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How Afterpay supported small businesses in 2020
In a challenging year, here’s how Afterpay helped fuel billion-dollar growth
Bushfires. A drought. A pandemic.
There’s little doubt that 2020 will go down as a challenging year for all Australians, and retailers and merchants were no exception.
But a new report shows that even as Australia entered its first Recession in 30 years, Afterpay helped fuel billion-dollar growth, leading to new jobs and helping to boost the bottom line of tens of thousands of small businesses.
Afterpay merchants saw more sales
Overall, Afterpay delivered $3billion in net benefits to 48,000 Australian merchants in 2020, according to the Afterpay Economic Impact Report 2020 by Accenture.
In fact, merchants with Afterpay saw average sales increase by 7.7 per cent in 2020, thanks to:
· Larger basket sizes
· Exposure to new customers
· Deeper customer engagement
· More repeat purchasing
· Improved online conversion rates
Benefits to fashion and footwear retailers
Even retailers who were hit hardest during Covid-19, such as those in footwear and fashion, were cushioned from the worst effects if they had Afterpay.
While most fashion, footwear and accessories retailers saw negative year-on-year growth on average between June 2019 and June 2020, those with Afterpay experienced a 39 per cent and 78 per cent growth respectively.
Afterpay drove referrals and exposure
Afterpay’s Shop Directories also proved to be valuable sales channels, according to the report, and generated 20 million referrals to retailers every month.
This resulted in 1.2 million orders – saving merchants an estimated $70 million in acquisition costs.
For retailers adapting to a rapidly changing, increasingly digital world, this is an enormous benefit," says Paul Zahra of the Australian Retailers Association. “Retail is undergoing a profound transformation, with the Covid-19 pandemic bringing forward a decade’s worth of change and innovation Retailers are investing in their online sales strategies and increasingly looking to new channels to engage with their customers."
For Ben Randall, Afterpay has played a critical part in the success of his business Restated Vintage, which sells rare ’80s and ‘90s vintage clothing.
When we introduced Afterpay on Restated Vintage we saw turnover roughly double, which was a great surprise.”- Ben Randall, founder of Restated Vintage
Customers reaped rewards
It wasn’t just merchants who benefited from using Afterpay. The report found that shoppers who chose Afterpay avoided $110million in credit card fees, while 90 per cent of those who shopped with Afterpay said it helped them with budgeting.
The report also revealed that Afterpay shoppers are more likely to have higher household incomes than the general population, with 48 per cent in the top two income brackets, compared to 43 per cent of the population.
For more insights into the ways in which Afterpay helped merchants and consumers in 2020, read the full report here.
All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Afterpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.


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Trump due auto-tariff guidance
Prospect of foreign car tax worries lawmakers, businessmen
Sunday, the Commerce Department is expected to issue an opinion on whether foreign-made cars endanger U.S. national security enough to justify tariffs of 20 to 25 percent on imported autos and auto parts. President Donald Trump would then have 90 days to decide whether to impose them.
The department could decide to postpone its conclusion. Or it could just hand its recommendations to Trump without making them public.
But if it does suggest that Trump impose the tariffs, the department would be advocating a major escalation in Trump’s combative trade policies. So far, he has stuck tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, dishwashers, solar panels and hundreds of Chinese goods. The tariffs have become a financial burden for U.S. companies that import goods and parts and have led some to pass on their higher costs to customers. Many economists worry about the eventual impact on the U.S. economy.
U.S. auto tariffs would almost surely lead Japan and the European Union to retaliate. They could also spark a rebellion in the U.S. Congress — including from Trump’s fellow Republicans — over concern that he is raising tariffs by invoking his authority to label certain imports a threat to America’s national security.
“I don’t believe that minivans from Canada or other allies are a threat to our national security,” said Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. “I hope the administration takes a step back and reconsiders any auto tariffs.”
The tariffs could have farreaching consequences — on the companies that make cars, often with imported parts; on the dealerships that sell them; and on the consumers who buy them. U.S. imports of passenger vehicles and auto parts amounted to $340 billion in 2017.
Sometimes, on a bad night, Brad Strong wakes at 2 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep. The insomnia isn’t about his
family or money or health. It’s about tariffs.
The Strong family’s three car dealerships in Salt Lake City could suffer a significant blow if the tariffs are imposed.
The Strongs’ dealerships sell vehicles made by German automakers — Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. No Porsches or Audis are built in the U.S. Only a couple of Volkswagen models are. The likely result is higher prices and lower sales for Strong and other dealers who sell imported vehicles.
“I worry about the people that work for me and their families,” said Strong, who fears that his dealerships would have to lay off some of its 225 employees.
If 25 percent tariffs were imposed on imported parts and vehicles, including from Canada and Mexico, the price of imported vehicles would
jump more than 17 percent, or an average of around $5,000 each, according to IHS Markit. Even the prices of vehicles made in the U.S. would rise by about 5 percent, or $1,800, because all use some imported parts.
Luxury brands would absorb the sharpest increase: $5,800 on average, IHS concluded. Mass-market vehicle prices would rise an average of $3,300.
If the tariffs are fully assessed, IHS senior economist Peter Nagle predicts that price increases would cause U.S. auto sales to fall by an average of 1.8 million vehicles a year through 2026.
“We’re talking about an environment where sales are slowing already,” Nagle said.
In addition to Audi and Porsche, the most affected brands would be Mazda, Aston Martin and McLaren, which build all of their vehicles outside the U.S. The tariffs also would hit Audi, Porsche, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and Volkswagen hard. Nearly
100 percent of Volvos sold in the U.S. were produced elsewhere last year. The figure is 67 percent for BMW, 63 percent for Mercedes, 84 percent for the VW group and 62 percent for Hyundai.
“I think it would be harmful to the whole economy,” said Howard Hakes, president of Hitchcock Automotive, which has three Toyota showrooms in metro Los Angeles. “You put a 25 percent tariff on that, you’re slowing down the train that’s rolling already.”
Mario Murgado, who owns Honda, Volkswagen, Audi and other dealerships in the Miami and Chicago areas, has a different view. He says he’s willing to sacrifice sales if necessary to make global trade fairer. Other countries, Murgado argues, assess higher tariffs than the U.S. does, while countries like Japan impose other barriers to importing U.S. vehicles.
“I’m just trying to do the right thing that’s in the best interest of our country,” he said.
Of the 17.2 million vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2017, 52 percent were produced domestically, according to the Center for Automotive Research. Fourteen percent came from Mexico and 11 percent from Canada. Ten percent were made in Japan, 5 percent in South Korea, 3 percent in Germany and 5 percent elsewhere.
There are many ways auto tariffs could be imposed. The worst-case scenario for the industry would be tariffs on both vehicles and parts. The administration also could slap levies on vehicles but not parts. Or it could suspend tariffs and use them for bargaining.
But the tariffs would likely invite retaliation aimed at U.S. farmers or other sectors of the economy, said Kristin Dziczek, a vice president at the Center for Automotive Research.
“If we [tax] Audis, Germany could say, ‘We don’t want your peanut butter,’” she said.
Toyota sedans are displayed at a dealership in Industry, Calif. If 25 percent tariffs are fully assessed against imported parts and vehicles, the price of imported vehicles would rise more than 17 percent, or around $5,000 each, according to forecasts from IHS Markit.

domain: news


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Wonderlands were first listed in a leaked 2K games list which was circulated on social media last week and corroborated by VGC’s own sources. According to the list, the Borderlands spin-off stars mainstay character Tiny Tina, with similar gameplay to the core Borderlands games. A series spin-off was first claimed to be in development by Gamereactor last month, then 2K parent Take-Two Interactive [329 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/take-two-interactive/” style=”color: unset; transition: all 0.25s ease-out 0s; padding-bottom: 2px; border-bottom: 2px dotted rgba(222, 222, 222, 0.66);”>Take-Two confirmed shortly after that it would publish a “new Gearbox franchise” before April 2022.The leaked games list also claimed that XCOM studio Firaxis is working on a new turned-based strategy game starring Marvel heroes. Last month Take-Two said the studio would reveal “several exciting projects” this year.
#wonderland #game #community #socialmedia #media #list #gamers #games #leak #confirmed


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Jaguar F-Type Wins Playboy Car of the Year
Playboy Magazine recently announced their own pick for “Car of the Year.”
Just like the glossy magazine, their ride of choice is sleek, sexy, and seductive. The Jaguar F-Type is Playboy’s favorite luxury vehicle of 2014.
Contributing Editor A.J. Baime and the editors of Playboy tested hundreds of vehicles in search of the best new cars on the road, but it was the fast F-TYPE came out on top and takes the ‘Car of the Year’ title.
“This is the Jaguar we’ve been waiting for – a beautiful car, a brilliantly-performing machine, nuanced and yet very true to Jaguar’s DNA,” said A.J. Baime, Playboy’s editor at large. “In our many miles of testing on road and track, we had difficulty finding flaws. That’s why it’s our 2014 Car of the Year.”
“Winning Playboy’s Car of the Year award is a fantastic accomplishment for the Jaguar F-TYPE,” said Jeff Curry, Brand Vice President, Jaguar North America. “This award builds upon the excitement of the all new F-TYPE, reinforces the momentum of the Jaguar brand in shaking up the sports car establishment and represents the essence of what the Jaguar brand stands for.”
The Jaguar F-TYPE represents a return to the company’s heart: a two-seat, sports car focused on performance, agility and driver involvement.
The F-TYPE Coupe, which debuted at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show last November, is available in three models: F-TYPE Coupe, F-TYPE S Coupe and F-TYPE R Coupe. Pricing starts at $69,0001 for the convertible, and $65,0001 for the coupe.
Check out this mini-review from our friends over at SimplyRides.com


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The Royal Poinciana Plaza has officially reopened to the public. To maintain shoppers’ safety while welcoming them back to the iconic lifestyle destination, the team at the Plaza has implemented several safety protocols throughout the Palm Beach-based retail and dining hub. Guests are encouraged to maintain a safe social distance of six feet from other shoppers and wear masks during their visits. To facilitate this, the plaza’s restaurants, boutiques, and guest services extend outdoor seating options, adhere to capacity limitations, and offer masks upon request. All retail and restaurant employees are encouraged to wear face masks. The plaza’s shops also feature plexi glass panes at registers. Guests can also request the curbside pickup or minimal-contact arrangements that are available at many establishments.
In addition to these protocols, the plaza will host its first-ever outdoor shopping experience on every third Saturday, beginning Saturday, June 20. Shoppers will be treated to live music in the courtyard to celebrate the occasion. The Royal Poinciana Plaza has also introduced a new series, #storefrontstories, to highlight the destination’s shops. Through photos and five-minute interviews, the team will showcase and celebrate the people behind the businesses visitors love. You can find their stories on the website as well as on Instagram.
The area’s retailers are also continuing to support the community through COVID-19 relief efforts and enhance sustainability efforts in the process. Read more here.


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A year after the pandemic, one sommelier confronts her complicated feelings about returning to the wine industry
Opportunity abounds in today’s current hiring frenzy, but restaurant operators are looking for wine pros with new skills who can take on hybrid responsibilities
These twelve leaders are shaping the beverage alcohol industry while trailblazing more opportunities for AAPI professionals
Lessons in building a profitable cocktail institution from Donna’s Leif Huckman—before the pandemic closed his doors for good
The rosé category remains strong, but an influx of generic brands and the lingering impact of 2020 means it’s more crowded than ever. Will quality prevail?
Speaking with Josh Nadel, MS, Jack Mason, MS, Sally Stewart, and Steven Washuta about cross-country moves and career changes during the pandemic
Flexible business models and creative community engagement allow wine bars to stay profitable even in tumultuous times
Backed by an established history, a penchant for experimentation, and an array of distinctive terroirs, New York State is proving itself as a formidable winegrowing region on the world stage.
A trend towards innovative cask finishes challenges the category’s light-bodied, easy-drinking reputation
Breaking the hot sake taboo, a growing number of restaurants are serving their high-end bottles warm
How the pandemic-fueled increase in online sales and decrease in vetting has led to more counterfeit bottles—and how wine professionals can spot them
Understanding the wine specialist’s real impact on restaurant revenue


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Christopher Buehlman’s new medieval horror novel Between Two Fires was released earlier this month, and it’s a fantastic read. The story is funny, historically intriguing, and scary as hell. It received a great review at Publisher’s Weekly, and I can personally vouch for how entertaining it is. It’s available in hardback at bookstores and Amazon, as well as Kindle format and audio through Amazon. The audio version is amazingly well done.
On September 6, Ace Hardcover will release “Those Across The River”, a horror novel by Christopher Buehlman. He’s a fantastic wordsmith, and he’s created a highly literate story that’s also thrilling and masterfully paced. It’s available for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and there will be a release party/signing in New York City, as well as other signings around the country. Every brain cell in my skull recommends it.
Some helpful links:
Christopher’s website: http://www.christopherbuehlman.com/
Amazon’s pre-order page: http://www.amazon.com/Those-Across-River-Christopher-Buehlman/dp/0441020674
A review by John Michael Decker: http://johnmichaeldecker.blogspot.com/2011/04/john-michael-decker-reviews-those.html
Reviews at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10772903-those-across-the-river


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Investors are responding to news about Chinese officials deciding to investigate Nu Skin Enterprises as a possible pyramid scheme.
Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. ( NUS) shares are getting killed in trading for a second consecutive day. On Wednesday, the issue was a report in the Chinese newspaper People’s Daily. Today, it’s the news that the Chinese government is taking that report seriously and has launched an investigation. Shares of Nu Skin declined as much as 22% today, but its stock wasn’t the only one affected. Shares of competing multi-level marketing companies Herbalife Ltd ( HLF) and USANA Health Sciences, Inc. ( USNA) also declined. Herbalife fell as much as 7% on the news, while USANA declined as much as 9% in midday trading.
China matters to Nu Skin, Herbalife
The reason Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. ( NUS) shares have fallen so far is because of how important the MLM company has said China is to its business model. Herbalife is in the same boat, as expansion into China has also been one of the company’s goals. Now according to Bloomberg, Chinese officials are launching an investigation into Nu Skin’s operations. Investors could be wondering whether other MLMs will also be investigated by them. A statement posted on the State Administration for Industry and Commerce’s website said it is taking the allegations made by the People’s Daily serious and has requested that Nu Skin be investigated immediately. Officials said if the allegations turn out to be true, they “will deal with it according to the law and regulations.”
What might be wrong with Nu Skin’s business model
The report in the People’s Daily accused Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. ( NUS) of brainwashing people into becoming distributors. The report also said that the company sells 104 products in China, which is 20 more than what China actually allows. Nu Skin claims that the article “contains inaccuracies and exaggerations” which do not represent its business in the country. Nu Skin has a license for direct sales, according to the Chinese newspaper. In 2012, 20% of the company’s sales were from Hong Kong and China. As of July 2013, the company held the licenses required to run its direct sales network in 19 of China’s 32 different municipalities and provinces.


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EU competition boss allows Sony, BMG to merge
EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti has finally approved the merger of Sony and BMG in a deal that will create the world's second biggest music company.
But Mr Monti said he would look hard at any future mergers to ensure they did not increase the music majors' domination of the market.
The tie-up of the Japanese Sony with the music arm of German media group Bertelsmann reduces the number of music majors from five to four.
Mr Monti's commitment to scrutinise further mergers did not quell speculation that EMI and Warner Music, the smallest of the top five, could pursue a merger.
EMI has twice failed to merge with Warner in the past four years.
The Competition Commission confirmed its approval of the Sony-BMG merger despite warnings from independent record labels that it could reduce consumer choice and increase the industry's reliance on manufactured artists from TV shows such as the UK's Pop Idol.
Sony BMG, which will not include Sony's Japanese records business, will control about 22.6 per cent of the global record market with a catalogue uniting artists such as George Michael and Barbra Streisand with BMG's Avril Lavigne and Elvis Presley.
Mr Monti said the commission had been unable to find enough evidence of price collusion by the majors to justify blocking the merger. The approval came despite the commission's analysis, which found that the five leading record firms were co-ordinating CD prices and the problem could get worse with fewer players on the market.
The commission said it had been unable to demonstrate that cutting the number of leading firms from five to four would give them a "dominant position" in the market in the future.
Blocking mergers has become more difficult for the commission because the European Court of Justice has overturned a number of its rulings.
Michel Lambot, president of Impala, a trade body for independent labels, criticised the commission's verdict: "This must be a B-movie. I will undoubtedly wake up tomorrow and realise just how bad and foolish my nightmare was."
Impala has threatened to challenge the decision in court.


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Customers packed the Whistler’s Fine Fish and Chips three shops in Fareham, Westbourne and Hayling Island on Saturday.
All fish and chips or sausage and chips cost just £1 with customers encouraged to put their savings to Lewis Hine’s charity.
The 15-year-old is running a project called Friend Finder helping people make pals. Lewis, of Havant, set it up last year after undergoing 12 brain surgeries and struggling to make lasting pals.
He was at the shop in The Grove, Westbourne, for the St George’s Day celebration.
He said: ‘It went brilliantly, everyone was in the chip shop buying chips and it went really well.’
Owner Rana Denholm added: ‘There was a great turn out. We’re pleased to do that as a local chip shop we see it as our place.’
The Hayling Island shop raised cash for John Geden to rebuild his apiary, which was damaged in storm Katie.


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It’s been a busy time at IT Week central recently – or at least it has on the pages of the internet section. This particular corner of our humble magazine has seen a renaissance in recent months on the...
Collection #1, originally posted in December, contains 140 million email addresses that haven't been seen in security breaches before
Consumers can check the provenance of produce via a QR code
Huawei accused of stealing trade secrets from US partners
Windows 10 search shake-up will also bring changes to Office 365


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Earlier this month a rumor did the rounds saying iPadOS 16 would arrive a month later than iOS 16, that means in October. On the time we speculated that this might imply Apple would not unveil new iPads at its September iPhone occasion, as an alternative holding a separate launch for them in October.
And as we speak a report from Korea confirms precisely that concept, saying that the brand new low-cost iPad will arrive alongside the M2 iPad Professional in October. Particularly, across the finish of the month.
iPad 10.2 (2021)
The following entry-level iPad would be the successor to the iPad 10.2 (2021), and is alleged to be barely thinner than its predecessor, with “flat bezels” and a digital camera bump on the rear. It is going to even have a bigger show, a USB-C port, and no headphone jack. It is going to be powered by the A14 Bionic chip and help 5G.
A few of these particulars have been circulating as rumors for months, however now it is undoubtedly wanting probably that Apple will need to give attention to iPhones (and possibly Apple Watches) alone at its September occasion, with the brand new tablets getting their very own, separate official introduction. That mentioned, be sure you do not take any of this too critically, as we’re nonetheless speaking about rumors.


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The Jakarta Post
Investment company PT Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR) has sold shares in three of its subsidiaries in an attempt to pay down massive debts, raising around Rp 124.7 billion (US$13.6 million).
According to a filing to the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), BNBR sold some of its shares in PT Bakrie Sumatera Plantations (UNSP), PT Bakrieland Development (ELTY) and PT Energi Mega Persada (ENRG).
BNBR sold 140.54 million shares in UNSP for Rp 305.69 apiece.
Following the transaction, which was worth Rp 42.96 billion, BNBR remained holding 3.58 billion shares, or 26.38 percent of UNSP’s outstanding shares.
The company also sold 138.73 million shares in ELTY for Rp 135.96 apiece.
That transaction totalled Rp 18.86 billion and saw BNBR’s ownership reduced to 3.25 billion shares, or 7.79 percent of ELTY’s outstanding shares.
BNBR also sold 304.3 million ...


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When the worlds largest retailer struggles with a database issue, the numbers can be a bit daunting. Wal-Marts data warehouse, for example, is larger than four petabytes. Thats more than 4,096TB, give or take a few million bits.
The chain has more than 6,000 stores, with some having almost a half-million SKUs each. You think your Excel spreadsheets are bad? Wal-Marts database tables have literally 100 billion rows. The retailers POS systems have to ring up some 276 million items, a day.
This peek into the IT operations of this $345 billion retail empire comes courtesy of a phone interview with Wal-Mart Chief Technology Officer Nancy Stewart. The occasion: Wal-Mart wanted to talk up a recent purchase of HP Neoview systems.
Although HP and Wal-Mart issued the statement on Aug. 1, the systems have been in place for months, having gone into full production in May, Stewart said. Wal-Mart rarely agrees to news releases for purchases, let alone interviews. Why this special treatment for HP?
“We delayed this announcement for several months. This announcement has not come on a whim,” she said. The HP system “has very strong high-availability characteristics. The thing that did it for me personally in terms of the relationship is that it is an extremely high availability system and it requires very little support.”
HPs servers, which will take their place along with hardware from IBM, EMC and Teradata, were chosen because of how they performed within Wal-Marts very high-volume, high-stress environment. “We wanted our relationship to see if we could max out high performance characteristics,” Stewart said. “What a lot of the folks we have dealt with do is they will parse the queries. Here at Wal-Mart, we dont batch the queries. We process those records in real time.”
The Wal-Mart executive said she was surprised with HPs performance. “We are very very pleased with where we are today. We have been very very surprised that they have been able to deliver within this timeframe,” Stewart said, adding that she also applauds their attitude. “They would just take every challenge. They kind of delighted in the opportunity.”
Although Stewart wouldnt get into details about exactly what HPs servers will be doing for Wal-Mart, she did say that they would be involved with RetailLink—the chains supply chain system for suppliers and customers—with the goal of improving product information access.
“What we want is to be able to better present wherever those products are, in the right store in a community. We need to make decisions much more quickly.”
Retail Center Editor Evan Schuman can be reached at Evan_Schuman@ziffdavis.com.


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June 27, 2020
It's a great time to build a company, but the coronavirus pandemic, economic downturn and Black Lives Matter movement will shape startups in new ways, according to top venture capitalists.
Co-founder of LinkedIn and general partner at Greylock
The class of 2020 startups will be unique in two ways: 1) the massive shift in market readiness, and 2) nearly every founding team will be distributed.
The pandemic has set certain markets back (e.g. coworking spaces), but it has also created the conditions for other markets to take a giant leap forward. A specific example: telehealth startups. While the majority of health visits have now moved to video calls, the implications go well beyond a simple shift in delivery mechanism.
Moreover, older adults represent a large proportion of patients, and an even larger proportion of market power. Not previously early adopters of telemedicine, older adults are now developing what is likely to be a lasting habit, accelerating the industry adoption cycle by several decades. This will speed up the deployment of new technologies such as AI and machine learning to make diagnoses via smartphone imaging, or to extract information from doctor-patient interactions and improve follow-up and follow-through. And while the pandemic will eventually recede, we will see a permanent change in how we access health care.
Another impact for the class of 2020: All founding teams will be distributed. Previously, most founding teams coalesced in a specific place, but there isn't much social distancing in a garage! Teams that want to build world-changing products together will need better ways to communicate. It will be more difficult — and more important than ever — that co-founders find ways to quickly connect and align. And when people are sheltering-in-place, the geographic density of talent in Silicon Valley is much less relevant. The techniques that Silicon Valley uses to scale companies, such as Blitzscaling, can be learned and practiced by anyone. The next generation's big winner could be based anywhere with sufficient access to financial capital and virtual access to technological expertise.
Co-founding partner at Floodgate
- Areas where I think there are interesting new opportunities for startups:
- They will leverage new knowledge management tools: Knowledge management hasn't been rethought in some time, but with the move to remote work — whether they are fully remote teams or hybrid teams — documentation will become a central focus of organizations. Some interesting tools have popped up (Supernote.io and Almanac.io are two we have invested in, but Notion and Roam Research are two other examples) and we're still investing in this space. In particular, I'd be interested in companies that are creating deeper knowledge management and search as well as a social network for knowledge, which is more consumer-facing.
- They will empower the solopreneur: With the uncertainty of the go-forward economy, many individuals are taking matters into their own hands and becoming their own businesses. Digital tools like Dumpling.us and Mighty Networks (our investments) enable the solopreneur to build their own clientele, set their own schedule, and create their pricing on their terms. We also think that companies like Substack and Cameo and Patreon power a new content path for solopreneurs
- They will rediscover the Future of Joy: With money saved on gyms, travel, events and eating out, consumers will start to look for new ways to experience joy. There are opportunities for creating new categories of spend. One example we are seeing is Learn Monthly, where we believe consumers are mastering creative pursuits like oil painting or music production in a similar manner to how they might pursue running a half marathon (social, bragging rights). What other ways of experiencing joy are new and unexpected?
- How startups will be run differently than in the past:
- Essentialism: Companies started this year will know what is essential and what is not. Employees will not be bogged down by face time but will be evaluated on the quality of their work and measured by the contributions they make to their company. Many of us have applied the Marie Kondo principles of decluttering our homes to decluttering our work lives and businesses. It enables us to rethink fundamental assumptions about the world — what we need and what we simply do because it's the way that it has been done. My feeling is that this means management moves from storytelling to execution with a renewed emphasis on wisdom rather than hope.
- Minimum viable companies: Companies started this year will not try to buy the perception of product market fit with growth of vanity metrics. Instead, they seek to build first a minimum viable company that balances product innovation and value with a business model that is not dependent on scale for margins. Such companies have the ability to outlast competitors and are not required to outspend them. While this may mean less reliance on venture capital, most companies don't need venture capital anyway.
- Renewed focus on access and inclusion: Founders are focused on creating diverse teams from the get-go. This means diversity of viewpoints. Diversity in lifestyle. Diversity in background. Much of this is enabled by geographical diversification through remote work. Continued work needs to happen to make sure that this representation happens at the executive level, board room and cap table.
Managing partner at Forerunner Ventures
This year has exposed so many important issues, including the crisis of COVID and the deeply important and impactful work of Black Lives Matter. Because these long overdue issues have surfaced and cracked the outdated veneer of status quo, this breakthrough class of startups will be reevaluating long-held business values and instead lead with compassion to make a real social impact.
These new startups are likely to be more purpose-driven with regards to their missions, business impact and cultures. The ones that capture our attention will be built around solving customer needs versus desires; they will prioritize sustainability practices and be hyper aware of their overall footprint on the planet; and importantly, they will be building diverse teams with inclusive practices. These startups won't be afraid of having important and often difficult or uncomfortable conversations and will understand their ability to influence for good.
In terms of operating, because of the pandemic, millions of workers experimented with working from home for the first time in their careers. And given that many tech companies have already mandated work-from-home until 2021 (Twitter, Google, Microsoft), many others will likely follow suit. As we continue to adapt to remote work, employees are operating within different frameworks, and companies will need to reimagine new ways to foster bonds and build strong team dynamics, especially from the top down.
In the face of unknowns and unimaginable hurdles to growing a business, flexibility and the fortitude to make swift changes will be more essential than ever for founders. Founders set expectations on growth, and it's their responsibility to build teams that can deliver on those visions, but now more than ever they have to have the adaptability to react to and ensure solid foundations for achieving considered growth and recalibrating their businesses for ever-changing environments. Resilience is the key word here.
Venture Partner at NextGen VP
We've left the pre-COVID world, where companies can easily raise millions amid major money losses and ignore human and social dynamics. New startups will be molded by the implications of COVID and the social and racial justice movement.
Startups will be remote-first to preempt health issues and avoid unnecessary real estate costs. Startups will focus on problems that affect the many and not just the elite few because of the work-life challenges that COVID has brought about (e.g., job loss, WFH). Startups will bootstrap, prioritize revenue, profit and performance more than ever. Because of the tightening of purse strings, startups will prompt side-hustling entrepreneurs looking for extra cash. This new breed of entrepreneur will create products and services (a la passion economy) and generate additional revenue streams.
From a social and racial justice movement perspective, startups with underestimated founding teams will get their moment to shine with capital coming their way from the VC and tech ecosystem that is putting their money where their mouth is (e.g. a16z's Talent x Opportunity Fund, SoftBank's Opportunity Growth Fund, Google investing $100 million in underestimated founders and funds).
Funding will come from a more diverse set of vehicles, from alternative VC funds to equity crowdfunding, to debt to newly activated diverse angels. Underestimated founders will build the companies of the future — ones that represent the diversity of our population and produce the products and services that the mass market sorely needs.
Partner at First Round Capital
The national conversation around race and equality is creating a renewed emphasis on the importance of diversity in the startup and venture ecosystem. I'm hopeful that this much-needed and long overdue pressure — on both the startups being built and the investors tasked with backing them — will result in a more diverse class of founders than ever before.
Founders are taking a hard look at the composition of their founding teams, their cap tables, their board rooms, and their early hires — and will be less willing to let "diversity debt" accrue as the costs are impossible to ignore. As investors, we have a tremendous amount of work to do here. That work consists of 1) acknowledging and dismantling the bias within narrow "traditional" founder archetypes, 2) putting in the legwork and process changes it will take to back more founders of different backgrounds, and 3) pushing ourselves and the companies we back to build more inclusive organizations that are more representative of the country that we live in.
Whether it's fully remote or some kind of hybrid model, we're also seeing a broader shift toward both distributed workforces and distributed systems. We're noticing that companies in our community are increasingly opting to buy rather than build, and we expect to see developer focused API services proliferate. We're excited about this trend because it empowers new companies to focus as much as possible on their core product and creates a new category of developer focused companies for us to partner with as investors.
Finally, the growth-at-all-costs mentality is becoming more muted in the 2020 startups. We are seeing a shift from a "tell me the story" fundraising environment to a "show me the proof" fundraising environment. Conversations around contribution margins and unit economics are starting much earlier on in a company's life. We think businesses without a very strong economic engine will face challenges when they go to raise money this year, and the class of 2020 founders will take this into account when balancing growth vs. profitability.
Biz Carson ( @bizcarson) is a San Francisco-based reporter at Protocol, covering Silicon Valley with a focus on startups and venture capital. Previously, she reported for Forbes and was co-editor of Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups list. Before that, she worked for Business Insider, Gigaom, and Wired and started her career as a newspaper designer for Gannett.
More from Braintrust
Coinbase just celebrated its 10th birthday. And the crypto powerhouse marked the milestone on a defiant note, with a snarky TV ad clapping back at crypto bashers.
“Crypto is dead. Long live crypto,” said the 30-second ad which aired Friday during the NBA Western Conference finals game between the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks.
The ad showed tweets dating back to 2012, with the authors’ names blurred out, declaring “Crypto is dead.”
At a time when crypto is reeling from a severe downturn and Coinbase is making spending cutbacks, the reactions were understandably mixed.
Michael Fasanello, chief compliance officer of LVL, called the ad “classic and minimalist, yet effective.”
“It drives home the message that just like so many other emerging technologies and emerging markets, blockchain and crypto will have their ups and downs — but they are here to stay,” he told Protocol.
Jef Loeb, creative director at Brainchild Creative, agreed it was “effective if the objective is to let the market know Coinbase isn’t heading for the life rafts quite yet.”
“It’s also effective in preaching to an increasingly small choir not to abandon the Titanic quite yet,” he told Protocol, quipping, “Hey, the sopranos and altos may have headed for the exits, but the bros in the bass [section] are hanging in.”
Coinbase recently included a warning in its regulatory filings that in a bankruptcy scenario, customers' crypto holdings were at risk. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong hastened to reassure customers that it wasn't actually facing bankruptcy.
Loeb noted the dramatic shift in tone in the ad from the “celebrity-driven ‘don’t miss out’ [messages] in February’s Super Bowl" from other crypto companies "to a spin on Mark Twain’s aphorism four months later” about how ““reports of crypto’s death are both frequent and exaggerated.” Coinbase's Super Bowl ad featured a floating QR code which succeeded in bringing so many people to its website that it crashed.
The choice of the Warriors game was symbolic. Former Warriors player Kevin Durant invested in Coinbase, and Coinbase and the NBA struck the league's first cryptocurrency sponsorship deal last year, in flusher times.
The crypto exchange posted disappointing results recently amid the sharp slump in crypto prices epitomized by the UST stablecoin meltdown. In a sign of growing uncertainty, Coinbase also announced that it was freezing hiring and cutting back on other spending a week after declaring that it was pushing forward with expansion plans.
The crypto market has shed roughly $1 trillion in value the past month, while Coinbase shares have tanked more than 50%.
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Google is allowing some Android apps to use their own payment systems after getting into battles with both Match Group and Epic Games' Bandcamp, but the move might be temporary. The company is facing legal action for requiring apps in the Google Play Store to use its billing, and the interim solution Google came up with is to let those apps use their own payments — with a catch.
Match Group withdrew its temporary restraining order against Google on Friday, according to TechCrunch, which it had filed amid its antitrust lawsuit against the company. Match eked out some “concessions” from Google, including making sure its apps would not be ousted from the Play Store for using alternative payment options, TechCrunch reported. Rather than pay Google, Match is putting aside $40 million in an escrow account, maintaining that the fees are illegal and awaiting a judge's ruling.
The lawsuit, which alleges that Google has "illegally monopolized" the app market for Android with its Play Store policy, is still ongoing. Google's Play Store policy requires app developers use the company's billing system, then takes a cut of the revenue. In the original complaint, Match claimed Google holding it "hostage,” while Google responded that it charges for services "like any business," and that its commission is the "lowest rate among major app platforms."
“We plan to rebut Match’s unfounded complaint and will be counter-suing for damages and breach of our developer contract," a Google spokesperson told Protocol. "Match has agreed to put up to $40 million in escrow as a reserve against damages and to work to integrate Google Play’s billing system.”
Google also settled its differences with Epic Games on Friday, and won't kick Epic subsidiary Bandcamp off of Google Play Store for using its own payment system, Music Business Worldwide reported. Under the agreement, Bandcamp will also start an escrow account for Google's fees, setting aside 10% of its revenue generated from digital sales until Epic’s case against Google is resolved, the company said in a blog post.
Epic acquired online music platform Bandcamp, which has used its own billing system on Android since 2015, in March. Bandcamp was threatened with being booted from the Google Play Store if it didn't begin using Google's proprietary billing system by June 1. Bandcamp was able to use its own system for so long because Google has an exemption from its billing rule for digital music companies, according to the blog post.
"We’ll continue to defend our business against Epic’s campaign to not pay for the value they get from Google Play," the Google spokesperson said. "Epic has now agreed to pay a standard 10% service fee into escrow as a reserve against potential damages.”
Epic, parent company of Fortnite, sued Apple for similar anti-competitive behavior.
This story was updated May 20, 2022, with comments from a Google spokesperson.
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Larry Ellison was among the participants on a call in November 2020, during which top Trump allies discussed ways to contest the election results, according to The Washington Post. It's unclear what role Ellison played on the call, but The Post found evidence of Ellison's apparent involvement in court records and confirmed with one of the call's other participants.
An Oracle spokesperson didn't immediately respond to Protocol's request for comment.
The records are part of an ongoing legal case involving True the Vote, a conservative group focused on stopping supposed voter fraud, and Fair Fight, a progressive voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams. According to documents revealed in that case, True the Vote's founder Catherine Engelbrecht described the call in a note to a donor.
“Jim was on a call this evening with Jay Sekulow, Lindsey O. Graham, Sean Hannity and Larry Ellison,” Engelbrecht wrote, according to the Post. Jim, in this case, describes Jim Bopp, True the Vote's lawyer. “He explained the work we were doing and they asked for a preliminary report asap, to be used to rally their troops internally, so that’s what I’m working on now.”
The donor, Fred Eshelman, replied days later, according to the Post, curious about Ellison's involvement. “Why was he on call with Senator Graham? Is he part of data/analysis solution, is he a potential large donor, other?” Eshelman's message read.
Bopp confirmed his participation in the call, but told the Post he couldn't recall its participants and shared a different recollection about the substance of the call. “The question that I think was being discussed was whether or not congressional hearings on how the 2020 election was being conducted would be beneficial to whatever people were doing,” he told the Post.
Ellison's support for former President Trump is, by now, well known. He was among Trump's most prominent allies in the tech industry during his time in office and held a fundraiser for him during the 2020 election. Trump, likewise, praised Oracle and looped the software giant in on the much-anticipated, but ultimately scuttled, deal to acquire TikTok in September 2020. His administration also backed Oracle in its copyright fight with Google.
Ellison, who is now chair of Oracle's board, is also part of the group of financiers who recently joined Elon Musk in his bid to take Twitter private. Musk has said if the deal goes through (and that's still a big if) that he would reinstate Trump's account.
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Google had its "best year yet" for hiring Black and Latinx employees in the U.S. as well as women globally, according to its 2022 Diversity Annual Report. The hiring rate increased for Black, Latinx, Native American and female employees, although these identities are still very underrepresented compared to white and male employees.
The number of Black employees increased from 4.4% in 2021 to a little over 5% in 2022, while Latinx employees increased from 6.4% to 6.9%. White employees still make up almost half of the workforce, and Asian employees make up around 43%. Native American employees make up less than 1%. Men make up two-thirds of the company's workforce nationally and globally. Attrition rates went down among almost every demographic compared to 2021, with the exception of growing attrition among Asian employees and Native American men.
Former Black Google employees have accused the company of racism in recent years, leading to an investigation from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. April Curley, a former recruiter, is suing Google for allegedly underpaying and undervaluing its Black employees. Timnit Gebru, a prominent AI research ethicist, was fired by the company in 2020 after she refused to remove her name from a research paper and wrote an internal note about her concerns with Google's diversity efforts.
Protocol's diversity tracker displays diversity data across Big Tech, allowing you to look at companies' efforts side by side.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the percentage of Black employees at Google in 2021. This story was updated on May 20, 2022.
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Red Oak Police detectives are searching for Harvey Glenn Sowels II, 25, in connection with at least two purse-snatching incidents at the Red Oak Walmart.
In order to expedite the arrest, the department released a video on Thursday, Dec. 20 of the two incidents as well as a clip of the believed holiday grinch.
In the first incident, which took place Thursday, Nov. 29, Sowels can be seen driving the wrong way through the Walmart parking lot in a silver passenger vehicle. He then reaches into one of the victim’s shopping carts without ever exiting the car and, after swiping the purse, Sowels speeds away from the scene as the victim chases after on foot.
A similar incident took place Wednesday, Dec. 12 — this time while the victim was unloading groceries into their trunk. The same vehicle once again drives up from behind and snatched the victim’s purse without exiting the car.
Following the Dec. 12 theft, a third video released by the Red Oak Police Department shows Sowels attempt to use the stolen credit card or cards at the Target and DTLR in the Wheatland Town Crossing shopping center in Dallas.
Sowels is believed to be the suspect in both offenses. Store surveillance caught him on-camera as he exited the store.
On Dec. 27, the Red Oak Police Department Criminal Investigative Division obtained an arrest warrant for Sowels for his alleged involvement in theft of property less than $2,500 with two previous convictions. Sowels currently remains at large with an active arrest warrant.
If anyone has information on Sowels' whereabouts, contact Sgt. Gary Dollar at 469-218-7710 or email@example.com.
This article was updated Jan. 4, 2019 after Red Oak Police released the name of the primary suspect.


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"Let them eat Polish dogs" - Marie Samstoinette, probably. Polish dogs will be available at all Sam’s Club cafes starting July 23 for only $0.99! 🌭🌭🌭 pic.twitter.com/gyX9QtW0eH— Sam's Club (@SamsClub) July 12, 2018
Recently, Costco pulled the Polish dog from its food court sparking despair among fans.
However, you can still get the original hot dog and soda deal for a $1.50.
A Change.org petition to keep the Polish dog on Costco's menu has more than $5, 000 online signatures.
RELATED: Costco customers devastated after Polish dogs removed from food court menu
The only Sam's Club locations nearby are in Concord and Vacaville. By comparison, there are over a dozen Costco stores in the Bay Area.
Costco recently took the menu item away from some of its locations and added healthier options like an acai bowl and organic burger. When this happened, customers immediately reacted on social media and some even begged for its return, while others called for a boycott of Costco.
Click here for more stories and videos on Costco


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What you need to know
- Report from DigiTimes suggests Apple will pass Huawei to become the number 2 global smartphone vendor.
- iPhone 11 sales performance expected to be strong.
- Huawei sales suffering due to US trade ban.
A DigiTimes report via MacRumors today suggests that Apple will pass Huawei as the number 2 smartphone vendor, on the back of strong iPhone 11 sales and of course, the trade ban imposed on Huawei in the United States.
Huawei's performance in Q2 of this year remained strong despite the trade ban, shipping around 60 millions handsets according to Gartner. According to the report:
However, as the trade ban drags on, Huawei is expect to see sales slide over the second half of this year. Gartner estimates that shipments could fall to about 50 million units in the third quarter, before bouncing back to 60 million units going into the holiday period.
According to IDC, Apple shipped 36 million iPhones in Q1 2019. Sales are said to have dropped to 34 million in the second quarter, with an expected slide to 30 million units in Q3 as people waited for Apple's next-generation flagship devices, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Estimates have Apple pegged to ship 70 million units in the fourth quarter, more than Huawei's estimated 60 million and enough to retake the number 2 spot in the global smartphone vendor ranking.
Elevate your Apple Watch with this elegant bracelet-style Wearlizer band
This pretty rhinestone-enhanced Apple Watch bangle bracelet looks more like jewelry on your wrist than a health and fitness band.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister alludes to resolution over Apple Maps and Crimea
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko has hinted at a resolution to the Apple Maps Crimea controversy, after meeting with Apple VP Lisa Jackson at Davos.
macOS Catalina bug sees displays reset to max brightness after sleep
Some users are reporting their macOS Catalina machines are setting themselves to maximum brightness after waking from sleep
Looking for a DVD drive for your Mac mini? Check these out
If you find yourself looking for a DVD drive for your Mac mini, here are a few options to consider.


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RE Classic Bobber is speculated to come with a single-seat option apart from other specific features. Three more bikes are coming in 2 years…
After a long time Royal Enfield switched to an all new platform for its 350cc motorcycles. It has already launched the Meteor 350 and Classic 350 on it and it is quite obvious that others will also transition in the times to come.
According to an online report, Royal Enfield is preparing a new motorcycle which is codenamed J1B which is seen as the Bullet 350 replacement.
Apart from this, the company is also working on two motorcycles that are codenamed as J1C1 and J1C2 which will be the entry level motorcycles in the range and could probably be roadsters. This takes us to the spotting of one such model, test mules of which are frequent on the roads. The report suggests that they may be placed under the Bullet range for a wider coverage.
And last but not the least, there is a new speculation of a bobber based on the Classic 350 platform that the company is working on. The report claims that it will be a single-seater with white wall tyres and tall handlebar.
This signals at a Jawa Perak rival and more specifically, Royal Enfield may have sneaked in some volumes from this relatively niche segment.
The report says that these motorcycles are targeted to reach the markets in the coming two years. That means Royal Enfield has its hands filled with so many models that it has to squeeze in in the coming months.
With a long list of upcoming motorcycles in the 350cc and bigger twin cylinder 650cc segments, Royal Enfield intends to save its territory from the intrusion of various serious rivals in the form of Jawa, Benelli and the upcoming models from Bajaj-Triumph, Yezdi, etc.
Source – Bikewale


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Around 70 per cent of international and national trade fairs were cancelled in the first half of 2021 due to uncertain general conditions. According to AUMA, 113 trade fair events are still planned for 2021 for the current calendar year. Initially, 380 trade fairs were scheduled to take place.
Due to the unclear situation caused by COVID-19 in the first half of the year, we have decided to take a pandemic-related break this year regarding our analogue trade fair appearance at SPS 2021 in Nuremberg.
The protection of our visitors and employees and the containment of the risk of infection are significant to us.
Factors such as the limited number of visitors to the stand, limited communication options and changes in the trade fair construction were also crucial to our decision.
The circumstances under which the trade fair appearance would have taken place would not have been compatible with our ideas of a successful trade fair.
Despite all this, we still see ourselves back at the SPS in 2022. We are looking positively into the new year and look forward to renewed personal exchange with you.
This year we have come up with an alternative: an experience in the form of a virtual showroom. Here you will find everything you always wanted to know about KAG or didn’t know at all.
Our digital showroom allows you to get in touch with us or our sales staff and exchange information on various topics related to our drive technology.
You will learn more about this in the coming weeks.
We look forward to your digital visit!
Your team from
Kählig Antriebstechnik GmbH


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A hacking team has been demonstrating a technique that will crack the PlayStation 3's loader at the recent Chaos Communication Congress event in Berlin.
The latest PS3 hack claims to give users complete control over their console, something that is bound to cause some ire amongst Sony Computer Entertainment's security specialists.
The team of hackers also demonstrated how they had got around Sony's PS3 security systems, to allow the hacking community to sign their own code.
Hack, crack and sack
What all of this means is that Sony's current v3.55 firmware is now highly vulnerable. Plus, more importantly, it is going to be very difficult for Sony's security folk to make a permanent fix to these exploits.
The hackers promised the Chaos Communication Congress crowd that they will release the tools to take advantage of their PS3 crack next month.
Somebody, somewhere at Sony no doubt just received a rather harsh email from their superiors ordering them to get to work on fixing this…


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According to DigiTimes (I did not find a corresponding press release on the HTC web site), HTC announced today that it will build a new plant in Shanghai. The factory should be completed to start operations in the second half of 2008. HTC plans to spend US$15.5 million on the construction.
The news was part of an announcement around HTC’s financial forecase for the third quarter. Hui-Ming Cheng, HTC’s CFO, indicated that HTC expects revenue growth of between 5 and 9 percent but slightly lower gross profit margins.


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Three insiders at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) bought shares in the past week, the first spate of group buying at the company since last year.
Directors Norman Wesley and Michael Mardy, and GMCR Canada President Gerard Geoffrion have all purchased shares since August 6. Wesley bought about $244,000 worth of shares, Geoffrion bought $117,000 worth, and Mardy spent about $32,000.
GMCR shares got a big boost on August 2 after the company said it expects to generate $100 to $150 million in free cash in 2013 after no generating free cash on an annual basis since 2007. Shares are still down 75% in the past year.


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Taipei--Biotech firm OBI Pharma Inc. (??) gave the fattest compensation packages on average to its employees last year among all of the listed firms in the local equity market, followed by integrated circuit designer MediaTek Inc. (???), according to data compiled by the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) and the Taipei Exchange (TPEx).
The data shows that the employees of OBI Pharma, which is listed on the over-the-counter market, received NT$3.96 million (US$132,000) on average in compensation package in 2016, ahead of MediaTek, a firm listed on the main board, which paid out NT$3.23 million to its employees on average.
The TWSE operates the local main board, while the TPEx runs the OTC market.
Compensation packages refer to direct benefits, such as salary, allowances, bonus and commission, and indirect benefits, such as insurance and pension plans, received by employees from their employers.
On the main board after MediaTek, Hotai Motor Co. (????), a local sales agent for Japan's Toyota Motor, came in second, paying about NT$3 million on average, ahead of connector maker Foxconn Technology Co. (??; NT$2.88 million), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., an assembler of iPhones and iPads for Apple Inc. (??; NT$2.6 million) and window curtain supplier Nien Made Enterprise Co. (??; NT$2.26 million).
Smartphone camera lens supplier Largan Precision Co. (???), which was the top earner in terms of earnings per share in the local equity market, took 45th place on the local main board with about NT$1.6 million on average.
After OBI Pharma on the OTC market, LED material maker Topco Technologies Co. (??) took second place paying NT$2.85 million on average, followed by Medigen Biotechnology Corp. (??; NT$2.57 million), IC designer eMemory Technology Inc. (??; NT$2.29 million) and Internet equipment provider Bothhand Enterprise Co. (??; NT$2.25 million).
According to the statistics, the combined amount of compensation packages given by listed firms on the main board to their employees hit NT$1.31 trillion in 2016, up 0.90 percent from a year earlier.
The average compensation package on the main board rose 2.45 percent year-on-year to NT$1.09 million, the data shows.
The data indicates that the aggregate amount of compensation package on the local OTC market totaled NT$171 billion in 2016, up 4.59 percent from a year earlier, with the average compensation package up 2.41 percent year-on-year at NT$850,000.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel


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Building on a ‘Who’s-Who’ within the Australian fitness community, we recognise just a few of the Aussie career milestones, new job roles and positions during July 2019. Congratulations to all 🙂
Julian Rusit – New Business Development Manager at AlphaFit, Julian has built an impressive career path, with experience working as a partner for fitness businesses in Australia as a QLD and NT State Manager for Precor Australia. Joining AlphaFit, Julian has the ability to provides wellness solutions for hotels and resorts, residential property developments, and commercial health and fitness facilities.
Vanessa Leone – New YBell Master Trainer at YBell Fitness (and new member at The Women in Fitness Association). Vanessa is an experienced fitness trainer with a demonstrated history within the health, wellness and fitness industry. A highly skilled group exercise instructor, Vanessa is a strong community and social services professional with a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) focused in Exercise Physiology from Victoria University.
Dominic Dos Remedios – New CEO at Ausfit Torsion Bars. Dom is a well respected leader with the fitness industry, working both locally and internationally for the past 20 years. Contributing to the highly successful personal training program at Crunch Fitness, USA (New York), Dom also set up the Fitness First Australia Personal Training Program from 2002 to 2010, responsible for over 4000 PT’s and GX instructors and will be a huge asset for the continued growth of Australian owned Ausfit Torsion Bars.
Robert Panetta – celebrating 4 years at Anytime Fitness Geelong.
Carissa Holland – new Development Officer at NSW Wrestling Association.
Marcello Marchioli – new Gym Manager at Friends Health & Fitness, Tasmania.
Jared Goode – new Commercial Sales Manager at NovoFit.
Claire Curle – celebrating 2 years as Managing Director of Fitstop West End, Brisbane.
Christian Cook – promoted to Business Development Manager NSW/ACT at The Australian Institute of Personal Trainers.
Jarrod Quint – new Australian Sales Manager at Theragun.
Alan Sacharowitz – new Non-Executive Director at OneFitStop.
Gareth Hall – new Fitness Coach/Educator at Australian Institute of Fitness.
Stefanie Nichloson – new Campaign Manager at Life Brands.


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Would you trade your Android for the next iPhone SE?
Samik Chaterjee, analyst at J.P. Morgan, has made an interesting and rather bold prediction for the upcoming iPhone SE (2022). According to the financial expert, more than 1.4 billion Android users in the world could make a switch to the new iPhone. That would mean that half of all Android owners would now switch to Apple.
- A J.P. Morgan analyst says that 1.4 billion Android users could buy the new iPhone SE (2022).
- The iPhone SE (2022) could be Apple's first budget smartphone with 5G.
- So far, there have already been some users who have switched to the iPhone SE models.
The new iPhone SE (2022) is the first budget smartphone from Apple that could come with 5G connectivity. Certainly, this is a new feature that many have been asking for, and also makes the device more interesting to many than the previous SE smartphones. The financial expert said that the 5G feature would be the main reason for people moving from Android to iOS. Still, the claim that 1.4 billion Android users would switch to Apple sounds a bit utopian.
Even if the low-cost iPhone offers a good alternative to Android smartphones and doesn't hit the wallet too hard, Chaterjee seems to overestimate himself. Google itself states that more than 3 billion devices in the world run Android. Thus, every second Android user would have to switch to an iPhone SE to meet the prediction. I myself also use an Android smartphone and couldn't imagine ever switching to Apple.
A bold prediction: How realistic is it?
So far, little information is known about Apple's new entry-level model. Only the design, which is strongly reminiscent of the iPhone SE (2020), and 5G compatibility are all but certain. The SE iPhones were created by Apple to offer an affordable alternative to the otherwise quite expensive alternatives - without having to give up Apple technology and especially iOS 15.
As a financial analyst at a bank like J.P. Morgan, a person has a lot of power in the stock market. A single prediction can cause companies to take losses in the billions. Samik Chaterjee is a highly respected analyst who has often been right in the past. How realistic are his statements this time? Even though NextPit is not read by 1.3 billion people, let's ask for your opinion for once:
What do you think about this statement? Do you think many Android users will switch to Apple? Take part in the survey and write it in the comments! We are looking forward to it!
Via: Android Authority Source: Reuters
I tried Apple with the 2020 SE, even switched from Tab S4 to iPad Air. Even after jailbreaking ios 13 build and using ios 14 beta, couldn't hack the UI. Waited for the Note 20 Ultra - the longest four months of my life. (Two bottom firing speakers on whatever the newest iPad Air was at the time were a joke.)
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with switching devices. To be honest, I never used the iPhone SE, and I do like my iPhone 11 Pro Max because of the Apple ecosystem - I love the Apple Watch. But my main device is the Pixel 6 Pro and I enjoy Android 12 a lot. If I didn't trade my Android for an iPhone two years ago, I don't see myself doing it in 2022! ;)
The Apple ecosystem is excellent. My wife is an iPhone user and it has many strengths. My problem with it is probably the result of rooting and tinkering with my Android phone for years. However, as Android UIs have improved (e. g. less bloatware and more themeing options), rooting is less important to me. That - and Apple's longer software support for older devices - is why I decided to make the switch to ios, but the lack of flexibility for the iPhone (iPad UI did not bother me as much - use it differently) was a bridge too far for me.
(Apple's decision to force upper left icon justification - particularly in the age of larger screens - was the beginning of my disappointment. That said, Apple is a good system, just not for a 73-year-old man pretty set in his ways and expectations.)


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Ocean Drive Studio announced the first closed beta test for Lost Eidolons will begin this week. The developer also released a new trailer for the tactical RPG.
Tagged: Ocean Drive Studio
Ocean Drive Studio will be running some closed betas for tactical RPG Lost Eidolons. Those interested in participating can apply to join the Benerio Grand Company now.
Ocean Drive Studio released a new trailer for its tactical RPG Lost Eidolons. A demo of the game is currently available as part of Steam Next Fest.
Lost Eidolons is a strategy RPG game in development by by a new Korean and U.S. based game studio Ocean Drive Studio. RPGamer was able to interview Jin Sang Kim, the Creative Director for Lost Eidolons, about the story and mechanics of the game.
RPGamer’s ad hoc Kickstarter Check-In feature returns for a look at an ongoing crowdfunding campaign. This edition features Ocean Drive Studio’s turn-based strategy RPG Lost Eidolons.
Developer Ocean Drive Studio announced a new strategy RPG. Lost Eidolons takes place in a continent-spanning empire that falls into civil war.


text: Happy Friday! Sale news first…Sambag is having a warehouse sale up to 80% off at Waterloo. I hit there today and scored these leopard pony heels. These babies were AUD 260, and they are now on sale for AUD 50 only! For those who would like to kick off the new season with some cute leather shoes, you may want to put that in your schedule. Sale lasts till this Sunday only.


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Photo for: Intel showcasing Penryn
We recently announced the release of working samples of the 45nm Intel Penryn processor. These CPUs have already proven their worth under a variety of operating systems including Windows Vista / XP, Linux and Apple MacOS X. One of the factories that will produce 45nm processors will be Fab 28, which is being built in Israel. Intel representatives organized Fab 28 tour for our Israeli colleagues.
Maxine Fasberg, manager of Fab 28, said the new plant will be the largest microprocessor company ever. Its industrial zone will have an area of 20,000 m? (for comparison, the area of Fab 18 is 10,000 m?). The first products will leave the factory in March 2021, and Fab 18 will reach full capacity by July 2021.
One of the most interesting events during the tour was the demonstration of the very working Penryn samples to reporters. Shown them by Roni Friedman, processor development team manager at Intel R&D Center. Haifa.
Friedman said the Penryn, designed by American engineers in collaboration with Israeli engineers, is now in its final stages of testing. The release of 45nm processors is scheduled for the second half of 2021, as promised earlier.


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ESA Gaming, an innovative games provider, has secured a supplier licence from the Malta Gaming Authority
ESA Gaming has managed to acquire a supplier licence from the Malta Gaming Authority. The newly acquired licence is in line with ESA Gaming’s vision to continue to grow in regulated markets globally.
ESA Gaming will now be able to distribute its large collection of mobile games to a vast amount of new partners. The mobile gaming products focus on increasing player engagement and cross-sell across sports book and casino players.
Their products, specifically EasySwipe, are lightweight HTML5 mobile-first games that create opportunities for added revenue to sports books while allowing users to play on high quality casino games with little to no disruption in regards to the sports betting experience.
Zorica Smallwood, CEO at ESA Gaming, stated:
“The accreditation of our products by the MGA marks a very exciting step for us as we look to continue our upward trajectory.
Being granted our MGA licence is vital for us as we continue to gain partners across a number of jurisdictions, while also allowing us to maintain the highest level of compliance with our products.”
ESA Gaming also holds certifications in South America (Colombia) and further north of Malta in Italy as the supplier aims to internationally distribute its products.
The SiGMA Roadshow
The SiGMA Roadshow is stepping up its game; now virtual, the webinar will take on a new jurisdiction every month, targeting a global agenda of gritty conference topics and a small, yet buzzing expo floor. Hosted on an interactive platform, the 2 hours mini conference will delve into 5 key areas of debate, bringing key themes specific to the region – such as regulation, tax and compliance, and emerging tech, to a table of thought leaders and academics at the top of their game. The SiGMA Virtual Roadshow will reflect SiGMA’s global events opening in 5 major regions over the next few years, specifically Europe, the CIS region, Asia, the Americas, and Africa. The monthly event, which launches with a worldwide tour of 14 countries, starts off with the recently legislated Ukraine, and will be published via podcast.


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Despite a slowdown in the economy the US Federal Reserve may have to raise rates to keep inflation under control, chairman Ben Bernanke has warned.
Mr Bernanke has vowed the Fed will be "vigilant" about inflation
Great care needed to be taken over future rate decisions as the US economy was entering a "period of transition".
Mr Bernanke said that recent increases in inflation - triggered by rising fuel prices - were an unwelcome development.
Experts fear any further rate rise to rein in inflation could curtail economic growth.
Inflation had "reached a level that, if sustained, would be at or above the upper end of the range that many economists, including myself, would consider consistent with price stability and the promotion of maximum long-run growth," Mr Bernanke told a forum of global bankers.
To combat inflation, the Fed has raised rates 16 times since June 2004 to their current level of 5%.
Mr Bernanke also told the forum that the Fed's next rate decision, later this month, would rely heavily on how measures of economic activity and inflation looked.
Recent data showing weak growth and high prices has triggered fears that the US could now be suffering from "stagflation" - low growth coupled with high inflation.
Earlier on Monday, the latest sign that US expansion may be cooling came from figures that showed the growth in the service sector had slowed.
Meanwhile, over the past three months consumer price inflation has risen to 3%.
Elsewhere, wage growth has slowed, as has consumer spending, while unemployment benefit claims are increasing.
"These developments are consistent with the softening in the pace of overall economic activity that seems to be under way," Mr Bernanke said.


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Dollar General has made a counterbid for Family Dollar Stores, trumping an initial offer by Dollar Tree as the US war for the discount retail market heats up.
Dollar General, the largest dollar-store chain in the United States, offered on Monday to pay $78.50 per share in cash for Family Dollar, the country's second-largest deep discounter, in a deal valued at $US9.7 billion ($A10.49 billion).
Dollar General said the combined company with Family Dollar would have nearly 20,000 stores in 46 states and sales of more than $US28 billion.
In July Family Dollar agreed to be acquired by Dollar Tree, the third biggest dollar chain, in a cash-and stock deal valued at $US9.2 billion, including debt, with Dollar Tree paying $74.50 per share.
Dollar General said its offer was "substantially superior" to Dollar Tree's, giving Family Dollar shareholders a better price and immediate liquidity for their shares.
"For Dollar General shareholders, the proposed combination of Dollar General and Family Dollar would be a significant strategic opportunity to create immediate and lasting shareholder value," said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General's chairman and chief executive.
The customers of both companies would also benefit because "we would be able to provide better value and greater selection," he said.
If a merger agreement is reached, Dreiling, who previously had announced his retirement, would remain in his dual roles in the combined company until May 2016 to oversee the integration, the Goodlettsville,Tennessee-based company said.
Family Dollar, which sells name-brand and private-label goods at various prices, announced it had agreed to the merger deal with Dollar Tree on July 28. The combined company would have sales of more than $US18 billion and more than 145,000 employees
Shares in Dollar General on Monday jumped 11 per cent to $63.79 in pre-market trade. Family Dollar was up 4.8 at $79.69; Dollar Tree fell 1.9 per cent to $54.57.


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Nearly 49,000 workers went on strike after contract talks broke down over the weekend. This impacts around 4,500 workers at the General Motors Plant in Wentzville. Both sides went back to the bargaining table on Monday and Tuesday. Glenn Kage, president of United Auto Workers Local 2250 in Wentzville, said he hasn’t heard any details from Detroit on how those negotiations are going, but he thinks “the strike has opened the eyes of General Motors.”
“I don’t know if they thought we were prepared to strike. Our strike is to send a message to GM that it’s time for them to pay back what we have given up over the course of the last number of years. General Motors has made records profits during this existing contract and they’re asking us to make concessions. They acting like they’re still in bankruptcy.” Kage explained.
“It’s important to note that General Motors never would have achieved profitability if it were not for the help from the American taxpayers when they provided bridge loans in 2009 and then the United Auto Workers opened up their contract and took major concessions, which allowed General Motors to regain profitability. We have waited 9 years. General Motors has made over $40 billion in profits over the last 4 years. It’s our turn to ask for some of that back now.” Kage added.
Wages, health benefits, and temporary workers are at the center of this labor dispute.
“They get 3 days of vacation a year, no benefits. We get profit sharing. They don’t. They’ve been temps for 4 1/2 years. It you have an anniversary, you’re no longer a temp. You’re permanent.” David French, a 41 year employee said while picketing outside of the Wentzville General Motor’s Plant.
Leaders with General Motors haven’t released details about the negotiations. However, the company did release the following statement on Monday:
“Negotiations have resumed. Our goal remains to reach an agreement that builds a stronger future for our employees and our business.”


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Mothers deserve lots of props, and retail spending forecasts for Mother’s Day indicate that their loved ones feel that way too. The average consumer will spend $168.94 for Mother's Day, an 11% jump from last year, according to estimates from the National Retail Federation. Total spending on Mother's Day gifts and outings will reach nearly $20.7 billion, up from last year’s total of over $17 billion.
At Yahoo!, we’re already seeing lots of Mother’s Day activity from advertisers on the search and display sides. That’s no surprise, based on our metrics from last year:
- Half of Yahoo! visitors shopped for Mother’s Day last year; 47% searched online for gift ideas
- 44% of Yahoo! shoppers spent more than $50 on Mother’s Day gifts last year
- 2.5 million Yahoo! visitors bought flowers, cards and gifts online, spending $160 million*
This year, the NRF forecasts that increased Mother’s Day spending will be driven by younger consumers, according to the NRF and a survey by BIGinsight:
- 36% of consumers aged 18-to-24 will increase their average spend this year
- 26% of consumers aged 25-to-34 said the same
The record amount of Mother's Day spending will be fueled by more purchases of expensive gifts than last year, according to the NRF:
- 14% will buy consumer electronics, totaling an estimated $2.3 billion
- 34% will buy jewelry, for an estimated $4.2 in spending
Simpler, less expensive gifts are still a hot ticket. In fact, a recent survey survey by ShopAtHome.com found 52% of moms expect a gift that costs less than $30. Apparel, flower arrangements, gift cards (which 23% of moms say they favor over traditional gifts) and household items will all remain strong sellers. NRF data also indicated that consumers will spend $3.5 billion on brunch or dinner, and $1.5 billion will go toward treating mom to a spa day.
It’s not just moms that consumers are buying for on Mother’s Day. The NRF survey found they’re also purchasing gifts to give wives (24%), daughters (10%), grandmothers (8%), and sisters (8%).
The forecasted increase in spending for Mother’s Day is good news for moms, and for online retailers too. Don’t forget that Father’s Day is just around the corner. Record retail spending is predicted for that holiday, too.
* Sources: Brand Keys Mother’s Day survey, June 2012; Yahoo! Yodeler’s, May 2012; and Yahoo! Yodeler’s Mother’s Day Survey, May 2012


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During the first quarter VodafoneZiggo’s revenue declined by 1% to €963 million, primarily driven by lower mobile handset sales. The company’s total subscription and service revenue remained flat.
Telenet has launched its next-generation TV entertainment platform, Horizon 4 – known as the Telenet TV Box – in Belgium.
Liberty Global has appointed Lutz Schüler as the new CEO of Virgin Media, the company’s cable operations in the UK and Ireland, effective June 11, 2019.
Virgin Media is to become the first Liberty Global company to integrate the Amazon Prime Video app into its TV platform.
Vodafone can breathe a sigh of relief: The EU Commission’s concerns about the takeover of large parts of Liberty Global’s cable business in Europe are apparently smaller than expected.
German industry associations BREKO, BUGLAS, VAUNET and DNMG are concerned about the consequences of Vodafone’s proposed acquisition of Liberty Global’s German cable subsidiary Unitymedia.
The European Commission is said to have strong concerns against the €18.4 billion cable deal between Liberty Global and Vodafone.
Dutch operator Ziggo will be introducing the new 4k Ultra HD STB based on Liberty Global’s Horizon EOS 4-platform and names it Mediabox Next.
VodafoneZiggo, the JV between Liberty Global and Vodafone in The Netherlands has a said that its consumer cable revenue decreased by 1% in Q4 and 1.5% in the full year 2018.
Liberty Global lost 32,500 RGUs in the fourth quarter of 2018, with gains by Virgin Media and its continuing CEE operations more than offset by losses in Belgium and Switzerland.


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All rights reserved @tgdaily.com
Designed by a drunk guy we met on the subway
Free-to-play has become the dominant business model in the video gaming sector and these titles earned their developers $87.7 billion in 2018. To put that
This week Tencent and Nintendo announced a partnership to bring the NVIDIA Tegra based Nintendo Switch to China and I think the implications are fascinating.
The 2019/20 NHL regular season will begin on October 4, 2019, with an international game played in Prague, Czech Republic. After an incredible 2018/19 season that culminated in the St.
Counter Strike Global Offensive, released in 2012, is a competitive sport which has gained enough popularity in recent past. This is available in the majority
Google launches Stadia a game streaming service that should set the bar and begin a massive race for the next generation of gamers and game watchers.
There are many people who are eager to keep up with the latest fashion, but both time and money often get in the way. Being
It may be an obvious statement, but business, as it is today, is drastically different than it was 20, 10, even 5 years ago. Consumers
Karatbars International GmbH, the initiator of KaratGold Coin, has started a campaign to promote more regulation in cryptocurrency stemming from a false rumor that spread
In the digital world, it would seem that technology can improve pretty much anything. And when it comes to wellbeing solutions, this is no different.


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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) has added a new tool for its promotional efforts. German Navarrete, the USMEF corporate chef based in Mexico, recently developed a U.S. meat cutting demonstration utilizing virtual reality technology that uses 360-degree video images representing various meat cuts. With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Trade Promotion Program, the USMEF virtual seminar was developed prior to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, but it has even more potential for use now that single-venue training seminars are so difficult to conduct, USMEF said.
“One of the main objectives of my job is to train people as to how to best utilize U.S. beef, pork, lamb and veal products,” Navarrete said. “I do so by giving seminars, trainings, cutting and cooking demonstrations as well as coming up with new recipes to promote the wonderful assets and versatility of U.S. meat.”
Originally, he would purchase a primal piece and cut it into the different cuts during a demonstration. With the new virtual reality technology, attendees can cut the meat themselves, providing the confidence they need to cut meat in person.
More than 80 importers and chefs in Mexico recently attended a USMEF workshop that introduced the technology as an innovative tool to train chefs, butchers, meat cutters and sales personnel.
“The goal was to show our partners in Mexico’s hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) sector the practical uses for virtual reality training and how realistic and interactive the tool is while at the same time promoting the advantages of U.S. beef,” said Elena Gonzalez, USMEF HRI manager in Mexico.
She continued, “The system allows the session leader to offer real-life scenarios related to meat cutting. Also, we can record the trainings and adapt them to reach bigger and broader audiences.”


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Lack of parts from vendors force Samsung to put the kibosh on OIS for Samsung Galaxy Note III?36
OIS was expected to be a feature of the the back camera on the Samsung Galaxy Note III. But published reports out of South Korea on Monday state that Sammy's vendors can't seem to come up with the 10 million modules that the manufacturer will need so that every phablet it builds has OIS on the rear camera. As a result, Samsung reportedly is pulling the feature from the entire build. With other high-end devices like the HTC One and the upcoming LG G2 offering OIS, there are some who suggest that the lack of the feature on the Galaxy Note III will harm sales. Until the word comes from Samsung, let's take the pulling of OIS on the Galaxy Note III's rear snapper with a grain of salt. Usually there are long lead times involved when a major manufacturer is purchasing key parts from a vendor which makes us wonder about the report.
The same sources also said that the Korean manufacturer has developed a 16MP camera which might be used as soon as March. The buzz is that the Samsung Galaxy S5 (not too early to bring that device up) will have this new sensor on its back and OIS will be included.
Thanks, Anonymous Tipster!
source: Naver (translated) via TechKiddy


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Aug 14, 2014 ... 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new survey of American adults across 18 states
finds 17 percent drinking at least one sugary soda per day, ...
29 Significant Soda Consumption Statistics. Feb 21, 2015. Soda is one of the
biggest contributors of empty calories to a person's diet today. Just one 12 ounce
Oct 4, 2015 ... The drop in soda consumption represents the single largest change in the
American diet in the last decade.
(3) Rising consumption of sugary drinks has been a major contributor to the
obesity epidemic. (4) A typical 20-ounce soda contains 15 to 18 teaspoons of
In 2014, some 43.8 gallons of soft drinks were consumed per capita, down from
45.5 gallons per capita in 2010. ... Consumer Goods & FMCG - Statistics & Facts.
Aug 31, 2011 ... Vital and Health Statistics Series ... Teenagers and young adults consume more
sugar drinks than other age groups. .... National trends in soft drink consumption
among children and adolescents age 6 to 17 years: Prevalence, ...
Aug 13, 2014 ... Rates of soda consumption have been dropping for decades -- with 41 percent in
2002, now at 63 percent of Americans trying to avoid soda.
DEFINITION: Consumption of carbonated soft drinks. ... International Statistics at
NationMaster.com", Global Market Information Database, published by ...
Feb 18, 2014 ... Soda consumption peaked in 1998, when the average American drank ... And
after reporting struggling soda sales last week, PepsiCo, the ...


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Peter Som has been named the designer of Les Copains’ contemporary Blue Collection. He will begin with the spring 2015 collection.
Som, who will continue his namesake line, has previously collaborated with Kohl’s Design Nation, Lancôme Cosmetics, Tommy Hilfiger (where he served as women’s wear creative consultant for five seasons), Sferra Fine Linens, Manolo Blahnik and Anthropologie.
“I am delighted to officially join Les Copains as a designer for their contemporary Blue Collection,” said Som. “I continue to be impressed by Les Copains’ heritage story with a focus on incomparable knitwear, and I look forward to a long and productive relationship with Les Copains.”
Luca Bertolini, worldwide president and chief executive officer of Les Copains, added, “Peter joins Les Copains at a perfect time in our company’s history. The brand will benefit enormously from his sophisticated and modern design sensibility,” which he said will give the company a new edge.
Som, whose designs are known for their femininity, eclectic spirit and signature bold prints, has dressed such celebrities as First Lady Michelle Obama, Scarlett Johansson, Claire Danes, Camilla Belle, Mandy Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ginnifer Goodwin.
A native of San Francisco, Som graduated from Connecticut College, where he majored in art history. He continued his fashion and design studies at Parsons School of Design, and went on to work for such designers as Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Bill Blass. He launched his namesake label in 1998. From 2007 to 2008, Som served as creative director for Bill Blass, and in 2009 he was brought in as a creative consultant at Hilfiger.
Les Copains was launched 60 years ago by Mario Bandiera, founder and chairman of parent company BVM SpA, based in Bologna, Italy. The brand has a history in fine knitwear. In light of his expertise with knitwear, Alessandro Dell’Acqua was tapped in February 2012 to design the main line, and left in September after three seasons. Over the years, Les Copains has worked with designers such as Antonio Marras, Antonio Berardi and Albino d’Amato.
Last summer, Les Copains tapped Bertolini as ceo to restructure the company. At the time, Bertolini said he was selected to create a team that would flank Bandiera to manage the company “in a more complex and global scenario,” and help grow and expand it around the world. Bertolini said Les Copains aimed to build the U.S. and Asian markets, China in particular, and Russia and the former Soviet Union countries, shifting away from Italy and Southern Europe.
Since his arrival, Bertolini has reviewed the group’s operations and restructured the business. The focus has been on increasingly expanding sales outside Italy, which were expected to account for 85 percent of revenues in 2013. Consolidated sales in 2012 totaled 63 million euros, or $80.6 million at average exchange, up about 8 percent compared with the previous year.
There'll be no rest for those headed to Europe for men's, as Paris just closed the gap with Milan. According to a provisional calendar released by the Chambre Syndicale, Paris Men's Week will now open a day earlier on January 16. See new highlights on the official lineup on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)
BREAKING: Jonathan Saunders is leaving @DVF. The designer has resigned from his position as chief creative officer of Diane von Furstenberg, the company said in a statement on Friday. At the time of his hire, von Furstenberg said Saunders’ arrival symbolized and facilitated her stepping back from the day-to-day duties that occupy the work of a full-time creative director. The British designer joined DVF in May 2016 and was in charge of all product categories. #wwdnews
For @versace_official’s spring ad campaign, the brand emphasized the archival prints from the spring tribute collection dedicated to the late Gianni Versace. Closing out the show were five of Gianni’s favorite models: Cindy, Naomi, Carla, Helena, and Claudia. Bowing on December 18, the new campaign is yet another tribute to supermodel-dom as the images by Steven Meisel are fronted by @iamnaomicampbell, @cturlington, @gisele and more. #wwdfashion
Four-time Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening has been waiting 20 years to play Gloria Graham in "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool," which will be released on December 29. The movie about Graham – a Hollywood star known for her controversial relationship with a younger Englishman named Peter Turner – is based off a memoir Turned wrote. "She felt vulnerable to him, because she loved him, she really did love him. And anyone that we really truly are in love with, we re vulnerable to in a very deep way," said Bening. Read our full interview with the modern icon of an actress on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @ninebagatelles; Styled by @cristinaehrlich)
The crisp white button down: a staple that can be dressed up or down and accessorized throughout the decades. Here, on a Art Basel-goer in 2017 on the left and on the iconic Audrey Hepburn in “Roman Holiday” in 1953 on the right. #tbt #wwdfashion (📷: Andrew Morales)
Known for her work with @victoriassecret, 25-year-old model @georgiafowler is raising her profile in Hollywood. Fowler stars in @vincecamuto’s holiday campaign, which launched in partnership with “Pitch Perfect 3.” “Almost every shoot with Vince Camuto, I’ve had to face a fear…It was definitely a challenge. I’m so grateful for it, though. I’ve always wanted to be a pop star, so that was the perfect chance,” Fowler said. Head to WWD.com to read about Fowler’s experience modeling, including at the #VSFashionShow, and her relationship with Nick Jonas. #wwdeye (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
EXCLUSIVE: Huda Kattan just became the first beauty influencer to land a major beauty deal. Kattan's business, @hudabeauty, has received a minority investment from private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners. The brand, which industry sources say is on track to do $200 million in retail sales for 2017, will receive support on product, retail and geographic expansion through the deal. Get all the details on the deal and read @_a_collins' interview with Kattan on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdbeauty #wwdnews
Peruvian model @juanaburga_official – who is known for walking the runways of @rodarte, @viviennewestwood and @torybuch – is making the move to the big screen with drama “Los Últimos.” The film premiered in Argentina in November and arrives in the U.S. and Europe in 2018. On making the switch from modeling to acting, Burga told WWD: “It’s a completely different thing – a lot of people think it’s similar or try to connect things, especially like getting used to the camera or being looked at all the time or playing these different characrers, but film is a completely different story.” #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery)
London’s newly opened @designmuseum will look back on the life and work of Azzedine Alaïa in a show that the designer helped to curate before he died of heart failure last month. The retrospective, which Alaïa had worked on with Mark Wilson, chief curator of the @groningermuseum, will look at the impact of his work worldwide. The show, “Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier,” will run from May 10 to October 7. Read more about the exhibit on WWD.com #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @zefashioninsider)


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Comcast announced a partnership with California-based wearable technology startup NuEyes to offer its Xfinity Stream app to visually impaired customers through NuEyes’ virtual reality technology. Xfinity Stream is pre-installed on NuEyes e2 smartglasses, allowing users with visual disabilities to see TV shows, news, movies, live sports, and more, independently.
The NuEyes e2 is a wireless headset that can be worn for long periods of time. A camera on the front of the device can be used to visually amplify what is ahead.
“Being blind since birth, I know firsthand the power of technology to enhance independence,” said Tom Wlodkowski, Vice President of Accessibility at Comcast. “Our partnership with NuEyes is an extension of our commitment to designing great entertainment experiences for people of all abilities.”
NuEyes was founded by Mark Greget, an U.S. veteran. He’s also the CEO of the company. NuEyes’ mission is to give millions of people across the U.S. who are visually impaired the independence they may have lost due to conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa, reports Business Wire.
“Collaborating with Comcast has been an absolute joy,” said Greget. “To be able to stream content directly to our consumers’ eyes in a way that has never been done before enables millions of visually impaired people to continue enjoying their TV experience and more.”
Over the past several years, Comcast launched the industry’s first talking TV guide, introduced a voice-activated remote control, launched X1 eye control for the TV and produced the first live entertainment show in U.S. broadcast history, The Wiz Live, to be accessible to people with a visual disability. Comcast also has a service center specifically dedicated to customers with disabilities where agents are specially trained in the company’s accessibility features and general support issues.


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Truckers’ freight pact could ease Dominican-Haiti border tension
Santo Domingo.- The head of Dominican Republic’s biggest truckers union (Fenatrado) Monday night announced an agreement between Haitian and Dominican union leaders to lift the blockade which had hampered the country’s binational market in Jimaní (southwest).
Blas Peralta, quoted by Listin Diario said they agreed to allow cross-border traffic and the market to continue operations unfettered and to protect truck drivers and merchants throughout the area.
He said that while he hopes the understanding will last, warned that "the problem is with the Haitians internally, since they want to haul the freight to Haiti in their trucks."
Peralta reiterated that it’s the Haitians who’re actually causing the problem, "because they tell you they’ll do something today and come out with something else tomorrow; I truly hope that commerce isn’t halted in Jimaní again."


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Foxconn is one of those companies that you don’t hear too much about in the West. But they’re responsible for making a significant portion of the notebooks and other consumer electronics devices (including the iPhone) that we purchase. The Taiwanese company just doesn’t usually slap its own name on the products, but rather builds them by order from big name companies including computer vendors and telecommunications companies. And right now, a Foxconn official tells PC World, the company is working on “less than five” ARM-based mini-notebooks or “smartbooks.”
The devices are expected to be sold by telecoms in China and elsewhere for between $100 and $200. And because they have ARM processors, they won’t be able to run Windows XP like most netbooks. Instead they’ll likely come with various Linux distributions. Earlier this year there was a report that Foxconn was working with Moblin Linux. PC World reports that some of the new systems will include a similar operating system, and that the company is also exploring Google Android as a possibility (although there’s no mention in the articl of the upcoming Google Chrome operating system).
While I think there’s a popular misconception out there that smartbooks will be smaller than netbooks, Focxconn says the machines it’s working on will have screens ranging from 7 inches to 10 inches in size, which is pretty much par for the netbook course. What really sets these computers apart is the long battery life and low price that comes from using an ARM-based chipset instead of an x86 processor. But the Foxconn smartbooks (which are wearing the codename “qbook” at the moment) don’t have their specs written in stone. On the off chance that Intel decides to release a new processor that can compete with ARM chips on price, Foxconn may decide to retool the qbooks before launch next year.