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By George Anderson, RetailWire
Canadians have had a lot of problems with Target since it first opened for business in their country in 2013. Aside from out-of-stocks, Canadians have been particularly peeved that Target’s prices in Canada have been higher than in the U.S. Now, however, Target has an independent source to assure consumers up north that its prices are not only in line with what Americans pay, but are lower than what Walmart charges.
According to a market basket study of 33 identical national brand products conducted by Kantar Retail, Target Canada’s prices were 3.9 percent lower than Walmart. Customers who paid for these goods with their REDcard would have paid 8.7 percent less than Walmart.
In the company’s second quarter earnings call, Kathee Tesija, Target’s chief merchandising and supply chain officer, said, “While both our own studies and external surveys show that we are already priced very competitively, the team has made decisive changes to ensure we respond even more quickly to pricing dynamics in the Canadian marketplace, including comparison shopping our prices versus competitors on more items more frequently, implementing enhanced tracking of competitor promotions to ensure we react quickly, and implementing a price match policy, which includes online and local competition with a more flexible process for guests.”
Kantar’s findings may not be enough, at least not yet, to convince Canadians of the deals to be had at Target, where Robin Sherk, director of retail insights at Kantar, told the Financial Post, the chain faces an uphill battle.
Target does appear to be making progress in Canada. The chain reported sales had picked up substantially from the first to the second quarter.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What will it take for Target to convince Canadians who are no longer shopping it its stores that it has fixed its problems? Are you more or less optimistic now than earlier this year that Target can get it right in Canada?
Dick Seesel, Principal, Retailing In Focus LLC: Short-term, it’s an important tactic for Target to advertise its price advantage vs. Walmart, especially when using the REDCard. But this works only as long as Walmart chooses not to respond. History suggests that Walmart will not sit still for very long being beaten on price by somebody else.
Long-term, Target has a branding story to tell that helps differentiate itself from Walmart. It has the same challenge in the U.S. right now, and the new CEO recognizes that less focus on food and consumables will shift the spotlight toward Target’s core strengths. But before any of these steps can be put in place—short-term or long-term—the execution of in-stock rates must continue to improve.
Bill Davis, Director, MB&G Consulting: Much more than a basket of only 33 national brands being priced lower than Walmart. Target could offer a price match, and I am sure they considered that, but they probably decided this wouldn’t be feasible from a business standpoint. I don’t think Target has the chops to get into a price war with Walmart, but we’ll see how this plays out.
Steve Montgomery, President, b2b Solutions, LLC: Old retail strategy—make friends and then make money. Making friends is not possible if you can get them into the store and the universal way of doing that is via pricing. This is especially true if you are perceived as a “value” retailer like Target.
The other part of making friends is not disappointing them. Target did that by having higher prices than customer expected and, perhaps more importantly, having products out of stock. Someone might forgive you if your price is a little higher than anticipated, but when they made a trip to buy items and find that they are not there, that takes a greater degree of forgiveness.
Walmart will likely move to counter Target’s pricing claims but it won’t matter if Target doesn’t fix its out of stock issues. They will have exceeded most of their customers’ forgiveness quotient by making a dual promise they couldn’t fulfill.
Brian Numainville, Principal, The Retail Feedback Group: Competing with Walmart on price isn’t a winning strategy. Focus needs to be more on how Target can differentiate their offering based on their core strengths. Otherwise, Walmart will simply adjust on pricing and Target will once again be at a disadvantage.
Through a special arrangement, presented above is the discussion from an article originally published on RetailWire. Read the entire RetailWire discussion here: http://www.retailwire.com/discussion/17798/target-low-balls-walmart-in-canada


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The Ford Motor Co. have recently opened the door for the open-source community to have a go at making alterations to Ford vehicles. In a time where open-source is becoming popular, it has previously been seen as unthinkable for anyone out side of any automobile manufacturing company to be able to make any alterations to their vehicle designs, never mind allowing anyone to make changes! Ford are now willing to give this a try and allow the open-source community to be able to make some changes they want to their Ford vehicles. This will be a first in the automotive world and is led by a Ford Motor Co. research team which includes Zachary Nelson. Nelson is a recent MIT graduate and is now an engineer at Ford. He is part of the research team at the Research and Innovation Centre in Dearborn, Michigan, USA and has been inspirational in the move towards allowing the open-source community to contribute their own designs to the vehicles. Over the years designers have altered stock images of the iconic Ford Mustang which include changing the cars bhp (brake horse power) to exterior alterations which includes colours and designs. Nelson has created a prototype OpenXC shift knob which vibrates to signal gear changes. This uses Ford's OpenXC research platform and has been tested on the Mustang Shelby GT500. Nelson said this of the OpenXC platform: "We designed the platform such that people can have real-time access to the vehicle data and they can do whatever they want with that data." They can, for example, fiddle with windshield wiper blades, change vehicle speed and engine RPM, and open or close the doors. You can even add hardware extensions. You can take vehicle data and integrate it with new hardware you bring into the vehicle." What is your opinion on allowing the open-source community to make these alterations? Let us know by leaving your comments in our comments box below.
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SOUTHFIELD, Michigan -- General Motors, facing continued losses in western Europe, broke ground on the expansion of its factory in St. Petersburg, Russia, that will more than double annual production capacity from the current 98,000 vehicles to 230,000 vehicles by 2015.
The plant will make the new Opel Astra compact alongside Chevrolet models as the automaker seeks to revive its money-losing European unit, by capitalizing on Russia's booming car market.
"We've got to bring our best game, our best products to this market," GM CEO Dan Akerson said Thursday from St. Petersburg. The CEO spoke prior to a ceremony on Friday to mark the start of the plant expansion.
GM is introducing 12 new vehicles in Russia this year after increasing combined Chevrolet, Opel and Cadillac sales in the country by 53 percent last year to 244,000.
The automaker is making the effort as competitors also stake out claims to the fast-growing market as western Europe struggles with a fifth-straight year of declining vehicle sales.
Akerson, who is trying is trying to fix GM Europe, which has lost $16.4 billion since 1999 for its U.S. parent, will add five Opel models in Russia, while expanding Chevrolet and Cadillac brands globally.
The Detroit-based company posted a first-quarter adjusted operating loss in Europe of $256 million and also had $590 million in writedowns.
GM, which didn't specify its investment at the St. Petersburg plant, will expand employment there by 60 percent to 4,000, GM said in a statement on Friday.
The Russian auto market reached 2.9 million vehicles in 2008 before falling to 1.5 million in 2009, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Vehicle sales in the country, which gained 39 percent to 2.65 million last year, will probably increase to more than 3 million this year or next, Akerson said.
"We're making money here with Opel."
"We're going to push north of 10 percent share this year," Tim Lee, president of GM's international operations, which includes Russia, said during an interview in April, referring to the company's market-share targets in Russia. "We're selling 300,000 units" this year. GM held 9 percent of the market in 2011, according to a filing.
Increasing Opel sales in Russia will be a short-term help for GM while it works to implement a long-term fix for its western European operations, Akerson said. "Anything we can produce and ship here is going to be an offset," he said of Opel. "We're making money here with Opel."
GM announced last week that it wants to close its Bochum, Germany, assembly plant and to delay pay raises to workers as part of efforts to stem European losses. The company is in talks with labor unions about the proposed closure.
"We hope we can exit this uncertainty and negative bias in western Europe over the next couple of years and have a real good European business," Akerson said. Part of the strategy calls for Opel's "rapid market share growth" in Russia and increasing annual sales of the brand in China to 20,000 from 5,000.
GM sold about 67,600 Opel vehicles in Russia last year, down from 98,800 in 2008. That 32 percent decline was less than the market's 48 percent plunge. Opel is "on that kind of trajectory right now" to return to 2008 sales levels in Russia, Lee said Thursday in a telephone interview. "We should be where we were with Opel volumes."
While GM doesn't have "near term" plans to build Cadillac vehicles in Russia, Akerson said the automaker wants to expand the brand in the country as part of his goal to increase sales globally. Growing Chevrolet in Russia is GM's primary push, he said.
"It's clear that foreign brands are our primary competitors," he said. GM should be able to capture 10 percent to 15 percent of the Russian market in upcoming years, Warren Browne, the former managing head of the company's Russian operations, said in a telephone interview. "It will be one of the highlights of growth for them over the next two or three years."
Browne, now a vice president for consultancy AutomotiveCompass, said of Russia: "It will probably end up being the shining star of profitability for the region."
GM faces increasing competition in Russia from other automakers. While Chevrolet was the best-selling foreign brand in Russia last year with sales gaining 49 percent to 173,484, sales have fallen behind Renault this year through May in what's turning out to be a close race between the U.S. and French brands. The two were separated by 932 deliveries, according the Association of European Business.
The alliance of Renault and Nissan announced plans in May to take majority control of Russia's largest automaker, AvtoVAZ. Separately, Volkswagen and Ford have announced deals last year to increase production in Russia to take advantage of tax incentives for attracting foreign investment.
Automakers may import components with zero or 3 percent duties in return for investment agreements to build at least 300,000 cars locally a year.
PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates the Russian auto market, driven by improving economic conditions fueled by the oil and gas industries, will grow 7 percent this year and reach 3 million units in the near future, Rick Hanna, global auto leader, said in a telephone interview. "It's now the second-largest market in Europe behind Germany," he said.
Sources: Bloomberg and Automotive News Europe


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Seniors participating in Drake’s Advertising Capstone will present their campaign for JC Penney as part of the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). The NSAC is sponsored by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), to which Drake belongs. Approximately 150 schools around the country will compete in 15 Districts, with one winner from each District moving on to the National Competition in San Diego in June.
The District 9 competition will be held April 14-15 in Kansas City, MO. This is Drake’s 7th year of consecutive participation.


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The Bears have made some moves (Nick Foles?) and they continue to stockpile ex-St. Louis Rams players, which in 2020 may not be such a good idea, since the Rams last played in St. Louis in 2015. In any event, I don't think writing about the NFL or other sports and ignoring what's going on right now is the way to fill up this space. As always, if you are easily offended, it's best to turn the page...
•Remember when a bunch of people freaked out two weeks ago and started hoarding essential supplies like eggs, bread, meat, sanitizer, toilet paper and disinfecting wipes? Yep, we're still dealing with the fallout now. It seems like every day, I'm on a hunt for eggs or sanitizer or wipes, and I had to leave the state to find toilet paper. That's not how this was supposed to work, and these stores are not going to close down. They can't. But, I'm glad some folks are stocked up for years on certain items, and better yet, I'm glad some other folks are trying to profit by selling these items on the black market. We have to be better than this, people.
And yes, we should absolutely be taking what's going on very seriously. Whether you live in an area with very few positive coronavirus cases right now or not, it's way too soon to think we know where we are at or where this is headed. And the economic, social and mental impacts cannot be ignored, either. Family members are currently living in isolation, separated from other loved ones. It's a real thing, and it's necessary for safety right now.
(Rest of story available in E-edition. Must be a subscriber to get both the E-Edition and print versions. Call 217-438-6155 to subscribe. We now accept credit cards over the phone.)


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Brigg’s new food bank has been officially opened by Town Mayor John Kitwood.
“I very much welcome Brigg’s inter-church venture of opening a local Food Bank,” said Coun Kitwood.
“While the UK comes to the aid of those overseas, it must not forget those vulnerable people in the local community.”
The project was launched at St Mary’s Church Hall, where local church members and Food Bank volunteers joined with the mayor and other local people at the official opening.
Brigg Food Bank now needs ongoing donations of non-perishable goods, such as tinned and package food.
At present, it cannot really accept fresh food, such as bread, cakes and vegetables, as obviously this type of produce creates its own storage problems.
Donations of non-perishable goods can be left at any of Brigg’s various churches and these will then be forwarded to Brigg’s Food Bank.


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Logistics and fulfillment centers have adopted automation at a blistering pace since Amazon acquired Kiva back in 2012. The inside of a modern fulfillment warehouse looks like a carefully orchestrated dance between human workers and a number of robots, including autonomous mobile carts and pick-and-place machines.
But the distribution yards outside logistics warehouses have been run largely the same way -- by humans -- for years. That's about to change as logistics robots head outside.
A company called Outrider, which launched in 2017 and has been operating in stealth, recently closed $53 million in funding and deployed initial pilots of its Outrider System, a solution focused on autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs.
Think Tetris. Strategically, that's a bit what it's like constantly keeping semi-trailers coming and going with freight. The space between the warehouse doors and public roads, however, is a chokepoint at even the best-run logistics centers. Humans oversee the yard, and the processes are manual, inefficient, and often hazardous.
Robots can do better, or so argues Outrider.
"Logistics yards offer a confined, private-property environment and a set of discrete, repetitive tasks that make the ideal use case for autonomous technology. But today's yards are also complex, often chaotic settings, with lots of work that's performed manually," said Andrew Smith, founder and CEO of Outrider. "This is why an overarching systems approach – with an autonomous truck at its center – is key to automating every major operation in the yard."
Outrider's solution automates the repetitive, manual aspects of yard operations, including moving trailers around the yard, moving trailers to and from loading docks, hitching and unhitching trailers, connecting and disconnecting trailer brake lines, and monitoring trailer locations. At scale, Outrider will deliver yards that are more efficient, safer, and more sustainable.
"We're constantly looking for ways to transform our company and the way we get work done, especially making work safer and more efficient and productive," said Annant Patel, Vice President of Automation Transformation at Georgia-Pacific. "Yard operations has been one of our opportunities, and Outrider has been a great partner to help us automate our pilot site."
The automated system is made up of three components: Advanced yard management software, autonomous zero-emission yard trucks that feature vision-based robotics, and site infrastructure. The sales pitch is that the Outrider System integrates with existing supply chain software used by large enterprises. It's the same pitch that robotics companies like Fetch have made to warehouses. Companies can go live with automation without major retrofits and be online exceptionally quickly.
"Modern distribution yards won't be just autonomous, they'll be electric," continued Smith. "Electric yard trucks are easier to operate and maintain than their diesel counterparts, and they lend themselves to better computer control. Our mission is to work with customers and suppliers to rapidly retire the more than 50,000 diesel-polluting yard trucks currently operating at logistics hubs throughout the U.S."
Outrider has been active helping define the next-generation standard for Level 4 Autonomy System Design.
"Outrider is introducing the transformational technology required for large, logistics-dependent enterprises to keep pace," said Jake Medwell, Founding Partner at 8VC. "We consider hundreds of investment opportunities in the logistics space every year. Our decision to be an early investor in Outrider was an easy one. Andrew's vision and plan for the industry are highly compelling, and he's mobilized an unmatched team to execute."


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Google Images is what most users use to find photos quickly and easily. Google has been improving the function more and more, allowing to jump from one photo to another while we see the rest. In addition, buttons have been added that allow you to share the specific image in the search, visit the web, save it as a favorite, or go to the direct link of the image by clicking on View image. Now, this last button is going to be removed.
Google will remove a button used by billions of people because of Getty
All this has as its origin a legal battle of Getty with Google. This company is a stock photo agency that has 80 million images to its credit, which it licenses to other professionals. The company took legal action against them in the United States and Europe because they were infringing copyrights with Google Images by allowing users to download full-resolution images of the web page (albeit with watermarks).
Getty accused Google of even piracy, when the search engine simply links to the images so that users have it at hand. If that link exists on the web, the user can obtain it by simply clicking on the right button and opening the direct link to the image; or simply looking in the source code of the page or with extensions like Image Downloader.
This generated Getty traffic and sales to fall, as argued in the lawsuit. Now, both companies have solved the legal problems and Getty has withdrawn the lawsuit, as it communicated on February 9.
What they did not say is that this week Google is going to remove the button See image following this agreement. In addition, in the search for images, Google will more clearly show copyright alerts to warn the user that the content they are viewing is subject to copyright and may be committing piracy. In exchange, Google will be able to use the Getty photos in its services, as well as the photos of Getty will count on products of the giant with greater frequency.
In a message from Getty to members of iStock, the company has reported these changes, without these being made publicly. The Register contacted sources close to the case and confirmed that the button will disappear from all Google searches this week or in the next few weeks at the latest. In principle, this disappearance affects Europe and the United States, although it probably extends to the whole world.
Therefore, from now on it will be necessary to visit the website to get the link of the photograph, or right click to give Open image in new tab, instead of how comfortable it was now click directly on See image. Google has not made any statement in this regard, but is likely to do so in the coming days confirming the elimination.
Written by Alberto García


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Pot shops will start popping up all over the state next year, but the licensing period underway right now is helping officials determine who has put serious thought into crafting a plan for running a recreational marijuana store and who hasn't.
Whether you want to buy at 420 Pot Shop or New Amsterdam, marijuana is coming to Washington.
One potential shop owner clearly has an extensive plan in Spokane Valley. He applied to have a shop called Treehouse Club in this location about 30 feet from a McDonald's. Others like Scott Fox have plans of their own.
"We've been open about a year here, and we're hoping to be able to move into retail under I-502," Fox said.
Fox owns a medical marijuana dispensary and hopes to open "Sam Fox Iincorporated" on East Sprague Avenue.
"We have the experience, we have the know how. This is what we do every single day. That's the way the industry is moving, so we'd like to move along with it," he explained.
In Spokane Valley the owners of Dr. Greenthumb hope to also covert their dispensary into "509 Cannabis Stop and Shop."
"Kind of as a backbone, so if anything did go wrong, we could still get the cannabis to our patients," Dr. Greenthumb owner Jesse Tilson said.
Both owners may want to switch to recreational sales but neither says they're chasing big money.
"Start out small, start out slow and be very cautious on what we do so that way we make the right decisions through the future so we can be here a long time," Tilson said.
Both sites are zoned to allow pot sales, while others aren't so lucky. Some applied to have a store in their apartment, which would be illegal. Convenience stores aren't allowed to sell pot either.
One Spokane woman applied to have a shop in the Garland District. The problem is the man who owns the current bike store at the location she applied to open her shop has never heard of her. It's also not zoned for a recreational marijuana store.
We are two weeks until the end of the licensing period and Spokane can have up to eight stores and Spokane Valley can have three, although right now there aren't even enough applications to fill that quota yet.


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On Monday, Menu Foods released a statement on their website stating that UC Davis recently tested pet food samples and found no traces of acetaminophen.
Although Menu Foods did not publicly disclose their negative test results from UC Davis. Also, the company refused to answer questions from ConsumerAffairs.com when asked about the samples of cat food they tested.
Carol, a pet owner who had Special Kitty food tested by Expertox after her cats became extremely ill and Itchmo reader, said, “I donâ€™t trust them and I think theyâ€™re hiding something.”
She added, “That company poisoned my animals and they have the gall to refer to my lab results as a â€˜recycled claim.â€™ This company made money off my animals for years and now theyâ€™ve poisoned my pets. How dare they belittle them . . . itâ€™s so insulting.”
ConsumerAffairs.com asked Menu Foods why the company still had samples of recalled Special Kitty Food and how it disposes of recalled products. But Menu Foods did not respond to their questions.
UPDATE: Menu Foods does eventually respond to ConsumerAffairs.com in a written statement. The company said it will not disclose its test results and that they have already provided a summary of the lab’s findings on their website.
Menu Foods added in their statement, “The California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at the University of California Davis (”UC Davis”) tested products with date and time codes in close proximity to those identified in the ExperTox (report) - ensuring the products tested by UC Davis were manufactured and filled from the same ingredient sources as those identified in the ExperTox report. Acetaminophen was non-detectable in all three samples.”
In response to a question of why the company still has recalled food in their possession, the company stated, “Menu Foods is a defendant in ongoing litigation related to the recall, and currently cannot dispose of recalled product. Prior to the March recall, Menu has never before been involved in a food safety recall and as such, has no experience in ‘doing’ anything with its recalled product. At such time as Menu Foods is permitted to dispose of the product recalled this spring, it will do so in accordance with FDA guidelines.”
Menu also said that they could not contact Carol in regards to the cat food she tested, the cat food the company tested, or any information related to her claim because of a federal court order. But Carol has not filed a claim or taken any legal action against the company.
(Thanks menusux and Carol)


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Rio De Janeiro: Olympic officials could change the rule that obliges athletes to halt advertising campaigns during the Games in time for Rio 2016.... ...http://zeenews.india.com/sports/others/ioc-may-change-advertising-guidelines-for-rio-2016_1553305.html
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4:05am IST RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics made an operating profit of 3.25 billion roubles ($53.15 million),... ...http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/olympics-sochi-profit-idINKBN0LU2LB20150226
It's not as easy as youd think, said Prasanta Saha, secretary general of the All India Darts Association, while inaugurating the Darts Association... ...http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/a-game-of-skill/article6937131.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication
Comments NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. (Sony CSL) today announced that for the first time, the... ...http://www.andhranews.net/Intl/Web/11-58.asp
Qatar at last formally launched a bid...
Colostrum can be used to burn fat and...


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MyPunchbowl Reinvents Online Party Invitations
Everyone has a neighbor or a relative who loves to throw parties—you know, the people who make their Halloween or Christmas extravaganza bigger every year, with more lights, lawn ornaments, costumes, and food. The folks at Punchbowl Software are a lot like that: they keep overhauling their Web 2.0 party-planning website MyPunchbowl, making it fancier and more useful.
Today Punchbowl took the lid off the site’s biggest redesign yet. “Many of our features have gotten a facelift,” says CEO Matt Douglas, “and our home page has been redesigned for conversion”—that is, to entice more people to sign up as members and to use MyPunchbowl’s main features, which include a utility for negotiating a party’s date, a save-the-date notifier, party-supply checklists, and photo albums for after-party sharing. The user interfaces for all of these features have also been revamped, Douglas says.
But the most prominent new feature is the online “Design Studio,” where hosts planning parties can create customized electronic invitations by choosing from a variety of clip-art options such as colorful backgrounds and ribbons. The company says the studio provides a “green” and “stylish” alternative to sending out paper invitations. And actually, the phrase “clip art” doesn’t do justice to the elegant designs Punchbowl has created as starting templates (click on the thumbnail at left for a closer look).
It’s been a busy fall at Punchbowl—the company announced just three weeks ago that it had raised $2.1 million in a venture round by New York-based Contour Venture Partners and existing investors Intel Capital and eCoast Angels.
Trending on Xconomy
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A dirt-cheap way to take care of what’s in your dirt.
AMD's Robert Hallock answers our questions about the new Ryzen 5000 laptop CPU.
Would Nvidia make graphics cards just for cryptocurrency miners? As GPU supplies remain lean, Nvidia's CFO considers priorities.
Available now, the $199 Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds are poised to take on the AirPods Pro.
Amazon is selling a 10TB Seagate desktop external hard drive for $170, just $10 above the all-time low.
Two new reports from Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman claim that Apple is planning big changes for the next MacBook Pro: MagSafe and function keys.
Gigabyte's Aero and Aorus get new hardware, while the G- and A-series will appeal to those on a budget
With the Galaxy S21, Samsung is delivering premium performance and design at a much cheaper price.
Attending a virtual tradeshow is a suboptimal experience, but these new offerings still made an impression.
Brandt Guttridge, Intel’s senior director of the Desktop Products Group, appears on The Full Nerd to answer questions about 11th-gen Core, Rocket Lake S, and desktop gaming.
CES 2021 may be virtual, but the drumbeat of innovation continued with these 5 laptop trends revealed at the show.
What's claimed to be a near-final build of Microsoft's Windows 10X has leaked. We go hands on with Microsoft's Chrome OS competitor, now optimized for single screens.
B&H Photo Video is selling Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 for $40 off the MSRP.
The Galaxy S21 is a great value at $800 but there are a few things you should know before preordering.
Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S21 series with better cameras and lower prices.


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Ring Plus Aqua Ltd, the auto components arm of the textile and apparel maker Raymond Ltd, has acquired a majority stake in Pune-based Trinity India Ltd. Although the company did not disclose the deal value in its official communiqué to the stock exchanges, various media reports stated that Ring Plus Aqua had bought 78 per cent stake in the company for Rs 54 crore ($11 million), citing a top company executive.
The deal was funded by internal accruals and facilitated by Equirus Capital.
At 12:17 pm, shares of Raymond Ltd were trading at Rs 369.00 a unit on the BSE, down 0.55 per cent from the previous close.
Incorporated in 1974, Trinity India (formerly Trinity Die Forgers Ltd) manufactures machined and forged components for automotive, material handling and hydraulic pumps & valves industries. The company has four manufacturing units, with an installed forging capacity of 12,500 tonnes, and supplies hubs, spindles, connecting rods and similar components. Currently, it has 400 employees on board.
This acquisition will strengthen Ring Plus Aqua’s entry into forged components market and boost the company’s position in the global automotive power train domain. The firm expects to generate additional revenues of Rs 80 crore from the addition of Trinity as a subsidiary.
The Indian forging industry is pegged to be $2.9 billion in size while the global industry is over $115 billion.
In 2008, Trinity India had filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to enter the capital market with a public issue. But the IPO never went through due to turbulent market conditions and a global recession taking a toll on the Indian stock market.
Besides its core business of textiles, Raymond is into engineering and aviation. The engineering division manufactures precision engineering products, such as steel files, cutting tools, hand tools and agri tools, as well as auto components.


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RSPCA spending, FM Radio, Spark Energy, Singles holidays
The RSPCA has been criticised for spending its money in the wrong places. Now it's launched an independent review into its prosecution work. Winifred debates whether it should be concentrating its funds elsewhere. Singles holidays are booming, but increasingly married people are leaving their spouses behind and signing up. Plus, earlier in the year we featured problems with the online retailer, Brand Alley. We were told they were fixed, but the complaints keep coming in. The company explains why.


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There is sure to be great excitement in a certain County Durham town on Tuesday when a local institution opens its doors on a new home and new era.
Its current middle street store closes for the final time today, Saturday, September 30, after 24 years in time for the new Superstore to open on Tuesday, October 3.
And if your excitement isn’t already at fever pitch for the new store, how about some freebies to mark the occasion?
If you haven’t been in Barry’s Bargains or don’t follow them on Facebook, you might not have seen that there will be free food sampling on the Superstore’s opening day, a free prize draw and boxes of Terry’s All Gold chocolates for the first 100 shoppers through the doors who spend £10.
And we don’t think we’ve seen quite so much excitement online for a store opening.
Reacting to Barry’s Bargain’s Facebook post about the big move, Alan Hancock commented “I’m in Canada and even I’m excited,” while Drew Cardwell responded “Good luck Barry, I sure hope I can get back to Consett one day. I’ll bring an empty suitcase with m a little closer to home.”
Capturing the mood perfectly, Keith Ellison proclaimed “This is going to be bigger than Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding day!!!!!”.
And gutted she can’t be there on launch day, Megan Hornsby bemoaned “why is this the day we’ve got to be in for the carpets to be fitted?!”
Don’t worry Megan, we’re sure there’s plenty of bargains to go round!
Looking for a permanent job in the North East? Try searching on Fish4Jobs.


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STK Global Payments announced that Alex Tapscott will join the STK Advisory Board, providing strategic direction on the development and implementation of the STK token. STK is holding a Token Generation Event from November 13-24, 2017. A pre-sale will run from October 30-November 13, 2017.
Built on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC20 token, the STK token will enable instant cryptocurrency payments at point of sale -- the first such solution to bridge cryptocurrency with retail transactions in real-time.
Tapscott is a globally recognized thought-leader, investor and writer focused on the impact of emerging technologies on business, society and government. Alex is the Founder and CEO of NextBlock Global, an investment company actively managing a diversified portfolio of digital assets. Alex is also the co-author (with Don Tapscott) of the bestselling book Blockchain Revolution. Alex is a co-founder of the Blockchain Research Institute, a founding member of the IMF High Level Advisory Group on Fintech, a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Blockchain, and a special advisor to Elections Canada.
"STK represents a great leap forward in how we spend, store and move money by making it easy for anyone anywhere to use cryptocurrencies and participate fully in the blockchain revolution."
Tapscott will join an international group of industry experts and thought leaders serving as STK’s Advisory Board. Other Board members include Ethan Wilding, a founding member of Ethereum, Professor David LEE Kuo Chuen, a Stanford University Visiting Fulbright Scholar, Richard Kastelein, an award-winning publisher and entrepreneur and Chami Akmeemana, a Blockchain Specialist with multiple successful exits.
“Alex is a globally respected blockchain advocate with a deep understanding of the industry and its potential impact on the future of finance,” said Miro Pavletic, Director of STK. He continued:
“Having Alex join the STK Advisory Board is a testament to the incredible potential of our STK token and its utility. We’re grateful to have him on board.”
STK Global Payments is the cryptocurrency technology solution which enables real-time cryptocurrency payments at points of sale, and the issuer of the STK token. The STK token was designed to provide a method that can allow cryptocurrency to be used instantly at retail for seamless integration into everyday transactions and financial services. The STK token will be implemented on the public Ethereum blockchain as an ERC20 token. The STK token is part of a global solution to facilitate borderless transactions through a smart contract which facilitates a real-time exchange of cryptocurrency into fiat at the POS.
For more information on the STK token, visit
Disclaimer. This article is paid and provided by a third-party source and should not be viewed as an endorsement by CoinIdol. Readers should do their own research before investing funds in any company. CoinIdol shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services mentioned in this article.


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American Crew, the Official Supplier to Men announces Serena Hussain Hill of U.K., Ciara Madden of Ireland, André Luís de Jesus of Brazil, Attila Can of Germany and Christian Ríos Torres of Spain as the Global Champions of the 2021 All Star Challenge.
An annual global competition over 20 years in the running, American Crew All Star Challenge highlights world-class talent in men’s grooming. Barbers and hair stylists from across the globe are encouraged to showcase their skill and technique by creating their signature looks with American Crew® products to capture the trendsetting-yet-timeless spirit of the brand.
Having evolved from a local competition to a global event, the All-Star Challenge has provided countless opportunities and industry inspiration for emerging barbers and groomers alike. This year, the brand has chosen five Global Champions from 42 participating countries, awarding even more incredible talent and diversity in terms of hair textures, styles and trends.
“It’s always incredible to see the level of artisanship get better and better every year. But after a particularly challenging year for the industry, it’s even more special to see how passionate this community remains about their craft,” said David Raccuglia, Founder of American Crew®.
“Our five winners showed unbelievable creativity and skill and brought forth their visions in a way that earned their spot amongst the world’s top industry-leaders. We look forward to seeing how this award helps push the boundaries of their careers in 2021 and beyond.”
The five Global Champions were chosen as their respective country’s winner by their in-country judging panel, before being submitted to The All-Star Challenge Global Committee. See the UK and Ireland finalists HERE
For more information on American Crew and the All-Star Challenge, visit: http://AllStarChallenge.AmericanCrew.com/
The post American Crew Announces Its All Star Challenge 2021 Global Winners appeared first on EsteticaMagazine.com.


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Apple Eyes Fall Pay TV Debut: WSJ
Apple is in talks with cable programmers and most major broadcasters, including ABC, CBS and Fox, about a plan to launch an over-the-top pay TV service this fall that would feature about 25 channels, The Wall Street Journalreported Monday.
It’s the latest in a flurry of rumors involving Apple and its plans to introduce a pay TV offering. Re/code reported last month that Apple had entered licensing discussions with programmers about an OTT service that would offer bundled subsets of programming and rely on an Apple-crafted user interface.
The WSJ said Apple’s current TV talks don’t involve NBCUniversal, claiming that they had a “falling out” after Apple’s earlier discussions with Comcast didn’t bear fruit.
Last March,industry sources confirmed reports (subscription required) that Apple and Comcast had been talking for at least two years about a deal that would enable an Apple-powered device to offer a mix of live TV and other subscription video services in partnership with the MSO. At the time, The Wall Street Journal said Apple was seeking a deal that allow it to provide its own UI and to deliver video services over managed IP connections that did not mix with broadband service traffic, and get a cut of the subscription fees. But those talks didn’t get very far, with one industry source saying that “Apple just wants too much.” Comcast, meanwhile, has pushed forward with X1, an IP-capable next-gen video service.
As for Apple’s current plans, the WSJ said Monday that it intends to offer a “skinny” bundle anchored by channels such as CBS, ESPN and FX, and aim for a price in the range of $30 to $40 per month.
Apple’s premium video ambitions got a lift last week when it was named the temporary exclusive distribution partner for HBO Now, a stand-alone OTT service that will initially sell for $14.99 per month and launch in time for the season five debut of Game of Thrones. (Cablevision Systems is the first cable MVPD to strike a distribution deal for HBO Now.)
In a bit of foreshadowing when he announced the HBO partnership, Apple CEO Tim Cook said it is now Apple’s aim is to “reinvent the way you watch television, and this is just the beginning.”
If Apple moves forward with a fuller pay TV plan, it will do battle with traditional video service providers and join an expanding mix of so-called “virtual” MVPDs. Sling TV, Dish’s OTT service targeted to cord-cutters that starts at $20 per month, launched on February 9. Sony, meanwhile, is inching toward the commercial debut of PlayStation Vue, a service that will initially be offered on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 gaming consoles.
The smarter way to stay on top of the multichannel video marketplace. Sign up below.


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Posted on September 7, 2011
The Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Inc. is very pleased to announce the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) grocery store partners will be receiving the USDA Golden Grocery Award on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Area Agency on Aging Annex, 800 Park Avenue West, Mansfield, Ohio.
The Area Agency on Aging nominated the stores for their participation in partnering to provide SNAP outreach to customers. A SNAP outreach booth was set up at the grocery store where seniors were pre-screened at the store for enrollment in the SNAP program.
The five grocery store partners receiving the award are; Cornell’s IGA in Shelby, Geyer’s Market in Mansfield, Geyer’s Market in Lexington, Stoodt’s Market in Bellville, Hitchman’s Market in Butler.
This is the FIRST Golden Grocer award in USDA Midwest Region that consists of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Representatives from USDA and the Ohio Retailer’s Association will be presenting the grocery stores their award.
For additional information, please contact the Area Agency on Aging at 419-524-4144 or 800-860-5799.


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(Pocket-lint) - Virgin Media has launched a new version of its Super Hub modem and wireless router along with claims that it is the fastest available in the UK.
The new dual band hub allows for concurrent connection to 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi channels, and independent testing has scored it at the top in both speed and range over rival technologies from BT, Sky and TalkTalk.
Tests were carried out over a variety of distances by both the University of Bristol and Farncombe Technology and the new Virgin Media Super Hub performed best on speed over the different ranges. It will be carrying out similar tests with the BT Home Hub 4, as only the Home Hub 3 was used during the tests. But in tech spec, the VM next-gen Super Hub boasts maximum 5GHz Wi-Fi speeds of up to 450Mbps, while the Home Hub 4 has a maximum of 300Mbps.
This is down to an additional antenna on the 5GHz antenna, says Virgin Media.
The new Super Hub will be supplied to all new customers taking out up to 60Mb or up to 100Mb broadband services. It will also be available to existing customers already on or upgrading to up to 60Mb or up to 100Mb broadband for a £49.95 installation fee.
The original Super Hub will continue to be offered by Virgin Media to customers taking out up to 30Mbps broadband.


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Following Banksy’s the latest headline-grabbing stunt, his shredded ‘Girl with Balloon’ is given a new name ‘Love is in the Bin’ and became the first artwork in history to have been created live during an auction. It inspired many art followers and designers to create their own versions. We have selected some of our favourites here.
TBWA/ANG senior creative Richard Agius posted a picture on Instagram of a box of McDonald’s fries slipping through a frame and being shredded.
Austria’s DDB Vienna presented their own interpretation with a modern and minimalist design.
Perrier also posted a video on its Instagram account showing a can of Perrier tied with a lemon balloon was being shredded, with a caption ‘No need to break the bank for a work of art’.
IKEA made a version of a do-it yourself piece of art, showing a frame, poster and scissors with their price tags while questioning what the potential value of its version would be.
Spanish design shop Kaikoo Studio made this one and posted on its Instagram account. It was uploaded with a caption ‘It’s not all about money,’ followed by a middle figure emoji and #Banksy.
Finland's Tax Administration also created one.
Mexican creative Cindy Guzmán paid tribute to the timeless masterpiece – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
This is from Ireland's brand of supermarket chain Lidl
JCDecaux had an outdoor advertising promoting FINN.no., taking reference from the shredded artwork
This is Banksy’s 'Love is in the Bin' that inspired the above creation


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Huawei P50 might be powered by Snapdragon 875G, Mate 40 will be available in two chip variants
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the foundry which manufactures chips for high-profile clients like Apple and Qualcomm, has confirmed that it has stopped taking new orders from Huawei since May 15 to comply with a US order that requires non-U.S. firms to seek explicit permission before using American origin technology to supply to Huawei. This could force the Chinese company to follow a dual-chip strategy for the its upcoming flagship Mate 40 series.
The regulations will apparently not affect any existing orders and they must be shipped before September 14. The Huawei Mate 40 will reportedly be powered by the in-house Kirin 1020 chip that's based on a 5nm process. It seems like Huawei had only ordered 8 million units before the new restrictions were placed and it is now in a quandary. The sales of the Mate 40 duo are forecasted to cross the 10 million mark which means the company is in need of more SoCs.
There are reportedly only 8 million processors there and Mate’s sales are often over 10 million units.— Teme (特米) (@RODENT950) July 17, 2020
Since it can't turn to TSMC, it is reportedly thinking about using another chip as well.
Previously, we had heard that Qualcomm would apply for a licence from the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security to supply chips to Huawei. That report claimed that the request would be granted, allowing the company to sell its Snapdragon chipset for use in next year's Mate 50 and P50.
Some Mate 40 variants will probably feature a MediaTek chip
This year though, Huawei's only options are Samsung's Exynos chips and MediaTek SoCs and chances are that it will go for the later. The Kirin 1020 will supposedly offer a 50 percent performance boost over the Kirin 990 and it's essential that the other silicon Huawei ends up choosing guarantees a consistence experience.
The Kirin 1020-fueled Mate 40 will likely be exclusive to China, and the MediaTek-driven phones will be sold in other markets.
Earlier, the Mate 40 line was expected to break cover in fall but the recent developments could cause a delay.
Not a lot is known about the series, but a quad-camera system with a 108MP main sensor is likely to be one of the headlining features. The sensor will reportedly feature a 9P, free-form lens which will reduce image degradation and distortion.


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Chainalysis, a U.S. based blockchain intelligence firm’s research revealed that between January and April 2019, only 1.3 percent of Bitcoin economic transactions were carried out by merchants and as such, speculation remains Bitcoin’s major use case and it has retarded the cryptocurrency’s massive adoption as means of payment, reports Bloomberg on May 31, 2019.
Chainalysis’ Report on Bitcoin Economic Transactions
Based on the report, Chainalysis’ research revealed that out of the economic transactions carried out with Bitcoin in the first four months in 2019, only 1.3 percent could be attributed to merchants. On the contrary, cryptocurrency exchanges’ Bitcoin transaction within the same period is about 89 percent.
The low figure indicating merchant activity shows a speculative trend and a low-level adoption of Bitcoin for payments. In the case of the latter, people will rather accumulate the asset than spend it. As a result, it conflicts with the industry’s vision that the virtual asset could potentially become a means of payment and even replace fiat currencies.
Bitcoin’s Volatile Nature Also Discourages Spending
Bitcoin’s volatile nature and recent price surge have also deterred people from spending it since they will rather accumulate or hodl in order to reap immense profits. These are people who are less willing to make payments with their Bitcoin because they are speculating that its price could spike within a week later or overnight.
It is, however, worthy to note that a number of companies around the world are now accepting Bitcoin as a method of payment. For instance, AT&T Inc. recently allowed its customers to pay with cryptocurrencies. There are also car dealerships, jewelry stores, food portals, and other platforms that are accepting Bitcoin.
Kim Grauer, a senior economist at Chainalysis in an email to Bloomberg said:
“Bitcoin economic activity continues to be dominated by exchange trading. This suggests Bitcoin’s top use case remains speculative, and the mainstream use of Bitcoin for everyday purchases is not yet a reality.”
On the other hand, Chainalysis obtains its data by monitoring payment processors such as BitPay which was able to process $1 billion for merchants in both 2017 and 2018. The firm’s dataset reveals that merchant activity rises when a bull run occurs in the Bitcoin market but declines during the bear market.
An instance of this is the case of late 2017 where merchant activity rose to 1.5 percent during the crypto bubble but declined to 0.9 percent during the 2018’s bear market. However, when 2018’s merchant activity is compared with 2019, it can be said that there has been a slight recovery.


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It’s audit season for Indian startups. Each passing week brings in fresh corporate governance trouble and more focus on the issues at Indian startups
Mojocare joined the list of startups going through a forensic review, following the likes of BharatPe, Zilingo, Trell, GoMechanic, Broker Network, Infra.Market and others
Conversations in the VC world have turned from deal flow to audits and inspection rights and strengthening similar clauses in future term sheets
It’s audit season for Indian startups. Each passing week brings in fresh corporate governance trouble and more focus on the issues at Indian startups.
“In our private groups, VCs are swapping numbers of independent auditors, sharing their audit experiences with the Big Four. VCs are reviewing their SHAs with Indian startups to see how they can exercise inspection rights.” — a founding partner of a prominent Bengaluru-based early-stage venture fund.
With more than a dozen companies and at least half a dozen prominent venture capital firms entangled in controversies related to corporate governance and due diligence debacles, conversations in the VC world have turned from deal flow to audits and inspection rights.
This past week, Mojocare joined the list of startups going through a forensic review following similar investigations into BharatPe, Zilingo, Trell, GoMechanic, Broker Network, Infra.Market and others. And many VCs are facing questions from LPs over similar issues at US-based FTX, and Southeast Asian startups Spenmo and PayFazz.
Raining Audits In The Funding Winter
And this might just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Indian startups, sources in the VC ecosystem told Inc42. “You will start to see more reports about such audits in Indian companies. Several informal conversations are ongoing between co-investors and those with board seats are being asked to take charge of such matters,” the fund manager quoted above told us.
More than anything, the list of startups that have been alleged to have misreported revenue or those that have confessed to such fudging has led VCs to take all numbers with a pinch of salt and eroded trust in the monthly income statements that are usually prepared for shareholders.
Another Bengaluru-based venture fund partner believes that usually VCs look more closely into the books in the case of a fundraise or exits, but such deep scrutiny is becoming more common. “Not many people outside the VC world might even know about inspection rights that VCs have. Even angel investors are requesting such rights now, which was atypical before last year,” the partner added.
Simply put, inspection rights allow certain shareholders to get to the facts of the matter in relation to any reports sent by the company. Typically, this is done to weed out aspects related to revenue leaks, mismanagement of funds, allegations of unexplained related party transactions or other corporate governance hurdles. Inspection rights also allow VCs to investigate the startup in case of a potential legal action against the entity.
Take the case of GoMechanic — founders admitted to have falsified revenue by creating fake garages and inflating the sales numbers. Or Mojocare, where founders also admitted to fabricating invoices and manipulating inventory to show higher GMV. But without these admissions, even the monthly income statements would not indicate any foul play.
That’s where VCs exercise inspection rights to verify the authenticity of the numbers they are shown.
Questions about the authenticity of sales and revenue have added to the pressure on venture capital funds in India, several of which are also being questioned by upstream investors about how this will impact returns in the long run.
The global macroeconomic slowdown has hit tech investors and unicorns badly with the likes of BYJU’S, PharmEasy, Swiggy, Pine Labs, Ola going through valuation markdowns in recent weeks. These companies that have towering valuations, particularly those that have IPO ambitions, were expected to be potential exits for investors.
“There’s no certainty even around mature startups, and at the same time, the growth portfolio is stumbling due to wilful fraud and misreporting. After the 2021 funding peak all startups were well capitalised so when startups face a cash flow crunch ahead of their previous projections, VCs are bound to wonder what happened,” says a Bengaluru-based corporate accounting and audit expert who has conducted due diligence and investigated a host of startups and tech companies for over two decades.
While the larger picture is about cleaning the startup ecosystem of bad practices, there is fear among founders about increased investor compliance and stringent clauses in term sheets or shareholder agreements.
How Startup Audits Typically Work
So what exactly are investors looking for when they begin inspections or a review of the business?
The first port of call on the audit journey is the revenue cycle. “If investors see abrupt growth in a revenue cycle, it’s now a red flag. Earlier, this was celebrated as growth, but now it’s looked at with scepticism,” the auditor added.
The auditors will typically look into how the claimed growth compares with industry metrics and get some market context.
The next crucial aspect is diving into the revenue graphs. Typically, B2C companies have seasonality in sales so there will be spikes in revenue for certain months and this would typically be seen year after year. On the B2B side, there are dips when businesses look to curb spending in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. So B2B startups will usually have lower collections in this period.
Of course, everything might look fine when diving into the revenue cycle and growth data. The next indicator of potential fudging of numbers comes from customer data. Auditors will ask the companies for specifics of CRM data. This is easier for B2B companies that usually have 1000s of customers, but B2C companies can even have millions. Auditors look for red flags through dipstick testing, since examining every customer is not always possible.
For instance, multiple B2B startups in one segment might claim they have a certain market share, but it’s simply not possible in B2B fintech for example, where there is a fixed TAM for all startups.
“So we do a sentiment analysis to understand how authentic these claims are. You will find indicators on social media, review sites and forums that can give us an approximation of the number of users. If a startup claims to have millions of customers but only has a handful of app reviews, that’s definitely a concern,” the accounting expert added.
Startups have also found themselves in a spot of bother due to ties with vendors that are relatives or don’t exist altogether. In such cases, auditors do a relationship analysis between vendors, employees, founders and even investors to find commonality that could indicate cash flowing to suspect vendors.
“We can do address analysis between all the parties to find common patterns or look at which vendors have been paid without a GST certificate. A startup may have a lot of vendors with invoices under INR 20 Lakh where a GST certificate is not needed. This can be legitimate or a source of cash misappropriation, so our job is to look at what’s the real picture.”
Erosion Of Trust: VCs Question Founder Claims
Even though investors have spoken in public about audits, forensic reviews and other probes into startups recently, the reality is that many don’t want these inspections to come under the spotlight. “There’s a lot of focus these days on the cash flow crunch for startups in media and other reports, so VCs are definitely looking more closely at startups that come into this negative spotlight. But even in other cases, founders are being grilled over each and every claim,” the early-stage investor quoted above added.
Another ‘trend’ that’s catching on is founders confessing to misreporting when the audit hammer is around the corner. We saw this in the case of GoMechanic and most recently Mojocare, where founders confessed to having inflated GMV and fudging books.
“It’s not like everyone is cutting corners because they want to. Sometimes they don’t realise the consequence of booking a receivable that will never actually materialise. There’s a difference between wilful fraud and oversight such as this, and even a forensic audit might never fully reveal the intention of a founder,” a Delhi NCR-based venture fund founder told Inc42.
Nevertheless, as VCs look to weed out the bad apples, it has even brought unwanted scrutiny on founders who are known to have pristine reputations. It also creates a trust issue and a lot of the venture capital world runs on trust in entrepreneurs.
Of course, any kind of churn pulls in even those startups that are not actually overstepping the line. It’s expected, but there is a risk of such audits completely derailing founders’ focus from growing their business to covering their bases. And this could very well end up dragging the overall growth of the ecosystem.
A second Delhi-based angel investor says,”This is much needed. Only after separating the bad actors can the ecosystem grow in the right way and direction. Unfortunately, some good founders will be caught in the middle, but it is actually a correction that will help them in the long run.”
Indian startups are not the only ones facing this scrutiny, but at this point it’s feeling the pinch due to its maturity stage. The erosion of trust has shaken up deal flow even further and made it difficult for founders to raise funds now. Investors are finally standing up to bad actors in the ecosystem, but the pressure has increased for startup founders.


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Apple's much-rumored smart wristwatch may feature a curved glass display that will set it apart from competitors, reports The New York Times.
Like hands on a clock, rumors that Apple is developing a Dick Tracy-like wristwatch have come around again.
The New York Times reports today that Apple is experimenting with wristwatch-like iOS devices that sport curved glass. The advantage of the "iWatch," as some have labeled it, is said to be in the company's expertise with curved glass.
The smart wristwatch notion isn't exactly groundbreaking: a lot of smartwatches, fitness bands, or some hybrid of the two, were talked up last month at CES. Some of those devices include the long-awaited Pebble wristwatch, which made its debut at the conference, and the 007-inspired Martian Passport Watch.
Rumors of Apple working on just such a device have been circulating for months. A report from a Chinese blog last December held that Apple had partnered with Intel to develop an iOS wristwatch that would be Bluetooth-enabled and sport a 1.5-inch OLED screen.
Apple encouraged wearing previous versions of the iPod Nano on wrists in 2011, with manufacturers selling watchbands that could be attached to the Nano to wear it as a wristwatch. However, Apple bumped up the size of the iPod Nano last year, leading to speculation that it was developing a wearable computer of its own.
CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more.


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For many years, Apple gadgets mainly used LCD screens. Only the recently released Iphone X uses an OLED display. Most of the major manufacturers of smartphones like Samsung and Google are already using OLED displays for their high end models. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is developing micro LED technology for displays of devices at a low profile facility at Santa Clara close to the Apple headquarters. Hundreds of engineers are reportedly working to develop the micro LED displays which are better than the LED displays at the secret Silicon Valley facility, however the technology is not likely to be available right away. These technological developments are an exciting prospect and it is thought that Apple might also expand into larger video and audio display monitors such as these really cool LED and LCD screens in the future.
Until the Micro LED manufacturing technology is fully developed, Apple will continue to purchase OLED displays for iPhoneX from Samsung. OLED displays were considered to be an improvement of LCD displays because the maximum brightness of these screens was higher, they were thinner and also more flexible. The main difference between OLEDs and micro LEDs is in the components used for emitting light, OLEDs are using organic semiconductors while micro LEDs are using conventional gallium nitride however the LEDs used are very small in size. Even though they are small, they still have an essential part to play in your phone. So much so, that you may think that the LEDs are the most important aspect. Well, you’d be wrong. Without gallium, this section of your smartphone would not be functional. This compound has the ability to convert electricity directly to light, making it essential to the production of such electrical devices like the smartphone. It is that popular for manufacturers, that many decide to look into gallium for sale, so they can continue to make the best LED’s to use in their products for their customers. Other companies like Sony and Samsung are also developing micro LED’s, and Apple will have distinct advantage in developing the technology first.
When developed, the micro LED panels will have a major advantage over OLED panels being used at the present, as they will consume less electricity, are approximately 30 times brighter, are more durable and have a better quality display. Apple had taken over the research facility in Santa Clara when it acquired display supplier Luxvue in 2014. Though there were some plans to shut down the facilities initially, the development team at the Santa Clara facility of Apple has reportedly made significant progress in developing commercially viable micro LED production technology and the company is planning to invest heavily in developing the technology.
However, compared to OLED displays, it is far more difficult to make the micro LED panels and the company initially planned to make a few displays using micro LED tech for testing purposes only. This is part of the overall strategy of Apple to manufacture most of the components used in its devices in-house. Apple has already been designing the micro-controllers and other components used in iPhones and iPads in-house. Developing viable technology for micro LEDs could help Apple get an edge in the large smartphone market over rivals like Samsung, whose main advantage is their superior display.
The micro LED development project is supervised by a veteran Apple employee Lynn Youngs, who was was originally involved in developing touch screens for iPhones and iPads. Approximately 300 Apple employees are working in the design and production sections of the manufacturing facility with an area of 62,000 square feet. Towards the end of 2017 engineers developed a few fully functional micro LED screens which were to be used in Apple watches. Apple has indicated they plan to use micro LED displays initially in wearable devices before using it elsewhere.


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Iwi owned seafood company Aotearoa Fisheries is to take over a Pacific oyster nursery and spat operation in the South Island.
The agreement with Cawthron Institute involves the oyster hatchery and nursery based at Glenduan, north of Nelson.
Aotearoa Fisheries is the largest Pacific oyster company in the country.
Under the agreement, three of the Cawthron Institute staff in the nursery and growing operations will be seconded to the seafood company to continue research work.
Aotearoa Fisheries general manager of aquaculture Don Collier says the problems being faced by the Pacific oyster industry since 2010, in the wake of an oyster virus, have illustrated how vulnerable it is to be totally reliant on a natural wild catch.
However, he says by continuing to apply sound science and research by Cawthron Institute staff it will manage better when nature throws up curve balls.


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A notice has reportedly been issued to Nestle by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, on the Rs 640 crore class action suit filed by the Government. The Government has accused the Company of false labeling and giving misleading advertisements.
A Bench headed by Justice V.K. Jain ordered Nestle to file its reply after getting the notice. The matter will now be heard on September 30. The Bench also directed the Centre to test samples afresh by "accredited labs".
It reportedly observed, "High Court has quashed your (Centre's) order on the ground that laboratory were not accredited and recognized.... Second, you did not follow correct procedure," the bench said, adding that "you (Centre) have to satisfy whether you had followed the right procedure.”
To the submission that there is no prescribed standard, the bench said that this practice has been termed by the High Court as arbitrary. The Bench then laid down the main question which is whether the Company has been selling products which, as per the "temporarious guidelines", are not right.
According to Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, the bench expressed doubt over the government's cause of action, saying the Bombay High Court's judgment in the matter had dealt with the issue of lead content. "To this we responded that the Bombay High Court order will have limited impact. Our complaint is relying on earlier test results done by the food safety authority. (But) our petition is not entirely dependent on that result. Our complaint is of unfair trade practices where Nestle was representing that there was no monosodium glutamate," he was quoted as saying. “We cited USA resolution which says that no added MSG means no MSG,” he added.
The Government has sought a sum of Rs 284, 55, 00,000 (Rupees two hundred and eighty-four crores and fifty five lakhs) that the Opponent Company is liable to pay and a sum of Rs. 355, 40, 70,000 (Rupees three hundred and fifty five crores forty lakhs and seventy thousand only) as punitive damages on account of the gross negligence, apathy and callousness on the part of the Opponent Company. Thus, the total claim is for a Sum of Rs.639, 95, 70,000/- (Rupees six hundred and thirty nine crores and ninety five lakhs and seventy thousand).
As per reports, its petition had said, “It is now apparent that Maggi and its variants are neither healthy nor enjoyable. Quite the contrary, they are far from the quality and standard what even the opponent company had claimed them to be, while seeking approval.”
It had further said, “The department is keen to safeguard against companies selling defective foodstuff or other products in utter disregard of the existing laws.”
The Government has also alleged that Nestle had sold Maggi oats noodles without appropriate product approval. “So, the Union of India will be filing an application before the commission about fresh testing of Maggi noodle products which are in their possession,” the ASG said.
The Government has hence sought a direction to Nestle to recall all the "defective" and "hazardous goods" with respect to Maggi noodles with Tastemaker in all its variants and Maggi Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker and also sought a direction to it for issuance of corrective advertisement to neutralize the effect of the misleading advertisements.
It has further prayed to direct the Company to remove 'No added MSG' from the packets and labels of all the variants of Maggi noodles.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the industry watchdog, had said in its ban order of June 5 that tests conducted on a batch of Maggi were found to contain more-than-permissible levels of lead and high quantities of mono-sodium glutamate (MSG).
Last week, the Bombay High Court quashed the ban on Nestle Maggi noodles imposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, as it found that there were blatant violations of Principles of natural justice while imposing the ban. You may read the LiveLaw story here.
Live Law had covered the controversial ban of Maggi extensively which may be read here.


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Building the province’s economy with an emphasis on exports is a familiar theme among Nova Scotia business groups these days.
Although the Ivany commission report — Building Our New Economy — hadn’t been released when I wrote this column, it was expected it would encourage a more aggressive approach to selling Nova Scotia goods and services when the study findings are revealed today.
In Pictou County, there is a small group of business leaders who have already identified the need to work together to produce a more sophisticated sales effort internationally.
While he’s concerned about building up expectations before the initiative gets started, Jack Kyte says the types of Pictou County companies involved in exports are varied enough to allow a local support group to work.
Without a regional development authority to lead the way anymore, the group is starting as a grassroots effort to bring exporters together for mutual benefit. The initial meeting is scheduled for Feb. 19 at 3:15 p.m. at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton.
Kyte, executive director of the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce, says many Nova Scotians may not be aware that the county is already an export centre.
There are metal fabricators and makers of parking meters, he says, and there is also a fishery and agriculture component. Then there is the technology sector, led by Nova Scotia’s exporter of the year last year, Velsoft Interactive Inc., which sells training software around the globe.
Jim Fitt, CEO and founder of Velsoft, is one of the organizers of the Pictou County export group, called PCX.
Some may be concerned exporters in a similar business sector will be competitive among themselves within the group rather than focusing on opportunities to sells good internationally, but Kyte says it doesn’t have to be that way.
It is an opportunity for people who are already doing business in China, for example, to offer advice to companies considering trying to enter that market, he says.
The thinking behind the group is that companies and business people can help each other achieve greater success by exchanging ideas and information about what they’ve learned from their international experiences.
There could be opportunities to develop courses and bring in speakers specifically focused on aspects of international trade that are of interest to members of the group, says Kyte.
If successful in getting PCX started, organizers have dreams of Pictou County companies going on trade missions together to sell not only their goods and services but also their region within Nova Scotia.
There is also the hope that by coming together, Pictou County exporters will be better prepared once the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union, basically a free-trade agreement, is ratified in the next couple of years.
Once it becomes official, the agreement is expected to give Canadian exporters preferential treatment within the European Union, which has a population of more than 500 million and annual economic activity of $17 trillion, by removing 98 per cent of tariffs on a variety of Canadian products, including agricultural goods, seafood and metals.
That seems to be right up Pictou County’s alley.


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FTX acquires FCA-licensed Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Liquid
FTX acquires Japan's FCA-Licensed crypto exchange Liquid in the deal to comply with Japanese laws, FTX's Japanese users will be moved to Quoine's trading platform.
Sam Bankman Fried is the CEO of FTX declared that his company acquired Japanese crypto firm Liquid Group and its subsidiaries.
FTX will acquire Quoine Corporation, a Financial Services Agency (FSA) approved crypto exchange. Quoine acquired a Type Financial instruments Business license under the Financial instruments and Exchange Act from the Japanese regulatory authorities.
FTX is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Liquid group of companies, including an FSA-registered crypto-asset exchange to provide products and services to our customers in Japan!https://t.co/rO5TznWFCU— SBF (@SBF_FTX) February 2, 2022
The partnership will serve retail and institutional investors in the Japanese and global markets:
“Quoine will gradually integrate FTX's products and services into its offering, and FTX's existing Japanese customers will be migrated to Quoine's platform.”
The agreement also requires FTX to comply with Japanese laws while serving existing Japanese users on its platform. Based on this agreement. FTX will transfer its existing users from japan to Quoine's trading platform starting from March 30.
While the acquisition is expected to close in March 2022, the economic terms of the deal are yet to be disclosed.
last week FTX US has achieved an $8 valuation from SoftBank Group Corp-led funding of $400 million.
FTX US president Brett Harrison had planned to redirect the funds to expand the crypto exchange's offering and a supporting workforce. FTX exchange as a whole stands at a $32 billion valuation.
Falling crypto market, Bankman Fried remains bullish:
“I think we’re not entering a long-term crypto winter. There have been changes in expectations of interest rates, and that’s been moving crypto markets. But it’s been moving markets more generally as well.”


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Chrome 66 just came out of production, finally blocking annoying autoplaying content, but Google is already whetting developers’ and users’ appetites on what’s coming next. While it might not be a grand launch just yet, Chrome 67 will be laying the foundations that will make Web-based mobile experiences better by taking advantage of the smartphone’s sensors as well as the new WebXR framework that combines VR and AR APIs into one.
The reason why smartphones almost make great ad hoc VR and AR devices is that they already have the hardware needed for displaying and controlling the experience, from the screen to the camera and most especially to the sensors. With browser makers pushing the Web as an open and more universal way do develop and experience games and VR/AR content, they will definitely need to get access to those components as well.
Chrome 67 Beta now includes
what Google calls the Generic Sensor API, a W3C Candidate Recommendation on its way to becoming a more standard specification (thanks, Alexis, for the clarification!). In a nutshell this would give developers access to data from the smartphone’s Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer + Gyro), and Motion Sensors (Accelerometer + Gyro + Magnetometer). These API, in turn, could be used to create Web games like tabletop mazes or utilities like a digital compass.
This beta release also has the developer preview for support for WebXR API. This upcoming standard basically takes the existing WebVR standard and adds AR capabilities on top (hence the “X”). While still in the very early stages, this WebXR API can be used to create anything from 360-degree videos to home shopping services, all within your browser.
Like Mozilla, Google is pushing Web technologies, especially on Chrome, as a more universal framework for creating apps and services that will work on almost any device or platform. WebXR, for example, is envisioned to work on the mobile-based Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR as well as desktop-based Oculus, VIVE, and Windows Mixed Reality. All you need is a web browser. And some sensors, too.


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Our new Marketplace Crash Course is here to help. Sign-up for free, learn at your own pace.
More of the tariff skirmishes between the U.S. and China, the EU, Mexico, Canada, and other countries are likely to end up at the World Trade Organization. That’s because the WTO is supposed to help mediate trade battles. The problem is, President Donald Trump has been working to undermine the WTO’s authority by vetoing all […]


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Why is a till like a car? No, it’s not a riddle! If you stop to consider them for a moment there are some rather unexpected similarities.
Dec 12, 2017 Comments (0)
AEB’s 8th Annual Compliance Conference delivered insights from business leaders on global trade risks and opportunities under different Brexit developments, plus: a template for preparing a 2-year global trade action plan.
Dec 04, 2017 Comments (0)
Is there a way to take advantage of capacitive touchscreen technology in demanding logistics environments?
Nov 30, 2017 Comments (0)
The manufacturing industry is held as a relic of past glory, on the path to be dethroned by the new industrial forces of digital revolution.
Nov 29, 2017 Comments (0)
When 'next day' delivery isn't soon enough what are the implications for delivery service providers?
Nov 08, 2017 Comments (0)
Manufacturing businesses need the flexibility to plan and execute in a dynamic environment with new technologies.
Nov 07, 2017 Comments (0)
Having a warehouse entirely run by robots is probably bit too futuristic for most manufacturers, the reality will be somewhere in between. What skills will the next generation of warehouse managers need?
Oct 26, 2017 Comments (0)
The October 2017 edition of Manufacturing & Logistics IT features a Special Technology Report on WMS and Voice picking. .
Oct 20, 2017 Comments (0)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is progressing rapidly, with particular momentum in the logistics sector. A look at how self-learning algorithms are revolutionising planning processes and controlling machines – and where the boundaries lie (for now).
Sep 22, 2017 Comments (0)
We live in the “now economy” where consumers expect fast flexible delivery options. Consumers want the choice to have on-demand delivery and receive their products within the hour. Here are five reason why retailers are adopting on-demand delivery.


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According to MANA, In a 2017 outlook published today, chief analyst Peter Sand said oil consumption will need to rise and bloated stocks be drawn down before the tanker market can be rebalanced.
“We foresee demolition of tanker capacity to reach a five-year high, but not enough to prevent the onset of a loss-making freight market,” Sand wrote in the report.
The bleak view for tankers marks a reversal for what had been the industry’s top performing market while peers in the dry cargo and container sectors struggled.
For bulker owners, fresh from the worst year in history in 2016, great care is required in 2017 to handle the supply side of the market, Sand says.
“A continuance of the alarmingly low level of demolition activity in the second half of 2016 simply will not deliver the needed zero fleet growth,” he said.
With a significant number of new ships on the way in 2017 and 2018, scrapping will have to run at 30 million dwt annually, he calculates.
“This is not a tall order in theory, but the slowdown in scrapping seen since June 2016 causes alarm bells to ring,” Sand said.
Aftershocks from financial crisis
Sand believes eight years on from the global financial crisis the world is still struggling to come to terms with the updated conditions, noting many large economies remain in recovery mode.
“The full restoration of shipping markets will need several years of solid improvements to lift fleet utilisation rates,” he said.
“Sector overcapacity almost everywhere must be reduced. Government support for any industry – including shipping – which is feeling the heat of global competition might seem like a good thing.
“But direct subsidies from governments in fact have a negative impact on the global shipping industry as they affect free trade and undermine the level playing field for businesses.”


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Truckloads of Letters and Packages Delivered to Dying Little Boy [VIDEOS, PHOTOS]
Last week, everyone on the web was introduced to little Danny Nickerson, and his dying wish for birthday cards. Well, it seems the world responded and made it happen big time!
As you'll see, this heartfelt story had an impact on a ton of people, and rightfully so. Danny has received 100,000 cards and 7,000 packages for his sixth birthday from all over the world.
Watch the videos below to see the truckloads of mail and packages Danny has been getting daily since we shared his story with you.
Even the toughest people out there were touched by such a simple wish of a kid.
The mail didn't end with cards either, loads of people sent presents too. It really goes to show how a common cause can bring humanity together worldwide.
If you'd like to keep this going and mail a card, here's Danny's address:
P.O. Box 212
Foxboro, MA, 02035


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Selena Gomez Compares Rare Beauty Release To Meeting 'Idol' Britney Spears
By James Dinh
August 26, 2020
On Monday (August 24), the pop titan promoted the beauty venture in an Instagram Live interview with Sephora, comparing the release of the line to the moment that she met her idol, Britney Spears. "It was really exciting," the star said of the idea of teaming up with the make-up chain for the venture. "It's kind of like when you get to meet your idol. You know? I remember when I was younger, the first concert that I ever went to, and the first person I was ever obsessed with was Britney Spears, obviously. I was going to the Britney concert and I remember just being in the nosebleeds, obsessed with her. She was my idol. I remember saying, 'I want to be like her.' Then fast forward a few years later and I'm sitting down at some event just talking to her."
Gomez went on to admit that those fangirl occasions mean something special to her. "Those moments don’t go by easily for me," she said with a smile. "She, to me, is an icon. I was like pouring out my love to her as a fan and it’s like that feeling. Who would have thought that I would be able to be with you? And who thought I would be able to get my own make-up line in the best store that I grew up in?"
Earlier this year, the makeup company announced the launch of the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for mental health services in underserved communities. As per the announcement, 1 percent of annual sales on products will go towards the fund. With those donations, as well as the funds raised by partners, the initiative is expected to reach its goal in 10 years. If it does so, the Rare Impact Fund will make history as one of the largest known funds supporting mental health from a corporation.
Rare Beauty hits Sephora stores on September 3.
Photo: Getty Images


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The most important components driving development through the quarter will likely be improved demand for Energetic Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) merchandise whereas capability growth will even assist the trigger. Nonetheless, demand normalisation is more likely to be a drag.
“We anticipate Divi’s Lab to proceed its development streak with top-line development anticipated at 15 per cent YoY, nonetheless decline 4 per cent QoQ on demand normalisation. Gross margin is probably going to enhance 300bps YoY to 62 per cent on beneficial base, nonetheless stay secure QoQ,” stated analysts at Edelweiss Analysis.
The dealer expects web revenue at Rs 441.2 crore.
The analysts added that Ebitda margins are anticipated to enhance 290bps YoY to 37 per cent, benefitting from backward integration of beginning materials, China disruption and de-bottlenecking actions.
The drugmaker reported an 80.61 per cent rise in consolidated web revenue at Rs 492.06 crore for June quarter, primarily on account of strong gross sales. Whereas within the September quarter final 12 months, its revenue stood at Rs 356.78 crore.
“Revenues are anticipated to develop 16 per cent YoY to Rs 1,679 crore on the again of regular development within the generic and customized synthesis section. Ebitda margins are anticipated to enhance 256 bps to about 37 per cent YoY primarily as a result of higher gross margins as a result of a change within the product combine and backward integration,” stated ICICI Securities.
The brokerage home stated web revenue is predicted to develop 25.6 per cent YoY to Rs 448 crore according to operational efficiency.
Divi’s Labs has been among the best performing pharma firms this 12 months, so far as market returns are involved. It has run up practically 74 per cent 12 months thus far whereas one-year returns stand at 90 per cent.
Phillip Capital stated improved international demand for APIs , manufacturing help and capability growth will lead a gross sales development of 15 per cent. “Greater capital price as a result of largest ever Capex will limit earnings development of 18 per cent,” it added.
The dealer pegs income at Rs 1,656.9 crore, up 14.6 per cent YoY and revenue at Rs 417.9 crore, up 18.2 per cent.


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SWC’s Fast Five
It’s fashion and leisure all day long for this Fast Five. Holiday shelves will be full at Target and Walmart, Macy’s is the top U.S. fashion brand, pandemic-ready is the new home design, other people’s homes are where we want to stay-work-vay-cation and, spam calls getting you down? Here’s some solutions.
So, here’s this week’s Fast Five:
1 What the world wants to wear
A fascinating world map reveals the world’s most popular fashion brands in 2021 – and it’s Spanish fashion house Zara that take the top spot in 37 countries worldwide, followed by Nike. For the U.S., it’s not a single label but Macy’s the department store chain as the most popular fashion brand.
2 Target tames global supply backups, sales surge
Target joins several retailers including Walmart heading into the holiday shopping season with momentum. Some of the biggest U.S. retailers are rerouting goods to less congested ports, even chartering their own vessels. Target and Walmart are using their scale to keep prices low and shelves full when so much is in short supply.
3 The home is the future of travel
It is the rise of the workcation. For a long weekend, or a week, or even several months, you can make a temporary home in the mountains or on the beach, without taking any time off. Twenty percent of Aurbnb nights booked now are for 28 days or longer; half are for a week or longer.
4 How to block numbers and stop robocalls on your phones
Robo calls currently make up 50 percent of all phone calls and it’s only going to get worse. It’s time to end those robocalls for good. Luckily, you have a lot of smart phone tools at your disposal. You can block numbers, turn on do not disturb mode, use your carrier’s tools or use third-party apps to minimize those unwanted calls.
5 Covid has changed home design for good
While the pandemic put a premium on outdoor features like pools and big backyards, it also nurtured a desire for large, flexible interiors — like open-plan living rooms — and rooms that can be repurposed as conditions change. Builders, architects and interior designers are all having to adjust to this new reality.


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Amazon’s Robotics and Advanced Technology teams are rigorously testing and developing new technologies to help move totes, carts, and packages through Amazon warehouses, helping to make employees’ jobs safer and reduce accidents.
The online shopping giant is testing four autonomous robots to move items through its logistics centers with little intervention. The robots will allow workers to focus on tasks that need their attention and move away from those that can cause injuries. This decision is part of Amazon’s goal of reducing incident rates by 50% at its facilities by 2025.
The robot “Ernie” is trained to help remove items from a robotic shelf – something that doesn’t save time, but it does create a safer situation for employees. Ernie takes totes off of a robotic shelf and uses a robotic arm to deliver them to employees, so they can remain in a more comfortable, stable, and ergonomically friendly position. For its part, “Bert” is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that is designed to navigate the premises independently, so it can carry carts and goods from one place to another. Amazon believes that Bert might at some point be able to move larger, heavier items or carts that are used to transport multiple packages through its facilities.
In addition, Amazon has “Scooter” and “Kermit,” two other AMR robots in development that transport carts. The Scooter carries carts like a train, while the more truck-like Kermit hauls empty tote boxes using magnetic tape and tags to shape its path. The company currently plans to deploy Scooter to at least one Amazon facility this year and is already testing Kermit in several other sites.
In addition to new robots, Amazon also introduced a “motion-capture software” to study typical warehouse tasks with a mind toward redesigning equipment and workflows. “With this data, visualizations, and employee feedback, we are looking to identify relatively simple changes that can make a big impact,” said Kevin Keck, worldwide director of Advanced Technology at Amazon. “Something as simple as changing the position of handles on totes may help lower the risk of injuries to our employees at a massive scale.“
These advancements are more about making human tasks more comfortable. “The role robotics and advanced technology can play in not only innovating for customers, but helping make our facilities safer, is a massive motivation for me and my team,” said Keck. “The health and safety of our employees is our number one priority. By listening to them, innovating on their behalf, and driving new technologies into our facilities over the coming months and years, I’m confident we’ll make a big contribution to our goal of reducing recordable incidents by 50% by 2025.“


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Online role-playing game developers can get ahead of the competition by giving gamers more opportunities to get social, collaborate and take control of their online personas, according to a study from the University at Buffalo School of Management.
The study, forthcoming in the International Journal of Electronic Commerce, considers why some massive multiplayer online role-playing games, or MMORPGs, like "World of Warcraft" or "Star Wars Galaxies," command legions of loyal players while others struggle to gain a following.
The question is important to developers because gameplay styles that keep players coming back are key to building a successful MMORPG and to increasing business profit. Online gaming is part of daily life for players of all ages and backgrounds; revenues from games on Facebook and other social networking platforms are expected to reach $2 billion in 2012, according to the study.
"The graphics and technology behind the games have improved over the years, but developers haven't made much effort to understand what makes MMORPG players really commit to one game over another," explains study co-author Lawrence Sanders, PhD, professor of management science and systems in the UB School of Management.
"Most prior research has focused on the addictive nature of these games. Our study looked at how to make them more competitive in the marketplace," says Sanders.
The study followed a group of 173 players who were part of a large MMORPG community. It examined whether two different game-playing strategies were successful in producing loyal players.
One strategy found that giving players more control and ownership of their character increased loyalty. The second strategy showed that gamers who played cooperatively and worked with other gamers in "guilds" built loyalty and social identity.
"To build a player's feeling of ownership towards its character, game makers should provide equal opportunities for any character to win a battle," says Sanders. "They should also build more selective or elaborate chat rooms and guild features to help players socialize."
In an MMORPG, players share experiences, earn rewards and interact with others in an online world that is ever-present. It's known as a "persistent-state-world" because even when a gamer is not playing, millions of others around the globe are.
Some MMORPGs operate on a subscription model where gamers pay a monthly fee to access the game world, while others use the free-to-play model where access to the game is free but may feature advertising, additional content through a paid subscription or optional purchases of in-game items or currency.
The average MMORPG gamer spends 22 hours per week playing.
Research on loyalty has found that increasing customer retention by as little as 5 percent can increase profits by 25 to 95 percent, Sanders points out.
So for the developers who create these games, finding gameplay styles that keep players coming back is key to building a successful MMORPG—and business.
University at Buffalo: http://www.buffalo.edu
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President and CEO of Best replica tag heuer formula 1 indy 500 limited edition watch presented Garrix with the TAG Heuer F1 Indy 500 Special Edition to commemorate the DJ’s performance and to celebrate the brand’s continued support of motor racing – fake TAG Heuer F1 Indy 500.
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