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NEW AERO CARAMEL: A light but satisfying treat free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives
Nestlé will make 2011 a ‘huge year’ for Aero in the United Kingdom and Ireland with a series of exciting innovations to the air-bubble filled milk chocolate range.
The new twists will be communicated to Aero fans via a highly interactive 'bubble-speak' campaign, backed by the biggest media spend in the brand's 75 year history.
The first major wave kicks off this month with the re-release of 'irresisti-bubble' Aero Caramel. The investment aims to strengthen Nestlé’s presence in the caramel variant chocolate bar market, worth an estimated GBP 196m in the UK.
Offering five easy-to-break portions of milk chocolate topped with a smooth caramel layer, the new Aero Caramel recipe is an improvement on the single bar first introduced in 2004.
At less than 200 calories and free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, it is targeted at on-the-go consumers looking for a light but satisfying treat.
Now on shelves, Aero Caramel will be boosted by an intensive five-week television push from 26 January, followed by a two-week outdoor advertising drive from 1 February.
Ten major British cities - including London, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh - will host large scale touch-screen billboards inviting people to take the ‘lovea-bubble’ test.
Digital activity, also beginning on 1 February, will centre around the brand’s Facebook and You Tube fan pages.
Throughout the year, Nestlé will release 100 ‘remarka-bubble’ online films, each introducing a new word to the ‘bubble-speak’ vocabulary.
Graham Walker, Nestlé UK Trade Communications Manager, explained: “We are pulling out all the stops with this major creative campaign. It builds on the brand’s association with fun by encouraging fans to interact with the brand on a regular basis.”
Aero Caramel is already the second innovation to the Aero range this month, following the launch of the new Aero Orange ‘sharea-bubble’ block for home consumption.


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With the Avengers sequel creeping closer and closer to its release date, it was only a matter of time before the talented artists at Hot Toys finally gave us a Hulk figure to top all other Hulk figures. With this new 17-inch tall version of an angry Bruce Banner they've certainly delivered, and with more detailed chest hair than we've ever seen on an action figure before.
Because of the Hulk's sheer muscular bulk, this figure trades extreme articulation for a more realistic appearance. And that means in order to recreate Hulk's infamous smashing pose, you'll have to completely swap out his upper torso. So while pricing information hasn't been revealed yet, it will actually be like getting a Hulk-and-a-half for the price of one, which is a pretty sweet deal. [Hot Toys via Toy-People]

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Opening day for Sandpoint Farmers' Market April 29
The Sandpoint Farmers’ Market is hosting its 2023 opening day on Saturday, April 29.
“Farmers will have plenty of starts, some fresh salad, storage veggies and eggs,” said a post on the market’s Instagram page. “We’ll also have tons of crafts and food vendors to fill your baskets with goodies.”
The market will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday and 3-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Farmin Park, rain or shine, through mid-October.
The market will kick off Saturday with live music hosted by Oak Street Connection. As usual, no dogs are allowed in the park during market hours to ensure the safety of all.
Interested in acquiring a booth at the market? Visit www.sandpointfarmersmarket.com/sell-with-us to learn more.


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The latest figures from the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) reveals that the annual inflation rate increased from 5.3 percent in February 2015 to 6.1 percent in February 2016. On a monthly basis, the general level of prices in Namibia stood at 0.6 percent, compared to 2.4 percent recorded a month earlier. On an annual basis, the inflation rate emanated from increases in the prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco of 7.9 percent, education at 7.6 percent. housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 7.4 percent. Food and non-alcoholic beverages stood at 7.2 percent, health at 7 percent, hotels, cafes and restaurants at 5.8 percent and recreation and culture at 5.6 percent. The annual inflation rates for goods and services were estimated at 6.1 percent and 6.2 percent, as compared to 3.5 and 3.6 percent registered in February 2015. These figures are an indication that prices of services increased slightly faster than those of goods during the period under review.
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Get ready to soak up as much knowledge as you can with celebrity, fashion and lifestyle makeup artist Rachael Brook at Nuvocca Beauty College Parramatta’s open day.
Brook started her career assisting makeup icon Rae Morris when she was just 15, and has gone on to forge a career filled with enviable highlights. She has worked with high profile Australian celebrities, magazines and brands, and is eager to share her tips for making it in the industry that she loves.
“I’m obsessed with this industry and I love sharing my passion for beauty with others,” she says. “I’m a very creative person and I get a high off creating beautiful images and helping women achieve their beauty goals.”
For those wanting to succeed in beauty, Brook has this advice: “Get as much experience as you can. I assisted a makeup artist for four years before considering myself an artist in my own right. That was possibly an excessive amount of time to assist but it was beyond worth it.”
Nuvocca Parramatta campus manager, Angel Hanna, is excited to welcome Brook to the college’s new state of the art campus, saying she is a fantastic role model for students.
“Rachael is extremely talented and also very passionate about what she does,” says Hanna. “I think it will be a great opportunity for our students to meet her and hear the steps that she took to be where she is today.”
Leading beauty brands Dermalogica, Limelily Cosmetics and Results Laser Clinics will be presenting alongside Brook at the open day, as well as Onboard Spa by Steiner, which employs beauty therapists for cruise liners.
With presentations and workshops, there will be lots of information to gobble up, and the event aims to showcase all the different pathways available to students studying a diploma of beauty therapy.
“There are so many different careers within the beauty industry,” says Hanna. “It really is a diverse sector and we want to showcase that to our students and to those interested in starting out in the beauty world.”
Interested? The open day will be held on Saturday 25 June from 9.30am to 2pm at 215-217 Church Street, Parramatta. For more information visit www.nuvocca.com.au


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Fantasy Sports has become the backbone of the sports industry: Vinit Godara, Co-founder and CEO, MyTeam11
Fans are the key to building a strong sports brand and at MyTeam11 they are at the very heart of any kind of work that we do, says Godara.
Propelled by the increased pace of digitisation, India is fast emerging as the destination for fantasy sports. Penetration of the internet and adoption of smartphones have also been contributing factors towards the growth of the segment in the country.
With the pandemic hitting all live major sports events to get delayed or even dropped, the fantasy sports industry has come to the rescue of the audiences and boomed like never before in the year 2020.
In a conversation with BW Applause and Everything Experiential, Vinit Godara, Co-founder and CEO, MyTeam11 shared how the year 2020 was for fantasy gaming platforms, his key learnings, thoughts on IPL, future plans and more.
How has the year been for fantasy gaming platforms and Myteam11?
The year 2020 has been a year of learning for all of us and we have certainly started valuing various aspects of our life and business more ardently. While there were initial clouds of uncertainty, we have surely had some key breakthroughs. According to me, the following have been the key highlights of the year.
Since the formal announcement of IPL 2020 in UAE, Fantasy Sports has stood as the backbone of the sports industry whether it is in terms of any major association or giving the sports lovers the best possible immersive experience to stay connected with their favourite sport.
The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju on 10th Global Sports Summit TURF 2020 has also said that “Fantasy Sports has played a very important role in fuelling sports consumption and it has revolutionized the manner in which sports enthusiasts engage with their respective favourite sports.” This is an evidence of the fact how the industry is playing now a key role.
As far as the job market is concerned our industry is certainly forecasted to be one of the frontrunners. To validate this, a PricewaterhouseCoopers India report has predicted that the industry has the potential to generate an additional over 5,000 direct and more than 7,000 indirect jobs in the next 2-3 years. This year has also seen the rise of many new players in the industry which has further increased the healthy competition in the market.
Do you think that IPL 2020 was the defining point for fantasy sports platforms in India?
We all know what IPL means to the Indian cricket fans. This year was even more special considering it was organized after a prolonged delay and had the fans waiting. The season has been a milestone year considering many OFS operators were associated in some way or the other with the league and teams. The acceptance of this kind by the top league in the country will surely do a world of good for the industry. As far as viewership is concerned all records were broken and I believe a major credit goes to our industry who played a key role in making the experience more immersive and engaging as there was no in-stadia audience.
As far as our performance is concerned, MyTeam11 saw a 40% to 50% rise in the number of participants this year compared to last year. Our monthly average user engagement rate also saw a steep growth and it was almost 3-3.5X as compared to previous season of IPL.
MyTeam11's strategy behind not going on a spending spree whereas the other players were going all out with their partnerships. Any future partnerships in mind?
From the very inception of MyTeam11, we have been very strategic and cognizant of our investments and partnerships which has worked well for us. We are a bootstrapped firm and hence, we need to be cautious rather than being improvident about it.
Hence, this year our main focus was on increasing our marketing spends to utilize all possible mediums of promoting the brand and reach out directly to our customers offering the best possible immersive experience. Our budgets on our marketing campaign were as much as 28 – 30 Cr. across all mediums of promotion with a special emphasis on TV and digital as mediums for direct outreach.
As far as future partnerships are concerned, we are open to the same as long as the partnership aids us in our strategic growth objective. We have always believed in the sustainable growth of the brand and this is what has helped us stay in the game in the long run.
What do the NITI Aayog guidelines mean for fantasy gaming platforms?
The common guidelines suggested by the NitiAayog for fantasy sports business are by far the most empowering move for the industry in my opinion. The draft guidelines which are now open to comments will surely pave the way for a more uniform regulatory framework.
What have been your key learnings from the past year?
The year in contention has surely seen many ups and downs and all the hurdles have compounded into some key learnings for us both as a business and the industry as a whole.
The industry is becoming competitive with each passing day and it is rather a positive sign because it only keeps us on our toes to come up with more innovative solutions for our users. Further, customer retention has been one of the key pain points for the industry in the recent past and personalization has become a key aspect for better customer retention.
As MyTeam11, we have experimented and innovated based on personalized data of our users which has given us great results in the past few years with the customer retention rates considerably going up. We have seen a 35%-40% increment in the number of new users but the revenue increased to more than 100% compared to last year which is a very positive sign. Therefore, we surely want to take personalization to the next level to give our users the best possible experience.
There is a need for a uniform regulatory framework. I am really glad that NITI Aayog has taken up the initiative of streamlining this process. This will hopefully pave the way for lifting the industry in a major way driving us towards an exponential growth trajectory in the coming years.
What are some of your future plans?
Fans are the key to building a strong sports brand and at MyTeam11 they are at the very heart of any kind of work that we do. The cost of acquiring customers is on the rise and the market is highly competitive and retaining customers is a challenge. Hence, one of our key areas of focus for 2021 will be Customer Retention. Although we have been focusing on customer retention for a long time, now we have made it a mandate to dedicate certain activities purely to drive higher customer retention rates.
To accomplish this, we are focusing multiple initiatives around identifying customer patterns, collecting a lot of data, and then using the data to make intelligent decisions and also build a holistic database that gives a complete picture of what our users are indulging in at a particular point in time. These practices have helped us customize our user personalization process.
Due to our dedicated efforts, we have seen a 35%-40% increment in the number of new users but the revenue increased to more than 100% compared to last year which is a very positive sign.
Also, we would be focusing on expanding the services of our ancillary platform SportsTiger to increase engagement and improve customer experience by educating our users about sports. Over the last few months, we have built a strong community of loyal fans who wait eagerly to watch our original shows and follow our fantasy predictions. Also, we are constantly trying to promote every sport in our original shows. An example of the same is our recent show “Building Bridge” which is focusing on bringing alive the story of lesser-known athletes to the fore.
We are also working towards integrating SportsTiger more closely with MyTeam11 App to unify the customer experience. Our objective is to ensure that the fans won’t require to visit 5 different platforms to get the necessary sports news. This will surely improve the customer experience manifold.
Around The World


text: Close The music of The Lowdown The music of The Lowdown Krister Rollins, WCSH 10:14 AM. EDT May 12, 2017 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST The Lowdown are a folky band from Camden. They were assembled in a sort of ad hob manner but knew when they found this lineup they had something special. © 2017 WCSH-TV CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST JOIN THE CONVERSATION To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Leave a Comment TRENDING VIDEOS WCSH Breaking News Make your own Shoebox eclipse viewer Fast facts about the 2017 eclipse WUSA Breaking News 2 USS John S. McCain collided with merchant vessel Are welding glasses safe to view the eclipse? Eclipse Track Dartmouth Street, Portland Fire NEWS CENTER Video Forecast Teen finds wallet, turns in $1500 to grocery store manager More Stories Trump renews Afghan war commitment, sees no speedy exit Aug 21, 2017, 8:31 p.m. Path of next solar eclipse hits Maine in 2024 Aug 21, 2017, 10:41 a.m. Mainers step out to see partial eclipse Aug 21, 2017, 5:49 p.m.


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The European Union's Regulation on cross-border portability of online content services in the internal market, also known as the portability regulation, makes it possible for consumers to access their portable online content services when they travel anywhere in the EU, just as they do at home.
The regulation comes into force on Sunday, 1 April 2018 and effectively removes the former geo-blocking functions of online streaming services. The blocking previously disabled access upon exiting your country of residence.
The online services affected include video-on-demand platforms (such as Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime, Mubi and Chili TV), online TV services (such as Viasat's Viaplay, Sky's Now TV and Voyo), music streaming services (such as Spotify, Deezer and Google Music), and game online marketplaces (such as Steam and Origin).
From today forward, streaming services like Netflix and HBO will be obliged to verify the subscriber's country of residence by checking payment details, internet contracts or the user IP address.
The European Commission hopes portability of content would promote access to legally acquired content, and discourage end-users from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass territorial restrictions created by licensing schemes. Netflix, for example, decided two years ago to prevent VPN users from gaining access to subscriptions, due to their ability to cloak their geographical location.
While the portability regulation is primarily intended for commercial services, providers of free-of-charge online content services can also offer portability to their subscribers. Finland's public broadcaster Yle plans to make its Areena https://areena.yle.fi/tv streaming service available across EU borders just as soon as it can create the necessary log-in process to verify the user country of residence.
Coming to terms with the current reality
EU figures show that in 2016, 64 percent of Europeans used the internet to play or download games, images, films or music – mostly through mobile devices. A survey found that half of EU residents between the ages of 15 and 39 thought that accessing the service they subscribe to when travelling in Europe was important.
The possibility to have access to online content services when travelling has become even more important since 15 June 2017, when a ban on mobile roaming charges entered into force in the EU. This earlier regulation allows people who travel periodically to pay domestic prices for mobile internet throughout the union.


text: Reflecting a fundamental change in China’s labour market, insufficient labour supply has become a primary concern for factory owners, according to a survey of 1,200 Chinese manufacturers. Rising labour costs are producing a high turnover rate among factory workers. During the two years of the survey conducted by China’s Wuhan University at factories in Guangdong and Hubei provinces, as much as 26 per cent of workers in the Pearl River Delta had changed jobs. “With high worker turnover, they have to pay workers more to retain them,” said survey co-designer Albert Park, director of Institute for Emerging Market Studies at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Average monthly wages of Chinese workers reached 4,126 yuan (HK$4,721) in 2015, or US$635, still far behind the US, but almost matching Brazil and significantly higher than other emerging economies such as India and Vietnam. Manufacturers in China ‘ill-prepared for Industry 4.0’ says McKinsey report As costs rise and the business environment turns hostile, more than a third of Chinese factory owners are chasing political blessings from the state or the Communist Party to gain easier access to subsidies and tax benefits. About 23 per cent of factory owners have served in local parliament and political consultative committees. Thirty-nine per cent are Communist Party members, although they are private business owners, according to the survey. Tracking more than 11,300 employees and their employers in 2015 and 2016 in Guangdong and Hubei, the survey found that government support, often in the form of tax exemptions and refunds, has become critical to the survival of many Chinese factories and exporters grappling with rising costs and sluggish demands. More than half of the surveyed manufacturers received government subsidies, which on average accounted for 2.6 per cent of their sales revenues. Although there was a higher chance for state-owned factories to get subsidies than others, private businesses relied more on these benefits for boosting their revenue, the survey said. Coping with rising wages, factories have turned to robots or automation to improve productivity. The survey said about 40 per cent of manufacturers in Guangdong and Hubei use automated machines for production. Manufacturing automation to drive China’s robotics spending to US$59b by 2020, says IDC But research and development spending as part of industrial upgrading has slowed in recent years. In particular, the number of foreign companies with R&D investment dropped to 38 per cent in 2015 from close to 60 per cent a year earlier. “My interpretation is there is this feeling that [owners are] not very sure that demand is going to improve. So factory owners could be cautious about making large investments,” Park said. Premier Li Keqiang has stressed that China needs to improve its business operating environment to bring in more foreign capital and talent.


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Home Tags Vail Resorts
Tag: Vail Resorts
BROOMFIELD, Colo. - Vail Resorts, Inc. today announced a worldwide multi-year partnership agreement with two-time Olympic gold medalist, professional snowboarder and skateboarder Shaun White.
BROOMFIELD, Colo. – Vail Resorts says lift ticket revenue, skier visits and spending at its six resorts are up so far this ski season.
FORT WORTH, Texas, and BROOMFIELD, Colo.
BROOMFIELD, CO - Vail Resorts, Inc. announced today that three senior-level executives have been promoted within the company.
BROOMFIELD, Colorado - Vail Resorts, Inc. today announced the appointment of Derek Koenig to the position of senior vice president and chief marketing officer.


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Fort Pierce-based Maverick Boat breaks ground on new facility
Clean water equals jobs.
That was a message conveyed Friday by Scott Deal, CEO of Fort Pierce-based Maverick Boat Group during a celebration for the ground breaking of a new boat building facility on St. Lucie Boulevard. The 106,000 square foot facility will house the construction of MBG's Cobia line of boats, the top-selling center console boat in the country, according to Deal.
More:St. Lucie OKs incentives for Maverick boats to stay in county, create 100 jobs
When construction is completed later this year, the company will have added more than 100 new jobs in St. Lucie County. Jim Leffew, vice president of manufacturing with MBG, said within the first year, the company expects to roll off its assembly line more than 1,500 new boats destined for boating markets far and wide, generating over $100 million in sales. In order to do that, Leffew said the company will likely need to hire an additional 120-150 employees. It already employs 287 at its 66,000 square foot facility located about a half mile from the site of where Cobias will soon be built.
Friday's groundbreaking was significant on several levels. Maverick Boat Group is not one of those companies used to tooting its own horn. For 33 years, it has quietly let its product lines do that job, and quite effectively, I might add. Since first settling in St. Lucie County in the late 1980s, soon after brothers Scott and Troy Deal bought six fiberglass molds for $12,000, the business has expanded into four of the nation's most recognizable and best selling boating brands — Maverick, Hewes, Pathfinder and Cobia. Each is synonymous among recreational anglers in the class of high performance, technically designed specialized fishing vessels crafted by anglers.
Good business means good benefits for the community it operates in. Last year, the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners working in concert with the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County approved a $210,000 economic package that will aid Maverick Boat Group in its $6.7 million investment in the new boat building facility. One important part of the package is that Maverick Boat Group must create 100 jobs in two years.
That will not be a problem, Leffew said. The company will produce three boats per day and 15 per week and will need at least 8-10 people per boat to accomplish that goal, and meet dealer network and customer demand. And these will be good quality jobs, Leffew said.
"We're very confident that within a few years we'll have 250 people working at this facility alone, and these jobs are good jobs," he told the crowd in attendance. "A new hire with no experience can expect, and we'll train, $14 per hour, a full suite of benefits, health insurance, sick leave, paid vacation, 401K retirement planning and participation in a very aggressive employee profit-sharing plan pioneered and developed by Scott which in the last three years has redistributed $2 million back to our employees."
Leffew said the job market in St. Lucie County is beginning to shift.
"We've long been known as an agricultural community, and that's great, but we are becoming a hub for marine manufacturing and we need to embrace that and exploit it, and we're here to help," he said.
Leffew explained that a bustling boat manufacturing plant also buoys scores of small businesses in the area which also serve the marine community and supply parts for the new boats.
"There's a multiplier effect and it helps raise the standard of living," he said.
The strong economy for marine businesses has been growing since the lending crisis of 2009. It has been so strong in the past three years that other boatbuilding companies are experiencing similar growth. Literally two doors down the street from where Cobia's new plant will be, Pursuit Boats is also undergoing an expansion to meet its sales demand. In December, the county awarded Pursuit a package worth a little under $50,000 to create 30 jobs with a $2.1 million, 14,000 square foot plant expansion project. This week, Boston Whaler celebrated its own groundbreaking expanding to an additional 60 acres next door to its plant in Edgewater, Fla. in Volusia County. Literally in the Fort Pierce industrial park within a golf swing of Maverick Boat Group's existing facility are strong boating brands Bluewater Sportfishing Boats and Billfish Boatworks, also enjoying great success and growth.
More:St. Lucie County set to offer Pursuit Boats almost $50,000 incentive for creating 30 jobs
All this came while news this week from a leading marine industry economic analyst indicated that more than 263,000 boats were sold nationwide in 2017, an increase of more than four percent over sales in 2016. Once all states report their sales figures, it is expected that 269,000 boats were sold last year, only the second year where more than 250,000 boats were sold in the U.S.
But there are two more important pieces to the "boating is good business" puzzle, Deal said.
"What do people do with these boats? They go out and enjoy the environment. They go out and look at the beautiful water, maybe go catch some fish, maybe they want to go on a cocktail cruise," Deal explained. "But nobody is going to go boating without access to clean water and healthy fisheries."
Deal introduced one of his guests in attendance — Erik Eikenberg, CEO of the Everglades Foundation. Deal said Eikenberg understands why clean water is worth fighting for.
"Clean water is important to the economy of Florida," Deal explained. "It's what people do here. They move here to go boating. They move here to enjoy the environment. Without access to clean water, without access to fisheries, they are not going to buy these boats. These buildings are not going to get built. Jobs are not going to be created."
Ed Killer is the outdoors columnist for Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com, and this column reflects his opinion. Friend him on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at firstname.lastname@example.org or call him at 772-221-4201.


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On September 29th, 2020, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, also known as NTT, announced that they would buy out NTT Docomo for 430 billion yen in the single biggest takeover bid in Japanese history. NTT will be taking Docomo private, allowing it to be free from shareholder pressure and possibly more flexible with its pricing.
This move is suspected to be related to the recent price war between companies that have been incited by Prime Minister Suga, calling for a drop in phone costs. However, NTT chief executive Jun Sawada made a point of saying that talks with Docomo began last April, and the recent government pressure to lower prices has not been a factor.
That being said, competing company Rakuten recently unveiled a new 5G phone plan that is half the price of other rival companies. This Wednesday, Rakuten Inc. launched an unlimited 5G data plan for 2,980 ($28.25) yen a month. Other companies’ prices, including Docomo’s, range from between 7,500-8,500 yen.
While the new phone plan is undeniably more affordable and attractive, there have been rumors of unstable connection. To utilize the plan, a 5G compatible cell phone is required, and the service area is said to be limited to certain areas like Tokyo.


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“In my opinion, commodities have not bottomed yet,” said Andrew Hecht, chief market strategist at Carden Capital. “The markets are suffering from a couple of things: big inventories, lower demand from China — which is very much the demand side of the equation for commodities — and a stronger dollar.
China is exporting its excess supply of products like aluminum because of lower demand at home.
“As the main consumer of commodities and the main source of commodity growth over the past decade, the China slowdown has had a disproportionate impact,” said Craig Pirrong, a finance professor at the University of Houston. And he said markets can’t tell just how long that slowdown will last.
“China’s a tremendous source of uncertainty and volatility, and Alcoa’s going to be along for that ride,” said Pirrong.
The company is trying to hold on, closing plants and dividing its operations to respond to slowing global growth.
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2020 signaled a shift towards better pet care overall. 2021 continues these adjustments, with big changes towards more natural pet products and virtual services. Pet ownership increased from 54% to 57% this year, so pets will continue to be big business. Look out for the following trends that are shaping the future of pets.
Everything’s Going Organic
Because of the pandemic, pet owners want to focus on their pets’ health and wellness. They monitor their pets for signs of stress and are concerned about their pets’ immune systems. Choosing healthy alternatives is a priority for most pet parents.
A US pet market survey says that there is a move towards more natural pet food and related products. More pet owners are buying treats with plant-based ingredients and leaning towards fresh or raw food. They want to veer away from any processed pet food. This can mean organic fare that is also fit for humans to enjoy. Pet enthusiasts this year are also more likely to purchase pet healthcare products.
Pet owners extend this concern to using pet-friendly chemical-free products. As more people are concerned with disinfecting, pet-safe cleaning solutions and tools are preferred.
Pet toys are also no exception. Owners are also buying toys made with all-natural materials. Consumers will want BPA-free toys that are made up of natural rubber and organic cotton.
Private Label and Premium Pet Products Are Getting More Attention
With more consumers buying in bulk, less expensive private label pet merchandise is getting popular. National name brands will have more competition. On the other side of the spectrum, more pet products will have a more premium feel.
Grooming Styles Will Be More Fashion-Forward
With some parts of the country opening up, professional pet grooming will still be needed for shows. There are still dog competitions where expert groomers elevate showdog level grooming with more artistic and colorful hair designs.
Aside from basic puppy cuts and standard shiny coats, pets in 2021 can enjoy hair coloring, jewelry, and unique stenciled buzz cuts.
However, Caesar Milan, a dog behavior expert, warns owners to stay away from toxic dyes. Coloring should still be left to professional groomers.
On a related note, DIY grooming at home is also trending. Professional groomers are doing more tutorials on proper and basic grooming for pets. Pet owners will want to own standard grooming tools to keep pets well maintained between salon or spa visits.
Virtual Pet Care Services Are Going Stronger Than Ever
Vets are now offering online veterinary counseling or obedience training. Some pet doctors continue to offer home visits, along with online consultations.
Pet insurance is also now available for owners. It allows them to pay for the best course of treatment for pets in emergencies. This kind of insurance protects people and their pets from any big financial setback.
Finally, online shopping for pets is still on the uptake. Common big-ticket items are:
– treats and pet food
– more durable pet supplies
– deworming meds
– and cat litter
The latest items on the shopping list are pet vitamins and supplements.
Pet Owners Are Getting More Actively Involved in Animal Welfare
With the humanism of pets, pet care trends are also moving towards a more personalized approach. Pet parents want to do more grooming themselves and participate in animal welfare issues.
Pet owners will also want more ethical treatment of animals and will not buy products involving cruel animal testing. Pet adoption will increase the overall pet population as more pet retailers support rescue shelters.
The Future Is: Healthier, Happier Pets
With all these changes, one thing remains: people still treat their pets like family. Pet parents will spare no expense or effort to ensure that beloved pets are in the healthiest state possible. More owners will continue to be concerned with healthier alternatives to food, products, and related merchandise around the home.
The pet industry continues to meet the challenges of making pet products and services to meet this need. Professionals continue to adapt and personalize services in the best interest of animals and their clients.
The more heartwarming pet trend is adoption and animal shelter support. Pet retailers are joining the cause to rehome rescued pets. More families, especially those with children, now enjoy the benefits of owning pets, thanks to increased pet adoptions.
Technology is also being used to bridge the gap in every aspect of pet welfare. From shopping to veterinary care, pet care tutorials to raising better awareness, everybody is connected to whatever’s needed.


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30 hotels across Greece heading to auction in next few weeksChristian Fernsby ▼ | September 14, 2020
30 hotel properties across Greece are heading to auction in the next few weeks, with a total starting price in value of approximately €1 million.
Hotel Greece hotel
The question is what kind of attitude investors will be adopting, as for many hotel units the opening prices were set before the outbreak of the pandemic and it is not clear whether they will be considered attractive or not. ■


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Barracuda Networks Inc has announced the launch of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Cloud-to-Cloud Backup, beginning with support for Microsoft Office 365.
Seagate Technology has announced several product updates and its new Cloud Systems and Solutions group (CSS), which it declared would deliver the world’s most scalable, secure, efficient, and cost-effective cloud service architectures and solutions.
Is there a gender divide when it comes to how people deal with digital content? According to a recent F-Secure survey, men pay more attention to how much content they have than women do, but women are sharing it on Facebook more frequently.
WD has officially announced the availability of its WD Se line of hard drives in Malaysia, which together with the WD Xe and WD Re lines, makes a compelling case for positioning hard-disk drive (HDD) technology at the heart of the cloud computing surge.
HDS has made its debut in the nascent space of enterprise-class file share and sync, announcing solutions and services that it claims would help companies adopt cloud computing more readily.
In order to help businesses meet the demand for speed and extend its leadership position in the market, NetApp has beefed up its enterprise-class flash storage portfolio.
Parallels has announced a slew of new products aimed at making the delivery of cloud services to small and medium businesses a more seamless experience.
Seagate recently announced the Seagate Cloud Builder Alliance, a new strategic partner category within its existing Seagate Partner Program, that provides technical information, customer insights, market knowledge and delivers the tools partners need to expand their businesses providing cloud storage technology.


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April 10, 2020—Volkswagen said it will furlough its production and maintenance workforces at its Chattanooga plant in Tennessee, reported CNET.
While its not clear when production will resume, the automaker said the furlough will not last longer than four weeks.
VW will continue to pay health care benefits for each employee. In addition, each will still receive their quarterly bonuses as well as a monthly bonus for March as scheduled.
For any VW workers working remotely, they will not be part of the furloughs. However, the automaker will make each take one vacation day.


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COVID-19 POSES SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO GLOBAL ECONOMY AND FINANCIAL MARKETS
There is an old maxim in the world of economics and financial markets that one should always expect the unexpected. Coming into 2020, there were grounds for a slightly higher level of optimism relating to the coming year, following on the back of what was quite a challenging 2019 for the global economy.
The slightly heightened level of optimism was predicated on a view that ahead of his re-election bid in November, President Trump would wind down his trade dispute with China and concentrate on ensuring as strong and stable an economy as possible in the run up to the election. This has transpired as President Trump and the Chinese have become more conciliatory and the threats of a damaging trade war have been averted, at least for 2020. 2021 may be a different matter.
However, all has changed over the past month and the escalation of the COVID-19 crisis has thrown global financial markets into crisis and has generated a massive level of uncertainty about the economic outlook. At the moment, the prognosis does not look good, but there will inevitably (or at least hopefully) be a strong and co-ordinated global policy response.
The US Federal Reserve shaved 0.5% off its key interest rate on March 3rd as an emergency measure to address the economic impact of the virus. The real point of note is that this was the first emergency rate cut in the US since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. This should send out a clear message of just how seriously global authorities are now starting to take the threat posed by COVID-19. The economic and financial risks are very real.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has pointed out that global economic growth was already weak, but was stabilising until the Coronavirus hit. It cites restrictions on the movement of people, goods and services, and the various containment measures taken, such as factory closures, as impacting very negatively on manufacturing and domestic demand in China. It went on to warn that the impact on the rest of the world through business travel and tourism, supply chain disruptions, commodities and lower confidence is becoming more significant.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a similar prognosis and has created a $50 billion fund to help low income and emerging market countries cope with the negative repercussions of the virus. It believes there will be significant economic fallout from the global health crisis. It is hard to disagree.
COVID-19 is somewhat different than many previous shocks, because it has both supply side and demand side effects. The overall impacts will be felt through voluntary curtailment of activities and from official restrictions to certain activities.
The disruptions to business, particularly in China, has impacted negatively on the supply of materials, particularly intermediate materials for further production. The lockdown of businesses and the imposition of quarantines is having a negative effect around the world, and this is already being reflected in dry bulk shipping of materials and commodities.
On the demand side of the equation, global demand will be affected by the reluctance of consumers and businesses to spend. Business investment will likely be cut back, as consumer demand will be dampened by a potential loss of income; by a fear of contagion; and a basic increase in uncertainty which will cause consumers to spend less.
At the end of the day, economic activity is made up of people buying goods and services; travelling; companies providing goods and services; and all of the billions of other transactions that take place every day. If people and companies curtail these activities due to fears over the virus and engage in voluntary curtailment of their activities or are forced to do so, then economic activity will inevitably suffer. That is now clearly happening and is likely to get worse. The point of course is that 2019 was a poor enough year for the global economy and it was already quite vulnerable coming into 2020 and certainly did not need such an unanticipated shock.
There will have to be a strong policy response to prevent this temporary crisis from turning into something more permanent. There is a distinct risk that many viable businesses and jobs will be permanently undermined due to cash flow difficulties. A strong official policy response at a global level will be required.
The Federal Reserve has already cut interest rates, and the likelihood is that we will see a more co-ordinated monetary policy response from central banks around the world, comprising of interest rate cuts and more extensive asset purchases. However, with interest rates already so low and trillions of euro and dollars pumped in to the global economic and financial system in recent years, it is hard to see how much real impact monetary policy can have, other than psychological impacts. It is akin to pushing on a piece of string.
It is important that banks are given sufficient liquidity and use it to support vulnerable businesses and households for as long as this crisis lasts.
The real response will have to be delivered via fiscal policy. In the EU, the fiscal rules will have to be relaxed to allow governments support businesses, health services and consumers for the duration of the crisis. This support will have to be provided through targeted tax relief, expenditure supports and health service investment. A relaxation of the EU fiscal rules was becoming necessary ever before the COVID-19 crisis hit, but is now an even greater priority.
Examples of policy support to date around the world include the extension of tax deadlines for business, and a wage supplementation fund to help provide financial support to laid off workers in Italy. China has waived social security contributions from business. These sorts of initiatives and more will be necessary all over the world to help households and businesses come through what will hopefully be a temporary disruption. How long is temporary is of course the big question that nobody in all honesty can answer.
At the end of the day, the broad reach of the virus across so many countries, the strong cross-border economic linkages, as well as the large confidence effects impacting economic activity and financial and commodity markets, make the argument for a coordinated, international response very compelling.
Here in Ireland, the economic backdrop was certainly stronger than the rest of the Euro Zone in terms of the growth performance going in to this crisis. However, as a small and very open economy that is very exposed to the vagaries of the international economic cycle, the Irish economy is clearly under a certain level of threat. The lack of a permanent government is not helpful.
The cancellation of sporting events and the Saint Patrick’s Day parades around the country is a tough blow to the tourism and hospitality sector coming in to what is the beginning of the tourism season. These are just early examples of economic activity being cancelled, but we are likely to see a lot more of the same. International tourism is incredibly important to Ireland and particularly to rural areas. If people stop travelling for the duration of the crisis, then tourism businesses will inevitably suffer. On the upside, if less Irish travel overseas, they might just decide to holiday in Ireland, although any congregations of people will be under threat. Hopefully, the peak of the health crisis will have passed before we enter the summer season.
Inevitably, there will also be supply chain issues, meaning that Irish businesses may not be able to access stuff that they import, while export trade might also be adversely affected.
All in all, it is not good news from an economic perspective at a global or domestic level. However, we cannot be terribly prescriptive at this stage because we really have no idea how bad the virus is going to get and inevitably, different people will react in different ways. The hope is that it will peak and pass quickly and that much of the lost economic activity will be a postponement rather than a permanent cancellation.
In the context of financial markets, the reaction to date has been pretty dramatic. Bond yields have fallen a lot further; official interest rates everywhere look set to fall further and remain at historically low levels for a much longer duration; and already stretched equity markets from a valuation perspective, have come under serious and sustained pressure. It would take a brave individual or investor to call a bottom to the markets at this juncture, such is the magnitude of the uncertainty and the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 shock.
Oil prices have also fallen dramatically. This obviously reflects a belief that the inevitable slowdown in the global economy will hit the demand for oil, but the decision by Saudi Arabia to discount its crude oil prices and increase its production has resulted in the largest one-day fall in crude oil prices since the Gulf War in the 1990s. This move by Saudi Arabia is a direct affront to the Russians who failed to support an earlier proposal by Saudi Arabia to lead an OPEC production reduction to keep prices supported as the Coronavirus crisis gathered momentum in recent weeks. The global politics of oil production, which includes the US shale oil industry, adds a further complication to what is an already very uncertain period in world economic history.
We live in very interesting if not scary times, and it looks set to become even more interesting and potentially scarier over the coming weeks.
COVID-19 POSES SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO GLOBAL ECONOMY AND FINANCIAL MARKETS


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More importantly, the new BMW X4 adds more than two inches between its wheels, which should make it more comfortable for rear passengers. The xDrive30d (due to join the range in August 2018) has 261bhp, which is enough for a 0-62mph time of 5.8 seconds; the sporty M40d benefits from 322bhp and brings the 62mph sprint down to 4.9 seconds.
While not likely to see much serious off-road use, BMW says the 2019 X4 is not just a soft-roader. The redesigned X4 will be unveiled at the Geneva auto show in early March.
The Blue Propeller Boykies say they've made it longer (81mm overall on a 54mm longer wheelbase), sleeker (37mm wider and 3mm lower) and sportier, reducing its weight by 50kg and its drag coefficient to 0.30.
Along with some minor restyling of the doors and new "subtly hexagonal" wheelarches has come a very different rear end. With its extrovert design, versatile driving properties and dynamic character, the first ever mid-range Sports Activity Coupé in the premium segment has built up an impressive fan community within just a little over four years.
Customers can choose from Sport, M Sport or M Sport X models and a single petrol or three diesel engines. It's 1.4 inches wider, at 75 inches, but it's also a modest 0.1 inches lower, at 63.8 inches.
Inside, meanwhile, it's very much a carbon copy of the X3.
The two trims are also broken up by their powertrains.
Diesels are likely to be the most popular X4 models in the United Kingdom and there's no shortage of choice. There's a bunch of interior options, too, including active ventilation, three-zone climate control (complete with a choice of eight scents) and a large two-piece glass roof.
BMW also offers its "Parking Assistant Plus" pack on the X4, which includes a panoramic parking camera system with top-down and 3D views, as well as helping the you select and park in both parallel spots and bays. A large, free-standing 10.25-inch infotainment screen is standard and dominates the center stack.
It can work with iPhones, Apple Watches, Android smartphones, Google Home and Amazon Alexa. You can then complete full door-to-door guidance by transferring back to your device after you've parked. If you get a sense of déjà vu, no surprise, considering the 2019 X4 shares most of its underpinnings with the latest BMW X3. There's 18.5 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats, which expands to 50.5 cubic feet with the 40/20/40-split folding rear seat down.
The performance model, known as M, comes with a 6-cylinder engine. That range does include petrol engines, but despite the current anti-diesel sentiments in the United Kingdom, they won't initially come here, if at all.
Schneiderman says any sale of the company "must ensure that victims will be compensated" and that employees will be protected. Telephone and email messages seeking comment from Weinstein were not immediately returned.
A suffragette flag celebrating 100 years of women voting was raised outside Rochdale Town Hall on Tuesday (6 February). The law meant that women who occupied a house or were married to someone who occupied a house could now vote.
Vice-chief David Pratt of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations called for changes to the jury selection system. Boushie's uncle Alvin Baptiste, seated, and Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand, centre, also spoke at the event.
A damning internal report into their conduct concluded: "It can not be ruled out that any of the prostitutes were under-aged". An investigation by The Times alleges the charity covered up sexual misconduct by aid workers in Haiti.
However, local rivals Manchester City now lead the Premier League with a handsome 13 point advantage over United. Revenue for the second quarter is up four per cent to £163.9m, but the accounts show a £29m loss for the period.
While there are some exciting improvements to the system graphics, the company also unveiled some privacy and security changes. The feature doesn't now work, but Redmond says it will before the Redstone 4 update is released to the general public.
Cim Inv Mangement Inc has 0.22% invested in Lowe's Companies, Inc. 3,284 are held by Driehaus Limited Liability Company. Piper Jaffray maintained Activision Blizzard, Inc . (NASDAQ: ATVI ) on Friday, February 12 with "Outperform" rating.
Concept cars and ready-to-launch models powered by regular internal combustion engines also vied for attention. The move is also in line with the government's mission of having only electric vehicles being sold by 2030.
For the first time Xiaomi is also introducing the obligatory Face Unlock feature, marking the 5 Pro as a full-circle wannabe. On the connectivity front, the Mi TV 4 offers 3 HDMI ports , 1XUSB 3.0, 1X USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi 802.11ac.
That program granted the right to work and stay in the US without fear of deportation to about 700,000 young immigrants. Garaufis said the administration can "indisputably" end DACA but questioned its legal reasoning for doing so.
That will spread moisture north over central Indiana. "Precipitation will not be constant tonight , with dry periods at times". Expect freezing rain to move into central IN early this morning - and could be steady through the mid morning hours.
President Donald Trump: 'God's hand' is on America
The National Prayer Breakfast is put on by the Fellowship Foundation, which was long run by Doug Coe, who died a year ago . During his remarks, the president emphasized the interconnection between freedom of religion and a flourishing society.
ESPN Plus Service Will Cost $4.99 Per Month
It will enable access to live streams of all ESPN's networks providing consumers or subscribers to multi-channel packages. Speed will a key component of the app's redesign, according to Aaron LaBerge, ESPN's chief technology officer.
Georgia, Ohio State both do well on signing day
Walker had been committed to Alabama since June, but he announced Wednesday morning that he will instead sign with Georgia. The 6-foot-2, 1/2, 185-pound Campbell is rated as the No. 12 overall prospect on the 247Sports Composite.


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Weekly Cannabis Commentary
Author: Sid Rajeev, Iftekhar Mahmud
Cannabis Industry Performance
Last week, Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB) released its Q3 (three months ended March 31, 2021) results, with $55M in revenue, down 25% YoY, and $165M (EPS: – $0.85) in net losses, 18% higher loss YoY. Management cited lower demand from provincial distributors and retail channels as the reason for the revenue decline.
Today, HEXO Corp. (TSX: HEXO) announced its plans to acquire 48North Cannabis Corp. (TSXV: NRTH) in an all-share deal valued at approximately $50M. The implied EV/R acquisition multiple is 3x vs the sector average of 14x. HEXO was also able to acquire Zenabis (TSX: ZENA), earlier this year, for just 2.6x EV/R.
In the U.S., Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: CURLF) announced an agreement to acquire Los Sueños Farms (a private outdoor grow company in Colorado) for US$67M. We were unable to get any information on the target’s revenue/earnings.
As of May 14, 2021, the Canadian big four LPs are trading at a 109% premium (up from 94% the previous week) over their U.S. peers. We were expecting the premium to decline due to Aurora’s poor results. We would not be surprised if premiums decline this week.
The following chart shows the average EV/R of the companies we track in both sectors:
The average retail price per gram decreased week-over-week, from $11.28 to $11.27. The chart below shows the Canadian retail dried cannabis flower pricing trend:
Canadian Retail Cannabis Stores
As of May 17, 2021, there are 1,995 retail cannabis stores, a week-over-week increase of 13 stores across Canada, with 11 in Ontario, and two in B.C.


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As the grass harvesting season starts to get under way, the supply of parts to Claas customers and dealers throughout the UK and Ireland has further benefitted from the opening of the new Claas UK Parts warehouse at Saxham, Suffolk. The new building is part of the second phase of the complete redevelopment of the Claas UK headquarters, which is nearing completion.
The opening of the new central UK Parts warehouse has revolutionised parts handling at Saxham. As the business has grown through the years, parts have needed to be stored in five different buildings across the site.
The new building has a floor area of 4,336 square meters, which is equivalent to 17 tennis courts, and a total capacity of 42,000 cubic metres, making it capable of holding enough malting barley to enable the local Bury St Edmunds brewer Greene King to produce about 357 million pints of its best selling Old Speckled Hen bitter!
The new building is more than capable of accommodating the 47,000 line items, or 850,000 individual items that are held in stock by Claas UK, under one roof, with space to spare for future expansion. For larger items, there’s now 45m of cantilever racking and the amount of bulk racking has been doubled, while a mezzanine area holds 70 per cent of the total contents of the previous warehouse across three levels. All parts are identified and located using a scan and bar code system and a new “Serpentine” row system has been installed to provide improved pick rate accuracy and efficiency.
For increased flow of parts through the building, the Goods In area is 60 per cent larger than before, the Packing area has been doubled, and Dispatch is 40 per cent bigger. The secure customs area for airfreight to Ireland has also been doubled.
The opening of the new Claas UK Parts warehouse follows the recent expansion of the worldwide Claas Parts Logistics Centre at Hamm, in Germany.
For more information visit: www.claas.co.uk.


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The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show is one of the annual highlights in Las Vegas where companies show off their latest technology related to broadcasting and media. I was among the 90,000 attendees at the show and if you were wondering why CloudCar was there, it was because NAB introduced the In-Vehicle Experience for […]
CloudCar’s Senior Product Manager Seema Khandkar was among the thought leaders who spoke at the annual Global Big Data Conference in Santa Clara, California. Seema blogs about CloudCar’s journey establishing an analytics and machine learning platform and our three key takeaways.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking […]
On June 6-7, CloudCar joined all the major players in the car industry at this years TU Automotive Detroit, the world’s biggest conference and expo for autonomous and connected cars.
I arrived in Novi, Michigan, just about 30 miles away from Detroit. Before entering the Suburban Collection Showplace building, large tents and colorful feather flags caught […]
For the second consecutive year, CloudCar participated at the annual Connect Car California conference, an event hosted by Automotive Megatrends on April 26 in Santa Clara, California. This year, our Director of Product, Ahmer Khan, gave a talk during the afternoon UX session.
“How many of you hop in your car and still use your phone?” […]


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The historic Zbrojovka factory celebrates its 100th anniversary and plans transformation
The “old-timer” arms and vehicle factory of Brno, Zbrojovka is a hundred years old. While celebrating a century past, Zbrojovka awaits its transformation. Photo credit: MMB
Brno, Jun 15 (BD) – On Saturday, June 9, the Zbrojovka was open to public. Currently, the factory complex is closed for its ongoing transformation into “Nová Zbrojovka”, a new modern, vibrant and affordable neighborhood that will offer housing, business places and shopping areas, according, the official website of the City of Brno.
Zbrojovka has been the production site for arms, motor vehicles and small artillery for almost a century in Brno, since the Austro-Hungarian era.
In 1918, after World War I, “Zbrojovka Brno a.s.” was established by the Czechoslovak state and the factory became a production site for the Austrian Mannlicher rifles, according to Novazbrojovka.cz, the official website of the Nová Zbrojovka project.
The factory today. Photo credit: MMB
Later in the ‘20s, production of automobiles, machine guns, aircraft engines and machine tools at Zbrojovka began and the factory became a big production center for arms and vehicles, according to the official website of the Zbrojovka factory.
In the ‘30s, Zbrojovka started producing standard and portable typewriters as well. By mid-’30, the company was a world-famous holding.
Now with the new plans for transformation in its 100th year, the area is set to become an attractive district that will revive the city. This 100th birthday for the old factory is celebrated with a makeover as an anniversary gift to the Zbrojovka.
“Nová Zbrojovka” is a multifunctional project of the real estate and investment company CPI Property Group. CPI estimates that the project could be completed by 2027.
Get the news first! Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Top stories of the day in your mailbox every morning.https://www.brnodaily.com/2018/06/15/brno-urban-guide/the-historic-zbrojovka-factory-celebrates-its-100th-anniversary-and-plans-transformation/https://www.brnodaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC_1615180608_Nova_zbrojovka_kol__5_.jpghttps://www.brnodaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC_1615180608_Nova_zbrojovka_kol__5_-150x87.jpgBD MagazineBrno Urban GuideBusinessPoliticsBrno,Brno Urban Guide,Business,Czech Republic,Politics,Technology,Urban PlansThe “old-timer” arms and vehicle factory of Brno, Zbrojovka is a hundred years old. While celebrating a century past, Zbrojovka awaits its transformation. Photo credit: MMBBrno, Jun 15 (BD) - On Saturday, June 9, the Zbrojovka was open to public. Currently, the factory complex is closed for its ongoing...Berk BüyükbalcıBerk Büyükbalcıberk_buyukbalci@hotmail.comAuthorAhoj Brno, this is Berk from İstanbul, a light traveller of short distances and journalist who is possessed with curiosity about new places and cultures.Brno Daily


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We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to ride-hailing services in Singapore. And it’s been a fierce battle between all these service providers, each trying to outdo the other. It has been quite some time since Grab reigned supreme and it looks like their dominance will not be dwindling anytime soon, especially with the expected acquisition of Uber’s Southeast Asia (SEA) operations.
But what does this mean for consumers across the region? And what can we expect from this marriage?
Follow us as we discuss the impact of the merger and how the potential monopoly could change the landscape of ride-hailing services.
Wait… What’s going on again?
The story has been going through the rumour mills for months. Uber selling its SEA operations to Grab? Really?
After such an intense fight by both companies, we couldn’t see either yielding.
But as days go by, it looks more and more likely.
A Bloomberg report suggests that it will be finalised very soon. The report also suggests that the structure of the deal would be very similar to the deal struck with Didi Chuxing in China a couple of years ago.
The deal would give Uber a stake in Grab, with numbers expected to reach close to 20% in the $6 billion company. While the sale is expected to go through in the coming weeks, there’s still potential for the negotiations to fall apart.
So what does this merger mean for consumers in SEA?
The acquisition of Uber’s operations will signal the beginning of Grab’s monopoly, especially so in Singapore. With Uber recently inking a partnership with ComfortDelGro, and Grab’s partnership with SMRT – it gives Grab almost absolute power in the industry.
With great power comes great responsibility (and profit) so we can expect a lot of changes to take place due to the monopolisation of the market. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, we’ll only find out when this actually happens.
What Can We Expect?
Shift in Pricing
With the control that Grab will have in the market, it gives them ultimate pricing power and the ability to change the game. If the acquisition goes through, it’s also highly likely we’ll stop getting weekly promotions.
The two ride-hailing companies have been trying to out-incentivise drivers and customers with weekly promotional discounts and incentives, which has caused a hefty sum for these companies.
So, the first change in the landscape is expected to be a reduced offering of incentives and promotions for both the drivers and customers. This happened in China, after Didi Chuxing acquired Uber’s operations there where prices for customers went up while incentives for drivers went down.
Increase in Regulations
The regulators in Singapore are very much against market dominance by a single player. An increase in regulations for private-hire car services could be dished out to curb the situation.
With the potential of an increase in regulations for these services, a group of unlikely winners might emerge – ComfortDelGro and other taxi operators. The regulations will ultimately level the playing field for them.
But there’s still a probability that these additional regulatory hurdles could block the deal from even going through. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.
With the monopolisation of the market, the effectiveness of the services provided might actually increase. From making decisions to balancing supply and demand, Grab could potentially provide a more effective service as orders are passed by a single operator.
Grab and Uber joining forces “looks to be inevitable and economically efficient” says Dr Walter Theseira, transport economist from Singapore University of Social Sciences. But he believes that there needs to be tighter regulations to control the power which Grab will have. So that the monopolisation Grab holds doesn’t get out of hand.
It is, however, all speculation for now. We’ll never know for sure what is going to happen to the market.
Ride-hailing services has been such a luxury for many of us. We’ve enjoyed all the amazing promotions and incentives but there’s bound to be an end to all these. Let’s just wait and see what happens next.


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Last week, there was an uproar in the aftermarket development community when the Netflix app would not appear in Google Play Store search queries coming from rooted devices. Something was blocking it from showing up in Play Store queries, and Netflix said that it was indeed blocking unsupported devices. But at Google I/O 2017, the announcement of some new features to Google Play shed light to this issue.
Apparently, what we have here is a new feature of Google Play Console. Google mentions a new Device Catalog section under Release management – this will let developers choose to a very granular degree which devices their app will support on the Play Store. To put it plainly, developers can exclude devices by many attributes including RAM, SoC, and interestingly, SafetyNet Attestation.
If the developers choose – from three options – to block their app from appearing for devices based on SafetyNet, excluding those that don’t pass integrity, or excluding the latter plus those that aren’t certified by Google, then you will have the Netflix issue. This means that any developer could now block their apps from showing and being directly installable from the Play Store on devices that are rooted, running a custom ROM, or those running from emulators and uncertified devices.
How the aftermarket community will react to this will be interesting, because it feels like custom ROMs and rooted devices are being targeted here. However, this is not the first time it has happened, and we have seen the community rise up from things like this.
VIA: Android Police


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December 18, 2021 4:00:57 am
Tata Motors said Friday it has tied up with the Maharashtra government to support setting up of a registered vehicle scrapping facility (RVSF) in the state.
The two inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up the scrappage centre with a recycling capacity of up to 35,000 vehicles a year for end-of-life passenger and commercial vehicles.
The state industries, energy and labour department will support in facilitating the necessary approvals, Tata Motors said. Earlier, Tata Motors had signed an MoU with the Gujarat government to set up a scrapping facility in Ahmedabad.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.


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Xerxes Desai, the first managing director of India's largest watch maker Titan, passed away on Monday after a brief illness. He was 79. Desai is credited with introducing the country to its first quartz watch three decades ago. He also dramatically changed the retail landscape of the country with Titan, and later Tanishq, showrooms.
Desai joined Tata Administrative Service (TAS) in 1961 after graduating from Oxford University. The Tata veteran worked with Tata Press, Tata Chemicals and Taj Hotels before setting up Titan in 1986 with support from the Tamil Nadu government (Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corp). "Titan owes a huge debt of gratitude to Xerxes Desai and it is with deepest sorrow that the Titan family says goodbye to a great leader and dear friend today. He was not only our founder, but also our greatest advocate. Over the years, his guidance and dogged pursuit of perfection helped make Titan a household name and a market leader, setting standards that still remain unbeaten," the company said in a statement on Monday.
Desai, who had been living in Bengaluru for the last three decades, is widely acclaimed as the person under whom a private company started making watches and soon became a market leader ahead of the state-owned HMT, which enjoyed a monopoly till Titan's entry. He also started the jewellery brand Tanishq.
"He was a legend in a true sense and an inspiration to generations, (one) who taught the intricacies of management without being a teacher," said Jacob Kurian, former chief operating officer (COO) of Tanishq and currently partner at private equity company New Silk Route.


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Don't Miss: What does a game designer do, exactly?
In this timeless blog, designer Liz England takes a run at breaking down the many roles and responsibilities a designer can have in an effort to answer a seemingly ever-present question.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Programming, Art, Audio, Design, Production, Business/Marketing
Postmortem: Pac-Man, Iwatani's rhapsody in yellow
35 years ago today, Namco released Pac-Man in Japan and jumpstarted a new age of game development. In this classic 2005 Game Developer Magazine feature, Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani explains how.
Console/PC, Programming, Art, Audio, Design, Production, Business/Marketing, Exclusive, GD Mag Exclusive, GD Mag
Brighten the corners of game audio
Audio veteran Damian Kastbauer takes a hard look at professional group GANG, the Game Audio Network Guild, and questions whether it's working for today's audio professionals.
Watch your favorite GDC talks now on the new GDC YouTube channel
Game Developers Conference officials are very excited to announce the launch of an official GDC YouTube channel where you can watch clips of game industry experts sharing knowledge with their peers.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Serious, Programming, Art, Audio, Design, Production, Business/Marketing, GDC


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Chairman’s Corner – Emil Hauch Jensen
Dear Friends of the Chamber!
Thank you for a great Business Person of the Year Gala Ball! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! (At least there were a lot of party people still going strong when I left at around three in the morning).
We have a lot of great events coming up in November and December, including the always popular Christmas Party. However, in the board we are already looking ahead, and have started planning the program for Spring 2017. We would love to hear from you what kind of topics you would like to see covered in 2017?
I am especially interested to hear from those of you that do not often go to our events. What is your business? What kind of challenges are you facing? How can DCCC be more relevant to you? – Please drop me a line with your comments (firstname.lastname@example.org).
At the party last week I had the chance to get great feedback from many of you. One of the things that surprised me was how many people said they would like to be part of organizing the party as a volunteer. Such feedback really warms my heart! At our core we are a member driven organization. As a member of our network you get what you give, and these guys really understood that!
Of course party is not the only thing we do – far from it – and we are always happy to receive help organizing great events in whatever format creates value for our members. So as we are planning for the next year, let me ask you this:
How would you like to contribute to DCCC in 2017?
Emil Hauch Jensen
Chairman of the Board, DCCC Shanghai Chapter
Save the Date!
DCCC Shanghai Christmas Party on Saturday, November 26 at Henkes
You can find all party photos HERE
You can find your personal Red Carpet photos HERE
News from our Members and Partners
Julestue on December 4 at 14:00-16:00 in Shanghai Racquet Club
We are Pleased to Welcome our New Members:
Anton Holten Nielsen
Louise Fletcher Nikolajsen
Emil Rauff Sørensen
Tina Sophia Skov
Update From The Royal Danish Consulate
The Danish Ambassador to China A. Carsten Damsgaard visited Chengdu, Sichuan Province on 20th of September 2016, where he met the Deputy Governor of Sichuan Mr. Zhu Hexin. Alongside the Danish Consul General in Chongqing Ms. Anja Villefrance, the Ambassador was received by officials from the provincial government.
During the meeting, both parties emphasized the potential of further cooperation in green technology, tourism, giant panda and healthcare sectors. Further discussion was made on high level visits to China from Denmark, and the possibilities of broadening existing cooperation between Denmark and Sichuan.
Accompanied by Mr. Steffen Straede, Copenhagen Zoo director, the Danish Ambassador visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The director of panda base Mr. Zhang Zhihe warmly welcomed Danish guests, introduced and guided a tour.
The Ambassador also visited Maersk Global Service Center in Chengdu, and was accompanied by the Managing Director of Maersk China, Mr. Jens Eskelund.Consulate General in Shanghai hosts launch event for Danish fur brand Oh!
At the launch event the Consul General had the pleasure to welcome Oh! by Kopenhagen Fur’s VIP guests to a presentation of the new collection by Oh!.
Oh! has recently partnered up with Shanghai based fashion showroom DFO and will launch a collection of luxury bags, charms and other accessory items.
“Denmark has a long and proud tradition within the fur-industry and our quality standards are leading worldwide,” said Consul General Nicolai Prytz in his speech during the launch event.
“It makes me proud to host an event like this and thereby help supporting an ambitious Danish company entering the Chinese market”.
Embassy supports Danish companies at China Wind Power Expo 2016
The Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing participated at the China Wind Power Expo 2016 (CWP) held in Beijing in 18th of October together with several Danish Companies.
Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy, Mr. Lars Bo Larsen, gave the keynote speech at the opening ceremony.
“We have from Danish side consistently taken the approach to support the Chinese authorities in their ambitious plan to transform the energy sector and increase the usage of renewable energy during several decades,” Mr. Lars Bo Larsen said after the speech. “Today, we are very happy to see China take lead and be amongst the first to ratify the Paris Convention, paving the way for its entering into force this year”.
The CWP 2016 took place with participants from both the private and public sector. Denmark and China have strong collaborative ties in the green energy sector, which Mr. Lars Bo Larsen addressed in his speech, where he highlighted the importance of continuous cooperation in off-shore wind energy.
Denmark has for many years had a leading role in the development of the wind power industry. This is in part due to a strong political commitment to enhance the use of green energy sources. Many Danish companies have also contributed to the green energy transition, some of which were present at the CWP 2016. Vestas, EKF, Ramboll, Mita-teknik and LM Wind Power were amongst the participating companies.
The CWP 2016 is the most important event in the wind industry in China. Apart from speeches and presentations there were also a Danish Pavilion and booths in the exhibition centre.
Consulate General in Shanghai hosts live broadcast supporting Danish e-commerce
On Thursday October 20th the Danish Consulate General in Shanghai hosted their first “live broadcast” on the Chinese e-commerce platform, Tmall.
Live broadcasting is a mixture of entertainment and shopping for Chinese consumers. While being entertained by information about Danish values and brands, the consumer can make purchases online, while the products are being showcased in the broadcast.
The broadcast is due to the very close collaboration between the Danish Consulate General in Shanghai and the Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba Group – the world’s largest retail company.
Five brands were featured in the two hour long broadcast, among them the Danish companies LEGO, Bestseller and Kjeldsen.
“It is the first time we try to help Danish companies, in this particular way, with their e-commerce activities in China, but we can already see now, that this strategically is a very important project that can contribute great value to the Danish brands and even generate significant instant increases to their online sales,” said Casper Freddie, Team Leader of Team Design in Trade Council China.
Danish knowhow on ‘spirit of craftsmanship’ discussed at major Chinese media
On Friday, 21 of October, Danish experience on the “spirit of craftsmanship” was discussed by experts at the Chinese media People’s Daily’s headquarters.
Denmark was used as a positive example on the discussion of the “spirit of the craftsmanship” organized by the media’s China Economic Weekly magazine. Lars Bo Larsen, Deputy Head of Mission of the Danish Embassy in Beijing, participated as a panellist at the discussion, where he expressed his understanding about Danish knowhow and traditions of craftsmanship.
“Denmark’s own version of this spirit is not only built on traditional inheritance, but also on rejuvenation and upgrade with innovation by mingling functionality and design into products,” Lars Bo Larsen said in his keynote speech, citing examples on Danish design brand names and urban planning projects.
Former Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Zhen Jianguo, several representatives from Danish companies including Grundfos and Haldor Topsoe, as well as Chinese scholars and business associations participated in the event, sharing their knowledge about “spirit of the craftsmanship” as well their insights and knowledge about how and what China could learn from Denmark based on their experience in Denmark.
Consulate General in Shanghai screens award-winning Danish movie
On Friday October 21st, the Royal Danish Consulate General in Shanghai screened the Beijing International Film Festival winner “Under Sandet”, which has been highly praised by film reviewers.
The Consulate General had the pleasure to invite Chinese media bloggers, journalists, social media followers, key opinion leaders from the film and television industry and business partners to a Danish film evening in co-operation with Shanghai Film Archive. Approximately 60 people attended the film-evening in the academic screening room of Shanghai Film Archive.
Prior to the film screening the attenders had the chance to gain a broad insight into the Danish film-industry through a lecture delivered by Professor Zhu Jianxin from Fudan University.
“Denmark is small in size, when it comes to geography and population, but the country has nevertheless made a significant contribution to the film-development in the world,” said Professor Zhu at the screening.
The film “Under Sandet”, which emphasizes a dark and forgotten aspect of the Danish post-war history, captured the attention from the attenders and was well-received. After the film screening many attenders took an active part in the Q&A session with several follow up questions regarding the Danish post-war history and culture.
Ambassador visits Shanghai
The Ambassador of Denmark to China, A. Carsten Damsgaard travelled to Shanghai to participate in Danish Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Business Person of the Year Gala Party and to visit Yangshan Deep Water Port.
From the 21st of October to the 24th of October the Ambassador of Denmark to China A. Carsten Damsgaard visited Shanghai in order to participate in the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China’s (DCCC) annual Business Person of the Year Gala Party and have several meetings with Danish companies in the Shanghai region.
At the DCCC’s Business Person of the Year Gala Ball the Ambassador gave the award of the annual Business Person of the Year to Allan Sand from the company Sand Future.
The award was instituted in 2007 by DCCC with the purpose to award and highlight individuals who has demonstrated outstanding performances in the development of Danish business in China in the previous year.
This year’s party was 10th edition and the party was held at Grand Kempinski Hotel with more than 200 guests attending.
On Monday the 24th of October the Ambassador together with the Danish Consul General in Shanghai, Nicolai Prytz, visited the Yangshan Deep Water Port, which ranks as the largest cargo port in the world.
During the visit the Ambassador also had several business meetings with Danish companies in the Shanghai region.
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Follow upcoming Danish cultural performances and events in Shanghai on http://www.culturedenmark.com/en
- Wednesday, November 2 Team Management: Coaching for Performance
- Tuesday, November 8 S.C. Van and the Spring Roll Fairy Tale by Prof. Ditlev Tamm
- Friday, November 18 Danish Friday
- Saturday, November 26 DCCC Shanghai Christmas Party
- Wednesday, November 30 Team Management: Performance and Formal Feedback Meetings
- Thursday, December 1 Lecture by Steen Jakobsen, Chief Economist and CIO of Saxo Bank
- Tuesday, December 6 Interchamber Christmas Mixer
- Friday, December 16 Danish Friday


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A new plan by GameStop may result in an influx of users coming to the Ethereum blockchain. Twitter account, “croissant” somehow founded the clues and connected the dots that maybe the NFT plan of GameStop can be continued and result in more users coming to the Ethereum blockchain.
Tweets point at the broken plan of launching an NFT marketplace by GameStop but believe that maybe something bigger is coming. The thread tweet talks about a new subdomain by GameStop that can be related to the marketplace.
Big Names Affecting the Market
When big companies come to the blockchain world, it almost always results in more users coming to the platforms. They sometimes launch blockchain-based products that attract their users to spend money on the new system.
New products always need cryptocurrencies to be able to serve customers. It results in more buying of a coin that ultimately increases the price. The host blockchain benefits from these decisions, too, because it sees an influx of users that may become attracted to other products on the network as well.
GameStop is one of the biggest game companies in the world, with many products and a huge fan base. If companies like GameStop launch blockchain products, it can attract a considerable amount of users to the ecosystem.
The new prediction by “croissant” on Twitter suggests that GameStop may be working on a previously canceled NFT marketplace. The news about this marketplace was published back in July, but there were no actual products since then.
According to the tweets, the company has created a subdomain for NFTs and may be working on the project again. This project can be connected to the newly joined manager, Ryan Cohen, and big investments that increased GameStop’s value to $1.3B. The long threaded tweet by “croissant” details the plans.
A massive surge of users are about to come to $ETH.
The news of GameStop launching an NFT platform broke back in July, but after digging a little deeper I’ve connected the dots to something even bigger
I’ll detail this information in the thread below… 🥐
— 👨🍳.eth (@CroissantEth) September 1, 2021
Part of it says:
“Integrating NFTs with GameStop would provide for an extremely useful application with unique benefits. It signifies the companies’ deep dive into the blockchain & their effort to go digital. NFTs are the perfect step, and $GME may onboard millions of users to the network this way.”
Although there is no actual announcement by GameStop about the NFT marketplace, the signs show that this company is considering this product seriously. The subdomain nft.gamestop.com says that they’re building a team. It surely will be an NFT-focused team.
Besides, recent hires by this company are mostly focused on blockchain technology. If GameStop continues the project and launches an NFT marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain, we can see an influx of users to this platform.
But it may change the plans, and their engineers may suggest other blockchains as well. In this scenario, the destination blockchain may receive huge attention from the market.
If you found this article interesting, here you can find more Ethereum News


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Ford has announced some uplifting news regarding its commitment to uplift American manufacturing for years to come. The future site of an all-new production plant has begun as the Ford company will create the first-ever electric F-150 pickup. The actual production run for this all-new F-150 pickup will start around mid-2022. Ford has invested $700 million for a new manufacturing center at the Dearborn-based Rogue Center. For now, the Rouge Complex will begin the process of creating the all-new Ford truck. Ford is set to add the latest high-tech manufacturing abilities needed to make this electric vehicle. Ford will grow about 300 jobs at this new plant. Among these new jobs will create a battery assembly for the production of the F-150 PowerBoost hybrid and fully electric Ford F-150.
The Massive Investment Ford Has Put Into Its Plants
Ford is going to revamp its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. This announcement was made in 2019 as Ford will invest over $1.45 billion to modernize this plant. Along with the upgrade to the plant, we will see 3,000 jobs added over the next three years. The growth of Ford has prompted the brand to continue to innovate and push the boundaries of the automotive industry. The move towards EV will cut into the two million pickups assembled and made in the United States in the last year alone. Ford's hefty amount of production is twice more than any other automotive company has produced in the last year. Interestingly, the Ford brand alone has generated more revenue than just about any American company including McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Visa, Nike, or Netflix.
“We are proud to once again build and innovate for the future here at the Rouge with the debut of our all-new F-150 and the construction of a modern new manufacturing center to build the first-ever all-electric F-150. This year’s COVID-19 crisis made it clear why it is so important for companies like Ford to help keep our U.S. manufacturing base strong and help our country get back to work,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company.
More On the Next-Gen F-150
Customers can expect great things from the standards that Ford will set when the next-generation F-150 comes out. The goal is to raise the towing capabilities and offer greater infotainment systems that can update right from the system. A new 3.5-Liter PowerBoost hybrid powertrain is expected to be added to the top-selling pickup truck. This will include the introduction of the Pro Power Onboard™ – an integrated power generator added to the F-150. The goal is to increase the power and acceleration for all the pickups produced for the upcoming 2022 model year and the expectations are to surprise and delight customers with more versatility than ever before.
“The critical launch of the all-new F-150 is now underway -- on time and with the Built Ford Tough quality our customers demand to get the job done. F-Series pickups are the backbone of work and productivity across the country. And now we are preparing to build a fully electric version of America’s most popular vehicle, and it will be a seriously capable, purpose-built tool for serious truck customers,” said Jim Farley, Ford CEO
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Call us at 1-877-8375 or reach out to us to get started with a purchase of a new car right away. We make it easy for buyers to pick the style of the vehicle, the brand, or decide by features using our generator. Reach out to us on social media. Customers can always go on NowCar at any point in time and receive automated assistance on our website 24/7. We’re always open at NowCar!


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We talked with Kay Yoder, director of US Operations for RIPPLE Africa, about the Changu Changu Moto stove program that DFW is funding this month (May 2015). This is a low-tech sustainable solution that addresses multiple issues from health to environmental sustainability. Take a listen. Details
Cooking should be one of those activities that makes us feel safe and secure. What’s more comforting than home fires? But in much of the developing world, indoor cooking over open flames results in dangerous household air pollution. The World Health Organization estimates that 4.3 million die each year from its complications.
RIPPLE Africa has developed a low-tech, sustainable and efficient stone cookstove that burns significantly less wood and uses bricks that retain heat as the cooking surface. This is safer than open flames, reduces the indoor air pollution and saves women significant time spent gathering wood for cooking fires. That time can now be used on educational or economic activities in the home.
RIPPLE Africa is our featured program for May 2015. Our $45,000 grant — distributed over two years — will directly effect 3,000 families in the Nkhotakota district of Malawi. The Changu Changu Moto project will build a cookstove in each of 3,000 homes, provide instruction for the families on safe use and include follow up visits for more training and education as well as data collection.
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This article is part of a series around femtech and the people leading the charge in this growing sector. See the femtech series here.
Femtech Spotlight: Ti Chang of Crave
Venture capital funding: Check. Profitability: Check. Distribution in mainstream retailers: Check.
And not just any vibrators. Beautiful vibrators. The company’s best known for the Vesper, a powerful vibrator designed to be worn as jewelry. It’s a bold piece of bling, but it's also a statement. Pleasure, it says, is something that can be worn with pride.
For Chang, focusing on delivering products that center women's needs has been a lifelong pursuit. As an industrial designer, she says she’s only ever worked on products for women since she graduated from college.
“As a female industrial designer, I realized I was so rare in the industry,” Chang said. “Industrial design is a really big label that includes a lot of things … there weren’t a lot of women at the table making those decisions around design, so that’s always been my focus.”
It wasn’t long before that focus turned to sexual health and now that she’s been in the business for more than 12 years, she says she sees the adult industry “starting to mature.”
She has a good perspective on how much it’s changed since launching a line of intimate accessories in 2008 under the brand INCOQNITO.
“I bootstrapped this company and sold that to Crave,” Chang said.
In doing so, she joined forces with serial entrepreneur Michael Topolovac, Crave’s co-founder and CEO, who oversees the operations side of the business.
“We recognized that the products available weren’t that thoughtful or well designed and as product engineers we thought we could help solve the problem.”
They solved another problem too by overcoming one of the key hurdles that plagues many companies in the adult industry: funding. In 2013, Crave closed on $2.4 million in Series A funding; more than 60 investors backed the company. The was followed by $1.3 million in series B funding in 2016.
Of course, Crave is not immune to the discrimination that most companies focused on female health (particularly sexual health) face; Crave can claim the honor of having been kicked off Kickstarter in 2012. To this day, they remain unable to advertise their product on Facebook or Instagram.
“Even on my personal accounts, I can’t boost or sponsor anything at all that I’m designing,” Chang said. “These companies count themselves as so progressive, but they have an ass backwards view of anything that has to do with sex.”
Despite never having “paid a cent” for advertising, Crave has been able to grow and thrive through word of mouth. And while Chang wishes there was no need for the term "femtech", she concedes that the increasing acceptance of femtech and sextech as parts of wellness has benefited the company in recent years; Crave’s products were recently included in Nordstrom’s first push into sexual health products, part of what the company is calling its Intimacy and Sexual Wellness section.
“I think that is a landmark moment for sexual products,” Chang said. “ If you have the right products and the right brand ethos you can be part of the mainstream conversation. We bring into this category the same ethos we would bring into designing cell phones.”
Chang also got to appear on the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2020 (the event was held virtually in 2021 as a result of Covid-19 restrictions), along with several other SexTech companies, including Dame Lovesense, Ohmibod, Pulse and Mysteryvibe. It was the first year that CES officially sanctioned sex toys following a public outcry in 2019. That's the year the Consumer Technology Association, which operates the conference, stripped an award from sex toy company Lora DiCarlo, suggesting the company’s flagship product was “immoral, obscene, indecent, profane.”
“I think in the last couple years the concept of wellness has expanded - we can thank Millennials for that,” Chang said. “It is not about sexual health. The way they view their well-being is so different and it has become way less taboo to talk about it or other things like mental health.”
Of course, 2020 was a year when a lot of things changed, and many of these changes had major repercussions on all kinds of businesses.
“Even outside of what I do, I’m an advocate for design equality, which is about addressing inequality in products designed for women. I felt passionate about this for a long time but it wasn’t OK to talk about until recently,” Chang said. “I think we have also piggybacked on some of the other movements that have happened recently, like Me Too and Black Lives Matter. Now it is actually OK to talk about inequality, which means we can now rally people around the problem.”
So what’s next for Crave?
“We will continue to build products because there is no one perfect vibrator that’ll work for everyone. Pleasure is incredibly complex,” Chang said. “Our products have changed people’s minds about what they thought sex toys could be.”
Crave may also have been a force in changing the business landscape for sex toys, particularly for the wave of female founders entering the market a decade later.
“Now that you can get these things at mainstream places, it tells you that sexual health is part of being a healthy woman,” Chang said. “There are modern companies out there building great products.”
This profile was produced in partnership with The Femmys, the first-ever awards celebrating innovation in femtech. Want to apply for an award? Learn more here. Want to attend the (virtual) event? Get on the list to be the first to know when tickets are released.
Tara Struyk is a co-founder and the editor-in-chief of Kinkly.com. She’s a content creation and management executive with 15 years of experience working in online media. As a writer, her work has appeared in dozens of publications, including Forbes, Glamour, MensHealth and Investopedia.
Tara is currently the VP of Content at Janalta.com, where she leads the editorial department and directs content production for a diverse portfolio of websites in niche verticals. She has launched several sites from the ground up, and has experience managing sites from pre-launch all the way to maturity. She has deep experience in online analytics, SEO optimization, content marketing and editorial direction.