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Kibo’s Certona and Monetate Both Named as Leaders in 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Personalization Engines
Kibo’s Certona and Monetate Offerings are Both Positioned in the Leader Quadrant for Third Consecutive Year
Kibo, a leader in unified commerce, announced that Gartner has positioned Certona and Monetate, both Kibo offerings, as Leaders in its 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Personalization Engines. This is the third consecutive year that the two products have both been named in the Leader position by Gartner. Kibo acquired Certona and Monetate in 2019 and has integrated both personalization technology platforms into its unified commerce platform.
Marketing Technology News: Cordial Enhances Its Cross-Channel Platform With A Reimagined Mobile App Solution
In the report, Gartner notes that, “The personalization process creates relevant, individualized interactions between a company and its audiences to enhance the recipient’s experience. It uses insight based on unique recipient behavioral data, as well as behavioral data of similar individuals, to deliver an experience to meet specific needs and preferences.”
“Gartner has recognized our complementary, integrated personalization offerings from Certona and Monetate as Leaders for the third consecutive year. As part of the Kibo platform, these technologies deliver even more powerful personalization for our clients,” said David Post, CEO at Kibo, which owns Certona and Monetate.
Marketing Technology News: Zilliant Named Finalist for Ventana Research Digital Innovation Award
In a recent study, Kibo found that companies with a personalization strategy that accounts for every customer touchpoint across marketing and ecommerce are significantly more likely to drive upwards of 400% ROI compared to companies with one-sided personalization approaches. With both Certona and Monetate, Kibo offers AI-driven personalization that empowers clients to deliver end-to-end personalized experiences in a flexible and scalable way.
“Kibo’s unified commerce platform delivers integrated personalization from both Certona and Monetate, layering seamlessly on top of our modern and extensible commerce offering. Our vision to deliver end-to-end personalization for our clients across every customer touchpoint is the best approach to modern commerce,” said David Post at Kibo.
Marketing Technology News: Entravision Appoints Stephen Chung as Chief Revenue Officer for Its International Digital Business


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InBusiness Magazine features OpenWorks Founder & CEO
Seeing the People Side of Commercial Cleaning
InBusiness Magazine (February 2015) - Eric Roudi realized in the early 1980s something that others at the time had not: The cleaning business is really a people business.It’s a people business in the sense that clients who own commercial buildings have needs and requests they’d like to convey to someone they know and trust. It’s also a people business in terms of how Roudi recruits those who will interact with him and his clients.
Roudi is founder and CEO of OpenWorks, a Phoenix-based commercial cleaning company and franchise. It has a national footprint, with more than 330 locations in 15 states, with its cleaners servicing 1,100 facilities each day.
“The differentiator we went after was to use pride of ownership to our advantage,” Roudi says. “We capitalized on that notion by setting up individual franchises, where the owner is in charge of delivering the service to end users — customers — and also, as an owner, he or she is closer to the employees they’re hiring.” He says this helped reduce workplace turnover to 40 percent from an industry average of 300 percent.
Roudi came to the U.S. from Iran at age 16 to attend college, with plans to return after earning his degree. That was 1978, right before Iran was consumed by a revolution and his family was forced to flee. He lost access to them and found himself alone in his new country. Emulating the entrepreneurialism his father had modeled, he came to Phoenix after graduating from Tufts University and, with a friend, made a pitch to investors to give them $34,000 to launch a commercial cleaning business.
Later, buying out those investors turned out to be “a good decision personally because I ended up with 100 percent of the company,” he says, explaining he’d grown tired of answering investors’ questions every month that had nothing to do with the business itself.“I think what was important in the very beginning was having set goals, clear goals as to what I wanted my income to be at some point and what the business would look like at some point,” Roudi says.
“Not all the decisions were correct, obviously, but I made more correct decisions than wrong decisions.”Commercial cleaning was a $70-billion-a-year industry at the time. Roudi recognized that it was fragmented so he went the then-rare route of franchising in the early 1980s. “I liked the look and feel of the franchise system,” he says. “You could walk into a McDonald’s anywhere in the country and expect the same service. I wanted to make that the same for the cleaning industry.”
He knew if he could create a system and then easily replicate it, he could be successful. “The premise of franchising and what we actually incorporated was the fact that we had owners out there interacting with the customer and providing the service,” Roudi says. “That was the beginning of the whole thing.”
One of the most crucial commitments he has made — and process he has honed over the years — is making sure he has the best team in place. “Nothing gets done without the right people,” he says, noting OpenWorks has a “pretty elaborate recruiting methodology,” which includes personality tests. He makes sure to get self-starters who are motivated in part by money — it’s the “universal language of business,” he says — and conducts at least three interviews before making a decision.
Roudi does his part in making sure his company is a good place to work. In contrast to the “old days,” when he would just tell people what to do and wonder why they weren’t doing it, he says he now listens to them, too. With that, he has learned and perfected his approach.Roudi’s taste for innovation was there from the very start. Since the early 1980s, the company has had its own information technology system to help manage several functions in the organization, which has yielded a lot of efficiencies, he said.
These days, many of his larger customers are taking decision-making away from their individual facilities, and Roudi’s firm is well-suited to go after them because of its use of franchisees. Clients prefer a single point of contact — one vendor who can manage it all so they can cut down on their expenses. Roudi believes that kind of efficiency is exactly what has separated his company from competitors.
OpenWorks: Clean Sweep of Franchising Success
More than strictly janitorial, OpenWorks services include stone and marble, landscape maintenance, pressure washing, parking lot sweeping, HVAC/mechanical, electrical and lighting, handyman, preventive maintenance, pest control, clean rooms and supply management.
OpenWorks has been in business since 1983 and has regional centers in Arizona, California, Illinois, Texas and Washington. Its national headquarters is in Phoenix, where it houses its Franchisee Training Center and corporate operations.
OpenWorks was right in step with the green cleaning movement, using eco-friendly products and a more carbon-friendly approach ahead of many in the industry. In conducting business with vendors and within its franchise community, practices such as consolidating orders so as to minimize the number of deliveries helps OpenWorks reduce its own carbon footprint.Indicating the continued strength of the facility maintenance services market, OpenWorks sold 60 franchises in 2013 and 47 in 2014.
Written by: Mike Saucier
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domain: news


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Linux Mint has just released their new distribution: Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE). It is a rolling distribution based off of Debian Testing instead of Ubuntu. Their goal is to have LMDE look identical to the main edition and to provide the same functionality while using Debian as a base. By being a rolling distribution, […]
Linux may have started out small, but it’s grown by leaps and bounds. Today, Linux can be found on everything from a home wireless router to the gigantic mainframe in the data center. Although the spirit of openness surrounds Linux, thanks in part to the GPL, distinct communities have sprung up to support the different […]
The Swedish developers behind this game known properly as “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” have released a demo of the game. Frictional Games has released this demo for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X gamers. “Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a first person survival horror. A game about immersion, discovery and living through a nightmare. An experience […]
According to Phoronix, Unigine Announced Its OilRush Game For Linux. Unigine OilRush is a new game created by Russian developers and it is described by Unigine as follows: “OilRush is a real-time strategy game based on the group control. It offers mechanics of a classical RTS combined with a Tower Wars genre: control construction and […]
Over the weekend there was a new Linux binary driver release from NVIDIA that was the 256.52 driver in a pre-release state. It didn’t deliver on OpenCL 1.1, Fermi Linux overclocking support, or any other radical features, but it did bring a handful of bug-fixes. Today this driver has been released as stable after being […]
0 A.D. (pronounced “zero ey-dee”) is a free, open-source, cross-platform real-time strategy (RTS) game of ancient warfare. In short, it is a historically-based war/economy game that allows players to relive or rewrite the history of Western civilizations, focusing on the years between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. The project is highly ambitious, involving state-of-the-art 3D […]
VLC 1.1.4 is released, this is the fourth bugfix release of the VLC 1.1.x branch. This release comes especially to fix important security issue that was discovered in most windows application, Linux in general is not affected by this security bug. So this new release is targeted for the windows platform.
PlayOnLInux 3.8 is now available ! This new version comes with a lot of new features and fixed many bugs, some plugins are now integrated in this software, adding a lot of features like for example: Capture – a new feature that allow you to record your games while playing, Other new features are wine […]


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Ljubljana stock indices edge up in lower turnover
Bosnia's Federation retail sales up real 8.8% y/y in Oct
Most Sofia bourse indices end higher, Eurohold paces gainers
Podravka, Adris boost Croatia’s share indices in lower turnover
Romanian stock indices turn green, MedLife shines
Nov 21, 2017 12:01 EEST
SOFIA (Bulgaria), November 21 (SeeNews) – Bulgarian machine engineering company Hydraulic Elements and Systems (HES) [BUL:4HE] said on Tuesday it expects its sales revenue for the 11 months through November to increase by 20% on the year to 51.7 million levs ($31.0 million/26.4 million euro).
In November alone, sales are projected at 5.2 million levs, HES said in a statement.
In the first ten months of the year, HES’s sales revenue rose by an annual 19% to 46.5 million levs. In October alone, sales totalled 5.2 million levs.
The company’s ten-month gross profit grew 20% year-on-year to 4.8 million levs. In October alone, HES posted a gross profit of 647,000 levs.
HES is a subsidiary of blue-chip industrial group Stara Planina Hold [BUL:5SR].
(1 euro=1.95583 levs)
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ABUJA- AS preparation for Christmas gathers momentum, the Federal Government yesterday, met with importers over smuggled rice and other food items including frozen poultry products and fish through land borders into the country.
The meeting was hosted by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen Heineken Lokpobiri, at the Ministry’s headquarter in Abuja, where which was to engage stakeholders from farmers, processors, importers, exporters, and regulators. According to him the essence of the meeting was to proffer solution to the problem of smuggling of food items with a sustainable strategy.
He said: “Today we have a problem and it is only we that are sited here that can solve that and it has to do with the activities of smuggling, particularly as it relates to rice, poultry products and fish. In the last few weeks the Vice President has been meeting with the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, including customs and some other government agencies with the view of finding a solution to this problem.
“I guess all of you here the dangers of the consumption of these frozen products, imported rice and fish by the Nigerian population. All of you are aware that there are many strange diseases that are now affecting little children; some at the age of five they are already down these diseases. “The reason is because instead of us to patronize our local poultry industry, locally produced fish, and for the fish because of the huge gap in order to ensure quality control decided to give some fish quota to those who have applied to import fish, and that fish is only acceptable to Nigeria if it is brought through the seaport.
“We also know some criminal activities are going on through the land borders particularly the Benin Republic border, where people are bringing in frozen fish, poultry products, which are not healthy for human consumption. “These smuggled poultry products contain what they use to preserve dead bodies called formalin, and it is important for Nigerians to know that it is very dangerous to eat any frozen product that is smuggled into the country. If big hotels in the country patronize locally produced rice, poultry products and fish, they will save a lot of lives and create more jobs. ”
However, the Minister also disclosed that over 1 million metric tonnes of rice waiting to hit Nigerian markets from Benin Republic, which he urged hotels, eateries, super markets, and others to patronize Nigerian agricultural products. “Over 1 million metric tonnes of rice waiting to hit Nigeria from Benin Republic, and the rice is not meant for Benin Republic because people of Benin Republic don’t eat parboiled rice”, he stated.
Speaking on how to approach the problem, one of the stakeholders, Nigeria Association of Agricultural Product Dealers, NAAPD, whose Secretary General, Hon Kingsley Chikezie, said with the documents that authorised them to collaborate with the governors and police to reduce multiple taxation, same could be applied to reduce smuggling across the land borders.
On its suggestion, the National Orientation Agency, NOA, promised to step up awareness creation on the issue and to orientate Nigerians more on patronising, consuming and depending on locally produced poultry products, fish and rice instead of the smuggled ones despite the affordability.
Also the President of Poultry Association of Nigeria, Ezekiel Mam, called on Nigerians to discard imported poultry products due to the damage caused by the preservatives, and should patronize the local poultry products.


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Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., Center, arrives in the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California on Friday, May 21, 2021.
Nina Riggio | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple has appealed the Epic Games case, seeking to suspend the restraining order that allows developers to add in-app links to payment websites, according to company officials and documents filed on Friday.
If Apple wins the respite ruled by a judge in November, a rule change that may allow developers to bypass App Store fees of 15% to 30% may not take effect until appeals on the case are finalized for years .
In September, federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled nine out of ten cases in antitrust proceedings against Epic, the manufacturer of Fortnite. Epic was looking for the option of installing its own app store on iPhones. Kate Adams, Apple’s general counsel at the time, said the ruling was a “great win”.
But Apple has also been instructed to fundamentally change its store and allow mobile apps to direct consumers to external payment methods, which may offer a way to bypass Apple’s App Store fees.
This injunction is currently scheduled to come into force on December 9th.
Apple hasn’t publicly stated how its App Store policies would change under the regulation, but some developers have already started developing software based on their interpretation of the ruling.
“At a high level, I believe that without thoughtful restrictions to protect consumers, developers and the iOS platform, this change will harm users, developers and the iOS platform in general,” said Trystan Kosmynka, Apple’s senior director of App Review said in a filing on Friday.
Apple may be able to change its App Store policy and have discussions with the judge, eliminating the need for an injunction, Apple officials said.
Over the past year, Apple made several small concessions to critics of its app distribution rules in response to lawsuits and regulatory attention to limit major changes to its app store. Apple has argued that it should be able to choose what software iPhones are allowed to run in order to provide a better user experience, which the company says.
In a filing describing the reasons for the stay, Apple cited some concessions it made in August as part of a separate deal with small developers. This agreement is still pending approval by Judge Rogers.
“The requested suspension will allow Apple to keep consumers safe and secure its platform as the company addresses the complex and rapidly evolving legal, technological and economic issues that any revision of this policy would create,” said Apple- Lawyers in a court file.
The judge also ordered Epic to pay Apple damages. Epic Games appealed in September. A representative from Epic Games declined to comment.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney joked about the appeal on Twitter.
Ultimately, should app makers be able to bill their own customers directly without using Apple’s in-app purchase system, it would threaten a winning machine for the company. The App Store is part of the company’s services business, which had fiscal 2020 revenue of $ 53.8 billion on a gross margin of 66%, accounting for about 20% of Apple’s revenue.
SEE: Discord Founder and CEO at Apple vs. Epic Games


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Crypto memes could soon be regulated in the UK
The UK regulator is mulling whether to bring crypto memes under updated guidance on financial promotions, including across social media
Peace-loving/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks
Crypto startups, engagement farmers and memecoin fans beware: UK authorities may soon come for crypto memes.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) wants to modernize its rules around online financial product promotions to better enforce compliance on social media.
Its most recent guidance, published in 2015, doesn’t mention crypto at all. The FCA has now opened a consultation on whether to bring crypto memes under the remit of those official UK rules.
“Firms are reminded that any type of communication is capable of being a financial promotion and subject to S21 [part of the law governing financial promotions],” the agency said.
“We have seen memes and other similar communications circulated on social media with users often not realizing they are subject to our rules.”
This means financial promotion restrictions could extend to memes on platforms like Twitter, Reddit and Telegram. Some projects (memecoins) base almost their entire value proposition on memes, with the FCA saying promotions featuring memes are “particularly prevalent” in crypto.
By providing clear guidelines on memes, the FCA aims to prevent misleading or deceptive practices in online promotional activities.
“We want people to stay on the right side of our rules, so we’re updating our guidance to clarify what we expect of firms when marketing financial products online,” said Lucy Castledine, the FCA’s director of consumer investments.
“And for those touting products illegally, we will be taking action against you.”
The FCA’s posturing comes as part of broader efforts to regulate crypto advertisements targeting UK consumers.
Earlier this month, the regulatory authority announced that crypto firms must comply with new advertising rules by Oct. 8, or risk imprisonment or unlimited fines.
Scrutiny of casual communications in financial promotions is happening outside the UK, too.
In February, a New York federal judge ruled that emojis — rocket ships, money bags and stock charts — in promotions for Dapper Labs’ NFT project NBA Top Shots could be financial advice implying potential returns on investment.
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Representatives of the Fair Deal for Your Local campaign have criticised the Government for rewording the clause outlining a market-rent-only option in the Pubs Code bill, claiming it is responding to pubco lobbying.
23-Jan-2015 - Perceptions Group chairman Keith Knowles has slammed career advice in the UK as “fundamentally flawed”, after a recent House of Commons report claimed that too many young people are falling...
23-Jan-2015 - Managed pub operator Mitchells and Butlers (M&B) has been fined £1.5m following its conviction of a food hygiene offence which led to the death of a customer.
23-Jan-2015 - New figures released today (23 January) show the number of net pub closures stands at 29 per week for the six months June-December 2014.
23-Jan-2015 - A rare collection of British beer marketing posters dating back to the 1950s have been discovered in Kent – including one featuring a copy of the Morning Advertiser.
22-Jan-2015 - MPs from the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group have tabled an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill, seeking to “end the scandal” of pubs being demolished or turned into supermarkets without...
22-Jan-2015 - Almost eight out of 10 drinkers rarely or never try new alcoholic drinks according to research by Canadean which shows that 77% of out-of-home drinkers eschewing new products and 32%...
22-Jan-2015 - Star Pubs & Bars is providing new lessees with Cloud-based till systems enabling them to generate and view all financial reports whenever and wherever they want.
20-Jan-2015 - Pub is the Hub has secured funding for its advice, guidance and training services for a further three years.
20-Jan-2015 - Licensed premises are at risk of being taken to a summary review on the basis of just one violent incident, following a High Court precedent case.
20-Jan-2015 - Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has lost a High Court battle with his father-in-law over being held personally liable for the rent on a London pub.
20-Jan-2015 - Tributes have been paid to National Pubwatch founder and trade stalwart Raoul De Vaux who has died.
20-Jan-2015 - Castle Rock, the Nottingham-based brewer and pub operator, is launching a licensee training course in Nottingham to train personal licensees in hospitality and alcohol retailing.
20-Jan-2015 - The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has named its top Beard Friendly Pubs in the UK.
19-Jan-2015 - The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has started its search for the top people in the hospitality sector with the launch of five industry awards.
19-Jan-2015 - The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is sending out letters to all licensees asking for information about their pub businesses to help update rateable values of all business properties in England...
19-Jan-2015 - Police officers’ support for the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) has led to a “breakthrough” in the acceptance of cards in pubs and bars, according to the scheme’s director....
19-Jan-2015 - Chairman of the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group Greg Mulholland MP has launched an attack on amendments to the Small Business Bill put down by a Conservative peer.
19-Jan-2015 - Publican’s Morning Advertiser readers can win a case of one of the top-selling on-trade spirits brands by simply completing a short survey on spirits sales at their pubs.
16-Jan-2015 - The licensees of a West Yorkshire pub are championing a new beer that’s been created by one of their locals – an injured British Army war veteran.
16-Jan-2015 - The owners of the Brighton coffee shop chain The Small Batch Coffee Company and cycling cafe Velo are set to open a craft beer and shellfish pub, named The Urchin,...
16-Jan-2015 - The British Beer and Pub Association is calling for greater support for a cut in beer duty in the 2015 Budget.
16-Jan-2015 - A Shepherd Neame pub in Kent has started the New Year with festive celebrations as it held a Christmas dinner for pensioners.
16-Jan-2015 - The average sale price of a pub has increased by 8.6% over the past year and a record number are being sold for continued use, according to the latest research...
15-Jan-2015 - Actor Neil Morrissey is set to re-open a Stoke-On-Trent pub, 15 years after he last graced the small screen as beer-swilling Tony on Men Behaving Badly.


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Fox 10 News of Phoenix has been following up on the story of an arrest in the case of over 400 Batman comics worth $1.4 million, owned by comics collector Randy Lawrence, stolen from a storage facility in Florida.
A suspect, Phillip Weisbauer, was arrested for trying to sell four of the comics, worth around $100,000 to Gotham City Comic Shop, a store in Mesa, Arizona. He was charged with theft and trafficking in stolen property, was set a bail bond of $25,000, which he posted.
Comic retailer Bill Ponseti of More Fun Comics of New Orleans is quoted as saying "One of comic book store owners said, 'hey, there's a guy who just got off the transit with a duffel bag full of very expensive golden age Batman comics. Is anyone missing any of these?' I send him a link to the Bleeding Cool story and said, 'I'm not, but this guy in Florida is.'"
Happy to help. You can watch the full report below.


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More than half a million Department of Defense and Coast Guard civilians will be able to shop in military exchanges in the U.S., beginning May 1. That’s earlier than expected.
The venues include Army and Air Force Exchange Service, or AAFES, stores; Navy exchanges; Marine Corps exchanges; and Coast Guard exchanges. The stores offer tax-free purchases at varying discounts.
The new benefit applies to appropriated fund and non-appropriated fund civilian employees, authorizing them to shop at military exchange stores in the United States and the U.S. territories and possessions. Previously, in-store exchange access for DOD and Coast Guard civilian employees was limited to those on service agreements, assigned overseas in foreign countries and the U.S. territories and possessions, and access was limited to overseas exchanges.
The DoD directive authorizing the change was effective April 12, directing that these new patrons be allowed access within 30 days. This access comes two weeks earlier than that deadline.
There are about 575,00 newly eligible DoD civilian customers. There are about 796,000 DoD civilians in the U.S., but about 221,000 of them already have exchange benefits as military retirees or spouses, for example. There are about 7,000 Coast Guard civilians.
The new shopping access doesn’t include the purchase of military uniforms, tobacco products or alcohol.
In order to shop at the exchanges, a customer must show a valid civilian Common Access Card at the cash register or at the door, depending on the store. A civilian employee who hasn’t been issued a CAC can shop at the military resale activity on the installation where they’re employed by showing an official proof of employment document dated within 12 months, and a valid government photo ID. Otherwise, access to the stores is not linked to the employees’ work assignments.
In-person exchange shopping won’t be available to retired DoD or Coast Guard civilians. However, they will get a benefit later this year: online-only exchange shopping will be available by mid-October for all active and retired DOD and Coast Guard civilian employees with a U.S. mailing address, including territories and possessions and APO and FPO addresses.
Family members of civilians won’t be allowed to shop in these on-base discount department stores, or in the online stores, but the authorized shoppers can make purchases for themselves and their dependents.
Exchanges have the capacity and merchandise to handle the expanded shopping base, said AAFES Director and CEO Tom Shull, in an announcement. The new shopping privilege “brings convenience to civilians working on installations. They can stop by the exchange for essentials on breaks or to and from work instead of shopping outside of the gate —and 100 percent of exchange earnings go right back to the military community.”
Every exchange shopper helps improve the military community and the exchange benefit for service members and their families, said Patricia “Patty” Montes Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy, in an announcement. “We welcome our DOD and Coast Guard civilian employees to take advantage of the convenience and familiarity of military exchanges. Shopping at our military exchanges is a quality of life experience that serves the community in ways no other commercial entity does.”
The expansion is expected to help boost the military resale system and MWR programs, which have faced a number of obstacles over recent years. Based on projections of buying patterns, DoD officials estimate exchange sales could increase by about $287 million a year, with a potential increase of $48 million in profits going back to support the services’ MWR programs, according to Berry Patrick, in the DoD Office of Morale, Welfare and Recreation and Nonappropriated Fund Policy, who spoke in October during a virtual conference of the American Logistics Association.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.


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Gregory Distribution, in partnership with customer Brewdog, is trialling the UK’s first 19-tonne rigid Electra e-Cargo Urban Refrigeration Vehicle. The zero-tailpipe-emission truck is based on an Iveco Eurocargo chassis and supplied by Blackburn-based tech firm NRG Fleet Services, which this year scooped the Motor Transport Innovation Award. A test model of the electric truck is currently being deployed in different urban delivery scenarios across Gregory’s operation. This will be followed by a permanent Electra e-Cargo joining the fleet in Spring […]
Gregory Distribution has ordered 38 SDC curtainsiders trailers on contract hire from Hireco after an “extremely busy” 2020.
London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has strengthened its dealer presence in the Midlands with the appointment of Guest Truck and Van as its Midlands sales and servicing partner.
Central England Co-op is using eight fully electric Mercedes-Benz vans as part of a trial of delivery services on routes in Norfolk, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Birmingham and Derby.


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'Battlefield 4' Beta Coming To More Users
Access to the upcoming "Battlefield 4" beta was originally restricted to people who pre-ordered Danger Close's mediocre "Medal of Honor: Warfighter." That small pool of users has now been expanded to "Battlefield 3" premium users and those who pre-order "Battlefield 4" through Origin, EA's digital storefront.
The information popped up in a Reddit thread alongside an image for the announcing the expanded access to the beta. One of the thread members commented: “Once upon a time the word ‘exclusive’ had a meaning.”
“When Warfighter was announced, they said you would get exclusive beta access if you got the pre-order. Now they let BF3 Premium members and pre-orderers of BF4 into the exclusive beta. They seriously need to stop calling it exclusive.”
So far EA has sold over three million BF3 Premium subscriptions so there won’t be a shortage of “Battlefield 4” beta players. Moreover, the beta is expected to open to the general public at some point later this year most likely in early Fall.


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World Bulletin/News Desk
New amendments were passed to the Law on the Prevention and Control of Hazards of Tobacco Products, Law No. 4207, by Parliament on July 4. According to one amendment, brand stretching, which refers to the application of cigarette brand names, logos or other distinctive elements of cigarette brands and their ads to nontobacco products, was prohibited. Any name, logo or product associated with any cigarette brand can no longer be used on clothes, perfume bottles, alcoholic beverage bottles or coffee packages. The methods of implementation for this legislation will be determined by the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Agency (TAPDK) in three months' time, after receiving the opinion of the Health Ministry
Another change included in the law is that picture-based health warnings will obligatorily be placed on nargile (water pipe) bottles. These warnings have to be placed on both sides of the nargile bottles, and the warnings should cover 65 percent of surface of the nargile bottle under the new legislation. Turkey is the first country in the world to adopt legislation against nargile smoking. A similar practice has been in force since May 1, 2010, when the regulation requiring picture-based health warnings on cigarette packages came into effect.
A further change included in the law is that no tobacco products will no longer be sold to children under the age of 18. Children below this age will also not be permitted to buy any kind of tobacco-free herbal cigarettes, herbal nargile or electronic cigarettes with the new legislation.
According to the new law any text, picture, logo, figure or color that may attract the attention of consumers will be removed from cigarette packaging across the country. The cigarette packages will be made plain in order not to encourage smoking amongst the public. Turkey is the second country in the world to switch to plain packaging, after Australia.
Municipal police will now be able to impose penalties on people who violate the smoking ban, which has been in effect since 2009.
A law banning smoking in all public venues, including all educational, health, commercial, social, cultural, sports and entertainment facilities and their corridors, went into full effect on July 19, 2009. The ban calls for a TL 69 fine for those who smoke in a prohibited area and a fine of up to TL 5,600 for operators who allow it to happen.
1 ISIL terrorist also killed in airstrikes carried out by US-led coalition forces
Turkey will always remember European leaders failed to show solidarity with Turks after coup attempt, Volkan Bozkir says
Host of recent high-level meetings reflects warming ties between Ankara, Riyadh
Compensation paid to families of 2010 Gaza flotilla raid victims
Summer recess ends as MPs expected to discuss extending Turkish military presence in Syria, Iraq
PKK extremists set off explosive on road as military vehicle passes by, killing 1 village guard and injuring 2 soldiers
Arrest warrants issued for 87 people working at the Istanbul, Gaziosmanpasa, and Buyukcekmece courts
Islamic consumerism has taken on a new form and in Turkey, Islamic dress has become a symbol of religious freedom, with many believing the evolving Islamic fashion industry is another tool of capitalism
Yildirim meets Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef in Ankara
Targets of Turkish airstrikes include shelters, weapons dumps
Moody's decision to cut Turkey's rating failed to impress investors, according to Berenberg anaylst
Phone call dominated by violence in Aleppo plus Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria
Nobody took Moody's rating seriously, as it came from political motives, not economic indicators, says the president
Nearly 2 dozen TV, radio stations that support terror groups and threaten national security removed from TurkSat's lineup
Turkey's ongoing state of emergency only aims for an effective fight against FETO and PKK, says President Erdogan


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Two charities are set to share up to £20,000 found in a safe in a scrapyard.
Staff at the scrap metal and waste recycling dealer Sackers in Ipswich found the safe stuffed full of notes and coins when it was opened.
Helen Crapnell, digital and marketing manager at Sackers, told Third Sector the company did not know where the safe had come from.
“Safes are hard to open so we store them up and open them at the same time,” she said.
She said the company had previously found silverware traced to a local church in another safe.
Crapnell said St Elizabeth was Sackers’ charity of the year and the Dodds family, which runs the company, had close links with East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.


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MultiBank Group Records a Solid 69% Increase of Gross Profits in 2020
The multi-regulated brokerage firm had a yearly-record annual turnover for 2020 at over $5 trillion.
Retail brokerage MultiBank Group has disclosed its record financial figures for 2020, reporting a gross profit of over $139 million for the year, representing an increase of 62% from 2019 figures. At that time, the firm had profited over $85 million yearly, according to its report published on Tuesday.
On the same line, the group had an annual turnover last year at over $5 trillion, having posted a yearly record. “2020 was a monumental year to say the least, and I am so proud of these record-breaking financial figures. The results are a testament to our commitment to providing our clients with award winning technologies, platforms, and services, and of course to our fantastic team,” Nasher Taher, chairman of MultiBank Group, commented on the announcement.
Furthermore, Taher foresees such figures to provide a clear picture of what 2021 could bring to MultiBank Group due to the record numbers posted on the recent report.
Established in 2005, the retail brokerage is currently regulated by 11 financial watchdogs globally on the five continents, with branches located in countries such as Australia, Germany, Austria, Spain, Cyprus, USA, Mexico, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, and Turkey.
MultiBank Group Diversification into New Regions
At the end of 2020, Finance Magnates reported a strong performance on the first three quarters of 2020 for MultiBank Group.
According to the report, the company’s gross profit surged to over $94 million at that time. The strain of rising good numbers for the retail brokerage also came in the wake of its headquarters location to Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, which saw a diversified revenue share across other fronts such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.


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Geo-targeted mobile ads could be the most invasive technology we’ve ever seen. But of course they could also be really cool and useful. Now, location-aware ads are invading your streaming mobile video for the first time.
mDialog, a mobile video startup, announced today at Ad:Tech Chicago it has adopted Apple’s new HTTP adaptive bitrate streaming for the iPhone. The HTTP streaming technology — which we’ve covered in depth — stitches together chunks of the same video encoded at different bitrates. The primary purpose is to deliver video that adjusts to changing network strength without stopping to buffer. But a side benefit is that you can slot something else in the stream without interruption, either. And that means: mobile advertising opportunities.
mDialog is one of the first to experiment on the new platform, and so today it’s announced that it can now do in-stream geo-targeted dynamic video ad insertion using Akamai and DoubleClick. That means mid-roll video ads that know where you are. So, if you happen to be watching a video in an mDialog app on your iPhone, that app can ask Google Maps where exactly you’re located, and deliver in the middle of your stream an ad that’s targeted down to a one-quarter mile area.
We had been skeptical of mDialog’s focus on the iPhone in the past, but the flip side is the startup pushes forward these new possibilities. mDialog CEO Greg Philpott said he can envision mid-roll geo-targeting being used for attendees of a concert or sporting event, who are instructed to watch something on their phone and then get a version of an ad just for that event. Today it’s not a massive use case, but it’s definitely a sign of where things are headed.
P.S. If you’re interested in mobile stuff, you should definitely come to our GigaOM Network Mobilize Conference next week in San Francisco.


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Earlier Friday, the US Commerce Department announced that Chinese social media apps: TikTok and WeChat will have "limited access" within the country as early as Sunday.
While users will still be able to access services of the apps, new updates to both the apps, as well as money transfers via WeChat will be prohibited.
A total ban on the use of TikTok is set to take effect on November 12, although US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross mentioned that access to the app might still be allowed if the necessary safeguards were put into place.
The new imposed restrictions had severely disrupted both company's operations, and also hurt the confidence of global investors in both the US and global markets.
China says that it vowed to take counter-measures if the apps were banned, and urged the US to reconsider their actions.
“If the US insists on going its own way, the Chinese side will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese companies.”
WeChat parent company, Tencent, mentioned in a statement that they are reviewing the US's decision, and would continue communicating with the government to ease.
“WeChat was designed to serve international users outside mainland China and has always incorporated the highest standards of user privacy and data security,” a spokesman for the company said on Friday.
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REUTERS - Drugmaker Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd (GLEN.NS) said on Thursday its European unit had launched a generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK.L) Malarone malaria treatment medicine, its first generic product in Britain.
Glenmark launched the drug after the revocation of Glaxo's patent on Malarone by the High Court in Britain, the Indian company said in a statement, adding the medicine had sales of $28 million in the year ended September.
(Reporting by Sumeet Chatterjee in MUMBAI; editing by Jane Baird)
Trending On Reuters
As India launches an $18 billion plan to spread the information revolution to its provinces, the problems it faces are a holdover from the past - electricity shortages, badly planned, jam-packed cities, and monkeys. Full Article
RBI to leave repo rate on hold next week but cut 25 bps by end-June - Reuters poll Full Article


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Oman Heads to Marmomacc
This year’s Marmomacc 46th International Exhibition of Stone and Design and Technology will have some new attendees. Four companies from Oman will be traveling to Italy for one of Europe’s most impressive fair in stone and design later on this month. Areas of interest include: machinery, marble, instrumental products, stone processing, and more. Experts in contract and construction sectors will find the exhibition particularly beneficial, being able to view more than 1,500 exhibitors from over 50 countries. Indeed, according to the Oman Observer the exhibition is seen by many as “the essential business exhibition for international producers, designers and decision makers seeking success in an increasingly specialist marble and stone market.”
Oman Companies at Marmomacc
The four companies that will be in attendance from Oman are: Al Madina Engineering & Industrial Works LLC; Al Shanfari Marble Company LLC, Al Turki Enterprises LLC and the Gulf Stone Company SAOG. This is definitely a momentous time for Oman business in general. Indeed, as Acting Director General of Export Development at the Public Authority for Investment, Promotion & Export Development, Faris al Farsi said, “Marmomacc 2011 is going to be the best yet. There’s an amazing variety of people, both exhibitors and visitors at this important four-day show and a really all-round experience is had by the exhibitors. At the end of the day, we want the participating Omani companies to meet existing and potential customers and have the opportunity to do some serious business networking.”

Good for Omani Business

In addition, as Al Farsi noted, that given the economic slump, often a trade show is the first thing to be reneged upon. But, as he also pointed out, “if you save on the cost of participating but miss out on the RO 100,000 contract or sales opportunities that the trade show could have generated, you aren’t coming out ahead. To make sales, you have to make contacts and the Omani companies participating with the Authority at Marmomacc clearly understand that. I’m confident that the Omani exhibitors will leave Verona with a wealth of information on great new products and ideas to boost their business. Indeed, I fully expect them to meet the right sort of people and get great feedback and positive business leads.”
Omani business definitely has much to look forward to.


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Best's News Service via Bestwire - May 18, 2017 10:35 AM
China’s Regulator Steps Up Inspections of Insurers Following Customer Complaints
BEIJING - The China Insurance Regulatory Commission has stepped up inspections on insurance companies’ consumer-related issues as part of the regulator’s investigation of market activities, according to a statement from the regulator.
In the past two years, the CIRC said it has investigated insurance companies’ consumer-related complaints and issues with stricter supervision for protecting policyholders’ interest. Local insurance authorities will conduct inspections on 16 branches of 45 insurance companies and seven bancassurance entities which have poor customer records.
The inspections will focus any violation of consumer’s rights such as mis-selling, false product and customer information, claims payment failure and case-by-case investigation of reported issues. The CIRC said it will enforce stricter supervision on sales activities and behavior of not only insurance companies, but also agents and intermediaries.
In 2016, the CIRC introduced the first insurance consumer confidence index in a bid to promote the sector’s improvement in services and product quality. The introduction of this index aims to push insurance companies for operational changes riding on consumer demand. The CIRC said this will enhance insurers’ obligation to protect consumer interests (Best’s News Service, April 8, 2016).
(By Iris Lai, Hong Kong bureau manager: Iris.Lai@ambest.com)
BN-NJ-5-18-2017 1035 ET #
BROKERS, CLAIMS, REGULATION, BANCASSURANCE, CHINA, CONSUMER COMPLAINTS


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Ready for Google Pixel Fold? Effectively, the system will make its debut on Could 10 on the Google I/O 2023. The most recent slew of leaks suggests the launch date, the precise Pixel Fold and data associated to its availability, and extra. Right here’s every part it is advisable to know.
Google Pixel Fold Design Reveals Huge Bezels
Leakster Kuba Wojciechowski posted a video that includes a Google Pixel Fold unit. The quick video reveals Fold from varied angles when it’s folded and unfolded. One of many issues that stick out is the scale of the bezels onboard Pixel Fold. Yep, the video reveals thick bezels on the aspect and a smaller kind issue, in contrast to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold collection.
It really provides vibes of utilizing a Microsoft Floor Duo albeit the distinction is, Pixel Fold is utilizing a foldable show as a substitute of two separate ones. Aside from that, you will notice curved edges and a punch-hole cutout on the first and secondary shows alike. Google goes to debut Pixel Fold on Could tenth on the Google I/O 2023 alongside Google Pixel 7a which we coated on this story.
Google Pixel Fold Specs (Rumored)
Speaking in regards to the specs, we now have rumored specs for the upcoming Google Pixel Fold.
There’s a 5.8” OLED cowl show with 2092×1080 pixels and 408 ppi density sitting on the entrance. Unfold the system and you will notice a foldable 7.6” OLED panel with a 6:5 facet ratio, 2208×1840 pixels decision, and a 120Hz refresh price on high. There’s an ultrathin glass layer on high of the foldable unit.
Google Pixel Fold is ready to reach with Tensor G2 SoC with a Titan M2 safety chip. There’s LPDDR5 RAM onboard alongside as much as 512GB of storage. On the optics finish, you’ll see a triple digital camera setup on the again. It homes a 48MP major with OIS, a ten.8MP ultrawide, and a ten.8MP telephoto shooter able to 5x optical zoom. There’s a 9.5MP cam on the quilt and an 8MP cam on the entrance show.
Google Pixel Fold Pricing and Availability
Google Pixel Fold will reportedly get two variants i.e. 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB priced at $1,799 and $1,919. In fact, Pixel Fold is on the costly aspect of the worth tag however it goes consistent with the traits that different foldable gadgets comply with.
Based on Jon Prosser, the primary teasers for Pixel Fold may make its debut on April 26 adopted by debut and pre-orders on Could 10. The pre-orders at Google’s partnered shops and carriers are set to be from Could 30 whereas the delivery will start on June 27.


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Cifas' CEO Simon Dukes offered Channel 5 News viewers five top tips on how to stay safe from online scams.
You can find more information about how to protect yourself from identity theft and identity fraud on our Identity Protection page.
1) Check your social media privacy settings
You can prevent online identity fraud by making sure you have your privacy settings on your social media set appropriately. Do not share information with people you don’t know.
2) Be wary of unsolicited messages
You can reduce your vulnerability to identity crime by being wary of unsolicited emails, calls and texts asking you for information about your passwords, logins or other security details.
3) Choose strong and different passwords
You can stay safer online by using strong passwords. You could, for example, use three random words, and also use capitals, numbers and punctuation in the password. Make sure you use different passwords for different accounts.
4) Update your device’s software
Make sure you have updated the software on your devices. When that pop-up says ‘update now’, click or tap to accept.
5) Be careful when using public Wi-Fi
Always be cautious when using public Wi-Fi. You can use it for general browsing, but never use it for shopping or banking.
What parents need to know about the growing trend of 'money mules'
Young people most at risk from phishing scams, says survey
Fraud is now a volume crime – we need police volume to fight it
Educating young people about fraud is key to protecting them online
Morrisons trial: how organisations can tackle the growing problem of internal fraud


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Leave it to visionary Mark Zuckerberg and the rest of the geniuses behind Facebook to dish out surprises every now and then. The latest bomb? A newly redesigned Facebook News Feed. After getting raps about how cluttered its present News Feed format is, this seems to be the social media giant’s long-awaited response.
Here’s the explanation of Mark Zuckerberg himself:
“At a personal level we built a service that lets you see and feel the people and friends you care about. What we’re trying to do is give everyone in the world the best personalized newspaper. It should have quality public content from friends. It should have a front page and it should let you drill down into any topic you want. It should be visual, rich and engaging. It should be displayed with more than just text. From the beginning our goal with news feed was different than what any service was trying to provide. You should be able to share any type of content you want…and with any audience you want. The types you tell with photos are totally different.
Now that we all have cameras in our pockets, news feed has become primarily about visual content. Almost 50 percent of content in the news feed is visual. Now the average news feed Pages posts are almost 30 percent of the content. How we’re sharing is changing. We all want to share with friends, but want updates from publications we care about, and artists, and world leaders.”
“The best personalized newspaper” –this statement is enough to push businesses that are active on Facebook to the edge of their seats. Finally, Facebook is giving its News Feed a refresh after being virtually untouched since Facebook was launched in 2006.
This is an exciting time and an uncertain one as well. There’s no other way to digest and comprehend news as big as this but to break it down into more chewable pieces. There are three major components to this update: a more customizable news feed, a shift to image heavy presentation and mobile streamlining.
Your Feed, Your Choice
This is an unprecedented power given to Facebook users to filter what they want to see on their News Feed. “Get Facebook just how you want it with your choice of feeds” – this is exactly how Facebook describes this development. The new Facebook News Feed will have seven primary filters – four are totally new and the others are carryovers. The new filters are All Friends, Photos, Music and Following and carryovers are Most Recent, Close Friends and Games.
So, how did Facebook come up with these categories? It was spearheaded by user experience researcher Jane Justice Leibrock using a method known as “card sort.” This is a technique used to establish the way people mentally link things to each other.Recent news feed stories of the research participants were printed out and they were asked to choose those that caught their interest while the rest were discarded. Participants were then asked to segregate the stories that they picked into different stacks based on what made these stories interesting.
The results came back and Leibrock found out that the stories people complain are cluttering their news feeds are actually the ones that caught their attention. “Since people were clearly interested in these stories, our task became figuring out how to display them separately from News Feed, in a way that people would want to see them,” said Leibrock. At the end of the day, it was not really about the content, but how people are seeing the content that makes it cluttered. Creating multiple news feeds, as Leibrock stipulated, ultimately seems to be the perfect solution to this predicament.
Photos Speak Louder than Words
Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion dollars so it comes as no surprise that Mark Zuckerberg and his team is making Facebook a photo-centric social platform. “This is like going from a little Trinitron 20-centimeter TV to buying a widescreen” is an analogy used by the Facebook team to describe how visual media such as photos, videos and maps will be redefining Facebook-ing to a more immersive experience.
This redesign decision is also leveraging basic facts on how people consume information. How people make sense of the world is 90% dependent on visual cues and the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than textual data. This also explains the explosion of photo-driven social networking sites such as Instagram and Pinterest and now, Facebook has realized that it’s time to cash in on this visual revolution.At present, 350 million photos are uploaded to Facebook each day and these comprised close to 50% of all News Feed content.
There have also been recent proofs that Facebook posts with photos are more engaging than the average plain text post. According to a research conducted by HubSpot, photos generate 53% more like and 104% more comments than the average post.
On Facebook, visual content is king.
Different Screen Sizes, Same Facebook Experience
126 million users access Facebook exclusively through mobile. This is like saying that the entire population of Japan is accessing Facebook solely through smartphones and tablets. Unless you’ve been a technology pariah, you’d know that mobile internet use is on the rise and that people are glued to their smartphones and tablets wherever they are, 24/7.
With the News Feed re-design, users can now expect to have the same Facebook experience across different devices regardless of screen sizes. Experts predicted that 2013 will be the year of responsive web design and Facebook may just be the biggest proof that this forecast is indeed correct. Navigation will improve as users can now jump from any page to any page. The News Feed layout is also keener on how majority of these devices employ the touchscreen technology which means overall user experience across mobile will improve.
New Design, Old EdgeRank Algorithm
In lieu of this earth shaking redesign project, Facebook clarified that it will not affect how EdgeRank surfaces content on a user’s News Feed. For those who are not familiar with the concept, EdgeRank is the ranking algorithm that is proprietary to Facebook. At any given time, Facebook filters approximately 75%-85% of content OUT of your News Feed and it also decides what to show you or what to “surface.” It’s the equivalent of the algorithm used by Google in deciding how to rank websites on its search results pages.
The EdgeRank algorithm is hinged on three criteria. First is affinity which is the measure of how close you are to the creator of the story. Second is weight which is dependent on the number of likes, comments and shares a story or a post gets. Third is time decay which basically means that the value of a story decreases over time.
According to Facebook, the redesigned News Feed will not affect its EdgeRank algorithm but as mentioned, photos get more likes and comments than an average post which is critical in terms of determining a story’s weight.
New News Feed, New Facebook. New Strategy?
Definitely. It is obvious how Facebook is trying to innovate how it delivers the best social media experience to its one billion users worldwide. While there are threats to its position as a leader in the social sphere from the other big players and even the emerging ones, Facebook still has a stronghold of that coveted top spot.
This means that Facebook is still the most powerful arsenal businesses have for social media marketing and everyone needs to keep up with these latest changes.
While the spanking News Feed is yet to be rolled out and its effects yet to be determined, it just takes a forward looking perspective on how this development will affect social media marketers and postulate ways on how they can adapt.
Time to Create Your Own Visual Stockpile
Before the rise of image-driven social networking sites such as Instagram and Pinterest, photos were considered accessories or add-ons to social media status updates. And even with Instagram and Pinterest, businesses still neglect the importance of using images as primary social marketing elements. This is especially true for small businesses that don’t have their own bank of proprietary images.
Here’s the deal. You don’t have to employ an army of photographer and graphic designers just to keep up with this Facebook visual shift. Just look at those Facebook memes that went viral. Do you think a highly paid graphics team produced those? Not really. Read about basic photography on the net or ask someone from your team to do so. Then purchase a really nice point and shoot camera and you’re all set up. The story behind the photo is what matters.
Another simple technique to keep up with this is to convert the Facebook status updates that you’ll usually post using text and convert them into images. It can be as simple as typing something on Powerpoint and saving the slide as a JPG or GIF file. You can learn basic Adobe Photoshop if you want.
There’s really no excuse for you not to be able to adapt, unless you’re allergic to change.
Ads Should Show and Tell
When the new News Feed was officially announced last March 7, Mark Zuckerberg and the whole Facebook gang were mum about how this revamp will affect advertisements and advertisers. It was when prodded with the question did a Facebook rep give a short and sweet answer as published in an article by Rachel Metz of the MIT Technology Review. The response was: “The idea of making things richer, more immersive, includes ads.”
It’s not a definitive answer, but is sure is foreshadowing of times to come. This is the opinion of TechCrunch’s Josh Constine: “Here’s how the design changes will affect advertisers, though. Facebook cleaned up its UI to give more space in the central feed for photos. When businesses buy feed ads that feature a photo, those photos will be bigger.”
The takeaway is simple. Facebook earn through advertising and for sure, the financial geniuses behind the company will take into consideration revenues from advertising before making any more to redesign. The message here is still a whisper, but it’s clear: advertisers, be ready with your killer photos as they will be the stars of the show! Compelling copy will still be needed, but it’s no longer enough.
According to experts, this might open an opportunity to an untapped market of Facebook advertisers. For example, luxury brands fashion brands and luxury resorts who invest heavily on top of the line product photography may seriously consider reusing their magazine ads for Facebook, now that the real estate for images on the social network has just gotten bigger.
Copy Covers Images
When the new News Feed is rolled out, one of the key changes on how Facebook display stories is that the textual element of a story or a post will be displayed on top or as an overlay on the photo it accompanies. While brevity and succinctness are Twitter’s territories, it seems that Facebook users need to be a little more laconic as well.
Be straightforward and at the same time witty and creative. In the shortest way possible, convey your message and make people understand what you want them to do. Let the image speaks for itself.
Build Strong – or Stronger – Relationships with Your Brand Advocates
Because of the segmented News Feed categories, there is a huge chance that your Facebook message won’t be seen when your Fans use a specific filter. In fact, technically speaking, the only segment that your Facebook posts have a really good chance of being seen by your Fans is if they choose to view their ‘Following’ news feed which of course, a tightly contested
That being said, the need for businesses to build strong relationships with their customers on Facebook is more important today more than ever. More specifically, you have to engage with your brand ambassadors, your brand advocates, your brand evangelist your Super Fans.
Have you ever heard of the Pareto Principle also known as the 80/20 rule? This is a concept related to efficiency which basically states that 80% of the outcomes you’re getting is the result of 20% of your efforts. Using the same thinking, investing extra time and resources in producing good Facebook content that will directly target the 20% of your Fans that really love your brand will increase your chances of being seen across different News Feed sections.
It’s taking advantage of content virality and the multiplier effect of social content. They share your content to their friends. Their friends share your content to their friends. The friends of their friends share you content to their friends. You get the drift.
Now, your content can be seen when your followers go to their Close Friends News Feed or their Photos News Feed or their All Friends News Feed. By producing content that engages your brand ambassadors, you are able to cover more social media acres than you possibly could alone.
Time for a Facebook-Pinterest Synergy
No social network is an island. Twitter feeds appear on Facebook. Instagram updates are posted on Twitter. All roads lead to synergy, convergence and integration and the new Facebook News Feed brings another dimension to this scene.
Now that Facebook is transforming into a photo-centric channel, one of the third party social network or application that will be feature prominently is Pinterest. Business owners and social media marketers pay attention. If you don’t have a Pinterest account, create one now and make sure to link it to your Facebook profile.
According to data, 98% of Pinterest users have an active Facebook account. Here’s the deal maker: among all Pinterest users, 21% have purchased a product after seeing an image of it on Pinterest. Talk about hardcore and concrete ROI.
By marrying your Pinterest strategy with your Facebook strategy, you can drive more people to your Pinterest profile and reap the benefit of higher conversion. Schedule your Pinterest posts in conjunction with your Facebook updates so each can build on one another. For example, if you’re selling winter garments, you can probably post a Facebook update with images of the Top Five Ski Resorts in Aspen. A few minutes later, you can probably add new photos to your Pinterest profile showing your latest winter clothing collection. It has to be logical and messages should amplify each other.
Location, Location, Location
Who knows that this real estate mantra can now be applied by social media marketers? With the new visually stronger Facebook News Feed design, Facebook Places which is Facebook’s version of Google+ Location and Foursquare and other geo-tagging and third party check-in apps will be more visible.Just like images, maps will now be displayed much bigger, hence more attention-grabbing and more engaging.
By encouraging your customers or clients or even window shoppers to check-in to your business, you are strengthening your business’ presence in the ‘Close Friends’ and ‘All Friends’ news feeds. Further, when Facebook Graph Search is fully rolled out, this will even be more vital, especially for local business. For instance, if you use Facebook Graph Search to look for an “Italian restaurant,” it’s almost 100% sure that Facebook will return with a list of Italian restaurants near you and where your friends have previously checked in.
Obviously, this will not only impact your Facebook presence and there’s a high potential that this will drive foot traffic to your business as well.
Spruce Up Your Cover Photo
This is something you might want to invest a little on professional photography. In the old News Feed layout, when a friend of your “Liked” a page, a demure logo or profile image will show up; nothing visually arresting or compelling.
However, in the overhauled News Feed design, your profile picture along with your cover photo will be displayed. That being said, your cover photo should be able to tell a story in itself. It should build your brand equity and convey what your brand is in literally a snapshot. Are you a high end brand? Do you put a premium on professionalism? Are you the beacon of trust in your industry? Whatever your unique selling proposition is, it should be capture by whatever cover photo you choose to use.
Facebook’s News Feed Spring Cleaning: Boon or Bane?
Based on historical trends, Facebook users, businesses and advertisers alike will welcome this development with careful strides and for some, with disgruntled groans. But when the dust has settled and everyone already got the hang of it, the Facebook universe will welcome this development as it did in the past. Social media marketers Gary Vernaychuck said that everything in online marketing starts out dubious and this one is no different. There will always be a period of resistance, followed by a period of adjustment and finally, acceptance.
Now, whether this change will be beneficial for marketing or not remain to be discovered. Keep in mind though that before Facebook even became a marketing platform, it was a venue where real connections and real relationships among real people were built and cultivated. According to Facebook, this new design will enable people to share beautiful stories that they won’t event noticed that something design-wise has changed because they are just so engrossed connecting with people.
If this is Facebook’s ultimate and absolute goal, then this new News Feed design has a noble cause which brands should take upon themselves as well. Providing people with the best brand experience online should be your primary goal, your prerequisite to achieving your business objectives, which in most cases, is to generate leads or gain more customers.
That being said, whether this change is for the best or worse, change is an uncontrollable marketing force and it’s either you cope with the change or drown in it. If you want to move forward with your Facebook marketing efforts, there’s really no option.
So, are you in or out?


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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – With a high demand of at-home COVID tests, some drug stores are now limiting how many people can buy at once.
CVS said it has added a limit of six kits per purchase to ensure enough people have access.READ MORE: New Jersey Announces COVID Vaccine And Booster Mandate For Health Care Workers And High-Risk Settings
Walgreens said it is limiting purchases to four at a time.
FIND TESTING SITES: Click here for New York City’s testing site locator, including mobile sites and at-home appointmentsREAD MORE: Biden Administration To Give Out 400 Million Free N95 Masks
Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced 500 million free at-home rapid tests will be bought by the administration for Americans, but those won’t be available until sometime next month.
AVOID THE LINES: Click here for NYC Health+Hospitals testing wait timesMORE NEWS: As NYC, Teachers Union Discuss Remote Option, Mayor Adams Reiterates 'Our Schools Are Going To Remain Open'
Meanwhile, Dr. Mitchell Katz of New York Health + Hospitals said people who are waiting on lines to get a rapid test will also be offered an at-home test if they’d rather not wait in the line.


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Phone Number: 020 7644 1600 ext 210
Where have you been on holidays?
- Dominican Republic
- St. Lucia
- New York
- Las Vegas
Favorite holiday destination?
What will you recommend for anyone to try?
A cultural & scenic tour of the whole island of Cuba to experience this amazing destination.
Describe the holidaymaker in yourself and the kind of holidays you enjoy.
I always appreciate a destination that is more "cerebral". A place where I can connect with the people and discover new experiences. Also a good bar nearby is handy!
We post our Travel ExperiencesRecent articles from the Blog
We regularly update our blogs with the top things to do in Cuba, the must-see places and the most stunning attractions locations.
What's going on in cubaRecent news from cuba
The Cuban city of the Holy Spirit recently celebrated its 504th anniversary. The city was established in June of 1514 on the day of Pentecost. The city is rich with history and culture, and there are numerous landmarks acknowledging its rich past.
The Cuba Tourist Board has revealed that nationwide Wi-Fi coverage is being rolled out across the island. Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said that wireless internet is expected to be available at another 287 hotels by the end of 2018, and there will be full coverage at every hotel on the Caribbean island by the end of 2019, making it accessible to more visitors.
New US travel regulations and inclement weather caused some issues for the Cuban tourism industry, and yet, now is still the best time to visit the country. Now, thanks to fewer crowds and improved infrastructure, Cuba is better than ever, no matter where you're visiting from.


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In this insider, we first talk about another leak regarding the yet to be announced Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G. Then we will discuss the capabilities of the available version of the Apple Watch. At the end of the article, we will find out the capabilities of another foldable Samsung device.
Insiders found an image of two Pixel smartphones on the Internet
One of the network informants posted a photo of the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G smartphones on the Internet.
It is assumed that these devices will be shown at the beginning or in the middle of autumn this year. Over the past few months, rumors about a new line of Google devices have been actively circulating on the network. The photo shows the rear panels of the devices. They clearly show camera blocks and fingerprint scanners.
In addition to the images, the data source provided possible specifications for the devices not yet announced. He claims the Pixel 5 will get a 4,000mAh battery, Snapdragon 765G processor with 8GB of RAM. He is also entitled to a screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz. The front camera here will have 8 megapixels in its asset, the main sensor of the main one - 12.2 megapixels. An ultra-wide-angle sensor will also be installed here.
The Pixel 4a 5G has the same specs. Only its battery has a capacity of 3800 mAh, and the display will be 60 Hz.
The back panels of both smartphones will begin to be made of plastic. Prior to this, glass was used in the production of this part.
Early leaks revealed that Google may ditch the Pixel 4's telephoto lens in favor of an ultra-wide-angle camera. One of the insiders suggested that such a lens will receive a resolution of 16 megapixels. If so, then such a decision by the engineers of the American manufacturer looks strange. Now all the developers in the flagships are installing a telephoto lens in addition to the wide-angle sensor.
Apple will launch an affordable Watch SE in early 2021
Apple Watch is considered the best watch today. However, not everyone can afford to buy them.
In this regard, marketers of the American manufacturer decided to follow the path previously tested on their smartphones (iPhone SE (2020). We are talking about the possible appearance of the Apple Watch SE smart watch.
Twitter account owner Komiya says the event will take place early next year. This statement was supported on the network by the famous tech blogger John Prosser.
Experts believe that the novelty will be designed to replace the currently available Apple Watch Series 3. The gadget is likely to receive the same design, but its equipment will be more advanced. It is expected to have a number of features that are used in the Apple Watch Series 6.
The latest watch model from "Yabloko" will be released along with the new line of smartphones iPhone 12. At the moment it is known that the announcement of this series is delayed for at least several weeks. Accordingly, the wearable gadget will also be released with a delay.
Experts believe that the premium version of the novelty will not look much different from the previous models. However, it is prophesied that it has a number of new functions. There will be an S6 chip, support for sleep tracking, a pulse oximeter to monitor blood oxygen saturation, a blood pressure sensor, and a function to detect rare mental health abnormalities.
It also talks about increasing the autonomy of the device.
As for the Apple Watch SE, it (presumably) will also be equipped with an S6 chip. It will be equipped with a W4 wireless pairing processor, 16GB of memory and Bluetooth 5.0 for improved wireless capabilities.
We also know about planning the launch of a cellular version of the watch that can make international emergency calls. They have a fall detection function.
Apple Watch Series 5 are currently on sale. Their cost is $ 400. It is assumed that the latest series of smart watches will cost no less.
Apple Watch Series 3 now start at $ 200. The Apple Watch SE is likely to have the same price tag.
Samsung's mid-range foldable smartphone expected to launch
To date, it is known about several models of smartphones with foldable displays. All of them are quite expensive. It is clear that the main reasons for the high cost are the presence of modern complex components and new technologies in the design of the devices, the development of which took years of research.
It is known, for example, that Microsoft Surface was created for five years. Samsung has also been working on the first foldable smartphone for a long time.
The production of such devices also requires a lot of resources. It is known that in the process of debugging and finishing the Mate Xs, Huawei lost $ 60-70 million.
However, technology does not stand still. As they improve and the number of released models increases, prices for such devices are expected to fall.
SamMobile recently reported that Samsung is developing an affordable foldable smartphone, abbreviated as SM-F415. Little is known about this device now. Insiders claim that it will receive only two memory options: 64 and 128 GB.
Next year, the Korean manufacturer will launch a stripped-down version of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, which costs about $ 900. It's more than half the price of the Galaxy Fold, but still a little expensive. Therefore, there is an assumption that the SM-F415 will be even cheaper. For this, the developers will almost certainly have to make some compromises in the equipment of the new product.
The Topic of Article: Inside # 04.08: Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G; Apple Watch SE; foldable mid-range smartphone from Samsung.


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TOKYO — McDonald’s Holdings Co (Japan) Ltd replaced on Tuesday the president and CEO of its operating company after its first-half sales and profits dropped as higher prices put off customers.
Sarah Casanova, a Canadian who has worked in McDonald’s Corp for 22 years, will take over from Eiko Harada, who served as president, chairman and CEO of the holding company and the operating unit since 2005, the company said in a statement.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Casanova’s appointment is an effort to bring in new managerial talent, Harada said in the statement.
McDonald’s Japan is 49.9% owned by McDonald’s Corp.
Higher input costs due to the weaker yen drove McDonalds Japan to raise the prices on some burgers this year while some Japanese chains cut their prices and convenience stores increased their prepared food offerings.
The company cut its full-year sales and profit targets after operating profits dropped more than 40% and sales fell 11.4% in the first half, largely due to a decline in promotions and discounts.
In July, McDonalds Japan introduced a 1,000 yen ($10) limited-edition quarter pounder to attract business, but customer numbers fell 9.5% compared to the same month a year ago.
McDonald’s Japan shares have fallen nearly 7% since it reported its first-half earnings on Aug. 9. Shares have gained about 16% during a stock market rally that began last November and which lifted the benchmark Nikkei average by 56%.
© Thomson Reuters 2013


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Demonetisation impact: Retail electronic payments up 37.7% y-o-y in Dec 2016
Interestingly, data from the two-year period prior to demonetisation shows that growth of retail electronic payments was already robust.
Tata-owned Infiniti Retail's Rahul Tayal quits to join Korean major LG Electronics
Tayal, who was head of Croma's buying, merchandising, logi...
Reliance Digital races ahead of Tata's Croma in electronics retail
"Reliance Retail overtook Croma after opening more stores, especially its ...
Investors zero in on Bharat Electronics
A strong order book in the defence sector backed by improved research and development (R&D) investments over the past few years has grabbed attention of investors.
Govt considering regulator for electronic payments
But RBI is not very keen on giving up the regulation on Payment systems.
Electronics payments gaining pace post demonetisation: Nomura
While growth increased after demonetisation, a gradual acceptance of electronic payment methods was already there even prior to note ban, Nomura said in a report.
Ministry of Electronics and IT optimistic about Apple's production plan
A major hurdle is with Apple's demand seeking a 15-year exemption on countervailing duty (CVD) on imported components, a demand India may find difficult.
Wipro to help rejuvenate Electronics City lake
Wipro is not adopting the lake but signing up to facilitate and work with the various stakeholders involved -government agencies and the local community .
German retailer Metro AG sees profit rebound in consumer electronics
German retailer Metro AG reported a bigger-than-expected jump in quarterly profit at its consumer electronics unit on Tuesday.
Havells venturing into electronic personal care category
The Noida-based makers of electrical products will roll out products like shavers, trimmers, epilators, hair straighteners and other beauty and personal grooming products.
Cabinet approves incentive scheme, boost for electronics manufacturing
ET had reported on December 21st that the scheme will soon be approved by the Cabinet with amendments that cap the incentive to Rs. 10,000cr and the timeframe of the scheme till Dec 2018.
Grey markets for mobiles, electronics at standstill
Traders in Gafar Market in New Delhi and Heera Panna market in Mumbai, which are among the largest grey markets in India, no longer use the demonetised notes.
Technology pours into happy hour at Consumer Electronics Show
The startup founders planned to visit the premier Napa and Sonoma Valley wine regions after the end of CES on Sunday to explore adding California vintages to D-Vine's menu.
India to finally get electronic evidence authenticators
The decision comes 17 years after the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 came into existence and nine years after it was amended to mandate appointment of such examiners, in 2008.
PSBs set to limit electronic fund transfer charge
“This is to further promote digital and card payments,” the finance ministry said in a statement, adding that these directions will apply for all transactions up to March 31.


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By Li Panpan
Apple is reported to plan to move iPad production to India. About 58 million iPads were shipped last year, most of which were produced in the Chinese mainland, according to Economic Daily News from the Taiwan region on October 24.
The report said that industry insiders are optimistic that Foxconn, the leading supplier of iPad, will benefit the most as Apple continues to expand the production of related products in India.
In addition to iPad products, sources said that Apple has asked suppliers to move some production of AirPods and Beats earphones to India, including key acoustic equipment, as early as next year.
It is also said that Foxconn has already started making Beats headphones in India and intends to make AirPods there eventually. In addition, Luxshare Precision(立讯精密), which currently produces AirPods in Vietnam and the Chinese mainland, has also begun planning to make AirPods in India.
Apple’s iPhone 15 is off to another strong start in China09-21 14:28
The chairman of Apple’s main supplier Foxconn visits the Zhengzhou plant to ensure smooth production of the iPhone 15 series09-19 10:29
Chinese computer products maker Founder plans to build a $130 million plant in Thailand09-18 16:34


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April 20, 2021 (Los Angeles, CA) - Surefront, the retail industry’s first merchandising software platform, will be hosting a featured session at the 2021 Global Retailing Ideas Summit on Thursday 4/29 at 11:30 AM (PDT). This 45-minute virtual event on the future retail of merchandising and collaboration technology will be led by industry thought leader Chris Walton (Omni Talk Podcast and Blog) and Surefront’s founder and CEO, Dr. Luke Wang.
The Global Retailing Ideas Summit is a yearly conference hosted by the University of Arizona’s Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing. The event brings together over 1,000 attendees for joint sessions with such luminaries as Tommy Hilfiger, Brian Cornell - CEO of Target, and Chip Bergh - CEO of Levi Strauss & CO for discussion on the evolution of the retail industry over the past 12 months. The conference will be held online for the first time ever, presenting attendees with a unique opportunity to attend more sessions and cover more ground in a digital environment.
Surefront will present on Thursday 4/29 at 11:30 AM (PDT). Attendees will get a chance to look into the future of collaboration technology for the retail industry. The session will cover critical gaps in technology for retailers and suppliers along with advancements in the retail tech space.
While full attendance of the conference will cost you $350, Surefront’s session is free and open to the general public. You can sign up for the free session here.
About Surefront: Surefront’s software platform enables major retailers and their suppliers to easily collaborate on Merchandising and Product Development between internal teams and external partners through a centralized platform called, Unified Collaboration Management.
April 28-30, 2021
Broadcasted from the campus of the University of Arizona


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Many of the med-tech industry's niftiest devices, such as defibrillators that monitor patients for trouble, rely on their owners having land-line phone at home to transmit data. So what happens when the patient cuts the cord?
The Wall Street Journal reports that the increasing number of households without a land line is limiting access to life-saving technology.
Companies like Fridley-based Medtronic Inc. and Little Canada-based St. Jude Medical have gotten approval for new wireless accessories to their products, but there's a catch: Landline systems are free, but somebody has to pay for your defibrillator's cellphone bill, and it's not clear yet who.
There's also bandwidth issues. Some device companies are clashing with other industries that want to use the same wavelengths.


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A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week
Sept. 20 close: $116.83 (U.S.),
up $9.59 or 8.9% over week
Money-saving tip: Instead of buying an airline ticket, pack yourself in a large cardboard box with bubble wrap and ask to get shipped to the destination of your choice.
Money-making tip: Invest in FedEx.
The shares surged after profit rose more than expected, helped by cost cuts and higher prices. With the economy improving and FedEx poised to raise rates, investors can afford to fly first class.
Sept. 20 close: $51.72,
down $4.64 or 8.2% over week
Catamaran manages prescription drug plans, and right now investors are suffering some nasty side effects. Shares of the pharmacy benefits manager for employers and government agencies plunged after Walgreen, the largest U.S. drugstore chain and a major customer, announced a change in its employee health coverage that could cost Catamaran up to two million prescriptions annually.
Warning: Continued use can cause financial losses.
Sept. 20 close: $1,003.01 (U.S.),
up $36.19 or 3.7% over week
Priceline’s ads feature Star Trek’s William Shatner, so it’s fitting that the stock has boldly gone where no S&P 500 stock has gone before. Shares of the travel website topped $1,000 – the first index member to do so – fuelled by the Fed’s decision to keep the stimulus taps wide open. With the travel industry rebounding, Priceline – which also owns Booking.com and Kayak.com – is posting stellar results.
Sept. 20 settle price: $1,332.50 (U.S.),
up $23.90 or 1.9% over week
There once was a metal called gold
Whose price had gone suddenly cold
Until Ben Bernanke
Did something quite wacky
By putting the taper on hold
Sept. 20 close: $36.53,
up $3.01 or 9% over week
The prestigious S&P/TSX 60 index includes dozens of household names: Royal Bank, BCE, Canadian National Railway, Imperial Oil, CGI Group … CGI Group? The company, which joined the index effective Sept. 20, provides information technology and business outsourcing services to clients in 40 countries. With investors snapping up the stock now that it’s part of the TSX 60 club, the shares are on a roll.


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The online giant is planning a bricks-and-mortar supermarket that dispenses with checkouts. But will its state-of-the-art technology spook consumers?
Traditional retailers have rushed to join the world of online shopping, but few predicted that online brands would seek to enter the market of bricks-and-mortar stores.
Online retail behemoth Amazon, which sells more than 350 million products online and has been touted by many to become the world’s first company with a trillion-dollar
market capitalisation, announced late last year that it will launch retail store Amazon Go, transforming shopping as we know it.
Ready to Go
The pilot Amazon Go
grocery outlet in Seattle is powered by Bluetooth, weight sensors, cameras and artificial intelligence algorithms, meaning customers are charged when they pick up an item from the shelf. There are no queues or checkouts – customers simply pick up groceries and walk out of the shop.
“You can expect every grocery store will have some sort of variation of this in five years,” says Utpal Dholakia, Professor of Marketing at Rice University in Texas. “And it will bring a dramatic change in all areas of consumer behaviour.”
Changing how we pay
Amazon’s experimental store is not only going to change the way we shop for our groceries, but how we pay for them too. “Essentially, it is an alternative-payment system,” Dholakia says. “It is doing away with a plastic card, and maybe even one day your smartphone – although right now you’ll need it to activate the shopping trip.”
As with all new technologies, Amazon Go’s greatest challenge will be getting consumers to adopt this new way of shopping and paying for groceries. “The issue is how it impacts consumer behaviour – when you don’t keep tabs, and you pick things up and walk out, people behave more impulsively,” Dholakia says.
“There’s no stop signal like counting out the cash, or looking at the credit card printout. That is the big danger to Amazon Go – if it is not trusted, it will not be adopted.”
Brave new world
Privacy concerns may also present an obstacle to adopting this new way of shopping, with such overt electronic monitoring a new concept to customers.
“From a consumer-welfare perspective, this is potentially highly intrusive technology,” Dholakia says. “From the second you walk in, you are monitored through their cameras and through your device. The whole time, they are compiling evidence of your trip.”
With one of Australia’s traditional supermarkets, Coles, recently attempting to clamp down on theft by restricting the number of items at self-serve checkouts to 12, Dholakia says the new technology offers incentives for stores that mean “we can expect them to do everything to make the transition”.
Yet while the technology is expected to reduce theft – and its cost to retailers – substantially, there is no indication customers will be rewarded for adapting to the new way of shopping. “There is no reason to assume that the savings will be passed on to consumers,” says Dholakia. “In fact, the convenience afforded to them makes it likely that prices will be higher.”
This article represents the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BPAY.
Published by BPAY Pty Ltd. BPAY is offered by over 150 Financial Institutions. Contact your Financial Institution to see if it offers BPAY and to get the terms and conditions. This is general advice – before using BPAY please review the terms and conditions and consider whether BPAY is appropriate for your personal circumstances.


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Which? Convo: We’ve been experiencing a mini Twitter storm all day after being alerted to a mis-advertised offer on Groupon. The product featured in the group buying site’s email this morning led us to an entirely different product.
TechSpy is a community of awesome people posting and discussing the latest tech news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Treachery in Beatdown City footage
Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch eShop, Videos | 0 comments
Treachery in Beatdown City from Nuchallenger is due out on the Switch eShop today. Have a look at some footage below.
Treachery in Beatdown City launches on Switch this month
Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch eShop | 0 comments
Treachery in Beatdown City, a new take on the beat ’em up genre, is a game that’s been in development for quite a few years. Nuchallenger has finally wrapped up development, and we now have a release date. Treachery in Beatdown City will arrive on March 31, according to an eShop listing.
We have the following overview and trailer for the game:
Treachery In Beatdown City confirmed for Switch
Posted on 3 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch eShop | 0 comments
Several months ago, Nuchallenger expressed interest in bringing Treachery In Beatdown City to Switch. That has now been made official with a new trailer published today.
Treachery In Beatdown City, a mix of beat’em up, tactics, wrestling, and RPG, will launch later this year. We have an overview for the game below plus the latest trailer.
Treachery In Beatdown City dev looking to bring the game to Switch
Posted on 4 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch eShop | 0 comments
Way back in 2014, Nuchallenger funded Treachery In Beatdown City through Kickstarter. It has remained in development since then, and some good news was shared recently about potential Switch support.
Nuchallenger actually has Treachery In Beatdown City running on Switch, as shown below. It may not be an official announcement, but the team says it’s their “intent” to make it happen and the game “runs great”.


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Despite some problems with supplies across the country, now would be a good time for area residents to pick up one of those television converter boxes, because we have plenty of them.
Officials from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration got a little beat up last week when a U.S. House subcommittee questioned them about shortages of the converter boxes leading to the expiration of government-issued discount coupons, which represent consumers’ one and only shot at a $40 discount for the boxes.
Those boxes become crucial next February when television stations across the country begin broadcasting digital signals exclusively. For those who watch their TV the old-fashioned way — using an antenna to pull in the over-the-air broadcasts — their televisions will become useless without one of the converter boxes.
The change, a requirement by the federal government to free up crowded analog frequencies for public safety uses, has gotten the attention of the public, said Todd Sedmak, a spokesman for the NTIA. More than 17 million households have applied for the coupons, and 3.8 million of the red plastic cards have been redeemed since the first bunch was mailed in February.
“The response has really been overwhelming,” Sedmak said. “The word is getting out and it seems like there’s a good number of people who understand what they need to do to get ready for the transition.”
But members of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee saw the numbers differently at their hearing June 10. With coupons issued March 8 or earlier reaching their expiration dates this month, only 39 percent of those coupons issued were redeemed. Subcommittee members questioned whether there were enough of the boxes to go around; Sedmak said that while there may have been shortages in some areas, there are other issues that could lead to the low redemption rate.
“Initially, we got applications from people who had cable or satellite service, and they don’t need the converter boxes,” he said. “You also see people who applied but then decided to add a pay service rather than continue receiving over-the-air broadcasts.
“Those people aren’t redeeming their coupons,” he added. “As awareness builds, I think you’ll see a much higher percentage being redeemed.”
Supplies apparently are not a problem here. An informal check of the Best Buy, Radio Shack, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart stores in Center Township showed all had plenty of the boxes on the shelves.
Those stores are among the national retailers certified to participate in the coupon program. Target spokeswoman Anne Rodgers said that while there have been occasional shortages in specific areas, the company has been able to fill those gaps quickly.
“We keep a good handle on our inventories and we can shift the product around when we need to,” Rodgers said. “So while we have seen some isolated problems, we’ve been able to correct them without too much trouble.”
Sedmak urged consumers who need the coupons to apply soon and then take the three weeks of processing time to shop around for availability and best prices.
“With just a little preparation, you’ll be ready once the coupon arrives,” he said. “Get out to the store, pick up your converter box and you’ll be all set.”
Michael Pound can be reached online at email@example.com.
States and territories that have requested the most coupons, through June 13, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration:
1. California, 1.6 million.
2. Texas, 1.57 million.
3. Puerto Rico, 1.03 million.
4. Illinois, 884,199.
5. Ohio, 760,923.
6. New York, 735,200.
7. Michigan, 730,461.
8. Pennsylvania, 726,157.
9. Wisconsin, 571,016.
10. Indiana, 513,299.
WHERE’S MY COUPON?
If you’re still using an antenna for television reception, you’ll need a digital converter box to keep that TV working after Feb. 17. The federal government is offering $40 discount coupons — up to two per household — to help offset the cost of the boxes.
To apply, or for more information: visit www.dtv2009.gov.
WHERE’S MY BOX?
Where can I buy a box using my discount coupon?
— National retailers certified to accept the discount coupons include Best Buy, Circuit City, Kmart, Radio Shack, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart. In our area, certified retailers also include Rite Aid pharmacies and Boscov’s at the Beaver Valley Mall. The NTIA suggests calling ahead to check availability.
— A list of retailers that are certified to accept the coupons for Internet and telephone orders can be found at www.dtv2009.gov/VendorSearch.aspx.
— According to the vendor search site, there are 43 certified retailers within 15 miles of Beaver.