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Quarter of Facebook and Instagram users purchase via the social media platform
Ede, November 13, 2019 - The share of mobile within online purchases will increase rapidly over the next five years. For example, about two thirds of online buyers now use their mobile to shop via the internet and half of this group expects that they will do most of their online purchases via a smartphone in five years' time. This is evident from the ShoppingTomorrow Consumer survey, which GfK conducted in collaboration with research platform ShoppingTomorrow.
The research shows that 94% of Dutch people aged 15 and older made an online purchase in the past year.1 Of all these online buyers, 65% used his mobile phone when shopping online (compared to 55% in 2018). In addition, consumers expect that the role of the smartphone will only increase in the coming years: 47% of online buyers predicts that they will do most of their online purchases via a mobile phone in five years time (compared to 40% in 2018).
Growth in online purchases is leveling off
Whereas the online share of total spending has risen from 25% in 2018 to 27% in 2019, the consumer believes that this will increase to 38% in 2024. Consumers still expect online shopping to continue to grow over the next five years, although their predictions for online spending are in line with those of last year (37%).
If we look at the different product categories, we see that consumers expect a large growth in the online share within Telecom (from 43% in the first half year of 2019 to 58% in 2024) and Food / nearfood (from 6% to 20%).
New ways of online shopping
Regarding new ways to shop online, such as voice commerce, consumers are divided: A little more than half (53%) expects that a large part of the purchases will take place via the new technologies in 2024. This is also a challenge for the e-commerce world, since paying via voice is currently not legally permitted.
Social media is an emerging sales channel. For both Facebook and Instagram, about a quarter of all members of the relevant platform are already making purchases in this way. For example, 17% indicates that it has sometimes made a purchase via Facebook. This medium stands head and shoulders above the other social media; Instagram is only used by 6.6% for a purchase.
“Buying via Instagram is not yet very easy. Only when there is an own seamless check-out, will the sales via the platform grow. I think Instagram is perfect for impulse purchases, so I still expect a lot from that, ”says Inge Demoed, program manager ShoppingTomorrow.
Consumers want to be anonymous, but a personalized offer
Privacy remains a hot issue for consumers; 60% indicates that it does not want to be recognized. “77% from consumers always expect to receive a personalized offer when they shop online, but 67% from consumers do not want collected data to be used to personalize an offer. That presents retailers with a challenge, "says Inge Demoed. For 27% of the respondents, it is no problem if companies use data to show a personal offer.
Combination growing online and offline
Half of the consumers find it pleasant to alternate between physical and online store visits while shopping. However, when consumers want advice on certain products or services, they think a visit to a shop is the best way to get in touch with the seller (73% in 2019 compared to 58% in 2018).
Consumers expect physical retailers to do more with technologies, such as contactless payment via their smartphone and self-scan cash registers. "This is a trend that is already on the rise," says Inge Demoed. “More and more physical stores are embracing technologies to make it as easy as possible for consumers. An advantage for both consumers and the store. ”Consumers in stores find technology more efficient (46.4%) rather than fun (20.2%). In other words, they see it as part of a frictionless shopping experience rather than as a source of inspiration.
* Press releases submitted are not the responsibility of the editors *


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Toga Group has announced an agreement with the Deputy Premier of Victoria and Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Peter Ryan, to develop and manage a brand new hotel and conference centre in Marysville, Victoria: Vibe Hotel and Conference Centre Marysville.
An artist impression ofthe new development, located approximately 100 kilometres east of Melbourne in the township of Marysville
The development is a needed lift for Marysville, which was devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009.
The construction of Vibe Hotel and Conference Centre Marysville will commence mid-2013. The hotel and conference centre is expected to be open to welcome guests in late 2014. The new hotel is a joint venture with Metier3, the architects behind the fresh and innovative design.
Toga is excited to be involved in the $28 million development of the brand new hotel and conference centre, set to play a major role in the rejuvenation of this beautiful region of Victoria. The hotel and conference centre will be fully integrated with the local community; providing ongoing employment opportunities and attracting increased numbers of local visitors.
Vibe Hotel and Conference Centre Marysville will be a contemporary,4 star hotel and conference centre featuring 100 guest rooms, a conference centre and associated conferencing/exhibition spaces for up to 300 people, restaurant, wine bar, spa and health centre and more.
“Toga Group is thrilled to announce the upcoming development of Vibe Hoteland Conference Centre Marysville,” said Allan Vidor, managing director of Toga Group. “The town of Marysville is close to the hearts of Australians following the devastation of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. Toga is honouredto play a key role in the revitalisation of this stunning part of regional Victoria with the development of this brand new hotel and conference centre,and its subsequent management. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Metier3 on this project and applaud the vision of the Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Peter Ryan, which has made this development possible.”
“This exciting development will add character, quality and social benefit to Marysville and at the same time provide a tangible economic stimulus to tourism and private sector business investment right across the region,” said Peter Ryan, Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development.

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Editorial was right to support trade pact
I appreciate The Dispatch's April 15 editorial "Bad idea," regarding the passage of the stalled U.S.-Colombian free-trade agreement.
The editorial rightly pointed out that U.S. labor has much more to gain by approving the agreement.
It would open up access to that country for our goods, which currently suffer from significant import tariffs, while Colombian goods can enter this country virtually tariff-free.
I applaud the common-sense approach in this debate while only considering the trade pact on its own merits.
I only wish The Dispatch editorial page would be as open and even-handed in its approach while debating the benefits of the emerging biofuels industry.
If we could just stick with the scientific facts while measuring the significance of becoming more energy independent, we would all be better off.


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Amazon.com’s first foray into the tablet wars — the Amazon Kindle Fire, launched a day earlier than scheduled on Monday, Nov 14, 2011. It is the most anticipated tablet release since the iPad and
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Lifted by a winning combination of pent-up demand for new fashion, extremely weak year-ago comparisons, warm weather and an early Easter, retailers saw the largest monthly same-store sales increases of the decade as consumers came out spending last month and never stopped.
But whether March’s roar is a sign of resurgent consumer spending or simply a statistical anomaly will be easier to discern this month as retailing’s first quarter concludes.
Thomson Reuters pegged last month’s comparable-store sales gains at 9.1 percent, the strongest advance since it began tracking the metric in 2000 and well above the 6.3 percent increase expected. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, March comparable-store sales rose “precipitously,” advancing 9 percent, the strongest reading since the 9.3 percent increase of March 1999. Like many of the retailers reporting, ICSC warned that some of the gains of March could be given back this month, when it expects a materially softer month with results flat to down 3 percent.
Nonetheless, March results still stood out, and for some, indicated deeper trends.
“This has to go down as one of the more impressive sales months on record in the past decade,” said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics Inc. “The fact that retailers vastly exceeded already raised expectations suggests to us that there is more going on here than just the Easter shift and easy comparisons. Consumers are generally feeling better about their plight and are finally making discretionary purchases and beginning to trade back up a bit.”
The surprisingly strong performance by retailers helped lift the S&P Retail Index 6.13 points, or 1.3 percent, to 466.28, its highest close since Oct. 17, 2007. It also stabilized the rest of Wall Street as investors weighed the meaning of an unexpected increase in first-time jobless claims. (For more on stocks, see page 14.)
Even though discounters continued to perform well, the department store segment generated the best numbers in March with an average comp gain of 11.8 percent and not a single decline in the sector, according to WWD data. While Kohl’s Corp. led all broadlines retailers with a 22.5 percent increase, more than 10 points above expectations, upscale merchants Nordstrom Inc., Saks Inc. and Neiman Marcus Inc. impressed with increases of 16.8, 12.7 and 9.2 percent, respectively.
In contrast, Nordstrom’s comps fell 13.5 percent in March 2009, while Saks’ were off 23.6 percent and Neiman’s 31.2 percent. While all department stores tracked by WWD had comp declines that month, Kohl’s had the smallest, a 4.3 percent drop.
“There’s a certain level of exuberance in consumer spending…especially in apparel,” said Sherif Mityas, partner in the retail practice of A.T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm. “The recession has really helped department stores and forced them to rationalize their inventory.”
The strength across midtier and high-end retailers also was linked to consumers’ “fatigue of not spending,” said Mityas.
“Consumers have a short memory,” he said, explaining the “frugality of the American consumer” was “just a bump” last year. “It has become fashionable to spend again.”
Taking into consideration challenging macroeconomic factors such as unemployment and a tough real estate market, it may be too early to celebrate, warned John Long, a retail strategist at consulting firm Kurt Salmon Associates.
Long, who called March results “anticlimactic,” said April would give analysts a better picture of consumer confidence and whether these positive spending patterns were “sustainable.”
“Comps should do quite well for the first half of 2010” because they were “so bad” last year, he said, but in the back half of the year, “retailers will have a little more of a hurdle to clear.”
Citi broadlines analyst Deb Weinswig acknowledged upcoming challenges, but maintained that “underlying same-store sales trends” at retailers that she covers are “strengthening.”
“We believe promotions and inventories remain well controlled, and expect profits to be strong in the first quarter,” she said, noting improvement in ticket trends, women’s fashion, home-related categories, easy comparisons and moderating food deflation for discounters and clubs.
“The consumer is coming back and responding to the value that we are presenting them,” Macy’s Inc. chairman, president and chief executive officer Terry Lundgren told WWD at the 2010 Global Retailing Conference at University of Arizona on Thursday after his firm reported a 10.8 percent increase for the month versus a 9.2 percent decline a year earlier.
Macy’s said customers were “responding favorably” to its spring fashion offerings, which included assortments better tailored to local tastes because of the My Macy’s program.
Falling short of Kohl’s lofty gain, midtier rival J.C. Penney Co. Inc. managed a 5.4 percent uptick with strength in “all apparel categories.”
The strength of better merchandise in March didn’t translate into weakness in the value channel, either. Target Corp. raked in a 10.3 percent increase in same-store sales last month, coming against a 6.3 percent decline in the prior-year month. Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and ceo of Target, noted that the increase was “driven by particular strength in our apparel business.”
The nation’s two largest off-price retailers, The TJX Cos. Inc. and Ross Stores Inc., continued their strong sales trends, with comps rising 12 and 14 percent, respectively.
“Off-pricers are maintaining their sales, but they are not seeing sales acceleration,” said Citi retail analyst Kimberly Greenberger. She dismissed the idea that consumers were trading up after months of rummaging through bargain bins, saying they were simply “starting to spend a little more aggressively.”
Consequently, she called Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s 5 percent comp increase “highly disappointing,” as it was up against a 34 percent comp decline, the largest of all stores tracked, in March 2009. The analyst pointed to ANF’s Hollister chain, which turned in a 1 percent decrease.
“I don’t even know how you do that,” she said. “Hollister’s product is very underwhelming. They are still struggling.”
The best comps in the specialty segment came from Cato Corp., which posted a 24 percent jump, followed by a 19 percent increase at both the Victoria’s Secret unit of Limited Brands Inc. and teen retailer Aéropostale Inc. (Limited was up 15 percent overall.) Greenberger said Aéropostale might be lagging with the emerging skirt trend, upon which American Eagle Outfitters, up 15 percent for the month, has capitalized.
Lazard Capital Markets analyst Todd Slater, who rates AEO a “buy,” said there is a “disconnect” between Wall Street and the company.
“AEO is not generating a margin-less recovery,” he said, “[Earnings before interest and tax] margin is likely to be up more than 400 basis points, with more of a contribution from gross margin than from [selling, general and administrative expenses] leverage.”
Elsewhere in specialty retailing, Gap Inc. logged an 11 percent corporate increase as Gap’s U.S. stores were up 11 percent; Old Navy, up 13 percent, and Banana Republic, up 10 percent.
Destination Maternity Corp. and Hot Topic Inc., along with Rite Aid Corp., recorded the day’s only negative results with declines of 3.3, 7.5 and 0.1 percent, respectively.
Although Hot Topic’s 7.5 percent drop was the weakest result reported, the company still beat expectations of an 11.1 percent slide, said FBR Capital Markets analyst Adrienne Tennant. The firm hasn’t been able to match year-ago strength because of its involvement with “Twilight” and a strong women’s bottoms business, but she expects comparisons to ease beginning in the second quarter.
While the beating of strong expectations in March was unquestionably good news for retailers, exceeding April’s far more modest projections would deliver a stronger message about consumer confidence, especially in light of lingering high unemployment and the uncertainty of other macroeconomic factors.
A.T. Kearney’s Mityas feels that most retailers will need until the fourth quarter, with its more challenging comparisons, to get a true sense of the outlook for retailing.
“Retailers haven’t popped the Champagne corks yet,” he said, “but they clearly have the bottles on ice.”
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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OnePlus 3T Sports A Midnight Black Finish For A Limited Time
OnePlus officially announced that it is making its latest all-Black version of the OnePlus 3T available to more users with the limited release of the OnePlus 3T Midnight Black. OnePlus Co-Founder Carl Pei wrote in a blog post "We've received countless requests to release an all-black OnePlus 3T worldwide. Pei also added, "Today, we are happy to announce something special for those of you who couldn't make it to Paris."
As part of this limited run, the Midnight Black variant of the OnePlus 3T will only be available with 128GB storage for the standard $480 price tag. This flagship killer will be available for purchase via Hypebeast, starting at 12 noon ET on Friday, March 24th. Like the company's other smartphones, the 3T Midnight Black availability is "extremely limited," Pei said. According to a source, only 250 units of the limited-edition model will be available. OnePlus fans in North America and Europe can be able to purchase the device from the company's website, however, it's still uncertain how many units will be available. According to a recent report, OnePlus furnishes three 14-micron thick dark coatings, which is thin enough to maintain the natural metallic feel and look of the solid body. Also, after being coated, the device goes through two sandblasting sessions to give it that reflective quality as everyone seen on the OnePlus 3T in the past.
As for the specs, it's the same flagship killer last year and is easily one of the best phones you can buy, especially at a great price. OnePlus 3T is a 5.5-inch AMOLED Full HD screen and a fast fingerprint scanner. Its body is hewn from a single block of Aluminium, which is curved slightly on the back to give it an ergonomic feel. Powering the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and under the hood is a decent 3,300mAh battery which easily lasts all day and charges exceptionally fast thanks to OnePlus' Dash Charge.
OnePlus 5 News: All-glass Design, Waterproof And Matte Black Color
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Google Pixel 2 vs OnePlus 5: Which Flagship Should You Get?
Google Pixel 2, as well as OnePlus 5, are on their way this year. Two of the most powerful smartphone in the tech industry both deliver powerful performance and impressive features.
OnePlus 5 vs Apple iPhone 8: Which Is Worth The Wait?
OnePlus 5 and Apple iPhone 8, two of the most highly-anticipated flagships boast the latest innovation, powerful specs, and impressive features.
Apple iPhone 7 vs OnePlus 3T: Battle Of Powerful Flagships
OnePlus 3T is one of the most highly recommended smartphones and Apple iPhone 7 is the most powerful flagship this year. Both phones are available to buy but come with hugely different price tags.
$660 Xiaomi Mi 10 Specs vs OnePlus 8 Pro: 8 GB RAM, 108 Megapixel, 6.67 Inch Curved Display, and More
The new Xiaomi Mi 10 is the direct competitor of the OnePlus 8 Pro. Learn more about the $660 smartphone!
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This post has been read 48755 times!
Large part of amount said directed to local spending
KUWAIT CITY, March 14: More than a year has passed since the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent travel restrictions and disruption of overseas tourism plans for many citizens. Amid these restrictions imposed around the world and the reluctance to travel, a question that comes to one’s mind is — Where did the Kuwaitis spend the billions they normally spend on traveling?, reports Al-Qabas daily. According to economic sources, the amount spent by Kuwaitis on foreign travel, either for tourism, treatment or study purposes, before the pandemic was estimated at about $16 billion annually. With the spread of the pandemic and the disruption of travel movement, a large part of this amount was directed to local spending or kept aside as savings. Local sectors and activities have recovered because of the money that was pumped into the local economy.
Retail sales, specifically luxury goods stores in the country, had a large share of this money, as many citizens preferred to spend their money on buying. This was evident when the malls and commercial markets opened their doors at the beginning of the second phase of the plan for return to normal life, as long queues were in front of such stores. Also, online retail sales turned out to be one among the biggest winners during the time of the pandemic, because they witnessed unprecedented sales with an increase of more than 30 percent.
The sectors of luxury goods, electronics and furniture in the country witnessed a great turnout by citizens. Since many of the stores in these sectors were physically closed and travel movement was suspended, they showed more seriousness in offering their products and services via the Internet with the aim of reaching the largest possible number of customers. Regarding whether the local tourism sector received a share of the amount that Kuwaitis normally spend for travel purposes, the sources indicated that the absence of real tourism projects and the scarcity of recreational facilities have made this sector unattractive to many citizens, especially with the closure of many facilities, such as the entertainment city, parks, the ice-skating rink, and others, in addition to the absence of new tourism ideas in Kuwait compared to some countries in the region.
The sources stressed that, despite the significant increase in the value of gold in 2020, many women, especially the elderly, continue to buy gold as well as diamond sets. They added, “The real estate sector did not receive a share of the amount, as the value of real estate in the country is high, and the money that the citizens saved during the crisis would not be enough to buy a house, chalet or farm.
The sector that flourished and benefited from the citizens’ money is a sector related to leasing and not buying, as the country witnessed a boom in the renting of chalets, farms, and livestock pens. The car sector and its financing received a large share too, as some citizens preferred to buy new cars, and others worked on paying the remaining installments of their cars”.


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News - Ford
Beijing show: Ford praises Ausssie engineers
New Ford Focus tailored to capitalise on Chinese tastes, future Ranger could too
30 Apr 2018
By TUNG NGUYEN in BEIJING
AUSTRALIAN engineers working at the Victorian Ford Asia-Pacific development and design centre have been praised by former product chief Trevor Worthington, who said the team was building world-class vehicles for global consumption.
Speaking to Australian journalists on the Ford stand at this year’s Beijing motor show, Mr Worthington – now Ford Asia-Pacific vice-president of product planning – said the success of the T6 Ranger pick-up was a direct result of the quality of Ford’s locally built offerings.
“There’s no doubt that as the Falcon business and the Territory business wound down … there was a level of expertise on those products that we were then able to deploy onto Ranger to make Ranger the great global product it is today,” he said.
“As we got to the end of the Falcon cycle and there was less and less work to do, more and more of those people were coming across to work on products for India, products for China and the Ranger and Everest.
“One of the great things about that team, one of the great things about Australian engineers let alone those working for Ford, is that Australian engineers are very, very adaptable.”
Left: Ford Asia-Pacific vice-president of product planning Trevor Worthington
Mr Worthington said the Australian mentality of carrying on and getting the job done played a huge role in developing the Ranger, which has resonated across almost 200 markets worldwide.
“They’re a team of people who can be one day working on a small car and the next day be working on a truck … and the logic of ‘who’s the customer, what are they looking for, how much are they looking to spend, how am I going to give it to them’ is like a universality that comes from farmers in Australia – they don’t have a lot of money, but they’ve got to be able to fix stuff businesses in Australia, they haven’t got a lot of money but they need to be able to sell stuff,” he said.
“There’s something about the approach that is common in a lot of markets – you see it in South Africa as well – it’s like I’m not going to go to the premium solution, I’m going to go to the solution that works and that is a very good model for delivering value product development and value products to the global market.”
However, being the largest market in the world with 28 million new-vehicle sales last year, Mr Worthington said the Chinese region was now holding more sway over global products such as the Focus.
“The new Focus … is a globally developed product,” he said. “Developed in Europe, but significantly, a large amount of input was driven from the Asia-Pacific region.
“So the need for the vehicle to be bigger, the need for a really good balance between first row and second row room, the need for advanced vehicle technology, the need for advanced connectivity technology, the need for greater than 10 per cent improvement in fuel economy – all of those things have been driven primarily by our desire and need in this market (China) to deliver all of those things to make the Focus nameplate here successful.”
While the Chinese market easily eclipses the United States (16 million annually) and Australia (about 1.2 million), Mr Worthington assuaged fears that Chinese preferences would compromise other regions.
“There are a number of us in Shanghai who are Australian, and so whenever you are doing these things, you are always kind of looking over your shoulder and going ‘well, is this going to hurt anybody, is this the right thing to do?’,” he said.
“We’re convinced that we made that vehicle better for the globe, but we would also probably say better for Australia.”
However, Mr Worthington said the relationship would likely not cut both ways and that Australian input into Chinese-market vehicles would be relegated to development work and not influence.
“In terms of the connection between Australia and China, it’s difficult to draw that,” he said. “We sell Everest in China – it’s made in China, sold in China.
Everest is clearly developed in Australia for a range of global markets, so there’s inevitably a connection between everything we do, but not all of it is a direct connection.”
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New Jersey Symptoms Online Gambling Legislation, Just a Nose Behind Nevada
After many years of waffling and vetoing, nj-new jersey Gov. Chris Christie finally finalized Assembly Bill A2578 into law this week, opening the door for online gambling to begin in a legalized, managed environment in nj-new jersey. The move arrived only a week after Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval rapidly approved his state’s online gambling legislation; both states ensured they had provisions included that would allow for interstate compacts, to ensure gamblers from outside their specific jurisdictions could be in on the action.
But do not fire your computers up just yet in either state.
Could Be Months Before Gambling Comes On The Web
Even though new bill stipulates that actual online wagering must start in brand New Jersey between 90 and 180 days of the measure’s signing, Caesars Entertainment Corp. CEO Gary Loveman had been dubious. Loveman said within an interview this week that the actual launch dates might be a lot more like 18 to 24 months, and according to Nevada’s present not-much-faster-than-mud instance, that’s probably more realistic: the Silver State’s online poker licensees that are earliest have already sought and received extensions on the original launch dates. Presumably, merely the mechanics and technology, particularly with the added element of interstate players and just how taxes and regulations would work there, are extremely complex and unlike before the game was legalized, all i’s Continue reading


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Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and that red thing just might get a social game
Of course, the game could be named anything. But it's a safe guess for now that domains like "CartoonUniversegame.com", "Playtheuniverse.com" and "Looneytunescu.com," refer to a game titled at least similarly to that. There are other domains that WB registered this week, like "Toontokens.com" and "Wbcash.com", that suggest the game would be supported by in-game purchases using a currency like Toon Tokens.
A Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe game would make a whole lot of sense both on Facebook and elsewhere. Disney is arguably WB's biggest competitor, and the company has already stated plans for its cast of characters to enter Facebook games through developer Playdom. The company has even release a console game titled "Disney Universe." Perhaps WB is eying up a piece of the same pie.
While this game--if it even is a game--could appear on any platform, it's also important to consider the audience. Looney Tunes have always been the more mature cartoon troupe, and the majority of Facebook gamers are adults. Who knows, maybe Bugs, Daffy (and Gossamer) can beat Mickey and crew to the punch.
Would you play a Looney Tunes game on Facebook or elsewhere? Who do you think would be more successful in Facebook games: Disney or Warner Bros.? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.


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A former tax lawyer for Gucci has claimed that she was instructed to "tax the hell" out of Rihanna because the pop star was not from the United States.
The New York Post reports a claim from Robinson's suit which references Rihanna's endorsement deal with the company: "When [executive international tax counsel Stan] Sherwood discovered that Rihanna was from a Caribbean island, he told Robinson to 'tax the hell out of her' and find a way to allow Gucci to withhold 30 percent of her fee."
Josephine Robinson is suing the fashion house for $5 million for "an unrelenting barrage of racist comments and jokes at her expense by Sherwood and others at Gucci". Robinson alleges that her dismissal from the company last year came after she complained about her experiences.
Robinson's lawyer, Rick Ostrove said: "It is shocking that top level officials of a company as esteemed as Gucci would behave in such an inappropriate manner."
Gucci was swift to refute the claims with a spokesperson announcing: "Ms Robinson's allegations are completely baseless, and the company will defend itself vigorously against this meritless litigation. The company is confident that it will prevail."
Representatives for Rihanna have not commented on the allegations.


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The 4.7-inch screen which is found in the iPhone 6S emerged at the top of the list by gathering 31.2 % of the total votes. The second most preferred screen size was the 5.5 inch one which s found in the iPhone 6S Plus. This particular screen size received a total of 27.2 % votes.
20.3 % of the total votes were obtained by the 4-inch screen size which is currently found in the iPhone 5S. the iPhone 6C is also set to make an appearance with this particular screen size.
- 2 5 people stated that they preferred screen sizes other than the 4.7, 5.5 and 4-inch ones.
Gene Munster, an analyst stated that most of the people who voted for the 4-inch screen size are likely using older models of the iPhone. He added that these people will likely change their preference if and when they begin using the bigger screen modelsof the iPhone 6 series.
Munster is of the opinion that the iPhone 6C will not be released by Apple within the first half of 2016.He states that the iPhone 6C will most likely see the light of the day along with the iPhone 7 which is scheduled for a fall release.
He believes that the relatively smaller iPhone will not be enough to carry an entire event on its shoulders and thus it could be launched in Apple’s Spring Forward event along with the new Apple Watch.
Stay tuned for more update on Apple iPhone 6C.


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Whistler has had an impressive string of success the past few years, and as another ski season wraps up, 2012-2013 looks like another near record setting year. Improving global economies, excellent weather conditions and a healthy calendar of great events the past season have had an impact on almost all facets of Whistler operations.
Nightly room rentals increased 10 per cent above the 10 year historical average, just finishing behind the record setting season of 2011-2012. One of the possible reasons could be that the 2012-2013 Whistler ski season was the second biggest winter snowfall on record, with 1389cm of snow falling from November to May. Hotels also saw their rates starting to recover, with an increase in average nightly prices compared to the discounted room rates of the past.
According to Dave Brownlie, President and CEO of Whistler Blackcomb Holdings, the previous quarter saw increased skier visits and a record setting number of season pass and card sales at $43.8 million. The Whistler Arts Council (WAC) also had a very successful year with $1.68 million in revenue.
Whistler is just as impressive in the Summer season, with 2012 setting a record for room rentals compared to any previous year. 2013 also looks like it will be another amazing summer season with a full calendar of events scheduled.
If you haven’t done so already, make sure to get your trip planned as soon as possible, as the accommodation is filling up fast. Check out alluraDirect.com for the best deals, rates and selection of available vacation rentals!


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Facing criticism about the future of Adidas, CEO Herbert Hainer won't step down. In an article in a German newspaper, Hainer admitted to losing sales to Nike and said "Suddenly, everything that was right for 12 years, was wrong."
Hainer has been CEO since 2001, and a succession plan is in progress, but some investors want to see a change sooner than 2017, when his contract ends. Pressure started back in September, when the company saw declining sales in soccer and Reebok products and after the stock had dropped 38% for the year.
Hainer admits mistakes in investing in the soccer market but says, "If I no longer had the ambition and the energy, and the firm belief that I can bring the company further forward, then I would stop immediately."
- What's your view of Hainer's decision to speak with the German newspaper? What other options does he have for conveying his point of view?
- How do you think the Board feels about Hainer's position and his comments to the newspaper?
- Do you find Hainer's comments convincing?


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Typically when a company announces a new smartphone, anyone who doesn’t follow the rumor mill is surprised by what’s announced. LG does things a bit different, though. The company confirmed its new LG G7 ThinQ — which is pronounced thin-cue — long before today’s big event. The company even revealed some details about the new phone’s design and features ahead of its official announcement. But the LG G7 ThinQ is now official and as is always the case, the complete picture is far more compelling than the bits and pieces we had seen from LG before today. In fact, not even the rumor mill was able to paint a complete picture of the phone.
Despite the familiar design that was unquestionably “inspired by” Apple’s iPhone X, the new LG G7 ThinQ features a big, bright display, cutting-edge specs, a camera that could give Samsung a run for its money, and some nifty artificial intelligence features that help improve the overall user experience. It’s a sleek new phone that can go toe-to-toe with any other flagship handset available right now, and LG is finally ready to show it off.
BGR Top Deals:
- 50 people quit their jobs at Apple to build and launch this device
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LG unveils G7 ThinQ with AI camera, far field voice recognition, and the iPhone X’s notch originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 2 May 2018 at 10:00:09 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source: FS – Phones – News
LG unveils G7 ThinQ with AI camera, far field voice recognition, and the iPhone X’s notch


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3Com is expected to confirm plans to launch a smart phone product, in partnership with Alcatel, here at Cebit on Friday.
The GSM based smart phone, first revealed exclusively by VNU Newswire last year, will be debuted in Europe and could appear in the market before the end of this year.
3Com is saving the announcement for a news conference on Friday, but Janice Roberts, 3Com's vice president of marketing and business development, said Wednesday that the, "Alcatel and 3Com Palm business is going to expedite handheld computing and telephony."
Eric Benhamou, 3Com's chief executive, told VNU Newswire at the Comdex show in Paris last November that a 3Com smart phone would appear in 1999, combining the handheld computing technology of its Palm Pilot products with the mobile phone technology of a GSM vendor - now identified as Alcatel.
Alcatel and 3Com's far reaching alliance was announced Wednesday, the eve of the Cebit show. In addition to the smart phone, the companies will create an open forum to develop an API for connecting handheld computers and mobile phones.
The companies are also combining their server technology to develop a software platform for service providers wanting to provide value added fixed line and wireless services - such as unified messaging and mobile Web access.
Customers will soon see the first move towards a joint smart phone when the companies offer a combined package of a Palm Pilot and Alcatel One Touch mobile phone.
Limited information available ahead of Friday's launch refers to an eventual "single platform," which, "could result in the migration of GSM terminal functions to the organiser, or inversely, increased organiser functions on the terminal."
Alcatel already has a smart phone device, although it has not enjoyed anything like the success of the Palm Pilot. Other Palm Pilot deviants include the bar code reading Pilot co-developed by 3Com and Symbol Technologies.
For more Cebit coverage in text and audio click here.
Resetting the telemetry circuits and associated boards brought the instrument back to operations mode
Fortnite news and updates: Flaw in Fortnite authentication could have helped attackers steal player login credentials
Attackers could have used Fortnite security flaw to buy in-game currency on players' stored credit cards
New photos show cotton seeds sprouting in sealed container - with other plants expected to sprout within days
Sudden increases in availability of sniper rifles on Vikendi


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Record loss for Branson
Virgin boss Sir Richard Bran-son has admitted losing between £80 million and £100 million on his Our Price record shops.
He told Financial Mail that the black hole in the 250-strong record chain accounts was 'the most expensive problem I have ever had'.
Branson moved last week to plug the drain on his empire. He has paid off banks that were owed more than £170 million using the proceeds of the £600 million sale of 49% of Virgin Atlantic to Singapore Airlines.
The Our Price chain was plunged into crisis because it could not compete with cheaper CDs sold on the internet and cut-price CDs in super-markets.
In an attempt to reverse his fortunes, Branson has given the go-ahead to a £35 million plan to transform the Our Price shops into high-tech stores. Every one will be rebranded by Christmas and renamed v.shop.
The v.shop chain will sell Virgin mobile phones, DVD players and MP3 machines, which are used to download music from the internet. The v.shops will sell only CDs that appear in the top 40.
Branson has set aside £100 million to transform the Virgin group into a newage company where all his brands can be bought on Virgin phones via the internet.
His acknowledgement that the Our Price chain was plunging into greater debts follows industry speculation that it was in trouble. He claimed that record companies had not been paid for stock supplied over the Christmas period because he wanted to put pressure on the companies to cut their prices.
Branson is also to go on the offensive in Australia, where he is setting up a cut-price airline to compete on expensive internal routes. He has ordered 10 Boeing 737s for the new airline to be called Virgin Ozjet.
He also revealed that Virgin Atlantic had agreed to be a launch customer for the Airbus A3XX superjumbo. The 700-seater jet will feel more like a cruise ship with flights of stairs between its three floors and have a number of private cabins.
The sudden flurry of initiatives cannot disguise the fact that the billion-aire Virgin boss has just endured one of his worst weeks in his business career.
He has been forced to dip into the cash from the Singapore deal to shore up Our Price and has had to oversee the move by Victory Corporation, the clothing and cosmetics retailer he set up in 1996, out of the fashion business.
He has also suffered the humiliation of seeing bitter rival British Airways beat him in a route battle to South Africa.
Branson said: 'I have been an entrepreneur since I was 16 and you just have to fight the problems that land on your desk.
'The Our Price problem was the most expensive I have ever had. We have lost between £80 million and £100 million, but when you relate that to the total value of the group, it is only 2% or 3%.'
Financial problems are mounting for Branson. His return to the record label business with v2 Music has hit problems and it could take at least three years to turn round the company.
Virgin Express, his low-cost airline based in Brussels, though a success with its customers, is still losing money, and Virgin Cola is facing a tough time in competing with other soft drinks giants.
Executives at the company are discovering that they are having to spend a fortune in marketing to boost sales.
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Carlos Ghosn hints at affordable EV technology
Source : Carlos Ghosn hints at affordable EV technology
Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has confirmed which more affordable electric vehicles are under development, in order to crack the Chinese market
Renault boss Carlos Ghosn believes car companies will have to focus on the development of “cheap as well as frugal” electric cars for the Chinese market, where expensive zero-emissions cars are currently failing to find favour.
Ghosn confirmed which the company is usually working to advance cheap EV technology in China in conjunction with its joint-venture partner, Dongfeng.
The Dongfeng-Renault Automotive Company will build an electric vehicle based upon the Renault Fluence at the fresh plant in Wuhan, China. However, unlike the Kadjar currently being made at the facility, the EV will wear a Dongfeng badge. The underpinnings of the vehicle will be shipped via Korea in CKD kit form as well as assembled at Wuhan.
When asked by Autocar what part electric vehicles would certainly play in his strategy for China, Ghosn said: “At the moment the idea is usually very limited because the electric car market in China is usually very low. The EVs which are sold here are very cheap electric cars. Cars which are a little bit more sophisticated as well as a higher cost are not selling well.
“The Nissan Leaf is usually sold in China,” he said. “the idea is usually a very nice car however the idea is usually selling a few hundred per month. We envision much bigger [sales] than which. We know which the cost is usually a handicap; people are buying very cheap electric cars.
“Obviously, however, with very low performance you can manage which. So the question is usually, what is usually the best compromise between an acceptable performance as well as the lowest cost possible? This kind of is usually something which doesn’t exist today as well as we are willing to find a solution. I bet there is usually going to be a lot of development work on very affordable electric cars.”
The Chinese government has set an ambitious target of having all 5 million electric as well as hybrid vehicles on its nation’s roads by 2020.
“The Chinese government wants more electric cars, so we say ‘yes, however the customer wants them to be cheap’ as well as there is usually a limit to how much of a [government] incentive they can put on every car,” explained Ghosn.
Like Ghosn, Renault’s chief competitive officer Thierry Bollore was guarded about endorsing the target of 5m electric vehicles by 2020 however added which any fresh government legislation could force a rapid pace of change among China’s car owners. He drew a parallel using a change in laws regarding electric scooters which resulted in owners dumping their petrol-powered scooters overnight.
“China is usually typically a market where things can move very suddenly. the idea could move very quickly if the government decided to make the idea a state project,” he said.
by via Autocar RSS Feed


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Strategy enters new era as the top affiliation for health and fitness, wellness and health and fitness professionals.
SAN DIEGO, Might 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — IDEA Well being & Health Association, the world’s top business for health and wellness pros, announces new ownership as it prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary and a return to in-man or woman education and learning at its leading conference occasion, IDEA® Planet Convention. Amy Boone Thompson, previous vice president and common supervisor and now operator and chief govt officer, will go on to direct Concept as a new technology of exercise and wellness specialists Inspire the World to Fitness®.
IDEAfit, Inc. (dba Thought Well being & Exercise Association) is poised to provide its associates and the wellness market even larger planet-course meeting encounters, as nicely the gold-conventional schooling and written content that physical fitness specialists have appear to rely on for their accomplishment. “When we are no extended owned by Exterior Interactive, Thought will keep a solid strategic relationship with the Exterior family members of brands, connecting our professionals and partners with Outside’s viewers to support encourage extra people to enjoy the rewards of an lively lifestyle,” said Thompson.
“We are assured in Amy’s leadership of Idea Health & Exercise,” mentioned Robin Thurston, CEO and chairman of Outdoors Interactive, Inc. “Concept has been central to the wellness neighborhood for 40 several years, and we appear forward to what this up coming section of growth provides to conditioning fans all around the globe.”
Amy Boone Thompson has amassed just about a few decades as a profession exercise experienced, wellness advocate and enterprise owner/leader. She has held each and every part, from practitioner to presenter to executive, and has constantly regarded Notion as the conventional of excellence and “The world-wide system to achieve, educate and advocate physical fitness gurus.” Her lifelong commitment to the industry connects her passion to her professionalism.
“The popular thread through all of the roles I have held in the field is that I provide a relentless obsession to bettering the professions, rewards, expectations and opportunities for gurus and entrepreneurs so they can effect more lives with the present of motion and wellness,” Thompson reported. “IDEA’s system and international authority allow for for increased influence to assistance even much more professionals, empowering them to create beneficial outcomes for our communities.”
The ownership improve will come in time for IDEA’s a lot anticipated 40th anniversary celebration, which ties into the future IDEA® Earth Convention, to be held in Las Vegas, July 20-24. This yearly celebration is the will have to-go to meeting for personalized trainers, team physical fitness instructors, physical fitness facility house owners, nutrition and wellness coaches, and any person who wishes to extend their romance with wellness. This year’s highlights include additional than 250 exercise routines, workshops, lectures and activities, a keynote tackle by Billy Blanks, and the Concept Environment Fitness & Nourishment Expo, which consists of hundreds of fitness, nourishment, attire, wellness and technologies manufacturers.
For much more data, get hold of Pleasure Keller.
About Plan Health and fitness & Fitness Association
Notion Wellbeing & Conditioning Association has served as the world’s foremost firm of conditioning and wellness experts for 40 decades. Plan delivers planet-course material, sources and continuing education to exercise experts, business proprietors and allied overall health professionals through a extensive material library, such as the award-successful Thought Physical fitness Journal. Notion empowers in good shape professionals by means of world conferences and a lot more than 900 streaming video clips and electronic courses. Idea FitnessConnect ℠, the biggest nationwide marketplace-extensive directory, links above 275,000 conditioning industry experts to much more than 40 million individuals. Idea Members Encourage the World to Fitness® with passion and dedication in extra than 80 countries. Plan is owned by IDEAfit, Inc., a division of In-Out Fitness Remedies, Inc., and is headquartered in San Diego. Discover much more at www.ideafit.com.
Resource Notion Earth Convention


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The investor services firm worked with Natixis and Societe Generale on the pilot, which was based on the Hyperledger Fabric codebase.
Precious metals are neither “accidental” nor a “historic relic” despite the Bitcoin phenomenon, says Goldman Sachs. Find out what is driving Bitcoin price surge.
Mike Novogratz, former hedge-fund manager at Fortress, will advise on new token-exchange platform AirSwap. Based on the Ethereum network, the project aims to provide users a digital coin swapping service. The idea to is to match buyers and sellers in a…
The Ethereum hard fork Byzantium is about to take place on Oct. 16, and users are advised to upgrade their clients – upgrade links included!
The Wall Street tycoon and JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon is once again talking about bitcoin investors in a derogatory fashion. On October 12, Dimon told CNBC that he was done talking about bitcoin and that it was basically irrelevant to him. However, Dimon won’t shut up about bitcoin as the bank executive called bitcoin […]
Just a day after JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon said he wouldn’t talk about bitcoin, he issued new remarks about the cryptocurrency.
Banks have had a monopoly over money for centuries, however, a little digital upstart is changing all that and institutional money does not like it
One of the oldest and biggest financiers, Bear Stearns partner Jeff Epstein, has leveled his own thoughts on Bitcoin which he sees as full of potential.
Bitcoin is a safe haven that is unaffected by normal market factors. As these factors continue to escalate there could be a bigger trend towards digital currencies.
“Non-government mandated currency is junk”: Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga
Bitcoin backer, Fundstrat’s Thomas Lee, has created five indexes that are designed to help traditional investors better understand cryptocurrencies.
Wall Street may have the answer for full Blockchain adoption – Zero Knowledge proofs.
f you remember this 2015 Max Keiser rant against Wall St, it’s back in viral mode again, thanks to Bitcoin.
Colas is the first Wall Street analyst to cover Bitcoin prices and even predicted one of its first price leaps to $1,000, follow marijuana store sales and analyze the economy using the price of a bacon cheeseburger.
‘It’s obviously highly speculative but it’s not something that’s inherently bad.’


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So much for members-only.
Hinge, which relaunched in October as a paid relationships app, won't actually kick off everyone who doesn't fork over $7 a month.
The onetime Tinder rival will grant "early members" a free lifetime basic membership to the new version of the app.
Business Insider pointed out(Opens in a new tab) the discrepancy in Hinge's rebranding after a reporter there received the option for a free membership.
"Hinge is moving towards full subscription, but we know change takes time. We are offering early members, who have stood by us through this journey, free Hinge for life to ensure we have a smooth transition from free to paid," a Hinge spokeswoman told Mashable. "We’re confident that offering early users free memberships will not dilute the initial experience, because the product has been so effective out of the gate."
Users on the new version of the app are nine times more likely to exchange numbers, and 71 percent of legacy Hinge members migrated to the new app on launch day, Hinge said.
Hinge didn't clarify which users would qualify for a free lifetime membership.
Hinge's relaunch was an attempt to become the mobile, millennial-friendly version of Match.com or eHarmony.
"We believe technology has incredible potential to help people find compatible partners with which they can form successful relationships," Hinge CEO Justin McLeod wrote in a blog post(Opens in a new tab) ahead of the app's relaunch. "Given the current state of our culture, it’s now more critical than ever that there exist a service that helps those bold enough to seek real relationships find meaningful connections, while still being accessible to the millennial generation."


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Specialty Coffee in South Korea
More and more Koreans love having their cup of coffee in the late hours in a café. Coffee shops do not close before 10 pm and start their business the next day in the noon, and in the morning the cup of coffee is mostly purchased while in the afternoon instant coffee is preferred. At the end of day, cafes are the hang-outs that are seen populated after dinner.
Over the past ten years Koreans have been loving cafés more and more, with boulevards crowded of well-known brands, little coffee shops, and independent local brands have opened.
Despite what the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) report suggests, a careful reading from a different angle, of Korean café culture might reveal rather impressive facts that specialty coffee holds a special potential in Korea.
According to the USDA report, the specialty coffee big chains markedly increased their growth as compared to the independent shops offering specialty coffee. In a comparison between the number of independent specialty coffee shops and chains no more than 5% variation is observed since 2009 for independents, according to the USDA figures. As for the chains, the figures have rapidly increased, from 2,400 to 9,502 (from 2009-2014), with Starbucks leading the way. Caffe Bene is the second big name with 800 outlets according to the 2012 stats.
This rapid increase in the overall number of coffee shops and their booming sales (which increased up to 60% in 2011 according to a report by KB Finance), may suggest that coffee business is reaching a saturation point. But Dongsuh Food, a worth mentioning name in Korean coffee market, beg to differ. Their market research sheds light at the consumption of brewed coffee and espresso drinks, which made up only 7.8% of the total coffee consumption in 2011.
Here lies the special potential of independent coffeehouses, that’s individuality. The number of Q-graders in Korea has increased over the last few years, the number of certified Q-graders in Korea is over 600 – and the most in the world according to the Coffee Quality Institute, suggesting the people of Korea has developed taste preference.
The idea is further supported by the fact that not only the number of coffee shops has been on a sharp rise since 2006, but around 300 individual academies that offer coffee training are enrolled with the Korea Coffee Education Society (as of 2014). Korea even hosted the World Latte art and World Coffee in Good Spirits Championships in November 2014.
Writer and content contributor for international magazines and websites.
Nida has been writing professionally for CoffeeBI since March 2016.


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Nov 27, 2018
The idea came easy for former Navy Officer Laura Deming. After hearing Hillary Clinton called Trump supporters “a basket of deplorables” she new it was time to act. That was followed by Peter Strzok texting his friend Lisa Page, “I’m in a Walmart in Southern Virginia and I can just smell the Trump support”. Thus was born - 'Deplorable Fragrances' (www.cult45llc.com).
"I figured I'd create a scent to go with the Trump movement," says Deming. Now she and her business partner, and former host of 'RedNationRising', Timothy Shea are selling 'Deplorable' & 'Deplorable Dude' perfume and cologne coast to coast (see short client bios below).
"We needed to make sure the Trump support we are seeing also had a fragrance that every liberal could smell," says Shea. "With Deplorable & Deplorable Dude' we have such a scent and one that's a perfect Christmas gift for the Trump supporter in your family."
Cult45 LLC., is a veteran own business and 'Deplorable' and 'Deplorable Dude' fragrances are made entirely in the USA. Be sure to check it out if you're stuck on a gift this holiday season.


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High street travel agents could become obsolete in just five years if the current rate of decline continues, according to a new report.
Booking holidays through travel agents has fallen by 67 per cent in the last decade.
The research found that 10 years ago, 57 per cent of adults booked their holidays through high street agents but today, only 19 per cent do the same.
Online and telephone bookings have had an impact on the decline of a physical branch.
The vast majority of holidays are booked online (79 per cent) compared to just 35 per cent 10 years ago.
Online bookings are made through a combination of online travel agencies (used by 50 per cent of adults), airline and hotel websites (47 per cent) and online travel search engines (24 per cent).
One in ten (10 per cent) use telephone operators to book their next getaway.
The internet has also caused an effect on how we manage our travel plans.
Of the 12,000 people asked, 53 per cent check in for flights online compare to 22 per cent a decade ago while 16 per cent use mobile boarding cards.
The report, by travel search engine Kayak.co.uk , found when booking a holiday 77 per cent of us use a laptop or computer and only eight per cent use a smartphone.
And it isn't just the high street travel agent that could soon cease to exist - the study found that the postcard is also losing popularity.
Today 20 per cent of adults send them compared to 51 per cent 10 years ago with 66 per cent of us now using the web to share travel experiences.
Holidaymakers also look online for travel inspiration.
One in five, 21 per cent, turn to social media and 15 per cent look to blogs to help them choose a holiday destination.
Those aged 18-24 looking for inspiration for their next holiday rely more heavily on social media (40 per cent) and blogs (33 per cent).
The additional sources make planning a trip more complicated, with 35 per cent spending more time planning their travel than they did a decade ago.
Loella Pehrsson, Kayak regional director UK, Ireland & the Nordics, said: "The research is a worrying sign for high street travel agents.
"The internet not only allows you to shop around but also browse and book holidays from the comfort of your own home and it seems people are increasingly choosing this option over physical shops.
"It's also interesting to see that while the computer is the preferred device for travel planning and booking, we're increasingly using our mobiles.
"What is clear from the research is that the internet is changing travel habits - you can even get Wi-Fi on planes now.
"The ever-growing role technology is playing in travel is giving consumers many exciting developments, and it's something we take advantage of at Kayak.co.uk to offer the best experience to our customers."


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2010-12-23 / Front Page
Three Suspected of Shoplifting
Three people were questioned last Thursday, December 16 at around noon, for shoplifting from the Dollar General in Lexington. Two females wearing hoodies and a male were questioned by Officer Jim Sherer of the Lexington Police Department after witnesses reported that they had stolen some deli meat from the cooler in the back of the store.
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China is embarking on a major shift in its agriculture policy, abandoning its long-held obsession with self-sufficiency in favor of better meeting consumer demand, a key rural policy document shows.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue hosted his Canadian and Mexican counterparts for a trilateral meeting on agricultural trade and markets. Read moreRead More »
Brazilian authorities scrambled to contain the fallout from a police sting that has raised questions about the safety of the nation’s meat industry, as more countries said they planned to suspend imports due to sanitary concerns. Read moreRead More »


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A report says Nintendo is unlikely to announce a new console soon to focus on shipping more Switch units
What is a semiconductor? An electrical engineer explains how these critical electronic components work and how they are made
To commemorate Lamborghini's founding year of 1963, the fourth NFT will only be produced in a restricted quantity of 63 pieces.
WhatsApp will block screenshots for View Once messages and will let users silently leave group chats
New ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’ information will be revealed at an esports event later this week
Apple has reportedly started production for its September product launch event for the next iPhone and Apple Watch
Apple is expected to produce less than 1.5 million units of its first mixed reality headset that could enter the market in early 2023
‘Halo Infinite’ gameplay: 343 Industries deactivates Assassination animations because players don’t seem to like them
The first technical preview revealed plenty of new information about “Halo Infinite.” It also confirmed that some long-running features will not be available at launch, including the Assassination animations.
Why ‘Halo Infinite’ won’t launch with Assassination
When developers decide to cut out content from an upcoming game, they are usually met with negative feedback. However, that may not be the case for 343 Industries after the studio confirmed that “Halo Infinite” will launch without Assassination.
Long-time “Halo” fans are likely familiar with Assassination. To those who are not, it is a gameplay feature that lets players temporarily view the game from a third-person perspective. Assassination can be activated once a player sneaks up on their enemy and attack them with a close combat weapon or if they perform a one-hit-kill melee from behind, hence its name.
Assassination animations were previously available in both campaign and multiplayer games, but it was surprisingly missing during the “Halo Infinite” technical preview in late July. Later, it was confirmed that the feature is currently not planned to be part of the game when it launches later this year.
“We actually really love assassinations,” Tom French, “Halo Infinite” senior mission designer, said (via Eurogamer). “But what happens at a lot of levels is people just turn them off because there's a gameplay disadvantage to it.”
The good news for players who actually like Assassination is that they might not be gone for good. The developer said the “Halo Infinite” team is just taking “a step back” to reevaluate how the feature could have a more “meaningful” use and that it could return as an “accessible tool.”
‘Halo Infinite’ beta, release date
Many fans were not able to participate in the first “Halo Infinite” flight. On the bright side, 343 Industries confirmed that there will be another technical preview planned that would accommodate more players before the game launches.
The developer has yet to announce when the next beta test will go live, but fans can still sign up for a chance to get invited through Halo Insider. “Halo Infinite” is promised to launch this holiday, but a specific release date is still unknown.


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The 2018 Nissan Leaf is set to debut in two waves—a standard version with a 40 kWh battery pack and, later, a longer range spec reportedly with a 60 kWh battery pack. This week, the EPA confirmed Nissan’s claimed range for the standard version: 151 miles.
The EPA revealed the official spec for the 40 kWh trim Leaf on its website as 112 MPGe combined, giving it 151 miles of range on a full charge, which is a single mile higher than what Nissan previously announced.
The EPA pegs the Leaf’s full numbers at 125 MPGe city, 100 on the highway highway. That assumes the driver spends 55 percent of his time in the city, with the remainder on the highway.
That doesn’t get the range of Tesla’s Model 3 or a Chevy Bolt, but Nissan’s prepping the launch of the long-range trim. Reports so far peg the longer-lasting Leaf will hit somewhere around 225 miles, which makes it a far more admirable competitor to the other big-name EVs.
Production of that is set to begin sometime in 2019.


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Tetranitratoxycarbon may have the potential to store energy, combust or do a little of both.
By Tuan Nguyen
| February 7, 2012 -- 06:10 GMT (22:10 PST)
| Topic: Innovation
SAP Brazil delivers first Leonardo case study
Adidas is using robots to produce small-batch, local-market shoes
Tesla nearing deal to build its own plant in China: Report
Mastercard opens access to its blockchain tech


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Google has a staggering 3 billion active Android devices across the globe
Google is really trying to flex on Apple.
Google I/O is currently underway, and the company is showcasing new technology and highlighting milestones it has reached since the last I/O conference in 2019.
One interesting tidbit that was revealed during yesterday’s livestream regards the number of active Android devices that are out there. It’s a staggering 3 billion. That puts Apple’s iPhone to shame, which just broke the 1 billion mark earlier this year.
What makes this even more interesting is that this number is based on devices registered to Google Play. So, other Android-based devices that use different stores aren’t even being accounted for in that number. The Verge notes that this includes things like Amazon Fire devices and Chinese-based Androids that don’t touch Google products like the Play Store.
Google I/O is still underway, so make sure to check back as we’ll continue to cover the news and any product announcements from the company.
- Google wants you to know it still cares about Stadia and that 100 new games are coming in 2021
- If you still care about Clubhouse, the Android version is going global this week
- Google is reducing its Play Store fees for developers making under $1 million a year
- Android phones are learning to do things without a ‘Hey Google’ prompt
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Hot in here...
...so take off all your clothes?
A hot February was one plausible explanation for another poor retail trade result, with turnover declining by 0.1 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms to $25.692 billion.
That's a big miss on expectations, and now the second decline in only the past three months!
In trend terms turnover increased by 0.1 per cent to a new high of $25.726 billion.
Year-on-year retail turnover growth has sagged to 2.9 per cent in trend terms, and just 2.7 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms.
Monthly retail turnover fell in no fewer than five jurisdictions in February, with only New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory in positive, erm, territory.
Surprisingly South Australia now leads the way with year-on-year retail turnover growth of 3.94 per cent.
February was a hot month - certainly up here in Queensland it was - but how far that explains the 2.53 per cent drop in clothing and footwear retail turnover in February is open for debate.
At least the month of February was a slightly better month for department stores after a dismal run.
Looks like we've been choosing to cool off with turmeric and coconut milk lattes instead.
Overall, there's not much positive that can be said here, just another possible signal that policy has been too tight.


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- Quick Search
Agonia Records have recently announced that they have signed a deal with Swedish Black Metal band Pest, and that a new full length album as well as a new EP are in the works.
Swedish Black Metal band Pest have recently signed a deal with Polish label Agonia Records, and are soon expected to release an EP, followed by a brand new full length album.
The EP, titled "Black Oath / Morbid Revelations", will feature two new eponymous tracks and is scheduled to be released some time this April on 7" vinyl. As for the full length album, it will be titled "The Crowning Horror" and will mark the band's fourth full length, with a release scheduled for June.
Stay tuned for more info! Previous Pest albums are available on Amazon.com.
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‘Buy British’ is usually a sentiment associated with the food sector but is fast becoming a popular mantra in the healthcare sector, where a combination of pandemic and environmental factors is driving more organisations to consider UK made products, according to a Warwickshire based advanced materials manufacturer.
Kevin Porter, technical director at Tecman Advanced Healthcare Products, argues that while British manufacturers have often based their pitch on quality and customer service, they are increasingly able to compete on sustainability grounds and attract customers looking to meet challenging net-zero targets.
This is because for many years sustainability has been used as shorthand for assessing recyclability and plastic content, but a more holistic understanding of emissions and supply chains is showing global products come with a heavy environmental price tag.
The trouble with modern supply chains
When looking to improve supply chain sustainability, many procurement professionals look at the materials used in manufacturing, the plastic content and the degree to which products can be recycled or disposed of using existing waste streams. These are important, but don’t tell the full story.
Modern supply chains can be very complex. Specialisation has evolved to such an extent that many firms are now carrying out very specific parts of production at very low prices, but at a much larger, hidden cost to the planet.
For a reusable face shield, in many cases there are separate manufacturers for the plastic shield, the headband, a foam padding, the box, the fastener components – the list goes on. Each of these manufacturers order materials from suppliers and ship the semi-finished product from one location to the next, racking up air, sea and road emissions that often remain hidden.
This makes understanding product sustainability a very difficult and time-consuming task that relies on a level of transparency that is hard to find.
Looking closer to home for sustainability
The healthcare sector in the UK underwent a recalibration during the pandemic, when many essential products and components couldn’t be sourced due to huge global demand, export restrictions and disrupted supply chains. This led many organisations, including the UK government, to look to British suppliers for some of these critical products.
As the ‘emergency’ phase of the pandemic has ended and stockpiles start to deplete, the temptation is to revert to old procurement routines, sourcing cheaper products from international suppliers and continuing business as usual. However, many are sticking with the new approach, but not for availability reasons.
NHS and private sector customers are increasingly focused on making their organisations carbon neutral or even carbon negative, especially now they can focus on procuring strategically rather than simply needing to get products, like PPE, to the frontline. To do this, they are scrutinising products more carefully to assess exactly what their environmental credentials are by considering materials, transport emissions, packaging and more.
A report by WMG and ReshoringUK found improving sustainability was a key reason for many firms in deciding to move more operations back to the UK. This is no doubt being driven partly by customers taking a more holistic view of sustainability and stripping out inefficiencies in their supply chains.
Unsurprisingly, one major way in which UK made products stand out is related to distance – shipping goods from Warwickshire to Newcastle via road is much better for the planet than airfreighting them from China. British manufacturers, like Tecman, that convert raw materials into finished products and manage the whole product development cycle, have a more complete understanding of their carbon footprint and have control over ways in which products can be made even more sustainable.
UK manufacturers can often give customers granularity on product sustainability too – something many international suppliers find difficult to do. For example, at Tecman we can set out how our innovative manufacturing processes save over 10 tonnes of plastic per million units and demonstrate how using biomaterials from sustainable forested trees reduces plastic use and enables customers to meet environmental targets.
Moving beyond price
Not everyone will decide to look to UK partners to supply their products, but if we are serious about sustainability, we cannot simply evaluate all products on their cost and recyclability status. There needs to be more transparency from everyone in the supply chain so those making procurement decisions can do so with all the relevant information to hand.
Buying UK made doesn’t guarantee a more sustainable product, but it is worth investigating.


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From the office of MPP Toby Barrett
To The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—MPP Toby Barrett welcomed a recent announcement by Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, that the government is taking additional steps to better protect workers in the agri-food sector during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Province is significantly expanding the Agri-food Workplace Protection Program and committing up to $15 million to enhance health and safety measures on farms and in food processing facilities.
“Agri-food businesses and their hardworking employees in Haldimand and Norfolk play a critical role in keeping our food supply chain strong, providing us with fresh, high-quality and nutritious food all year round,” said Hardeman. “Today’s investment will allow farmers to adapt to this new environment and implement additional health and safety measures during the COVID-19 outbreak.”
The Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program provides cost-share funding for farmers to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and implement workplace modifications and other measures. By significantly expanding the program, farmers can take additional steps to improve health and safety for their workers and ensure the continued supply of locally grown food during the COVID-19 outbreak.


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Lamborghini has officially revealed their SC63 racecar which will compete in the LMDh class at endurance events from next year.
It may not look like a Lambo at a glance, but as you study it, familiar styling cues come forward. We already mentioned the Y-shaped lights, a relatively recent trend from the Italian supercar brand.
Powering this car is a completely new engine designed in-house and made specially for this program. It’s a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 with turbos mounted outside the engine for better cooling, maintenance, and weight distribution. While firms produce their own combustion engine, they all use a spec hybrid unit, with all power sent to the rear wheels and total system output capped at 671bhp. A common transmission is used among all LMDh cars, but Lamborghini adjusted gear ratios to best suit its purposes.
The drastic-looking car is not quite ready to race as testing will continue before it debuts at the 2024 season.
Lamborghini is hoping to get the best out of the cars with factory drivers Mirko Bortolotti and Andrea Caldarelli, along with newcomers Daniil Kvyat and Romain Grosjean who hail from the Formula 1 world.
“The SC63 is the most advanced racing car ever produced by Lamborghini and it follows our roadmap Direzione Cor Tauri laid out by the brand for the electrification of our product range,” said Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “The opportunity to compete in some of the biggest endurance races in the world with a hybrid prototype fits with our vision for the future of high-performance mobility, as demonstrated for road-legal cars with the launch of the Revuelto. The SC63 LMDh is the step into the highest echelons and into the future of motorsports for our Squadra Corse.”


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Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer said the company's search engine deal with Microsoft is not delivering the revenue it should, Reuters writes.
Apple CEO Tim Cook called a shareholder lawsuit against the company a "silly sideshow," according to The Associated Press.
Intel confirmed it is planning to offer a paid Internet video service and set-top box, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The stakes are high for Apple if it goes to trial in the e-books antitrust case, Reuters explains.
Sources told Bloomberg that Apple has 100 product designers working on wristwatch-like smartphone device.


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Bummer! Sales have ended.
Unfortunately, tickets for this event are no longer on sale.
Rob Bishop helped to create Raspberry Pi®, a game-changing credit card-sized computer, and now he wants to serve it up to kids around the world to help them learn to program.
At an evening event hosted by the Kauffman Foundation and Union Station on Friday, Aug. 23, the Raspberry Pi engineer and evangelist will present “Raspberry Pi—One Year On.” Bishop’s talk will cover the origin of the product and company, highlight recent developments, provide technical information, and address the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s educational aims. Time for an in-depth Q&A on Raspberry Pi educational and technical matters will follow.
Introduced in 2012 in the UK, the Raspberry Pi computer plugs into a TV and keyboard. The capable little PC, which sells for $35 or less, can be used much like a desktop PC for spreadsheets, word processing, games, and high-definition video.


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Trully, a platform focused on digital fraud prevention announced the raise of a US$4.1 million seed round led by Costanoa Ventures. In addition, angel investors such as Pablo Viguera, co-founder and CEO of Belvo, and Juan Pablo Ortega, CEO of Yuno and co-founder of Rappi, also participated.
With this investment, the startup founded in Mexico by Fernando González Paulin, CEO and former Chief Data Officer of RappiCard Mexico; Carl W. Handlin, CTO, who worked as Global Director of Data Science at RappiCard; and Eric Balderrama, COO, who was CISO at RappiCard, will seek to improve its technology and strengthen operations in Mexico, where it will be recruiting talent in engineering and development.
In 2021, the financial cost of fraud worldwide was US$5.38 trillion, according to The Financial Cost of Fraud 2021 report. In Latin America, 1 in 5 online transactions is rejected due to possible digital fraud. In the region, customer identity verification remains the main challenge to reduce fraud in digital channels, as 44% of frauds carried out were related to this problem, notes the report The True Cost of Fraud in Latin America 2021 by LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
Given this situation, Trully developed software to improve the authentication of KYC (Know Your Customer) systems and prevent identity theft and financial fraud through facial recognition using machine learning to obtain more accurate data. With this technology, companies can detect fraud individually and power a system to protect an entire network of companies.
“Cybercriminals can modify almost everything from email data, phone numbers, geolocation, and even a fingerprint. But they can’t modify your facial features. That’s why we developed a technology that uses facial recognition as a single key and works even if there is an attempt to hide or modify a facial image,” Truly’s CEO said in a press release.
Eric Balderrama, COO de Trully; Carl W. Handlin, CTO de Trully; y Fernando González, CEO de Trully (Foto: cortesía de Trully)" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/contxto.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/COO-Eric-Balderrama-CTO-Carl-W.-Handlin-CEO-Fernando-Gonzalez-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/contxto.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/COO-Eric-Balderrama-CTO-Carl-W.-Handlin-CEO-Fernando-Gonzalez-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" decoding="async" >
The startup assured that it complies with the Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data in Possession of Private Parties and is seeking various certifications for cybersecurity protection.
Trully’s solution is currently in the testing phase with multiple financial technology startups. In this first stage, it is aimed at fintech and e-commerce companies.
You may also be interested in: Rappi Does Everything, Including Creating New Founders


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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Crutchfield has entered a partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and its www.myGreenElectronics.org initiative.
Through the partnership, the retailer will offer an online tool that will allow customers to locate electronics recycling facilities across the United States. The service will be powered by CEA’s myGreenElectronics database, which recently launched on its own site.
The company discovered the consumer need for such information with a recent survey, which it said indicated that fewer than 30 percent of its customers were aware of any local electronics recycling options.
In addition to providing the search tool, Crutchfield said in a release that it will remind customers of the importance of recycling after each purchase and will tell them how to find the nearest recycling center in case they should choose to dispose of their old gear.


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Tesla now records current market capitalization that is approaching $83 billion
In the midst of all the US-Iran drama, one company, dedicated to making a better future for all of us, is making strides in becoming the single most valuable car company ever. During midday trading Tuesday, Tesla stock was up by almost $7, or 1.5%. By contrast, the S&P 500 is down about 0.3%. In turn, this marks another all-time high for the electric vehicle pioneer. Furthermore, Tesla (ticker: TSLA) shares are up a whopping 93% over the past three months and have soared almost 10% year to date. This is far better than the 0.4% gain of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. However, this current gains in Tesla stock values are only a part of the picture as the gains have currently made Tesla the most valuable car company in America. Ever.
This is due to Tesla’s current market capitalization approaching $83 billion. Overall, that exceeds the peak Ford Motor (F) market value that reached about $81 billion, set way back in 1999, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Additionally, the market value of the EV maker is now larger than prebankruptcy General Motors (GM), current General Motors and the pre-Daimler (DAI.Germany) Chrysler or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU). And this merger was made way back in 1998, over 20 years ago. Right now, Tesla is single-handedly making the automotive industry take note, pushing the electric vehicle into the mainstream with great success. The market cap is nothing to be surprised with, as they are slowly getting to a point where the California-based carmaker will be among the biggest and most powerful carmakers in the history of the world.
Right now, it’s safe to say that after Henry Ford, Alfred Sloan, Kiichiro Toyoda, Ferdinand Porsche, Lee Iaccoca and the likes, Elon Musk is now slowly pacing himself to a place on the world’s automotive Mount Olympus in every way. Whatever some may say. And overall, if his EV dream becomes a full-fledged reality, boosted by both renewable and nuclear energy, we might actually be able to turn the whole global warming thing upside down. And Elon Musk will certainly be one of the key people to do it, that’s for sure.
Source: Market Watch


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Rainwater falls from road above; ‘we clear the trash ourselves’
Shopkeepers and business owners near the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway are incurring losses because of a stinking problem. Few customers visit the shops, they say, because the drainage system demolished ahead of its construction has not been rebuilt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the expressway on March 12, 2023, in Mandya amid much fanfare.
Muniraj, who runs a scrap shop in Kumbalgodu, informed The Observer: “Mori ka bhi problem hai (there is also a problem of drainage).” Two years ago, when the highway was constructed, the authorities broke the drainage and till date they have not reconstructed it.
The Observer noticed that lack of drainage has led to the accumulation of garbage and dirty water in front of almost every shop.
The waste from an eatery flows towards Muniraj’s shop. “Many times we clean the waste ourselves,” he said.
Many shopkeepers have placed makeshift plastic and wooden bridges for customers to walk in. When it rains, water falls down from the expressway, causing chaos.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), responsible for the construction of the expressway, awarded the contract to Dilip Buildcon.
The Observer contacted an official from the NHAI’s project implementation unit at Ramanagara. He said he could share any information with the media and suggested The Observer visit the Ramanagara office of NHAI.
The Observer tried to contact Dilip Buildcon, but they did not answer the calls.
The Observer noticed a dilapidated building named ‘Keelka Hardware’. Chandru, an autorickshaw driver, said the building was half-demolished by the road authorities and the shop owner had to move to a place where he is not earning much.
Many shopkeepers have complained about this to the Kumbalgodu panchayat, but the panchayat said it’s not their job to construct a drainage.
Dinesh Seervi, who sells electrical items, said no customers visit his shop now. Only those with whom he has good contacts buy products in bulk from him. During the construction of the expressway, his shop was cut into half. The compensation was given to the shop owner, not to Dinesh, who pays a monthly rent of Rs 15,000.
“I once spent Rs 25,000 from my pocket to fix a pipe and to eliminate dirt, but that did not work,” he said. “Now everybody travels on the highway, so they don’t see my shop and buy anything. Panchayat people say road authorities will fix the drainage, road authorities say it’s the panchayat’s job; but nobody helps. Because of this drainage problem, people think twice about coming to my shop. The owner of the shop also does not listen,” Seervi added.
Heeralal Prajapati, who runs a 20-year-old hardware shop, said the shop’s height has increased. It gets very problematic to carry stuff. The problem is, because of the highway, the road which was single has turned into two. People from the other side of the road ignore his shop. “Earlier my business was far better than what it is now.”
His shop was 25 feet by 20 feet but has been reduced to 12 feet by 20 feet. “The government gave me compensation, but it was not enough. I would have got more than Rs 20 lakh if they had measured it in meters. But they measured the land in sqft.”
Lokesh Venkatesh, a small chicken shop owner for the past 15 years, said: “Earlier, there used to be a lot of traffic and people used to buy from my shop.” He also referred to the fight that the expressway construction has led to between the land owners. “Compensation was paid by the government, but now there is a fight between shop owners who are brothers. The fight is about who will get more money.”
Srinivas, who runs a mobile equipment shop since 1997, said: “Business has decreased by 30 per cent. Earlier, car drivers would stop and buy aux cables and car chargers. Now big vehicles have moved to the highway. The shop owner got compensation. What have we got?”
Sunil Mehta, a gold shop owner whose shop’s height increased from 2 feet to 7 feet, asked: “How will we get customers if they cannot see the shop?”
Mehta also pointed to the increased number of accidents, narrating how a schoolbus collided with a truck a few days ago.
G.B. Basavaraju, panchayat development officer, Kumbalgodu, said the panchayat cannot work on its own; it needs the state government’s permission and guidelines.
“The higher authorities are yet to decide. They are working to build the Metro line which will go till Bidadi. They will work to repair the drainage system only after the Metro line gets complete. However, we make sure to clean the drain every Saturday under our Swacch Shanivar Andolan,” the officer said.
Shopkeepers in Kanmanike and Bidadi have also incurred losses. The reason is not lack of drainage but reduced traffic.
Murli, whose restaurant had just two customers when The Observer visited it, said: “There’s no business at all. I am working with 80 per cent loss. Earlier, I used to earn at least Rs 25,000 per day, but now it’s hardly Rs 5,000. I wish the new expressway would get closed.”
Imran Khan, a mobile equipment shop owner, shared: “It’s been three months since the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway was inaugurated. I am incurring huge losses because all the traffic has moved to the other road. No vehicle stops and (nobody) buys products from my shop. I know it will be like this for the coming year as well.”
The Observer noticed a fence divides the expressway and the old Mysuru Road. Mahesh, who has a small eatery in Kanmanike, said his customers feel uncomfortable while crossing the fence to come to his eatery.
A Times of India report said: “The project has been developed at a total cost of around Rs 8,480 crore and involves 6-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275. It will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around 3 hours to about 75 minutes.”


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Video Distribution Startup Connatix Raises $15 Million
The company’s service helps publishers syndicate original videos
New York-headquartered startup Connatix Ltd. raised $15 million in equity funding, the company announced Tuesday.
More by CTech
The round was led by Boston-based equity firm Volition Capital, and its managing partner Larry Cheng will join the startup’s board of directors.
Founded in 2014, Connatix helps publishers create, distribute and monetize video content. The company works with publishers that want to syndicate their own original videos, also offering publishes a library of sponsored video content they can present on their website to create an additional revenue stream. The company employs 50 people, most of them based in New York and some in Tel Aviv.
This is the company's first funding round. The company started operating on a bootstrap mode with initial capital provided by the company's founders David Kashak and Oren Stern. It was profitable from its early days.
"The last year was a turning point for us, and we expanded very rapidly to very big websites like Mashable Inc., CNN and more," said Mr. Kashak, the company’s CEO, in an interview with Calcalist. "In order to accelerate our growth and increase our employee pool we needed to raise a significant sum of money and also to find a strategic partner."
"As demonstrated by their remarkable triple-digit growth and the widespread adoption among premium content publishers, Connatix is the clear market leader in the development and delivery of innovative video solutions," said Mr. Cheng.
Connatix intends to use the funding to expand, to develop its products and to increase its sales and marketing resources.
On Tuesday Israel-linked video creation startup Wibbitz announced it raised $20 million in a Series C funding round.
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