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Peugeot, Citroen and Opel shut down plants across EuropeMarch 17, 2020
Businesses are shutting down due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Recently, our portal talked about the fact that it was decided to introduce quarantine at the Lamborghini and Fiat plants because of the coronavirus. Now it became known that the list of enterprises that stopped their conveyors was replenished with the European plants of the PSA Group alliance. Recall that under the wing of this concern Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles work. According to the press service of the PSA Group, which officially announced the suspension of the concern’s factories in the Old World, the company is planning to close 12 production sites in total.
At enterprises in French Mulhouse and Spanish Madrid, quarantine began the day before, on March 16. Until Thursday, all European plants of the PSA Group will temporarily stop their conveyor. The factories will remain closed until March 27.
Among the reasons that influenced the adoption of this decision are the spread of coronavirus, disruptions in the supply of the necessary automotive components, as well as a drop in demand in leading global car markets.
- Carlex Design atelier unveiled the exterior of the new Land Rover Defender
- New Haval H6 will receive a hybrid power plant
- A motorhome based on the Hummer H1 SUV went on sale
- Genesis has decided on the date of the debut of the new crossover GV70
- Ex-Tesla employee will pay the automaker $ 400 thousand to reveal trade secrets


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And now we come to Consumer 3.0. You knew this day was coming.
Jackson Jeyanayagam, Vice President, General Manager DTC Nutranext, The Clorox Company, told our Brand Insider Summit D2C, that he avoids predicting the future of DTC marketing. "The shit's happening right now," he said, hoping his four-year-old daughter wasn't nearby to hear him swear.
"What was cool is no longer cool anymore," said the former CMO of Boxed, offering virtual reality as an example. It was hot five years ago, he said, but "we're not there yet."
Jeyanayagam said some of the most transformational brands are actually "kinda boring. 'Disrupt' has become a buzzword." And he pointed to the hotness that is Costco. Costco?
Yes, when he was with Boxed, he tried to convince his sisters -- with six children between them -- to use Boxed instead of going to Costco. They were shocked. He conceded, "It is all about the physical experience. It flies in the face of everything we think of as sexy brands." Costco doesn't advertise but, instead, it is all about the customer experiences -- and the samples.
Jeyanayagam advised that "product and growth have to go hand in hand." He would argue that creative is crucial and should be overpaid and trained from the ground up. "It's the biggest thing startups can't get a handle on."

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Nectar marks 10th birthday with eBay partnership
The UK coalition loyalty programme, Nectar, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month and, among other developments, has announced a partnership with online marketplace eBay, to allow Nectar members to earn points automatically when they shop on eBay.
The partnership with eBay is expected to benefit millions of consumers by combining the spending power of Nectar's 18.5 million collectors and eBay UK's 17 million unique monthly visitors, and represents a significant extension of the affiliate relationship that eBay previously had in place with Nectar eShops (through which shoppers earned points when they clicked through Nectar.com).
From now on, eBay shoppers can collect points for their successful bids and 'Buy It Now' transactions after linking their eBay account with their Nectar card, when paying via PayPal. eBay shoppers who are not currently Nectar card holders can apply for a card via the eBay website.
The partnership significantly extends the range and proportion of household items on which Nectar points can be earned. Previously points could potentially be earned on an estimated 50% of household spending (including groceries, DIY, holiday bookings, household bills and petrol) but the potential is now much greater.
According to Jan-Pieter Lips, managing director for Nectar, "This partnership will have similar reach to those we have in place with other household names such as British Gas, BP and Homebase, all of which have enabled millions of people to collect Nectar points on their daily household spending."
Alex Von Schirmeister, vice president of marketing for eBay in Europe, added: "Half of all UK online shoppers visit eBay each month, and this new partnership will allow us to reward their loyalty and keep them coming back to the site even more often. By investing in the Nectar programme, and the promotions planned for later in the year, all of our 190,000 eBay UK business sellers will benefit from a potential boost to their sales in the important Christmas trading period."
Consumers will be able to collect Nectar points directly from eBay.co.uk starting from October 2012. Interestingly, eBay UK reports that one item is purchased every second via eBay using a mobile device. To celebrate the new partnership, and to maximise revenue opportunities during the lucrative holiday season, eBay will be running a number of promotions in key categories over the Christmas shopping period.
Tenth birthday campaign Nectar's birthday celebrations include a 'Cheers for Ten Years' advertising campaign involving TV ads on ITV1, Channel 4, FIVE and Sky, and a radio partnership with Heart FM and its regional stations, supported by sponsorship and competitions.
Supermarket partner Sainsbury's is also running a double Nectar points promotion both in-store and online between 28th and 30th September 2012, which is being publicised via additional POS materials in-store, a direct mail campaign, and a series of printed adverts in national newspapers over the three day period.
DIY partner Homebase offered triple Nectar points on all purchases on 15th and 16th September, again both in-store and online, while travel partner Expedia adopted the 'Cheers for Ten Years' branding on its website in conjunction with a triple points offer from 14th to 17th September.
Fuel retail partner BP is running an instant win 'Swipe a Prize' promotion from 11th September to 8th October, and while Expedia will be adopting, and car rental partner Hertz is offering triple Nectar points for the whole month of September.
In the programme's first ten years it has given back almost £2 billion worth of rewards to collectors, including money off shopping, travel, days out and cinema tickets. More than 18.5 million members now earn Nectar points when shopping for groceries, doing DIY, booking a holiday, paying household bills, buying petrol and even getting their car serviced (Ford owners only). Members can also earn Nectar points every time they shop online with over 500 leading online retailers via Nectar.com, as well as for their eBay purchases.


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Streaming TV startup Aereo is at full capacity for the Super Bowl this weekend, according to DSLReport.com’s Karl Bode. Bode attempted to sign up for an antenna to watch the Superbowl but was told the company had reached full capacity and could no longer accept new customers.
Aereo purchases a tiny TV antenna for each customer and uses it to stream networks like CBS, ABC, Fox, and NBC over the Internet to PCs, tablet, and smartphones. It also lets customers record shows in a “virtual DVR” so they can stream them whenever they want. It costs $US8 per month.
The company never specifically addressed when more capacity would be added but this does raise concerns about upcoming events like the 2014 Winter Olympics, especially since Aereo experienced a brief outage during the Golden Globes broadcast earlier this month.
Both these events are guaranteed to attract a record amount of viewers. In a statement to Business Insider, Aereo spokesperson Vivian Lam said:
“Yes, we had a temporary outage during the golden globes that affected a small group of NYC users for approximately and hour. The capacity issue is purely a function of us literally having sold out in New York. It’s the result of being too successful, unfortunately. And keep in mind that we are adding capacity in all out markets while also building out new ones… And for a company our size (just over 100 people) it’s a big task!”
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Little Black Dress (LBD), the affiliate marketplace site selling party dresses, will launch its own collection for autumn 14 following a revamp of its website, and if this proves successful it could look to open concessions.
The company will produce a range of 14 black dresses in mid-September, topped up with six Christmas dresses at the end of October.
The styles are modelled on dresses worn by icons such as Princess Diana, Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss, but feature modern materials including scuba and Airtex. Bestsellers from the collection will be brought out in colour for spring 15, as part of a second collection.
LBD said if the collection proves successful it will look to open its first concessions for the brand and also launch its own fragrance.
LBD will relaunch its website in mid-August, after having securing £500,000 of investment over the last year from its three existing shareholders Mark Evans, Ian Langley and Photolink Group. Evans joined the business as brand director in January from his former role as creative director at Shop Direct Group.
A spokeswoman for LBD said the website would have a more premium, glossy feel, with more editorial content, as well as beauty and hair tutorials and style advice.
She said: “We want to give our customers a more holistic and community-led shopping experience, rather than be just another functional website for selling dresses.”


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Brexit: what are the consequences for nutraceuticals?
Shock and awe: they did it! A few days after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, many sectors are investigating the consequences thereof for the services and products concerned. The more a sector has been regulated at an EU level, the more severe those consequences tend to be.
EU landscape of food law
If any sector has been highly regulated at an EU level, it is the food sector. The BSE crisis in the ’90-ies gave rise to the General Food Law Regulation in 2002, which has been the basis for a considerable corpus of rules relevant for the nutraceutical sector. These rules include the Food Supplements Directive (2002) as well as the Regulation on Fortified Foods and the Claims Regulation (both from 2006), as well as the Food Information to Consumers Regulation (2011) and the Regulation on Foods for Special Groups (2013) to name just a few.
What is going to happen next?
Although it is difficult to imagine that years of laws and case law can be cast by a vote, strictly speaking the European Regulations will cease to apply in the United Kingdom once it no longer forms a part of the EU. Also, there will no longer be an imperative to implement European Directives into English national law. Access for European nutraceuticals to the UK market and access for English nutraceuticals on the EU market will therefore depend on the instruments replacing the common European framework.
What are the options?
Firstly, the UK could reach and agreement similar to the one that the EU has with Norway or Iceland. In that case, the impact in the field of nutraceuticals would be fairly limited; the UK forming part of the European Economic Area and to a large extent be bound by EU legislation. Secondly, if the relationship would be shaped after the one between the EU and Switzerland, the implications could be more important, as EU food law would not be of general application in the UK. Thirdly, the gap between the current and future situation would be even greater if the relationship will be similar to the one that the EU has with the USA under the WTO, as for each specific sector specific agreements would need to be negotiated.
The trigger and the transition period
In order to move to the next stage, the UK will have to inform the Council of its decision to withdraw from the European Union, based on the famous article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. So far, the UK seems to be divided on the question when this process has to be initiated. Some (Europeans) speculate that it may not be initiated at all. However, once the Council has received notice from the UK, an agreement setting out the arrangements for withdrawal should be negotiated within two years. During this transition period, the EU regulatory framework for nutraceuticals shall – in principle – remain in force. However, it can be expected that food business operators shall anticipate on the shift in the regulatory landscape. The UK may become less attractive to trade nutraceuticals due to the uncertainly what will be the applicable rules there.
Open ends… or not?
Based on the EU regulatory framework, nutraceuticals generally do not require prior market approval. This implies that English nutraceuticals could in principle still be marketed in the EU after the Brexit becoming effective. However, any English nutraceuticals marketed in the European Union will have to meet the EU requirements regarding the type of vitamins and minerals that may or may not be used in food supplements and fortified foods respectively. Furthermore, English nutraceuticals to be marketed in Europe may only use those nutrition and health claims that have been authorized at an EU level and that bear information on ingredients and nutrition facts in line with the Food Information to Consumers Regulation. The other way round is much less clear, meaning that it will remain an open question for quite some time with what rules European nutraceuticals to be marketed in the UK will have to comply . This will depend on the rules applicable to nutraceuticals in the UK replacing the EU regulatory framework. Summarizing it seems that trading UK nutraceuticals in the EU will not become “easier” from a UK perspective, whereas marketing European nutraceuticals in the UK will become less attractive because of the regulatory flaw.
Homework on IP licenses
For those food business operators distributing nutraceuticals under license in the licensed territory of the European Union, it is mandatory to clarify whether or not that territory still includes the EU after a Brexit becoming effective. This will not only depend on the wording of the agreement but also on the trademark backing the license. If this is for instance an EU trademark (former Community Trademark), this will no longer be valid in the UK in future. Moreover, if the validity of this EU mark was mainly based on genuine use in the UK, the validity of the entire trademark could be at stake because such use would no longer be of relevance for the continued existence of the mark.
The majority of the British people do not seem to have done a favor to the nutraceuticals industry, to put it mildly. In order for English nutraceuticals to access the EU market, these products will have to meet the EU standards anyway. For European nutraceuticals to be marketed on the Brittish market however, it cannot yet be predicted to what rules they need to comply. It does not seem to be realistic that the UK will opt for the Norwegian model, as it deliberatly moved away from the EU and – presumably – from the EU regulatory framework. It is also hard to conceive that the UK, being such an important trade partner of the EU will put in the same position as the US under the WTO. Remains the Swiss model as a most likely option for the trade agreements to be negotiated between the EU and the UK, but the Swiss model currently also implies the free movement of persons, which is an issue for the UK. So this is not an easy one. Keep you posted.
Photo by Tolga Akmen/LNP/REX/Shutterstock (5738024r) Pro-EU campaigners protest against Britain leaving the European Union in Trafalgar Square – London Stays anti-Brexit demonstration, Trafalgar Square, London, UK – 28 Jun 2016. The referendum was won by the leave campaign and caused Prime Minister David Cameron to resign on 23 June 2016.


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TOKYO - Japanese cosmetics giant Kanebo faces a tough battle repairing its brand image with consumer confidence at "rock bottom" after its products left ugly blotches on customers' faces, observers say.
Japan's second-largest cosmetics firm - more than a century old and with its reputation for quality now in tatters - can recover, they say, but it has to move swiftly and surely.
Kanebo's travails are the latest in a long line of public relations disasters that have felled companies of all sizes.
Among the casualties are Boeing's troubled Dreamliner jet and automaker Toyota, which was forced to recall millions of cars in recent years over safety issues.
A tainted milk scandal in China that left six children dead and sickened more than 300,000 badly scarred the country's dairy industry.
Key to surviving brand-damaging episodes is a quick response that is transparent and genuine, public relations experts say.
"Don't simply broadcast information - like many Japanese companies do - but promote two-way communication with all stakeholder groups" including customers, said Daniel Fath, vice president of Tokyo-based Total Communications System.
"Handled properly, a traumatic crisis becomes a valuable learning experience that ultimately strengthens a company's relationships with its stakeholders."
In an effort to put a stop to a spiralling PR disaster, Kanebo's president went before the cameras this week to apologise to customers.
They included nearly 10,000 people left with uneven pigmentation after using its skin-whitening creams, which are popular among women across Asia in search of lighter tones.
The embattled executive pledged to overhaul safety controls at the company while temporarily cutting his salary and that of other senior executives.
But his bid to defuse the situation came as a team of external experts appointed by the firm said it had been late in issuing the recall.
The decision to pull their products from shelves came months after officials had received warnings from doctors who suspected a link between patients suffering skin blotches and the firm's products.


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Late last week, Amazon issued a request-for-proposals (RFP) as it is looking to build a $5 billion second headquarters somewhere in North America. Notably, Amazon’s RFP expressly states that “incentives offered by the state/province and local communities to offset initial capital outlay and ongoing operational costs will be significant factors in the decision-making process.”
Using incentives to grow its business is nothing new for Amazon. Since 2000, it has received close to $1 billion in subsidies from state and local governments across the country, according to Good Jobs First, a company that looks to promote accountability in economic development by tracking subsidies nationwide. In the last two years alone, Amazon has received at least $241 million in subsidies from state and local governments to build warehouses, Greg LeRoy, executive director for Good Jobs First, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The RFP sparked an immediate bidding war, prompting a number of cities and states to compete over the tax cuts and incentives they could provide to entice the corporate retailer and its promised 50,000 jobs to their communities, as reported by Reuters.
According to Amazon’s RFP, the project will be a second corporate headquarters (HQ2), where over the next 10–15 years, Amazon will hire as many as 50,000 full-time employees, with an average annual compensation exceeding $100,000. The project is expected to total more than $5 billion in capital expenditures.
The RFP stresses that some of the factors that will influence Amazon’s choice of location are the desire for a metro area with more than one million people; a “stable and business-friendly environment”; an urban or suburban location with “the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent”; and communities that “think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options.”
The cities and states that have said they will bid on Amazon’s HQ2 project include Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kentucky, Miami, Toronto, and St. Louis, the Reuters article said. The response deadline is October 19, 2017.
While big cities may be jumping for a chance to bring Amazon to town, not everyone hailed the news.
On September 7, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted that the Amazon RFP would become a “race to the bottom” if cities tried to woo Amazon in part by offering the tech giant overly favorable financial terms, as reported by Recode.net.
“Cities and states, for decades, have thrown tax breaks and tax incentives at companies to attract them to come,” Margaret O’Mara, a University of Washington professor specializing in urban history, told GeekWire.com. “First it was chasing smoke stacks, getting factories to move to your region. And now it’s chasing strings of software code, chasing these tech companies. Amazon is playing that game, too, by saying, ‘Who is going to give us the best package?’ In an age where cities and states are starved for resources, often times these efforts at economic development, the costs of tax breaks for the city, will far outweigh whatever benefits come from the number of jobs created.”
Good Job First’s LeRoy told the Post-Gazette that he does not believe that subsidies will be the deciding factor in Amazon’s decision as to where to locate HQ2. He noted that state and local taxes typically make up only about two percent of a company’s cost structure.
Reuters pointed out that companies with two headquarters are rare, though some investors and analysts see this move as a way for Amazon to cut costs and risks, making it easier for the company to break up down the line “if it so chooses.”


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Veteran journalist and one of India's renowned news anchors, Vikram Chandra, on Tuesday the launch of his multilingual video news platform called Editor Ji. The new platform is touted to use artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms alongside human inputs to deliver curated news content. It comes in the form of Android and iOS apps, as well as a Progressive Web App (PWA) and even an online portal, all designed to serve bite-sized news videos across genres such as politics, international, local stories, sports, business, lifestyle, technology, and entertainment. Apart from in-house videos served by the Editor Ji editors, the company has also tied up with select Indian media outlets to start serving their video stories through the new platform. Presently, the Editor Ji platform includes content in English and Hindi, but Chandra tells Gadgets 360 that there are plans to expand to other Indic languages as well.
"Editor Ji is a technology platform that is designed to change the ecosystem, change the way things are happening, and it is designed to work very seamlessly with a range of partners in a range of different roles," Chandra said at the sidelines of a media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday. "We're not in competition with the rest of the world. We also don't want to have any monopolistic ideas or crush anyone else. We think we're an aid to not just to the users but also to the rest of the industry, and we would like to help everyone. So that's why we're designed to work in very close partnership and association with a range of people."
Editor Ji currently has a team of 40 full-time people with a majority of them in editorial roles. "These are the people who are not only doing Editor Ji's own videos but also will be increasingly managing and curating the content that partners will start putting into the system," Chandra tells Gadgets 360. Also, there are 10 people working as a part of Opalina that is the technology partner for Editor Ji. Five people are additionally working on the design of the platform.
It took 18 months for Chandra to take Editor Ji from a concept to a standalone product, with the last six months, he says, spent in fine-tuning the AI for the platform.
Instead of solely relying on AI, Editor Ji has opted for a mix of computer intelligence, which Chandra calls augmented intelligence, and human efforts. "Balancing the AI and the human element and how you are going to get the right mixture - what's going to go in the algorithm - that was the most key challenge initially," he asserts.
"Content is not a challenge for us as simply because we have such a high-powered team. These guys collectively have roughly 200 years of experience between them in television news. So they are the best in the business," says Chandra, himself a veteran of the industry of over 24 years.
The interface of the Editor Ji app is quite convenient to use. Once installed, you'll be greeted by an on-boarding process that's quite similar to what we've seen with the likes of Apple Music. You can select what type of news you would like to see, such as international news, national news, and local news; regions you're interested in, such as Delhi, Bengaluru, or Chennai; and categories, such as Showbiz, Youth, Tech, Sports, and Lifestyle. You can also specify what kind of news you do not want to see. The app then asks you to adjust the style of news on a sliding scale from 'Serious' to 'Masala' and adjust the delivery of opinions from 'None' to 'A lot'.
All this is used to build your newscast, which is essentially a personalised video playlist, with videos autoplaying one after the other, though you can swipe to go to the next or previous video. The Editor Ji app also gives the option to download your daily playlist automatically, so you can consume it while you are offline. If you are watching it online, the app can switch from the video mode to audio if you're in a poor bandwidth zone. The app also lets you share your newscast with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.
Chandra says that the idea for the unique name of Editor Ji comes from popular Indian quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati in which a computer system is referred to "computer ji". "From computer ji, the idea came up Editor Ji," he says. "It's the same theme because theoretically a computer ji has grown up and now become Editor Ji. Editor Ji specifically refers to two things in our product - one is the basic newscast, which is built by an AI algorithm that is the Editor Ji. But then you can also switch it off and create your own newscast, which is where you become the editor ji."
The Editor Ji platform does have a room for opinions, but it doesn't let individuals post their opinions directly on the universal news feed that is available for all. The app only lets you create your opinions or host your anchor links particularly for your newscasts. However, you can create and share your opinion videos.
"Every story that you can add to your news list is from our platform; it's the fact that's been checked by the Editor Ji's editorial team as well as other editorial teams," says Chandra. "When you press the record button, this is now your opinion. But it will very clearly come up that it has to have your face on it and it will come up saying this is this person's opinion. Everyone should be free to have their opinion in a free country - as long as they're not inciting violence and as long as they're not saying something through which you're blurring opinion with fact. In our case, we're making the differentiation."
Chandra also points out that he and his team are working to solve the problem of fake news in the country. "The biggest problem with fake news in the country today is that stories are being sent out and forwarded with no authentication, along with anonymity and no accountability," he says. "We're solving that problem, in my mind, largely because the stories that are coming from our platform have been vetted by senior editors and humans. There is a certain fact-checking. It's not like an algorithm has to show a story on its own. It's all humans. So there is a responsibility and accountability."
Like any big news platform, Chandra does have monetisation plans for the Editor Ji platform. He tells Gadgets 360 that his team is looking to have advertising as the sole model at the initial stage and then there will be a premium service in the future. However, instead of using micro-data of each individual on the platform to serve targeted ads, the company is set to segment data for advertisers. "The ability to segment data is always the case," the executive states. "It happens today. If you're setting a newspaper, you'll say okay this is the Delhi ad, Bengaluru ad, or Calcutta ad. If somebody is coming to you in a newspaper and ask for a business ad, like a new mutual fund, you'll put it in the business page of the newspaper. That's a logical thing."
The content that has been served through Editor Ji is presently in the form of short videos of 15-20 seconds length. Nevertheless, there could be some long-form content on the platform over time. "We're trying to change habits and we're trying to get people to use to the concept of press one to see lots and lots of short-form, 15-20 second videos," says Chandra. "That's the format we're trying to establish in people's minds. For the movement, we will not necessarily go into long-form. But as people get the idea, start to understand and appreciate what is happening, then we'll see and find ways of showing long-form."
Disclosure: Vikram Chandra has been associated with NDTV for over 24 years and served as the group's CEO from 2011 to 2016. Gadgets 360 is part of the NDTV Group.


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by Tim Hayden
The widespread use of mobile devices has marketers thrilled about new channels to engage new and existing customers. Truth be known, the amount of time and effort being put into social media and the mobile web is substantially less than when we were tied to desktop and notebook computing. Let’s take a deeper look into the changes in behavior and technology that are shaping the way we communicate, live and buy.
3rd–6th November 2011


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Waitrose will source all of its bacon from British farmers by the end of the year, it announced this week.
The retailer already sources 100% of its fresh pork and 90% of bacon from UK suppliers, but has now pledged to stop selling imported bacon by Christmas.
Waitrose said it was making the move as British pork and bacon was produced to a "superior standard" of animal welfare than some European products, and it wanted to support UK pig farmers during tough times.
"Our decision to source all of our own-label fresh pork, bacon and sausages in the UK sends out a strong vote of support to British pig farmers who are experiencing difficult trading conditions", said senior meat buyer at Waitrose, Natalie Mitchell.
The supermarket also stressed it operated a payment model for pigmeat producers that took into account the cost of production for farmers and ensured they received sustainable returns.
The move was welcomed as "very good news for the British pig industry" by Bpex chairman Stewart Houston.


text: The ATM will soon cease to require a card. Most of the operations will allow you to make applications Android Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay, among them: withdrawing and depositing cash, transfers from account to account, payment for services. To do this, it will be enough to bring the mobile device to a special NFC-reader of the terminal. In the past, problems with cards forgotten in the device will remain. The time spent at the ATM will be 1.5 minutes less, according to analysts. This technology has already been implemented in 382 Tinkoff Bank ATMs and 400 Alfa Bank ATMs. Connection to technology was planned by Sberbank and Russian Standard. Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Otkritie Bank, Post Office Bank, Moscow Credit Bank, VTB will launch a new product next year. There are about 200,000 ATMs in our country. In just two or three years, almost all of them will support contactless operations. At the same time, the costs of banks for technology are close to zero. According to experts, in a year and a half, more than half of the payments will be made in a non-contact way. These are the operations that today are preferred by more than a third of bank customers.


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Cathy Ma, an international trade specialist with the department, received the Governor’s Award for Excellence for Outstanding State Government Service Tuesday during a ceremony at the N.C. Museum of History.
Through the International Trade Office, Ma works with processed food, meat and seafood producers across the state to identify market opportunities abroad. She also coordinates international trade missions, hosts inbound missions and organizes trade shows for food producers.
“Exports are so important to agriculture and agribusiness in North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Cathy has been a tremendous asset in developing new markets for exports, especially in China.”
China is increasingly becoming a major trading partner for N.C. agricultural exports. Ma’s contributions have opened up new opportunities for services the department can provide to N.C. companies. For instance, Ma helped assemble a Chinese language team to transform trade missions into interactive events for buyers interested in N.C. products.
Earlier this year, Ma was recognized by the Southern United States Trade Association at its annual meeting in Louisiana. She won in three categories: Most Companies Recruited for an Inbound Trade Mission; Most New Companies for Overseas Generic Event; and Activity Manager of the Year for 2011. Ma also received the 2011 Employee of the Year Award from the department.
Check out the video below from the Governor’s Award for Excellence ceremony.


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As mentioned in This post on the PHP Magazine site, Bill Ackermann has been added to the Zend team as the new Vice President of Sales.
Zend Technologies, the PHP Company, has announced that Bill Ackermann has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. Ackermann has held senior sales positions at both emerging and mature enterprise software category leaders, including Oracle, Netscape and most recently, Metreo. At Zend, Ackermann will oversee North American and Global Alliance sales and join the executive management team.
Ackermann joins Zend at a time when the adoption of PHP by developers and enterprise organizations is rising, the company says. Zend delivers products and services for developing, deploying and managing enterprise-class PHP applications, selling them directly and in partnership with large established companies like IBM and Oracle.
Always good to have bit of new, energetic blood in an organization, especially when it comes to working in Sales.


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Britannia has alleged that that ITC’s packaging for its newly launched Sunfeast Veda Digestive and Sunfeast 5-Seed Digestive biscuits are “deceptively similar” to Britannia’s Nutri Choice Hi-Fibre and Nutri Choice Digestive biscuits’ green packaging, the person said.
Both Britannia and ITC declined to comment citing that the matter is sub-judice.
The two rivals have tussled on similar issues in courts in the past as well.
In 2016, ITC had taken Britannia to the Delhi High Court, alleging that packaging of Britannia’s NutriChoice Zero was a copy of ITC’s Sunfeast Farmlite Digestive All Good biscuits.
Earlier this year, Britannia had filed a similar case against Kishore Biyani-led Future Consumer Ltd, alleging that the latter had copied the packaging of several of Britannia’s biscuit brands for its Tasty Treat biscuits.
Britannia has also objected to Future Consumer’s use of ‘Good Time’ on one of its product packs, saying it sounds similar to Britannia’s ‘Good Day’ brand.
Stakes are high in the country’s Rs 37,000-crore biscuit market that is clocking double-digit growth annually. Biscuits also account for the largest category within FMCG.
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Though, mild weather in October affected retail sales at home, volumes were still higher compared to a year earlier, indicating increased consumer confidence and a consumer driven economic recovery. However, risk appetite continued to struggle against a background of weak confidence levels released early today. However, domestic annual growth rate in the third quarter surprised markets, although government borrowings rose considerably for November.
In the US, rising jobless claims numbers dented the notion of an improvement in labour market and if economic data in the coming days continues to show significant weakness, questions may arise about the timing of the Fed’s taper decision. In the Euro zone, today’s consumer confidence report will be closely watched, especially in wake of the upbeat sentiment indices of late.
Pound Sterling – UK Markets
Sterling traders searched for direction against the US Dollar yesterday as weaker than expected UK retail sales numbers together with renewed demand for the greenback weighed on the Pound-US Dollar pair. Retail sales in Britain picked up for December as colder weather boosted sales of warm clothing, but fell short of market expectations. Additionally, improved sentiment towards the greenback following the Fed’s QE3 tapering decision dragged the Pound lower.
Meanwhile, Sterling has continued to weaken against the majors this morning after the overnight domestic consumer confidence report showed declining consumer sentiment for the second consecutive month. Even though the just out revised annual third quarter UK GDP report surprised markets on the upside, Sterling has failed to gain traction against the greenback. Additionally, the UK government borrowings climbed significantly higher for November. With no domestic economic data on tap today, Sterling investors will closely follow macro releases from across the Atlantic for further direction to risk appetite in the session ahead. Moving ahead, a light economic calendar is on radar, in the wake of holidays during next week.
US Dollar – US Markets
The US Dollar continued to trade higher against its peers, a day after the Fed rolled out its QE3 tapering programme. However, the weak set of macro-economic data capped the greenback’s gains yesterday. The number of people claiming jobless benefits unexpectedly rose to the highest level in nearly nine months for the last week, casting doubts over the recovery in the labour market. Likewise, higher mortgage rates continue to weigh on the domestic housing market as existing home sales dropped for the third consecutive month to the lowest level in nearly a year for November, while the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index registered modest growth for December, highlighting the overall weak economic sentiment prevailing in the world’s largest economy.
The greenback has edged up further against the majors in today’s trading session ahead of the release of final domestic GDP print later today which is unlikely to show much deviation from its previous reading. Additionally, investors will eye the Kansas Fed manufacturing activity index for cues on the nation’s manufacturing sector. In the forthcoming week, a slew of domestic economic data will be eyed by investors for further direction.
Euro – European Markets
Despite upbeat sentiment indices from Germany and France released earlier in the day, the common currency has failed to gain traction against the US Dollar this morning. Following positive German ZEW and Ifo survey prints, consumer sentiment surprisingly improved for January, signalling a pickup in the nation’s economic activity going forward. Against this backdrop, market participants will pay close attention to the Euro zone consumer confidence print later today for further direction. Furthermore, French business confidence also showed a better than expected improvement for December.
Meanwhile, after days of strengthening the single currency weakened sharply against the greenback yesterday, as the QE3 scaling down decision underpinned demand for the US Dollar, while weighing on the demand for riskier assets. Apart from the domestic consumer sentiment numbers, the US third quarter GDP report today will determine movement in the Euro-US Dollar pair in the session ahead. With little on the domestic macro front in the forthcoming week, investors will keep a tab on global economic news flows for further direction.
Other Currencies – Highlights
The downward trend in the Japanese Yen lately has continued this morning after the Bank of Japan maintained status quo on its policy stance while reinforcing that the nation’s economy continues to recover at a moderate pace. The central bank also stated that despite the drag from the sales tax hike and high uncertainties over global growth, the economy will continue to strengthen in the coming months. Additionally, the weakness in the Yen was further compounded after the Fed decided to partially pull the plug on its ultra loose policy stance, thereby strengthening the greenback.
With no domestic economic data on tap, news flows emanating from the US will prove crucial for the Japanese Yen against the greenback today. Looking ahead, a string of important domestic economic data, especially, the minutes of the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting and consumer price inflation report, will attract considerable market attention in the week ahead.
Sterling Rises Sharply on Renewed Hopes of the UK Leaving With a Deal
Dollar Rises Modestly on FOMC Minutes
Sterling Rises on Hopes of EU Softening Tone on Backstop


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By Kat Schuster
A new luxury ship will cruise into the Port of Long Beach lineup later this year — and it will likely make a splash in more ways than one.
Carnival Panorama, an addition to Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet, will debut in December, complete with an indoor trampoline park and an outdoor water park.
“Cruising is an extension of a beach vacation and we take you to all kinds of beaches,” said Carnival spokesman Chris Chaimes. “While at sea, you can have that same fun.”
The luxury liner, under construction in Italy, will ultimately set sail from the Port of Long Beach on seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages, stopping in Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
“We’re very excited about bringing Panorama to Long Beach,” Chaimes said. “It’s the first (Panorama) ship positioned on the west in 20 years.”
Even though the ship has not yet had its maiden voyage, it has at least one renowned fun-lover ready to zip down its water slides: Shaquille O’Neal.
“I want to make clear that it’s very, very, very ,very, very, very fun,” O’Neal, the former Laker and Carnival’s “chief fun officer,” said in a promotional video for the park last month.
The water park will be on the ship’s top deck and will include 455-foot and 300-foot-long slides, a 300-gallon tipping bucket and a “Shaq-tastic” kiddie spray park, according to Carnival.
Inside the ship, guests can enjoy a trampoline park. Sky Zone, a Southern California company, will also have a setup on board where passengers can play gravity-defying dodge ball and basketball. The ship will also have a culinary center where passengers can take cooking classes.
Long Beach officials, for their part, seem to be looking forward to the new ship.
“We’re all super excited for Carnival Panorama, particularly how it will integrate itself into the larger Queen Mary development,” said Johnny Vallejo, business operations manager in the city’s department of economic development.
Officials from the Port of Long Beach did not return requests for comment.


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The Week of Italian Cuisine in Egypt (22-26 November) offers a variety of events in Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh and Alexandria
The new programme D-Tabkha posts short videos that focus on Egyptian culinary delights and their history
Hit by a plunge in turnover after foreign tourists vanished, Michelin-starred Hungarian restaurant Costes has staged a skyline dining event on the Budapest Eye ferris wheel to generate sales in a coronavirus-proof environment
Traders legally selling donkey, dog, deer, crocodile and other meat plan to get back to business as soon as the markets reopen
McDonald’s Corp, Starbucks Corp and other fast-food companies are ramping up 'contactless' pickup and delivery services
Cutting back on red and processed meat brings few if any health benefits, according to a review of evidence drawn from millions of people
Eggplants are a bundle of marvels and health benefits, and methods of cooking them are endless
A project with patients with cancer and other ailments and with a group scientists and experts to create a cocoa flavor that the patients experience through their own memories.


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By Se Young Lee
SEOUL (Reuters) – Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS> said on Monday it plans to sell refurbished versions of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones that were pulled from markets due to fire-prone batteries.
The Note 7s were permanently scrapped in October, roughly two months from the launch of the near-$900 devices, as more of the phones self-combusted despite a global recall initiated in September. A subsequent probe found manufacturing problems in batteries supplied by two different companies – Samsung SDI Co Ltd and Amperex Technology Ltd.
Analysis from Samsung and independent researchers found no other problems in the Note 7 devices except the batteries, raising speculation that Samsung will recoup some of its losses by selling refurbished Note 7s. The company estimated a $5.5 billion profit hit over three quarters from the Note 7’s troubles.
Samsung, which had sold 3.06 million Note 7s to consumers before taking the phones off the market, had not previously said what it plans to do with the recovered phones. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters in January that it was considering the possibility of selling refurbished versions of the device or reusing some parts from the recalled phones.
“Regarding the Galaxy Note 7 devices as refurbished phones or rental phones, applicability is dependent upon consultations with regulatory authorities and carriers as well as due consideration of local demand,” Samsung said in a statement, adding the firm will pick the markets and release dates for refurbished Note 7s accordingly.
The company also plans to recover and use or sell reusable components such as chips and camera modules and extract rare metals such as copper, gold, nickel and silver from Note 7 devices it opts not to sell as refurbished products.
The firm had been under pressure from environment rights group Greenpeace and others to come up with environmentally friendly ways to deal with the recovered Note 7s. Greenpeace said in a separate statement on Monday that it welcomed Samsung’s decision and the firm should carry out its plans in a verifiable manner.
(Reporting by Se Young Lee; editing by David Clarke/Ruth Pitchford)


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Clif Bar’s ‘Save Our Snow’ Roadtrip Visits Ski Resorts
Clif Bar has launched (via TreeHugger) a new marketing campaign, Clif Bar Save Our Snow Winter Roadtrip, that features World Champion freeskier Alison Gannett. The roadtrip started from this weeks’ Snowsports Industry Association tradeshow in Las Vegas.
Traveling in an RV powered by vegetable oil, the Clif Bar SOS Winter Roadtrip will visit ski resorts and schools in the Western U.S., Rockies and Canada over the next two months. It will educate skiers and snowboarders about climate change.
“Clif Bar is stoked to partner with athletes like Alison who demonstrate an on-going commitment to protecting winter and the planet,” said Ricardo Balazs, sports marketing manager for Clif Bar. “We hope the Clif Bar SOS Winter Roadtrip will inspire thousands of skiers and riders to take small acts that collectively will help save our snow.”
Customers can follow the roadtrip on Clif Bar’s blog.
Clif Bar recently launched a Cool Commute program for employees that pays cash to those who purchase clean-burning biodiesel cars.
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Aspen Pure bottled water now is available at all 130 King Soopers and City Market grocery stores in Colorado and Wyoming.
The water also can be purchased at Albertson's, Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Marcyzk stores as well as many restaurants in the Denver area. Aspen Pure's biggest customer is Denver International Airport, where the water is sold at most airport dining spots.
Outside Colorado and Wyoming, Aspen Pure is sold in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana.
"We started as a small player in an industry dominated by companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola," Barry Gordon, Aspen Pure's president and co-founder, said in a statement. "Now Aspen Pure ... is standing out on shelves next to Evian, Fiji, Dasani and Aquafina [among premium waters]."
The brand is owned by Aspen-based Aspen Pure LLC, which was founded in February 2003. Dan Carney, a founder of the Pizza Hut restaurant chain, is a principal investor. Carney and his partners sold Pizza Hut to PepsiCo Inc. in the 1970s, and the beverage company later spun off the pizza business.
Aspen Pure's water comes from an aquifer in Colorado's San Luis Valley and is bottled at the source. Its bottle is made of high-grade plastic, so it doesn't collapse as the water is consumed, and it has a groove in the neck to make it easier to hold. The label art includes Aspen's Maroon Bells mountain, aspen trees and Columbine flowers.
The water comes in three sizes -- one liter, 24 ounces and 16.9 ounces. The one-liter bottles also come in a three-pack, and the 16.9-ounce containers come in a six-pack.
Prices range from roughly 70 cents for the smallest bottle to $1.60 for the largest.


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AB InBev ups proposed bid for SABMiller to £43.50 a share, from last week's £42.15 offer as Wednesday's deal deadline looms
- The fourth proposal would value the FTSE 100-listed brewer at £67.4billion, up from a previous proposed offer of £65billion
- AB InBev says its improved offer is pre-conditional on SAB's two biggest shareholders electing for a partial share alternative rather than cash
- The two companies have until a Wednesday 5 pm bid deadline, to agree on any deal, which could see the creation of the world's biggest brewer
Anheuser-Busch InBev has raised its proposed takeover offer for SABMiller to £43.50 a share, upping the stakes in a takeover battle to create the world’s biggest brewing company just 52 hours away from the deadline for a final bid.
The fourth proposal by the Stella Artois and Budweiser brewer for its rival – which makes the Peroni and Grolsch brands - would value FTSE 100-listed firm at £67.4billion, up from a previous proposed offer of £65billion, or £42.15 a share.
SABMiller shares in London were underwhelmed by the improved offer, however, only adding 25p, or 0.7 per cent to 3,693.5p in afternoon trade. AB Inbev shares in Brussels were €0.25 lower at €98.05.
Deadline near: AB InBev has until Wednesday to persuade SABMilller to agree to any potential takeover deal, which, if it goes ahead, could see the creation of the world's biggest brewer
The two companies have until Wednesday's 5 pm bid deadline, to agree on any potential deal, which, if it goes ahead, could see the creation of the world's biggest brewer.
SABMiller’s biggest shareholder Altria, the owner of Phillip Morris cigarettes which owns 27 per cent of the brewer, has already agreed to accept the £42.15 offer from AB InBev.
But BevCo, the vehicle controlled by the wealthy Santo Domingo family of Colombia, which has a 14 per cent stake in SABMiller, has so far rejected AB InBev’s approaches on valuation grounds.
AB InBev said its improved £43.50 offer is pre-conditional on both Altria and BevCo undertaking to elect for a partial share alternative rather than cash in respect of all of their SABMiller shares.
The Brussels-listed firm said the partial share alternative would value each SABMiller share at £38.88, including £3.56 in cash.
AB InBev said it will not be seeking the SABMiller Board's recommendation with respect to the partial share alternative, as it anticipates that most of the brewer’s other shareholders would wish to elect for the cash offer.
Earlier today, SABMiller's fourth largest shareholder, South-African based Public Investment Corporation, rejected Anheuser-Busch InBev's previous £42.15 offer, calling it 'too low'.
SABMiller had already branded the £42.15 a share valuation as 'very substantially' under par, having rejected two previous indicative offers from the Stella Artois firm.
Dan Matjila, chief executive of PIC, said: 'They have said the price is too low and we agree with them.'
He added: 'We have confidence in the board and we will rely on their judgement.'
Last week Carlos Brito, chief executive of AB InBev, called the £42.15 per share offer 'full'. But in the absence of the use of the word 'final', sources close to the deal had suggested that the possibility of a higher offer being made remained open.
The Budweiser brewer previously had offers of £38 and £40 rebuffed by SABMIller.
One of the reasons given for PIC's rejection of the £42.15 offer was that it wants more information on AB InBev's proposed secondary listing of the combined brewer on the Johannesburg's bourse, the largest stock exchange in Africa.
Mr Matjila said: 'It may not be in our best interests to liquidate a blue chip counter on the JSE without clearly understanding how that money finds its way back to JSE.'
SABMiller - brewer of South Africa's Castle brand as well as Beroni and Grolsch in Europe - is listed in both London and Johannesburg.
On Friday, SABMiller announced an accelerated cost-savings drive, which some analysts perceived as a defensive move designed to to drive up AB InBev's offer price.
Tony Cross, of Trustnet Direct, said: 'Given the rally put in by the target in response to the original bid, we do have the risk of some weighty downside here too – for now however the market appears to be holding its nerve.’
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The March issue of Practical Classics is on sale now!
In the March 2021 issue of Practical Classics, we tell the story of how a Jaguar XK150 was rescued from the banger track and restored. This remarkable survivor was just moments away from destruction when a father-son team stepped in to save it.
Plus Writer John Simister studies a group of truly unique classics to find out how and why their designers came up with some of the quirkiest cars ever made from Alfa Romeo, Citroën, Fiat and Volvo.
There’s also buying advice and tech tips galore as we pick our favourite MGBs and show you how to buy the best BMW E30 3-Series, while bringing you all the action from the Practical Classics workshop, including editor Danny’s Marina Coupe restoration, to celebrate 50 years of the British Leyland family icon.


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Microsoft says it is not reconsidering the cost structure of its Windows Terminal Server (WTS) thin-client package, writes Jo Pettitt. Over the past few weeks, rumours have spread that, because of users'...
Companies are challenging Amazon in retail and cloud
Cosmetics firm is undergoing a top-to-toe tech refresh with GDPR compliance thrown in
DFS resorts to cloud to help handle spikes in online demand
Economy and business performance not a problem, reckon small firms
Charity engages Braintree to move away from previous payment system which was in danger of failing and losing millions of pounds of donations, admits CTO


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Vinyl Music Sales At A 10 Year High
VINYL bores are a terrible, terrible thing. However, some nice news is that vinyl sales are at a 10 year high. Driving demand are releases from Daft Punk, Arctic Monkeys and David Bowie (and a whole bunch of great compilations and reissues).
Figures are showing that records have crossed the half-million mark already in 2013, which is the first time that’s happened since 2003. Since last year, sales have doubled.
Naturally, the amount of records sold is rather modest, but still encouraging. Music fans have bought 550,000 records thus far, according to analysis of Official Charts Company data by recording industry body the BPI.
BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said: “The LP is back in the groove. We’re witnessing a renaissance for records – they’re no longer retromania and are becoming the format of choice for more and more music fans.”
So why might that be? Well, obviously, downloads of a legal and illegal kind will far outstrip any other format, but for those wanting to spend money on music, vinyl is obviously the best option of the lot.
Well, even though some new vinyl releases have eye-watering prices (many new albums are prices around the £20 mark), they offer something that cassettes and CDs certainly don’t.
For a kick-off, there’s the sheer size of them. 12 inches of artwork and that lovely record inside, pristine and shiny. With that, most new releases come with a free download voucher, so you get the best of both worlds (a wonderful marketing tool for record buyers).
Either way, you can’t help but be thrilled that there’s a load of record buyers out there, still filling their houses up to the point of not being able to move and gazing fondly at their music libraries.
Long may it reign. Just don’t bang on about ‘superior sound quality’ or rolling joints on the sleeve.


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The Illinois Car Dealers Affiliation has appealed a December court docket ruling that authorized EV automakers Rivian and Lucid to proceed cutting out the middleman and offering straight to consumers.
The appeal, submitted Friday in Chicago, troubles that choice and to a significant extent, the evolving EV income model nationwide.
“We imagine the legislation is rather obvious: You just cannot be a company and a supplier,” claimed Joe McMahon, govt director of the Illinois Car Dealers Affiliation. “The Illinois Auto Code fundamentally states that you have to go via franchised dealers.”
Henry Haupt, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s place of work, which licenses vehicle sellers in Illinois, declined to comment on the enchantment.
In December, a Prepare dinner County choose dismissed a 2021 lawsuit introduced by the sellers against the startup EV brands for allegedly violating Illinois auto franchise prerequisites. The court dominated the state was right in issuing seller licenses to Rivian and Lucid, as it had beforehand carried out with Tesla.
The association, which signifies extra than 700 automobile dealers working 2,300 franchises throughout the condition, cited the Illinois Car or truck Code and the Illinois Motor Automobile Franchise Act as mandating that all car sales to the community “must be created through licensed and unbiased franchised” dealers, an argument it is renewing in the enchantment.
Leslie Hayward, head of coverage communications for Rivian, declined to remark, when Lucid Motors did not respond to a ask for for remark on the charm.
Tesla, the leading EV company, pioneered the immediate-to-client revenue model right after the introduction of its Model S in 2012. McMahon statements Tesla was licensed to open up dealerships in Illinois in 2017 as element of a just one-time arrangement with the secretary of point out to prevent litigation.
The vehicle sellers, the secretary of condition and Tesla entered into an administrative consent buy in 2019 agreeing that Tesla could have no extra than 13 vendor licenses in Illinois.
In 2020, the Illinois legal professional general’s workplace issued “an casual opinion” stating that the motor automobile law does not expressly require new companies to create franchise dealerships to sell their autos, opening the doorway for Rivian and Lucid to launch their personal direct-to-client income networks, in accordance to the dealers’ lawsuit.
Fueled by legislation, incentives and consumer demand, EV profits are increasing nationwide, with the industry share a lot more than doubling past 12 months to 5.1% of new auto income through November, according to auto purchasing website Edmunds.
Rivian, the startup EV truck company that released manufacturing at its downstate Ordinary plant in September 2021, has struggled to meet up with increasing demand. The California-based mostly business produced 24,337 automobiles past calendar year, lacking a downwardly revised creation focus on of 25,000.
The transformed Mitsubishi plant has 7,000 personnel and an annual production ability of 150,000 vehicles, but has been hampered by provide chain difficulties. Rivian experienced 114,000 electric powered pickup vans and SUVs on back get as of November, the company stated.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has set the goal of obtaining 1 million electric powered motor vehicles on the highway by 2030. There is however a very long way to go, with 57,311 EVs registered in Illinois as of late December, or a lot less than 1% of the state’s 10.3 million motor vehicles, according to Haupt.
As automakers go electrical and revenue ramp up, Illinois sellers want to continue to be squarely in the blend, McMahon reported.
In addition to the lawsuit in opposition to Rivian and Lucid, the association has submitted a protest with the secretary of state’s business towards Ford, alleging the automaker is withholding allocation of EVs to dealers that don’t “voluntarily” participate in a perhaps costly certification program, McMahon explained.
The grievance, which was brought by 27 Ford dealerships in Illinois, explained the automaker is violating the state’s franchise act by demanding investments of up to $1.5 million per dealership on equipment and personnel coaching the installation of Degree 3 general public charging stations and modifications to their present profits and services agreements which include unique website-dependent income and nonnegotiable pricing on EVs.
Ford, which grew to become the No. 2 EV automaker in the U.S. driving Tesla in 2022, defended the certification program as “doubling down” on dealerships and benefiting customers.
“EVs require specialised gear, teaching and charging infrastructure to aid revenue, company and ownership for our prospects — these are the main features of the Product e EV Plan,” Ford spokesman Marty Gunsberg said in an e mail Friday. “Ford delivered national investment decision estimates when the software was announced with recommendations for sellers to finish their possess owing diligence as the actual value will fluctuate by supplier.”
Gunsberg said 1,920 dealers, or 65% of Ford’s U.S. network, enrolled in the EV application. Through the rollout, “multiple dealers have reported costs coming in properly below Ford’s estimates,” he explained.
At the identical time, Gunsberg acknowledged that some dealers with minimal EV penetration chose not to take part. Dealers will have a next probability to enroll in 2025 as Ford scales its EV generation, he stated.
Haupt declined to remark on the hearing request in advance of the Motor Vehicle Evaluate Board, which is scheduled for Feb. 14 in Chicago.


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The Fiji government is setting up a shipping company with an annual budget of 800,000 US dollars a year.
The Fiji Times quotes the minister for transport, Josefa Vosanibola, as saying the company will not operate any ships but administer the government's shipping franchise scheme.
Under this scheme, the government pays commercial operators subsidies to provide services on uneconomic routes to the outer islands.
In the 1990s the Rabuka government stopped all state-owned shipping services in favour of subsidising services by commercial operators.
Leading Fiji shipping operator and former cabinet minister, Leo Smith, has described the setting up of the new company as stupidity for which taxpayers will have to pay.
Until now the subsidies were handled by the ministry of transport.


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New York Jets Select LiveU Backpack for Live Video Coverage
Tue, 25 Nov 2014 10:00:48 -0500
LiveU has partnered with the NFL’s New York Jets to provide the team’s live video technology solution. LiveU’s LU500 video transmission backpack allows the NY Jets digital media team to transmit live video from any location directly to the team’s website (www.newyorkjets.com), mobile app, and postproduction facility. Currently, with the use of LiveU’s technology, fans can tune in for live coverage of the team’s pre and postgame shows, as well as, selected press conferences and special team events throughout the week.
Weighing only 2.2Lbs (1kg), LiveU’s LU500 live video backpack offers up to 13 network links, including eight internal cellular modems and proprietary antenna technology for high-quality video transmission from anywhere; without requiring satellite trucks, running cables, or any line-of-sight restrictions.
The NY Jets digital media team began utilizing the LU500 in the 2014 preseason to support the team’s training camp programming. After the successful debut of the first unit, the team quickly decided it needed a second LU500 field unit in order to capture all the unique live footage fans crave. Throughout the 2014 season, the NY Jets are able to stream live video from any spot, both at home and on the road, including from the side-line, locker room, stadium tunnels, team hotels and buses, practice facilities, and much more. The LU500 can be fully controlled and managed via LiveU Central, a cloud-based management system for a one-stop destination to control, monitor, and manage all LiveU units, servers, and apps.
“LiveU technology is a game-changer when it comes to fans and content consumption,” said Seth Rabinowitz, Jets SVP of Marketing and Fan Engagement, “With LiveU, we are able to provide our fans with considerably more real-time content so they can hear directly from the team in a timely, unfiltered way.”
“We are very happy to see the Jets leveraging our technology,” said Ken Zamkow, VP Marketing – Americas, LiveU. “With extensive presence in both professional and college sports, LiveU is the gold standard for live video transmission. Whether for game-related content, faster posting of video clips, or even full varsity games, the technology has become an inseparable part of sports production.”
Fresh 4K Camera Offerings Hit Market via RED Digital, JVC
Mon, 24 Nov 2014 12:32:53 -0500
The recent CCW Conference in New York City is typically not known for having world debuts of products but two advances in 4K production at the show provided new options for 4K content creation professionals as well as some fresh product news.
JVC, for example, launched three 4K Ultra HD cameras at the show, including the GY-HM200, a 4K camera can not only record 4K internal recording using a 1/2-.3-inhc BSI CMOS chip but also live HD transmission via built-in WiFi and 4G LTE connectivity. Also unveiled was the GY-LS300 that has JVC’s 4K Super 35mm CMOS sensor combined with a standard Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens mount to provide greater lens choice. Lastly, the GY-HM170 4KCAM compact camcorder was introduced, with the same features as the GY-HM200 minus the WiFi/LTE connectivity.
RED Digital, meanwhile, unveiled its live 4K configuration via a new 4K Broadcast Module.
“What we’ve done with the broadcast module is allow a live image to pass through the built-in FPGA so it is processed and debayered into quad 4K,” says Michael Rintoul, RED Digital Cinema, field operative. “So we can stream live from a camera that was previously just file based.”
In addition, adds Rintoul, an external recorder or a video monitor can also be connected and it can also simultaneously output quad 4K, 1080p, and record on the internal drive at a resolution of up to 6K.
“That allows for three different uses at once,” he adds. “And it is also very compact and scalable so it can be as small or big as the user wants. There are lots of options for lenses, including big box lenses.”
Upcoming live tests with sports broadcasters will prove out the new concept as issues like remote control of imaging exposure have been finalized. Rintoul says it is important to give a sports market that has worked with the RED camera for non-live needs to see a new use.
“RED is not new to broadcast so it’s just getting people to realize the potential of the system and the proper application,” says Rintoul.
Daimler Taps Riedel for Demo of Mercedes-Benz ‘Future Truck 2025'
Fri, 21 Nov 2014 09:25:15 -0500
Riedel Communications, provider of pioneering real-time video, audio, data, and communications networks, announced that Daimler deployed Riedel equipment to provide press and other guests with their first demonstration of the Mercedes-Benz “Future Truck 2025,” the world’s first truck capable of driving autonomously. System integrator XL Video GmbH supplied the Riedel MediorNet Modular real-time media network, Artist digital matrix intercom system, and pure fiber cable used for video and audio transport during the event, staged by creative agency [mu:d] GmbH on a new piece of autobahn.
“In introducing a major achievement for Daimler, we wanted to be certain that guests enjoyed the best possible look at the ‘Future Truck 2025,’” said Tobias Nickels, video project manager, at [mu:d] GmbH. “The quality of the signals delivered over the Riedel network, as well as the flexibility of the network itself, gave us a powerful tool for showcasing the innovation and style of this new truck.”
During the Daimler event near Magdeburg, grandstands for guests were positioned along the roadway to provide a look at the unique Mercedes-Benz truck, which uses a “Highway Pilot” system to drive autonomously at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. A large LED screen displayed live images from different areas of the road during the demonstration, as well as video from three on-board cameras. A wireless receiver site for the on-board camera systems was established near the control room. The Grass Valley LDX cameras used Riedel’s MN-GV-2 cards and local power to interface via fiber into the MediorNet Modular fiber ring, which supported audio and video signal transport.
Initially, two cameras were positioned at the main grandstand and another two at autobahn overpasses. The flexibility of Riedel’s fiber-based network made it easy for [mu:d] and XL Video GmbH to go back and install a third camera on one overpass without needing to run another two kilometers of cabling. The four nodes of the fiber ring were situated in the main control room, at the video wall, and at the two overpasses.
“Riedel equipment sets the standard for live event communications and signal transport, and the performance, versatility, and reliability of the company’s solutions were evident in the quality of the Daimler ‘Future Truck 2025′ event,” said Christian Heinzel, broadcast manager at XL Video GmbH. “We felt extremely comfortable recommending this equipment to [mu:d] and Daimler, and it proved worthy for the high-profile launch of what likely represents the long-haul vehicle of the future.”
Commission Affirms Commitment to Combat Rural Call Completion Problems
Thu, 20 Nov 2014 10:46:11 -0500
The Federal Communications Commission’s experiment exploring how to expand robust broadband in rural America in the most cost-effective way has attracted almost 600 project bids from 181 applicants, representing nearly $885 million worth of projects.
In total, the 181 applicants proposed to serve over 76,000 census blocks in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. In the coming weeks, staff will identify the provisionally winning bidders, who then will be required to submit information demonstrating their financial and technical ability to participate in the $100 million experiment. Finalists that are able to meet financial, technical and other regulatory requirements could launch their experiments as early as spring 2015.
The FCC’s rural broadband experiments will inform the agency’s broader effort to expand rural broadband through its Connect America Fund. They will also inform the FCC’s efforts to ensure that consumers everywhere can benefit from the sweeping technological advances occurring now in the communications industry, while preserving consumer protection, competition, universal service and access to emergency services during these transitions.
Bidders included a diverse group of entities, including competitive providers, electric utilities, wireless internet service providers, and others.
The $100 million available for the experiments is divided into three groups as follows:
- $75 million to test competitive interest in building networks that are capable of delivering 100 Mbps downloads and 25 Mbps uploads (far in excess of the current Connect America Fund standard of 4/1) for the same or lower amounts of support than will be offered to incumbent carriers in Phase II of Connect America
- $15 million to test interest in delivering service at 10/1 speeds in high cost areas
- $10 million for 10/1 service in areas that are extremely costly to serve.
NewTek Names Scott Gentry VP of Worldwide Marketing Communications
Wed, 19 Nov 2014 10:39:36 -0500
Scott Gentry has joined newTek as vice president of worldwide marketing communications with responsibilities for corporate and product positioning, branding and identity, public relations, and ensuring continued customer and worldwide growth in market position.
“Our goal at NewTek is to revolutionize the way that people create video. With new products like TalkShow and TriCaster Mini we plan on expanding the momentum we already have with live production, streaming and replay,” said Dr. Andrew Cross, NewTek president and CTO. “Scott’s background and experience in the media and professional video industry make him ideally suited to lead NewTek’s growth strategy in the year ahead and into the future.”
Prior to joining NewTek, Gentry was founder and CEO of ProVideo Coalition and held a range of executive-level positions in the media industry including DV Magazine, Film & Video, CableWorld, CableFax, and AV Video. He was show director for DV Expo and a founder of StudioDaily.com. His relationship with NewTek started over 25 years ago with the Video Toaster at his automotive-focused production company. He has also worked for ABC Sports, “All My Children,” and the NFL New York Jets and New York Giants.
“Video production, distribution and consumption are increasing at historic rates and NewTek has long been at the center of enabling creative story tellers to do things they didn’t realize they were capable of,” said Gentry. “Whether it’s providing cost-effective alternatives to traditional broadcasters or delivering broadcast-quality capabilities to a new generation of video producers, it’s an exciting time to be joining NewTek and be a part of that great story.”


text: MeetMe, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MEET), the public market leader for social discovery, today announced major upgrades to Chat, the most popular feature of its MeetMe app. Marking what the company believes is the most significant upgrade to the MeetMe app since its launch, the changes include the integration of real-time components and the launch of ephemeral photo-sharing. These upgrades, aimed at increasing user engagement, are rolling out to a small portion of Android users starting today. The company plans to launch fully across both iPhone and Android by the end of April. A demo of the new Chat feature is available at: http://youtu.be/7Zw5UzLZE4A “The goal of this upgrade is to build the best chat experience for meeting new people,” said Geoff Cook, CEO of MeetMe. “Chat is the most used feature of the app, with 50 percent of our daily users sending a message and more than 75 percent receiving a message every day. We believe the power of chat features to drive engagement for mobile apps is evident in WhatsApp’s industry-leading DAU-to-MAU ratio of nearly 70 percent. With this release, we are excited to launch both Snapchat-like photo sharing inside of Chat, as well as real-time message delivery and typing indicators. We believe a differentiated chat offering will retain users longer and make it less likely they will migrate their conversations to third-party chat apps.” MeetMe’s new ephemeral photo-sharing option allows users to send transient photos through the Chat feature. The sender can define an amount of time within a range of 3-10 seconds for his or her photo to be visible after being shared. Additionally, the upgraded Chat system adds real-time elements such as auto-updating and real-time typing indicators, replacing a system originally built upon a web-based messaging architecture. Notably, with these updates, users will no longer need to refresh the screen manually to see new messages.


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The BMW Car Club of America today announced a new three-year agreement that will make Amica the official auto, home, and life insurance partner of the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) through 2024.
The agreement provides Amica exclusive status, a presence at national Club events, and significant exposure via the club’s communication channels, including ads in each issue of the award-winning Roundel and BimmerLife Magazines.
“We are pleased to welcome Amica to the BMW CCA family. Amica is a nationwide insurer with a reputation for providing the boutique-style customer service that our members prefer,” said Frank Patek, BMW CCA executive director.
With more than a century of business know-how to its name, Amica is the oldest mutual insurer of automobiles in the country. It also offers home, marine, personal umbrella liability, and life insurance products. Amica is highly regarded in the industry for providing exceptional, personalized service to its loyal policyholders.
“We’re excited to partner with the BMW CCA and look forward to serving the Club’s members who place their auto, home, and life insurance needs with Amica,” said Gerald Flynn, assistant vice president at Amica.
Amica recognizes the BMW CCA as one of the world’s most prominent enthusiast organizations and a key partner in the industry—with a large membership base and chapters in every major market.
Amica and the BMW CCA share similar values when it comes to providing exceptional service, and take pride in providing a first-class experience for members and policyholders alike.
In 2021, the BMW CCA will celebrate the return of two of the club’s most celebrated events—Legends Of The Autobahn West and O’Fest Forever, presented by Michelin. Legends Of The Autobahn West will be held in Carmel Valley Village, California, on August 14, and O’Fest Forever will take place in Hilton Head, South Carolina, November 3–6. Amica currently plans to have an onsite presence at both events to meet members and introduce its insurance services.


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The Walt Disney Company has two movies currently in theaters Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Strange World. While one movie is doing record numbers, the other is doing the complete opposite.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Strange World sadly bombed over the holiday weekend falling drastically behind projections with $18.6 million. Industry projections had the movie opening anywhere between $30-$40 million, which would have been better but still underwhelming for the dominant animation studio.
Unless things turn around in the next few weeks, which seems unlikely do to mixed reviews, lackluster audience reception, and minimal buzz from marketing, the animated pic could lose up to $100 million from it theatrical run. According to Variety, Strange World would need to make at least $360 million to break even. A Disney+ release, which boosted Encanto, isn’t expected to do the same for Strange World. Marketing was a disaster for this movie and it sadly shows.
Though, there is good news in the form of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The blockbuster sequel dominated the box office weekend for the third weekend in a row, adding $64 million over the five-day stretch. So far, the superhero sequel has grossed $367 million in North America and a mighty $675 million globally.
You can check out our reviews for both Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Strange World here.


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Weekly Market Round Up
21st October 2019
It was a solid if not spectacular week for markets. Global developed markets in aggregate made small gains, with emerging markets having the better of the week. The UK’s FTSE 100 was weak, as the pound continued to strengthen on optimism a Brexit deal could be reached by the October 31st deadline. Uncertainty remained high with regards to the US-China trade war. In addition, further tensions are on the horizon, after the WTO authorized US trade tariffs on goods from Europe. The US earnings season started strongly, albeit expectations were low going into the season.
- Stocks did OK, but sold off slightly at the end of the week.
- Another excellent week for the pound – pushed towards £1.30 vs US dollar.
- Gold was little changed, as were bond yields.
- Earnings season in the US kicked off – stronger than expected bottom line numbers from banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley.
- US retail sales unexpectedly fell 0.3%.
- The Trump administration confirmed tariffs on $7.5bn worth of European goods will soon take effect, after the WTO ruled in the favour of the US.
- Chinese GDP growth slowed to 6%, its slowest pace of growth since the first quarter of 1992.
- In local news, it emerged that Woodford Investment Management would close, after Neil Woodford was stripped of responsibilities on his flagship fund.
- Brexit will continue to feature heavily, as British PM Boris Johnson pushes to get his new Brexit deal through Parliament.
- US earnings season continues with numbers from giants such as McDonalds, Procter & Gamble, Boeing, Caterpillar, Microsoft, Ford, Amazon.com, Intel, Tesla.
- In terms of Economic data, the US will release services and manufacturing PMI data. The Eurozone is also set to release similar data.
Last Week’s Highlights
Stock markets did OK last week, as global developed markets eked out small gains. The week had started strongly, but markets sold off as the week ended. Japanese markets led the way, with UK markets lagging. In terms of sectors, banks performed well, as did healthcare stocks. Poorly performing sectors were energy and technology.
In the UK, the FTSE 100 sold off, but the more domestically focussed FTSE 250 performed well. UK value also outperformed UK growth in the week. The moves were on the back of another good week for the British pound. British PM Boris Johnson and EU leaders agreed a new Brexit deal, but this still needs to be passed through UK Parliament, which is far easier said than done!
The British pound moved towards £1.30 vs the US dollar, territory it has not been at since May earlier this year.
Bond markets were little changed in the week. UK government bonds made small losses, while US treasuries finished flat. UK and US corporate bonds made positive gains with both having a very strong year so far.
In terms of economic data, US retail sales unexpectedly fell 0.3% in September, raising fears that a slowdown in business spending was now spilling over into consumer spending. In addition, China released data that its gross domestic product grew 6%, its slowest quarter of growth since 1992.
Despite positive noises around trade, China announced last week that they wanted to have additional trade talks before signing what President Trump characterised as a “very substantial phase one deal”. In other trade news, the US was given the green light by the World Trade Organisation to hit the EU with $7.5bn worth of tariffs on goods.
The US earnings season kicked off last week, with expectations going into the season of a 4.6% decline on earnings from a year earlier. However, many companies posted stronger-than-expected bottom line numbers, including Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and banking giants such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley.
Equities & Oil: returns are all in base currency, save for Global and Emerging which are in GBP. Bond returns are all shown in GBP. Gold in GBP. Source: Bloomberg.
Another good week for the pound, as it continued its recent resurgence against the US dollar.
Head of Investment Strategy
This communication is prepared for general circulation and is intended to provide information only. The information contained within this communication has been obtained from industry sources that we believe to be reliable and accurate at the time of writing. It is not intended to be construed as a solicitation for the sale of any particular investment nor as investment advice and does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation, capacity for loss, and particular needs of any person to whom it is presented. The investments contained in this communication may not be suitable for all investors. Prospective investors should consider carefully whether any of the investments contained in this communication are suitable for them in light of their circumstances and financial resources.
If you are in any doubt whether any of the investments contained in this communication are suitable, you should speak to your Investment Director, or take appropriate advice from a professional adviser, such as an accountant, lawyer or Financial Adviser authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
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Menswear retailer Moss Bros hailed its new-look stores as it unveiled plans to revamp a further 10 sites in the wake of another surge in sales.
The suit specialist, which has 135 stores in the UK, said it had refurbished and reopened its flagship Regent Street and Bicester Village stores as part of its wider plan to modernise the look and feel of the chain.
The group, which recently sold its Cecil Gee and Hugo Boss stores in order to focus on improving its core Moss business, said the refits had been well-received and a further 10 stores had been chosen for refurbishment in the year to January 2013.
The company, which can trace its roots back to 1851 in London’s Covent Garden, saw shares lift 2 per cent after it reported an 8.9 per cent surge in like-for-like sales in the 16 weeks to May 19.
Chief executive Brian Brick said: “There is no doubt that we are benefiting from the continuing improvement of our product offer and the early stages of the roll out of the refurbishment of our stores in some higher profile locations is reinforcing the strength of the core Moss brand.”
The refits follow the opening of several stores in the new design, which combines its hire, retail and bespoke businesses under one roof, in locations including Canary Wharf, Dublin, Sheffield’s Meadowhall and Bluewater, Kent.
Mr Brick said the refurbishment of stores will help offset any disruption from the Olympic Games, particularly in its central London stores, although the impact on consumer demand, particularly in its hire business, was “difficult to predict”.


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July 22nd, 2008 at 6:15pm
First there was the X5 and then there was the X3. For 2008 BMW is adding a third “X” vehicle to its lineup. The brand-new X6 has been positioned as the sportiest of the company’s crossovers. To backup this claim they’ve given it an exciting power train lineup and a laundry list of virtues. So, does Munich’s latest offering expand the automotive horizon or is it just another crossover? Find out after the jump.
Video after the jump …


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Helping passengers successfully make their way across the airport while reducing stress are two of the key objectives of modern innovation when it comes to airports. Now, a state-of-the-art luggage trolley is preparing to enter the market, hoping to guide, inform and entertain the passenger in heir native language as they make their way to their flight.
Chigoo cTrolley was unveiled at the Eco-Connect Europe 2017 conference in Berlin, Germany, hosted by Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.
According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the volume of air passengers worldwide reached 3.7 billion in 2016. This brings many opportunities to airports and retailers, but it also increases the burden placed on public airport services. By launching the new trolley, Chigoo hopes to ease congestion by helping passengers navigate large, unfamiliar airports quicker and easier, by having all their queries answered in one place.
Built in cooperation with intelligent public service solution provider Chigoo, the multitasking luggage carrier also hopes to help better capitalize on the airport grounds, seen as one of the busiest and most valuable public spaces in the world.
A personal airport guide for new visitors
The digital luggage trolley can be activated it with a simple swipe of their boarding pass across the device’s 13.3” HD touch-screen. It will then display the shortest path to the departure gate and provide the required boarding details, as well as pinpointing the various dining and shopping venues on offer in the departure lounge.
Mainly aimed at those travelling to unfamiliar locations, the multilingual trolley can also answer to real-time flight inquiries, provide boarding guides, travel updates and reminders, as well as entertainment and USB ports for mobile phone charging. So far, users can interact with the luggage carrier in six languages – Chinese, English, German, French, Japanese and Korean.
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Tyler Jin, chief project officer at Chigoo says after two successful trials, they are planning to roll out the trolley at Chongqing, Shanghai and Shenzhen airports in China, as well as across Western Europe in the near future.
Asked why passengers would opt for the cTrolley instead of getting flight updates on their smartphone, Qing Chen, director of transportation and logistics industry business development department of Huawei’s West Europe division, said: “It has a bigger screen than a smartphone and all of the applications are pre-installed so it is perfect for those passengers who are not familiar with the airport and don’t want to download another app on their phone.”
“In the future, as technology advances, the trolley’s battery will have an even longer lifespan,” he added. “Huawei welcomes this very innovative product and we would like to co-operate with other partners in the smart airport technologies field going forwards.”


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Giphy Cam awakens the Force with new Star Wars overlays
Giphy Cam has received a background update which adds new Star Wars-themed overlays to the app, with just a few days to go before the release of the seventh Star Wars film, The Force Awakens.
Full story from the iMore Blog...
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PayPal (s ebay), the online payment giant, has been working its way into physical stores and is now rolling out as a payment option in more than 2,000 Home Depot locations. The eBay division isn’t just targeting retail, however. It’s also making its debut in restaurants and bars with a new partnership with Tabbedout, an Austin, Texas start-up that lets people pay their tabs using an app.
Tabbedout users will be able to add PayPal as a payment option alongside existing choices for credit and debit cards. Users will still need to open a tab using a credit or debit card saved to their Tabbedout account when they enter a participating business. But when it comes time to settle up, they can enter in their email address and password to pay using PayPal. Tabbedout users can then just walk out without having to deal with a waiter.
I like Tabbedout because it addresses a specific use case for paying at restaurants and bars. While a lot of the talk in mobile payments has focused on retail and smaller merchants, there’s still a chance to make mobile payments a big reality in hospitality. Tabbedout, for its part, has done a lot of back-end work to integrate with eight point-of-sale systems that allow it to work in more than 70 percent of the establishments in the U.S., it claims. AisleBuyer and others have also tried to tackle some of this problem.
Tabbedout, however, is only available in about 400 locations across the country, so don’t expect to be able to use it in many places though SXSW visitors will get the first crack at it. PayPal integration will start in Austin before expanding to the rest of Tabbedout’s footprint. Tabbedout founder Rick Orr said PayPal integration has been the biggest request for consumers. He said with PayPal’s brand, the company expects to greatly expand the number of merchants it acquires this year. Tabbedout, which finalized a $5.7 million funding round last year, is also testing a new offers systems that allows merchants to offer discounts to Tabbedout users.
“The last two years has been used to establish integration; it’s a model that didn’t really exist before,” Orr said. “Now, we’re very excited to leverage PayPal’s 106 million users and secure online commerce systmen to bring payments into the offline world of bars and restaurants.”
The PayPal integration is interesting because it shows how the payment company is working to get into real physical locations. Its payment system usually doesn’t require hardware upgrades unlike many NFC-based systems. But it needs software integration to work with existing POS systems. PayPal has been striking deals with POS-terminal makers and software providers to get its in-store system up and running in retail locations. But Tabbedout has done much of the work already at restaurants, so it makes it a good partner for PayPal.
“We have a strong appreciation for the work required to get into the POS systems and we have no desire to replicate any of that ourselves,” said Scott Dunlap, VP of emerging opportunities for PayPal. “Tabbedout’s system is seamless and you can do offers and we just liked it and the fact that for merchant it’s so simple to get up to speed.”
I wonder if PayPal will ultimately just buy Tabbedout or eventually work around it to establish its own connections to restaurants and bars. It could just run it all through its PayPal app, which is already being envisioned as a way to pay at coffee shops and other small eateries. This would be a logical step as it looks to expand payments to the real world. If PayPal can connect into all manner of POS systems, it can move toward becoming a universal digital wallet. Dunlap declined to talk about potential acquisitions, but he said this is just part of a bigger expansion of PayPal’s offline ambitions.
PayPal should have made the move to offline payments a while ago. Instead, it has let companies like Square, Isis and Google (s goog) rise as big competitors. But PayPal seems to be putting the pieces together to make its online payment push a reality. Not everyone likes to use PayPal and some might find it less familiar to use in a real-world setting. But it’s making the investments and securing the deals it needs to be a big contender in mobile payments.