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Coronavirus outbreak has affected everyone’s life and impacted businesses on a major scale. People are asked to stay home and keep themselves engaged with something productive. And that’s one of the reasons that mobile interactions started to increase rapidly.
Those who have been asked to do ‘Work From Home’ are installing business-related, conferencing, and other streaming apps. This resulted in a steep hike in the download rate of mobile apps as well as increased user engagement.
Another major reason is that people are also utilizing their smartphones more for various purposes like entertainment, social networking, browsing, and gaming as well. The download index of mobile apps is reaching new heights, causing more than 780% installs in just a short period of time.
The first 10 weeks of 2020 have altered life dramatically for virtually every country and nearly every individual. COVID-19 (also referred to as the coronavirus) has gripped the world-dominating news cycles, altering financial markets and dramatically impacting industries from travel to healthcare to dining. And mobile is no exception.
The first few weeks of 2020 were the beginning of this major increment in the mobile app industry. The businesses, through mobile apps, started to gain more opportunities for generating revenue as people are installing mobile apps in almost every major category.
This blog will illustrate the top business apps that are gaining immense engagement and installs from worldwide users. Let’s start with the mobile apps that got the rise in popularity as well as downloads and an increase in business productivity.
The Rise in the Downloads of Mobile Apps
As people stay home every day, the usage of mobile apps increased rapidly all across the globe. From mid-February to March, mobile app sessions reached the peaks in terms of downloads and interactions.
Social networking apps like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok also fulfilling the space of entertainment during this worldwide lockdown. Mobile apps are doing more business than anything else as of now.
During the pandemic, the mobile app industry is showcasing the following stats:
- Media Streaming apps generated more than 20% revenue since the coronavirus spread across the globe.
- Fitness-related businesses apps also got a hike around 24% in the first week of February and reached 35% more downloads till the start of April.
- The download rate of Finance apps also picked up the pace of around 18% last week as the sessions are recorded globally.
- Another major domain under business apps is Food and Grocery delivery faced huge growth across several countries, including China. Globally, their average revenue recorded to grow at a rate of more than 23%.
- While other apps are growing with great discipline, Gaming apps are doing great business as well. They also get a boost in the average no. of downloads.
- eShopping businesses, on the other side, are the most affected category in business apps. App sessions are reduced to 28% as online retailers are not able to do business due to worldwide lockdown.
Mobile app usage has increased to a record-breaking level as people have stayed back at home. Business apps are being installed by the companies and employees to monitor their productivity and markets.
From video calling business apps to food delivery, businesses are generating revenue productively. From the start of February, there has been a drastic rise in the downloads of these applications.
This is really good for the mobile app industry, and it might go in this way during the post-pandemic. Let’s see what businesses are crawling quickly upwards in revenue:
Trending Business Applications
Unmistakably a ton of organizations has been changing to remote for the present to guarantee their workers’ wellbeing by diminishing their social association. This can be seen when we take a gander at our information as well.
There’s a reasonable ascent in applications that help to telecommute like Zoom, which is slanting in both the App Store and Google Trends.
Business and Education applications saw the greatest flood in downloads among classifications of applications. During the principal half of February 2020, Business and Education applications were downloaded at levels generally 2x the week by week normal in 2019. Famous applications during this time included HUAWEI CLOUD WeLink, DingTalk and ZOOM Cloud Meetings.
During the principal seven day stretch of March, 761,000 downloads of Business applications happened across iOS and Google Play in Italy. It was the greatest week ever for the class. This was up 85% from the week earlier (the second-most elevated week), and up 135% from the normal week after week level of the 52 weeks earlier.
A similar pattern is beginning to rise in different markets as COVID-19 spreads. With numerous organizations in influenced territories embracing telecommute arrangements, laborers going to portable applications to discuss, team up and video chat to keep working without interference.
All-inclusive, we’ve seen ZOOM Cloud Meetings top downloads diagrams across numerous business sectors.
Among business sectors broke down (US, UK, China, Japan, France, and South Korea), the biggest effect on downloads of top ride-sharing applications showed up in China and France. China saw week after week downloads of Didi fall 75% from the most noteworthy week to its least week in the period broke down.
France saw week after week downloads of BlaBlaCar fall 65% from the most elevated week to its least week in the period broke down. The UK and the US haven’t had an important decrease in the week after week downloads of Uber during the period broke down.
While KakaoTaxi and Japan Taxi have additionally observed a decrease in the week after week downloads in South Korea and Japan, individually, the level of drop off in their bends is not as shocking as in France and China.
Given travel limitations in business sectors, and the conclusion of bars and eateries this drop isn’t sudden. We’ll search for a bounce-back in numbers when shoppers start wandering out again once regulation estimates bear positive measurements.
Media Streaming Apps
While the time spent on video streaming apps increased rapidly, businesses are able to generate huge revenue through in-app purchases and ads. From February 16 to mid-March, there was a steep increase in the engagement rate.
The most utilized applications that made the business reach the heights are Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and many others. Midweeks of March shown a great rise in the downloads and engagement of these applications.
Disney+ and Roku are other applications that grow in terms of popularity and usage as well. They are doing good business in the mobile app economy and earning some good money for their respective ventures.
Social Media Apps
Nearby media spilling, users are moving towards social media applications to engage and stay in contact with friends and family. In China, TikTok saw a flood in normal time spent per user just as complete-time spent in the application on Android smartphones following the underlying COVID-19 flare-up.
TikTok is both a stage for sitting back by observing short circling recordings and by making these recordings and informal communication with others in endeavors to pull in watchers. Back in 2019, we saw 8 of at regular intervals in TikTok originate from users in China and time went through surpassed 68 billion hours around the world.
Instagram, Snapchat, and other entertaining social apps are also getting a hike in downloads as well as engagement. Business social apps like LinkedIn are being utilized by employers and employees worldwide to stay connected professionally.
These apps are helping businesses to make their brand visibility alive across the globe.
The current quarantine period is impacting citizens to download games more often as stats have shown a major rise in the downloads of the LudoKing game. The developers are doing a great business in terms of earning good money through these gaming apps.
Moreover, Slap Kings is the dominating player in this competition as it is topping the chart in the trending gaming apps in this pandemic. Game development companies are receiving a huge amount of money in ad displays.
PubG has been a popular mobile game across the Asia-Pacific region, and in this quarantine, it’s download rate increased as well.
So, mobile apps have been getting great outcomes and these categories illustrated every major business application and their growth during this pandemic.
Increased Downloads & Engagements
Almost every business app category got a rise in terms of engagement as well as installs. Business and finance apps are targeted by marketers and traders so that they can track their shares in the market.
Gaming apps, on the other hand, showed great progress in this quarantine period, People stuck at home and engaging a lot with trending games.
In Eastern Asia and the USA, food and grocery delivery apps are also doing a great business as people are utilizing these apps to get their goods stocked up. Moreover, business apps related to healthcare and medicines are getting more downloads as users are searching for safety tips and medicinal information.
If we talk about the top searches on app marketplaces then the Zoom app is seen in top keywords. It has become the most downloaded business app in the industry. Employees staying at home and working continuously are utilizing this free application for conferencing with other workers.
Along with it, Google Classroom also showed a surprising rise in the downloads. This post analyzed the growth in different categories of business applications.
If the pandemic period expands in the future, we might see more growth in terms of daily app usage and engagement. As people will be asked to stay home to avoid the spread of coronavirus, so they might find more ways to utilize mobile phones and search for other trending apps.
As the mobile app industry continues to grow more in terms of engagement, installs, and interactions, we also hope that the outbreak passes soon. Till then, we expect business apps to help users learn and work according to their daily routines.
We’ll keep updating the post according to the recent reports we will receive in the future. Make sure to bookmark the post and see what else is happening around the mobile app industry.
A young entrepreneurial technocrat who is the Co-Founder & CEO at Appventurez Mobitech. After completion of his masters in Computer Application, he dived into the world of technology as an iOS developer. As a CEO, he firmly believes teamwork and collaboration are the essential tools for any company’s success.
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Sony has announced that it will release the DualShock 3 Wireless Controller for its PlayStation 3 console this Wednesday.
The new £39.99 gamepad will include a vibration function, a feature that was popular with the DualShock 2 pad on the PlayStation 2 but was removed from the PS3's Sixaxis controller.
The new pad, which will be compatible with 'almost all' future PS3 releases and many existing games following firmware update 1.94, promises to retain "the high-precision, high-response motion-sensitive aspects that have made Sixaxis so popular".
David Reeves, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said: "We are delighted to confirm that Dualshock 3 will be released in SCEE territories in early July. We hope this will add to the intense gaming experience for our fans, as we continue to evolve PS3, its software and its peripherals.”

domain: news


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by Mike Masnick
Fri, May 27th 2011 10:13am
Steve Ballmer is the latest Microsoft exec to whine about how much "piracy" is costing the company in China, noting that they make so much less in that country than in the US, despite similar numbers of PCs being sold in each country. The mistake should be obvious to anyone who understands basic economics -- or anyone who's read the SSRC report on "piracy in emerging economies." That detailed study lays out, quite clearly, that the issue isn't "piracy," but business models and pricing. People in China, on average, make significantly less than people in the US, so it's no surprise that fewer people are willing to pay Microsoft's high prices. Automatically blaming the issue on "piracy" totally and completely misses the underlying reasons for the difference in revenue. It's a bit scary that someone like Ballmer doesn't seem to recognize this, because it suggests his strategy in China is not going to do much good at all.
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- Donald Trump On Intellectual Property: China Is Bad
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A8 JOINS S-CLASS IN R744 LIMO CLUB
- PostedPublished 5 November 2017
AUDI confirmed to SightGlass News at the Frankfurt motor show that the new A8 will run an R744 air-conditioning system, but only for some markets.
Details about the system and where it is destined remain scarce, but Audi has publicly described its air quality sensor that “detects harmful gases and activates the recirculated air mode as necessary”, with a filter that “eliminates the bulk of these gases and particulates, and also neutralizes many allergens”.
There is also a cabin air ioniser and fragrancer that “feeds either a summer or winter fragrance into the interior”.
A sunlight sensor on rear shelf optimises AC settings when sunlight is shining into the car from behind and every variant bar the plug-in hybrids have 48V electrical systems.
- CategoriesIn SightGlass
- TagsSightGlass News Issue 11


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OpenSea, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a marketplace for cryptogoods, secured $2m in funding.
Backers included Founders Fund, 1confirmation, Foundation Capital, Blockchain Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Chernin Group, Stable Fund, Blockstack, and a number of angels from the founding teams of StubHub, Eventbrite, YouTube, Gametime, Quantstamp, and Figma.
The company intends to use the funds to expand its development efforts.
Founded in January 2018 by Alex Atallah, CTO, and Devin Finzer, CEO, OpenSea has launched a general marketplace to buy, sell, and discover crypto collectibles across a broad set of categories including CryptoKitties, Etheremon, CryptoPunks, CryptoBots, Fishbank, EtherTulips, ETH TOWN, CryptoFighters, Cryptogs, Mythereum, CryptoSaga, DWorld, Chibi Fighters, CryptoRacing, CryptoCelebrities, Ethmoji, CryptoSpaceCommanders, CryptoSaga Card, ChainMonsters,
CryptoSpaceCommanders, Gizer Item, CryptoMasterpieces, CryptoAllStars, SuperRare, among others.


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Supermarket food service did not get any easier in 1995.
alone fulfill, a pivotal role in the fast-moving drama called the "battle for share of stomach."
There were heroic individual performances, of course, as various hardworking retailers tweaked their food-service programs for the better. But this was not to be the year when supermarkets collectively shone upon that stage.
It can be said, however, that in 1995 more retailers than before began to realize that the meal's the thing.
And, to a large extent, they started taking cues from Boston Chicken, the Golden, Colo.-based overnight sensation at the head of an emerging market dubbed home meal replacement.
In February, that takeout food-service operator changed its banner to Boston Market, signaling a broad aggressive push for takeout food dominance in markets across the country.
"Grocery stores and supermarkets are really our biggest competition," said Saad Nadhir, vice chairman of Boston Market.
"We have realized that the home meal replacement places, such as Boston Market, are our present and future competition," said Gianfranco DiCarlo, director of deli, bakery and food service at Harris Teeter, Charlotte, N.C., summing up the way savvy executives appeared to be assessing the challenge this year.
The home meal replacement pitch, in a nutshell, is: retailer meets customer; retailer gives customer fresh, convenient, complete home-style meals; retailer gets customer.
Accordingly, deli and food-service decision-makers at supermarket chains and independents across the country vowed to put more complete meals on shoppers' tables this year.
"We're going to have a better selection of heat-and-eat foods this year, and we'll have to merchandise them better," said Ron Bourland, food-service director for 55-unit Tom Thumb Food & Drugs, Dallas.
But determining the most effective method has not been easy. In the act, operators began to question the future of the popular food court concept and to ponder questions such as service or self-service, hot or chilled, eat-in or takeout. Some retailers cut down on seating, while others added to it.
One Midwest executive warned that the concept of food courts is ready to fade to black. "I don't see it growing, not even on the East or West Coasts. I think consumers want to take their food home," he said.
Others saw the scene shifting. "The food court business is in a state of flux," said Jim Riesenburger, director of deli operations at Wegmans Food Markets, Rochester, N.Y. "We are just coming to the realization that food courts are a different business than the supermarket business."
Retailers continued to rewrite their own food-service scripts.
Kroger Co., Cincinnati, yanked out some of its own cafes in the Atlanta division and replaced them with branded chicken outlets operated by America's Favorite Chicken. By the summer, the chain announced plans to open another 35 such outlets in its stores.
Rotisserie chickens kept packing them in, earning double-digit sales gains at many chains; but the new twist was merchandising the birds as a centerpiece for a full meal with sides.
"We're promoting them more this year, and we're doing it two ways, featuring the individual product and a meal package. It's important to promote it both ways," said Paul Margarities, vice president of national deli-bakery operations at A&P, Montvale, N.J..
Price Chopper Supermarkets, Schenectady, N.Y., built a "wall of chicken" with three large rotisseries side by side. "We took the competition into account -- not just other supermarkets but restaurants, like Boston Chicken," said Tom Brewer, vice president of deli-bakery merchandising.


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HÀ NỘI – Mường Thanh Hospitality has been announced as the only Vietnamese brand to take part in the prestigious World Travel Awards 2019 (WTA).
Mường Thanh Hospitality will compete with world brands such as Dusit International, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels & Resorts at the category of Asia’s Leading Hotel Brand of the year 2019.
People can vote for the nominees until August 11. The awards ceremony will take place on October 12.
Last year, Việt Nam beat South Korea, Thailand, China and Malaysia to be named Asia’s Leading Destination.
The WTA, launched in 1993 to acknowledge excellence in the travel and tourism industry, is called ‘the Oscars of the travel industry’ by Wall Street magazine.
The awards are held annually to honour the best service providers in the fields of travel and tourism. The winners are chosen after voting by the public and travel professionals worldwide. — VNS


text: Overnight: US stocks turned lower after Federal Reserve meeting minutes suggested the central bank was looking for ways to exit or at least slow down its bond-buying program fairly soon. Treasury prices extended losses after the minutes from the Federal Reserve's last policy meeting. The U.S. dollar edged lower after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke emphasized plans to continue ultra-loose policy. Gold futures fell after data showed a stronger-than-expected rise in retail sales and a decline in consumer prices in October. Oil futures edged lower ahead of a weekly government update on US petroleum supplies after a trade group reported a rise in crude and gasoline inventories along with a decline in distillate stockpiles. London BHP up 0.41%. Rio up 1.26%. New York BHP down 0.17%. Rio up 1.42% LME Base metals traded lower.


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- Business of Brands
OnePlus to foray into 'affordable' segment in India
To start its own full-fledged ecomm website next year
The price of the new device would be kept between.`12,000 and .`20,000, which means it would be venturing into a category that forms part of the affordable range — .`8,000 to .`15,000 — which is the most cluttered and competitive in the country. However, it is also a category where a large part of the volume sales happen in India. Currently, OnePlus devices start from .`22,000.
"We’re introducing a new device by the end of this year. Diwali would be the ideal time, but next quarter for sure," said Vikas Agarwal, general manager of OnePlus India.
"It would be a global launch, but India will be the biggest focus," Agarwal said, adding that the Indian market is set to become the largest for the company from its present position among the top three markets, as its growing faster than any other market. Its other top markets are the US and Europe.
India contributed about 7 per cent of OnePlus’ overall sales last year, within just one month of operations. In the quarter to March, over 40 per cent of global sales came from India without any major marketing activities, Agarwal had told ET after the launch of OnePlus Two, the company’s second flagship device launched in June.
The new phone will be more of a lifestyle and fashion product than a flagship device, Agarwal said, and it will be more towards the mass market.
To back its move to target a larger share of smartphone buyers, the two-year old startup is also planning to come up with its own portal next year, from where it will sell available devices, Agarwal said.
At present, it has an India portal which redirects consumers to Amazon and Flipkart, where consumers can purchase the OnePlus One or OnePlus Two by using invites. But if the new ecommerce plans take shape, the company could allow consumers to buy the devices from its own site. OnePlus is the only company which issues on-demand and sharable invitations to consumers for buying its phones. "We are looking at this (ecommerce portal) as one model... We’re looking at ways to support the backend," Agarwal said.
OnePlus’ ecommerce foray, sometime next year, follows Chinese rival Xiaomi, which has made its own website, Mi-.com, one of the avenues for consumer purchase, besides physical retail stores of Airtel and The Mobile Store.
Picture source: ThinkStock


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We Help Companies Find New Sales Opportunities
Arco has acquired Confined Space Training Services, the Warrington-based provider of on-site support services, for undisclosed terms.
Arco is to invest £4m in the expansion of its safety products distribution centre in Hull over the next year.
Arco has acquired Total Access, the Staffordshire-based supplier of height safety support services.
Arco has acquired ARC Associates, the Hull-based environmental training consultancy, for undisclosed terms.
Arco is to set up a telemarketing department at its Hull-based protective clothing business in January, with the creation of an initial six jobs.
Arco has announced plans for the multi-million pound expansion of its safety equipment distribution centre in Hull, with the creation of an unspecified number of new jobs.
Arco has given up on its bid for Aran Energy, as Statoil has come in with a £203m bid for Aran.


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Following the initial announcement of same day digital releases of all 52 of its new titles, DC Senior Vice President of Marketing Bob Wayne has released more details of the company’s plans, most of which boils down to “price parity” for its digital releases for the first four weeks of release.
During that time, the digital editions will be offered for the same price as their physical counterparts. Following that sales window, the price for the digital copies will drop by $1.
In addition, Justice League #1, scheduled to ship Aug. 31, kicking off the relaunch of the super-hero line, will be available as individual physical copies and digital downloads for $3.99 each, and in a “combo pack” with a polybagged physical copy and a redemption code for the digital copy for $4.99.
To further alleviate some retailer concerns, Wayne announced that there are additional retailer incentives, ranging from variant covers (available at special order levels), deeper discounts on some of the new titles, and returnability on more than 40 of the new titles. Qualifications for each of these programs were given out in full to retailers and will be further explained at a series of retailer summits throughout the summer.
Retailers will also receive an explanatory video featuring some of the new series’ creative teams later in June.
Retailers contacted by CBG for reaction to DC’s announcements were upbeat for the most part about both the upcoming relaunch and the digital expansion. Flying Colors Comics’ founder Joe Field (also the president of retailer organization ComicsPro) told CBG, “In my view, this is less about DC going ‘day and date’ with its DCU titles than it is about a chance for potentially millions of new readers to get in on the ground floor of something new and exciting with some characters they will recognize and others that may be new to them.
“Given that DC will have its ‘day and date’ releases at the exact same price as the print editions, my rhetorical question to comics fans would be ‘Why would you rent (digital) when you can own (print)?’ ”
John Tinkess, manager of Another Dimension in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, told CBG, “I don’t foresee day and date digital having more than a minimal effect on direct market sales. Virtually every comic has already been available day and date through illegal downloads for years and I believe most who prefer that format are already doing so (and are unlikely willing to pay full price for them now).”
Michael Tierney, owner of Collector’s Edition and The Comic Book Store in Little Rock, Ark., told CBG, “While I don’t expect a major impact on my store, I do expect some. Even delaying digital releases by one week would have been a nice acknowledgement of the importance of bricks and mortar stores to the health and future of the industry.”
The relaunch was seen as a further opportunity by Field, who said, “The re-numbering and relaunching can definitely cut both ways. Some may see this as a convenient spot to say goodbye to the DC characters they’ve been reading and collecting. My gut tells me, though, that the excitement level will be high enough that more readers will climb aboard for the ride than will jump off.
“I haven’t heard enough from my customers yet, but I do know that my customers are savvy enough to want to be in on something if it is great entertainment. If it reads like too much of a stunt without the creative clout behind it, I’m confident my customers will respond accordingly.”
Tierney was similarly mixed in his analysis, when he said, “Finding a doorway in has always been a barrier to new readers. A fresh slate and continuity restart will certainly make DC’s line much more accessible for the next year or so.
“Number 1 issues were once a potent jumping-on point for new readers, back when they were rare and signaled the launch of a series expected to be around for years. Nowadays most books are #1 issues, and few titles last. In today’s market, #1 relaunches are both one person’s jumping-on point and another’s jumping-off point.
“I’m already hearing customers express trepidation and negative reactions to the complete DC relaunch, and how they’re done collecting specific titles. But once the books actually hit, if they’re good — that will change.
“The biggest sense of apprehension is the possible renumbering of Action Comics and Detective Comics. Everyone has really been looking forward to those titles reaching #1000. It’ll be a major disappointment if this doesn’t happen. While there is a definite opportunity here for me as a retailer, there is also great danger in a month where no titles will have a sales history that I can rely on. If this were done in spring, the event would have had a better chance for long-term success. But once we start getting into the new school year, sales traditionally take a nose dive. This will dampen my optimism.”
Tinkess offered this perspective: “As expected, many of our older customers are less than pleased by this announcement. Both DC and Marvel have spent the last two decades relaunching/renumbering so many times that it lost any meaning long ago and has become more of an irritation than anything else. It’s interesting that DC made this announcement the same week that the first four Flashpoint tie-in mini-series shipped. When DC initially announced that there would be 16 different Flashpoint spin-offs, reaction was almost unanimously negative and yet all four titles sold phenomenally well here today. It seems like people are sometimes quick to react negatively to change but will often change their stance when the final product is in front of them. Despite the hue and cry across fandom, I think that if the relaunched DC Universe features top writers and artists telling great stories, we could see a tremendous boost in sales across the entire line starting in September.”
As for any effect the digital releases will have on back-issue and trade paperback sales, all three didn’t see it having much, if any, negatives, only positives. Tinkess said, “Great stories will always be great stories. Character revamps won’t make Kingdom Come or Batman: The Dark Knight Returns any less entertaining, so regardless of whether these changes are temporary or long lasting, I don’t think there will be any effect on our best-selling trade paperbacks. We’ll probably see some negative impact on the backlist sales of some titles but we’ve already seen this pattern in the past whenever books get canceled or characters revamped.”
Field offered one final thought, echoing his earlier statement, “Since the dawn of the Silver Age, there has never been a better opportunity for literally millions of former DC readers to come back and be in on the start of a new DCU.”


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To drive innovation and business opportunities in Finland’s mobile ecosystem and beyond, Nokia and Microsoft have jointly agreed to each invest up to 9 million euros over three years in a new mobile-application-development program at Aalto University. The program, called AppCampus, has been established to foster the creation of innovative apps for several mobile ecosystems, including Windows Phone, Nokia Symbian and Series 40, to create a new generation of self-sustaining mobile startups.
AppCampus will launch this May, led by Aalto University. The programme is expected to attract thousands of application proposals from students and entrepreneurs worldwide. Aalto University will also contribute premises, coaching services, and access to both business and academic networks. Mobile entrepreneurs who participate in AppCampus will also receive support, training, funding, and mentoring by mobile-industry veterans, who will help them commercialize their apps while retaining intellectual-property rights for their innovations.
‘AppCampus offers a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to put their ideas into practice and create world-class mobile products. Our focus is to foster innovation and help local developers create successful businesses: this programme will help create opportunities not just in Finland, but all over the world by connecting them with consumers from over 190 countries that download millions of apps every day through their Nokia phones’, says Marco Argenti, SVP, Nokia Developer Experience & Marketplace.
‘The partnership between Microsoft and Nokia is a critical investment in this growing ecosystem’, said Jyrki Katainen, Finland’s prime minister, ‘and represents an exciting opportunity and access to global markets for our local startup community.’


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Fantasy and pop culture games can now be played on Facebook
Facebook has now introduced a game of fantasy and pop culture. The company says the game is free and easy.
Fictional games allow you to predict who will win the matches, the top players. Reality shows also have games that predict which participants will perform and who will win.
It is available on both Android and iOS apps. Facebook doesn’t say much about pop culture. This is said to increase the advertising revenue of Facebook.
The company hopes that this will attract more users. This may change to a paid game in the future. As most of the fantasy games are paid, the current free version is said to be able to attract more users.


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CES 2014 lived up to expectations as being predictably unpredictable. Disruptive ramblings and teleprompter miscues aside, the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was packed with new product launches, impressive projections and major announcements.
At front and center of it all: wireless. “The Internet of Things,” wearable technology, digital health, education and Mommy Tech emerged as the biggest trends for the year ahead.
Innovation in smart devices suggests that the “The Internet of Things” has arrived and fully-connected homes, cars and more are just around the corner.
Beyond featuring smart watches and fashion-forward fitness wristbands, CES also demonstrated that wearable technology has progressed into other devices like sunglasses equipped with a camera that can continuously record for up to 180 minutes and a dog collar that alerts owners to changes in a pooch’s health. What’s next? Imagine smart clothes, like shirts that can monitor heart rates.
John Nosta of Forbes has called CES the best “cauldron of technology and innovation” happening in the healthcare industry. The conference highlighted the rapid pace of digital health innovation resulting in solutions for diagnosing, monitoring and treating various health ailments from obesity to vision problems. This technology is being put into consumers’ hands to reinforce healthy behaviors as well. For example, consumers can monitor their oral health with the innovative Bluetooth brush.
As market segments, EduTech and Mommy Tech are growing at an exponential pace. Early education apps like iTooch and Math Ninja continue to flood the market. Moms can look forward to a central dashboard that controls home appliances and allows them to check their smartphone from the grocery store to know what is or isn’t inside the fridge.
CES wasn’t just about new gizmos, however. The show also provided a forum for showcasing technology-based solutions. Verizon awarded the first Powerful Answers Award, giving away a total of $10 million in prize money to 15 winners in three categories – healthcare, education and sustainability.
What’s clear from CES is that 2014 is on track to be a year of historic innovation in an increasingly connected world.
Photo Credit: LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: Verizon Chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam speaks on stage during the Verizon Powerful Answers Award winners unveiling at the 2014 International CES at The Venetian Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Verizon Wireless)


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Craft brewer Innis & Gunn has smashed its fundraising target after securing £2.5 million of new investment through a crowdfunding campaign.
The company, which recently bought over Perth’s Inveralmond Brewery in a £3.1m deal, had initially hoped to raise £1m from the crowdfunder.
However, half of that figure was raised within two days and the decision was taken to extend the campaign to a full month.
The window closed on the Adventure Capital offer on Tuesday by which time the total raised had increased to £2.47m.
Some of the cash will be channelled to Perth where the plan for the newly renamed Innis & Gunn Brewery is to triple beer production volumes to 30,000 hectolitres within the next two years.
The new funding will also go towards the expansion of the company’s Beer Kitchen outlets.
The company opened its first Beer Kitchen in Edinburgh before expanding into premises in Dundee and St Andrews in reent months,.
The company said it now plans to open a further three Beer Kitchen’s in Scotland over the course of the next 12 months.
It will also bring forward by a year plans to establish its first Beer Kitchen outlet south of the border.


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Who said Titanfall 2 and Destiny 2 were Q1? Titanfall 2, if anything, is looking like it'll be end of this year. Destiny 2 will be September 2017 if we're sticking with the September trajectory the series has been accustomed to with the release of Destiny 1, Taken King and the next expansion (I swore I saw a hint around here it was planned for September time again).
Sony has delayed virtually every single first party release at least once this generation, it would be more surprising if something came out when they said it would. Zero reason to ever believe a relase date they put out, hope people keep that in mind for E3.


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Ransomware, in recent years, is still one of the biggest threats posed to Business, in particular Enterprise, but also can equally affect the SME market. Studies conducted in recent years show that a staggering 86% of SMB’s were subject to a ransomware attack of some form. Attackers like this type of business as they are more likely to pay up on the ransom demanded of them. At the end of the day, we all know where the money is headed, and we always advise never to pay the ransom, but when faced with the decision that if you pay the ransom, you have a chance of getting your data back, versus, if you dont pay, there is no chance, what would you do ? Sit around and wait for a decryption tool to be developed, or rely on your backup strategy ?
Downtime for any business can be make or break time, coupled with the loss of confidence by your customers, the cost of the breach, any fines from the ICO or payment companies, it is easy to see how businesses can go out of their respective business.
A lot of businesses rely on the software and systems security for their business, and dont invest in staff training or a continuous security awareness program
Any downtime or lost data can sometimes be the difference between make or break for all businesses regardless, however larger businesses can mostly weather the storm. So far this year as of July (just only halfway through the year, the number of ransomware detections has nearly passed the total of 2018 already!
From as little as £2 per month we can help businesses protect themselves against Ransomware.
We’ve seen ransomware attacks on huge firms across the world so far this year including one such attack targeting an engineering firm in France, a hydro company in Finland, and two chemical companies from the US. This infection was referred to as LockerGoga and is known for targeting the manufacturing sector and is innovative in the way that it doesn’t shut off your whole machine but selectively infects certain files it knows are prized by the owner. Conversely we have been involved in small businesses where they have been the victim of Ransomware.
Another popular piece of ransomware that came to the forefront in these past few months is called GandCrab and has so far earned itself over $2 billion (thats right $2 billion !) in payouts from companies willing to pay the price to get their data back. We have seen decryptors out there for several versions of GandCrab, and there was a story that it no longer exists (however, rumour has it that it has just gone for a rebrand….) Kaspersky estimated that GandCrab holds over 40% of the current market when it comes to Ransomware currently.
When it comes to Ransomware, or indeed any security, nothing is ever 100% secure. If you are a small business, invest in some decent AV, email and web filtering. If you are a larger business or one man band alike, look at continually testing and educating yourself and your staff, make sure they know the three questions to ask of any email;
- Stop, Look and Think (sounds like the Green Cross Code with Tufty the Squirrel)
- Are there Red Flags – check with the sender through a different medium to make sure the email is valid
- When in doubt, throw it out
Subscribe to our IT Security Newsletter, where we send out information and news about threats and issues which are pertinent to small business, and actually what you need to do about them 🙂 Sign up here.
Our two top tips against Ransomware – make sure you have great Malware protection and make sure your backups are solid and secure and not backing up to an external drive which can easily be infected by Ransomware.


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Apple pays an average of $0.01 per stream, Apple Music said in a letter to artists, as per reports.
As per the letter reviewed by Wall Street Journal and published in full by 9to5Mac, Apple Music said, “While royalties from streaming services are calculated on a stream share basis, a play still has a value. This value varies by subscription plan and country but averaged $0.01 for Apple Music individual paid plans in 2020. This includes label and publisher royalties.”
The tech giant further said that it pays 52 per cent of subscription revenue as the headline rate. It has the same headline rate for every publisher and licensor within each country as opposed to some other services that pay “a substantially lower rate” to independent labels.
However, it did not provide details as to how it translates across its family plans and lower subscription rates in other markets, as noted by the 9to5Mac report.
Subscription plans and cost
For instance, the subscription cost for Apple Music in India is ₹99 per month, significantly lower than in the US. Furthermore, Apple also offers Apple Music bundled with Apple One and also has cheaper plans for students, and family members.
It said in the letter that its average per play rate is $0.01.
It further said that royalties were paid out for over 5 million recording artists worldwide in 2020. The number of recording artists generating more than $50,000 per year has more than doubled.
In comparison, as per the WSJ report, Spotify pays nearly one-third to a one-half penny per stream on average. However, it has a larger user base which leads to more streams.
Apple had over 60 million Music subscribers as reported in June 2019, as per the report. While the total MAUs on Spotify grew 27 per cent Year over Year to 345 million in Q4 2020.


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Alice in Wonderland and an army of undead people have taken over empty retail spaces in Glendale as the Halloween shopping season kicks into high gear.
At least five Halloween costume stores have opened: one at the former Blockbuster Video site on Glendale Avenue, another at the former Mervyns site at Brand Boulevard and Broadway, a third on Broadway near Brand, a fourth on Central Avenue at Lexington Drive and a fifth in Montrose.
The temporary shops are part of an annual craze worth big dollars. Americans will spend nearly $5.8 billion this year on Halloween costumes, decorations and candy, according to the National Retail Federation.
Managers say recent hit movies are also driving the costume market.
Arleen Torres, manager at Halloween Adventure on Glendale Avenue, said Alice in Wonderland is hot. So are her evil siblings, Malice in Wonderland and Wicked Alice, who sport traditional Alice wardrobes but wield weapons or caked blood.
Girls continue to be drawn toward skimpy costumes, Torres said.
Rob Collins, at Halloween America in the Glendale Galleria, said he is seeing interest in "Johnny Depp-style Mad Hatters."
Halloween America shopper Alan Escuro of Eagle Rock said he likes the scary stuff, though he got a laugh from friends when he put sunglasses on over a polar bear mask. What is he going to be this year?
"I kinda like the polar bear," he said.
Both Torres and Collins said they plan to double or triple the size of their staffs as the holiday nears, employing between 25 and 35 people. Collins said he already has 600 resumes, with people dropping by to ask about openings every day.
Collins said women seem to drive the decisions in the adult market, with their husbands or boyfriends playing along.
"Guys will say, 'I'll be the sailor if you want to be the sailor girl,'" Collins said.
Characters from "Toy Story 3" and other costumes with a unified theme are popular with families. On weekends, Torres said, her shop is offering makeup demonstrations to show people how to be more creative than merely donning a ready-made costume.
Dick Greco, who works on special effects for films, is on staff at Halloween Adventure and taking it seriously. Asked to spend part of a shift outside attracting customers, he dressed up as Michael Myers, the slasher from the "Halloween" movies.
It worked a little too well, he said.
"I had to ditch my knife and start waving," Greco said.


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The Kaufland network is preparing to acquire around 100 Real hypermarkets in Germany – local media reports. – This may be the last such transaction – experts say.
According to Lebensmittel Zeitung, Kaufland can take over from 80 to even 100 Real stores from the Metro Group network. Experts predict that after such a transaction, Kaufland’s annual sales could increase to as much as 2.5 billion euros.
Consultancy companies are already supposed to work on the transaction, although information from Lebensmittel Zeitung shows that one of Kaufland’s competitors – the Edek network – is also interested in taking over the markets.
Currently, around 280 supermarkets operate under the name of Real in Germany. Meanwhile, the Kaufland network is also developing in Poland. Four new markets are to open soon – in Wrocław, Lublin, Nowy Sącz and Gliwice. Currently, Kaufland has 208 stores in Poland and employs approximately 15 thousand employees. Throughout Europe, the German network has 1,200 stores.


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The Lenovo Smart Assistant (pictured), Smart Storage, and 500 Multimedia Controller aim to improve the smart home experience.
From speakers and TVs to Chromebooks and gaming laptops to home appliances, Samsung seems to have something for everyone.
The Samsung Galaxy A5 will be coming to Bell, and possibly Telus, while Rogers has no plans to carry it at this...
We walked the CES show floor this year to find the coolest and neatest products and compiled this short list of Best...
Lenovo reveals its ThinkPad lineup for 2017 just ahead of CES 2017.
The V370, V361 and V330 will be available for purchase online and in stores starting February of 2017.
Basically, this is a form of augmented reality and the founder modeled his first efforts to the classic Star Wars game Dejarik.
The capacity of the system may also be an issue for some users, the company claims the input capacity of 15-20 items...
Monster will be introducing AirLink in both their wireless Elements (pictured) and iSport headphones.
Would you like your next trip to Sin City to involve an automated electric shuttle?
Both Razer and Epsilon were robbed at CES 2017. One connection that can be made between both thefts is that multi-screen devices...
Hopefully someone saw something that will lead Razer to the perpetrator.
Through VoiceGenie, the Alexa integration will enable a hands-free voice assistant to not only control music but also access other information.
The ThinkPad and Miix refreshes were based on customer feedback, insight, and experience.
California Roll can last up to 20 hours with just 7 hours of sunlight using its 33 solar cells.
D-Link just unveiled its first Apple HomeKit enabled HD camera.
The Onewheel+ upgrades include a top speed of 19mph, a newly redesigned motor, and Surestance footpads.
The Mate 9 features the new Kirin 960 chipset, SuperCharge technology, dual-lens Leica camera, Alexa integration, and more.
Both the Vive Tracker and the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap (pictured) will be available in the second quarter of this year.
ImagineOS introduces 3D printing and music creating and sharing to the Piper DIY computer kit.
The ZTE Blade V8 Pro aims to pack high-end features into a smartphone at an affordable price.
The new gaming keyboards and mice come in RGB and LED configurations with plenty of options.
The new HD Wi-Fi Cameras offer premium features including wide viewing angles, night vision, and more.
The Patriot STC-Ti will enable users to transfer data between devices, while still having access to a charging port.
The Covr Wi-Fi System and the Covr Powerline Wi-Fi System provide high speed "whole-home" coverage with easy to use systems setups.
There were loads of complaints when Apple announced they’d be removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus....
The streaming device comes with the added perks of being an Android TV device, and comes with SlingTV, YouTube, and Netflix installed.
The new Inspiron 15 gaming laptop gives gamers a better range of price points and gaming laptops to choose from.


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Chile Sauce with Zen Delaney Friday 4 September 2020
Three free days for the national holiday, September 17, 18 and 19 there are no quarantine restrictions for the three days.
Today presidential talks took place with Mapuche leaders and further talks are scheduled in Araucania,
Central Banks says that the economy past the worst but retailers going bankrupt, with Dijon and Corona closing.
The first Chilean satellite celebrates 25 years of age, launched 31st August 1995.
Chile Sauce it’s all about Chile


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Arnold’s main role at Wausau Coated will be expanding the company’s customer base and increasing brand engagement with core customers, creating customized solutions to meet their needs in the Southeast.
"I’m excited to join Wausau Coated and be a part of the company philosophy of 'Experts in What if...' he says. "I look forward to partnering with our customers and prospects to find solutions and products that meet the opportunities and challenges of their business.”
“We’re excited to welcome Mark to Wausau Coated Products,” says Jim Sheibley, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Wausau Coated. “His industry experience and proven track record of providing solutions to customers aligns with the way Wausau Coated serves all of our customers.”


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Mad Genius Radio Seeks To Improve Freemium Streaming Model
May 11, 2015 at 1:08 PM (PT)
MAD GENIUS RADIO CEO and founder ERIC NEUMANN is presenting a new kind of streaming music service, according to a report in DIGITALTRENDS.COM.
NEUMANN insists, if music streamers paid just $5-10 per month instead of listening for free, royalties paid to artists could climb a lot higher. He built MAD GENIUS RADIO with a new kind of user feedback algorithm and created the FAIR TRADE MUSIC INITIATIVE, a new system that rewards artists directly for ushering fans toward the site.
“It’s really about saying that art has value,” NEUMANN said. “And advertising, mathematically, can’t make up for music sales.”
Coming from a terrestrial radio background, NEUMANN's Mad Genius Radio employs a five-point rating scale and the ability to mix different genres together on a sliding scale.
The five-point system allows users to rate both songs and artists like a product on AMAZON. MAD GENIUS also lets users create up to five different preset stations, with up to seven genres per preset, allowing listeners to grade each genre on a 10-point scale to decide how often each particular musical flavor pops up.
MAD GENIUS exchanges some of the hot hits and brand-name bands for more variety.
MAD GENIUS was free in its beta form, but now the site is evolving into a subscription-only model, priced at $5 a month for ad-free listening.
To help get artists and listeners on board, NEUMANN launched the FAIR TRADE MUSIC INITIATIVE, encouraging artists to steer fans to MAD GENIUS TRADIO for a free, 30-day trial. For every referral that results in a trial, the artist gets paid $2, and thanks to promo code tracking, the artist also gets $.25 per user, per month, figures which don’t include royalties paid out from SOUND EXCHANGE.
“There’s a good value proposition for music out there, and there’s no reason not to share a little more with artists, and with copyright holders,” explained NEUMANN. “(Music) is art, it’s no different than a piece of art hanging in a gallery.
“I think it’s devalued music and made people think about it the wrong way. This is really art creation. I would guess that people probably spend more time with music than any other art form….We’re just trying to do our part to fix one piece of the equation.”
“All subscription services pay higher (royalties),” says Neumann, “a lot higher.”
NEUMANN claims that, if everyone paid in, streaming services could raise their annual revenue by 500% over time, which would add up to higher royalties for artists, songwriter, and labels alike. While Internet radio sites like MAD GENIUS offer less control over playlists, at $5/month, they also run half the price of premium, on-demand subscription services like SPOTIFY, TIDAL and DEEZER.
“If people … can understand that royalties are paid to artists, then I think some fans will start to go, ‘Yeah, that’s the price of a latte, no big deal. And in fact, I’m sick of commercials anyway," concluded NEUMANN. The difference is, he's doing something about it.


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Chase allegedly sold bogus debts to third-party debt buyers — accounts that were inaccurate, settled, discharged in bankruptcy, not owed, or otherwise not collectible. Many of the debt buyers then began hounding consumers in an attempt to collect the non-existent debts…
The order requires Chase to document and confirm debts before selling them to debt buyers or filing collections lawsuits. Chase must also prohibit debt buyers from reselling debt and is barred from selling certain debts. Chase is ordered to permanently stop all attempts to collect, enforce in court, or sell more than 528,000 consumers’ accounts.
Chase will pay at least $50 million in consumer refunds, $136 million in penalties and payments to the CFPB and states, and a $30 million penalty to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in a related action.
$50 million divided by 528,000 is $94 per consumer. Not only just another slap on the wrist for big banks, but the consumer is screwed yet again.
The CFPB found that Chase violated the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act’s prohibitions against unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices. Chase sold faulty and false debts to third-party collectors, including accounts with unlawfully obtained judgments, inaccurate balances, and paid-off balances.
Chase also sold debts that were owed by deceased borrowers. Chase also filed misleading debt-collections lawsuits against consumers using robo-signed and illegally sworn statements to obtain false or inaccurate judgments for unverified debts.


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Isis King, Carmen Carrera, Phi Phi O’Hara, Jiggly Caliente, Mimi Imfurst, Noah’s Arc’s Wilson Cruz and more joined forces at New York’s XL Nightclub for the 2012 GLAAD Amplifier Awards.
Sponsored by GayCities, the nation’s leading companies who celebrate the LGBT community were honored for their contributions.
This year’s nominees included major commercial brands like Johnson & Johnson, JC Penney, Ray-Ban, General Motors, Lexus, Orbitz, Absolut Vodka, Amtrak, Marriott, Allstate, Kraft, Wells Fargo and American Apparel. JC Penney was the big winner of the evening, taking home the Hot Spot Award for mainstream-market advertising for its groundbreaking “First Pals” ad featuring gay dads Todd Koch and Cooper Smith Koch and their kids.
The awards, which honor LGBT-inclusive marketing, advertising and public relations, saw carmakers Lexus and General Motors tied in the LGBT market category —Lexus getting a hat-tip for its celebration of The Advocate‘s 45th anniversary and GM for its cute hybrid ad, “Mom, Dad, I’m Electric”.
Insurance company Allstate won the digital and interactive media award for “Equality Is,” while the sports nonprofit You Can Play won in in the public-relations category with “The Faceoff”.
“Tonight’s nominees and award recipients set new industry standards which underline the value of gay and transgender consumers,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “More and more companies are moving toward campaigns that include LGBT people, not only as potential customers, but as part of the American cultural fabric.”
All images via QUEERTY


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Google and Twitter Join Forces for 'Instant Articles'
On the back of Facebook's launch of 'Instant Articles', ReCode is reporting Google and Twitter have teamed up to create their own version. Instant articles are designed to serve immediately publisher's content links within a social networks feed without the normal load time of a few seconds.
The collaboration intends to provide a number of points of difference from other mobile publishing tools including:
- Allowing for open source access to encourage tech company adoption.
- Content will remain hosted on publisher's site maintaining the value of their advertising space.
How revenue from advertising will be distributed amongst publishers and networks has yet to be confirmed. The model Facebook has adopted of distributing 70% of revenue from ads would appear to encourage publishers to use the tool.
By working together Google and Twitter aim to make it easier for publishers to get their content read on portable devices. However as the Business Insider suggests, critics of the instant articles trend highlight the increasing control the likes of Facebook will have over publishers that could result in using their position to drive a harder bargain.


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Online rivals and lack of upgrades by consumers lead to £440m losses
Dixons Carphone group CEO Alex Baldock now plans to cut costs by £200 million, improve the online experience and put a sharper focus on customer service.
A “difficult year with a number of challenges” has cost Dixons Carphone half year losses of £440 million compared with the profits of £54 million a year ago.
Online shopping and a slowing handset market contributed to the losses with Carphone Warehouse closing 92 stores earlier in the year.
CCS chief of research Ben Wood said: “Carphone has been very clear it would be a tough year and these figures suggest that. People’s approaches to buying handsets has changed. They are also holding onto their phones longer.”
IDC senior research analyst Marta Pinto says a lack of differentiation from other providers had an impact.
“Telcos do a good job attracting customers to stores with aggressive offers. Carphone has struggled to differentiate from other retailers and telcos.”
uSwitch’s Ernest Doku says consumers are more “savvy” when purchasing handsets online.
The company was hit by the summer data hack that saw over 5.9 million bank cards and up to 10 million personal data records hacked.
“The loss of confidence from the hack will have had a meaningful impact,” says Doku.
Baldock said: “There are headwinds and uncertainty facing any business serving the UK consumer. We’ve had our challenges, and our plan will take time.”
Pinto says innovation and investment can help Carphone, while Doku says there are opportunities that can overcome these losses.
Doku added: “There could potentially be a consumer churn with the introduction of 5G which will mean consumers will have to buy 5G enabled phones to benefit from the service.”


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Earlier this year, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported that the next generation of iPad Pros will come in two larger screen sizes of 11.1-inch and 13-inch, both of which will utilize the OLED technology for the first time on an iPad. Now, LG and Samsung plan to start production for those OLED display panels around February 2024.
This means that we could see Apple debuting those OLED iPad Pros either in the spring or at WWDC. Similarly, Apple introduced the M1 iPad Pro back in April 2021 with the larger 12.9-inch model equipped with a mini-LED display, which could see its discontinuation following the OLED iPad Pro’s release. The last update we saw for the iPad Pro was in October 2022, where it was updated with a faster M2 chip, came equipped with WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, and supported the Apple Pencil Hover feature for the Apple Pencil 2 and the USB-C model that came out earlier this month.
We don’t expect any updates to the iPad lineup at all this year; however, we can expect Apple to update all of its iPad models starting next year. This includes the base iPad, the iPad mini, and the iPad Air; none of those models are expected to feature the OLED display though. Other products that we could see are the addition of the larger 12.9-inch iPad Air and an aluminum Magic Keyboard based on past reports.


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BMW's sales drop in January
Published: Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 12:40 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 12:40 p.m.
The BMW Group in the U.S., which includes BMW and MINI brand vehicles, reported that vehicle sales were down in January.
The company sold 16,935 cars in January, down 22.4 percent from the 21,811 vehicles sold in the same month of 2007. BMW brand sales were down 26.7 percent, selling 14,475 vehicles this January compared with 19,761 vehicles during January 2007.
Company officials said sales were impacted by lower than normal inventory levels after a strong retail performance in December and high demand for all-wheel drive models. The BMW Group expects that retail sales in the United States will be slightly ahead of 2007 at the end of this year.
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At the Fool, we like to give investors the same information that the hot-shot professional money managers offer. In that spirit of leveling the playing field, we have dissected accessorizer Coach's
A fast-moving Coach
Coach has been growing its top and bottom lines rapidly and with remarkable consistency. I was impressed to learn that it recently completed its 22nd quarter of at least 20% sales growth and 30% earnings growth.
I was equally impressed to hear that management is firmly focused on the future, rather than the past. A company must continually look to improve its opportunities, and looking straight ahead is the best way to get it done.
What's pulling the wagon?
Coach has a powerful brand, and it claims to be the leader in its core North American market. Management doesn't see itself losing this position anytime soon, since there seems to be no signs of this category's growth slowing down. The company saw 20% growth in the first half of this calendar year and believes it can sustain that rate, given that, according to the numbers, women are buying more handbags on average these days than they did just two years ago.
Coach strives to offer innovative products that entice women to update their bag collection more often. It works, and I can attest to it: My wife has to have a large bag to cram all of her stuff into, a small one for quick-access items, and a variety of in-between sizes. Don't ask me what all of these are for -- I just know that Coach is on target when it says that women on average purchase several bags per year.
The company says it will continue to focus on North America and Japan, but it will also look to increase its brand in emerging markets. Yes, that's right, and it makes sense when you reflect on it. China's economy, for example, is red-hot, and incomes there are rising rapidly. It's also a huge market, so getting a foothold now seems logical.
Product innovation will also continue to be an area of importance. Frankfort said the company's recently introduced lifestyle brands -- Signature Stripe, Legacy, and Ergo -- have all been well received and will receive updates this year, including new styles, colors, and materials. Coach will also be introducing three new lifestyle platforms: Bleecker will be coming next month, Heritage Stripe will have its complete roll-out in February, and Soho will launch in April.
Coach has also been busy expanding its brand. While some of the new items seems a little silly, such as a $148 black stick umbrella, and dog leashes and collars selling for $78 each, the brand extensions are, by and large, doing very well. Last year, Coach began selling fragrances and jewelry, and jewelry is doing so well that Coach has expanded its offering. In fact, jewelry is expected to generate more than 3% of sales in full-price stores in North America for the upcoming holiday season. And based on my wife's comments, it looks as though I'll be doing my holiday-season and Valentine's Day shopping there.
One thing you won't see from Coach is a ton of acquisitions. Management denied a report that it's thinking about acquiring Burberry. The company is intent on organic growth, and management stressed that its focus is on opportunities solely for the Coach brand.
Stressed consumer? What stressed consumer?
In response to a question about the consumer-spending slowdown, Coach stated that its business is still doing very well. That's not a surprise to me. Economic factors such as higher gas and food prices, as well as higher subprime-mortgage payments, disproportionately affect lower-income consumers. Other luxury retailers, such as Saks
But even at its factory outlets, where it should be the most vulnerable, Coach continues to do well. As Frankfort stated, offering value and a broad and diversified assortment has helped. He also believes that when consumers tighten their budgets for their wardrobe, they migrate toward buying more accessories as an economical way to freshen up their look.
Margins, margins, margins!
Coach's operating margin was 38%, and it's looking to expand that number even further, despite a rising minimum wage and higher costs for health care and energy. Some of the company's plans here are simple, such as cheaper sourcing initiatives for raw goods. The balance of the plan involves leverage on sales, general, and administrative costs, including fixed expenses such as finance and design, and leverage in retail expenses as comps continue to grow. The company needs comps growth of 5% to 7% to see the benefit, and considering that it's been giving guidance of above 10% for factory outlets and full-price stores, it seems confident that it can make the mark.
A no-nonsense Coach
If it's all so easy, how come there aren't more serious competitors? Well, women are very loyal to their handbags. But even more than that, Coach keeps coming up with new products. Its design team must be very well qualified, because I can't recall a single design dud in the bunch. Yet that isn't surprising, since the company focuses on understanding its consumers and offering a diversified and broad product assortment that meets their criteria. All of that legwork, in turn, helps drive customer traffic.
Jump on the bandwagon
I came away from the Coach presentation impressed. But it would be hard not to when a management team is boasting -- and rightly so -- about its business. Coach is a focused company that knows what it does well, and keeps doing it.
My only concern is its valuation of 27 times trailing earnings, which isn't cheap. But then again, you have to pay up for quality.
Fool contributor Larry Rothman is happy to receive feedback, and he promises to read it when he's not being wrestled by his three children. Feel free to email him at email@example.com. He doesn't have any positions in the companies mentioned. The Fool's disclosure policy has expensive taste.