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Issues & Trends – September 2013
Agents’ cruise sales soar: Australia’s second national Cruise Week
hailed as an outstanding success
CRUISECO chief executive Steve Lloyd has given added credibility to the rave reviews Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia has given itself for the National Cruise Week activities it co-ordinated earlier this month.
Lloyd, who heads Australia’s most powerful cruise agency consortium, is a self-confessed sceptic about the impact of such promotions.
Cruiseco was not involved in National Cruise Week as a principal but all deals released in conjunction with the week were available through its reservations centre.
And Lloyd told travelBulletin: “We saw a fierce spike in bookings especially in the first three days when booking levels were probably double what we would normally expect.”
Australia’s National Cruise Week copies a similar highly successful event run for a number of years in the US by CLIA Australasia’s parent body. This was the second year it has run here.
“When we compare this year to the inaugural National Cruise Week in 2012, it’s very obvious to me that our retail members had a better grasp of what the week was all about,” said CLIA Australasia general manager Brett Jardine.
“The level of activity, the number of events and the commitment to get involved was overwhelming by comparison.”
CLIA will conduct a formal survey of retail members but Jardine said: “The response to date from all membership categories has been very satisfying. It’s a great result for the industry and we look forward to facilitating National Cruise Week again in September 2014.”
MSC Cruises managing director Lynne Clarke said the week had created a real buzz, with early bird deals to the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords, Baltic Capitals and Caribbean proving popular.
Royal Caribbean reported book-ings for the sale week were up 15 per cent compared to the previous year, and up 45 per cent compared to the previous week.
APT general manager marketing Debra Fox said: “We were delighted with the strong distribution support we received during National Cruise Week.”
And Seabourn and Holland America director of sales Tony Archbold said the week had provided opportunities to be involved in training.
Taking advantage of the training opportunities offered by National Cruise Week was home-based agency group, Travel Counsellors. It launched a series of new initiatives designed to provide its agents with bespoke training, support and expert advice on selling cruise holidays.
“We wanted to ensure we made the most of National Cruise Week this year,” said Travel Counsellors country manager Tracy Parkinson.
“We already offer training on cruises, but we felt that by launching new initiatives we would help to build some excitement and encourage our travel counsellors to get involved.”
Initiatives included a daily cruise training webcast featuring cruise operators, a tailored cruise e-card to send out to clients, cruise selling tips, hot offers and the launch of a weekly cruise newsletter for clients.
Travel Counsellors commercial team leader, Jonathan Garrett said: “We have seen cruise bookings increase by 77 per cent from 2011 to 2012 and a jump of 55 per cent from 2012 to 2013 year to date.”
CLIA Australasia co-deputy chair and Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Sherry praised agents who had rallied behind National Cruise Week. “The cruise industry makes its biggest splash when we all speak with one voice,” she said.


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The festive season is usually the time for indulgences. Buy a smartphone, branded jeans, an LED TV and what not.
But this festive season is going to be different for many families.
Households throughout the city are finding the holiday season less cheerful due to a sharp increase in the cost of necessities. Previously set aside for festivities, the Diwali bonus is now being used to pay for the scalding of common fruits, vegetables, and other necessities.
The cost of fruits, ivy gourds, and cluster beans has significantly increased, making things more expensive for the average person. People are lamenting the way the price of vegetables is surging like that of gold.
An essential ingredient in Indian cooking, onions have stayed priced at Rs 100 per kg. Ivy gourd and cluster beans have surpassed this, hitting a record high of Rs 120 per kg. Culinary traditions are being hampered by the price of ginger, which has skyrocketed to Rs 300 per kg, while cauliflower is still only available for Rs 100 per kg.
The issue is worsened by fruit prices, which are currently around Rs 200 per kg for apples and oranges.
The cost of a basic fruit like bananas has increased to Rs 100 per dozen, further straining household budgets.

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August 21, 2018
1 Year Closed : 2.99 % |
3 Year Closed : 3.29 %
5 Year Closed : 3.34 %
Nearly Half of Canadians interested in selling homes privately|
Nearly half of Canadians interested in selling homes privately, says poll
By Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press
MONTREAL - Nearly half of Canadians would consider selling their homes privately but very few are aware of changes implemented several months ago that make that task easier, a new survey suggests.
While 45 per cent of Canadians would consider bypassing realtors to sell privately with the advice of a real estate lawyer, only 11 per cent were aware of and understood changes to getting on the Multiple Listing Service , according to an Environics poll sponsored by the TitlePlus program.
"What these findings show us is that there is an appetite among Canadians to conduct the sale of their home privately," says TitlePlus vice-president Ray Leclair.
TitlePlus title insurance is offered by Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Co. as protection for title matters, survey, fraud, other legal issues and legal services provided by the real estate lawyer when you buy your home. In Quebec, it doesn't offer coverage for notary work. Coverage is for professional liability or title insurance but not both.
Even though its product is available for homes sold by realtors, Leclair said it is concerned that people won't do their homework as the interest in private sales grows.
Real Estate agents have historically sold most homes in Canada. But new rules agreed to in October make it easier for homeowners to use a real estate agent only to get their property listed on Canada's premier real estate portal without paying for a full package of realtor services.
The change was made after Canada's competition bureau argued that the old rules stifled competition and raised the price of selling a home.
The Canadian Real Estate Association doesn't tabulate how many more private sale listings have been added in the past few months, but it doubts the easier access will dramatically divert business away from its trained agents.
"I suspect that people really still want to rely on a professional and they want to rely on the resources that a realtor brings to the table," Wayne Moen, the incoming president of CREA said from Edmonton.
The Internet, cellphones and a more hands-on approach by younger consumers are changing the industry. But he said realtors offer clients valuable experience in negotiating, marketing and access to data to establish the best price and expose the property to the most sellers.
Some realtors fear increasing private sales will impact their livelihoods by reducing commissions. But Moen said he believes any change will take time and not be dramatic.
"Your home is a greater and greater part of personal net worth and I just don't think people are willing generally to roll the dice and do it on their own. There are just too many factors involved and too many things that could go wrong."
Realtors currently operate on the principle that selling agents will split the standard five per cent commission with the buyer's agent. Yuval Fish, an advocate for private home sales, hopes flat fee MLS listings will encourage more Canadians to sell their properties on their own.
"I'm pretty sure that there's going to be a huge increase in the amount of people who would want to try it and see if they can try and do it themselves," said the spokesman for PropertySold.ca, an alternative listing service that also provides advice on selling homes privately.
Getting on the MLS requires the participation of a realtor or broker licensed to practice within the province where the property is being sold. It's simple and can cost as little as $109.
But selling a home privately takes more than just pegging a sign on the front lawn. It requires time, perseverance and a knack for selling.
"There's a lot of people who don't know how to negotiate. They are intimidated when somebody calls in and wants to see the home. Those are the kind of people who probably need assistance," Fish said.
For thousands of others, itï¿½â„¢s a doable proposition even though just 25 per cent are successful, he said. The key is obtaining exposure, pricing appropriately and knowing your market.
Fish suggests sellers list on as many websites as possible including the MLS, hire a good real estate lawyer and avoid overpricing.
Don't be afraid to seek help by hiring experts to conduct an appraisal, title search and competitive market analysis, he adds. Most sellers will have to fork over up to about $1,500 including the listing and advertising, but can save thousands in the process.
The average Canadian home sells for $340,000, which would attract a commission of $17,000.
While sellers would ideally like to avoid all commissions, offering a commission or fee to buyersï¿½â„¢ agents could increase traffic by providing an incentive to reluctant realtors, Fish said.
Most agents won't agree to show the home to their clients if they have no skin in the game. Others may not even notice private sales because they refer to an internal MLS system that doesn't include private listings.
Ross Marowitz, The Canadian Press
Friday, June 3, 2011
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Tim draper argues during
Draper argued that bitcoin can be regarded as one of the top placements for investors financial assets.
Tim draper says bitcoin is bigger than the industrial revolution in debate with skeptics.
American venture capital investor and blockchain industry influencer tim draper claimed.
One bitcoin is still worth one bitcoin at this years web summit on a panel discussion with garry tan, peter smith and jen wieczner of fortune magazine, billionaire venture capitalist tim draper reaffirmed his belief that bitcoin will achieve a price of 250k by 2022.
American vc investor and famous bitcoin bull tim draper argues during a debate with bitcoin skeptics that the technology is bigger than the internet.
The well-known venture capital investor tim draper has once again come out in strong support of bitcoin, speaking on a cnbc segment.
Tim draper says bitcoin is bigger than the industrial revolution in debate with skeptics apr 23, 2018 billionaire vc investor tim draper argues during a debate with financial traditionalists that bitcoin is bigger than some of human historys major technological developments.
Ambassador says claims hamas kidnapped an israeli soldier are untrue.


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Updated: 08/01/2013 - Two supermarket chains announced a recall Thursday as part of a larger ground beef recall issued by the National Beef Packing Company.
Posted: 07/30/2013 - The score caught researchers by surprise since Florida's score has been edging upward for months.
Posted: 07/29/2013 - Tallahassee City Manager Anita Favors Thompson recently announced the appointment of Roxanne Marietta Manning as Executive Director of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Manning will begin her new assignment today.
Updated: 07/29/2013 - DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), the largest U.S. based full-line sporting goods retailer, has announced that a new store will be opening soon in Tallahassee, FL.
Posted: 07/28/2013 - From Thursday, Aug. 1 through Saturday, Aug. 31, guests can purchase Special Olympics paper logos for $1 and personalize them to be displayed in the restaurants.
Posted: 07/25/2013 - Kyle Touchstone comes to the EDC from the Knoxville (TN) Chamber where he’s served as the Economic Development Project Manager since 2008.
Posted: 07/24/2013 - Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. all sold less soda in the second quarter in North America.
Posted: 07/17/2013 - Florida oranges have been the target of boycotts several times over the years.
Posted: 07/15/2013 - The Pensacola-based Gulf filed a detailed request Friday with the state Public Service Commission, saying higher rates are needed to pay for upgrading the utility's transmission system while boosting returns for investors.
Updated: 07/15/2013 - Tips that lead directly to an indictment, a recovery of money paid, or the denial of a claim because of fraud or corruption may entitle the reporter to a reward.
Posted: 06/28/2013 - A full renovation of the center court area will begin next month.
Updated: 11/19/2013 - All Leon County offices, libraries and community centers will be closed on Thursday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.


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Saturday, June 9, 2012
Ever heard of a yarn bombing? Unknown vandals--armed with yarn--adorned the front of the store, as well as fences and fountain decorations nearby sometime Friday night.
The Nook owner Kitty Murphy introduced her ravamped store to the public this spring, so it's fitting that some individual or individuals initiated the store into its first International Yarn Bombing Day by secretly decorating the storefront. They placed pieces of crochet "graffiti," including flowers, garlands, leaves--even capes and headbands for the animals in the nearby fountain. It's not the first time bits of crochet have popped up in the village. In 2011 fiber artist Carol Hummel fixed tiny yarn bombs around the Morton Arboretum's grounds. The pieces matched the tree she decorated in crochet for the Arboretum's "Nature Unframed" exhibit. Check out the full album on Lisle Patch's Facebook. Don’t miss any downtown updates—subscribe…
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Thinking about trying out one of the Nook's new knitting classes? Test out their '101' class this evening, or check out these upcoming sessions.
Did you hear about The Nook's makeover? Knitting classes are officially underway. This evening The Nook hosts Knitting 101 at 6 p.m. Below you'll find information on the store's other spring sessions. (You can also locate these events in our calendar.) All evening classes are 6-8 p.m.; morning classes are 10 a.m.-noon. Students receive a 10 percent discount on materials bought for your class. Socks 101: Tuesday evenings (April 17); $60 Cable Knitting 101: Wednesday evenings (April 11, 25); $40 Bandit Shawl and Hat: Wednesday evenings (May 9, 16, 23); $60 Knitting 101: Thursday evenings (April 5, 12, 19, 26), Saturday mornings (April 7, 14, 21, 28); $80 Entrelac (diamond pattern): Friday evenings (April 20, 27, May 11); $60 Knitting to…
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Nook owner Kitty Murphy explains her decision to take the Main Street store in a new direction.
The abrupt closing of The Nook to remodel this winter caused a hiccup in the lives of some residents. The store is known as a social hub in the village, and boasts a long list of regular customers. Owner Kitty Murphy closed the store at the end of January, to much speculation from the public when it would re-open. Murphy recalled a time during its renovation that her friend’s husband was painting the entryway outside. She said a man walking on the street approached him, and said his 3-year-old daughter wanted to know if the store would still sell candy. Of course, her friend’s husband said. Twenty minutes later, Murphy said the man came back with a crying child. “’She didn’t believe I was telling the truth!’” Murphy said a small fix of …
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The Main Street shop re-opened last week with a few changes to its aesthetic and merchandise. Coming soon: knitting classes.
Have you had a chance to take a peek inside The Nook since the wrapping paper came down from the windows? The store, which underwent renovations during the month of February, had a soft opening last Thursday. Attend a grand opening celebration on March 15. While the store retained many of its beloved features—a respectable selection of hot and cold drinks, its candy wall, plenty of seating, and a bevy of board games—customers will notice one significant change immediately: the Nook no longer sells magazines. (Customers may still purchase daily newspapers!) In addition, the store will no longer sell lottery tickets. The store's shelves now contain a craftier product: yarn, some of which is important from Germany and only sold in the …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Women of Wisdom welcomed novelist Karen Doornebos to learn what inspired her debut novel.
Last Thursday the Women of Wisdom book club hosted a special guest—the author of their February book, “Definitely Not Mr. Darcy,” Karen Doornebos. The novel follows a Jane Austen Society member who finds herself participating on a “Bachelor”-style dating show set in 1812. (Read a full summary on Amazon.) Doornebos, a Riverside resident, said she used to write advertising copy full-time before she tried her hand as a novelist. Now, she’s working on her second book. Doornebos said she was "always into Austen," and spent some time with the North American Jane Austen Society in Chicago to conduct research for her book. The ladies' conversation floated from the book's high points, to period costume and hygiene, to what you're likely to find at …
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
With the Lights of Lisle just around the corner, enjoy these shots of downtown businesses that have already gotten into the Christmas spirit.
Getting amped up for the Lights of Lisle, Once Upon a Christmas and Santa Parade this weekend? So is the village. Snowmen line the sidewalks of Main Street, and some festive downtown businesses have already decked out their storefronts with lights, Christmas trees, snowflakes and seasonal flowers. Do you know a Lisle resident with an impressive display of lights and decorations? Patch will be scanning neighborhoods looking for the most decked-out homes. Send your suggestions to email@example.com.
Monday, November 15, 2010
ESPN talks about the senior with 25 scholarship offers, and other interesting Lisle-related items that hit the Internet recently.
The Nerd comes to LSHS this weekend Today we mentioned five thing to know about Lisle Senior High School's fall play, The Nerd. Now check out a video preview that the students made. Benet's Flavin has one big decision to make... ESPN Insider mentioned Benet Academy senior Pat Falvin. The offensive lineman has 25 scholarship offers across the nation. Need Polar Express tickets? The Polar Express is on its way Dec. 5, and one resident has five spare tickets available on Craiglist to take a ride. Bid for a painting of the Arboretum So often we see photographs of the Morton Arboretum. For the next two days you can buy a painting of the Arboretum on eBay. Bono's joins Twitter You've been able to keep track of Bono's Pub on Facebook, but today …
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Procrastination expert Dr. Joseph R. Ferrari says his new book will help readers understand and overcome this human foible.
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." Easy to words to live by if you are not a procrastinator. If you are, procrastination expert Dr. Joseph R. Ferrari can help. He was at The Nook in downtown Lisle Saturday to talk about and sign copies of his new book, Still Procrastinating? The No-Regrets Guide to Getting it Done. "Everybody procrastinates but not everyone is a procrastinator," said Ferrari. "Twenty percent of men and women are chronic procrastinators. Leonardo da Vinci carried the Mona Lisa around for 25 years before he finished it." His book is intended to illustrate "what we know about procrastination from a scientific standpoint, but for the lay person." In his book, Ferrari says that contrary to conventional …


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Can you imagine explaining mobile phone payments – even just mobile phones themselves – to someone alive in 1900?
At the start of the 20th century, the Wright brothers were still working out whether they would ever achieve their dream of designing, building and using the world’s first ever airplane. Horse and cart was still a common transport method.
Today’s 21st-century world has come a long way in a short time.
The rise of mobile payments
In 2017, UK shoppers made 561 million payments classified as ‘other’ by UK Finance – a term which included mobile payments via Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. More than a third (37%) of those that have used these new mobile payment methods use them at least once a week. By 2027, UK Finance forecasts that mobile payments will grow by 56%.
Mobile payments already account for a larger volume of payments than either standing orders or cheques. By 2022, Worldpay believes they will be the world’s second most popular payment method (28%), trailing only behind debit card payments – but well ahead of credit card and cash payments.
Already in the UK, one in 10 adults say they are living a “largely cashless life” – and that figure is as high as one in six 25-34-year-olds. In 2019, 8.3 million people in the UK used mobile payments, according to eMarketer. And it’s worth remembering that it’s not just mobile phones that are fuelling this rise: many smart watches, such as the Apple Watch, also offer mobile payment facilities.
What’s coming next in the payment sector?
New developments in mobile payments are already taking shape around the world. Apple, one of the biggest companies in the world, is making its move into finance with the recent launch of its Apple Card credit card.
In the future, Accenture predicts that every credit card could have a unique number assigned for every website. So if card details are ever stolen or hacked, they are “useless for any other transaction”.
Whatever the future holds, one thing is abundantly clear as we make our way through the 21st century: if you’re running a business today, or planning on launching your own venture soon, you simply can’t afford to not take card payments.
The Wright brothers new the power of good technology when they saw it. Make sure you don’t get left behind too!
United Merchant Services helps independent retailers achieve their ambitions through its range of contactless card payment terminals. Find out more here.


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Loses billions of cedis due to shortage of cocoa beans
WAMCO II, one of the three cocoa processing factories of West African Mills Company Limited (WAMCO) that uses hydraulic pressing method for the extraction of butter from cocoa, lost millions of dollars after it was closed down from December last year to last week, due to shortage of cocoa beans, The Business Chronicle has learnt.
The plant however resumed operations last Saturday, after receiving 500 and 2000 tonnes of cocoa beans on Thursday and Monday respectively, from Cocoa Board.
The Local Union Chairman, Mr. Mensa Gimpetey-Djan, has therefore appealed to the Ghana Cocoa Board (GCB) and the Produce Buying Company (PBC), as well as the government to make cocoa beans available to the plant at all times for it to run at full capacity, and forestall the recurrence of the programme.
On the company's export and market values, the union chairman said products are exported mainly to the European Union, America and Japan with a little portion onto the local market. Ghana however lost huge sums of foreign exchange for the past few months they were out of operations. Workers who have been working at the factory were temporarily deployed, thereby losing salaries for the period.
The West African Mill Company Limited (WAMCO) formally known as West African Mills Limited, is the oldest cocoa processing factory in the country, and was previously wholly owned by the GCB now processes 170 tonnes of cocoa per day or 56, 000 tonnes per annum.
The company is involved in a wide range of actives including the extraction of butter from cocoa beans, roasted cocoa beans milled into fine paste, and into cocoa cake.
In 1963, the Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB), now GCB, acquired 51% shareholdings in WAMCO on behalf of the Ghana Government. The factory later became a wholly owned subsidiary of GCB when Gill and Dufus handed over its 49% shares to the GCB in September 1982.
The company was later divested under the country's divesture and privatization programme in August 1992, with the Gustav F.W. Hamester\Schrorder of Germany purchasing 60%, leaving the rest to GCB.
In an interview with the Financial Controller of the company, Mr. Felix Quaye, he hinted the paper that the company had only one factory as of December 1993. WAMCO took over a second factory, the Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPC), Takoradi, which was fully integrated into WAMCO under the same shareholding and management.
Mr. Quaye said the company was registered as a free zones enterprise on December 23, 1997, hence its name West African Mills Company Limited (FZE).
WAMCO is made up of three factories, which are expeller plant, cocoa liquor plant, and hydraulic press plant.
According to the financial Controller, the first two plants are in WAMCO 1 and the other is in WAMCO II.
WAMCO 1 consists of the Expeller and Cocoa Liquor plants. The Expeller Plant employs the expeller method for the extraction of butter from the beans. The crude butter extracted is purified and deodorized. Cocoa cake with shells, called "WAM B rand" is also another product obtained after the butter extraction.
At the Cocoa Liquor Plant, roast cocoa beans are winnowed and the nibs milled into a fine paste. The paste is sterilized, cooled by a tempering machine and blocked as Natural Cocoa Liquor Wam brand.
To improve on its quality control, WAMCO has built analytical and microbiological laboratories, staffed with highly trained personnel who continuously carry out analyses on raw materials.
The processing materials are passed through various sections of quality assurance to ensure that the products are of the highest quality and meet international standards.
The company through its hard work has won local and international awards such as golden award for technology and quality, the golden Europe award for 2004 quality and commercial prestige and the Top Quality Customer Satisfaction (TQCS), Golden Europe award for quality and commercial prestige, golden Africa award, new millennium award, and the 7th export achievement exporter of the year award.
As part of the company's several responsibilities, WAMCO generates direct and indirect employment, funds educational and health projects, and also encourages research into efficient production and processing of cocoa through annual awards.


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A copy of a note by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to mobile phone manufacturers, which was reviewed by Mint, gives the manufacturers a year more before their handsets that are not in line with the new radiation norms are phased out.
This is the latest in an ongoing attempt by the department to make mobile handset manufacturers conform to the new radiation norms. So far, the September 1 deadline persists for new models to comply with the Specific absorption rate (SAR) norms, while older phones can do so till August 31, 2013.
As per a notice by DoT in January, the SAR value had been revised to 1.6 watts per kilogram from 2 watts per kilogram (W/kg).
The revision came following a recommendation of an internal committee of the government comprising officials and experts from the DoT, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Department of Biotechnology, the Ministries of Health, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The committee then submitted its recommendations in November. ...more
02:06 PM, Aug 27, 2012


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LOS ANGELES — Playboy Enterprises Inc. today unveiled Playmates.com a new website featuring the women who for 60 years have helped define the iconic global lifestyle brand.
Playmates.com is a non-nude digital destination — interactive and mobile device-enhanced — for fans wanting to learn more about the magazine's centerfolds of the U.S. magazine and its numerous international editions.
Playmates.com's regular features include Playmate of the Day, a where-are-they-now gallery and a weekly video blog hosted by Playboy's Miss May 2006 Alison Waite, featuring dating, relationship and sex advice.
The site also empowers users to easily share content via a variety of social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
"Over six decades, the Playboy Playmate has become its own global brand, defining beauty and sensuality across generations and amassing a very passionate global fan base in the process. Now we finally have a single resource to satisfy the huge appetite for everything there is to know about our readers' and fans' favorite Playmates," said David Israel, COO and president of Playboy Media.
"Playmates.com provides both our readers and Playmates alike with a fun platform to engage, share, reminisce and connect with an American cultural phenomenon."


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Ace Combat’s 25th anniversary continues with several updated planes.
Ace Combat 7‘NS Edge cutting aircraft line came to limit the 25th anniversary of the franchise. The DLC contains three new planes (mostly refreshed versions of old planes) as well as new skins and a collection of new multiplayer icons.
And thanks to the launch trailer, we now know what each of these new planes will be equipped with. The F-18F Block III Super Hornet will come with LACM, 4AAM and 8AGM to create the perfect combination of powerful commands. The F-2A Super Kai will retain its original anti-ship capabilities with LASM while also mounting the ultimate air superiority special weapons in 6AAM and IEWS.
The MiG-35D Super Fulcrum comes with SAAM, 4AGM and 6AAM. An upgrade over the original MiG-29 to deal with multiple targets, but multiplayer Ace Combat 7 players will regret losing their MiG-29’s HPAA.
In addition to the new aircraft, the Aircraft Cut Edge DLC updates a host of older aircraft with new skins inspired by the rest of the Ace Combat series, such as the Nagase Skin for the F-2A and the Scarface Skin for the SU -57 . A collection of 10 new multiplayer icons including four 25th Anniversary Nuggets are also included in the 9GB patch as well as some new multiplayer tracks.
With what appears to be the final installment of the Ace Combat 7 DLC, Bandai Namco will likely focus its efforts on a brand new Ace Combat that was announced earlier this year. Bandai Namco is collaborating with ILCA, the same developers behind Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, to spearhead this effort. No further details have yet to be revealed, but fans are really hoping that ILCA’s involvement will mean a remake of one of the classic Ace Combat games.
Your drying pan won’t protect you from the wrath of social deregulation, Brock.
About the author
https://www.thegamer.com/ace-combat-7s-cutting-edge-aircraft-series-dlc-launch/ | Ace Combat 7’s Advanced Airplane DLC Will Fly Today


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Little known Italian sports car manufacturer Fornasari is set to feature at the upcoming 2013 Geneva Motor Show and has just released an image showing the two new models set to make their debuts at the world-renowned show.
The red sports car you see in the above image is the Fornasari Gigi and was first previewed this time last year albeit only as a rendering. However, the 6.2-liter V8 powered Italian sports car which looks like an old Aston Martin and Austin Healy is set to make its world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in a couple of weeks.
When the Gigi was first revealed, Fornasari claimed that it could hit 100km/h in just 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of over 200mph, all while looking like a perfectly sculpted work of art. In addition to this, Fornasari is set to debut a new four-door variant of the Racing Buggy first previewed in late 2010, with the new model being seen at the bottom right of the above image.
Very few details are known about this car, except for the fact that it should feature the same 610hp engine as its two-door SUV variant.


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More than a year after its launch, Africa's largest country hasn't managed to convince even 1% of its citizens to adopt its central bank digital currency, the eNaira.
Listen to the CoinMarketRecap podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts
Nigerians can now only withdraw $45 a day from ATMs — with officials attempting to boost adoption of its flagging central bank digital currency.
The new policy, which caps weekly withdrawals at $225, comes five months after the Central Bank of Nigeria's governor criticized local financial institutions for failing to support the eNaira.
This CBDC was introduced to the country of 211 million in October 2021, but less than 1% of its citizens are yet to embrace it.
A new directive has ordered banks to impose the withdrawal limits, with citizens and corporations encouraged "to use alternative channels… to conduct their banking transactions" — including internet banking, mobile banking apps, USSD quick codes and the eNaira.
Corporations are limited to withdrawals about five times larger than individuals, and banks are being threatened with "severe sanctions" for "aiding and abetting" circumvention of the policy.
The eNaira's launch has been rocky with banks less apathetic than hostile — fearing the CBDC will cut into their mobile banking fee income, make it easier for people to adopt electronic payments without opening bank accounts, and more disintermediate banks from their customers. American financial institutions have raised similar concerns over the prospect of a digital dollar.
By August, just 840,000 people had used the eNaira and only 240,000 were active users, the CBN reported. It announced a goal of eight million.
By the eNaira's one-year anniversary in late October, Bloomberg reported that less than one million Nigerians were using the eNaira. The central bank's governor said at the time:
"Just like the naira, the eNaira is expected to be available to all Nigerians and will provide more possibilities to bring the unbanked into the digital economy."
Digital Payments, Crypto Embraced
Still, other digital payments methods have been successful. Earlier this year, Telecom MTN Nigeria reported that after launching a mobile payments solution, 4.2 million digital wallets were opened in two months.
Another problem the eNaira is having is that it is a version of Nigeria's official currency, the naira, which has seen inflation of more than 21% this year amid soaring food prices.
The adoption of cryptocurrencies has been soaring, with blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis' 2022 Global Crypto Adoption Index naming it the largest adopter of cryptocurrency in Africa and ranked No. 11 worldwide.


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Dumpling producer apologizes for contamination
Updated: 2011-10-21 10:43
ZHENGZHOU-- A leading Chinese producer for quick-frozen snacks Thursday apologized for the production and sale of bacteria-contaminated dumplings and said that a recall was underway.
A spokeswoman from Zhengzhou Sinian Food Co Ltd said they had confirmed the contamination of staphylococcus aureus, or golden staph, in its quick-frozen seafood and pork-stuffed dumplings.
The company had started the recall and destruction of the contaminated products, said Lin Xiaohong, a marketing executive of the company, adding that an investigation into the source of the contamination was underway.
The statement came after authorities in Beijing announced they had detected golden staph from one batch of dumpling products by the Henan-based company. The bacteria can cause various diseases, including pneumonia and sepsis, and is strictly banned in food procession.


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There isn’t much information about the results of the arbitration nor the cause of the dispute to begin with. We tried contacting Western Digital for comment and were told that all details regarding the arbitration are confidential. By the looks of the short press release posted on Western Digital’s site, on November 18th, Western Digital [NASDAQ:WDC] had a $525M award rendered against them by a sole arbitrator in a pending confidential arbitration action in Minnesota. For those unaware, Minnesota is a huge R&D center for Seagate [NASDAQ:STX] and is considered by many to be Seagate’s 2nd HQ.
Western Digital went further saying that the amount of the award does not include prejudgement interest, which will be subsequently determined. They stated that the $525M award came as a result of claims brought by Seagate claiming that Western Digital and an employee of Western Digital who was formerly employed by Seagate alleging, "Misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets." While we don’t currently have any details regarding this supposed industrial espionage, if true, there could be dire consequences for Western Digital. Western Digital is already suffering pretty greatly at the hands of the hard drive supply shortage as a result of the Thai Floods – which affect 60% of their overall production.
While we’ll probably have to do some intense prodding in order to get some more information about the situation, we’re confident that eventually there will be more details leaked out. Currently, though, Western Digital is attempting to do damage control with their press release and is likely part of the reason why everyone at Western Digital was given the full week off for Thanksgiving. We’re sure that most Western Digital employees are probably not complaining either way. We’re not sure if the timing was coincidental or not, but it seems very interesting to say the least.
Western Digital’s statement went further, with the CEO John Coyne stating, "We do not believe there is any basis in law or fact for the damage award of the arbitrator. We believe the company acted properly at all times and we will vigorously challenge the award. This does not affect our ability to conduct our operations, to complete the recovery and recommencement of our Thailand operations or, subject to obtaining the required regulatory approvals, to consummate our planned acquisition of Hitachi GST." By the looks of that statement, the CEO is doing his best to state that this $525M award will not affect WDC’s momentum or movement, but if you look at their share price it has taken quite the beating in the past year and is down 23% in the last year compared to Seagate who is actually up 8%. Then again, it was WDC that blew past Seagate’s market share over the past couple of quarters.
If anything, right now is a very trying time for Western Digital and how they handle the Thai Floods and this $525M award will determine the company’s future share price as well as possibly the future of the company. We’re hopeful that Western Digital will get out of this without being hurt too poorly as we need competition in the hard drive market right now considering how high prices have gone. Not to mention the fact that there are essentially two hard drive manufacturers left in the world once Western Digital finishes their acquisition of Hitachi GST and Seagate their acquisition of Samsung’s hard drive business.
There is a very slim chance that the $525M award could be overturned in court, but based upon looking at Minnesota’s laws there isn’t going to be much room for a decision to be overturned unless certain evidence was not presented in a truthful manner.


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Three digital one –stop platforms for Pourashava services inaugurated
Three digital one-stop platforms -- Eksheba, Ekpay and Ekshop -- to enable people to get different government services and pay utility bills and fees were launched on Sunday (Oct.20).
Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy launched the platforms in a ceremony organized by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) division at the ICT Tower in Dhaka.
The platforms were developed by the Access to Information (a2i) program under the ICT division.
By 2021, the government plans to deliver majority of the citizen services through the mobile phone or union digital centers, said Joy at the launching ceremony.
Using the Ekpay platform citizens will be able to pay all kinds of utility bills, tuition fees for education and other government payments like holding taxes easily. The citizens will also get nine types of certificates digitally through his is own smart phones or service points.
Currently, EkPay is offering bill payment solutions to over 50 assisted agents and more than 50,000 syndicated agents.
Some 15 banks have already been integrated with the platform and more than 30 service providers are currently allowing their customers to pay bills with their cards, bank accounts including internet banking, mobile financial services, among other options.
Currently, there are just six options, but in the coming days more and more options will be integrated with the payment gateways and all the banks will be connected, said Rezwanul Haque Jami, head of commercialization at a2i.
“This service will bring relief to users. They will no longer need to go from one bank to another to pay their utility bills, which can now be done with a few taps on one’s mobile phone,” Jami added.
Ekshop is a platform for buying and selling and thousands of remote product developers are connected with it.
Anyone can upload their product information after getting listed with the platform, while buyers can also purchase products from popular online shopping houses.
Some 16 leading e-commerce platforms are now listed with the platforms while about 10 lakh products are being showcased. Users will also get support from the government’s union digital centres to buy and sell their products.
The platform has logistics and payment facilities incorporated, so it will be easy the get any kind of online shopping related support from here.
Sellers also can sell their products to other countries through the platform, which has already partnered with a Malaysian company, according to Jami.
Within a short time, this service will be launched in Singapore, Nepal and 21 other countries, said a2i officers.
Joy also launched an online service delivery gateway Eksheba, which has 167 government services on board and a2i has targeted to place more than 3,000 services here.
Using this program platform users can browse all government websites, apply for online services and verify other government services. Any fees or charges related with the services can be paid directly from the platform, a2i officials added.
Jami said they have developed an interconnected architecture for digital services that will help citizens to get government services easily and also save their time and money.
“In future this architecture will bring new innovations,” Jami added.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam, State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, ICT Division Senior Secretary NM Zeaul Alam and South Korean Ambassador in Dhaka Hu Kang-il addressed the function.
At the same program Joy also unveiled the digital municipality services system to provide five citizen services in Mymensingh City Corporation and nine municipalities including Faridpur, Goplaganj and Pirganj under the pilot program.
The government has targeted to reach 300 municipalities by 2021. Joy went on to term the launch of the digital services as ‘buildings blocks’ to implementing the Digital Bangladesh vision.
Bangladesh has moved up to the 115th spot in the e-government development index of the United Nations among 193 countries. Ten years ago Bangladesh’s position was 162nd.
He also expressed his optimism that the country would be able to move another 50 notches ahead in the next five years in the e-government index.
Korea International Cooperation Agency helped the ICT division to formulate the e-government master plan that was also unveiled at the event.


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The cotton market is still holding positive after Monday’s wild ride. Sunday night the market got the word of a trade truce with China and prices responded by trading nearly limit-up. Yet, as the session wore on, it became apparent specific trade details were lacking.
Although China did agree to immediately buy a massive amount of U.S. agricultural products,” no money has hit the table” as the old mercantile maxim goes.
Thus, disappointment began to infect the euphoria and prices tumbled off their highs. The cotton market did close 100 points higher, but obviously it is hungry to see actual export business getting done.
On the international scene, India’s cotton crop is apparently coming up short. All season it was known the monsoonal rains were off their normal pace by an estimated 10%, but it may have been misjudged.
The top two producing provinces, Gujarat and Maharashtra, were in a full-blown drought. Last season, Indian production was 36.5 million bales, but private forecasters have lowered this season’s production between 32.5 to 33.0 million bales.
The Cotton Association of India has pegged the crop 34.0 million bales.
For today, close-in support for March cotton is 79.50 cents and 78.90 cents, with resistance at 82.00 cents.


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Online video streaming has been gaining traction for years, but many still haven’t dropped their cable service all together. Mobile is changing all that, with more features, more personalization and more access. And while many have yet to cut the cord cable, home entertainment is becoming a much broader experience, starting with the mobile adoption of services like Netflix. The online video streamer launched an Android app earlier this year, and expanded to include the bulk of Android devices just this past weekend. And Netflix is just one pressure point for cable providers -- the cloud and mobile technology are really helping to drive this trend.
Orb Live is a service that lets you stream your personal media cloud, including music, photos and videos, from your computer to your smartphone. Launching on Android this week, Orb Live also lets you stream free content from services like Hulu Plus or select ESPN channels. Previously only available for iOS devices, Orb Live for Android supports streaming over 3G and Wi-Fi, so any video service available to your computer, including Netflix and YouTube, can also be streamed through Orb Live.
Orb Live leverages the cloud for streaming delivery, but ZiXi is also looking to cloud technology for improved video transmission, especially in HD. Based on Amazon’s EC2, Zixi provides businesses a platform for cloud-based broadcasting. As more broadcasters like NBC include mobile devices in their lineup for live streams, and media houses like Scripps join the party, live streaming is gaining support from industry heavyweights, enabling a new future for video distribution.
The business of live streaming faces growing pains
Zixi’s going after the live-streaming market with its cloud-based product, while Orb Live still faces some industry development for its model. Streaming content from another device isn’t in Hulu or Netflix’s best interest, as Orb hasn’t worked out direct deals with content providers. The cloud is certainly providing new means of content distribution beyond TV screens, but it’s monetization efforts still face some growing pains. We’re at an intersection of technology, business and consumer interest, so taking advantage of this convergence is an important aspect of leveraging the cloud.


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2019 has only just begun, and it appears it is going to be another year of Copy it. While the previous year was majorly all about copying Apple’s iPhone X design, the year 2019 could shape out to be about copying Samsung’s Infinity-O design and Huawei’s design language.
Another feature that could become commonplace is the latest smartphone camera sensor developed by imaging giant Sony – the IMX586. That sensor has a whopping 48 million pixels behind it, and while the sensor already found its way into the Nova 3, and Honor V20, Xiaomi has already hinted it is working on a smartphone with a similar feature, and now comes the news that Meizu might be the next buyer of the Sony SENSOR.
While it has only been a couple of weeks since the Meizu Note 8 hit the retail shelves, words from Meizu suggest it could already be working on a successor – the Meizu Note 9. The revelation comes from no other person than Meizu CEO Jack Wong.
Gizchina News of the week
Going by words from CEO Jack Wong, the Meizu Note 9 could be the company’s take on the Nova 4, the Honor V20 and the rumored Xiaomi phone set to be unveiled on January 10th. As per Meizu CEO Jack Wong post on the company forum, the Meizu Note 9 is tipped to house an unannounced SoC from Qualcomm – the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 6150 chipset expected to be manufactured on an 11nm process.
He further confirmed that the device will come fitted with a whopping 48Mp camera, though we are not sure if it could be the same sensor used by Honor and Huawei.
Other details are scarce at the moment, however, we expect the company to adopt a newer design element – probably the water drop design, the Infinity-O like design coupled with multiple rear camera setup.


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YouTube app adds HDR support for iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
About a month has passed since the iPhone 11 series made its debut on the market, and the YouTube app has finally been updated with HDR support for these specific devices. MacRumors reports that the most recent YouTube app update brings HDR support for iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, even though there's no mention of it in the changelog.
Multiple HDR options should be available for iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max users after the update, which can be found by pressing the three dots on the top right of a video you're watching.
Keep in mind that the iPhone 11 does not feature HDR support on YouTube since it doesn't sport an OLED display, and the same goes for the iPhone XR. However, most of Apple iPhones released after 2017 should be compatible with YouTube's HDR feature.


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Adventures in Branding: Kia EcoDynamics
By Charles Krome
Back in March of 2009, Kia execs announced plans for the automaker’s future green-focused products, and that included a tried-but-true industry tactic: Kia would differentiate its most fuel-efficient products, and those featuring new fuel-saving technologies, by sticking a new badge on them. The badging wouldn’t represent the birth of a new automotive brand—at least not in the standard sense of the term—but be more of a separate trim level.
At least that was my take.
But a recent news report from Wards.com puts a whole different spin on things, and it’s one that shows a surprising disconnect between Kia and U.S. buyers.
The bottom line is that Kia has decided not to use the EcoDynamics label—which is already showing up on its hybrids in Europe—here in the American market. The reasoning, as explained to Ward’s by Orth Hedrick, Kia Motor America’s director for product planning, is that “The issue is it’s yet another brand. And given the fact we’re trying to allocate our resources to other areas that make the most sense, does it make sense to introduce another brand out there?”
Now, as anyone who’s tried shopping for an Oldsmobile, Saturn, HUMMER, Pontiac, Plymouth or Mercury lately could tell you, this isn’t really a good time for an automaker to try adding new brands to its stable. But that’s not at all what the EcoDynamics business would have been about.
It would have been more akin to the way companies use unique designations to highlight their high-performance products. Add on a few magic letters—like SVT, M, V, AMG, SS, Si, STi, etc., etc.—and enough go-fast goodies to match, and voila!, you’ve got a marketing hook on which to hang more customers. As I hinted above, this is standard operating procedure in the industry, and that’s because, generally speaking, it works.
It costs nowhere near the amount of money it would take to truly launch a new brand of vehicles, it attracts that certain kind of customer who enjoys the caché of a designer label and it can provide a halo effect for an automaker’s entire lineup. And we’ve already seen a few tentative steps toward using this tactic on high-efficiency vehicles instead of just high-performance ones. Just to give a few more whacks to the deceased equine known as Saturn, that GM division had the “Green Line” label on its mild hybrids, and Chevrolet has been attaching the “XFE” designation to its high-mileage Cobalt for a few years now.
It’s true that none of these designators have caught on with the public to the same extent as Chevrolet’s “SS” or BMW’s “M,” but I say that primarily has to do with the mindset of the automakers. It’s something I’ve whined about in the past: If you want to get people to pay as much attention to mpg as they do to mph, you have to make the latter as “cool” as the former. That means you don’t hide your green vehicles under the same banner as the rest of your products, you make them stand out with exclusive badges and the like. You can call that cynicism, I call it marketing.
Just consider this: Years before Ford launched its EcoBoost engines, GM was using the same technology on the hi-po I4 engines in cars like the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn SKY Red Line. But one company leveraged that tech into a brand name, and the other didn’t—and you can see how that turned out.


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KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — Amazon is now hiring more than 1,000 full-time workers at its Kernersville fulfillment center.
The jobs add to more than 5,000 full-time employees who work for Amazon in North Carolina.
The company has a $15-an-hour minimum pay, and benefits start day one.
The upcoming facility, located at 1656 Old Greensboro Road, is more than 1 million square feet.
Amazon says employees will work alongside “innovative technologies” to pick, pack and ship larger-sized items to customers across the region.
The company has invested more than $1 billion from 2010 to 2018 into its local fulfillment center infrastructure and into compensation for North Carolina employees.
Amazon estimates that the company has contributed an additional $690 million into the state’s economy from 2010 to 2018.
For more information about available positions, visit the Amazon Jobs website. Applicants must be over 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent.


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Pandora Media Inc., the Internet radio service that first sold shares to the public in June, posted a surprise third-quarter profit, as sales of $75 million beat analysts’ estimates.
Net income of $638,000, or breakeven per share, compared with a loss of $1.77 million a year earlier, the Oakland, California-based company said today in a statement. Excluding some items, profit of 2 cents beat the average 1-cent loss projected by 13 analysts in a Bloomberg survey.
More advertisers are seeking to reach Pandora’s mobile listeners, who account for a majority of the service’s customers, Chief Executive Officer Joe Kennedy said in an interview. About half of Pandora’s $66 million in third-quarter advertising sales came from mobile users, a “triple-digit” increase from a year ago, he said.
“We continued to see really strong growth in mobile advertising,” Kennedy said.
Sales almost doubled from $37.7 million a year ago, outstripping the $71.6 million average of analysts’ estimates.
Pandora fell 3.8 percent to $11.40 in extended trading after the report. The stock retreated 5.4 percent to $11.85 at the close in New York trading and has lost 26 percent since its June 14 initial public offering at $16.
The company said it provided 2.1 billion hours of programming in the period, more than double a year ago.
Pandora ended the quarter with $90.8 million in cash, compared with $95.3 million three months earlier. In the quarter, Pandora generated about $111,000 in cash from operating activities, compared with $163,000 a year ago.
The company expects $80 million to $84 million in revenue this quarter, compared with the $82.8 million average of 11 analysts estimates. Pandora projects a loss of 2 cents to 4 cents, excluding items, in the period.
Full-year, Pandora expects revenue of $273 million to $277 million, compared with analysts’ estimates of $272.5 million, and a per-share loss of 2 cents to 5 cents, excluding items.


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WATCH: 'Irrespawsible' Pet Dog Accidentally Drives its Owner's SUV into a Pond in China
The dog, named Pooch, was sitting inside its owner's car and accidentally shifted the gear of the car, causing it to fall in the nearby pond, Chinese media reported.
Screenshot from video uploaded by CGTN / YouTube.
A hilarious video of a dog driving a car into a pond has emerged from China.
The incident took place in China’s Zhejiang province and the whole episode was caught on CCTV cameras.
The owner of the car, a local shopkeeper, parked his white SUV and came out to pick a box he had left in his home. He kept the engine running and the trunk of the vehicle open.
The dog, named Pooch, was sitting inside the car and accidentally shifted the gear of the car, causing it to fall in the nearby pond, Chinese media reported.
When the owner came back, he found his car sinking in the pond and the dog trying to get out of the sunroof.
The man, then, with the help of a wooden plank and support of locals, managed to rescue his pet pooch.
Though the dog was safe, there was no confirmation on what happened to the car, the reports added.
Last month, a similar incident has taken place in Florida’s Port St Lucie when residents saw a car moving around in circles in reverse gear.
The locals called up the police who found a black Labrador trapped inside the vehicle.
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Consumers Attitide Toward Packaging Increases Consumers are concerned about packaging in many ways due to COVID-19, however attitudes are chang- ing in a positive way, according to a survey conduct- ed by FMCG Gurus. 40 percent of global consumers stated they have more positive perceptions towards packaging as a result of COVID-19.This positive shift in attitude is said to be due to consumers wanting their food to be protected from the virus. Seven out of 10 consumers said that they believe that packaging keeps food safe. Consumers are also said to be re-evaluating their eat- ing and drinking habits as they look to lead healthier lifestyles. Whilst a high level of attention will be giv- en to product formulation and improved wellbeing, consumers will also pay close attention to packaging as they evaluate the role that it has on health, the re- search firm suggested. There is increasing global demand to establish the authenticity of food products by demonstrating an un- broken supply chain from the source through to the final consumers. FMCG Gurus research also showed that, across the globe, almost one in two consumers (47 percent) said that they are willing to pay for a product if the packag-
ing has less of an environmental impact. Fifty-five per- cent have now become “more concerned” about the environment as a result of COVID-19. However, consumers are not overly trusting of sus- tainability claims made by packaging brands, the re- search revealed. Green-washing — deceptive mar- keting about sustainability — and consumers being subject to high profile cases where environmental claims later prove to be misleading or inaccurate were noted to be the primary concerns for consumers.
Tarsus Confirms China Show Location, Dates
The organizer of the Labelexpo and Brand Print Global Series’ of international trade shows, Tarsus Group, confirmed Shenzhen as the location for the lat- est additions to its expanding print portfolio in China, which, at this writing, take place between December 8-10, 2020. The two co-located shows, Labelexpo South China and Brand Print South China, announced last Decem- ber, will be hosted at Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. Collectively, Labelexpo South Chi- na and Brand Print South China 2020 will reportedly cover 10,000 square meters of floor space.
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Wattles Named CEO of Ultimate Electronics16 Feb, 2005 By: Erik Gruenwedel
As expected, Mark Wattles today was named CEO of bankrupt Denver-based Ultimate Electronics.
The founder, former chairman/CEO and dominant shareholder of Hollywood Video last month was named chairman of Ultimate's board.
Prior to becoming chairman, Wattles purchased 6.85 million shares of Ultimate common stock for $4.4 million, with separate two-year agreements to purchase 1.85 million shares for $1.2 million and 1.8 million shares from Ultimate founder and chairman William Pearse for no more than 65 cents per share.
Wattles' appointment came as Ultimate, retailer of home entertainment and consumer electronics in 14 states with listed debts of more than $160 million against assets totaling $329 million in Chapter 11 filings, announced the departure of CEO and president David Workman and two senior executives.
Joining Wattles at Ultimate are Bill Besselman, former VP of strategic planning and analysis at Hollywood, taking the same position; and Lon Weingart, former SVP of operations at Hollywood, as consultant. Jim Marcum, former Hollywood CFO and current member of Ultimate's board, will assist in financial restructuring.
“I am excited to be working with some of the talent that led Hollywood Video through its successful turnaround,” said Wattles in a statement. “As a result of these changes, Ultimate is now a large company with management experienced in running a large company.”
At a meeting Monday, a financial consultant doubted ongoing restructuring would “result in any value for the holders of [its] common stock.”
They declined to announce when Ultimate might emerge from bankruptcy protection.
“Despite the company's recent difficulties caused in part by aggressive growth strategies of prior management, I believe that this remains a good business,” Wattles said.For the fourth quarter ended Jan. 31, Ultimate reported sales of $195.9 million, down 19.4 percent from $243.2 million the same period last year. Sales for the year were about $658.3 million, down 8 percent from $712.9 million last year.


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Internet TV service iflix continued its telco play by landing a deal with Celcom Axiata, which would allow the Malaysian operator to offer iflix content to its more than 12 million customers.
Vuclip has appointed Kingsley Warner general manager of its Malaysian operations, ahead of its Vuclip OTT service launch in the country.
Vuclip has released the findings of its Global Video Insights 2015 Survey that shows the video consumption habits and device preferences of Malaysian consumers.
PCCW Media Group has announced the launch of Viu, its OTT multi-screen video service, in Singapore, the first step in its regional expansion.
iflix has signed an agreement with Telekom Malaysia to provide its content for free to customers of the latter’s Streamyx and UniFi home broadband packages.
Sebelum akhir tahun pemerintah akan mendorong pertumbuhan 5 OTT lokal OTT dianggap menguras kapasitas jaringan operator tanpa membayar pajak
The number of VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution) connections is anticipated to reach two billion by 2020, rising from an estimated 123 million in 2015, according to a new study from Juniper Research.
Brocade has announced new Network Visibility solutions and a partner ecosystem that it said would empower mobile network operators with critical insights into the traffic within their networks.
It was a slap in the face for many participants at DNA's inaugural What’s Next conference when Media Prima Television Networks CEO Ahmad Izham Omar revealed the cold hard truth: Urban folk do not represent Malaysia.
The TV business is changing and Astro has upped its game by coming up with Astro OD Entertainment, providing Malaysians with a new way of consuming its content – as long as their Personal Video Recorders are connected to a WiFi network.


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Below we are ging to share a news about EDARAN TAN CHONG MOTOR SDN BHD EXPECTS TO MAINTAIN SALES OF NISSAN VEHICLES IN MALAYSIA from bernama. And today they already launch of the new bodykit for grand livina tuned by impul.
Tan Chong Motor Expects To Maintain Sales
Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd, the sales and marketing arm of Nissan vehicles in Malaysia, expects sales this year to be sustained at 28,000 units, the same as last year.
Its executive director Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng said despite the economic slowdown, the strong Nissan consumer branding and quality will continue to maintain its market share in the industry.
“We are confident of the strong support for our future launches this year. The economic outlook will not deter us from achieving our targets,” he said during the launch of the new Nissan Grand Livina Tuned by Impul Motor Racing Development from Japan.
The core activities of Impul, founded by motorsports expert Kazuyoshi Hoshino, include integrated, planning and development of car parts and accessories.
According to Ang, the Grand Livina seven-seater model will support growth of Nissan vehicle sales in Malaysia.
Priced from RM95,586 to RM108,086, the model tuned by the Impul version is fitted with enhanced features to provide better handling and engine response as well as a more aesthetic look.
With the exception of the alloy wheels, all Impul Grand Livina parts are produced in Malaysia, Ang said.


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This new product, which is known as Dual Piezoelectric Cooling Jets, is to be used for thin laptops and tablets and should result in machines using cooling devices no larger than a credit card to keep the temperature down, My Broadband reports.
These smaller items will be used instead of more commonly adopted cooling fans and heatsinks.
GE explained the technology could be used in future on devices that are no more than 6mm in thickness, while the cooling solution stands at just 4mm tall.
This represents a 50 per cent reduction in height when considered against other ways currently used to prevent laptops from overheating.
The futuristic element of the new technology has been underlined by the method in which it has been developed.
According to GE – which is a worldwide infrastructure, finance and media company that has been coming up with innovations for more than 130 years – the technology used was originally created for use in commercial jet engines.


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2 top popular products up for BUY!!! Don’t wait for the next big change to disturb you!!! BUY NOW!!
Online payments company Paytm has gone live with its point-of-sale (PoS) offering again, Founder and Chief Executive Vijay Shekhar Sharma today said, two days after taking the service off due to security concerns.
Sharma also hinted he will not join an interest rate war with its payments bank offering, which is likely to be launched next month.
“You would be surprised, it is back in the App stores,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the ‘Ascent’ conclave for entrepreneurs, launched by Marico Chairman Harsh Mariwala for start-ups.
Sharma replied in the affirmative when asked to confirm again if the facility is indeed live.
He asserted that the security risks which the PoS offering poses are the same as the card’s use at a physical merchant where the card details can be copied.
That is a hardly a risk in today’s times!!
Sharma said the company had to introduce a “few more features” before relaunching the facility, which is aimed at eliminating the need to have a swipe machine and can operate only with a mobile phone.
WOW,that’s pretty cool!!!
“After our launch, we have had several discussions with stakeholders on how we can make this process even more secure. Based on some suggestions from the industry, we have decided to add additional certifications and features before making it available to merchants,” the company had said at the time of withdrawing the facility.
Stating that the launch was in line with Paytm’s focus on an infrastructure-light, simple, scalable and affordable model, Paytm had clarified the company did not store any card details on the app or on its servers.
Now that allays the security fears!!!
According to some reports, entering of card details into the merchant’s phone and existing norms on ‘cardpresent’ transactions were 2 of the most critical concerns.
Sharma today said his company launched the product looking at the opportunity to scale up because Paytm has only 16 crore users as against 55 crore card holders.
“We have had interactions with the regulator and are hopeful it should come really soon,” he said, adding the company wants to seize the opportunity created by the demonetisation exercise.
Who knows when the next opportunity comes!!!
“We probably have synced up on most of the topics. Logically, it should not be many more things,” he said.
Sharma, however, said the company will not join the rate war, after Airtel’s 7.25 per cent interest rate offering for account holders.


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South Korea's prime minister, Lee Nak-yon, who concluded a three-day visit to Dhaka in mid-July, told a business audience here that his country would lend its support for Bangladesh to prosper in new industries by slashing its reliance on ready-made garment exports that made up more than 80% of its overseas sales of $40 billion for the year ending in June.
South Korean companies, whose transfer of technical know-how helped Bangladesh become the world's second-largest textiles exporter, behind only China, have scoped out the potential of other emerging sectors.
SK Group, the country's third-largest conglomerate, is exploring the potential of eventually outsourcing semiconductor manufacturing to Bangladesh, according to officials at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, or KOTRA, in Dhaka. The country is at the nascent stage now, and outsourcing would begin initially with design.
The company's energy arm, SK Gas, already has partnered with Mitsui & Co. of Japan and SPL Petrochemical Complex of Bangladesh and will invest $300 million in the energy sector, in particular a liquefied petroleum gas terminal in the southeastern city of Chittagong.
Indeed, South Korea established diplomatic relations with the country in 1973, two years after Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan. That was followed by the transfer of technology and production skills from Daewoo Corp. to Desh Garment in 1979, setting the stage for the boom in Bangladesh's textile industry.
Later came Youngone Corp., which established garment factories in Dhaka and Chittagong. The company today employs nearly 70,000 people in Bangladesh.
"We, the Koreans, are proud that our investors have been pioneers for the Bangladesh garment industry," Jong Weon Kim, director-general at KOTRA in Dhaka, told Nikkei. Some 100 South Korean apparel companies are operating in Bangladesh, contributing mostly to the country's textiles industry, he noted.
Analysts echo that sentiment.
"It was a historic contribution of Daewoo to the ready-made garment sector," said Zaidi Sattar, chairman of Dhaka think tank Policy Research Institute and a former trade economist with the World Bank.
Sattar said South Korean companies brought the idea of introducing bonded duty-free imports and back-to-back letters of credit in a country that had no cotton production and offered not much more than cheap labor and trade benefits for Western markets.
With bonded duty-free imports, companies can delay the payment of tariffs until they are ready to use materials imported earlier. If the materials are used for producing exports, they are not required to pay the tariff.
"Bonded facility was a breakthrough for Bangladesh," Sattar said. "Without it, Bangladesh's garment industry would have never taken off."
But Bangladesh's honeymoon with the textile and garment industry is almost over.
"Pressure is building up on the garment sector," said Mustafizur Rahman, a fellow with the Centre for Policy Dialogue, a Dhaka think tank. "Rivals like Vietnam and Cambodia are competing with us."
Rahman said that since South Korea has made an exit from the garment sector, Bangladesh can tap the opportunities of branching out and utilize its expertise. He said that Bangladesh should also harness burgeoning demand for emerging sectors such as digital economy and e-commerce.
Looking ahead, Rahman said, diversification is crucial as Bangladesh will lose duty-free and quota-free benefits when it graduates to developing country status, as defined by the United Nations, by 2024, from least-developed country status currently.
Meanwhile, South Korea's exports to Bangladesh in 2018 stood at more than $1.2 billion against imports of $346 million -- a stubborn gap Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wants to plug with duty-free and quota-free access to South Korea's market.
During his visit in July, Lee held out the assurance of providing just that kind of access. Bangladesh's major exports to Korea include garments, leather goods and farm products, while it imports steel, electronics, plastic, chemical, paper and machinery.
Economists say Bangladesh needs to expand its export base and reduce dependence on textiles to shield the economy from possible external shocks.
"Too much of the economy riding on one sector is not good for sustained and stable growth," Sattar said. But to diversify Bangladesh's exports, he said that the government must extend bonded duty-free imports to nontextile shipments.
South Korean companies are hoping to seize the opportunities.
Amid Bangladesh's fast-growing economy and "the map of industry" changing, KOTRA's Kim said that South Korean companies are moving to other sectors, including infrastructure and engineering, electronics, machinery, information technology, chemicals, energy, entertainment and food. "Our future relationship is very bright because more and more Korean companies are knocking the door of the Bangladesh market."
Bangladesh last year took in a record $3.62 billion in foreign direct investment led by Japan and China, but FDI from South Korea was a fraction of that figure: $73 million.
Rizvi, the adviser to the prime minister, said that Bangladesh is courting South Korean entrepreneurs to invest by leveraging what he calls a "capable and one of the most disciplined workforce in the world." Bangladesh is a "stable" and "democratic" society, he said.
Still, while Bangladesh has made "enormous" improvements in electricity generation and transport, Rizvi acknowledged that overall infrastructure and ease of doing business ranking remain worrisome constraints. Last year it ranked 176 out of 190 countries in the World Bank's ease of doing business index.
But officials remain bullish.
"Japanese and South Koreans are coming up due to a rapid pickup in Chinese investment," said Nabhash Chandra Mandal, a top official with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority. "Those who will come first will grab the market."


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Alibaba Group and the German Metro Group are going to establish a strategic partnership to promote e-commerce in China. Metro Group will launch its official flagship store exclusively on Alibaba Group’s T-mall Global platform, selling German products to the Chinese consumers.
Metro Group currently operates in over 80 wholesale markets in China, under Metro Cash & Carry. The new cross-border e-store on T-mall Global helps Metro to further tap the Chinese market. The online storefront will sell products from both private labels, as well as supplier brands from Germany.
In addition to the online flagship store, both companies also agree to explore omni-channel opportunities in areas including global sourcing of quality products in different categories, supply chain optimization and market insights leveraging on big data.
Source: Alibaba Group Press Release


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With new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) set to start rolling out later this year, and perhaps as soon as next month, the American Booksellers Association has joined other trade groups in opposing the selling of closed generic TLDs, which would allow companies to secure exclusive rights to domains such as .read or .author. Amazon.com recently applied with the Web governing body, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), to purchase exclusive rights to .book.
A domain name is made up of a series of character strings (or “labels”), which are separated by dots (e.g., www.BookWeb.org). The right-most label in a domain name is referred to as its “top-level domain” (TLD), such as .com or .org.
In comments submitted to ICANN, ABA CEO Oren Teicher stressed that “allowing a single company to have exclusive rights to a particular string is not in the best interest of the public. The Generic Names Supporting Organization stated that a key benefit to introducing new top-level domains was that these domains had the potential to ‘promote competition in the provision of registry services, to add consumer choice, [and] market differentiation….’”
Teicher noted that closed generic TLDs are “at odds with the potential benefits of market differentiation, consumer choice, and fostering competition” and that to achieve these benefits, the domain should be open to the entire industry. (Read ABA’s public comment to ICANN in full.)
In AAP’s public comment, Allan Robert Adler, general counsel and vice president for government affairs for AAP, noted that “allowing a single private company to secure exclusive use of a string like .book —a gTLD of vast potential application and scope — would defeat the purposes for which new gTLDs are being authorized and is, therefore, not in the public interest.”
Adler added that “Amazon makes clear that it seeks exclusive control of the .book string solely for its own business purposes, notwithstanding the broad range of other companies, organizations, and individuals that have diverse interests in the use of this gTLD.”
Barnes & Noble also issued a public comment with ICANN in strong opposition to Amazon.com’s attempt to purchase the .book gTLD. “Amazon, the dominant player in the book industry, should not be allowed to control the Book TLDs, which would enable them to control generic industry terms in a closed fashion with disastrous consequences not only for bookselling but for the American public. If Amazon, which controls approximately 60 percent of the market for eBooks and 25 percent of the physical book market, were granted the exclusive use of .book, .read, and .author, Amazon would use the control of these TLDs to stifle competition in the bookselling and publishing industries, which are critical to the future of copyrighted expression in the United States.”
At present, there are 22 gTLDs, including .com, .org, and .net, according to PCMag.com.


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Is Gothenburg Scandinavia's Best-Kept Style Secret?
Hear from the city’s fashion industry insiders.
Scandinavia has long been in the spotlight for its minimal style sensibilities in fashion, interiors and design, and more recently “Scandi 2.0” style that’s all about bold colors and mismatched prints. As revered as its inhabitants are for being the most effortlessly stylish amongst us all, the spotlight frequently falls on capital cities like Copenhagen and Stockholm as the focal point for the best-dressed and the base for some of the region’s biggest brands like Acne Studios and GANNI. One often overlooked city that’s been quietly and diligently forging a distinguishable fashion identity of its own is Sweden‘s second-biggest city, Gothenburg.
The gritty, industrial seaside city on the west coast has a storied history in textile production though as it’s home to the largest port in Scandinavia, trade and shipping continue to play a major role in Gothenburg’s economy. It also has the distinct advantage that goes hand-in-hand with second city-status; the notion that it’s more-laid back, artistic and fun than its capital, as evidenced by locations like Antwerp, Barcelona and Glasgow. With Scandinavia’s affinity for achieving the ideal work-life balance, or lagom, it seems like a burgeoning city like Gothenburg provides the perfect backdrop for both creativity and business to thrive.
“Gothenburg is obviously far away from being a fashion capital. But it doesn’t need to be one. By being the second-largest city, Gothenburg has the freedom to be more laid-back compared to Stockholm. In Gothenburg you get to see ”real people” and there is no showing-off. It’s quite refreshing,” says Max Svärdh, Creative Director of Axel Arigato. “By being so far away from the ”industry” you are forced to go your own way and do things differently,” adds Albin Johansson, the brand’s co-founder and CEO. Both are Gothenburg natives, who launched their premium footwear and RTW brand in the city although they stationed their flagship store in London and a second outpost in Stockholm before opening the doors to their Gothenburg store, located directly opposite their HQ, in late 2018.
“10 years ago, it was mainly local brands here but now the city is becoming increasingly international.”
Admittedly, the growing cultural scene is partly responsible for Gothenburg’s shift from underdog to a recognized destination for travel and work. “Gothenburg might have been an “insider tip” in the past but through music festivals such as Way Out West and the Göteborg International Film Festival or new brands opening here it has certainly been more on the radar lately,” shares Nina Gomes, an assistant buyer at Monki – the only offshoot of the H&M group that has its headquarters on the west coast. Another born and bred Gothenburger, Gomes attributes the nearby Swedish School of Textiles with bringing “A constant stream of talent with fresh and exciting ideas to the city,” before adding “Gothenburg is hosting more and more fashion brands and events these days. 10 years ago, it was mainly local brands here but now the city is becoming increasingly international.”
Marketing and communications director at Nudie Jeans, Mawejje Kuddiza, believes the city’s growth is part of a larger, global technological shift. “With the breakthrough of internet and especially smartphones I think everything changed. The internet made trends, style, brands, stores and most importantly the interaction between peers easier as you don’t need the same type of funds nowadays to see what’s happening on the other side of the world. This has absolutely changed Gothenburg along with every other small city that isn’t necessarily a natural hub for these phenomena.” It’s a belief that’s been echoed far and wide in recent years, that technology has levelled out the playing field and democratized fashion and various other industries.
While being based outwith a capital city certainly doesn’t hold the same stigma or present the practical issues it may have a decade ago, it’s not entirely without problems. “Disadvantages are that you are being considered the runner up even if you’re at the top,” shares Kuddiza, revealing that “The Law of Jante can be very evident at times.” The positives likely outweigh the negatives; although bigger cities offer up easier access to international travel, a wider selection of creatives and models to work with and a more renowned venues, museums and events, they can also be overstimulating and creatively draining.
“Gothenburg is obviously far away from being a fashion capital. But it doesn’t need to be one.
“Being in a smaller city like Gothenburg makes it easier to focus on what you’re doing and what you want to do instead of what everyone else is doing. You don’t get compared to other brands or business in the same way and you can focus on being great instead of better than someone else,” Kuddiza reassures us. Reinforcing this point, Johansson shares “You don’t have to come from a fashion capital to reach your goals. Entering year five, we keep growing and the location of our hometown doesn’t stop us from doing whatever we want to do.”
Fashion is a lucrative industry across the globe, and revenues are expected to continue to grow impressively across the Danish and Swedish markets over the next few years. With that in mind, its safe to assume that alongside those internationally renowned hubs, municipalities like Gothenburg will not only inspire the rest of the region, but continue to attract individuals and brands with its unique take on style and life and the chilled-out and innately cool vibe it offers, far removed from the stress and pressures of Stockholm. “I think the important thing is to be and work where you are inspired and where it makes sense for yourself along with your company to be,” muses Kuddiza. “A lot of inspiration comes from our surroundings, the music and club scenes and subcultures – we’ve lived through and experienced it all.”
He rounds off with a sentiment we’ve heard from many who have lived, work or simply visited the city, an indication that whether you spend a few days or a lifetime there the impact is profound and long-lasting. “Being in Gothenburg is great for not being too caught up in what your neighbours are up to. Being great at your job counts for more than being slick. You’re closer to everything and everyone here, it’s beautiful, close to the ocean and the archipelago. It’s not as much about flexing and more about doing.”


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ICANN Says It Can't Be Subject to Antitrust in .XXX Suit
LOS ANGELES — ICANN doesn't run porn sites and doesn't sell or register domain names, and that's why it says it should be dismissed from Manwin's antitrust suit against ICM Registry and the Internet governing body.
"In fact, ICANN does not make or sell anything, it does not participate in any market, and its bylaws expressly forbid it from participating in any of the 'markets' referenced in [Manwin's first amended complaint]. Yet ICANN somehow finds itself as a named defendant in an antitrust case, accused of restraining trade," ICANN said in a response to the amended complaint.
Attorneys for ICANN said in their response to Manwin's first amended complaint, which followed ICM Registry's, that the decision to allow the creation of a new TLD such as.XXX is not an action that could result in a finding that ICANN has restrained trade or conspired to monopolize a market.
Manwin's complaint, they said, is "a garden-variety business dispute that does not appear to implicate the antitrust laws" and that ICANN doesn't, and cannot under its bylaws, participate in any of the markets that may exist that involve the domain name system, TLD registries or registrars.
"From the moment ICANN was formed to this day, one of ICANN’s core values has been to create competition within the Internet’s DNS," ICANN attorneys said. "The creation of competition cannot give rise to an antitrust complaint, which dooms plaintiffs’ attack on ICANN’s decision to help create that competition."
What Manwin is complaining of in the suit, ICANN counsel said, is potential competition the Luxembourg company may face from the operation of .XXX websites.
"An increase in competition cannot violate the antitrust laws, but even if the way ICM has decided to operate the new .XXX registry could somehow raise legitimate antitrust concerns, that does not and cannot create antitrust exposure for ICANN."
ICANN attorneys, calling the suit over violating antitrust laws "absurd," have asked for a judge to approve a motion to dismiss.
ICM Registry already has moved for an order dismissing claims under §§ 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act on grounds that Manwin failed to plead antitrust injury, failed in allegations that ICM Registry and ICANN conspired to create anticompetitive restraint or to monopolize a relevant market and that Manwin hasn't alleged that ICM Registry engaged in unilateral anticompetitive or exclusionary conduct — all legal standards for antitrust cases to survive motions for dismissal pursuant to federal Rule 12(b)(6).
Manwin and its newly acquired Digital Playground unit teamed up in November just prior to .XXX's general roll out to seek "redress for monopolistic conduct, price gouging and anticompetitive and unfair practices, broadly harming competition, businesses and consumers, and arising out of the establishment of .XXX."


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Consumer expert Martin Lewis today urged millions of households to apply for the government's £5,000 Green Homes Grant, after it emerged the scheme could be pulled in weeks.
Speaking on the 100th episode of the ITV Money Show, Lewis said despite being plagued by errors, the home improvement vouchers could still save qualifying households thousands of pounds on home improvements, including a new boiler.
His warning came after it emerged hundreds of applicants have been left in limbo by the scheme - with some claimants waiting up to five months for their vouchers to be issued.
Now, it's emerged the initiative could be pulled altogether.
"I have said before that the green home voucher scheme is badly designed and over complex," Martin said on Thursday's Money Show.
"Most of the £2billion promised has not been used - and the money is not set to roll over.
"But now there are rumours that the £5,000 free home improvement vouchers are about to be pulled completely.
"So if you think you could get support, apply now.
"To get support, you need to first qualify for a primary measure, such as insulation or low carbon heating.
"You can then apply for the same amount of support for a secondary measure such as double glazing or smart heating control.
"Go on the Gov.uk website to see if you qualify."
According to reports, the scheme could be axed on April 5 when the new tax year begins.
This means households have just over four weeks to check if they qualify for funding, get a quote from an eligible installer and apply for the voucher.
Once you have the voucher, you have three months to spend it on home improvements.
The Green Homes Grant was first announced last July to give millions of families vouchers to spend on energy-saving measures, such as insulation or a better boiler.
It launched in September with £5,000 vouchers for home improvements - or up to £10,000 if you're on a low-income.
What can I spend the money on?
Two different grants are available and those on the lowest incomes will have all of their costs covered. These are for:
Solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation
Air source or ground source heat pump
In addition, households can use their voucher for further energy saving measures. These include one or more of the following:
Double or triple glazing/secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing
Upgrading to energy efficient doors
Hot water tank/appliance tank thermostats/heating controls
How much can the green home vouchers save me?
The Green Homes Grant is part of a £2billion scheme run by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
It's made up of a £1.5billon subsidy to make homes greener - such as improving boilers and insulation in people's homes - plus £500million to help improve council housing.
Homeowners can spend the cash on loft, wall and floor insulation, eco-friendly boilers, heat pumps, double or triple-glazed windows, low-energy lighting and energy-efficient doors.
The Treasury's said that through the scheme, the government would pay at least two-thirds of the cost of energy-saving home improvements.
For example, if a homeowner of a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house spent £4,000 on install cavity wall and floor insulation, the household would pay £1,320 and the government would contribute £2,680.


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The annual CES consumer electronics show opens in Las Vegas on Thursday, with the industry eyeing the latest innovations to help heal the pain from the ailing global economy.
High inflation, lingering supply chain problems and layoffs at tech companies provide a dark backdrop for the premier tech trade show, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 attendees from around the world through Sunday.
Consumer Technology Association research director Steve Koenig reminded CES attendees of previous innovations from smartphones to high-speed Internet that rose to success after the “last great economic downturn” more than a decade ago.
“This time, I think the strong new waves of technological change that will really correct inflation and restore global GDP growth will come from businesses,” Koenig said during a presentation by the CTA, which runs CES.
According to Koenig, this will include robotics to make workplaces more efficient, virtual reality in the workplace, and automated vehicles like tractors that tend to work farmland without drivers on board.
Technology, through increased productivity, “is a deflationary force in the global economy,” emphasized Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the CTA.
Houses and cars
Stretching from the Las Vegas Convention Center to the ballrooms of a number of hotels on the famed Sin City strip, CES will have televisions, electric roller skates, autopilot baby strollers and more aimed at wowing viewers.
While major TV makers including LG, Samsung and TCL will have stunning displays, “gone are the days” when CES was all about TVs, laptops and gadgets, according to Forrester Principal Analyst Thomas Husson.
“Now that technological innovation and software are embedded everywhere, expect many brands to showcase innovations in electric vehicles, robotics and integrated artificial intelligence,” Husson said.
“Don’t get me wrong, there’s no doubt that we’ll continue to see a lot of robotic toys and gadgets.”
But CES is increasingly becoming a showcase for electric vehicles (EVs), which are becoming internet-connected computers on wheels, analysts say.
“In addition to electric cars, recent US laws such as the Inflationary Reduction Act (IRA) will drive more interest in sustainability innovation,” said Husson.
That was a reference to the US government’s recently approved IRA, which is set to pour hundreds of billions of dollars into green technology and other climate-friendly projects.
“This is definitely the area where the most disruptive innovations can be expected – although I fear too few will be announced (at CES).”
While CES organizers say the show’s attendance is taking “another step toward returning to normal pre-pandemic levels,” the effect of COVID remains.
CES, like many trade shows, went completely virtual in 2021, and last year the real world mixed with online events that drew crowds to Las Vegas.
TV and appliance makers, as well as startups at the forefront of artificial intelligence, returned to CES this cycle, with Meta letting people try out its latest virtual reality gear and Google showing off its own smart home offerings.
South Korean giant Samsung has unveiled a new range of TVs along with kitchen appliances packed with artificial intelligence to work with other connected devices and online platforms.
LG Electronics has introduced an OLED TV, which it is promoting as the first wireless TV with voice control for the consumer market.
“The M3 comes with a standalone Zero Connect box that wirelessly sends video and audio signals to LG’s cinematic 97-inch screen,” the company said.
Amidst the economic gloom, companies at CES looking to woo consumers will need to make sure prices appeal to people struggling with inflation and perhaps a little weary of life online during the pandemic.
The CTA estimates that spending on consumer electronics and services in the United States will fall to $485 billion this year, down from a record $512 billion in 2021.
Although “the looming recession and inflation will weigh on household budgets,” revenue from the tech industry is expected to remain higher than before the pandemic, according to the association.
Many tech firms have thrived and hired in droves during the pandemic. As lifestyles began to return to normal, these firms began laying off staff and tightening budgets.
On Wednesday, online retail giant Amazon announced it would cut more than 18,000 jobs, the biggest layoff in its history. It also hired at a rapid pace during the pandemic.
Koenig said economic conditions are masking an ongoing shortage of skilled workers.
© 2023 AFP
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