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Best Buy released a new weekly Ad featuring deals in 4-Day early Black Friday sale. Prices are valid until November 23.
The 4-Day early Best Buy Black Friday Sale has launched today. This is the last sale before the actual Black Friday. The online Best Buy Black Friday Sale will start midnight Thanksgiving Day. The 4-Day Best Buy Weekly Ad is full of great deals. Some of these deals will not be better on Black Friday. Either the items will not be offered or sold already at Black Friday prices. Here is one of those deals.
Don't Miss: See the first leaked Black Friday 2016 Ad
Best Buy offers the $299.99 Xbox 360 4GB Kinect console with a free $100 gift card. This deal essentially brings down the price of this console down to $199.99. This is pretty good, if there would be not the incredible Walmart Black Friday offer. Walmart advertises the Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect in their Black Friday Ad for $199.96 with free $50 gift card. Some voice on the net already think that this deal might be an error. I hope that is not the case. It is of course not clear how many units Walmart will make available at this price. This deal saves $150 and basically gets you the Xbox 360 4GB Kinect for half the price.
The $100 Gift Card deal for the Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect is not unusal. Early November Amazon offered it too.
Get the $299.99 Xbox 360 4GB Kinect console with a free $100 gift card on BestBuy.com.
Don't Miss: Incredible Pokemon Gifts
See also the just released Best Buy Black Friday 2011 Ad. I4U News provides you with complete coverage of Black Friday including buying guides, deal analyses, Black Friday Ads and more in our Black Friday Hub. Make sure you follow us on Twitter to no miss any Black Friday 2011 Deals.


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Pittsburgh-based home improvement retailer Busy Beaver has announced plans to open five new locations in 2018, the company reports in a press release. These new stores will be in addition to the 18 locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia that the retailer currently operates.
In March 2018, the company will open a store in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and in May 2018, the company will open the second of its newly announced locations in Greenville, Pennsylvania. More locations will be announced throughout 2018.
The Grove City location is set to be the company’s largest store, coming in at roughly 50,000 square feet, about 15,000 square feet larger than the average Busy Beaver store. This location will employ around 20 full-time employees and 10 to 15 part-time employees. It will also house an expanded seasonal department, an indoor lumberyard, farm and ranch equipment as well as a designated contractor service center.
“We’re excited about our continued expansion plans for Busy Beaver during the next year across the entire region. Starting with Grove City, we’ll be pleased to offer local residents and businesses a customer-friendly store experience that addresses the needs of DIYers and supports local contractors,” Joe Kallen, CEO of the company, says.
Founded in 1962, Busy Beaver began as a trio of lumberyards. The company began to open full-service home improvement centers in the 1970s and 1980s across Pennsylvania and now employs approximately 350 workers. In 2015, Busy Beaver joined True Value.

domain: news


text: According to the results of the 2013 Polk Automotive Buyer Influence Study, car buyers are spending less time shopping overall but are devoting more of their shopping time to the Internet. The study revealed that new car buyers who used the Internet in the shopping process reported spending 13.75 hours shopping for a vehicle, a decrease of 5.25 hours since 2011. Similarly, used car buyers who used the Internet during the shopping process spent 15.25 hours shopping, a decrease of 2.75 hours since 2011.Although consumers are spending less time shopping overall, they are spending a greater percentage of their shopping time online than they were in 2011. Two years ago, buyers spent about 60% of their shopping time online, but that percentage increased to 75% in 2013.These changes were likely driven by the improved quality and quantity of listings and greater use of mobile devices, in addition to a continually improving economy.The study also revealed that the role of traditional media in the shopping process has decreased notably. Though all forms of traditional media showed decreases in usage, the biggest declines in usage of traditional media during the shopping process for both new and used car buyers were seen in print newspapers, television and direct mail.Buyers who use the Internet are spending the most time on third-party sites, according to the study, so dealers and automakers should ensure they are marketing their brands, their dealerships and their inventory where the active car shoppers are going online.


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Stella McCartney is yet again expanding her brand’s reach — and her latest target audience is the grade-school set.
McCartney’s first full children’s wear collections, done in collaboration with GapKids and babyGap, will be launched Nov. 2 at select Gap stores in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France and Japan. The 70-piece line, which McCartney said she designed to “find a kind of balance between Stella as in what I do for adults…and how I see kids, really,” takes inspiration from both the design signature McCartney has developed in her own collections and her practical experience as a mother of three.
“I guess I tackled it in the same way I would one of my own ready-to-wear collections, but then the challenge was, ‘OK, I’ve got to get into the same mind-set of a kid and what they might like,’” said McCartney as she stood on the sidelines of the campaign shoot for the collection — which stars a host of children posing with baby animals — at a London studio in late summer. “It’s quite a good thing to have kids when you’re designing a kids’ collection, to be aware that they actually have their own point of view.”
To wit, McCartney made sure the fabrics she’s used in the collection — such as organic cotton, cashmere and wool — aren’t “scratchy,” and has incorporated fun elements to entice children as much as their parents. A T-shirt printed with a superhero design — which McCartney’s four-year-old son Miller approved — and a pair of white high-top sneakers can both be customized with a set of colored markers sold alongside the garments. There are also pajamas that come in a dinosaur-print bag for boys, along with tulle tutu skirts in caramel and pistachio and a faded mint silk party dress embroidered with silk flowers for girls. (The collection’s sizes run from newborn to children up to age 12).
But practical pieces feature in the collection, too, such as a navy wool peacoat and organic denim jeans for boys and silk collarless shirts and organic cotton T-shirts for girls. “I think in kids’ wear a lot of the time they give one point of view…and that’s not how kids are,” said McCartney. “You want to mix and match, otherwise kids look too twee or too streety.”
And in keeping with McCartney’s vegetarian principles, the shoes she’s designed, which include sneakers and shiny gray rain boots, are all made without leather. “A big part of the excitement for me was not just the clothes but the shoes,” said McCartney. “Because so many people had said to me, ‘I can’t get shoes for my kids that aren’t leather.’”
Meanwhile, some of the pieces are mini-me versions of designs from McCartney’s rtw collections. There’s a gray sweater dress knit with an intarsia leopard design — which appeared full-size in the designer’s fall 2009 collection — along with skinny gray jeans with ankle zippers and a snug gray cable-knit cardigan dress.
Marka Hansen, president of Gap North America, described McCartney’s aesthetic as “a really natural fit,” for the company, adding that the designer’s insight into children’s likes and dislikes was a plus. “[McCartney] has hands-on experience as a mother, so she understands what kids want to wear and the practical considerations that parents have when dressing their children,” Hansen said.
And McCartney was just as eager to partner with Gap on the collection, since she was determined that her children’s collection be affordable. “I think [Gap] makes a great product for the price point, and I think that it’s really important for kids to deliver really high quality and have it accessible to people,” said McCartney. “I felt that I could get the right quality of product with them.” Prices for the collection run from $14 for wool tights through to $128 for a military-style jacket.
Though the designer has created a collection for price points far lower than those of her own line, McCartney has still managed to work in plenty of details. A girl’s taupe trenchcoat, for example, is lined with cotton printed with the words “I Love You,” while the military jacket is sewn with intricate gold brocade and a tailored jacket in brushed cotton has silk lapels. “My job is to push for the best that I can do [for the price point], and [Gap’s] job is to control the cost and also give the best they can do for the price they know is realistic for their customers,” said McCartney.
And the designer took an equally democratic approach to the ad campaign. Instead of casting children from modeling agencies, McCartney put a call out on Facebook for regular kids. The images, shot by Ryan McGinley, feature 20 children ranging in age from one to eight years, who share the spotlight with fluffy baby chicks, iguanas, rabbits, a miniature donkey and even a fox. “I wanted to get real kids, and also give real parents the opportunity of having their kids in an ad campaign of this scale,” said McCartney. “We cast in Notting Hill and there were, like, queues of kids and parents around the block.”
After the runaway success of McCartney’s 2005 collection for H&M, when customers fought to grab her designs, McCartney declined to predict if the collection with Gap would create a similar frenzy. “It’s a totally different kettle of fish,” said McCartney. “It’s talking about kids, and I don’t know if the parents are going to have a frenzy buying something for their kids.”
McCartney did allow she’s looking forward to the response. “It’s kind of nerve-racking and also really exciting,” she said.


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Major cybersecurity companies in Argentina and the world agree that the end of the year is a time when digital scams are on the rise. Driven by the hundreds of thousands of transactions made before the holidays, Cyber criminals take advantage of the few precautionary measures which users usually take before shopping on websites and social networks.
“December is a hot month. Christmas and bank holidays in general, as well as bank holidays, increase the vulnerability to threats and scams, ”they explain from BTR Consulting, an Argentinian cybersecurity company.
To all of this we need to add an increasingly established post-coronavirus pandemic trend. “In the past few months there has been a historical record of cybercrime and digital hoaxes. The increase in attacks was 400% and there has been an 80 percent increase in online crime and fraud with economic repercussions, “they point out from the company.
For this reason, BTR Consulting has compiled a list of the most common crimes and the measures to be taken to avoid them. Additionally, they revealed which platforms are most commonly used by criminals, and they turn out to be the three most popular by Mark Zuckerberg: WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
The company says it discovered 130 different techniques in 2020 that combined technological resources with cyber intelligence. “The projection suggests that this year there will be more than 200. be“You betray. And in this context they add: “According to data obtained from ours eXtreme Cybersecurity Lab, the age group between 30 and 40 has the highest usage on social networks (32%), which is a perfect fuel for cybercrime. Our analysis shows that 58% of people give their phone number on social networks. 30% say where they work and 20% where they go on vacation“.
On the other hand, the BTR Consulting report states that people between the ages of 50 and 60 are the most vulnerable to bank fraud and financial fraud. An alarming fact indicates that the modality The most common fraud occurs through WhatsApp, Text messages, and emails that appear to be from friends or family. The proximity of trusted sources or the inner circle does not make people hesitate or suspect and automatically access links or download malicious files.
The most recognized situation there is spoofing on the instant messaging platform. “A few examples: ‘I have changed my cell phone number’ is a message that is associated with the photo avatar that we can recognize. The contact never shares that the previous one has been canceled and if we don’t raise the doubt we’ll never find out.
Alternatively, you will receive a message like “I accidentally sent you a code, can you give it to me?” This is the prelude to the hijacking of your WhatsApp. Finally, all of your contacts will receive offers from ‘I am selling dollars‘,’ It’s an emergency ‘, or’ We had an accident ‘where cybercriminals steal everything from money to other data.
On this platform, the phishing technique is present in 45% of the cases. The users end up giving out their authentication credentials and the result is that they lose control of their accounts and fall victim to collateral damage extortion in which they fool their contacts with a story that reveals itself “URGENTLY offers to sell dollars at a good price“.
Disclaimer: This article is generated from the feed and is not edited by our team.


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As reported in an earlier post where the CEO of Intel hinted to the public to “Get a Mac”, Apple should be announcing their first steps at switching to the Intel processor, possibly because of how IBM hasn’t been delivering on the G5 processor speeds as agreed. I found it rather worrying that the traditional news media has pick up on the rumors from the web (i.e. blogs) and reported on it even before Apple has announced anything!
If the rumors are true:
Then we know there was a method to Otellini’s madness!
If the rumors are false:
It would make traditional news sources, like New York Times, look really bad!
In any case, Kottke gave some backing to this rumor as he cited a Slashdot posting about Apple having a “Moto” contingency in their contract with IBM. There are extremely tough provisions in the contract that Apple insisted upon to prevent another Motorola scenario from happening. IBM had no problem with the provisions because they were positive the could beet [sic] the goals by two in half the time. IBM fucked up badly.
While you might be convinced by the news that Apple is switching to Intel, you might do better to read what The Register had to say about the rumor back in May 2005, where they explained “Why Apple won’t embrace Intel“. Steve Jobs is known to make life-changing decisions when anyone in the industry pisses him off, so this could jolly well be Apple’s retaliatory move.
You can read a roundup of the Apple & Intel fiasco on MacRumors.com. Steve Jobs should be making the official announcement at WWDC 2005… which is in a few hours. You can follow the announcements live at MacRumorsLive.com.
UPDATE: Well, it was true… you can read about it on Yahoo News or watch the WWDC 2005 streaming video for Steve Job’s presentation. What do you think about the announcement? Stay tuned for my opinions about Apple & Intel.


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The future of in-flight entertainment? New headsets display HD films which block out annoying fellow passengers
- Skylights Theater offers an immersive 2D/3D cinema experience for users
- The portable glasses display films on a wide-angle, high-definition screen
- Weighing 280g, they provide visual and audio isolation from the cabin
A French start-up has designed a new headset that may change the way airline passengers watch in-flight films and TV programmes in the future.
Called Skylights Theater, the portable glasses offer an immersive 2D/3D cinema experience on a wide-angle, high-definition screen that no one but the wearer can see.
Weighing just 280g, the headset’s biggest selling point for travellers may be its ability to provide visual and audio isolation from the rest of the cabin, allowing them to tune out people seated around them.
Called Skylights Theater, the portable headsets offer an immersive 2D/3D cinema experience for users
Films are displayed on a wide-angle, high-definition screen that no one but the wearer can see
Similar in appearance to a virtual reality headset, the glasses were designed by Skylights, a start-up based in Paris.
The wireless headset, which has been nominated for a prestigious Crystal Cabin Award, has a battery that provides eight hours of viewing and enough memory storage for 40 HD films, said the French firm.
The screen has 720p resolution and a large depth of field, and its developers said the experience is akin to sitting in the middle of a private cinema. Users plug headphones or earphones into the lightweight device for audio.
Unlike a virtual reality headset, wearers of Skylights Theater headsets don't have to move their heads around to see a full range of images, as the film or programme is displayed on a fixed screen.
Skylights, the French firm which developed the headset, said it provides visual and audio isolation
French budget airline XL Airways recently became the first carrier to test the Skylights Theater
Skylights said: ‘Our product is a brand new kind of device. It’s neither virtual reality nor augmented reality.
‘Immersive glasses are about recreating the cinema experience. No interactive content, 360-degree views, or gaming. Just great cinema.’
It said airlines could generate revenue by charging a fee to passengers who want to use them during a flight.
French budget airline XL Airways, which already has Samsung tablets available for rent on its flights, recently became the first carrier to test the device, using it on four flights to Antilles and Reunion Island.
Unlike a virtual reality headset, wearers of Skylights Theater don't have to move their heads around
It said the feedback from passengers was ‘particularly enthusiastic’ and a wider testing phase will begin soon.
Laurent Magnin, the airline’s chief executive, said: ‘In-flight entertainment is nowadays one of the main concerns of passengers.
‘In accordance with our identity, we don’t have individual seatback screens but want our passengers to either bring their own device, rent a tablet and soon rent immersive cinema glasses.’
David Dicko, CEO of Skylights, added: ‘We want to provide each passenger with a high-quality viewing experience so that passengers no longer feel like they are wasting perfectly good movies by watching them on board.’
A spokesperson for Skylights said an airline could rent headsets from the company and allow passengers to use them for free, particularly in premium cabins, or they could charge a fee to generate revenue.
In that case, the price would be determined by the airline, the spokesperson said.
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There has been rumors that the all time favorite Need For Speed Most Wanted will be hitting the Android Market on October 30 this year,
Google Play will soon roll out a feature especially for the Verizon Wireless customers, which allows them to pay their purchases from the Google Play
It has been quite some time since the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and LG Optimus L9 had been launched in the States, but there is
Over the past few weeks, many Galaxy S3 devices around the globe had been updated to the latest Jelly Bean firmware, except for the United
Google has officially rolled out the Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) update to Galaxy Nexus that were purchased through the Google Play store as well as
It’s here! It’s finally here! The Nexus 7 ( 32 GB )is being listed on Staples Advantage , which only mean that the arrival of
It has now been confirmed that the 62mb update Verizon has recently pushed out for the Galaxy S3 is not a Jelly Bean update file.


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As cruising continues to gain traction around the world and New Zealand’s borders inch closer to opening, a representative of the sector has given some tips on how to sell cruise to people who are hesitant.
Jacinta Baker, Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL’s) business development manager WA, NZ and home-based, says agents should advise clients ‘not to knock it until they have tried it.’
Kiwi travel agent Peter Manase of Manase Travel Studio has been awarded top stepper in Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL’s) second annual Walk for Wellness. He accumulated the highest total number of steps (1,122,286) and is now the new owner of an Apple Watch Series 7.
The collective walking distance of all participants was 139,435km – smashing the initial target of 100,000km by almost 40% and increasing by 70%, year on year.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is inviting New Zealand and Australian travel partners to register and start warming up for Walk for Wellness 2021 – the popular initiative that celebrates wellbeing within the travel industry, now in its second year.
This year’s Walk for Wellness challenge will run from 1-31 October, coinciding with a number of mental health events taking place throughout the month including World Mental Health Day on Sunday 10 October. It encourages travel agents to get active and track their steps towards a combined goal of 100,000km via a free mobile app, while taking part in weekly challenges and connecting with peers in the travel community along the way.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) will continue to support the New Zealand trade from its Sydney office in the meantime, but will re-evaluate the need for a local office as business builds back up.
Ben Angell, vice president and managing director NCL Asia Pacific, says the company continues to evaluate the situation across the whole region. The NZ office was a recent Covid casualty.
‘However, we provide strong support out of Sydney and we have connections with the trade here. That’s right for us at the moment but we’ll look again as things develop.’
As it prepares for a return to service beginning 25 July 2021, Norwegian Cruise Line has announced the premiere of ‘EMBARK – The Series’, a docu-series chronicling the brand’s comeback.
The first of five episodes will premiere on 16 April, 12pm.
This is part of the Company’s ‘EMBARK with NCL’ editorial content platform.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), has released a collection of port-intensive South Pacific itineraries for 2022. Sailing aboard the recently refurbished Norwegian Spirit, NCL’s new voyages will visit destinations such as New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, American Samoa, French Polynesia and Hawai’i.
As well as seven, 12 and 14-day South Pacific cruises, Norwegian Spirit is embarking on an exclusive ‘Fire and Ice’ voyage, with the contrasting destinations of Alaska and Hawai’i in one comprehensive itinerary.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has a Take 5 offer, providing up to US$2900 in value for a limited time. The promotion sees all stateroom categories across all ships and destinations receiving all five of its popular ‘Free at Sea’ offers, with 50% reduced deposits also available.
Clients can gain a free beverage package, shore excursion credit, specialty dining package, wifi package and access to NCL’s ‘3rd and 4th guest sail at a reduced rate’ (on select sailings). Australian and


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Originally published in Brainstorm Mag on 4 August 2020
By Adam Oxford
For many years, people have spoken of South Africa’s financial sector with a kind of reverence, at least as far as innovation goes. While other sectors of the economy have remained digital laggards, local banks and financiers have been constantly experimenting and finding new ways of servicing customers old and new for decades. From mobile banking to peer-to-payments and reward schemes, digital transformation has translated into a competitive advantage and delivered world-class services.
If those organisations that were already digitally transformed have been quickest to adapt to the new normal of the Covid-19 world, which has been generally observed, financial services should have been best placed to take disruption in their stride. They should have been best placed to help customers who needed to rapidly reassess their finances and adapt to digital services and e-commerce.
Is that how the pandemic played out? Brainstorm put together a virtual roundtable of experts to find out. It shouldn’t need to be said, but it was impossible to be prepared for the impact of Covid-19. “No one expected this,” says Mira Andric, operations and delivery manager at ACS.
Changing the world
Hannes van Rensburg, chief commercial officer at Clickatell, adds that South African finance houses have generally, lived up to their reputation.
“We have about 10 000 clients around the world,” he says. “I’m privileged to see how the pandemic impacted things. What is clear is that the financial industry in SA was probably better prepared than almost any other in terms of being able to serve customers digitally, understand customers, manage security and so on. It’s work that has been going on for 20 years. By comparison, in the US, I still use cheques to pay people.”
Consumer demands have changed as a result of lockdowns, but the challenge now is working out how they will change again as restrictions are lifted.
“No one predicted this pandemic,” agrees Brian Richardson, CEO of WizzitDigital. “But it has accelerated action around digital payments. That’s a bit of a double-edged sword. We need to accelerate adoption of digital, but how do we balance the need to transform and digitise, and preserve existing business models at all costs?”
Now is the time to experiment and find that out.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Richardson continues. “No one will question you for pushing digital transformation now, so how do you also ensure the incentives are there for executives to do that?”
Edward Sewnarain, group chief commercial and procurement officer at InsideData, adds that as much as digitally transacting makes more sense in a socially distanced world, underlying structural problems aren’t going away.
“We mustn’t forget about the digital divide,” he says. “Who has access and the means to digital communication? As much as we talk about fast-tracking digital processes, a lot of the population still lacks accessibility.”
Sewnarain points to the discrepancies between private and public schools when it comes to coping with restrictions as a prime example. Those who can engage in digital classes have continued learning. Those who can’t, haven’t.
Already there are signs that culture change has been more subtle than might be first expected.
“The consumption of digital services has grown, but it’s not the trend I expected to see,” says CIO of African Bank, Penny Futter. “There’s been an increase in digital experiences via USSD, call centre, web or app, but there’s still a fair amount of engagement in branch. As we moved into level three, interaction in a branch picked up, so it seems people still want to engage with a human being.
“But at the same time, digital traffic has not necessarily dropped off. People who have been forced onto a digital channel haven’t yet abandoned it, so the question is, will they go back to a physical one in the future?”
Standard Bank’s head of digital banking, Andrew van der Hoven, agrees.
“The demand for digital services had been growing at a pace, and customers who were already deeply entrenched in them continued to use them,” Van der Hoven says. “What we saw was increased use and downloads of the app, but also increased use of the USSD platform. There’s still a large proportion of South Africa where feature phones are the dominant form of communications. Digital means different things to different people.”
“My mother-in-law always refused to use internet banking,” says director of strategy at Epic ERP, Dr Danéel van Eck. “But because of social distancing, she has become a frequent user and is completely comfortable with it. Similarly, some friends of mine who would never have considered shopping online are now buying more than just groceries online. I myself never really got into video conferencing aside from a few Skype video calls to overseas customers, but now using Zoom and Teams is second nature.”
The digital divide impacts staff as well as customers. For some, the transition is natural. “Our business does lend itself to working from home, and we’ve found that people enjoy it and are more productive,” says ACS’ Andric.
Getting staff up and running at the start of the crisis was a challenge, however.
“Digital was a dominant trend and Covid-19 strengthened it,” says Helen Constantinides, chief information officer at AVBOB Mutual Assurance Society. “We had a culture of never working from home, but we were forced to adopt it in just three days. It was only possible because the leadership team put a plan in place, but we were connecting a lot of dots before emergency planning, and our existing continuity plans weren’t enough. Sourcing hardware and connectivity was very hard.
“The process touched everything from governance to training; it was a phenomenal test of agility that was only possible because everyone came together.”
“We now have 2 800 people working remotely,” says Carina Wessels, executive for governance, legal and compliance at Alexander Forbes, “but 1 000 of them only had desktops up until now. There was already a queue for laptops before lockdown, and sourcing and testing dongles was a significant challenge too.”
BCX’s head of financial services, Johann Digue, adds that security was a particular challenge for workforces operating on sensitive personal data from home. “It raises lots of concerns that weren’t there in the past, right down to who owns the connectivity link and how it is protected.”
“I’ve never seen elephants dance before,” says Ryan Falkenberg, CEO of CLEVVA. “But I’ve been very impressed by the responsiveness of our clients. The speed that they’ve had to move at, and with systems designed for slow, arduous adoption, has been amazing.”
Some of the challenges of remote working can be met with digital assistants, Falkenberg points out, which can help with front-line customer service.
“Doing repetitive work at home is stressful,” he says. “But if I’m asked to focus on EQ and customer experience, it’s much more rewarding.”
Standard Bank’s Van der Hoven praises the regulator’s agility.
“We pride ourselves on having some of the most forward-looking regulators in the world,” he says. “It’s been excellent, and can’t be faulted given what we’ve seen in other parts of the world.”
The banking regulator has set a standard for government services that can be delivered digitally, he continues, and shows what can be done with other points of interaction, such as UIF benefits.
Ultimately, everyone agrees, there’s no going back for everyone.
“We have to accept that when it comes to staff, the level of control needs to decrease,” says Alexander Forbes’ Wessels. “We have to make the effort to support that. Where you had a daily meeting, now you have a weekly one, but schedule times for coffee or virtual drinks and so forth. We’ve made the decision that we will never go back to what we were before, and we’re consciously working on a project to design the new company. How do we design around staff outputs and not inputs?”
To view the original article, click here


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India’s leading wellness firm, The Himalaya Drug Company has signed India cricket captain Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, ICC Emerging Player of the Year 2018, as the new official brand ambassadors.
Through this association, both Kohli and Pant will promote Himalaya Men face care range.
Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Head (consumer products division), The Himalaya Drug Company, said, “With male grooming emerging as one of the fastest growing sectors in India’s personal care segment, Himalaya Men will play an important role in the new trend of looking good. The concept of ‘Looking good and loving it’ brings to life a unique amalgamation of style as well as the brand vision of ‘Wellness in every home and happiness in every heart. Being role models, both Virat and Rishabh were our first choice. They perfectly symbolize the brand’s promise to make every young man look good and feel confident.”
Virat Kohli stated, “I am very excited to be a part of the brand and be the ambassador. It is a trusted brand and one of my favourite brands too. I have been a patron of their products for a long time now. I look forward to a long association.”
Rishabh Pant added, “I am very happy to be associated with the brand and it has helped people lead happier and healthier lives for over 88 years, and I am proud to be the brand ambassador. Youngsters like me are always looking for good products to fulfil our grooming needs, and this provides the perfect solution. Looking forward to a fruitful association.”


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Toyota (NYSE:TM) might have re-claimed the title of biggest seller of vehicles in the world last year, but U.S.-based Ford (NYSE:F) was the only automaker to make this top 10 list. It moved up one spot from the year before, while the stock beat the market in 2012 with nearly 18% gains.
Investors have had different reasons to buzz about the company than consumers, though.
Ford kicked off the new year by doubling its dividend, for example, boosting the yield to a heft 3.1%. Plus, from a labor point of view, Ford had been adding lots of jobs here in the states. It struck a four-year labor agreement at the start of 2012 that added 12,000 new U.S. manufacturing jobs — many of which were brought back home from Mexico, China and Japan. Plus, it kicked of 2013 by announcing plans to add more than 2,000 positions in Michigan.
Toss in the fact that its 2013 Ford Fusion was named “Green Car of the Year” and there’s plenty of reason to buzz about this automaker.


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Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the country, is hosting its ninth year of Paper Clover, a fundraising campaign that provides millions of dollars in scholarships for 4-H youth in partnership with National 4-H council.
Until April 22, Tractor Supply customers can participate in the Paper Clover fundraiser by purchasing a paper clover—the emblem of 4-H—for a donation during checkout at stores nationwide or by making a purchase online at TractorSupply.com. The funds raised will be awarded to 4-H youth as scholarships to attend camps and leadership conferences in the state where the donation was collected.
“Every Paper Clover donation directly contributes to the growth and development of 4-H youth,” said Christi Korzekwa, senior vice president of marketing at Tractor Supply Company. “Tractor Supply customers and team members show incredible support for this program because they see the value 4-H brings in teaching indispensable skills that benefit their communities for years to come.”
Since its start in 2010, the partnership between Tractor Supply and 4-H has generated more than $13 million in essential funding. Last year the Paper Clover fundraiser, which takes place in the spring and fall, saw a record-breaking year with more than $1.8 million raised.
“The stories we hear from the thousands of 4-H youth who have attended camps and leadership conferences because of Paper Clover remind us why we work so hard to support this mission,” said Jessica Holmes, store marketing manager at Tractor Supply Company. “In every Tractor Supply community, we see 4-H members growing into leaders and we are proud to play a role in their development.”
Fundraising efforts from Paper Clover fund scholarships for numerous state level 4-H programs nationwide, and every donation benefits youth within the state it was collected.
“4-H continues to empower America’s youth with hands-on learning and education programs that encompass skills like responsibility, resiliency and hard work,” said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council. “Thanks to our partnership with Tractor Supply Company, its team members and the communities it serves, the Paper Clover promotion gives more youth the opportunity to experience and benefit from 4-H.”
4-H clubs are encouraged to contact a Tractor Supply store to participate during the in-store fundraiser. Those who participate with their local store are eligible to win a $100 Tractor Supply gift card through the Paper Clover Participation Sweepstakes. For more information on how to enter the sweepstakes, visit TractorSupply.com/4h.


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iPhone XS Max Could Be Selling Three to Four Times Better Than iPhone XS, Analyst Believes
With the launch weekend behind us, famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has weighed in on the current market prospects of the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max and the new Apple Watch Series 4. According to his perspective, the iPhone XS Max is the more popular device, but bear in mind that the iPhone XR has yet to launch.
iPhone XS Max With 256GB of Internal Storage Is the More Popular Model
The bigger of the two flagship smartphones with a jaw-dropping price tag to match continues to show promise, eliciting three to four times the demand for the iPhone XS, according to Kuo. The 256GB model is the top pick, with the 512GB variant suffering because of a shortage of NAND flash chips that Samsung has a corner on.
The colours gold and space grey are in vogue for both the flagship models. Given the high demand for the iPhone XS Max, Kuo has increased his shipment estimates 5 to 10 percent for the second half of the year and believes that the phone will remain in swing well into the holiday quarter, with the Asian market lending a hand to buoy the demand. Since Apple charges more premiums for higher storage, the popularity of the 256GB variant of the flagship phones can push the average selling price (ASP) of iPhones above the expected $750-$770 range.
The ‘yet to be launched’ iPhone XR is also projected to do well, with Kuo expecting more customers to upgrade to it instead of last year’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. He also thinks that supply constraints experienced by the suppliers JDI and LG Display will be resolved by the end of October, resulting in a production of 35-40 million units. Since strong demands of the iPhone XS Max is expected to make up for the ‘lower than expected’ sales of the smaller iPhone XS, Kuo hasn’t adjusted his estimate of 75-80 million iPhone shipments for the second half of the year.
The Apple Watch Series 4, which is now being seen as a potentially life-saving device, has received a great response from the market, prompting Kuo to increase his estimate to 19.5 million. As the assembler Quanta is already operating at full capacity, supply is expected to improve when the second supplier Compal commences mass production in November.
What reasons do you think were responsible for the analyst believing the iPhone XS Max is the more popular model? Tell us down in the comments.
You might also like to check out:
- Apple Could Make $134 Profit per 512GB Variant of iPhone XS Sold Compared to Base Version Model
- iPhone XR Expected to Be Most Popular Variant, With Over 50% Shipments for the Device Being Estimated
- iPhone Xs 120Hz Touch Sample Rate Explained: Not the Same as the Razer Phone’s 120Hz Refresh Rate but the Start of Something Better
News Source: 9to5Mac
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Negros Occidental Provincial Accountant Merly Fortu yesterday said she is happy and thankful to Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for approving the payment of her back wages. Fortu returned to work in September after the ... Visayan Daily Star, 5 days ago
NegOcc provincial gov't submits PDAF status report to DBM - Positive News Media, 1 week ago
Report reveals lapses in accounting of pork - Panay News, 1 week ago
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A British IT worker has launched a frantic search of a landfill site after realising he accidentally threw away a computer drive holding $7.5 million (5.5 million euros) in the online currency bitcoin. James Howells, 28, obtained 7,500 bitcoins in ...Yahoo! Singapore, 1 week ago
BOSTON (CBS) New England sports fans have been blessed with a lot of good fortune over the past several weeks (minus a few Patriot games). I don't think anyone predicted a Red Sox World Series appearance at the start of this season. Lost in the all ...Big News Network, 1 month ago
BACOLOD City — The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has approved a P4.3-million supplemental budget that includes P2.4 million intended for the back wages of Provincial Accountant Merle Fortu. Fortu considers the approval a gift. Justice came during the ...Panay News, 5 days ago
aid for destroyed houses The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental yesterday approved the allocation P51,951,808 for assistance to victims of super typhoon Yolanda, operations of government-managed hospitals expenses and back wages, among ...Visayan Daily Star, 6 days ago
After a six-month strong rally, technology stocks seem to have finally taken a breather in the last two months. This break, however may not last long, say analysts, who believe that the sector could see further upside of 15-20%. IT stocks have seen ...Business Standard India, 1 week ago
This article originally appeared in the September 1987 issue of Road & Track Magazine Ever since carmakers realized that they had covered a majority of the market with shiny new motorized sheet metal, they set product planners anxiously seeking ...Road & Track, 1 week ago
BACOLOD CITY The government is expanding its probe into allegations of misuse of lawmakers Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to include possible cases committed by allies of President Aquino during his administration. The development is ...ABS-CBN News, 2 weeks ago
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Nokia will soon launch its latest tablet product Lumia 2020 in early 2014, as reported by Digitimes website yesterday. The product launch is Nokia's strategy to expand its consumer segments. Nokia has been marketing cell phones ...Tempo.co, 2 weeks ago
OVER the past decades, people around the world have witnessed the stranding of many marine mammals. Their photos and videos were in the news, web sites and in the social media. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, as defined ...Business Mirror, 1 month ago
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Gold and silver prices are surging and the U.S. dollar is slumping. While that’s not great for consumers, investors are loving the dynamic.
Chains are no longer saturating the U.S. market before setting up lucrative yet risky overseas outposts. As our fast-food nation goes global, they just can’t afford to wait.
The dollar remained weak against its main trading partners Wednesday, after the Federal Reserve issued an unsurprising policy statement and Fed chair Ben Bernanke offered little salve for inflation jitters.
The dollar remained weak against its main trading partners Wednesday, after the Federal Reserve issued an unsurprising policy statement.
The dollar continued to weaken Wednesday against several major currencies, ahead of a highly anticipated statement and press conference from the Federal Reserve.
Canada has been held up as a picture-perfect economic example, but once rates start to rise, things could get ugly fast for our northern neighbors.
Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it has agreed to buy Swiss medical device manufacturer Synthes for $21.3 billion.
Standard & Poor’s has revised Japan’s credit rating outlook to „negative,” blaming the crisis triggered by last month’s earthquake.
Sony is diving into the tablet race, announcing Tuesday that is working on two gadgets that will hit the market this fall.
Wael Ghonim, a Google executive who shot to international prominence after being detained for 10 days in Egypt, is leaving the search company to start his own venture.
Silver prices have doubled during the last six months, and are now within spitting distance of $50 an ounce, a key level for the precious metal.
The Wii, once the cutting edge of video game technology, is headed the way of the Atari 2600 and the Sega Genesis.
The all-electric Nissan Leaf was named the 2011 World Car of The Year at the New York Auto Show on Thursday.
As you drive west to east, close to the shoreline in what was the little beach town of Arahama, south of Sendai, Japan, you pass acre after acre of houses and stores and trees flattened by the otherworldly power of the tsunami that struck on March 11. These days, the massive clean-up job continues apace. Roads have been cleared and the cars and trucks and boats that were tossed like Tonka toys are finally being readied for the junkyards.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when natural calamities or geopolitical shocks happen, markets go into a tizzy and everyone rushes for safe havens. Then braver souls pour scorn on the wusses who are heading for the exits and buy on the dip, insisting that historic events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina are barely noticeable in the grand progress of economic history.
The dollar took a beating Wednesday, losing ground to a range of currencies, and falling to its lowest level against the euro in 15 months.
The earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan last month also had a major impact on the country’s trade balance.
„We’re thinking of pulling out of Brazil,” the CEO of a large American corporation told me a week ago. The company has been operating there for a few years, doing several million dollars of business. The problem? A series of court judgments so inexplicable, and so crushingly expensive, that the CEO doubts his ability to manage the business. He doesn’t see how the rulings can be honest — even former President Luiz Lula da Silva called Brazil’s judiciary a „black…
Gold prices topped a record $1,500 for the first time ever on Tuesday, shattering an important psychological barrier as investors seek out investments thought to be safe during times of upheaval.
Gold prices topped a record $1,500 for the first time ever on Tuesday, shattering an important psychological barrier.
General Motors has unveiled the first car for its China-only Baojun car brand at the Shanghai Auto Show.
The executives on our inaugural list aren’t household names (yet), but their companies are.
Renren, China’s largest social-networking service, filed for a U.S. initial public offering late Friday in a bid to fund expansion.


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Today is the last day to save $100 on tickets to the 5th annual VideoNuze Online Video Advertising Summit on Tuesday, June 16th in NYC. As a bonus, all early bird registrants will also be entered to win a 55-inch TCL Roku TV.
This year's program is the best one yet, packed with C-level executive speakers from agencies, content providers and technology companies. Headlining the day are our 2 keynote guests David Cohen, Chief Investment Officer, Universal McCann and Neeraj Khemlani, co-president, Hearst Entertainment & Syndication, who will share their insights on the future of advertising and content.
The program also features over 35 executives from Bonnier, CBS Interactive, Digitas, Disney/ABC, Conde Nast, Google, Heineken USA, Initiative, MEC, Nielsen, Puma, Reuters TV, Starcom, Turner Broadcasting, Viacom, Zenith Optimedia and others, on a dozen sessions throughout the day.
Hundreds of industry colleagues will be attending, promising an action-packed day of learning and networking.
Huge thanks to our 20 sponsors, all of whom will have executives attending: Title Partner Videology; Premier Partners DashBid, FreeWheel and Pixability, Headline Partners Altitude Digital, Beachfront Media, Genesis Media, LiveRail, Nielsen, Ooyala, Operative, Teads.tv and TubeMogul, plus Branding Partners Adobe, Akamai, Alphonso, Brightcove, JW, Roku and Tremor Video.
Register now and save!
Wibbitz, an Israeli text-to-video startup, has raised an $8 million Series B round led by NantMobile, with participation by existing investors. The funds will be used to expand into the U.S. via a new New York City office, headed by CEO and co-founder Zohar Dayan, who brought me up to speed on the company yesterday.
Wibbitz uses natural language processing to quickly turn publishers' text articles into short videos. The process begins with Wibbitz's technology digesting the article via algorithms meant to emulate a human reader's behavior, identifying key people, main points and the theme, resulting in a summary of about 20% of the full article.
Early bird discounted registration ends this Friday for the 5th annual VideoNuze Online Video Advertising Summit on Tuesday, June 16th in NYC. All early bird registrants save $100 and are entered to win a 55-inch TCL Roku TV.
Our top-notch program includes keynote guests David Cohen, Chief Investment Officer, Universal McCann and Neeraj Khemlani, co-president, Hearst Entertainment & Syndication, plus 35 executives from Bonnier, CBS Interactive, Digitas, Disney/ABC, Conde Nast, Google, Heineken USA, Initiative, MEC, Nielsen, Puma, Reuters TV, Starcom, Turner Broadcasting, Viacom, Zenith Optimedia and many more.
The Ad Summit is generously supported by 19 industry leaders including Title Partner Videology; Premier Partners DashBid, FreeWheel and Pixability, Headline Partners Altitude Digital, Beachfront Media, Genesis Media, LiveRail, Nielsen, Ooyala, Operative, Teads.tv and TubeMogul, plus Branding Partners Adobe, Akamai, Alphonso, Brightcove, Roku and Tremor Video.
FreeWheel has released its Q1 '15 Video Monetization Report, which reinforces many of the key trends seen in recent quarters. Of note, TV Everywhere viewing increased 328% vs. Q1 '14, now accounting for 57% of long-form content viewed. Once again, live content grew the fastest, up 140% year-over-year. Sports accounted for 82% of live ad views, basically flat from Q4 '14.
Overall, FreeWheel found that video views grew 40% in Q1 '15 vs. Q1 '14, with ad views up 43%, the fastest growth since 2012.
iSpot.tv, which monitors ads in over 100 national TV networks and then correlates real-time digital actions such search, social and video viewing, has raised a $21.9 million series B round, led by Insight Venture Partners, with participation from existing investor, Madrona Venture Group. The new funds will be used for product development and increased staff.
In a world where ads are everywhere, with TV viewing becoming more fragmented, and viewers distracted by mobile devices, iSpot.tv's value to advertisers is that it helps them understand the TOTAL impact of their TV ads, including "earned" subsequent digital actions.
I'm thrilled to announce that Universal McCann Chief Investment Officer David Cohen will be the morning keynote guest at the 5th annual VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit on Tuesday, June 16th in NYC. One of the industry's foremost innovators, David will participate in a interview with me titled "The Future of Video Advertising," in which he'll share insights on how unprecedented forces are impacting video advertising and who the ultimate winners will be in the fast-evolving landscape.
In addition, our afternoon keynote guest is Neeraj Khemlani, Co-President of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication and President, Hearst Digital Studios. Neeraj will participate in a conversation with me, titled "The Future of Video Content Providers," in which he'll explain how established media companies are transforming themselves for the online video era and new entrants are gaining audience momentum. Neeraj will also provide insight into Hearst's key video initiatives including investments in Vice, AwesomenessTV, BuzzFeed, Roku and others.
David and Neeraj are part of an all-star group of over 35 industry executives from Bonnier, CBS Interactive, Digitas, Disney/ABC, Conde Nast, Google, Heineken USA, Initiative, Nielsen, Puma, Reuters TV, Starcom, Turner Broadcasting, Viacom, Zenith Optimedia and many more who will be participating in this premier day of learning and networking!
Early bird, discounted registration expires THIS Friday, May 22nd, so don't delay. Register now to save and to win a 55-inch TCL Roku TV!
Learn more and register now!
I'm pleased to present the 273rd edition of the VideoNuze podcast with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.
Since Verizon announced it was acquiring AOL for $4.4 billion earlier this week, there has been a ton of media coverage, with lots of speculation about what the deal means for Verizon going forward. This is at least partly due to the companies doing a relatively poor job of articulating the deal's strategy.
In this week's podcast, Colin and I weigh in as well, focusing mainly on how AOL's video, programmatic and video syndication assets could mesh well with Verizon Digital Media Services, which already provides back-end delivery and monetization to video content providers (see here and here). Combining the two seems like the biggest point of leverage to Colin and me, yet we note that Verizon didn't even mention a VDMS role in any public comments on the deal.
Meanwhile, in a week when the pay-TV industry suffered its first-ever first quarter loss of video subscribers, we also discuss how Verizon seems intent on innovating beyond the traditional multichannel bundle.
Listen in to learn more!
Click here to listen to the podcast (20 minutes, 16 seconds)
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The VideoNuze podcast is also available in iTunes...subscribe today!
Ad tech provider Jivox has announced a series of updates to its Jivox IQ platform, streamlining workflows for advertisers to create/deliver dynamic ads in programmatic environments. The end goal is for viewers to experience more personalized, relevant ads, based on data that will drive higher engagement. Jivox's founder and CEO Diaz Nesamoney recently briefed me on the updates.
Jivox has redesigned its ad creation environment as Dynamic Ad Studio based on technology it calls "Dynamic Canvas." Instead of using code templates, the technology uses dynamic ad components so assets can be resized, depending on where the ads are delivered. This also reduces the ads' weight for improved loading.
More evidence that video advertisers are embracing multiscreen strategies: Videology reports that in Q1 '15, 58% of all campaigns on its platform ran on more than one screen, up from just 17% in Q1 '14. Almost half (46%) of campaigns ran on Desktop/Mobile/OTT, vs. 40% on desktop only.
The most popular campaign objectives remained view-through rate and click-through rate, followed by audience verification and viewable rate. Another big shift was that 89% of campaigns ran on VPAID inventory in Q1 '15, up from 52% in Q1 '14. Videology believes this reflects brands' increased appetite for interactivity, creativity and measurability not possible in the VAST format.
There is a tragedy of the commons brewing in the online ecosystem. While online consumers dislike online ads enough to deploy ad blockers at an exponential rate, the vast majority of publishers rely on ads to bring content to these same users for free. If ad blocking software adoption continues to grow, what will the true cost be for each party?
We all get it - ads can detract from the user's experience. Tivo and DVRs gave television viewers a way to circumvent advertising through "ad zapping." As consumer behaviors shift to online, ad blockers have now given internet users a similar option. They simply stop requests to specified ad servers or restrict certain page elements from loading onto sites. Unless an ad meets certain criteria or the publisher pays for their site to be "whitelisted," the ad is blocked from the end-user. This includes pre-roll, mid-rolls, interstitials and any ads that are deemed non-static.
Topics: Altitude Digital
Mobile video advertising is red-hot. According to Opera Mediaworks' new State of Mobile Advertising report, mobile video ad impressions in its network rose to 12.8% of all its impressions in Q1 '15, up from just 2.5% of all its impressions in Q1 '14. Mobile video advertising is also much more profitable than other formats, accounting for 55% of revenue delivered to publishers in Opera's ad network.
We all know the Internet is big - some 3.5 trillion web pages big, by the latest comScore estimates. But you wouldn't know it by looking at the current state of the online video market.
Nearly a decade after advertisers started batting around the idea of the Internet's "long tail," highly branded video publishers have yet to grasp the meaning of the phrase. The online video market is now pulling in over $6 billion. That's not bad. But with an injection of democracy, the market could grow to three times that size in very short order.
2,400 industry executives and fans packed the Madison Square Garden Theater for YouTube's Brandcast NewFront Wednesday night that was part 10-year birthday celebration, part evangelical commercial about online video/YouTube's ascendance and part pure entertainment spectacle.
The evening began with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki noting that hours watched are up 50% year-over-year and that YouTube now reaches more 18-49 year olds on mobile ALONE, than does any single cable network reach on TV. YouTube daily viewers are up 40% vs. 2014. And in a pitch to how advertisers can succeed on YouTube, Wojcicki said that 4 out of 10 of the top trending videos in 2014 were actually ads, not content.
Hulu held its NewFront on Wednesday, highlighting its growth, which includes approaching 9 million subscribers, up 50% vs. 2014, with 700 million hours of video streamed in Q1 '15, up 83% vs. Q1 '14. Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins said that 61% of Hulu's viewers no longer watch on a computer. 82% of Hulu's audience is in the 18-49 year-old age range, with a median age of 33 years-old.
I have long wondered whether Hulu was going to be the odd man out, sandwiched between Netflix, OTT's 800-pound gorilla, and Amazon, with its unlimited resources. But Hulu is clearly investing heavily in both licensed and original content, and seemingly carving out its place in the OTT landscape.
AOL hosted its NewFronts presentation Tuesday night, with the key highlights including a new strategy dubbed "Content 365" structured around a screen-based content development approach, a new slate of 16 different programs, and a deal to obtain clips from NBCU's entertainment and news programs.
Content 365, the new mantra from AOL, describes an expansion from a NewFronts "season" to a NewFronts "year." AOL's content development strategy is to focus on 3 formats: short/snackable for smartphones, 5-7 minute mid-form "storytelling" for tablets and desktops and longer-form for connected TVs. In all, AOL plans to produce over 3,600 pieces of video in 2015.
Capitalizing on video's tremendous monetization potential has become a top priority for all content providers, as evidenced by the biggest-ever NewFronts, which kick off today. But newly released survey results highlight how some content providers are already better positioned than others to actually profit from video advertising.
Ad tech provider Operative provided me with a cut of data from a new benchmarking survey it released last week, evaluating the correlations between video ad sales/operational effectiveness and profitability. The overall survey, done in partnership with Digital Content Next, provides insights into 194 content providers, with the cut I received focusing on the 70 content providers that generate at least 25% of their online billable revenues from video.
The initial program for the 5th annual VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit on Tuesday, June 16th in NYC is now set.
I'm thrilled that Neeraj Khemlani, Co-President of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication and President, Hearst Digital Studios, will be our keynote guest. I will be interviewing Neeraj about critical industry trends, how established media companies are positioning themselves for the online video era and how viewers' behavior is impacting advertising. Plus, we'll discuss Hearst's investments in Vice, AwesomenessTV, BuzzFeed, Roku and others.
So far, 26 executive speakers are on board, from industry leaders like Bonnier, Conde Nast, Digitas, Heineken USA, MediaVest, Reuters TV, Roku, Starcom, Viacom, Zenith OptiMedia and many others.
The jam-packed program will feature 14 sessions on the convergence of TV and video advertising, programmatic from both the buyers' and publishers' sides, how video monetization is being modernized from both the buyers' and publishers' side, mobile video, connected TVs, the NewFronts/Upfronts, viewability and online video ad innovation.
The Ad Summit will once again be a must-attend day of learning and networking with industry leaders from brands, agencies, content providers, technology companies and others in the ecosystem. Last year's Ad Summit drew over 420 attendees and featured 40+ speakers.
Discounted, early bird registration is open, and a reminder that all early bird registrants will be entered to win a 55-inch TCL Roku TV, generously provided by Roku.
Learn more and register now!
Video supply side ad platform Altitude Digital has raised $30 million from FastPay, a provider of liquidity and financial workflow solutions to the media industry. The new funds will be used for growing Altitude's ARENA platform and data infrastructure, expanding mobile capabilities and growing internationally. The new financing brings total capital raised to date to $45 million.
Topics: Altitude Digital
Akamai has integrated Adobe Primetime ad insertion into its network to enable server-side online video advertising. Red Bull Media House and Turner Broadcasting are both trialing the joint solution.
While other server-side ad solutions exist, John Bishop, CTO of Akamai's media business told me last week he sees this as a "Server-Side 2.0" offering because the ad requests run directly through Akamai's CDN, thereby eliminating slower communications paths that can hinder scalability.
Programmatic TV technology provider clypd has raised a $19.4 million Series B round to expand all departments in the business, and enter new markets in Europe and Asia-Pacific. With the new round, clypd has raised approximately $30 million.
European broadcaster RTL Group led the round, with participation from prior investors. RTL has become a very active investor in U.S. online video and technology companies, buying a 51% stake in multichannel network BroadbandTV for $36 million in June, 2013, a 65% stake in programmatic video ad platform SpotXchange for $144 million in July, 2014 and acquiring fashion and beauty MCN StyleHaul for $107 million in November, 2014.


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If you are one of the many consumers who wonder what the big deal is with ingesting high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the latest scientific research from the University of Southern California (USC) and Oxford will help shed some light on the question.
Researchers at the USC and Oxford have found a link between HFCS and an increased global prevalence of diabetes, one of the world's most serious chronic diseases. In fact, countries using high fructose corn syrup in their food supply have a 20 percent higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes.
People suffering from type 2 diabetes have high blood glucose due to insulin resistance. If you are not familiar with the complications from type 2 diabetes, they include blindness, dementia, gum disease, cardiovascular disease, an increase in lower limb amputations and typically those with type 2 diabetes have a 10-year shorter life span than the general population.
Although the exact cause of type 2 diabetes is not known, studies frequently attribute it to excess weight and lack of activity but this latest study reveals that HFCS’s association with the “significantly increased prevalence of diabetes” occurred independent of total sugar intake and obesity levels.
Researchers Believe Study Findings Indicate a Serious Global Public Health Problem
The article, “High Fructose Corn Syrup and Diabetes Prevalence: A Global Perspective,” published in the journal Global Public Health, indicates that large amounts of HFCS found in national food supplies across the world may be one explanation for the rising global epidemic of type 2 diabetes and resulting higher health care costs.
The U.S. is the single largest consumer of high fructose corn syrup. By the late 1990s HFCS made up 40 percent of all caloric sweeteners and was the predominant sweetener in soft drinks sold in the U.S.
“HFCS appears to pose a serious public health problem on a global scale,” said principal study author Michael I. Goran, professor of preventive medicine, director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center and co-director of the Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. “The study adds to a growing body of scientific literature that indicates HFCS consumption may result in negative health consequences distinct from and more deleterious than natural sugar.”But Isn't Sugar the Same as HFCS?
The article proposes that the diabetes, HFCS link is probably driven by higher amounts of fructose in foods and beverages made with HFCS. Fructose and glucose are both found in ordinary sugar (sucrose) in equal amounts, but HFCS has a greater proportion of fructose. The higher fructose content makes HFCS sweeter and provides processed foods with greater stability and better appearance because of the more consistent browning color when foods made with higher fructose are baked.
In a previous related study, the authors found that the fructose content in some U.S.-produced soft drinks, especially the most popular, was about 20 percent higher than expected, suggesting that some manufacturers might be using HFCS with more fructose than previously estimated. Such differences could “potentially be driving up fructose consumption in countries that use HFCS,” the researchers said. The study notes the difficulty in determining the actual amount of fructose in foods and beverages made with HFCS because of “a lack of industry disclosure on food labels.”
Growing evidence reveals that the body metabolizes fructose differently from glucose.
“If HFCS is a risk factor for diabetes—one of the world's most serious chronic diseases—then we need to rewrite national dietary guidelines and review agriculture trade polices,” said Tim Lobstein, director of policy for the International Association for the Study of Obesity. “HFCS will join trans fats and salt as ingredients to avoid, and foods should carry warning labels.”
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The Green PolkaDot Box! Backed by the Organic Consumer's Association and EnvironmentalBooty.com, you can easily buy NonGMO organic groceries, including Harvest Fresh Organic produce, at wholesale pricing online. It's like a Sam's club but focused on products for green, healthy living! You can even shop by dietary restrictions like gluten free, vegan or diabetic and it all comes right to your front door. Enjoy!
Article cited: Goran, M., Ulijaszek, S. and Ventura, E. (2012). High fructose corn syrup and diabetes prevalence: A global perspective. Global Public Health. Published online Nov. 27, 2012.


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About 25% of patients do not feel connected to the companies that make the medications they depend on for one key reason: They do not see themselves in the marketing with which brands expect to reach them.
Patient advocacy network Wego Health Solutions polled 31 patient advocates in March using Truvio, its mobile technology platform, and found the lack of connection between drugmakers and patients “a wake-up call,” Todd Kolm, Wego’s SVP of strategy and insight, told MM&M.
The group presented the data in a panel discussion on Wednesday called “The Patient-Centricity Gap” at the annual DTC National Conference in Washington, DC.
Wego, which cultivates a network of patient influencers on behalf of pharma firms, said companies can solve this sense of disconnection if they use patient advisory panels, which are comprised of influencers who provide insights not just when a product launches but also for the duration of a product’s lifecycle.
If a brand is serious about connecting with its patients, it needs to involve them as stakeholders and use that insight to evolve with them. “This is certainly not a one-and-done endeavor,” Kolm said.
This may seem like input that focus groups could provide, but Kolm said focus groups and patient advisory boards have distinct functions. He explained that patient advisory boards are “a longer-term relationship” that involves working with the same set of patients up to eight times a year to get a sense of barriers or questions patients are dealing with before creative briefs outlining a project’s goal and media channels circulate within advertising agencies.
He said this insider perspective can give brands a more confident way to market their products because patient insight will shape materials that focus groups will vet for resonance. Regular contact with patients can help brands evolve along with their patients, a critical consideration particularly for companies that make aging medications that may want to keep newer drugs from grabbing market share.
Talking to influencers, who Kolm said each speak for about 15,000 patients or their caregivers across a variety of conditions, can give brands a clear idea of a patient’s needs.
It also gives patient advocates a stake in the brand if they see their opinions are valued. Kolm declined to name a specific client but said a patient advisory panel helped a company in the gastrointestinal space uncover an unmet or unaddressed need in the patient community and applied it to a variety of materials, including an app the company wanted to launch. He said “patient leaders were really blown away” when they saw the app because it showed the company had listened to the patients.
The payoff for this sort of input is that it goes beyond establishing the look and tone a brand will use throughout all of its touch points. It will also shape interactions like the ones between nurses and sales reps and can encourage companies to reach out to patients through efforts like supporting established patient communities and ensuring that online outreach serves to create an empathic connection as opposed to talking about a product.
Survey participants also offered some relatively straightforward solutions for how brands can resonate with patients and their caregivers, such as by using real patients and their stories as opposed to featuring “healthy-looking actors or models who do not look like they actually use the product.”


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Brands blocking publisher content related to current events such as the coronavirus or Black Lives Matter are inadvertently harming themselves, says a Verizon Media director, who argues that brands need to rethink their approach to brand safety when there is a crisis.
“We cannot fall into the same patterns time and time again,” said Maximilian Weigel, Managing Director, Germany at Verizon Media during the recent DMEXCO@home conference .
“Many advertisers are still blocking all content related to the coronavirus or, even worse, they’re blocking all news content. Others have already moved into a second phase, where they have adapted their approach and messaging to meet the new reality that COVID is going to be in the news for a long time,” he added.
Ultimately, however, the aim has to be to move advertisers into a third phase “where they accept that good news and bad news are always there, and that a new crisis and hard-hitting topics will always be written about.
“They have to accept the good and the bad and find their own unique way to deliver their messaging in environments that their users are telling them that they trust.”
“The fear of hard news and negative content is irrational”
The alternative, Weigel pointed out, is that journalists are forced to produce only advertiser-friendly content “and that’s not good for anyone”.
In any case, he continued, “the fear of hard news and negative content is probably irrational. Seventy one percent of consumers say seeing advertising near serious or controversial news has zero impact on their feelings towards that brand.”
Add to that a widespread desire for a sense of normality and a bit of feel-good content and it is clear that advertisers’ keyword lists may be hugely counter-productive.
This article first appeared in www.warc.com
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Apple is widely tipped to launch iRadio later today, an ad-supported free music service which can suggest music based on Apple users song list on iTunes.
An attempt to compete with the likes of Google’s Pandora, Spotify and upstarts like Grooveshark, 8tracks and Songza; iRadio also serves as reason for smartphone users to stay with the operating system.
Music providers will get a share of the ad revenue.
Apple has signed on with Warner and Universal music and is said to be in talks with Sony and its publishing arm, Sony/ATV.
News of the long-anticipated Apple TV and a TV App Store are also rumoured to publicise at the Worldwide Developers Conference, traditionally a launching pad for new Apple products.
This announcement comes a weekend after Jay-Z and Samsung said they’re close to finalising a music streaming service whereby the programme will mainly act as a vehicle to promote the singer’s company, Roc Nation, as well as his own music.
Currently, Samsung already has a subscription-based streaming service, Music Hub, and the latest collaboration may be its effort to expand or retool it.


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The French regulator said its investigation extends to totally different website devices and it’d add “corrective measures” within the occasion that they breach GDPR pointers.
A French privateness regulator has concluded proper now (10 February) that info transfers by means of Google Analytics breach GDPR pointers and has ordered a French website supervisor to stop using it beneath positive conditions.
That’s the latest in an prolonged line of challenges regarding the change of personal info from Europe to the US. Closing month, the Austrian info security authority, DSB, found that the use by an Austrian website of Google Analytics did not alter to EU info security regulation.
The French watchdog, CNIL, acquired a variety of complaints from the digital rights group NOYB regarding info transfers to the US collected all through visits to websites that use Google Analytics.
Google Analytics is a instrument designed to look at how visitors use websites. As an example, it could be used to generate tales on buyer numbers, visitors’ browser parameters and which machine they’re using. It does this by placing a cookie – a small piece of code – on the particular person’s machine, which assigns a singular identification amount.
CNIL, in cooperation with European counterparts, analyzed the conditions beneath which the knowledge collected by means of Google Analytics is transferred to the US.
In accordance with the Schrems II ruling in July 2020, transfers of personal info from the EU to the US can solely occur if there is a ample stage of security. CNIL said the EU Courtroom docket of Justice beforehand highlighted the prospect that US intelligence corporations would entry personal info transferred from the EU if these transfers weren’t appropriately regulated.
“Actually, although Google has adopted further measures to regulate info transfers throughout the context of the Google Analytics efficiency, these shouldn’t ample to exclude the accessibility of this info for US intelligence corporations,” CNIL said in a press launch.
“There could also be subsequently a menace for French website clients who use this service and whose info is exported.”
CNIL has ordered a French website supervisor to ship this processing into compliance with GDPR. The website supervisor would possibly ought to stop using Google Analytics, or use a instrument that does not include an info change outside the EU. CNIL has given the website operator one month to adapt.
Closing month, the European Parliament was reprimanded by a privateness watchdog overseeing EU institutions for violating info security pointers on its inside Covid-19 testing website. This was one in all many first selections implementing the Schrems II ruling and has presumably set a precedent for EU-US info change situations.
CNIL said 101 complaints have been filed by NOYB throughout the 27 EU states and the three totally different European Monetary Area states in the direction of 101 info controllers painstakingly transferring personal info to the US.
The French watchdog said its investigation extends to totally different devices utilized by web sites that consequence throughout the change of data from the EU to the US, together with that further corrective measures “is also adopted throughout the near future”.
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In a sign of Kashmir progressing on the right path, a fashion show was held in Tagore Hall, Srinagar, on April 10. It was organized by the JK Youth Society.
Around 10 designers and 22 models of Kashmir with designer Rajdeep Ranawat, model-photographer Montu Tomar, model Sony Kaur & make-up artist Kazi Rai participated as judges. A fashion show was organised here in March as well and the youth took part in it enthusiastically. A group of burqa-clad women protested outside the Tagore Hall on April 10.
A mega fashion show was organised in Srinagar where youths of #Kashmir participated as models, designers, dancers, rap artists and stand up comedians.— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) April 10, 2021
Great to see them dancing on a popular track of @salim_merchant @Sulaiman in @imbhandarkar ‘s film #Fashion.
My best wishes. pic.twitter.com/EhQlBBvhFV


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McDonald’s Operators Discuss Next Steps at Invitation of Caspers Co.
Carmen Caruso, a Chicago franchise attorney, said he presented before a meeting of McDonald's operators this week at the headquarters of Caspers Co. in Tampa, where they discussed next steps for forming an association.
An overflow crowd of about 380 people attended a meeting of McDonald’s franchisees this week in Tampa, Florida, hosted by Blake Casper, chairman and CEO of the Caspers Company, the third generation of McDonald’s restaurant owners with more than 53 locations in the area.
That’s according to Carmen Caruso, a 35-year franchise attorney based in Chicago who was invited to give a brief presentation at the meeting, referred to as the National Owners Meeting with operators invited by Casper to discuss forming McDonald’s first franchisee association.
The operators are seeking to work with McDonald’s to “positively impact the system, its shareholders and ultimately the customers,” an email from Caruso’s office said. When reached by phone Caruso declined to give details at the request of the meeting organizers. He emphasized he is not the association’s attorney nor does he know if the group will hire one.
Caspers Co. is a family business run by Blake Casper and his sister Allison Casper Adams and husband, Robby Adams, its website says, adding their grandfather Fritz Casper opened the first McDonald’s location in Tampa almost 60 years ago.
Caruso said the group plans to announce next steps for the association on its website, but is not wanting to be adversarial, unlike actions this week at another legacy system. Jack in the Box operators sent a letter and press release October 9 seeking the removal of CEO Lenny Comma and other leadership changes. Meanwhile, Tim Hortons operators in Canada and the U.S. are in contentious battles with their franchisor, owned by Restaurant Brands International, as detailed in Franchise Times and many other publications.
Speaking in general, Caruso said the reason for unrest at legacy systems is change. “I just think it’s that everything changes. Everyone remembers what their firm was like 30 years ago, and now it doesn’t seem like the same firm any more.
“Change itself is either good or it’s bad. But I think that management ignores viewpoints of its legacy owners at its peril, because they are the people who were there, or their fathers were, their grandparents were,”he said.
“They are the living, breathing brand. It’s wonderful when management shares the same history, but if you get new managers, you may get some resistance from legacy operators,” he said. “You can have a conflict between the people who are true believers in the original culture of the brand, and problems if they lose faith in current management.”


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“This is intended to be our flagship store,” said Andrew Ingram, owner of Hurricane Cycles. “We’ve come up with a totally different vision of how to sell bicycles, so we’re doing extensive changes to the business plan we think will be better for the public.
“We’ll become a destination location,” he added. “I’m super excited. We are really, really ready to bring an exciting new bicycle retailer to the Knoxville area.
“We’ve got some really cool projects in the mix that we’re going to be doing that should really get people talking about it.”
Hurricane Cycles repairs and sells “every kind of bicycle — mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrids, electric — you name it, we’ve got it all,” Ingram said.
That includes its own house brand, labeled the Storm brand of bicycles and components.
The names, hurricane and storm, came about because “I was born the same day Hurricane Andrew hit Florida,” Ingram recalled. “So, ‘Hurricane’ has been my nickname my entire life.”
He started his business eight years ago with a store in Crossville.
“We grew up there and now were expanding,” Ingram said about adding his second location in Farragut. “We purchased the inventory from the previous owner,” who closed April 1.
“We’re going to have a grand opening later this summer (estimating to be in July or August) once we get past some initial question marks on set-up with the Town,” he said.
“Our goal is to be a national chain,” Ingram added.
Before owning a bicycle shop, he was an industrial engineer who raced in the Pro Class for mountain bikes.
“I traveled around the country, racing bikes all over the place against the top talent in the world,” Ingram said. “I had been to a lot of bike shops all over the place because of that.
“Now, we’re trying to bring all the emotion, the excitement and passion that goes into racing high-level mountain bikes, and distill it down into a storefront that we can give people that emotion, that excitement, that passion,” he said. “When you walk into the store, your are going to have sights, sound, smells — all the feelings of hanging out with your friends up in the mountains, riding single track.
“…Ideally, you cannot wait to get outside the store and go ride a bike,” Ingram added.
Hurricane Bikes is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call 865-392-1392.


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By Nelson D. Schwartz
Published Jan. 5, 2022 Updated Jan. 6, 2022
When visitors arrive at the office of America Knits in tiny Swainsboro, Ga., the first thing they see on the wall is a black-and-white photo that a company co-founder, Steve Hawkins, discovered in a local antiques store.
It depicts one of a score of textile mills that once dotted the area, along with the workers who toiled on its machines and powered the local economy. The scene reflects the heyday — and to Mr. Hawkins the potential — of making clothes in the rural South.
Companies like America Knits will test whether the United States can regain some of the manufacturing output it ceded in recent decades to China and other countries. That question has been contentious among workers whose jobs were lost to globalization. But with the supply-chain snarls resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, it has become intensely tangible from the consumer viewpoint as well.
Mr. Hawkins’s company, founded in 2019, has 65 workers producing premium T-shirts from locally grown cotton. He expects the work force to increase to 100 in the coming months. If the area is to have an industrial renaissance, it is so far a lonely one. “I’m the only one, the only crazy one,” Mr. Hawkins said. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE


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Japanese financial services giant SBI has invested $15 million in Tangem, a Swiss startup, and maker of a slimline hardware wallet for crypto-currencies.
The Swiss startup describes its product as a “smart banknote for digital assets” designed to be used just like a bank card. This product allows off-chain physical transactions to be used once cryptos have been loaded onto the device via an NFC-enabled smartphone. To put it simply, the product allows you to execute simple transactions such as store payments.
Tangem announced SBI’s involvement in the project on Monday by saying that it would help expand its technology to other areas such as stable coins, tokenized asset offerings, initial coin offerings, as well as digital identity.
The news was confirmed by SBI in a separate statement. SBI’s statement disclosed that the funds invested in Tangem were made available through the SBI Crypto Investment (A fully owned subsidiary of SBI) but did not disclose the amount invested in the product.
SBI explained their interest and investment in Tangem by saying that its wallet was “inexpensive” and “robust” and could help boost demand for crypto assets, as well as its own offerings. The president and CEO of SBI holdings had this to say about Tangem;
“The Tangem hardware wallet, which is highly secure and affordable, is an important tool to promote the mass adoption of digital assets and blockchain,”
He further added;
“We believe utilizing Tangem will help stimulate the demand for other blockchain services provided by SBI.”
This partnership adds to the list of partnerships SBI has had with other wallet makers such as the one sealed October last year with Blockchain security startup, Sepior that would see the development of a wallet for its crypto exchange VCTRADE.
SBI also acquired a 40 percent stake in Taiwanese cold wallet maker CoolBitX last March.


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It would be easy to chalk up technological developments from Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) as par for the course. The company is perpetually throwing spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks.
A recent product unveiling, however, may mean far more than most realize.
The new device is the Amazon One, which can be used for contactless payments and is up and running in two Amazon Go stores. The device facilitates a completely hands-free interaction. Amazon says the palm print reader could also be utilized for things like granting access to restricted areas or in place of a loyalty card. Amazon is using it for its own purposes right now, but plans to sell the tech to third parties in the future.
Amazon One puts the e-commerce giant smack in the middle of a contactless shopping market that’s worth billions already, but could double in size in five years now that consumers


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Egypt’s exports of chemical products and fertilisers plunged by 30 per cent in the first eight months of the current year, according to new data.
By the end of August, the North African Arab nation’s exports of chemicals and fertilisers tumbled to EGP14.2 billion compared with EGP20.2bn in the same period in 2014.
Turkey was the biggest buyer of Egyptian chemicals and fertilisers accounting for 16 per cent or EGP2.3bn of the total, according to data released by the General Organisation for Export and Import Control.
The top five importers of Egyptian chemicals and fertilisers include Saudi Arabia (EGP980 million); France (EGP653m); Italy (EGP597m) and Belgium (EGP590m), the data published by Amwal al-Ghad indicates.
The United States of America’s imports of these Egyptian products amounted to EGP320m.
During the eight-month period, plastics exports accounted for the major chunk of Egypt’s chemical products and fertilisers at a value of EGP5.8bn, followed by paper products (EGP2bn), fertilisers (EGP1.4bn) and inorganic chemicals at a value of EGP1.4bn.
(EGP1 = AED0.47, at the time of publishing)


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ATTENTION: The glassBYTEs.com forum is being retooled and will return with a new look and functionality that will hopefully help our readers even more. Watch for an announcement when it will be ready, it will be a few months.
You can still stay up on daily news and comment on stories by signing up for the glassBYTEs daily e-newsletter at glass.com/subcenter. There is no charge. Hope to see you there!
Does anyone want to share info about direct billing on here so glass shops can actually survive. We live in California and have been doing glass for over 10 years. The median price of a home here is 500k. Technicians cost anywhere from $30-$40 per glass repair job with W2 employees. Something has to change. Ban together people!!


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Though its stock price has inched up since it reported earnings on April 14, investors clearly weren't too enthusiastic about Intel's first quarter results. As with its mobile partnerMicrosoft , analysts and investors seem to be spooked by Intel's "reliance" on PCs -- which was fine when the PC market was booming, but is hurting the stock now.
Here's the thing: while revenue in Intel's Client Computing Group declined 8% year over year to $7.4 billion last quarter, this result simply isn't the concern so many investors and industry pundits think it is. In fact, a couple of recent analyst upgrades show that even some on the Street are finally beginning to understand the "new" Intel -- which is not just about PCs.
A recap of Q1Intel's first quarter 2015 total revenue was virtually identical to 2014's $12.8 billion, which at first glance was ho-hum at best. Spending and operating income were also flat, but thanks in part to a lower tax rate in Q1 -- 25.5%, compared to last year's 27.7% -- net income eked out a 3% increase.
That's nothing to write home about. Intel naysayers might also point out that its 8% improvement in quarterly earnings per share -- $0.41, up from last year's $0.38 -- was helped by having approximately 200 million fewer diluted shares outstanding compared to 2014. But there's more to consider.
Now for the rest of the storyWhile revenue in the Client Computing Group declined, this drop was fully offset by big jumps in revenue from the Data Center and Internet of Things (IoT) business units. This growth is very important as Intel CEO Brian Krzanich is continuing his mission to move Intel further into these burgeoning markets. Even Intel's mobile efforts, while still the weak link of Krzanich's transition plans, enjoyed a couple of recent wins.
Of all Intel's results last quarter, its 19% year-over-year jump in Data Center sales is perhaps the most exciting for long-term investors. Why? Because much of Intel's success in the Data Center unit comes from growth in the cloud. According to one report, by 2018 global traffic in the cloud will more than quadruple from 2013 levels.
By 2016, Software-as-a-Service alone delivered via the cloud is expected to top $100 billion in annual revenue. That doesn't include hosting, data analytics, and infrastructure, among other revenue-producing opportunities. And Intel's shift to less reliance on PCs and more on data centers is working. This time last year, data centers made up 24% of Intel's total revenue. This year? That figure has jumped to 29%, at the "expense" of Intel's PC unit.
Last but not leastWhile certainly on a smaller scale than data center results, Intel's emphasis on IoT-related sales is also working. Last quarter, IoT revenue jumped 11% year over year to $533 million. Like other IoT players, including Microsoft with its expanded big data solutions based on its Azure cloud platform, Intel is in the early stages. This translates to plenty of opportunity ahead.
Krzanich has made it clear that IoT will continue to play a more significant role in Intel's future, which makes perfect sense. After all, much of the data collected via all those IoT sensors and devices installed in cars, homes, and even cities will be stored in the cloud. This means Intel's strategic IoT growth plans are a natural extension of its data center efforts.
In addition to its PC results, Intel naysayers are quick to point out its lackluster mobile results, and they're right. To date, mobile has been a consistent money-losing proposition for Intel, which likely played a big part in its recent decision to roll mobile sales results into the new Client Computing Group.
That said, recent mobile wins, including supplying the chip for the AsusAndroid OS ZenFone 2 and Microsoft's widely heralded new Surface 3 -- the affordable tablet that can replace your laptop -- are steps in the right direction.
But make no mistake: data center and IoT results are what long-term investors should focus on. And those, along with Intel's nearly 3% dividend yield, continue to impress, which is why Intel should still be near the top of a growth-and-income investor's short list.
The article Forget Intel Corporation's PC "Problems" -- It's A Buy originally appeared on Fool.com.
Tim Brugger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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An innovation agency in the UK, Nesta has rolled out £2 million in an “Open Up Challenge’ aimed at encouraging participation and nurturing the evolving open banking ecosystem.
The Open Up Challenge is a global research initiative for organizations who would adopt new Open Banking APIs to transform the way small businesses discover, access and use financial services. So far, Nesta has disbursed only £2 million out of the £5 million fund allocated to the challenge.
According to sources, for the next phase, the innovation agency is seeking applications across three tracks, with award grants of £100k on the table for an initial crop of ten to twelve finalists to develop their products for the Challenge, with five or six of those teams winning prize awards of at least £200k in November.
Reports say Nesta is interested in applications which will help businesses navigate the current account market, search for unsecured loans, and/or carve out new frontiers for innovation in business banking.
A spokesperson for Nesta, Chris Gorst says Open Banking has become a reality and has started impacting the way small businesses use financial products and services.
“Open banking is becoming a reality and we have already started to see fintechs build tools and services that will impact the way small businesses discover, access and use core financial products and services.
“The next phase of the Challenge builds on this by encouraging these innovators to develop solutions that will enable small businesses to better navigate the market and compare the products and services now available to them,”.