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Security’s intersection with consumer electronics is on view at CES 2020, the world’s largest technology event, Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas. The giant show features more than 170,000 attendees, 4,500 exhibitors and 1,100 industry thought-leaders featured on the CES stage. A range of technologies will be on display, from artificial intelligence (AI) to 5G, vehicle technology to AR/VR (augmented and virtual reality), robotics to home automation. Security plays a prominent role, too.The impact of this event for the smart home could be about delivering home analytics and enhancing privacy" Smart home market on the forefront The smart home market is a major focus. “For the smart home market at CES this year, we expect to see numerous announcements regarding home awareness,” says Blake Kozak, Senior Principal Analyst at IHS Markit. “This will include brands offering up additional analytics for consumer security cameras with a focus on edge-based solutions.” “The impact of this [event] for the smart home could be about delivering home analytics and enhancing privacy through cloudless architectures and new electronic door lock approaches,” he adds. An example of cloud analytics is the Resideo Home app, introduced in December, which will make whole-home monitoring possible for four critical networks of the home – water, air, energy and security. Resideo promises a “simplified and integrated smart home experience.” Video is also prominent at the show. “For cameras, we can expect to see more cameras focused on the outdoor space and possibly new form factors for video doorbells,” says Kozak. Familiar security industry brands exhibiting at CES 2020 include ADT, Ring, August Home and Yale (both part of ASSA ABLOY), Bosch and Alarm.com. Focus on Cybersecurity In 2020, companies will continue to focus on solutions for protecting consumer data" Cybersecurity is an aspect of many of the devices on display at CES. “Device security and data privacy play a key role in the adoption of connected devices,” says Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates. “Consumer security concerns for smart home products will continue to be a barrier to adoption in the U.S. and Europe, and these concerns can actually intensify with device adoption-71% of U.S. smart home households are concerned about cybersecurity. In 2020, companies will continue to focus on solutions for protecting consumer data. One big area of interest is protection on the network router, providing whole home solutions, which are very appealing to consumers.” “At CES we will see the traditional players introducing new DIY (do-it-yourself) products, as well as new players announcing new product features, services, and partnerships,” Parks adds. Smart access control Smart locks will be among the security products at CES 2020. For example, PassiveBolt, a lock company, will show the Shepherd Lock, a touch-enabled smart lock with enhanced security through sensors and AI. The add-on lock converts existing locksets into touch-activated devices. Another lock manufacturer is Kwikset, whose door locks and door hardware include Wi-Fi-enabled smart locks, Bluetooth-enabled smart locks, keyless and keyway-less locks and connected home technology. Video doorbells, including industry-innovator Ring, have been a hit in the consumer market. At CES, Ring will expand the mission to make neighbourhoods safer by creating a “Ring of Security” around homes and communities with a suite of home security products and services. The “Neighbors by Ring” app enables affordable, complete, proactive home and neighbourhood security. Homeguard offers a range of affordable CCTV solutions for home and small business DIY CCTV demonstrations DIY security systems are another market. Homeguard is a leading DIY consumer brand offering a range of affordable CCTV solutions for home and small business, including wired and wireless CCTV kits, smart cameras, home alarm systems and wire-free HD CCTV kits. Swann Communications is also at the forefront of surveillance and monitoring with new products developments including wire-free HD cameras and doorbells, professional CCTV video surveillance systems, and 1080p full HD systems with “True Detect” heat and motion sensing. AVTECH, and subsidiary YesGo Tech, will demonstrate a compact Wi-Fi home security set, a series of special cameras with face recognition, thermal detection and license plate recognition, customised central management software and a university ID tag that is compatible with access control, OEM and ODM opportunities. Security and automation solutions D-Link’s home networking, security and automation solutions will help consumers connect, view, share, entertain, work and play. SECO-LARM, manufacturer of a Room Occupancy Monitor that shows whether a room is in use, has a line of keypads and proximity readers with built-in Bluetooth for convenient access. Another smart home security solutions provider, Climax Technology, integrates wireless security, home automation, energy management, home emergency monitoring and live visual monitoring. Personal safety mobile application Manufacturers are positioning outdoor cameras as deterrents to theft before a burglary happens" WaryMe designs and develops a personal safety mobile application to improve a user’s security in public places, schools, transports and companies by addressing major risks such as terrorism attacks, intrusion, fire and even industrial accidents. An all-in-one mobile application integrates alerting, crisis management and mass notification features. “Market players are looking to expand beyond established smart home devices like smart thermostats and networked cameras to products like smart water leak detectors, smart pet feeders, and smart air purifiers,” says Elizabeth Parks. “Manufacturers are positioning outdoor cameras as deterrents to theft before a burglary happens. This trend is part of a broader security marketing effort to extend the perimeter of home security beyond traditional home access points.” “Familiarity with smart home devices lags behind familiarity with smart entertainment products; it even lags that of smart speakers, which are quite new in the market,” adds Parks. “In 2020, we will see players working to advance the visibility and marketing around device integration, and specifically focus on use case scenarios around safety, security, and convenience, which have always been the primary drivers of adoption of these types of products.”
Summary Date: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 Time: 10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET / 5:00pm UTC Duration: 45 minutes + Q&A What's the webinar about? Mobile credentials are one of the most exciting areas of the access control market. The transformation caused by the development of various mobile solutions in payment, banking, ticketing and automation is poised to deliver similar changes in the access control industry. Mobile credentials are now entering the market as a serious commercial product after many years of pilots and testing, and this webinar sheds some light on how the market is likely to play out in the next five years. Who should attend? Security managers and consultants; access control integrators and hardware and software suppliers; smartphone manufacturers; mobile network operators; app developers; and end users. Financial analysts and the press are also encouraged to attend. Topics for discussion: The future potential market size for mobile credentials Mobile credentials vs. physical cards and the general mobility ecosystem The dynamics of the vertical markets most likely to adopt mobile credentials The opportunities and challenges that mobile credentials face Answers to audience questions during live Q&A Speakers: Blake Kozak, Principal Analyst, Access Control & Fire, IHS Markit. Daniel Bailin, Director Strategic Business Development and Innovation, PACS BU, HID. Allen Tatara, Manager, Webinar Events, IHS Markit (Moderator). Register for Mobile Credentials in Access Control webinar now! Save Save Save Save Save
Everything about wireless access control makes life easier for those who install and operate it A lot of market data crosses my desk at ASSA ABLOY. Sometimes it can be hard to spot patterns or pick out the trends. But not always. Some recent access control market research we commissioned pointed in one direction. Our conclusion? Slowly but surely, access control is becoming a wireless technology As the global leader in door opening solutions, we are able to survey a large, representative segment of security professionals. Comparing our latest data with similar research conducted in 2014 clearly indicates the trend. Our 2014 report found 23% of commercial properties using a wireless or hybrid wired/wireless access control system. Fast forward to 2016 and the proportion has risen to 29%, with 5% of the installed base already with a fully wireless setup. That’s a significant leap, in a relatively short time. Find out about wireless access control for universities Already, 69% of respondents consider wireless locks a cost-effective alternative to wired access control. A whopping 62% even predict that few business premises will still have mechanical locks within a decade. We published the detailed results in a report, “The Wireless Access Control Market in 2016”*. Easy to operate, easy to integrate But why wireless? What aspects of the technology appeal in particular to facility managers, integrators and installers? Cost-efficiency, ease of installation, and the compliance requirements for audit trails are often cited by building managers. Everything about wireless access control makes life easier for those who install and operate it. It’s easy to extend an existing third-party access control system by switching mechanical locking cylinders for battery-powered, electronic Aperio® cylinders, for example. You can bring them into the existing, single control panel via communications hubs (online integration) or via update-on-card (offline). Compare that to the full-scale rewiring job needed to add traditional magnetic locks! Key management headaches are eliminated by RFID smartcards, as are the security risks posed by a lost mechanical key — an all-too-common occurrence Equipping doors previously locked using mechanical keys with electronic access control upgrades a site’s security in an instant. Key management headaches are eliminated by RFID smartcards, as are the security risks posed by a lost mechanical key — an all-too-common occurrence, and something 86% of our survey respondents also worry about. EN, DIN and CE wireless lock certification drive still more customers to wireless. Easy, effective integration of wireless lock technologies like Aperio® with CCTV, alarm and other security systems is another major benefit. The era of the smart building is here; locking systems that integrate seamlessly with complementary building management infrastructure are increasingly vital. “Wireless locks are often specially designed for integration with other systems. The integration capabilities and ease of use can be a significant benefit,” writes Blake Kozak, principal analyst at IHS Research, in commentary on our report. Extensive adoption across many business sectors Wireless is extensively adopted across many business sectors. In a corporate office setting, the ability for facility managers to amend access rights remotely, to instantly cancel lost cards or to extend an existing wired access control system without disruptive structural alterations are all valuable. Sensitive settings such as hospitals and residential care homes need the real-time information flow that only electronic access control can supply. Online wireless locks provide this much more cost-effectively than any other technology — and are even available with hermetic sealing and anti-bacterial coating. In the event of a security breach at a medicine store of patient records area, wireless locks generate detailed audit trails for locks, users or smartcards that regulatory compliance demands. In student accommodation blocks, lost keys are a recurring security risk and drain on resources — risks and costs that are eliminated by installing wireless access control instead of mechanical locks. Critical infrastructure sites are often widely dispersed or remote (or both). Wireless locks don’t need a mains electricity connection, making them a perfect choice for reservoirs, electricity sub-stations and power generation or distribution facilities. Certified locks and encrypted communications between lock and system ensure security meets the stringent demands of such critical premises. Wireless locks don’t need a mains electricity connection, making them a perfect choice for critical infrastructure sites Aperio wireless locks Among our own product portfolio, Aperio® wireless locks integrate with almost any leading access control system, allowing facility managers to take access control much further into a site than would be possible with wired access control. At i2 serviced offices around the UK, Aperio® wireless locks replaced the slow and expensive job of hardwiring every newly sublet office into i2’s central access control system. Aperio® is the access control backbone of a 100% wireless deployment at Ghent’s Hospital Maria Middelares. It enables real-time management and “gold standard” resident care at a new care home in Umeå, Sweden, as well as flexible, online access control at the University of Surrey’s Manor Park campus. SMARTair for small to medium-sized premises SMARTair™ is a stand-alone wireless locking system aimed at small to medium-sized premises, including offices, retirement homes, hospitals, small hotels and universities. Building managers at Frankfurt’s Tower 185 chose SMARTair™ for its easy installation and access rights processing speed. Because SMARTair™ locks are wireless, they consume less energy and emit much less CO2 than wired magnetic locks. It’s no coincidence, then, that Tower 185 was among the first European high-rises to be awarded Gold LEED Certification by the US Green Building Council. The flexibility of SMARTair™ was also a major factor in the Red Cross’s decision to select it for its new Córdoba headquarters. CLIQ key management solution CLIQ® is a mechatronic technology, based on patented, high-security cylinders, battery-powered, programmable keys and encrypted electronic communications between cylinders and system. It is widely adopted in critical infrastructure settings around Europe. Its security credentials and the ability for in-house managers to issue contractors with programmable keys are a major benefit to workflow management in these complex organisations. The ability for in-house managers to issue contractors with programmable keys is a major benefit to workflow management in complex organisations In Helsinki, Finland, CLIQ® secures 3,500 interior and exterior doors at 70 different sites for Helsingin Energia, ensuring 400,000 customers have uninterrupted electricity supply. The whole ecosystem is managed remotely from simple, web-based CLIQ® administration software. Industrielle Werke Basel needed a locking system that would equip it to face 21st-century security challenges — as well as padlocks that could withstand extremes of climate and weather. CLIQ® technology ticked all the boxes. Adopting wireless beyond doors Interestingly, our recent customer research also finds the market is already tuned-in to the potential for wireless beyond just doors. Well over half of respondents judged electronic access control well suited to securing server racks, cabinets, lockers, safes, and machines, as well as padlocked outdoor structures. Flexibility makes wireless technology the natural solution. “Interior doors, file cabinets, carts and other deployments will increasingly use wireless electronic systems,” says Kozak. “In deployments beyond doors, IHS expects mechatronic locks to see the most growth. Globally, we forecast that these devices will see volume growth of about 24% in 2016 as security personnel strengthen security to adhere to strict compliance regulations, which often require audit trails. Mechanical keys simply don’t offer this level of tracking.” With audit trail compliance, easy installation, cost efficiency, and seamless integration, wireless access control makes life easier for security managers, installers and system integrators. This, surely, is the secret to its rapid growth. We see it in survey responses and its increasingly widespread adoption across many sectors— and we expect to keep seeing it, as we analyse market trends through 2016 and beyond.
(see bigger image) Access control market in Brazil is forecast to decline by 1.2% in 2015 and decline by another 0.8% in 2016 before growth returns in 2017 Blake Kozak, Principal Analyst for Security and Building Technologies at IHS Inc., in his research note discusses about the current state of the Brazilian market for electronic access control. While the 2014 Brazilian market for electronic access control equipment reached an estimated $92 million, the latest information from IHS Economics reveals that Brazil will struggle to see positive growth over the next several years. In fact, the access control market in Brazil is forecast to decline by 1.2% in 2015 and decline by another 0.8% in 2016 before growth returns in 2017. Despite the slowing economy, the Brazilian market for electronic access control will be resilient and is expected to return to strong market growth in 2018. Access control market in Brazil will be affected by The near-term access control market in Brazil will be most affected by the following: The access control industry slowed after the presidential elections last year, and the government cannot afford to expand public works, as fiscal accounts have already deteriorated significantly The Brazilian economy is sliding into a recession The recent Petrobras scandal will negatively affect the construction market, as audits are completed Investment has been declining since the second half of 2013 and the private sector is not very upbeat about Brazilian economic prospects, so very poor business sentiment will continue to constrain investment growth Overall, suppliers and integrators involved in the Brazilian market believe large infrastructure and government and commercial projects will soon be placed on hold, leading to a market decline through 2017. The Olympics have also not done much to help the security industry, in part because stadium construction will mostly occur in certain cities and will not have widespread effects on other end-users across the country. There will only be about 14 new venues spread across three main zones - Barra, Copacabana, Maracanã and Deodoro. Furthermore, the number of police, military and other security personnel will far outnumber that of the London Olympics in 2012. In Rio de Janeiro, reports suggest that there will be nearly 85,000 law enforcement personnel at Olympic venues. One positive sign - level of integration between video and access control One positive sign for equipment suppliers in the Brazilian market is the level of integration between video and access control. The interest and implementation of integrations is a tremendous opportunity in the country. Replacing services with technologies, like manned guarding with electronic security, is a trend that will continue to improve the market over the next five years, due to wage increases, as well as more affordable – and higher quality – access control technology.
A U.S. economic forecast of 2.3 percent growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) bodes well for security businesses to thrive in a healthy economy in 2014. The Conference Board’s 2.3 percent growth prediction for 2014 is higher than its 1.7 estimate for 2013. Globally, both the physical access control and video surveillance markets are forecast to record healthy growth rates this year. Conference board predictions on housing starts (up 1.16 percent in 2014, compared to 0.92 percent in 2013) and real capital spending (up 4.1 percent in 2014, compared to 2.5 percent growth in 2013) also suggest opportunities for growth of security companies looking ahead to the New Year. Globally, the U.S. Conference Board estimates a moderate rebound in GDP from 2.8 percent in 2013 to 3.1 percent this year. Physical access control market forecast to grow 7% in 2014 Research firm IHS Technology predicts continuing growth in the global physical access control market in 2014, about a 7 percent increase over 2013, to reach a $3.4 billion overall market size. Asia will grow fastest (at 10.7 percent), while Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will grow slowest, but still at 4.6 percent over 2013. “The trends that continue to drive this growth are end-user education, marketing and technological developments,” says Blake Kozak, IHS Technology Senior Analyst. “Increased adoption of wireless locks and Web-enabled panels continue to drive the market. Additionally, there has been a renewed look at open standards and more secure credentials such as Commercial Identity Verification cards.” Network cameras to fuel 12% growth in video surveillance market in 2014 "The trends that continue to drive this growth are end-user education, marketing and technological developments" For the video market, IHS Technology forecasts 12 percent global growth this year, with fixed-dome and 180/360-degree network cameras as the fastest growing categories. IHS forecasts city surveillance and the utilities/energy sector as the fastest-growing verticals. The research company also points to a number of trends that will predominate in the next 12 months, including: The influence of “Big Data,” including crowd-sourcing video surveillance and social media analytics. At the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, a prevalence of smart-phone cameras combined with social media apps led to the first “crowd-sourced” data collection for an investigation. Creating technology tools to manage data analysis and manipulation challenges is a new opportunity for the video surveillance market. Continuing growth of panoramic view and thermal cameras in the commercial markets. Expansion of cloud-based video surveillance, including new markets in China. More use of embedded audio capabilities in surveillance cameras, especially audio analytics and sound source localisation. More expansion of video surveillance companies into other markets. Construction sector growth will prop US security market, particularly educational building security segment The 2014 Dodge Construction Outlook estimates total U.S. construction will rise 9 percent in 2014 (higher than the 5 percent increase in 2013). Single family housing with grow 26 percent (measured in dollars). Commercial building will increase 17 percent, according to McGraw Hill Construction, author of the Dodge Outlook. Security companies face a positive outlook in the educational building category, where colleges are revisiting capital expansion plans, and passage of recent construction bond measures in several states should benefit K-12 construction projects, according to the Dodge Outlook. Healthcare construction is expected to remain flat, given continued emphasis on cost containment, according to Dodge.
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TRADE X, a B2B cross-border automotive trading platform based in Ontario, Canada, announced it has opened a new Kenyan trading corridor, which includes both a shared bonded warehouse in Mombasa and an office in Nairobi.
TRADE X, a B2B cross-border automotive trading platform with its headquarters in Ontario, Canada, announced it has opened a new trade route in Ghana, strengthening the company's presence in Africa.
Insurtech Otonomi raises $3.4m to build a first-to-market blockchain-powered parametric cargo platform
Insurtech startup Otonomi announced it has closed a $3.4 million oversubscribed funding round, to build a first-to-market blockchain-powered parametric cargo platform.
NYSHEX, the ocean contract performance technology servive provider,, announced a $25 million Series B funding round led by Collate Capital. In addition, Blumberg Capital, Goldman Sachs and NewRoad Capital participated.
International startup incubator and accelerator ZEBOX America announced a new cohort of 9 startups, marking a key milestone as the tech hub works to reimagine and revitalize the North American supply chain, logistics, mobility and Industry 4.0 sectors.
UK-based BotsAndUs secures $13m seed financing for its warehouse data intelligence platform with autonomous robots
BotsAndUs, a cutting-edge intelligence and robotics company has secured $13 million in seed funding to expand its logistics-disrupting solution globally.
SAP SE announced the launch of a virtual startup program focused on building a resilient supply chain at the SAP.iO Foundries Munich and Tel Aviv.
The Plug and Play's Supply Chain Innovation Platform announced the closing of Plug and Play Supply Chain Fund I, L.P., a $25.5 million venture capital fund focusing on investments across the end-to-end supply chain.
Mobility fintech, Moove, which provides revenue-based financing to mobility entrepreneurs across Africa, has raised $105 million in an oversubscribed Series A2 round consisting of equity and debt.
Calico, the developer of the first AI-powered smart supply chain management platform, announced it has raised $2 million in seed funding. The growth financing is led by Serena Ventures following 300% growth since January 2022.
German logistics tech startup Forto, the provider of digitized freight forwarding and supply chain solutions, announced it has raised $250 million in a pre-emptive Series D investment round led by Disruptive.
On-demand delivery platform Glovo has launched a pitch competition targeting early-stage tech startups in Kenya that are delivering value to SMEs.
Israeli e-Commerce startup PrettyDamnQuick, the provider of checkout-to-delivery management platforms for e-Commerce businesses, announced the closing of $6 million seed investment round.
Las OIas Venture Capital (LOVC), announced its third Fund II investment in Leverage.ai. to modernize the global supply chains.
Pakistani logistics startup Truck It In raises $13m seed round to transform the road freight industry
Pakistan’s logistics tech startup Truck It In closed $13 million seed round jointly led by venture capital firms Global Founders Capital and Fatima Gobi Ventures.
Kenyan logistics startup Amitruck raises $4m seed funding to accelerate digital solutions across Africa
Kenya-based digital trucking logistics startup Amitruck has announced it has secured $4 milllion in a seed funding round that had the participation of investors from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S.
Afrikrea, an Ivorian e-Commerce startup has raised $6.2 million pre-Series A funding round led by Investisseurs & Partenaires. The startup has also rebranded to 'ANKA'.
Israeli logistics AI startup Amphorica partners with Swiss investor Falco Capital to accelerate growth
Falco Capital and Amphorica jointly announced the closing of a capital investment and cooperation agreement. As part of the agreement, Amphorica appoints Falco Capital partner Peter Salzer, as Director of the company's board.
ShipHero, the shipping and logistics provider for over 5,000 e-commerce brands and 3PLs, announced a new accelerator program for e-Commerce startups looking to supercharge their businesses with best-in-class warehouse management software.
Perch Mobility, the provider of portable charging pods that fuel the micromobility industry, announced the close of its successful seed round funding, which will enable the company to expand coverage into key strategic markets across the U.S.
HAI ROBOTICS, a Chinese warehouse robotics startup pioneering in autonomous case-handling robotics (ACR) system, announced it has secured two new continuous rounds of financing, garnering $200-odd million in total.
Fuel Me, a cloud-based fuel and energy distributor, was selected from a competition with 100 participating companies, for Plug and Play's "Supply Chain and Logistics Program".
Speedaf express, a China-Africa integrated logistics service provider, officially announced the completion of its Round A+ financing, led by TRUSTBRIDGE, followed by Northern Light VENTURE CAPITAL, and VISION+CAPITAL on the basis of Round A.
Logistics startup Logixboard raises $13m Series A funding to power the future of modern freight forwarding
Logixboard, the modern customer experience platform for freight forwarders, closed a $13 million investment led by Redpoint Ventures, with continued participation from Social Leverage, F-Prime Capital, Founders Co-op, Techstars Ventures, and others.

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Thousands of small-business owners from the enormous Baby Boomer generation are — or will soon be — faced with the prospect of selling their company as they move into retirement.
Before heading to the golf course or to hang out with the grandkids, those business owners have much to consider, especially if they’re going to maximize profit when it’s time to sell.
This “Silver Tsunami” is washing over the business world and won’t subside any time soon, according to experts. And the retirement of many business owners means opportunities for potential buyers.
“It’s the perfect storm for small businesses,” said Dave Garner, co-chairman and a certified mentor at SCORE Denver, a source of business mentoring and education. “This is absolutely a good time for sellers.”
Garner said if the lower tax rate for pass-through businesses proposed by President Donald Trump becomes law, it would create “one of the best opportunities to buy into a business I’ve ever seen.”
About 7,000 small businesses are sold each year in the United States, he said.
“One-third to one-half of those that sell will be in the Baby Boomer category,” he said. “We believe the numbers in Colorado mirror what we see nationally.”
Preparation means money
Baby Boomers need to prepare fully for the sale of their business, and start well before most think is necessary, experts say.
“We advise clients to start three to five years out, but many will start only a few months out,” said Certified Business Intermediary Rob Amerine of the FBB Group, a Front Range business brokerage company, in an email. “Owners should start putting together their advisory team early — starting with their accountant, business intermediary, financial planner and transaction attorney. There are basically five key factors — finances, assets (tangible versus intangible), real estate (lease/owned or online), operations and sales/marketing. Buyers are becoming more and more data driven, so each of these areas requires a deep dive to demonstrate that the business is ready to sell.”
Colorado Springs attorney JoAnn Schmitz, principal at Schmitz Law Firm, specializes in working with privately held small- to medium-sized businesses and startups. She said many clients make the mistake of not coming to her soon enough.
“The key thing is to write an agreement before mood and memory come into play,” said Schmitz. “It may cost more money to write something legally, but it’ll cost far less in the long run. I hear, ‘Oh, I didn’t think of that’ far too often. The biggest thing is to have a plan. To maximize the value of your business, take a look at it from the buyer’s context and make sure it’s in good shape.”
Amerine said many clients want to put up the “For Sale” sign long before it’s time.
“Many times we will advise not taking the business to market until certain things are done, such as increasing profitability to get closer to the seller’s price point, putting second level management in place, or making adjustments to the financials with their accountant to eliminate unnecessary adjustments and cleaning up the financials,” Amerine said. “Businesses with clean financials will typically get the seller the highest possible price.”
Proper valuation is key
Garner said SCORE worked with a potential business buyer where the seller valued her business at about $350,000. But when they finally saw financial statements, it was doing less than $100,000 a year since her husband had died.
“Our client decided it wasn’t valued properly and walked away,” Garner said.
Getting a legitimate valuation is crucial, he said.
“There is no substitute for an unbiased valuation of your business done by a professional,” Garner said. “The owner will overvalue some things and undervalue other things, like not understanding the value of having loyal, long-term customers or the value of some inventory.”
It’s also important to know how the bank representing a potential buyer views the business, Amerine said.
“We had a client who ended up getting a higher purchase price due to knowing how the business could finance with a lender, giving our client more options in the price negotiations,” he said.
That involved offering seller financing at 10 percent, which helped the buyer decide to finance through the bank instead, but at the seller’s asking price.
Business owners can consult SCORE in Colorado Springs or the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center.
“SBDC is a great resource because it pools together the different types of advisor an owner really needs,” he said. “Each adviser will bring their own perspective, which allows the owner to make the best informed decision. A common problem we see is the business owner relying too much on just one adviser’s perspective.”
When a business owner is set to retire, it’s not just the sale of the business that must be considered, Schmitz said.
“They need to give thought to what they’re going to do after selling the business,” she said. “These are usually type A, hard-driving people and suddenly their identity is gone. They need to figure out how they’re going to spend their time now that they don’t have a business.”


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Security May 3, 2022
Cyber Threats To The Gaming Industry
With most contact sports being out of the question, many viewers have turned to e-sports and competitive gaming to satiate their needs. Electronic gaming is a massive market, and both gamers and gaming companies rake in billions of dollars a year in revenue. Yet, with companies like these relying on technology, there will always be malicious users that try to “game” the system. Cybersecurity in online gaming is a significant concern for many companies, not just because it threatens their profits, but because it can damage their user base’s confidence in the fairness of a game. When users start seeing the game as unfair, they stop playing, and the company loses their audience as a result.
Player Vs. Hacker – The Cat And Mouse Game
As long as there’s a benefit to be gained, hackers will aim to exploit systems. This exploitation can take many forms in online gaming, ranging from delving into user details at the back end or scamming the company out of ad revenue. Software isn’t perfect, and even the most secure game can be exploited. Luckily, thanks to these games’ online nature, businesses can push out patches that address and fix these issues. Cybersecurity is a constant arms race. Gaming companies need to be constantly vigilant to avoid running into problems with hackers.
On the other end of the spectrum are the players. Hackers target not only companies but also the users that want to get an edge. It’s not uncommon to hear about people being on the receiving end of a hack because they downloaded a tool that would help them be more competitive in an online game (or outright cheat). The threat landscape is unique for online gaming since it encompasses several angles of attack. Among the most common attack vectors that malicious users may use include:
Connections between servers and users are usually secure, but the software clients may be vulnerable to exploitation. Businesses that depend on the MMORPG mainstay of subscriptions need to protect the payment details of their clients. However, since those details are stored on a server location, it can be difficult for malicious users to access them. More modern games have opted for a micro transaction-based model, and here is where vulnerabilities can lead to the real-world loss of money. In these game models, the user may submit payment across a gateway to receive digital goods. However, if that data is stored on the local client, a malicious user may exploit vulnerabilities to access that payment information and other user details without their consent.
Bundled Malicious Content
Most of us who have been using computers over the last decade knows that it’s unwise to download attachments since they may contain malicious code. Few of us know that malicious code no longer needs to be downloaded and run for it to carry with it viral infections. The most recent example of this was the SpideyBot malware that utilized popular voice chat service Discord to bypass URL filters and deliver its payload. While most people download gaming clients and software directly from manufacturers, some use third-party sites, and these payloads may come bundled with unwanted hitchhikers.
Stealing Gaming Credentials
In most online games, having a username and password linked to your account allows you to access the game servers. However, there are times when malicious users can get access to this information and steal the account from its legitimate user. Compromised credentials make their way onto the Dark Web. There have been several infodumps that incorporate user credentials on the dark web from multiple gaming locations. Businesses have taken to protecting their users through two-factor authentication (2FA), which prevents unauthorized access to their accounts. The problem is that 2FA needs to be adopted by users for it to affect their user accounts. Many gamers see it as a hassle and don’t activate the service, leaving them vulnerable to having their user accounts or in-game items and currency stolen.
Meeting the Challenges Of a New Entertainment Landscape
Gaming companies need to be vigilant when it comes to protecting their users, but users also need to be aware of what they’re doing. The entertainment landscape has changed, and today’s companies have new threats to their users’ safety and security. While the gaming industry isn’t as profitable a target as the financial sector, the risks this industry faces can come from several different directions. Both gaming companies and consumers need to keep an eye out for potential attacks. Gamers consider themselves relatively tech-savvy, and it’s this false sense of security that malicious users prey on. Constant vigilance is the only way you can stay a step ahead of hackers who want your data or want to defraud you out of your money.


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How Bishop's Stortford is at the heart of the Gü pudding empire as the premium dessert brand prepares to launch in Australia and New Zealand
Last year, more than 130 of Gü's indulgent ramekin desserts were put in consumers' shopping trolleys every minute.
The company sold 70 million of its puddings in their instantly recognisable glass containers worldwide in the 12 months to September, with one in five UK households buying the brand.
With a turnover of £55 million last year, the company is a huge success story. It is the No 1 premium dessert brand in the UK and the second largest premium chilled dessert brand in France and Germany.
Gü is now launching in Australia and New Zealand, and is set to begin testing in the USA.
And its £28m, 125,000 sq ft facility on a six-acre site in Bishop's Stortford is the heartbeat of the business, helping to put smiles on the faces of pudding lovers across the globe.
Gü, which also has offices in Shepherd's Bush and Paris, was founded in 2003 by entrepreneur James Averdieck. He was working in the Netherlands when he sampled an indulgent souffle-type dessert and got the idea to try it in the UK market.
Having set up the business with seed capital of £65,000, he collected around £9m when he sold to Noble Foods, which is the biggest supplier of eggs in the UK and is home to The Happy Egg Company, for £32.5m in 2009.
The Stortford factory, in Dunmow Road, opened in October 2017 when the firm relocated its manufacturing plant from Walthamstow.
The production area and warehousing cover 125,000 sq ft and includes a spare building of 35,000 sq ft for further growth. That might need to be developed within two years as the company is growing between 10% and 15% a year and has 30% more capacity in its existing factory.
There are 151 employees working at the Stortford site, including French chef Fred Ponnavoy, who has been with Gü since the start and has designed and created every one of its puddings. He works in the bespoke innovation centre alongside the technical team, coming up with new products.
Gü's marketing team will find gaps in the market and spot hot trends before giving Fred a brief. For example, two years ago it did not have a salted caramel product and now its Salted Caramel Cheesecakes are the third best-selling chilled dessert out of around 1,000 on the UK market.
The skill is coming up with a pudding that can be successfully transferred from the design kitchen to the factory production line and scaled up using the fully automated equipment.
And while people around the world enjoy tucking into their favourite Gü puddings, there is plenty of work going on behind the scenes to ensure the company continues to grow.
"We've got a world-class, state-of-the-art factory here," said operations director David Fearnley-Brown, 59, who has been with Gü since April.
"What we're trying to develop now is a world-class operation, so the people are really critical to us."
He spent 20 years in the brewing industry and has had consultancy and operations director roles with a variety of companies in the food sector, such as Northern Foods and Lir Chocolates.
"We're investing a lot in training and retaining the skill sets within the business. When you've got a highly automated plant, you need to spend time investing in your people.
"Our strategy is calling it a F1 factory – it's a Formula One racing car and now we're developing our Formula One engineers, mechanics and drivers. That's where we're focusing."
The Stortford factory produces around 15 different ramekin desserts, with 1,500 cases of 12 ready every hour. Every single one enjoyed by consumers around the world is made there, with desserts being frozen if they are destined for foreign markets.
"It's quite different when you don't have a lot of operators. In Walthamstow we had people mixing stuff, and we don't have any of that any more," said managing director Pete Utting.
"What we do have is incredibly complex kit to not just maintain but proactively maintain so it doesn't break down.
"One of David's challenges for the team is getting into that mindset of 'fixing' problems before they actually develop."
David added: "Each team is broken down into cells and we have weekly problem-solving meetings and communication meetings to discuss what went well, what didn't go well and how we can work to solve it.
"It's about involving everybody in the factory if you want to become world class."
Gü, which is also implementing a maintenance structure used in the airline industry, recently relaunched its Heavenly Hot Puds range with two new additions – Sticky Toffee Puddings and Belgian Chocolate Brownies, with the latter being declared the best-ever Gü recipe in consumer testing.
It won Product of the Year in the Store Cupboard category at The Grocer New Product Awards 2019 for its Crunchy Hazelnut Spread, and was highly commended for its Salted Caramel Cheesecakes.
And its Chocolate and Vanilla Free From Cheesecake won Best Chilled Product and was named Best Innovation across all grocery categories at the ASDA Innovation Awards 2019.
"It's always a challenge trying to replicate a recipe in the factory, but we've been successful with everything we've thrown at them actually," said David.
"The Free From range was a really interesting one. It's amazing how much it tastes exactly like one of our existing products.
"People think that if it's gluten free or vegan and dairy free that it's not going to taste very good, but actually it tastes amazing.
"That's the skill of Fred and us putting it into the factory. There have been some great successes over the years."
With the Australia and New Zealand launch under way, there are further exciting times ahead for the business thanks to its trial in the north-east United States of America with Walmart, which approached Gü having been impressed by the brand.
"The US will be interesting. The majority of puddings eaten in the US are still frozen and I think that's partially due to the scale of the country," said Pete.
"If you're a chilled desserts manufacturer in the US, it's very difficult to distribute to all of the different retailers when it might take four days to drive and you've only got a 10-day shelf life.
"Their market has developed as a frozen market because of the mileage these businesses have to cover, so it will be interesting to see whether chilled desserts will be of interest. They tend to be more premium than frozen as well, so the US consumer will have to be willing to pay the premium that goes with it."
If the American test proves successful then it could mean an immediate investment in infrastructure is required.
"There are challenges, but they're nice challenges to have because it's all about growth rather than going backwards," said David.
"We do have that capacity available to us to develop [in Stortford], so it's about looking at the different business models over the coming months and deciding which is the best way to invest over the next two years."
While consumers across the Atlantic get ready to sample Gü's range of delicious desserts, UK pudding lovers can look forward to tasting the company's new premium mousses thanks to chef Fred designing a "multi-layered indulgence". They are set for launch in March.
"The UK business is incredibly important to us as it's the platform to expand," said Pete.
"We have to have a successful UK business to afford to be able to test in the US and these sorts of things, so keeping the UK business moving forward is quite critical for us.
"We think there are so many growth opportunities. The skill is choosing the three or four that you can make work before adding another three or four and another three or four, rather than thinking we're going to launch in 25 countries in one go."
Pete, 52, has been with Gü for just under a year having previously worked for the likes of Coca-Cola, Walkers Crisps and United Biscuits.
And he believes the Gü brand – the umlaut over the u represents two eyes and a smile – has developed a loyal following because producing great-tasting desserts has always been the primary focus.
"It's strange sometimes when you talk to your kids about where you work, but my kids like me working at Gü – it's one of those really positive brands," said Pete.
"I do think one of the fantastic things it's done since its birth in 2003 is just producing brilliant products. Parking the way it's branded, communicated, sold and whatever else, the products have always been very, very good.
"That has held it in such high esteem with consumers. If you flick through our social media, of all the brands I've worked on I don't think I've ever known as much love for a brand – it's incredible.
"It's a product you eat that brings a smile to your face – and that's a nice environment to work in."


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CeBIT on the other hand is becoming less attractive by the year, there used to be a decent amount of interesting computer hardware announcements at this show but this year we've barely heard anything about CeBIT! Attendance at this year's event is expected to be around 200,000, a far cry from the 700,000 visitors during the conference's heydays.
As such, it's not really a surprise that CeBIT is going to reorient itself. Starting next year, the CeBIT show will no longer be hosted in March but will move to the June timeframe. CeBIT 2018 will be hosted from June 11 to June 15 in Hannover, which places it in direct competition with Computex, which is usually scheduled late May/early June.
The whole purpose of the expo will change too, it will no longer be a trade expo but will become more of a five-day summer tech festival for "generation Y" (folks born during the 1980s and 1990s). More details can be read in the PR below:
Hannover. More technology, more innovations, more emotional appeal - all in a new June timeslot. This sums up how CeBIT is reinventing itself for Generation Y, starting in 2018. "We are redefining CeBIT, with our sights set on establishing it as Europe's No. 1 platform and festival for digital technology, innovation and business development for the digital economy," announced Deutsche Messe's Managing Board member Oliver Frese on Wednesday in Hannover. "Moreover, CeBIT is being rescheduled to June because a summertime slot is more conducive to staging technology with greater emotional appeal by means of a new campus-like set-up," he added. CeBIT 2018 will be held from 11 to 15 June, with the Hannover Exhibition Center's iconic wooden EXPO Canopy at the heart of a digital campus filling the open-air site.
"We are teaming up with the digital industry to rebuild CeBIT from the ground up," remarked Frese. "It's going to be more fun and entertaining, more astonishing, brighter and bolder, and open up new vistas like never before - at times even in an intentionally provocative way. For participating companies and organizations, the new CeBIT will be a lead-generating powerhouse, delivering win-win outcomes and added value for all concerned. At the same time, major emphasis is being placed on creating emotional appeal to resonate with the Generation Y crowd now surging onto the marketplace, brimming with confidence and bright new ideas," he added.
The digital industry is driving a wave of transformation that is sweeping across every corner of the economy, disrupting established models and systems at a dizzying pace. With the sector being faced with new challenges, CeBIT is called upon to evolve in order to stay in stride with the requirements of its clientele. "We have therefore decided to put an entirely new spin on CeBIT," explained Frese.
The revamped CeBIT will revolve around the open-air site, with the EXPO canopy as its central hub. "The open-air site is where we will set up a central d!campus for meet-ups and encounters, showcases, open-air demonstrations, dialogue and party-style get-togethers," explained Frese.
The halls around the d!campus will house the three main pillars of the reinvented CeBIT: d!conomy, d!tec and d!talk. The d!conomy showcase will be where digital solution providers and their commercial and public-sector customers will get down to business. Disruptive technologies, research institutes and startups will be on front and center stage at the new technology festival called d!tec. And last but not least, the d!talk program will offer rich opportunities for dialogue, debate and knowledge-sharing in a series of conferences, workshops and keynotes held at various locations throughout the grounds.
Day one of the five-day event - 11 June 2018 - will be devoted entirely to high-caliber dialogue between digital business leaders and government policymakers, with admission restricted to journalists and Welcome Night attendees. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - with d!conomy, d!tec and d!talk on the agenda - solution providers and their customers will be in the spotlight. On Thursday (14 June) a special event will also be held to set the tone for an "open day" on Friday, when the d!campus and selected other sections of the show will be open to the general public.
"The new CeBIT is gearing up to serve as a powerful facilitator of digital transformation throughout business and society, conveying the fascination and potential of digitalization to a wide audience," commented Frese.
"We want to partner with business and government to generate enthusiasm for the digital transformation - to wow and amaze people with new formats and promote lively and fruitful debate on controversial issues, thus maximizing CeBIT's appeal for young, new target groups" he added, summing up the rationale behind the new approach.
The decision to relaunch CeBIT was preceded by months of conceptualization effort and in-depth discussion between Deutsche Messe and exhibitors represented by the CeBIT Exhibitors' Committee. The move has met with widespread approval.


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Public health officials are investigating a recent salmonella outbreak connected to pig ear dog treats that has sickened dozens of people.
As of Wednesday, 93 human cases of salmonella were reported in 27 states, most of which officials think are connected to the contaminated dog treats, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At least 20 people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported, according to the CDC.
In response to the outbreak, Pet Supplies Plus issued a recall July 3 for pig ears stocked in open bins because they might be contaminated with salmonella, according to the CDC.
The treats were sold at Pet Supplies Plus stores in 33 states, including Texas. No cases have been reported in Texas.
In a release dated July 3, when there were only 45 confirmed cases of Salmonella in 13 states, none of the cases had been connected to pig ears from the store, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Although the treats are for dogs to eat, people who have touched pig ears without thoroughly washing their hands afterward may catch the infection as well.
Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps for up to three days after exposure to the bacteria. Although the illness lasts up to seven days, for young children, elderly adults and people with weak immune systems the disease can become more severe — the bacteria can infiltrate into the bloodstream and reach other organs.
The CDC and the FDA did not provide information on how many pets have fallen ill after eating the treats.
The recall came after the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development tested the pig ears in a Pet Supply Plus store and results came back positive for Salmonella, according to the FDA.
Dog owners shouldn't feed the pig ear treats to their dogs. When disposing of the treats, the CDC recommends packing them inside a closed container to prevent other animals from eating them.
Even if a dog has eaten a pig ear treat recently and hasn't showed Salmonella symptoms, owners should stop providing them. Owners should also wash the containers, shelves and areas that held the treat with hot water and soap, according to the CDC.
The CDC hasn't identified a common supplier of the treats but is conducting a joint investigation with the FDA.


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GUWAHATI, March 13 - Cyber crime has emerged as a disturbing development in Assam, with its incidence witnessing a spurt in the past few years. This calls for specialised monitoring of cyberspace but cyber crime cases often go unaddressed due to constraints of forensic infrastructure and trained police personnel.
Assam recorded 533 cyber crime cases in 2013 and 2014. According to 2013 data, the incidence of cyber crime jumped by 450 per cent compared to the previous year�s figure, recording 154 cyber crime cases, while the number of persons arrested was just two. In 2014, cyber crime rate jumped by 146.10 per cent, with a total of 379 cases. A corresponding improvement, though, marked the number of the arrested, which stood at 351. But the conviction rate was not encouraging.
According to Cyber Crime Awareness and Victim Counselling Assam (CCAVCA), an NGO engaged in combating cyber crime, dissemination of information for responsible and informed usage of cyber technologies is critical to building capacities to prevent and deal with incidences of cyber crime more effectively.
�Given the surge in cyber crime across the country, the need is to create a safe cyber netizen society. We are imparting basic and advanced knowledge of usable technology in cyber space and educating the people about cyber crime, focusing on the legal implications and structures behind the cyber space,� Md Shahbaaz Hussain, director, CCAVCA, told The Assam Tribune.
Urging internet-users to be more careful in using social media, Hussain said that 81 per cent of internet-initiated crime involved social networking sites, mainly Facebook and Twitter. The common crimes comprised cyber stalking, cyber defamation, phishing and vhishing, and website defacement in private and government sectors.
�In Assam, a large segment is unaware that they are already being victimised by cyber criminals, with crimes going unreported and the criminals roaming free. I also urge parents to communicate with their children and keep an eye on their online activities so they may not fall victim of cyber bullying, cyber pornography, cyber stalking, hacking and defamation,� he added.
Terming the rise of ATM fraud as a serious concern as it causes huge financial loss, Hussain said that SBI customers were among the more targeted and victimised. �Guwahati has witnessed a number of such frauds and we are likely to launch a cyber crime reporting portal which will also include mobile apps where people can get news updates/preventive measures/technical advice/legal help,� he said.
India recorded a staggering 15,315 cyber crime cases in 2013 and 2014, while the number of persons arrested was 9,053. While the data for 2015 has not been officially out yet, experts believe it would reach the three lakh mark.
Hussain said that CCAVCA was also partnering with police and other bodies engaged in fighting cyber crime, providing training and investigative support to the agencies involved in prevention, investigation and prosecution of cyber crime.
Another area of focus, he added, concerned assistance on legal matters implications and psychological counselling to victims of cyber crime.
�We have organised awareness campaigns at various educational institutions to build capacities, especially for the youth who happens to be the most vulnerable segment vis-�-vis cyber crime. Our orientation programmes on cyber crime for investigation officer of Assam Police is on, and so far eight districts have been covered,� he said.
CCAVCA is also into research for developing cyber security frameworks, tools, software solutions, projects, advanced information technology (IT) products and technologies.


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By Moses Kidandi
Harris international the manufacturers of Riham products have launched a four months country wide promotion in a bid to reward its ever growing customer base of Riham product consumers.
The promotion dubbed “Sip Sip Sumulula” will see Riham cola,fun time and Rock boom consumers win a cocktail of instant prizes starting with one million shillings,Television screens,smart mobile phones,sports bikes,sodas and energy drinks among others.
For customers to win they will simply have to purchase Riham Cola,Rockboom or fun time and check under the crown or collect bottle tops with letters under the crown and spell the word Riham .
Jerome Hall the Brand promotions manager says members of the public who win prices after consuming Riham products from any part of the country can redeem their instant prizes from Riham outlets.
Jerome Hall says the promotion is aimed at making members of the public have a rewarding experience of consuming Riham products.


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Studio 106 moves to historic Clay House
Studio 106 now is open in historic Clay House at 16 Main St. in Madison.
“Clients love coming here,” owner Dana Burrows said. “They say it feels like ‘Steel Magnolias,'” the movie centering around Truvy’s beauty shop.
For 11 years, Burrows worked at Perfections salon and then opened her own shop, Studio 106, at 106 Main St. in downtown Madison and worked there for 12 years. About two years ago, she relocated to 105-H Church St.
“I always wanted to be a hair stylist. As a kid, I did my dad’s hair while he watched football games on TV. He enjoyed it,” Burrows said laughingly.
At Studio 106, clients receive personal attention with haircuts, perms, hair waxing and coloring, along with makeup. Sylina Cole and Denise Swaney also are stylists. Donna Burrows, Dana’s sister, plans to join them to offer pedicures in February 2013.
Studio 106 offers various hair products, including Matrix, Redken, Shuga and Verran. Appointments are open to women, men and children.
To recover from summer’s sun damage, clients should consider deep conditioning. “A chemical modifier will help with sun damage. It closes cuticles down and takes away some of the frizz,” Dana Burrows said.
“Ombre coloring” is a popular style choice. “Ombre is for people who hate to ‘get roots done’ so often,” Burrows said. “It’s the new trend for 2013.”
Swaney and Burrows currently are serving as nail technicians at Studio 106. C&D shellac nails are a specialty.
How does Burrows know when she has had a good day at Studio 106? “When my feet are barking like dogs,” she said. “That’s a great day … when I’ve been very busy.”
Burrows and staff chose an eclectic decorating scheme for their rooms in Clay House. “We used a plethora of colors, different in every room,” she said. The former occupant was 16 Main Gallery artist community, which closed in August.
Clients can schedule appointments from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday and half-day on Saturday. Walk-ins also are welcome.
For the future, Burrows plans to offer massage therapy at Studio 106. For more information, call 256-464-0017 or visit Facebook/Dana Burrows.


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Pokémon GO(Free) feels like it is properly back after feeling a bit left behind with some of the social games this year. Discussion around it had slowed down a tad but things have been going well for Niantic recently with social features being added finally and the announcement for PvP planned for later this year. The Mythical Pokémon Celebi will be available beginning August 20th through new Special Research. Your aim is to help Professor Willow locate Celebi.
If you already finished the Pokémon GO Fest exclusive Special Research to get Celebi, you can do the new Special Research beginning August 20th to get candy to power up your Celebi. Celebi’s appearance will also bring out more Johto region Pokémon.
Niantic has also formally announced its plans for parental controls in Pokémon GO. This will be powered by SuperAwesome and will allow children to log-in to the game through this platform. Parents will need to register with Niantic Kids and manage privacy through the parent portal. This will allow parents to look through permissions and control information shared. This will also be available to children who login through the Pokémon Trainer Club.
If you’re looking forward to the upcoming Nintendo Switch Pokémon games this November, now is a great time to get into (or back into) Pokémon GO with new events and social features getting added in. Hopefully they deliver on their target of PvP by the end of the year. Head over to our forum thread for more discussion around Pokémon GO


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Rolls-Royce Spectre concludes winter testing – 25% of 2.5 million km testing programme done; 2023 launch – paultan.org
Last September, Rolls-Royce announced that its first-ever electric vehicle (EV) – the Spectre – will come to market in the fourth quarter of 2023. In a recent update, the British carmaker said “a new Rolls-Royce motor car always begins its life in winter,” and the Spectre has done just that, having concluded winter testing at a facility located in Arjeplog, Sweden, just 55km from the Arctic Circle, where temperatures can drop to a very frigid -40 degrees centigrade.
The Spectre is part of the Rolls-Royce 3.0 plan, which represents the beginning of the marque’s electric future – all its product will be fully electric by 2030. As such, winter testing is important to ensure that all systems operate as they should in extreme conditions.
Unlike its previous creations, the company says the Spectre will be most connected Rolls-Royce ever, featuring 141,200 sender-receiver relations and has more than 1,000 functions with more than 25,000 sub functions. By comparison, the Phantom has 51,000 sender-receiver relations, 456 functions and 647 sub functions.
Like the Phantom, the Spectre is built on the company’s Architecture of Luxury, albeit developed further to integrate the necessary electronic and electric powertrain architecture. Rolls-Royce claims a “free and direct exchange of detailed information between these 1,000+ functions with no centralised processing,” which required the length of cabling to be increased from around 2 km in existing products to 7 km in the Spectre.
Driving in snowy conditions also allows Rolls-Royce to assess and refine the Spectre’s NVH and dynamic performance. So far, prototypes of the model have undergone more than 500,000 km of testing, which sounds like a lot, but is still just 25% of the 2.5 million km that Rolls-Royce insists in its testing programme to simulate 400 years of use.
The provided images of the prototype provide a better idea of what the Spectre will look like when finished, and while it does invoke the Wraith at first, the two-door model is touted as the spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupe that was produced between 2008 and 2016. Key Rolls-Royce cues are evident, including the redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy ornament, a long bonnet and pantheon grille.
The Phantom Coupe’s split headlamps are also adapted for the Spectre, which will also be the company’s first coupe to get 23-inch wheels since 1926. Away from sight, the flexibility of the platform enables a highly aerodynamic channel for the battery, providing a perfectly smooth underfloor profile.
A low windscreen rake, a sleek profile and other design solutions result in a drag coefficient of just 0.26, at least for early prototypes. Rolls-Royce also notes that by creating wiring and piping channels between the floor of the car and roof of the battery, its engineers have created a secondary function for the battery – 700 kg of sound deadening.
Source: Read Full Article


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Don't-Miss Cloud & Services Stories
Alibaba had previously provided funding to Quixey last year
Users can listen to music, podcasts and other content directly in their timeline
Challenges in the mobile market continue to be a factor, Google says.
The company's platform lets service providers offer virtual router and firewalls
The first set of upgrades arrives only two months after the release of the classroom assistance app.
But the policy change only immediately reflects certifications for long-in-the-tooth versions of the database
The move will give SAP access to a total of 60 data centers around the world
These companies fearlessly found solutions to major data problems, all the while keeping their staff size lean and efficient.
A French mobile payment service now allows person-to-person payments via Twitter -- but all transactions will be public
The credentials leaked by an alleged hacker online were likely stolen from other services, the company said.
The next generation of the Salesforce1 platform is announced at Dreamforce
Alibaba is promoting the sales event through AliExpress, an English language site for international buyers
Engineer identified as Bitcoin creator wants to raise money to sue the magazine


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In late June, Twitter CEO Elon Musk asked for a cage fight against Mark Zuckerberg, and it was only a matter of days later when Zuckerberg seemingly breezed over that solicitation and proceeded to unveil his own standalone app version of Twitter, called Threads. Sure, Meta is known for copying key elements of many other social media apps, but Thread’s success rate right out of the gate has been monumental, with an overnight signup total reaching over 30 million users.
So the question many people are asking themselves is “should our brand be on Threads?”
The answer to that question is “strongly consider it.”
Threads is Backed by Meta
First off, the app is owned by Meta. The launch of this new social media platform had the largest success rate of any recent efforts of similar nature. (Let’s circle back to that ever-growing 30 million users overnight stat real quick.)
Wendy’s entered Threads with their usual snark already. The Savannah Bananas danced their way in as well, and Slim Jim has already made quite an initial snap on the app.
Sure, the functionality and overall impact is still a bit up in the air, but the fact that Meta is backing it gives it a big advantage over the numerous twitter clones that have popped up over the past six months.
Everyone has been trying to see where – and if – the regular Twitter user will migrate to a platform that mimics their previous experience. This is the one that seems like the best bet.
Your Following is There Waiting for You
So why has the launch of Threads already been so successful? Meta made it super easy to sign up – all information (including follower list and bio) comes over straight from one’s Instagram account, and right from the get-go any user that logs onto the app has an instant following that mimics their Instagram following.
Ok let’s repeat that because it’s a key thing to remember: You log onto the app for the first time, and you already have a built-in following. It’s there, waiting for you. And all you have to do is show up, add value, and engage with other accounts to continue to build community around your brand.
So should your brand spend time on Threads? You bet it should. Your audience is there, and you should be too.


text: We’re not the biggest gear heads over here. But when somebody does something dope, we won’t hesitate to mention it. That’s the case with the latest release from 917. Despite claiming that he doesn’t know what he’s doing, Alex Olson’s brand has really come into its own over the past year. The video is hot. It’s being sold in a grip of stores. Cyrus Bennett and Max Palmer are two of the most talked about new pros right now. And this latest round of graphics referencing the original World Industries, New Deal, and Big Brother Magazine are most definitely on point. Check out a few images of the new boards below, and head over to the 917 site to view the full range of products.


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Late last week Nihon Securities Journal set out a notice regarding "Nintendo Conference Autumn 2008". The event will be held on October 2nd, and according to NSJ, Nintendo will be announcing "new products". While Nintendo traditionally does not attend the Tokyo Game Show, an early October event would certainly help the company from getting lost in the shuffle. More as this develops. 〔09/11 12:38〕材料株アラカルト [NSJ Thanks L!]
More from Kotaku
is this space world?


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Tudum is back! The virtual event that garnered over 25.7 million views from Netflix fans in 184 countries around the world last year is returning Saturday, September 24 with five global events in 24 hours: starting in Korea followed by India, then the United States and Europe with a special preview of the great entertainment coming from Latin America, and concluding with a celebration out of Japan. Tune in for an exciting day of exclusive news, never-before-seen footage, trailers, and first looks, as well as interviews with Netflix’s biggest stars and creators. The free virtual event is a celebration of Netflix fandom and is dedicated to sharing the scoop on over 100 fan favorite shows, films and specials from across the globe.
Follow Netflix India on:


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The New Honda Civic Hatchback, due to be launched in early 2017, has made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The new Civic Hatchback is the latest new Civic since the release of the popular Honda Civic Type R, which also made its debut at Geneva in 2015.
The exterior design prototype is a departure from previous incarnations of the Civic. The new larger and wider wheels of the prototype give the Civic a confident stance and the sleek, strong body-lines show the Civic’s sporty, dynamic style.
Speaking of the design, Project Leader Daisuke Tsutamori, said: ‘The result is a marriage of distinctive and sporty design, rewarding driving dynamics and versatile practicality.’
Three new powertrain options will be available in the new Honda Civic – 1.0 litre and 1.5 litre VTEC TURBO petrol engines and a revised 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel unit. The petrol engines offered feature a completely new engine structure and newly developed turbo systems. The 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel engine has also been revised to be more lightweight whilst still ensuring high durability levels.
The current multi-award winning Honda Civic has proven itself to be a high performance, reliable and stylish car with impressive attention to detail. Register your interest to stay up to date on the latest Honda Civic Prototype news, or take a look at the current Honda Civic for more information on the current model.


text: HACK OR INTENTIONAL? McDonald’s on Thursday said its corporate Twitter account had been “hacked”, after a tweet went out mocking President Donald Trump on Thursday. The company was notified by Twitter that its account had been “compromised”, McDonald’s said, adding that it is currently investigating the “hack”. The company has since secured its account, McDonald’s added. Earlier Thursday, McDonald’s sent out a tweet on its official Twitter account calling Trump “a disgusting excuse of a president.” The post was swiftly deleted. “@realDonaldTrump You are actually a disgusting excuse of a President and we would love to have @BarackObama back, also you have tiny hands,” the tweet read. WAS OBAMA INSIDER ROBERT GIBBS BEHIND MCDONALD’S ANTI-TRUMP TWEET? Former Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs is the global chief communications officer at McDonald’s, fueling Internet speculation the restaurant’s anti-Trump tweet wasn’t simply a hack attack.


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Brooklyn Center grocer to close doors
BROOKLYN CENTER—When the Brooklyn Center Walmart closes its doors April 21, it will subtract from an already dwindling list of resources for affordable groceries for people in the area.
The store closure, which a corpor-ate statement says is tied to poor performance, comes after Aldi and Walgreens shut their doors for good on Minneapolis' north side.
For many who shopped at Aldi before it closed, Brooklyn Center's Walmart was the next closest place to find affordable groceries.
"Everything is closing, so now it's
like I've got to go further and fur-
"Where are people supposed to go?" has been the refrain since grocer Walmart announced it was closing its store in north metro. Screen shot.
ther out to get the basic necessities," said shopper Felicia Robinson of Minneapolis. "Aldi's is closed to, so everything is getting shut down in this community. So, it's like where are people supposed to go? Super far to get the basic necessities is super unfortunate."
"It's a very convenient store, and it's cheap. I kind of feel bad," said shopper Rohan Peters. In a city state- ment, Brooklyn Center officials pledged to fill the space with another option.
In the meantime, non-profits and food shelves say they're uncertain what could happen next.
"When you stack on things like the housing, the inflation, the loss of jobs that happen in the community, I think it has massive impact," said Paul Andrighetti, who serves as Director of Basic Needs at CAPI in Brooklyn Center.
Andrighetti says while the food shelf at CAPI is restocked regular-ly, it often empties within days.
"It's just going to continue to get even more messy," he said. "The community is going to continue to get even more desperate. More people will likely slump into a higher level of insecurity."
"There just needs to be something else here, though," Robinson said. "It's a lot of elderly people and other people that use this Walmart a lot. If you're going to take something out, bring something else back in. So people don't have to go very far to find something else."


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Microsoft has toughened its criteria for classifying programs as adware and gave developers three months to conform with the new principles or risk having their programs blocked by the company's security products.
Tesla Motors accounts are protected only by simple passwords, making it easy for hackers to potentially track and unlock cars, according to a security researcher.
A new commercial tool designed to allow cybercriminals to easily transform legitimate Android applications into malicious software has hit the underground market, paving the way for cheap and easy development of sophisticated Android malware.
Tumblr now allows users to encrypt their connections with the microblogging service, but the feature is only offered as an option for now.
Over the past several months security researchers have found serious vulnerabilities in many mobile advertising libraries that could be exploited to abuse the permissions of Android apps or to execute unauthorized code on users' devices. The risks re...
A team of malware developers is preparing to sell a new ransomware program that encrypts files on infected computers and asks victims for money to recover them, according to a volunteer group of security researchers who tracked the development of the...
A third-party advertising framework integrated in hundreds of Android apps contains a vulnerability that could allow hackers to steal sensitive information from users' phones, according to security researchers from antivirus firm Bitdefender.
Yahoo will start encrypting the webmail sessions of its users in early 2014 by making HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) standard for all Yahoo Mail connections.
Although the number of malicious browser extensions has significantly increased in the past year many security products fail to offer adequate protection against them, while others are simply not designed to do so, according to a security researcher.
Android malware is following in the footsteps of Windows malware with attackers adopting some of the same distribution and monetization techniques despite the major differences between the platforms.
Mobile ad networks can provide a loophole to serve malware to Android devices, according to researchers from security firm Palo Alto Networks who have found new Android threats being distributed in this manner.
A feature that allows Android users to authenticate themselves on Google websites without having to enter their account password can be abused by rogue apps to give attackers access to Google accounts, a security researcher has revealed.
Bitdefender has released a Windows application designed to help users secure sensitive Web-browsing sessions, especially when they shop or bank online. The application is called Safepay and a free version is available to home users.
LinkedIn's domain name was temporarily redirected to a third-party server Thursday, which resulted in a service outage and potentially put user accounts at risk of compromise.
British intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) reportedly intercepted the electronic communications of foreign politicians during G20 meetings that took place in London in 2009.
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The ecommerce giant says it's not even close to opening that many brick-and-mortar locations.
Makers of the Snuggie blanket and other products sold mainly on TV have sued Amazon.com Inc , accusing the internet retailer of trademark infringement.
It uses computer vision — the kind of technology that lets self-driving cars "see."
Data from apartment rental site Zumper show most of the most expensive markets in the nation see either flat prices or declines.
A federal judge directed Amazon.com to set up a process to reimburse parents whose children made in-app purchases without permission.
Thousands of people in New York, Chicago and other cities protested Donald Trump's campaign rhetoric around immigrants, Muslims and other groups.
CNBC's Diana Olick discusses why Chinese investors are flooding into Seattle's real estate market.
Engineers in Seattle take home more than those in the San Francisco Bay area when adjusted for the cost of living.
CNBC ranks the emerging hot spots for small businesses based on their tax and regulatory climate, low cost of living and skilled workforce.
Amazon's new dome-shaped headquarters is bringing renewable energy to the work space.
Uber today will roll out a feature allowing users to schedule rides up to 30 days in advance.
Amazon launched a British version of its AmazonFresh food delivery service in a long-anticipated move by the world's largest online retailer to break into the UK grocery market.
Equipment failure caused a large power outage in Seattle on Wednesday, but it was restored by about 12:30 p.m. local time.
Sam Wyly engaged in "deceptive and fraudulent actions" in a scheme to dodge taxes on more than $1 billion in offshore trusts, a judge ruled.
CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports that automaker BMW is launching ReachNow, a car-sharing and ride-sharing service in Seattle, after shutting down their DriveNow program in San Francisco.
San Francisco became the first U.S. city to mandate six weeks of fully paid parental leave, requiring employers to shoulder much of the cost.
CNBC's Kate Rogers reports from Seattle before the Iconic Conference about the small business startup scene there including shopping platform Garmentory.
CNBC's Kate Rogers reports from Seattle ahead of the Iconic Conference about the startup scene there including mobile wifi company Kymeta.
California legislators and labor unions reached a tentative deal to raise the state's minimum wage from $10 to $15 an hour, a state senator said.
Several food items have been recalled this week, including junk food favorites like pizza and chicken nuggets.


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Cat cafes are popping up all over the place and Ann Arbor, Michigan is the latest place to get a cat cafe of its own. Tiny Lions cat café, lounge and adoption center, operated by the Humane Society of Huron Valley opened earlier this month and is just the second cat café to open in the state.
“We get so many people who just want to check it out and then we give them a little tour,” said Haley Chynoweth, cat café manager. “A lot of people have been really excited because they’ve heard of other cat cafes.”
It costs $7 an hour to mingle with the cats but guests are allowed to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages with them during a visit. The café has seating for 20 guests at a time. If guests find a cat that suits them well, they can adopt the animal on site.
“I would say at least eight out of 10 people who come in already have cats at home,” said Sue Armelagos, an animal care technician at Tiny Lions.


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In September 2020, Apple updated the "Spatial audio" feature in its AirPods product line;
In June 2021, Apple announced that "Space Audio" and lossless audio, which support Dolby Panoramic Sound, were officially available to Apple Music for free to all subscribers.
On September 21, 2021, Apple officially released iOS 15, which introduces dynamic head-tracking technology to take the spatial audio experience to the next level.
Apple has never disappointed in technological innovation, and for more than a year now, one technology has made a splash: "Spatial audio."
Apple has also made a lot of moves to promote "spatial audio", including shooting promotional videos and releasing official website news to introduce spatial audio. In order to make more users accept this revolutionary technology, Apple Music is open to all subscribers for free.
The popularity of spatial audio pushes audio technology to a new level, opens up a new world for music creators, and at the same time, for listeners, there will be a new audio experience. There is no doubt that the innovation brought about by this spatial audio technology is of great significance.
Since the launch of Apple's Space Audio, more than 40 million Apple Music users have experienced space audio, with billions of streams, topping the Apple Music Best Albums chart, Sixty percent of pop albums, 50 percent of Latin albums, 40 percent of country albums, and 36 percent of hip-hop albums also support spatial audio. From these data, the popularity of spatial audio is getting higher and higher, and also deeply loved by users.


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A well-known leaker has revealed the details of the upcoming full reboot version of Mortal Kombat ahead of the official announcement.
Leaker Billbil-kun has recently revealed new details about the supposedly upcoming new Mortal Kombat title, which is suspected to be a full reboot of the franchise. According to the leaker, MK1 Full Reboot will be released on new-gen consoles, PC, and surprisingly on Nintendo Switch.
The leaker also revealed prices and editions. The Standard Edition will cost $69.99 on PlayStation and Xbox consoles and $59.99 on Nintendo Switch. Premium Edition will be priced at $109.99 and the Kollector’s Edition is at $249.99 for PlayStation and Xbox.
Kollector’s Edition will only be physical and will not have a Nintendo Switch version.
Currently, no other details have been shared by the leaker, but they did say that more information will be revealed in the upcoming announcement.
Yesterday, Ed Boon dropped a new hint on his Twitter account revealing a clock that skipped the 12th hour and went to 1 o’clock. It hinted that the next Mortal Kombat title will not be called MK12, but instead, it will go back to Mortal Kombat 1 or a full reboot of the whole series.


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Manheim’s Bruntingthorpe centre proves benefits of double blocking
Manheim has showcased the capabilities of its new multi-million pound auction centre at Bruntingthorpe during launch week events.
The centre welcomed more than 1,400 visitors to its lanes and online across the four auctions held during launch week (25-29 September), with more than 1,650 cars sold from 12 vendors.
The launch week also saw the UK introduction of the double blocking concept from the US, which enables more vehicles to be sold simultaneously by increasing the number of rostrums per lane. The event, which made use of the four rostrums located across two lanes at Bruntingthorpe, drew praise from Dean Walker, head buyer at used car supermarket Motorpoint, who said: “The pace of sale allowed us to view several cars simultaneously, and we had great success. The Manheim Bruntingthorpe auction centre is a great asset to the industry and we look forward to attending further auctions at the site.”
The site also includes audio visual technology, a new-generation audio system and a premium executive lounge, with Manheim promising further innovations, both in-lane and online.For more of the latest industry news, click here.


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The central banks of Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Republic of South Africa have set out to test the use of state-issued digital currencies in cross-border payments. The trial, led by the Bank for International Settlements, aims to establish whether they can simplify transactions and make them cheaper.
Reserve Bank of Australia Teams Up With Counterparts in Asia-Pacific, Africa on CBDC Project
While a number of nations are still testing their central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in domestic applications, some are preparing to conduct international experiments. The Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the South African Reserve Bank have joined forces to carry out cross-border trials.
The cooperation aims to develop shared platforms for cross-border transactions using different CBDCs, the institutions said in a statement quoted by Reuters. The scheme is led by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub. Fraziali Ismail, assistant governor at Bank Negara Malaysia, has been quoted as saying:
The multi-CBDC shared platform… has the potential to leapfrog the legacy payment arrangements and serve as a foundation for a more efficient international settlement platform.
The prototype platforms should enable financial institutions to transact directly with each other using the sovereign digital currencies, the report elaborates. This approach would allow them to eliminate the need for intermediaries. Transaction times and costs are also expected to decrease. The participants will explore various designs in terms of technology, governance, and operation.
This isn’t the first experiment of this kind. BIS Innovation Hub heads another project involving central banks from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. In June, Bank of France and the Swiss National Bank announced a collaboration with the hub to trial the use of wholesale digital currencies in cross-border settlements. In July, the IMF, the World Bank, and BIS recommended that countries work together on CBDCs to enhance cross-border payments.
Earlier this year, financial authorities in Hong Kong launched a second round of tests for the national digital currency issued by the People’s Bank of China, which has arguably the most advanced CBDC project. The Chinese special administrative region revealed it’s going to connect its domestic payments system to the mainland’s digital yuan network to assess the currency’s usability in cross-border scenarios.
Do you think central bank digital currencies will challenge the current international payments system? Share your thoughts on the subject in the comments section below.


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First, came the voluntary buyouts. Now, GM is ramping up its belt-tightening measures with cuts to factory and white-collar workers, plant closures in North America and the elimination of several car models as it tries to transform into a nimble company focused on high-margin SUV, crossovers and trucks and investments in future products like electric and autonomous vehicles.
The actions, which are meant to safeguard the automaker from an expected downturn in the U.S. market, will increase GM’s annual free cash flow by about $6 billion, including cost reductions of $4.5 billion and lower capital expenditure annual run rate of almost $1.5 billion by 2020. Ford took similar cost-cutting measures earlier this year.
GM said it will cut its salaried workforce in North America by 15% —and its executives by 25% — as well as no longer allocate products to three assembly and two propulsion plants, including the Lordstown Assembly in Ohio, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan and Oshawa Assembly in Canada beginning in 2019. GM will stop allocating production at propulsion plants in White Marsh, Maryland, and Warren, Michigan after December 2019. That means factory workers at those plants will be laid off as well.
Union workers at the Oshawa plant walked out Monday in protest.
All of the products assembled at the Lordstown, Detroit-Hamtramck and Oshawa plants will no longer be produced by the end of next year. As a result, GM will phase out the Chevrolet Cruze compact car and Chevrolet Impala sedan, and the Cadillac CT6. At least one plug-in hybrid vehicle will also be phased out. The Chevy Volt is assembled Detroit-Hamtramck plant and its motor is made at the propulsion in White Marsh, Maryland.
The plans will affect nearly 15,000 workers.
Meanwhile, the company says it will double engineering resources allocated to electric and autonomous vehicle programs by 2020.
“We are taking these actions now, while the company and the economy are strong, to stay in front of a fast-changing market and to capitalize on growth opportunities as we push to achieve a vision of a world with zero crashes, zero missions and zero congestion,” GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said during a call with analysts Monday.
In October, GM offered voluntary buyouts to 18,000 salaried employees in North America who have at least 12 years of experience. GM gave these voluntary buyout employees until November 19 to decide whether to take the buyout offer. The company hasn’t said how many took the offer.
GM has been undergoing a transformation over the past four to five years, getting rid of expensive, money-losing programs like the Opel brand in Europe, and investing more into electrification and autonomous vehicle technology.
Written by Kirsten Korosec
This news first appeared on https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/26/gm-plans-to-cut-more-than-14000-jobs-close-factories-as-downturn-looms/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29 under the title “GM plans to cut more than 14,000 jobs, close factories as downturn looms”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.


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Cigarette sales at Don Mariotto's convenience store in Kennewick are down about 10 percent since a $1 state excise tax increase took effect in May.
People are driving to Oregon or to tribal smoke shops to buy cheaper cigarettes and other tobacco products, said the owner of the 7-Eleven store, which holds the distinction of being the No. 1 Slurpee-seller in the world.
He said his costs have gone up on average by $1 on a case of beer because of another tax increase. The excise tax on beer increased by 50 cents per gallon-- from 26 to 76 cents -- on June 1. Since then, Washington retailers also have begun to tax sales of candy, gum and bottled water.
Mariotto said it was too early to judge the impact of the sales tax on candy and water. But kids don't have extra money, and an increase of 8.3 percent in price would mean they will tend to buy less, he said.
Convenience stores will be hardest hit by the new taxes, he said. He already had to laid off an employee to cut costs.
A new carbonated beverage tax of 2 cents per 12 ounces will be imposed July 1.
Sales of cigarettes, soda pop and candy often constitute the bulk of business at small stores, said Mark Johnson of the Washington Retail Association. They will feel the maximum pain, said the vice president of government affairs at the association.
The new state taxes, which also include an increased business and occupation tax on business services, are part of an effort to plug the state's $2.8 billion deficit. It affects lawyers, architects, engineers, physicians and private investigators, among others. The service tax increase, to 1.8 percent of gross income from 1.5 percent, affects all service businesses except hospitals, scientific research and development activities.
But taxes hurt sales and consumers, and in some cases potentially could lead to job losses, said Carl Gipson, director of Center for Small Business at Washington Policy Center in Seattle.
In a recessionary economy, businesses can only marginally afford to absorb the cost of tax increases. So, mostly they pass them on to consumers, Gipson said. That makes already overburdened consumers reluctant to spend, kicking off a cycle of slower sales and higher costs to businesses. They may decide to downsize more, which further slows economic revival, he said.
Many of the new taxes, except the one on candy and tobacco products, are supposed to expire in the middle of 2013, but there are no guarantees, Gipson said.
The new tax on candy is complicated, he said. A retailer has to know which candies are taxable. The state Department of Revenue has a list of more than 3,000 candies, he said. "Tax compliance costs are also going up."
Anytime prices go up, sales fall, said Rod Smith, who co-owns many convenience stores in Washington, including one in West Richland. He said the unusually cold, rainy weather has affected sales recently more than anything else.
He doesn't think the latest tax increases will hurt his business. "The local economy is strong," Smith said. Cigarette sales haven't take a dip, but Smith thinks beer sales could fall.
Though he doesn't agree with the state's taxation policy, some may find the increase the best way to deal with the deficit, Smith said.
In fiscal 2011, the sales tax on candy and gum will raise about $30.3 million and on bottled water about $32.6 million, said Mike Gowrylow, spokesman for the Department of Revenue.
The new excise tax on cigarettes and tobacco will raise an estimated $94.2 million; the increased excise tax on carbonated beverages will net $33.5 million and on beer about $59 million, he said.
Johnson of the retail association said he thinks the cigarette tax revenues will fall short of expectations. Consumers already have identified other sources for cigarettes, he said, adding that people are buying and selling cigarettes on Seattle streets to avoid the taxes.
The state has no idea how much the sale of contraband cigarettes might increase, but it expects a 17 percent drop in taxable consumption, Gowrylow said.
Johnson said association members are concerned they didn't have much lead time to learn about which candies are taxable. Those that contain flour generally are not taxable, he said. They want the state to be flexible and not slam them if they err in collecting sales tax on candies.