends en Español has taken major strides to becoming the premier resource […]
PORTLAND, Ore., February 7, 2017 – Top line revenue at leading technology publisher Digital Trends (www.DigitalTrends.com) has exceeded expectations, hitting a 40 percent increase over 2015, the media company announced today. The site’s yearly active user base has jumped to 295M readers with 30M unique visitors per month garnering over 1 billion page views in […]
Portland, OR – (January 9, 2017) – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends has unveiled the winners of the 5th Annual Top Tech of CES Awards in celebration of innovative products showcased during the 2017 CES technology show in Las Vegas. Digital Trends, an official media partner for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), presented the #CyberStag, a custom […]
Portland, OR – (January 3, 2017) – Following its most successful growth year in its ten-year history, Portland-based consumer technology publisher Digital Trends announced today that it will deliver the 5th Annual Top Tech of CES Awards and offer over 30 hours of live news coverage of the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, taking place January 5-8, 2017 at […]
Portland, OR – (December 28, 2016) –DigitalTrends.com, the premier site for technology news and reviews, has announced the winners of their awards for Best Products of 2016. These awards cap off Digital Trends best year ever with massive traffic growth and record-setting revenue. Over the past month, Digital Trends editorial staff has voted on […]
Portland, OR – (November 22, 2016) – Today, Portland-based tech media publisher Digital Trends released their official Holiday Survival Guide for 2016: www.digitaltrends.com/gift-guide/holiday2016 Sponsored in part by Samsung Wearables, Digital Trends’ Holiday Survival Guide compiles the ultimate walkthrough of a holiday scenario that takes into account all the technology that might be used by […]
OEMs, manufacturers, publishers, developers, and distributors, please submit your products for consideration in the Digital Trends Top Tech of CES awards.
New funding replaces previous line of credit and gives Digital Trends additional capital for new market ventures in 2017. PORTLAND, Or - (Oct 3, 2016) - Digital Trends (www.DigitalTrends.com), a Portland-based consumer technology publisher, has obtained a $10 million secured line of credit from JPMorgan Chase. This line of credit is available through September 2018, […]
PORTLAND, Ore., September 26, 2016 – Boing Boing (www.boingboing.net) announced today the partnership with consumer technology publisher Digital Trends (www.DigitalTrends.com) as their exclusive advertising partner. Digital Trends will manage Boing Boing’s entire ad inventory, optimizing revenue with premium advertisers. Heralded as “One of the most popular blogs on the planet” by Time Magazine, the nearly 30-year […]
Consumer technology site sees over 26M unique visitors in August, according to Google Analytics PORTLAND, Ore., September 26, 2016 – Consumer technology publisher Digital Trends (www.DigitalTrends.com) has set an all-time record, reaching over 26M unique visitors in August and garnering over 274M page views in the last three months – a 48 percent gain over […]
NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2016 - LG Electronics has partnered with DigitalTrends.com to release a 3-part video series paying homage to the best of viral videos, in celebration of the recently announced LG V20 smartphone. Shot entirely on the LG V20, the first video will hail internet sensation “Damn Daniel” and also featuring other original […]
Portland, Ore., August 23, 2016 - Inc. magazine has ranked Digital Trends as No. 2292 on it’s 35th annual Inc. 5000 list, representing a prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies! The list celebrates innovation and entrepreneurial success and is the place where future household names first make their mark, including companies such as […]
Alphabet’s Google gets hit with a $6.8 million fine for violating Russia’s anti trust laws. Jeremy Kaplan, Editor in Chief of Digital Trend, talks to Morgan Brennan From CNBC Tech Bet regarding Google and the ecosystem of apps on Google phones that is being questioned. The general concern is that with Google’s long list of apps […]
http://files.digitaltrends.com/download/0727%20Jeremy%20Kaplan%20and%20John%20Butler.mp3 The Bloomberg Advantage with Carol Massar and Cory Johnson brought in guests Jeremy Kaplan, Editor-in-Chief at Digital Trends and John Butler, Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Telecom Analyst to discuss Apple’s Q3 results. While the stocks are up both Kaplan and Butler agree the once innovative company is no longer the inspirational business it once was. […]
Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Jeremy Kaplan spoke with CNBC’s Dominic Chu to discuss Apple’s earnings call. While Apple used to be the company we looked to for innovation, Kaplan reveals the “hard truth” that it has now become a boring business. While yes, Apple is a well oiled machine that is constantly generating revenue […]
Energy efficiency software company Enervee and Oregon-based DigitalTrends.com have partnered to bring energy efficiency information and utility energy rebates to readers of the online tech-review and news publication via the Enervee Charge widget. Readers browsing a product review on Digital Trends are now able to see available energy efficiency rebates provided by their utility -- […]
Digital Trends announced its overall favorite automobiles for 2016, drawing on driving experiences from 15 different models and with input from NFL superstar Marshawn Lynch and Tim Walbridge of 503 Motoring. Celebrating the best vehicles with a 2016 model-year or on-sale date, the staff narrowed the field to just five categories – Cars, Alternative Energy, […]
These guys are proof that you don't have to sleep on your parent's sofa and eat Top Ramen every night until you "make it."
This morning, Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Jeremy Kaplan spoke with CNBC’s Susan Lee about the reports that as many as 32 million Twitter usernames and passwords may have been leaked. Twitter claims that they have not been hacked on their end. As Kaplan points out, “we are all to blame” for the easy access […]
PORTLAND, Ore., June 7, 2016 -- Digital Trends announced the promotion of Andrew Budkofsky to the newly created position of Chief Revenue Officer. Budkofsky is now responsible for maximizing revenue across the company’s growing digital media portfolio, including its owned and operated websites and media network, as well as its programmatic and remnant revenue streams. He will lead the company’s […]
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) known for bringing the biggest names in technology together established its presence in Shanghai. CES Asia made a splash this week and BBC’s Asia Report consulted Digital Trends’ Editor In Chief, Jeremy Kaplan to get some insights on the show. Although not as overwhelmingly large as the CES event in […]
Matt Smith & Caleb Denison Promoted to Senior Editor Portland, OR – April 21, 2016 – Digital Trends today announced several promotions and new hires as the centerpiece of a restructuring designed to address the growing consumer demand for news, reviews, and information on personal technology. The appointments, made by Jeremy Kaplan, Editor in Chief […]
Change is in the air here in Portland, and today, we are very excited to welcome Nick Woods and Ashley Salter to the Digital Trends family. Both are adding to the already stacked talent on the Digital Trends marketing team. Nick is bringing his expertise to the team as Art Director while Ashley is imparting […]
New Tech Streamlines Ad Buying Process Portland, OR – March 24, 2016 –Leading consumer technology publisher DigitalTrends.com has begun using Header Bidding technology to allow for improved access and functionality to the publisher’s ad sales inventory, it was announced today by Andrew Budkofsky, Executive Vice President of Sales & Partnerships for Digital Trends. Header Bidding, […]
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 09, 2016 – Digitaltrends.com, the popular site for news, information and reviews on personal technology, posted its strongest year ever in 2015 across several key digital publishing measurements. The site, which is owned and operated by Digital Trends – a Portland, Oregon-based digital publisher specializing in consumer tech – saw huge […]
Fans of Digitaltrends.com can now access content from the site through Apple News, a new service that allows users to customize news and information from across the web based on their individual topic preferences, it was announced today by Dan Gaul, Digital Trends Chief Technical Officer.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – February 25, 2016 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends today announced the winners of the second annual Top Tech of MWC Awards in recognition of the best mobile consumer products showcased during Mobile World Congress currently underway in Barcelona, Spain. Awards were given out in seven categories with the Best of Show […]
Our brand-new companion site DT Español just teamed up with Fox News Latino to bring Spanish tech news to an even broader audience.
Site Enhancements for Desktop & Mobile Offer Users Premium Content/Magazine Experience Portland, OR – February 8, 2016 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends has unveiled several state-of-the-art tech enhancements to Digitaltrends.com to provide site visitors with a richer, premium magazine-quality experience. The upgrades, announced by Chief Technical Officer, Dan Gaul, are designed to streamline overall […]
Portland, OR – February 8, 2016 – Leading consumer technology publisher DigitalTrends.com has unveiled three short form virtual reality (VR) films that take viewers inside the 2016 consumer electronics show (CES) held last month in Las Vegas and offer a glimpse into some of the innovations working their way to market. The VR videos, created […]
15 Category Winners Take Home Coveted Cyber Stag Award LAS VEGAS, NV – January 7, 2016 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends today unveiled the winners of the 4th Annual Top Tech of CES Awards in celebration of innovative products showcased during the 2016 CES technology show currently underway in Las Vegas. Digital Trends, […]
Expanded, up-to-the-minute editorial coverage chronicles 4-day show LAS VEGAS, NV – January 4, 2016– On the heels of the most successful year in its history, leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends today announced today that it will present the 4th Annual Top Tech of CES Awards and offer expanded, up-to-the-minute news coverage of the 2016 […]
DT Design to Focus on High-Impact Interactive Ad Units, Branded & Original Content, Infographics and more PORTLAND, OR – December 14, 2015 – Leading consumer technology lifestyle publisher Digital Trends has launched DT Design, an in-house agency which will create custom ad units, branded and original video and editorial content, infographics and other digital experiences […]
Editors select 100 tech-based gift ideas for every taste & budget PORTLAND, OR – November 23, 2015 – Leading consumer technology publisher, Digital Trends, today unveiled its annual gift buying guide highlighting 100 of the top tech-based gift ideas for the 2015 holiday season. Presented each November by the Digital Trends editorial staff, the list […]
Portland, Ore - October, 21 2015 - Independent tech publisher Digital Trends has recorded its record traffic month in September, according to the latest ComScore numbers. The data confirms that digitaltrends.com reached over 24 million unique readers globally with more than 13 million US readers in September 2015, which represents a 100% increase over September […]
PORTLAND, ORE. – OCTOBER 12, 2015 – Digital Trends, a leading consumer technology publisher, announces its call for submissions for its fourth annual tech awards for outstanding new products at the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The “Digital Trends – Top Tech of CES Awards” will highlight the best products on display at CES […]
PORTLAND, ORE., September 30, 2015 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends has named the 2015 winners of its inaugural Home Awards, including innovative startups such as Roost and June and established brands such as Amana, GE, and LG. The Digital Trends Home Awards bring together the best in appliances and smart-home devices, highlighting design, value, […]
PORTLAND, OR – September 10, 2015 – Leading consumer technology lifestyle publisher Digital Trends has partnered with Samsung to make DT Daily and other video content available to users of Samsung Smart TVs in the U.S. Digital Trends’ DT Daily provides viewers with a wrap-up of the most important consumer tech news, original product reviews and […]
Editorial Team Selects Most Outstanding Products Across 10 Categories Best Of Show Award Goes to the Impressive Panasonic CZ950 OLED 4K TV PORTLAND, ORE and Berlin - September 6, 2015 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends named the 2015 winners of it’s Best of IFA Awards, including Best of Show award winner Panasonic CZ950 […]
Partnership deepens analytics, viewability and performance insights to help advertisers better optimize their campaigns PORTLAND, Ore., Jul 31, 2015 -- Digital Trends, the experts in coverage of the way technology shapes consumers’ lives, announced today it is partnering with Moat, an independent SaaS analytics firm focused on making brand advertising more effective for marketers, agencies […]
Digital Trends' revamped newsletter, The Brief, is a daily nugget of all the best tech news, rolled into one, shined up in a rock polisher, and delivered to your inbox while it's still hot.
Recently-Launched Digital Trends en Español Features Original Consumer Tech Product News and Reviews in Spanish PORTLAND, ORE. – MAY 4, 2015 – Leading consumer technology lifestyle publisher Digital Trends today named Toyota the exclusive automotive sponsor of its new Spanish language site Digital Trends en Español. Digital Trends en Español features original content including top product […]
Car of the Year Awarded to the Formidable Audi A3 PORTLAND, ORE., APRIL 28, 2015 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends named the 2015 winners of its inaugural Car of the Year Awards, including Car of the Year award winner the Audi A3. The Digital Trends Car of the Year Awards shine a spotlight […]
Digital Trends en Español Features Original Content; The Latest Consumer Tech Product News, Reviews in Spanish PORTLAND, ORE. – April 24, 2015 – Leading consumer technology lifestyle publisher Digital Trends today unveiled Digital Trends en Español, a new site for original tech news and reviews for the Spanish-speaking market in the United States. T-Mobile is […]
New Hires Located in Key L.A, Midwest, and Canada/U.K. Regions PORTLAND, ORE. – APRIL 16, 2015 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends today announced a sales team expansion with the addition of three executives to drive revenue growth across its platforms globally. Digital Trends’ new hires are top executives with deep experience in targeted […]
PORTLAND, ORE. – MAR 10, 2015 – Leading consumer technology lifestyle publisher Digital Trends announces a partnership with Amazon to make all Digital Trends video content available on Amazon Fire enabled TV and stick stream through the Digital Trends App. Digital Trends video content includes DT Daily, a wrap up of the most important consumer […]
Best of Show Goes to HTC Vive Virtual Reality PORTLAND, ORE. AND BARCELONA, SPAIN – MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS – MARCH 4, 2015 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends named the winners of this year’s Top Tech of Mobile World Congress (MWC) Awards today in Barcelona, Spain. The annual event convenes industry leaders, visionaries and […]
PORTLAND, ORE. – JAN 28, 2015 – Leading consumer technology lifestyle publisher Digital Trends announces a partnership with Roku to make all Digital Trends video content available on Roku Streaming TV and Media Players. Digital Trends video content includes DT Daily, a wrap up of the most important consumer tech news of the day, as […]
Editorial Team Selects Most Outstanding Products Across 14 Categories “Best of Show” Award Goes to the Impressive Dish Sling TV App PORTLAND, ORE. AND LAS VEGAS – INTERNATIONAL CES – JANUARY 8, 2015 – Leading consumer technology publisher Digital Trends today named the winners of this year’s Top Tech of CES Awards. Overall winner, the […]
Top Tech of CES Awards to Recognize the Best Tech of the Year Celebrating 2nd Year as the Official Media Partner of the Digital Home PORTLAND, ORE. AND LAS VEGAS – INTERNATIONAL CES – JAN. 5, 2015 – Today, Digital Trends announces it will expand its presence at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) […]
PORTLAND, ORE. – DECEMBER 11, 2014 – Digital Trends, a leading consumer technology publisher, today announced the completion of “DT Home,” a 6,000-square-foot facility adjacent to its editorial and business headquarters in Portland, Oregon. The state-of-the-art editorial testing facility includes a home theater, kitchen, bath, and laundry room where Digital Trends staff can test the […]
PORTLAND, ORE. – OCTOBER 22, 2014 – Digital Trends, a leading consumer technology publisher, announces its call for submissions for its third annual tech awards for outstanding new products at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The newly named “Digital Trends Awards – Top Tech of CES” will highlight the best products on display […]
San Jose, CA – October 14, 2014 – Bridge Capital Holdings (NASDAQ:BBNK), whose subsidiary is Bridge Bank, a full-service professional business bank headquartered in Silicon Valley and with offices located nationwide, announced today that it has provided Digital Trends, a leading consumer technology publisher headquartered in Portland, Oregon, a $2.5 million line of credit to […]
PORTLAND, ORE. – AUG. 26, 2014 – Digital Trends, a leading consumer technology publisher, today announced it launched a wearables category page dedicated to product reviews, breaking news, and commentary about wearable devices. A new column titled “Wear Next” will be published every Monday to help consumers weigh their wearables options. Digital Trends already features […]
Former FoxNews.com Science & Technology Editor and PC Magazine Executive Editor Brings 18 Years’ Experience to Editorial Team PORTLAND, ORE. – APRIL 8, 2014 – Today, Digital Trends, a leading consumer technology publisher, announces that consumer technology expert Jeremy Kaplan has joined as Editor-in-Chief, effective March 31. Based out of the company’s New York office, Kaplan […]
Editorial Staff Selects Coolest Products Across 15 Categories with a Spotlight on the “Home” Category “Best in Show” Awarded to the MakerBot Replicator Mini PORTLAND, ORE. AND LAS VEGAS – CES – JANUARY 9, 2014 – Today, Digital Trends named the winners of its “Best of CES 2014” awards. Digital Trends editors selected the 20 […]
PORTLAND, ORE - JANUARY 6, 2014 - Today Digital Trends, a leading consumer technology publisher, announces that Andrew Budkofsky has joined as Executive Vice President of Sales and Partnerships effective January 1, 2014. Based out of Digital Trends New York, Budkofsky will lead sales and partnerships for Digital Trends, the Digital Trends Media Network and […]
New "DT Home" Section Launches at CES to Provide Consumers with the Best Resource for Building a Digital Home
Digital Trends, the largest independent consumer-tech website, today announced two new additions to its senior leadership team. Micah Abrams, a former Senior Editor at ESPN.com, is the new Editor-in-Chief. Glenn Chin, previously a senior marketing executive with EA SPORTS and Nike, has been named Chief Marketing Officer, a newly-created position. Since its 2006 founding, Digital […]
It's not just you; things look a little different around here, and that's just the beginning. Here's a glimpse at what you can expect from Digital Trends in the coming months.
Sean Cullinane, former VP of National Sales at CBS Interactive's CNET Networks, has joined Digital Trends.
Yahoo Inc. Now Uses Digital Trends, a Leading Online Consumer Electronics and Technology Review Site, for their technology articles and news.
Industry Veteran to Join Leading Online Consumer Electronics and Technology Review Site’s Growing Team Digital Trends, the fastest growing online destination for consumer electronics news and reviews, today announced the appointment of Nathan Bell as the company's new Chief Financial Officer. In his new position, Bell will oversee all aspects of the company's finance and […]
Recognizing that today's pupils and educators are amongst the biggest beneficiaries of today's technological advancements, Digital Trends, the leading online destination for consumer electronics news and reviews, has compiled a list of essential high-tech buys. Taking the confusion out of shopping for everyday electronics, the 2008 Back-to School Tech Guide offers a candid look at […]
Technology supersite Digital Trends today announced the availability of episode two of Internet video show "Players Only with Scott Steinberg," which offers an in-depth look at 2008's most successful gaming phenomenon: casual games. Produced and created by Digital Trends and available for free download and viewing at http://www.digitaltrends.com/playersonly, the latest installment in the 10-episode PC […]
Technology supersite Digital Trends, the leading online destination for consumer electronics news, reviews and insights, today announced the debut of new video show "Players Only with Scott Steinberg." Available for free download and viewing at http://www.digitaltrends.com/playersonly, the 10-episode program takes viewers behind the velvet rope, introducing them to the one-of-a-kind titles, trends and personalities that […]
Digital Trends (www.digitaltrends.com), the number one online destination for consumer electronics and technology news, reviews and insights, today announced the appointment of Scott Steinberg as the company's Managing Partner and Chief Marketing Officer. As managing partner, Steinberg will oversee all business development and marketing initiatives for DigitalTrends.com, with a focus on furthering the company's core […]
Digital Trends (www.digitaltrends.com), the leading online destination for consumer electronics and technology news, reviews and insights, today announced its acquisition of premiere videogame industry consulting firm Embassy Multimedia Consultants. The top provider of real-world consulting solutions, brand development/marketing support and strategic advice to game developers, publishers, retailers and distributors worldwide, Embassy services dozens of entertainment […]
To create the most comprehensive site possible—and become THE Canadian reference for technology—Sympatico MSN joined forces with high-profile, respected partners in the field of new technologies, names like Digital Trends, The Canadian Press, the publishers of For Dummies books, Wasabi, Chalk, CNet, Future Shop, and technology guru Mark Saltzman. Mr. Saltzman will run a blog […]
Digital Trends has partnered with Akimbo, the first and largest Internet-to-TV video-on-demand service, to provide Digital Trends's extensive library of video product reviews, news reporting, and guides to Akimbo subscribers free of charge. Digital Trends began producing high-definition videos in 2005 and is pleased that their content can now be accessed by Akimbo's growing subscriber […]
Digital Trends, the fast growing online buying guide for the hi-tech lifestyle, today announced a partnership with Internet Broadcasting, the nation’s largest publisher of local news online. The agreement calls for Digital Trends to be the primary provider of technology and consumer electronics video content for the Technology Channels of 60 Internet Broadcasting sites. Internet […]


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By JOE McDONALDAP Business Writer
BEIJING (AP) - China's inflation fell further in May, giving Beijing more room to fight a deepening economic slump following this week's interest rate cut.
Consumer prices rose 3 percent, down from April's 3.4
By The Associated Press
COPPER PRESSED: Copper prices fell ahead of reports expected this weekend that could shed more light on China's economic slowdown. The price dropped 8.55 cents to finish at $3.285 per pound, the lowest since mid-December.
By SANDY SHOREAP Business Writer
The price of copper fell Friday ahead of reports expected this weekend that could shed more light on the extent of China's economic slowdown.
Copper for July delivery dropped 8.55 cents, or 2.5 percent, to finish at $3.285
By BEN FELLER and TOM RAUMAssociated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Europe's economic crisis could send shock waves roaring across the Atlantic that would drag down the fragile U.S. economy and threaten President Barack Obama's hopes for a second term. The president
NEW YORK (AP) - Shares of Yum Brands Inc. fell 4 percent on Friday, weighed down by investor fear sparked by a lower-than-expected monthly sales report from McDonald's that seemed to indicate growth in China may be slowing.
Yum Brands operates KFC, Taco Bell
By The Associated Press
INCREASING URGENCY: China cut state-set gasoline and diesel prices for the second time in a month, a day after cutting interest rates for the first time in almost four years. Beijing also took a step to letting the market set rates paid on bank deposits,
By Digital Trends StaffProvided by
The next frontier could be within reach. A private Dutch company recently announced its plants to colonize Mars, turning the red planet into an alternative society for humans. It's a bold plan, and one that comes at the same time and more and more
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - RadioShack Corp. has reached a deal to expand in Asia.
Fort Worth-based RadioShack on Thursday announced a joint venture with a Chinese company to open consumer electronics stores in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
By JONATHAN FAHEYAP Energy Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell slightly Friday on the prospect of weak economic growth with no immediate assistance from the U.S Federal Reserve.
Oil ended the week at $84.10 per barrel, within $1 of its close last week
By MARTIN CRUTSINGERAP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. trade deficit shrank in April, but only because a big drop in imports offset the first decline in U.S. exports in five months.
The Commerce Department said Friday that the trade deficit narrowed


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A Gwinnett-based organization is trying to be a source of support for struggling mothers with young children, when some need its assistance now more than ever.
As people lose their jobs and schools and daycares close amid the coronavirus pandemic, a Norcross-based nonprofit is trying to relieve the burden of finding baby supplies for metro-Atlanta families.
Helping Mamas refers to itself as a baby supply bank. It was founded by Jamie Lackey in 2014 and focuses solely on providing baby supplies. Helping Mamas also provides maternity clothes and feminine products, but primarily distributes items for children ranging from newborn to 12-years old.
Since responses to the coronavirus pandemic has led to businesses shutting down, the week has been a whirlwind, Lackey said. While Helping Mamas is still open and serving people through references from social workers, she’s the only staff in her office. She’s in contact with social workers from more than 100 partnering agencies around the city and trying to gather donations while their community drop-off locations are closed.
Social workers are sending requests, Lackey collects items, then she places them outside the door to be picked up with social distance.
“As long as the social workers and agencies are open, we’re operating and getting them what they need,” Lackey said.
Lackey said the only items people are requesting from Helping Mamas are diapers, wipes and menstrual products, which are scarce in grocery stores. She said it’s been difficult to gather these items since the organization is no longer accepting community donations at its eight donation drop-off sites. The only donations Helping Mamas is receiving are through corporate donations or its Amazon wish list.
Lackey said she’s hearing stories daily from social workers that access to affordable diapers is scarce in stores and they’re forced to make the choice to forgo diapers if they’re not working or unable to without childcare.
“I talked with one social worker that has a family with a newborn due any day now, and they were struggling to buy diapers anyway, but she tried to go out and none are available,” Lackey said.
Usually there is a team of people at Helping Mama’s headquarters, but now Lackey has taken sole control over the logistics of the nonprofit. Lackey said she’s had to cancel 10 to 15 volunteer days since the pandemic has grown more serious in the United States. She’s not able to focus on fundraising and administration, but she’s doing all she can to try to meet the community’s needs.
“Really right now, the crisis is trying to get these diapers out,” Lackey said. “We’re seeing folks and social workers requesting them in larger quantities, because they don’t know how long they’re going to be working or if people will be told to shelter in place. There seems to be a shortage on the shelves.”
Lackey said, even when restrictions are lifted and the world tries to recover from the damage the pandemic has caused, people will need more help than ever.
“We want our moms that we’re serving to be able to stay home and stay healthy without stressing,” Lackey said. “That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing and doing it safely.”


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Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has announced he will help the owner of China Square to set up a manufacturing plant in Kenya.
Through Twitter, Kuria said this will enable the Chinese investor to work in partnership with local traders from Gikomba, Nyamakima, Eastleigh, Kamukunji, Muthurwa, and River Road.
“I will assist China Square Owner Mr Cheng to set up a manufacturing plant in Kenya and work on a distribution partnership with Gikomba, Nyamakima, Eastleigh, Kamukunji, Muthurwa and River Road Traders,” Kuria wrote.
The announcement comes after Kuria earlier said he had made an offer to Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina to buy out China Square’s lease at Unicity Mall on Thika Road, which is owned by the institution.
“I’ve today given an offer to Prof. Wainaina the VC Kenyatta Uni to buy out the lease for China Square, Unicity Mall & hand it over to the Gikomba, Nyamakima, Muthurwa and Eastleigh Traders Association,” Kuria said on Friday.
Kuria pointed out that Kenya welcomes Chinese investors as manufacturers rather than traders and blamed former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, questioning why he issued work permits to Chinese traders.
China Square, which is operated by Lei Cheng, has come under fire from local traders over claims of selling inexpensive imported items, hence driving them out of business.
But Cheng maintained that his business is legal and is centered on healthy competition. He added that his company strategy is approachable and appealing to many Kenyans who are struggling with the high cost of living.
“We have cooperated with all government directives for opening a business in Kenya and we are here to break the monopoly. The people who are fighting us feel threatened because Kenyans now know we exist and we are not exploiting them in pricing,” Cheng told Nation.
On Saturday, China Square announced it would close the shop on Sunday to “re-evaluate and replan our company strategy, in order to better serve our customers and meet their needs.”
“We are also considering the possibility of cooperating with local traders to enhance our offerings and better integrate with the community,” it further stated.
The mega supermarket, which opened in January, has attracted a lot of clients, but some Kenyan traders have complained about how it is undercutting them.
The retail shop sells household items, clothes, electronics and other commodities available on the streets of Nairobi.
Moses Kuria is just jealous.
Gikomba, Nyamakima, Eastleigh, Kamukunji, Muthurwa and River Road Traders should rent their own mall .
I will buy from the Chinese any time because I will know for sure that the products are not fake. Kenyans will sell you a products they bought from back alley manufacturers in Quanzhou. Moses Kuria of all people should know about fake products, si alichomwa makalio na jiko bonoko.
China Square owner is doing well and does not need your help Moses Kuria. Go and help the struggling jobless youth and leave businessmen alone to do what they do best!
This is pure racism and discrimination by our own government that’s turning into a modern day Idi Amin Dada!!! If they are following all the laws and regulations, then what the fuck is the problem, his skin color and little eyes??? Bullshìt!!!


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Despite having a non-coiner CEO, JP Morgan is developing a cryptocurrency wallet to suit consumer demand.
The largest bank in the US and one of the biggest financial institutions in the world, JP Morgan & Chase Co, registered a patent to enter the Web3 with a digital cryptocurrency wallet on November 21, according to US Patent and Trademark Attorney Michael Kondoudis.
Kondoudis claims that on November 15, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) authorized JP Morgan & Chase Co.’s application. The wallet will provide financial services, virtual checking accounts, cryptocurrency payment processing, and transfer and exchange services.
JP Morgan explores the opportunities in cryptocurrency market in more detail
The bank continues to invest in cryptocurrency-related products despite the CEO’s divisive position against Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general. They accomplished their first cross-border transaction utilizing Polygon, a Layer-2 scalability solution for the Ethereum network, at the beginning of November, marking a “huge step” for them.
The bank demonstrated its support for crypto innovation by announcing the launch of its JPM Coin stablecoin in late October 2020. JPM Coin is the first cryptocurrency backed by a U.S. bank and used to send cross-border payments. Onyx, the first blockchain platform headed by a bank in the world, was introduced on the same day in order to create cutting-edge marketplaces and platforms.
The “JP Morgan Wallet” trademark registration indicates that the new digital wallet would be used to process bitcoin payments, although it is silent regarding the accepted cryptocurrencies.
If there is a customer need, then there is an opportunity
The CEO of JP Morgan has maintained a strident position against Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies since 2017, branding them “fraud” and “worse than tulip bulbs” as investments. He has even threatened to dismiss any JP Morgan trader who works with cryptocurrencies.
The bank’s board, however, has other ideas for cryptocurrencies. In early 2021, co-president of JP Morgan, Daniel Pinto, stated that the firm was open to investing in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies if demand increased, which it has been doing despite the Bear Market.
Although 2021 was the strongest year for Bitcoin in terms of price—it reached an all-time high of $69,000 by year’s end—the subsequent drop was enough for Dimon to reaffirm the notion that Bitcoin was a “fraud.”
Despite all the recent bad news about the ecosystem, like the demise of Terra and the insolvency of other hedge funds and cryptocurrency exchanges like FTX, Bitcoin has demonstrated that its user base is willing to use its tokens despite whatever FUD they may encounter.


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Two separate reports released today confirmed that Samsung has now overtaken Nokia since the world’s top cellphone maker.
We were holding at odds, however, over whether Samsung or Apple may be the most-popular smartphone maker.
According to IHS iSuppli, Samsung shipped 92 million handsets inside first quarter while Nokia shipped 83 million. While Samsung’s total was a 13 percent drop in the fourth quarter of a year ago, Nokia’s total was a 27 percent drop, helping Samsung nab the superior spot after 14 many years of Nokia dominance, based on iSuppli.
Rounding out your five, based on iSuppli, was Apple with 35 million shipments, a 5 % decline from the previous quarter, LG with 14 million, and RIM with 11 million.
Strategy Analytics reported similar numbers, putting Samsung at 25.4 percent market share for global handset shipments, as well as Nokia at 22.5 percent, and Apple at 9.Five percent.
“Five years after it captured the number-two spot from Motorola, Samsung has finally end up being the world’s largest handset vendor in volume terms,” Alex Spektor, associate director at Strategy Analytics, said in a very statement.
Nokia’s drop, in accordance with Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston, may be caused by a decline in low-end feature phone shipments, and also the failure in the new Windows Phone-based Lumia line to cancel out the decline of Nokia’s Symbian business.
Who’s the Smartphone Winner?
Around the smartphone front, however, iSuppli put Apple at number one, while Strategy Analytics pointed to Samsung.
According to iSuppli, Apple shipped 35 million smartphones inside the first quarter to Samsung’s 32 million. Strategy Analytics, however, said Samsung’s total was 44.5 million to Apple’s 35.One million. Nokia landed at number three on both lists with 12 percent share of the market.
“With cellular phones now accounting for over 40 % of Samsung’s overall revenue, it’s clear the company’s continued investments in smartphone hardware and software R&D are settling,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for wireless communications at iSuppli. “The company is not only cashing in around the market’s shift to smartphones, but can also be succeeding in other cellphone product categories, letting it to capture the general market lead.”
Lam said Samsung’s performance is perhaps all the greater impressive because its next smartphone, the Galaxy S III, has not launched. It’s supposed to unveiled with a May 3 event london. “This indicates Samsung could make further progress in share of the market in 2012,” Lam said.


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Springfield, N.J. – Sixth
Avenue has reportedly settled a $9.6 million suit brought last month by GE’s inventory
The suit alleged that the
struggling A/V specialty chain defaulted on a $6.4 million loan payment in
February, prompting GE to suspend Sixth Avenue’s credit line and seek a federal
court’s OK to seize $5.5 million in remaining inventory collateral.
Court documents show that
the case was dismissed yesterday in a U.S. district court in Newark, N.J., following
a request by GE Capital Solutions. But claims brought in a Delaware district
court involving “different collateral” still stand, GE said. A third GE filing,
in New York, was deemed ineligible for arbitration in March.
Sixth Avenue is also
being sued in Pennsylvania by Philadelphia Media Network, publisher of the
Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, for $531,000 in unpaid advertising bills,
court documents show.
Terms of the settlement
were not disclosed, according to the Star-Ledger, a New Jersey newspaper, and
Sixth Avenue declined comment to TWICE.
The privately held chain
has closed 10 of its 19 stores since February.
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