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Sony are reducing the MSRP for their virtual reality headset across some regions, with UK consumers set to benefit from a hefty £90 cut.
Australia and New Zealand are also set to see a similar price drop, but not until 2 April.
News of the price cut arrives not too long after an updated version of the PS VR headset was announced, which better integrates the stereo earbuds and allows for HDR pass through.
What do you think of the new price? Let us know below, and if the new RRP has you tempted into a purchase, why not check out our thoughts on some of the PS VR’s top titles, including the recently released Moss and reworked classics such as Skyrim VR and Superhot VR.


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- Our Blog
adage.com - 15 readers - Google has developed four new hard-to-overlook mobile units that aim to make the smaller screen more brand-friendly.
forbes.com - 20 readers - Google today announced that it is buying San Francisco database stratus Firebase. Firebase, which will become part of the broader Google Cloud Platform, is an interesting approach towards mobile applications - its database allows developers to store and synchronize data in real time. With Firebase, developers are able to easily sync [...]

domain: news


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Date: Thursday, April 21, 2022
COVID-driven cargo demand has dramatically altered the trans-Pacific shipping landscape. New data from Alphaliner highlights just how much the Asia-U.S. trade lane has changed over the past two years.
There’s now far more container shipping capacity in the trade than pre-pandemic. Capacity keeps rising, with more new shipping services focusing on the Asia-East Coast lane than Asia-West Coast.
Carrier competition is up, with more players overall and a lower share controlled by the three giant global alliances. The trans-Pacific liner leaderboard is different as COVID-era demand trends spur new deployment strategies.
New trans-Pacific liner leaderboard
The trans-Pacific’s top five liners by capacity are Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC, Cosco and ONE, according to Alphaliner.
Back in mid-2020, as the U.S. was coming out of initial COVID lockdowns, Cosco was the trans-Pacific leader by far. Maersk was a distant fourth at that time, with almost 30% less capacity than Cosco. MSC, the No. 3 carrier in the trans-Pacific today, was No. 6 two years ago.
“MSC and Maersk were by far the fastest-growing carriers in the trade,” said Alphaliner.
It calculated that overall trans-Pacific capacity is up 24% year on year, now comprising 702 container ships with a total capacity of 5.75 million twenty-foot equivalent units. That annual growth rate mirrors a 24.7% increase between April 2020 and April 2021.
Alphaliner’s data confirms the coastal switch reported by others. Asia-East Coast capacity is up 28.1% compared to last April, outpacing Asia-West Coast growth of 20.5%.
Alliances’ trans-Pacific market share falls
There’s heightened political focus this year on container shipping antitrust protections in general and the role of alliances in particular (even though individual carrier members of alliances price their freight separately).
Alphaliner’s data shows that the alliances’ share of the trans-Pacific total is actually falling — a trend that should play well for ocean carriers in congressional hearings.
In mid-2020, the three alliances — 2M (Maersk, MSC), Ocean Alliance (Cosco, CMA CGM, Evergreen, OOCL) and THE Alliance (Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Yang Ming, HMM) — controlled 89% of trans-Pacific capacity. The Ocean Alliance had 39%, THE Alliance 30%, 2M 20%.
At this time last year, the alliances’ share had edged down to 82.2%, according to Alphaliner. Since then, their share has sunk to 67.7%.
Alliances are still growing trans-Pacific capacity on a nominal basis but at a more moderate pace than the overall market, causing their share to decline.
Maersk and MSC are focusing on growing trans-Pacific capacity that’s not covered under their 2M alliance structure, “launching numerous standalone loops which remain outside the scope of their 2M agreement,” said Alphaliner.
Meanwhile, non-alliance carriers are growing their market shares, including Wan Hai, which entered the Asia-East Coast trade, and Asia-West Coast newcomers such as CU Lines, BAL and Transfar.
2022 freight rates on track to top 2021
The COVID era’s transformative effect on trans-Pacific freight pricing is not over yet. This year is still on track to top 2021 in terms of freight pricing.
The rise of Maersk’s trans-Pacific market share implies an increase in long-term contracts as opposed to spot deals for larger U.S. cargo shippers. Maersk has been the most aggressive proponent of contracts — including multiyear contracts — at the expense of spot business.
Asia-U.S. annual contract rates are widely expected to be much higher in 2022 than 2021. Xeneta’s U.S. import index was up 99% year on year as of last month. Gary Friedman, CEO of Restoration Hardware (NYSE: RH), said on his latest quarterly call that RH’s contract rates for 2022 rose even more than they did last year. And last year, his company’s contract rates doubled.
In the spot market, some indexes show a moderation in rates, but to levels that are still well above where they were last year and far above pre-COVID numbers.
Drewry’s Shanghai-Los Angeles assessment was $8,782 per forty-foot equivalent unit last week (excluding premiums), the lowest it has been since early July 2021 and down 14% from rates at the end of last year. That’s the good news for shippers. The bad news is this is up 112% year on year and over triple pre-COVID levels.
For trans-Pacific freight rates across full-year 2022 to decline compared to full-year 2021, spot rates would have to collapse to less than half their current levels soon and remain severely depressed for the rest of this year. Spot declines would have to be extreme enough to offset the higher contract rates that leading carriers like Maersk have already negotiated.


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In March, I wrote about the United Arab Emirates banning bottled water exports. This followed a similar ban in Saudi Arabia. It sounds like it may be spreading. Oman has announced that it's also looking at banning exports of bottled water.
Dr Abdullah bin Ali Al Hinai, acting director-general of industry at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, gave details of the export volumes and shortfalls via the Oman News Agency.
There are some interesting numbers here. The director-general gives figures of 14 million litres of bottled water exported from Oman in 2010. This is just 10% of the volume exported from the UAE in the same year.
I've had a quick look at water use in Oman, where the total water use is estimated to be 1.5 billion cubic meters of water every year, increasing to 1.7 billion cubic meters by 2020. So, bottled water represents just 0.001% of total water use.
Now, I raise this not in defence of an export ban of bottled water, but more to highlight the point that other industries that use significantly greater volumes of water, such as the dairy industry, may be targeted next.
Bottled water is an obvious example of water being exported. However, the water contained in other products (the virtual water) is much less obvious but may become significantly more important as pressure on resources increases. The consequences of this could be bans on exports of dairy products.
As always, I'll be watching the next steps very closely.
- Dairy industry favours intervention purchasing system as 'safety net'
- Heinz Soup Croutons, produced by Chaucer Foods
- Paterson's expands shortbread range


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In yet another high profile executive exit, the world's largest cellphone maker, Nokia, on Monday announced the resignation of mobile solutions chief Anssi Vanjoki, who is in charge of its smartphone business.
The surprise announcement comes just two days after the Finnish firm appointed top Microsoft executive Stephen Elop as its new chief executive. He will takeover from incumbent Olli -Pekka Kallasvuo on September 21.
Both developments come at a time when Nokia is struggling to strengthen its position in the highly competitive smart phone market, which is dominated by the likes of Apple and HTC.
"Anssi Vanjoki, executive vice-president and a member of the Nokia group executive board, has given notice of resignation from Nokia," the company said in a statement.
Vanjoki took over as the head of the mobile phone-maker's mobile solutions division just a few months ago.
He will serve a six-month notice period and will continue in his current profile for the time being.
"I felt the time has come to seek new opportunities in my life. At the same time, I am one hundred per cent committed to doing my best for Nokia until my very last working day," Vanjoki said.
The two high profile changes in the top management ranks come ahead of the firm's annual conference, 'Nokia World', which begins in London tomorrow.
In the fast-growing smartphone market, Nokia is finding it difficult to compete with high-end offerings from Apple, handsets with Google's Android software and products from Taiwan-based HTC.
Moreover, Nokia is yet to come out with offerings having the latest version of its famed Symbian operating system, which once dominated the smartphone market.


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Posts with tag "Lenny Kravitz"
- Posted May 24th 2011 at 06:00 AM by Kelly Fisher
Rocker Lenny Kravitz has joined the ever-growing cast of 'The Hunger Games' in a very fashionable role, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kravitz will take on the role of Cinna, a fashion stylist who designs outrageous costumes for Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) to wear while participating in the Hunger Games. Cinna develops a close friendship with Katniss, and his designs help shape her...
- Posted Jan 4th 2010 at 04:00 PM by Marc Schneider
This could be your only day to hear 'Another Day,' the leaked collaboration between Michael Jackson and Lenny Kravitz. It seems all parties involved -- from Sony to Jackson's lawyers to Kravitz himself -- do not want the song snippet to reach your ears just yet. According to TMZ, Sony is trying to get the bouncy track pulled from the Internet. It's unclear who did the leaking. Kravitz posted...
- Posted Oct 3rd 2009 at 06:00 AM by Bryan Alexander
When Oprah Winfrey led a parade of A-listers on the red carpet at the Toronto Film Festival recently, comparisons to the Beatles on 'Ed Sullivan' quickly came to mind. The reaction from onlookers was rapturous. There to promote 'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire,' Winfrey appeared genuinely touched by the rabid Canadian reception, clutching her hand to her heart in thanks. But the...
Popeater Hot Topics
- Blake Shelton Serenades Soldiers on Stage
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- 'Easy Rider' chopper going up for auction next month
- Showtime's 'Nurse Jackie' adds Mark Feuerstein for final season
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- This ?Scandal' clothing line lets you dress just like Olivia Pope
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- Saturday Night Live's Nasim Pedrad Recalls Meeting Kim Kardashian, Reveals Unaired Impression of Aziz Ansari—Watch Now!


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So CEO Satya Nadella has only led Microsoft for a few weeks, so it would be unfair to judge his performance. He deserves to chance to prove his mettle. At the same time, the company remains in deep trouble, despite still delivering decent sales and profits, particularly for software and services. And, yes, the Xbox One has sold well.
But Microsoft has confronted a dilemma of its own creation. Despite announcing that support for Windows XP, circa 2001, will end on April 8th of this year, some 30% of Windows users going online are still using it. That number doesn’t include PCs that contact private networks, such as ATM machines. Indeed, I’ve seen estimates that as many as 95% of those ATMs are still running Windows XP.
Indeed, it’s enough to encourage me to make all withdrawals inside a bank branch, and I would if I didn’t have any online bank accounts. Oh well, I suppose there’s always a mattress, but don’t assume I’m going to take that approach. I can always hope banks will update their systems after XP support ends.
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Update: We're being told by one developer that actually this wording is unchanged, and the 15-minute window still applies, it's just that Google has that long to refund the money. We're seeking clarification from Google, and watching our hope wane.
Google caused a fairly big stink nearly a year ago when it changed the window to uninstall and refund a purchased application to just 15 minutes -- a far cry shorter than 24-hour window we'd previously enjoyed.
But according to a new version of the developer distribution agreement being pushed out today, that window has been expanded, and expanded to a full two days. Here's the line from Section 3.4:
Products that cannot be previewed by the buyer (such as applications): You authorize Google to give the buyer a full refund of the Product price if the buyer requests the refund within 48 hours after purchase.
Good on Google for changing this one. While we don't want anyone abusing the refunds process, 15 minutes was absolutely too short a time to try out an application.
By the way, if you're a developer, make sure you log in to your developer portal to accept the new agreement. Wouldn't want your app yanked unnecessarily.
Thanks, Joe and Nick!
What is Section 230 and why does it matter so much to President Trump?
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is in the news for the wrong reasons once again. This time, though, the U.S. armed services are also in the crosshairs.
Here's your first look at Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds
The first renders of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro have surfaced online. Unlike the Galaxy Buds Live, the Galaxy Buds Pro will have an in-ear design.
The Snapdragon 888 has all-new hardware that will make your photos amazing
The new Spectra 580 ISP coupled with an all-new and more powerful AI engine makes the Snapdragon 888 the best chip for phone cameras we've ever seen. You'll want it in your next phone if you love taking photos.
The Xperia 1 II is our favorite phone for shooting video
If video recording is your thing, then look no further than the Sony Xperia 1 II — it offers a large screen, three great cameras, and extremely robust manual video controls.


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Brown & Sharpe also had its own special set of problems. Some say the company never recovered from a 1981 strike by its union machinists. The walkout, still in effect though the workers have been replaced, was not over money so much as the company`s ability to assign workers to different tasks in a changing technical environment. The company also had been burdened with high unemployment compensation rates and the outsized cost of product liability in a litigation-happy society.
Ironically, the recent decline of the dollar has boosted sales of U.S.-made machine tools. Orders for new machines are running 15 percent over last year.
But the upturn didn`t come in time to save Brown & Sharpe`s screw-machine business. ``Brownies`` helped make America the envy of the industrialized world, but in the end, they were no match for less expensive foreign machines exported by low-wage, state-subsidized competitors.
``The Japanese have spent a lot of time and money on the manufacturing process,`` Richard Duncan, a top B & S executive, told a reporter after the announcement. ``We need more of a countrywide approach here, more cooperation between business and government. What happened to our company is only a small example of what has happened to many other companies across America.``
So Mac got out of the machine tool business just in time. He`s OK because his pension check will spend no matter what.
But back in Providence, I would guess, one more teenager is getting a job at a grocery store.


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|By Marketwired .||
|January 17, 2013 08:00 AM EST||
REDWOOD SHORES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 01/17/13 -- Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL)
- To capitalize on the business value of an enhanced customer experience, LOREX Technology, a leading provider of video surveillance security solutions, implemented Oracle ATG Web Commerce.
- The implementation project ran smoothly with no issues and was deployed ahead of schedule and on budget.
- Oracle ATG Web Commerce, part of Oracle Commerce, provides leading commerce software and services that power the world's best brands and companies by delivering tailored and consistent customer experiences that unify and optimize customer interactions.
- LOREX Technology manufactures and delivers connected video security cameras and monitoring systems for residential and business use, sold via thousands of popular etail and retail stores across North America, as well as directly to consumers through its website.
- To expand its existing success with businesses into the consumer space, this growing company saw an opportunity to leverage customer experience as a key differentiator by aligning the brand experience across its B2B partners' brick and mortar stores and online.
- Along with Gold level members of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), Thinkwrap Commerce and Tenzing Managed IT Services, LOREX conducted an extensive search for the right commerce platform to address its immediate need for a more intuitive shopping cart interface that could grow along with the company. After reviewing other solutions, LOREX chose Oracle ATG Web Commerce because it addressed every stage of the buying process and crossed all customer touch points, including the Web, contact center, mobile devices, social media and its B2B partners' physical stores.
Oracle Commerce provides Optimal Solution for Company with an Eye toward Growth
- LOREX understood that Oracle Commerce provided the optimal foundation to aid in rapid, scalable, long term business growth while allowing full control of the platform.
- In addition, Oracle Commerce offered LOREX an advantageous total cost of ownership.
- LOREX benefited from a strong team approach, resulting in an almost seamless integration between Oracle ATG Web Commerce and its existing backend technology, enabling LOREX and its partners to quickly and easily implement an enterprise-class, feature-rich commerce solution.
- With Oracle ATG Web Commerce, LOREX is able to deliver an improved customer buying experience through personalized recommendations, targeted promotions, and guided assistance.
- "To support our brisk business expansion and to continue delivering the highest levels of service, we recognized the need to embrace a customer experience transformation across all channels," said Reuben Klein, chairman and CEO of LOREX Technology. "Oracle ATG Web Commerce provided the perfect solution for our growing company. Not only have we created a more consistent customer experience, personalized to each buyer, but we've also accelerated our consumer business with a revamped online presence.
- "Oracle ATG Web Commerce helps enable LOREX Technology to increase customer satisfaction, while adapting to the firm's rapid pace of growth," said John Andrews, vice president product management, Oracle. "By utilizing an Oracle Commerce solution, LOREX Technology can meet the growing demand for best-in-class customer experiences and increase its cross-channel business growth."
- Oracle Commerce
- Oracle ATG Web Commerce Applications
- Oracle Midsize Customer Success Stories
- Complete Commerce Blog
Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in your data center. For more information about Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL), visit www.oracle.com.
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
The security needs of IoT environments require a strong, proven approach to maintain security, trust and privacy in their ecosystem. Assurance and protection of device identity, secure data encryption and authentication are the key security challenges organizations are trying to address when integrating IoT devices. This holds true for IoT applications in a wide range of industries, for example, healthcare, consumer devices, and manufacturing. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Lancen LaChance, vic...
Oct. 23, 2016 01:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,638
Cloud based infrastructure deployment is becoming more and more appealing to customers, from Fortune 500 companies to SMEs due to its pay-as-you-go model. Enterprise storage vendors are able to reach out to these customers by integrating in cloud based deployments; this needs adaptability and interoperability of the products confirming to cloud standards such as OpenStack, CloudStack, or Azure. As compared to off the shelf commodity storage, enterprise storages by its reliability, high-availabil...
Oct. 23, 2016 01:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,024
In the next forty months – just over three years – businesses will undergo extraordinary changes. The exponential growth of digitization and machine learning will see a step function change in how businesses create value, satisfy customers, and outperform their competition. In the next forty months companies will take the actions that will see them get to the next level of the game called Capitalism. Or they won’t – game over. The winners of today and tomorrow think differently, follow different...
Oct. 23, 2016 01:15 AM EDT Reads: 876
The IoT industry is now at a crossroads, between the fast-paced innovation of technologies and the pending mass adoption by global enterprises. The complexity of combining rapidly evolving technologies and the need to establish practices for market acceleration pose a strong challenge to global enterprises as well as IoT vendors. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Clark Smith, senior product manager for Numerex, will discuss how Numerex, as an experienced, established IoT provider, has embraced a ...
Oct. 23, 2016 01:15 AM EDT Reads: 982
SYS-CON Events announced today that Super Micro Computer, Inc., a global leader in Embedded and IoT solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology, is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions® for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/Big Data, HPC and ...
Oct. 23, 2016 12:45 AM EDT Reads: 3,518
The Internet of Things (IoT), in all its myriad manifestations, has great potential. Much of that potential comes from the evolving data management and analytic (DMA) technologies and processes that allow us to gain insight from all of the IoT data that can be generated and gathered. This potential may never be met as those data sets are tied to specific industry verticals and single markets, with no clear way to use IoT data and sensor analytics to fulfill the hype being given the IoT today.
Oct. 23, 2016 12:15 AM EDT Reads: 2,419
Web Real-Time Communication APIs have quickly revolutionized what browsers are capable of. In addition to video and audio streams, we can now bi-directionally send arbitrary data over WebRTC's PeerConnection Data Channels. With the advent of Progressive Web Apps and new hardware APIs such as WebBluetooh and WebUSB, we can finally enable users to stitch together the Internet of Things directly from their browsers while communicating privately and securely in a decentralized way.
Oct. 23, 2016 12:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,821
Donna Yasay, President of HomeGrid Forum, today discussed with a panel of technology peers how certification programs are at the forefront of interoperability, and the answer for vendors looking to keep up with today's growing industry for smart home innovation. "To ensure multi-vendor interoperability, accredited industry certification programs should be used for every product to provide credibility and quality assurance for retail and carrier based customers looking to add ever increasing num...
Oct. 23, 2016 12:00 AM EDT Reads: 428
The Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), sponsor of the IoTivity open source project, and AllSeen Alliance, which provides the AllJoyn® open source IoT framework, today announced that the two organizations’ boards have approved a merger under the OCF name and bylaws. This merger will advance interoperability between connected devices from both groups, enabling the full operating potential of IoT and representing a significant step towards a connected ecosystem.
Oct. 23, 2016 12:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,187
Manufacturers are embracing the Industrial Internet the same way consumers are leveraging Fitbits – to improve overall health and wellness. Both can provide consistent measurement, visibility, and suggest performance improvements customized to help reach goals. Fitbit users can view real-time data and make adjustments to increase their activity. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Mark Bernardo Professional Services Leader, Americas, at GE Digital, discussed how leveraging the Industrial Internet a...
Oct. 22, 2016 11:45 PM EDT Reads: 4,460
More and more brands have jumped on the IoT bandwagon. We have an excess of wearables – activity trackers, smartwatches, smart glasses and sneakers, and more that track seemingly endless datapoints. However, most consumers have no idea what “IoT” means. Creating more wearables that track data shouldn't be the aim of brands; delivering meaningful, tangible relevance to their users should be. We're in a period in which the IoT pendulum is still swinging. Initially, it swung toward "smart for smar...
Oct. 22, 2016 11:45 PM EDT Reads: 707
SYS-CON Events announced today that LeaseWeb USA, a cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider, will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. LeaseWeb is one of the world's largest hosting brands. The company helps customers define, develop and deploy IT infrastructure tailored to their exact business needs, by combining various kinds cloud solutions.
Oct. 22, 2016 11:30 PM EDT Reads: 3,801
A completely new computing platform is on the horizon. They’re called Microservers by some, ARM Servers by others, and sometimes even ARM-based Servers. No matter what you call them, Microservers will have a huge impact on the data center and on server computing in general. Although few people are familiar with Microservers today, their impact will be felt very soon. This is a new category of computing platform that is available today and is predicted to have triple-digit growth rates for some ...
Oct. 22, 2016 11:00 PM EDT Reads: 33,944
November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Penta Security is a leading vendor for data security solutions, including its encryption solution, D’Amo. By using FPE technology, D’Amo allows for the implementation of encryption technology to sensitive data fields without modification to schema in the database environment. With businesses having their data become increasingly more complicated in their mission-critical applications (such as ERP, CRM, HRM), continued ...
Oct. 22, 2016 10:30 PM EDT Reads: 918
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloudbric, a leading website security provider, will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Cloudbric is an elite full service website protection solution specifically designed for IT novices, entrepreneurs, and small and medium businesses. First launched in 2015, Cloudbric is based on the enterprise level Web Application Firewall by Penta Security Sys...
Oct. 22, 2016 10:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,053
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftNet Solutions will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. SoftNet Solutions specializes in Enterprise Solutions for Hadoop and Big Data. It offers customers the most open, robust, and value-conscious portfolio of solutions, services, and tools for the shortest route to success with Big Data. The unique differentiator is the ability to architect and ...
Oct. 22, 2016 10:15 PM EDT Reads: 648
Most people haven’t heard the word, “gamification,” even though they probably, and perhaps unwittingly, participate in it every day. Gamification is “the process of adding games or game-like elements to something (as a task) so as to encourage participation.” Further, gamification is about bringing game mechanics – rules, constructs, processes, and methods – into the real world in an effort to engage people. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Robert Endo, owner and engagement manager of Intrepid D...
Oct. 22, 2016 09:30 PM EDT Reads: 9,657
WebRTC adoption has generated a wave of creative uses of communications and collaboration through websites, sales apps, customer care and business applications. As WebRTC has become more mainstream it has evolved to use cases beyond the original peer-to-peer case, which has led to a repeating requirement for interoperability with existing infrastructures. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Graham Holt, Executive Vice President of Daitan Group, will cover implementation examples that have enabled ea...
Oct. 22, 2016 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,260
SYS-CON Events announced today that Enzu will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Enzu’s mission is to be the leading provider of enterprise cloud solutions worldwide. Enzu enables online businesses to use its IT infrastructure to their competitive advantage. By offering a suite of proven hosting and management services, Enzu wants companies to focus on the core of their online busine...
Oct. 22, 2016 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,259
SYS-CON Events announced today that Roundee / LinearHub will exhibit at the WebRTC Summit at @ThingsExpo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. LinearHub provides Roundee Service, a smart platform for enterprise video conferencing with enhanced features such as automatic recording and transcription service. Slack users can integrate Roundee to their team via Slack’s App Directory, and '/roundee' command lets your video conference ...
Oct. 22, 2016 08:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,009


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Lee student organizes toy drive for children in crisis situations
With the help of his classmates from Lee High School and customers at Stripes convenience stores, Wilson Clark made his second annual Toys for Cops drive more successful than the first.
The Lee sophomore delivered more than 400 toys intended for children in crisis situations to Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter on Thursday, with the promise that more toys would be delivered right after Christmas.
Though Clark's individual toy drives are complete, after a weeklong collection at Lee and Christmas collection party hosted by his family, he's hopeful the collections taking place at 17 Stripes stores through Dec. 24 will yield hundreds of additional toys for children in crisis situations.
"We've collected more toys than I expected this year and think we'll probably get more before Christmas," Clark said.
Clark started the drive in 2011 to fulfill a requirement for the Lonestar Leadership Council, a program of the Keller-based Education in Action.
He collected about 200 toys during the inaugural year, asking for donations from family, friends, church members and his parent's colleagues. Seeing the great response, Clark said he wanted to increase the scope of the collection this year and decided to incorporate his school and seek a corporate sponsor.
He wrote a letter to Sam Susser, CEO of Susser Holdings, inquiring whether Stripes convenience stores would like to be involved with his project. He was paired with Richard Sebastian, vice president of retail operations.
Stripes agreed to host collections at their 17 stores in Midland and Ector counties, donating the toys collected in each county to the respective sheriff's department. Stripes also donated collection bags and prizes for the winners of the Lee High School toy drive classroom competition, where about 150 toys were collected, Clark said.
Of the 200 toys delivered to Painter and the MCSO in 2011, all but three have been given away to children in need, Painter said Thursday. This year's collection will provide children with comfort during distressing situations, he said.
"This is a real good showing. Not bad at all," Painter said as he looked at the bags of toys Clark delivered.
What started as Wilson's project has grown into a family project that his mother, Laurie Clark, said gives her a sense of purpose.
"It started out as a requirement, but it's grown into something we really love and enjoy doing. We get fulfillment out of doing this," Laurie Clark said.
The Clarks' are working to get Toys for Cops established as a nonprofit organization and once her son goes off to college, Laurie Clark said she'll likely continue organizing the collection.
"It was really difficult the first year, telling people about the collection and convincing them to donate, but it's been significantly easier this year so I do think it's something I'd like to continue in the future," Laurie Clark said.
Letter to the Editor
Last year, I started Toys for Cops as a leadership project as a member of the Lonestar Leadership Council through Education in Action to help children in crisis situations in our community. Because of the positive response from last year, collections this year have been under way since the first of November. I would like to thank Lee High School Principal Stephanie Howard, Cindy Wiebusch, debate coach and teacher sponsor for their support.
For their corporate sponsorship, I would like to thank Sam Susser, CEO, Susser Holdings, Richard Sebastian, VP Retail Operations, and other executives with Stripes Convenience Stores: Doug Smith and Michael Deller. I would also like to thank Lee High School students and teachers, our neighbors, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, Federal Courthouse employees, Stripes executives and First Baptist Church members for attending the collection night at our house. Collection boxes for new unwrapped toys are located at 17 Stripes convenience stores in Midland and Ector counties. Midland donations stay in Midland County.
Collections will continue through Dec. 24. I would also like to thank Sheriff Gary Painter, Crisis Intervention, Child Protective Services and the Sheriff's office for getting these toys to the kids who really need them.
Lee High School


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At home and behind the bar, spritzy and still, bitter amaros are being embraced
By Jack Robertiello
Nothing illustrates the rise of amaros (aka amari, plural in Italian) in the U.S. better than the dramatic growth of Aperol. At the start of the decade, the carmine-hued, citrusy, lightly bitter brand had even less impact on the U.S. bar world than Campari, which at that time was languishing at about 50,000 cases, a far cry from its own heyday in the 1980s. Aperol was a junior partner in the team, an afterthought, really, until the emergence of the Aperol Sprtiz.
Growth since then has been stratospheric. The company reported last year the brand grew by more than 40%, and for the first quarter of this year, it was up almost another 20%. Based mostly on the brunch favorite Spritz—Aperol, sparkling water and Prosecco—the brand has been the biggest beneficiary of the turn to more full-flavored and bitter ingredients in the cocktail world.
The proliferation of both imported brands returning to the U.S. after a long absence and the introduction of new brands from both here and abroad has fed into the growth. Both Angostura and Peychaud’s, the longtime aromatic bitters producers, in the last couple of years introduced their own potable versions aimed at bartenders. And just this August, Martini & Rossi launched their Riserva Speciale Bitter. Many of these have found a market not only among bartenders but also home cocktail enthusiasts.
“America’s palate now fully embraces bold bitter flavors,” says Richard Black, Vice President, Marketing, Vodka and Cordials, Campari America. “Bitter flavors, which were once seen as off-putting, are now desirable. We’ve seen a steady rise in popularity of espresso, intense dark chocolates, IPAs and wild greens; bitter is now mainstream.”
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The importance of bitter-edged cocktails can be found at places like Sable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago, which stocks about 25 amaros and where fully half of the cocktails listed at any one time are likely to include them, says Head Bartender Mike Jones.
Among the current drinks on Sable’s menu, there’s the Wooden Nickel (Glenfarclas 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, the baking spice amaro Ramazotti, grenadine, pineapple juice, lemon, salt, chocolate bitters); El Fin de Sirocco (Plymouth Gin, the bitter-sweet herbal amaro Lucano, Chareau aloe liqueur, honey syrup, lemon); and Jones’s own Cobbler’s Square (East India Sherry, rum, the lightly bitter amaro Nonino, lemon, simple syrup, strawberry, bitters).
Jones says amaros have been go-to ingredients for his bar staff for a number of years, by now so ingrained they’ve flipped the model from strong spirit with modifying amaro. “My approach to a cocktail now is to start with them as the base and build on the flavors to complement or contrast.” This approach helps create more flavorful and lower-proof cocktails, something the industry as a whole has been embracing lately.
Elsewhere in Chicago, the summer of 2017 found some relatively new uses for amaros—frozen. Arbella in Chicago’s River North unveiled their nitrogen-frozen cocktail lineup including Fool’s Gold (mezcal, pineapple and a Mexican amaro) and a Negroni variant. And the frozen Fernet Daiquiri made its appearance at Eight Bar Patio at Maple & Ash Steakhouse.
For Travis Oler, Beverage Manager at the southern French/northern Italian New York City restaurant Italienne, building on the spritz’s popularity has been a way to introduce potentially reluctant customers to the more bitter trend. In addition to a digestif cart wheeled through the dining room, Italienne recently included spritzes made with Cappelletti and another with Nonino, as well as stronger cocktails like the Cocozza Group (bourbon, Ramazotti, crème de cacao and orange bitters), and the Bank Note (Scotch, ginger syrup, the mild cardoon-based Cardamaro and seltzer).
Oler says sweeter and milder amaros like Nonino and Cardamaro are easier to work into cocktails, especially in lighter drinks like spritzes, compared to the astringent Fernets of the world. Jones agrees, suggesting the more baking-spice-focused brands like Averna and Ramazotti have lots of applications.
The enthusiasm for bitter is also being modestly fueled by small American producers, like Washington, D.C.-based Francesco Amodeo whose Don Ciccio & Figli sells in a handful of states a range of bitters and aperitivos. Descended from a family of amaro producers, he points out that simply recreating existing brands and styles won’t work for American producers.
But the time is right for trying at least. “Customers are totally open to it now,” says Oler. “For the most part they don’t necessarily understand what’s going on in the bottle but they are open to a dialogue about it, and trying them.”


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Edinburgh-based Capital Cooling has been rescued from insolvency thanks to a pre-pack administration deal brokered by auditor KPMG.
Founded in 1996, Capital Cooling designs, manufactures, sells, delivers and installs refrigeration equipment, including the Foster, True Refrigeration, Scotsman, Hoshizaki, ISA, Pastorkalt and Pastorfrigor brands.
The administration was announced on 22 December on the firm’s website. This stated: “Following a strategic review of the business, the directors of Capital Cooling have commenced a restructuring. This is being supported by a new, external partner.”
The new backer is understood to be private investor Rcapital. It is understood to have bought the business for around £300,000.
The statement continued: “Capital Cooling’s core business is a strong, profitable and well-run business, with a long history of providing the commercial refrigeration to its customers and a well-respected brand in the UK. However, the service division has suffered due to difficult trading conditions and strong competition in the market.
“The medium-term outlook is that these specific service division-related difficulties will continue, and hence these services will be wound down. The restructuring will make Capital Cooling a stronger and more focused business for the future, which is able to invest in its core businesses.”
According to refrigeration industry news outlet, Cooling Post, the service division closure has resulted in 61 redundancies.
Capital Cooling further detailed: “This restructuring will take the form of a pre-pack administration. Under its terms, certain Capital Cooling’ liabilities will transfer to KPMG LLP, the administrator.
“The corporate restructuring will allow Capital Cooling to continue to operate as normal and build a strong and flourishing business for the future. It will secure jobs, preserve the company’s brand, provide the business with a far stronger balance sheet and protect the interests of its employees going forward.”
The new company is called Capital Cooling Refrigeration Ltd, with Capital Cooling’s former MD, James Anderson, stepping up to the CEO role in the latest business.
Former Capital Cooling product development director Graham Frew is also on the new board.
A statement on investor Rcapital’s website says: “Rcapital’s investment has enabled James Anderson to progress plans to further develop the business and take advantage of significant growth opportunities.”
While Anderson himself added: “We are extremely pleased to have successfully completed a significant financial investment in our business which will allow us to pursue our ambitious growth strategy over the next 1-2 years. I am looking forward to working with Rcapital to create further value in the business.”
In addition to its Broxburn, Edinburgh headquarters, Capital Cooling operates from locations in Warrington and Northampton. The firm’s most recent publicly-available annual report from Companies House reveals that in the 12 months to 31 December 2015 it turned over £16.8m, down from £18.6m the previous year. Gross profit was also slightly reduced, from £4.9m to £4.6m.


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As it gears up to open its Melbourne office, Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba has announced the signing of an agreement with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Austrade, that will look to strengthen trade opportunities across Australia and China.
Lending startup Moula, which provides small businesses with up to $250,000 in loans based on their data, has today announced the addition of Chris Ridd, former managing director of Xero, to its board as it gears up for growth.
Enter DiffuzeHR, an Australian SaaS platform that essentially acts as a HR manager for small to medium enterprises. It gives users access to legally-compliant industry and role-specific documents that update automatically to reflect industry changes, recruitment and onboarding processes, performance management features, and an online portal for employees.
Internet domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy has officially launched its Australian operations, announcing former LinkedIn brand builder Tara Commerford as its country manager for Australia and New Zealand.
While group buying sites like Groupon and LivingSocial have helped ecommerce stores thrive, small businesses with little to no marketing budgets have struggled to keep up. Two Melbourne small business owners have come up with Godoko, a platform that they think may be able to help.
Twitter Australia has announced today that Twitter Ads are now available to small and medium sized businesses in Australia.


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The development of driverless car technology is on the rise, and automakers are investing millions and billions to be the first to market with their lineup of autonomous vehicles. But which company has made the largest investment in self-driving cars ? Here’s a look at what some of the top companies have invested in their driverless vehicle programs so far.
The investment into the autonomous vehicle industry has reached over $100 billion, with the leader in spending investing more than half of this number, according to a report by Leasing Options .
The report indicated that Volkswagen is driving the charge when it comes to driverless technology with an investment of $54.2 billion and 57 percent share in total industry investment of self-driving cars.
Right behind Volkswagen is Samsung, spending a reported $8 billion on driverless technology followed behind by Ford ($5.39 billion) and Toyota ($4.32 billion).
Rounding out the investment category is Daimler at $3.04 billion, BMW at $3 billion, and Audi at $3 billion, the report said.
According to the study, in the middle of the pack is Honda, spending $2.76 billion, Softbank, investing $2.27 billion, Kia with a $2 billion investment, and Hyundai also with a $2 billion investment in self-driving vehicle technologies.
Spending the least on its driverless vehicle programs is Volvo at $308 million with Apple, General Motors, and Uber just ahead at $1 billion, $1.5 billion, and $1.88 billion, respectively.


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Americans are expected to spend more than $600 billion during this holiday shopping season, and even though "Black Friday" is still two days away, it's already begun.
Kyung Lah is OutFront with Money and Power.
There is a lot of attention on people having to work on Thanksgiving, I have not seen anyone acknowledge that nurses, police, firefighters, lab techs, etc work every holiday every year.
I worked for 20 years in a Emergency room and worked more Thanksgivings, Christmas, etc than I can remember.
I think it's great that there will be stores, restaurants etc open for those of us who routinely work on these days.
Erin Burnett OutFront airs weeknights at 7 p.m. ET. Designed to showcase Erin's unique style--casual, smart, and confident--OutFront stays ahead of the headlines, delivering a show that's in-depth and informative.


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Facebook and Microsoft are building a huge trans-Atlantic data cable
The high-capacity system should be ready by October 2017.
Charter will axe the Time Warner Cable brand
Now that Charter is closing its acquisition, it's getting rid of an infamous name.
WatchESPN brings live and on-demand sports to Android TV
You'll need a cable subscription to use it, though.
Hulu is working on a live TV service for cord-cutters
The company is reportedly developing a $40-a-month service that'll stream live TV to your home.
Comcast bumps its trial data caps to 1TB
It's not the unlimited service you want, but there's more room to breathe.
Google is bringing TV listings to search results
It'll also list places where you can stream your favorite movies and TV shows.
Comcast Xfinity heads to Roku and Samsung TVs without a box (update: FCC responds)
Samsung smart TVs and Roku's streaming gadgets will soon access cable TV without a set-top box.
Obama backs FCC plan to open up cable box competition
The White House agrees that more competition is better for consumers.
Layer3 vows to fix cable TV, not replace it
High-quality video, internet shows and good customer service will supposedly stop you from cutting the cord.


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The NFC Forum is to hold a public exhibition of NFC technology during its quarterly members’ meeting in Frankfurt next week... More
The internet giant is one of 32 new members of the NFC standards organisation. Other well known names to join the association include car maker Daimler and electronics giant Hitachi. More
Feed for stories featuring HOTech.
• Find a list of all the companies and other organisations that have been featured in NFC World in our directory.


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House bill threatens new technology innovation and America jobs
SOPA could harm social media by forcing tech companies to pre-screen and monitor all user comments, pictures and videos. And, both SOPA and PIPA could require all ISPs, social networks, search engines and any other website with a search function to actively police every single link and could shut down a website that linked to any type of pirated content.
Members of the technology community, human rights organizations and venture capitalists, among others, have all raised serious concerns about SOPA and the effects it will have on American consumers and job creators.
Another major problem with SOPA is it creates an unprecedented vigilante clause where a private party, without any involvement by a court, can effectively shut a website down. This is particularly concerning given the news last week that Warner Bros. Entertainment admitted it asked for material to be taken down under claims of copyright infringement that it did not own. Warner Bros. said it didn’t thoroughly check all the files it asked to be removed, resulting in a number of errors. If the Hollywood studios pushing for SOPA can’t accurately apply these standards, how do they expect the ISPs or search engines to?
What’s particularly frustrating is that a market based solution to piracy already exists. The “follow the money approach” would cut off funding for rogue websites specifically engaging in piracy or selling counterfeit goods by a virtual financial blockade. This approach works—Wikileaks recently announced it was shutting down as a direct result of payment processors removing the ability to donate to the site.
SOPA’s author, Texas Representative Lamar Smith, pushed for this Wednesday’s House hearing and wants to vote on the bill before Congress adjourns in December. Fast-tracking this legislation is a bad idea. This is a complicated issue and SOPA is a complicated bill. In fact, it’s 80 pages long and contains a thicket of Internet regulations including 16 new definitions of evolving Internet technologies. The bill even includes a definition for the word “including.” With so much at stake for the technology industry, there needs to be a thoughtful discussion on what approach will best combat online piracy while not hurting innovation and job creation.
There are major questions in this debate that need to be addressed such as what message will this legislation send to countries like China who are already censoring online expression, if the U.S. government starts shutting down websites? What type of impact will SOPA have on the architecture of the Internet if some sites work for some people but not for others? And won’t this increase in regulations make the venture capitalist community, already skittish in this economic environment, even more afraid to invest in start-ups?
Stealing someone else’s property—whether it’s a movie, a song or an idea—is a crime that should be stopped, but SOPA and PIPA are not the solution to the online piracy problem. Instead of heavy-handed legislation that will cripple the one industry that’s creating jobs, Congress must looked to a market-based approach that effectively stops copyright infringement but also allows the Facebooks and Twitters of tomorrow to grow.
Markham Erickson is Executive Director of Net Coalition. He has written extensively on issues related to law and technology.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Every Android phone or tablet running Android 2.3 or better is getting a software update thanks to Google Play Services 5.0. It's rolling out worldwide now and brings a bunch of new features announced ... (more…) nabitablet temppassword Aki el link de la pagina de nabi ://.nabitablet.com/temppassword. Please write this temporary password down. You will need it to access Mommy/Daddy Mode from your nabi.
(Reuters) - TiVo Inc is trading at a compelling discount and could be a possible acquisition target by Microsoft or Google, Barron's financial newspaper reported on Sunday. TiVo, whose brand is synonymous with digital video recorders, has turned to litigation
Announced within an official post on The Windows Blog, Microsoft seems elated to relay the news that usage of the Internet Explorer 6 Web browser has dropped below one percent within the United States. Tabulated from data collected by Net


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Rubelli acquires Donghia
August 10, 2005-- Home Textiles Today,
VENICE, Italy -- High end European textiles company Rubelli and a group of investors have acquired the American-owned Donghia Furniture/Textiles Ltd. and Donghia Showrooms, Inc.
The investors include Sahco Hesslein, the high-end German decorative textiles company, and Seguso Viro, Murano’s oldest glass company. The group acquired the companies from the Angelo Donghia Foundation and Sherri Donghia.
The nearly 150-year-old Rubelli company also owns Bises, Lisio and Dominique Kieffer. Rubelli fabrics are distributed in the United States in 13 of its company designer showrooms and 20 partner showrooms, as well as through agents and distributors around the world.
Related Content By Author
New homes for Indo Count, Trident


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This Week On NomadTV
Amrita Craig, Marketing Manager, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority speaks with NomadTV in an exclusive interview on the offerings of Mauritius as a tourist destination.
Tourism is increasingly attracting regional and international investment, and returns on investments in the sector remain among the highest in the world. How can Africa boost Tourism? Dr. Martyn Davies answers…
Trade flourishes when countries produce what their trading partners are eager to buy. With a few exceptions, this is not yet the case with Africa. It produces what it doesn’t consume and consumes what it doesn’t produce. In this interview, Ambassador Darlington Mwape, talks on Intra-African trade and how the continental trade agreement will benefit Africa.
Mariki Theron – The International Sales & Marketing Manager of Legend Lodges, Hotels & Resorts speaks on strategies deployed by the company to attract more tourists to its five resorts and its expansion plans across Southern Africa.
Is Africa a developmental burden or a commercial opportunity? What should governments across Africa do to attract foreign investments? How are the emerging market trends changing and affecting African economies? Dr. Martyn Davies, Managing Director of Emerging Markets & Africa at Deloitte Frontier Advisory answers this and many more questions.
Amrita Craig, Marketing Manager, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority speaks with NomadTV in an exclusive interview on the objectives of the Mauritius Tourism board and new products.
Bride Price or lobola is both a cherished but highly controversial culture practised throughout Africa. It is the price paid in cows or money by the groom to the parents of the bride.
“There are broken-down cars and bits of discarded furniture everywhere,” Simpson wrote in the article posted on the BBC website.“Beyond the wooden shacks lie ditches and pools of dirty, stagnant water where mosquitoes breed. Two basic toilets serve the whole camp.”
This is the story of Lagare, a street musician in Bamako, capital of Mali, whose dream is to play in Europe someday. He now has the opportunity to perform alongside one of the best musicians in the country, Loby Traoré, one of the drivers of African blues.
In response to the rising youth unemployment rates in South Africa, Primestars Marketing, together with its key partners, Sasol, National Youth Development Agency, MTN, Kulula Airlines, Tsogo Sun and Sizwe IT, have launched the 3rd year of the innovative STEP UP 2 A START UP National Youth Entrepreneurship initiative. The prestigious launch cemented the stakeholders’
Tourism in Uganda has successfully improved and developed but it is still facing some challenges which have greatly affected the safaris tours with in the country. High competition from neighboring countries like Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. These countries are selling the same products like Uganda and this has affected Uganda’s tourism sector since it’s considered a
There are critical issues and challenges affecting Kenya’s competi-tiveness and sustainability as tourist destination. Tourism in Kenya has had difﬁcult times over the years, particularly a prolonged period lackluster performance in the 1990s. Jacinta Nzioka Mbithi speaks with NomadTV in an exclusive interview on challenges of tourism in Kenya and strategies the kenyan government has
If you’re a seasoned business traveler contemplating a Uganda Tourism business idea, then you will find this interview very relevant and as a good business planning tool. Uganda Tourism has unique untapped potential in the form of eco-tourism, bird life, contrasting scenery and substantial game populations. Stephen Asiimwe, Cheif Executive Officer, Uganda Tourism Board speaks to


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Browsing the shelves of the local supermarket drinks section brings its own pleasures aside from the anticipation of an alcoholic beverage or two.
While beer packaging underwent a bit of a renaissance a few years back as it attempted to appeal to a more sophisticated audience, it now appears that spirit manufacturers are going one step further with some eye-catching package design.
With so many distilleries large and small competing for attention, packaging has become a real battleground where whiskey makers and even champagne producers are trying to make their products stand out above the competition.
A bit of premium package and a discount can go a long way to persuading fickle customers to try something different and this appears to be the type of customers the spirit makers are hoping will buy into their products.
Growing affluence means that premium spirits and champagne, once regarded as expensive luxuries are now well within reach of people doing their weekly shop and fancying some quality liquor for the weekend.
So it’s no longer enough to rely on customer loyalty when across the world demand is growing for premium spirits. To stand out on packed supermarket shelves is now more of a challenge than it has ever been. The design and quality of the packaging can make all the difference.


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Because coronavirus has made weddings even more difficult to organise this year, it's no surprise that many couples have decided to postpone theirs until 2021.
"Say ‘I do’ to minimalist matrimony," the info-sharing platform predicts. "Couples will make their big day more laid back than ever – starting with smaller venues and no-frills elopements."
Pinterest makes this prediction based on search trends on the platform, so it's backed up with evidence. Searches for "simple wedding cakes" have doubled year-on-year, Pinterest says, while searches for "small back garden weddings" have increased by 160%.
Both of these search terms are trending especially strongly in the UK. Searches for "registry office wedding outfit" have also doubled year-on-year, suggesting that couples are planning ceremonies with slightly less formal dress codes. If you're looking for inspiration, check out our recent feature revealing what eight brides wore to their 2020 micro-weddings.
Other wedding trends in the US and Canada include "desert elopement" - the North American equivalent of a trip to Gretna Green, perhaps – and "wedding denim jacket bride". A quick search on Pinterest confirms that wearing a custom denim jacket over a wedding dress does indeed look very cool, whether you're planning on getting married in the desert or not.
Meanwhile, Spotify has recently revealed the UK's most popular wedding songs of the year, a list which includes classic bangers by Ed Sheeran, Whitney Houston, Bruno Mars and John Legend.


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WASHINGTON — Concern is mounting among apparel manufacturers over the expiration of a special preference program in Nicaragua under the Central America Free Trade Agreement that allows companies to use a specified amount of third-country woven fabric in the trousers made in that country and receive duty free benefits when shipped to the U.S.
The American Apparel & Footwear Association outlined the concerns of some U.S. brands that benefit from the preference in a letter the association sent to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Commerce Secretary John Bryson last week.
The special provision, which expires at the end of 2014, allows companies manufacturing in Nicaragua to match one square meter equivalent of woven fabric made in the U.S. or CAFTA region with one SME of third-country woven fabric. It caps the amount of one-for-one woven fabric qualifying for duty free benefits at 100 million SME. There is also a sublimit that allows companies to use 20 million SME of the woven fabric in trousers and ship to the U.S. duty free.
“This [tariff preference level] program has been a tremendous success for U.S. fabric and yarn mills, U.S. cotton growers, U.S. apparel companies and U.S. retailers,” Burke said in his letter to the two top trade officials.
Burke said the TPL program has led to increased apparel production in Nicaragua and supports about 25 percent of all U.S. apparel imports from that country. He also noted that U.S. fabric exports to Nicaragua have nearly doubled over the past five years the trade agreement has been in effect to hit $110 million in 2011.
But the AAFA has a tough road ahead in convincing the Obama administration to extend the program. Deputy USTR Demetrios Marantis told members of the AAFA at its executive summit on March 15 that he does not “envision” the TPL being renewed.
Tom Glaser, president of the global supply chain at VF Corp., said the company has invested a lot in CAFTA because of the TPL program in Nicaragua and asked Marantis why the administration objects to extending it.
“It’s lived its usefulness and its usefulness will end in 2014,” Marantis said. “The idea of CAFTA is to try to source locally from the region and that is not what a TPL does. The whole idea of it was to be a temporary transitional mechanism, which again will expire in 2014.”
Burke said in the letter that the expiration of the preference will “result in a loss of business for U.S. textile manufacturers, U.S. apparel companies and their Nicaraguan partners.”
The uncertainty over whether the preference will be extended has already forced apparel manufacturers to place new business in other countries, Burke said. Congress would have to approve an extension and the other CAFTA countries would each have to approve it as well.
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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Beyonce and Jay-Z are taking steps to ensure no one profits from their new daughter’s name, Blue Ivy, by getting a trademark on it. On January 26 the paperwork reportedly was filed with the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office.
This would enable Beyonce and Jay-Z to profit off the name by using it for products. It also keeps others from using the name for products, too. And while it may seem over-protective, consider this: fashion designer Joseph Mbeh filed paperwork on January 11 (four days after Blue Ivy was BORN) trademark the name “Blue Ivy Carter NYC” while someone else filed to reserve the name “Blue Ivy Carter Glory IV” for a perfume.
Both applications were denied, but isn’t that CRAZY?! I don’t blame them for doing this. While Beyonce and Jay-Z’s application is pending, it’s considered likely to be approved, since parents are allowed to trademark the names of their minor children.
Photos by HRC/WENN.com


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PVR will also purchase additional up to 26 per cent stake from public shareholders through an open offer.
"The company has been informed by its promoters that they have entered into a definitive sale agreement with PVR Limited (through its wholly-owned subsidiary Cine Hospitality Private Ltd) for sale of their entire stake of 69.27 per cent in Cinemax India Limited," Cinemax said in a filing to the BSE.
"The sale has been completed for a total sale consideration of Rs 394.98 crore at a price of Rs 203.65 per equity share," the filing added.
Cinemax shares on BSE closed at Rs 184.25 apiece, up 4.99 per cent from its previous close.
In a separate filing, PVR also said that its board of directors has approved the purchase.
"...board of directors at its meeting held on November 29, 2012, approved, subject to receipt of relevant consents under applicable law, the purchase of entire 69.27 per cent stake in Cinemax India Limited from the Kanakia family," PVR said in the filing.
The PVR board also approved purchase of up to 26 per cent stake of Cinemax India from the public shareholders pursuant to an open offer under the SEBI regulations 2011, the PVR filing added.
Shares of PVR ended at Rs 255.45 apiece, higher by 7.83 per cent that its last close.
PVR, one of the largest multiplex companies in the country runs 197 screens. For the year ended March 31, 2012, the company's total income stood at Rs 513.06 crore, up 11 per cent from Rs 462.22 crore registered in the previous fiscal.
Cinemax operates 138 screens across 39 properties in Ahmedabad, Panipat, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Thane, Bangalore and Pune among others, as per information on Cinemax website.
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With an eye toward trimming $25 million to $30 million in operating costs from its North American headquarters, Thomson Consumer Electronics offered some 1,100 employees a buyout opportunity to stave off a new round of layoffs.
The buyout is part of a broader Thomson strategy to clear the books for 2004, as it repositions itself in the consumer products market, said Dave Arland, Thomson spokesperson. That effort, which included the purchase of Recoton’s accessories business, also includes the company’s ongoing pursuit of a Chinese manufacturing partner, with which Thomson plans to establish a new joint venture company to handle its global television manufacturing and sales.
“We have to reflect the new reality of the consumer products market,” Arland said. “We are looking to put together a separate company that would develop and manufacture television products. This would give us the worldwide scale that we need to be competitive, it would give us access to the China market, which is something we don’t enjoy today, and it would give the Chinese partner access to the U.S. market in a way they can’t get today.”
Arland said the Chinese partner “would have access to the RCA brand and to our wealth of knowledge regarding the DTV transition.”
Arland said negotiations with potential partners “are underway as we speak.”
He said the voluntary reduction program announced in Carmel is in part to “make the company leaner and better positioned” for the joint venture proposal.
He said the buyout offer would remain on the table for a month, after which time, if the financial target has not been met, involuntary layoffs could be imposed.
“We ran a similar buy-out program six years ago, and a couple of hundred people took the offer,” the Arland said. “We hope to see a similar thing this time around.”
Employees were offered eight to 78 weeks of severance depending on tenure.
Thomson offered the buyout to all levels of employees in a number of business units. Employees in the company’s Atlinks joint venture with Alcatel, as well as those working in the broadband products, sales, marketing, information technology, research and innovation, corporate HR and finance divisions were all included in the buyout offer.
One of the few segments of the company that was spared the offer was the consumer solutions/accessories business, which the company recently purchased from Recoton in bankruptcy proceedings for $60 million. Other protected divisions include the company’s TV product development team, legal department, patent and licensing and Technicolor employees.
Arland said the new television joint venture company it is pursuing would “develop and manufacture television products, and then Thomson would sell those products in the United States.”
“That doesn’t mean that suddenly we close every factory and moving everything to China,” Arland said. “We have some wonderful resources on the border in Juarez, Mexico, that would be part of this arrangement. Likewise we have engineering staff and product management people in [Carmel] that likely would be part of the new company.”
Terms for ownership percentages and Thomson’s patent portfolio “are being discussed,” he said. — Additional reporting by Greg Tarr


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An open marketplace for virtual assets is coming to a blockchain near you. OpenSea, which offers a platform for trading in-game items and other various collectibles, has raised $13 billion USD from undisclosed investors after beating out EOS as the most valuable company on the market. The influx of new capital will help them expand into international markets while also enabling their tokenization efforts.
The “opensea net worth” is a cryptocurrency that has seen an increase in valuation following Series C funding. The company plans to use the funding to expand their services.
OpenSea, the NFT lord, has secured an incredible $300 million in series C fundraising, bringing the total business valuation to an inconceivable $13.3 billion. The new price is a significant increase over the $1.5 billion it was valued in July.
Paradigm and Coatue spearheaded the charge, with a slew of new and old investors chipping in to help. The money will be used to strengthen OpenSea’s infrastructure, expedite product development, increase customer support and safety, and invest in the larger NFT and web3 communities.
OpenSea is growing in all directions to accommodate this expansion, with employment opportunities popping up across the board. As a consequence, they’ll beef up their customer service, as well as their trust and safety duties, in order to create an atmosphere that prioritizes the consumer.
Furthermore, the NFT trading behemoth will continue to finance a variety of web3-based projects via financing efforts, as well as create its own award program to help up-and-coming developers in Q1 2022.
Series C is now available! We’re creating the nicest and most reputable NFT marketplace with the widest range of chains. The money will enable us speed up product development, strengthen trust and security, and make significant investments in the web3 community and ecosystem. https://t.co/OmRPleMCOX
— January 5, 2022, OpenSea (@opensea)
Despite sailing through some turbulent seas, OpenSea has continued to push the envelope over the previous year. With complaints of stolen NFTs and copied artworks at an all-time high, security will undoubtedly play a significant role in the next year. As a result, the burning issue on everyone’s lips is: how can they increase security without jeopardizing the blockchain’s decentralized nature?
The “nft company valuation” is a cryptocurrency that has seen its value increase following a series of investment rounds. The latest round was led by Sequoia Capital and included participation from BlueYard Capital, Union Square Ventures, and more.
- how much money does opensea make
- opensea gmv
- opensea investment memo
- how many users on open sea
- nft marketplace raises


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© Reuters. FILE Picture: Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks at an function in Hawthorne, California April 30, 2015. REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon/File Photo
By Nivedita Balu
(Reuters) -Elon Musk on Thursday said he has lined up $46.5 billion in financial debt and fairness funding to buy Twitter Inc (NYSE:) and is looking at using his offer right to shareholders, a filing with U.S. regulators showed.
Musk himself has committed to put up $33.5 billion, which will incorporate $21 billion of equity and $12.5 billion of margin loans towards some of his Tesla (NASDAQ:) Inc shares to finance the transaction. He is main executive officer of electric powered motor vehicle maker Tesla.
Musk, the world’s richest human being in accordance to a tally by Forbes, on April 14 offered a “greatest and final” income offer of $43 billion to Twitter’s board of administrators, stating the social media firm needs to be taken private to improve and turn out to be a system for absolutely free speech.
But Twitter unsuccessful to react to his offer and adopted a “poison tablet” to thwart him. Musk also is looking at a tender present to obtain all firm stock from shareholders but has not made a decision irrespective of whether to do so, according to the filing on Thursday.
Musk, Twitter’s next-greatest shareholder with a 9.1% stake, has stated he could make big modifications at the micro-running a blog company, exactly where he has a next of a lot more than 80 million buyers.
Shares of Twitter rose significantly less than 1% on news of the funding, indicating that the sector is however skeptical about the offer.
Shares of Tesla climbed extra than 3% and the price of Musk’s 172.6 million Tesla shares rose by in excess of $5 billion on Thursday subsequent a potent quarterly report. On Wednesday, he competent for payment in the type of stock selections now value about $24 billion after Tesla strike financial gain and earnings overall performance targets.
It is unclear regardless of whether Musk would offer shares in Tesla to cover the $21 billion equity financing. Musk “may well market, dispose of or transfer” unpledged Tesla shares at any time, in accordance to a margin personal loan motivation letter.
Banks, which include Morgan Stanley (NYSE:), have agreed to present an additional $13 billion in credit card debt secured towards Twitter by itself, in accordance to the filing.
A spokesperson for Twitter acknowledged receipt of Musk’s proposal.
“As beforehand announced and communicated to Mr. Musk immediately, the board is fully commited to conducting a mindful, in depth and deliberate overview to identify the course of motion that it believes is in the best desire of the corporation and all Twitter stockholders,” the Twitter consultant claimed in a assertion.
Ryan Jacob, main expenditure officer at Jacob Asset Management, which retains Twitter shares, mentioned Musk’s most up-to-date filing would push Twitter’s board to reply.
“They experienced to take into account the seriousness of the offer, and this filing could do that,” he explained. “It’s going to be tough for them to dismiss it.”
Josh White, assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University and a former monetary economist for the Securities and Trade Fee, reported the funding would probably “place stress on Twitter’s board to either obtain a White Knight, which is unlikely, or negotiate with Musk to attain a larger worth and clear away the poison tablet.”
The offer from Musk has drawn non-public fairness fascination in taking part in a offer for Twitter, Reuters documented this 7 days, citing folks familiar with the make any difference.
Apollo World wide Management (NYSE:) Inc is thinking of methods it can deliver financing to any deal and is open up to working with Musk or any other bidder, although Thoma Bravo has educated Twitter that it is discovering the possibility of placing jointly a bid.
The New York Post mentioned on Thursday that Thoma Bravo was in talks with Musk for a joint offer. Thoma Bravo did not reply to a ask for for remark.
Musk has produced a variety of bulletins on the system, including some that have landed him in scorching drinking water with U.S. regulators.
In 2018, Musk tweeted that he experienced “funding secured” to acquire Tesla private for $420 for each share – a shift that led to thousands and thousands of bucks in fines and him currently being forced to move down as chairman of the auto business to resolve promises from the U.S. securities regulator that he defrauded traders.


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From drones to smart phones, such advances have provided information on climate-smart technologies and practices, and helped make devices more affordable and accessible for even the poorest smallholders and family farmers.
This is according to an e-agriculture strategy guide, which the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has piloted in Asia-Pacific countries.
It found that technology is being applied to better assess food traceability, such as QR codes that have been helping shoppers to monitor the safety of their food by tracking products from farm to check-out.
Such traceability systems are being used by major companies in Thailand, including retailers such as Tesco and manufacturers like CP. Other big names, including Intel, Tata Consultancy Services and Progis have also been involved in technology development.
Among devices used to improve agricultural production are drones that can quickly map large areas of agricultural land with GIS technology, to help policy makers, producers and exporters predict the quality and quantity of a harvest in advance.
These can also monitor the effects of climate change on large areas of arable land and their vulnerabilities to climate related disasters.
“Clearly the application of ICT developments in the food and agriculture sector is having a positive impact and will continue to do so as technology continues to advance,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, the FAO’s regional representative for Asia and the Pacific.
“The implementation of e-agriculture strategies will help us address challenges to our eco-systems while generating new revenues, improving the lives of people in rural communities and, ultimately, will help us achieve a food-secure world without hunger.”
Ioane Koroivuki, the International Telecommunication Union’s regional director, said that technology has been cutting a swathe across a number of agriculture sectors and is contributing to global socio-economic development.
“With ICTs in agriculture, this is no different and the transformative and innovative solutions that ICTs bring and will certainly enrich the exciting changes happening on the agricultural landscape,” he said.


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Paladins Dev Update: Cards Unbound
The Paladins team reviews the overhaul to the cards system coming in Open Beta 64 (OB64).
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Venmo is hot. Business Insider reports that quarterly P2P payments volume through Venmo exceeded $2 billion in Q3 2015, three times greater than in Q2 2014. That brings the 2015 YTD total to $5 billion, on track to hit somewhere between $7.5b and $8 billion, up from $2.4 billion in 2014.
And just a year ago, Forrester Research updated its U.S. forecast for mobile P2P payments from $4 billion by 2017 to $5 billion. So much for that forecast.
Payments execs at banks must be shaking their heads in disbelief. How long have they been trying to push P2P payment services at their customers to no avail? CashEdge launched PopMoney in December 2010, so let’s go with five years.
Why did Venmo succeed where so many banks–with a ready-made base of customers–failed? Sure, Venmo has a great interface and is easy to use. But to a large extent, Venmo has taken off thanks to the TechCrunch Effect.
I coined the term TechCrunch Effect two years ago writing about Coin (yes, pun intended). I chalked up the early interest and success (if you can call it that) of Coin to the fact that an article in TechCrunch gave the product instant credibility, and, more importantly, a coolness factor. And that’s the real essence of the TechCrunch Effect: A product becomes “cool” among some segment of consumers for whatever reason. In the case of Coin, it was TechCrunch that spurred the cool factor.
I don’t know what made Venmo cool. You’ll have to ask a 25 year old. I’m on the wrong side of the Venmo Line.
How Big is Venmo?
A new report from Aite Group found that 5% of adults used Venmo to make a payment in 2014.
With the 2015 Venmo dollar volume triple the 2014 level, it’s a good bet that the current adoption percentage is higher. It’s possible, of course, that the 2014 users tripled their Venmo transaction or dollar volume in 2015, but I’m not betting that that accounted for all the growth.
So let’s say that the adoption percentage doubled to 10%. There are roughly 250 million adults in the U.S., so that would yield 25 million Venmo users. With 2015 dollar volume of roughly $7.5 billion, on average, Venmo users send $300 per year. PayPal CEO Dan Schulman has said that the the average Venmo user makes 3-4 transactions a week, or 150 to 200 transactions per year. That would make the average Venmo transaction between $1.50 and $2.00.
These numbers don’t jive. In 2011, Aite Group estimated that the total number of P2P transactions (all transactions, not just electronic or digital) in the U.S. was 11 billion. While the methods used to make those payments may have changed dramatically, the number of transactions probably has not. If 25 million Venmo users are making 180 transactions per year (roughly 3.5 per week), then the total number of Venmo transactions is in the 4.5 billion range. AND THAT IS SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE. There is no way that more than a third of P2P transactions in this country are flowing through Venmo.
So let’s revisit our assumptions. Maybe the 5% adoption rate is more reflective of today’s environment,and not just last year’s. That would bring the number of users down to 12.5 million, but with the other assumptions intact, average transaction volume would be a little more thatn $3, and the total number of Venmo transactions would be 2.275 billion, or about one in five P2P transactions. STILL NOT REALISTIC.
If Venmo users averaged one transaction per week, then transaction volume would be in the 650 million range (6% of total) and average transaction volume between $11 and $12. This is feeling a lot more realistic, but I hate to imply that Dan Schulman was wrong. Maybe he meant “the most active” Venmo users, and not “average” users. But if he was right, then for the numbers to make sense at the aggregate level, Venmo adoption is probably closer to 1% than 5%.
With $7.5 billion in transactions flowing through Venmo, that must be driving a ton of revenue for PayPal, no? No. Venmo users don’t pay for the service (as long as the money is coming from their bank account or debit card).
And therein, of course, lies the challenge of every freemium product or service: How is it going to make money? According to Business Insider, Venmo has a plan:
PayPal announced Venmo Pay, which will enable merchants to accept Venmo payments from customers for a fee of 2.9% of the value of the transaction plus $0.30. PayPal will first roll it out to merchants that accept in-store PayPal transactions, and the firm expects to achieve full monetization by the end of 2016. This in-store push could be successful given that Venmo has reached critical mass, and that customers are using the app frequently. This makes them more likely to be willing to use the app in new environments.
My take: Somebody is smoking the wacky weed out in PayPal country! Surely PayPal execs:
- Have seen the trend among younger consumers (i.e., adult Gen Yers) to increasingly use credit cards. The reason for this is simple: Rewards.
- Have seen the (albeit, as yet unsuccessful) efforts of MCX to create a payment mechanism that eliminates interchange fees altogether. The reason for this is simple: Merchants don’t want to pay 0.9% of the transaction value and $0.03 let alone 2.9% and $0.30.
- Can guess that Venmo users might not appreciate the social aspects of a B2C payment as much as they do for a P2P payment.
The Future of Venmo
An in-store push for Venmo is going to fail miserably. Venmo has succeeded as a P2P tool because: 1) It became cool; 2) It was free; and 3) The alternatives sucked. As a B2C payment tool, the alternatives to Venmo don’t suck, and Venmo isn’t free. And Venmo isn’t cool–at the moment, at least–as a retail payment method. The future of Venmo is not in retail.
The future of Venmo is Use Case Specialization.
Use case specialization is not a real term. Wim Rampen would call this “jobs to be done.” In the world of P2P, there are many use cases, or jobs-to-be-done: gifting, splitting a restaurant or rent bill, repaying a loan, making an alimony payment, buying something from someone on eBay, etc.
Here’s the reality of P2P payments in the U.S.: Consumers will never pay to pay these types of transactions (banks learned this the hard way, PayPal probably knows this very well).
Here’s another reality: Splitting bills, repaying friends, buying things from other people comprise a tiny percentage of overall P2P payments.
More reality: Repaying loans and making alimony/child support payments comprise a larger percentage of the P2P pie than splitting bills, repaying friends, and buying things from other people combined.
The key to driving Venmo growth–and monetizing the service–will come from creating solutions and services that address P2P use cases:
- Most P2P loans occur between people who know each other–not on Lending Club (which, for all intents and purposes isn’t even a P2P lending platform). Venmo will (should) create the ability for two people to create an agreement online, and enable the borrower to pay the lender through Venmo–for a fee.
- An Austin, TX-based firm called SupportPay is already establishing a capability for exes to make alimony/child support payments, and track the payments made with those funds to ensure they meet child support requirements.
Venmo will (should) create similar capabilities, or acquire firms that create similar use case-specific P2P services.
The key to Venmo’s future is moving upstream in the P2P value chain–not into the retail/B2C environment.