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The Isis Wallet mobile payment system has changed its name to Softcard as the company doesn't want to share the same name with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) terrorist group in Syria and Iraq. Company officials noted that it was thinking of a name change over the summer, saying it doesn't want any confusion related to the group that has ramped up its use of brutal tactics to scare rivals and attract new recruits.
Softcard is currently backed by Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile, and hopes to move forward and continue operating normally. The company said the Isis Wallet will work the same following the name change, and mobile users will see the app update without any major feature changes.
"Our search for a new name has been rooted in our founding vision: to use the power of the mobile phone to help consumers find a safer and better way to shop, pay and save," said Michael Abbott, Softcard CEO, in a statement. "But we also wanted a name and visual identity that had the power, flexibility and simplicity to define our category."
There's currently a class-action lawsuit regarding the debacle of Aliens: Colonial Marines, which was close to a conclusion last month when Sega agreed to shell out $1.25 million. But, that is all up in the air right now.
A month after Gearbox filed a motion distancing itself from any form of financial obligation, which would see them not paying some $750,000 which would bring the total settlement to $2 million. Sega responded with its own motion, where it said that Gearbox was just as responsible for any payout responsibility. It gets pretty dirty, with e-mails, contracts and much more between the two companies.
There were many letters that saw Gearbox releasing many screenshots, videos and much more details on Alien: Colonial marines that had not been approved by Sega. Sega's thoughts on this had not been good when it got to October 2012, with a Sega PR rep blaming "persistent panel leaking" of game details on "Randy [Pitchford, Gearbox director] doing whatever the fuck he likes."
Where will Tesla Motors build its gigantic battery factory? According to CNBC, the electric car maker will be building it Nevada. A Tesla rep spoke with Business Insider, where they said: "We look forward to meeting with Gov. (Brian) Sandoval and other legislators in Carson City at 4 p.m. tomorrow to announce a major economic development."
Tesla Motors' CEO and modern day Tony Stark, Elon Musk, has said that the Gigafactory is a critical piece of its plans to mass-market a Tesla car, as well as lowering the cost of carbon-neutral power. Musk said he wants to double the world's supply of lithium-ion batteries before the end of the decade, which should see a reduction of power pack prices. Musk has said that Tesla has plans to open more than one Gigafactory in the future.
The electric car maker has already broken ground on a prospective site outside of Reno earlier in the summer, which was done by the name of "Project Tiger." The Tahoe Reno Industrial Center is currently home to e-commerce facilities owned by Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Zulily. The new Gigafactory will see Tesla hire over 6,500 workers, estimating to cost up to $5 billion.
Verizon will pay a $7.4 million fine to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to end a privacy investigation that accused the company of not informing two million landline customers that their personal information would be used for marketing purposes. The FCC new about the problem dating back to September 2012, and Verizon informed the FCC in January 2013.
If the new Verizon customers received privacy notices in their first bill, they would have learned about their ability to opt out of future marketing promotions. Verizon now is sending opt-out notices with every phone bill to customers.
"In today's increasingly connected world, it is critical that every phone company honor its duty to inform customers of their privacy choices and then to respect those choices," said Travis LeBlanc, FCC enforcement chief, in a statement. "It is plainly unacceptable for any phone company to use its customers' personal information for thousands of marketing campaigns without even giving them the choice to opt out."
Microsoft is appealing a ruling and doesn't plan to turn over customer emails that are stored overseas, after the order was lifted by Judge Loretta Preska, from the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, might lead to the company being found in contempt. The judge previously supported the feds with a ruling in late July, but gave Microsoft time to appeal, and both sides have until September 5 to determine how to move forward.
Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith noted that the company plans to protect user privacy both in the United States and overseas. It's a confusing legal case, especially considering Microsoft keeps data store overseas, but legal experts previously said the data is under the control of a company based in the U.S. - and that's why the emails must be turned over.
"Microsoft will not be turning over the email and plans to appeal," a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters in an interview. "Everyone agrees this case can and will proceed to the appeals court. This is simply about finding the appropriate procedure for that to happen."
Storage giant Seagate has finalized the acquisition of LSI's Accelerated Solutions Division (ASD) and Avago's Flash Components Division (FCD). As the storage industry continues to evolve, Seagate wants to continue to expand its flash storage abilities. Seagate hopes to use the LSI ASD business unit's experience in PCIe flash products to help grow its own market share moving forward.
"There is a growing opportunity for mobile and enterprise flash-based storage solutions, which is why we're excited about this strategic technology acquisition," said Steve Luczo, Seagate CEO, in a press statement. "Integrating LSI's Enterprise PCIe flash and SSD controller products, and its engineering capabilities into Seagate's leading storage technology portfolio and product development will expand our ability to meet a broader base of customers' needs and drive new revenue opportunities."
The storage industry has been extremely competitive - and relatively volatile over the past few years - with a number of high-profile acquisitions. Seagate has remained competitive against EMC, Western Digital, and other companies in the consumer and enterprise markets.
Less than two weeks from its iPhone 6 reveal, Apple has announced that Anand Lal Shimpi will be joining the company. Anand is best known for his tech site AnandTech, a site he opened back in 1997.
Just over 24 hours ago Shimpi posted his farewell letter to his readers, saying that he "won't stay idle forever" and that there are "a bunch of challenges out there." Within hours of posting this, the news broke that he had joined the ranks of Apple in an undisclosed position. The Internet seems abuzz with the news, and it's an interesting move for both Shimpi, and Apple.
A labor rights organization has accused Samsung and Lenovo of working with a Chinese supplier that uses child labor in its factory. The China Labor Watch sent in an undercover investigator that found child labor, overtime and pay abuse of younger employees in the HEG Technology factory. HEG reportedly uses facial recognition software to ensure no underage workers are hired at its facility, and an outsourcing company is used to hire students.
Child Labor Watch previously found a different Samsung supplier using child labor in its factories earlier in the summer, as Korean and western companies receive criticism when these types of reports surface. Samsung is no longer working with that supplier.
Samsung said it would like to do a joint investigation "for more precise verification," also saying: We find it regrettable that CLW issued the allegations today without any mention of our statement."
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing Half-Life and Counter-Strike developer Valve, claiming that the company is breaching Australian Consumer Law. The reason? Valve doesn't offer refunds of any kind, and now the ACCC is putting its foot down as these actions are against Australian consumer law.
ACCC Chairman Rod Sims explains: "The Australian Consumer Law applies to any business providing goods or services within Australia. Valve may be an American based company with no physical presence in Australia, but it is carrying on business in Australia by selling to Australian consumers, who are protected by the Australian Consumer Law." "It is a breach of the Australian Consumer Law for businesses to state that they do not give refunds under any circumstances, including for gifts and during sales. Under the Australian Consumer Law, consumers can insist on a refund or replacement at their option if a product has a major fault," Sims continued. "The consumer guarantees provided under the Australian Consumer Law cannot be excluded, restricted or modified."
Valve has since responded, with Doug Lombardi saying: "We are making every effort to cooperate with the Australian officials on this matter, while continuing to provide Steam services to our customers across the world, including Australian gamers."
Where it gets interesting, is Valve's refund policy, which states: "As with most software products, unless required by local law, we do not offer refunds or exchanges on games, DLC or in-game items purchased on our website or through the Steam Client. Please review Section 3 of the Steam Subscriber Agreement for more information." Within that refund policy, it reads "unless required by local law" so in this instance, local law requires a refund if the product is deemed faulty. An interesting turn for Australian gamers, and Valve right now.
Online merchants are embracing bitcoin payments from customers, even though the cryptocurrency has been described as volatile by some financial investors. However, retailers admit that bitcoins still don't amount for much of overall transactions, but expect it to slowly grow as more consumers become familiar with owning and using bitcoins.
Overstock.com estimates that it will see $6 million to $8 million in bitcoin-related sales in 2014, and will continue to support its use. Using online bitcoin wallets from services such as Coinbase or Blockchain allow consumers to have easy access to their bitcoins while shopping. Companies using bitcoins allow a bitcoin payment processor to holding the bitcoins, removing a difficult roadblock that has kept some retailers on the sidelines.
"We don't have to deal with the actual holding of the bitcoin: it's the payment processor that takes the currency risk for us," said Bernie Han, Dish Network COO. "That's what makes it appealing for us and I guess for other merchants as well."


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Q: While Mexico’s mass market has commonly viewed price as being more important than quality, what alterations to this trend has AMDA seen in recent years?
A: Even with the extreme competition in all market segments in Mexico, the market is still oriented toward consumer needs and demands. Price is the dominant factor, as shown by subcompact cars claiming 33% of the total sales in the country, as well as compact cars reaching 27% at an average cost per car of MX$250,000 (US$16,667). However, the competitiveness of the domestic market has forced OEMs to increase the quality of their cars substantially. It is now no longer enough to compete on price because further reductions are impossible, which only leaves the alternative of raising the quality of the vehicle and offering a better sale and post-sale service. Maintenance services, complementary financing services, insurance, and extended warranties are all part of a wider range of products now on offer.
Q: What factors led to the growth prediction of 6.1% in domestic sales in 2015, and why was there a decrease from the 6.8% predicted in 2014?
A: Despite the final figure of 1.135 million vehicles sold and 6.8% growth, the development of the market in 2014 was complicated. There was irregular behavior throughout the year, with a drop of 0.8% that was closely related to the implementation of the Financial Reform, which included a value added tax rise from 11% to 16% in northern frontier states and a reduction of deductibles for new vehicles. Its impact was directly reflected in Mexico’s Consumer Confidence Index, as it dropped from 93.6 in December 2014 to 90.3 in February 2015 according to Banco de México. In macroeconomic terms, there was no real explanation for the market variations. The drop in sales appeared due to fiscal changes that were expected to have deeper and longer repercussions. In order to turn things around, strong measures were taken to move inventories, to reassure consumers about the long-term value of automobiles, and to involve financial corporations associated with the automotive industry. As a result, we were able to achieve the sales goal that was set at the beginning of the year, gaining an increase of 13.1% from July to December and compensating for the drop in the first quarter. Now, after five years, Mexico has returned to the sales levels that were seen before the 26% drop in 2009, inching closer to the 1.139 million units sold in 2006. This does not necessarily reflect industry growth, but rather a recovery. That is why we expect sales to increase to 1.2 million units by the end of 2015, which will be equivalent to 5.4% or 6.4% of growth, but we should continue to take into account some limiting factors in relation to the domestic demand.
Q: What are the main factors hindering the growth of the domestic market today?
A: The primary issues affecting the industry have remained static for some time. Mexico is faced with a massive amount of used vehicles that are illegally imported from the US, as well as insufficient options for credit and financing, and a lack of fiscal incentives. The main topic that we must take into consideration in the short term is access to credit. In 2013, 56% of cars were bought with bank credit, rising to 60% in 2014. Even though this is an improvement, it is still below the 70% expected for the industry or the 90% seen in the US. One of the barriers that block the accessibility of credit is the informal economy. Even if clients in this segment have the necessary resources to apply for financing, they cannot prove their income without engaging in formal employment. In the case of imports, the problem is much more complicated. Given the oversupply of imported used vehicles, the domestic market is not able to compete, breaking the chain of vehicle renovation and keeping old cars in circulation.
Q: What is AMDA doing to make sure that the government applies the necessary changes to future regulations?
A: As for vehicle imports, improved regulations are now being implemented. In 2014, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Environment (SEMARNAT), and Tax Admnistration Service (SAT) joined forces in order to make the regulation lineaments constitutional, preventing the use of injunctions as a means to violate commerce and emissions regulations. SAT now requires the expedition of export certificates from the US, helping to avoid the sale of stolen vehicles. Separately, SEMARNAT is now demanding a current emissions certificate no older than six months. Additionally, the hours for automobile importation have been reduced from 09:00-12:00, Monday to Friday, resulting in a reduction in the number of imported vehicles from 644,209 cars in 2013 to 455,372 in 2014.

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U.S. stocks to watch
Beyond.com (BYND) BYND, +0.00% announced it intends to file for a secondary offering of 4 million shares of common stock. The online software retailer said the company will sell 3 million shares, while the remainder will be sold by insiders and other stockholders. Shares of Beyond.com closed down 1 5/8 at 24 3/8 ahead of the news.
Comverse Technology (CMVT) CMVT , a maker of computer and telecommunications systems, posted fourth-quarter net income of 66 cents per share, compared with the 63-cent average estimate of analysts surveyed by First Call. The shares rose 4 1/16 to 83 3/16 ahead of the report. See press release.
Nine West Group (NIN) NIN , an apparel retailer, reported a fourth-quarter profit from operations of 1 cent per share, compared with the break-even forecast of analysts polled by First Call. The stock added 9/16 to 23 5/8 ahead of the news.
Sporting-goods retailer The Sports Authority (TSA) TSA, -5.70% posted fourth-quarter net income of 3 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by First Call were looking for a per-share profit of 2 cents. Shares rose 3/16 to 7 1/16 ahead of the news. See press release.
Tekelec (TKLC) TKLC warned its first-quarter earnings will fall short of the Wall Street consensus estimate. The manufacturer of computer-network switches said its profit will be less than the 10 cents a share it earned in the same period a year ago. The First Call expected consensus estimate is 11 cents. The company cited lower-than-expected revenue growth for switching and diagnostic products. See press release.
Verity Software (VRTY) VRTY, -5.59% said it earned 24 cents a share in the fourth quarter. Analysts polled by First Call were looking for a profit of 20 cents. Shares gained 15/16 to 42 7/8 ahead of the report. See full story.
Clothing retailer The Wet Seal (WTSLA) WTSLA reported fourth-quarter earnings of 95 cents per share, 1 cent ahead of the average estimate of analysts polled by First Call. See release.
800 Travel Systems (IFLY) IFLY, -0.45% rose 2 1/2, or 48 percent, to 7 1/2 after the airline-ticket vendor posted fourth-quarter earnings of 2 cents per share, compared with a 3-cent loss in the year-ago period. See press release.
Internet connectivity company AboveNet Communications (ABOV) abov sped ahead 7 13/16 to 56 1/2, a gain of 16 percent. The stock's move follows comments Monday by the company's president, Warren Kaplan, who teased the possibility that the company would beat estimates, saying, "We like to beat expectations, and we have a history of doing so." See Renegade.
Shares of America Online (AOL) aol and NetscapeCommunications (NSCP) nscp extended their gains Tuesday on the earlier news that the U.S. Justice Department has cleared AOL to buy Netscape and enter into a strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems (SUNW) SUNW, +0.75% . AOL shares rose another 3 1/8 to 105 1/8, while Netscape shares tacked on 3 1/16 to 94 1/16. Sun shares rose 1 1/4 to 110 3/4.
Ameritrade (AMTD) AMTD, -0.55% advanced 2 1/16 to 53 3/4 after Chief Executive J. Joe Ricketts said the company is ramping up its technical focus to deal with increased customer demand. The online brokerage had 354,000 members as of the end of 1998 and said it will show a jump in membership when it reports second-quarter earnings in three weeks. See Renegade.
ASM Lithography (ASML) ASML, -4.41% , a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment, rose 3 1/8 to 45 9/16 after Morgan Stanley Dean Witter analyst Jay Deahna upped his rating to "strong buy" from "outperform" and raised his 12-month price target to $60 from $55.
Biomet (BMET) BMET, +1.89% rose 1 3/4 to 41 15/16 after Needham & Co. upped the maker of orthopedics products to "buy" from "hold" and set a six-to-12-month price target of $50.
Computer Literacy (CMPL) cmpl rose 13/16 to 16 1/4, an 11 percent gain, after it reported a fourth-quarter pro forma loss of 32 cents a share. Analysts polled by First Call were looking for a deficit of 34 cents. The company is an Internet retailer of books and other training materials for technology professionals. See press release.
CyberCash (CYCH) cych jumped 1 3/4 to 16, a gain of 12 percent, after the e-commerce payment technologies company said it's inked a deal with EarthLink (ELNK) elnk . CyberCash will provide payments services for EarthLink's new electronic-commerce offering, TotalCommerce. See Silicon Stocks.
Cyberian Outpost (COOL) cool rose 2 7/8, or 15.5 percent, to 21 3/8 after the online computer retailer launched a new online auction site designed to attract additional customers interested in bidding on computer-related equipment.
Chip equipment maker Cymer (CYMI) CYMI rose 2 5/16 to 25 15/16 after Morgan Stanley Dean Witter analyst Jay Deahna upped his rating on the stock to "strong buy" from "outperform" and his 12-month price target to $37 from $35.
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) DLJ added 1 9/16 to 68 13/16 after Morgan Stanley Dean Witter analyst Henry McVey raised his 12-month price target on the brokerage to $72 from $64.
Shares of eFax.com (EFAX) EFAX, +0.03% picked up 3 3/4, or 17 percent, to 25 3/8 Tuesday, adding to a 70 percent gain Monday brought on by news that its fax-to-e-mail services will be provided to Xoom.com's (XMCM) XMCM Internet customers. The partnership "greatly increases our reach in the marketplace and builds a relationship with one of the true Internet leaders," said eFax.com marketing executive Ron Brown. See full story.
Etec Systems (ETEC) ETEC, -60.78% rose 3 15/16 to 48 15/16 after Morgan Stanley Dean Witter's Jay Deahna raised his rating on the maker of semiconductor equipment to "strong buy" from "outperform." Deahna also upped his 12-month price target to $60 from $55.
Faroudja (FDJA) FDJA jumped 1 1/8 to 4 1/8, a leap of 37.5 percent, on news that Fox's owned-and-operated television stations will use Faroudja's digital television technology for their high-definition broadcasts. See press release.
Internet service provider FlashNet (FLAS) flas skyrocketed to 43 5/8 after it priced its 3 million shares at $17 each, above a $14-$15 estimated range that had already been bumped up once. BancBoston Robertson Stephens was the lead underwriter in the IPO. See IPO Daily Report.
Investor Paul Allen, a co-founder of Microsoft, said he will pay as much as $750 million in cash for a majority stake in Go2Net (GNET) gnet , setting the stage for a battle with Internet service providers America Online and AtHome, The Wall Street Journal reported. Go2Net shares soared 12 5/8, or 11 percent, to 126.
Investment Technology Group (ITGI) ITGI rose 9 to 55 1/2, or 19 percent, after CIBC Oppenheimer analyst Steven Eisman started the online trading company at "buy."
Shares of drug giant Merck (MRK) MRK, +1.63% rose 1 5/8 to 85 7/8 after the company said it's received Food and Drug Administration approval for expanded use of its Mevacor anti-cholesterol drug. Mevacor is now indicated to reduce the risk of a first heart attack and unstable angina in patients with average to moderately elevated levels of LDL cholesterol. See full story.
Michael Foods (MIKL) MIKL added 1 5/8 to 18 5/16 after Prudential Securities analyst John McMillin upped his rating on the stock to "strong buy" from "accumulate."
PC Quote (PQT) PQT advanced 13/16 to 6 5/16, a gain of 15 percent, on news that the Internet-based financial information provider has granted DoubleClick (DCLK) DCLK nonexclusive rights to market some of the advertising inventory on PC Quote's site. See press release.
Vitamin maker Rexall Sundown (RXSD) RXSD jumped 3 1/8 to 20 1/4, a pickup of 18 percent, after Chief Executive Damon DeSantis told CNBC the company's Cellasene supplement has proven to be 90 percent effective against cellulite in a number of clinical trials.
Safeguard Scientifics (SFE) SFE, +0.87% jumped 11 5/16, or 23.5 percent, to 59 1/2. US Interactive, a privately held Internet company in which Safeguard holds a significant stake, announced its acquisition of Invengen, a provider of Internet networking and security applications. Financial terms weren't disclosed. See press release.
Station Casinos (STN) STN, +1.33% rose 1 7/8 to 12 5/8, a surge of 17 percent, after CIBC Oppenheimer predicted that the casino operator will post first-quarter earnings of 13 cents per share, well above with the 9-cent average estimate of analysts surveyed by First Call.
Broughton Foods (MILK) MILK plunged 4 9/16, or 27 percent, to 12 1/2, while Suiza Foods (SZA) SZA lost 2 13/16 to 35 1/2. The declines came on news that the Department of Justice had said it would file a civil antitrust suit to block Suiza's proposed buyout of Broughton. The department said the "acquisition would result in higher prices for milk sold to school districts in Kentucky," the companies said. Broughton and Suiza expressed "grave disappointment." See press release.
Clayton Williams Energy (CWEI) CWEI, +0.00% shares slipped 7/8 to 3 7/8 after the company said it expects to report a loss of $28.5 million to $29.4 million, or $3.20 to $3.30 a share, for the year ended Dec. 31, 1998, compared with net income of $7.8 million, or 85 cents a share, in the year-ago period. The company said oil and gas sales in 1998 were significantly lower than in 1997 due primarily to a dramatic decline in oil and gas prices during the year. Those lower prices will also result in a noncash charge of about $8.5 million to write down the capitalized cost of proven oil and gas properties.
MicroTouch Systems (MTSI) MTSI, +1.64% fell 3 1/4, or 20 percent, to 12 7/8 after the manufacturer of computer touch-screen technology warned that first-quarter earnings will fall short of the 33-cents-per-share average estimate of analysts polled by First Call. MicroTouch cited weak European sales and a $2.6 million legal judgment against the company.
Polycom (PLCM) PLCM , a maker of audio, data and videoconferencing products, gave up 1 3/8 points to 13 7/8 after rival VTEL (VTEL) vtel said Polycom has dismissed a countersuit it filed against VTEL. VTEL had filed a $100 million suit against Polycom and another defendant alleging breach of certain contracts, theft of trade secrets and other violations. VTEL shares rose 5/16 to 3 1/8. See press release.
Vignette (VIGN) VIGN dropped 3 1/2 to 70 after Morgan Stanley Dean Witter analyst Mary Meeker started coverage of the Internet software manufacturer at "neutral." Meeker said the company's "business momentum and fundamentals are outstanding," but she noted that the shares have jumped 290 percent from their Feb. 18 IPO price of $19.
Xoom.com (XMCM) xmcm shares dipped 5 7/8 to 63 3/4 after the company filed to sell 2 million shares. On Monday, the company pulled out of the PaineWebber Internet conference. Chairman Chris Kitze had been scheduled to speak. An analyst at the conference said the company planned to file for a secondary offering with underwriter Bear Stearns.


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Chairman of communications distributor Nimans, Julian Niman, played cupid on St Valentine’s Day by handing out boxes of chocolates to all his female staff. “It was a lovely gesture that made my day,” said marketing manager Vicky Mooney, pictured far right, along with (left to right) Kathryn Edwards, Paula Duffy and Gaynor Richards. The chocolates even displayed a special sticker: “With Love from Nimans”.
Telco also announced series of initiatives to drive digital growth in the UK
Nana Baffour opens up on Getronics' mammoth acquisition of Pomeroy
Analyst predicts SaaS will remain the dominant segment in the market as it grows 17 per cent in 2019
NSS Labs claims vendors are refusing to have their products tested effectively and are trying to restrict its access


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Critics of a new logging mandate for freight carriers claim it is creating a shortage of drivers and increasing shipping costs in many industries, including retail.
Beginning December 2017, the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began requiring many freight carriers to install and use electronic logging devices (ELD) that integrate with a truck’s engine and record engine run time, mileage, the driver’s name, and other operational information.
The mandate, which was announced in 2015, aims to make roads safer, reducing the number of accidents involving large trucks. To achieve this, it moves many, if not most, professional truck drivers to an electronic logging system that cannot easily be manipulated. Put bluntly, it prevents drivers from cheating on paper logs.
U.S. law limits professional truck drivers to 11 hours of driving during a 14-hour period each day. The new logging mandate does not change this limit, but it does change how it is tracked.
Before the ELD requirement, drivers tracked hours on paper logs, which they were required to show law enforcement on request. It was a common practice to manipulate logs, driving “about” 11 hours but going over the limit to earn more money or make accommodations easier.
In a video published on the Smart-Trucking.com YouTube channel, Dave MacMillan, a seasoned driver who has logged more than 3 million miles since 1976, put the issue succinctly, “That strict 11-hour time period isn’t enough time to make decent money.”
MacMillan argues that to be financially successful and to make certain you reach home or a truck stop each night, drivers must be able to cheat on their logs, stretching the 11-hour safety limit. An ELD, however, makes cheating essentially impossible.
Higher Shipping Costs?
Some in the logistics industry believe the electronic logging mandate is, in fact, creating a shortage of drivers and, thereby, increasing the cost of freight for some. If this is true, it makes MacMillan’s argument moot. A shortage of available freight-carrying hours would boost freight rates and the amount drivers earn per mile. Thus, it seems possible for drivers to “run legal” and still earn a living. It does, however, mean that retailers may have trouble finding independent drivers to carry loads or may have to otherwise pay more.
For example, the logistics manager for a retail chain in the Pacific Northwest recently had trouble finding an independent driver to pick up a load about 12 hours away from the chain’s distribution center.
Before electronic logging, drivers would “make good time” and somehow complete the journey in the allotted 11 hours. But since mid-December and the requirement for accurate logs, the journey requires an overnight stop. Thus, drivers are not as interested in carrying it unless they are paid a lot more.
According to some reports, rates in some shipping routes have risen as much as 8 percent, perhaps because of the combination of demand and fewer available driving hours due to accurate logging.
As more drivers are forced to run legal, rates could continue to rise.
Impact on Retail
Freight rates can directly impact a retail business’s profit. This is a particular concern for ecommerce sellers with relatively narrow margins.
To offset an increase in freight rates, merchants have a few options.
- Pass the cost on to customers.
- Accept lower margins.
- Reduce costs in other areas.
The first option, raising prices, will take the longest, but is, perhaps, the most sustainable.
Any freight-induced price change will need to come slowly, especially for retailers with significant or well-established competitors.
Accepting lower margins may be the option many sellers choose in the short term as they raise prices slowly. But thin margins and shrinking profit are not desirable or sustainable.
Finally, lowering costs in other areas of the business may not be easy. It could mean reducing marketing or operations budgets or not offering raises or benefits.
How the logging mandate will impact the trucking industry in the long-term is speculation. Freight rates are trending up, seemingly timed with the ELD requirement. But other trends could also be impacting the industry, including greater demand for goods and more shipments.
It is also unlikely that the ELD mandate will make freight rates untenable for retailers, since demand would tail off, reducing rates, long before retailers go out of business because of freight.
It is also possible that a shortage of drivers (thanks to relatively fewer available hours) could speed up cost-saving, driverless technology.
It has been more than a year since a driverless 18-wheeler made news for carrying a truckload of beer across Colorado.
Driverless trucks will be much safer than human drivers, can run hour-after-hour without stopping, and are likely to be much less expensive once they are in common use. Thus, enduring higher freight rates for a couple of years could lower costs for retailers in the future.


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It used to be that if you wanted a quickserve restaurant to leave butter off your bun, everyone in the restaurant had to know about it. The cashier would have to communicate your healthy intention by screaming, “No butter on the bun!” to the employee preparing your sandwich, letting all fellow diners know about your special request. Back in those days, the request wasn’t common. Most people weren’t as health conscious as they are today, and it’s possible that many didn’t even know about butter slathered on grilled buns. Today, however, worries about our waistline and nutrition are increasingly mainstream, and there are special buttons at the register that let QSRs customize your order — omit butter, put dressing on the side or give pizza a gluten-free crust — without making it public knowledge.
In a session at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo titled “Making a Difference: Improving Nutrition at QSRs,” registered dietitian Jo Lichten cited increased ease of customization as one of several ways QSRs are increasing nutrition in their offerings. Lichten freely admitted to dining at quickserve restaurants, even during recent trips to Ireland and Spain. “You may think it’s crazy, a registered dietitian who goes to Europe and eats at a fast-food restaurant,” she said. “But deep down inside, I’m just an average Jo.”
Lichten said being informed about offerings at popular QSRs can be important to dietitians because many clients probably eat at quickserve restaurants, at least on occasion. People turn to QSRs for value and convenience, especially when they don’t have time to cook or worry that cooking for one might lead to waste or overindulgence. “If I’m craving a burger, I don’t make it at home,” Lichten said. “If I made it at home, I’d make too many burgers. I’d be eating them today, tomorrow.” Grabbing a fast-food burger means she eats only what she buys, and “I don’t have to do the dishes.”
Lichten also likes that QSRs offer a range of options when it comes to calories, so someone who wants a high-calorie meal can certainly be satisfied, but there are options for those looking to keep things light. “I appreciate the fact that I can go to a quickservice restaurant and order off the kids’ menu,” she said. A typical children’s-menu hamburger has about 300 calories, and most QSRs won’t bat an eye at an adult who wants a kids’ meal. Some casual-dining establishments deny children’s entrees to anyone older than 12, forcing adults to stick with regular entrees, which are increasingly oversize and calorie dense.
Some QSRs are making progress in increasing nutrition on the regular and children’s menus. As McDonald’s Senior Director of Nutrition Cynthia Goody said during the session, the quickserve superpower has revamped kids’ meals, adding apple slices and milk, and has cut sodium by 11% in items including chicken nuggets and sandwich buns. McDonald’s is looking for more ways to increase nutrition, while making sure it doesn’t sacrifice flavor. “Taste is predominant; that’s what people come to us for,” Goody said. Lichten expressed a similar sentiment: “We’re always looking for foods that are not only feasible for the layout of the restaurant but that our customers want to eat.”


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Latest news in the Wine community.
More news can be found in our
World Wine News Archive
Wine 8.11 Released
June 23, 2023
The Wine development release 8.11 is now available.
What's new in this release:
- More mouse cursor clipping improvements.
- Support for TLS alerts.
- Increased available address space in WoW64 mode.
- Various bug fixes.
The source is available now.
Binary packages are in the process of being built, and will appear soon at their respective download locations.


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Lenovo has officially announced the launch of new smartphone Zuk Edge next week. With the Vibe K6 Power which is launching tomorrow, Zuk CEO Chang Cheng has confirmed to unveil a new Zuk smartphone next week. The CEO has made the announcement and shared the official renders of the new Zuk Edge via Weibo post in China. The picture shared by the CEO shows that the phone will have slim bezels and redesigned body. The phone however, won’t have a bezel-less display.
Zuk Edge which appeared on the China’s certification website TENAA, was spotted on the AnTuTu benchmark as well.
According to the leaks, the phone is powered by 2.35GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor coupled with Adreno 530 GPU. It comes with a 5.5 inch(1080 resolution) LCD display packed with 4GB and 32/64 GB of internal storage variants.
The device will run on Android 7.0 Nougat and feature a 13megapixel rear camera which is capable of 4K video recording alongside an 8 megapixel front facing camera. Backed by a battery of 3000 mAh, the phone weighs 160 grams. It will come in two color variant-Black and White.
Another report from MyDrive says that the phone will highlight a 6GB RAM version as well.
The Zuk 2 which was launched as the Z2 Plus in India is considered to be the cheapest smartphone in the Indian market that feature the Snapdragon 820 processor. The Lenovo Z2 comes with a price tag of Rs.17,999 for the 32 GB storage variant and Rs.19,999 for the 64 GB version of the device.


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A new survey has shown that Scottish tourism businesses are in a prime position to welcome the world for the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and Year of Homecoming in 2014.
The Scotland Visitor Survey, the biggest of its kind produced by VisitScotland, reveals that Scots were the perfect hosts in the summers of 2011/12 with 80 per cent of visitors agreeing they were made to feel welcome by the locals.
A further 88 per cent of visitors went on to say they would definitely recommend Scotland to others and 70 per cent would definitely visit in the next 5 years.
Such a warm reception led to 67 per cent of visitors feeling some kind of connection with Scotland, with almost a quarter (22%) of repeat visitors noting a connection because they have visited before.
While landscape and scenery remained the main reason to visit Scotland (55 %), Edinburgh topped the list of places to visit, with half (50%) of visitors making the journey to the historic capital city, closely followed by the Highlands (45%) and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs (36%).
Using the internet for research remained strong with almost two thirds (57%) of visitors accessing information online while on their trip compared to a guidebook (34%), and use of tablet/ipad more than doubled from 6 per cent in 2011 to 15 per cent for the same period in 2012. On return home, almost half (47%) of visitors used online platforms such as Facebook, Tripadvisor and Twitter to talk about their trip.
Other illuminating research within the survey highlighted the differences in activities undertaken by visitors from across the world. While Canadians were more likely to go on a Guided Tour or discover more about their Scottish ancestry, visitors from France were more intrigued by Scottish wildlife or film locations. Italians enjoyed more cultural activities such as music and art festivals, whereas Germans revelled in a long hike or a trip to a whisky distillery. Australians had a night out at the top of their agenda and those from the UK preferred a trip to the beach come rain or shine.*
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said:
“The warm Scottish welcome is renowned across the world, but our survey shows the hugely positive impact local people have on the overall visitor experience. Scots, of course, are used to hosting visitors from all over the world, but the bar will be set even higher as the country heads into the global spotlight in 2014 with the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and Year of Homecoming.
“Research such as this is hugely important to VisitScotland and the industry to ensure we know who our visitors are, where they want to get their information from and what they like doing when they arrive here on Scottish shores. That way we can keep an eye on trends and produce unique, targeted and exciting campaigns such as the Year of Natural Scotland in 2013 as a result.”
* These international figures indicate where a market indexes more highly than other markets for a particular activity compared to other nationalities. These activities aren’t always the top activities the nationality does, but it is where they index higher than all other markets. Further information is available on exact percentages for these statistics within the Scotland Visitor Survey document and from VisitScotland directly.
For further information contact:
Kate Turnbull, Corporate Press Manager
Tel: 0131 472 2325 / 07920 709261
Notes to Editors:
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx


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Affiliates & Associates
The Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland received its Royal Charter in 1854 and is the oldest professional body of accountants in the world.
Petrol prices could fall by £1.50 a tank, says the AA
Fuel prices are at a four-year high, but the AA says a supermarket price war could lower costs.
Co-op to replace plastic bags with compostable carriers
The supermarket chain says the new biodegradable bags will be brought in at 1,400 of its stores.


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plan to transform Burnham's former job centre wins backing
to transform Burnham-On-Sea's former job centre into a thriving
hub for small businesses have been given the backing of town councillors
a meeting of the council's Town Improvements Committee on Tuesday
(November 27th), councillors supported plans to convert it into
a new centre for small shops and start-up businesses.
former job centre, which is at the junction of the High Street
and Victoria Street, has been empty since 2008, and residents
are keen to see it put back into community use.
committee voted unanimously to earmark £20,000 of £320,000
of community cash from Tesco towards the scheme to help rejuvenate
the town centre.
comes after Burnham resident Tony Lynham, who sits on the Town
Improvements Committee, held talks with the agents seeking to
sell the building.
said at Tuesday's meeting: "The rent for the building would
be £56,600 a year and the rates are around £11,000.
Since no new tenant for the property has been found, there's a
real opportunity for us to fill this empty building with small
businesses by meeting some of the overall costs."
Turco, representing Burnham Chamber of Trade, said the group is
delighted with the proposals. "The Chamber is very keen to
see this go ahead - it would boost local business and encourage
new enterprise in the town."
idea of space for 'pop up shops' was in Burnham's Mary Portas
bid earlier this year and we stated then that this site would
be ideal. It would not only make use of an empty property, but
it would also increase footfall at that end of the High Street."
Bev Milner Simonds from Burnham's Town Team added: "It's
great that this vacant building could be used for something exciting
- it has a horrible appearance at the moment. The proposal for
a centre like this is already working well in Margate where 'pop-up'
shops are thriving."
Chairman Cllr Michael Clarke gave his backing to the scheme and
the committee voted unanimously to give £20,000 towards
proposals will go forward to the January meeting of the full Town
Council where a decision will be made on whether this scheme -
and others - will benefit from the Tesco community cash, which
has been given to the town centre to offset the impact of its
new extension. The ultimate decision, however, rests with Sedgemoor
District Council, which controls the overall pot of funding.
former Job Centre Plus centre closed
down in March 2008 as part of
a cost-cutting programme by the Department of Work and Pensions
was later speculation that Tesco was interested in opening a food
store there - a claim that
it denied. Two years ago, fast food giant KFC
also denied rumours that it was interested in taking over


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Tim Mahoney, Chevrolet's global chief marketing officer, inherited a fresh "Find New Roads" theme when he took over in spring of 2013. He built on the idea during a Winter Olympics advertising blitz featuring real-life people plucked from social media platforms, along with the tag line "This is the new us."
But the "new" message has gotten more challenging for Chevrolet amid General Motors' recall crisis, which revealed that a defective ignition switch in mid-2000s small cars that has been linked to 13 deaths was left to linger for a decade.
Mahoney, 57, spoke with Staff Reporter Mike Colias on April 16 at the New York auto show.
Q: How has your job changed in the last two months?
A: It's gotten more interesting. But at the end of the day, the work we debuted during the Olympics really resonates. We're continuing down that path. We keep our eye obviously on the conversation going on in social media on a daily basis. But the proof will be how we react and whether we continue to build momentum. We'll transition into the summer months as we bring 4G connectivity combined with OnStar. That's something that puts us ahead of virtually every competitor by at least a year, as much as a year and a half.
You've talked candidly about how Chevy's image hasn't kept pace with the quality of its vehicle lineup. Does the recall fallout make that image-building harder?
I think people realize that, with anything mechanical, there might be challenges. There's no doubt we wouldn't have wanted this to happen, but it has. So we're trying to move forward and do the right thing. I think it's going to come down to how we address it and respond to it and improve. I think there are three things that companies need to be successful: great product; a great experience, and that is about the customer touch points that happen within the dealership and with the company itself; and they need a strong brand that people know what it stands for. We're working at it from all of those angles.
Have you considered an advertising message about the recall?
There's not a plan right now to do that. I think the best story we can tell is about the great products we're bringing to market, and supplementing that with things like talking about awards we've won for customer service and doing right by the consumers.
What about marketing some of the safety wins you've had, like recent accolades for the Spark and Equinox?
We have done that. Even in the Olympics with the "new family" work, which was about the five-star safety rating for Traverse, for example. It's a fine line you have to walk. One of the core values for Chevrolet is authenticity and a sense of optimism. That's how the work is moving forward.
How would you rate the campaign launched around the Olympics? And how do you leverage the social-media conversation around it?
We saw a very favorable lift in people's perception of Chevrolet as a new kind of brand. That was really what we were trying to accomplish through that work, by telling that story through the five core models, along with a couple of others. We monitor the conversations in terms of what people are thinking about the brand. But there is a feeling that the brand is finding its voice. I think you'll continue to see that with the 4G work. That gives us an opportunity to keep reinforcing that this is a new brand.
One of those core models is the Equinox, which you've been advertising in prime time. That's unusual for a vehicle that is nearing the end of its life cycle.
It's interesting. Everybody knows Chevy, whatever that means. They recognize the bow tie. But when you look at the five core models -- Malibu, Cruze, Traverse, Equinox and Silverado -- you have an interesting mix there. Malibu and Silverado are probably two of the most recognizable Chevys. But all the others are new and fresh. It's still a game of building awareness. Traverse is probably the least recognizable of those three. Cruze we've pushed pretty heavily. There's a big success with Chevy in small cars. The Trax is the seventh one we're launching in that space.
Is part of the inclusion of the Equinox an effort to sustain demand in a really competitive segment?
It's a big segment. You've got CR-V and RAV4. I'd say the Equinox has a pretty timeless design. But the one thing that still holds it back is just fundamental awareness. People that drive it really like it. It's a great value. But you say Equinox, and a lot of people say, "I don't know what that is." We're pushing our core model strategy and it definitely fits there.
Why are you bringing the Trax small crossover to the United States?
We think there's an opportunity for affordable all-wheel drive in a utility package. We think it fits really well in an urban environment. It's probably one of the fastest growing global segments. We think we're catching it at a time when there's growth opportunity. Parked next to an Equinox, there's a clear distinction in size.
Switching to trucks: You've had success on sales of higher-end Silverados. Is there more marketing to do on lower-priced models such as double cabs and six-cylinders?
We are gaining significant share in the above-$40,000 price point. But what you have are competitors that are at the end of their life cycle and are a year or two years behind us that are just boring into the incentives. We've remained disciplined and tried to build a reasonable level of profitable demand. Transaction prices are up across the board. You've got some competitors where 18, 19 percent of the transaction price is incentives.
Any next phase of Silverado marketing? I know you like to keep a marketing launch in place for longer than campaigns have run in the past.
It will continue. We want to remain pretty consistent, and as much as I can, bring it even closer to "Find New Roads." Strategically, you're seeing us go back to that "dependable, longest-lasting" message. But also, because of Find New Roads, it's the "most advanced," with all of the technology it has.


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A panel of IGN editors have released a new Nintendo Voice Chat and video in which they address the concern of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team being left off of their new list of the 25 best 3DS games. At about 7 minutes, they begin to discuss the reasoning behind their choice to exclude the game, saying that they found it “boring” and that the game contained a great deal of text that was condescending at times.
The voice chat also discusses each editor’s choices for the five best games on 3DS, as well as Aonuma’s recent comments about a possible Majora’s Mask remake. Topping IGN’s list of 25 3DS titles were Super Mario 3D Land, Fire Emblem: Awakening, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Do you agree with IGN’s comments about Mario & Luigi: Dream Team? Let us know in the comments if it would have made your own personal top 25.


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In the last few years, there’s been a wave of cool, new sunglasses brands like Krewe, Ahlem, and Gentle Monster, just to name a few. The next label to know? Etnia Barcelona. While the Spanish company has been around for 15 years, it’s still relatively unknown in the United States. That’s changed now that the likes of Gigi Hadid, Jay-Z, Cate Blanchett, and Lupita Nyong’o are all fans of its shades.
Etnia Barcelona launched its latest ad campaign this week, and it’s a riff on paintings straight out of Art History 101. There’s Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, if Liberty were a red-glasses-wearing woman surrounded by freedom fighters (armed with kitchen pans instead of muskets), while Velázquez’s The Triumph of Bacchus is reimagined as a beach kegger. And, of course, there’s its version of a Renaissance Jesus portrait, with their “Jesus” holding a cocktail and cigarette.
The intersection of art and sunglasses isn’t a new thing — the brand has dabbled with some pretty impressive partnerships in the past, including Japanese erotic-fetish photographer Araki, photographer Steve McCurry, and the estate of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Check out the rest of the ad campaign below and shop the styles.
If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.


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Shafaq News / Gold prices, both foreign and local, experienced a notable increase, on Thursday, in the local markets of Baghdad and Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, at a time when several goldsmiths attributed this rise to the increase of the dollar and the ounce of gold globally.
According to Shafaq News Agency’s correspondent, in the wholesale markets of al-Nahar Street in Baghdad, the selling price of one mithqal (equivalent to five grams) of 21-carat Gulf, Turkish, and European gold reached 428,000 Iraqi dinars, while the buying price settled at 424,000 Iraqi dinars. This represents a significant rise compared to the previous day's selling price of 423,000 dinars per mithqal.
Our correspondent also pointed out that the selling price of one mithqal of 21-carat Iraqi gold also increased to 398,000 dinars, while the buying price reached 394,000 dinars.
Regarding individual gold selling prices in jewelry stores, the selling price of one mithqal of 21-carat Gulf gold ranged between 435,000 and 445,000 dinars. On the other hand, the selling price of one mithqal of 21-carat Iraqi gold varied between 405,000 and 415,000 dinars.
In Erbil, gold prices also witnessed an upswing, with the selling price of one mithqal of 24-carat gold reaching 500,000 dinars, and 22-carat gold selling at 460,000 dinars per mithqal. Meanwhile, the selling price of one mithqal of 21-carat gold was 440,000 dinars, and 18-carat gold was sold at 380,000 dinars.
Wissam al-Araji, a goldsmith, told Shafaq News Agency that the rise in the gold is due to the rise in dollar prices locally and the rise of an ounce of gold globally during the current week, which amounted to 1977 dollars per ounce.
He stressed "the great demand for the purchase of gold by citizens to store it due to the instability of the dollar locally," noting that "gold prices rose during the current week by about 20,000 dinars."
"Italian and Gulf gold outsell Iraqi gold because of their beautiful designs."


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WELLINGTON, Feb 19: New Zealand’s government plans a new tax targeting online giants like Google and Facebook that earn plenty of money in the country but pay little tax.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there’s a gap that needs to be closed.
“Our current tax system is not fair in the way that it treats individual taxpayers and the way that it treats multinationals,” she said. “It’s not fair.”
She said the proposed digital services tax would tax multinational online companies at about 2 or 3 percent on the revenue they generate in New Zealand, a rate that is in line with other countries considering similar taxes.
Revenue Minister Stuart Nash said foreign online companies have a competitive advantage over local companies that do pay significant amounts of tax. He said the new tax that was announced on Monday could be implemented next year.
Nash said New Zealand would continue working with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, to find an international solution to the problems of taxing big online companies, but that New Zealand was not going to wait around.
“The OECD can move at a rather slow rate,” he said.
New Zealand’s government estimates that online multinationals do about 2.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.9 billion) worth of business in the country each year, and that the new tax could generate up to 80 million New Zealand dollars ($55 million) annually.
The most recent New Zealand company filings indicate Google paid NZ$392,000 in income taxes in the 2017 calendar year. The company, which declined to comment, claimed a NZ$1 million loss over the year after booking much of its revenue in other countries.
The last publicly available figures from Facebook show the company paid NZ$43,000 in taxes in New Zealand in 2014.
Facebook said in a statement that it complies with applicable tax laws in New Zealand and every other country in which it operates. It said it’s moving to a “local selling model” to provide more transparency to governments and policy makers.
Amy Adams, the finance spokeswoman for the conservative opposition National Party, said the party agrees that multinationals should pay their fair share of taxes but that it supports the OECD work being ramped up. She said New Zealand will find it difficult to go out on its own without people missing out on what the global market has to offer.


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Samsung is expected to release a successor to its first ARM based Exynos 5250 Chromebook in the coming year. The new ARM Chromebook will reportedly have an Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processor based on ‘big.LITTLE” technology with four Cortex A7 1.3GHz low-power cores and four Cortex A15 1.8GHZ high-performance cores coupled with 3GB of RAM. Mali-TG28 GPU or graphics processing unit is also expected.
The new Samsung Chromebook is also rumored to have a 12 inch or less 2,560×1,600 pixel resolution display, 16GB or 32GB SSD storage and a battery capable of providing juice for seven hours. The price for this Chromebook is said to fall between $250 and $300, which would definitely make it an enticing option for customers looking to purchase an affordable notebook that runs on the heavily internet dependant Chrome OS. These notebooks have actually enjoyed much success this year, with latest data from the NPD Group revealing that 21 percent of all U.S. notebook sales in 2013 were accounted for by Chromebooks. One of the biggest reasons why they’re slowing gaining popularity is the price, which is relatively lower than conventional Windows 7 powered notebooks. Chromebooks are expected to perform better next year as well, with a new crop of notebooks expected to be unveiled next month at CES 2014. Samsung isn’t expected to unveil its latest ARM Chromebook at the show.


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Last week marked Digiday’s sixth Publishing Summit, a gathering of emerging and legacy publishers who are all confronting the same pressing issues in their industry. In case you weren’t able to make it to Miami, here are a few highlights:
Ben Huh, founder and CEO of Cheezburger, kicked off the summit with a presentation on how publishers can incorporate fun to drive audience loyalty. His talk was followed up by a Q&A with our editor-in-chief Brian Morrissey, where word association offered a candid look into the mind of the memes master.
Digiday staff reporter Josh Sternberg sat down with the president of The Atlantic, Scott Havens, to discuss their unique, unrivaled success as a legacy print publication in the age of digital. And, oh yeah, can we let go of the Scientology thing now?
We got a glimpse into the world of intrapreneurship with Kristine Welker, who’s taken on the unenviable task of launching a print magazine in today’s publishing landscape. Newly named vp, publisher, and CRO of the as-yet unnamed Dr. Oz magazine, Kristine shared insights from her long career at Hearst and a peek at their latest endeavor to build a new lifestyle magazine.
Mike Cole of Reddit cut through the pablum and spoke to the audience about how to makes ads suck less – and why brands should be more like Bill Murray. Explaining that brands should have an “awesome shit” budget, Mike showed the best real-life examples of companies doing cool things that got them attention and praise. Handing out a couple-hundred free Chicken Nuggets at the end didn’t hurt, either.
To see complete video footage from DPS, please visit our Vimeo site here. We hope to see you March 17-19, 2014 in Vail, Colo., for our next Digiday Publishing Summit.
The Washington Post invests in climate coverage as its team expands to over 30 journalists
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Connected TV is unique among other advertising channels because it combines linear television’s storytelling capabilities with digital marketing’s targeting and measurement. As more marketers leverage CTV advertisements to reach relevant and engaged audiences, they also want to understand the real value they are generating with their investment. Incrementality reporting and measurement allow advertisers to measure […]
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UK toy sales declined in 2019
As the UK’s annual Toy Fair begins, the industry is looking back at a year of declining sales.
In 2019, total UK toy sales were £3.2 billion – 6% down on the year before. That still puts the UK as the largest toy market in Europe, with Germany not far behind.
“2019 was an unusual year by any standards. The ongoing question that is Brexit undoubtedly had a dampening effect on consumer confidence whilst a general election in the middle of the busiest trading month of the year wasn’t helpful,” says Natasha Crookes, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the British Toy and Hobby Association.
The statistics are revealed as the toy industry gathers for the annual Toy Fair event in London, where manufacturers and distributors including the LEGO Group showcase their new products for retailers.
“We are entering a new era with many structural and economic changes ahead,” adds Frederique Tutt, global toy analyst at the NPD Group. “The toy market is no exception to other retail sectors and is in a transition period, adjusting and recovering from a challenging 2019 whilst finding its path for the future. Despite strong leading brands and licences, toy sales declined -6% in 2019. Looking ahead, the industry is resourceful and knows that creativity, innovation and agility will play a key part in getting back to growth.”
The LEGO Group has seen its astronomic sales increases of the early 2000s slow to single digit growth, leading to the company trying to boost its adult market in the west and increase sales in China.
To continue to support the work of Brick Fanatics, please buy your LEGO sets from LEGO.com and Amazon using our affiliate links.


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Mumbai: Dubai has imposed a 5% import duty on gold and diamond jewellery, a move which is likely to hurt Indian exports at a time when demonetization has hit business at home, reports The Economic Times.
The new levy may, however, boost bridal jewellery sales in India because many Indian shoppers had turned to Dubai owing to the cheaper gold there and the price difference may no longer be attractive enough.
“Nearly 45-50% of gold jewellery consumed in Dubai goes from India. It will hurt some big exporters to Dubai from India,“ said Rajiv Popley, director of Mumbai-based jewellery firm Popley & Sons. Jewellery design in Dubai is expected to get a major boost as dependence on imports from India reduces, executives said. The import duty is being seen as a precursor to the introduction of a value added tax regime in Dubai, they said.
Rajesh Mehta, chairman of Rajesh Exports said that import duty introduced by Dubai would not apply to all exports from India to the Emirates. “Our jewellery is mostly re-exported from Dubai to other parts of the world. There is no duty on jewellery that is imported for export. The jewellery export re-export. The jewellery exported by us for local use in Dubai will attract a 5% duty,“ he said. India’s handmade jewellery is highly popular in Dubai, where Gold Souk, a prime market for the yellow metal and similar to Zaveri Bazar in Mumbai, houses many prominent wholesale and retail jewellers.


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Pressured row crop profit margins over the next five years will force US farmers to change to ensure long-term resilience, according to Rabobank.
In a report released last week, the Dutch bank recommended row crop farmers in the country consider contract production agreements, vertical or horizontal integration and investment in on-farm technologies to enhance the investment-worthiness of their operations.
Specific suggestions included purchasing neighboring farms or grain storage facilities, converting a portion of under-performing land to organic production and following their permanent crop peers in establishing long-term contracts to supply food processors or consumer packaged goods companies.
“While there is always time to plant, now is the time to evolve,” the report’s authors wrote.
Jeff Conrad, president and founder of separate-account focused AgIS Capital, told Agri Investor Rabobank’s suggestions could essentially apply to any industry and that the path taken by an individual farm will always depend on access to, and facility with, capital.
Conrad agreed with Rabobank’s projection that though row crops appear to be nearing a low point on prices, the next five years are likely to see low growth, profit margins and returns on invested capital in the sector. While AgIS’s strategy is opportunistic and the firm has only purchased permanent crop properties since its founding in 2013, Conrad said it had bid on row crop farms and continues to monitor the market for distressed opportunities.
Idiosyncratic factors in largely family-run operations will determine whic of the suggestions provided by Rabobank will work on a particular farm, according to Conrad. He stressed the role of generational differences, and said that the younger farmers increasingly coming into decision-making roles after having been to agriculture or business school often pay much closer attention to financial considerations than their predecessors.
“You are seeing a much more shrewd group of young farmers coming through,” he said. “They understand that they are producing a commodity and focus on how to capture more value. Often, they are looking at vertical integration. Some of them want to go so far as to create a brand and try to get it onto store shelves.”
Rabobank observed that row crop farmers operating land they own have seen higher profits than those farming rented land. The bank described a farmland sale as an option with low relative attractiveness for farmers, but a high possibility of execution success.
Conrad explained that the farmland sale process can often extend over as long as five years and sometimes involves adapting to changes within a family’s own plans of who will or will not remain part of the operation. While the cultural stigma attached to farming leased land has faded over recent decades, according to Conrad, the potential for an unexpectedly quick turnaround often leaves farmers still reluctant to sell, despite the mixed outlook for row crops.
“If you are in some of these competitive markets, even today, you don’t want to give up the land because once you give it up, getting it back will be difficult,” Conrad said. “Farmers definitely think that way.”


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Mashups using the same API (4)
The Search Engine that gives you local results first!
Generates a random English Premier League footbal (soccer) player and list their top 10 youtube videos. A fun time consumer to see video highlights of some of the lesser known players.
Sports News Pub is a sports news portal that makes news reading fun user friendly. It allows you to bookmark news items on your browser to read later.
Last month, ProgrammableWeb reported that HootSuite was one of five companies to partner with Twitter and has integrated the Twitter Ads API into a limited beta version of HootSuite Enterprise. This week, HootSuite announced the launch of the HootSuite Developer Program which offers developers the opportunity to create high quality social media apps using the HootSuite platform.
In preparation for next February's DeveloperWeek, organizers have launched an awards program to identify best-in-category developer tools, including best API Infrastructure and Best API Service. Award nominations are still open for API providers and toolmakers who want to see their product included in the vote, and all ProgrammableWeb readers are encouraged to share their opinions in the crowdsourced voting system. ProgrammableWeb spoke with DeveloperWeek organizer Geoff Domoracki about the launch of the awards program.
karmadata, a collaborative information service and platform, announced the launch of the new karmadata website and industry data platform at the 2013 Data 2.0 Summit that took place in San Francisco on April 30th. In addition, karmadata announced the launch of the brand new karmadata API that provides developers access to standardized linked data sets for specific industries including Energy, Healthcare, Legal, Technology and Socioeconomics.
Active Campsite Search
||The Active Campsite Search allows to access data from parks, campgrounds, and campsites located in the United States and Canada. Search filters include RV friendly, electricity, hunting, fishing,...||Fitness||07.27.2015|
||10x10 ('ten by ten') is an interactive exploration of words and photos based on news stories during a particular hour. The 10x10 site displays 100 photos, each photo representative of a word used in...||Photos||12.08.2010|
2011 International Computational Billiards Championships
||The 2011 International Computational Billiards Championships has the goal to promote the development and aid the evaluation of novel artificial intelligence techniques for computational pool. The...||Sports||06.16.2011|
27 Seconds Knowledge Base
||27 Seconds is a full-service graphic design and development firm. Knowledge Base is a section of their website that contains snippets of code, links, and general ideas that are useful when...||News Services||02.16.2013|
||2PEAK helps users create and stick to training plans for cycling, running, swimming, triathlons, MTB, and cross-country skiing. The service responds dynamically to changes in the users' plans and...||Sports||09.02.2014|


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- Gap's split up is a "sobering reminder" that companies cannot "repurchase" their way to greatness," CNBC's Jim Cramer says.
- "I know this may seem like pure financial legerdemain ... but I think it's a really fantastic idea and the move makes a ton of sense," the "Mad Money" host says.
- "In short, buybacks don't mean squat without a compelling growth story. That's why Art Pell wants to change the narrative in one fell swoop," he says.
The "Mad Money" host gave an exception to AutoZone's buyback program that was coupled with a growth story, but said it's "pathetic" that shares of Gap gained just 5 points from $20 to $25 since early 2008. He was critical that the retailer opted for stock buybacks, cutting outstanding shares more than half, in lieu of organic growth opportunities over the years.
Gap's decision to separate Old Navy into an independent publicly traded company from its other brands unlocked value, sparking the stock's 16 percent rise following the Thursday announcement, Cramer said. The company posted mixed results for the holiday quarter.
"I know this may seem like pure financial legerdemain ... but I think it's a really fantastic idea and the move makes a ton of sense," he said. "Frankly, it's about time."
With the spin off, Old Navy can grow on its own, Cramer said. The host pointed out that its same-store sales grew 3 percent despite an "anemic" fourth quarter. On the other hand, the flagship store Gap saw same-store sales shrink 5 percent, Cramer said.
The remaining brands, which includes Gap, Banana Republic, Intermix, Athleta and Hill City, will be clustered under a separate entity called "Newco" in the interim. Cramer said that umbrella is in "urgent" need of a new plan, suggesting that CEO Art Peck close all underperforming stores to focus on the good ones and find a new name.
"In short, buybacks don't mean squat without a compelling growth story. That's why Art Pell wants to change the narrative in one fell swoop," he said. "If he can spin off Old Navy then close the underperforming stores that remain under the Gap umbrella, I think you'd see a dramatic comeback with this stock."
Gap plans to close about 230 specialty stores over the next two years and expects 40 percent of future sales to come online.
"Think of it as addition by subtraction," Cramer said. "We've seen it work time and time again, which is why I actually think after a lot of analysts poo-pooed it that the new Gap could have a lot more upside."


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Volvo may have just rolled out its new XC40 SUV, but another 40-series vehicle isn’t far behind. The brand is putting the final touches on a replacement for the aging V40 hatchback, a stylish new car previewed in a few new images.
European publication AutoExpress (more images at the link) has snagged a few exclusive images of the next V40, which show off a familiar look. The new V40 is borrowing many of its design cues from the XC40 SUV, including its chunky C-pillar and abstract looking lamps.
The familiarity between the two 40-series vehicles is unsurprising. The V40 will be the second product to launch of Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), the first being the XC40. Familiar underpinnings suggest the new V40 will be slightly larger than today’s version and feature many of the same features as the XC40.
A host of powertrains will propel the new V40. Two diesel engine options are expected, while Volvo’s three and four-cylinder gas engines are also expected. A plug-in hybrid and pure electric version are also expected given the CMA was engineered from the ground up to be electrified. Though the first CMA product to be electrified will not be the V40, but rather the Polestar 2 sedan that is due out in 2019.
Volvo has already confirmed that the company will offer a range of battery sizes and ranges in its battery-electric vehicles, so that approach is expected in the V40 as well.
When the new V40 arrives it will be battling it out with the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Volkswagen Golf (especially the upcoming electrified Golf).


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Guinness Ghana Limited has unveiled an iconic Limited Edition GH@60 label in celebration of Ghana’s 60th Independence anniversary.
This, the company believes is part of celebrating Ghana’s culture, heritage, and history.
The iconic limited edition has been named OSAGYEFO.
The Limited Edition label also marks over 50 years of brewing heritage for Guinness in Ghana.
Speaking at the launch Kweku Sekyi-Cann, Marketing and Innovations Director at Guinness Ghana said, “The GH@60 celebrations promise to be an inspiring and exciting time in Ghana and, as the nation’s favourite stout, we are proud to be a part of these celebrations, and of the nation’s rich heritage. We hope that our iconic limited edition label will excite Ghanaians to be the toast of our Independence celebrations”.
Mr. Sekyi-Cann added that “We are doing more than just launching this bold and vibrant label. We want to celebrate all the inspirational Ghanaians who have been carving their own path in life these 60 years post-independence. As part of the celebrations, we will be searching for 60 ‘everyday Ghanaians’ who make this country MadeofBlack between March and April.”
The Limited Edition Guinness label is available across the country from March 1, 2017, and will feature an under the crown promotion where consumers could win a complimentary bottle of Guinness or other specially designed GH@60 prizes.
By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana.


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SpaceX re-useable rocket misses landing ship
Elon Musk's net worth skyrocketed recently, but it has not been smooth sailing for the Tesla CEO's personal wealth in recent years.
Tesla is hiring roofers and installars to install its newest version of the Tesla Solar Roof.
The crewed spaceflight will be a milestone for the spaceflight company.
Elon Musk described the hardest job he ever had during a recent podcast interview.
Sacha Baron Cohen and Elon Musk gang-up on "emperor" Mark Zuckerberg.
NASA has awarded a new $80-million contract to SpaceX earlier this month. It focuses on a new mission that aims to study the ecosystems of Earth’s oceans.
“Right now, we are a private company, but Starlink is the right kind of business that we can go ahead and take public,” says SpaceX COO.
The company is using an Uber-like rideshare model for rocket launches.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is well on his way to becoming the highest paid CEO in history
SpaceX’s ambitious Starlink satellite constellation project is in danger of getting shut down after a group of astronomers threatened to file legal action against the Elon Musk’s company. According to members of the group, they would like to stop the full launch of the project due to its effects on the night sky.
Iconoclastic Musk basks as Tesla shares soar
Tesla is speeding-up its recruitment of AI people as it moves quickly to deliver on its promise of full self-driving capability.
Elon Musk drops surprise techno track
SpaceX recently blew up the tank of Starship, which is the company’s spacecraft designed to provide commercial crewed flights to Mars.
Tesla stock zooms as carmaker marks earnings 'turning point'
For the first time in history, an international satellite that will study the Earth was named after an American scientist. It is also only the second mission ever named after a living person.
Space tourism is increasingly probable with decreasing cost of spaceships and reusable rockets.
Elon Musk has said that the factory will not use water excessively, a concern that German protesters have expressed.
Elon Musk may have built businesses around technology, including driverless electric-powered cars, an online bank, spacecraft, but one thing Musk is not particularly fond of is Bitcoin.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously criticized the President on several occasions.
SpaceX CEO and founder, Elon Musk, is excited after the success of Crew Dragon in-flight abort mission test.
Payout for Musk as Tesla value tops $100 bn
Tesla value hits $100 bn, triggering payout plan for Musk
The space exploration company tested its Dragon crew escape system successfully on Sunday.
Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX will conduct its first human spaceflight with the Crew Dragon spacecraft sometime during the second quarter of the year. Musk made the statement following the successful abort test of Crew Dragon on Sunday.
SpaceX delayed the important launch abort test due to bad weather on Saturday.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk does not receive a salary or bonuses as CEO, only stock awards if the company reaches certain milestones.
Wanted: Girlfriend to fly to the Moon with Japanese billionaire
Here's the truth about the pregnancy rumors with Elon Musk and girlfriend Grimes.


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Following reports from The Verge that Uber has shuttered its taxi service in NY, the transportation startup has publicly confirmed this is true on its blog, blaming New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) for putting up “obstacles and roadblocks in order to squash the effort.” Going further, Uber explained to users that, in the meantime, they are welcome to “try UberTAXI in more innovation-friendly cities” — effectively calling out NY for stifling innovation.
In today’s blog post, Uber released some statistics from its 30 day attempt:
- 160 cabbies participated in Uber TAXI beta
- Biggest payday – one top UberTAXI driver made $168 additional fares in a single day!
- Biggest week – Joe E. made $586 additional fares with UberTAXI in a week!
Uber has consistently made many enemies out of traditional taxi services and government regulators in the past, but has also managed to gather a large fan base of users itching to support its cause of opening up transportation. Even though my personal support for the service continues, I can’t help but feel Uber’s recent risks aren’t strategically sound.
With UberTAXI now out of commission in NY, the startup has managed to alienate taxi drivers and users that took a leap of faith to embrace the new service. It was frustrating enough that using the app to hail a taxi never worked for many users, but now that the option is out of the picture, its eventual return wont be too exciting for me. Additionally, although I find the TLC to be in the wrong, Uber likely could have spent more time nurturing that relationship instead of fighting it, like Get Taxi seems to be doing.
Heres to hoping that innovation makes it way to NY’s transportation systems soon. Uber’s other services are still available in NY, including UberX, which is only a little more expensive than a traditional cab.
Image credit: AFP / Getty Images


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20 March, 2019
The regulatory approach toward cryptocurrencies is designed to allow innovation to flourish, according to Valerie Szczepanki, senior advisor for digital assets at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). She appeared on stage last week at SXSW in Austin, Texas, for a Q&A session with attorney Daniel Kahan of Morrison & Foerster LLP. Regulation is […]
18 March, 2019
South by Southwest Interactive was an amazing experience this year! Held in Austin, Texas, the annual summit exploring tech, business, culture, music, and film brought together industry leaders for ten days of non-stop festivities, learning, and networking this March 8–17. Making its first foray into the decentralization movement, SXSW 2019 debuted the new Blockchain and […]
5 March, 2019
Dear People of the Internet, We need to find new ways of expending our social capital. As a society, we can’t rely on big tech companies for everything — look where our blind trust has led us. We have entered the post-privacy era. Everywhere we go cameras can record us, credit and mobile phone companies […]
1 March, 2019
When our CEO Anne Ahola Ward began in her new role, she promised to make Veritoken Global a market leader in Blockchain. Pulling together all her resources, Anne united the Veritoken team under one vision: facilitating the adoption of Non-Fungible tokens in order to increase data privacy and control. SXSW is the world’s summit of […]
15 February, 2019
Blockchain technology could potentially be used to boost efficiency and transparency in DevOps applications.
10 February, 2019
Criminals go wherever there is an opportunity. The ripest opportunity is online and especially via mobile devices. With more people shopping and making online or mobile payments, as noted by a Juniper Research report, the potential to steal personal and financial data has hit a new high. Payment Fraud By the Numbers The Federal Reserve […]
29 January, 2019
Hello! I am proud to be Veritoken Global’s CEO. Helping startups in Silicon Valley find their path to revenue has been my focus for the past decade. Leading this company is not a responsibility to be taken lightly, because there is much work we must do. The NY Times once called me “the Sheriff” and […]
2 January, 2019
With interest in blockchain at an all-time high, here are ten of the biggest and most promising names in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency.
4 September, 2018
The OECD’s blockchain forum in Paris is the first major conference focusing on the worldwide impact of blockchain and its development for public institutions.


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Packages still dominate UK holiday market
Package holidays continue to dominate the overseas UK holiday market, according to ABTA research out today.
Half of the holidays people take each year are packages, a figure that has held steady since 2014.
But, the research, based on interviews with ABTA members, highlighted big differences between the package holidays of today compared to those in the 1970s.
Customers now often want to be the first to visit a destination or particular resort, whereas back in the 1970s many people chose a holiday location based on where their friends or family had already been.
A package holiday in the 1970s was often sold with the promise of a ‘home-from-home’, but today many UK holidaymakers want to experience a different culture.
In the early days of package holidays, the most popular destinations were the Balearics, Italian Riviera, Belgium (specifically Blankenberge), Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
While there is still a strong market for traditional package holiday destinations today – almost 25 million visits were made to Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Malta combined last year, a big increase from just over 13 million in 1994 – today’s holidaymakers are branching out and going further afield.
UK holidaymaker visits to Mexico in 1994 stood at 18,778 whereas in 2018 visits were up by 3500% to 676,734 – more than the number of visits to Malta (559,677).
Trips to Bulgaria have doubled since 1994 and it looks set to continue to increase its share of visitors, with bookings for summer 2019 up 16% on last year.
ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “The UK continues to be a nation in love with the foreign holiday as tens of millions of people head abroad each year, with package holidays still dominating a large proportion of the travel market. But how we’re holidaying now is quite different compared to the package breaks of the 1970s.
“Holidaymakers’ tastes are continually evolving, and the travel industry is adapting to the changing demands of customers; whether you want a two week trip around the Caribbean, a cultural city break to Cadiz, a tailor-made trip to Mexico or seven days in the Costa del Sol, all of these options can be provided via a package holiday.”


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by Cathy Moore
Daybreak Game Company has announced a Nintendo Switch port for DC Universe Online. The long-running DC-themed MMORPG is launching for the hybrid console sometime this summer. Featured above, you can view a new trailer for the Switch port. Here’s a brief rundown on the game: DC Universe Online is free-to-play! Join thousands of other players in a […]
F1 2019 has officially gotten its first trailer. The post F1 2019 Gets its First Trailer appeared first on GameSpew.
FIFA 19 now has a unique War Child FC kit in-game. The kit, out now on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC as part of the weekly objectives, is designed to help raise awareness of War Child’s work. War Child’s mission is to protect, educate and stand up for the rights of […]
With the International 2019 for DOTA 2 scheduled for August 20-25, players now have access to purchase the Battle Pass, granting them unique items, boosts, and as always, letting them know that they are helping to beef up the prize pool that the best players in the world will be competing over later in the year. […]
Playdigious has announced they’re porting Dead Cells to smartphone devices. The roguelike metroidvania game is coming to iOS devices sometime this summer, for $9.99. An Android port is also coming, but sometime later. Featured above, you can view a new trailer for the mobile port. Here’s a rundown on the game: Death is not the […]
Capcom has announced a Nintendo Switch port for the original Devil May Cry. The iconic and classic action game is coming to the hybrid console sometime this summer. Capcom did not confirm plans to port Devil May Cry 2 or Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition to Switch Devil May Cry was originally released for PlayStation 2 back in 2001. […]
Blackmill Games and M2H have announced that their recent WWI shooter, Tannenberg, will be making its way to PS4 and Xbox One. Verdun, Tannenberg‘s sister game, is already on PS4 and Xbox One, and both versions will receive a massive update to bring them in line with the PC version before the launch of Tannenberg. […]


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Transporting freight by truck is still very important to our economy. Many of the goods that our stores and homes house were delivered by truck. The most crucial aspect to trucking are the drivers. Trucking companies put a lot of responsibility upon their drivers to successfully and safely carry freight all over the country.
However, the American Trucking Association (ATA) is seeing a dramatic decrease in truck drivers. According to the ATA, it is estimated that the U.S. is short an alarming 30,000 drivers. Truck carriers have noted major difficulties in finding drivers that meet the requirements set forth by the Department of Transportation.
So what is the cause behind the truck driver shortage? The decrease is due to failure to meet requirements, low pay, too much time spent away from family, and a lack of interest from a younger generation.
While it is a reliable career option, there are many requirements that the DOT have put in place for truck drivers and there are no ways around them. This factor is a frustrating one for trucking companies.
A truck driving salary is a decent one and one that can support a stable and good lifestyle. Not to mention it provides people the opportunity to see different parts of the country…and get paid to do so.
That said, there has been a high turnover between trucking companies as drivers seek out a more convenient driving schedule so that they can spend more time at home.
According to an article by Business Insider, Swift Transportation will be making changes revolving around the causes of driver shortage.
The ATA has estimated that over the next decade, there will need to be 100,000 new drivers each year.
If your company is looking for qualified truck drivers, please contact us today and we can help you find the right fit for your company.


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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ViSenze, the artificial intelligence company that develops breakthrough visual technology for e-commerce and digital businesses, today released data on the rising demand for visual search and discovery capabilities. In 2016, ViSenze processed over 350 million image queries on shopping platforms around the globe - a 250 percent increase over 2015. This means nearly one million queries a day were generated by shoppers on shopping platforms around the world.
In recent years, determining an ideal shopping experience has become the job of the consumer, versus that of the manufacturer or merchant. Today’s digital world is customer-centric and brands therefore must provide entertaining, inspiring, and - most importantly - efficient shopping experiences or risk losing their customers to competitors who are only a click away.
Using ViSenze’s visual commerce solutions, retailers saw an uplift of up to five times Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) from increased conversions. “Our data confirms the growing importance of artificial intelligence for ecommerce as today’s online shoppers, and in particular millennials, want to spend less time searching for the products they want to purchase,” said Oliver Tan, Co-Founder and CEO of ViSenze. “They are also highly visual and tend to be inspired by visual content that helps them discover ideas and information to make better buying decisions.”
ViSenze’s technology enables today’s shoppers to find the products they seek more quickly through visual search. This intuitive shopping experience reduces the time to discovery and increases product views and conversions. Retailers in fashion, shoes, accessories, jewelry, handbags, and more are clearly embracing the opportunity, with more than 300 million product images indexed by ViSenze in 2016.
Adoption is expected to accelerate in the coming years as consumer behavior continues to be driven by visual content. ViSenze’s web-scaled distributed architecture platform now supports over one billion images at uptimes in excess of 99 percent.
ViSenze was founded in 2012 by a team of computer vision scientists and web entrepreneurs. In September of 2016, ViSenze closed a Series B round, raising $10.5 million from Rakuten Ventures, SPH Media Fund, Enspire Capital and WI Harper Group. In order to support and accelerate this growth in 2017, ViSenze has opened offices and added key personnel in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China in recent months.
ViSenze is an artificial intelligence (AI) company that bridges digital content and commerce through visual search and discovery. Built on deep learning and computer vision technology, the company’s solutions are used by major retail businesses like Rakuten and ASOS, helping over 250 million daily active users make better buying decisions by simplifying the way they search for products. ViSenze automatically converts digital images into engagement opportunities and makes videos shoppable at-scale for media owners.
Voted Singapore’s Most Promising Startup at Emerging Enterprise Awards 2015, the company is also a MasterCard Startpath Global startup and features amongst the industry’s top AI startups by CB Insights, Bloomberg Beta, VentureBeat, and Datamation. ViSenze has offices in San Francisco, London, New Delhi, Beijing, and Singapore.


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Apple has paid roughly $350 million to acquire motion-tracking chip maker PrimeSense, the Israeli startup that Microsoft tapped to help develop its Kinect gaming technology. Though snatching up small, relatively unknown tech firms is par the course for Apple, its purchase of PrimeSense could mean the tech giant is ready to take the motion-tracking leap.
According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Apple has been slow to join the movement before now:
To say that Apple is late to the gesture game would be something of an understatement. It’s picking up affordable, proven technology. But there will be big-time questions around how the PrimeSense gear can evolve and how Apple’s gesture-patent portfolio will match up with those of existing players. Intel (INTC), for example, has also spent the last couple of years buying small gesture-technology specialists and intellectual property, and Google (GOOG) recently purchased the motion-tracking startup Flutter.
Bloomberg reports that PrimeSense is working on depth-sensing and -managing tools that could be used on smartphones. Apple is rumored to be working on a gesture-controlled TV set, which could explain the purchase. PrimeSense technology may alternately be brought into the next iteration of the iPhone or iPad, contributing motion controls or visual identification tools to the devices.


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DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is again cutting production of the nation's bestselling vehicle due to an ongoing shortage of semiconductors roiling the auto industry.
The automaker said Wednesday that F-150 production at its truck plant in Dearborn, Mich., will be down the weeks of April 5 and 12 and it will cancel overtime there the weeks of April 26, May 10, May 31 and June 21. The truck side of its other F-150 plant, Kansas City Assembly, will go down the week of April 5. Overtime for the truck side of the plant will be canceled the weeks of April 12, April 19, April 26, May 3, May 10, May 17, June 7 and June 14.
The van side of Kansas City Assembly, where workers build the Transit, will slash overtime the weeks of April 5, 12 and 19.
Additionally, Ford said its Louisville Assembly Plant, where workers make the Escape and Lincoln Corsair crossovers, will be down the weeks of April 12 and 19. Oakville Assembly in Ontario, Canada, home to the Edge and Lincoln Nautilus crossovers, will be down the weeks of April 12, 19 and 26.
Ford will also cut overtime at its Chicago Assembly Plant the week of April 5, and at its Ohio Assembly Plant the weeks of April 12 and 26.
Ford has said the chip shortage could shave $1 billion to $2.5 billion off 2021 profits.
The automaker has said it is trying to protect production of its most profitable vehicles, but the company has been forced to curtail F-150 output multiple times since the start of the year.
Ford's head of U.S. sales, Andrew Frick, mentioned the F-150 as one of a handful of nameplates that have been especially impacted by the shortage in a letter to dealers earlier this month.