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Konecranes-Terex sale to form $4bn crane business
Konecranes and Terex proceed with deal that will render the Finnish firm supreme in EOT cranes
The purchase of the Demag overhead crane and Gottwald port crane divisions of Terex by Finland’s Konecranes will make it world’s undisputed leader in electric overhead travelling (EOT) cranes and a strengthened player in port cranes.
The $1.3bn deal with Terex, split across cash and shares, comes in the wake of an aggressive bid from China’s Zoomlion the US group, but preserves the spirit of the proposed Konecranes-Terex merger and paves the way for the combined business to trim some $159m in overlapping overheads.
Assuming the sale goes ahead, Terex’s port and material handling division will add around $1.57bn to Konecranes 2015 revenues of around $2.41bn. The enlarged business will be 25% owned by Terex and employ 19,000 people.
Konecranes is now considering accelerated timeline for its implementation of synergies with the Terex businesses based on the extensive integration planning work already carried out by the two companies.
Of the total of $159m (per annum) synergies targeted within three years, $39.6m is expected to be achieved across procurement, supply chain and logistics within 12 months of the acquisition.
Further synergies should subsequently be achieved across the manufacturing footprint of the two businesses and more broadly across their selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses.
One-time implementation expenses are expected to be $147m, with $68m of capex expected.
At the same time, dynamic synergies related to new opportunities in global service operations and the brands’ complementary product ranges and geographical footprints are expected to lead to significant growth in earnings.
Konecranes chairman Christoph Vitzthum said: “For Konecranes, this acquisition is a milestone in building our future. The Acquisition makes it possible for us to realize a long list of synergies and we expect it to create substantial value for our customers and shareholders.”
Panu Routila, president and CEO of Konecranes, added: “This acquisition will prove crucial to improving our position as a global partner in services, industrial lifting and port solutions.
“The combination of our businesses brings together a family of leading brands that will open new growth opportunities in the service business and creates critical mass for future technology development.”


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The company established an agreement with Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority, to forge its presence in this new market.
Press release.- Endorphina, the slot game software provider, has started a collaboration with the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen. This partnership marks a new step for Endorphina, as Spelinspektionen issued a B2B license to the company for supplying online slots in this market.
For the past several years, Endorphina has been showing growth indicators, and with this collaboration, the company now operates in 29 regulated jurisdictions. Endorphina regularly creates new innovations in the iGaming scene and has won over 10 industry awards in the last few years.
Moreover, the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) is responsible for ensuring the safety, reliability, and legality of the Swedish gaming and gambling market.
In addition, Spelinspektionen aims to provide consumers with the necessary tools for fair gaming by
maintaining a balanced and transparent gaming market.

domain: news


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Trump said he will raise tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods to 30% and hike duties on another $300 billion in products to 15%.Politicsread more
Stocks dropped after Donald Trump ordered that U.S. manufacturers find alternatives to their operations in China.US Marketsread more
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida said Friday that the global economy has deteriorated in the past month.Marketsread more
The latest escalation in the trade war ups the odds the economy will fall into recession and that the Fed will aggressively cut rates.Market Insiderread more
Here are the products that stand to be the most affected by China's new tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods.Marketsread more
"We don't need China and, frankly, would be far better off without them," Trump tweeted.Politicsread more
"My only question is, who is our bigger enemy, Jay Powell or Chairman Xi?" Trump wrote amid a series of tweets that rattled markets Friday.Politicsread more
"I would love this to be clarified. We come to a deal on trade, boy, this market is up 10 to 15%, but without it's going to be worrisome," Jeremy Siegel says.Marketsread more
The final week of August could be highly volatile as markets fret over the economy and the latest developments in trade wars.Market Insiderread more
Tesla solar energy systems reportedly ignited at an Amazon warehouse in Redlands, California last June, and the Seattle e-commerce titan confirmed that it has no further plans...Technologyread more
The death comes as federal and state health officials investigate a slew of lung illnesses in connection to e-cigarette use.Health and Scienceread more
Trade negotiations between the world's two largest economies are stalled over disagreements surrounding Chinese tech giant Huawei, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Progress on resolving the trade war is stuck in limbo until the White House determines how to address China's demand to back off restrictions on Huawei, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the talks.
There has been little public progress since President Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed to a truce at the G-20 last month. The issue of intellectual property was a key sticking point at the June international summit, despite Washington and Beijing's agreement to restart talks. The issue over which semiconductor chips, among other products, can be sold to Huawei without security issues remains a key point of contention, according to the Journal.
On Tuesday, President Trump said "we have a long way to go as far as tariffs" and threatened to slap tariffs on another $325 billion of Chinese goods. The tariff escalation started in 2018, and the president has already put 25% levies on $250 billion of imported Chinese goods. That led to retaliation against U.S. agriculture and other imports.
The Commerce Department added Huawei, which relies on American suppliers for components and software in several of its products including smartphones, to a blacklist in May. That essentially bans American companies from doing business with the Chinese tech giant, unless they get special permission from the department. The White House declared a national emergency over the issue, citing national security threats.
The restrictions have already taken a toll on the Shenzhen-based giant. Huawei CEO and founder Ren Zhengfei said the company expects a $30 billion hit in the coming years thanks to the restrictions. The company also recently announced that it was scrapping a new laptop.
Earlier this week, the Journal reported that Huawei plans to lay off hundreds of employees as it remains on the blacklist. The layoffs are expected to hit Huawei's U.S. development subsidiary Futurewei, according to the Journal.
The trade battle also appears to be a drag on the Chinese economy. Data on Monday showed the country's economic growth slowed to 6.2% in the second quarter — the weakest rate in at least 27 years.
— Read the entire Wall Street Journal story here.


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If you’re watching social media news, you might say that this year was all about transition and growth, and positioning social companies on the brink of taking it to the next level. Up to 11, even.
photo from laweekly.com
But the bigger story in social media is one that’s unfolding in every channel and for every brand, and marketers who don’t see it coming or understand it are going to have a very bleak 2013 indeed.
2012 is about consumers driving their own marketing experiences, particularly in social media. Last year brands learned how to meet their customers where they hang out online, and they learned to listen and use the unspoken rules to communicate on an entirely different level. This year brands are responding to and encouraging customer demand to be in the driver’s seat, often with success, sometimes resulting in epic failure, but always with lessons for all of us to learn.
My favorite consumer-driven social marketing experiences so far this year have been:
1. Pinterest: High Point Furniture Market StyleSpotters
Pinterest has been the darling of the 2012 social media scene, and it’s no surprise that High Point Furniture Market has a presence given the amount of home décor daydreaming that happens on Pinterest. They’ve taken advantage of it to the fullest with a series of contests to find highly influential designers and bloggers to be “Style Spotters.” Style Spotters build Pinterest boards under the High Point brand and pin goods they found at the Market, sending traffic to both parties without requiring either side to break out a huge marketing budget.
2. Twitter: Sweden letting its residents tweet on behalf of the entire country
Who knew Sweden was so bold? This project kicked off in 2011, but it’s gained attention and followers in 2012 with some pretty controversial tweets. If even bad press is good press, Sweden is certainly winning. Visit Curators of Sweden (almost assuredly NSFW) to get to know this week’s voice of @Sweden.
3. Facebook: Moosejaw customer cover photos
Ok, this isn’t a huge news story, but I’m fascinated by the way Facebook changes have made actual marketing so costly and complicated for brands that many are turning to user-generated content to do the work for them. All the buzz at the start of the year was that customers weren’t really engaging with brands on Facebook, but companies like Moosejaw are finding ways to keep their customers coming back by making them an active part of the brand experience. Now they’re engaging, and they’re spreading the word to their friends.
4. Instagram: WarbyWalks
What makes this even bigger news is that some participants complained that the WarbyWalks were too gimmicky. That’s right, customers actively joining an activity sponsored by and surrounding a brand expected to not feel like they were being marketed to.
Checkmate, marketers. The customer may not always be right, but in 2012 the customer is certainly in charge.
Are you willing to give over control of your brand in social to your customers, or do you think they already have it through comments and tweets? What brands do you think are getting it right?


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from the arrrr-what's-the-password-landlubber? dept.
scurtis writes "British anti-copyright group, Pirate Party UK, has predicted that Pirate ISPs will spring up across the country — promoting online privacy and allowing users to share files anonymously — in response to draconian file-sharing proposals outlined in the Digital Economy Act. The news follows reports that the Pirate Party in Sweden (PiratPartiet) will launch the world's first 'Pirate ISP.' The move is designed to curb the use of online surveillance in the country, and combat what PiratPartiet describes as the 'big brother society.'"
The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact
mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows.
- Frank Zappa


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Milan Fashion Week 2023 has well and truly kicked off, with a slew of celebrities stepping out to watch the fashion-filled runways.
From Ed Westwick to the cast of White Lotus, take a look at all the stars who have made a stylish appearance...
Theo James and his wife, Ruth Kearney mastered the art of couple dressing in matching Armani suits as they stepped out to attend the Giorgio Armani fashion show on January 16.
Ed Westwick and Roberta Armani were amongst the other A list attendees who stepped out for the Giorgio Armani show.
Simona Tabasco, who rose to fame after her breakout role as Lucia in White Lotus, looked glamourous in a sparkling, oversized dress at the JW Anderson pre-fall fashion show on January 15.
Sabrina Impacciatore made a statement in a sunset-patterned catsuit at the JW Anderson Pre-Fall 2023 fashion show on January 15.
Adam DiMarco looked dapper in a black-and-white gingham coat and turtleneck at the Prada Menswear Fashion Show on January 15.
TikTok stars Jack Wright and Vincent Hacker donned similar ensembles as they posed from photos ahead of the Prada Menswear Fashion Show on January 15.
Caro Daur looked chic in head-to-toe Prada as she attended the fashion house's show on January 15.
Amelia Gray Hamlin, daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, strutted down the runway at the Dsquared2 fashion show on January 13.
Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre turned heads in colourful ensembles at the Gucci show on January 13.


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Angry Birds publisher Rovio is seeking to cash in on a Chinese theme park that has created a real-life Angry Birds game without the company’s permission.
The Window of the World theme park, located in the Chinese city of Changsha, opened the new game this month, calling it “The Real Version of Angry Birds”. The game allows visitors to catapult bird-shaped balls at targets with an actual slingshot. The iconic cartoon characters from Angry Birds are also used in the promotions for the game.
“The game did not receive any authorization from Rovio,” said Daisy Yang, a spokeswoman for the company’s China business. Rovio said it learned of the theme park game from recent media reports.
But rather than take legal action, Rovio has entered into talks with the theme park about creating a long-term partnership. “We would welcome a partnership, but Rovio would need to give them permission to use the Angry Birds game,” Yang said.
An employee with the theme park claimed it had already received permission from Rovio’s Chinese representatives, and that the two parties were in discussions about a long-term partnership. The theme park’s Angry Birds game, which will run until the end of the month, was created as a way to help players release stress, he added.
Partnering with the theme park fits into Rovio’s strategy to not only expand the presence of its Angry Birds game in China, but also sell more merchandise around the game.
The company has high hopes for the Chinese market, and wants its Angry Birds game to reach 100 million downloads in the country by the end of this year. To this end, it is working to create Chinese versions of Angry Birds, which the company plans to release this month.
Rovio hopes to eventually turn Angry Birds into an entire entertainment franchise. It has already begun to sell T-shirts, iPhone cases, and Chinese traditional moon cakes, all tied to the Angry Birds game.
But the company is well aware of rampant piracy and counterfeiting in China. While speaking in Beijing in April, Rovio’s chief marketing officer Peter Vesterbacka said the company took pride in being one of the top three most copied brands in China. Now the company aims to translate that popularity into sales, he added.


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In Illinois, the state treasurer has had a unique idea to help parents save for their kids' college education. Alexi Giannoulias proposes that parents spend more money, and specifically charge their purchases on a special MasterCard credit card, in order to earn one percent back from purchases to be deposited into a college savings fund.
What a novel idea! According to Giannoulias, more credit card debt will help send kids to college. He figures that if people are going to be charging purchases anyway, why shouldn't they be putting money into a college savings account at the same time?
The idea at the heart of the Bright Start FutureTrust MasterCard idea may be a good one. Parents do need to plan early and put aside money for their children's college education any time that they can. The bad part though, is that with this plan, they are racking up consumer debt and paying out high interest rates month after month while putting away a measly one percent of their original purchase amounts. That seems a little backwards.
Giannoulias does gratuitously add that the Bright Start FutureTrust MasterCard should not be a substitute to a college savings plan, and should not be used to incur more consumer debt. Well, here's a newsflash for Giannoulias: Credit cards generally are used to rack up consumer debt.
Additionally, this MasterCard has a default annual percentage rate as high as 29.49 percent. The non-default rate for the card is anywhere from 13.24 to 19.24 percent. As a bonus to this not-so-good deal, the cards are issued with a 0 percent teaser rate that escalates to the 29.49 percent default rate the moment a good-intentioned parent is late with a payment.
For people who are able to pay off their credit card balances each month, the Bright Start FutureTrust MasterCard may be a good supplement to a solid college education savings plan. However, statistics show that especially among those with reduced home equity, Americans are falling deeper into debt by using their credit cards, so it would seem that this plan would not benefit the largest percentage of people who are concerned about establishing college savings accounts.
Also, changes in circumstances are not unheard of with all the mass layoffs and cutbacks happening. A person who normally pays off credit card balances each month could easily find himself in default and wind up owing huge amounts of interest on bills he can't pay. Eventually, filing bankruptcy could be the only way out.
As more Americans miss payments on their credit card accounts, major U.S. banks are making radical changes to their credit service agreements. Customers who are late with payments can now expect to have their interest rates raised to the maximum default rates, which in the case of the Bright Start FutureTrust MasterCard is 29.49 percent, but with other companies can be even higher.
Even consumers with good credit and excellent payment histories are being hit with these extreme rate hikes the moment they default on the credit card agreement by failing to make a payment on time, exceeding their credit limit, or bouncing a check.
The way credit card companies are cracking down on customers has not gone unnoticed by Congress. While lawmakers have generally kept their noses out of the credit card business, there is some concern from credit card companies that they could step in to stop some of the extreme policy changes and default rate hikes by the credit card companies.
Credit card giants Citibank and Chase have already announced that they will abandon their universal default interest rate hikes based on a consumer's performance on other accounts or a decline in the customer's credit score. That's not to say that the default rate doesn't kick in when a consumer is late with a credit card payment or exceeds her credit limit. The companies are simply backing off their universal default policies and minding their own business as far at their customers' credit is concerned.
So with stricter credit card policies, high default interest rates and for most, the inability to pay off credit card balances monthly, just where does Alexi Giannoulias get off proposing that parents who are desperate to save for a child's college education do so by skating on the thin ice of a new credit card account with a one percent "reward?"
Let's hope that most consumers ask this question before blindly signing up for an account that will benefit them far less than it will cost them.


text: ByJohn S. McClenahen The U.S. equity market has already factored a slowly growing U.S. economy into its earnings expectations for 2001. And as more data become available -- U.S. jobless claims, retail sales, and producer prices are due out this week -- the extent of the market's lowered earnings-per-share (EPS) expectations will become clearer. "We expect downward EPS revisions to continue in cyclical sectors such as technology, capital goods, consumer cyclicals, and basic materials," says the Salomon Smith Barney Inc. unit of Citigroup, New York. However, next year could look a whole lot better, suggests Bruce Steinberg, the often-bullish chief economist at Merrill Lynch & Co., New York. "Historically, the equity market has usually had a double-digit gain in the year following the initiation of a [Federal reserve interest] rate cutting campaign," he says. "If we're right and the Fed eases [short-term interest rates] again on Jan. 31, history suggests that the market will rise strongly from that point forward."


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Clinton Advisor Claims China Will Out-Innovate US Because It Has A 5 Year Plan
Remember Laura D’Andrea Tyson? A Republican Congress and Monica Lewinsky rescued us from her leftist economics when she was Chair of the under Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers. As far as we know she and Hillary were the only women in the White House that Clinton did not have an affair with.
Recently, Ms. Tyson warned us in “Avoiding the Sino-American Technology Trap” that China is about to become the innovation leader of the world because they have a five-year plan:
Building on its 13th Five Year Plan (in May 2016), the authorities established objectives for China to become an “innovative nation” by 2020, an “international innovation leader” by 2030, and a “world powerhouse of scientific and technological innovation” by 2050. It also committed to increasing its expenditure on research and development to 2.5% of GDP and almost doubling the number of patents filed per 10,000 people by 2020.
Tyson should know better than to place so much faith in central planning. After all, the defunct Soviet Union enjoyed similar five-year plans for much longer. If this is China’s 13th plan, they began in 1953 and their economy didn’t take off until the 1980s. What happened to the previous five-year plans?
And the launch of China’s miraculous economic development, which Tyson captures well, happened out of desperation, not because of a five-year plan. Forty years ago, farmers in a remote village risked their lives to save their families from starvation by dividing their communal land into privately farmed plots. They knew that if someone exposed their plan the Communist government would execute them, so they pledged that those who were survived would take care of the families of those executed. To their horror, they succeeded beyond their own dreams. Harvests were so abundant that they couldn’t keep their secret. Eventually Deng Xiao Peng found out, but instead of executing them as Mao would have done, he encouraged them because most of China was starving at the time.
Liberty in farming spread to liberty in commerce and China’s economy took off. Embarrassed by the success, the Chinese Communist Party with the aid of the US media has taken credit for China’s rapid development. Gullible economists like Ms. Tyson are only too happy to promote the propaganda.
Every American should applaud China’s economic miracle because nations do not compete economically; only businesses in the same industry compete with each other. A richer China benefits the US. Until recently China has boosted the US standard of living by suppling us with high quality and inexpensive consumer goods, especially clothing and electronics while becoming wealthy enough to buy our agricultural products and capital equipment such as electrical generators and airplanes. Trade always benefits both countries.
If China did become the innovation leader of the future, the US would still benefit because all new technologies have benefited others more than the inventor. After all, China invented printing and gunpowder while an Englishman came up with the steam engine, but the West and especially the US, has benefited the most from foreign inventions because we used them more effectively.
But if China becomes the world’s leader in innovation, it will happen mainly because the US destroyed its culture, as Tyson notes:
But American industry is not as dynamic as it once was. Between 1997 and 2012, two-thirds of America’s industries experienced an increase in market concentration, and a record 74% of employees are working at these aging (16 years or older) incumbents.
US corporations have manipulated regulations to kill off upstarts and create oligopolies in most industries. They would like to have monopolies, but that would bring down on their heads the wrath of anti-trust laws. Oligopolies are almost as good at increasing profits and getting rid of the monkey on their backs – competition that forces them to innovate.
Whether or not China becomes an innovation leader, much of the innovation in the US will cater to Chinese tastes as they become wealthier and dominate consumer markets. But I’m afraid China will not become the leader they aspire to be. One reason is that the Communist party has begun to believe that it was responsible for China’s economic miracle and their record with their five-year plans has proven they don’t understand how to grow an economy.
But the main reason China struggles to innovate is a lack of individualism. Helmut Schoeck points out in Envy: A Theory of Social Behavior that envy is the enemy of innovation because it suppresses the individualism necessary to achieve new ideas and allow the inventor to stand out. The US continues to dominate the world in measures of that kind of individualism.
Chinese culture has changed in the generation that ushered in the economic miracle, but it still has a long journey to catch up to the US unless the US destroys its individualist culture.
Originally published on Townhall Finance.
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TOKYO (CBS.MW) - Nissan Motor Co. said Friday its first-half net profit rose 0.5 percent from a year earlier, helped by higher sales overseas.
Net income for the six months ended Sept. 30 rose to 238.8 billion yen ($225 million) from 237.68 billion yen, Japan's second-largest automaker said.
Its sales rose 12.7 percent to 4.008 trillion yen from 3.556 trillion yen, and operating profit rose 0.6 percent to 403.44 billion yen from a year ago.
Nissan achieved operating profit margin of 10.1 percent in the first-half, and targeted 10.5 percent for the full-year.
But foreign exchange losses cut profits by 56 billion yen, 51 billion yen of which was against the dollar, Nissan said.
Nissan's global sales in the first six months of the fiscal year rose 8.8 percent to 1.596 million units from a year ago.
Although sales in Japan fell 4.9 percent to 368,000 units hurt by the total market volume decline, sales in the United States rose 16.6 percent to 489,000 units, while in Europe Nissan sold 285,000 units, up 6.6 percent from a year earlier.
In other overseas markets, sales rose 15.2 percent, helped by robust demand in China, Taiwan, Thailand and Mexico, the company said.
For the full-year, Nissan maintained its forecast of posting net income of 510 billion yen and operating profit of 860 billion yen on sales of 8.176 trillion yen.
Shares of Nissan (7201)


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Don't be tackled out of a genuine Rugby World Cup 2015 ticket - Police warning over fraudsters targeting fans
Beware: Fraudsters are already selling fake tickets to 2015's Rugby Word Cup
Sports fans have been warned by the police to beware of fraudsters flogging fake Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets.
Tickets for the event are already being sold by online agents.
But the Metropolitan Police has told fans they should buy tickets for the tournament only from the official Rugby World Cup 2015 website.
There will be 48 rugby matches in stadiums across England and Wales between September and October next year. Prices cost upwards of £50.
If you don’t buy your ticket through the official channel, and it turns out to be a fake or never arrives, you risk being left out of pocket and not being able to get to a match.
The first batch of tickets went on sale on January 1 for travelling fans.
Hospitality packages go on sale on February 2, while rugby clubs and their fans can buy tickets from May/June.
Tickets go on general sale in September.
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Bitcoin BCH secured file storage available through Bitcoin Files Protocol
A new feature for the Bitcoin BCH network has been added this past weekend, continuing the development of the world’s leading retail-driven cryptocurrency. Developers behind the Simple Ledger Protocol (SLP) announced that they have successfully created the Bitcoin Files Protocol (BFP), which allows for small files to be uploaded to and downloaded from the Bitcoin BCH blockchain.
BFP was developed by a number of SLP programmers, including Ryan X. Charles, Mark B. Lunderberg, James Cramer, Calin Culianu, Jonald Fyookball and Bitcoin BCH programmer “Unwriter.” Cramer explained the protocol on Yours.org, saying, “The SLP developers have created a very simple protocol for uploading and downloading small files (<5kb) to the Bitcoin Cash blockchain, it is called Bitcoin Files Protocol (BFP) — Once a file is uploaded it can be simply downloaded using a single transaction ID.”
He further added, “SLP Token V1 has two fields in its Genesis transaction called `token_document_url` and `token_document_hash`. These fields to allow any additional token related data to be attached to a token — The thought was that a user could “simply” upload a file to somewhere in the cloud and provide its URL and hash.”
On-chain file storage systems are necessary because the majority of cloud storage services are not inherently resistant to censorship and are often centralized. “It turns out very few cloud storage services permit anonymous file uploads with URL for sharing with others,” he asserted.
As developers continue to work on providing real-world functionality for Bitcoin BCH, the digital currency’s advance as the leading cryptocurrency isn’t showing signs of slowing down. The Bitcoin BCH is showing itself to be the most robust, most versatile blockchain and is showing impressive innovation that will help set it apart from the rest of the digital currency alternatives.
Note: Tokens on the Bitcoin Core (SegWit) chain are referenced as SegWitCoin BTC coins; tokens on the Bitcoin Cash ABC chain are referenced as BCH, BCH-ABC or BAB coins. Altcoins, which value privacy, anonymity, and distance from government intervention, are referenced as dark coins.
Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV) is today the only Bitcoin project that follows the original Satoshi Nakamoto whitepaper, and that follows the original Satoshi protocol and design. BSV is the only public blockchain that maintains the original vision for Bitcoin and will massively scale to become the world’s new money and enterprise blockchain.


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UK-based record label EMI Music blames Apple’s iTunes for being too influential. The assessment wasn’t expressed in a low voice private meeting, it’s actually a part of their annual financial report. In short, the document says the iTunes’ dominant position in the music space lets Apple indirectly command the pricing structure on other music stores:
The substantial dependence on a limited number of online music stores, in particular the iTunes Store, for the online sale of music recordings, and the resultant significant influence that they can exert over the pricing structure for online music stores.
Record labels have slammed Apple in the past, but this is the first time – at least to our knowledge – that iTunes has been called out in an official document. EMI reported declining CD sales, but said digital music sales for the year ended March 31, 2010 increased from 7.4 percent a year ago to 8.1 percent of their annual revenue of £1.65 billion ($2.57 billion). The music group reported sales of 13 million remastered Beatles albums to date. EMI is the only non-public major music company, owned by private equity partnership Terra Firma.
Read more in EMI’s annual financial statement
What makes this really interesting is the fact that EMI used to be Apple’s closest ally in the music business. EMI was sympathetic to Apple’s new music initiatives, like when they dropped digital-rights management and became the first record label to sell their music unprotected on iTunes. In addition, Depeche Modes’ “Sounds of the Universe” album (released by EMI) is hailed as the first iTunes Pass launched on the store.
Now, If their best music buddy is accusing them of hurting the industry, imagine what the other labels must think of Apple. Labels would love to see the Cupertino firm fail, but at the same time they’re forced to co-operate for between 60 and 70 percent of digital music sales go through iTunes. Also, Apple’s store is now the #1 music retailer in the world. As the old saying goes: If you can’t beat them, join them.


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COCKEYSVILLE, Md. (WJZ) — Have you noticed more holiday displays as you’re out driving around?
Some retailers are saying they’ve seen a high demand for decorations as people look for ways to spread cheer.
“Even though this year has been rocky, up, down, left and right, it’s a way to show that expression,” one holiday shopper told WJZ. “Just love, family and hopefulness.”
“This is the way we get to celebrate,” another shopper said. “To show our neighbors and friends that we’re still in the spirit.”
Many shops are reporting a high demand for decorations.
“This year people have decorated more, and they’ve decorated earlier,” John Hessler, of Valley View Farms, said.
At Valley View Farms in Cockeysville, they saw the holiday rush come early.
“They know they’re staying at home now, they’re not going out as much, I think they’re just doing more at home and they want to decorate and enjoy it,” Hessler said.
One of the most sought after items is lights, helping bring some light to a somewhat dark year.


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New York – On the heels of releasing their most important issue ever, the double-cover Commemorative Michael Jackson Tribute Edition, Hip Hop Weekly magazine publishers Dave Mays and Ray Benzino were recently acknowledged with the award for “Best Magazine” at the Urban Music Awards in New York. Hip Hop Weekly beat out The Source, Vibe, and XXL, all long-time urban mainstays. The award comes just two years after Hip Hop Weekly was named one of the “15 Hottest Magazine Launches” in 2007 by prestigious media industry authority “MIN.” The Urban Music Awards honor marks Hip Hop Weekly’s emergence in 2009 as the leader of the “next generation” in print media for a consumer market that has broadened and matured as hip hop has become a mainstream, worldwide culture.
This year’s Urban Music Awards USA ceremony was held July 17 at the renowned Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Hip Hop Weekly was nominated by over 2 million fans worldwide for submission into the Best Magazine category. Editor-at-large Cynthia Horner and Style/Creative Editor TJ Rudy were on-hand to accept the award at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom.
“We are proud that the world’s first celebrity weekly-format magazine for the hip hop community has been acknowledged as the Best Magazine of 2009, just two and a half years after our launch,” said David Mays, Hip Hop Weekly’s publisher and co-founder. “The ongoing and explosive growth of Hip Hop Weekly during what may be the worst climate in the history of magazine publishing, is a strong testament to the validity and groundbreaking nature of our innovative format and journalistic approach. I would like to acknowledge our entire Hip Hop Weekly staff for their contributions in consistently delivering relevant, informative and entertaining content to the mainstream hip hop audience.”
Hip Hop Weekly (www.HipHopWeekly.com) currently ranks as one of the 10 best-selling magazines nationally in the 7-Eleven chain out of over 65 titles, and the magazine was recently added by Walmart to over 3,000 magazine pockets at cash registers in the front of their stores.
The co-founders of The Source Magazine in 1988, David Mays and Ray Benzino developed The Source into the #1-selling music magazine on newsstands in the world in the 1990’s. The team of Mays and Benzino would go on to be recognized for their innovation in building a stable of media companies around The Source name, establishing one of the best known brands in the media business through their successful ventures in television, music, merchandising, and mobile content downloads. They produced some of the highest-rated TV programs for a hip-hop audience ever, including the 2004 broadcast of The Source Awards which ranks as the 6th highest rated show in the history of the BET network. The Source presents Hip Hop Hits became the most successful series of hip hop compilation albums ever, selling over 5 million copies domestically. The Source Mobile division sold over 3 million ringtone downloads in two years. Their efforts in the corporate space were instrumental in taking hip hop into the mainstream, growing the audience and expanding the universe of businesses selling to the coveted, hard-to-reach 18- to 34-year-old market.
About Hip Hop Weekly
Hip Hop Weekly is the world’s first entertainment and news weekly for the Hip Hop generation. The magazine covers celebrity news, music, film, TV, fashion and sports from the perspective of the tens of millions of young Americans who identify with hip hop culture. Hip Hop Weekly is published every two weeks and is available nationally at stores such as Barnes & Noble, 7Eleven, Walgreen’s, Rite Aid, Kmart, Pathmark, CVS and Walmart, as well as airport magazine retailers and magazine outlets in the UK and Canada.
Pictured from left to right: Music producer, Swizz Beatz with Hip Hop Weekly’s Editor-at-Large Cynthia Horner and Style/Creative editor T.J. Rudy at the Urban Music Awards.
Photo credit: KENTHEPHOTOGRAPHER / http://www.kenthephotographer.com .


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Coffee farmer networks throughout Jiwaka province in Papua New Guinea are connecting to high-speed satellite broadband via the brand new Kacific1 satellite, thanks to a partnership between ISP Emstret and satellite operator, Kacific.
Emstret is committed to push boundaries in Papua New Guinea.
The company works with local businesses, SME’s, and social enterprises like Jiwaka Coffee Limited to provide affordable internet services to rural communities.
Through the Emstret-Jiwaka Coffee Limited collaboration, Emstret continually connects coffee growers from the mountainous provinces to affordable internet.
This is made possible with the installation of Very-Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite dishes across Papua New Guinea.
Jiwaka Coffee is a social enterprise based in Kukpa Village in Jiwaka province, a region which represents 85per cent of Papua New Guinea’s coffee producers.
Jiwaka Coffee produces specialty honey coffee, in which ‘honey’ is a style of processing that uses less water and creates a complex bean flavour.
Its goal is to positively impact five to seven thousand households in the next seven years through ethical coffee pricing.
To achieve the goal, the company has formed networks and partnerships to link up the stakeholders who are keen to get coffee from “tree to cup”.
“The satellite connection is much more affordable than any other options we had in the past.
The connection is reliable, and it enables us to carry out video calls daily.
Daily communication is important for our business as it ensures that all stakeholders are kept up-to-date on what is happening in real time,” says Emma Wakpi, Manager, Jiwaka Coffee.
Led by successful entrepreneur Vani Nades, Emstret has partnered with Kacific to provide services to rural and remote communities of Papua New Guinea.
The rural population of Papua New Guinea represent 87 per cent of the total population of 8.6 million, according to World Bank data.
“By connecting Papua New Guinea’s large rural population to affordable internet services, we build a strong platform for businesses to establish and maintain networks as well as improve and expand operations to a wider market.
Emstret’s services are powered by the Kacific1 satellite, a brand-new telecommunications satellite launched in December 2019 that covers every corner of Papua New Guinea with affordable, high quality internet.
This technology enables Papua New Guinea to foster meaningful economic growth with internet-based opportunities. With the use of small antennas called VSATs, Emstret can quickly connect communities across Papua New Guinea to high-speed internet at an affordable price.
This technology will make a difference to the lives of rural communities – and that is what I am excited about,” says Vani Nades, CEO of Emstret.
On top of enterprise connectivity, Jiwaka Coffee is setting up an internet café near the company’s factory centre for young people and others to access affordable internet for school, work, and other entrepreneurial pursuits.
This initiative aims to support the many local high school students who do not have good access to internet and research materials or facilities to do their studies.


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Current Scenario of Metal Sector of India – How It Gets Affected By China’s Industrial Production Dip
The stock market of China has plunged, thus it resulted in the crash of global metal prices that has worsened the revenue outlook for metal producers in India. This is due to the raising repayment concerns that took place in an already debt-laden sector. The experts have commented on this matter. And said that China accounts for more than 30% of the overall consumption of metals globally. The prices have further collapsed after witnessing a significant correction in prices in the last few months. This will have an impact in the Indian Metal Sector as well. For Indian metal producers, this collapse means the landed price for these metals in the domestic market will go down further, thus pressuring them to reduce prices. As China will dump its surplus production in various markets, the export demand may also fall.
When China was building up its infrastructure ahead of the 2008 Olympics, most of the Indian steel and base metal manufacturers invested heavily in expanding capacity. However, the manufacturers struggled to produce enough revenue to retire debts after the global economic meltdown the following year. It would be not wrong to say that the same country that took prices to their crest with its feverish imports and spending has been involved in bringing them down, with a large cut expected in its desire for metals as well as for other commodities that may hurt Indian manufacturers somewhere or the other.
The market analyzers say that when the prices will keep on falling, then it is obvious that the margins will get impacted. The manufacturers are mainly concerned about the cheap imports at prices lower than that in the originating country, which will be an unfair trade practice. The fall in revenue must be proportionate to the fall in copper prices for copper operations as per some research analysts. Whereas, Aluminium has its own dynamics as there is the impact of premiums and steel and iron prices. Even though the steel prices are at very low levels, still they may fall further. All this will impact earnings.
On 14 September 2017, the BSE metals index closed at 8,833.51, down 3.9% from the previous day. As the benchmark Sensex index closed at 27,687.72 points, down 1.72% from the previous day. On the same day, the Shares of Hindalco Industries Ltd closed at Rs.101.75 apiece, down 5.13% from the previous day, and Vedanta Ltd traded at Rs.146.10, down 7.85% from a day ago, while the shares of JSW Steel ended at Rs.849.10, down 3.13%.
Current Scenario of Mobile Manufacturing Industry – Is China Leading Ahead?
These days’ Chinese products do not have the same image, as they use to have a few years back. Earlier we have a perception about the Chinese product that they are cheap and low in quality. But now, China has improved the quality of products and captured the market. Even big companies like Apple Inc. are taking advantages of the Chinese supply chain efficiencies to reap higher margin by keeping costs low. Therefore, China is called as the World’s Factory. However, nowadays you might have heard about a campaign on social network site of boycotting Chinese products. This trending campaign is carried out to create a populist belief in India and its product. We know the fact that the major Indian Smartphone market chunk is still dominated by Chinese Smartphone brands. The Chinese companies are venturing with the Indian mobile manufacturers under the scheme of “Make in India”. This will be again a tough fight with the Indian Smartphone brands.
For India Smartphone companies, it might be a wake-up call. After China, India is slowly becoming the second most favorable mobile manufacturing destination for Chinese mobile companies. The Indian mobile industry is estimated to carry out the sales of 174 million units by the end of this year. Chinese mobile companies might take away the major market share. The Chinese companies witnessed a heavy saturation in their domestic market and the demand of its domestic consumers was sophisticated and complex to fulfill. Thus, the Chinese mobile companies started capturing the international markets after they faced an economic slowdown.
The growth of Chinese Brand in India
Since both the Chinese companies and the Indian companies have similar market structures, so it was easy for Chinese companies to penetrate in the Indian Smartphone market. Due to the help of major e-commerce players, India has turned into an easy expansion opportunity. The online-only business model has been successfully accomplished by Chinese brands like Lenovo and Xiaomi. Additionally, India and China share the same 4G frequency bands of 1800MHz and 2300MHz. Thus it is easy for Chinese companies to bring the latest products in India along with the home country, as no additional frequency bands modifications are essential. This can be proven with an example that the Chinese 4G Smartphone with support for the English language can be easily used in India without any issue. There are several other factors that are driving a sustained growth of Chinese Smartphone. They are competitive pricing, aggressive marketing, and faster adoption of the 4G technology of Chinese Smartphone companies. Furthermore, the integration of high-end specifications, importance on good cameras, and classy design are stuffed even into the budget mobiles.
The initiative taken by Indian Government has attracted nearly 25 mobile phone companies. Some of them are Lenovo, Xiaomi, Gionee, Oppo, LeEco, Huawei etc. Most of these companies have either started or likely to start manufacturing their products in India soon. As per reports, the Samsung has continued its number one spot with over 25.1 percent market share in Indian Smartphone market. Xiaomi captured the second spot with 10.7 percent market share. The third spot was held by Lenovo Group at 9.9 percent and Oppo and Vivo shared the later spots respectively. For the first time in a while, surprisingly, no Indian company is in the top 5 list.
In a Nutshell
Even though the Indian Smartphone industry is rapidly growing quarter by quarter, but still, the domestic makers are nowhere in the race at present. There are few international Smartphone brands, who took away the opportunities of domestic companies. Some of them are Apple and Samsung. Indian mobile companies will take time to regain the market share, but we believe that they will surely find ways to survive in the highly competitive market.


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Germany: Consumer Jitters Are Stalling The Recovery
Germany's economic recovery has hit a snag. Businesses are losing confidence because domestic demand hasn't picked up. But German consumers are hesitant to spend, largely because the labor market remains soft.
The March IFO Business Climate index declined for a second straight month, to 95.4. The March results weren't skewed by the Madrid bombings, says IFO, a research organization. It reviewed responses from manufacturers and found little difference in replies that came after the attacks. That makes the decline in the current business-situation index, the first fall in six months, particularly troubling. It implies a more fundamental issue is weighing on businesses.
The major culprit appears to be domestic demand. The IFO retailing index fell to -31.8, from -24.3 in February. And the March consumer confidence figures from GfK Gruppe, a market-research company, show little improvement is likely. The latest reading stalled at 5.1.
Part of the problem is that businesses seem reluctant to add workers. The jobless rate remains stubbornly high at 10.3%. And the latest employment survey from Manpower Inc. (MAN ), a U.S. staffing company, shows German businesses plan on trimming payrolls during the second quarter.
Nor are consumers getting much help elsewhere. Some $18.5 billion in tax cuts are being offset in part by a freeze in pension payments and increases in health-care costs. That's one reason the GfK survey showed that income expectations fell in March. Plus, real interest rates in Germany are among the highest in the euro zone.
That leaves the German economy dependent on foreign demand to fuel the current recovery. So far, the higher euro doesn't seem to be crimping foreign demand. In fact, the March IFO survey reported rising expectations regarding exports. Even so, the German economy won't show much improvement until domestic demand turns around. With the possibility of that rebound becoming increasingly remote, economists are already lowering growth expectations for 2004.
By James Mehring in New York


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The creator of the famous Metal Gear Solid series, Hideo Kojima has shed some light on his new tie-up with Sony and his newly formed independent studio Kojima Productions.
Kojima gave an interview to IGN and talked about the primary objectives of the new studio and also about the new PS4 console exclusive game which will later arrive on PC.
Putting emphasis on his aim that “it will be a complete game”, Kojima said, “I want to create something that’s what people expect, but at the same time will have something new that people haven’t seen before.”
The art director Yoji Shinkawa, who teamed up with Kojima in past on the Metal Gear Solid series, has also joined the new realm of Kojima Productions. He is confident that the new game will surpass the Metal Gear Solid series in terms of visual fidelity.
“We’ve been working on a franchise that is beloved and has recognizable characters,” he said. “One of my big goals is, visually, with whatever characters we create, to go beyond that, to be more recognizable, more beloved. That’s definitely one of the goals I have when it comes to the art side.”
“I’ve been in this industry for 30 years. I turned 52 this year. I’m getting to a new start, and I am very confident. I’ll keep creating games until the day I die. Rest assured I’m making more games, something more fun, something you haven’t seen, and it would be great if I could count on the fans to support me in this” – Hideo Kojima
Talking about the scope of this new IP and its benefits, Kojima said, “I’m thinking smaller-scale, not too many people, and focusing on game creation at first. We’ll have more agility. We’ll be able to do things that are more edgy, preserving the quality we’ve had so far, while at the same time finding new challenges and exploring new areas.”
Besides making games Kojima has plans in future to explore other mediums of entertainment too. “The focus is on digital content, so we could consider movies, animations, anything,” Kojima said. “But first I think people expect games from me.
That’s where I want to put my focus. Once we have an established IP in games, something solid that satisfies people then we can consider movies and videos.”
Here is list of few other highlights from IGN’s interview of Kojima –
- Kojima described the concept of studio’s new logo as a depiction of a medieval knight or an astronaut’s helmet. He added, “As for the skeleton, we’re homo sapiens – people of wisdom – but we’re also homo ludens – people who play – and the concept behind this logo is that: With new technology and a pioneer spirit, we’ll deliver play to a new world.”
- Kojima is very much excited about VR tech and the studio might think about creating a VR game in future, but nothing is confirmed yet.
- The disappointing console trend in Japan isn’t an issue for Kojima. “I make games in Japan for a global market. As long as there’s a market out there in the world for making games, I’m not too focused on what’s happening in the domestic market in Japan. “
- Kojima refrained from talking about Konami and focused on reasoning why the tie-up with Sony is favorable. “I feel like this is an environment where I will be able to make something and feel comfortable,” Kojima said. “And I believe that’s the environment I need right now.”
- Nothing has been decided regarding which game engine the studio’s debut PS4 game will use. Kojima and team did create Fox Engine but it is still retained by Konami.
Click here, to check out the full interview by IGN.


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According to the ministry, given the growing global energy trade, including in LNG, the emergence of additional short shipping routes is becoming a matter of time.
"The Northern Sea Route, whose navigation period continues to increase and reached 9-10 months in 2020, has a high potential to expand cargo traffic, significantly cutting transit time for goods shipped from Asia to Europe. The NSR ships liquefied natural gas, oil, and many other goods," the statement read.
Even in the pandemic year of 2020, cargo traffic via the NSR exceeded the planned target and totaled nearly 33 million tonnes, including over 18 million tonnes of LNG.
The Suez Canal, a vital link between Asia and Europe, hasn't been traversable since last Tuesday, when a 224,000-tonne container ship ran aground on its way from China to the Netherlands.
After almost a week of attempts, megaship Ever Given was finally refloated on Monday morning. Navigation via the key water artery, whose blockade is said to be costing the world trade $400 million an hour, is expected to resume within several hours, a source with the Suez Canal operator told Sputnik.


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One of the biggest scourges of the environment is single-use plastics. In fact, hundreds of cities and countries around the world have announced bans on them or plan to phase them out in coming years. While the best solution is always going to be re-usable replacements for things like straws and plastic silverware, they aren’t always practical. For that reason, several companies have started developing green options that can be eaten as part of your meal or that will fully decompose in a relatively short period of time.
Enter the Mexican company, Biofase. They have just unveiled a line of disposable straws and cutlery that are made from recycled Avocado seeds! Along with being a much more ecologically sound product than plastic disposables, these products are fully biodegradable and will completely decompose within 240 days.
The company is currently shipping its products to more than 11 nations throughout Latin America. Chili’s Grill & Bar, Fiesta Americana and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro all also order Biofase products, but it is unclear whether they only do so in Latin America or if they also do it for their North American locations.
The Biofase products are great for the environment on both sides of the waste prevention scale. Along with keeping literal tons of plastic waste out of landfills, the ocean, and off the side of the road, the company also processes more than 15 metric tons of Avocado waste on a daily basis. This is waste that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill where it would have been buried under mountains of trash and would have eventually been converted into methane.
You can learn more about Biofase HERE.


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The largest smartphone producer has been designing a new type of display for its Galaxy 8. It will cover the whole front of the device and is expected to be released on the market in 2017.
One of the innovations is that there will be no Home button, according to insider sources, cited by Bloomberg.
The display will be equipped with a virtual button, covered in glass and placed low on the screen, added the source, who asked to remain anonymous. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) will be used to make the new display.
After the battery hitch in Galaxy Note 7, which sent the flagman into history, Samsung now needs Galaxy 8 to become a hit among users. A fiasco might cost over 6 billion dollars.
The South Korean giant is fighting strong Chinese competition; what is more, Apple has recently announced an intention to implement OLED screens, which are much thinner and consume considerably less power.
Samsung is planning to show the new model in March, but that could be postponed till April, sources have pointed out.
At the moment the company is applying stricter testing procedures after Galaxy Note 7, which might delay the Galaxy 8 release by a month.
The device will be of the same size as its predecessor.
The company also plans to present an improved version of its digital assistant, which will obey voice commands to send messages, make calls and prepare schedules.


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This is very icy.
The Migos rapper got the new chain from the CEO of his label, Pierre “Pee” Thomas. If Pee’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he also blinged out Gucci Mane and his wife at their wedding.
We’re told the Naitch jewelry — made by Wafi Lalani at Jewelry Unlimited in ATL — is made up of 27 carats on the chain and 25 on the pendant.
Check out the video of Offset showing off the chain and Flair’s reaction…


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Vaughan to open city’s pools, indoor fitness facilities July 21
July 16, 2021
Vaughan announced July 14 that the city’s indoor pools and fitness facilities are set to open Wednesday, July 21.
Pre-registration is required and will begin on Monday, July 19 at 8:30 a.m.
All fitness centres will reopen except for Garnet A. Williams since renovations are ongoing there.
Members will be able to exercise at a temporary fitness facility secured by the city in the plaza behind Promenade Mall at 7700 Bathurst St., Unit 1. The Maple fitness centre will reopen once the COVID-19 vaccination clinic closes, to be determined by York Region Public Health.
For fitness facilities, the city said, it will have the “capacity limits of up to 50 per cent where physical distancing permits, and scheduled 75-minute workout time blocks, with a 15-minute shutdown in between appointments for cleaning and sanitization.”
Meanwhile, pools will also have “capacity limits of up to 50 per cent where physical distancing permits, and scheduled 60-minute pool time blocks, with a 30-minute shutdown in between for cleaning and sanitization.”
Also, spas and diving boards will be available for use; however, water slides will remain closed until further notice.
The city advised existing members to “reactivate their membership in advance.”
“The city put all fitness and pool memberships on a temporary hold for the duration of the community centres’ closures,” it added. “Members must have an active membership to book a time block for a workout, recreational/length swim, and aqua fitness classes.”
Individuals who don’t reactivate their membership will be required to pay a single-visit fee.
Members can also register for a workout four days and two hours in advance. For further details, visit vaughan.ca/fitness.
To reactivate a membership, email firstname.lastname@example.org or call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281.


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For the first time, CeBIT Australia is featuring six strategic panels where some of the most successful leaders and greatest minds in the industry will debate the biggest issues in business technology. “The idea behind these panel sessions is to provide a unique level of access and valuable insight for all our attendees from many of our industry’s leading minds as they share their thoughts and ideas,” says Hannover Fairs Managing Director, Harvey Stockbridge. “It’s all part of our commitment to deliver Australia’s leading independent business technology and knowledge sharing event.”
Proceedings kick off with the CEO panel on Tuesday, 23rd May at 11am. Executives from Intel, Suncorp Group, GE Australia, CBRE, Braintree, News DNA and the Business Council of Australia will debate what it takes to lead high-performance organisations in times of constant technological change and digital disruption. Questions to be discussed include:
What is the most important purpose-led transformation to drive innovation and growth, which is being undertaken by our CEOs?
Which technologies and trends are influencing these business leaders to help future-proof their business and prioritise opportunities?
How to build organisational capability, collaboration and interconnectedness across the enterprise?
And much more…
Immediately following the CEO panel, the subject of gender diversity in start-ups and leadership positions in the tech industry will be the focus of the Women in Technology panel. Over the course of one hour Amy Mullins, Executive Director of the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia, will lead a debate on the most pertinent issues currently challenging greater female participation in the industry. Panel participants include:
Jo Burston, CEO & Founder, Inspiring Rare Birds & Job Capital
Julie Canepa, Head of IT Australia & New Zealand, Cisco
Julia Dickinson, General Manager, Satellite Engineering, nbn
Anastasia Cammaroto, Chief Information Officer, BT Financial Group
Dr Chrissy Burns, Chief Information Officer, University of Technology Sydney
Sandra Coleman, GM Strategy, Transformation & Technology, REST Industry Super
“The subject of greater female participation in the tech industry is really part of a wider debate we need to have to ensure that the Australian tech industry is attracting the best talent with the right skills across different generations,” says Stockbridge. The latter is a subject that’s taken up again in the The Next Generation Technologist panel on Wednesday, 24th March at 12pm featuring technologists from Google, CodeClub Australia, CubeRider, National Youth Science Forum, CSIRO, UTS and the Tech Girl Movement. They will put their minds together to debate how the ICT sector meaningfully engage with the next generation of technologists.


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Vasel’s Law* is finally producing fruit for a grail game on a lot of people’s lists, The Pillars of the Earth. This announcement came across BoardGameGeek’s twitter feed and calls out Thames and Kosmos as the publishers. Planned release is for late 2017/early 2018, most likely to coincide in some way with the release of the latest book in the Pillars of the Earth series in September. Hopefully this game can live up to it’s status as grail game for so many people, and I am personally eager to find out myself.
*Vasel’s Law states that if a game is truly great, it will be reprinted


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Line rental is rising by £1.50 a month on average but some will pay an extra £2.10
Out of bundle international call charges are rising to 20p per minute, from 15p
Call charges to UK landlines and mobile phones are also rising
Customers have 30 days to cancel the contract early without paying a penalty
EE is increasing its line rental costs by an average of £1.50 per month for all phone and broadband customers.
EE are also raising the price of a number of phone connection charges including a 3p increase for calls made to UK landlines and mobile phones and a 5p increase for international calls.


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For a hatch based on the humble Civic, that's seriously quick.
As far as front-wheel-drive hatchbacks go, few are more accomplished than the Honda Civic Type R. Earlier this year, Honda upped the ante even further and introduced the Civic Type R Limited Edition which is a lighter and more track-oriented version of the hot hatch.
It proved its mettle by setting a new lap record for FWD cars at Japan's Suzuka Circuit, but nifty handling isn't the only thing that the Limited Edition does exceptionally well. It's also incredibly quick in a straight line, as evidenced by a new top speed run shared on YouTube by L'argus.
In the video, the Civic Type R Limited Edition - powered by the familiar 306-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine - reached a mightily impressive indicated top speed of 290 km/h (180 mph). The standard Type R is rated to reach a top speed of 169 mph, a figure that L'argus surpassed a few years ago when the team clocked the stock Type R at 176 mph.
With its 28-pound weight-saving over the regular Type R, the Limited Edition managed to squeeze out another four mph, although, after a quick start, it did need another 39 seconds to get from 200 km/h to 290 km/h. After all, this is an agile hot hatch, not an Autobahn weapon that can be compared to something like the Audi RS Q8.
The 180-mph top speed is also assuming that the speedometer's reading was spot-on, and L'argus admitted that the top speed was reached during a "big descent". Still, it proves that regardless of which iteration it comes in, the current Civic Type R is one of the fastest hatchbacks in the world. It's one of the most respected, too, as the Limited Edition was chosen as the official safety car for the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) this year.
Only 600 examples of the Civic Type R Limited Edition are slated for the US market, so these will undoubtedly become collectors' items.


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According to IoT Analytics, a leading global provider of market insights and strategic business intelligence for the Internet of Things (IoT), the eSIM/iSIM market is set to surpass 500 million units in 2023 as it brings in the new age of cellular IoT.
More information can be found in IoT Analytics’ new Global IoT eSIM Modules and iSIM Chipsets Market Tracker, which provides quarterly data on worldwide IoT eSIM modules and iSIM chipsets from 2018 to Q1 2023.
Satyajit Sinha, Principal Analyst at IoT Analytics, comments:
“Looking ahead, it’s evident that eSIMs are positioned to become the primary SIM technology in the next 2-3 years, surpassing their counterparts. This shift is expected to be followed by the emergence of iSIMs, which are predicted to gain popularity due to their advanced security features, including a hardware root of trust. We’ll likely see a gradual transition from eSIMs to iSIM technology, as iSIMs are expected to become the preferred choice in the long term due to their inherent security advantages.”
- eSIM/iSIM is transforming the dynamics of the cellular IoT market, offering increased flexibility, reduced provisioning time, smaller form factor, enhanced security, and sustainability.
- The eSIM/iSIM IoT market is poised to surpass the 500-million-units mark in 2023.
- Two factors will likely drive the growth of eSIM and iSIM in the cellular industry: cybersecurity regulations and GSMA specifications.
Entering the new age of cellular IoT: eSIM/iSIM market to surpass 500 million units in 2023
The cellular IoT market is undergoing a significant shift: physical subscriber identity module (SIM) cards as we know them are becoming virtualized in the form of embedded SIMs (eSIMs) or integrated SIMs (iSIMs).
In 2023, the IoT module eSIM/iSIM market is poised to surpass the 500-million-unit mark. Just in the first quarter, over 450 million IoT modules were already capable of supporting eSIM or iSIM—roughly 16% of the 2.8 billion active global cellular IoT connections. This data indicates the growing demand for flexible, fast, and efficient connectivity solutions in the new age of cellular IoT.
| What is an iSIM? : An iSIM is a type of eSIM where an integrated UICC (iUICC) with a secure element is manufactured into a system-on-chip (SoC) or system-in-package (SiP).
eSIM/iSIM is transforming the dynamics of the cellular IoT market
The rise of eSIM/iSIM technology is not just a mere technological advancement; it is a paradigm shift. It is about the seamless integration of IoT devices, the simplification of connectivity, and the enhancement of user experience. The use of eSIMs/iSIMs can help businesses decrease time to market and improve the efficiency of IoT deployments.
This technology offers several advantages over traditional SIM cards, including:
1. Increased flexibility for IoT solutions
eSIM/iSIM technologies offer increased flexibility and reduced provisioning time for IoT devices. By allowing devices to be provisioned with different carrier profiles remotely, they enable seamless switching between networks without the need for physical SIM card changes. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for businesses deploying IoT devices in multiple countries or regions. Additionally, the ability to remotely provision and update eSIM/iSIM saves time and simplifies the deployment process, especially in large-scale IoT deployments, empowering businesses to adapt quickly and optimize their IoT deployments.
Several car companies, including BMW, Audi, Tesla, and Volkswagen, have implemented eSIM technology to offer connected car services. Through their respective platforms, these companies can remotely activate, manage, and switch mobile network profiles. This allows for more flexibility and scalability in IoT deployments.
2. Compact eSIM/iSIM enables smaller IoT devices
eSIM and iSIM technology allows for more compact IoT device designs. This makes devices smaller and more lightweight than traditional SIM-card-based devices. Notably, eSIM/iSIM technology has facilitated the development of smart labels, which are paper-thin devices that offer precise, accurate, and secure tracking of small and lightweight items.
DB Schenker, the logistics arm of Deutsche Bahn, implemented an ultra-thin smart-label solution to track small freight consignments globally. Sensos, an Israeli group company of the Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, developed the solution, which leverages Kigen’s iSIM technology embedded within Sony Semiconductor Solutions’ low-power wide-area (LPWA) chipset.
3. Enhanced security with embedded secure elements in eSIM/iSIM
eSIM/iSIM technology incorporates embedded secure elements, providing advanced security features compared to traditional SIM cards. The secure element acts as a hardware root of trust for asymmetric encryption, ensuring secure end-to-end communication. The GSM Association’s (GSMA) IoT SAFE specifications leverage a single eSIM/iSIM as a hardware root of trust.
Meanwhile, chipset vendor Sony Semiconductor Israel’s ALT1250 and ALT1350 chipsets integrate two secure elements for application security and UICC identity (Sony Semiconductor Israel was formerly known as Altair Semiconductor and is now a group company of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation).
The eSIM in Tesla vehicles enables features such as remote vehicle monitoring, software updates, and over-the-air (OTA) updates for the vehicle’s firmware. The eSIM acts as a hardware root of trust by securely storing cryptographic keys and certificates used for authentication and encryption.
4. Sustainable eSIM/iSIM technology reduces waste and emissions
eSIM/iSIM technology eliminates the need for physical SIM cards, reducing electronic and plastic waste. Additionally, the elimination of physical SIM card shipments to IoT modules or devices helps reduce emissions associated with transportation. These environmental benefits make eSIM/iSIM a sustainable choice for IoT connectivity.
Journey to 500 million: eSIM market penetration increased, iSIM is emerging, and GSMA streamlines deployment
Per IoT Analytics’ Global IoT eSIM Modules & iSIM Chipsets Tracker, eSIM penetration within cellular IoT modules experienced a significant increase, with quarterly shipments of eSIM-capable modules rising from 7% in Q1 2018 to 31% in Q1 2023. Notably, there was a period of stagnation in this growth during 2021; however, from Q1 2022 onward, we observed a consistent adoption rate through Q1 2023.
Meanwhile, iSIM is still an emerging technology in IoT. Sony Semiconductor Israel’s ALT1250 is the only iSIM-based cellular IoT chipset that reached mass shipments.
So far, the implementation of eSIM/iSIM IoT standards has been slower than initially anticipated. This is primarily due to the complexities of remote SIM provisioning and different standards for consumer IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies.
To address this issue, GSMA developed new eSIM IoT specifications, namely SGP.31 and SGP.32, that are designed to complement the existing M2M (GSMA SGP.02) and consumer IoT (GSMA SGP.22) eSIM standards. The new specifications allow for remote control and configuration of eSIMs via a dedicated management module, adapting from the current eSIM Consumer and IoT Specification.
This approach eliminates the need for user interaction when provisioning, simplifying IoT connectivity and reducing the time to market for IoT deployments. Moreover, this enhancement may eliminate the need for carrier integration, giving enterprises the same flexibility and control as consumers, thus marking a significant advancement for IoT implementations.
The release of GSMA SGP.31 and SGP.32 marked significant changes in eSIM IoT deployment in three ways:
- Introducing the eSIM IoT Remote Manager (eIM)
- Transforming Local Profile Assistance (LPA) into IoT Profile Assistant (IPA)
- Replacing Subscription Manager Secure Routing (SM-SR) with Subscription Manager Discovery Server (SM-DS) and IPA in the architecture
These changes streamline both remote profile management and provisioning processes and eliminate the need for SM-SR in eSIM IoT deployments.
The future of eSIM/iSIM in cellular IoT
Looking ahead, we expect eSIM/iSIM technology to further increase its penetration in the cellular IoT market.
Currently, the market is still dominated by a combination of physical SIM cards, uSIM, and soft SIMs (software-based UICCs in a trusted execution environment), with a combined (shipment-based) market share of approximately 67%. (Note that Soft SIMs are not considered to be secure, as they lack an anchor with a hardware root of trust.)
As the industry progresses, we assess that eSIMs will become the dominant SIM technology in the next 2–3 years. Afterward, with the next cycle of module hardware, iSIMs are likely to start grabbing market share since they offer enhanced security features and are anchored with a hardware root of trust, making them a more secure option. In the long run, it is expected that even the eSIM market will migrate toward iSIM technology, with iSIM then dominating the market.
Two factors will likely drive the growth of eSIM and iSIM in the cellular industry:
1. Cybersecurity regulation
The importance of robust security measures in cellular IoT cannot be overstated. Cybersecurity regulations are playing a pivotal role in strengthening IoT security, particularly through the implementation of hardware-based solutions.
Given the recent activity around EU and US technology regulation, it is likely that the coming years will see new laws mandating stronger IoT security, potentially requiring the use of a hardware root of trust.
In this context, eSIM/iSIM technology emerges as a practical solution for implementing chip-to-cloud security. By leveraging the secure element as a hardware root of trust, it is possible to enable asymmetric encryption, thereby bolstering the overall security framework. It is noteworthy that cellular IoT vendors are already guided by GSMA’s IoT SAFE specifications, which provide valuable insights and guidelines in this area.
2. GSMA specifications
GSMA’s SGP.31 and SGP.32 will play a crucial role in the future of eSIM/iSIM in cellular IoT. By streamlining the remote profile management and provisioning processes, these specifications will simplify the deployment of IoT devices and reduce the time to market. Furthermore, the introduction of eSIM and the transformation of LPA into IPA will provide businesses with greater control over their IoT deployments, enabling them to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs.


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RK Stratman Inc. – Wentzville
MU Extension’s SBTDC business development specialists help company develop international markets
- Published: Tuesday, July 16, 2013
When Harley-Davidson domestic sales began to slow to an idle, employees of RK Stratman Inc. of Wentzville knew they had to rev things up. They turned to University of Missouri Extension for help.
Stratman, one of the original 12 Harley licensees, produces more than four million t-shirts annually for the motorcycle giant’s dealers. With the help of specialists from the Missouri Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), the company has been able to roll into the growing international market.
“According to the Small Business Administration, 97 percent of all U.S. exporters are small businesses, and 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States,” said Larry Dill, then director of international trade for the Missouri SBDC. “This represents an enormous opportunity for small firms.”
Dill and then MU Extension Camden County SBDC international trade specialist Jackie Rasmussen have worked with the Stratman staff and SBDC partners, including the U.S. Department of Commerce, SBA export programs and the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED).
Rasmussen and Dill steered the company into MO STEP=UP, an SBA-funded program administered by the DED’s International Trade and Investment Office that helps defray the costs of foreign sales trips, trade shows, translation services and other exporting expenditures. That was something in which Stratman could see immediate benefit.
“It’s been a huge eye-opener,” said Art Gompper, sales and marketing manager for RK Stratman. Company sales reps recently completed a trip to a Barcelona trade show, followed by visits to Harley dealers in the U.K., Ireland, Switzerland and Germany.
“It’s proven to be very expensive to get out there to trade shows internationally, meet new dealers and make contacts,” Gompper says.
By developing overseas markets, however, the Wentzville plant has been able to avoid layoffs and has even needed to hire contract employees during peak times. Gompper said seasonal climate differences in countries where their T-shirts are sold allow the company to distribute its work more evenly. “There’s really no down time,” he said.
“MU Extension has put us in touch with many valuable and reliable resources,” said Melissa Rosenthal, international sales leader. “They have allowed us to expand our reach.”
The Wentzville firm was founded in the 1960s by Ron Stratman, who still rides his Harley to work five days a week. The company now operates two shifts with 250 employees in a sprawling 305,000-square-foot facility that includes an art design division, screen printing, shipping, sales and marketing.
Stratman is known for riding a customized 1980 FLT wrapped in buffalo hide. The “Buffalo Bike” is a staple of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The company is still family-owned, with Stratman’s wife and children playing key roles in the business.
With Harley-Davidson celebrating its 110th anniversary this year and international markets continuing to grow, the Wentzville apparel manufacturer is kickstands-up and cracking the throttle.
– Story courtesy of Linda Geist, writer for University of Missouri Extension; photos by Megan Johnson


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Travel agencies are poised for expansion, but the major challenge is finding travel advisors to fill new positions. Acquiring agencies and enticing newcomers to join the industry are ways around it.
Sparked by record sales and demographic trends, travel agency consolidation and expansion is happening at a fast pace.
Just within the last few weeks, mergers between large and midsize agencies include Frosch International Travel‘s acquisition of Luxe Travel, Direct Travel‘s acquisition of Professional Travel, and Coastline Travel Group‘s acquisition of World Travel Bureau.
“It’s a huge time for agency growth, especially through acquisition,” said travel agency management consultant Robert Joselyn of Joselyn Consulting Group, adding that the number of agencies seeking counsel on expansion plans has skyrocketed in recent months.
The agencies involved are privately held, and they didn’t disclose terms of the deals.
What’s behind it? According to Joselyn, the expansion through acquisition trend is not only a result of prosperity, but the growing challenge of finding seasoned travel advisors to staff new offices.
“A lot of travel agencies have the financial means and desire to expand, but the difficulty they face is a declining pool of experienced travel advisors to draw on,” he said. “The quickest way to get around this is to acquire existing agencies that already have advisors.”
At the same time, the number of travel agencies for sale is also rising, Joselyn added.
“The aging of the travel advisor population means an increasing number of travel agency owners are planning to retire,” he said. “They’re looking for a succession plan and strategy for their business. So there are opportunities out there to buy agencies.”
What is motivating travel agencies to expand and why should they do it? Joselyn said economies of scale and gaining increased clout with suppliers are two of the main reasons.
“With expansion, you can spread out things like accounting, marketing, and tech support to cover greater volume without changing your fixed costs,” he said. “Increased scale also brings in stronger relationships with suppliers, so you get better commissions and overrides.”
Expansion these days may be a matter of survival, said Jay Johnson, CEO of Coastline Travel Group, a Virtuoso member based in Garden Grove, California, which is among agencies growing at a rapid rate.
“There’s so much consolidation happening right now that either you’re going to play or get left behind,” he said.
A Cautionary Note
Joselyn, however, also cautioned that expansion through acquisition is not without its pitfalls. Among the biggest ones are merging the agencies’ different cultures and employee policies on things like compensation and vacation time, he said, adding that buyers and sellers have a responsibility to assess these differences beforehand.
Johnson agreed. “What I do first is look at the company culture of the agency we are looking to purchase,” he said. “If I don’t think it’s a good fit, I pass, and I have passed on several.”
Joselyn recommends that new owners phase in changes gradually, perhaps even asking the previous owner to stay on for a short period to help ease the transition.
“I’ve seen cases where new owners make changes right away — and they lose people as a result,” he said. “There’s got to be conversations and rapport building along the way.”
Other major challenges arise when there are different consortium affiliations or global distribution systems (GDS) involved, Joselyn added.
“In particular, problems arise when there’s a different GDS to convert to — that’s a huge change for employees,” he said. “In those cases, I recommend offering a change bonus, perhaps $1,000, to people in recognition.”
Coastline’s Spending Spree
Coastline Travel Group‘s recent acquisitions include World Travel Bureau, which has five offices in Southern California, as well as Hager’s Journeys in Scottsdale, Arizona, Alpine Travel in Saratoga, California, and Lecoeur Travel in Monaco. Coastline also recently opened two storefront agencies with an innovative lounge design, Tafari Travel in New York City and Denver.
“We’ve been on a spending spree growth process for the past few years, with acquisitions the biggest part of that,” Johnson said, adding that the acquisition of World Travel Bureau brings Coastline’s annual sales close to $100 million.
The opportunity to purchase World Travel Bureau arose when owner Tom Jackson contacted Johnson and said he was retiring, and looking for someone “like-minded” to take over his business.
“Tom has been in travel since the 1960s and has been a friend and mentor to me,” Johnson said. “It seemed like a great fit. We sell similar products, plus they have great air contracts that we didn’t have.”
While Coastline is actively scouting for new locations, particularly in places that are magnets for retiring baby boomers, Johnson said future expansion is more likely to happen by acquiring existing agencies rather than opening new offices.
“Finding travel advisors who know the industry and have good connections is the biggest challenge of opening a new office,” he said. “The first thing we look at when considering a new location is if it offers talent we can obtain. We’ve pulled back from opening in some very good markets because it wasn’t there.”
With its recent expansion, Coastline is poised for even further growth because its increased clout with suppliers and ability to invest in technology is enabling it to attract more independent contractors, Johnson said.
“We’re able to strengthen the host agency side of our business by offering better commissions and tech tools to support independent contractors,” he said. “We’ve also been able to invest in more technology for our group department, allowing us to up our game with incentive travel and corporate off-sites.”
ProTravel and Ovation
Two large New York-based luxury agencies, Protravel and Ovation Travel, are in a growth mode as well. ProTravel last year opened its first office in San Francisco, coming on the heels of new locations in Austin, Texas, and Orange County, California.
Ovation Travel recently announced plans to open a new regional headquarters office in the Los Angeles area headed by Aanchal Gandhi in the newly created position of vice president of leisure and independent advisors, West Coast.
The new office will enable the agency to further grow its burgeoning entertainment travel business, which was kickstarted by Ovation’s acquisition of London-based Chartwell Travel in 2018, said Gina Gabbard, senior vice president of Ovation Travel.
“The London location is heavy into travel for the entertainment industry, and it’s brought in new clients in this field, many of whom would like to work with our independent travel advisors in Los Angeles,” she said. “So it made sense for us to have a location there.”
Another purpose of the new regional office is to provide more support for Ovation’s home-based independent travel advisors based in Southern California and encourage further growth among their ranks. Ovation has already been making strides in adding independents, with 40 new advisors joining its host network in 2019, bringing the total to slightly more than 200, according to Gabbard.
“Our headquarters office in New York offers a lot of support for independents, including office space for them to use if they wish,” she said. “We will be doing the same in Los Angeles.”
Avoya Travel Network, which over the years has morphed from a traditional storefront travel agency to a major host network serving 1,350 independent travel advisors, is also on a growth track, although not from agency acquisitions or new offices.
Through referrals and an extensive online marketing campaign, Avoya added 500 travel advisors to its network in 2019, most of whom are home-based, said Jeff Anderson, co-president.
“We launched an initiative a few years ago aimed at attracting newcomers to the travel industry, particularly from business categories similar to travel such as real estate, hospitality, and retail,” he said. “There’s huge growth potential for travel, particularly among young entrepreneurs who want flexible hours and the ability to work from anywhere on their mobile devices.”
With the intent of fueling future growth, Avoya recently opened the Avoya Innovation Center in San Diego, a space for developing new technology platforms that also offers facilities for video chats and live-stream meetings between Avoya employees, suppliers, and independent travel advisors.
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Photo credit: The Atrium Cafe in Avoya Travel's new innovation center. Avoya Travel added about 500 travel advisors in 2019. Avoya Travel


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Ferrari calls this its "most extreme one-off design ever."
It was the second prototype and close to production spec.
This could also be the rumored Ferrari Dino.
Some sort of mid-engine stallion is on the loose.
Ferrari might move to a single, modular space frame to underpin most of its next-generation models. The brand is also working on something special for its 70th anniversary in 2017.
When we think of desirable Ferraris from the 1970s, the choices are somewhat thin. Obviously, there was the 365 GTB/4, better known as the legendary Daytona, but that was initially a product of the 1960s. Really, aside from the arrival of the stylish 308, the 1970s weren't a strong decade for Ferrari.
Purists who've given up hope with Porsche amidst their sedan and SUV shenanigans aren't going to like this one bit. After all but completely phasing out even the option of a manual transmission in Ferrari road cars (in favor of robotized sequentials and dual-clutch gearboxes), Ferrari's management says it can't rule out the possibility of a V6 in the near future.
Dino fans rejoice, the rumormill is churning out plenty of grist about a V6 power unit in the offing for some future Ferraris. The California is already getting a V8, so Prancing Horse fans wishing for a "Dino II" will remain unfulfilled, but new approaches to high performance are key to keeping Ferrari at the zenith of autodom, lest it fall down the nostalgia hole that's seen Jaguar nearly suffocate on its own pillowy upholstery. The case for a V6 would be partly the banal issues of emissions a
It's been photographed for months and referred to alternately as Dino and F149, but for now at least, the newest stallion from Maranello goes by the generic moniker, Ferrari GT. Today, the automaker launched www.ferrarigtcountdown.com where the car will be gradually revealed during the runup to the Paris Motor Show this September. Ferrari promises to feed us technical details, sound files and photos of the car between now and Paris. Right now you c
At last month's Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo surprised the industry by revealing that his company would be coming to the Paris Motor Show in October with a new model. Widely anticipated to be the oft-refuted new "entry-level" Ferrari,
Ferrari officials have supposedly confirmed that their new mini-model is coming to the Paris Motor Show this fall and in keeping with the company line, it won't be sporting a "Dino" badge when it's unveiled.
It is official, at least from the pages of Car magazine: Ferrari's we-aren't-building-a-Dino Dino will appear at the Geneva Auto Show in March of '08. It arose from a stillborn Maserati that was to be a companion to the Granturismo. Maserati couldn't afford to make it, so the project became the Dino.


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The government allowed ecommerce corporations corresponding to Amazon and Flipkart to ship each important and non-important objects in districts categorised as inexperienced and orange zones in Lockdown 3.zero that begins May four and runs for 2 weeks. However, they nonetheless can’t promote non-important objects in crimson zones, the place their greatest markets are positioned. Taxis and cab aggregators can function in inexperienced and orange zones with restrictions.
“Ecommerce activities will be permitted only for essential goods” exterior containment areas in crimson zones, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) mentioned in revised tips issued on Friday night.
A senior authorities official informed ET that supply of all merchandise will likely be permitted in inexperienced and orange zones. The move will come as a reduction to the platforms in addition to their sellers and prospects, though the largest markets are nonetheless within the crimson zone.
“We welcome the government’s decision to allow ecommerce in orange and green zones to serve people safely with products that they need and have not been able to access due to the lockdown,” an Amazon spokesperson mentioned. “Millions of small-and-medium businesses and traders will now be able to jumpstart their businesses and livelihoods across their workforce.”It will take some time for the modifications to take impact on the bottom.
“It’s certainly not going to be business as usual, but this will be a slow path to an economic revival,” mentioned an government, who maintained that the MHA’s announcement was constructive for the ecommerce business. “It will take a few days before we really understand the kind of demand that exists in these markets and we will ramp up slowly.”
Big on-line retailers usually draw greater than 90% of sales from non-essential items corresponding to smartphones, electronics, home equipment and attire, and have been severely affected by the countrywide shutdown, not like different international locations the place on-line commerce is operational and has surged as folks steer clear of shops. So far, ecommerce suppliers have been allowed to ship solely important objects all through India.
Read: Non-essentials gross sales curb might pinch ecomm firms exhausting
While corporations welcomed the move, they mentioned that with greater than 50-60% of gross sales coming from metros and huge cities, that are largely within the crimson zone, enterprise will proceed to be impacted. These embrace Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, all designated as crimson zones.
“Huge demand comes from customers in red zones for non-essentials. We are hopeful that the essentials list gets expanded so that more items can be sold in these areas as well,” mentioned a web-based commerce agency government.
A Snapdeal spokesperson mentioned the move will assist spark a gradual restoration by enabling sellers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to cater to prospects by means of on-line and offline channels.
Appreciate MHA’s guideline on opening eCommerce for all classes exterior Red Zones. It is now essential for all e… https://t.co/MruaLuXZbu
— Kunal Bahl (@1kunalbahl) 1588350635000
An government at an ecommerce agency with a large base of prospects and sellers in tier 2 and three cities mentioned it expects gross sales to perk up as there’s pent-up demand in these markets as effectively.
“India has been working, studying and staying indoors for quite long now,” mentioned Srinivas Mothey, senior vice chairman, Paytm Mall. “They are running low on supplies of several items including laptops, mobile phones as well as accessories, computer hardware, books, stationery, and even basic summer wear.”
Mothey mentioned many customers have been eagerly ready for some reduction in lockdown tips to purchase air conditioners and fridges as summer time temperatures rise.
“This is exactly what the (ecommerce) industry was asking from the government–allow us to resume operations in all regions where it can be carried out safely,” mentioned a senior government at a number one ecommerce firm. “Even we need to maintain safety of our staff, which is why operations not being allowed in red zones is not such a big issue.”
Sources shut to Amazon mentioned the corporate will take a staggered method and first open up precedence merchandise corresponding to work-from-house and be-at-house necessities, and people which have been most searched by customers these days.
“Luxury products like expensive bags and perfumes will not be given a green light immediately,” one of them mentioned.
Deliveries in inexperienced and orange zones will likely be allowed between 7 am and seven pm, as per the MHA tips for non-important companies. Further, corporations mentioned they are going to profit from wider workforce availability as motion passes for workers will now not be required in these areas.
There will likely be no motion of folks into or out of containment zones inside crimson and orange zones, apart from medical emergencies and sustaining the provision of important items and companies, the ministry mentioned.
The zones are categorised primarily based on coronavirus an infection information. As of April 30, 130 districts have been within the crimson zone, 284 in orange and 319 in inexperienced.
Besides on-line deliveries, the federal government has opened up cab aggregator companies in orange and inexperienced zones as effectively moreover permitting different varieties of journey.
“In the orange zones, taxis and cab aggregators will be permitted with one driver and one passenger only. Inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles will be allowed for permitted activities only. Four-wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers.”
Executives at mobility startups Ola and Uber indicated that whereas the rules open up orange and inexperienced zones, a bulk of their enterprise comes from the highest seven metros, that are nonetheless shut to such companies. Food supply apps Swiggy and Zomato, nonetheless, might give you the option to open companies in some smaller cities and cities now.
Amazon cited curbs on ecommerce as the rationale for its enterprise in India being worst hit by the pandemic, even because the American large recorded a surge in general income for the primary quarter of 2020.