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NFL live stream: how to watch every 2020/21 playoff game online from anywhere
Last year’s landmark 100th NFL season lived up to all expectations and then some. While the 2020/21 campaign got off to an unusual start in so many respects, we’ve since rumbled like vintage Jerome Bettis right down to the final game of the playoffs and the culmination of another scintillating season. Read on for all the latest information and ways to watch an NFL live stream for the big game this February, no matter where you are in the world right now.
Despite all the postponements, depleted rosters, and largely empty stadiums, no one can deny that the NFL has been back with a bang on the field. We’ve been treated to all the gravity-defying touchdown catches, bone-crunching hits, and ice-cold Bill Belichick stares that America’s game is famous for – and with the playoffs having now whittled things down to just two teams, it’s nearly time to watch a Super Bowl live stream for football’s grand finale this season.
NFL live stream 2020/21
The new NFL season kicked off back in September, with the regular season concluding on January 3, 2021. Now it’s time for one of biggest games in world sports: the Super Bowl! Super Bowl LV or Super Bowl 55 takes place Sunday, February 7 this year – full NFL live streaming and TV details are below. However you choose to watch, you can enjoy your preferred coverage – and 100% free viewing options in many countries – from anywhere by adding a good VPN to your software roster.
Reigning Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs and star QB Pat Mahomes ended the regular season with an AFC-best 14-2 record and are favorites to repeat this February. Having earned a first round bye, they survived a concussion to Mahomes and late Browns comeback to advance to the AFC Championship game for the third straight year, where they iced the red-hot Buffalo Bills to give themselves a chance at lifting the Lombardi Trophy for a second straight time.
Over in the NFC, Aaron Rodgers and the always formidable Green Bay Packers had cruised to their conference championship game with big wins over the Bears and Rams. They were odds-on to face the Chiefs in February’s big game…at least, until Tom Brady happened to them.
Despite a spirited second-half fightback by Aaron Rodgers and the Pack, the six-time Super Bowl winner had enough in his 43-year-old tank to guide his new team, the Tampa Bay Bucs, to the big show and claim one of the few postseason records he didn’t already own: being part of the first team to play a Super Bowl on home soil.
How to get an NFL live stream wherever you are right now and watch football online as the 2020/21 playoffs concludes with the biggest game in all US sports.
How to watch the NFL from outside your country
If you’ve mismatched a holiday or you’re away on business and you want to watch your country’s coverage from outside your country, then you’ll need to use a VPN. This will help you dial in to a location back in your home country to avoid geo-blocks and regain access to the content and services you already pay for back home.
A VPN is generally perfect for this as it allows you to change your IP address so you appear to be in a completely different location when the big game is on. We’ve tested hundreds of VPNs and can recommend ExpressVPN as the very best VPN currently available.
ExpressVPN – get the world’s best VPN
We’ve put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features.
It’s also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles.
Sign up for an annual plan now and get an extra 3 months absolutely FREE. And if you change your mind within the first 30 days, let them know and they’ll give you your money back without a quibble.
Once you’ve chosen and installed your VPN of choice, simply open the service’s corresponding app, hit ‘choose location’, select the appropriate country and you’ll be able to watch the broadcast as if you were back at home.
NFL live stream: How to watch every 2020/21 playoff game online in the US
NFL games in the US are shown by a wide range of broadcasters and under an increasingly confusing number of monikers.
Featured games are those aired Thursday. Sunday and Monday nights as part of the expanded Monday Night Football brand and are shown on TV by NBC, Fox, ESPN and in a very small number of cases, the NFL Network.
In the case of the final game, the Super Bowl, you need just one channel – CBS. It’s got the rights to the big game this year, meaning you can watch on its website by logging in with your cable provider – or without cable by using its CBS All Access streaming service, where a FREE CBS All Access trial is currently on offer.
Alternatively, you can get CBS in most of the country with over-the-top streaming service FuboTV. There’s also a free FuboTV trial going right now, so you really are you spoilt for choice. For more details, check out our complete guide to watching Super Bowl on FuboTV.
The best overall way to watch NFL games without cable
For complete coverage of all nationally televised NFL games in the 2020/21 regular season without cable, you needed access to Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN and The NFL Network.
Of the many over-the-top streaming options, some will give you nearly all of the channels you need for complete coverage – but to our knowledge, only fuboTV currently offers them all.
This is especially important for the AFC and NFC Championship games, as Fubo is one of the few OTT services to include CBS. Pricing starts from $64.99 a month, which is pricier than some of the competition, but still a darn sight cheaper than cable. There’s also a FREE 7-day fuboTV trial you can take advantage of, meaning you could watch the games for free, if that’s what you choose.
One of the things we love about fuboTV is that it makes cancelling easy if you decide it’s not for you – and it’s easy to get started, too, thanks to a slick payment system that accepts internationally recognized payment platform PayPal as well as major credit and debit cards.
Now, read on to learn about our favorite cheap NFL streaming option – and what channels cover what games each week. However, note that as the regular season is now over, much of the information below won’t be fully relevant again until next season.
International viewers: scroll down for your fully up-to-date NFL playoff live stream options.
The cheapest way to live stream NFL games without cable
While it doesn’t offer every channel you need for complete NFL coverage, Sling TV is an affordable over-the-top provider whose Blue and Orange packages cost just $30 a month each.
Sling Blue is the obvious starting point for NFL fans, as it offers local Fox and NBC/NBC Sports channels in most major markets, as well as NFL Network. An extra $15 a month will get you Sling Orange and add ESPN 1, 2 and 3 to your NFL viewing arsenal – as well as getting you a handful of other top premium channels like TNT, AMC, TBS, BBC America and more.
So just $45 a month for the combined Sling Blue + Orange bundle covers off a large number of NFL games, including both primetime and local broadcasts, making this a great option for many NFL fans.
How to watch Thursday Night Football
Fox and the NFL Network have the TV rights to Thursday Night football.
This means you can stream games through the Fox or NFL Network if you’ve got cable – or take advantage of the fact that Amazon Prime has now joined the NFL streaming party and will be the exclusive streaming-only provider of Thursday Night Football games. Try the famous FREE 30-day Prime trial today.
How to watch Sunday afternoon NFL games
CBS and Fox are the broadcasters you need for the traditional 1pm and 4pm (ET) kick-offs every Sunday, and while the exact games and timings will vary by region, those with the channels as part of cable will be able to watch their local coverage online via the CBS and Fox websites.
If you just want CBS, then know that CBS All Access is also available on a streaming-only basis from just $5.99 a month to consider – try it for free today.
How to watch Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is being aired exclusively by NBC throughout the regular season, so if you have it as part of a cable package, you’ll be able to stream games directly through the NBC website.
How to watch Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football can be found on ESPN every week, so anyone with the channel as part of their cable package can watch online at no additional charge through the ESPN website – just log-in with details of your TV provider.
We have also compiled for you below a full list of other TV streaming service options where you can live stream the NFL playoffs.
How to watch NFL games from abroad
Don’t forget, you can take your favorite NFL streaming coverage with you wherever you are with the help of a good VPN – try the best around, ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30-days.
How to watch a NFL live stream FREE in Canada
Canadian NFL fans are some of the the luckiest in the world as streaming service DAZN includes coverage of every single 2020/21 regular season game with its great value DAZN packages.
It’s an absolute bargain as just CA$20 a month or $150 a year, especially when you consider that you get not only NFL Game Pass access complete with RedZone, but also that DAZN’s the exclusive Canadian streaming home of Premier League and Champions League soccer!
It comes with support for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, PS4, and laptop/PC streaming (including Mac devices). And if you’ve never used it before, you can try it for free by taking advantage of a FREE 1-month trial, too.
TV coverage of select games including all the Wild Card playoff action is also available by tuning into, CTV on linear TV.
UK-based American fans can watch up to six NFL games live and in their entirety each week courtesy of Sky Sports, with the network now boasting a new dedicated Sky Sports NFL channel as well as offering access to the live RedZone highlights show each Sunday.
Needless to say, Sky has the Super Bowl covered this February – but it’s far from your only option. Those intent on the Sky experience can look at its Now TV pass options – but the best option for the big game for most people is to watch it 100% free and without commercials on the BBC or its companion iPlayer streaming service.
Not in the UK but still want to catch the action on iPlayer or using the Sky Go app? Then grabbing a 100% risk-free VPN trial will let you log into a UK IP address so you can live stream NFL as if you were at home. Our latest 2021 testing shows that they’re both working well, so you can install with confidence.
A final option is NFL Game Pass, whose international version is a great option at the start of the season – and now offers 31 days of access including the Super Bowl for a one-off charge of £7.99. That’s a price that’s just gone up by quid since we last yet – the cheek! – and certainly not free like the BBC!
How to watch an NFL live stream free online in Australia
If you live in Australia and want to watch the NFL this season, you have several options to do so – and are in fact some of the luckiest fans in the world.
For starters, 100% FREE-TO-AIR channel 7Mate has been showing the NFL playoffs Down Under, and while not yet confirmed, we think it’s a good shout to be airing the biggest game of them all this February, too.
Even better, anyone located in Australia can watch the channel absolutely free online – you just need to quickly create an account on its companion 7Plus streaming service – all that’s required is a name, verifiable email address, and Australia zip code.
It’s not the most elegant platform we’ve ever seen, but if you head there and click the ‘Live TV’ tab at kick-off time, the playoff game you want should be there…and the price is certainly right”
Just as Foxtel does, Kayo Sports will also show a number of games throughout the season with weekly coverage expected – now we’re down to the playoffs, expect every game to be shown.
The streaming service has a Basic and a Premium plan with the difference being you can watch on two devices with the Basic plan for $25 per month and on three devices with the Premium plan for $35 per month. The best news? Both plans come with a FREE 14-day trial so if you’re looking just to watch a specific game or two you can cancel after the 14 days.
However, for the proper, live-for-it NFL fans, we highly recommend you sign up for an NFL Game Pass as it is also available in Australia, and even though it is marginally more expensive you have a much wider range of features.
For those wanting to watch home coverage of sports from overseas, a VPN is usually the solution – our most recent testing has current No. 1 pick ExpressVPN working brilliantly with the service.
Should I buy an NFL Game Pass this season?
Editor’s Note: with just one game left – the Super Bowl – the short answer is that you probably shouldn’t buy NFL Game Pass this season. While a great season-long option, especially for international fans, there are simply too many free-to-air options for the final game of this NFL season – and ways you can stream it online for nothing as well. Below is our general opinion of the pros and cons of NFL Game Pass, but know that these recommendations should now be applied to the forthcoming 2021/22 season.
Watching NFL online has never been easier thanks to the wide variety of streaming services now available. However, the league also has its own streaming service called the NFL Game Pass which allows die-hard football fans to watch every game.
It’s really geared towards international fans and that’s where it’s a great option. In most of the NFL’s main international markets, a Game Pass Pro subscription will get you access to every single regular season and playoff game live, plus the Super Bowl, and you also get the league’s live highlights show, RedZone. It’s now £7.99 for a Super Bowl Pass that gets you a month’s access – or £14.99 for access through July 2021.
As well as the UK and Ireland, the service is available in countries like Mexico, Germany and most of Europe, and Australia – with only ‘domestic markets’ the US and Canada missing out on the full-fat offering.
Instead, there’s a US and Canada-only Game Pass option available for $99 a a year that lets you watch commercial-free full game replays right after they’ve finished. Not the worst offer we’ve ever heard, but don’t get caught out – GamePass does not offer live NFL games in the US or Canada.
Should you decide to give Game Pass a shot, apps for Android and iOS mobile devices as well as on the likes of Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, PS4, and more – plus you can obviously watch on your laptop or desktop computer through a browser.
The only caveat for non-domestic markets (e.g. the UK) are that some games are subject to blackout restrictions due to deals with local pay TV providers (e.g. Sky).
Who won the last Super Bowl?
The reigning Super Bowl champions are the Kansas City Chiefs, who won Super Bowl LIV in 2020 by defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named MVP of the game.
When is Super Bowl LV 2021 and where is it being played?
Super Bowl LV, or Super Bowl 55, is scheduled for Sunday, February 7 and is set to be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida – the third time the stadium has hosted the big game. It also represents the fourth time in NFL history that the Super Bowl is being held in the same state back-to-back years – Miami having hosted Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
Who are the favorites to win Super Bowl 55 in 2021?
With just two teams left, it’s safe to say the list of contenders has narrowed considerably. Defending champs the Kansas City Chiefs are comfortable favorites over the Bucs heading into the biggest game…but anyone who’s ruling out a Tom Brady-led team in the Super Bowl needs to take a long, hard look at themselves.


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THE owners of a former bakehouse in the centre of Rothesay have appealed for members of the public to give their views on proposals to turn the disused building into flats.
The old bakehouse, located behind the Co-operative convenience store in East Princes Street, has had planning permission for conversion to four flats since June 2009.
And owners Ronnie Hair and Catherine Hughes are now hopeful that they can at last begin to make progress on the project later this year.
“After a wait of two years,” Catherine told us, “we had a visit from the Co-op’s disposals department this week and are hopeful that we have begun discussions which will lead to us finally being able to begin the restoration of The Old Bakehouse.”
The Co-operative Group’s is understood to be concerned about the potential for complaints, once the former bakery building is occupied, over noise from the shop’s air conditioning and refrigeration machines.
“We feel that, along with walls which are 16 inches thick, plus insulation and double-glazed windows, this won’t be an issue,” Catherine continued.
“However, we are very interested to know what islanders think. We are also hopeful that we could hand responses and suggestions on to the Co-op, so that they may consider them in their final decision.”
Catherine also told us the couple had hoped to buy a small section of the service yard around the old bakehouse from the Co-op, to use for bin space and the erection of scaffolding, but that they were no longer optimistic of a sale being completed.

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HTC has announced that its HTC Vive virtual reality headset is getting a price cut. The exact percentage varies across regions, but the average is around 25%.
The fact that this has happened isn't surprising. The price of consumer electronics inevitably drops over time. It’s usual that a company, after it spends millions putting out the first version of a product, will figure out cheaper ways to manufacture said product.
It happens with computers, it happens with smartphones, and it’ll happen with virtual reality headsets as well.
But what’s interesting about this price cut is that it has nothing to do with manufacturing cost savings being passed on to the consumer.
When I asked HTC Vive’s European General Manager, Paul Brown, about the price drop, he was keen to emphasise that it was a "strategic decision" rather than having been borne out of any fall in manufacturing cost.
"It’s really been a case of saying it’s a great commercial business decision to really go in this quarter for this lowering of the price," Brown explained.
From reading between the lines the implication of this price cut, especially when combined with the , is clear - VR is simply too expensive at the moment for mainstream consumers, and it will need a price cut for sales to pick up.
So will it work?
There are three barriers to VR adoption at the moment: price, content and space. These price cuts naturally help with the first point, but they do little to help with the second two.
Content is a problem that will persist for as long as the install base for virtual reality headsets is low. Publishers will avoid spending too much money developing for a platform with a limited number of users. That said, as more and more VR headsets continue to be sold, this is a problem that will gradually disappear.
More pressing is the need for VR users to have a decent amount of space to fully make use of their headset, and it's difficult to see how this problem could ever be overcome.
A key selling point of the HTC Vive is its support for room-scale tracking right out of the box, allowing for users to move freely within a 10 x 10 feet area. The immersion this adds is immense, and is key to adding a sense of presence to virtual reality.
The problem is, those who can afford VR globally are sometimes not in a position to have enough space for a full VR setup. As Cliff Bleszinski, veteran game developer and early investor in Oculus, explains: “The irony is that they [people who can afford VR setups] normally live in New York, Tokyo or Los Angeles, aka places that can’t afford the real estate to have a room-based VR. So they’ve created their own ultimate Catch 22 for that.”
Based on these barriers it’s tough to say whether these price cuts will be the thing VR needs to really hit the mainstream, especially with the amount of cheap, mobile-based VR solutions that are creating consumer confusion as to what high-end virtual reality is actually capable of.
The price cut could help people who were on the fence finally jump into the technology, but the content and space problems are harder nuts to crack, and are likely to stick around for a while longer.
- Gamescom is Europe's largest annual gaming event, stuffed full of the latest and greatest games, consoles, and gaming hardware. TechRadar is reporting live from Cologne to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated Gamescom 2017 hub to see all the latest news, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about the next year in gaming


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Hyundai May Close Alabama Factory as a Result of President Trump's Possible Auto Tariffs
Hyundai Motor Company says they will have to consider closing their factory in Alabama if President Donald Trump goes through with imposing 25% auto tariffs. The Alabama Hyundai factory opened up in May of 2005 and employees about 20,000 people.
The U.S. Department of Commerce is investigating whether auto imports pose enough national security threats to justify tariffs. Although the union says they expect South Korea to win the exemption from the auto tariffs, there are concerns that President Trump will deliver on the threat to tariff as he did with China.


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As we informed previously, the Ford Ranger Raptor 2018 would be launched in Thailand on February 7 and Ford did not let us down by introducing a high-performance Raptor with exceptional abilities. We have too many articles writing about the Raptor, but this is the first one we show you a real one in the metal.
Ford Ranger Raptor 2018: Ready for reveal
The 2018 Ford Ranger Raptor finally debuts in Thailand
Born to take the fight to renowned performance badge, the Raptor design is undoubtedly outstanding
Born to take the fight to renowned performance badge, the Raptor design is undoubtedly outstanding. Up front, the pickup looks more fierce and aggressive with larger grill, new headlamps and bumper. All these tweaks remind of a racing pickup truck rather than an everyday workhorse. Massive wheels and off-road tires are also fitted on the side, together with more accessorizing and cladding.
Massive wheels and off-road tires are also fitted on the side
Also for going off-road, the suspension system is upgraded for better performance on trails: less bounce and more speed to be exact.
The suspension system is upgraded for better performance on trails
Internally, the Raptor 2018 also features a new look
Internally, the Ford Ranger Raptor 2018 also features a new look with Raptor badges to make it special. Nevertheless, what we want to highlight here is an all-new engine. Yes, this 2018 Raptor is currently powered by a 2.0L diesel engine with new bi-turbo system. Even better, this engine works in conjunction with a revised 4WD system and a 10-speed automatic transmission with a roller one way clutch which serves as the only transmission option. The Terrain Management System is likewise tuned up to for better version. Although figures of power and torque has been undisclosed, it is claimed that the bi-turbo 2.0L engine is capable of delivering 213 PS and 500 Nm.
This 2018 Raptor is currently powered by a 2.0L diesel engine with new bi-turbo system
This is the first time the “Raptor” nameplate has formally been used on the Ranger and in Asian market where Thailand is the pioneer and other markets will follow shortly.
The Raptor price has yet to be announced, so for now, take a look at the Ford Ranger 2018 price in the Philippines.
|Model||2017 SRP||2018 SRP||Difference|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 XLT 4x2 AT||₱1,259,000||₱1,188,000||-₱71,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 Wildtrak 4X2 MT||₱1,429,000||₱1,328,000||-₱101,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 Wildtrak 4X2 AT||₱1,489,000||₱1,388,000||-₱101,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 Wildtrak 4X4 MT||₱1,539,000||₱1,428,000||-₱111,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 Wildtrak 4X4 AT||₱1,599,000||₱1,488,000||-₱111,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 3.2 Wildtrak 4X4 MT||₱1,709,000||₱1,568,000||-₱141,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 3.2 Wildtrak 4X4 AT||₱1,769,000||₱1,628,000||-₱141,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 XLS 4x2 MT||₱1,059,000||₱998,000||-₱61,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 XLS 4x4 MT||₱1,219,000||₱1,138,000||-₱81,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 Cab and Chassis 4x2 MT||₱720,000||₱720,000||0|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 Single Cab 4x2 MT||₱780,000||₱780,000||0|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 Base 4x2 MT||₱909,000||₱868,000||-₱41,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 FX4 4x2 MT||₱1,299,000||₱1,208,000||-₱91,000|
|2018 Ford Ranger 2.2 FX4 4x2 AT||₱1,359,000||₱1,268,000||-₱91,000|
>>> Read related posts:
Know more about Ford Ranger Raptor 2023
The 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor is a performance-oriented pickup truck. For the Philippine market, its sole variant is priced at Php 2,339,000.
Under the hood of the all-new Ranger Raptor is a 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel that can make up to 207 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque. The engine is then paired to a 10-speed automatic gearbox sending power to all four wheels.
The 2023 Ranger Raptor is 5,381mm long, 2,028mm wide, and 1,922mm in height. It then has a wheelbase length spanning 3,270mm.
Locally, the Ranger Raptor’s closest competitors are the Nissan Navara PRO-4X and the Hilux GR Sport.


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Outfittery, a Berlin, Germany-based men’s fashion ecommerce site, raised $20m in funding.
The round was led by Northzone with participation from existing investors Highland Europe, Holtzbrinck Ventures, Mangrove Capital Partners and the VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin managed by IBB.
The company intends to use the funds to continue its geographic expansion.
Founded in 2012 by Julia Bösch and Anna Alex, Outfittery operates a tailored personal service for men to shop for fashion online. It works by allowing customers to answer a few questions about their clothing style and sizes. Then, style experts personally contact them and put together individual outfits which are shipped to home. Customers keep whatever they like and send the rest back.
Over 100 high-quality fashion brands are currently on offer.
The company, which employs 150 people, is currently active in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and Denmark, serving more than 200,000 men in total.


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WiT, which held two Middle East editions in 2014 and 2015, is returning to the region and will hold its signature conference in Dubai on April 9.
“After four years away, we feel it’s time to make a comeback plus we’ve had numerous requests from key players in the region, who have attended both our events in Dubai and Singapore, to return,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder, WiT.
“When we were there in 2014 and 2015, we definitely felt the excitement and dynamism of an emerging market and observed it had very similar characteristics to the South-east Asian markets – fragmented, diverse, young, social and even then, it was mobile first – so we look forward to seeing what else has changed and how the industry has grown.”
WiT Middle East 2019, which will adopt the theme of the WiT 2018 Singapore conference – “Through The Looking Glass” – is making its comeback with three Foundation Sponsors.
“Wego, Cleartrip and Travelstart are three leading travel brands from outside the region that have invested in the Middle East market and are committed to seeing its development and growth.
“They are familiar with the WiT brand and our values, the emphasis we place on content integrity, quality and relevancy and the sincerity with which we foster and nurture our community,” said Siew Hoon. “We will also be working with Insight Out Consultancy and tap into their regional expertise to ensure our content is locally relevant.”
The one-day WiT Middle East 2019 will be held on April 9 at a venue yet to be determined. In 2014 and 2015, the events attracted close to 200 delegates each, with delegates coming from Europe, Asia and across the Middle East.
“With the way the Middle East travel market has grown, we expect a bigger, more international audience. In particular, we are looking forward to seeing how the startup ecosystem has grown and evolved,” said Siew Hoon.
Globally, Dubai ranks ninth in terms of tech start-ups per gross domestic product and 23rd on the presence of large technology companies per head of population, according to this article.
Ross Veitch, CEO and co-founder of Wego, which has successfully expanded to the Middle East from its South-east Asian base, said, “The Arab world is approximately 400 million people and the wider Mena region closer to a billion which makes this diverse, vibrant, young, tech-savvy part of the world the next big emerging market for online travel. WIT has been an important catalyst for the growth of the online travel industry in Asia and Wego is delighted to help bring the WIT franchise expanded to cover the Mena region.”
Stuart Crighton, CEO and co-founder of India-based Cleartrip, said: “We are pleased to welcome WiT to the Middle East after its success in South East Asia and Japan. The online market is undergoing significant change as a young and internet savvy population is changing the long established status quo of travel throughout the region. Rapid digitisation is creating choice and affordability for a diverse set of customers, in turn, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs trying to impact this change.”
Paulina Klotzbucher, chief digital officer of Africa’s largest online travel brand, Travelstart, said: “Travelstart entered the Middle East market in 2014 and since then, in the last year alone our business has grown 150 per cent. We are now present in all GCC countries, with physical offices in Cairo and Dubai. We have a growing customer base, especially on our native App. What’s most exciting about the region is how heterogeneous the communities are. We service so many nationalities all with their own needs and preferred communication methods. The diversity of this region is incredible which makes every day exciting if not challenging.
“As a company, we have been attending WiT in Singapore over the years and seen the positive impact it has had on the development of online travel in APAC and we look forward to collaborating with them to bring their event and style of content to the region. It’s indicative of our commitment to continue to invest in the Middle East, which is a natural complement to our home business in Africa.”
Mona Faraj, founder and managing director of Insight Out Consultancy, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with WiT in such an important event for our region. It is absolutely key to understand not only the extraordinary evolution of the online travel in our region but the way forward and the necessary alignment of both international and regional players to complement each other and address consumer evolution requirements.”


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SACU members need to harmonise border control policies
There is need to harmonise all the border control polices amongst the different Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) member states to promote regional trade.
Ministry of Commerce Industry and Trade International Trade Department Senior Trade Policy Analyst Mluleki Dlamini said currently, SACU does not have common policies and furthermore the regional bloc does not have common institutions.
Dlamini was speaking yesterday during a workshop organised by the Global Economic Governance Africa in conjunction with the Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce (FSE&CC) held at the Royal Villas in Ezulwini.
“The supra regional organisations would aid trade development in the region which is critical for the growth of the private sector. Common policies would decrease duplication of processes which can be seen to be barriers to trade,” he said.
Dlamini said another fact worth noting was that SACU trade only applies to goods and not services.
“This is something worth looking into as there are numerous services which are conducted in the various countries which are not included under SACU,” he said.
He was responding to a question asked from the floor to ascertain the level of trade amongst SACU member states when it comes to services as opposed to goods.
He said coordination amongst the member states should be improved to increase the level of trade amongst member states.
“There needs to be more discussions amongst policy makers from member states at a regional level so as to ensure members concerns are articulated so they can be addressed within the structures of the body,” he said.
Dlamini said this was especially true when it came to the border posts, as it has been identified that the different boarder polices amongst member states was a significant barrier to trade.
He noted the duplication of costs at the border posts were amongst the main problems of cross border trade barriers.
“An example to this is that, you find that in one country a certain regulation is mandatory and everyone has to abide by it, however in the neighbouring country you find that the regulation is voluntary and it’s up to the firm owner to decide to adhere to it,” he said.
Dlamini said this causes confusion for the private sector whereas they are the sector which should be driving trade amongst states.


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Its threat alone has helped speed consolidation, and consumers may suffer. Without having done much yet, Amazon.com Inc. is already transforming U.S. health care — and not necessarily for the better. The mere threat of the online giant getting into the health business prompted the country’s two largest pharmacy benefit managers — CVS Health Corp. and Express…Details
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One day before NBC Universal begins broadcasting the Summer Olympic Games, the company said that advertising sales had surpassed the $1 billion mark.
NBC had publicly cited $1 billion as a goal given the $894 million in paid for the rights to the Games and the estimated $100 million it will cost to produce the 3,600 hours of television and Internet coverage. $1 billion is also NBC’s high-water mark for the Olympics, set by its coverage of the Athens Games in 2004.
“While we are thrilled with this milestone, we still expect to write more business as the Games begin and great stories continue to evolve,” Seth Winter, the senior vice president of sales and marketing for NBC Sports & Olympics, said in a statement.
Last week NBC said it had sold 96 percent of the Olympic ad time, according to Broadcasting & Cable. The $1 billion figure includes advertisements on NBCOlympics.com and the 2,200 hours of online Olympics video.
In an internal e-mail on Thursday, the NBC Universal chief executive Jeff Zucker called the Olympics “the most ambitious broadcasting event ever attempted,” CNBC reports.


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Billionaire Leon Black says he 'deeply regrets' Jeffrey Epstein ties a...
Billionaire Leon Black says he 'deeply regrets' Jeffrey Epstein ties amid report of $50M in transfers - National Post
The New York Times reported that Black wired Epstein huge sums in the years after the latter's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a teenage girl
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From National Post
Their network of activities include malicious apps in the Google Play store and Apple iOS store, fraudulent news websites and personas
There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Capricorn
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Shopper confidence has increased to its highest level since February 2020, according to the latest IGD Shopper Confidence Index. The increase is driven by restored confidence within the over-55s, which appears to be a direct result of the vaccine roll-out. Trust in the food industry is also at an all-time high, thanks to the industry maintaining supply, focusing on health and supporting local communities and suppliers.
But, despite these encouraging results, overall confidence remains fragile, caused by the uncertain length of the national lockdown, the economic downturn and potential supply chain disruption surrounding the EU trade deal.
January 2021 results
January’s score increased slightly to -5, which although is relatively low, is the highest level since February 2020.
Shopper confidence fluctuated slightly across the month and dropped to -7 in early January following the new national lockdown and ‘stay at home’ message, combined with the rising number of COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and deaths. The index rose to -4 at the end of the month as the UK passed the halfway point towards its mid-February target of administering at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to 15m people.
IGD ShopperVista 2021
- Confidence has increased the most among those aged 55+ (-3 vs -9 last month) – a priority group to receive the vaccine
- Confidence has improved slightly across all major regions
- With news of the progress on the vaccinations programme, 19% expect to be better off in the year ahead (+2% vs last month) – the highest level since July 2020
- Just under a third (31%) expect to be worse off financially in the year ahead (-1% vs. last month)
- Trust in the food industry has increased to the highest level recorded, with a focus on the provision of healthy products, supporting local suppliers, farmers and local communities
Simon Wainwright, director of global insight at IGD, said: “It’s really encouraging to see a slight increase in confidence in January, which builds on the increase from November 2020.
“However, the uncertainty surrounding the length of lockdown, the economic downturn and potential supply chain issues around the EU trade deal will mean that confidence will remain fragile for the foreseeable future, but it will be interesting to see the results in February, when the government is on course to reach its target of vaccinating 15m people.
“The increased trust in the food industry is testament to the responsiveness and agility delivered by suppliers and retailers throughout the pandemic and this will need to be maintained for shoppers as we are faced with continued uncertainty.”


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- ABOUT IMC
- IoT LIBRARY
Toyota Group partners Ossia for Power over Air
- August 5, 2020
- William Payne
Washington state based wireless power specialist Ossia has partnered with Toyoda Gosei, a Toyota Group company that produces automotive products such as cockpit modules, steering wheels and airbag systems for car makers around the world. Ossia manufactures the Cota Real Wireless Power system that delivers power over air, without cables, charging pads or line of sight.
The partnership includes an investment in Ossia, multiple commercial projects and other strategic components involving wireless power for automotive, smart cities, consumer applications, IoT, and more. Toyoda Gosei has also recently invested in artificial intelligence and robotics companies.
“This is an exciting time,” said Doug Stovall, Chief Revenue Officer at Ossia. “This partnership will not only help advance the use of wireless power for different applications within the automotive industry, but also lead to additional wirelessly powered inventions that can be leveraged across a spectrum of commercial, consumer, and IoT uses.”
Stovall adds, “We are thrilled to partner with another global leader that is dedicated to exploring the ways wireless power will help improve and advance daily living within our communities, including automotive. Connecting the dots between the Cota wireless power ecosystem and a range of new products makes sense in so many ways, including for convenience, city planning, and safety, to name a few.”
“This is an important investment and collaboration for Toyoda Gosei that will certainly lead to more advancements not only for our products, but for the global transportation system at large as well as innovations in the smart city space,” said Takashi Ishikawa, Director and Chief of Research & Development Headquarters at Toyoda Gosei. “We are happy to be working with Ossia on this ground-breaking wireless power technology.”
Recently Ossia received two FCC certifications for different applications of Cota wireless power technology. Ossia also won the CES 2019 Innovation Awards in the Wireless Devices, Accessories, and Services category for the Cota Forever Sleeve and a 2019 Edison Award Finalist. Cota 5.8GHz Wireless Power technology is available for license.


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The kubit team will host their annual user workshop at Spar 2013 in Colorado Springs. All current users as well as others interested in working with native Autodesk point clouds are welcome to register for the annual kubit user workshop at Spar 2013. It will be held from 3 to 5 PM on Monday April 15.
The kubit team has been at this a long time, adjusting to each of the new point cloud/reality capture strategies as Autodesk has rolled them out over the years. It will be very interesting to see what the impact of the 2014 Recap product will be on kubit’s software products and customers.


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I recently wrote a post claiming that it’s not possible to fix Facebook’s serious, and dangerous, flaws by merely tweaking or adjusting the current business. I argued that there are inherent flaws in the company’s platform, business model and leadership that that make it impossible to fix this platform without starting again from scratch. I hardly needed supporting evidence for my position beyond the company’s own history but, remarkably, on Friday a long (and excellent) Intercept article provided even more reasons to rethink the basic position Facebook plays in our society.
The detailed piece, written by Sam Biddle, explains how a “confidential” Facebook document lays out how the company is developing the ability to predict the future behavior of its users for subsequent packaging and sale to advertisers. In the document, Biddle notes:
Facebook explains how it can comb through its entire user base of over 2 billion individuals and produce millions of people who are “at risk” of jumping ship from one brand to a competitor. These individuals could then be targeted aggressively with advertising that could pre-empt and change their decision entirely — something Facebook calls “improved marketing efficiency.” This isn’t Facebook showing you Chevy ads because you’ve been reading about Ford all week — old hat in the online marketing world — rather Facebook using facts of your life to predict that in the near future, you’re going to get sick of your car. Facebook’s name for this service: “loyalty prediction.”
Loyalty prediction sounds like something from an Orwell novel, because the premise that a monolithic platform, or government, can a priori know what you will want/do/buy is something that has no place in a democratic society. It’s one thing that an advertiser thinks you like Beer A over Beer B. It’s quite another that it knows mathematically what you are planning to buy. However, achieving just such knowledge about its users is exactly why Cambridge Analytica was allowed to roam the digitals halls of Facebook in the first place. Moreover, as Biddle points out, such access was not, and is not, in and of itself a problem to Facebook’s leadership:
Facebook’s keen interest in helping clients extract value from user data perhaps helps explain why the company did not condemn what Cambridge Analytica did with the data it extracted from the social network — instead, Facebook’s outrage has focused on Cambridge Analytica‘s deception. With much credit due to Facebook’s communications team, the debate has been over Cambridge Analytica’s “improper access” to Facebook data, rather than why Cambridge Analytica wanted Facebook’s data to begin with. But once you take away the question of access and origin, Cambridge Analytica begins to resemble Facebook’s smaller, less ambitious sibling.
Exactly. There is in fact almost no real difference in what CA was trying to do and what Facebook does every day.
At this point you may be wondering what’s so bad about Facebook knowing, versus guessing, your future actions? The answer is that any company vested in its predictive model is going to be inclined to do all it can to make those predictions come true. Biddle lays this point out clearly:
Pasquale, the law professor, told The Intercept that Facebook’s behavioral prediction work is “eerie” and worried how the company could turn algorithmic predictions into “self-fulfilling prophecies,” since “once they’ve made this prediction, they have a financial interest in making it true.” That is, once Facebook tells an advertising partner you’re going to do some thing or other next month, the onus is on Facebook to either make that event come to pass, or show that they were able to help effectively prevent it (how Facebook can verify to a marketer that it was indeed able to change the future is unclear).
So in Facebook we have not just a prediction platform but also a manipulation/coercion platform the likes of which the world has never seen. This platform is held not by a company, like Apple, with a long history of openness about its collection and use of customer data. It is held by a company with a history of secrecy and strategic miscalculation that starts with its founder and involves almost every aspect of its business model. Again, as the author notes:
Problematic as well is Facebook’s reluctance to fully disclose how it monetizes AI. Albright described this reluctance as a symptom of “the inherent conflict” between Facebook and “accountability,” as “they just can’t release most of the details on these things to the public because that is literally their business model.”
So what is to be done? Well, for one, every single person on Facebook should take a long look at the value the platform is providing agains the cost of the privacy surrendered. For me, as a libertarian, the choice is clear. No digital platform or connection is worth the privacy cost that Facebook demands. I know for others the answer may be different today, but Biddle wonders if that conclusion would be different if people knew everything that Facebook is doing with their information (which they certainly don’t know today):
I don’t agree that informed users are unable to calculate the pros and cons of Facebook participation today. For me, even if nothing else comes out, the platform is not work the risk. But I can understand why a casual user, who does not think about civil liberties regularly, might require more detailed evidence before hitting the delete button. These users might also believe that tweaks to the company’s model are all that’s required to make the problem go away. Indeed, I have read a lot of suggestions recently about how Facebook can change: from “why me” buttons to moving to a pay for privacy model. While these are interesting ideas, they won’t change the core mission of Facebook’s founder and the company itself, which is to know everything about everyone and then to make money from that knowledge. For a free society, any company that sets this goal as its foundational purpose is a worry. Imagine if in the future, Facebook achieves its loyalty prediction goal and its platform is taken over by the government or by an even more insidious and organized foreign power. We may not be able to undo that evolution quite so easily, and the consequences could change Western democracies forever. This is a chance we should not take. It’s our civic obligation to seriously rethink this company’s role in our society before we lose any chance to do so.


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- Casings and Coolers
Monday, 16 Jan 2017
The Silverstone Redline RL06 ATX chassis series is the latest addition to its Redline family. Read on to uncover their attractive features!
Wednesday, 11 Jan 2017
Cooler Master has announced two new mid-tower chassis that are designed for gamers in mind. Jump in to find out their exciting features and local pricing details!
Wednesday, 21 Dec 2016
Thermaltake has announced three new cases – the Core X31, Core X71, and Suppressor F31 Tempered Glass Edition Chassis – which all feature 4mm-thick tempered glass side windows and extensive support for liquid-cooling hardware.
Sunday, 18 Dec 2016
Here's your chance to recycle and donate your used computing devices at participating Newstead Technologies retail outlets for the company's Gift Your Tech social campaign. If the devices aren't in working order, the campaign will ensure of their proper disposal according to strict NEA regulations. Read on for more details!
Friday, 16 Dec 2016
Cooler Master today announced the local availability of the MasterLiquid Maker 92, an AIO liquid cooler that combines the advantages of both air and liquid coolers.
Friday, 9 Dec 2016
Bitfenix has announced the Shogun, a dual-tempered glass panel case that is the spiritual successor to its Shinobi line of cases.
Monday, 28 Nov 2016
Thermaltake has announced The Tower 900 and 900 Snow Edition E-ATX Vertical Super Tower Chassis. Both are intended to deliver top-notch craftsmanship with plenty of room for massive custom liquid cooling loops and high-end hardware.
Tuesday, 22 Nov 2016
Corsair has announced two new cases ahead of the holiday shopping season – the Crystal Series 570X RGB and the Carbide 270R. The 570X RGB is without doubt the more interesting of the two, featuring tempered glass panels on four sides, the better to show off your hardware.
Friday, 18 Nov 2016
Cooler Master has announced the local availability of its Seidon 240P and 120V V3 Plus AIO CPU liquid coolers. The two are the newest additions to Cooler Master’s Seidon line of coolers, and taken together, they make AIO liquid cooling even more accessible to system builders on a budget.
Thursday, 10 Nov 2016
Cooler Master has announced the MasterBox Lite 3, a new micro-ATX case that offers a no-nonsense approach to system building. That said, it still supports full-sized graphics cards, a liquid cooling radiator, and up to four SSDs.


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Retailers promote cleanups, not cookouts
The retail industry was out in force before, during and after Hurricane Harvey making a difference in the lives of those impacted by the storm.
The three day Labor Day weekend is normally a time of retail sales and end of summer cookouts, but not for retailers who operate stores in southeast Texas and Louisiana or residents whose lives were devastated by extreme flooding. Many of the nation’s leading retailers quickly stepped up to make a difference in recovery efforts by leverage their online presence and physical locations as collection points for customer donations. They also wrote large checks to charitable organizations and marshalled their supply chains to quickly reopen stores one danger passed to ensure essential products flowed into hard hit areas. Retailers own employees, many of whom also were affected, donated their time, compassion and hard work to help others in need.
"The retail community is consistently on the front lines in providing much needed relief for Americans dealing with disaster," said Lisa LaBruno, Senior Vice President of Retail Operations with the Retail Industry Leaders Association. "Hurricane Harvey is no exception. Whether it's providing water, medical supplies, fuel and shelter, retailers are doing everything they can to help communities rebuild in the wake of devastation. As retail faces these challenges head on, we are committed to providing hope to those that need it most."
(Editor’s note: the information below is intended to highlight the retail industry’s considerable contributions to disaster relief and should be viewed as a sampling of those efforts rather than a comprehensive listing.)
Walmart: The company donated $1 million to the American Red Cross before Harvey even made landfall but soon after the extent of flooding became apparent the amount from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation was increased to $20 million. That amount includes $10 million focused on support of American Red Cross shelters and $2 million in support of the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation. In addition, Walmart launched a customer campaign with the American Red Cross in which Walmart is matching customer donations two to one with cash and product donations of up to $10 million.
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will also give additional cash and product donations totaling $10 million to support the Salvation Army, Feeding America, Convoy of Hope, Team Rubicon and the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, as well as other organizations assisting food distribution, sheltering and cleanup efforts.
The Home Depot: The nation’s largest home improvement retailer donated $1 million to organizations including the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Convoy of Hope, Operation Blessing and Team Rubicon to support short-term relief and rebuilding needs.
Lowe’s: Lowe’s donated $500,000 to American Red Cross and is working with national nonprofit partners to provide both immediate and long-term support to local communities, including thousands of employees volunteering with cleanup efforts.
Dollar Tree: The company is donating $500,000 of financial support as part of its efforts to support communities and associates affected by the recent storms in Texas and Louisiana.
Amazon/Whole Foods: Amazon’s deal to acquire Austin-based Whole Foods closed on Aug. 28 and the combined company’s approach to disaster relief was to match donation’s made via the Amazon Web site up to $1 million. Customers donated that amount in a matter of days and Amazon and Whole Foods match the amount with a donation to the American Red Cross. In addition, the company said its operations team was pulling critically need items from inventory to donate to first responder and Amazon Web Service was working with NGO’s and adapting apps to disaster use cases.
Target: Local and national disaster relief organizations received $3,500,000 from Target including American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Team Rubicon, an organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to quickly deploy emergency response teams.
H-E-B: The Texas-based supermarket chain donated $1 million in cash and merchandise to disaster relief groups.
Kroger: The supermarket chain donated $100,000 to the Houston Food Bank as part of a program that required social sharing of #KrogerCares. For each share the company donated $5 to the food bank which serves 600 hunger relief charities in 18 southeast Texas counties.
Aldi: The discount grocer donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross and $50,000 to the city of Rosenberg and worked with Feeding America to distribute 1,000 disaster relief boxes.
Kohls: Donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross in addition to an estimated $1 million in financial support to employees significantly impacted by the storm.
Walgreens: Donated $200,000 to the American Red Cross and also donated food, first aid and medical equipment to the emergency shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The retailer also coordinated with United Airlines to transport first aid and medical items from Chicago to Houston. And in advance of the storm, Walgreens deployed generators to stores throughout southeast Texas and Louisiana which enabled the retailer to reopen 300 of its 500 stores in the region by Wednesday, Aug. 30.
Dollar General: The operator of more than 14,000 stores nationwide donated $50,000 to American Red Cross and also leveraged its expansive store network as collection points for customer donations.


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Can anyone think of a content business — meaning a company that produces original content — that has scaled dramatically in recent years? I can’t. Look at the businesses that have scaled — Google, MySpace, YouTube — all platforms for content, but not producers of content. Compare those to original content businesses like Weblogs, Inc., Gawker, TechCrunch, Paid Content — they are successful at their scale, but that scale is still tiny compared to the scale of the aggregation businesses. Even portals like AOL and Yahoo are much more aggregators of content than original producers of content.
Last spring I wrote about the Long Tail of Revenue 2.0, observing that the most of the revenue goes to aggregators in the head, and the rest is spread very thinly across an ever growing and ever thinning tail of content creators. Tim O’Reilly has posted a version of this obeservation in The Economics of Disaggregation:
…long tail businesses disproportionately benefit the aggregator. While they create new opportunities for content providers “down the tail” who might not otherwise have been noticed, they create even greater collective benefits for the Amazon, the Google, the Netflix, who hosts the entire collection, the dog who wags the tail.
William Bulkeley put this phenomenon in a larger context in a WSJ article title, “The Internet Allows Consumers to Trim Wasteful Purchases“:
Marketing 101 says success comes from selling things people want. But advanced marketing calls for companies to leverage the relationship to get the buyer to pony up for other products — or at least for extra product. When customers find a way to avoid buying the excess baggage, they change quickly.
Take the film business. Eastman Kodak and Fuji Photo Film had a highly profitable duopoly for 20 years before digital cameras came along. They never dreamed customers would quickly abandon film and prints. But customers are happy to pay for new digital cameras because the cameras let them pick the good pictures without having to pay to print out a roll of mostly mediocre shots. Now film sales are dropping 20% or more a year and Kodak has reported losses for eight consecutive quarters while closing plants around the world and laying off thousands of people.
Jack Shafer in Slate narrows the lens on the newspaper industry:
Bulkeley could have easily applied the wisdom of his lesson more broadly to newspapers. It’s not that the complete gestalt of local, state, national, and international news plus sports, comics, classified, opinion, and hints on fashion, home, entertainment, and food isn’t still useful. It is. But given a choice, and the economic means to make a choice, many buyers prefer to make an unbundled purchase. Unbundling the news they want from the news they don’t want is what the Web allows readers to do now.
The result of unbundling, disaggregation, the loss of pipe control (to use Andy Kessler’s construct) — i.e. the inability to force people to consume content they don’t want — is that content businesses don’t scale anymore. That doesn’t mean creating content isn’t profitable — independent publishers like Mike Arrington and Rafat Ali can have nice little businesses — but the same phenomenon that allowed them to become business at all will probably prevent them from becoming large businesses. I’ve heard Mike Arrington say he wants TechCrunch to be as big as CNET — the problem is that CNET’s audience is not only being chipped away by TechCrunch but also by hundreds of other independent technology publishers, which limit the growth of TechCrunch as much as they shrink the reach of CNET.
Robert Young posits the “fat belly” as a missing link in long tail economics:
The recognition of the existence of the Fat Belly is critical for many reasons, but allow me boil it all down to this overarching statement: Any economist or political scientist will agree that the health of any democratic society thatâ€™s fueled by free market capitalism is measured by the robustness of its middle class. A large and vibrant middle class demonstrates a healthy redistribution of wealth within a nation and its economy, ultimately serving as a catalyst for the power of one vote and equality amongst its peers/citizens.
The comparison to the middle class is exactly right — content businesses will have a share of the welath, but they will never scale to be “wealthy” like the aggregators.
So does that mean that content creation will forever be a small business? Likely, yes, unless you can aggregate your way up to scale — this is what Weblogs Inc attempted, realizing that none of its blogs would ever be a big business unto itself — aggregation also enables an internal network effect that gooses the scale. But even Weblogs is still dwarfed by the aggregator businesses, even after it was acquired by one (AOL).
The democratization of the content businesses, like any other democratization, requires a flattening of the business — a lot more people can play, but the opportunity is limited by each successful entrant. There’s still a finite amount of attention for content. And let’s not forget that much of the new content is being produced by people who have no interest in being in the content business — they just want attention in some form. But all those MySpace pages and silly YouTube videos take dollars off the table — except for MySpace and YouTube.
The real wealth generation opportunity for businesses like Weblogs, TechCrunch, and Paid Content is the prospect of being acquired by an aggregator — but I think we’ll see the continued growth of a new breed of “mom and pop” content business, content (pun intended) to make an independent albeit middle class living.
Some additional thoughts occurred to me on the treadmill:
Many of the aggregator businesses, like YouTube and MySpace, are better described as platform businesses, i.e. they provide a platform for content creators and distributors, which makes them de facto aggregators. Also, new platforms like Brightcove are likely to support lots of small content businesses rather than launch any large scale businesses.
The content creation space is also being crowded by brands, which are increasingly trying to create content as a destination rather than commercial messages as an interruption — and because they can leverage platforms like YouTube, they no longer have to pay content creators to ride along with their content. Every minute we spend with a brand’s content, whose objective is selling the brand, is a minute we don’t spend with content whose objective is selling the content.
Jonathan Miller at Web 2.0, shortly before his abrupt departure from AOL, effectively conceded that the content business is losing scale. John Battelle asked him whether portals like AOL can hold onto their monopoly, or whether they will go the way of cable TV, i.e. infinite fragmentation. Although he gave the dutiful public company answer, that in practice he didn’t see why AOL wouldn’t hang onto its monopoly, his first answer was frank and honest — in principle, there’s no reason why these monopolies shouldn’t unwind.


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Nutritics, a market leader in food and health software solutions, announces strategic acquisition of Ten Kites, the UK’s most innovative menu publishing platform, to drive international growth and scale.
Nutritics, a market leader in food and health software solutions, has today announced the strategic acquisition of Ten Kites, a menu publishing platform that empowers food businesses to publish fully compliant, personalised digital menus across multiple customer touch points, including web pages, mobile apps and digital displays.
The deal, for an undisclosed amount, will enable Nutritics to include the innovative Ten Kites solution as part of its overall software offering, delivering increased value and business benefits to customers across 100 countries. It also enables Ten Kites to continue their international expansion with access to new market segments across Europe, Middle East and Australia. The combined entity currently employs 50 staff and this number is expected to continue to grow quickly to support further international expansion.
Ten Kites was founded in 2013 by Stuart Wilson to meet a growing need in the sector, the ability to publish accurate and up to date allergen information to menu pages. His vision was to bridge the divide between recipe systems with front-end web-pages, in a way that was scalable, reliable and automated.
Ten Kites now supports some of the UK’s biggest multi-brand groups across casual dining, pubs, bars and restaurant groups, including TGI Fridays, Fullers Pubs, Shepherd Neame, Carluccios and Wagamama, with thousands of sites reliant on their automated solutions. Prior to Ten Kites, Wilson founded StarLogic (and developed its market leading product StarChef) in 1995 which sold in 2010.
The multi-award winning Nutritics Food and Nutritics Health software solutions are used in over 100 countries by a wide range of food businesses and health, sport and education professionals. Nutritics Food provides menu management and food labelling solutions for multi-site food service operators, caterers and hospitality sector leaders.
Nutritics is currently the only company in the world to have been awarded the Gold Standard Recipe Calculation Accreditation by the European Food Information Resource (EUROFIR). Nutritics Food clients include LEON, Aramark and Starbucks. Nutritics Health is used by NHS, Public Health England and Manchester City FC, alongside over 90% of all third level universities in Britain.
Commenting on the acquisition, Stephen Nolan, Managing Director of Nutritics said; “Ten Kites represents the very best in UK food industry innovation. We are delighted to be able to complete this significant acquisition and start to bring their remarkable technology to our customers worldwide as we continue to scale internationally.
We believe that together we can empower food businesses all over the world with smart tools that deliver a personalised, instant and reliable digital experience to their consumers. Stuart and the team at Ten Kites have built a fantastic business and we look forward to supporting them to grow their offering in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Australia.”
Stuart Wilson, CEO of Ten Kites noted; “We are extremely pleased to join forces with Nutritics. They, like us, have a culture of collaboration, innovation and service. Our strategic focus is to bring the Ten Kites solution to new international markets. This is the next step in our journey - one that opens up new opportunities for our brand, both at home and abroad. Ten Kites will continue to serve its customers and partners with the same level of collaboration and support, while also growing our reach in overseas markets, with support from Nutritics.”
Customers are seeking greater transparency about what they eat, both inside and outside the home. Nutritics and Ten Kites will continue to support the industry with this increasing demand. Currently, both organisations are supporting the foodservice sector to provide ingredient list information as part of the ‘Natasha’s Law’ food labelling regulation being introduced across the UK on 1st October 2021. Thereafter, Nutritics and Ten Kites will support the industry to display calorie information on menus in a modern and customer friendly format as part of the calorie labelling legislation being introduced in April 2022. Combined, Nutritics and Ten Kites are strongly positioned to bring the most accurate and user friendly solutions to the UK and international food and hospitality sector.


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Facebook Inc. late Monday announced it was launching a test of its own online discounts program in San Francisco and four other cities starting Tuesday.
And with Facebook Deals, the Palo Alto social network becomes a formidable competitor in a relatively new market for online deep discounts popularized by companies like Groupon and LivingSocial.
A Facebook spokeswoman said the company is testing deals initially in San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, Austin and Dallas, with other cities planned in the future.
One local example will be the California Academy of Sciences, which is offering a deal on its Penguins + Pajamas sleepover programs for children aged 6 and older for three dates this summer. Another is a four-week beginning salsa dancing class from DanceSF.
Last November, Facebook kicked off a mobile Deals program for mobile phone users who could get a discount by checking in at participating company.
But Facebook is expanding that throughout the vast social network itself, starting with a Deals tab that will appear first on the home pages of members who are in the five test cities. Notices of deals can also be sent by email, and Facebook members will be prompted to share deals they have purchased with their network.
Groupon, LivingSocial and numerous discount services also count on its members spreading the word of a good deal through social media. But now Facebook becomes a competitor as well as a social networking platform.
Also, Facebook has partnered with numerous deal sites such as OpenTable, which works with restaurants, and Gilt City, which specializes in deals for high-end items like towncar service or preimium concert packages.
Other partners include Tippr, PopSugar City, Plum District, ReachLocal, Zozi, Home Run, KGB Deals, aDealio and ViaGoGo.
And members can buy a Facebook Deals with either a credit card or by using Facebook Credits, the social network’s own virtual currency system.


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Safaricom 2.0 coming soon
BUSINESS| March 23, 2011, 1:57 p.m.
Kenya’ s Safaricom has reshuffled its executives and announced a new organisational structure.
CEO Bob Collymore has presented a new organisational structure which created the customer focused Strategic Business Units (SBUs) and streamlined the supporting Corporate Centre.
The leaner structure presents 3 Revenue Centres: Financial Services, Enterprise and Consumer business and 6 Function positions.
After a week of talent assessments of the leaders and in consultation with the Board, Collymore has today announced his new leadership team:
Peter Arina - General Manager, Consumer Business
Betty Mwangi - Thuo - General Manager, Financial Services
Chris Tiffin - CFO
Joe Ogutu - Director, Resources
Ivor Wekesa - Director, Risk Management
Nzioka Waita - Director, Legal, Regulatory and External Affairs
In addition to the above appointments, Pauline Warui will continue to Head Customer Service, Clare Ruto will head the Legal and Regulatory Affairs and Wangari Murugu will continue to Head Marketing. Francis Murabula will also continue with the company as Head of Procurement and Logistics, while Les Baillie will continue managing Investor Relations reporting to the CFO.
Collymore said: “ I am excited about these appointments. We have the right people with the right experiences, in the right roles who will do the right work as they champion the agenda.”
He added that he had accepted the decisions of John Barorot and Robert Mugo to transition out of Safaricom Ltd as they seek new opportunities.
Collymore is wasting no time as he seeks to complete his organizational change process. He said: “ The process upon which we have embarked is absolutely necessary for our journey towards a Safaricom 2.0. We have to be obsessed about understanding and meeting the needs of our customers and delivering exceptional network quality. I firmly believe that we will exceed our promises to customers and motivate our employees through a reinvigorated organisation.”
MORE BUSINESS NEWS
Kenyan SACCOS riding on innovation to attract customersAs confidence in mainstream banks remains low due to prohibitive interest rates, customers are embracing Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCO) as an alternative. Read More
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Yudala ‘an unstoppable movement’, says Zinox chiefThe opening of Yudala outlets, combining an online shopping platform with retail stores, has been described as a game-changer in Nigeria. Read More
Travelport, TTS sign reseller agreement for Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific regionTravelport and TTS have signed a sales and distribution agreement for TTS products in the Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions. Read More
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What African entrepreneurs wantOn the eve of U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, GeoPoll, the Global Entrepreneurship Network, and the U.S. State Department have released a survey of 1,000 business owners throughout sub-Saharan Africa on entrepreneurship in their countries. Read More
ISON eyes 25,000 jobs, $400m in NigeriaISON Group has projected the creation of 25,000 new jobs and $400 million revenue within space of one or two years in Nigeria. Read More
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Orange, Airtel in talks on acquisitionsOrange and Bharti Airtel International (Netherlands) BV, have entered into an exclusive agreement to explore the possible acquisition by Orange of four Airtel subsidiaries. Read More
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FEATURED STORYKenyan SACCOS riding on innovation to attract customers
As confidence in mainstream banks remains low due to prohibitive interest rates, customers are embracing Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCO) as an alternative.
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IN DEPTHAs curtain falls on MDGs, what next?
Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus Centre, speaks to Biztechafrica about setting smart targets.


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India's most leading Company Micromax is going to launch a new smartphone which runs on Android 4.1 operating system and has quad core processor. Company has fixed its cost as Rs 15000. Micromax co-founder and business director Vikas Jain says "In the month of March Micromax will launch this phone". Features This phone has QHD display of 4.5 inch, ICS or Jelly Bean operating system, 8 mega pixel camera and 4 GB internal memory.
Quad core is not a new feature many other mobile companies have launched their handsets on the chipset of Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (Nexus G) and Nvidia Tegra 3 (LG Optimus 4X HD, HTC One X, but the use of quad core increases the handset cost. Together Broadcom and Micromax have tried to lower the price of quad core processor handset. Quad core processor handsets manufactured by international mobile companies' costs around Rs 30,000 but Miromax is giving this handset in just Rs 15000.
According to "The Mobile Indian", Xolo is also going to launch Nvidia Tegra 4 quad core processor on March 2013. Also karbonn mobile company is going to launch Media Tec MT6589 processor based quad core device. Bangalore based iBerry company has already launched its quad core handset Auxus X4 which has Samsung Exynos processor.


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Fly In/Drive In planned at airport
NEW CASTLE, Ind. – The New Castle-Henry County Airport Fly In/Drive In is set for Saturday, Sept. 10, at the airport, 2912 E. Henry County Road 400-S.
Hours for the free event are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will feature a car show, and several airplanes, emergency response vehicles and motorcycles will be on display.
The Kiwanis of New Castle-Henry County will be serving lunch. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and beverages will be available for $5, and baked goods for an additional price. Proceeds from food revenue will benefit children's organizations.
Airplane rides will also be available, at a cost of $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 12 and under.
Information: Call Jon McCutchen at 765-624-9514.


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- Groceryshop 2019 Highlights
- Hudson’s Bay to exit the Netherlands
- Pandora contains IT services on cloud
Analysis: Kroger rebounds but grocery sector not a happy place in retailOver the past year, Kroger has been in something of a funk with a string of weak sales numbers and a run of declining profits.
- Walmart Health provides connected control to customers
- CSA Exclusive: Amazon Web Services leverages heritage for retail innovation
- Tech Viewpoint: eBay’s decision to delay holiday promotions — smart or foolhardy?
- NPD Group: Trade-ups, price increases to fuel growth in U.S. consumer tech market
- Study: Customers want a consistent experience, but do retailers offer it?


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Canadian Olympic Committee files for injunction against North Face
Olympic committee wants to seize Villagewear clothing over trademark infringement
The Canadian Olympic Committee has made good on a threat to take legal action against clothing company The North Face over alleged trademark infringement.
It filed a notice of civil claim in a Vancouver court on Tuesday seeking an injunction against the clothing company because of the way it has advertised its 2014 “Villagewear” collection.
The COC says North Face is not an official Olympic sponsor, but its Villagewear collection is designed and promoted as if it has an Olympic connection.
The COC asked the company in December to cease and desist from using slogans referring to the Sochi 2014 Olympics and to make a charitable donation to the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
That didn't happen, it says, and now the COC wants to seize both the clothing and its packaging and promotional material. It also asked the court to force North Face to reveal profits from the sale of the clothes so it can make a monetary claim against the company.
The civil claim alleges that the design of the Villagewear collection, from its choice of colours and symbols such as the flags of other nations and the marks RU/14 or 2.7.14 (the date of the Olympics) was designed to fool consumers that it was related to the Winter Olympics.
The clothing — including hats, shirts and duffle bags — had names such as “men’s Sochi full-zip hoodie” and “Sochi base camp duffle.”
North Face marketing materials used slogans such as “Support Canada with patriotic gear” and “Sport the colour of your home country.”
The company also introduced the Villagewear collection with in-store signage that read “The Villagewear Collection captures the international spirit of Sochi, as it welcomes the world’s greatest athletes, through iconic The North Face styles and unique, athlete-inspired design.”
The North Face wasn't available for comment, but said last month it never meant to imply it was an Olympic sponsor.
Now a B.C. court will have to decide if it infringed on the Olympic trademark and, if so, what kind of monetary penalty might be appropriate.
In an interview with CBC News last month, COC CEO Chris Overholt said the COC is 98 per cent funded by sponsorship and must act to protect its brand. He pointed out that The Bay has paid millions to be an Olympic sponsor and sell Olympic-branded clothing.
“What is important to us in all of this is we would never want Canadians to conclude that in buying The North Face apparel they are in some way supporting the team, our athletes or coaches. That's simply not true. If you're buying what our partners provide ... then you're supporting Canadian athletes,” he said.
With files from CBC's Jason Proctor


text: I-MAK AUTOMATION MUMBAI Fuarı'nda ! Presentation of our latest products and innovations at Automation Mumbai With more than 50.000 visitors and 1,100 exhibitors, Automation expo is recognized as the biggest event of this type in the region. The expo took place in Mumbai, India from the 25th to the 28th October. I-MAK presented the new products addition to their monobloc series for heavy industrial duties. It was also a great opportunity to receive live feedbacks from our main customers in the region. After more than 3 years of activity in India, MGM-VARVEL-IMAK India partnership now reached maturity. Strong of this experience our experts are assisting customers all over India with more than 7 regional offices in the country. The next event in the region will be EXCON Bengaluru, 10th to the 14th december ! I-MAK will be introducing the new IPR – Planetary series. With 20 new housings ranging from 1.100 Nm to 572.300 Nm the new product represents a key addition to I-MAK range!


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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: People look at a Volvo XC40 car during the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, or Auto China show, in Beijing, China September 26, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo
By Helena Soderpalm
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Volvo Cars warned on Tuesday that the sector-wide semiconductor shortage would continue into next year, as its first quarterly report since listing on the stock market a month ago confirmed a dip in revenue and profit.
The Gothenburg-based carmaker said supply chains were still constrained but while production remained lower than demand, it had “improved month by month” since September.
“The supply situation has improved going into the fourth quarter, but we expect the industry-wide shortage of semi-conductors to remain a restraining factor,” Chief Executive Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement.
Volvo’s initial public offering (IPO) on Oct. 29 was the biggest in Europe so far this year, a sign of strength for the


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BlackBerry loss widens, unveils tie-up with Foxconn
OTTAWA (AFP) - BlackBerry said Friday it fell deeper into the red in the past quarter as the struggling smartphone maker unveiled a manufacturing partnership with Taiwan-based Foxconn and a revamped organizational structure.
The Canadian firm reported a massive $4.4 billion (S$5.6 billion) loss in its third quarter, four times higher than in the previous quarter, as smartphone sales slumped by half.
The company also unveiled a five-year partnership with Foxconn, described as "the world's largest manufacturer of electronic products and components." Foxconn will jointly develop and manufacture a number of new devices and help manage inventory - an area where BlackBerry has struggled.
Foxconn, the marketing name for Hon Hai Precision Industry, is also a main supplier of one of BlackBerry's chief rivals - Apple.


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Electric vehicle (EV) technology company Ozop Energy Solutions to launch extended warranty products for electric vehicles through a new captive insurance company. Delaware-domiciled EV insurance company (EVIC) is 100% owned by Ozop’s subsidiary, Ozop Capital Partners, and will underwrite its business under the name Ozop Plus.
Ozop is being advised by RMA, who also assisted EVIC in filing its application with the Delaware State Department of Insurance for regulatory approval.
“Ozop Plus strives not only to fill the manufacturer’s warranty void, but also to bring added value to electric vehicle owners through an extended warranty product, as well as to use our partnerships and strengths on the renewable energy market to offer unique and innovative services, ”the company said in a statement.
“Concerns for electric vehicle owners include the costs of repairing and replacing electric vehicle batteries, range anxiety, environmental responsibilities, roadside assistance, and the accelerated wear and tear of additional components that they experience. electric vehicles.
Ozop Plus had almost completed the process of creating a warranty that gives electric vehicle owners “peace of mind,” he added. RMA will act as a third party administrator and use a team “including, but not limited to legacy carriers” with AM Best financial strength ratings of “A” (excellent) and issuer credit ratings. of “a”.
Ozop invents, designs, develops, manufactures and distributes ultra high power chargers, inverters and power supplies for a wide variety of applications in the defense, heavy industry, aircraft ground support, marine and others.
“We look forward to working with this team of seasoned professionals as Ozop Energy Solutions is committed to delivering products that positively impact our country’s ever-changing energy challenges,” said Brian Conway, CEO. “Ozop Plus will enable customers of our partner auto dealers to offer additional protection to new buyers of electric vehicles, as well as existing buyers, who commit to investing in low-emission vehicles. “
RMA, Ozop Energy Solutions, EVIC, Launch, Technology, Vehicle, Insurance, Reinsurance, Brian Conway, North America


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Spring Has Sprung Festival Needs Participants
The Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce has announced the date for the 2023 Spring Has Sprung Festival. The celebration will commence on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and a parade will be held at 11 a.m. The day will include food and craft vendors, the KidZone with inflatables, a petting park, car show, and live entertainment.
The chamber is looking for vendors and parade participants for the festival. Call or text the following individuals if you are interested in signing up for any of the events planned:
Chamber President Kandi Dill- 910.234.3286
Michelle Dudney, Food Chair- 910.207.3190
Miranda Thompkins, Craft Vendor Chair- 910.840.0567
Tiger Lovette, Car Show Cruise in Chair- 843.333.0947
Event Vice President Cynthia Nelson- 910.840.0292 or email@example.com
You can also call the chamber office at 910.377.3012.


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MAH says there will be added cost management measures on top of existing ones, including further staff reduction, direct pay cuts and unpaid leaves
by NUR HANANI AZMAN & HARIZAH KAMEL / pic by TMR FILE
THE lull in travel activities is a critical time for survival for the hotel and tourism industry with almost zero income except for those operating as quarantine centres.
Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) CEO Yap Lip Seng said there will be added cost management measures on top of existing ones, including further staff reduction, direct pay cuts and unpaid leaves.
“As of the end of last year approximately 100 hotels closed either temporarily or permanently. Moving into 2021 and another Movement Control Order (MCO) in early January, an estimated 20 more hotels had closed.
“We are looking at more hotels closing temporarily in response to the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
As of now, closures are being extended on a month-to-month basis,” he told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR).
From MAH’s recent survey, almost 28% of hotels had cut manpower by more than half and over 51% reduced between 10% and 40% of headcount.
Almost 45% of hotels are still imposing pay cuts on their employees, while 63% are placing their employees on unpaid leaves.
Once daily Covid-19 cases drop below 4,000, Yap said the situation would differ among hotels based on locations as the lockdown relaxation is expected to be based on the infectivity rate of respective areas or states.
“However, as long as restrictions in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are extended, it will impact the entire industry as these two states are key source market of domestic tourists.
“The industry will be highly dependent on domestic tourism for another year,” he added.
Yap said when the NRP was announced, the industry was concerned about the late reopening of the tourism sector, which was estimated to be in the fourth quarter of 2021.
“While this means that the industry is not expected to have any business till then, it allows us to plan ahead. Hoteliers could decide on the next course of actions, including closure to minimise losses.
“This, however, must come hand in hand with government support and assistance as the industry is expected to lose all channels of income including food and beverage,” he said, adding that the People’s Protection and Economic Recovery Package (Pemulih) was insufficient as it had not addressed specific needs of the tourism and hotel industry.
Extension of electricity bill discount is needed, but the fixed quantum of 10% is hardly sufficient and of insignificant amount considering average occupancy is at most 20% in the coming months due to extended travel restrictions, said Yap.
The removal of the RM4,000 salary cap, however, is much welcomed as it allows employers to leverage the subsidy for all levels of its employees.
“Although the government recognises the impact on the tourism industry, the one-off financial assistance of RM3,000 is only offered to travel and tour operators. Hotels were not included despite sustaining heavy losses and cashflow burden.
“Extension of the Tourism Tax and Service Tax exemption for hotels up to December 2021 on the other hand is needed to encourage spending although it is not a direct fiscal support.
“We were also recently notified that the extension of the Service Tax exemption will be only for room revenue, while other services within the hotel are not included,” Yap said.
Langkawi Tourism Association CEO Zainudin Kadir echoed the same sentiment, saying the island mostly depends on tourism and can only survive until September this year if the MCO is prolonged.
“After September, if the border remains closed, many of us will cease our operation. Even now many have already shut down their business including 60% from sea tourism and car operators.
“In fact, some car rental operators had to sell their cars at below market price to survive,” he told TMR.
There are around 61,000 workers in Langkawi from various tourism-related segments like car rental and boat operators, retailers, hotels and homestays, and restaurants and cafés that have been badly affected since the pandemic hit.
Zainudin urged the government to provide a specific date for the border to reopen, so that industry players can be better prepared to plan packages and promotions.


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- MIC Electronics shares jumped 10% after announcing a new electric vehicle (EV) battery charger for e-cycles and two-wheelers.
- The company’s stock price hit Rs 42 on the NSE, with trading volumes doubling due to the announcement.
- MIC Electronics also reported a significant turnaround in profits, posting a net profit of Rs 2.71 crore in the December quarter compared to a net loss of Rs 96 lakh in the same period last
Shares of MIC Electronics shot up by 10 percent in the afternoon trade on February 15. This happened after the company announced that it has made a new electric vehicle (EV) battery charger for e-cycles and two-wheelers. They said they’re gonna start selling it real soon, probably in March.
At 12:53 pm, MIC Electronics was trading at Rs 42 on the NSE. The announcement made lots of people buy and sell shares of the company. Around 15 lakh shares were traded, way more than the usual 7 lakh shares traded in a day over the last month. The company is also working on making more powerful chargers for e-cycles and two-wheelers.
Recently, they shared their earnings report for the last quarter. They made a profit of Rs 2.71 crore from October to December. This is a big change from last year when they had a loss of Rs 96 lakh during the same time. Their sales also jumped up a lot from Rs 1.24 crore last year to Rs 17.5 crore this year in the same quarter.
So, to sum up, MIC Electronics is doing really well right now. They’ve made a cool new charger for electric bikes and scooters, and they’re making plans to start selling it very soon. And their profits are up, which is great news for them and their investors!


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JCPenney Betting on Nostalgia
Unless you’ve been living under a rocky, you know that retail – especially big box department store retail – is hurting in the modern American economy. Iconic brands like Sears are closing stores and others, like Radioshack and HHgregg, are closing up shop altogether. In this difficult environment, certain brands seem to be limping along, doing all they can to get customers in their stores.
If you were to look at one department store brand that would seem to be unprepared for the massive – and somewhat surprising – mall shopping downturn, it would have been JCPenney. The department store tried a new style of advertising and merchandising a few years back and that sent sales plummeting almost immediately.
After a change in leadership, Penney’s started coming back. Then, the sky started falling on retail. No one was immune. But JCPenney didn’t have the seemingly bedrock benefits that other brands did. Sears was home to Craftsman and Kenmore, two longstanding definitions of quality in American consumer culture. Still, JCPenney made a few interesting moves. They brought back appliance sales, competing head to head with Best Buy and Sears and the two major home improvement stores.
Now Penney’s is betting big on another classic retail factor: nostalgia. JCPenney announced last week its plans to open classic toy shops inside their retail locations. That’s right, old fashioned toy departments inside JCPenney. The idea was born in the fond memories of the company’s classic “early Christmas catalog,” something generations of kids grew up leafing through in the weeks leading up to the holiday season.
The idea was beta tested last Christmas, and, according to company leadership, the result was “extremely pleasing.” Speaking to CNN, JCPenney Chief Merchant, John Tighe, said:
“We know that shoppers buy toys year-round and by creating a fun, inviting toy shop, with some of the biggest brands and hottest products, we will entice families to shop and spend more at JCPenney…”
It’s an interesting and creative tactic, using nostalgia to stop the bleeding. Because, like its competitors, JCPenney hasn’t been immune to the lagging market. Earlier this year, the company announced it would be closing 138 stores, leaving fewer than 1,000 brick and mortar storefronts active.
It will be interesting to see if this idea brings customers back into the store. Nostalgia is one feeling online sales doesn’t exactly deliver. If JCPenney succeeds, you can bet you will see other department stores borrowing this idea.


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This time of year, a whole new class of college graduates prepares to hit the job market and one major may fare better than others in the job hunt, according to a new survey.
Chinese government trade union to mediate shoe factory strike by tens of thousands of workers
Kings Island theme park in SW Ohio debuts new inverted roller coaster over 4,000 feet long
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Ludlow massacre spurred New Deal labor reforms; 100 years later, union legacy has diminished
Who says America has lost its muscle? Performance is the theme of New York auto show
Michaels Stores Inc., the largest arts-and-crafts chain in the nation, says the personal information of some 3 million customers may have been stolen between June 26, 2013 and Feb. 27, 2014.
Many Americans say they can't live without their electronic devices. And with daily use, items such as cellphones and keyboards can get dirty. For proof, just take a black light to them.
Judge links approval of Detroit bankruptcy plan to support from elected leaders down the road
The world's leading supplier and processor of leaf tobacco is venturing beyond the cash crop into the food business.
Apartheid-era abuse lawsuits against Ford, IBM move forward in federal court in New York
Food Network's 'Unwrapped' begets 'Rewrapped,' which begats cherry pie eggroll, with sauce
Tickets for nearly two-thirds of World Cup games sold out in final online sales phase
PepsiCo quarterly profit beats expectations on stronger snack sales, cost cuts, price hikes
Lowe's agrees to $500,000 fine to settle claims of lead paint rules violations
Money market fund assets fell by $35.02 billion to $2.58 trillion for the week
Hotel executive, Democratic fundraiser pleads guilty in NY to witness tampering, conspiracy
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Company recalls 170,000 ISO7X exercise devices over safety risk to users, bystanders
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The German economy, the largest in the Old Continent, has grown moderately in the first three months of 2019, after the recorded stagnation in the fourth quarter of 2018 and the contraction of 0.2% between July and September of last year, as indicated by the Bundesbank - the central bank of Germany - in its monthly bulletin. However, he has warned that this rebound was due to "extraordinary" factors, while the "tenuous" underlying economic trend persists.
"The German economy has grown moderately in the winter quarter of 2019," says the Bundesbank. However, the German central bank attributed this good performance to the contribution of «Exceptional factors» as the effect of good weather recorded in February in the 'boom' recorded by the construction sector.
In addition, the central bank of Germany highlights the positive evolution of domestic consumption, as reflected in the recent significant increase in retail sales, adding that "apparently (consumers) they bought cars again, something they had postponed in the fall. "
In this way, "without these special factors" the Bundesbank has stated that the basic trend of the German economy continues to be "restricted" by the continuous contraction of activity in the industry, where the orders received "have literally collapsed" and the confidence of the companies has deteriorated significantly.
However, the evolution of the labor market has continued for the moment to be resilient to economic deterioration. A) Yes, the unemployment rate fell slightly in March, falling to 4.9% in March, one tenth less than the previous month.
The German Government plans to Halve your official growth forecast for 2019, placing it at 0.5%, compared to 1% projected on January 30, as reported by the German press. Recently, the main German economic forecasting institutes revised their forecast to 0.8%, from the 1.9% anticipated last September.