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Going digital is slowly becoming a norm for fashion brands.
Brands that were solely depended on brick-and-mortar realised the need to step into the digital arena and create new revenue channels.
For fashion brands, having a digital platform has become the need of the hour.
In fact, the future can see brands going digital first and then expanding their services offline.
When fashion brands were launched in the market, they were built on exclusivity. They combined traditional sales and distribution channels with direct-to-consumer channels like self-branded stores to reach out to consumers. Digital media was not active then. However, today with over 450 million internet users and 80 per cent of the internet consumption done through mobile phones, India is sitting on the cusp of a digital revolution.
For brands, staying out of the online fray means staying behind shoppers and investors. Today, with shoppers highly dependent on the internet for all their needs, it has become imperative for fashion brands to pursue digital strategies. Digital tools and platforms, combined with powerful data analytics, enable brands to directly engage with customers, improve their shopping experience, and gain valuable data at every point of their shopping.
Brands are now reimagining their marketing and sales strategies and engaging customers on the digital medium.


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WHAT THE DATA SAY: Favorite U.S. airline says a lot about your age
By: Ray Day
We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:
I’LL BE JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR
Americans are increasingly waiting until the last minute to complete preparations for the holidays – from Thanksgiving to Christmas, according to our Harris Poll survey with Instacart.
- 85% of Americans are planning to celebrate Thanksgiving this year.
- 38% say it’s likely they will wait until the last minute to complete their food shopping.
- 25% say “just in time” for the Thanksgiving meal is because they’re too busy.
- When it comes to Christmas, 87% of Americans plan to celebrate this year.
- 37% say it’s likely they will wait until the last minute to complete gift shopping.
- 25% say that’s because they dislike gift shopping so much they tend to procrastinate.
FEWER PRESENTS UNDER THIS YEAR’S TREE
The upcoming Black Friday and holiday shopping could look very different this year for consumers, based on another Harris Poll survey with NerdWallet.
- 2023 shoppers say they plan to purchase gifts for fewer people this holiday season (31%) or spend less on gifts per person (30%) compared with past years.
- More than half of 2023 holiday shoppers (56%) won’t be able to buy as many gifts as they’d like due to inflation.
- 74% of holiday shoppers plan to use credit cards to purchase gifts and spend an average of $680 this holiday season.
- Many shoppers still have debt from last year: 52% incurred credit card debt when shopping during the previous holiday season, and 31% still need to pay off balances.
WHAT DO WE LOVE AND HATE ABOUT FLYING?
What do travelers dislike most about air travel? Other passengers, apparently – specifically their behaviors, according to our Harris Poll survey with Fast Company.
- 91% of those who traveled by plane in the past year report feeling satisfied with the experience, with 54% “very satisfied.”
- Yet 62% are frustrated by other passengers.
- Gen X (66%) is the most frustrated by other passengers, followed by Millennials (64%), Gen Z (63%) and Boomers (57%).
- When asked which aspects of flying have improved or declined, the overall experience (47% say it’s improving) and aircraft conditions (44% improving) perform best. At the same time, in-flight amenities (26% say they’re declining), aircraft comfort (22% declining) and flight reliability (21% declining) score lowest.
- When it comes to the environment, a clear generational divide exists: 67% of Gen Z is “concerned” about emissions, compared with 39% of Boomers.
- Delta (26% preferred) is viewed as the best airline overall, based on a separate survey, edging out Southwest Airlines (22%), American (20%) and United (17%).
- Although Delta came out on top overall, Gen Z most prefers United, Gen X prefers Southwest, and Boomers like Delta, Southwest and American equally.
ETHISPHERE AND STAGWELL DISCUSS RISK AND REPUTATION
Ethisphere and Stagwell will present new research and answer questions on “Seeing Around Corners: How Business Should Prepare for the Next 12 Months” during a Dec. 13 one-hour free webinar.
- The conversation will include fresh consumer and business data from The Harris Poll on: when to speak out and when not to; the role of ESG and Purpose today; the key wedge issues driving the election cycle – and company narratives; and what it takes to build a strong reputation today.
- Register using this link.
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Nov 13, 2023
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Promethean Power Systems has been selected as one of ten LAUNCH: Energy Innovators, a competition founded by NASA, The United States Agency for International Development, the US Department of State and NIKE. The LAUNCH: Energy Challenge was created with the goal of identifying 10 transformative energy innovations that have the potential to positively impact lives in both the developed and developing world. Over 200 submissions were reviewed by a diverse panel of experts from government, industry, investment and research who were tasked to identify innovators who best demonstrated the potential for broad impact as well as technical and financial viability. Promethean was selected for its Thermal Energy Battery, a technology aimed at bringing cold-storage infrastructure to emerging economies.
Cofounder and CEO, Sorin Grama and his co-founder, Sam White, started Promethean Power four years ago after visiting villages in India and discovering a desperate need for cold-storage technologies - especially technologies that could serve small farmers. They developed a technology that would evolve into their thermal energy battery and complementary rapid milk chiller and plan to adapt their battery to cool and preserve other perishable products such as fruits, vegetables and vaccines. Now their rapid milk chillers, which feature a novel energy-storage technology, will be installed at three milk processing centers in India in the coming months.
Initially Grama and White worked on a solar powered milk chiller but this idea proved too expensive and impractical. The 'thermal battery', developed with Olin College through a National Science Foundation grant is a large container that stores a specially designed liquid that doesn't freeze, even below the freezing point. People milk their cows and then pour the milk onto a cylinder-shaped tank, which is cooled by the thermal battery's liquid. As the milk flows over the cylinder, it's rapidly chilled to the correct temperature for storing. In developing markets, Promethean's modular thermal energy battery can be used as a backup to the unreliable power grid, while in the rest of the world it can be used to reduce the energy consumption of power-hungry refrigeration appliances. In the case of India, the use of the modular battery provides easy access to energy at the source of milk's production, reducing spoilage and waste.
The first thermal batteries Promethean Power will deploy are roughly the size of a large refrigerator. The composition of the cooling liquid, which includes phase-change materials, is a key part of the company's technology, but it is made with abundant and cheap materials, White indicated.
Although the cooling technology is designed specifically for their chosen application, it could ultimately be used to make air conditioners more efficient or be used for in-truck refrigeration in developing countries with problematic power supplies, according to the NSF.
The thermal battery will best tested at processing centers that collect milk from thousands of villages in India.
Source and top image: Promethean Power Systems


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2019| Mountain Sledder Magazine
You have a relaxing weekend planned with your wife when the phone rings and a voice says, “Hey, you want to come down and try out the new Polaris 850 RMK?” What do you do?
If you’re anything like me, you drop everything, ditch your plans and leave tire marks in the driveway. After all, it’s not every day you get an offer to put some miles on a sled that isn’t even in production yet.
A new, factory-prepped, race-ready ARO 120 SX model and some LE model upgrade options are key parts of what’s new in the 2019 Timbersled snow bike lineup.
Camso is at it again with some updates to their 2019 Camso DTS 129 dirt-to-snow bike conversion. After some tweaking last year, Camso has continued to play with the suspension geometry to further improve the ride characteristics of the kit.
Big news for the 2019 Polaris snowmobile lineup of mountain sleds! At the top of the list is a brand new, “clean sheet design” engine called 850 Patriot, built fresh from the ground-up. Awesome! With 25 years of experience Liberty engine experience, Polaris has designed the 850 Patriot to be the most powerful engine they have ever built.


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The T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce says it is disappointed that its recommendations were not accepted by the Government, regarding the reopening of businesses.
The Chamber would have submitted detailed protocols by various sectors including bars, events and food & beverage, to the Ministry of Health detailing how they were going to reopen and ensure the safety of customers, staff and others.
The Prime Minister on Saturday announced the reopening of several sectors including cinemas, casinos, members clubs, gyms and places of worship with limited capacity and service.
However, bars and restaurants remain without in-house dining, and the Chamber says it is concerned about the minimal positive impact this will have on the economy.
It adds that the Government should target the appropriate fiscal support for tax compliant businesses due to the debilitating impact this is having on them.
The Chamber says the impact is not just on these businesses that remain partially or fully closed, but the ripple effect it can have across our economy from landlords, banks, suppliers, employees, crime, mental health and domestic violence.


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One in every 20 Windows PCs whose users turned to Microsoft for cleanup help were infected with malware, Microsoft said this week.
Can you believe it? As I sat down this morning to write this column, I got hit by a drive-by download of FakeAV.
Apple users are getting new details about one malware scare, but should be careful not to fall victim to another that may be lurking.
A security researcher has discovered a means of hijacking sensitive information from cookies in Internet Explorer. The 'cookiejacking' technique could expose credentials from Facebook, Twitter, Gmaiil, or other online services, but Microsoft doesn't ...
Lockheed Martin Saturday night acknowledged that it its information systems network had been the target of a "significant and tenacious attack," but said that its security team detected the intrusion "almost immediately and took aggressive actions to...
Computer users seem to be getting better at spotting fake websites that are trying to steal their passwords, but when it comes to mobile phones, the deck is most definitely stacked against them.
Sony's PlayStation Network online gaming service will reopen for millions of gamers across Asia on Saturday, more than five weeks after it was taken offline following a cyber attack.
Lockheed Martin’s has “major internal computer network problems,” that one security blogger is linking to compromised RSA tokens, according to published reports.
Apple may have conquered the Mac Defender malware with an official support page and a promise to wipe out the problem through a software update, but that's not stopping malware authors from fighting back.
Oklahoma City is using technology that not only watches for signs of any hacker activity on its municipal government network, but monitors employee online behavior to assure no one's going out of bounds.
You'd think it was the end of the world.
Honda Canada has issued a warning that a data breach exposed the personal data of an unspecified number of customers.
Apple says it has a fix in the works for the Mac Defender fake antivirus app that has plagued a surprising number of Mac users in recent weeks. The company recently posted a Mac Defender support page explaining how you can remove the malware from you...
Sony began letting its U.S. PlayStation Network and Qriocity customers sign up on Wednesday for free identity theft protection services following cyber-attacks that may have exposed the personal data of its 77 million members.
A Bank of America insider who sold customer data to criminals cost the bank at least US$10 million in losses.
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The 24th Annual Congress of the Automotive Industry took place in Zwickau, Germany, on Wednesday, 14 October 2020. The topic that permeated all of the presentations and panel discussions was structural change in the sector. Current forecasts anticipate that every fourth car manufactured in the next five years will be an electric vehicle. At present, automobiles are manufactured at 110 locations in Europe. Electric vehicles are manufactured at seventeen locations, two of which are in the Czech Republic, specifically in Nošovice and Mladá Boleslav.
Though all of the major German carmakers – BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen – have announced layoffs of tens of thousands of employees due to the decline in sales caused by the coronavirus crisis, they have also announced the creation of thousands of new jobs for electrical engineers and digital connectivity specialists.
In addition to electromobility, the speakers also focused on the development of hydrogen drive systems and alternative drive systems based on methanol compounds.
CzechInvest exhibited at the event by means of an information stand. Emphasis was placed on current possibilities of support for investments and innovations in the Czech Republic. With 150 participants, the congress was the largest autumn event in the automotive industry.
A video from the event is available here.


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The research is based on a survey in September 2021 of 2,000 UK respondents – all recruited independently via Future plc’s research platform The Lens.
Key findings include:
- With nearly GBP £200bn in accumulated lockdown savings, 78 per cent of consumers plan to splash the cash on Black Friday purchases and Christmas gifts
- The majority of these savings are still in the wallets / bank, as people only spent small proportions of their savings between June and September (between one and 20 per cent, or between 21 per cent and 40 per cent). On top of this, more savers say that they will spend this money now for Christmas and/or Black Friday than early in the year (78 per cent vs 74 per cent in June)
- Compared to last year, people are now less likely to be unsure about their Christmas budgets – 69 per cent will have the same or more money for Christmas, and 57 per cent for Black Friday
- 41 per cent of respondents say that Black Friday shopping will be their main way of sourcing gifts for Christmas
- 79 per cent say they’d like to see Christmas ads earlier or around the same time as usual
- 43 per cent of respondents think Christmas ads should be focused on getting the family together either remotely or in-person
- 34 per cent think Christmas ads should be an all-out celebration
- 30 per cent think Christmas ads should give us practical tips and useful information which can help with planning and preparations
Zack Sullivan, Chief Revenue Officer, UK at Future plc said: “Future has studied and tracked the impacts on consumer behaviour over the past 18 months to react quickly to changing demands. With Future readers accounting for approximately GBP £101 billion of the estimated GBP £198 billion saved by UK consumers, our already proven content commerce model puts us in a prime position to deliver significant value for advertisers this holiday season.
“Over half of consumers (55 per cent) say they will make Christmas the biggest celebration yet and a huge majority (82 per cent) are expected to put their savings towards Black Friday and Christmas. As consumers begin to plan their purchasing decisions, it is imperative for advertisers to get ahead by starting their planning now and engaging with their audiences.”


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Iceland s economy during the credit crunch
Financial crisis timeline by a brief history of the ‘credit crunch this standard note provides a brief history of the events that took place during the. Smes and the credit crunch review related to difficulties in sme’s access to finance during the the bank-credit channel and its economic. 10/04/34 credit: iceland, downtown reykjavik, elevated view, getty you may have heard about iceland's toppling economy back in 2008 as one of the hardest-hit countries at the time, iceland's heavily criticized method to escape veritable economic demise actually did the trick. The credit crunch lab iceland's warning to the world iceland has become a kind of laboratory for the credit crunch: a small, related spiegel online links. During a credit crunch, of a credit crunch additional learning it's easy to learn more about the causes and definitions associated with credit crunches.
A credit crunch is an economic sometimes called a credit squeeze or credit crisis, a credit crunch lenders may increase interest rates during a credit crunch. N early 1966 the us economy was entering the straint led to conditions popularly called the credit crunch of 1966 the most during the first eight. The home bias and the credit crunch: of a credit crunch during a global on retail deposits experienced a more severe economic downturn during the. This contribution deals with the impact of the credit crunch on the dutch housing market and the policy responses s capacity to boost and support the economy.
Securitization expanded credit but led to a decline in credit quality this amplified the strain of declining housing prices and rising mortgage delinquencies that began in 2006 brunnermeier's study identifies four distinct economic mechanisms that played a role in the liquidity and credit crunch. Beverley hughes: children’s services at risk during credit crunch social workers should expect higher caseloads as credit crunch takes hold community care. Iceland's economy used to be based on fishing and high-energy industries such as aluminium until it experienced a sharp boom period in the late nineties.Ireland’s economic crisis the good, the bad and the ugly1 played by cheap credit and lax banking regulation is made by the irish economy during the two. Definition of credit crunch in us english even during the current credit crunch credit squeeze, economic decline, downturn,. Deciphering the liquidity and credit crunch 2007–2008 the us economy was experiencing a low interest rate of the credit risk never left the banking system.
We examine the systemic and pervasive effects of a credit crunch, which occurs when a lack of funds available in the credit this increases the crunch's economic. During ‘flush’ economic periods when asset prices credit markets froze as banks became reluctant to lend to one the world’s economic growth rate is expected. Bbc news looks at how the global credit crisis warning the credit crunch could be a risk to economic loan for iceland, after the country's banking system.
- 27 1 trade credit versus bank credit during financial crises inessa love the 2008–09 global financial crisis is one of historic dimensions few would dis.
- Singapore's economy has been driven by electronics before the global credit crunch took iceland's central bank increased its key interest.
- The international monetary fund, crisis management and economy (iceland), 98 with the role it has played during the ‘credit crunch’ which emerged in the.
Usagold's top 25 quotes on the credit crisis guidance to levered wall street investment bankers during the 1998 long-term us economy, once the. Iceland’s financial crisis and level of living consequences by iceland’s economic fundamentals in iceland, with growing strength during the 2000s. Iceland has hired an ex-cop to hunt down the bankers who wrecked its economy rob sink the country's banking sector during the credit crunch hauksson's job.


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Suspected credit card thief in Paducah Kroger stores. Contact KSP if you know him.HICKORY, Ky. (2/27/14) – The Kentucky State Police are asking for assistance in identifying a man suspected of using a stolen credit card number to make purchases at two Paducah grocery stores.
In January, Kentucky State Police were contacted by a Marshall County resident stating that her credit card had been used at both Kroger locations in Paducah.
Troopers were able to obtain still images of the suspect using the card at each store.
Suspected credit card thief in Paducah Kroger.If anyone has information as to the identity of this person, please contact the Kentucky State Police at (270) 856-3721.
Callers may remain anonymous.
Information provided by Trooper Jay Thomas
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Sunscreen comes in many forms, from lotions to sprays to creams — but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to steer clear of one formula in particular: so-called sunscreen pills.
The agency on Tuesday announced that it sent warnings letters to four companies claiming to make dietary supplements that can protect people from sun damage, and reminded consumers that, “There’s no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen.”
The announcement specifically calls out four products — GliSODin Skin Nutrients’ Advanced Skin Brightening Formula, Napa Valley Bioscience’s Sunsafe Rx, Pharmacy Direct’s Solaricare and Sunergized LLC’s Sunergetic — that it says “are putting people’s health at risk by giving consumers a false sense of security that a dietary supplement could prevent sunburn, reduce early skin aging caused by the sun, or protect from the risks of skin cancer.” The companies have been directed to reverse all violations associated with their products and review their marketing claims.
A representative for Napa Valley Bioscience told TIME that, “Sunsafe Rx is made with ingredients that published clinical studies show protect skin from damage,” and that the product is useful for supplemental protection and for users with sensitive skin. “However, to be abundantly clear: the sun is dangerous, and UV rays damage your skin. We don’t market Sunsafe Rx as a sunscreen, and we certainly don’t tell consumers that they don’t need any other protection from the sun or that they don’t also need to use a topical sunscreen,” the statement says. “Everyone should exercise caution when exposed to the sun.”
TIME could not immediately reach GliSODin or Sunergized LLC for comment. A representative from Pharmacy Direct was not familiar with Solaricare.
The FDA is also supporting new research and regulations related to the safety and delivery of the active ingredients in conventional sunscreens, since growing evidence suggests some of them may be absorbed through the skin, according to the statement. “Given the recognized public health benefits of sunscreen use, the FDA is committed to finding ways to help bring a wider assortment of safe and effective sunscreen products to the public,” the statement says.
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World’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp, has announced that the company has suspended manufacturing at all its plants to tackle the second wave of COVID-19. With rapidly rising COVD-19 cases in India, Hero MotoCorp has taken this step.
Hero MotoCorp has shut down its five plants in India: Vadodara (Gujarat), Neemrana (Rajasthan), Gurgaon (Haryana), Dharuhera (Haryana) and Haridwar (Uttarakhand). The company has also shut down the Global Parts Centre (GPC). The plants will be shut down for a few days between April 22 and May 1, 2021.
Hero Moto Corp is planning to carry out maintenance work at the plants during these days. In a statement, the company has stated that the shutdown will not impact the company’s ability to meet the demand. The loss of production and sales will be compensated during the remainder of the quarter.
The company also said that normal operations will resume post the temporary shutdown period. The corporate offices of the company are already in WFH (Work from Home) mode. There are only limited personnel in offices working on a rotational basis for the continuity of essential services.


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A year-and-a-half-ago, Rohit Asil and Vijay Raghav Varada founded Fracktal Works. The engineering students from Manipal Institute of Technology immediately landed some high-profile clients following the completion of their desktop 3D printer, the Julia.
Now their student run company has raised some $3 million from Neoteric Technology Solutions, a subsidiary of one of India’s largest IT distributors.
Known for their Julia 3D printer, CFO, Abhishek Trivedi says the company’s culture is focused on product design and development. They say their key targets are quality, affordability and aesthetics, and they use those core principles to build unique products.
Fracktal Works are responsible for the FDM-based Snowflake printer, and they also offer a pair of additional printers, one a stereolithographic technology device, and the other which prints in chocolate. The company also builds Project Cloud, an acetone refiner station, and a graphical touch screen printer controller as well as 3D printed biomedical devices.
“We saw the potential in Fracktal as essentially a design focused company with competencies around taking an idea or concept through all the stages right up productization,” says Anup Nair, the head of technology solutions for Neoteric Infomatique.
Neoteric brings products and technology solutions to the market via a broad array of core solutions across a variety of verticals. Founded in 1991 as a re-seller, by a team of young professionals with marketing, sales and technical training that they gained in various industries, the company moved into the distribution market in 1997. Neoteric includes products from vendors such as Acer, Alcatel-Lucent, Apple, Belkin, Brother, Cisco, GE, Hitachi and Lenovo among their offerings.
The Julia 3D printer prints at 100mm/s at a precision of 75 microns, features a metal hot end and is capable of a build volume of 20x20x20 cm – or 8.3 x 7.8 x7.8 inches. The company says that this machine also includes an easy to use filament loading system, a print stabilizing hotbed with a removable glass surface and filament compatibility with PLA, ABS, HIPS, Laywood, Nylon 618 and Polycarbonate.
Through Fracktal Studios, the company offers end-to-end product development and developed their own software – Fracktory – for 3D printing applications. It will be interesting to see how they utilize this injection of funds, and what products they may have in the pipeline.
What do you think of this move by Neoteric Infomatique to pump $3 million into solutions provider and 3D printer manufacturer Fractal Works? Does this move signal a jump start for the 3D printing and technologies market in India? Let us know in the Fracktal Works forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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Software-as-a-service and cyber security are two of the top areas of focus for Sempre as it works to help its local customers navigate a pathway out of the pandemic.
Sempre - News, Features, and Slideshows
Sempre Technologies has been recognised as a leading Dell EMC partner across Australia and New Zealand, following a year of increased sales growth.
IT storage company, EMC, has named the winners of its 2015 EMC Business Partner Program Awards at an intimate event in Sydney. The cream of the A/NZ business partner community gathered to recognise EMC’s highest performing partners of 2015.


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Hungry Elephants Poach Pineapples from Fruit Vendors' Truck
- by Robert Schaulis
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, THAILAND – Fruit vendors carrying cargo along a rural road in Thailand’s Hua Hin district encountered some tough customers last month, when eager elephants blocked the roadway to sample the some of their wares.
According to the Bangkok Post, elephants in this area are want to stop fruit trucks—targeting heavy vehicles with cages holding fruit and nibbling on their contents. In fact, local pineapple traders Suwan Kaeopoltrang and Suthida Jitjampee reportedly encountered hungry elephants twice in three days while en route, back and forth, to the neighboring Kui Buri district.
Suwan told the news source that the latest incident involved an elephant emerging from the roadside, leaning on his truck’s driver-side, and knocking off a side-view mirror as it munched away at the truck’s cargo.
In a previous incident, a single-tusked elephant stopped Suwan’s whole family for 45 minutes on a precipitous hillside while it gorged on more than 200 pounds of the sweet stuff—spooning pineapples out of the truck’s cab with its trunk and devouring them skin and all. The fruit vendor struggled to keep his family, the truck, and its nearly nine tons of cargo on the steep roadway by revving its engine and applying air brakes, and the engine sound reportedly irritated the hangry elephant, who reacted by roaring at the trapped trader’s family.
Will these baggy fruit thieves continue to poach pineapple in the Thai countryside? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on all things produce.


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WASHINGTON: Samsung retook the lead in the global smartphone market in the first quarter, as gains in emerging market sales helped it overtake Apple, a research group said Wednesday.
IDC said Samsung sold 82.4 million smartphones in the first three months of the years, for a 24.5% market share.
Even though the number sold was down 7% from a year ago, it outpaced Apple, whose iPhone sales slipped slightly from the final quarter of 2014.
Apple held an 18.2% market share in early 2015 after selling 61.2 million iPhones.
The figures were impacted by seasonal and other factors. Samsung notably launched its flagship Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge phones at the end of the quarter in April, while Apple iPhone sales dipped compared with the stronger holiday quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Apple and Samsung were virtually tied with around 20% of the market each, according to several surveys.
“The challenge made by Apple for the top spot in the fourth quarter returned to a clear lead for Samsung in the first quarter, despite the soaring global demand for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus,” said IDC analyst Anthony Scarsella.
“Samsung’s shipments, given that the S6 was not launched into the market for the full quarter, were driven by large volumes into emerging markets and steady demand for its midrange and lower-priced smartphones.”
Chinese manufacturer Lenovo was third after completing its acquisition of Motorola from Google. Its 5.6% market share placed it ahead of fellow Chinese group Huawei, with 5.0%, and South Korea’s LG at 4.6%.
IDC said the overall global smartphone market grew 16.7% from a year earlier, with total shipments of 337 million units. - AFP


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Shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Google's parent company, recently surged toward an all-time high after reporting robust third-quarter earnings that beat analyst estimates. Its tech peers Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) also soared after crushing expectations.
But despite Google's strength in advertising, which accounted for 90% of its top line last quarter, the company's cloud business is actually much smaller than Amazon or Microsoft's. Unlike those two companies, Google doesn't report its cloud revenues separately. However, Forrester Research recently estimated that Google will generate just $2.1 billion in total cloud revenues (less than 3% of its total projected revenues) in 2015.
By comparison, Microsoft reported that its commercial cloud revenue had an annual run rate of $8.2 billion last quarter. During a developer conference in early October, Amazon reported that its AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud computing platform had an annual run rate of $7.3 billion. So, why is Google trailing so far behind those market leaders?
Not all cloud businesses are created equally
Google's cloud business is diversified across SaaS (software as a service), IaaS (infrastructure as a service), and PaaS (platform as a service) solutions.
Google Drive is a SaaS solution, which is designed to be easily used by mainstream customers and businesses. Google's Compute Engine is an IaaS platform, which gives businesses extra computing power from virtual data centers. Google's App Engine is a PaaS solution, a cloud-based environment where developers can create apps and IT administrators can remotely manage computing infrastructure.
The majority of Microsoft's cloud revenues come from SaaS services like Office 365 and Dynamics CRM. Azure, its hybrid IaaS and PaaS platform, generates around $1.6 billion in annual revenues, according to Forrester. Over 80% of Amazon's AWS revenues come from IaaS and PaaS platforms instead of SaaS ones. Google's cloud business resembles Microsoft's more than Amazon's because 86% of its estimated cloud revenues come from SaaS solutions. The other 14%, or just $300 million, comes from IaaS/PaaS solutions.
Growth rates aren't everything
The SaaS market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 33% between 2013 and 2018, compared to 21% growth for PaaS and 13% growth for IaaS.
While that sounds like Microsoft and Google are invested in the faster-growing part of the cloud market, the SaaS market is also a crowded one. Microsoft has a massive advantage in this market since Windows is installed on nearly 90% of all PCs worldwide. As a result, many mainstream and enterprise customers choose Microsoft SaaS products like Office 365 or OneDrive as a default choice.
Google's Android dominates mobile devices, but Google Drive probably won't gain ground unless Android devices are taken seriously as productivity devices. The majority of Google Drive users also use the free tier, which makes monetization tough.
Google recently claimed that Google Drive for Work, a beefed version of the service for businesses, had over a million enterprise customers. But that service is dwarfed by Microsoft's Office 365, which had 18.2 million subscribers at the end of last quarter.
Other major challenges
Google's weakness in SaaS doesn't give it much clout in the IaaS/PaaS market, where Amazon reigns supreme. As Amazon expanded its e-commerce site, it let other companies and organizations host their websites and services on its servers. That foundation evolved into today's AWS. Google lacks that first mover's advantage.
Another challenge for Google is its desire to mine data for targeted ads across its entire ecosystem, including Google Drive. This makes the service a tough sell to larger corporations or government agencies. In a blog post weighing the pros and cons of Google Drive, Web development agency Hallnet promised to keep clients' "sensitive data" off Google Drive and stored on its own servers. Since Microsoft and Amazon don't generate much direct revenue from targeted ads, there's much less suspicion regarding their cloud-based services.
The intense cloud race between Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and other companies has forced the competitors to pile on more features while slashing prices. In this so-called "race to zero," Amazon has slashed its cloud service prices nearly 50 times in just nine years, forcing other rivals to do the same. As a result, only players with established footholds, like Amazon and Microsoft, have a chance of growing.
In early October, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster predicted that Google and other rivals would fall behind in the IaaS/PaaS market as Microsoft and Amazon surge ahead. That defeat wouldn't cripple Google, but it would represent a missed opportunity to diversify its top line away from advertising.


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Lg Licensing Webos Other Tvs Rca Polaroid. Lg electronics has confirmed that it’s opening up its webos tv platform to other tv brands. Lg will license its webos software to other tv brands.
Rca, ayonz, and konka are some of the companies that have already signed on to use webos. This week lg announced it’s licensing webos to rca, ayona, konka, and other brands of smart tvs. According to a company statement , this has the potential to reshape the tv business for both technology and content providers while significantly growing lg’s presence and prominence in the global home entertainment market.”
The Company Said This Should Disrupt The Market, Expanding The Number Of Operating Systems.
It said more than 20 tv manufacturers have signed up so far, though it doesn’t appear to have convinced any big names so far. The company said that more than 20 tv manufacturers from all over the world had signed on to the partnership, including rca, ayonz and konka. Lg aims at being the key piece in the global tv industry — licensing the webos is a move that “significantly grows lg’s presence and prominence in the global home entertainment market.” the smart tv manufacturer also included its subsidiary tv maker, including, ayonz, rca, and konka, to benefit from the license deal.
Sadly, Lg Currently Isn’t Offering Webos 6.0 To Other Tv Brands, And Its “Powered By Webos Tv” Platform Is Based On The Older Webos 5.0.
Lg has announced that it will be licensing its webos tv platform to other companies, the software is currently used in lg’s own smart tvs. Rca, ayonz and konka already are on board. The company did not provide a full list and no major partners were announced.
Lg Electronics Announced Plans To License Its Webos Smart Tv Platform To Other Tv Manufacturers.
Rca, ayonz, and konka are some of the companies that have already signed on to use webos. Webos has been an integral part of the lg tv experience since 2014. This has the potential to reshape the tv business for both technology and content providers while significantly growing lg’s presence and prominence in the global home entertainment market.
In Licensing Its Platform To Other Tv Brands, Lg Is Following In The Footsteps Of Roku And Amazon, Each Of Which Has Joined With Third Parties To Release Roku Tvs And Fire Tv Edition Tvs, Respectively.
The korean tech titan has announced it is opening up its webos tv platform to a host of other tv brands. Webos will be licensed to others. Lg says that it has signed up over 20 tv manufacturers from around the world.
Lg Has Announced That The Company’s Webos Smart Tv Platform Will Soon Be Found On Tvs From Other Brands.
Over 20 tv manufacturers from around the world have already signed on, including rca, ayonz and konka. In licensing its platform to other tv brands, lg is following in the footsteps of roku and amazon, each of which has joined with third parties to release roku tvs and fire tv edition tvs, respectively. Lg tells me that the “powered by webos tv” platform is based on webos 5.0.


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What started as a small campus business in their university hostel room has grown into one of Ghana's most popular fast food sellers.
Christian Boakye Yiadom, popularly known as Chris B, the CEO of Chickenman Pizzaman, recounted how he and his partners started their entrepreneurial journey while studying at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Speaking at an event, Chris B shared that when they first launched their business in 2018, start up capital was a huge challenge.
"We started this business in our hostel back in KNUST. At the start, we used our study table because we couldn't afford a kitchen table in 2018," he said.
He noted that certain essential items they needed wasn't available to take off but their determination to get their business become a reality kept them pushing through.
According to him, they put their creativity together where they started using A4 sheet to package food for customers.
"Our first packaging material was an A4 sheet and we applied the Pythagorean theorem to do that," Chris B recalled.
From those humble beginnings operating in a hostel room, Chickenman Pizzaman has grown bigger.
The company's Ahodwo branch in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, was the first pizza joint in Ghana to operate 24 hours a week.
It has several branches in Accra, Kumasi and other regions.


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With the retail price of RON 97 petrol hitting an all-time high in Malaysia, reaching RM4.70 a litre two weeks ago, the question is not whether sales of the fuel have fallen, but how much.
We now have a rough idea.According to Shell Petroleum Distributors Association of Malaysia (SPDAM) chairman Datuk Abdul Wahid Beadin, sales of RON 97, which began to plummet when its retail price crossed the RM4 mark, have now fallen by at least 65% as China Press Report.
“Sales of RON 97 have dropped significantly since rising above RM4 a month ago. However, this has not really impacted petrol station revenue as consumers of fuel will switch to RON 95,” he said. He added that whether it is RON 97 or RON 95, dealers earn 15 sen per litre from selling petrol, so even if the price of RON 97 rises and sales drop, dealers still get a commission for selling RON 95.
He added that the increase in RON 97 price will not only affect users, because if people pay for RON 97 with a credit card, the profits of gas station operators will be reduced. “When a customer uses a credit card, the operator has to pay a 1% transaction fee per litre of petrol, which means the higher the petrol price, the more we incur,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) chairman Datuk Khairul Annu Abdul Aziz said sales of RON 97 had been declining for some time and started to drop significantly after its price exceeded RM3.50 per litre.
“This is nothing new. Customers have switched to RON 95 before, so it doesn’t seem like the switch is that big now. As for how much national sales of RON 97 have dropped, I can’t say exactly how much. Some gas stations a day ago 2,000 liters of RON 97 were sold, and now only 300 liters are sold,” he told the publication.


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SumUp, the British payments startup renowned for its compact card readers, announced on Monday that it has successfully raised 285 million euros ($306.6 million) in a substantial funding round. This funding has propelled the company’s valuation to over $8.6 billion.
Leading the investment in SumUp was Sixth Street Growth, the growth-oriented arm of the global investment firm Sixth Street. Notably, existing investors like Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, fintech investment firm Fin Capital, and debt financing firm Liquidity Group also participated in this latest round. The majority of the funding came in the form of equity, with a smaller portion raised through debt.
Hermione McKee, SumUp’s Chief Financial Officer, expressed that this fresh infusion of capital equips the company with the means to seize emerging opportunities over the next two years. She cited SumUp’s recent expansion into Australia as an example, making it their 36th global market. Furthermore, SumUp is eyeing potential growth in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, constantly assessing whether to pursue acquisitions or build new ventures.
With this funding round, SumUp aims to further enhance its valuation, building on the 8 billion euros ($8.6 billion) valuation it achieved in the summer of 2022 during a funding round that raised an impressive 590 million euros for growth and global expansion. This latest funding round is considered an “up round,” indicating a higher valuation than before.
This achievement is particularly significant in the context of the challenging European technology investment landscape, which has seen valuations decrease due to factors like rising interest rates and macroeconomic challenges.
SumUp has been diversifying its business, including venturing into lending. The company introduced a service allowing merchants to apply for cash advances or business loans based on their card sales revenues. To support this, SumUp secured a $100 million credit facility from Victory Park Capital. According to McKee, the lending product has been successful, with the majority of merchants repaying promptly.
SumUp has also introduced new point-of-sale offerings, such as self-service kiosks and enhanced point-of-sale systems.
Looking ahead, SumUp intends to explore merger and acquisition opportunities to drive its expansion in international markets. McKee emphasized that M&A is a viable option and that the company has experience both in building ecosystems and acquiring existing ones.
SumUp currently has no immediate plans to go public, as it has ample access to capital within private markets. The company is focused on improving its processes and ensuring that it meets the standards required for public markets but does not have an imminent IPO on the horizon.


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Ralph Lauren Corp.’s earnings results have got analysts taking opposing viewpoints on whether the brand is really as strong as the company’s new Chief Executive Stefan Larsson says it is.
During his prepared remarks, Larsson explained why the Ralph Lauren
“Ralph [Lauren] and the team have built a brand on a dream of an aspirational life, in a way it’s the quintessential American dream, but it’s bigger than that,” said Larsson, who was named CEO in late September. “It’s a life in style that goes far beyond apparel. It’s built on authentic style, quality, and specialness. And it became the customers’ dream, and at its best is both highly aspirational and highly relatable at the same time.”
See also:Ralph Lauren to review ops after weak sales
Brand studies conducted after Larsson’s appointment confirmed the strength of the brand, he said. Even still the company will re-focus on fewer brands and make other business adjustments. Those details will be shared in May.
The luxury apparel and accessories company reported a 39% year-over-year drop in earnings to $131 million and a decline in sales to $1.9 billion from $2.0 billion. Ralph Lauren revised its fiscal 2016 guidance downward to a 3% revenue decline from unchanged sales numbers.
“Our recent financial performance has not been living up to the strengths of our brand,” Larsson said.
See also:Is Ralph Lauren’s new CEO upmarket enough?
Analysts at Nomura also believe that the strength of the brand is a foundation to build on.
“We believe that the Ralph Lauren brand has achieved global status, with a very broad product offering available at a number of price ranges,” the bank wrote in a note on Thursday. “We believe Ralph Lauren is well positioned among luxury apparel companies, due to its range of product, multichannel distribution capability, and potential to continue growing globally. We view the Ralph Lauren brand as one of the most valuable assets of the company.”
Nomura analysts believe the core Polo brand, its e-commerce channel, and its leather accessories, like shoes and handbags, could be long-term drivers of growth. The bank gives Ralph Lauren shares a neutral rating with a $115 price target, lowered from $135.
On the flip side, analysts at Credit Suisse believe the brand is being strained by that very same variety of price point.
“We believe that Ralph Lauren’s brand is increasingly challenged in outlet and lower-tier department store distribution as fast fashion retailers and off-pricers (together with ‘Deep Value’ retail) undermine the brand proposition in these channels of distribution,” the bank wrote in a note Thursday. “We had viewed premium brands as well-protected against this deep value encroachment. This does not appear to be the case given what we now see as overreliance on lower quality distribution (estimated at 30-40% of sales.)”
The bank is lowering its long-term revenue growth targets to 2% to 3% from 5% to 6%. Credit Suisse analysts downgraded Ralph Lauren shares to neutral from outperform and lowered the price target to $102 from $147.
Other analysts are more focused on the broader issues that Larsson suggested his coming strategy will address, from how the brand will evolve to how the company will effectively market itself.
“We expect this could result in the elimination of less profitable sub brands, a reduction in inventory at wholesale, a potential slowing in square footage growth and further cost tightening,” Cowen analysts wrote in a Thursday note. The bank rates Ralph Lauren’s shares market perform with a price target of $98, which was lowered from $115.
Ralph Lauren shares were trading at about $88 on Friday morning. Shares are down 37.8% for the past 12 months while the S&P is down 8.2% for the same period.


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Update: The official Build-A-Bear account has now made this announcement public, confirming that the range will hit the US and UK!
Original Article: With the likes of Pokémon and Sonic already receiving the Build-A-Bear treatment, it only seems natural that a franchise as current and perfectly suitable as Animal Crossing should get in on the action, too. Thankfully, we're overjoyed to share the news that this will soon be a reality.
Build-A-Bear will soon be launching a "product collection" based on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the smash-hit game that's been breaking all sorts of records on Nintendo Switch. The new range is planned to launch later this quarter, although the official website now has a page which lets you sign up for news on a solid release date.
We imagine the announcement will go down a treat, although it'll be interesting to see which characters get the classic Bear treatment. You'd hope that Isabelle and Tom Nook are locked in, but who else would you like to see?
Interestingly, this announcement was kind of teased a few months ago, when Build-A-Bear's Twitter account 'took notes' on a fan's wish for the series to be given the green light.
Looking forward to this? Can your wallet take it? Share your excitement with us in the comments below.


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THE expansion of TCR (Touring Car Racing) is showing no sign of slowing, with the successful category ready to land ‘down under’ following confirmation the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) has signed a five year deal.
WSC Ltd, the organisation behind TCR, and (CAMS) have reached agreement for the development of TCR Australia, expected to begin in 2019, with the local governing body on the hunt for a promoter, with expressions of interest now open.
The Touring Car Racing series is an exciting, international category, featuring a wide range of world-renowned vehicles, many of which would be a daily drive for a number of motor sport fans. No manufacturer owned ‘works’ teams are allowed to compete.
Iconic brands such as Alfa Romeo, Audi, Fiat, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mercedes, Subaru and Volkswagen race in the series, which operates in a multitude of countries, including Thailand, Russia, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Middle East and the UK.
With standardised rules and regulations the world over, participants in every series have the opportunity to compete in other countries, as well as taking part in the IMSA Continental Sports Car Challenge, the global 24H Series, and the Nurburgring 24 Hour.
We contacted a number of the car makers already taking part in the series, with Peugeot Australia PR and Communications Manager Tyson Bowen confirming the company would review its potential involvement.
“We’re very interested in looking at it as it moves towards being a category in Australia,” he said. “Peugeot Sport already has the facilities and the knowledge to build [customer] cars for the series.”
Hyundai Australia are also keen, despite having no firm plans in place as yet.
“We are very interested in the category and are studying the possibility of running a TCR car in Australia if a local series starts in 2019,” a spokesperson said.
“We’ve been very impressed with the i30 N TCR’s performance overseas, not least its win on debut in China! We are confident the car is well-engineered and very competitive and we look forward to developing our plans further over the coming months.”
Rival manufacturers including Subaru Australia have confirmed they have no plans at present to race in the series. Kia Australia too, are not committed to any form of motor sport locally, but were aware there was potential for a private owner to participate.
Likewise, Honda Australia have also stated that while they welcome the arrival of Touring Car Racing in Australia, they have no plans to participate in an official capacity. That said, private teams could easily enter cars from any number of these car makers.
“We are absolutely delighted. The deal with CAMS, which is the driving force behind the success of Australian motor sport, adds a fourth continent to those – Europe, Asia and the Americas – where TCR series have already been established,” WSC CEO Marcello Lotti said.
“This is also a great challenge, because motor sport is hugely popular in Australia and the local fans are enthusiastic and competent. We are confident that they will soon learn to love TCR just as has happened with their fellow fans across the rest of the world.”
CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca, said the series would be an exciting development for Australian motor sport.
“TCR Australia will provide the opportunity for affordable, competitive action in cars that are direct derivatives of popular road going cars. We are looking forward to working with manufacturers and competitors to ensure the success of this category,” he said.
“The worldwide interest in TCR has been very encouraging and we anticipate that the competitive Australian car buying market will see a number of manufacturers support the category.”


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HP acquired Autonomy, a leading software maker internationally, back in 2011 for a whopping sum of $11.1 billion. Now, HP claims that Autonomy over-projected its sales deliberately before striking a deal with the company and thus HP ended up overpaying for the company. Founder of Autonomy, Michael Lynch, has denied the charge.
Apparently, HP had one of the world’s leading accounting firms on the case who went through it before the company could ink down the deal. That only complicates the matters further. Both accounting firms, Deloitte and KPMG who were hired by the two companies to look into the deal approved it without discovering that anything was amiss.
Now, however, HP claims that Autonomy cooked up its accounting books and wrote down a lot of merely prospective sales as actual sales. This misrepresented the company’s sales value and duped HP into paying a whole lot more for it.
Ever since the acquisition, Autonomy’s sales haven’t been very good and HP had earlier cited that the company wasn’t performing as expected. Soon after the acquisition, Michael Lynch left HP for good. It was then that HP’s general counsel was approached by an anonymous Autonomy executive.
This executive revealed that Autonomy had been messing up the accounting books for nearly two years before the acquisition happened. And to substantiate this claim, he produced emails and other information. HP has alerted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as well as U.K. Serious Fraud Office and is seeking an investigation into the alleged fraud claims against Autonomy.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lynch has completely rejected the allegations, stating, “We completely reject the allegations. I can’t understand how you can write down $9 billion of value and say somehow this was all caused by something you didn’t notice when you did due diligence with 300 people.”


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Nigeria recession exit unlikely in Q1, says Chukwu, CAML chief
January 7, 2021742 views0 comments
- Minister Ahmed’s exit date only ambitious statement
- Economy may further contract as several economies are just reopening
- Appropriate policy choices urgently required to stimulate recovery
- Nigerians should expect ‘V-shaped Curve’
- Economy to witness slow growth all through like in previous years
Given the current policy choices of the federal government, Nigeria cannot possibly exit its present recession in the first quarter of the year (Q1 2021), as had earlier been assured by Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance and economic planning. Rather, there may be a likelihood of wriggling out of it by Q2, as the nation’s economy will not likely rebound before Q2, said Johnson Chukwu, a development economist and financial expert.
“I want to believe that it may be difficult for the economy to rebound in the first quarter this year, but hopefully by the time we get to the second quarter, we should see an economic recovery. We should see a positive growth. We should expect a slow growth in 2021, just like we have seen in the previous years. For the past four years, since the economy went into first recession in 2016, the economy has been growing at a very slow rate,” he said.
Chukwu rather advises the Nigerian government to take appropriate policy choices needed to pull out the nation’s economy from a second recession in four years.
“The key thing is that the federal government must take appropriate policy choices in terms of infrastructure support, in terms of governing policies, in terms of rolling back negative taxes which have subsidies; and then channelling the economic resources to the critical sectors of the economy; attracting the private sector through the right policies. These are the things we must do to keep the economy running,” he said at his Ugwueke country home in Bende local council of Abia State.
Chukwu, while reacting to the promise by the minister of finance and economic planning of exiting the recession by Q1 this year, said: “That Nigeria will exit recession by the first quarter of 2021, it is a possibility, but I think it is only an ambitious statement.”
The development economist and financial expert said, “Our economy has contracted. It may be difficult for the economy to rebound in the first quarter; but by the second quarter, there may be likelihood. Nigeria’s economy must come out of recession as fast as expected. Nigerians should, however, expect a V-shaped Curve, where an economy goes into recession and comes out quickly.”
His spoke further: “If you look at the growth of the Nigerian economy since the beginning of last year, you will observe that the first quarter of year 2020, when Coronavirus has not hit the economy, the economy grew only by 1.87 percent. In the second quarter (2020), as a result of onset of Covid-19 lockdown and the attendant global economic crisis, the Nigerian economy contracted by 6.1 percent; in the third quarter of last year, the economy contracted by 3.62 percent. It is feasible that the economy will still contract in the first quarter of 2021, as we may also observe that several economies are just reopening.”
Chukwu is the chairman of Virgin Forest Energy; chairman of Fidelity Pensions Managers Ltd; chairman, Standard Alliance Insurance Plc, founder and managing director, Cowry Assets Management Ltd.
He said: “If you recall, the economy contracted by 1.58 percent in 2016, only to grow by 0.82 percent in 2017; and grew by 1.91 percent in 2018 and 2.27 percent in 2019. So, in 2020, we expected the contraction, that is, the economy is in recession. But in 2021 towards the second and third quarter, we should see a positive growth but a very slow growth that will still be below our population growth of about 3 percent.”
The Cowry Asset Management CEO opined that, for the nation’s economy to come out of the present recession as fast as expected, Nigerians should expect a V-shaped Curve.” He, however, insisted that policy choices by the federal government remain the remedy to the economic recession. He gave an analogy of policy choices and the 1930s American depression: “In 1929 to 1933, the US went into economic depression. The government of President Franklin D. Roosevelt had to bring the economy out of recession through public works by spreading and injecting liquidity into the economy, and they were able to stimulate economic recovery in the US.”


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The end of global travel as we know it: an opportunity for sustainable tourism
Saturday, March 14 2020, is “The Day the World Stopped Travelling”, in the words of Rifat Ali, head of travel analytics company Skift.
That’s a little dramatic, perhaps, but every day since has brought us closer to it being reality.
The COVID-19 crisis has the global travel industry – “the most consequential industry in the world”, says Ali – in uncharted territory. Nations are shutting their borders. Airlines face bankruptcy. Ports are refusing entry to cruise ships, threatening the very basis of the cruise business model.
Associated hospitality, arts and cultural industries are threatened. Major events are being cancelled. Tourist seasons in many tourist destinations are collapsing. Vulnerable workers on casual, seasonal or gig contracts are suffering. It seems an epic disaster.
But is it?
Considering human activities need to change if we are to avoid the worst effects of human-induced climate change, the coronavirus crisis might offer us an unexpected opportunity.
Ali, like many others, wants recovery, “even if it takes a while to get back up and return to pre-coronavirus traveller numbers”.
But rather than try to return to business as usual as soon as possible, COVID-19 challenges us to think about the type of consumption that underpins the unsustainable ways of the travel and tourism industries.
Air travel features prominently in discussions about reducing carbon emissions. Even if commercial aviation accounts “only” for about 2.4% of all emissions from fossil-fuel use, flying is still how many of us in the industrialised world blow out our carbon footprints.
But sustainability concerns in the travel and tourism sectors extend far beyond carbon emissions.
In many places tourism has grown beyond its sustainable bounds, to the detriment of local communities.
The overtourism of places like Venice, Barcelona and Reykjavik is one result. Cruise ships disgorge thousands of people for half-day visits that overwhelm the destination but leave little economic benefit.
Cheap airline fares encourage weekend breaks in Europe that have inundated old cities such as Prague and Dubrovnik. The need for growth becomes self-perpetuating as tourism dependency locks communities into the system.
In a 2010 paper I argued the problem was tourism underpinned by what sociologist Leslie Sklair called the “culture-ideology of consumerism” – by which consumption patterns that were once the preserve of the rich became endemic.
Tourism is embedded in that culture-ideology as an essential pillar to achieve endless economic growth. For instance, the Australian government prioritises tourism as a “supergrowth industry”, accounting for almost 10% of “exports” in 2017-18.
Out of crisis comes creativity
Many are desperate to ensure business continues as usual. “If people will not travel,” said Ariel Cohen of California-based business travel agency TripActions, “the economy will grind to a halt.”
COVID-19 is a radical wake-up call to this way of thinking. Even if Cohen is right, that economic reality now needs to change to accommodate the more pressing public health reality.
It is a big economic hit, but crisis invites creativity. Grounded business travellers are realising virtual business meetings work satisfactorily. Conferences are reorganising for virtual sessions. Arts and cultural events and institutions are turning to live streaming to connect with audiences.
In Italian cities under lockdown, residents have come out on their balconies to create music as a community.
Local cafes and food co-ops, including my local, are reaching out with support for the community’s marginalised and elderly to ensure they are not forgotten.
These responses challenge the atomised individualism that has gone hand in hand with the consumerism of travel and tourism. This public health crisis reminds us our well-being depends not on being consumers but on being part of a community.
Staying closer to home could be a catalyst awakening us to the value of eating locally, travelling less and just slowing down and connecting to our community.
After this crisis passes, we might find the old business as usual less compelling. We might learn that not travelling long distances didn’t stop us travelling; it just enlivened us to the richness of local travel.
Written by Freya Higgins-Desbiolles. Republished with permission of The Conversation.
Winter is coming: Simple ways to keep energy costs down
Winter is coming: Simple ways to keep energy costs down. It has been a sweltering Australian summer and for most retirees, this means that they are likely to endure one final summer blow: a high energy bill. Read more:
It has been a sweltering Australian summer and for most retirees, this means that they are likely to endure one final summer blow: a high energy bill.
According to recent Mozo research, households were expected to waste a jaw dropping $774 on bad energy habits this summer, with the biggest culprit - leaving the air conditioner on overnight.
So if you’ve been stung with a high summer energy bill, now is the time to get prepped in time for winter - below are some helpful tips.
Switch on smarter bulbs
Did you know that lighting accounts for seven per cent of a household’s annual energy usage?
What’s even more surprising is that according to Red Energy, standard incandescent light bulbs use the majority of its energy to heat up a bulb and only 10% is then converted into light, making them highly inefficient.
You can get smarter with your lighting by switching to more energy efficient light bulbs, like compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
These bulbs use up to 80 per cent less electricity and last up to 20 times longer than regular light bulbs, which can come in handy if you spend most of your time at home.
Take advantage of rebates in your state
Whether you live in New South Wales or Tasmania, most Australians dread the day their energy bill arrives in the mail.
New research has even shown that electricity costs is one of the top two financial stressors for Australian households.
So to ease the pinch of high bill, it’s worth looking into various government energy rebates you may be eligible for.
There are a range of rebates available from solar battery storage to owning energy efficient appliances, so it shouldn’t be hard to find one you can apply for.
For instance, the Seniors Energy Rebate, which is available in NSW, provides independent retirees with a $200 rebate on their electricity bill every year, while pensioners or veterans may be eligible for a $285 low-income household rebate.
Just keep in mind that you may need to supply relevant documentation to confirm your eligibility, like your Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, so be sure to have these handy when you apply.
Get picky with your plan
From picking up a new toaster to locking down a good deal on your phone bill, there’s no denying the value of shopping around for the best price.
And as deregulated energy markets, like New South Wales and Victoria continue to grow, the result can only mean competitive pricing and more options for customers.
Following a Mozo number crunch of 427 electricity plans from 37 retailers, our data revealed that households have the potential to save an average of $554 a year, just by shopping around.
So once you’re ready to start shopping around on energy plans, be sure to have your most recent bill nearby to make the process smoother.
It’s important to look beyond flashy discounts and incentives many retailers offer new customers and instead consider whether the plan provides long term benefits and savings.
Making sure there are no lock-in contracts or exit fees is also important because it can give you the flexibility to move between plans if better offers become available.
Go heavy with your sheets
As the seasons change, many Australians use it as an opportunity to give their bedroom a facelift with some new decor.
But during winter, it’s also the chance to give your space an energy efficient upgrade.
There’s nothing worse than a bad nights sleep or waking up in a with frozen fingers and toes, so it might be best to start with switching out your thinner bedsheets for thicker and heavier fabrics, like fleece.
This will keep you warm during colder nights, without having to resort to the switching on the heating or electric blanket.
Aside from being somewhat inexpensive, fleece sheets are great at insulating heat, are more durable and can absorb water or moisture faster than regular sheets.
This is a guest post from Mozo, a trailblazer in energy comparison, providing Australians with practical energy saving tips and expert analysis.
Mozo believes that getting a better deal on energy doesn’t have to be complicated and that no Australian should be paying more than they have for the same service.
Written by Ceyda Erem. Republished with permission of Downsizing.com.au.
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Back in February, Motorola announced the successor to the Moto G Stylus 2021, dubbed the Moto G Stylus 2022. However, following last year’s tradition, Moto will be introducing a separate 5G version too. The profile of the 5G model appears similar to that of its 4G equivalent, than that of last year’s model.
A new report reveals that the Moto G Stylus 5G 2022 will be equipped with the Snapdragon 695 5G SoC with 4GB RAM alongside 128GB storage capacity. The handset is said to include a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP secondary and a 2MP depth sensor on the rear. Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming Moto G Stylus 5G 2022, design, renders, specifications and everything we know so far.
Moto G Stylus 5G 2022 Specifications
As per a recent reveal by Evan Blass in collaboration with 91Mobiles, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) will be available in two colour options—Black and Seafoam Green. The phone is codenamed Milan 5G and draws power from an octa-core Snapdragon 695 5G chipset coupled with an Adreno 619 GPU. The G Stylus 5G could come with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB onboard storage as standard.
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The screen measures 6.78-inches diagonally and has an FHD+ resolution (1,080 x 2,460 pixels), 120Hz refresh rate, with a peak brightness of 650 nits. The phone also houses a centred punch-hole with a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
The upcoming Moto smartphone will include a triple rear camera setup. The primary is expected to be a 50MP primary shooter paired with an 8MP secondary wide-angle lens that can dual for macro shots. There’s also a 2MP depth sensor for portrait shots.
Connectivity options on the phone could include USB-C for charging and data transfer, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and 5G. The phone will boot Android 12 out of the box, and as the name suggests, will include a stylus that is housed in the body of the phone (similar to the Note series from Samsung). The phone is said to be fueled by a comparatively large 5,000mAh cell.


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Hotel Bed Bugaboos
Bed bugs are booming in hotel beds, particularly in the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. That makes business even better than usual for companies engaged in pest control and sanitation.
In addition to natural disasters like hurricanes, international travel and the growing popularity of natural products for the guestroom factor into the problem. So does the decrease in use of highly powerful pesticides like DDT, according to one company spokesman.
Bed bugs are not only irritating, they can have legal ramifications. The bugs — tan when hungry, brown when blood-engorged, oval, less than a quarter-inch in length — made the news two years ago when Helmsley Enterprises settled a suit brought by Mexican businessmen who claimed they'd been bitten during a stay at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel in New York City.
Bed bug trouble has been on the rise for quite a while. In April, the Wall Street Journal quoted an industry publication saying that hotels accounted for the biggest proportion of reported bedbug infestations — 37 percent, up six points from the year before. Pest-control company Orkin confirmed to the Journal that reported bedbug calls were way up.
And the returns from this year aren't even in yet. They promise to be dramatic, and that's just for bedbugs; the size of the problem the increasingly populous Formosan termite presents, particularly in the wake of the hurricanes that swept the Gulf Coast and Florida this fall, remains to be measured.
Companies are addressing the situation. Ecolab, which offers the Innspect Bed Bug Service, has developed the “Hurricane Cleanup and Sanitation Guideline Manual” to help institutions revive after the hurricanes and subsequent flooding.
“Some businesses were totally destroyed,” says Colleen Dillon, vice president of health care and hospitality for Ecolab. “We've done our best to help people recover, and we did help some customers that we did not help before. It's nice to part of a really big company because you do have resources.”
BUGS ON THE MOVE
“The big issue today with hotels and motels is bed bugs,” says Steve Goldrich, vice president of Sterifab manufacturer Noble Pine Products. “Many years back, when DDT was in use, bed bugs were very rare, but DDT has been taken off the market. It was such a strong insecticide that the bed bugs didn't have a chance.”
At the same time, international travel has contributed to the problem, he says.
“Bed bugs are a problem so ubiquitous and so difficult that everybody, from the Centers for Disease Control on down through every major player in the hotel industry, agrees there is no one answer.”
A combination insecticide-disinfectant, Sterifab “is one of the weapons people look to to control the problem,” Goldrich says. Trouble is, “there is no way to absolutely guarantee a solution,” because bed bugs are mobile. “They find bed bugs behind picture frames, which means they move from their food source in the bed.”
Housekeeping, too, can compound the issue. “When a maid cleans a room, bed bug migration is often affected by the fact that she goes from one room to another and an adult or adults move with her,” Goldrich says. Even more insidious: unlike adult insects, bed bug eggs “are impervious to all insecticides.”
Because of the recent hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, “business is beyond good,” Goldrich says. “Business is terrific in general, and it runs across all the different markets we're selling to. But the hurricanes have put this into another sphere. They've created opportunities that we never thought about, and we know from our distributors that a number of the biggest players, the pest control companies, are using Sterifab.”
That's because for now at least, the main problem in the flooded areas is mold; Sterifab is applied as a disinfectant. But termites are on the rise.
“The whole Golf Coast is so humid that termites are an ongoing issue,” Goldrich says. “They don't have a hibernation period in New Orleans, and it's not merely humid down there anymore. The houses that remain standing are going to be affected in a much more insidious way by termites than they would have been before.”
IN THE TRENCHES
As senior technical specialist for agribusiness/pest management firm Syngenta, Dale Kaukeinen has been “on both sides of the job,” both advising and applying treatments. Syngenta products include Demand CS, an insecticide, and Archer, an insect growth regulator, a “green concept” that acts as form of insect birth control.
Kaukeinen is convinced that the increase in leisure and international travel, coupled with the spread of natural fabrics as opposed to synthetic ones, is making hospitality an ever more hospitable breeding ground for bed bugs. And check your luggage: the soft-sided variety allows the blood-feeding insects “to get in through a very small opening,” he says.
“Bed bugs are about as flat as your business card, so they don't need much of an opening. They' re about the size of an apple seed and very easy to overlook.”
Housekeeping is the “first line of defense,” Kaukeinen says. Staff need “to be able to recognize a blood smear from a bed bug and what the bugs look like in a room or on a guest's possessions,” he says. Bed bugs are nocturnal and don't carry disease; evidence of a bite is a pimple or spot, “with irritation,” that normally disappears within three days.
If training housekeeping in bed bug awareness is one key, another is professional pest management, according to Kaukeinen. “The facility needs to have a pest management professional on call to come in and find the infestation and treat it,” he says. “I would stress that the room not be torn down (by housekeeping) until that professional comes. It's like the TV show ‘CSI’: the PMP will have to do an investigation first. He needs all the clues available to find out where the problem exists and come up with a solution.”
Storms like Katrina and Rita are hard on humans but also on pests. “But their biology is such that they usually have a lot of wet wood and debris and food stuff to help with that rebuilding process,” Kaukeinen says. Termites will drown after a few days submerged, but “if they have something to float on, they could up wherever when the waters recede, so there's an opportunity for creation of new populations. That's true for ants, roaches, rodents, even things like snakes.”
And the hospitality environment is particularly challenging. “You have areas with all-hour activity, like lobbies, 24-hour cafes, casinos and restrooms, so cleanliness and sanitation are very important,” Kaukeinen says.
Hoteliers should have a plan. They should map out their properties, prioritize and assign responsibility, and staff must have a way to communicate their observations, he says. “If they see a pest, there should be somebody to contact, maybe a form to fill out so when the PMP comes, he has information to go on.”
For more information on pest control management, use the reader service card in the back of the magazine to contact these companies: Bird Barriers, circle 154; Ecolab, circle 155; Noble Pine Products, circle 156; Orkin Exterminating, circle 157; Terminix Commercial, circle 158.
THE BIG IDEAS
Know the enemy
Learn how to identify the bed bug and evidence of bed bug activity. Housekeeping staff should be particularly well informed.
Have a plan
Identify the problem, quantify it, compile the information, and prepare a document for the pest management professional.
Get professional help
Pest management professionals, or PMPs, have the expertise and the chemicals to address the problem. Don't count on a permanent solution, however. Constant vigilance is required, too.
Reprints and Licensing
© 2014 Penton Media Inc.
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Halo: The Master Chief Collection Will Have Cross-Progression Between PC and Console
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is finally headed to PC, and it appears that it will have cross-progression with the Xbox One version and that cross-play, while not planned for launch, is on 343 Industries’ mind for the future.
Via Wccftech, Halo community director at 343 Industries Brian Jarrard took a question on Twitter from RabblinMan that asked if Master Chief Collection would have any “crossplatform capabilities at all between console and PC in customs or matchmaking?”
“Progression, unlocks, stats, etc.. will carry over between PC/console,” Jarrard replied. “In terms of playing together crossplatform, currently not planned for launch but it’s something the team is accounting for and will evaluate over time.”
This is promising for those who already own Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One or who are looking forward to playing with friends on an opposite platform and makes this package even more enticing, especially after the news that Halo: Reach will also be added to both versions.
However, it’s important to remember that MCC will most likely not be a Play Anywhere game, so those who already own the collection will need to purchase again if they wish to play on PC.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection for PC was announced earlier this year and, while there is no release date yet, we do know that 343 plans on releasing each game one-by-one in chronological order, starting with Halo: Reach.
The Master Chief Collection was originally released for Xbox One in 2014 and, in our review, we said “despite MP troubles, Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s classic campaigns are amazing examples of FPS done right.”
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who loves this news and wishes more games would offer this. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.
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COVID-19 has disrupted much of our lives and businesses but also provided an opportunity for us to adapt and adopt new ways of running our day-to-day activities – paving the way for the rise of e-commerce in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
In Singapore, where GetApp surveyed 1,007 consumers last October, one in five respondents make a purchase online every day.
The survey also showed that the Top 5 products bought online are food and drink (64%), grocery (60%), fashion and accessories (54%), health and beauty (50%) and electronics and household (48%).
Consumers surveyed are split between desktops (45%) and mobile devices (55%), making an omni-channel approach important. Three out of five (63%) Singapore-based consumers are either purchasing on a laptop (29%) or a smartphone e-commerce app (34%).
In Singapore, 71% of consumers spending more online and less in-store and over half of Singapore shoppers expect this to be the norm for the next six months.
The two main reasons Singapore consumers are using online delivery were “to avoid contact with crowds in-store” (58%) and “to receive items at home at my time and convenience” (56%).
As part of phase 2 measures, Singapore’s government has encouraged employees who can work from home to continue doing so. And making home delivery convenient for individuals working remote.
Discounts and promotions also remain high up on shoppers’ lists, with 43% of finding bargains to be an incentive for ordering items online.
More than half (52%) respondents use in-store or pick-up point delivery once or twice times a week or more than 50 times in a year.
Majority of respondents are picking up their ordered item in-store or at pick-up points based on their convenience (63%) and to save on delivery fees (61%).
Close to three quarters (73%) of shoppers are seeking improvements in the basics of online shopping — load speeds, real-time stock checking and checkouts.
Also, more than half (57%) are open to suggested items and platforms that can adapt to their preferences.


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L.A.’s cactus love means a bigger and better fall sale for prickly fans
The Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society’s first Fall Sale was such a hit it’s bringing it back this year, in a larger space with even more vendors on Sept. 15 in Encino.
More than 2,000 people attended the society’s Fall Sale last September, according to spokesman Kal Kaminer. In response, the society is moving the sale to a bigger outdoor space, with twice as many cashiers and 20 vendors offering handmade pottery, decorative rocks and other supplies.
The main attraction of course will be a vast selection of rare, unusual and popular cacti and succulents sold by professional growers from across Southern California. Unlike the society’s popular Drought Tolerant Plant Festival in June, the Fall Sale is a one-day event with no speakers, although growers and vendors will be available to answer questions.
Proceeds from the sale will be used to expand and maintain the society’s public cactus garden at the Sepulveda Garden Center.
Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society Fall Sale
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15.
Where: Sepulveda Garden Center,16623 W. Magnolia Blvd., Encino
Cost: Free admission and parking


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Maserati To Launch Its First Ever Midsize SUV By 2022
The unnamed SUV will be positioned below the Levante
Maserati has confirmed that it will launch a new midsize SUV by 2022. Aimed to take on the likes of the Porsche Macan, Jaguar I-Pace and the BMW X4 (launching in 2019), the upcoming product will be the second SUV by the Italian carmaker after the Levante, which was launched in 2017.
Maserati is yet to reveal the name of the upcoming SUV but has confirmed that it will feature level 3 autonomous driving and will also be offered in a plug-in hybrid avatar. Other facts known about the SUV are that it will be based on a lightweight platform and will have 50:50 weight distribution for better ride and handling characteristics. Maserati claims that the unnamed SUV will also have a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio.
The midsize SUV is expected to share its platform with the Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan and the Stelvio SUV, both of which are underpinned by the lightweight Giorgio platform.
As the Italian carmaker is aiming to double its market share by 2022, it will also launch the updated Levante along with the new midsize SUV. It will be based on a new modular platform, will have 50:50 weight distribution and will get a plug-in hybrid version like its smaller sibling. The new Levante will also get a fully electric version with 3-motor AWD system with torque vectoring, coupled to an 800V battery technology. Thanks to this, Maserati claims that the all-electric Levante will have a long range, quick charging times and 50 per cent more power than its conventionally powered counterpart.
Apart from the new midsize SUV and the renewed Levante, Maserati has also promised to launch the Ghibli and Quattroporte replacements and the new Alfieri twins: Coupe and Cabriolet (replacing Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio), by 2022. All these new products should help Maserati to reach its annual global sales target of 100,000 units by 2022. Currently, Maserati sells about 50,000 cars a year, globally.
We expect Maserati to launch all these cars in India as well, soon after their global launch. They will be imported to India as CBUs like Maserati’s current lineup which includes the Levante SUV, Ghibli, Quattroporte, Gran Turismo and the Gran Cabrio.
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MAUMEE, Ohio—Dana Inc. has reached a definitive agreement to combine with the Driveline Division of GKN P.L.C., allowing it to re-incorporate in the United Kingdom as Dana P.L.C.
The deal consists of about $5 billion in cash and stock being transferred to GKN and its shareholders. Dana will pay $1.6 billion in cash to GKN and issue 133 million new Dana P.L.C. shares to GKN's shareholders, valued at about $3.5 billion based on Dana's share price as of March 8. The new company will assume about $1 billion of net pension liabilities.
The combined company will have sales of $13.4 billion, based on their respective 2017 results. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Dana projects it to close in the second half of 2018.
"I'm not sure that I've personally witnessed a more complementary transaction," James Kamsickas, Dana president and CEO, said on a March 9 call discussing the deal. "If you want to look at it from a product, market, geography or a company culture standpoint, the list goes on that's for sure."
Based in Redditch, England, GKN brings about $7 billion in 2017 sales, 61 manufacturing locations in 23 countries, five research and development centers, and 35,000 employees to the Dana portfolio. Kamsickas and Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Collins will remain in their roles as leaders of the combined company, of which Dana shareholders will own about 52.75 percent.
Keith Wandell, currently non-executive chairman of Dana, will remain in the same role as well. The board will expand to include two representatives designated by GKN.
Collins said on a March 9 conference call to investors that the move to re-incorporate to the U.K. will bring about $600 million in tax benefits. The merger also is projected to create about $1.2 billion in net synergies. And despite being based in the U.K., the new company will remain listed on the New York Stock Exchange.


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Goods news, sustainable caffeine heads: Pret A Manger are now going to be giving everyone who brings in a reusable cup a 25p discount.
This goes over all coffee, plus teas and hot chocolates – meaning a £1.25 saving a week, if you buy bev a day, or a fiver a month. Worth having.
This comes after a successful trial of the idea in spring.
Speaking to The Grocer, Pret brand director Caroline Cromar said: "We have been really encouraged by the response to the trial and, as a result, are delighted to now be rolling the discount out to all Pret shops around the UK."
"We're really pleased to the see the uptake the incentive has had in our London shops so far. It's one small step we can take to encouraging a reduction in paper cup usage across the UK."
If you've yet to buy a reusable cup, we're big fans of the glass KeepCups, which are pretty stylish.


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Cryptocurrency Market Cap Touches $1 Trillion: All You Need To Know
Bitcoin Vs Dollar Rate: The total market value of all cryptocurrencies surged above $1 trillion for the first time on Thursday, January 7, as Bitcoin surged to a record high, according to data by crypto coin trackers CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko. Bitcoin jumped more than 900 per cent to $38,655 on Thursday, from $3,850 in March 2020, as governments increase spending to tackle the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The market cap of all cryptocurrencies rose 10 per cent to $1.042 trillion on Thursday, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin accounts for around 69 per cent of the total market capitalisation. Bitcoin is followed by Ethereum with a 13 per cent share. (Also Read: Bitcoin Surpasses $35,000 To A New High )
On Thursday, the price of cryptocurrency bitcoin achieved a new record high and soared past $40,000 for the first time, rising $10,000 in just five days. "The market capitalization of cryto to $1 trillion is a strong testament that crypto is here to stay. It has now classified itself as a macro asset class for investments that can't be ignored. It will further lead greater mainstream acceptance than ever before,'' said Sumit Gupta, CEO, and co-founder of CoinDCX.
''The recent Bitcoin rally that has today crossed the record $37,000 mark has positively impacted the Indian market. Globally we are seeing various governments and financial institutions trying to accommodate Crypto into its fold. We remain optimistic that India is a tech and economic power that will emerge as a key player in crypto and blockchain adoption,'' added Sumit Gupta.
However, on Friday, January 8, bitcoin fell more than five per cent, one day after crossing the $40,000 mark for the first time ever. The world's most popular virtual currency slid to as low as $36,618.36 on Bitstamp exchange, after reaching an all-time high of $40,402.46 in the previous session. The rival cryptocurrency ethereum also sank more than 10 per cent to as low as $1,064.89. Bitcoin has rallied more than 700 per cent since a low in March. It topped $30,000 for the first time on January 2, after breaching the $20,000 mark on December 16, 2020. (Also Read: Bitcoin Crosses $29,000 Setting New Record For 2020 Rally: All You Need To Know )
The cryptocurrency is also gaining traction with an increasing number of major investors getting convinced that Bitcoin will be a long-lasting asset with its potential for quick gains and inflation-hedging qualities The digital currency has recorded an uptrend, with a broader bull run that began in October 2020, after the US-based online payments company PayPal allowed its customers to use bitcoin on its network. Almost quadrupling in value, bitcoin surged exponentially since entering a four-digit value for the first time in 2013. Bitcoin was last up 8.79 per cent at $ 41,486.5 aginst the US dollar.
Some major banks across the globe are exploring possibilities to allow the issuance of digital currencies, however, bitcoin is still not recognised as legal by many central banks. A bitcoin is the the equivalent of cash, but in electronic form. It is similar to any other real-world currency. Bitcoin gives its holder a direct claim on the central bank, bypassing the commercial banks, providing a greater level of security as a central bank can never run out of the currency that it issues.


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Check out the companies making headlines after the bell:
Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond tumbled nearly 12 percent in extended trading after the company reported same-store sales that fell more than expected and offered weak guidance.
FedEx's stock dropped more than 1.5 percent after hours following the company's first quarter earnings report. The report reflected the estimated negative impact Hurricane Harvey and the June 27 cyberattack affecting . United Parcel Service shares also fell less than 1 percent after hours.
Adobe Systems' stock slipped more than 3 percent in the extended session after the software company's results topped Wall Street estimates for the quarter.
Shares of Boston Scientific rose 4.6 percent after hours. The company's shares closed 1 percent lower Tuesday after it announced positive late-breaking clinical trial data for a heart failure diagnostic.


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Friday 29 May 2015
Catching up with graduate Rebecca Kidd - making it in the fashion industry
Fashion promotion and communications graduate Rebecca Kidd has had a whirlwind year since graduating in November last year. Starting out as a visual merchandiser on Oxford Street, not only has Rebecca gone on to become founder of her own jewellery company which is trading on the ASOS marketplace, but she has been invited to exhibit at the Clothes Show in December.
Rebecca loves being her own boss and following through with her own ideas. Communication and promotion skills that Rebecca learnt from her degree are put into practice: “every day without fail, I am promoting on social platforms. That’s the great thing now – it’s a form of free advertising. A typical day includes re-ordering stock that is low, creating and putting together orders from Etsy, Depop and ASOS (online fashion retailers), messaging bloggers and promoters to help get the word out further about the brand, and photographing new products for each site.”
However, it’s not just promotional skills Rebecca learnt at university, she also developed the knowledge to deal with the biggest challenges she faces in her industry – competitors, “if there is anything my university course helped with, it was analysing the industry and how to stand out with unique selling points! I believe I supply the best value jewellery of my kind available, and offer a larger range of products than similar jewellery brands of the moment.”
Rebecca’s favourite memory of university also provided one key snippet of advice for current students. “My favourite memory was completing my final major project. I was very passionate about the brand I created, a new online retailer for the young market of tall females. I lost a lot of work, and with about six weeks to go had to basically start my whole website again. I felt so proud when I had completed it. That’s one thing I have learnt- back up your work!”
Looking to the future we asked Rebecca how she saw her industry developing she replied “I see it expanding! I think more and more consumers are looking online for alternative ways to style, instead of heading to the same retailers with similar styles. I think there is a wider market opening up for accessories.”
“Stay individual”, was the main piece of advice Rebecca gives current students, “I always believed at university that everyone else was better at what we were doing. My other graduate friends are worried about the amount of competition over jobs. But you have to remember that someone has to get it. Everyone has something unique to offer, and if you believe in yourself and show confidence- this will take you miles.”