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Medical tech firms having more large mergers
SPOTLIGHT ON BIOTECH
Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Mergers and acquisitions by medical technology companies in the United States and Europe doubled in value to $30.6 billion last year from 2009, led by the industry's biggest firms, according to an Ernst & Young LLP report.
More than $47.3 billion in transactions have been announced so far in 2011, led by Johnson & Johnson's $21.3 billion proposed purchase of Synthes Inc., the report said. The number of acquisitions increased to 201 last year, from 171 in 2009, according to Ernst & Young.
The trend will continue as companies use acquisitions to bolster sales and diversify their operations internationally, said John Babitt, head of Ernst & Young's medical technology practice. Traditional routes to growth through innovation have been curtailed as investment in early stage technology waned amid concerns that regulatory approvals and reimbursement by health insurers may be more difficult to obtain, he said.
"There is right now an air pocket of innovation that is not making it to the market to fuel growth," Babitt said in a telephone interview. "While the dollars in venture capital are stable and increasing in the first half of 2011, the amount of capital that is going to early stage companies has declined pretty dramatically."
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Industry leaders such as Johnson & Johnson, General Electric Co.'s GE Healthcare and Medtronic Inc. are driving the consolidation because they have strong balance sheets, healthy cash flow and access to low interest rates, Babitt said. Smaller rivals are returning to the market after waiting out the turmoil of the past two years, he said.
"We expect there to be fairly meaningful consolidation over the next 12 months," he said. "There are a number of assets between $1 billion and $10 billion in the public arena that are trading at a 20 percent discount to where they were a few months ago," he said. "J&J's acquisition of Synthes set the stage - the large med-tech companies need to do acquisitions that are going to move the needle to be important."
J&J in April agreed to buy Synthes for $21.3 billion, the biggest purchase in its 125-year history. The deal would be the third-largest acquisition in the industry for the past decade, according to the Ernst & Young report. Synthes dominates the trauma market, sells devices for bone fractures and has an operating margin of 35 percent. J&J is the world's second- largest health care products company after Pfizer Inc.
The J&J-Synthes deal marks a return to large takeovers, Babitt said.
In the first six months of 2011, there were 135 deals announced with an average size of $351 million, according to the report. There were 201 acquisitions in 2010, worth an average of $243 million.
Thus far in 2011, Danaher Corp., the maker of microscopes and water-treatment systems, agreed to purchase Beckman Coulter Inc. for $6.8 billion, while Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the largest maker of laboratory instruments, agreed to acquire Phadia AB for $3.5 billion.
Market data provided by Bloomberg News


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Burlington has lots of restaurants, but ¡Duino! (Duende), which opened last week in the former New World Tortilla spot on North Winooski Avenue, is unlike any of them. For one thing, the menu is composed of “global street food,” ranging from American sliders to buckwheat blintzes to an Israeli dish made with rice, lentils, fried pistachios and an exotic sauce.
For another thing, the pricing is both simple and inexpensive. “The menu is basically three tiered,” explains proprietor Lee Anderson, who also owns Radio Bean next door. Five bucks scores you something along the lines of a kebab or a Switchback-braised bratwurst with homemade sauerkraut. For $10, hungrier customers can make it a platter, with complementary side dishes. During dinner, daily specials go for $15. “The price point is really affordable, considering the quality of the ingredients we’re putting in,” Anderson opines.
The already-popular frites are made from a mix of russet potatoes, purple yams, sweet potatoes and taro, and come with a side of housemade banana ketchup. The full bar serves wine, high-end brews such as Allagash Tripel and, of course, lots of drinks made with coffee.
There’s also regular music, though it may not be the background most diners are accustomed to. “We have jazz night, and it’s not like Leunig’s jazz; there’s a full-out rockin’ band during dinner time,” Anderson says. “It’s kind of a crazy element.”
Things may be quieter at lunch, which will be available beginning next Monday. ¡Duino! (Duende) currently stays open daily from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., but next week, says Anderson, service will start at 11 a.m. So you can get your duende on morning or night.

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Every year around the holidays, countless Americans sit down at their dining room tables to thoughtfully scribble pen-and-paper updates about how they are and what they've been doing with their lives to a select number of friends. These messages are usually written on the back of a recent family photograph (sometimes with Santa hats), before they're sealed, stamped, and mailed around the country, where they're displayed like a trophy over someone else's fireplace.
Could that all be changing? This year, especially, there seems to be a dearth of dead-tree holiday cheer filling up mailboxes across the country. In a recent column for TIME, author Nina Burleigh says the spirit once distilled inside the Christmas card is dying, and a familiar, if fairly obvious perpetrator killed it: The internet. "There's little point to writing a Christmas update now, with boasts about grades and athletic prowess, hospitalizations and holidays, and the dog's mishaps, when we have already posted these events and so much more of our minutiae all year long," she writes. "The urge to share has already been well sated."
Burleigh says the demise of the Christmas card is deeply saddening. "It portends the end of the U.S. Postal Service," she writes. "It signals the day is near when writing on paper is non-existent." It's true, says Tony Seifart at Memeburn — "my mantel is empty this year. In fact I haven't received one Christmas card yet."
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Let's not get too nostalgic just yet, says Alexis Madrigal at The Atlantic. Research firm IBISWorld anticipates that purchases of cards and postage will be the highest it has been in five years — $3.17 billion total. And Hallmark, the industry's biggest player, has seen revenue hold steady since the early 2000s despite the financial crisis. We could also think about this another way: That desire to share, the willingness to inform, could just be extending itself beyond the physical form of the holiday photo.
The spirit of the Christmas card is indeed alive and well. It's just not necessarily in a Christmas card.
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Now that we’re up to speed on what a press release really is, let’s dive in a little deeper into the subject. For those of you wondering when and what you should write on a press release – organizations use press releases to communicate all kinds of messages, but let’s take a look at some of the most common press releases in the PR arsenal first.
This could be news that will boost brand reputation, information for stakeholders or introduce a new initiative to the public. These releases provide journalists with all the required information to help them break a story and keep their organization transparent to the public eye.
Organizations that have worked hard to build and develop their product are always excited to share their efforts. Product launch press releases are quite common in the automobile and tech industry to announce new models and gadgets. These press releases are used across industries for all kinds of products that are new to the market
Partnerships & CSR
Organizations can boost their CSR by partnering together to create unique offerings and generate buzz that is mutually beneficial for all organizations involved. These partnerships usually employ joint press releases, for which organizations will work together to create a single, comprehensive press release, including branding and information from all parties involved.
Similarly, organizations eager to announce a charitable cause or other CSR initiatives will write and distribute press releases that aim to have stories published that will highlight and demonstrate CSR and amass good will.
One of the most important aspects of tackling a crisis is to be ahead of the story. A PR professional representing an organization can use the press release as part of a crisis management strategy to make a statement, clarify facts, apologize and also emphasize on the remedial measures taken.
A crisis communication release usually follows a statement issued by an executive at the organization to acknowledge and apologize about what went wrong and also assure the public that they are working on it. A press release usually follows this statement to focus on how the company is moving forward.
Media Relations experts generally send out invitations with basic event details to journalists as heads-up prior to an event. In this case, press releases are used to provide event highlights to journalists who maybe not be able to attend, and to provide a recap and supporting information to those who do.
Awards and accolades give organizations an opportunity to flaunt their achievements and share their successes with the world. Organizations will often use press releases to shout out the good news which can help attract talent, customers or simply boost brand perception.
There it is, your starter-pack on press releases with some of its most common types to give you a better understanding of the most valuable tool in the PR arsenal.
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Same-store sales fell 2.6% in the U.S. division in the first quarter, including a 3.9% decline in March.
The cosmetics company has been struggling in both the U.S. and Brazil, its largest market.
Sum awarded to family of boy who died in a crash involving a Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2012.
Increase won't benefit workers at the vast majority of the restaurants, which are operated by franchisees.
The Italian luxury goods retailer saw net profit fall 28% as sales slumped in China and Europe.
The German sportswear firm outlined plan that includes making some of its goods in Europe rather than Asia.
The combined company, to be led by Heinz CEO Bernardo Hees, will have revenue of about $28 billion.
Suit seeks billions in compensation for losses relating to the British retailer's overstatement of profit last year.
The Japanese e-commerce giant looks to enter the American ebook market with this purchase.
Move follows 11 unprofitable quarters as firm failed to transform itself into mobile phone destination.
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A major investor has ploughed £10m into Lisburn blinds manufacturer Decora as it makes plans for long-term growth.
The family-run firm has also announced the takeover of Lithuanian manufacturing partner, Domus Lumina.
It's to use the funding for expanding into European markets, mergers and acquisitions and investment in developing products.
Decora, which makes shutters and blinds, employs over 1,000 people in Lisburn and Birmingham. Chief executive, Stuart Dickson, said: "For all businesses, the past few months have been incredibly turbulent, but we are pleased to announce this positive news alongside BGF. We are fortunate to have a very robust and strong underlying business, and a brilliant and resilient team."


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Bohemians’ Bob Marley-inspired away jersey has gone down a treat with fans, and now with the family of the Jamaican music icon too.
The 2019 kit has already sold-out a limited supply of pre-orders and Ky-Mani Marley is among those wanting the jersey.
“This is the dopest shirt I’ve ever seen,” Marley’s son told BBC News NI. “I love it.”
The jersey is a nod towards Dalymount Park’s musical history, which included a performance by Bob Marley and The Wailers in 1980.
A mural to Marley stands beside a Phil Lynott/ Thin Lizzy tribute at the historical home of Irish football.
Now, we can’t wait to hear Westlife’s reaction to Sligo Rovers’ new ‘jersey’!
— Sligo Rovers (@sligorovers) October 23, 2018


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Rumored release of iQOO, Neo 7 is said to have 12GB of RAM and runs Android 13. Info leaked last month revealed that it will have a battery that supports 120W charging, after it was listed with the 3C. Afterwards, it was revealed to have the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+, and now the chipset has been confirmed.
Geekbench has revealed that the vivo, model number V2231A, will use the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+, as evidenced by the motherboard, k6983v1_64, and the higher clock speed of 3.20GHz on the prime Cortex-X2 core. It also reveals that the iQOO Neo 7 has 12GB of RAM and runs Android 13.
The leaks have revealed in general that the iQOO Neo 7 will have a Dimensity 9000+ chipset with up to 12GB of RAM, a 5,000mAh battery with 120W charging, a 50MP wide camera, expected to be the Sony IMX766V with an optically-stable lens on top.
The display is expected to be a 6.78-inch 120Hz-capable AMOLED. The new smartphone is to be unveiled sometime this month.


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Aims to leverage the BBPS platform to cross Rs. 15000 crore of gross payment volume in FY16-17
Boasts of a strong user base of 35 million customers
Expects to generate Rs. 270 crore in revenues in FY16-17
ItzCash Card Ltd Indiaâ€™s largest and only â€œMulti Service Payment Solutions Company in the digital payment space, said that it has received an in-principle approval from the RBI to operate as a Bharat Bill Payments Operating Unit (BBPOU). For the company which has meticulously narrated the finserv convergence story for the country, BBPS comes in as a strong threshold to drive the mandate with a new vigor.
ItzCash has clocked in the countryâ€™s highest volume transactions in the utility bill payments space at Rs. 6,000 crore for the current year of 2015-16. The company which has the largest distribution network for financial services with more than 75000 franchise outlets across the country is expecting to generate Rs 270 crores in revenues in the current fiscal.
ItzCash made a series of strategic partnership announcements, to foster growth across emerging business and a rapidly evolving digital eco-system. Bagging the license to operate as a BBPOU comes in as a fresh opportunity to reiterate its presence in the bill payments industry. BBPS has been proposed as an integrated system that will provide ‘anytime anywhere’ payment options to customers by pulling all bills and payment options onto a single platform.
In-principle approvals to operate as a BBPOU are conveyed where the applicants meet all eligibility requirements including existing net worth, and requisite billing experience as covered under the present scope of Bharat Bill Payments System.
The platform is all set to revolutionise the payments infrastructure of the economy and ItzCash which today boasts of a well entrenched retail presence of more than 75,000 franchise outlets across the country is well poised to play a lead role in the revolution. Having crossed a whopping Rs. 50,000 crore worth of cumulative gross payment volume for all bill payments done till date, the company today boasts of a strong customer base of more than 35 million customers across the country and is all set to cross Rs. 15000 crore in the current year of FY 16-17.
The Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an integrated bill payment system which offers interoperable bill payment services to customers, both online as well as through a network of physical agents. The system provides multiple payment modes and instant confirmation of payment.
Commenting on the approval from RBI Mr. Naveen Surya – MD , ItzCash said â€˜â€™In sync with the â€˜Digital Indiaâ€™ mandate, the current thrust on revolutionising the countryâ€™s digital ecosystem is firmly gaining ground and the BBPS is an excellent platform which has come in timely to capture the countryâ€™s newÂ e-dream.
In the wake of convergence evolving in the industry rapidly, BBPS will usher in a new wave of digital network that will eventually enable all the payments converged on a single platform.
â€œThe platform will not just simplify the entire payments system but will enhance the convenience factor significantly giving a new face-lift to the entire system accelerating the macro agenda of India going digital. We have already grossed the highest industry numbers in the utility bill payments segment and with BBPS coming in we look forward to making it even bigger.â€™â€™ he further added.
The company recently announced strategic partnerships across sectors which included OYO, DHFL Pramerica, Ditto TV among others.


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latest music news
'Slow, sustained recovery' forecast
Households and savers were facing more misery as the Bank of England signalled another three years of emergency low interest rates and above-target inflation.
Bank governor Sir Mervyn King warned inflation was now expected to remain "stubbornly" high until early 2016, but indicated there was little prospect of interest rates rising as it sought to support recovery efforts.
The pound slumped to a fresh six-month low against the dollar and dipped nearly 1% against the euro after the Bank's latest forecast, despite assurances from Sir Mervyn that a "recovery is in sight".
Presenting the Bank's quarterly inflation report, he said that while the path ahead for the UK economy would not be smooth, there was cause for optimism.
The Bank's forecast shows a "slow, but sustained recovery" with annual gross domestic product (GDP) rising to around 2% by the end of 2014 and remaining in positive territory, boosting hopes that the UK will avoid a triple-dip recession.
But its inflation outlook made for grim reading as it heralded a further squeeze on consumers, while savers and pensioners look set to suffer rock-bottom rates for years to come.
Inflation is now expected to rise to 3% or more by the summer and not fall back towards the 2% target until 2016 - far later than previously thought.
The Bank has been criticised for failing to bring inflation down to target since the financial crisis, but Sir Mervyn said the Bank would tolerate high inflation to aid the recovery.
He said: "Attempting to bring inflation back to target sooner would risk derailing the recovery and undershooting the target in the medium-term.
"So long as domestic cost and price pressures remain subdued, we will continue to look through the temporary, albeit protracted, period of above-target inflation in order to support the recovery in growth and employment."
"In the short run we'll have to accommodate this, it's not desirable, but that's the hand we have to play," he added.
His comments come just a week after incoming governor Mark Carney told MPs he favoured so-called flexible inflation targeting.
Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec Securities, questioned whether the Bank could become more flexible with its monetary policy.
"With inflation above the 2% target for 90% of the time over the past five years, the Monetary Policy Committee has already been flexible," he said.
"How this might become even more flexible is not clear at all," he added.
The gloomy inflation forecast means that one of Mr Carney's first tasks could be to write a letter to the Chancellor to explain why inflation is more than 1% above target.
Figures on Tuesday confirmed that Consumer Prices Index (CPI) stayed at 2.7% for the fourth month in a row in January.
The Bank blamed higher tuition fees and energy costs for recent inflation pressures, saying they had added around 1% to CPI at the end of last year and would continue to drive inflation higher.
Sterling's recent weakness had added to inflation woes and there was a further sharp fall in the pound today after Sir Mervyn said the Bank stood ready to take action to help the economy.
Currency expert Eimear Daly, head of market analysis at Monex Europe, said: "The most likely conclusion is that the Bank of England will use monetary easing to devalue the pound in order to boost exports, as private demand is now immune to further quantitative easing."
There was a chink of light for the wider economy as the Bank held off from further growth downgrades as it said improvements in financial markets and an easing in global conditions was supporting the recovery.
The Bank and Treasury's multibillion-pound Funding for Lending (FLS) scheme - launched last year to provide cheap money to lenders - is also helping by boosting credit for consumers and businesses, according to the report.
The CBI business body added to economic optimism today as it predicted the UK should avoid a triple-dip recession, with growth of 0.3% this quarter.
There had been fears after a worse-than-expected 0.3% contraction in the fourth quarter left the UK on the brink of its third recession since 2008.
Sir Mervyn said the underlying picture of the economy was encouraging, although the report showed output was likely to remain below pre-financial crisis levels for around another two years.
Growth will remain weak initially before gradually picking up next year and beyond, according to the Bank.
"The UK economy is therefore set for a recovery," Sir Mervyn said.
"That is not to say that the road ahead will be smooth.
"This hasn't been a normal recession and it won't be a normal recovery."


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SpendSmart Payments Co. is changing its name to SpendSmart Networks. This is the fourth time the prepaid provider has rebranded in five years.
The company launched with the name IdeaEdge Inc., which it changed to SocialWise Inc. after launching the BillMyParents alternative payment product. The company later changed its name to BillMyParents Inc. to align with this product. It soon shifted its focus to the SpendSmart prepaid card, which promotes financial responsibility. A year ago, to better fit its new offering, the company became SpendSmart Payments Co.
"This change from SpendSmart Payments Company to SpendSmart Networks comes at a defining moment in our company's future, kicking off our new initiatives and goals, to become a world leader in digital customer loyalty," says Alex Minicucci, CEO of SpendSmart, in a June 19 press release.
Minicucci became CEO in February after SpendSmart acquired his mobile loyalty company, SMS Masterminds. Through the acquisition, SpendSmart will offer a digital loyalty and rewards program.
SMS Masterminds recently expanded into Mexico and Canada.
"The ongoing strength of the brand has opened doors in new and emerging markets, as SpendSmart Networks now represents a company with a clearer global brand and cohesive global marketing approach," says Bill Hernandez, president of SpendSmart, in the release. The name change "grants us access into additional business verticals that are a logical extension."
SpendSmart is also known for having Justin Bieber as its promoter. Back when the deal was struck in early 2013, Bieber had a less rambunctious streak than he does now.


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Douglas A. Fraser, president emeritus of the United Auto Workers, on Friday called for more Japanese investment in the United States to help reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Japan and ward off the rising tide of protectionism in Congress.
Addressing a conference on U.S.-Japan economic relations, the American labor leader said more Japanese companies should follow the example set by Nissan and Toyota in establishing U.S. manufacturing plants in order to curb mounting criticism of the U.S.-Japan trade issue.
"I believe relations with Japan are deteriorating," Fraser told Japanese and American leaders and executives attending the second day of the conference, sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and the Yomiuri Shimbun, a large Japanese newspaper, "The frustration as expressed by Congress is prevalent in this land."
More than 300 protectionist trade measures, aimed primarily at Japan and other Asian nations, are now being considered by Congress.
Legislative actions to curb imports have been triggered, in part, by the projection that the U.S. trade deficit with Japan alone will reach $50 billion this year.
Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) said the bills are aimed primarily at creating "fairness" so that Japanese imports are subjected to some of the same costly inspection standards that Japan places on U.S. exports. "Why not have the same standards in both countries? Fair is fair," Regula said.
The congressman, who represents a north-central Ohio district with both manufacturing and farming interests, cautioned the audience that the sentiment in Washington reflects the predominant view in areas hardest hit by import competition.
"It's easier to have sympathy (for Japan's position) in California, which is a funnel for all the imports," he said.
Friday's session was peppered with references to World World II, as a number of panelists referred to the end of the conflict as the beginning of the current trade differences.
"In the shop," said Regula, whose district has 9% to 10% unemployment, "people remind me this all started in 1941."
Results of a poll released earlier this week showed that feelings of hostility about Pearl Harbor are highest in the Midwest and South and lowest in the West. The poll was conducted simultaneously by The Times in the United States and Yomiuri in Japan.
Amid all the trade-war finger-pointing, most panelists agreed that both the United States and Japan must do more to help each other. Many attempted to share their insights on how American business can succeed or least begin to crack the Japanese market.
James P. Miscoll, executive vice president at Bank of America who has worked in Japan, said American businessmen can avoid "the classic cultural face-off with the Japanese" by learning their language and participating in daily Japanese life, placing their children in Japanese schools and socializing with the local people.
"We are not attempting to become Japanese bankers. But we have to build an aura of respect. . . . You do that by studying the culture of your guest country," explained Miscoll.


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Netmarble Cultural Foundation, Games and Password Assets and Meta Buses seek ways to develop connection between methuses
[Game Moon Young-soo reporter] Netmarble Cultural Foundation (Chairman Bang Jun-hyuk) announced on the 27th that it held the 13th Netmarble Game Concert through the meta bus platform 'Gather Town'.
The Netmarble Game Concert World Map is a 'lecture hall' where you can communicate while listening to lectures by lecturers ▲ 'Experience Zone' where you can enjoy OX quiz and web games ▲ 'Media Room' where you can watch the last game concert It was composed of it so that participants could enjoy various experience contents, including lectures.
The Netmarble Game Concert, which was held for the second time under the main theme of 'Game &', was attended by Kim Joo-han, director of Netmarble Metabus World Development Office, and Jeon Joo-yong, a professor of economics at Dongguk University.
Kim Joo-han, who gave a lecture on the first part of 'NFT & P2E, and Meta Bus', took a look at the concept of methuses and NFT and P2E game trends and predicted whether the era of methus would arrive.
Kim Joo-han said, The direction of the blockchain content must be competitive and development of the content itself, not just mining, and each content should be easily adapted and intuitive. You should be able to enjoy it comfortably, he said. We need to increase the accessibility so that everyone can enjoy it by increasing the fun of the content.
In the second part, Professor Jeon Joo-yong gave a lecture on the theme of 'The Future and Game of Cryptography'. In a game that is a representative virtual world, attempts to include cryptocurrency assets such as NFT and cryptocurrency as part of the game components, and the possibilities and problems of these challenges, and the future game and cryptocurrency assets I had time to think about whether to make a formation.
Professor Jeon Joo-yong said, Password assets and games have been in crisis, showing their limits to growth, and they can be a breakthrough that can complement each other's weaknesses. If you provide it, game items and game money will have true assets.
The Netmarble Game Concert is an open forum social contribution program where the Netmarble Cultural Foundation invites experts in various fields from 2019 to share the game industry trend and future vision from 2019 to share the experts in the game industry and share the experiences of experts and business people.. Since last year, it has been held online to prevent the spread of Corona 19 and provides opportunities to continue to participate safely.
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Honda is the latest automaker to announce plans to have a full-electric lineup.
It said on Friday that it aims to have its entire fleet generate zero emissions by 2040, with both batteries and hydrogen fuel cells to play a part.
The target is later than what some rival automakers have set, such as Cadillac which only this week said it will be full electric by 2030. Jaguar has the most ambitious target, having set itself a deadline of 2025.
Honda has been a bit behind the competition when it comes to electric vehicles. Its Clarity Electric from a couple of years back had a piddling 89 miles of range.
The automaker's next EV salvo here in North America will arrive for the 2024 model year, by way of General Motors. In a deal announced in 2020, GM will build two EVs based on its Ultium platform for Honda. One of them will be an Acura. The two vehicles are expected to be large crossovers.
In the second half of the decade, Honda will launch additional EVs, this time based on an in-house developed platform dubbed e:Architecture. With these EVs, plus those based on GM's Ultium platform, Honda predicts that 40% of its lineup, at least in North America, will be electric by 2030.
Impressively, Honda also said it plans to deploy vehicles with solid-state batteries within the second half of this decade. The technology, which Honda is developing, has the potential to dramatically increase the capacity of batteries while lowering the cost compared to the liquid-type batteries currently used by EVs. Honda said it will start trial production of solid-state batteries as early as this year.


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First Fridays returns with 'Shop Local' theme
ADRIAN — After a brief coronavirus hiatus, First Fridays returns to downtown this Friday with an encouragement to "Shop Local."
This month's theme for the downtown festivities draws on event organizers’ invitation to residents to shop at their favorite local stores and eat at their favorite restaurants as business try to emerge from the shutdown.
There will be a number of dining and shopping specials.
Attendees will have multiple opportunities to take in live music Friday evening.
The Metros Band with Gordy Sharpe will play from 6 to 8 p.m. at the corner of Main and Church streets.
Farver's at the Croswell will have live music from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Maumee Street from Christa McCutchen and Orlando Finelli.
There will be a car show organized by Nova's. The Adrian Public Schools robotics team will show off their robot at the four corners.
Maumee Street between Winter and Broad streets and Main Street between Church and Toledo streets will be closed from 3 to 8 p.m. while Main Street at Toledo Street will remain open for limited parking at the end of the block.
Those who attend are asked to practice social distancing and wear a mask inside, if able.


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If you're one of the 614,000 Facebook members who appeared in a site ad without permission, you may have some cash coming your way.
Facebook was granted final approval on Monday for a $20 million settlement stemming from a 2011 lawsuit involving "Sponsored Stories" ads.
The ads, which were posted on both the right-hand side of the site and in news feeds, used member names, pictures and details about the brands and interests they Like on the site. Members whose details appeared in the ads will now receive $15 each.
The five people who led the lawsuit claimed to represent all user and said the company violated their privacy by highlighting personal data without permission.
"We are pleased that the settlement has received final approval," a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable in a statement.
The company did not comment on when users would receive their payout.
Although the lawsuit reached a settlement back in early 2012 — and again later in the year — both were rejected. According to a BBC report, the judge acknowledged the payout was small for users. It was not proven that Facebook "undisputedly violated the law" and that the plaintiffs could not show they were "harmed in any meaningful way," per the report.
Now, Facebook is required to update its Statement of Rights so users can retain more control over their personal data.
Mashable composite; Images: iStockphoto, Ydefinitel and Facebook


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Waymo | January 24, 2020
Waymo is expanding the testing of its autonomous long-haul trucks to Texas and New Mexico where it will drive along I-10, I-20 and I-45, the company announced this week. Waymo will map the "promising commercial route" between the states, a Waymo spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive in an email. The company did not say if it was testing with shippers, but last year it said it was working with "shippers, truck makers, and Tier One suppliers" on the development of Class 8 autonom...
Handy Shipping Guide | March 29, 2020
The current crisis is causing some unexpected effects as Britain faces up to weeks of lockdown with staff from numerous areas of the workforce left twiddling thumbs and many signing up to the government's proposed volunteer scheme, an astonishing total currently exceeding 700,000 souls willing to help out. Now two groups from entirely different sectors, logistics and online workforce management technology, are working together to alleviate some of the problems. As the government struggles to...
Software and Technology,Supply Chain
ActiveState | December 15, 2022
ActiveState announced that it is now offering the ActiveState Artifact Repository free of charge in all tiers of the ActiveState Platform (including its popular Free Tier) for a limited time. The ActiveState Artifact Repository was released in September 2022 as the first in the industry to enable organizations to securely build Python open source dependencies directly from source code using ActiveState's secure build service. All built code is then stored directly in the organization's o...
Premier, Inc | October 27, 2021
Premier, Inc. a leading technology-driven healthcare improvement company, and Resilinc, the leading supply chain monitoring, mapping and resiliency solution, today announced a new collaboration to drive greater supply chain transparency, risk mitigation and business continuity for U.S. healthcare providers.
Supply chain disruptions spiked 67 percent in 2020, with the impact of these disruptions rippling across the globe as demand for critical medical supplies and drugs surged 7X t...
Warehousing and Distribution
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A group of enterprising fans have been hard at work to remake the unreleased Star Wars Battlefront III, and now, it looks like Steam is going to approve its release…
Apparently, Valve — Steam’s parent company — has approved the Star Wars Battlefront III from Frontwire Studios, who renamed the game: Star Wars: Galaxy in Turmoil
A quick glance of the EA/DICE description of the unreleased Battlefront III, reads like this:
"“A planned third game in the online battle sensation set in the Star Wars universe.Publisher LucasArts never officially announced that it would be making this third entry in the series, but all along its development timeline, rumors and leaks exposed this mysterious and anticipated shooter sequel. Eventually, it was confirmed by sources that developer Free Radical had taken command over production of this next battle for galactic conquest. Sadly, this game was never released, as production challenges and failing fortunes for both LucasArts and Free Radical led to the project being scrapped, with only portable variants of the game surviving to be released under the name Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron. Years later, a Star Wars Battlefront reboot was instead commenced by Electronic Arts and developer DICE.NOTE: This game is no longer in development.”"
IGN points out that Star Wars: Galaxy in Turmoil will be released for free, but that it remains to be seen if Disney will drop the old “cease and desist” on Frontwire for using the Star Wars name.
Then there’s also a possibility EA/DICE won’t be happy about a new game in the Star Wars: Battlefront series without their official seal of approval. The company’s recent Star Wars: Battlefront saw a quite a large number of copies sold, and there is talk that either a massive expansion or a completely new sequel is coming out in 2017.


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Standard Bank gets into telco game
Standard Bank has officially launched its own mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) called SB Mobile. The bank announced its new foray into the telecoms market today at an event in Johannesburg.
Consumers were expecting a mobile offering from Standard Bank after it last month confirmed plans to launch an MVNO, but gave no details. Today, it confirmed the MVNO will use wireless capacity from mobile operators Cell C and MTN, roaming on their LTE networks.
SB Mobile CEO Stephen Bailey says the MVNO space in SA is fiercely competitive at the moment but SB Mobile is offering something totally different. He calls it an integrated, rather than a standalone service, "which rewards subscription customers with free airtime and data for doing something they do every day - bank".
"We are not launching a new mobile network. We are extending our digital offering to our clients," says Funeka Montjane, chief executive for Standard Bank personal and business banking South Africa.
"As Standard Bank embarks on an extensive digitisation drive, mobile communication has become a key feature in modern financial services. It's impossible to separate your phone, from your credit card, insurance or ability to transfer funds across borders. SB Mobile is an extension of our digital offering," Montjane adds.
The offering is only open to Standard Bank customers, at a flat monthly subscription fee of R39.
Signed up customers will get free airtime to the value of their monthly banking fees, based on their specific account tier: for Elite (R105 free airtime), Prestige (R205), Private and Professional (R369) and Wealth and Signature (R469 in free airtime).
Customers also get 1MB of data free for every R10 they spend on their credit card and 1MB of data free for every R20 they spend on their cheque or debit cards.
"We have also done away with data bundles; customers can select the data price that suits them, with no expiry. Data pricing is from 5c per MB," Bailey explains.
The idea of cutting out bundles is quite different to what the market is used to. Instead, SB Mobile will let customers chose their own data and voice rates for a fee. For example, if you want data rates of 15c/MB then you pay R49 per month; for 12c/MB you pay R69 per month; for 9c/MB you pay R99 per month; for 7c/MB you pay R149 per month; and for 5c/MB you pay R249 per month.
The rate you choose determines the rate at which airtime, either free or purchased, and spend limit for the month depletes.
The same applies to voice where a rate of 99c/minute will cost R29 per month; 89c/minute will cost R39 per month; 79c/minute will cost R79 per month; and 49c/minute will cost R139 per month.
While Cell C is the primary network operator currently in use, the bank says it remains open to other network providers in the future as it expands and adds additional services with a view of extending the offering across Africa.
SB Mobile plans to provide handsets in the first quarter of next year and to add broadband services, like fixed LTE and fibre, shortly afterwards. The current service will provide a branded SIM card with a new number, while existing cell numbers can also be retained.
"We are offering the next level of connectivity based on choices a customer wants to make. In the new digital world, people's expectations are increasing and customers are demanding more personalised, reliable products and services at the time and place they want them," says Bailey.
The Standard Bank MVNO comes over three years after rival First National Bank (FNB) launched its mobile offering, FNB Connect, in June 2015. By November 2015, it had racked up 100 000 customers, and by March 2018 this had grown to over 600 000 active users.
Bailey would not give ITWeb any specific subcriber targets SB Mobile is aiming for but said he had "reasonable expectations" that the MVNO would do very well.


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Feb 14, 2024
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos sells shares worth over $4bn
Multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos has sold more of his shares in Amazon, bringing the total value of sales in recent days to more than $4bn. The technology giant said in regulatory filings that its founder has now sold 24 million shares this month. Mr Bezos, who is Amazon's executive chair, last sold Amazon shares in 2021. Earlier this month, Amazon said he was planning to sell 50 million shares over the next year, which would be worth about $8.4bn at current prices. Mr Bezos will not owe any taxes on his gains after moving to Miami in Florida from Seattle in the state of Washington last year. If Mr Bezos still lived in Seattle he would owe around $280m on the $4bn worth of stock he has sold.
Make a complaint about Amazon by viewing their customer service contacts.


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We know that the iPhone 5S and 5C will be available in Thailand on October 25. All the three main operators in the country have started reservation webpages for customers who are interested in getting an iPhone. (Here are the links for AIS, Dtac, and True).
But don’t get too excited just yet. The number of available phones in Thailand is not that great. In fact, prominent Thai tech blogger Khajorn Chiaranaipanich says that there are only 8,000 iPhone 5S and 5C units for all three Thai operators combined.
According to True and Dtac’s reservation pages, True will have the highest number of iPhones (4,500 devices), and Dtac will get 1,300 devices. That leaves AIS with 2,200 devices.
If you’ve already registered your interest, you should be getting an email soon on whether you’re one of the lucky ones. But if you have not, you might want to test your luck and swing by one of these operator’s shops to get in line.
For True customers, you can find the new iPhones at the opening event at Sky Hall Central Ladprao at 10.30pm on October 24. For AIS customers, there will be no opening event so you can just stop by at any AIS shop. Dtac, meanwhile, has not made an announcement as where its events, if any, will take place. But according to Khajorn, Dtac’s customers will start getting the phones from 10am on October 25 onwards.
(Editing by Terence Lee)


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SRQ Magazine featured Watt-Ahh® as one of the Top Ten Hottest Products made on the Florida Gulf Coast. SRQ states: “Forget your Dasani. Sarasota-based WIT International has built a better beverage with the release of Watt-Ahh, polarized water finding wide use in the consumer and therapeutic marketplace.”
The SRQ Magazine photo was taken in the workshop where it all started. The photographer, Wyatt Kostygan, requested that Dana Gourley sit atop one of the WIT Machines while Rob Gourley stood next to one of his prototype machines. Instead of an office environment, Wayne liked Rob’s “jumbled” workshop as the backdrop for his photography … it must be a man thing.
The Gulf Coast is home to other great manufacturers that also are featured in the same article, including Tervis (insulated drink tumblers), Hoveround (power wheelchairs with sweeping movement), PGT (windows employing 2,700 people), Baby Quasar (blue light therapy), Air Products (mammoth-sized Liquefied Natural Gas heat exchangers), Sun Hydraulics (hydraulic parts made by 620 employees), and Intertape Polymer Group (diverse packing tape types including acrylic, hot melt, water-activated and geo-membrane). Along with Watt-Ahh® in keeping it local for your lunchbox, there are multiple types of stand-up and zipper food pouches (PPi Technologies Group) and kombucha made from home brewed recipes (221BC Kombucha).
The article recognizes Watt-Ahh® as being more than inside the lunch box. It mentions that the polarized water is also used as a raw product in deodorants and medical products, for growing better medical marijuana and giving a purer jolt to energy drinks. Dana is quoted in the article saying: “We are just working with a number of great companies to bring this great technology forward with their products.”
In the above photo: Rob and Dana Gourley of WIT International and AquaNew; Photo by SRQ Magazine, January 2017


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October 5, 2021
On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple Inc., which revolutionized the computer, music and mobile communications industries with such devices as the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad, died at age 56 of complications from pancreatic cancer.
The softball game scheduled for yesterday has been rescheduled for Monday, October 18th.
Homecoming week continues tomorrow with the theme song being “Sweet Dreams are Made of These” by the Eurythmics. So you guessed it...it’s PJ Day at MZMS. Wear your favorite pajamas, but remember they’ve got to be school appropriate!
Thursday theme song is “Our House” so wear school colors!
Eagles, we are having a Homecoming Celebration THIS Thursday, October 7! Pelican’s Snoballs will be here to help us celebrate. Snoballs will be pre-sold during lunch this week. The cost is $3 and you will receive a ticket to redeem at the event. See Mrs. Wright at the teacher table to make your purchase. Today and tomorrow, Eagles...no purchases on Thursday. Don’t miss out!
First 9 weeks ends this Thursday!!
You will be sleeping in on Friday!!! And we are all off next week, October 11-15, 2021, for Fall Break!
Don’t forget that tomorrow’s dressup theme goes with the theme song “Sweet Dreams are Made of These” so wear your most comfy sleeping attire! Once again, rain is in the forecast so you might not want to wear your favorite house shoes! Two more early mornings, Eagles. We got this!
#carrythebanner #youwanttobeaneagle #eaglestrong


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Bullion By Post heads abroad to cash in on growing unease over euro's future
Niche: Entrepreneur Rob Halliday-Stein spotted a gap in the market and set up the firm in 2009
Bullion By Post, a dealer
that delivers gold and silver
directly to customers
through Royal Mail, is set
to expand on the Continent.
The firm was set up in 2009 by entrepreneur Rob Halliday-Stein, 35, with just £10,000. He spotted a gap in the market by selling directly to customers who aim to preserve their wealth by investing in the metals.
Last year, turnover
reached £55 million, with
profits of £1.5 million, and
so far the firm has handled
more than 35,000 deliveries
ranging from a £30 silver
coin to a £500,000 bullion
order. The average order is
worth about £3,000.
After rapid growth the company is moving this month to larger premises in Birmingham. Halliday-Stein is set to cash in on growing unease among consumers about investing in the euro by initially targeting France, Spain, Italy and Greece.
He said: ‘We feel in a very strong position to compete in these markets. France and Spain should be at least the size of the UK market but yet are very undeveloped.’
One benefit to investors is that gold bars and coins are exempt from VAT.
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10 businesses in Tulsa condemned following tornado damage
August 6, 2017
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Ten businesses in a Tulsa shopping district were so badly damaged by a weekend tornado that they have been condemned, including the TGI Fridays and Whataburger restaurants where several people were injured, city officials said Monday.
Notices posted by city inspectors prohibit 10 commercial structures located in the Highland Plaza district from being occupied or used following the tornado early Sunday morning, just hours after many had closed in the busy midtown area. The businesses are AT&T and Woodcraft stores, AspenDental, Panera, CarTec, Whataburger, TGI Fridays,...


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Macy’s Inc. is set to unveil an exclusive, lower-priced line of men’s sportswear by Kenneth Cole Production Inc. at 150 locations.
The fall launch is part of a larger deal Macy's struck with the New York-based designer’s Reaction unit, and it’s aimed at helping the retailer win marketshare in an industry hit hard by the recession.
"By bringing the new Reaction men's sportswear collection exclusively to Macy's, we are continuing to differentiate our assortment and provide additional options for the man who wants to look and feel his best," Macy's Chief Executive Terry Lundgren said in a statement.
With U.S. consumer spending only beginning to recover, retailers like Macy’s, J. C. Penney Co., Kohl’s Corp. and even upscale Saks Inc. have begun to go after such exclusive deals with top designers in a bid to lure shoppers.
In December, J. C. Penney agreed to be the exclusive U.S.-based department-store retailer for Spanish fashion chain Mango, while Kohl’s last week reported strong quarterly profits as its lucrative brands, such as Simply Vera Wang, have sold well.
The new Kenneth Cole sportswear line will focus on denim, graphic tees and woven shirts and is geared toward a younger, more casual and price-conscious shopper than the Kenneth Cole New York collection, the companies said in a statement. Reaction eventually will be available in 550 Macy's stores.
The Cincinnati-based chain operates about 850 department stores, including about 21 of its namesake stores and three Bloomingdale’s in the Chicago area.


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The electric 2-wheeler market in Kenya has been getting a lot of attention. There are over 15 startups in the sector that are at different stages in their development. After several years of pilot programs, a lot of them are now ramping up their operations. 285,203 ICE motorcycles were registered in Kenya in 2021, so you can understand the focus on this segment given the large addressable market for electrification.
Another key area in Kenya’s transport sector for the movement of people and goods is the 3-wheeler market. Tuk-tuks are a key segment, especially in the coastal region of Kenya in places such as Diani, Mombasa, Kilifi, Watamu, and Malindi. One can’t miss the noise from the thousands of tuk-tuks driving around these places.
Mombasa-based Solutions Africa is working to catalyze the transition of the tuk-tuk market in Kenya to electric. Launched in December 2021, Solutions Africa LTD plans to fill the gap in the market and introduce electric 3-wheelers in the region. Solutions Africa imports completely knocked-down kits and then works with Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) to assemble the vehicles in Mombasa. Kenya incentivizes the local assembly of vehicles imported as fully knocked-down kits by exempting them from import duties and taxes. Only VAT is applicable. Solutions Africa has taken advantage of this to ensure that its electric tuk-tuks will be competitive with the traditional ICE tuk-tuks in terms of up-front purchase price.
Fully built imports would cost a lot more on the market and would not be as competitive with their ICE equivalents. To further ensure that its electric tuk-tuks are competitive price-wise, the first generation comes with lead acid batteries. This was a strategic move to enter the market at close to parity with ICE equivalents, as lithium-ion versions would cost close to $2,000 to $3,000 dollars more. And in an industry with tight margins, operators would not be too keen to pay $2,000 more upfront. As the price of lithium-ion batteries improves, Solutions Africa is working to introduce versions with lithium-ion batteries. For now, the company assures customers that its lead acid batteries will last at least 3 years and it is also working with partners to have a battery upgrade program to lithium-ion once the current lead acid versions reach their end of life.
Currently, Solutions Africa owns, operates, and manages the fleet of electric tuk-tuks that it has introduced in Mombasa. Due to the weight and bulkiness of the lead acid batteries, Solutions Africa currently charges the tuk-tuks directly, but is working on a battery swap model as well for when they introduce the lighter and easier to swap lithium-ion options. It takes between 6 to 8 hours to fully charge the lead acid batteries in the tuk-tuks.
Solutions Africa is also working with the key players in Kenya’s 2- and 3-wheeler financing sector to allow operators in the sector to get flexible payment terms and lower the barriers to adoption. I am looking forward to seeing these electric tuk-tuks in action soon.
Images courtesy of Solutions Africa
Source: Clean Technica


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eWAKA, Africa’s new market entrant, has officially launched a response to Africa’s expanding transportation challenges.
It is now currently sourcing funds to build a local African assembly facility and extend existing IT capabilities for increased customer protection and improved transportation vehicle operational performance.
The platform services include a full range of electric cars for a variety of customer categories, including delivery firms, healthcare providers, hotels, and universities.
Electric bodas, the backbone of Africa’s local delivery business, and rideshare options such as electric kick start scooters and bicycles are among the vehicle options.
The platform’s long-term answer to the unique transportation and delivery difficulties of ‘the last mile’ will improve transportation businesses’ financial and operational performance.
The company’s EV mobility alternatives will reduce pollution such as greenhouse gases, CO2, and noise while also providing attractive affordability due to lower energy pricing than fuel.
“We are extremely pleased to have officially launched eWAKA as there is tremendous growth potential in providing Africa with increased access to electric vehicle options.
“eWAKA’s planned services will address frustrating and disruptive mobility experiences by offering a sustainable solution that will increase connectivity, improve efficiencies and offer safe environmentally friendly transportation,” said Celeste Vogel, Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer & General Counsel of eWAKA.
The launch of eWAKA is in accordance with the continent’s goals of using renewable energy and green energy in major businesses.
Against a backdrop of remarkable reductions in the cost of renewable energy technology, Africa’s learning curve for clean energy adoption is improving.
In countries like Morocco, Kenya, Senegal, and Zambia, transformative private sector investments have resulted in some of the best solar PV costs in the world.
Copyright: News Central TV
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from News Central TV.


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Garfinckel, Brooks Brothers, Miller & Rhoads Inc. reshuffled its top management yesterday, promoting its two executive vice president to new jobs as president and vice chairman of the Washington retail conglomerate.
Named president was Manuel B. Rosenberg, 49 who had been executive vice president-merchandising.
Promoted to vice chairman was Robert Vandemark, 58, who previously was executive vice president operations and finance.
David R. Waters, who has been both chairman of the board and president, became chairman and chief executive officer under the new line up.
Also promoted was Frank T. Reilly, president of Garfinckel's Brooks Brother's division and until now a corporate vice president, who becomes senior vice president.
As president, Rosenberg will take responsibility for four Garfinckel retail operations -- The Miller & Rhoads and Miller's department stores and the Ann Taylor and Harzfeld's specialty shops. A former chairman and chief executive of Gimbel's Philadelphia division, Rosenberg moved to Garfinckel Corp. in 1977.
Vandemark will continue to be the main money man in the Garfinckel executive suite with specific responsibility for raising capital for expansion and new acquisitions, the announcement said.
Under the new table of organization, the presidents of the four chains under Rosenberg will report to him. Reiley and the chief executives of the Garfinckel stores and the Catherine's Stoute Shops division will report to Waters.
Besides reducing the number of executives reporting directly to Waters, the reorganization will "focus the talents of senior management in those areas of greatest challenge and opportunity for the corporation in the 1980s," Walters said in a statement.


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Marvel Sales SVP on Marvel NOW! and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700
The issue ended, for now, the 50-year run of Amazing Spider-Man, with follow-up series Superior Spider-Man debuting on Jan. 9. That's part of the ongoing Marvel NOW! initiative bringing multiple restarts throughout the company's publishing line, including new #1s for Avengers, Iron Man, Deadpool and many more.
Given the newsworthy time for the business side of Marvel, we talked with David Gabriel, their senior vice president of publishing sales and circulation, about the performance thus far of Marvel NOW!, the big success of Amazing Spider-Man #700, the undeniable value of a #1 issue and more.
second printing.Newsarama: David, it was a no-brainer that Amazing Spider-Man #700 would sell big — from the anniversary angle alone, let alone all of the multi-layered buzz surrounding the story itself. But how has the performance of the issue compared to Marvel's expectations? And from your stance, did the unique positioning of the issue — coming out the day after Christmas, with it and Avenging Spider-Man #15.1 the only Marvel titles out that week, and a $7.99 cover price — affect its reception at all?
David Gabriel: Sales far exceeded even our wildest expectations, which is truly a testament to the incredible work by Dan Slott and everyone else involved with the series. Some folks will erroneously claim the sales were driven by deep discounts to retailers (we didn't do that), but this is all about the excitement that Dan Slott's been generating on the series since "Big Time." In fact I think it's safe to say that this is a record-breaking book!
Both Amazing Spider-Man #700 and Avenging Spider-Man #15.1 were strategically placed in that final week of December a long time ago. Once we learned about the story details and knew that this was much more than just an oversized anniversary story, it made sense to release these comics in a week where they received the appropriate spotlight. We knew it would be groundbreaking, we knew readers would react passionately (though death threats are immature and stupid) and that this would be one — if not the — biggest comic book stories of the year. And from all reports it certainly turned out to be an even bigger monster that we expected, on all levels!
Gabriel: This is a decision driven by editorial and creators on a series. Our sales and marketing team do not weigh in on stories or character changes. Editorial and creative folks work this all out on their own, and in most cases will let me know what they are planning and we discuss how I think retailers will respond to the story in terms of their orders. It's then turned over to our publicity (Arune Singh and James Viscardi), marketing (Pete Charpentier) and digital media (John Cerilli, Ryan Penagos, Ben Morse) to handle getting word out to fans and making sure that they are there at the stores demanding that issue. It's really a terrific thing when all this works according to all our plans. But the key thing to remember is that this process starts with editorial.
Gabriel: Every situation really is different. In this case, you've got to remember the books purposely shipped a full two weeks ahead of the on sale date in order to work the year end shipping schedule, so we really shouldn't have something like that happening for quite some time, if at all. I think that in this instance the leaks definitely didn't hurt the sales and the excitement of the story, no matter what those folks intended. I clearly saw the increases in demand from retailers mounting each time things were "discussed" on the Internet over those few weeks, whether or not they were correct. So no matter the intent of the people who seem to find joy spoiling the hard work of creators online early and possibly taking money away from them, they didn't succeed in hurting sales at all.
As to the second part of the question, I don't think it's getting worse. I think it continues. I think the thieves who "spoil" comics in advance will continue to find ways to assert their "abilities." At the same time we'll find ways to combat them, which we've been doing successfully for quite some time. Thankfully, it seems the majority of fans are disinterested in spoilers and we thank those dedicated, true fans for supporting us.
Gabriel: We had another great month in December thanks to the strength of all our titles. It's refreshing that see that while we've greatly decreased the number of titles that we put out each month, about 20 percent year over year, our sales have increased, and, for those that closely value this sort of thing, that market share has also remained steadily in our favor. It's a clear indication that the market is definitely favoring our strategies and our product!
Nrama: Speaking of Marvel NOW!, with many of the major releases underway, and a couple of months of sales numbers in, what's your assessment of how the initiative has performed so far? What has surprised you along the way?
Nrama: On the flipside, is there any challenge in keeping series that aren't being relaunched or (as in the case of Red She-Hulk or Journey Into Mystery) revamped — Astonishing X-Men, Captain Marvel, Daredevil and the like — in the eyes of retailers and retailers, at a time when they're not getting as much attention as the rest of the line?
Nrama: To touch on the issue of volume, Marvel has been double-shipping books for quite some time now, and it's a practice that's continued with several Marvel NOW! books, including All-New X-Men and Iron Man. You wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't paying off, and I know that at least some of the time it's a creative decision in the case of titles like Avengers, but at the same time, there presumably is a point of diminishing returns for at least some books. Is it tricky finding the right balance? And in general, can readers look forward to seeing similar rates of release for the near future?
Nrama: The success of the Marvel NOW! launches leads to something of a philosophical question: If Captain America #1 is guaranteed to sell better than Captain America #25, why wouldn't Marvel relaunch the series as often as possible? Again, there is likely a point of demising returns to this as well, but are we at a point where a high number doesn't really have much purpose in the market, and we might not see too many issue #50s and beyond in the future? Basically, if sales can get a considerable boost by relaunching Captain America every couple of years, why not do it? Of course, some of that seems to be cyclical, too — there were a lot of relaunches in the mid-to-late '90s, before publishers started re-embracing high, "legacy" numbers. (And to bring this conversation full circle, obviously the significance of Amazing Spider-Man hitting #700 was a major factor in it attracting the attention that it did.)FACEBOOK and TWITTER!


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Decorah bike shops see a surge in bike sales as the impact of COVID-19 is felt
Posted: Mon, Sep 14, 2020 2:37 PM
It comes as no surprise that bicycle sales in Decorah are skyrocketing just like they are in larger cities. With miles and miles of both paved and off-road trails, Decorah has become a biking destination for cycling enthusiasts. Combine that fact with the extra time people have had at home over the past 6 months plus the government stimulus check many received because of COVID-19, and you have a recipe for a monumental increase in bike sales.
Decorah Bicycles manager Josie Smith says,"We've definitely noticed a surge in the cycling scene here in Decorah. Folks are definitely looking for ways to get out and enjoy the outdoors."
Oneota River Cycles owner Deke Gosen explains that most bike manufacturers are located in Asia, so COVID-19 has had a direct impact on production. "Between the anticipated impact of the coronavirus and the tariffs placed on China last fall, bike manufacturers decreased their production significantly. They expected people would pull back as a result of the pandemic, so they planned accordingly," explains Gosen. "But when people didn't pull back, and instead spent more time outdoors enjoying activities like biking, everything became bottlenecked, and and as a result, backordered."
It's not just new bikes that are selling though, it's bike parts too. "When it started to become more of an issue to get new bikes in," explains Smith, "we saw an influx of folks bringing their bikes in for service work. Ultimately, if a new bike couldn't be purchased, folks made do with what they had stored away for years. Ironically, this also led to not only a bike shortage, but a parts shortage, too. Tires and tubes, for example, in certain sizes were hard to come by because of this."
Smith says electric, pedal-assist bikes have become extremely popular this year. "We sold double the amount of e-bikes this year than in years prior. Because of the bike shortage and the unknown of when product would become available, some folks made the decision to purchase their first e-bike. We feel that most folks who went this route were already thinking about investing in an e-bike in the future, and the shortage of what we call 'acoustic bikes' (bikes without battery or motor) contributed to the investment happening sooner," explains Smith.
When it comes to getting your hands on a new bike, both Smith and Gosen agree -- it looks like it's going to be a long wait. "It could be a long time before things stabilize," shares Smith.
To get the latest on store hours, updates, and inventory in stock, visit:
Oneota River Cycles - https://oneota-river-cycles.business.site/
Decorah Bicycles - https://www.decorahbicycles.com/


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The six-story Meridian Building has sold for $5.25 million to Ram, a Palm Beach Gardens development company chaired by Peter Cummings, the Palm Beach Post reported. Ram plans to convert the historic building into apartment lofts with 2,420 square feet of retail on the ground floor. Construction is set to begin in 2013 and be completed by 2014. The building was built in 1926 for Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph and is located at 326 Fern Street, at the corner of South Dixie Highway.
“We think it’s a unique product that is going to resonate with the market,” Cummings said. “To live in a 1926 building that is going to have high ceilings and unusual windows, it’s going to have a vibe that is very different from new construction.” [Palm Beach Post] – Christopher Cameron


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Older people are more likely to be ripped off in online scams, a new study confirms.
The Australian Institute of Criminology survey found those aged 45-55 were more likely to be victimised by dating and romance frauds while those aged 65 and over were more likely to be scammed by computer support fraud schemes.
Those over 65 were significantly more likely to send money as a result of a fraudulent invitation.
The study cites the story of Paul, 72, who used an online dating website following the death of his wife, starting a relationship with a woman named Selina from Ghana. In all, he paid out more than $200,000.
Using data from online surveys of fraud conducted in 2011 and 2012, the AIC examined the experience of 2695 respondents.
Almost three quarters of scam approaches came via email, though approaches also came by traditional mail, mobile and landline phone and SMS.
Of the 51 who admitted falling victim to work from home fraud, almost a third were aged 45-54 while 32 were aged 45 or over.
Dating fraud claimed 49 victims, 22 aged 45-54 and 36 over 45. The AIC said that may indicate factors such as divorce, a desire to settle down or loneliness.
Computer support fraud - where scammers claim the person's computer is infected and require payment for repairs - claimed 49 victims, with 19 aged over 65.
"Targeted, age-specific awareness raising campaigns may be an effective means of reducing the risk of consumer fraud," the study said.
The study found those over 65 were less likely to divulge personal details than those aged under 24 who revealed personal information at higher than expected rates.
© AAP 2019


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RCCC 2019: DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES CONVENTION EXCLUSIVES DARK HORSE COMICS RCCC 2019 BOOTH #701 Dark Horse Comics has announced its selection of exclusive merchandise available at Rose City Comic Con […]
[Interview] SDCC 2019: Jeff Lemire & Michael Walsh of Dark Horse Comics’ BLACK HAMMER/JUSTICE LEAGUE: Hammer of Justice!
PopCultHQ made an appearance for a couple of days at this year’s 50th Annual Comic Con International: San Diego 2019. Knowing our time was limited, we knew we couldn’t spread […]
On April 4th lightning strikes and the world will watch Billy Batson become Captai…. Err… Shazam. The buzz for DC Entertainment‘s latest potential hit is at a fever pitch. Early […]


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World Ocean Day: Accelerating a Sustainable Ocean Economy
Exciting ideas and solutions highlighted at the World Ocean Summit could accelerate the shift towards sustainability.
The health of the ocean continues to deteriorate, but exciting ideas and solutions highlighted at the 8th annual World Ocean Summit Virtual Week could accelerate the shift towards a sustainable ocean economy.
Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food-production system, with enormous potential to feed a growing global population. However, challenges need to be overcome, particularly the provision of sustainable feed. Policymakers have an important role in ensuring the sustainable management of aquaculture and in boosting acceptance among consumers.
Offshore wind has enormous potential to help decarbonise the world’s energy system, with the technical ability to provide 36,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) globally per year. Collaboration between government and industry will be critical to establishing policies that will instill investor confidence. But to ensure offshore wind expansion is managed sustainably, biodiversity must be a key component of design. In addition, producing green hydrogen from offshore wind could be a game-changer.
Fishing requires fundamental change to restore global fish stock to abundance. Only 66% of fish stocks are within biologically sustainable levels, down from 90% in 1974. What prevents fish stocks from recovering is mainly poor governance and corruption. Transparency and accountability in the supply chain are needed to ensure that all fish sold in shops can be traced as being legally fished.
On plastic pollution, experts say that all the benefits of plastics could be achieved without negative consequences if end-of-life were factored into the design process. Today only 10% of plastic packaging is recycled, because of inconsistency in supply and quality of materials and the costs of collecting and processing waste plastic. Advanced chemical recycling technologies may address some of these challenges. Consumer-goods companies are collaborating pre-competitively in forums, but this public-goods challenge requires collective action involving the whole plastic value chain, from resin-producers to recyclers.
In shipping, the International Maritime Organisation set a target in 2018 to cut the sector’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2050 compared with 2008 levels. But the cleaner alternative fuels needed to power many of the industry’s vessels are still being developed. The technologies and infrastructure for new fuels must be ready for wide market uptake by 2030 for the sector to meet its 2050 target, requiring collaboration with energy companies, ports, shipping companies and cargo owners.
In coastal tourism, the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) is making the sector more resilient. When the pandemic brought international tourism to a halt, communities could rely on the full economic chain that had been created in an MPA, which included fisheries, gastronomy and local tourism. Now is the best time to promote sustainable tourism: with tourists preferring outdoor activities and safety, there has been a shift from mass tourism to more specialist, nature-based activities.
Outlook for the ocean economy by the World Ocean Initiative
Speakers and delegates at the World Ocean Summit confirmed the prevailing hope that the main challenges facing the ocean can and will be solved. The solutions and technologies exist, many companies are already driving change in their supply chains, and there is growing demand from both investors and governments for a shift to sustainable blue activities. To accelerate a sustainable ocean economy, ocean industries will face major challenges, but also opportunities.
Aquaculture could at least double by 2050, offering trillions of dollars in investment opportunities. On its path to sustainability the industry will see increasing innovation and technological progress in areas such as AI and feed from single-cell proteins derived from bacteria, yeast and algae.
The energy industry will see exciting ocean-based opportunities. As shallower sea waters are filled with bottom-fixed wind turbines, floating turbines in deep waters offer growing potential. In addition to the expansion of off-shore wind, tidal stream and wave energy could play important roles in offering predictability for energy portfolios. Hydrogen generated from blue energy will be increasingly important in the decarbonisation of transport and industrial processes.
Tackling illegal fishing and overfishing will remain key challenges in the years ahead. Transparency and accountability in the supply chain will be increasingly in the spotlight. Business engagement with governments will grow in areas such as traceability and labour rights.
Creating a circular economy for plastics will be one of the main solutions to the crisis of marine plastic pollution. End-of-life will have to be increasingly integrated in the design process of both products and plastics. Advanced chemical recycling technologies and collaboration across the whole plastic value chain will intensify in coming years.
Companies in ocean industries, including shipping, need to ensure they have sustainable, environmentally and socially focused businesses in order to grow and obtain capital. Realising this, some shipping companies plan to decarbonise completely by 2050. The shipping sector is also proposing a mandatory levy of US$2 per tonne on marine fuel, generating US$5bn over a 10-year period to provide some of the capital needed to develop new cleaner fuel technologies, such as hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and nuclear. This proposal, which is being discussed at the IMO, would accelerate the elimination of the industry’s carbon emissions.
A new era of sustainable coastal tourism has dawned. The post-coronavirus recovery will see a growing focus on sustainability for the industry, supported by government funds. Marine conservationists and tourism providers will increasingly work together in areas such as protecting and restoring coral reefs and mangroves.
Tackling these intra-sectoral and cross-sectoral issues on the path to a sustainable ocean economy will require unprecedented levels of collaboration by governments, investors, campaigners, researchers and business leaders. The World Ocean Summit provided a platform for exchange and collaboration, and the World Ocean Initiative will continue to monitor progress and investigate the challenges that need to be overcome to build a sustainable blue economy.
The global conversation about accelerating a sustainable ocean economy will continue at the World Ocean Summit Asia-Pacific, which will run as a virtual event from December 6th-10th 2021. The agenda features focused industry tracks on shipping, fishing, aquaculture, energy and plastics, and a track on finance.


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World's tallest hemp hotel set to open in South Africa
With 12 storeys, a breathtaking view of Cape Town's imposing Table Mountain and a minimal ecological footprint, the world's tallest building made with industrial hemp is soon to open its doors in South Africa.
Workers in central Cape Town are putting the finishing touches on the 54-room Hemp Hotel, which is due to be completed in June.
"Hempcrete" blocks derived from the cannabis plant have been used to fill the building's walls, supported by a concrete and cement structure.
Hemp bricks are becoming increasingly popular in the construction world thanks to their insulating, fire-resistant and climate-friendly properties.
Used notably in Europe for thermal renovation of existing buildings, the blocks are carbon negative -- meaning their production sucks more planet-warming gases out of the atmosphere than it puts in.
"The plant absorbs the carbon, it gets put into a block and is then stored into a building for 50 years or longer," explains Boshoff Muller, director of Afrimat Hemp, a subsidiary of South African construction group Afrimat, which produced the bricks for the hotel.
"What you see here is a whole bag full of carbon, quite literally," Muller says as he pats a bag of mulch at a brick factory on the outskirts of Cape Town, where hemp hurds, water and lime are mixed together to make the blocks.
The industrial hemp used for the Hemp Hotel had to be imported from Britain as South Africa banned local production up to last year, when the government started issuing cultivation permits.


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Sainsbury's revamps its Nectar scheme: No longer one point per £1 spent - now rewards depend on how much you shop
- Sainsbury's purchased Nectar for £60m in February
- New revamped scheme will be trialled in the Isle of Wight first
- One expert says the move to stop one point for £1 of spend is 'quite risky'
Sainsbury's is to revamp its popular Nectar card scheme in a move that will see loyal and frequent customers rewarded with the greatest number of points.
Shoppers will no longer simply receive one point per £1 spent in store: instead, they will be rewarded based not just on spend, but how frequently and how long they've been shopping with the retailer.
Sainsbury's is trialling the revamp in the Isle of Wight from today.
The supermarket giant bought the Nectar business in February for £60million from Canadian firm Aimia. It says around 19million people are signed up to the loyalty scheme which started in 2002.
Loyalty: Supermarket giant bought Nectar in February and has wasted no time revamping the rewards on offer
Of these, 40,000 are in the Isle of Wight – and the trial, which has no time limit, will help it shape changes to then roll out elsewhere.
It says the move will reward customers for their loyalty while 'ensuring a truly personalised experience' and allows it to recognise a customer's relationship across the Sainsbury's Group.
The more loyal a customer is to the group, the more value they'll get from the scheme, it told This is Money at its launch event in Holborn, London, on Wednesday morning.
The revamped Nectar will be digitally-led, with an app allowing customers to register their card and then scan their smartphone at the checkout, as well offering a newly designed card for those who don't want the app.
New app: Screenshots of the new Nectar app showing how offers will be tailored to your shop
The app allows customers to choose their own offers from a curated list based on the products they buy most often.
It also offers a 'favourites' list, where customers can 'star' five items they buy frequently in the store to get better points offers.
Customers earn points on these offers and the amount of points they are rewarded depends on the customer's loyalty to Sainsbury's. In other words, the more someone shops at the supermarket giant, the juicier the points offers are likely to be.
This means it will no longer be simply the case of one point per £1 spent in a move that one expert says is risky.
Anika Newjoto, editor of supermarket loyalty website Shopper Points, said: 'Dropping "one point per £1" base earning your Sainsbury's spending and moving purely to a bonus points model is quite risky.
'I'm not sure that people are willing to spend time studying the Nectar app before every shop to see what bonuses they can get.
'It also does nothing to solve the biggest problem that Nectar has, which is that it does not have any aspirational redemptions.
'Saving up 500 points just to get £2.50 off your shopping bill is not exciting or engaging.'
Customers currently get double Nectar points on their shopping if they have an insurance product with Sainsbury's Bank. The new system will continue to offer double Nectar points. However, while this would currently mean two points per £1 spent, the new system could offer more or less than that depending on the loyalty of the customer.
Customers' existing points will be safe and also worth the same. There are no changes to the Nectar scheme at other partners for now and it wouldn't speculate on the future of its partners.
Helen Hunter, director of innovation at Sainsbury's, said: 'We are excited to be trialling this new Nectar scheme which gives more rewards to our loyal customers.
TESCO AND WAITROSE CHANGES
Earlier in the year, Waitrose ended its pick your own offers part of its loyalty scheme stating that customers found it too confusing.
The myWaitrose scheme allowed shoppers to pick 10 core items to then save 20 per cent on in store and online.
Meanwhile, Tesco tried to tinker with its Clubcard rewards scheme.
The supermarket announced that the value of some of its reward vouchers was changing immediately, from four times their face value to three times.
Shoppers collect points for money spent at Tesco which can be turned into vouchers for days out or restaurant meals.
It faced such a backlash that it agreed to delay the change until June to give people more time to spend them.
'By giving them the option to choose the products on which they earn Nectar and awarding points based on loyalty, we'll be able to show our most valuable customers how important they are to us.
'We'll be actively listening to customers during the trial so that we can shape new Nectar as we learn.'
The Isle of Wight trial will run indefinitely and Sainsbury's will be using insights from the trial to shape the future of the Nectar scheme.
It told This is Money that loading the offers onto the app comes as many customers believe having a combination of plastic and paper is fiddly.
It says that it is revamping the scheme at its supermarket as more shoppers are now promiscuous when choosing where they shop - and it wants to encourage loyalty at a time when discounters, such as Aldi and Lidl, continue to eat into market share.
Shopping habits are monitored by Nectar to tailor offers to customers – it says many people enter a shop with a small list, but a typical store has 36,000 items.
It wants to predict what is on that list to offer better rewards and encourage loyalty.
For those who are not keen on the app, offers will be e-mailed weekly to customers who can then choose to load them onto the card.
It says it will also have a customer helpline for those who do not wish to use the internet or the app.
In terms of privacy, it says the app makes clear that shopping habits will be tracked - but information is never 'flogged' to third parties.
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The world’s largest smartphone maker’s unusual strategy has given birth to some truly outstanding smartphone brands. Something peculiar is happening in the Indian smartphone market right now, especially when it comes to mid-range smartphones. To the casual observer, it might not seem like much — Samsung and OnePlus have a slew of phones in the […]
The world’s largest smartphone maker’s unusual strategy has given birth to some truly outstanding smartphone brands.
Something peculiar is happening in the Indian smartphone market right now, especially when it comes to mid-range smartphones. To the casual observer, it might not seem like much — Samsung and OnePlus have a slew of phones in the space, and they are being challenged by several promising offerings from a few up-and-coming brands. But look a little closer, and you’d see something fascinating. Sure, OnePlus is still producing highly compelling smartphones at very tempting price points. But there has been a clear shift in the way it is going about doing this. As the brand’s top-tier phones moved away from being called ‘flagship killers’ to being bonafide flagships, the affordable, mid-range space that it once dominated was left wide open for other manufacturers to target. And Samsung did exactly that with a slew of mid-range offerings with great screens and good battery life.
Oppo and Vivo were already focused on the space, while Realme was offering affordable performance, much like OnePlus, albeit at a lower price point. An exciting recent entrant is iQOO, which, from the looks of it, is another performance-focused brand. However, there is something rather different when it comes to the positioning of their products. The two-year-old brand only has a handful of products in India, but they are direct competitors of OnePlus smartphones.
Now here’s where it gets interesting. Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, Realme, and iQOO are owned by the same parent company — the Chinese multinational BBK Electronics. Yes, some of the world’s most popular smartphone brands are owned by the same entity. BBK Electronics and all its brands have gone to great lengths to keep this fact in relative obscurity. In fact, as BBK Electronics is a privately held company, we still don’t know the exact ownership structure of these brands.
And understandably so, the brands’ commitment to keeping their lineage under wraps has ensured that they all have distinct public perceptions created in part by innovative marketing and sales strategies — take, for instance, how the OnePlus One’s ‘Flagship Killer’ moniker and the phones’ hard-to-acquire nature (you could only get one initially through oversubscribed flash sales that saw the phones sold out in moments). Such is the differentiation when it comes to branding, product positioning, and even design, that it is hard to imagine these brands as being owned by the same parent company.
You’d still ask, though, why do companies under the same umbrella have products squarely taking on other products from their sister concerns? A probable answer neatly ties together all the recent developments at OnePlus and Oppo as well. As all brands under the BBK Electronics umbrella have grown, especially OnePlus, they have achieved the sort of volumes that have made certain sub-segments almost saturated — there is a certain hesitancy involved in buying a new phone when everyone you know has the same phone, at least when it comes to mid-range smartphones. But, for brands, it has become a little difficult to differentiate similarly priced phones in their portfolios, not least because of how smartphones these days are almost becoming templatised — an Android smartphone at a particular price point will, almost certainly, have a particular processor, a given amount of RAM, a display with a certain resolution plus refresh rate, and so on and so forth.
The differentiation that mostly exists now in similarly priced smartphones is in terms of the software experience (OnePlus’ OxygenOS stands heads and shoulders above the competition; only challenged by stock Android), the design, and, increasingly, the branding/marketing. With OnePlus becoming a dominant player in the smartphone world, it is now in a position where it can, arguably, no longer take the risks that it took a few years ago. With two smartphone lineups in the flagship 9 Series and the Nord Series along with wearables and even TVs, OnePlus, by all accounts, will play it safe. Yes, the original, loyal fanbase of enthusiasts that OnePlus strived hard to cultivate is, and will continue to be disappointed, but OnePlus is no longer an enthusiast-focused brand. It is now a mass-market one. With this push towards becoming a mainstream volume player, OnePlus is now integrating its research and development, along with its tech stack, with Oppo, to maximise efficiency and reduce costs. In fact, much to the chagrin of its fanbase, OxygenOS and Color OS will share the same codebase as well.
Of course, BBK Electronics has been very successful in employing this strategy through its various consumer-facing brands. It is now the world’s largest manufacturer of smartphones. The sheer volume that BBK Electronics now caters to means that it has a competitive advantage that smaller companies just don’t have. This also means that different brands under the BBK umbrella (some of which function fairly independently of the parent company) go in with differing strategies, often targeting different niches of the smartphone world. Realme, for instance, seems like the new recipient of the flagship killer moniker with the Realme GT, while iQOO seems to have its eyes set on conquering the sub-Rs. 20,000 space. All this can only be good news for the consumer. Today, phone buyers are greeted by a wide selection of extremely good smartphones at every price point — something that would not have been possible without BBK Electronics’ path-breaking approach. Here are some of the most exciting new smartphones from the group:
iQOO 7 5G
Featuring a 6.62-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, HDR10+ support, up to 1300 nits brightness, the iQOO 7 has probably one of the best displays in the segment. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 — the same processor on phones like the OnePlus 9R that are way more expensive. The attractive Monster Orange colour variant comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone has some unique, gaming centric features like the presence of a liquid cooling system and 6000mm² graphite board that is said to reduce temperature by up to 11 percent. Rs. 31,990.
OPPO RENO 6
Arguably the best looking Android smartphone to arrive on our shores in the past couple of months, the Oppo Reno 6 is the value buy in the Reno 6 lineup. The curved edges of the Reno 6 Pro are replaced with straight, squared-off edges, and thus has resulted in a smartphone that is a clear standout visually. The 6.42-inch AMOLED display has a full-HD+ resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 90Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of 700nits. It is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 Soc that is supported by 8 gigs of RAM and 128 gigs of storage. It also gets 65W fast charging. Rs 29,990.
Marketed heavily as the most affordable smartphone with a Snapdragon 888 chipset, the Realme GT is expected to arrive in India soon. It will feature a 6.43-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the Snapdragon SoC will be ably supported by up to 12GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. The phone will get a triple rear camera setup with a 64-megapixel Sony IMX682 primary sensor. The 4,500mAh battery will support 65W fast charging (much like in the OnePlus 9 Series). Price: to be announced.
Taking on the very popular Samsung M51 is the Vivo Y53s. Boasting a 64-megapixel primary camera in a triple camera setup, the newest Y Series smartphone from Vivo is pitched as a great camera smartphone for the price. With 33W fast charging, it outdoes the Samsung when it comes to charging speeds. It features a 6.58-inch full-HD+ display with a standard 60Hz refresh rate along with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Y53s is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G80 SoC, paired with 8GB of RAM. It gets a 128GB of onboard storage, and 3GB of what Vivo likes to call ‘Extended RAM’ — essentially using the internal storage for multitasking. Rs. 19,490.


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Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Industrial Embedded Systems Market 2011-2015" report to their offering.
TechNavio launched its report, Global Industrial Embedded Systems Market 2011-2015, based on an in-depth analysis covering the Americas, and the EMEA and APAC regions. The report aims to aid decision makers' understanding of the significant trends impacting this market.
Commenting on the report, an analyst from TechNavio's Hardware team said: The increasing customer base of telecom service providers and the increasing penetration of networks are potential revenue generators for the market. This is because the Telecom sector uses embedded systems in telephone switches which are used to control mobile phone networks, wireless communication devices, compact PCI hot swap support, and real-time responses in carrier-class systems. Moreover, in many countries across the globe, investments in the Telecom sector have increased tremendously in line with developments in high-speed internet technologies. Thus, being one of the key customer segments of the market, increased adoption and growing investments in the Telecom sector is expected to create more demand in the Global Industrial Embedded Systems market.
According to the report, manufacturers across the globe attach greater significance on enhancing the productivity of their manufacturing facilities. There is a significant increase in the demand from the Industrial sector as the integration of embedded systems serves in saving energy, enhancing productivity and accuracy in production, improving product quality, improving machine agility, ensuring robust process control, and enhancing safety.
Further, the report reveals that one of the main challenges faced by the market is the increasing complexity of designing and developing industrial embedded systems.
The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.