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- Swiss flavor company Firmenich used artificial intelligence (AI) in partnership with Microsoft to optimize flavor combinations and create a lightly grilled beef taste for plant-based meat alternatives, according to a release.
- The company is working to create other AI-generated flavors based on a raw materials database it maintains. Using AI allows the company to address other consumer criteria and ingredient requirements such as clean label, organic, natural or non-GMO more quickly.
- Demand for plant-based protein is growing and flavors are becoming more nuanced as companies try to mimic natural meat flavors. AI can help predict the tastes that consumers are searching for as well as forecast future trends.
While the pace of new product releases in the food and beverage industry may seem like warp speed, it is not often that these new products succeed in the market. According to market research firm IRI, more than 10,000 new products make it to retail shelves every year, and 90% fail to achieve the goals they set.
Companies are increasingly deploying AI to better that ratio, especially in the competitive plant-based meat space. Firmenich leveraged Microsoft’s technology to cross reference its ingredients database with what consumers crave to create its grilled meat flavor.
Employing technology that can scan social media, the internet and data from market research companies to glean insights about consumer preferences enables companies to tap into a database of micro-trends, developing tastes and up-and-coming ingredients — at a fraction of the pace that it traditionally takes to do market research and R&D.
"We must understand and respond to these rapidly-evolving needs with more creativity at an even faster pace," said Emmanuel Butstraen, Firmenich Flavor's president, said in a statement, adding that the pandemic has only accelerated the evolution of consumer preferences.
The pandemic has hastened the growth of the alternative protein market, with sales of all plant-based meats up 148% compared to last year, according to SPINS statistics that monitored sales through April 19. However, many meat eaters are still looking for tastes that replicate the flavors and aromas of animal-based products, which can be difficult to achieve. If plant-based manufacturers want to attract carnivores, which for many is their primary goal, the more the product tastes like meat the easier it will be to do that.
While there has been progress by manufacturers, flavor continues to be the No. 1 barrier for the adoption of meat alternatives. A white paper by Kerry found 73% of respondents said alternatives should mimic the taste of meat. Furthermore, the nutritional profile and use of natural ingredients in plant-based options are important, with 41% saying high protein is an important attribute and almost a third wanting organic offerings with no artificial preservatives.
Firmenich is far from the only company using AI for its product launches and more may be coming in the future. McCormick has partnered with IBM to use AI, and Conagra Brands is using the technology to identify consumer preferences and release on-trend products. Tastewise also has come onto the market with the ability to analyze billions of data points to provide insights white AI upstart Brightseed recently raised $27 million as demand for healthy offerings has surged. As trends change and businesses scramble to get products to market faster, AI will undobutedly play a bigger role in the future.


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After removing Bose products from its online store last month, Apple has now dropped another brand — Fitbit.
On the Apple Online Store, you'll see a range of fitness-tracking devices from Nike, Jawbone, and Mio, among others, but nothing from Fitbit anymore. Apple previously sold the Fitbit Flex ($139.72 at Amazon) and several of the company's other fitness tracking devices.
Apple's new wearable is scheduled to launch in spring 2015, starting at $349. You can choose from three versions, which have different bands: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition. The Apple Watch Sport version will likely target other fitness-tracking wearables on the market, like the Fitbit, though the $349 price point puts it at the high end of the market.
As 9to5Mac points out, some Apple retail locations still have Fitbit devices for sale, but don't expect it to stay that way for long.
But why pull Fitbit but not Jawbone? One reason, 9to5Mac noted, could be that Fitbit has no plans to support Cupertino's new iOS 8 Health app, which pulls together all your health and fitness data into a comprehensive dashboard. Jawbone is among those that support the new app.
Fitbit isn't the first company Apple has given the boot. In the wake of its Beats acquisition, Cupertino last month removed all Bose products from its stores and website, including the SoundLink Mini and QuietComfort headphones.
For Fitbit fans, the company has three upcoming devices. The Fitbit Charge is a wrist-worn activity tracker, the Charge HR adds an optical heart rate monitor, and the Fitbit Surge is a GPS-enabled runner's watch that also measure the user's daily activities. The Charge is on sale now, while the Charge HR and Surge are expected next year.
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What to Know
Customers who had spent thousands of dollars on engagement rings have been left high and dry after their diamond dealer closed suddenly
Enchanted Diamonds, an internet diamond and jewelry shop based in Manhattan, suddenly shuttered its doors and left all its employees jobless
The BBB has reported nearly two dozen complaints it has received to the New York attorney general, and encourages others to do the same
Customers looking to buy their significant other a rock found out their New York City diamond dealer was a crock.
Enchanted Diamonds, an internet diamond and jewelry store based in Manhattan, suddenly shuttered its doors and left all its employees without a job with barely any warning. Customers who had spent thousands of dollars on engagement rings have been left high and dry, too.
One customer flew all the way from Ireland with his bride-to-be to pick up the ring he purchased online.
“Its gone from your bank account one day, and then you dont hear from anyone else ever again. The next thing youre standing in new York with no ring on your finger,” said the man, who wished to remain anonymous.
He said he started to get suspicious after getting emails from the Enchanted Diamonds team, apologizing for the delay and hoping to resume operations on Monday.
When the couple and News 4 went to Enchanted Diamonds offices on Broadway near Times Square, no one answered the door. The owner of the company hung up the phone after contacted by NBC New York.
Enchanted Diamonds was an accredited business with the New York Better BRead More – Source


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On March 2nd, 2009 Skittle’s relaunched it’s homepage, changing it from a “normal” corporate website to a savvy social media whirlwind. The opening page is a Twitter feed, and in the upper left corner is a widget that will navigate you through the site. Anyone who tweets about Skittle’s, or tags it through a hashtag (#), will have their post appear on the Skittle’s homepage. According to David Berkowitz, a blogger on Search Insider, “the message Skittles is sending: What consumers say about the brand is more important than what the brand has to say to consumers.”
The day after the launchof the new homepage when people discovered this, they decided to play a few jokes. According to a blog post by Mashable, “ The jokes might have been a bit too harsh for Skittles, which today switched the homepage from a Twitter search for “Skittles” to their Facebook fan page…” (Schroeder, 2009).
While Skittle’s appears to be new media savvy, and its’ homepage is run by a Twitter feed, @skittles has 3 friends and an icon which is a cat that says “sup”. Another questinable item on the table; you need to enter a date of birth in order to get into the Skittle’s website, due to the fact that the monitering may not be completely up to par and inappropriate comments may be seen on the Twitter feed.
Skittle’s is supposed to be a children’s candy, are targeting the people they should be with this new website?
The next thing that seems to catch people’s attention is the widget in the top left corner that navigates you through the site. Even when minimized, this widget takes over majority of the left side of the screen. If the point of the Twitter feed is so that they can show what their consumers have to say, wouldn’t they want people to see it?
Rob, a daily blogger for TwitTown wrote an article on the pros and cons of Skittle’s new homepage, stating that it was a “bold stroke of marketing brilliance, a total surrender of their brand to the power of social networking, crowd-sourcing and the freedom of information. And the thing is, it may be foolproof – as much trouble and flak as the Skittles brand might have brought upon themselves, there’s one thing they’re guaranteed to get even more of – press.” Later on in the cons part of the article, he also points out, “How does such a move actually help the Skittles brand? Showing that they’re “hip” to Web 2.0 social networking doesn’t change anything about the product itself, and won’t convince people who don’t buy Skittles to go out and do so. If anything, all it shows is that Skittles is desperate to get attention in whatever format they can, regardless of whether or not it hurts the brand. This is a short-term tactical burst, not a long-term strategic plan. “ (Rob, 2009)
When it comes to a Web-site, “…there is much more to think about then the content of the site. Design, color, navigation, and appropriate technology are all important aspects og a good web site… Thus, the best web sites focus primarily on the content to pull together the various buyers, markets, media, and products in one comprehensive place…” (Scott, 2007.)
Skittle’s has all of the necessary information throughout the site, but it is hard to navigate and gives no real insentive to be there. With the exception of giving people excitement to see their name and comment on a home page, there is no real reason for people to visit the site. A very important aspect of social media is to identify your target audience, focus on them and what they want, and respond accordingly. The Skittle’s home page launch is extremely one-sided, a lot of the company watching and not enough of the company responding to the public.


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Making bath time a dog-friendly routine
A small pug guards the front door of a pet store on Bethel Avenue.
It’s the only business of its kind in Port Orchard, according to Dan McNab, the owner.
“I’ve watched the entire pet-washing revolution,” he says.
“In Washington, it started in the past five years, and on the East Coast, it started a little earlier.”
While watching the “pet washing revolution,” he says, he’s seen some pitfalls to avoid to make dog washing as nice as possible for dogs and their owners.
He’s seen pet washes, for instance, where a group of people wash their dogs at a collective washing station.
Washing the dogs together can cause issues, he said.
“Dogs have a tendency to growl,” he said, and when they do, other dogs may get upset and bark or growl back.
Then their owners get upset, and the scene can quickly turn ugly, he said. Putting the animals in individual rooms, like those at Cookie’s Pet Corner and Wash, shuts down that potential for fights.
Several aspects of the room-rental are designed to be especially dog-friendly.
McNab, a contractor and a dog worked together to design stairs to the dog showers that a variety of dogs can walk up easily.
They’re shorter than human stairs and make the dogs feel secure and surrounded, with a wall on one side.
“If the dogs weren’t happy about it, that doesn’t accomplish anything,” McNab said.
He also bought the washing stations’ blow dryers with dogs in mind. Dogs tend to be afraid of the loud sound that the dryers make, he explained.
To avoid that, the dryers at McNab’s shop have a higher than average number of speeds between “low” and “hurricane,” so that the owner can start the blower on a low setting and slowly get the dog used to the sound.
Each room includes shampoo that’s soap free, detergent free and alcohol free.
“You could wash the dog every day, and it doesn’t dry their skin out,” McNab said.
Besides the self-serve pet washing rooms, Cookie’s Pet Corner and Wash also offers a variety of high-end dog and cat food.
“I try to stay with food lines with some fresh food in them,” McNab said.
He remembers an especially bad pet food poisoning that killed a large number of
animals several years ago, and the corporations reactions.
“They act like they’re a replaceable tool,” he said, “but they’re not.”
They’re more “humans,” than that and deserve to be treated well, he said.


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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global home infusion therapy market size is expected to reach USD 61.7 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2022 to 2030. Home infusion therapy involves the intravenous or subcutaneous administration of drugs or biologicals to an individual at home. Favorable government policies and regulations are expected to propel market growth. In February 2018, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was signed into a law that states that all temporary payments of home infusion therapy in the U.S. will be covered by the government in accordance with this regulation.
Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report:
By product, infusion pump emerged as the largest segment in 2021 owing to the increasing use of delivery fluids such as nutrients and medications.
The anti-infective application segment dominated the market in 2021 as a large number of procedures are performed during the administration of medications, such as antibiotics and antifungals.
North America dominated the global market in 2021 owing to the increasing demand for new technologies, along with advanced healthcare infrastructure.
The Asia Pacific market is projected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period owing to the increasing number of diabetic patients in the region.
Read 100-page full market research report for more insights, "Home Infusion Therapy Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Infusion Pumps, Needleless Connectors), By Application (Anti-infective, Chemotherapy), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research.
Home Infusion Therapy Market Growth & Trends
In addition, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening conditions, is expected to have a high impact on the market growth. According to a WHO report, the above-mentioned diseases accounted for 60.0% of the total deaths and 43.0% of the disease burden in the U.S. in 2019. This creates the need to infuse nutritional products that contain glutamine, phospholipids, glucose, and amino acids while administering medication to patients, which, in turn, is expected to boost the market growth in this region.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is expected to create lucrative opportunities for the market. Due to the restrictions caused by COVID-19, patients are waiting to seek treatment until they feel safe. Moreover, patients who seek infusion therapy already have diseases, which eventually weaken their immune systems. In such cases, going outside even to receive treatment becomes a potential threat. Reduced operating hours have led to difficulty in scheduling appointments as well, even if patients choose to continue treatment. Hence, home infusion therapy is expected to play a key role in supporting patients.
Home Infusion Therapy Market Segmentation
Grand View Research has segmented the global home infusion therapy market on the basis of product, application, and region:
Home Infusion Therapy Market - Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)
Home Infusion Therapy Market - Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)
Home Infusion Therapy Market - Route of Administration Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)
Home Infusion Therapy Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)
Middle East & Africa
List of Key Players of Home Infusion Therapy Market
Option Care Health
BriovaRx/Diplomat (UnitedHealth Optum)
ICU Medical, Inc.
B. Braun Melsungen AG
Caesarea Medical Electronics
JMS Co. Ltd.
Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research:
Intravenous Infusion Pumps Market - The global intravenous infusion pumps market size is expected to reach USD 9.9 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., registering a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period. The introduction and development of Specialty and Smart pumps are imparting crucial growth to the overall infusion pump market. Smart infusion pumps are considered an advancement that will give a boost to the market as it constitutes Error Reduction Software and Customized Drug Libraries.
U.S. Home Infusion Therapy Market - The U.S. home infusion therapy market size is expected to reach USD 31.7 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing geriatric population and increasing prevalence of cancer, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, nutritional and immune deficiencies, infections, dehydration, and nausea & vomiting are majorly driving the growth of the market. Factors such as the increasing need for reduced hospital stays and the rising prevalence of chronic disorders in the geriatric population are driving the growth.
Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Market - The global continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion market size is expected to reach USD 7.3 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 10.3% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The key drivers of the market include increasing number of diabetes population coupled with technological advancement in the field of diabetes care.
Browse through Grand View Research's Medical Devices Industry Research Reports.
About Grand View Research
Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.
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Southeast Asia Imports: India to Reduce Imports From South East Asia Due to The Devastating Covid-19
Ever since the land confrontation between China and India took place, India has taken a series of stringent measures to pull off Chinese goods and services from the country. Some media outlets have also claimed these steps to be India’s digital strike against China. Following the same footsteps, the government is considering taking more strict steps amid the anti-China wave across the country’s length and breadth. The Central Government has already banned almost 100 Chinese apps, including Tiktok, one of the most popular visual content platforms.
According to government sources, India is considering measures to stop imports from South East Asia’s trade partners, especially China. Also, because of the COVID-19 India’s import has tremendously reduced this year. This is being considered given the strained relations with China and the needs of a self-reliant India.
Officials said that India plans to implement Mendet Stringent Disclosure Norms to reduce imports and increase quality, and to initiate multiple checks at ports on incoming goods from several Asian countries.
Mobile, laptop and the TV will be targeted
According to sources, the government’s move will mainly target the import of items like base metal, laptops, mobile phones, electronic items, furniture, leather goods, toys, rubber, clothes, air conditioners and TVs.
Last week, the Commerce Ministry issued a notice banning inbound shipments of TVs from importers’ requirements to obtain a special license.
The move is mainly expected to harm Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. India had entered into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). India is also concerned about the heavy trade flow from South Korea.
Focus on increasing quality
An official said, “There is a limited impact of performing duties. Now we want to raise the quality standards. Customs will be more cautious than before.” Due to the border dispute between India and China, there is tension in the relationship between the two countries. In June 2020, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the Indo-China clash in the Galvan Valley of Ladakh. Since then, there has been continuous opposition to Chinese products in the country.
6.5 lakh crore rupees traded last year
China is also India’s second major trading partner. In the financial year ended March 2019, trade between the two countries was worth $ 87 billion (Rs 6.5 lakh crore). In an interview a few days back, a Chinese leader had condemned India decision of severing economy with China. Also, he further went on to say that the economies of both countries are intertwined to the extent that it is difficult to separate from each other. Also, the economies of both countries are so interdependent that it is almost impossible to separate them. With these comments, the Chinese minister also urged other nations to start a discourse regarding the boycott of China and the Chinese economy.


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Economic development has been a major focus of the Village Board over the past several years and attracting quality business partners has been part of the Village’s strategy to fill vacant sites with new and exciting businesses. Over the past several months there have been several major developments and below is an update on these major developments. We are excited to have all these businesses join the Wilmette community and look forward to these and other future developments.
|Wayfair and WS Development
At the March 8 Village Board meeting, the Board voted on the final approvals to welcome Wayfair and WS Development to the Village at the former Carson Pirie Scott store at Edens Plaza. WS Development plans to revitalize the center with a flagship Wayfair retail store at its core, filling the vacant 152,000 square foot building. The Village welcomes WS Development and Wayfair to our Wilmette community and looks forward to working closely with them to realize a new and improved Edens Plaza. Wayfair intends to open its doors in mid to late 2023. This summer the Village’s Appearance Review Commission will work with WS Development to approve plans to improve and modernize the remainder of the shopping center’s façade. For more information, click here.
|Murray Bros. Caddyshack Restaurant
At the March 8 Village Board meeting, the Board voted to approve a special use for the operation of the Murray Bros. Caddyshack restaurant at the former Baker Square site at 200 Skokie Boulevard. The restaurant will be golf, sports, and movie themed and serve All-American bar and grill favorites. The restaurant will include over 200 indoor seats, additional outdoor seating options, and garage doors that can be opened during nice weather. The restaurant hopes to open later this year. For more information, click here.
|Buck Russell’s Sandwich Shop
In the summer of 2021, Ballyhoo Hospitality, the group behind Sophia Steak announced plans to open Buck Russell’s Bakery and Sandwich Shop at 1137 Greenleaf Avenue. The restaurant is planned as a modern version of a classic diner and will seat approximately 48 customers. The restaurant will serve sandwiches and other breakfast and lunch items along with a bakery serving a variety of pastries and cakes. Buck Russell’s is planned to open in the coming weeks. For more information, click here.
On October 27, 2020, the Village Board granted Optima Wilmette Final Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval for a mixed-use building on the former site of the International Bank, 1210 Central Avenue. The development consists of just over 100 luxury rental dwelling units and nearly 6,000 square feet of ground floor retail/restaurant space. Demolition began in September 2021 and construction began in late fall of 2021. Currently they are excavating the site and preparing to install underground structural support. Construction completion and occupancy is expected summer of 2023. As part of this project, Optima has donated $1.6 million for affordable housing which is being utilized, with State of Illinois tax incentives and with generous support from the Morgante Wilson Foundation, to create up to 14 affordable homes throughout the community. For more information, click here.
In August 2020, the Village Board approved the redevelopment of the Masonic Lodge at 1010 Central Avenue. The lodge will be repurposed into apartment units for individuals that are 55 and over. The development will keep intact the original historic exterior of the 21,000 square foot building that was built in 1925. The interior will be transitioned into four floors with 16 total rental units. Construction began in late 2020 and is estimated to be completed in June. For more information, click here.
|EvaDean’s Restaurant and Café
There is a pending purchase agreement for the vacant Lad and Lassie storefront at 1115 Central Avenue. The plans would convert the former clothing store to a new breakfast, lunch, and brunch café plus a bakery. Tentative plans include using a portion of Veterans’ Park for outdoor dining. The food is anticipated to include rotating farm-to-table cuisine as well as classic bakery items from the team and family behind Farmhouse and Bennison’s Bakery in Evanston. Initial plans for opening are early to mid-2023.
This post was published 3/15/22.


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Activision has started to take action against AI-powered cheat software, following reports about it earlier this week.
The software, which was highlighted by anti-cheat group ACPD, reportedly utilises PC passthrough via network streaming or a capture card to bypass console platform security.
A promotional video suggests that it then uses AI to detect elements of the video feed passing through the PC software, such as enemy movement and specific weapons being used, in order to activate the auto aim and auto shoot cheats.
“The cheat uses machine learning and sends input to your controller whenever it sees a valid target,” explained ACPD. “This is aim assist but more amplified without you even needing to do anything all you have to do is aim in the general area and the machine will do the work for you”.
However, ACPD notes that Activision has now started taking action against YouTube videos promoting the cheat.
Although the cheat remains available to purchase, ACPD notes that by taking down the videos Activision is showing it is aware of the cheat’s presence and has likely started taking steps to fight it.
In recent years cheating has been a big problem for many popular PC games, but console players have been relatively protected by the closed nature of those platforms.
Warzone’s popularity has made it a target for cheaters hoping to gain an in-game advantage over other players, and perhaps worse still, people masquerading as cheat sellers with more malicious intent.
Amos Hodge said he was “upset” that cheaters are “ruining some of the best work” he’s ever done.
“Cheating is handled by our security team,” he said. “But what I will say is that we have reporting tools, we ban a ton of people and no one hates the cheaters more than we do. We make this content for the players and while you’re upset that it ruined your game, I’m upset that it’s ruining some of the best work that I’ve done in my life.
“I made this content for players and I know that everyone around the team feels that way,” Hodge continued. “We put our hearts into this content, we have 100 million players, it’s been out a year, this is a huge stage and some of the best work we’ve ever done, and to have cheaters come in and ruin the game bothers us more than anyone. I know the security team are on top of it and they’re continually going to make updates.”
Activision has said it’s dedicating resources “24/7 to identify and combat cheats, including aimbots, wallhacks, trainers, stat hacks, texture hacks, leaderboard hacks, injectors, hex editors and any third party software that is used to manipulate game data or memory”.


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If you’ve started understanding the ups and downs of cryptocurrencies, the volatility of Bitcoin, and the rest in general, and understanding why blockchain technology has a great future beyond Dogecoin, it likely means you’re too late for NFT- Party are. Non-fungible tokens are unique. (That’s what non-fungible means.) They’re like a digital trading card in many ways.
These digital goods are mixing up the art world, sports collectibles and many other areas. And you’re late for the party because Adidas does banking and Nike chases the NFT money too. (We have a deeper look into NFTs exactly here.)
At the weekend, Adidas first NFT effort made over $ 23 million in Ethereum, from an early access period of $ 15.5 million and overall revenue of $ 7.5 million. It didn’t go entirely smoothly – Adidas had to suspend early transactions due to a technical problem. However, it has proven that there is an audience for NFT collaborations starting with that partnership with the Bored Ape Yacht Club (an existing collection of Bored Ape NFTs).
– Mat Smith
Supply chain restrictions.
A Kotaku report over the weekend explains how Microsoft had to use Xbox Series X development kits to host the first major Halo Infinite tournament, the Raleigh Major of the Halo Championship Series, this weekend. Unfortunately, the company couldn’t find enough retail consoles – the “global shortage of supply chains is real,” said Tahir Hasandjekic, eSports boss at 343 Industries.
You have to use the mobile app, but it should be free.
Current Toyota drivers may not be thrilled with just having to log in to remote start from their key fobs, but what about new buyers? The news is mixed. The automaker said in a statement to Roadshow that remote starting on key fobs will not be available for new vehicles. So drivers have to use the brand’s mobile app. Other than that, they may never have to pay for the feature. Some 2020 model year models and newer vehicles include a 10-year trial instead of the much shorter 3-year trial that was offered before these models.
Not really for older Toyota owners though soothe their frustrations.
The “supertruck” starts the next wave of EV from GM.
GM has started shipping the Hummer EV as promised, with its first “Supertruck” (an Edition 1) rolling off the assembly line at Factory Zero in Hamtramck, Michigan. The automaker didn’t name the original customer, who, given the Edition 1 sticker of $ 110,295, definitely paid for the brag. Maybe GM should get into NFTs?
Deadly tornadoes may have caused Amazon to rethink its plans.
Amazon has Confirmed It will withdraw its efforts to ban personal telephones in its camps. Employees were told on December 17 that they could keep their phones to hand “until further notice”.
The company banned phones in warehouses for years but eased its approach when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The ban should resume in January 2022. Amazon didn’t explain the U-turn, but it comes shortly after a tornado hit a warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, killing six people.
The biggest news you might have missed
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team independently of our parent company. Some of our stories contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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Apple reports $1 bln app sales in Dec, $10 billion for 2013
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said on Tuesday that its customers spent $1 billion on purchases in its applications store in December, leading to a total of $10 billion worth of apps sold in 2013.
Apple reported app downloads of almost 3 billion apps in December, making it a record month for its App Store, which offers 1 million apps for its iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.
It competes with devices based on Google Inc's (GOOG.O) Android system and phones and tablets based on Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) software.
(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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- South Asia monsoon seen below-average to average in 2014 - WMO
India and its South Asian neighbours are expected to see below average to average rains this year if the El Nino weather pattern gains strength during the four-month monsoon season, a forum of weather experts said. Read


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Thanks to changes made to its guidelines, more businesses and creators will now be allowed to sell their goods and services via Instagram.
The app has officially updated its commerce eligibility requirements which will give businesses access to Instagram Shopping.
It is also testing direct purchasing in-app with US businesses that signed up to its checkout beta.
In countries where Instagram Shopping is already supported, the updates will take effect on July 9th.
Sellers and shoppers can enjoy increased transparency because of the changes.
Specifically, retailers must now tag products they sell on Instagram to link back to a single website only.
Companies must sign up to Instagram Shopping and be verified. If a seller is rejected, Instagram says it will provide a clear reason for disapproval.
Existing businesses will be sent notifications soon on how to update in line with the updated guidelines.
The move to focus on smaller brands and creators follows similar steps taken by parent Facebook. It could be a positive way to foster increased transactions and engagement across both platforms.


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If the cultivated meat industry were to set the ambitious target of supplying 10% of the global meat market, how much product would be required? How many factories, containing how many bioreactors, would need to be built? And where?
Pressures brought on by the ongoing climate crisis are predicted to drive the price parity and race towards product launches for high-tech dairy alternatives using cell-based technology and precision fermentation, according to a panel of experts.
Cultivated product firms with pioneering technology, a wide geographical focus and a strategy involving both short- and long-term revenue gains hold an advantage in terms of securing investments, according to ex-Beyond and Impossible Foods VC fund MD.


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NFU's tractor logo hoodwinks consumers, say green groups
Claims by the National Farmers Union that its "little red tractor" logo represents food produced under "exacting" environmental standards cannot be substantiated, according to environmental groups. They say it misleads consumers and undermines the competitiveness of farmers who make greater efforts to protect the environment.
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The reason Apple wanted Wavii is a four-letter word: Siri. Wavii had developed its own natural summarization algorithms and aggregation technology. The 25-person team -- including founder Adrian Aoun -- will be moving from Seattle, Wash., to join Google’s Knowledge Graph division.
While the Wavii acquisition could be chyaracterized as somewhat of a defensive move, as it blocked Apple's buy, it also could be a key addition to Google's Knowledge Graph technology. Wavii has an app that features a "personalized news feed."
The news feed can include status updates about "any topic," whether it be technology, entertainment, politics, and more. Ironically, the company added that it can even include updates on a "startup acquisition."
Wavii did not yet have an Android app, but it's iOS app says the following:
Have fun discovering what's happening in the world with instant news feeds for any topic. Wavii automatically creates status updates about technology, politicians, celebs, and everything else, turning the world's events into conversation starters you can discuss with friends.With over $135 billion in cash in the bank, one would have thought that if Apple had valued Wavii enough, topping the $30 million price tag would not have been difficult for Apple.
Wavii had raised $2 million in venture funding.


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Latest Direct selling Stories
While business is projected to pick up as the economy and consumer spending recover, times will be tough for direct selling companies; firms will continue facing fierce competition from online
Belcorp is honored to announce its recent recognition in distinguished international and local arenas for its extraordinary accomplishments in growth and in promoting diversity. San
- To say in too many words; to express verbosely.
- To express in too many words: sometimes used reflexively.
- The leading idea or a repeated phrase, as of a song or ballad; the refrain; burden.


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Clean beauty brand, Jane Iredale, has launched two festive gifting collections, featuring hero products from their skin nourishing cosmetics range.
Barbershop Botanicals has launched its online shop, with a range of men’s grooming products formulated with active botanical ingredients and therapeutic aromatic fragrances.
Artdeco have launched their latest seasonal cosmetics collection, Be Part of Glamtopia, where eye-catching elements meet minimalism to create a range of light, glamourous and elegant make-up.
Electric London recently held their latest Electric Session, aimed to inspire hair stylists and colourists and keep them up to date with on-trend techniques.
Scentered have launched a new duo set of body products to balance and uplift body and mind and promote a sense of wellbeing.
As they celebrate their 40th anniversary, nail experts CND™ have opened the Tiny Canvases: The Art of Nails exhibition at Oceanside Museum of Art in California.
British eyelash brand ENVIE Lashes has recently launched lightweight 3D luxury eyelashes, created to offer comfort alongside dramatic style.
Salon System has launched two new high viscosity gel top coats to its Gellux range of gel polish: Holographic and Mirror Glaze.
Hair extension specialists, CrownCouture, has launched its new collection of premium hair replacement products including hair closures, frontals and matching hair extension hair.


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Low-income families struggle to find reliable child care while government regulation burdens the business owners providing it. A new service sets out to bridge the gap.
4C uses algorithms to interpret trillions of data points collected from 1.5 billion users of the top social networks with a singular goal: to splash the right ad on your "second screen" when you watch TV.
Under the Galvin family, Motorola had soaring achievements. This was the company, remember, that invented the cellphone. Those days are over. What went wrong?
Think of Groupon, and conservative, mature or focused hardly come to mind. But with its partial divestiture of South Korea's Ticket Monster, Groupon no longer looks so bratty.
The Chicago parking-app maker now is in a dozen markets nationwide.
Starbucks also says it's on track for a national rollout of mobile order-and-pay, which lets customers place orders through its apps ahead of time.
The Chicago mobile-tech consultant has been bought by U.K. marketing firm St. Ives in a deal that could double with earnout.
Lyft Inc. is profitable in larger U.S. cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco as the ride-sharing service presses to expand elsewhere, CEO Logan Green said.
The company's database was accessed by an unauthorized third party last year, resulting in the possible theft of information on 50,000 drivers.
Motorola's low-cost smartphone, the Moto E, is aimed at prepaid customers, as well as those looking to buy children their first smartphones.


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ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 2.3 percent in January after falling 1 percent in December. In January, the index equaled 117.3 (2015=100), up from 114.7 in December.
ATA recently revised the seasonally adjusted index back five years as part of its annual revision.
“After monthly declines in both November and December, tonnage snapped back in January,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “I was very pleased to see this rebound. But we should expect some moderation in tonnage this year as most of the key sectors that generate truck freight tonnage are expected to decelerate.”
Compared with January 2018, the SA index increased 5.5 percent. In 2018, the index increased 6.7 percent over 2017, which was the largest annual gain since 1998.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 113.1 in January, which was 2.9 percent above the previous month (109.9). In calculating the index, 100 represents 2015.
Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing 70.2 percent of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Trucks hauled 10.77 billion tons of freight in 2017. Motor carriers collected $700.1 billion, or 79.3 percent of total revenue earned by all transport modes.
ATA calculates the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership and has been doing so since the 1970s. This is a preliminary figure and subject to change in the final report issued around 5th day of each month. The report includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons, and key financial indicators.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.


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Walt Disney Company reported its fourth quarter earnings for July through September and forward-looking forecast for 2021 on an investor webcast with CEO Bob Chapek. This post covers the good & bad of these results, plus updates on the future of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Disney+, and more.
As you might recall, the third quarter was a perfect storm for the Walt Disney Company. That entire stretch was when Walt Disney World and Disneyland were both closed, there were no notable live sports for ESPN to air, and no Disney theatrical releases debuted. It turned out to be a pretty bad quarter, with Parks, Experiences and Products losing $2 billion.
With Walt Disney World being open for almost the entirety of the fourth quarter, albeit at a reduced capacity, and other bright spots emerging for ESPN, Disney+, and other business units, analysts had higher expectations for the fourth quarter.
Even before the earnings webcast, the stock of Disney and other travel industry companies got a boost earlier this week with Pfizer’s announcement that its experimental vaccine was more than 90% effective in a late-stage clinical study, raising expectations of a breakthrough in the ongoing fight.
Pfizer is expected to apply for an emergency use authorization later this month after collecting further safety data. Health officials believe distribution could begin before the end of the year to vulnerable groups, with it being widely available by Spring 2021. Consequently, Disney’s stock shot up on Monday before rising again in after hours trading when these quarterly results were released.
The Walt Disney Company shares rose as much as 6% in after hours trading, driven primarily by the news that Disney+ had surpassed 73.7 million subscribers, blowing past projections for the quarter. The success of Disney+ is even more remarkable considering Disney’s goal for the streaming service back last year at its launch was to reach 60 million to 90 million subscriptions by 2024!
Disney+ and streaming in general also came up repeatedly during the webcast, with the salient points being that Disney plans to accelerate and emphasize the direct-to-consumer business and that more concrete plans will be revealed during the upcoming investor day. There are also plans to direct more of the company’s spending on content creation for the streaming services. While that doesn’t directly pertain to theme parks, it certainly doesn’t bode well for their overarching role in Disney’s vision for the future.
Turning to theme parks directly, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products revenues for the quarter decreased 61% to $2.6 billion, and segment operating results decreased $2.5 billion to a loss of $1.1 billion. This was largely attributed to declines at both the domestic and international parks and experiences businesses. Notably, Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line businesses were closed for all of the fourth quarter.
In total, revenue was $14.71 billion, beating expectations of $14.20 billion. However, diluted earnings per share for the quarter was a loss of $0.20 compared to income of $1.07 in the prior-year quarter.
Chapek reiterated the track record of success in safely reopening Walt Disney World and the other parks, and reiterated their disappointment with the state of California. He stated twice that Disney’s policies are based on science (mirroring the language used ad nauseam by Governor Newsom) and noting that the reopening had the support of labor unions, local government leaders, and health officials.
“We believe [California] leadership should look objectively at what we’ve achieved successfully at our Parks around the world, all based on science, as opposed to setting an arbitrary standard that is precluding our cast members from getting back to work,” said Chapek during his opening remarks.
As with the previous quarter, Disney CFO Christine McCarthy indicated that Walt Disney World is covering its variable costs and making a net positive contribution towards fixed costs. Note that this doesn’t mean that Walt Disney World is profitable—it means the parks are losing less money by being open than they would lose by being closed. (To the contrary, by making this statement instead of “Walt Disney World is profitable,” the logical inference is that it is not yet profitable.)
On the call, McCarthy also noted that there’s has further confidence for Walt Disney World, with the bookings at 77% for the first quarter of 2021, and almost fully booked for Thanksgiving week. While that number might sound good, it’s lower than a normal holiday season, which is Walt Disney World’s peak stretch of the year.
When it comes to occupancy and resort reservations, it’s noteworthy that the vast majority of non-Disney Vacation Club resorts are still closed, meaning the number of available hotel rooms for calculating the occupancy rate remains depressed. Those ongoing closures make it difficult if not impossible to contextualize the current bookings against historical numbers.
In many hotel stays over the last few months, our anecdotal experience has been that guest numbers are “improving” but still nowhere near normal levels. I’m curious what occupancy and bookings are looking like for January and February.
During the Q&A, Chapek indicated that he’s optimistic about the efficiency gains at the theme parks, noting that the operators have been able to increase capacity while staying within CDC guidelines. He said that Walt Disney World was previously at 25% capacity, but has been able to increase that to 35% capacity while still adhering to local health guidance and physical distancing requirements.
This comes as little surprise to us, having experienced Walt Disney World regularly in September (including over Labor Day weekend when all parks were “sold out”) versus October and November. It’s nice to hear Chapek finally state this, as on a recent call with CNBC, he stated that the parks were still capped at 25% capacity. We called that disingenuous (at best) at the time, and pointed out that regardless of fuzzy math, the bottom line is that the number of guests entering Walt Disney World’s parks has gone up each month since reopening.
Chapek also briefly touched upon the future prospects for both Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line. For the former, he expressed the belief that the California parks would remain closed through the end of the current quarter, or January 2021.
As for Disney Cruise Line, Chapek stated that the new guidelines from CDC present some really high hurdles, but also “light at the end of the tunnel.” He said demand is high for cruising, especially during the second half of 2021 and into 2022. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the call was that Disney is still anticipating delivery of the Wish in Summer 2022, with the other two pushed back to 2024 and 2025. (The surprising part, to me at least, is that Disney hasn’t cancelled its order on 1-2 new ships.)
Ultimately, still a bad quarter if comparing year over year results, but it seems the Walt Disney Company is through the worst of this, with significantly better results than the previous quarter. There’s similar optimism for Walt Disney World, especially after conceding during the last call that results were below expectations, with cancellations higher than anticipated and utilization of the parks lower than expected.
Each subsequent quarterly report should go similarly, with incremental improvements as more travel resumes, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line come back online, and demand for Walt Disney World continues to grow. While ongoing recovery of the parks is priority number one, at this point, we’re also somewhat concerned that the company’s “pivot to streaming” could impact the future development and projects at Walt Disney World and Disneyland to a significant degree.
What do you think of Walt Disney Company’s fourth quarter earnings and future forecast for the first quarter of 2021 and beyond? Are you worried about the future of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, or the company in general? Disappointed by the increased emphasis on streaming? Think things will turn around in 2021 or agree that there’s light at the end of the tunnel? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!


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Germany’s EU Council Presidency is Coming to an End, but the Financial Sector’s Digital Transformation is Here to Stay
Even with Germany’s EU Council Presidency coming to an end, it is expected that digital transformation in the financial sector will still be a widely discussed topic in 2021, in particular, as it intertwines with other legislative plans at the European level...Read more
Essential Bytes: The Role of Social Impact
A rising social consciousness fueled by the rapid evolution of digital communications has compelled companies to make social impact a core tenet of strategic program development. Corporate social responsibility has evolved from sidecar activities to bolster reputation to strategic investments in concrete action connected to larger purpose and impact strategies for the business, more and more often with C-Suite buy-in...Read more
How Brands Can Build Equity and Stay Authentic to Their Values
Here some critical principles for organizations to keep top of mind as they plan and execute new campaigns and optimize existing ones...Read more
“Conventional” Lessons in Virtual Event Programming
Like America’s major political parties, companies all over the world are grappling with how to re-engineer a live event, especially one that has strategic importance to their business. There are some useful lessons emerging from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions about what’s working, and what’s not, in virtual event programming...Read more
France, Germany and Illegal Content Online: Where to, Europe?
Regulating big tech is complex. But establishing harmonized and consistent tech regulation across Europe is even harder and the recent developments around online hate speech prove that. While the French constitutional court rejected, on June 18, a new law combating hate speech online, Germany is determined to double down on the issue by strengthening its existing legislation. These diverging national developments deepen the conundrum European lawmakers are facing in the digital realm, making it harder for the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, to design its new key digital legislation on platform liability: the Digital Services Act (DSA)...Read more
How Can CEOs Generate Media and Social Media Attention During a Crisis?
Media relations and social media communications are more important than ever during this time of fast-paced news cycles and endless Twitter debates, driven by the global COVID-19 pandemic...Read more
How to Make Your Advertising Stand Out in the Crowded COVID-19 Pandemic Landscape
Research demonstrates that it is critical for brands to use their advertising to amplify their COVID-19 efforts and solidify their role in the community. As you develop advertising messaging here are three things to focus on as you build the right message...Read more


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2012 Travel Habits Revealed
An online survey for the Wyndham Hotel Group has revealed the travel habits of consumers from five different countries.
The study, carried out by Asian research company IFOP Asia in April 2012, surveyed just over 5,600 adults in cities in the US, Canada, China, Brazil and the UK about their summer plans. Findings included:
- UK travellers are expected to take the longest holidays, with 25% travelling for two weeks or longer. Most American (73%) and Brazilian travellers (70%) plan to take trips lasting between three and seven days. Three-quarters of Chinese travellers expect to travel for five days or less.
- Across all nationalities, midrange hotels are the most popular choice with over half (55%) looking for midrange or budget accommodations.
- Over half (59%) of all travellers plan to travel with their families, while nearly a quarter (23%) intend to holiday with a partner.
- Brazilian, North American and British respondents preferred beach holidays, while Chinese travellers favoured sightseeing trips.
- Chinese holidaymakers ranked quality as the most important factor when choosing a hotel, while US travellers saw it as the third most important, after price and location.
The travel choices of Asian tourists are likely to continue to impact on international travel and hospitality companies. Read more on the expectations of Chinese travellers in our June 2012 report International Luxury Travel Market Asia.


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While the latest offering in Nintendo's DS hand-held gaming line promises gamers a glasses-free view of three-dimensional gaming, it'll be fighting off an increasingly strong field of competitors on multiple fronts. Since the first touchscreen DS appeared in 2004, the line has sold 47.4 million units in the U.S. alone -- more than 10 times the sales tally for
competing PSP and more than 28% more than the 34 million units Nintendo's flagship Wii console has sold since launch, according to the NPD Group. Globally, it has more than doubled the unit sales of Sony's PlayStation 3 and
Xbox 360 and unmercifully pummeled its most recent hand-held competitor, the disc-free, download-only PSP Go (for which Sony has never released sales figures).
The hand-held market, however, is a lot more complex than the two-dimensional world the DS dominated when the PSP Go was released two years ago. From October through December of that year,
says 21.6% of mobile-phone users played games on their phone, though only 17.8% downloaded them as apps. Last year, from September through November, 22.6% of mobile phone users played games on their devices, while 33.4% picked them up as apps.
, meanwhile, believes last year's more than 4.5 billion mobile app downloads worldwide will jump Mario-style to 21.6 billion in 2013. Unlike Nintendo's old Game Boy, which only had to deal with Sega's unpopular Game Gear hand-held, the DS has the misfortune of squaring off with the smartphone.
"Sales of Nintendo DS hardware have continued to remain strong, but I do think that competition from smartphone game apps is cutting into the dedicated hand-held gaming market," says Anita Frazier, video game industry analyst for NPD Group. "A lot of mobile apps are free or very inexpensive, and for 'snack-sized' gaming, they can fit the bill for a lot of consumers."
The lure of
and other free fun is already doing damage to hand-held consoles' life meters. A report released by Flurry Analytics last year revealed that the second-largest seller of portable game software in 2009 wasn't Sony, but
-- whose share of the market grew from 5% in 2008 to 19% a year later. Meanwhile, the DS saw its sizable 75% stake of the market shrink to 70%, while Sony's 20% share was stomped to 11%. Flurry and NPD surmised that Apple's game revenue jumped to $500 million from $115 million in that span as the IPhone and iPod Touch gave gamers smarter consoles. The iPad's release last year only compounded the problem, as Flurry said 44% of all applications tested before its release were games.
That pressure is a big part of the reason Nintendo made the jump to the glasses-free 3-D Frazier believes will revolutionize the market. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Amie made a point of reminding the crowd at the 3DS launch that Nintendo introduced touchscreen gaming in 2004 and motion-control gaming in 2006 -- long before Apple, Sony and Microsoft had their own fun with those game functions. Nintendo's may just need its newest proprietary technology, such as the new hand-held's 3-D screen, "augmented reality" cards, Internet browser, Virtual Console Game Boy and Game Boy Color retro library, Wii-style Wii avatar creator and 3-D cameras to distance the 3DS from encroaching competition.
It's be a tough task -- the $249 3DS is already more expensive than most existing consoles and smartphones, and Sony's been hinting at a new PSP and a potential Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone by month's end -- but Mario's been saving the princess for more than 25 years. Adversity's nothing new for Nintendo and won't be for the DS.
"It is a higher price point than the dedicated hand-held gaming market has been accustomed to, but I think the technology and the experience it provides is so compelling that it's not going to impact sales," Frazier says. "You really have to see it to believe just how amazing it looks and how real it feels. It can deliver an emotional impact that is hard to replicate in other environments."
-- Written by Jason Notte in Boston.
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Jason Notte is a reporter for TheStreet.com. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Esquire.com, Time Out New York, the Boston Herald, The Boston Phoenix, Metro newspaper and the Colorado Springs Independent.


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Masks, meeting apps, and more: Here’s what India searched online during the coronavirus lockdown
Amidst the coronavirus lockdown, Indians have been looking up a variety of things online to adapt to the ‘new normal’, which is more homebound, lonely, and limited.
Wednesday April 29, 2020,
8 min Read
Online searches are often a good indicator of consumer behaviour. Searches typically vary across geographies, demographics, languages, etc., chronicling the unique consumption patterns, interests, concerns, and eccentricities of a populace.
In India, for instance, Bollywood and cricket searches almost always top the list. Unless it’s election season when polls and politicians take over. As it happened in 2019 (Lok Sabha elections) and even in early 2020 when ‘Delhi election results’ was India’s most searched term, according to Yahoo.
But towards the end of February, online searches almost got synchronised across territories. After all, in the middle of a ‘once-in-a-century’ pandemic, what else could possibly consume people?
As the coronavirus outbreak took over our lives and mind space, searches for terms related to the deadly disease skyrocketed.
In India, ‘coronavirus’ was searched a jaw-dropping 1.6 crore times in the last two months. This was up from just 2,400 times in December when news of the outbreak in China was first reported, according to SEMrush (a Boston-based online visibility management platform that uses 30 tools to collect search data for 140 countries).
Further, the term ‘coronavirus symptoms’ was searched 12.2 lakh times compared to a mere 40 times in December. Keywords like ‘coronavirus disease’, ‘coronavirus treatment’, ‘coronavirus cause’, ‘coronavirus infection’, ‘coronavirus vaccine’, ‘coronavirus diagnosis’, and ‘novel coronavirus’ also gained traction.
Each of these keywords has been searched close to one lakh times in India.
A separate study by Yahoo indicates that as the coronavirus spread intensified around mid-March, terms like ‘lockdown in India’, ‘social distancing’ (a relatively new term for most people) and ‘hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus’ — the anti-malarial drug that India is a leading producer of — shot up.
‘HCQS’ searches went up further when President Donald Trump described the drug as one of the “biggest game changers in the history of medicine”, and called it a potential cure. Later, Trump even coerced India to export the drug to the US, and HCQS was trending on desi Twitter for 48 hours.
After India went into a nationwide lockdown, people were faced with newer challenges such as remote working, a dearth of essential items like groceries, and even issues like stress and boredom, which compelled them to look for online games, social media apps, and entertainment to stay engaged.
Fernando Angulo, Head of Communications, SEMrush, explains,
“There is a huge migration underway in the second-most populous country in the world. Tens of millions are migrating to virtual meeting apps, social media sites, and OTT platforms. This migration is unlike any other the country has experienced. While it was bound to happen over the next few decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated it. What would have taken years will happen in a few short months.”
India’s search results in the last four weeks bear testimony to its new needs.
Searches for virtual meeting apps
Zoom searches went up 809 percent in a month; Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams gained 307 percent each, and Gotomeeting searches grew 173 percent.
According to SEMrush,
“Data strongly suggests most people searching for the mentioned apps didn’t use them before the lockdown, which is why they are being searched in record numbers. This trend is evident by the surge in searches for work-related apps like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and Gotomeeting.”
Silicon Valley startup Zoom’s meteoric rise has been well-documented as it became the default virtual meeting platform globally. Entrepreneurs point out that Zoom is now a verb — like Google — and synonymous with remote working.
From schools and universities to enterprises and even individuals, almost all consumer sets have taken to Zoom, leading to the exponential growth in searches.
“Indians, who had to overnight work and learn from home, searched for a new class of products and tools to stay productive,” explains Yahoo in its study.
Interestingly, before the lockdown was implemented, India searched for Skype more than Zoom. Skype searches grew by an astounding 1,150 percent in early March as people searched for ways to stay connected with friends and relatives.
But with remote working becoming the all-pervasive reality after the lockdown, virtual meeting apps dominated search trends. In fact, searches for ‘work from home’ spiked a massive 733 percent, according to Yahoo.
Data analysts now believe that Zoom searches could decline slightly in April as word-of-mouth around its security mishaps grows. “However, despite the smaller percent increase in searches for Zoom, in absolute terms, more people are expected to search for the platform, which only goes to highlight its popularity,” says Fernando.
Searches for essential items
The supply of daily essentials like groceries has been dented by the nationwide lockdown. Transportation woes, reverse migration of contractual labour, and various other logistical hurdles have thrown the agri and food supply chain out of gear.
This has led to anxiety and panic buying among consumers, leading to serpentine queues outside stores and supermarkets, and crashing servers or drying up slots on online grocery platforms.
As a result, the quest for essential items remains unabated. This has led to a surge in online searches for grocery-related terms.
Yahoo data shows searches for ‘online food delivery’ and ‘online grocery’ rose by a whopping 2,400 percent and 4,900 percent respectively since the lockdown began. interestingly, a direct causal reaction of the coronavirus has also been recorded in searches for newly essential items like hand sanitisers and face masks.
Online searches of ‘n95 mask’, ‘n95 mask price’, and ‘3m n95 mask’ increased by an extraordinary 1,017 percent, 3,002 percent, and 1,962 percent respectively.
Other mask-related keywords including ‘n95 respirator mask’, ‘n95 pollution mask’, ‘n95 face mask’, ‘medical mask’, ‘n95 mask uses’, ‘n95 mask price in India’, and ‘n95 mask reusable’ also went up significantly, according to SEMrush.
Searches for ‘n95 respirator mask’ particularly went up by an incredible 10,400 percent since the outbreak in December. Throwing light on the mask mania, Fernando shares,
“Indians actively try to protect themselves from epidemics, even when their epicentre is distant and the possibility of infection relatively low. The N95 face mask was a relatively unknown product before the coronavirus epidemic; today, it is less so. The reason behind the increase in searches for N95 masks is apparent; Indians are scouting for the best preventive tool."
In comparison, searches for hand sanitisers grew by a modest 82.43 percent, possibly because sanitisers were not an entirely unknown commodity prior to the pandemic.
Sanitiser sales, however, hit the roof, both online and offline.
Entertainment and social media searches
OTT entertainment and social media platforms have been the fastest-growing segments of India’s internet ecosystem in recent years.
But the pandemic has presented a unique opportunity for these services to prosper. With millions of people homebound, attempts to stay engaged has led to increased consumption of streaming services, chat and social video apps.
Video streaming platforms Watch2gether, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Alt Balaji, were searched extensively in the last month-and-a-half. SEMrush reveals that searches for Watch2gether and Netflix increased by 184 percent and 173 percent respectively.
With outdoor entertainment options drying up, OTT subscriptions are also on the rise. Searches with keywords ‘Netflix subscription’ and ‘Amazon Prime subscription’ went up by 193 percent and 162 percent over the last month.
Interestingly, searches for ‘Apple TV subscription’ grew by a mere 22 percent, indicating its low uptick in a price-conscious market. Hotstar searches remained flat, despite the launch of Disney Plus in India in March-end. This could be because the homegrown service is already hugely popular, accounting for over 300 million users.
The biggest surprise in entertainment searches was Ramayana — the iconic Doordarshan show from the late 80s — that is now being re-telecast by Prasar Bharati. “Ramayana broke through overnight to become the top entertainment search,” says Yahoo.
Meanwhile, social media searches continued to rise through the lockdown. Top gainers have been Snapchat and TikTok, besides Facebook’s suite of apps.
TikTok searches increased nearly 50 percent in two months while Snapchat searches topped in April, growing by 30 percent.
Unsurprisingly, online gaming searches went up by 300 percent. The biggest spike was reported in Counter-Strike searches, which went up by 1,011 percent while ‘puzzles’ shot up by 1,566 percent, driven by young children looking for indoor pastimes.
Other top search trends
Some search terms enjoyed sudden temporary spikes.
For instance, Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor became India’s most-searched celebrity in March after she tested positive for COVID-19.
She surpassed celeb search list toppers Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, and Amitabh Bachchan, according to Yahoo.
Recent social media craze ‘Dalgona Coffee’ too made an impact on searches, becoming India’s most searched food term. It went ahead of the usual A-listers cake, paneer, chicken, and breakfast recipes.
In April, mental health-related searches are on the upsurge, as per Google Trends. Interest in terms like ‘stress’, ‘loneliness’, and ‘therapy’ has grown. ‘Domestic violence’, ‘online therapy’, and ‘online learning’ searches are also peaking.
Analysts say India’s search trends are as diverse and eclectic as the country itself. But, at its core, lies people’s concern about the ongoing crisis.
Fernando sums up by saying, “While there has been a huge surge in searches for online video streaming services, their numbers are eclipsed by searches for practical services and equipment... Indians are pragmatic people and with a crisis afoot, their biggest concerns are keeping in touch with friends and family, ensuring nobody goes hungry, and the safety of their loved ones.”
Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta


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Slumping technology stocks pull Wall Street lower
NEW YORK Wall Street lost more ground Tuesday amid growing concerns that high inflation will affect corporate profits.
The S&P 500 dropped 0.8% while the Nasdaq fell 2.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a 0.2% increase, thanks primarily to the big gains of McDonald’s and UnitedHealth.
The broader market was weighed down by big technology and communications companies, but some selling eased by the afternoon. A stark profit warning from Snapchat’s parent company scared investors into selling stocks of major social media companies. Snap plummeted 43.1%, its biggest single-day drop ever, while Facebook’s parent, Meta, slumped 7.6%. Google’s parent dropped 5.1%.
Technology stocks and communications stocks with their high-valued values tend to have a large influence on the market. These sectors are responsible for much volatility in the market, as well as the large declines that major indexes have experienced since April. Investors worry about the impact of rising inflation and on consumers and businesses.
The pullback halted a broad rally that occurred a day earlier, a sign of how volatile trading was during this year’s market slump.
” “People are still having trouble finding the one or two catalysts that give enough confidence to take on risks assets, given the uncertainty,” said Sameer Smana, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.
The S&P 500 fell 32. 27 points to 3,941.48. The Dow gained 48. 38 points to 31,928. 62, and the Nasdaq slid 270. 83 points to 11,264.45.
Smaller stock prices also fell. The Russell 2000 dropped 27. 94 points, or 1.6%, to 1,764.83.
The pile of concerns weighing on the market has pushed the benchmark S&P 500 to the brink of a bear market, which is when an index falls 20% from its most recent record high. It is down roughly 18% from its record high set earlier this year.
Inflation has weighed on many industries through higher raw material costs and more expensive labor. Many businesses have increased prices on everything, from food and clothing to offset higher costs. But the pressure is increasing. Target and Walmart are two of the major retailers that have stated that higher costs are making it difficult to run their businesses. They also expressed concern that consumers are reducing their spending on a wide variety of goods.
“When we think about consumer spending, wages and inflation are equal,” stated Barry Bannister (chief equity strategist at Stifel). “Consumers are squeezed and that’s affecting all of retail.”
Consumers were already getting squeezed by a supply and demand disconnect when Russia invaded Ukraine and prompted another jump in energy prices. U.S. crude oil is up about 50% this year and that has pushed gasoline prices to record highs, with pain at the pump cutting into spending for many. Supply chain problems were worsened by China’s recent lockdown in several major cities as it deals with rising COVID-19 cases.
Wall Street also worries about the Federal Reserve’s plan for fighting inflation. Investors are concerned that the central bank could move too fast or go too far in raising interest rates from their historic lows. This could cause businesses to slow down and possibly lead to a recession. Jerome Powell, Fed Chair, has admitted that high inflation and economic weakness abroad could hinder the central bank’s efforts to cool down the economy and curb inflation. However, the central bank will not be able to tip into a recession. Investors will have a better look at the Fed’s decision-making process Wednesday when minutes from the most recent policy meeting will be released.
” Until oil cracks and pauses, it is difficult for the market to gain any upside,” Bannister stated.
Retailers, and companies that rely heavily on direct consumer spending, were among the biggest decliners on Tuesday. Target dropped 2.6% and Amazon fell 3.2%.
Bond yields fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2. 76% from 2. 86% Monday late.
Banks were hit hard by falling bond yields. They rely on higher yields in order to charge more profit on loans. Wells Fargo fell 1.2%.
Homebuilders slumped following a government report showing that sales of newly built homes fell far short of economists’ forecasts. KB Home fell 2.7%.
Cruise Lines and other travel-ralate firms suffered the most severe losses. Carnival slid 10.3% and Norwegian Cruise Line fell 12%.
Utilities and household goods companies, which are less risky than other industries, saw gains. Campbell Soup saw a 3.5% increase and Duke Energy closed 2% better.
Veiga reported from Los Angeles.
I have been writing professionally for over 20 years and have a deep understanding of the psychological and emotional elements that affect people. I’m an experienced ghostwriter and editor, as well as an award-winning author of five novels.


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Seth Goldberg, Duane Morris partner and Cannabis Industry Group team lead, is quoted in The Philadelphia Inquirer article, “Reading the tea leaves: What 10 cannabis bigwigs predict 2020 will bring to the world of weed.”
Mr. Goldberg says:
We’ll see adult-use in Illinois. While vaping bans are likely to be removed, additional restrictions around THC vaping could be imposed by states.
The hemp space seems situated to expand as the regulations become more clear, and the federal banking regulators have recently announced that hemp can be banked like any other legal product.
A lot is contingent on the federal government. If the STATES Rights Act or SAFE Banking Act were to pass, the latter of which seems to have the best chance in 2020, there will be a boost. Conversely, tightening of enforcement by the federal government could have the opposite effect. FDA regulations around vaping and CBD as a drug, dietary supplement, food/beverage may also be issued in 2020, which would shape the market for those products.
Bottom line, businesses and individuals in 2020 must remain mindful of the differences between the federal and state regulatory framework and the state-by-state regulatory patchwork, and be nimble in responding to changes.
To read the full article, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer website.


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Inadequate notice by employers of changing shift patterns in haulage and warehousing is damaging workers’ health and destroying family lives, according to trade union Unite. It was responding to research conducted by the Living Wage Foundation, which found that among the 59% of workers whose job involves variable hours or shift work, 62% reported having less than a week’s notice of their work schedules. At the extreme end, 7% of all working adults are given less than 24 hours’ notice. […]
Weight restrictions to prevent HGVs from using towns in Oxfordshire as a rat run could be introduced if funding is secured from local businesses.
Supply chain services specialist Walker Logistics saw a 400% upturn in ecommerce orders processed at its Berkshire-based fulfillment centre in April compared to the same period last year.
HGV drivers have been warned by the DVLA that it will no longer accept medical reports from Doctors on Wheels, raising concerns that thousands of HGV drivers could be behind the wheel but unfit to drive.


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08 Apr Brexit And Preferential Trade Agreements
The European Commission reports annually on the implementation of its main trade agreements in the previous calendar year. The EU has trade agreements with these countries/regions, but both sides are now negotiating an update. However, in the short term, after the end of the transitional period, it will be difficult to maintain the existing preferential access for UK exports to third countries. It is likely that some access to trade will be lost and that another access will only be reached late. A free trade agreement aims to promote trade – usually with goods, but also sometimes with services – by making it cheaper. This is often achieved by reducing or eliminating so-called tariffs – taxes or taxes on cross-border trade. The government issued a technical opinion on existing trade agreements in the absence of an agreement in October 2018. If there were no replacement agreements on the withdrawal date, the terms of the World Trade Organization (WTO) would apply to the most favoured nation (MFN), with all WTO members having to have the same tariffs applied in the absence of a free trade agreement. Even if a trade agreement is reached, all new controls will not be removed, as the EU requires that certain products (such as food) from third countries be checked.
Businesses need to be prepared. 250.The Government Green Paper, Building our industrial strategy, listed Canada, China, India, Mexico, Singapore and South Korea as countries interested in the debate on future trade relations with the UK.450 On 1 January 2017, Rt Hon Liam Fox MP wrote in the Daily Telegraph that Britain “conducts audits trade with a number of countries to see how we can remove barriers to trade and investment.451 Lord Price said that “trade audits” were discussions about trade barriers that could include customs agreements or access to certain sectors.452 This is not new: “For the In 453 trade audits took place at the “more formal level” , while working groups wanted to “examine how to continue to trade with these countries in a post-Brexit world.”454 The Prime Minister had announced “a working group with China and high-level discussions with the United States [on trade]455 Overall, the UK is currently present with 15 countries on post-Brexit trade relations. entertain. Some of these countries “do not have trade agreements with the EU, but many of them do.”456 A report published in the Financial Times in May 2017 suggests that there are 759 separate eu-EU international agreements that could affect the UK. These include trade, regulatory cooperation, fisheries, agriculture, nuclear cooperation and cooperation in transport (including aviation).


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The product of London beekeepers will be the key ingredient in everything from tea sandwiches to spa treatments at the Athenaeum, following the launch of a new honey-themed offer.
Urban beekeeping has been on the rise in London over the last few years, with more and more city-dwellers keeping hives on the roofs of houses everywhere, from Notting Hill to Hackney. Honey from city bees is thought to be more tasty than the countryside produce, due to the rich variety of flowers in built-up areas (rather than a field of just one kind), giving the sweet stuff a more unique flavour. And with its superb location, right between the Royal Parks, it's no wonder that the Athenaeum has themed their last offering around honey.
Head chef David Marshall and his team have created the new tea which features a selection of honey roasted ham and caramelised golden cross goat's cheese sandwiches. Treats include freshly baked scones and crumpets, served with Regents Park Honey, and a selection of pastries - honeycomb marquis, honey cake, lavender and honey macaroons, and honey cheesecake. All washed down with a class of honey fizz and a range of speciality loose teas.
To complement the afternoon tea menu, the spa, which re-opened in December, will be offering treatments given using REN facial skincare. The hour-long facial is based on healing minerals and essential oils, with antibacterial properties from the manouka honey extract.
Afternoon tea, £39 for two people. To make a reservation, call 020 7499 3464 or visit www.athenaeumhotel.com


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AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Scottco Mechanical Contractors in Amarillo took home a prestigious award from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
According to the BBB in Amarillo, Scottco has won the BBB International Torch Awards for Ethics, which recognizes companies in North America that are “dedicated to upholding ethical business standards and promoting trust in the marketplace.”
“Outstanding businesses in our area continue to be recognized through our ethics awards at the International level, said Janna Kiehl, President of the Better Business Bureau in Amarillo. “We are very pleased with the quality of businesses in our community who make ethics a top priority; it shows and it has great benefits for consumers, businesses and the community.”
Scottco, one of four winners in this year’s International competition, won in the category of companies with 11 to 99 employees, BBB said.
David Brewer, President and owner of Scotto Mechanical Contractors said, “Scottco serves our customers with honesty and integrity, we know our customers have plenty of choices for HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical services in the Texas Panhandle so we strive to make our dependability, honesty, consistency and knowledge in the market stand out.”
Lisa White, Administrative Manger at Scottco Mechanical Contractors stated, “We want our customers to be confident in our knowledge, our staff and the fact that we will be here for years to come to take care of their needs. In 49 years we have learned what it takes to go above and beyond those expectations on a daily basis.”
BBB added that to be selected for the award, a business must first win their local BBB awards program. Scottco Mechanical Contractors won BBB Amarillo won BBB Amarillo’s Torch Awards competition in 2020.
BBB said that a virtual ceremony is set for Friday, Nov. 12 at 12:00 p.m.


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A new sliding smartphone is on the way from LG, and is heading to T-Mobile
, according to a new leak. Reportedly named the LG Optimus F3Q, the smartphone is shown in an alleged press image to have a full QWERTY keyboard hidden behind the display, and could end up being the equivalent of a keyboard-equipped Optimus F3
Despite the image from the @evleaks
Twitter account showing a five-row keyboard, along with accompanying details of its name and target carrier, little else is known about the device. If it is surfacing in the guise of a marketing image, it is a sign that T-Mobile will likely launch the Optimus F3Q in the near future, probably at the start of 2014.
Aside from the Optimus F3, the general appearance of the Optimus F3Q bears a resemblance to another LG slider released in August. The LG Enact
for Verizon had a similar keyboard, a 4-inch 800x400 display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8GB of storage, and LTE connectivity.


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GKI confidence index falls as business sentiment sours
Economic research institute GKIʼs confidence index fell to -23.7 points in November from -18.8 points in the previous month as business confidence worsened but sentiment among consumers improved a bit, according to a report by state news wire MTI.
GKIʼs measure of confidence in the business sector dropped to -20.4 in November from -13.4 points in the previous month.
Sentiment in the industrial sector worsened on assessments of order stocks, including export orders, and outlooks for production. Evaluations of inventories improved a bit as did assessments of production in the recent period, but fewer companies plan investments than a year earlier.
Confidence in the construction sector improved, which GKI said could be explained by government measures to support home construction and renovation. Assessments of order stock improved.
Confidence in the commerce sector moved close to the low point reached in April when the country went into lockdown because of the pandemic. Assessments of sales positions and outlook for order stock worsened, but companies were a little more optimistic about inventories.
Pessimism at service companies grew in all areas.
GKIʼs consumer confidence index rose to -33 points in November from -34.2 points in the previous month.
Householdsʼ assessment of their own financial positions improved a little and more planned to make big-ticket purchases of consumer durables. The share of consumers who said they could make savings was unchanged.
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The stock market diverged yesterday for the fourth time this week as consumer and industrial companies faltered while telecommunications and computer-related shares rallied, sending the Nasdaq composite index to another record high.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell, led by Procter & Gamble, after a report that the consumer-products company's board would consider buying the drugmakers American Home Products and Warner-Lambert.
The Nasdaq climbed, led by the computer networking equipment maker Cisco Systems and the semiconductor maker Intel. The Nasdaq stock market had its busiest day ever, topping Thursday's record, as 1.91 billion shares changed hands, according to Nasdaq. The Nasdaq composite index rose 45.89 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,235.40.
''The earnings growth for Nasdaq companies is higher than Dow companies,'' said Christian Koch, senior market analyst at Trusco Capital Management in Atlanta. ''Some Nasdaq companies are growing at high double digits or even triple digits.''
The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 99.59 points, or 0.88 percent, to 11,251.71. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index fell 4.21 points, to 1,441.36.Continue reading the main story
The price of the 30-year Treasury bond rose 14/32, to 92 22/32, on speculation that interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve in coming months will curb inflation. The bond's yield, which moves in the opposite direction from the price, fell to 6.70 percent from 6.74 percent on Thursday.
Procter & Gamble, the maker of household goods, fell 9 5/16, to 103 1/4. The company is considering buying American Home and Warner-Lambert, which have agreed to merge even as Pfizer tries to acquire Warner-Lambert.
Procter & Gamble has dropped 8.8 percent since reports Wednesday that Warner-Lambert had approached the company about a merger.
''Investors are scared that P.& G. will take its eye off the ball in terms of Pringles and Tide and get into a business'' that is not its specialty, Mr. Koch of Trusco Capital Management said. ''The market's saying that it's diluting its core business.''
Warner-Lambert fell 7/8, to 92; American Home climbed 1 7/8, to 48, and Pfizer fell 11/16, to 35 1/8.
PMC-Sierra jumped 16 3/4, to 191 1/4. The maker of chips that run networking and telecommunications equipment reported fourth-quarter profit that exceeded the average estimate of analysts surveyed by First Call/Thomson Financial. It also plans a 2-for-1 stock split.
Oil stocks, including Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Petroleum, jumped as crude oil climbed for a ninth consecutive day. Frigid weather in the Northeast increased demand for heating fuel even as producers are restricting oil supplies to refiners.
Exxon Mobil rose 1 5/16, to 85, and Royal Dutch gained 1 3/8, to 59 3/4. Schlumberger advanced 1 7/16, to 66.
Cisco was up 2 7/8 at 115 1/4 and Intel gained 2 5/16, to 97 15/16.Continue reading the main story


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KARACHI, Pakistan — Thousands of Pakistanis are fuming at Pizza Hut after the US-based chain withdrew its all-you-can-eat offer during Ramadan.
Pizza hut says that it just wants to "reduce gluttony" by limiting customers to a single regular pizza, a salad and unlimited drinks. What are the Pakistani citizens to do? Complain using social media, of course.
"Pathetic and a misleading deal. It's only one regular pizza with bottomless Pepsi, not all you can eat," said one post on Pizza Hut Pakistan's Facebook page.
More from GlobalPost: The world via Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut opened its first restaurant in Pakistan in 1993, and now has 44 chains across the country. In previous years, the restaurant would be packed for the evening meal of Iftar. Starving diners hoping to break their fast could gorge on pizza after pizza, all for about $6 bucks — a figure that was probably unsustainable.
According to Pizza Hut Pakistan's General Manager of Marketing, Marya Khan, “the new deal is affordable for the average income society,” and keeps "with the very spirit of Ramadan."
According to the Express Tribune, the all-you-can-eat deal had ballooned in price during the final 15 days of Ramadan last year, due to its high demand. Now, angry Pakistanis are turning to Chinese buffets or burger joints, the Daily Telegraph reported.
McDonalds, for example, offers a Ramadan special that includes a burger, fries and a drink for less than $3.
A traditional Pakistani iftar is fried chickpea fritters, still the most popular way to break fast, according to a survey by Gallup Pakistan.[View the story "No more all-you-can-eat deal during Ramadan in Pakistan" on Storify]


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NEWS ANALYSIS; Now What Happens to The Journal?
By RICHARD SIKLOS
Published: August 1, 2007
So now what?
Since the News Corporation's offer for Dow Jones & Company was made public three months ago, Rupert Murdoch's business career, character and motives have been dissected in an effort to predict what he might do as the owner of The Wall Street Journal.
Despite how long Mr. Murdoch has wanted The Journal, he may not have a set playbook, according to interviews and more recent conversations with several people in Mr. Murdoch's camp, who spoke on the condition they not be identified.
''There's a very low probability that there's a grand plan,'' said one person close to Mr. Murdoch.
But based on his history, there is little doubt that Mr. Murdoch will directly aim at luring both readers and advertising away from The New York Times and The Financial Times, The Journal's closest rivals. His strategy will probably include aggressively undercutting advertising and investing heavily in editorial content -- particularly in Washington and international news -- absorbing losses at first to win the longer-term war.
At its most ambitious, Mr. Murdoch's vision for Dow Jones would establish The Journal as the rival to The Times in setting the daily news agenda of the country.
The vision has a business corollary: by broadening The Journal's influence beyond pure business readers, Mr. Murdoch wants to reposition it as not just the world's leading financial newspaper, but the world's leading business journalism source for consumers.
The paper has already tried this with softer service features and its Saturday edition. Reorienting the newspaper further for consumers would fit with two other aspirations Mr. Murdoch has. One is to build his nascent Fox Business Network, which begins in 30 million United States homes this October, into a viable contender with Bloomberg Television and CNBC, which have much larger subscriber bases both at home and abroad.
The Journal already has a deal to provide news content exclusively to CNBC, an agreement that the News Corporation discovered is ironclad until 2012. Any move to tie The Journal to the new Fox business channel will require disentanglement. In the meantime, the business channel, which is scheduled to begin operation on Oct. 15 under the direction of the Fox News chief executive and chairman, Roger Ailes, is being readied on the presumption that it is a stand-alone business.
Mr. Murdoch's second and overarching vision is to resurrect the newspaper industry by integrating print and video online and building brands around the world.
Part of that involves tapping into Dow Jones's Web properties -- it owns not just The Journal but also the investing weekly Barron's, Dow Jones Newswires and the consumer-focused Web service MarketWatch.com -- to create an online platform for all of the company's newsgathering operations around the world. Another part would be using the company's Fox and Sky News video outlets as sources of video content on the new sites.
Mr. Murdoch has shown in the past that he is willing to experiment, even knock over some sacred cows. In an interview with The Times earlier this year, Mr. Murdoch mused aloud about The Journal, saying, for instance, that he did not have time to read longer articles during the week and might like to swap out the paper's Pursuits section on Saturdays with a glossy magazine. More recently, he told Time magazine that he was not sure about the offbeat front-page stories known internally as ''A-Heds'' that are a plum for reporters to write.
A more immediate change might be felt on the Web side, where The Journal has stood out among newspapers by commanding more than 900,000 paid subscribers.
Executives at the News Corporation are keen to explore whether more of that content ought to be offered free online to increase the audience and attract advertising, while keeping subscribers by offering more premium services. A more open WSJ.com would be able to attract more advertising, but also potentially distribute that advertising across the News Corporation's online footprint.
Mr. Murdoch's purchase could mean more immediate changes on the business side of Dow Jones. When he repurchased The New York Post in 1993, he focused on raising the paper's circulation by cutting the cover price of the paper several times and handing out copies free.
''If he hadn't come in, there wouldn't have been a New York Post,'' said Jerry Fragetti, senior vice president for media and operations at Newspaper National Network, who worked as chief financial officer of The Post in the 1980s and as an executive for the News Corporation in the early 1990s.
Mr. Murdoch believed that expanding the readership would allow him to take away advertisers from The New York Times and The Daily News. (He fought hard for readers on the news side, as well, turning the paper into a gossipy must-read for people on Wall Street, in fashion and in the media business.)
And as The Post grew in circulation, Mr. Murdoch did not always increase the price of ads in the paper, say advertising executives who bought newspaper ads in the 1990s.