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Swiss join the crowdfunding craze
Switzerland is home to several crowdfunding platforms generating millions of francs from peer-to-peer financing. swissinfo.ch looks at how the online phenomenon is taking root.
Recent projects in Switzerland, such as the revival of a legendary watchmaking company, the building of a humanoid robot or the recording of a Frank Zappa-inspired album have revealed the power of the internet to generate the funding that traditional means might not provide, or no longer provide.
In just five years, the number of crowdfunding platforms has increased by 600 per cent according to crowdsourcing.org, the industry website of crowdfunding and is set to expand several-fold in the coming years.
There are presently an estimated 550 crowdfunding sites in the world that generated CHF1.42 billion in 2011 (US$1.5 billion). In Switzerland, there are at least six, four of which are less than two years old.
But crowdfunding is a generic term that covers two very different kinds of enterprises.
Donation crowdfunding allows people to microfinance causes, ideas, artists or projects that appeal to their beliefs and values. In return, crowdfunders receive symbolic or sentimental rewards, like signed albums, entrance tickets or the pride of helping a child in Africa.
Equity raising or lending platforms, on the other hand, perform like start-up incubators or capital injectors and are open to investors looking for financial or material rewards. In the absence of clear regulations (see infobox), there is however mounting concern about the naivety of neophyte investors, as well as the possibility of fraud.
There are two financial modes in crowdfunding:
“All or nothing”: Most platforms require that the funding target be reached before the funds can be used. If the target is not reached, collected funds are refunded in full, sometimes minus a credit card commission if this mode of payment was used.
“Keep it all”: other platforms, but none in Switzerland, allow funds to be used even if the targets are not reached.End of insertion
Crowdfunding the art scene
“In Switzerland we’re sometimes slow to come on board, but we’re quick to catch up,” Johannes Gees, one of founding partners of the successful donation crowdfunding platform, wemakeit.ch, told swissinfo.ch. Gees is a media artist inspired by technology.
Although exclusively dedicated to art, music, film, design and other creative projects, wemakeit.ch generated CHF1.5 million during its first year in 2012 with a success rate of 65 per cent for its projects. It is just behind the number one European site, startnext.de.
Gees attributes part of the success to the fact that the Swiss have a long tradition of community funding. Choirs, sports clubs and neighbourhood projects are often locally funded. “We are just providing the tools to pool the resources,” he explained.
Rea Eggli, another of the founding partners of the platform, has identified a big shift in arts consumption: “Instead of accessing information when it’s already mainstream, people enjoy discovering projects and helping them happen,” she said.
Sibylle Stoeckli, a young industrial designer from Lausanne, successfully financed her Global Design Research field project thanks to wemakeit.ch. Her target of CHF10,000 was reached within 30 days and she is currently on a mission to compare the criteria of design sustainability from five continents.
“I would never have been able to finance this project otherwise,” she told swissinfo.ch in a phone call from Asia where she is completing the first leg of her research.
But it would be a mistake to think that you just put your project online and let things happen, Stoeckli warned. She found that it took all her efforts to reach the funding target on time, to first present the project in a compelling way and then sustain a high level of communication with funders.
Experience appears to show that a clear strategy and hard work is important if a project is to be successful. If a strategy hasn’t worked, people largely tend to go back to the drawing board.
Although crowdfunding was originally conceived as a tool to boost and facilitate existing projects, it is rapidly turning into a wand: new ideas and projects are being inspired by the very potential that crowdfunding offers, thereby fostering new areas of creativity.
“Crowdfunding can transform consumers into creators and participators,” Gees observed.
100-days.net is yet another example of a thriving Swiss crowdfunding platform, but instead of aiming for a local clientele, it has created a platform that can be used anywhere, by anybody and for any kind of project.
“We put more than two years into developing our platform,” Romano Strebel, who also co-created the Ron Orp community-building newsletter (170,000 readers), told swissinfo.ch. Their personalised dashboards allow monies to be raised through a variety of channels, including on mobile phones and expressed in different currencies.
“Finance is a great way to connect people and crowdfunding is suitable for all sorts of ventures in all kinds of fields,” Strebel said.
“It’s an idea accelerator. We see a lot of new worlds now that we didn’t even know existed,” he added.
In just a year, 100-days.net has raised more than CHF600,000 for the projects presented on its platform, and 55 per cent of those projects are successfully completed.
According to Strebel, average donations in Switzerland tend to be more than twice those in the United States, CHF125, as opposed to CHF50. “The Swiss have more money, but they also like to dedicate themselves to a project or a cause,” he said.
The web’s answer to venture capitalism
Whilst the above platforms function on the principle of donations, C-Crowd was created in 2011 to raise equity for business projects. Although founder Philipp Steinberger’s original plan was to include charities and small commercial projects, he has now decided to concentrate on businesses. “This is our USP, our unique selling proposal,” he told swissinfo.ch.
After years of securing growth capital for young companies with requirements of CHF2 million plus, Steinberger was looking for a more efficient and less time-consuming way to help entrepreneurs, including those with lower requirements.
Amongst C-Crowd’s success stories is the recapitalisation of a young bespoke tailor in Zurich. CHF550,000 was secured to allow SuitArt AG to operate a franchise system and expand to eight cities in Switzerland, including Aarau, Cham and Winterthur. Investors are also offered a 20 per cent discount on a suit.
C-Crowd applies a severe screening process however. It has also obtained assurance from FINMA, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, that it is operating within the boundaries of the present legislation.
Although there is a general consensus that crowdfunding is an area of great promise, especially in times of economic restrictions, there is also the fear that it is developing too quickly and that legislation, so far, has not been able to keep abreast of consumer protection.
Switzerland: FINMA, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, considers that crowdfunding is already covered by present legislation that dispenses intermediaries (the platforms) from obtaining authorisations to practise, as long as they do not use the funds raised for their own purpose. On the other hand, it issues guidelines to protect “unqualified investors” against fraudulent start-ups. In the event of fraud, the matter no longer rests with FINMA but falls under criminal law.
US: The JOBS Act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act) was signed by President Barack Obama in April 2012 to encourage the funding of small businesses, but until regulations are drafted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, more than 2,000 crowdfunding websites (not necessarily platforms) have sprung up just to take advantage of the legal hiatus.
Britain: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has issued a warning against crowdfunding: there is no guarantee investors will receive a return on funds. In fact, investors could lose all of their money, “as the majority of startup businesses fail”. Furthermore, dividends are rare and investments can be diluted if more shares are issued. Lastly, as in all online transactions, a risk of fraud cannot be excluded. The FSA recommends that only sophisticated investors who understand the risks take part in crowdfunded schemes.End of insertion
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Another Ipswich store to close down after firm enters administration
- Credit: Archant
Ipswich’s Bathstore looks set to shut down after the national retailer fell into administration last month.
Signs have been placed outside the store, in Norwich road, advertising its closure.
The branch was one of 135 stores placed at risk when the retailer revealed it was entering administration in June.
MORE: Could electric bikes ease rush hour congestion in Ipswich?The Ipswich store has slashed prices and is offering at least 30% off stock.
A closing date for the store is yet to be confirmed and administrators at BDO are continuing to hunt for a buyer.
At this time it is unclear whether securing a buyer could save the Ipswich site.
You may also want to watch:
Speaking in June, Ryan Grant of BDO, said: "Despite significant investment into the business over the past five years, Bathstore has struggled to overcome the well-documented challenges facing the UK retail sector.
"The appointment was made after several months of difficult trading, and the failure of ongoing talks to find a buyer for the business.
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"Bathstore is continuing to trade in administration, whilst the administrators seek a buyer."

domain: news


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If you’re a DirecTV subscriber and a fan of The Walking Dead, you may have noticed alerts during the Sunday, November 2 episode indicating the show may no longer be available by the end of the year.
The contract between DirecTV and AMC, a popular network with shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul, and, of course, the ratings-crushing The Walking Dead, is set to expire by 2015. And the network and distributor have yet to come to a desirable agreement to extend that partnership, leaving viewers potentially zombie-less by the end of the year. What’s more, DirecTV has dropped AMC in Latin America, fueling the battle between the two – AMC argues the move is in breach of the existing agreement.
“DirecTV has not engaged in meaningful negotiations with us,” said AMC in a statement, “which leaves us to doubt whether a timely renewal is possible.”
It goes to show the tremendous power of a TV show. The Walking Dead has twice snagged more ratings than Sunday Night Football, including the latest episode that raked in an impressive 14.5 million viewers and gained a 7.6 rating among the all-important 18-49 demographic. That’s a pretty powerful bargaining chip for AMC to use. Especially when you consider that, if talks are not successful, DirecTV customers would lose access to The Walking Dead halfway through its current season. The season pauses November 30, goes on hiatus for the holidays, then resumes in February. Nothing would enrage a die-hard fan more than not being able to pick back up come February 2015. And AMC knows this.
The situation is reminiscent of a few years ago, when AMC protested with zombies on the streets of New York City after DISH Network dropped the channel from its lineup. In 2012, DirecTV was in a similar situation with Viacom after a licensing dispute left customers without popular channels like Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, and Spike. Eventually, Viacom was reported to receive about $600 million per year from DirectTV for carrying its 26 channels.
If this dispute isn’t resolved in time, fans may need to turn to the Internet to get their fix and bide their time. Options for watching The Walking Dead online include Vudu, iTunes, M-Go, Playstation Entertainment Network, Google Play, and Xbox Live (all à la carte at $2/episode), or from Amazon Prime Instant video at $2/episode or $27 for a season pass that will net you all of season 5.
On the AMC Website, a pop-up message appears warning DirecTV customers that they may soon lose access to their favorite series. “Tell DirecTV,” it urges, “you don’t want to lose AMC.”
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DOWNEY - With Easter less than two weeks away, Los Angeles County's animal shelters are filling up with rabbits.
Normally, shelters have three or four rabbits, but this week the shelters in Downey and Baldwin Park each have more than a dozen rabbits.
The Downey shelter has so many rabbits that the staff had to bring in extra rabbit cages, said Sgt. Mario Ramos of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control.
"It happens every year," he said. "People start getting rabbits for Easter, then they realize they don't want them. It starts now, and it will get even worse after Easter. They're cute when they get them, but they get big and people release them or call us."
The Downey pound last week had giant breeds, medium breeds and a few rambunctious younger rabbits.
In Baldwin Park, one mother rabbit was raising two tiny bunnies.
Rabbits have long been kept as pets, but a lot of people are changing the way they take care of them. Instead of being confined to a cage, a lot of rabbits these days are allowed to roam the house.
Ramos said they're generally easy to care for.
"They're about as much care as a cat," he said.
Normally, the animals are killed after five days, but the pound is keeping the rabbits longer in hopes that families looking to buy rabbits for Easter will adopt one from the shelter.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has released a bulletin warning people to think before buying bunnies, saying they live for 10 years and cost about $4,000 over the course of their lives. That agency also recommends getting a rabbit from the pound rather than a retail store.
Rabbit adoption costs $50 and includes spaying or neutering.
Most area shelters this weekend are hosting the MEGAMATCH-A-THON, which runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday and offers discounted adoption rates and free pet-related items.
For more information, go to http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/.


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New Netflix anti-password sharing block is finally catching people out
| Last updated
You never know what you've got until it's gone, and now Netflix users are realising exactly how good they used to have it as
its controversial new anti-password sharing feature is starting to catch people out.
It began merely as something for 'future you' to worry about, but for many users the 'future' has arrived.
In an update shared on 8 February, Netflix explained that it has been exploring for the last year 'different approaches to address' the issue of password sharing in Latin America.
This week, it started to roll out the feature in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain, saying its focus 'has been on giving members greater control over who can access their account'.
Videos shared online show people starting to realise that Netflix has made good on its decision, with many devastated to try and select a title only to be met with a screen which reads: "A Netflix account is for people who live in the same location."
The page continues: "Everyone who lives at your primary location can use Netflix when they're on the go or travelling. If this is your account, we'll help you set your primary location on the next screen."
Netflix's decision has been met with backlash from users, with some even showing themselves cancelling their subscription after the new feature came into force.
One particularly frustrated user tweeted: "Cancel Netflix. They just lost my business. "Password-sharing" is not a thing, it's called password-using. This is regressive bullsh*t borne out of capitalist greed to squeeze more money out of us. People paid for a password and they use it wherever they go."
The streaming service explains that accounts are 'intended for one household and members can choose from a range of plans with different features', though it notes members on its Standard or Premium can 'add an extra member sub account for up to two people they don’t live with' for an added cost.
Anti-password sharing hasn't yet hit the UK or the US, but the increased rollout of the feature indicates that it is coming. Netflix's co-CEO Greg Peters has already revealed that features to prevent password sharing will be rolled out in the US by the end of March, so with the clock ticking down, you better get your bingeing in while you can.


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Clorox Co. CLX, +0.46% Chief Executive Don Knauss received total compensation worth 7% less in the 2011 fiscal year than the year before, after lower earnings pressured by commodity costs sharply reduced incentive-based payments, according to a proxy statement filed Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Clorox has seen sales rise in most of its businesses, but creeping commodity costs have eaten at its margins. The company recently fended off a takeover bid from billionaire investor Carl Icahn.
Knauss received compensation valued at $9.2 million for the year ended June 30, down from $9.9 million a year earlier. The household-goods giant paid him 63% less in incentive-based awards, though Knauss' salary increased slightly.
The company said it reported net customer sales and economic profit below its targets, so it only paid out about 70% of its annual incentive-based awards.
Shares were recently up a penny at $66.34 after hours Friday. The stock has gained 4.8% year-to-date through Friday's close.


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Panhandle police officer, wife rescue baby from hot van
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — A police officer and his wife are credited with saving a 10-month-old girl who had been left in a van parked outside a supply store in the Florida Panhandle.
The Northwest Florida Daily News reports Chipley Police Officer Tyler Brannon and his wife Amanda had stopped at the Tractor Supply store in DeFuniak Springs on Saturday and heard a noise that sounded like a screaming cat. They looked in a van parked outside the store and saw the little girl.
DeFuniak Springs police Capt. Mike Lolley says the child had been in the car 10 to 15 minutes. The child's baby-sitter told police she and a friend were shopping and forgot the baby.
Lolly said it was determined to be an accident. The child is expected to be OK.


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- Taboola Blog
If more people are listening to podcasts, does that also mean more people are reading about them? It turns out, the answer is yes!
Across all aspects of a publisher’s business, data is critical. The newsroom is no exception, but introducing data into your newsroom in a productive way can be challenging.
Which publications do you read? How often? It’s likely you’re loyal to very few publishersmaking you the typical content consumer: the flyby.
When holiday shoppers finish buying gifts and planning parties, they look to spend on their next big investment: New Year’s resolutions. This is when brands and publishers can reach them.
Hundreds of news outlets joined an effort to increase coverage of climate change ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit on Sept. 23. The results are in — and it was a resounding success.
There’s more to being a successful publisher than simply having a great website. To stay ahead of the competition you must keep on top of the latest user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) trends–here are our top 10 trends to attract and retain your visitors.
We teamed up with Nielsen to find out define the best placement and moment to show website visitors ads without negatively affecting the user experience.
Online news orgs are fast becoming innovative, strategic, and sophisticated in producing valuable content that supports viable business models.


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While she voted with her colleagues to extend the ordinance, she said it might be beneficial to extend the open container hours or include more weekdays in the future. The extension expires April 18.
“If we spread it out a little bit more over time, we would probably avoid the perceived congestion that individuals are concerned about in our downtown areas and other districts,” she said.
During the meeting, three business owners spoke in favor of extending their ability to sell alcohol by the glass. Stephanie Castellucci, the owner of Iberian Pig’s downtown Decatur location, said it’s been a much-needed source of revenue.
“The additional sales really helped us throughout the pandemic in various ways,” she said. “Our guests really love it. Everyone has been really respectful of it and followed the rules and the regulations around it.”
Michael Gallagher, a co-owner of Brick Store Pub, added that furloughs and layoffs are a reality for many small business owners, especially those in the hospitality sector. He said open container alcohol sales are similar to expanding outdoor dining and carryout services, since they reduce indoor dining demand.
“It encourages people to be outside, to spend some money and to support local businesses,” he said. “Sure, you have to take your mask off to abide, but I think outdoors has proven to be the safest way.”
Restaurants have to pour alcohol into approved plastic cups to sell to patrons, who also get a wristband to wear while drinking outdoors. Open container alcohol sales are allowed Friday nights from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Saturday nights from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Five business districts are included in the ordinance:
• Decatur Downtown Business District
• East College Business District
• Oakhurst Business District
• Old Depot District
• West Ponce Business District
Follow DeKalb County News on Facebook and Twitter


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On the occasion of the fourth year of GST implementation, the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Customs Pune Zone conducted an event at GST Bhavan in Pune on Thursday. The event was presided over by Krishna A. Mishra, Chief Commissioner, CGST and Customs, Pune Zone, with Anu Aga, Ex-Chairperson, Thermax Limited, as the chief guest. Members of the trade and industry, as well as tax practitioners, virtually attended the event.
Mishra emphasised to the officers that the implementation of GST is the largest indirect tax reform in the history of Independent India, and that GST has led to the formalisation of the economy throughout the years, resulting in nation building and growth. She went on to say that over the previous four years of the GST journey, the government has worked hard to lower the compliance burden while increasing tax revenues by reducing tax evasion. During the GST regime, the Department implemented various important initiatives, such as hassle-free movement of products across the country due to E-way Bill, consistency and uniformity in return details across all States, automated refunds, and the implementation of a Single Online Payment System.
She further added that it is a difficult time for the Department in terms of revenue collection since a delicate balance must be maintained between revenue generation and aiding businesses in order to alleviate the distress created by the COVID-19 situation. During the epidemic, the Department provided tax payers with quick reimbursements in order to provide liquidity of funds, particularly for the MSME sector. This year’s zonal GST collection is Rs. 4752 crores, compared to Rs. 2208 crores last year.
Mishra went on to say that the Zone would make every effort to increase revenue and outperform last year’s collection. She paid respect to all the officers and workers of the Pune Zone and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) who died in the course of duty as a result of the pandemic. She went on to say that the Department will continue to strive for handholding in these difficult times, and that the Department, in collaboration with stakeholders, would resuscitate the economy and fulfil Prime Minister’s dream of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat.’


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Sony has shown off its upcoming game 'Detroit: Become Human' in an intense trailer revolving around a hostage situation. It is being developed by the same team behind the ground-breaking 'Heavy Rain'.
...of Microsoft mobiles, Apple's sales slide, and Windows 10 anticipation
Xbox One Summer Update now available with Cortana, background music, and more
Expanding mobile photography with Aukey's wide-angle lenses
The Vimtag P1: A great home monitoring cam with a few kinks
Have you upgraded your Windows 7 or 8.1 PC to Windows 10 yet?
windows 10 upgrade
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Lens Cover
Quantic Dream founder David Cage has revealed that Microsoft turned down the chance to publish their acclaimed crime adventure game Heavy Rain due to its themes of kidnapping children.
Quantic Dream, the developer of the acclaimed PS3 exclusive game Heavy Rain, is rumored to reveal its next game project at Sony's pre-E3 2012 press conference next week.
The latest tech demo of Quantic Dream's new game engine is simply short of phenomenal. The demo really does show that this generation of consoles isn't ready to die just yet.


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The US Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Gary Gensler has had numerous dust-ups with cryptocurrency companies but even he says the US won’t follow China’s lead in banning digital tokens.
Mr Gensler said on Tuesday that the government’s focus is on ensuring that the industry follows investor and consumer protection rules, anti-money laundering regulations and tax laws.
He made the comments at a House hearing after a Republican politician asked whether a China-like prohibition was on the table in the US.
“Our approach is really quite different,” Mr Gensler said. Any ban would probably have to be legislated by Congress, he said.
China issued its ultimatum against cryptocurrency trading last month, saying all transactions were off limits and that it would move aggressively to root out token mining. The announcement followed months of escalating Chinese warnings about virtual currencies.
Mr Gensler’s remarks mirror those of Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, who said during a September 30 congressional hearing that he had “no intention” of banning cryptocurrencies.


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Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021.
Looks like you may not be getting a gigantic iPad in your stocking after all this year, not that it would have fit.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Apple’s suppliers are struggling to keep up with demand for the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Which is good news considering the iPhone accounts for the bulk of Apple’s revenues and profits.
However, that demand means suppliers don’t have the capacity to build the (rumored) larger iPad that will reportedly have a 12.9-inch screen. That compares to the 9.7 inch screen on the iPad Air released last year.
Last month, Apple sold more than 10 million new iPhones on the first weekend. And now the company is getting ready for them to go on sale in China on Oct. 17. Pre-orders in China have reportedly topped 4 million.
While the iPhone demand is strong, Apple had also likely been counting on updated versions of its iPads to goose sales. While sales of new iPads tend to be strong around the introduction of new versions, they’ve been falling off more quickly in recent quarters.
The company now counts, more than ever, on the new versions to spur sales of its iPads.
VentureBeatVentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative technology and transact. Our site delivers essential information on data technologies and strategies to guide you as you lead your organizations. We invite you to become a member of our community, to access:
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Apple just announced the next major update of their mobile OS, iOS 5. Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 (WWDC 2011) is going on in full swing and Apple just took the wraps off iOS 5.
iOS 5 brings a number of new features. Notifications, Newsstand, Tabbed Browsing in Safari, Twitter integration in iOS etc.
Apple may not be telling anyone about this and will remain liptied till the last moment, but they have booked Moscone Center for a “Corporate Event” which is to be held in July.
We believe this Corporate Event will be the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2010 because that’s the only Apple event that takes place in June-July every year.


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Nintendo was thinking about porting Smash Bros. Melee to Wii before Brawl happened
Posted on May 19, 2023 by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii
Had things gone in a different direction and Super Smash Bros. Brawl never came to be, Super Smash Bros. Melee could have been ported to Wii instead.
It’s well documented at this point that series director Masahiro Sakurai didn’t initially know that Nintendo planned to make a Smash Bros. game for that console. The news was shared during a pre-E3 press conference in 2005, and president Satoru Iwata announced to the world that a new entry would be released for its upcoming system with online play. Iwata and Sakurai met shortly after, and Sakurai ended up agreeing to make a Smash Bros. game for Wii. But something else Nintendo was considering was a straight port of Melee – we could have seen this if Sakurai “turned the work down”.
Sakurai spoke about the situation a bit in his latest YouTube video today that we reported on. Here’s what he shared on the subject:
“I had already gone freelance, and had I turned the work down, they might have left Smash Bros. Melee’s 26 fighters completely untouched and simply rereleased the game as-is for the Wii. That’s what Mr. Iwata once told me.”
Something else Sakurai shared: “If we hadn’t been able to make the game at all, that may have spelled the end of the Smash Bros. series as we know it”.
We also posted some comments from Sakurai in which we further spoke about why he feels online play isn’t the best fit for Smash Bros. You can find that here.


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U.S. Executives Optimistic on Inflation Amid Challenges - report
A recent study by global management consulting firm Kearney has shown that 48% of the 350+ U.S.-based executives surveyed view the current inflation cycle as positive. The research, which spanned various industries including retail, healthcare, auto, tech, and banking, indicates that executive sentiment about inflation is becoming more optimistic, despite ongoing challenges in pricing and supply chains.
Greg Portell, Lead Partner of Global Markets at Kearney, points out that while some inflation is necessary for economic growth, not all inflation is beneficial. However, the executives surveyed perceive the current inflationary cycle as more positive than negative. The study discovered that opinions on inflation differ across management levels, with lower-management views being less positive compared to those in the C-suite.
The report delved into several aspects of inflationary repercussions and executive attitudes, including the analysis of "good" vs. "bad" inflation and cost-pull vs. demand inflation. It examined core inflation triggers and their continuing influence on economic trends, as well as the positive outcomes and operational responses to inflation.
The study also highlighted a narrowing gap between CEO and VP views on inflation, suggesting a growing consensus on the economic pressures businesses face. Despite concerns that lower- and middle-income communities may bear the brunt of inflation, several positive executive and operational responses have been observed. These include renewed innovation cycles, a reset of stale categories, shifts away from traditions, pricing flexibility, struggles of competitors, and investment opportunities, particularly in innovation.
Portell notes that although core inflation triggers have changed, they continue to impact economic trends such as unpredictable GDP, an uncertain labor market, and supply chain disruptions. The research also revealed the connection between Consumer Price Index deceleration and a more productive view of inflation, as well as executives' concerns about long-term inflation impacts.
Despite these challenges, the surveyed executives believe the end of the inflationary cycle may be near, viewing inflation as a short-term rather than long-term problem. This optimistic outlook, however, could be premature. As companies switch from reactive to proactive pricing programs and the economy continues to grapple with pandemic measures, including $1.6 trillion in pent-up savings and the Fed's rapid moves to raise rates, uncertainty over future inflation remains and could potentially discourage investments and savings.
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Motley Crue will be releasing the 40th anniversary of their 1981 debut album “Too Fast For Love”. It will be available on the exact date it was released 40 years later, November 10th, 2021. You can pre-order it here. Ahead of it’s release they have given us the remastered version of Live Wire. All I can say here is that the track sounds better remastered. It’s a classic and I can’t believe it’s 40 years old. The video has been redone with bands timeline around the album and more. Check it out below.
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South Korean technology group LG Electronics will stop producing smartphones and focus on parts for electric cars.
LG points to fierce competition in the mobile phone market and ongoing losses in those activities for the company.
Production will end on July 31st. LG was one of the pioneers with smartphones running Google’s Android operating system, with the popular LG Nexus model.
The company once had a significant market share in the United States but has lost that to rivals such as Apple and South Korean Samsung Electronics.
LG said in January that it is looking at options for the smartphone division. Talks were reportedly being held about a sale of the phone business, but differences broke them of opinion over technology patents’ value, local media said.
The group will now focus more on components for electric cars.
Collaboration has already been entered into with the Canadian Magna International in that field. Investors speculated that this partnership could contribute to an Apple electric car.


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WASHINGTON (Sept. 10, 2014) –SnowSports Industries America (SIA), the snow sports industry’s member-owned trade association, released the 2014 Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report today, covering the ups and downs of the 2013/2014 season. The report offers detailed data and statistics on equipment, apparel and accessories sales along with participation information from all six snow sports disciplines including alpine ski, snowboard, cross country ski, freeski, snowshoe and telemark.
“Few industries offer a source of detailed and comprehensive market data that is included within SIA Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report,” said Kelly Davis, SIA’s director of research. “SIA members across all categories gain very specific insights from this research that help them strategically move their businesses forward.”
In the 37th annual update, the 2014 Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report explores the record-breaking $3.6B season that was filled with extraordinary weather patterns that included severe drought in the Sierras, polar vortex events that brought arctic cold as far south as Texas and truly excellent snow conditions in the Rocky Mountains.
Sample Report Highlights:
- 2013/2014 was a $3.6B season, up 7 percent in dollar sales and up 4 percent in unit sales, despite the drought in California.
- Sales of action cameras were up 10 percent in units sold to 121,000 cameras and up 20 percent in dollars sold to $41 million.
- More girls bought snowboard equipment this year; junior girls snowboarding equipment sales grew 37 percent in units sold and 36 percent in dollars sold.
- Alpine insulated tops sales were up 13 percent in dollars sold to $529 million and up 8 percent in units to more than 3 million units sold.
- Sales of women’s specific cross country equipment increased 32 percent in units sold and 28 percent in dollars sold to over $6 million.
- Apparel accessories including gloves, baselayer, headwear, neck gaiters, etc. increased 7 percent in units sold and 11 percent in dollars sold to $664 million.
“SIA data opened up some eyes at our company in regards to what sells, where it sells and for how much. One of the benefits of this report is seeing the big picture to help make the numbers relevant; it’s not just sales information that makes up the data, it’s inventories, snow cover, the economy, etc.,” said Kyre Malkemes, snowboard category manager at Mervin Manufacturing.
The 2014 report provides an easy-to-follow analysis also features stand-alone chapters for alpine, snowboard, cross country, telemark, backcountry-randonee/AT, snowshoe, equipment/apparel accessories and apparel categories. There is also an in-depth executive market summary provided with the Report that digs deeper into the 2013/2014 season.
“SIA and Leisure Trends Group stay on top of what is going on and make sure we have access to data that supports and addresses current issues so that as an industry we can make intelligent and informed decisions for our businesses,” said Tim Petrick, president of global sales and marketing, K2 Sports.
The 2014 SIA Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report is available at no cost to SIA Members and for $425 to non-members. Full reports on the women’s and juniors-specific snow sports market will also be available this fall. Stay tuned.
To receive a copy of this year’s report or for more information about snow sports retail sales information and other SIA Research products including the Snow Sports Participation Study, Revisiting Growing the Snow Sports Industry and more, contact Kelly Davis, SIA’s director of research, at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone at 703-506-4224. Get the latest updates on from SIA research at Snowsports.org/research and by following #SIAdata on Facebook and Twitter.
|– SIA – Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2014, SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is a non-profit member-owned trade association with a long history of working to support the snow sports industry. SIA, based in the Washington, DC Metro-Area with offices in CO, OR and RI, works year-round with North American snow sports suppliers, retailers, resorts, reps and service providers to develop products and programs for their individual and collective business needs. With member support and industry participation, SIA annually hosts the industry’s largest core winter sports trade show, the SIA Snow Show, along with the On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest and the Sourcing Snow supplier show. SIA also helps retailers and resorts connect with snow sports participants around the country through Snowlink.com. Learn more at Snowsports.org.|


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On-line ticket sales for the Racers Grand Prix ended June 2 – midnight. Tickets will now be available only at JN Money Shops and at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel each day except Sunday between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
On Saturday June 11, the day of the event, any tickets left will be available at the stadium ticket office from 10:00 a.m.
This is the first time that tickets to a track meet in Jamaica have been sold on-line. The facilitators of the service, Mysticonline, have described the response as “overwhelming.” Patrons have been particularly pleased that they were able to select seats of their choice with no hassle and without fear of being victims of favouritism.


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A newly designed C295 testbed has made its maiden flight.
easyJet teams up with Holiday Extras
easyJet, the UK's largest airline, is delighted to announce a new partnership with Holiday Extras that will enable travellers to save even more when booking their holiday.
easyJet customers can book their airport parking via a dedicated booking page, www.easyjet4parking.com. Powered by Holiday Extras, travellers can now book best price airport parking guaranteed, as well as the best choice of car parks and greatest availability.
Bill McKimm, head of ancillary revenue at easyJet, said:
"Our partnership with Holiday Extras, ensures that easyJet customers can save time and money when they pre-book airport car parking along with their easyJet flight.
These great value extras act as the perfect complement to our low-cost flights, customers can make their money go further during the turbulent economic climate."
Holiday Extras is the market leader in providing pre-booked car parking, offering more than 60,000 parking spaces at 26 airports throughout the UK.
More from Defence Notes
Lockheed Martin has responded to the news that the US FTC is suing to block its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings.
The US armed forces have been funded under a Continuing Resolution that will expire on 18 February —and service chiefs fear that a failure to approve a spending plan for the current fiscal year will adversely affect their ability to progress with modernisation efforts.
Kiev has received a range of weapons, from next-generation light anti-tank weapons (NLAW) to Javelin and Stinger missiles.
Following reports of two individuals being referred for prosecution due to allegedly misusing public funds, linked to an order for 28 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, Leonardo has said it is not subject to a judicial investigation.
CarteNav and Smith Myers have turned mobile phones into rescue beacons through Artemis and AIMS-ISR software integration.


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Consumer Watchdog Calls On Google To Release Driverless Car Accident Reports
SANTA MONICA, CA -- Consumer Watchdog today called on Google to release the reports of accidents involving its driverless cars that have been filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and to commit to making public all future driverless car accident reports.
“It is important that the public know what happened,” wrote John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project director, in a letter to Google. “You are testing driverless vehicles on public highways, quite possibly putting other drivers at risk.”
Read Consumer Watchdog’s letter to Google CEO Larry Page and Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/ltrpage050415.pdf
“Unbelievably, Google is planning to offer its robot cars without a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator so there would be no way for a person to take control in an emergency,” said Simpson today. “That plan underscores the need for the public to know the full details of all accidents.”
Consumer Watchdog learned that there had been accidents involving Google’s robot cars when the nonprofit nonpartisan public interest group filed a Public Records Act request with the California Department of Motor Vehicles seeking communications between Google and the department. However, the DMV treats driverless car accident reports confidentially and would not release them.
“You want to eliminate the most basic safeguard, a licensed driver able to take control, in your proposed driverless vehicles. This aim makes it even more important for the public to understand any accidents that occur involving your vehicles during the testing phase,” Simpson wrote in a letter to Google's executives. “Rather than hide behind the cloak of DMV confidentiality, Google should disclose the accident report and the full details of the incident. We also call on you to commit to making all future accident reports public.”
DMV rules also require companies testing driverless cars to report the details of all incidents when the robot technology was disengaged and the test driver had to assume control. Consumer Watchdog called on Google to make the disengagement reports public as well.
Consumer Watchdog’s letter to the Google executives concluded:
“Google has engaged in a highly visible public relations campaign extolling the supposed virtues of driverless cars. It is incumbent upon you to be candid about the cars’ failings and shortcomings as well. Your stated mission is ‘to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible.’ Sadly, in practice, you’ve modified this to be ‘to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible – except when it is about Google.’ Please treat yourselves as you would treat everyone else. Release DMV driverless car accident reports and details of your driverless car accidents. Make the autonomous technology disengagement reports public as well.”
1/5/2017News ReleaseSANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today called on Uber to release information about testing its robot cars in Arizona... More >
1/30/2017News ReleaseConsumer Watchdog Calls On SF Mayor Lee To Direct City Police To Monitor Uber’s Robot Cars As Vehicles Return; Asks Public To Note & Report All Violations By Renegade CompanySANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today called on San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to ask Police Chief Bill Scott to have... More >
4/4/2017News ReleaseFormer NHTSA Chief Rosekind’s Move to Robot Car Company Zoox Calls Agency’s Self-Driving Policy Guidance into Question, Consumer Watchdog SaysSANTA MONICA, CA – The credibility of autonomous vehicle policy issued last year by the National Highway Traffic Safety... More >
4/25/2017News ReleaseConsumer Watchdog Tells California DMV Proposed Robot Car Deployment Rules Are Premature; Group Says Regulations Must Wait For Federal Safety StandardsSANTA MONICA, CA – Regulations proposed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles covering the deployment of robot... More >
1/5/2017News StoryCalifornia-based advocacy group Consumer Watchdog publicly asked Uber to release test data surrounding its autonomous vehicle... More >


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Witness sold 180,000 total copies in its first week out, a significant dip from the 286,000 copies Prism sold when it was released in October 2013. Still, Witness – Perry’s third Number One after 2010’s Teenage Dream and Prism – had the best-selling week by a female artist since Lady Gaga’s Joanne sold 201,000 first week copies in November 2016, Billboard reports.
Perry’s Number One finish came just a week after Halsey became 2017’s first female artist to land atop the Billboard 200; that singer’s Hopeless Fountain Kingdom dipped to Number Seven in its second week of release.
Three more new releases entered the Top 10, with SZA’s debut album Ctrl leading the way at Number Three and 60,000 total copies. Lady Antebellum’s Heart Break placed fourth with 53,000 total units and Rise Against’s Wolves debuted at Number Nine with 29,000 copies.
Kendrick Lamar’s Damn. clung to Number Two once again, with Drake’s More Life (Number Five), Ed Sheeran’s Divide (Six) and Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic (Eight) also increasing their tenures in the Top 10.
As Billboard notes, the Top 10 witnessed some upheaval this week as the chart overseers modified how digital-only compilations were tabulated. In recent weeks, the Epic AF and the Summer Latin Hits collections were Top 10 mainstays thanks to bulk sales and streams of their exclusive Hot 100-ruling hits, DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One” and Luis Fonti’s “Despacito,” respectively. However, starting this week, those opportunistic compilations have been banished from the Billboard 200.


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Facial-recognition platform Face.com could foil the plans of all those under-age kids looking to score some booze. Fake IDs might not fool anyone for much longer, because Face.com claims its new application programming interface (API) can be used to detect a person’s age by scanning a photo.
With its facial recognition system, Face.com has built two Facebook apps that can scan photos and tag them for you. The company also offers an API for developers to use its facial recognition technology in the apps they build.
Its latest update to the API can scan a photo and supposedly determine a person’s minimum age, maximum age, and estimated age. It might not be spot-on accurate, but it could get close enough to determine your age group.
“Instead of trying to define what makes a person young or old, we provide our algorithms with a ton of data and the system can reverse engineer what makes someone young or old,” Face.com chief executive Gil Hirsch told VentureBeat in an interview. “We use the general structure of a face to determine age. As humans, our features are either heighten or soften depending on the age. Kids have round, soft faces and as we age, we have elongated faces.”
The algorithms also take wrinkles, facial smoothness, and other telling age signs into account to place each scanned face into a general age group. The accuracy, Hirsch told me, is determined by how old a person looks, not necessarily how old they actually are. The API also provides a confidence level on how well it could determine the age, based on image quality and how the person looks in photo, i.e. if they are turned to one side or are making a strange face.
“Adults are much harder to figure out [their age], especially celebrities. On average, humans are much better at detecting ages than machines,” said Hirsch.
The hope is to build the technology into apps that restrict or tailor content based on age. For example the API could be built into a Netflix app, scan a child’s face when they open the app, determine they’re too young to watch The Hangover, and block it. Or — and this is where the tech could get futuristic and creepy — a display with a camera could scan someone’s face when they walk into a store and deliver ads based on their age.
In addition to the age-detection feature, Face.com says it has updated its API with 30 percent better facial recognition accuracy and new recognition algorithms. The updates were announced Thursday and the API is available for any developer to use.
One developer has already used the API to build app called Age Meter, which is available in the Apple App Store. On its iTunes page, the entertainment-purposes-only app shows pictures of Justin Bieber and Barack Obama with approximate ages above their photos.
Other companies in this space include Cognitec, with its FaceVACS software development kit, and Bayometric, which offers FaceIt Face Recognition. Google has also developed facial-recognition technology for Android 4.0 and Apple applied for a facial recognition patent last year.
The technology behind scanning someone’s picture, or even their face, to figure out their age still needs to be developed for complete accuracy. But, the day when bouncers and liquor store cashiers can use an app to scan a fake ID’s holder’s face, determine that they are younger than the legal drinking age, and refuse to sell them wine coolers may not be too far off.
Superbad McLovin’ image via Gary J. Wayne/Columbia Pictures
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Electronic Specifier, one of Europe's premier publishers, has published an article discussing the future of household robots. and they, naturally, talked about Gary too!
You can't talk about household robots without talking about our very own Gary!
The following is an article that appeared in "Design" magazine published by Electronic Specifier. (notice: we do not own the rights to this article, we are just glad to be in it) Enjoy the read: WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE OF HOUSEHOLD ROBOTS?
Gaining traction due to COVID-19, the demand for household robotics has accelerated, with many consumers wanting to save time and effort. Expected to be valued at $21.9bn by 2027, the market is booming. The market is predominantly being driven by huge investments from companies in R&D. Electronic Specifier's Kiera Sowery discusses what's in store for the future of household robots with reference to Gary, an all-in-one service robot from Unlimited Robotics and manufacturing giant, Dyson's plans for the end of the decade.
Household robots, also deemed as domestic robots, are autonomous service robots primarily used to carry out mundane tasks in a home, including cleaning floors and mowing lawns. Alternatively, they can be used for education and entertainment, specifically elderly assistance. Sales are expected to increase by 46% per year, with over 55 million units forecast to be sold in 2022, according to the International Federation of Robotic Report 2019.
Gary, the service robot
Unlimited Robotics is on a mission to provide an alternative for boring, repetitive tasks and to simplify the process of hardware development. The team of software developers, mechanical and electrical engineers, and AI, ML and computer vision experts have built service robot, Gary. Gary is a 140cm tall robot with 'unlimited applications', capable of mapping its environment and communicating, whilst autonomously moving around. Unlimited Robotics has designed Gary so its user can utilize an internal app market, meaning the relevant applications can be installed to get the correct services. Applications include taking out the laundry, hoovering, ironing, and scheduling activities.
Currently, there is a waiting list to secure Gary, with delivery expected during October/November 2022
The future is robotics
With £2m spent weekly on R&D, Dyson has always invested heavily in the future. At the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Philadelphia, Dyson shared a rare glimpse into what it has been working on at Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire - a London laboratory close to the Dyson Robotics Lab at Imperial College. Plans are in place to accelerate the development of an autonomous device capable of household chores, with the work being led by Dyson's Chief Engineer, Jake Dyson, son of Sir James Dyson.
Dyson's aim is to improve people's daily lives by developing robots that can perform household chores and save people time.
A video reveals glimpses of what Dyson is working on, showing the robot in a household setting, with robot arms picking up plates, bottles of laundry detergent and a soft toy, however the commercial devices that this might lead to are not yet demonstrated. New research in manipulation, robot learning, visual perception, and compliant control, demonstrate what might be possible of its household robots. The video also shows the deployment of advanced robots for mapping environments, allowing it to understand the structure of the household as safety and compliance is paramount with this use case.
Everything is top secret! However, this video is Dyson's attempt at generating excitement with the hope to accelerate its recruitment of 700 more engineers over the next five years. Dyson is halfway through its largest engineering recruitment drive, with 1,000 engineers, scientists and coders joining this year. Dyson is supercharging its robotics ambitions, recruiting another 250 experts across computer vision, machine learning, sensors, and mechatronics divisions.
The plan is to create the UK's largest, most advanced robotics center at Hullavington Airfield where it will work on new types of domestic robots, with hopes to bring this latest technology into homes by the end of the decade.
Until now, Dyson's robots have been floor-based vacuum cleaners, with the first designed 20 years ago, the DC06. Now, the Dyson 360 Heurist robot vacuum exists, based on an intelligent 360° SLAM vision system allowing it to position itself in a room. Sensors take distance measurements every 20 milliseconds as it travels.
This new era of household robots is extremely exciting. Several companies are heavily investing in R&D due to the increasing demand for autonomous robots in the daily lives of the urban population. The industry is expected to play a crucial role in the overall smart home ecosystem, accelerated by increasingly connected devices easily controlled and monitored through smartphones and advancements in AI and cognitive learning. Due to this ease of use and technology such as voice recognition, consumer confidence in smart devices is growing.


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Posted on October 25th, 2018
The 2018 Central Highlands Abattoir Feasibility Statement, being released at today’s Meet the Food Innovators Forum, is an important milestone for the region’s cattle producers.
Using published data, the study benchmarks the total capital cost of an abattoir would be just over $100 million and it would cost $23.5 million per annum to operate.
With a total throughput of 100,000 cattle per annum, focussing on the high-volume processing of cattle in the 400kg to 500kg weight range, the abattoir could expect to return an income of over $204 million per annum.
ACIL Allen Consulting was commissioned by the Central Highlands Development Corporation (CHDC) to conduct the research.
A summary can also soon be found at chdc.com.au; a full copy of the comprehensive report is available on request from CHDC.
CHDC Chairman and Central Highlands Mayor Kerry Hayes says the conclusive study is critical to demonstrating a viable business case for the project.
“The processing industry requires unique dynamics to be successful, and we believe that the evidence-based approach taken will attract a successful operator to the Central Highlands,” Cr Hayes says.
“I believe this study is the first genuine evaluation of Central Queensland’s meat processing capacity that measures livestock categories that are most prevalent in our production systems.
“The study combines premium quality grassfed carcass weights with grain finished trade weights, which are the predominant turnoff in our region.”
The report recommended that a custom kill service should be offered to provide local cattle producers with the option of killing and marketing their own beef products, recognising that currently there is a reduced revenue stream from this activity.
Cr Hayes endorses the report’s finding that the Central Highlands is well placed to service the growing and potential demand from the export market for beef products.
“Queensland is clearly the nation’s largest beef processing State but many of its largest plants are located in semi-urban environments and face uncertain futures as population surrounds them,” he explains.
“Potential meat processing operators can access a green field site in close proximity to low cost utilities and the CQ Inland Port at Yamala, in the centre of the most prolific beef producing region in the nation.
“A 2018 State Government report assessed that the Central Highlands is one of three regions most likely to support a viable processing facility.
“This Statement builds on this work, to identify the Central Highlands as an even more compelling investment proposition for developers.”
Beef production contributes 70 percent of the Central Highlands’ agricultural output; an estimated 1.4 million head of cattle reside in the Local Government Area, representing 5.5 percent of the national herd.
Meet the Food Innovators is an event that is exploring alternative high-value markets for local products and strengthen links in the local food chain – for farmers and consumers.
The event was supported by Advance Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Central Highlands Regional Council, and the Local Buying Foundation.
Find the event on social media using #foodinnovators. Follow CHDC on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Please contact Liz Alexander on (07) 4982 4386 or 0429 471 511 for further information.


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J.Lo to Launch a Second Perfume Scent
07/23/2003 AT 01:00 PM EDT
A second scent, Still Jennifer Lopez, is due to start being spritzed this fall and will be aimed at an older, 25-and-up age group, says the paper, noting that the launch could be an iffy prospect given the poor word of mouth greeting Lopez's upcoming movie "Gigli" and the saturation of press coverage of J.Lo and Ben Affleck -- and how the public might be tiring of the couple.
"The easy way to view this is to witness what happened to Martha Stewart," design and brand strategist Kathy Feakins tells The Times, referring to how a celebrity's image can affect product sales.
But the real challenge before Lopez and Lancaster is how to launch Still Jennifer Lopez without damaging the bottom line on Glow with J.Lo, which last year sold $40 million internationally.
"The worst thing in the world would be to unplug Glow to introduce Still," says Lancaster marketing vice president Catherine Walsh.
To sell Still, Lopez will appear in ads -- which will appear in PEOPLE, among other publications, The Times notes -- wearing a sophisticated gown. In those for Glow, she appeared nude behind glass.


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By the calendar, Friday is the next to the last day of April and if by chance you can get to a Car Pro Certified Dealer by Saturday that would be beneficial. Dealers are always eager to put deals together on the last day of the month, especially when it falls on a Saturday.
However, if you cannot, most, if not all of the April incentives go through Monday night. The automakers will tally sales Monday and then make May incentive decisions.
Prediction: The incentives will go down on many vehicles. Inventories are short in supply and they just aren’t needed.
Remember too, used car values are sky high if you have a trade-in, and don’t take my word for that. Read this excerpt from this last week’s newsletter:
“Used car prices are up 30.4 percent over last year as the microchip shortage continues to impact the automotive industry, according to iSeeCars.com’s latest analysis of 1.8 million used car sales in March.”
If you’ve listened to my radio show in the past few weeks, those words should sound familiar.
You can search our dealers’ inventory from the front page of CarProUSA.com.
Photo Credit: hedgehog94/Shutterstock.com.


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The Board of Directors of Paragon Development Systems (PDS, Inc.), a technology solutions and services company, has named Asif Naseem as the company’s new President and CEO.
Aia Software, a leading provider of Customer Communications Management (CCM) solutions, today announced it has for the second year in a row been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the Visionaries quadrant of the Magic Quadrant for Customer Communications Management Software, published November 25, 2014.
Every day customers generate massive amounts of data through POS transactions, social media interactions, mobile devices and more. Much of this data is filled with valuable insights retailers can use to compete in crowded markets and boost the bottom line---but how to go about it? In a November 2014 article on Retailcustomerexperience.com, writer Melissa Amadeo---a specialist in retail marketing and analytics---discusses several strategies retailers can use to find real value in big data. In an…
Somewhere along the way, I admittedly lost sight of TYPO3. It's not that I ever thought TYPO3 wasn't a good content management system but it never seemed like there was ever a lot of exciting things to write about TYPO3. When a CMS has a history that dates all the way back to the late 1990', well it's difficult to shake it off as as anything but a legacy application. So in my slumber I failed to notice that there was a new CMS on the radar, TYPO3 Neos.
For those that would call this campaign a failure, you would be mistaken. On the surface, critics of this campaign may believe "someone is going to get into trouble". Most marketers and social media experts know the opposite is happening. Careers are being made here. And if South Dakota is lucky, lives are being saved the next time a car veers off the state's icy roads.
Magnolia International, the company behind the award winning Magnolia CMS today celebrated a landmark year with numerous industry awards, strategic partnerships and global brands using the Magnolia platform for digital business. Magnolia continues strong license growth in Europe and North America. It has increased its global workforce by 30% and now has over 75 channel partners.
With the explosion of mobile apps, business users are putting more pressure on developers and designers to deliver a large number of mobile applications with stunning and sleek user experiences.
A new UK study from Searchmetrics, the leading global enterprise search experience optimisation platform, highlights four key considerations that digital marketers should focus on to help their websites achieve and maintain high rankings within Google UK searches. The findings emphasize the need for relevant content that comprehensively covers the topics that target audiences are searching for, as well as the importance of a strong technical site architecture, backlinks from other sites and visibility on social media.
Cloud Technology Partners, the leader in transforming businesses through cloud solutions, today closed a $9.1 million Series B financing round led by Oak Investment Partners and the Pritzker Group. The funding will be used to rapidly scale Cloud Technology Partners' sales, marketing and delivery capabilities.
London’s digital economy is failing to be supported with fit-for-task broadband infrastructure, according to an index published today, ranking European capital cities by broadband speeds.
The index was developed to give insight into London’s historical and current broadband speeds and investigate how it compared to other European capital cities. Hyperoptic, the UK’s leading Fibre-to-the-Home provider, compiled the index, sourcing the data from Ookla’s speedtest.net, the global standard in Internet connection testing.
The figures revealed that London’s broadband speeds are failing to support its burgeoning digital economy. Currently the city only ranks 26 out of 33 for its broadband speeds, with an average download broadband speed of 26.3Mbps, more than 10Mbps slower than the European average of 36.8Mbps. The top five European capitals broadband speeds are currently all two times faster than London. Bucharest tops the table – its citizens enjoy an average of 81.2Mbps.


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Property developers, Latitude Properties, in a joint venture with EPCM Holdings, a global oil and gas engineering and product development firm, are set to launch a new 4 500m2 shopping mall in Concordia, Knysna, later this year.
The mall forms part of the Kunjani initiative, a pipeline of township and rural property developments that aims to create a portfolio of schemes that will be interlinked in terms of name, branding, and social interaction.
Phase 1 of the Kunjani Mall Concordia will bring shopping convenience to the underserviced area while Phase 2 will add a further retail component with a strong focus on quality affordable housing and community-centric amenities such as a co-working space, day clinic, action soccer fields, as well as a local ECD centre.
National retailers Shoprite, Ackermans, and Pep, have confirmed tenancy in Phase 1.
“We are extremely excited about our new multi-functional Kunjani concept developments. By creating more equitable developments with more cohesive, inclusive spaces, we are making townships better places for residents. The Kunjani Concordia development in Knysna will play a key role in enhancing the neighbourhood fabric, and importantly contribute to job creation. While it is estimated that at least 200 builders and labourers will be involved in the construction of the development, it will also yield at least 100 permanent jobs on completion”, commented CEO and retail developer Harry Pretorius.
“We have also made allowance to support informal traders and smaller retailers with the space, so our approach is very much a collaborative one that will stimulate the entire area and have a positive social impact.”
Construction of the Kunjani Mall in Concordia has started while 3 more sites have already been secured.


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A digest of important news from sources selected by our local editors. Delivered weekday mornings.
Zappos.com, the online shoe retailer that sold to Amazon.com for $850 million on Wednesday, reportedly wanted to stay independent and go for an IPO, but the venture capitalists who had invested in the company wanted a sale, PrivateEquityHub reports.
The report cites two sources close to the company and says that Mike Moritz of Menlo Park-based Sequoia Capital, which had provided most of the company's $49.1 million in venture funding, had wanted the sale even though Zappos chief executive Tony Hsieh wanted to remain independent.
Zappos was founded in San Francisco but is now headquartered in Nevada.
Email Vasanth Sridharan at email@example.com / (415) 288-4966


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Converged Telecommunications company TelOne is beginning to reap rewards of their digital migration,with significant revenue increase coming from the broad band initiative.
The state Owned company has registered an increase of 20.1% revenue to record $34.4m from$28.2m recorded in the first Quarter of 2018 the sectorâs regulator has said.
For a second consecutive quarter the contribution of data and internet services revenues to total revenue has exceeded the traditional fixed voice service revenue, an indication that TelOneâs business is now more data centric, according the Abridged Sector Performance report – Second Quarter 2018 final
Contribution to revenue by service
As shown above, internet/data revenues exceeded voice service revenues.
For a second consecutive quarter the contribution of data and internet services revenues to total revenue has exceeded voice service revenue, an indication that TelOneâs business is now more data centric.
A comparison with the previous quarter shows that the contribution of data increased by 1.8% whereas the contribution of voice declined by 2.2%. The contribution of fixed monthly charges and collocation declined by 0.8% and 0.2% respectively whereas the revenue contribution of connection charges remained at 0.3%.
The report says that Industry growth will continue to be driven by data and internet services.
“2018 usage traffic for data and internet services is expected to exceed 2017 internet and data traffic by more than 100% , the continued growth in data and internet traffic will continue to be largely stimulated by innovation related to non- traditional business models,” the report said.
Recently TelOne launched their groundbreaking affordable streaming service the Digital Entertainment On Demand(DEOD) that allows customers to watch a wide variety of award winning shows, movies, documentaries and so much more. This innovative move by TelOne will have a positive impact on consumers service uptake since there has been a rampant growth in the use of Internet of Things (IOTs) applications, driven by consumer appetite for digital solutions that are convenient and affordable.


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Their latest addition to the budget flagship devices is OnePlus 3T. Ever since the arrival, the company hadn’t launched two flagships in the same year. But we have witnessed for the rare phenomenon last year with 3T, and it almost made OnePlus 3 owners disappointed.
Guess what? They are not going to stop the OnePlus 3T release just yet.
OnePlus 3T Matte Black Limited Edition is for Sale
As of now, we can only buy OnePlus 3T in two different color variants; soft gold and gunmetal. If you ever wanted the phone in a third color, you are going to get it. Hmm, at least see it!
OnePlus has collaborated with well-known boutique Colette to launch a special edition 3T.
So, what is special about the new edition? Well, the phone is in matte black. And, you get it inside a minimal and beautiful blue box. Colette branding can be found on the package and on the bottom-back of the device as well. The best thing is you get OnePlus Bullet headset worth $20 inside the box.
Why did the quickly sprouted startup join hands with Colette? The boutique biggie is celebrating its 20th anniversary on March 21st.
Maybe, you guessed it! Yeah, the launch event is scheduled on the same date, in an event held at the 213 Rue Saint Honoré, Paris. If you want to buy the phone, you will have to be there at the right time.
Given that the company is releasing 250 phones only and all of them will go on sale in the event, you have absolutely no chance to get your hands on one. Wait, are you visiting Paris on 21st? Then, you must take part in the event. Don’t forget, the sale will happen at 11 AM (GMT+1).
You have to spend EUR 479 (about 514 USD) to buy the limited edition OnePlus 3T. There is no registration or anything that make you eligible for the sale. You can walk in first, pay the price, grab the phone, and come back home with it. First come, first serve.
The specs remain the same. You get the same SnapDragon 821 processor with 6 GB of RAM. The storage is 128 GB. And, the smartphone has proved to give neck-to-neck competition to the phones priced even double.
We know not many will board a flight for this event. But we still are waiting to see how fast the sale ends.


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The entrepreneurs behind video compression platform Eoovi have called upon the government to connect promising Northern start-ups with major players in the tech industry.
Edinburgh-based Paul Gardiner and his business partner Brian Higgins, from Manchester, highlighted the BBC’s streaming lag during the World Cup as an example of a problem they believe their technology could have solved.
Analysts found that viewers watching the tournament online were at times 45 seconds behind the TV transmission due to the difficulty in processing the data quickly. The Eoovi co-founders say their tech can reduce file sizes by 93 per cent.
“We have had this technology for over a year and a half [but] it goes hand-in-hand with being a small start-up company to be overlooked when it comes to innovation,” said CEO Gardiner.
Government-backed initiative Tech North was recently merged with London-focused Tech City UK to create a new national body, Tech Nation, which will focus on all areas of the UK.
However the Eoovi entrepreneurs say the government “pays lip service” to start-ups in the North of England and Scotland and called upon it to create an online resource which start-ups could use to gain Dragons Den-style feedback from major media and tech companies.
“It seems improbable that in 2018 there is still a clear north-south divide,” said COO Higgins. “After meeting with other tech start-ups… it seems geography is still a major problem.
“Unless you are on the doorstep of the major companies then getting them to listen to you is almost impossible.
“The government needs to set up an easy access online ‘pinboard’ that reaches out to the likes of Sky and the BBC as well as tech-style Dragons who are ready, willing and able to support companies like ours.”
Eoovi recently received ‘significant’ funding from tech investors Rick O’Neill, Gary Monaghan and Peter Borner to enable Gardiner and Higgins to ready its platform for launch.
It has also joined Tech Manchester, a not-for-profit scheme pairing digital start-ups with established tech entrepreneurs for mentoring and other support.


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BuzzFeed gets $50M from venture cap firm Andreessen Horowitz
Media company BuzzFeed has been valued at a reported $850 million after a major Silicon Valley venture capital investor pumped $50 million into the company.
Andreesson Horowitz announced Monday it is investing $50 million in the upstart media startup, and Chris Dixon, a partner at the firm, will be joining the company's board.
"We’re presently in the midst of a major technological shift in which, increasingly, news and entertainment are being distributed on social networks and consumed on mobile devices," Dixon said of the transaction in a web posting. "We believe BuzzFeed will emerge from this period as a preeminent media company."
BuzzFeed is just the latest new media company that the venture cap fund has a stake in. Andreessen also owns stakes in Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Pinterest and Foursquare, among others.
Founded in 2006 with a skeleton crew in New York City, BuzzFeed has grown in leaps and bounds by creating hundreds of short, punchy web stories full of lists, GIFs and short videos, which are frequently shared on social media. Currently, the site boasts 150 million viewers per month, and has started pursuing more long-form journalism and has even opened a video production studio in Los Angeles.
The company said in a release it plans to use the funds to expand its editorial and video offerings, as well as expand internationally.
According to the New York Times, which cited people close to the matter, the deal values the whole company at $850 million. Based on how much they've invested, that would mean Andreesson has bought about six per cent of the company.
When asked for comment from CBC News, a spokesman for BuzzFeed declined to offer any more financial specifics.
As a private company, BuzzFeed's finances are not public, but Dixon said Monday the company has been "consistently profitable, and will generate triple digit millions in revenues this year."


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- First Top Fuel dragster kit made by Lego
- Leah Pruett look-alike included in kit
- Plum crazy 1970 Dodge Challenger also included
LET’S be honest here, we car lovers never grow up do we? Our toys just get bigger and way more expensive.
So it should come as no surprise that all of us here in the Street Machine offices were super excited when Lego announced the latest addition to its Speed Champions range is a Mopar Dodge/SRT Top Fuel dragster. ?
It’s the first Top Fuel dragster ever sold by Lego, and the 627 piece kit also includes a 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A in the legendary plum crazy purple.
Also included are two LEGO minifigures, the blonde female Top Fuel driver seemingly serving as a tribute to Leah Pruett, who currently races a Mopar-backed NHRA Top Fuel dragster for Don Schumacher Racing. The dragster is also stickered up in Pruett’s signature ‘Angry Bee’ logos, so hopefully this will serve as an inspiration for a new generation of female racing drivers.
Lego has a long history of releasing kits straight into the arms of car fans, and this isn’t the first time the company has created a drag themed Mopar set either. In 2018, fans were treated to a twin set consisting of a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, and you can still buy the more advanced Lego Technic kit for Dominic Torretto’s Dodge Charger from the Fast and Furious franchise.
We think it’s pretty safe to say this kit will probably be owned by more adults than children, and we can’t blame them!
“In 2021, we are extremely excited to reteam with Dodge and expand the Speed Champions 8W Vehicle Collection even further by including new vehicle types and building experiences, for the first time, that appeal to vehicle fans of all ages,” said Christopher Stamp, Lego’s Design Lead.
The kit was released on June 1 in the USA, and while most local retailers haven’t got stock yet our research at the time of writing estimates an RRP of around AU$80, and like most Speed Champions kits it should be available through all common toy retailers.


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Takes home top prize on Rack up the Cash scratch-off
What a catch! A Glen Burnie fisherman has hooked the top prize of $30,000 on a Rack up the Cash scratch-off after casting a wide net to catch a winner.
A loyal Maryland Lottery player for 40 years, the longtime Marylander enjoys jackpot games, 5 Card Cash and scratch-offs, especially those with a crossword theme. “I’ve won $500 about 15 to 20 times over the years,” he said, but this prize is truly a whopper! “I just couldn’t break the $500 prize threshold.”
Now that his luck has changed, the angler is hoping to land a new job, next. The 58-year-old is currently unemployed after a 19-year career in the automobile industry. On the day good fortune found him, the man entered one of his favorite Lottery retailers and bought a selection of scratch-offs based on tickets that caught his eye. He typically buys a selection of scratch-offs under the $10 ticket price, making the $3 Rack up the Cash ticket priced just right. “I like the extended play scratch-offs the best,” he said, and that scratch-off fit his requirement, too.
When our winner arrived home, he began scratching off his purchases and discovered he’d reeled in a winner with his Rack up the Cash scratch-off. He plans to spend his winnings on bills. To visit his lucky retailer, head to Ocean Wine & Spirits at 7703 Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard in Glen Burnie.


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Expanding despite ‘challenging’ markets
British fashion brand Ted Baker has recorded big jump in first-half profit and revenue today as it announced that it is on track to meet its expectations for the full year.
The premium fashion brand has reported a 12.7 per cent increase in profit before tax to £24.2m in the 28 weeks to 12 August, compared to the same period a year ago.The group revenue increased to £295.7m, up 14% on a reported basis or 9.5% in constant currency, the report states.
UK retailers have taken a hit by weak consumer spending as a weaker pound drives up inflation. Despite such ‘challenging’ conditions in the home market, the fashion brand continues to grow in the UK, Asia and Europe.
Talking about their growth strategy, Ray Kelvin, Ted Baker founder and chief executive, said: “The Ted Baker brand has continued to perform well and in line with our expectations across all distribution channels. This good performance reflects the strength and appeal of the Ted Baker brand our business model and the passion, creativity and innovation of our global teams.”
“Whilst trading conditions in some of our markets remain challenging, we are confident of making further progress for the full year, in line with our expectations,” Kelvin added.
Media reports suggest that Ted Baker has been expanding internationally with its recent licensee openings in Australia, Dubai, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The group also plans to open new stores in Oxford and London Luton Airport, along with Germany and Spain, later this year.
The fashion brand has also recorded a 14 per cent increase in interim sales as it continues to expand internationally.


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Washington D.C., Aug 19, 2016 / 14:57 pm
Amid continuing dispute over its transgender bathroom policy, the retail giant Target has denied that the controversy is linked to its decline in sales and says it will not change the policy.
Instead, it will spend $20 million for single-toilet bathrooms at 300 more stores. These bathrooms are not for individuals whose biological sex and gender identity differ, but instead are for people who are uncomfortable with the thought of using a restroom with a transgender individual.
The store chain in April announced that staff members and customers who identify as transgender may use the restroom or fitting room that corresponds with their self-identified gender, not their biological sex.
Critics voiced concern that the policy would allow men to use the women's bathroom and could pose a risk to women and children. The American Family Association launched a boycott that gathered 1.4 million signatures online.


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When the Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit NYC hits the Big Apple on June 29-30, more 700 of the world’s leading controlled-environment growers, food retailers, CEA and AgTech investors, seed companies and technology providers will converge for two days of high-intensity networking, presentations, panels and one-on-ones.
As part of the fun for 2023, a roster of innovative international startups from around the world will be in the spotlight as they showcase future-focused CEA technologies in live, on-stage pitches.
Startup Showcase featured innovators:
Adaviv (USA) – AI-powered “Lean Cultivation” system that delivers detailed predictive crop insights and risk assessments that enable rapid response to plant health issues.
Avisomo (Norway) – Unique vertical farming “Avisomo Growth Station” system, a simple cost-efficient, scalable, and fully automatable trolley-based solution.
Ceragen (Canada) – Probiotics for plants to help growers increase crop yields in hydroponic fruit and vegetable production.
Crop Convergence (USA) – Flexible and customizable digital twin technology enables increased yields and profits through optimized genetics, environment and management.
GyroPlant (UK) – Patented reusable growing superstructure utilizing gel-based media, which produces up to 95% fewer carbon emissions, cleaner farms and enhanced growing conditions.
Imio (USA) – Next-gen agricultural inoculants that turn plant “waste” into valued replacements for harmful chemicals.
Kasveista (Italy) – Seeds sold with an open-source license which protects farmers’ access to germplasm and encourages protection of traditional varieties and agrobiodiversity.
Microclimates (USA) – Software company providing integrated controls for environmental automation.
Origeen (Mexico) – Scalable, Lego-like “VPOT” system, adaptable to diverse spaces and purposes, that helps reduce pollution and wastewater.
Terra Vera (USA) – Amino acid-based crop protection and nutrient products that improve yields, safety and sustainability through on-site, on-demand oxidants that replace chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
Zayndu (UK) – “Activated air” seed processing system that delivers improved seed health and increases productivity yields.
Find the full agenda and register for in-person or virtual attendance at www.indooragtechnyc.com.


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Over the past week or two, Kanye West’s statements on social media has gotten the internet buzzing repeatedly. No one knows whats really up with him and his recent somewhat over-the-top statements online. If you ask us, we’ll say it’s probably just self-generated hype ahead of the release of his new album, “The Life of Pablo”. The question here is, could Kanye West be $53 million in debt? how the hell is Kanye West that deep in debt? Well the answer is that he isn’t! $53 Million Yes, but that’s about the amount he’s been spending to push his personal ambitions!
According to TMZ, the number $53 million reflects how much he invested in his own projects related to fashion and music. For example, they’re told he’s spent about $40 million alone into 3 seasons worth of his Adidas Yeezy fashion! Though Yeezy shoes are quite the vogue now, earlier on Kanye did not get a dime from Nike when he created the first generation yeezy sneakers. He funded the design right out of his own pocket.
Additionally, among other projects, he also spent several hundreds of thousands of dollars to build sets for his last tour, and to make his 2012 short film, “Cruel Summer.” The good we can see out of this for Kanye is that he’ll most likely make back most of his investment because he earns quite a lot annually. He made $22 million in 2015 and $30 million in 2014, according to Forbes.
Sorry folks, but the truth is this man isn’t going under anytime soon!


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The next version of Microsoft's operating system, Windows 8, will include an app store so that software can be downloaded directly from the online store to the computer.
Microsoft follows Apple's lead by doing this; Apple started its Mac App Store last January, and has showcased it as being the main way to buy its new operating system, OS X Lion.
While word has been that the app store direction was where Microsoft was headed, a recent posting on the company's own blog confirmed it, with an ever-so-slight, but significant, inclusion of it in a long list of working Windows 8 groups. (Msnbc.com is a Microsoft-NBC Universal joint venture.)
As one of our colleagues noted last spring, another website "beat Microsoft to the punch with its own Windows app store, Allmyapps.com," which "announced that it has attracted 100,000 users in just three months."
There's no set release date for Windows 8 yet, but that will give Microsoft time to square away the name for its app store. While the blog lists it as App Store, capital "a," capital "s," it's treading on a sore spot with Apple, which has applied to trademark "App Store."
Microsoft has filed a legal challenge with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, saying "the combined term 'app store' is commonly used in the trade, by the general press, by consumers, by Apple’s competitors and even by Apple’s founder and CEO Steve Jobs, as the generic name for online stores featuring apps."
The Redmond company calls its Windows Phone app store the Windows Marketplace, which sounds more like a place to buy fish and fruit. But if it doesn't stick with "app store," there could be another name available with the demise of HP/Palm's webOS: "App Catalog."
— Via Tech Crunch
- Apple, Microsoft upgrades risk tablet overdose
- Microsoft gives first look at touch-friendly Windows 8
- Sneak peek: Is this Microsoft's Windows 8 App Store?
- Apple sues Amazon.com over App Store trademark
- Microsoft fights Apple's 'App Store' trademark request


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T-Mobile USA in talks to buy MetroPCS
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The parent of cellphone company T-Mobile USA today said it's in talks to buy smaller MetroPCS Communications Inc., a deal that could shore up two struggling smaller players in the U.S. wireless industry.
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Facebook Developers blog announced that “they are now giving us a feature of more accurate people-based targeting for more exact right way of business or marketing”.
Mark Edwards from Facebook announced :
Today, we’re announcing that we’re going further. At Facebook, we are in the business of growing your business, and publishers have told us they want better ways to manage their advertising operations, optimize their advertising to generate the most revenue, and provide people with ads that don’t detract from the overall experiences with their apps.
To meet these needs, LiveRail—our technology platform for powering publishers’ video businesses— will now support display ads in mobile apps. LiveRail will also be able to tap into Facebook’s anonymized people-based demographic information to help publishers more accurately target and serve their impressions.
LiveRail will power native ad formats as well as standard display placements like interstitials and banners. The Audience Network, with its high performing native ad format and access to 2 million Facebook advertisers, is tightly integrated into this platform.


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No more is it enough to think that securing your iPhone with a simple 4 digit PIN is adequate.
Apple beat out domestic and foreign competitors to become the top phone vendor in China in the final quarter of 2014 - the first time it's led the Chinese market, according to Canalys, a company that tracks global smartphone sales.
Not everyone may like the big screen size of the iPhone 6 Plus, but users in China are flocking to the device, suggests new data.
2014 was a good year for Chinese smartphone brands, with vendors from the country catching up on Apple and stealing share from market leader Samsung Electronics.
Screen after screen, folder after folder, app after app, the iPhone has become the new enabler for the mobile hoarder. For the New Year, though, many iPhone addicts have vowed to break or at least temper this fixation. If you’re looking for a fresh s...
HTC continues to flex its photographic muscles with the Australian release of Re, a camera in the vein of a GoPro designed for the everyman. Re will go on sale today with a recommended retail price of $249.
Few have probably heard about Digione, but one of the Chinese company's latest products looks quite similar to the iPhone 6, and could potentially spark a patent dispute with Apple.
A day after China's Xiaomi said it wanted to become the world's number one smartphone vendor, an Apple executive weighed in and told the Chinese company to hold its horses.
Millions of Chinese will now be able to buy from Apple's App Store through the country's major domestic banking card provider, in a deal that could help the company squeeze even more revenue from one of its biggest markets.
Hours after Apple answered years of complaints by users and issued a tool to correct a bug in its routing of text messages, a federal judge in California ruled a lawsuit against the company over the issue can go ahead.
Security researchers have discovered a vulnerability in iPhones and iPads that allows attackers to install fake apps that take the place of legitimate ones.
Enterprise smartphone users were almost six times as likely to get an iPhone 6 as the larger Plus model, according to data from enterprise mobility vendor Good Technology.
Apple is at last offering a simple way for former iPhone users to receive text messages sent into limbo by the company's iMessage service.
There's a scary new piece of malware that collects call logs, phone-book contacts and other sensitive information from Apple iPhones and iPads. Should you be worried?
Several major national and international banks are planning to launch their own mobile payments apps next year.
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NEW YORK (AP) The uniform Don Larsen was wearing when he pitched the only perfect game in World Series history has sold for $756,000.
The former New York Yankees' right-hander achieved perfection in Game 5 of the 1956 Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The pinstriped uniform with No. 18 on the back received 22 bids in an online auction on Steinersports.com. The winning bidder was Pete Siegel, CEO of GottaHaveIt.com. His company has been building a collection of Yankees memorabilia that it plans to put on display.
The price includes a 20 percent buyer's fee above the final bid of $630,000.
Larsen said he was auctioning off the uniform to pay for his grandchildren's education.
Steiner Sports had predicted the uniform could sell for as much as $2 million.


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Attention all car lovers — Cardi B just splurged on the most luxurious model EVER. The ‘Love & Hip Hop’ star dropped a staggering $240K on a brand new, bright orange Bentley Bentayga.
Cardi B loves the finer things in life. Expensive lingerie, handsome rappers, and luxurious cars. Who can blame her? The 24-year old Love & Hip Hop New York reality star dropped a whole sh*t ton on a brand new car on Aug. 16 — a Bentley Bentayga to be exact. The lavish ride fits her personality to a tee — bright, flashy, and occasionally a little too in your face. Did we mention it’s an orange car? Now that’s a color you don’t see on the road everyday. “Ehhhh motherf*ckers look at my new car,” gushed Cardi on Instagram, shaking her booty on the front hood and waving her long hair extensions in the wind. “I got a new car! I got a new car!” We get it Cardi. You make more money than we do.
With a brand new Bentley, the brunette beauty is now racing with the big girls like Nicki Minaj and Blac Chyna. Sports cars aren’t just for guys anymore, these gals are killing it in the automobile arena. The “Anaconda” raptress owns a Barbie pink Lamborghini Aventador with a custom paint job and seriously sick rims, but don’t expect her to call up Cardi for a joy ride anytime soon. These women are still feuding like crazy and tensions are only rising now that Meek Mill is involved.
Cardi and the hip-hop star are hanging out a lot these days, leaving fans to wonder if she’s using Meek to get revenge on Nicki. The rumored couple have taken many pictures together over recent weeks looking friendly than ever. Meek even captioned one of his posts with lyrics to Cardi’s song “Bodak Yellow.” We’re not sure if these two are walking down a romantic path just yet, but Nicki won’t like it either way.
HollywoodLifers, what are your thoughts on Cardi’s new Bentley? Are you mega jealous?