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Perhaps the only thing left was to take their talent overseas. Specifically, to Los Angeles. In eight weeks, Sanceau and Shearston will throw open the doors on Pollen, a new eatery in the city’s Echo Park district. In the Elysian neighbourhood, it’s taking over a tenancy formerly occupied by Fix Coffee, a popular LA coffee shop.
The move has come somewhat out of the blue for Sanceau and Shearston’s HappyFat Group, which up until recently had designs on opening a new restaurant on King Street in Bowen Hills. But Sanceau says he’s been keeping an eye on the coffee scene in Los Angeles for the last few years.
“Generally, coffee in the States is appalling,” he says. “I’d been looking at maybe doing something over there with a Brisbane guy who owns a bunch of places.”
That didn’t happen, and HappyFat refocused its attention on Brisbane for a couple of years, selling Public and London Fields (Canvas was sold to current owners Bodie Schofield and Dan Rodriguez back in 2013), while looking at other opportunities in Hong Kong and Shanghai (Sanceau says they were “very close” to establishing a second Red Hook in Shanghai, but ultimately decided against the move).
Things changed when Shearston was seconded to Los Angeles for a bar consulting gig at the start of this year. “She fell in love with the place,” Sanceau says. “I then went over three months ago with Bonnie and we were talking to some people and all of a sudden we were presented with this opportunity.”
Sanceau and Shearston inspected the site and found a restaurant and coffee shop “ready to go”, Sanceau says. “All it needed was a lick of paint. The deal was pretty amazing so we said, ‘Let’s do this’.”
Sanceau says the intention with Pollen is to take a bit of Australian cafe culture to Los Angeles. The venue will start with coffee, breakfast and lunch, and begin to open for evenings once a liquor licence is approved. “It will hopefully be a bit like Corner Store Cafe crossed with Sourced crossed with Melbourne’s Higher Ground – taking the best of Australian breakfast to Los Angeles,” he says.
With that in mind, Sanceau has been busy taking beekeeping courses with Bee One Third’s Jack Wilson Stone. “We’ll want to do rooftop honey,” he says. “We should be able to do that on top of the kitchen.”
Heading up the kitchen is Canberra-raised chef Alison Trent, formerly of Providence, Bouchon Beverly Hills and The French Laundry. Coffee will come from Jetty Coffee, a local roastery that established its commercial operation earlier this year.
Sanceau likens working on the fit-out to when they transformed a Groove Train restaurant into what would become Public. “It has that same burnt orange feel; it feels quite student-y,” he says. “One of our really good friends over there is a landscape gardener – he’s going to put all these olive trees in for next to nothing.”
Going forward, Shearston will be based in Los Angeles with Sanceau commuting regularly between Australia and the United States.
Sanceau talks about Los Angeles as being an “incredible place” that a lot of Australians have ignored, distracted by New York. But there are also more practical concerns behind the move – one of which is what he sees as Brisbane’s overstuffed restaurant market.
“It’s just numbers through the door,” he says. “There’s [19 million] people in the [greater metropolitan area of] LA. That’s not far off Australia’s population.
“Over the last few years in Brisbane, so many venues have opened and we don’t have that population,” Sanceau continues. “For restaurants to make a decent profit they need to be busy all the time. I hope it’s not, but it feels like a ticking time bomb … I think a lot of industry people here are waiting to see how we go.”
Not that HappyFat is turning its back on the Queensland capital. “We still want to do something here,” he says. “Our success here has given us the balls to go and give it a go … there’s some great stuff going on in Brisbane and I hope it continues.”
2100 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles


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April 19, 2010 - The organizers of VIV Europe have decided to go forward with as planned April 20-22 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, despite the impact of the Icelandic volcano eruption on air travel in Europe.
On behalf of the VIV Europe Team, Gerard Leeuwenburgh, Director International Exhibitions:
The unfortunate situation at many airports in Europe as a consequence of the volcanic eruption in Island will have considerable impact on VIV Europe. After careful consideration and balancing all interest involved we came to the following conclusion that VIV EUROPE will take place as planned in Utrecht, the Netherlands on the dates April 20 to 22. A postponement of prolongation of the original dates will have even bigger impact.
VIV Europe: IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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Ionna aims to open at least 30,000 charging stations in the US and Canada.
Ionna has announced the start of its EV charging network business in North America following approval from regulatory authorities.
For the uninitiated, Ionna is a joint venture by seven major automakers: BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. The company is taking the fight to the Tesla Supercharger network in offering EV owners DC fast-charging stations powered by renewable energy, which, in turn, provides sustainable charging services.
Ionna's new charging stations will be compatible with Tesla's NACS (North American Charging Standard), a type of connector many automakers are adopting, including Toyota. EVs with CCS (Combined Charging System) connectors can also charge up at Ionna stations.
EVs outside the seven car brands mentioned, such as the Tesla Model 3, can avail of Ionna's services. The company will provide customers with a convenient stay at their networks with amenities like restrooms, food service, and retail operations.
Customers of participating automakers can benefit from seamless integration with Ionna's functions and services through their respective in-vehicle and in-app functions. Some of these are online reservations, route planning, and, of course, payment applications.
On Tesla's side, the Texas-based automaker has a Supercharger diner and drive-in movie - now under construction in Los Angeles.
Seth Cutler is tapped to take the CEO role at Ionna. He had experience working as lead at electric mobility industry players like EV Connect, Electrify America, and General Electric (GE).
"I am honored to lead Ionna and work alongside these esteemed automakers in shaping the future of electric mobility. Our shared commitment to creating an extensive, high-powered charging network reflects our dedication to revolutionizing the entire EV charging experience and helping to drive widespread EV adoption," said Cutler.
Ionna aims to open at least 30,000 charging stations in the US and Canada, with the first ones expected to operate this year. The company also plans to become North America's leading EV charging network by the decade's end.


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Strike talk threatens Boston port
A threatened strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association that could shut down Boston’s port — along with 14 others from Maine to Texas — is forcing Massport to take emergency measures.
The Hub port operator is reaching out to shippers that use the Conley Container Terminal so they can claim any cargo on the docks before a work stoppage occurs, potentially as early as Dec. 29, according to acting port director Deborah Hadden. It is also prepared to extend the Boston port’s hours if needed
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One Platform Total Audience from NBCU
January 9, 2024
In advance of the Consumer Electronic Show (CES), NBCUniversal has unveiled how it says it is redefining cross-platform, audience-based advertising for the media industry with the full-scale launch of One Platform Total Audience. NBCUniversal’s AI-driven planning and activation technology is the latest evolution within the company’s One Platform offering and will leverage new investments in automation and data to provide brands unduplicated reach through a single media buy across linear and streaming. NBCUniversal also announced it will transact 50 per cent of its business on strategic audiences in 2024, meeting industry demand and enabling brands to effectively engage viewers wherever they consume content.
“From day one, NBCUniversal has evolved its business to connect with consumers where they are, while giving advertisers a seat at the table,” said Mark Marshall, Chairman, NBCUniversal Global Advertising & Partnerships. “2024 will be a watershed year for change. Seismic shifts in measurement will throw everyone’s media mix models up in the air, presenting a singular opportunity to transact on strategic audiences and measure real KPIs for marketers. With One Platform Total Audience, we are empowering our clients to supercharge their media schedules in a whole new way and maximise the effectiveness of their ad dollars to achieve their business goals.”
One Platform Total Audience was developed with marketers in mind to create new opportunities to find scale, drive incremental reach, and keep brand safety top of mind. Specifically, the technology uses machine learning and predictive analytics to produce a single media plan across linear and streaming that targets a brand’s specific audience segment and strengthens their effectiveness. One Platform Total Audience has access to NBCUniversal’s entire culture-defining content portfolio. The technology leverages the company’s robust first party data, along with advertisers’ data sets, to better reach the consumers who matter most to brands at unparalleled scale, and with programme level transparency, into delivery.
NBCUniversal says it has invested heavily in advanced advertising capabilities. Now, in 2024, the company is arriving at the pinnacle of its commitments by bringing together its capabilities across all screens with the full-scale launch of One Platform Total Audience.
The latest advancements making this possible include:
- NEW AUTOMATION: One Platform Total Audience will utilise machine learning to automate budget allocation across linear and streaming, identifying an optimised media mix to engage marketers’ precise audience segments. NBCUniversal will also add programmatic guaranteed for media buys with One Platform Total Audience, leading to more automated and turnkey streaming activation. And to make transacting against strategic audiences simple, the company will add new buy-side automated order and workflow management.
- ENHANCED DATA INTEROPERABILITY: With interoperability integrations across the media ecosystem, advertisers and agencies have more flexible and efficient paths to onboard their data than ever before, all built with privacy top of mind. As NBCUniversal’s streaming footprint has grown, marketers now have better match rates and more scale to reach their target audiences.
NBCUniversal has built One Platform Total Audience hand-in-hand with its brand and agency partners to complement agency planning systems. For Q1 2024, One Platform Total Audience has sold out across all major categories including tech, auto, and retail. As a result of this broad industry adoption across brands and agencies, the company will expand access to One Platform Total Audience in Q2 2024.
Early metrics indicate campaigns that run cross-platform with a strategic audience lead to greater business results. In one early test, the company saw increased reach and efficiency with significantly decreased impression waste for a brand. Overall, advertisers saw a 25 per cent higher brand engagement rate than narrow age and gender demographics for the same brands. Together, says NBCUniversal, these findings demonstrate the value of One Platform Total Audience, when combined with NBCUniversal’s extensive reach and premium content portfolio, to make marketers’ dollars more effective.
One Platform was built to bridge the gap between consumers’ all-screen viewing preferences and legacy advertising practices. NBCUniversal’s One Platform technology stack now provides the data-driven products, services and capabilities marketers need to reach their business goals, while also creating a better experience for viewers.
Nearly 60 per cent of NBCUniversal’s advertising clients use audience-based buying to drive incremental value, and there has been a continued shift to strategic audiences, with +25 per cent growth compared to a year ago. According to NBCUniversal, this continued shift is indicative of the importance of strategic audiences, as well as the value of both linear and digital platforms combined, to drive effective media.
With new investments in automation and data, combined with the company’s comprehensive ad tech suite and the acceleration of multi-currency, NBCUniversal says it has built a premium video marketplace that reflects consumers’ viewing habits and gives advertisers a centre seat at the table.


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updated 01:05 pm EDT, Wed September 5, 2007
Jobs: iTunes is no. 1
Apple's chief executive officer Steve Jobs today told eager attendees of the company's special event in San Francisco that the iTunes Store has sold more than 3 billion songs to date, and that iTunes is the number one music store in all 21 countries served by the Cupertino-based company. Apple has distributed 600 million copies of its iTunes software so far, according to Jobs. "We're pretty amazed at this," Jobs said. "We started with just 200,000 songs, but we have over 6 million songs in every single one of those stores. Millions ahead of anyone else. We've become the number three music retailer in the U.S. -- behind Wal-Mart and Best Buy, ahead of Amazon and Target." The iTunes Store has served up more than 95 million TV shows and 125,000 podcasts. "This is amazing material, it's free, and over 25k are video podcasts," Jobs added.
"This last statistic blew my mind: in the U.S. of all the music releases in 2006, 32 percent were digital-only releases. They weren't released on a CD. Live concerts, independents. Look how far we've come. A third of the music released in this country was digital only," Jobs told a wowed audience. "iTunes is clearly leading the way."


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At the CTIA conference on Wednesday, mobile device case maker OtterBox announced that it has purchased TreeFrog Developments Inc., DBA LifeProof, known commercially as "LifeProof," for an undisclosed sum and has officially dropped allegations of patent infringement against the company.
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law Wednesday a novel measure aimed at protecting companies from so-called patent trolling, the practice of making deceptive claims of patent infringement in the hopes of collecting licensing or settlement money.
The new law, believed to be the first in the nation, allows courts to consider if a claim is
We've talked in the past about how patent trolling operations love to use shell companies to hide who actually owns the patents. Intellectual Ventures has thousands of shells, but it's even worse in many cases when it's smaller trolls, where no one has any idea who's actually behind the trolling. You may remember a few years back, when Reddit,


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Over ten million people visited Coventry last year - a record-breaking figure compared to previous years.
An annual report commissioned by the Coventry Destination Management Partnership and Coventry Business Improvement District revealed a 4.6 per cent economic increase in 2019, compared to 2018.
In 2019, the city saw over a million more visitors than 2016, where only 8.9m people came to Coventry.
According to the stats, the food and drink sector has seen the biggest rise in visitors. But coronavirus will have a huge impact on 2020 statistics.
The growth figures are believed to reflect the impact of Coventry’s UK City of Culture status for 2021, improvements in the city centre food and drinks offer, the influence of students on the city, and the higher numbers of local people using venues.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, said the figures are excellent news for the city but added that the economic impact of Covid-19 is proving a major challenge. He said: “The figures for 2019 are a positive message to local businesses and particularly those in the food and hospitality sector. We know how hard it is for all those businesses because of the effects of social distancing guidance, but we hope that the improvements that are evident in 2019 provide hope for the future.
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“We have adjusted our plans for UK City of Culture 2021 to run for twelve months from May 2021 and we are working with local businesses and those companies that are crucial to the offer for overnight and day visitors.
“There are uncertainties ahead, but this is a hopeful sign as we - like many other cities - manage the need to contain the Covid-19 outbreak and stimulate the local economy and boost consumer confidence.”
Trish Willets, Director of Coventry BID, added: “We are proud to work at the grassroots level with our retailers, food and drink outlets and businesses. We hear and see, first hand, that these operators – under normal circumstances - are experiencing growth and this report helps us put a number to that growth.
“These amazing figures show that what’s been done to date is working. They also feed into our ‘Coventry BID Recovery Toolkit’, which helps us to help our businesses repair, recover and revive after lockdown.
“One exciting tool in our kit is the inaugural Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards, which has already received nominations for over 40 venues in just over a week – proving there’s an appetite to toast the best of the city and county’s food and drink scene. We say, ‘cheers’ to that.”
The economic impact report indicated that in 2019 the food and drink sector represented the largest overall contribution to the visitor economy - 29 per cent at £110m, up 6.1 per cent on 2018.
Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “It is great to see the positive impact that winning the UK City of Culture title at the end of 2017 has already had on tourism in Coventry, even before our year as UK City of Culture begins in 2021."
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Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "The figures show that Coventry was moving in the right direction when it comes to visitor numbers and that the UK City of Culture title has already led to people taking a fresh look at the city.
"The COVID-19 crisis has, of course, hit hard - especially those in the tourism and leisure sector and we continue our push for further support for businesses in this area of the economy."


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LUMO Labs has partnered with MBM to launch a dynamic omnichannel digital out of home (DOOH) campaign, ‘Vogel’s vs Vogel’s’.
The partnership between MBM and LUMO Labs has many Kiwis expressing their votes for Vogel’s in the campaign titled ‘Vogel’s vs Vogel’s’. The campaign encouraged bread lovers to share their opinion on how they store, eat and even cut, Vogel’s.
MBM was able to utilise LUMO’s LED screens to drive high engagement during the voting period. Live results were pulled from social media results and updated across the nationwide network, where it was displayed to LUMO’s mass reach audience.
The creative design by DDB is an impressive display of how a brand can leverage social engagement to fuel a DOOH campaign. MBM used 14 live social feeds pulled from Instagram and Facebook votes. Already passionate Kiwis have expressed their thoughts with the campaign seeing over 33,000 votes.
Jamie Snow, Head of Digital Design for LUMO Labs, says the creative studio has seen a huge surge in demand for dynamic DOOH campaigns from both agencies and clients.
“We’re seeing more agencies start to realise the capabilities of DOOH, and through that more creative thinking is being applied to the channel. Our work across this dynamic campaign assisted MBM in a true omnichannel approach, taking the campaign’s effectiveness to a new level and securing great engagement past just social media interaction.”
Marika Allen-Jennings, Senior Planner at MBM adds: “Vogel’s vs Vogel’s is not only a fantastic way to engage with our audience, but also a way to increase our omnichannel capabilities through adding a DOOH element. Partnering with LUMO Labs was the perfect choice for their ability to help us create a dynamic campaign, and bring the interactive campaign to life outside of social.”
Victoria Lyne, Brand Manager for Vogel’s says: “Vogel’s vs Vogel’s focuses on what makes Vogel’s so unique and draws on some of the amazing idiosyncrasies and rituals New Zealanders have with their Vogel’s. Everyone enjoys Vogel’s in their own special way, and we wanted to embrace that by bringing those fundamental brand truths to life in an exciting and engaging way. We’re thrilled with how DDB, MBM and LUMO have brought this innovative campaign to life, and can’t wait to see the final results.”
The campaign is live across LUMO screens in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch.


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Earlier findings have led doctors to suspect a link between vitamin B6 deficiency and inflammation. In one study, researchers measured markers for vitamin B6 and inflammation in 2,289 men and women. Those with low levels of vitamin B6 had the highest overall levels of 13 inflammatory markers. Compared to those who got the least vitamin B6, those who got 18.6 mg of vitamin B6 per day from diet and supplements had 42 percent lower levels of CRP, 14 percent lower homocysteine levels, and 20 percent lower levels of inflammatory cytokines.
Also compared to those who got the least, those who got the most vitamin B6 were 21 percent less likely to have cardiovascular disease and 40 percent less likely to have diabetes.
Discussing their findings, doctors said that, “Combined with earlier findings, this study supports our hypothesis that inflammation is associated with a functional deficiency of vitamin B6,” and that vitamin B6 may be a safe and inexpensive way to help reduce the many diseases linked to inflammation.


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The thieves aren’t breaking in. They are climbing underneath the cars and stealing catalytic converters, and they seem to be targeting SUVs.
Kelly Blue Book is out with the brands and models it expects to have the best resale value after 5 years.
Hundreds of teen drivers hit the streets with designs on learning the rules of the road with safety in mind.
A battle to get a slain mother’s repossessed car back is over.
A Denver man is disappointed that it took a Facebook post that went viral before Toyota started being sensitive to his family’s financial situation following a tragic death.
Those in the market for a new car may have some problems getting the one they want. The disaster in Japan is showing just how heavily dependent the auto industry is on the country.
Much of Japan’s industry is shut down because of damage from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Those impacts are starting to be felt in the United States.
Toyota Motor Corp. recalled 2.17 million vehicles on Thursday to address accelerator pedals that could become entrapped in floor mats or jammed in driver’s side carpeting.
Toyota recalled another 2.17 million vehicles on Feb. 24. Click here to find out if your vehicle is recalled.


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A Commonwealth Fund study has revealing findings about PBMs’ use of rebates and impact on drug prices.
While pharmacy benefit managers were grilled about insulin prices at Congressional hearings last week, some PBMs, insurers and pharma makers are already lowering insulin costs.
Walgreens is partnering with VillageMD to create primary care clinics in Texas
FDA cleared Dovato (ViiV Healthcare), the first 2-drug regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults with no antiretroviral treatment history.
Metastatic breast cancer drug expands treatment to men.
FDA fast-tracks biosimiliar insulin products to elevate competition.
FDA approved 2 new multiple sclerosis drugs. Here's what you should know about them.
Several companies are recalling products due to contamination from substances such as carcinogens and glass—here’s what you should know.
Postpartum drug is a game changer, but can women afford it?
FDA approved a new subcutaneous injection to treat a certain type of early breast cancer.


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Earlier this month Tom Fochtman, Ceibass CEO, spoke on a panel at the 2018 Lawn & Landscape Top 100 Executive Summit in Denver. The Summit is an intimate conference exclusively for owners and c-suite executives from Top 100 lawn and landscape care companies.
“Brian Corbett, managing partner of CCG Advisors, and Ron Edmonds, principal consultant at The Principium Group were with me on the panel,” said Tom. “And we all agree that the market has never been better for those looking to sell their landscaping business.”
So what were the takeaways from the Summit? What should you do if you’re considering selling?
A recent Lawn & Landscape article entitled 3 Takeaways From Our M&A Panel, by Lauren Rathmell, summed up the top 3 tips from the panel if you’re thinking about selling in the current market:
1) Don’t wait.
If you’re in selling mode, you want to be on top of things right now. “Leveraging will be a little tougher, rates are up a bit. I think this run will last a few more years. Don’t be waiting, be on it,” Fochtman says.
The boom in the economy won’t last forever, but the panelists all agreed there’s still time to secure a decent sale. Right now, Corbett says the holding period for private equity firms is four to seven years, which will offer a cushion to businesses looking to sell before the projected 2020 economic recession.
2) Talk to your employees.
If you’re in the process of selling a business, employees may be concerned with how the sale will impact their jobs. The panelists all recommended being open with your employees. “Your business is really only your employees and your customers,” Edmonds says. “That’s a major task that the buyer has, coming up with an action plan.”
Corbett recommends sitting down with your employees once the sale is finished, and explaining what you (the owner) did, why you did it and how it will impact them. He also says to wait a day or two to bring the new owner on board so that employees have time to process the change.
3) Do your due diligence.
In prepping for a sale, it’s up to the owner to ensure all their ducks are in a row. “There’s unlimited opportunity for hiccups, the biggest issue that comes up is inability to hold up to scrutiny,” Edmonds says.
One of the biggest hang-ups when it comes to selling is ensuring your labor force and the paperwork that goes with that are legally sound. Fochtman says he sees buyers bring in a labor attorney and go through every single I-9 on file, and if there’s ever a doubt, they may pull away from the deal. He would like to see every company using E-Verify to make it easier, and if necessary, using the H-2B process to find foreign workers.


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06 Feb 2018
GERMAN gas and engineering company Linde Group has launched a S$30 million Singapore-based initiative to spur the digital transformation of its plants and business processes across the region.
The Asia Pacific Digitalisation Hub, as it is called, is the company’s first such centre outside Germany.
The hub will develop and test-bed solutions for the company’s regional as well as global operations.
In line with this digital push, the company also intends to make “substantive investments” in the coming years to turn its gas production plant on Jurong Island into a “plant of the future”, said chief operating officer for Asia-Pacific Sanjiv Lamba.
To read more, please click on the following link(s): https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/linde-to-invest-s30m-in-singapore-digital-technologies-hub


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Mining the Depths Yields a Slice of Sunken Treasure : Enterprise: O.C. company retrieves millions of balls each year from golf course water hazards and resells them.
As a boy, Larry Margison sneaked into the Meadowlark Golf Course in Huntington Beach at dusk, waded into the shallow ponds and picked up sunken golf balls with his toes. Often the superintendent shooed him away, but Margison always returned and got so proficient with his toes that the golf course finally gave him a deal: a quarter a ball.
Now 41, Margison still retrieves wet golf balls. And he still gets about a quarter apiece for them. But today, his company, Ball Hawk in Rancho Santa Margarita, employs seven scuba divers who mine the water hazards at 80 golf courses from Tijuana to Utah, picking up most of the 3.5 million golf balls a year that Margison resells.
That translates into a $900,000-a-year business, making Ball Hawk the largest company of its kind on the West Coast.
“I had a natural talent for pulling them out of the water,” Margison says, showing that he can still scoop up golf balls with his size-12 foot faster than most people would take to bend over and grab them by hand.
Margison’s firm actually retrieves about 2.5 million golf balls a year. It buys 1 million more from other dealers. Ball Hawk cleans and resells the balls for as much as $1.50 each. Many are sold to golf courses at discounts, and the balls often wind up for sale in fishbowl containers at pro shops, where they’ll be bought, hit and most likely dropped into the water again.
“People don’t own golf balls, they just borrow them for a period of time,” Mitchell Lombard says of the typical golfer’s propensity to knock balls into the water. Lombard is president of Gold Eagle of Dallas, which processes about 50 million balls a year and as such is the nation’s largest golf ball retrieval company.
No one knows how many ball retrieval firms there are. Some golf courses clean the ponds themselves, and nighttime poachers take away a huge chunk of business for tax-paying entrepreneurs like Margison, who figures that illegitimate traders cut his revenue by 25%.
Margison’s company formally began in 1972, when he was 19, just married and playing golf for Golden West Junior College in Huntington Beach. He started with contracts from three golf courses: Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Sea Cliff. That year, Margison grossed about $18,000--picking up all the balls himself with a rake, his hands and his toes.
Margison’s business has boomed with the mushrooming of golf courses--about one a day nationwide in recent years--and the growing popularity of the sport. “The average golfer would lose three or four balls per round,” said Marv Kilburg, a marshal at Cypress Golf Club, which opened in the summer of 1992. For Ball Hawk, which has a contract at Cypress, that means a take of 4,000 to 5,000 balls a week.
When he can, Margison retrieves balls with a $10,000 rolling machine that sweeps the lake bottom like a lawn mower, sucking up golf balls between its aluminum blades. But machinery won’t work in most golf course lakes because they have fountains, pipes or plastic linings at the bottom.
At the Cypress golf course, for example, bubbling fountains shoot out from a 75-foot-long pond that skirts the par-four No. 8 hole. Vince Maxwell, outfitted in wet suit and turquoise face mask, usually spends a couple of hours a week in the murky lake, groping for balls barehanded. His average find is about 900 balls, for which he receives seven cents apiece, or about $63.
“This is one of the better holes,” Maxwell said last week as he came up for air. Ball Hawk’s divers, who are independent contractors, make between $25,000 and $40,000 a year, the company says. “The money’s pretty good,” said Maxwell, adding, “It’s interesting. We’ve come across lawn chairs, bicycles and golf clubs once in a while.”
Is it dangerous? “Nah,” he said. Unlike Texas or Florida, where divers can run up against alligators, Maxwell says the worst creatures here are crawdads or big fish. “The other day at Sea Cliff,” he said, “a two-foot catfish kept bumping into me.”
At the end of the day, divers like Maxwell dump the balls into banana boxes and drop them off at Margison’s production facility in Rancho Santa Margarita. There the balls are dipped in a cleaning solution and sorted by grade, like lemons.
Margison says only 20% of the balls retrieved are in the top condition needed to be resold to pro shops. The rest are usually marketed to driving-range operators or firms that condition used golf balls.
Margison also runs his own retail shop near Tijeras Creek Golf Course in Rancho Santa Margarita, selling top-of-the-line used Titleist and Ultra balls for as much as $1.50 each--about $1 less than what they cost new. Those balls provide the best profit margins for Ball Hawk, and Margison’s hope is to open a similar store in Palm Springs.
Margison likens his best used balls to cars with a couple of thousand miles on them. “They’re not brand new,” he said, “but pretty close.”


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PETS FACTOR: Meet your furry friends
Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.
Welcome back to Pets Factor where we showcase your pets!
This week we have some cheeky faces like the smiling black lab Molly while Coco is eagerly awaiting his owned to put on his shoes so they can go for a walk.
Most scenic pup this week goes to Cookie who models perfectly in front of the Kessock Bridge.
Bonus points go to the brave Elsie and Robbie who are RAF police dogs, and best friends.
To have your pet featured, email a picture of your pet, their name, your name, and where you’re from, to firstname.lastname@example.org.


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An update on the Isle of Wight Day Archive Group’s Quiz Trail.
Quay Arts in Newport was the venue for the presentation of awards for this year’s
Isle of Wight Day, where an auction of the
What a wonderful time we had on Isle of Wight Day! We’d like to say another huge thank you to all the individuals, groups and businesses
Join us at Quay Arts, Newport from 3:30pm on Saturday November 4th for a viewing and auction of our original ‘Island Heroes’ figures, all created by local artists.
We would like to say a huge thankyou to all the businesses and individuals that made Isle of Wight Day 2017
To celebrate IoW day 2017 all employees at GKN Cowes were treated to an IoW day travel mug filled with tea
While there are many Island businesses and groups joining in the fun and festivities of The Big Parade on Saturday 23rd,
The council will allow people to park for free in designated car parks across the Island
On 23rd September, the finalists of Island’s Got Talent will be singing, dancing and playing
DINOSAURS are returning to the Island for the Isle of Wight Day


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– Clúster Médico lamenta que, sin fundamento y por intereses...Leer más
The worldwide popularity of coffee means that any research into health concerns or benefits is of widespread interest. New findings regarding potential protective effects and risks have once again resulted in the beverage becoming a top trending clinical topic. A new study in Kidney International Reports and material presented at this spring’s American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2022 Scientific Session offer coffee cravers a reason to smile (see Infographic).
Researchers recently found that participants who drank any quantity of coffee every day had an 11% lower risk for acute kidney injury than those who don’t drink coffee. The study included more than 14,000 adults from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Among the participants, 17% drank more than three cups daily, 23% drank two to three cups daily, 19% drank one cup daily, 14% drank less than one cup daily, and 27% never drank coffee. Mean age was about 54 years for the cohort. During a median follow-up of 24 years, almost 1700 acute kidney injury incidents were reported. Results showed that increased coffee drinking was linked with reduced acute kidney injury risks, as indicated by the following data:
- Reference: Never, P = .003
- Three cups daily: hazard ratio (HR), 0.83 (95% CI, 0.71-0.96)
- Two to three cups daily: HR, 0.83 (95% CI, 0.72-0.95)
- One cup daily: HR, 1.08 (95% CI, 0.94-1.24)
- Less than 1 cup daily: HR, 0.92 (95% CI, 0.79-1.08)
At ACC 2022, three analyses using the prospective UK Biobank cohort found that coffee may be cardioprotective. Participants were on average in their late 50s. Those who reported regular daily intake of two to three cups of coffee had significantly reduced risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, arrhythmias, and death from any cause over 10 years (P < .01 for all endpoints). The HRs and 95% CIs were:
- CVD: HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.88-0.94
- CHD: HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.87-0.93
- Heart failure: HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.81-0.90
- Arrhythmia: HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.88-0.95
- Death from any cause: HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.83-0.90
Recent news wasn’t all good for coffee and heart health concerns. A new population-based, cross-sectional study found that espresso consumption is associated with higher total cholesterol levels. The results were published online in the journal Open Heart. The findings indicate that drinking three to five cups of espresso each day was significantly linked with greater serum total cholesterol by 0.16 mmol/L (95% CI, 0.07-0.24) for men and by 0.09 mmol/L (95% CI, 0.01-0.17) for women, compared with participants who did not drink espresso daily. Consumption of six or more cups of plunger/boiled coffee each day (compared with none) was linked with elevated serum total cholesterol levels by 0.23 mmol/L (95% CI, 0.08-0.38) for men and 0.30 mmol/L (95% CI, 0.13-0.48) for women. Serum total cholesterol increased 0.11 mmol/L (95% CI, 0.03-0.19) in women who drank six or more cups of filtered coffee per day, but no increase was seen in men who drank this amount and type of coffee.
Still, when it comes to interpreting this piece of cholesterol and coffee data, experts say not to overreact. “I don’t think that the findings in this paper are necessarily enough to change any advice about coffee,” said David Kao, MD, an associate professor medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, in commenting on the findings. “If one has to choose between this study, which would suggest to drink less coffee to maintain low cholesterol, and the others, which would suggest that increasing coffee consumption might reduce risk for multiple kinds of CVD, one should choose the latter,” Kao concluded.
Choosing coffee is a daily decision for many, and recent studies are not likely to discourage that choice any time soon. News about possible benefits for the kidneys, heart, and overall mortality helped make the drink the top trending topic of the week.
Créditos: Comité científico Covid


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According to Reuters, the investigation will be led by French consumer fraud watchdog DGCCRF, part of the Economy Ministry. It was prompted by a complaint made by consumer organization “HOP,” which stands for “Stop Planned Obsolescence.”
Last month, the founder of software company Primate Labs found that iPhone 6s models running iOS versions 10.2 and 11.2, and iPhone 7 phones running iOS 11.2, were more likely to have instances of slower processing speeds.
Apple confirmed the findings, and the news caused a social media backlash, as well as a class-action lawsuit in the United States.
The French investigation could take months, and there is a chance it could be handed to a judge for an in-depth investigation. Under French law, companies face fines of up to 5 percent of their annual sales for deliberately shortening their products' lifespans so that consumers need to replace them.
An Apple spokeswoman in U.S. declined to comment on the French investigation, but the company did release an apology last month for the incident.
“We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize,” the company said in the statement. “There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making. First and foremost, we have never – and would never – do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”
The company also announced it was cutting $50 off the out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement for the next year. A new software update will also launch early next year, giving users more insight into battery life.


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300BAR 5-Chome Renewal and New Website!
Ginza 300BAR reaches it’s 27th Anniversary with a shop and website Renewal!
Opening it’s doors in Ginza back in 1992, Ginza 300BAR is one of the oldest standing bars in Japan! Since our opening, all items on our menu are ¥300! Everyone’s favorite bar has a new look!
One of the oldest standing bars in Japan has been renewed: “Ginza 300BAR”! Celebrating 27 years of welcoming local customers, salary workers, tourists, expats, and shoppers in Ginza. Last year the Cuban Republic Embassy awarded us the “Certificate of Mojito” which has increased overseas customers with our fresh mojitos! To celebrate this milestone, we have renewed our Website and remodeled our 5-Chome 300BAR. Ginza 300BAR will continue to step forward to great things in 2018 and beyond!


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The African Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has, in recent years, been a standing item at the Annual Conference of the Trade Law Centre (Tralac) based in South Africa. This year, it is again the case as the annual conference is, for the second year, a virtual event due to the global pandemic.
In a statement, Tralac, a public benefit organisation established in 2002 to develop technical expertise and capacity in trade governance across Africa, notes that for trade in goods to take place under this free trade area, negotiated tariff concessions and preferential rules of origin are required.
“While notable progress has been made in the rules of origin negotiations, we are not there yet. But, once all offers of tariff concessions, that meet the agreed modalities, have been made, the negotiations process will start in earnest. An ‘interim arrangement’ to permit trade under the schedules of tariff offers, made by end of June 2021, may be agreed, but negotiated outcomes are essential for the AfCFTA,” reads the statement.
Tralac, which was set up with the financial support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), further notes that trade in services negotiations are also still underway, with a focus on commitments in the priority services sectors (financial, transport, communication, tourism and business services).
“Healthcare services will be included along with other services later. Work on frameworks for regulatory cooperation is also progressing. Negotiations on investment and intellectual property rights have begun. Competition policy (also on the Phase 2 agenda) is important because anti-competitive practices that transcend national borders can undermine the benefits of the AfCFTA,” it said.
This year’s conference, which commences on Friday, will also discuss protocols on digital trade (e-commerce) and women, youth and SMEs, which are also to be negotiated.
“These are indispensable for the AfCFTA to support Africa’s inclusive development, then the implementation agenda has to be tackled. The AfCFTA is not only about boosting intra-Africa trade, but also holds dynamic benefits: larger, integrated markets; improved customs and border management; and improvements in trade governance more generally are perhaps even more important now to, for example, attract investment to support the development and diversification of Africa’s productive capacity and improving competitiveness.
Covid-19 makes the successful completion of the negotiations and the effective implementation of the AfCFTA that much more important now.”
This year’s Tralac Annual Conference will also consider some lessons from Covid-19, with organisers stating that in the first instance, this is a health crisis.
“The third wave of Covid-19 is currently spreading across Africa, faster and with more devastating effect than the previous two waves. Covid-19 is a global pandemic and Africa is most vulnerable. However, Covid-19 is much more than a health crisis. It is a development crisis. Extensive economic and social disruption requires structural transformation and new governance solutions. Building differently and diversifying for resilience to future shocks, including the climate crisis, is required. The immediate effects and longer-term implications of Covid-19 will inform our discussion at this year’s conference,” the statement concluded.


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The world's second-largest winemaker has opened takeover talks with private equity group KKR after receiving an improved
The move raises the prospect of a bidding contest for Treasury, which also owns the Beringer brand.
The new offer is a 5% premium on Treasury's share price on Friday. Treasury's shares have fallen from an all-time high a year ago as it slashed earnings forecasts and suffered oversupply problems in its US arm and sluggish sales in
Treasury had a dreadful 2013, when profits slumped 38% in the six months to February. But the company is turning round its fortunes with a restructuring plan bolstered by
The winemaker stressed that it was providing KKR and
Rivkin said KKR may take fright after looking at Treasury's books. "I think this is a starting bid. Once they have a look through, if there are any issues there that the market's not aware of they could still very easily walk away."
Treasury's woes reflect problems in the broader Australian wine industry, which has struggled with volatile market conditions and a high currency exchange rate in recent years.
Treasury - which posted sales of
An efficiency drive imposed by Clarke is expected to generate
A bad 2013 saw Treasury's profits fall by 38% in the six months to February. It has now received a pounds 1.87bn bid for the business
A Penfolds vineyard in
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Two men in Perth flash their buttocks to members of the public at a beer garden in Perth.
Two men have been captured on camera exposing their buttocks to a full beer garden. Police are currently identifying the images to establish their identity.
Perth custody was full by 2am last night according to local police officer PC Atholl Spalding.
These four new bobbies sure will get a grasp of Perth troubles.
— PC Atholl Spalding (@PerthCityPC2) June 28, 2015


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In August, renowned test driver Andy Wallace piloted a “near-production” prototype version of the Bugatti Chiron to an eye-watering 304.773 mph at Volkswagen’s famed test track in Ehra-Lessien, Germany. That phrase suggested the French automaker intended to sell a few cars capable of reaching that record speed—indeed, meet the $5.19 million Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+.
Just 30 copies of the Super Sport 300+ will be built. The cars use the same insane 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine nicknamed “Thor,” which is good for 1,578 horsepower, and the beautiful longtail bodywork with exposed carbon fiber. But the production model—if such a term can be used for something so exclusive—will feature a few changes to make sure no one attempts to replicate Bugatti's 300+ mph feat on public roads.
The Chiron Super Sport 300+ trades its array of laptops, telemetry gear, and integrated roll cage for a finished two-seat interior replete with carbon fiber and Beluga Black leather (Note: This does not come from whales). It's also got a slightly higher ride height to improve road usability. But the biggest safeguard is the electronic speed limiter, which Motor1 reports will be set at 273.4 mph. It remains to be seen whether Bugatti will allow owners to retrofit their cars to the appropriate 300+ mph spec.
Interested? Not only will you have to set aside $5.19 million, you'll have to act fast, too. We mentioned only 30 are being made, but Motor1 also reports that the available number is down to 29 after a wealthy attendee at Bugatti's reveal party this weekend signed the papers and plunked down a deposit on the spot.


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Babysoy is launching a new collection of eco-friendly soy and organic cotton layette pieces to support the Jane Goodall Institute. Award-winning illustrator Patrick McDonnell has donated whimsical drawings of endangered species that the Institute has helped rescue from the brink of extinction for use in the line, which has been coined Janey Baby by Jane Goodall.
Dr. Jane Goodall has spent nearly 50 years working to protect animals, habitats and communities around the globe. Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute continues her pioneering research. Proceeds from each sale of the Janey Baby by Jane Goodal layette benefit the Institute. Babysoy expects to launch the line in mid-August. For further details, visit www.babysoyusa.com.


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The North West team at UK-wide firm BGF has topped the £300m mark for its investments in businesses across the region - with almost £60m of that coming in the past year alone.
The investment firm said the total now stood at £311m across 34 businesses in locations including Liverpool and Manchester.
New investments included Manchester-headquartered FinTech company Planixs, international schools group Orbital Education and Joloda International, a fast-growing manufacturing firm based in Merseyside. The latter investment took BGF past its £2bn investment milestone.
Neil Inskip, head of BGF’s North West team, said: “Our investments this year and portfolio in the region shows the North West business community is truly world-class. We consistently meet entrepreneurs with global ambitions for their products, services and innovations. These are the high-potential businesses which fuel the growth economy.
“BGF’s role is to provide long-term, flexible capital to support the growth of businesses, based across the North West. We’ve continued to invest across a range of sectors from fintech to education, manufacturing and e-commerce – there’s a wealth of opportunity within the region.”
Last month, BGF announced a £10m investment in CurrentBody, a Manchester-based online retail specialist for home-use beauty devices.
BGF also provided follow-on investment to four existing portfolio businesses, including web-hosting business, Miss Group, which has since made acquisitions across Scandinavia, North America and Europe.
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Coachbuilding firm Woodall Nicholson has also made a series of acquisitions this year across the UK and Germany.
And following another year of growth, Kids Planet has expanded to 44 nurseries with its first acquisition outside of the North West in March this year.
The team also expanded its headcount with the appointment of Spencer Woods and James Marshall to its investment team, as well as Joanne McTiffin, who joined BGF’s Talent Network, which works with BGF-backed companies to identify potential candidates for non-executive director and chair positions.


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‘Art is the language of the marginalized’: Student leaders on the origins of the Sankofa fashion show
, 2022-12-08 02:20:00,
The Akan word ‘Sankofa’ means “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” Sankofa is often depicted as a mythical bird, with its neck turned backwards, even while it is flying forward. Naming the annual fashion event after this symbol encapsulates the experience of many people among the Black and African diaspora at Princeton: the metaphorical back-turned neck gives them a chance to look back at and engage in their cultures, even while in the Orange Bubble.
The board leaders of the Sankofa Fashion Show Committee, Anastasia Achiaa ’25 and Max Diallo Jakobsen ’24, along with designer Ayinde Bradford ’24, sat down with The Daily Princetonian to speak about the event.
The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity.
The Daily Princetonian: What is the history behind the creation of the Sankofa Fashion Show?
Max Diallo Jakobsen: Sankofa emerged because there were students that came together and wanted to create something, again, to celebrate African designers at Princeton.
Anastasia Achiaa: Sankofa is a word in the Akan tribe, which translates to “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” The word also refers to the taking back and reclamation of our past, which was the blueprint of creating the…
To read the original article from news.google.com, Click here


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Top stories in today’s VentureWire:
RainDance Technologies Inc. has secured up to $35 million in debt to expand the sales of research tools that scientists are using to study the molecular basis of cancer and other conditions. The structured-debt agreement with Capital Royalty Partners provides it with financing on attractive terms that should carry it to profitability, according to Chief Executive Roopom Banerjee. RainDance sells a system for targeted DNA sequencing called ThunderStorm, and a digital PCR system. Customers include academic researchers, cancer centers and molecular-pathology labs.
Intel Capital has reorganized, creating four new investment groups to focus more tightly on what the company sees as the most promising emerging technologies. The corporate venture arm has created new investment sectors for data center software; security; wearables and new devices; and Ultrabooks and perceptual computing. Its five remaining investment sectors are tweaked to reflect the changes, giving it a total of nine sectors.
Also in today’s VentureWire, Medisafe Project Ltd., which makes a medication-compliance app, has raised a $1 million funding round to expand its business after about a year of surviving off its revenue…Babylon Ltd. on Friday withdrew its plans for a U.S. initial public offering as the Israeli online-translation company said it is instead pursuing a potential strategic transaction…and Digital advertising technology company Rocket Fuel Inc. blasted off in its public debut, rising 93% on a day when the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.2%. Shares closed up $27.10, or 93%, at $56.10 Friday.
(VentureWire is a daily newsletter with comprehensive analysis of all the investments, deals and personnel moves involving startups and their venture backers. For a two-week trial, visit our homepage, scroll to the bottom and click “try for free.”)
Elsewhere around the Web:
As it prepares for an IPO, Twitter is looking to cash in on its ability to generate buzz online for the fall lineup of TV shows, The Wall Street Journal reports. A key ad product is Amplify, which lets Twitter sell ads together with television and other media companies.
Wealthy investors and family offices are taking a closer look at later-stage venture-backed companies, who are finding it harder to raise money by going public, WSJ says.
Ted Schlein, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, discusses Internet security with AllThingsD.


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Acuity Brands, Atlanta, announced a strategic partnership with Sensity Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., to develop a smart, connected platform for the “Internet of Things.”
Acuity Brands will be a Sensity NetSense Partner, allowing it to add capabilities to its lighting systems to capture and transmit data near real-time, enabling a broad array of applications and services including camera networks for security and surveillance and real-time video analytics that “turns cameras not into mere recording devices but into high-value sensors,” according to Sensity’s website.
Acuity will market the smart lighting solutions to cities, commercial and retail buildings, airports and universities with a focus on improving energy conservation, public services, safety and security, parking, and a wide variety of other applications, said an Acuity release. Acuity Brands and Sensity are already in the process of implementing commercial deployments with select customers, and will have demonstrations at Lightfair in May.
Acuity Brands and Sensity also said they expect their joint solution to “advance the goals of the U.S. Department of Energy`s Presidential Challenge for Advanced Outdoor Lighting. As part of the DOE`s Better Buildings Initiative program, the Presidential Challenge aims to work with municipalities to upgrade 1.5 million U.S. street lights to high-efficiency LEDs over the next two years.
“An integrated platform that provides energy-efficient LED lighting with a sensor network to capture and transmit near real-time data will further enhance the business case for LED luminaire installations,” said Vernon Nagel, chairman, president and CEO of Acuity Brands. “We are delighted to be partnering with Sensity on a solution that has the promise to transform the outdoor lighting industry.”
Last week, Acuity has been beefing up its presence in networked lighting systems recently. Last week, it announced its acquisition of Canadian controls manufacturer Distech Controls.


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Gold climbed Monday to settle at its highest level in more two weeks, as downbeat U.S. economic data dulled prospects for further interest-rate increases by the Federal Reserve this year. A reading of New York-area manufacturing released Monday showed a fall in July from a two-year high. That followed data released Friday showing a second-straight monthly drop in retail sales and flat consumer prices in June. August gold rose $6.20, or 0.5%, to settle at $1,233.70 an ounce. That was the highest finish since June 30, according to Factset data.
Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.
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In the three years since the demise of Woolworths, a.k.a. Woolies, UK-based licensors and licensees stand divided on whether or not any retailer has actually managed to capture the 20% share of the overall market that the former retail giant commanded, let alone its expected incumbent Argos. Part of that is due to a rather grim overall outlook for British retail—characterized by low footfall and declining sales as a result of higher inflation, job losses and low wage growth. A recent survey from UK-based financial information services firm Markit reveals that 40% of British households saw their income fall between July and August—at a faster rate than at the height of the recession in 2009.
“Argos was reasonably successful in grabbing a piece of the market, but the main beneficiaries of Woolies’ exit were the grocers—Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda,” says Nick Austin, chairman and founder of Vivid Toy Group. “I think the reason for that is two-fold. First, moms are already in the stores every week buying groceries, and second, grocers are pushing really hard to increase their market share. They are committed to increasing their non-food and toy space and the squeeze on margins is so intense, it may have actually contributed to Woolies’ demise.”
Austin points to Tesco as an example of a retailer that has really capitalized on the absence of Woolworths. It’s catapulted itself to the position of number-two in the toy market behind Argos—a big change from just five years ago. “Tesco has a stated aim to become number one. And it’s making good on that by being aggressive in opening new stores, particularly non-food, and putting larger toy spaces in-store,” notes Austin.
What’s more, the recent recession has trained increasingly price-conscious consumers to look for offers and deals in what amounts to a self-destructive spiral for retailers. And that’s where the grocers can compete on a level that many can’t. “It’s difficult to compete with grocers who are prepared to run and promote toys on single-figure margins if they have to,” says Austin. “They’re able to sell product at lower margins using food sales to subsidize non-food products.”
Aggressive as they are, the picture isn’t much rosier for grocers at the moment than it is for high street retailers. In late August, Walmart’s UK outfit Asda claimed high fuel prices were keeping customers away and estimated that families have on average US$9 less in disposable income each week than compared to last summer.
Meanwhile, Argos—a brand synonymous with choice and value—is fighting to maintain its position as the go-to retailer in times of economic difficulty. Its strategy appears to center on bolstering its online presence, investing in advertising to drive in-store pickup and expanding into new categories.
“The Argos website is really great, so I imagine it will become even more important to its business, with online taking over,” says Jennifer Lawlor, SVP of strategy and planning for consumer products at Zodiak Rights. With 400 million visits last year and about half of its US$6.4 billion in annual sales originating online, Argos is the most-visited high street website. In July, the catalog-based retailer launched a US$6.3-million ad campaign— including digital, social, TV ads, VOD, radio and outdoor —encouraging web-savvy shoppers to order merchandise online and pick it up in-store the same day from one of its 750 outlets.
“Argos’ saving grace is that it has a strong internet presence,” says Austin. “People said that catalog would never survive, but it has, and it’s a format that can be easily transferred to the internet. Argos has changed its business model to benefit from internet sales, and now one-third of all Argos toy sales originate online.”
But if Argos wants to bolster that presence, some industry pundits believe it will need to make the user’s journey simpler and easier to navigate. “Its latest catalog carries a small range of books, with a flash on the page to say there is more available online, so it’s using the catalog as a teaser,” says Susan Bolsover, category director for publishing and paper products at CPLG UK. “But I found it difficult to find the books online—they were a bit buried. It should be a one-click user experience, and simple. Argos has work to do.”
Earlier this year, the retailer announced that it would expand its product carriage into children’s apparel and increase its online book selection from 500 to 5,000 titles, having previously sold a small range of children’s books through its in-store catalog. “It’s a sea-change,” says Eric Huang, head of licensing for Penguin Children’s Books UK. “In the past, licensed books weren’t as much of a focus. Argos is excited about Moshi Monsters and is looking at Peppa Pig as well. But it’s really about giving the retailer something exclusive—primarily bundles to hit gifting price points.”
Bolsover agrees that the move into publishing is a welcome one. “Waterstone’s is our last real book chain on the high street, so Argos has moved into a space where its big competitors are Amazon and the grocers, which have made a strident move into kids licensed publishing,” she says. “The issue we have with the grocers is that they can’t carry the depth and range that Waterstone’s can. Argos has stores, a large catalog business and a strong online presence—which makes it a different proposition as a retailer.” The key issue here is that the move into publishing came at the end of July, so at press time, the industry had yet to see any significant sales figures emerge. “The jury is still out,” says Bolsover. “Can you really sell a book from a catalog page? Does it need to increase its online presence or start selling product physically in its stores?”
What’s more, publishing as a category has been on adecline, due in part to a diminished presence on the high street. Meanwhile, online traffic is increasing—witness Amazon’s widespread favor in Europe—and downloads to eReaders are on the rise, at least in the adult space. “No one is doing anything significant and revenue-generating in the digital space for kids—it’s an add-on,” says Bolsover. “There’s an opportunity for Argos to look at this space and make itself a destination for kids downloads.”
Even with licensors and manufacturers keen on having another channel for licensed apparel and books, many question Argos’ ability to compete with established leaders in the space, like Amazon (books) and the grocers (affordable apparel). “Apparel is an interesting one for Argos, as the UK licensed apparel market is tough as ever with suppliers being subject to increases in raw material costs and tougher retailer margins,” says Ian Downes, founder of indie agency Start Licensing. “The grocers or value stores can also react to price changes more quickly.”
Consumer buying patterns in the category also present a hurdle. “Argos has a lot of stores and consumers that buy off the page due to its excellent delivery service. While there has been a lot of very successful off-the-page selling for apparel in other European territories like at Carrefour in France, Argos is not known for apparel,” says Tim Juckes, category director for apparel at CPLG. “In licensed apparel, you have to be in-line with fashion. Argos has two main catalogs each year, while fashion has at least four seasons, so there’s a challenge that has to be overcome right away. If Argos picks a license that doesn’t work in apparel, it’s left with huge overstock. But the orders have been massive, and licensees are breaking out the champagne already.”
Lawlor concurs. “Apparel is particularly tricky because it’s a ‘try it before you buy it’ category,” she says. “But the biggest challenge is the way in which it sells. Argos can’t provide an outlet for the impulse purchase that Woolies had.”
And impulse buys are becoming increasingly significant in the kids product space in the UK at the momment. They’re generally POS items and priced to sell at the cash, not via catalog. “Argos is not good at selling product under US$5 at retail—things like collectibles and blind bag products,” says Austin. “You’re not going to queue up, fill out a form and go through the whole process for an impulse purchase that sells for US$1.99. If that is the hot button—which it is over here at the moment—that doesn’t work for Argos, but it does for the grocers and high-footfall retailers.”
On the in-store front, Downes notes an increased commitment to marketing, despite a low footprint. “In-store, Argos has started to use more impactful POS materials to sell product and tap into impulse purchasing,” he says. “It uses window displays as a call to action, but I think there is scope for it to leverage licenses to create more in-store events and stimulate consumer interest. For example, it could look at more exclusive products, more linked purchases and perhaps create more themed character shopping days.”
But Austin claims that Argos has innovated, particularly with the catalog, increasing the page allocation for toys (245 pages in the 2011 fall/winter edition). “It’s also changed the way it merchandises on-page, with themed character pages that include a logo, web address and product range,” he says. “It’s also starting to use QR codes on catalog pages for people to access promotions.”
It’s too soon to tell if these strategies will pay off. Earlier this year, the retailer reported a 9.6% fall in like-for-like store sales to US$1.3 billion during the 13 weeks between February 27 and May 28, noting a slump in demand for TVs and video games—with video game sales down 25%.
While Argos remains under pressure from a weaker consumer environment that’s seeing food retailers steal market share, the retailer’s commitment to licensing and its willingness to take risks make it an attractive partner for licensors and licensees alike. “It’s a licensing-literate retailer and very keen to be at the forefront of licensing trends,” says Austin. “It’s not like a Walmart that waits a season to see what’s working and then jumps. It will give you a shot, and so it is an incredibly valuable retailer for manufacturers launching new licenses in the UK.”


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Industry leading travel operator DialAFlight have released a video interview with Dubai Tourist Board representative Ian Scott. Available to watch on DialAFlight TV, Peter Stephens, Managing Director, questions Ian over certain issues that may be of concern to those looking to take future holidays in Dubai.
Since the dawn of the web-based travel industry and low cost, no frills airlines in the 1990s, pundits have been predicting the demise of the traditional travel agency.
The oil boom in Dubai fuelled a period of rapid economic development in the desert state of Dubai. One of the main ways in which this was expressed was a massive, multi-billion dollar investment in their relatively young tourism industry.


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Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Holiday sales to rise 1.0% to 2.6% but over a longer period than in years past
The traditional November to December holiday shopping season is meaningless this year — and perhaps forever.
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Apple is the first major technology manufacturer to announce the coronavirus outbreak will keep the company from meeting its revenue goals, but surely won’t be the last.
That leaves AV integrators in a precarious position of not knowing whether they’ll be able to stay on schedule with projects they’ve already lined up or whether they should take on any new ones without knowing for sure the tech gear they’re including in the plans will be available when they need it.
Combine the slowdown in production because of the coronavirus with the ongoing issues related to tariffs on some Chinese products as they enter the U.S. and the decisions companies need to make about passing those costs on to the consumer and we could be in for a major shift in the AV business.
The issue now is whether enough manufacturers will be affected by the coronavirus outbreak that they’ll have to consider finding new locations for their factories and how much that relocation of the supply chain will affect pricing, availability of goods and the quality of the tech being built.
While it’s true that Apple’s announcement that it wouldn’t meet its net sales forecast of $63 to $67 billion primarily because of lower supplies of the iPhone, surely there will eventually be a trickle-down effect to other products, such as the iPad and we all know those are big hits in AV installs these days.
The Coronavirus Ripple Effect on AV
Apple makes most iPhones and other products in China. The coronavirus has caused it to temporarily halt production and close retail stores in China. Some Apple retail stores reopened in China with reduced schedules last week.
Apple is widely expected to announce a new, cheaper iPhone model this spring. It’s unclear if the delays in China will affect that launch.
We haven’t heard anything specific from other manufacturers of AV products that the coronavirus was slowing down or halting their production schedules, but it’s clearly having an effect on the industry since it was one of a couple of major reasons attendance dropped so precipitously at ISE 2020 last week.
We know honesty is always the best policy in dealing with your customers, but how will you handle it if you find out the gear you need to meet that mission-critical deadline is being delayed because of a worldwide health crisis? It’s not an easy thing to answer, but it’s coming for most AV integrators. How you handle it could dictate the future of your business.


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Smartphone growth drives mobile spend in MexicoStaff writer ▼ | October 20, 2014
Mobile ad spending in Mexico will grab $178.2 million in 2014, 87.7% more than in 2013. Next year, advertisers will add 66.3% in mobile expenditures to lift that figure to $296.4 million.
$178.2 million in 2014 In Mexico mobile ads to be 87.7% more than in 2013
Against the backdrop of sluggish overall mobile phone adoption, smartphone uptake in Mexico is relatively high. This phenomenon is the result of a wide income gap that has kept swaths of low-income consumers off the smartphone market at a time when uptake among top earners has reached near-full penetration.
Thus, mobile internet ads are not yet the ideal way to reach a mass audience. But they are a conduit to a relatively well-off audience right now.
Telecommunications reforms enacted last year are increasing the number and diversity of smartphone users. Already, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are introducing low-cost smartphones retailing for as little as $100—and prices are falling.
Compared with other Latin American markets, brands have been more aggressive about experimenting with mobile in Mexico. Mobile ad spending is expected to represent 17.1% of paid digital media communications in Mexico this year, compared with 3.1% in Argentina and 8.3% in Brazil.
Going forward, eMarketer predicts mobile internet ad spending will expand faster than any other channel in Mexico, posting a 59.1% compound annual growth rate between 2013 and 2018 and bringing expenditures in that channel up to $966.5 million by the end of the forecast period.
The expansion in mobile advertising budgets will rely on a swelling base of mobile phone users and, particularly, mobile internet users and smartphone users. The latter two categories will expand at double-digit rates through 2018. ■


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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A major player in the hotel industry tells News 6 he’s being proactive when it comes to getting the tourism numbers back up.
Harris Rosen, President of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, said, he has already ordered six temperature screening systems for his hotels.
“There is a device that’s being sold now that is kind of like a thermometer, only it’s like a metal detector; you walk under it,” said Rosen.
He added, the technology can screen up to 70 people per minute.
“If every hotel, if every business, had a screening of their associates and their employees, and screening of their customers, it would be such a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful opportunity to see that curve and that tourist tax revenue begin to go up,” said Rosen.
Rosen said if everyone is being screened, he’d like to see everything open.
Rosen also said timing will be a determining factor in whether the tourism industry is able to recover.
“If we open quickly it’ll bounce back, people want to come to Orlando,” said Rosen.
He said he’s hopeful, and in the meantime, is working to find solutions, adding, “We can’t give up, we have to keep trying; we can’t just sit back and say ‘let’s hope and pray for a better day,’ let’s be proactive.”


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Sony Launches 85-Inch Z8H 8K TV at Rs. 13,99,990 as First 8K Offering in India
Sony Z8H 8K TV
Sony has launched its first 8K television in India. The Sony Z8H is an 85-inch full-array LED smart TV, which has been priced at Rs. 13,99,990 in India. Given the premium, the Sony Z8H offers a lot of premium features apart from the 8K resolution like a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Atmos HDR support at 8K resolution, and much more. The TV is available to buy starting today via Sony's offline and online stores, and all major electronics and e-commerce stores.
Sony follows the footsteps of brands like LG, Samsung, and TCL who already launched their 8K TVs earlier this year. The Sony Z8H is also certified by the company as "PS5 ready." It has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which will let gamers experience gaming at 120 frames per second at an Ultra-HD resolution, when paired with the PS5's ability to put out a 120fps gameplay for select games. Further, it also has a Bravia Game Mode feature that optimises performance for a better gaming experience. At an 8K resolution, the Sony Z8H can go up to a 60Hz refresh rate. It also uses Sony’s most powerful picture processor, the X1 Ultimate that helps providing crisp images with a high contrast.
The Sony Z8H also comes with Sony's S-Force Front Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos built-in. The company claims that users can hear sound as they would from a separate multi surround speaker.
The Sony Z8H runs on Google's Android TV, with access to Google Play Store and also has support for Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast built-in.


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CHICAGO, Feb. 20—Robert D. Lund, manager of Chevrolet division of the General Motors Corporation, today revised downward his estimate of Chevette sales in this model year from 275,000 to 240,000.
The figure indicates that production of the minicar may not be started at the G.M. Southgate plant in California this model year. G.M. could produce that number at its plant in Wilmington, Del., now the sole maker of the minicar, which was introduced last fell.
Mr. Lund's new estimate was made in an interview in connection with the Chicago Auto Show. The previous production estimate was made in September.
Big Car Output Up
While G.M. has made cuts in output of its smaller cars, it announced today another increase in production of its big cars, the Buick Electra, Oldsmobile 98, Cadillac De Ville and full‐sized Pontiacs. The increase will mean the recall of 1,000 workers On May 17 at G.M.'s Linden, N.J., plant, where many employees have been laid off for periods of up to several years.
Production also is due to he increased May 17 at the Pontiac Motor division plant in Pontiac, Mich., which will mean the recall of 400 workers and 600 additional workers at the Fisher body plant in Pontiac.Continue reading the main story
G.M. had decided only three weeks ago to start production of the Chevette at its Southgate plant so that there would be a better supply of the car in the California market, where imports have captured up to 40 percent of all sales at some points. G.M. canceled its plans a week ago after sales of subcompact and smaller cars sagged.
From September through January of this year the subcompacts and cars below that size captured 25 percent of the market, the same share they took in the same period last year.
Although sales of the Chevette have been below expectations and few owners of imported cars have switched over, Mr. Lund said that the minicar had done its primary job of stopping Chevrolet owners who wanted a smaller car from going over to imports. He said that the marketing of the car had been concentrated in 21 cities on the West, East and Gulf Coast where imports have been the strongest.
He said that the supply of Chevettes would he increased in the Midwest, where dealers have had few of the cars to sell. “We don't. think the small car market is dead.” he said.
The Chevette is a conventional small car, while some of the importers are offering cars of that size with front‐wheel drive providing more space and better handling.
There has also been a movement of buyers of small cars upward to bigger cars such as compacts since the price of gasoline has stabilized and there have been no fuel shortages.
The Chevette was a product of the energy crisis in the fall of 1973 when G.M. executives decided to quickly adapt a version of its world car, then being developed in West Germany, and make the car for the American market in only 18 months.Continue reading the main story


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Rite Aid to report a loss once again
Rite Aid Corporation (RAD) is expected to post an adjusted loss of 1 cent per share when it reports its second-quarter 2019 results on September 27. The company reported the same loss in the previous quarter as well as the same quarter last year.
Management doesn’t expect to generate profits this year. It, in fact, lowered its overall fiscal 2019 net income and EPS expectations in August, citing lower expected drug efficiencies. The company has projected a net loss of $125 million–$170 million or a loss per share of up to $0.04 for the year.
RAD’s margins have deteriorated over the years
Rite Aid has seen continuous deterioration in its profitability over the last couple of years, mainly due to lower reimbursement rates and a falling script count. The company’s adjusted EBITDA margin slipped to 2.6% of sales in fiscal 2018, compared to 4.4% in fiscal 2014.
However, the company recorded a slight improvement in its margins during the first quarter of 2019. Its adjusted EBITDA margin stood at 2.7% of sales, 23 basis points better than the corresponding quarter last year. This improvement was driven by higher gross profit at the company’s Retail Pharmacy segment, which improved due to better reimbursement rates and lower drug costs.
For fiscal 2019 as a whole, management has projected that EBITDA will range between $540 million and $590 million. At the mid-point, this range would translate to an EBITDA margin of 2.6%, which is similar to what Rite Aid generated last year.


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In her first of a multi-part series, our Vice President of Global Performance Marketing, Joanna Culbertson, takes on why to expand your business globally. Follow this series as she lays out why, when, where and how to expand your business beyond your home market!
As we all approach the halfway point in 2014 and things are progressing well with your ecommerce site, you may be looking for your next steps, next opportunity, next move or next challenge in your business growth journey.
With the flattening of new online user adoption in the US it may be beneficial to consider taking your business global – after all this is the World Wide Web, right?
Here is a quick overview of the current health of online retail for the UK, EU, APAC and Canada.
UK – EU
Online sales in the US are still growing – currently a 15% increase in first Quarter 2014 versus first Quarter 2013. E-commerce sales for the US in the first quarter of 2014 accounted for 6.2% of total retail sales (US Census Bureau).While this is great news for US e-commerce sites, there are other countries where online retail currently logs a higher share of sales proportionately.
Yes, the UK has currently surpassed the US in overall online sales share. The UK online sales market share is even more impressive when you take into consideration that it is 3rd in population in the EU online market place.
Predictions have UK retailers set to take in £45bn this year in online sales as consumers are set to spend more than £1,000 each on the internet. The UK was the largest market in Europe, with sales of £38.8bn 2013, and is expected to account for more than a third (34%) of all online retail sales in the eight EU Markets surveyed in 2014.
According to research commissioned by RetailMeNot, the world’s largest digital coupon marketplace , online sales will grow by 16% in the UK as UK shoppers will make, on average 18 purchases a year – an average of one purchase every 3 weeks.
Asia – Pacific
According to eMarketer’s latest forecasts, worldwide business-to-consumer (B2C) ecommerce sales will increase by 20.1% this year to reach $1.5 trillion. Growth will come primarily from the rapidly expanding online and mobile user bases in emerging markets, increases in ecommerce sales, advancement in shipping and payment options, and the push into new international markets by major brands.
In 2014 for the first time, consumers in Asia-Pacific will spend more on ecommerce purchases than those in North America, making it the largest regional ecommerce market in the world. This year alone, B2C ecommerce sales are expected to reach $525.2 billion in the region, compared with $482.6 billion in North America. China has already exceeded predictions and surpassed in 2013 rather than 2017 the US in growth of online use. The Asian countries, along with Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Italy and Canada, will drive ecommerce sales growth worldwide.
The strength of sales in emerging markets is largely due to their large populations coming online and first time buyers due to an increasing middle class. Asia-Pacific is projected to claim more than 46% of digital buyers worldwide in 2014, though these users will only account for 16.9% of the region’s population.
In 2014, according to ETC (EuropeanTravelCommission) in addition to the U.S., the Canadian ecommerce market shows impressive growth. In 2014, ecommerce is predicted to grow by 14% and reach nearly $35.7 billion. Canadian online buyers are very adept in cross-border shopping – 33% of all their purchases, have been made on US website, 8% on Asian websites and 3% on European ones. The primary driver for cross-border purchases is cheaper prices, followed by selection and discounted shopping.
Canadian consumers are among the most highly engaged worldwide. Canadians exceed the U.S. in terms of average monthly visits per visitors, with 88 monthly visits in the fourth quarter of 2013. The US did surpass Canada in 2013 in terms of web pages visited per month, although internet users in Canada visited an average of 3,001 web pages per month during the fourth quarter of 2013, whereas US consumers visited an average of 3,162 pages per month in the fourth quarter of 2013. The U.S still outranks Canadian consumers in hours spent online – 36.2 hours per month online versus 34.6 hours. However, both countries still surpass the worldwide average of 24.2 hours per month.
Online shoppers in Australia spend more on average per order than anyone else in the world, at $142 in 2013; up 20% from 2011 (CMO.com.au) Global players still dominate Australian online shopping due to being early movers in this country’s internet retailing. Traditional domestic retailers are finally adding the online channel to their business models. Consumers have also become more relaxed and feel more secure with online shopping in addition to a higher broadband connection rate and growth in mobile device use.
According to a report by the BNZ, online purchases in April 2014 made by New Zealanders with international merchants increased 17% over April 2013. International merchants continue to build their sales and presence in the marketplace generating over 40% of online retail sales – a 2% increase over 2013 for the same period.
Considering all of the above data, why would you not at least dip your toe into the international ecommerce waters? Remember the first adapters always secure the strongest footholds and have more opportunities to build their brand and carve out their unique niche. Check back next week for the next steps of the Where, When and How of global e-commerce expansion.
– Joanna, VP Global Performance Marketing


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Remember when you were a kid and you'd pit toys from different lines against each other, like, say, having the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fight the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation in a crossover that somehow never happened? Remember how this was something you definitely did as a kid and not, like, this weekend when you were bored and realized that you paid good money for all these toys and so you might as well get some use out of them? Well, Ubisoft, the video game publisher best known these days for the Assassin's Creed franchise, is certainly hoping you do, because that seems to be the premise of the upcoming Toy Soldiers: War Chest.
Gaming - Page 5
In case you forgot, there's a Lego Marvel video game still on the docket this year. That's on top of Lego Jurassic World, Lego Worlds and Lego Dimensions, all of which are either currently available or coming very, very soon. Though we haven't had a Lego Marvel game proper since Lego Marvel Super Heroes in 2013, we have had one of the biggest Marvel movies of all time release this year. Guess that makes it perfect timing for a new adventure in the Lego Marvel world.
The first full trailer for Lego Marvel's Avengers arrived today, just ahead of its gameplay debut at E3 2015. Like Lego Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings before it, Lego Avengers will combine the cinematic heroics of Marvel's most well-known team of heroes into one game disc. While it is a bit of a shame we won't have quite as big a look into the Lego Marvel U as we did with the previous game, this trailer does bring back fond feelings for Lego Hulk.
It wouldn't be a modern day video game release if there wasn't some kind of exclusive pre-order DLC at GameStop. Despite the hopes of just about everyone in the universe that isn't an executive at the gaming retail chain, even Batman: Arkham Knight has succumbed to the trend. Exclusive to those who pre-order the upcoming third game in Rocksteady Studios' Batman: Arkham trilogy at GameStop, the Red Hood Story Pack puts you in the shoes of the vigilante for the first time in the series. If you recall, GameStop is also the only place you can get DC Collectibles' Batman: Arkham Knight Red Hood figure as well. Guess somebody over there really, really, really, really likes Jason Todd... if that's who this Red Hood is, anyway.
Today, we got our first in-depth look at the Red Hood Story Pack DLC outside of a brief commercial that's been airing hyping up the pre-order incentive. Unlike previous Batman: Arkham DLC packs, you'll actually be able to play through some story missions as the Red Hood. Previously, additional character packs were relegated to Challenge Mode only, save for the Catwoman DLC in Arkham City. This time around, both Harley Quinn and Red Hood will get playable segments, which would be a great new twist if both characters weren't used as bargaining chips in exclusive deals.
The Batman: Arkham series has been the most talked about and revered DC Comics video game of the last five years. Though it hasn't been the only DC game released in that timeframe, few have managed to capture the conversation in same way as Rocksteady Studios. Of course, there were dozens of DC games released over the years, that were arguably as enjoyable even if they didn't resonate quite as much. What can we say, not every game puts you in the shoes of the Dark Knight.
Still, if were to compile a list of all the best DC Comics video games, the Batman: Arkham series would take up too many spots from titles just as deserving. That's why we've completely ruled the Arkham games out of the equation. Those games are good. You know it. We know it. Your grandmother probably knows it because even she can't deny the awesome power of Batman.
As we near the release of Batman: Arkham Knight, Warner Bros. Interactive and Rocksteady Studios are in full hype mode. Nary a day has gone since the Memorial Day holiday that we haven't gotten some new promotional materials focused solely on putting Rocksteady's third Bat-game in the spotlight. With E3 just around the bend, it's traditionally rather hard to get any attention for a title releasing during the month of June, but perhaps the Arkham Knight team is hoping to break through to potential players by bombarding them with endless trailers and incentives.
Today, we get our first decent look at the Harley Quinn story missions offered as pre-order downloadable content. Serving as a preamble to the content of Arkham Knight proper, the Harley Quinn DLC finds the widowed villainess in Blüdhaven, where she's focused on saving Poison Ivy from some sort of trouble. Along the way, she's picked up some new duds, and according the this trailer, has managed to draw the ire of Blüdhaven's guardian, Nightwing.
Back in 2013, the closed beta for Infinite Crisis began, giving players the first real glimpse of Turbine's DC Comics-themed multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Hoping to capitalize on the success of similar games like Dota 2 and League of Legends, Infinite Crisis offered its audience something its competitors couldn't: the chance to play as Wonder Woman, the Joker, Green Lantern, and a seemingly bottomless pit of characters from the DC library.
After plugging along in beta form for a few years, Infinite Crisis officially launched in March of this year. With a roster of more than 40 different DC heroes and villains, and plans to keep expanding as time went on, Infinite Crisis was finally ready to stake its claim on the MOBA market. It's unfortunate then that just a few months after release, Turbine has announced Infinite Crisis will shut down forever in August.
Apparently, 2015 is going to be the year of Lego --- at least as far as video games are concerned. In previous years, we've gotten one or two different Lego games from TT Games, but this year four different Lego titles are on the docket. In addition to Lego Jurassic World, Lego Marvel's Avengers and Lego Worlds (just released on Steam Early Access), quite possibly the most ambitious Lego game ever will arrive later this year in the form of Lego Dimensions.
Taking full advantage of the unstoppable trend in NFC figure video games, Lego Dimensions combines the collectible aspect with its iconic brick building to craft an entirely new spin on the aging (and expensive) formula Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Nintendo have done so well with in recent years. Unlike all those other brands, Lego Dimensions won't just be limited to one particular house of licenses, and will offer players the chance to mix and match heroes like Batman and Gandalf with vehicles like the DeLorean and the Batmobile.
Way back in the long, long ago, Marvel and EA forged a partnership to create fighting games set in the Marvel Universe. Marvel: Rise of the Imperfects was not a great first effort. In 2007, EA announced its Chicago studio, the developers of the acclaimed Fight Night boxing series, would develop an entirely new Marvel fighter. Unfortunately, just one year later the partnership was dissolved, and EA Chicago's in-development title was canned.
Many wondered what could have been, but thanks to some solid digging by numerous gaming outlets, brief glimpses of the game escaped for public view. In the years since, most have all but forgotten about Marvel, but new footage from a prototype of the title was unearthed this week. The video comes courtesy of PtoPOnline (via Kotaku), a YouTube channel focused on the preservation of games, and in particular, prototypes of games that were either never released or different from their retail release counterparts.
With Batman: Arkham Knight due to arrive in just a few weeks, it's time for the endless promotional assault on your senses to kick into high gear. Some skins and pre-order exclusives were touted earlier this week, but now Rocksteady Studios has returned with a new bit of gameplay showing off both hand-to-hand and vehicular combat.
As the third game in the Arkham trilogy proper (Rocksteady doesn't count Arkham Origins, and neither should you), Arkham Knight appears to be the most ambitious Batman video game yet. Besides the obvious graphical improvements offered by the current crop of consoles, Rocksteady's included a wealth of new features for its open world Gotham, including the ability to get behind the wheel of the Batmobile and shoot the crap out of some tanks. But don't worry Bat-fans, these are just drones. Batman isn't killing anyone; he's just maiming them really, really, really, really badly.
Warner Bros. Interactive has revealed two new pre-order bonuses for Batman: Arkham Knight, and longtime Caped Crusader fans might enjoy them. Pre-ordering Batman: Arkham Knight will now score you updated versions of the Batman Beyond and The Dark Knight Returns skins, which you may have seen in Arkham City.