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ACE recently launched a revitalized ethanol.org to serve as a must-stop online resource for all things related to ethanol. Our refreshed website aims to enlighten and engage visitors about the benefits of ethanol and its role in being part of the climate solution.
A critical piece of this launch involved reviving the online footprint of Ethanol Today magazine by integrating it directly into ethanol.org (ethanol.org/ethanol-today) and paving the way for new digital advertising opportunities for the many companies who provide a much-needed product or service to the ethanol industry. In fact, ACE is currently offering extremely attractive print and digital advertising rates for all six issues of Ethanol Today in 2024.
I’m confident readers of Ethanol Today will like these improvements because you can still access the full print publication and archives online, now with the added ability of accessing individual articles like a standard online news source.
A makeover was long overdue, and I want to thank Katie Muckenhirn for successfully leading the monumental effort to ensure our new website not only offers a fresh and modern design, but also makes it easier for visitors to access valuable information and resources highlighting the numerous benefits of ethanol as a clean and renewable fuel option.
Key features of the website include:
- News and Updates: Stay informed about the latest developments in the ethanol industry, including policy updates and market trends.
- A fully integrated digital edition of Ethanol Today magazine, adding a wealth of industry information and resources for visitors all in one place, not to mention new online advertising opportunities!
- Educational Resources: Information about ethanol's environmental benefits, contribution to the economy and role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including access to ACE’s coveted carbon intensity calculators.
- Advocacy Tools: Take action to get involved and support the ethanol industry's growth by engaging with advocacy resources or attending an ACE event.
- Member Focus: Learn about the work ACE is doing to increase ethanol demand and the benefits associated with supporting these efforts
I encourage you to bookmark the new website and visit it frequently. It debunks myths and provides accurate and up-to-date information to promote the use of ethanol and the positive impact it has on the economy and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to new digital advertising opportunities in Ethanol Today magazine, this issue and all upcoming issues will feature a new and revived look to the print edition of the magazine. The new look is meant to reflect the bright, clean look of our new website.


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Krispy Kreme wanted to generate of awareness of their newest partnership with iconic American candy brand, Hershey's and the launch of the new Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme doughnut.
Through social listening, we discovered a fascinating insight; people struggled to pronounce and spell the Kreme in Krispy Kreme. Thousands of people on social were debating the correct pronunciation, "was it krem or cream?" and with the launch of the new Cookies 'n' Creme doughnut, we saw a golden opportunity to create one the most audaidous April Fools stunts ever attempted.
Using the insight from our social listening as a foundation, we began to fuel the debate around the correct way to pronounce the Kreme, and we took to social media and the streets of London to get people talking about it.
With a national debate reignited, and two days before April 1st, we made our move through a branded video featuring our fictitious Krispy Kreme representative (Micheal 'O.G' Davis) who informed the nation (that due to the confusion over the name) we were rebranding from Kreme to Cream. We knew a video wouldn't be enough, so to add further weight to the campaign we rebranded a Krispy Kreme store in South West London with the new logo across signs, boxes and uniforms.
On the 1st of April, we revealed the hoax while announcing the launch of the Hershey's partnership with the new doughnut, helping people go from duped to delight in a second.
Our name change announcement generated 48 pieces of coverage, with a reach of 12 million readers, coverage included features from Buzzfeed, Telegraph.co.uk, The Huffington Post, MSN, OK! Magazine and Capital FM
Campaign videos, images and social posts reached over 2 million people, with the majority based in the UK
The annoucement content was viewed over 620k times across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and we received a massive 9k comments across all our channels

domain: news


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Want to get a celebrity autograph, eat chocolate and support autism awareness? Now you can with the Lindt Chocolate Bunny celebrity auction, scheduled for March 8-18.
Chocolate, celebrities and autism awareness: Could there be any better combination? We don’t think so. Luckily, Swiss chocolatier Lindt answered our prayers with their Lindt Gold Bunny auction to raise money for Autism Speaks.
“This spring, Lindt Gold Bunny is celebrating its 60th birthday, and to make it a birthday to remember, Lindt is kicking off Easter one month early with a celebrity auction benefiting Autism Speaks,” the chocolate makers said in a statement. The auction, scheduled for March 8-18, is held in conjunction with National Autism Awareness Month.
“100 percent of the proceeds from the auction will benefit Autism Speaks,” a Lindt rep said.
Lindt isn’t the only one teaming up with Autism Speaks to raise funds for this important cause. SheKnows, along with singer Toni Braxton and couture designer Michael Costello, has launched the “Where’s the Other Sock?” campaign to benefit autism awareness.
“With each advancement in technology comes a new challenge, and the invention of the washing machine was no different. Hundreds of thousands of socks have since gone missing, leaving laundry-doers everywhere baffled — and socks companionless.
SheKnows now holds the answer to the age-old mystery of “Where’s the other sock?!” with its latest campaign: “SheKnows Where the Other Sock Went.”
The other socks went toward making the gorgeous sock dress, designed by Costello and unveiled during New York Fashion Week in February. The dress will be auctioned off in May at a lavish ceremony in Los Angeles.
Braxton knows a think or two about the importance of autism research: Her son, Diezel, is autistic.
“Early diagnosis makes a lifetime of difference,” Braxton said of her son’s treatment. “We have him in occupational therapy, speech therapy, he’s being mainstreamed [and] he’s in public school, general ed. He does have his special ed therapies, but we are very, very lucky.”
Charities like Autism Speaks provide the much-needed funds for research, thanks to fundraisers like the Lindt celebrity auction and SheKnows’ “Where’s The Other Sock?” campaign.


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In an age where concerns about Accutane are widespread, some students are beginning to turn to a series of facials, a potentially safer alternative to treat acne.
Nicole Diamond, a local beautician, said that a six-week treatment plan of facials and related products is safe and extremely effective.
“Far more people are prescribed Accutane than actually need it,” Diamond said. “Accutane is an extreme, and it has become a common solution.” It is worth mentioning that this remedy has been linked to numerous Accutane side effects since its inception on the market, ranging from light to life-threatening.
Diamond’s plan includes glycolic-based facials and the popular M.D. Formulations skin products. Her plan is particularly geared towards acne-prone individuals, but she also has facials for wrinkled and sun-damaged skin.
And Diamond’s method has always given results.
I have seen significant improvement of breakouts every time,” says Diamond
“I have seen significant improvement of breakouts every time,” says Diamond. Some of Diamond’s satisfied customers include Vanderbilt students, who prefer her treatments to Accutane and other therapies.
“My skin has totally turned around since I did the treatment plan. I don’t wear makeup in the day anymore!” says senior Amy Elhoff.
Diamond offers other beauty services to her clients, particularly waxing.
“Nicole does the best waxing job of anyone I have ever met,” says senior Mollie Mulloy.
Diamond considers her profession more than just a job–to her it is a form of art.
“I see the face as a canvas. I like helping people look and feel the best they can,” says Diamond.
Customers of the Look Salon where Diamond performs facials and waxes are satisfied with both service and atmosphere.
“Nicole is not just great at what she does, she’s a great person,” says Elhoff.
The local beautician has given facials and waxes to celebrities from Nashville to Los Angeles (Diamond recently moved from California). She also sells the popular Bare Escentuals all-natural cosmetics and treatments that are guaranteed not to clog pores.
In addition to her salon services, Diamond models and sings, giving her an inside perspective on beauty services in the entertainment industry.


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Tim McLoughlin, author of Heart of the Old Country as well as co-creator of Akashic’s Noir Series, penned an article on Brooklyn’s Danish Athletic Club for the New York Times.
February 2014 News & Features
Akashic interviews Ron Hogan, who recently partnered with the Beacon Reader to create A More Diverse Book Review, dedicated to reviewing books that may not get the mainstream coverage they deserve.
David Unger, author of The Price of Escape, was recently interviewed by Nathalie Handal at Words Without Borders about his experience of Guatemala City.
What new, completely made-up holiday you can imagine? (Holiday must be less meaningless than Valentine’s Day.) Share with us in the comments!
This is axiomatic. This is easy. The hard part comes when you have to say, hello I am an. My name is and I am an. I am alcohol. I am an alcohol named and I am an. Well, we are not Saints . . .
Akashic remembers Maggie Estep, who passed away on February 12, 2014.
Ziggy Marley, whose debut children’s book, I Love You Too, will be released by Akashic on April 15th, recently spoke to Megan Buerger at the Wall Street Journal‘s Speakeasy blog about the book, his new album, Fly Rasta, and more.
Check out the new book trailer for Changers Book One: Drew by T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper!


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The worlds thirst for API Group III base stocks should continue to grow in coming years, as requirements for light-duty automobiles keep increasing and heavy-duty vehicles become a new source of demand, an official with SK Lubricants said recently.
Emissions regulations and the push for improved fuel economy are key factors in Group III demand for both light- and heavy-duty vehicles, Nick Clague, global technical manager at SK, said during the ICIS World Base Oils & Lubricants Conference in London last month. Governments around the world are striving to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles, and the main way of doing this has been to reduce fuel consumption.
Get alerts when new Sustainability Blog articles are available.
Automakers have made a wide variety of design changes to help improve fuel economy, but the main adjustment for lubricants has been to shift to lower viscosities in order to reduce friction. Thus the migration from 10W-30 and 10W-40 passenger car motor oils to 5W-30, 5W-20 and 5W-40 grades and now to 0W-30 and lighter. Lighter motor oils have required lighter base stocks, but since lighter oils tend to have more light, volatile hydrocarbons, formulators have simultaneously needed tighten down on volatility limits – something accomplished through the use of more highly refined base stocks, specifically Group III and polyalphaolefins.
Those emissions standards were first adopted in countries with developed economies – in Western and Central Europe, Japan and North America – which meant the corresponding lubrication requirements were largely limited to those markets. However, Clague noted, those standards are spreading to other parts of the world, and automakers are increasingly adopting global engine platforms. That means the Group III demand that exists in Europe and North America is or will be spreading to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America.
Everybodys moving to lower viscosity, everybodys moving to higher durability, everybodys moving to longer oil drains, said Clague. Were seeing a bigger emergence of more synthetic lubricants. And the specifications are going global as well now. Were seeing ACEA [European Automobile Manufacturers Association] oils available on a global basis.
Clague said Group III demand will also rise because of a number of social factors. An increased global population – up to 10 billion by 2050 with an increase in middle class population – will lead to an increased use of cars and online shopping, meaning increased demand for light-duty and heavy-duty engine oils and increased demand for high quality lubricants.
Heavy-duty engine oils will not become a growth vehicle for Group III because governments are now bringing the same fuel economy focus to that segment of the auto industry. As with passenger car motor oils, heavy-duty oils will shift to lighter grades, Clague said. Whereas 15W multigrades have dominated until now, European OEMs are changing to 10W-30 and 5W-30 for factory fill, with 0W-20 looking like a popular choice down the road. These oils are Group III formulations, he said.
The European aftermarket is moving from 15W-40 ACEA E7 standard lubes, which dont require Group III base oils, to 10W-40 and 5W-30 oils meeting the ACEA E6 and E4 specifications, which can use all or mostly Group III base stock.
In the future, its likely to be lower viscosity grades based on [high temperature high shear], said Clague. Future ACEA sequences may drive HTHS down to 2.6 or even 2.3cP, he explained.
Group III+ base oils may be needed to meet future specification needs, and high viscosity index Group III demand is growing, Clague said. Polyalphaolefins can be used to blend high-performance synthetic lubricants, especially passenger car motor oils and heavy duty motor oils.


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E Ink phone can last on two charges a month
Tired of your phone running out of juice? Chinese company Onyx has just unveiled its e-reader/smartphone that can offer up to 2 weeks of endurance on a charge, thanks to its E Ink display. Called the MIDIA InkPhone, the 4.3-inch device will be available via Amazon.com in April for approximately $195.
Don't expect speedy performance from the InkPhone, though. According to Engadget, the smartphone sports a relatively low-end Rockchip CPU with a small amount of RAM and 4GB of storage.
You won't find a camera onboard, but the phone offers a microSD slot for up to 32GB of extra storage.
MORE: 10 Smartphones with the Longest Battery Life
The Android-powered Inkphone also carries a 1,800-mAh battery, which is small compared to the likes of today's smartphones such as the Galaxy S5 (2,800 mAh) and the HTC One (2,600 mAh), but it also requires less energy to run.
The less competitive specs also means the phone's makers can price the InkPhone at a more affordable range for the low-end market.
You can use an onboard reader app (with access to a proprietary e-bookstore) to browse your favorite books, but you won't be able to download apps via Google Play or Amazon's Marketplace without side loading the app stores first. Even then, the device's display may not be capable of handling third-party apps thanks to its low refresh rate.
With its basic call functions and the added benefit of being an e-reader though, the InkPhone may just be the perfect gadget to be stuck on a deserted island with.


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IVE’s Jang Won-young was mentioned in the ranking of “Stars’ Another-Level Items” on TMI NEWS SHOW.
Mnet’s “TMI NEWS SHOW”, which aired on June 22nd, revealed the list called “It looks nice on you! BEST 11 ‘another level’ items worn by stars”. Rapper Han-hae and stylist Seo Soo-kyung appeared as TMI guest reporters.
Jang Won-young ranked 10th place in the chart. She once made headlines with the accessories she wore at an award ceremony in 2021.
MC Lee Mi-joo then introduced the prices of items worn by Jang Won-young. Everyone was surprised when she said, “This item is known to be a fine jewelry product from the Italian luxury brand B”, adding, “These earrings cost about 38 million won”.
Accordingly, Jang Won-young also wore a 58 million won bracelet and a pair of rings that cost 44 million won. Mi-joo said, “The highlight necklace costs 130 million won. The layered necklace alone is already 14 million won.”
The total price of accessories worn by Jang Won-young at that awards ceremony was 284 million won.
After looking at the ranking, Seo Soo-kyung commented, “It normally takes an idol at least three years to become famous. Luxury goods sponsorship is provided to idols only when they establish a certain level of public recognition and their influence is highly evaluated. BLACKPINK was a fast case. Jang Won-young was also really fast”, adding, “Being picked by fashion designers who are famous for being picky is a really meaningful thing”.


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One of the best regarded games of all time, Ms. Pac-Man made the move to Xbox Live Arcade as a way to introduce itself to a new generation of puzzle game players.
Latest News for Ms. Pac-Man
Namco Bandai expects to air 26 episodes of their Pac-Man TV series in 2012.July 09, 2010 10 8
Get two free games with your Xbox 360 Elite or a wireless controller and four XBLA games.September 29, 2009 25 25
The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!July 10, 2008 8 50
Gobble enough pellets and win 100,000 Microsoft Points.April 17, 2007 14 27


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Just Cause: Mobile - officially on your Android and iOS devices
Square Enix has officially unveiled the release of its new project, which is completely aimed at mobile platforms. Just Cause: Mobile - a multiplayer action movie with the universe of the same name will now appear on Android and iOS devices. In addition to the release itself, it became known that a completely different team participated in the development of Just Cause: Mobile, and not Avalanche Studios.
The developers promise you will be delighted with the dynamic story scenes and can play with friends in a joint company of up to 4 people. The game also provides multiplayer for up to 30 people, in total at the time of the release of Just Cause: Mobile, 4 game modes will be available. The developers have provided an opportunity to contemplate the gameplay in a demo video and, judging by the video, users will find a very rich plot with "cinematic moments". Just Cause: Mobile promises you high-quality graphics thanks to the latest Unreal Engine 4, comfortable touch controls, the ability to use alternative means of transportation: a parachute, a grappling hook, and so on, as well as voice chat and technology for navigating game locations.
Just Cause: Mobile is no exception, and like most multiplayer games, it will have its own in-game store, but so far the developers have not given any details about this. Square Enix has been able to bring everything fans loved so much in previous Just Cause series into a mobile app and hopes that millions of users will really enjoy the project. In addition, the developers were pleased with new information about the release of the new series of the full-fledged game Just Cause, but already in 2021.


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Microsoft reported its earnings on Thursday afternoon, posting a strong beat on both the top and bottom lines that sent its stock edging upwards.
Notably, Microsoft reported adjusted earnings per share of $US0.98 — a huge 38% margin over the $US0.71 that Wall Street was expecting.
Microsoft tells us the reason for that big difference comes from an unexpected source: With Microsoft’s smartphone business in the process of winding down, the company can claim tax write-offs that it couldn’t before. Under those circumstances, Microsoft is taking a $US1.8 billion tax gain that it hadn’t before. That, in turn, accounts for a full $US0.23 of its EPS as reported.
In the last quarter, Microsoft says its phone revenue was “immaterial,” with a decline of $US361 million from the same period in 2016. Last year, Microsoft laid off 1,850 people or more in its smartphone business as it looked to reconsider its place in the smartphone market.
Best estimates peg the market share of all of the various different Windows phone operating systems combined at under 1 per cent, too, meaning there’s not much chance for a turnaround. Still, rumours continue to swirl that Microsoft is working on a so-called “Surface Phone” that could lead to a resurgence.
Get the latest Microsoft stock price here.


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CREWE traders are calling on Cheshire East to scrap parking charges following recommendations in a Government-commissioned report to boost ailing town centres.
The report by retail guru Mary Portas warns high streets could ‘disappear forever’ unless urgent action is taken.
One of the key recommendations is free parking in town centres to lure shoppers back to high street shops.
Andrew Carter, who runs Carter’s Jewellers on Queensway, said: “That’s what I’ve been after for two years.
“Cheshire East needs to introduce free parking in Crewe and advertise it on the billboards as you come into town and in the Chronicle as well.”
The review, from the retail expert best known for her TV series Mary Queen of Shops, was commissioned by David Cameron.
Other recommendations include encouraging large retailers to show their support for the town centres, introducing “town teams” to strengthen the management of high streets and encouraging new markets.
Cheshire East has recently moved Crewe Market back into the town centre for a trial period in a bid to boost trade.
South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Dunning welcomed Mary Portas’ report.
“It highlighted a lot of the issues being faced in Crewe town centre and action is being taken to address these matters through the All Change for Crewe Partnership,” said Mr Dunning.
“However, the chamber has always been aware through the retailers of the damaging effect of high car parking charges in the town centre and this is an issue we’ll continue to press the council on.”
Cheshire East Council has come under fire from traders, residents and its own Crewe councillors for the way it has “penalised” the town with car parking charges.
When the council first took over from the former Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council in 2009 it promised to ‘harmonise’ charges across the borough.
At the time people in Crewe and Nantwich paid the highest rate of 70p for the first hour whereas people in the former Congleton borough – which included Sandbach, Middlewich, Holmes, Chapel, Alsager and Congleton – paid nothing.
Nearly three years on and the result of the ‘harmonisation’ is the people of Crewe still pay the highest at 70p for the first hour, the people of Nantwich pay 60p for the first hour and the people of Congleton pay 30p.
Sandbach, Alsager, Holmes Chapel and Middlewich are still free.
Cheshire East further strained relations between itself and Crewe traders and residents by reducing the rate to 60p only to increase it again by 10p about three months later.


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The Associated Supermarket on Tillary Street in Downtown shuttered its doors last week — but only temporarily.
On Tuesday, workers ripped out the moldy guts of the store, located within Concord Village at the corner of Jay Street, in anticipation of a new grocer.
Residents will certainly be pleased to hear it; the Associated was not always well liked, but at least it was there. In fact, it was the only supermarket serving the 1,023-unit, five-building complex nestled between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.
“I never go by there — it’s very dirty,” said a resident. “I would go only in an emergency.”
During reconstruction, the Concord Village Board of Directors has arranged for volunteers to buy and deliver groceries to senior and homebound residents.
They might also want to organize a posse. Each Associated is independently owned, and a spokesman at the corporate headquarters said they are still trying to track down the owner.
“We haven’t had an indication from him as to what happened,” said Executive Vice President, Patrick Shiels.
The owner may owe money for unsold products, Shiels said, but he would not elaborate, citing company policy. Community Board 2 District Manager Rob Perris had another theory.
“I think that this is a situation where Concord Village was not pleased with the operator and what brands and selection that operator stocked,” he said.


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Following the Port of Istanbul's privatisation, Doğuş Group acquired the right to manage and develop Galataport in 2014 for a 30-year concession. At that time cruise activity was flourishing and, among 55 cruise lines sailing in the Mediterranean basin, 43 with nearly 1.5m passengers were visiting Turkey’s marquee destination.
‘From mid-2016, the geopolitical challenges of our region negatively hit Istanbul and all the other leading Turkish cruise ports,’ Erdem Tavas, CEO Galataport Istanbul, told Seatrade Cruise News during an exclusive interview in Miami.
Cruise business rebounds
Now Istanbul is rebounding, he continued, and is featured on several cruise line itineraries in 2019 or 2020 onward.
‘We are extremely happy to have received more than 50 bookings for 2020 from lines such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Ponant, Silversea and Fred. Olsen, to name a few,’ confirmed Figen Ayan, VP cruise operation - Galataport Istanbul.
To coincide with the big return of traffic to the Bosphorus, Galataport is set to open its new cruise terminal in March 2020, located on a 1.2km long pier in a prime spot neighboring the old city and an extension of the historical peninsula.
When the Galataport Istanbul Cruise Port is completed, it will be able to accommodate three ships at the same time and host an average of 15,000 cruise passengers per day. The annual visitor expectation is around 2.5m, Ayan noted.
Underground cruise terminal a 'first'
The new terminal is being constructed under the ground, a ‘first,’ Tavas said.
According to the plans, the customs and security areas are separated from the rest of the surroundings via 3mtr-high hatches which will emerge from the ground ahead of a ship visit, enabling cruise operations to be carried out behind this wall. All passenger and luggage movements will take place in the underground terminal covering more than 20,000sq mtrs.
Along the entire berth almost 200 hatches will separate the customs and security areas from the rest of the property. The hatches will open to match the length of the ship. Should there be multiple ships in Galataport, the number of hatches will open accordingly and the view will not be disrupted.
New city experience
Tavas explained, ‘The new facility has been designed with homeporting in mind but when we look at global trends we see that experience has become the rising star of many sectors, not just tourism but for retail, gastronomy and the culture and arts sectors and our vision at Galataport is not limited to increasing cruise traffic.
‘Besides being a homeport, Galataport will also become a tourist attraction, a new destination within a destination with multiple offerings not just for tourists arriving by sea but for everyone in the city,’ the CEO said.
Tavas and Ayan were on a mission at last month’s Seatrade Cruise Global to showcase the new Galataport project. This included an interactive wall on their stand to better explain the revolutionary underground port operation when meeting with the cruise lines. ‘We had very positive feedback that we were on the right track,’ Ayan and Tavas concluded.
A more detailed feature on Galataport Istanbul will appear in June’s Seatrade Cruise Review.


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By Karen Brettell
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. dollar dipped on Monday after retail sales data for September missed economists’ expectations, and as benchmark U.S. Treasury yields consolidated after last week hitting their highest level in seven years.
U.S. retail sales barely rose in September as a rebound in motor vehicle purchases was offset by the biggest drop in spending at restaurants and bars in nearly two years.
Retail sales edged up only 0.1 percent in the month. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast an increase of 0.6 percent.
“We had softer than expected retail sales, that was another leg of dollar selling,” said Win Thin, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York.


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Share the Dignity is a campaign that LMI Group has become involved with over the last few years. Share the Dignity is a charitable organisation that collects new and used handbags, and feminine hygiene products. Giving them to women and girls experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and period poverty.
Susan Rodriguez-Manning, Director of People and Culture, has championed the drive. Last year, LMI Group donated nearly 30 full handbags. Due to the logistics of working from home, we were not be able to do a drive like we did last year. Despite this, LMI Group still managed to donate 6 full bags, along with a number of other special items, including jewellery and shower products to this worthy cause.
What you can do!
Whist the yearly campaign for bags ended on Saturday, you can still help make a difference by donating directly via this link.
Thank you, to all who donated.


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- ACT Fibernet rolls-out 1 Gbps plan in Bengaluru after Hyderabad
- Vishnu Shankar takes charge as &TV business head
- Unitech Shares Plunge 13% As Supreme Court Stays NCLT Order
- Tax department probes unregulated bitcoin exchanges after valuations jump
- Coal scam: Fmr Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda, Fmr coal Secy held guilty
- Deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar was extended to March 31, 2018
India’s ad expenditure to grow at 11.2% amid demonetisation
MUMBAI: Demonetisation may upset India’s GDP growth in at least the next two quarters but Publicis Groupe-owned media agency Zenith has forecast advertising expenditure to grow at 11.2% in 2017.
India’s ad expenditure is expected to touch Rs 54,344 crore in 2017, Zenith has predicted.
The growth rate will be about 2% lower than Zenith’s forecast of 13% for 2016. The agency expects ad spending to touch Rs 48,797 crore this year.
Events such as state elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, the upcoming Champions Trophy as well as growth of regional newspapers and television will drive ad growth in 2017.
Says Zenith India Group CEO Tanmay Mohanty, “India remains one of the few bright spot economies in the world. Ad spending in India is on a steady growth curve and likely to stay that way in 2017, buoyed by the state elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, the upcoming Champions Trophy and continued expansion and growth of regional newspapers and television.”
Demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes will lead to temporary contraction but the economy will bounce back in the long-term. New categories of advertisers such as mobile wallets will be active.
“In November, the central government introduced reform in the form of demonetisation which is leading to some contraction in ad spends. We expect the demand for goods and services to pick up and this shortfall to be temporary. Demonetisation is expected to augur well for the economy long-term. In fact, we expect 2017 to see increased ad spending by categories such as Mobile Wallets, Telecom 4G, BFSI, Mobile Handsets, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Consumer Durables,” avers Mohanty.
Television advertising is set to grow 11% in 2017, print 7.6% and other media (outdoor, radio and cinema) between 7% and 12%. Digital remains one of the fastest growing mediums in India but its base is still small.
India is among the top ten contributors to ad spend growth, along with others such as the US, China, Indonesia, UK, Philippines, Japan and Germany.
Fast-track Asia economies (China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam) are growing rapidly as they adopt Western technology and practices, while benefiting from the rapid inflow of funds from investors, the report said.
Fast-track Asia barely noticed the 2009 downturn (ad expenditure grew by 7.9% that year) and since then has grown very strongly, ending 2015 up an estimated 9.6%.
Zenith forecasts global ad expenditure to grow at 4.4% to hit $566 billion by the end of 2017. This is down by 0.1 percentage points from the earlier forecast in September after small downgrades in Asia Pacific, which nevertheless remains one of the fastest growing regions for ad expenditure.
Global ad spend will grow 4.4% in 2018 and 4.1% in 2019, according to Zenith.


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5FM has apologised for the comments of traffic reporter and contributor Sol Phenduka on air this morning, 29 January.
29 Jan 2015 14:26
NEWSWATCH: It is reported that Independent Newspapers proprietor Dr Iqbal Survé berated soon-to-be former editor of the Cape Times Alide Dasnois during her disciplinary hearing, reports Times Live...
29 Jan 2015 10:32
The finalists have been confirmed for this year's IAB Bookmarks Awards. The selected agencies, publishers, developers and individuals were picked from a record number of entries.
29 Jan 2015 10:09
In an exclusive five-part series, Bizcommunity interviews five international speakers set to be featured at the IAB Digital Summit in Association with BBC.com. taking place on 19 February. This week, we chat to Matthew Bull from The Bull White House in New York, to find out why he thinks the most important thing in life is to have an imagination...
By Matthew Bull 28 Jan 2015 07:57
Do you have an antivirus product on your mobile phone? If not, best you invest in one in order to protect against mobile fraud, as mobile payments and card-not-present retail go on the rise...
By Leigh Andrews 27 Jan 2015 14:00
By Walter Pike 27 Jan 2015 08:00
After years of domination by a few big names, social media is now expected to undergo some significant shifts and changes in the new year. Trends in this landscape come and go quickly, and major networks like Facebook and Twitter can have a difficult time meeting the ever-changing demands of their clients.
By Owen Andrew 27 Jan 2015 06:20


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Beer sales guide to the provinces and territories
Ontario announced this week that beer will be sold in 450 grocery stores provincewide
Canadians like to imbibe the occasional frosty beer. But distant relatives or friends visiting from outside the country are understandably sometimes a bit baffled by how suds are sold here.
On April 16, Ontario announced that after decades of debate, beer would be offered for sale in some grocery stores. Ontario, however, is not the only province looking at ways to make buying beer (for those of legal drinking age) a little bit easier.
Here's a roundup of how the provinces and territories sell beer.
British Columbia operates a mixed system for all alcohol sales. There are government-owned outlets, private outlets, and some alcohol sales, including beer, at rural grocery stores. People living in the province can also buy beer at breweries or from bars and restaurants offering off-sale products. Recently, a new set of laws was introduced allowing for beer to be sold at farmers markets.
Recent changes to B.C.'s approach to beer sales have been driven by the burgeoning craft beer industry. The B.C. Craft Brewer Guild said last year that the market share of members' products doubled from 2010 to 2014, from nine per cent to nearly 19 per cent.
Alberta privatized its alcohol sales in 1993 and is the only province in Canada with an entirely private approach. Off-sale beer is also available some bars and restaurants.
As a result of privatization, Alberta has become a highly competitive beer market with about 2,300 different beers from around the world for sale at any given time.
Like B.C., Alberta has seen a surge in craft beer sales and availability in recent years. The changes were spurred by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission quashing several laws that were seen as barriers to starting a small brewery or brew pub.
Saskatchewan operates a mixed system, with beer sold at government-run outlets and franchises in rural areas that are privately owned but operated in conjunction with the government. The province has started flirting with increased privatization of liquor and beer sales — in 2013, four fully private stores were given the green light to open in Regina and Saskatoon.
Saskatchewan also has off-sale outlets.
Manitoba operates a mixed system similar to B.C.'s, with the majority of alcohol sold through stores run by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corp.Off-sale beer is available at privately owned stores attached to hotels that are often open until 2 a.m., and some rural communities are served by private outlets.
The province is also experimenting with a limited number of grocery stores that will carry beer, wine and spirits, though the implementation of the program is behind schedule.
Ontario has, arguably, the most complicated approach to beer sales of any province. Beer can be bought at The Beer Store, an entity operated by a trio of foreign-owned breweries, and at government-owned LCBO outlets. There are also privately owned agency stores of the LCBO in under-served rural communities. These stores receive a commission from alcohol sales.
The Beer Store has come under increasing scrutiny in the last decade because it controls what Premier Kathleen Wynne called "a monopoly" on beer sales in the province.
On April 15, the government announced that beer will soon become available in 450 grocery stores.
Quebec has traditionally taken a slightly more liberal approach to beer and liquor sales than other provinces. Beer has long been available at dépanneurs (corner stores) until 11 p.m., and it's the only province where individual cans and bottles are sold at these locations.
Beer is sold at provincially owned liquor store outlets and privately owned agency stores, and people can buy off-sale beer at local breweries.
In Nova Scotia, beer is available at government-owned NSLC stores and at agency stores in rural areas. Some craft beers are available at a limited number of private specialty wine stores.
Prince Edward Island
Most beer in the province is sold at locations owned by the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission or privately owned agency stores. There also several craft breweries that sell their product for takeaway and a number of bars and restaurants with off-sale beer available.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province in Eastern Canada where locally brewed beer is available at some corner stores and gas stations. It's also available at government-owned liquor stores or directly from the few craft breweries operating in the province.
There are seven liquor stores operated by the NWT Liquor Commission, as well as a few communities scattered throughout the territory where off-sale beer is available from restaurants.
The Yukon Liquor Corporation runs six stores, and some restaurants and bars offer off-sale beer.
Stores in Iqaluit stopped selling alcohol in the 1970s, but people can order beer and other alcohol from warehouses in the city and Rankin Inlet and it is later delivered to them. There are many communities that do not allow alcohol or have strict regulations on who is allowed to have it. Iqaluit, however, is considering opening a beer and wine store sometime this year if there is enough support among residents.
- An earlier version of this story said that in Manitoba the majority of alcohol sold was by the province's liquor and gaming authority. In fact, the majority of alcohol in the province is sold through outlets operated by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corp.Apr 17, 2015 12:44 PM ET
With files from The Canadian Press


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Nike‘s latest advert starring Colin Kaepernick has been one of the biggest stories of the last week. The buzz generated by the ‘Dream Crazy’ campaign has also had significant benefits for Nike, which had over $43 million USD worth of media exposure gained within the first 24 hours.
The advert has received widespread support from a number of big names. The NFL has backed Nike’s 30th anniversary Just Do It campaign, while athletes including Serena Williams and LeBron James have also publicly voiced their support.
Source : Nike


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Chrysler Group added domestic dealerships and franchises in 2012 for the second year in a row, but General Motors and Ford Motor Co. continued to trim their dealership counts.
The changes in the Detroit 3's dealership networks were relatively minor. But they reflect the automakers' differing approaches to adjusting the size of their networks, especially since the wholesale scything of dealerships as part of the 2009 bankruptcies of Chrysler and GM.
Overall, the number of new-vehicle dealerships and franchises remained stable last year, according to annual dealership census data compiled by Automotive News.
The number of light-vehicle dealerships in the United States on Jan. 1 dipped 1 percent from the year-earlier level to 17,760. The number of franchises was virtually flat: 31,376 on Jan. 1, down 69 from 31,445 a year earlier.
The stable totals obscure shifts among brands, most notably the elimination of Saab, Suzuki and Maybach. The exit of those three brands from the United States eliminated 465 franchises.
A franchise is an agreement that gives a dealer the right to sell a particular brand of new vehicles. A dealership is the building in which one or more of those vehicle brands are sold.
John Frith, a vice president at Urban Science, a retail consulting firm in Detroit, said a 2 percent annual decline of dealerships used to be considered normal. But that former steady attrition gave way to deep cuts in dealerships and franchises tied to the recession, the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler and the elimination of volume brands such as Saturn, Mercury and Pontiac.
Now, barring unexpected economic shifts, industrywide growth in dealerships of 0.1 to 0.2 percent is expected over the next few years, Frith said.
And if new-vehicle sales stabilize at around 15 million units, he said, "we expect the overall dealership count to remain relatively flat."
Chrysler continued to refine its Genesis consolidation plan, launched in early 2008, which called for combining its domestic brands -- Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and now Ram -- in each store by the end of 2011.
By now, a Chrysler spokesman says, 91 percent of the automaker's dealerships "have all four brands under one roof."
Its dealership count grew 2 percent to 2,370, and its franchise count grew 3 percent to 9,074 last year.
Chrysler's increases exclude its sibling Italian brand, Fiat, which added 62 franchises last year, an increase of 45 percent. Fiat had 200 outlets on Jan. 1, up from 138 a year earlier.
GM took a different stance last year, trimming its dealership count by 1 percent to 4,355. But its franchise tally rose 2 percent to 7,871, as a result of adding GMC franchises.
The company upped the franchise count of its truck-only brand by 174, or 11 percent, to 1,764. GMC's franchise gains were the largest in absolute and percentage terms among all mainstream brands. GM offset some of those gains by trimming franchises of its other three brands.
Both Ford's dealership total of 3,286 and its franchise total of 4,067 were down 2 percent. The Lincoln brand, which Ford has vowed to revitalize, led the drop. Five percent of its franchises disappeared last year. The Ford brand shed only 1 percent of its franchise total.
After years of rapid expansion in the United States, Korean siblings Hyundai and Kia cooled last year. Together they added just 14 franchises in 2012, after adding 52 in 2010 and 40 in 2011.


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Homebase was bought by Wesfarmers in 2016
25 MAY 2018 • 7:58 AM
Wesfarmers will book a loss of between £200m and £230m on the sale to HMV owner Hilco Capital, which will change all 24 of the stores converted to Bunnings back to the Homebase brand.
Rob Scott, Wesfarmers managing director, admitted Homebase had been hampered by his company’s “poor execution” after the takeover, compounded by a consumer slump that has swept the retail industry in recent months.
He added: “While the review confirmed the business is capable of returning to profitability over time, further capital investment is necessary to support the turnaround.”
Wesfarmers said Damian McLoughlin, who was hired to run the business in June, will stay put after the sale.


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SYDNEY– TNA Connects is a virtual platform launched by TNA to provide the food manufacturing community with a go-to destination for insight, innovation and inspiration. TNA Connects will bring a host of live virtual events directly to bakery manufacturers across the world and will supplement its virtual participation in Pack Expo Connects.
The platform launches with a series of four virtual roundtables on topics, including conveying, packaging, processing and seasoning from Nov. 9-12. The discussions will supplement the product innovation information and TNA’s live sessions at Pack Expo Connects, offering a greater level of detail on the growing concerns facing food manufacturers today. Specialists from TNA, alongside senior industry leaders from leading snack brands, including Richmond Baking, Campbell’s Snacks and World Food Products, will guide the conversation and share examples from real-life challenges, installment stories and solutions.
“We’re continually looking for ways to innovate and add real value to our customers and prospects,” said Alf Taylor, managing director and chief executive officer of TNA. “The new online platform is a fantastic way for fellow professionals to connect and expand their knowledge — wherever they are in the world. With sudden fluctuations in product demand throughout the pandemic and changing consumer habits, the food industry has experienced considerable challenges in recent months. We want to create a community through which we can discuss challenges and share key learnings, as well as information about the latest technologies and innovations. All with a view to helping manufacturers take their production capabilities to the next level.”


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DEFRA publishes government response to the Global Resource Initiative Recommendations Report to reduce UK’s overseas environmental footprint
On 11th November 2020, DEFRA published the formal Government Response to the Global Resource Initiative (GRI) Recommendations Report. The GRI Recommendations Report, published in March, proposed 14 recommendations for how the UK can green its international supply chains and leave a lighter footprint on the global environment, with roles for business, finance, civil society and government. The independent Taskforce, facilitated by Efeca and chaired by Sir Ian Cheshire, was made up of 20 sustainability thought-leaders from across finance, supply chains, and civil society, and drew on the input of over 200 organisations.
In addition, the Government announced that it will introduce a new law to make it illegal for larger businesses to use forest risk commodities that have not been produced in accordance with relevant local laws, and require that they take steps (undertake due diligence) to show that they have taken proportionate action to ensure this is the case. This announcement comes in response to a government consultation and to a GRI Recommendation to introduce a “mandatory due diligence obligation”.
The UK will go further than ever before to clamp down on illegal deforestation and protect rainforests, the government has confirmed today, thanks to world-leading new laws being introduced through the landmark Environment Bill (11 November).
The move coincides with the publication of a new report setting out government’s approach to tackling deforestation linked to UK demand for products such as cocoa, rubber, soya, and palm oil. The report responds to the recommendations from the independent Global Resource Initiative Taskforce, which consulted over 200 leading businesses and organisations.
Combined, the package of measures will ensure that greater resilience, traceability and sustainability are built into the UK’s supply chains by working in partnership with other countries and supporting farmers to transition to more sustainable food and land use systems.
One of the leading new measures is the introduction of a new law in the Environment Bill which will require greater due diligence from businesses, and make it illegal for UK businesses to use key commodities if they have not been produced in line with local laws protecting forests and other natural ecosystems. There were more than 60,000 responses to the government’s consultation, with 99% in favour of legislating on this critical issue.
80% of deforestation is linked to the expansion of agriculture, with land being cleared to make way for grazing animals and to grow crops. The UK imports over half of the food it consumes, and while in global terms the UK is a relatively small consumer of forest risk commodities such as cocoa, rubber, soya, and palm oil, we are leaving an ever-larger footprint on the world’s forests.


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A nationwide search for the UK’s 100 most inspiring small businesses has begun to mark the 10-year anniversary of Small Business Saturday UK.
Organisers are calling on brilliant small businesses from across the country to apply to be featured in this year’s SmallBiz100, which showcases the best of Britain’s vibrant small business community as part of Small Business Saturday’s official countdown.
Now in its tenth year in the UK, Small Business Saturday will return on 3 December 2022 for an extra special extravaganza celebrating small business success and encouraging consumers to shop small and support local businesses.
“Small Business Saturday is all about shining a light on the UK’s fabulous small businesses and the extraordinary contribution they make to the UK and our local areas,” says director Michelle Ovens CBE.
“We are excited to be showcasing more incredible small businesses from all over the country again this year as we mark this amazing ten-year milestone. So, if you run an exciting small firm that brings something special to the community, we want to hear from you!”
Shoppers are encouraged to support all types of small businesses on Small Business Saturday – from independent shops and restaurants to B2B businesses like accountants and digital marketeers. Many small businesses take an active role in promoting the day by hosting events and offering special promotions.
The iconic campaign, which was originally founded by American Express in the US in 2010, attracts huge attention with an impact that lasts all year. In 2021 Small Business Saturday trended at number one in the UK on Twitter with the Prime Minister, leader of the opposition and the Mayor of London publicly supporting the campaign. Over 90 per cent of local councils also supported the campaign.
Dan Edelman, general manager for UK merchant services at American Express, comments: “We’re proud to champion the nation’s small businesses through Small Business Saturday as well as our upcoming Shop Small campaign, which incentivises our Cardmembers to spend with local independent venues, right across the country. Now more than ever they need our support so we’re looking forward to celebrating the tenth anniversary of this vital campaign by helping to shine a spotlight on small businesses and the dedicated people running them.”
Over 1,000 small businesses have been featured in its SmallBiz100 since it started in 2013, with firms from virtually all places and sectors represented. For a chance to be featured on this year’s list click here. Applications close on Thursday 30 June 2022.


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Downtown advocates have been pushing for months for an economic-development coordinator dedicated to the success of Sarasota’s downtown businesses.
Through a public-private partnership, they finally have their man.
The city, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Improvement District worked together to appoint Randy Welker as that coordinator.
March 29 was his first day on the job.
“I’ve been coming (to Sarasota) for years,” said Welker. “It’s a very nice place to live.”
Welker was the economic-development coordinator for Delray Beach before accepting this job. During his four years in the East Coast town, he visited St. Armands Circle many times. He wanted to see if he could entice some of its shops and restaurants to open second locations in Delray Beach.
He’ll now be trying to find businesses that fit in with Sarasota’s existing shops and restaurants.
“Look at shopping malls,” he said. “They have a great mix (of stores) that create vitality.”
Welker wants to create the same kind of mix on Main Street. His first task is to identify what kind of businesses are already successful and then see what is missing.
“I’ve already heard that people want a downtown drugstore,” he said. “So, we need to find one.”
He also plans to talk to business owners to see what kinds of shops they feel will complement their businesses.
Location is key to helping downtown Sarasota thrive. Welker said it currently suffers from the “barbell effect,” meaning both the east and west sides of Main Street have successful businesses, but in between is somewhat barren.
Welker will talk to the property owners in that in-between territory to see what he can do to revitalize that area.
He knows that things aren’t going to change overnight, but he’s optimistic about the future of downtown.
“You have to develop a long-term plan, but visions can become reality, as long as people work hard toward the goal,” he said.
Randy Welker has more than 20 years of economic-development experience and has earned key certifications, including Certified Economic Developer and Economic Development Finance Professional.
Contact Robin Roy at email@example.com
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Tw-Ice as Nice
Bob’s Boathouse hosted an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and fundraiser event Tuesday.
Mazel tov to Klauber and Mancini
The West Coast Florida Region of AJC (American Jewish Committee) will honor Michael Klauber and Phil Mancini, of Michael’s On East, with its Civic Achievement Award in November.
Every dog has its day
Consulate Health Care of Sarasota’s beloved service dog, Danielle, retires after providing five years of therapy to the residents and patients at Consulate.


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Ghostbusters in VR
There are, quite certainly, a whole lot of people out there who would totally love the concept of throwing on a proton backpack, with protective clothing dashing across New York hunting and trapping ghosts. Therefore, it’ll probably be great news to hear that a novel mixed reality where one would get to be a Ghostbuster.
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VR Ghostbusters: Much Awaited Upgrade on Horror Games
Thanks to the crew at the Void, Ghostbusters is on its way to virtual reality. The team would be using their mixed reality tech to the works on a new virtual reality gameplay founded on the concept of the newest movie in the franchise.
The managers of the world’s first virtual reality theme park in Salt Lake City, Utah, The Void, have stated that they will be partnering with Sony Pictures to create free-roaming mixed reality with sights and sounds of the hit comedy franchise in their own free-roaming, virtual reality platform called Ghostbusters: Dimension.
Slated for public access on the 1st of July, 2016, the virtual reality experience will be released singularly as part of the Ghostbusters feel at Madame Tussauds New York at their Times Square show. “The construction of this multi-layered and sensory environment is already underway and is designed to fully immerse visitors into the fantastical and spirited world of the new film.”
“Ghostbusters has an incredible, passionate fan following, and now VR technology allows the fans to become a Ghostbuster themselves within Madame Tussauds New York. The technology is breathtaking, the experience is thrilling, and what better way is there to use VR, than to let audiences inhabit the stories they love,” said Ghostbusters creator Ivan Reitman.
“Our new collaboration with Sony Pictures and THE VOID has paved the way to delivering an unforgettable experience for our visitors,” said Eric Fluet, Head of Marketing and Sales for Madame Tussauds New York. “We believe the Ghostbusters Experience and Ghostbusters: Dimension will propel Madame Tussauds New York into a new era of immersive entertainment.”


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Valve Denies That This Easter Egg Signals Portal 3 or a New Portal Game
A Portal reference that was found in the Blacksite map for CS:GO’s Danger Zone mode isn’t meant to hint at new Portal game, according to both the official Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Twitter account and Valve co-founder, Gabe Newell.
“Congrats to all who have found our Portal Easter egg on dz_blacksite!” the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive account tweeted on Sunday. “We’re just having a bit of fun and the Easter egg is not a product announcement. Enjoy Danger Zone!”
And when Newell himself was asked about this, he simply replied, “Easter egg”.
It’s been seven years since the last Portal game, Portal 2, came out and fans have been hoping for another game in the series ever since. However, Valve has yet to release a third entry for several of their well-known IPs such as Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, and, of course, Portal.
That said, Newell did announce earlier this year that Valve plans on shipping new games in the future. This could mean more Dota or Artifact games or maybe even Portal 3. We’ll just have to wait and see.
What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.


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A streaming service called Roku lets you watch the World Cup through an Android or iOS device.Here are some of the things you'll need to know:What is Roku?Roku is a video streaming service.The service has more than 200 devices available in more than 100 countries around the world, according to Roku's website.Roku doesn't have a traditional TV tuner, so if you want to watch a game on Roku, you have...
TechCrunch – The new Android Pay feature will allow Android users to pay with their phones and tablets with an app, which will be a major departure from the current way of paying in the company’s online payment service.
The feature will launch on July 18, the company announced.
That’s five months after it launched Android Pay on Google’s mobile operating system.
Google is also rolling out a new feature called “Android Pay on your Android” which will allow users to make payments in their own apps and on a website.
Android Pay is also getting support for more payments including debit and credit cards, a new payment method, and more.
The news is significant for Google, which is working on making Android Pay work across its own apps.
It’s also a major milestone for Google Pay, which has been plagued by bugs and delays.
For example, some customers were not able to use the feature to pay for groceries when it launched in the US in July.
The new feature will work in both Android Pay and Google Wallet, Google’s online payments service.
You’ll be able to make and receive Android Pay payments with Google Wallet and pay using a Google Wallet PIN, which can be used to make Android Pay purchases.
For users who want to make their own payments on their phones or tablets, Google Wallet will let them do that.
Google is also adding support for NFC payments to Android Pay, the first major step in the process of bringing NFC payments and Android Pay to all Android phones and phones with Android Wear devices.
NFC payments work by tapping a button on a phone or tablet, like the “NFC” symbol on the Google Watch or Google Home.
When a user taps the NFC button, it lets Google Pay and other NFC-enabled apps and services know it’s ready to make a payment.
Google Pay will allow payments from Android Wear and Google Watch apps and will let users make and send NFC payments in Google Wallet apps.
The company will also be adding support to other Android Pay features in the near future.
Google Wallet can now make payments to merchants using the Google Wallet mobile app.
It will also allow users make Android Wear purchases with Google Pay using their Android Wear device.
Google Wallet will also support payment by email, and Android Wallet will eventually allow merchants to accept credit cards from any of its customers.
For the time being, Google Pay is the only way for Android users and Android Wear users to receive Android payments from Google.
Google plans to make that support available on its own services in the coming weeks.


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It has been a rough few months for The Game and things don't look like they're getting any easier. As TMZ points out, Game is being sued for allegedly stealing the cover art to his recent single "Ryda," featuring Dej Loaf. TMZ reports that Ariza Obey posted the original version of the image before Game apparently edited the photo and used it for the cover. Game was already facing potential jail time for an earlier incident, and now the rapper can add a copyright dispute to his list of concerns. You can compare both images below.
Scammers are posing as FADER staffers on Instagram and DistroKid. Read more here.


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NCR Acquires Retalix Retail POS Software Co.
There is big news today in the point of sale industry. It was just announced that international payments giant NCR Corporation is acquiring Retalix, an Israeli-based point of sale software company with US headquarters in Texas. The deal was rumored to be worth a potential $800 million in cash, but the final transaction came in at approximately $650 million.
Retalix’s software is used in 70,000+ retail locations worldwide. NCR CEO Bill Nuti issued a statement on the transaction:
“Retalix is a strong, strategic fit for NCR and the combination of our two companies will drive significant value for both our shareholders and customers. Retalix’s market-leading software and services capabilities will enhance NCR’s retail solutions, creating a world-class portfolio of offerings. That innovation plus the addition of exceptional talent to our team positions NCR as the global leader in retail innovation.”
NCR has previously acquired another point of sale software provider, Radiant Systems, in 2011. It is expected that the retail systems giant will aim to build on the success of that partnership with this new POS software solution acquisition.
What does this mean for smaller POS software providers and end users? Is bigger better? What do you think?


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We are excited to announce that Plugd is now available on iOS!
We originally released Plugd as a Chrome Extension in August which notified users when a lower priced pair of sneakers were available as they browsed through StockX or GOAT.
We then spun up getplugd.com a few weeks later as a mobile-responsive web application and reached out to sneakerhead communities from both Facebook and Reddit for feedback. The more versatile implementation was well received by the community and many asked if we had plans to make a mobile app.
The need for dedicated mobile apps was further supported by the demographics of our visitors — 70% of the traffic hitting getplugd.com came from a mobile device.
We moved both Android and iOS apps way up in our product roadmap and began working on getting it released. Last month we released the Plugd Android app and earlier this week we completed the milestone by getting the Plugd iOS app into the Apple app store.
The iOS version of Plugd comes packed with the same features as the Android version with real-time price comparisons on new, conditionally new, and used sneakers.
For those that have been waiting for the iOS app give it a spin and let us know what you think by commenting below or emailing us at [email protected]


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Updated: 10/25/18 Simple logic would suggest that swapping a full sugar drink for a diet version cuts calories from your diet, yet such drinks have a mixed reputation. There is public concern about some sweeteners and current research is concluded that low-calorie sweeteners may lead to weight gain and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Studies looking at large groups of people have shown obese people tend to drink more fizzy diet drinks than those maintaining a healthy weight.
A study of US adults in the American Journal of Public Health showed 11% who were a healthy weight, 19% of those who were overweight and 22% who were obese drank diet beverages.
A study in the journal Obesity that followed 3,700 people for eight years showed those consuming the low-calorie sweeteners put on the most weight. The researchers were left asking the question: Are artificial sweeteners fueling, rather than fighting, the very epidemic they were designed to block causing weight gain or are obese people turning to the diet drinks in effort to control their weight?
People may assume diet beverages must be healthy choices because they are not sugary beverages, but the critical thing for people to understand is we don't have the evidence, and further research needs to be done. Although experts say that in an ideal world we'd all be drinking water, a study in Obesity journal even suggests "pre-loading" with water half an hour before eating actually helps people lose weight. A diet beverage would be useful to have in your diet as a transition, from drinking regular soda every day if you find it too difficult to stop.
Learn more about making healthy choices by calling Medical Weight Loss Clinic at 1-800-GET-SLIM!


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Peugeot targets younger drivers with YouTube push
Peugeot is looking to promote its new 208 model to younger drivers with an online campaign featuring YouTube sensation dancer Marquese Scott.
The French manufacturer has launched a video clip featuring ‘Nonstop’ performer Scott dancing to a new track called ‘Feel the love’ by Rudimental, tipped to be a big hit this summer.
The campaign, devised by Initials Marketing, EHS 4D and OMD, includes a video showing Scott moving continuously to the track, dancing past a parked 208 model and the strapline for Peugeot’s global campaign for 208, ‘Let Your Body Drive’.
The clip is already going viral amassing around 230k views, and Peugeot will support it further with a roadshow taking in seven UK shopping centres, including Bristol’s Cabot Circus, Birmingham’s Bullring and London’s Westfield.
Consumers will be encouraged to visit a dedicated YouTube page and upload their own ‘Bodydrive’ video, with the best entry will win a trip for seven to Ibiza. The competition will run from 25 April to the end of June.
Nick Crossley, brand advertising, partnership and sponsorship manager at Peugeot, said: "The new 208 represents a huge step in the evolution of the ‘20’ series. The Bodydrive campaign complements the interactive nature of the 208, from the dashboard to the integral interior design of the vehicle, which is deceptively spacious."
The Peugeot 208 goes on sale in the UK on June 28.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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GM’s Lockport plant looking for a manager
General Motors’ Lockport plant still needs a new director.
Konstantinos Katakis, who was scheduled to take over leadership of the plant, has instead left the company, a GM spokesman said. Katakis had been the director of a GM plant in Silao, Mexico, and was designated to replace William Tiger, who retired earlier this year.
Dan Hesch, the assistant plant manager, has been filling in since Tiger’s retirement.
The GM Lockport components plant is one of the region’s largest manufacturers, with 1,400 employees. lower earners, while a measure of the economic outlook for the next 12 months rose to a four-year high.
Apple defends app store policies after complaint
LONDON – Apple responded on Friday to antitrust claims made by the music streaming service Spotify, saying its policies are fair and accusing its rival of being motivated by a need to bolster financial results.
Spotify filed a complaint with European regulators this week, accusing Apple of using its App Store to undercut companies that compete with its services, like Apple Music.
Apple said Spotify was not treated any differently from the millions of other developers who use the App Store.
Apple accused Spotify of trying to use the advantages of the App Store, which provides access to millions of Apple users, without having to pay fees that Apple says are necessary to keep the marketplace thriving. Apple charges a fee of up to 30 percent for anything sold through the App Store.
“Spotify is asking to keep all those benefits while also retaining 100 percent of the revenue,” Apple said.
“Spotify wouldn’t be the business they are today without the App Store ecosystem, but now they’re leveraging their scale to avoid contributing to maintaining that ecosystem for the next generation of app entrepreneurs,” Apple said in a statement.


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To celebrate more than 100,000 plug-in cars having been sold in the UK, 25 electric and plug-in hybrid cars drove from London to Milton Keynes [on] Sunday 18th June. Organised by Chargemaster, the road trip covered around 100,000 meters in cars as diverse as the Nissan Leaf to the Tesla Model X, and BMW’s i3
TRO has been appointed to launch the UK’s first ever Electric Vehicle Experience Centre in partnership with Chargemaster. Opening in Milton Keynes, the EV Experience Centre is aimed at educating consumers by demonstrating the value of electric vehicles. TRO’s retail division is responsible for the design and production of the EV Experience Centre, which will
There can be a significant lead time in arranging the installation of a charge point so it is best if this gets underway as soon as possible after your new electric car is ordered. If the car is a new Renault ZOE or Nissan Leaf on PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) then installation of the charge
The City of Westminster is to offer a greater number and variety of electric vehicle (EV) charging points available to drivers in the borough from early 2017. The council announced yesterday (30 November) that from January 2017, charging points will be upgraded and up to 20 new outlets will be installed, including some rapid chargers.
A new partnership between the AA and Charagemaster is set to help boost sales of electric vehicles. In the first partnership of its kind, the Automobile Association and EV charge point specialists will combine forces to provide discounted charging, increased access to home charge points, an information campaign, and the roll-out of charge points at
Nissan is offering free homecharge units to new Leaf buyers, giving new owners a ready-made charging set-up. The offer is part of a nationwide campaign with the Japanese manufacturer’s official charging partners – Chargemaster and Pod Point. Buyers of new Leafs on one of Nissan’s finance packages will be eligible for a free Pod Point


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Indianapolis — Gregg Appliances, operators of the hhgregg chain based here, reported double-digit sales gain for its fiscal third quarter, ended Dec. 31, 2006 but lower net income vs. the previous year’s third quarter.
Gregg Appliances reported a 19.2 percent increase in total sales for the fiscal third quarter as sales increased to $335.1 million compared with $281.2 million for the comparable prior-year period.
This increase in sales was attributable to the addition of seven stores during the past 12 months and a 5.6 percent comp-store sales gain for the third quarter.
Net income in its fiscal third quarter was $10.9 million compared with net income of $22.6 million for the comparable prior-year period. The prior-year results included a $27.9 million pretax gain associated with the company entering into an agreement with a third party to transfer the product service obligations for previously sold extended service plans.
The current year earnings were primarily attributable to improved product mix, an increase in select core product margins, the leveraging effect of sales growth across many expense categories and productivity gains in labor, the retailer said.
Comp-store sales performance was driven by gains in video, major appliances and bedding, the company reported. Specifically, video sales grew by the low double digits, fueled by flat-panel television sales growth that outpaced the volume declines in rear projection and tube TV. Flat panel now represents about 70 percent of Gregg’s video sales, the company said, with microdisplay sets comprising most of the balance.
Despite the turbulence in the majap market, the category was “fairly stable” for the company during the quarter, CEO Jerry Throgmartin said during a conference call. “We didn’t see any major peaks or valleys,” and the chain actually gained share on a unit basis thanks to a well-trained sales team that traded up customers and helped improve the merchandise mix. “There’s a lot of product innovation out there, and if you have a sales force that can explain it to the consumer, you can do well,” he said.
President Dennis May also credited the sales force — and nimble merchandising — for Gregg’s ability to withstand the profit-punishing promotional environment that characterized CE last quarter. “Consumers will step up and buy a richer product mix thanks to our directed sales force,” he said. “They worked closely with our merchandising team to maximize sales opportunities and profits. We are very agile. We had the right inventory at the right time.”
Throgmartin said the strategy, dubbed plan-to-sell execution, “showed the benefits of a direct-sales force, especially in a volatile and ever-changing video environment. We’re training our sales people to sell larger units with better margins.”
Looking ahead, May said LCD will continue to be the dominant flat-panel format and will enjoy the strongest growth thanks to larger screen sizes, the advent of 120Hz refresh rates, and a wider selection from a bigger supplier base. Despite price declines, the consumer will continue to typically spend between $2,000 and $2,500 on a flat-panel display, he said, reaping greater performance, screen size and features sets as retails progressively fall.
The company plans to open three new stores during the current quarter, plus a small distribution center in Birmingham, Ala., that will support locations in that state. It lowered its comp sales forecast for the current quarter from gains in the mid- to high-single digits to mid-single digits due to this month’s winter storms.
Gregg Appliances is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, home appliances, bedding and related services and operates under the hhgregg and Fine Lines brands in 76 retail stores in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. — Additional reporting by Alan Wolf


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Mrunal Thakur speaks about fitness as a lifestyle and how her costars Hrithik, John, Shahid, And Farhan have inspired her in doing so.
Famous K-pop band BTS has gained quite a huge fan following in India and are eager to meet their fans in India in their next world tour.
Bollywood divas have become bolder and beautiful breaking stereotypes and wearing beautiful bikini's flaunting their curves and just being themselves
With the release of the Mirzapur Season 2 trailer let's look back at these badass dialogues from Guddu Pandit, Kaleen Bhaiyaa, and others.
Mirzapur 2 is not good enough a reason to get Amazon Prime subscription, Check out these top 9 movies to be released on Amazon Prime India.
BTS' Dynamite and Blackpink's Ice cream have taken over high spots on Billboard's new Global 200 Music Charts based on worldwide streams and download sales.
The Lahore Motorway incident on Thursday has drawn nationwide outrage with Pakistan PM Imran Khan calling for public hanging and chemical castration of rapists.
Japan's governing party has elected Yoshihide Suga as its new leader paving the way for him to become prime minister in a parliamentary vote this week.


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Wurm Online, a popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has been taken offline in a troublesome distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack shortly after updating its software. Now the founders have put up a €10,000 ($13,743) reward for the conviction of those responsible. "Shortly after today's update …
Wurms have it
I'm all in favour of them not getting to court, so long as they can be dumped in a place seriously difficult to terraform.
"€10,000 ($13,743) "
yeah i was thinking that. Isn't there a .co.uk in my address bar?
Hanging is too good ... errr...
I think that a bag of quick-lime and a shovel are much cheaper than going to court ;-)
Re: Hanging is too good ... errr...
You forgot the carpet roll and duct (or duck if you prefer) tape.
- JLaw, Kate Upton EXPOSED in celeb nude pics hack
- Google flushes out users of old browsers by serving up CLUNKY, AGED version of search
- China: You, Microsoft. Office-Windows 'compatibility'. You have 20 days to explain
- GCHQ protesters stick it to British spooks ... by drinking urine
- Twitter declines to deny JLaw tweet scrubdown after alleged iCloud NUDE PHOTOS hack


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Honolulu, Hawaii, and Dublin, Ireland—two cities as different as they come—will show the fastest pace of growth of all industrial property markets over the next three years, according to data released today by CBRE Inc., a real estate services concern.
Dublin will experience annual industrial rent growth of 7.9 percent, according to CBRE's global market outlook. Honolulu's projected annual growth rate will be a bit less than that, CBRE said. San Diego; Orange County, Calif., and Shenzhen, China will round out the top five. Other markets in the top 15 will include Seattle; Oakland, Calif.; Moscow; London; Shanghai; and Miami. Nine of the top 15 markets are in the Americas. Large U.S. markets like Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, and New York/New Jersey did not make the list, as their already-massive sizes serve as a break to outsized future growth.
Honolulu, considered a small market, experienced 12- to 15-percent annual rent growth from 2014 to 2016. Available space there is running at an ultra-tight 3.2-percent clip, meaning landlords have strong pricing power. In addition, there isn't much geographic competition for Honolulu real estate, unlike what exists on the U.S. mainland.
The bullish outlook for Dublin rents comes from optimistic economic growth projections and low levels of new supply, CBRE said.
Through the first three quarters of 2016, global industrial rents increased by 2.5 percent over the same period in 2015, CBRE said. The firm expects rents to grow above trend through 2019, though the report didn't indicate what the baseline trend is. European markets will remain strong as users pursue large warehouse spaces in major cities. However, limited supply in markets like London and Paris mean that most of the capacity will be found in peripheral locations, according to the report.
The U.S. and Canada will experience solid growth as supply chains expand to accommodate the growth of online retail. Canada is in the early stages of online retail growth, while the U.S., though far more established, still has room to run, according to the report. The outlook for Mexico has been muddied by risks of trade disruption following the election of Donald J. Trump, while Brazil is just now marking a gradual upturn in industrial expansion following a deep recession.
Asia-Pacific demand will remain stable as manufacturing recovers and consumption remains firm, the report said. Industrial rent demand there has been less robust than in the Americas and Europe, CBRE said.


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Security Rings Up Sales for Retailers
Editor / Provider: a&s International | Updated: 10/17/2011 | Article type: Commercial Markets
Shop ‘til you drop. For retailers, that phrase has become an ominous one. As the recession tightened consumer spending, retail business witnessed a similar drop. While a global crime wave of rampant shoplifting did not emerge, retail sales suffered. The reduction in consumer spending meant loss prevention departments had smaller budgets to work with. However, some retailers managed to beat the market. Discount items became a hot commodity, with US chains such as Family Dollar and Dollar General investing in hosted monitoring for hundreds of locations. Hosted solutions helped reduce upfront costs, generating better ROI for retailers and security providers. On the other end of the spectrum, luxury retail is booming. While retailers targeting average-income buyers survive on razor-thin margins, high-end retailers are selling out of their most expensive items. Overall security spending increased 10 percent in 2010, reducing shrink by 5.6 percent, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer. With shoplifting being a US$45-billion problem, anything that cuts shrink is a welcome investment.
The general mindset toward security remains grudging. Security is seen as an upfront cost, not an investment. Loss prevention officers must explain why they want a solution with a price tag over budget, or that takes up network bandwidth, when it does nothing to reduce shrink. Operational efficiencies that boost sales are worthwhile, which is changing the security dialogue. Instead of identifying shoplifters, security technologies in video or asset tracking are being deployed to increase productivity. As retail operates on slim margins, demonstrating benefits is the way to go. a&s examines the market for retail security, as well as how security is evolving. We look at how solutions are deployed, what the hallmarks of strong performance are and where the future is headed.
Shopping shows no sign of stopping, even in the face of gloomy market forecasts. Consumer spending has slowed but not halted, making retail a key vertical for security. Shrink decreased 5 percent to US$100 billion worldwide or 1.27 percent of retail sales, but remains a problem, according to the 2010 Global Retail Theft Barometer.
The survey found about $8.3 billion was spent on security equipment such as electronic article surveillance and video, representing 0.34 percent of retail sales. “Retailers apprehended nearly 6.2 million shoplifters and employee thieves, an increase of nearly 400,000 compared to 2009,” said Johan Akesson, Director of Business Development for Retail, Axis Communications.
After the 2008 recession, many retailers reduced loss prevention budgets. “Shrinkage as a percentage of retail sales went up from a global average of 1.35 percent to 1.43 percent,” said Steve Sell, VP of Global Marketing for Checkpoint Systems.
The global security equipment market for retail will maintain a 6 percent compound annual growth rate until 2015, said Klaus Lienland, Business Development for Bosch Security Systems. This is mostly video sales, followed by intrusion and access control solutions.
Asia is the largest market, with the Americas and EMEA behind it, according to IMS Research. “There is good potential growth in China,” said CMO for TeleEye. “In Europe or the States, we can see some retail chains closed down all their stores or reduced their size.”
Shrinkage represents about 2 percent of Chinese retail sales, said Jun Zhou, Industry Account Manager for Hikvision Digital Technology. Of those losses, shoplifting makes up 64 percent. [NextPage]
Retail is one of the most sensitive markets in uncertain financial times. “From my experience, when the economic outlook is not too good, the mid- to low-end retailers are the ones that start to shrink their security spending,” said Patrick Lim, Director of Sales and Marketing, Ademco Far East. “However, high-end retailers tend to be more consistent and spend more during a recession.”
Spending did not necessarily increase, but shifted downward. “Where we used to go after just the high-end retailers whom are not thriving in the marketplace, consumers are looking for deals, which has opened the door to outlets and discount retailers,” said Jim Shepherd, National Account Manager at Protection One. “The market for budget merchandise has boomed because other retailers reduced or shut down locations, providing prime real estate for these discount retailers to take advantage of.”
Retail and commercial accounts are handled at a dedicated central station, where operators are trained to speak with management and resolve customer issues. “In retail, the loss prevention department is normally the primary decisionmaker who determines how monies are spent on security and life safety technologies,” Shepherd said. “One of their primary focuses is to combat shrink. They don't put in a camera or an alarm because it's necessary; they invest in technology when it has a proportional impact on shrink or produces an ROI in a one- to three-year time frame.”
Budgets have taken a hit, so security teams must stretch their dollars to find solutions to problems. “If you talk about new installations, they have the luxury to design a system to fit the application from the beginning,” said Kostas Mellos, Commercial Leader for Video and Transmission for Interlogix, UTC Fire & Security. “What you see in existing retail operations is that they expand to sites that are not as well attended. With that comes the challenge of using infrastructure in the existing parts of stores.”
Smaller budgets mean fewer returns for retailers. “The recession has meant a slowdown in user spending, and many retailers have opted to lower prices — and thus profit margins — during the recession,” said Becky Zhou, APAC Sales Director for Arecont Vision.
Security? Not My Problem
At any retailer, security cannot interfere with profitability. The network primarily records sales and cannot afford downtime. Adding anything to the network, such as IP video, immediately gets shot down by the IT department over bandwidth concerns. Security equipment is seen as an expense and not an investment that delivers benefits.
Explaining the business case for security must account for retail priorities. “With our retail customers, we are mostly concerned with addressing their operational needs,” Lim said. “Integration is becoming more important, as security systems seek to be an integral part of retail operations and can improve operational efficiencies. Large retailers are beginning to realize that they cannot be adopting piecemeal solutions, as it will cost them more in operation inefficiencies.”
In retail, the network is tied to revenue. “It's the connection from the store to corporate; they will never jeopardize the functionality of that,” Shepherd said. “If security takes the network down, you can't record sales and that's far more important than any camera put in.”
Because the main business network is reserved for PoS and business information, it has priority over security. “We seldom push for transmission of video over that network,” Lim said. The intrusion alarm system will usually run on an independent PSTN line, with backup transmission over IP or wireless if possible.
IP video is frequently questioned in retail applications, requiring a dedicated network. “The solution is, in most cases, a semiparallel network that resides together with the IT network, but share some or all of the infrastructure equipment, such as switches and routers,” Akesson said.
However, adoption of IP solutions remains sluggish for their upfront cost. “Unless it supports other business intelligence or other departments, there is not always an advantage to putting in a network camera to catch a bad guy,” Shepherd said. “From my perspective, if I sell IP systems and charge three times the money, my customers will call to ask why it didn't change the shrink number. Just because the video is pretty doesn't mean it's better.”
Communication between the loss prevention and IT teams determines whether a retail solution is successful, as each team has unique concerns. “You have the IT group that knows how to deal with data, virtual networks and partitioning data to different parts of the organization,” Mellos said. “For security and loss prevention, all they care about are results. Are we seeing shrinkage? Can we get to the data or video fast?”
As security affects the network and existing equipment, mandates may cause resentment against security. This makes security seem a burdensome tax on business. While retail is not as heavily regulated as gaming, a store must comply with local legislation, such as fire codes. “In most countries, only retailers that handle high-value goods are required by insurance companies to have a mandatory video surveillance system and alarm monitoring,” Lim said.
China passed legislation this year on midsize to large retailers and shopping centers, requiring video for areas such as safes, warehouses and ingress points, said Zhou of Hikvision. For food safety, businesses that handle food must record identifiable footage of whoever comes in contact with products. While this represents a great opportunity for security, it places the burden on retailers who are stretched thin.
Local legislation may dictate how retailers use their security. “Some stores are not allowed to store the images they have recorded and can only use the data they have gathered through intelligent video such as people counting, for which the requirements are less strict,” Akesson said.
Handling Sensitive Data
Data management for retailers may be affected by requirements, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) governing how payment information is processed in the U.S. “In the quickserve restaurant (QSR) industry, PCI-DSS compliance is a major legally mandated security requirement,” said Mike Davis, Loss Prevention Manager of By The Rockies. It is the second largest franchisee of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's brands, as well as Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Dunkin Donuts.
Video is not directly covered by PCI standards, but By The Rockies selected a solution that was compliant. “In the future, some insurance underwriters may require QSRs to have video surveillance systems in place to purchase an insurance policy because of the added protection against unfounded slip and fall, sexual harassment or other liability claims,” Davis said. “Having video evidence of the claim enables a company to fight false claims and mitigate damages during litigation. For instance, if a customer claims he slipped on an unmarked wet floor, but the video clearly shows signs marking the area, a court may decide to award less than if there was no video of the event.”
Managing payment information takes both physical safeguards like locking computers up and logical measures like passwords. “I had the chance to visit the back-end operations of a retailer. There were stacks of customer information lying around on the floor, while staff had easy access to the room,” Lim said. “The merging of enterprise physical and logical access control solutions is going to make it easier for responsible retailers to beef up their security.”
On the IT side, data management practices are fairly well-established. “Many retailers have adopted a centralized data management approach,” said Tom Coyle, VP of Information Solutions for Avery Dennison. “You can build firewalls at the back-end rather than have exposure out at the store level.”
RFID usage has raised privacy concerns before, as each tag is a unique identifier. Industry groups such as GS1 and the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions (VICS) have developed privacy guidelines for retailers. “Many retailers are oriented to ‘opt-in' solutions where customers have the choice to remove RFID tags from apparel items,” Coyle said. [NextPage]
Investing in Security
With all the flak security gets, why bother with it? Retailers become more amicable when security proves to be an investment, rather than a high one-time cost. Reducing operational costs is one clear way security can provide benefits. “In the longer term, ROI can be demonstrated through cost reduction of manpower, such as security guards and more,” said Iida Atsushi, Manager of Security Solutions, Professional Solutions Asia Pacific, Sony Electronics.
Management efficiencies can also be delivered through security aiding business systems. “We see a lot of interest in PoS technology because often times there's more loss at the register than internal and external theft combined,” Shepherd said. “It's not always intentional; it could be as simple as mis-scans on bar codes, ringing up a single item when it should be multiple. If you don't identify that, the retailer could sell a case of water for 99 cents. If the system improperly registers that, it's a loss.”
Other instances may result in unintentional losses that are avoidable with security solutions. Sensors can detect if refrigerator rooms are left open or if there is water damage from open skylights, Lienland said.
Identification solutions using RFID tags can benefit multiple stakeholders within a retail organization. “The strong trend nowadays is for the inventory, loss prevention and merchandising teams to look at solutions holistically,” Coyle said. Selling security is not just moving product but addressing user needs. Security can be a team player, paired with good processes and effective training. In the following article, we examine how security is implemented in different retail settings.


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For years, Bitcoin’s enablers have promoted the delightful notion that you can conjure your own money out of thin air. They’ve shielded that rather dubious assertion behind a thick wall of geekery.
Unless you’re on speaking terms with hashing algorithms, one-way functions and other such topics, the easiest response has been to shrug your shoulders and assume the computer guys know what they’re doing with this new money thingie.
Now it’s becoming clear they may not. For all the intellectual beauty of Bitcoin and the blockchain – and it is beautiful, in its own nerdish way – there are serious, maybe fatal, problems.
The flaws are on display in fresh critiques from academics and regulators. One analysis finds clues that cryptocurrency prices are being manipulated. Another points to Bitcoin’s grievous environmental impact. Yet another describes the economic limits of the blockchain and pours doubt on the notion that Bitcoin can ever become the new gold, as many of its investors hope.
To be sure, the enthusiasm that propelled many cyptocurrencies skyward last year has already faded. Bitcoin, the best known digital token, was trading around US$6,700 on Monday, down by more than 60 per cent from its peak in mid-December.
Still, the recent outpouring of skepticism suggests cryptos may have even further to fall as their weaknesses become clearer.
Consider, for instance, one of the most popular convictions in the crypto-community –that many people will always want to hold a form of money that isn’t subject to manipulation by a central bank.
If so, those same safety-minded people should be outraged by new evidence that other folks may be manipulating their chosen store of wealth.
A research paper published last week by John Griffin, a finance professor at the University of Texas, and Amin Shams, a graduate student, pointed to suspicious trading patterns that suggest someone using Bitfinex, a large crypto-exchange, helped push up Bitcoin prices during recent downturns.
Bitfinex executives say they know nothing about the alleged manipulation, which used another virtual currency called Tether. Still, whoever was responsible may have accounted for half of the enormous gains last year in Bitcoin and other virtual currencies, the researchers say. If so, recent investors bought into an artificially inflated bubble.
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS), an international organization of central banks, trumpeted its own concerns about the crypto-craze in a report published on Sunday. It says Bitcoin and its siblings have become an “environmental disaster” because of the enormous amounts of energy they require to verify transactions. Bitcoin miners now use as much electricity as Switzerland, the BIS says, and the energy consumption will only grow worse if crypto use spreads.
And that’s just one problem. Despite cryptos’ voracious appetite for power, Bitcoin and other forms of digital cash can’t handle the huge volumes of everyday transactions in a modern economy, the BIS asserts.
The problem arises because digital tokens such as Bitcoin rely on decentralized ledgers that hold a complete history of all transactions made in the cryptocurrency. Users have to download those ledgers, which grow as new transactions are made.
To include the number of digital retail transactions processed every day by a system such as Visa or PayPal, “the size of the ledger would swell well beyond the storage capacity of a typical smartphone in a matter of days, beyond that of a typical personal computer in a matter of weeks, and beyond that of servers in a matter of months,” the BIS calculates. It says supercomputers would be required to keep up with processing volumes and “the associated communication volumes could bring the internet to a halt.”
So if cryptos don’t seem destined to become an everyday payment method, could they still be a store of wealth – a digital gold? Many promoters tout that notion. But it doesn’t bear up well under scrutiny from Eric Budish, an economist at the University of Chicago.
Most crypto-enthusiasts argue there’s no need to worry because miners are richly rewarded for maintaining the system. Any attempt to disrupt Bitcoin through what is known as a “majority attack” by someone wielding enormous amounts of computing power would be ruinously expensive for the attacker.
Mr. Budish points out conditions under which this is not true. “In particular, the model suggests Bitcoin would be majority attacked if it became sufficiently economically important – e.g., if it became a ‘store of…