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The marketing agency Discovery Research Group has completed a study of the segment of clothes and shoes in the Russian market for sales of online stores.
According to the data obtained, in Russia about 15% of the adult population of the country are buyers of online stores. For comparison, in the UK this indicator is 70%. But in 2013, buying online became 50% of the entire Internet audience, which exceeds this indicator in all countries of Southern and Central Europe.
In 2013, sales of online stores in Russia amounted to about 530 billion rubles. The growth amounted to approximately 30% compared to 2012 of 400 billion rubles. Over the next five years, experts predict online sales growth of at least 30% per year.
The clothing and footwear segment ranks second in terms of sales in the entire e-commerce market for physical goods, with a share of 16% as of 2013. The volume of the segment is 56,8 billion rubles, an increase of 33% compared to 2012. The average daily number of orders in this segment is about 59 thousand, which is the largest indicator on the market.
The bulk of online shoppers spend more than 4 days to choose from. Shoppers predominantly scan more than 20 to 50 items before buying. 80% of orders contain more than one item. The average cost of one order in an online clothing and footwear store is 3 rubles.
The main trends in the online store sales market are regional expansion, consolidation of market players, investment growth, logistics development and the construction of multi-channel formats.
The main prospects for the development of the market in 2014 are an increase in the average purchase price while stagnating the number of online orders; decrease in consumer activity; further advancing the growth rate of digital goods over tangible goods. The growth in online sales in rubles in 2014 will be higher than in 2013, but solely due to the growth of the dollar.
J'son & Partners Consulting's consultants predict that in 2017 clothing and footwear will also be one of the most demanded categories.
In 2013, the number of online stores in Russia reached 39 thousand, which is 20% more than in 2012. In the field of clothing and footwear sales, according to data for 2013, the number of online stores was at a high level - 4,2 thousand.
According to data for the 4th quarter of 2013, wildberries.ru and lamoda.ru became the most visited Russian online stores in the field of clothing and footwear sales, the weekly number of unique visitors of which is 3,1 million people. and 2,3 million people. Respectively.


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New game Unleash the Light was added to Apple Arcade on Monday. It is a mobile RPG based on the Cartoon Network show Steven Universe.
More Games Added to Apple Arcade
Players can play as six characters from the show: Steven, Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, and Bismuth. Players must take on two new Prism-wielding Gems. The show’s cast provided the voiceover for the game.
Apple Arcade launched with 60 games, and will eventually get to over 100. Indeed, a number of new games were added to the subscription service in the run-up to the holiday season. Action platform game Fallen Knight joined the lineup on November 19th. Shooter ShockRods arrived on November 21. A further 16 games were added earlier in November. Apple released a video showing off all the new titles.

domain: news


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Green Bay, Wisconsin, May 31, 2022 – Schreiber Foods is taking the next step on its technology and innovation journey by hiring another technology expert in the food industry.
SriRaj Kantamneni has joined Schreiber as Senior Vice President, Information Services and Chief Information & Digital Officer (CIDO). In this role, Sri will lead Schreiber’s digital strategy and innovation. Sri will succeed Tom Andreoli, a 24-year Schreiber veteran, who is retiring in September 2022.
“We’re excited to have Sri join our executive team. He will help lead our digital transformation and work closely with the leadership team to accelerate our growth and impact journey,” said Ron Dunford, President and CEO. “The last two years of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity have been tough on most businesses. Companies winning with technology will lead the way in overcoming these challenges.”
“Agriculture has been a technology-first industry for hundreds of years,” Sri said. “We’re seeing that take hold in the form of digital adoption and the use of data and analytics. It’s an exciting time, and I think it’s an opportunity for us to help move the industry forward.”
Sri brings more than 20 years of leadership in data and digital technologies; supply chain; and production. He joins Schreiber from Cargill, where he most recently served as Managing Director of Digital Insights in Cargill’s Animal Nutrition & Health business, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this role, he was responsible for commercializing new products, services, and capabilities by leveraging data and digital technologies to transform animal production for livestock and aquaculture.
Prior to this role, in 2012, Sri relocated to Bangalore, India, where he was tasked with establishing and running a technology shared services center for Cargill. This is now part of Cargill Business Services, one of six global delivery centers. He has also assisted with integrations following acquisitions and was part of large technology transformation initiatives at Cargill.
Sri earned his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois, and an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University in Ames. He grew up in Iowa City, Iowa.
Away from work, Sri enjoys playing racquetball, running and sampling new restaurants across the country. He is also an avid world traveler, having been to nearly 50 countries.
Schreiber Foods strives to do good through food every day. Based in North America, we’re a customer-brand leader in cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, beverages and yogurt. Our more than 9,000 employees and presence on five continents enable us to be an essential ingredient in our customers’ success. With annual sales of more than $5.7 billion, we partner with the best retailers, restaurants, distributors and food manufacturers around the globe. We also recognize our responsibility to do good in the world and are driven to make a difference in everything we do.
Andrew Tobisch, Communications Director


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Dixons Carphone, the retail chain behind Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse, is set to update the City on its turnaround plans after bosses previously admitted they had been too slow to win over online shoppers.
A new report suggests Dundee’s high streets and retail parks have been “blighted” with closures in the last year.
Like many high streets across the UK, the Murraygate hasn’t had its troubles to seek.
Police hunt four suspects after man scarpers from Overgate with a ‘load of mobile phones in his arms’
Police are hunting a gang of four men after a mobile phone store at a shopping centre was raided yesterday afternoon.
The Murraygate has been dealt a fresh blow after Carphone Warehouse closed its doors after a 20-year stay.
Question marks hang over the future of another store in Dundee city centre after estate agents put the unit up for rent.


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Ending furlough scheme in June is 'tantamount to economic suicide', say business leaders
Ending the Government's near-£50billion wage subsidy scheme in June is 'tantamount to economic suicide' as firms will be forced to make mass redundancies without further help, according to business leaders.
Just days after British Airways warned of 12,000 job cuts, business only expect to recover slowly as workers and consumers stay home and social distancing measures are put in place.
It means a lot of firms – particularly on the High Street and in travel and tourism – will be unable to afford to pay all their staff once the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme ends in June.
Crunch time: A lot of firms – particularly on the High Street and in travel and tourism – will be unable to afford to pay all their staff once the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme ends in June
They are currently able to send staff home on 80 per cent of their wages, which are covered by the Government up to £2,500 per month.
The Office for Budget Responsibility said it expects the furlough scheme to cost £49billion.
Business groups estimate that around a third of the 3m jobs in UK retail are in areas which are severely affected by the lockdown, with many shut down completely.
Most High Street firms have placed their staff on furlough while stores are closed.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, told MP's on the business committee: 'The Government really mustn't turn off the tap once restrictions are lifted at the end of June. We don't have that cliff-edge while trading remains difficult.'
Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, said: 'It's impossible for shops to take all their staff back on if all their sales pre-crisis are not there. Unless there is an extension [to the scheme] it will result in redundancies.'
Vikas Shah, managing director of Swiscot Group, a textile supplier, said: 'I think it would be tantamount to economic suicide for the Government to halt the furlough programme before businesses have had the chance to recover their trade. And for all businesses, including ours, that would be a catastrophic event.'
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Jack Morse says some abnormal pop-up ads promising a prize in exchange for your personal information or a few clicks are bypassing normal ad blockers.
By Jack Morse*
Pop-up ads have long been the scourge of the internet.
But the rise of ad blockers, plus anti-pop-up moves by Google and Firefox had given us hope that those days would soon be behind us.
So why are even the most tech-savvy among us starting to see ads appear congratulating us for being “selected as a winner” of a $1,000 Amazon gift card?
The pop-ups in question appear on both smartphone and desktops, promising a prize in exchange for your personal information or a few clicks.
They are undeniably annoying, and quite clearly a scam.
Neither Android nor iPhone users are safe, and some frustrated web denizens are at their wits’ end.
The reason some of these pop-up ads may be getting around your ad blockers: they aren’t normal ads.
Cybersecurity firm Symantec has identified one specific strain of malware hiding in apps, Android.Fakeyouwon, that its researchers say is fuelling these types of scams on Android devices.
Infected applications “hide themselves as legitimate apps in domains such as settings apps [Panel Settings], or apps that play music for free,” the researchers wrote.
“Apps will also ask for the minimum amount of permissions, so as not to concern more discerning users on installation.”
What’s more, it’s likely not just malware in malicious apps ruining your day.
Something called forced redirects could also be at play.
“A forced redirect is when a person is surfing the web on a computer or mobile device and through no action of their own gets redirected to a different website,” according to the anti-malware company Confiant.
“Usually the website they are redirected to is a vehicle for some form of affiliate fraud or malware.”
Ed Ho, Twitter’s General Manager of the Consumer Product and Engineering Group, tweeted a series of questions about this very practice.
“What is interesting to me: 1) What ad network is this running through, and why don’t they know?” Ho told us.
“2) Why is it that Safari on iOS appears to be vulnerable to this attack? 3) What is the actual vulnerability?”
Confiant identified one such network of so-called malvertising in January this year, and found that it involved the creation of “28 fake ad agencies to distribute malvertising campaigns.”
In short, this is a sophisticated fraud network that is mucking up your browsing.
Thankfully, all is not lost.
Google planned to release a version of Chrome that stops forced redirects in January, but according to USA Today as of February that feature had been pushed to a mid-April release.
Still, that means it is very much on the company’s radar, and a Firefox browser extension currently does this very thing.
Once blocking forced redirects becomes the norm across browsers, both mobile and desktop, these “Congratulations” ads should decline.
However, some of the responsibility falls on you, too.
After all, a browser update isn’t necessarily going to prevent malware-riddled apps from screwing with your browsing.
You can, and should, periodically go through your phone and delete old, little-used, or just plain sketchy-looking apps.
As you do, take comfort in the fact that you very well could be making your browsing experience better — one deletion at a time.
* Jack Morse is Tech Correspondent at Mashable in San Francisco. He tweets at @jmorse_.
This article first appeared at mashable.com.


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Re:invent 2019 was an evolution, no revolution. ML and IoT offerings still improving at pace. Continued move towards Containers and Serverless over managing servers.
DiUS is proud to be named as four-time ARN Innovation Awards 2019 finalists, in diverse categories.
Leading Australian technology services company, DiUS, is delighted to announce that it’s the first partner in Australia and New Zealand to attain the AWS Machine Learning Competency.
DiUS, AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, will be speaking at AWS Summit Sydney 2019 about how we’ve been using artificial intelligence to gain deep insights from geological imagery to reduce costs and increase efficiency during drilling.
Intel recently introduced a USB device called Movidius Neural Compute Stick (NCS) that’s capable of running deep neural networks. This convenient USB form factor allows developers to easily add neural network capability to existing hardware and start experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI). The ability to run artificial intelligence locally on an embedded system with low power consumption, coupled with low device cost makes AI at the IoT edge a reality.
How we use Amazon Web Services technology – Sumerian, Lex and Polly – to improve the ability of customers to navigate a shopping centre and make their offline shopping experience more enjoyable.
Instead of locking customers into archaic long-term contracts, Melbourne-based DiUS helps businesses embrace digital through knowledge and training.
DiUS and Environmental Monitoring Solutions (EMS) are proud to have won Best Secondary Industry product at the 2018 Australian IoT Award.
CRN Impact Awards: Artificial intelligence can answer common questions.
Despite the huge amounts of hype surrounding artificial intelligence – AI – the technologies the term includes undoubtedly present a huge opportunity for enterprises across all industries. But what is the best way to get started?


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, 2023-01-20 14:48:16,
There’s a travel community dedicated to improving diversity on the slopes: Mount Noire. Its founders are five Black British women from London: Wenona Barnieh (31), a doctor; Tobi Adegboye (31), who works in HR; Simisola Oke (29), a doctor; Blessing Ekairia (30), a management consultant; and Adeola Omotade (30), also a doctor.
“Our company encourages Black and ethnic minorities to ski and snowboard through promoting bold imagery on our social media. We plan and host group ski trips in Europe,” said Wenona. “We also consult on IDE marketing to help brands increase the representation of Black and minority individuals on the slopes.”
How it All Started
The five ladies attended the same university, where most of them were introduced to skiing through their college ski club. Like most of us, it was not a sport they were exposed to as children, however hearing their friends talk about the fun they’d had skiing and snowboarding, they decided to try it out.
“At the time, we could not understand the concept of opting to go on a winter holiday. However, in 2019, we planned a girls’ trip to Chamonix; it was the first time we skied as a group. This was the best trip, full of laughter and memories. “
One of the most memorable aspects of the trip was the attention the friends received on the slopes being a group of Black girls. They had people approach them inquiring about how they started skiing and several people also asked…
To read the original article from news.google.com, Click here


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Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of the most broadly adopted cloud platform, launched the AWS Asia Pacific (Melbourne) Region– AWS’s second infrastructure Region in the country.
Why is AWS APAC Region a timely cloud platform?
The AWS Asia Pacific (Melbourne) Region provides customers with more options to run workloads with even greater resilience and availability, securely store data in Australia, and serve end users with even lower latency. AWS customers like ANZ Bank, LittlePay, RMIT University, and PEXA Group, will be able to accelerate their development cycles, be more productive and cost-efficient, and bring solutions and services to the market faster.
The announcement is part of Amazon’s ongoing investment into the Aussie economy. AWS also released an economic impact study estimating that the company’s projected spending on the construction and operation of the new Region will support over 2,500 full-time jobs at external businesses annually, with a planned approximately A$6.8bn investment in Australia between 2022-2037. It’s also estimated to add about A$15.9bn to Aussies’ GDP in 15 years.
Rianne Van Veldhuizen, Managing Director, AWS, ANZ, said, “Since we launched the AWS Sydney region in 2012, we’ve had hundreds of thousands of clients use local infrastructure to lower cost, decrease time to market, and innovate faster. We’re now expanding this further.”
“I’m excited to announce AWS Melbourne region. It will bring cloud closer to our Victorian clients so they can store data securely, be more resilient, and deliver even lower latency.”
“For the AWS Melbourne region, we are investing AUD 6.8 billion into the Victorian economy and support more than 2,500 jobs annually across the broader ecosystem by 2037. At Amazon Web Services, we’re committed to moving Australia forward and are eager to collaborate with you, our customers and partners on this launch,” Van Veldhuizen said.
What is the take of AWS’ clients on the platform?
“We know how important access to secure cloud infrastructure is to Victorian businesses and providing more choice will deliver a boost to the economy, support innovation and help to create new jobs locally,” said Victorian Minister for Trade and Investment Tim Pallas.
Professor Calum Drummond, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation and Vice-President at RMIT University, said, “At RMIT, our goal is to be a leading university of impact in the Asia Pacific region. We build on a long tradition of excellence in technology, design, and enterprise. Today our focus is on the contribution we can make to the communities where we operate, who share our determination to create an inclusive and sustainable future.”
“Connections with industry, enable our purpose of driving and fostering innovation. So, the launch of an AWS Region in Melbourne from Amazon Web Services is really exciting for us.”
“We know that we have an important role to play in contributing to the community, tackling complex challenges and developing new ventures. With the launch of the AWS Melbourne region, our researchers, students, and academics are even closer to high powered computing with additional capacity to deliver these world-class research outcomes that benefit society.“
“We recently launched RMIT University’s AWS Cloud Supercomputing Facility, RACE. The first dedicated commercial cloud supercomputing facility at an Australian university,” he said.
“RACE is being used to advance battery tech for photonics, geospatial science, and other research area at incredible speeds. The low latency and high throughput of the AWS region in Melbourne, combined with our high bandwidth private fibre network, will enable researchers and students to innovate beyond the limitations of traditional on-premises data centres.”


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Fortunately, no one was injured.
Parts of the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas were locked down early Saturday after a jewelry store within the hotel was burglarized.
Authorities say at least three men, all wearing suits, were part of the burglary, CNN reports. They had sledgehammers, and one of the men reportedly wore a pig mask.
Spooked guests fled outside, according to news reports.
Police said one of the men had a gun, but no one was injured. CNN reports that authorities took a suspect into custody and were questioning him.
A Twitter user with the handle "K" posted a photo from the scene and wrote: "Literally just witnessed an armed robber in a pig mask at a Rolex store at the Bellagio & then his arrest."
Read more at CNN
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Research: Virtualization Market To Grow to $1.35B in Asia by 2010
- By Becky Nagel
- April 3, 2008
According to a recent Springboard Research study,
virtualization and virtualization-related services spending will reach $1.35
billion (U.S.) by 2010.
The growth -- which equals a 43 percent compound annual growth rate -- will
be driven in large part by increased interest among chief information officers
(CIOs) of mid- to large-size businesses in China, India, Singapore and Australia.
According to the study, 50 percent of these CIOs are aiming to deploy virtualization
solutions during the next 18 to 24 months, even though many of them, the research
states, are either unclear on how to implement the solutions and/or unsure how
virtualization can solve business problems.
"There is clearly a need for more customer education on the benefits of
virtualization -- followed by education on different approaches to successfully
incorporating virtualization into the IT environment," said Ravi Shekhar
Pandey, senior analyst at Springboard Research, in a released statement. "Sharing
case studies of successful deployments alongside direct linking of virtualization
with ROI and business benefits is a key imperative from the vendor side."
The report also states that the majority of the money will be spent on services
versus software. "The complex nature of engagements with vendors and SIs
while implementing virtualization solutions is a prime reason for virtualization
services taking a larger share of the market," said Michael Barnes, Springboard's
vice president of software research, in a statement.
The full study, available for
sale at the Research and Markets Web site, also offers a breakdown of how popular the various vendors are in
the region. According to preview data, VMware leads the software pack with a
70 percent market share among study participants.


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iPod Photo Shipping; Stores Quoting Stock Early Next Week
TMO Reports - iPod Photo Shipping; Stores Quoting Stock Early Next Week
by , 1:15 PM EDT, October 27th, 2004
Apple began shipping Wednesday its new iPod Photo portable multimedia device, a day after it debuted the product, TMO readers and product buyers have confirmed. A number of Apple retail stores in the U.S. told TMO Wednesday they will have "sparse" availability of the new product by the end of next week.
Readers starting receiving notice of product shipments Wednesday, saying their iPod Photo would come direct via air freight from Taiwan and China to arrive early next month.
Sources close to Apple have confirmed to The Mac Observer that the product began being produced in the last four weeks at two different production sites in Taiwan and China and that the new products will be shipped directly to customers and to retail stores by air freight for at least the next two months.
TMO readers received e-mail confirmation directly from Apple as early as 1am EDT Wednesday saying their orders were being processed. Delivery dates ranged from November 3 to November 15.
Consumers ordering the iPod Photo Wednesday directly from Apple's online store were being quoted delivery dates of one to two weeks.
12 different Apple retail stores throughout the U.S. told TMO Wednesday they are expecting stock of the new iPod anywhere from the beginning of next week to Nov. 5.
"We know they're on the way and we were informed by e-mail to expect a small quantity by next Wednesday (Nov. 3)," said a salesman at the Apple retail store in Kansas City, Missouri. "The number of units will be sparse," said another at the retail store in Atlanta. "I think we're getting less than 30 at least to begin with."
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Be cautious of scams
- Amid the recent emergence of the coronavirus world-wide, scammers are looking to exploit this global event for their personal gain. They are posing as officials from the CDC and the World Health Organization to elicit money or personal information through phone calls or malicious links sent via email.
- If you get a suspicious email, text message, or phone call, you can report the scam to GotSpam@ErieInsurance.com or file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.
- For more information regarding coronavirus scams click the link to view the Federal Trade Commission’s article on ways to keep your money and personal information safe from phishing scams surrounding the coronavirus.


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In 2019, Netflix spent $15 billion on content, and by 2028 Wall Street’s BMO Capital Markets project the streaming giant will be spending $26 billion yearly. This is a 73 percent increase in nine years, which is a $1.2 billion yearly increase on average.
$17 billion in 2020
However, the same company estimates Netflix will spend $17 billion in 2020. At that estimated increase, unless Netflix reduces spending in 2021 and beyond, its 2028 content expenditure will be closer to $33 billion yearly, not $26 billion.
Netflix’s competitors are projected to spend the following in 2020:
- Disney+ will spend $1 billion on original programming
- HBO Max will spend $2 billion on original programming
- NBC Peacock will spend $2 billion across two years of original programming.
- Apple TV+ will spend $6 billion on original programming.
- Amazon Prime Video will spend $7 billion on original programming.
From the $17 billion, over $6 billion is on content commitments made in previous years. This snowballing commitment makes the corporation’s debt look perilously out of control.
Netflix has $14.6 billion in long-term debt and $19.1 billion in obligations to content suppliers currently. Despite having 160 million subscribers worldwide, and being a household brand, at some point, addressing long-term debt has to be a priority.
Globally growing numbers
Netflix are aggressively chasing accessible markets in Asia by signing big deals with content creators. They also have growing subscription numbers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. The only territory where the subscription has slowed is in North America.
Tweaking North America
The fact subscriptions are growing globally means Netflix won’t have to act drastically in North America. However, shared accounts, new subscription price points, and content spending will adapt to stimulate growth in the slowing market.
We predict Netflix will do the following in 2020 and beyond:
- Netflix accounts will have IP address locks to stop account sharing.
- A new subscription model for 5G streaming (mobile devices) only.
- Content expenditure will leverage interests in growing territories. For example, The Witcher was a huge Eastern European book series and Messiah focused on Middle Eastern prophecy.
Some analysts also think that Netflix will end up with a free service option with ads. This is unlikely unless subscribers decline in consecutive quarters.
CHECK OUT: Netflix file numbers to stop investor panic


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Milwaukee shoe chain accepting donations this month
Local shoe chain Stan’s Fit For Your Feet has mounted its 11th “Share-A-Pair” effort, trying this year to collect 25,000 pairs of shoes for charity.
Through Feb. 28, Stan’s is asking people to donate new or gently used shoes and socks at one of its five stores. The footwear will be given to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission; to Father Gene’s HELP Center in West Allis; and to Repairers of the Breach, a day shelter for the homeless near downtown. Remaining shoes will go to Soles4Souls, a global non-profit that distributes shoes to people in need.
Shoes can be dropped off during business hours at the three Stan’s stores – in The Plaza at 17155 W. Bluemound Road, Brookfield; 505 W. Silver Spring Drive, Glendale; or 7405 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield – or at the New Balance stores near the Brookfield and Greenfield locations. Donors will receive coupons, good through the end of February, for $10 off men’s or women’s shoes, or $5 off children’s shoes.
Since 2007, Stan’s has collected more than 220,000 pairs of shoes during its annual drives.


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As expected, Apple has this week revealed details of their iCloud platform, with some surprising features, including a ‘match’ service allowing users to integrate tracks not purchased through the iTunes store.
For $24.99 (around £15.20) a year, users can upload all tracks not purchased through iTunes to the cloud, with Apple then using metadata from an existing catalogue of almost 20 million songs to make the music available on numerous devices in a short amount of time. This will apparently give the service an edge in terms of speed when held up against the recently launched Amazon and Google digital locker services.
At present, it isn’t clear whether or not Apple will be using a digital fingerprint system to identify legitimately purchased tracks or if this is essentially an ‘amnesty’ for music piracy, allowing users to listen to illegally downloaded tracks on numerous devices.
Users of the iCloud will be able to automatically sync content including music and apps between a maximum of 10 registered devices running the updated iOS 5 Operating System.
The iCloud itself is a free service and will enable users to download tracks they have already bought from iTunes to other devices running the same iTunes account without connecting them- provided they are Apple devices of course.
Launching the iCloud at Apple’s worldwide Developer Conference, CEO Steve Jobs said that is was "Not just a hard disk in the sky".
Jobs continued: "We are demoting the PC and Mac to just be a device and moving the digital hub centre of your digital life to the cloud."
'There hasn't been an exact date fixed for the launch of the iCloud, though it is expected in Autumn of this year'


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SHENZHEN, Sep 23 (SMM) – Prices of rare-earth products are likely to climb in the remainder of this year, in anticipation of stockpiling for strategic reserves by Beijing as well as tighter supplies and demand improvement, said Li Ziyan, senior rare earth analyst at SMM.
The price growth is expected to be steady, Li told delegates at the 2019 forum on the development of China’s rare earth and permanent magnet industry held by SMM in Shenzhen on Monday September 23, as market participants will be more rational after sharp price gains in the first half of 2019.
A fall in ore supply from Myanmar following a ban on imports that took effect in May will help lift prices of medium and heavy rare earths, as mixed rare earth carbonate is the feedstock for producing medium and heavy rare-earth oxides.
Customs data showed that mixed rare earth carbonate accounted for 73.77% of China’s rare earth imports in June-July, compared with a ratio of 92.32% in January-May.
For light rare-earth oxides, supply will tighten as a slew of smelting and separation plants have been required to suspend after excessive production in the first half of the year.
Li also said that the role as a strategic resource, Chinese government’s crackdown on the black market and protracted trade conflict with Washington will remain supportive of rare earth prices.
SMM assessed prices of praseodymium-neodymium oxide at 322,500 yuan/mt as of Monday September 23, and prices of neodymium oxide at 324,500 yuan/mt.
Prices of dysprosium oxide stood at 1.89 million yuan/mt as of September 23, with those of terbium oxide at 3.9 million yuan/mt, showed SMM assessments.


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BrokerDealer.com profiles retailer Overstock.com’s plan to issue the first crypto corporate bond deal using the technology that underlies cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
Below extract is courtesy of Finextra.com. BrokerDealer.com provides the world’s database of broker-dealers registered in the US as well as a comprehensive directory of non-US brokerdealers based in 30+ countries throughout the globe.
Last Autumn, the firm acquired a 25% stake in alternative trading system (ATS) PRO Securities as part of a long-term ambition to use the core blockchain technology to create a cryptosecurity trading system, in which computer algorithms are used to trade virtual stocks issued by public companies.The company is now scouting institutional investor interest in its first digital bond issues, which is powered by Overstock.com’s TØ.com technology – a name that refers to the fact that trades on the system securely settle the same day, as opposed to the T+3 convention on Wall Street.”The cryptorevolution has arrived on Wall Street,” says Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. “We’re making it official by offering the world’s first cryptosecurity.”According to Byrne, issuing the TIGRcub bonds on the TØ.com platform proves that cryptotechnology can facilitate transparent and secure access to capital by emerging companies. He says that a circular informing investors of the cryptobond offering was distributed on 1 June, 2015.
BrokerDealer.com blog update profiles the latest chapter in CEO Patrick Byrne’s playbook to become a blockchain billionaire and scheme to open a bitcoin exchange via his acquisition of a 25% stake in PRO Securities, an SEC-registered alternative trading system. Whether Byrne is a Blockhead or will prove to be the first Blockchain billionaire remains to be seen, but he is one determined guy.
Online retailer Overstock has stepped up its plans to issue “digital securities” through the acquisition of a 25% stake in alternative trading system (ATS) PRO Securities, according to Wired.
Last year Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne hired developers and lawyers in an effort to create a platform – dubbed ‘Medici’ – that could use the core blockchain technology to create a cryptosecurity trading system, in which computer algorithms are used to trade virtual stocks issued by public companies.
Then, in a recent prospectus filed with the SEC related to the sale of securities, the company revealed: “We may decide to offer any of the securities described in this prospectus as digital securities, meaning the securities will be uncertificated securities, the ownership and transfer of which are recorded on a cryptographically-secured distributed ledger system using technology similar to (or the same as) the distributed ledger technology used for trading digital currencies.”
Details of how this would be achieved have now emerged, with Wired reporting that last autumn a stake was acquired in SEC-regulated PRO Securities, which has now amended its charter to say that it may handle trades in digital securities via blockchain-related technology.
Bryne has told Wired that his firm has already built the blockchain-related tech on top of PRO Securities platform and is now ready to show it to regulators.


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The U.S. Food & Drug Administration finally delivered new guidance on New Dietary Ingredients (NDIs), just in time for the July 4 holiday. After several weeks of reporting and worrying, we've digested the news flow and spoken with leading minds throughout the industry. Here's our bottom-line analysis.
- FDA will take an unexpectedly broad view of NDI notification requirments, and an extremely narrow view of grandfathered dietary ingredients
- This guidance could have adverse impact on up to 70% of supplement products now in the marketplace
- This is only a guidance document with a 90-day comment window
- Next steps for FDA beyond the comment window remain unclear
- FDA's reduced budget further hampers the agency's ability to enforce stricter regulation
- The political machine is now churning, and industry's best advocate in this arena remains Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
After a series of articles questioning FDA's ability to effectively monitor food safety in this country, the agency decided to bare its teeth and fight back. The NDI guidance now in the public arena continues a larger trend of FDA upping its scrutiny of supplements, and it also follows in the footsteps of aggressive regulatory posturing from EFSA, its European peer, around supplement health claims.
This guidance also reintroduces industry to Daniel Fabricant, formerly of the Natural Products Association and now chief supplements regulator at FDA. While Mr. Fabricant surely inherited most, if not all, of this guidance document, his positioning of it in the press suggests a very heavy hand.
Mr. Fabricant, perhaps to his credit, seems to be working right out of the gate to distance himself from critics who immediately surfaced after his appointment to question his impartiality and true ability to regulate the industry from whence he comes. According to quotes attributed to Fabricant, there is nothing about this guidance document that should come as a surprise to industry. When public health is at stake, supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers should have readily at hand the research necessary to prove a high level of clinical safety.
What will happen to innovation?
Innovation in the supplements industry, already hampered by a soft and uncertain economy, faces a major obstacle if this guidance bears enforceable fruit. Markets fear uncertainty, but they fear oppressive regulation even more. With industry scrambling to keep grandfathered ingredients on store shelves, who's going to fund true innovation under such a dark cloud?
Is this an industry death knell? It's way too soon to make that call, but here are a few statistics to suggest otherwise. FDA has about 10 people on NDIs. A simple document search to shore up an ODI can run as little as $15K. Maybe there's a viable middle ground in all of this uproar.
For guidance, read Patrick Rea's recent take on NDIs on the NewHope360 blog.
A list of recent NDI articles from all of the New Hope media properties appears below.


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Unveiled today, the design retains that distinctive colour order of the previous Google logo, but the serif typeface has been replaced with a sans-serif alternative that many news outlets have welcomed as "friendlier".
The logo's distinctive and playfully tilted "e" remains, and the colours appear to have been softened somewhat.
The blue "G" icon – which appears on browser tabs – will also be updated to a four-colour emblem, reflecting the colours of the new wordmark.
According to a blog post written by Tamar Yehoshua, vice president of product management, and Bobby Nath, director of user experience, the logo has been designed to be more in-line with people's multi-platform experience of the search engine.
"Once upon a time, Google was one destination that you reached from one device: a desktop PC," the blog post states. "These days people interact with Google products across many different platforms, apps and devices – sometimes all in a single day."
"Today we're introducing a new logo and identity family that reflects this reality and shows you when the Google magic is working for you, even on the tiniest screens."
"We think we've taken the best of Google (simple, uncluttered, colorful, friendly), and recast it not just for the Google of today, but for the Google of the future," they added.
It's the first logo update introduced by the brand since 2013, when it abandoned drop shadows in favour of a new flat logo.
However it is the fifth incarnation of Google's logo in its 17-year history. The original logo, designed in Baskerville Bold, was used for just a month in 1998.
Later that year an exclamation point was added, and Google's five colour order of blue-red-yellow-blue-green-red was instated.
The introduction of the new sans-serif logo echoes the Alphabet wordmark – also in a sans-serif face – introduced by Google earlier this year as part of its restructuring announcement.
Google will sit as one of many companies under the parent Alphabet brand, which was created by CEO Larry Page to help expansion into different fields.
A video posted by Google documents the search engine's visual history and evolution, as well as showing how the new graphic language will be deployed across Google's various digital services.
The new design has already been added to the Google homepage, with an animation that shows a hand wiping out the old logo and writing the new one in chalk. The new identity will be rolled out to other Google services in the following weeks.


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CEOs: Rush Of Confidence
After suffering through their gloomiest four-year stretch in decades, executives at Caterpillar Inc. couldn't be more upbeat than they are today. Demand for construction gear is surging, helping drive the Peoria equipment maker's sales up 34%, to $6.47 billion, in the first quarter. What's more, Cat is raising prices and -- an important harbinger in this seemingly jobless rebound -- it has even hung out the "help wanted" sign. "This is a broad-based recovery," says Chief Financial Officer F. Lynn McPheeters. "Virtually every sector of the business and every area geographically is coming back."
Cat is far from alone. Across a wide swath of Corporate America, optimism is breaking out again, and the shift in outlook couldn't be more dramatic. A year ago, CEOs of all stripes complained about having "no visibility" about the future of the economy and their businesses. Faced with so much uncertainty, execs shunned expansion. Instead, with the bursting of the stock market bubble, continued fears of terrorism, a spate of corporate scandals, and, finally, the war in Iraq, company honchos hunkered down to concentrate on cutting costs and hoarding cash as they hacked away at capital-spending budgets and payrolls.
PARTY TIME. Not anymore. From high-tech powerhouses and Wall Street brokerages to manufacturers in the industrial heartland, companies across Corporate America are cheering their brightening prospects. Thanks to super-easy monetary and fiscal policies, demand for their products and services is soaring. Government data due out on Apr. 29 were expected to show that the economy grew at roughly a 5% annual clip in the first quarter, after expanding at about a 6% rate in the second half of last year.
But corporate execs haven't had to wait for the gross domestic product numbers to know there's increasingly something to celebrate. A strong pickup in demand, combined with cost-cutting and newfound pricing power, have results soaring. Sales of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index are expected to rise 10.4% in the first quarter, with profits up 25.1%, according to Thomson First Call.
All that good news has finally convinced reluctant CEOs that a major expansion is under way. Although a surge in inflation or a sharp rise in interest rates could eventually slow the party, for now they're jumping in with both feet. Newly emboldened, they have finally stepped up capital spending in a big way. Durable-goods orders in March, reported on Apr. 23, rose 3.4% -- nearly five times the expected increase. That came on top of February's 3.8% gain. Capital-goods shipments, at $59.1 billion in March, hit their highest level since early 2001. For the year, Economy.com Inc. expects capital spending to grow a robust 12%. "Customers are coming out of the foxholes," says James V. Gelly, CFO of Rockwell Automation Inc. (ROK ), a Milwaukee maker of computerized manufacturing gear.
STRAIGHT TO TECH. Brisk corporate spending stretches from small to large companies and across industrial sectors. Indeed, despite capacity utilization rates that remain low, many companies that are keen to modernize are leapfrogging old technology to meet lively demand. Owens Corning, a Toledo maker of insulation products used in housing, is spending $30 million to expand capacity 25% at a 39-year-old Jackson (Tenn.) plant that makes fiberglass for roofing shingles. And even as older jets languish in mothballs, low-cost AirTran Airways Inc. (AAI ) is buying new Boeing 737s that are more efficient than its current 717s.
As companies open their wallets, much of the cash is flowing straight to the tech sector. Tech shipments, which have been accelerating for three months, grew 16.5% in March from a year ago, according to Merrill Lynch & Co. (MER ).
Meanwhile, inventories continue to decline, boding well for new orders in coming months. The uptick has bolstered the chip industry: Global sales in February jumped nearly 31% from a year ago, according to the latest data from the Semiconductor Industry Assn. -- the largest rise since October, 2000. And computers are gaining momentum, too: Hardware shipments have topped 20% growth in four of the past five months.
While tech is key, this turnaround is about more than tech spending. It's broad and deep -- and that means more jobs across industries. Nowhere has the mood improved more than in the hard-pressed heartland. Cummins Inc. (CMI ), a Columbus (Ind.) engine maker, is churning out 340 a day for long-haul trucks at its Jamestown (N.Y.) plant. That's up from 240 just six months ago. To keep the line humming, the plant added a second shift on Apr. 25 and now employs some 1,090 workers, up 20% from the beginning of 2003. "We are seeing improved demand in almost all of our end markets," says CEO Theodore M. Solso.
Many more such jobs could soon appear if CEOs carry through on their freshly minted expansion plans. Fully 50% of executives polled by the Conference Board in an Apr. 5 survey expect hiring to rise in their industries, up sharply from 15.8% in a survey in April, 2003. That's the highest share of CEOs who foresee job growth in their industries since the Board started its hiring survey in 1991.
Another sign of strength: Newspaper help-wanted advertising is up in many cities. At Tribune Co. (TRB ), parent of the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, New York Newsday, and other papers around the country, help-wanted advertising revenue climbed 10% in the opening quarter, including a 14% rise in March. Says Tribune CEO Dennis J. FitzSimons: "We're finally seeing the great economic stats that have been reported translate into job creation."
And after years of consumer resistance to price hikes, shoppers seem willing to pay more. Nearly a third of the members of the National Association for Business Economics surveyed for an Apr. 20 report say prices at their companies are rising, with only 8% pointing to declines. And they're not just talking about commodity prices. Consumers are paying more for everything from milk, toothpaste, and laundry detergent to razors and cell phones; all told, prices on an array of 42 widely used product categories rose some 2% in the 12 weeks ending on Mar. 20, according to a survey by Banc of America (BAC ).
"People feel more comfortable going out and spending money," says Thomas J. Lynch, head of Motorola's cell-phone division, which saw prices jump 16% in the first quarter compared with last year's level.
Still, for all the newfound optimism, today's economy is hardly risk-free. A continued stretch of high oil prices or a renewed terrorist attack could zap confidence. And today's pricing power could quickly turn into tomorrow's inflation. That worry came into focus when the government reported that its Producer Price Index climbed 0.5% in March, much higher than expected. The price hikes "suggest an uptick in inflation for the first time in years," says BofA analyst William Steele. That's why execs are closely monitoring the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates. If it delays too long in raising rates, inflation could loom. But if the Fed moves too soon or raises rates too quickly or sharply, a lot of the wind could get knocked out of the economy's sails.
Given the weekly drumbeat of strong economic data and the outlook for continued strong corporate profits, however, there's clearly more reason to feel good than to worry. Forget all that talk about lack of "visibility" from a year or two ago. From tech to heavy industry, from apparel to hotels, CEOs say the fog has lifted. Says Hyatt Hotels Corp. Vice-President for revenue management Christopher Elam: "We're the most optimistic we've been in three years."
Too upbeat? Maybe. But after the long, tough slog of the last few years, a healthy dose of optimism can only help propel the strong recovery that is clearly under way.
By Joseph Weber, with Michael Arndt and Robert Berner, in Chicago; Dean Foust in Atlanta; Cliff Edwards in San Mateo, Calif.; and bureau reports


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The confusion within the industry related to part-type definitions was evident at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held in Palm Springs, CA, in January when a CIC committee walked attendees through a series of multiple-choice questions.
It was a topic raised at the preceding CIC at a time when the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) was reiterating its rule that all parts must be identified only as new, used, rebuilt, reconditioned, OEM or non-OEM. The BAR has stated that the terms “alt-OE” or “opt-OE” are too unclear or inconsistently used and therefore cannot be listed on customer estimates or invoices in that state without providing additional information about such parts, including what warranty they carry.
To demonstrate the lack of consistency among part types within the industry, Ken Weiss, the new chairman of the CIC “Parts and Materials Committee,” asked the more than 250 people at the Palm Springs meeting whether an OEM part “must come in branded OEM packaging,” and 81 percent of respondents agreed that it did.
But he also asked if that OEM part can be sourced only through one of that OEM’s branded dealers, and only 40 percent agreed that it did. (Most automakers in the past have said OEM parts can only be purchased through one of their dealers.)
Weiss said the nearly 50-50 split over where OEM parts can be sourced is somewhat emblematic of the confusion in the industry and is something the committee hopes to address in the coming year.
The lack of consensus on part-type definitions became even more glaring when Weiss asked CIC attendees in which part category they would put:
• A “surplus OEM part” (65 percent said they would label it “new OEM” while 15 percent said “aftermarket” and 17 percent said “other”)
• A “blemished OEM part” (32 percent said “new OEM,” 20 percent said “used,” 16 percent said “reconditioned,” and 25 percent said “other”)
• An “OEM take-off part or assembly” (56 percent said “used,” while 27 percent said “new OEM”).
How about an OEM’s private label part, Weiss asked, such as a BMW part engineered by Bosch for BMW and sold in a Bosch box? CIC attendees were about evenly split on whether they would categorize that part as “new OEM” or “aftermarket.”
About half of CIC attendees agreed with the statement that “opt-OEM” is a “catch-all part-type description to avoid labeling a part as aftermarket,” but 30 percent of CIC attendees weren’t aware that “opt-OEM” (along with “alt-OEM or “surplus-OEM”) can’t be used on customer estimates or invoices under California BAR regulations.
“What I’m trying to underscore is there is confusion. There is not a consensus in the industry,” Weiss said. “Different platforms should not be using different terminology to describe identical part types. We need, as industry partners, to get together and come up with clear definitions that the industry accepts [so] we at least understand what a part is.”
That process, he said, will require the involvement of shops, insurers, parts suppliers and the estimating and parts platform providers. Anyone interested in participating in the CIC committee (which holds conference calls in between CIC quarterly meetings) can sign up at the CIC website (www.CIClink.com).
Downsides to Not Accessing OEM Information Directly
Two other presentations at industry meetings held in Palm Springs offered examples of some of the potential limitations of relying on aftermarket scan tools or sources of OEM procedures other than the automaker’s own information websites. Speaking at CIC, Greg Potter of the Equipment and Tool Institute outlined how the organization conducts its primary function as a conduit of technical data from the automakers to the independent aftermarket (primarily aftermarket scan tool-makers). It is the frequency with which that data is provided by some automakers that could be a concern to those seeking the latest information.
“Some manufacturers provide us data about six times a year,” Potter said. “Some manufacturers provide us a single year’s packet of data each year.”
That indicates that some changes made by a manufacturer could take up to another year to reach those using aftermarket scan tools. Other potential shortcomings are in the process as well.
“When we receive all this data, we have no idea whether what we receive from a manufacturer is complete,” Potter said. “Nobody really knows that until they have to implement it and make it work. So we let our members know there’s new data provided by, say, Acme Car Company. They will access the information that they need to repurpose into their databases and implement into their scan tools, and they will always find missing pieces. So they come back to us and say, ‘We can’t find information on this controller,’ or ‘We can’t find this routine,’ and we go back to the manufacturer and say there are some things missing. They find it and provide it to us and we upload it. So it’s a constant process we do with the manufacturers all year round.”
Insufficient Information in Estimating System
The other example of possible limitations of third-party providers of OEM information was shared by Montana shop owner Matthew McDonnell during the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ (SCRS) open board meeting held in Palm Springs.
McDonnell, an SCRS board member, said his shop recently repaired a 2017 Toyota Highlander that involved replacing the dogleg on the quarter panel. The shop used the Mitchell International system to prepare the estimate and access the Toyota repair procedures incorporated into Mitchell’s system. [General Motors will be similarly incorporating its repair procedures into the Mitchell system.]
The issue? McDonnell said the Toyota procedures available through Mitchell included “maybe about 20 percent” of what was needed.
“We were able to pull about four OEM documents related to the full quarter-panel replacement, but what we couldn’t pull was the corrosion protection [procedures], the foam location and installation and the safety inspection information after a collision,” McDonnell said.
He said all of the Toyota information for the job they did download through the Mitchell system was at least six months old, and some was as much as a year old. The shop was able to locate the additional information needed through Toyota’s website, but McDonnell said the “bill-payer” on the job questioned the amount of time the shop spent on OEM research for information that the insurer presumed “was just a click of a button” away within the Mitchell system.
“We have spent a lot of time [using] the OEM websites, and I feel that is the most accurate and up-to-date source that we can find,” McDonell said.
John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com). He can be contacted by email at john@CrashNetwork.com.


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Marketplace Morning Report
Start your day with an up-to-the-minute report on the world of business and finance with host David Brancaccio.
On today's show, we'll talk about our visit to Dayton, Ohio — a town where poverty is on the rise — to find out what people are hoping for post-election. We'll also look at how Samsung might restructure its company after the recent Galaxy Note 7 debacle, and find out what we can expect from this year's Giving Tuesday.
On today's show, we'll talk about predictions for global growth in 2017; a rise in nontraditional college students; and the differences between Trump and Brexit supporters.
On today's show, we'll talk about the increase in automation at big retailers and fast-food chains; a rise in fish farms, or aquaculture; and a new pay-by-the-minute cafe in New York.
On today's show, we'll talk about the possibility of an interest rate hike by the end of the year; why your Thanksgiving dinner may have been cheaper this year; and etiquette tips to help you navigate your next holiday party.
On today's show, we'll talk about a Texas judge's decision to block new rules from the Obama Administration that would make employees eligible for overtime pay; look at a surge in "rage donations" from Clinton voters frustrated over Trump's victory; and chat with Marketplace's Ben Johnson about the new season of his "Codebreaker" podcast, which tackles the question of whether technology can save us.
On today's show, we'll talk about what's in store for the Trans-Pacific Partnership; look at the railroad industry's concern about how future trade policy could affect freight; and provide some insight on how your credit card company can help you out with traveling woes.


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The German based automaker Audi has recently announced its plans to introduce the Q1 entry-level crossover, which will go into production in 2016.
Audi has put a stop to all rumors regarding the upcoming Q1 by officially confirming the new entry-level crossover for production. According to the car manufacturer, the model in question will hit the assembly line in 2016 and it will be an attractive crossover which will be produced in Ingolstadt, Germany. The new Audi Q1 should get a five-door body style, with some angular styling and some plastic body cladding, some distinctive headlights, a prominent grille, muscular fenders and more.
We have no other official details on the Audi Q1 for the moment but the original reports were saying that power will be provided by a 1.4 liter TFSI, by a 1.4 liter TDI and by a 231 HP (170 kW) in the top of the line SQ1. A hybrid version is believed to use a 1.2 liter petrol engine, with 109 HP (80 kW), backed up by an electric motor, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet. Additional details on the upcoming Audi Q1 are limited for the moment and will be announced, probably, close to its debut.


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NEWS By Fozzie Sep 03, 2014 at 10:14am (EST)
Seems like the hosts of Kingdom Hearts Union were right this time (sadly), as Square Enix have announced their official line up for Tokyo Game Show 2014 and Kingdom Hearts III is no where to be found.
Kingdom Hearts 3 has been notably absent from most of the big game events this year after it's stunning debut at E3 2013. Hopefully we'll get some information in the near future once Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMIX has been released.
With that being said though, Square Enix have announced that Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMIX will be there as a playable demo which will be fun.
Tokyo Game show will be running from September 18th to the 21st.


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For the last few years, producers of the super-premium domestic beers have been looking down the barrel and finding imports stealing their business. Consumers have perceived better quality and variety in the imports, so beer drinkers have been quite willing to spend the extra 25 cents to 50 cents (and sometimes more) for a six-pack.
The result is that Anheuser-Busch`s Michelob, the top seller among the super-premiums, and Miller Brewing Co.`s Lowenbrau, have been taking it on the chin.
Michelob already has gone through a change in advertising strategy, which hasn`t worked. The brand still continues to slide in sales. A good bet is that other advertising approaches are in the works for Michelob, whose regular brew has slipped to the 6.5-million-barrel to 6.75-million-barrel annual range from a 1980 high of 8 million barrels.
Michelob and Lowenbrau may be on the same wave length in advertising strategies, trying to look like imports or at least having consumers perceive them as such in taste and quality.
At the Hyatt Regency O`Hare Thursday, Miller and J. Walter Thompson USA`s Chicago office, Lowenbrau`s newly appointed agency, will unveil new advertising for the beer to company distributors.
The new pitch, which reportedly will be ``This world calls for Lowenbrau,`` sounds like Lowenbrau will be showcased as a prestige
international brew. Or at least Miller hopes so for the brand, which slipped in annual sales to less than 1.2 million barrels last year from 1.5 million barrels in 1982.
Miller has been selling Lowenbrau in the U.S. since 1974 under an agreement with the Munich brewery of the same name. Miller initially imported Lowenbrau, then in 1975 started making it in America under the agreement. Producing Lowenbrau domestically turned off some consumers.
In going ``worldly`` for Lowenbrau--sources say Thompson has indeed gone overseas for some very expensive television commercials--Miller is scrapping the oldtime pitch of ``Tonight, let it be Lowenbrau.``
The campaign reportedly will be launched this weekend. Miller undoubtedly will pour more ad dollars into backing Lowenbrau in a bid to turn around the brand. Ad spending previously was in the $20 million to $25 million range annually for Lowenbrau before Miller moved the account last June from Backer & Spielvogel in New York, Miller`s principal agency, to JWT.
D`ARCY WINS WILSON
The Chicago office of D`Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles picked up almost all the marbles in the competition for the advertising account of Wilson Sporting Goods Co., based in west suburban River Grove. After meetings with eight agencies, Wilson awarded D`Arcy consumer advertising responsibility for its golf and tennis equipment. A Wilson official said the company plans to spend $3 million to $5 million in media through D`Arcy in 1986. Wilson also retained Bentley, Barnes & Lynn, another Chicago agency, for trade advertising, promotion of the Wilson name for licensing purposes and advertising of its
``soft goods,`` including apparel, with a total projected 1986 ad budget of $300,000 to $500,000. Leo Burnett USA recently resigned Wilson after a 12-year relationship. It cited reduced ad spending on the part of the client as the reason for the split. Wilson has a new management, after PepsiCo Inc.`s sale of the sporting-goods maker to Wesray Inc. The latter is an affiliate of Wesray Capital Corp., a privately held investment banking firm headed by former U.S. Treasury Secretary William Simon.
-- James B. Beam Distilling Co. is introducing nationally a new spirits line under the Baron Von Scheuters Schnapps banner, marking the Chicago-based firm`s first entry into the schnapps category. This 48 proof product comes in raspberry, butterscotch, root beer and peach. Top schnapps brands are being sold by National Distillers (Dekuyper), Hiram Walker, Glenmore Distilleries
(Mr. Boston), Heublein (Arrow) and Seagram (Leroux).
Young & Rubicam Chicago promoted Ruben Medina and Dana Anderson to account directors. The agency also promoted Lynn Hughes to account supervisor. On the move: R. Bruce Marsh appointed executive vice president at Frank C. Nahser Inc. . . . David Southern promoted to account supervisor at Needham Harper Worldwide`s Chicago division. . . . Connie Sirakawa joined Grey Chicago as a copywriter. . . . George Spink and Michael Sherman became account group supervisors at Richardson Public Relations. . . . Donna M. McLean elected a vice president at Alan Drey Co.`s ADCO List Management Services Division. . . . Gina MacIntosh named an account executive and Iris Brenk an art director, both at Barry Blau & Partners.
Strictly personal: Birthday greetings to admen Mike Cameron and Owen McKeaney.
Owen Dougherty, recently director of Zwiren & Wagner`s public relations subsidiary and previously with Burson-Marsteller, is joining Bozell & Jacobs Public Relations here as director of corporate communications, a new position. He will report to Wayne Fickinger, Bozell vice chairman.
The November Cosmopolitan magazine (its 20th anniversary issue), with 305 pages of advertising and $12.9 million in ad revenue, is its biggest ever.


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Tobacco still a problem among today’s youth
As a member of the Youth Leadership Council of Licking County I speak for my peers when I say I don’t want anyone to be hurt by tobacco use, the top cause of preventable death in the United States. But tobacco companies keep using clever tricks and new products like sweet-flavored e-cigarettes and cigars to lure kids. These products are wrapped in brightly colored packaging and use flavors like cotton candy and gummy bear to seem more appealing.
Studies show that use of these products has skyrocketed. A new CDC study shows that 24 percent of high school students now use e-cigarettes – more than double the 10.8 percent who smoke regular cigarettes. And high school boys now smoke cigars at higher rates than cigarettes.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new rules to help regulate these products more effectively to protect kids. But some members of Congress are trying to weaken the rules, which would make it harder for the FDA to protect kids. We urge all elected officials, including Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman, to oppose these efforts and protect kids from the deadly toll of tobacco.
Noah Hersey, Newark


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iMobile home, news on August 20 Yesterday, Ni Fei, president of ZTE’s terminal business department, personally released the high-definition renderings of the new under-screen camera ZTE A20, allowing us to learn more about new products before the official release.
Judging from the renderings, the ZTE A20 back cover adopts this year’s mainstream design. The material of the curved back cover is currently uncertain, but the light reflection texture is strong, which should be a bright surface texture. The upper left corner is a vertical matrix of four cameras. The news includes a 6400W main camera, an 800W pixel lens and two 200W pixel lenses.
The letter logos of Axon and ZTE are placed horizontally on the side of the fuselage, and the power and volume buttons are also concentrated on the right middle frame. The screen itself is reported to be a 6.92-inch OLED with a built-in 4120mAh battery, but the performance may only be equipped with Snapdragon The 765G is a mid-range 5G SoC that everyone is very familiar with. It seems that the flagship under-screen camera model may have to wait for ZTE’s own new Z series.


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Brian Krzanich at CES 2014: We will rebrand McAfee Security to Intel Security
During his CES 2014 key note Brian Krzanich more or less killed the McAfee Security brand and announced that the software will be rebranded as Intel Security.
McAfee Security will be stripped off its founder’s name, John McAfee, but the red McAfee shield will remain intact for now. The software isn’t going to change, but the name will be changed to Intel Security, while some of the components of the mobile security suite will be made freely available to Android and iOS users.
“Intel is bringing its award-winning mobile security to every mobile device, phones, tablets, wearables,” Krzanich said notes CNET.
Krzanich didn’t say which all service will be rebranded, but from the key note it was evident that at least the consumer security products will be the first ones that will be rebranded. The death knell was just a few sentences long and we expect more information in the months to come.
Rebranding may be a way to sideline the security company’s mistakes and to present the software as a security suite that flaunts Intel’s strengths to its home and enterprise consumers.


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Google unveils game streaming service Stadia
Google Stadia is a cloud-based game streaming platform, which works across internet-enabled devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
Search engine giant Google on March 19 unveiled its cloud platform-based game streaming service at the Game Developers Conference 2019 (GDC 2019). Named Google Stadia, the service will be launched by the end of this year.
What is Stadia and how it works
Stadia is a cloud-based game streaming platform, which works across internet-enabled devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. The service does not require any installation and works through Google Chrome. Google confirmed that the service would be integrated with its video streaming platform YouTube, which would redirect users to Stadia if they agree to play a game after watching the video trailer.
Do you need a gaming console or a gaming-specs device to use Stadia?
Stadia is a game streaming service backed by Google’s cloud servers to deliver content through Chrome browser. Therefore, it does not require powerful hardware or a gaming console. According to Google, its cloud servers for Stadia have a computing power equivalent of a console running at 10.7 GPU terraflops, meaning you can stream graphic intensive games even on budget smartphones without worrying about hardware capabilities.
Is Stadia better than the conventional gaming ecosystem?
Stadia works through Chrome, making it accessible on various devices. The service would support ultra-high-definition (4K) resolution playback at 60 frames-per-second (FPS). It also supports HDR content and surround sound audio. Google confirmed that the service would support up to 8K resolution in future.
While Stadia supports most of the existing gaming controllera, it also gets a dedicated controller from Google. Named Stadia controller, it has all the keys and features that you expect from a gaming controller, plus two additional keys – screenshot and Google Assistant. The controller is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing it to develop a direct connection between the Stadia controller and data centre through Wi-Fi. This would result in lag-free gaming playback as every key press would initiate a command prompt that would directly be received by the cloud servers.
(Text Source: Business Standard)


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Say hello to the Bluethumb Android app!
We’re very excited to present the Android version of Bluethumb’s beautiful, user-friendly art app. Users of the iPhone have had access to the Bluethumb app since November last year, and over 7,000 people have downloaded it so far, but we didn’t want all you Android users to feel left out so we’ve been busy creating a version to suit a wide array of Android 4.0+ phones and tablets, including the new Samsung Galaxy S5 and Nexus 5.
The Bluethumb Android app is free to download here.
Some words on the app from Bluethumb co-owner George Hartley:
“Bluethumb continues to lead the way in the online art space by investing in its artists, platforms and apps. Apple already recognised the quality of our iPhone app by featuring it in the app store as ‘New & Noteworthy’. Now an Australian artist can join for free and have their works immediately exhibited across Bluethumb web, iOS and Android apps.”
We think we’ve developed the most beautiful, user-friendly Android art app in the world. We’ve combined key app features like an up-to-the-second stream of new artworks, favouriting artworks, remembering user details, excellent customer service combined with free shipping.


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Using Dolby’s technology will take less time and data to produce high quality sound.
To produce sound quality televisions in Bangladesh Walton has now teamed up with Dolby Laboratories as a licensed manufacturer.
This makes Walton the first ever Bangladeshi television manufacturing company to become Dolby’s licensed manufacturer and can allow its partners to use advanced sound technologies, says a press release.
As a Bangladeshi television manufacturing company, only Walton became the official partner of Dolby Laboratories, an American based leading global company specializing in audio noise reduction and audio encoding or compression.
Walton authorities hoped that this partnership with Dolby would make the locally produced Walton television more acceptable in the global arena, the release added.
Earlier in January this year, a delegation team, led by Walton Television’s CEO Mostafa Nahid Hossain met with Dolby Laboratories’ senior director Vivian E Vassallo at Dolby’s head office at San Francisco in California, US, reports Dhaka Tribune.
In the meeting it was confirmed that Walton would be a licensed manufacturer of Dolby.
Mostafa Nahid Hossain said that Dolby considered a number of factors such as a setup of well-equipped research and development (R&D) centers, international standard television production line, significant market share in the local market, global market demands and other aspects while licensing and collaborating with an organization.
As a result, Walton will be able to use all of Dolby’s technologies, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atoms, he also informed.
At present, there are 24 models of TVs in the market ranging from 610mm to 1.397m, including the 4K, full HD, HD resolution smart and non-smart LED TVs with prices range from Tk10,800 to Tk99,900 apiece.
- UoL degrees with London School of Economics’ academic direction, now at Universal College Bangladesh! - October 28, 2022
- ক্ষুদ্র ও মাঝারি অনলাইন উদ্যোক্তাদের ব্যবসা বিকাশে ভূমিকা রাখবে ওএনডিসি - October 23, 2022
- বাণিজ্য মন্ত্রণালয়ে চতুর্থ শিল্পবিপ্লবের চ্যালেঞ্জ মোকাবিলায় কর্মপরিকল্পনা প্রণয়ন বিষয়ক কর্মশালা - October 12, 2022


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India adds 6.14 mln New Mobile Subscribers in March, Snaps 8 Month Loosing Streak
Finally, the mobile subscriber data is in green after a 8 month long loosing streak. As per the TRAI telecom subscriber data released yesterday, India has added 6.14 million new mobile subscribers in month of March 2013, taking the total mobile subscriber tally to 867.8 million.
Though I mention that in previous 8 months India lost subscribers, it necessarily does not mean that physically the mobile subscribers were lost. It was actually the cleansing of the system that was taking place.
Since June 2012, it is the first time that TRAI has reported addition in mobile subscribers. Since then even though the total tally had shrunk, active mobile subscriber had constantly been on the rise, which, essentially means that only the inactive numbers were going out of the system.
If you see the graph below you will clearly notice that active mobile subscriber percentage has grown from 74.5 percent in June 2012 to a healthy 83.3 percent in March 2013.
Telecom Subscription Data Highlights [March 2013]
– With addition 6.17 million in March 2013, Indian total mobile subscriber base has reached 867.80 million. India had 861.66 million subscriber by end of Feb 2013.
– Urban India witnessed a rise of 0.77 percent or 4.02 mln subscribers, while rural mobile subscriber base grew by 0.63 percent or 2.13 mln. It is also first time in 6 months that Urban India has reported a rise.
– Urban Teledensity increased to 140.67, while the rural tele-density grew to 40.23 from previous 40.01.
– Urban mobile subscriber share stands at 60.53% as compared 39.47% of rural subscribers.
– 2.87 million new Mobile portability requests were made in month of March 2013, taking the total tally of MNP requests since launch to 89.70 mln.
– Active Mobile Subscriber base increased from 712.49 mln in Feb 2013 to 723.00 mln in March 2013 taking the active percentage to 83.31 percent.
– Broadband Subscription increased to 1.505 crore from previous tally of 1.500 crore.
– Wireline Subscriber base fell to 30.21 mln in Feb 2013 as compared to previously 30.36 million.
– India’s total telecom subscriber base (wireless+wireline) has increased to 898.02 mln in March 2013, compared to 892.02 mln in Feb 2013.
Operator Wise Monthly Additions & Market Share [March 2013]
Reliance Infocomm was the biggest gainer in the month of March 2013 with addition of over 3 million new subscribers, while on the other hand Sistema lost 2.12 million subscribers. Among the 13 telecom operators 6 operators added new subscribers to their kitty, while 7 lost!
Reliance had been loosing quite a lot of subscribers since Jan 2012 due tow which there market share had taken a big hit. They had 16.79 percent of Indian market share in Jan 2012 and were 2nd largest telecom provider in India. In March 2013, their market share is at 14.17 percent even after adding more new subscribers than any other operator.
Tata has also been on the wrong end for quite some time now – At peak in 2011, they have nearly 11 percent market share which has now dropped to nearly 7.65 percent.
Bharti Airtel who generally top the additions charts managed to add only 1.57 million, while Vodafone added 2.47 mln and Idea added 2.32 mln.


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The traditional telecom pricing model is to charge for the basic service (voice connectivity), and you get other things on top for free. That model has largely been replicated on the Internet — users pay access providers, and applications like Yahoo!, Google, and Amazon.com have to find ways to monetize something other than access. A good part of the dotcom bubble was due to the fact that Web-based companies couldn’t “monetize” their traffic, and charging users directly was off the table. The companies that weathered the storm and prospered figured out alternative revenue streams. (Value-added services for Yahoo!, contextual advertising for Google, and transactions for Amazon.)
Now, along comes the broadband Internet. We seem to be proceeding in the same direction, with application providers finding indirect ways to monetize their usage.
But what if the connectivity were free, the applications were free, and users paid only for the add-ons? Could that ever work?
Well, Skype points out a future in which voice telephony is free, and revenues come from ancillary services like voicemail. And now, Sony has announced that it plans to release massively multi-player online games in which users pay only for add-ons and objects, not for access to the game itself. (Second Life already has a model somewhat like this.) Meanwhile, mobile phone ringtone revenues are zooming past $4 billion annually, even as basic telephony revenues stagnate.
These are true killer apps. Online gaming in particular is rapidly on its way to being, at the very least, the television of the 21st century. Is it too hard to imagine broadband being free, and the virtual economies of in-game objects and customized communications features becoming the “real” economy of telecom?


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TNW X is aiming to be the bridge between local tech communities, corporate giants and governments. The B2B channel jumps in to help traditional companies and organizations closing the gap with the tech community.
Showcasing and attracting
With X TNW wants to connect enterprises with leading tech startups and top talent. For governments it’s a platform to showcase their ecosystem and attracting companies and young talent. How it works for:
Tech5 is one of the most important programs organised by TNW X. It is an annual recurring startup competition organised in collaboration with Dutch unicorn Adyen, taking a deep dive into the six most important European markets to identify the fastest growing companies. In the past 4 years, Tech5 has given the stage to world class startups such as Transferwise, Deliveroo or Happn. Together with other finalists, these companies have raised over €10B over the last four years.
Another example of a TNW X deal is the collaboration with the South Korean government, set up in early 2017 by TNW to help scout European startups for the K-Startup accelerator program. This campaign brought more than 300 applications, with world class names on the top of the list, including Bynder, Typeform, Ockel and Fairphone. In addition, Korea was given the platform to showcase their best startups to 12,500 tech enthusiasts during TNW Conference, boosting the reputation of the Korean ecosystem in Europe.
TNW X is set to connect corporates to new tech companies and tech talent. In a recent campaign in collaboration with ABN AMRO, TNW put up a search for 350 digital natives to get recruited by the banking enterprise. The campaign received 18,600 applications, generated almost 30 million online impressions and was nominated for a prize. By setting up a platform where enthusiasts can talk about the role of banks in the modern tech world and by focusing on the right audience, TNW received an overwhelming amount of applications which led to 377 new hires by ABN.
TNW X launch
TNW X was officially announced during Deals Over Dinner, an event which brought together some of the most promising startups and leading corporates to meet, dine and spark deals over a three course dinner at TQ, Amsterdam’s startup tech hub. Attended by companies such as TomTom, IBM, KPMG, Bynder and Oracle, the event sparked 48 deals over the course of 3 hours. The event was part of CapitalWeek.
Pieter Paul van Oerle, Strategy Director of TNW, comments: “We’ve been running some very impactful programs over the past few years which have helped our partners in a tremendous way. With X, we want to open up these services to other companies and organisations, by creating a custom approach and curating the best technologies, startups and talent in order to bring the most value. We’re confident that X will fill a huge need in the market, and we’ll use our unique position, expertise and resources to connect the industry leaders.”
Image credits: Pexels/rawpixel


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Which Is A True Statement About The North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta)
December 21st, 2020
December 21st, 2020
Shortly after his election, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would begin renegotiating NAFTA terms to resolve trade issues for which he campaigned. The heads of state and government of Canada and Mexico have expressed their willingness to cooperate with the Trump administration.  Although he vaguely formulated the precise terms he wants in a renegotiated NAFTA, Trump has threatened to withdraw from it if negotiations fail.  Analysts agree that NAFTA has opened up new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises. Each year, Mexican consumers spend more on U.S. products than their counterparts in Japan and Europe, which means the stakes are high for entrepreneurs. (Most NAFTA studies focus on the impact of U.S. affairs with Mexico. Trade with Canada has also been improved, but the passage of the trade agreement has not had such a significant impact on the already liberal trade practices that America and its northern neighbour have complied with.) On September 30, 2018, the deadline for negotiations between Canada and the United States, an interim agreement was reached between the two countries, thus retaining the trilateral pact when the Trump administration submits the agreement to Congress.  The new name of the agreement was the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and came into force on July 1, 2020.   A “subsidiary agreement” reached in August 1993 on the application of existing domestic labour law, the North American Convention on Labour Cooperation (NAALC), was severely restricted.
With regard to health and safety standards and child labour law, it excluded collective bargaining issues, and its “control teeth” were only accessible at the end of a “long and painful” dispute.  The obligations to enforce existing labour law have also raised questions of democratic practice.  The Canadian anti-NAFTA coalition Pro-Canada Network suggested that guarantees of minimum standards in the absence of “extensive democratic reforms in the [Mexican] courts, unions and government” would be of no use.  However, subsequent evaluations indicated that NAALC`s principles and complaint mechanisms “created a new space for princes to form coalitions and take concrete steps to articulate the challenges of the status quo and promote the interests of workers.”  Some small businesses have been directly affected by NAFTA. In the past, large firms have always had an advantage over small businesses, as large firms could afford to build and maintain offices and/or production sites in Mexico, which avoided many of the old trade restrictions on exports. In addition, pre-NAFTA legislation provided that U.S. service providers who wanted to do business in Mexico had to establish a physical presence there, which was simply too expensive for small businesses. Small businesses were stuck, they could not afford to build, and they could not afford export tariffs either. NAFTA eliminated the competitive conditions by giving small businesses the opportunity to export to Mexico at the same costs as larger firms and removing the requirement that a company establish a physical presence in Mexico to do business there.


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It's been a rather wild ride for Samsung Galaxy S users regarding a possible update to Android 4.0. First, Samsung, issued a statement saying that they could not update their former flagship phone. After a community outcry, however, they responded with a different possibility - a "Value Pack" update, one that would include some key features from Ice Cream Sandwich (such as Face Unlock) but which would still be based on Gingerbread. Read More
We've been hearing quite a few rumors over the past few weeks that the monstrous Galaxy Note is finally coming to AT&T, with one accessory manufacturer outing a possible release timeframe of "early 2012." Looks like that may indeed be the case, as an official press shot of the Note with AT&T branding has leaked with the date of Tuesday, February 14th prominently displayed on the homescreen.
We completely expect Samsung and AT&T to make the U.S. Read More
There's no doubt that white phones are (generally) sexy. We know this, and it seems that manufacturers are starting to catch on as well. HTC has a few white phones available, and Samsung has already pushed out a couple of white variations of the GSII on T-Mobile and AT&T. Looks like Sprint's GSII, the Epic 4G Touch, is now getting the snow-capped makeover that we heard about a few weeks ago, and will be available on January 8th for $200 with a two-year agreement. Read More
The latest unaudited results from HTC for Q4 2011 indicate that total revenues reached NT$ 101 billion (US$ 3.34 billion), a 2.49% drop as compared to the same period in 2010. In stark contrast, Samsung just had a record breaking quarter with profits reaching 5.2 trillion won (US$4.5 billion), almost double the figures of Q4 2010. Samsung's results for Q4 2011 breaks its previous record profit period of 5.0 trillion won (US$ 4.3 billion) from Q2 2010 and is an increase of 22% from Q3 2011. Read More
Update: Anymode, after what we assume was a good-natured cease and desist letter from AT&T, has denied any of the information in its CES Media Alert (pictured below) is true. If we're being frank, they're 100% completely full of beans. Someone made available information they weren't supposed to, and someone got upset. Too bad official photos of the AT&T Galaxy Note were leaked this morning.
The stylus-toting Samsung Galaxy Note (or as I call it, the Samsung Galaxy S II: Andre The Giant Edition) has been quite successful overseas, and US consumers have been clamoring for a chance to get their hands (both of them, mind you) on the mega-sized 5.3" handset. Read More
You made your nominations, and you voted. Now we have a winner. The Andy for Best Non-Nexus Android Phone of 2011 goes to...
Best Non-Nexus Android Phone Of 2011: Readers' Choice
The Samsung Galaxy S II.
This really comes as no surprise. The Samsung Galaxy S II is still one of the most powerful handsets on the market, and with an Ice Cream Sandwich update inbound sometime in the coming year, it's only going to get better. Read More
While we've yet to actually see a release date for the Galaxy Tab 7.7 that Samsung debuted back in September, the company has now dropped the kernel source code for the device. In the past, this usually indicates an impending release, so we're willing to bet that availability will be officially announced at CES next week.
For those who need a reminder of what the Tab 7.7 is all about:
- 7.7-inch 1280x800 Super AMOLED Plus display (the first tablet to have this)
- 1.4GHz dual-core Exynos
- 3MP rear shooter, 2MP 'round front
- Android 3.2
- 5,100mAh battery
Of course, a lot can change in three months, so we may actually see some changes made to the specs of the device before its release. Read More
We told you yesterday that Android 2.3 started rolling out to the Samsung Replenish on Sprint, and now it looks like the eco-friendly handset is coming to one of Sprint's pay-as-you-go carriers, Boost Mobile.
Boost announced the handset this morning, and while it's not a game-changing device in terms of spec, it does have a nice price tag: $99. No contract. You can't beat that with a stick.
- 2.8-inch display (240x320) with physical QWERTY
- 600MHz single-core processor
- 2MP rear shooter
- Android 2.3
- Made from recycled materials
Like I said, it's not a game changer. Read More
Well, here's an unexpected surprise for all the Replenish owners out there -- Sprint's greenest handset is now getting the update to Android 2.3. The update should already be rolling out in OTA fashion, bringing a number of enhancements to the device:
- Upgraded OS from Froyo to Gingerbread (Android 2.3)
- Increased operating system speed and efficiency
- One touch word selection and copy/past
- Improved power management
- Downloads Management
- SMS messaging fix
As usual, the update is rolling out in stages, but it should hit all devices within ten days. Read More
The minds behind CyanogenMod have done it again, bringing nightly updates to several LG Optimus variants, and adding official CM7 support for the Epic 4G (not to be confused with Sprint's Galaxy SII variant).
Among the newly-supported LG devices are the Optimus 3D (p920), Hub (e510), Pro (c660), and Black (p970) (which is technically seeing the return of nightlies). It may be worth noting that the Optimus Hub and Pro both received RomManager support tonight, making it excessively simple to get CM goodness on the devices. Read More


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9 Decor Trends That Are In and Out
After nearly a year of quarantining at home, many homeowners are putting a laser focus on their surroundings. All this time at home has made some trends less appealing, while others have soared.
Some homeowners have found they don’t have enough counter space—or the right anti-microbial surface—while other can’t find enough workspace for everyone in the house to get projects done in peace and quiet. And some have grown tired of their aqua-blue or pink shaded dining room walls that they once thought divine.
The interior designers at Living Spaces, a La Mirada, Calif.–based furniture retailer, see and hear the buzz firsthand. Staff designer Emilie Navarro says she and her colleagues source data from Google Trends to look at design ideas over time, which they use for the company’s annual report. This year’s 2021 Decor Trends: What’s Out & What’s In highlights 19 home trends the designers found to be outdated, and the chic new ones replacing them.
Here are nine of the 19 that caught our interest:
- Since its peak in the beginning of 2018, millennial pink has dropped in popularity by 53%, giving way to warmer, earthier tones like terra cotta.
- Interest in shabby chic has dropped by 43% since the beginning of 2016. Instead, grandmillenial style—which is much more eclectic—is in. “It’s a different kind of granny chic, with more classic and timeless pieces and bright and airy rooms,” says designer Shelby Greene.
- There has also been a 33% drop in interest in artwork with words and language since early 2017, filled by upticks in abstract canvas art in soft warm colors and in photographs of scenic places.
- Monochromatic tones, like all white and all gray, have fallen in popularity by 30% since their peak in mid-2016, giving way to layered hues throughout homes. For example, in kitchens there might be an accent color for an island that differs from the colors on all of the perimeter cabinets, Navarro says.
- Since its peak in mid-2016, interest in floral patterns has decreased 28%, part of the shabby chic decline. Instead, minimal stripes and lines are filling the void, showing up most in rugs and drapery.
- Yet another example is industrial style—its metals-heavy look has dropped 22% since the beginning of 2017, replaced by softer, warmer, more comforting designs and more touchable textiles (what’s termed “transitional decor”). As an example, designers suggest swapping out iron furniture for wooden furniture legs, or bronze and silver wall art for wall tapestries and hanging quilts, says designer Satsha Lopez-Jaimes.
- Botanical prints have lost some cachet since their peak at beginning of 2017—down 14%—with grand, hand-painted art on canvas or moody photography prints blown up and framed now popular.
- Despite its pervasive appeal, even subway tile has dropped, but only by 10%, replaced by geometric honeycomb and octagonal tiles with a marble material or metallic hints. The reason, says Greene, is the warmth and character they add. But don’t expect subway tiles to disappear, says Navarro, since they’re a classic option. For the time being, they’ll used a bit less and in different ways, such as vertically.
- Since its peak at the beginning of 2019, shag carpet has declined 9% with an uptick in more high-pile area rugs, which are considered a less permanent choice. “Rugs also give you a chance to contrast with the floor underneath, and you can place one strategically under a furniture set to help pull the look together,” says designer Brynna Evans.
At the end of the day, Navarro says the most important influence for a homeowner’s choice should depend not on its trendiness but on what they love.
“Trends come and go all the time, but you want to see what makes you happy every day,” she says.
Almost every buyer makes some changes when they invest in a home, she says, and part of the influence should be on whether they plan to stay for a longer term, which may mean going with bolder colors, or flip the house, which then could suggest more timeless choices for a higher value in a fast resale.


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WHSmith will cause an outcry among magazine publishers next month when it launches four of its own titles.
The move has angered many publishers, who are already fighting for space on news-stands, and could lead to a boycott of WHSmith, the Periodical Publishers Association warned this week.
The WHS-branded titles are expected to be given priority at point of sale and remain on news-stands for longer periods than other magazines.
Ian Locks, chief executive of the PPA, said the move would reduce space for other publishers and warned: "WHS is not the only trick in town. Over 40 per cent of magazine sales are through the independent sector and some publishers are deciding to put their marketing spend behind independent retailers.
"The more WHS goes down the track of magazine publishing, the more publishers are going to say, ‘what other options have we got?’.
WHS is planning to launch Payday, a men’s lifestyle title about careers and money; Family, a women’s lifestyle and parenting title; and Fit and Healthy, a women’s fitness magazine. All are bimonthly and in development at John Brown Publishing. They will have a cover price of £2.99. WHS is also to launch a monthly women’s lifestyle title, Wish, produced by Redwood.
The move follows the launch of 12 specialist one-shot titles last year.
Payday, under launch editor Chris Dunkerley – previously with Alodis and ZM – will target men aged 25 to 35 and take a laddish approach to personal finance. Family, edited by Leah Hardy, former deputy editor of Cosmopolitan, will target women aged 25 to 35 and offer advice on parenting. Karen Buchanan, former editor of Four Four Two, will edit Fit and Healthy.
Tim Brooks, managing director of IPC Media Southbank, said: "We would never dream of shouldering the risk of retailing in addition to shouldering the risk of publishing."
By Ruth Addicott