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Facebook will help promising augmented reality and virtual reality startups expand abroad in partnership with the South Korean government, it announced Tuesday.
The California-based mobile social networking service operator signed an agreement with Korea Innovation Center of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and Institute for Information & Communications Technology Promotion to support AR and VR startups at Facebook Korea Office in southern Seoul.
Under the agreement, Facebook and the government agencies will select the 10 most promising AR and VR firms in Korea and send their employees to Silicon Valley for 10 weeks to learn about related technologies and business development from engineers of Oculus VR, a subsidiary of Facebook.
It is the first time that the Facebook subsidiary has partnered with a foreign government to help nurture such startups.
Alex Stamos, chief security officer of Facebook (Facebook Korea)
Alex Stamos, chief security officer of Facebook, visited Seoul for the first time to celebrate the partnership with the Korean government.
“From low-latency competitive gaming to HD video streaming, the Korean market has been the place where the rest of the world can look to see our online future,” Stamos said. “Facebook gets such great insights from the people and partnerships in Korea, and why we use our experiences here to foresee how the global market will evolve in the future.”
Facebook has been recently focusing on Korean companies with AR and VR technologies upon a high-bandwidth and low-latency networking system, which have the great advantage of technical and intellectual infrastructure, Stamos said. The company believes when the Korean startup ecosystem works closely with its people in Silicon Valley, Korean firms will benefit from improved reach and innovation, he said.
“Korean companies have a fantastic advantage due to the technical and intellectual infrastructure in these areas, and we are extremely excited to partner with both large and small Korean enterprises as we work to bring VR and AR to the world,” the CSO added.
Currently, there are about 30 out of 138 firms that are willing to apply for the program, according to KIC. Companies that have made some achievements from their research and development efforts would be preferred.
“Outstanding technologies and companies may be considered by the Facebook headquarters for future M&A or supply pool,” said Park Dae-sung, head of policy at Facebook Korea. “We hope to see some very innovative products from killer content to hardware through this program.”
The chosen startups could possibly get a chance to commercialize their technology or product with Oculus, he added. After the 10-week program in Silicon Valley from May through July, the companies will present their progress at a demonstration event in late July.
Facebook has been cooperating with local governments here since 2015 to support startups.
Since last September, the company is providing training for female business leaders in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, known as “She Means Business.”
Since March, it has offered an educational program named “#MadeByKorea” to about 100 small exporters with Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency.
By Song Su-hyun (firstname.lastname@example.org


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Reprise, IPG Mediabrands’ media marketing arm, today launches a new global auditing platform it calls “the single biggest product launch the company has ever seen” and a “game changer” for the agency.
Digital Experience Audit DXA, which originated in APAC and has been evolving over the last two years, looks at hundreds of different factors in a brand’s digital performance across various channels, breaking them down and simplifying them into smaller components to make...
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Coinbase Leaders Sharply Sluggish Their Inventory Profits #Coinbase #Leaders #Sharply #Gradual #Inventory #ProfitsNews Headlines
Share income by
Coinbase World wide Inc.
officials fell sharply in 2022 together with the crypto exchange’s inventory selling price.
Co-founder and Main Executive
has pocketed $4 million considering the fact that November from offering shares, according to an investigation of regulatory filings.
A Coinbase spokeswoman reported that Mr. Armstrong’s new stock sales ended up section of a normal, prescheduled prepare and “unrelated to recent industry situations.“ Coinbase last 7 days said it would eliminate about 20% of its personnel.
Beforehand, Mr. Armstrong, co-founder
President and Main Functioning Officer
and the chief products officer right until very last November,
collectively netted roughly $1.2 billion in proceeds from stock product sales from the working day that Coinbase commenced buying and selling in April 2021 via January 2022, The Wall Road Journal earlier reported.
The 3 other than Mr. Armstrong haven’t marketed shares due to the fact then, in accordance to the Journal assessment.
A Coinbase spokeswoman famous that the “vast majority” of the $1.2 billion in gross sales happened on Coinbase’s initially day of investing in 2021. Coinbase went public through a immediate listing, and it is typical for early stockholders to provide shares on the very first day to make home for new investors to purchase in.
SHARE YOUR Thoughts
What is your outlook for Coinbase? Be part of the dialogue under.
Coinbase opened at $381 on April 14, 2021, its first day of investing. From April 2021 to early 2022, the four officers marketed shares at price ranges ranging from $189 to $422, in accordance to the Journal’s preceding reporting.
But Coinbase’s share rate has been likely down just about because it started out investing. The shares shed much more than 80% of their benefit in 2022, finishing the 12 months at about $35. Mr. Armstrong’s more-the latest stock gross sales were built at prices ranging from $35.01 to $58.16 a share. On Friday, the stock closed at $49.98.
Early traders, notably founders in a organization, are predicted to sell shares next an preliminary general public presenting just after obtaining their stakes locked up for so very long, according to analysts. Quite a few stock income also are element of options that let executives to timetable acquiring and promoting shares at future dates.
Mr. Armstrong stated on Twitter in October that he prepared to offer about 2% of his Coinbase stockholdings to “fund scientific analysis.”
Crypto soared in 2021, fueled in portion by everyday buyers speeding in as electronic property became just about mainstream. But in 2022, rates dropped and crypto organizations collapsed or shrank, such as the crypto exchange FTX, which filed for personal bankruptcy in November. Bitcoin has lost some 70% of its worth because its November 2021 peak.
Mr. Armstrong’s residing believe in sold shares in early January of this calendar year, netting him around $550,000 by marketing just underneath 14,900 shares at an common price tag of $36.55. He also marketed shares in November and December.
All told, because Coinbase’s community debut, Mr. Armstrong and his residing have confidence in netted a very little beneath $300 million in inventory income, the Journal’s examination exhibits.
Mr. Ehrsam had pocketed about $492 million in about the initially nine months of Coinbase’s buying and selling. He hasn’t sold any due to the fact. He is now on the board of directors.
Ms. Choi and Mr. Chatterjee also haven’t sold shares considering the fact that the Journal past described their significant inventory sales. Ms. Choi formerly marketed shares for far more than $225 million. Mr. Chatterjee formerly offered stock for proceeds of $110 million.
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Business, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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The new Urban School Food Alliance brings Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Orlando together. They will use their combined purchasing power to buy healthy food. They also want to buy environmentally friendly trays and utensils.
The question is, can their buying power bring down the cost of organic chicken, whole grains and fresh fruit?
Nutritionists say sugar, salt and fat in school food programs contribute to an epidemic of obesity and diabetes among young people.
The programs are changing the food they serve. L.A. is serving whole grains and fruit. New York has salad bars. Chicago no longer sells cupcakes. Schools are limiting vending machines to fruit juice and water.
Los Angeles now bans flavored milk, and no longer serves nachos and chicken nuggets. Some of the new items are not popular – quinoa salad, vegetable curry and brown rice cutlets have flopped. Vegetarian burritos are popular.
To show they are serious, all of the school districts are going to serve the same lunch in March 2013. It will be “savory roasted chicken, brown rice with seasoned black or red beans, steamed broccoli, fresh seasonal fruit and milk.”
An expert said, “It is a long way from a peanut butter sandwich.”


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This autumn, the US Supreme Court will weigh in on an ongoing antitrust case which begs the question: who actually owns the apps running on our devices?
The high court will determine whether end users are technically buying their apps from Apple or the independent software developers creating and distributing those apps through the Apple iOS App Store.
What is the problem?
Because Apple requires apps running on its iOS devices to be sold through its App Store, which charges the developers a 30% commission fee on app revenues, developers and customers are accusing Apple of jacking up prices under a monopoly practice.
It all started back in 2011 when iPhone owner Robert Pepper filed an antitrust complaint claiming unfair pricing by Apple under its distribution model.
Apple won the case in 2014, but a court of appeals reversed the decision in 2017. This summer, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Apple’s case, and developer consortium are waging campaigns in the US seeking sympathy.
It’s about developer innovation
Morgan Reed, President of the App Association representing small business developers in the US, recently commented on the issue, noting that it is the small business software developers who make iPhone devices exciting and useful via their innovative designs, not Apple, regardless of which platform is used.
It would therefore be devastating if it was decided that Apple was the customer as opposed to the actual end users, placing more power in the hands of Apple.
Indirectly but equally important will be the court’s ability to help the industry validate the critical role of the technologists and developers in driving the cloud and mobile revolution (arguably the economy’s greatest asset currently), if we can sustain this supply of brain power.
Unfortunately, the court case illustrates a larger issue, which is the lack of qualified technical expertise available to meet the insatiable demand for innovation in a fast-moving industry that involves big data and real-time analytics. Reed said there are currently 500,000 open technology job requisitions in the US which companies are struggling to fill, including software programmers and data scientists.
A win for Apple will only help steer young people away from computer science degrees. Apple reportedly made $11 billion last year solely in App Store commissions, illustrating the David and Goliath scenario of this court case when considering the greed behind corporate America versus overextended independent software developers.


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On a sombre note, Nipper the Dog is going to have to look for a new instrument to listen to. Somehow the image of him wearing headphones strikes me as distinctly weird (no matter how hip it may look!). The iconic HMV recently went into administration (a UK process which protects limited companies from their creditors whilst a debt restructuring plan is carried out). Naturally the response was one of grief, nostalgia and worry for the future, with some going as so far as to claim that physical media don’t have a future at all.
Will this statement come true? Eventually it will be so, but I imagine in the far, far, far off future. Just not in the present future ahead of us. However, how did this collapse come about? In my view, the obvious culprits would be the presence of online retailers (Amazon), download services (iTunes), streaming platforms (Spotify and YouTube), piracy (nay, no names!) and supermarkets (Tesco). But there are also subtle factors at play.
Basically, HMV struggled to establish itself as an online player. I can understand that Apple and its iTunes store/player is a huge behemoth, however, HMV had the potential to be a just as large player. HMV focused on tech, games, DVD, music, tickets, etc. and with a line-up like that, if it had focused on offering a digital download service, it could have survived for a longer period of time and even challenged Apple and Amazon. I’m not even go into its brand value, rich history and lore. But, it chose to stick to its roots and physical media, leading to the fall.
Finally, it failed to make any real connection with the new audience. There was no real marketing campaign that inflamed the imagination of the young populace – which focused on technology, price, accessibility and uniqueness. Apple’s iconic iPod campaign captured this essence the best. To be succinct, HMV failed to read the pulse of the rising generation and reinvent its business model into a sustainable one.
As a whole, the music industry is set to become the first real member of the media family to be fully online and digitised. Neil Saunders, the managing director of Conlumino, gives further credence to this, when he writes ‘by our own figures, we forecast that by the end of 2015 some 90.4% of music and film sales will be online. The bottom line is that there is no real future for physical retail in the music sector.’ Does this ring alarm bells for the book-publishing world? In a way, they are already feeling the heat. But at the same time, there is hope.
Publishers have already recognised the changing tide – they were some of the most enthusiastic proponents of the e-book in the 2000s (an experiment which badly burnt them). They are aware of the fact that this is an interesting time to be in, where they have to reinvent themselves. And the process is a slow and steady one, albeit painful at times. In this context, the pressing question is – Which company do people associate books when they think of books?


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Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Businesses Focus on Region's Aging Population
Using a moisture sensor, a wireless system and a mobile phone, Kevin Wong, the chief executive of Ckicom Technology Ltd, explains how this new technology can alert caregivers when they should change the diapers of elderly people in nursing homes.
As the rapid aging of Asia's population creates challenges for governments and societies, new opportunities are emerging for businesses serving the needs of the elderly and their caretakers.
While population aging is a global phenomenon, the Asian-Pacific region is expected to see a particularly drastic demographic change over the next few decades. The number of elderly persons in the region—already home to more than half of the world's population aged 60 and over—is expected to triple to more than 1.2 billion by 2050, when one in four people in the region will be over 60 years old, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Across Asia, large corporations and entrepreneurs in various industries are racing to come up with new products and services for the elderly, while health-care-related businesses are seeing soaring demand. Among various fields of health care for the elderly, nursing homes represent one of the fastest-growing sectors.
Pedestrians in Tokyo last week, where one-third of the population is forecast to be over 65 by 2030.
In Japan, companies that previously had little to do with the issue of aging have jumped on the bandwagon. In 2005, Watami Co., which operates Japanese-style izakaya pubs serving food and drinks, entered a new business of running nursing homes. In the most recent fiscal year, the nursing business was more profitable than its izakaya business. Demand for Watami's new business is robust because Japan's population is the world's grayest, according to a 2009 United Nation report, with nearly 30% aged 60 or older.
Other parts of Asia, such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore, are also anticipating a surge in the percentage of elderly citizens. In China, people over the age of 60 now account for 13.3% of the country's population of 1.34 billion, up from 10.3% in 2000, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, and the aging trend is expected to accelerate.
In January, China's state-run Xinhua news agency wrote about challenges facing nursing homes, saying "there are simply not enough nurses or beds to accommodate the country's elderly population."
In March, Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said at a forum in Beijing that the country needs to take more steps to cope with a rapidly aging population in the years ahead.
Despite varying levels of infrastructure and support from governments, the global market for nursing and health-care services continues to expand, and expectations are rising for businesses that might meet the growing demand.
Last month, IHH Healthcare Bhd., Asia's largest hospital operator by market value, staged a strong trading debut in Malaysia and Singapore, after raising US$2 billion in its initial public offering, the world's third-largest IPO this year.
Analysts said that population aging in Asia and the rest of the world makes IHH a good long-term investment.
Given the opportunities in the market for hospitals and nursing homes, some technology entrepreneurs are focusing on products and services they could sell to health-care institutions.
Kevin Wong, an engineer from Guangzhou, China, has developed a new product that he thinks will appeal to nursing homes and hospitals. His Hong-Kong based start-up, Ckicom Technology Ltd., sells a disposable adult diaper equipped with a moisture sensor and a wireless system that sends wetness alerts to nursing-home workers via personal computers and mobile phones.
A small clip-on sensor device attached to the diaper detects moisture through special carbon ink prints on the diaper's inner surface and sends the information wirelessly to PCs and mobile phones. The clip-on device isn't disposable.
Each disposable diaper costs US$1.20 or less, and nursing homes also need to purchase or lease the wireless system including the clip-on devices. For a nursing home with 100 beds, for example, the system would likely cost US$5,000 to US$10,000, the company said.
Ckicom's CAREase diaper, one of the 12 finalists competing for The Wall Street Journal's Asian Innovation Awards, can detect wetness at three different levels, eliminating the need for workers to repeatedly check residents' diapers just to see whether they need to be replaced. "It helps nursing homes upgrade their services," Mr. Wong said.
Mr. Wong, 50 years old, came up with the idea of a wetness-sensing diaper for babies more than 30 years ago, during a classroom discussion at the South China Institute of Technology. He never pursued that idea and instead worked for much of the past three decades at a company that develops consumer-electronics products.
Five years ago, one of his college classmates, who lived in the U.S., called Mr. Wong and reminded him of the moisture-sensing diaper idea, which Mr. Wong himself had forgotten about. The friend said that nursing homes for the elderly would want such a diaper.
After conducting research for almost a year, Mr. Wong quit his job and started Ckicom in 2008 to develop the diaper in a project partially funded by the Hong Kong government.
The challenge was to create a comfortable diaper that can accurately determine wetness levels, while keeping the cost reasonable, Mr. Wong said.
The potential market is growing, as Hong Kong expects the percentage of its population aged 65 and over to increase to 26% in 2036 from 12% in 2006, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
Five nursing homes in Hong Kong are now testing the CAREase diaper, while the company's Taiwanese distribution agent has recently received orders for 100,000 diapers.
Ckicom also has set up an office in Tokyo.
The closely held company forecasts revenue of about US$1 million in the current fiscal year through March.
While Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan are its main markets for now, the company wants eventually to expand into the U.S. and Europe as well as mainland China, Mr. Wong said.


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Lindsay Peoples did not have much time to rest during her four years at BVU.
Beyond her studies and campus activities during the academic years, her summers and January interims were filled with internships. In fact, with some eight internships to her credit, the May 2012 graduate from Brown Deer, Wis., may hold the unofficial BVU record for the most internships in a four-year time span.
A graphic design and digital media major, Lindsay planned her internships to give her an inside track to a career in the fashion industry, and some day her dream job as a fashion editor.
Her internships, with several that read like a “who’s who” of the fashion world, include:
- Summer 2010: Levis Strauss Co. showroom in Hollywood, Calif.
- Summer 2010: Celebrity Styling with various stylists and agencies
- January 2011: TEEN Vogue in New York City
- Spring 2011 semester: Buena Vista Regional Medical Center marketing department
- Summer 2011: Vogue in New York City
- Fall 2011 semester in London: two internships at Beauty and the Dirt (online women’s lifestyle blog) and Starworks PR (fashion public relations firm). She also took classes at the University of London (journalism and mass communication) and London College of Fashion (fashion merchandising and business)
- January 2012: O, Oprah Magazine in New York City
“I would say my internship at the Oprah Magazine had the biggest impact on me because it was an unexpected opportunity and I was really nervous about going because I had never worked at a lifestyle magazine,” she says. “But I was welcomed with open arms and everyone was eager to let me on their team, so that experience definitely reassured me that fashion journalism is the right field for me.”
Despite her impressive résumé, and opportunities to meet many celebrities, Lindsay says the internships did not come without a lot of personal sacrifice. “I have had to make some very big decisions at a young age and sacrificed some friendships, time with my family, holidays, birthdays and important happenings in the lives of people I love because of my career aspirations,” she says. “The workload is tough as an intern and the hours are never going to be 9-5 in my field especially, so being able to multi-task and have patience has been a must.”
Lindsay stayed in contact with all of her internship employers and networked every chance that she had, which she believes is important. “All of my previous internship employers refuse to hire people who have not interned there before,” she notes. “Every time a position opens up, before they put the job opening online they try to find their favorite previous interns to see who is looking for a job. Opportunities in the industry are really about timing.”
Today, Lindsay works at Vogue in New York City.


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DETROIT (AP) -- A federal safety agency is looking at expanding a small recall of Pontiac G-6 midsize cars so it includes up to 550,000 vehicles.
General Motors recalled about 8,000 of the cars in 2009 because the brake lights and cruise control didn't work properly.
But the recall affected only cars made in January of 2005. Now the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it's studying whether cars from the 2005 through 2009 model years should be added to the recall.
The safety agency says it has received 212 complaints from consumers that brake lights won't come on when the pedal is pressed. The complaints also say the cruise control quits for no reason.
No crashes or injuries have been reported from the problem.
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CAR SALES CHAMP CRUSADES TO RAISE PROFITS FOR GM
First comes the mile-wide smile, followed by the warm handshake and then the barrage of bromides like "waterfalls begin with raindrops." The next thing you know, Jim Dollinger has your attention, your trust and finally your money. A six-time national Buick sales champ, the 46-year old father of seven girls has minted a simple philosophy "pay attention and meet customer needs rather than dwell on price" to become a Mr. Fixit of sorts for underachieving dealerships. Now he wants to do the same for the company that builds the cars he sells, General Motors Corp.
Early this year, Dollinger met at the automaker's headquarters with GM North America President Gary Cowger and John Smith, GM's sales and marketing group vice president. After hearing Dollinger's ideas, they offered him $5,000 for the rights to his proposals. He turned it down, saying his ideas are worth much more than five grand. "This is something that's worth billions to the company, billions to the stockholders with no investment," Dollinger said.
Aside from managing hundreds of new car customers, he's been the general manager at Suski Chevrolet Buick in Birch Run, MI for a year now. In 2002, he was hired to fix Williamson Buick in Flint. He promptly changed the name to Patsy Lou Buick "to feminize it" and make the showroom more hospitable to women. Sales increased 60 percent in a year, Dollinger said. His magic is working at Suski Chevrolet Buick. Sales jumped 80 percent in March, 60 percent in April and are on track to improve a whopping 125 percent in May, said new car sales manager Brad Goldman. "He pays a lot of attention to the customer" Goldman said of Dollinger. "He's a go-getter, lights a fire and always pushes us."
Dollinger won't divulge all the specifics of his plan for healing GM, which once dominated with more than 50 percent of the U.S. market but now controls just 27 percent. But he says GM must bolster its image by cutting back and simplifying incentives and refine and enhance its product lines so that more people aspire to own them, remove members of the board of directors who are tied to investment banks, reduce executive compensation and give dealers more autonomy to do their own advertising and marketing.
"Without spending money, without capital investment and by actually lowering costs, I can implement this plan, increase market share, build for profit, reposition for growth and reposition this organization," Dollinger said. He's "an interesting guy" said Suski's Brad Goldman.
Some 100 shareholders are expected to show up for GM's annual meeting, where Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner will outline the company's recent achievements and its goals. Among seven shareholder proposals, one would create an outside chairman independent of the chief executive officer post, eliminate new stock option grants to top management and require GM "significantly reduce" greenhouse emissions from its vehicles by 2013 and 2023.
GM's board of directors has recommended none of the stockholder proposals be approved. For supersalesman Jim Dollinger, however, the only proposals that matter are those he never stops thinking about...returning GM to the days of market dominance and big profits. "I don't hunt, fish or golf," Dollinger said. "I'm a single-minded man of purpose, and I'm here to make a difference."
(The Detroit News June 3, 2004)


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Menifee, California (PRWEB) February 25, 2014
The new Smith Arms website recently launched at SmithArms.com has all new products and a full feature web store.
A boutique outfitter of second amendment t-shirts and American themed apparel and accessories, Smith Arms currently offers branded t-shirts and vinyl stickers.
"On January 1st we began plans to launch a new line of t-shirts and stickers that are pro America, pro gun and pro second amendment," said Matt Smith, creator of Smith Arms. "Today we’re excited to announce the launch of our web store with the first seven products. Each of our products is based on an original design that you won’t find anywhere else. We’ve crafted each design to authentically capture the intended story. For example, our "Original 13" shirt pays homage to the American Revolution and the first 13 colonies that fought for independence. The design includes elements of the Betsy Ross flag and crossed muskets to remind us that it took years of fighting to win sovereign independence. And we released the first edition of this shirt in cardinal red to symbolize that bloodshed."
"Our goal is to become an accepted brand in the gun community as we work to support the American heritage of hunting and the shooting sports as well as our second amendment rights that are constantly being minimized by law makers."
About Smith Arms
The broader goals of Smith Arms are to promote the American ideals of freedom, liberty, personal responsibility, and self reliance. To raise awareness and demand respect for the constitution, restore the right to bear arms and push for a limited government. And to celebrate the accomplishments of those who have fought and died to afford us those freedoms. Learn more about Smith Arms at http://www.smitharms.com/.


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Lowe’s has reached a massive deal with the National Football League that makes it the league’s official home-improvement retail sponsor.
The exclusive multiyear partnership will give Lowe’s branding rights and marketing opportunities at key events including the Super Bowl, the NFL draft, and the NFL combine, Lowe’s announced Tuesday. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.
The deal could give Lowe’s major marketing leverage over its biggest home-improvement competitor, Home Depot.
“This was a very big strategic move for us” says Jocelyn Wong, chief marketing officer at Lowe’s.
In tandem with the partnership, Lowe’s is kicking off a new marketing campaign designed to attract new customers. The campaign specifically targets “heavy do-it-yourselfers” — those customers who take on complicated and highly technical projects — and home-improvement professionals like contractors.
“As we were looking at 2019 and beyond marketing plans we realized we had an opportunity to expand our customer base,” Wong said.
“We do really well with light-DIY customers and want to expand with heavier-DIY customers.”
This strategy appears to be a direct appeal to Home Depot’s customer base. Home-improvement professionals tend to prefer shopping at Home Depot over Lowe’s, according to research by Wedbush Securities.
Professional contracts account for 20% to 25% of sales at Lowe’s and 45% of sales at Home Depot, Wedbush Securities’ Seth Basham told Business Insider’s Áine Cain.
The tagline of the new campaign, “Do It Right,” is designed to appeal to customers who take pride in their home-improvement projects and “believe anything worth doing is worth doing right,” Wong said.
To reach this customer, the new ads will take on a “grittier” and more “authentic” tone than the company’s past campaigns, which were more “whimsical” in nature, Wong said.
“We want Lowe’s to be the place for those people who are going to go the extra mile to do it right,” she said.
New Lowe’s CEO, Marvin Ellison, having been on the job only since June, joined the team at their headquarters in Mooresville to load 15,000 disaster-relief buckets for California wildfire victims, and for future natural disaster preparedness. 1,400 employees are helping to stuff the buckets, which are at a cost of $700,000 and being paid for by Lowe’s and its vendors. 2,000 buckets are set to ship to California, while the rest will be stockpiled for any future need. The buckets contain work gloves, scrub brushes, insect repellant and dust masks. “This is a tremendous effort and being new to the company it warms my heart to see so many of us helping out so many people in need,” he says.
As part of his leadership plan, Ellison eliminated top level management roles and brought in new executive, Joseph McFarland III. McFarland comes from J.C. Penney and prior to two years there as executive vice president, had a two-decade career with The Home Depot. He served as president of the northern and western divisions. Ellison said in a news release that these changes will allow Lowe’s to “drive operational excellence.”
Following the February 2018 announcement that The Sherwin-Williams Company, Consumer Brands Group would become the sole nationwide supplier to Lowe’s US stores, today the DIY retailer announced a new line of Valspar exterior stain products. The Valspar stain will come in 50 colors and is offered exclusively at Lowe’s stores and on Lowes.com. The move is designed to streamline and simplify paint and stains to be easier for customers to buy and associates to sell. Other brands Lowe’s offers from Sherwin-Williams include HGTV Home, Purdy, Krylon, Minwax, Thompson’s Water Seal, and Cabot.
“We strive to provide endless color to our customers, and our new product line is no exception. Valspar stain is available in a wide range of colors – both expected and unexpected – because not only do consumers look to Valspar for quality products, but also as the authority on color,” says Andy Bottoni, Director of Marketing at The Sherwin-Williams Company, Consumer Brands Group. “With this new product line, we hope to inspire more creativity when it comes to outdoor color.”
With improved employment levels and the housing market booming above 2006 levels, home improvement retail stocks have continued to grow. The Home Depot has outpaced the S&P 500 in the last 6 months, growing 39.3% versus the home improvement retail’s gain of 37.7% and S&P 500’s increase of 13.7%. The company attributes their success to maximizing square footage initiatives in current stores versus opening new ones, and focusing on the customer experience and buy online – deliver from store capabilities. Home Depot has been reporting strong numbers for the past 5 years, with record breaking year over year comps the past two quarters.
Back in October, The Home Depot stocks were trading at $163 and Lowe’s was only at $80, but since then Lowe’s is up 29% and Home Depot is up 21%. Home Depot has more physical stores in the US, with 2283 compared to 2144 at Lowe’s. Revenues through Q3 were much higher than Lowe’s but several other factors that can affect stock are looked at. As of Q3, gross margin for Home Depot was 34.1% and Lowe’s was 34.2%. Both CEOs are accredited for strategies that provide shareholder returns while minimizing risk. While The Home Depot’s revenues overall are higher, at $77B at Q3 compared to Lowe’s $53B, the average ticket is higher at Lowe’s, at $71.60 compared to Home Depot at $63.55.
Today Home Depot stock (HD) is reporting at $204.45 and Lowe’s (LOW) at $107.11.
Home Depot and Lowe’s shares rose 4% over the past two weeks, as investors expect increases in sales before and after Irma. Both retailers donated money to the Red Cross prior to the storm, and now are opening stores to help rebuilding efforts, which will also help their quarterly sales. The retailers both pre-stocked stores before the hurricane for pre-storm supplies and to be ready quickly once the storm had passed. Their ability to provide these supplies quickly will help the rebuilding effort. Lowe’s is sending more than 500 truckloads into the state now. Both Lowe’s and Home Depot have price-freeze policies in place, as they do not raise prices during disasters. While some of their Florida stores may have sustained damage themselves that may be costly, typically storms increase the bottom line for home improvement retailers overall. Generators, plywood, water and gas cans are in big demand.
As part of an overall drive to broaden their relationship with pro customers and better serve their needs, Lowe’s Companies has finalized the acquisition of Maintenance Supply Headquarters for $512 million. The Houston-based company is a distributor of maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products serving the multifamily housing industry. The deal is a next logical step for Lowe’s, which acquired Central Wholesalers, an MRO distributor in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, in November 2016.
“We are delighted to officially welcome Maintenance Supply Headquarters and their talented team into the Lowe’s family,” said Michael Tummillo, senior VP of Lowe’s pro sales. “Together, Maintenance Supply Headquarters and Central Wholesalers expand Lowe’s ability to serve the highly attractive and growing multifamily housing industry while strengthening our foundation for future growth with enhanced product and service offerings. With this latest transaction, we look forward to delivering even more value for our pro customers.”
With a portfolio of more than 5,300 products and value-added services for maintaining and renovating multifamily properties, Maintenance Supply Headquarters operates 13 distribution centers primarily in the western, southeastern and south central U.S. With the acquisition now complete, Lowe’s MRO business now includes 16 distribution centers generating more than $400 million in incremental annual sales.


text:
4.7" LG Optimus G to Land Globally in Oct.-Nov.
August 28, 2012 12:51 PM
comment(s) - last by
LG's Snapdragon 4 powered 4.7-inch Android will touch down this holiday season
LG Electronics, Inc. (
) recently watched fellow South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (
suffer a crushing defeat
at the hands of Apple. But an opportunistic LG, whose smartphone division has been seriously improving of late,
finally turning a profit
, is looking to fill the void in the American market that mass bans of Samsung's lineup may bring.
the Optimus G, a
gorgeous 4.7-inch 1280x768 pixel
Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich"
(with an 4.1 "Jelly Bean" update on the horizon) smartphone. The phone is powered by a quad-core
28 nm Snapdragon 4
from Qualcomm, Inc. (
) (which ironically will likely be
produced on Samsung's Texas chip line
The phone also packs a healthy 2,100 mAh battery, a 13 megapixel camera, and 2 GB of DRAM. Visually the phone is striking with no face buttons -- which should be helpful in avoiding potential Apple design lawsuits.
The only disappointment is that only the Japanese will receive the special candy red and black variant; global markets will receive black and white unicolor varieties. The Japanese version will also include other perks -- waterproofing, infrared data transfer, osaifu-keitai mobile wallet, and OneSeg and Nottv mobile television services.
The Japanese LG Optimus G receives a special color. [Image Source: The Verge]
The new phone is equipped with LTE. It will launch in Sept. on all three major South Korean mobile carriers and in Japan in Oct.-Nov.
NTT Docomo, Inc.'s (
) LTE network. A U.S. launch is expected, but the month and carrier availability are still up in the air at this point.
LG [Google Translate]
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
8/28/2012 2:23:55 PM
Apple lawsuit int 3...2...1...
8/28/2012 3:57:32 PM
Yup. Since you know they invented rectangular phones with rectangular edges. Nevermind every cellphone ever made has been a rectangle with rounded edges.
8/29/2012 12:22:05 AM
I don't know, even though Judge Koh didn't allow Samsung to show prior art and the jury was filled with incompetent clowns, I don't think Apple would win against LG since all they would have to do is walk into the courtroom, toss an LG Prada or two to the judge and jury, inform them that this product was announced before the iPhone, and walk out with 2 middle fingers up.
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text: cartechboy (2660665) writes "Tesla just announced its first-quarter earnings and the numbers are interesting. It logged revenue of $713 million on deliveries of 6,457 Model S electric cars. It's worth noting that's basically the number of vehicles it said it would sell in the quarter, but that number is slightly down from the prior quarter. It built a total of 7,535 Model S cars in the quarter as it built inventory as shipments began to China where sales just started last month. Net orders in North America grew 10 percent, and production for the second quarter is expected to increase to 8,500-9,000 Model S cars. Tesla expects to deliver 35,000 cars during the 2014 calendar year. Musk told analysts that China's enthusiastic and that government support is crucial. The Model X is delayed until spring of 2015 with production-design prototypes being ready in the fourth quarter. Tesla hopes to possibly break ground as early as next month on its gigafactory, though the location has yet to be announced. Of course, the stock market is already reacting to these numbers and is currently down nearly 3 percent in after hours trading."


text:
With the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance for Tesco’s $110-million joint venture with Trent Hypermarket making a critical concession in terms of allowing foreign retailers to buy brownfield retail ventures in India — as long as they also commit to investing in fresh greenfield stores within three years — the stage is set for several other foreign retailers to enter into tie-ups with existing Indian organised retail chains.
While this concession was not forthcoming at the time Wal-Mart was negotiating with the commerce ministry — this would have allowed the American retail giant to use Bharti’s Easyday retail stores in the initial years — the government appears to have changed its stance after no global retailer came forward to set up shop in India.
Tesco will be the first multi-brand global retailer to set shop in the country after the government in September 2012 allowed foreign retailers to invest in India in partnership with Indian firms subject to an equity cap of 51%. Wal-Mart was expected to be the first global retailer to set up front-end stores given it had a 50:50 joint venture with Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Enterprises in the cash-and-carry segment since 2007. However, in October the joint venture was called off.
On Monday, the FIPB cleared the UK retailer’s $110-million (Rs 684 crore) proposal, which includes picking up a 50% stake in Trent Hypermarket. The world’s third-largest retailer, Tesco already has a cash-and-carry venture in India. Since the investment is below Rs 1,200 crore, Tesco does not require any more regulatory approvals. Only foreign investments above Rs 1,200 crore require the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs after the FIPB nod.
Since the government’s policy for foreign retailers comes attached with a string of conditions relating to back-end investment and sourcing from local small and medium enterprises, Tesco’s experience will be keenly watched by other global retail majors. The development would be seen as a big boost for the UPA government, which has been trying to convince foreign multi-brand retailers to invest in India. While several investments have been made in the single-brand segment, multi-brand retailers had so far not found the conditions attractive.
Tesco will initially use Trent’s existing 16 Star Bazaar stores but will, within three years, invest another $50 million in creating new facilities in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The joint venture firm would retail 15 product lines, which includes cereals, vegetables, fruit, wine and liquor


text:
A battle royale may be brewing between two internet juggernauts over video. Facebook said it is introducing new YouTube-like features in an apparent effort to capture more of the video market.
Starting today, Facebook users can now see how many views a video has received on the site once it has been uploaded to the social networking site. This is something that’s been part of YouTube’s service for years. Facebook says its is to help users discover new, popular videos.
Facebook is also testing a feature on mobile that displays related videos after users finish watching a clip. This feature has also been on YouTube for a long time. In addition, Facebook also has future plans to allow users to embed Facebook videos on third-party sites.
Facebook vs YouTube – Which Gets More Views?
I did an experiment today to compare YouTube with Facebook videos.
I posted a still-shot from a YouTube video and included the link to the video this morning. After 5 hours, the post had only reached 9 people, and the video itself had been viewed by four people!
During the afternoon, I uploaded the same video to Facebook, and as you can see in the image below – the reach and engagement were noticeably higher.
The story is much the same on mobile too. As of 5 pm ET, the YouTube post had been viewed by 11 people, while the Facebook video post had been viewed by 70 people.
I’m not the only one to discover that Facebook videos get more engagement. SocialBakers did a study last year and found that Facebook videos got a 40% higher engagement rate than You Tube videos. It makes sense actually. Facebook wants people to use their service!
What does this mean for the average small business owner?
If you’re pursuing a video marketing strategy (an excellent idea!), I’m afraid it means a little more work. If you want to reach your followers on Facebook, and engage new prospects, upload your videos directly to Facebook. And then upload your videos to YouTube to share on Google+ and Twitter and embed on your website.
Facebook has been increasing its focus on videos over the past year, introducing auto-play videos (which drives some people crazy, since it can use up a lot of data on mobile phones), and a call-to-action button for videos. This feature allows viewers to go to an external website. This is handy for advertisers, since they use their videos to sell their products directly. Facebook has also altered how videos are treated in the news feed, serving up more videos to those who watch the videos, and less to those who skip over them.
Facebook Fans Share Video Love
It’s going to be interesting to see how this rivalry plays out. Facebook may turn out to be a better platform for video, depending on your audience. As an example, CNBC reported that last Friday, Beyoncé posted a video on Facebook and YouTube that took her fans behind the scenes to see the preparations for her live performance last month at the MTV Video Music Awards.
In the first four hours, Facebook users watched the video 2.4 million times. On YouTube, the four-minute clip garnered just a few thousand views during that time. Why the difference? The singer’s fans spotted the video in their newsfeed and shared it with their Facebook friends. Those who saw it on YouTube didn’t have an easy way to share.
Facebook has 1.3 billion monthly users worldwide, and is serving up a billion video views a day – mostly from mobile devices. Facebook users are uploading 100 million videos a month to the social networking site. That’s still only a fraction of YouTube’s traffic, but according to CNBC, it is still up significantly from a few months ago.
What platform will you use for video marketing? Facebook, YouTube or both? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. And if you liked this article, please spread the word, using the social sharing buttons on your left.


text:
Sanyo Electric Co. posted disappointing second-quarter earnings Wednesday amid talks about its sale to Panasonic Corp., which analysts say would benefit from Sanyo's solar cell and lithium-ion battery businesses.
Sanyo's net income fell 67 percent to reach 4.4 billion yen ($44 million) from the year-ago period. But strong demand for its batteries has prompted the electronics maker to project a 22 percent gain in the company's overall profit for the fiscal year ending in March 2009, reported the Associated Press.
In the first six months ending Sept. 30, sales from Sanyo's rechargeable battery business shot up to 205.1 billion yen, compared with 171 billion yen from a year ago. Sanyo sells different types of batteries including lithium-ion.
Battery sales contributed 12 percent of the company's revenue in the last fiscal year, making it the largest business segment in Sanyo. The company is the world's largest lithium-ion battery maker.
Speculation about Panasonic's interest in buying a majority stake in Sanyo began last weekend, when the Japanese media reported that Panasonic and Sanyo had reached a preliminary agreement on the sale. Panasonic plans to make a formal offer to Sanyo soon to Goldman Sachs, Sumitomo Mitsui and Daiwa Securities SMBC, which collectively own about 70 percent of Sanyo.
Solar cell and lithium-ion battery operations make Sanyo an attractive acquisition target. The company is the seventh largest solar cell maker in the world and recently announced ambitious plans to expand into the thin-film solar business by making amorphous silicon panels (see Sanyo Builds New Factory, Enters Thin-Film Fray).
Panasonic, the world's largest consumer electronics maker, will gain a slice of the solar market by acquiring Sanyo, which also makes TVs, cameras, home appliances and semiconductors.
Support from Panasonic could sharpen Sanyo's competitive edge as it competes with other Japanese companies and solar businesses from Europe and the United States.
Sharp began running a new thin-film solar production line in Japan last month and plans to launch its first product for the U.S. market next summer (see Sharp Guns for U.S. Thin-Film Market). The new production line brings the total thin-film solar production capacity to 160 megawatts per year, up from 15 megawatts per year. The company has vowed to grab more than 50 percent of the thin-film market by 2012.
Strong demand from the computer laptop market has given Sanyo's lithium-ion battery business a big boost. Lithium-ion batteries are emerging as a popular technology for powering electric cars. Sanyo is developing lithium-ion batteries for Volkswagen. It also sells nickel-metal-hydride batteries to Ford Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co.
Panasonic already is in the car battery business, having created a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp. called Panasonic EV Energy. Toyota said it plans to start selling plug-in hybrid electric cars with lithium-ion batteries by 2010 (see Toyota Drives Toward Greener Fleet).
Goldman Sachs, Sumitomo Mitsui and Daiwa Securities rescued Sanyo in 2006 by buying a 70 percent stake in the company. Sanyo had posted losses for four years until the last fiscal year ended March 2008. The company sold its mobile phone business to Kyocera earlier this year.
Join industry leaders and influencers at Greentech Media's new conference series Greentech Innovations: End-to-End Electricity on November 17 and 18 in New York City.


text:
MEXICO CROSSINGS THROUGH NOGALES, ARIZ. — Crossings (14-39-58) — Movement expected to increase. Trading slow. Prices lower. 2/3 cartons 5s mostly $7.95-8.95, 6s mostly $7-8, 8s mostly $5-6, 9s $3-5. Quality and condition variable.
Honeydew — F.o.b.s as of April 21
- Ag labor not part of Obama's immigration plan
- Paramount Citrus replaces Cuties brand with Wonderful Halos
- Produce execution plagues Wal-Mart
- Thanksgiving Twitter party for Produce Mom
- Wiggle room needed on sourcing GMO fruits and vegetables
- Sun Pacific buys Cuties brand, breaks ties with Paramount Citrus


text:
The ECR Group's shadow rapporteur, Polish MEP Adam Bielan, sees the adoption of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Parliament as a great step forward towards better regulation in the digital space, including social media, online marketplaces and other online platforms, offering services to customers in the European Union. But in one area there is still a need to catch up.
Mr Bielan pointed out:
“The DSA is a key legislation of this term, changing the function of the digital market across the EU. My group was focused on preserving a robust digital economy in the EU during the pandemic. This wouldn’t be possible without maintaining key parts of the e-commerce initiative. We need an open internet, where users can move and speak freely and where their freedoms are respected. We will also remember that the digital market not only represents threats, but also great opportunities.”
Nevertheless, Mr. Bielan is not satisfied that social networks designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) did not receive a special category in the text. The lack of a dedicated definition makes it harder to set proportionate obligations for the VLOPs section. “There is still a need for improvement in the definitions of what a ‘social network’ is in the first place. Without this, an important tool is missing in order to ensure its effectiveness. I hope that this shortcoming can be remedied in the trilogues that are to follow”, Mr Bielan concluded.
According to Mr. Bielan, there was also a need to define when platforms should step in to tackle the illegal content. There must be clarity, so that users are protected from the unilateral restriction of their freedom of expression. In this context, “it is worth pointing out that we have succeeded in introducing some provisions to challenge platform decisions on content moderation. Thanks to my group’s negotiations, the new tool will provide additional protection for users in the event of arbitrary decisions by websites. In addition to platforms’ internal complaint-handling system, users will be able to quickly and easily seek redress through the courts in their country of residence. It means that Internet users will eventually gain access to robust tools strengthening their position,” Mr Bielan explained.
The Digital Services Act, originally put forward by the European Commission on 15 December 2020, is a revision of the E-Commerce directive, providing the baseline for online marketplace operations up to date. The horizontal nature of the regulation addresses issues and regulatory gaps that have arisen over the last two decades. The new set of rules for the digital space creates a novel framework to counter the proliferation of illegal content online and gives individual users the power to challenge platforms’ arbitrary decisions.


text:
“Common internet saving declined probably the most for the second revenue quintile, down 95.3% relative to the identical quarter of the earlier yr. Moreover, internet saving for households within the lowest revenue quintile stays under ranges noticed firstly of the pandemic within the first quarter of 2020.”
When the COVID outbreak was at its worst, the federal government applied help packages, famous StatCan researchers.
They identified that though packages just like the Canada Emergency Response Profit (CERB) have been useful to many people a yr in the past, shoppers now face a big monetary disaster as a result of CERB has lengthy since been discontinued.
Revenue for the highest 20% of households, then again, elevated. RRSPs and pensions, amongst different monetary devices and sources, helped older Canadians climate the storm higher.
Within the first quarter of 2022, Statistics Canada reported that the debt-to-income ratio amongst youthful Canadians had surpassed pre-pandemic ranges, “with the debt-to-income ratio rising by 5.0 share factors for these aged youthful than 35 years and by 4.5 share factors for these aged 35 to 44 years.”


text:
MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Bakeries and grocery stores across the country are reporting a sharp increase in pan de sal sales in just the last 24 hours.
They have Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Philippine Star to thank.
Roque was earlier quoted for his threat to throw hollow blocks at those who are critical of the Duterte administration. But at a press briefing yesterday, he softened his rhetoric, defended mainstream journalists and urged pro-Duterte socmed warriors to go easy on the likes of Rappler’s Pia Ranada.
PhilStar then published an account of the press briefing saying that Roque, instead of throwing hollow blocks, threw pan de sal.
The National Food Authority may have to increase its wheat importation to meet the increased demand for the favorite Filipino breakfast bread.


text:
JEFF LAU, PARKER STALLARD OF TPS LOGISTICS NAMED ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR® 2019 WINNERS IN MICHIGAN, OHIO
TROY, Mich., July 1, 2019—TPS Logistics, a non-asset based, third-party logistics management company that improves clarity and reduces redundancies on global supply chains through comprehensive data and analytics, has announced that two members of its executive team, Jeff Lau and Parker Stallard, were named Entrepreneur of the Year® 2019 winners in Michigan and Northwestern Ohio. The award by EY recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities, while also transforming the world.
“There are many outstanding entrepreneurs in the region, so we are both honored to be named Entrepreneur of the Year® and recognized for our innovative approach to supply chain management,” said Lau, CEO of TPS Logistics. “We strive to bring growth to our company and prosperity to our region through technology-driven solutions to ease the supply chain burden on our local, national and international clients.”
Since 1986, EY has honored entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, spirit of innovation, and discipline has driven their companies’ success, transformed their industries, and made a positive impact on their communities. Now in its 33rd year, the program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of Starbucks and Pierre Omiduar of eBay, Inc.
“For the past 25 years, TPS Logistics has focused on cultivating meaningful relationships and challenging our industry’s status quo to better serve as thought leaders in our market, problem solvers for our clients, and leaders in our local community,” said Stallard, Vice President of TPS Logistics. “It’s gratifying to be rewarded for those practices alongside so many bright minds who are doing meaningful work across the region.”
Lau and Stallard were selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a gala event on June 18 in Detroit. As Michigan and Northwest Ohio award winners, Lau and Stallard are now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of the Year® 2019 National Awards. Honorees in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur of the Year® National Overall Award winner, will be announced at a gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 16, 2019.
TPS Logistics provides a transparent, business focused approach to logistics as a non-asset based, full service logistics management partner. Headquartered in Troy, Mich., with a strong operational presence across the globe, the company helps organizations reduce their logistics burden by creating customized solutions that save time and money across the entire supply chain. The company functions to integrate seamlessly into any business plan to fit the tailored needs of its clients. For more information, visit www.tpslogistics.com.
Entrepreneur Of The Year®, founded by EY, is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs. The program makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global awards program of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. For more information, visit www.ey.com/eoy.


text:
Most Americans are willing to go into debt for iPhone 5
Richard Drew, AP
Anticipation is building for Apple’s upcoming announcement of the iPhone 5 on Sept. 12.
But, are Americans getting too excited?
More than half of Americans used a credit card or a loan so they could purchase the latest iPad and iPhone upon release, according to a survey conducted by discount sales site couponcodes4u.com.
The site polled more than 1,900 consumers to gauge their willingness to spend on the latest Apple devices.
When asked whether they would buy the upcoming device, 53 percent said they are “likely to,” while 71 percent say they can’t afford it.
“As we have often done research on Apple products and the crazy lengths people will go to be the first person to have the latest iPhone of iPad, I was shocked and very surprised about how many Americans freely admit that they are willing to spend their way into debt by buying Apple gadgets that they simply cannot afford,” Mark Pearson, chairman of couponcodes4u.com, said in a statement. “Having the latest gadget is one thing; not being able to afford your mortgage payment, rent and groceries is another."
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text:
Monday February 25th, 2019. Mobile World Congress, Barcelona – VNC Automotive today announced its partnership with Alpine in the provision of its latest infotainment concept the ‘Add-On Box’. Alpine has been working on this fully loaded, feature rich device that sits discreetly within the vehicle, and allows car makers to vastly expand the functionality of their infotainment systems. Consumers in turn benefit from pre-configured and seamless access to these services and applications.
- Webinar: Media aggregation for IVI systems
- A day in the life of a global business development executive: Deok’s story
- A day in the life of a VNC Automotive graduate: Alasdair’s story
- First responder vehicles: Amazing advancements in infotainment technology. Q&A with Philip Handschin, Technical Consultant
- Under the hood of our new commercial evaluation packs: Q&A with Agustin Almansi, Head of Pre-Sales


text:
There are many countries and people that are embracing blockchain technology or using Bitcoin and other forms of digital currencies. But there are also those who don’t want to hear anything concerning the cryptocurrency business in their countries. What is the reason for such hostility?
Following the recent blackouts in major cities, Iran has started hunting for illegal businesses that are using the government's electricity to mine bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies. What does this mean for the Blockchain and cryptocurrency industry?
A huge amount of profits are being generated for countries through this cryptocurrency mining. For this reason, governments are channelling their surplus resources to boost the mining business and the entire cryptoasset sector.
It is more than 10 years since the first cryptocurrency appeared on earth. The emergence of crypto attracted varied reactions from the different countries of the world. Africa, the second-largest continent is especially lagging in crypto trading and mining. What challenges and opportunities lie on the way of crypto mining growth in Africa?
The US cryptocurrency industry has been quite controversial in its growth. The country’s financial watchdogs are mostly being cautious about this new technology. However, as the power in the USA has changed its face, the situation for cryptocurrency might change as well.


text:
After gradually applying its “mobile-first” algorithm to qualified sites over the past few years, Google is signaling it will be expanding the indexing system too all sites within a year – whether they are ready or not.
As reported by Twitter user @KyleW_Sutton and Search Engine Land’s Barry Schwartz, Google has begun sending out Search Console notices to sites who have yet to be included in the mobile-first index describing why their site is not ready.
Within the alerts, the company says “Google expects to apply mobile-first indexing to all websites in the next six to twelve months.”
What Is Mobile-First Indexing
Recognizing that more searches were beginning to come from mobile devices rather than desktop computers, in 2016 Google announced it was launching a new ranking system which prioritized sites that had taken steps to be “mobile-friendly.”
For example, sites with responsive mobile designs, fast loading speeds, and had removed Flash would be prioritized over those which had issues rendering on mobile devices in search results.
Initially, this took the form of an entirely separate indexing system for search results exclusively on mobile devices. However, the company has been working to create parity by making mobile-first indexing the primary method of crawling all sites.
The announcement that mobile-first indexing will be applied to all sites within a year marks the opening of the final chapter in the years-long effort to ensure all search results will load well whether you are at an office computer, using a phone on-the-go, or lounging with a tablet.
What This Means For You
If you have received this email or alert, it is a major warning sign that your site isn’t ready for a huge number of modern devices. Depending on what issue is present, it could mean something as small as an issue with a specific image presenting errors or as bad as your site being entirely unable to render on smartphones.
Either way, there is a large chance the issues present on your site are already affecting your rankings by preventing mobile-searchers from finding your site in search results. This will only get worse as Google moves forward with applying mobile-first indexing to all sites unless steps are taken to resolve the issues Google has observed.


text:
XaXXon writes "CNN reports that AMD had a profitable quarter for the first time in over two years. According to the story this is mostly because of their 64-bit line of chips (both Opterons and Athlon-64). AMD has forced both HP and Intel to change long-standing plans of only supporting Itanium, with HP coming out with Opteron-based systems and Intel releasing chips mimicking the 32/64-bit behaviour of the Opteron. According to the story, 64-bit processors are better than 32-bit ones because 32-bit processors 'can't take advantage of more than 4 megabytes (sic) of memory at a time.'"
Attend or create a Slashdot 20th anniversary party! DEAL: For $25 - Add A Second Phone Number To Your Smartphone for life! Use promo code SLASHDOT25. Check out the new SourceForge HTML5 Internet speed test. ×


text:
Kombucha was the better-for-you beverage that the industry didn’t see coming, a truly grassroots “maker” phenomenon that was turned into a trailblazing beverage option for the health conscious by a man who wanted to help his mother recover from breast cancer. Since entrepreneur GT Dave essentially created the category in the United States with Synergy kombucha in 1995, it’s grown to a $1.3 billion market that has sucked in even giants such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.
A couple of decades in, the kombucha category remains a font of bottom-up innovation. Playful flavor varieties, various treatments of the bacterial blob that floats in traditional kombucha, and even “hard” interpretations that lean into kombucha’s natural alcohol content are all contributing to the continued growth of a beverage that has helped spark a healthfulness revolution in what Americans drink.
Sales growth has slowed considerably over the last couple of years, according to Beverage Marketing Corp. And some analysts dispute that kombucha ever truly will become a widely popular beverage in the United States. “Kombucha has increasingly become mainstream, but it remains a niche category—considerably smaller than most of the mainstream beverage categories,” says Gary Hemphill, Beverage Marketing’s managing director.
Kombucha is essentially a fermented tea drink whose nutritional efficacy comes from what’s known as a SCOBY, short for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.” In Synergy and nearly all early versions of kombucha, this colony manifested in an unsightly blob referred to as the “mother,” which floats in the drink. Early adopters were drawn to its potential health benefits, which advocates say include the actions of antioxidants, the bacteria-killing advantages of acetic acid, and cutting the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even cancer.
Many other new, nutritious beverages appeared over the past 15 years, giving health-minded Americans lots of options when it comes to turning wasted beverage calories into health-boosting ones. But kombucha kept gaining on younger consumers who were proving more and more adventurous. The growing popularity of fermented foods in general also is helping buoy kombucha. (See feature article on fermented foods on page 32.)
The core kombucha consumer is 25 to 45 years old, usually consumes a diet high in plant-based foods, and exercises routinely, Dave says. “They tend to be a younger generation that does not like soda or sugary drinks and has a more adventurous palate that fits the flavor profile of traditional raw kombucha.”
Among the newer brands is Camellia Grove, a regional kombucha made in Oregon. “We concentrate on tea-forward kombucha, says CEO Joe Mayol. “We don’t add any artificial flavors or additional juices. It appeals to tea lovers and those who’ve been turned off by kombucha in the past.”
The brand’s approach includes straining out the mother, leaving the kombucha with more of the mouthfeel of traditional teas and other mainstream beverages. “Our product is still live, but we found that a lot of people didn’t like the blob,” Mayol says. “We know it’s often a sign of live kombucha, but we see that as a little off-putting.”
Meanwhile, Rowdy Mermaid, a kombucha outfit in Colorado, has “a functional take based on plants, herbs, mushrooms, and roots,” says founder Jamba Dunn. “We don’t have a SCOBY. We’ve created a very low-acid-tasting kombucha, one that is plant- and flavor-forward. It still has all the natural benefit and all the natural acids, just none of the unwanted flavor notes.”
Another huge factor has been the entry of some beverage giants into the category. PepsiCo purchased a seven-year-old kombucha startup, KeVita, in 2016, and Coca-Cola last year began testing a drink called Cidewinder, that Coke said was like kombucha but with less sugar.
Adventurous flavors also have driven kombucha sales. KeVita, for example, offers Dragonfruit Lemongrass, Blueberry Basil, French Oak Apple, and Lavender Melon. “KeVita has helped to democratize kombucha by giving it a more accessible flavor profile and presentation,” says Duane Stanford, editor of Beverage Digest.
Even while hard kombuchas have appeared, latent alcohol from fermentation has remained a pesky issue for traditional kombucha makers. Dave has proposed legislation that would protect the trace alcohol of kombucha from regulatory threats, in part by establishing a standard of identity, “which will preserve kombucha’s integrity,” he says, “for years to come.”


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• Choosin Farm puts environment and community at the forefront
• F&F Food builds new further processing plant
• Chun-Seng Farm: Human resources paves the way for future success
• Sihanoukville’s Mithsamlanh Farm bets on growing demand for better chicken
• Cambodia’s Hok Hieng Group plans food and retail venture
• Pancosma targets brand breakthrough
• Balance key optimizing broiler productivity
• Quality for Profit: A unique approach to minerals
• Reducing necrotic enteritis: A new approach with or without antibiotics
Chore-time hosted a regional sales meeting in Bali, Indonesia, for Asian distributors of its poultry and egg production systems. A variety of topics were addressed throughout the three-day session, including engineering and product development updates; sales and growth strategies; e-commerce initiatives; and product training focused on ventilation systems, CHORE-TRONICS® Controls and STRATA™ Broiler Colony product.
Cambodia’s Pich Mony Co Ltd is renovating its feed mill this fall ahead of a planned expansion of its breeding herd to 1,000 sows, up from the current 200. Chap Bunthoeum, factory manager, said the company’s new pellet mill will raise its capacity to 2,400 tonnes/month by the end of 2014.
Leading poultry producers and nutritionists in Thailand recently convened at a two-day seminar hosted by DSM entitled “Maintaining high poultry production in Asia under adverse conditions.”
Bambang Yuniwanta (left) and Sandy Irawan
PT. Bibit Indonesia, a subsidiary of Malindo Feedmill, plans to open a new Grand Parent (GP) farm in East Java by Q1 2016 to support future growth. The company is currently operating four broiler GP farms in West Java that supply around three million PS/year.
More than 100 customers representing 13 African countries attended the largest-ever Cobb Africa technical seminar held in Irvine, Zimbabwe.
Director of Cobb Africa, Patrick Murphy, said Cobb is making great strides in the African market with market share now exceeding 50% across the sub-Saharan region.
DuPont hopes to forge closer ties with its customers by helping them improve operational and innovation effectiveness through a process that it calls ‘inclusive innovation’.
Vikram Prabhu, Regional Business Leader for Industrial Biosciences (Asia Pacific), and Christina Pang, regional industrial leader for Animal Nutrition (Asia Pacific), discussed its latest generation phytase called Axtra PHY® recently in Bangkok.
Top executives from Arbor Acres Thailand, CPF and Aviagen recently presented distinguished service awards to 56 employees who have worked for Arbor Acres Thailand for five years to 35 years. The list of VIPs included Sanya Thiemsiri, president of Arbor Acres Thailand; Adirek Sripratak, CPF’s CEO; Prasert Poongkumarn, CPF’s vice-chairman; as well as Bill Souther, senior vice-president of Aviagen.
Hy-Line recently hosted a four-day Technical School that attracted more than 115 customers from over 35 different countries. The programme included a series of presentations given by Hy-Line technical services and research teams as well as industry experts and a visit to Hy-Line facilities.


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An animatronic gorilla has been entertaining crowds in London’s Trafalgar Square this morning, courtesy of the Ugandan Tourism Board.
The stunt drew the attention of passers by, some of whom were able to pose for pictures with the mountain gorilla – one of Uganda’s main tourist attractions.
And the gorilla’s London adventure is not over – he will at The Destinations Travel Show at London Olympia from February 2 to February 5.
The Uganda Tourist Board is promoting awareness of the countries wildlife, seeing gorillas in the wild by recreating the experience in London.
Encountering Mountain Gorillas in the forests of Bwindi was voted the most desirable wildlife experience in Africa by UK travellers, but this endangered species is currently enjoying a baby boom with numbers now approaching 900.
Africa Destination Specialists Kamageo has been working with Uganda Tourism Board since May last year to promote tourism to Uganda in the UK market.
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Firestone Walker partners with Duvel Moortgat USA
Named GABF's 2015 "Brewer of the Year," Firestone Walker recently announced its partnership with Duvel Moortgat USA, a multinational that's surprisingly well-regarded in craft circles for two reasons: Ommegang and Boulevard. The Belgian conglomerate owns both breweries outright (Market Watch reported it paid around $100-120 million for the Kansas City brewery in 2012, and has owned the Cooperstown outfit since 2003) but has remained totally aloof from its brewing, marketing, and labeling efforts.
Die-hard fans of Firestone Walker's award-winning Union Jack IPA are hopeful that this partnership (the terms of which were not disclosed, as both are private companies) will feature a similar dynamic.
Dogfish Head's 15% sale to a private equity firm probably won't change anything for anyone. At least not right away. In his statement, Calagione claimed LNK has accepted that the move isn't a step towards an IPO, and that he will always be able to "choose smart growth over fast growth." Gatza agrees. "In this case, Sam's not giving up control of the company, so I [don't] think it will have a broad impact on the industry."
Maybe so -- hopefully so, if you're a Dogfish Head fan. But taken together with the recent flurry of acquisitions noted above, the news represents a fundamental market truth that we've been calling for a while: Craft beer is growing up.
With each new handshake -- be it with a macro, or another craft brewer, or private investors -- the industry's oft-mythologized camaraderie and independence becomes more of a myth. Craft beer is a business, man, and it's starting to act like one.
So is the civil war coming to craft beer? “It does seem like battle lines are being drawn, even more so than a few months ago," speculated Steinman. "Whether it’s an all out war..." He scoffed doubtfully. "Eh, not yet.”
Give it a few more months.
Dave Infante is a senior writer for Thrillist. He won't say he told you so, but... he told you so. Follow @dinfontay on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.


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The World Bank Group said it provided $45 billion comprising $22 billion inlending and $23 billion from its existing portfolio to scale up its food and nutrition security its latest response to the global food security crisis.
Thefacility according to the Bank’s latest Food Security Update report released on Tuesday, includes both short-term interventions such as expanding social protection, and also long-term resilience such as boosting productivity and climate-smart agriculture. It is expected to benefit 335 million people, equivalent to 44 percent of undernourished people.
The bank’s latest intervention for the food and nutrition security portfolio which spans across 90 countries is informed by confirmation thathigh globally.
Around 53 percent of the beneficiaries wereby the crisis.
”Some examples include the $766 million West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme, which aimed to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in West Africa”, according to the Update which stated that there was an additional $345 million commitment currently under preparation for Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
The World Bank declared that food inflation is over five percent in 63.2 per cent of low-income countries, which was 1.3 percentage points higher than in the last food update on Jan. 17, 2023.
The Bretton Wood Institution in the Tuesday report also noted that the inflation level was greater than five percent in 73.9 percent of lower-middle-income countries and 48 percent of upper-middle-income countries which recorded no percentage change from the last update.
The bank whose available data on food pricesconfirmed looming food insecurity also noted that in high-income countries, the food inflation level was also higher than five percent in 44.4 percent of countries, which was 1.9 percentage points lower than in the last food update.
In total, the report said thatfood price inflation exceeded overall inflation in 71 percent of the 165 countries where data was available.
The report citing the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), noted that the recent attacks by Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea have triggered a 40 percent decrease in trade volumes in the Suez Canal, which is decreasing global food security, emphasising the critical problem of food insecurity within the context of various challenges.
“In 2023, food prices, a significant component of the agricultural price index, declined by nine percent because supplies of major crops wererice, which declined by 27 percent.
“Food prices are expected to decline further in 2024 and 2025, although potential risks such as energy cost increases, adverse weather events, trade restrictions, and geopolitical uncertainty could affect them.”
The report said that a blog post from the World Bank’s Agriculture and Food Global Practice discussed the urgent need for circular food systems to address environmental challenges.
Circular food systems, which emphasise reduce-reuse-recycle-remove approaches, are proposed as a way to build profitable, sustainable, low-emission food systems.


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Q1 profits up 66% for Three Pro
Japan-based Three Pro has announced its Q1 results for the fiscal year ending 31st October 2018.
Net sales at the recruiter were up 13.7% to ¥3,700m and net income was up by 66% to ¥85m.
For the next full year, CEO, Akio Sekido, is forecasting net sales of ¥16,500m with net income of ¥287m.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com


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The value of Vietnamese exports to the US grew by 40 per cent as a result of Trump’s tariffs on China. This was driven by both increased exports in products Vietnam already exported to the US, and by an increased likelihood of new exports in Trump-affected products relative to non-affected ones.Research team
28 April 2023
Trade war between superpowers provided unexpected boost for nation
A trade war between China and the United States triggered by former president Donald Trump created an unexpected boost for Vietnam, new research has shown.
A series of tariffs introduced by the president between 2018 and 2019 covered some £200billion of Chinese goods and included 19,000 products, a move which left US-based businesses scrambling for alternative import options.
One of the biggest ‘winners’ of the trade war was Vietnam which, according to new data, saw a 40 per cent boost in its exports of tariff-affected products to the US between 2017-2020, as well as a significant increase in jobs and wages for Vietnamese workers.
The results were published in a new paper, Trade Policy and Jobs in Vietnam: The Unintended Consequences of Trump’s Trade War, co-authored by Dr Pierre-Louis Vezina, Dr Sanchari Roy and Anri Sakakibara, of King’s College London, and Professor Lorenzo Rotunno, of the Aix-Marseille School of Economics.
“Previously exported products were also less likely to exit from the US market. This indicates that the adjustment for Vietnamese exporters to the Trump-induced trade shock occurred at both the intensive and extensive margins.
“Importantly, our results suggest that Trump’s trade war led to an acceleration of the shift of manufacturing exports away from China and towards other emerging economies.”
In sectors targeted by the US trade tariffs, Vietnam saw a 15 per cent increase in the number of jobs, while individuals worked on average an extra 50 minutes per week. While the gains in employment were mostly for men, women enjoyed higher wage gains, indicating that increased trade between Vietnam and US ensuing from the US-China trade war may have helped close Vietnam’s gender wage gap.
However, there was no sign that the increase in exports to the US resulted in occupational upgrading in Vietnam, with researchers suggesting this may have been because the new jobs created were predominantly in low-skilled occupations.
You can read the paper in full here.


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A SUPERMARKET’S Poppy Appeal has raised more than £4,000.
The Royal British Legion was collecting in the Tesco supermarket, on Quay Street, in Fareham.
Simon Beale, store manager, said: ‘I would like to thank the Fareham Tesco customers who have donated a massive £4,464.93 for the Poppy Appeal. It was down to their generosity that this appeal was so successful.’
A team of volunteers held a stall at the front of the store, selling poppies and other Poppy Appeal merchandise, for the week before Remembrance Sunday.


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Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) released its Q4 2018 results on January 31, 2019 and conducted a conference call with analysts the same day. The company fell marginally short of analysts’ expectations for revenue, primarily due to the continuing trend of decline in cigarette shipments and under-performance in the company’s wine segment, partially offset by higher price realization and revenue generation from its smokeless products. Altria reported net revenue of $4.78 billion for the fourth quarter of 2018, which marks a growth of 1.5% on a year-on-year basis. The company met the consensus EPS estimates with an adjusted earnings per share of $0.95 in Q4 2018, 4.4% higher than $0.91 in Q4 2017.
The major takeaways from the announcement have been illustrated in the graphs using our interactive dashboard – Altria’s Q4 2018 Financial Performance.
Key Factors Affecting Altria’s Results
- Decreasing cigarette shipments: During Q4 2018, domestic cigarette shipment volume declined by 4.4%, in line with the industry’s rate of decline and retail share losses. Total domestic cigarette industry volumes declined by about 5% during this period due to rising health concerns and increased awareness, leading people to switch to non-combustible products. At the same time, cigar shipments increased by 2.9% due to lower prices.
- Smokeable products segment and declining market share of Marlboro: Over the last few years, Altria’s smokeable products segment, which is the company’s largest segment and contributes 85% of total revenues, has been witnessing price increases, as it was the only step the company resorted to in face of declining volumes. In Q4 2018, in spite of a 4.5% increase in prices, net revenue increased by a meager 0.4% due to a decline in shipments. However, for the full year, segment revenue declined by 1.5% to $22.3 billion on the back of a 5.8% drop in cigarette volume. Marlboro, which is the biggest cigarette brand, has seen its market share decline steadily to 43.1% in 2018, from 43.4% in 2017. Adjusted operating margin declined by 0.8% in 2018 due to lower shipments, higher costs (including investments in strategic initiatives), and higher resolution expenses.
- Growth in smokeless segment: Domestic shipment volume declined by 1.9% in Q4 2018 and by 1% in FY 2018, primarily driven by the industry’s rate of decline. Total smokeless industry volume declined by almost 1.5% during the year. Though revenues saw a marginal decline of 0.5% in Q4 2018, compared to 2017, for the full year revenue registered a healthy increase of over 5%, driven by higher pricing and lower promotional investments. Adjusted operating margins for the year increased by 7.5% due to higher pricing and lower promotional investments. Copenhagen, a premier product in the oral tobacco category, increased its share from 34.1% in Q4 2017 to 34.7% in Q4 2018. Additionally, Altria is also expanding in the smokeless segment through acquisitions (Cronos and JUUL).
- Underperformance in the Wine segment: Net revenue in the wine segment declined by 11% in Q4 as shipments decreased by 15.1% over Q4 2017. Lower shipments were partially offset by a favorable premium mix. Adjusted operating income margin decreased from 29.2% in Q4 2017 to 15.8% in Q4 2018 on the back of higher input costs and one-time employee bonus payments. The segment is facing pressure from growth in craft beers, growing imports of foreign bulk wine, continued trade inventory reductions, and slower premium wine category growth.
For the full year, total revenue declined by 0.8% to $25.4 billion, driven by lower revenue from smokeable products and wine sales, partially offset by higher revenues from the smokeless category. As Altria resorted to price increase in all the segments, the excise payment as a percentage of revenue saw a decline, which translated into 0.7% rise in revenues net of excise to $19.6 billion. EPS declined due to a significant fall in net income margin from 40% in 2017 to 27.5% in 2018, driven by higher income taxes (tax was very low in 2017 due to benefits from Tax Reform Act) and increased asset impairment, exit, implementation, and acquisition-related cost (related to acquisition of JUUL, cost reduction program, and impairment of Columbia Crest Trademark).
What awaits Altria in 2019?
Going forward, we expect the smokeless products division to be the fastest growing segment for the company, with an expected revenue growth of 10.5% in 2019. Altria recently announced two major investment decisions which would provide long-term diversification benefits to the company. Altria announced the acquisition of a 45% equity stake in Cronos Group, a leading global cannabinoid company. In December 2018, Altria also announced its decision to acquire 35% in JUUL Labs Inc. – a company that represents ~30% of the total US e-vapor category. This will help Altria complement its non-combustible offerings in the smokeless category.
We expect to see a modest increase in revenue from wine and smokeable products, driven by price increases. Total revenue is expected to increase by about 2% to $25.8 billion in 2019. Altria recently announced a cost reduction program which includes third-party spending cuts and workforce reductions. This program, which is expected to deliver $575 million in annualized cost savings by the end of 2019, could likely push net income margin to about 31% in 2019, up from 27.5% in 2018.
We have a price estimate of $57 for Altria’s stock, which is currently higher than its market price. The company still has $345 million remaining in its $2 billion share repurchase program, which it expects to complete by the end of Q2 2019. Altria has increased its annualized dividend yield, which stood at 7.2% in January 2019. We believe that the recent acquisitions, implementation of the cost reduction program, higher dividend pay-out, and additional share repurchases during the year will support the growth in Altria’s stock price in 2019.
What’s behind Trefis? See How it’s Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs
Like our charts? Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own.


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After years working for an Australian coffee roaster, a couple is applying what they’ve picked up in cafes overseas to a new RiNo concept that will combine coffee with a full-service restaurant.
Finding a hole in the RiNo casual and late-night dining scene, two UC Boulder grads have hatched a plan for a New Orleans-inspired restaurant and music spot.
The owner of two Korean barbecue joints is firing up a third location on Broadway, where he plans to expand on the concept’s bar scene.
After about 10 years away from the Denver airport, the chicken chain is hoping to once again land a spot there, and the matter is set to go before City Council today.
With the demolition of a sandwich chain’s former Broadway building, an Austin taco restaurant is kicking off its 10-shop expansion into the Denver area.
The upcoming Stanley Marketplace development just outside of Stapleton is adding a new restaurant to its lineup: a Mexican spot with locations at the Source and in Longmont.
A San Francisco burger and grilled cheese joint is taking on the Denver food scene with a shop opening next month on the 16th Street Mall, along with four other restaurants along the Front Range.
A corner of East Colfax Avenue is losing its hot dog and pizza restaurants, but a new taco concept is moving into one of the spaces.
A Ballpark Indian restaurant is cooking up plans for a second location set to open this winter and has an eye out for more potential spots in the future.
Turning its roasting expertise onto cocoa beans, a Cap Hill coffee shop is experimenting with its own line of chocolate and is shopping for space to churn out the new product.