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We get emails everyday from people asking whether or not they should buy the PSP Go so we thought we’d place them all in one post to help out any one who has similar questions.
The most common one is “Should I buy a PSP Go?” – unfortunately there is no easy answer.
It all depends on what you are most ‘into’, do you prefer the slick styling of gadgets over price? Are you happy downloading your games?
A lot of people like physically having their games and many don’t care about what it looks like as long as it plays games. You get people declaring the ‘no one should buy a psp go because XYZ’ but that is solely based on their point of view. The PSP Go is better than the PSP, it improves on game distribution and looks while maintaining the amazing graphics that the PSP has always been prized for.
Eventually all systems will use purely digital formats, you can seen it happening more and more with the introduction of downloadable PC games (Steam), the iTunes Store. Even in consoles which no boast ‘stores’ of their own where users can download games from.
Sony is moving towards the cutting edge of technology and, while it may not be to everyone’s taste, it certainly improves on the current system.
Another question we get a lot is “is X game coming out for the PSP Go”. The reason this is a difficult question to answer is that Sony and other distributers are staying quiet.
There will be hundreds of games available come release day but people always make specific requests, the thing is that the more successful the PSP Go is the more distributers will start putting their games on the PSP Go store. Once it has been released I imagine all those people that said it was ‘awful’ will slowly come around once they physically see it in action.
Sony have announced that anyone who pre orders a PSP Go will receive a FULL version (not a demo!) of Gran Turismo!
This is likely to be in the form of a code early adopters get to download the full game for nothing.
Sony have said that to make sure people who pre order are the only ones to get this bonus you will have to register your PSP Go online between the 1st of October (release date) and the 10th of October.
Sony had been criticized about the PSP Go’s price but now they’ve included a free $40 game it becomes an even more irresistible offer!
Many news sources are saying that you get a free game with a pre order of the PSP Go but this is not true.
It has been confirmed that only a demo will be included. However Rock Band Unplugged is an amazing game for the PSP Go.
You can get the full band experience on the go. If you’ve never played any of the series before then here is a basic outline of what the game is – you ‘beat match’ songs (over 40!!) and try and work your way up the rock world. The more songs you complete and the better you do all progress you towards becoming a rock god!
You can even download new songs over WiFi, if you don’t have WiFi then these will be made available for download!
One of my personal favorite parts of the game is the level of customization, you create the band image from the band mates to the logo!
In a recent interview Sony said that they had thought about a second analog stick but didn’t add one so that developers would keep making great games for their handheld.
They felt that developers would probably choose to develop for the PSP’s single analog stick because more people had the original PSP – this would have meant that the second analog stick would have been underused on the PSP Go and so rendered useless.
Luckily they left it out so developers don’t have to make a choice and if you buy psp go you can be sure that all the big releases will be coming out for it and all new games will be compatible.
It would have been a bad move for Sony to let people buy psp go then find out that games like GTA: Chinatown wars wasn’t going to be released for it!
Yesterday Sony announced that they are planning a special addition to the PSN store which will provide bite-sized applications and games which are supposed to be downloaded in just a few minutes. Even more reason to buy the PSP Go – Sony’s newest handheld!
When talking to ‘develop’ (a software developers magazine) the head of developer relations said that Sony are “making games that are just 20MB each, that’s less than a minute to download – instant gratification, snackable content.”
This means that the PSP Go will now definitely have applications, games and utilities that (Sony hope will) rival Apple’s app store.
Sony have said that the ‘majority’ of current PSP games will be available for download on the 1st of October – probably in the hope that current users will buy psp go.
From then on all first party titles will be available on the online store when they are released.
Sony has not yet confirmed a way for existing PSP owners to get all their current UMD games on the PSP Go, but there is speculation that there will be exchange centers set up in certain stores which will allow users to transfer their old games to digital form!
There have been reports that Sony is going to launch an iTunes style application store.
They already have the Playstation network so the technology is all there and set up. The news is that Sony is asking developers to create smaller applications around 5-10MB in order to take advantage of the PSP Go’s new built in storage.
This could be seen as a good or bad move by Sony. The applications will work on all current PSP systems so developers have a massive incentive to take advantage of the huge market already out there. The problem is that Sony may not be as generous as iTunes with their 70% share for developers, if Sony was to squeeze developers’ margins then they could shoot themselves in the foot.
The new and highly anticipated ‘missing link’ to the Metal Gear series has been announced on the PSP Go. From the pictures and information available it is set in South American and features some impressive jungle backdrops.
There is also a new way to extract unconscious guard – parachute. Ok, more like a reverse parachute – but it still solves that issue of hiding guards when in a open environment. This could be one of the games that makes a lot of new gamers want to buy psp go!
Also from the images it looks as though a decent co-op mode may be included – the four Snakes in one shot seem to hint at this.
Anyway, while we await more information below are some great pictures of the game!
This long awaited classic driving sim is set for release on the PSP Go and from the looks of it they have gone all out in cramming as much as possible into it – making the undecided buy psp go.
The video from Sony’s E3 Showcase showed cars such as the Ferrari Enzo tearing past the screen, this portable Gran Turismo promises a massive 800+ Cars available. Couple that with 35 Unique tracks and 60 variations on them and this is shaping up to be a big hit.
They announced the inclusion of Ad-Hoc head to head racing as well as some interested car trading and sharing features unseen in previous versions of the game. However it was disappointing not to see any mention of any online multiplayer which I would have thought would be a huge selling point. I imagine this will be included as it would make a lot of people buy psp go.
Information is still thin on the ground and the above was gathered solely from a short video demo at E3, hopefully we see some real killer additions announced like international online racing championships, the ability to form racing teams (much like clans in other games).


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Toyota Motor Corp announced on Tuesday that both the president and chairman of Daihatsu Motor will step down, nearly a year after the small-car unit admitted to rigging collision safety tests. These changes mark significant moves as Toyota aims to return Daihatsu to its roots as one of Japan’s iconic compact car manufacturers.
The safety certification lapses at Daihatsu and separate governance issues at truck maker Hino Motors pose reputational risks to Toyota. The recent scandals led to a rare apology from Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda last month.
In an official statement, the world’s leading automaker disclosed that Masahiro Inoue, the Latin America and Caribbean chief executive officer, will assume the role of Daihatsu’s president, succeeding Soichiro Okudaira, effective March 1. Daihatsu’s chairman, Sunao Matsubayashi, will also step down, and the position will remain vacant.
Although the outgoing executives faced significant changes, Toyota Chief Executive Koji Sato clarified to reporters that the organizational reshuffle at Daihatsu was not punitive.
Daihatsu represented 7% of Toyota’s total group sales of 11.2 million vehicles in 2023, including the luxury Lexus brand and Hino Motors. Due to the safety test certification misconduct, Daihatsu will be excluded from the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies (CJPT), a commercial vehicle partnership initiated by Toyota, Hino, and Isuzu Motors to facilitate technology development. Suzuki Motor and Daihatsu joined the partnership in July of the same year.
As part of this change, Daihatsu’s 10% equity stake in the partnership will be transferred to Toyota, according to a separate statement from the automaker.

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To conclude their three-day visit to the United States, the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, attended the second annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony at Boston's MGM Music Hall on Friday.
In keeping with the eco-friendly theme of the event, which awards environmental heroes, guests were asked not to buy new dresses or suits for the evening. Adhering to sustainable fashion guidelines, Kate wore a bright green off-the-shoulder dress by Solace London, which she rented from Hurr, a designer clothing rental platform in the UK.
To accessorize, she chose the ultimate rewear piece – an emerald and diamond choker that once belonged to William's late mother, Princess Diana. She also presented platinum-set emerald and diamond halo earrings from Asprey. William opted for a blue velvet blazer, which he had worn to previous royal events.
Winners in each of the five categories will each receive $1 million in grants to use to further their project goals. The winners, announced Friday night, are: Mukuru Clean Stoves from Kenya, Kheyti from India, Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef from Australia, Notpla from the UK and 44.01 from Oman. The awards were presented by James Bond villain Rami Malek, comedian Catherine O'Hara and actress Shailene Woodley. Like last year, Princess Kate also presented one of the prestigious prizes. Actor Daniel Dae Kim co-hosted the awards ceremony with BBC Radio 1's Clara Amfo.
The Prince of Wales previously described the Earthshot Prize Awards, which he created in 2020, as his attempt to spread optimism about tackling environmental issues and climate change.


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Calling all Zelda enthusiasts! Nintendo is excited to announce that the ‘Defenders of the Triforce’ Experience will soon be making its way to Canada.
In November 2016, Nintendo announced its partnership with SCRAP, the renowned designers of many popular escape room experiences, to create a unique multi-city Puzzle Tour inspired by The Legend of Zelda series. The tour, which was initially announced for eight U.S. cities, has now added three Canadian city stops in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
The experience will let guests interact with classic items and characters seen in The Legend of Zelda series like the Goron, Zora and Kokiri tribes. Discovered items can be used to solve puzzles and move forward into other areas, just like in The Legend of Zelda games.
The tour kicks off today (January 31) in San Francisco. Stay tuned for more information on the Canadian tour schedule.


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Samsung has unveiled the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, which costs under $200, making it cheapest 5G smartphone in the Galaxy portfolio.
Announced at CES 2023 and at a cost of under $200, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G costs $50 less at launch than the previous model – the Galaxy A13 5G – but also comes with a new camera and slightly bigger screen.
The addition of a hi-res 13-megapixel front-facing camera is an improvement offering better picture quality than previous model, alongside the triple-lens rear camera.
Like the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G before it, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G offers 5G connectivity where it’s available, allowing apps and websites to be loaded at high-speed, as well as providing users with 64GB onboard storage – plus the option to expand that to 1TB with a microSD card. The phone also features a 90Hz display and a 6.6-inch screen size (up from 6.5-inch on the previous model) and comes with Android 13.0.
Other features include a Security and Privacy Dashboard, which allows you to see how apps track data and to quickly disable unwanted tracking, along with a partnership with Google which offers Google Meet integration into messaging and video calls.
As Lisa Eadicicco notes on ZDNET’s sister-site CNET, the Galaxy A14 5G is part of Samsung’s expanded push into budget smartphones, as the challenges posed by inflation and the cost-of-living crisis mean people aren’t as willing to spend money on new phones or other tech products.
That’s represented by the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G price of $199.99, which is much lower than the price of the flagship Samsung Galaxy S smartphones.
However, it should be noted that the budget Galaxy A only offers you two generations of Android OS upgrades – compared with four generations for Galaxy S devices – and up to four years of security updates, compared with five Galaxy S phones, meaning Samsung Galaxy phones can become out-of-date much faster than other models.


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* Columbia Gas System Inc., Wilmington, Del., a natural gas holding company, said it was offering for sale its Columbia Gas of New York Inc. distribution unit, which has annual sales of $65 million and distributes about 15 billion cubic feet of natural gas a year.
* Gander Mountain Inc., Wilmot, Wis., an outdoor recreational equipment company, sold its Master Animal Care, Two Harbors, Minn., operation, a mail order retailer of pet supplies, to Humboldt Industries, Hazleton, Pa. Terms were not disclosd.
* Hitachi Koki Co. Ltd., and Nissei Sangyo Co., both of Japan, said they had received and accepted about 14.8 million shares, or 94 percent, of Dataproducts Corp., Woodland Hills, Calif., a maker of data-processing equipment. The shares were purchased at $10 each.
* Huntingdon International Holdings P.L.C., London, a biological safety testing company, will acquire Southwestern Laboratories Inc., an engineering and testing company, for $26.2 million.
* Koninklijke Wessanen N.V., Amsterdam, a Dutch food group, said its Crowley Foods Inc., Binghamton, N.Y., unit was in talks about buying Penn Dairies Inc., Lancaster, Pa., a frozen foods company. Terms were not disclosed.
* Marriott Corp., Bethesda, Md., a hotel and restaurant company, said that the sale of its family restaurant business was proceeding as planned and that it was not in active negotiations to sell its family restaurants to a syndicate including Sizzler Restaurants International Inc., notwithstanding statements by Sizzler.
* Meadowdale Foods Inc., Detroit, a food distributer, agreed to sell the operating assets of its Great Scott retail division, including 30 operating stores and four stores under construction, to Kroger Co. of Cincinnati, and the operating assets of its Abner Wolf Distributors wholesale division and four remaining Great Scott retail locations to Foodland Distributors.Continue reading the main story
* TW Holdings Inc., Spartanburg, S.C., a food service company, agreed to sell its Milnot Co. unit to a corporation formed by Engles Capital Corp., Dallas, an investment firm, for about $25 million.Continue reading the main story


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Amadeus claims to have boosted its market share by 5% after announcing 11 new technology partnerships over the last year.
Two partnerships recently confirmed are Uniglobe and Horncastle Executive Travel.
Uniglobe, which is 11th in the top 50 UK travel management companies with 22 locations, has signed up to use Amadeus Selling Platform and Amadeus Business Travel Portal, a new off-the-shelf white label self-booking tool for TMCs.
Horncastle Executive Travel, which will be using Amadeus Selling Platform, brings the number of Advantage Focus members using Amadeus to 14. It has offices in Newcastle Upon Tyne and Edinburgh.
Other recent signings include Capita Business Travel and Barrhead Travel.
Amadeus director of sales Julian Mills said: “With 12 additional staff since December, we continue to reinforce our UK team in order to support our growth.”
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The Pennsylvania Senate has passed HB 1154, which expands the carry-out sales of ready-to-drink cocktails by bars and restaurants in the state.
Ohza, a line of ready-to-drink (RTD) sparkling wine cocktails based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has secured $4 million in additional funding.
Spiritfruit is making moves. The ready-to-drink canned cocktail company has launched an online, direct-to-consumer (DTC) store on Shopify.
Mark Anthony Brewing’s new $400 million facility is nearing completion in Columbia, South Carolina, and the company plans to hire for hundreds of open positions.
Billionaire Anthony von Mandl is one of the richest people in Canada with a net worth now estimated at $8.7 billion, up from $3.3 billion 15 months ago, according to Forbes. Von Mandl is the founder of Mark Anthony Brands, which includes both Mike’s Hard Lemonade and White Claw hard seltzer brands, two of the most influential ready-to-drink cocktails on the market.
The irreverent, pranking social media vloggers known as the Nelk Boys have promised to add their own branded hard seltzer to their lineup of merchandise and various other opportunistic offerings.
Illinois extended its cocktail to-go law, allowing bars and restaurants to sell alcohol to-go for another three years. The law, which was created to help hospitality businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, will now remain in effect until at least January 3, 2024.
United Airlines launched service of White Claw hard seltzer on Tuesday, right on schedule.
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) has announced its launch of Topo Chico Hard Seltzer in certain markets of China, the company's first ever introduction of a beverage alcohol product there.
Vizzy Hard Seltzer has a new Community Impact Director - Queen Priyanka. The international artist and drag superstar’s first task is to launch the #Vizzybility Project - a creative arts grant program designed to increase visibility for LGBTQ+ artists. #Vizzybility is the brand’s first national campaign in Canada.


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A ledger has two different meanings regarding cryptocurrency and blockchain. The first is about distributed ledger technology (DLT) — the technology of storing information that has such features as collaborative use and synchronization of digital data via consensus algorithms, geographic distribution of equivalent shares of a distributed ledger all over the world and the absence of a central administration. It is frequently confused that DLT and blockchain are the same thing. While it’s true that every blockchain is a distributed ledger, not every distributed ledger is a blockchain. Besides that, ledger can also refer to Ledger, a company producing offline hardware Bitcoin wallets which can be connected to PC via USB port and provide a wide range of services related to cryptocurrency.
Bangladesh-based Bank Asia has joined Ripple’s RippleNet blockchain-based financial services network.
Bangladesh Bank with $4 Billion in Assets Now Employs RippleNet
On the eve of the U.K.’s exit from the EU, French crypto hardware wallet firm Ledger has attempted to co-opt the notorious pro-Brexit “Take Back Control” mantra...
Ledger Wallet Co-Opts Controversial Pro-Brexit Slogan for Cryptocurrencies
Chinese entrepreneurs registered 714 blockchain firms in China this month, resulting in a total of 26,089 such companies operating in the country.
Over 700 Blockchain Firms Founded This Month in China, Over 26,000 in Operation
The World Economic Forum has released a toolkit for policymakers regarding the creation of central bank digital currencies.
World Economic Forum Debuts Framework for Central Bank Digital Currency
In Q4 2019, Hyperledger’s Fabric open source blockchain software overtook R3’s Corda in terms of developer activity.
Hyperledger Fabric Sees More Dev Activity Than Corda in Q3 2019: Report
New York lawmakers proposed a bill on a P2P savings and payment platform called the “New York Inclusive Value Ledger.”
Authors of New York’s P2P ‘Public Venmo’ Bill Hope for Greater Decentralization
Cryptocurrency holders are being warned against a Chrome extension for Ledger hardware wallets that allegedly contains malware that steals their seed phrases.
Ledger Wallet User Allegedly Lost $16K to Malicious Browser Extension


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This week Reuters reported that two more major digital health companies are discussing potential merger agreements with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) that would lead to multibillion dollar valuations.
The first, reported late Tuesday, is app-based patient-engagement and benefits-navigation platform Sharecare.
Per Reuters' anonymous sources, the proposed deal would see Sharecare acquire doc.ai – a startup that builds artificial intelligence tools for healthcare industry clients – and subsequently merge with Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp, an SPAC led by prominent investor Alan G. Mnuchin that closed $345 million in an IPO last September. One of Reuters' sources said that the two-part deal would bring the merged companies to a nearly $4 billion valuation.
The first part of that deal has now been confirmed, with Sharecare formally announcing its purchase of doc.ai just a few hours ago. That deal is set to close in the first quarter of Q1, and will add the AI company's fleet of 70 engineers to the team while appointing cofounders Sam De Brouwer and Walter De Brouwer as Sharecare's new chief strategy officer and chief science officer, respectively.
The second potential deal, reported Wednesday evening, involves D2C virtual health and mail-order-prescription brand Ro. Should these talks bear fruit, the well-funded startup could be valued at more than $4 billion, the anonymous sources told Reuters. A specific SPAC was not disclosed.
WHY IT MATTERS
Both companies' discussions are not set in stone, the sources said, although Sharecare's deal was described as nearly final. Ro, however, could still opt to pursue other fundraising approaches such as an additional investment round.
The deals would help cement Sharecare and Ro's positions as fairly large players in their respective markets. One of Reuters' sources said Sharecare's two-part deal would bring the merged companies to a nearly $4 billion valuation, while Ro's deal was said to bring the well-funded startup a valuation exceeding $4 billion.
The new funds from each agreement would help the digital health companies continue to expand their reach and offerings.
As of this summer's $200 million raise, Ro said that it would be looking to add connected devices, diagnostic testing and urgent care to its list of consumer services.
Sharecare, meanwhile, spent much of this past year fleshing out its platform by acquiring and integrating a number of smaller platforms specializing in quality management, behavioral health and AI-driven healthcare payments. Bringing doc.ai into the fold as well helps Sharecare pitch an even more robust version of its platform to clients.
In the announcement, Sharecare CEO, chairman and founder Jeff Arnold said the company will be able to "unlock the value of health data in a compelling, impactful and scalable way while advancing our shared mission to expedite digital transformation in healthcare." Statements from doc.ai's cofounder similarly highlighted the opportunity to scale their platform across Sharecare's broader customer base and beyond (a goal that would likely be easier with the additional funds a SPAC merger would provide).
THE LARGER TREND
SPACs muscled their way into the market during 2020, with the digital health sector no exception.
Just last week Hims & Hers (perhaps Ro's primary competitor) wrapped up its merger with SPAC Oaktree Acquisition and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Amwell announced plans for an SPAC merger not too long after wrapping up an IPO, while the summer saw an early SPAC deal from SOC Telemed (formerly Specialists on Call).


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A Closer Look at the Challenges and Opportunities in China’s Sports Marketing Landscape
Indeed, the rapid growth of sports marketing in China has been highlighted in a recent article, which delves into the cultural and historical aspects of the phenomenon. While the article provides valuable insights into the factors driving the industry’s development, it is also essential to examine the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for companies operating in this space.
The Role of E-sports in China’s Sports Marketing Landscape
One aspect not explored in the previous article is the rise of e-sports in China. According to a report by the China Internet Network Information Center, the country’s e-sports market size reached RMB 140.57 billion ($22.2 billion) in 2020. The Chinese government has recognized the potential of e-sports, designating it as an official sport and promoting its growth through investment and infrastructure development.
The growing popularity of e-sports provides ample opportunities for sports marketers. Brands can engage with e-sports enthusiasts through sponsorships, merchandise, and collaborations with popular gamers and influencers.
Challenges Faced by Foreign Brands in China’s Sports Marketing Landscape
While there are numerous opportunities for growth in China’s sports marketing sector, foreign brands also face unique challenges. The rise of domestic sports brands, like Anta Sports and Li-Ning, has intensified competition for market share. Moreover, recent boycotts of well-known foreign brands like Nike have further complicated the landscape for international companies.
To succeed in this competitive market, foreign brands must adapt their marketing strategies to cater to Chinese consumers’ preferences and values. They need to develop localized content, collaborate with local influencers, and leverage popular platforms such as WeChat and Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese counterpart) to engage their target audience.
The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Sports Marketing
In fact, Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly important in China’s sports marketing landscape. As Chinese consumers become more discerning, companies must demonstrate their commitment to social and environmental issues to maintain a positive brand image.
Sports brands can leverage CSR initiatives to strengthen their connection with consumers. For example, they can sponsor community sports programs, promote environmental sustainability, or collaborate with non-profit organizations to improve access to sports facilities and training for underprivileged youth.
The Impact of Intellectual Property (IP) Rights on Sports Marketing
Surely, Intellectual property (IP) rights play a crucial role in the sports marketing industry, especially when it comes to merchandising and licensing agreements. However, IP infringement remains a prevalent issue in China. Counterfeit products and unauthorized use of logos and trademarks can significantly impact brand reputation and revenue.
To mitigate the risks associated with IP infringement, sports brands must diligently enforce their IP rights in China by registering trademarks, working with local legal experts, and collaborating with Chinese authorities to crack down on counterfeit products.
While China’s sports marketing landscape presents numerous opportunities for growth, companies must also navigate a range of challenges to succeed in this highly competitive environment. By staying attuned to the unique dynamics of the market, including the rise of e-sports, the importance of CSR, and the complexities surrounding IP rights, sports brands can effectively adapt their marketing strategies to thrive in the Chinese market.
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Beauty looks different in the age of the coronavirus pandemic. Lip gloss and transferable lipstick have taken a backseat in favor of DIY beauty like root touch-up and at-home manicures. Even foot masks and peeling treatments (yep, that’s a thing) are curiously having a moment. Our current state of the union is undoubtedly less glamorous than pre-COVID-19 — after all, who knows if we’ll ever retire our WFH hoodies? To reflect on what was, I, a style and beauty editor who’s currently embracing au naturel skin and my coziest pajamas, would like to introduce you to the NYC Makeup Museum.
Consider this the perfect socially-distanced activity to commit to with friends instead of outdoor dining for the fourth weekend in a row. The museum’s first in-person exhibition is named “Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America.” It aims to explore the decade’s icons, artifacts, and blatant racial bias.
On display, you’ll get a glimpse of actual cosmetics that are decades older than the Victoria’s Secret Sugar Rush Lip Gloss you’ve been hoarding since middle school. That includes items like Marilyn Monroe’s go-to products and Kevyn Aucoin’s private journals.
The Makeup Museum was initially set to open in May, but it was delayed until September due to the pandemic. Beauty-loving historians were forced to hold tight and wait for an up-close look at Norma Jeane’s beauty regimen. But beyond the glitz and glamour of the famous era, the museum also informs visitors of the problematic vintage advertisements targeting women of color.
Beauty in the ’50s wasn’t without its flaws, and its founders are well-aware that products weren’t designed — or marketed — to women of color. Having launched amid the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement, it’s evident that the museum has important work to do. The museum’s founder, Doreen Bloch, told Essence how the museum aims to tackle this period of Black history.
“This is something that is very fraught in the 1950s, and it’s something that we really want to highlight in a big way in our exhibition and not shy away from it. In the United States, a lot of women were literally not able to go to department stores to buy makeup. There is very clear exclusion, and you see this in all sorts of ways,” says Bloch.
“But I think what’s going to be very powerful for people seeing the Makeup Museum’s take on this is that we really want to highlight pioneering women, like Dorothy Dandridge, Anna May Wong, Lena Horne, Rita Moreno, who were the exception to a Marilyn Monroe look and went through so much adversity in Hollywood. And nonetheless, persevered in many ways.” These individuals were catalysts for turning the beauty industry into the billion-dollar industry that it is today.
“2020 has been a difficult year for so many, with the beauty industry and its artists being hit especially hard,” said Makeup Museum co-founder Rachel Goodwin. “Our dream for the Makeup Museum has always been to create a place of refuge for all beauty seekers, providing inspiration, escapism, reflection, and education.”
We can’t give too much away, so you’ll have to visit in-person to learn more about the nearly century-old cosmetics and iconic celebs. Take note that safety precautions are being followed. You can’t touch any artifacts (sorry), and the museum is following NYC’s 25-percent occupancy rule. To stay compliant with the state law, only 16 guests will be allowed in at a time. The downside to this is that you need to purchase your $40 ticket online ASAP. The upside is that you will have plenty of space to take a quality Instagram pic.
No matter what you take from this experience, we guarantee that it’s exactly what you need right now. You don’t even need to put on makeup — but we recommend ditching the PJs for some real clothes before heading out of the house.


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The news today that eBay's mobile sales for this Holiday season reached $230M, up 166%, is pretty tremendous for the mCommerce geeks out there. Especially with highlights like this past Sunday's mobile sales of $13M, up 13% over their eBay's Cyber Monday sales.
- Holiday Spending focusing on High-End products
- Major Sporting Events driving mobile purchases
- Mobile Gaming, especially around Valentines Day
- Must-Have gadgets like the iPad and iPhone4
- The Clothing & Accessory category
This list will be different next year: it will include the impact of Local Inventory Visibility.
One thing we don't see (yet) from these wonderfully accessible infographics and reports is an analysis of how the recent Milo acquisition has impacted this Holiday's Mobile Sales. It was reported last week that eBay was quick to launch GiftsNearby. Surely this service brought in only a small percent of the whopping 166% increase in mobile sales - but exactly how it was used by consumers (ie., to what degree did it drive in-store traffic?) is still yet to be unpacked and shared.
That's the mobile story I look forward to most in 2011.


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This story appears in the Dec. 20 & 27 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.
A total of 22,902 medium-duty trucks were sold in the United States during November, a year-over-year increase of 30.4% that was again propelled by Classes 3 and 5, WardsAuto.com reported.
The increase marked the 12th consecutive month in which sales of Class 3-7 trucks exceeded year-ago levels, Wards said Dec. 10.
Through the first 11 months of 2010, medium-duty sales were 241,414 units — 25.1% more than in the comparable period of 2009.
“In our own fleet we’ve been adding medium-duty lease vehicles,” said Richard Witcher, CEO of Minuteman Trucks, a Walpole, Mass., dealership that stocks International and Ford brand trucks. Minuteman has been “adding some trucks to replace older trucks that were out there,” Witcher said.
However, Witcher noted sales of some trucks are still slumping because of continuing economic weakness in businesses “that are primarily in support of the consumers’ market: building homes, taking septic waste away, delivering fuel oil, that sort of thing.”
Wards reported that, during November, sales of Class 7 trucks were 3,193 units, or 0.4% above the same month a year ago. Year to date, Class 7 sales have contracted 3.1% to 34,630 units.
Sales of Class 6 trucks, which include the box trucks often rented to drivers not needing CDLs, slid slightly in November, dipping 0.7% below year-ago levels to 1,997 units. Despite the drop, Class 6 sales are up strongly in the 11-month period — 31.8% to 26,832 units, compared with the 2009 tally.
Class 3, the largest medium-duty category by volume, posted the strongest sales gain in November, rising 56.2% from November 2009 to 14,111 units. Year to date, Class 3 sales are up 44% to 141,890.
Sales of Class 4 trucks, on the other hand, fell 55.7% from last November to 565 units. That kept the combined growth rate for Classes 4 and 5 sales almost flat, despite Class 5 sales rising 47.4% for the month.
Through November, Class 4 sales were down 35.2% to 11,231 units, but Class 5 sales were up 27.1% to 26,831 vehicles.
The medium-duty market “continues to be slower than we’d like to see,” said James Hartman, owner of Truck Enterprises in Harrisonburg, Va.
“In general, most of the small company buyers are not buying medium right now,” said Hartman, who is also American Truck Dealers’ line representative for the Kenworth brand. “There are some municipalities buying, but for the most part, people are conserving cash and still, I think, waiting until their confidence level in the economy is better.”


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RJM Licensing has signed several new deals for The Rainbow Fish.
Mindware is on board to create The Rainbow Fish board games, activity books and early learning products.
Stephan Baby has signed to make plush and melamine, Wall-Ah! will produce Rainbow Fish wall art while Pint Size Productions will create customisable Rainbow Fish board books.
Elsewhere, Marcus Brothers Fabrics will be offering Rainbow Fish themed fabrics and Litographs will launch a collection of T-shirts and totes.
To date, The Rainbow Fish book series (originally published in 1992) has sold over 30 million copies with an upcoming 25th anniversary in 2017. To celebrate the anniversary, a new Rainbow Fish book will be published next year.


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By John Gruber
Turn your developer product into a movement. Get your DX Checkup.
Preface: I don’t know what the new iPhone looks like. I don’t even know whether there’s only one new iPhone. The only thing I know is that there existed, months ago, “N94” prototype iPhones that looked like the iPhone 4, but which contained the iPad 2’s next-gen A5 CPU. That proves nothing, however, as I believe Apple was just as likely to build iPhone 4-lookalike prototypes whether or not they ever intended to bring them to market. Testing new internal components in disguised exteriors is an obvious strategy for a secretive company.
So what follows is just good old-fashioned speculation and design thinking.
As I type this, we’re four days out from next week’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” media event in Cupertino. Everyone knows that Apple is poised to release a new iPhone based on the iPad 2’s A5 dual-core system on a chip, and there’s also strong agreement that the new iPhone will get an upgraded camera. There seem to be two main lines of thought about what the new top-of-the-line iPhone will look like:
People are calling the former the “iPhone 4S”, as it would be clearly analogous to the 2009 iPhone 3GS, which had the same form factor as the 2008 iPhone 3G. People are calling the latter the “iPhone 5”. I detect an undercurrent of sentiment that if Apple announces the iPhone 4S, it’d be a letdown, but if they announce the iPhone 5, it’d be exciting. But this is all merely about how the thing looks on the outside. A new form factor would by definition bring more “new-ness” to the announcement, but why should an iPhone 4-lookalike “iPhone 4S” be considered disappointing if it contains significantly improved components? The iPhone 4 is, I think it fair to say, the most popular device Apple has ever made.
Evidence for the “iPhone 4S” is based on component supply reports from Asia, and numerous leaks of actual iPhone 4-esque components that aren’t the same as those on the current GSM and CDMA iPhone 4 models. This is pretty good evidence that Apple is set to release a new phone that looks like the iPhone 4. The question is whether that phone will be the new high-end model, or the new low-end model. (If it’s the high-end model, what will the low-end model be? It doesn’t seem right to me that Apple would keep selling the 3GS into 2012. The simplest solution: 16/32/64 GB A5-powered iPhones at the high end, and an 8 GB A4-powered iPhone at the low end, all of them looking like today’s iPhone 4.)
There’s no such component evidence of a new form factor iPhone.
But: Chinese case-makers sure seem willing to bet that the much-rumored teardrop design is going into production. The website MIC Gadget published a report this week claiming that teardrop iPhone 5 cases are available all over China, from multiple manufacturers. They have photos and a video showing dozens of different cases in a gadget store. Maybe it’s not that big a bet on the part of these case makers — perhaps it doesn’t cost much to make a few thousand cheap plastic cases? But still, it’s a bet.
Then, yesterday Eric Slivka at MacRumors reported that AT&T retail stores are receiving “iPhone 5” silicone sleeves. Unusual, to say the least, regardless of whether Apple announces such an iPhone next week.
But here’s the thing: Something about this design seems wrong to me. The proportions seem off. Wouldn’t a teardrop body feel weirdly unbalanced when held horizontally? Look at MacRumors’s mockup of this purported design. It strikes me as ungainly that the “forehead” is smaller than the “chin” on the front face. On all previous iPhones the forehead and chin are the same size, which makes the iPhone look “right” no matter how it’s oriented. This iPhone seems like something that would only look right or feel right when held in portrait.
(And color me skeptical about a bigger display. If it goes to 4-inches diagonal, but the pixel count remains the same, won’t the pixels-per-inch resolution drop beneath Apple’s own threshold to qualify as a “retina display”? I mean, a 4-inch 960 × 640 display would still be plenty dense and should look good, but Apple tends to make things smaller, not bigger.)
Symmetry is a hallmark of Apple’s iOS devices to date. They look right in any orientation. In terms of weight and thickness, they feel balanced when held in either orientation. These things are true of all existing iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads.
The MacBook Air is symmetric despite its teardrop shape because it has only one orientation. A teardrop iPhone, when held in landscape, would be thicker (and presumably heavier) on one side than the other. That seems wrong to me. Not shockingly wrong, but wrong nonetheless. The iPhone is not as orientation-agnostic as the iPad — the iPhone homescreen and multitasking tray, for example, are portrait-only. But still, all previous models look and feel right when held in landscape.
Consider, for example, how many iPhone games are played in landscape and use the accelerometer for control (e.g. almost all driving games). Seems to me that games like those would suffer on an unbalanced asymmetric iPhone.
That brings me to the craziest thing I’ve seen all week, from the guys at Benm.at:
Based on CAD designs, hardware components, several leaked hints, cases and recent, believable mockups we created a three-dimensional computer model. This virtual model was then used to build a very detailed, true prototype that you can hold in your own two hands.
That’s a remarkable amount of effort to put into something that is, ultimately, useless. But, still — kind of cool, right? At the very least they’ve alleviated my concerns that I am unhealthily obsessed with this stuff, because I wouldn’t go to that effort in a thousand years. Benm.at’s photos of their prototype, to my eyes, make this design seem less severely tapered than MacRumors’ mockups based on the same purported form factor. It’s not balanced or symmetric, but, it’s not as unbalanced and asymmetric as I’d been thinking.
So, let me pull out my trusty old Magic 8-Ball to finish this off:
Q: Will Apple announce at least one new iPhone next week?
A: IT IS CERTAIN.
Q: Will they release two new iPhones?
A: ASK AGAIN LATER.
Q: If — if — there are two new iPhones, and one of them looks like the iPhone 4, is it certain that the iPhone 4-esque one is the low-end model?
A: BETTER NOT TELL YOU NOW.
Q: Is there a new iPhone with a tapered “teardrop” design?
A: DON’T COUNT ON IT.
Q: Is there a new iPhone with a new form factor, neither like the iPhone 4 nor “teardrop”, which Apple has managed to keep completely secret?
A: REPLY HAZY, TRY AGAIN.


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A price cap on energy bills for more low-income families has been announced by UK energy regulator Ofgem.
A cap for four million consumers on pre-payment meters announced earlier this year will be extended to two million extra people, saving £80 on their energy bills.
Ofgem has also announced plans to cap the charge for installing a pre-payment meter under warrant – where customers are not paying their bills – at £150, and to ban these charges altogether for the most vulnerable.
A ‘safeguard’ tariff could also be introduced for vulnerable consumers that would protect them from overpaying for their energy.
Paying too much
The move follows research that suggests vulnerable consumers get a bad deal. An investigation in 2016 by the Competition and Markets Authority found families on standard tariffs were, overall, paying £1.2bn per year too much.
Despite this, five of the biggest energy suppliers raised their prices earlier this year.
Shares in Centrica – owners of British Gas – and SSE, both listed on the London Stock Exchange, rose when the Ofgem report was unveiled this morning (July 3), suggesting investors had feared stiffer penalties. The other four big players – EDF, npower, E.On and Scottish Power – are all foreign owned.
Ofgem’s latest announcement will also take the hassle out of switching energy providers. While the number of switches is at a nine-year high, according to Ofgem’s latest data, many people think it’s too much hassle and have never or rarely switched.
Price comparison websites will now have to make it easier for people to switch to cheaper deals. Currently, users can’t switch directly to some of the cheapest deals listed and have to visit the supplier’s own site. Now they will be able to click straight through for all available deals.
'More action needed'
However, consumer group Which? questioned whether the reforms went far enough.
“Millions of hard-pressed customers are overpaying for their energy and suffering due to a lack of competition in the energy market,” said Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home products and services.
“More help for the most vulnerable customers and steps to make switching easier are welcome, but people will question whether these interventions are enough to deliver an energy market that finally works for all consumers.”
'Protecting vulnerable consumers'
Dermot Nolan, chief executive of Ofgem, said: “Protecting vulnerable consumers is a priority for Ofgem. We are committed to ensuring that the more disadvantaged in society are not left behind as we move towards a smarter, more competitive energy market.
“That’s why we are starting new work to protect vulnerable customers, including the option of introducing a safeguard tariff for them.
“Suppliers must also do more to get all their consumers, particularly those on poor value standard variable tariffs, a better deal. We are pressing ahead with a raft of reforms to make it even easier for people to switch no matter how they choose to shop around.”
Energy UK, which represents the big suppliers, said energy companies were committed to helping customers get the best deals.
“Switching levels continue to rise, with over two million consumers having already switched this year,” said chief executive Lawrence Slade.
"We are committed to working with the government and the regulator to deliver an energy market where competition continues to flourish, and which produces fair outcomes for all consumers, including better targeted support for the most vulnerable."


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Philippines: The inaugural AV/IT Integration convention was held at Clock-in, Bonifactio Global City, Manila, over three days from 13 to 15 March 2018. The event was a collaboration between Globaltronics Inc and Fil-Nippon Technology Supply Incorporated (FNTSi). The event’s theme focused on “Bridging People, Systems and Technologies”.The venue Clock-in is a co-work space facility with meeting rooms and event venue available for rent. The space itself has the latest AV technology integrated into the space and thus was a perfect setting for the convention and in line with the theme.
The event had a number of presentations from manufacturer representatives and was repeated over three days to accommodate guests, who were mainly made up of system integrators and dealers from across the Philippines. About 300+ guests attended the event over the three days. Guests also got the opportunity to view and see the demonstrations of the solutions on showcase as the rooms in the venue were occupied by the manufacturers who had participated at the event. This included Philips, Lumens, Sony, BXB, TRENDnet, Wepresent, DNP, Bowers & Wilkins, Aten, Grandview and DigiBird.
Frederick Chao, VP – Operations from FNTSi commented that the key take-away from the event was to showcase to the industry how technology can help companies become more productive. “We have some of the best companies in the world here showcasing digital signage solutions, LED solutions, the latest in laser projection technology, conferencing solutions, streaming and network switching technology. They provide powerful solutions for the various vertical markets and we hope that the attendees took back with them useful ideas that will help their business. At Clock-in, we were able to INTEGRATE all the different technologies of these brands to come up with END-TO-END solutions for Philippines customers so that they can enjoy the latest technology at an AFFORDABLE BUDGET. The benefit for our System Integrator partners is that they can now offer these solutions to their clients without any worries because we made sure that these brands work seamlessly with each other. Our showroom is not only “for show” because all the products here are being used in actual practice thereby bringing the phrase “proof of concept” to an entirely different level ”
Timothy Lee, Director, International Sales & Special Projects of Globaltronics, who are the Philips signage solutions distributors for the Philippines, adds, “ Globaltronics have steadily increased the Philips market share in the Philippines and we now hold the number one position where signage is concerned. This has been possible because of our good relationship with Philips and their support but more importantly their solutions help meet client’s needs effectively. This event provides us with an opportunity to highlight to the industry the latest solutions from Philips.”


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Heads up Amazon Fire Phone owners, if you were wondering when Skype for the Fire Phone would be released, you will be pleased to learn that Skype has recently announced that their messaging app has been made available for the Fire Phone. According to them, the app is “pre-entitled”, which presumably means that it has been preinstalled on the phone, so you won’t have to search for it or download it when you get your hands the device.
That being said, we should point out that Skype for the Fire Phone is not the same version of Skype that is available on Android or the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablet despite that fact that both devices run a forked version of Android. Nope, instead the version of Skype for the Fire Phone has been optimized for the handset.
It will take advantage of the Fire Phone’s user interface and will be getting a new 3D icon and notification badge that uses the handset’s Dynamic Perspective technology. According to Skype, “We have enhanced our Skype for Android application to bring a more intuitive user experience that is consistent with the Fire phone look and feel.”
Amazon’s Fire Phone has yet to be released to the masses, but when it does, we’re guessing that the Skype app will be one of the apps that you can look forward to.


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When the Ritz-Carlton opened its doors in Toronto on Feb. 16, it marked a watershed moment for the city’s hotel community. As the first of four new luxury properties to open in Toronto over the next year, the 53-storey, 267-room mixed-use project at Wellington and Simcoe St. is the talk of the town.
Given that the iconic property was built during what many consider to be one of the most economically challenged times made its debut more auspicious. In fact, the anticipation was almost palpable. If anyone was both excited and relieved about the debut, it was none other than Michael Beckley, the charming and debonair senior vice president of Marriott Hotels of Canada, and the man most responsible for the arrival of the Ritz brand in Toronto.
“This project took seven years of my life,” quipped Beckley, speaking to Hotelier while en route to the airport recently. One could say it also took on a life of its own. Initially Beckley had negotiated the Bay St. site where the Trump Hotel now sits. But when it was discovered that the project’s developer had committed fraud, the deal was quickly shelved, forcing Beckley to find new partners and secure a new site adjacent to the Royal Bank Tower at Wellington and Simcoe.
By the time the project finally broke ground in 2006 none of the partners (Cadillac Fairview, Graywood Developments and Ritz-Carlton) could have predicted either the growth of the neighbourhood or the ensuing recession, which has commanded global attention for the past three years.
If location is endemic to success, this property is bound to top the charts. “Obviously from a hotel point of view, it’s great because it’s connected to the financial district,” says Beckley. “From a business travel perspective and, of course, the other stuff around it — whether it’s the stadium, the theatre district, the symphony or the Opera House — it’s great for leisure travel. Being opposite the convention centre does no harm either,” he adds. “It is ground zero from a hotel perspective given the broadness of the market it’s able to attract. The same applies from a residential component,” says Beckley, pointing to the 159 condos that are part of the mix. “Now with the new film festival centre, it’s the icing on the cake.”
Manlio Marescotti, vice-president, Lodging, Marriott Hotels of Canada, says the opening of the Ritz is a significant milestone for the city. “This represents the first luxury branded hotel to open in Toronto and strengthens the city’s position as a world-class destination,” he boasts, opening the doors for future development in Vancouver and possibly Calgary.
Despite opening in a soft market, the hotel has fared well in its first four months. “Our hotel occupancy has been typical of a normal ramp up,” explains general manager Tim Terceira, pointing to a 40-per-cent occupancy. “We’ve had low occupancy in the beginning, but now we’re getting into real business, projecting a stronger end of the year,” says the Cornell University graduate. “We’re aiming to be around 60-per-cent occupancy for the second half of the year,” adds Terceira, noting July and August are a bit weaker.
Terceira’s love of operations fuelled his decision to step down as his vice-president of Market Operations to take the reins of the hotel. The Bermuda native has spent an illustrious 40-year career in hospitality, including a stint at Four Seasons, the company most often compared to the Ritz, and its closest competitor. Though still early in the game, the 54-year-old hotel veteran is happy with the progress to date. “We’re getting a tremendous amount of international business from key feeder markets such as Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles,” he says. Certainly, the buzz surrounding the hotel’s arrival has generated a great deal of marketing interest. “We’ve had tremendous PR exposure and multiple articles, including social media,” says Terceira. “But, you can never do enough, and not everyone looks at everything, so every guest in the hotel is a new, potential customer,” he explains.
He’s encouraged by the amount of business generated in the catering department. “We’ve exceeded the catering budget, and we’re satisfied with the number of local social events we’ve held here — from galas to group events. The good news is everyone who comes to the galas has been to the hotel, so each of those 400 to 450 people is a new potential customer.” He’s quick to explain that the catering business is instrumental in launching the hotel locally. “It becomes the centre of the business in the city,” he says.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that “there’s so much terrific interest in our brand,” says Terceira. “Everyone wants to have a gala wedding at the Ritz,” he laughs. To date, 20 weddings, and counting, have been booked for 2011, with many more booked next year.
In addition to the cachet the Ritz brand brings to the city, the hotel also appeals to guests looking for sophisticated architecture, design and amenities. “What makes our hotel so different is the way our venue is laid out,” says Terceira. “We bring the outdoors in,” he notes, adding, “Canadians love that.”
While the design of the hotel is patently Ritz-Carlton — oozing an air of understated elegance, punctuated by crystal chandeliers and high-end fixtures, it also plays on its Canadian roots. “We have distinct Canadian scenes and elements. It’s very local,” says Terceira, pointing to the bronze maple leaves embedded in the floor and the 450 pieces of Canadian art adorning the public spaces, the guestrooms and the 57 suites.
“The hotel translates well into the Canadian landscape,” agrees Beckley. The signature restaurant, Toca (an acronym for Toronto, Canada) is unabashedly Canadian. Instead of importing an American chef to man the stoves, a trend highlighted at both the Thompson and yet to be opened Shangri La, the Ritz hired local chef Tom Brodi, formerly of Canoe. Along with his staff of 93, the 35-year old toque helms the 130-seat restaurant and oversees the foodservice offerings of the entire hotel, including the 120-seat Deq lounge and the 40-seat Toca bar, both situated on the main floor.
Set on the second floor, a sweeping staircase leads guests to Toca. A fan of all things local, Brodi sources ingredients from across Canada — from the salmon ($23) from Jail Island, N.B., to the Miso-glazed cod ($36) made by using three distinctly Canadian ingredients (screech, sablefish, and maple syrup) to the crispy fish and chips ($20) made with lobster. The restaurant’s pièce de résistance, however, is a glass-enclosed cheese cave, adroitly positioned near the entrance of the restaurant. The first of its kind in Canada, it showcases a selection of fine cheeses from Toronto’s popular Cheese Boutique. For those who prefer to get up close and personal, a 10-person chef’s table is positioned smack in the middle of the action in the kitchen.
Guests who prefer more casual surroundings can opt either for Toca’s sophisticated lobby bar where they can indulge in after-work drinks or alternatively choose Deq, an urban oasis set off to the side of the front desk, featuring a casual menu, a wood-burning oven and prosciutto bar and an expansive outdoor patio opening out to Simcoe Park.
And, for consumers who prefer to be spoiled, the hotel’s entire fifth floor, referred to as “the Urban Sanctuary,” is devoted to refined pampering. Boasting a 13,000- square-foot spa that includes 16 treatment rooms, 10 salon stations for manicures, pedicures, hair and makeup, the area also houses a fitness centre and pool.
Still, despite the package of amenities, Terceira is quick to emphasize the hallmark of what makes this hotel unique is its service. “Ritz-Carlton’s service is legendary, and I don’t use that word lightly,” emphasizes Terceira. “We’ve won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award two times, which recognizes outstanding customer service. That’s rare for any company; no other hotel company has won it. We have a strong culture, and we’re process-driven to engage with our guests. The competition can’t claim the same,” he adds. “I know the strengths of what we do; I’m confident we can differentiate ourselves from the competition. We’re leading the way to a new level of luxury.”
At the core of this new level is the selection of “ladies and gentlemen,” says Terceira. “You have to have the right Ritz-Carlton DNA to take care of our guests.” For Terceira, it’s all about the details. “We’re engaged in the relentless pursuit of exceptional experiences. It’s all about the guest experience.”
The company’s credo focuses on providing genuine care and comfort — whether to celebrities, sports personalities or business travellers. “The brand is trusted as is the security of our guest.” A complement of 360 staff, who Terceira repeatedly refers to as “ladies and gentlemen,” many of who transferred to Toronto from other Ritz-Carlton properties around the world, have been schooled in the tenets of customer service.
Beckley is quick to add the average age of the staff is between late 20s and early 30s. “Ritz hires as much on attitude, which they believe becomes behavioural, as anything else,” he explains. “There’s a certain enthusiasm you don’t see elsewhere,” boasts Beckley. “The place is lively, and alive.”
On the amenity front, the hotel features unique technology offerings such as TVs embedded into the mirrored vanity of the bathrooms. “It’s got great picture quality and sound,” says Terceira, “yet you would never know it’s there, until it’s turned on.” Deep soaker tubs and heated bathroom floors also make the bathrooms luxuriously comfortable. And guests staying in the deluxe suites can access newspapers from around the world on iPads.
In terms of energy savings, “We have our cold-water cooling system,” points out Terceira, explaining that the hotel uses water from the depths of Lake Ontario for its air conditioning system and, because it requires no chilling, saves on energy costs. Plus, all guestrooms have radiant heat from the floors, which reduces heating costs during winter months.
While important, Terceira believes “Technology has to be clever. We never want a situation where we have guests feel strange because they don’t know how to use it, so we control it. If it’s too complicated and you can’t figure out how to turn off the lights then we don’t want to do that. We provide all the technology our guests need to be successful.”
So, with the flotilla of luxury brands such as Four Seasons, Shangri La, and the Trump set to arrive on the Toronto landscape within the next year, is the executive team at the Ritz-Carlton worried about the competition? Not at all, says Terceira. “We think the more luxury properties there are, the better it is for the city.”
Beckley echoes the sentiment. “As much as we’re the first, we’re also the only five-star in Toronto. When the others come on board it will help all of us. In some ways being the first, at this end of the market, is a little bit lonely.”
But if any of the brands are to do well, Beckley says rates will have to be maintained. At $485 per night for standard rooms, (the top suite sells for $6,500), this isn’t your typical hotel. “Toronto hasn’t seen hotels charge $500 a night; it’s used to having a $200 average rate. But as luxury properties, we’ll never get a return on investment if rates aren’t maintained.” So far, says Beckley, the hotel hasn’t had any negative feedback on rate. “We intend to hold the rate otherwise we’d have to compromise our value equation because we have two staff for every guestroom. It’s a very high ratio, but to deliver that level of service, you’ve got to get the rate where you need it to be.” Of course, adds Marescotti, “Ritz-Carlton’s target market is certainly accustomed to paying higher room rates when travelling abroad, so why would they not pay those rates in Toronto.”
As for the naysayers who question whether Toronto can sustain four new luxury properties in the span of a year, Marescotti and Beckley are nonplussed. “Toronto has been under-supplied in terms of luxury product,” says Marescotti. “At the end of the day we’re talking about 1,000 extra rooms in a 35,000-room GTA market,” explains Beckley. “It’s not a lot.” And, stresses the man responsible for bringing Ritz to Toronto, “We have 105 years of history in delivering a five-star product — that’s a lot of history ingrained in luxury. It makes us a pretty recognizable brand.”


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Father, son team grow Vista Solar from longtime chip supplier
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Patrick Callinan and his company, Silicon Valley Microelectronics Inc., had done one thing for more than 20 years — selling the silicon wafers to make computer chips and solar panels — when they noticed a trend.
By 2008, the solar industry accounted for an increasing amount of their business. So Patrick and his son, Jaymes, decided to try something new.
Four years later, the solar installation company they founded together, Vista Solar, is the fastest-growing division of its parent company, Silicon Valley Microelectronics. Vista Solar now accounts for 10 percent of SVM’s $80 million in annual revenue.
This year, the Callinans hope to install their first 1 megawatt project, enough to power up to 300 typical U.S. households, an accomplishment that will place them in “the big leagues” of contractors that handle public utility-sized solar installations.
But that success hides the hard work it took to get there, said CEO Patrick Callinan.
Vista Solar launched just before the housing market collapsed in 2008, meaning the company faced an uphill struggle in its infancy, trying to sell solar during the worst recession in 75 years. The senior Callinan said there were many discussions about whether they should continue Vista Solar.
“Thank God we did. Because it worked. We made it through,” he said.
Faced with an uncertain market, Jaymes Callinan, the company’s operations chief, said Vista Solar had to build its business customer by customer. Each project led to the next via word of mouth. With steady growth and a resume of successful installations, the company had more room to be ambitious.
Jon Xavier is the technology reporter at the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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Brothers Bryan and Bradford Manning were each 7 years old when they were separately diagnosed with a disease that would eventually make them blind.
A new marketing campaign from Newport Beach-based cosmetic maker Urban Decay taps participation by actors and singers including Joey King and Lizzo.
Mitsubishi Motors is selling its Cypress headquarters as part of a planned move to Tennessee.
Live Nation Show Includes Cardi B, Billie Eilish
Can’t make it to Atlanta to watch Billie Eilish, Cardi B or even The Coathangers on stage at the city’s annual Music Midtown festival this fall? Don’t fret.
‘Not for Everyone’ Image, Social Media
Cypress-based Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. launched a new advertising strategy dubbed “Small Batch” under the leadership of newly minted Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President Kimberley Gardiner—weeks before the automaker said it would be packing its bags and relocating to Franklin, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville, by year-end (see separate story, page 5).
Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. is relocating its headquarters from Cypress to Franklin, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville, the company said Tuesday.
Yogurtland signed a multiunit deal with a franchisee to enter Indonesia; the frozen dessert chain already has locations in the region in Australia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.
5.11 Co-Founder, CEO Gets Company Back on Track
It’s been 10 months since Francisco Morales stepped in as chief executive of 5.11 Tactical, the Irvine-based manufacturer of apparel and gear for military and law enforcement officials.
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Poor decisions hampering U.S. Postal Service
I’ve been a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service for over 10 years. I’m passionate about my job, my coworkers and my customers. I’m also passionate about protecting jobs for new and current postal employees.
As you may be aware, the Postal Service claims to be in terrible shape and in need of serious reform. We’ve heard the claim that Saturday mail delivery must be eliminated in order for the agency to survive.
However, the Postal Service’s financial hardship is caused mainly by the Postal Enhancement and Accountability Act of 2006. This mandate requires the Postal Service to prefund 75 years worth of retiree health benefits in a span of 10 years. The $5.6 billion annual payment places a substantial burden on the Postal Service.
The mandate alone accounts for at least 80 percent of the Postal Service’s debt since it became law in 2006, and it accounts for 100 percent of the agency’s present debt. If we take this mandate out of the Postal Service’s finances for 2014, the agency would realize over $1 billion in profits. We need Congress to repeal this unfair mandate.
Instead, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has asked Congress to eliminate Saturday mail delivery. But he would prefer to maintain package delivery on Saturday. However, H.R. 3801, which was introduced in January 2014, would phase out Saturday parcel delivery by 2019. Under this legislation people who built new houses since Sept. 30, 2012, would not be able to receive Saturday package delivery.
Donahoe claimed on Feb. 6, 2013, that he was going to end Saturday mail delivery on Aug. 5, 2013, without congressional approval. He claimed that he had found a loophole in the current law that mandates six-day mail delivery. This action alone caused the volume of mail to decline. The uncertainty that Donahoe creates has been detrimental to the overall health of the Postal Service.
The Postal Service is continuing to see strong growth in package and shipping revenue, up 8 percent during the second quarter of 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013. Online shopping has proven to be quite profitable for the Postal Service, and customers find some of the best shipping rates when they ship through the Postal Service.
The Postal Service is also seeing the amount of first-class mail that it handles stabilize. In fact, letter mail revenue was only down 0.5 percent in fiscal year 2013.
Donahoe claims that there have been steep declines in first-class mail. But he fails to tell you that the Postal Service has already given away 60 percent of first-class mail processing to Pitney Bowes and other pre-mail sort houses. In other words, things are not as bad as he makes them out to be.
In August, the Highway Trust Fund is expected to run out of funds if Congress fails to raise the gas tax that normally supports it or come up with alternative sources to fund the program. Donahoe has endorsed a proposal using the Postal Service’s potential savings if it eliminated Saturday mail delivery to keep highway projects going for a few months. Why would he be willing to give money away after claiming that his business is broke? It doesn’t make sense.
Donahoe would also like to end your mailbox delivery. Instead, you would have to travel blocks if not miles away to get your mail from a cluster box. Worse yet, you could see one of those cluster boxes erected beside your property, and mail that people view as garbage could be thrown in your yard.
Donahoe also wants to consolidate 82 more distribution centers starting in January 2015. This action will further delay our mail delivery. For example, right now it takes approximately two days for a letter to get processed and returned for delivery in Waupaca. With further delays, it could take now three days.
Donahoe would also like to give clerk jobs to retail employees at Staples and village post offices. Village post offices do not offer all of the services that customers receive at retail windows of traditional post offices, but they do charge extra for packages that you mail through them.
Fremont now has a village post office at the BP station. Fremont also has a traditional post office with reduced window hours. Why does Fremont need two facilities that provide postal services when its population is less than 1,000? I believe that the traditional post office in Fremont along with its staff will be terminated at some point. All the carrier routes have already been transferred to the post office in Weyauwega.
Lastly, in 82 pilot sites where Staples employees provide that same services as do postal retail clerks, the hours of operation at the local post offices have been reduced. Along with that, customers are told to go to Staples. This comes after Donahoe told his employees in his Feb. 12, 2014 workroom video that he has no intention to privatize the Postal Service.
Donahoe claims that the deal with Staples is to provide customers with easier and full access to postal services and to enhance the customer experience. However, a USPS document states, “The pilot will be used to determine if lower costs can be realized with retail partner labor instead of the labor traditionally associated with retail windows at post offices.”
In conclusion, I hope that any reform that the Postal Service sees continues to give us the best available product. That includes six-day delivery, house-to-house and rural mailbox delivery, timely package delivery, and the affordability that the Postal Service currently provides.


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The latest RMN Newsletter is available
We are pleased to share already for over a year every 3 months a RMN Newsletter with our customers. Again there is a lot of interesting product news to show. With expanding last year in the number of distributorships it became possible to offer high quality alternative products for many customers in a time where lead times became longer. We noticed already a year ago that the current global crisis had to get a negative effect on the global logistic chain. At this moment it becomes very visible that a lack of raw materials and the lock down of many countries for months will put a lot of pressure and challenge on the global distribution chain.
Our decision to cooperate with this European manufacturers made it possible to ensure short lead times and make it also able to fulfill the wish of customized products. Many fantastic projects are carried out the previous months, some with customized products within an extremely short delivery time.
We keep working on fine tuning the range of products to fulfill the needs of our customers and with this newsletters we will inform you constantly.
Thanks for your attention and hope to meet you soon.
On behalf of the product advise team RMN


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LONDON — Grand Metropolitan PLC, with its $5.23 billion bid for Pillsbury Co., joins a burgeoning brigade of British companies that have shown a willingness to launch large-scale takeovers in the United States-even hostile ones.
The British invasion is all the more remarkable in that it has grown significantly in the year following the global stock market crash, which was expected to dampen merger and acquisition activity, especially across borders. Such all-American names as Brooks Brothers suits, Smith and Wesson guns, Kool cigarettes and the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency are now owned by British companies.
Last Tuesday, on the day Grand Met announced its surprise bid in a newspaper ad in the U.S., there were half a dozen other, smaller U.S. takeovers completed by British firms.
Philip Healey, editor of the London magazine Acquisitions Monthly, said that through the first nine months of the year, there were 283 takeovers of American firms by British bidders, up from 262 in 1987.
Several of the biggest takeovers have occurred in recent months and have been hotly contested.
After months of wrangling and rising offers, Britain`s B.A.T Industries finally bought Farmers Group Inc., a California-based insurance firm, for $5.2 billion, $700 million more than originally offered.
Britain`s Tate and Lyle PLC similarly had to sweeten its offer by $200 million before taking over Staley Continental Inc., the American food conglomerate, for $1.5 billion.
Analysts say one reason British companies are willing to pay more is that they generally want to keep the management in place at their U.S. acquisitions.
Whatever happens, Grand Met wants to avoid the sort of antiforeign sentiment that other British firms have experienced when buying in America.
For example, before Beazer PLC, the British construction group, paid $1.8 billion for Koppers Co. Inc., the Pittsburgh-based construction materials firm, Koppers workers staged anti-British demonstrations for TV cameras. They even tore up their American Express cards to protest the fact that Shearson Lehman Hutton Inc., American Express` parent, was advising the British firm. The Pennsylvania state treasury canceled its contract to use Shearson as an investment consultant.
One British newspaper correspondent, asking people in America what they thought of the bid, reported that the general sentiment agreed with that of a housewife he interviewed: ``I would rather a British company than a Japanese company any day. I can see nothing wrong with the Jolly Green Giant talking with a British accent.``
With all the publicity about Japanese investment in the U.S., that housewife might be surprised to learn that analysts reckon that Britain`s corporate holdings in the U.S. are five times those of Japan-particularly remarkable considering that Japan`s gross national product is four times as large as Britain`s.
Not all the British bids have been successful. In the last year, Robert Maxwell, head of a growing British media empire, failed in moves first on Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc., then on Bell & Howell Co. In each case, however, the feeling in the City, London`s financial district, was that Maxwell had been too ambitious and would have succeeded with more money or smaller targets. Now he is trying again, with a $2.65 million assault on the publisher Macmillan Inc.
The main reason for British firms to expand to America is the same as it always has been: access to the richest and largest consumer market in the world. Most of the successful British firms have saturated their home market, an island of 55 million, and need to look abroad to grow. What better place than one that follows roughly the same business practices, and speaks roughly the same language?
Shearson Lehman says there are several reasons it makes more sense for expansion-minded British companies to buy an existing entity than to start from scratch in America. These include the relatively low cost of
manufacturing, the high level of new technology and the willingness to make and buy new products.
Furthermore, the vast U.S. marketplace has meant that many American companies have never bothered to sell overseas. Consequently, it`s a relatively simple matter for the British to plug American products into their existing overseas distribution networks. With Pillsbury, for example, Grand Met could export its Scandinavian-sounding ice cream, Haagen-Dazs, to Scandinavia.
But, then, the Pillsbury doughboy looks a little like Winston Churchill anyway, doesn`t he?


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New Fujifilm X-series firmware adds direct instax printing
Fujifilm has announced a firmware update for three of its X-Series camera, allowing them to print images instantly from the instax Share SP-1 printer. The Fujifilm XQ1, X-M1 and X-A1 cameras updated with the new firmware will be able to send photos directly to the compact instax printer, rather than by way of a mobile device as is currently the case.
Fujifilm also reiterated its plans to increase the number of cameras that can print to the instax Share Smartphone Printer.
According to Fujifilm the firmware will be available from 'Late June 2014'.
Fujifilm launches new firmware for three X-Series cameras that makes on-the-spot instax printing possible with the instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-1
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) will launch a new firmware for digital cameras in late June that makes it possible to send images via WiFi to an instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-1 for instax instant film prints. The firmware is designed for three X-Series cameras: the FUJIFILM XQ1 (a premium compact camera), the FUJIFILM X-M1 and the FUJIFILM X-A1 (APS-C sized sensor mirrorless cameras).
With the compact instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-1, it is easy and fast to make on-the-spot instax prints of photos taken with a smartphone. Install the Fujifilm Instax Share app on your smartphone, and then send your images via a wireless LAN connection to the SP-1 to print instax photos.
Ever since its launch in February 2014, users have loved making fun and unique prints, and especially enjoyed a diverse lineup of templates and image editing functions. Many people wanted to send their digital camera photos directly to an instax printer for instant printing, and now Fujifilm is proud to offer this feature for photo enthusiasts that use an XQ1, X-M1 or X-A1 digital camera.
By updating to this latest firmware, users can easily send digital camera photos directly to the instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-1 for great quality prints of their family, friends, pets and more, even if they are fast moving. Additionally, portrait images are produced with a pleasant out-of-focus background for amazing one-of-a-kind instant prints - perfect for home decor.
Fujifilm will continue to expand its lineup of digital cameras that support the instax SHARE Smartphone Printer for people to enjoy the instax instant photo print system. We are committed to enhancing the enjoyment of photography worldwide, and want all users to experience the gratification of taking, giving and preserving pictures with their family and friends.
1. Scheduled release date of the firmware
Late June 2014
2. Firmware version
(1) FUJIFILM XQ1: Ver. 1.20
(2) FUJIFILM X-M1：Ver. 1.20
(3) FUJIFILM X-A1：Ver. 1.20
3. Firmware download
4. Fujifilm instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-1
(1) Product name: Fujifilm instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-1
(2) Main Features:
- Shoot, Send, Print in 3 easy steps.
- Easy and quick wireless smartphone photo printing via the proprietary Fujifilm Instax Share app
- High quality images similar to silver halide prints
- Easy creation of copies with the REPRINT button < Available only for smartphone photos (Not available through this firmware release) >
- The proprietary Fujifilm Instax Share app offers various templates that make photo printing more enjoyable
- Real Time Template
The date/time, place, weather, temperature and humidity are printed with the image. This template is suitable for enjoying travel photos and keeping a record of special events, such as your children’s milestones.
- Limited Edition Template Each print is marked with a serial number like a limited item. A memory shared with people you cherish will be even more precious. This template is recommended for the photos taken at parties and other events where many people gather.
- SNS Template Template suitable for printing the images uploaded to SNS. With the profile photo and the number of likes indicated, the print offers great fun in tandem with SNS.
- Square Template(Image only, Text and Image) Template that fits the photo cropped into a square. It is possible to write your comments and messages to make the memory more personal and vivid.
- Seasonal Templates Different designs to fit the occasion, whether Mother’s Day, a birthday, a greeting to mark the season, and thoughts including, "Best wishes!" More special Seasonal Templates are scheduled to be added on a regular basis.
|Montréal Dépaneur Out of Business DP by MarioSS|
from Your City - Out of Business
|Wish You Were Here by Dutch Newchurch|
from Street musician playing
|Flight of a Puffin by cjf2|
The database was created to "break with the narrow lens through which history… has been recorded" by equipping those who commission photography with "the resources to discover photographers of color available for assignments.
Lensbaby has released two new optics for their special "optic swap system." The Lensbaby Sweet 80 Optic gives you that trademark sweet spot of focus, while the Creative Bokeh optic gives you 9 different drop in aperture plate options to play with.
TechCrunch has already posted their review of the upcoming iPhone 8 (not yet the iPhone X), and they're calling it "a look into the augmented future of photography."
Affinity Photo is a $50 photo editing software with no subscriptions. That's it – pay for it once and you're done. And we think it's actually pretty darn good.
Instagram is currently testing a major change to the app's profile layout: replacing the 3-photo across grid with a 4-photo grid... and some users are NOT taking the news well.
A report by USSRPhoto is shedding some light on the return of the famed Zenit camera brand. It seems the full-frame mirrorless camera they're working on will be made in part by Leica using components from the Leica SL.
According to a reliable Korean report, Samsung is developing a smartphone sensor that's capable of super slow motion. Translation: Samsung's next batch of Galaxy smartphones may be able to shoot 1,000fps.
This simple photograph of a seahorse and Q-tip has taken the internet by storm. We spoke to photographer Justin Hofman about how it was captured, and what it means to him.
After a massive leak last week, Profoto has officially debuted the Profoto A1: the company's first on-camera flash system that they're calling "the world's smallest studio flash."
"When the first hyperfocal distance charts were designed, someone decided that an acceptably sharp background contained some blur — enough to notice in a medium-sized print [...] After that point, nearly every other hyperfocal chart followed suit."
The Canon EOS Rebel SL2 (also known as the EOS 200D) is the company's impressively compact entry-level DSLR. Packing a 24MP APS-C sensor, DIGIC 7 processor and Dual Pixel AF, it promises a lot of bang for the buck. And while not mind-blowing, it handles most tasks very well.
Correct these four common composition mistakes and your photos will be more balanced, tell a better story, and lead your viewer's eye where you want it to go.
The rugged, compact 360° action camera Kodak unveiled at Photokina in 2016, the Kodak PixPro Orbit 360, is finally available in the United States.
iOS 11 launches tomorrow, and it'll save all of your pictures in a new high efficiency image format called HEIC. Fortunately, there's now a converter that will let you turn those photos back into JPEGs.
Photo protection company ImageRights recently released a new service that lets non-subscribers take advantage of their streamlined copyright registration system that checks for errors and fills out all the required forms for you.
What's the difference between a $200 circular polarizing filter and a $100 circular polarizing filter? Roger Cicala at Lens Rentals put six different filters through a few tests to find out.
A flurry of leaks reveal that GoPro's upcoming Hero6 will shoot 4K at 60fps, 1080p at 240fps, will cost $500, and is scheduled for announcement/release on September 28th.
Before he became the iconic director whose name we've all heard, a teenage Stanley Kubrick struck up a business relationship with New York’s Look magazine. No surprise: he was an incredibly talented photographer.
WD's new G-Technology G-Drive mobile SSD R-Series is a portable solid state option for photographers who want the reliability of an SSD in a rugged water and dust-resistant package.
Fast, stabilized and affordable is an appealing combination when it comes to lenses. With its latest 24-70mm F2.8, Tamron aims to upgrade autofocus speed and stabilization. We've got a full gallery from this updated full-frame zoom.
Photographer Clay Cook tells the story of his most ambitious photographic dream and career goal coming true: photographing A-list actress Jennifer Lawrence.
In an interview with a Chinese website, Nikon Japan's Director of Development dropped a bombshell, saying that a Nikon mirrorless camera "must be full-frame."
Here's a side-by-side spec comparison of two flagship devices with particular attention to the things that really matter – at least to people who prioritize photography features.
A month and a half after revealing the finalists of the 2017 EyeEm Awards, the photo sharing community and licensing marketplace has finally revealed the winners.
Photographer Josselin Cornou tells the breathtaking story behind two beautiful photos captured while snorkeling with humpback whales in Tonga.
The Sony RX10 IV is a fixed lens camera with a 1"-type sensor and 24-600mm equivalent lens that can shoot 4K video or stills at 24 fps, but that's not what we think is interesting about it. The addition of phase detection autofocus is pivotal to all those features.
The announcement date is set! Google will reveal their next generation Pixel phones—their response to Apple's shiny new iPhone X—on October 4th. Let the smartphone camera wars begin.
Sony just debuted three palm-style 4K camcorders that steal a bit of speedy phase detect autofocus technology from the company's RX10 IV. In fact, they kind of improve on it.
Earlier today, NASA's Cassini spacecraft plunged into Saturn's atmosphere, ending a 20 year long mission. Here are 21 of our favorite photographs captured by this incredible machine and its makers.
Fans of film photography should keep an eye out for the widespread theatrical release of Kodachrome, a movie staring Jason Sudeikis about the final days of the iconic film stock.


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Kering appoints a new CEO
Sergio Rossi has a new CEO. After the departure of Christophe Mélard, it is Giovanni Giunchedi who will take on the role of CEO of the luxury shoewear brand. Kering made the announcement on Wednesday, confirmating the piece of information reported in Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.
Christophe Mélard left his position in September "to pursue other professional opportunities outside of the group," said Kering. Marco Bizzarri, Director of the group's "Luxury - Couture and Leather Goods" division, took on the position of interim head these past few months, before being appointed the head of Gucci in mid-December.
Giovanni Giunchedi was Sergio Rossi's Deputy CEO since five months. Before that, since 2012, he held the role of sustainability manager at Bottega Veneta, – where Marco Bizzarri was actually a former boss -, another luxury brand belonging to the Kering group.
Copyright © 2022 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Justin Bieber stops by the Armani Exchange store in Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon (August 3).
A source told JJJ, “Justin loved everything in the store, especially the linen shirts and cargo shorts.”
Justin also tweeted some cool news for his UK fans: “BIG NEWS for my UK fans!! #SOMEDAY will be available exclusively at Harrods on August 5th!! LEGGO!”
HAVE YOU PICKED up a bottle of Someday yet?
15+ pics inside of Justin Bieber…
Posted to: Justin Bieber


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ChargePoint has already become the lead EV infrastructure firm in the US, and believes its brand-agnostic charging tech will lead to similar success across the pond
"It's been a pretty good couple of months," admits Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint, the US electric vehicle infrastructure firm which has now just started installing its chargers in the UK. He's...
Grosvenor Britain and Ireland has stepped up its environmental ambitions with a series of new commitments
First Mile is launching a coat hanging recycling service aimed at the retail and fashion industries
Dr. Frank Rijsberman of the Global Green Growth Institute offers an encouraging tour d'horizon across the world's fast changing energy markets
Countries agree on energy efficiency targets but little else, as big decisions on how to curb shipping emissions are once again deferred


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Efforts to unionize Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama warehouse were defeated by a wide margin in the second day of vote counting. More than half of the 3,215 votes cast broke in favor of the retailer. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which would have served as the workers’ union, had the vote passed, was quick to challenge the results.
RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said in a statement offered to TechCrunch:
Amazon has left no stone unturned in its efforts to gaslight its own employees. We won’t let Amazon’s lies, deception and illegal activities go unchallenged, which is why we are formally filing charges against all of the egregious and blatantly illegal actions taken by Amazon during the union vote. Amazon knew full well that unless they did everything they possibly could, even illegal activity, their workers would have continued supporting the union.
That’s why they required all their employees to attend lecture after lecture, filled with mistruths and lies, where workers had to listen to the company demand they oppose the union. That’s why they flooded the internet, the airwaves and social media with ads spreading misinformation. That’s why they brought in dozens of outsiders and union-busters to walk the floor of the warehouse. That’s why they bombarded people with signs throughout the facility and with text messages and calls at home. And that’s why they have been lying about union dues in a right to work state. Amazon’s conduct has been despicable.
This initial defeat represents a large setback in the biggest unionization push in Amazon’s 27-year history. What might have represented a sea change for both the retail giant and blue-collar tech workers has, for now, been fairly soundly defeated.
Amazon has, of course, long insisted that it treats workers fairly, making such union efforts unnecessary. The company cites such standards as a $15 an hour minimum wage, a factor the company initial pushed back on, but ultimately instated after pressure from legislators.
It was a hard-fought battle on both sides. A number of legislators threw their weight behind unionization efforts, in an unlikely alliance that ranged from Bernie Sanders to Marco Rubio. The conservative Florida Senator noted the company’s “uniquely malicious corporate behavior.” President Joe Biden also sided with the workers, calling himself, “the most pro-union president you’ve ever seen.”
The company will no doubt tout the results as vindication. It noted in an early statement, “[O]ur employees are smart and know the truth—starting wages of $15 or more, health care from day one, and a safe and inclusive workplace. We encourage all of our employees to vote.”
In a blog post following the news, the company noted:
It’s easy to predict the union will say that Amazon won this election because we intimidated employees, but that’s not true. Our employees heard far more anti-Amazon messages from the union, policymakers, and media outlets than they heard from us. And Amazon didn’t win—our employees made the choice to vote against joining a union. Our employees are the heart and soul of Amazon, and we’ve always worked hard to listen to them, take their feedback, make continuous improvements, and invest heavily to offer great pay and benefits in a safe and inclusive workplace. We’re not perfect, but we’re proud of our team and what we offer, and will keep working to get better every day.
Among the expected challenges from the union are lingering questions around ballot boxes reportedly installed by the company in violation of labor board terms.”[E]ven though the NLRB definitively denied Amazon’s request for a drop box on the warehouse property, Amazon felt it was above the law and worked with the postal service anyway to install one,” the RWDSU writes. “They did this because it provided a clear ability to intimidate workers.”
The Bessemer warehouse, which employees around 6,000 workers, was opened at the end of March 2020, as the company looked to expand the operation of its essential workers during the impending lockdown. The conversation has surface variously longstanding complaints around the company’s treatment of blue-collar workers, including numerous reports that employees urinate in water bottles in order to meet stringent performance standards.
The company initially denied these claims during a social media offensive, but later clarified its stance in an apology of sorts, appearing to shift the blame to wider industry problems. The company also ran anti-union ads on its subsidiary, Twitch, before the streaming platform pulled them, stating that they “should never have been allowed to run.”
All told, 3,215 ballots were cast, representing more than half of the workers at the Alabama warehouse. In spite of Amazon winning more than half the votes, counting will continue. Challenges are likely to stretch on for weeks.