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|By PR Newswire||
|February 28, 2013 12:02 AM EST||
RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* invested nearly $850 million in its Virginia wireless and wireline networks from 2010 through 2012, with a focus on expanding 4G LTE mobile Internet coverage and enhancing the overall performance of its networks.**
AT&T has made nearly 1,400 wireless network upgrades in six key categories in Virginia during 2012, including activating new cell sites, adding capacity, upgrading cell sites to provide fast 4G LTE mobile Internet speeds, deploying high-capacity Ethernet connections to cell sites, and adding or upgrading Distributed Antenna Systems, which boost wireless coverage and capacity in buildings and at major venues like convention halls or sports arenas.
"We know our customers depend on us for fast, reliable mobile Internet connections at home, work and everywhere in between," said Erika K. Thompson-Kemp, AT&T vice president general manager for Virginia and West Virginia. "Delivering for our Virginia customers is a top priority and our ongoing investment here is designed to deliver a superior mobile Internet experience, encompassing speed, coverage and reliability."
AT&T launched 4G LTE in the Richmond area in December 2012. AT&T 4G LTE is the latest generation of wireless network technology and provides faster mobile Internet speeds and improved performance on a variety of mobile smartphones and tablets.
The AT&T 4G LTE network has been nationally recognized for its speed and coverage. AT&T 4G LTE delivered faster average download speeds than any of the competitors in PCWorld's most recent 13-market speed tests, and telecommunications industry analyst firm Frost and Sullivan awarded AT&T its North American Mobile Network Strategy Award for the second year in a row in 2012.
"Broadband access is a priority in the Commonwealth because it is such a powerful driver for economic development," said Barry E. DuVal, president & CEO, Virginia Chamber of Commerce. "This investment by AT&T to expand its mobile Internet network will help more Virginians stay connected in today's fast-moving technological world and it is important to Virginia's long-term prosperity."
"Across Virginia, this robust investment in the AT&T wireless and wireline networks is important to spurring the economy and creating jobs. In our wireless world, mobile and broadband networks help create economic opportunities for health care, manufacturing, education, transportation and public safety and virtually every other economic sector," said J. Michael Schweder, President, AT&T Mid-Atlantic.
Planned Investment to Expand Reach of Wireless and Wired Broadband
AT&T recently launched Project Velocity IP (VIP), a three-year investment initiative to expand and enhance its wireless and wired IP broadband networks. As part of Project VIP, AT&T plans to increase the density of its wireless network by deploying more than 10,000 macro sites, more than 1,000 distributed antenna systems, and more than 40,000 small cells. Through this initiative, we also plan to:
- Expand 4G LTE to cover more than 300 million people by year-end 2014
- Expand the AT&T wired IP broadband network to cover approximately 75 percent of customer locations in our wired service area by year-end 2015
- Expand the AT&T fiber network to reach 1 million additional business locations by year-end 2015
For more information about AT&T's coverage in Virginia or anywhere in the U.S., consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure quality of coverage from a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
**Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. 4G speeds not available everywhere. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Compatible device and data plan required. Learn more at att.com/network.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.
© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.
SOURCE AT&T Inc.
"eFolder does a lot of different things but we protect data and we are focused on protecting data no matter where it resides," explained Carlo Tapia, Product Marketing Manager at eFolder, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at Cloud Expo, held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 1, 2015 04:00 PM EST
The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing rapidly by extending current technologies, products and networks. By 2020, Cisco estimates there will be 50 billion connected devices. Gartner has forecast revenues of over $300 billion, just to IoT suppliers. Now is the time to figure out how you’ll make money – not just create innovative products. With hundreds of new products and companies jumping into the IoT fray every month, there’s no shortage of innovation. Despite this, McKinsey/VisionMobile data...
Dec. 1, 2015 04:00 PM EST Reads: 502
Cloud computing is unquestionably one of the driving forces of DevOps, as the automation of operations transforms enterprise software development. DevOps, however, is more than a technology trend, as it represents a move toward silo-busting, self-organizing horizontal teams that drive business velocity. At the same time, enterprise Digital Transformation represents an upheaval across the enterprise, as customer preferences and behavior drive enterprise technology decisions. This transformation ...
Dec. 1, 2015 03:45 PM EST
Just over a week ago I received a long and loud sustained applause for a presentation I delivered at this year’s Cloud Expo in Santa Clara. I was extremely pleased with the turnout and had some very good conversations with many of the attendees. Over the next few days I had many more meaningful conversations and was not only happy with the results but also learned a few new things. Here is everything I learned in those three days distilled into three short points.
Dec. 1, 2015 03:00 PM EST Reads: 385
Most of the IoT Gateway scenarios involve collecting data from machines/processing and pushing data upstream to cloud for further analytics. The gateway hardware varies from Raspberry Pi to Industrial PCs. The document states the process of allowing deploying polyglot data pipelining software with the clear notion of supporting immutability. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Shashank Jain, a development architect for SAP Labs, discussed the objective, which is to automate the IoT deployment proces...
Dec. 1, 2015 03:00 PM EST Reads: 145
In demand-intensive mobile and web applications, an emerging pattern is to host the Systems of Engagement in the cloud (for maximum responsiveness) but keep the Systems of Record with the other important business systems in the company datacenter, often on a tightly secured mainframe. But what about the space in between? In this IBM Redpaper publication, we show that the IBM Bluemix cloud platform offers technologies that make it easy for cloud-based SoEs to securely connect to on-premises IBM...
Dec. 1, 2015 02:45 PM EST
DevOps is about increasing efficiency, but nothing is more inefficient than building the same application twice. However, this is a routine occurrence with enterprise applications that need both a rich desktop web interface and strong mobile support. With recent technological advances from Isomorphic Software and others, rich desktop and tuned mobile experiences can now be created with a single codebase – without compromising functionality, performance or usability. In his session at DevOps Su...
Dec. 1, 2015 02:45 PM EST Reads: 448
As organizations realize the scope of the Internet of Things, gaining key insights from Big Data, through the use of advanced analytics, becomes crucial. However, IoT also creates the need for petabyte scale storage of data from millions of devices. A new type of Storage is required which seamlessly integrates robust data analytics with massive scale. These storage systems will act as “smart systems” provide in-place analytics that speed discovery and enable businesses to quickly derive meaningf...
Dec. 1, 2015 02:15 PM EST Reads: 451
In his keynote at @ThingsExpo, Chris Matthieu, Director of IoT Engineering at Citrix and co-founder and CTO of Octoblu, focused on building an IoT platform and company. He provided a behind-the-scenes look at Octoblu’s platform, business, and pivots along the way (including the Citrix acquisition of Octoblu).
Dec. 1, 2015 02:00 PM EST Reads: 549
In his General Session at 17th Cloud Expo, Bruce Swann, Senior Product Marketing Manager for Adobe Campaign, explored the key ingredients of cross-channel marketing in a digital world. Learn how the Adobe Marketing Cloud can help marketers embrace opportunities for personalized, relevant and real-time customer engagement across offline (direct mail, point of sale, call center) and digital (email, website, SMS, mobile apps, social networks, connected objects).
Dec. 1, 2015 01:45 PM EST Reads: 358
OpsHub, Inc. has announced enhanced support for DevOps and Migration for both Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio On-line in a heterogeneous environment. With added support for build and release entities in OpsHub Integration Manager (OIM) Microsoft customers can now leverage Visual Studio build and release services to manage DevOps processes in a heterogeneous environment. With the enhanced support customers can manage the DevOps process in Team Foundation Server while undertaking activit...
Dec. 1, 2015 01:42 PM EST
The buzz continues for cloud, data analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT) and their collective impact across all industries. But a new conversation is emerging - how do companies use industry disruption and technology enablers to lead in markets undergoing change, uncertainty and ambiguity? Organizations of all sizes need to evolve and transform, often under massive pressure, as industry lines blur and merge and traditional business models are assaulted and turned upside down. In this new da...
Dec. 1, 2015 01:15 PM EST Reads: 309
SYS-CON Events announced today that Catchpoint, a global leader in monitoring, and testing the performance of online applications, has been named "Silver Sponsor" of DevOps Summit New York, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016 at the Javits Center in New York City. Catchpoint radically transforms the way businesses manage, monitor, and test the performance of online applications. Truly understand and improve user experience with clear visibility into complex, distributed online systems.Founde...
Dec. 1, 2015 12:15 PM EST
With all the incredible momentum behind the Internet of Things (IoT) industry, it is easy to forget that not a single CEO wakes up and wonders if “my IoT is broken.” What they wonder is if they are making the right decisions to do all they can to increase revenue, decrease costs, and improve customer experience – effectively the same challenges they have always had in growing their business. The exciting thing about the IoT industry is now these decisions can be better, faster, and smarter. Now ...
Dec. 1, 2015 12:00 PM EST Reads: 311
In recent years, at least 40% of companies using cloud applications have experienced data loss. One of the best prevention against cloud data loss is backing up your cloud data. In his General Session at 17th Cloud Expo, Sam McIntyre, Partner Enablement Specialist at eFolder, presented how organizations can use eFolder Cloudfinder to automate backups of cloud application data. He also demonstrated how easy it is to search and restore cloud application data using Cloudfinder.
Dec. 1, 2015 12:00 PM EST Reads: 234


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Alibaba, the Chinese tech giant, is unable to buy some of its most advanced chip designs after Arm found the US and UK would not approve licenses to export the technology to China.
The British company concluded that the US and UK would not approve the sale of its latest Neoverse V series because the performance was too high, according to people with knowledge of the sales process. The move affects Alibaba’s T-Head chip unit and other Chinese corporations.
It’s the first known time that Arm, which is owned by Japanese tech investor SoftBank, has decided it can’t export its cutting-edge designs to China.
Neoverse V falls under Wassenaar – a multilateral agreement involving 42 nations to prevent dual-use technology from being diverted for military use – but Arm would need US and UK export licenses to sell the technology.
The finding comes two months after the US imposed strict export controls to prevent China from receiving advanced chips or securing the technology and equipment to manufacture high-end semiconductors domestically.
Paul Triolo, a China and technology expert at consulting firm Albright Stonebridge Group, said the US Commerce Department’s Oct. 7 export controls also updated restrictions in a way that impacted the type of technology Arm produces.
“Key players in the semiconductor supply chain, including key IP players like Arm. . . must determine whether the features provided in their offerings meet or exceed the technical requirements of the new one [October 7] Trade regulations,” said Triolo.
While Arm could apply for licenses to sell the technology, given the US strategy of denying China technology that could have military applications, the chances of success are slim. When the US introduced the new measures in October, it stressed that there would be a presumption to deny licenses to export technology related to advanced chips to China.
Arm, which is headquartered in the UK but has significant offices in the US, is seen as vulnerable to the Biden administration’s use of export controls aimed at Beijing. Like tech companies around the world, Chinese companies rely heavily on Arm’s designs to build devices from smartphones to servers.
“We feel like the western world sees us as second-class citizens,” said an engineer at Alibaba’s T-Head. “They will not sell us good products even if we have money.”
The engineer said the US sanctions would create a two-tier system, noting that Neoverse V, released last year, was already being used by Amazon Web Services in the US for its cutting-edge cloud computing chip.
Arm’s intellectual property underlies most chips around the world and is used by most companies developing cutting-edge technologies.
Heightened tensions between China and the US have already prompted some Chinese chip companies to consider using an increasingly sophisticated open-source alternative to Arms designs called Risc-V.
Arm sells design architectures for processors—the electronic chips in a computer that perform logical functions—and for the “cores,” the units within the processor that receive and process information.
Over the past year, Arm has released several new core designs, including the Neoverse N2 and Neoverse V1 and V2, the latter of which are the most powerful cores to date, with designs characterized as having US origins.
Chinese companies have been prevented from purchasing Neoverse V2 and its previous generation V1 due to the US and UK export controls associated with the technologies listed under Wassenaar, according to two people briefed on the reasons for the move.
The multilateral export control agreement was signed in 1996 by more than 40 nations, including the UK, US and EU member states, to limit the sale of weapons and products that could have a dual military purpose.
Arm preemptively determined that it could not sell the intellectual property to China because it is a “US-origin” technology that falls under Wassenaar’s purview and would require an export license from Washington.
Arm said that as a global company, it is “committed to complying with all applicable export laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which it operates.”
The UK government said it does not comment on individual license applications, but noted that it “is committed to supporting UK businesses and academia to work with China in a way that reflects UK values and addresses national security concerns”.
The US did not respond to a request for comment. Alibaba declined to comment.
The US is trying to persuade key European and Asian chip allies, notably the Netherlands and Japan, to introduce strict export controls on chip equipment. The US needs help from its allies to complement the strict controls imposed on American semiconductor toolmakers by the Biden administration in October.
An executive at another chip design house in Shenzhen said that after the collapse of SoftBank’s $66 billion sale of Arm to Nvidia earlier this year, many Chinese chip engineers have regained confidence in using Arms designs without fear that they would later be excluded from the supply chain.
But he said the company realized “how naive” it was when told it couldn’t buy Neoverse V1 for high-end chips it was developing for cloud computing. The executive added that it had become clear that the decision was “not about money” but about export controls.
The move to N2 means the company will “take longer to reach our goals,” he added, because “V1’s overall performance will kill N2 on all fronts.”
A person close to Arm said the company is working with Alibaba and other Chinese partners to find solutions to help them meet their performance needs while complying with the latest export controls.

domain: news


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Prestigious Fashion Designer To Unveil Spring Line in City
Pauline Trigere, one of the country's best-known designers, will bring her retrospect collection and new spring line to Oklahoma City Feb. 26.
Ruth Meyers Inc. will sponsor Trigere's visit, which will be highlighted by a luncheon and fashion show at the Quail Creek Golf and Country Club. The event will benefit the Fashion Group.
Trigere's clothes are closer to couture in their design and fashion than ready-to-wear. And the practicality and timeless elegance of her impeccably cut clothes continue to attract a faithful clientele.
The $90 billion apparel market is showing great stability.
Men get an average of 33 new garments per year, while women acquire 53, says a five-year study of apparel trends published by MRCA Information Services of Stamford, Conn. Other findings in MRCA's "Apparel Trends '80-'84" include: Women bought 16 million suits in 1980 and 24 million in 1984, while men's suit sales fell from 27 million to 18 million.
Women's nightgown purchases declined, but pajama sales were up dramatically.
Girdle purchases declined by 25 percent; brassiere purchases have been declining, but rose 13 percent last year.
Women spent $135 million more on socks in 1984 than in 1980, and they bought 45 million fewer stockings.
Purchases of leotards/body suits/tights for women nearly doubled in five years, from 20 million to 39 million.
The Guthrie Job Corps Center has established a club called the Essence of Fashion.
The club, directed by Lyndah White, is designed to develop skills in fashion design, merchandising and modeling.
White has a bachelor of science degree in vocational home economics and a double master of science degree in fashion/design and counseling with specialization in high fashion. She also is a fashion designer. BIOG: NAME:
Archive ID: 254385


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TOYOTA CITY: Japanese auto giant Toyota Motors said that it is developing a high-precision map generation system which it will showcase at Consumer Electronics Show 2016 in Las Vegas, which will be held between January 6 to 9.
The map will use data from on-board cameras and GPS devices installed in production vehicles. It will gather road images and vehicle positional information. This information is sent to data centers, where it is automatically pieced together, corrected and updated to generate high precision road maps that cover a wide area.
Toyota's newly developed system uses automated cloud-based spatial information generation technology (developed by Toyota Central R&D Labs) to generate high precision road image data from the databanks and GPS devices of designated user vehicles.
Although Toyota did admit that a system relying on cameras and GPS in this manner has a higher probability of error than a system using three-dimensional laser scanners, it said that positional errors can be mitigated using image matching technologies that integrate and correct road image data collected from multiple vehicles, as well as high precision trajectory estimation technologies. This restricts the system's margin error to a maximum of 5 cm on straight roads.
Until now, map data for automated driving purposes has been generated using specially-built vehicles equipped with three-dimensional laser scanners. The vehicles are driven through urban areas and on highways, and data is collected and manually edited to incorporate information such as dividing lines and road signs. Due to the infrequent nature of data collection, maps generated in this manner are seldom updated.
To support the spread of automated driving technologies, Toyota plans to include this system as a core element in automated driving vehicles that will be made available in production vehicles by around 2020. While initial use of the system is expected to be limited to expressways, future development goals include expanding functionality to cover ordinary roads and assist in hazard avoidance.
As part of the plan, called the "Big Leap" internally, the maker of the Innova and Fortuner has shut its India facility for over a month starting Christmas to recast it for higher output and make way for the production of a mainstream SUV (codenamed D22) to challenge Hyundai Creta and a multipurpose vehicle (codenamed 560B).


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It’s been over a year since we’ve premiered “Suor Noturno”, the fifth track of the debut album by Ricardo Remédio, “Natureza Morta”. Today, the wait is over and we are proud to have the full record exclusively available for stream before its official release on October 3, via Dissociated Records, a Signal Rex subsidiary. Known for his electronic infused doom outfit Löbo, which has recently returned to activity, and for the dark electronics of RA, “Natureza Morta” marks the first time Ricardo Remédio releases a record under his own name, also displaying a rather mature sound when compared to his earlier forays into the genre, creating an engulfing tapestry of electronic music with industrial overtones and soothing atmospheres, albeit without either taking over the compositions – it’s fitting, really, that its release comes quite close to the new WIFE EP, “Standard Nature”, as they go quite well together.
“Natureza Morta” marks yet another collaboration between the Portuguese musician and an illustrious name, after the series of remixes that RA‘s Rancor undertook at the hands of JK Flesh and Necro Deathmort to name a few. This time, the one and only Daniel O´Sullivan has joined Ricardo Remédio on production. Finally, it’s worth highlighting the unique package the record is set come in. Besides the digital and 12” vinyl formats, both the USB skull displayed behind the title of this piece and its version encased in a pyramid displayed above will both be available in editions respectively limited to 45 and 25 copies. The skull itself and parts of the pyramid casing are made of 3D printed glow-in-the-dark PLA filaments, a biodegradable material produced from renewable sources. In other words, that which you can and should stream below will be available in a sustainable and unique packaging.
Mere days after the official release date of October 3, Ricardo Remédio is set to open for Nothing, in both their Lisbon and Porto appearances respectively scheduled for the 7th and the 8th.


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April 16, 2019
Italian fashion label Gucci is finding inspiration from very different time periods for its pre-fall 2019 campaign, which celebrates creativity, conversation and self-expression.
Set to a psychedelic soundtrack, Gucci’s latest film features groups of young people participating in activities that are not typical for the luxury label, including surfing and camping. The backdrop of ancient ruins also imbues the campaign with a sense of timelessness.
“Gucci is a living brand that really showcases the individuality of the person that wears it,” said Kimmie Smith, cofounder, creative director and stylist at Athleisure Mag. “It is meant to be worn throughout one’s lifestyle regardless of where it takes them.
“It’s a carefree brand, which is showcased throughout this film,” she said. “The film’s unique nature is the fact that it embraces a carefree lifestyle that incorporates boho aesthetic, Woodstock elements and just enjoying life no matter how randomly it comes together.”
Ms. Smith is not affiliated with Gucci, but agreed to comment as an industry expert. Gucci was reached for comment.
Gucci’s pre-fall 2019 campaign is the latest joint effort between the brand's creative director Alessandro Michele and photographer/director Glen Luchford.
Although the film was shot at Sicily’s Selinunte Archaeological Park, the men and women featured in the campaign partake in activities more reminiscent of California’s Venice Beach.
Gucci’s pre-fall 2019 campaign was directed by Glen Luchford
An offbeat, irreverent tone is immediately established as Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” begins to play and golden morning sunlight shines on ocean waves.
A group of surfers leaves the Mediterranean waters and begin walking towards the seaside ruins.
Punks sporting mohawks, black leather jackets and heavy makeup are perched by the ancient walls, taking in the scenery. As the surfers arrive at the peak of the ruins, they walk by others who are camped out in tents or carrying bicycles.
At the acropolis, a large group is watching a pickup basketball game.
The crowd watching from the steps of the ruins includes more punks, while others are wearing streetwear-style sneakers and jackets. Yet another group appears to be made of artists wearing more conservative yet colorful clothing.
The camera continues to pan alongside the ruins, showing smaller gatherings of people. This includes a partially-nude couple next to a tent, a woman roller-blading and another woman stepping on a tightrope next to a kissing couple wearing Grecian-inspired togas.
Gucci pre-fall 2019. Image courtesy of Gucci
Carefree spirits pose together for photos, while others dance onstage or lift weights among the ruins.
To supplement the campaign, Gucci has launched a digital photo booth so fans can place themselves among the ruins. The Gucci mobile application will also contain exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot, including one campaign story that can only be accessed by app users who are near a Gucci store.
Gucci and Mr. Michele similarly borrowed from another era in American popular culture for the label’s spring/summer 2019 campaign.
A vintage-inspired film recreated movie musical moments with singers and dancers dressed in Gucci. In addition to the film, Gucci also shared red carpet interviews with the models on social media to coincide with awards season.
“Gucci Showtime” was also directed by Mr. Luchford and took inspiration from films such as “An American in Paris” and “Singin’ in the Rain” (see story).
The pre-fall campaign differs, however, because it incorporates pieces that arguably more wearable and inspired by streetwear.
Gucci has been among the luxury brands to embrace the streetwear aesthetic. As the casualization of fashion becomes more mainstream, Gucci has seen its search volume grow by by 249.8 percent since 2015 (see story).
“The clothing showcased [by Gucci] amplifies how this brand is one that you could see anywhere and on anyone,” Athleisure Mag’s Ms Smith said. “It’s this ease that draws in the consumer to imagine where they would wear these items and the versatility too in the various locations that it can be worn.”


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2022 "Eco Apparel for Life" Catalog is Now Available
Through its sustainable sourcing practices, every product in production is now being made with recycled fabrics and insulation from post-consumer waste such as plastic bottles, sustainable components, and/or is Bluesign® or Oeko-Tex® certified.
“Since we began transitioning our products more than three years ago, we have saved more than 7.5 million plastic bottles from ending up in oceans and landfills, transforming them into fashion-forward styles,” said Storm Creek President Doug Jackson. “We continually strive to make our product better and better. To say we’re an all eco apparel company is an extremely significant milestone for us – and it’s a dream come true for me,” he said.
Storm Creek released its 2022 catalog in October, dubbed “Better Product. Better Planet. Eco apparel for Life.” Each item in the catalog contains a bottle count showing a range of how many recycled bottles are used to make the garments. Specific bottle counts per garment are available on its website.
Jackson continued, “Our focus as seekers of better is a world-first ethos – it’s the heart of who we are as a company. As proud members of 1% for the Planet, we donate a portion of sales annually to support organizations that create positive environmental change.”
As product arrives from factories overseas, there will be mixed stock in some instances during the final transition. Jackson says Storm Creek will be fulfilling older inventory first but encourages customers to contact the sales team for specific information about stock.
Despite supply chain delays that have impacted suppliers throughout the industry, Storm Creek has many styles on-shelf that are deep in inventory and is offering weekly updates to distributors about deep stock. A deep-inventory report is also available on the company’s distributor website.
To request a copy of the 2022 Storm Creek catalog, visit


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AT&T is rolling out FaceTime over Cellular for tiered data plans on all devices at no extra cost! Sadly grandfathered unlimited plan users are left out. Previously AT&T only allowed FaceTime over cellular with shared data plans on a LTE device.
Now supported devices such as the iPhone 4S, third generation iPad and newer, and lastly the iPad mini will be available to use FaceTime over cellular once it is rolled out to you. At&t said “the update will be applied automatically over the next few months”.
So for some people, this change is greatly welcomed, but for some reason Skype can be used on all plans for video calls, yet At&t limits FaceTime, which to lots of people and including me it makes no sense.
Source: AT&T Blog


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The Supreme Court Appointed Special Investigation Team has made a startling recommendation today over the issue of Black Money. The SIT recommended a ban on cash transactions above 3 Lakh Rupees, to curb black money and high volume cash transactions.
While the Govt of India is yet to respond to the recommendation, there are reports that it may respond favourably. There may be an enhancement of the ceiling from the recommended 3 Lakhs to 5 Lakhs or 10 Lakhs. But even then, this measure, if passed into law, will have a huge impact on Tollywood.
Tollywood is an Industry where a lot of transactions still take place in cash. Many artistes and suppliers do not have proper income tax returns etc and they will all be forced to go the ‘white money’ route if this law comes into force. Even if it may prove to be a minor hiccup initially, this may be a good thing for the economy and for the country as a whole.
- Mahesh’s heroine says she’ll remain single till her marriage
- Veteran director ready with a never seen before story on Telugu screen
- Mahesh announces Spyder’s teaser release date
- Young heroine has no regrets missing out on Pawan’s film
- Films maybe out of young beauty’s life, not kickboxing
Articles that might interest you


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“Investors flood the region with cash as chase for unbanked intensifies” – Nikkei Asian Review
According to the FinTech in ASEAN report released by United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB), PwC and Singapore FinTech Association (SFA), venture capital funding in 2014 was only $35 million. Over the past five years, total FinTech investment has boomed, reaching $679 million in 2018, $1.14 billion in 2019. With Vietnam’s regional FinTech venture capital funding soaring from just 0.4% in 2018, to 36% in 2019.
Increase of capital funding in the region is mainly driven by the annual growth of digital payments industry. Singapore’s FinTech scene, which makes up 45% of SEA’s FinTech firms, remains well diverse across a broad range of industry led by insurance technology, payments and personal finance.
However, FinTech firms are still facing a few key challenges when expanding across the region, this includes finding and retaining talented employees. Chia Hock Lai, President of the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA) commented, “Fintech firms need to consider if there is suitable and abundant expertise at the location they have chosen to scale their business.”
Click here to read more.
Latest posts by Editorial Staff (see all)
- Anu Gupta, Director at Asia PR Werkz: “We have to be cautious, but work has to move on.” - February 20, 2020
- SFA celebrated 2020 Chinese New Year Lo Hei 2020 & 80RR Event Area Opening - February 11, 2020
- FinTech 4 Schools: Students from Holy Innocents’ High School and CHIJ Secondary visited SFA - January 17, 2020


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For the second week in a row, The Last of Us continues to reign supreme at the top of the UK charts. Following Naughty Dog’s masterpiece is Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which continues to hold steady at #2, unable to take the top spot. This has been a quiet week: MotoGP 13, the only new release on the charts, only managed to breach the top 20 chart at 15.
FIFA 13 came in at third and Tomb Raider at fourth. Rockstar’s Max Payne 3 did jump to fifth due to a newly bestowed £10 price tag on both consoles.
Top 10 UK Software Sales (All Formats); week ending June 22:
- The Last of Us
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf
- FIFA 13
- Tomb Raider
- Max Payne 3
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
- Far Cry 3
- Injustice: Gods Among Us
- Assassin’s Creed 3
- Grid 2
GameStop sent out a memo this morning to their employees notifying them that Sony has allowed them to start taking “unlimited” pre-orders for the PS4, saying: “Starting now, through this weekend and until further notice, Sony has allowed us to take unlimited preorders beyond your current allotments. In other-words, the flood gates are open for PS4 system reserves, we will let you know when to stop preordering based on limited quantities.” GameTrailers, who initially published the leaked memo, also noted that apparently one GameStop store started with 24 PS4 pre-orders, and saw that number rise to 138 by the day’s end. Speaking with SCEA CEO Jack Tretton last week, GameStop execs reportedly stated that they’d buy every single unit that could be manufactured.
“Starting now, through this weekend and until further notice, Sony has allowed us to take unlimited preorders beyond your current allotments. In other-words, the flood gates are open for PS4 system reserves, we will let you know when to stop preordering based on limited quantities.”
It looks like the flood gates have opened. Who’s placed a pre-order yet, or plans on reserving a PlayStation 4? Any thoughts on whether or not there will be shortages? Sound off in the comments below.
Battlefield 4 is facing some fierce competition this fall, especially from Call of Duty: Ghosts, followed by Destiny and Titanfall post release, but DICE’s Patrick Bach remains confident, believing that competition for Battlefield 4 is good for the industry.
In an interview with Gamespot, he also mentioned that he’s working hard to ensure that the franchise doesn’t get diluted, saying “I think [competition is] beneficial for everyone … Consumers, first, of course, they get more choice. For us, we need to think about what is Battlefield really about so we don’t dilute the franchise in any way. We need to focus down on what makes Battlefield awesome, and make it even more awesome.”
“And I think Battlefield 4 hopefully is a good testament that we’re doing that. I can’t really see any downside to having multiple games being great. I’m happy for the consumer, first, and I think we will step up our game to fight the competition even harder. We think we have the best game; we need to prove it.”
Expect to see Battlefield 4 hit store shelves in October for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. The PS4 and Xbox One editions will be released when the consoles launch.
IO Interactive has announced the layoffs of half of their staff. The developer of Hitman Absolution sent out a statement, saying “we are making significant changes at IO Interactive as we align our business against a changing and challenging market.” Former Production Director Hannes Seifert will be manning the helm as the company’s new Studio Head.
With a less than expansionary outlook for the future, the company announced that from here on out, they’ll “focus resolutely on the future vision for the Hitman franchise and is in pre-production on a new triple-A Hitman project,” while making “difficult decision to cancel other studio projects and initiatives at IO, which will impact almost half of the employees currently at IO, as we make internal adjustments to face the challenges of today’s market.” The statement concludes with:
“For those affected, we are extremely grateful for the hard work which they have contributed, and where it’s possible and appropriate to relocate staff to open positions at other studios within the group, we will try to do so. We are also reaching out to other companies for outplacement opportunities. We sincerely wish them well in their future careers.
Meanwhile, if you are part of a company that is looking for additional development talent, please contact us directly at firstname.lastname@example.org.”
After being unveiled at the VGAs last Friday, the official story trailer for Naughty Dog’s upcoming The Last of Us leaked to the internet for everyone to see. And if you were expecting an Uncharted-like experience, you won’t find it here. In this latest trailer, the Infected make their first appearance in in-game footage, death is everywhere, humans are just as dangerous as ever, and survivors have anything but an easy, well, survival.
Naughty Dog announced that The Last of Us is scheduled for a May 7th North American and European release date.
The guys over at Dual Pixels claim to have unearthed information about the PS3’s upcoming successor. According to their source, the PlayStation 4 will not be named after the PlayStation 3, but will be given the name PlayStation Omni.
Apparently the PS Omni’s hardware will be able to produce graphics as well as Direct X 11-backed technology, like Unreal Engine 4 and Frostbite 2. The Omni will be superior than the Wii U, which is expected, but not significantly — the same source says that the new Xbox will be more powerful than the Omni. Continue reading
While the Xbox 360 sold 750,000 units on Black Friday, Sony’s Black Friday sale also proved to be a success (a highly needed one), with the company moving over 525,000 PS3s and 160,000 Vitas (finally, some more positives for the handheld). On the shopping holiday, PS3 bundle sales increased by 15%, while total hardware, software, and peripheral sales increased too. Sony attributed the success to the Ultimate PlayStation Value Bundle, which included a 250GB PS3 and the Uncharted Dual Pack and inFAMOUS Collection for $199, and “Quickly sold out at retailers across the U.S.”
The Vita, which really needed the boost in sales numbers, also managed to move units off store shelves. The Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation bundle sold out at retail in less than five hours, while the Black Ops: Declassified and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Bundles were gone by week’s end. Also, PlayStation Plus subscriptions jumped by 259% compared to last Black Friday’s number.
Well done, Sony.
Although Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 raked in over $500 million on launch day, Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia claims that the game’s sales during its first year “could ultimately be down 10 to 15% year-over-year.” In an industry note, the analyst noted:
“Our checks show initial sales of CoD: Black Ops 2 at some retailers were down as much as 20%. Subsequently, it appears sales of CoD did pick up a bit over the Thanksgiving holiday. We think the current sales curve suggests unit sales in its first year could ultimately be down 10 to 15% year-over-year.
If we are right, this would be the second year in a row this critical franchise will have seen units decline. We estimate CoD generates 40 to 45% of the company’s EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) on an annual basis and it goes without saying that weakness in this franchise is a cause for concern.”
If you’re having a hard time believing this, you’re probably not alone. The analyst does offer up two good reasons for the future decline: Halo 4 and customers waiting for the holiday sales to start rolling out.
In an interview with Polygon, Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot stated that the length of this generation’s console cycles has hurt the games industry. In the wake of the Wii U’s recent launch, and the upcoming launches of the Xbox 720 and PS4 within the next two years, he called for platform manufacturers to make the next-generation of consoles come to an and quicker than this generation’s.
“I think that what has happened is the transition has been very long. You know, in the industry, we were used to changing machines every five years. This time we are in the seventh year of the 360.
Great move, Sony. The company today released the public version of the PlayStation Mobile SDK, allowing independent developers to create content for the Vita, PS3, and other certified devices, and sell them on the PlayStation Store.
For the annual cost of $99, developers can create apps for the Vita, PS3, PSP, and PlayStation Certified Android devices. Sony is also offering development support to the community.
Although it’s a move that Sony should’ve made earlier (like, say, closer to the Vita’s launch), it’s still a great one. Surely this will get more developer and consumer support behind the Vita and help to boost sales.


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Business confidence continues to climb, but the latest BusinessNZ Planning Forecast expects the economy will be slow to show significant signs of improvement over the forecast period to March 2026.
BusinessNZ Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard says economic results remain a mixed bag in 2024.
“Improved results in business confidence can be partly attributed to the Government’s intention to reduce regulatory burden, including the recent introduction of a resource consenting fast-track.
“But other factors having a positive impact include sentiment that inflation has peaked, along with increased net migration numbers being at an all time high.
“Across many sectors, the reality is that businesses are still doing it tough with a range of factors impacting on investment, profitability and sales. New Zealand’s manufacturing sector remains in negative territory according to the latest BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index.
“So while businesses are more positive about our economic future, the reality is that we’re not out of the woods yet.”
The overall BusinessNZ Economic Conditions Index (a measure of NZ’s major economic indicators) sits at 4 for the March 2024 quarter, an improvement of 2 on the previous quarter and an improvement of 1 on a year ago. The Index tracks 33 economic indicators including GDP, export volumes, commodity prices, inflation, debt, and business and consumer confidence.
The full planning forecast is available now on the BusinessNZ website.


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Dimenco has announced the global launch of its SR hardware development kit at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The development kit includes a next-generation user interface and platform for the creation of high-quality interactive experiences without any wearables and will be available for developers in the second half of 2019.
Consisting of an 8K 32” glasses-free 3D super high-resolution display that integrates eye tracking, sensors for mid-air hand gesture, spatial sound, a directional microphone with echo cancellation and embedded signal processing, the development kit’s unique multi-sensory combination is the future of human-computer interaction.
Dimenco’s development kit includes software for developers to seamlessly create SR applications using three of the top game engines in the market today, including Unity, Unreal Engine, and Amazon Lumberyard; enabling developers to port their existing virtual reality content to the SR platform and the SR app store.
2019 will see the growth of the SR ecosystem across multiple platforms, industries and applications. Using Dimenco’s proprietary SR technology, makers of monitors, laptops, tablets, phones and other devices will be able to integrate SR into their product lines with the first consumer products expected in 2020.
Maarten Tobias, CEO of Dimenco, said: “While the market for immersive content is growing around the world, wearable headsets, glasses and controllers needed for virtual and augmented reality don’t provide the optimal and most natural experience, which is hindering growth and adoption. We are dedicated to creating the interactive platform of the future – Our vision is simulated reality. Realism, social interactivity, immersion and AI can all be achieved through SR experiences, and we are enabling developers to start creating for SR now with our devkit.”
Dimenco has partnered with Ultrahaptics, whose breakthrough haptic technology uses ultrasound to create rich, three-dimensional shapes and textures that can be felt, bringing haptic feedback to its 3D display technology. Ultrahaptics’ technology, tools and expertise add amazing haptics to virtual objects, develop immersive holographic interfaces, and augment gesture control with natural tactile feedback unlocking the true potential of touch. Mid-air haptics will revolutionize how we interact, creating a safer, cleaner and more magical world. The technology is being used in multiple applications, from automotive controls to location-based entertainment including VR, AR and now SR.
The partnership has produced wearable-free, 3D graphics that users can interact with and feel with their bare hands. Combining the sense of touch to the SR experience brings a new dimension to the experience, heightens immersion and brings about a whole new form of interaction with digital media.
Steve Cliffe, CEO of Ultrahaptics said of the partnership: “Adding the sense of touch to digital content makes it come to life. Experiences are much more immersive and engaging. We are therefore very excited to partner with Dimenco on the Simulated Reality developer kit to create the most natural interactive platform from which developers can create immersive and magical content.”
The XR market is expected to exceed $150 billion by 2021 (source: Digi-Capital). Dimenco is at the forefront of immersive user experiences with its proprietary SR technology that enables developers to create and innovate in this new medium.
Dimenco’s SR development kit is now available. To learn more and sign-up for access, visit www.dimenco.eu.


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The latest RPI inflation figure could lead to retailers facing a damaging £350m rise in business rates next April, the British Retail Consortium has warned.
The convention is that business rates in England, Scotland and Wales rise each April in line with the previous September's RPI, which today has been announced as 5.6% - the highest level for 20 years.
Last April, retailers had to cope with a 4.6% increase in rates, and the BRC is urging the Government to consider the damage to jobs and investment that would be done by another increase on that scale, and make sure next year's rise is considerably lower.
BRC director general Stephen Robertson said: "Basing business rates rises on the previous September's RPI is a lottery and retailers have just seen a losing number come up. With trading conditions staying tough, an increase on this scale would have a hugely detrimental effect on retailers' ability to invest and create jobs.
"Retailers already pay 28% of all business rates, a bigger proportion than any other sector. They were expected to cope with a near-5% increase this year. Some didn't survive it. It cannot be right to hit them with another massive blow next April. The Government should impose a much lower increase and, for the longer-term, review the system so that future increases are more predictable and more affordable."


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Remember the iHub? It is a pretty cool-looking USB hub which comes with a nice glowing Apple logo on top while providing four USB ports for all your USB-connectivity goodness. It is now available on our store, for just $6.
There is only a few days left until the announcement of the iPad 2, and just a few hours ago, we received this picture showing a mockup of the iPad 2 from a case supplier in Shenzhen. He told us that Apple’s iPad 2 will look like this mockup, and they are using this to test out the iPad 2 cases they are exporting to the United States.
Not only Apple is boosting its presence in China, Dell is doing the same too! Dell is aiming to set up more than 2,000 commercial experience centers, and establishing about 1,000 after-sales service sites across the country. This project will make a great future for Dell in the Chinese market if everything goes well. Maybe?
Apple is planning to open more flagship stores in China, including two in Hong Kong. And guess what, Apple needs to spend at least 40 million USD for those two new Apple stores to be built in HK. Both stores will be opened by the end of this year.
Making touchscreens for iPhone is not easy. Reuters reports that a group of Wintek employees that were poisoned during the production of Apple touchscreens by the N-Hexane cleaners that their company used are making a direct appeal to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The workers sent a letter to Jobs and they hope that Apple will take concern on the health of the workers and look ‘further’ into the slate of chemical poisonings at the plant which they said could still hurt their health badly.
Ooops. we got an iPad 2 leather case from an Asian case supplier, and here’s what we know about the iPad 2:
Let’s face it, the third Apple store in Shanghai is confirmed and it will be Apple’s biggest retail venture in China yet. How big? Five levels high, containing retail space, with offices on the upper floors. Man, we got to visit it.
We never thought Apple would be unhappy with the Pineapple CEO action figure. Last month, we reviewed the phenomenal figurine and it was great, all readers here love it so much. However, last week, we received an email from a law firm representing Apple.Inc. Yes, Apple has informed us again that the phenomenal Pineapple CEO action figure, utilizes Apple’s trademark as well as Mr. Steve Jobs image, therefore they request us immediately to cease the marketing and sale of this figure. Here’s what the email has told us:
We are not sure if this is true. Earlier this week, China Telecom posted a tweet on its Sina microblog saying they were working on a way to crack Verizon Wireless’ CDMA iPhone 4, allowing Chinese mobile phone users to use the device on China Telecom’s network. A team of employees, nicknamed “Apple Lab Team”, from the Guangdong branch of China Telecom has successfully made a phone call with the Verizon iPhone 4 in the country. Sounds like a piece of good news to CDMA users in China, and the team will start to test other functions such as sending text messages. And we are guessing, China Telecom might soon launch the CDMA version of iPhone 4 if everything works out flawlessly.
Last week, I spotted an awesome store on the streets of Guangzhou. A fake 7-Eleven store showing an Apple logo on its signboard to attract Apple fanboys. Well, there are no Apple knockoffs in the store, but there might be some fake Big Gulps, Big Bites, or Slurpees!
There Are Too Much Light Pollution Over at Hong Kong Apple Stores
Amazon is the First Foreign Tech Company to Offer Paid Android apps in China
You Can Buy Fresh Crocodile Meat in China Supermarket
Lenovo First MediaTek-based Smartphone Teased by Kobe Bryant (Video)


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PC sales are in decline, a fact highlighted by the latest market report from Canalys. The research firm says second-quarter desktop and notebook shipments fell 7.4 and 13.9%, respectively. Tablets are apparently to blame; sales of those devices surged 42.9% for the same period.
The Canalys report certainly fits the narrative we've been hearing quarter after quarter, but there's a new wrinkle this time around. While most folks predict that PC sales will continue to decline, John Peddie Research is forecasting growth in one segment of the market: gaming hardware. JPR expects 2013's PC gaming hardware sales to be 3% below last year's levels, but it anticipates 6.5% growth in 2014 and continued expansion through 2016.
Although casual PC users may be switching to tablets and other mobile devices, hard-core gamers appear to be sticking around—and prepared to spend. According to JPR Senior Gaming Analyst Ted Pollack, the upcoming Arma 3 will inspire $800 million in spending on PC gaming hardware. Interestingly, Pollack contends that PC games are putting additional strain on the CPU, encouraging users to upgrade more than just their graphics card.
Forbes did some additional digging and found that sales of ultra-high-end graphics cards appear to be particularly strong. The GeForce Titan is reportedly the highest-selling graphics card at boutique PC maker Falcon Northwest right now. Impressively, "a huge number" of customers are reportedly ordering systems with multiple Titan cards. Falcon Northwest has observed a 16% increase in GPU spending versus last year, too.
The average Falcon build rings in at around $4,000—similar to the average quoted by Maingear. That vendor told Forbes that its most popular graphics cards are the GeForce GTX 770, 780, and Titan. The GTX 770 is a $400 card, while the 780 and Titan retail for $650 and $1,000, respectively. Boutique builders obviously cater to folks with deeper pockets, but it's telling that both AMD and Nvidia seem to have focused more attention on high-end offerings lately.
It seems inevitable that mobile devices like tablets and smartphones will service more of our basic computing needs moving forward. That trend may fuel a decline in the PC market overall, but gaming enthusists have good reasons to stick with PCs. Revenue from PC games seems to be on the rise, as well, suggesting our corner of the market is faring much better than the industry as a whole.
|Half-Life 2: Update mod adds modern polish to old classic||45|
|Deal of the week: Ultra-wide IPS for $750, 16GB DDR4-2666 for $190, plus more||28|
|Broadwell Xeon D lands on Mini-ITX boards||28|
|The TR Podcast is live, so come ask us stuff!||0|
|AMD shows off DirectX 12 performance with new 3DMark benchmark||70|
|Intel and Micron sampling 3D NAND based on floating gates||27|
|Report: Microsoft to build an Intel-powered, non-Pro Surface tablet||53|
|Toshiba's 3D flash spreads 16GB over 48 layers||8|
|Cougar's 300M gaming mouse looks awfully familiar||15|


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I’m not really a ready-to-drink consumer, either tea or coffee, but apparently, I’m in the minority.
Community Coffee Company is launching a ready-to-drink Iced Latte line.
Super Coffee, a functional RTD coffee with 10g protein, 5g MCT Oil, 0g sugar, 80 calories and 150 ml caffeine, was originally created in brother Jordan’s dorm room at Philadelphia University in 2015
Gratitude Health Inc announced the launch of its first line of products: Gratitude Dragon Well Green Teas.
我在本月早些时候在英国茶和咖啡世界杯，在伯明翰（9月3日至5日）举行。188bet亚洲虽然我在那里做生意，但我确实有几个空闲时间，包括我降落的那一天。令人惊讶的是，我能够在白金汉宫（Buckingham Palace）访问州客房（Chockingham Palace）
A newly discovered filter media tea bag that is made from one of the most environmentally friendly materials available just hit the market for tea and coffee drinkers.
I recently came across a 2017 survey that tested thirteen/supermarket grocery store coffee brands in the United States to “find the best of the bunch.”
茶is the leading beverage consumed worldwide – after water – but the tea bag format has historically not been environmentally friendly.
Peet’s Coffee has introduced Nespresso Original Line compatible capsules.


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Apple Inc. to open dozens of stores next year
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- Steven E.F. Brown
Computer, iPod and iPhone maker Apple Inc. plans to open up to 50 new stores next year.
The Cupertino company (NASDAQ: AAPL), which started as a computer business, has bet heavily on its retail strategy, setting up distinctive, iconic stores that sell only its own products. Competitors like Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) haven’t invested in that sales channel nearly as much as Apple.
Apple has opened a new store in Manhattan on the Upper West Side, its fourth on the island.
As many as half of the new stores the company is opening will be overseas, Reuters reports. Apple plans two Shanghai shops as well as London and Paris stores.
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The Federal Reserve Board and two other federal agencies have issued a proposed rule that would restrict some of the most unfair credit card tricks and traps. The proposal could be a big win for consumers if it is not weakened.
The rule would:
To help make sure that this new rule of fair play is adopted, tell the Federal Reserve Board about the story of your bad credit card experience.
File your comment by going to the Consumers Union website: www.creditcardreform.org and enter your comments in the box provided.
Or submit to the Fed by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org. Make sure you include Docket No. R-1314 in the subject line.
For a short summary of the proposed rule, go to: http://www.consumersunion.org/pdf/CreditCardReformShortSummary.pdf.


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In a statement, the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) said the Supreme Court’s ruling that states may collect sales tax on remote internet sales “helps level the playing field for specialty outdoor retailers.”
Last year, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled that a 2016 law requiring out-of-state internet retailers to collect sales tax violates a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said retailers are not required to collect sales tax in states where they do not have a physical presence. The state appealed the decision, and the Court reversed its 1992 decision this month.
In March, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) joined several other trade associations in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of South Dakota’s effort to collect sales tax on these remote sales.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling is a huge win for the future of specialty outdoor retailers and will help ensure that all retailers compete on a level playing field,” said Amy Roberts, executive director of Outdoor Industry Association. “We are proud to have been a part of the effort that resulted in yesterday’s decision.”
Brick-and-mortar specialty outdoor retailers have been at a competitive disadvantage against internet sellers who do not always collect sales tax. OIA has strongly supported e-fairness legislation in Congress, in an effort to level the playing field for all retailers in the industry, regardless of sales channel.
You can learn more about e-fairness issues at efairness.org.


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Millville-based WHEATON® announced that it will begin offering an innovative, breakthrough technology that allows for the manufacture of plastic exterior components with complete interior coverage of pure glass. The broad range of products envisioned from the application of this technology will provide numerous benefits to its clinical science customers. Attendees of the 2015 AACC Clinical Lab Expo, July 26-30 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, are invited to visit WHEATON® at Booth 3615 to learn more about this innovative technology.
“This breakthrough will allow us to provide products that have the best of both worlds: the lightweight, break resistant properties of plastic with the barrier qualities and inert inner surface of pure glass,” said Wayne Brinster, president and CEO of WHEATON®. “For 126 years, Wheaton has been an innovator in glass as well as plastic for laboratories. Customers look to us to solve their needs and this technology will allow us to develop purpose built products that blend the features of both glass and plastic into a single innovative solution.”
Brinster says the technology is broadly applicable across the bulk of the company’s product range. Benefits of a pure glass interior include the elimination of compounds from the container contaminating the contents as occasionally occurs with plastic products, while also providing an interior surface with less vapor transmission and higher resistance to solvents. This is combined with the benefit of the plastic exterior protecting the glass from cracking and breakage.
“We understand that there are many applications where using a plastic product or a glass product are appropriate,” said Brinster. “But we also know that there are applications where having both materials in one product has long been needed. These premium products will fill those needs as none have been available until now. The tooling needed for broad production of the glass and plastic products is being built now and we expect to begin delivery of these products to customers in the fourth quarter this year.”Related Articles:


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The February headline inflation rate has climbed to a four-month high. According to Anchor Capital, inflation edged up slightly to 5.6% Year on Year (YoY) from 5.3% YoY in January.
This is not the best news for South African consumers as the figures show that we have moved further away from the 4.5% midpoint of the SA Reserve Bank's (SARB’s) target band.
We are within the central bank's 3% to 6% target range.
Casey Sprake, an investment analyst at Anchor Capital, noted that product categories that drove much of the upward momentum include housing and utilities, miscellaneous goods and services (most notably, insurance), food and non-alcoholic beverages and transport.
“It is important to note that the February CPI release includes the bi-annual survey of medical health insurance costs, which account for 7.1% of the CPI basket,” Sprake said.
Subsequently, the 10.3% month-on-month (MoM) increase in medical aid premiums took the annual rate for health insurance to 12.9% YoY.
Anchor Capital noted that premiums for all types of insurance have increased by 9.5% over the past year.
The transport category also added to the rather large dent in our pockets, as this saw an annual rise of 5.4%, driven mainly by increases in vehicle and fuel prices.
“More positively, however, inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages slowed to 6.1% in February, with most food price categories recording lower annual rates. Notably, meat and egg prices are recovering from the impact of avian influenza, while the fruit and vegetable segment is rebounding from past challenges with harvests and quality, exacerbated by irrigation difficulties linked to power outages,” Sprake added.
Sprake argued that SA consumers will have to continue to fasten those belts even tighter as inflation is likely to continue to rise over the short-term.
She did note that the higher inflation will only increase for a short while.
“We believe that the general trend for this year will be downward, albeit in a non-linear manner. March has recorded an additional petrol price increase to February’s R1.21/litre rise, which will exert some marked upward pressure on the next inflation reading. Overall, fuel prices have been adding to volatility in the inflation figures.”
She noted that April is on course for only a small petrol price hike, of around R0,14/litre, as the international Brent crude oil price has dropped in rand terms.
“Nonetheless, we anticipate some moderation in consumer prices driven by a continued easing in food prices, which should help counterbalance the projected uptick in fuel costs. Moreover, core inflation (particularly that of goods) will likely remain subdued as consumer demand continues to be constrained by the pressures of elevated interest rates,” Sprake concluded.
In a personal finance report by Nedbank, the institution noted that household finances stabilised somewhat in the last quarter of 2023.
The bank, however, did note that real personal disposable income (PDI) increased only by 0.1%, after shrinking over the previous three quarters.
In terms of jobs, the Quarterly Employment Survey illustrated that total employment declined by 1.8% quarter-on-quarter in the last quarter of 2023, with permanent and temporary jobs down by 0.1% and a sharp 13.5%, respectively.


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Bactiguard’s indwelling urinary catheters (Foleys) are now approved for reimbursement in the Netherlands, which means that healthcare providers in the home care market can provide patients with Bactiguard’s products for infection prevention and improve their quality of life.
To be able to sell medical devices to the Dutch home care providers in a broader scale, the products must be reimbursed. Bactiguard’s Foleys are now included, which means that our partner in the Netherlands, Mediplast, can start to offer the products to a larger group of patients.
“The homecare market offers the biggest market potential for Foley catheters in the Netherlands. Now that our products are reimbursed, we will increase the pace of expansion in the country”, says Jonas Östregård, SVP Sales & Marketing at Bactiguard.
“I am so pleased to be able to offer Bactiguard’s infection preventive products to Dutch home care patients and thereby reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections and improve their quality of life. Now that the products are reimbursed, we can approach the homecare companies with a cost-effective solution for long term catheterized patients, which wasn’t possible before,” says Wil Graus, Sales and Managing Director at Mediplast Benelux.
Bactiguard and Mediplast have been partners since October 2018. The original agreement covered sales and distribution of Bactiguard’s product portfolio for infection prevention (BIP) in Scandinavia. Already in December the same year, the partnership was extended to include Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Bactiguard’s infection protection (BIP) solutions, which include products for the urinary tract, blood stream and respiratory tract, reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections, the use of antibiotics and thus the spread of multi-resistant bacteria.
For further information, please contact:
Jonas Östregård, SVP Sales & Marketing cell phone: +46 70 521 13 88


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London: Kate Middleton will reportedly opt for a floral headpiece over a tiara for the upcoming Coronation ceremony this week.
The Princess of Wales, 41, initially speculated to wear to tiara but according to The Times, Kate is “planning to wear a floral headpiece.” Moreover, the outlet stated that there are also “rumours within palace circles that no royal women will wear tiaras.”
While it is still unknown what king of floral headpiece the royal will go for, but whatever style she wears will weave nicely with King Charles’ and his passion for preserving it.
According to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told The Times that “the sight of the Princess of Wales in a floral crown will set a particular tone, showing the King’s reverence for nature and his passion for flowers.”
She further added that as the wife of the future king, Prince William, Kate will “setting an example for the other women in the congregation, who might find it awkward to even think of wearing tiaras.”
Tiaras have been a symbol of the monarchy as royal women have donned the glittering diadems at royal occasions such as State banquets and Coronations.
Lauren Kiehna, writer of The Court Jeweller told People Magazine, “Tiaras were worn by nearly every royal lady at the Queen’s coronation in 1953, as well lots of aristocratic women but times have certainly changed in 70 years.”


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Property prices across Dubai have been on the rise during the past couple of years as the UAE economy bounced back from the Covid-induced slowdown.
Some areas have seen sharper price increases, driven by strong demand due to factors such as location, amenities and quality of projects.
Dubai's Business Bay, which has recorded significant growth in prices, is now emerging as the new city centre, property consultant Knight Frank said.
"The significant growth in residential prices in Business Bay over the last two years is part of a broader re-pivoting of the city’s centre of gravity towards Central Dubai, encompassing the DIFC, the Sheikh Zayed Road area between the Trade Centre and Dusit Thani, as well as Downtown," said Faisal Durrani, partner and head of Middle East research at Knight Frank.
Prices in Business Bay have risen 16.7 per cent in the past two years, the consultancy said.
"Business Bay has found itself on the doorstep to Dubai’s main business district and in very close proximity to arguably the emirate’s most lifestyle retail rich neighbourhoods, such as Jumeirah and Al Safa," Mr Durrani said.
Almost 7,000 homes were delivered in the area in 2019 and 2020, and prices are, on average, 27 per cent cheaper than the Downtown area, he said.
"It’s no surprise that as premium waterfront plots have all but been sold or developed, Dubai Canal has filled a gap in the market by providing added opportunities," said Dean Foley, head of residential project sales and marketing at Knight Frank.
"Indeed, we are expecting the Marasi Drive area of Business Bay, specifically Canal-fronting plots, to be a new hotspot in Dubai."
But while other consultants agree that Business Bay has some exciting developments in the pipeline, they consider the city centre to be elsewhere.
Apartment prices in Business Bay rose 41 per cent year on year during the first quarter and 7 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022, data from Asteco showed.
Meanwhile, prices in Downtown Dubai rose 33 per cent annually, while Palm Jumeirah prices were up 50 per cent during the same period, Asteco said.
CBRE data showed Business Bay apartment prices rising 1.3 per cent in May after a 1.7 per cent increase in April. They were averaging Dh1,522 ($41.4) a square foot in May.
The square foot cost is below that of DIFC (Dh1,687), Palm Jumeirah (Dh1,996), Jumeirah (Dh1,996) and Downtown Dubai (Dh2,045).
One of the arguments against the Business Bay area being the city's new centre is that, when looking at major cities around the world, the financial centre or central business district is very rarely considered to be the true centre of the city, Mark Castley, chief operating officer at LuxuryProperty.com, told The National.
Dubai property prices: where they are rising and falling — May 2022
"Whether we are talking about Wall Street, Canary Wharf or Downtown Miami, these are areas where you will find high levels of activity but they aren't seen as city centres," Mr Castley said.
"The Business Bay area is not, I feel, a place that many would consider home.
"There are a number of high-end residential projects being developed in the area — The Residences Dorchester Collection and Mr C Residences, for example — but those are targeted towards a very niche audience."
A city centre really needs to tick a number of boxes, not just for wealthy people, but also for single professionals, families and investors, he said.
"In my view, an area like Jumeirah ticks all the right boxes," Mr Castley said.
"The area has a famous and always popular coastline, a wide selection of retail, dining and leisure, plus there is a mix of homes designed for Emiratis and GCC nationals as well as new freehold properties.
"But really, if we are looking at a place to consider as the centre of Dubai, the most obvious choice would be the area that is named after the emirate's ruler — Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City, with its flagship community of Dubai Hills Estate.
"There is a large selection of properties to choose from, whether you are looking for apartments, townhouses, villas or custom-built mega mansions. New projects are still being handed over and even newer ones being announced."
The area also has leisure and retail offerings such as Dubai Hills Central Park, Dubai Hills Golf Club and Dubai Hills Mall — all popular locations.
For Robert Villalobos, branch director at Betterhomes, the centre of Dubai has turned towards Palm Jumeirah.
The Palm is achieving the highest price for a square foot for off-plan developments, with AVA selling for Dh60.2 million at 7,431 a sq ft, and Atlantis the Royal fetching Dh62.9m at 8,843 a sq ft.
"It offers so much for everyone, from studios to luxury mansions," Mr Villalobos told The National.
"There's the new Atlantis the Royal project with a 90-metre sky infinity pool and celebrity restaurants which include Gordon Ramsey, Giorgio Locatelli, Nobu Matsuhisa, Ariana Bundy, Gaston Acrio, Heston Blumenthal and Costa Spiliadis.
"The new Marriott and Hilton hotels are ready to open, West Beach just opened with its array of social amenities and Five Hotels and Resorts offers annual music festivals.
"It’s also a stone's throw [away] from Media City, Healthcare City, as well as the office hubs of JLT and Barsha Heights."


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Apple continues to have a mess
on its hands with Maps. In almost every way, it's a subpar product compared to Google Maps, and the kicker is that Apple booted Google from the default map position within iOS 6. When you make a change like that, the world expects whatever you toss in to be superior, and that obviously isn't the case. So, Apple has been working overtime behind the scenes to right the wrong, and while Maps for iOS could still use a lot of work, it appears that progress is being made.
Apple has just acquired Embark, a mapping app that it recommended for users who needed mass transit directions in major cities across the U.S. As it stands, Apple's Maps app still relies on third-party apps to provide directions involving subways and metros, and it's clear that Apple wants that to change. By acquiring this company, it's hinting that third-party hooks just aren't good enough, and that a future edition of Maps may indeed add integrated mass transit directions.
Apple has quietly
been on quite the acquisition
spree, and there's a solid chance that we'll see some of the fruits of this labor when the next-generation iPhone ships next month.


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Social media users who have previously promoted disinformation about the war in the Gaza Strip are suggesting Nike has launched a new pro-Israel sneaker line. This is false; a custom shoe designer with no connection to the sporting goods brand made the trainers as a gift for the executive director of the nonprofit StandWithUs in Israel.
In a similar post, Danish physician Anastasia Maria Loupis called for a boycott of the retail giant.
The influencers shared a video showing a pair of blue-and-white sneakers adorned with a blue Star of David. The clip has spread in multiple languages and across X and other platforms, including TikTok.
But the trainers are not an official Nike release.
At the start of the video, a logo for PNT by Ray, a social media user who sells “custom wearable art for kids and adults,” appears on the packing tissue inside the shoebox.
“I am not affiliated with Nike or any other brand of products I paint on,” PNT by Ray told AFP in a March 7 email. “I simply paint whatever my customers want, on any products they want. I also put a disclaimer in my posts making it clear that these are not Nike-authorized pieces, but just my own art on sneakers.”
Michael Dickson, the recipient of the shoes, posted the original unboxing clip to Facebook and Instagram on March 3 (archived here, here and here). Dickson is the executive director of StandWithUs in Israel, an international nonprofit that supports the country and combats anti-Semitism (archived here).
View this post on Instagram
“The shoes were a gift by an artist who beautifully painted the Israeli flag on them,” Dickson said in a March 7 email, calling the posts online “misleading” and “another reminder that social media users should be skeptical about anti-Israel propaganda.”
PNT by Ray, who posted a picture of the shoes on their now-private Instagram account, said they created the pair for Dickson because they are “a fan of his and appreciate his advocacy for Israel during this turbulent time for Jews.”
Nike confirmed the sneakers are not an official product and are unavailable for purchase from the retailer.
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in about 1,160 deaths, most of them civilians, according to Israeli official figures.
Israel has responded with a relentless offensive that the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says has killed more than 30,800 people, mostly women and children.
AFP has debunked other misinformation about the conflict here.


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SUPREME COMMANDER ARTICLES
April 19, 2013 - 17 bids have been received for THQ’s remaining properties including Darksiders, Red Faction and Homeworld, accounting for up to $7 million.
October 9, 2009 - Let's face it: Times are tough. The economy hasn't quite rebounded yet, jobs are still hard to come by, and Pres. Obama has yet to dole out his Nobel Prize winnings to charity (we're pulling for you). Who has the money to drop $60 on a new Xbox 360 game or $169 on a shiny new Nintendo DSi? Well, we do, but we're very, very rich. So what about everyone else?
July 22, 2009 - Direct2Drive.com, the number one destination for digital game downloads, has announced a new promotion featuring 50% off popular game titles from THQ and Paradox Interactive. The THQ discounts run through Sunday, and Paradox through Monday.


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KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — Almost one in three would-be Valentine’s Day gift buyers will only do so today, if the findings of a recent survey are anything to go by.
According to the annual Mastercard Love Index released this week, 28 per cent of those shopping for their loved ones’ presents only do so on Valentine’s Day itself and have done so for the past three years.
You’re also more likely to do it in person, with over two in three making their purchases physically.
While online shopping for Valentine’s has increased by 55 per cent since 2016, this category still accounts for just 19 per cent of gifts bought for the Day of Love.
The survey showed the value of overall spending rose by nearly a quarter since 2016, but it did not state if this was due to larger purchases or just inflation.
The purchase of flowers — that staple of Valentine’s — has more than doubled since 2016, as has spending on jewellery and hotels (wink, wink) by an unspecified proportion.
The annual “Mastercard Love Index” analysed credit, debit and prepaid card transactions from 2016 to 2018 for the findings.
Sentimental spending represents all spending during this Valentine’s Day period in the following categories: restaurants, hotels, transportation, books and records, jewellery and stationery.
Other significant findings of the survey include a 286 per cent increase in the use of contactless payment since last year for purchases that were three times greater in total value.


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SWIZZELS has entered the mallow category for the first time in its 90-year history.
Available in Drumstick flavour, Marvellous Mallows offers the taste of Swizzels’ classic raspberry and milk lolly in a new format.
Swizzels Marvellous Mallows is available in both plain and £1 price-marked packs. The launch is being supported through an integrated marketing campaign, which Swizzels said should ensure packs fly off the shelves.
Swizzel’s new marshmallow format is the latest in a line of NPD centred around its Drumstick brand.
Launched nationwide early last year, Drumstick Chocolate has proven successful for the firm, whilst Squashies – which come in a Drumstick flavour – was recorded as the number one sugar confectionery brand in the UK, according to IRI value sales data for the 52 weeks to 31 October 2021.
Mark Walker, sales director at Swizzels, said: “Mixing traditional and consumer favourite flavours into new sweets is key to our product development. Thanks to our past success, we’re confident that Marvellous Mallows will be an exciting addition to the mallows category this year.”


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LMC: Better Prices Available For In spec Steers and Heifers30 April 2013
UK - Steers and Heifers in Northern Ireland were up 2p/kg last week which, with 8 p/kg bonuses, suggests farmers should be looking for prices higher than those quoted, say the Livestock and Meat Commission Northern Ireland.
Deadweight Cattle Trade
Quotes from the plants this week for U-3 grade prime cattle were 366-370p/kg with the 8p/kg bonus available for steers and heifers that kill out in spec. The majority of plants are quoting 290-310p/kg for good quality cows.
The plants are reporting increased availability of cattle this week with producers eager to offload cattle due to the current forage crisis. Similar quotes are expected for early next week.
Last week the prime cattle throughput in NI showed a strong increase for the second week in a row with 7,549 head slaughtered. This is an increase of 781 head on the previous week and accounts for a 12 per cent increase week on week. This is the highest prime cattle throughput since October 2012 and is almost 1,000 head higher than the corresponding week in 2012. The cow kill last week was up 65 head to 1,650 head.
The R3 steer price in NI was up 2p/kg last week to 377.9p/kg with the R3 heifer price up by a similar margin to 380p/kg. With a top base quote from the plants last week of 372p/kg for R3 grading steers, including the 8p/kg bonus, it is obvious that higher prices are available than base quotes would suggest.
A similar trend can be observed for heifers. Producers should keep this in mind when selling finished cattle and ensure they get the best possible deal. In GB average steer prices were up 2.6p/kg to 393.6p/kg with increases recorded in all regions except Southern England where the average steer
price was back 1.3p/kg to 377.3p/kg.
The strongest increase was in Scotland where average prices were up 4.7p/kg to 403.3p/kg. Average heifer prices in GB were up 3.1p/kg to 390.8p/kg. Heifer prices increased by 4-5p/kg across the regions with the exception of the Midlands where heifer prices were back 1.1p/kg to 386p/kg.
In ROI all reported prices showed an increase in sterling terms with strong demand reported in ROI plants despite the continued strong prices. R3 steer prices were up 3.4p/kg to 364.3p/kg while R3 heifer prices were up 4p/kg to 384.9p/kg. The total kill in ROI last week was 28,047 head, an increase of 1000 head on the previous week.
Last Week's Liveweight Marts
A steady trade for finished cattle across the marts saw finished first quality steers sell to an average of 217p/kg liveweight with second quality selling to an average of 193p/kg. Finished first quality heifers sold to a top price of 233p/kg with second quality selling to an average of 192p/kg.
Well fleshed beef cows sold to an average of 170p/kg with plainer lots selling to an average of 133p/kg. First quality bullocks over 500kg sold from 213-232p/kg (av 223p/kg) compared to 210-242 (av 220p/kg) last week.
Second quality bullocks in the same weight range sold to an average of 196p/kg compared to 185p/kg last week. First quality heifers over 450kg were a similar trade to last week selling to an average of 212p/kg.
TheCattleSite News Desk


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Big-screen enthusiasts like myself are thankful to see movie theaters begin to reopen. It's a resurgence that will hopefully be a lifeline for AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC 0.93%), which was burning through $130 million per month as a result of worldwide pandemic-related closures.
Granted, there's still a long way to go before the theater industry gets anywhere near the attendance levels it counted on before the pandemic. Capacity restrictions in many locations are contributing to that delay.
But with more than 150 million doses of various coronavirus vaccines already administered and millions more promised in the next couple of months in the U.S., people are starting to show some confidence again in going out for entertainment. This is also encouraging movie studios to again start releasing what they hope will be blockbuster films after a year of pausing releases because of the pandemic.
As a result of all this, things appear to be looking up for AMC. But there's still one trend that will make it harder for this theater chain to return to full strength.
Big screens are facing competition from the living room
To boost their streaming businesses and hedge their bets against a resurgence of COVID-19, movie studios experimented this year with simultaneous releases of films on streaming platforms and in theaters (that were still open). If this experiment continues, it will make it difficult for AMC to fully recover.
So far, the experiment has had mixed results. Warner Media (owned by AT&T (T 0.29%)) decided to release its films this year simultaneously in theaters and for a limited time to subscribers of its relatively new streaming service, HBO Max, at no additional charge. Wonder Woman 1984 was released on Christmas day using this model and got great viewership on HBO Max but relatively disappointing box office receipts. Of course, many theaters were still closed then. This past weekend, the studio released Godzilla vs. Kong, and industry insiders were surprised by the stellar box-office opening despite it being available to HBO Max subscribers.
Walt Disney (DIS 0.33%) has been pursuing multiple release experiments in the hopes of finding the right combination in this current situation and no clear successful trend has emerged, at least according to industry analysts. For instance, the animated Disney feature Raya and the Last Dragon earned lackluster numbers at the box office this past week. The movie is also available through the Disney+ streaming service, but at a special subscriber premium of $29.99. No actual revenue figures are available from Disney on how the release performed on Disney+. Past releases using this model have succeeded and have disappointed. Disney has also released feature films simultaneously using a model where it doesn't charge a premium for Disney+ subscribers. This too has shown mixed results.
Warner Media has said it will continue the simultaneous release policy for all of 2021, while Disney is approaching it on a case-by-case basis through the rest of the year.
The simultaneous release trend may seem like a short-term accommodation till theaters fully open, but if movie studios like the results they see from this policy, they may adopt it long term. The financial dynamics (studios typically have to split the revenue earned at the box office with theater operators like AMC) may make the new temporary way of doing things (with less revenue splitting) the permanent way of doing things. This is potentially a bigger challenge for AMC to overcome than the pandemic.
What this could mean for investors
In the near term, AMC will need to deal with reduced attendance -- at least as long as studios are simultaneously releasing films on streaming platforms. Further, studios and theaters negotiate the share of revenue on box-office films. If going direct to streaming turns out to be a viable option for studios, it reduces the negotiating power for theaters. If the simultaneous release experiment fails, the pendulum could swing in the other direction and aid the theaters as studios come to a firmer realization that they need theaters to recoup the large investments made in blockbuster productions.
However this plays out, it will likely have implications for the industry for years to come. As far as making an investment decision, the uncertainties involved right now mean AMC stock is too volatile at the moment. Better to watch from the safety of your couch with a bowl of popcorn and revisit the stock after we see which way this plot will turn.


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Mumbai: Indians are buying gold for as little as one rupee (1 cent) as retailers offer online sales in bite-sized portions to prop up shrinking demand in the world’s second-biggest consumer. Demand for gold is falling, partly as a result of government measures, higher local prices and the metal’s fading appeal among more youthful customers. That’s forcing jewelers to adapt online purchases to appeal to a more internet-savvy, younger population.
“A lot of people have been buying at one rupee,” according to Gaurav Mathur, managing director of digital platform SafeGold, which has partnered with payments apps such as Flipkart Online Services Pvt.’s PhonePe to sell gold starting at that price. “It’s a low-risk way to try the product.”
Buyers only get physical delivery of the metal once they have paid enough for one gram of gold, currently about Rs 3,200. The low barrier of entry, compared with a minimum purchase of 1 gram in the traditional market, and faster transactions, which can be done on a phone in about 40 seconds, are the biggest lures for the product, Mathur said.
Since its launch last year, about 3 million people have already transacted on the platform and the company, which counts the World Gold Council as one its investors, is targeting to raise this to 15 million by next year, he said. The market is still small compared with the country’s overall consumption of gold, which stood at 524 tons in the nine months ended September.
India’s consumption of gold, almost all of which is imported, has been declining because of the government’s efforts to curb its trade deficit and combat so-called black money by discouraging investors who used the metal to evade taxes. Demand for the yellow metal last year fell by about 23 percent from a peak of 1,002 tons in 2010. Meanwhile, benchmark gold futures in Mumbai are set to post a third year of annual gains in 2018 aided by a weaker rupee, which fell to a record low earlier this year.
Platforms offered by SafeGold, Augmont Enterprises and India’s most popular digital payments service Paytm, backed by China’s Alibaba as well as Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, are trying to make inroads into a market dominated by traditional retail stores and chains such as Titan Co., the country’s top maker of branded jewelry, and Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri Ltd.
Augmont sells gold and silver coins and bars with quantities as low as 100 milligrams to make bullion affordable for the public, according to its website. With gold available in lower quantities at a more reasonable price compared with the retail outlets, the preference of people has gradually shifted to the digital gold buying method, it said in an emailed statement. Young buyers now prefer shopping for gold on e-commerce sites and apps rather than going to the store, thus saving time, it said.
Over half a billion Indians will come online in the next wave of internet users and shoppers, according to a report released jointly by Bain & Co., Google and Omidyar Network in August. Only over a third of India’s current 390 million users transact online, the report said, suggesting a massive untapped opportunity.
“With the way the e-commerce market was shaping, we realized that digital technology will soon be the future of gold buying,” Sachin Kothari, director at Augmont, said in the statement.
The development was reported by livemint.com


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After suffering through a lackluster “upfront” market, TV is still trying to tune in advertising this fall while Madison Avenue embraces the digital world.
Advertisers cut spending on both cable and broadcast TV in October as movie studios, makers of beauty and grooming products and financial-services firms spent less on the two media than they did in the year-earlier period, according to Standard Media Index, a company that tracks U.S. ad spend by examining the bookings of media-buying firms that it says represent 80% of the market.
The dip came as overall U.S. ad spend fell 4%, Standard Media Index said. The data is likely to prompt more concern over the state of TV advertising, which typically picks up as the end-of-year holiday season approaches.
Overall ad spend on TV fell 9% during the month, according to Standard Media Index, with ad spending on broadcast falling 9% and ad spending on cable falling 7%. Advertising of new releases, sports and live events was off 21% on TV, and off the same for advertising of beauty, grooming and personal-care products. Financial services advertising on TV fell 12%, Standard Media Index said.
Wall Street has been sensitive to the issue, with several media companies posting weaker ad-revenue results in the recently ended third quarter. Broadcast and cable networks both saw their overall take in this year’s “upfront” market – when U.S. TV networks try to sell the bulk of their ad inventory – dip as Madison Avenue placed more emphasis on new forms of advertising in social-media venues and on mobile devices, among other areas. At independent research firm MoffettNathanson, “we now expect online to take further share at the expense of TV ad dollars, and less so from whatever remains of print budgets by 2016,” said analyst Michael Nathanson, in a November report.
To be sure, some advertisers increased spending on TV during the month. Makers of consumer electronics increased TV ad spend by 32% while marketers of pharmaceuticals augmented their TV ad spend by 7%, said Standard Media Index. Even so, the most growth in October – 48% – came from media companies themselves, said Standard Media Index, and that was largely the result of TV networks and stations airing more promos for their own programming.
TV advertisers seem to be holding on to their money longer, rather than committing the majority in advance, which had been the norm in previous years. In October, Standard Media Index found that so-called “scatter” advertising, or advertising purchased closed to air date, represented 23% of ad revenue, up from 17% in October 2013. In broadcast, scatter advertising accounted for 16% of all ad revenue, up from 11% in the year-earlier period.
Meanwhile, digital advertising spend grew during the month. Standard Media Index estimated digital ad spend grew 11% in October. Ad spend for the first ten months of the year rose 49% for so-called “programmatic” advertising that is purchased via online systems based on narrowly defined target characteristics; 22% for mobile; 19% for video; 17% for online display advertising and 16% for Internet search advertising.
The only entity capable of defeating the pernicious trend seems to be the undead. Ad spend on AMC, the cable network that runs the widely-viewed horror serial “The Walking Dead,” increased a whopping 33% in October, Standard Media Index said, as audiences tuned in for the latest burst of original episodes of that show.