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Over the past few years, I’ve noticed that it’s gotten more and more difficult for me to get a steady supply of California oranges for juice at my cafe. I keep getting offered oranges from Florida, from Texas, and from Mexico. I have nothing inherently against any of those locations, and wish them well with their citrus crop, but I’d prefer to buy what’s in my home state.
Joel Nelson, from the trade association California Citrus Mutual, says that I am not imagining this shift. The story is this: back in the winter of 1998 there was a big freeze over Christmas that destroyed 85% of the California citrus crop that year. To fill the empty space on the shelves, stores and wholesalers started to import fruit from Europe, mainly Spain. These Spanish fruits were mostly seedless mandarins, and in no time this Spanish fruit became a favorite with consumers. The next year when the California crop was back in action, they were given less shelf-space and the imported fruit was here to stay.
In response, many California growers started to plant varieties of seedless mandarins– also known as tangerines or clementines. The trees take about five years to mature, and the first crop hit the market around 2005.
This is where things started to get ugly. In an unfortunate twist of fate, a serious of biological and economic factors have joined forces to pit the new seedless mandarin industry against beekeepers.
What, you say? Citrus growers against beekeepers? Aren’t bees necessary to pollinate the plants to grow the fruit? In this case, the answer is no. In fact, when the bees do pollinate the fruit they cause seeds to form inside the otherwise seedless oranges, and seeds reduce their value.
There are about 350,000 beehives kept permanently in California. Another 650,000 are trucked in from other states for pollinating services that are essential for the almond and stone fruit crops. Almonds are blooming in February, and then the bees are moved over to stone fruit orchards for the month of March. Starting in April or so, the bees need a new place to go before clover and summer crops come into flower in late spring.
Traditionally, they were moved adjacent to citrus orchards. Everyone loves the sweet taste of Citrus Honey, and while they aren’t necessary for orange production they were causing no harm.
But that’s for normal citrus – with new varieties of mandarins that have been planted the bees have gone from being a welcome guest to an unwelcome intruder, according to Nelsen. Up to 30-35% of the mandarin crop, Nelsen says, is destroyed by the bees. The crop then gets used for juice at a small fraction of the price it would get going directly to market.
After the 2005 season things got testy between these two groups. By 2007 the California state legislature mandated the California Department of Food and Agriculture to form a working group to mediate the dispute. Both sides claim that they are the victim here. The bee industry is just doing what it has always done. The citrus industry is trying to adapt to new market conditions, and they claim they never wanted the bees in their fields in the first place.
The CDFA just released “draft regulations” (Initial Statement, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [PDFs]) to try to resolve the conflict, the result of several years of work. They are asking for 45 days of input from all interested parties, after which time the rules will become permanent. The draft regulations state:
These regulations are intended to address the obligation of the Department of Food and Agriculture to address coexistence issues related to production of seedless mandarin varieties in close proximity to the apiaries of beekeepers. Seedless mandarin growers mitigate that some apiaries increase the risk of crop cross-pollination resulting in the presence of seeds in their fruit. The regulations adopted herein shall be limited to Fresno, Kern, Madera, and Tulare counties and may include the establishment of fees, not to exceed the cost of the program, to be paid by seedless mandarin growers.
The draft regulations will require beekeepers to register their locations with country commissioners, and limit hives within two miles of mandarin groves.
We shall see this April how these regulations play out with both interested parties. Steve Lyle, Director of Public Affairs at the California Department of Food and Agriculture believes that these new rules should solve the problem, and said there was no pending lawsuits that he knew of that would affect this process.


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By now, everyone knows about Samsung’s latest PR calamity: the Galaxy Fold. Journalists have reported that the screen of the $2,000 device, which can transform from tablet to phone through a unique folding mechanism, has failed after just a day or two of use, disconnecting entirely or flashing on and off. Some have attributed the issue to a protective film that appears to be easily peeled off, which destroys the phone. Hence, #PeelGate.
On Monday, word broke that the phone’s launch has been delayed indefinitely. Business Insider wrote that it's a potential fiasco that threatens the company's fragile reputation, and The Next Web said Samsung has another PR disaster on its hands. News outlets have also reported that Samsung’s Q1 profit could be down 60%.
This is no isolated incident. In 2016, the Galaxy Note 7 became the butt of late-night talk-show jokes after it was banned from all commercial flights due to its...explosive performance. This year, Samsung recalled almost 3 million washing machines with a tendency to "violently break apart" during the spin cycle. There have been recalls of refrigerators, microwaves and more products in recent years, as well.
Every massive company such as Samsung is going to occasionally have product issues. It is unavoidable when working on such a large scale. Yet the Galaxy Fold situation is unlike any I can recall for one simple reason.
These issues didn’t occur once the product was in stores and subject to use and abuse by millions of consumers. These negative reports are coming from a small group of hand-selected professional journalists who are testing the device. For example, The Verge wrote that "my screen broke after just a day." Bloomberg reported that the screen is unusable just two days in. The Wall Street Journal’s video review simply concluded: Don't buy this. And don't fold this.
From 2011 to 2013, I was director of PR for Samsung America, overseeing hundreds of product launches. While I couldn’t control the quality of the products, part of my job was to try to minimize negative press reviews. Of course, a negative review lives forever on the internet, even if the product is fixed later, so it’s essential that early reviews are as positive as possible. Here are some of the recommendations that any company can implement to avoid situations like this one:
Test it before they test it. Companies such as Samsung do tremendous amounts of product testing. Samsung even used robots to test the Galaxy Fold and released a cool video of it. But this testing was likely all done in house. I recommend that products be tested first by external labs to reveal any usability issues that those who live and breathe the product might miss. As the WSJ curtly headlined, "We are not your beta testers."
Create a reviewer’s guide. Many of the reviewers who encountered issues with the Galaxy Fold did so because they inadvertently removed a protective film that the device requires for proper operation. To add to the confusion, other Samsung phones do come with protective films that are meant to be removed. Had Samsung realized that people would do this, which external testing would have quickly made clear, it could have made this known to journalists via a reviewer’s guide. This document typically goes beyond the phone’s user manual to include additional, more detailed instructions to journalists to ensure they understand the phone’s features and limitations.
Engage and be responsive. A product-review program isn’t simply about sending the products to journalists and then sitting back and waiting for the review. To be successful, its essential to remain in touch with the journalist throughout the review and send quick responses to any questions or issues that arise. The Verge reported that after reaching out to Samsung about this issue, it took more than 24 hours to provide a statement. If elite journalists take this long to get answers, what experience can ordinary consumers look forward to?
Combine reviews with desksides. For run-of-the-mill products, it’s fine to just send them out with a reviewer’s guide. However, the Galaxy Fold represents an entirely new product category, so journalists need a bit more hand-holding. Companies kicking off product-review programs for devices like this should send reps to personally drop off devices and spend a few minutes in person with journalists to walk them through the product and its features. Doing so will pay off with better, more informed and more positive reviews.
- Just skip or postpone the review program. It has been well documented that Samsung raced the Galaxy Fold to market to get ahead of folding phones from Motorola, Huawei and others. However, to make a review program happen, Samsung needed to put the phones in the hands of journalists even earlier. Doing so might not have allowed enough time to perfect that experience for journalists, which clearly backfired. Companies launching products on a tight timeline may want to simply put all their focus on delivering the best possible consumer experience and not putting resources into a review program. Truly exciting products will get plenty of attention. Why rush it and risk everything?
The story of the Galaxy Fold is just beginning; not one consumer has had a chance to try it. However, the reputation of this device may have been ruined before it ever got a chance to launch. #PeelGate was entirely avoidable. Other companies should watch carefully and learn a lesson from Samsung’s experience.
Jordan Peele was not available for comment.
Ethan Rasiel is cofounder and CEO of Lightspeed PR. Previously, he was director of communications for Samsung Electronics North America.

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Tuxedo launches world’s first “live load” payments platform
UK payments provider Tuxedo has launched a “live load” payments technology platform, which removes the need to prepay. The vendor says it is the world’s first.
The platform is based upon a single, partner-issued Visa or MasterCard, which is linked to customers’ existing payment sources via Tuxedo’s own platform. The platform is PCIDSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant.
While cardholders can continue to preload their card, Tuxedo says its new technology now enables customers to load cards in real time.
Customers simply link their existing debit and credit cards to their payment card online, or via a mobile app, and Tuxedo draws the funds from the linked card in real time during the transaction process, removing the need to prepay completely.
Adding, deleting and managing cards can then be done via a Tuxedo- or client-designed smartphone app, available on iOS and Android.
John Sharman, CEO of Tuxedo, says its technology also “underlines that the UK continues to punch above its weight in the financial technology space”.
He adds: “With so many new market entrants into the UK from overseas, we are proud to be among the first to take this game changing technology abroad.”
Tuxedo says there are potential applications of the technology. At its broadest level, it enables customers to link all of their debit and credit cards to just one card, creating a “wallet in a card”.
Users will only need to carry a single card and will be able to decide which funding card to use and select it at any time via the mobile app.


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A next-generation, national disaster management platform under development will be interoperable and based on open standards.
disaster - News, Features, and Slideshows
Big Australian telcos and insurance companies see business opportunities in analysing the location information transmitted by customers’ mobile devices, said speakers at yesterday's Big Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence Summit.
Startup technology companies inevitably face financial risk. Even if the company seems to be going well, has won a number of clients and is producing a steady profit, disaster can strike.
Faced with the need to build a new air-conditioned server room to offer disaster recovery services for its clients, Christchurch firm Computer Concepts decided the most economical approach with the fewest regulatory hurdles was to put the servers in a 20-foot shipping container that happened to be sitting on its warehouse premises.


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THE connection between barley and beer has always been in place, but a growing craft beer culture has many in the industry thinking the reputation of Australian grain could benefit.
Independent Brewers Association chair Jamie Cook said the craft beer movement had been building for a couple of decades, growing in earnest for the past 10 years and had "really accelerated" in the past five.
"It's been driven by a shift to conscious consumers - people are looking at what they eat and drink," he said.
"They want small and local, rather than big businesses; they want a relationship."
Mr Cook said the rise in craft beer was also driven by developing tastes and palates, moving away from mass produced lagers to a diversity in flavour.
"There are two key agriculture inputs for beer - hops and grain," he said.
"The hop industry has probably got the jump on grain industry, targeting craft, independent brewers in Australia and internationally.
"They moved away from fast-growing bulk varieties to something that gives diversity of flavour, not just bitterness."
RELATED READING: YP crop made into top drop
He said the malt industry had been primarily focused on exports - which make up about 70 per cent of the market - and the large scale brewers.
"Local breweries inevitably get what they're given," he said.
But he said this was starting to shift, partly driven by the increasing localisation of beer makers.
Of the nearly 600 microbreweries nationally, Mr Cook said about two-thirds were located in regional areas.
He said this provided a new point of interest and potential employer in a regional town, but also inspired collaborations with other local businesses, such as food producers or growers.
He said one of the biggest challenges was that the middlemen between grain producers and breweries was maltsters, which were also focused on larger markets, although there were some smaller scale operations popping up.
"We are seeing some 'paddock to glass' brewers," he said. "In Tas, there is even someone who grows their own hops on the same property."
He said the change was a "slow build".
"There has always been a link to agriculture at the mass level, but there is a growing artisanal approach from the brewers' side that is flowing back to growers," he said.
Mr Cook said there was also some room for experimentation, with some brewers using fruit or different grains.
In SA, the Lobethal Bierhouse has used sorghum and lentils in its beer.
"The great thing about brewing, it has a very short production cycle and likely a tap room in the brewery," he said. "(Brewers) can be quite innovative and experimental and get direct feedback from their consumers."
Barley Australia executive chair Megan Sheehy said many growers chose to produce malt barley because of the sense of a relationship with the end product.
She said Australia had a reputation for high quality malt barley, but for many global maltsters and brewers, price was still the key driver.
There has also been a link to agriculture at the mass level, but there is a growing artisanal approach from the brewers' side that is flowing back to growers.- JAMIE COOK
"Some craft brewers are willing to pay a premium for provenance story - if it's important to them, they will pay more, but not everyone is in the position to do that," she said.
"Most brewers will have to consider price cycle, which is largely driven by global pricing rather than local demand."
She said there were cases of direct relationships between brewers and growers for some niche malting barley varieties.
Dr Sheehy said despite the small volumes involved, these still played an important role in the diversification of barley markets for Australian growers.
YORKE Peninsula graingrower Mark Schilling and the team at AG Schilling & Co have been taking a proactive approach when promoting their produce.
They set up their own beer under their own food label - Yorke Premium - made on a contract basis by regional microbreweries - and has begun marketing their own malted barley.
"We had to hero the product we grow," he said.
Mr Schilling, alongside AG Schilling & Co's Alan Harris and Neil Wittwer, began by visiting 13 microbreweries across SA.
"As a supplier of malt barley, I wanted to hear from customers - the breweries - what they are looking for," he said. "They're looking for providence and price."
They sent one tonne of malt barley interstate to Voyager Craft Malt, Whitton, NSW, with the end product used to make the first batch of Malbro-Mid Kolsch Ale.
He said working with a small quantity made it expensive, so for the second year they scaled it up, buying back 75t of their own Banks barley - an Intergrain variety malted at Coopers Maltings.
This was used for a second batch of beer or sold on to breweries and distilleries.
"My vision is more and more consumers will want to know where their product is grown," he said.
"This will help microbreweries facilitate a 'paddock to pint' experience."
My vision is more and more consumers will want to know where their product is grown.- MARK SCHILLING
He said the need for this push was evident at the recent Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival.
"There were probably 50 or 60 breweries there and not one talked about the barley - they talk about the hops but never barley," he said.
"Let's start talking about barley and its story."
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Black Rifle Coffee gave an interview last week with The New York Times, in which it seems like they decided to attack their own customers in a bizarre attempt to distance themselves from their conservative brand image.
According to the interview, Black Rifle Coffee has done well by building their brand as the counter-culture coffee of right-wingers all across the country:
"In 2015, the company’s revenue was $1 million. By 2019, that figure had grown to $82 million. Last year, the company did $163 million in sales," the NYT reported.
And this was done with ads like the two quotes posted below as examples, both from 2017:
"Instead of worrying about microaggressions and which bathroom I’m going to use, I believe it’s important to support the people that actually serve our country."
"I’ve heard people say patriotism is racism. Well, as a veteran-owned company, we give zero s**ts about your opinion."
Contrast this with Hafer's recent comments in the NYT interview, which have critics scratching their heads:
- "I’m a man without a party now."
- "What I figured out the last couple of years is that being really political, in the sense of backing an individual politician or any individual party, is really f**king detrimental. And it’s detrimental to the company. And it’s detrimental, ultimately, to my mission."
- "You can’t let sections of your customers hijack your brand and say, 'This is who you are.' It’s like, no, no, we define that."
- "I hate racist, Proud-Boyish people. Like, I’ll pay them to leave my customer base. I would gladly chop all of those people out of my f**king customer database and pay them to get the f**k out."
There is strong speculation among many that these types of statements may erode Black Rifle's hard-won customer base's loyalty. People being made of the NYT interview have been quick to voice their discontent on social media:
It's not like Black Rifle doesn't have lots of up-and-coming competition either. Right Wing Brew, in its own turn, is hoping to capitalize on what they see as a huge blunder on the part of Black Rifle. Carl Higbie, a Navy Seal, author, and host of a show on Newsmax, plans on aggressively getting people to switch over for his brand, which has no problem continuing to support its conservative base.
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Governor Gary Herbert announced that COVID-19 restrictions in Utah would begin to be lifted, allowing some business to reopen starting May 1, 2020. Although some restrictions may be lifted, COVID-19 will continue to require special attention to working conditions and society’s safety.
As businesses begin to open, many individuals will return to previous daily tasks and jobs. All individuals are encouraged to wear masks to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19. Governor Herbert says, despite the relaxing of restrictions, Utahns should continue to wear masks in public. Whether an individual is shopping, working, or spending time in public, wearing a mask offers needed protection during this current pandemic.
The risks of COVID-19 will still be prevalent; however, there are ways to combat the dangers that individuals face. The incentive to wear masks allows for society to stay safe while reopening businesses and promoting economic growth. “This is not going back to business as usual,” said Governor Herbert. “We still have risks for COVID-19, but this is an opportunity for us to open up more economic opportunity.”
At HOJ Innovations, employees are encouraged to take extra caution to ensure safety while working. These safety measures keep employees and clients protected during this concerning time. Due to the shortage of safety equipment and masks, we are working closely with Aspen Air, a local manufacturer, to facilitate an alternative solution during this time.
Aspen Air has manufactured reusable masks that are available for purchase. Using injection molded machinery, they were able to create a Reusable Particulate Respirator Frame (PRF) mask that would outlast an already scarce N95 mask by 400%. In fact, you’re able to take the N95 masks and cut out 6 individual filters to be used in one mask. This not only comes at an extreme benefit for doctors and nurses, but also workers in the material handling industry. Though this is not FDC approved, police have been purchasing high volumes as they cannot get any masks to protect their officers. Nationwide, we have been directed to use whatever we can get our hands on. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated that wearing masks is “one of the best things we can do” to limit the spread of the virus and move toward reopening.
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Kinderhook-based American Bio Medica Corp., a developer and manufacturer of test kits for drugs of abuse, said Wednesday it earned $167,000 in the second quarter, reversing a year-earlier loss of $219,000, as sales climbed 11 percent to $3.126 million from $2.808 million a year ago.
“Sales in the second quarter continued to improve when comparing year over year results, and we were able to report a modest profit,” said Stan Cipkowski, the company’s CEO. “Although we are pleased with second quarter results and optimistic we will continue to see growth, there are no guarantees in this time of ongoing economic turmoil.
“We will keep a close eye on our expenses and manufacturing costs so that we may achieve our goal of improving operating results in 2010,” he said.
Shares (Other OTC: ABMC:PK) gained a penny to close at 10 cents on Wednesday.


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Exercise resolution fizzling? These expert tips can help
Whether you're just starting a new exercise regime for 2018 or already tinkering with your plan, congratulations – you're among millions of Americans trying to sweat off the holiday sluggishness.
Embarking on a physical activity program is a good goal, health experts say, especially if you're doing it for the right reasons – to improve overall health and feel better. As part of such a goal, it's important to find a fitness plan that suits your needs.
1. Pace yourself
Consider exercising frequently but also "slow and easy" at first, said exercise physiologist Dr. Cris Slentz, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center.
And, it's important to remember that it takes time.
"Don't expect too much too fast," he said.
Starting modestly with 15- to 20-minute sessions of physical activity gets the process going. Gradually, you can ramp up in intensity and duration.
Exercising every day or almost every day makes fitness part of a regular routine. The main question then becomes not "Do I exercise?" but "When do I exercise?" Slentz said.
2. Remember the big picture
Health benefits connected to exercise are numerous. Most research has focused on aerobic exercise, Slentz noted, which includes activities such as brisk walking, jogging, uphill walking, bicycling and swimming.
Scientific studies have shown only mild or modest weight loss achieved through exercise. Careful attention to diet is also necessary to lose weight, Slentz said.
But physical activity can improve heart, bone and vascular health. It has been shown to reduce the incidence of diabetes, reduce the risk of certain cancers; reduce stress; and improve brain health. Research has also shown a connection between exercise and reduced risk of premature death.
The National Institutes of Health Common Fund has launched a major consortium to study the molecular changes that occur during and after exercise. Multiple research institutions across the country are participating in the research over the next few years.
3. Spend carefully on exercise plans and gear
As you start slowly with exercise, remember to do the same with fitness spending. Physical activity doesn't have to be expensive.
It may be best to forgo buying a pricey piece of home exercise equipment that could soon be abandoned. Instead, consider joining an affordable gym that offers a variety of cardiovascular and weight machines.
Fitness centers often provide good deals in January and February. Shop around for the least expensive fees, but be wary of lengthy contracts. You don't want to pay long-term costs if you decide a gym is not right for you.
Or, if a gym is not your speed, you can start a plan all by yourself for free by walking. It's an easy way to start and convenient to work into your schedule. And, research has shown people stick to walking routines more than other forms of exercise.
"Walking is a great exercise," Slentz said.
No matter your fitness routine, it's tempting to buy new clothes and accessories as you get going. But that shopping may be unnecessary, and those dollars can add up. It is wise, though, to invest in a good pair of athletic shoes for safety and support.
If it's in your budget, you may want to hire a personal trainer, even if only for a few months when getting started, Slentz said. Some spending can be worthwhile if it helps you focus on your health.
4. Mix it up
Variety when exercising helps. Resistance training using weights or resistance bands improves muscle strength and contributes to lean body mass, which are important as people grow older.
Another exercise to consider is high-intensity interval training or modified interval training, which increases cardiovascular fitness and can be quite individualized.
It involves short segments of intense cardiovascular exercise (like walking briskly up a steep grade so it is intense) followed by moderate intensity exercise to recover; and then repeating this cycle five to 10 times. The short bursts – sometimes as short as a minute – doesn't make the intense effort feel difficult but still provides a significant amount of cardiovascular effort over time.
5. Don't go it alone
Group exercise can help with motivation. Consider an exercise buddy, or trying fitness classes at the gym or a community center. You can even take part in free research exercise studies at a local university.
You can also team up to make a social impact while exercising.
Community walks or runs such as American Heart Association Heart Walks and other charity fundraisers provide opportunities to exercise with others while making a potentially tax-deductible donation. Likewise, group hikes or bike rides turn fitness into a social outing.
Many charity walks and runs are 5Ks. That's a healthy distance and useful for gauging physical fitness year to year, said Slentz.
"They're very social," he added. "They're really a lot of fun."


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Leaving behind an old image, web apps have become better and better with time. There was a time when web apps performed poorly, and the users were asked to download mobile apps for a better experience.
But now, web apps are improving, and users can browse whatever they like without any hurdles. So, we can say that the comeback has increased the demand for web app development in the market.
Here, in this article, we will introduce you to some of the top web development statistics for 2022, considering the previous year’s journey and stats too.
The overall security of web applications has continued to improve but still leaves much to be desired.
Table of Contents
Notable General Statistics as of 2022
- 1.5 billion active websites
- 4.54 billion unique internet users
- 4.14 active social media users
- 3.5 billion Google searches per day
Updated Web Design & Marketing Statistics
- Web traffic increased by a whopping 22% in the USA in 2020
- The daily online time spent on mobile phones rose to 155 minutes
- The total number of web developers and designers in the United States in 2030 is expected to increase to 205,000 from 178,900 in 2020
- Employment of web developers and designers is projected to grow 8% from 2019 to 2029
- The market size of the Web Design Services industry by revenue is $11.0bn in 2022
- 5.6 billion Google searches per day and 2 trillion global searches per year
- Decreasing mobile site load times by just one-tenth of second increased conversion rates for retail sites by 8.4%
Web App Development Stats: Key Pointers
- Hackers can attack and penetrate 9 out of 10 web applications
- They redirect users to a hacker-controlled resource, steal credentials in phishing attacks, and infect computers with malware
- Web application breaches are among the top three attack patterns, involved in about 43% of all breaches
- On average, 30,000 new websites are attacked every day
Web Development Stats: Vulnerability
- 83% of the application have at least one vulnerability, with 20% of the tested apps with atleast one severe flaw (Veracode’s report based on 85,000 app testings)
- Half of the internal-facing web app vulnerabilities are considered high risk
- One out of ten vulnerabilities is considered high risk
Top Web Development Trends & Stats
The following is the list of the top web development trends in 2022. Many of these already exist, but they are expected to widespread this year and in the future.
1. AI Chatbots
AI chatbots are to get more sophisticated by leveraging machine learning, natural language processing, and information retrieval techniques. Chatbots will improve operation speed with voice and text chats and the overall customer experience.
- The use of AI increased by 190% between 2018 and 2020, and more and more B2C companies and marketers are expected to start using AI chatbots
2. Optimized Voice Search
Data by Juniper Research has predicted that about 55% of all households worldwide will have voice assistants by 2022, and the voice search feature will be more relevant than ever.
3. Improved Native Cybersecurity
In June 2021, hackers scraped the accounts of 700 million LinkedIn users to acquire personal information, such as full names, emails, and phone numbers. With such an alarming number, web developers have adapted ways to protect company and customer data. Application-based multi-factor authentication like Google Authenticator, patch management, and Security Operation Centers (SOC) are being integrated.
Web Design Stats
- 38% of the visitors stop engaging with a website if the website content or layout is not attractive
- 88% of web browsers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience
- Approximately 47% of people expect a website page to load within 2 seconds or less
- 59% of the people will browse or read through something elegant designed rather than something boring and plain
- About 64% of the total website visitors want to see the contact information of the company on its homepage
- WordPress is one of the most popular and demanding content management systems, and its market share is 40% of all websites
Dating Web App Usage Stats
The monthly active users (globally) of dating web apps, including Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, collectively grew 17% in January 2022 compared to January 2019.
Bumble and Hinge have witnessed a significant surge over the last three years. In January 2022, Hinge MAUs recorded more than four times the reach from January 2019, while Bumble grew 96%.
Another giant dating app, Tinder, remained relatively steady over the same period since it already has a large audience, and the app remains the entrenched market leader.
eCommerce Global Stats
The eCommerce sector is projected to reach $5.5 trillion worldwide in 2022. Evidently, the industry is booming. Post pandemic, online orders have soared, and about 2.14 billion people are still placing digital purchases globally.
Worldwide eCommerce Growth Stats
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the shift from physical stores to eStores by approximately five years. Here is some notable data:
- Digital sales went up by at least 25% in 2020, and above 80% of shoppers shopped online in 2021
- Retail eCommerce sales may reach $5.5 trillion in 2022, a 21% rise from the previous year
- eCommerce sales are expected to value at around $7.39 trillion by 2025
Reasons Why eShopping and eStores are Getting Popular
Shoppers have turned to online shopping instead of in-person purchases. The primary cause behind the massive growth of the sector is convenience and ease. Let’s explore the causes in detail:
Covid-19 and climate changes have changed the priorities of consumers across the globe. They are still shopping but looking for sustainability. Various surveys and reports show that carbon neutrality is vital in boosting sales.
- 73% of shoppers consider the impact on the climate while placing an order
- Stores with a climate-first approach grow 5.8x faster
- Cart conversion grew by 20% for net-zero purchases
- About 70% of online shoppers read one to six customer reviews before making a purchase
- Approximately 61% of online consumers in the U.S. shop after reading recommendations on a blog
- Free delivery is one of the most influential reasons digital shoppers shop from an eStore
- Easy return policies and offers, and discounts too influenced shoppers to purchase online
- 35% of consumers said they would shop online more if trying a product virtually was an option
- A survey showed that automated welcome emails had a conversion rate of 51.9%
Online Fraud Stats
Despite the best efforts of ecommerce merchants, fraudulent orders continue to rise. By 2022, it’s estimated that fraudulent orders will account for 1.66% of all ecommerce transactions. This increase is partly due to the growth of online shopping and the fact that fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in their methods.
- A staggering 47% of fraud involves using stolen credit cards or bank accounts; experts predict this number will grow to 54%
- Businesses will lose $8.4 billion to credit card and identity theft alone by the end of 2022
While the increasing prevalence of cyber-attacks might seem discouraging, ecommerce retailers should be heartened by the innovation in security protocols.
Fortanix has developed a new data protection system called Blockchain-based Memory Encryption (BMX). BMX comprises two layers: The first layer encrypts data before they’re written to disk; The second layer decrypts them after they’re read from disk.
Read Also: Latest Web Development Technologies for 2022
Well, these are some of the facts related to web development stats. You can see how web apps have traveled their journey and made a quirky comeback in the market. Although sure to the outbreak of Covid19, web app development between 2019 and 2022 will be affected a lot, but with time, it will get resolved.
Considering the good part of web app development, you can hire web app developers in India to get the best and most authentic services without exceeding your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do ransomware attacks occur in 2022?
In 2022, ransomware attacks are expected to occur more frequently. An attack is expected to occur every 11 seconds. This is due to the increasing popularity of ecommerce and the growing number of people who shop online.
With more people shopping online, cybercriminals will have more opportunities to target them. Ransomware attacks can be very costly for businesses, so it is essential to be prepared. You can do a few things to protect yourself, such as keeping your software up to date and using a secure payment gateway.
What is the future of web development in 2022?
The future of web development is looking bright, with several new technologies on the horizon.
- In 2022, we can expect to see more AI and machine learning use in web development projects.
- Another big trend that will continue into 2022 is responsive design, which allows websites to be viewed on any device.
- We can also expect to see an increase in CSS3 and HTML5 in web development projects.
- Lastly, it’s expected that by 2022 there will be over 10 billion internet users worldwide – a number that’s only set to grow as time goes on!
Which web technology is best in 2022?
The best web technology in 2022 is hard to say. Web technology is constantly changing, so it’s difficult to answer which will be the best in the future. Web technologies keep changing, but CSS is expected to remain a prevalent web technology for building websites.
Also, what we’re really seeing today is a forecast of the future as it’s given in the crypto world. So, while it is difficult to predict which technology will dominate in 2022, I’m going to say one thing with confidence – crypto is going to be bigger than ever before.
Is web designing in demand in 2022?
The web design landscape is constantly changing, and all signs point to web designing being essential for the future. We see a lot of traction with WebVR and AR/VR, as well as HTML5/CSS3 and other shrinking technologies. There are many different ways to get started with web designing with some platforms that are currently in demand.
What are the latest trends in web application development?
It’s all about being creative and using modern technologies to make your idea a reality. With good web design and robust development, you can make a fortune while working remotely, reducing stress and finding freedom.
Also, new trends have arisen in recent years, like developing a single application or site with a focus on maintainability. Other trends include the amalgamation of multiple applications and sites.
It is recommended for developers to use React, Angular, Vue.js, and Redux frameworks like Webpack and Express solutions.
One of the most crucial trends in web application development is the interface. Now, more and more websites are using interfaces where users can intuitively control and interact with what they see on their screens.


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OPPO launched the A5 2020 around September last year packing a Snapdragon 665 chipset and 5000mAh battery. The affordable mid-range model is now set to get a successor in India. Tech blog 91mobiles reports that OPPO will launch a successor to the A5 2020 in September this year which will likely be known as OPPO A6 2020.
Quoting a source familiar with the matter, the report touts the new model to come with several upgrades in the processor, camera, and display aspects. The mobile phone will also be priced at around Rs 10,000.
The exact specifications of the A6 2020 are yet to appear online but the predecessor – the A5 2020 sports a 6.5-inch waterdrop notch display with HD+ resolution of 720 x 1,600 pixels. The display also comes with 20:9 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
The Snapdragon 665-powered model comes in 3GB, 4GB and 6GB RAM variants with up to 128GB of internal storage. The A5 2020 also features a 12MP primary + 8MP ultra-wide angle + 2MP portrait + 2MP macro sensors Quad camera setup. While at the front there an 8MP sensor for selfies and video calls. The device also features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, 5,000mAh battery, USB Type-C support, Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band Wi-Fi, and dual-SIM support.
We expect the A6 to build on these premium features.
UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra leaked images reveal 120x zoom, periscope lens, ceramic and transparent rear design
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The ongoing 2021 COP26 (Conference of the Parties) represents the 26th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Delayed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event takes place in Glasgow and focuses on the increasingly worrying climate changes and how these are negatively impacting humanity.
One of the hot topics is pollution generated by traditional cars equipped with internal combustion engines. While some countries, cities, and automakers have vowed to put an end to ICEs sooner rather than later, others have refrained from making such a commitment. Why is that the case? Because shifting to zero emissions by dropping fossil fuels requires massive investments in vehicle development and preparing the factories to exclusively produce EVs. There’s also the issue with the infrastructure as some automakers are concerned governments are not making enough efforts to build charging stations necessary to support a bevy of upcoming electric cars.
Specifically, Mercedes, General Motors, Volvo, Ford, Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover, and China’s BYD have all agreed to put an end to sales of new cars equipped with gasoline and diesel engines by 2040. However, many important names are missing from this list, including the BMW Group, but also the Volkswagen Group, Stellantis, Renault, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai.
In addition, countries such as Germany, China, France, and United States have refused to sign the Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Cars and Vans pledge about abolishing conventionally powered vehicles in less than two decades. It’s worth mentioning some states and cities in the US are backing the COP26’s commitment towards electric cars. India, the world’s second-most populous country, has signed the agreement.
It should be pointed out MINI has already expressed its intentions to transition to an EV-only lineup much sooner, in 2030. Meanwhile, it will launch its final new car powered by a combustion engine in 2025 and expects half of its annual sales to be represented by electric cars two years later. It’s an ambitious plan considering the British brand currently has the Cooper SE as its sole EV, with the next-gen Countryman due in 2023 coming with an electric option.
Rolls-Royce has provided an identical timeframe by planning to retire the combustion engine by the end of the decade: “With this new product [Spectre] we set out our credentials for the full electrification of our entire product portfolio by 2030. By then, Rolls-Royce will no longer be in the business of producing or selling any internal combustion engine products.”


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The Licorne Gulf-advised fintech company Spendwisor of their investment commitment from GEM Global Yield LLC SCS. The investment was roughly $50M from GGY which is a Luxembourg-based private alternative investment group worth $3.4B. With this facility, Spendwisor plans on tapping the full potential of the growing fintech market in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa which as of now is valued at more than $2 trillion and that’s not all.
From the QFC fintech company, Spendwisor incubated in DIC which is supported by MOTC along with US and UK’s presence, they’ve been becoming a fast-growing mobile payment start. With their own platforms, they’ve been redefining the retail ecosystem with several business-to-customer marketing methods with their innovative approach. The startup offers to provide POS to popular MSMEs and retailers. They also have access to an innovative loyalty program with their innovative algorithms which are efficient at reducing digital marketing expenses.
The GEM will be providing a share subscription facility aka SSF to Spendwisor. They’ll provide up to QAR 190M for a 36-month term. The term is followed by the public listing of the common stock Spendwisor has.
The Luxembourg-based private alternative investment group with a worth of $3.4B, GEM has offices in Paris, New York, The Bahamas, and Los Angeles. They manage a different set of investment vehicles on the growing markets and as of now, they’ve already completed 435 transactions in over 70 countries.
“We are creating a Tesla moment in the fintech industry by providing a single digital platform for retailers to accept payments and run marketing campaigns using the payment data,” said Safarudheen Farook, co-founder, and CEO of Spendwisor.
“We are on the verge of revolutionizing the retail industry and the entire shopping experience by introducing a one-of-its-kind mobile payment platform where every shopper earns a cash reward instantly after shopping for his favorite brands,” said Khalid Easa NA Al-Kaabi, Spendwisor’s co-founder.
“We are honored that the GEM Group will invest in Spendwisor, which will allow us to accelerate the development and expansion of our platform and expand our operations to adjacent GCC, European and African markets. We are also grateful for the support of our partner Licorne Gulf, a UK-based company that specializes in capital raising for enterprises. “, said Erhama Nasser IA Al-Kaabi, advisor and stakeholder at Spendwisor.


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Londoners visiting Rome might be duped by a recent newcomer to the
newsstands. Faced with the familiar Time Out title, unsuspecting
tourists could imagine that this is the English guide to events and
shows in the ’eternal city’. They would be wrong, however, for Time Out
Roma, a monthly listings magazine which published its third issue this
month, is aimed at the Italian capital’s revellers.
The only English language in the magazine are ’style’ words used in ads
and an international vocabulary that includes ’gay’, ’shopping’, ’rock’
and ’cinema’. Not surprisingly, Time Out Roma targets locals in the
16- to 40-year-old range.
Following the London format, features in the June edition of Time Out
Roma include pieces on Roman gay pride, Cinecitta (Hollywood on the
Tiber) and a rundown on the Festival dei Due Mondi at Spoleto. Time Out
Roma publishes under licence from the British publication and an
editorial consultant from London is overseeing its progress.
The magazine claims it achieved a break-even of 10,000 sales at a cover
price of L4,500 (about pounds 1.60) with the launch issue, and that the
title increased its sales to almost 20,000 in June from a print run of
35,000. Distribution is through 1,000 newsstands in the centre of Rome.
A further 300 newsstands at railway stations, airports and in the cities
of Milan, Florence and Venice also sell the magazine.
It is probably too soon to say who the typical advertisers in the
magazine will be. Even if the city’s elite have deep pockets, ads for
designer clothes, expensive watches, jewellery and luxury cars do not
seem to sit well with the young consumers that the magazine targets.
June’s advertisers include Cotton Belt jeans, Diesel clothing, Soviet
jeans and Algida ice-cream. But an article on sunglasses - the cheapest
pair costing L178,000 (almost pounds 65) - suggests that Time Out Roma’s
readers need to possess fat wallets.
Rosabella, which publishes Time Out Roma, also owns Tuttosport, a daily
paper dedicated to sport. So far, the gamble seems to be paying off.
Romans who read the daily newspapers already get updates on events,
leisure and culture programmes in weekly inserts like Trova Roma which
appears on Wednesdays with La Repubblica. But enough customers have also
bought Time Out Roma for the magazine’s staff to claim a successful
launch. However, the real test for the magazine comes now as Romans
desert the capital for the beach.
Print run 35,000
Claimed June circulation 20,000
Competitors The listing sections of newspapers such as La Repubblica
Advertising Scotti and Partners


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Samsung Electronics America is sharing its latest innovations at HITEC 2016 designed to empower hoteliers to offer the ultimate hospitality experience for their guests. Samsung is showcasing a lineup of products for the hospitality market featuring advanced technology, including its new lineup of hospitality SMART TVs featuring the world’s first built-in DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem, elevating the in-room experience for guests. The new LYNK™ REACH 4.0, HMS, and the latest in digital displays will also be showcased at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Booth #759, from June 21-23rd.
HITEC attendees will be fully immersed into the “Smart Hotel Room” with an opportunity to interact with the new 40- and 50-inch Samsung ND694 TVs featuring the world’s first built-in DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem. The SMART TV technology works with any existing hotel cabled infrastructure, providing over-the-top (OTT) content offerings for guests and operational content management control for hotel staff. Until now, SMART TV integration required hotels to shut down rooms for dedicated costly IP/Ethernet rewiring. The new 40- and 50-inch Samsung ND694 TVs allow hoteliers to easily upgrade the guest experience, as the DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem is built into the TV to enable SMART TV functionality using the existing coax cabled infrastructure found in most hotels today.
Samsung will also be demonstrating the new Samsung LYNK™ REACH 4.0 (Remote Enhanced Active Control for Hotels). Similar to its predecessor, the new software solution allows property managers to centrally control multiple Samsung hospitality TVs and display customized content through the newest displays in the entire Samsung Hospitality TV line-up The REACH Server and remote controller make it easy to update and adjust digital TVs over radio frequency signals to streamline time-consuming manual updates, as well as allowing interactive service using the hotels WiFi infrastructure.
Vertical solutions are displayed throughout at the booth to provide visitors with the ultimate guest journey from the check-in experience at the model front desk, through the mock hotel rooms, back office, business center, enhanced guest suite and café.


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The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased to a three-month high last week, suggesting that the labour market was gradually cooling in another boost to the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation.
The weekly jobless claims report from the Labor Department on Thursday, the most timely data on the economy’s health, also showed unemployment rolls expanding to levels last seen two years ago. The labour market is slowing as higher interest rates curb demand, consistent with slowing economic activity.
It added to data this week showing subsiding inflation and a moderation in consumer spending in bolstering expectations that the Fed’s monetary policy tightening cycle is complete.
Still, the rise in both initial and continuing claims likely does not signal a material shift in labour market conditions. Economists noted difficulties adjusting the data for seasonal fluctuations following an unprecedented surge in applications for unemployment benefits early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Further modest progress has been made towards lowering inflation and rebalancing the labour market,” said Conrad DeQuadros, senior economic adviser at Brean Capital in New York. “We have reservations about the seasonal factors, which may have been distorted by claims during the Covid period.”
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 231,000 for the week ended Nov. 11, the highest since August. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 220,000 claims for the latest week. Claims are in the middle of their 194,000-265,000 range for this year.
Unadjusted claims increased 1,713 to 215,874 last week. There was a jump in filings in Massachusetts and New York, which more than offset notable decreases in Oregon and Georgia.
“Overall the data suggest that the labour market might be cooling but that conditions are not particularly bad,” said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York. “The initial claims data can be volatile, particularly around holidays like Veterans Day, so we never want to overreact to just one week of data.”
Job growth slowed in October and the unemployment rate rose to an almost two-year high of 3.9 per cent. Conditions remain fairly tight, with 1.5 job openings per every unemployed person in September. Economists at Goldman Sachs said they did not believe that October’s increase in the jobless rate was a bad omen, noting that the rise in the unemployment rate since April has come entirely from an expansion in the size of the labour force rather than a decline in employment.
Stocks on Wall Street were trading lower after Walmart said Americans continued to exercise caution with their spending because of higher prices and borrowing costs.
The dollar fell against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury prices rose, with yields approaching two-month lows.
The recent raft of inflation-friendly data has left financial markets anticipating an interest rate cut next May, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool. Since March 2022, the Fed has hiked its policy rate by 525 basis points to the current 5.25 per cent-5.50 per cent range.
The number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid, a proxy for hiring, increased 32,000 to 1.865 million during the week ending Nov. 4, the highest level since November 2021, the claims report showed. The so-called continuing claims have increased since mid-September.
Most economists have attributed the rise to the difficulties adjusting the data for seasonal fluctuations rather than weakness in the labour market. They expect this to be ironed out when the government revises the data next spring.
While some agreed that the seasonal adjustment was an issue, they also viewed the sustained increase as a sign that more unemployed people were experiencing longer spells of joblessness.
“There is little prospect for re-energized labour demand on the near-term horizon as interest rates are set to remain ‘higher for longer’,” said Kurt Rankin, a senior economist at PNC Financial in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Fading consumer demand entering 2024 should thus place upward pressure on jobless claims going forward as those enduring layoffs and new job seekers find opportunities less readily available.”
The stream of encouraging inflation readings was extended by a separate report from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday showing import prices dropping 0.8 per cent in October, the most in seven months amid a broad decline in the costs of goods. Import prices rose 0.4 per cent in September.
Economists had forecast import prices, which exclude tariffs, falling 0.3 per cent. In the 12 months through October, import prices declined 2.0 per cent after decreasing 1.5 per cent in September. Annual import prices have now dropped for nine straight months.
But manufacturing was bruised by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union strikes against Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers, which depressed motor vehicle production in October Manufacturing output fell 0.7 per cent last month after rising 0.2 per cent in September, the Fed said in a third report. Economists had forecast factory output dropping 0.3 per cent. Production at factories declined 1.7 per cent on a year-on-year basis in October.
Motor vehicle and parts output plunged 10.0 per cent after sliding by 0.5 per cent in September. The UAW has ended its industrial action at factories owned by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis. Excluding motor vehicles and parts, manufacturing production edged up 0.1 per cent.
Manufacturing, which accounts for 11.1 per cent of the economy, continues to be hamstrung by the higher rates. A fourth report from the Philadelphia Fed showed factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region contracted further in November, though the pace of decline slowed from October.
Factories in the region were also downbeat about business prospects over the next six months.
“Overall, we still see signs that manufacturing activity, particularly in the durable goods sector, has bottomed and started to pick up again, although this is unlikely to last in an environment of broadly weakening demand,” said Veronica Clark an economist at Citigroup in New York.


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Time To Play It Safe? Not At Daewoo
These should be tense days at Daewoo Electronics Co. The company, which generates almost $3 billion in revenue for the Daewoo chaebol of Korea, is leveraged to the hilt. It's stuck in the low-margin business of selling basic televisions and videocassette recorders. Its brand recognition outside of Korea is anything but desirable. And its shares have plummeted 60% over the past year. Sounds like another Asian company that must scale back its grandiose plans of making it to the big leagues.
Don't tell that to Chun Joo Bum, Daewoo Electronics' chief executive officer. After spending some $1 billion in the past four years to expand production into low-wage markets--from Uzbekistan to Vietnam to Mexico--Daewoo isn't scaling back at all. Chun has even bigger plans to power up TV parts production in Eastern Europe, South America, and Asia and triple production of such goods as refrigerators. He pledges that overseas sales, which account for nearly 90% of total revenue, will keep growing at a 30% annual clip for the next decade, crisis or no crisis. His plans offer abundant proof that despite the cratering of the Korean economy, some chaebol are as ambitious as ever.
The burning question is whether Chun is preparing Daewoo for new triumphs--or for a spectacular fall. You have to admire his drive. The feisty 46-year-old, with an MBA from the University of Illinois, has a record of pulling off the improbable. As a young manager at Daewoo's trading company, he single-handedly generated 10% of the unit's earnings in 1978. He did so by brokering a risky sale of fertilizers to Turkey's then bankrupt government. Later, Chun ran Daewoo Electronics' European operations. There, in 1996, he almost snagged the RCA television business and other properties from French consumer electronics giant Thomson. Although the deal was scuttled at the last minute because of political opposition in Paris, Chun's feisty style apparently impressed Daewoo Group Chairman Kim Woo Joong, who promoted him to CEO.
As a risk taker, Chun should love his new challenge. Commodity televisions are a dicey business, given the growing popularity of Internet-linked personal computers that could turn TVs into home entertainment museum pieces. Yet Chun insists that most consumers will stick with the basic box. "My plan is to go whole hog to serve a big chunk of the [TV] market," he says. What's more, the cheap won has given Chun a boost: Export volume has jumped 20% this year.
PROFIT PINCH. Yet running a commodity business requires a clean balance sheet to stand up to price pressure. Owing to its spending splurge this decade, Daewoo is saddled with debts of $2.3 billion, nearly four times its total equity. As was the case last year, debt service will likely wipe out the $500 million in operating profits Daewoo Electronics expects in 1998. Daewoo also has guaranteed loans, some $2.2 billion, to its various affiliate companies, "many of which are in unstable, emerging markets," says Eugene Ha, electronics analyst at Samsung Securities Co. In one sign of the company's stress, Chun has spent recent months blitzing the globe looking for foreign equity partners in order to reduce debt. Rumored players include Sony Corp. and Royal Philips Electronics. So far, though, no savior has stepped forward.
And none of Daewoo's products can command the higher prices of a top-flight Sony TV, with its ultra-flat screen and stereo sound. Daewoo might succeed as a big contract manufacturer of cheaper TVs for other brands, says analyst Park Kyung Min at Asset Korea Capital Management Co. But he thinks Daewoo's vision of "vaulting into the top league is too ambitious, because of the technology gap and its lack of recognized brands."
Chun figures he has the economies of scale to rise to the top. It won't be difficult for Daewoo to upgrade its TVs to include Internet access and home-shopping capabilities. It also is betting on new technologies. Next January in Las Vegas, it will unveil an optical projection system that will display clean images on big screens up to 300 inches wide. It's part of Chun's $70 million effort to move Daewoo up the food chain. But first, he has to make sure that debts don't eat the company alive.
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Two big name corporations are considering participating in Apple Inc.’s plan to offer television subscriptions over the Internet, as Apple prepares an exciting new competitor to cable and satellite TV. Read on to find out who is interested in joining Apple in their latest innovative plan.
It’s not even fair to say, “Just when you thought they couldn’t do anything else, Apple does it again,” because, quite frankly, I think everyone knows Apple is far from putting an end to their wonderfully fun and innovative products and concepts. And that’s perfectly fine, because, clearly, it’s working for them. And the millions of iPhone, iPod, Macbook, and iTouch users around the world seem to be content as well.
Apple is currently in the process of preparing a potential new competitor to cable and satellite TV with their newly proposed offer to access some TV shows over the internet from a selection of major U.S. networks for a monthly fee. According to reports, broadcasting giants CBS Corp. and Walt Disney Co. are considering participating in Apple’s new plan.
Apple is now pushing to complete all of the licensing deals with hopes to introduce the service in 2010. However, the deal, as it stands now, would not include advertising and there is some hesitation on the part of the networks which seems to stem from concerns over the new service cutting into its revenue from selling bundled TV packages.


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Over the course of three days, RORO 2014 hopes to shed light on a number of topics regarding the movement of cargo using roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipping.
Held at Excel London, from the 24-26 June, RORO 2014 is the only exhibition dedicated to the RoRo industry.
“The themes, topics and discussions covered during the conference sessions will attract key senior level professionals from the market who are looking to learn and make decisions,” says Sophie Ahmed, event director.
“All the sessions will provide a comprehensive understanding of the RoRo transport issues that are being faced today.”
Day one will focus on ‘Markets under pressure’ with an opening talk by Mike Garratt, managing director of MDS Transmodal, focusing on the global outlook for the RoRo Market.
In the second session, Martin Crawford-Brunt, Manager of DNV GL UK & Ireland will discuss his paper titled ‘Alternative fuels including LNG vs. Scrubber Technology.’
This talk hopes to look at alternatives to heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil in RoRo trades; including batteries, methanol, bio-fuels and LNG, as well as looking at recent trends and examples of vessels ordered, such as NORLED, a 100 percent battery powered ferry.
Finally, Piotr Trusiewicz, publishing director of the Baltic Transport Journal will run a focus on the North Sea and Baltic region, including comparisons of RoRo, ferry and freight traffic, opportunities for investment and development, and the future of rail ferries, roll-trailers, kombi trains and port-to-port rail connections.
Ahmed went on to say “RORO 2014 is a free-to-attend three day exhibition and conference that provides logistics professionals involved in roll-on/roll-off shipping with the opportunity to meet, network and do business.
“Visitors will include decision makers from various sectors such as car and vehicle manufacturers / OEMs, cargo logistics companies, freight forwarders, ship builders and port and terminal operators, with buying power.”
Logistics and shipping professions will further benefit from the event which is co-located with TOC Europe and the recently launched Port Centric Logistics exhibition.


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a blockchain-based digital degree while attending the 54th convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.
So, now when a student passes out from IIT Kanpur, they will be issued digital degrees through a blockchain-driven technology developed within the institute under the National Blockchain Project.
These digital degrees can be verified globally and are unforgeable.
How Can Blockchain-based Degrees Help The Educational Sector?
Blockchain technology has been a great innovator in the financial sector. With the blockchain-based degree, the educational sector in India will see a lot of changes:
- It will curb the fake education certificates in India
- Simplify the task of maintaining the records of students
- Students will also be able to access their records from anywhere
- Not just students but also helps teachers in preparing curriculum and grading
- For employment outside India, verification can be done instantaneously which was otherwise time-consuming
Blockchain Use Cases Adopted by Governments Around The world
Blockchains have progressed from cryptocurrencies to multipurpose technology that can be used in a variety of applications. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released a ‘National Strategy on the Blockchain’, that identifies 44 potential areas which can use the technology extensively like education, governance, finance and banking, healthcare, logistics, cyber security, media, legal, power sector, among others.
Countries like Japan and Malta were already using blockchain technology for certificate management. Meanwhile, China, the USA, the Philippines, Brazil have started using blockchain in medical and health care.
With so much scope in blockchain technology, the Indian government is also looking to explore the use of blockchain technology proactively to usher in a digital economy.
Earlier in December, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there were extensive discussions on the regulation of cryptocurrencies and that the government is working on a new Crypto Bill. However, we will have to wait and see to know the full details of the bill.
Disclaimer : Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions. The information provided in this post is not to be considered as investment/financial advice from CoinSwitch. Any action taken upon the information shall be at user's own risk.
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KEY TAKEAWAY : McKinsey says: “Patients are becoming more than just passive recipients of therapies. “Healthcare will be driven much more by consumers than physicians, with patients increasingly coming to their doctors with more information, parameters they measured at home, and an informed opinion about how they should be treated,” says Dr. Bertalan Mesko, medical futurist and author of My Health: Upgraded”. How is pharma using this to leverage DTC? Continue reading
KEY TAKEAWAY: It has always been believed the objective of DTC marketing is to drive patients into the doctor to ask for your product but can DTC advertising still work in an era when insurers have a lot of power and patients face hurdles to getting an Rx? Continue reading
KEY TAKEAWAY: Consumers are not paying much attention to advertising today and among advertisers and ads they mistrust the most are DTC ads. Are marketers going to continue to waste money with ineffective ads or are they going to fight to get it right? Continue reading
KEY TAKEAWAY: The American Medical Association today called for a ban on direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, with physicians suggesting that TV and magazine ads could be contributing to the rising cost of expensive treatments however, they are wrong and need to look at the facts.
KEY TAKEAWAY: DTC marketing does increase awareness of new drugs and health conditions, but there is a huge disconnect between “taking action” and awareness. Continue reading
An estimated 50% of men have histologic evidence of BPH by age 50. However one of the biggest complaints of aging males is both the loss of energy and lower sex drive. Is testosterone therapy the answer and are the current DTC spots that are running for testosterone therapy making promises that aren’t proven by clinical evidence ? Continue reading
This week the FDA announced their plan to conduct a new survey focusing on physicians and other healthcare professionals to understand the effect that direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising has on their prescribers’ behaviors; as well as gain their perspective on whether or not DTC drug marketing results in inappropriate requests for prescriptions or an overestimation by patients of their efficacy. As this announcement generated much curiosity with our media teams and our many clients, CMI/Compas decided to field their own ByDoctor Pulse study focusing on physicians perceptions of DTC – surveying both primary care and specialty physicians. Perhaps the responses here can serve as leading indicators for what’s to come… Continue reading


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Grayscale Investments has confirmed its system to change its Bitcoin Have faith in (GBTC) into a Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). “NYSE Arca will file a doc termed 19b-4 to convert GBTC into an ETF,” claimed Grayscales official.
GBTC will become Bitcoin ETF
Grayscale Investments has confirmed that it will change its flagship product or service Grayscale Bitcoin Have faith in (GBTC) into a Bitcoin Trade Traded Fund (ETF). Jennifer Rosenthal, Grayscale’s communications director, tweeted on Monday:
Today I am delighted to announce that Grayscale will file for the GBTC to be converted into an ETF as soon as there is a obvious, formal report from the SEC.
She described, “Greyscale’s place has always been obvious: we are 100% dedicated to changing GBTC – and our spouse and children of products and solutions – into ETFs as soon as the SEC has formally expressed its required comfort and ease with the underlying Bitcoin current market.”
Grayscale’s communications director extra that there are favourable developments within the SEC, which includes the acceptance of a futures-primarily based Bitcoin ETF, which is anticipated to start buying and selling Tuesday. Proshares’ Bitcoin Futures ETF is traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “BITO”.
Rosenthal stated that this usually means:
When there is formal and verifiable proof of the SEC’s convenience with the fundamental Bitcoin industry – possible in the kind of a Bitcoin futures ETF considered efficient – the NYSE Arca will file a document called 19b-4 to transform GBTC into an ETF .
The firm’s whole assets under administration (AUM) as of October 18 are $ 53.5 billion, with GBTC holding roughly $ 39.77 billion.
Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein explained to CNBC on Monday:
There is terrific excitement that regulators are eventually permitting bitcoins to go any where on a countrywide stock exchange … If you glance at the framework of a bitcoin futures product, it will have an impact on traders.
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Manufacturing performance software company, OFS, today announced findings from its first Non-Alcoholic Beverage Industry Report, which highlights the industry’s huge opportunity to dramatically increase production efficiency to the tune of millions of dollars and capitalise on the surge in consumer preference for healthier and non-alcoholic drinks.
The report – a first-of-its-kind analysis of the industry’s production capability – revealed the average non-alcoholic filling line spends 36 minutes per hour (60 per cent of the time) not filling beverages, including 20 minutes per hour lost to unplanned downtime. This amounts to 4,270 units of lost opportunity every hour the filling line is running, equivalent to tens of millions of dollars each year.
This is based on an evaluation of millions and millions of litres of production activity, primarily in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, with manufacturers in the small-to-medium business (SMB) market with an annual turnover of less than US$100 million. It included producers of non-alcoholic beers, kombucha, ginger beer, coconut water, juice drinks, and other popular beverages.
The report highlights that three times as many issues occur at the end of the manufacturing process than anywhere else on the line. Specifically, these issues are occurring between packing and palletising, where the biggest culprits are the carton packer and the palletising station. However, producers scored much higher in waste efficiency, with only 0.6 per cent – or 31 units per hour – not ending up in a case or carton.
Further, the report showed non-alcoholic beverage producers spend too long setting up a new production job, averaging out at 58 minutes. This compares to 49 minutes for craft beer producers based on a similar study conducted by OFS.
OFS chief executive officer James Magee says the data reflects a huge opportunity waiting for non-alcoholic beverages producers. Sales of non-alcoholic drinks skyrocketed by more than 83 per cent in Australia in the past year, and 71 per cent of Australian consumers intend to increase or maintain no-or-low-alcohol consumption next year, with most interested to discover new brands.
“Imagine shutting off your laptop, turning the pan off in a restaurant kitchen, or downing tools on a construction site for 20 minutes every single hour you’re operating,” said Magee. “Unfortunately, that is what the average non-alcoholic beverage producer is doing at a time when there’s a gold rush in this industry.
“One of the key issues is a lack of data and visibility over what’s happening on the line, where issues come from, and how to prevent them. Currently, this is largely done by tedious manual processes or even gut instinct. There’s a myth we want to demystify that data system and the level of efficiency are only suitable for major manufacturers – that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Non Alcoholic drinks changing the focus on efficiency
The report recommends better use of data analytics and digitisation on the packing line, which can both highlight stoppages and the opportunity cost they cause, allowing producers to prioritise what will make the most efficient. It shows the average overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) – an independent measurement tool for how well a manufacturing operation is used compared to its full potential – in the industry is at 42.97 per cent.
“The industry has a great handle on waste – losses here are minimal – and that’s because it’s easy to see the damage if it goes unchecked, you can physically see wasted or rejected cans or bottles accumulating. It is much more difficult to ‘see’ lost time,” added Magee.


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THE Grocery Manufacturers Assn. (GMA), along with the Snack Food Assn., International Dairy Foods Assn. and National Association of Manufacturers, recently filed a complaint in federal district court in Vermont challenging the state's mandatory genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling law — Act 120 — calling it "a costly and misguided measure that will set the nation on a path toward a 50-state patchwork of GMO labeling policies that do nothing to advance the health and safety of consumers."
According to GMA, Act 120 exceeds the state's authority under the U.S. Constitution.
"Act 120 imposes burdensome new speech requirements — and restrictions — that will affect, by Vermont's count, eight out of every 10 foods at the grocery store, yet Vermont has effectively conceded this law has no basis in health, safety or science," GMA explained. "That is why a number of product categories, including milk, meat, restaurant items and alcohol, are exempt from the law."
GMA said this means that many foods containing GMO ingredients will not actually disclose that fact on a label.
"The First Amendment dictates that when speech is involved, Vermont policy-makers cannot merely act as a pass-through for the fads and controversies of the day," the group said. "It must point to a truly 'governmental' interest, not just a political one."
Additionally, GMA pointed out that the Constitution prohibits Vermont from regulating nationwide distribution and labeling practices that facilitate interstate commerce, which is actually the sole responsibility of the federal government.
"The U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency have both the mandate and expertise to incorporate the views of all the stakeholders at each link in the chain, from farm to fork," GMA said.
GMA said it looks forward to presenting its legal arguments to the court.


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Recent survey statistics released have shown that 82 per cent of smartphone users notice online advertising campaigns via their handsets, showing the effectiveness of the relationship between internet marketing campaigns and mobile phones.
The survey entitled The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Users, was conducted by Google and Ipsos OTX, an independent market research firm which spoke to 5,013 US adults who used a smartphone according to adwords.blogspot.com.
Respondents stated that they used their smartphones as an extension of their desktops and use other media at the same time.
Other statistics showed that 93 per cent of smartphone owners used their handsets at home while 72 per cent used their smartphones while consuming other media, such as the TV.
Search engine websites were the most visited with 77 per cent of users turning to search engines first; which could indicate the importance of search engine optimisation for businesses.
24 per cent of users also recommended a business or product to others after conducted a search on their handsets, with nine out of ten smartphone searches resulting in action, which would also suggest the importance of PPC marketing campaigns and correctly assigning landing pages to collaborate with the search engine ads.
News brought to you by ClickThrough – a provider of SEO Services & Pay Per Click strategies.


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March 5, 2021—An Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers location In Riverview, Fla., was recently highlighted in its local newspaper, the Osprey Observer.
Located at 11690 Boyette Rd, the shop is owned by Jeremy Persinger. He operates two Express Oil locations in the area. He plans to open a third store relatively quickly and hopes to reach eight to 10 stores within five years.
Persinger is also active with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and has been on the board since 2008, chairing two fishing events as well as the marketing committee for the foundation. Since becoming a part of the organization, they have raised over $30 Million towards fighting Pediatric Cancer.
To read the full profile, click here.


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More Americans will travel this upcoming Labor Day Weekend than any year since the recession hit in 2008, according to the latest forecast from AAA, which is based on data compiled by IHS Global Insight. Some 34.1 million Americans are expected to journey 50 miles or more from home between Thursday, Aug. 29 and Monday, Sept. 3. That figure marks a 4.2 percent increase in 2013 over the 32.7 million Americans who traveled last year.
“AAA is forecasting a lift in Labor Day travel this year due to the increasingly positive economic outlook and optimism in the housing market,” AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet said. “For many Americans, their home is also their biggest asset. As home prices improve in many parts of the country, more families are feeling comfortable about traveling this Labor Day holiday.”
Friday, Aug. 30, is expected to be the busiest travel day this year, with AAA forecasting that 46 percent of American travelers will depart on their vacations that day. Monday, Sept. 2, will also be a busy one, as 43 percent of Americans are expected to hit the road to return home. Eighty-five percent of Americans will return from their Labor Day trip on Monday, Tuesday or later.
AAA expects some 85 percent of Americans (or 29.2 million) to travel by automobile this year, a 4.3 percent increase over 2012 thanks to mid-August gas prices, which were down an average of 2.7 percent per gallon. The average price at the pump on Labor Day 2012 was $3.83 per gallon -- the most expensive on record for the holiday weekend -- while prices in 2013 are hovering around $3.54 for a gallon of regular gas. Barring a late-summer hurricane or refinery problems, AAA expects gas prices to remain comparatively low this year.
Air travel is also expected to increase in 2013 by about 2.8 percent, with more than 2.61 million American leisure travelers (or 8 percent) arriving at their destination by air. The remaining 7 percent will travel by other modes of public transportation, including rail, bus and watercraft.
Though the average round-trip distance Americans will travel in 2013 is down slightly to 594 miles (last year’s average was 626), Labor Day vacationers are expected to spend more this year than last year. The median spending over the holiday weekend is forecast to grow to $804, compared to $749 last year, with travelers forking over nearly a quarter of their vacation budget on travel and lodging, and another 21 percent on food and beverages.
Prices are up across the board this year, with car rental rates soaring from $39 to $51, average lowest round-trip airfares for the top 40 U.S. air routes climbing from $205 to $214, and three-diamond lodgings up to an average of $161 per night, compared to $154 last year. Most travelers AAA surveyed said they planned to spend their money dining (57 percent), visiting with friends and family (46 percent) and shopping (43 percent).
Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah for many families before the start of the school year, and it is widely regarded as the closing weekend of the summer travel season. “As schools across the nation usher in their next session of students, the Labor Day holiday provides families with the opportunity for one final extended summer weekend getaway,” Darbelnet said, adding a word of caution for drivers: “It is important to remain distraction-free and keep [your] mind on the task of driving.”
Where To Find The Best Deals This Labor Day Weekend
Flight comparison site Kayak sifted through hundreds of millions of search queries and identified Atlanta as the top trending destination for Labor Day weekend with a whopping 62 percent increase in searches compared to the weekends before and after. Kayak attributed the jump to the Alabama vs. Virginia Tech Chick-fil-A Kickoff and Nascar races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Tropical Cancun, Mexico, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, also leapt into the top 5 trending destinations this year, though Kayak said airfares for Cancun would drop by nearly 20 percent the week after Labor Day, and by 17 percent the week prior for San Juan. Houston and Honolulu will offer the biggest savings on airfare in 2013, with average return flights costing $279 and $600, respectively.
New luxury hotel room search engine The Suitest has some ideas about where and where not to sleep this year. The site, which helps travelers get the most bed for their buck, recommends San Francisco (where hotel rooms are $70 to $100 cheaper than on the weekends on both sides of Labor Day), California’s Orange County, Houston, Dallas, Orlando and Hawaii’s Big Island.
On the flipside, The Suitest recommends avoiding Charleston (where hotel rooms are up by as much as $115), Seattle (up $30-$90) Austin (up $50-$80), Las Vegas (up $50-$70) and San Diego (up $20-$70).
Pierre-Etienne Chartier, vice president of discount travel site Hotwire, has some ideas of his own for budget alternatives to pricier favorites. “Though many travelers are set on visiting the always popular cities that top our list, we also wanted people to know that they can experience a great Labor Day Weekend without worrying about the higher cost that comes with some of these in-demand destinations,” he said.
Hotwire’s “sleeper cities,” the ones that it said can go toe-to-toe with the top 5 destinations this year, include Indianapolis instead of Chicago (54 percent savings; $61 per night); Toronto instead of New York (39 percent savings; $112 per night); Reno instead of Las Vegas (19 percent savings; $91 per night); Washington, D.C., instead of Boston (50 percent savings; $81 per night); and St. Louis instead of Atlanta (23 percent savings; $68 per night).


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Tesla and Apple both suspect that their self-driving car technology has been stolen by engineers who went over to a Chinese competitor. That’s a very time-sensitive claim, with intellectual property theft being a central issue in President Donald Trump’s intense trade war against China.
The electric carmaker filed a lawsuit against XMotors.ai, the U.S. research arm of China-based Xpeng, and included a subpoena for Apple to cooperate in the suit. Tesla accused an engineer who worked on its Autopilot system of stealing thousands of highly confidential files when he left the company for a new job at XMotors.ai.
Last year, prosecutors charged a hardware engineer with downloading Apple’s proprietary files as he left the company to go over to the Chinese competitor. He’d been part of the Silicon Valley-giant’s autonomous, electric car secretive development project. The engineer has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
The former Tesla engineer, Guangzhi Cao, responded in a court filing that he downloaded copies of Tesla’s Autopilot-related source code to his personal iCloud account, but denies any illegal maneuvers. According to his lawyers, Cao “has done precisely nothing with Tesla’s IP,” having “diligently and earnestly” tried to remove all of Tesla’s proprietary source code from his personal devices — and he offered to turn over his devices for inspection.
XMotors.ai’s parent company, Xpeng, has yet to be included in the investigations, but the company did respond to the allegations. Xpeng, which is backed by China’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group, has denied having any part in the former Tesla engineer’s alleged intellectual property theft. The Chinese company said it had been notified in June 2018 that U.S. authorities were investigating the Apple engineer, his computer, and office equipment. Related: Another Round Of Bankruptcies Looms For U.S. Oil Industry
Xpeng is one of the startups that’s pushing for China to lead the world in autonomous and electric vehicles (EVs) — and has been tapping into China’s “new-energy vehicle” campaign for global domination as the auto industry continues to transform.
There’s also the sore subject of oil imports to China, with the national government wanting to cut back on this dependence through alternative fuels, EVs, buses, and self-driving vehicles.
The Trump administration has made intellectual property theft and spying a benchmark of its trade war. While Trump could care less about electric vehicles and transfers the issue of autonomous vehicles over to his Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the president does see another economic battle to be much more important.
The cutting-edge 5G technology coming out in smartphones tells that story well, with Trump's ban of Chinese company Huawei being a hot spot lately. Huawei will be one of the dominant suppliers as 5G enters the global market.
5G, powering the next generation of wireless smartphones and tablets, is expected to ramp up wireless data transfer by leaps and bounds. Users will be able to download movies and TV series in just a few minutes. It will also become the foundation of wireless’ next generation of infrastructure that will guide the development of smart cities and autonomous vehicles.
National security experts say that Huawei’s close ties to the Chinese government could lead to espionage or a traumatic episode such as shutting down critical communication networks during a future conflict. Related: Saudi Stocks Plummet As Foreign Investors Bail
For Tesla, Apple, and many other companies, playing a leading role in autonomous vehicles is a high priority. Tesla has had a number of fatal car crashes tied to its Autopilot semi-autonomous system, but has been working hard at perfecting its fully autonomous system being build into new Tesla vehicles.
Tesla wants to make sure its bases are covered as CEO Elon Musk just released another teaser about the next phase of the electric carmaker's self-driving car system being announced soon. Musk said that the company could be offering its new Fully Self Driving chip, as an upgrade to more than 500,000 older-model Tesla vehicles, by the end of this year.
“End of Q4, most likely,” Musk said in reply to a question on when the company would be retrofitting its autonomous vehicle system that Tesla started adding nearly three years ago to new vehicles coming out of its factory. That system includes what it calls Hardware 2 (HW2), a set of sensors, radars, and cameras. Musk has made his share off comments since the initial launch about Tesla leading the way in fully autonomous vehicles.
By Jon LeSage for Oilprice.com
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The adventure and survival game Palworldwhich is one of the biggest recent successes in the industry, continues to generate controversy due to comparisons with Pokémon. Now, a former employee of the Nintendo franchise spoke about the case and positioned himself among those who think the title is actually a copy.
O site GameFile got in touch with Don McGowanan expert who acted as head of the Pokémon Company’s legal department between 2008 and 2020. And, according to the lawyer, the accusations against the independent title are indeed valid.
“This seems to me to be a frequent nonsense imitation that I saw thousands of times a year when I was the legal manager for Pokémon. (…) I’m surprised he made it this far“, McGowan affirmation.
To date, Nintendo itself has not yet officially commented on the controversies or the game itself.
The studio side of Palworld
The developer responsible for Palworld is accused of copy facial expressions, looks and elements from Pokémonin addition to the multiple gameplay inspirations.
The community even calls the title “Pokémon with weapons“since the use of machine guns by humans and creatures is one of the most striking aspects of the game.
Capturing Palworld creatures is done with magical spheres.Fonte: Pocketpair
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe has already released statements regarding accusations of copying Nintendo’s renowned franchise. The executive said he was happy with the “high amount of positive feedback” and rejected the idea of plagiarism.
“I have mixed feelings about this, because Palworld is completely different from Pokémon“, explains Mizobe. His defense is mainly based focus on survival of your titlewith collecting and building elements more focused on games like ARK: Survival Evolved e Craftopiawhich is from the same developer.
Scene from Palworld, the “Pokémon with weapons”.Fonte: Pocketpair
The title sold 5 million copies in just three days, even though it is also available in the catalog for Game Pass subscribers. Furthermore, still in the early access phase and with several limitations, Palworld broke an all-time Steam record: he was second only to PUBG in number of simultaneous players on the platform — surpassing the mark of 1.8 million active users.
Just this week, a video showed a mod that adds visuals of Pokémon characters and creatures on top of Palworld was released — and has already been toppledas it constitutes unauthorized use of Nintendo’s intellectual properties.
And you, what do you think of the controversy? Tell us on social media Voxel!