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What are the measures customers most want to see from their plumber, or other tradespeople, to help them feel safe when having work done during the pandemic?
WaterSafe, the UK register of approved plumbers, has revealed the measures tradespeople can take in making homeowners feel safer this winter, in the midst of the ongoing public health crisis.
The top priorities for UK homeowners are:
- Remove all waste and belongings at the end of the job (64%)
- Maintain social distancing with their customers (61%)
- Wear a mask/face covering (60%)
- Use hand sanitiser and clean surfaces after working on them (55%).
Other precautions they valued were washing hands (54%), wearing gloves (46%), maintaining social distancing with colleagues (41%) and discussing safety precautions with customers prior to the job (38%).
About a third would also like to swerve kettle duties and sharing mugs and would prefer plumbers to bring their own drinks, WaterSafe stressed.
However, when it comes to these safety precautions, the consumer survey revealed not all plumbers were minding the gap, with only about a third maintaining social distancing, washing their hands and cleaning surfaces after working on them.
Homeowners were revealed to be more cautious, with 55% of customers saying they maintained social distancing from their plumber, 37% opening windows for extra ventilation and 36% isolating in another room while work was completed.
Age unsurprisingly played a part when it came to homeowners’ social distancing habits, with 86% of over-65-year-olds maintaining social distancing from their plumber, compared with 39% of those under 25.
Plumbers are also keen for customers to play their part. A survey of plumbers earlier in the year revealed 10% of customers were not observing any government safety guidelines when they worked in homes.
Julie Spinks, director of WaterSafe, said: “Plumbers are critical workers and, not surprisingly, our survey results show demand for plumbers during the pandemic remains high, with one in five UK homeowners having used the services of a plumber since the start of the pandemic. Of these only about a fifth preferred to be offered advice over the phone or by video call.
“So it’s really important plumbers, and other trades, working in customers’ homes follow the latest government guidance to reduce Covid-19 risks for everyone. If you have any concerns speak with your plumber about their company Covid-19 safeguards before they enter your home.
“We hope the results provided by our survey will give all tradespeople a helpful insight into what their customers value most when it comes to feeling safe.
“When choosing a plumber we recommend using a WaterSafe approved plumber, as they are trained in the water regulations that help keep drinking water healthy and are promoted by your local water company – one less thing to worry about in these challenging times.”
The most popular services requiring a call-out since the beginning of the pandemic were fixing a leak (29%) and fixing a faulty boiler (22%), with new plumbing work, refurbishment and fixing a faulty toilet joint third with 21% of the vote.


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Australia sees lamb prices soar by 30%
The increase has meant that prices in many regions are now at their highest levels since 2011. Since the beginning of the year, the price has increased from around AU$425 per 100kg, to approximately AU$550 per 100kg.
According to Mintec, dry weather conditions over the past few months resulted in a greater number of animals being slaughtered as a result of reduced grazing land, and increased feed costs.
"However, high export demand has driven prices upwards, with February 2014 seeing the highest February lamb export volumes on record, at 19,200 tonnes, up 9% year on year," said the report from Mintec.
Supplies are expected tighten going forwards, as the number of lambs fell by 9% at the end of February, to 2.3m head.

domain: news


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Authors speak out against trend of reading and returning ebooks
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
OK. Plenty of people - maybe you've even done this, Rachel; I don't know - buy clothes and then return them?
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
INSKEEP: Would you do that? You do that?
MARTIN: I have done that.
INSKEEP: OK. All right. People do it. And if it doesn't fit, of course, that's reasonable. But some authors would like buyers to do that a little less often with books, specifically e-books sold on Amazon.
MARTIN: Yeah, here's the deal. Social media influencers have been promoting what they are calling a life hack, encouraging readers to buy e-books, read them really fast and then return them within seven days to get their money back. Critics of Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos, say taking advantage of some generous e-book return policies is a way to slap back at the online retailer.
INSKEEP: But apparently, you're not just hitting the big company. Self-published authors say they're getting hurt. Lisa Kessler writes paranormal romance books and says every time a reader tosses back one of her e-books, Amazon takes back royalties.
LISA KESSLER: Unless you're Nora Roberts or Stephen King, you're making - you know, you're a starving artist. And so when people throw back an entire series, it really wallops the authors. It's a big shock when those all come back.
MARTIN: Kessler posted about her losses on Twitter. Her tweet, Amazon is not a library, went viral.
KESSLER: There were replies to the tweet of people who had 250 books returned, which - to put it in regular, you know, numbers, that's, like, over $800 from an author. I would cry. Mine wasn't that bad, but I would just cry.
INSKEEP: We reached out to Amazon, and they tell NPR they work to prevent abuse of the return policy. But authors say the problem persists.
MARTIN: There is, however, a silver lining for Lisa Kessler. Ever since she tweeted about readers returning her e-books, she says her sales have shot up.
INSKEEP: (Laughter) There. Amazon was good for her after all.
(SOUNDBITE OF L'INDECIS'S "STAYING THERE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Satisfaction with train services have barely improved over the last decade, despite a huge rise in the cost of travelling on Britain's railways, according to new research.
Since 2006, satisfaction has inched up to 48 per cent, from 41 per cent, while fares have risen 54 per cent in the same time and more than double the rate of inflation, data from Which? reveals.
“Despite repeated claims that the railways are improving, passengers say that rail travel offers little more value for money than a decade ago. What’s more, people have found even less of an improvement in the way train companies handle delays," said the consumer group's director Richard Lloyd.
The research found that satisfaction with how delays are handled showed even less improvement over the last 10 years, increasing just four percentage points.
The watchdog last year filed a so-called super complaint with the Office for Rail and Road over the difficulty consumers face claiming for delayed and cancelled journeys. The ORR concluded steps need to be taken to make it easier to claim compensation. It found that 80 per cent of customers currently do.
"This is an unacceptably slow pace of change, so the government must quickly now give the rail regulator the powers and duties it needs to be an independent consumer watchdog that can hold train operators to account,” added Lloyd.
For commuters, satisfaction increased from 27 per cent in 2006 to 34 per cent in the most recent survey of passengers.
Check out how satisfaction has improved on your rail network over the last decade, below.


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- Special Sections
- Public Notices
Kingston Library Foundation will have a used book sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 18 at Kingston Community Center.
Money raised from this sale will go toward purchasing children’s books, large-print books, magazines and the newest best sellers.
“We sincerely appreciate all your previous donations that made our book sales so profitable,” said Joyce Young of Kingston Library Foundation. “As in the past, we are requesting your help in donating your soft backed and hard backed books to the library for this sale.”
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Roane County News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.


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China helps Honeywell chase phony parts
BEIJING -- Honeywell Transportation Systems, which has been victimized by makers of counterfeit turbochargers, says it has gained the Chinese government's help in a crackdown on bogus aftermarket parts.
The supplier recently won a court case in China against Shanghai Gerritt Turbo Systems Ltd. for infringing on Honeywell's line of Garrett turbochargers.
Honeywell also won a court case against Shanghai Zhoudian Trading Co., which had been caught trying to export counterfeit Bendix brake discs.
While no one is ready to declare victory over China's numerous counterfeiters, David Paja, general manager of Honeywell operations in China and India, says Chinese officials are boosting penalties on counterfeiters and are pursuing their collaborators.
"What has changed in the last few months is that the government is taking very proactive steps to chase counterfeiters," Paja said. "This is a big change, and we are very pleased."
In the Shanghai Zhoudian case, for example, the government successfully shut down an exporter who trafficked in counterfeit goods, Paja said.
Another court case against a maker of counterfeit turbochargers resulted in a one-year jail sentence for a company executive.
"These people used to operate openly, and now they have to go underground because they could get jail time," Paja said.
Nevertheless, counterfeit auto parts are still a big business -- and a global headache.
According to a study by Frost and Sullivan, global sales of counterfeit parts exceeds $45 billion a year.
The Japan Auto Parts Industries Association has estimated that 83 percent of those components are produced in China.
Paja declined to estimate the cost of counterfeit parts for Honeywell.
But global supplier TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. has said that it has lost as much as 20 percent of the Chinese market to counterfeit brake pads and rotors, an estimate that Paja found plausible.
"You will never be 100 percent successful," Paja said, "but the authorities have been much, much stronger about sending a message."
You can reach David Sedgwick at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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IKEA, a company that makes cheap and good D-I-Y furniture, has announced a special collaboration with Nintendo in Spain.
Spanish customers at IKEA Valencia can now try out Super Mario Party starting today at the game room. Super Mario Party will be playable on October 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 13. It also appears that Super Mario Party will be making its way to other Spanish cities in the future.
For the full details please see below:
IKEA Valencia launches, exclusively, an action throughout its store so that the families that visit them from this Friday find even more inspiration to enjoy their house as much as possible. Valencia will be the first city to host Super Mario Party, with the classic board as the main protagonist, accompanied by other new modes, online games and exclusive content.
Come and play at IKEA Valencia (Edificio Alqueria Nova, 12) in two game rooms available in the most unexpected places. You can enjoy Super Mario Party at IKEA Valencia :
- October 5, 10 and 11 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- October 6, 8 and 13 from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.


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Vodacom and WirelessG, which had been warring in the courts, appear to have buried the hatchet. The two parties said in a joint statement on Wednesday that WirelessG, a specialist Wi-Fi provider, had been appointed as the “exclusive provider” of Wi-Fi data products to Vodacom.
The deal will allow Vodacom to bundle G-Connect Wi-Fi data products and sell these through its retail distribution network, the companies said in the statement.
News of the deal marks a significant thawing in relations between the companies after WirelessG CEO Carel van der Merwe told TechCentral in e-mailed comments that Vodacom had “reached a state of total incompetence” and said the mobile operator was “heading for a cultural crisis and suicide”.
Vodacom described WirelessG as “desperate” in court papers.
WirelessG had taken Vodacom to court, accusing the company of reneging on a shareholders’ agreement that granted it exclusivity over any Wi-Fi infrastructure the mobile operator wanted to build.
Van der Merwe told TechCentral in January that Vodacom had begun to backtrack on the agreements between the parties after it realised that “data offloading” onto Wi-Fi from its mobile broadband network was becoming a significant strategic opportunity.
The two companies entered into out-of-court discussions, which appear to have had a positive outcome.
“The technical scope and implementation specifics of WirelessG’s appointment are currently being formalised between the parties. It is anticipated to be rolled out during the first quarter of 2014,” the two companies said in their statement.
“In terms of the agreement, WirelessG will roll out and integrate a national Wi-Fi hotspot network to the G-Connect Wi-Fi offering, which will comprise at least 6 000 Wi-Fi hotspots over the next five years.”
“The parties have already started implementing the strategic objectives we have agreed on,” the statement said. “As part of the agreement, WirelessG is also entitled to distribute and resell all Vodacom products.” — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media
- ‘It’s my duty to be desperate’ — WirelessG CEO
- Ugly turn in Vodacom, WirelessG battle
- ‘Vodacom walked all over us’
- Vodacom, WirelessG to talk
- WirelessG ‘desperate’, says Vodacom


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Peaches make your hands sticky, but they’ll help extra weight slide right off. A study at Texas AgriLife Research found that peaches (and plums and nectarines!) may help ward off risk for obesity-related diseases. “[The study] indicates that compounds present in these fruits have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties,” Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, AgriLife Research food scientist explained in a press release. “[Consuming peaches] may reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol LDL which is associated with cardiovascular disease,” he said.
Best part: Fruits with pits are among the lowest in fruit sugar. Meaning, peaches are sweet without being wildly high in sugar. A perk for folks on low-sugar diets and with diabetes.


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In 2018 Russia-Thailand trade turnover went up by 17% compared to 2017 and amounted to $2.6 bn. In the bilateral trade structure Russia’s export was two and a half times more than its import.
Russia’s export to Thailand reached $753.5 mln, it is a 47% increase compared to the previous year. The major export goods included petroleum and oil products (22.9%), secret code goods (14.2%), mineral fertilizers containing three nutrients (7.3%), aluminum alloys (5.2%), wheat and meslin (4.8%), and bituminous coal (4.2%).
Russia’s import from Thailand rose by 8% and stood at $1.86 bn. Thailand exported to Russian market memory devices (12.6%), motor trucks (6.1%), vehicles with cylinder capacity over 1500 cc but not over 3000 cc (2.8%), silver jewelry (2.8%), parts and accessories of vehicle bodies (2.4%), canned pineapples (2.4%), parts of air conditioning machines (2.3%), autotyres (2.3%) and other goods.
According to the Federal Customs Service of Russia, for the first two months of 2019 Argentina’s export of mozzarella to Russia has went up by 89% in terms of value and by 92.4...
In 2018, trade between the two countries was more than $100 billion, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce in January.
In the course of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO 2019, TVEL Fuel Company of ROSATOM and Hermith GmbH (Germany), a major European titanium supplier, have concluded an ag...
About the models of business development in another country and professional secrets is told by a practicing expert on work in international markets Anna Trubetskaya


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News & Reviews: MacBook Air
Apple MacBook Air Malaysia release - coming in 13- & 15-inches with M3 chip, starting price at RM5199Mar 05, 2024
As speculated, Apple did indeed announce new products and it happened before midnight last night in Malaysia. It was a global launch for the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air equipped with an M3 chip, from a starting price of RM5199.
Mar 04, 2024
Besides the annual Apple event in September, Apple will often have another one around March-April for the WWDC. Well, trusted sources have told Macrumors.com that the company is planning to announce new products this week with the new iPads, Macs and accessories.
Sep 27, 2023
Apple has released iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 and tvOS 17 already, but not for macOS Sonoma until today. So Mac users, you can now get your hands on the latest software update through over-the-air (OTA) in the settings.
May 15, 2023
Back in March, it was rumoured that Apple would be launching new Apple M3-powered PCs by this year. The iMac is likely to get the upgrade first, followed by the MacBook Air at a later date. Now, we also have some information on one of the M3 chip's configuration.
SNS rolls out affordable device deals for Malaysian students as schools adopt Hybrid Classrooms Pioneer ProjectNov 02, 2022
Today, SNS Network Technology Berhad (SNS) is pleased to announce the launch of a special device deal for students. This is especially for those who are increasingly learning in online classrooms and need the tools to facilitate access to online learning.
Nov 01, 2022
The iconic light-up Apple logo on the back of MacBooks may be making a comeback in the near future after its 7-year-long absence. This is following a successful patent application by the tech giant on the implementation of “Electronic Devices With Backlit Partial Mirror Structure” published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week.
Oct 31, 2022
Despite it only being October, it looks like Apple has already finished with its product releases for the year and will only be launching new products in 2023. This is according to reliable tipster Mark Gurman who also revealed that Apple will be releasing M2-based MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch laptops in the first quarter of 2023.
Jul 20, 2022
Apple has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit by its customers within seven states in the United States in regards to defective ‘butterfly’ keyboards on its MacBook laptops. Filed on late Monday night in the federal court in San Jose, California, the tech giant agreed to pay USD50 million or ~RM222.6 million to affected customers.
Jun 07, 2022
In the earlier hours of today, Apple held WWDC 2022 to reveal some new products and updates to its software. For laptops, like the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air that feature the Apple M2 chip. As for software, Apple not only revealed iOS 16 but also a new macOS - macOS Ventura.
MacBook Pro & MacBook Air Malaysia release: coming soon with a brand-new M2 processor, starting from RM5499Jun 07, 2022
As previously speculated, the new Apple Silicon processor M2 was announced at the WWDC 2022. With the new processor, Apple also introduced the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro which are coming soon with it.


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Industrial production in Germany declined by 1.1% in July on a monthly basis, after price, seasonal and calendar adjustments, according to provisional data from the country's Federal Statistical Office.
The Econoday consensus was an increase of 0.3% in July. The monthly industrial production in June was upwardly revised to show a decline of 0.7%, as opposed to a drop of 0.9% according to preliminary figures.
Production of capital goods shrunk 2.5% in July from the previous month, while that of consumer goods slipped 0.9% and intermediate goods 1.4%. Energy production remained at June's levels, while production in construction rose by 2.6% in July month over month.
On an annual basis, industrial production ticked up 1.1% in July after price and calendar adjustments, compared with annual growth of 2.7% in June.
"The summer dip, in our view, seems to be driven by uncertainty stemming from global trade tensions and once again the summer vacation period," said Carsten Brzeski, chief economist at ING Germany. "Finally, it also seems that after a strong inventory build-up in the first half of the year, companies are simply reducing their stocks."


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JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) — Come New Year’s Day, it will be a felony in Illinois to sell synthetic marijuana.
WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller spoke to an undercover detective in Will County, which has been one of the main fronts in the war on synthetic pot.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports
Dave Margliano retired three weeks ago as chief investigator for the Will County State’s Attorney’s office.
“Let’s face it. I’m not your typical undercover police officer,” Margliano said. “But fat, out-of-shape old guys need drugs, too, I guess.”
One of his final jobs was riding his motorcycle up to places like tobacco shops to see how synthetic marijuana was being sold.
He showed us his collection.
“This one, the Black Mamba – it’s basically a synthetic marijuana. Black Mamba is the one that they said, ‘Do not ride your motorcycle after you ingest this. You’ll never be able to do it. Drive your car.”
In an undercover buy on one occasion, Margliano says a store clerk urged him to evade a passing police officer as he attempted to get on his motorcycle.
“The one place, I acted so high and drunk when I went in, the guy took me by the arm, put my arm over his shoulder, walked me out – after he sold me the product – got me next to my bike and said, ‘Are you sure you can ride?’” Margliano said.
“And I said, ‘Yeah, I can ride.’ And he goes, ‘Wait, wait, there’s a cop car going by. Just wait a minute.’ And we waited for the cop to go by,” Margliano continued. “And he said, ‘OK, get on.’ And I got on and started the bike. And he said, ‘Are you balancing?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I’m OK.’ He said, ‘All right. Get out of here.'”
So will tobacco and head shops automatically stop selling the synthetic marijuana on Jan. 1?
“They’re going to take it into the back rooms and they’ll sell it out of the back rooms, because they all have inventory of it,” he said.
Synthetic marijuana is typically sold as potpourri or herbal incense, but is readily available even in convenience stores and gas stations.
Max Dobner, 19, bought synthetic marijuana at a west suburban mall and experienced a panic attack, with rapid heartbeat and hallucinations after using it. He drove his car at 100 miles per hour into a home in the far west suburb.
In fact, many experts have said synthetic marijuana is actually far more dangerous than real marijuana. Those who use the synthetic products can suffer seizures, hallucinations, tremors, paranoia, convulsions, high blood pressure and an elevated heart rate, according to Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s office.
Anyone who sells synthetic marijuana could be charged with a Class 3 felony, and could go to prison for five years and be charged a $150,000 fine. Any illegal stock, and the entire shop where it is sold, could be seized.
Sale of more than 200 grams of synthetic marijuana could go to prison for 30 years and have to pay $500,000 in fines.
Simple possession of synthetic marijuana could result in Class 4 felony charges, which would mean three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.
In some jurisdictions, that means the penalty for synthetic marijuana possession could be far harsher than that for possession of the real thing. In several Illinois municipalities, most recently including Evanston, anyone caught with 10 grams of real marijuana or less will get just a ticket instead of being arrested and taken to jail.
A ban on synthetic marijuana started Wednesday in Chicago.


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Since its launch in 2011, the original Nissan Juke has been a huge success story for the brand, arguably sparking the market trend of the supermini-SUV. However, in recent years, the Juke has came under pressure from rivals such as the Peugeot 2008 and the Renault Captur, and even premium cars like the Audi Q2, forcing the Japanese brand to revise its formula.
The next-generation Nissan Juke was supposed to arrive in September 2018, but its release date has been pushed back to Summer 2019. It will improve on the current car in as many ways as possible to tackle its growing list of rivals. Our exclusive images show how the new Juke could grow into a more refined, better quality and more efficient machine.
The old chassis can be traced back to the 2002 Nissan Micra, and it’s starting to show its age, being both slow and expensive to manufacture. The latest CMF-B platform, derived from the current Micra, should solve both of these problems.
The existing Juke still sells well, with over 100,000 examples finding homes globally each year but with new rivals emerging all the time an update on the winning formula is needed. Nissan’s chief creative officer, Shiro Nakamura, has revealed the next generation will remain “edgy and less mainstream”, but acknowledged that it would still be recognisable as a Juke.
The styling, therefore, will retain key Juke cues, such as the high-mounted headlights and distinct wheel-arch blisters, but it will incorporate the new Nissan “face” seen on the latest Qashqai. Plus, there’ll be a slightly longer wheelbase, as Nissan aims to address one of the main criticisms of the current model; rear legroom.
The Juke’s interior is set for a major overhaul, potentially taking its lead from the next Nissan Micra. Nissan looks to improve on quality, with a range of soft-touch plastics, higher-grade fabrics and materials, and an improved central infotainment display across the range, complete with smartphone connectivity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Juke’s cabin will also get a wider range of personalisation options, including different colours and finishes on the facia highlights.
The move to the new CMF-B platform will open up the Juke to a new range of engines. Options include a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol that’s likely to be the range-topper, with an output of around 190bhp.
Nissan sources have also hinted that the next Juke could get a hybrid variant, using a range-extender powetrain that debuted on the sporty Gripz concept at the 2016 September Frankfurt Motor Show. When asked if the new Juke would feature a form of electrification, Nakamura told us: “It is very tough to meet our emissions requirements without hybrid. It is almost mandatory.”
European versions of the next Juke will continue to be produced at Nissan’s Sunderland plant. The brand’s main focus for 2018 was the launch of the all-new Micra supermini – a model which was fast-tracked after European buyers in particular reacted badly to the interior quality and refinement of the “global” version of the car. As such, the new Juke was pushed back. Hopefully, we’ll see a concept in the coming months, ahead of a production car debut thereafter.
What do you think of our exclusive images of the Mk2 Nissan Juke? Let us know in the comments below…


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Ambarella stock tanked on Monday after Citron Research issued a short thesis on what it called the company’ “ridiculousness,” but shares are rallying today following bullish reports from buy-side analysts. Shares of the GoPro supplier climbed as much as much as 7.86% to $101.78 per share today after plunging 20% on Monday.
GoPro stock was also affected by the reports from Citron and the buy-side. After diving on Monday, GoPro climbed as much as 4.42% to $57.35 per share during regular trading hours today.
Barron’s Mailbag June 1962: Irving Kahn On False Comparisons
The following letter from Irving Kahn appeared in the June 25, 1962, issue of Barron’s. Irving Kahn wrote to Barron's criticising the publication’s comparison of the 1962 market crash to that of 1929. Irving Kahn points out that based on volume and trading data, the 1962 decline was a drop in the ocean compared to Read More
What Citron said about Ambarella
Within the next 12 months, Citron expects Ambarella shares to fall to about $60, and within the six months after that, the firm expects the stock to decline to $40 a share. The research firm compared the camera chip maker to Uber, which it called “the valuation wunderkind of the sharing economy” and possibly “the best growth story of the 21st century.”
However, Ambarella’s growth has dwarfed that of Uber even though at its initial public offering, it had to price its shares 40% lower than its previously marketed range. At the end of the IPO, the GoPro supplier had an enterprise value of $60 million, but in less than three years, the value has grown more than 60 times to more than $3.7 billion.
Problems with GoPro too
Citron’s big problem with Ambarella is that it’s a niche player as it makes chips for action cameras like those made by GoPro and other cameras like those used for drones, infrastructure and the automotive market. The firm likens its position on Ambarella as a niche player to its previous calls on 3D printing stocks. Earlier this year, Citron also suggested that GoPro will end up being this year’s 3D Systems.
It doesn’t believe the chip maker will see a very large addressable market because it doesn’t think action cameras will see significant growth. Citron also thinks Ambarella is coming to the end of its “technological edge,” as the last innovation was the 14-nanometer 4K60 chip unveiled in October.
Buy-side sees opportunities in Ambarella’s slide
Whenever a research firm or investor comes out with such a bearish thesis on a company, there are always going to be bulls opposing that thesis. In this case, FBN Securities analyst Shebly Seyrafi and Canaccord Genuity analysts Matthew Ramsay and Steven Lee came forward as bulls. Morgan Stanley analysts Joseph Moore, Craig Hettenbach and Alvin Lim were more moderate in their report on Ambarella, although they did not focus on the Citron thesis in their report.
The Canaccord Genuity team disagrees with Citron’s view that Ambarella’s innovation has peaked, saying that the chip maker’s “technology differentiation” has resulted in share gains and “socket stickiness.” Ramsay and Lee said Ambarella’s tech is different than that of other companies because it delivers higher quality video and efficiency in power and compression.
Upside expected for Ambarella
They see further upside for the chip maker in emerging markets, which have been growing rapidly. For example, Ambarella expects drones to surpass 10% of overall revenue this year and eventually end up with a total addressable market that’s similar to that of the action camera market.
They also expect upside to their estimates as DJI and other drone makers ramp up operations and Comcast and AT&T launch home security camera systems. They have a Buy rating and $115 per share price target on Ambarella and call Monday’s selloff an “overreaction” which they said “finally” offered the pullback in share price they had been hoping for.
Several drivers of growth
Seyrafi echoed the Canaccord Genuity team’s comments about buying on the pullback, reiterating his Outperform rating and $110 per share price target. He sees multiple drivers for growth at Ambarella, including not only GoPro and Xiaomi for their action cameras, but also the home IP security market, automotive cameras for dash-cams and 360-degree viewing, drones, analytics, and self-driving cars.
The analyst actually went so far as to suggest that a deal between Ambarella and Qualcomm could make sense “at some point.” He noted that Qualcomm acquired Atheros, a WLAN company, in 2011 and that Ambarella doesn’t do WLAN.
Upside in Ambarella’s margin
In addition to the expected upside on the metrics listed by Canaccord Genuity, Seyrafi also expects upside in the chip maker’s gross margins. Ambarella’s long term target is between 59% and 62%, although it was 64.8% in the April quarter and has been higher than that long term target for the last seven quarters.
He also thinks the higher margin will be sustainable as drones and automotive cameras—two higher gross margin segments—continue to grow.
Ambarella and Qualcomm
Interestingly, the Morgan Stanley team cited an announcement regarding Ambarella’s loss of a major deal to Qualcomm as the big factor in Ambarella’s slide this week. Indeed it could have had some impact, particularly as the news came around the same time as Citron’s damaging short thesis report.
Moore and team’s comments about Qualcomm’s winning of the contract over Ambarella are particularly interesting when added to Seyrafi’s suggestion that there could be a tie-up of the two companies at some point. Qualcomm won a deal for a major component in a new sports camera called the 4GEE, which is being made by London-based mobile carrier EE. The camera is meant to compete with GoPro’s camera.
The Morgan Stanley team thinks any concerns about this lost deal are overdone because Qualcomm doesn’t have a “dedicated camera solution.”


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Alpine and Michelin have announced their partnership to supply tyres for future electric Alpine models, beginning with the A290. The A290 will feature exclusive markings created for the future electric models of the Alpine Dream Garage and this will ensure original performance will remain at each replacement of the tyres in the car’s lifespan.
A Long Standing Partnership
Michelin has been developing tires for the Alpine A110 for over a decade, but the partnership between the two French brands dates back to the 1960s when Michelin supplied Alpine’s Formula 3 cars with radial tyres, which revolutionised the tyre industry as they provided a smoother ride due to lower friction with the road surface. Since then Michelin has made tyres for Alpine’s Le Mans cars, which introduced the motorsport world to slick tyres.
Years Of Development
Research, testing and development began two years ago with a blank canvas. Since then, the two brands have collaborated on the tyres to get the right balance of comfort, handling and durability. Many of the trials took place at Michelin’s facility in Ladoux, France. These included tests in a wide range of conditions, such as a wet surface with standing water. The next test will take place in Southern Spain, after which the tyres will be finalised before the reveal of the A290 to the public next year.
The Range Of Tyres On Offer
The collaboration has seen three specific 19-inch tyres created for the electric city car. The two summer tyres have different purposes; with the Pilot Sport S5 offering the best performance of the summer tyres and exploiting the A290’s full potential in wet and dry conditions. The Pilot Sport EV instead prioritises efficiency and durability whilst still offering a sporty edge to the driving experience. The sole winter tyre, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, offers high levels of grip to deal with cold weather road conditions, such as rain and snow.
Michelin and Alpine eventually decided on 225-40-R19 as the tyre size. This means they have a tread width of 225mm and a sidewall height of 45mm as well as a 19-inch interior diameter. These have been chosen to offer a mix of performance and comfort.
Ready For The Big Reveal
With the exclusive tyres almost ready, finally Alpine are gearing up to reveal the production-ready A290. It is due to go into production in 2025, with the public reveal coming sometime next year. Considering the effort that has gone into the tyres, an often overlooked feature, it may well bring a new level of excitement to the electric city car segment.


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Samsung is yet to officially reveal their forthcoming flagship which is the Galaxy Note 9 and meanwhile, abruptly out of nowhere a mysterious report suggests that the successor of yet new Samsung Galaxy S9 will come with triple camera setup, and not only that it would be the companies first device to flaunt an in-display fingerprint scanner. According to market analysis on 31st May, they are expected to come out with their own developed technology 3D sensors which will be embedded in those triple camera setup.
As Samsung couldn’t do anything impressive with their Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ demand, therefore the South Korean tech giant is now getting concerned to grab consumers attention towards their next device of Galaxy S-lineup which is obviously the Samsung Galaxy S10 & S10+ with the implementation of a triple camera and a 3D-sensor is apparently claimed by a security firm KB Securities, Kim Dong-won.
According to him,
“Samsung, which has a lower-than-expected demand for its latest Galaxy S9 lineup, will consider equipping its next premium phone with the triple cameras and a 3-D sensor to reinvigorate its smartphone business,”
However, it also comes out in reports that if Samsung Galaxy S10 is believed to come out with triple camera setup than it’ll turn out to become the prominent rival of the upcoming 2018 iPhones which is expected to flaunt a triple camera setup. Moreover, the triple camera setup with a 3D sensing sensor will not only provide clearer and crispy images, performs better in low light scenarios with enhanced zooming capability, but will also provide other significant features such as recording of 3D content and Augmented Reality (AR).
If we take a look at the existing devices that are equipped with triple camera setup than recently Huewai P20 pro also got the triple camera configuration, which includes a 40-megapixel RGB sensor, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor. And it is expected that Samsung might do somewhat the similar thing with their aforementioned device. However, it’s just a speculation.
As there is no other information about the specs of the device apart from what the reports suggest, although some reports disclose that Samsung’s Galaxy S10 will be the first phone to get 3D-facial recognition feature just like the what we have seen in previous iPhone X, and Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition. And the device might likely to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC. And some reports also suggest that the device might get uncovered in the MWC 2019 along with Samsung’s yet anticipated foldable smartphones.
Honor to Launch Honor Play 8A in India Soon!
Honor unveiled its budget smartphone Honor Play 8A a month back in China earlier this month. The handset was previously spotted on TENAA which hinted the major specifications of the handset.
Now, sources claim that the brand has plans to make the device available in India in the upcoming weeks. On the display front, the brand has placed a waterdrop shaped notch to house the camera which brings the screen-to-body ratio to 87%.
Right before the launch of the device, it was listed on Vmall, a Chinese e-commerce website which helped to get a hint of the specifications.
In terms of specifications, the Honor 8A will sport a 6.09 inch IPS display with a resolution of HD+ (1560 x 720 pixels). It will run on EMUI 9.0 on top of the latest Android 9 Pie and will be available in 32GB and 64GB storage variants with 3GB RAM.
Under the hood, it will be powered by a 2.35 GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P35 and backed by a 3,050 mAh. There seems to be no fingerprint sensor which means it will likely come with Face Unlock feature.
In terms of camera, the Honor 8A will come with an 8MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture while the rear single camera is a 13MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture with phase detection autofocus that is capable of recording at 1080p @ 30fps. The 7A had a 2MP depth sensing secondary sensor, but the 8A misses one. There is a dual SIM tray card with an expandable memory by a microSD card up to 512GB.
The device was unveiled for CNY 799 (Rs 8,000 approx) for the base variant with 3 GB RAM +32GB onboard storage while the 3GB RAM + 64GB storage was priced at CNY 999 (Rs 10,000 approx). As far as the software is concerned, it runs on the latest Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI 9.0 on top. The brand will be announcing regarding the Indian launch later this week. Till then, stay tuned for updates.
Moto G7 & Moto G7 Power to Launch in India in Q1 2019
Motorola is expected to announce its Moto G7 series at an event in Brazil on February 7. Recently, the official press renders of the Moto G7 series was released online. Now according to a new report, the Lenovo owned company will be launching the Moto G7 and Moto G7 Power in India before the end of first quarter. The Moto G7 Plus and the Moto G7 Play on the other hand will likely to arrive in the country later this year.
The Moto G7 Power was recently leaked at a store in Brazil. It features a 6.2 inch display with a notch that houses the 8MP selfie camera. Under the hood, there is a 1.8 GHz octa-core chipset which is expected to be the Snapdragon 632 chipset. It will be coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage though there likely to be other storage configurations.
The device’s rear sports a 12MP camera that is housed in a black circle along an LED flash. Under the camera unit, there is a Motorola logo that doubles up fingerprint scanner. It is backed up by a 5,000 mAh battery that should last more than a day. The handset is expected to come in Black and Lilac Purple color options.
The Moto G7 will come with better specs and will cost a bit higher than the Moto G7 Power. It will feature a waterdrop notched display and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 which is a great upgrade to its predecessors SD 450. It will be priced around the Rs 15,000 mark and will be available in Black and White colors at launch.
If the report is to be believed, the Moto G7 Plus and the Moto G7 Play will arrive in the Indian market before March end. The company has not given any official date but we expect a teaser soon.
Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 7 Pro & Redmi Go to Launch Soon in the Indian market
Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi launched its Redmi Note 7 smartphone last week in China. The Chinese manufacturer has already confirmed that it will be launching the Redmi note 7 Pro smartphone next month. The company is also rumoured to launch the Redmi Go Android Go smartphone.
Now, according to a new report, the Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 7 Pro and the Redmi Go will launch in India before the end of first quarter. This claim is in line with the recent leak by tipster Ishan Agarwal.
The Redmi Note 7 was launched in China last week and is expected to be the successor to the Redmi Note 5 in the Indian market. Compared to its predecessor the Note 7 is a huge upgrade in many areas which means the Redmi Note 7 could be priced higher. The smartphone features a 6.3 inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of FHD+ (2340 x 2080 pixels) and an aspect ratio of 19:5:9. It houses a 14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE octa-core chipset paired with an Adreno 512 GPU.
The phone’s highlight is its 48MP + 5MP rear cameras and a 13MP camera on the front. It is backed by a 4,000 mAh battery with fast charging support and comes with an IR blaster and USB type-C port.
The Redmi Note 7 Pro was recently teased to come with a 48MP Sony IMX sensor on the rear instead of Redmi Note 7’s 48MP Samsung ISOCELL GM1 Sensor. It will house an 11nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 octa-core chipset which will be superior to Note 7’s SD 660. The handset comes at a price tag of CNY 1,499 (Rs 15,750 approx) in China.
As for the Redmi Go smartphone, there is not much information available about it. The handset was recently certified by various agencies including the FCC, EEC and SIRIM Malaysia. It is rumoured to come with a 5.9 inch display and run Android 9 Pie Go Edition out of the box.
Officially Launched5 days ago
OPPO Showcases 10x Hybrid Optical Zoom & a Bigger UD Fingerprint Scanner
Officially Launched7 days ago
Honor 10 Lite Launched in India, Comes with Kirin 710 & 24 MP AI Selfie Camera
Leaks5 days ago
New Apple iPhone Prototype CAD Renders Shows a Radical New Design!
Upcoming Phones4 days ago
3 Xiaomi Phones gets CMIIT certification. Mi MIX 3 5G, Redmi Go or Redmi Note 7 Pro?
Officially Launched6 days ago
ITel A44 Air Launched in India. Comes with Android Go & Dual Rear Cameras!
Upcoming Phones6 days ago
Samsung Galaxy S10 & S10 Plus gets 3C Certification in China
Leaks2 days ago
Samsung Galaxy M10 & M20 Pricing Leaked, Starts at just Rs.8,990!
Officially Launched6 days ago
Vivo Y91 Launched in India. Dew Drop Notch, Helio P22 & Dual Cameras!


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Jenel Management Corp., a New York City-based investment firm, has purchased the Gap building in downtown Charleston for $3.9 million, officials announced today.
The 8,760-square-foot space at 269 King Street adds to the firm’s portfolio of more than 70 properties, which are largely concentrated in New York City, Philadelphia, and South Beach, Fla, according to its website.
Gap will continue to operate in the King Street space, officials said.
The clothing retailer took over the space when Millennium Music closed in 1999.
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Google Inc (GOOG.O) and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), which are frequently involved in patent infringement lawsuits but not against each other, announced on Sunday that they have reached a global patent cross-licensing agreement.
The deal covers patents currently owned by the companies, as well as any filed in the next 10 years, the companies said in a release. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The companies said the deal "would lead to deeper collaboration on research and development of current and future projects."
"By working together on agreements like this, companies can reduce the potential for litigation and focus instead on innovation," said Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google, in a statement.
Samsung's Seungho Ahn, head of the company's intellectual property center, said the deal showed "the rest of the industry that there is more to gain from cooperating than engaging in unnecessary patent disputes."
The companies have been at the center of the smartphone patent wars, though more as allies than foes. The majority of the litigation - which has sprawled across three continents, has been between Apple (AAPL.O) and the various companies involved in making smartphones based on Google's Android software, including Samsung and Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Trending On Reuters
Tesla Motors Inc told U.S. Senate Commerce Committee staff it is considering two theories that may help explain what led to the May 7 fatal crash that killed a Florida man who was using the car's "Autopilot" system, a person familiar with the meeting told Reuters on Friday. Full Article | Related Story
- Democratic fund-raising group for U.S. Congress candidates confirms hack
- Apple asks U.S. Supreme Court to rule against Samsung over patents
- Hackers hit Vietnam airports with South China Sea messages
- Video: Blind athlete runs desert marathon unassisted using smartphone app
- Alphabet and Amazon wind up stellar quarter for big tech


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Oh no! NPR is reporting that bad weather in Europe has lead to decreased production of hops, a crucial ingredient of beer. The shortage is causing the price of fancy microbrewery beers to rise.
Miller and Budweiser aren’t affected because they have futures contracts and use less hops. How much will the price of microbrew beer rise? No one is sure yet, but the brewer that NPR interviewed was very worried. He equated the skyrocketing price of gasoline to beer, and is worried that the hops shortage will price him out of the market.
“Some people are going to sell the truck and buy the Honda,” he said.


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The Senate has commenced moves to stop processing delay and illegal charges on cargo transport by freight agents in the country.
The Senate decision followed a motion sponsored by Sen. Bala Na’Allah (APC-Kebbi) during the Wednesday plenary
The motion was titled: “The need to streamline Import and Export Cargo Processing in the Aviation Sector”.
Rising under Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate’s Standing Rules, Na’Allah noted with dismay the loss of about N250 billion on agro-export of produce in the country.
According to the lawmaker, the loss which translates to a ratio of 87:13 continues to impact negatively on the country’s economy.
He lamented that loading 100 tons of cargo on aircraft cost around 35,000 Dollars in Nigeria, compared to Ghana that cost just about 4000 Dollars.
He said, “this has caused substantial damage to the Federal Government efforts of stimulating Capital Inflow”, adding that, “airlines involved in cargo transport have started avoiding Nigeria in view of the prohibitive charges.”
The Senate, accordingly, mandated the Joint Committees on Trade and Investment, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Aviation and Customs to invite stakeholders and Freight Agents to come with acceptable template of processing Nigeria’s Imports and Exports. (NAN)


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SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "While we are still waiting for the official Windows 8.1 touch-enabled apps to get launched on the Windows Store, Microsoft went and decided that it’s time to finally bring the Office online apps to the Chrome Web Store, instead. Thus, Microsoft is making the Web versions of its Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote apps available to users through the Chrome Web Store and also improving all of them with new features, along with several bug fixes and performance improvements." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Right now, there are already plenty of cheap and good Windows 8 tablets, with prices between $200 and $300, but it seems that even cheaper slates are on their way. According to a recent report, a not so popular Chinese company, called Emdoor, could be the first one to release full Windows 8 tablets under $100. Shortly after the Build 2014 event, Intel has announced at the IDF conference that they are going to use their low-end Baytrail solution for Windows tablets at the $99 pricetag. Hermann Eul, a top executive at Intel, said Windows tablets could cost only $99 by lining up low-cost processor models up with the removal of Windows licensing costs. He also said that there are already more than 90 tablet designs coming to the market, with prices ranging from below $100 to $500." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Today Windows XP officially dies and Windows 8.1 update is also being rolled out in the same day. Another product which gets the axe is Internet Explorer 6, the “most hated browser” in the world for which even a “funeral website” has been created with a countdown until its final day. The sixth version of Internet Explorer has been criticized for its security issues and lack of support for modern web standards. Nonetheless, with all the campaigns which were urging users to ditch and stop using it, at the end of March, this year, Internet Explorer 6 had a IE market share of 4.15%." top
Novena is a Fully Open-source Laptop with Customizable Hardware
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Andrew Huang and Sean Cross have spent over a year working on the Novena laptop — a fully open source laptop with customizable hardware . Huang is widely credited as the man who broke open the original Xbox. Since the laptops and all the instructions are aimed at a small number of buyers, they aren’t exactly cheap. Just the Novena board will cost you $500 and ships November this year while a pledge of $1,995 to the Novena campaign at Crowd Supply will land you a laptop with an estimated shipment deadline in January, 2015. The open source Novena laptop is powered by a 1.2 GHz Freescale i.MX6 quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 240GB solid state drive, a 45Whr battery, WiFi, HDMI, and Debian Linux for the operating system." top
Microsoft to Offer New "Windows for IoT" version for Free to OEMs
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Microsoft today said it will make Windows free of charge for phones and tablets with screens smaller than nine inches, a move designed to help boost the company's market share. Microsoft didn't say what version or type of Windows is covered under this new policy— but most likely we're talking about a new Windows version. "Windows for Internet of Things" or "Windows on Devices" could be its name, as we've seen information on a "Windows on Devices" website offering a short glimpse this new version. Besides smartphones and smaller tablets, this new Windows version will also become available for IoT devices and other wearable gadgetry." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "As expected, at the Build 2014 event currently taking place in the Moscone Center, San Francisco, Microsoft has announced the first update to Windows 8.1. Albeit the update has leaked before, it now has become official. It comes with improvements especially for mouse and keyboard users, such as the minimize button that now works inside modern Windows apps. Also, switching between Win 32 and modern apps is now also possible form a single place. The Start center comes with a the PC Settings tiles and the power button. Right mouse click features have also been added to the Start screen. Also, the Windows Store will be redesigned in the coming days. Windows 8.1 Update will be made available on April 8, ironically, when support for Windows XP is discontinued." top
Satya Nadella's First Management Shakeups at Microsoft
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Satya Nadella has named three executives to its cloud, devices and Xbox gaming divisions in his first management shakeup over at Microsoft. Scott Guthrie has been promoted to head of the cloud and enterprise group, the $20 billion division that Nadella helmed before replacing Steve Ballmer as CEO in February. Stephen Elop will join Microsoft as executive vice president of the devices group and will also play a role in developing the Xbox. Phil Spencer has been name to lead Microsoft's Xbox operation, reporting to operating systems group chief Terry Myerson. Nadella made the announcement through a public email on Microsoft's website." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "The industry of 3D printing is growing day by day and new amazing devices get unveiled. Foodini is a 3D printer that can print food like ravioli, pizza, burgers, crackers, cookies, chocolate vases and more by using fresh ingredients . This 3D printer comes with empty food capsules where you can put the mashed ingredients. Thus, you don’t have to buy pre-filled food capsules. The minor disadvantage is that you will need to prepare the food by blending it first; but hey, it’s a small price to pay for healthy food that gets modeled according to your desires. And we all know who loves to eat food in different shapes – kids.
Foodini has a built-in 7 inch touch screen (powered by Androdi) on the front and you can use it to connect to an online community site where users can view recipes, online demos, and have access to a personalized online recipe box. You can access it from your smartphone, tablet or laptop and also upload and share your own recipe creations.You can buy Foodini for $999 currently on Kickstarter, but this is an early bird limited price, so there are limited units for purchases." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Just like expected, at its first press briefing, Satya Nadella and his team has finally unveiled the much awaited and perhaps overdue Microsoft Office suite of products for the iPad . It’s not a standalone product and yes, of course, it does require subcription. Microsoft has released Office Mobile for iPhone users back in June, last year, and now Redmond has just unveiled the Microsoft Office suite for the world’s most popular tablet – the iPad. This morning, in San Francisco, at an event focused on discussing the intersection of cloud and mobile, the Microsoft Office suite for iPad has been released and it is free to download, but requires a subscription if you want to edit files, naturally. Just as expected, it comes with the traditional trio of apps: Word, PowerPoint and Excel." top
Peter Molyneux: Working for Microsoft Is Like Taking Antidepressants
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Peter Molyneux is one of the most famous personalities in the history of gaming, especially recognized for having created God games Dungeon Keeper, Populous, Black & White but also the Fable series. After creating the Fable series, Molyneux announced in March 2012 that he will be leaving Lionhead and Microsoft to start another company – 22Cans. During a recent interview, the former Microsoft employee has shared some interesting details regarding the time when he was working over at Redmond. He says Microsoft is a “big supertanker of safety” and that working there is “like taking antidepressants“. Here’s the excerpt from his interview:
I left Microsoft because I think when you have the ability to be a creative person, you have to take that seriously, and you have to push yourself. And pushing yourself is a lot easier to do if you’re in a life raft that has a big hole in the side, and that’s what I think indie development is. You’re paddling desperately to get where you want to go to, but you’re also bailing out. Whereas if you’re in a big supertanker of safety, which Microsoft was, then that safety is like an anesthetic. It’s like taking antidepressants. The world just feels too comfortable.
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Microsoft launched the Surface Pro 2 tablet in October 2013 with several hardware upgrades, like the new 1.6GHz Core i5-4200U processor specifically optimized for longer battery life and increased performance. Three months later, Microsoft decided to upgrade the CPU with a 1.9GHz Core i5-4300U unit that would be capable of taking these improvements even further. Albeit Redmond has kept a low profile for the somewhat significant improvement, tech savvy buyers were aware of the change. Now, according to some new reports, it seems that the company is still shipping the old models to buyers, despite the fact that Microsoft has promised to deliver only upgraded models featuring the new CPU. The new processor is said to come with 20% higher clock speed and 15% to 20% better overclocked clock speed." top
Pirated Software with Malware to Cost Businesses $500 Billion in 2014
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "A new study conducted by IDC and the National University of Singapore and reported by the Microsoft Cybercrime Center has revealed some interesting numbers regarding the malware affecting pirated software. Businesses worldwide are said to spend nearly $500 billion (such a huge number!) in 2014 to deal with the problems caused by malware on pirated software. Individual consumers are expected to spend $25 billion and waste 1.2 billion hours this year because of security threats and expensive computer fixes." top
Ex-Microsoft Employee Arrested for Leaking Windows 8
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Alex Kibkalo, a former Microsoft employee has been arrested yesterday for stealing and leaking company secrets. The former software architecture engineer is accused of leaking early Windows 8 builds to a French tech blogger with whom he was communicating inside a forum. The ex-Microsoft employee also stands accused of leaking some Windows 7 program files and also an internal system meant to protect against software piracy. Kibkalo is said to have leaked the Windows 8 code in the middle of 2012 because he was angry over a poor performance review." top
iPad 4 Replaces iPad 2 & New 8GB iPhone 5c Released
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "It seems that Tim Cook is once again trying its supply chain tricks as Apple has finally took the second-generation iPad off the shelves, after it was surprisingly announced at the launch of the iPad Air that the iPad 4 would be discontinued and not the older iPad 2. But that was a smart financial move, because building an iPad 2 is cheaper than building an iPad 4 and Apple would thus get a much bigger profit margin. And there were still enough buyers, like schools, businesses and other enterprise clients. Now the 16 GB iPad is available on Apple's online store for a price starting at $399 .
Also to try and appeal to budget conscious buyers, Apple has released a new version of the plasticky iPhone 5c — the 8 GB model. The 8 GB iPhone 5c has been officially made available for purchase to its European online stores. The smartphone is priced at £429 for the unlocked version in the United Kingdom, which represents a difference of £40 between it and the 16 GB model. It will be launched on Apple's US Store later on today." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "The European Union has voted in favor of a draft legislation which lists among the “essential requirements” of electrical devices approved by the EU a compatibility with “universal” chargers . According to a German MEP, this move will eliminate 51,000 tonnes of electronic waste. The draft law was approved by an overwhelming majority of 550 votes to 12 . At the moment, according to estimates, there are around 30 different types of charger on the market, but manufacturers have two years at their disposal to get ready for the new restriction." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "After a long journey of more than one year, which included even a successfully ended Kickstarter campaign, the VLC app for Windows 8 is officially here. VLC for Windows 8 is currently in beta, and it lacks some important features, such as the ability to open music files or support for Windows RT devices. On the good side, VLC for Windows 8 supports the same codecs as the VLC application for desktop, from MPEG-1 to H.265, through WMV3 and VC-1; it also supports multiple-audio tracks selection, embedded subtitles, background audio playback, Live Tiles, removable storage and DLNA servers." top
1GB of Google Drive Storage Now Costs Only $0.02 per Month
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "Up until today, I always had the impression that cloud storage was pretty expensive and I’m sure that many will agree with me. It’s a good thing that some bright minds over at Google have the same impressions as they now have drastically discounted the monthly storage plans on Google Drive. The new monthly storage plans and their previous prices are as follows: $1.99 for 100GB (previously $4.99), $9.99 for 1TB (previously $49.99), and $99.99 for 10TB.The 2 dollar plan per month means that the price for a gigabyte gets down to an incredibly low price of only two cents per month." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "There’s been a lot of brouhaha surrounding privacy these days, and despite the fact that Pinterest isn’t among the most targeted websites when it comes to government data requests, the company, which is said to have near 80 million users, has decided to make public its first ever transparency report. Given the nature of the service and the fact that it is much smaller than Facebook, it was only natural not to expect too many data requests. According to Pinterest’s report, from July to December 2013, the company has received only 7 warrants, 5 subpoenas, 1 civil subpoena, and 0 other requests about 13 user accounts. Compare that to Microsoft which has received more than 35,000 requests during the second half of last year while Facebook received somewhere around 15,000." top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "I never understood the craziness and popularity behind the Flappy Bird game and I somewhat agreed with the founder when he pulled down the game from mobile stores. But now more and more copycats are basically flooding the Windows Store . In the ‘New & Rising’ section on the Windows Store there are featured 1,000 Windows 8 apps and from my basic calculation, around 20% are Flappy Bird clones. Considering the fact that there are now more than four million daily downloads from the Windows Store, I wonder how many of these contain Flappy Bird copycats" top
SmartAboutThings (1951032) writes "FreedomPop, the US budget carrier that not too many have heard about, has now announced the “Snowden Phone“ n, a customized version of the Galaxy S2 with a focus on privacy. According to FreedomPop, this is the only smartphone and mobile service that allows for encrypted communication. FreedomPop users of the “Snowden Phone” will communicate via voice calls and text messages in a secure environment using 128-bit encryption for the protect of your connection. You will also be able to anonymously browse the internet without having to worry about online marketers tracking your web activity, as data is funneled through a pre-installed VPN."


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There was a time when if an up and coming criminal wanted to start earning money as a botmaster, the process was time consuming and expensive. According to researchers at Symantec, that isn’t the case these days, as crime kits are getting easier to obtain.
In the past, as in four or five years ago, crime kits such as Zeus or SpyEye were only being sold on underground markets. However, recently Symantec has observed several places where the illegal software is being sold openly, alongside other legitimate software for sale. Ironically, anyone who purchases some of these kits are being victimized themselves, as the code is outdated in some cases and ridiculously overpriced.
“You are probably wondering if this is all a scam. Perhaps, most of the crimeware kit sellers are out for a quick profit, but some of these sites discussed below have a feedback system. Just like an auction and community selling website, a fraudster is not going to last long and will not profit in the long run with a bad reputation,” Symantec explained in a recent blog post.
While some of the Web-based storefronts cater strictly to malware and other criminal sales, they’re not fly-by-night operations, and many of the domains are created with a professional flair. However, Symantec says that those types of markets are not the only place where crime kits can be found. Point-in-case, is the discovery of two versions of Zeus being sold on a website that offers legitimate digital goods.
“Previously, it was necessary to be a member of an exclusive community to purchase these files, but it appears that it is now getting easier. Although the logic of caveat emptor is out the door here, most enterprising criminals, both professional and amateur, who purchase these goods simply do not care. Usually, if they are scammed, it is the cost of doing business for them and they move on,” Symantec said.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — Airbnb bans "party houses" in the wake of a deadly Halloween shooting at one of its California properties. Five people were killed and several others were hurt when more than 100 people showed up to a house party.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky took to Twitter to release new policy changes. First, they will be expanding manual screening of high-risk reservations flagged by their risk detection technology. The goal of this is to stop unauthorized parties before they start. Secondly, they will be creating a dedicated “party house” rapid response team. Part of this will be launching a 24/7 neighbor hotline staffed by real people. Third, they will be taking immediate action against users who violate these enhanced guest policies, including removal.
While Airbnb hosts like Matt Hudson believe any changes to make renting safer is a good thing, he says it might be wishful thinking. Hudson has been renting his East Nashville space for nearly three years. He even created a starter kit to help navigate the process, known as the Nashbnb starter kit. Hudson explains its hard to predict what kind of guests you will have beforehand and their intentions.
"Now how Airbnb will regulate that, have no idea," said Hudson, "The app itself has where guests are supposed to say how many people staying within party..do they always follow that no."
Hudson is curious how these new rules will play out. Luckily he's never had any issues with rowdy guests.
"How do you know if they're party people or not?," said Hudson, "There's really not productive way to figure that out."
Chesky is not only looking to protect hosts but guests as well. He's promising by next year, they will review every home and host on Airbnb, verifing 100 percent of its listings.


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Following the lawsuits against Binance from the SEC, the exchange and its CEO have filed a motion of dismissal.
How the Fab Five Fared
Since yesterday, the top five cryptocurrencies — Litecoin, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Ripple — have gone up 2.17% in aggregate. The best performer of the bunch was Bitcoin Cash, which went up 6.85%. In terms of the worst performer, that would be XRP, which reported a day-over-day return of -1.7%. Four of the coins had up days, which is a bullish sign for the sector.
Key Technical Moves
Bitcoin Cash had an especially unusual move, in the sense that the move was much larger than its normal daily trading range. What caused this move might be worthy of further investigation. Technical traders may also wish to note the following developments in price action:
- The crypto market as a whole seems to be lacking a clear trend; the five majors aren’t showing signs of a bull or bear trend at the moment over the past 14 days.
Insights From Transaction Data
The blockchain that saw the most transactions recorded on its blockchain over the past day was Ripple; its 912,285 transfers added was about 7% greater than the transactions recorded on Ethereum, which was the runner up for transactions logged on its chain over the past 24 hours. Ripple has a transaction fee less than the transaction fee of Ethereum, which may indicate that transaction fees might be a key reason why users are preferring Ripple. Bitcoin was the coin with the largest transaction across all blockchains yesterday; the largest transaction on its chain was valued at $565,375,552 US dollars. Bitcoin has the fewest coins in circulation relative to the other coins noted here, and its scarcity may make it appealing for those interested in making high-value transactions. The circulating value of all Bitcoins now comes in at approximately $ 137.97 billion US dollars — which means Bitcoin accounts for about 55.47% of the entire cryptocurrency market.


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An expanded Plug Power (PLUG) deal with the world's biggest retailer cheered investors, who bid up shares of the fuel cell maker as much as 11% in early Tuesday trading on the stock market. The company's stock closed up 4.5% at 5.77.
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) agreed to add a seventh Plug Power GenKey hydrogen fuel cell fueling site in Sterling, Ill., consisting of 286 GenDrive fuel cell units. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.
GenKey is a turn-key system that includes GenDrive fuel cells for use in vehicles, GenFuel refueling stations — which are about the same size and look similar to gas station pumps — hydrogen fuel supply, and on-site maintenance.
Large companies such as Wal-Mart, supermarket giant Kroger (KR), BMW and Mercedes-Benz are deploying fuel cell powered vehicles and refueling stations for forklifts and vehicle fleets as well as backup power.
The 41-company alternative energy group is ranked No. 1 on IBD's list of 197 industries as corporations employ fuel cells, solar cells and other emerging clean energy sources.
Currently, Wal-Mart has GenDrive fuel cell units powering electric lift truck fleets at four Walmart distribution centers, two in the U.S. and two in Canada.
The Sterling, Ill. site is an add-on order to the original one in February under which Plug Power is rolling out 1,783 GenDrive fuel cells in forklift fleets as six sites.
"The original contract deployments are proceeding, and the timely completion of the first GenFuel build helps validate our turnkey capability," Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh said in a statement.
Plug Power said the Sterling fuel cell site will begin operation by the end of this quarter.
Wal-Mart shares fell fractionally tuesday.
Follow James DeTar on Twitter: @IBD_JDeTar.


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ClickCopy 1.0 is a $10 shareware contextual menu plugin that \"enables the user to copy files, make aliases, and move files easily.\"
Apple is offering Cocoa develeopers an invitation to a \"Cocoa kitchen\" at Apple in Cupertino, CA, scheduled for August 7-10. \"The focus of the kitchen will be on Cocoa Development and related topics. Cocoa Framework Engineers, DTS Engineers, and Technology Managers will be available to help work through technical issues and listen to your feedback. Reservations are accepted on a first come, first serve basis and all attendees must be a member of the Apple Developer Connection program.\"
jPEE 1.3 for OS X adds the option to extract email addresses from files contained within directories and subsequent sub-directories and to verify the domains of the addresses to the utility for automatically removing email addresses, from large text files and directories.
SmartMode has released a Mac OS X-compatible version of its Rapid JavaServer Pages (JSP) Development tools. \"SmartMode enables JSP and Servlet developers to build dynamic, interactive web sites with distinct display, business logic, and database layers.\" The company will be releasing a Mac OS X GUI version in an upcoming release.
MacNN reader Richard L. notes that Aspyr Media has updated its game status list with information on Carbonized versions of The Sims: Livin\' Large, which is expected in August, and The Sims: House Party, which is expected in September. The Classic version of second expansion pack The Sims: House Party is expected to be released next week.
After a month-long hiatus, The Apple Store is now offering refurbished products again. Current offers include 400 and 500 MHz Indigo iMacs for $700 and $850, respectively.
Luigi Ballabio has released a Macintosh port of SWIG 1.3.6, a software development tool that connects programs written in C, C++, and Objective-C with a variety of high-level programming languages. The program is primarily used with common scripting languages such as Perl, Python, Tcl/Tk, Ruby, and Guile but has also been extended to include languages such as Java and Eiffel.
CyberDisc has released new beta versions of NodeScan Client and NodeScan Server, its Java-based platform for Classic and Mac OS X for distributed network services that combines elements of both peer-to-peer and client/server type networks. The new versions provide significantly improved appearance, functionality, performance, and reliability.
Creative has released version 2.91 firmware for its Nomad Jukebox MP3 Player that improves the device\'s battery life.
EjectMenu 2.6 is a new version of the $15 utility that adds the option of ejecting any mounted volumes from a system-wide menu, control strip, or contextual menu. The new version adds support for Mac OS 9.2, which is available on new \"QuickSilver\" Power Mac G4s.
Iconizer Pro 1.4.6 is a new version of the application for creating a group of 32-bit icons to form a picture as a folder background. Version 1.4.6 tweaks the Border Mask and Center image commands and fixes several minor bugs.
Strange Flavour has announced that Airburst, its new Classic and Mac OS X shareware game released last week, will soon feature Internet and LAN network play for registered users. A feature-limited LAN-only version for non-registered users will also be available. The company has also unveiled a new online registration option through Fairtunes.com and plans for Airburst shirts, hats, mugs, and other merchandise for the game\'s growing number of fans.
Apple ranks 49th in Business Week\'s assessment of the world\'s most valuable brands (PDF); the Apple brand is valued at $5.46 billion, down 17 percent from last year\'s value of $6.59 billion. \"Apple continues to churn out eye-pleasing products but struggles to find takers beyond the core Mac faithful,\" the report said. Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM, GE, and Nokia are ranked as the world\'s top five brands.
sMailing 1.5.1 is a new version of the Carbonized email application that can send personalized email messages. Version 1.5.1 adds name sender, an option to send email to admin when finished, read system Internet preferences for SMTP server, and bug fixes.
TimeCache 4.1.1 is a free, maintenance update to its time and expense tracking application for Macintosh users who bill clients for project work. It adds a pop-up a calendar and fixes a few bugs, including a problem with inaccurate timing when starting the timer from the TimeCache Remote Control window, and printing using user-selected fonts. A limited demo is available online.
Ashlar-Vellum last week announced its forthcoming precision design software product line, Designer Elements, which includes Graphite, Neon, Argon, Xenon, and Cobalt applications.
OSOpinion.com has published an article discussing the many different flavors of OS X applications including Carbon, Cocoa, and Classic. \" Mac OS X is a strange hybrid beast to be sure; it has a slick GUI on top of a tried-and-true Unix base,\" says author Kelly McNeill.
Memory Plus has announced a 640MB CompactFlash card, offering writes speeds of nearly 2MB/sec, according to Macworld UK. The media, due next week, has been tested in Kodak cameras and is encased in metal for enhanced durability: \"We don\'t see the average digital photographer wanting to buy this card just yet. We see this as a solution for a number of industrial and corporate applications. It\'s also ideal for some applications in the handheld market.\"
Jeff Pollard writes about the recent release of DialPadX: \"I installed it on my blue & white 450 and tried a few calls wit it. It doesn\'t work very well. From the computer side, I could hear the other end talking, but they couldn\'t hear me. Pretty disappointing after waiting this long for it.\"
ABBYY next month plans to launch the public beta of FineReader 5.0 Pro Mac, an optical character recognition (OCR) tool that uses the same engine as FineReader Pro for Windows. The public beta period for FineReader 5.0 will begin August 6th, and general availability is slated for September 10th.
Afternoon tech news: Palm plans to create a subsidiary specifically to manage the company\'s operating system for handheld devices, which is also used by Handspring; Government anti-trust enforcers are attempting to block a bid by Microsoft for another hearing; Motherboard makers plan to phase out Rambus, or RDRAM technology, which many industry pundits were pressuring Apple to incorporate into new Macs.
Koingo Software\'s has introduced introduced Blaze 1.0, its $16 shareware word processor that features line, word and character counts as well as color and font customization.
QXP PhotoBook 3.0 is a $15.00 stand-alone utility which helps create image catalog either QuarkXpress documents or Acrobat PDF files. It supports PDF and GIF formats as well as other non-Quark-supported formats such as Adobe Photoshop files. A limited demo is available.
Jeremy Kezer\'s $7 shareware Thermograph 1.3.3 measures the internal processor temperature of any late-model G3 or G4-based Mac, records the minimum and maximum temperatures, and plots the temperature over time.
Ryan Rempel has released Unsupported UtilityX v1.0b9, which now pre-installs BootX in the manner required to boot on older systems (i.e. the 7300 - 9600 series), providing compatibility with Darwin 1.3.1.
Yesterday we reported on a technical problem disallowing PowerPC upgrade manufacturers to use the new, faster G4 chips from Motorola; a review of American McGee\'s Alice, a new 3D action/adventure game; the Apple retail store buying experience; price cuts on older Power Mac G4s; record sales for Diablo II: Lord of Destruction; new details on Microsoft\'s .NET initiative; QuickMail for Mac OS X; and Radiohead\'s use of a PowerBook to create its latest online music video. Software releases included The Sims for Mac OS X and GraphicConverter 4.09.
Now AAPL Stock: 93.74 ( -1.09 )
Fiat Chrysler adding Siri Eyes Free
On Friday, automaker Fiat Chrysler issued a software update for selected 2013-2015 model cars to allow Siri Eyes Free, the precursor to the more fully-featured CarPlay, to be compatible with the vehicles' infotainment systems, including steering wheel control. The 2013 through 2015 model Ram 1500/2500/3500, the 2013-2015 Dodge Viper, the 2014-2015 Dodge Durango, the 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, and the 2015 models of Dodge Challenger and Charger, Jeep Renegade, and Chrysler 200 and 300 can be upgraded through the Unconnect touchscreen, visiting the Uconnect site and entering their 17-digit Vehicle ID, then downloading the update to a USB drive. Installation can take up to 45 minutes, and can only be done while the vehicle is in park. http://bit.ly/23f0sby
Tor Myhren starts as VP of Communications
After an initial announcement in December, Apple on Friday added former Grey Group chief creative officer Tor Myhren to its leadership roster as VP of Marketing Communications, placing the well-known ad exec in charge of Apple's advertising and Internet marketing efforts, as well as having a hand in packaging design. He will report directly to CEO Tim Cook, and is replacing the retired Hiroki Asai, who left Apple after 18 years with the company. Myhren is expected to continue Apple recent push into more "lifestyle" marketing rather than product-centric ads, such as the well-remembered "I'm a Mac" campaign from last decade. http://apple.co/1Wwf0Dd
Marseilles Apple Store to open May 14
Apple has officially announced its newest retail store in France, which is to open in the southern port city of Marseilles in the Les Terrasses du Port shopping center on May 14 at 10AM local time. It will be the 19th full retail store Apple has opened in the country, or 20th if one includes the Apple Watch-only boutique at Galeries Lafayette in Paris. Apple is said to be planning a new showcase Paris store to be located on the Champs-Élysées. http://apple.co/1pP77vO
Maps adds Flyover, Suggestions locations
Apple has updated Maps to include Spotlight Suggestions for Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, allowing users to search both internally and across the web on both Mac and iOS devices for data in Spotlight. In addition, the company has added Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Akron, Ohio to the 3D Flyover feature, offering computer-enhanced aerial views of the two areas -- and has activated real-time traffic information for Thailand, which will augment services like reminders to incorporate estimated travel times for appointments, as an example. The company recently added Nearby searches to five countries, and rolled out transit directions for Montreal in Canada and Portland, Oregon. http://apple.co/1Lh1Zel
Verizon gives last offer, issues workers ultimatum
Verizon has offered striking workers its "last, best and final offer" following 10 months of protracted negotiations with union leaders. The latest offer comes on the back of 36,000 Verizon employees taking strike action two weeks ago. The proposal includes a 7.5 percent wage rise, better benefits and voluntary retirement incentive offers. The striking workers, mainly on from its fixed line operations, have claimed that Verizon has outsourced 5,000 jobs to workers overseas and that it has been deliberately hiring low-wage, non-union contractors. Verizon recently posted revenue of $32.2 billion for the March quarter. http://cnnmon.ie/26AmwSv
CarPlay comes to Porsche 718 Cayman
Porsche has revealed that its new 718 Cayman series will be the latest vehicles in its range equipped with support for Apple CarPlay. The new Porsche models joins the recently announced 718 Boxster, the 2017 Macans and the 2016 model of the 911 in offering support for Apple's iOS in the car interface. Both are fitted standard with an eight speaker sound system and the Porsche Communications Management (PCM) system. The entry-level Cayman starts at $53,9000, while the faster S variant starts from $66,300. Although already on sale, the won't reach US dealers until late November. http://prn.to/1Tj1EW7
Macphun offers free Photos filters
Image editing software maker Macphun are offering a free set of up to 30 photo filter effects to extend the range of filter options available to users of Apple's Photos app for OS X, which replaced the previous iPhoto program. The first 15 filters are available after installing the software, and includes filters such as "Ancient Canvas" and "Twilight," while users who sign up for the Macphun newsletter will unlock the other 15 effects. The extension integrates directly into Photos, and include sliders for finer control of the effects and a masking brush. http://bit.ly/1VEgQD6


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*This is a guest post by Christina Dedrick & Lizzie Nirenberg at Klaviyo
Earlier this year, the world was forced to pivot to what we now know as the ‘new normal’. Travel all but stopped, brick and mortar stores closed their doors, and businesses of all shapes and sizes were forced to lay off employees. As retail brands were caught in the crossfire of this global pandemic, Klaviyo made a pointed decision to help in the only way we knew we could – by collecting, analyzing, and sharing data that brands need to make informed decisions. And what we discovered was drastically more positive than what was being reported on the nightly news.
Facing facts – ecommerce is a different breed of retail
Although the US Department of Commerce reports a staggering 8.7 percent dip in retail sales – the state of ecommerce has a much brighter outlook. In fact, ecommerce is actually booming right now. Across the more than 32,000 Klaviyo customers studied, overall sales have increased by 42 percent since before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States.
Regardless of whether you’re selling online or in-person, establishing relationships with those on your contact list is crucial. When COVID-19 became a pandemic, every consumer got at least one (if not one hundred) email from businesses explaining how they’re handling the crisis. And based on our data, consumers opened a lot of those emails. Why? Because they are home, in front of their screens, and craving engagement. And those business update emails aren’t the only ones being sent or opened. Across the board, email is thriving and helping brands demolish sales records.
Email is “on fire” right now
Consumers have significantly changed their behavior since the start of COVID-19. What has this meant for email? In short, email is on fire right now, and e-commerce is having an out of season Black Friday / Cyber Monday (BFCM for short). Since March 15, when COVID-19 began its widespread impact on the United States, email engagement has significantly increased. When looking at brands who have been sending email with Klaviyo since at least BFCM last year, 30% of those companies have sent a campaign since March 15 with attributed revenue that outperformed their best BFCM campaign.
Every email metric we can measure is up. Open rates between March 15 – April 29 are 22% higher than open rates between Jan 1 – March 1. Click rates are up 21%. Most importantly, revenue per recipient is up 39%. Overall, revenue attributed to email is up 81%. The spike in daily revenue that started when stimulus checks were deposited, the week of April 13, is sustaining at more than half of daily levels seen during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, unlike Black Friday, where revenue quickly returned back to the normal seasonal level, email revenue is still up through the last week of April, and there are no hints of it slowing down.
In short, any brand not utilizing email to communicate with customers during this time has been missing out on a massive opportunity to start nurturing a relationship or close a sale.
Content that is working
We did a deep dive on the types of email campaigns that are responsible for the huge April revenue numbers and we found four distinct categories that are working well.
The most common type of email we saw generate massive revenue was sales. While deep discounts are always appealing to customers, we saw several brands use strategies to limit the number of discounts they were giving away. One highly successful email required customers to reply with an email that proved they were a healthcare worker to receive the discount code. Others used flash sales to limit the time their discount was available. While spending habits are changing as customers, customers still love sales.
2. Business as usual
While COVID-19 has impacted how you have to do business, it doesn’t mean it should upend the marketing calendar you already had. In our deep dive, we saw product launches and pre-orders for products, with no mention of coronavirus, perform extremely well. Easter sales generated unseasonably high revenue. As we saw with Mother’s Day, and with Memorial Day on the horizon, adjusting the tone of your holiday plans may be in order, but drastically changing your messaging for holidays and the spring to summer transition may not be necessary.
3. Projects you can work on during social distancing
Repositioning products you already have has been another strong email strategy. With the change in people’s habits, home and auto repair projects that people may have previously neglected are now higher priority. Connecting customers with what they need to have the best stay at home experience.
4. Masks + PPE
For brands that can transition to manufacturing masks and face shields, revenue from email communicating the shift in product offerings has been massive. With uncertainty around how long recommendations to use face coverings will last, it’s not clear how long this will last or if the market has been saturated. Some of the most successful mask emails we’ve seen create urgency by offering only a limited run of the particular style of face covering.
Email is more valuable than ever. In this period where people’s lives have changed, customers have turned to ecommerce to order their essentials, gifts, clothes, home workout gear, cosmetics, and everything else they need to make time at home feel like time well spent.
And we don’t see that changing any time soon. Although stores will open their doors again, we don’t see this shift to online-first retail going away. Now is the time to double down on growing your list and establish quality relationships with your subscribers. With a well-developed email marketing strategy, you could experience your best year of online sales yet.
Klaviyo is the world’s leading owned marketing platform known for accelerating revenue for online businesses using the channels they own like email, web and mobile. Enabling companies to leverage these owned marketing channels, Klaviyo makes it easy to store, access, analyze and use transactional and behavioral data to power highly-targeted customer and prospect communications. And unlike other marketing platforms, Klaviyo doesn’t force companies to compromise between advanced functionality or ease of use – so companies of all sizes are able to maximize their sales quickly. That’s why more than 34,000 innovative companies like Chubbies, Custom Ink, and LivingProof sell more with Klaviyo. Visit www.klaviyo.com to learn more or try Klaviyo for free today.