text:
After a short preview in September last year, and the small matter of getting acquired for $26.2 billion by Microsoft, today LinkedIn — the social network for the professional world with close to 470 million users — is finally unveiling its redesign of its desktop site, complete with a simpler, app-like look; a new messaging experience that appears as a pop-up on the homepage; and updated search features. LinkedIn said the new desktop version will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks.
LinkedIn’s director of engineering, Chris Pruett, describes the update — which has overhauled both the front end and back end — as the biggest it has had since the launch of LinkedIn itself. It comes about a year after LinkedIn unveiled a revamped set of mobile apps, and the idea is to give the new desktop version more parity with that both in terms of look and functionality.
The new app is moving away from the busy pages of the past (see the old feed here to the right) and attempting to reduce clutter by reducing the navigation to seven areas: Home (Your Feed), Messaging, Jobs, Notifications, Me (your old profile page), My Network, and Search. There are also more, easier to find links to newer projects at LinkedIn that it also hopes to push more in the future, such as LinkedIn Learning, which it launched at the same time as it previewed this desktop refresh in September.
Two of the most notable changes in this new version are how LinkedIn is approaching private messaging, and also how it’s moving to make its public messaging — its feeds — better and more used.
Private messaging has always been a big part of how people connect and communicate on LinkedIn, and here it looks like the company is making some big changes to grow that channel even more. You can now chat on your home screen through a pop-up window, rather than going to a separate place that moves you away from your main page (this it seems is also designed to keep more audience on that feed).
And now, LinkedIn is introducing its own form of ‘chatbots’. To be clear, I’m referring to these as chatbots, but LinkedIn is not — it doesn’t follow you and steer the whole conversation, but it’s a little helper that will suggest things to talk about to “break the ice” with people. It will also suggest people you can chat with at companies if you aren’t even at the ice-breaking point.
The feed itself is going to be filled with significantly more algorithms to suggest content to you — both organic and sponsored, “native” content — a new ad unit that LinkedIn is hoping to expand. Among the organic content, you’ll be seeing more suggestions of people to follow, as well as more content from influencers alongside news curated by LinkedIn itself and its editorial team.
As we’ve described before, LinkedIn’s approach to news in this new version appears to be aimed at getting more people to visit and stay on its site for longer, for more than just updates on its professional network, but a place where you might go to look for news that’s relevant to your work life, and to life. This will now include breaking news alerts and a whole set of actions that will come alongside them: supplemental links to learn more; people on LinkedIn who are connected to you and relevant to the story; and links to relevant Influencer posts.
All this seems to be a direct descendant of the news aggregation services that LinkedIn picked up by way of its 2013 acquisition of Pulse. Since then, LinkedIn has been making a lot of updates and integrations between Pulse and the bigger network, but to be honest I’ve never been too sure about just how much traffic comes and reads the LinkedIn news feed. That’s something that LinkedIn wants to change, of course, as looks to bring in more revenue through advertising (more on that below).
On top of this, there will now be new search features, focused on a universal search box that lets you search by people, jobs, companies, groups and schools.
But with the redesign also come some changes that may not make everyone happy.
In December last year, to the dismay of some users, LinkedIn quietly axed a number of features that were given to the Premium (paid) subscription tier, including a number of search parameters (among them: years of experience, function, seniority level, and when a user joined) and the ability to search in Groups.
There is a chance that LinkedIn may offer these again in a new search product, but for now, if you want these features, you have to opt for the more expensive ($64.99 versus $47.99 per month) Sales Navigator tier.
“The big picture, the way we approached the redesign, is that we wanted to create a more focused experience,” Amy Parnell, the senior director of user experience design at LinkedIn who has been overseeing the new version, told me in an interview.
“There were a number of features where we didn’t see large engagement, and we wanted to clean up the experience and make it more focused, so we had to make some calls about where to invest and expand. It doesn’t make sense to continue to invest in those search features, in terms of the Premium tier.” She added that there are other “insights” that Premium users will be getting in other areas like jobs and growth trends (which is not actually the same thing for those who were using these features before).
This fits in with longer-term changes at the company, which has gradually been tightening features and services that it provides to users on different tiers of its service as well as developers.
Regular, non-recruitment industry users, for example, used to be able to look at people’s full profiles without logging into a LinkedIn account of their own, jumping straight to them from, say, a Google search. Now, you have to be logged in to see full profiles (you can still go incognito in your settings if you want to stay anonymous to the person, if not LinkedIn itself). Some have come up with workarounds for how to surmount some of these limits.
LinkedIn may argue that it’s doing this in the name of making the site easier to use by focusing on more popular features, but it’s undeniable that it’s also tweaking things in the name of more monetization.
That monetization strategy follows also from an update that came out yesterday: LinkedIn is now working with DataSift to parse its public data.
The data, in turn, becomes part of a larger DataSift product for brands and marketers that they use to monitor social networks, to consider how and if they will use them in ad campaigns. LinkedIn is trying to boost its advertising revenues, and third-party access of this kind is essential to advancing that.


text:
Michigan brewery to debut a paczki stout made from mushed-up paczki
Baffin Brewing Co. drops mix of sweet paczki into a new stout that will be released in a couple weeks
Forty pounds of sweet paczki — including strawberry, raspberry, lemon, custard and more — got mushed up Tuesday for the special ingredients in an experimental beer to debut soon at Baffin Brewing Co.
"It was a ridiculous day yesterday at the brew-house, that's for sure," said Evan Feringa, co-founder and head brewer at the St. Clair Shores brewery.
The jelly-donut-like pastries of Polish tradition, sold widely across metro Detroit for Fat Tuesday, were dropped into the mash for a stout. Nugget hops grown at Churchkey Farms in Deerfield also were added.
Beer normally includes four ingredients – malts, hops, yeast and water – but experimental brews are increasingly popular. Feringa said he got a taste of the wort (not-yet-fermented beer).
"It tasted really good – it's chocolatey, because of the stout ... and then you got a fun kind of sweetness that will most likely ferment out," he said, adding that it tasted like a carnival's elephant ear on the finish. "It was just a ridiculous brew."
Yeast will ferment sugars from the paczki into alcohol, but the special ingredients are sure to influence the flavor. The brew is a collaboration with Brew Detroit, a Corktown-based brewery, but because of liquor laws, it's only to be available on tap at Baffin, Feringa said.
"We've been talking about it for about a week now," he said. "They brewed with us. They helped us mash, I think, over 150-160 different paczki."
The brew was on Baffin's third anniversary of its grand opening. It was founded in 2015 by Feringa, Joe Dowd and Joe VanderMarliere. Feringa said they were able to enjoy a few paczki Tuesday as they worked on the beer.
"We crushed a whole bunch," he said.
The beer will ferment for two weeks. After one to two weeks of conditioning, it should be ready to serve, Feringa said. They made about eight kegs' worth. The beer doesn't yet have a name.
He said they wrote down all the ingredients, including how many of each flavor paczki. If this test batch goes well, expect more paczki beer in the future.
"We're pretty excited for next year," Feringa said.
Spirits of Detroit columnist Robert Allen covers craft alcohol for the Free Press. Contact him: email@example.com or on Untappd, raDetroit; Twitter @rallenMI, and Facebook robertallen.news.

domain: news


text:
Starbucks paper cups
Starbucks coffee company find a store some communities readily recycle our paper and plastic cups when looking at the waste generated at a starbucks store. Starbucks is charging a paper cup fee at select locations feb 27, 2018 by kristine cannon fee to those who ordered a drink served in paper cups. Starbucks cups, despite being made of paper, are not actually easily recycled — the thin layer of plastic sprayed on to keep the drinks warm renders them that way. Starbucks trials recyclable cups in move to aims to reduce the environmental impact of the 25 billion paper coffee cups used in the guardian view on. Starbucks pledges $10 million to develop a more recyclable cup but environmentalist group standearth said they've been trying to 10 years and still throw 4 billion cups per years in. 星巴克品牌解决方案  financial times after 15 years at starbucks, ben packard takes up protecting. Coffee drinkers toss away tens of millions of starbucks cups each day but these cannot be recycled in denver and most other cities a thin, plastic lining that keeps coffee warm and slows. Starbucks and partners are launching the nextgen cup challenge to tap entrepreneurs working on ideas that could lead to the development of cups that are easier to recycle or compost.
Starbucks goes through 4 billion to-go cups annually but most of them end up in the landfill why even though these cups are mostly made of paper, these single-use items are almost never. Coffee chain starbucks has started charging customers 5p for ordering their teas and coffee in a paper cup the high street chain is trialling the scheme in its london cafes in a bid to get. Select starbucks stores in london are making people pay extra for ordering their drinks in paper starbucks cups instead of bringing their own mugs. Starbucks paper cups, starbucks paper cups suppliers directory - find variety starbucks paper cups suppliers, manufacturers, companies from around the world at paper cup ,paper cup making. Choose from a great assortment of starbucks branded and logo drinkware including this season's cups, mugs and tumblers. In an age of drones, robots and virtual reality, starbucks is sponsoring a challenge aimed at revolutionizing a decidedly low-tech product — the paper coffee cup the coffee giant is hoping.
Good intentions don’t turn used starbucks cups into new ones, profit motives do and for now, there’s no money in it. We are working to shrink our environmental footprint and meet the expectations of our customers by reducing the waste associated with our cups, increasing recycling and promoting reusable.
Starbucks introduced paper cups in 1984, when it had just seven stores, as part of its transition from an artisanal roaster to the world’s biggest specialty-coffee chain. In an effort to reduce the 25 billion disposable cups dumped in landfill or incinerated each year in the uk, starbucks has today announced it could soon run trials with recyclable cups in. Are starbucks paper cups recyclable or compostable here is the answer, verbatim from starbucks: starbucks white paper cups, used for hot beverages. Starbucks paper cups - 8 results from brands international paper, solo, starbucks coffee, products like international paper starbucks(r) logo paper hot cups, 16 ounce disposable coffee cup.
Starbucks paper cups
Per an official statement, starbucks notes the growing concern about the extent of the uk's use of single-use paper cups, which cannot currently be recycled. Starbucks deceives customers into thinking they are recycling, but their “paper” cups are lined with plastic, so almost all of them end up in landfills in 2008, starbucks pledged to develop. Starbucks (nasdaq:sbux) accounts for about 6 billion of the 600 billion paper and plastic cups used globally each year that's a small percentage, but still a stunning amount of cups being.
- Starbucks says its paper cups are currently manufactured with 10 percent post-consumer recycled fiber the inside is coated with a thin liner designed to meet.
- Customers are being charged 5p for disposable cups in a trial in 35 london stores to reduce waste.
- This can really depend starbucks has stores in countries all over the world, it’s very possibly that they have a number of suppliers in different countries it’s pretty much guaranteed that.
- 4 ways starbucks can fix its cup recycling start walking the talk at home by using mugs and not paper cups at starbucks corporate offices and annual.
- Shop for disposable paper cups, plastic disposable cups, disposable paper coffee cups, paper cone cups, paper drinking cups and paper cold cups for less at walmartcom save money.
Are starbucks cups recyclable starbucks ceo howard schultz pledged that all of its iconic starbucks paper cups would be recyclable by the year heart of green. First off, just to be clear, the long-haired, chill-looking person on starbucks’s cups isn’t jesus the scientific paper is obsolete james somers. For the third time in a decade, starbucks on tuesday made a major commitment to rebuilding paper coffee cups for recycling and composting, while emphasizing that the problem is bigger than. Find great deals on ebay for starbucks disposable cups and costa disposable cups shop with confidence. Starbucks will trial a fully recyclable coffee cup in its uk shops, which could eventually divert huge numbers of cups away from landfill the cup, invented by the entrepreneur and engineer.


text:
Third Space Brewing will donate proceeds from Like A Girl IPA, created and brewed by its female brewers, to the Pink Boots Society.
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – March 25, 2021 – At 2:00 P.M., March 25th, Third Space Brewing will release Like A Girl IPA at its tap room at 1505 W. St. Paul Avenue in the Menomonee River Valley. The beer is a collaboration between the female brewers at Third Space Brewing, the Pink Boots Society, Malteurop, and Yakima Chief Hops.
Third Space Brewing will donate a portion of proceeds from sales of Like A Girl to the Wisconsin Chapter of the Pink Boots Society to help provide scholarships, educational opportunities, and other services to the amazing women who call Wisconsin’s beer industry their home.
On International Women’s Day (March 8th), Third Space Brewing’s female brew team of Sam Danen and Amy Rohrschneider brewed Like A Girl with members of the Wisconsin Pink Boots Society and other female employees of Third Space Brewing and Malteurop.
2022 is the second year Third Space Brewing has released Like A Girl IPA. The project was created by the female brewing team in 2021 to great excitement from the beer community as customers lined up on the release day to purchase 4-packs of Like A Girl, knowing a portion of proceeds were going to support women in brewing. Third Space Brewing donated $4,000 in proceeds from Like A Girl sales in 2021 to the Wisconsin Pink Boots Society and hopes to raise a similar amount in 2022.
Danen and Rohrschneider tweaked the 2022 Like A Girl IPA recipe to showcase the aromas of citrus, sweet aromatics and berry in the 2022 Pink Boots Hop Blend, a special blend created by Yakima Chief Hops especially for Pink Boots Society and the Collaboration Brew Day.
The beer will be available both on tap and in 4-packs of 16oz cans at the brewery starting March 25. A small quantity of the beer will also reach distribution at select retailers in the coming weeks. Both female brewers will be on hand today for a special release day event with the group Barley’s Angels of Milwaukee, another group of women connected to the beer industry. Barley’s Angels is a social organization committed to involving women in the education and enjoyment of craft beer.
The Like A Girl project has been led Samantha Danen, who was also recently elected as the chairperson for the Wisconsin Chapter of the Pink Boots Society. The goal of the project is to highlight the roles strong women fill in every aspect of the beer business and to raise funds to help more women pursue a career in this traditionally male-dominated industry. The project is part of Pink Boots Society’s Collaboration Brew Day, in which breweries across the country brewed beers to honor International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. The team at Malteurop stepped in this year to donate 100% of the malt for Like A Girl to help further the amount Third Space can donate to Pink Boots Society.
According to Danen, “this Collaboration Brew Day is a great example of how incredible things happen when women support each other. Not only is it a day for celebration, but a day of raising the profile of women’s roles in the beer industry. My hope is that days like these serve as an inspiration for future generations of girls, and really instill a sense of belonging for women who are passionate about beer.”
To learn more about Barley’s Angels, Pink Boots Society, or the Like a Girl Project, join Third Space Brewing at the release party and check out the beer release event page on facebook here.


text:
Forecast: E-book sales to mobile devices to reach $9.7B by 2016
Sales of e-books to smartphones, tablets and dedicated e-readers are on pace to reach $9.7 billion worldwide by 2016, up from $3.2 billion this year, according to a new forecast issued by Juniper Research.
Mobile devices will generate close to 30 percent of all e-book downloads by 2016, Juniper anticipates, crediting increasing tablet penetration as well as the introduction of branded applications like Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iBookstore and Amazon.com's Kindle. While smartphones presently generate the majority of e-book downloads, fueled by manga downloads within the Japanese market, Juniper states that mobile handsets are not a primary reading device in other international regions. With storefront operators synchronizing e-book content across multiple devices, however, users will turn to their phones when their e-readers and tablets are unavailable.
Moving forward, Juniper expects that larger bookstore chains will increasingly seek to fuse their digital and physical content sales efforts. "The Barnes & Noble model has been to use its own brand e-reader--and its tablet application--to act as a bridge between online and in-store purchases," report author Dr. Windsor Holden said in a statement. "The other chains are picking up on that, launching their own devices, offering digital coupons to be redeemed in-store, reinforcing the relationship with the consumer."
Juniper adds that the adoption of the EPUB3 standard should create new opportunities for rich media titles and enhanced content across dedicated e-readers. The firm also expects e-book subscription pricing models to proliferate across corporate/educational content.
- read this release
Amazon's Kindle Fire Newsstand debuting with 400 magazines, newspapers
Rakuten acquires e-book platform Kobo for $315M
Amazon unveils Kindle Owners' Lending Library
Hulu Plus, Netflix integration highlight Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet


text:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a monthly complaint snapshot highlighting consumer complaints about bank accounts and services. The report shows that consumers continue to experience problems managing their accounts. This month’s report also highlights trends seen in complaints coming from Ohio. As of Aug. 1, 2016, the Bureau has handled approximately 954,400 total complaints across all products.
“Deposit accounts are an essential component of millions of consumers’ financial lives,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “We are concerned that consumers continue to face difficulties accessing and managing this cornerstone financial tool. Consumers who are eligible for a deposit account should be able to get one and use it effectively.”
Category Spotlight: Bank Accounts and Services
Complaints submitted under this category cover products offered by banks, credit unions, and nonbank companies. These accounts are an integral part of millions of consumers’ financial lives, providing people a dependable way to collect earnings, maintain funds, and make payments. There are more than 200 million deposit accounts open nationwide. As of Aug. 1, 2016, the Bureau had handled approximately 94,200 bank account or service complaints. Some of the findings in the report include:
- Consumers complain of trouble opening accounts: Consumers frequently complained about consumer and credit reporting data being used in screening for new accounts. Consumers complained that they learned for the first time of negative reporting information when they attempted to open a new deposit account. Additionally, consumers complained about difficulty in addressing potential errors on their reports that may have prevented them from opening an account.
- Complaints about overdraft fees and availability of funds: Consumers also complained about overdrafts on their accounts occurring because of confusion about the availability of funds they had deposited or were attempting to deposit. Consumers voiced frustration about bank check holding policies that resulted in much-needed funds being unavailable for an extended period of time.
- Frustration about financial institutions’ error resolution procedures: Consumers frequently complained about the error resolution process for their deposit accounts. Consumers complained that when an unauthorized transaction occurred or they believed they were the victims of fraud, they faced prolonged response times and lack of provisional credit for disputed transactions.
- Most-complained-about companies: Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citibank were the four companies about which the CFPB has received the most bank account or service related complaints.
National Complaint Overview
As of Aug. 1, 2016 the CFPB has handled approximately 954,400 complaints nationally. Some of the findings from the statistics being published in this month’s snapshot report include:
- Complaint volume: For July 2016, debt collection was the most-complained-about financial product or service. Of the approximately 24,000 complaints handled in July, there were 6,546 complaints about debt collection. The second most-complained-about consumer product was credit reporting, which accounted for 5,382 complaints. The third most-complained-about financial product or service was mortgages, accounting for 3,910 complaints.
- Product trends: In a year-to-year comparison examining the three-month time period of May to July, student loan complaints showed the greatest increase—64 percent—of any product or service. The Bureau received 639 student loan complaints between May and July 2015, while it received 1,050 complaints during the same time period in 2016. The CFPB began accepting complaints about the servicing of federal student loans in February 2016.
- State information: Alaska, Wyoming, and Colorado experienced the greatest year-to-year complaint volume increases from May to July 2016 period versus the same time period 12 months before; with Alaska up 29 percent, Wyoming up 24 percent, and Colorado up 20 percent.
Most-complained-about companies: The three companies that received the most complaints from March through May 2016 were credit reporting companies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Geographic Spotlight: Ohio
This month, the CFPB highlighted complaints from Ohio and the Columbus metro area. As of Aug. 1, 2016, consumers in Ohio have submitted 29,400 of the 954,400 complaints the CFPB has handled, with 6,500 of them coming from the Columbus metro area. Findings from the Ohio complaints include:
- Debt collection is the most-complained-about product or service: Consumers in Ohio most often submitted complaints about debt collection. Debt collection complaints accounted for 30 percent of the complaints submitted to the Bureau by consumers from Ohio, while nationally debt collection complaints account for 27 percent of complaints.
- Rate of mortgage-related complaints lower than the national rate: Complaints related to mortgages accounted for 22 percent of all complaints submitted by consumers from Ohio and 21 percent of complaints from Columbus. This is slightly lower than the rate at which consumers nationally submit mortgage complaints to the CFPB of 25 percent.
- Most-complained-about companies: In the June 2015 to May 2016 time period, the three most complained about companies by consumers from Ohio were Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which created the CFPB, established consumer complaint handling as an integral part of the CFPB’s work. The CFPB began accepting complaints as soon as it opened its doors in July 2011. It currently accepts complaints on many consumer financial products, including credit cards, mortgages, bank accounts and services, private student loans, vehicle and other consumer loans, credit reporting, money transfers, debt collection, and payday loans.
In June 2012, the CFPB launched its Consumer Complaint Database, which is the nation’s largest public collection of consumer financial complaints. When consumers submit a complaint they have the option to share publicly their explanation of what happened. For more individual-level complaint data and to read consumers' experiences, visit the Consumer Complaint Database at: www.consumerfinance.gov/complaintdatabase/.
Company-level complaint data in the report uses a three-month rolling average of complaints sent by the Bureau to companies for response. This data lags other complaint data in this report by two months to reflect that companies are expected to close all but the most complicated complaints within 60 days. After the CFPB forwards a complaint to a company, the company also has 15 days to respond, confirming a commercial relationship with the consumer. Company-level information should be considered in the context of company size.
This past February, the Bureau held a field hearing on ways to improve access to deposit accounts for consumers: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-takes-steps-to-improve-checking-account-access/
To submit a complaint, consumers can:
- Go online at www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
- Call the toll-free phone number at 1-855-411-CFPB (2372) or TTY/TDD phone number at 1-855-729-CFPB (2372)
- Fax the CFPB at 1-855-237-2392
- Mail a letter to: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, P.O. Box 4503, Iowa City, Iowa 52244
- Additionally, through “Ask CFPB,” consumers can get clear, unbiased answers to their questions at consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb or by calling 1-855-411-CFPB (2372).
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that implements and enforces Federal consumer financial law and ensures that markets for consumer financial products are fair, transparent, and competitive. For more information, visit www.consumerfinance.gov.


text:
Scalenut, a SaaS-based search engine optimisation, and content marketing tool, has announced its partnership with Semrush, a SaaS platform for managing digital presence. Scalenut wants to assist its users in scaling SEO content through this collaboration with Semrush.
As a result of the collaboration, Scalenut has integrated Semrush’s Keyword Overview and Domain Reports capabilities, which will improve its Keyword Researcher and Cluster Booster features.
“We strongly believe that growth within the SEO space is a positive sum game. And we are putting our money where our mouth is by integrating with one of the leaders in the industry, Semrush. These integrations are just the beginning of a mutually enriching partnership with Semrush and we are eagerly looking forward to what is to come in the future,” said Gaurav Goyal, co-founder, Scalenut.
Scalenut’s mission is to help customers write better content faster, using both natural and artificial intelligence. Not only do users get fresh content ideas, but they can also create better content using a guided workflow.
With the Semrush-Scalenut integration, quality content goes a step further, allowing Scalenut users to easily perform keyword and topic research without leaving the platform.
With its AI-powered content marketing platform, which was released for general usage in early 2022, Scalenut is taking on the $400 billion worldwide content development sector. According to a statement from the company, Scalenut’s potent content suite is already being used by over 100,000 marketers, content creators, and companies in more than 150 countries, as reported by Entrepreneur.com.
“This new integration with Semrush can help fuel the Scalenut platform as it pushes to take quality content a step further for users. Powered by our global database of more than 21 billion keywords, we are excited that our partnership will help Scalenut users streamline their workflows and achieve their SEO goals,” said Fernando Angulo, senior market research manager, Semrush.
Scalenut is a content intelligence SaaS platform that helps user to discover and create the most relevant content for its customers. It uses deep learning and AI to create the best content possible. It is one of the easiest content creation tool for companies of all sizes.
Semrush is a SaaS platform for managing online visibility that helps organisations all over the world to operate SEO, PPC, content marketing, social media, and competitive research campaigns and obtain quantitative results from online marketing. The platform helps businesses create, run, and evaluate campaigns across a range of marketing platforms by providing information and solutions.


text:
Since being embroiled in an anti-trust lawsuit two decades ago, Microsoft has positioned itself as an ally of customer choice. The cloud (particularly IaaS) has tested and, to some degree, emphasized this position. If a customer wanted to run Microsoft’s software using another vendor’s cloud infrastructure, they could do so without penalty – despite the availability of Microsoft Azure.
That's changing. In what has been touted as one of the vendor’s boldest competitive moves to date, Microsoft has announced a significant change to its licensing terms. Beginning October 1, 2019, customers that deploy Microsoft’s software on dedicated hosts at certain cloud providers will pay more. Here is an excerpt from Microsoft’s announcement:
Currently, our outsourcing terms give on-premises customers the option to deploy Microsoft software on hardware leased from and managed by traditional outsourcers. The emergence of dedicated hosted cloud services has blurred the line between traditional outsourcing and cloud services and has led to the use of on-premises licenses on cloud services. Dedicated hosted cloud services by major public cloud providers typically offer global elastic scale, on-demand provisioning and a pay-as-you-go model, similar to multitenant cloud services.
As a result, we’re updating the outsourcing terms for Microsoft on-premises licenses to clarify the distinction between on-premises/traditional outsourcing and cloud services and create more consistent licensing terms across multitenant and dedicated hosted cloud services. Beginning October 1, 2019, on-premises licenses purchased without Software Assurance and mobility rights cannot be deployed with dedicated hosted cloud services offered by the following public cloud providers: Microsoft, Alibaba, Amazon (including VMware Cloud on AWS), and Google. They will be referred to as “Listed Providers.”
These changes don’t apply to other providers and there will be no change to the Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) program or to the License Mobility for Software Assurance benefit, other than to expand this benefit to cover dedicated hosted cloud services.
These changes are broad-sweeping and have sparked customer concerns about Microsoft’s willingness to play nice in today’s enterprise IT ecosystem. They also emphasize Microsoft’s laser focus on gaining market share from Azure’s top two rivals – AWS and Google, both of whom have sounded the alarm on Microsoft’s behavior.
Google Cloud President Rob Enslin tweeted: “Shelf-ware.Complex pricing. And now vendor lock-in…Microsoft is taking its greatest hits from the ‘90s to the cloud.” Amazon CTO Werner Vogels called the move a bait-and-switch, saying it’s “hard to trust a co. who raises prices, eliminates benefits, + restricts freedom of choice.”
Microsoft’s changes target its stance on BYOL (bring your own license) rules. Historically, customers have been free to use on-premises licenses (including Windows Server, SQL Server and other enterprise software) on dedicated servers hosted by or rented from cloud providers without any real cost penalty.
The new licensing terms from Microsoft eliminate this freedom. Now, on-premises licenses purchased without Software Assurance and mobility rights can’t be deployed with dedicated hosted cloud services offered by the following public cloud providers: Microsoft (more on this in the next section), Alibaba, Amazon (AWS) and Google.
According to Microsoft’s FAQ, the changes affect only net new licenses purchased on or after October 1, 2019. However, if a customer wants to upgrade to a new product version released after October 1, 2019, or purchase a new license after that date, they have to follow the updated outsourcing terms.
Beginning October 1, 2019, customers can license Microsoft products on dedicated hosted cloud services from the Listed Providers using these options:
It’s interesting to point out who is and isn’t named a Listed Provider. First, Microsoft has included itself in the list alongside alongside its top competitors (AWS, Google and Alibaba). However, as this article points out, Microsoft is giving some Azure customers flexibility. Examples include:
(Additionally, it’s worth noting that Microsoft announced these licensing changes alongside the debut of Azure Dedicated Host – a new single-tenant cloud option that enables customers to host one or more Azure VMs on physical servers that are dedicated to their organization.)
Not included as one of Microsoft’s Listed Providers is Oracle. Microsoft and Oraclehave recently partnered to increase interoperability between their respective clouds.
While the changes set forth by Microsoft are bold and broad in scope, they are also in line with other changes the vendor has made over the last several years relative to Software Assurance and License Mobility. Microsoft wants every customer to purchase SA on licenses – especially if those licenses are being deployed in the cloud where the lines between dedicated hosted services and multi-tenant have become blurred, and particularly when competition to Azure is involved.
One thing is certain – Microsoft’s changes will have a varying impact on customers’ spend. Understanding the impact these changes will have on your Microsoft estate will require a deep analysis of your current license inventory (specifically which licenses include software assurance) and how those licenses are being deployed (on-premise, collocated, AWS, Azure?).
Visibility into these licensing specifics has historically been and continues to be incredibly difficult for customers to achieve. Even prior to these changes, many Microsoft customers were (and still are) improperly licensed.


text:
Adidas AG (ADDYY) shares fell to the bottom of the German DAX Wednesday after the sportswear giant trimmed it full year revenue outlook after disappointing third quarter sales in its key European market as rivals Nike (NKE) - Get Report and Puma (PUMSY) continue to challenge its home court dominance.
Adidas said operating earnings for the three months ending in September jumped 19% from the same period last year to €656 million ($752 million), topping analysts' forecasts, as rose 8% to €5.87 billion. However, Adidas said full year sales would rise between 8% and 9%, a reduction from the previous 10% forecast, even as it guided for better-than-expected earnings growth of as much as 20%, a move that would take its 2018 bottom line to as high as €1.72 billion.
"Some of our launches in Western Europe have not worked to the extent that we wanted, and there is no doubt that the European economy has been more impacted (by events) than any other in the world," CEO Kasper Rorsted told CNBC television Wednesday. "The Brexit decision is perhaps the most unwise we've seen in the past thirty years and that is also affecting consumer spending in Europe."
Adidas shares were marked 3.7% lower in the opening hour of trading in Frankfurt, falling to the bottom of the DAX performance index and changing hands at €198.20 each, a move that trims the stock's year-to-date gain to around 15%.
Western European sales, which rose 17% in 2017, have been largely flat this year, as its Reebok unit continues to underperform with a 5% fall in revenues 5% "as double-digit growth in Classics was more than offset by declines in Training and Running," the company said.
Overall Western European sales for the third quarter fell 1.3% to €1,645 billion, Adidas said, while Nike's Europe, Middle East and Africa sales rose 11% over its first quarter, which ended it August, to just over $2.6 billion.
Adidas' gross margin, a key metric for profitability, rose 1.4 percentage points to 51.8% thanks to "an improved pricing, channel and category mix ... as well as lower sourcing costs."
Nike said in September that its first quarter gross margin , improved by 50 basis points to 44.2%, noting that selling and administrative expenses rose 7% to just over $3.1 billion.
Nike CFO Andy Campion said the group sees revenue growth in "the high single digits, albeit at the lower end of that range as operational upside will likely be somewhat offset by FX headwinds" for the 2019 fiscal year.
Nike shares were marked 0.4% higher in pre-market trading Wednesday, indicating an opening bell price of $76.90 and a year-to-date advance of around 23%.


text:
an extremetech article reveals that nvidia is planning to release a dozen chips in the next 90 days . the chipmaker is putting the final touches on its nv 30 gpu, which it undoubtedly will release in at least three different speed grades. the other chips are still a mystery, possibly a revamp of the geforce 4 line. since nvidia has a habit of announcing their new lineup several months before providing widespread availability, the nv30 might not be readily available until november.
user comments comment(s)


text:
By Judith M. Wilson
Lily Kanter has a keen eye when it comes to spotting business opportunities — and a track record to prove it. Now the Mill Valley resident is putting her expertise toward a new venture, Boon Supply. She’s measuring its success by what its bottom line can do for others. The online store, which offers shoppers an array of stylish, useful everyday products and consumable gift items, gives 50 percent of its sales proceeds to charities.
Kanter’s early career was in the corporate world, working for companies such as Deloitte and Coopers & Lybrand in accounting with a retail connection. “I’ve kind of always been in retail as a vertical area,” she says.
In her last corporate role, she worked for Microsoft, covering the western United States. She had to do substantial traveling, however, and so when she became pregnant with her first child, she decided to leave her job and stay close to home. As she prepared for the baby’s arrival, though, she observed a dearth in the local marketplace.
“There wasn’t really a high-end baby and children’s store,” she says.
So she found retail space in downtown Mill Valley and opened Mill Valley Baby and Kids Co., filling a niche.
Kanter’s second son — she and her husband Marc Sarosi have three boys, ages 13, 15 and 17 — arrived on Oct. 2, 2003, and she returned to the store just one day later to discover that freelance textile designer Serena Dugan had dropped off a portfolio.
She loved Dugan’s work, and so they met and quickly decided the world needed better baby bedding. “We held hands that day, and we partnered,” Kanter says.
They began shipping products to stores in 2004, and that was the beginning of Serena & Lily, which offers bedding, furniture and accessories and has grown from wholesale to an online retail catalog to stores, with the first in Sausalito.
“We just kept building that business into a lifestyle brand. It sounds easy, but it wasn’t,” she says. Two years ago, with the company established and prospering, they hired a CEO to run it, giving Kanter the freedom to pursue a dream.
“My passion was always in the non-profit world. I wanted to get back to my roots,” she explains.
In 2017, she learned that the owners of Mixed Bags, a Burlingame school-fundraising business, wanted to retire and were seeking a buyer who could give the company new energy. The prospect was exciting for Kanter, because it would allow her to utilize her technology and consumer-branding background to provide a platform she could open to any cause.
She purchased Mixed Bags in June 2017, and the revamped company opened as Boon Supply on May 9. “We’re in the middle of the transition. There are a lot of moving parts,” she says, but the company is up and running and providing revenue for a variety of non-profit organizations worldwide, while she continues to work on product innovation and the company’s channel strategy.
“I just love unlocking capitalism as a force for good,” she says.
Among the beneficiaries is the Malala Fund, named for Pakistani activist and Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.
“I love what Malala is all about,” says Kanter, explaining that the fund champions every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education. “We believe girls are the best investment in the future peace and prosperity of our world, and every girl should be able to learn and lead without fear. We just took our family to a refugee camp at the border of South Sudan and Kenya,” she adds.
IsraAid, a charity that supports the needs of refugees in Kenya’s Kakuma Camp, is earning revenues from Boon Supply as well. Locally, schools need a hand, and Kiddo! (the Mill Valley Schools Foundation) and Tam High Foundation are on the roster of fundraisers.
Kanter is totally committed to Boon Supply and has big aspirations.
“I see it as my legacy project,” she says. “It blends everything I want to do in the world with my business pursuits. I’m super jazzed to be working on it.” And, it’s in the perfect spot. With the company’s corporate office in Mill Valley, she can be home for dinner with her family and take time out for her kids’ events.
“I love being local,” she says. “Marin is just an amazing place to innovate. It’s a great place to build a business.”


text:
Armored Fresh, a US subsidiary of Korean food and beverage leader Yangyoo, announces the launch of its breakthrough plant-based cheese in over 100 markets in New York City, with an upcoming expansion to New Jersey. The products will also be available nationwide in late November via the brand’s website.
“Understanding the demand from consumers for a cheese that tastes great and provides great nutrients is a passion of our company”
Armored Fresh, which raised $23M in Pre-Series B funding in June, will debut three varieties of cubed cheese (Cheddar, Plain, Blueberry) through retail distribution with Key Foods, Met Fresh, C Town, City Acres, and associated stores throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Made from almond milk and plant-based lactic acid, Armored’s cheese is created using innovative techniques that replicate the process of making dairy cheese. This process gives its cheese a soft texture and characteristic, fragrant flavor that is comparable to traditional cheese, the company says.
To create a healthy product, the cheeses are also infused with a “Key Mix” of nutrients, and contain nearly the same protein content as animal-based cheese, with up to 20% per 100 g.
Beyond New York, the company reveals it plans to expand to 300 markets in New Jersey by the end of 2022, and is currently in discussion to enter national grocery retailers such as Kroger, Wegmans, and Albertsons, as well as distributors US Foods, United Natural Foods (UNFI), and Kehe.
To celebrate the official launch, Armored unveiled a massive billboard placement in Times Square, and held a special press preview at acclaimed New York restaurant abcV.
“Need for cheese”
“It’s a great privilege and pleasure of mine to be able to partake in this exciting launch of Armored Fresh Cheese,” said Daniel Yang, Sales Manager of Armored Fresh USA. “We understand that the US market for cheese is one of the biggest in the world and there is a need for great-tasting plant-based cheese. Understanding the demand from consumers for a cheese that tastes great and provides great nutrients is a passion of our company; therefore, to be able to be part of that change is truly exciting for me.”


text:
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The U.S. Postal Service announced it will end Saturday mail delivery by Aug. 1. Patch wants to know: How will this affect you?
Wednesday, February 6
By Beth Lawton Calling the six-days-per-week mail delivery business model “no longer sustainable,” the U.S. Postal Service Wednesday morning announced it will eliminate Saturday delivery of mail by Aug. 1. Get news in your inbox. Sign up for the Patch newsletter. Like Wheaton Patch on Facebook. Post offices will remain open Saturdays and package deliveries will occur on Saturdays, according to the U.S. Postal Service. According to the U.S. Postal Service, the reasons are continued economic struggles and the increasing use of the Internet for communications and bill paying by consumers. The U.S. Postal Service is also the only federal agency required to pre-fund health benefits for retirees, and those costs are escalating quickly. “Our …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thanks to a very special U.S. Postal Service program, "Santa" will reply to children who mail him their Christmas wish lists this holiday season.
Every year, millions of children sit down to make a wish list for Santa, hoping he will make all of their Christmas dreams come true. But what if Santa actually wrote back? The United States Postal Service is now accepting "Letters From Santa," a program that allows parents and caregivers to play Santa by sending a letter signed by Saint Nick to a child. According to a postal service news release, "The 'Letters From Santa' program helps parents fulfill the dreams of their own children." Instructions to send a letter from Santa: In Wheaton, letters to Santa can be dropped off at the Wheaton Post Office at either 146 Danada Square West or 122 N. Wheaton Ave. downtown Wheaton. Kids in Wheaton can also drop off letters in Santa's mailbox Dec. …
Monday, May 7, 2012
Area food pantries reap the benefits of this national effort.
Leave non-perishable food items for your mail carrier on May 12 if you want to participate in this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive. This national effort will support area food pantries. “It’s our biggest food drive of the year,” says Melissa Travis, senior director of services for the People’s Resource Center in Wheaton. The center helps low-income DuPage County residents in many ways, including stocking a food pantry. Last year, the PRC received more than 10,000 pounds of food collected by the Stamp Out Hunger drive, Travis told Patch. The Elmhurst/Yorkfield Food Pantry, Lisle Township Food Pantry and HCS Family Services Food Pantry in Hinsdale are some of the other recipients. For a list of food pantries in DuPage County, click here. …


text:
Fonterra Ingredients business has launched a new global e-commerce website for customers.
They still want an end to the open entry/exit provisions of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA) and an end to Fonterra providing subsidised raw milk to rival processors.
However, in proposed DIRA changes the Government has retained the open entry provisions but has allowed Fonterra the right to refuse milk from suppliers who are “not compliant with the co-op rules and from new dairy conversions”.
The requirement for Fonterra to supply regulated milk to independent processors with their own supply of 30 million litres or more in a single season has also been removed.
But Federated Farmers Waikato president Andrew McGiven believes the changes don’t go far enough.
“We end up in the situation where some farmers will be cherry picked and Fonterra is still required to accept everything else,” McGiven told Rural News. “Although the proposed milk standard clause could help alleviate this.”
McGiven said, as an example of this, that if he wanted to supply Tatua he would be “unable to as [there is no requirement on them] to accept me or my supply, which may mean the building of new plant to process that extra milk”.
He says it is “illogical” for Fonterra to have to supply new start-ups if they are simply going to export the milk.
“DIRA was set up to protect the domestic milk market -- consumers as well as farmers -- and if these new processors are simply exporting their product then they are completely by-passing the domestic market, as well as possibly undercutting the other processors who have established markets and customers,” he told Rural News.
“If DIRA was better applied in this way then we may be able to de-link the international price for dairy products that applies to the domestic market as there would be much more competition at home.”
Federated Farmers dairy chairman Chris Lewis sees some useful changes approved by the Government. However, he believes it has missed an opportunity.
“We’re disappointed that open entry provisions won’t be changed, other than relating to new conversions,” says Lewis.
“It’s nearly 20 years since this legislation was passed to ensure that, with the formation of Fonterra, competition for farmer milk supply and dairy product choice for consumers were preserved. The market is now mature enough, and competition among a host of processing companies is robust enough, for Fonterra to be given some discretion over who it is required to pick up milk from.”
Lewis says giving Fonterra some leeway to refuse milk pick-ups is good. However, he wants more details on how the Government will describe a new dairy conversion.
“We’re also pleased that the amended DIRA will give more clarity on when Fonterra can refuse supply when a farmer is well below industry standards relating to the environment, animal welfare, greenhouse gas emissions and the like,” he added.
“There are some farmers who have demonstrated their unwillingness to come up to the standard of all the other shareholder/suppliers out there.”
Lewis says that as with other aspects of the government’s DIRA announcements the devil will be in the detail.
The changes proposed to DIRA will now be progressed through Parliament. The industry will have another chance to have its say on the changes during the select committee process.
Lewis says Federated Farmers looks forward to taking part in the consultation process with the select committee to help ensure the details of the bill are fit for purpose.


text:
A horrified “long-time” KFC customer has taken to social media after claiming he found a safety pin and hair hooked on a piece of chicken.
Melbourne local Jamie Allen posted to the fast-food giant’s Facebook page this afternoon, writing “I’m a long-time eater, first-time complainer”.
Mr Allen explained he had bought a Zinger box at a Cranbourne KFC, and was shocked at what he found lurking within the “finger lickin’ good meal”.
A photo shows a piece of chicken, skewered by a metal safety pin, and dangling from a strand of hair.
“Are two of your secret herbs and spices, safety pins and hair? Not really impressed and forgot my potato and gravy,” Mr Allen captioned the image.
KFC has since addressed Mr Allen’s complaint in the comments section, asking him to “message them with the details of the order”.
9news.com.au has contacted KFC for further comment,
“We are extremely concerned to hear of this incident, as serving great food, to the highest standards is of paramount importance to us.
"We have contacted the customer and are in the process of investigating this issue.”
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019


text:
With the global pandemic now in its third year, here’s what’s happening on the supply chain front in 2022 and what companies can expect for the remainder of the year.
Companies entered 2022 worried about container shortages, port congestion, capacity constraints, a lack of labor and various geopolitical issues. Other worries included the ongoing impacts of the global pandemic, supply chain disruptions and long order lead times, among other problems.
Some of these challenges are on their way to being solved, but others have since taken their place. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, and its continued presence in the country, has impacted supply chains around the world. And while we’re hearing less about container shortages and port congestion these days, there are still some lingering issues from 2021 that are haunting supply chain managers right now.
One of the more notable among them is the semiconductor shortage, which was already happening pre-pandemic but has since escalated to global proportions. And because chips go into everything from mobile phones to medical devices to cars, the situation isn’t expected to ease until additional production capacity can be built and brought online. A pullback in consumer spending could also free up some chip supply, but for now at least demand for semiconductors remains high and supply remains low.
Driver and Equipment Shortages Persist
On the transportation front, the driver shortage, lack of equipment and rising fuel costs are all taking a toll on shippers’ wallets in 2022. This isn’t exactly a new story. American Trucking Associations (ATA) has been warning us about a looming shortage since 2005, at which point the dearth was about 20,000 drivers. After leveling off during the last recession, that number has been growing steadily. By the ATA’s most recent count, the shortage could surpass 160,000 by 2030.
The broader labor shortage is also impacting transportation, logistics and companies in general. Wage inflation is compounding the problem just as the availability and flow of goods begins to normalize domestically. WealthManagement.com reports that vessel backlogs at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are down roughly 70% compared to what they were in January.
Now, as overall logistics costs rise, WealthManagement is also tracking a shortage of warehouse and distribution space in most US markets. And even though space is hard to come by, it says that the actual competition for space isn’t as fierce as it had been last year due to greater economic uncertainty.
Supply Chain Shortages
As we moved into the second half of 2022, sporadic supply chain shortages were still rearing their heads in certain industries and for specific products. In June, for example, Supply & Demand Chain Executive reported on how the scarcity of aluminum was impacting everything from breweries to general contractors to LED lighting manufacturers.
“These industries, and more, are being pushed to increase project costs and prices on popular end-user products,” it says. “While scarce aluminum may impact prices today, the price increases won’t be enough to affect markets, industries, or consumers permanently.” With China and Russia comprising over 60% of the global output of aluminum, the volatility in this particular corner of the market may endure through the remainder of the year.
In anticipation of customer demand, some companies are ordering and stockpiling more raw materials to offset the continued supply disruptions. “Supply chain management is entering a new era, with a scarcity of raw materials and delays in production being two of the biggest concerns,” S&DCE reports. “Stockpiling supplies to combat these challenges is one of the best approaches, but it requires liquidity and agility.”
More to Come
In its 2022 State of Logistics Report, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) says that a drop in demand and rates in the second quarter of this year will squeeze carrier margins while shippers that are “miffed” by current service levels, including driver shortages, will invest in own trucking fleets.
The report revealed that motor carrier freight occupied the top US supply chain category with $830.5 billion last year (23.4% higher than 2020), followed by private/dedicated transportation ($415 billion, up 39.3%), full truckloads ($332.2 billion, 10.2% higher) and less-than-truckload ($83 billion, $13.2% greater), Transport Topics reports.
Now, CSCMP says shippers have been working to build new resilience and agility despite a challenging economic environment. They’re doing this through mergers and acquisitions, which have been a historically popular way that trucking companies, railroads and logistics providers use to increase capacity.
Looking ahead, CSCMP advised companies to commit more to multi-shoring or friend-shoring that requires better collaborative relationships between customers, suppliers and third-party providers as companies must coordinate more complex arrangements of transit modes and facilities.
“Stepping back for a moment, it may sound a bit odd to speak of ‘agitation’ and ‘pain’ in the context of year 2021 in which the logistics industry grew by 22.4% to $1.85 trillion, but this was growth accompanied by chaos and high costs,” the group concludes. “So far, 2022 seems to be offering little respite.”


text:
Westcor expects at least 30,000 people Thursday for a pre-grand opening of SanTan Village, the regional shopping mall near the Santan Freeway stretch of Loop 202 and Williams Field Road in Gilbert.
“I want to spend some money there,” said Virgie Hacker, 91, of Gilbert.
Like many shoppers in Gilbert, Queen Creek and parts of Pinal County, Hacker has been looking forward to having a mall near her home and not having to drive all the way to Chandler Fashion Center at Loop 202 and Loop 101.
“It will be nice to have closer shopping,” said her son, 65-year-old Wil Hacker. “It keeps the money in the community, where it belongs.”
The mall’s first full day of business is Friday. The mall’s first phase, about 85 stores and restaurants, will be among the shopping center developer’s largest openings.
“It is unusual, actually,” said Sheila Hunter, senior property manager for the mall.
Construction on the mall began in fall 2006. In addition to the stores opening this week, several more will open by the end of the year to bring the total to about 100 stores and restaurants. When complete, the mall will be home to about 130 stores.
Westcor had nearly 90 percent of the mall spoken for when construction began, Hunter said.
Several big-box stores, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble are slated to open in 2008.
Much of the open-air mall, similar to Kierland Commons in Phoenix, will feature high-end fashion-related stores aimed at selling to the area’s family-oriented, higher-income demographic, Hunter said.
The mall’s layout is distributed by clientele. Shops near the Harkins movie theaters, which opened in March, and the food court are geared to teen shoppers. Farther down, near the playground and pop-up water-jet fountain play area, are shops geared to children, such as the Disney Store and Gymboree.
Gilbert resident Deena Commers, 38, said she’s been looking forward to the mall’s open-air design.
“Eating on the outdoor patios sounds nice,” she said.
Crews have been busy in recent weeks tailoring each store to fit individual retailers.
The 85 that have committed to the Friday opening will be expected to be ready, said Jennifer Munn, senior marketing manager for the mall.
Like most shopping centers, Westcor wanted SanTan Village open for business before this year’s holiday shopping season, Munn said.
Along with other duties, Munn had been in charge of planning the mall’s holiday decorations and events, which will include a 25-foot decorated tree and Santa Claus in the children’s play areas.
“We’re excited to see the holiday package,” Munn said.
If you go
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday: Community preview event, including live music, fashion show and fireworks show
9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday: Entire day filled with entertainment and a fashion show.
10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday: Continued entertainment and fashion shows
Noon to 2:30 p.m. Sunday: Continued entertainment
When complete, the mall will be home to nearly 130 stores. Eighty-five will open Friday, including:
Aeropostale: Casual apparel for teens
Banana Republic: High-end apparel and accessories
Coach: Leather goods
Coldwater Creek: Women’s apparel, gifts and jewelry
Dillard’s: Department store
Fossil: Watches and accessories
Gordon Biersch: Specialty brewed beers and food
Hot Dog on a Stick: Corn dogs and lemonade
Industrial Rideshop: Skateboarding supplies
J. Jill: Upscale women’s fashions
Jos. A. Bank Clothier: Men’s tailored, casual clothing and accessories
Just Dogs Gourmet: Accessories, gifts and hand-cut, all-natural dog treats


text:
Nano One Materials Corp (CVE:NNO) (OTCMKTS:NNOMF) revealed the Canadian government has increased its contribution via a one-time payment to the tech business in response to the unprecedented coronavirus crisis.
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has increased its contribution to Nano One's 'Scaling of Advanced Battery Materials' project by $250,000, bringing the total contribution to $5.25 million, the firm told investors in a statement on Tuesday.
This represents a 5% supplement to SDTC's current $5 million commitment, noted Nano One.
The company is advancing patented technology for the low-cost production of high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials used in electric vehicles, energy storage and consumer electronics.
"SDTC has moved very swiftly in response to these unprecedented times by providing additional funding to their client companies, including Nano One, to enable continued innovation, to build new strategies, and to ensure the health and safety of our employees," said Dan Blondal, Nano One's CEO.
The firm also pointed out that, during the current the global public health and economic crises, it is on "solid ground" with over $11 million cash-on-hand, as well as the $5.25 million in SDTC support and a multi-year runway extending over three years.
"This positions Nano One to emerge stronger and more resilient as these crises recede, and to benefit again from the clean technology sentiment that gave it so much momentum in January and February," it said.
Partnering with global leaders
Nano One has built a demonstration pilot plant and is partnering with global leaders in the lithium-ion battery supply chain.
These include Pulead, Volkswagen and Saint-Gobain to advance its lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) and lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNM) cathode technologies.
Also in Tuesday's statement, Nano One said it was mindful of its employees' health, wellness and careers, and that workplace safety measures were being complemented with work-at-home policies.
Nano One's research and business development activities are proceeding largely unaffected by the current crises, it added.
Shares advanced over 5% to stand at C$1.02 in Toronto.
---Updates for share price---
Contact the author at [email protected]


text:
2020 has been a year of records for all the wrong reasons, not least on the high street. The recent collapse of the Arcadia group topped off a year where we have said goodbye to some high street staples including TM Lewin, Peacocks, Jaeger, Laura Ashley, Bon Marche. The Arcadia Group collapse has sent the biggest shockwaves through the industry so far and will likely have the biggest impact to the UK high street – some attributing the failed sale of Debenhams to JD Sports as a response to their troubles.
Although unsurprising to many, the COVID pandemic accelerated realization that the brands that make up Arcadia: Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Outfit – are no longer relevant to their individual target audiences. Over the years they, Topshop in particular, lost their spark, their creativity and their ability to not only respond to trends, in clothing and in purchasing habits, but to drive them, the kiss of death to retailers.
So ‘is this the end of the British High Street’, as people have been asking for the last couple of years? Of course not, amidst the looming administration of Arcadia the reality is that even though the face and the names on the high street are irrevocably altered, new ones arise and there is opportunity for retailers that are ready to adapt, to constantly push their product forward, to continue to test and learn, and embrace the new ways that consumers expect to engage with them and their products.
As we step into 2021, the Arcadia Empire will undoubtedly be carved up – there is still value to be unlocked with the most relevant brands, and these will quickly find buyers in (if the rumors are to be believed) the digital natives that led to their ignominious failure in the first place. Perhaps these younger businesses with a more digital-first mindset will return these fondly recalled British brands back into the must have wardrobe staples that they once were. Online fashion retailer Boohoo, a suggested purchaser of Topshop, snapped up the online businesses of Oasis and Warehouse in early 2020, as well as the online arms of Coast and Karen Millen in their hour of need in 2019 to add them to their brand portfolio.
How did this happen though? Where did it all go wrong for Arcadia, and the jewel in their fast-fashion crown, Topshop? The initial problems were there for many to witness all the way back to the early 2000s, when a series of reviews highlighted they had too many stores, and they needed to downsize their retail operations. Over the course of the last 20 years they’ve moved from nearly 1600 stores to just under 600, but even so, a store-by-store performance comparison with their competitors like Zara demonstrated they needed to improve and that points to a fundamental problem in the product they sell or the experience and connection they provide to their customers, or, as in the case of the Arcadia brands, a combination of both.
Instead, they continued to relish in ‘days gone by’ when they could command collaborations with supermodels, and experienced round the block queues from 6am when they opened in SoHo, NYC. They lost their relevance, although they have continued to retain good brand awareness. The right buyer will trade on this, and by crafting a more differentiated, focused and clear product proposition and moving the brands onto a modern digital marketing and commerce infrastructure they have a fighting chance to be reinvented and restored.
It remains to be seen if Topshop will go down the same route as Oasis, Warehouse etc, surviving through digital only. As attractive as some of the Arcadia brands will be to potential purchasers, the appeal is in the brand, product, and audience. The portfolio of bricks and mortar stores is much less certain, which will be of little solace to the majority of the 13,000 people impacted. There is simply no avoiding the challenges here – even before the global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, retailers were finding it difficult to make stores profitable as the march towards digital gathered pace.
What will happen to the less relevant brands, Wallis, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons and Outfit remains a big unknown. As they became laggards in the hugely competitive fashion Retail playing field they found themselves unable to match on experience, price or product – leaving them with no route to growth, and a dwindling audience.
So, what does all this mean for the future of the high street? Is the future entirely eCommerce?
No, not at all. But the high street will fundamentally change, as the needs and desires of the consumer have changed. The pandemic has forced people online, and people are now creating new habits in how they buy, try, return and they are becoming much more comfortable with the new ways that digital-first brands engage with them. The role of stores in the retail ecosystem is changing, with more of a focus on trying and experiencing brands, or collecting and returning product bought online. This is turn means the placement and volume of stores needs to be adjusted, the financial modelling for the role stores play has to adapt, and the usage of the physical space will continue to evolve as this shift plays out.
Yes consumers will always want to shop in the physical world, they want to touch and see the products, they want the experience of window shopping; they want to browse, be inspired – all of that is as true today as it was 20 years ago when Topshop ruled the retail world with its flagship Oxford Circus store.
However this isn’t all they want. Consumers don’t want to rely on visiting a physical store when they want or need to purchase something. They want options. The high street retailers that remain relevant and successful offer more than the purchase of the latest trends, they offer an experience. They offer a service, in some instances are playing the role of the distributor, becoming a playroom to showcase the best of the products, they predict what the customer wants before the customer knows it.
Whilst store closures are an unfortunate display of COVID’s harsh acceleration and impact on the retail industry, it’s also a wake-up-call to retailers that they need to reimagine their business models to more seamlessly adapt to the consumer of both today and tomorrow.
The high street of the future will be filled with retailers who are not afraid to reinvent themselves, adapt to or even lead the behaviours of their consumers, and build relationships to ensure that they remain relevant.
Guy Elliott, SVP, Retail, Publicis Sapient


text:
Posts Tagged With: President Barack Obama
Carnaval San Francisco has been occurring on Memorial Day Weekend for 38 years. It celebrates the diverse Latin American and Caribbean roots that use to make up the Mission District. The diminishing population of Latinos lost to luxury condominiums, “hipster” stores and rising rent prices didn’t limit the representation of what once was. The parade included music, dance, and artistic expression that had attendees dancing, smiling, and taking photos to memorialize their experience. A pride could be felt in the air that told you, a part of us will always be here.


text:
India’s trade deficit, the gap between exports and imports, widened 36.36 per cent from a year ago at $12 billion in February 2018, but narrowed from an over four-year high of $16.29 billion recorded in January.
India’s exports rose 4.5 per cent year-on-year to $25.8 billion in February, while imports grew 10.4 percent to $37.8 billion in the same period. The government is looking at a 6.5 percent export growth for the year, the union commerce ministry said in a press release.
The growth in exports was led by increasing outbound shipments of petroleum products, and organic, inorganic chemicals. Outbound shipments of petroleum products went up 27.44 per cent to $3.23 billion in February. Export of organic and inorganic chemicals rose 30.41 per cent to $1.66 billion.
Exports of gems and jewellery, which is typically the second major contributor to the bill, declined 5.14 per cent to $3.81 billion in February. Engineering goods exports also saw a marginal decline last month.
India’s textile exports too dropped 10.25 per cent to $1.44 billion during the month.
In the previous quarter (October-December 2017), according to government data, trade deficit widened to nearly $43 billion from $32 billion in the July-September 2017 period.


text:
If you’ve decided to choose Google Play Music over Apple Music, you’ll be pleased to know the service is now compatible with CarPlay. Simply update to the latest version of the app on your iPhone and you’re good to go.
India is one of the next big markets for tech companies, and Google just threw down the gauntlet against Apple by undercutting Apple Music with its own Google Play music subscription service.
While Apple Music charges 120 rupees per month (around $2), Google is charging just 99 rupees ($1.50) for tis own service — with a discounted rate of 89 rupees for the first 45 days. In the U.S., both Google Play Music and Apple Music charge $9.99 per month.
YouTube Music has arrived on Android and iOS, and it promises to make it easier than ever to discover new music on YouTube. Simply hit play and enjoy an endless journey through the platform’s entire music catalog, or check out YouTube’s recommendations based on your listening habits.
Google is hoping to distract you from Apple Music’s impending launch with a new streaming plan that won’t cost you a penny. Available on desktop and mobile platforms, the service lets you enjoy a whole host of curated playlists supported by ads.
Apple Music may be a streaming service, but you won’t always need an Internet connection to enjoy it. Apple has confirmed that you’ll also be able to download songs for offline listening, so you can enjoy albums and playlists when you’re on the road without data.
Apple is expected to announce its long-awaited music streaming service during the WWDC keynote later today, and despite tough competition from the likes of Spotify, the company has incredibly ambitious plans to sign up 100 million subscribers.
It’s not often that Google incontrovertibly one-ups Apple on anything but search, but the company just scored a small but sizable advantage over Cupertino in at least one regard: music storage space.
Google expanded its Google Play Music service Wednesday to match, store and stream 50,000 tracks, twice what Apple allows iTunes Match paid users. Even better for listeners with large libraries? Google Play Music is free.
An official Google Play Music app is finally available on iOS, bringing Google’s All Access music streaming service to your iPhone. Users can listen to millions of tracks on demand and enjoy custom radio with no limits, as well as access to the music they’ve uploaded to Google’s cloud-based storage service.


text:
Figures from the Federation of Small Businesses show that confidence in small businesses in Wales has fallen at it's fastest pace in over seven years.
Business confidence in Wales dropped from 22.1 points to 2.1 however the decline was in line with the UK average, however confidence in Welsh businesses remains above the UK figure of -2.5.
Despite it falling to its lowest level in two years, both Wales and the UK saw an increase in business confidence at the start of 2017.
Only slightly more small businesses in Wales reported that they increased employment compared to those who said that they had to let people go. However, two-thirds of firms said that their headcount remained the same.
Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2018, the survey says firms are more cautious about their prospective employment levels in coming months. 2% of Welsh businesses expect to hire more staff, which is in line with the UK-wide average of 2.9%.


text:
DealerOn and Gubagoo both believe in partnering with the best technology companies in our space, and rapidly delivering innovations from that partnership.
ROCKVILLE, Md. (PRWEB) March 24, 2018
DealerOn, the website provider to 17 OEMs and growing dealership website programs, and Gubagoo, the leading provider in omni-channel engagement and communication solutions for automobile dealerships, today announced a broad technology integration partnership designed to unlock new value for current & future joint customers of the two companies.
The first joint solution offered by the two companies makes it easy for dealers using DealerOn’s award-winning website platform to seamlessly post vehicle inventory on Facebook Marketplace via Gubagoo Live’s communication and engagement platform.
Facebook Marketplace is one of the fastest growing hubs for shopping for vehicles online, and Gubagoo Live provides a unified integration with unique best practices between dealers' Facebook Marketplace vehicle listings, Facebook Messenger, and dealers' chat-enabled DealerOn website.
“DealerOn and Gubagoo both believe in partnering with the best technology companies in our space, and rapidly delivering innovations from that partnership,” said Ali Amirrezvani, DealerOn CEO and co-founder. “Gubagoo is the best chat service out there, and we’re excited to bring them to our dealers.”
Look for more announcements and releases coming soon including:
- Enhancing the chat experience with more relevant vehicle enhanced information when greeters dynamically engage first time visitors vs repeat visitors.
- Attribution reporting across all channels and the customer journey.
- Integrating chat engagement and paid search among other digital marketing campaigns.
“Gubagoo shares DealerOn’s commitment to deliver dealers, OEMs, and online shoppers alike with the most advanced and integrated shopping experience available,” said Brad Title, president and CEO of Gubagoo. “By bringing our technologies closer together, we ensure vehicle shoppers receive a rich shopping experience while dealers experience an increase in engagement and lead conversion.
This integration is available as part of DealerOn’s engagement solution being offered to existing and new customers, with a special promotion for those attending the 2018 NADA show in Las Vegas.
DealerOn, Inc is a premier website & digital marketing company for auto dealerships, founded in 2004. The company has become known for two things: excellent, personalized customer service and their Lead Guarantee program, which guarantees dealerships a lead increase by at least 50% no matter their current provider. Since its inception in 2009, the Lead Guarantee has shown an average increase of 200% website lead volume for dealerships. DealerOn has also consistently won awards from Driving Sales, Digital Dealer, AWA, and Dealer Marketing Magazine. Despite being on an upward path for over a decade, DealerOn believes in keeping things small and local to get the best results.
Gubagoo is the leading provider of advanced automotive dealer communication solutions that connect consumers to dealers anytime and anywhere through live chat, text, video, Facebook Messenger and Marketplace. Gubagoo is the first dealership website solution that successfully makes anonymous traffic identifiable, and converts the 95% of dealer site traffic that traditionally defects. With greater insight into consumer behavior and interests, Gubagoo can respond to consumers with the right offer at the right time, improving the consumer experience and maximizing lead conversion.
Approximately 3,000 dealerships, including some of the nation’s largest dealer groups, as well as OEM-certified programs, are using Gubagoo’s omni-channel communication platform to take their customer experience to the next level.


text:
The all-new 2012 M-Class retains a similar profile as the current generation, but with a new more aggressive front fascia and body lines that are part of the current Mercedes design language. When the M-Class is released it’s expected to launch with a 3.5L V6 and a 3.0L turbo diesel. Both engines are mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Of course an AMG version will be released as well.
Stay tuned for all the details soon, but check out the photos after the jump.


text:
Cathay Pacific said it will place a two-month hold on the next phase of its global People and Service marketing campaign, in the wake of the expanding cockpit photo scandal.
Cathay Pacific spokeswoman Carolyn Leung told Marketing a decision had been to postpone the next wave of its global launch until 1 October “as the original timing doesn’t suit us.”
In what has become a snowballing PR crisis for the airline, newspaper, magazine and outdoor billboards spots have all been placed on hold.
This follows a statement from Cathay CEO John Slosar in which he confirmed that two members of its crew shown in compromising situations in photographs published recently in Chinese-language daily newspapers are no longer employees of the company.
“As Chief Executive of Cathay Pacific, let me be crystal clear about one thing: I find any behaviour that recklessly soils the reputation of our company or our team members as totally unacceptable,” his statement read.
Cathay’s corporate PR team said its People and Service campaign had been a “fantastic success since we launched it last year” and it was important to build on that success.
The campaign was created by McCann’s Cathay Pacific Central Team and uses the catchphrase “the team who go the extra mile to make you feel special.”
“We always build flexibility into our marketing strategy to give us room to adapt to changing circumstances. That’s what we are considering now, and the cost would be minimal.”


text:
‘We just know for a fact that if you can always get more money, you will look to the money rather than to alternative spending practices,” California Gov. Jerry Brown explained two years ago in an interview with University of California students. This inadvertent moment of candor occurred while the governor was campaigning for a giant tax hike (Prop. 30) that has now put him in a jam.
To get out the college vote for the 2012 tax initiative, Mr. Brown threatened to slash state funding for the University of California’s 10 campuses if his referendum failed. The UC Board of Regents warned that the cuts would compel them to jack up tuition by $2,400—about 20%—at midyear. The tax hike sailed through in no small part because of this double-teaming.
50% off + free delivery on $20 orders with DoorDash promo code
20% off your next online order - Walmart coupon code
Expedia Coupon - 15% off for members
Journeys Coupon: $20 off $100 + free shipping with email sign up
20% Off Activities + Extra 25% Off Beauty & Wellness w/ Groupon Promo Code
Up to 15% off + free shipping at Wayfair


text:
a resident of Panchk
a resident of Panchkula, download shlf1314n Express App More Related News
Aam Aadmi Party? A torch rally on three days was one of the major plans.41 % * Vacancies 46,729 more candidates who are on the waiting list have the probability to be further empanelled due to multiple occurrence.including an SX4 and a Honda CRV, So far, ?388 are vacant and 104 of them will be filled soon.frivolous?11 deaths.
to march into the next round. The Panchkula youngster won the first game easily with a 21-10 margin before claiming the second and final game 21-15 to book his berth in the next round. 2013 1:39 am Related News An alleged conman was arrested late Sunday for having put up in at least three luxury hotels in Kolkata for days impersonating as a senior company executive.Kolkata police sources said. The event has three categories: Zip,one of the organisers, 2012 12:36 am Related News Having served a three month sentence in 2010 for not possessing a valid passport,Afghan national Mohammad Issa should have walked free. who heads the North-24 Parganas unit of TMC, we will file a defamation suit against the CPM and the SFI at the Calcutta High Court.
ready to wear week?he showed a prêt collection for the grand finale while Delhi Couture Week was all about couture But he does concede that both lines had the same inspiration and several common ensembles too A designer works on a single line of ensembles for a particular seasonfor both prêt and couture which best showcase the ethos of his brand Thereforethe ensembles would majorly remain the same with slight tweaking for different shows?t shown in shlf1314 for a long time, Sethi insists Thenthere are otherswho feel that theres nothing wrong with some overlap as long as the designer is a big draw and the audience or the market for his or her collection is new Vijay Singh of Fashion One Internationalwhich put together AVIBFW 2012belongs to this category At our eventValaya just took the Azrak story forward; it may not have been an entirely new collection but there were several additions In the endit doesnt matter much because he was showing this line in Mumbai for the first timeand the market here is different from that in Delhi?to find a customer who will offer a ?it was stated that Kulwaranjit,along with his paramour Renu, and sewerage and road problems are not solved on time. “We told him about some problems we are facing within the party. The court had said that the government could ?not issue such instructions,it is learnt.
2012 3:24 am Related News Inagurated with much fanfare by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on April 13 to give a fillip to trade between shlf1314 and Pakistan,this edition of the indie music festival saw ?


text:
Jeff Bezos‘ wealth has gone up since the start of 2020 even after losing $38 billion in the divorce settlement. He is currently twofold richer than Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.
As at the time of posting this, the Amazon owner‘s net worth is estimated at $140 billion, while the WhatsApp owner is worth just shy of $70 billion, Bloomberg Billionaires Index has said.
According to Business Insider, Jeff is one of the rare billionaires who has become wealthier since the novel coronavirus.
His wealth has even increased by $25 billion since the start of the year and this makes him the wealthiest man of the world, plopping him ahead of Bill Gates, who is 2nd.
Mark Zuckerberg is 5th on the chart, due to an $8.4 billion decrease in his net worth since the new decade. The respectable increase in Jeff’s wealth is due to the enormous increase in the market Amazon has undergone amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Reports have said that Amazon is coping just fine with the higher number of subscribers.


text:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Jan. 20, 2016 – Ducks Unlimited, Inc. welcomed its newest corporate partner, Mud River Products, a Boyt Harness Company. The partnership launched Jan. 1.
Mud River will design, manufacture and sell DU officially licensed products – with a portion of each item sold benefiting DU’s wetlands and waterfowl conservation efforts across North America. The product categories in this new agreement include waterfowl accessories, sporting dog accessories, hunting blinds and sportsman’s luggage.
“We’re tremendously excited about our new program with Mud River”, said DU Senior Director of Corporate Relations Jim Alexander. “The Boyt Harness Company brings a wealth of knowledge and manufacturing experience as well as quality products and great service to the DU family. We are proud to align the DU brand with theirs.”
New products are set to hit retail shelves as early as this spring and consumers can expect to find these new items at specialty outdoor retailers, including big box stores and independent sporting goods dealers. Undoubtedly, the companies have done the groundwork necessary to understand their customer base and the needs they face, whether that involved carrying out extensive behavioral segmentation (https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/brand/behavioral-segmentation/) to thoroughly get to know their customers’ behavior around the products and brand identity, or other efforts necessary to bring these new products to shelves all over.
“The Mud River brand takes pride in creating dependable equipment and accessories for all hunting enthusiasts. We are excited to utilize our current waterfowl line, and collaborate with Ducks Unlimited, to create products that will withstand even the most challenging conditions for years of enjoyment,” said Tony Caligiuri, president of Boyt Harness Company.
For questions or additional information on this great new product line, please contact Jennifer Watson, Marketing Manager of Boyt Harness Company, email@example.com or (641)-223-4182.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org. Connect with us on our Facebook page at facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos aty outube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.


text:
British manufacturing activity grew at its fastest pace in almost 27 years last month.
With businesses on a mission to make up for ground lost during the global health crisis.
A PMI index for manufacturing rose to over 60 in April from 58.9 in March.
Any reading above 50 signifies growth.
New orders rose at a clip too and two-thirds of businesses expect production to be higher in a year's time.
But the index was also lifted by lengthening delivery times and rising costs of raw materials.
They are factors which sometimes indicate an imminent pick-up but which are currently hampering growth.
Britain's economy shrank by almost 10% last year - the biggest fall in output in more than 300 years.
And even with rapid growth this year it may take until 2022 for it to regain its pre-crisis size, a slower rebound than the United States.
Manufacturers are still dealing with the knock-on impact of the crisis too.
Including increased shipping costs and shortages of key components such as microchips used for car electronics.
British firms also face greater friction trading with their EU counterparts due to Brexit-related trade barriers which came into force at the start of the year.


text:
When it arrives to significant software program resources in the promotion ecosystem, most discussions start with Google/YouTube. Google collects somewhere on the buy of fifty percent of all global on line ad revenue, has thousands and thousands of advertiser clients — and probably millions of conclusion-consumers for its marketing tools. Google updates these equipment usually. Here’s a rundown of a few noteworthy current announcements related to Google’s flagship Exhibit & Video clip 360 (DV360) acquire-aspect system:
1. Consequence-primarily based automated bidding. DV360 now will allow charge-per-click, for every-conversion, or per-install to be specified as advert-acquiring (and payment) parameters in all exhibit campaigns which include things like a publish-click on conversion goal. The use of automated bidding has also been extended to all non-assured bargains, and now includes the potential to enhance at the overall insertion purchase level, not just personal line product.
2. Algorithmic frequency administration. Also in DV360, Google has launched a machine learning online courses answer to frequency management which works throughout cookie-primarily based and non-cookie primarily based eventualities. Google makes use of world-wide-web website traffic that does have 3rd celebration cookies to model website traffic that does not. This has wonderful probable to make improvements to success in just the Google ecosystem (such as a massive swath of cell targeted visitors from Apple/Safari). It does not, of course, assistance advertisers handle frequency outside the house of Google’s ecosystem
3. Video advertisement sequencing on TrueView video adverts. In Google’s words and phrases, ad sequencing will allow advertisers to “tell your product or service or brand story by showing people a sequence of films in the get that you define”. The latest announcement is the latest improvement to a set of artistic movie advertising instruments that Google/YouTube very first launched in 2017. In 2018, it included enhancements for advertisement testing, artistic analytics, dynamic video clip articles, and advert sequencing. Now, advert sequencing can be deployed via DV360 from YouTube TrueView advertisements, the well-known skippable-just after-5-seconds format that can be discovered on in-stream and in search final results.
Taken with each other, these tool enhancements:
• Sharpen the double-edge sword of advertisers’ marriage with Google. On 1 facet, Google’s most recent enhancements provide a cornucopia of option to facts-pushed advertisers. Refined advert customers no question are already screening and harnessing the energy enhanced frequency handle, functionality-centered bidding, and video sequencing. On the other aspect, the far more advertisers appear to count on Google to measure these new approaches, the dimmer the prospects for significant independent, auditable measurement specifications to acquire hold whenever shortly.
• Established the phase for far more universal frequency administration and advert orchestration. Each announcement has considerable technological limitations, but there is no reason Google can’t or won’t engineer all around all those. End result-dependent bidding can be expanded from display to online video ads. The exact automated, significant-details sampling and mastering that drives algorithmic frequency capping could be applied across all advertisements on an Android system, not just in the browser. And online video ad sequencing could be deployed into YouTube’s Television, Google’s cable-like high quality movie bundle.
• Underscore Google’s exceptional industry electric power. The rate of advert solution innovation at Google and the scale of its purchaser base and media market place affect are with no peer. Google totally physical exercises this energy when it tends to make alterations to its industrial ad devices in concert with changes to it its client-experiencing apps, Chrome browser and Android device operating system. Google has the electrical power to unilaterally mandate adjustments in how advertising and marketing is bought, sold, delivered, and calculated. As others have pointed out, altering privacy polices offer a easy rationale for Google to lengthen and tighten this dominance.


text:
China’s copyright authority mentioned on Thursday digital music platforms will not be allowed to signal unique copyright agreements besides in particular circumstances, amid a regulatory crackdown on monopolistic behaviour within the nation’s personal sector.
The National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) gave the order on Thursday at a gathering in Beijing with influential digital music platforms, in addition to document and songwriting copyright firms, in response to an announcement revealed on the NCAC’s official WeChat account.
The order comes amid a widening crackdown by Chinese regulators on the nation’s expertise sector, which has targeted on points akin to monopolistic behaviour, unfair competitors and shopper rights.
Last yr, Tencent Holdings introduced it had ended all unique music copyright agreements after it was ordered by China’s market regulator to take action. The regulator had mentioned the agency held greater than 80 p.c of unique music library sources which elevated its leverage over upstream copyright events and allowed it to limit new entrants.
The NCAC didn’t point out which firms had been referred to as in on Thursday. Besides Tencent, smartphone maker Xiaomi, telecommunications supplier China Mobile, and Internet tech large Netease all personal in style streaming companies in China. Globally in style streaming companies like Spotify are banned in mainland China.
The NCAC mentioned that whereas copyright practices had improved since 2015, when the authority banned unlicensed music streaming and ordered platforms to take away hundreds of thousands of songs, the business nonetheless wanted to be additional standardised.
“The talks emphasised that document firms, songwriting copyright firms and digital music platforms ought to … settle fee in response to a assured sum plus a share of precise utilization, and shouldn’t signal unique copyright agreements besides below particular circumstances,” it mentioned.
© Thomson Reuters 2022
Catch the newest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2022 hub.