text:
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may release a very disappointing earnings report on January 23 according to a new report from BTIG research. The report, which lowered expectations of the company’s performance, put a neutral rating on the stock. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been flirting with stock prices of less than $500 today, on rumors that iPhone sales were lower than expected in the last three months of 2012.
The report from BTIG suggests that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) earnings per share for the quarter will come in at $14, just slightly ahead of the same quarter last year when the company reported earnings per share of $13.87. Revenue, according to the firm is likely to increase for the quarter by $2.2 billion, to $56.2 billion.
Alluvial Fund performance update for the month ended May 2021. Q1 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Dear Partners and Colleagues, Alluvial Fund, LP returned 5.4% in May, compared to 0.2% for the Russell 2000 and 1.0% for the MSCI World Small+MicroCap . . . SORRY! This content is exclusively for paying members. SIGN UP Read More
Other analysts have, in general, agreed with the estimates of this report. Because of lower sales in the last three months of 2012, analysts do not expect the firm to do much better than its performance in the last three quarters of 2011. The slow down in the company’s growth is worrying investors, and if it continues, perception of the company may change drastically.
The BTIG report suggested that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) revenue will increase its revenue based on higher iPhone sales. The reports from earlier today suggest that those number will come in lower than they have in the past, reducing the company’s outlook for the coming report, and for the coming year.
The analyst who authored the report, Walter Piecyk, said that the Cupertino firm might be forced into compressing its product cycle in order to keep up with its competitors. Samsung is expected to release a new Galaxy premium smart phone in the first half of 2013. If Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) maintains its current cycle, it won’t release a competitor until late next year, that would mean falling even further behind Samsung.
According to Piecyk, if Apple were to shorten its upgrade cycle, and release a new iPhone every six months or so, it puts additional pressure on the components manufacturers. That means that the firm may not be able to produce enough units to meet demand, or will raise prices on those components.
Higher price components means that the firm will face a compressed gross margin. That margin is one of the attributes of the firm most frequently extolled by investors. If a permanent shock to that system was felt, it would result in many investors taking a second look at the company.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is facing problems right now. The competition facing the firm is tougher than ever, and the firm may have been beaten in the smart phone market for the first time last quarter. Apple is still fundamentally sound however, though its growth may be slowing going forward.
Apple investors, and almost everybody following the tech market will eagerly await the firm’s January 23 report. While the numbers are likely the most important indicator for investors going forward, the conference call following the report may be even more important. Tim Cook will need to impress in order to calm fears, if the numbers don’t add up.


text:
The future course of the nonfungible token (NFT) market over the following five years was examined in a recent analysis by Juniper Research. The report predicts that by 2027, there would be about 40 million global NFT transactions, up from 24 million in 2022.
According to the study, use cases related to the metaverse would be one of the main drivers for NFT adoption. In the following five years, this subset of NFTs will have the fastest growth. By 2027, there will be 9.8 million transactions involving metaverse-related NFTs, up from 600,000 in 2022.
A positive sign for the NFT market is coming from major companies like Gucci and Adidas that have already embraced wearable technology in the digital sphere. These findings demonstrate that customers desire monetary value from their digital possessions and the ability to exchange that value with others.
This is further supported by a recent analysis from XRP creator Ripple, which examined the interest of major financial institutions in NFT. The most interesting NFTs had to do with music. In addition to building up value in a wallet, music NFTs frequently incorporate multi-utility, such as exclusive artist content and fractional ownership of royalties/song rights.
Juniper claims the report’s data is based on an adoption “medium scenario.” Despite the fact that these digital assets present fresh opportunities for growth and revenue generation, the report advises vendors to exercise caution given the prevalence of NFT scams in the industry.

domain: news


text:
The U.S. Congress should allow new challenges to patents on processes that are enabled by computers, and lawmakers should make it more difficult for patent-holding firms to gain import injunctions at the U.S. International Trade Commission, the White...
The U.S. Congress should limit the ability of patent holders that don't make products to file infringement complaints at the U.S. International Trade Commission because of a huge increase in cases there, representatives of some companies told lawmake...
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Motorola Moto X (2nd Gen) review: Raising the bar
- 2 Xiaomi Mi4 review: Xiaomi's best yet
- 3 Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review: Lightly flawed, Undeniably special
- 4 Sony Xperia Z3 review: The no-frills flagship
- 5 Samsung's Galaxy Alpha review: A peek into the Galaxy S6
Best Deals on GoodGearGuide
Latest News Articles
- Computer simulation eases real-world Chinese traffic jams
- Link between NSA and Regin cyberespionage malware becomes clearer
- China signals censors will continue to crack down on VPN services
- Facebook, Instagram temporarily down in many countries
- Quantum bringing public cloud into virtual storage fold
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


text:
A new opt-out service to help brands cope with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is being offered by transcosmos America Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the
global firm transcosmos inc.
The CCPA-compatible service helps firms handle opt-out requests via three channels: email, phone call and web
form, the firm says.
Transcosmos America will set up a center in Los Angeles that will also serve as its U.S.. base of
The CCPA, which takes effect in July, imposes several rules for the handling of personal data on consumers. The likelihood is
that similar laws will be passed in other states.
The company also offers e-commerce planning, site development and digital marketing


text:
Will the fast-food protests impact your lunch?
Fast-food protests are under way in cities including New York, Chicago, Kansas City and Detroit, with organizers planning for the biggest walkouts yet in a push for higher wages.
Whether the actions will have any impact on business isn't clear.
In New York, about 300 to 400 protesters marched and flooded inside a McDonald's near the Empire State Building. Shortly after the demonstration, however, the restaurant seemed to be operating normally and a few customers said they hadn't heard of the movement. The same was true at a McDonald's a few blocks away.
Participating workers, who are asking for $15 an hour, still represent a tiny fraction of the industry.
The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour was last raised in 2009.
Workers said they are planning walkouts at chains such as McDonald's, Taco Bell and Wendy's.


text:
The fact that the industry has won a heady number of access battles over the past 12 months also deserves its share of the credit in any lasting turnaround.
One of the biggest challenges to PWC in the past several years has been this topic of access, most notably involving the national park system. As a result of a settlement between the National Park Service and Bluewater Network, many parks were closed to PWC through much of 2003. In order to once again open their doors to the craft, parks were charged with the job of completing impact assessments, and then coming up with plans that either included or prohibited PWC access.
The good news, of course, is that the parks that have formulated plans have overwhelmingly gone in favor of once again allowing PWC access to their waters.
Most recently Chicksaw National Recreation Area offered a proposal to allow PWC to return to Lake of the Arbuckles, while Gulf Islands National Seashore, long considered one of the parks that could go either way, also recommended allowing the return or personal watercraft. This is in addition to high-profile areas like Lakes Mead and Powell, which also allowed PWC to return to their waters in 2003.
For those that are keeping score, that’s a perfect sweep for continued PWC usage within the park system, a result that not only affects the parks themselves, but one that sends a message to the responsible PWC user that their chosen form of recreation will not be outlawed, but rather accepted as part of the greater boating community.
“We’re down to the last few national parks that haven’t quite made their final decision, and been winning every one that matters in a big way,” sums up Polaris’ Dan Schroepfer. “I think that it’s been long enough in the key places where consumers realize it’s a done deal, and it really is final, the places have opened back up. The retail is a reflection of the growing consumer confidence when it comes to watercraft access issues.”
For the Personal Watercraft Industry Association, the park decisions have been a vindication for the entire industry.
“We’re pleased to see that the National Park Service is acknowledging what the industry has known all along,” said Jeff Ludwig, regulatory affairs manager for the Personal Watercraft Industry Association, following one park’s re-opening. “That is, that personal watercraft have no unique effect on the environment which would require singling them out for bans or overly restrictive regulation.”
The end result is that access is no longer looked at as a losing situation. Battles certainly remain, and the industry must stay vigilant, but the perception that a PWC is a dirty, polluting vehicle that will soon be outlawed is finally being removed from the consumer mindset.
“That, combined with the slow penetration of the realities of what a watercraft is today,” explains Schroepfer. “It never ceases to amaze me how many people don’t realize there are two, three, and four-passenger watercraft, that they can tow skiers, and do all the things they do. More and more people seem to learn that every day, and that all helps, with the cleaner, quieter four-strokes on top of it. “The tide is slowly turning, things are
looking good.” psb
Copyright 2004 Powersports Business


text:
US activewear brand Fabletics has introduced a new loungewear category.
The new category will debut with the launch of a 17-piece collection on September 1, which comprises sets, coordinates, separates and robes across seven color choices.
Materials include natural cotton, Spandex and fleece knit from recycled fibers.
It comes as the loungewear sector continues to grow, driven in particular during the pandemic by new work-from-home lifestyles where comfort trumps formality.
According to a recent report by Market Research Future, the loungewear market is estimated to be worth 9.98 billion dollars by 2027.
Fabletics CEO Adam Goldenberg said the opportunity ahead for loungewear is “massive”.
“We have the best talent to take advantage of this surging trend, applying performance materials to a category that isn’t going anywhere,” Goldenberg said in a release. “As experienced fashion disruptors, we’re confident Fabletics Lounge will soon be a new category leader.”
Chief merchandising and design officer Felix del Toro said there “has never been a category more in demand than loungewear”.
He said that every month new collections with “feel-good and stylish essentials” will be introduced.


text:
Oak Brook-based McDonald's on Wednesday announced its plans to raise starting pay at 1,500 company-owned stores to $1 above the local minimum wage and offer paid time off after a year of work -- but some labor advocates say the company isn't doing enough. Northfield-based Kraft has been bought out by billionaire investor Warren Buffett and the Brazilian group 3G Capital, who plan to merge the company with Heinz. We'll talk about those stories with Crain's Chicago Business reporter Peter Frost.
McDonald’s has been the target of protests calling for the fast food giant to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, and the announcement that it will bump up starting pay at company-owned stores by $1 an hour above the local minimum wage isn’t likely to change that.
“For McDonald’s right now, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t,” said Peter Frost, reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business. Frost says while activists who want higher wages and a unionized workforce aren’t going to let up, the McDonald’s announcement is in part a response to a tight labor market that’s seen other major companies boost their wages.
Two other locally-owned food companies are also in the news. Northfield-based Kraft has been bought out by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and the Brazilian firm 3G Capital, who plan to merge it with Heinz.
Frost says the Kraft-Heinz deal could spur more action in mergers and acquisitions, which could affect another local company, Mondelez.
“Mondelez has not been producing excellent returns the last couple years, and investors are looking at what happened to the Kraft stock price after Heinz bought it,” Frost said.


text:
Tag "facebook android app"
The next big release of Facebook’s mobile app for Android should usher in a new UI, according to reports. Allegedly, the 4.0 version of Facebook for Android features the design
Facebook today announced new updates to the Nearby feature in the moble (Android and iOS) apps. Slated to go live later this afternoon, it makes it even easier than ever
A new version of the Facebook app has made its way into the wild which speeds up and enhances things across a number fronts. If you like to create and
Facebook today announced that a new version of the Android application should be hitting the Android Market any moment. There are not any major new features to speak of however


text:
‘Average brands deliver exactly what is asked of them. Exceptional brands deliver more. Finding novel and surprising ways to go the extra mile turns sceptics into fanatics and passive bystanders into loyal customers who tell their friends.’ BARE shares an article by Jodie Cook for Forbes on improving customer loyalty and putting customers first.
‘Social media has come a long way from photo posts, likes and comments. More and more of today’s retailers and brands are using social platforms as influential tools to sell their products and services.’ BARE shares an article by Gabe Larsen for Retail Customer Experience on maximizing social connection and enhancing customer experience.
‘The electric car industry is about to become the greatest thing since sliced bread… or so a lot of people would have you believe. The truth is something different.’ BARE shares an article by Warren Shoulberg for Forbes on the electric car industry.
‘Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, rates of online grocery and takeout orders have doubled as many parts of the world have suspended or reduced movement to curb the spread of the virus.’ BARE shares an article by Cagla Ertugrul for MarketingTech on online food businesses post pandemic.
‘Who’s ordering most of the mobile meals we’ve come to love in the age of COVID? You know who. It’s millennials and Gen Z, overwhelmingly.’ BARE shares an article for PYMNTS.com on restaurant customer loyalty.
‘Starbucks, Taco Bell, Wendy’s and several others have been upgrading or introducing their programs as they hope to build traffic coming out of the pandemic.’ BARE shares an article by Jonathan Maze for Restaurant Business with new and upgraded loyalty programs.
‘Most managers are struggling to navigate the impact Covid-19 is having on their organizations, but how the pandemic is affecting different parts of the enterprise varies dramatically from one department to the next.‘ BARE shares an article by Matthew Dixon, Ted McKenna, and Gerardo de la O for Harvard Business Review on how to support your customer service team, and subsequently your customers, through the coronavirus crises.
‘Consumer electronics like phones or laptops are now essential medical technology, as doctors visits have transitioned from medical offices to your home. Via, of course, video live-streaming. “Vonage drives virtually all of the major telehealth providers throughout the world,” says CEO Alan Masarek recently on the TechFirst podcast. “And we’ve seen literally in the last month a 2,000% increase in video usage in the telehealth vertical.”’ BARE shares an article by John Koetsier for Forbes Consumer Tech on the unprecedented increase in telehealth and online video usage as industries shift into digital adoption amongst COVID-19.
‘Customer loyalty and optimism is at the top of most companies’ list of things to be concerned about during COVID-19. The way companies react to the current crisis and publicly treat their customers will significantly alter their reputation for years to come.’ BARE shares an article by digital agency Onimod on how to put your customers’ interests first with these simple tips on customer relationship management.


text:
The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has plenty of new technology toys, including a fully reconfigurable gauge display.
Read This Article
Volkswagen owns eight brands worldwide: VW, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, SEAT, Škoda, and truck companies Scania and MAN.
Last week, we reported that a third Chevrolet Volt caught on fire which, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was traced to the electric car hybrid's lithium ion batteries.
Motor Trend's Carlos Lago puts the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 through its paces on the street, and on the track.


text:
Casino software developer Playson has partnered with the full-service platform provider White Hat Gaming, in a deal which will make the slot developer’s portfolio accessible to a wider audience.
Under the agreement, the company will deliver its engaging suite of Playson titles via 1X2Network’s 3PI platform, including fan favourites such as Solar King, Legend of Cleopatra Megaways and the recent smash-hit, Divine Dragon: Hold and Win.
The deal sees Playson continue to enlarge its commercial presence in Europe, with the supplier’s immersive games collection now enjoyed by a growing number of players on the continent and beyond.
Blanka Homor, sales director at Playson, said: “Partnering with state-of-the-art platform providers such as White Hat Gaming strengthens our credentials as a producer of world class content, so we welcome this agreement.
“Armed with a premium quality product suite which includes widely popular slot titles, we look forward to maintaining our ongoing international expansion.”
Andy Whitworth, CCO at White Hat Gaming, said: “Adding content across multiple brands allows us to effortlessly increase our reach. We look forward to offering Playson games on our platform and we have been impressed with Playson’s desire to work with us as we implement our strategic growth plans.”


text:
That's a neat trick: Jameela Jamil makes her legs look even longer... by accessorising her LBD with nude heels
Jameela Jamil is known for her ability to wear the shortest of dresses, and once again she didn’t disappoint with her latest ensemble.
The 27-year-old TV presenter showed off her long, tanned legs in a little black dress, which she wore as she strutted around London’s Soho on Monday July 8.
She teamed her dress with a white cardigan covered in a delicate grey floral pattern, super high tan-coloured stilettos and a matching satchel.
Glamorous: Jameela looked stunning as she stepped out in Soho in an LBD and super high stilettos
Chatty: Jameela was enjoying a phone conversation with a mystery caller but still managed to strike model poses
Deep in conversation: Jameela stopped in a side street in London's Soho for a chat on her mobile phone
raven-haired beauty wore her long, flowing hair and full fringe straight
and applied minimal make-up except for her signature red lipstick.
She finished the outfit with a pair of large, mottled brown sunglasses and a gold necklace with a pendant shaped as a miniature bicycle.
glamorous Radio 1 DJ was smiling on the phone to a mystery caller
whilst out and about town, and even stood in a doorway along a side
street to chat to the person on her mobile.
Jameela appeared slimmer since May this year when she embraced her newfound size 12 curves.
Winning combination: Jameela accessorised her outfit perfectly with red lipstick, sunglasses and a tan-coloured satchel
Although she has not returned to her previous super slim physique from the beginning her career in the industry on T4 in 2009, Jameela could not hide away her super long legs, and looked toned, healthy and glamorous on her recent outing.
But Jameela who is also nicknamed Jam-Jam, was not always known for her fashion triumphs, as she would often wear extra-large men’s Gap tracksuits when she was younger.
Today she chooses not to have a stylist, and picks her own clothes from fashion designers including Olivia Rubin, D&G, Henry Holland, Urban Outfitters, Office and Topshop.
The 5ft 11 star made history this year as becoming the first woman to host Radio 1's The Official Chart Show.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, she is also co-host of The Official Chart Update alongside Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1, a model, TV presenter and fashion designer, with her own fashion collaboration on Very.co.uk.
Most watched News videos
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
We are no longer accepting comments on this article.


text:
Mercedes-Benz-owner Daimler has taken a stake in Taxify in a funding round that values the ride-booking group at more than $1bn(Ksh 100 Billion), the latest investment by the German carmaker into the growing world of ride-on-demand services. Estonian start-up Taxify, which also counts China’s Didi Chuxing as an investor, has raised $175m as it aims to expand beyond its network of 40 cities in Europe and Africa.
Didi also participated in the round, along with European venture capital fund Korelya Capital and TransferWise co-founder Taavet Hinrikus, with more than $100m of the investment coming from the German carmaker.
Under the latest deal, Daimler will join the Taxify’s board. The carmaker may roll the service into its Moovel app, a step that would increase Taxify’s customer base by a quarter to 12.5m, according to one person familiar with the German carmaker’s thinking. Jörg Lamparter, head of new services at Daimler, said: “Taxify is an ideal addition to our existing and extensive mobility services portfolio. With its fast-growing ride-hailing activities and extensive geographical coverage, Taxify is a perfect fit with Daimler.”
Car manufacturers are investing in ride-booking services as a way of entering the fledgling transport services market, in which consumers pay per ride rather than owning a car directly. New partnerships also open new revenue avenues, with the possibility of selling vehicles directly to fleet operators.
In November Volvo agreed a $1.4bn deal to sell 24,000 sports utility vehicles to Uber for use in self-driving fleets, while Jaguar Land Rover will sell Waymo 20,000 electric Jaguars for its network. Taxify, which is not developing autonomous systems but wants to focus on running a network of vehicles, is looking to Daimler for its leadership in engineering autonomous driving systems. “Among all of the carmakers, we saw Daimler as the most progressive in both ride-sharing and autonomous cars,” Markus Villig, Taxify’s founder, in an interview.
The business, which started in 2013, currently operates in 40 cities across 25 countries but is aiming to open in other cities in the coming years, as well as scaling up in its current locations. It expects to book about $1bn worth of rides this year, although it remains lossmaking in many of its cities. Daimler’s investment also marks the latest move by the Mercedes owner into new technologies, coming on top of its taxi service MyTaxi and its tie-up with ride-sharing app Via. The company joined SoftBank’s $100bn vision fund earlier this year.
Daimler also runs Car2Go, a car-sharing service that is currently merging with BMW’s DriveNow operation. The company’s new app Moovel allows consumers to use its existing on-demand services as well as to book transport options, from rail tickets to bike hire.


text:
Philips Components Display Co. said it will locate a $100-million plant in nearby Saline to make color television picture tubes and products for high-definition television systems.
The firm said the facility would provide about 400 jobs in southeastern Michigan and introduce new technology to the region.
Construction on a 400,000-square-foot plant will begin in July, 1990, and is to be completed early in 1992, the firm said.
Initially, the plant will manufacture 1 million 27-inch color television picture tubes a year and eventually will have the ability to produce high-definition picture tubes in the future.
High-definition televisions are expected to be a major product of the future. Forecasters predict that the market for high-definition television products will swell to $40 billion worldwide.


text:
50% of Apple’s Hires This Year Were From Underrepresented Groups; Tim Cook Says There’s Still “Farther To Go”
Apple has committed to diversifying its new hires this year, and the company has just released some internal statistics on its progress. 50% of the hires made this year have been part of underrepresented groups at Apple; however, the company has yet to significantly surpass the statistics on diversity at other tech companies, like Facebook and Google. Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the necessity of this initiative in an open letter:
We are proud of the progress we’ve made, and our commitment to diversity is unwavering. But we know there is a lot more work to be done.
Some people will read this page and see our progress. Others will recognize how much farther we have to go. We see both.
Here’s a math problem: at their current rate, how long will Apple take to line up with the diversity statistics on the planet Earth?
(via Buzzfeed, image via Apple)
—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—
Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]


text:
Huawei’s phone market share to slump to 4% in 2021, says TrendForce
Huawei Technologies Co.’s global smartphone market share is expected to fall to just 4% in 2021, a precipitous drop for the company that this summer ranked as the world leader in shipments.
China’s telecommunications giant will account for 14% of the market this year and then drop to less than a third of that, TrendForce researchers said Tuesday. A sustained campaign of sanctions against Huawei from the U.S. government has resulted in the company losing access to key software, chip design and manufacturing partners, depriving it of its technological edge.
The Honor budget phone division that Huawei recently announced it is selling to a government-backed consortium in Shenzhen will take 2% of the market next year, constrained by its own component shortages and uncertainty around sanctions, according to an article posted on TrendForce’s WeChat account.
The forecast points to other established Chinese brands like Xiaomi Corp. and Oppo stepping in to fill the void left by Huawei, benefiting along with Apple Inc.’s iPhone sales. Together with the newly independent Honor, the rest of China’s smartphone makers are likely to expand production targets and compete aggressively for the newly vacated space, TrendForce said. BloombergQuint
You must be logged in to post a comment Login


text:
Earlier this month (6–10 March, 2019), Destination Tobago attended ITB Berlin to engage the German travel trade in efforts to boost arrivals to the island. Tobago officials report that they made significant progress in achieving this goal by establishing key partnerships, pursuing new avenues for industry growth, and launching the Tobago Beyond brand at one of the world’s leading travel trade shows.
The Tobago contingent was led by Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles, and included Councillor Nadine Stewart-Phillips, Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation; Dr. Sherma Roberts, Chairperson of Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL)’s Board; Mr Louis Lewis, CEO of the Tobago Tourism Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL); and other tourism officials from Tobago.
Greater alignment in selling Tobago
Tobago was able to establish partnerships with specialist tour operators that can focus on selling the four distinct cornerstones of the island’s appeal: seas and beaches; eco-adventure and nature; romance and weddings; and local culture, people and heritage.
These operators will sell experiences on the island in addition to flights and accommodation, to increase online expenditure on the island and drive business to tourism related businesses in Tobago
Destination marketing in the digital age
Tobago’s tourism officials met with travel agents, tour operators, and influencers with a strong digital footprint – including the fastest growing travel start-up in Germany – to discuss advertising and promotion opportunities on new media channels.
This is part of a strategic plan for targeted engagement of the German source market through multi-channel digital platforms that are relevant to various target groups in the German market. This includes not just traditional social media platforms, but avenues such as podcasts channels, blogs, Spotify and Pinterest, all geared towards expanding the Tobago Tourism Agency’s #101reasonsTobago digital marketing campaign.
The delegation also met with travel referral websites for online reputation management of destination Tobago, in order to increase the island’s visibility and positive sentiment among European travelers.
“Tobago Beyond” brand launch
A significant undertaking at ITB Berlin by the Tobago delegation was the launch of the Tobago Beyond brand and go to market strategy, specifically tailored for influential German-speaking travel media and travel trade stakeholders.
The event was attended by German travel trade stakeholders and members of the international media, and was featured on Swiss tourism website Travelnews.ch, German digital news platform Reis Vor 9, and other European media outlets.
Written by Discover Trinidad & Tobago


text:
Agencies and brands, what are you doing to prepare for the Super Bowl? Answer us on Twitter: #superbowlprep.
If marketers once resisted their agencies' suggestions to staff a "war room" during the Super Bowl, the 2013 mid-game blackout put an end to that. Oreo's quick tweet -- "Power out? No Problem. You can still dunk in the dark" -- showed that opportunities would be missed, and crises mishandled, if decision-makers spent Super Bowl Sunday at home or with friends. The annual national TV party had officially become a work day.
This year, Anheuser-Busch Inbev is maintaining four "war rooms" around the country, including half a floor at the New York office of Anomaly, its lead creative agency. There, the shop is housing client executives; staff from its own creative, production, communications strategy, social and account management groups; people from the brewer's other social and media buying agencies; and representatives of media partners like Facebook and Google.
The beer giant is also assembling teams in Phoenix, at a hotel for Bud Light not too far from the stadium where the game will be played, and two at satellite campuses in St Louis, Mo., and Palo Alto, Calif.
While the rooms won't stray too far from last year's formats -- TV screens and conference tables loaded with computers -- the actual product might take new form.
"You'll see us experiment with more content types," said Azania Andrews, senior director of digital connections for North America at A-B InBev. That especially means short videos. "Over the past year we've learned a lot about video and how to do it well," she said. "We've seen that consumers are responsive to different types of content on different platforms."
She said there will also likely be more creatives in the room generating content this year.
Those lucky enough to have staffed the war room this week -- yes, it's already up and running -- may have enjoyed leftovers from the Anomaly kitchen, where celebrity chefs David Chang and Eric Ripert were filming "Avec Eric," a cooking show dreamed up by the agency.
The menu for the actual day of the game remains a matter of debate, but war room-staffers can bank on bagels and coffee in the morning, at least, and Budweiser in the afternoon, said Anomaly founding partner Jason DeLand. "It's a working party, a celebration of our industry," he said.
Kia is looking to its media agency Initiative to keep it current during the game. The Interpublic shop has hosted a war room for the client for several years, and this year it's as important as ever, with additional staff from the client's other agencies, said an Initiative spokesman. The client will also be present.
The room will take over the L.A. office's "Town Hall" space, with social community managers, designers, analytics wonks, account leads and staffers from Kia's creative agency surrounded by screens, plus food and beer (brands by MillerCoors, not a Super Bowl advertiser but an Initiative client.)
Matt Lawler, director of social media at Initiative, is also a D.J., so he's bringing his turntables.
Not just for Super Bowl advertisers
Marketers with $4.5 million spots aren't the only ones with a "working party," although they might have a little more flexibility in their game day activities.
"Two years ago the mentality was that clients had to be buying a spot to be ready for the Super Bowl," said Shane Atchison, CEO of WPP digital agency Possible. "This year, it's a little more matter-of-fact, with some clients on Skype so they can still watch their game and be with their families, and some truly coming into the office."
"There's a process," he added. "That wasn't covered in the past."
More than 10 of the agency's clients will be getting in on the action at various Possible offices, Mr. Atchison said. None are Super Bowl advertisers this year, and most are new to Super Bowl Sunday war rooms too. One of the shop's big clients will be pushing out digital content for two of its brands via Possible's war rooms for the first time.
"We have more permission to talk to people with more followers and connections in social each year," said Mr. Atchison. "Earned media is easier to activate. You can reach more people at the press of a button."
Much of the creative work is meant to happen in real-time, but the shop is thinking ahead about content around high-profile athletes that received a lot of attention last year, like the Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson.
While Possible will have rooms in Cincinatti, New York and Seattle totally focused on the data, real-time content and digital buying, the shop is also banking on more casual office parties with almost "20 creatives" around. They'll support the working team should the chance arise. "There's power in the collective," Mr. Atchison said.
Rooms are outdated
Relevant 24's Marc Gallucci doesn't believe in the physical war room, even on game day. "We haven't done the physical war rooms for years," he said. "It's not necessary." Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest Group acquired Relevant 24 in late 2014.
Rather, his staffers will focus on content they prepare in advance, and then a small group working on Sunday will customize it in real time. The shop will create content around the 12 to 15 plays or outcomes it can predict, for example, be it a crazy catch, fumble or trick play. It can then tweak it to fit a particular brand.
Relevant 24 is also creating more content leading up to the game than usual, "to start to tell the story so you don't show up cold," said Mr. Gallucci.
"We're not just reacting to a moment when the lights go out. That's not the plan," he said.
Keep an eye on AdAge.com on Sunday night, when we'll be covering the best (and worst) of Super Bowl real-time marketing. And don't forget to check out last year's classic report, "Go Home Real-Time Marketing. You're Drunk."


text:
What you need to know
- Verizon has finally released the Android 10 update for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6.
- The update brings new features such as Smart Reply, Live Transcribe, improved gestures, and more.
- Unfortunately, the update does not bring One UI 2.1 to the Verizon variant of the 10.5-inch tablet.
Samsung released the much-awaited Android 10 update for the international variants of its flagship Galaxy Tab S6 earlier this month. Along with all the new Android 10 features, the update also brought One UI 2.1 features such as Quick Share to the 10.5-inch tablet. Verizon has now started pushing the Android 10 update over-the-air for the 4G LTE-capable variant of the tablet.
The Android 10 update for the Verizon Galaxy Tab S6 arrives as version T867VVRU2BTC4 and comes with numerous new features. Some of the major highlights include Smart Reply, Live Transcribe, improved gestures, new Focus Mode, and a system-wide dark mode. The update also includes the March 2020 Android security patch.
What is a little disappointing, however, is that the update doesn't bring the latest iteration of Samsung's custom Android skin. While the international variants of the Galaxy Tab S6 received One UI 2.1 along with Android 10, the Verizon model is only getting One UI 2.0 with this update.
If you own a Verizon Galaxy Tab S6 and haven't received an update notification on your device yet, you can try looking for it manually by going to Settings > About Device > Software Updates.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is a slim 2-in-1 tablet that is powered by a powerful Snapdragon 855 processor and boasts a stunning 10.5-inch WQXGA Super AMOLED display. In addition to the impressive hardware and a gorgeous design, the flagship Android tablet also comes with the S Pen and offers great battery life.
Be an expert in 5 minutes
Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android


text:
The Börsenverein’s ContentShift accelerator program for publishing-related start-ups is taking applications in its ninth year.
In only 15 months, MVB UK’s Teleordering platform has been developed and is operating for booksellers and publishers in the United Kingdom.
Six start-ups from Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom have been chosen to vie for ContentShift €10,000 prize.
The Top 10 named today participate on June 28 in a Frankfurt pitching session, after which the jury will choose five shortlisted start-ups.
In Mexico and Brazil, MVB’s Metabooks metadata base will be utilized by Mercado Libre, a leading online sales and auction platform.
The MVB Metabooks program marks a first year of business in the United Kingdom this week during London Book Fair.
The pandemic has heightened the need for strong metadata management in the Mexican marketplace, say principals of MVB.
The editor-in-chief of Germany’s trade magazine Börsenblatt, Torsten Casimir becomes Frankfurter Buchmesse’s communications lead.
A new, fundraising opportunity for Ukraine’s book publishing industry has been coordinated by Frankfurt and its sister organizations.
‘A streamlined modern interface’ is promised in the coming rebuild of the Web-based international book ordering system.


text:
Alipay Drops Off List of Shanghai Priority High-Tech Firms
- Company was removed due to failure to meet R&D expenditure
- Move could revoke certain tax benefits for the fintech giant
China’s mobile payment giant Alipay was removed from a high-tech company list in Shanghai, adding to the woes at billionaire Jack Ma’s fintech operation.
Alipay.com Co. failed to meet the spending requirement for research and development, according to a government notice on Sept. 8. The removal could revoke certain tax benefits.
The Shanghai-based payments unit only accounts for a fraction of the R&D expenditure at parent company Ant Group Co., which allocated more than 18.8 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) last year for research, according to a statement from the firm.
It’s the latest setback after Ant’s record initial public offering was torpedoed by the government on the eve of its planned 2020 debut. The firm has been restructuring itself to meet the demands of Beijing, including ramping up its capital base and preparing to apply for a financial holding company license.
“The main impact for the company will be losing some tax benefits,” said Francis Chan, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. “China is placing more emphasis on chip self-sufficiency when it comes to high-tech development.”
Ant’s valuation has been trimmed by several backers including Fidelity Investments, BlackRock Inc. and T. Rowe Price Group Inc. Fidelity cut its estimate for Ant to $70 billion at the end of May.
Ant’s R&D spend has been growing at an annual rate of more than 39% since 2018 and the company has committed to investing in technologies including blockchain, privacy computing, databases and security, it said.
Author: Lulu Yilun Chen, Bloomberg


text:
|The first finding is a National Geographic report in October 2013 that shows that the vanilla flavoring used in baking may derive from the secretions of a beaver||Getty TikTok users wonder about the true origins of vanilla flavoring after information linking it to beaver secretions is found online|
|Cliquez pour en savoir plus sur nos partenaires||What Is It About Mexican Vanilla That Makes It So Appealing? Modern vanilla flavoring is often created in a lab, with refined petrochemicals used to generate a synthetic variant of Vanillin, a component present in natural Vanilla that gives it its particular flavor and aroma|
No, literally: over the past few years, manufacturers regularly produce about 18,000 metric tons of artificial vanillin, with around 85% of that being made from guaiacol-derived vanillin.
|The surprising finding also caused some to swear vanilla lattes and vanilla flavors||And how do you know which is real vanilla and which is a pale imitation? The amount used in flavors such as strawberry and vanilla has been overlooked, aimed at enhancing rather than flavoring, according to Bernstein|
|Going farther back, in 2011, one asked five companies that produce natural and artificial vanilla if they used castoreum in their products||Extracting castoreum from a live beaver is not easy because they need to be milked in order to retrieve the substance, so they're often sedated or already dead|
Tobacco companies such as Phillip Morris and Camel spray their cigarettes with dry castoreum to give them a more fragrant aroma.


text:
NAPANOCH — The sign in the vestibule of the new Walmart on Route 209 says it all:
The long-awaited, much-hoped-for and much-reviled superstore will officially open its doors on Oct. 16. It's a day Jeremy Peters has been planning for and trying to stay positive about for some time now.
It's also one Bella Volchik, has been planning for, for very different reasons than Peters.
Peters is the co-owner, with his parents, of Peters Market, less than a mile from Walmart. Volchik is the co-owner of Russki on the Hudson, a liquor store located in a new mini-mall directly across from Walmart.
The Peters family has outlived every competitive challenge that's come their way for more than 40 years. But Walmart will be the medium-size grocery's greatest challenge.
As Peters began outlining those challenges Wednesday afternoon, customer Charles Yetzer joined the conversation.
"For clothes and stuff like that, I'll go to Walmart. But for food, there's no place like right here."
Peters beamed with appreciation and continued talking about the his plans to emphasize fresh and organic goods. And to hope for continued customer loyalty like Yetzer's.
Volchik is probably the community's biggest Walmart booster. But her decision to relocate in the giant's shadow has cost her in more ways than one. New road construction for Walmart has cut into business enough that her business partner, Tony Zlatkin, had to take a job working nights at Walmart at $7.75 an hour to help make ends meet.
"And I would do it all over again," she said Wednesday. "I'm very, very satisfied. Most people working at Walmart know it's not a career. They're working second jobs like Tony, because this is the American reality."
Volchik said she's had to borrow money for the next two weeks, business has been so bad.
"But when it (Walmart) opens, I'm confident things will get better — much better."


text:
TA Instruments’ ElectroForce Group Moves to New Facility
TA Instruments announced recently that its ElectroForce Systems Group has moved to a new facility in Eden Prairie, Minn. The new facility is approximately 30% larger than the previous space and is a multi-use location that includes product development, customer service/support, and manufacturing.
“We continue to be excited about the growth potential for the ElectroForce products recently acquired from the Bose Corporation,” said Terry Kelly, president. “Our new facility is significantly larger than the previous facility, and gives TA the capacity to double or even triple the size of the ElectroForce business. Most importantly, it will be the focal point for customer service, applications support and new product development.”
For more information, visit www.tainstruments.com.


text:
The Nuttee Bean Co. is a new snack company that is based in South Florida but also selling to users worldwide. The company required a new website platform to engage visitors and help sell products online.
The new E-commerce site was built with WordPress and designed to excite users of all ages. The site integrates with a wide spectrum of platforms including QuickBooks, SOS Inventory, and MailChimp, which makes it easier track sales, inventory, and email funnels. The final result is a full powerhouse website, that keeps customers excited to come back.
June 23, 2016


text:
A poll on Singaporeans’ spending habits over the past three months found that they spent the most on food and beverages. A Singaporean could spend an average of $17,000 if he eats out every day for a year.
The key reason for such spending could be that Singaporeans prefer the ease of finding readily available cooked food to the hassle of preparing meals at home, according to the survey conducted by e-commerce company ShopBack.
Also, 50 per cent of respondents are willing to spend twice or more on a meal over the weekend. The average spend per meal is roughly $12 on a weekday and $24.50 on a weekend.
Do you eat out regularly and if so, how much do you spend per meal? Have you say in our poll and leave a comment below.


text:
Happy Meal toys blasted for being 'gender-specific'
Twitter users have responded with sarcasm to a proposed resolution by lawmakers in Michigan that would pressure fast-food chains such as McDonald’s to stop putting “gender-classified” toys in their kids’ meals.
“My, my name is Leslie Love. I just sponsored a bill about gender for toys at fast food restaurants because that is more important than better schools, infrastructure, city services and affordable housing,” snarked James (Scribner) Smith.
Smith was taking a shot at state Rep. Leslie Love, D-Detroit, who proposed House Resolution No. 49.
Love told the Daily Signal her aim is to stop fast-food chains from reinforcing gender stereotypes.
“I would visit fast food restaurants and when you go through the drive-thru they always ask if you want a girl’s toy or a boy’s toy, which was really annoying,” she complained. “Just offer people a toy … and move on with it. How do we get caught up in gender identity with a toy?”
But Smith was not the only Twitter user who found Love’s legislative priorities askew.
“Michigan lawmakers now targeting McDonalds kids meals. They want to legislate there be NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN BOY & GIRL TOYS,” wrote Cindyseestruth.
And PatriotandNationalist62 wrote, “So everything is running so well in Michigan they can waste time on fast food toys??”
Love stuck to her agenda, however.
“We’re telling them (children) in advance … that this toy equals a boy and this toy equals a girl. We’re setting up this prejudice in our children unconsciously, unknowingly. It has become so ingrained that this dysfunction is almost normal,” she said.
The proposal states: “If a customer desires a toy, it should be one of his or her choice without classification by gender. Customers should simply be offered the choice of toy.”
The resolution does include a reference to “her or her choice.”
The resolution list the purported negative effects of gender-codified fast-food toys, including “damage to the imagination and aspirations of children.”
Amy wrote on Twitter: “1% of the population is now ruining McDonald’s. UNHAPPY MEAL: Michigan Lawmakers Want to Ban Fast Food Chains from Officer ‘Gender-Specific’ Toys.”
Love told the Daily Signal she’s received positive responses to her plan. Her objective is to give fast food companies “an opportunity on their own to agree, take a look at their culture and see how they can do better.”
Such campaigns already have taken hold at companies such as Target, which many months ago promised to quit using the color blue for boys’ toys sections and pink for girls.
The resolution next is facing a vote in the Michigan House Commerce Committee.
( Source )


text:
KRA raises alarm over illicit China cigarettes
The taxman plans to enlist global help in the fight against trade in smuggled cigarettes from Europe, China and Dubai, which has partly hit excise tax collections.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) yesterday said the country will ratify the World Health Organisation’s treaty on combating illicit global trade in cigarettes before the July 2 deadline.
Countries that ratify the protocol are required to track and trace production and sale of tobacco in their jurisdictions, keep records as well as monitor and regulate transit and online sales.
Signatories are also obligated to share information, offer mutual legal assistance and extradite suspects in illicit tobacco trade.
The WHO’s Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, which was concluded in November 2012, requires signatures from 40 countries to become operational.
About 36 countries have ratified the protocol, and Kenya is seeking to be among four additional States required for it work.
“The tobacco chain globally is very complicated. We’ve seen, for example, evidence of tobacco that has found its way into our country from Montenegro,” said KRA commissioner-general John Njiraini. “And we have cases that we are investigating and we are making good progress.”
The KRA Excisable Goods Management System, implemented in 2013 and modified in 2016 to include smartphone verification capabilities, has capabilities to remotely track and trace excisable products such as cigarettes from factories through the markets.
Excise tax from cigarettes fell by 16 per cent in six month to last December, the KRA said without disclosing actual numbers.


text:
Posts tagged down
Within hours of stating it would not shut down one of the major forums sharing nude celebrity photos, Reddit did just that.
Yishan Wong wrote in a Saturday blog post that the site would not shut down the r/thefappening (where fap is slang for masturbation), one of the major distribution points for the photos, or other questionable forums.
Reddit removed the stolen celebrity photos soon after the leak, and according to Wong, Reddit’s employees “deplore the theft of these images and we do not condone their widespread distribution,” but was “unlikely to make changes” in spite of that.
“[W]e consider ourselves … the government of a new type of community. The role and responsibility of a government differs from that of a private corporation, in that it exercises restraint in the usage of its powers.”
However, Reddit was compelled to recede on its position and ban r/thefappening anyway. “What happened is that we wrote the blog post, and at approximately the same time, activity in that subreddit starting violating other rules we have which do trigger a ban, so we banned it,” Wong explained in an addendum to the blog post.
Predictably, the two events occurring at the same time caused a lot of confusion for Reddit’s users. Reddit employees worked to dispel them in a lengthy Q&A thread.
Jason Harvey (aka alienth), Reddit’s senior system administrator, wrote an introduction to the thread where he emphasized “the press and nature of this incident obviously made this issue extremely public, but it was not the reason why we did what we did.”
However, redditors were skeptical. The top comment brings up another subreddit that featured sexualized images of minors, which Reddit only banned in 2011 after it became CNN’s Anderson Cooper’s pet project.
“You’re doing the exact same thing you do every time there’s bad press. Deal with it at the last possible moment once there’s bad press forcing you to do so. Then you play it off like some moral revelation and use free speech as the reason why it doesn’t set a precedent.”
Reddit isn’t the only website attempting to wash its hands of this incident. Forum site 4chan, where the images are rumored to have originated, set up a new Digital Millennium Copyright Act policy page in the wake of the crime. Likewise, the Prostate Cancer Foundation rejected r/thefappenings’ donations to their cause, stating “we would never condone raising funds for cancer research in this manner.”
Photo by Eva Blue
View full post on ReadWrite
Millions of photo links across Twitter will soon succumb to linkrot. The service Twitpic, once a primary avenue for posting images to the microblogging service, is shutting down.
So get ready to export all your photos, because as of September 25, they’ll be gone for good.
In a blog post, Twitpic said it is winding down because of pressure from Twitter over its name. It claims Twitter demanded it drop its application to trademark the Twitpic name, originally filed in 2009. If it didn’t, Twitter allegedly threatened a death sentence of sorts. Technically, it would have cut off Twitpic’s access to the application programming interface (see our API explainer) that lets users post links to Twitpic images directly on Twitter.
“Unfortunately we do not have the resources to fend off a large company like Twitter to maintain our mark which we believe whole heartedly is rightfully ours,” Twitpic founder Noah Everett wrote. So the company decided to close down instead.
Twitpic hasn’t provided a way to export photos yet, but Everett said the option will be available within the next few days.
The Mark, Not The Name
Twitter says Twitpic was free to continue using its name, but defended its trademark request as necessary to protect its brand. As a Twitter spokesperson put it in a statement emailed by the company:
We’re sad to see Twitpic is shutting down. We encourage developers to build on top of the Twitter service, as Twitpic has done for years, and we made it clear that they could operate using the Twitpic name. Of course, we also have to protect our brand, and that includes trademarks tied to the brand.
One possibility for Twitter’s intransigence on this point: If Twitpic won a trademark on its name, that might have set a precedent for other companies to similarly claim other variations on names starting with “Twit” name. That would obviously be an undesirable outcome from Twitter’s perspective.
So why didn’t Twitpic just keep the name and drop the trademark suit? A company’s unique identity is tied to their brand, and by trademarking a name, it ensures no one else can use it. Had Twitpic caved on this point, there wouldn’t have been anything to stop other companies from using its name in potentially unwelcome ways.
Twitpic could have also chosen to rename itself. Considering Twitter roadblocked the initial trademark attempt, though, it likely would have run into trouble with any other name bearing a resembance to “Twitter” as well.
Twitter-Centric Photo Sharing Apps Are Basically Pointless, Anyway
There may be another reason Twitpic chose to throw in the towel—namely, the fact that its service was apparently dwindling in popularity as Twitter itself shouldered it aside.
Twitpic and similar services such as yFrog rose to prominence five or so years ago by giving users a way to share photos directly on Twitter. But when Twitter dropped support for third-party photo sharing applications in 2012, and then created its own Instagram-like filters for images, third-party applications fell by the wayside.
Until recently, Twitpic remained the best service for uploading animated GIFs to share with friends, as Twitter didn’t support them. Then Twitter unveiled in-line GIF support, and Twitpic’s best argument for sticking around disappeared.
Twitpic might not have the resources to battle with Twitter over trademark issues, but it also may have just resigned itself to the inevitable: Twitter has rounded out its features to the point that users don’t need third-party photo services.
Lead image by Homard.net
View full post on ReadWrite
YouTube achieved peak troll this week when PewDiePie, video gamer star of the video-sharing community’s most popular channel ever, disabled comments, cutting off onsite communication with his more-than 30 million subscribers.
In a video titled “Goodbye Forever Comments,” PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, addresses his fans, whom he affectionately calls “bros,” and explains that communicating with his fans in the YouTube comments system is almost impossible because of the overwhelming amount of spam and trolling:
“It’s been bothering me for so long now, I’ve been trying to find solutions to it. I was hoping that it would get better, I was hoping YouTube would try and figure a way out, but it doesn’t seem like it. I’m just sick of it, so I’m going to turn off the comments forever, they’re not coming back. I wouldn’t say that we lose something, I would say we’re taking the next step in the right direction, because it’s been going on for too long, these comments being shit.”
For the uninitiated, YouTube comments have long been a miserable cesspool of near-illiterate insults, obscenities and spam. There was never a time I’ve scrolled down to read comments on a YouTube video (whatever video it may be) and thought to myself, “why yes, that was a good idea.”
This is a widely-shared sentiment amongst YouTube users, and yet the trolls keep coming. Now that the Google-owned site is spending big bucks on making its homegrown stars household names, the time for a fix is long overdue.
It was only in May of this year that Kjellberg seemed to have a better handle on the comments system, posting a video titled “Mean Comments” where the YouTube gamer read and made good-natured fun of the troll comments on his videos.
YouTube has tried to remedy their comment situation in the past. In September 2013, the company integrated Google+ to YouTube, so that comments from recognizable profiles were prioritized. With Google+, YouTube users were also encouraged to use their real names, which forced some less-than-pleasant users to come out from anonymity.
After much pushback, this implementation ended in July 2014, when YouTube ended all restrictions on usernames that one could choose for the site. And once again, the trolls reared their ugly heads.
So what happens now? YouTube’s number one creator and veritable face of the brand has effectively cut off a significant portion of the video site as if it were an infected limb. Kjellberg would rather interact with his 30 million fans elsewhere, rather than the one part of the site that is meant for communication. That alone should send a message to YouTube loud and clear.
The message is this: YouTube, get your comments system together.
YouTube is heading on a high-speed train towards mainstream media, and will now be competing with Amazon-acquired Twitch, the livestreaming gaming site whose community chat is an integral part of its service. Service which is drawing millions of new users per month. Your move, YouTube.
Images courtesy of PewDiePie
View full post on ReadWrite
Facebook recently announced some some improvements to its News that promise weed out posts that users don’t want to see anymore because they’re too “spammy”. Facebook will be updating its News Feed algorithm to reduce click-baiting headlines, and to help people see links that Facebook says are in the “best format”. Facebook’s Plans To Crush Click-Bait Facebook defines “click-bait” as: “Click-baiting” is when a publisher posts a link with a headline that encourages people to click to see more, without telling them much information about what they will see. Posts like these tend to get a lot of clicks, which […]
The post Facebook Cracks Down On Clickbait With An Update To The News Feed by @mattsouthern appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
View full post on Search Engine Journal
Secret, the anonymous application that lets users post random comments and share them with friends, is finally doing something about bullying.
Secret now uses sentiment analysis to determine if someone is posting something against the app’s guidelines—like a harassing comment—and will prompt users to rethink their posts if so. If someone posts it anyway, the Secret team will review the post, and block it if they find it in violation of its policies. Real names will also be blocked from the site whenever possible.
The changes were announced in a blog post on Friday.
It’s a much-needed update to the app that’s become one of Silicon Valley’s most popular Burn Books. Rumors that start on Secret have spilled out into online conversation, including a bunch of actual news about the tech industry.
Of course, many rumors are false. Earlier this year, prominent developer Julie Ann Horvath was the subject of gossip on the mobile application, and in response, she publicly told the real story behind her departure from GitHub, which included accusing company leadership of harassment.
Gossip transcends Silicon Valley—though it’s certainly polarizing in the Bay Area, Secret’s home. On Thursday, Secret was pulled from the App Store in Brazil because under Brazilian law, anonymous free expression is forbidden.
Creating A More Positive Environment
Secret has tried to solve it’s bullying problem before. But as Fortune writer Dan Primack discovered, the app’s flagging system and algorithm that detects certain keywords was not enough.
Now, though, by enabling more extensive anti-bullying measures, Secret can create a safer space and cut down on the anonymous mudslinging.
I’ve found that Secret can be a positive place, when you start to weed out all the poison. I often see inspiring and sometimes heartbreaking stories that, for whatever reason, people don’t feel like they can post them anywhere else.
Adding Photos And Polls
Along with the anti-harassment updates, Secret prevents people from uploading photos from their own photo libraries.
People can now search for and add photos from Flickr to use as the image behind their secret, similar to another anonymous app, Whisper. However, the app still lets users take photos in real-time, so it won’t necessarily prevent people from accidentally (or purposely) shrugging the anonymity.
The app also added a polling feature that lets users ask their friends questions, and see responses in real-time.
Images courtesy of Secret.
View full post on ReadWrite
Pity poor Hadoop. The open-source software framework is virtually synonymous with the Big Data movement. Yet one of its earliest, biggest users has joined a chorus of critics, charging Hadoop with being “unpredictable” and “risky.” Others, like Gartner’s Merv Adrian, worry about its weak security provisions.
See also: Hadoop: What It Is And How It Works
Despite these (mostly) valid concerns, people and organizations are still lining up to adopt Hadoop, which makes it possible to store and process huge amounts of data on clusters of commodity hardware. Let’s assume for the sake of argument that the entire planet hasn’t just been hoodwinked into the Hadoop embrace. Why does it remain so successful?
Loopholes In Hadoop
As the poster child for the Big Data movement, it’s not surprising that Hadoop is often given a free pass when it comes to many of its weaknesses. Still, there are an awful lot of them.
As one of the earliest users of Hadoop at Yahoo!, Sean Suchter seems qualified to point out Hadoop’s weak operational capabilities. Among the concerns he highlights:
Hadoop can usually ensure that a data job completes, but it is unable to guarantee when the job will be completed. Hadoop jobs often take longer to run than anticipated, making it risky to depend on the job output in production applications. When a critical production job is running, other, lower-priority jobs can sometimes swallow up the cluster’s hardware resources, like disk and network, creating serious resource contentions that ultimately can result in critical production jobs failing to complete safely and on time.
And then there’s security. Gartner analyst Merv Adrian polled enterprises for their biggest barriers to Hadoop adoption. Among unsurprising results like “undefined value proposition,” Adrian was particularly interested by how few seemed to care about Hadoop’s security:
In response, he says, “Can it be that people believe Hadoop is secure? Because it certainly is not. At every layer of the stack, vulnerabilities exist, and at the level of the data itself there [are] numerous concerns.”
Given the type of data—e.g., credit card transaction data, health data, etc.—commonly being used with Hadoop, it’s surprising that so few seem to be thinking about security. But it’s also surprising that these and other concerns don’t seem to be holding back Hadoop adoption.
The Hadoop Train Has Left The Station
And let’s be clear: none of these concerns has slowed Hadoop’s rise. As IDC finds, over half of enterprises have either deployed or are planning to deploy Hadoop within the next year, with over 100,000 people listing Hadoop as part of their talent profile on LinkedIn:
In part this broad adoption reflects a characteristic of Hadoop: It’s open source and encourages data exploration in a way that traditional technologies like enterprise data warehouses cannot. As Alex Popescu notes, Hadoop “allows experimenting and trying out new ideas, while continuing to accumulate and storing your data.”
Developers and other users know it’s complex and understand its other limitations, but the upside of quickly downloading the technology and using it to store and analyze large quantities of data is too tempting.
Also, there seems to be a growing awareness that the pace of innovation in the Hadoop community is so fast that today’s challenges will likely be resolved by tomorrow. As such, Forrester analyst Mike Gualtieri declares that “[t]he Hadoop open source community and commercial vendors are innovating like gangbusters to make Hadoop an enterprise staple” to the point that it will “become must-have infrastructure for large enterprises.”
And, Not Or
One other reason that Hadoop has proved so successful is that it’s not really growing at anyone’s expense. Hadoop doesn’t displace existing data infrastructure, it just adds to it.
As Cloudera’s Christophe Bisciglia notes:
Rather than replace existing systems, Hadoop augments them by offloading the particularly difficult problem of simultaneously ingesting, processing and delivering/exporting large volumes of data so existing systems can focus on what they were designed to do.
Still, while Hadoop isn’t likely to replace an enterprise data warehouse today, relative interest in Hadoop is booming relative to its EDW peers:
Hadoop isn’t perfect. It’s not manna from heaven that will feed billions or foster world peace. But it’s promising enough that enterprises are willing to overlook its problems today to benefit from its power tomorrow.
Lead image by Arpit Gupta
View full post on ReadWrite
The Google Doodle for August 11 and 12 in many parts of the world highlights the annual August meteor shower NASA considers the year’s best.
View full post on Search Engine Watch – Latest
Amazon Web Services is already the 800-pound gorilla in cloud. It offers five times the utilized compute capacity of its next 14 competitors combined and is arguably the fastest-growing software business in history. According to Amazon CTO Werner Vogels, however, this isn’t nearly ambitious enough. AWS aims to become an 800,000-pound gorilla.
That’s because Amazon isn’t in the business of “infrastructure as a service,” as the process of setting data services such as storage and computation is dubbed in a jargony way. According to Vogels, Amazon is in “the business of pain management for enterprises.” And there’s a whole lot of pain to manage these days.
Amazon’s Dominance Problem
While not a bully, Amazon tends to dominate the markets it gets into. In retail this means that Amazon outsells its nine closest competitors, combined. While we like to fixate on the success of Apple stores, they move just a fraction of the product Amazon sells, according to data from Internet Retailer:
Amazon’s retail business generates roughly $70 billion in revenues. In an interview with Recode, Vogels insisted that Amazon has every intention of making AWS as big or bigger than its retail operations:
This is a business that will be as big as our retail businesses if not bigger.… It took us six years, or until 2012, to get to 1 trillion objects stored. Then it took us one more year to get to 2 trillion. So that’s an indication of the speed of growth. To my eyes, that it only took a year to get to 2 trillion, it looks like the onset of a hockey stick.
In other words, that huge delta between AWS and its cloud rivals? Amazon expects it to get even bigger.
Competitors? What Competitors?
When asked about competitors, Vogels was quick to assert that Amazon doesn’t think about what other cloud providers are doing except “when we want to understand why someone might want to choose something other than AWS.”
Let’s assume he’s telling the truth, and the company is completely customer-centric, and not too bothered by what Microsoft or Google might be up to (which might not be wise, as I’ve argued here and here).
The reality, however, is that AWS is a bigger threat by far to established software companies than to cloudy new providers. As Credit Suisse IT executive Zohar Melamed states it:
In other words, Amazon’s rise, as troubling as it may be to its cloud competitors, spells the end of an enterprise software era. That’s got to keep the Oracles of the world up at night.
So competitors should be worried, but what about customers? With so much of modern workloads running on AWS, do enterprises risk locking themselves into the next Microsoft?
Vogels, of course, says no way:
[Amazon has] worked really hard at not locking our customers in…. There’s no lock-in. Many of our services are really accessible from standard protocols. I’ve never gotten any feedback from our customers saying “please don’t build this.” They all say “please build more….” It’s the same story around standardization. I’ve yet to have a customer say they’re not going to use our stuff because it’s not standardized.
Yet according to one AWS partners, Eucalyptus CEO Marten Mickos, the only real way to avoid lock-in is through standardized open source software. As Mickos writes, “What to a customer first looked like an exciting new piece of software—easy to try, no strings attached—soon infests the organization and isn’t quite as easy to remove.” So, he suggests, “By using industry-standard open source software products, you reduce your lock-in down to an absolute minimum.”
AWS runs on a lot of open-source software, of course, but it’s not open source itself. While I doubt AWS spends any time trying to find ways to lock its customers in, the reality is that many will be.
Not because the code is closed so much as because we keep wanting to build more and more within AWS, just as we used to want to build everything with the Microsoft stack. In sum, while one day we may regret our new Amazon overlord, it seems we’re currently all too content to push as much of our IT onto Vogel’s shoulders as possible.
Lead image of Amazon CTO Werner Vogels by Flickr user The Next Web Photos, CC 2.0
View full post on ReadWrite
Yahoo has announced another round of product cuts and changes, all part of what it calls a continued effort on “furthering our focus.” The most notable cut announced today is the upcoming closure of both Yahoo Voices (voices.yahoo.com) and the Yahoo Contributor Network…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.


text:
A bit of positive news to brighten the mid-winter gloom never goes amiss. So the pronouncements of the IMF's World Economic Outlook update this month, forecasting global growth to average 3.7% in 2014, rising to 3.9% in 2015, will doubtless be welcomed by businesses across all sectors.
Growth (in terms of GDP) in the US is expected to be 2.8% in 2014, up from 1.9% in 2013, while the Eurozone is said to be "turning the corner from recession to recovery", with growth projected to strengthen to 1% in 2014 and 1.4% in 2015.
The UK economy is predicted, to the surprise of most, to show some signs of a pick-up: the IMF has upped its forecast for UK growth to 2.4% in 2014 from last October's 1.9%. Perhaps more significantly still, the UK's quarterly unemployment rate has dropped dramatically to 7.1% of the workforce, falling by 167,000 to 2.32m compared with the previous quarter - news greeted as a pleasant surprise all round. At the same time, the numbers for those in work in the UK also rose sharply, by 280,000 to 30.15m, "the largest rise since records began in 1971", according to ft.com
However let's not get too excited too fast. These are 'macro' figures, and the ordinary consumer on the street is reportedly still very much feeling the pain of pay rates lagging behind the rising cost of living. With the next UK general election now not much more than a year away, though, we can probably expect a little lightening of the austerity burden to be announced before the end of the year.
Having said that, forecasts are just forecasts, of course, and who knows what will crop up in the coming months.
In the packaging industry specifically, January saw the release of a new in-depth study, Packaging Trends: The future of manufacturing - from GEPPIA, the French Packaging & Processing Machinery Trade Association - which can be downloaded free at www.packaging-trends.com
The fundamentals remain, the report's summary says, of "reducing environmental footprint, avoiding food waste, protecting consumers, economising raw materials, and optimising used materials".
However the principal role of packaging is still to sell and protect the products within.
In the report's section on the importance of adapting to all distribution channels, L'Oréal packaging & development director Philippe Thuvien says that packaging and design are "key vectors of innovation in the world of cosmetics, especially in the current global economic environment" of demands for ever-faster innovation processes - it's an area we touch on in this issue in our 'Dispensing solutions' and 'Personal care' features this month.
Concluding the report, Emballage magazine chief editor Henri Saporta adds that the industry's future remains "forever intertwined
with recycling and sustainability".


text:
Kingpins24 Launches as Virtual Complement to Kingpins Brand
After producing a reported 88 shows together in 10 cities including New York, Amsterdam and Hong Kong, Kingpins founder Andrew Olah and the show’s managing director, Vivian Wang, introduced the brand’s first Zoom-hosted digital event April 22–23. Taking place during the dates that were originally intended for the Amsterdam edition of Kingpins at SugarCity, the virtual event adhered to the city’s local time beginning at 9 a.m. CET. According to Olah, the entire Kingpins team pitched in to produce the virtual show within a four-week time frame following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We learned a lot through this. There was a tremendous amount of learning that goes in and we wanted the experience. That is the reason we signed onto it so quickly and aggressively. We said, ‘Let’s do something for our community, but let’s also learn something and see what is here.’”
In addition to interviews with denim experts such as Stefano Aldighieri of Another Design Studio and Lycra’s Jean Hegedus, Kingpins also afforded opportunities for partners who would have exhibited at the physical show to present their brands and mission through presentations. There was also room to have a bit of fun with vintage commercials from denim brands including Lee and Levi’s and a virtual happy hour to close the first day.
“The exhibitors were happy that we did something for the industry and let them participate and talk to their community,” Olah said. “Everybody got some energy from that because they had a project to do and the project was talking to customers, which is what we all want to do. This was a mass event. This was something that we could all do together.”
The show afforded opportunities for denimheads to examine how the business will change as companies find new ways to conduct business. Priorities will also shift with consumer demands changing to ensure health and safety.
“When we traveled to China, Japan and Korea, most people were wearing masks when going out. To us, it was a little bizarre, and now the mask is going to be the number-one thing people will be buying,” Aldighieri said. “It will be a different landscape.”
One of the largest topics of conversation during Kingpins24 was sustainability, a timely subject considering the shrinking carbon footprint of the apparel industry as many professionals work remotely.
During a panel led by Kerry Bannigan, founder of the Conscious Fashion Campaign in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, panelists discussed the future of trade shows. While this industry that relies so heavily on tactile experiences will need on-site events, panelists envisioned fresh approaches, such as Adam Taubenfligel of Triarchy Denim, who recognized an opportunity when his budget opened up following event cancellations starting in March.
“We look at how we spend to go to these events that could be digital and how we could take the extra resources and invest them into the companies that are trying to make our lives easier,” he said. “It creates an eco-system where the denim brands are helping the companies that are trying to make our lives easier and the planet better.”
For Olah, the denim industry needs a physical space to come together, study fresh methods in production and examine new product, but, in the meantime, his team is planning to host a June virtual edition around the time when Kingpins New York would have taken place June 2–3 at Pier 36’s Basketball City, though details have not yet been announced. Despite denim’s reliance on physical trade shows, he feels smaller conferences and seminars could be more useful in a digital format.
“Most surprising for us was how we could do more with our seminars with people from all different countries to put on a great seminar. It was a lot easier for us to put on a great seminar. Moving forward, I think it’s something we can do frequently and do really well digitally,” he said. “We can go all over the world.”


text:
Online Purchase Plans By Category & Region, September 2014 [TABLE]
Consumers around the world tend to be more likely to shop for than buy products online, although the gap between browsing and buying is relatively small for most product categories, according to a new study from Nielsen. In its analysis of 22 B2C product categories, Nielsen found buying intentions to be as high as browsing behavior in 13, with more buying than browsing in only one. That said, purchase intentions are on the rise. Read the rest at MarketingCharts.


text:
Tag: Jeff Hamlin
Judge Flunks Case Against LabMD, FTC Appeals
In March 2015, I wrote about the ongoing dispute between the FTC and LabMD, an Atlanta-based cancer screening laboratory, and looked at whether the FTC has the authority to take enforcement action over data-security practices alleged to be insufficient and therefore “unfair” under section 5(n) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTCA”). On November 13,… Read More
In 2016- Who Will (Finally) Say Yes To Regulated Online Gaming?
*This article first appeared in the January 2016 issue of eGR North America Magazine Pennsylvania is the most likely, and has been making slow but relatively steady progress since it commissioned a study into online gaming back in 2014. Since then, several bills have been introduced. Efforts have stalled, but not as in other jurisdictions where… Read More


text:
Tesco To Source More Seafood In A Sustainable Way
British supermarket giant Tesco has announced a number of measures, which will see it source more of the seafood it sells in a sustainable way, in partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council.
To achieve this, Tesco is rapidly expanding the MSC-ecolabel scheme for pre-packed and frozen fish sold in Tesco stores; introducing MSC-certified fish to its 656 fish counters, making sustainable fish accessible to shoppers across the UK; and ensuring that all tuna sold at Tesco stores is sourced in a sustainable way, whether own label or branded.
Tesco introduced the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel across 28 different types of chilled prepacked fish, including cod fillets, smoked kippers, haddock fishcakes and fish fingers, in April.
In May it will introduce the label to its 656 fish counters across the UK, and later this year will introduce it to relevant frozen fish lines too.
The MSC sets the world standard for sustainable fishing, and the ecolabel is an easily recognisable way for customers to be sure they are buying environmentally sustainable fish.
Tesco has also made a further commitment on sustainable tuna. Since 2012, all Tesco's own-brand tuna has been fished using the sustainable pole and line method.
This approach was then extended for tuna used as an ingredient in own-brand sandwiches, pastas and salads. Because of the importance of a collaborative industry effort to ensure globally sustainable tuna, Tesco is now extending the same sustainability requirements to branded tuna products.
The grocer will allow brands sufficient time to meet these requirements, but expect their plans to be ambitious, credible and publically communicated.
Tim Smith, group quality director for Tesco, said: “Customers tell us it's important they can be sure the fish on our shelves is caught in a way that maintains healthy fish stocks and doesn't cause harm to other sea life or the ocean environment. Rapidly expanding the amount of MSC ecolabel fish on our shelves and counters will make sustainably sourced fish affordable and accessible for shoppers across Britain.”
Rupert Howes, chief executive of MSC added, “Tesco's commitment to MSC certified seafood is helping to ensure the future health of the world's oceans."
As the UK's biggest supermarket chain, Tesco is uniquely positioned to help British shoppers to put MSC ecolabelled, sustainable fish on the table, he said.
"By helping their customers to choose certified sustainable seafood, they are also helping them to recognise and reward sustainable fishing, ensuring healthy fish stocks, and healthy oceans for generations to come.”
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.


text:
March 15 by Gene Eun
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, goes into full effect on May 25, 2018. Remarkably, some organizations are still processing how the regulation impacts them and determining what they need to do to comply. In fact, Gartner predicts “by May 25, 2018, less than 20% of all organizations worldwide will fully comply with the EU’s GDPR.” At its core, this regulation is designed to give citizens of the EU increased control over their personal data and reflects today’s digital world by modernizing data protection under a single set of rules. Many security experts believe this to be Europe’s most significant change to data protection laws in decades, imposing strict rules on those storing and “processing” EU personal data, anywhere in the world.
GDPR and Personal Data
Today, many aspects of our lives revolve around our personal data. Whether shopping or banking online, engaging in social media, or simply checking email, our names, addresses, phone numbers, and credit card numbers are being collected, analyzed, and stored by hundreds, if not thousands of organizations. Organizations and individuals collecting the personal data of anyone residing in any of the EU member states will be subject to the regulation and failure to comply carries a stiff financial penalty of up to €20 million or 4% of their worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher. Some of the key privacy requirements to comply with the GDPR include:
• Securely transferring data across borders
• Anonymizing collected personal data
• Notifying individuals in the event of data security breaches
• Appointing a data protection officer to oversee GDPR compliance
While using the Apttus Intelligent Middle Office Platform™ won’t ensure customers are GDPR compliant, Apttus’ solutions will help businesses address the key privacy requirements by making it easy to identify, categorize, and manage personal data. To learn about the GDPR and how Apttus can help your business on its journey to compliance, read our new white paper How Apttus Can Help You Achieve GDPR Compliance.


text:
Mattress Firm sues Colliers office, 3 execs
Chain claims Atlanta broker paid kickbacks by inflating store rents.
A national retail mattress chain has sued an Atlanta-based commercial real estate broker, alleging a scheme of fraud and kickbacks.
Mattress Firm, a 3,500-store chain, charged Colliers International’s Atlanta office, a senior vice president and two former executives in the office, with inflating rents paid by the company stores, as well as “bribes, high-priced gifts and kickbacks from developers,” according to Bisnow, an internet website devoted to news about commercial real estate.
More than 800 stores were allegedly involved, according to Bisnow, which reported that the executives included in the suit are Bruce Levy and Ryan Vinson.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle has also reported the suit.
An attorney for Alexander Deitch, the senior vice president, told Bisnow that his client denied the charges. The attorney said that he expected the two other executives to deny the charges as well.
The suit was filed in a filed in Texas court last month.
The charges revolve around an alleged arrangement in which many properties were owned by a small group of developers who received inflated rents from Mattress Firm and then paid kickbacks to Colliers, Levy and Vinson.
Mattress Firm has not named a dollar figure for the damages it believes it sustained and wishes in compensation, but the suit mentions payments amounting to more than $40 million beyond the true market value of the properties, Bisnow reported.
The website said Levy and Vinson were fired last year as an inquiry into the deals began.
Sources told Deitch that he has been let go from Colliers. He is no longer listed as part of the leadership team on the company website, although his LinkedIn page still identifies him as a Colliers SVP.


text:
It's a bird, it's a plane ... no, it's a flying burrito.
Chipotle and Google parent Alphabet's Project Wing are launching a pilot program that will deliver burritos via drones to starving Virginia Tech students in Blacksburg, VA. Bloomberg's Alan Levin was first to uncover the story.
"It's the first time that we're actually out there delivering stuff to people who want that stuff," Dave Vos, who heads Project Wing, told Bloomberg.
The experimental service — the most comprehensive test yet of what companies like Amazon and Walmart hope will become normal delivery protocol — has the full approval of the Federal Aviation Administration.
For students, it's surely a worthy endeavor, but safety must not be compromised in the process. Thus the the burrito-bearing drones, described as "self-guided hybrids that can fly like a plane or hover like a helicopter," will have actual human pilots standing by to take over in the event of an emergency situation, and to comply with FAA rules. The drones will hover in the air and deliver their cargo using a winch, according to Bloomberg.
It's actually part of a very serious effort on the part of Virginia Tech to become a leader in new transportation technology, school President Timothy Sands told Bloomberg.
"It sounds simple, but it's not," Sands said. "There are a lot of things to work out from a safety point of view and a policy point of view," he told Bloomberg.


text:
The online train ticket purchase service was temporarily closed due to a change in the service provider of Bangladesh Railway. However, it was resumed on March 26, 2022, but passengers suffered from booking seats due to server problems, OTP and website loading. The new e-ticketing service provider, Shohoz Distribution Company Ltd., claims that they are the victims of a cyberattack, although Railway authorities did not confirm yet. Instead, they say the pressure to purchase tickets has caused the problem. So, it is said that Shohoz Suspects Cyberattack on Online Train Ticketing.
Farhat Ahmed, the Manager of Public Relations of Shohoz Ltd, said, “Our engineers are working on it. We are trying our best to activate the fast e-ticketing system. Only online has this stalemate been created. But there was no problem with the computerized program in different stations.”
However, Additional Director General (Operations) of Railways, Sardar Shahadat Ali said, “I have not heard of any cyber attack. However, I heard that there were some problems. We have been informed that there is a capacity problem as about two lakh people enter to buy tickets at the same time.”
Deputy Director of Railways Nahid Hasan Khan said, “The previous online ticketing system had over 4 million registrations. They have to re-register, so the pressure on the server has dropped a bit. Occasionally the server goes down, but after a while, it gets better. And today is the first day; there must be a minor problem. That doesn’t mean ticketing is off. “
Earlier, another technology company CNS was coming up with the e-ticketing service of Railways. Bangladesh Railway has agreed with two other companies to manage train tickets for five years. Shohoz Ltd. with Synesis IT Ltd and Vincen Consultancy Pvt Limited, jointly launched the new platform. Prior to that, train tickets were sold through CNS’s site, but they will be available on Railways’ site (www.eticket.rancil.gov.bd).
To explore more articles from Business Cloud, Please Click Here!


text:
The new coronavirus outbreak has given a big boost to domestic travel here amid disrupted air travel. But for some vacationers, visiting tourist attractions or using lodging facilities could still be the last thing they want to do.
Against this backdrop, a new non-contact travel trend has gained traction in South Korea as more people are turning their eyes to outdoor camping and "chabak," a newly coined word that means sleeping and staying in a car during travel.
A 31-year-old office worker, surnamed Kang, said he visited Gapyeong, northeast of Seoul, in July to enjoy camping with his friend as the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted his plan for overseas travel.
"With a borrowed camping car, I had fun when I grilled barbecue on a fire. For city dwellers, making a camping trip could be a refreshing experience," he said.
Local retailers and foodmakers have been quick to meet high demand for such camping goods and are witnessing a sharp rise in sales.
"Camping and chabak have emerged as a new trend (for travel) during summer vacations as people can set up a private space and reduce contacts," an official at Lotte Mart said.
Chabak, in particular, has gained momentum as it involves easy mobility and does not require many camping goods.
Reflecting the popularity of the new travel trend, sales of camping equipment, including chairs and tables, jumped 103.7 percent in the June 1-July 25 period compared with the same period of last year, according to Lotte Mart.
Sales of camping bedding gained 37.6 percent and tents shot up 55.4 percent on-year in the cited period, it added.
SSG.COM, the online shopping unit of retail conglomerate Shinsegae, said chabak-related goods, including tents connected to sports utility vehicles (SUV) and inflatable mattresses, saw explosive sales growth in June and July.
Sales of SUV tents and inflatable mattresses jumped 664 percent and 90 percent respectively in the June 1-July 27 period, compared with the same period of last year.
"The products appeared to be popular as chabak travel can allow people to choose vacation spots freely and minimize the risk of having contact with others," an SSG.COM official said.
Demand for small-sized suitcases also rose among people in their 20s and 30s after the country was swept by the craze for Starbucks Korea's seasonal promotional suitcase, called the summer ready bag, this summer.
The hype to secure pink or green summer ready bags and one of three camping chairs offered under Starbucks' "e-frequency" rewards program recently ran high enough to see the formation of long queues in front of Starbucks outlets nationwide at dawn.
Reflecting the popularity of camping, the number of vehicles revamped to be used as camping cars nearly tripled in the first half of the year from the previous year on high demand for camping and eased regulations, according to the transportation ministry.
The number of such revamped camping cars reached 3,214 in the January-June period, up from 1,119 units.
Korean foodmakers are also in a rush to roll out easy-to-eat meals targeting camping clans.
Hyundai Green Food, an affiliate of Hyundai Department Store, launched the camping meal kit brand named Cam Meal in June.
With half-cooked meal products involving beef and pork, people can easily eat them by boiling or grilling them.
Harim Co., the country's largest poultry-processing company, released a cube-sized chicken meat, saying that people can conveniently make grilled chicken skewers with the product and vegetables. (Yonhap)


text:
Air Cargo Route Brings In $20m USD In 6 Months
The Head of the Public Relations Office of the Senior Advisor to the President in Banking and Finance, Sameer Rasa, on Sunday said since the launch of the air cargo corridor between Afghanistan and New Delhi, in India, six months ago, fresh produce, dried fruit and medicinal plants to the value of $20 million USD has been exported to India.
According to Rasa it is expected that within two days, cargo flights will also be launched to Mumbai in India.
Rasa said that in the six months since the launch of the cargo route, 10,640 tons of fresh and dried fruit, medicinal plants and handcrafts have been exported to Indian markets.
“On Wednesday we will open the second air corridor from Afghanistan to another important city in India and this is based on demand from traders,” Rasa said.
In addition, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said that the establishment of air corridors between Afghanistan and India is key to boosting exports to India and also to the rest of the world.
“When we look back at our exports in the past six months the total volume of our exports in which the air corridor had a significant role, we have seen a dramatic increase and it totals – in the six months – to about $398 million USD,” said Atiqullah Nusrat, deputy head of ACCI.
“The government must manage air cargo routes properly between Afghanistan and India so as to increase the country’s export level,” said Nabi Sadat an economic analyst.
This comes amid ongoing talks between government and the private sector to open up other air cargo routes to foreign countries.
But some businessmen have said that government needs to focus on attracting investment for the packaging sector for agricultural products if it wants to increase its exports.


text:
Online fashion sales are growing in the UK. It rose for a successive 3 months in September as consumers are buying for the coming winter. The garment sector, which was one of the hardest hits by the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, witnessed 7.9% year-on-year sales rise in contrast to last month’s 6.8% rise.
These findings were published by IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index, which monitors the online sales performance of over 200 retailers.
Experts thinks that the increase was perhaps due to the seasonal change and included encouraging growth for menswear sales, which were up 20.5% year-on-year against a year-to-date average of -10.3% – but further disappointment for footwear sales with a decline of 6.9%.
As COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were reinstated in September, online sales in general catchup with the expected seasonal growth.
In contrast to the spending inflations perceived during phase one of the lockdown, last month logged a steady seasonal online sales growth of 42% year-on-year – below the peak growth of 51% in June, but still very strong. Month-on-month, sales were up 5.35%.
Echoing sales figures from the last six months, multichannel retailers continued to strongly outperform their online only counterparts, recording growth of 62.7% versus 19.6%.