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Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) shares rose over 2% Thursday after the household products company reported better-than-expected second quarter (Q2) results. The firm behind Huggies and Kotex posted adjusted earnings of $2.20 per share, easily surpassing Wall Street expectations of $1.80 per share. Meanwhile, revenue of $4.61 billion came in 3.4% above the consensus estimate. Not surprisingly, the bottom line was boosted by the company's consumer tissue segment, which grew 12% from a year earlier amid ongoing demand for toilet paper throughout the pandemic.
Management expects full-year earnings per share (EPS) of between $7.40 and $7.50, up from its previous forecast range of between $7.10 and $7.35. The company also announced that it plans to reinstate its share repurchase program, intending to buy back $700 million to $900 million of its stock this year. The move indicates an improving outlook for the industry in the second half, which bodes well for other household products stocks.
From a technical standpoint, Kimberly-Clark shares broke out above crucial overhead resistance at $145 after the company delivered its encouraging financial results. The breakout, which occurred on above-average volume, places the stock at an all-time high, with the potential for further momentum-based buying. Short-term tactical traders could use a trailing candlestick stop to exit their position. To implement this technique, raise the stop order under the current day's low or the previous day's low, depending on risk tolerance. Simply stay in the trade until stopped out.
Below, we take a closer look at two other large-cap household products stocks that rallied in sympathy on the back of Kimberly-Clark's stellar earnings.
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD)
Church & Dwight Co., In. (CHD) sells personal care and specialty products in the United States and globally. Wall Street expects the 174-year-old company to report a 24% decline in Q2 earnings when it posts results on July 31. Last month, Credit Suisse analyst Kaumil Gajrawala upgraded Church & Dwight stock to "outperform" saying the firm's operating model suits the current environment. He argues that the company's portfolio can survive a recession, with roughly 37% of sales derived from value-priced brands. Gajrawala also believes that the current landscape provides an opportunity for further acquisitions. Trading at $86.22, with a market capitalization of $21.2 billion and offering a 1.13% dividend yield, the stock has returned 23.26% on the year, outperforming the household and personal products industry average by nearly 20% as of July 24, 2020.
Church & Dwight stock broke above a multi-year trading range earlier this month, with gains consolidating over the past two weeks. Price regained its upside momentum Thursday after Kimberly-Clark's upbeat earnings to register a new all-time high. Those who enter here should consider using an overlay indicator, such as the 10-day simple moving average (SMA), as a trailing stop. For instance, traders would remain in the trade until the stock closes below the indicator.
Newell Brands Inc. (NWL)
With a market value of $7.25 billion, Newell Brands Inc. (NWL) markets and distributes commercial products. The company's food and commercial segment saw net sales climb 3.2% year over year in the first quarter thanks to pandemic-related demand for home storage products and commercial cleaning and maintenance solutions. Analysts expect the home products maker to post Q2 EPS of 15 cents when it discloses financial results on July 31. Although Newell Brands stock is trading 8.69% lower year to date, it has gained 37.5% in the past three months. Investors also receive a healthy 5.5% dividend yield.
Newell shares made an impulsive wave higher in mid-May but have traded within a symmetrical triangle since. Price finally broke above the pattern's top trendline Thursday in a move that could initiate the next wave higher. Swing traders who execute a long position at these levels should set a take-profit order near $20, where the price may run into resistance from a prominent double top formed between November and February. Protect capital by placing a stop just below the 200-day SMA.


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IMImobile has joined the DEVone development program to provide omnichannel chat on CXexchange, the most extensive technology ecosystem currently available in the customer experience market. Products available on the CXexchange marketplace are designed to integrate with NICE inContact CXone, the world’s #1 cloud customer experience platform.
IMImobile’s omnichannel chat solution allows CXone users to instantly add additional messaging channels including SMS, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, In-App chat, Email, Skype for Business and WeChat for customer support to their existing NICE inContact interface.
NICE inContact customers will benefit from IMImobile’s digital chat and customer experience automation solutions by enabling:
- Easy integration of mobile and digital channels into the existing NICE inContact chat interface; agents can continue to use the same UI they are already trained on
- Orchestration between automated and agent assisted interactions to improve operational efficiencies and customer support experiences
- Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots to enable automation and orchestration of omnichannel customer journeys across contact centre systems and business processes
NICE inContact CXone empowers organisations to provide an exceptional customer experience by acting smarter and responding faster to ever-changing consumer expectations. To meet the needs of organisations of all sizes, CXone combines best-in-class Omnichannel Routing, Workforce Optimisation, Analytics, Automation and Artificial Intelligence — all on an Open Cloud Foundation.
The need for contact centres to provide an omnichannel, digital customer experience is imperative within the current market, where consumers increasingly prefer to use digital messaging channels according to new research from IMImobile.
Jay Patel, CEO, IMImobile explains: “IMImobile is excited to partner with NICE inContact and join CXexchange marketplace. IMImobile’s digital chat solutions have proven to enable intelligent and proactive customer engagement while improving first contact resolution and reducing inbound call volumes.”
DEVone offers partners broad tools and resources to enable them to create new applications on CXone, including extensive documentation and support, and access to an online developer community. Companies interested in how IMImobile’s application works with CXone can visit CXexchange to learn more about the application and read reviews. CXexchange is a centralised, state-of-the-art marketplace for developers to market and sell their CXone-based applications.
“Today’s consumers seek a conversational chat-based interaction with companies according to our research,” says Paul Jarman, CEO of NICE inContact. “With IMImobile’s omnichannel chat on CXone, contact centre agents can easily navigate chat interactions across social, mobile and online channels. We welcome IMImobile as part of the CXexchange marketplace.”

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The new "Standard of the World" has been out for a spin.
A prototype of Cadillac’s upcoming flagship sedan was recently caught on camera for the first time while out on a test run in Michigan.
Although its existence is yet to be officially confirmed by the automaker, the full-size sedan is rumored to be based on a longer and wider version of the platform that underpins the new Cadillac CTS.
Codenamed Omega, the chassis was reportedly engineered to compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series in the upper echelons of the luxury segment.
Although heavily camouflaged, a large grille and Caddy’s signature vertical headlight arrangement can be seen. It's extremely long hood and wheelbase clearly setting it apart from the brand's current offerings.
The production version of the car is expected to feature styling inspired by the Elmiraj concept unveiled last year, and a production coupe even more similar to the concept could follow.
Rear and all-wheel-drive models are expected, and the range of powertrain options could include a version of the latest 6.2-liter small-block V8 used in the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, or the proposed 4.5-liter twin turbo V8 featured in the Elmiraj.
As for what it will be called, back in 2012 GM filled a trademark for the name LTS, which would fit into Cadillac’s current naming convention for cars, which also includes ATS and XTS.
Whatever it’s called, Caddy’s finest will likely debut in the 2016 model year.
Gary Gastelu is FoxNews.com's Automotive Editor.


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The Lenovo Z6 has been on the papers for a few weeks now. Many rumors suggest that the device will be coming early July and with Lenovo’s VP Chang Cheng dropping more hints about the device’s imminent launch, we are for sure excited.
We’ve come across an ample amount of leaks for the chipset and the display of the device with half of the spec sheet already confirmed.
As per rumors, the Lenovo Z6 is said to come with a 6.39inch OLED display with an HDR10 Support and 120hz refresh rate. According to renders, the Lenovo Z6 will be sporting a WaterDrop notch and around 93.1% screen-to-body-ratio.
Under the hood, the Lenovo Z6 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 SoC and as for the optics, the device will sport a triple rear camera setup backed by a 24MP Sony IMX576 sensor, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a 5MP depth sensor.
As per the spec sheet, the Lenovo Z6 will be backed by a 4,000mAh battery which will support 15W fast charging. The company claims that the Z6 is the lightest phone to feature such a battery capacity and weigh around 159g. The official announcement, as mentioned earlier, is due on July 4.


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Today was a very busy news day for Apple and Apple CEO Steve Jobs in particular, with Apple announcing its fourth quarter results via conference call. Steve Jobs doesnâ€™t usually turn up at these things, but today he did, and he was in the mood to talk. A lot! For starters, he completely squashed the persistent rumour that Apple will soon be releasing a 7-inch iPad, according to AppleInsider.
â€œThe reason we [wonâ€™t] make a 7-inch tablet isnâ€™t because we donâ€™t want to hit that price point, itâ€™s because we think the screen is too small to express the software,â€ said Jobs during the conference call. â€œAs a software driven company we think about the software strategies first.â€
â€œWe know developers arenâ€™t going to deal well with these different sizes and they have to change their software every time the screen size changes,â€ Jobs added. â€œ When we make decisions on 7-inch tablets itâ€™s not about costs, itâ€™s about the value of the product when you factor in the softwareâ€¦ weâ€™re all about making the best products at aggressive prices and thatâ€™s what we do, and thatâ€™s what we will do with the iPad and iPod.â€
So there you have it, straight from the horseâ€™s mouth: no 7-inch iPad.


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After much rumour and speculation it has been confirmed that the Swedish fashion powerhouse H&M will be opening it’s debut store in Melbourne. Some reports suggest it might be open by the end of the year, but we have our money on an early 2014 opening. With the success of Zara and Topman in both Sydney and Melbourne it’s no surprise to see H&M follow trend and set up shop in Australia.
Hans Andersson, Country Manager for H&M Australia has said, “It will be one of H&M’s largest stores globally. We look forward to bringing fashion and quality at the best price to the Australian customers.” We look forward to it as well Hans, hopefully the low-price point translates in the Australian market. Measuring 5,0000 square metres and running over three floors it will definitely make a statement, let’s hope that Australia receives the same treatment as the European and US stores in terms of stock and time of releases. We’ll keep you updated on it’s progress in the coming months.


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A janitor has asked confectionery manufacturer Krasny Oktyabr to give her $3 million for use of her picture on Russia's most famous chocolate bar, the Life news agency reported Thursday.
Yelena Anisina, from the Siberian town of Chita, claims that her face appears on the packaging of the celebrated "Alyonka" chocolate bar.
The 50-year-old said that her picture was taken by a photographer 47 years ago when she was walking with her mother in the street. "They told my mother that my picture would appear on the wrapper of a Krasny Oktyabr chocolate bar. I've remembered that all my life," Anisina told Life in an interview.
The alleged Alyonka has said she is ready to do whatever is necessary to prove her claims. It isn't right for the face of Russia's most famous chocolate bar to live in poverty, she told reporters.
Anisina said that she decided to send a letter to Krasny Oktyabr after hearing the story of the author of famous Russian Christmas song, "The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree." The author was able to claim royalties despite the many years which had passed since writing it.
"I was struck with idea that they owe me something for 'Alyonka'," Anisina said. "I want $3 million. My conscience does not allow me to ask for more."
Representatives for the factory deny that picture of a real girl is used in the chocolate bar's design. They say that the image was created by the artist back in the 1960s, when 'Alyonka' was created.
"People often write to us, insisting that it is their picture on the wrapper,” said representative of the United Confectioners holding Olga Unuchina. “But if you put a scarf on any child's head, you will see the same face as the one on the chocolate bar."
If she receives the compensation, Anisina says she will give the money to her four children who spent their childhood in poverty. The four had to wear sneakers in depths of winter as there was no money to provide them with proper shoes, the ZabTV channel reported.
"Sometimes I think that $3 million is such a huge number, it even scares me," Anisina said. "But then I think that it is not that much. These merchants' monthly income is $180 million," she said to ZabTV.


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Shares of Allcargo Logistics stood as the top performer among major logistic stocks in the last three months. During this period, the stock has climbed from ₹306.75 to ₹426.25, generating a return of over 39%. The stock witnessed a one-way surge, rising 67% from June-Mid low of ₹255.30. On September 15, the stock reached an all-time high of Rs. 452.
The stock has moved from an all-time low of Rs. 58 to Rs. 390 between March 2020 and December 2021, producing an astounding return of 572%. The stock experienced some corrections following the delivery of 5x returns, dropping to Rs. 250 levels in June 2022. It quickly bounced back, though, and has since climbed to the current level of Rs. 420. Over the last three year period the stock delivered 322% returns to its shareholders.
Allcargo Logistics is a small-cap stock with a market capitalization of over Rs. 10,472.8 crore. The company is engaged in providing integrated logistics solutions and offers specialised logistics services across multimodal transport operations, inland container depot, container freight station operations, contract logistics operations, and project and engineering solutions.
On September 17, the Indian government unveiled a much-awaited national logistics policy which will assist the Indian logistics industry moving forward. The main objective of this policy is to bring down the logistics costs for businesses.
At present, the logistics costs in India are as high as 14-15% of the GDP compared to developed nations such as Singapore and the US, which have managed to cap this cost at 7-8% of the GDP. Through the National Logistics Policy, India aims to bring down the cost to 8% of the GDP by 2030.
To bring logistics costs in line with the developed economies, the government has undertaken several initiatives in NLP, including the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), Ease of Logistics Services (E-Logs), and SIG—System Improvement Group.
Adding to that, Allcargo Logistics is bullish on its business prospects and expects to grow at an average of 15% annually, mainly driven by organic growth, its Chairman, Shashi Kiran Shetty, said.
The company is also looking to be among the top 10 players in the global logistics space in the next 3–4 years, he said.
According to a recent investors' presentation, the Allcargo group is aspiring to achieve ₹25,000-30,000 crore of revenue by 2026 with as much as ₹20,000-25,000-crore coming from its international supply-chain business, and ₹2,700-3,500 crore from its express and contract logistics segment.
On October 03, the company started the operations of its Malur Logistic Park in Karnataka. The park was spread over two million square feet and set up with an investment of Rs.700 crore.
Despite macroeconomic headwinds from the Ukraine war, inflation and a slowdown in demand. Allcargo Logistics has managed to post a robust performance in the June-ending quarter. In Q1FY23, the company reported a two-fold jump in its consolidated net profit to Rs.280 crore. It had posted a PAT of Rs.106 crore in the first quarter of the previous fiscal.
The revenue from operations during the first quarter of FY23 rose 65% to ₹5,675 crore from ₹3,449 crore in Q1 FY22. The firm's EBITDA rose to Rs. 434 crore in Q2 from Rs. 217 crore in the year-ago period.
According to Statista, the size of the Indian logistics market was around 250 billion U.S. dollars in the financial year 2021. This market is expected to grow to 380 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate of 10 to 12%.
An average of 02 analysts polled by MintGenie have a 'buy' call on the stock.
Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of MintGenie.


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Exterior walls are going up at The Hub North.
The eight-story office building with ground-floor retail space going up at the corner of Blake and Downing streets in RiNo is the second phase of the project being developed by Boston-based Beacon Capital Partners.
The structure joins the adjacent Hub South building, completed earlier this year.
The office space in Hub South is 100 percent leased to HomeAdvisor, WeWork and tech company EverCommerce. Retail space has been leased to tenants, including Chase and Viv Cycle, but 10,335 square feet remain available.
No leases have been announced for office or retail space within Hub North.
Original plans for the complex called for the Hub North building to be a hotel. But Beacon changed course in 2018.
Here are photos taken last week (click for a larger view), as well as a rendering showing the project and a site map.
Specs: Floors two through seven have 13,956-square-foot footprints, according to a leasing brochure, adding up to just shy of 100,000 square feet of office space. The ground floor has 7,642 square feet of retail space.
Groundbreaking: Early 2019
Expected completion: Early 2020
General contractor: Mortenson
Office brokers: Jamie Roupp and Julie Rhoades, JLL
Retail broker: Bryan Slaughter and Ryan Kiernan of SullivanHayes recently took over the project’s retail leasing from The Zall Group.
Leases: None announced
Elsewhere in town: Beacon Capital Partners’ other Denver holdings include downtown office tower Wells Fargo Center.
BusinessDen’s Project Snapshot feature provides a visual update on notable developments in the Denver area. We last checked in on Market Station in downtown Denver.


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MOMA is the first major museum in the Big Apple to reopen to the public since the US cultural capital was hard-hit by the virus, bringing its busy calendar to a halt.
Under the new regulations, and with the tourism sector at a standstill due to the pandemic, only a few art lovers reserved a time slot for the church-like calm of reopening day.
Crowds won't grow much bigger, as the museum will operate at 25 percent of capacity and with the now-usual precautions of social distancing and temperature checks.
"I like galleries not being too crowded and people not talking and people not taking pictures. Everything about it is great," Alan Orenbuch, a 66-year-old retiree and museum regular, told AFP.
"In recent years, it just attracted people who had it on their bucket list when visiting New York, it wasn't the same thing," he said.
For now, the MOMA has limited capacity to 100 people per hour, although museum leadership hopes to gradually increase entry numbers, explained Sonya Shrier, the director of visitor engagement.
"It's really a very special time to visit the galleries, because the galleries aren't as crowded, but also, it's such a wonderful opportunity for visitors to gather safely... in a difficult time," she said.
The grand reopening was meticulously planned, and it's "just so gratifying to see the plans in action and the doors open and visitors back," Shrier added.
New York's largest museum, the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art, will reopen on Saturday, and the majority of other museums are expected to reopen by early October.
New York City was hit hard by Covid-19 in the spring, with more than 23,600 deaths, but the city has become a model for keeping the pandemic under control, with an infection rate of about one percent.
But New York, normally synonymous with nonstop activity and mass tourism, has yet to fully come back to life, so strong is the fear of a second wave.
Many people continue to work remotely, the business districts are deserted and many stores have yet to reopen.
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Luxury carmakers are seeing unprecedented demand for high-end electric vehicles (EVs), with the well-heeled snapping up models such as the Mercedes Benz EQS, BMW iX and Audi e-tron.OpenAI’s Chatbot Thinks Out of the Box, Comes up with Detailed Answers
A new chatbot created by artificial intelligence non-profit OpenAI Inc has taken the internet by storm, as users speculated on its ability to replace everything from playwrights to college essays.
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Nikki Gewirtz never wanted a career, but this week the designer behind a multi-million pound business received an MBE for services to jewellery design.
“Not bad for a girl who never wanted to go to school or work — from being a normal Jewish Princessy type of girl, I now have to deal with legal letters.”
By her own admission, the 44-year-old founder of Lola Rose was unambitious growing up. As the youngest (and only girl) in her family, expectations were reserved for her two elder brothers.
She, by contrast, was not academic. She enjoyed show-jumping, owned four ponies, left school with four GCSEs and went to St Godric’s finishing school in Hampstead, where she learnt to type, express herself through art and expertly step out of a car while balancing books on her head — in short, she learnt “how to be a lady”. She even spent some time on kibbutz before taking on “temping” jobs.
“I was coasting through life,” she says. “I had two brothers who were extremely talented and academic, and it was a case of ‘I was a girl’. I don’t think there was as much pressure as there is today.”
But Gewirtz was facing social pressures. Aged 30, she broke up with her long-term boyfriend and found herself at a loss. “I sensed the disappointment in my family when I broke up with him — I was done-and-dusted in their minds,” she recalls. “I didn’t have a home, I didn’t really have anything.”
Then, a friend gave her a bracelet made with semi-precious stones for her birthday. “I reckoned I could make it myself — so Jewish,” she laughs.
“So I went off to a Covent Garden bead shop, bought some semi-precious stones and books and literally started to bead bracelets.
“My family were, like, ‘what’s she doing now’.
“Friends of friends started buying them and saying ‘they’re great’. The Jewish community in Hampstead Garden Suburb were fantastic to me. I met a lot of inspiring women who introduced me to the right people and gave up their houses so I could have jewellery parties. They gave me the encouragement to do this and that’s what I needed. I found something I was good at!”
Armed with a wicker basket, she started approaching high-street chains with her semi-precious wares.
Now, her business is thriving and boasts high-profile customers from the Duchess of Cambridge to singer Nicole Scherzinger, who have been pictured wearing Lola Rose.
Gewirtz now hopes her story will inspire other women to take the plunge and “I would love to mentor”.
I meet Gewirtz at her new office in West Hampstead, not far from the north-west London home she shares with her husband and two young sons, Freddie and Oscar. Her new collection has just arrived and she’s excitedly looking at the display box.
Sat over a glass table, leaning in for a tangerine (she’s “juicing” today), she admits that juggling work and a family life can be tough. It is Friday morning and she has already been to a Golders Green butcher to buy the Shabbat chicken.
“I’m a mum,” she says happily. “I live this weird glamorous life at Lola Rose and then I’m undressing as I walk through the door and I’m in bed by 10pm.
“I go through the day doing major deals, and then when I get through the doors I’m changing nappies.”
In the room surrounded by display boxes of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and now scarves, the entrepreneur says she loves creating pieces with colour (jangling a vibrant set of bracelets on one arm).
She hopes one day to expand into Israel but, for now, part of her team has just gone to exhibit Lola Rose at a high-end trade show in Paris, even though the French have a well-known penchant for all things black.
She shrugs when I highlight this: “I think the French think they are the best and do the best — and that’s why the French market is quite a hard one to tackle from a British brand point of view.
“But I consider British fashion to be the best fashion — we do step outside the box.
“European brands don’t necessarily do that because they do follow this ridiculous suit of ‘we are the chic-est, we are the best, plain is the way forward’. It’s nonsense.”
She adds: “I started Lola Rose purely because of a frustration of not being able to find accessories that I felt were accessible.
“I would go and buy a dress for a wedding or a barmitzvah, and the necklace would cost as much as the dress — and I knew at the time that I would only wear that necklace once.
“Opportunities were few and far between for affordable luxury jewellery. That’s why I use semi-precious, real quality stones.”
And what is the essential ingredient that has made her story a successful one?
“I think the success of Lola Rose is because, as someone who never wanted to work, I never stop working. I don’t ever stop.
“I can step back and coast, but I want more from it.
“Being so naïve helped me. I asked people for help the whole way along. If you don’t ask for help, no one will help you. That’s really important, too.”


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Even with weak financial disorders induced by the Covid-19 pandemic impacting valuations, the investments in Indian agritech ecosystem are estimated to be in close to $300-350 million in 2020, just about the similar as that of preceding 12 months as the get started-ups captivated funding from the two new and current traders.
Rising technologies adoption among the farmers, advancement innovation purposes, and farm sector reforms are noticed driving investments in the agritech arena and venture capitalists are optimistic about greater potential customers in the new 12 months.
“The highlight was observing the agritech ecosystem develop even more rapidly than in decades past, catalysed by lockdown and the chance to enable farmers in this tough time,” mentioned Mark Kahn, Founding Spouse at Omnivore, an effect venture fund. Omnivore invested about ₹130 crore in 11 discounts throughout 2020 as in comparison to ₹47 crore in 7 companies throughout 2019.
Outlook for 2021
“The outlook for 2021 is to remain pretty active. Will likely do four-5 new investments as perfectly as comply with-on rounds in our current portfolio,” he mentioned.
Hemendra Mathur, agritech investor, who closely tracks the house, mentioned there were about 25 discounts throughout the 12 months with full investments concerning $300-350 million related to the preceding 12 months. “Despite getting a Covid 12 months, the sector did perfectly. I am assured that the financial commitment amount would improve to $500 million a 12 months and ideally we get close to $1 billion a 12 months as we see more mature agritech get started-ups. What is necessary is a successful exit, which will take some time – possibly in 2022 and 2023 we will get started observing exits in this house, which ideally will give more momentum to the sector,” Mathur included. Investments were distribute throughout segments this kind of as supply chain and precision agriculture. About 50 percent a dozen new traders, like mainstream traders this kind of as Sequoia and Nabventures, arrived into the sector.
“A whole lot of traders realised that agriculture is a pretty resilient sector. The economy was not expanding, and in reality, the growth amount was unfavorable for most of the sectors, apart from for agriculture. So, traders do realise that there is whole lot of resilience in the sector,” Mathur mentioned.
The Covid lockdown saw new business types arise, though a number of get started-ups took the venture financial debt route to satisfy their funding need as increasing money became hard thanks to the hard financial scenario.
The B2C product has picked up throughout classes this kind of as new create, staples and milk, among the other people. “A whole lot of brand names, which were conference operated in the B2B section have started out B2C and I believe the craze is heading to remain eternally,” he mentioned. Mathur included there will be new prospects in classes this kind of as health and fitness and diet that can leverage the raw material base we have in herbal merchandise and plant protein, among the other people.
“India’s agriculture sector is witnessing a potent confluence of tailwinds this kind of as an escalating supply of top quality entrepreneurial expertise, greater private money flowing in to gasoline improvements, potent coverage assistance for the sector and an unprecedented adoption of technologies, generating it viable to build remedies at scale. This, coupled with the resilience and growth which the sector has shown throughout the pandemic, would push even further improvements and investments in the sector in 2021,” mentioned Neha Saraf, Financial investment Director at Aavishkaar Funds.
She included, “Aavishkaar Funds has been one particular of the early backers of agritech in India and we would be doubling down on it with even greater conviction in the coming decade.”


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Solana, a blockchain smartphone manufacturer, has secured $45 million in funding for its second phone’s development after crossing 100,000 preorders. The company aims to provide users with a decentralized ecosystem that combines traditional computing capabilities with blockchain technology.
The new phone, called “Solana Mobile,” features a sleek design and advanced specifications, including a 6.67-inch OLED display, up to 16GB of RAM, and a 48MP primary camera. It also boasts a powerful processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, which enables fast performance and efficient battery life.
Solana Mobile runs on the company’s proprietary operating system, Solana OS, built on top of Android 11. This allows users to access a range of decentralized applications (dApps) and utilize blockchain-based features like secure encryption and private messaging.
According to Solana’s CEO, Raj Gokal, the company’s vision is to create a mobile device that seamlessly integrates blockchain technology into daily life. He believes that Solana Mobile will help bridge the gap between the traditional tech industry and the growing blockchain ecosystem.
The success of Solana’s presale campaign highlights the increasing demand for blockchain-enabled devices. With over 100,000 units sold before official release, the company has demonstrated significant market interest in its innovative product.
Solana plans to use the funds raised from the presale to further develop its software and hardware offerings, as well as expand its partnerships within the blockchain community. The company hopes to establish itself as a leader in the emerging space of blockchain-powered mobility.
Overall, Solana’s achievement represents a significant milestone in the evolution of blockchain technology and its integration into everyday devices. As more companies explore the potential of decentralized systems, Solana’s success serves as an encouraging example of the possibilities ahead.


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A leading group of Indian retailers on Wednesday urged the government to ban the local operations of Amazon, after Reuters reported the US e-commerce giant has for years given preferential treatment to a small group of sellers on its India platform and used them to circumvent the country’s strict foreign investment regulations.
The report, based on internal Amazon documents dated between 2012 and 2019, provided an inside look at the cat-and-mouse game Amazon has played with India’s government, adjusting its corporate structures each time the government imposed new restrictions aimed at protecting small traders.
In a statement, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which says it represents 80 million retail stores in India, said “the shocking revelations” in the Reuters story are “sufficient enough to immediately ban operations of Amazon in India.”
The group called on Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to take immediate note of this “important and burning issue and order for a ban on operations of Amazon in India.”
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment on the trader group’s statement. But shortly after CAIT issued its call for the ban, Amazon retweeted the Reuters report, criticising it as “unsubstantiated, incomplete, factually incorrect,” without going into specifics. It added that “Amazon remains compliant with Indian laws.”
A spokesman for India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry did not respond when contacted outside regular business hours.
The Amazon documents revealed the e-commerce company helped a small number of sellers in India prosper, gave them discounts on fees, and helped one cut special deals with big tech manufacturers such as Apple. The company exercised significant control over the inventory of some of the biggest sellers on Amazon.in, the documents showed. Government rules announced in 2016 required that an e-commerce platform should “not exercise ownership” over sellers’ inventory. Amazon pledges that all sellers operate independently on its platform.


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As the clock continues to tick down to the 29 March 2019, when the UK is scheduled to officially leave the EU at 11pm, there is still much uncertainty around what Brexit will mean for UK businesses.
What is certain is that it will bring change for businesses of every size and sector,
but planning for it seems almost impossible. For businesses that buy and sell to the EU it is important to have contingency plans in place which are flexible enough to cope with a variety of outcomes. Preparing for the worst will give your business the best chance of moving through the transition regardless of the outcome of negotiations.
Read our article to see what your firm can do before 29 March 2019.


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By James Pero For Dailymail.com
Published: 22:31 GMT, 25 March 2019 | Updated: 22:34 GMT, 25 March 2019
Subscription services dominate the way people watch movies; listen to music; the way they eat; read the news; and now, if a new startup is any indication, possibly even the way they drive.
A recently re-branded startup, Canoo -- formerly known as Evelozcity -- announced recently that it will offer their cars, a selection of different electric vehicles, through subscription only.
Specific packages will offer users of Canoo multiple options that include varying levels of flexibility, says the company.
A subscription-only car company will offer electric vehicles with differing payment models that allow customers to start and stop leasing at will.
Soon-to-be offered electric vehicles by startup, Canoo, will offer users an array of selling-points that include:
- A subscription model that will allow customers to flexibly drive the car. It could last months or years depending on preference
- Four different styles with interchangeable 'top hats' that constitute the car's interior
- Design features are emphasizing an open interior that Canoo says will give drivers unparalleled space in a compact environment
'Canoo's subscriptions will have no specific duration commitment,' said Canoo in a statement.


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Getting red-blooded muscle car fans to go along with the industry-wide trend toward electrification is a tough sell, as Dodge’s Chief Exec Tim Kuniskis knows all too well. Ford, rather cleverly, managed to draw an obvious distinction between its practical, family-friendly Mustang Mach-E electric utility vehicle and the more enthusiast-focused, ICE-only Mustang coupe. Dodge, on the other hand, is hoping that a significant number of crossover-eschewing muscle car lovers will forgive the electric Charger Daytona its emissions-free propulsion in light of its mind-shattering performance and undeniable Detroit muscle sensibilities.
Simply put, when it launches later this year, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack will be “the ultimate performance muscle car” anywhere in the world, says Kuniskis – until the range-topping Banshee launches later down the road, that is. Fitted with a Stage 2 kit as standard, the launch edition Scat Pack will out-accelerate the Hellcat Redeye Widebody, leveraging 670 horsepower and 305/325-section-width tires – the widest staggered set ever fitted to a factory Charger – to complete the sprint to 60 in an expected 3.3 seconds and blast through the quarter-mile in 11.5. Electric or not, those are some serious stats.
Kuniskis refers to the unveiling of the electric Charger Daytona SRT Concept some 30 months ago as “the day everyone thought I was going to be fired.” On that day, he claimed that Dodge would “never market an electric car,” before clarifying: “We will market a better muscle car with performance that happens to be enabled” by powertrain electrification. That appears to have been Dodge’s guiding principle throughout the development of the new Charger.
“Every choice we made on this car hurts efficiency,” joked Kuniskis.
That extends beyond the characteristically wide, grippy tires to the design – something that was very much guided by aerodynamics, according to Exterior Design chief Scott Krugger, but still leaves the Charger Daytona as “probably one of the widest cars on the road.” He and the rest of the team studied rare muscle cars and exotic concepts from the automaker’s past for inspiration for the new Charger, of which he said “[two] of the big things we took away: proportion, and presence.” No “primary” source of inspiration for the team was ever indicated, but notably flanking the new Dodge Charger at its reveal was an example of the super-rare 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, the predecessor to the iconic Plymouth Superbird.
And then, there’s the sound. Arguably one of the hardest things to give up in the transition away from internal combustion is the bone-chilling roar of a big, beefy performance V8. It’s a sensation that no pure-electric powertrain can ever hope to match – so Dodge found a cheat code, fitting the new Charger with a synthetic exhaust note generation system dubbed “Fratzonic”. It’s a “revolutionary system,” says Chief Engineer Audrey Moore, which will “give our customers what they want.”
The Fratzonic system uses in effect an actual, functioning chambered exhaust along with its note-generating transducers, making it sound fuller and more authentic than could be done with speakers alone. At full chat, it’s as loud as the outgoing SRT Hellcat, and it responds in real time to speed and throttle position much like a real combustion exhaust system. Yet getting it exactly right was of the utmost importance to Team Charger; “We’ve changed it like… a hundred times,” says Tim Kuniskis. The reason it was such an important detail to nail? Kuniskis says that for performance drivers, “it subliminally makes you feel more comfortable.”
Taken together, all of this makes the new Dodge Charger Daytona about the furthest thing from a lifeless, zero-emissions compliance car – the sort of vehicle Dodge’s CEO refers to sarcastically as a “jelly bean,” after its slippery albeit vague design – as can be found. Dodge’s big gamble is that all of this will be enough to woo brand stalwarts, who helped propel the previous-generation Charger and Challenger to new heights in the American muscle car sales race.
And even if it isn’t, Dodge still has the new petrol-fueled Charger to keep muscle diehards interested.
Asked whether the Banshee would definitively be the top-performing model in the Charger range, or whether another, even higher performance internal combustion model might take back the crown later on down the line, Dodge’s CEO remarked simply that the Banshee was planned to be the reigning champ for the near future. “That’s not to say… that we won’t go and beat it.”


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South by Southwest (SXSW) is one of the most popular festivals and trade shows for the creative and interactive industries in the US. SXSW was held in Austin in March and while all the Swedish participants have gone back home, the buzz has continued long after the event concluded, and plans are already being made for an even greater presence next year. Swedish media covered the event as you can see in the attached article (below).
With around 400 Swedes present, Sweden was well represented at this year’s edition of the interactive part of the SXSW festival with big names such as Spotify, King, and Toca Boca. Sweden even had a booth at the SXSW trade show promoting Swedish creative industries.
The Swedish Ambassador, Bjorn Lyrvall, said “They are spreading a very positive image of Sweden as a creative, forward-thinking and innovative country”. Therese Linde, president of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, fills in saying “If we do a good job showcasing Sweden here, we believe that more American companies are willing to do business with Swedish companies.”
If you are interested in participating in the Swedish SXSW efforts for next year, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org. The planning for next year is already underway and it’s going to be a fantastic opportunity to get visibility both in Sweden and here in the US.
Check out more responses from Swedish media and others:


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I guess they're really serious about this integration thing. When high-end, business-friendly FedEx bought low-end, consumer-unfriendly Kinko's, it paid $891 million for that hugely valuable (ahem) Kinko's brand. Which it's now jettisoning, writing off that $891 million in the process. Henceforth, Kinko's is FedEx Office. Same surly low-wage, high-turnover employees, different brand. That should make all the difference.. □
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
It is expected that Georgia will end the current year with at least 7.7 percent of economic growth and employment will increase, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Natia Turnava said, Trend reports citing Georgian media.
According to the information, in June 2020, the Georgian economy grew at a fairly high rate of 18.7 percent, which is really unprecedented for this period. However, there is an increase not only compared to June 2020.
“If we compare the same period of 2019, this year a growth of nine percent was observed. So, we have absolute growth with a successful year like 2019,” Turnava said, estimating the preliminary growth rate of the economy in June 2021.
The minister also noted that there is economic growth in almost all sectors of Georgia’s economy. In particular, the processing industry, banking and financial sector, hotel and other accommodation facilities, construction and trade are especially prominent.
Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva


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Google has released the latest Android distribution statistics, and three builds of Jelly Bean lead their predecessors and even their successor. 59.1 percent of all mobile devices out there powered by Google’s mobile operating system are accounted for by Android 4.1, Android 4.2 and Android 4.3. Jelly Bean has registered a nominal surge when compared to November 2013, back then distribution stood at 54.5 percent. It rose up to 59.1 percent last month. Android 4.1 particularly leads the pack, powering 35.9 percent of all Android devices.
Now it hasn’t been long since Google released Android 4.4 KitKat, and the update has only been rolled out for a few devices as yet. Most major flagships from last year are yet to receive the update, which is why KitKat adoption stood at 1.4 percent in December 2013, a mere .3 percent boost when compared to the stats from the preceding month. Its going to take a lot of time before there’s substantial adoption of KitKat by Android users around the world. Most devices aren’t expected to receive this update until at least a couple of months. However, new flagships that come out in 2014 are likely to be powered by the latest Android iteration, which will definitely boost its adoption stats. Legacy builds such as Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich account for 1.3 percent, 21.2 percent, 0.1 percent and 16.9 percent respectively.


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Reliance Jio 4G Commercial Launch:
The ambitious Reliance Jio project is officially launched by Mukesh Ambani at the company’s Annual General Meeting today. As a welcome offer, Jio will offer its services for free to everyone from September 5 to December 31.
Jio’s free voice calls and zero roaming charges will create a history. Moreover, data @ INR 50 per GB will be the game changer. Till now, the data packs are available at INR 250 per GB. Let’s wait and analyze how the incumbent players will react to Jio’s commercial launch. With this announcement, Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular shares were down 7 % and 11% respectively.
At present, Reliance Jio has a vast network covering 18,000 towns and 2 lakh villages and hopes to cover 90% of the country by March 2017. When Mukesh Ambani said that Jio will make India the highest quality lowest price data market in the world, there was an all-round applause. Truly, this data tariff is one-tenth of the rate being charged now.
Jio with the tag line ‘Digital Life’ wants to bring a revolutionary change by making data affordable to everyone. With free voice calls and zero roaming charges, Reliance Jio will be definitely a game changer in the telecom industry. Moreover, Jio has plans to roll out Fibre to the Home wired internet to 100 cities that speed up to 1Gbps.
Reliance Jio will be bringing 4LTE to every home. It will be launching new LYF phones starting at INR 2,999 and reducing the price of MiFi hotspot device to INR 1,999. As a welcome offer, Reliance Jio SIM will be available to everyone from September 5, and all the services including Jio’s app booking worth INR 15,000 annual subscription, are free to use until December 31. Finally, the company has set a target of 100 million customers in the shortest possible time.
Jio tariff starts from INR 149 to INR 4,999. All the packs will offer free voice calls and Jio Apps subscription worth INR 1,210 with 28 days validity. It has been made public that the starter pack of INR 149 gives just 0.3GB of 4G data. All other packs (INR 499, INR 999, INR 1499, INR 2499, INR 3999 and INR 4,999) give free access to unlimited 4G at night.
As per Jio launch live updates, there are 1-day and 7-day packs that cost INR 19 and INR 49 respectively providing unlimited calls as well. Students will be getting 25% extra data when they show valid proof while signing up Jio.
In his speech, Mukesh Ambani has clearly mentioned that his company would provide data @ INR 50 per GB. But with the present tariff plans, this is clearly a distant idea. As these are prepaid plans prepared to get approval from TRAI, one can’t have detailed information on how Jio is calculating INR 50 per GB data. Hope the company would disclose post-paid tariff soon.


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Alias|Wavefront has announced its fourth consecutive worldwide 3December event, its in-depth look at the 3D industry hosted in seven cities worldwide.
The company regularly attracts thousands of 3D professionals and students who gather to see innovative 3D technologies from software and hardware companies involved in the field.
Alias|Wavefront's manager of global public relations Donna Teggart said: "We are delighted to bring 3December to seven cities around the world for the fourth year." The cities are London, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo.
Localized The organizers have assembled specific events for each city, designing these to reflect the state of the 3D industry in each country. Attendees can expect guest speakers, technology demonstrations, and Maya master classes.
It is customary for Alias|Wavefront to offer a public preview of the next iteration of its industry-standard 3D application, Maya. Over the years, attendees have also become used to hearing from senior film-industry designers discussing the use of 3D applications in making movies. Full details for the London event are not yet available, but will be announced soon on the 3December Web site.
HP, ATI and Intel sponsor the events globally. The London event is also sponsored by Macworld's sister publication, Digit.


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Just try it!
According to an old German saying, nothing is too difficult for an engineer. But how are engineers supposed to develop automotive parts when nobody knows what vehicles will be like in the future, what will power them, or who’ll be driving them? Innovation Manager Falk Heitling and his colleagues in the technology department have been searching for answers.
Falk Heitling and his colleagues in development are celebrating a special moment: One of the components they have developed has been chosen in a number of tenders. The component is a rotor – part of an electric engine that turns the engine axle. Heitling is confident that with this development, thyssenkrupp will considerably advance the efficiency of electric vehicles. Heitling works as a Technology & Innovation Manager at thyssenkrupp Components Technology, a business unit that supplies many automobile manufacturers. For projects such as this rotor, however, many thyssenkrupp divisions work together: “During development, our motor experts worked closely together with our colleagues from the steel division,” explains Heitling. “The result is a lightweight, highly efficient, modular rotor.”
Electric mobility keeps us on our toes
Experts in the Technology, Innovation & Sustainability division have long been occupied with economic, lightweight construction for efficient motors. At the moment, however, they are particularly interested in electric mobility: “We are specifically looking at how we can improve electric motors and find solutions that will increase convenience and safety in future generations of electric vehicles,” says the 38-year-old engineer. However, the ever shorter development cycles that automobile manufacturers now take for granted pose huge challenges for research and development work. “In order to remain successful, we have to bring our products to market increasingly quickly,” explains Heitling, “while being constantly confronted with new technology – particularly when it comes to engines. Nobody knows which type of engine will be the one to break through in the end.”
Test vehicles speed up the test process
This poses a question for the team: if we cannot predict in which direction the sector and market will develop, how can thyssenkrupp ensure that its resources for research and development are being used in the most sensible manner? Heitling’s answer: “We have to be able to integrate new components into current and upcoming vehicle generations without having to design a whole new vehicle every time.” In order to achieve this, thyssenkrupp is currently developing flexible test vehicles that developers can use to test new chassis and engine components quickly, agilely and efficiently – regardless of the shape and size of the parts and systems. What these test vehicles look like is a secret. But it is a huge advantage that his team can test research projects individually and in combination under real conditions: “This really makes it easier for us to understand the mobility of tomorrow and prepare ourselves for upcoming challenges.”
A matter of trust
One of the greatest factors in whether development work is successful or not isn’t the research laboratories – it’s the customer. The greater the trust between the customer and the thyssenkrupp developers, and the closer the cooperation, the more innovative and pioneering the end result of the cooperation will be. “Sometimes we work together with the customer to find a solution, sometimes the customer has an idea but can’t accomplish it alone, another time we may approach the customer with a promising development.” The division can always make the most of the comprehensive tools and system knowledge of the whole company and the expertise of a number of colleagues from many different departments. That is because thyssenkrupp covers the entire value chain like virtually no other company: from the right materials, components and system construction with increasing software competence, up to suitable production facilities. “And with our new platform, trying out our ideas will soon be easier than ever before,” adds Heitling. “This fits in perfectly with our mentality of simply trying out new ideas and allowing mistakes to happen so that we can progress quickly. And in the end, that’s the real benefit for the customer.”
thyssenkrupp will be writing about the issues the company is addressing for the future of the car on the engineered blog during the weeks leading up to the IAA. After all, the company has consistently boasted pioneering automotive solutions throughout its history stretching back over 100 years. At the IAA 2017, thyssenkrupp will give particular attention to innovative topics such as intelligent chassis, electromobility, autonomous driving and cutting-edge assembly and production processes. In the coming weeks, thyssenkrupp will be introducing the people behind these pioneering products and materials, demonstrating its successful cooperation with bigger and smaller customers, and offering exclusive insights into the future of the company.https://www.thyssenkrupp.com/automotive


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Folks in the know say that Google has been using the service internally for months. A blurry screenshot, pictured above and snapped by Wigand at a Google press conference, appears to offer a glimpse at the word "Drive," but very little else.
Most people don't realize that you can actually already store music and video files in Google Docs. The new service will take this a step further, allowing users to install a native syncing software that'll allow you to easily synchronize your documents across different computer platforms (and surely Android devices as well).
Apple's iCloud is a potential competitor, as is Drop Box and Box.net. All want to help you store your precious files in a cloud – but who wins remains to be seen.


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Indian Institute of Technology-Madras incubated dairy-tech startup, “Stellapps” has launched a first-of-its-kind, fully-automated direct payment platform, ‘mooPay’, for dairy farmers for Rajasthan state. Delhi based Stellapps Technologies Pvt LTD is a first of its kind end-to-end dairy technology solutions company of India. It is also one of the technology pioneers of the World Economic Forum.
Points To Note
- Stellapp’s MooPay for dairy farmers is a payment gateway where the dairy officials can transfer milk payments digitally to member farmers from the dairies’ existing bank account to farmers’ savings bank account.
- Through MooPay Directly depositing payments in farmers’ bank accounts will help enhance farmer savings and will also build farmer loyalty to the dairy.
- The payment gateway app will remove the risks and costs of transferring money in cash to hundreds of thousands of farmers in hundreds of villages.
MooPay launched by IIT Madras MooPay launched by IIT Madras


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- The pandemic forced grocery shoppers to buy online, and those habits are sticking.
- Online sales are predicted to jump 60% over pre-pandemic times by 2025, one survey said.
- Instacart CEO Fidji Simo reveals her take on grocery trends and predictions for 2022 and beyond.
Even as grocery consumers return to in-store shopping, online-buying habits will likely stick around in 2022 and beyond.
Grocery sales are estimated to reach $1.16 trillion by 2025, according to a joint survey released this fall by the grocery e-commerce platform Mercatus and the research firm Incisiv. Of those sales, online will account for an estimated $250 billion, a more than 60% increase compared to pre-pandemic times, the survey said.
That predicted Brick Meets Click/Mercatus grocery-shopping survey. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, online grocery sales captured less than 2% of the total weekly grocery spending in the US. Today, the share is at nearly 14%, the report said.momentum was already evident in November when nearly 69 million US households bought groceries online, a 15% jump compared with last year, according to a
"The growth of online grocery in 2020 and its predicted long-term impact, coupled with customers' continued loyalty to brick and mortar, makes it clear that these avenues must complement each other in creating a great customer experience across a grocer's entire brand," Mercatus CEO Sylvain Perrier wrote in the report.
In-store shopping also continues to make a comeback despite the Omicron variant. Grocery visits nationwide were up 7.6% for the week of December 6, the location-data firm Placer.ai, which tracks foot traffic in stores, told Insider.
As Insider looks ahead to 2022, we asked Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to discuss predictions and trends in grocery shopping. In our conversation, conducted via email, Simo addressed consumer buying behaviors, the emerging ultrafast grocery-delivery segment, and how innovation will play a role in turning e-commerce into a personalized experience for shoppers.
Editor's note: This story has been edited for clarity and length
Before the latest Omicron surge, business restrictions had been easing in the US amid increased vaccinations. Do you expect consumers to revert back to their old habits of buying groceries in person, or do you think shopping behavior has changed for the long run when it comes to e-commerce?
The behaviors consumers formed over the pandemic are here to stay. We believe the days of a grocer not offering e-commerce are behind us. Consumers know that for the times they need it, online grocery exists — and they're going to expect it to be an option wherever they choose to shop. However, that doesn't mean in-store shopping is going away; like in any other category of commerce, we expect that consumers will expect a seamless omnichannel shopping experience and will visit stores for some occasions and shop online for others.
How should e-commerce companies like Instacart adapt to changing behaviors of shoppers?
We're in constant conversation with our retail partners to help them create new ways to address what consumers need — whether it's loading up on their weekly grocery order, getting a few cravings or top-up items delivered ultrafast during the week, or trying to save on groceries. In the last year alone, we've introduced 30-minute priority delivery and virtual convenience offerings with some of the country's largest retailers like Kroger, Publix, and Ahold Delhaize.
With the majority of consumers still regularly shopping in store, how do you see retailers prioritizing innovation as we look ahead?
The future of grocery isn't going to be a choice between offline and online. While we expect a continued increase in online-grocery adoption over the next decade, we know many consumers will still want to shop in store. As a result, retailers and brands are going to be increasingly incentivized to create unified shopping solutions that break down the silos between their in-store and e-commerce solutions. The holy grail will be bringing the best of the offline experience — the discovery and inspiration, the differentiated service, etc. — to the online channel, and bringing the best of the online experience — from personalization to convenience — to the in-store experience. That's why we invested in Caper smart carts, which bring personalization to the screens of smart carts inside grocery stores.
As new technologies continue to emerge like cashierless checkout, how do you see automation transforming grocery retail more broadly?
From leveraging robotics to strengthen online-fulfillment solutions to bringing smart shopping carts and checkout counters to stores, automation offers retailers another way to meet the changing needs of their customers. Automation won't make sense for every retailer and location. That said, when it's used in the right way, it can reduce some of the things that make in-store shopping cumbersome, like crowded store aisles, out-of-stock items, and long checkout lines, while also creating a more personalized experience for consumers.
How do you anticipate the online-grocery experience to change for consumers over the next few years?
We want to evolve online grocery shopping from something that's transactional to inspirational. Right now, online grocery shopping is still a transactional experience. You have a grocery list, put products in your cart, and they show up at your door. Looking ahead, we believe consumers are going to expect a much more personalized and inspirational experience. They're going to demand the speed and convenience of online delivery combined with the best parts of the in-store experience: being inspired as they're browsing aisles, discovering new products, planning their meals, and grabbing ingredients to try something new.
What are some examples of an inspirational e-commerce experience?
Inspiration in the kitchen so often starts in the aisles of the grocery store. It's the new product you add to your basket that becomes a household favorite, the endcap display that reminds you of your favorite childhood recipe, and the cart beside you that sparks an idea for tomorrow night's dinner. We believe that kind of inspiration can exist in the digital aisles as well. There's a ton of creative recipes all over the internet, and when people come across inspiring content, they want to be able to jump right in by instantly purchasing the right ingredients and having those show up at their door. We're already experimenting with features like in-app recipes and personalized product recommendations by dietary needs.
Ultrafast delivery models are emerging everywhere, especially in cities. We've even heard rumors Instacart is considering 15-minute deliveries. What do you make of ultrafast grocery and convenience delivery? Fad or here to stay?
In e-commerce, you never want to bet against the customer's need for speed. We believe there's an opportunity to create even faster delivery times by exploring new solutions with our retail partners. Retailers have a distinct advantage over new entrants due to their unparalleled product selection, competitive prices, brand loyalty, and existing operations in communities across the country. We just want to empower retailers to combine all of these differentiators with our unparalleled logistics to deliver orders very fast.
The biggest thing to remember is that ultrafast delivery is just one use case, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution for grocers or consumers. As it relates to convenience specifically, we know some consumers prefer to shop for just one to two meals at a time versus a weekly shop. For that use case and many others, we believe convenience is a modality that's here to stay. In fact, our own convenience offering has more than doubled since it first launched in June.
When it comes to ready-to-eat or prepared meals, the line is blurring between grocers and restaurants. How do you see the prepared-meals business transforming for supermarkets in the years ahead?
There's a sizable and growing market segment for consumers that don't have the time, interest, or energy to plan and cook dishes themselves. Prepared meals from the grocery store offer a healthier and more affordable alternative to restaurant delivery, whether it's for dinner or for lunch as more and more people work from home. For grocers, order-ahead items are also more profitable than traditional cart items like produce and packaged goods. We believe unlocking prepared meals online represents an enormous opportunity for grocers to drive incremental growth for their businesses and further extend the reach of their e-commerce offering for customers.
At Instacart, we've already made investments to streamline the end-to-end order-ahead and catering experiences for grocery retailers with the acquisition of order-management system FoodStorm earlier this year. We expect this to be an increasing area of interest for both retailers and consumers in 2022.


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Originally published on EV Obsession.
The London High Court has gone ahead and tossed out a legal challenge intended to stop production of new ultra-low emissions black cabs, according to a recent press release.
As a result of the decision, the new Metrocab range-extended electric taxis will begin to hit London streets this year.
The legal challenge was, very unsurprisingly, put forward a rival taxi manufacturer — London Taxi Company. Supposedly, the issue was that the new electric taxis “copied” the design of the older, air-pollution-releasing black cabs. Thankfully, the London High Court was a bit more sensible about the supposed legal issue than authorities in the US have been about Tesla’s ability to sell directly to consumers, and thus bypass the car dealerships.
The recent press release provides more info:
The six-seater black cab with its distinctive panoramic roof, produced by the Surrey- based company Ecotive Limited with its technology provider Frazer-Nash Research Limited, is the only production-ready zero- emissions capable taxi able to meet the stringent new emissions targets. It is also the only zero-emissions capable taxi currently operating in London.
Real-world road tests in the Capital involving up to five vehicles show that the taxis, which use a 1-litre petrol engine and regenerative braking technology to supplement their battery power, can achieve mileage in excess of 100 miles per gallon. The technology will help taxi drivers to reduce radically their fuel bills and make significant air quality improvements.
…The rival manufacturer had wrongly claimed that Ecotive and Frazer-Nash had copied the shape of its taxis to deceive taxi drivers and the public into thinking that the Metrocab was one of its vehicles. The High Court found that the appearance was different in many respects and that there was only a low degree of similarity.
The Chairman of Ecotive and Frazer-Nash, Kamal Siddiqi, commented: “We are delighted with the court’s decision. We are now looking forward to finishing the production version of the new Metrocab and putting them on the road later this year. Our pioneering technology will help beat harmful air pollution and let cities like London meet strict new emissions targets.”
The legal representation used by the company, Rupert Ticehurst, a Private Client Litigation Partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, explained the ruling rather bluntly: “The benefits of this technology are enormous. Taxi drivers will know who made the car they are driving and passengers don’t care.”
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, previously revealed plans calling for an “Ultra-Low Emission Zone” in central London, as a means of cutting down on air pollution there.
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders Tried To Troll Bud Light With Transphobic Video Promoting Beer Koozies
Add far-right Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the list of conservatives still throwing a fit that trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney made a 42-second promotional video for Bud Light.
The former Trump administration White House Press Secretary released a new ad in which she joins forces with other far-right Republican women governors to troll the beer company by depicting themselves as "real women" who "don't have to fake it."
Like most right-wing attempts at humor—generally just bullying—the ad landed with a giant thud on the internet.
It's as transphobic as they wanted, but it's so cringe in it makes it seem impossible it's not an SNL sketch.
You can see the video here:
\u201cReal women don\u2019t have to fake it.\n\nWATCH\u2b07\ufe0f\u201d— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@Sarah Huckabee Sanders) 1682300114
The ad is for a new line of beer koozies featuring "The Real Women Of Politics," which seems intended as a transphobic riff on The Real Housewives franchise or something?
To koozies--which are a real product you can actually buy for $15 on Huckabee Sanders' website--feature the faces of prominent female right-wing ideologues Governor Kristi Noem of North Dakota, Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama and Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa.
The ad declares:
“Today we salute all the real woman leaders of this great country. Real women, doing real things."
Those "real things" include, according to the shots used in the ad, hunting, fishing, drinking beer out of green bottles that are definitely not Bud Light and, for reasons that will never be known, loading what appear to be dried fish skins into a cardboard box. You know, "real woman" stuff.
The ad goes on to tell us:
"Some big companies can’t tell the difference between real and fake anymore. That’s why we’re introducing the ‘Real Women of Politics’ koozie."
"Now you can salute the real women of politics at every backyard barbecue and tailgate. And if it covers up the label of a big woke company, well, that works too."
The ad is so awkward and unflattering people on Twitter questioned if it was real.
\u201cI swear to god this isn\u2019t satire.\nhttps://t.co/0divx5gU2U\u201d— Walter Masterson (@Walter Masterson) 1682338296
\u201c@SarahHuckabee Never miss a chance to grift, eh? \n\nPS this is the tackiest thing I've seen this year - so kudos for that, anyway.\u201d— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@Sarah Huckabee Sanders) 1682300114
\u201cTHIS HAPPENED.\n\nEverything you have ever seen and heard and known and felt in your life will tell you that the video below is not real. You will try to convince yourself that it is an SNL skit, an Onion video, or even a hallucination. But this is real. This is happening to you.\u201d— Seth Abramson (@Seth Abramson) 1682353416
\u201c@SarahHuckabee \ud83d\ude02 That was hilarious, is this from @nbcsnl ?\u201d— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@Sarah Huckabee Sanders) 1682300114
\u201c@SarahHuckabee Ummm\u2026 I TRULY hope this is a parody video from late night. \n\nREAL women who are REAL patriots who actually know and support veterans - cough cough family - would have a few things to say about those \u201csalutes\u201d. \ud83e\udd28\n(Short mustache not included)\u201d— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@Sarah Huckabee Sanders) 1682300114
\u201c@SarahHuckabee Whoever you got to produce this pranked you, hardcore, and you can't even tell. It's glorious. \ud83d\ude0a\u201d— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@Sarah Huckabee Sanders) 1682300114
\u201c@SarahHuckabee Why are they saluting incorrectly? Seems very un-American.\u201d— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@Sarah Huckabee Sanders) 1682300114
\u201c@SarahHuckabee Did you hire children to make this video?\u201d— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@Sarah Huckabee Sanders) 1682300114
Anyway, nothing says "festive backyard barbecue" like merch worshipping politicians.
So if that's your thing and you feel like throwing $15 at a woman who is a multi-millionaire, you know where to go.


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American electric vehicle (EV) kingpin Tesla Inc. (TSLA) is the EV option of choice for many investors. Maybe it’s the brand or the emphatic CEO, but whatever the case, Tesla exemplifies the true nature of a meme stock.
A best friend of retail investors and growth-oriented institutional funds, Tesla has been a high-flyer in recent years. The astronomical five-year 750% aggregate return that TSLA stock has given its investors is certainly admirable.
Investors who have held TSLA stock for any significant portion of the past decade may indeed wish to continue doing so.
However, there’s one big question on the minds of many Tesla bulls right now: what the heck is going wrong with TSLA to warrant some pretty poor near-term performance? Since hitting a high of more than $900 in late January, shares have declined more than 30%.
Let’s dive into interpreting this dramatic underperformance of late. (See Tesla stock analysis on TipRanks)
Earnings Good, But Not Good Enough for TSLA Investors
Tesla’s recent earnings beat came and went without applause from investors.
The selloff, which has been of the slow-and-steady variety, picked up steam following the company’s earnings.
Regarding the reason for the selloff, a couple of key factors appear to be at play with Tesla’s earnings quality. That is, investors are disappointed by the amount that Tesla’s bottom line was boosted by gains on Bitcoin trading and zero-emission vehicle credit sales.
First, Elon Musk’s high-profile bet on Bitcoin, and subsequent sale, didn’t strike many investors as business-like. A high-profile CEO just speculated on a high-risk emerging asset class (if you can call it that) and got lucky. He booked a profit. This one-time event likely isn’t repeatable, so the markets are ignoring it.
Secondly, Tesla’s zero-emission vehicle credits have been a source of revenue for the company for some time. These have played a large role in financing Tesla’s capital spending needs. Other large automakers buy these credits to offset their missing allocation from zero-emission quotas. As large automakers shift more production toward EVs, the expectation is that these sales will slow or stop over time. For example, Stellantis recently announced it would discontinue buying Tesla's European emission credits this year.
That trend does not bode well for Tesla.
Emerging Production Issues
Every stock price is an aggregate of future expectations of long-term earnings and cash flows. As such, assumptions are made to gauge how much cash will flow from said entity over time. These cash flows are discounted over time, weighting near-term results more heavily than those over the longer-term.
Accordingly, Tesla’s stock price appears to be getting hit very hard by the global chip shortage that's wreaking havoc on the EV sector broadly. This chip shortage has already resulted in a number of EV companies lowering forward guidance for production.
Surprisingly, Tesla isn’t one such company.
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has remained firm about Tesla’s growth prospects moving forward. He recently tweeted, auspiciously, “Thanks Tesla suppliers for providing us with critical parts!” This tweet has been taken as confirmation that there’s nothing to see here, at least for Tesla, in terms of the chip shortage issue.
Additionally, a report from Electrek suggesting Tesla is sold out through the end of the second quarter seems very bullish indeed.
So why the grim outlook?
Well, analysts, investors, and the broader market don’t seem to believe Tesla is somehow special and different from the rest of the industry. A global chip shortage is truly global, and investors suspect that at some point, Tesla’s supply chain will provide production headwinds. These risks are being priced into Tesla stock as we speak, and significantly so.
Wall Street Weighs In
According to TipRanks’ analyst rating consensus, TSLA stock comes in as a Hold. Out of 24 analysts covering the stock, 11 rate it a Buy, 6 rate it a Hold, and 7 rate it a Sell.
As for price targets, the average analyst price target on TSLA stock today is $645.95 per share, implying around 9.5% upside potential.
Investors in Tesla may be rightly scratching their heads at the downward trajectory TSLA stock has taken of late.
However, this decline could be viewed as purely rational. Indeed, TSLA stock may be perfectly priced right now. Any inkling of slowing growth could provide a catalyst for another leg down. The market is losing some of its speculative steam, and with this backdrop, TSLA stock might not be able to grow its way out of another jam.
Disclosure: Chris MacDonald held no position in any of the stocks mentioned in this article at the time of publication.
Disclaimer: The information contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this article should be taken as a solicitation to purchase or sell securities.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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Fashion house Dior fired John Galliano after a 2010 video in which he said "I love Hitler" went public Monday and the face of Dior fragrance Cherie, Oscar winner Natalie Portman, declared herself "shocked and disgusted."
The video, posted on the website of the British newspaper The Sun, is the latest blow to the flamboyant Galliano, 50, who was briefly detained last week for an alleged anti-Semitic rant, leading another woman to accuse him of a similar incident last year.
"In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish," the "Black Swan" star said in a statement Tuesday, "I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way."
In the video, posted on the Sun website, Galliano slurred to patrons at the hip Paris bar La Perle: "People like you would be dead... Your mothers, your forefathers, would all be ... gassed and ... dead," he says, telling those who made the video — who were French and Italian, not Jewish, according to the Sun — that he had a problem with them because they were ugly.
Galliano’s racist outburst included comments like “I love Hitler.”
The British designer had been suspended by the company after he was questioned and released by police Thursday for allegedly making anti-Semitic and anti-Asian statements to a woman and man in La Perle and threatening to kill the man, the LA Times reported. Prosecutors and police said Friday that Galliano's blood alcohol levels were high.
Galliano has worked for the fashion house since 1996.
The firing Tuesday comes only days ahead of Friday's Dior show during Paris Fashion Week. Dior hasn’t said it will cancel its March 5 runway show or Galliano’s personal presentation on March 6.
Dior President and CEO Sidney Toledano, told the press in a statement released on Tuesday: “I condemn most firmly the statements made by John Galliano which are a total contradiction with the essential values that have always been defended by the House of Christian Dior.”
While Portman opted against a Dior by John Galliano dress to the Oscars on Sunday night and instead wore a Rodarte gown. But fellow Best Actress nominee Nicole Kidman sported a Christian Dior spring gown to the ceremony.


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Nokia World 2011 is tomorrow and will hopefully be Nokia’s rejuvenation back into the mobile space. They’ve spent the last year slashing their workforce, redesigning their brand and scaling back on their own Symbian OS to make Microsoft’s Windows Phone their primary smartphone strategy. Over the past few weeks there has been several leaked devices, mainly thanks to Microsoft Canada for posting the name code-names SeaRay, Ace and Sabre. Now, only hours before official announcements, the Windows Phone Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 specs have leaked online. If correct, the “Lumia” will be the go-to-market name and both are looking like a November release in Europe. Us Canadians will most likely see these become available in early 2012.
We previously posted rumoured specs of these Mango devices (see here), but the Lumia 800 is looking like it’s the SeaRay, while the Sabre will possibly be known as the Lumia 710.


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Jul 14, 2015
The writing team of Conrad and Corona Pens Sexy, Hilarious New Werewolf Mafia Series.
Mar 03, 2015
Omnific Publishing is proud to announce the publication of the debut novel Missing Pieces by Meredith Tate on March 3, 2015. "Meredith brings a fresh voice to dystopian storytelling," Omnific President, Elizabeth Andrews states.
Jan 26, 2015
Omnific Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Going the Distance by Julianna Keyes on January 27, 2015.
Jan 20, 2015
Omnific Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Something Wicked, the newest novel by Carol Oates coming January 20, 2015.
Jan 12, 2015
Omnific Publishing is proud to announce the publication of the first in The Forever Series, Christopher Scott Wagoner's first novel, Forever Autumn.
Nov 25, 2014
Omnific Publishing announced that it has sold the Turkish rights to Victoria Michael’s TRUST IN ADVERTISING to Nemesis Kitap of Istanbul in a nice deal, via Filiz Karaman at the Nurcihan Kesim Literary Agency.
Oct 27, 2014
Omnific Publishing announced that author Beck Anderson’s debut novel, FIX YOU, will be the first title in its catalog to be published under the new co-publishing deal it signed with Gallery Books, a division Simon & Schuster, in July of 2014.
Jul 14, 2014
Dallas Author Tera Shanley Pens Second Novel in the Dead Rapture Series
Jul 07, 2014
Omnific Publishing has entered into a co-publishing agreement with Gallery Books.
Jun 02, 2014
Sex, Lies & Hollywood: Popular Twilight fanfic, EXPOSURE, gets published.


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SME and Rapid News Publications, organisers of Rapid + TCT 2023, scheduled to take place May 2-4 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, have announced the keynote speakers for its event. Each day will begin with a keynote presentation from a leading authority in the Additive Manufacturing industry, covering applications in space, scaling digital manufacturing spaces, and a panel discussion on the future of AM.
“AM’s growth has been exponential, and we know we’ve only begun to scratch the surface to unlocking the potential of how AM and its advancements will change the world,” stated Robert Willig, executive director & CEO of SME. “Additive has been ingrained in me over many years, and I’m astonished at the content that our powerhouse lineup of speakers and experts will be bringing to RAPID + TCT this year. They’re going to dig deep into where AM is heading and share our real-world experiences to make this an unforgettable discussion on what the future holds for AM.”
THE WORLD OF METAL AM TO YOUR INBOX
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Keynote speakers include:
- Building and Scaling an Industrial Digital Manufacturing System by Kevin Czinger, during which the architecture and elements of the Divergent Adaptive System (DAPS), its benefits and the business model for localising sustainable manufacturing on a global scale will be discussed
- Additive Manufacture for Space: Past, Present, Future: Wednesday, May 3 by Omar Mireles, PhD, Additive Manufacturing R&D engineer at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, which will discuss how AM enables tech, decreases the cost of rocket engine manufacturing, increases design flexibility, provides access to new materials and more
- AM Industry Outlook: Opportunities and Challenges with Terry Wohlers, head of Advisory Services and Market Intelligence, ASTM International; Bob Willig, executive director & CEO of SME; Chris Ciuca, vice president of Programs at SAE International and the winner of the AM Industry Achievement Award will cover the challenges and opportunities in Additive Manufacturing
“The impact of AM worldwide is truly astounding,” stated Wohlers. “Advancements in products and services, coupled with how organisations are putting AM to work, are disrupting the way people think about design and manufacturing. It is a privilege to share my thoughts and experiences at RAPID + TCT 2023 and to weigh in on where the AM industry is headed.”
In addition to keynote presentations, RAPID + TCT 2023 will feature almost 170 technical presentations covering Additive Manufacturing trends across industries including healthcare, aerospace, defence, automotive, design for Additive Manufacturing, economics, R&D, supply chains, metrology and more. Topics range from tips on getting started with large-format AM in consumer-goods industries to the impact of micro AM on prototyping and designs in healthcare.
Those interested can register here.


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Consultant says lift off near for multi utility retail and warns slow responders face risk
After years of false starts, the stage is now set for multi-utility retail to take off, according to a paper published by Gemserv on Monday. It suggested a number of routes to bundling services could develop, including “established energy companies partnering with water specialists, water companies partnering with energy companies, the entry of specialist niche players and the entry of large customer-centric brands such as Virgin, BT, Tesco, and Sky into the market”.
While this trend would clearly provide growth opportunities for water retailers, the paper pointed out it also brings considerable risk. Firstly, those who fail to act at all or who are “slow to defend against such moves” could find themselves left out in the cold by customers who want the convenience and possible price benefits of buying more than a single service.
Secondly, Gemserv noted there could be stiff competition for those who do wish to get into bundled service provision. For instance, it observed: “The operational requirements for moves from the energy market into water are less demanding than those for water players moving into energy; the opening of the water market presents a clear opportunity for energy players.” Furthermore that: “Opportunities also exist for new disruptor brands to position themselves in the multi-utility space, especially if larger players are slow to move.”
The paper’s author, Derek Meacham, indicated water companies are alive to the issues and that there are a number of “partnership and alliance discussions going on”. He said at first, the opening of the business water market would likely feature straightforward “water on water competition” but that could fairly rapidly “move to a situation of brand on brand competition”.
In reaching its positive outlook for multi-utility retail, the paper considered:
lessons from the energy and telecoms sectors;
customer research conducted by CC Water, Ofwat and Utilitywise;
how bundling would help water retailers compensate for the low margins available in water early moves – for example, Business Stream’s tie-up with Utilitywise;
entry by other utility providers to the water market – for instance, Regent Water and Peel;
brokers and TPIs active in multiple markets; and
that some water companies are owned by those with interests in other utility markets – for example, YTL for Wessex and Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings for Northumbrian.
Meacham added that the opening of the domestic water market would hasten the trend, while entry by the big six energy players into water would be “transformational”.


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Jobs has lofty goal for iPhone 4's FaceTime video chat with open standard
Can Apple really ship tens of millions of FaceTime devices in 2010?
Computerworld - Apple CEO Steve Jobs bit off a lot when he vowed to make FaceTime video calling an open industry software standard and said that Apple will ship tens of millions of FaceTime-connected devices in 2010.
All of those competitors are surely interested in providing video chat with mobile devices and could easily favor going in a separate direction from Apple. Developing one's own technology outside of the mainstream industry standard is the very nature of how some technology companies compete -- and win -- today, including Apple.
"I hope Apple is successful in convincing Cisco, Microsoft, Google and others that FaceTime is a good standard for video telephony," said Charles Golvin, a Forrester Research analyst, in a blog praising the new iPhone 4, which will provide FaceTime video calling.
"I have no idea whether [FaceTime] is the BEST solution, but we have enough video telephony endpoints out there that it's time to make video calling as easy and interoperable as voice," Golvin continued. "[It's] about time we realize at least part of the promise of the 1964 New York World's Fair." There, AT&T introduced the Picturephone for video calls, a technology that never caught on partly because it required a critical mass of users to have them.
Jobs made his ambitious FaceTime promises deep into his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote Monday, where he announced the next version of Apple's smartphone, the iPhone 4, starting at about one hour and 30 minutes in. Video of the entire two-hour keynote is available on the Apple site.
"This is amazing," Jobs said, referring to video calling and FaceTime. "I grew up in the U.S. ... dreaming about video calling, and it's real now," he said, referring to watching video calls made on TV shows with Star Trek's Communicator device and in The Jetsons, a futuristic cartoon.
"Apple will ship tens of millions of FaceTime devices this calendar year, so there's going to be a lot of people to talk to," Jobs said, adding, "FaceTime is based on H.264 video ... and a bunch of alphabet-soup acronyms. We're going to the standards bodies tomorrow and making FaceTime an open standard."
Jobs' comments suggest several things, including that FaceTime will run on many other Apple products, not just the iPhone. Several analysts said Jobs has set his sights on a lofty goal, but for Jobs and Apple, almost anything seems possible. Several analysts said Apple, at least, will add FaceTime and related hardware (including at least one camera) for video calls to the iPad. Adding FaceTime capabilities to the popular iPod Touch media player, with some models including cameras, could bring Apple closer to Jobs' goal.
"I think tens of millions is a stretch with the current product line," said Carl Howe, an analyst at Yankee Group. "You can assume iPhone 4s will sell easily a million a month for the next six months, but that only gets you to 6 [million] to 8 million units."
If Apple were to introduce a second-generation iPad with a front-facing camera, "that would get us [to tens of millions] perhaps, but such a fast rev of that platform would be dangerous, although not unprecedented for Apple, for early adopters," he said.
- Apple will 'set the world on fire' with iPhone 6 sales
- The other Apple economy: $2B in devices on eBay
- Apple sends users scrambling for OS X Yosemite
- Apple grows Mac sales by 18% on the back of the MacBook Air
- What to listen for during Apple's earnings call today
- Timeline: How Apple's iOS gained enterprise cred
- Apple and IBM: A winning combo for IT
- IBM and Apple ties go way back
- Apple quickly counters China claim of iPhone spying
- China calls the iPhone and iOS 7 threats to national security
- Tips for Driving User Adoption in New Technology Deployment Read this checklist on tips for driving user adoption to see where you stand.
- 2014 Gartner Magic Quadrant Report For the 7th year in a row, Riverbed is in the "Leaders" Quadrant of the 2014 Magic Quadrant for WAN Optimization Controllers. In...
- Transforming Business Performance with Hybrid Networks IT organizations globally are faced with the challenge to transform network architectures to deliver the right performance and reliability cost-effectively while retaining control....
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Our new weekly Consumerization of IT newsletter covers a wide range of trends including BYOD, smartphones, tablets, MDM, cloud, social and what it all means for IT. Subscribe now and stay up to date!


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German luxury carmaker BMW has announced the launch of the ‘BMW Joy Rewards’ initiative. The special aftersales programme will offer multiple benefits for existing customers of BMW cars and SUVs.
According to BMW, the Joy Rewards initiative has been specially conceptualised to offer greater value, convenience and support to customers who have owned a BMW car for five years or more. The programme offers waivers ranging from 14 to 30 percent on service costs and select parts, which can be availed by customers at authorised BMW dealerships across the nation. Additionally, the benefits will increase over the years of ownership and help reduce maintenance costs.
The BMW Joy Rewards programme can be availed on select parts and labour charges, including services under Condition Based Service (CBS), battery replacement, select suspension parts, front and rear brakes, brake fluid, spark plugs, air and fuel filters, engine oil, etc.
Speaking about the programme, Dr. Hans-Christian Baertels, President (act.), BMW Group India said, “Sheer Driving Pleasure is guaranteed when you own a BMW. We make ownership a rewarding experience throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle. With the introduction of ‘BMW Joy Rewards’, we are setting a new benchmark in the luxury automobile segment. The programme will substantially bring down the cost of maintenance as the car matures. Coupled with the unbeatable quality of BMW aftersales service, it will provide greater value and peace of mind to our customers.”
Click here for all BMW models, prices, reviews, images, videos and more.


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As the evolution of the high street continues, Andrew Howell, Global Marketing Director at K3 Business Technologies reveals his predictions for the retail industry in 2021.
With restrictions still in place, the high street has undoubtedly taken a hit. In fact, footfall is still low with data from Springboard revealing that during the first week of December numbers were still 41% below last year’s figures. But this will not last forever. Shopping, after all, is a social event and one consumer’s will not give up easily.
The rapid rise of digital that has occurred as a result of this year’s disruptive events is nothing new. It may have been accelerated but it was always going to happen. Digital is now key to ensuring those on high street are meeting the customer where they want to be met. In 2021, the high street will deliver on the consumer expectations as shops and brands become seamlessly interconnected with online retail.
As part of this, we will see a consistent growth of services such as click and collect, as well as experience stores where customers can try out the latest products or get help and advice. We will ultimately end up with a blend of the new virtual services that have been born from lockdown, with new users for high streets and physical stories. All of which is positive news for consumers.
Digitalisation of retail: it’s not just a buzzword
Over the next twelve months, as retailers continue to digitalise, the focus absolutely has to be delivering an excellent customer experience and service. This is the very backbone of retail.
In 2021 there will be two key elements to digitalisation within retail.
Firstly, we will see an increase and continued adoption of seamless integration across the entire retail chain. From the factory floor right through to the customer’s hand, the process will be harmonious, uninterrupted and smoothly interconnected. This will be crucial to enabling retailers to efficiently maintain stock levels, develop improved products and better personalise services to truly deliver on what the customer wants.
Secondly, with the emergence of new technology within retail such as AI, data analytics and machine learning will be front and centre in 2021. Coupled with improved integration, these technologies will further enhance processes and services that will build closer relationships between retailers and customers. It is important to remember that digitalisation has no endpoint; it is a continuous process.
As retailers continue on their digitalisation journey, they need to ensure that the services they offer are not tied to technology that is restricted up to a certain point.
As we head into the new year, retailers must make sure the systems, services and processes they adopt facilitate flexibility. In doing so, they can progress forward with a technology strategy that is created for growth and can continually evolve to meet the constantly shifting customer expectations.


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Rose M. Kimler told police Saturday that someone stole a tan 1976 Cherolet Nova from the parking lot at 2600 Plains earlier in the day. Estimated loss: $1,000.
Four Colorado City residents were arrested Friday on suspicion of stealing merchandise from two Pueblo stores. According to police reports, at least one of the suspects reportedly threatened to "cut the throat" of a store security guard who followed the suspects to their car in the store parking lot. The suspects were identified as Steven F. Perkins, 32, Blanca Stella Perkins, 35, Joe Martinez Jr., 23, and Guadalupe Gonzales, 20. Bail was set at at $15,000 for each of the suspects.
MDRV Have information on a crime? Call Crime Stoppers, 542-STOP. You don't have to give your name and you could receive a reward of up to $1,000.