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Washington, DC, June 13, 2022 — Most homeowners proactively seek out ways to avoid repair issues around the house, according to a new Ipsos survey conducted for Hippo Insurance. Despite this aspiration to stay on top of home repairs, three in five homeowners say they have had to pay for an unexpected home repair or upgrade in the past year, with the average out of pocket cost being nearly $4,000. Unexpected repairs aren’t the only issues creeping up for homeowners; around two in five say inflation and price increase have kept them from doing planned home maintenance or improvement projects, and nearly a third of homeowners report they have experienced damage to their home that was caused by severe weather or climate-related issues.
1. While homeowners admit, in theory, to staying on top of home maintenance and being equipped to handle repairs, a majority still have had to pay for unexpected maintenance or upgrades this year. A slim majority also indicate concerns about staying on top of home maintenance.
- A majority of homeowners and renters alike say they proactively seek out ways to repair issues around their home, rather than waiting until things break to fix them. Homeowners are more proactive about repairs than renters (68% vs. 56%, respectively).
- For the roughly one-third of homeowners that wait until something breaks in their home, a plurality say they wait either because of a lack of knowledge around home maintenance (28%) or they don’t have time to regularly check that things are working (27%).
- Though homeowners report feeling proactive, 60% say they have had to pay for unexpected repairs or upgrades to their home in the past year, with the average cost of these unexpected repairs totaling nearly $4,000.
- The vast majority of homeowners, 74%, say they pay for home repairs as they arise or have no set plan in place to pay for maintenance projects. Just 20% set aside money regularly or create a yearly budget for their home maintenance.
- A bare majority, 52%, say they are concerned about staying on top of regular home maintenance, and half (49%) are at least somewhat concerned about a small issue in their house creating lasting damage.
2. For some homeowners, external pressures – namely inflation, supply chain issues, and severe weather – could be getting in the way of their home care or protection.
- Forty-two percent of Americans who own or rent their home say inflation and price increases have kept them from doing planned home maintenance or improvement over the past few months.
- Similarly, 37% say the same is true around supply chain issues. Unlike inflation, which has impacted homeowners and renters roughly equally, more homeowners say supply chain issues and shortages have hindered their maintenance than renters (39% vs. 33%).
- Those with older homes (constructed before 2000) are more apt to say inflation has kept them from doing planned home maintenance (43%) than those with younger homes, constructed after 2010 (34%).
- Homeowners in the South are more likely to agree that inflation and price increases have prevented them from doing home improvement than those in other regions (48%, compared to 39-41%).
- Nearly one-third of homeowners (31%) and a quarter of renters (24%) say they have experienced damage to their home that was caused by severe weather or climate-related issues. Again, Southern homeowners are most likely to agree (36%), along with Midwestern homeowners (32%), when compared to those in other regions (28% in Northeast, 24% in the West).
3. The majority of homeowners and renters do not use smart home technology devices for home protection or maintenance.
- Just 37% of homeowners and 24% of renters say they currently use smart home technology devices in their home. Among current users, the most common reason for use is general convenience (56%) and security or home monitoring (51%). Fewer use these devices for other home protection or disaster prevention needs, such as deterring theft (32%), saving money on utilities (25%), or energy efficiency (22%).
- Gen Z or millennial homeowners are more likely to use smart home devices (56%) than other generations of homeowners (33%). They are also more commonly used among those living in newer constructed homes: 55% of those living on homes constructed after 2010 use smart devices, compared to 31% of those who live in homes constructed more than 20 years ago.
- Among the majority who say they do not currently use smart home devices, there is one primary motivating factor: cost savings. Fifty-four percent say they would be likely to purchase and install smart home devices that could help with saving money on utilities. For all other reasons, fewer than half say they would be likely to purchase smart home devices that could help with other issues, such as deterring theft (49%), protection against unexpected maintenance (37%), or protection against weather-related issues (31%).
4. For homeowners, owning your own home remains critical to obtaining the American dream.
- Seventy percent of owners agree that “home ownership is an important part of the American dream,” compared to just 29% who believe it is not a criteria for stability or success.
- Even more, 74%, say “home ownership is a key to happiness”, versus 25% who say it is “a big source of stress and debt”.
- This is one area where owners and renters clearly differ. Renters are evenly split on both of these attributes. However, among renters who say they are likely to purchase a home in the next year, their views are more aspirational and closer to homeowners themselves.
- For example, 66% of renters who are likely to purchase a home soon agree “home ownership is a key to happiness”, with 34% saying it is a source of stress and debt. Among those who are not likely to purchase a home in the next year, just 41% say owning a home is a key to happiness, and 58% feel it is a stressor.
About the Study
This Ipsos poll was conducted April 29 to May 1, 2022, on behalf of Hippo Insurance, using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This starting sample for this poll is a nationally representative probability sample of 2,104 adults age 18 or older. To qualify for the survey, respondents must own or rent the home they live in (n=1,915).
The survey was conducted using KnowledgePanel, the largest and most well-established online probability-based panel that is representative of the adult US population. Our recruitment process employs a scientifically developed addressed-based sampling methodology using the latest Delivery Sequence File of the USPS – a database with full coverage of all delivery points in the US. Households invited to join the panel are randomly selected from all available households in the U.S. Persons in the sampled households are invited to join and participate in the panel. Those selected who do not already have internet access are provided a tablet and internet connection at no cost to the panel member. Those who join the panel and who are selected to participate in a survey are sent a unique password-protected log-in used to complete surveys online. As a result of our recruitment and sampling methodologies, samples from KnowledgePanel cover all households regardless of their phone or internet status and findings can be reported with a margin of sampling error and projected to the general population.
The study was conducted in English. The data were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region, metropolitan status, and household income. The demographic benchmarks came from 2021 Current Population Survey (CPS) from the US Census Bureau. The weighting categories were as follows:
- Gender (Male, Female) by Age (18–29, 30–44, 45–59, and 60+)
- Race/Hispanic Ethnicity (White Non-Hispanic, Black Non-Hispanic, Other or 2+ Races Non-Hispanic, Hispanic)
- Education (High School graduate or less, Some College, Bachelor and beyond)
- Census Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West)
- Metropolitan status (Metro, non-Metro)
- Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000+)
The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the qualifying sample of homeowners and renters. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.13. The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for results based on sub-samples. Sampling error is only one potential source of error. There may be other unmeasured non-sampling error in this or any poll. In our reporting of the findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more than 100%, depending on the number of different responses offered by each respondent.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
US Public Affairs
+1 202 374-2613
Ipsos is the world’s third largest market research company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP


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As I write this on Sunday morning, Britain resembles the traditional sabbath ritual of a car boot sale. The government’s ‘Everything-must-go’ attitude (which, by the way, is so characteristic of the Tories it hurts) to cut their debts is tiring to say the least. Royal Mail was flogged in late 2013 following efforts to try and sell our forests in 2011, and now the government is looking to ‘non financial’ assets such as subsoil resources, buildings and land in order to raise cash. Wonderful.
Britain’s housing is a whole other problem in itself anyway. In fact, if the cost of groceries had risen at the same level as the price of housing since 1971, a chicken would set you back around £51! All the ‘Help to Buy’ schemes in the world wont outweigh that shameful statistic.
Now, on to the weather! The weather recently has been extremely wet, even by our standards. Some 700,000 homes have been temporarily without electricity, 1,700 homes were flooded and landmarks such as the Pom Pom Stack in Dorset have been obliterated by strong Atlantic waves. It is about time we begun to accept this and prepare for it better. We have been told for years now that as the effects of Global Warming and Climate Change take hold, our storms will become more severe. Disrespect the planet, and the planet will disrespect you. And just to make you even happier with our current government, they are said to have cut the cash for flood defences by around 15%. Nice of them.
In other news, fruit juice should no longer be classified as one of your ‘five-a-day’ according to Susan Jebb, a government advisor on obesity. Factually, fruit juice contains as much sugar as most soft drinks, and consumers would be better off eating a real piece of fruit instead. Of course, if you do indulge in fruit juice, let it never be from concentrate.
Wednesday 8th January saw the conclusion of ‘London Collections: Men’. The autumn/winter 2014 series brought 130 designers, £40 million in media revenue, and international press and buyers from 37 countries to three venues in London last week. The event showcases the finest in fashion design for the ever-growing mens fashion industry. The conclusions reached from the event however seem a bit redundant. Black is back!! Erm, did it ever really go anywhere? Or are my black skinny jeans light years ahead of their time? Nevertheless the event held plenty of atmosphere and mood, with more mist and dry ice than a Cure concert. Some interesting clothes were spotted I imagine…

domain: news


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OnePlus 11 has been spotted in a fresh official-looking image. It gives us a clear look at the brand’s upcoming flagship. The latest leaked render has been shared by none other than reliable tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer aka Onleaks in collaboration with publication Gadget Gang. Notably, Steve had given us a first look at the design of the OnePlus 11 as well leaked its key specifications three months ago.
The latest official design render of the OnePlus 11 is in line with the previously leaked render. However, the device is seen in two colour options i.e. Black and Mint Green. The former is said to be called Matte Black whereas the latter will be named Glossy Green as per tipster Max Jambor. Going by the official leaked render, one can say that the Glossy Green colour variant has a dual-tone back panel design. This is slightly noticeable on the Matte Black colour option as well. This is because the camera island has a Black colour and a more glossier material compared to the rest of the back panel.
The alert slider and power buttons are located on the right side of the device while the OnePlus logo sits at the centre of the back panel. The OnePlus 11 will come with a redesigned camera island with a half pill-shaped border from that stretches from the side frame to the middle of the back panel. It houses a circular camera bump with three sensors and an LED flash. There is a Hasselblad text between the camera arrangement.
As for the core specifications, the OnePlus 11 is already confirmed to be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. It may pack up to 16GB RAM and 256GB onboard storage. The device will reportedly be backed by a 5,000mAh battery unit with support for 100W charging. The upcoming offering is tipped to feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED display bearing a 2K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and an in-screen fingerprint scanner. The camera setup on the OnePlus 11 is expected to comprise a 50MP primary sensor paired with a 48MP ultra-wide lens and a 32MP telephoto unit.


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We're happy to present this guest post from Amazon Sellers Lawyer about product warranties on Amazon!
Some sellers have noticed strange — and almost definitely fake — negative reviews appearing on their product pages. Learn more about what we know and what you can do.
Read our interview with Karen Ellenberger, Amazon expert and founder of Agile Merchant!
A hacking wave that occurred this past week has gotten sellers worried — here's how to beef up your security and keep your Seller account safe.
This week Amazon made a big change to their Marketplace email system. They’ve strengthened the email opt-out system for Amazon customers making it harder for sellers to reach customers with emails


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Could online streaming be the future of food shows? Former Food Network and Cooking Channel executive Bruce Seidel has signed on with YouTube to launch HUNGRY, the latest content channel which is set to feature a “blend of how-to and celebrity-driven food videos,” according to the Associated Press.
“The wonderful thing about YouTube is it has 800 million users worldwide, and they all need to eat,” Seidel told the AP in a telephone interview. “I’d like to get just 1 percent of them.”
Videos will stick to the time frame of one to three minutes, with new episodes posted weekly. Series already in production include Brothers Green, which features a pair of Brooklyn brothers who are musicians tackling new culinary challenges every week, and Casserole Queens, two Austin women who favor retro food and entertaining.
The channel will also feature Food Network alumnus Duff Goldman, in Duff’s Food World, a “irreverent variety show focused on food pop culture, including visits to unusual restaurants and spotlights of humorous food clips from the Web and TV.”
HUNGRY also plans to feature episodes on pork, gluten-free cooking, and Italian desserts.


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The iQOS device, is a Heat not Burn (HnB) smokeless alternative to combustible cigarettes and works by heating tobacco leaves known as Heets or HeatSticks. These refills which look like short cigarettes, must be inserted into the device and are heated up once it is switched on.
In response to this, managing director of Rothmans, Benson and Hedges, Peter Luongo said that this move is counterproductive to public health. “Health Canada should be encouraging us to open more stores, not take down the signs on the ones we have,” he said last Wednesday.
HnBs safer than cigarettes but riskier than e-cigs
Hence, why PMI, the producer of iQOS says that their device fits better into the vaping category, rather than the combustible tobacco products’ category. A study released last Summer by renowned anti-smoking expert Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos analyzed and compared carbonyl emissions from an HnB device, an e-cigarette and a regular cigarette.
The products used in this study were IQOS, both regular and menthol variants, the Nautilus Mini e-cigarette, a tank-type atomizer tested with a tobacco-flavoured liquid at 10 W and 14 W and a Marlboro Red cigarette. Aerosol and smoke were collected in impingers containing 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and Health Canada Intense and two more intense puffing regimes were used to measure levels of carbonyl.
The researchers concluded that the IQOS HnB device emits substantially lower levels of carbonyls than a regular cigarette (Marlboro Red) but higher levels than a Nautilus Mini e-cigarette.
Read Further: Toronto Sun


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Discover consider teaming up with Masterpass and Visa Checkout
Visa Checkout hopes to join industry giants such as PayPal and Google Pay by becoming one of the buttons you see on a retailer such as Alternative Airline's checkout page. Instead of competing in this market solo, however, the world's largest card networks, Visa and Mastercard, are going to combine their strengths and add both their new online payment methods, Visa Checkout and Discover will collaborate in this venture. The cards are hoping to compete with the services offered by PayPal. However, this project is still in the early stages. The button is still being developed. Mastercard and Visa won’t start moving consumers enrolled in Visa Checkout and Masterpass to the new program until later this year.
1 marzo 2018
Discover to expand in IoT Payments with FitPay
Discover Financial Services Inc. and FitPay Inc. has announced a network services agreement. This agreement will commence a seamless payment experience for Discover cardholders, along with users of other partner cards. Customers will be able to make contactless payment transactions at retail locations with wearable or Internet of Things (IoT) devices that have payment capabilities powered by FitPay.
The Internet of Things has aspirations to revolutionize the payments industry. Discover Financial sees huge growth opportunity in the expanding IoT payments' space. The IoT has taken the payment process to the next level, where payments can be made via a broad and diverse ecosystem of Internet-connected devices, such as wearables, connected cars, and smart home devices from the current focus on mobile phones, cards, and point-of-sale devices. The need of the hour is seamless payments through a number of touchpoints.
Discover Financial is predicted to increase its IoT partnerships by enabling it to grow its business volume and strengthen its brand name. It is estimated that more than 20.4 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. Discover Financial has been on the forefront with respect to technological investments and enhancements. It is a leader in its market and investors have high confidence in the company, given its robust operating fundamentals and future growth.
21 febrero 2018
Discover launch Cashback Checking Account
the payments company has announced the debut of a new rewards program for its Cashback Checking account, in which customers can earn cash back after completing debit card purchases. In a press release, Discover said that with the new program, Discover Cashback Checking customers can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in qualifying debit card purchases each month. The program is one of the initiatives Discover said is setting its Cashback Checking product apart from its peers. The product includes no monthly fee, no minimum balances and access to no-fee ATMs throughout the U.S.
“We know customers are looking for something truly different, which is why we created a checking account that not only rewards customers with cash back when they use their own money, but also helps them save by not charging any fees,” said Arijit Roy, vice president of Deposits at Discover, in the press release. “Discover Cashback Checking was developed with the same great features and benefits for which our company is known, such as award winning, 100 percent U.S.-based customer service and the peace of mind knowing we take proactive steps to safeguard your money and information.” Discover said customers can get their cash back bonuses transferred to a Discover credit card Cashback Bonus account.
In addition to the cash back offer, Discover said the Cashback Checking account has no monthly fees, no-fee access to more than 60,000 ATMs in the U.S., 24/7 customer services and online and mobile account access. This isn’t the only initiative Discover has begun in recent weeks to make consumers’ lives easier and more rewarding when they use Discover payment cards. In December, the company announced that as of abril 2018, customers will no longer be required to provide a signature when they make retail purchases with their credit card or debit card at the point of sale (POS) when it’s on the Discover Global Network in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
In a press release at the time, Discover said the change was prompted by the company’s efforts to improve the payment experience by speeding up the checkout process, all while maintaining a high level of credit card security for customers and merchants. Discover said it has already embraced several other digital authentication technologies — such as tokenization, multi-factor authentication and biometrics, which are more secure than requiring a signature and provide a more seamless payment transaction.
31 enero 2018
Discover to talk at Credit Suisse 2018 Financial Services Forum
Mark Graf, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Discover, will present at the Credit Suisse Financial Services Forum in Miami on Tuesday, febrero 13, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. EST. A link to the listen-only live audio webcast will be posted on the day of the conference to Discover's Investor Relations website. A replay will be available for 90 days after the conference at the same website address.
13 octubre 2017
Discover habilita el canje de recompensas a través de Apple Pay
Discover anunció esta semana que permitirá a su tarjetahabiente canjear recompensas de bonificación en efectivo por un crédito de estado a través de Apple Pay, según un comunicado de prensa.
Discover es el primer emisor de tarjetas de crédito que ofrece la posibilidad de canjear recompensas después de una compra a través de Apple Pay.
"El canje de bonificación en efectivo a través de Apple Pay puede realizarse en solo dos toques para los miembros de la tarjeta Discover", dijo Szabolcs Paldy, vicepresidente de e-business para Discover, en el comunicado. "Nos comprometemos a proporcionar soluciones sencillas y valiosas a nuestros clientes donde y cuando las necesiten. La experiencia del cliente depende de la adopción de tecnologías primeras en dispositivos móviles como Apple Pay, y esta nueva capacidad hará que el canje de bonos en efectivo sea aún más fácil y conveniente para nuestra tarjeta miembros ".
Discover Cashback El canje de bonos a través de Apple Pay requiere un iPhone 6 o posterior. Los miembros de la tarjeta deben tener:
- Una tarjeta Discover agregada a Apple Pay.
- La versión de la aplicación Discover Mobile 8.9. 0 o superior instalada.
- Un saldo de recompensas más alto que el monto de la compra.
Para canjear el Bonus de reintegro por el crédito del estado de cuenta a través de Apple Pay, los miembros de la tarjeta Discover simplemente:
- Realice una compra elegible con una tarjeta Discover usando Apple Pay en un iPhone.
- Seleccione "Tap for Details" debajo del mensaje de canje Discover en Apple Wallet.
- A continuación, toque para canjear Bonificación de reintegro como un crédito de extracto por el monto de la compra.


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The SiGMA Virtual Expo officially kicked off on November 24th with a robust lineup of speakers touching on regulations, compliance, virtual sports and gaming.
First up was the conference on compliance and regulations. The regulatory panel focused on Malta’s developments in anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as on the effect of market liberalisation in Ukraine.
Commenting on the uncertainty stemming from changes in the gaming industry, Managing Director of financial services firm ARQ, Manfred Galdes stated “All of these changes have triggered, I would say, a certain level of uncertainty, a certain level of concern, certain reactions within the market due to the lack of clarity as – what to expect now? … what exactly is going to happen?”
Dr. Ekaterina Alexandrova Hartmann, Director of Legal and Authority Affairs at EGBA also made it clear that all yes are on the island, especially to see the result of the Moneyval report “Our industry is so closely connected to Malta, also the perception of the regulators and the international bodies – for us it is very important what Malta is doing and we are looking a lot what Malta are doing. The moneyval report will be crucial how Malta will be viewed on the concept of AML and on a wider context in Brussels.”
Expressing his views on the UK’s gambling act review, partner of Mishcon de Reya LLP, Nick Nocton feels that “the idea that everybody should have a fixed limit, whilst attractive to regulators, it is very very unwielding and not conducive to a regulated market.”
Additionally, according to Dr. Ekaterina Alexandrova Hartmann, “The European Commission will change the rules on AML… Everyone in Brussels is calling for stricter rules, a stricter approach, a more unified approach so we will have new legislation on AML that will be stricter.”
Next up was Poshfriends’ Head of Affiliates Katja Nordstrand joined by CoinsLoot CEO Arthur Bryja discussing casino streaming, its risks, opportunities and different strategies that people can use whilst venturing into this vast space.
The panel started off by discussing the ideal platforms for people who are the first to enter the scene. Nordstrand explained the different platforms, from TikTok to Twitter, to Telegram, Whatsapp, and how important it is not just to rely on YouTube, for example simply because there are countries that are not regulated in which online casino streaming would not be generated by the YouTube algorithm of those countries. Since the site works with suggestions and recommendations, it is the reason it would be pointless in these countries.
Bryja complimented Nordstrand’s point, highlighting on the importance of making one’ product stand out as he said that one needs to “Be creative and really stand out because that’s the only way you’re going to get recognized… there’s a lot of new ways of growing this because it’s so new.”
The conversation then proceeded to discuss promotional implementations that would have the best results for affiliates in today’s markets, to which Nordstrand responded that in particular, casinos need to provide their affiliate sites with a variety of ways to understand and track their players, to identify demographic differences.
Bryja concluded the panel by urging start-up viewers to use regulations and systems in certain countries to read where the market is going in the future, what to do, what not to do, and how improvements could be made for the benefit of one’s company.
Ending the day on a superb note, were a panellists of influential people from the sportsbook industry. When questioned why the sportbook industry was doing so well amid the pandemic, CEO of Pinnacle, Paris Smith stated that “Digitalisation in general has got a push forward during this time and we actually all benefit from that, of course if you are a big land-based business it is much more difficult than what we have been having”
On the other hand, Jasper Svensson, CEO of Betsson, said that innovation was not the key to the success of sportsbooks during the pandemic. Instead, it was “traditional products getting more and more interest”, according to the current trends.
Singular CCO Rob Dowling expressed that “one of the beauties that happened during COVID” was that “a lot of small companies that had an innovative and great product managed to get their product out with the big boys as well, not just with the small innovative sites – which I think changed the landscape in sports betting as we know it today.”
The SiGMA Virtual Expo continues with day 2 today with yet another fantastic line up.


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Apple Music was launched back in June last year along with iOS 8.4, and its user base has been increasing faster than expected. In September this year, Apple s senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue had announced that Apple Music had 17 million paid subscribers since its launch. In just a span of three months, Apple’s music streaming service has gained 3 million more followers to reach 20 million. This is a 15 percent jump in Apple Music s subscriber base. Also Read - Apple could finally be working on a game console, after 24 years of discontinuing its original consoleAlso Read - Explained: Why phones with removable batteries are never coming back
Apple Music s subscriber base has increased remarkably in the last three months, but this has somehow been the trend in the past months as well. Within just six months of its launch, Apple Music had garnered 10 million paid subscribers. Moving ahead, back in February this year, Apple Music had 11 million subscribers and the number went up to 13 million in April, which is a span of just two months. It has now been 18 months since the launch of Apple Music, and it already has 20 million paid subscribers. This increase in the subscriber base could also be a result of a shift from the iTunes Music Store to Apple Music.
Billboard reports that 60 percent of the subscribers using Apple Music did not buy any content from iTunes in the last 12 months. Eddy Cue adds that among these subscribers the vast majority are new customers.” Another highlight of the report is that over 50 percent of them live outside of the US. The top markets for Apple Music include Canada, China, South Africa, Japan, Russia, Brazil and India. Apple Music is currently available in more than 100 countries. ALSO READ: Apple removes free iTunes Radio service, forces users to subscribe to Apple Music
It may be recalled that Apple recently launched a Student Plan for Apple Music, offering subscriptions for just Rs 60 per month. Talking about Apple Music s growth and success, Cue says, It’s been quite a year. We were thrilled to see that we could take [artists’] passions and drive them all the way to No. 1. Chance the Rapper, who we put on Apple Music exclusively, hit the top 10 on the Billboard charts [based on streams alone], and I can’t recall that being done before.” Apple further credits the launch of new No. 1 albums for the success of Apple Music. These include Drake s solo album Views and What a Time to Be Alive with Future. Frank Ocean s Blonde, Future s Evol, DJ Khaled s Major Key and Travis Scott s Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight also make it to the list of Apple Music favorites. ALSO READ: Apple Music Student Plan in India costs just Rs 60 per month
Despite a rapid growth, Apple Music still lags behind Spotify, which currently boasts of 40 million subscribers. Looking at the trend, Apple may be able to narrow the gap with Spotify in the near future. Spotify, in the meanwhile, garnered 12 million subscribers this year alone while Apple Music came close with 10 million. As more and more people are now shifting to streaming music and purchasing, Cue comments, of course we want more and we want it to go faster — we re hungry! He further adds, We can t forget that, as an industry, we still have very few music subscribers. There are billions of people listening to music and we haven t even hit 100 million subscribers. There’s a lot of growth opportunity.


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While Black Friday sales are in a slump, a new king of the holiday shopping season is rising. The results Cyber Monday are coming in and estimates suggest this year broke e-commerce sales records for the biggest day of online sales in US history.
According to Adobe, online sales hit over $3 billion dollars on Cyber Monday. Their report says 200 million visits to 4,500 retail websites generated $3.06 billion, rising 16 percent from last year.
Approximately 26 percent of those sales came from mobile devices, accounting for $799 million in sales. The majority of those sales ($575 million) came from Apple iOS devices. In comparison, Android devices drove just $219 million in mobile sales.
ChannelAdvisor says Cyber Monday sales leaped 18 percent year over year on a same-store-sales basis. They found mobile devices accounted for 43 percent of traffic, however their results also found consumers are still relying on desktops to make the final purchase. Their analysis says 24 percent of sales came from smartphones.
Custora’s findings estimate e-commerce revenue climbed 16.2 percent from last year, with tablets and phones driving 26.9 percent of all Cyber Monday sales.
The notable increase in Cyber Monday sales may be due to bigger discounts than expected, with an average discount of 21.5 percent.
Another notable report from HookLogic says the average order value among advertisers on its platform hit $134 on Cyber Monday, just below the $137 AOV seen on Black Friday. Interestingly, carts had fewer items on Cyber Monday, which suggests consumers waited for the online sales to make their purchase.


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The scrip declined 1.70 per cent to end at Rs 286.75 on BSE.
30 Aug 2018 6:26 PM
Uber intends to achieve this feat with 'Uber Elevate', one of its most ambitious projects yet.
30 Aug 2018 4:24 PM
Tata Steel does not want to retain the office of the debt laden firm in the national capital.
30 Aug 2018 1:48 PM
RBI in its annual report for 2017-18 said counting the demonetised notes is over.
30 Aug 2018 9:47 AM
Company already has a revenue sharing partnership with Future Retail, which owns hypermarket stores like Big Bazaar and fashion shops.
30 Aug 2018 8:23 AM
The Centre had warned the company that it could face abetment charges in case action is not taken to tackle circulation of fake messages.
30 Aug 2018 2:04 AM
Rating agency expects fiscal deficit and current account deficit to overshoot their targets.
30 Aug 2018 1:52 AM


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Retailers are finding that the old paths to success are not as fruitful as they once were. Inflated rent and tax rates, in conjunction with growing competition from online retailers (opens in new tab), are placing pressure on high street stores. To stay relevant to their customers, they must meet their changing demands and ensure future success.
In the UK there have been nearly 3,000 high street store closures in the last six months — the highest figure since records began. While the challenges facing the high street (opens in new tab) may be complex, there are new opportunities for sustainable growth.
In-store technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), in combination with the latest audio and visual (opens in new tab) innovations, are key tools for retailers to improve the customer experience. They can speed up service and create new ways of shopping.
Rob Orr is the Executive Director of Virgin Media Business.
- Choose from the best credit card processing services here (opens in new tab)
Some brands have already woken up to its potential. Specsavers launched an in-store Frame Styler tool in 2018, capable of producing a 3D (opens in new tab) model of the customer’s face and recommending glasses based on face shape, gender and age. Customers can try on multiple styles in a matter of seconds, providing customers with a personalised service in an engaging and accessible way.
Investing in customer service technology can also boost outcomes for customers. The Nottingham, for example, has invested in new branches and installed high definition video services (opens in new tab) allowing customers to speak with a dedicated mortgage advisor on demand, from any branch.
Where customers previously had to wait to speak with an in-branch advisor, they can now walk into their closest branch and speak with the next available advisor wherever they may be. This means less time is spent waiting in line, putting customers one step closer to owning their dream home.
The role of experiential
With challenging times ahead, it’s imperative for high street retailers (opens in new tab) to be agile in response to changing customer trends. Technology enhanced experiential marketing is another useful tool that businesses can use to better engage with customers, enabling new opportunities for personalised services and memorable moments.
In July, retail hub Westfield partnered with Save the Children to bring an immersive artificial intelligence (AI) (opens in new tab) pop-up to customers looking to buy trending fashion items. Using AI technology to gather the data, the store identified the top 100 items of womenswear and menswear that were trending online in real-time. All proceeds were then donated to charity.
The activation not only provided Westfield customers with a unique shopping experience, it also created a personalized store environment using the latest tech. Customers received recommendations from advisers and were able to trial the trending products (opens in new tab) on offer.
- Choose from the best mobile card readers here (opens in new tab)
Experiential brand activity has a lasting impact on people. This month, fashion retailer Issey Miyake launched an interactive customer experience to promote its latest range of signature Bao Bao bags. The activation saw the bags fitted with sensors and linked to a digital screen (opens in new tab) within the store.
Customers were then invited to touch the bags and feel their structure which would in turn create sounds relating to the bag’s color and the nature of the movement. When several bags were operated at the same time, the sounds blended together to produce a composition displayed on the screen.
This activation allowed customers to physically sample the material of the bags whilst creating a personalized, interactive experience. Visually enhanced through the use of tech (opens in new tab), this experiential activity created a memorable shopping event for customers.
Connectivity is the foundation
To support innovative new services that can help them excel, businesses need to ensure the right infrastructure is in place. Do they have the capacity to process data quickly enough? Are the businesses networks (opens in new tab) scalable? If those networks haven’t been upgraded in several years, then it’s likely that they are not performing to their highest potential.
For these reasons, it’s essential that retailers stay in touch with the latest developments in connectivity. Investment must be placed in networks needed for longer term growth and attention must be payed to improving the in-store experience as well as revolutionizing stores and contact centres. A heightened focus on broadband-powered digital services (opens in new tab) that benefit the customer is the only way for retailers to excel and create opportunities for sustainable growth in the digital age.
Rob Orr is the Executive Director of Virgin Media Business (opens in new tab).
- Choose from the best merchant service provider here (opens in new tab)


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The holidays may be a few months away, but one glance at the headlines shows that Christmas has come early for the tech community. Amid much fanfare, Apple Inc. (AAPL) unveiled a brand new smartwatch that even upstaged the introduction of the iPhone 6.
The Apple Watch (not the iWatch, interestingly) has been branded Apple’s “most personal device” ever. At $349 a pop, the Apple Watch features a customizable user interface overlaid with a scratch-proof sapphire crystal covering. The Apple Watch also pays homage to traditional watches in its overall design, including a crown and interchangeable wrist straps.
While the watch lived up to Apple’s strict aesthetic standards, the watch’s new functionality is what really stole the show. Because the screen is much smaller than other Apple gadgets, the touchscreen can differentiate between a tap and a press, opening up new ways for the user to interact with the display. The Apple Watch also comes standard with a gyroscope, accelerometer and a heart rate sensor, which enables the device to serve as a “comprehensive health and fitness device,” according to Tim Cook. In addition to health and fitness apps, the device will come equipped with Siri and standard apps for navigation, photos and messaging. The watch is expected to go on sale in early 2015.
This is the first time in several years that Apple has released a new category defining product, and just the rumors of the Apple Watch have spurred competitors to release their own smart watches. Intel Corp. (INTC) is going full steam with its fashionable MICA (My Intelligent Communication Accessory) bracelet and the Motorola 360 watch will hit shelves on Friday. Both smart watches focus more on aesthetic appeal over the back-end technology, so Apple still appears to have cornered the market in terms of innovation.
Going back to the big Apple reveal, the gadget giant also rolled out its next-generation iPhones, which are available with 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch displays (the largest ever). The iPhone 6 also features a sharper display, more battery life and an even better camera. The other big announcement was the Apple Pay system, which allows where iPhone users to use their phones in place of credit cards at retail stores. Apple already has retail agreements at stores like Macy’s Walgreens, Staples, Subway and McDonalds, and credit card agreements with American Express, MasterCard and Visa. As long as Apple and its credit partners make sure that security is water tight, this could be a very lucrative business for all parties involved.
With all of these developments in the works, Apple is looking great for the long haul. For FY 2014 Apple is expected to post 5.4% annual sales growth and 11.4% earnings growth (above the 9.5% industry average). For the following year, the consensus estimate is for 9.4% sales growth and 11.4% earnings growth (while the rest of the industry is expected to see profit fall 2.7%). Apple is also engaged in a massive $90 billion stock buyback program and pays a 2% dividend. And did I mention that the stock trades at less than 14 times forecasted earnings?
So after this latest Apple reveal, I still consider AAPL an A-rated Strong Buy.


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ThredUp To Open New 10M Item Distribution Center In Dallas Area
- Online resale platform ThredUp Inc (NASDAQ:TDUP) plans expansion of operations in Lancaster, Texas, in the Dallas-Forth Worth metroplex. The company will invest $70 million in capital for the new distribution center.
- thredUP expects the new nearly 600,000 square foot facility located off I-35 and I-20 to likely be its largest and most automated distribution center.
- The new facility is planned as thredUP's first four-level facility and will store up to 10 million items, more than doubling its total capacity to 16.5 million items across its network.
- thredUP plans to begin processing items in the new distribution center in Q2 2022 with an initial capacity of 500,000 items.
- Upon its opening, the new facility will employ 300 people with plans to employ 2,000 people total.
- Price Action: TDUP shares traded higher by 3.32% at $19.11 on the last check Tuesday.


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Fonterra has agreed to offload its New Zealand ice cream business Tip Top to Froneri in a deal worth NZD 380 million ($250.2 million).
Last December, Fonterra said it was considering the sale of the unit as part of plans to reduce its debt levels.
Tip Top, which was founded in Wellington in 1936, sells a range of ice cream bars, tubs and ice lollies.
Following completion of the deal, which is expected by the end of the May, the Tip Top name and its operations, including the Auckland-based factory at Mount Wellington, will be maintained.
Froneri, which describes itself as “the third largest” manufacturer of ice cream worldwide, is a UK-headquartered ice cream joint venture owned by Nestlé and R&R.
Ibrahim Najafi, Froneri CEO, said: “We have always admired Tip Top, which is an iconic brand in New Zealand with a long proud history and we are looking forward to welcoming the team into Froneri. Our vision is to build the world’s best ice cream company; an important part of our strategy is to develop local market successes and roll them out across our other markets.”
Commenting on future plans for the business, Kim Ballinger, managing director of Tip Top, said: “As part of the Froneri family we will benefit from Froneri’s scale and expertise, while continuing to maintain our commitment to our local heritage and our many loyal consumers in New Zealand and the wider Asia Pacific region. We’re all very excited about what the future holds.”
Tip Top produces a range of ice cream bars, tubs and ice lollies.
For the year ended July 2018, Fonterra reported a net loss of NZD 196 million ($128.5 million) – its first annual loss since its inception in 2001. The poor results prompted the firm to carry out a major asset review.
Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell said: “We’ve signed an agreement with the new owners to supply milk which ensures that Fonterra farmers will continue to be part of the Tip Top story.
“We will also retain full global ownership of the Kāpiti brand and will be licencing its use for ice cream to Froneri. This means our popular Kāpiti cheese isn’t going anywhere. I get the strong connection New Zealanders have with Tip Top. It will be important for them to see that it’s in good hands.
“It’s been a privilege being the guardians of Tip Top, but it’s time to hand the baton to new owners. The well-loved brand needs continuing investment and focused ownership to be sustainable for generations to come. It’s not something we’re in a position to do right now.”
In recent weeks, Fonterra entered into a strategic alliance with The Coca-Cola Company that aims to capture opportunities in the growing dairy beverage category in Southeast Asia.
By Jules Scully
Cécile Béliot has assumed the role of Bel Group chief executive officer, following the decision to separate the roles of chairman and CEO. The separation of the functions will enable Bel Group to develop in three areas of healthy snacking. Meanwhile, the company’s former CEO, Antoine Fiévet, has had his mandate renewed as chairman of the board.
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf was grilled by lawmakers during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing, where he was slammed over the agency’s handling of the escalating infant formula shortage.
Sweegen is ramping up its efforts to reduce sugar across F&B applications while simultaneously tapping into the benefits of using antioxidants and bitter blocking technology. Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Casey McCormick, vice president of global innovation at Sweegen, says product developers can find a broad range of solutions in Sweegen’s nature-based sweetener systems as brands elevate better-for-you foods.


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Aereo Loses Challenge in Supreme Court
Aereo, the well-financed startup backed by Barry Diller, has ended its two year journey in the U.S. Supreme Court. In a case closely watched by both the online video and broadcast TV industries, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against Aereo, finding that it violates copyright laws. The court agreed with broadcasters’ arguments that Aereo’s business constitutes an unlicensed public performance. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion, rejecting Aereo’s claims that it’s more like a VCR than a cable company.
Aereo uses miniature antennae to capture over-the-air TV signals and stream programs to subscribers or store them in a cloud DVR. The two-year-old service had been slowly adding metropolitan areas to its coverage base.
The case had dramatic implications for the entire commercial television industry, and a victory for Aereo would likely have upended the current system of retransmission fees, where pay TV operators pay retransmission fees to commercial operators to carry their content. If the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of Aereo, pay TV operators might have chosen to capture broadcast signals with their own antennas and forego retransmission payments.
Aereo had won a string of smaller legal victories against the broadcasters who challenged it, but this decision brings its good fortunes to an end. With nowhere left to appeal, Aereo’s business would seem to be over, investors are out nearly $100 million, and viewers have one fewer streaming option.
Noting how disruptive the ruling would be to the broadcast industry, the judge put the ruling on hold pending an appeal.
The Barry Diller-backed startup is being sold for parts, with its streaming video technology going to the highest bidders.
The streaming service looks to the courts to help it move past lawsuits and debts, and focus on a new strategy.
The startup is now barred from streaming live broadcasts nationwide, but could still find a business with time-shifted content.
With Tablo, owners can record over-the-air programming and stream it to any device, but the quality isn't always ideal.
The company's future rests entirely on an upcoming Supreme Court decision, but that hasn't deterred it from promoting a better deal to customers.
The sample size is small and the results are questionable: Could Aereo entice 4 out of 10 to drop their cable or satellite service?
Does Aereo violate copyright law? One judge says yes, handing Barry Diller's Aereo its first loss in the courtroom.


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One of the strategies Epic Games uses to get users onto the Epic Games Store is by offering free games every month. Now, thanks to the legal battle between Epic ..
Multiple reports have come out detailing Google Stadia’s troubles that include everything from internal struggles on the development team to “tens of millions” ..
Over 100 billion hours were spent watching gaming content on YouTube this year, with Minecraft leading as the most-watched game.YouTube Culture and Trends has released ..
A teenage boy secretly spent $19,870.94 on Twitch donations in just 17 days by using her debit card. Luckily, she was able to recover mostly all of it.As reported ..
The Last of Us Part 2 takes a lot of design cues and lessons from developer Naughty Dog’s recent games, including its direct predecessor and the Uncharted series. ..
The founder of British games studio Traveller’s Tales (best known for its LEGO games) has revealed that, in 2008, the company spent more than $1,000,000 on a failed ..


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Basic Motors President Mark Reuss says his firm plans to announce extra U.S. battery factories later this week
DETROIT — The president of Basic Motors says his firm plans to announce extra U.S. battery factories later this week.
Mark Reuss gave no particulars of the place the factories can be situated or precisely what they’d manufacture. He spoke in a weekend interview with The Related Press at an IndyCar race on an island park close to downtown Detroit.
Firm spokesman Jim Cain would not remark Monday on the bulletins, however famous GM beforehand acknowledged it could construct extra factories so as to add battery capability as electrical autos develop in gross sales. GM has set a aim to cease promoting internal-combustion passenger autos by 2035.
“Within the subsequent week we’ll announce some extra, and it will likely be right here within the U.S.,” Reuss mentioned of the brand new battery factories.
The factories can be along with two battery cell crops that the corporate introduced prior to now two years, each geared to ramp up manufacturing as GM rolls out 30 new electrical autos globally by 2025, with greater than two-thirds offered in North America.
GM and three way partnership associate LG Vitality Answer have already got introduced battery cell factories in Lordstown, Ohio, close to Cleveland, and Spring Hill, Tennessee. The corporate is investing $2.3 billion to construct every of the amenities. Lordstown is anticipated to open subsequent 12 months and make use of 1,100 staff, whereas Spring Hill is to open in 2023 and make use of 1,300. It is doubtless the brand new battery crops would make use of related numbers of individuals, however Cain would not touch upon numbers.
The 2 crops below development would ship cells to 5 factories the place GM plans to construct electrical autos. However the two factories cannot make sufficient to feed the entire crops if gross sales rise.
The EV meeting crops are in Detroit-Hamtramck, Michigan; Orion Township, Michigan; Spring Hill, Tennessee; Ingersoll, Ontario; and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. It is doubtless that the brand new battery crops can be near a minimum of among the meeting factories.
Electrical autos now quantity to lower than 2% of U.S. new automobile gross sales, however they’re rising and projected to develop as extra producers roll out further fashions and the U.S. authorities comes out with expanded tax credit and different incentives to purchase them.
Financial institution of America analyst John Murphy on Monday raised his EV forecast to 7% of recent automobile gross sales in 2025 and 20% in 2030. Beneath a bullish-case estimate that features a $10,000 federal tax credit score (up from $7,500 at present with a 200,000 automobile cap), Murphy predicts EV gross sales may very well be 25% of the U.S. market in 2025 and 50% in 2030. U.S. new automobile gross sales usually run round 17 million per 12 months.
President Joe Biden has proposed spending billions on electrical automobile incentives and to construct 500,000 charging stations by 2030.
Final month GM mentioned it could assist efforts by the United Auto Employees union to arrange workers on the Lordstown and Spring Hill battery crops. Beforehand the corporate had mentioned the three way partnership with LG, known as Ultium LLC, would resolve on a bargaining technique.
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text: Last week Pantone Inc unveiled the hot new color for 2012, Tangerine (17-1463). The energy infused reddish-orange has already impacted fall fashions and is expected to carry through to the top designer spring lines with added complementary colors such as deep blues, earthy browns or even a dusty plum. For packaging, tangerine can pop as a primary color, signaling your products trendy and fun side, or perhaps its sophisticated and slightly seductive appeal? Or use tangerine as an attention grabber–in place of red–to highlight key messages, features and promotions. Consider incorporating images infused with tangerine and other spicy hues that pull in customers. According to the color experts at Pantone, tangerine is reminiscent of a sunset and a call to action that should add new life into your brand/product packaging in 2012!


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ETA Transact 2015 was held in March 2015, in San Francisco – the home of innovation. The expo brought together leaders and innovators in the payments and FinTech industries, from all over the world. Hot topics such as EMV shift, the maze of solutions in the mobile payments space, fraud and start-up investment were discussed during the educational tracks designed by the ETA Transact organizers. At the same time, merchants had the chance to visit the exhibit hall, interact with merchant service providers and get a better understanding on the variety of ecommerce options they can choose from.
The transition to EMV, supporting Apple Pay, Google Wallet and other payment methods that either didn’t exist or don’t have the ubiquity they have today, are a few of the challenges merchants have to face. There is a lot of anxiety in the industry, as merchants are looking for trusted sources of innovation and education; whether that means their ISOs, partners or software companies, or third-party providers with global reach, supporting their business growth.
Mobile isn’t going away!
Growth of mobile is taking up a big part of the discussion pie. Merchants, PSPs, acquirers and banks go to shows like ETA Transact, they walk the expo floor and find multiple mobile solutions for merchants such as tablet solutions, POS solutions, Apple Pay solutions and so on. As mobile is growing rapidly, security and convenience are two of the main criteria that will trigger higher adoption from merchants and consumers. These challenges have to be overcome in order for the practice to become ubiquitous. As noted in a recent blog post, tokenization and biometrics will help win consumers’ trust and get a higher consumer adoption.
Big companies, such as Wal-Mart, are complaining about the quantity of solutions within the mobile payments space they may have to adopt. Merchants cannot simply stop, renew or update their processes every time a solution pops up. The smart thing to do is to wait and see or try something different.
What does it take to make mobile successful?
First of all, from a merchant point of view, there is no one-size-fits-all mobile solution. For 2015, the conversation is about greater adoption across the industry, and how to eliminate friction between different payment solutions. Second of all, customer experience should be the first reason to develop new technologies. After all, why will people adopt new mobile payments solutions? The industry innovators have to understand that consumers only care about saving time and money in a secure way – ”right here, right now”, and this should be the purpose of creating new mobile payments solutions.
There is too much talk about merchants and banks and issuers, and the consumers get lost in the process. Andy Shober, from Merchant Customer Exchange said “We really don’t believe consumers will get that excited and if you look at the success stories in mobile payments you see merchants that have done something to really change the consumer experience such as Starbucks, and how they tie loyalty into it so that consumers feel rewarded, creating a better relationship between merchants and consumers. Well, that’s what it takes to make mobile payments successful”.


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US to observe the impact of visa fee hike on Indian firms
The United States, which has hiked its US worker visa fee on Indian companies, has said that it is observing the impact of the hike on Indian firms.
State Department spokesman Phillip J Crowley expressed that the officials are ‘trying to understand the potential impact on Indian companies’ but no next step has been taken to address the concerns.
The new law signed by President Barack Obama aims to raise $600 million to secure the US Mexico border. The Indian firms will have to pay additional $250 million every year for visa for its workers going to US on H-1B and L1 visas.
The law increases the fee of $2,000 for certain H-1B petitions and $2,250 for certain L-1A and L-1B petitions. The new law came into effect on August 14 and the rates will rain in effect till September 30, 2014, as per the States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The additional fee will apply to those firms who employ 50 or more employees in the US with more than 50 percent of its employees in the country in H-1B or L.
The Indian government has protested the move and said that the law is discriminatory and will affect Indian companies like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Technologies, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam. The US-India Business Council too has said that it will affect economic ties between the two countries.
The Indian officials may also raise the issue with the World Trade Organisation calling it discriminatory and an unfair trade practice.
New Zealand News
- Porsche reportedly developing electric version of 718 sports car
- Tesla Model Y Performance becomes little bit more expensive to order in China
- Porsche’s recently unveiled Mission R Concept previews electric race cars of future
- Chinese manufacturer GAC’s Aion V e-SUV can charge 0-80% in just 8 minutes
- Plug-in cars’ share grows to 32% in Netherlands in September 2021
- Italian motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi enters e-bike business with VR46 MTB range
- Micro Mobility shows off production version of Microlino 2.0 and 3-wheeled e-scooter
- Chinese electric motorcycle maker Evoke Motorcycles to set up shops in Spain


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Governments of the two largest cocoa-producing countries – Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana – pledged themselves to “Frameworks for Action” with leading chocolate and cocoa companies at COP23 last week. The countries agreed to work with some of the biggest names in confectionery, including Mars Wrigley, Nestle and The Hershey Company, to end deforestation and restore forest areas in the cocoa supply chain.
Central to the frameworks is a commitment to not convert any more forest land for cocoa production. The companies and governments pledged to eliminate illegal cocoa production in national parks, in line with stronger enforcement of national forest policies and development of alternative livelihoods for affected farmers.
Those involved in the Framework for Action, which is aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement, say it will play a crucial role in sequestering carbon stocks and thereby addressing global and local climate change.
Ghana’s Minister of Land & Natural Resources released a statement committing to work with those involved in the Framework for Action to “end deforestation and promote forest protection and restoration in the cocoa supply chain in Ghana.”
Sustainable livelihoods and income diversification for cocoa farmers will be accelerated through food crop diversification, agricultural inter-cropping, development of mixed agroforestry systems, and other income generating activities designed to boost and diversify household income while protecting forests, the groups say.
The framework builds on a “statement of intent” announced in March, when Cargill, Hershey’s, Mars, Mondelez International and Nestlé, joined seven other major cocoa and chocolate companies to work with each other, alongside governments and NGOs, to end deforestation and forest degradation in the global cocoa supply chain. They decided at that time to initially focus on Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Deforestation in Cocoa Supply Chain
Deforestation represents a significant risk to confectionary companies: as much as $906 billion total annual turnover could be at risk because of deforestation, according to a CDP study based on data disclosed by 187 companies last year.
Some of that risk includes false claims of sustainable supply chains. Confectionery containing fairtrade or organic cocoa and sugar carry one of the highest risks of adulteration and mislabeling in the food and drink industry, according to Ecovia Intelligence. The supply chains for these items is particularly long and complex, making them a target for fraud.


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-->Alliance Gaming said the principal allegation of the complaint is that its Monte Carlo slot machine infringes on the recently issued patent. But Alliance said the Monte Carlo game was originally introduced in the 1970s and was updated and reintroduced three years ago. "The company believes there is no merit to IGT's 'new' claim that a game invented and introduced nearly 30 years ago infringes on a recently issued patent," Alliance said in a release.<--
IGT's recent patent is a continuation of an application filed in 1994. Thus, this litigation might invoke some themes of Quillen/Webster and Lemley/Moore.
Thoughtfully, IGT is not seeking an injunction.


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Jarujit Baiyoke, assistant to the chairman of Baiyoke Group, enjoys the group’s new businesses, which include ice cream. The ice cream venture will help drive the growth of Baiyoke’s food and beverage business, which began four years ago.PHOTO COURTESY OF MONTREE PR
Baiyoke Group plans to spend over 1 billion baht to expand its hotel and food business from now until next year.
The lion’s share will be spent on building Bangkok Midtown hotel on a 10-rai plot on Phetchaburi Road.
The 100-room budget hotel targeting Chinese tourists is due to open in the middle of next year, said Jarujit Baiyoke, assistant to the chairman of Baiyoke Group.
After that the group will start the construction of a four-star hotel with 80 rooms on Ratchadaphisek Road by the end of next year.
Baiyoke also plans to hold the grand opening of Baiyoke Seacoast Samui in tambon Bophut, Koh Samui next year. The group took over the resort from the wife of Mitsuo Shibahashi, formerly known as Phra Mitsuo Gavesako.
“The resort is now under renovation but is still open for business with over 80 rooms and villas,” she said.
Apart from the hotel expansion, Ms Jarujit said the group also planned to expand its food business by operating the franchise of South Korea’s Sweet Monster soft ice cream.
It currently has Sweet Monster outlets at J Avenue on Thong Lor Soi 15 and Siam Paragon.
Ms Jarujit said the group received the master franchise rights to operate Sweet Monster in Thailand for three years and can renew the contract every three years.
It plans to open five Sweet Monster branches within the next three years with its own investment and will expand the business on a franchise basis as well.
“Thailand is the first expansion country for Sweet Monster. My father [Phanlert Baiyoke] came across it by accident in South Korea and I also love it. I knew about it since I spent time studying hotel management there,” she said.
The group has diversified into the ice cream business because investment costs are low compared with hotels and they can break even in a short time.
Baiyoke Group knows food and beverage is a major revenue contributor to its earnings. The ice cream venture will help drive the growth of Baiyoke’s food and beverage business, which began four years ago.
Baiyoke Food and Beverage Co has four brands in its portfolio: Orchard Chicken Rice, Misokutsu Yabaton deep fried pork with rice from Nagoya, Yamachan Japanese restaurant, and Sweet Monster.


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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — State Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is warning Americans of the growing prevalence of loan sharking during the pandemic.
Schumer claims that loan sharks are asking for interest rates as high as 800%, but showed no evidence that rates were that high. Still, Schumer called for a federal crackdown on loan sharks who he said are taking advantage of “desperate people.”
“800% interest, preying on the needs of desperate people? Uh-uh, not on our watch,” Schumer said, “So we’re asking the Consumer Protection Financial Board, the OCC, the Office of the Controller, the Federal Trade Commission and the FDIC to use all their muscle to crack down on these loan sharks and put them out of business now.”
Schumer blasted the Trump Administration for its plan to roll back federal regulations designed to protect consumers from predatory lenders.


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Australian Bananas were featured as part of Asia Fruit Logistica this year, with four companies coming on board to help investigate options for exports
Eco Bananas, Nutrano, Good Life Organics, MacKays Marketing and banana levies invested in this Hong Kong trade show to capture market information, build awareness and develop relationships.
In 2017/18 Australia sold 388,000 tonnes of bananas, but only 0.04% was exported.
Eco Bananas are one of the few Australian banana companies who currently export their produce.
As a result of the trade mission, they identified several opportunities to increase their business, with industry representatives from Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and China showing interest in the well-known red wax-tipped fruit.
Good Life Organics reported some an initial interest in Australian organic bananas from Hong Kong, China and India.
Asia Fruit Logistica 2019 confirmed that there are less opportunities for conventional Cavendish bananas when it comes to export, mainly due to the current limited point of difference from existing Cavendish offerings. Other issues were the relatively high cost of Australian conventional bananas and some current trade restrictions.
Broader export insights
It was noted that the ‘Clean and Green’ pitch for produce was not necessarily unique to Australia. In fact, many countries claimed the same credentials, particularly Costa Rica. The Australian banana delegation formed the opinion that it wasn’t enough to distinguish Australia from other exporting nations. However, the level of trust might be greater with Australia than elsewhere.
At both Asia Fruit Logistica and the reverse trade mission (held in Melbourne as part of Hort Connections), retailers and importers were reluctant to talk about ripening and supply chain.
This is understandable considering the commercial sensitivity of the information.
Hong Kong happenings
While in Hong Kong, the ABGC’s representative on the trade mission, CEO Jim Pekin, presented to Austrade officials in each of the Asian countries and received market insights from those involved.
The banana delegation – through their agents – also investigated bananas at different types of produce stores. This included the traditional Hong Kong wet market, value stores, mainstream stores, convenience stores and several premium/lifestyle stores. They also visited a multi-floor ripening room, where the Australian bananas were ripened for the Asia Fruit Logistica.
The banana delegation met with experienced Australian exporters in table grapes, citrus, mangoes, apples, avocados and vegetables in Hong Kong.
Many of these were in Hong Kong mostly (or in some cases, solely) to meet with and build on relationships with their customers. The table grapes and citrus growers, in particular, were enthusiastic about the opportunity for Australian banana exports, due to their industries’ export success.
Table grapes and citrus now export 60% and 35% of their production.
Findings for Australian bananas
The current opportunities for Australian bananas in Asian markets appear to be limited to high value, low volume products, such as Eco Bananas and organic bananas. The key recommendations were that moves to export conventional bananas should be considered a long-term activity and that export steps forward should be made. It was also recommended that a much better understanding of a range of markets, their supply chains and retailers is needed. If Australian banana companies are interested in export, they need to begin spending time travelling to these markets and forming relationships with other businesses and potential customers. The role of government officials in developing these relationships was noted. In Australia, business to business commercial trade makes sense. However, in many Asian countries, the inclusion of government officials is the starting point for business.
The banana delegation also recommended that the industry seek to take the steps necessary with Hort Innovation and the Australian Government to eventually obtain market access for bananas to China. This firstly requires an industry-agreed Banana Export Development Plan, some industry participants being export capable for that market and then gaining a spot on the Department of Agriculture’s list of priority markets/industries to be negotiated. This last step could take ten years.
It is hard to say what changes may occur within international banana markets in the future and what opportunities there might be for the Australian banana industry, but regardless it’s clear that more needs to be understood about these overseas markets for the Australian industry to better position itself.
Asia Fruit Logistica was held from September 3-6 2019.
This is article is a summary of a report compiled by the ABGC’s CEO – and representative on the trade missions – Jim Pekin. The full report will soon be posted online at Hort Innovation’s Banana Fund page.


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The textile sourcing event returns to New York this month, kicking off with Fashionsustain, a one-day conference addressing some of the most pressing sustainability issues currently facing the fashion industry.
With portfolio expansion and future development of the industry in sight, Messe Frankfurt India and MEX Exhibitions have entered into a strategic alliance to form a unified industry platform ‘Gartex Texprocess India’.
More than 3,000 brands and collections will be presented to buyers for the Autumn/Winter 2019/20 season at the Premium, Seek, Panorama and Berliner Salon events. Messe Frankfurt will debut its new Neonyt concept.
One of the largest textile sourcing shows on the East Coast, Texworld USA will come to NYC's Javits Center for a round of talks on sustainability and more. The trade show will run from January 21 through January 23.
The Messe Frankfurt textile event is expecting 1,850 exhibitors from 17th to 20th September at Paris' Parc du Bourget, where it will be introducing new initiatives including a trade show focusing on leather.


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Godfrey Bloom, the UKIP MEP for the Yorkshire region, recently pointed out an apparent "scandalous waste" of tax payer's money being spent on the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. Mr Bloom describes the committee's main role being simply to discuss "the size and shape of whiskey bottles."
This apparently useless committee has in recent weeks put forward successful legislation to stop unfair commercial practices ranging from rip-off prize draws to scam lotteries, practices which have been conning many vulnerable people out of their hard earned money.
Had Mr Bloom actually turned up to take note of the committee's work he would in fact realise that it does not just discuss whiskey bottles. Amongst other things, it is trying to abolish prescribed size and shapes of packaging on a whole range of products, by doing away with cumbersome standard measurements uniform throughout the EU.
On a more positive note, Mr Bloom claims that he donates his attendance expenses from this committee to local charities. It can only be assumed that such charities don't rely on Mr Bloom as their main donor judging by his dismal attendance record, which wouldn't buy them much more than.....a bottle of whiskey for a tombola perhaps?
Source: Godfrey Bloom website


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Fully Vaccinated Trader Joe’s Shoppers May No Longer Need to Wear Masks
The grocery store chain updated its mask policy in response to the CDC’s new guidelines.
As more and more people get vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has updated its COVID-19 safety guidelines, advising that those who are fully vaccinated can ditch their masks indoors and outdoors pending local guidelines. Many businesses are now reconsidering their masking rules, with Trader Joe’s being among the first.
A spokesperson for TJ’s told USA Today that its stores will no longer require masks for vaccinated shoppers, unless face coverings are still required by the local or state government. The grocery store chain won’t ask for proof of vaccination, meaning employees and other shoppers will be relying on the honor system to keep everyone safe inside stores. Employees will continue to wear masks inside all Trader Joe’s locations, despite the CDC’s updated guidelines.
Trader Joe’s isn’t the only grocery store ready to allow customers to shop without masks if they want to. Costco, Walmart, and other retailers are expected to follow suit. Per the CDC, these regulations will vary heavily depending on where you are as local guidelines overrule the health agency’s guidance. Certain places will continue to require masks while others won’t, so be sure to check the rules before you go into any establishment bare-faced.
After more than a year of wearing masks in public, many are understandably hesitant about going out without them. The CDC has been criticized for the sudden change in guidance as well as not requiring proof of vaccination. It’s important to remember that you can keep your mask on if it makes you feel safer.


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Almost two weeks after its release, Microsoft's Windows 10 preview has topped 1 million users.
"Over the weekend, we hit 1 million registrants for the Windows Insider Program," Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Operating Systems group, wrote in a blog post Monday. "That equates to a lot of people using the Windows 10 Technical Preview and sending us feedback."
Already, Redmond has received more than 200,000 pieces of feedback about Windows 10 from users. Most are running the forthcoming OS on an actual PC, rather than just trying it out for a few minutes on a virtual machine. Just 36 percent of Windows 10 preview installations are on VMs, while the remaining 64 percent are on actual PCs.
"This makes us confident that a lot of the feedback is based on 'medium-term' use and not just a few minutes of experimentation," Belfiore wrote.
The company is also seeing signs of some pretty solid usage, he added. Sixty-eight percent of Windows 10 users are launching more than seven apps per day, while about 25 percent are firing up 26 apps a day. Some 5 percent are launching 68 apps every day.
"People on the team are hard at work poring through all the feedback, categorizing and processing it, and cycling it back into our development," Belfiore wrote. "Make sure you look at the feedback others are reporting and use the 'me too' button!"
Unveiled on Sept. 30, Windows 10 is expected to officially launch in mid-2015, bringing back the much-missed Start Menu. The new OS will be Microsoft's most comprehensive platform ever, and work across all devices, Terry Myerson, executive vice president for operating systems, said at the unveiling.
Microsoft is making a big push for enterprise users with this release. After the somewhat lackluster response to Windows 8, Microsoft wants to make sure it gets it right with Windows 10 - hence the feedback request on this early preview.
For more, check out PCMag's Hands On With Windows 10. Also check out How to Get and Install Windows 10, but note that this release is only intended for seasoned PC users and developers. Everyone else should wait until next year's official launch.
Until then, you can check out some of the features coming to Windows 10 in the slideshow above and the video below.
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The cost of essential goods and services is set to rise in a proposed review of taxation laws as the Ruto administration appears to buckle under decade-long pressure from the International Monetary Fund to drop blanket reliefs on consumption.
Treasury Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u has disclosed a plan to stop the zero-rating of value-added tax (VAT) on the supply of tens of goods such as maize flour, cooking gas, ordinary bread, medicaments, agricultural pest control products, and animal feeds.
The proposed review will also pressure the cost of essential supplies such as locally assembled mobile phones, motorcycles, electric bicycles, solar batteries and electric buses which are currently VAT zero-rated.
The draft Medium Term Revenue Strategy, whose outcome will come into force from July 2024, suggests that zero-rating for VAT purposes will be restricted to the export of goods and services, while exemption will apply to goods in raw state.
The implementation of the far-reaching changes in consumption tax laws will mark the full implementation of the IMF-backed reforms that overhauled the VAT Act in 2023.
The IMF has for about a decade now been pushing reforms aimed at taxing all goods, with the vulnerable households to be cushioned through social protection programmes.
The doubling of VAT on fuel to 16 percent in July, after multiple failed attempts in the past, is part of those reforms.
“First Schedule (exemption) and Second Schedule (zero-rating) to the VAT Act will be reviewed to rationalize the exempt and zero-rated supplies and align the VAT system to the destination principle as well as other international best practices,” Prof Ndung’u wrote in the draft revenue strategy.
“The review shall limit zero rating to exports and remove all VAT exemptions except for unprocessed goods.”
The Ruto administration has pledged to “develop an appropriate strategy to address the tax burden on essential goods and services.”
The Treasury argues that the policy on zero-rating and exemption in the VAT tax system has over the years eroded government revenue, with collections underperforming potential by nearly 40 percent.
The Treasury estimated last year that tax concessions on domestic VAT — paid by traders with annual sales of more than Sh5 million— dropped to Sh211.94 billion in 2021 from Sh234.38 billion in 2020.
Domestic VAT, however, accounted for 82.29 percent of the Sh259.51 billion revenue forgone by the Kenya Revenue Authority in 2021.


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DuPont microcircuit materials has said that its ‘Solamet’ PV18x series metallisation pastes have been instrumental in raising REC Solar’s multicrystalline modules' peak power performance (Pmax(Wp)) to new record levels.
DuPont noted that it had been collaborating with REC Solar on metallisation paste optimisation since operations at REC’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Singapore started in 2010.
REC has previously reported in financial statements that it was focusing on reducing losses due to absorption in front and rear solar cell layers and thereby increasing cell voltage. The focus on front-side cell improvements had contributed to increased cell efficiencies.
The company had reported that average multicrystalline solar cell efficiencies at its Singapore plant had reached 17.1% across all production lines in 2012, up from 16.8% in 2011.
“Constant innovation in Solamet pastes has been instrumental in ensuring the efficiency improvements and cost effective measures that are moving the solar industry toward grid-parity,” said Peter Brenner, global photovoltaics marketing manager, DuPont microcircuit materials. “Collaborations with leading companies like REC are critical to the quick delivery of new and improved technologies that fuel further growth in the industry, and for our customers.”
Although REC Solar has yet to reveal efficiency gains achieved in 2013, DuPont microcircuit materials noted in a statement that its customer had raised the efficiency of its 60 cell multicrystalline panels to 265 Pmax(Wp) – its highest average production level reported. REC Solar’s current module documentation for its ‘Peak Energy’ series solar modules tops out at 260 Pmax(Wp).
Ter Soon Kim, senior vice president, operations and technology, REC said: “REC solar panels now deliver more power per square metre due to several design improvements, including the use of the newest frontside metallisation paste provided by our premier innovation supplier, DuPont.”
The company has also been successful at achieving extremely tight module performance distribution levels, having previously noted that it expected 95% of total module production output in Singapore would be 250W modules and above by the end of 2013, up from 55% in the fourth quarter of 2012.


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2013 Topps Finest Baseball marks 20 years since the product’s debut but Chris Harris says the upcoming issue looks more 21st century than 20th.
Search Results for: Chris Harris
Ted Williams returns to the fold as 2013 Topps Baseball Series II continues its chase theme. Chris Harris offers the lowdown.
2013 Topps Archives will offer a hybrid mix of old sports card designs, some blasts from the past on autograph cards–and Chris Harris hopes– no super short prints.
The preview of 2013 Topps Heritage Baseball is out but the gimmicks are starting to get in the way of the ode to the originals according to Chris Harris.
In the last of a 5-part series on the card sets of the 90s, Chris Harris offers his choices for the most forgettable issues thrust upon the hobby.
In the third of a series looking back at the 1990s, Chris Harris zeroes in on some rookie cards of future Hall of Famers that sometimes get overlooked.
Not everything in the 1990s was overproduced and some of it was groundbreaking. Chris Harris has five of the most underrated products that are getting on in years now.
About the time the NFL regular season arrives, so will 2012 Bowman Platinum football cards, with rookie autographs and a boatload of parallels. Chris Harris is breaking it all down for us.
After a photo tease last week, Topps has released information about its upcoming resurrection of the Archives set. Chris Harris has the lowdown.
Panini will ride the Prizm horse into baseball with a “2012” release coming in about two months.
With fingers crossed that this year’s prospects are better than advertised, Topps reveals info on 2013 Bowman Chrome Baseball, due out later this year.
Die-Cuts, Red Hot Rookies, and more 1972 Topps designs will join the usual elements in 2013 Topps Chrome Baseball, set for release in late summer.
No Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper to await, but it’s full steam ahead for 2013 Bowman Platinum, which remains a relative newcomer.
Social media and blogs were reacting to the death of Upper Deck co-founder Richard McWilliam.
Topps promises some spectacular autographed cards inside its 2012 Five Star Baseball brand but packs will set you back a pretty penny. Topps tweets out some of the big hits.
It’s still six months from release but Topps has provided a glimpse of what collectors will see when 2013 Bowman Baseball hits store shelves.
Back for its second year, 2013 Topps Museum Collection will again be a high-end release, but this time Japanese collectors will get their own production run.
by Chris Harris Football card collectors, it’s that time again. Time to smash up your piggy banks, cash in those Savings Bonds, sell the spare kidney, and call up your “connection” with the Colombian cartel – the sell sheets for 2012 Topps Five Star Football are out, and you’re going to need some big bucks […]
Living up to the hype was an impossible task for five 1990s newcomers who were once the hobby’s hottest rookie cards.


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The flash memory market in Europe is now polarising between twin camps dominated by Intel-Sharp and AMD-Fujitsu, a senior market analyst said today.
Richard Gordon, senior memory analyst at Dataquest UK, said that the market was rapidly polarising because of the increase in manufacture of mobile phones between 1997 and 1996.
He said: ?Intel were way ahead in the early nineties with Sharp and Sharp have come back very aggressively in 1997.?
Companies like Ericcson and Nokia, said Gordon, had produced many more mobile phones, which generated output from the rival chipmakers.
He said that Dataquest figures showed ?a significant? 100 per cent growth in Europe, year on year.
Memories had increased in mobiles, he said, and the market was much larger, and mostly driven by Europe rather than North America.
But despite increased demand for mobile phones in Europe, memory manufacturers could expect not particularly good growth because of factors like price erosion.
Gordon said: ?Worldwide, in 1996, the total market was $2.8 billion. We?re expecting that to be flattish in 1997 in dollar terms.?
However, he said, fabrication plants from the two major companies which produce flash memory, largely for mobile phones, could expect to benefit from the upsurge in demand across the continent.
Dr Kuan Hon criticises GDPR consent emails that will only eviscerate marketing databases and 'media misinformation'
Apple squashes Steam Link app on 'business conflicts' grounds
Philip Hammond wants to forget rules that the UK agreed with the EU to ban non-European companies from the satellites
Instapaper to 'go dark' in Europe until it can work out GDPR compliance


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The British Shippers’ Council (BSC) has urged the UK government to expand the number of night flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports as the UK economy continues to recover and freight volumes grow again.
The BSC, part of the Freight Transport Association (FTA), said that the move was necessary ‘to remain competitive in the global marketplace.’ The advice came after its recent meeting with the Department for Transport about its second stage consultation on night flying restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, which sets out proposals for the period from October 2014, to October 2017.
A BSC statement said: ‘Not to do so would negatively affect use of the airports and damage the quality of the UK international supply chain.’
The statement added: ‘Unless there is flexibility this is likely to restrict potential air freight shipments, undermining the reliability and predictability of UK supply chains faced with fierce competition from continental competitors.
‘Demand is driven by customers from across the UK economy, for example in pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing, and these companies need to move their time-critical or high-value goods quickly and efficiently.
Commenting on behalf of the British Shippers’ Council, the FTA’s Chris MacRae said: ‘Night flights are an essential component in maintaining the UK’s international economic competitiveness. Operators don’t provide them by choice but driven by shipper demand, itself driven by end customer requirements. It is good news that the current regime is not proposed to be further restricted, but at the same time as the economy grows some easing of restrictions would be appropriate.’
The outlook for the British economy has improved by more than any other developed nation over the last six months, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in November. The international watchdog said that it expected the UK economy to grow by 2.4 percent in 2014, compared to 1.4 percent in 2013.


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The first-ever US Cyber Games team will compete in the inaugural International Cybersecurity Challenge in Athens, Greece in 2022 Call for official sponsors now open in support of..
A recent Washington Post article discusses how the country is seeking to harness the skills of some of the country’s most promising young minds using a model that mirrors..
"We are thrilled to announce that one of our own alum, Samuel Hayden, has been named as the inaugural captain of the US Cyber Team at the US Cyber Games®!!!", states a post on the..
University of North Georgia (UNG) reports student, Taylor Hitt, one of 25 competitors drafted Oct. 5 for the inaugural US Cyber Team. Hitt is a senior from Cumming, Georgia,..
HyperX will provide essential gaming peripherals to the US Cyber Team® to help equip them for in-person and virtual global cyber games.
US Cyber Team® to be announced October 5 at US Cyber Draft
Event to be simulcast live on Allied Esports' Twitch channel
Competitors are building skills that will protect our country, our economy, and our soldiers.