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As retail monthly sales data from the Census Bureau came in stronger than expected due to inflation, the outlook for 2023 remains clouded, with certain industry sectors positioned to fare worse than others.
Two recent outlook reports reveal a weaker retail landscape. In its Fitch Wire report, analysts at Fitch Ratings said rising unemployment, eroding consumer savings, and pressure on home prices “are forecast to undermine U.S. consumer spending growth in 2023.”
“We expect the housing and autos sectors to face the greatest near-term pressure on operating fundamentals due to higher financing costs weighing on consumers,” Fitch Ratings said. “Some consumer discretionary sectors such as retail could see uneven performance due to category shifts, while experience-oriented services such as travel and entertainment should see healthy demand continue next year.”
Regarding U.S. business output, the S&P said in its outlook survey that the latest data “signaled weaker optimism regarding the year-ahead outlook for output among U.S. private sector firms in October.”
“The net balance of companies anticipating higher activity, at plus 23 percent, was the lowest since June 2020,” the authors of the report noted. “That said, it was stronger than the global average (net balance of plus 17 percent). The drop in expectations was largely driven by the service sector, where optimism fell to its lowest in over two years. Manufacturers, on the other hand, were more upbeat than in June.”
What’s behind the drop in the business outlook? Inflation, of course, as well as weaker demand.
“Private sector firms also noted that higher interest rates and ongoing supply chain disruption are further factors which could hamper growth in the coming 12 months,” the S&P analysts said. “At the same time, a tight labor market and challenges finding skilled workers for open vacancies were highlighted as concerns. Pressure on prices and muted demand conditions are also expected to lead to more intense market competition, which could also impact future growth.”
But there are opportunities for growth — for businesses willing to diversify their product offerings or shift to more competitive pricing. Those surveyed also noted “that they aim to keep staffing costs down in an effort to dissuade companies from taking operations offshore.”
Siân Jones, a senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said the U.S. private sector firms “remained cautious in their expectations for output over the next year in October, as the impact of inflation and muted client demand weighed on sentiment. Less upbeat predictions for activity, employment and investment stemmed from lower optimism among service providers. Overall, confidence was the weakest since the initial pandemic lockdown period in mid-2020.”


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Peugeot’s new 107 will go on-sale later this month, with prices starting from €12,045. Peugeot’s super-mini promises improved economy and lower CO2 emissions over its predecessor. The 1.0l petrol model with a five-speed manual gearbox will return 4.3l/100km on a combined run and emit just 99g of CO2, thus placing it in tax band A.
The 107 displays a new face, with a deeper lower front panel and LED daytime lights. The interior has been treated to a new colour scheme including new seat upholstery. Irish motorists can choose from a five-speed manual gearbox or, a 2-Tronic automatic transmission in the five-door 1.0l petrol model. Both come complete with front fog lights and low resistance tyres as standard.
Peugeot are currently running a special offer up to the end of March 2012, which gives you a four year warranty and four year roadside recovery. For further details please visit www.peugeot.ie

domain: news


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Google isn't blowing that much money on projects like self-driving cars after all — less than 10% of its capital expenditures in 2015 were for forward-looking products outside its core.
This came out in fourth-quarter earnings for Google's parent company, Alphabet.
This was the first time Alphabet broke numbers out for the core "Google," which includes the businesses most of us think of — search, advertising, YouTube, Android, and so on — and "Other Bets," which includes long-term projects like fiber-based internet access, self-driving cars, and internet-bearing balloons.
Capital expenditures for Google's core products hit $8.8 billion last year, spent mostly on data centers and other facilities. Other Bets only accounted for $869 million in capital spending. Most of the Other Bets capex spending went to Google Fiber, which Alphabet now offers in nine cities, Google said on its earnings call.
Overall, the Other Bets group posted an operating loss of $3.57 billion on $448 million in revenue in 2015.
Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said that the company had to make some "tough calls" and that there was a "disciplined envelope" across Other Bets.
Lines like this are exactly what Wall Street, long wary of Google's moonshots, wanted to hear. Although Porat has promised investors since she started at Google that the company spent way more on its core than smart contacts and thermostats, this was the first time she could prove it.
Here's a chart from Jackdaw Research:
Porat also made sure to stress that the company is going to keep spending a bunch of money on that core, too, by highlighting a bunch of areas where its trying to innovate.
In many ways, some of Alphabet's biggest moonshots are in Google itself. From driving the next wave of computing through machine learning, capitalizing on the shift to the cloud by enterprises, building platforms like virtual reality, and pursuing the opportunities we see with the "next billion" users in emerging markets, you should expect Google to continue to invest in efforts to improve life for billions of people.
This line from Porat's prepared remarks was significant for a couple of reasons.
First of all, it shows us how Google thinks about its future growth. Google CEO Sundar Pichai proceeded to boast about its enterprise business and how machine learning and artificial intelligence have helped make popular products like Photos, Inbox, and search better and more powerful. The company has also been on a VR hiring spree.
But it also feels like a reminder to prospective employees that Alphabet's subsidiary companies, like X and Calico, aren't the only ones innovating — Look! Google's still doing cool stuff, too! We're not all about ads!
But the report also proved that ads are still a hulking business: That's how Google pulled in $19 billion of its $21.3 billion in revenue this quarter.


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Belgium now largest Kenya coffee marketWednesday May 04 2022
Belgium has toppled America as Kenya’s top export market for coffee for the first time in a decade.
The European nation imported Kenyan coffee worth Sh6.5 billion in the year to June 2021. This was nearly double what it bought in the prior year, overtaking the United States as the top buyer of the beverage.
The US has for the last four years been holding at the top after toppling Germany in 2018, the position that Berlin had held for a decade.
The US emerged second in terms of purchases having bought coffee worth Sh4 billion in the review period.
“While the top five countries remain the same for the two-season, it is important to note that Belgium improved from position three in the previous year to the top position in 2020/21,” said the head of the Coffee Directorate Enosh Akuma.
Statistics from Coffee Directorate indicate Belgium bought 8.9 million kilogrammes of the produce up from six million kilos while the US bought 6.1 million kilos against nine million a year earlier.
Until 2017, Germany was the largest buyer of Kenyan coffee, but its dominance was breached by America in 2018, which emerged top for the first time and held that position until last year.
The US took the top spot in 2018 after Kenya aggressively marketed its specialty coffee during the 2018 Specialty Coffee Association of America symposium in Seattle.
Kenya was given “portrait status” at the symposium, making it the main focal point of the exhibition, which is one of the largest single-market avenues for coffee producers to meet buyers and consumers of the beverage.
Germany emerged third in the review period having purchased 5.5 million kilos worth Sh3 billion.
Kenya exports most of its coffee as cleaned beans. It exports only five percent as roasted coffee. The country, therefore, misses out on the added value from selling roasted and packaged coffee.
Roasters buy Kenyan produce to blend with lower quality beans from elsewhere in the world. The country is seeking to raise the amount of coffee, which is locally roasted, by five to 10 percent annually over the next five years.


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The much-anticipated game for PC is finally launching in the month of November.There have been a lot of rumors and leaks surrounding the launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC while being a console exclusive (initially).So, now that Rockstar Games has made an official announcement on the launch for the PC platform – it is time for the gamers to wait for the pre-orders. RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 is […]
It has almost been ten years since Red Dead Redemption was released and if a new rumor is to be believed, Rockstar Games has some epic plans to celebrate the title’s tenth anniversary. Rumor has it that there’s a Red Dead Redemption remake in the pipeline and it could arrive by 2020. There has obviously been no confirmation about this from Rockstar Games so far.
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 5 has been an absolute hit for the company ever since the game released, although its Grand Theft Auto Online went through a few months experiencing some expected growing pains. The title recently received a free “Beach Bum” DLC pack a few weeks ago, with more content expected in the coming months. But what if Rockstar gave power to the players to create their own content? […]
It was just last week when Rockstar Games announced they would be making Grand Theft Auto Online players rich beyond their wildest hopes and dreams by giving a $500,000 GTA$ stimulus package as a way to thank their fans for putting up with the launch issues the service had in the first few weeks of its launch. Now that many of the issues behind Grand Theft Auto Online are behind us, […]
The launch of Grand Theft Auto Online wasn’t a smooth one as players experienced a number of issues with the title when it became available last month. Because of all of the issues, Rockstar Games had promised to reward players $500k GTA$ to hopefully make up for Grand Theft Auto Online’s rocky start. If you’ve been playing Grand Theft Auto Online through its stormy beginnings, today is the day you’ve […]
Rockstar announced earlier today Grand Theft Auto V has shipped 29 million copies ever since it was first released last month, which is an extremely impressive amount considering the game has only been out for a little over a month. One feature of the game that surprised many players when they first started playing Grand Theft Auto V was the fact you could take selfies with the cellphones of in-game characters, […]
Rockstar has been trying to make good on its previous launch issues with Grand Theft Auto Online by offering players a ton of in-game cash as a way to make things up to players who experienced the service’s growing pains, although it looks like not all of the issues can be fixed. If you’ve been playing Grand Theft Auto Online and have been enjoying making tons of cash when replaying missions, your […]
If you’re a gamer, chances are pretty high you’ve been spending much of your time playing Grand Theft Auto 5 ever since it was released. Just last week, Rockstar Games released the game’s online multiplayer mode, Grand Theft Auto Online, although its launch didn’t go as smooth as the company had originally anticipated. Grand Theft Auto Online players have had to endure quite a bit in order to actually use the […]
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 5 has been expectedly receiving attention both good and bad ever since its release. A game this large most likely wouldn’t be released without a few hiccups here and there, which is why Rockstar has done their best to patch up the game as best they can. It looks like Grand Theft Auto 5 players can expect a new patch to be released today.
It’s completely unsurprising to hear Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto Online has launched with a few issues over the past week that made it nearly impossible for most people to get in on the online mayhem. To Rockstar’s credit, the company has been very vocal in regards to their attempts to help resolve any issues gamers have had with the game, although Grand Theft Auto Online is still suffering from some […]
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 5 was released onto the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 just a few weeks ago with many reviewers and fans of the series agreeing it’s quite an offering from the company. One group that you wouldn’t expect to enjoy the game are moms, who we think would prefer to have the sex, drugs and violence of the game toned down a bit so their children can […]
It’s undeniable just how popular Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 5 has become as it has sold a ton of copies and has even crippled its own online multiplayer mode. One thing we’re sure many players of Grand Theft Auto 5 have yet to do is simply stop and smell the roses when you’re between missions, which we know is difficult to do when you consider just how much stuff you can […]
Rockstar Games released an update to its Grand Theft Auto 5 yesterday that allowed gamers to finally be able to play its online multiplayer mode, Grand Theft Auto Online. The launch of Grand Theft Auto Online has suffered a bit, but not many people know the patch also fixed some issues Rockstar has come across after releasing the game, including the disappearing vehicles glitch.
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 5 was just updated to allow for players to take part in Grand Theft Auto Online yesterday, although its launch didn’t go without a few hitches here and there. If you were one of the many who weren’t able to access Grand Theft Auto Online, then you were probably forced to spend your time buying and selling in-game stock as it looks like that seems to […]


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Atlanta Wedding Extravaganza Offers New Vendors, Virtual Advice, And A Fashion Show
Planning a wedding looks very different in the age of COVID-19. The Atlanta Wedding Extravaganza is offering a virtual expo at the end of this month to showcase some of Atlanta’s best vendors–and to help guide couples through this uncertain time.
“City Lights” producer Summer Evans spoke with Shelly Danz, the producer of the expo, about what’s in store.
The first, week-long, virtual “Atlanta Bridal Extravaganza” was held last July. Danz decided to change the name to “Atlanta Wedding Extravaganza” to be more inclusive of all couples and individuals.
This year’s virtual expo will offer new vendors, prizes, giveaways, and a recorded fashion show. The fashion show was held at the Fox Theatre in front of a small, live audience, and it featured new 2021 looks for brides, grooms, and attendees. The recorded fashion show will be screened at the expo with descriptions of the attire, followed by a Q&A session with wedding fashion experts.
Due to the pandemic, many vendors have restructured their wedding packages to create more intimate and non-traditional ceremonies.
“They have come up with so many fun, unique, different ideas that maybe they might have not come up with if we weren’t stuck in our houses all this time,” said Danz.
She continued, “So I think for these brides and grooms to hear some of these new ideas that they’ve come up with is going to be something really helpful for these couples.”
The show will be held Jan. 23-29. More information about what’s offered and tickets can be found here.


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DJ Sbu real name Sibusiso Leope, is in full business mode. First he launched his own energy drink Mo Faya, which he promotes at every opportunity he gets. In fact, Metro FM have just recently suspended the DJ, because of promoting his energy drink at Metro awards event.
Now, we know that DJ Sbu is planning to launch his own brand of bread and toilet paper.
Sunday World reports that his brand of bread that will be named “Nzo Bread” and the toilet paper will be named “Ntofo Ntofo”.
Seems the trouble that he is in with Metro FM and the SABC is not slowing him down at all.
DJ Sbu has indicated that he has been working on his bread brand for the past 3 years.
He promises that his bread will be “The most deliciously, fresh baked bread you have ever tasted.”
Image credits: Instagram


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Feedlots Buy Fewer Cattle on Smaller Supply as Feed Costs Gain
U.S. feedlots bought 5.6 percent fewer young cattle in November compared with a year earlier as rising feed costs curbed profit prospects and supplies of animals declined.
Feedlots purchased 1.923 million animals last month, down from 2.037 million in November 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today in a report. Eleven analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News projected an 8.5 percent drop, on average. The feedlot herd totaled 11.328 million as of Dec. 1, down 6 percent from a year earlier. Analysts expected the inventory to be down 6.5 percent.
The price of corn, the main ingredient in livestock feed, rose 15 percent in the 12 months through yesterday as the worst U.S. drought since the 1930s eroded yields and destroyed pastures. Feedlots probably lost about $118 a head on cattle sold in November, Rich Nelson, the chief strategist for Allendale Inc. in McHenry, Illinois, said in an e-mail.
“Tightening feeder-cattle supplies as well as negative feeding margins contributed” to the decline in purchases of young cattle, Elaine Johnson, an analyst at Cattlehedging.com in Westminster, Colorado, said in an e-mail before the report.
Feedlot operators buy year-old animals that weigh 500 pounds (227 kilograms) to 800 pounds, called feeders. The cattle are fattened on corn for about four to five months until they weigh about 1,200 pounds, when they are sold to meatpackers.
Feedlots sold about 1.761 million animals to meatpackers last month, down 0.7 percent from a year earlier, the USDA said. Analysts expected 0.3 percent increase, on average.
Fattened-cattle futures for February delivery rose 0.1 percent to $1.33675 a pound at 12:56 p.m. on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The price was up 9.9 percent this year through yesterday.
Feeder-cattle futures for March settlement rose 0.1 percent to $1.5505 a pound, and the commodity advanced 4.1 percent in 2012 through yesterday.
To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Campbell in Chicago at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steve Stroth at email@example.com.


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As the Galaxy S8 release draws near we’ve been hearing a lot of reports about the color options that Samsung is going to offer for its new flagship smartphone. Merely a day after we saw a leaked picture of what appears to be a violet Galaxy S8, we’ve come across four leaked pictures of the upcoming flagship that show the handset in blue, gray and silver colors.
These are obviously not the only colors that the new flagship is expected to be offered in. We’ve seen many leaked photos of the Galaxy S8 in a rich black color and it may even be offered in some shade of gold. It’s safe to say that there will most likely be five or more color options for the Galaxy S8.
However, it remains to be seen what colors are offered in different markets across the globe. We’ve seen Samsung only offer certain color options in select markets where it expects them to perform better so it’s likely going to stick to that strategy for the Galaxy S8 as well.


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A worker installs the doors of the vehicles at Yutong's assembly line in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on March 8, 2023. (Photo by Xinhua)
Chinese bus maker Yutong has continued to be popular in overseas markets and received numerous foreign orders this year. The Yutong buses have been exported to more than 30 countries and regions, according to the company.
In the high-end and overseas workshop of Yutong's new energy plant in Zhengzhou, Henan province, staff members are busy on the assembly line to catch up with orders.
Great Wall Motors, China's largest SUV and pickup maker, has accelerated the pace of intelligent and digital transformation and upgrading. In its workshop in Chongqing, automatic assembly robots are applied in the production line to roll off more automobiles.
Editor: Sha Xufan, Li Wenpei


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Amazon is now the world’s largest retail store, leaving mega giants like Walmart collecting dust. The change of decade has not only increased all things technology, it has also enriched the ability of almost everything that surrounds us, including market places. Long gone are the days when malls and retail stores were the only places one could satisfy the need to shop. We went from physical stimuli to digitalization. Everything that surrounds us today is, in one way or another connected to the internet. Making it virtually impossible to get anything done without an online presence.
The same applies on to market places, online stores have conquered the arena and are responsible for the largest chunk of the retail market. According to many statistics, retailers gain a higher profit percentile when they deal through a virtual market like Amazon, EBay, and Etsy, as costs are diminishing, and consumer ability is only increasing by the second.


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Kumasi Fashion Week 2017
Hard times may have hit Ghana, which is experiencing its slowest economic growth in decades, but the fashion industry is becoming strong. Kumasi Fashion Week is just one of the major fashion events that takes place in March in Ghana, while there are a plethora of other fairs and shows that happen throughout the year.
Kumasi Fashion Week 2017 surprised many when it set ground breaking records yesterday. The second edition of the fashion week which emphasized on Commerce in the fashion industry saw over 20 local and foreign designers that came to show their beautiful and classy designs.
The event took place from the 3rd to 5th at the Crystal Rose Ambassador Hotel. The event was filled with prominent fashion lovers and stakeholders.
The organizers from Ayo A Agency and iCommerce Events have promised that next event will be even more successful, stating that the objective is to turn Ghanaian and African brands into international brands and therefore there is still a lot of work to do on and off the runway. However they are extremely pleased with the feed back and can’t wait to do the same all over.
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Fresh from its announcement this week about a China joint venture, Ted Baker had more big news on Thursday as it named its new permanent CEO and also the result of its investigation following the ‘hug-gate’ scandal.
Ted Baker enjoyed healthy trading over the Christmas period, but its biggest strength was its e-commerce operations as physical stores growth went nowhere near to matching the dynamic e-tail performance.
As ‘hug-gate’ continues to wreak havoc with Ted Baker’s share price, the company has issued a trading update containing good news and bad: revenue has dipped but e-tail soared and sales have recovered in recent weeks.
The premium brand has unveiled an advertising campaign that will run on the sides of buses, taxis and underground stations across London, as well as in print publications, online and social media, this month.
Ted Baker is boosting its licensed business further and has entered a global deal with Timex “to underpin its own global plans with a unique offering in watches that complements its apparel and accessory collections.”


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Icahn Says PayPal May Be Uncompetitive in 3-4 Years
Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Activist investor Carl Icahn talks about his issues with EBay Inc.'s board of directors and his proposal that would have the company spin off its PayPal unit.
Icahn today nominated two employees to the Ebay board, criticized the online marketplace for “lapses” in corporate governance and asked shareholders to vote in favor of the split. In a letter to investors posted online, Icahn singled out two directors, Marc Andreessen and Intuit Inc. co-founder Scott Cook, for competing with EBay. Icahn speaks with Trish Regan on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg)


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5000 bitcoin atm
Max Keiser: Bitcoin Price in Sight for $5,000For the time being, it is unclear what will happen to this machine.
Unlike traditional currencies such as dollars, bitcoins are issued and.It is evident the Bitcoin ATM business is becoming very competitive, with larger players buying out the smaller competitors.How to stream Eurobasket Final 2017 live online in USA, UK, Australia, Canada or the rest of the world.ATM Proliferation Nearly Doubled During May. it plans to install 5,000 new bitcoin ATMs.Btcexpress offers Bitcoin debit card to convert Bitcoin to cash, which you can withdraw privately from ATMs and spend anywhere VISA debit cards are accepted.
COINATMRADAR | Bitcoin Insider
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Bitcoin ATMs Are Finally Making Cryptocurrency ConvenientMax Gain (MG): We have several ATM partners across the world and we do not install ATMs by ourselves.
Bitcoin? There's an ATM for that - Chicago Tribune
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We Plan To Open 5,000 Bitcoin ATMs in Europe in 2017: Bitlish Bitcoin ATM provider Bitlish was the first to open a bonafide BTM in Russia, but it is its expansion.Machines may make obtaining Bitcoin. which trade cash for Bitcoin, and Bitcoin ATMs,.Company runs now 23 bitcoin ATMs in total all located in New.
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Samsung has rolled out a new August 2023 patch for the Galaxy S21 devices. Earlier, the update had already been received on several devices, including the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S22, and Galaxy S23, in limited regions, but it will soon be available to all around the world.
Notably, the August 2023 security update is now available for Galaxy S21 devices in the Latin American region, as recently spotted in Guatemala. Users who own the Galaxy S21 base, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra can identify the latest update by the firmware version numbers G991BXXS9EWH1, G996BXXS9EWH1, and G998BXXS9EWH1, respectively.
The August 2023 update doesn’t bring any new features for the device. But it comes with several security vulnerability fixes that improve the security of the devices. Additionally, the update may also include some improvements that enhance the functioning of your device.
If you are using the Galaxy S21 series devices in the Latin American region, then you should receive a notification alert on your phone regarding a new update. You can easily update your device by going to the software update menu through system settings.
The Galaxy S21 series was launched in early 2021 and comes pre-installed with Android 11. Devices have received Android 12, Android 13, and soon Android 14. The Korean company recently released One UI 6.0 Beta for the series. Galaxy S23. The stable version of the software is expected to be released later this year, and the Galaxy S21 will also receive it before 2023.
Don’t miss our latest news on Samsung technology. Follow SamLover.com on your favorite social media platforms for instant notifications.


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Norfolk, VA (Feb. 22, 2012) – Which celebrity is the biggest partier? Who has the most to-die-for closet? With awards season in full swing, nominees Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close and Rooney Mara are the talk of Hollywood, but a recent survey reveals that it’s not just their acting chops that fans are chatting about. More than 40 percent of respondents voted Nick Nolte the most likely celebrity to set the kitchen on fire and be the biggest hoarder, beating out the seemingly responsible Rooney Mara, George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Jonah Hill.
Homes.com conducted the survey to gauge what sparks Americans’ curiosity when it comes to their neighbors – especially if that neighbor is a celebrity. There is a certain mystery about neighbors and a natural curiosity about what happens behind closed doors. That, coupled with the celebrity factor, was the perfect recipe for a quirky survey to find out what people think about today’s hottest actors.
Other findings included more than half voting fan favorite George Clooney as most likely to get caught picking up the newspaper in his bathrobe. Not surprisingly, comedic genius Jonah Hill came in as top pick for throwing a crazy pool party, while respondents dubbed Brad Pitt the “divo” most likely to have Starbucks delivered to his home.
Inquisitive celebrity stalkers can check out what it would really be like to live next to the stars by searching Homes.com for the hottest, priciest homes on the market from Beverly Hills to New York City.
Homes.com, part of the Homes Media Solutions division of Dominion Enterprises, is a leading provider of real estate marketing and media services, including brand advertising, property listing exposure and syndication, search engine marketing and instant response lead generation. Homes Connect by Homes.com offers the real estate industry’s first-ever, all-inclusive marketing platform for agents and brokers featuring single-login convenience. Homes.com is visited by more than 10 million consumers each month to search nearly 4 million properties for sale or rent, to locate real estate agents in their area, and to find useful home buying tips. For more information, visithttp://www.homes.com.
About Dominion Enterprises
Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services and publishing company serving the automotive, recreational and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, employment, parenting, travel, and daily deals industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, website design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 60 market-leading websites reaching more than 20.9 million unique visitors monthly, and more than 280 magazines with a weekly circulation of 2.4 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 3,300 employees in more than 186 offices in the United States, Canada, England and Italy. For more information, visit www.DominionEnterprises.com.


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With less than two weeks until the game’s launch, Atlus West has released a new English trailer for Persona 5 Strikers titled “Liberate Hearts.”
As previously announced, a launch celebration live stream for Persona 5 Strikers will be taking place on February 18, 2021, featuring the English voice cast and comments from the developers.
Previous English Trailers
IRVINE, Calif. – Feb. 12, 2021 – Join the Phantom Thieves and take down the mysterious forces stealing desires across Japan in Persona® 5 Strikers, available February 23!
As the Phantom Thieves investigate a series of strange cases occurring across Japan, they discover another realm where innocent people are being jailed and forced to forfeit their hearts’ desires by the whims of its ruler. In typical Phantom Thieves style, they’re going to use everything they’ve got to liberate the imprisoned, return their hearts, and strike back against the corruption in their most explosive fight yet!
Persona 5 Strikers is coming to PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch™ and Steam® on February 23! Players who pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition now will get access to the game four days early, on February 19.
Persona 5 Strikers was released for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2020 in Japan. The action RPG was released on June 18, 2020 in Asia and South Korea. The game will be released for the PS4, Switch, and also Steam in the West on February 23, 2021.


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The MHA’s latest notification of Lockdown 3.0 will permit these companies, which mop up more than 90% of sales from non-essential items such as smartphones, electronics, appliances and apparel, to start taking orders after five weeks of a countrywide shutdown which hit their business severely, industry executives told ET.
"We welcome the government’s decision to allow e-commerce in orange and green zones to serve people safely with products that they need and have not been able to access due to the lockdown. Millions of small-and-medium businesses and traders will now be able to jumpstart their businesses and livelihoods across their workforce," an Amazon spokesperson said.
Deliveries in green and orange zones, which either have no positive cases or have registered fewer number of Covid-19 patients, will be allowed to run between 7 am and 7 pm, as per the MHA guidelines for non-essential services. Further, companies said they will benefit from a wide availability of workforce as movement passes for staff will no longer be required in these regions.
“We welcome MHA's announcement that paves the way for a calibrated resumption of various economic activities, including e-commerce, in various parts of the country. This will help start a gradual process of economic recovery by enabling lakhs of sellers and MSMEs to cater to the demand of users through online and offline channels,” a Snapdeal spokesperson said.
While some of the major economic zones will continue to remain unserviceable for e-commerce firms, analysts and executives said the wide spread of customers and sellers in Tier 2 and 3 towns, especially for the large marketplaces, will ensure that there is an adequate addressable market. Some executives, however, said demand could remain low due to economic stress.
"Many have been eagerly waiting for some relief in lockdown guidelines to buy air conditioners, refrigerators to beat the growing heat,” Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice President at Paytm Mall, said. “This move will give a major relief to citizens and compliment the stupendous efforts the government has made to combat Covid-19 and keep Indians safe."
“This is exactly what the (e-commerce) industry was asking for from the government—allow us to resume operations in all regions where operations can be carried out safely,” said a senior executive from one of the leading e-commerce firms. “Even we need to maintain safety of our staff which is why operations not being allowed in red zones is not such a big issue.”
Tuesday, 05 Dec, 2023
- Poll Vault: D-Street Bulls Cheer BJP Feat in States
Analysts expect Sensex and Nifty to gain 4-6% ahead of Lok Sabha elections.Indian equities surged to all-time highs on Monday with the Sensex closing above 68,000 for the first time, as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strong showing in state elections pumped up an already buoyant market.The High-powered ET Awards Jury
Next week, Mumbai will see a gathering of a distinguished group representing the best of Indian business: The high-powered jury that will select the winners of The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2023.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
- Fossil fuels in crosshairs of COP28: Draft GST document shows
- COP28 pledge to curb cooling emissions backed by 63 countries
- Maruti Suzuki provides loaner vehicles, cabs to cyclone-affected Tamil Nadu, Andhra consumers
- Oberoi Realty acquires NRB Bearings’ 6.4-acre land parcel in Thane for Rs 196 cr
- Carbon emissions in India to increase by 8.2 per cent in 2023: Study
- Digital revolution in telecom: India to eliminate physical verification process for SIM cards
- Microfinance loan portfolio stands at Rs 3.76 lakh cr at end of FY'24 Q2: Industry body
- Shipbuilding orders worth Rs 6,800 crore received in last four years: Sarbananda Sonowal
- Contempt plea on non-maintenance of aircraft: HC asks Go First RP to file affidavit
- Union Bank ties up with Accenture for analytics based customer services


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12/05/2013 - A car bomb and ensuing firefight at Yemen's Defense Ministry complex has killed 25 people; a cargo truck containing dangerous radioactive material has been found; and more than 2 million social media accounts have been compromised due to Pony malware.
07/25/2013 - Changing Retail, Changing Loss Prevention, a new report from the Centre for Retail Research, summarizes global retail crime and loss prevention trends since 2001. It is based on annual Global Retail Theft Barometer publications produced by the Centre and sponsored by Checkpoint Systems, Inc.
07/09/2013 - A Stop Organized Retail Crime’s Webinar offered its attendees insight into tools they can use to spot stolen merchandise being fenced on Internet sites such as eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, and others.
01/24/2012 - Cargo thieves have grown increasingly sophisticated both in their selection of targets and in their operational planning. Still, incidents of cargo theft were down for the first half of 2011, perhaps a sign that some countermeasures are yielding results.


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SIIA’s 2016 Business Technology CODiE Award winners are some of the most innovative products impacting businesses across the world.
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) June 23, 2016
CloudMine, healthcare’s secure data platform, was named Best Information Service Delivered as Mobile App or Platform of 2016 as part of the 2016 SIIA CODiE Awards.
With the Connected Health Cloud, for the first time, all parties across the healthcare chain will have the technology they need to bring together disparate data and apply powerful analysis to improve patient care.
The winner announcement was made on May 18 by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, to an audience of over 400 leaders. 61 awards were given for products and services deployed specifically for B2B software, information and media companies.
An SIIA CODiE Award win is a prestigious honor, as each award winner was reviewed by a field of industry experts whose evaluations determined the finalists. SIIA members then reviewed the finalists and their votes were combined with the scores from the industry experts to select this year’s CODiE Awards winners.
“We’re honored to be receiving a CODiE Award by SIIA for enabling all parties in the healthcare chain to deliver accurate, personalized and intelligent health solutions,” said Brendan McCorkle, CEO of CloudMine. “With the launch of our Connected Health Cloud, we are reducing time-to-delivery by up to 70 percent and therefore allowing developers to build robust, HIPAA-compliant web, mobile and IoT applications.”
“SIIA’s 2016 Business Technology CODiE Award winners are some of the most innovative products impacting businesses across the world. Recognized by their peers, the CODiE Winners should be proud of this prestigious accolade honoring excellence in business technology products,” said Rhianna Collier, VP & Managing Director for the Software & Services Division at SIIA. “We congratulate all of this year’s CODiE Award winners, and thank them for the contributions they have made to their industries.”
CloudMine, who was also a finalist this year in the category for Best Healthcare Technology Solution, successfully raised a Series A totaling $7.25 million in 2015, led by Safeguard Scientifics. The company also saw revenue growth triple over the year, landed several landmark clients, and more than doubled headcount.
About the SIIA CODiE™ Awards
The SIIA CODiE Awards is the only peer-reviewed program to showcase business and education technology’s finest products and services. Since 1986, thousands of products, services and solutions have been recognized for achieving excellence. For more information, visit siia.net/CODiE.
SIIA is the leading association representing the software and digital content industries. SIIA represents approximately 800 member companies worldwide that develop software and digital information content. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to the leading companies that are setting the pace for the digital age. For more information, visit http://www.siia.net. The Software & Services Division of SIIA (SSD) represents companies that develop the applications, services, infrastructure and tools driving the success of today’s high-tech industry. For more information, visit http://www.siia.net/SSD.
CloudMine provides the only secure, cloud-based digital health platform that helps healthcare organizations connect to the world of healthcare data, promote patient engagement, and ultimately improve quality of care. Through CloudMine, technology is available today that makes delivering accurate, personalized and intelligent health solutions within reach for all parties in the healthcare chain, from hospitals and pharmaceutical companies to life science and biotech startups. CloudMine's Connected Health Cloud is being used by world-class enterprises including Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Biomeme, Mylan Specialty, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Barnes & Noble College and Digitas Health.
For more information, visit CloudMine at http://www.cloudmineinc.com, call (855) 662-7722, or follow us on twitter @CloudMine.


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Exceptional: With regard to the environment, DEISS is within the top eight percent of evaluated companies from within the plastic goods industry. EcoVadis also performs assessments in the areas of employment and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.
EMIL DEISS KG (GmbH + Co.) was awarded the esteemed silver medal by EcoVadis, in recognition of its positive CSR rating. The EcoVadis CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Score von EcoVadis attests to DEISS' "ongoing commitment to responsible business, through the integration of social and environmental concerns into its business activities“. With regard to the environment in particular, the Hamburg company impressed with a score of 70 out of 100, thus placing it within the top eight percent of all companies within the plastics industry. In the overall evaluation, DEISS lies in the top 18 percent.
"Being awarded the Silver Medal by EcoVadis makes us very proud. In spite of the coronavirus crisis, the topic of sustainability has not been forgotten," says Clemens Eichler, Managing Director of DEISS. "For several years we have been positioning ourselves as an environmentally-friendly and ethically responsible company, and as such respond to the demands of our customers in placing major value on sustainability – this includes our latest innovations, the 100% climate-neutral products from the PREMIUM PLUS range."
Since 2007, EcoVadis has been supporting companies in becoming more sustainable, and to this end uses a comprehensive system of ratings in the area of corporate responsibility, including assessing the implications in terms of environmental, workers' and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. Together with EcoVadis, DEISS has already developed a new plan to further improve the CSR rating.


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Following CVS tobacco decision, local medical groups push ban at more pharmacies
The big question following CVS Caremark’s announcement to stop selling tobacco at its stores was whether other businesses might follow suit.
Now local medical societies are hoping more businesses will have to. “It is now time for the D.C. Council to address the matter head on,” said K. Edward Shanbacker, executive vice president of the Medical Society of D.C.
This week, CVS became the largest pharmacy chain to say it would no longer sell tobacco products starting later this year, taking a $2 billion annual hit. Other nationwide pharmacy brands, namely Walgreens and RiteAid, have said they’ve been evaluating whether they would also cut the category of tobacco products from their shelves.
For several years, Shanbacker said the medical society has been pushing for the city council to pick up legislation that would actually ban tobacco sales from pharmacies.
Now the group is trying to dust off legislation and see if the CVS decision helps garner more interest going forward.
But Shanbacker isn’t just talking about drug chains — he's eyeing grocery stores that house pharmacies too.
“A CVS is looking more and more like a Safeway, and a Safeway is looking more like a CVS,” Shanbacker said. And they are both health care providers, he said.
In Maryland, health advocates may also consider reviving similar legislation that never gained traction after it hit major opposition from the pharmacy industry, said Gene Ransom, CEO of MedChi, Maryland's medical society.
“Pharmacies are providing more and more health care services and I don’t know how in good conscience they can sell these products … that are not consistent with their mission,” Ransom said.
Tina Reed covers health care.
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text: Two cases of E. coli 0157:H7 in Western Michigan have been linked to consumption of raw milk products from an Ottawa County cow-share program. In March, a 31-year-old Muskegon County woman became ill after drinking raw milk, and, in April, a six-year-old child from Kent County became ill after possible consumption of the raw-milk product. Due to the health risk of consuming raw milk, it is not legal to sell raw milk or raw milk products in the state of Michigan. Because of this, raw milk is obtained through herd-share programs where consumers purchase a share of a cow, and, as an owner of the cow, are provided raw milk from the farmer. These herd-share dairy programs are not licensed or inspected by state or local agencies. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that unpasteurized milk is 150 times more likely to cause foodborne illness and results in 13 times more hospitalizations than illnesses involving pasteurized dairy products. Due to poorly developed immune systems, infants and children are at greater risk for becoming sick and are more likely to suffer from long-term damage from diseases linked to drinking raw milk. Symptoms of E. coli illness include vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain along with fever, headache, and body ache.


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Asda is facing a backlash on staff pay after it was revealed that Sainsbury’s staff will be paid 70p more an hour under new contracts.
According to The Mail on Sunday, workers’ unions have held discussions with Asda’s staff over the pay disparities between the two supermarkets which in the midst of a £12 billion merger.
Sainsbury’s announced earlier this year that it would ramp up its hourly pay rate from £8 to £9.20 from September 2018.
Asda also announced new contracts last year, but this would only see Asda raise pay from the minimum wage of £7.83 to £8.50, and many staff are still waiting to be moved onto the new contracts.
Staff at Asda are also understood to receive lower pension contributions, and fewer holidays.
It is estimated that raising the pay to match that of Sainsbury’s would cost £100 million.
“Asda staff are well aware that Sainsbury’s employees are earning more, whether that is under the existing contracts or the new flexible contracts,” GMB national officer Gary Carter said.
“They will be looking for the company to adopt best practice and for wages to increase.
“This is very affordable. Both of these businesses are very profitable. If you want thriving local economies and good communities, you need to pay decent wages.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “In the event of the proposed merger, Asda and Sainsbury’s contracts will remain separate and distinct, just as the businesses will. We will always have any discussions about our colleagues’ pay with them first.”


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Research in Motion (BlackBerry) in association with mobile service provider Vodafone has launched an application, Study Buddy, for B-School aspirants with test prep institution IMS, reports The Indian Express. The app is available for download on all BlackBerry handsets on Vodafone through the BlackBerry App World. The app has been developed by Omni-Bridge Systems. The Study Buddy app offers mock tests for MBA entrance exams like CAT and CMAT. Apart from that, the app also offers campus placement tests that are used by IT and other organizations for recruitment. Students can also give tests where the questions are set by a random questionnaire from the data-bank, . All the test content data is streamed from the server and rendered in real-time. What's interesting is that the app features BBM integration, and users can chat with their BBM contacts. One can also unlock more tests with the percentage scored in previous tests. Availability: BlackBerry users on Vodafone can download the app separately on their handsets from the BlackBerry App World. Apart from that, the app also comes bundled with Vodafone BlackBerry Service Plan on Campus Pack. We tried to access the app from BlackBerry 9900 on Airtel connection, however, the app was not available for download. We noticed that the app download page mentions that it's only available on Vodafone. It's interesting to note how BlackBerry is targeting the youth, especially college students, with apps and special plans, as it loses share to other platforms in the corporate segment. Other Applications Last year,…
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One month before its global media unveil on 10th February 2010, Nissan today confirms the name of its forthcoming small Crossover. The Nissan Juke will go on sale from October 2010, following its global public premiere at Geneva Motor Show in March 2010.
The Nissan Juke will inject some much-needed dynamism into the small car segment, offering European car-buyers an alternative to the traditional, uninspiring small hatchback. As the fourth Crossover in Nissan's European range, "name" reinforces the brand's pioneering Crossover leadership in Europe.
The car was inspired by the Qazana concept car that received such a warm reception at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, and will fit into the Nissan range between the Note compact family car and the Nissan QASHQAI crossover.
Nissan's customer research identified a large proportion of European small and compact car buyers whose needs are not met by what they perceive to be uninspiring and unoriginal options available to them where copycat hatchbacks dominate.
The Nissan Juke has been designed and developed to give customers an alternative to the traditional small hatchback in Europe. "We know that there are a lot of customers that are looking for a car which combines striking design, agile handling and driving pleasure, user friendly technology but not at the expense of practicality and convenience. These unique attributes will allow Juke to occupy a unique corner of the European market," said Simon Thomas, Nissan's European Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing.
"Nissan caught the mood of the European car-buying public with QASHQAI crossover and we've worked hard to study the market in the same way for Juke to be sure we meet the needs of European customers. We're confident that Juke will bring a new generation of customers to Nissan, in the same way that QASHQAI did. Our philosophy of challenging conventions with QASHQAI has been a huge success. We've just reached the 500,000 landmark and we're applying many of the lessons learned from QASHQAI to Juke. We're confident we'll have another success on our hands," added Simon Thomas.
The Nissan Juke will be manufactured alongside the Nissan QASHQAI, Nissan QASHQAI+2 and Nissan Note at Nissan's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Sunderland, Great Britain.
This is a 11-year+ news article, from our Nissan archive, which dates back to the year 2000.
If in doubt check with your local Nissan dealer as car prices and technical data will have changed since 2010.
Although our car news is published in good faith, we cannot guarantee it to be error free or complete or up-to-date.
Nissan Juke Images may not be UK specification cars. Colours and exterior and/or interior elements may differ from actual models.
The car news and images remain the copyright of the rights holder and may not be used without their consent.


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Apple Makes Half Of Mobile Phone Profits, Despite Only 4% Market Share
This article was written by Amit Chowdhry. You can follow me at @amitchowdhry or on Google+ at +AmitChowdhry
According to a report by Horace Dediu of Symbo, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has a 4.2% global mobile phone market share but they account for 51% of the industry’s total profits. Apple continues to dominate profits in the mobile phone market from the top 8 mobile phone vendors in the December quarter. Apple sold 16.24 million iPhones in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, which resulted in $10.5 billion of company revenues. Not bad considering that Apple’s profit was 32% in August 2009.


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Open for Business: The Trader Joe’s on 14th Street NW finally opened today and it has murals of U Street NW landmarks throughout, which the Washington Post calls “pretty funny.” Some of them even feature hipsters. +3
Beersides Falafal: What’s better than falafel? Falafel and beer! Amsterdam Falafelshop is opening on 14th Street NW this weekend (big week for 14th Street) and will serve beer at its new digs. +2
DC Vape: File this under things you never knew our city needed: A full service electronic cigarette retail shop and vape lounge is coming to Adams Morgan and promises to abet “a vaping lifestyle with a healthy alternative to smoking.” +1
The Fourth Wave? The long-delayed Women’s History Museum may finally become a reality. +2
Yesterday’s Needle rating: 58 Today’s score: +8 Friday Bonus: +2 Today’s Needle rating: 68


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(Bloomberg) – China warns Jack Ma and senior executives of Ant Group Co. that the fintech giant will face new restrictions during its expansion, highlighting the growing legal risk for the world’s largest public offering just days ago when launching deals.
Ma, Ant’s billionaire co-founder and one of China’s most powerful businessmen, was summoned to a rare joint meeting on Monday with the country’s central bank and three regulators Other top finance. While neither side disclosed details of what was discussed, those familiar with the matter said Ant’s leadership team has been informed that the company will face stricter scrutiny. and is subject to the same capital and leverage constraints as banks.
Investors have long understood that Ant will abide by the new Chinese rules for financial corporations, but the meeting could nonetheless ease the frenzy surrounding stock market launches. history̵7;s greatest. Ant will begin trading on Thursday after raising at least $ 34.5 billion in an IPO attracting more than $ 3 trillion in orders from retail investors in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Kevin Kwek, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, said: “Regulatory risk is the biggest risk factor for Ant Group. “We believe the news will only gradually increase the negative for the listing and believe that most investors will remain optimistic about Ant’s long-term positive outlook. However, investors may reconsider their growth assumptions when there are clear signs of legal intervention. “
Chairman Ant Eric Jing and CEO Simon Hu joined Ma at the meeting, which included the banking watchdog, the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the State Foreign Exchange Administration, according to a statement. CSRC’s father on Weibo. The release describes it as a “yuetan” or a regulatory warning.
Ant said in a statement that it will “take the meeting’s opinions in depth” and adhere to guidelines including steady innovation, including monitoring and serving the real economy.
Central banks, banking regulators and CSRC did not respond to requests for further comment.
Ant has faced a wave of new regulations in recent months as China has tightened its controls on online lenders and companies across multiple areas of the financial business. The measures include capital and license requirements, loan ratio limits, and limits Ant’s use of asset-backed securities to finance FMC. On Monday, the banking regulator released draft rules forcing Ant and the other operators of the online lending platform to fund a larger share of the loans they offer alongside banks. row.
The Hangzhou-based company, the 2010 subsidiary of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., dominates China’s payment market through the Alipay app. It also operates the giant money market fund Yu’ebao and two of the country’s largest consumer loan platforms. Other businesses include credit scoring units and the insurance market.
Ant has faced criticism from Chinese state media in recent days after Ma criticized local and global regulators for repressing innovation and disinterest full of development and opportunities for young people. At a conference in Shanghai late last month, he compared the Basel Accords, which set capital requirements for banks, to a club for the elderly.
“Good innovation is not afraid of regulation, but obsolete,” Ma said. “We should not use train station management to regulate airports, nor should we use the way of managing the future using yesterday’s method.”
A meeting over the weekend of the Financial Development and Stability Commission, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Liu He, emphasized the need for fintech companies to be regulated.
Opinions in official papers – including those run by the central bank and banking watchdog – blamed Ant for straying from the core payments business. and that big technology has fooled consumers beyond their capabilities.
Guo Wuping, head of consumer protection at the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, wrote in a comment Monday that Ant’s consumer loan service Huabei is similar to a card credit but have a higher fee. Fintech companies use their market power to impose exorbitant fees in partnerships with banks, which provide most of the funds needed, he said.
Ant, which has more than 700 million monthly Alipay users, has partnered with traditional banks to be central to its strategy. Its lending platforms extended credit to about 500 million people over the 12 months through June, charging an annual interest rate on smaller loans of around 15 percent.
New measures proposed by the banking regulator on Monday for online lenders include imposing limits on the amount of loans offered to individual borrowers as well as leverage.
The draft rules could deal a blow to Ant as they require platform operators to provide at least 30% of the capital for loans. About 2% of the 1.7 trillion yuan ($ 254 billion) of loans Ant facilitated as of June is now on its balance sheet, the company said in its prospectus. .
Ant declined to comment on the proposed measures.
The market impact of the new regulatory scrutiny for Ant will become more apparent when the stock launches on Thursday, but for now investors seem to be receiving the news positively. Alibaba, which owns about a third of Ant, jumped 2% in New York on Monday. Ant maintained an early gain in the so-called gray market in Hong Kong, where the stock is said to be trading at 50% higher than the Hong Kong $ 80 list price on Monday.
Francis Chan, a Hong Kong analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, said the IPO proceeds could help Ant meet growing capital requirements.
(Update details on meeting chaired by the deputy prime minister in paragraph 12)
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Inquiries about luxury American RVs are starting to rise as Kiwis look for alternatives to high-priced houses.
While many Aucklanders will head to the Auckland Home Show at the ASB Showgrounds today to look at renovation ideas, others will be checking out more mobile options.
Two mobile home providers spoken to by the Weekend Herald are reporting more inquiries from people looking for self-sufficient vehicles at a fraction of the price of a house.
The city can expect to see permanent trailer park dwellers because of rising property prices and bills, believes Milton Kilgour of Silverdale RV Centre.
The company has been importing motorhomes from the United States for nine years but has only this year starting bringing in a luxury brand after customers started asking for a completely self-sufficient model.
Retailing at about $130,000, the Cedar Creek model, made by an Amish company in Indiana, costs a quarter of Auckland's median house price of $552,000.
The 12m x 4m RVs come with a queen-sized bed, leather reclining chair, dining table with chairs, sofa that folds out to a queen-sized bed, full kitchen with oven, 40-inch TV, central gas heating and an electric awning outside. It has a separate bathroom with a fibreglass shower.
Customers can add their own touches such as double-glazed windows, ducted air-conditioning, decking and trellising.
"A lot of people are putting their homes on the market and planning towards this type of product," Mr Kilgour said. "The cost of housing in New Zealand is so high and people are looking at alternatives to buying or building a house, or a beach home, or a granny flat for Nana to live in.
"They're more like a luxury apartment with three or four slide-out rooms which is more or less doubling your living space."
Mr Kilgour, who has an RV set up at the Auckland Home Show this week, said he had had a range of inquiries.
One young couple had bought a section in the city but could not afford to build a home so were looking at buying an RV, living in a camp ground, and paying off the trailer over five years.
They would then sell it and use the money to build a home on their section.
Another young couple were looking at living in a trailer on their parents' property as they saved for a home.
"It's helping younger couples accumulate enough money in the capital value which they can then, at a later stage, sell and use that money as a house deposit," Mr Kilgour said.
He had also just sold an RV to a couple who live in America for six months and New Zealand for the remaining six months each year, and wanted something low-maintenance.
One man had bought a trailer after selling his home and parked it on his daughter's 5ha section in Waitoki, north of Auckland. Another couple had just sold their farm in Cambridge and planned to park the RV on their new section in Tauranga while they built a home.
Other customers included people looking for guest accommodation, a home for farm workers and people wanting to put their elderly parents out the back. New Zealand camp grounds were being sold off at an alarming rate because of the increasing land value and the trailer park culture did not compare to America, Mr Kilgour said.
"The US has big, beautiful RV resorts that ... have hedgerows and beautiful paved areas. In New Zealand it's a growing trend."
Jonas Ng, of Buy Campervans in Howick, which imports motorhomes from Germany, said they were also getting an increase in inquiries from people wanting to live in the vehicles.
Mobile home living proves much easier on the pocket
As her rates, insurance, water and electricity bills continued to rise, widow Noeleen Faulkner knew she wouldn't be able to keep living in her $600,000 Pakuranga home.
Work for the 61-year-old cleaner was also drying up.
But buying a smaller home was also financially impossible.
When a friend suggested she look into buying a motor home, Ms Faulkner sold her house and bought a luxury RV imported from America for $132,000.
"It's the best thing I've ever done," Ms Faulkner told the Herald.
The vehicle is permanently parked at the Chosen Valley Christian Camp, in Ararimu, 47km south of Auckland, where she works 20 hours a week cleaning for her keep.
She still owns a car and drives into Pakuranga about two days a week for her home-cleaning job.
Even without rising bills at her three-bedroom home, it would have been too large and the cleaning and garden maintenance had become too much.
"When I sold the house, they sent me a new rates bill by mistake and it was just under $3,000. I couldn't pay that."
Her trailer features a double bed, a two-seater fold-out couch which guests sleep on when they stay, a 40-inch television, and a full kitchen and separate bathroom. She paid to have the oven removed as she didn't want to clean it.
The only thing the trailer doesn't have is a laundry, but she uses the camp facilities.
Mrs Faulkner, whose husband died in 1999, said a neighbouring couple in a motorhome lost their business and were forced to sell up.
"There's plenty of us doing this ... you've got to think a little bit outside the box."


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DW's best-dressed host Gerhard Elfers discusses fashion offences and sartorial disasters in the world of business and politics. This week he turns his attention to the disturbing length of President Trump's ties.
US President-elect Donald Trump has ordered Barack Obama's politically-appointed ambassadors to leave when he takes office. The move will force many deputies to pick up the slack.
President Trump's order on religious liberty gives a symbolic nod to the Evangelical community which supported him during the election. It has little practical relevance, but still might provide an interesting insight.
Ever wonder what makes people in a remote European country actively engage in the US elections? Dozens of young entrepreneurs in Macedonia are promoting Donald Trump’s candidacy on the internet - for a solid profit.
Is fashion dead? Lidewij Edelkoort tells DW why greed is eating away at fashion - and how technology can secure its future. She also explains how the rise of the right-wing in Europe and the US will change how we dress.
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The update from the telecom giant, in a regulatory filing before the stock market open, came in advance of a session with AT&T CEO John Stankey at the Citi AppsEconomy Conference.
WarnerMedia had in July raised its year-end 2021 guidance to 70 million-73 million global HBO Max/HBO subscribers from 67 million-70 million. Back then, it had touted a “strong” fourth-quarter content slate at HBO Max, including Succession, Dune and The Matrix Resurrections. The streamer also launched, in December, its Sex and the City sequel series And Just Like That.
Management has since also said it expected to end the year near the high end of its target range. Wednesday’s regulatory filing included a press release that the company also issued. “AT&T ended the year with approximately 73.8 million total global HBO Max and HBO subscribers, ahead of management’s prior guidance,” it said.
Global HBO and HBO Max subscribers had risen by 1.9 million to 69.4 million in the third quarter, from around 67.5 million as of mid-year 2021, AT&T had disclosed in October. It cited “strong international and ad-supported subscriber growth,” which offset a user hit related to a strategic decision to remove the HBO subscription option from Amazon Prime Channels.
HBO Max launched in Latin America toward the end of the second quarter and in its first European markets in the final quarter of 2021. It also brought to market its advertising-supported service tier in June.
“We have seen very healthy adoption of that version of the service,” WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday about the ad-based tier. “And it makes sense because when a customer is empowered with choice, where they can either have a higher-priced ad-free service or one that’s more affordable made possible by the presence of thoughtfully executed advertising, I think that’s a really good situation for customers. So we are seeing a lot of consumers choose the ad-supported option, and it’s early days, it’s only been about six months. But we are quite excited with the response that we have seen and very excited about where it’s going to go in 2022.”
Kilar also lauded his team for having launched HBO Max about 19 months ago in the U.S. and now offering it in 46 markets. “We have seen growth in all the markets, in all the regions, and that includes Europe, Latin America and that includes the U.S. market,” he said.
Stankey, during a virtual investor conference session Wednesday, argued that the outperformance came from “really good international launches,” saying the early European market starts have been “really strong.”
Asked about key original series and film releases that helped HBO Max top its own targets for 2021, Kilar said: “It’s not one series or one movie that drove the growth throughout the year, it really was consistent execution throughout all four quarters. The business is not about what you do, but about what you do consistently. And this team and our creative partners have delivered hits each and every quarter.” He mentioned the likes of And Just Like That, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Succession, Mare of Easttown, Friends: The Reunion and the various Warner movies of 2021. “All of these things mattered throughout the course of the year,” the WarnerMedia CEO said.
Kilar also touted that “we broke new records” in terms of engagement at HBO Max, a day after the streamer said that December marked its best month since its May 2020 launch in terms of hours viewed. That is key, “because we want to be a daily habit,” Kilar explained. “It is just one of the many reasons why we are very excited about HBO Max, which is a combination of engagement, absolute number of subscribers and then growth — each and every quarter across 2021 — growth that a lot of our peers aren’t seeing, and that’s a credit to this great team.”
Stankey said that the company’s HBO Max engagement goal originally was over one hour a day, but the service was now “so far beyond that.” He also touted new features and functions being added and argued that “we really haven’t hit our full stride” yet as production schedules are still coming back from coronavirus-related disruptions.
AT&T had said in March that HBO Max and HBO would reach between 120 million and 150 million on a combined basis by the end of 2025, up from a previous forecast of between 75 million and 90 million. Touting “fabulous execution,” Stankey on Wednesday said that overall the WarnerMedia team had “hit the ball out of the park” with HBO Max in 2021. He argued that “some people were wrongfully skeptical” about HBO Max early on, crediting Kilar and his team for proving them wrong.
Wednesday’s company update before his appearance also said that AT&T recorded 3.2 million postpaid phone net user additions in 2021, its highest annual net adds figure “in more than a decade, as the company continues to benefit from strong network performance and its disciplined and consistent go-to-market strategy.”
Full-year 2021 fiber internet net user additions totaled about 1 million, “the fourth consecutive year in which the company has added 1 million or more fiber subscribers,” AT&T said.
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Irish And Northern Irish Retailer Groups Call For Political Leadership During Brexit Phase
Retail representative groups in both Ireland and Northern Ireland have called on governments on both sides of the Irish Sea to demonstrate strong leadership and a clear focus on jobs and business during the Brexit phase.
Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) and the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) said that governments need to 'establish a roadmap for exit with clear milestones where full consideration is given to the 360,000 retail jobs on the island of Ireland which are dependent on both economies'.
“There is deep concern amongst business owners about the possible impact of Brexit on both the Irish and British economies," said David Fitzsimons, CEO, Retail Excellence Ireland and Glyn Roberts, CEO, NIIRTA.
"It is important that during the Brexit phase the Northern Ireland Executive, British and Irish Governments must demonstrate strong leadership and remain focused on the many jobs which depend on functioning and open market economies. It would be a significantly regressive step if there was any hardening of the border and any introduction of tariffs and quotas. Brexit should not be to the detriment of the largest industry in both economies – Retail."
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.


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The chances are the children of American auto workers who used sledgehammers to smash up Japanese cars in the streets of Detroit 30 years ago are today driving around in Japanese cars.
This is a victory for globalisation and the pragmatic response of Japanese businessmen who recognised the geopolitical imperative of manufacturing cars in United States rust-belt states.
The US automotive industry and American society have come a long way since those dark days in 1980 when sacked US auto workers smashed up Japanese cars for the TV cameras.
The Japanese responded to the protests by voluntarily restricting exports of cars to ease rising political tensions.
At the time, the US automakers in Detroit had just gone through another round of large-scale redundancies caused by increased competition from Japan.
The Japanese had set new benchmarks for quality and affordability while their big US competitors – General Motors, Chrysler and Ford – had struggled to maintain appropriate levels of quality. In the late 1970s the Japanese were on a roll, having captured a quarter of the US market.
The demonstrations in Detroit triggered a sea change in Japan’s approach to global car manufacturing.
Within five years several Japanese manufacturers had set up factories in the US and Canada. By 1990 there were Japanese car plants in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ontario.
It is worth reflecting on those troubled times and the lessons to be learned now that Toyota has, for the first time, surpassed the monthly sales figures of the largest US producer, General Motors.
In the month of March, Toyota sold 256,485 vehicles in the US, a 92.3 per cent increase on the previous corresponding period, according to statistics from Autodata.
It not only pipped GM’s sales by about 10,000 vehicles, it lifted its market share to 16 per cent, the highest of any car maker in the US. Also, this achievement was in a month with record vehicle sales of 18 million, including 23,000 cars sold by Tesla.
There are a number of reasons why the Japanese are winning market share in America. The COVID-19 outbreak has had a much greater negative impact on US supply chains than Japan’s.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley this week said the record new-car sales in the US had been driven by fiscal stimulus, tax refunds and record used-car prices.
This demand has pushed the “days supply” of vehicles at GM, Ford and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) to record low levels or about a third of what they were a year ago.
The COVID-19-induced upheaval has brought out the Japanese superiority in supply-chain management. Toyota, in particular, has been much better at managing inventory including the supply of semi-conductor chips.
Analysts at Nomura said the Americans would continue to lose market share in the months ahead and the Japanese would continue to gain on the back of higher sales of cars and light trucks.
The combined market share of Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda and Mitsubishi was 40.3 per cent in March, just below the combined 41.3 per cent market share of Detroit’s big three.
In other words, the Japanese are on the brink of auto-supremacy in the US just 64 years after the first Toyota Crown was exported from Japan and landed in California.
Japan’s progress toward this historic moment in industrial history can be attributed to a number of factors.
First, Japan’s car industry was saved in the 1950s when it was called upon to supply and service vehicles used by the United Nations forces enmeshed in the Korean War, according to the Kodansha Encyclopaedia of Japan.
Japan’s car makers also benefited from visionary industrial policies implemented by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, which was accused by the Americans of protectionism and unfair government subsidisation.
Similar accusations are today levelled at the Chinese government for its approach to industrial development and its suppression of foreign competition in key industries.
But MITI”s leadership in the encouragement of high levels of research and development is commonplace today across all geographies and in developed and developing countries.
Japan is well placed to be the leading electric vehicle manufacturer because its hybrid models are not constrained by lack of charging infrastructure, particularly in laggard countries like Australia.
Japan’s ascendancy in global automotive industry is a tribute to its advanced production techniques and the willingness of its business leaders to embrace the latest technologies.
Above all, Japanese automakers somehow managed to stay in closer touch with the needs of their customers than their rivals in the US and Europe.
Disclosure: The author’s self-managed super fund owns shares in Toyota.
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US flash storage vendor Violin Memory has seen a year-on-year top-line decline of more than 50 per cent in its second quarter for fiscal year 2017. Violin reported Q2 revenues of $7.5m (€6.68m), a 23...
$2.6bn mega-merger signposted to conclude by the end of February
Dutch-based distributor boosts cloud proposition with buyout
Stats from Context show latest iteration of Microsoft OS accounts for 57 per cent of business PCs distributed in western Europe
Chinese giant up against it in Q3


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Three CUs Commit to Open Solutions Platform
Two of the credit unions now use core platforms from companies Open Solutions had earlier acquired: the $54 million Premier Financial CU in New Holstein, Wis., (Liberty FiTech) and the $26 million Eaton County Educational CU in Charlotte, Mich., (CGI). The third, the$29 million Desertview FCU in Huntington, Utah, is currently running on a CUSA Technologies core platform, according to the credit unions' 5300 Call Reports on the NCUA Web site.
All three will be using the standard market edition of the platform and cited the need for a more advanced, user-friendly data processing platform, the company said.
"As the only credit union in Holstein, [we] compete solely with local banks for business. To remain competitive and increase our member wallet share, we needed a system that would support new products and services," said Jerry Tiedt, president of Premier FCU.
Open Solutions provides core processing and other integrated technology products and services to more than 5,800 credit unions in the United States and globally, the company said.


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- On June 14, 2018, the Kellogg Company voluntarily recalled impacted packages of Honey Smacks cereal following an announcement by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of
Blue Bell Fined Record $17.25 Million in Post-Conviction Criminal Penalties for Listeria Outbreak
- As previously reported on this blog, a multi-state listeriosis outbreak in 2015 linked to Blue Bell Creameries LP’s ice cream products contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes led to recalls, state
Continue Reading Blue Bell Fined Record $17.25 Million in Post-Conviction Criminal Penalties for Listeria Outbreak
Blue Bell Pleads Guilty to Distributing Adulterated Ice Cream and Former President Faces Charges of Criminal Conspiracy to Conceal Listeria Contamination
- A multi-state listeriosis outbreak linked to consumption of Blue Bell Creameries’ ice cream products in 2015 lead to state regulatory enforcement actions (discussed here) and multiple civil lawsuits. As
Continue Reading Blue Bell Pleads Guilty to Distributing Adulterated Ice Cream and Former President Faces Charges of Criminal Conspiracy to Conceal Listeria Contamination
Petition to Supreme Court Denied for DeCosters (Strict Criminal Liability)
- The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case of two executives from Quality Egg who were sentenced to prison under the Park Doctrine, also known as the Responsible Corporate
Continue Reading Petition to Supreme Court Denied for DeCosters (Strict Criminal Liability)
Roos Foods pleads guilty to FD&C Act violation in connection with 2014 Listeria outbreak.
- Thanks to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), FDA now has the authority to suspend
“Snake Oil” Sweep
Sweeping federal probe leads to numerous charges against dietary supplements makers.
(subscription to Law360 required)
- Dietary supplement makers have come under fire in recent years as federal and state regulators
PCA Prison Penalties
Former Peanut Corporation of America owner receives 28-year prison sentence.
- As previously covered on this blog, the 2008-2009 Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut products distributed by Peanut Corporation of
DOJ Sets Sights on Supplements
DOJ indicates “illegal activity in the dietary supplement industry” as a high priority.
- The dietary supplement industry has had its share of negative publicity in 2015, ranging from the New
Supplement company ordered to cease production and marketing after repeat violations.
- FDA has the authority to regulate dietary supplements. The Agency enforces legal and regulatory provisions applicable to supplements in
PCA Convictions Confirmed
Judge upholds convictions of defendants in Peanut Corporation of America case.
- In 2008-2009, peanut products distributed by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) were linked to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened


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Greg Tusar who is known as the cofounder of Tagomi Holdings is betting great on digital cryptocurrencies whereas they are spending billions of dollars
- Joining a long-term access
- The 2 nascent markets
- Tagomi Assets launch
Currently interviewed to Bloomberg, Greg Tusar, who had earlier worked as the head of electronic exchange at US banking monstrous Goldman Sachs; caparisoned digital cryptocurrency for formation level of electronic equity exchange. No matter how alarming the market bulls, he is hopeful about the future increment of the crypto industry.
Joining a long-term Access:
On one would tell that this year has been better for digital cryptocurrency bestowed that Bitcoin, the flagship digital currency, deprived over 75% of its price with other digital coins perpetually emerging at the epicenter of the situation. However, Tusar who has been evolved the electronic exchange valuation, supports on the long-term increment of the digital cryptocurrency portion. He declares that customers have to clench the ‘transformative’ effect of digital cryptocurrencies.
The 2 nascent Digital Markets:
He narrates examples between balanced exchange and digital crypto tokens transaction, announced that there are many resembled which involve trading chances and the strong impact volume.
Cryptocurrency hedgers are recently encountering lots of barriers (least custody solution, trades are not being capable to precede big orders, etc). Still, Tusar hopes that it is suitable to manage these problems. There is also a big legitimacy debate on the crypto place.
The similar concerns the legitimacy discussion around digital cryptocurrencies. Tusar, whereas performing tasks at Goldman, had been directly responsible to propelled logistic suggestions for the balanced market-2008.
Tagomi Supportive Introductory:
Remarkably live electronic fee deduction Tagomi Holdings has been initiated recently, presentation Bitcoin and Ethereum for experienced hedgers between the cruel crypto lines. They have gathered over 16 million dollars from particular funders associated with Peter Thiel-supportive Founders Investment.
As per Tusar who works as Tagomi’s CTO, they began different tasks on Tagomi during March, but Tusar cites that people are fond of the digital crypto space as they are bearish on the repressed tech which would recognized at great part.
This long-term access certainly produces the inclinations of Tagomi Supportive customers, most of those are in the hodl crowd as far as digital cryptocurrencies are related.


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Federal court cracks down on cage-free egg claims
CENTRALIA - Cage-free, free range, all natural, organic, conventional—what do the scramble of labels on egg cartons really mean?
According to a federal court, not what consumers think they do.
In a decision released in late February by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the court determined cage-free eggs are not more nutritious and do not carry a lower risk of Salmonella contamination than eggs from caged hens.
Animal rights groups Compassion Over Killing and the Animal Legal Defense Fund made those claims in a lawsuit, calling for mandatory egg carton labels disclosing production practices, like the use of cages to house laying hens.
The plaintiffs said egg companies mislead consumers by using labels, marketing slogans and brand names that evoke pastoral images of hens raised outdoors, when they actually raise the birds indoors in cages.
Defendents in the case included the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, each of which exercises some oversight of food product labeling.
Although the court ruling denied that cage-free eggs are safer or more nutritious, some consumers and animal advocates say cage-free designations are still an indicator of better animal welfare.
Cage-free hens are often still raised indoors, but they are generally given more space to roost and roam and, like the name implies, are not confined to cages.
Jo Manhart of the Missouri Egg Council said production labels still don't indicate the most important factor in animal welfare: farm management.
"You can have poorly raised cage-free and superbly raised conventional birds, poorly raised backyard flocks and absolutely excellent backyard farms," Manhart said. "The clue is in the management, and the label doesn't really tell you that."
McDonald's, Walmart and a host of the nation's largest food and grocery businesses have announced commitments to source only cage-free eggs by 2025.
Now, U.S. egg producers must scramble to meet the expected spike in cage-free egg demand. Converting conventional operations to cage-free systems is expected to cost farmers up to $10 billion. In total, the U.S. egg industry is valued at $10 billion per year.
Dustin Stanton, operator of Stanton Brothers Eggs in Centralia, said he chose to begin his cage-free farm to fill a niche, consumer-driven market.
He said he sees a place for both cage-free and conventional operations in the marketplace.
"We have to be very careful in the choices we make so we can feed the rest of the world, too," Stanton said. "We are the breadbasket for the world. As a whole, I think it should be left to consumers' choice. The farmers and producers should be able to do what they want to do, and then when we get to the store, have the consumers choose what they want."
Consumers pay a premium for cage-free eggs. On average, cage-free eggs cost $1 to $2 more per dozen than eggs from caged hens.


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Konami has officially announced that it’ll be holding a special event later this week to address the future of the Silent Hill series.
The Silent Hill Transmission, as it’s being dubbed, will take place on Wednesday evening, and will reveal “the latest updates for the Silent Hill series”.
The Transmission will begin at 2pm PDT – which translates to 10pm UK time or 11pm CEST. We’ve not been given any more information than that.
The tweet itself links to a landing page where – presumably, the broadcast will go live at that time. For now, checking the website and offering up your date of birth just takes you to a reminder of the date and time for the broadcast.
Of course, for now Konami are staying coy about what will be revealed at the event, so there’s a number of possibilities. It’s long been rumoured that Bloober Team are working on something Silent Hill related.
In fact, one of the long-running rumours claims that a remake of Silent Hill 2 is in the works. It’s not clear at the present time if this is the same project, or indeed there are multiple Silent Hill games in development.
The wording of the tweet doesn’t give much away, but does say updates plural, so fans could be in for a treat – as long as Konami don’t pull a Metal Gear Solid and announce Silent Hill pachinko machines.
Silent Hill’s original art director – Masahiro Ito – previously said in 2020 he was working on a new game. Meanwhile, some members of the original Team Silent are now at Bokeh Game Studios working on Slitterhead.
Meanwhile, the Silent Hill movie director, Christophe Gans, recently set tongues wagging when he claimed that “multiple” games in the venerable horror series were in the works in a recent French language interview.
Regardless, there’s plenty of fuel for the speculation bonfires. We’ll find out exactly what Konami have up their sleeves when we peer into the fog on Wednesday, October 19.
Videogamer.com is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Last updated on 2023-10-02


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The combination of an improved design and better performance makes the Marshall Major II a strong on-ear contender for around $100 USD.
The Marshall Major 50 FX headphones may look a little gaudy, but the company's rock tradition is safe with a premium build and exciting sound.
The Marshall Major headphones live up to Marshall's strong legacy with a familiar shape and excellent acoustics to match its line of amps.
Pronounced "cross-point", this is a new class of memory that can be used both as RAM and storage.
We took some of our favorite Windows 8 PCs and upgraded to Windows 10 in order to test application performance.
Some users may be better off waiting a few weeks before upgrading to Windows 10. Here's why.
The goal of the software maker's flagship product is to renew faith in the Windows world.
The camera taps eight synchronized shutters and eight microphones to capture 360-degree video and spatial audio.
These recent laptops, hybrids and desktops are ready for a day one upgrade to Windows 10, and should work without a hitch.
Last year, more than 1 billion Android devices shipped around the globe. Security firm Zimperium says this vulnerability could affect 95 percent of them.


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Rumors had been swirling about Samsung working on its own spin on OLED screens, and at CES 2022, we’re seeing evidence of those efforts via a new TV from Sony. The tech has also garnered some awards before Samsung has made any official announcements.
It’s called QD-OLED, or Quantum Dot Organic Light Emitting Diode, and it aims to merge the picture quality strengths of OLED with the brightness capabilities of Samsung’s existing Quantum Dot approach. With rival LG’s OLED displays often considered among the best in terms of overall picture quality, it’s likely Samsung is aiming to one-up the competition with its own take on OLED.
And as of the writing of this post, we haven’t seen an official announcement from Samsung that the new display tech is coming. Instead, we’ve seen product announcements from Sony, which touted its new Bravia 65A95K during CES 2022. While Sony has gone with LG Display for some of its other OLED screens, the announcement of this new model included mention of, yes, QD-OLED technology. Sony’s product page touts the new TV as offering more colors and improved brightness.
Elsewhere, our colleagues over at CNET spotted an award listing for Samsung’s own 65-inch TV with QD-OLED tech, which described the new approach as “combining the contrast levels of RGB OLED with the color and brightness of quantum dots.”
There’s no word just yet on any official pricing or availability on Sony’s or Samsung’s new TVs, but we’ll report back if we spot any updates.
And we’ll keep an eye out for any official announcements from Samsung itself. But it looks like this particular OLED cat is out of the bag.
Featured Image: Sony


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American internet users who turn to the web to research travel opportunities often spend a lot of time clicking around from hotel sites to flight options back to hotel sites. Brafton reported on Ask Your Target Market research that found 65 percent of Google searchers sometimes find helpful answers to their questions directly in SERPs. What kinds of answers does Google provide searchers? When a user types in “flights to Boston” or “hotels in Boston,” Google shows unique boxes front and center, and users can find deals and book trips right from the results page. Obviously, Google on-SERP answers – and review sites – are not good for hotel brands or airlines, as fewer traffic navigates to their websites, and instead goes to third-party services.
As a result, hotels and airlines have prioritized SEO content strategies that focus on their brand keywords. According to L2 Think Tank and Sapient Nitro’s “Digital IQ Index: Hotels,” 46 percent of first-page organic search results for branded hotel keywords belonged to the establishments themselves, rather than sites like Kayak and TripAdvisor. More, 24 of the 57 analyzed brands owned more than 50 percent of their first-page results. This means that hotels like Hilton focus their SEO strategies around their own names, rather than commonly searched terms.
Organic search tends has become less of a priority, and, as a result, hotel companies focus on dominating their brand keywords to bring in as much traffic as possible.
A Google and Compete study, “Key Travel Themes, Q4 2012,” found that the average traveler visits more than 17 sites and entered more than four searches before booking a hotel. Organic search tends has become less of a priority, and, as a result, hotel companies focus on dominating their brand keywords to bring in as much traffic as possible.
In some industries, custom content for SEO should focus on branded keywords, instead of commonly searched terms. Internet users have grown accustom to searching the ‘net for specific companies in unique circumstances like travel. Therefore, instead of attempting to bring in new traffic looking to book a hotel for the first time, hotel companies realize their biggest asset is their customers, and they make it easier to book rooms from SERPs by owning their keywords and showing up on page one of Google results. More broadly, it’s a smart reputation strategy to own SERPs for branded terms (read Brafton’s related blog post).


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Yamaha is once again showing their support of National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day) with a give away of a brand new Yamaha Wolverine R-Spec in Hunter Green. Continue reading Yamaha Announces 2015 National Hunting & Fishing Day Sweepstakes!
Yamaha has once again set the standard for off-road capability with the new for 2016 Wolverine.
Boasting an all new nimble chassis and a compact design, the new Wolverine offers comfortable seating for two and superior handling and durability. “The all-new Wolverine will extend Continue reading Yamaha Announces the New Wolverine!