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EnsembleIQ’s Hospitality Technology (HT) today announces the winners of the 2024 Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards and the 2024 Rising Star in Restaurant Technology Awards. The 2024 awards program is sponsored by WWT Digital, a digital experience consultancy specializing in elevating guest and employee experiences.
Now in its eighth year, the Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards program honors outstanding women from both restaurants and technology suppliers for reimagining restaurant processes and operations while demonstrating excellence in leadership, inventiveness and skill.
“The Top Women in Restaurant Technology awards program celebrates the achievements of women across a diversity of career levels and roles,” noted Robert Firpo-Cappiello, editor-in-chief of Hospitality Technology. “We celebrate the contributions that groundbreaking leaders and innovative thinkers have made to our industry. Our greatest hope is that the Top Women and Rising Stars awards will inspire the next generation of restaurant technology professionals to dream big and aim high.”
"At WWT Digital, we recognize the invaluable contributions of women in shaping the future of technology, particularly within the dynamic landscape of the restaurant industry. By honoring women and their technological accomplishments, we not only celebrate diversity and inclusion but also inspire future generations to innovate and lead with excellence. We are proud to sponsor Hospitality Technology's Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards as we champion the remarkable achievements of women who continue to drive innovation, foster progress, and transform the way we experience hospitality technology," said Katie Cain, Executive Director of Digital Programs, WWT Digital.
Winners are recognized in the following categories:
Lifetime Achievement: This award honors women who have had an impact on the foodservice technology industry as well as their colleagues and industry peers through enthusiasm, mentorship and commitment, while also showing how technologies can provide new ways of doing things for more than 15 years.
- Jodi Boyce, Chief Marketing Officer, Teriyaki Madness
- Mary Jane Riva, CEO, Pizza Factory
Innovator: The award is presented to women who are forward thinkers and who have executed on tools and strategy to transform the foodservice technology space in a positive manner by creating or deploying emerging technologies that reimagine how things are done while paving the way for future technologies.
- Tammy K. Billings, New Biz, SignalFlare.ai; CSO, Devour.io; Founder, Industry Bias
- Brooke Heinzmann, Director of Product Marketing, Olo
- Mary Young Mapes, Senior Director of Hospitality & Customer Support, Tock
- Stephanie Nardini, SVP of IT at Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems and a 2017 Rising Star
- Shelly Rupel, CEO, Devour
Check out the slideshow below of the seven Top Women in Restaurant Technology winners.
Rising Star in Restaurant Technology Awards
Starting this year, the Rising Star in Restaurant Technology awards are open to any individual who has been working in the restaurant technology industry for less than five years. Honors go to individuals who are re-imagining how things are done in restaurants while demonstrating excellence in leadership, inventiveness and skill.
“WWT Digital is committed to fostering innovation and supporting emerging talent in the field of restaurant technology. That is why we are thrilled to sponsor Hospitality Technology’s Rising Stars in Restaurant Technology Awards. We believe in empowering and nurturing young talent, as they bring fresh perspectives, creativity, and ingenuity that will continue to propel restaurant technology forward,” added Cain.
The winners of the Rising Star in Restaurant Technology Awards are:
- KC Fox, Senior Director, General Manager of Digital Ordering (SMB) at DoorDash
- Kira Hattenbach, GM of PixelPoint, PAR Technology
- Jen McQuown, Project Manager, Dine Brands Global, Inc.
“In recognizing the Rising Stars of Restaurant Technology, we honor not only their remarkable achievements but also their boundless potential to shape the future of our industry. These three honorees have already demonstrated exceptional leadership, inventiveness, and skill in the early stages of their career. As we celebrate their accomplishments today, we also envision the profound impact they will continue to make as the future leaders of tomorrow,” said Firpo-Cappiello.
Top Women in Restaurant Technology Award winners and Rising Star in Restaurant Technology were chosen by Hospitality Technology and members of its Research Advisory Board. Winners will be profiled in Hospitality Technology and throughout the spring in digital profiles on www.hospitalitytech.com/topwomen24 and www.hospitalitytech.com/risingstars24. The winners will be honored during an awards program on March 13 at the 29th annual MURTEC (Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference), March 11-13, at The Paris in Las Vegas. To register to attend, click here.
Nominations for the 2025 awards will open in November.
About World Wide Technology
Founded in 1990, World Wide Technology (WWT), a global technology solutions provider with $20 billion in annual revenue, combines the power of strategy, execution and partnership to accelerate digital transformational outcomes for large public and private organizations around the world. Through its Advanced Technology Center, a collaborative ecosystem of the world's most advanced hardware and software solutions, WWT helps customers and partners conceptualize, test and validate innovative technology solutions for the best business outcomes and then deploys them at scale through its global warehousing, distribution and integration capabilities.
With more than 10,000 employees and more than 55 locations around the world, WWT's culture, built on a set of core values and established leadership philosophies, has been recognized 12 years in a row by Fortune and Great Place to Work® for its unique blend of determination, innovation and leadership focus on diversity and inclusion. With this culture at its foundation, WWT bridges the gap between business and technology to make a new world happen for its customers, partners and communities.
Connect with WWT: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
About Hospitality Technology
Hospitality Technology (HT) is the only multichannel brand dedicated to covering the role of information technology in improving business performance for both hotel and restaurant operators. The Hospitality Technology editorial content portfolio includes an online publication that reaches more than 16,000 hospitality industry executives, networking and educational events (MURTEC, Hotel Technology Forum and MURTEC Executive Summit), a comprehensive website, e-newsletters, web seminars, and several exclusive annual reports and studies. Hospitality Technology is the parent brand of the Restaurant Technology Network (www.restauranttechnologynetwork.com), a membership community of restaurants and suppliers working together to solve industry challenges by shaping standards and sharing best practices. Visit Hospitality Technology online at www.hospitalitytech.com. Hospitality Technology is published by EnsembleIQ, headquartered in Chicago.
Stay connected with Hospitality Technology on LinkedIn.
EnsembleIQ is the premier resource of actionable insights and connections powering business growth throughout the path to purchase. We help retail, technology, consumer goods, healthcare and hospitality professionals make informed decisions and gain a competitive advantage. EnsembleIQ delivers the most trusted business intelligence from leading industry experts, creative marketing solutions and impactful event experiences that connect best-in-class suppliers and service providers with our vibrant business-building communities. To learn more about EnsembleIQ, visit ensembleiq.com.


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However, PR and marketing executives favour organic influencer marketing over paying high fees for sponsored content.
This piece states that the cost of influencer marketing has seen a dramatic increase over recent years. As per Izea, the average cost of sponsored blog posts has increased from $7.39 in 2006 to $1,442.27 in 2019.
Ted Murphy, founder and CEO of Izea states that even with a dramatic price increase, influencers can generally produce content more cost effectively than agencies. However, PR and marketing professionals doubt whether influencers are worth their costs.
They would prefer organic influencer marketing rather than paying steep prices for sponsored content. The article suggests that an organic approach to influencer marketing could include offering information, insights and content that influencers can share with their followers.
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Parker’s Kitchen concept satisfies customers with Southern-inspired comfort food.
Parker’s is ramping up its commitment to foodservice. The Savannah, Ga.-based c-store chain has expanded its popular Parker’s Kitchen concept – which serves fresh, hot Southern-inspired food made from scratch daily – to 29 stores in Georgia and South Carolina. When Parker’s opens its newest store on Lady’s Island, S.C. in April, the company will offer foodservice at 30 locations.
In addition, the company has extended foodservice hours at all Parker’s Kitchen locations until 7 p.m., so customers can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at Parker’s.
“At Parker’s, we’re committed to using real ingredients and serving delicious Southern comfort food that’s made from scratch every day,” said Parker’s President and CEO Greg Parker. “We’re delighted to offer a tasty selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner items that take convenience store food to a whole new level.”
Parker’s has been recognized by USA Today for its impressive food selection and has earned raves as a top-rated restaurant on TripAdvisor. Customers appreciate the convenience store company’s selection of savory bites and sweet treats.
“We serve more than one million chicken tenders each year and are earning a reputation as a delicious alternative to traditional fast food,” said Parker. “I welcome our customers to stop by the nearest Parker’s Kitchen to see what’s cooking.”
Parker’s Kitchen features a range of freshly prepared foods including:
Fresh, never-frozen, hormone-free and antibiotic-free Fried Chicken Tenders as well as pork chops, bone-in chicken, fried fish filets and chicken wings;
Southern-inspired sides, including savory mac ‘n’ cheese, flaky biscuits, decadent mashed potatoes, home-style green beans, old-fashioned apple cobbler and more;
A breakfast bar with fresh-made egg casserole, bacon, sausage, cheese grits and biscuits;
Family Meal Deals, which include a choice of chicken tenders or bone-in chicken as well as sides, yeast rolls and a gallon of iced tea;
Daily food specials;
Fountain drinks, freshly brewed tea and lemonade with Parker’s Chewy Ice;
Bean to Cup Guaranteed Fresh Coffee, where every cup is ground and brewed on demand.
Earlier this year, the Parker’s Market in downtown Savannah began serving fresh, hot food 24/7. Parker’s Market, which is located in the heart of Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District, offers an even wider selection of food items, including award-winning Crab Stew, fresh paninis grilled to order, a salad bar with more than 30 toppings, handmade desserts and much more.
Parker’s operates 51 convenience stores across Georgia and South Carolina and employs nearly 1,000 individuals throughout the region.


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In 2020, there’s no excuse for not paying attention to women’s rights. Political movements all over the United States are standing up for women, stating that they demand equal rights for all sexes. Given the social pressure involved with women’s rights, it’s surprising to see how many corporates and business owners don’t seem to care.
Have you ever had to pay “the pink tax?” We know what you’re thinking; you don’t remember the IRS issuing you anything about this type of tax. The pink tax refers to the extra amount that most women have to pay when purchasing goods and services.
A great example of the pink tax is when you take your car in for a service. The mechanic might assume that most women haven’t the first clue about what went wrong with their vehicle. They also know that most women don’t know how much repairs cost.
Therefore, they take it upon themselves to load your invoice with additional charges of parts and labor. The kicker is that they wouldn’t do it to a man that might know what’s going on and protest.
There are plenty of other examples where you might be paying the pink tax and not even be aware of it. Dry cleaning services, personal care products, and car sales are all examples of other areas where you might be paying this unfair toll.
It might sound silly that there are retailers and service providers out there that are offering price tiers for men and women, but they do exist.
Recent research shows that women are paying, on average, 42% more than men, amounting to additional expenses of $1,351 more per year, on average. That’s an additional $1,351 that could be going to good use in a retirement fund.
How Do You Stop Paying the Pink Tax?
It might surprise you to learn that the government is even in on the pink tax. The regulators consider pads and tampons as luxury items, loading up the sales tax at the store. We’re certain that you would agree that periods are nothing of a luxury. Charging extra for these essential items is nothing short of extortion.
However, recently, it seems that some retailers are starting to shift their perception about the pink tax. Some retailers are standing up for women’s consumer rights and the unfair pricing practices used by other retailers.
The pink tax is another way the government is grabbing every penny they can from consumers. They know that women can’t live without these items, and they decide to take advantage of the situation. You don’t see the pink tax on unisex items like shaving gel, so why is it so prevalent in women’s essentials?
Why are Women Paying More than Men?
Still not convinced that women are paying more for products and services than men? We get it; it’s a hard fact to adjust to your thinking.
However, as more evidence, we would like to point you to the survey completed by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.
This report compared the pricing on over 800-consumer items to look for discrepancies that validate the pink tax. The results will shock you.
Those products suitable for girls or women cost, on average, 7% more than the same products for boys and men.
- 7% extra for children’s toys and accessories
- 4% extra for children’s shoes and clothing
- 8% extra for adult’s clothing
- 13% extra for female personal care products
- 8% extra for health care products for women seniors
Let’s unpack these figures, and see who the culprits are that are benefiting from the pink tax.
In the research by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, Old Navy was a standout culprit of implementing the pink tax.
When reviewing the pricing on the range of plus-sized women’s jeans, the report found that there is a $12-15 difference when compared to the standard jeans sizes. However, this discrepancy was not the same for plus-sized jeans for men and boys.
The owners of the Old Navy brand, GAP, released a statement in the wake of the report, stating that the additional cost involved with the pricing was due to the extensive work the design team puts into designing the right jeans for women. Apparently, they use different designers that charge more, increasing the costs of the plus-sized jeans for women – sounds like hogwash to us.
In the statement, the GAP states that the designers include curve-enhancing features, such as that amazing four-way stretch material and contoured waistbands that cost a fortune to use – yeah, right.
This response seems like a bit of a joke, especially when it comes from a company that benefits from third-world slave labor for manufacturing its clothing. Old Navy is not exactly renowned for its high-quality clothing and trend, stylish designs. It’s more a place you go when you’re looking for rags to wear around the house that don’t cost a fortune.
Wait, there’s more.
The report also shows that women’s clothing was more expensive than men’s clothing in six out of seven categories. The only clothing item that costs more for men was underwear, with a 27% premium over women’s underwear.
However, when we consider the amount of material involved in a pair of men’s drawers, compared with women’s panties, it’s easy to see why there’s a difference in the pricing.
The category with women’s clothing that had the most significant discrepancy in pricing was with women’s shirts. On average, women’s shirts were 15% more expensive than men’s shirts from the same brand.
By now, you should be reeling from the evidence that there really is a pink tax. However, that’s only on one category –clothing. Let’s look into another industry that takes advantage of women. Dry cleaners are notorious for charging women more than men for the same service.
At most dry cleaners, the average cost of dry cleaning a men’s shirt was $2.86. However, women could expect to pay an average of $4.95 for the same service at the same dry cleaner – that’s utter nonsense.
You can expect the price difference to be prevalent in every other clothing item that you want the dry cleaner to clean. It’s a shame that this industry charges women more – maybe it’s time to break out the old ironing board.
Self-Care Skin and Beauty Products
The chances are that as a self-conscious woman, you care about your appearance. Research from Skin Store shows that the average American woman spends more than $300,000 on cosmetics in her lifetime – that’s a significant chunk of change to keep you looking your best.
Razors, shaving cream, moisturizer, deodorant, cleansers, lotions, and other beauty products are all subject to the pink tax by retailers and the government. One of the easiest ways to circumvent this pink tax, I to buy the men’s stuff instead. Items like men’s razors, shaving cream, and some moisturizers are all cheaper than their counterparts for women.
Save yourself a bundle and buy the men’s stuff wherever you can. There are plenty of shaving creams and gels that smell fresh without leaving a manly scent on your skin. Most women’s creams come scented, but you can make some yourself using an unscented men’s cream and a few drops of your favorite essential oils.
Research also shows that women spend more than $3,000 during their lifetime of personal items like tampons and pads. A journalist for the Guardian newspaper, Jessica Valenti, wrote a piece stating that the government should supply these essential women’s items for free to the public, or at least drop the sales tax on the products.
However, instead of supporting her claim, the public turned around with a backlash that makes you think they musty enjoy paying taxes on these types of items. Considering your medical insurance will cover Viagra for your man’s impotence problems, you would think they could cover the cost of pads or tampons.
However, the government views paying for tampons as a first-world problem. They think that you are lucky enough to have access to these types of personal items, so you should have to pay for them.
One of the areas where the pink tax shouts out at consumers is with children’s toys. It seems that the pink tax starts a birth, and it doesn’t get any better as we age. A study researched the pricing comparisons between girls and boy’s toys, and the findings were infuriating.
On average, across six product categories for boys and girls, the girl’s toys were more expensive than those for boys. When comparing the price of skateboarding pads for girls and boys, the pads for girls were a staggering 13% higher than those for boys.
It doesn’t stop there, action figures are also higher for girls, and the cost of girl-designed toddle toys were also more expensive. If you’re having a baby girl in the future, then you can expect to pay more at the retailer when checking out with your children’s toys.
It seems that anything colored pink costs you more at the till. A pink kids bike for beginners sold at Target was retailing for $80, while the boy’s version was retailing for $64 – Are Target trying to make it difficult for girls to learn how to ride a bicycle?
The company, Boomerang Commerce, completed a study of the price differences in girls and boys toys between six online retailers, including Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, JCPenney, Macy’s, and Bloomingdales.
They analyzed the difference in goods colored pink, and the results show that the pink item was more expensive than the non-pink item every time. Pricing for pink items can be anywhere between 2 to 15% higher than the non-pink item.
Car Repairs and Servicing
We know that we already went over how much repair agents can rip off women when taking their car in for a service. However, the numbers involved might frighten you. A Northwestern study shows men and women calling into various randomly-selected repair shops in New York, asking for a repair job to their vehicle.
The study subjects were all calling in for the same repair job – to replace the car’s radiator. Women who sounded clueless about the cost of the job over the phone received an average replacement cost of $406 for the job, whereas men received an average quote price of $383. That’s a staggering discrepancy of nearly 10% in the pricing of the replacement.
A study from the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs shows that women who bought used vehicles were twice as likely to receive an overvalued price. The study found that men received favorable pricing on the same job, more than 50% of the time when purchasing the same make and model of car.
Therefore, if you’re a woman trying to circumvent the pink tax, it pays to get quotes for repair jobs and new car deals. It’s a sad reality that there are some businesses out there looking to take advantage of women, but it happens. All you can do is be aware of the pink tax, and make provisions to circumvent it wherever you can go in your life.
Is It Possible to Avoid the Pink Tax?
It was a long time coming, but the Affordable Care Act now makes it illegal for insurance companies to charge men and women different prices for the same medical care and treatment. Another win from the Act is that insurance companies must also cover the cost of birth control as well.
In 1996, the state of California was the first to pass a discrimination pricing law. As a result, businesses that charge women more face a fine of up to $1,000. However, we don’t see any government body enforcing the law, and our attempts to find an online listing of anyone held to account yielded no results.
As mentioned, you can offset many of the pink taxes by buying men’s products instead of women’s personal care products. Bring a male friend with you to the dealership when purchasing a new car, or have them call into service shops when getting a quote for repairs.
If you do find yourself a victim of the pink tax, don’t hesitate to put the company on blast on your social channels. By speaking up, you could potentially start a movement that inspires change.


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The federal government is planning the release of around 58,500 metric tonnes of milled rice to the market as a measure to stabilise the market.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari in a message to Nigerians over the prevailing hardship in the country.
According to the Minister, the Ministry is in partnership with NEMA and the DSS to ensure the earlier approved 42,000 metric tons of grains is distributed fairly across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
He disclosed that the distribution will begin this week and promised to ensure those in need get it.
In the past few weeks, there have been reports of protests over hardship and incidences of members of the public breaking into both private and public warehouses as well as attacking food trucks. This is occasioned by the spike in inflation at 29.90% with food inflation at 35.41% as of February 2024.


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Everyone now knows that there is an island of plastic sitting in the middle of the ocean, and, most recently, that companies like Starbucks are eliminating straws in an effort to reduce our plastic waste. While reducing plastic use is one attempt at a solution to this overbearing problem, it is nearly impossible that plastic use can ever stop completely. Hoping to completely cease the use of plastic goods effaces the reality that plastics have become an irreversible part of our society. What if, in addition to reconsidering our plastics use, we could also reconsider the industry as a whole, looking toward sustainability instead of disposability, solidifying reuse and recycling instead of mindless consumerism? What if instead of tearing down a legacy, we could reclaim it as productive for both industry and environment?
“What if instead of tearing down a legacy, we could reclaim it as productive for both industry and environment?”
This morning, the Midstory team met with founder Dr. Thomas Brady of Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI), whose headquarters are right here in the Toledo region. In 33 years, PTI has become a staple, committed industry giant for this region, serving national companies like Coca-Cola and revolutionizing Toledo to become a true industrial legacy for our city. That success, however, does not change the fact that our environmental problems are growing—and so is our awareness of them. According to National Geographic, nearly 18 billion pounds of plastic waste enters the world’s ocean from coastal regions each year. So how do we begin to reclaim our legacies—with all their good and ugly—to adapt and transform to ultimately serve as a more productive and conscious powerhouse than ever before? If anyone is going to fix our plastics problem, it won’t be Starbucks; it has to come from the ones who have the resources, the power, the technology, and the vision for the ever-changing world of industry.
What better place to start than the very city that has built its identity on shifting soil? Toledo has fought its way through changing identities in agriculture, industry, post-industry, and now technology. Toledo was and to some extent still is a city of cars, glass, production and assembly lines. And in this post-industrial age, companies in the city are adapting instead of giving up—in true Toledo and Midwestern fashion. Steam plants and warehouses that used to literally power our city now house businesses and other city giants, and the same automotive companies that polluted our air are spearheading research on alternative energy.
“…companies in the city are adapting instead of giving up—in true Toledo and Midwestern fashion.”
Why can’t plastics do the same? Midstory is brainstorming a new thought project called the Toledo Plastics Project, a research and task force team with the aim to harness the power of industry itself to push for sustainability and a way for plastics to be productive in our efforts toward environmental sustainability and restoration. Midstory is already pushing the Toledo Water Project, focusing on turning the algae bloom crisis into opportunity by bringing industry, agriculture, and the environment together. The Toledo Plastics Project looks to do the same: to take advantage of Toledo’s waterfront position, reconciling a throwaway-culture plastics industry with the cleanliness of our rivers, lakes and oceans. Toledo should be a catalyst to face the reality of man-made, man-sourced pollutants and redirect the contemporary culture toward sustainability and durability.
What if we weren’t on opposing sides, industry versus environment, or business versus conservation? What if our midstory can produce lasting and real solutions? What if Toledo can use its industrial past and present, capitalizing on crisis to become the leader in sustainable plastics use?
More to come…
Cover image: Lou Dematteis/Spectral Q via Getty Images


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Paytm said that its move to allow merchants to receive unlimited payments through Paytm Wallet will provide them with a single point of reconciliation for all their payments
Paytm has a user base of 17 million or 1.7 crore merchants.
In an effort to de-clutter the digital payments ecosystem and augment the use of online payments, Paytm has announced that merchants will now be allowed to receive unlimited payments through its Paytm Wallet at a 0% fee, along with UPI and Rupay Cards. “With this, we aim to benefit more than 17 million (1.7 crore) merchants who can enjoy a 0% fee on all their digital payments with direct settlement in their bank accounts,” paytm said in a blog on its website. Paytm is one of the largest payment solutions providers in the country with a large customer base. Of the 17 millions merchants that use Paytm, Goldman Sachs recently said, a massive 70% are active.
Paytm said that its move to allow merchants to receive unlimited payments through Paytm Wallet will provide them with a single point of reconciliation for all their payments, not requiring them to use multiple QRs codes. “All they need is Paytm ‘All-In-One QR’ to accept payments from Paytm wallet, Paytm UPI, or any other UPI app,” Paytm said. This All-in-one QR code will enable merchants to receive payments from any bank account or any rupay card, along with paytm wallets at zero fee charged by the company.
The payments firm has been termed as a ‘potential super app with payments as core’ by global investment bank Goldman Sachs. “Paytm currently is the leading mobile payment platform with 150-200 Mn active users and 16 Mn merchants,” said global investment firm Bernstein. Paytm counts, Softbank, Ant Financials, and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway as its investors.
“In recent months, we have invested heavily in driving financial inclusion for merchants across our country. This is our humble effort to provide a big boost for SMEs, Kirana merchants, wholesale traders, retailers and freelancers in the quest to accelerate the growth of digital and mobile payments across the country,” Paytm said. After its last round of funding in November of 2019, Paytm was valued at $16 billion.


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Let’s throw it back to the 1983 holiday season for a moment. A new toy had arrived on the scene, and baby, it caused a storm! Xavier Roberts’ Cabbage Patch Kids debuted that year, and by November, they were in such high demand, and the supply was so scarce, that riots broke out in stores across the U.S., including Sears, J.C. Penney, Wards, and Macy’s. And these riots were violent with hitting, shoving, trampling, and baseball bats! Christmas morning was a thrill for the children who unwrapped the toy fad of the decade, but it was a total bust for the unlucky ones who turned up doll-less.
Cabbage Patch Kids ushered in a new era of high-demand holiday toys that would continue with Game Boys in 1989, Tickle Me Elmo in the ’90s, and Hatchimals in 2016. By 2020, gaming was all the rage again with new PlayStation and Xbox options, but the holiday season hit a bit differently with a global pandemic on the map. People hunkered down inside with their bubbles and connected to family and friends over Zoom, and they shopped online—e-commerce in the U.S. grew 32.2% from 2019, totaling $188.2 billion—but spending was less. With the average American ringing in $998, people shelled out about $50 less than the previous year.
Turn the calendar forward twelve months, and although the pandemic is still hanging on, we’re looking forward to another busy holiday shopping season as we return to normalcy. That means airplanes will be full and traffic-heavy as families, being so over Christmas Zoom calls, will be gathering at grandma’s house. And that means gifts, lots of them.
But this year, there’s a huge obstacle in the way—supply and demand issues exacerbated by COVID-19—shipping delays, rising costs, labor shortages, severe weather, and a lack of delivery truck drivers are causing major bottlenecks. (More on supply chain issues here) However, inventory, or a lack thereof, doesn’t seem to be curbing expected buying behavior, with 40% of consumers planning to shop more this year than in 2020 and retail spending expected to jump to $206.88 billion. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are typically the busiest shopping days of the season; however, this year, forty percent of shoppers plan to start ticking off their holiday list before Halloween.
So what can retailers do to stay competitive from Halloween to Christmas and beyond? Tap into your most valuable asset, your customers who have purchased and published to a huge audience of buyers. Listen to what they are saying about your brand, products, customer service, pricing, inventory, shipping, and more. How? It’s simple with the Channel Signal platform—we aggregate product reviews from all your major e-commerce sites, filter and sort them, and then deliver them through our platform or to your Business Intelligence platform. In real-time, quickly identify your top and bottom-performing products (and everything in between) to understand consumer sentiment and gain agility. With the full picture of your review landscape, you are better informed, can align your teams from marketing to the C-suite, and quickly make decisions based on what’s best for your customers and your bottom line. At the same time, we can also provide a simple aggregated review score directly at the Buy Button to increase your conversion rates. The C2C Score combines comments and star ratings from the most recent product reviews to deliver an accurate marketplace score. It leads to confident decisions and speeds the path to purchase. Learn more here.
While it’s yet to be determined what the hot gift of the year will be, one thing is clear: whether you sell it or not, your online shopping cart will be filling up early. Help your customers avoid holiday disappointment by delivering a seamless shopping experience and help them push the Buy Button to deliver a holiday season to remember


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Across the whole of the industry that produces a sequential rise in Q3 of about 8 percent as an average over the last 10 years -- with 4Q tending to be flat with Q3, followed by a fall of a few percent in Q1.
However, I am hearing that the mobile device supply chain is so fast to market that the peak for that sector is moving in to Q4 for that part of the consumer industry.
This might tend to push down the seasonal sequential rise in Q3 and raise up the sequential growth in Q4. So that chips get bought, assembled in product, boxed and shipped and on to shelves in less than a quarter. That may still leave foundries upstream of that.
Is anyone else seeing an effect from smartphones and tablet computers on buying seasonality?
NASA's Orion Flight Software Production Systems Manager Darrel G. Raines joins Planet Analog Editor Steve Taranovich and Embedded.com Editor Max Maxfield to talk about embedded flight software used in Orion Spacecraft, part of NASA's Mars mission. Live radio show and live chat. Get your questions ready.
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(Global Times) Is there a "butterfly effect" linking interest rate moves by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) with pork prices in China?|
The "butterfly effect" is a concept proposed by American meteorologist Edward Lorenz, who showed how small events could have an outsized consequence.
Interest rate cuts by the Fed come as soaring pork prices in China are pushing up the nation's consumer inflation. Admittedly, an obstinate swine flu epidemic that has wreaked havoc on pork supplies is largely to blame for the price surge.
But an increase in pork imports by China, albeit accounting for a small portion of the nation's total pork consumption, will inevitably put the nation under the pressure of imported inflation to be fanned by the Fed's rate cuts.
The price of pork, China's most popular meat, is a key metric in the daily lives of Chinese people. We must keep watch on the inflation rate and ensure that pork prices don't get out of hand.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, pork prices soared 69.3 percent year-on-year in September, pushing China's consumer price index to 3 percent for the month - the highest reading in six years.
The Fed on Wednesday cut interest rates for the third time this year in an effort to support the US economy.
The cut, combined with other factors such as wage increases, could send the US economy into an inflationary spiral, leading to higher prices for consumer products from soybeans to meat. The impact will be felt elsewhere in the world, including China.
In September, China's pork imports surged 76 percent from a year earlier, according to Chinese customs data.
China announced in September that it will exclude some agricultural products including pork from additional tariffs on US goods. If China and the US reach an interim trade deal in the coming weeks, pork shipments from the US to China will probably continue to surge.
Rising pork imports help in easing supply strains in China but pricier pork, pushed up by the Fed's rate cuts, could almost negate the effect on pork prices of a supply increase.
China must keep an eye on the price transmission process that may arise from pork imports when there are already public complaints in China over higher food costs.
It's possible that the interest rate cuts by the Fed will kick off a wave of global central bank monetary easing.
Amid the global economic uncertainty, no one should overlook the excessive expansionary monetary policy in the Western world and the potential imported inflation pressure it has put on China.
However small the butterfly effect of Fed's rate cuts might appear, its consequence on pork prices across the Pacific is worthy of attention.


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NATO base furniture store in Italy offering $1-for-1 euro sales
Stars and Stripes March 9, 2008
NAPLES, Italy — There’s at least one place where the U.S. dollar still packs a purchasing punch against the euro.
In a cramped furniture store at the NATO base in Bagnoli, Italy, $1 buys a euro-worth of goods. For a limited time, at least.
At Bacos & Berg Inc., housed in the old theater of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples base, owner and manager Morris Jensen combined sympathy for customers with a little marketing ploy and came up with the $1-for-1 euro sale on all furniture.
“We have to keep the margins reasonable while this whole crazy euro-exchange rate is going on,” said Jensen, who has run the store for about 20 years.
Granted, he bought much of the inventory at a time when the dollar-to-euro exchange rate wasn’t so poor, he said.
“We made a lot of our purchases before the euro rate got so crazy,” he said. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”
The store is a week into the special sales promotion, and Jensen thinks it will continue for about another week — depending on the customer draw, which so far has been phenomenal, he said.
Bacos & Berg has been a presence on the NATO base for 55 years, he said. It moved about seven years ago into the old theater from a location that used to be 12 times its current space.
The showrooms on two floors now are cramped with mostly Italian leather couches and chairs, but also has a few solid wood Scandinavian-made dining tables and chairs, a roll-top desk, hutches and lamps.


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Tech slump is testing even healthcare, the most resilient of sectors | PitchBook
At a time when tech executives are bracing for a slowdown in revenue growth, many at the JPM conference sought to remind investors of the economic resilience of their sector by emphasizing that illnesses, either acute or chronic like mine, don’t disappear during economic downturns. JP Morgan said in its earnings call on Friday that the bank’s economists are expecting a mild recession to hit in the fourth quarter of this year.
However, most digital health and device companies aren’t expecting revenue pressure. The same goes for pharmaceuticals with FDA-approved drugs. “Healthcare spend is mostly fixed,” as one investor told me this week.
The objective for these companies has always been to capture a bigger slice of the enormous “fixed” pie, which in 2021 accounted for over 18% of US GDP. Nevertheless buzzwords like “margin expansion” and “path to profitability” were the phrases du jour heard from established public and VC-backed companies alike.
This article appeared as part of The Weekend Pitch newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
About 8,000 people attended the JPM conference, including leaders of the world’s biggest pharma, insurance and digital health companies. There were also presentations by more than a dozen VC-backed biotech, healthtech and device startups.
Leaders who didn’t push their companies to grow at all costs in 2021 and earlier made it plain they felt especially vindicated by their decisions.
Seth Blackley, CEO and co-founder of Evolent Health, a previously VC-backed software company that helps hospitals transition to value-based care fee models, proudly said that Evolent focused on EBITDA margin growth even when that wasn’t in vogue.
It turns out that no matter how resilient healthcare businesses may be to the economy’s cycles, they’re still subject to market valuations. And those valuations got out of hand for tech-enabled companies during the tail end of the boom cycle.
“Three years ago, we decided the only thing that mattered was growth and not unit economics,” said Hemant Taneja, CEO and managing director at General Catalyst, speaking on a panel about strategic investing. “What used to be [valued at] 20 times ARR is now three times ARR in healthcare services. Startups have to be creative with figuring out how to grow their valuations because these multiples aren’t going to go back to where they were.”
Taneja envisions a good deal of consolidation ahead in part because there are now “too many” solutions on the market, and employers are reluctant to add more offerings as they look to manage their costs.
That could be a boon for cash-rich companies like Headspace Health, a meditation app and teletherapy services provider, which said at the JPM conference that it is looking to scoop up smaller players. Headspace acquired Ginger in October 2021, creating a combined company valued at $3 billion.
However, healthtech startups looking for a home are less likely to receive an acquisition bid from digital health companies that recently went public in a down market. Many, such as GoodRx, have had their stock battered. The prescription drug shopping site has said it will refrain from making acquisitions.
The big theme of the conference was how to deliver care to patients efficiently. In most cases, that means using data and novel diagnostics to identify diseases early, relying on digital tools such as telemedicine and remote-patient monitoring, and addressing medical staff shortages by having primary care physicians play a bigger role in patient management.
I for one am hoping that the healthcare sector will weather the downturn and that consumers of the medical system won’t be affected by potential cost cuts. After all, healthcare is essential in good times and in bad.
Featured image by Jenna O’Malley/PitchBook News


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Olympus SH-50 point-and-shoot with five-axis image stabilisation announced
Olympus has launched the Olympus SH-50, a new point-and-shoot camera with an advanced five-axis image stabilisation system.
Revealed at the CES 2013 show currently taking place in Las Vegas, the Olympus SH-50’s solution to shaky videos and poor low-light video is a world first.
Combined with a relatively decent zoom length and a wallet-friendly price tag, the Olympus SH-50 could well be the ideal take-anywhere camcorder for the casual film-makers among us.
Olympus SH-50 Specs
Borrowing the five-axis image stabilisation technology from the much pricier Olympus OM-D compact system camera, dubbed Hybrid 5-axis Movie IS, the system promises to eliminate blur from videos.
The Olympus SH-50’s photographic IS is only a 3-axis system, but it should still create sufficiently still images.
Elsewhere the Olympus SH-50 appears to be a reasonably well-equipped mid-range point-and-shoot, with a 16-megapixel image sensor, a TruePix IV image processing engine, and a 24x optical zoom lens capable of a 25 to 600mm equivalent range.
With a maximum f/3.0 aperture, it’s not the speediest lens on the market, but neither is it unusually slow.
Around back we have a 3-inch 460k dot touchscreen display and a mode dial that includes a dedicated night shooting setting, emphasising the possibilities opened up by that five-axis IS system.
Olympus SH-50 Release Date and Price
Olympus claims that the Olympis SH-50 will be available in shops from mid-March at a price of £249.99.
Is the Olympus SH-50’s sophisticated image stabilisation technology enough to tempt you into a purchase, or do you have your eyes on another of the new cameras launched at this year’s CES? Let is know on our Twitter or Facebook feeds, or through the comments box below.


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Apple has hired Kevin Lynch, former CTO at Adobe, as its new vice president of technology.
Lynch joins Apple after eight years as Adobe's CTO, a period in which the companies clashed over Steve Jobs' decision to abandon Flash for the iPhone and iPad. Lynch was a staunch defender of Flash at the time, making his opinions public through a post on the Adobe blog.
Adobe confirmed Lynch's departure in an SEC filing yesterday after an initial report on CNBC. Lynch will now report to Apple's senior vice president, Bob Mansfield.
While at Adobe, Lynch was instrumental in moving the company away from boxed products and towards online services like Creative Cloud, which now has 500,000 subscribers. It seems likely that Lynch's experience with integrating mobile devices with cloud technology was the motivating factor behind the hire.
Adobe has no immediate plans to find a replacement CTO


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NVIDIA's (NASDAQ:NVDA) share price has followed a parabolic trend over the last few weeks, even in a logarithmic chart. In addition to the prolonged growth that accompanied the general optimistic stock market sentiment and the hype around tech stocks, we now see a short-term growth spurt. However, with the recent growth that has carried the company to a market cap of $760 billion, the stock has finally become a speculative bubble, joining all the other meme stocks. Thus, with Nvidia, I think we see how little an excellent business model has to do with an excellent investment. At its current price, the stock is overvalued for the next few years and offers nothing more than a massive downside potential of more than 50 percent.
Recently, hype sentiment has carried the share upwards. For this hype sentiment, the Metaverse/Omniverse, AI, and the Arm deal were the main reasons for exuberant optimism among Nvidia bulls.
The company created a lot of excitement around its appearance at the GTC conference and the introduction of the omniverse platform. With this platform, Nvidia wants to create virtual worlds in particular:
Omniverse - a platform that serves as the connective tissue for physically accurate 3D virtual worlds - is gaining new features such as AR, VR and multi-GPU rendering, as well as integrations for infrastructure and industrial digital-twin applications with software from Bentley Systems and Esri.
Omniverse enables engineers and designers to build physically accurate digital twins of buildings and products, or create massive, true-to-reality simulation environments for training robots or autonomous vehicles before they're deployed in the physical world.
The goal behind Omniverse is to create an ecosystem that is used by many industries worldwide. What is particularly exciting is that companies can create virtual twins of reality. The areas of application are manifold. For example, companies can test their products in this virtual world. It doesn't matter whether it's telecommunications companies that want to try the range of their transmission towers or data connection tools or car manufacturers that want to test the characteristics of cars in a real-life virtual environment. Instead of driving on a test track, the tests can take place in a virtual world. Awesome!
What bugs me about this, however, are the many buzzwords. All these flowering words about quantum computers, AI, cyber security, etc., run through the entire (but otherwise fascinating and worth seeing) presentation. Of course, investors always need to clean up such presentations of all the advertising and touting to grasp the realistic opportunities. In the end, I think we are getting into the future that Nvidia is drawing for us. It may look different here and there, but the opportunities and monetization possibilities around virtual reality or virtual twins will be enormous and catapult us into the post-Internet age.
But that brings us to the point. You don't have to have owned Microsoft (MSFT) shares in 2000 to see the parallels. With Microsoft, as with many Internet stocks, there was great euphoria about the future of the Internet and the associated (disruptive) business opportunities:
Before the dot.com or tech bubble burst, investors were convinced of the possibilities of the Internet, digitalization, and technical progress. Microsoft, it seemed, was the gatekeeper to this world with its Windows operating system and the Internet Explorer. The investors saw themselves at the beginning of a vast cycle. And Microsoft was able to keep its promises. By 1999, the company had increased its annual revenue by 30%. Besides, Microsoft was profitable even then and was able to increase its profits more than five-fold from 1995 to 2000.
Microsoft revenue & EPS from 1995-2001; taken from MSFT investor relation/graph by author
But then, the bubble started to burst, and Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson decided that Microsoft had violated the Sherman Antitrust Act due to abusive behavior, which only accelerated the bursting of the tech bubble. You know the rest of the story.
As with Microsoft in the dotcom bubble, the problem I see with Nvidia is that investors are euphorically betting on something that does not yet exist. So much of this future is currently priced into the share price without it even being clear what will end up in shareholders' pockets in the form of profits, cash flows, or dividends. Think of all the dotcom bubbles that burst even though companies like Cisco (CSCO) or Microsoft could deliver on their growth promises. Here we see the classic difference between companies and investments. An investment in a terrific company can still be a bad investment if the price is too high. If investors now buy Nvidia because of the Omniverse, it is nothing but a big gamble.
And then, of course, there is Nvidia's classic business around the GPU and the Tegra processors. Here Nvidia is very successful. But this business is anything but a moat. Yes, Nvidia was able to increase sales and profits with it massively. The company has benefited primarily from the fact that the architecture of GPUs is superior to that of pure CPUs, such as those offered by Intel (INTC), for many applications such as high-performance computing, gaming, and servers.
Source: Investor presentation
Now Nvidia is looking to gain a foothold in the CPU market with the $40 billion Arm acquisition, using Arm's business model to secure the company's licenses. The Arm architecture is a key technology, especially for the entire smartphone industry. Arm is the architecture behind the SoCs used in virtually all smartphones and most tablet computers.
But it is not at all clear whether the deal will go through and at what price. Competition authorities such as the British CMA see considerable competition concerns and will presumably tie approval to significant concessions. Even if Nvidia does get clearance, the competition watchdogs will closely look at licensing practices. Unfortunately for Nvidia, and even though Arm does not make chips, the current chip shortage is prompting competition authorities to scrutinize the merger even more closely as the entire chip industry comes under scrutiny.
In short, the Arm deal may ultimately bring more advantages than disadvantages for Nvidia, but it is uncertain to what extent advance praise is justified here. Investors should not forget that the competition is not sleeping. Qualcomm (QCOM), in particular, is very active right now and has made a significant strategic move with the NUVIA acquisition. I have already written about NUVIA here and here, which Qualcomm acquired for $1.4 billion:
And then there's the startup NUVIA, which former Apple employees founded. CEO Amon wants to attack Apple's M1 processors with the acquired start-up and enter the laptop market next year. Qualcomm had previously tried integrating a smartphone SoC into a notebook with only minor modifications and okayish results.
But now Qualcomm wants to release a Nuvia SoC based on ARM architecture next year. This step would reduce Qualcomm's dependency on ARM and Nvidia enormously. Conversely, Qualcomm does not have much to lose since it can still license ARM technology from Nvidia in an emergency. The competition authorities will probably look particularly closely at the takeover of ARM by Nvidia to ensure that Nvidia does not put Qualcomm or other potential licensees at a disadvantage with too high license fees.
The first comparisons of NUVIA's Phoenix chip to other chip suppliers already show a significant outperformance:
Source: Nuvia Webpage
Most recently, Qualcomm has been very optimistic about the prospects around the NUVIA deal:
We are pleased with the strong market validation of Arm-based personal computing in the industry transition to a new SoC architecture. We're more confident than ever in the connected computing opportunity, our upcoming solutions powered by our NUVIA CPUs, and our collaboration with Microsoft. We're also seeing increased traction in consumer electronics.
So it is not that Nvidia will single-handedly dominate the Arm market. The competitive pressure is no less in the other business areas either. Above all, the eternal GPU competitor AMD (AMD) will continue to put pressure on the company. In autonomous driving, Intel is a heavyweight competitor alongside Tesla (TSLA), following its acquisition of the Israeli company Mobileye for over $15 billion in 2017.
With a P/E ratio of over 100, Nvidia would have to quadruple its profits to reach a valuation of 25, which is reasonable for a growth company. And admittedly, Nvidia has already achieved such growth.
Nevertheless, investors who invest in Nvidia now are speculating that Nvidia will increase its profits in the same way for the coming years. Of course, the company has already managed such developments in the past. In 2005, Nvidia was able to push its earnings per share from $0.05 to $0.33 within three years, which corresponds to a six-fold increase. But already in 2009 and 2010, Nvidia made losses. Only in 2017, it was able to lift EPS above the 2008 level. Investors have to face it: profit increases are not a one-way street, especially not in the tech sector. And even analysts do not expect Nvidia to increase profits fast enough to reach reasonable valuation levels based on the current share price over the following years. In 2020, adjusted EPS was $2.50. Below you see expected earnings for the subsequent years, and you can also see that even the most optimistic analyst out of 19 surveyed does not expect Nvidia to achieve EPS higher than $7.25 in 2024.
So we are far from saying that Nvidia will reach reasonable multiples in the next 4, 5, or 6 years based on today's share price. Even if we set the fair P/E multiple at 40. Considering the expected earnings, this results in an overvaluation of almost 30% even until 2024.
Even when looking at a DCF analysis, we see the apparent overvaluation and massive downside potential. Below you can see the expectations for the sales development until 2024.
For the DCF analysis, I even assume a much more optimistic scenario where the company will increase sales significantly higher. I also assume an improvement in margins.
Source: alphaspread.com/estimates by author
Based on these figures and assuming a discount rate of 9%, we see that Nvidia is overvalued by 50 percent, which is essentially in line with the fundamental valuation.
Source: alphaspread.com/estimates by author
Investors should not forget that we could also see a change in interest rates next year. A discount rate of 9 percent could therefore be far too low. To remind you, the cost of equity was already 10 percent for Nvidia at the end of 2019. So what happens if we continue to take an optimistic growth scenario but increase the discount rate to 12 percent?
Source: Discount rate history for Nvidia
You can see the result here: The Nvidia share would then be overvalued by almost 75 percent.
Source: alphaspread.com/estimates by author
There is no such thing as eternal dominance, especially not in the innovation- and competition-driven tech sector. In my view, Nvidia does not offer a good risk/reward ratio as an investment for the next five to ten years. At its current price, the stock is overvalued for the next few years and offers nothing more than a massive downside potential of more than 50 percent.
This article was written by
Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of CSCO, AAPL either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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Another month down, another group of jobs in high demand. Once again, LinkedIn revealed the jobs that are in the fastest-growing demand this month. Although some jobs from the previous month continue to top the list, we see a new job with outrageous demand. Here is a closer look at the jobs with the most demand in November.
COVID-19 impacts tax season
There are two things guaranteed in life, and one of them is taxes. According to LinkedIn’s job posting data, job openings for Tax Specialists skyrocketed 579%. That is no surprise, as this year’s tax filing deadline was pushed back again to October 15th. Previously, the deadline was postponed from April to July, so we saw a similar spike this past summer. Taxes will be challenging for both companies and the American people, so Tax Specialists will be a hot commodity for months to come.
The holidays spur seasonal hiring
Retail positions remain in high demand as brick and mortar and online retailers ramp up their hiring efforts for the holidays. Retail Associates (+426%), Customer Representatives (+406%), and Merchandisers (+191%) were some of the jobs with the fastest-growing demand. This trend will likely continue into next month as holiday shopping picks up. With even more people relying on Ecommerce for their holiday shopping, there is a massive surge in Fulfillment Specialists (+184%) and Drivers (+155%).
Are more people traveling?
A new job cracked the top ten list: Automotive Technicians. In October, the demand for Automotive Techs jumped +177%, the eighth fastest-growing job in the month. This is likely due to more people traveling, a sign that people are feeling a little more optimistic about the pandemic. And while fewer people are commuting for traditional office jobs, food delivery companies experience a massive spike in business. Last month, Food Delivery Drivers were the sixth-most in-demand job. Thus, as more people utilize these services, vehicles will need maintenance. It will be interesting to watch this trend as more states impose stricter lockdown measures with rising coronavirus cases.
Need help sourcing for these roles?
So, these are the jobs with the fastest-growing demand in November. If you are searching for a new career path, consider exploring one of these roles. And if you are an employer that needs some assistance sourcing some talent for one of these positions (or any other role), reach out to us today. We work hard, we work together, and we work for you.


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NASSCOM estimates the revenue from India’s IT and BPO sector this year at around $146 billion.
India, a tropical country is blessed with abundant sunlight.
Senior Indian positions in Standard Chartered Bank could get impacted following the bank CEO's decision to axe 1,000 top jobs.
The three-month exercise will give GM designers the opportunity to compete to create 3D printed structures to better understand how 3D technology can support their work.
According to the report, financial losses due to such attacks have risen 135% in the past year.
E-commerce companies are hopeful that the new payment facility being launched by the National Payments Corporation will help wean online shoppers off the cash-on-delivery system.
Heinz-Jakob Neusser was suspended last month together with R&D chiefs of luxury brand Audi and sports-car maker Porsche as VW is pushing investigations of the diesel emissions scandal.
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Northern Command Lt Gen D S Hooda today assured assistance from the Army to Rajya Sainik Board in reaching out to ex-servicemen in remote areas for computerisation process of data bank of the veterans
Thais Faria sank into a leather love seat, relaxing under the ministrations first of a masseuse, then a manicurist and finally a hairdresser-cum-makeup artist. Not 24 hours after her daughter was born via cesarean, Faria was being pampered at an upsc


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94 percent of corporate businesses use social media, while 85 percent say that it’s given their business more exposure. The infographic below shows how and why businesses are blogging and going social.
- 94% of businesses use social media - 85% say it’s given their business more exposure - 92% says their favorite social media tool is Facebook - 23% of 2011 Fortune 500 companies maintain a blog
Google has combined the Keyword Tool and the Traffic Estimator into one tool called the Keyword Planner. “Behind every successful AdWords campaign are well planned out keywords and ad groups,” says AdWords product manager Deepti Bhatnagar.See it on Scoop.it, via AtDotCom Social media […]


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Radhika Gupta Biography – Born on 14 September 1983, Radhika is the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Edelweiss Mutual Funds.
Shark Tank India Judges
Azhar Iqubal Biography – New Shark Azhar Iqubal is the Founder & CEO of InShorts India’s highest-rated news App with 10+ million downloads.
Ritesh Agarwal Biography – Born on 16 November 1993, Ritesh Agarwal is the founder & CEO of OYO and is the new Shark in shark tank india S3.
Vikas D Nahar Biography – Vikas D Nahar is the founder and CEO of the health food brand Happilo which he founded in the year 2016.
After reading the whole Anupam Mittal biography, you too will get this point that failures are just the steps of your success ladder.
The startup culture in India has grown tremendously in the last few years. We’ve seen a lot of new businesses coming in and doing great. The government is also helping to increase business in India by providing various schemes. To give more strength to Indian startups, Sony TV has launched a show named Shark Tank


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Iran Sales Sink Allot as Lawmaker to Seek Investigation: Israel Overnight
The shares slumped 2.9 percent to 60.87 shekels, the equivalent of $16.10, at the 4:30 p.m. close in Tel Aviv, the lowest since Nov. 29. Allot dropped 5.6 percent to $15.75 in the U.S. on Dec. 23, extending the weekly decline to 8.1 percent.
Hod Hasharon, Israel-based Allot’s equipment for monitoring Internet traffic was sold to Iran via a distributor in Denmark, Bloomberg News reported on Dec. 23. The Jewish state bans trade with Iran, which has called for its destruction. A member of Israel’s parliament called for an investigation, and the Ministry of Defense said it’s examining the report.
“Investors don’t like these kinds of international violations of rules,” said Jay Srivatsa, an analyst at Chardan Capital Markets in New York. “Given the tensions between Israel and Iran, anything like this is probably going to take a little bit of time to see what’s happening.”
The agreement with the distributor, RanTek A/S, said the company could only market its products in Denmark, Allot Chief Executive Officer Rami Hadar said in a Dec. 23 e-mail.
“We do not believe that any Allot employees were aware of RanTek selling outside of Denmark,” Hadar said. “But, if anyone was, we will take strong appropriate action.”
The company said in a statement that it complies “fully with Israeli and non-Israeli laws, including all applicable export laws and regulations” and is “investigating the claims contained in the Bloomberg article.”
Nachman Shai, a member of the opposition Kadima Party, said in an interview he will ask the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of Israel’s parliament to follow up on the report that Allot’s product was sold to Iran.
Three former sales employees for Allot told Bloomberg News it was well known inside the company that the equipment was headed to Iran. Allot officials said they have no knowledge of their equipment going there and are looking into RanTek’s sales.
“We do not authorize any sales to Iran,” said Jay Kalish,executive director of investor relations at Allot. If its products were shipped there by RanTek, it would be a “breach of contract.”
Ira Hoffman, an attorney at Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker, P.A. in Potomac, Maryland, said the U.S. could prohibit American companies and individuals from doing business with Allot if it found the company was complicit in shipments to Iran.
“Israel considers Iran quite possibly its greatest threat, and so the Israeli government would come down very strong against any company that exported to Iran,” he said. “Iran is also considered by the U.S. as one of its most strategic threats.”
Daniel Cummins, an analyst at ThinkEquity LLC in New York, said he doesn’t think Allot will face penalties.
“The risk is that there’s going to be more government oversight for more types of networking products,” he said. “It’s not necessarily onerous, but less regulation is always better than more for a business.”
The gear shipped to Iran, called NetEnforcer, can inspect pieces of data moving over a network. It can be used to eliminate spam or help network operators prioritize or block certain types of traffic.
Allot’s technology “is not designed for intrusive surveillance purposes,” the company said in the statement on Dec. 23. “Our equipment lacks any capability to analyze or extract knowledge on the actual content of Internet traffic.”
The company’s U.S. shares have surged 35 percent this year, the best performance on the Bloomberg Israel-US 25 Index. Sanjit Singh, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, told clients in a research note that long-term investors should buy on the price dip.
“We do not envision a scenario where an Israeli-based company would sell network equipment to a nation that is regarded as a state enemy,” Singh wrote. “It is ultimately very difficult to prevent a distributor to funnel sales to hostile nations if it is so inclined.”
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Maedler at email@example.com


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Beekman 1802 has an ambitious goal to reach $100 million in revenue in the next three years. The strategy: bringing its customer base offline and onto its farm.
The direct-to-consumer brand, founded in 2010, began by selling goat milk–based beauty products (soap, hair care, skin care and beyond) and has since expanded to food, home products and even events like its annual Harvest Fest which brings over 40,000 people to its farm in its home base of Sharon Springs in upstate New York. In 2015, it did $5.3 million in revenue and was No. 1112 on Inc.’s list of the 5000 fastest-growing companies.
It is events, along with other hospitality initiatives, that the company plans to lean heavily into as it aims for its ambitious trajectory. But notably, brick-and-mortar stores are not part of the offline plans. Instead, the brand is looking at establishing hotels, restaurants and spas near its headquarters.
“Those are all on the table as opportunities we are looking at,” said Tomei Thomas, vp of beauty at Beekman 1802, adding, “What we do is we look at the experience we create, [because] it’s more than just getting into Ulta and Sephora. It’s more than buying direct or through our omnichannel.”
To help ramp up the lifestyle category and meet its revenue goals, Beekman has expanded its supply partnership with existing partners, as well as hired 60 people in roles from sales to marketing since the end of 2017, bringing the brand to over 100 employees. In a way, Sharon Springs is becoming a model town in the way Hershey did with Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1907 or Ford Motors did with Fordlândia in Brazil in the 1920’s. However, those towns were created for the purpose of employees and their families, while Beekman is trying to create it for its “neighbors” — what it calls its customers.
Beekman 1802 has already built out its lifestyle brand through a quarterly magazine, a blog, a newsletter and a 24-hour livestream of the goats on its farm, as well as a partnership with HSN (previously called the Home Shopping Network,) which kicked off in July and allows the founders Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge to demonstrate the brand’s lifestyle to 90 million households. The reaction of HSN has been particularly notable: Beekman was the single biggest beauty brand premiere ever — on any Qurate Retail Group platform, including QVC — according to Rob Robillard, Qurate Retail Group’s vp of integrated beauty merchandising.
The brand makes a concerted effort to not send marketing emails too frequently or post on social media about products every day. Instead, it posts on topics such as its annual Trip of a Lifetime getaway, where 50 of the brand’s “neighbors” travel to a new country with the founders. Across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, Beekman 1802 has roughly 300,000 followers, a far cry from brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills with its 20 million followers or Lancôme with over 13 million. But the engagement is significant, Thomas said. The brand was able to activate between 10 to 16 percent of its followers when it launched on HSN. Followers were invited to experience the brand’s lifestyle. Baby goats that were brought onto the show.
“There’s a sense that this is something real — this is an experimented, feasible living. So what we are really talking about is cultivating a better life,” Thomas said.


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3M has just released two super-bright portable DLP LED projectors: the battery-powered MP220 and the mains-powered MP410.
ZDNet UK First Take
Reports and inital impressions of new IT products
Hot on the heels of Kodak's recent announcement of its Scanmate i940 USB-powered portable document scanner, Plustek has introduced a competing product, the MobileOffice D412.
Buffalo Technology is one of the top manufacturers of consumer NAS devices, typified by its LinkStation appliances. It also has a solid range of TeraStation products aimed at SMEs, which are sold pre-populated with hard disks.
HTC's latest smartphone is an entry-level handset offering Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) for around £190 unlocked. It sounds like a bargain on paper, with NFC support an added bonus.
Nokia's flagship Windows Phone is the £468 (inc. VAT; £390 ex. VAT) Lumia 900, while the entry-level spot is filled by the £180 (inc. VAT; £150 ex. VAT) Lumia 610. Does the 610's cut-price Windows Phone experience offer enough to make it viable?
Hot on the heels of the launch of the entry-level Fritz!Box 3270, German manufacturer AVM has added two more models to its range of consumer VoIP routers.
Kodak's new ScanMate i940 is a good example of the latest generation of portable compact USB scanners, aimed at mobile professionals or those needing a convenient desktop scanner with a small footprint.
It’s been a big week for Microsoft. Monday saw the arrival of its first tablet, and Wednesday, the latest iteration of its phone OS.
Desktop storage appliances tend to stop at eight bays. The QNAP TS-1079 Pro, however, tucks in two more beneath the usual eight, creating a remarkably compact 10-disk appliance with a raw capacity of up to 30TB.
Microsoft's first tablet needs to do several things. It needs to push the state of the art, to encourage OEMs to develop better hardware, and it needs to showcase Windows 8.


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text: New York could soon be the first major American city to limit its number of ride-hailing vehicles. Under a measure that could go to a vote as soon as Aug. 8, the city would stop licensing new for-hire vehicles ? except wheelchair-accessible ones ? while the council took a year to study the industry. It might also set minimum hourly pay for app-based drivers. Uber, which argues that the cap would hurt riders poorly served by yellow taxis and public transport, has already released an ad against the proposal.


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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch food ingredients group CSM NV CSMNc.AS has agreed to sell its bakery business for 850 million euros ($1.1 billion) to a U.S. private equity firm and plans to focus on more profitable food ingredients.
CSM put its bakery unit, which makes muffins and pastries for European and U.S. retailers, up for sale in May 2012, blaming weak consumer spending, high raw material prices and the lack of funds to expand the business.
CSM will shed 77 percent of its sales as a result of the divestment to Rhone Capital, and will focus on lactic acid - a product used in a range of goods from salad dressings and beverages to household detergents - as well as bakery ingredients such as icings, fillings and colorings.
CSM shares rose as much as 7.7 percent after falling by a similar percentage last week on speculation that a deal might not go through. The stock was up 6.7 percent at 17.59 euros by 1008 GMT, outperforming a 0.8 percent rise of the Amsterdam midcap index .AMX.
Rhone Capital, an investment arm of Rhone Group LLC, manages more than 3 billion euros in assets. It specializes in middle-market leveraged buyouts and private equity investments in firms with a pan-European or trans-Atlantic presence.
It has investments in the consumer, chemical, energy, industrial, materials, mining, and shipping industries, including German company Evonik’s EVON.UL industrial carbon division ECB, and the owner of the Greek yellow pages, Infote.
It was not immediately clear how CSM’s bakery supplies operations would fit in with Rhone’s current investments.
Rhone will support existing management to expand the bakery supplies business globally and build on its innovation capabilities, Managing Director Steven Langman said in the CSM statement.
No-one at Rhone Group was immediately available for further comment.
CSM, which is also selling its brand name to Rhone, had already told investors it did not have the necessary long-term funds to invest in both its lactic acid products and its traditional bakery business.
CSM’s remaining operations grew 7.1 percent in 2012, including currency effects and acquisitions, while the business to be sold grew 6.3 percent.
CSM, which started off as a sugar processor, will use proceeds of the sale to make bolt-on acquisitions, return funds to shareholders, grow organically, pay for pension liabilities and reduce debt, CSM Chief Executive Gerard Hoetmer said, reiterating broadly what the company said last year.
He declined to say how much money could be returned to shareholders but would give more details at an investors’ presentation in June. The company will also come up with a new name.
CSM might have between 350 million euros and 400 million, or 5 to 5.50 euros per share, available after paying down debt, ING analyst Marco Gulpers said in a note.
The enterprise value of the sale, which includes liabilities such as pensions, was 1.05 billion euros, CSM said in a statement. Its net cash proceeds are about 850 million euros.
The deal is expected to be completed in the third quarter subject to regulatory approval in Europe and the United States, CSM said.
Rabobank and Rothschild acted as financial advisers to CSM, while Morgan Stanley advised Rhone.
($1 = 0.7694 euros)
Additional reporting by Sara Webb and Martinne Geller; Editing by Louise Heavens, David Holmes and Richard Chang


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Brakes tapped on new vehicle sales in November
2020 will be remembered as a tough year for new car and truck dealers in Alberta
By ATB Economics 18 January 2021 1 min read
The number of new cars and trucks sold in Alberta fell by 7.6 per cent in November 2020 (-1,174) compared to the same month in 2019 while the value of the vehicles sold fell by 6.5 per cent (-$49.9 million).
The reduced activity in November compared to 12 months earlier likely reflects reduced confidence in the economy as the second wave of the virus pushed up the number of new cases in the province.
Overall, 2020 will be remembered as a tough year for new car and truck dealers in Alberta. Heading into December, year-to-date sales were down by 20.0 per cent in terms of units sold (-41,648) and 16.6 per cent in dollar value (-$1.6 billion).
It was a similar picture nationally with the number of new units sold down by 9.9 per cent (-14,514) on a year-over-year basis in November and the dollar value off by 6.7 per cent (-$434.1 million).
Over the first 11 months of the year, national sales were down by 403,718 units (-21.9 per cent) and by $15.2 billion (-19.1 per cent).
Answer to the previous trivia question: The CMA that posted the strongest annual population growth between 2019 and 2020 is Oshawa, home of the Oshawa Generals junior hockey team.
Today’s trivia question: What portion of the new vehicles purchased in Alberta in November 2020 were manufactured* in North America?
*New motor vehicles fall into two categories: those manufactured in North America and those manufactured overseas. The latter are imported in a fully assembled state from countries other than the United States or Mexico.


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Webb is responsible for corporate operations, including the legal, human resources and corporate technology functions. In 1999, he joined eBay as president of the company's eBay Technologies division and was named operating chief in June 2002.
eBay said it has no plans to fill Webb's role. Corporate technology will be jointly managed by Matt Carey, chief technology officer of eBay Marketplaces, and Scott Thompson, chief technology officer of PayPal.
eBay shares closed Monday off 9 cents to $34.32.


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THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; Advertising Growth Slows for Newspapers
By PHILIP H. DOUGHERTY
Published: August 3, 1988
Craig Standen, president of the Newspaper Advertising Bureau, yesterday told the members of the International Newspaper Advertising and Marketing Executives, who are meeting in Toronto, that the bureau was revising downward its earlier estimates of 1988 newspaper advertising revenues. It is now calling for revenues of about $31.3 billion, a 6 percent increase over last year, instead of $31.7 billion, about an 8 percent in-crease.
The Newspaper Advertising Bureau has already figured out that in the first quarter newspaper advertising rates had risen an average 7 percent. That would apparently mean that there has been a drop in ad linage.


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Dozens of European security companies have made it onto a list of the hottest global security vendors, with Dutch firm AVG leading the way for Europe. The Cybersecurity500 was list was first launched...
Nordic distributor’s CEO claims another buyout to come in two to three weeks
Distributor buys UK firm
European business continues to lose money
Networking vendor ‘gradually exiting’ European service provider market


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Rulings intended to help two sides focus their arguments
Stories by Elinor Mills
Company claims Microsoft tried to eliminate DR-DOS as a rival to MS-DOS
Software giant also buys Win CE player technology
Microsoft this week credited strong sales of Windows NT Workstation, Office, Exchange Server and SQL Server for helping to boost the company's third-quarter earnings to $US1.92 billion, or 35 cents per share, 3 cents higher than expectations and 40 per cent higher than a year ago.
Export restriction scarpped, infringement clause altered
Analysts point to difficulty in moving to direct sales and in managing inventories
"We need to reinvent ourselves," says Ballmer
Hacker handed longest sentence for a hacker in US history
America Online announced yesterday it would reorganise into four product groups, including one devoted to Netscape Communications Corp.'s operations, and would lay off up to 1000 workers combined at both AOL and Netscape.
Buying direct from Microsoft costs more
Microsoft blocked "competitive price and free choice among competing products" says suit
Judge needs time to prepare for case
At the suggestion of privacy groups who are threatening a boycott of Intel products, Intel today announced that it will ship its Pentium III microprocessors with the identification code in the "off" position and offer software that will allow users to turn the code on if they want.
MS claims AOL-Netscape-Sun deals undermine government case
Revenue for quarter up 54% on last year


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Android Wear, Google’s software for powering smartwatches and new Internet-connected devices beyond smartphones and tablets, is finally here.
On Wednesday, Google showed off the LG G Watch , Samsung Gear Live, and Moto 360 smartwatches running its software. The $229 watch from LG and the $199 Samsung device will be available for preorder in the Google Play Store today, while Motorola’s watch will launch later in the summer. The LG and Samsung watches will be in consumers’ hands July 7.
Google provided a demo of voice commands, notifications, and other actions on the devices from LG and Motorola during the keynote at its Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco. David Singleton, director of engineering for Google, said that Android Wear devices will be available with both rectangular and circular screens and will come in a “wide variety of fashionable designs.” The models from LG and Samsung both feature square displays, while Motorola’s is round.
Google targets wearables with Android Wear
“We’re right at the beginning of a new phase of the miniaturization of technology, which means it’s finally possible to make a small computer that can fit comfortably on your body all day long,” Singleton said.
Google and other companies have been looking to wearables as a new market opportunity while smartphone and tablet growth slows. By the end of this year, over 19 million wearable devices will ship worldwide, tripling last year’s figure, market researcher IDC reported in April. By 2018, wearable shipments are expected to hit 111.9 million worldwide shipments — still a small number compared with the 1.7 billion smartphones expected to be sold that year.
Google I/O 2014: Android wearables coming to your wrist (pictures)
Singleton said that people look at their Android phones an average of 125 times a day, so watches make it much easier to quickly absorb notifications but still interact with the surrounding environment.
In terms of features, Singleton said some models of Android Wear will include heart-rate monitors and pedometers. The software will allow users to activate a do-not-disturb setting by swiping down on the display. Users also can issue voice commands by talking to the Android Wear devices and save things such as flight boarding passes for easy access. They’ll also be able to use music controls on the smartwatches to activate the music app on their Android phones.
“The watch will act as your key in a multiscreen world,” Singleton said.
Executives speaking during the keynote, including Sundar Pichai, Google’s head of Android and Chrome, were wearing various models of Android Wear. He sported a Moto 360 watch.
CNET reported last week that Samsung, LG, and Motorola smartwatches would debut at Google I/O.
- Samsung to launch Android Wear smartwatch at Google I/O
- Larry Page’s stamp on Google: More than moon shots
- LG shows off G Watch wearing Android Wear
Google this week is hosting its annual developers conference in San Francisco. Before the event, the Mountain View, Calif., company said it would focus its army of attendees on the three Ds: design, development, and distribution. The conference regularly fills out Moscone West with more than 6,000 attendees.
Most smartphones and tablets in the world run Android, but the pressure is on for Google to lead the wearables market before rival Apple likely launches a smartwatch later this year. The Apple product is a highly anticipated new device that’s already been dubbed the iWatch. Some early wearables, including Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, used Android, but Android-based smartwatches were slow to take off in part because of their performance. Samsung switched to the Tizen OS in its smartwatches and a real-time operating system in its Gear Fit health band to improve battery life. Most fitness bands in the world run on software other than Android, as well.
Google has been making tweaks to Android so it runs better on the growing number of wearables. The company unveiled Android Wear in March, modifying an operating system that’s heavily based on its Google Now voice-recognition technology. At the time, Google said LG, Asus, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung would be the first hardware partners to use Android Wear, while Fossil Group would unveil Android Wear-powered watches later in the year.
LG designers from Korea, speaking during a private press lunch Wednesday, said the G Watch will be pure Android Wear and won’t include any optimized software from LG. But they said they’ve made suggestions to Google about changes, such as the clock design, that Google could incorporate in the future.
They also said that all of the initial Android Wear devices work with all recent Android phones and tablets running version 4.3 of the software or newer. Samsung’s earlier smartwatches only worked with its own smartphones and tablets, but its Gear Live watch works with any recent Android products.
“This is the beginning so that’s why this has to work with any Android platform,” the LG designers said through an interpreter.
For more information, see all of today’s Google I/O news.
Updated constantly before 10:30 a.m. PT with additional details. Updated again at 1:30 p.m. PT with pricing information.
Google I/O (pictures)


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An Edinburgh backpackers' hostel is to open a second site in the city as part of a £2.3 million investment which will create full-time 10 jobs.
St Christopher’s Inn on Market Street will expand into a historic building on the other side of the street, adding 139 beds, to the 180 it already operates.
The new venue at 32-38 Market Street will have 18 rooms including private two bed, en suites and dorms for up to 12 people.
St Christopher's has been at 9-13 Market Street for almost 20 years. Parent company Beds and Bars operates hostels and bars in nine cities and seven countries, including its London Bridge venue which offers 26 Japanese-inspired self-contained pods. It also owns Belushi’s Bars.
Founder and CEO Keith Knowles said: “Our hostels and bars have never been more popular.Edinburgh has always been one of our consistently most successful venues and it’s brilliant that we are able to invest so heavily in what is a fabulous city.
“As well as being in a superb location, this new venue in Edinburgh will have some of the most eye-catching rooms we offer anywhere in Europe. This development will perfectly capture what is a very exciting time for our business.”
The new venue is a former fruit market which has also been the offices of the Royal Military Tattoo. A bed costs from £9.90 a night for a shared dorm and each comes with breakfast, free wifi, USB points and reading lights.
Most of the investment will be in the new venue, which has been designed by Michael Kalman from Leas Architects and constructionis being led by Sharkey.
But the original hostel will also benefit from a improvements and upgrades, including a revamped reception, chillout and breakfasting area.
Knowles added: “Since we first launched in Edinburgh in 2001, we are incredibly proud to have welcomed more than 275,000 guests to our hostel in the city. While most of those guests would have been young and probably on their first visit to Edinburgh, many of them will have come back again and again.
“The importance of giving young travellers a safe, secure and value for money experience during their first trip is priceless, particularly for a tourist city like Edinburgh.
“Beyond that wider value to the city, we’re also very pleased to be creating 10 full-time jobs and opportunities for young people in the burgeoning hospitality sector on top of the 30 already existing positions.”
In the year to March, Beds and Bars reported an 8% increase in revenues to £52.5 million. In June, it announced a £7.5 million investment programme in new and existing venues over the next financial year.


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EA has announced that it has signed a deal with Ken Block in which he will become the Racing Advisor for the Need for Speed franchise. Block is an amazing race car driver who has participated in rally racing and won multiple X-Games medals. EA will also be sponsoring Block and his Ford Fiesta ST 2013 racing car.
The best news from this announcement isn’t that Block will be associated with Need for Speed, at least not for me. The best news is that EA will be working with Block on the release of Gymkhana Six. If you never seen a Gymkhana video and you’re a fan of cars or racing, you’re really missing out. So why not watch the last one now?..
EA says that the next installment in the Gymkhana franchise will be released in its entirety on November 11. EA promises that the new video raises the bar for what can be done behind the wheel of a car. That bar was already pretty high after Gymkhana 5, in my opinion. The next video the franchise will be available directly from the Need for Speed website and on the franchise’s YouTube channel.


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Car sales paltry since reform
HAVANA (AP) – It’s not your typical car lot.
Just steps from the Florida Straits, dozens of vehicles sit covered in grime and baking in the Caribbean sun. An elderly security guard slumps in a sleepy waiting area, and customers are nowhere to be seen.
A price list hanging on the green chain-link fence hints at why: US$85 000 for a 6-year-old Peugeot compact; US$46 000 for a tiny 2008 Citroen C3 hatchback that would cost less than a third of that in Europe. Elsewhere, a larger, new Peugeot 508 lists for US$262 000, five times its price in Britain – and more than a millennium worth of pay cheques in Cuba, where wages average about US$20 a month.
The euphoria that greeted a January reform that lets Cubans buy vehicles from the government without a special permit for the first time in decades turned to anger when the prices were posted. When authorities announced recently that just 50 cars had rolled off the lots of state-run dealerships in the first half-year, bringing in US$1.3 million in sales, it was tempting to call the policy a failure.
But analysts say it seems the measure was designed to work that way.
“At those prices, they obviously didn’t want to sell many cars,” said Philip Peters, president of the Virginia-based Cuba Research Centre. “And they’re not.”
Peters suggested officials simply don’t see it as a priority and would rather spend what little hard currency the country has on things like food and industrial inputs.
“I think there’s only one explanation … the government does not want to use its foreign exchange reserves to import cars for a retail market,” he said. “So therefore the only way that it’s worth it to them, to import a car for US$20 000 and then sell it retail, is to soak up US$50,000 worth of liquidity.”
Some islanders initially hoped authorities would adjust prices downward when they got a sense of what the market would bear. That happened when cell phones first appeared in Cuba more than a decade ago.
However, a recent tour of several dealerships in Havana found the same 400 percent mark-ups as before. Not a single potential client was in sight. Employees refused to speak to reporters, though one confirmed that prices have not budged.
There are no publicly available statistics on how many vehicles circulate in Cuba, but visitors to Havana marvel at how empty the streets are for a city of about 2 million people.
Jorge Pinon, a Latin America energy expert at the University of Texas, said Cuba’s reluctance to sell cars isn’t out of fear of insufficient fuel. The country gets tens of thousands of barrels of oil a day on preferential terms from Venezuela.
But Pinon noted that a huge infusion of vehicles would test the creaky transportation infrastructure of Cuba, where potholes can go unfilled for years and traffic lights are scarce.
In a separate measure in 2011, Cuba legalized private, person-to-person sales of used cars. But those prices started out high and have now shot even higher since January’s reform.
“The only Cuban consumers who can afford it are probably musicians that have got some terrific royalty earnings on their latest record, or people who cashed out fabulously when they sold their family home, and I can’t think of anybody else,” Peters said. “It’s a very, very small sliver of the public that could think of affording such prices, and, as we see, an even smaller sliver that actually decides to do it.”
For years, the clearest path to an automobile in Cuba was to get a permit to buy one by completing an overseas mission for the government. A typical returnee might have cobbled together around US$5 000, enough to buy a used car or a cheap Russian or Chinese model under the old pricing schedule.
Rodolfo Cid’s quest to obtain a car began six years ago when the 55-year-old Construction Ministry engineer agreed to work on a mission in Venezuela. He got a US$600 cut of the US$3 000 a month that Caracas paid Havana for his services.
When Cid returned after three years, he got the letter authorizing him to buy a car and his name went on a waiting list. His plan was to augment his family’s meagre income by moonlighting as a taxi driver. Two years passed, and in 2013, he left his job at the ministry.
But late last year, word emerged that all Cubans would be able to buy beginning in January, putting everyone in the same boat. The permit Cid toiled three years for was suddenly worthless.
When the new prices were posted, even the used cars were several times Cid’s savings.
“They betrayed the trust that people may have in the institutions, even supporters who did what was asked of them,” he said.
“That amount of money is absurd,” Cid added. “I can’t afford even the smallest one.”


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Loading... SOEgil, It's Official
Getting top billing today is the fact that Coyote has been writing his "blog that is not a blog" for a year. Congratulations Coyote.
It's official. The Sigil/SOE coupling that I wrote about and that you, the loyal readership commented on is now a reality.
"May 15, 2007 San Diego, CA Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced that it has completed a transaction to purchase key assets of Sigil Games Online, Inc. Through the deal, SOE now owns Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Sigils tentpole property, a highly-successful massively multiplayer online game. The Sigil acquisition also builds on SOEs successful strategy of cultivating game development studios around the world to further boost the companys capabilities.
The announcement was made by John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment.
As part of the acquisition, a majority of the Sigil team will join SOE, integrating into SOEs worldwide group of studios which includes offices in San Diego, Seattle, Austin, Denver, Los Angeles and Taiwan. The acquisition will strengthen SOEs position as a leader in the online gaming space by expanding the companys portfolio of gaming offerings.
With an unparalleled team and exceptional product, Sigil has been a creative force in the online games space. We look forward to continuing the vision for Vanguard and to continue to deliver some groundbreaking game play, said Smedley.
In May 2006, SOE acquired the titles rights and the two companies agreed to co-publish Vanguard. The MMO launched in late January of this year and has sold nearly 200,000 retail and digital units worldwide. Sigil CEO and Vanguard creator, Brad McQuaid will become a consultant with SOE as Vanguard Creative Advisor. "
So there you have it. The important points for those of you keeping track at home are as follows:
Yep, as follows this jump statement.... An interview with industry legends Joe Ybarra, Scott Brown and Chris McKibbin are all so fresh you need to slap them, today in Loading...