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Kimberly Culp was quoted on March 14, 2018, in LegalTechNews and Law.com about the emerging legal intellectual property issues surrounding the AR or VR landscape, specifically the use of avatars, which are graphic icons users choose as their representations on a platform. These avatars can open up AR or VR products to IP issues, should an avatar infringe on a protected copyright or trademark.
Ms. Culp noted that such potential infringement is already happening in the video game industry. "We certainly see in the video game context players who want to use images of companies they like, or games that they like, and the appropriation of those images is arguably a copyright infringement if one wanted to make that argument."
According to the article, the legal issues that arise with user-generated data regarding VR and AR products don't end with the content its customers produce; they also extend to the data the products may collect from the users themselves.
"Biometric data is certainly one that gives me pause and gives others pause," Culp said.
She noted that, while "biometrics themselves aren't really a new issue," what is new is the "vast amount and different types of data AR and VR can and will collect."
Some VR technology, Culp explained, "can track where you’re looking at a particular piece of content and how you are engaging through eye-tracking with content and can provide data back to advertisers."
In addition to collecting biometric data, there may be additional privacy and legal concerns over the "data that AR and VR technology takes in about a user's external surroundings," Culp said.


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Quantum Expands NVMe Storage Line
SAN JOSE, Calif.—Quantum has introduced the F1000, a new, lower-priced addition to its F-Series line of NVMe storage appliances.
Quantum’s F-Series was designed specifically for the video and image-based workloads, whether it’s HD video used for movie, TV and sports production, marketing and advertising content, or image-based workloads that require high speed processing, such as the data from a satellite feed, a drone, a car used in the development of new automated driver assistance systems (ADAS) and more.
Quantum’s customers can deploy the F-Series NVMe systems as part of the company’s StorNext scale-out file storage cluster and leverage the StorNext data management capabilities to move data between NVMe storage pools and other storage pools.
The F1000 is a 1U NVMe storage server optimized for performance, without the high-availability design of the F2000. Using a single-controller server and optimizing the F-Series software stack to run with less CPU, the F1000 offers the same streaming performance and response times as the F2000 at a lower entry price, the company said. The Quantum F1000 offers performance that is 5x to 10x faster than an equivalent SAS SSD storage array, at a similar price, according to Quantum.
The F1000 is available in two capacity points: 39 TB and 77 TB. It offers the same connectivity options as the F2000: 32 Gb fiber channel or iSER / RDMA using 100 Gb Ethernet, and is designed to be deployed as part of a StorNext scale out file storage cluster.
The F1000 leverages the same software-defined block storage platform that was introduced with the Quantum F2000.
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Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.

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"I feel that in a scenario where the consumer sentiment is already low, this could spell lower purchases in India for luxury goods and services," said Sanjay Kapoor, founder and managing director of Genesis Luxury which has a mix of joint venture and marketing and distribution arrangements with brands such as Burberry, Canali, Jimmy Choo, and Giorgio Armani.
"Psychologically the luxury consumer may feel better about shopping overseas for the same brands which in any case they perceive as cheaper overseas. We have tried to correct this perception over the years, but with such new levies it just goes against the case of shopping in India," he added.
Neelesh Hundekari, partner in the consumer and retail practice at AT Kearney and an expert in the lifestyle and luxury space stated that the tax is based on the belief that the rich can always afford to spend a little bit more, which is not an irrational belief, but will impact consumption.
"Luxury goods are anyway more expensive in India because of the high duties and this will impact luxury products other than cars more as they can always be purchased overseas and could still be cheaper than India after the import duties," said Hundekari.
An industry insider said brands looking at entering India may do a rethink as they always want to match their rates across markets. "This is not the best thing happening. As it is, new rules now require identification by pan cards for certain transactions and this seems like an additional burden," she added.
"The additional 1% tax on cars costing above Rs 10 lakh will have an adverse impact on sales of cars in these categories," said Rajat Wahi, partner and head, consumer markets, KPMG.
Wednesday, 29 Nov, 2023
- For More Capital, Byju’s Must Pass a Tough Test
Top shareholders at Byju’s have demanded the company meet certain conditions before they consider any future capital infusion into the beleaguered edtech firm that is battling a deepening fund crunch, people in the know of the matter said.Virtual Influencers Now Making Real Money? AI, AI, Sir!
As social media influencers, Kyra and Naina have hit the big time. Only thing is, they’re not actually real — not entirely anyway. Titan, Realme, MG Motors and Boat are paying a premium to advertise through 3D-animated humans, or virtual influences, who have become quite the phenomenon on Instagram with views of up to 21 million for their reels.Timing of Burmans’ Open Offer Fishy: Religare Ind Director Ahmed
Hamid Ahmed, an independent member on the Religare Enterprises board, has described the timing of the Burman family open offer to buy more shares as ‘fishy’ in the first such media comments by any of the independent directors at the financial services company the founder-promoters of Dabur are seeking to control.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.


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The initial public offering market is seeing an influx of activity, and although the retail and apparel sectors made scarce appearances on the New York Stock Exchange last year, 2018 might be one for the record books.
As fashion continues to flirt with Wall Street, the industry is seeing an increase in the number of companies with the potential to go from private to public. Here, the IPOs to keep an eye on this year.
1. Rent the Runway
Despite co-founder Jennifer Fleiss’ exit last March, the clothing and accessories rental business appeared to be poised for an IPO, especially after it managed to raise a $60 million Series E investment in late 2016, led by mutual fund corporation Fidelity. (According to Forbes, it was the largest round that year for a female-helmed startup.) More recently, Rent the Runway landed a $20 million investment from Alibaba co-founders Jack Ma and Joe Tsai, valuing the company at just under $800 million. With the capital influx, its logical next steps would be to continue to pursue international expansion, launch more brick-and-mortar stores and possibly go public.
Last year, rumors surfaced that the luxury fashion e-tailer was in the process of preparing for an IPO that would value it at up to $5 billion. Now that figure has reportedly risen to $6 billion. (For reference, main competitor Yoox Net-a-Porter Group boasts a market value of 5 billion euros, or nearly $6.2 billion. And notably, NAP founder Natalie Massenet joined the Farfetch team as co-chairwoman last February.) According to the Financial Times, the London-based company has already been in talks with bankers from JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. Farfetch also recently entered into a multiyear e-commerce deal with British department store chain Harvey Nichols — the latest in a string of partnerships this year — as speculation of a public offering continues to grow.
Formerly known as JustFab Inc., TechStyle Fashion Group is the parent company of a number of membership-based brands, including footwear subscription service ShoeDazzle and Kate Hudson’s athleisure line Fabletics. Hudson herself took to Recode‘s Code Commerce event in late 2016 to express her desire for TechStyle to go public, but it wasn’t until reports of Rihanna’s collaboration with the company on a lingerie label that talk of a public offering truly emerged. The celebrity-driven brand would certainly boost the company’s platform should it decide to file for an IPO.


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Match Group Inc. saw a boost in revenue during its second quarter, driven by 3.8 million subscribers to its popular dating app Tinder.
Match Group reported $421 million in revenue for the quarter, a jump of 36% year over year. The company expects to earn as much as $1.72 billion this year, Bloomberg reports, with Tinder alone expected to exceed $800 million in revenue.
Tinder, known for its casual dating atmosphere where users swipe left or right on profiles to deny or accept possible suitors, grew by nearly 300,000 subscribers in Match Group’s second quarter.
The app is free, but users can pay to unlock additional features with Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold. These paid tiers offer services that give more likely suggestions or more information about possible matches. Match is also expected to release Tinder U, a version of the app designed specifically for university students, sometime next month.
Match also owns PlentyOfFish, Match.com, and OkCupid. The company bought out Tinder-competitor Hinge earlier this summer, further expanding its online dating empire.


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As podcast listening grows in the US, drawing an appealing audience for marketers, so does the size of the associated advertising market, estimated to soon account for 1 in 3 digital audio ad dollars. Now, a new study from the IAB and PwC adds to the body of research about podcast ads. Here are several takeaways from the report.
1. Podcast Ad Revenues to Double in the Next 2 Years
Podcast ad revenues eclipsed $1 billion for the first time last year, according to the report’s findings, reaching almost $1.5 billion. This year growth is expected to come in at almost 50%, to end the year at more than $2 billion. With healthy growth forecast for the next couple of years, podcast ad sales are predicted to reach $3 billion next year and more than $4.2 billion in 2024.
2. Financial Services is the Biggest Spender
In 2020 Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Retail was the biggest industry spender on podcast ads, at 19% share of all revenues. Last year, though, the top spender was Financial Services, at 15% share, up from 12% the year prior, as DTC Retail fell to 11% share of ad spend.
Other top-spending industries on podcast ads last year included Arts, Entertainment & Media (11% share), CPG (8%) and Retail (non-DTC; 6%).
The study analysts also point out that the “Other” industry bracket has been rising over the past couple of years, from 8% of ad spend in 2019 to 19% in 2020 and 28% last year. This bucket is comprised by a growing mix of lower-spending ad categories such as Energy, Government, Non-Profit, Law, and Sports, and suggests that a greater variety of advertisers are getting involved in the market.
3. Podcast Ad Delivery Mechanism Shows “Dramatic” Shift
Whereas in 2019 ad revenue share was almost evenly split between dynamically inserted ads (DIAs – 48%) and edited-in/baked-in ads (52%), the pendulum has swung definitively in favor of the former since then.
To wit, in 2020 DIAs jumped to two-thirds (67%) of ad spend, and last year continued to soar, to 84% of all spend. The report says this “reflects the efficacy of automated, agile messaging delivery.”
4. Pre-Roll Ads Grow in Popularity
Another trend taking shape is a move towards more pre-roll ads. These accounted for less than one-quarter of ad spend share in both 2020 (22%) and 2019 (23%), but rose to one-third (32%) of ad revenue share by placement last year.
Mid-rolls are still the dominant form, tallying 64% of ad revenues by placement last year, but that is down from roughly three-quarters in each of the prior 2 years.
5. Announcer-Read Ads Also More in Vogue
Host-read ads constitute the majority of podcast ad revenues when sorting by ad type, according to the study. These have traditionally been found to be the most effective form of podcast ads.
However there does seem to be a trend towards announcer-read/pre-produced ads. These comprised 40% of podcast ad revenues last year, up from 35% in 2020 and 27% in 2019. Recent research suggests that advertisers perceive these to be as effective as host-read ads for brand advertising goals.
6. Which Goals Are in Mind?
As far as ad objectives, the study reveals that advertisers are fairly split. Last year a slim majority (52%) of ad revenues were for direct response (DR) campaigns, as opposed to 46% for brand awareness, 3% for branded content, and virtually nothing for product placement.
Not too much has changed on this front in recent years, although in 2019 the data indicates that there was a slightly greater skew towards direct response over brand awareness goals.
7. Most Sold Ads Are Now 16-30 Seconds
As this market matures, the study’s analysts note that “podcast ads are starting to mirror the digital industry-standard of 15s and 30s ad lengths.” Indeed, ads of up to 15 seconds constituted 16% of inventory sold last year, up from 9% in each of the prior 2 years.
Meanwhile, ads of 16-30 seconds rose to a majority (55%) of sold inventory, up from roughly 4 in 10 in each of the previous 2 years.
As as result, ads of 31-60 seconds, which had at one point accounted for a plurality of inventory, were down to 27% share last year, while those of 61-90 seconds tumbled to just 2% share from 15% in 2020.
8. Podcast Advertisers Committing to Longer Buys
Finally, advertisers seem more comfortable committing to longer periods. In 2021 annual buys accounted for half (51%) of podcast ad revenue by buy type, up from 42% in 2020 and 47% in 2019. As such, quarterly buys dropped to 28% of revenues, and remnant/transactional/scattered buys to 20%.
For more download the study here.


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Shorty St wedding gets royal treatment
Make way Kate and William, there's only one royal couple as far as Kiwis are concerned.
When serial philanderer Dr Chris Warner married Rachel McKenna on Shortland St on Wednesday - his fourth onscreen wedding - a nation wiped away a tear.
And it seems that it's not only the screen that went a little blurry but the line between fantasy and reality as well.
Usually the sole territory of royal weddings, a range of commemorative mugs, key rings and tea towels has marked the joyous occasion thanks to t-shirt store Mr Vintage.
They were sent to cast and crew members and more than 100 leftovers were thrown up online for sale.
Within hours the shelves were empty. Fortunately for the country's soap fanatics, they will be restocked soon.
The popularity of the quirky products shocked Mr Vintage's marketing manager Jay Govind.
"We weren't really sure how many would actually sell but I guess the allure of Chris Warner - the lovable rogue - is too strong. People need the merchandise," he said.
"If there's one thing we've learned it's that stuff that's current actually works better than what we thought would sell, which was the vintage stuff . . . Dr Ropata and that sort of thing."
The news of the fan frenzy had even made its way to the set of the long-running medical drama.
Michael Galvin, whose character Chris "Dr Love" Warner has had more than 20 romances and fathered six children, said it was "a little weird" to think of his face adorning memorabilia around the country but a privilege too.
"We are a little isolated out here in our West Auckland bunker so it's very nice to be reminded of how important this show is to so many people," Galvin said.
His onscreen wife, played by Angela Bloomfield, said she had given a mug to her mum who was enjoying the novelty of drinking her morning coffee from something bearing her daughter's face.
She described the whole thing as "a little surreal".
"We are definitely aware of the show's popularity, but yes, when you hear that fans have actually paid money for something that will remind them of a specific event from the show, it definitely solidifies the passion that is out there for Shorty," Bloomfield said.
But the celebratory products might become collectors' items sooner than expected, after Galvin dropped a bombshell to the Sunday Star-Times.
When asked how married life was shaping up, he replied: "utter turmoil".
"Chris is already keeping a terrible secret and it's devouring him from the inside out," he said.
All the same, surely tea towels with an excerpt from the script's wedding scene would immortalise the couple as New Zealand silver-screen royalty.
"Definitely. For at least a week," Galvin said.
Sunday Star Times


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The Great Bible Race Quiz: Participants sought for Detroit online Bible quiz today
DETROIT (AP) -- Greater Grace Temple in Detroit will help host an event that aims to set a record for the largest online quiz.
The Great Bible Race Quiz starts at 10 a.m. EST Saturday. Gatherings also are expected in New Orleans, Washington, New York, Los Angeles and other cities.
The quiz is open to participants using computers, smartphones or wireless tablets anywhere in the world and will be available in 17 languages. It's based on the Great Bible Race video game developed by Novi, Mich.-based Premier 3D Animation.
Spokesman Melvin Claxton says the game is an alternative to video games that promote violence.
Guinness World Records says the record for the largest online quiz involved 1,023 participants last December in Istanbul.
Registration link: http://gbr.tooch-inc.com


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CRH, the world's second-biggest building materials supplier, has become the latest major company to withdraw from the Russian market.
CRH said it will cease operating what it described as "infinitesimally small" Russian operations and has temporarily shut its much larger plants in Ukraine.
"CRH management, in conjunction with its board of directors, took the decision over the weekend to cease operations in Russia and withdraw from the market," a company spokesman said.
CRH first entered the Russian market in 1998 and supplies and operates a concrete panel production plant servicing St Petersburg as well as seven readymixed concrete plants through a joint venture.
It supplies the Russian building materials market through its Finnish based operating company Rudus. Rudus operates a concrete panel production plant servicing the city of St Petersburg.
The company also operates a number of ready mixed concrete plants through LujaBetomix, its joint venture with another large Finnish concrete producer, LujaBetoni.
CRH is also one of the largest cement producers in Ukraine.
Albert Manifold, the company's CEO, said the company's investment in concrete panel and readymixed plants in Saint Petersburg would barely stretch to €1.5-2ms and a withdrawal from the Russian market was on its radar anyway.
"We have infinitesimally small businesses in Saint Petersburg, literally four or five machines in individual plants. It was just a satellite office," Mr Manifold said.
He also said that CRH had locked up its Ukrainian operations, which contributed 1% to its $31 billion of revenue last year and is supporting its 820 employees in any way it can.
CRH today also reported another year of growth in 2021 with positive underlying momentum in North America and Europe resulting in good demand in both regions.
It reported revenues of $31 billion, up 12% on 2020, while its profits before tax rose to $3.342 billion from $1.664 billion the previous year.
The world's largest buyer of cement said order books were up year on year across all products so far in 2022 and that it is well positioned for another year of progress.
The company said its Americas Materials benefited from increased construction activity last year due to strong residential demand in North America.
The division's total sales increased by 10% last year with like-for-like sales 6% ahead driven by positive volume growth and pricing progression.
For its Europe Materials division, CRH said good volume growth and pricing progress against a prior year comparative which was heavily impacted by pandemic restrictions resulted in total and like-for-like sales 16% and 11% ahead respectively.
CRH noted that its UK and Ireland sales were well ahead of 2020, which it said reflected an improved trading environment following "significant" Covid-19 disruption in 2020.
"Operating profit was also significantly ahead due to improved volumes across all product lines but also assisted by cost saving and restructuring initiatives which commenced in 2020," the company said.
"Significant pricing actions were undertaken in the second half of the year to offset input cost inflation, which also contributed to the strong 2021 performance," it added.
Meanwhile, its Building Products division saw sales growth of 11% with like-for-like sales up 5% due to strong demand for residential construction and a moderate recovery in the non-residential sector.
The CRH Board is recommending a final dividend of 98 cent per share, which would result in a total dividend of 121 cent for the year, an increase of 5% on 2020.
Albert Manifold, CRH's chief executive, said despite an inflationary input cost environment, the company expanded its margins and delivered good growth in profits, returns and cash generation.
"This further underpins our strong and flexible balance sheet, providing us with significant opportunities for future growth and value creation," the CEO said.
"While the demand backdrop remains favourable across our markets, there are a number of challenges and uncertainties which we must continue to manage carefully as we look to deliver further value for our shareholders in the year ahead," he added.
Earlier this week, CRH said it had agreed to sell its US-based unit that manufactures glass products to private equity firm KPS Capital Partners for $3.8 billion.
The business being sold makes architectural glass, storefront systems, architectural glazing systems and related hardware for customers mainly in North America.
During 2021, CRH completed 11 transactions and realised total business and asset disposal proceeds of $0.5 billion.
This included $0.1 billion which related to the receipt of deferred proceeds from prior year divestments, the majority of which related to the divestment of its equity interest in My Home Industries, in India.
The sale of the Brazil cement operations by the Americas Materials Division represented the largest divestment during the year, with a further 10 other divestments completed across the group.
CRH also said it reported proceeds of $0.1 billion from the disposal of surplus property, plant and equipment and other non-current assets.
Shares in the company moved higher in Dublin trade today.


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Within the next year, virtual reality technology company Oculus VR intends to release the highly-anticipated Oculus Rift, a gaming headset that claims to bring users closer to reality in a virtual world experience than ever before.
Oculus Rift is an innovative technology that employs positional tracking to track users’ head positions, a low persistence display to eliminate motion blur, a stereoscopic 3D view and a wide field of view to allow a more immersive video game experience for all gamers.
Oculus VR’s chief technology officer John Carmack recently attended a developer conference in Los Angeles and displayed the latest version of the Rift. While it is clear that serious technological challenges and obstacles remain for the new headset, Oculus VR is still evidently the closest company to producing a software that consumers can use to explore computer-generated, virtual environments in a new and unprecedented way that can make computer-generated worlds appear increasingly realistic.
Carmack is excited for the release of the Rift and hopes that Virtual Reality in general will become more widespread as a new technology.
“I believe that [virtual realty] will have a huge impact in the coming years, but everyone working today is a pioneer,” Carmack said on Oculus VR’s website. “The paradigms that everyone will take for granted in the future are being figured out today; probably by people reading this message. [The Rift] certainly [is] not there yet. There is a lot more work to do, and there are problems we don’t even know about that will need to be solved, but I am eager to work on them.”
Junior Elias Fedel looks forward to the release of the innovative Oculus Rift and is optimistic about the changes it will bring into the industries of gaming and technology.
“I love playing video games, and they’re really ingrained into my routine,” Fedel said. “I think that the Rift and VR [Virtual Reality] itself will dramatically shake up the game industry and present a new platform for developers to work with. I think that users can literally be the player and can step into the game by using the Rift.”
Despite the excitement that users have for this product, Carmack has highlighted some of the issues with the Rift, addressing that many people who have tested the product have experienced motion sickness and that some technologies have not been fully developed in the Rift’s software, such as the possibility of tracking hand movements to bring users even closer into the virtual picture.
Even with the Oculus Rift’s new capabilities, some students believe that the new technology is not worth the hype that the product is getting.
“I think that the concept is really neat, and how you can get placed in a virtual world is awesome, but why do that when you can live out most of those visions in real life?” sophomore Timothy Liu said. “After all, it’s just a first person view of situations that someone can likely venture out and conduct on their own. I don’t think it’s worth the money.”
The attention that the Oculus Rift has brought into the technology world has not been ignored by tech giant Facebook, which acquired Oculus VR in return for $2 billion in cash and Facebook stocks. Furthermore, the Rift is not the only product in the Virtual Reality industry, as Samsung has collaborated with Oculus VR, using software from the company in order to produce the Gear VR, a phone and headset that will cost over $1,000. Other products like the Morpheus, produced by Sony with a partnership with NASA, are also being produced.
Although not every gamer plans on buying the Rift once it is released, Oculus VR is definitely the closest company to reaching the virtual reality that many gamers hope will one day exist in all games.
“I think Oculus has finally gotten it right, as seen by people’s reactions to using the Rift,” Fedel said. “I hope it becomes successful, and I hope that the technology of [Virtual Reality] becomes an attainable reality.”


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NAPOLEON, OH (WTOL) - The city of Napoleon has joined the ranks of communities now allowing open refreshment areas in their downtown.
The NORA, Napoleon Open Refreshment Area, launched Wednesday for the Henry County community.
What is now the smallest open refreshment area in Ohio allows bar patrons to enjoy their drinks while also enjoying the downtown.
"And this is something that enhances the experience of being in downtown Napoleon, so we're very happy to have this started," said Napoleon City Manager Joel Mazur.
The launch of the NORA is part of Napoleon's downtown revitalization plan. Along with NORA, the city expanded downtown sidewalks and helped install outdoor patios for restaurants and bars.
"By helping each other with bar crawls and events like that, and festivals, we're going to get more people, not just locals, but people from the Toledo area, and all over northwest Ohio, and pretty much all over the state," said Lawrence Pritchard, owner of Flatrock Brewing Company.
And all downtown businesses are on board, knowing the opportunity of bringing more potential patrons in will help all of the businesses overall.
"Oh, I totally believe that we live in an abundant world, and yes there is plenty to go around, plenty to share. And we need to lift each other up and support each other," said Chery Weidemen, owner of Spengler's Restaurant and Pub.
A group of bars and business owners is already utilizing the NORA to try to plan an new downtown Oktoberfest this fall.


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Exports of single malt and blended Scotch whisky increased 4% in 2006 valuing the market at a record £2.5b, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).
Sales of bottled malt whisky rose by 7% to £408m while sales of bottled blended Scotch rose by 4% to £1.92b.
Over a billion bottles were exported during 2006 marking a rise of 6% to 1,051 million bottles.
The main area for export growth was in Central and South America with sales up in the region 24% compared with 2005.
North American sales rose by 6%, while Asian sales grew by 2%. EU exports were essentially flat at 0.2% growth.
Richard Burrows, SWA chairman, said: "I'm greatly encouraged that distillers, large and small, are investing in facilities in Scotland and taking advantage of opportunities worldwide."
But he warned: "To support the industry's international competitiveness, the SWA is continuing to press the case for new legislation that will improve both the legal protection of Scotch Whisky and help promote it to consumers around the world."
By Christopher Walton
E-mail your comments to Christopher Walton here.


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DUBLIN, Feb. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The “Emergence of COVID-19: Impact on Logistics Industry” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
The logistics industry viewed as an auxiliary for trade and commerce enables industries to deliver the goods and services to the ultimate consumers by facilitating mobility throughout the supply chain. The supply chain disruptions in the COVID-19 outbreak had a direct impact on the logistics industry with detrimental factors as labour shortage, fragmented supply lines, weak infrastructure, and ambiguity with respect to the rules and regulations for mobility of goods.
In the pre-COVID-19 scenario, the Logistics sector is pivotal to the global manufacturing industry which is elusive and scattered across the globe to urban to rural remote areas. For example, automotive companies such as BMW operates at the global level with 31 production and assembly sites across 15 nations with sales network spanning across 140 countries. So, to maintain the supply of such capital-intensive goods globally, the logistics sector must be streamlined and efficient.
In COVID-19 scenario, China being the most affected global manufacturing hub has spread operational difficulties across the globe during the initial stages. The supply chains disrupted for the companies having manufacturing facilities in China and the overall trade i.e., exports of manufacturing goods and imports of agricultural commodities to and from China declined. The receding supply for components manufactured in China for other industries was affected too. The contagion halted the cargo ports, shortage of labour of loading/ unloading, carriers were docked. Gradually, Automotive, Electronics, Medical supplies affected. As per the World Bank Reports, In China between January and February, the trucking sector volumes under logistics fell below 15% to that of 2019 levels before showing recovery signs in March. The revival was associated with relaxing of lockdown norms and government actions towards logistics industry.
Apart from China, Logistics holds major share of employment in emerging markets such as India and is considered as the barometer for gauging economy as it plays vital role in driving inflation, GDP, and employment status. With the onset of the pandemic, the panic buying on the market floor had shown peak in the logistics traffic. The heat of the pandemic leading to travel restrictions, flow of goods, social distancing norms at warehouses etc. has led to the decline in the logistics activities. For instance, in India the outbreak led to shortage of drivers which resulted in containers piling up, in ports around Chennai, Maharashtra and other ports.
The pandemic has exposed the limitations prevailing in the industry such as lack of health security and protection for the workers at dock stations and drivers facilitating trucking deliveries, the debt burden piled up due to which logistics companies lost the recurring cashflows to undertake the operations.
Impact on Logistic Industry segments
As per IFC reports on logistics Industry, under ocean freight the container volumes at Chinese docks declined by 10.1% in first quarter of 2020. The brunt has been suffered by both exporters such as Brazil, China, India, and Mexico, and importers such as European Union. The scenario depicted weak demand for the routes between Asia and Europe, United States and Latin America. However, the land logistics remained operational with minimalistic use for supplying essentials such as medicines etc. This also increased dependence on trucking sector which could not meet the demand and eventually truck logistics soared up. On the other hand, spot road freights rates have taken decline with falling demand from manufacturing sector. Considering the limitations across various modes, railways transport demand seemed favorable. Air freight operated solely for government necessities and working with low volumes exorbitantly raised fares.
Read More: Worldwide Logistics Industry 2020 Insights


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60 Percent of the Internet Sends Traffic To Google, More Than Facebook, Netflix, and Twitter Combined
Based on measurements of end device and user audience share, Google is now bigger than Facebook, Netflix and Twitter combined. In other words, 60% of all Internet end devices/users exchange traffic with Google servers during the course of an average day. This analysis includes computers and mobile device as well as hundreds of varieties game consoles, home media appliances, and other embedded devices.
There has really never been any doubt that Google is enormous, but this big? That's news. Here's a blurb from the report that attempts to put it all in perspective: "By far the most striking change in Google’s Internet presence has come with the deployment of thousands of Google servers in Internet providers around the world. With little press coverage or fanfare, Google has deployed (Google Global Cache) servers in the majority of US Internet providers. By comparison, we observed GGC deployments mostly in Asia, Africa and Latin America when we last did a large scale study in 2010.
As in our other research reports, we base our data on an ongoing large scale study of anonymized Internet backbone traffic across a large cross section of North America and multiple collaborating infrastructure and Internet providers (although based on a different dataset, more information about our basic methodology is available here).
Of particular note, our study leverages anonymized data from core Internet infrastructure (i.e. backbone routers) so that unlike web bug based measurements (e.g. Alexa / Comscore), the above data includes traffic from both browsers as well as all embedded devices (e.g. Apple TV, Roku, Xbox 360, mobile apps, etc.). We believe this is the largest ongoing study of its kind covering roughly 1/5 of the US consumer Internet."


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Brazil, here we come!
When photographer Delroy Daley got the call on July 11 that he had won a trip for two to Brazil to watch the summer games, courtesy of Red Stripe, he was speechless.
The 45-year-old, who plans to take his wife on the trip, said it was the first time he was winning anything in a competition.
"When they tell me that I win the trip to Brazil, trust me, I couldn't stand up," he said, grinning from ear to ear.
Daley and four other Red Stripe consumers were among the group of winners in the Go for Gold Summer Promotion who met the Red Stripe team at their Spanish Town Road offices recently. The winners were provided with details of their 10-day, all-expense paid trip to Brazil.
The lucky winners includes six Red Stripe customers and two sales executives from Red Stripe partners Celebration Brands Limited, who have also won similar grand prize packages.
"The Go for Gold campaign places emphasis on the experience of cheering on the Jamaican team to the games and encourages fans to watch with an ice-cold Red Stripe in hand," said Reshima Kelly, Red Stripe's assistant brand manager.
"By sending a group that is full of vibes to Brazil, we will also represent what's good about Jamaican fans in the stadium. It's a dream come true for any proud Jamaican."
Most of the winners said they were overwhelmed by the experience. The general sentiment among the group was disbelief, as many expected to win phone credit, cash or viewing parties, or nothing at all.
"When I called my boyfriend to tell him I had won, he said, 'You sure they not scamming you'. But this is real," said Valerie Dyer.
In addition to the trip to Brazil, each winner will get spending money. They leave the island for South America on August 11 for their once-in-a-lifetime adventure.


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The exclusivity rule that prevents members of MCX from accepting other mobile payments services in their stores will expire in “months, not years,” CEO Dekkers Davidson has told Re/Code. Davidson also “flatly denied that MCX had ordered CVS to turn off Apple Pay,” the report adds.
- NXP, Shanghai Unicom and Roam2Free collaborate to develop secure eSIM solution
- Mastercard launches several new APIs for developers
- Apple makes NFC tag reading available for beta testing
- Sydney man has Opal card implanted into hand to make catching public transport easier
- Beijing subway launches smartphone version of travel card


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This week, I spoke in a debate about the recent acid attacks in London:
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right: we need to control online sales, because if substances cannot be bought at the corner shop sales will move online. Does he agree that, despite the practical difficulties in extending regulations to the online sphere, it is no less important that we tackle that if we are to restrict the supply of corrosive chemicals to illegitimate users?
I genuinely thank the Minister for putting the review in motion. I welcome the breadth of the urgent issues that the Government have indicated will be under consideration, but I wonder whether she thinks it is a good time for the review to take a broader look at the safety of the changes made to the sale of substances such as sulphuric acid by the Deregulation Act 2015. I understand that the experts who sat on the former Poisons Board, who had real expertise in this area, had serious concerns and favoured alternative reforms.


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Daf BV ahead at half time
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Leyland Dafs Dutch-based parent Daf BV made a healthy £16.7 million (Hfl 57.6 million) profit in the six months to the end of June, reflecting strong sales for the British manufacturer in this country and for Daf-badged trucks in Europe.
Daf BV is owned 60% by Daf and 40% by Rover Group, now British Aerospace.
In the whole of 1987 Daf made £19 million profit from a 9% share of the 3.5-tonne-plus truck market in Western Europe, and this share increased in early 1988, the company claims.
In the first half of this year Daf delivered 26,615 vehicles compared with 41,553 in the whole of 1987. Operationg profit, which in 1987 was 2.8% of turnover, was 3.2% in the first six months of 1988.
Daf says the results reinforce its intention to go for a stock market flotation.
In the UK, Leyland Daf is catching up with market leader Iveco Ford in the registration war. Leyland Daf had a 22.5% share compared with Iveco Ford's 24.7% in the year to July, according to the SMMT.
Leyland Dafs parent Daf BV is surging ahead.


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The good news is that since today RadioShack. Support Radioshack Com… has officially been bought by Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), giving the struggling company a brand-new lease on life. The downside, a minimum of for folks like us, is that there are no instant strategies to return the renowned electronics retailer to its brick-and-mortar roots. As the name suggests, REV specializes in online retail, having actually formerly revamped the Internet presence of other insolvent companies such as Pier 1 Imports and Dressbarn.
While the press release does not straight-out preclude the possibility of new physical RadioShack locations, it’s clear that REV believes the future of retail isn’t to be found in your regional shopping center. As the United States mulls even more lockdowns in action to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s hard to disagree. There will be millions of bored kids and adults looking for something to do during the long winter nights, and an electronic package or 2 shipped to their door might be simply the important things.
REV states they plan to relaunch the rather outdated RadioShack site just in time for the company’s 100th anniversary in 2021. As of this writing the site currently states that sales have been momentarily halted to enable stock restructuring, though it’s unclear if this is straight related to the buyout or not. Getting a precise count of how much merchandise the business still has on hand after shuttering the majority of their physical areas in 2017 certainly sounds like something the new owners would wish to do.
We all understand how that story ended.
RadioShack’s shambling remains were offered another jolt of life today when they were purchased by another business that plans to relaunch the once-great retailer as an online-focused brand name.
The shop’s remains were purchased by Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), a start-up founded in 2019 that’s been scooping up brands from other faded retail giants also, including Pier 1, Modell’s Sporting Product, Dressbarn, and more. REV says RadioShack’s website currently has “strong existing sales and sales potential,” and the business is “confident” it can further raise awareness of the brand name internationally.
REV declares it’s effectively reversed other companies it’s launched as online brands. The Wall Street Journal reported that Dressbarn more than doubled its revenue in between the second and first quarter of 2020.
RadioShack was founded in 1921 and ended up being a retail staple in the ’80s and ’90s for anybody wanting to grab tech essentials. For a very long time, that indicated actual radio components, but ended up including great deals of electronic toys (one Verge editor fondly remembers his Armatron) and ultimately phones. Its fortunes decreased greatly as online shopping showed up, and the company applied for personal bankruptcy two times in the past five years. RadioShack still accredits its name to third-party “licensed” shops and offers top quality products within some locations of HobbyTown, a crafts retailer– comparable to how you can still find “Sharper Image” items at Kohl’s although that merchant shut its physical doors over a decade back. REV didn’t state whether those RadioShack licenses would stay. Support Radioshack Com
REV states it will “quickly relaunch” RadioShack’s site. So for those of you still clinging on to fond memories of the store, there’ll be a familiar enough place to go when you wish to purchase costly HDMI cable televisions and knockoff earphones.


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News broke yesterday that Wal-Mart will indeed be selling Apple’s iPhone, most likely by the end of December. The source of the information is employee training materials, and employees of the U.S.-based retail giant themselves. Wal-Mart is still keeping mum about the news, having made no official statement as of yet.
Early speculation held that the 4GB iPhone would make a return, at a new, $99 price point, designed to attract frugal customers in increasingly uncertain economic times. Today’s reports, supported by a number of sources and documents, maintain that a $99 iPhone is unlikely, and that Wal-Mart will instead offer a $2 discount, selling the 8GB model for $197, including contract discount.
Analyst Andy Hargreaves of Pacific Crest Securities told Reuters that Apple, while unlikely to cut a deal that would affect its profit margins, is probably seeking distribution through Wal-Mart in order to access different market demographics. UBS analyst Maynard Um, on the other hand, thinks a Wal-Mart deal alone will not be enough to broaden the iPhone’s reach, and suggests it should instead be only a first step to even more distribution deals with large retailers.
Details remain unclear, and conflicting reports from various sources indicate that nothing is confirmed, besides the iPhone’s imminent arrival. The arrival date, for instance, is cited by Bloomberg as December 28, but by CNN Money as possibly sometime before Christmas. Likewise pricing and storage space options, with Boy Genius Reports still maintaining that the $99 4GB model is a possibility.
Apple has refused to comment on any rumors or speculation at this point.


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By Barry Janoff
November 1, 2016: Dos Equis has a new “Most Interesting Man in the World,” but can he truly be interesting unless he makes an appearance at the college football National Champion game in January?
Consider that a done deal.
Dos Equis, finishing the first year of a multi-year deal as official beer sponsor for the College Football Playoff, is takging its Most Interesting Man to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium for the National Championship on Jan. 9, 2017.
For added enhancement Dos Equis will also bring the helicopter RV from the new Most Interesting Man "Stay Thirsty" commercial "for tailgaters to get in on the action."
The deal, signed with ESPN, includes on-site, on-pack and integration rights and markings for the Playoff, New Year's Bowls and National Championship. According to the beer brand, "The CFP has proven to be a key platform for reaching consumers 21+ during one of the most exciting sports events of the year."
In addition, Dos Equis said it would be activating "interesting and unique tailgates throughout the season, at conference championship games — most notably the SEC Championship in Atlanta in partnership with the College Football Hall of Fame — the "New Years' Six" bowl games, CFP semifinals and the National Championship."
The new spot spotlighted Dos Equis' alliance with college football when the Most Interest Man carved a football out of a coconut and then kicked it through two giraffes, whose necks were acting as goal posts. Not a surprise considering that "he played college football . . . in high school."
Dos Equis said that a separate version of the spot "utilizes ESPN's emerging VFX technology to transition from the Serengeti into a live football game in real time."
Two new football-themed commercials will break later this month.
Marketing support also includes the Dos Equis "Go for Game Day Greatness" sweepstakes, with a grand prize trip for two to the CFP National Championship in Tampa. Other prizes include tailgating grills, tents, entertainment centers and TVs.
Sweepstakes codes can be found on special CFP-themed bottles of Dos Equis Lager Especial and Dos Equis Ambar. (Details here.)
In alliance with Snapchat, Dos Equis said it would unveil a national filter during the National Championship that will "showcase Dos Equis' commitment to the College Football Playoff with The Most Interesting Man in the World."
"Working with the College Football Playoff and ESPN is a remarkable opportunity to help our consumers 'Stay Thirsty' during one of the biggest sporting events in America," Andrew Katz, vp-marketing for Dos Equis, distributed in the U.S. by Heineken said in a statement.
"(This) has been a groundbreaking year for the brand with this sponsorship, multiple partnerships with Snapchat, and the evolution of The Most Interesting Man in the World, and we're committed to elevating the beer drinking experience for fans whether at the stadium, at home or at their local watering hole," said Katz.
Back to Home Page


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Wall Street: M&A, good forecasts make news
- 17 June, 2005 08:05
Acquisitions on the part of Network Appliance (NetApp) and Integrated Device Technology (IDT), plus a spate of relatively healthy IT spending forecasts gave investors food for thought in the tech market this week.
IT market research company IDC and investment brokers Lehman Brothers and Smith Barney all came out with good news for the IT market this week. Thursday, IDC raised its forecast for growth in global PC sales to 11.4 percent, up from its prior forecast, which was for growth of 9.7 percent. The increase is due to strong demand for portable computers and growth in emerging markets in regions including Latin America and Africa. For similar reasons, Smith Barney said Wednesday that it expects worldwide PC sales to be 9 percent for the year, up from its earlier forecast of 7 percent.
For its part, Lehman Brothers Tuesday also delivered some good news: It forecast that, after getting off to a hesitant start this year, corporate IT spending will grow 5 percent to 6 percent. Lehman said that in storage, specifically, spending would increase 7 percent, and forecast that EMC and Hewlett-Packard would gain share in this market.
Shares of HP (ticker symbol: HPQ), however, dropped Tuesday by US$0.07 to US$23.82, after the company announced an about-face regarding its PC and printer units. Five months after merging the units under former Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina, the company is now splitting them up again. Despite the share price drop, some analysts seemed to like the idea, saying that it would make company sales easier to analyze.
On the mergers and acquisitions front, IDT said Thursday it will buy Integrated Circuit Systems for approximately US$1.7 billion in cash and stock. The processor makers both have specialty timing chips aimed at communications and consumer electronic products. IDT has for some time been branching out from its base in the memory market. Investors, however, dumped IDT shares on the news. IDT (IDTI) shares closed down by US$1.02, finishing the day at US$11.51.
In the storage arena, NetApp Thursday said it plans to acquire privately held data security company Decru for US$272 million in cash and stock. NetApp said that the buy will help bolster its competitiveness against EMC, HP and IBM. Company executives also noted that NetApp has been branching out from pure storage systems, getting into the data security area, for several years now. This acquisition was treated better by traders, as NetApp (NTAP) closed Thursday at US$30.02, up US$0.22 for the day.


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Animal protein ‘better for you’ than plant-based substitutes
Dietary protein is needed to supply essential amino acids to help cells function and maintain good health – with US Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) stipulating “ounce equivalents” to check to ensure you’re getting enough.
In terms of protein, one ounce of meat is equivalent to one cooked egg, a quarter of a cup of red kidney beans, one tablespoon of peanut butter, two ounces of tofu, and half an ounce of mixed nuts.
Not all proteins ‘created equally’
However, researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences have found that not all proteins are created equal – and that animal proteins may be more effective than others, as they are burned off more quickly into muscle. Thus, they can more readily provide the daily requirement of essential amino acids than plant protein.
“Our research illustrates that animal-based protein foods, such as beef, eggs and pork, and plant-based protein foods, such as kidney beans, peanut butter, tofu and mixed nuts, cannot be considered to be equivalent, or a substitute for each other, when developing healthy dietary patterns, given their unique physiological effects,” said lead researcher Dr Robert Wolfe, director, Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity, and professor of geriatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Anabolic responses from animal-based protein food
Investigators found that animal-based protein food sources elicited greater anabolic responses than plant-based protein food sources, and that body protein balance increased more in research groups eating beef, pork, and eggs groups than those just consuming plant-based protein food sources.
Protein synthesis increased more in the beef group than in the groups consuming plant protein foods, while the egg and pork groups suppressed protein breakdown more compared with mixed nuts.
Increased protein synthesis
“While it’s well-established that animal proteins can more readily provide essential amino acids than plant protein foods, our study also indicates that eating animal protein foods such as beef, pork and eggs may lead to increased protein synthesis, which has been shown to have benefits such as improved satiety and lean muscle mass maintenance,” Dr Wolfe added.
All in moderation
There are other health risks associated with eating too much meat – such as increased incidence of cancer in those who are regular consumers of processed meat products – but the research suggests that getting your body’s daily protein fix from meat in a limited way may be a healthy option.
Based in Johannesburg, Brian Derenberger is a Senior Editor at Healthy Organic Lifestyle.


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William Morris Agency starts distributing content!
Hollywood talent agencies are always selling stars, negotiating to get their clients big gigs, whether its writing, starring in, or directing movies and TV shows. But now, the super-agency, which has more than 3,000 clients, is teaming up with an Internet video-streaming company to actually create TV-quality programs for consumers to watch on computers, cell phones and other gadgets like iPods. This isn't just a deal for William Morris' star clients like Russell Crowe and Jennifer Lopez, it's also a deal that benefits their corporate clients like Starbucks, General Motors, and MySpace. The content is meant to be free and ad supported, which means that the corporate clients could sponsor the content.
The Internet video-streaming company is 'Narrowstep,' which went public in 2005. ABC and the UK's largest TV broadcaster, ITV have used Narrowstep to stream video over the internet. THis is fairly revolutionary, removing the need for any formal network, whether its a traditional distributor like a TV network, like ABC, or even an Internet portal, like AOL. Each program will be set up as a separate company and they say they want to create hundreds. How and where they'll find an audience still remains to be seen. The heft of the clients definitely works in their advantage. This is an innovative way to cut out the middle man and get those William Morris clients a bigger percent of their content's take. We'll keep an eye on whether the money floods in and where it goes.
Porn as leading indicator
The porn industry as always been ahead of the game, pioneering the adoption of VHS, then making the switch to DVD. And yes of course, porn certainly drew a lot of people into the Internet. Now, porn's telling the story of the DVD's decline. While mainstream Hollywood is worrying about a drastic DVD decline -- now DVD sales are merely flat -- over the hill in the San Fernando Valley, the porn industry is already suffering. Bottom line: watch out Hollywood, the porn industry indicator has never failed. Check this link for the Financial Times take
What's next from Next New Networks
What do MTV and Nickelodeon execs do once they've moved on? Well, they keep on selling to that desirable younger demographic. A handful of former execs from the Viacom properties, now running Next New Networks are putting together 101 community-based sites to provide content targeted at 18-34 year olds. They're calling them "micro networks," focused on everything from fashion to comics and cars. This idea of pitching focused content to enthusiasts is one I've been talking about for a while. I think that people won't go to MySpace for community, MySpace will become the general homepage while people go to more focused sites that are more vertically integrated, go-to places for community and content. I'm a believer in the vertical integration of content and communities, but isn't there a ton of competition in this space?
Questions? Comments? MediaMoney@cnbc.com


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Wall Street analysts predict that Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE:AVP) will report sales of $1.59 billion for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Four analysts have provided estimates for Avon Products’ earnings, with estimates ranging from $1.57 billion to $1.61 billion. Avon Products reported sales of $1.57 billion during the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year-over-year growth rate of 1.3%. The company is scheduled to issue its next earnings report before the market opens on Thursday, February 15th.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that Avon Products will report full year sales of $1.59 billion for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $5.72 billion to $5.76 billion. For the next financial year, analysts expect that the company will post sales of $5.81 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $5.73 billion to $5.88 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales averages are a mean average based on a survey of research analysts that cover Avon Products.
Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $2.00 price objective on shares of Avon Products in a research report on Monday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $3.00 target price on shares of Avon Products in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. Zacks Investment Research raised Avon Products from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $2.50 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 23rd. Bank of America cut Avon Products from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $3.00 to $2.50 in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, Jefferies Group dropped their target price on Avon Products from $2.20 to $1.75 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $2.86.
Shares of Avon Products (NYSE:AVP) opened at $2.16 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of -2.31. Avon Products has a 12-month low of $1.85 and a 12-month high of $6.03. The company has a market capitalization of $950.40, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.77.
Avon Products Company Profile
Avon Products, Inc is a manufacturer and marketer of beauty and related products. The Company’s segments include Europe, Middle East & Africa; South Latin America; North Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Its product categories are Beauty, and Fashion and Home. Beauty consists of skincare (which includes personal care), fragrance and color (cosmetics).
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Surely you’ve noticed it: Over the last few decades, throughout the developed world, stuff has gotten cheaper. Cars are less pricey, as are shoes—and shrimp, for that matter. TVs, sodapop, toys, and toothpaste too. This is to be expected in an era defined by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization. The point of free trade agreements is to make goods as cheap as possible.
Well. Not all things.
Some things—drugs and medical devices, for instance—haven’t gotten cheaper at all. That’s because most free trade agreements don’t actually make trade more free. Instead, they protect companies in industries like pharmaceuticals and tech. The result is that US trade policies have actually made it harder for Americans to buy life-saving drugs and advanced medical technology, while preventing other countries from developing the medical and technological innovations that would ultimately drive down prices for everyone.
How has this come to pass? Through a massive trade barrier that everyone pretends is not a trade barrier at all. It’s called intellectual property rights—or, more commonly, patents and copyrights.
In practice, patents are a way for governments to grant monopolies to certain companies. Thanks to multilateral free trade agreements of the sort spearheaded by the US over the last 30 years, we now have global monopolies enforced by governments across the planet. That’s good news for tech and pharmaceutical companies, and the people who work for them. But it comes at the direct expense of consumers and taxpayers. According to Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel prize-winning economist, this shifting around of wealth is driving further inequality around the world.
Patents are trade barriers
To understand the damage done by intellectual property rights laws, it helps to understand how trade barriers work—and why they’re almost always a bad idea.
All trade barriers are taxes. An import tariff, for instance, effectively taxes foreign goods, helping domestic producers compete. That’s great for certain producers. But someone still has to pay the tax—usually consumers and other businesses. There’s no net gain for the economy in imposing a tariff on, say, steel and aluminum produced abroad; tariffs simply move costs around.
Patents, and other intellectual property rules, work in a similar way. When governments grant a patent on a good, they’re basically promising to prevent competitors from trying to make the same thing or even use it in their own research—thereby creating a monopoly. Free from competition, the company with the patent can charge an exorbitant price for it—sometimes many thousands of times more than what it costs to produce. This redistributes wealth from the public to patent-holders.
Prescription drugs: monopolies in action
Drugs are the most monstrous example. Remember when EpiPen prices surged from $50 a pop in 2009 to $300 in 2016? That’s possible because only one company is legally allowed to make the shots, which prevent death from severe allergies. Mylan, the company that bought the patent in 2007, will hold it until 2025.
Because people with severe allergies rely on the EpiPen, they have no choice but to pony up. “If you have to find a way to pay for it, you will,” says Dean Baker, economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, an independent, nonpartisan think tank. “It’s like if your house were on fire and the fire department shows up and says, ‘What’s it worth to you?’ But of course we don’t pay our firefighters that way.”
EpiPens are far from the only life-or-death drugs that are sold for extortionate rates; cancer drugs and naloxone, which prevents opioid overdose death, are subject to the same treatment. By Baker’s estimate, the US currently spends about $450 billion annually on prescription drugs. Selling the same drugs in a free market—i.e., a market without patents or similar protections—would bring the cost down to around $80 billion, and the savings would shift wealth away from pharmaceutical companies and into people’s pockets. More importantly, scrapping the patent protections would make more effective drugs available to more people, saving, lengthening, and vastly improving the quality of people’s lives.
These monopolies do have a purpose. By making it dazzlingly lucrative to invent new technology, they encourage innovation and research.
The question seldom asked, however, is whether that incentive to innovate is worth the colossal cost borne by consumers and taxpayers. There’s no analysis to suggest that the US’s extra-long patents—20 years from the filing date—yield a net gain for the economy, says Baker. In fact, he argues, intellectual property protections can actually stifle innovation. That’s because they make it prohibitively expensive to build on patented technology to pioneer new advancements. Baker argues that the US should consider more efficient ways of funding research, such as by expanding direct government contracts.
If trade were truly free…
Another solution is actually following through on the idea of free trade. In a world where anyone, anywhere, can make what they want and sell it for whatever price they can fetch, competition drives down prices. And so, if other countries were not a part of multilateral trade agreements, they would be able to ignore US patents. Their own researchers would quickly figure out how to make overpriced US drugs and sell them much more cheaply—the exact mechanism, as it happens, by which free trade is supposed to benefit everyone.
Americans would figure out that they could get cheaper medicine and technology abroad and start buying foreign generics. Eventually, US pharmaceuticals and tech companies would be forced to slash their prices.
US-led multilateral trade agreements have thus far avoided this outcome by forcing poorer foreign countries to honor patents in exchange for the benefits of bringing multi-national corporations—and their factory jobs—abroad. The resulting clamor to offshore and outsource killed manufacturing jobs in rich countries. And so, in a crude sense, at the same time as the US and other free-trade cheerleaders unleashed the brutal forces of rapid globalization on millions of blue-collar workers, they pulled off an inequality hat trick. They not only sheltered a white-collar, pan-national elite; they also made the elite even richer.


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Most people will be surprised by this but after working in Taiwan for many years I quite expected it. Intel Announced that MediaTek will use Intel Foundry Services for FinFET based smart edge device chips. MediaTek will start with Intel 16nm technology which originated from the legendary 22nm, the first commercial FinFET process.… Read More
Intel announced today that they are partnering with cloud and EDA companies to better enable their foundry business. This is a natural extension of the Accelerator ecosystem program announced earlier. More and more chip designs are being done in the cloud and from my experience cloud based designs are better. Some companies use… Read More
-Intel jumpstarts foundry model with Tower semi buy @$54B Gets complementary tech to round out offerings
-Approval based on satisfying China’s needs as well
-Margin concerns overblown- Will it be allowed to flourish?
Intel pays up to get foundry and technology….
Intel announced a $5.4B acquisition of Tower Semiconductor… Read More
Intel made a big splash on March 23, 2021 by doubling down on manufacturing with the creation of Intel Foundry Services (IFS). The big announcement was supported by potential customers such as Qualcomm, Cisco, Ericsson, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM. With an accompanying $20B investment, the EDA and equipment industries,… Read More


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+ Wine glass still half full at Harry’s wine tastings
No whining: Harry’s Continental Kitchens won’t be holding a wine tasting this Thursday, Jan. 7. But you can keep ‘wining’: The restaurant is now holding its wine tastings on Wednesdays, the first of which will take place Jan. 6. This Wednesday’s wine tasting will benefit the Longboat Key Garden Club. Cost is $10. Call 383-0777.
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20 Santa Jaws at Mote Aquarium
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
3 Manatee Audubon -- OPEN HOUSE at Felts Audubon Preserve
8:00 am - 11:00 am
18 Jewels on the Bay Showhouse
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
21 Taste of the Keys & Fashion Show
FYI Friday — Your weekly news roundup
Catch up on the week's most important and most interesting news stories from Sarasota, Longboat Key and East County with FYI Friday.
Joan M. Durante Park installs new playground
The playground is made from post-consumer recycled materials.
PHOTO GALLERY: Rotary Club holiday party
Members of Longboat Key’s new Rotary Club gathered on Dec. 14 for a monthly meeting and holiday party.


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Sony to release as many as six mobile phone games next year
Sony Corp will release as many as six smartphone games in the financial year starting April in the hope of replicating with its own gaming franchises the success of console rival Nintendo Co's Pokemon GO.
The upcoming titles will free up some of Sony's popular gaming franchises, such as Everybody's Golf, from PlayStation consoles to Apple Inc's iOS and Google's Android mobile platforms, Sony said.
Sony revealed on Wednesday a total of 10 mobile gaming titles it is working on, including those to be released next year. The 10 titles include PaRappa the Rapper and Arc The Lad.
They will be available initially in Japan and eventually in other Asian countries, Tomoki Kawaguchi, executive director of Sony's mobile gaming unit, told reporters.
The announcement comes about a week before Nintendo debuts its game franchise Super Mario Bros on Apple's iPhone.
While disappointing sales of Wii U consoles helped push Nintendo into mobile gaming, Sony has been a decisive winner in console gaming with over 40 million PlayStation 4 sales, almost double the sales of Microsoft Corp's XBox One.
But Sony is facing the increasing threat from mobile in countries such as Japan, the world's third largest game market where mobile gaming accounts for more than half of the $12.4 billion market, according to games research firm Newzoo.
Sony has launched some games for smartphones through its music entertainment unit but has not introduced mobile designated games through the PlayStation business unit.
(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)


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When integrated into the economy, a central bank digital currency or stablecoin would compete with bank deposits to the public benefit, at least until a financial crisis. Adopting CBDC could destabilize banks, help households, US Treasury study says — Cointelegraph.com News
Acupuncture Provides True Pain Relief in Study
A new study of acupuncture — the most rigorous and detailed analysis of the treatment to date — found that it can ease migraines and arthritis and other forms of chronic pain. The findings provide strong scientific support for an age-old therapy used by an estimated three million Americans each year. Though acupuncture has been… Continue reading Acupuncture Provides True Pain Relief in Study
Android Hits 51.8% Market Share In the U.S.
Android has a bigger U.S. market share than all other mobile operating systems combined, according to a new report by Nielsen. Nielsen’s research shows that 51.8% of smartphone owners in the U.S. use an Android handset. Apple’s iOS has a 34.3% market share, and the rest is divided between RIM’s BlackBerry (8.1%) and Microsoft’s Windows… Continue reading Android Hits 51.8% Market Share In the U.S.


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Used van prices rose by up to 40% in June as a shortage of stock combined with pent-up demand to push up values, according to Shoreham Vehicle Auctions (SVA).
In its first physical auction since the lockdown began in March with 30 invite-only buyers joining SVA’s online buyer audience, dealers saw market prices increase again with some stock making £1-2,000 more than it did seven days previously.
SVA managing director Alex Wright says dealers are all in the same boat and must bid and buy in the current market or face their pitches being empty.
“When you see a three-year old Ford Transit with 50,000 miles on the clock booking at £9,100 and selling for £13,500 you know we are in a market that is extraordinary,” Wright said.
“Having the physical buyers all in the auction, with a chance to discuss the market with other buyers, albeit it at a two-metre distance, gave them the confidence that they are all in the same position.
“They have experienced the market’s pent-up demand for themselves and accepted that if they need stock, they will have to pay the higher prices. It’s a classic demand exceeds supply market situation and vendors are in the box seat,” said Wright.
Wright cited a number of reasons for the used van shortage. He said fleets that planned to defleet vehicles during lockdown or in the summer months had delayed doing so because of delays in securing replacement new vehicles while others had decided to extend contracts until they know more about what is happening with the economy.
He added that SVA had also seen fleets claw back used vans destined for auction to put them back to work until replacement new vehicles arrived.
“Dealers are in a difficult position. They want to make sure they sell this expensive stock quickly as they don’t want the risk of vehicles being worth a few thousand pounds less if the market drops,” said Wright.
“Some are running their businesses on a daily basis, but currently there is no sign the market situation is going to change anytime soon.”


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Uber is in crisis mode. Yet the business model created by Uber and used by other companies — including Lyft, Via and SideCar — is here to stay. For example, Google parent Alphabet is pouring $1 billion into supporting Lyft.
Numerous scandals are turning Uber into what’s called the “tech industry’s biggest troublemaker.” In June, Uber CEO and founder Travis Kalanick was forced to resign amid accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination, among other lawsuits. Last year, strict regulations in Austin led Uber to cease operations in the Texas capital. Each additional incident created another blow to the company that, for years now, has been seen as the world leader in ride-sharing and taxi services.
Still, Uber will continue to expand, introducing new innovations (some of which will succeed, others that will inevitably fail).
This is the atmosphere Dara Khosrowshahi, the former CEO of Expedia, is stepping into. He’s the new chief executive of Uber, and many predict he will need to greatly transform the company in order for it to survive.
Steven Hill of the New York Times presents a pessimistic view of the company’s future if Khosrowshahi does not take drastic steps to transform the company. But there’s reason for optimism. Uber has a strong future, and can maintain a competitive advantage over traditional taxi services.
While Uber remains a company that many love to hate, it has transformed the ride-sharing industry for the better, creating changes that will not be reversed in the foreseeable future.
In order to understand fully the success of Uber, we must look at where the taxi industry began. Traditionally within the United States, ride-share services have been facilitated through a system of taxi medallions, through which a city limits the number of permits for taxi drivers in order to decrease the supply of taxis and increase the cost of a ride for the consumer.
A taxi medallion wasn’t obtained through entrepreneurship or the creation of new business models or strategies. Instead, the buyer simply paid a large sum of money. In most other industries, obtaining a permit to operate based on nothing more than a large payment is called corruption. This traditional business model for taxis made it difficult for drivers to enter the business, thus increasing costs and discouraging the introduction of new ideas and innovations.
This outdated and archaic system hurts the taxi industry.
While other industries in the United States have thrived as entrepreneurs invest in new business strategies and innovative ideas, the taxi industry has been held back. It has been protected by a legal system that holds prices abnormally high and prevents new actors from participation in the market. Because of this, the emergence of ride-sharing projects like Uber can be the best thing that has happened to the taxi industry.
Uber is bringing prices for consumers down overall. Other innovations introduced by Uber make things much easier for riders, attracting business away from less-innovative taxi companies. The introduction of shared taxis for passengers traveling similar routes (UberPool) increases the company’s efficiency and better uses resources, while allowing consumers to decrease their carbon footprint.
Automatic payments, eliminating the need for a transaction to take place within a taxi, prevents fraudulent activity on both sides, and eliminates any confusion over the price or payment method. While these advancements are entirely possible in a traditional taxi company, it was Uber that took the step to implement the practices.
It must be noted that much of its success has been due to the company’s ability to skirt around many regulations, by labeling the business as an information sharing service instead of a transportation service. This distinction is the only way such a company would be able to operate, due to the strict regulations in many municipalities.
Of course, Khosrowshahi needs to implement many changes in the company’s management. However, these changes will not make or break the company. And despite criticisms from many, this is to the benefit of the taxi market and ride-share consumers. Uber and its model are here to stay.
Christopher Carson is a graduate student at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.


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The pharmaceutical industry there has been increasing controversy surrounding pharmaceutical marketing and influence pharmacy references. Big pharma made $711 bln overcharging seniors and disabled published time: 9 apr , 2013 take over the negotiations would make no difference to the industry. Other major related acts and rules include the pharmacy act of growth of the clinical trials industry, aftermath of the jj hospital controversy,.
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Apple this morning unveiled the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5, particularly focussing on an overhauled notifications system, an 'iMessage' service, wireless syncing, a 'Newsstand' app, and built-in Twitter integration. However,...
Researchers at Russian security company Kaspersky Lab say they've discovered the first malicious software program to target Google's Android mobile operating system.
Now that Google Voice is open to everybody in the U.S., small business owners, particularly those with less than 25 employees, should take a close look at Google's free phone management service. Here are ten good reasons why:
Twitter has acquired Cloudhopper, a provider of mobile phone text messaging infrastructure. Twitter hopes to use the company's expertise to improve the scalability and reach of its SMS (Short Message Service) service, according to a Twitter blog post...
Nonprofit groups desperate to raise donations during the economic downturn are considering text-to-donate campaigns similar to the wildly successful American Red Cross texting effort for Haiti earthquake relief.
Optus has launched the Turbo Text prepaid mobile service, allowing unlimited text messaging to five nominated mobile numbers on any Australian mobile network.
China has restored mobile text message services in a Western province where they were suspended for months following unrest. Limited Internet access is also returning to the region.
Text donations to Haiti earthquake relief may not constitute a miracle, but the American Red Cross says it is overwhelmed by the millions of US$10 gifts it has received via mobile phone texting.
A small fraction of teens have engaged in sexting, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which spoke to 800 teens around the country. The nonprofit research group found that 15 percent of teens who own cell phones have received the...
The pager message is from a woman near a pay phone near 38th Street in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. The woman says her children were evacuated, but she's trying to find them. She tells her husband she loves him.
Australian budget airline Jetstar today announced a trial allowing passengers to receive boarding passes via SMS. The Qantas-owned airline says the technology, developed by Melbourne-based IT company Sissit Group, is a world first. The company intend...
Apple has just over a day left to patch a bug in it's iPhone software that could let hackers take over the iPhone, just by sending out and SMS (Short Message Service) message.
Drivers of heavy trucks who were texting while driving were at a 23 times greater risk of a crash or near crash than those who were not, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported last night.
Apple is working to fix an iPhone vulnerability that could allow an attacker to remotely install and run unsigned software code with root access to the phone.
The government has issued a warning against fly-by criminals who are issuing SMS death threats to defraud victims.
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GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
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My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.


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Forever 21 and Mattel are joining forces to launch a new ‘phygital’ capsule collection inspired by Barbie. The pieces will be available in brick-and-mortar stores and in the metaverse.
The fashion retailer will roll out the “Forever 21 x Barbie” 76-piece capsule collection in select stores, as well as it's mobile app and website. The companies have also teamed up with Virtual Brand Group (VBG) to fashion an AI-driven VR collection available on Roblox through the Shop City Barbie Experience.
Mattel and Forever 21 first collaborated last year, launching a smaller version of the Forever 21 x Barbie collection in the summer of 2022. However, with the release of Greta Gerwig’s hotly-anticipated Barbie movie in July, interest in the iconic toy doll has seen a recent resurgence.
Expressing excitement at the collaboration, Winnie Park, CEO of Forever 21, said “We're thrilled to reintroduce Barbie to Forever 21 and embrace the growing Barbiecore trend that our customers adore.”
The Metaverse’s Role in Fashion of the Future
In many ways, fashion and the metaverse go hand-in-hand, with the ability to dress up virtual avatars increasingly appealing to shoppers. In fact, most (70%) of Gen Z users say their avatars dress at least somewhat like their real-life style, and a similar proportion says they get physical style inspiration from dressing their avatars, according to the Roblox 2022 Metaverse Fashion Trends report.
“Virtual fashion is an important part of meeting consumers everywhere they are,” said Jacob Hawkins, chief marketing, omni and digital officer, Forever 21. “This one-of-a-kind Metaverse Barbie collaboration between Forever 21, Mattel and Virtual Brand Group is at the forefront of bringing physical and virtual products together.”
Sunglasses retailer Pacsun recently gamified customer experience through avatar-building and metaverse-like technology, launching itssecond virtual experience, Pacsun Los Angeles Tycoon on Roblox. Similarly, fashion giant H&M launched an immersive playground, Loooptopia on the Roblox platform. This platform allows customers to interact with different materials and patterns within the Roblox world, create virtual wardrobes for their avatars within an immersive 3D experience, and participate in mini-games, styling sessions, and other events. The company partnered with Metaverse studio Dubit to launch the Metaverse experience.
Last year, Walmart deepened its investment in the metaverse-oriented space, rolling out two new Roblox experiences: Walmart Land and Walmart Universe of Play. Using avatars, visitors to these digital spaces can access a virtual store of merchandise and explore toy worlds in which they can earn coins to exchange for virtual goods.
In this report, RIS explores how retailers are enhancing consumer experiences with greater personalization through the use of first-party data, harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence, loyalty programs, retail media, and other strategic tech investments.
Consumer goods companies Adidas and Traeger Grills are the latest enterprises to tap into generative AI, opening up capabilities related to content creation, data visualization, and complex calculations.
For retailers, the holiday season is here. Succeeding in the next few months and into 2024 requires analyzing and understanding shoppers. Here to help retailers strategize, RIS presents our fourth annual guide to peak selling season.