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At the age of 41, René Benko is many things: a high-school dropout, a self-made billionaire, and one of Europe’s hottest property tycoons. He may also turn out to be the savior of Germany’s traditional department stores.
For some, the Innsbruck-born Mr. Benko is an Austrian Donald Trump: a ruthless dealmaker with a €4 billion personal fortune and a taste for the high life, in command of a sprawling, opaque empire of companies and investments with revenues approaching €12 billion ($13.8 billion).
It can take a while, but Mr. Benko usually gets his way. For the youthful tycoon, last month brought the fulfillment of a long-standing ambition. The successful €3.5 billion bid for the Kaufhof chain of department stores by Mr. Benko’s Signa Group (also known as Signa Holding, see graphic below) has paved the way for a merger with Karstadt, the other major German chain that he acquired in 2014.
In an exclusive interview with Handelsblatt, his first in five years, Mr. Benko said he was optimistic about the future of department stores, in spite of competition from cut-price brands and internet retailers.
The Austrian entrepreneur said he was “absolutely convinced” that department stores can thrive, above all because of their place in vibrant city centers: “We’re talking 200 locations here!” Mr. Benko enthused. He said the merged company would retain both brands, describing them as “enormously powerful.”
Although analysts have predicted large-scale store closures, Mr. Benko said this would not happen. He said his company’s revival of Karstadt showed it could keep department stores open, and he would fight to save every branch: “We can do it, because we stand for dependability, reliability and a social conscience.”
Unlike Mr. Trump, Mr. Benko wasn’t born into privilege. The child of a municipal civil servant and a kindergarten teacher, he dropped out of high school to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams.
He began with luxury renovations in his hometown of Innsbruck, moving on to develop healthcare centers. Within a few years, massive capital investments, secured from wealthy acquaintances, allowed him to buy up a local department store named Tyrol, which became the anchor for a much wider urban makeover.
As the financial crisis unfolded, in 2008 Mr. Benko snapped up a bank headquarters in Vienna at a knock-down price. Teamed with Hyatt, he turned it into one of the Austrian capital’s swankiest hotels, the centerpiece of an exclusive new shopping district known as the Golden Quarter.
Staff and customers of both Karstadt and Kaufhof will hope that, once the merger is approved by competition authorities, Mr. Benko can work magic on the battered remains of Germany’s department stores, which have suffered from decades of decline.
Thirty years ago, there were five major department store chains in Germany – Kaufhof, Karstadt, Hertie, Horten and Quelle – old-fashioned retail giants offering a range of commodities under a single roof.
Even then, however, suburban shopping malls were making department stores seem like outmoded relics. The early 1990s saw a swift wave of consolidation. By 1994, there were just two chains left: Kaufhof and Karstadt, whose downtown flagship stores were sometimes located right beside each other.
A merger was the obvious solution. The idea was explored at various points, but always fell through. Meanwhile, the rise of internet retailing provided another, more deadly rival to the grand old bricks-and-mortar stores.
Amazon appeared on the scene, and by 2012, had as much market share as Kaufhof and Karstadt combined. The internet giant has now left them in the dust, with revenues now three times that of the two German chains. Other online retailers, like fashion heavyweight Zalando, have eaten even deeper into revenues.
After having several bids rebuffed, Mr. Benko swooped on the ailing Karstadt chain in 2013. The same year, Kaufhof was bought by the Canadian investment group Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), with promises to revive the flagging business.
But while Karstadt began to turn a corner under Mr. Benko’s Signa, Kaufhof continued to fail. With loss-making businesses elsewhere, HBC seemed unwilling to make the investment to drag the business into the 21st century.
Mr. Benko repeatedly approached HBC’s management with bids for the chain. But Richard Baker, HBC’s boss, reportedly had an intense dislike of the Austrian upstart. “He’d rather dance across Fifth Avenue in a wedding dress than sell to Benko,” one insider told German news magazine Der Spiegel.
Restructuring measures at Kaufhof only worsened the situation, and the chain continued to bleed hundreds of millions of euros. This year, Mr. Baker ate humble pie, traveling to Vienna to cut a deal with his hated rival.
For all his flash, the Austrian billionaire may have discovered a secret that Germany’s beleaguered retailers had overlooked. City department stores must offer more than commodities for sale; they need to become a new kind of luxury urban “marketplace,” seamlessly meshing with online retail. He insists the Tyrol in Innsbruck, redesigned by starchitect David Chipperfield, shows how it can be done, with its 33,000 square meters (355,000 sq ft) of luxury retail space drawing customers in record numbers.
For this to happen in Germany, major investment will be needed. Many Karstadt and Kaufhof outlets are run-down, with buildings dating from the 1970s. Signa hopes synergies from the merged administration, purchasing and IT can save €200 million a year.
Mr. Benko promises that Kaufhof employees will experience a very different style of management: “We will speak the same language as staff, work toward the same goals, and we’ll keep our promises,” he told Handelsblatt. But he insists there is no alternative to the deal: “Without the merger, Kaufhof has no future. We cannot forget that,” he said.
Florian Kolf leads a team of correspondents covering the trading and consumer sector for Handelsblatt. Thomas Tuma is a deputy editor in chief at Handelsblatt. Brían Hanrahan adapted this story into English for Handelsblatt Global. To contact the authors: email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.org


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Traditional Manufacturing Bases See Signs of Slowing Down
The world’s second largest economy has slowed down to a 24 year low of around 7.4 percent last year even with efforts to diminish reliance on investment and low end manufacturing. Although the Chinese economy is being restricted for quality growth, its old industrial heartland seems to be missing something as the country’s traditional manufacturing bases in the northeast saw growth even slower.
Even with a cooling economy there are works that are holding well and consumption is contributing more to the growth of the country. But a steeper slowdown in three northeastern provinces can be disturbing sign that the China’s rust belt is stuck using the old growth model as the nation gears up for a transformation. Economic growth in the northeastern provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning is trailing behind the national average last year.
The northeast is among the first regions in China to be industrialized, and State owned companies have played a big role in the region’s heavy industry. And a revitalization plan was created to help the region bounce back to lead economic growth after the central government has implemented reforms in its inefficient state sector in the late 1990s. a weakened overseas demand and falling commodity prices in the past year has took a fresh toll in the region’s economy which led to a slowdown once again exposes regional economic problems in their previous government rescues with failed to address the problems.
Although market based reforms are being offering and grants more freedom to entrepreneurs and boost productivity in developed regions, progress is slow here. Furthermore foreign equipment in factories of state firms points to the lack of propriety technology placing the firms at a disadvantage in global competition.

domain: news


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Samsung Messager Mister Cartoon Phone for MetroPCS
The Samsung Messager mobile phone on MetroPCS is okay for messaging but does look a tad drab in the smartness stakes, so maybe you’d like it tarted up a bit.
Well if so, according to engadget mobile, MertoPCS has partnered with a wizard tattoo artist called Mister Cartoon to offer customers a customised Samsung Messager handset.
The user will get customised Samsung Messager shell, wallpaper and ringtones and is expected to become available later this month. But MetroPCS is also auctioning off 10 handsets signed by Mister Cartoon starting this weekend, that’s if you can’t wait to grab one.


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OnePlus announced its first mechanical keyboard
OnePlus has announced the OnePlus Feature co-creation project, in which the company will collaborate with other manufacturers on new products. And the first such product will be a mechanical keyboard.
Here's What We Know
This is the first OnePlus keyboard, and Keychron will also be involved in its creation. It is still young (established in 2017), but quite successful brand, which has established itself in the market as a manufacturer of reliable gamer keyboards.
There is not much information about the new product yet: we only know that it is a mechanical keyboard with the ability to customize the keys. But we don't have long to wait for details, because OnePlus promises to release the keyboard in early 2023, and in the global market.
The company has also announced two new monitors for the PC, indicating that it is very interested in entering the PC market.


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Aveda Stonestown San Francisco via Crowdrise
April 21, 2014
Every spring Aveda partners with an environmental organization to raise funds and awareness for the earth. This April, the Aveda Experience Center in the Stonestown Galleria Mall is partnering with the Clean Water Fund. This non-profit organization focuses their efforts on keeping toxins out of common consumer products that become waste and affect our waterways.
All proceeds will go to Clean Water Fund (tax ID # 52-1043444)


text: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, an India-based manufacturer of generic pharmaceutical products, will invest US$16.5 million to expand its operations in Shreveport, Louisiana, according to the Louisiana governor's office. The company plans to create 73 new jobs at an average annual salary of $37,000 plus benefits. The 300,000-square-foot Shreveport plant is the largest producer of silver sulfadiazine cream, a topical burn remedy, and the second-largest producer of the pain reliever ibuprofen in the North American market. "Our plans to expand the scope and scale of our Shreveport facility are driven by the combination of several factors -- the strategic fit of the products and capabilities of the site with our corporate objectives, the work ethic of the people of North Louisiana, as well as the incentives put forth at both the state and local levels, among other considerations," says Amit Patel, head of North American Generics for Dr. Reddy's. The state has offered the company an incentives package that includes $2.1 million for capital expenditures; the city will provide waivers for all city permit fees and a 2.75 percent rebate of local sales taxes.


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Keysight Technologies Inc. announced the newest release of its high-performance, Advanced Low-Frequency Noise Analyzer (A-LFNA), which is designed to make fast, accurate and repeatable low-frequency noise measurements. The release features a new user interface and tight integration with Keysight’s WaferPro Express software—a platform that performs automated wafer-level measurements of semiconductor devices.
Developers of wireless products that need to push to the higher communication bands now have access to an affordable VNA for operation up to 6 GHz. The new MegiQ VNA-0460 VNA measures impedances and other S-parameters from 400 MHz up to 6 GHz.
Lake Shore Cryotronics, a leading innovator in solutions for measurement over a wide range of temperature and magnetic field conditions, will be exhibiting a forthcoming terahertz (THz) frequency on-wafer cryogenic probing arm at next week’s 10th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP) in Davos, Switzerland.
The Keysight CX3300 Series Device Current Waveform Analyzer is a new category of instrument and is ideally suited for researchers struggling with high-speed transient current measurements during advanced device characterization and engineers working to reduce power/current consumption in low-power devices.


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There’s no doubt that the toy industry is rooted in tradition, from counting on tried-and-true play patterns to doing business in-person at major events throughout the year. But when a global pandemic enters the picture, all of that goes out the window.
During this past year, toy companies were faced with countless challenges, staying in touch with consumers, spending endless hours strategizing, shifting, and problem-solving from afar, all while trying to get used to a new normal. Ironically, these obstacles are exactly what drives innovation.
The Toy Book spoke with 14 top manufacturers to pinpoint exactly what evolving trends and business practices came out of or were accelerated during 2020 due to the pandemic, and evaluate which ones are short-term fixes and which are here to stay.
Heading into 2020, the in-person shopping experience was going through a renaissance of sorts. Many retailers — from independents to big-box names — were embracing the experiential model to give their customers a fresh, engaging shopping experience. But when nationwide lockdowns and stay-at-home orders were mandated last March, brick-and-mortar locations closed and manufacturers stepped up their direct-to-consumer retail strategies. Many had either added a shopping section to their websites altogether or expanded their existing online offerings. The verdict: a tie between being a short- and long-term trend.
For Tangible Play, creator of the Osmo brand of physical and digital learning products, having a strong online presence was always a company priority. To make up for the loss of sales at brick-and-mortar stores, the company shifted its focus on Amazon, increasing sales by 30%, according to Karen O’Dell, director of public relations at the company.
Similarly, Ceaco has always had a direct-to-consumer option for its jigsaw puzzle brand, but since puzzles were one of the top-performing and popular categories during the pandemic, the company experienced unprecedented sales in 2020. “When the pandemic first hit in March, consumer demand was off the charts,” says Jason Schneider, vice president of product development at Ceaco and Gamewright. “We did more direct-to-consumer business in one month than we had done in the entire 2019 holiday shopping season combined.”
However, sales tapered off during the spring when the company was forced to shut down its manufacturing and fulfillment centers due to COVID-19 precautions. “We’ve always prided ourselves as having the agility to react to the moment, but we felt the pain of many companies whose manufacturing and shipping channels were affected by the pandemic,” Schneider says. “On the one hand, we were fortunate to have a strong inventory of games at the start of 2020. On the other hand, jigsaw puzzle demand defied all forecasts and expectations.”
Schneider also says that its website analytics show that shoppers are still visiting its website in record numbers, and Ceaco anticipates being back up and running to pre-COVID conditions by mid-year. Even though consumers are showing up in larger numbers to shop in person again, the advantages of direct-to-consumer business remain. The convenience factor is huge, and it’s likely that online shopping will continue to dominate.
“Online shopping has been growing at a sizable rate year over year, and the data continues to show that trend is only going to continue,” says Scott Goldberg, managing director and executive vice president of Carve Communications. “As a result, we saw our partners allocate their marketing budgets in a variety of ways in 2020 to test and learn what will drive the best conversions for online sales. … We are able to report exactly how much money was spent where, when, and with who, and exactly what the result was in regards to traffic and sales. That’s a true game changer.”
FEWER KIDS AT RETAIL
Parents aren’t bringing their kids out shopping as much as they did pre-pandemic, resulting in less impulse purchases. As mentioned above, online shopping continues to be the dominant method for consumers, and curbside pickup options are preferred. The verdict: short-term.
“The growth in online channels resulted in an increase in sales of higher price point items and a decrease in the under $10 impulse purchase category,” says Laura Henderson, executive vice president of marketing at Spin Master. “For in-store, it’s more important than ever to stand out as shoppers are more mission-focused, looking to reduce the amount of time they spend in stores.”
Most manufacturers agree that a well-rounded, all-channel approach is the best strategy to implement when the pandemic eventually winds down. “Consumers want in-store experiences,” says Mattel’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Steve Totzke. “We will leverage what we learned in 2020 from the success of digital campaigns and virtual consumer events, and will complement that with compelling in-store events to fully optimize the shopping experience and path to purchase.”
Between daily Zoom meetings, virtual studios, and online events, our daily and professional lives have gone digital. The verdict: short-term trend.
“The pandemic will 100% change the way business is conducted, and it will be all for the positive,” says Anna Mowbray, owner and COO at ZURU. “I’m hopeful for consolidation of toy fairs as we pivot and all work more succinctly and efficiently with virtual tools. We’re continuing to push the boundaries on how we operate virtually, but also planning on how we open up to in-person meetings and shows in the future that will allow for deeper interactions.”
For an industry that relies on hands-on, in-person meetings for product demonstrations, perhaps the pandemic’s biggest disruption is the lack of trade shows for the foreseeable future.
“We are able to ‘always’ be on the sales cycle with customers as jumping in a Zoom is fast versus scheduling an in-person meeting and/or waiting to see a buyer until a trade show,” says Josh Loerzel, vice president of sales and marketing at Hog Wild. “The disadvantage is massive, however. We lose the energy of a face-to-face meeting, and for a retail category like toys, it relies so much on buyers actually playing with your toy to see performance and appeal.”
Moving forward, a hybrid model will likely take over — from a smaller scale of more flexible working-from-home policies to a larger scale of tying in virtual components to traditionally in-person events. “We’ve managed to increase cohesion, productivity, and team members are thrilled to have more time in their days thanks to less commuting,” says Andrew Yanofsky, head of marketing and operations at WowWee. “The past year has proved for us that this will certainly not slow us down.”
PRODUCT INFLUENCED BY DIGITAL-FIRST ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS
Entertainment consumption is increasing rapidly thanks to connected TV, streaming services, and other digital-first platforms, like YouTube. Manufacturers are re-evaluating the licenses they take on and seeking out new options to offer products based on these brands, channels, and influencers. These changes were fueled by the pandemic during which reliance on movie theaters decreased. The verdict: long-term.
“Digital celebrities and trends are here to stay,” says Bonkers Toys’ Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Deborah Stallings Stumm. “Kids and teens are consuming entertainment in ways very different than their parents did. YouTube, social media, and streaming platforms reign supreme with our kids and the hottest toys will need to reflect those trends and be advertised in those arenas.”
This shift in the way that kids are consuming content even before the pandemic began. Digital-first platforms give consumers access to content whenever and wherever they want it, and streaming services are making old franchises relevant again.
“For many families, their TV is no longer their first destination when they’re looking for their favorite co-viewing content,” says Laura Zebersky, president of Jazwares. “For toy companies, this offers us an exciting opportunity to work with emerging properties and create toy lines that directly complement what kids are watching on their screens.”
EMPHASIS ON “PANDEMIC-PLAY” CATEGORIES
Family games, puzzles, construction toys, activity sets, educational products, and outdoor and active toys were the most popular toy categories of 2020. More companies are branching out of their traditional categories of expertise to offer these toys in 2021 to take advantage of the high demand. The verdict: short-term trend.
“The pandemic has reacquainted families with the importance of being together and spending time together — this family dynamic will have a positive impact on these areas of play and will continue to grow,” says PlayMonster’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Chief Fun Officer Scott Flynn. “As these categories continue to grow we will continue to maintain these as core offerings while exploring how we can expand.”
Instead of looking at it as “pandemic play” categories, companies have taken a step back as consumers rediscovered the meaning of play in their lives. “There has been a complete magnifying glass put on what play is in general,” says Glenn Abell, president and general manager of Moose Toys USA. “What it really comes down to is developing the best toys that appeal to kids and adults alike, and our focus will continue to be on bringing the most innovative products to market each and every year.”


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Yesterday we reported that Angry Birds (and quite a number of high profile apps) have disappeared from the German Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.
It seems whatever has been causing the problem has now been corrected, as Angry Birds has made its reappearance there.
At the time many blamed issues around German game certification, but if Infinite Flight’s experience is anything to go by, it seems the blame largely rests on App Hub issues, and seems to be affecting many apps which had recent updates.
Either way, it may be a good idea to grab Angry Birds with its 90 new levels while you can, before it disappears again.
Thanks Mark for the tip.


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Nick in the AM: Rumberger's Wings & More to reopen Northpoint location
After a retrenching last year, it appears Rumberger's Wings & More is ready to expand again.
The locally owned chicken-wing emporium is reopening its location in Northpoint Shopping Center, 8807 N. Knoxville Ave. in North Peoria.
The grand reopening is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday.
Rumberger's flagship is in Downtown Peoria, at 500 Main St. That outlet opened almost one year ago and at the time was the third Rumberger's in town.
But in subsequent months, the Northpoint location closed. So did the original Rumberger's, at 3127 N. Prospect Road on the East Bluff.
"We were just kind of getting our stuff together Downtown," Rumberger's owner Tremayne Branch said about the rationale for the closings.
As a show of appreciation, the Northpoint Rumberger's is to be giving away five wings — any style, any flavor — to every customer Saturday. Branch's renewed branch is to be open until 4 p.m. that day.
Starting next week, the Northpoint Rumberger's will conduct regular hours, which according to Branch will be from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The menu at the reopened Rumberger's is to be truncated, Branch said. No seafood, with a focus on chicken.
But among new items is something Branch calls "Gold Rush": French fries topped with cheese, a special sauce and cut-up boneless wings.
"You're not coming here for diet foods," Branch said with a laugh.


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2013 Mazda6 GT Australian Pricing Revealed In Online Contest
It happened with the Mazda CX-5, and with Ford's Ranger, and it can't be avoided: an 'approximate' Australian price for the new 2013 Mazda6 has been revealed this week, thanks to a new online contest. Launched by Mazda ahead o
It happened with the Mazda CX-5, and with Ford's Ranger, and it can't be avoided: an 'approximate' Australian price for the new 2013 Mazda6 has been revealed this week, thanks to a new online contest.
Launched by Mazda ahead of the new model's local launch, the contest offers fans the chance to win a top-spec Mazda6 GT. Under Australian law, pricing must be listed in the contest's terms and conditions.
Spied by an eagle-eyed TMR reader with a penchant for the fine print, details of the contest reveal an "approximate" price of $56,000 for "the total prize pool".
The prize car is likely to be well-featured; the current top-spec Mazda6 carries a Manufacturer's List Price of $43,115 - a figure that excludes on-road costs.
Readers should note that the 'approximate' price listed in the contest includes all on-road costs, along with unspecified accessories "as determined by the promoter".
On-road costs include dealer delivery and statutory charges, 12 months’ registration and stamp duty.
The model listed in the contest is powered by Mazda's 2.2 litre SkyActive-D diesel engine, and if the CX-5 is any indicator, we can likely expect petrol models to enter around $3000 less.
Readers can enter the contest by visiting http://www.mazda.com.au/vehicles/upcoming-models/all-new-mazda6
(Tip of the hat to TMR reader Andrew.)


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Red Out: Utah rocks all-red uniforms against Michigan, and they’re fantastic
For the 2015 season opener, Utah made a serious fashion statement.
The Utes took the field in all-red uniforms, including brand new red satin helmets, for Thursday night’s game vs. the Michigan Wolverines.
Check out the awesome threads, courtesy of Utes Equipment on Twitter:
— UtesEquipment (@UtesEquipment) September 3, 2015
And here’s running back Devontae Booker rocking the look during warmups:


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Retail mobile marketing is becoming more important than ever. Last year was difficult for the UK retail industry. Two separate reports cited 2019 as “the worst year on record for the overall health of Britain’s retail sector.” In Britain’s top 500 high streets, “about 16 stores closed their doors every day in the first half of 2019 while only nine opened.”
The year 2020 continues to strike a harder blow on the retail industry with the Covid-19 crisis. Social distancing means fewer customers passing through brick and mortar stores, and people overall are not eager to spend money during a crisis.
A recent study by Alvarez & Marsal suggests that half of UK retailers could be wiped out if coronavirus continues. Many retailers have already announced administration. Debenhams appointed administrators in the hope that it will be able to salvage as many of its UK stores as possible. However, its 11 stores in Ireland are expected to shut for good.
While brick and mortar stores are closing, eCommerce continues to grow. New data from IMRG (reported by Internet Retailing) states that UK online retail sales rose by 22% in the first week of April compared to the same time last year. This is marginally down on the previous week, where sales had risen 23.7% year on year.
Online retailers are put into a better position than in-stores. Dunelm’s online orders are ‘significantly higher’ than they were before the pandemic. Fashion retailer Quiz has also reopened its online store after temporarily shutting it down.
Below are ways that retail mobile marketing can maximise online sales.
Retailers can decrease their online cart-abandonment rates by sending customers abandoned-cart SMS or RMM messages when they leave the site without completing the checkout process. While many retailers rely on emails for their abandoned-cart messaging, text is a better choice because more than half of all web views come from mobile devices, so you reach users on the device they were probably using to shop. And text open rates are as high as 98%, with response rates of 45%.
Abandoned carts are an issue for all online retailers. Research from Barilliance shows that the average global cart-abandonment rate is 77.73%. This means that only 22% of customers who place an item in their virtual carts make a purchase.
There are several reasons users walk away from their online carts. Survey data from Statista on UK fashion shoppers shows the primary reasons were delivery costs, they weren’t ready to make a purchase, the item was out of stock, and they changed their mind because of price.
One-way retailers can get customers to return and complete their purchases is to send abandoned-cart SMS messages that are triggered soon after a user leaves the site without making a purchase.
With Rich Media Messaging, retailers can include images of the products in the cart and a GIF of the discount offer. These messages are more visually appealing and can entice customers to click the link back to the retailer’s site and purchase.
A company called SlickText gathered data on their clients who sent abandoned-cart SMS messages between June and July of last year. The company found that businesses of all sizes could use texts to successfully win back sales. And one client was able to use texts to recover 58% of their abandoned carts. This means that “two out of every three people who walked away from their carts returned after receiving a text reminding them to finish their purchase.”
Loyalty programs are important because 70% of retail sales come from 30% of a business’s customers, so you want to make sure those customers keep coming back.
And while SMS isn’t regularly used by brands to manage their loyalty and rewards programs, it should be. The channel for distributing messages is important, but so is the content of the message. Customers want personalization, not the same offer as everyone else.
Retailers looking to boost sales online should use SMS to send customers a “thank you” message when they make a purchase, let them know when an item they’ve searched is back in stock, or give them offers on previously purchased products to increase loyalty and make customers feel special.
You can also notify customers of new products, services, or features by sending email newsletters. they are an effective way which add to your omnichannel experience. Just be mindful to avoid spamming by making sure you don’t send too many emails at once and your email looks legitimate.
Send customers SMS messages with up-to-date information about the status of their package delivery to eliminate one of the biggest pain points online shoppers face.
UK shoppers spend more money online than consumers in any other country. And while it’s meant to be convenient, issues with deliveries can ruin the customer experience. The Financial Times’ look at consumer complaints shows that issues with deliveries increased considerably from 2017-2018 to 2018-2019.
Retailers can create a perfect browsing experience and a frictionless checkout, but if a customer’s delivery doesn’t arrive when expected, some customers will never do business with that retailer again. By keeping customers informed about the status of their parcel, retailers can improve customer experience and retention.
For example, Home Retail Group — now acquired by Sainsbury’s — was a leading general merchandise retailer. They were calling their customers to confirm order delivery dates and times but typically only achieved a 30%-40% answer rate. As a result, they received many inbound calls and emails from customers asking about the status of their orders and deliveries.
Home Retail Group wanted to enhance performance and improve customer satisfaction, so they deployed VoiceSage’s Interactive Voice Messaging and SMS solutions to keep customers informed about their orders and to let them know about their two-hour delivery window. Using these solutions, they were able to achieve contact with 100% of their customers, which improved customer satisfaction, and they lowered their costs because 60% of contacts were made with SMS.
As retailers face more challenges from changing consumer habits and increased competition, it becomes increasingly important to improve customer outreach and to use channels that will get results. These retail mobile marketing tactics are easy for retailers to implement to help maximise online sales.
VoiceSage offers mobile messaging solutions like interactive SMS and Rich Media Messaging that can be used to send abandoned-cart messages, discounts for loyal customers, and delivery notifications that can help retailers achieve outstanding customer engagement. Schedule a demo with a VoiceSage specialist to see how we can help your business.
Business customer communication plays a pivotal role in the success and growth of any organization and usually this is delivered by a cloud communication platform….
One powerful tool that is revolutionizing brand-customer interactions is rich messaging. In today’s dynamic and fast-paced digital landscape, effective communication is the key to building…
Creating an effective omnichannel customer journey requires careful planning and execution. When customers interact with your brand, they will use a few or all your…
Book a demo with one of our customer engagement experts.
See how VoiceSage transforms outbound and inbound customer contact operations.


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It's extremely rare that big companies do the 'viral video' thing well, let alone "wow that's cool" well -- but someone has hit the jackpot and surprisingly it's the king of nonsensical slogans, Samsung. In this homage to unboxing videos, Samsung and some 'impishly creative friends' have put together a fantastic unboxing video.
We don't want to ruin the surprise, but let's just say we wish this was how all unboxings went. The phone that Samsung is trying to promote through the video is the Samsung Omnia i900, a Windows Mobile smart phone that features a touchscreen, HSDPA and GPS.
The Omnia also packs a 5-megapixel camera and 8GB or 16GB of internal memory with the option to expand via a microSD slot. In other words, this is a super-phone that packs almost everything you'd want or need. Business bods will be particularly interested in the ability to edit Microsoft documents on the go, something the iPhone 3G has yet to be able to do. But this isn't about the Omnia, this is about the coolest viral video from a corporation that we've seen so far, so watch it below. -Andrew Lim


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Eskil Zapffe has been appointed as the new CEO of Ratos's subsidiary Jøtul with effect from 13 January 2014. Eskil's most recent position was with Lilleborg Dagligvare where he has been CEO since 2009.
Eskil Zapffe, born 1967, has held a number of leading positions in the Orkla Group for the past 20 years, firstly with production and subsequently with overall responsibility for B2B and brand-driven B2C operations such as Lilleborg Profesjonell and Lilleborg Dagligvare. Eskil's most recent position was with Lilleborg Dagligvare where he has been CEO since 2009.
"Jøtul has faced a couple of really challenging years and has among other things made major changes within production and logistics. We are now nearly through this and can once again focus on growth and continue to improve profitability. Eskil has long experience of managing change in companies and building strong brands. We on the board are therefore convinced that we have found the right person to lead Jøtul in the next phase of the company's development," says Anders Lindblad, Chairman of Jøtul.
Jøtul is one of Europe's largest manufacturer of stoves and fireplaces. The company, which is one of the oldest in Norway dating back to 1853, manufactures stoves, cassettes, surrounds and fireplace accessories. The company's key brands are Jøtul and Scan. Production mainly takes place in Norway and Denmark with smaller units in France and the US. The products are sold worldwide through both sales subsidiaries and importers. Products reach end consumers through speciality stores in Norway and through DIY outlets.
Eskil Zapffe will take up his position on 13 January 2014 and succeed Arve Johan Andresen who was CEO of Jøtul until summer 2013. Stein Erik Bjørni has been acting CEO since August 2013.
For further information, please contact:
Per Frankling, Investment Director Ratos, +46 8 700 17 80
Anders Lindblad, Chairman of Jøtul, +46 705 51 87 72
Emma Rheborg, Head of Corporate Comunications and IR Ratos, +46 8 700 17 20


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When I first started working with DNAe, the company comprised a small team of scientists from Imperial College London seeking a breakthrough in DNA analysis in order to speed up the time taken to identify infections. Now with a team of over 100 based in London and San Diego, DNAe are preparing to launch their inaugural product, LiDia®. Enabling clinicians to quickly identify the most appropriate antibiotic for a variety of blood infections that can lead to Sepsis, LiDia® will offer the potential to save many more lives.
After initially helping DNAe with the company’s brand and marketing communications strategy, Orchard is currently focused on harnessing the power of the internet as a means to reach prospective customers ahead of the product launch. This involves web site development and maintenance, email marketing, content-rich presentations and social networking.
A brand narrative is a means connecting a company’s customers and prospects to its brand at every touchpoint through simple, consistent and empathetic storytelling. For maximum impact, it needs to be deliverable across the whole gamut of online and offline platforms.
The cornerstone of DNAe’s brand narrative is a consistent brand promise we developed called ‘Live Diagnostics’. The term is both descriptive and benefits-focused. LiDia®, for example, can be used on-site, close to the point of need, 24/7, and generates accurate results within 3 hours. The product performs highly sensitive and specific analysis leading to fast and accurate identification of an infection - which can can literally mean the difference between life and death. ‘Live Diagnostics’ has come to represent a somewhat revolutionary approach to diagnosis. It is a term which DNAe has come to own, and one recognised and understood by the industry in general.
At a recent exhibition to launch a prototype of its initial product offering, DNAe needed to find a way to announce its pending arrival over and above merely exhibiting it at the event. There’s a limit to how many glossy brochures attendees want to keep, yet we needed to get across the prototype’s far-reaching and notable attributes. So we decided to print a newspaper. Yes, a newspaper! Apart from being extremely practical and effective, it immediately said: This is news! Whilst everyone else was busy pumping fragments of information onto social media, we put a physical newspaper into people’s hands and it worked.
Earlier this year, new rules came into place regarding transparency of data that companies and organisations hold on persons internally (and externally for that matter). The changes seemed to creep up on everyone, but Orchard was immediately able to put a comprehensive future-proof process in place for DNAe by establishing a manageable database (CRM) and inviting everyone on it to reconnect with the company. Now, DNAe has the ability to maintain a dialogue through well-planned and timely 'opt-in' email campaigns.


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Consumer electronics 2011: the future is wireless
If one were to guess what will be the big star of next year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, it wouldn't be too crazy to suggest a new wireless technology called Wi-Fi Direct.
Think of it as the same sort of wireless internet access you get when you connect your laptop at a local café, except it'll be on everything — your television, your camera and even your printer. By next year's annual gadget circus in Las Vegas, Wi-Fi Direct will be allowing all sorts of devices to connect to the internet, and each other. More importantly, it will offer the promise of largely removing those scourges of the technology world: cables and wires.
"You can expect that to be the case. Our members have been very energized around this program," says Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, in an interview at this year's recently concluded CES. "There's a perfect storm brewing with consumer demands and expectations."
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a technology standardization and testing group started initially in 1999 by six companies including Nokia and Lucent. Based in Austin, Texas, it has since grown to more than 300 members, including a who's who of technology — Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Cisco, just to name a few.
The Alliance tests and certifies new Wi-Fi standards and products, and expects members to ship 500 million such devices — including games consoles, computers and smartphones — this year. By 2013, with Wi-Fi Direct being added to consumer electronics of all sorts, that number is expected to grow to more than 1.2 billion.
Wi-Fi Direct, first announced in October, is a technology that allows gadgets equipped with Wi-Fi chips to communicate with each other without having to go through an intermediary device, such as an internet router.
The examples, Figueroa says, are numerous. You could send photos from a digital camera directly to a printer, or connect a mouse to a laptop, which is then connected to a monitor, or transmit sound from your home theatre amplifier to speakers around the house, all wirelessly.
"Applications like that are just the beginning because our members have proven time and time again that when we give them a technical solution, they get creative and come up with all kinds of products," he says.
Unlike existing wireless technologies, all of this will be standardized, interoperable across brands and benefit from the advantages of Wi-Fi — namely security, range up to 200 metres and transfer speeds up to 250 megabits per second.
The Wi-Fi Alliance expects the first Wi-Fi Direct-equipped devices to become available in mid-2010, with more coming rapidly after that. And while most new electronics will come with Direct, existing Wi-Fi-capable devices will only need a software update to become compatible. Moreover, only one device in a home or office will need Wi-Fi Direct, whereupon it will act as a sort of network hub for all other gadgets connecting to it.
"To the devices that don't have Wi-Fi Direct, it will appear as if they are joining a Wi-Fi network," Figueroa says.
Unlike some technologies that are hyped at CES but which are supported by questionable consumer demand — like 3D TV at this year's show — Wi-Fi Direct is likely to be an instant hit at next year's event. A recent survey by the Wi-Fi Alliance found an overwhelming majority of consumers polled favoured more simple wireless connectivity in their devices, a finding that confirms a truism many gadget users already know.
It's a technology people can't help but love, Figueroa says.
"It's a true cable replacement."


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Post your views on the inauguration
Original post made on Jan 20, 2009
[Web Link ■ Check out the new White House Web site.]
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 10:31 AM
If you were a member and logged in you could track comments from this story.


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Reebok Releases Plant-Based Forever Floatride GROW
For those who have waited almost a whole year for the Reebok Forever Floatride Grow, the new silhouette is in fact one of the world's first plant-based running shoes from Reebok. Reebok Forever Floatride Grow is made of eucalyptus bark, algae, castor bean oil, and rubber tree.
Original article 04.12.2019
More and more sporting goods manufacturers are adopting an environmentally conscious orientation and are moving towards the direction of sustainability. Some recycle their sneakers and use the material to make new ones, while others use garbage to make theirs. This shows that well-known brands are changing for the better in order to address the current environmental situation.
Reebok finally jumps on the bandwagon and is gearing up to make its future sneakers just as sustainable as the current ones from reputable brands. While Nike uses natural dyes and FlyLeather and New Balance works with recycled materials and production waste, the new Reebok Forever Floatride GLOW does things differently using plant-based materials.
Reebok's new performance sneaker comes with a neutral hue. But, Reebok's dynamic construction and long-term sustainability make up for this lack of colour. The upper is made of eucalyptus tree fiber, while castor beans are used for the sole and BLOOM algae foam for the insoles.
Don't miss the release of the Reebok Forever Floatride GLOW!
The trend towards sustainable production continues to grow and this is a good thing. But, Reebok apparently still needs time for its new performance plant-based sneaker. The release is being planned for autumn 2020. What do you think of Reebok getting on the sustainability train? Would you give up your regular sneakers for a plant-based one?
Don't miss the next news and get the Grailify app. With it, you always stay up to date.


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Jump in right ahead of the game’s upcoming expansion’s launch.
11 bit Studios also confirms a release date for the Mac OS version.
Wandersong developer Greg Lobanov speaks to GamingBolt about the game's recent PS4 launch.
Their new game sounds like it will be very different from their previous one.
Canada is playable in Civilization at last, and the only surprise is that they can’t build Tim Hortons as their unique buildings.
It’s been a long time coming, but multiplayer Stardew Valley for Switch is here at last.
Some tips and tricks for Farming Simulator 19
Pushing it to the last minute as far as the promised November release date goes.
Blizzard desperately trying to contain the negative reception to the upcoming Diablo Immortal.
The original indie roguelike sensation is out on Nintendo Switch at last.
Everything you need to know about Project Phoenix.
This whole mess could have been avoided...
Hearthstone achieves a tremendous milestone, and decides to share the love with its players.
Cuphead and Mughead battle for their souls, now on Mac.
Plus a free update with new content for everyone is coming too.
The iOS version of the game will be launching later this month, in fact.
This would be perfect for Swi- wait.
Starting next year, Mac and Linux users can play the sequel to Dontnod’s beloved game too.
The popular city sim game jumps to the Switch, at last.
So you only have to wait a week more.


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Table of Contents
- Amazon seizes half of all online Black Friday sales in an ‘eye-popping’ show of dominance
- The best Black Friday 2017 book deals
- Amazon Black Friday Deals Week
- Other Black Friday 2017 Deals
Amazon seizes half of all online Black Friday sales in an ‘eye-popping’ show of dominance
- Amazon is dominating online Black Friday sales so far.
- The company claimed between 45% and 50% of all online Black Friday sales, according to a new report from GBH Insights.
- That means Amazon has likely made well over $1 billion so far in just 24 hours.
Amazon is dominating — again.
Black Friday sales and promotions have helped the company claim between 45% and 50% of all online Black Friday sales, according to a new report from GBH Insights. GBH called the results “eye-popping.”
This new number, combined with online sales figure estimates for the same timeframe from other analytics firms, shows Amazon’s sales are well over $1 billion for the last 24 hours or so.
This heralds another blockbuster holiday for Amazon, with estimates that it will take half of all online sales throughout the holiday. It will need to fend off an aggressive Walmart to do so. Walmart has pumped its resources into its new online offerings to make them more competitive and likely had its most ambitious online Black Friday this year.
Still, Amazon Prime subscriber growth — in terms of both numbers and how much they spend — sets Amazon up well for the rest of the year.
The best Black Friday 2017 book deals
Black Friday is usually more often thought of as a time to buy gadgets and TVs, but there are also great deals on books, the oldest gadget of them all.
Book sales tend to work a little differently than other deals — instead of specific stuff going on sale, you’re looking at category-wide discounts. Fortunately, if you need some ideas as to what books to get, we’ve got plenty of suggestions over in The Verge’s 2017 holiday gift guide.
Amazon has one of the best deals in publishing around for Black Friday —. There are basically no restrictions to the deal: it simply has to be a book sold by Amazon, you have to get your order in before 2:59AM ET on November 27th, and it’s limited to one per customer. But if there’s a fancy cookbook or box set collection you’ve been eying for a while, now’s a good time to buy.
To take advantage of the deal, simply enter the promo code GIFTBOOK17 when you’re checking out.
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble has a similar flat rate Black Friday deal — its offering 20 percent off any online order using the promo code GIVETHANKS, or 25 percent off a single item if you’re willing to trek out to a physical retail store with this coupon. There are a couple exceptions to the overall discount, like LEGO sets and Nook devices, but for the most part, it’s a great deal if you’re looking for some new reading material for the holidays. Both deals run through November 26th.
If audiobooks are more your thing, Audible is discounting 400 books down to $4.95. There’s plenty of good choices to browse through, but if you need any recommendations, consider trying Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, or The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler.
While less well known than some of the other sites on this list, Book Outlet sells publisher surplus books at steep discounts. Selection can often be a bit of a crapshoot, but if you can find books there that you’re interested in, it’ll likely be cheaper than almost anywhere else. For Black Friday, the site is taking an additional 30 percent off everything in its catalog for what will probably be unbeatable prices.
Try starting with a $6.29 copy of Jeff VanderMeer’s Borne or V.E. Schwab’s A Conjuring of Light for $5.59 if you’re looking for suggestions.
Ugh. Fine. They’re not technically books. But Amazon is also running deals on both Kindle hardware and Kindle ebooks, should you prefer digital text to actual printed paper.
For hardware, there’s the Kindle Paperwhite for $89.99 (usually $119.99) or the base model Kindle for $49.99 (usually $79.99). Amazon also have a bunch of discounted ebooks on the Kindle store, which you can peruse here.
Correction: Amazon’s deal is for orders of $20 or more, not $25 as this post already stated.
Amazon’s Black Friday 2017 Deals Week has kicked off and we’ve got our first round-up of the best deals (Best Buy’s here). We’ll do our best to provide updates throughout the week because, well, that’s what Black Friday is at this point – a week long sale.
Below, we’ve broken out the best so far (including pricing sections), but will update it throughout the days and week as new deals drop. Feel free to check back regularly.
For Amazon Black Friday Deals Week, we are looking at discounts on a variety of Anker products (cables and power banks), Bluetooth headphones (Bose, Jabra, Samsung), smart home goods (ecobee, Samsung WiFi systems), and phones (Moto X4, LG G6+).
UPDATE 11/21: Day 2 is here and we’ve noticed that most of the deals are still live, but also that Amazon has exactly added a bunch of new ones. If you missed any of the first dump they are still below, plus you’ll find added items throughout. Additionally, we have a DAY 2 round-up going on right here.
Amazon Black Friday Deals Week
Other Black Friday 2017 Deals
- Amazon Black Friday
- Best Buy Black Friday
- Walmart Black Friday Deals
- Black Friday Deals Week Day 1: Best Buy!
- Black Friday Deals Week Day 1: Amazon!
- Best of Black Friday Deals Week: Day 2!
- Verizon 50% off Pixel and Pixel XL cases
- Verizon 50% off all Moto Mods
- Google Play’s best Black Friday deals
Another Black Friday is approaching, which means it’s time for consumer technology companies to start slashing prices—and looking at which prices are cut can be revealing.
Whether it’s emptying out last year’s products from warehouses or trying to corner a specific market, Black Friday deals are a significant tool for manufacturers. Relative newcomers to the Black Friday scene, like Google and Microsoft, are using it to rope new customers into their software ecosystems with heavy price reductions on smart speakers. It’s a move from Amazon’s playbook, which the company is again applying to its entry-level tablet, the Fire 7. These companies also tend to offer their own subscription services, like Google Play Music or Amazon Prime Video, meaning these gadgets continue to generate additional revenue long after their Black Friday sales.
Elsewhere, a boom in 4K television sales have companies offering 40-60% price reductions.
To find these trends, we crunched the numbers for several tech manufacturers, excluding retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. Retailers have different motives for discounts, and may well offer discounts deeper than the ones listed here, so be sure to shop around.
As part of Amazon’s quest to sell you everything it possibly can, it also wants to make sure you can buy whatever you need, whenever you need it. To that end, many of its Black Friday deals focus on products that help you buy more things from Amazon. It’s offering a 20% discount on its newest Echo smart-home devices, the revamped Echo and Echo Plus, which let you order from Amazon through Alexa, the built-in voice assistant. Also on sale are its Fire tablets (which now also feature Alexa) and the newer Kindle models, which are excellent devices for reading ebooks bought on Amazon.
Amazon is also offering discounts on a range of products from other manufacturers, including Sony TVs, K’NEX toys, Rubbermaid dishes, and various smart-home devices to sync up with your Echo.
Apple doesn’t traditionally make a massive splash on Black Friday, instead choosing to put a select few items on sale. It also doesn’t tend to say what those items are until the day itself, so we can’t help you out there.
That being said, many retailers will offer discounts on Apple products themselves. Many of the big-box stores are currently offering gift card deals when you buy a new iPhone through them. Target, for example, is offering a $250 gift card when you buy and activate an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus through the store, according to Forbes.
Bose is offering a range of deals across its product lines, although nothing on its newest items, which suggests it’s just trying to get rid of excess inventory. The steepest discount goes to its SoundSport athletic in-ear headphones. If you’re looking for a good pair of headphones to run with—and your phone still has a headphone jack—these are a great choice. There are also decent deals on its older QuietComfort 25 noise-canceling headphones and its comfortable SoundTrue Ultra headphones.
|Product||List price||Sale price||% change|
Fitbit has been struggling recently, and its Black Friday discounts seem to reflect that. Instead of discounting any of its newer products, such as its Ionic smart watch or Flyer headphones, it’s just put its older products on sale, presumably in an attempt to get rid of them. Although if you’re after a simple step-tracking device rather than a full-on smart watch, the discounted Alta HR and Charge 2 are solid choices.
Google is desperately trying to get into your house. It, like Amazon, recognizes that people are going to start talking to their gadgets a lot more, and that data helps understand what those people want to buy. The Google Home and Google Home Mini, the company’s first two smart speakers, are both heavily discounted. But the Home Mini, the Echo Dot competitor and smart speaker gateway drug, is an especially good deal at $29 plus $10 in-store credit.
If you’d like to get sucked into Google’s entertainment ecosystem instead of its virtual personal assistant ecosystem, Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are also each $10 off.
LG makes just about everything, but this Black Friday the focus is on televisions. The market for televisions has become incredibly fragmented and confusing, with each company pushing its own standards and vanity statistics. Even more, it’s not clear that video technology needs to get better than 4K, which has now been available on the market for a few years. All these factors create an environment for some heavy sales. LG makes some of the best OLED TVs on the market, and is offering steep 50-60% discounts on most of them.
In LG’s other product markets, you can get a nice deal on a Roomba competitor for 33% off. If you’re in the market for a refrigerator or washing machine, the company is also offering decent savings, but nothing close to the TVs.
Microsoft released the Xbox One X console just in time for the holiday season. For the thrifty holiday shopper, that means there are some steep deals on the previous (and likely just as good) generation. The Xbox One S will be discounted to $189 on Nov, 23, which costs less than a decent Fitbit. (Last year it was discounted to $250.)
The biggest discount is for Microsoft’s collaboration with Harmon Kardon, the Invoke speaker. It’s a rival to Amazon’s Echoes and Google’s Homes, with better sound and less intelligence. The speaker is just $99, which makes it a tempting buy for those who want to use their smart speakers to just play music.
|Product||List price||Sale price||% change|
|49″ Class MU6290 4K UHD TV||599||429||-28.38%|
|55″ Class MU8000 4K UHD TV||1499||899||-40.03%|
|55″ Class Q7F QLED 4K TV||2799||1599||-42.87%|
|65″ Class MU6290 4K UHD TV||1099||849||-22.75%|
|65″ Class MU6500 Curved 4K UHD TV||1499||999||-33.36%|
|65″ Class MU7000 4K UHD TV||1699||1099||-35.31%|
|65″ Class MU8000 4K UHD TV||2199||1299||-40.93%|
|75″ Class MU8000 4K UHD TV||3799||2299||-39.48%|
|75″ Class MU9000 4K UHD TV||4799||2999||-37.51%|
|82″ Class MU8000 4K UHD TV||4999||3299||-34.01%|
|Gear S3 Frontier||349||279||-20.06%|
It’s a great time to buy an enormous television from Samsung (of course, the company would always tell you that). Since TV lineups refresh annually, Black Friday typically brings great prices for the trailing year’s models. You could snag a 65” TV for $850, nearly 25% off. However, that’s the slightly less sleek model. If you want a more premium look, you can buy the higher model numbered 55” TV for $899.
Samsung isn’t really offering any money off its flagship smartphones, the S8, S8+, and the Note 8, but it’s throwing in the Gear 360 camera for free. Smartwatches, a sector in which Samsung trails Apple by a wide margin, are discounted about 20%.


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The earth's oceans will have more plastic than fish by 2050, and fish with plastic in their systems are at increased risk of cancer and other health problems for people.
Humans generate more than 300 million tons of plastic annually, and nearly half of the plastic is only used one time before it is throw away to find its way to the oceans eventually.
By 2050 the oceans will have more plastic than fish, according to a January 2016 report published by the World Economic Forum, and it is a virtual certainty that every seabird on the planet will have plastic in its stomach.
Recent estimates indicate that upwards of 8 million tons of plastic are added to the earth's oceans every year, the equivalent of a dump truck full of plastic every minute. That is enough plastic to have led one scientist to estimate that people who consume average amounts of seafood are ingesting approximately 11,000 particles of plastic every year.
For generations -people have thought that oceans have unlimited inertia, but nano-particles of plastic getting into marine animals and the food chain are affecting fish fertility rates, and this affects food security and coastal populations. Pollution is having a huge impact on the oceans and it needs urgent to be dealt with.
The last four days' storms bring the plastic pollution evidence to the shores of Koh Samui, Thailand. I was at the beach yesterday -and here I saw a huge amount of plastic, much more than I ever have found at Choengmon Beach before.
Just think about how small this beach is, and then think about how much plastic there is in the Gulf of Thailand, other seas, oceans and beaches around in the world.
What about yourself - do you each seafood? If yes, how much plastic do you think that there are inside you?
Choengmon Beach, Koh Samui, Thailand 6 December 2016


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The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association commissioned an Economic Impact Study on the RV industry, released on June 7, 2016. The study found that the RV industry contributes about $49.7 billion in economic output or 0.28 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. Through its production and distribution linkages, the industry impacts firms in 426 of the 440 sectors of the United States economy.
Nationwide, the industry is responsible for 216,170 jobs, both directly and inderectly, creating an economic impact of $37.5 billion. The full study results, along with each individual state and congressional district's economic impact is available on the website by clicking here .
Tue Apr 18, 2017
SACRAMENTO, California - RV parks across the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys are experiencing higher occupancies this spring, with some parks reporting record levels of business for this time of year, according to a press release.
“2017 is shaping up to be a very strong year for campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across California,” California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds Executive Director Debbie Sipe says.
“Last year was our best year ever, but this could be our best year yet," says Patrick Stone, who co-owns and operates Mountain Gate RV Park & Cottages in Redding, which he opened 14 years ago. "It’s been really busy.”
Stone says his business was up 15 to 20 percent last year and that so far this year he’s already running 10 to 12 percent ahead of last year’s figures.
“We’re running 80 to 90 percent occupancy on extended stays and for our overnight spots we’re running about 40 to 45 percent occupancy every night," he says. "Normally, at this time of year, it’s about 20 to 25 percent.”
Stone attributed the increasing business in part to stronger snowbird traffic as well as more tourists coming up to Northern California following the winter rains and snows, which have filled area lakes and reservoirs to their highest levels in years.
“We’re starting to see a lot of people come up to go fishing,” he says. "The fish are biting, the bass are biting. We’re pretty optimistic up here.”
Further south, the 197-site French Camp RV Park Resort in Manteca is keeping busy with foreign travelers as well as people who were flooded out of their homes during the recent rains and need a place to stay while they rebuild or repair their homes.
“We’re seeing a lot of foreign travelers from Germany, Japan and the U.K.," says Mary Harris, a French Camp RV Park employee. "They stop here on their way to Yosemite.”
Meanwhile, The Lakes RV & Golf Resort in Chowchilla is also seeing a dramatic increase in its business.
“During the first quarter of this year, we were up about 23 percent over the first quarter last year,” says Steve Huarte, the park’s manager, adding that the Canadians “came down in droves” this past winter.
“A lot of people stop in here because we have complimentary golf when you stay here,” he says, noting that the park has an 18-hole championship golf course. “We have some Canadians that stay here for a month or two at a time.”
The 87-site park also accommodates numerous snowbirds from Oregon and Washington as well as travelers heading to and from Yosemite National Park, which is less than two hours away.
Huarte says his park is busy until July 4 and then business dies down as the valley heats up. But business picks up again after Labor Day when temperatures begin to cool off once again.
“We have a pretty good clientele in construction as well as traveling nurses,” Huarte says. "They help us get through the summer months.”
The 111-site Merced River Resort in Delhi, for its part, is also staying busy this spring.
“We have travelers and we have the worker bees come to work jobs in the area for three to six months,” says Kelly Spratling, a park employee.
Several RV parks in the Bakersfield area are also reporting strong business levels this spring.
“These past six months, we’ve been busier than ever,” says Ashley Canaliz, assistant manager of the 100-site Bakersfield RV Travel Park in Bakersfield.
While the park mainly caters to long-term guests, it maintains 12 campsites for overnight travelers and “they’ve been full,” Canaliz says.
The 215-site Bakersfield RV Resort in Bakersfield has also been “super busy,” according to Danielle Pearce, a park manager, adding that the park has long term guests as well as travelers heading up and down the state.
The 123-site River Run RV Park in Bakersfield is also reporting an uptick in business this year.
“This year so far has been real strong,” Park Co-Owner Ryan Uhles says. “We’re enjoying it.”
All of the RV parks and resorts referenced in this release are affiliated with the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, which hosts Camp-California.com, the travel planning website.


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A new report out of London and shared with MMW on Monday estimates that shipments of second-generation LTE basebands, commonly called Cat4, barely exceeded 42 million in 2013.
But that’s about to change for these components, which enable mobile users to enjoy up to 150 Mbps bandwidth.
New insight from ABI Research indicates that key chipset suppliers are stretching their muscles for next-generation basebands that will enable speeds of up to 300 Mbps, namely Cat6 chips.
New findings from ABI Research indicate that cumulative shipments of Cat6 chips targeting smartphones are expected to exceed 700 million by the end of 2019.
“Although a number of chipset suppliers have announced their Cat6 basebands, mobile operators are not yet launching commercial networks that will allow users to enjoy mobile broadband speeds exceeding 150Mbps. An exception to this is SK Telecom which recently launched an LTE-Advanced service, offering speeds up to 225 Mbps,” Malik Saadi, practice director at ABI Research, said in a provided statement.


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Digital TV News: videofutur
Netgem completes sale of Fibre France business to Nordnet
Mar 20, 2023 – Netgem has confirmed that the sale of its La Fibre Videofutur business to Nordnet will take effect on 1st April 2023. The transfer of the subscribers will be carried out without impact on the TV service operated by Netgem.
News categories: Netgem, Nordnet, Mathias HAUTEFORT, Jean-François BRAEMS, Digital TV, Fibre, France, IPTV, MandA
Netgem powers ZEOPTV streaming service in Réunion
Feb 16, 2022 – ZEOP has announced the launch of ZEOPTV in Réunion. ZEOPTV offers an entertainment streaming experience to fibre subscribers on any screen, including for the first time on the NetgemTV-powered platform on Apple TV and Android TV.
News categories: Netgem, ZEOP, Mathias Hautefort, Xavier Joseph, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Fibre, Mascarene Islands
Netgem acquires French fibre operator Comcable
Jul 7, 2020 – Netgem has acquired the assets of Comcable, a French fibre network operator. Netgem’s local subsidiary will manage the 3,500 subscribers taken over, and will provide them with its TV streaming service and 4K Box.
News categories: Netgem, Comcable, Mathias Hautefort, Philippe Le Gall, Digital TV, Fibre, France, MandA
Roku launches streaming players in France
Oct 20, 2015 – Roku has announced that it is launching its streaming players in France. In France, consumers with a Roku streaming player can stream entertainment from 1,500+ streaming channels, including Netflix, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube, Daily Motion, France 24 and soon content will be added from LA VOD videofutur, Deezer, ARTE and others.
News categories: Roku, videofutur, Clive Hudson, Mathias Hautefort, Digital TV, France, Set Top Box, Streaming
- Bitmovin and MainStreaming partner to deliver broadcast-quality video streams
- New products and more countries for Amazon-built TV range
- Pay TV subscribers in Eastern Europe to fall to 73 million in 2028
- VIZIO selects Whip Media for WatchFree+ ad revenue reporting
- Qwilt partners with Telefónica to provide CDN services in Spain
- Ateme launches 'audience-aware' streaming solution
- SAPEC to develop encoder for first live 8K DTT broadcast
- Big Media launches The New Frontier channel with VlogBox
- Bedrock expands 6play max availability to more connected devices
- Slower AR/VR headset shipment growth expected for 2023
- Netgem completes sale of Fibre France business to Nordnet
- Integral Ad Science ad verification goes live with Netflix
- DoubleVerify media quality measurement now available to Netflix advertisers
- EU clears acquisition of VOO and Brutélé by Orange, subject to conditions
- Liberty Global Belgium to launch takeover bid for Telenet Group Holding
- Proximus extends partnership with ThinkAnalytics
- Allente launches Google TV device powered by 3SS and SEI Robotics
- Streaming TV now most-watched TV form in the EU5
- StarHub introduces interactive advertising with Hoppr
- Breezeline Stream TV launches in Pennsylvania


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Not all retailers are trimming back their brick-and-mortar footprints.
Dollar stores and off-price chains, taking advantage of solid sales and bargain-hunting shoppers, are on an expansion kick, claiming half the spots on a list of 10 retailers adding the most new store square footage, according to commercial real estate and analytics firm CoStar.
Dollar General, second overall, led a trio of dollar stores in CoStar's top 10, based on retailers' announced U.S. store openings as of the second quarter of 2016.
Dollar General, which started the year with nearly 12,500 stores, has announced plans to open 900 more this year and another 1,000 in 2017. Last week, the chain said...


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MENTOR, OHIO — May 11, 2020 — Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Global Safety First, LLC, (GSF), to produce and distribute a self-adhesive, NIOSH-Certified N95 mask as part of the company’s efforts to provide innovative personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The N95 mask is a standard of safety in the healthcare setting and vitally important to protecting healthcare workers and patients. GSF’s ReadiMask® Self-Adhesive NIOSH-Certified N95 face masks are made with electrostatic particle filtration properties that make them more breathable. They adhere gently to the face with double-coated skin-friendly adhesive, and are available for use in healthcare settings as a COVID-19 countermeasure.
The ReadiMask is unique because it can form an air-tight seal providing maximum protection while allowing filtration during inhalation and exhalation. The mask is virtually weightless, convenient and easy to use. The design eliminates tight straps or ties that put pressure on the face or get caught in hair. Additionally, ReadiMask has no uncomfortable metal nose clip that can cause skin bruising. The ReadiMask was designed with a very low breathing resistance and may provide a cooler temperature than other similar masks.
“Our partnership with Global Safety First allows us to bring some much needed safety and comfort to frontline healthcare workers who rely on N95 masks every day for protection. GSF’s unique design, along with our medical manufacturing capabilities and expertise in skin contact adhesives, is helping to bring mask innovation to the healthcare market at a time when it is sorely needed,” said Kirsten Newquist, vice president and general manager, Avery Dennison Medical.
“Healthcare providers will be required to use increased amounts of PPE for some time to come as a result of this pandemic, and it’s critical that industry responds quickly—not only with increased supply, but with products and equipment that make it easier for healthcare professionals to do their jobs,” said John Schwind, president, Global Safety First, LLC. “We are pleased to partner with Avery Dennison to meet this need.”
Production of these U.S. made, self-adhesive masks will begin shortly at Avery Dennison’s Mentor, Ohio facility pending NIOSH approval, with first shipments anticipated in June. The facility is FDA registered, ISO 13485 and MDSAP compliant. The masks will be available for purchase by hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities as well as group purchasing organizations and distributors nationwide exclusively through Avery Dennison Medical.
Avery Dennison Medical is actively developing other types of PPE in response to COVID-19. Earlier, the company announced development of a new low-cost disposable plastic face shield. Organizations with a need for these and other PPE can contact us by visiting medical.averydennison.com/en/home/covid19.html.


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Discovery signs digital sports deal with Wasserman
December 21, 2017
Discovery Communications has announced an original content partnership for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 with sports and entertainment agency Wasserman.
As part of the new agreement, Cycle Media, a subsidiary of Wasserman, will create original social sports content that Eurosport will share across its digital platforms during the Games. During PyeongChang 2018, Eurosport’s Snapchat Discover Channels will be powered by Cycle in four key European markets: UK, Germany, Norway and Sweden, as well as producing content for Eurosport social channels by blending original footage and Olympic Games highlights.
This new co-operation creates customisable opportunities for brands to associate with the broadcast of one of the world’s greatest events. It also generates unique sponsorship and advertising inventory opportunities across social channels for brand partners wanting to integrate their products and services into the broadcast experience of the Games.
Peter Hutton, CEO Eurosport, said: “As the Home of the Olympics in Europe”, Eurosport is happy to partner with Cycle and Wasserman to help us engage more people on more screens across Europe. Alongside our own creative staff, Cycle’s creative resources will allow us to drive additional levels of engagement and support our objective to make PyeongChang 2018 the first truly digital Games across Europe. This innovative partnership will help amplify the most shareable moments from PyeongChang 2018. It also creates new ways for brands to tap into the magic of the Games with youth communities across multiple markets.”
“Cycle is the perfect content partner for Discovery and Eurosport to harness their brand and optimize this opportunity,” said Casey Wasserman, Chairman & CEO of Wasserman. “It is gratifying when we can foster relationships between well matched clients, and Discovery and Cycle have such an organic connection it is a win-win for all.”
Jonathan Davies, MD, Advertiser Partnerships, Eurosport, said: “This partnership brings together Eurosport’s outstanding Olympic Games content and audiences with Cycle’s cutting-edge creativity in the social space – giving brands the opportunity to produce bespoke content that engages with younger audiences in new and innovative ways.”


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Chick-fil-A is now looking to hire workers as the restaurant chain prepares to open in the Town of Vienna.
The restaurant will be on the ground floor of an enormous castle-looking building that will also house a Flagship Carwash on the second floor at 540 W. Maple Avenue.
Franchise owner Jeff Hubley is looking to hire up to 100 people for full- and part-time positions, including leadership development, hospitality and training, according to a press release. Employees can expect to have Sundays off and scholarship opportunities for continuing education.
The Chick-fil-A is slated to open in November.
The site has faced a series of delays and public backlash.
Last image via Town of Vienna Planning and Zoning


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Charlotte, N.C. – Arjobex is proud to announce the 50th anniversary of Polyart®, the unique synthetic paper that combines the durability of plastic, with the feel and easy printability of paper. In the late 1960’s, with the simple idea of substituting pulp made paper with one derived from oil, then cheap, BXL (Bakelite Xylonite Limited) built a prototype production line and registered Polyart® as a trademark in February 1968.
The oil crisis of the 1970’s spurred innovation with an attempt to reduce material usage and cost. The result was an even more paper-like substrate with improved foldability and opacity. The final step was better printability, which was achieved through a joint venture with Arjomari Prioux, a French paper manufacturer that developed a coated Polyart® in the early 1980’s. The coating also allows embedding of security features, making Polyart® one of the rare synthetics used for security printing. In the 1990’s, Polyart® was the first synthetic used for in-mold labelling of blow-molded bottles.
Since its early beginnings, Polyart® has accompanied thousands of printers through the changes in printing, from letterpress to offset, flexo and thermal transfer to the latest in digital technology.
Polyart applications cover the widest scope, from tamper evident labels, to heavy duty industrial tags and manuals, and from folded maps, high-end menus or photo albums, to high quality iridescent and textured wine label face-stocks.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook throughout the year to not only pay tribute to the people who developed this unique synthetic paper, and celebrate the past, but also to focus on the future to come.


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Arculus®, the revolutionary digital security platform that delivers best-in-class authentication and digital asset security, now provides cold storage wallet support for HASH, the native utility token for the Provenance Blockchain, one of the world’s largest blockchain networks with nearly $10 billion of financial assets under administration and $30 billion in supported transactions as of February 29, 2024.
Provenance Blockchain, which is purpose-built for regulated financial institutions, fintechs and DeFi brands, features institutional-grade risk and control functions built-in to the protocol. A core tenet is safety and security for users. Under today’s announcement, users can easily self-custody HASH through the Arculus® cold-storage based mobile wallet.
Given the growing need and criticality for self-custody tools that allow crypto users to maintain full control over their cryptocurrency and other digital assets, Arculus offers unique 3-factor authentication: biometric, private 6-digit PIN and the Arculus card, making Arculus the most innovative cold storage solution on the market. Arculus customers can access and transfer their digital assets on Provenance Blockchain. Those interested in transferring, managing, and securely storing their HASH and other digital asset holdings can purchase an Arculus card at getarculus.com and access the Arculus wallet app through either the Apple Store and Google Play.
Arculus was developed by CompoSecure, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMPO), a leader in metal payment cards, security, and authentication solutions for banks, fintechs, and other businesses around the globe.
“Arculus is a simple, sleek, novel, and most importantly, secure digital platform for holding and transferring digital assets. Particularly attractive to many in the Provenance Blockchain ecosystem is its backing by CompoSecure, who is the leader in metal card and secure authentication solutions for traditional financial institutions,” noted Joshua Maddox, Head of Developer Ecosystem at Provenance Blockchain Foundation. “We’re excited to welcome Arculus to the Provenance Blockchain ecosystem.”
“Provenance Blockchain has made tremendous progress in the tokenization of real world assets with nearly $10B in total value locked. With Provenance Blockchain and HASH support now available through the Arculus cold storage wallet, token holders can securely self-custody their digital assets—a necessary capability for participating in the expanding DeFi ecosystem around Provenance and tokenized real world assets.” said Tom D’Eletto, Head of Product at Arculus. “We’re excited to have added support for Provenance Blockchain and look forward to continuing to work with Provenance on the future of financial services.”
HASH holders and institutions interested in leveraging Provenance Blockchain can learn more by visiting: https://provenance.io/connect/arculus/
Developed by CompoSecure (Nasdaq: CMPO), Arculus® is the revolutionary digital security platform that delivers best-in-class authentication and digital asset protection. Ancient Romans called on Arculus, the god of safes and strongboxes, to ensure the protection of their cherished possessions. Today, Arculus is the contemporary incarnation of this vigilant deity, safeguarding your critical digital assets and identity. With our innovative hardware and software solutions, you have secure and convenient metal card and app technology, ensuring that only you control the private keys to your assets.
ABOUT PROVENANCE BLOCKCHAIN
Provenance Blockchain is modernizing financial services with properly permissioned, public blockchain technology. Since 2018, leading banks, asset managers and fintechs have leveraged the purpose-built Provenance Blockchain to deploy assets cheaper, faster, and safer than ever before. Provenance has become one of the world’s largest blockchain networks with nearly $10 billion of financial assets under administration and $30 billion in supported transactions, as of February 29, 2024.
The decentralized Provenance Blockchain is built with Cosmos SDK and uniquely balances open-source innovation, with the added benefit of institutional-grade risk and control functions built-in to the protocol. The native utility token, HASH, is used to pay transaction fees and enable governance. Please visit Provenance Blockchain at Provenance.io or visit Provenance Blockchain via Twitter @provenancefdn and on LinkedIn.


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Mazda's stand at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2009 will adopt the theme: "Driving-oriented environmental technologies for endless driving pleasure." The spirited lineup of exhibits will include the next-generation Mazda Axela (North American spec Mazda3), which is being revealed for the first time in Japan. Other exhibits will include "Circuit Trial" versions of the all-new Mazda Axela, Mazda RX-8, other popular Mazda models, and six customized versions of the new Mazda Biante minivan, which went on sale earlier this year.
Mazda will also present unique environmental technologies that will ensure it can continue to provide all its customers with driving pleasure in a sustainable future. These include the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, which combines Mazda's proprietary hydrogen rotary engine with an electric motor, and i-stop. an engine start-stop system that Mazda has independently developed by utilizing direct injection technology.


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From the green plant to rainbow-hued edibles and from percentage levels of THC and CBD to deciding between indica or sativa, there’s a smorgasbord of choice when it comes to cannabis products.
The Office of Alumni Engagement, in partnership with the School of Pharmacy, will present an online event with pharmacy researchers Drs. John Weber, Jennifer Donnan and Lisa Bishop to help address the various ways cannabis can be purchased and used medically and non-medically.
Cannabis 101 takes place on Tuesday, May 11, at 12 p.m. The event is free, but participants must register online.
Know the effects
Dr. John Weber will discuss the major effects of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) on the body, including effects on the brain and behaviour, impairment, differences in the onset and duration of action of cannabis products, and will compare smoked or inhaled products to oils, capsules or other types of edibles.
Dr. Weber says it is “very” important that people are well informed when choosing cannabis products.
“For example, smoking cannabis leads to a very quick onset of action, whereas using edibles has a much slower onset but the effects could last much longer,” he said.
“THC has fairly obvious behavioural effects, which give many individuals a typical “high”, but can also cause significant impairment. Meanwhile, CBD does not have obvious psychoactive effects, and some evidence suggests it may be useful for anxiety and as an anti-inflammatory compound.”
Inherent health risks
Drs. Bishop and Donnan will discuss the provincial and national policies, consumption patterns in Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador and access to cannabis for medical and non-medical uses.
Despite cannabis’ freewheeling reputation as a laid-back, low-risk substance to enjoy, it is also important to recognize that cannabis has inherent health risks, says Dr. Bishop.
To that end, the researchers will walk you through lower-risk guidelines for the safer use of cannabis and highlight resources for talking to youth about the risks.
The guidelines include recommendations such as choosing less risky products, such as edibles, beverages and topicals; reducing the amount or frequency of use; avoiding the product in adolescence; choosing lower THC-content products; avoiding synthetic cannabinoids; avoiding inhaled methods of consumption; not driving while impaired; considering individual risk factors for health problems; and not combining risky behaviours.
“These recommendations are intended to help people make safer choices so they can reduce cannabis-related harms.”
“Like alcohol, drivers or passengers are not permitted to consume cannabis in a vehicle.”
Dr. Bishop also notes that driving while impaired by cannabis is illegal.
“It’s recommended that people wait at least six hours before they drive, and longer if they’ve consumed edibles,” she said.
“Like alcohol, drivers or passengers are not permitted to consume cannabis in a vehicle. This applies to all forms of cannabis, not just those that are inhaled, or those that contain THC. Cannabis should be kept in its sealed package when being transported, the same as alcohol.”
Regulated vs. non-regulated
When it comes to access, Dr. Donnan says there are currently 30 privately owned stores in Newfoundland and Labrador.
She warns customers that if you purchase cannabis products online, not all websites are licensed. Therefore, buyers cannot be certain that the products are regulated.
“For those with a medical authorization, they can access online through a federally licensed medical cannabis retailer, or through the non-medical market,” she said.
“A common misunderstanding is that you can access cannabis through other online stores; however, these would be non-licensed retailers. This is a point of confusion because many websites look professional and seem to follow safety protocols in the same way licensed retailers do. However, their products would not be regulated.”


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(Bloomberg) -- Nintendo Co.’s Switch sales doubled in Japan on the release of a Super Mario edition of the console, a surprise boost for the six-year-old console that’s pivotal to the gaming firm’s bottom line.
Consumers in Japan bought 110,241 units of the Switch console last week, doubling the amount from the prior week, according to data from market tracker Famitsu. The crimson-red Mario edition went on sale on Friday, and it juiced sales in much the same way that Legend of Zelda and Splatoon custom editions have done over the past year and a half.
The surge, late in the console’s life cycle, shows the depth of fan loyalty for Nintendo’s games. The special edition comes decorated with motifs and icons from the Super Mario universe, but is otherwise no different from the regular OLED model in terms of computing power and storage space. The Kyoto-based hardware and software maker is releasing a new title in the franchise — Super Mario Bros. Wonder, out on Oct. 20 — that could further push up the themed gadget’s sales.
“The numbers they seem to be putting up are surprising considering it’s the same device with a different plastic cover,” Bernstein analyst Robin Zhu said.
Nintendo aims to sell 15 million Switch units globally in the fiscal year to March, which would mark a 17% drop from the previous year. Zhu and analysts including Hideki Yasuda of Toyo Securities expect sales to surpass Nintendo’s typically conservative estimate.
Nintendo got off to a flying start this year with a new Legend of Zelda game and Zelda-themed Switch hardware in the April-June quarter. Mario’s Hollywood movie released in the same quarter was a record breaker at the box office and helped propel hopes for further Mario-related merchandise doing well this year. The weak yen is also likely to have a positive impact on Nintendo’s earnings.
Read more: Nintendo Powers to Record Profit on Zelda Debut, Mario Movie
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


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Microsoft HoloLens puts you at the center of a world that blends holograms with reality. With the ability to design and shape holograms, you’ll have a new medium to express your creativity, a more efficient way to teach and learn, and a more effective way to visualize your work and share ideas. Your digital content and creations will be more relevant when they come to life in the world around you.
HoloLens Launching Dev Kits March 30th, Microsoft Shun VR For Augmented Reality
2016 is the 'year of virtual reality' say the tech sages, but Microsoft has another avenue it's exploring. Augmented reality imposes the virtual on the real world and the corporate behe...
Mark Zuckerberg Believes You Should Let You Children Play Video Games
According to a Q&A today, Mark Zuckerberg would not be where he is today without the positive influence of video games. In a programming origin story, Zuckerberg spent a New York winter huddled...
HoloLens Will Cost Significantly More than a Game Console
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Revolutionary Ferrite-Magnet Fault Current Limiter Graduates from Testing and Heads to Market
FaultCurrent Limited, a UK-based developer of passive magnetic fault current limiters, is reporting successful results from a recent round of independent tests of its next generation fault current limiter.
Continental Transforms Powertrain Division into
Vitesco Technologies in Response to High-Growth
Momentum to Electrification
Responding to the momentum toward electrification in transportation markets, giant automotive supplier Continental is putting a new face on its powertrain division in the name of Vitesco Technologies. It will be home to an expanded line of e-mobility motor and drive products, increasingly based on advanced electronics and permanent magnet machines instead of combustion engines.
Urban Mining Progresses in Pioneering Effort to Scale Up Rare-Earth Magnet Production from Recycled
Freshly arisen from the flat, arid countryside of central Texas, a modern 130,000 square foot industrial facility is taking shape that the leaders and investors of Urban Mining Co. are eager to blossom into a pioneering, closed-loop magnet recycling and manufacturing operation. It is designed to recover rare-earth magnetic materials from end-of-life products and turn them into neodymium-iron-boron magnetic materials and products that will be a unique, new domestic source of supply.
How Hall Effect Switches Enable Autonomous Vehicles
Automotive engineers around the world are immersed in harnessing the latest technologies to bring smart, autonomous vehicles to our roads. Those technologies will also enhance the driver and passenger experience far beyond today’s norm, through intuitive human-machine interfaces and highly personalized cockpits.


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Thanksgiving may be just around the corner, but the Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center in Burbank is already preparing for the December holidays.
At the end of this month, the local art gallery and art school will host its annual Holiday Boutique, in which artists will get their chance to sell their work to those who are looking to buy their loved ones or friends a unique gift for the holidays.
Virginia Causton-Keene, the center’s director, said there are about 80 artists participating in this year’s event, up from the roughly 65 artists who took part last year.
The larger number of artists in this year’s boutique is due to the center utilizing its pottery studio behind the main art gallery, Causton-Keene said.
Because of the high demand from artists who want an opportunity to sell their art pieces at the holiday event, Causton-Keene said center officials elected to use a lottery system to even out the playing field.
“We were getting complaints about how the same people get in each year,” she said.
In previous years, teachers at the Creative Arts Center and their students usually were able to sign up for a vendor spot with ease. However, those who were not enrolled in classes but wanted to participate in the event had to either call or sign up in person.
To make participation more fair, everyone who wanted to take part in the Holiday Boutique had to draw a lottery ticket. Much to her surprise, Causton-Keene said there were more than 100 people who entered the lottery, the largest number of people who have signed up while she’s been with the center.
The lottery system, Causton-Keene said, will help freshen up the event because it gives new artists a chance to sell their works.
With this year’s batch of artists, Causton-Keene said people will have a variety of art pieces from which to choose — including paintings, pottery, sculptures, ornaments, jewelry and clothing.
Causton-Keene said, for example, one artist will be selling holiday-themed pots for succulents, and another will have an array of unique ceramic sculptures for sale.
“You get such a vast price range for these art pieces,” she said. “You can spend $1 for a Christmas ornament or something small, right up to $100 for an original painting. I think it allows anyone to buy something.”
The Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center is located at 1100 W. Clark Ave., Burbank. For more information, call (818) 238-5397.


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antitrust charges against Google. I suspect the ironies aren’t lost on Google: (1) Its service is so good that it is the first source of information for about 90% of search users in Europe; (2) It is so pervasive that users have verbed its name; (3) Such great success makes it a target for European antitrust regulators; and (4) It is in the business of providing bad news about itself. In case you haven’t been watching, after five years of investigation, the EU brought charges against Google for what the EU calls search bias. In a nutshell, the European regulators claim that Google gives systematic favorable treatment to its own comparison shopping service in its general search results.
those days, the president himself affixed his dramatic signature to the very first “letters patent”: Samuel Hopkins’s “Improvement,” which consisted of “the making of Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Process,” an invention our nation’s father personally deemed to be “in pursuance of the act, entitled ‘An Act to promote the Progress of useful Arts.’” Nowadays, the US Patent Office director and her delegates assess whether various claimed inventions truly comport with the patent statutes, while Congress and the president in turn ensure that those statutes align with the principles and ideals of the American system of innovation. In particular, last week lawmakers continued to consider modifying the original Congress’s patent legislation into a form less congenial to abuse by so-called “patent trolls,” also known as “patent assertion entities” (PAEs).


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N Brown boss Angela Spindler said today that the retailer is “done” with its transformation plan and is now ready for growth.
Spindler spoke on the day of N Brown’s full-year results, when it revealed that despite sales rising, profits had been hit by investment and one-off charges relating to financial services customer compensation.
She told Retail Week: “We are now an online retailer in every respect, there is no more transition – we’re done with that. Now, we have to keep evolving to remain competitive.”
Spindler arrived at the retailer, a former catalogue business, in 2013 and was tasked with making it a digital-first, sustainable business. The consequent level of investment has severely made an impact on profits.
‘Costs will decline’
Today, Spindler said that costs would begin to shrink but declined to predict when profits would begin to grow.
“We are still seeing challenges,” she said. “But from trading perspective we are seeing positive news coming through, and we will see cost impacts unwind as we move forward.
“We have hit the bottom [of profit levels], bumped along and we should see positive, sustainable profit growth moving forward.”
‘Tough’ first quarter
Spindler said that she was “pleased” with the full-year results in general, calling out a “tough” first quarter which was succeeded by an “accelerated recovery” in the second half.
She poured cold water on the potential disruption that some retailers fear the snap election will cause to trading.
““Everyone talks about a challenging backdrop but when have we not had that?” she asked. “Consumers usually become distracted on the day of an election but I think the big story is still how we exit Europe and the impact that may have.”