text:
Tokyo last week said it would restrict exports of three chemicals vital to South Korea's world-leading chip and smartphone industry.
A simmering diplomatic row with Japan is threatening South Korea's output of components that drive smartphones and computer displays, which analysts say could batter the global tech market and hike prices for consumers.
Tokyo last week said it would restrict exports of three chemicals vital to South Korea's world-leading chip and smartphone industry in an escalation of a decades-long dispute over Japanese forced labour during World War II.
And with the issue showing no sign of ending any time soon, there are worries it could also delay the rollout of 5G technology and futuristic folding screens.
"If this situation persists, there may be reductions in production, which will drive up memory (chip) prices and certainly drive up end-product prices in turn," said Avril Wu, senior research director at Taipei-based market intelligence firm TrendForce.
While South Korea holds stockpiles, shortages could set in after three months, she told AFP.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has called the situation an "unprecedented emergency" and told business leaders to prepare for a drawn-out crisis.
On Thursday, the country's ruling party called for an extra budget of 300 billion won ($250 million) to help local firms survive the upheaval, more than double what the prime minister had asked for a day earlier.
With Japan so far refusing to negotiate, the news is bleak for top market players Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
The two firms supply tech titans Apple, Huawei and Amazon, and together account for almost two-thirds of the world chip market, according to the Hana Institute of Finance in Seoul.
- 'Emergency' situation -
"South Korea is the world leader when it comes to chip-making, and Japan is the world leader in the manufacturing of the key materials for chip-making," said Ahn Ki-hyun, vice-president of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.
"With this trade row, Japan and South Korea are both losing the best partners. And neither of them will find good alternatives for a very long time," he added.
"Ultimately, this will bring a stagnation or regression of the world's most cutting-edge technology. The price of gadgets may rise, as chips will likely be in short supply."
Tech companies are already under pressure from a weakening global outlook, while the chip sector is particularly suffering from weak demand.
Japan's new restrictions also apply to the transfer of manufacturing technologies as well as the three chemicals, removing them from a list that effectively allowed expedited shipments.
It means exporters will now have to apply for permission for every batch they send to South Korea -- a process that can take up to 90 days each time.
Len Jelinek, executive director of semiconductor research at IHS Markit, warned any reduction or elimination in the availability of the materials would "significantly impede" production.
"Because of the volume of chemicals required within the semiconductor manufacturing process, it is unlikely that the major chip suppliers will be able to find suitable quantities from suppliers outside of Japan," he said.
Two of the chemicals targeted, hydrogen fluoride gas and photoresists, are essential to making memory chips, while the third chemical, fluorinated polyimide, is used for high-spec TV screens and smartphone displays, including in hotly anticipated folding models.
Japan reportedly produces some 90 percent of the world's fluorinated polyimide, making it difficult for Korean companies to find alternatives elsewhere.
A Samsung official told AFP the firm was reviewing measures "to minimise further impact on our production" but declined to comment further.
Another key manufacturer LG Display said it had been testing fluorinated polyimide made in China and Taiwan to see if it can replace Japanese supplies if needed.
- Delay to 5G? -
End-products that could be affected by Tokyo's restrictions include Samsung's Galaxy Fold -- a top-end, foldable 5G smartphone that its makers hope will revive a sector struggling for new innovations.
5G networks offer radically quicker transfers of data and could enhance technologies such as autonomous driving, remote medical diagnosis and mobile payments.
In April, South Korea became the first country to launch nationwide 5G services, and in the same month Samsung rolled out its Galaxy S10 5G, the world's first available smartphone with the technology built into it.
The smartphone giant has spent nearly eight years developing the Fold, whose planned release earlier this year was delayed because of screen problems.
But Park Jea-gun, an electronic engineering professor at Hanyang University in Seoul, warned that if the trade row continues it could impede such innovation.
"Reductions in chip production will slow everything down -- including internet-based businesses that seek to utilise 5G's significantly faster download speed, and solid 5G gadgets. And this will hurt the world's economy in the long run."


text:
SoftBank Group Corp. has approached China’s Didi Chuxing Technology Co. about investing roughly $6 billion to help the ride-hailing firm expand in self-driving car technologies, two people familiar with the matter said.
The bulk of the investment would likely come from SoftBank’s planned $100 billion Vision Fund, in hopes of unlocking new value in China’s expanding ride-hailing market, one of the people said. The technology fund, originally slated to launch in January, has been delayed as SoftBank weighs different demands from investors such as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Co., Apple Inc., Qualcomm Inc. and Oracle Corp., according to another person close to the fund.
Continue reading your article with
a WSJ subscription
Already a subscriber? Sign In
March sale - 25% Off Avis coupon code 2023
- Michael Kors:
Michael Kors Promo Code First Order: sign up for KORSVIP + Get 10% Off
Save up to $15 with TurboTax coupon March 2023
50% off + free delivery on $20 orders with DoorDash promo code
Target Promo Code: 20% off Entire Order
Save up to 50% at the Sephora Oh Snap! Sale

domain: news


text:
Indonesia will temporarily remove a luxury tax on sales of some cars to bolster its automotive industry, which has been badly hit by mobility restrictions to contain the coronavirus epidemic, its economic ministry said.
Southeast Asia is at the heart of many global supply chains, acting as a valued trade, investment and growth driver for the region. In the global race to net-zero, there is a growing need to recognize and tackle the carbon emissions burden of supply chains.
Indonesia’s ambitious biodiesel programme will increase the risks of deforestation as more tropical forest could be cleared to grow palm oil, environmentalists have warned.
The Indonesian Government is reportedly looking to Mexico as an alternate source of live cattle, after Australian cattle hit record prices and Jakarta meat sellers go on strike.
The government will prioritise Java and Bali islands for the first round of vaccination programs due to their high number of COVID-19 cases.
Universities are making a serious mistake in closing down Indonesian-language programs just when Australia needs to strengthen it relationships and trade with Asian neighbours, the head of a leading languages organisation says.
Tesla, the U.S. automaker, will send delegations to Indonesia next month to discuss potential investment in a supply chain for its electric vehicles, the government said in a statement.
Indonesia is pushing ahead with a sovereign wealth fund that it hopes will pull in international capital to fund big-ticket projects including the planned new capital on the island of Borneo.
Among those making up the grain harvest receivals team at the Australian silo site in northern NSW, are Indonesian workers Tantan Mukti and Caecilia Chanata.
The government’s preemployment card program is facing issues over low distribution in the eastern part of Indonesia, as the country continues to Read more
Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s address to the Australian Parliament in February 2020 reiterated that Indonesia and Australia cannot choose their neighbours and that their proximity is destiny.
Indonesia fell into recession for the first time in more than 20 years in the third quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic battered consumption and business activity in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, official data showed on Thursday.
“COVID-19 presents the greatest global challenge in our lifetime. It has caused unprecedented health and economic distress for countries across the globe and severely impacted our region,” write Josh Frydenberg and Sri Mulyani Indrawati.


text:
Sutton Place Gourmet Inc., a Bethesda specialty food retailer, has purchased Balducci's, an institution among New York's gourmet markets, in a deal valued at more than $25 million.
Balducci's has three key assets that Sutton Place craves: a successful mail-order business, a booming Internet specialty store and a huge kitchen that can support even more growth.
"They have an infrastructure that's amazing," said Thomas Johnston, chief executive of Sutton Place, which has already completed the transaction. "It really is a tremendous growth opportunity for us."
Eight stores operate under the Sutton Place banner -- seven in the Washington area and one in Woodbury, N.Y. The closely held retailer, which generated $105 million in sales last year, also operates four Hay Day Farm Markets in Connecticut and New York.
Located on Long Island, Balducci's 20,000-square-foot kitchen will serve as a springboard for expansion in Sutton Place's existing markets as well as possible new markets such as Philadelphia.
Balducci's kitchen can prepare everything from goat cheese ravioli to stuffed veal roast, and then ship it anywhere in the nation in just 24 hours. That's one reason the company's mail-order and online sales have grown so dramatically. Johnston said Balducci's Internet orders have risen 250 percent over the last year, while mail-order sales climbed 25 percent.
Unlike many online stores, Balducci's cybershop is actually profitable, he added.
"When you look at many Internet companies, they're telling you that they will make money," Johnston said. "But balducci.com has revenue and profits today."
As a result of the acquisition, local consumers will soon see more of Balducci's products in Sutton Place stores. But the reverse -- adding some Sutton to Balducci -- isn't likely to happen as quickly. Balducci's shoppers are notoriously loyal to the 53-year-old store, a New York institution owned by Andy and Nina Balducci.
"We won't force our products in Balducci's," Johnston said. "They'll have to earn their way in."
The Balduccis, both in their seventies, had been frustrated in their attempts to expand the company. At the same time, they had been reluctant to sell the company to an outsider who didn't share their attention to detail in picking out vegetables, cooking pasta or shipping meals across the country.


text:
TechCrunch has obtained never before published metrics showing Facebook’s international growth. Facebook sent some partners a playfully illustrated eMagazine called The Annual, but I’ve acquired a copy from a source and the stats inside are serious business. The report divulges user counts for some key international markets like Germany, which now has 25 million users, and 18 million mobile users.
Previously, Facebook had only shared combined web and mobile user counts by multi-country region, and its mobile user counts as global totals. The problem is that hides what parts of the world are driving its mobile growth, which has brought it to a total of 874 million monthly mobile users and 507 million daily mobile users as of September 2013, out of a total 1.19 billion month user across all devices.
It’s the previously unpublished international growth stats that are most fascinating, though, and here they are:
- Germany – 19 million daily active users, 25 million monthly active users (43% of German Internet users are on Facebook, 76% of monthly users return daily), 13 million mobile DAU, 18 million mobile MAU (27% of German mobile phone users)
- France – 18 million DAU, 26 million MAU (63% of French Internet users are on Facebook, 69% of monthly users return daily), 11 million mobile DAU, 17 million mobile MAU (33% of French mobile phone users)
- Spain – 12 million DAU, 18 million MAU (58% of Spanish Internet users are on Facebook, 67% of monthly users return daily), 8.1 million mobile DAU, 13 million mobile MAU (32% of Spanish mobile phone users)
- Italy – 17 million DAU, 23 million MAU (71% of Italian Internet users are on Facebook, 74% of monthly users return daily, ), 10 million mobile DAU, 16 million mobile MAU (32% of Italian mobile phone users)
- Sweden – 3.8 million DAU, 4.9 million MAU (57% of Swedish Internet users are on Facebook, 78% of monthly users return daily) , 3 million mobile DAU, 4 million mobile MAU (53% of Swedish mobile phone users)
- Turkey – 19 million DAU, 33 million MAU, 9.5 million mobile DAU, 20 million mobile MAU
- Israel – 2.7 million DAU, 3.8 million MAU (71% of monthly users return daily), 2 million mobile DAU, 2.9 million mobile MAU
The numbers show that Facebook is successfully making the shift to mobile in Europe and parts of the Middle East, with all the listed countries seeing well over 50% of total users accessing from mobile. Facebook’s small-screen interface is especially popular in Sweden where over 81% of users are on mobile.
The stats on Germany show that local social network StudiVZ and the populace’s strong focus on privacy may have slowed Facebook’s growth in the country. Only 43% of German Internet users and 27% of German mobile phone users are on Facebook — lower percentages than the other countries noted. Still, Facebook has built a 25 million-strong user base in Germany.
While Facebook made a big mistake relying on HTML5 and was slow to start displaying ads on mobile, it’s now demonstrating it can earn serious money outside of the desktop. Developers have proven willing to pay for mobile app install ads that help them score downloads and get discovered despite the crowded app stores. That’s why mobile user growth around the world could excite Wall Street.
It could also insulate Facebook from the fickleness of teens at home in the United States where there are worries that the social network may be losing its “cool” with the youth. Surveys say teens hate the presence of their parents on Facebook. However, survey results may be skewed against the company by the Social Desirability bias, which may encourage kids to say they use the decade-old Facebook less than they actually do to sound cool.
It’s unclear whether Facebook actually needs to be loved by teens or if it can thrive as an unhip but ubiquitous utility. As kids flock from one social app to the next, adults might follow them, or they might simply dismiss the teens as chasing the next fad. Either way, the more Facebook can establish itself as a mobile-first service around the globe, the better chance it has at escaping churn and instead becoming an enduring, institutionalized piece of the Internet.


text:
Buoyant housing market and moderate consumer spending show the UK economy is not subsiding yet, says ALEX BRUMMER
- Consumers for the moment refuse to be blown off track
- Boris Johnson’s drubbing in Tiverton and Wakefield left trading unaffected
- Many citizens (and businesses) still cushioned by credit balances
Financial markets are never the best readers of the political runes. But the drubbing that Boris Johnson took in the Tiverton and Wakefield by-elections left trading largely unaffected.
In spite of the relentless talk about the cost of living and a summer of discontent, British consumers for the moment refuse to be blown off track.
A message from banks, worrying about credit going bad in the future, is that it isn’t happening yet in spite of headline inflation of 9.1 per cent and gently rising interest rates.
Battered: The drubbing that Boris Johnson took in the Tiverton and Wakefield by-elections left trading largely unaffected
Spending on holidays is roaring away, with many citizens (and businesses) still cushioned by credit balances in current and savings accounts built up in the pandemic.
Retail sales data for May was down by 0.5 per cent, less than the predicted 0.7 per cent, with much of the decline focused on foods.
Consumers may be shopping more carefully for groceries but are still spending in other shops including department stores.
The widely followed Purchasing Managers’ Index, published this week, shows that for all the anxiety about output it is holding up reasonably well in the UK with a flat reading of 53.1 per cent.
That is consistent with the economy growing at a 0.4 per cent clip in the second quarter. In contrast, recession fears are hardening in the eurozone where bond yields are tumbling.
Reversing its recent path, the pound actually climbed 0.25 per cent to $1.2294 in latest trading, and looked unfazed by the dreadful byelection outcomes.
The inflation problem is not going away and energy supplies will be a dominant theme at this weekend’s Group of Seven heads of government summit in Bavaria.
Amid the calls for Boris Johnson’s government to do more, it is easy to forget that the Chancellor Rishi Sunak is pumping a further £37billion into the economy to ease the burden of fuel bills on the least well-off and take some of the sting out of the 1.25 percentage point national insurance hike. So far, the Bank of England’s gradualist approach to raising interest rates – a quarter of a percentage point at a time to 1.25 per cent – is not scaring the horses. A buoyant housing market and moderate consumer spending show that, for all the political spin, the UK economy is not subsiding just yet.
Early days it may be, but private equity ownership of supermarket chains Asda and Morrisons is not delivering in terms of market share.
Both have experienced sharp declines over the last year as the German grocers Lidl and Aldi, with their focus on low prices, continue to find favour with shoppers.
This may be a case of Asda and Morrisons maintaining margins rather than engaging in a costly price war. After all, like the UK government itself, they have debt to service, bonds to refinance and interest rates are not treating them kindly.
For all its bravado – Japan’s Toshiba is the latest target – private equity is showing signs of wear and tear. The disturbing practice of selling assets to each other is described by French fund manager Amundi as a ‘Ponzi scheme’.
As questionable is a new twist in which private equity bosses hold on to companies they have bought into by selling the assets to themselves. They do this by setting up so-called ‘continuation funds’ and charging a fee for doing so.
Asset manager Lazard calculates that there were £42billion of such transactions last year. This allows the private equity barons to double-dip when collecting charges.
There may be no better place to start a governance clean-up.
The complexity of arrangements drawn up by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng and officials at the Department for Business, allowing Cobham-Advent to proceed with its bid for Ultra Electronics are farcical.
If the Government is really so concerned about leakages of national security to foreign powers and a loss of R&D capacity to the British economy, it should have proscribed the deal. No trust can be placed in Advent’s record as a safe owner, and it is easy to see the undertakings being chiselled away by lawyers over time.
Approval, albeit with conditions, sets a terrible precedent for the ghouls swooping on UK aerospace, satellite, engineering and semi-conductor companies.
The National Security and Investment Act was meant to end this drain on the nation’s intellectual property.


text:
Popular brands like Peloton, obé, and ClassPass make it easy to replicate the fitness studio experience at home. Here are our favorite classes.
ClassPass doesn't just grant access to physical fitness studios, it offers on-demand videos, too — here's how the videos compare to in-person classes
Although ClassPass' videos don't exactly live up to the in-person workout class experience, they're a solid alternative for those working out at home.
ClassPass offers new members a free two-week trial allowing them to attend up to 9 fitness classes. Here's how to sign up.
ClassPass offers a wide variety of studio classes at a fraction of the cost of a normal gym membership — it'll motivate you to work out more, too
ClassPass breathes new life into the fitness studio world by offering access to a variety of fun and challenging fitness classes at cheaper prices.
Save up to 40% on Adidas sneakers and clothing at Nordstrom Rack — and 7 other sales and deals happening now
We rounded up the 8 best sales and deals happening today to save you time, with savings at Nordstrom Rack, Target, and The Container Store.
ClassPass is running an amazing New Year's deal for new members — its free trial period is now a whole month long
ClassPass — the membership that gives you access to local fitness classes — is offering a free month-long trial now. It's perfect for New Year's.
Home fitness is booming thanks to new high-tech innovations. Here were the coolest new developments in the industry this year.
The inside story of Peloton, a fitness media company that was rejected over 5,000 times by investors but is now worth $4 billion
BI PRIME: Peloton CEO John Foley estimates that he faced between 5,000 to 6,000 rejections in the early days of raising money for his startup.
With the new dynamically-priced credit system, some vocal subscribers said they feel that they aren't getting as much value for their money as before.
This new workout chain is taking advantage of the retail apocalypse to offer unlimited classes for $99
FitHouse is a new fitness chain that's offering unlimited classes for $99 a month.
Studio subscription service ClassPass has plans to provide interactive fitness content for livestream videos.
ClassPass breathes new life into the fitness studio world by offering access to fun and challenging fitness classes at cheaper prices.
The founder of a $470 million startup explains what it's like to have VCs who initially shot you down suddenly beg to invest in your red-hot company
On an episode of Business Insider podcast "Success! How I Did It!," ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia shared how she attracted investors when money was tight.
'This is ours to lose': The founder of a $470 million company describes how she took on companies trying to copy her ideas
On an episode of Business Insider podcast "Success! How I Did It!," ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia talked about how she overcame copycats.
Founder who started her $470 million business in a rigorous NYC tech accelerator explains how to get in
On an episode of Business Insider podcast "Success! How I Did It!," ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia talked about getting into tech accelerator Tech Stars.
ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia recently stepped down from her role as CEO of a $470 million business.
How the founder of ClassPass pivoted a struggling startup into a $470 million business, then made a tough decision to stop being CEO
Payal Kadakia founded ClassPass, an exercise-class booking company that can be found in 39 cities around the world.
ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia is leaving her role as CEO to become executive chairman at the fitness startup.
According to ClassPass, these are the cities where yoga, boxing, cycling, pilates, strength training, barre, and rowing are most popular.
ClassPass discontinued its unlimited membership plan on Wednesday and its members took to Twitter to express their disappointment.


text:
They're known as trademark "squatters" and they've long caused headaches for foreign companies entering the Chinese market.
Savvy to China's complex trademark laws, these individuals target valuable foreign brands and register them as trademarks in China.
When international companies want to launch their products on the Chinese market, they're often left with little choice but to cough up huge sums to buy back the trademark, rebrand their product or fight for the right to use the brand through lengthy legal battles.
One of Australia's most popular wine brands, Penfolds, is currently at the center of a legal dispute over the use of its own name in China. Treasury Wine Estates, the owner of the wine, said this week that someone in China has claimed ownership of the Chinese name for Penfolds -- Ben Fu -- a transliteration that means "chasing prosperity."
The company is engaged in legal action with the individual to "ensure the integrity of the brand is protected," a spokesperson for Treasury told CNN in an emailed statement.
That individual, according to the Australian Financial Review, which first broke the story, is a "notorious trademark squatter" named Li Daozhi. A Spanish-Chinese wine distributor, Li won a similar case against a French winemaker last year.
Treasury is confident it is the lawful owner of the trademark, the company's spokesperson said, and the Australian winemaker did initially win a court case allowing it to use the Chinese name for its wine in China.
But Li is now appealing the decision, according to the AFR.
"It will take some time for the Chinese legal system to process this matter," Treasury said.
Treasury's case and the many others that have made headlines in recent years should be a warning to foreign companies of the risks they can be exposed to if they fail to familiarize themselves with trademark laws in one of the world's largest consumer markets, legal experts say.
'First to file' wins
Many foreign businesses have come unstuck because China's trademark laws follow a "first to file" principle. That means whoever has a trademark registration approved first in China, owns the rights to that trademark. This differs from countries like the United States and many Commonwealth countries that follow a common law system, where a person registering a trademark also has to show they've used, or plan to use the mark in business.
But companies do have opportunities to challenge trademarks already registered in China. One option is to prove the individual deliberately claimed ownership of the brand with the intention of blackmailing a foreign brand entering the market. Another is to show that the brand was already well-known when the trademark was registered.
In practice, convincing a court on these points has proved difficult for many companies, but legal experts believe recent amendments to China's trademark laws, among other factors, could improve trademark protection for foreign brands.
Here are some of the most recent, prominent cases.
Earlier this month, Chinese businessman Zhan Baosheng reportedly sued U.S. electric car manufacturer Tesla for illegally using its own name, and demanded that the company stop all car sales and marketing activities in China.
Zhan, who has a history of filing trademarks for names used by foreign brands, is seeking 23.9 million yuan (US$3.84 million) from Tesla. He says he filed for the right to use the English name Telsa in 2006, and planned to manufacture an electric car named after the inventor Nikola Tesla. He later applied to register related trademarks, including a Chinese transliteration of the name and the U.S. auto manufacturer's logo.
Tesla, which launched its Model S luxury electric car in China last year, says its claim to the name has already been upheld by other Chinese authorities and the lawsuit is without merit. A Beijing court is due to hold an appeal hearing on August 5.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer fought an 11-year trademark, patent and 3-D trademark battle over the Viagra brand after it failed to register the Chinese name for the erectile dysfunction drug before it introduced the product on the Chinese market in 2000.
It won the patent and 3-D trademark litigation but lost the trademark case because it couldn't provide sufficient evidence to show it had become well-known among Chinese consumers under the name Weige (meaning "mighty brother"). For similar reasons, luxury retailer Hèrmes and whisky brand Chivas Regal have lost bids to stop clothing manufacturers from selling products under their names.
Singers and sports stars
Celebrities aren't immune either. A man in Guangzhou owns the right to use the name of Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber, while the names of World Cup stars like Germany's Philipp Lahm and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo are used to promote products ranging from shoes to pesticide, according to China Daily.


text:
Developing solutions for the travel industry
You are here
Counting with 10 000 downloads more in a shorter period of time, Travelport Mobile Agent is the application that allows travel agents to access and operate in their GDS on mobile devices and it has just reached 50 000 downloads.
TTS and the University of Azores have teamed up to create the 1st edition of the course "Technology in the Travel Industry"
It’s with great pleasure that we announce today the release of two new solutions to provide Travel Agents with a quick and easy access to the GDS.
With this song we intend to reach to all travel agents around the world.
TTS reveals the release date of Travelport Mobile Agent 3.0 and TTS Web Agent at Travelport’s APAC event 2014 in Bali.
TTS Corporate, a corporate travel booking solution also available on mobile has just been released.
Travelport Mobile Agent, the first mobile app that offers GDS access to travel agents is now counting more than 40 000 downloads since its initial launch.
From May 5-8, Dubai was the center stage for the latest updates and trends in the travel and tourism industry. TTS marked its presence.
TTS reached to Travelport Mobile Agent customers to see how they feel about the app.
TTS has just released the new 3.0 version of TTS Consolidator, a web-based management, automation and ticketing solution for Consolidators and non-IATA agencies.


text:
It is true that you can never have too many handbags, and it seems Stuart Weitzman, the American high-end shoe designer, knows it too. The holiday season may come and go, but party season stays forever, and finding the right clutch or bag for your outfit of the night is definitely a big task. Thankfully, Stuart Weitzman’s new handbag line has it all.
Weitzman is known for his high-end shoe designs and has been a go-to choice for a lot of celebrities, be it for award functions or parties. He has also designed shoes for Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, so why this sudden shift to handbags? Well, according to Edmundo Castillo, the brand’s head of design, over the years, they have received thousands of requests from their customers to get handbags to carry that would complement their shoe designs. And that thought never left Catillo’s mind. Edmundo also added that after being known for dress shoes for so long, it only seems like a natural transition for Weitzman to enter the handbag market.
The New Line
It may be something new for the brand, but one thing is going to remain the same, and that is the fashion and comfort code of the brand. According to Edmundo, their goal is to make the handbag designs as iconic and stunning as their shoe range has been over the years. Every Stuart Weitzman handbag is created to be incredibly unique but, at the same time, something that can be paired easily with the rest of your wardrobe. The new line includes some stunning designs like the Loveletter clutch, the VIP clutch, and the Moda Shine Mini Tote. And you can grab these gorgeous pieces at stuarteitzman.com. The designs are the best examples of minimalist but glamorous bags. With their new handbag line, Castillo wants the women out there to feel confident and, most importantly, like themselves, just like their brand ambassador, Kim Kardashian.


text:
Better known for beauty products, gaudy jewelry and gushing hosts, the big TV shopping networks are finally earning fashion credibility.
HSN and QVC have been on a signing binge for couture designers who made a name dressing celebs for red carpet events. They are churning out ready-to-wear lines with a designer cachet for a mainstream home shopping audience.
Isaac Mizrahi created a line for QVC and oversees the network's new Liz Claiborne collection. Naeem Khan, who dressed Michelle Obama for her first state dinner, sold out a line of shimmering evening dresses on HSN in just 10 minutes. After selling handbags at $79 to $1,600 on HSN, designer Carlos Falchi sold 30,000 pieces of his first attempt at apparel over a weekend of live appearances.
"A few years ago designers would never go on TV shopping networks, but now it's the place to be," said Marc Bouwer, who has outfitted Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey but also developed a $100-or-less sportswear line for QVC. "It's not just the economy. These days it's fashionable to mix it up rather than wear all designer clothes. Designers must be in more price ranges."
He confesses to feeling "like being in Oz" during his first TV appearance.
"I have sold products for years," he said. "But on TV you talk to millions fitted with an earpiece that puts the voice of QVC right in your head."
The trend picks up steam this year. QVC this week is airing the debut of its spring lines direct from the tents at Fashion Week in New York's Bryant Park. HSN apparel and accessories sales jumped 11 percent in the most recent quarter thanks to new designer lines, while the overall apparel industry continued to languish in a sales decline. And St. Petersburg-based HSN promises a broader selection and up to a dozen more new designer lines in 2010, right on the heels of a big sales lift from a new line launched in November by the high-profile couture team of Mark Badgley and James Mischka.
"What you saw from Badgley Mischka in November was just a tease of their full launch in March," said Lynne Ronon, a former Burberry Asia president who is executive vice president of merchandise at HSN. "What's changed is designers discovered our customers are fashion savvy."
QVC, which years ago used Hollywood designers Bob Mackie and Stan Herman, has a huge head start. The West Chester, Pa., network gets a third of its business selling apparel and accessories. But Mindy Grossman, a fashion industry veteran who took charge of HSN in 2006, wants to push the network's apparel, accessories and footwear business from a low of 10 percent last spring to 15 percent soon.
HSN took baby steps at first when partnerships with fashion magazines Elle and Lucky and Stefani Greenfield of Scoop Management put lines from lesser-known but rising designer names on the air in 2008 and 2009. They sold well enough that word spread to bigger names. They realized glitz and glamor may lie in lending clothes to celebrities and paying them to appear at their runway shows, but the money is in a broader audience.
"There are far fewer stores to carry designer goods today, and the TV shopping networks have stepped up to sell in a more upscale lifestyle atmosphere including an online environment," said Kelly Tackett, a senior analyst with Kantar Retail. "Personally, I have been surprised how much people are willing to spend for fashion on TV."
Several fashion blogs and New York garment industry writers have been impressed by the shift in what they once regarded as the land of fake diamonds. The Los Angeles Times even declared the designer rush to TV shopping one of seven fashion trends to watch this year.
"What once was a dumping ground for celebrity jewelry is a destination for legitimate designers," wrote Amy Odell, a fashion writer for New York magazine.
"It has gotten easier to get designers to work with us," said Doug Howe, top merchant at QVC. "Going forward, designers will become a more critical part of our strategy."
While a sour economy seems a strange time to go after designers, other forces came into play.
"It's a combination of what the economy did to the luxury fashion business by putting the aspirational shopper on the sideline, and the designers seeing rivals run up astounding sales in a few hours on TV," said David Wolfe, creative director of Doneger Group, a fashion trend firm.
"HSN pulled it off without losing their core customers," said Nancy Hull, a securities analyst with Ladenburg Thalman, who has a buy recommendation on HSN's stock, which almost doubled since Labor Day.
The transition took time. The networks spent years shedding a bargain-basement image by adding dozens of familiar brand-name products and credible faces to their home design and cookware businesses. While D-list celebrities are still common on the air, networks insist they bring expertise to product pitches as broadcasters ease out suppliers engaged in what's called "rent a celebrity."
The success of designers such a Mizrahi and Karl Lagerfeld working up inexpensive lines for discounters ranging from Target to H&M lowered resistance.
"We made it clear we honor the integrity of the brand image the designers work so hard to create," Ronon said.
That can mean slick image ads in up to 3 million mailed network program guides. For Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, whose Sean John fashion empire has annual sales of about $300 million, HSN built an entire set for the launch of his fragrance line. The network staged a cocktail party for the fashion press at Naeem Khan's Manhattan showroom when he unveiled his HSN line just after he won kudos dressing the president's wife.
Because HSN has TV production studios and models readily available for video, the network can provide designers a state-of-the-art Web presence at hsn.com at a fraction of the cost of other online merchants. It also offers its own fashion news blog, chat groups and streaming video complete with filmed models instead of static photos or animation. Click a button and the model turns around to show the back of a garment.
From the designers' perspective, there's another incentive. In TV shopping, designers hear directly from their customers, access department store buying staffs rarely offer.
"The chance to get feedback — love or hate mail — directly from your customer is a huge plus. It is interactive and that is the future," said Falchi, the handbag designer who runs a $100 million business but still gets some pushback from luxury stores that sell his ostrich and snakeskin products. "But when I appear on HSN, sales of our handbags rise in brick-and-mortar stores, too."
Mark Albright can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or (727) 893-8252.


text:
The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The acquisition comes on the heels of eBay's announcement yesterday that it had filed for an IPO to go public. The company plans to issue shares worth up to $64.8 million, which some sources think would put the total value of the company at close to $1 billion. Earlier in July, uBid, another Internet auction site, also filed to go public.
In a statement announcing the acquisition, eBay said it was buying Jump in order to develop an expanded venue in which to provide future services.
Jump's Up4Sale, launched in 1997, currently has 45,000 items listed in 27,000 separate auctions and 50,000 registered members. eBay currently operates Up4Sale as an independent service.
eBay runs a one-to-one trading site in an auction format. Currently, eBay users list items in more than 800 categories, from pre-1900s antiques to trading cards and jewelry. The company estimates that about 70,000 items are added daily. eBay has more than 850,000 registered users.
In other company news, eBay also announced two appointments to its Board of Directors. Scott Cook, founder and chairman of Intuit, and Howard Schultz, chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks Coffee.
Cook founded Intuit in 1983 and has helped personalize the way people manage their financial lives. Schultz has helped Starbucks to grow from 4 coffee houses to more than 1,778 spanning the United States, United Kingdom, and the Pacific Rim.
With the appointment of Cook and Schultz, the eBay board consists of five directors including Pierre Omidyar, chairman and founder; Meg Whitman, president and chief executive officer; and Bob Kagle, general partner at Benchmark Capital.


text:
Chevy Sales: SUVs Thrive, Cars and Trucks Struggle in Second Quarter
Chevrolet released its sales numbers for the second quarter of 2019, and the results were a mixed bag. The auto brand sold fewer vehicles than it did in the second quarter of 2018, but demand for crossovers like the Equinox and Traverse continued to grow at a solid clip.
Overall, Chevrolet sold 499,847 vehicles in the second quarter. That’s a 5.3 percent decrease from the second quarter of 2018, when the brand sold 528,100 vehicles. Over the year’s first two quarters, Chevrolet sales have dropped 6.6 percent compared with last year.
Here’s a closer look at the second-quarter sales performance of specific Chevrolet models.
Experience the Equinox: Take a closer look at Chevy’s bestselling crossover
Crossovers, SUVs continue their surge
Four of Chevrolet’s six crossovers and SUVs notched sales gains for the quarter. Leading the way was the Equinox, with a whopping 85,567 sold — a 15.8 percent improvement over the same period in 2018. The Traverse was up 6.3 percent with 38,152 sales, the Tahoe rose 22.6 percent with 32,942 sold, and Suburban sales increased by 20.7 percent to 18,266. The subcompact Trax was the only Chevrolet crossover to lose ground, with sales declining 17.8 percent to 21,790. In its first quarter on the market, the all-new Blazer moved 11,772 units.
Truck sales fall
Chevrolet’s truck models saw falling sales in the second quarter, mainly due to a slow rollout of the all-new 2019 Silverado 1500. Overall, Silverado 1500 sales fell 6.9 percent to 109,930. However, General Motors points out that crew cab sales were up, and overall sales should rise as more double cab and regular cab models become available. The smaller Canyon pickup experienced sagging sales numbers as well, dropping 22.8 percent to 31,669.
Mixed results for cars
Discontinued models like the Volt (73.6 percent decrease to 1,146), Cruze (57.3 percent decrease to 16,166), and Impala (7.8 percent decrease to 12,536) put a dent in Chevrolet’s car sales for the second quarter. Malibu sales were down 26.7 percent, but with 30,794, it was the brand’s bestselling car. A couple of models did see some growth. The tiny Spark sold 7,226 units for a 62.2 percent increase, and the Bolt EV sold 2,965 units for a 13.8 percent increase.
Small but Mighty: Learn more about the 2019 Chevrolet Spark


text:
The company that already owns the music notation software and online catalog MuseScore and the Ultimate Guitar community and guitar tab catalog has announced its acquisition of Audacity, the popular free audio editing software. Together with its support of the assignment management platform MuseClass and song learning and effects app Tonebridge, the new company is known as Muse Group, it announced in a press release this week.
Muse Group, according to the release, “provides digital tools, resources, and content to musicians at each stage in their personal development. Executive roles and company leadership of Ultimate Guitar will transition into similar roles in Muse Group with no other major structural or operational changes within the individual portfolio companies.”
Ultimate Guitar was founded in 1998 by Eugeny Naidenov, and he will continue on with the company in the role of Muse Group chairman. “This move is a natural progression in our evolution as a company, allowing us to better support a collection of brands aligned around a shared purpose – to continually improve the quality of life for the ordinary musician,” Naidenov said.
Ultimate Guitar acquired MuseScore in 2017 and announced that acquisition publicly in February 2018. “Our acquisition of MuseScore was simply a first step beyond the guitar segment,” Muse Group CEO Michael Trutnev said, “and as we moved from guitar tabs into music notation and recently into education with MuseClass, it became clear that our current goals and future ambitions can be better served by organizing support for our brands under a new structure.”
In a video posted today on his popular Tantacrul YouTube channel, Martin Keary announced the move and gave an overview of the history of Audacity, including interviews with some of the key people involved in the project. Martin, who was previously head of design for MuseScore, will continue that responsibility in an expanded role as head of creative tools for Muse Group, to include MuseScore and Audacity.
We spoke with Martin Keary and Daniel Ray, Muse Group’s head of strategy, on the Scoring Notes podcast in July 2020, and we will look forward to learning more about their new and upcoming plans in the future.


text:
LK Bennett has been given the green light by creditors to move ahead with its company voluntary arrangement (CVA) that will see five of its stores permanently close and the rest move to turnover-based rents.
The British womenswear retailer employs 400 staff and has 18 standalone stores.
The retailer said last month that the CVA would result in a small number of job losses as the business attempts to “mitigate the ongoing financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”, Drapers reported.
LK Bennett to restructure store estate
It said at the time that its eventwear and workwear categories, which are usually among its best performing, have both been impacted by Covid-19, while a drop in tourism in London has also hit sales.
It also said it doesn’t expect sales to fully recover until mid-2021.
The retailer fell into administration in March 2019 after calling in advisers in February to examine its options. A month later, Chinese franchise partner Byland UK bought the UK, Irish and wholesale division of the company.
In April this year, accountancy firm EY, which is overseeing the administration, extended the process by another year.
A long list of British fashion companies have launched CVAs in recent months as they struggle to cope with the impact of Covid-19, including New Look, AllSaints, Bair Group, Hotter Shoes and Monsoon Accessorize.
Photo credit: LK Bennett, Facebook


text:
As tough as 2020 was, subscription growth was strong for many magazine publishers. Now audience development departments are working to retain spur-of-the-moment subscription sign ups with long-term membership programs.
- Despite lockdowns, or maybe because of them, readers have been signing up in record numbers to access content online or have magazines delivered directly to their front doors.
- Digital subscriptions have been growing across all media sectors for some time, but throughout 2020 the rate of growth accelerated, exponentially for publishers like slow-news startup Tortoise.
- Through the earliest days of the pandemic, print subscriptions grew after years of decline. Sales doubled for many major publishing houses including Conde Nast and Hearst. TI Media and Immediate Media reported increases up to 300%.
Membership as a retention strategy
As we approach the anniversary of the first lockdown and the start of a spike in renewals, the challenge faced by many publishers is how to keep their coronavirus converts on board. The answer from some has been to try to leverage short-term subscriptions into value-added membership programs.
- Bauer Media’s Empire magazine is offering film fans the opportunity to join the Empire VIP Club. The benefits of the annual £85 membership include the print magazine, access to the pay-to-listen ‘Spoiler Special’ podcast archive, exclusive events and discounts on cinema tickets.
- Bauer’s subscription director Sam Gallimore said the new membership scheme for Empire gives readers “even more added value and opportunities to engage with the brand”. A similar scheme for the company’s Country Walking magazine gives members merchandise and half-price route maps.
- Anthem Publishing saw its subscriptions grow more than 30% in 2020, YOY. The company recently launched the “Plus” membership scheme for its three biggest titles. The membership scheme adds exclusive content and retail and gym discounts to standard magazine subscription prices.
- The company said it had introduced the scheme to ‘reward and retain the readers that embraced the brands in 2020 and turned to the convenience and security of home delivery during the pandemic’.
Memberships vs subscriptions
Most publishers are very familiar with the idea of selling subscriptions where readers pay to receive a regular supply of content. Memberships are less familiar and usually rely on the publisher building out their standard subscription offer.
- Product development is important in introducing membership schemes; readers must perceive the added value of becoming a member. Access to exclusive content, archives or member-only events are common ways to differentiate membership from subscriptions.
- Brand trust and community is also key to creating a strong membership offering. Spain’s second largest digital newspaper El Diario added 20,000 new members off the back of a member drive that relied on a ‘personal approach and honesty‘ from the editor asking for support through the pandemic.
- Conversely, despite strong initial success, The Correspondent closed after losing the trust of its members. The loss of 35,000 members – many unhappy that the Dutch founders didn’t set up a US office – destroyed the start-up’s plans for member-funded international expansion.
The Membership Puzzle Project aims to guide publishers through the intricacies of adopting a membership model. It regularly publishes research findings from organisations introducing membership programs and has created The Membership Guide as a step introduction for publishers.


text:
Economic Assignment 4
Name : Shreya Bhardwaj
Date : 10-08-2010
Question: Compare the price of commodity (chicken, cooking oil, rice) between China , India and USA.
According to Times of india “NEW DELHI: The bird flu scare sent prices of poultry products plummeting by about 60 percent on Wednesday with the birds being sold for as low as Rs.12 per kg in the Gazipur wholesale market in east Delhi.
While poultry products certified by administration-deputed veterinary doctors was being sold for Rs 20-25 at Gazipur, the uncertified supply being sold outside the range of vision of the vets was available for a mere Rs 12 per kg.
"The sales have gone down drastically and we cannot return the chicken to farms therefore we are forced to sell them at cheaper prices," said Alam, who had parked two tempos carrying chickens at the fishery wing of Gazipur, the largest wholesale fish and poultry market in north India, to sell them illegally.
Express India- New Delhi Wholesale chicken prices have increased by about 14 per cent in last one month to Rs 74 a kg on account of poor supply and are likely to rise further, market experts have said.
At present, dressed live weight broiler in the Ghazipur wholesale market costs Rs 74 a kg, which is about Rs 9 more than what it was last month, Fish Poultry & Egg Marketing Committee Chairman Babu Khan Salmani said. Salmani said that supply from Rajasthan, a major supplier, has decreased. In the retail market, prices of dressed live weight broiler have also jumped by Rs 20 over the last month to cost Rs 140 a kg at present. Poultry Federation of India spokesperson Ricky Thapar attributed the increase in prices of broiler to the rising mercury. "Farmers are going for less broiler as the intense heat has raised input prices. Housing of poultry has dropped by 30-40 per cent as cost of fans and installing sprinklers has gone up," he said. Thapar further said that wholesale prices of dressed live weight broiler could see a jump of about Rs 30 to cost up to Rs 110 a kg next month. Pointing out that shed temperature in a poultry farm should remain only between 30-34 degree Celsius, Thapar said that farmers' electricity cost is increasing. "Moreover, demand is not coming down, because of which realisation for farmers is high." Increasing demand :- Inspite of propaganda raised by organizations promoting vegeterianism and inspite of threat of salmonella and cholesterol, world poultry industry is expanding, as the population is increasing. Per capita consumption is also increasing. Not only that, many countries which are not traditionally poultry - growers are giving incentives to their poultry industry. Indian Government is also giving incentives to this industry by giving incentives to small poultry farmers as well as poultry industry in organized sector as poultry industry generates employment and also provides proteins to masses. Traditionally many poor people are raising poultry in their back yards. These rustic chickens and eggs fetch higher price in local market. There is a good market for such organic products in developed countries. They call it " free range birds ". • China
The China Post reports that “Consumers who like to go to large wholesale stores offering imported products for bargain prices were stunned by the skyrocketing chicken prices. Officials at the National Animal Industry Foundation (NAIF) said the price of imported chicken, mostly from the United States, went up by NT$1 or NT$2 per kilogram each month starting in January. The price has increased by almost 60 percent so far this year, from NT$23 per kg to NT$37. Consumers complained that the retail price for chicken drumsticks has gone up to NT$15 per piece from NT$10. Executives at large wholesale stores said the NT$10 price for drumsticks was only offered occasionally as a promotional price. NAIF officials attributed the sharp rise to the sustained increases in grain and oil...
Please join StudyMode to read the full document


text:
E-commerce is a competitive business, and any edge companies can gain could be the difference between success and failure. The Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE) @ RetailX has been helping businesses gain that edge and grow their profits since 2005. Doug Hope, RetailX Show Director and Senior Vice President, Emerald Expositions, spoke to RewardExpert about this year’s exhibition. “IRCE brings together all facets of e-commerce – including platforms, marketing, social media, SEM, fulfillment and merchandising – to give attendees a 360-degree view of what it takes to win hearts, minds, and dollars online right now,” he said. This year’s event occurs June 25-28, 2019 at McCormick Place South in Chicago.
E-Commerce Takes Off
The conference has taken place in Chicago since 2005. In the beginning, it was a two-day conference, and organizers knew it was a huge hit right from the start. “The inaugural show sold out in eight days and maintained a waiting list of over 180 exhibitors. The show experienced maximum capacity – both exhibitor and attendee-wise, throughout two days,” said Hope. In those days, there were just 48 speakers and 45 exhibitors. Now there are hundreds. “The educational program is second to none with acclaimed keynotes, 200+ expert speakers and an expansive exhibit hall boasting nearly 600 top solution and technology providers,” he said.
The Place To Network
This year, attendees are expected from over 40 countries and from all facets of the e-commerce industry. Everyone from lower level employees to top managers attend, representing companies that range from startups to established global brands. “Whether you’re an exhibitor or attendee, IRCE is the place to network and connect if you’re in the e-commerce industry,” stated Hope.
A Unique Feature
A major highlight this year is the fact that IRCE @ RetailX will combine three industry-leading events under one roof. This includes technology and in-store marketing event, GlobalShop, which focuses on retail design and RFID Journal LIVE! Retail, which is the only RFID (radio frequency identification) event dedicated specifically to retail. RFID can be used by retailers to improve their accuracy when it comes to inventory.
Use Workshops To Grow Business
There will also be workshops and over 130 education sessions discussing the latest strategies to grow an e-commerce business. The workshops are led by industry experts and focus on such topics as combining bricks-and-clicks, finding new revenue streams and growing market share. They include workshops like Amazon and Me and E-Commerce Bootcamp. The agenda is also put together by the editorial experts at Internet Retailer Magazine.
rom Top Speakers
There are also some big-name speakers from the e-commerce world, who deliver keynote addresses to conference attendees. This year’s confirmed speakers include Susan Tynan, CEO & Founder of Framebridge, Chip Conley, Strategic Advisor of AirBnb, Dan Alarik, CEO & Founder of Grunt Style, Andy Dunn, Senior Vice President of Walmart and many others.
A Small Investment, A Big Payoff
The cost to attend IRCE @ RetailX ranges from $129 for basic access to the exhibition hall, all the way up to $2,400 for premier access to all the events, workshops and speakers. Discounts are also given to groups and companies. To find out whether the conference can benefit your business, head to https://www.irce.com/ and we’ll see you in Chicago in late June.


text:
Consumer finance company Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. is seeking to raise as much as $1.56 billion in an initial public offering scheduled for this week.
A subsidiary of Spain’s biggest bank, Banco Santander SA, the Dallas-based company plans to offer 65.2 million shares priced at $22 to $24 apiece, according to a regulatory filing.
Santander Consumer’s filing said the selling stockholders include Banco Santander and funds managed by Centerbridge Partners LP, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Warburg Pincus LLC.
Santander Consumer USA is 65 percent owned by Banco Santander, the filing shows.
Founded in 1995, Santander Consumer USA originates auto loans through car dealerships, manufacturers and banks. The company recently paid Chrysler Group LLC $150 million to be the preferred provider of the automaker’s loans over the next 10 years under the brand Chrysler Capital.
In October 2011, Santander said it would sell a 35 percent stake in the U.S. auto loans unit for $1.15 billion and agreed at the time that an IPO would be one way for the buyers of the shares to exit their investment.
After the IPO, the company plans to pay quarterly dividends of 15 cents a share, according to the regulatory filing.
Santander Holdings USA, a unit of the Spanish company and parent of Santander Consumer, will reduce its stake to 61.3 percent from 64.9 percent in the share sale, while Sponsor Auto Finance, an investment vehicle for Centerbridge, KKR and Warburg Pincus, will cut its ownership to 9.8 percent from 24.9 percent.
Santander Consumer USA has applied to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SC.” Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are managing the offering.
The IPO’s performance will be closely watched ahead of widely expected offerings from other financial services companies this year.
Ally Financial Inc., majority owned by the U.S. government, is hoping to go public this year, while General Electric Co. plans to spin off of its credit card unit.


text:
Ren Zhengfei, the 74-year-old founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, said that 2019 could be a difficult year for the company due to international markets headwinds and expected its revenue growth to be below 20% at $125 billion at the best.
Australia, New Zealand and Japan have in recent months blocked the company from supplying 5G components, not to mention that the United States has excluded Huawei for years. Ren’s daughter Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Huawei, was detained in Canada in early December at the request of the US, accusing her of violating its sanctions on Iran. This sudden move has added more worries to Huawei, which already faces huge pressure when selling equipment outside China.
Editor: Ben Jiang
New launches, big wins: Early StageNew launches, big wins: Early Stage
Chinese companies are flocking to India, but their optimism needs to be temperedChinese companies are flocking to India, but their optimism needs to be tempered
Nikkei teams up with 36Kr in Asia tech news coverageNikkei teams up with 36Kr in Asia tech news coverage
Grady Laksmono of Moka on supporting small businesses: Startup StoriesGrady Laksmono of Moka on supporting small businesses: Startup Stories
The continent of the 21st century: Venture VoicesThe continent of the 21st century: Venture Voices


text:
Michael Margolis, previously sales director at Hublot, will join Girard-Perregaux as its president of America, effective March 1.
Margolis, a timepiece enthusiast and longtime collector, worked at Magellan GPS for a decade before joining Hublot’s team as promotions and communications manager in 2007. After six months, he was promoted to sales director, a role he spent the next four years in before deciding to join Girard-Perregaux.
Girard-Perregaux chief executive officer Michele Sofisti recruited Margolis to help the luxury watch brand increase its U.S. presence — which Margolis thinks needs “a little bit of redirection.”
“I don’t pretend to know what its strengths and weaknesses are from the inside, [as] I don’t start for another few weeks, but I do want to increase customer service and get them more in touch with their customer,” Margolis told WWD. “I want the customer to feel more connected to the brand and Switzerland.”
Margolis, who calls the company a “beautiful, 221-year-old brand,” recounted when he got his very first watch — an Omega C Master — as a high school student in 1975.
“I always tell people I wound it up, put it to my ear and I heard the ticking of that little machine and fell in love. I was outside the industry for a long time,” Margolis said, adding that he also served as a moderator at Time Zone. “I was just a passionate watch collector and Jean-Claude Biver [former ceo of Hublot] gave me my first chance to be in the industry.”
Sofisti added: “I also worked for Biver for a long time. I think that he’s the perfect teacher for everybody in the industry. We come from the ‘Biver school,’ and I hope that this can really help us develop something good for Girard-Perregaux in the United States.”
In addition to bringing Margolis on this year, Sofisti intends to rework the current collection and simplify offerings, as well as implement a new marketing and communications strategy. He is also looking to open new points of sales in the U.S. and Latin America.
The brand’s previous president of America, Frederic Leys, left the company Feb. 9.
@zacposen's go-to holiday gift? Cookies! "I'll usually bake cookies and send them as a gift," said the designer, who recently released his cookbook "Cooking With Zac: Recipes from Rustic to Refined." Get the recipe for his Brown Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies via link in bio 🍪🍪🍪 #wwdeye #cookingwithzac
For @monsemaison’s pre-fall 2018 collection, Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim honed in on the brand’s many signatures — men’s wear, which was tweaked and feminized through deconstruction, proportion play and lots of bare shoulders. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: George Chinese)
On Friday night, @yohjiyamamotoofficial received the Design for Asia Lifetime Achievement Award in Hong Kong. The 75-year-old designer has been celebrated for many years and is best known for his dark and avant-garde tailoring. “In my long career, in design, architecture, [I’ve been to] so many parties, this is the very first time that I have such a warm feeling, I really appreciate this,” Yamamoto said. #wwdfashion (📷: @dominiquemaitre)
Discovery is collaborating with British pop artist @philipcolbert on a new line of clothing and accessories called Discovery Shark. The collection, which will launch next summer for Shark Week’s 30th anniversary, features a whimsical line of women’s and men’s bomber jackets, sweatshirts, bags and more. #wwdfashion
“I’m always a big champion of a female rapper, and I’m glad to see a new voice that feels unique and authentic that’s coming up, and I think we’re going to see more great things from her,” said @itsjeremyscott about @iamcardib, who performed at @moschino’s Art Basel Miami Beach party last night. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
@janellemonae’s “What’s Your Frequency?” room in @refinery29's #29Rooms made its debut this week at the opening of the Los Angeles art exhibit. “It’s about the ongoing conversation around mass surveillance, the weaponization of technology and cultural uniformity. My space was created so that we can come together and talk about the complexities of our humanity,” said Monáe. #wwdeye (📷: @bucknerphoto)
@pantone announced their Color of the Year 2018: Ultra Violet. Nearly 20 months after the musician Prince’s death, fashion is having a purple moment. Varying shades of purple appeared on spring or fall runways, from @christopherkane to @calvinklein. @gucci’s Alessandro Michele bathed his fall runway in ultra violet-colored light at one point. Pantone 18-3838 is meant to “push the boundaries of what inspires us to look upward and outward to the future.” #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)


text:
When Wawa expands into the Tampa Bay area, shoppers will flock to the convenience stores for built-to-order hoagies, gourmet coffee and freshly made salads. • Circle K, 7-Eleven and other convenience stores most certainly will feel the squeeze. But so will McDonald's, Subway, Starbucks, Panera Bread and drug stores — retailers that carry similar products for people in a hurry. • "We compete with everyone,'' said Howard Stoeckel, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania-based Wawa. • Wawa has aggressive plans for the area — opening five stores in the next few months and up to 100 stores in the Tampa Bay/Orlando market within five years. So does Thorntons, a smaller convenience store chain that's opening stores in Clearwater and Tampa next month and up to 20 more in the next three years.
Combined, the popular northern chains will make the local convenience store market even more competitive, said Steven Montgomery, president of b2b Solutions, a convenience store consulting company. To survive, stores will have to upgrade their sites, improve customer service and lower fuel prices.
"The minute they announced they were coming, I would have done everything I could to make sites more competitive,'' he said. "It may be a case of being the best of the rest.''
Montgomery expects older, less profitable stores could go out of business because they lack the newness, ample parking and selection of their competitors. They also can't compete on the price of gas, which already has a slim profit margin of pennies per gallon.
Wawa and Thorntons offer an upscale convenience store experience with freshly prepared foods, sandwiches, gourmet coffee and fountain drinks, more in line with fast-casual restaurants than truck stops. They sell gasoline, too, but primarily as a way to drive shoppers into the large, attractive stores.
The high-volume chains chose the area based on availability of sites and the large population of people moving here from the North. It helped that the Sunshine State already has lots of transplants loyal to their brands.
Wawa, the larger of the two chains with about 595 locations, was named after the American Indian word for Canada goose. Kentucky-based Thorntons was named after founder James H. Thornton, whose son, Matt, now runs the 165-store chain.
"This is the probably the most significant, strategic, geographic initiative we've ever moved on in our 48 years,'' Stoeckel said. "We want to be a part of the Florida community and create a new Wawaland every bit as robust as what exists in the mid-Atlantic.''
Wawa opened its first six stores in Florida a few months ago in the Orlando area amid big fanfare. Gov. Rick Scott attended a grand opening and has been a major driving force in helping the company locate to Florida, Stoeckel said. Customers drove from as far away as Tampa to buy the stores' signature hoagies.
"Consumers are looking at us not as a convenience store,'' he said. "They are perceiving us as a food service establishment.''
Wawa plans to focus its growth on Florida over the next two decades, potentially with 300 to 400 additional stores. Each averages 5,500 square feet, significantly more than an average convenience store, costs $5 million to $6 million to construct and employs about 50 people.
Thorntons is similarly known for its fresh food but also for its flavored fountain drinks, ice nuggets and selection of beer, stored in a "beer cave.'' Its first store in Florida is scheduled to open Dec. 4 along Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard in Clearwater.
Competitors such as 7-Eleven, the largest convenience store in the country with 7,000 stores, are undeterred. The chain has 185 stores in the Tampa Bay area and expects to open 15 more next year.
Without commenting directly on Wawa and Thorntons, 7-Eleven differentiates itself from others with its private brand labels, value pricing and product selection, said Margaret Chabris, a spokeswoman for the Dallas-based chain. Much like people call facial tissue Kleenex, 7-Eleven has become synonymous with convenience stores.
Unlike many competitors, the company has looked beyond traditional busy street corners for places to open new stores, including ones in urban areas, college campuses and even airports.
"We are extremely flexible in where we can go,'' she said. "People need the convenience.''
Still, the allure of new and different will entice many consumers to give Wawa and Thorntons a try, Montgomery said.
"You open a new shiny store, it has curb appeal,'' he said. "In a market that's long been established with stores on smaller sites and not much parking, this will be wow.''


text:
The good news for the auto industry is that both sales and average transaction prices are on the increase. The bad news for consumers is that it’s become more difficult to garner a great deal on a new car. That is, unless you know how to leverage the laws of supply and demand to your advantage.
Automakers sold 1,404,774 cars and trucks in the U.S. during March, which represents a healthy 12.7 increase over the same period in 2011, according to Autodata Corp. Concurrently, the average transaction price on new models jumped to $30,748 last month, according to TrueCar.com, which was an increase of 6.9 percent over March 2011. And that’s despite major sales gains among smaller and typically less-expensive models. What’s more, average sales incentives, including rebates and cut-rate financing, continue their downward trend.
“The auto manufacturers have finally found their sweet spot, with the production of vehicles meeting the demand of consumers, keeping incentives to a minimum,” says Jesse Toprak, VP of Industry Trends and Insights for TrueCar.com. “This led to the highest transaction prices in the industry in March, along with record highs for Chrysler, GM, Hyundai/Kia and Nissan.”
While some of the hottest-selling rides may command close to – sometimes even in excess of – their sticker prices, astute bargain hunters can usually garner the deepest discounts on slower selling and overstocked models. According to TrueCar.com, large sedans and full-size SUVs and pickup trucks will continue to command the biggest markdowns and incentives, as will models like the Mitsubishi Galant and Chevrolet Impala that have remained too long in their current generations without significant updates.
But astute bargain hunters can negotiate some great deals on a full range of vehicles, including some highly rated models, if they know which cars and trucks – whether from slumping sales or over-production – are sitting unsold in the greatest numbers on dealers’ lots. The industry publication Automotive News – available at many public libraries – publishes a list of so-called “days in inventory” for most makes and models every month, and TrueCar.com similarly includes lists of models having the highest and lowest average inventories in its monthly TrueTrends reports.
On average it takes 48 days to sell a new car, but it takes just 10 days to sell a Toyota Prius hybrid; at the other end of the spectrum a Mitsubishi Outlander crossover SUV can be expected to sit for 107 days before someone drives it off a dealer’s lot. Time is money to an auto dealer and the longer a new car sits in inventory the more he or she will pay in financing costs simply to watch it collect dust. It thus behooves a dealer to take less cash up front to move an overstocked model that may wind up costing him or her more money over time.
Astute hagglers can often negotiate the final cost of such models all the way down to the dealer’s invoice price and even lower, especially if a manufacturer’s cash rebate applies. Myriad new-car websites like Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds.com publish retail and invoice prices for all new vehicles (including options) sold in the U.S. Be aware that a dealer’s true cost is actually a bit less than a vehicle’s invoice price thanks to something called a holdback allowance. Typically, this is a percentage (usually two or three percent) of either the list or invoice price of a car or truck that a manufacturer pays to a dealer when a vehicle is sold to help assist with the cost of financing.
While you might think the current list of the industry’s most-overstocked models consists solely of behemoth gas-guzzlers and dismal outdated models, it actually runs the gamut among size and price classes, and includes some highly rated vehicles. They range from the Fiat 500 subcompact coupe and the compact Honda Civic Hybrid to the Chevrolet Corvette sports car, the luxury-minded Infiniti M37 sedan and EX35 crossover, Nissan NV commercial van, GMC Canyon pickup, Suzuki Grand Vitara compact SUV and even the Chevrolet Volt “extended range electric car.”
On the other hand, the models boasting the shortest days in inventory according to TrueCar.com include the Ford Econoline van and BMW X6 luxury coupe/convertible (at 9 days each), Hyundai Elantra and Veloster (11 days), Honda CR-V (12 days) and the Subaru Impreza Wagon (13 days). Even the most hard-nosed hagglers will likely have trouble finding a dealer who’s willing to knock more than a token amount off the sticker prices on any of these in-demand models.


text:
– Ticketfly, the operator of an independent online ticketing and social
marketing platform, announced that it has acquired Gigbot, a provider of
Web-based ticketing and marketing tools for venues and event promoters.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Ticketfly plans to integrate Gigbot’s service, which sells hundreds of
thousands of tickets annually for over 30 clients.


text:
It was a pretty rough day in the markets.
First the scoreboard:
Dow: 14,618, -138.1 pts, -0.9% S&P 500: 1,552, -22.5 pts, -1.4% NASDAQ: 3,204, -59.9 pts, -1.8%
And now the top stories:
- Stocks sold off handily today. This came in the wake of some less-than-stellar earnings announcements.
- After the closing bell yesterday, chip giant Intel reported Q1 revenue and earnings that were right in line with analysts' expectations. "Amidst market softness, Intel performed well in the first quarter and I'm excited about what lies ahead for the company," said CEO Paul Otellini. The stock closed modestly higher.
- Bank of America, however, whiffed on earnings and the stock plunged. This comes after a series of better-than-expected earnings announcements from peers JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup.
- The Federal Reserve released its latest Beige Book, a collection of economic anecdotes from across the country. There was nothing to exciting or surprising about the report. Overall economic activity is growing at a "moderate pace." Five of the 12 Federal Reserve districts reported "modest" economic growth while two districts reported a pace of growth that rose "slightly."
- Apple had an extremely ugly day, plunging by over 5%. Analysts were attributing the plunge to an earnings warning from one of the company's major suppliers, Cirrus Logic. Cirrus makes audio chips for iPhones and iPads.
- Don't Miss: JIM RICKARDS: Here's How To Trade A World Of Currency Wars And Potential Collapse >


text:
BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Since the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative, China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited has been actively engaging in the development of global industrial chain of the dairy industry and is committed to providing high-quality products and services to consumers at home and abroad through independent innovation, according to Li Pengcheng, executive president of Mengniu, in the second Belt and Road Forum for Laos-China Cooperation held in Vientiane, Laos on December 7.
The photo shows people gathering in front of a store with Aice ice cream advertisements hanging up in Southeast Asia.
When delivering a speech during the forum, Li Pengcheng shared his insights on how Mengniu expanded its business footprint in Southeast Asia.
The photo shows Li Pengcheng, executive president of Mengniu, delivering a speech.
"In 2018, Mengniu set up the Yoyi C factory in Indonesia, making it the first factory established by a Chinese dairy company in Southeast Asia. Over the past five years, this factory has built a full-fledged supply chain, from overseas milk source, overseas processing to overseas sales, gradually taking root in the international market. Its products have gained popularity in 12 countries and regions in Southeast Asia, providing local consumers with nutritious and delicious dairy options," said Li Pengcheng.
Mengniu prioritizes local employment, which has benefited local people while achieving its overseas business growth. For instance, at Mengniu’s Indonesian factory, over 90 percent of the employees are locals, creating over a thousand job opportunities for the community. To better contribute to the society, Mengniu takes an active part in community development, as well as organizing public welfare and charity events.
In recent years, empowered by its brand influence and product popularity, Mengniu has launched many well-recognized brands, including Milk Deluxe, Yoyi C, and Bellamy’s, covering liquid milk, ice cream, milk powder, cheese and other categories. As a premium ice cream brand targeting the Southeast Asian market, Aice has been innovating its product offerings, improving its quality, and building its brand image. Over the past eight years, the total sales of Aice has reached nearly 10 billion yuan in the local market.
It is learned that Aice operates three ice cream factories in Indonesia and one in Philippines, which is the largest ice cream factory in Southeast Asia. These four factories have a daily production capacity of ten million ice creams.
In terms of innovation, Mengniu has won the Silver Award of China Patent Award. for its independently developed probiotic PC-01. This patented probiotic is used in Yoyi C, which are produced in Mengniu's factories including those in Indonesia. These products have reached ten overseas markets such as Singapore, where Yoyi C is now one of the favorite brands of local consumers.
As the global green and low-carbon transition speeds up, sustainable development, carbon neutrality and carbon peak have also become hot topics in the dairy industry.
Since the beginning of this year, Mengniu has been implementing its GREEN strategy (Governance, Responsibility, Environment, Ecosystem, Nutrition), which aims at sustainable development. Through 15 topics and 28 actions, Mengniu is working towards carbon emission reduction in six areas of the entire supply chain, leading the dairy industry in green transition, according the company. (Edited by Yang Linlin with Xinhua Silk Road, firstname.lastname@example.org)


text:
NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2019 — Velocidi, the customer data platform for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, was awarded the title of “Best Customer Data Platform” at the Digiday Awards Gala on November 14, 2019.
The Digiday Technology Awards is an annual competition that recognizes the technology modernizing media and marketing. The judging considers creativity, innovation, consumer value, and impact on KPIs. Based on these criteria, Velocidi was singled out as the winner among worthy finalists including Arm Treasure Data, and Simon Data.
This award specifically recognizes Velocidi’s case study with Barkyn, a DTC pet food company. Barkyn used Velocidi’s machine learning audiences tool to segment website visitors based on their likelihood to buy and reach only the most likely buyers in their retargeting campaigns.
With Velocidi’s machine learning audience segments, Barkyn not only doubled their retargeting return on ad spend (ROAS), but also saw almost double the sales generated from retargeting, and five times the purchases per 1000 people reached.
“We were honored and excited to be named a finalist in August, but to take home the win for this category amongst these players is an amazing affirmation,” says Paulo Cunha, CEO of Velocidi, “To me this reinforces our continued commitment to focus on client results and let those results speak for themselves.”
Velocidi was also named a finalist for the “Best Personalization and A/B Testing Platform” category, which was announced in August, and the “Best use of AI” category in the Digiday Awards Europe, which will be announced on December 4.
A full list of winners is published on the Digiday website.
Velocidi is a customer data platform (CDP) company headquartered in New York, with offices in Porto, Portugal. We deliver machine learning solutions to maximize revenue from marketing and accelerate growth. We give our clients the advantage of a private infrastructure as if it were built in-house. Velocidi is used by DTC brands to collect and unify 1st-party customer data, leverage machine learning to predict customer behavior, directly activate audience segments on advertising platforms, and maintain complete ownership and control of their data.
Marketing and Communications for Velocidi


text:
By Chris Isidore, CNN Business
General Motors will shut production at most of its North American plants for a week or two starting next week as the worsening chip shortage takes another bite out of its plans.
GM and other automakers had hoped the chip shortage would be mostly behind them by now. But the surge in Covid cases, especially in Southeast Asia where many of the chip manufacturers are based, has actually created a worsening problem for automakers.
Only a small handful of GM’s plants will remain in operation during the pause. Those plants make full-size SUVs and pickups, as well as some of its sports cars, such as the Camaro and Corvette. That’s because GM is prioritizing the chips it does have on hand for its most popular and profitable vehicles.
Still, some of its large pickup and SUV production capacity will be affected by the shutdowns.
The tight chip supply has led to limited inventories of new vehicles at GM and across the industry, which in turn has pushed car prices to record highs. Just about all major automakers have limited production plans as a method to deal with the shortages.
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


text:
Since I can’t cover everything, I’ll often direct your attention to articles of interest. To wit:
° From 9to5Mac: Apple investment in US technology is likely to be boosted in response to the Ukraine crisis demonstrating the fragility of over-dependence on Taiwan and China, suggests a new analyst report.
° From WSMV4: A Nashville, Tennessee man has been arrested for tracking the location of his girlfriend, by attaching an Apple Watch to the vehicle and using a tracking app.
° From The Mac Observer: Google released a new version of its Chrome browser for macOS to address high-severity security issues that could be exploited by hackers.
° From MacRumors: Apple has been fined another another €5 million ($5.5 million) in the Netherlands by the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) as the company has failed to adequately comply with mandated alternate payment system requirements for dating apps.
° From iMore: Apple CEO Tim Cook took services chief Eddy Cue to the Oscars on Sunday night.
° From Bloomberg: Apple is conducting new ground surveys across various regions of the United Kingdom, including London, Manchester, and Birmingham, to gather pedestrian data for Apple Maps.
° From AppleInsider: Apple could be on the verge of a broad business shift away from iPhone shipments to installed base monetization if rumors of a hardware subscription are true, according to an analyst.
° From MacVoices: On the new episode, the MacVoices Live! panel of David Ginsburg, Mark Fuccio, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet join host Chuck Joiner to discuss their experiences with all of the software updates that Apple released at once. (Part 1)


text:
Roku, Inc. (ROKU) operates a TV streaming platform. The company functions through two operational segments: Platform and Player. The stock has declined 64% year-to-date and 79.6% over the past year to close its last trading session at $82.26.
Rising concerns over declining discretionary consumer spending amid multi-decade high inflation and increasing competition have weighed on ROKU. Lower demand from consumers and advertisers significantly affected the company’s financials this year.
The company stated that a significant slowdown in TV advertising spending in the second quarter due to the macroeconomic environment pressured its platform revenue growth. Consumers tightened their discretionary spending, and advertisers significantly cut down spending in the ad scatter market.
Here is what could shape ROKU’s performance in the near term.
ROKU’s total revenues increased 18.5% year-over-year to $764.41 million during the second quarter ending June 30, 2022. However, Its loss from operations amounted to $110.51 million compared to an income from operations of $69.08 million a year ago.
The company’s net loss stood at $112.32 million compared to a net income of $73.47 million in the prior-year quarter. The company’s loss per share amounted to $0.82 compared to an EPS of $0.52 a year ago.
The company’s 3.21x forward EV/Sales is 55.5% higher than the 2.07x industry average. In addition, its 3.64x forward Price/Sales is 163.2% higher than the 1.38x industry average.
ROKU’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin of 48.09% is 5.6% lower than the industry average of 50.93%. In addition, its trailing-12-month negative net income margin of 1.51% compares to the 4.61% industry average. Also, its trailing-12-month ROE, ROC, and ROA are negative 1.72%, 0.72%, and 1.07% compared to the positive industry averages.
POWR Ratings Reflect Bleak Prospects
ROKU has an overall F grade, equating to Strong Sell in our proprietary POWR Ratings system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 distinct factors, with each factor weighted to an optimal degree.
Our proprietary rating system also evaluates each stock based on eight distinct categories. ROKU has an F grade for Stability and a D for Value. Its Stability grade is in sync with 1.71 beta. In addition, its Value grade is consistent with its higher-than-industry valuation.
Among the 59 stocks in the C-rated Consumer Goods industry, ROKU is ranked #55.
Beyond what I stated above, we have graded ROKU for Sentiment, Growth, Momentum, and Quality. Get all ROKU ratings here.
The stock is currently trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages of $87.04 and $151.54, respectively, indicating a downtrend. ROKU has declined 70.5% over the past nine months and 48.2% over the past six months.
Also, lower demand from consumers and advertisers due to high inflation could keep ROKU under pressure. Therefore, the stock is best avoided now.
How Does Roku, Inc. (ROKU) Stack Up Against its Peers?
ROKU has an overall POWR Rating of F, equating to Strong Sell. Check out these other stocks within the Consumer Goods industry with A (Strong Buy) ratings: Mannatech, Incorporated (MTEX)and Ennis, Inc. (EBF), and Société BIC SA (BICEY) with a B (Buy) rating.
ROKU shares were trading at $83.60 per share on Monday afternoon, up $1.34 (+1.63%). Year-to-date, ROKU has declined -63.37%, versus a -12.40% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.
About the Author: Spandan Khandelwal
Spandan's is a financial journalist and investment analyst focused on the stock market. With her ability to interpret financial data, she aims to help investors evaluate the fundamentals of a company before investing.Is Roku Stock a Buy at the Lows? appeared first on StockNews.com


text:
Meeting of the minds: CEOs at the Clinton Global Initiative discuss the world's sustainable future.
Following a takeover announcement for BlackBerry, analysts have advised investors to pullout as they doubt the firm will get a better offer.
The Fed has no intention to pull back on bond buying and is more likely to increase it due to economic weakness, investment pro Peter Schiff said.
Troubled smartphone group BlackBerry has confirmed that it took delivery of a private jet in July, just months before it announced thousands of job cuts.
While French fries are a staple of the fast-food burger business, they have long been vilified by nutrition experts.
Watch the video version of Ray Dalio's Economic Principles.
Users may find something lacking in the new iPhone compared with last year's model: They could break more easily.
Nouriel Roubini may have made a name foretelling doom and gloom, but his tone has changed to reflect an improbable belief in a stronger U.S. economy.
In the government shutdown debate, obstructionist threats and obstinance won't make the GOP a governing party again.
BlackBerry agreed to be acquired by Fairfax Financial, a Canadian insurance company, for $9 a share, in a deal worth $4.7 billion in US dollars.
The average 401(k) account balance is just shy of $59,000. Some secrets of the rich can help when it comes to building your own retirement fund.
With open enrollment for Obamacare about to begin, small and medium-sized businesses are not hiring, said the CEO of nation's fifth largest staffing company.
When regulations go into effect that allow all investors, regardless of net worth, to join in crowdfunding it could become the new Wild West.
Wealthy Chinese are hiring Americans to serve as surrogates for their children, creating a business in "designer" American babies for China's elite.
Two key tests to taper the Fed's bond-buying program—economic and labor market improvement—have not been met, New York Fed President Bill Dudley said.
Apple announced that sales for its new iPhone had set a record, with consumers snapping up a record nine million smartphones.
U.S. manufacturing activity growth slowed in September as demand for products declined and firms took on fewer workers.
Deep cuts are hitting a federal agency responsible for investigating health-care fraud, meaning fewer probes of crimes that cost taxpayers billions.
It’s one of the most exclusive homes in America, but only CNBC's cameras granted access to tour this luxury manse.
A solid majority of Americans oppose defunding the new health care law if it means shutting down the government and defaulting on debt.


text:
Can Rogers convince customers it’s time for smart home services?
No one in the residential security market seems particularly worried about Rogers Communications making an entrance into the intrusion market.
February 14, 2011 By Jennifer Brown
The first reason is obvious — other telcos in Canada have tried it before and failed. The second is that there are legions of irate Rogers customers out there who would probably be loathe to entrust their home security to an organization they a) already pay too much for Internet, cell and cable service; and b) has a fairly bad track record for customer service and billing.
The other reason is that Rogers doesn’t seem to realize that when they talk about the technologies they say they are going to offer as part of their Rogers Smart Home Monitoring service, they sound a little behind the times. These technologies have been available through other security vendors for several years now.
I recall experts from Honeywell Canada demonstrating cellphone based monitoring tools and home automation features to me on a show floor about two years ago. Another showed me how he monitored his home entrance way and driveway from his BlackBerry going back at least three years ago.
While Rogers CEO Nadir Mohamed announced his intention to enter the market in early November, it seems few who actually manage communications to the media at the company know anything about his plans. When contacted by SP&T News in early January to see what the current status of the rollout was, it took them a week to get back to us. The answer that came back was, quite frankly, hardly befitting a large organization the size of Rogers. The PR person who answered my query didn’t even want to have the answer attributed to her directly.
If and when Rogers Smart Home Monitoring launches — and given that Verizon and Comcast in the U.S. have pulled it off, it seems likely Rogers will indeed try — the one factor the traditional residential market will have to consider is the way consumers have adopted the services offered by other companies. Bundling could be the one advantage the company has in getting new clients to sign on to security systems — especially those technophiles who have smart phones and are anxious to add one more app — monitoring of their homes.
Another thing Rogers does have going for it is a highly effective marketing machine. Unlike other security-centric companies it will probably do a better job promoting what consumers can use their security services and home energy management tools to do. They have said that “energy management” will be one of the options available. Thanks to time of use billing from hydro utilities, everyone is obsessed with controlling their use so this fits in at the perfect time.
And hey, what’s one more service added to the bundle, right?
Another idea some security industry watchers have put forward is the possibility that Rogers may look to buy a large existing home security provider, rather than train existing or new employees the security business.
All they are saying right now is that the service will be provided by: “dedicated customer service and response teams specially trained in home monitoring and security.”
In any event, there are many in the industry watching the situation closely. Manufacturers no doubt have an interest in selling hardware to what could be a significant conduit to expansion for the industry.
Print this page


text:
When the markets of Android technology were at a nascent stage, HTC was among the first few names to actually show trust on them, and start off with the Android smartphones. The company has since been among some of the biggest names in the Android smartphone markets, and has been particularly known for their design innovations from time to time. HTC is now working forward on their latest series of smartphones – the HTC Ocean devices. These smartphones are expected to be a high-end, unique offering from HTC, and the images of these devices have now leaked in renders.
The smartphone was seen a few days ago as well. However the image that then leaked out was a low-res render. The latest images are a high-res recreation of the same image, giving us a much better insight into how these gen-next HTC Ocean smartphones would actually look like. These HTC smartphones bring forward a major innovation in design. Let us explain to you, how:
The HTC Ocean smartphones, when they were first imagined, were seen as ‘a smartphone without buttons’. And that the device actually is! The HTC Ocean smartphone renders too, showcase no buttons, not even the power button and the volume rockers. The On-Screen buttons too, are not visible in this new smartphone from HTC.
Moreover, it is also being expected that the fingerprint scanner too, would be beneath the glass. This is a technology Qualcomm had showed off at last years’ Mobile World Congress event but has seldom been used till now. HTC is all set to take the markets to the next level with their upcoming HTC Ocean smartphones. However, one must keep in mind that at the moment these are just renders, and HTC might still be months away from coming out with the actual smartphone. The renders are based on online speculations, and one must take them with a pinch of salt.