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Chase closing some Arizona branches due to coronavirus
Chase, which operates the largest number of bank branches in Arizona, said it will temporarily close about one-fifth of its outlets because of the coronavirus scare.
The company is shutting down 1,000 of its 5,000 branches nationally, including an unspecified number in Arizona. Most branches will stay open but now feature shortened hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Wells Fargo has closed some of its branches, too.
"We are enhancing social-distancing measures, utilizing drive ups in some cases instead of lobbies, staggering staff and shifts, relocating employees to busier branches and temporarily closing some branches," said spokeswoman Liana Enriquez. "We also encourage our customers to use our mobile and online banking tools."
A Bank of America spokesman said the company's branches remain open.
Chase had 232 Arizona offices as of mid-2019, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. That was slightly above the 228 for Wells Fargo, with Bank of America third with 132. Combined, the three companies operate about 51% of all bank branches in Arizona.
Branch visits comparatively rare
But unlike with shopping centers, restaurants, bars and sporting venues, most bank customers might not care much about the temporary closures. Only about 17% of adults listed branch visits as the way they interact with banks most often.
Rather, about 75% cited online or mobile apps as their preferred method, according to the survey of more than 2,000 adults last October by the American Bankers Association. ATMs, phone calls and mail interactions rounded out the remaining responses.
Even among people ages 65 and up, only 26% said they preferred to deal with banks in branches. Branch use was much lower among younger adults.
Chase has an online tool to help customers learn about affected branches: https://locator.chase.com/?locale=en_US
Other employee benefits
In announcing the closures, Chase noted that its financial advisers, small business bankers, home-lending advisors and certain other employees have the ability to work from home and will do so starting March 19.
Most of the branches that remain open have drive-up windows or teller-partition glass to help safeguard employees and customers.
Chase said it will provide free meals to employees in various operations centers and will relax its usual dress code. Also, employees will receive two additional paid days off and will have additional time to use vacation days left over from 2019.
Reach the reporter at email@example.com or 602-444-8616.


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RedEaredSlider (1855926) writes "YouTube could become the latest to offer a movie rental service, challenging streaming sites such as Netflix.
Google is lining up deals with major Hollywood studios in order to launch the service. An anonymous executive at a studio that has signed on said Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Brothers, Lionsgate and Universal have all licensed their movies to the service. Not everyone is on board — Paramount, Fox and Disney declined to join."
Link to Original Source

domain: news


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The series Hunter X Hunter has been on hiatus for more than two years, during which time the author Yoshihiro Togashi did not set an exact date for the continuation of the adventures of Gon and his companions, but according to what was announced in the latest issue of the famous magazine Weekly Shonen Jump, new information will be released next week.
As you can see in the post at the bottom of the news shared on Twitter by user @HxHStuff is a short article by WSJ 45 would have confirmed that there will be news of new items for the series merchandise and an unspecified "other" in the next release, scheduled for Friday October 16, which he did immediately Think of a possible return to the fantastic and dangerous world of the hunter.
Although many opera fans have since surrendered to the irregular production pace of the mangaka, which without a Hunter x Hunter chapter exceeds the WSJ record volume every week, Some tend to be optimisticand they really hope to see the story that Togashi created.
Recall that they recently calculated how many chapters the manga would have if it never stopped, and we leave you with a magnificent collectible statue of Gon versus Hisoka.
New hxh goods and more will be announced in WSJ # 46 pic.twitter.com/l0M60tytWd- HxH stuff (@HxHStuff) October 11, 2020


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Good news Pokemon GO players, because Niantic is adding even more Gen-3 Pokemon for Halloween! According to their announcement, they will be adding Sableye, Duskull, Dusclops, Shuppet, and Banette to the game. They even revealed a brand new video announcing this year’s Halloween event!
In addition, they will be adding a special witch hat Pikachu! Trainers can also dress up their avatar for the occasion by wearing Mimikyu’s Disguise Hat. Gastly, Drowzee, Cubone, and other spooky Pokemon will also have increased spawn rates for the Halloween season. Niantic will run the promotion from 20th October until 2nd November 2017. Trainers can also:
“earn extra Candy while you’re out trick-or-treating with your Buddy Pokémon: Candy rewards from catching, hatching, and transferring Pokémon will be doubled, and your buddy will find Candy twice as fast during the Halloween celebration! Last but not least, you’ll have the opportunity to stock up for your upcoming adventures with special boxes from the in-game shop, featuring items such as Raid Passes and Super Incubators.”
As for Gen-3 Pokemon, Niantic is promising to gradually add more starting December.


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Chicken may soon beat out fish as the go-to protein for omega-3s
Major British supermarket chain, Waitrose, has successfully launched what it claimed is the UK’s first range of omega-3 chicken. The supermarket said the product will come to the aid of parents struggling to get their children to eat oily fish.
In fact, one in three British children never eats oily fish, according to research carried out by Waitrose. These children are missing out on the long chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids which “are vital for maintaining a healthy heart, brain function and vision,” according to Moira Howie, Waitrose nutrition manager.
“Our parents might have traumatic memories of being given cod liver oil on a spoon, but they would have been consuming a good source of omega-3,” she said. It is doubtful whether they would have realised it at the time, or even now as a survey of 2,000 parents, conducted by Waitrose, showed that they are confused as to what foods contain omega-3 fatty acids.
One in three incorrectly identified carrots as being naturally high in omega-3, while 14 percent didn’t know that salmon is a good source. A fifth of parents were unaware of the importance of omega-3s.
Said Howie: “A lot of the focus has been on getting children to have five [portions of fruit and vegetables] a day and ensuring they also have enough calcium.” However, she added, there had not been the same effort to ensure they ate the recommended amount of omega-3.
“Experts recommend adults and children eat at least 250 mg of omega-3 a day – equivalent to at least two 140 gram portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily.”
Unfortunately for the seafood industry, Howie pointed out that “you can also get your 250 mg from a 200 gram portion of omega-3 enriched chicken.”
Waitrose’s new omega-3 chicken are fed a diet containing algae naturally rich in omega-3. The chicken were developed by Moy Park of Northern Ireland, in conjunction with animal nutrition specialist Devenish Nutrition.
The range is said to have been “a huge hit” since its launch last month.
“This was a first for a British supermarket,” said Charlotte Craddock, Waitrose poultry buyer. “Customers have really embraced the option of a staple poultry product with such fantastic health benefits.”
There is no doubt that children in the UK will far more readily eat chicken to obtain their necessary quota of omega-3 fatty acids, than fish such as mackerel, herring sardines, etc. It will probably be cheaper too, so it will please their parents.
It has long been said that the seafood industry does not do enough to promote the health benefits of eating fish and shellfish. This lack of action has left the door open for other protein food producers.
With omega-3 chicken being a hit for Waitrose it will not take long for the other major supermarkets to follow its lead.


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Gothic, Elex II Dev Piranha Bytes Addresses Studio Closure Rumors: 'Don't Write Us Off Yet'
Last week, the internet began to speculate that Gothic and Elex II developer Piranha Bytes was being shut down after fans noticed the studio's website was essentially defunct. Many speculated Piranha Bytes was another casualty in owner Embracer Group's purge of studios that began last year after a planned $2 billion deal with Saudi Arabia-backed Savvy Games Group fell through in 2023.
Studio closures at the hands of Embracer include Saints Row developer Volition Games and reformed TeamSplitters team Free Radical Design. Game Informer reached out to Piranha Bytes following last week's speculation to see if it was, indeed, another closure at the hands of Embracer, and today, studio CEO Michael Rüve responded, stating the studio's situation right now is difficult but that people shouldn't write them off yet.
Here's what Rüve's statement says, in full:
This statement lines up with RPG Site's reporting that Piranha Bytes is looking for a new publisher or buyer after Embracer decided to close the studio in November of last year. However, THQ Nordic, a publishing arm within Embracer, struck a deal with Embracer to give Piranha Bytes management more time to find a new publisher or buyer. This is likely the difficult situation Rüve's statement is referring to, and the possibility of finding a new publisher or buyer is probably why he's asking fans not to write the team off yet.
Only time will tell, but given the studio's more than two decades of history in game development, and the human cost of studio's closures and layoffs, here's hoping the team finds a more stable owner or publisher.
2024 has already been marred by a heartbreaking string of layoffs, resulting in more than 3,000 jobs lost in the games industry and games-adjacent industry. And those job cuts come after a terrible 2023 where more than 10,000 developers and employees were laid off over the year.
Last week, Lords of the Fallen publisher CI Games laid off 10 percent of its staff. In this month alone, we learned Unity would be laying off 1,800 people by the end of March, and that Twitch was laying off 500 employees. Discord also announced it had laid off 170 employees. Game Informer covered layoffs happening at PTW, a support studio that's worked with companies like Blizzard and Capcom, and at SteamWorld Build company, Thunderful Group, which let go of roughly 100 people, last week. Game Informer covered news about Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive reportedly laying off 45 people last week, too.
Striking Distance Studios, the team behind 2022's The Callisto Protocol, laid off more than 30 employees in August of 2023. That same month, Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare laid off 50 employees, including long-time studio veterans. The following month, in September, Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off roughly 45% of its staff, and Fortnite developer Epic Games laid off 830 employees.
In October of last year, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog laid off at least 25 employees, and Telltale Games also underwent layoffs, although an actual number of affected employees has not yet been revealed. Dreams developer Media Molecule laid off 20 employees in late October.
In November, Amazon Games laid off 180 staff members, Ubisoft laid off more than 100 employees, Bungie laid off roughly 100 developers, and 505 Games' parent company, Digital Bros, laid off 30% of its staff.
In December, Embracer Group closed its reformed TimeSplitters studio, Free Radical Design, and earlier in the year, Embracer closed Saints Row developer Volition Games, a studio with more than 30 years of development history. A few weeks before the winter holidays, Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering owner Hasbro laid off 1,100 employees.
The games industry will surely feel the effects of such horrific layoffs for years to come. The hearts of the Game Informer staff are with everyone who's been affected by layoffs or closures.


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The survey also found that, after more than a year of Zoom holidays, most Americans will gather together to celebrate Mother’s Day. Sixty-one percent of Americans plan to physically gather with family this year compared to 52% last year.
In making a gift decision, cost remains the most important factor (49%), trailed by style (19%), convenience (17%) and whether the brand aligns with personal values (16%).
Fifteen-percent of gift-givers plan to spend more than last year. Of those, 37% said it is because they want to make up for not being able to fully celebrate last year. Across demographics, more Gen Zers (27%) plan to have bigger budgets for Mother’s Day gifts this year, compared to millennials (18%), Gen Xers (14%) and boomers (12%).
“Americans are celebrating Mother’s Day in person, and they are heading to physical retailers to get their shopping done,” said David Fisch, general manager of Shopkick.
“That’s why it is essential for retailers to prepare for an influx of in-store shoppers, keep shelves stocked with popular Mother’s Day gifts and maintain a clean environment to create the most positive experience possible for consumers… CSA


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Bangalore-based Nudgespot Technologies Pvt Ltd, which runs a SaaS-based customer communications platform Nudgespot, has raised Rs 4 crore ($625,000) in seed funding from early stage VC firm Kae Capital. Individual angel investors Anoop Goyal, Mike Shah and VA Sastry also participated in the funding, the company said on Friday.
The funds will be used to expand its team in India and the US in addition to spending on marketing and product innovation. As part of the deal, Sasha Mirchandani, managing director and founder of Kae Capital and co-founder of Mumbai Angels, will join Nudgespot as a board member.
Nudgespot is a communication platform that focuses on simplifying business communications between companies and customers. It enables channel-agnostic messaging across email, SMS and push notifications, with the ability to filter and segment users based on behaviour.
It charges users a SaaS-based monthly subscription.
“Nudgespot has proved its ability to disrupt the SaaS-based customer communication market which forces B2B and B2C enterprises and start-ups to use expensive or ineffective software to communicate effectively with their customers. Nudgespot’s founders have a great team and product strategy that we believe in, and we look forward to working with them,” Mirchandani said.
The company was founded in May 2014 by Raveen Sastry, Anubhav Sudha, Suresh Harikrishnan and Alok Shankar. Sastry had previously co-founded online fashion retailer Myntra but quit the firm in March 2011 to start baby products e-commerce venture Hoopos. Two years later he sold the firm to BabyOye.
“We are excited to have Kae Capital, Anoop Goyal, Mike Shah and VA Sastry bring in not only capital and expertise, but also belief in what we do. Nudgespot has been growing over 50 per cent month-on-month ever since we launched in November 2014,” said Raveen Sastry, co-founder at Nudgespot.
The company claims it has more than 40 customers from around the world who have seen up to a 10x jump in open and click rates for their messages. The startup count Ola Cabs, Bluestone, Decathlon and Toppr among its customers.
Sastry has also turned into an angel investor himself. In March this year, Sastry along with angel network Intellecap Impact Investment Network (I-cube-N) had invested Rs 1 crore in Bangalore-based The Better India Pvt Ltd, which runs a news website focusing on social issues under the same brand. The Better India publishes narratives of/about unsung heroes, change makers, innovations, educators, women empowerment, history, arts and culture, social development, etc.


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All from /r/politicalhumor…
Fabulous stuff you have there! I especially enjoyed the search & "seizure" cartoon. I do hope people will pass them on in their social networks. BTW, this is what Americans are up against. People like 'Health Ranger,' Mike Adams who became rich touting "Natural news."
‘Echo chambers for the pseudoscience crowd exist as well, though Mike Adams’ online bubble is so vast and self-sufficient, it warrants the term “ecosystem”. Mike Adams, also known as The Health Ranger, is a fierce advocate of alternative medicine. He is anti-vaccination, anti-GMO, anti-medicine. You may know him as the owner of NaturalNews.com. According to the website, its 20 writers and researchers produce up to 15 articles a day.’ https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/quackery/mike-adams-building-alternate-reality-online
Here are 50 of his known sites...
You can push back on some of the lies. The National Archives replied to the lies tRUMP and his minions are telling about Obama's documents..
I guess I should share more than depressing stuff...
The Good Liars put some honest post cards in the Trump Tower gift shop in honor of LOSER45’s recent “achievements.”


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Bentley confirms its first battery-electric model, set to be launched in 2025, will be assembled at its Crewe factory in the U.K. – and another four electric-powered models are to follow by 2030, says Matthias Rabe, head of technical operations.
In an announcement that cements the future of the luxury automaker’s traditional production site, Bentley says it will invest up to £2.5 billion ($3.4 billion) in plant facilities and R&D activities at Crewe over the next decade.
The first battery-electric Bentley is planned to roll off the Crewe production line within three years, and within eight years every new Bentley will feature a battery-electric driveline, the company says.
“It is the biggest product offensive Bentley has ever had,” says Rabe, adding. “It is an unprecedented product launch plan and all cars will be fully designed and developed in Crewe, and will feature the most modern technology developed by the (parent) Volkswagen Group.”
The investment forms part of the Beyond 100 strategy, which charts an entry into the EV ranks for the company founded by Walter Owen Bentley in 1919.
Bentley says it plans to build a new greenfield facility alongside its existing Crewe factory. The so-called “Dream Factory” is intended to transform Bentley operations “into the future benchmark of luxury-car manufacturing with unique customer and employee experiences” with what the company describes as “digital manufacturing concepts and low environmental impact.”
Adrian Hallmark, chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, says: “Beyond100 is the boldest plan in Bentley's history, and in the luxury segment. It’s an ambitious and credible roadmap to carbon neutrality of our total business system, including the shift to 100% BEV in just eight years.
“Our aim is to become the benchmark not just for luxury cars or sustainable credentials but the entire scope of our operations,” he says. “Securing production of our first BEV in Crewe is a milestone moment for Bentley, as we plan for a long-term sustainable future in Crewe.”
The first Bentley BEV is to be based on the PPE electric-car platform currently in joint development by Audi and Porsche.
Unpainted body shells for the new model are to be produced at the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles plant in Hanover, Germany, before being shipped to Crewe for production and final assembly.
The move mirrors that of the Bentley Bentayga, whose body shell is produced at the VW factory in Zwickau, Germany.
Crewe is home to a wide range of Bentley operations (pictured, below), including design, R&D and production of each of its three models, the Continental, Flying Spur and Bentayga.


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The Princeton Packet is no longer for sale. Last year Packet Publisher James Kilgore announced he was planning to sell the newspaper and magazine chain in an article on the Princeton Packet’s front page. Now, in the same exact fashion, Kilgore said he has changed his mind.
A front page article in the Tuesday, July 24, issue of the Princeton Packet proclaims in a headline, “Kilgore to retain ownership of Packet Media Group.”
According to the article, Kilgore wrote a memo to employees explaining his reversal. “This company is very much a part of my family and there is still much to do here to get back on a path of growth while continuing to provide the vital community service we provide to readers and advertisers be it in print or digital format.”
Since Kilgore announced he was putting the chain on the market rumors have circulated about potential buyers, but nothing came to fruition.
“We had some offers, and I just said, ‘you know, this is not really what I want to do at the time,’” the Packet article quotes Kilgore.
The Kilgore family owns Packet Media Group, which publishes 11 subscription newspapers, seven free papers, and a monthly magazine. The Princeton Packet was founded in 1786 and subsequently published under several names until it was renamed the Packet in 1916. Kilgore’s father, Bernard, bought the company in 1955. Jim Kilgore has been at the helm for the past 31 years.


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Keeping online deals from becoming online duds
If you’re doing any last minute holiday shopping online, make sure the site you buy from has a reputation you can trust. Florida Department of Law Enforcement Cyber Security Analyst Kevin Wiggins says there are a number of scams that pop up every holiday season to not just take your money, but leave your holidays giftless. He says one common problem comes when consumers find the best price from a company they haven’t heard of and wind up getting a product that is not what they expected.
By the time customers try to return the item the company they purchased from has disappeared. He says credit card companies offer a lot of protections against fraud, but small scams like this are hard to prosecute.
He says the easiest way to stay protected is by using websites you have heard of and trust to buy gifts online. And if opting to shop through a small business, Wiggins says researching the company is key.
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The Alachua County Commission voted Tuesday to keep the Levy Loop Trail at the Barr Hammock Levy Prairie Preserve open year-round. Residents of Island Field, a neighborhood that borders the trail, raised concerns over noise and privacy earlier this year.
More than 40,000 pounds of the brightly-colored gourds arrived on a semi-truck Sept. 28 just in time for this year’s pumpkin patch. Before filling the small hay-covered courtyard at Gainesville’s Trinity United Methodist Church, the pumpkins travel 1,807 miles through [...]
Punk music festival Fest will have bands perform for the first time at Bo Diddley Community Plaza Halloween weekend. The use of the venue comes with ordinance changes Fest organizers have been waiting three years for.
Voters were encouraged to take full advantage of early voting on Sunday at Gainesville’s Empowerment Sunday organized by the African American Accountability Alliance of Alachua County. Martin Luther King III attended.
Gainesville Connected, a conference in Gainesville, aims to equip teachers to engage students on global issues such as poverty.


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The major credit card companies like American Express and Chase are offering rich sign-up bonuses as they try to attract more customers right now.
Covid has impacted where people want to live. More Americans are moving to the suburbs – and this is causing rents to go up.
Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark's free daily newsletter!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The post 11.12.20 Credit card companies are offering majorly high sign-up bonuses; Rents rising in the burbs appeared first on Clark Howard.


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Many farmers are considering the merits of transitioning part or all of their land to organic production. And with good reason.
When corn prices dropped this past fall and organic corn feed prices surged, we heard from many concerned conventional farmers looking to make the leap to organics. The demand for organic products appears to be on the rise. Is this the driving force behind the transition?
Sounds like a wholesale change in farming practices and a huge leap of faith. In some ways that is true; in other ways not so much.
Until five years ago, Wisconsin-based grain farmer Mark Doudlah was a full-fledged conventional no-tiller on over 1400 acres. Today, he is nearly all organic with some no-till organic acres. Why is he making the transition to being 100% organic in just a few years?
At our seminar “How to Thrive in Today’s Ag Economy – 10 Practical, Profitable Solutions” from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thursday, January 29 at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington, Illinois, Doudlah will share with us why he made the decision he made, the how-to’s of the transition, and his plan for ensuring the family farm will build healthier soils.
Could this also be a key to grow higher yielding, higher quality crops while becoming more profitable now and into the future?
For more seminar information, click here or call (815) 872-1190 to reserve a spot by January 21.


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1.2 billion smartphones were sold globally in 2014, and in the first quarter of 2015, smartphone unit demand was up +7% on the same period of last year. So what is driving this continuing success story? We’ve identified four key trends influencing the global smartphone market.
1. Bigger Screens
Globally, sales of smartphones with larger screens (5”+) grew +180% in 2014, and have continued to drive growth in the first quarter of 2015. Share of such devices grew from 32% – or one third – of the global smartphone market in the first quarter of 2014, to 47% – almost half – in the first quarter of 2015. So it is no surprise that super-sized screens are expected to be the largest sales segment worldwide in 2015, surpassing the 4 to 4.5” segment for the first time.
Share of large screen devices in North America hit 70% in the first quarter of 2015, up from 59% in the same period last year, driven by strong demand for high-end models.
In China, where the trend is particularly pronounced, large screen smartphone unit share grew dramatically to 57%, up from 32% in the first quarter of 2014. This significant increase in share was driven by cheaper large screen models flooding into the Chinese market.
This upwards screen size migration is expected to continue in 2015, with global demand for large screen devices increasing by +30% year-on-year to account for 69% of total smartphone unit demand in 2015.
Despite smartphone units declining by -14% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2015, total value actually increased by +6% year-on-year as Chinese consumers enthusiastically adopted higher priced smartphones with larger screen sizes, a trend seen in all regions.
2. The rise of 4G
4G-enabled devices surpassed 50% share of the global smartphone market for the first time in the first quarter of 2015, buoyed by continued price erosion of 4G smartphones. Our forecasts point to 4G device share increasing further in 2015, reaching 59% in quarter 4 of 2015.
Smartphone growth in the world’s largest market, China, slowed slightly in 2014. This was due to a significant slowdown in 3G demand, which was not offset by 4G growth. We expect the China smartphone market to decline in the first half of 2015, before returning to growth in the second half, driven by a continued 4G ramp-up. China saw the greatest 4G share increase in the first quarter of 2015 – up 16 percentage points to 73%, from 57% in the last quarter of 2014.
Smartphone growth in India and Indonesia is expected to be helped by an expanding 4G network. In Q1 2015, 4G share in both countries was well below the global average, at 4% and 7%, respectively. We estimate 4G share will increase to 7% in India and 10% in Indonesia by the end of 2015.
READ THE FULL REPORT
Check in next week to find out more key trends in smartphone sales.
Source: GfK Trends and Forecasting
This data was initially made public in our quarterly smartphone sales and forecasts press release: Q4 2014 press release and Q1 2015 press release.
For more information on our device forecasts, contact Kevin Walsh at email@example.com


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GET READY FOR: A Valentino Moment
Before there was Armani, Versace or Cavalli — there was Valentino, the legendary sartorialist from Rome who basically put Italian fashion on the style map.
Although he retired from the runway a few years back, the ultra-extravagant fashionisto remains a perennial pop culture presence — and is soon to be once again all-over-the-place.
Why? Because of Valentino: The Last Emperor, a feature-length documentary premiering this week in a theater near you.
Helmed by Vanity Fair scribe Matt Tynauer, The Last Emperor chronicles Valentino and his entourage as they span the globe house-hopping, runway-prepping and…prego…clothes designing.
At Valentino’s side is trusty companion Giancarlo Giametti — his partner in crime for nearly 50 years — and famously-fab PR man Carlos Souza, whom Transracial knows personally from his earlier life downtown.
Read all about Valentino’s never-ending ascent in this week’s New York magazine.


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Huge companies like Nike, Adidas, Jordan Brand, and more are leading the soon-to-be $6 billion sneaker industry.
Everyone can recognize the sneaker brands and their celebrity collaborations with Kanye West, Virgil Abloh, Pharrell Williams, Beyonce, Selena Gomez, David Beckham, Serena Williams, and more.
While the industry of sneaker bots is relatively new, sneaker culture has been around for a good time.
Ever since the emergence of famed basketball player Michael Jordan aka, the Jumpman, the love for sneaker collecting arose. Even non-‘sneakerheads’ know of the hype surrounding Nike’s Jordans.
And the culture even extends beyond basketball shoes. It encompasses other sports like skateboarding, for instance, which has its own skate culture. The brand Supreme may ring a bell.
Sneakerheads exist under the ‘hypebeast’ umbrella; in a way that you can’t exactly be one without the other.
While there is an ongoing tension between OG’s and Hypebeasts, today you’ll find that every hypebeast is probably a sneakerhead and vice versa.
Back in the day, people used to stand in long lines outside of footwear stores. They’d camp for days outside of storefronts to be of the first people to own their personal pair.
With advancements in technology, sneaker releases have begun taking place online. That’s where sneaker bots come in.
In today’s day and age, there’s almost no way to buy exclusive sneakers online without using sneaker bots or some kind of tools to give you an advantage.
It may come as a surprise to many that one of the top-selling and most successful sneaker bots in this booming industry is actually Lebanese-made. It’s called AIO Bot.
AIO Bot was created by a software company located in Tripoli, Lebanon called AIY. With 40+ employees, the company does everything in-house from development to marketing, to customer support.
“We have thousands of users from all over the world but the biggest % is US-based,” says Alex Kabbara, Vice President of AIY, owners of AIO Bot.
“Some of them have built collections worth hundreds of thousands of dollars stacked and organized so nicely in their homes,” he said.
“Others have started their own sneaker reselling businesses, cashing in thousands of dollars every month selling limited-edition Air Jordans or Yeezys.”
He’s not exaggerating. The reselling price of some limited sneakers could go up to thousands of dollars on the resale market.
For example, one of the most expensive sneakers sold was from a collab between Jordan Brand and DJ Khaled in 2017. The pair quickly sold out and went for $20,000 on Stadium Goods.
AIO Bot allows users to buy Jordans, Yeezys, and Supreme at retail prices so that they don’t have to pay the resale price. Instead, the sneaker bot allows them to buy more than one pair they could resell the pair for and make hundreds of dollars from the comfort of their own home.


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Mercedes-Benz India has confirmed the launch of the EQS electric sedan in the country will take place on August 24. It has also been confirmed that the EQS’ performance-oriented AMG version, i.e. EQS 53 4MATIC+ will be making its debut first, which could be followed by the launch of the standard EQS.
The Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ will be brought to the country through the CBU route initially, followed by the commencement of local assembly later for EQS 450+ and EQS 580 4MATIC. Upon arrival, the EQS 53 4MATIC+ will go on to become the second Mercedes-Benz electric car in India, after the EQC.
The Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ uses two electric motors – one on each axle, which lends it the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system. The flagship electric sedan has a maximum power output of 658 PS, with a 950 Nm peak torque rating. The EQS 53 4MATIC+ can sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds, with the top-speed limited to 250 km/h.
The Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ gets AMG Dynamic Select driving modes- Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. Apart from that, there’s also the AMG Ride Control+ suspension that combines fully-automatic electronically controlled adjustable damping together with rear-axle steering.
On the inside, the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ electric sedan gets AMG seats with special graphics and artificial leather seat covers. Alternatively, seat upholstery in Nappa leather is also available. It also gets the latest version of Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX Hyperscreen that conjoins three screens to make it look like its a single unit.
More details about the India-spec Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ including its price will be revealed closer to its launch, so stay tuned!


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Swedish small-run hypercar maker Koenigsegg has revealed the first image of the new coupe.
It is not yet known what kind of hypercar from Koenigsegg it will be, but Motor1 suggests that the brand will release some special version of one of the current models this year, which will be dedicated to its very first hypercar.
Koenigsegg called the upcoming new product in an official announcement “a challenge for the new year”, which should provide “higher performance through thoughtful engineering and optimized design.” No other information has yet been released.
The experts of the publication found in the silhouette of the future hypercar, depicted in the teaser, features of other models of the Koenigsegg brand: for example, CCX, CCR and Agera. At the same time, this year the company will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the launch of its first serial supercar. Built from aluminum, carbon fiber reinforced plastics and Kevlar, the CC8S coupe was powered by a 664-horsepower version of Ford’s 4.7-liter V8 engine. The supercar accelerated to 100 km / h in less than 3.5 seconds with a maximum speed of 390 km / h. In total, Koenigsegg has built only 6 of these machines.


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2015 Harley-davidson Street Glide on mail.2040motos
Harley-Davidson Street Glide description
This fresh 2015 FLHX is pure street style and true long haul comfort. That's what makes it the #1 motorcycle, let alone touring bike, in the sport. And that was before it got a more powerful engine and countless other improvements. A fresh one owner trade, ridden for a season, and traded up. Looks like it just left the showroom floor last week! A nearly new Street Glide at a used Glide price.
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Moto blogTue, 04 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0800
If you thought Arnold Schwarzenegger’s greatest role was in Terminator, then you should make your way to Milwaukee: The Harley-Davidson Museum has acquired one of the few surviving 1990 Harley-Davidson FatBoy motorcycles used in the filming of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. At the time of filming, the FatBoy was one of Harley-Davidson’s newest models, and the one now in the Museum’s permanent collection was ridden by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 action classic. “Terminator 2 is an iconic film and a celebrated piece of pop culture history,” said Jim Fricke, Curatorial director of the Harley-Davidson Museum.Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Harley-Davidson has revealed a new member to its Dyna family featuring quick change convertibility from touring to cruiser mode. As we expected, the new Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback features hard saddlebags and fork-mounted windshield that can be removed quickly and without tools, allowing it to change from a touring motorcycle to a cruiser, and back again. The Dyna Switchback uses Harley-Davidson’s Twin Cam 103 engine, 2-into-1 chrome exhaust, and five-spoke cast aluminum wheels with full fenders.Mon, 01 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0700
Motorcycle riders from around the world enthusiastically joined members of the Harley Owners Group (HOG) on June 23 and 24 to shatter last year’s record mileage total for the Harley-Davidson World Ride by collectively logging more than 10 million miles, a 28 percent increase over the 2012 total. Launched in 2008 as HOG’s Million Mile Monday, the annual event was expanded into the two-day Harley-Davidson World Ride in 2012 to give more riders worldwide an opportunity to participate. In 2012, participants logged 7,799,140 miles, but this year as riders celebrated the 110th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and the 30th Anniversary of HOG that culminates this Labor Day weekend in Milwaukee, they blitzed that record by more than 25 percent, tallying an official total of 10,018,231 miles.
Harley-Davidson Street Glide by State
Harley-Davidson Street Glide by City
Harley-Davidson Street Glide by Color


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Sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid took the Chanel Spring/Summer 2016 Couture show, held during the Paris Fashion Week, together. The famou...
Sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid took the Chanel Spring/Summer 2016 Couture show, held during the Paris Fashion Week, together.
The famous sisters, daughters of Yolanda Foster, looked chic as they put their svelte physiques in the glamorous couture pieces from the French fashion house.
Gigi, 20, who is currently dating former 1D heartthrob Zayn Malik, stunned in an off-white strapless midi dress, which was embellished and had a tiered detail.
A satin cape, thin leather belt, silver metallic heels and a bejewelled ear cuff was also styled on the blonde model.
Bella looked glamorous in her white beaded ensemble which had cut-out shoulders and floral details across the chest.
The 19 year old brunette strutted in pearl encrusted wedges, and both the sisters complimented their feminine designs with slick chignons and Cleopatra inspired eyeliner.


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The free to play online shooter game, Paladins: Champions of the Realm, has received a newfor the latest season 3, and according to Xbox Games, fans will be very surprised to see all the new changes that they have brought to the game. 2019 was a monumental year for the game as there were lots of events happening that made the Xbox Game declare it as the best year the game has ever had.
Four new champions were introduced along with various Battle Passes which were extremely exciting, and fans enjoyed each of them to the fullest. The game also went through some serious changes and improvements, which made the overall gameplay very smooth and bug-free. However, we are now in 2020, and it’s time we focus on the things that will be introduced in the newest Season 3 update. We have brought all the recent updates and information regarding the new season, so here is everything you need to know about Paladins Season 3.
Since 2019 was such a big year, Xbox has to do something that will overshadow the previous and according to their official post, the newestis even better than before, and they have brought a lot of new changes and improvements which, is expected to raise the bar to a whole new level.
Paladins Season 3: New Champion and New Improvements
Season 3 will see the arrival of the newest champion, from the race of nomadic cats, a Tigron, Tiberius. This new champion is extremely deadly and will appear with two new weapons. His nickname, ‘The Weapon’s Master’ speaks for itself, and this new champion can variously use his weapons each of which is extremely handy. His weapons include the ‘throwing chakrams,’ and a mystical sword.
Also, the skins of the first battle pass of Season 3 has been designed based on the concepts submitted by the players. Apart from all these, the game has also received major bug fixes, increased game balance, ‘quality-of-life’ improvements. For example, if a player buys a new skin, he/she will automatically get the character’s voice packs for free.
Paladins Season 3 update
Season 3was released on 8th January 2020.


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Quite the deal for the already value packed subscription.
Xbox Game Pass is already quite the value packed subscription service. With a service that spans both the Xbox One and PC, it’s going to be Microsoft’s key services going forward and something that may transcend current platforms eventually. Already they’re seeing big success thanks to day and date releases for their big titles such as Gears 5. But the value is going to be even more, especially if you’re a music lover.
For a limited time, new subscribers in the US or UK that join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass for PC beta will receive half a year subscription to Spotify Premium, which is the ad-free version of that service. It’s also still only $1 right now, doubling up on the deal.
The offer will last until April 1st of 2020. Those who are already subscribed to Game Pass or those that sub to only Xbox Game Pass (but you can upgrade to Ultimate Pass from the regular subscription) are seemingly out of luck. You’ll just have to settle for the tons of games already on the service.


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Here’s a vintage number you won’t find at your corner consignment store anytime soon: Margaret Thatcher’s handbag. The boxy Asprey carryall, a symbol of the former British prime minister’s legendary mettle, sold for £25,000 ($39,800) at a Christie’s auction in London on Monday night. (Fittingly, Combat Stress is one of the charities that will benefit.) The tote, which now belongs to an unnamed Cypriot “fan” of the Iron Lady, accompanied Thatcher for more than 30 years, including on a 1985 trip to America. Pound for pound, her bag falls short of another iconic British purse, however. Jane Birkin’s Hermès Birkin fetched £100,100 ($162,840) on eBay in April.
Update: April 18, 2013
British Vogue reports that sales of Thatcher’s signature handbag styles—the “Bellini” and “Adagio” by Launer London—have surged 53 percent since her death two weeks ago. The biggest sales spike happened on Wednesday, the day of her funeral.


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Posts tagged employer meetings on unionization
The National Labor Relations Board is trying to silence employer speech
December 5, 2022 // The NLRB recently filed a complaint against Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, claiming a statement he made on CNBC constituted an unfair labor practice. When asked about the ongoing campaign to unionize Amazon, Jassy said: “It’s employees’ choice whether or not they want to join a union. We happen to think they’re better off not doing so, for a couple of reasons at least. You know, first, at a place like Amazon that empowers employees, if they see something they can do better for customers or for themselves, they can go meet in a room, decide how [to] change it — and change it. That type of empowerment doesn’t happen when you have unions. It’s much more bureaucratic, it’s much slower. I also think people are better off having direct connections with their managers.”
Freedom of Speech? Not if the National Labor Relations Board Gets Its Way
October 31, 2022 // Amazon unionization efforts recently failed in Albany, NY in October. Workers said no by an almost 2 to 1 margin. In total, less than a quarter of all employees voted for representation by the Amazon Labor Union. Shortly after, the union withdrew its petition to try to organize a California warehouse. It also lost a second vote in Staten Island in May. Amazon workers are clearly saying no to unionization. The NLRB and unions are responding by threatening a bedrock constitutional right of all Americans.
Voters agree: There’s nothing wrong with employer meetings on unionization
October 13, 2022 // Employers are legally prohibited from interrogating, threatening, or making promises during union organizing efforts, which is when many of these EMUs occur. By contrast, unions have little to no restrictions on their speech, including what they can promise to potential members, making the need for EMUs even more important.


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Conducted by Equation Research on behalf omega-3 supplier Croda, the survey found that almost 50 percent of respondents felt that they or their families were lacking essential nutrients.
When it came to omega-3 only 26 percent of Americans said they take fish oil supplements, despite the fact that 63 percent of respondents believes they were missing omega-3s from their diet.
The online survey involved just over 1,000 American adults. The survey, which was fielded in September last year, gathered responses from consumers across the country, with an average age of was 46.
According to Croda, key consumer considerations when deciding to take supplements in general include cost, confusion and lack of perceived need.
Omega-3 is thought to benefit a wide range of health conditions, although the most conclusive scientific evidence today focuses on heart and cognitive health. Other areas of potential benefit include mood and behaviour (including learning disorders and depression), eye health and the healthy development of a foetus during pregnancy.
Other conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, skin health and weight management may also benefit from increased omega-3 consumption. However, the science supporting these potential benefits is less established.
The findings of Croda’s survey support earlier conclusions from a Unilever survey of Canadian adults, which found that most seniors seek omega-3 products but do not clearly understand the benefits of the ingredient.
Some 64 percent of Canadian seniors said they look for products that are rich in omega-3, and just over 70 percent consider themselves to be educated about the benefits of omega-3s. However, half of respondents were not aware of the heart health benefits associated with the two long-chain omega-3 forms – eicosapentaenic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
In addition, only 30 percent of older Canadians were able to identify the three major forms of omega-3 – EPA, DHA and the plant-derived alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
A report on the omega-3 market issued earlier this year by Packaged Facts estimated that omega-3 will become increasingly popular as an ingredient in fortified food and beverages.
The report valued the US omega-3 food and drink market at almost $5bn, a 34 percent increase since 2006. This reflects a reduction in growth as the market starts to mature, and compares to growth rates of 43, 71 and 105 percent in 2006, 2005 and 2004 respectively.
However, growth will remain strong at 32 percent (CAGR) to 2012, when sales are predicted to reach $8bn.


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October 28, 2019 – OTTAWA, ON – Competition Bureau
Today, the Competition Bureau hosted an annual trilateral meeting with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Commission. Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell and his counterparts discussed recent cases, as well as their ongoing priorities – with a focus on competition law enforcement and advocacy in the digital economy.
Today’s digital and data-driven economy continues to transcend borders. To foster competitive and innovative digital marketplaces, it is essential for competition agencies to collaborate on enforcement and advocacy matters and to share best practices.
Building and maintaining strong partnerships improves the Bureau’s ability to deliver results for Canadians. By investing in its relationships with competition agencies and other law enforcement bodies, the Bureau can strengthen its ability to protect Canada’s competitive marketplace, address cross-border anti-competitive activity, and promote convergence on competition policies internationally.
The Bureau has cooperation instruments in place with 16 jurisdictions: Mexico, the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the European Union, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, the People’s Republic of China, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.
To enhance cross-border enforcement and promote sound competition policies internationally, the Bureau and its North American partners also participate in many fora, such as the International Competition Network, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Competition Committee and the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN).
The Bureau will be President of ICPEN from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. Its term will focus on promoting truth in advertising online and building consumer confidence in the digital economy.


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Tone Down the Rhetoric: Time for a Business Pivot in Washington
Much has been made of the Obama Administration’s self-described policy “pivot” eastward, increasing diplomatic outreach and most visibly, rebalancing and repositioning a range of military assets in the Asia-Pacific region.
What is missing though from this shift, and perhaps what is most needed today given a slow-to-no growth U.S. economy, is a “business pivot” – one that ends the anti-business rhetoric coming from Washington and recognizes the business opportunities and importance of Asia to the United States, and vice versa.
From a defense perspective, the signs of change, in boots on the ground and ships at sea, are evident. In April, the first of 2,500 U.S. Marines began arriving in Australia under an agreement increasing the U.S. military presence.
And in June, in Singapore, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced plans to base 60 percent of U.S. naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region by 2020. He also became the most senior U.S. official since the Vietnam War to visit the deep-water Vietnamese port of Cam Ranh Bay, once a key U.S. logistics hub.
The visit signaled warming ties between onetime adversaries – at a time of growing tensions between China and its neighbors, including with the Philippines, a U.S. ally, over territory and sovereignty in the resources-rich South China Sea. The Asia-Pacific region is home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, production bases and trade routes, and some of the U.S.’s largest export markets.
So, what could a business pivot look like – even as businesses clamor for less government involvement?
First, from a trade perspective, the United States would benefit from an explicit government recommitment to free trade and to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). During tough times, the default position of government is often inward-looking, seeking to shelter domestic businesses from competition. Ultimately, though, protectionism stifles productivity, and the economy and consumers suffer.
For the past three years, too little has been done to advance a free trade agenda beyond agreements initiated by prior U.S. Administrations. In the Asia-Pacific region, the United States has FTAs with Australia, Singapore and South Korea – the latter after much delay and hand-wringing.
Negotiations do continue toward a regional Free Trade Agreement – the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) – between the United States and several Pacific Rim nations. Yet, the U.S. commitment to this agreement, while welcome, again pre-dates the present Administration. In September 2008, the then U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab under President George W. Bush announced the United States would begin negotiations with Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and Brunei to join the TPP. New initiatives are warranted.
Free trade agreements can further open Asia’s markets to U.S. businesses that have the drive and the commitment to succeed. Negotiating them, however, requires tough bargaining, strict implementation and government leaders willing and able to explain the benefits.
Second, from the perspectives of transport, U.S. businesses would benefit from additional Open Skies agreements in Asia, further expanding passenger and cargo flights to and from the United States. While not as prominent as FTAs, Open Skies agreements drive the liberalization of rules and regulations, help eliminate government interference in the commercial operations of airlines and play a key role in increasing travel and trade.
As of late-2010, the United States had more than 100 U.S. Open Skies partners. Conspicuously missing from the list, however, are several Asian nations. The Philippines and Vietnam each could provide future opportunity for partnership agreements if governments on both sides understand the benefits of greater cooperation and competition, and of encouraging the building of businesses across borders.
Third, and perhaps most critically to a business pivot would be not just actions, but words. We need government leaders who do not talk down U.S. businesses for succeeding overseas, particularly in Asia. Businesspeople are understandably frustrated by the lack of vocal support beyond calls for greater U.S. exports. The position of U.S. Commerce Secretary remains sadly vacant – with an acting secretary filling the job and no prospects for a permanent replacement anytime soon – and the U.S. Trade Representative decidedly low profile.
To her credit, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been traveling the region, most recently bringing attention to opportunities for U.S. companies – including such iconic American businesses as Coca Cola, Ford Motor Co., General Electric, General Motors, Goldman Sachs and Google – in the once pariah state of Burma, also known as Myanmar, and elsewhere.
From a U.S. commercial perspective, a significant U.S.-Asia economic and trade foundation exists that can be built on, above and beyond in China, India and Japan. 2011 U.S. exports to Southeast Asia, for example, alone exceeded US$76 billion. The United States, Secretary Clinton noted, also has more than twice as much investment in Southeast Asia as it does in China.
Americans and their elected leaders should take pride in the success of U.S. businesses in Asia – regardless of where the jobs are based or products made. From Beijing to Singapore to Delhi, the directories of American Chambers of Commerce are filled with U.S. businesses, large and small, working to sell products and services.
Here in Southeast Asia – where I am based after having stepped down from the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank – the Ford Motor Co. is investing some US$450 million in a manufacturing plant in Thailand. Some 2,200 workers will build vehicles for the Asia-Pacific region. Ford is reportedly the second-largest automotive investor in Thailand, after Toyota, with cumulative investment totaling more than $2.5 billion.
Despite the U.S. presidential campaign rhetoric, the success of a company such as Ford in Asia is neither bad news for Detroit nor the United States.
U.S. businesses are facing growing competition from companies from Brazil, Russia, India and China – the BRIC – and elsewhere. U.S. companies also continue to face a new lower-cased “bric” that poses an even larger challenge – bureaucracy, regulation, interventionism and corruption.
Inefficient or ineffective bureaucracies, regulations that are unequally applied or enforced when they exist at all, interventionism by government at the expense of market forces, and crony capitalism, if not outright corruption – all persist in Asia and the United States to varying degree. Yet, American companies still succeed despite the odds.
U.S. businesses operating internationally should not now also have to contend with a business-unfriendly government of their own. With the present policy pivot eastward, understandable attention was paid in Washington to the words describing defense and security moves, given national sensitivities in Asia. Yet, actions followed words. It’s exactly the same for a business pivot – we need both words and actions from Washington. It’s time to rebalance the rhetoric.
Curtis S. Chin is a senior fellow and executive-in-residence at the Asian Institute of Technology, and a managing director with RiverPeak Group. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank (2007-2010). He is a frequent commentator on Asia and development issues.


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Apple Pay Coming to Australia’s eftpos Debit Network, Hints macOS [PIC]
Apple Pay expanded into Australia earlier this year, as ANZ launched support for the mobile wallet in April, the first big bank down under. In just four months of adopting Apple Pay, ANZ revealed it quickly hit 250,000 users.
Australia’s big banks are still holding out on Apple Pay, taking their case to the country’s competition regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), as the labelled bank ‘cartel’ is demanding Apple open up their NFC chips in the iPhone to third parties.
Apple fired back at these banks in August, to say opening up NFC to these banks would be anti-competitive for consumers, let alone come with security risks.
Now it appears Apple Pay may be expanding beyond ANZ, as macOS 10.12.1 contains an image for eftpos, Australia’s debit network (their equivalent of Interac in Canada). Image of the Australian eftpos logo is located among placeholders for American Express, UnionPay, Discover, Interac, MasterCard and Visa.
The eftpos logo is found in the same folder where Apple accidentally included images of the next MacBook Pro, revealed yesterday.
Interestingly enough, eftpos had pledged support for Australian banks in the ACCC submission against Apple, but the addition of their logo for Apple Pay suggests they may be thinking twice about boycotting the mobile wallet.
Meanwhile, other banks may be jumping onto Apple Pay in Australia. Some People’s Choice Credit Union customers are now starting to see Terms and Conditions appear, when they try adding a card to Apple Pay. We know from experience in Canada when this pops up, Apple Pay is coming in the near future.
After waiting so long for Apple Pay to arrive in Canada, it’s always interesting to hear about the global expansion of the mobile wallet. Apple Pay takes your iPhone 6 or newer and Apple Watch to another level when shopping—or for taking public transit, as customers in Japan are now experiencing.
Thanks Daniel from down under!


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As global concerns about climate change escalate, the world’s most advanced markets are demanding higher standards of safety and sustainability backed by full-lifecycle assessments of all manner of products. One of the world’s largest solar manufacturers, Trina Solar, last week became the first photovoltaic company to achieve dual certification from UL, a global independent safety-science organisation that sets industry standards for new products, and EPD Italy, which records compliance with international standards of environmental performance.
The International Energy Agency estimates that solar PV will account for a third of the world’s total energy generation by 2030.
With a mandate to produce “clean” energy, manufacturers of solar products are under pressure to ensure their supply chains, factories, transportation, product longevity and recycling practices are constantly reviewed for opportunities to step up efficiencies and reduce environmental impact.
“Trina solar will spare no efforts to further resolve the contradiction between technological development and resources consumption,” said Bo Cao, Trina Solar Deputy General Manager, at a recognition ceremony held in the city of Changzhou, in China’s Jiangsu Province where Trina Solar is headquartered.
The responsibility of GW-scale production
GlobalData ranged Trina Solar third in the world in terms of gigawatts of solar modules shipped in 2019; its 9.7 GW came in behind JA Solar at 10.3 GW and the leader Jinko at 14.2 GW.
Shipping figures for 2020 are yet to be released, but Trina Solar’s third-quarter reports released in November last year saw a year-on-year 18.66% increase in realised income.
Last year the company launched a number of high-performance modules in the bifacial and large-format categories to the global market. They included the Vertex bifacial 500W-plus modules, Duomax V and Tallmax V, and the Trina Pro Mega, another 500W-plus offering which is expected to find its biggest market in Australia partly also because of a 8-15% lower balance of system (BOS) cost than the previous Trina Pro range, and mounting systems which can be customised to challenging sites.
Speaking to pv magazine last year, Trina Solar Senior Country Sales Manager for ANZ and the Pacific, Govid Kant said the significance of the shift to 500W-plus modules is in the company’s determination to not only develop new technologies but to bring them to market at large scale.
Trina Solar has long been committed to transparency in its operations. Its philosophy is that reporting via accredited third-party organisations that measure and confirm its performance on key metrics of sustainable manufacturing lets it set goals, track progress and maintain accountability with all stakeholders, from employees to end customers.
Globally craving accountability
The International Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) System was founded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in 1998.
It acknowledges that “the market is craving” verifiable life cycle assessment (LCA) data, and its program operates in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards ISO 14025, ISO/TS14027, ISO 14040, ISO 14044 and ISO/TS14067. For construction products in Europe, the EPD programme is also aligned with the European standard EN 15804 and ISO 21930.
The point is, that LCA data within each EPD is verifiable and comparable with that held in another. After issue, EPDs remain valid for five years.
Trina Solar provides photovoltaic products to many utility-scale projects in the European markets and it expects that EPD certification “will become a necessity for bidding throughout Europe and other markets in the future”, the company said in a statement.
With residential rooftop customers in mind, it also refers to recent research showing that more than 60% of European consumers are concerned about the state of the environment, and says “EPD certification provides customers with high-quality environmental product information and underpins Trina Solar’s incessant environmental efforts.”
New entry requirements to emissions-focused markets
Such credentials will become passports to European and North American markets, and others by implication.
Trina Solar monitors its annual manufacturing emissions and its carbon footprint, which its website claims has allowed it to reduce electricity consumption by 42% per megawatt of modules produced between 2015 and 2019; and its water consumption by 32% per megawatt over the same period; along with a 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Trina Solar is also a member of PV Cycle, which supports companies in the photovoltaic industry to fulfil waste-management requirements towards tendering for projects, and meeting investor and consumer expectations.
The company’s Chairman, Jifan Gao has said that Trina Solar looks forward to “creating a framework for a future oriented, cleaner, sustainable energy system” that will provide society with a true net benefit from solar energy.
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WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Section accused Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google on Tuesday of abusing its dominance in digital promoting, threatening to dismantle a vital organization at the heart of one of Silicon Valley’s most thriving internet corporations.
The govt said Google ought to be compelled to promote its advert manager suite, tackling a business enterprise that generated about 12 per cent of Google’s revenues in 2021, but also plays a important part in the lookup motor and cloud company’s over-all income.
“Google has employed anticompetitive, exclusionary, and illegal indicates to get rid of or severely diminish any danger to its dominance more than electronic advertising technologies,” the antitrust criticism mentioned.
Google, whose promoting enterprise is accountable for about 80% of its earnings, reported the govt was “doubling down on a flawed argument that would sluggish innovation, elevate advertising and marketing charges, and make it more difficult for countless numbers of compact companies and publishers to mature.”
The federal govt has mentioned its Significant Tech investigations and lawsuits are aimed at leveling the actively playing subject for smaller rivals to a team of highly effective companies that features Amazon.com (AMZN.O), Fb owner Meta Platforms (META.O) and Apple Inc (AAPL.O).
“By suing Google for monopolizing advertising technological innovation, the DOJ nowadays aims at the coronary heart of the world wide web giant’s electricity,” explained Charlotte Slaiman, level of competition policy director at Public Awareness. “The criticism lays out the quite a few anticompetitive approaches from Google that have held our world wide web ecosystem again.”
Tuesday’s lawsuit by the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, follows a 2020 antitrust lawsuit introduced towards Google in the course of the term of Donald Trump, a Republican.
The 2020 lawsuit alleged violations of antitrust legislation in how the business acquires or maintains its dominance with its monopoly in online look for and is scheduled to go to demo in September.
8 STATES IN LAWSUIT
8 states joined Tuesday’s lawsuit, such as Google’s property condition of California.
California Point out Legal professional General Rob Bonta reported that Google’s procedures have “stifled creativity in a area where by innovation is critical.”
Colorado Lawyer Standard Phil Weiser stated that Google’s dominance had led to increased fees for advertisers and significantly less income for publishers with ad place to offer. “We are using motion by filing this lawsuit to unwind Google’s monopoly and restore competitiveness to the electronic promotion company,” he stated in a statement.
Google shares have been down 1.9 % on Tuesday.
In addition to its nicely-identified research, which is free of charge, Google would make revenue by its interlocking ad tech companies. The govt requested for the divestiture of the Google Advertisement Manager suite, like Google’s advertisement exchange, AdX.
Google Ad Manager is a suite of applications including a person that will allow internet websites to offer advertising house for sale and an exchange that serves a marketplace that mechanically matches advertisers with these publishers.
Advertisers and web page publishers have complained that Google has not been clear about wherever advertisement dollars go, specially how significantly goes to publishers and how much to Google.
The lawsuit raises issues about particular merchandise in the advertisement tech stack, where publishers and advertisers use Google’s tools to get and sell ad room on other web sites. That company was about $31.7 billion in 2021 or 12.3 % of Google’s full revenue. About 70% of that profits goes to publishers.
An advertisement tech divestiture “may perhaps not be a game changer but it could be sneaky significant to Google’s advert focusing on capability,” explained Paul Gallant with the Cowen Washington Investigate Team.
“It connects to all of Google’s other corporations and ties them jointly. I feel Google may possibly be far more worried about shedding advertisement tech down the highway than individuals may possibly imagine,” Gallant mentioned.
The company made a collection of purchases, like DoubleClick in 2008 and AdMob in 2009, to support make it a dominant player in on the web advertising and marketing.
Even though Google remains the market leader by a extended shot, its share of the U.S. digital ad income has been eroding, slipping to 28.8% very last 12 months from 36.7% in 2016, according to Insider Intelligence.
The Justice Division asked for a jury to come to a decision the circumstance, which was submitted in the U.S. District Courtroom for the Japanese District of Virginia.
The lawsuit lays out a quantity of Google’s attempts to dominate the advertising and marketing market.
The complaint talked over header bidding, which was a way that organizations could bypass Google to bid on ad place on web sites.
It lays out a collection of jobs including 1 dubbed “Challenge Poirot” named immediately after Agatha Christie’s learn detective, Hercule Poirot. The job “was intended to identify and answer properly to advert exchanges that experienced adopted header bidding technological know-how.”
The 149-web site complaint reported Google doubled down soon after Job Poirot’s first achievements in manipulating its advertisers’ expending to cut down competition from rival advert exchanges. Rivals AppNexus/Xandr misplaced 31% of DV360 advertiser expending, Rubicon would eliminate 22%, OpenX would drop 42%, and Pubmatic would reduce 26%, the criticism claimed.
Reporting by Diane Bartz and David Shepardson extra reporting by Sheila Dang modifying by Chris Sanders and Grant McCool
Our Expectations: The Thomson Reuters Rely on Ideas.
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Roundtable Transcript: What’s Next in Business Technology? – Business Journal Daily
Polsky method to provide support for regional qualified expert services, know-how enterprise proprietors | Night Digest


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Chinese electric vehicle EV’s attracted great interest, driving a 45% increase in vehicle purchase bookings during the Thailand International Motor Expo, which just ended.
The popular yearly event had 53,248 total bookings for the 12-day version in 2022, up from 36,679 the previous year.
According to Kwanchai Paphatphong, head of the Motor Expo Organising Committee, the three most popular electric vehicle brands among visitors were all Chinese: Changan, BYD, and Aion.
He mentioned that 57.3% of the bookings were for SUVs, followed by 18.3% for sedans, 10.4% for hatchbacks, 9.5% for trucks, and 4.5% for others.
Up to 1.5 million people attended the event, with an additional 1.09 million viewing the webcast.
According to Mr. Kwanchai, the total worth of the vehicles purchased was 72 billion baht.
Also, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has two clubs that deal with automotive and auto parts, and they’re joining forces to form FTI Future Mobility-ONE, a unit that will help the Thai car sector grow.
Auto Parts sector Club chairman Suphot Sukphisarn stated that the FTI’s goal is to modernize the car sector so it can take advantage of emerging technologies.
He stated the business is collaborating with international automakers to advance the sector. These companies include from Japan, China, Europe, and the US.
According to the FTI, by 2030, Thailand will have produced 2.5 million automobiles. Of these, 70% will be next-generation models powered by ICE technology and the other 30% will be electric vehicles that do not emit any emissions.
Mr. Suphot claimed that the auto sector is still pushing for the government to back internal combustion engine (ICE) technology and increase talks about free trade agreements with nations interested in purchasing ICE vehicles.
Chinese BYD Takes Second Place in Thailand
According to expo statistics, BYD took second place with 2,627 orders from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5, trailing Toyota’s 3,031 orders. Established Chinese brands such as SAIC’s MG and Great Wall Motors have kept their sales lead. Newcomers such as Neta, Changan, and GAC Aion also made large sales, establishing a prominent position alongside six major Chinese brands in the top ten.
With their different models, seven eye-catching Chinese EV firms stole the show at the Bangkok fair. Pawat, a 33-year-old visitor who was exploring a green BYD ATTO 3, expressed interest in switching to Chinese EVs due to their diversity and cost-effectiveness in the face of rising fuel prices.
“Chinese electric cars come in a variety of styles, are highly efficient, and have a long battery life.” They’re a realistic, cost-effective option,” said Pawat, who anticipates more Chinese EVs in Thailand.
Many Thai consumers, like Pawat, have become admirers of Chinese EVs. “After using Chinese electric cars, it appears that we will never want to go back to fuel cars,” a netizen commented in motor show reviews. Some praised Chinese electric vehicles for their unbeatable combination of environmental friendliness and superb driving experiences.
According to Ke Yubin, general manager of BYD Thailand, this year’s motor show saw an increasing presence of Chinese firms that provide Thai consumers different choices through good products at low rates. He claims that this year would see a boom in Thailand’s EV market growth.
“We are exporting our rich technical expertise and stable products after extensive testing in the domestic market.” “BYD will begin manufacturing in Thailand next year, accompanied by a dedicated research and development team to develop products tailored for the Thai market,” he stated.
“To enhance service quality, we plan to increase 4S stores offering after-sales services and spare parts across Thailand.”
Thai’s attraction of electric cars
According to Auto Life, a renowned Thai automotive media site, sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV) in Thailand increased by 497 percent to 58,074 units in the first ten months of this year, with Chinese brands dominating more than 80% of the new market.
According to Kasikorn research center, a Thai think tank, the sales volume of BEV might exceed 68,000 units by the end of 2023, boosting the market share from 1% in 2022 to 8.6% in 2024, and forecasting it to 10-12% in 2024 in the entire vehicle market.
The spike in Chinese EVs, according to Kriengsak, head of the Thai Automotive Research Institute, has boosted the attraction of electric cars and spurred the establishment of an EV industry chain in Thailand, establishing the Southeast Asian country as ASEAN’s top new energy vehicle market.
Aside from product improvements and market expansion, Chinese EV firms hope to increase Thai technical competence in the industry.
Neta Thailand’s general manager, Bao Zhuangfei, told Xinhua that the company is starting a relationship with the Thai Ministry of Education. The Chinese EV manufacturer trains Thai technical school teachers in after-sales and electrical technology.
Great Wall Motors’ brand manager for the ASEAN area, Zhang Zhen, stated that the company wants to introduce new energy pickup trucks to Thailand next year.
“While Thailand’s electric vehicle sales growth is promising, it’s still in its nascent stage compared to fuel-powered cars,” Zhang added. He sees more Chinese businesses collaborating to expand Thailand’s new energy sector, providing greater exposure for Chinese EVs to a broader consumer base.


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Shares in Beyond Meat plunged 20 per cent as the lockup period for early investors ended, despite the plant-based food company reporting its first quarterly profit.
Beyond Meat shares dropped over 20 per cent in trading before the bell on Tuesday as around three quarters of its stock became eligible for trading, giving early backers the chance to cash in their positions.
The shares recovered slightly after trading opened, and were almost 17 per cent down at $87.65 (£68.01) in early trading in New York.
Shares in the company soared following its initial public offering (IPO) in May. Having debuted at $25 they peaked at an intraday high of $239.71 in July, but have gone steadily downhill since.
“With the lockup ending on a large chunk of the issued shares, the stock is set to come under significant pressure,” said Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson.
“Despite coming off its highs, valuations still look remarkably steep and now will be seen by many pre-IPO investors as the time to cash out. Although it’s got the hype, rising competition means Beyond Meat does not have the vegan meat market all to itself.”
The meat-substitute specialist reported its first quarterly profit yesterday, but the company said it would need to offer more discounts as competition in the vegan food sector heats up.
Beyond Meat said its sales rose 250 per cent to $92m in the three months to 28 September. The company reported a $4.1m profit for the quarter, compared to a loss of $9.3m for the same quarter a year ago.
The plant-based food manufacturer also raised its full-year revenue forecast from $265m to $275m.
CMC Markets analyst David Madden said Beyond Meat had posted “solid quarterly figures”, but said the mention of discounts had unsettled investors.
“The fact the group talked about offering more discounts spooked traders as price wars usually only benefit the consumer, while the shareholders usually suffers,” Madden said.


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The holidays are here, and with it comes arguably the biggest sales and shopping event in the US every year—Black Friday, also known as Black Friday-Cyber Monday or BFCM (which includes the online sale on the Monday after Thanksgiving). After an initial upswing in retail sales in 2021, growth slowed as post-pandemic uncertainties and inflation impacted the economy. This year, consumers aren’t too keen on spending money aimlessly and are more cautious regarding their spending habits. You may feel that growing your eCommerce business in this environment is more challenging, but there are strategies for eCommerce growth that can help.
BFCM is an excellent way for brands and businesses to achieve record sales before the year ends, thanks to discounts and promotions that attract consumers, as well as the approaching holiday season. This year, Black Friday falls on November 24, the day after Thanksgiving, with Cyber Monday on November 27.
At this time, brands should already have a well-planned strategy for their holiday sales. However, shifts in consumer preferences, spending habits, and external factors such as inflation can necessitate changes in strategies you may have planned a year in advance. Here are some Black Friday buying trends you ought to know for 2023 so you can adapt your marketing initiatives to create the best possible shopping experiences for your customers.
Black Friday Buying Trends for 2023:
- Increased consumer preference for shops with multiple payment options
- More fulfillment options will give businesses an edge
- A younger demographic will dominate BFCM sales
- Early access campaigns for VIPs and loyal customers
- Omnichannel is still critical
- Hybrid shopping is gaining popularity
- Heightened digital expectations from consumers
- Mobile shopping continues its upward trend
- Influencers continue to have clout on consumers
- Brand value that goes beyond economics
- BFCM is becoming more global
Black Friday Buying Trends to Watch in 2023
The increase in online sales during COVID, followed by a dip post-pandemic, has made multiple payment options necessary for businesses. Whether in brick-and-mortar shops or eCommerce sites, consumers show a preference for sellers that offer many different payment options. Aside from debit and credit cards, shoppers also use e-wallets, prepaid cards, gift cards, and cryptocurrencies for shopping and dining. Financing options such as 0% installments and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) schemes entice shoppers to purchase big-ticket holiday gifts. BNPL is particularly notable this year, as its use among retail shoppers has steadily increased since 2021. Insider Intelligence estimates that by 2026, 40% of internet users will have used BNPL at least once for a purchase.
However, not all businesses are able to afford costly digital payment solutions. If you are a small retail brand or a new entrepreneur, you can still meet this consumer need by partnering with a solutions provider. Look for one that has a POS system that enables multiple payment options.
Aside from multiple payment options, consumers also expect businesses to offer more options for delivery and pickup. Because convenience is a significant factor among the younger generation, companies will do well to provide multiple options for buying and fulfillment. Buy Online, Pickup In-Store, known as BOPIS or Click-and-Collect, is a trend slowly replacing curbside pickup as a fulfillment option post-pandemic. BOPIS allows customers to buy something online and pick it up at a local store. It’s an excellent strategy for businesses with both a physical store and an online store, and it offers customers more flexibility with their fulfillment options.
BOPIS sales grew by 103.5% in 2020, and growth has continued, although slowly. The trend is projected to go upward, with sales via BOPIS estimated to comprise 8.5% of all retail eCommerce sales in 2023.
Anything tech is understandably close to the younger generation aged 25 to 44. It’s the millennial and Gen Z consumers who are camping out in virtual storefronts to get first dibs when Black Friday opens. Both segments were born into the digital age and use online tools for just about everything. While they do not exclusively go digital in purchasing goods, they are known to spend a considerable amount of money on online shopping—most especially when it means enjoying more value for their money in terms of discounts and freebies.
In the US alone, there are over 65 million Gen Z consumers with an estimated total disposable income of about $360 billion. But this comes with a caveat as they save approximately a third of their income. Millennials, the generation before Gen Z, are more likely to spend more because they are older and more likely to hold a full-time job.
To successfully tap this market, you need to learn their spending habits and how to attract them. Offer coupons and promotional deals and freebies in kind or in the form of service fee waivers. It would also be a good idea for brands to be on social media to connect with this market and create excitement and engagement for their products. The more popular platforms are Instagram and TikTok.
Because of the enormity of BFCM, stores and brands are in stiff competition to attract more customers. Early access campaigns give brands a head start in the promotions for holiday sales. These campaigns, often targeted to members of loyalty programs and email subscribers, are an excellent way to attract the Gen Z crowd, of which 40% start their Black Friday planning at least two weeks in advance.
For these sneak peek, early access campaigns, stores and brands typically build their email list ahead of time and craft eye-catching emails to spark the interest of their subscribers in Black Friday deals. These offers can help consumers create a Black Friday wish list with the brands’ promos. As a bonus, offering these great deals to your valued customers can help increase their loyalty to you.
Reaching out to consumers through omnichannel marketing remains to be the most effective strategy to keep brands top of mind. Millennials are more likely to be loyal to brands and stores that give them exceptional customer-centric experiences. The frictionless shopping experience in a reliable shopping platform should be supported by various other channels for customer touch points to create a strong connection with the customer.
Make sure that you have a solid eCommerce presence, follow your customers throughout the purchase process, and be intuitive enough to know when to deliver that nudge they need to make their purchase. Consistently deliver a personalized experience for your customers, no matter what channel they are on.
eCommerce may have reigned supreme during lockdown, but post-pandemic shopping habits favor a hybrid model. Many consumers still prefer shopping in-store, or at least visiting physical stores to browse and view products even if they’ll get them online. Online retail still only accounts for 15.4% of total retail revenue in the US in the second quarter of 2023, but the convenience of online shopping remains a huge factor. Statista forecasts retail eCommerce sales to increase annually, and an estimated $925 billion in eCommerce revenue is expected in 2023.
Stores should offer both options to make the most out of Black Friday sales. The fashion industry is a prime example of benefiting from in-store shopping, as millennials still prefer to shop for clothes in physical stores to see the actual items and try them on. In addition, data from Google shows an increase in “open now near me” searches by a whopping 400% year-over-year, suggesting that consumers start their search online before ultimately purchasing from a physical store.
Consumers have become wiser when it comes to spending their money. Even the younger generation is not exactly as careless in handling their finances as they seem to the older generation. They just spend their money differently. The demand for digital is for great value in all aspects of the digital experience. The consumer has to feel good about the product to want to know more about it and eventually buy it. It’s less about impulse buys of branded items displayed on store windows but more about high product value delivered in a manner that delights the customer.
The challenge for businesses is to highlight and deliver great value—they should convince the customers that they are offering products of value, and they should make the customers feel valued. Knowing your customers is the key to being able to not only meet their expectations but also exceed them high enough to make them loyal customers. Gain significant insight into customer preferences and behavior by taking a closer look at customer information and transactional data.
Mobile use has expanded beyond messaging and online searches and is gaining value in eCommerce. M-commerce, or mobile commerce, is predicted to continue its growth in 2023. Last year, Shopify reported that 73% of BFCM sales were made on mobile devices, compared to 27% on desktops. In the last quarter of 2022, m-commerce spending made up 38% of overall digital spending in the US, a marked increase compared to 24% in 2017.
To reach this market, businesses must make their platforms mobile-friendly. In previous years, consumers tended to switch devices to make online purchases, mainly because online shops were difficult to navigate using smartphones. But with a mobile-responsive online shop, you can provide these consumers with a seamless shopping experience without the hassle of switching devices.
Consumers today make their purchase decisions based on the information that they find online and the recommendations of people they know. Many seek out influencers to check out products that they are thinking of buying and see what the influencer has to say about them. There are even consumers who follow influencers and pick products based on what they present in their posts.
While the influence status comes from the number of followers the endorser has on social media, it’s not just about numbers. The online clout should have been built from giving authentic reviews about the products presented. For this reason, one of the current trends in influencer marketing is a shift toward a more long-term, ongoing partnership instead of one-off projects. For some brands, the more preferred ambassadors are micro-influencers and nano-influencers with smaller audiences who are more engaged and have higher conversion rates. Brands have to consider working with influencers that match their brand culture and those who will present authentic brand promotions.
There’s a consciousness among consumers nowadays to be more mindful of their purchases. Results of market research have actually shown a marked preference for products that are locally sourced, ethically produced, and carbon-neutral. There’s also a growing trend for products that have a positive impact and contribution to local communities. Consumers now are more likely to purchase products from brands that give back to the community and have sustainable practices rather than those just cashing in on profits.
We can see these conscious-minded campaigns during Black Friday with so-called “Anti-Black Friday” campaigns popularized by brands like Patagonia. These campaigns highlight bigger social issues and encourage younger audiences to veer away from hyper-consumerism.
To appeal to more conscious-minded consumers, brands can add a ‘social enterprise’ component to their promotional campaigns. This, however, has to be done with care and sincerity. Partnering with a charity or choosing a community to give back to needs to be in line with what the brand truly stands for and supports. The message should be planned and crafted meticulously, as it should not come across as merely a gimmick to jack up sales.
Black Friday started as an American practice the day after Thanksgiving in the US. However, partly due to the rise in global eCommerce, countries outside the US also want in on this tradition. Shopify’s BFCM sales in 2022 had high revenue from Canada and the UK, with London ranking as one of the top cities of BFCM shoppers worldwide. This presents a new opportunity for businesses that are not in the US to participate in BFCM sales and marketing. It also underscores the need for brands to localize BFCM deals per area.
How Brands Can Prepare for Black Friday-Cyber Monday
Brands should ideally prepare for Black Friday a year ahead. It should be part of your annual integrated strategic marketing plan. With the economy improving, albeit a bit slowly, it seems fair to say that the situation will look better soon. Any surprises are still possible, though, as the pandemic showed us three years ago, so businesses must still have backup plans. Tweaks and even full makeovers are often necessary to cope with more recent developments. Also, smaller businesses and retail startups might not have the capacity for such long-term preparations. As BFCM is now on the horizon, the landscape is much clearer, and brands can quickly work on their sales and marketing strategy.
It is assumed that all the basics of knowing your customers and all the basics of marketing have already been covered. What now needs to be done is to identify what products to push, what channels to tap, and what messages to send. Do the math and make a compelling offer that will make it difficult for your customers to resist. Get things moving and drum up excitement in your social media accounts. If necessary, hire social media creators and managers to take care of your postings and engagements. You can get a sense of what’s popular and what your customers are most likely to buy when you ‘listen’ to their social media interactions. This should give you a good idea of what products you might have to bulk up on in your inventory.
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Leverage Insights to Maximize Black Friday Sales
There is no doubt that eCommerce is growing bigger and stronger every day. Consumers’ expectations for digital experiences are increasing, so brands have to keep up. It would be the wisest move for brands to fortify their online presence. The focus should be on creating an exciting place where customers can shop for products that give them more value. They have to provide products and shopping experiences that exceed their customers’ higher expectations.
With BFCM quickly becoming global, brands would definitely benefit from getting ready for the biggest digital sales day this year. Strategically building up promotions leading to Black Friday would be a good move to get into your customers’ shopping lists—you can even have an advance event cart that customers can fill up with promo items, so they can simply check out conveniently on the sale date. Leverage insights about your customers and their online shopping preferences and behavior. Gather your arsenal of digital tools and knowledge to deliver the best ever shopping experience to your customers.


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Written by: Roshan Dwivedi
Streaming giant Netflix plans to spend nearly $8 billion on programming especially in creating original content. Also, it plans to have 30 local language originals, up from 8 last year.
The subscriber base of Netflix is growing by leaps and bounds with 18.5 million international subscribers added the video streaming platform’s kitty in 2017 itself. Netflix bade adieu to 2017 with 117.5 million subscribers, with 62 million of them outside the U.S. Sky which boasts a 23 million subscriber base in Europe has partnered with Netflix and now Comcast and Fox are in a bidding war for a controlling stake in Sky.
Michael White, the former CEO of Satellite TV broadcaster DirecTV, quoted, “I think all of the media companies need to look at what Netflix is doing globally because it’s going to change the content economics. If Netflix gets 200 million subscribers from international, they’ll be writing much bigger checks (for content) in Hollywood.”


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2 min read.Updated: 15 Jul 2015, 12:28 AM ISTAshna Ambre
The amount is estimated to be around $1 million, according to two people familiar with the company plans
Mumbai: Bengaluru-based transportation software solutions company MoveInSync Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd on Tuesday said it has raised venture debt from InnoVen Capital. The company did not disclose the amount.
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