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Speakers at the recent Internet Retailer Conference & Exposition in Chicago discussed how the retail industry is using a number of digital technologies to assist performance in areas such as CRM, marketing, driving customer traffic and converting sales. Following are a few brief highlights:
Liberty Jane Clothing, an online specialty retailer of clothing and accessories for American Girl dolls, uses the Pinterest social platform to give its customers an inside view of the company and create a more personalized relationship with them.
"You can create an authority profile and become a visual Sherpa for your niche," said Jason Miles, co-founder and marketer of Liberty Jane. "You can give a visual insider’s view of the company. It’s a nice way to get close to a customer or run a contest."
Miles recommended that retailers use third-party Pinterest analytical solutions to track current hot topics on Pinterest and see what type of traffic and participation the platform is driving to their e-commerce site. He also said retailers should take advantage of the new "Rich Pin" functionality that allows pins to contain more metadata. But he said social media activities should not occur in a vacuum, using Facebook as an example.
"If you spend money developing Facebook fans and don’t move them through other platforms, you’re in trouble when Facebook goes out of vogue," said Miles.
Brooks Brothers is connecting data to the customer experience in order to replicate the highly personalized shopping environment of its stores on its e-commerce site.
"We are connectors. Our job is to connect data to the customer experience with a software package," said Cindy L. Lincks, director of analytics for Brooks Brothers.
For Brooks Brothers, this package includes the Adobe Target, Analytics and Scene 7 solutions.
Aided by Adobe technology, Lincks said Brooks Brothers uses CRM data to define customer groups and map out customer touchpoints. The company then automates cross-departmental reporting and frequently adds Web metrics to better support its business intelligence software.
"It’s not just what appeals to the masses," said Lincks. "It’s meeting individual customer needs as they move through the site."
PetFlow, a pure online player, found that its initial efforts to expand its marketing activities to Facebook didn’t work out so well.
"Google is not like Facebook — the consumer is searching with purchase intent," said PetFlow co-founder Alex Zhardanovsky. "Facebook users aren’t sitting there with a credit card on their desk."
After initial efforts to develop Facebook fans and convert them to customers wound up costing $300 to $400 per customer, PetFlow started targeting its core customers, who were higher-income female animal lovers age 40 and older, by targeting consumers who had "liked" other retailers such as Amazon.com, Saks and Neiman Marcus. Within two months, PetFlow jumped from 10,000 to 200,000 Facebook fans.
To convert those fans into customers and evangelists, PetFlow began running funny ads with cute animal photos that customers voluntarily reposted, liked, commented upon and shared, vastly extending the reach of the ads at no extra cost to PetFlow.
"Facebook advertising lives on," said Zhardanovsky. "We’re still generating sales from ads we posted months ago."
"If you spend money developing Facebook fans and don’t move them through other platforms, you’re in trouble when Facebook goes out of vogue."
— Jason Miles, co-founder, Liberty Jane Clothing
Any good retailer gets to know its customers, and not just their product preferences but also who they are, where they come from and what they aspire to. This type of intimate knowledge allows retailers to forecast and meet product demand with the highest degree of accuracy.
However, getting to know your customers is not a one-shot deal. It is an ongoing effort that requires refinement and readjustment as the demographics of your customer base change, both as new customers arrive and existing customers undergo socioeconomic changes.
Curacao, a Los Angeles-based regional department store serving a primarily Hispanic customer base, uses a Web-based mapping analysis tool from marketing intelligence provider Geoscape to help analyze and keep abreast of cultural shifts among its consumers, which can have a significant impact on demand forecasting. The retailer selected the solution, SaaS-based Geoscape Intelligence System software, based upon the recommendation of marketing companies that said Geoscape solutions were able to segment customers by acculturation.
"A 2010 company review of business models included analyzing current customers, those who hadn’t shopped us in the previous six months and 24 months, and those who never shopped us at all," said Rick Hutton, president, Curacao Retail Group, which operates 11 locations in Southern California and Arizona. (Stores average 100,000 sq. ft. each, and while heavy on consumer electronics and appliances also sell furniture, jewelry, cosmetics, toys and apparel.)
Using the software, Curacao also measured its penetration of its customer base within one, three, five and 10 miles of its stores. The retailer found that while it had 60% penetration within five miles of stores, it was still failing to draw a significant number of potential customers who lived near its stores.
"To grow, we needed to reach out to customers who had not considered Curacao a shopping option," said Hutton. "We needed to not just meet general needs of our existing market, but meet the needs of customers as they acculturated and not let them graduate to Best Buy and Target as their options expanded."
According to Hutton, Curacao discovered it was doing extremely well with Hispanic customers who fell into categories defined by Geoscape as recent immigrants dependent on speaking Spanish who do not speak much English at home. But the chain had room for improvement with more acculturated Hispanic consumers, meaning they are born in the United States, and celebrate Hispanic food and culture but may not speak Spanish.
As a result of the findings uncovered by the Geoscape technology, Curacao has since modified its product assortment and advertising to better attract Hispanic consumers who have become more enveloped in mainstream American culture.
"We now carry more TVs than any competitor," explained Hutton. "For computers we had carried Dell, HP and Asus, but we added Apple. For refrigerators, in the past we were known for customers buying brands like Whirlpool and Frigidaire on credit, but we added higher-end brands like LG and Samsung. LG is now the No. 1-selling refrigerator brand in our stores."
Curacao also has expanded its jewelry and cosmetics assortments to include such luxury brands as Armani, Coach and Prada at the same prices as other department stores.
"We offer the same products as other stores," said Hutton. "Our customers expect to find the best products at market price."
Curacao’s highly successful private credit program, which more than 90% of customers participate in, also helps the retailer track the success of its efforts to reach a broader cross-section of Hispanic consumers.
"In 1991 less than 2% of customers who filled out a credit application in stores were born in the U.S.," said Hutton. "Last year it was more than 50%."
Curacao’s implementation of Geoscape Intelligence System’s analytical modules was completed in 2012, and the chain has continued making changes both in product assortment and advertising. Beyond dropping the Spanish "La" from its name last August, Hutton said there have been other adjustments to how Curacao communicates its brand to the world.
"It’s more about brand, less about price advertising," Hutton said. "It’s less about understanding data than about understanding how to reposition the company."
Other noteworthy changes Curacao has made to its brand image and messaging based on Geoscape analysis include introducing a new logo in January of this year, engaging in bilingual TV, print and catalog advertising, and making product knowledge part of the reward consideration for customer associates.
Hutton said demand forecasting changes have mostly been made at a corporate level, but there are some individual forecasting decisions based on local consumer preferences.
"Customers in Tucson make more cash purchases but also have higher credit lines," he added. "There is a lot of across-the-border traffic, and Mexican shoppers want U.S. brands they can’t get in Mexico. Stores in San Bernardino, Anaheim and Chino carry more modern furniture. Local taste has more of an impact in furniture. In electronics, demand is the same everywhere."
Curacao plans to use Geoscape-aided analysis and insight to help it continue to open new stores based upon a thorough understanding of customer wants and needs in the area. The retailer, which is considering possible expansion into Northern California, San Diego, Texas and Las Vegas, also plans to relaunch its e-commerce operation with a new platform and expanded assortment in the next few months.
"E-commerce demand has been the same as in-store demand since we introduced e-commerce in 2009," said Hutton. "We have had direct shipment and will add in-store pickup."
Ultimately, Curacao’s demand forecasting decisions will largely rest on an important piece of advice the retailer received over and over again during customer focus group conversations.
"People told us everyone knows you’re a great Hispanic retailer; focus on just being a great retailer," recalled Hutton. "It really opened our eyes."
In the Cloud
Maintaining a wealth of customer data has become a primary directive for retail IT departments. In recent years, retailers have been making substantial investments in solutions that collect and store data relating to their customers’ purchases, behaviors, preferences, demographic characteristics and almost any other traits you can think of. But after all this data has been captured, what do you do with it?
In the case of Chico’s FAS Inc., the Fort Myers, Fla.-based parent company of women’s specialty apparel retail banners Chico’s, White House I Black Market, Soma Intimates and Boston Proper, the answer came from the sky — in a manner of speaking.
"We had a rich customer database but couldn’t get to all the data," said Barb Brandon, director of CRM technology for Chico’s FAS, which operates more than 1,250 stores under its various banners. "We were looking for a way to capitalize on customer data."
Chico’s stored its troves of customer data on disparate servers with different applications. This meant the company had to send data out to external sources in order to be able to work with it. In 2008, Chico’s decided it was time to implement a single solution. However, at the time the retail operator was already in the midst of a very large enterprise-wide technology rollout.
"It caused a drain on the IT and infrastructure teams," recalled Brandon. "We didn’t want to rock the infrastructure more than we already were. That led to us seeking a SaaS-type cloud solution."
Chico’s had some very specific criteria for potential cloud partners. Most importantly, the company sought to partner with a cloud services provider that could also help it bring hosted data tools in house if needed.
"We didn’t want to commit to the cloud forever," said Brandon. "We wanted a partner, not a vendor. Vendors are easy to find. We wanted to find a partner that would bring us into their family and work with us."
With those prerequisites in mind, the retailer evaluated six vendors, dropping some because they did not offer cloud capabilities, and ultimately settled on SAS. According to Brandon, SAS’ strong commitment to R&D was a key factor in its selection of the vendor. Chico’s then partnered with the SAS On-Demand cloud team.
"We were not implementing an out-of-box solution," said Brandon. "So we determined a strategy to create a robust database with a set of tools sitting on top. The six-month implementation went fairly smooth. I was surprised how quickly we got it done with our very small team."
During the initial implementation, Chico’s rolled out SAS solutions, including Marketing Automation, which comprises Campaign Intelligence Studio, Enterprise Miner, Enterprise Guide and Business Intelligence. Since initial rollout, the retailer has also implemented the Size & Pack and Forecast Server solutions from SAS, and the On-Demand cloud team has maintained an active partnership with the retailer.
According to Brandon, the most important benefit Chico’s has received from using cloud-based SAS solutions is that technology has been placed in the hands of business users.
"Business users are operating the pedals and running the tools," said Brandon. "They understand the data better now. Having an integrated single source of customer data extends our capabilities as an organization. It’s pretty powerful. The partnership between the business and technology sides of the organization is rock solid. They couldn’t do without each other’s support."
In addition, Brandon said the ready cloud-based accessibility of data and technology has allowed the company to move from beyond simply being a data-savvy organization to one that approaches information with curiosity.
"We understand that when you’re digging in data, the question you ask is not the one you wind up answering," said Brandon. "You find 10 nuggets of information beyond the one you originally dig for."
Looking ahead, Brandon said that Chico’s will use cloud-based access to in-depth customer data to keep developing better insight into its customers.
"We will continue to understand our customer, how she thinks and behaves," Brandon added. "As we move into a multichannel world, this is where the power is. To know more about the customer and where she is and what she wants. Chico’s is more focused on the customer than anyplace I’ve ever been. We want to use the cloud to optimize customer touchpoints and put tools in place to avoid ‘customer fatigue’ by creating the specific experience that each customer is looking for."


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BELIZE CITY, Wed. Apr. 21, 2021– After more than a year, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is expected to resume calls to Belize, starting this summer, according to the Caribbean Journal.
On August 7, the Norwegian Joy ship will leave from Montego Bay, Jamaica, and make a stop at the company’s Harvest Caye private island location in Belize.
While the Center for Disease Control (CDC) still has a no-sail order for cruises in the United States in effect, in November the center is expected to do a conditional lifting of the no-sail order. NCL and other cruise lines are adding homeports within Caribbean destinations to reinitiate cruises.
At the start of the month, the CEO of the Ministry of Tourism. Nicole Solano remarked, “[November 2021] is the current date that we have from CDC; however, the cruise lines are now looking at operating out of home ports in the Caribbean. So that will give us some opportunity for a potential restart before then.”

domain: news


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Some interesting news over on CNET likely catching fire all over the place. It’s that Adobe is planning to take a stripped down, free version of Photoshop online within the next three to six months, hoping to beat out competition like Google and their photo editor. Here’s some:
The company intends to offer entirely hosted applications, as well as “hybrids,” in which Adobe uses the Web to introduce features to desktop products, such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, he added.
“We recognize there is a customer there — we recognize they are not going to pay us, necessarily, directly. But we could use ad revenue as a model. Google has demonstrated that it works pretty well for certain types of applications,” Chizen [Adobe’s CEO] said.


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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has sent out 1500 letters to people in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in an attempt to stop them sending more money to scammers overseas.
Nigerian scam - News, Features, and Slideshows
Feelings of shame and despair at being conned out of $300,000 by a convincing Nigerian based email scam led Queensland interior decorator Jill Ambrose to attempt suicide twice.
A Nigerian man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for sending out fraudulent e-mails offering victims big bucks in exchange for moving cash to the United States.
Perpetrators of Nigerian scams have turned West Australian government agency, ScamNet, against itself, impersonating the department to fleece $9000 from an unknown West Australian woman. This is the second time that hoaxers have impersonated a West Australian government agency, the first occurring when [[artnid:328180|they impersonated the WA Police in December 2009|WA Police leveraged in PayPal email scam]].
Australians lost more than $70 million through online scams last year, according to a Federal Government report.
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The iPhone 4 will be sold at Wal-Mart when it goes on sale on June 24, the Nissan Leaf has added sound so pedestrians don\'t get run over, and how to follow the World Cup on Twitter.
Petroleum-Based Products Are in Everything From Rubber and Plastic to Computers . . . Even Milk Shakes
Facebook partners with the PTA to promote a safer Net, Google News tries Editors\' Picks for stories, and rumor has it that T-Mobile will give away phones on June 19 in a shameless, yet effective, promotion.
Biologists Recommend Action to Save Dwindling Population, but Lobstermen Protest Move as \"Death Sentence\" for Their Industry
Largest Drop in 8 Months, Driven by Dip in Auto Sales; Despite Rise in Households\' Net Worth Consumers Keep Wallets Closed
Criticism of United Kingdom on the rise, but 39 Percent of BP's shares are owned in the United States
The World Cup will soon kick off in South Africa though most Americans will remain oblivious to it. As Anthony Mason reports, there's already debate over the ball being used.
Waves of oil continued to wash onto coastal Louisiana as the mayor of Grand Isle, David Camardelle, has set up food programs for its 1,200 residents out of his own pocket. Mark Strassmann reports.
To the surprise of Fla. residents, oil from the massive British Petroleum spill in the Gulf of Mexico has already reached as far as Pensacola Bay. Kelly Cobiella reports that local officials are livid.
There is growing anti-British sentiment in the U.S. over British Petroleum\'s handling of the oil spill, but residents in the U.K. argue that this is unfair. Mark Phillips reports from London.
On tonight\'s edition of Ask CBS News: Mark Strassmann, Chip Reid and Kelly Cobiella answer questions from Twitter and Facebook regarding the ongoing Gulf oil crisis.
Trading Breaks for Stocks Showing Big Swings will be Implemented in Response to May\'s 1,000-Point Dow Plunge
Apple faces antitrust investigations for the iAd system, the Sony PlayStation 3 has three new 3D games, and how to start an online profile for your deceased loved ones.
Freddie Mac Says Average Rates for 30-year Mortgages Fall to 4.72%, the Lowest Level of the Year and Just Above Record
Energy Stocks Lead Market Higher as Dow Soars more than 270 Points; BP Rises 11% off of 14-year Low
Congressional Oversight Panel Says Bailout Had \"Poisonous\" Effect, Gov\'t Didn\'t Explore All Options
Fujitsu shows off the world\'s largest 3DTV, Logitech releases HD webcams, an AT&T data breach hits iPad 3G owners, and RockBand 3 gets keyboards.
Marketers Hungry to Study Current Schoolchildren, Who Have Grown Up in World of Internet, \"Homeland Security\" and Obama
Household Net Worth Up 2.1% to $54.6 Trillion but Still Way Below Pre-Recession Peak of $65.9 Trillion
Overall Number of Unemployment Benefits Claims Fall 225K to 4.5M; New Claims Drop by 3K


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Rocksteady has confirmed that no multiplayer mode will be present in Batman: Arkham Knight.
Even though last year?s disappointing Batman: Arkham Origins had a versus multiplayer component handled by Brink developer Splash Damage to go along with Warner Bros. Montreal?s sad attempt at a prequel, Arkham Knight game director Sefton Hill has already gone on record saying that won?t be the case with this game.
?[Arkham Knight] is a single player game. There is no multiplayer. Right at the start this was our vision. It?s going to take all of our effort for all of this time. We don?t have the time to do multiplayer,? Hill told Game Informer (via VideoGamer).
?We want to focus on making the best single player experience we can. We don?t feel that it needs a multiplayer element. Warner Bros. backed that up right at the start.?
I don?t know about the rest of you Bat-fans out there, but I, for one, am thrilled by this announcement, as the multiplayer in Origins felt tacked on and completely unnecessary. Thank goodness the franchise is back in Rocksteady?s trusted hands.
Batman: Arkham Knight is due out sometime later this year for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.


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The Covid 19 crisis has had a detrimental effect on many businesses, but the tourism sector, in particular, has suffered terribly. The complete shutdown, with no tourists from abroad and shuttering of the country’s top sites even to Israelis, meant that the whole industry came to a halt. So yesterday, in a bid to encourage local tourism I sent subscribers of our website an article filled with ideas encouraging those living in Israel to support tourist sites as much as they can. After all, it’s a win-win: we Israelis can help boost this important sector, and also going out and staying away without having to ‘compete’ with the regular summer influx of tourists. So I suggested various ways that we can help boost the sector and help save businesses.
When I posted the article on our Facebook group (you can can read it here), it provoked a heated discussion and one that I feel is important to amplify. There are plenty of legitimate concerns on peoples minds.
Regrettably, the price of entry to Israeli attractions has risen year-on-year, including accommodation. Unfortunately, this has meant that a huge number of Israelis find it cheaper to book a holiday abroad than trying to find one here in Israel.
In addition, as someone pointed out, “Israeli citizens also have to pay more than foreign citizens at hotels, so although there are many incredible things to do and see here, it’s understandable that many people travel abroad for their holidays.”
From the discussion in my group, people are still holding out in hope that they will be allowed to travel abroad this summer because they would rather not spend double or more for pretty much the same vacation in Israel.
Many families and individuals have personally been affected economically by the lockdown and their budget for a vacation has decreased. We all understand that the tourism industry has been hit, yet the prices this year seem to have gone up compared to last year. This is clearly in order to help cover the industry’s losses, but this has a knock-on effect, making things less affordable for Israelis who at present are their only clients. The government should support the industry to bring down prices and make “staycations” more affordable: an investment in tourism is an investment in Israel itself:
“We are in Eilat as I write this.” posted one of our members, “The hotel and pools are lovely. But there is no more than 50% compliance (I am being generous) with Ministry of Health Corona guidelines.
If hotels want to survive, they need to decide that their clients must conform with guidelines. Otherwise, they will be closed by viral outbreaks.”
The other crucial factor that is preventing many people from booking vacations in Israel at the moment is the unknown: the fear that we are entering a second wave of the virus. Customers need reassurance that they will not lose their deposits when booking hotels or activities. Even more so, certainly among the Israeli-Anglo community, there is a big concern about the lack of compliance to the ‘Purple Standard’ requirements by the Ministry of Health.
The purple standard is a sensible and essential level of hygiene and social distancing required BY LAW for all businesses and places of employment across the country. As another of our members put, the lack of enforcement by the government means that “aside from many other people also feeling the financial pinch, there are also many people who would usually go on vacation but who are still having to isolate for medical reasons (especially many over the age of 60 and 70) and don’t feel that hotels and other potentially crowded indoor spaces are safe. The hospitality and tourism industries don’t seem to be doing enough to reassure that demographic. It’s a missed opportunity.”.
Another person said, “There is very little that can convince me that it’s worth it to go away for a couple of nights here in Israel. Most places are simply not clean enough or well-priced enough.. It’s not just the money, I know many people who simply do not feel safe regarding hygiene standards, masks, distancing etc., within the confines of a hotel or other shared indoor public space. I know people who have gone away this past week and regretted it because they felt hotels were not taking these issues seriously. To be clear, as far as we know no one was coming home ill, but they found it hard to enjoy when all around they felt that COVID precautions were not being taken seriously by the staff. Precisely because our tourism industry needs as much business as possible, there needs to be more emphasis on corona safety to reassure and protect guests and staff alike.”
We can, of course, take the attitude that another one of our members has, “acknowledging the reality and saying, “With the rise in prices, we can’t afford to do everything we had hoped to do, so let’s do an abbreviated version.” This will at least give our families a summer break to remember in a good way, and it will help the tourism a bit too.” However, this seems like such a shame.
I am writing this blog in the hope that hotels, Airbnb’s, zimmers and other tourism providers are given support and do their utmost to offer Israelis more affordable prices and the appropriate protection from COVID 19. There is an opportunity here to woo Israelis back to enjoying the incredible things that their country has to offer, and I hope that there will be a way that we can all help each other.
For my part, I will keep promoting and supporting our tourism industry and hope that we will all be able to do our part to help improve this situation.


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The Optimization Imperative: Understanding Procter and Gamble’s New Strategy
The story of how Procter and Gamble became one of the most profitable consumer goods companies is a perfect case of a strategy aligned with execution:
- Conduct extensive market research to determine consumer problems
- Use the research to develop everyday products that solve the problems
- Manufacture the products at scale
- Support the new products with significant marketing and brand investments
- Command a premium price
There’s more detail, like how P&G engineers leveraged existing technologies to extend into adjacent categories (most notably paper towels into said diapers), or how salespeople pioneered joint business planning with Walmart, or how its brand teams worked with advertising companies to build iconic brands.
This article won’t focus on those stories.
Instead, it’s going to look at the path ahead.
In November of 2022, Procter and Gamble unveiled a new corporate strategy. Officially it’s unnamed. Unofficially, I’m calling it the Optimization Imperative because, at its core, it’s about using information technology to optimize all aspects of an already best-in-class organization.
But let’s back up a bit. Let’s quickly talk about how P&G got to where it is.
A Refocused Procter and Gamble
In 2007 P&G was successful but bloated. It manufactured and sold everything from its iconic Tide Detergent and Head and Shoulders Shampoo to Folgers Coffee and Duracell Batteries. The company owned 170 different brands in 16 separate categories. The grab bag assortment generated around $76 billion a year in sales. That was great, except the lack of specialization meant it earned middle-of-the-road profit margins.
At 2007’s Investor Presentation, Procter and Gamble announced a new strategy. Management wanted to refocus. Instead of selling a whole bunch of everything, it would concentrate only on premium everyday categories. The company sold off over 100 brands in the next decade.
Equally important was the decision to redesign the organization. Management closed manufacturing sites and reduced the platforms it had to maintain. Operationally, the company overhauled what executives called the “thicket.”


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Consolidation continues to reshape the chemical distribution industry
Consolidation continues to be an ongoing trend in the chemical distribution industry, driven by the sector's highly-fragmented state. Despite steady deal activity driven by private equity and the emergence of large, publicly traded global players, the industry currently has more than 10,000 distributors globally, according to industry experts. Global distributors, such as Brenntag and Univar, will continue to acquire smaller companies to expand global footprint and fill in gaps in their portfolios. Additionally, they are developing more sophisticated distribution models to reduce the cost and increase their product knowledge according to specific application requirements, according to Technavio's Global Third-party Chemical Distribution Market 2016-2020 report.
Brenntag, the largest global chemical distributor, has made a steady stream of acquisitions in recent years, ranging from small to large. It has made six acquisitions in 2016 so far, expanding its footprint across Asia, North America, Africa, and Europe. Brenntag CEO Steve Holland told CW that "M&A is an important part of [Brenntag's] business model," and that the company typically expects to spend about €200-300 million ($221.6-332.5 million) annually on acquisitions. Univar-the second-largest distributor-and specialties player Azelis have made notable acquisitions recently, expanding their presence in the Americas and Europe.
Increased regulations in the industry have played a part in driving consolidation, particularly among small firms. Eric Byer, president of the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD: Washington, DC), notes that smaller companies are more quick to agree to an acquisition due to lacking the budget to maintain an internal compliance team.
Despite being affected by various market challenges, the industry is positioned for growth in 2017. Many companies have diversified their product offerings given the downturn in the oil and gas sector. Additionally, the industry is seeing increased growth in employment, which demonstrates confidence their bottom lines will continue growing in the coming year. Technavio forecasts the global distribution market is expected to grow 6%/year through 2020 because of the increase of manufacturing and consumption of chemicals across several industries driven by global industrialization.
Consolidation continues to be an ongoing trend in the chemical distribution industry, driven by the sector's highly-fragmented state. Despite steady deal activity driven by private equity and the emergence of large, publicly traded global players, the industry currently has more than 10,000 distributors globally.
Jing Chen is the Associate Editor, IHS Chemical Week
Posted 18 November 2016
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Some 100m Apple Pay-capable smartphones will be available in the US in 2020, up from 53m this year, according to Mercator Advisory Group. The company is also forecasting that the future of the mobile payment service will be bright, despite usage problems that surfaced among early adopters attempting to make an in-store purchase using the service.
‘Apple Pay at Six Months: A Medium-Term Outlook’ shows that, by next year, 61m capable devices will be available in the US, 71m will be available by 2017, 83m will be available by 2018 and 95m will be available by 2019.
“Early consumer surveys of iPhone users reveal that few users have both enabled a card on the app and gone ahead to make a purchase with it; worse, few retailers seem to support near field communication, or NFC, payments — just 700,000 locations according to Apple’s latest reckoning,” Mercator says.
“Writing off Apple Pay for its slow initial adoption misses the forest for the trees. Mobile is increasingly becoming the foundation of all retail experiences, whether online or in-store — Apple Pay, by making it easier to shop on mobile, makes the entire experience more convenient and far more secure.”
“Apple Pay’s elimination of the inconvenience of entering card numbers to complete purchases on smartphones and tablets will hasten mobile’s growing dominance of the overall ecommerce pie, which continues to expand,” adds Nikhil Joseph, an emerging technologies analyst at the Mercator Advisory Group and the author of the research note.
“We will also see brick-and-mortar merchants creating new retail experiences that leverage Apple Pay in their native apps for a seamless payment experience.”


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Central banks all over the world are exploring the possibilities of creating their own national digital currencies based on Bitcoin’s “blockchain” technology. This digital currency “movement” was first seen in Tunisia but has made its way to Ukraine, Senegal and Sweden.
Also read: Ukraine Bank Roadmap: Blockchain-Based Payments by Q4 2017
Ukraine Joins a Growing Number of Central Banks Considering Bitcoin Technology
Ukraine just joined a growing number of central banks getting in on the electronic money concept. As part of the nation’s Cashless Economy project, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is to issue a blockchain-based digital version of the Hryvnia by next year. At first the currency will circulate alongside its physical version.
The move isn’t surprising, as NBU has in September stated it was “interested in further development of high-tech financial markets in Ukraine as it will positively influence the implementation of the Cashless Economy project”.
Riksbanken in Sweden, the
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27 October 2020 12:41
People have been getting nostalgic about former High Street favourite Woolworths. The department store, famed for selling everything from records to rolling pins, posters to party food, was a high-profile casualty of the high street revolution after the arrival of online shopping. But now, speculation is rife about "exciting news" the brand is set to reveal today. In a tweet, Woolworths UK said: "We have decided to push our 2021 announcement forward. One of the very early Woolworths stores One of the very early Woolworths stores, the Brighton branch opened in Western Road on 5th August 1916.
It was joined by two further Brighton stores in London Road and St James Street in 1927. In 1968 the store was modernised and reduced in size, with the right side being sold to Clinton Cards. Below is the store in 2004, a year when Geri Halliwell visited one November evening to meet hundreds of fans, many of whom had been queuing since lunchtime. This store became a 10/10 new format store in the 2000s, before closing for good on 30 December 2008. The building didn't stay empty for long, in April 2009 H&M announced they would be moving in.
However, Very Group - which now owns the Woolworths name - told MailOnline it had not heard of any plans to open stores, scotching the rumours to the dismay of Woolies fans. In 2018, Tony Page, a former Woolies director, tried to revive the brand by purchasing the name - even selling his family home to boost funds - but his bid of £10million was beaten by Very. Woolworths opened its first UK store in Liverpool in 1909 and became a much-loved fixture in high streets across Britain. The chain, famous for its pick 'n' mix sweets and homewear range, went into administration in 2008 and closed all its branches in January the following year. In the 1980s Woolies focused on entertainment, confectionery and children's toys and clothing and - at one stage - was Britain's largest pop music retailer.
But now, with a website not working and without a verified blue tick on social media, customers feel they have been let down. "I think the Woolworths thing is a hoax... as if 2020 couldn't get any crueller," one wrote. @UKWoolworths had teased the news yesterday, saying: "Since we're kinda trending on the Twitter world, we have decided to push our 2021 announcement forward! Some exciting news later today, see you then." It then added: "Here to save 2020! Woolworths is coming back to your high street, as a physical store! A couple of legal things to get sorted, but we're full steam ahead at Woolworths HQ." When questioned as to why the website was not working, the Twitter account replied: "We're having some IT issues due to a huge rise in activity. We're working with our provider to fix this. Very's website is not affected as we are two desperate companies." The tweet has not gone down well with Twitter users though, with one saying: "So Woolworths coming back is a potential hoax? Course it is. What else do I expect from 2020." "Definitely a hoax," a second feared. "I mean I assume everyone realises this Woolworth's coming back thing is hoax right?" another asked. But another replied: "Y'know the Woolworths thing that might be a hoax? If we all wear I Believe badges like in Miracle on 34th Street it MIGHT ACTUALLY HAPPEN." Founded in 1909, its 807 stores closed between December 2008 and January 2009, resulting in 27,000 job losses. Our readers have a lot of love for Woolies.... Liz Evans said: "I miss them all, to be fair, but it has to be Woolies!! Followed very closely by C&A." Serena Johal posted: "I miss Woolworths and going out getting a Blockbuster with the family. I miss them days." George Mulyihill voted: "Woolies, C&A and BHS in this order." Christine Doyle has fond memories of Woolworths, saying: "Woollies! My first job - loved it and miss the stores." Mavis Drew's vote also went to Woolies, saying: "Woolworths would be my choice...the store you could almost get everything." Craig Phillips said: "Woolies without a doubt. If only for the pick n mix!" As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local community. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Close


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Van Bramer Brings Farm Fresh Food To Queensbridge
Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer joined Marcel Van Ooyen, executive director of GrowNYC, Bill Newlin, executive director of the Jacob Riis Settlement House and local residents to launch the borough’s first affordable farm fresh food program in Queensbridge Houses.
In an effort to address the lack of access to healthy food options surrounding Queensbridge Houses, Van Bramer has allocated $10,000 to GrowNYC which will bring affordable, locally-grown, organic produce directly to the residents of Western Queens.
“Access to healthy food options can be difficult for some residents to access in Western Queens, especially seniors,” said Van Bramer. “By bringing fresh fruits and vegetables directly into a community that needs, and wants them, our initiative is able to address a real need here in Queensbridge.”
Some research has shown that large populations of residents who live in public housing developments throughout New York City suffer from obesity and diabetes. One factor that contributes to this problem is the lack of access to affordable, healthy, food options.
Produce is often available at area stores but at a higher price which many cannot afford on a regular basis. Many of these individuals cannot pay because their household budgets are stretched thin.
“The Queensbridge Food Box program is an innovative model that has enabled us to provide Queensbridge residents with a convenient source of fresh, locally-grown produce,” said Ooyen. “We are very grateful to Councilmember Van Bramer for his support of this important project.”
The program works similar to that of a Community-Supported Agriculture program (CSA) in which individuals pledge to support one or more local farms with a one-time payment which can be several hundred dollars for an entire agricultural growing season.
As opposed to a CSA, the bags of produce GrowNYC will be providing participants are at a fraction of the cost and are available at a one-time fee of $10 for each week they choose to participate in the program. Those who choose to participate also have the options of paying via electronic benefit transfers (EBT) and Food Stamps.
The produce bags will contain fruits and vegetables that are currently seasonal on regional farms, with contents changing from week to week.
In addition to the fresh produce, bags will also come with recipes, and nutritional materials to help participants prepare food at home. Currently, Van Bramer’s office and GrowNYC are developing nutritional workshops to further educate the public about cooking with produce they typically might not already have in their kitchens.
Currently the program works with an organic farm in Pennsylvania called Green Pasture Farms who is delivering pre-packed boxes of a few different varieties of produce that they grow. Other items are being added to give value to the box, such as corn and fruit that GrowNYC purchase from other regional farmers.


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Mobile Premier League Raises 35.5 Million Dollars From Sequoia, Others
Mobile Premier League said in a statement that the funds will be used for product development and user growth in India.
Mobile Premier League is a mobile gaming platform.
Mumbai: Mobile gaming platform, MPL Wednesday announced a fund raising of USD 35.5 million led by Sequoia India, Times Internet and Goventures.
The funds will be used for product development and user growth in India, the seven-month old Mobile Premier League (MPL) said in a statement.
Other investors including RTP Global, Beenext, Base Growth and Venture Highway also participated in the funding round.
"Our goal is to build India's largest mobile eSports platform which is accessible to all...competitive gaming in India will be mobile first and MPL wants to be the platform of choice for the user," its co-founder and chief executive Sai Srinivas Kiran G said in a statement.
The company has 25 million installs, making it the fastest growing app in India, the statement said.
"MPL has captured the imagination of gamers on smartphones like no other platform out there. Skill-based competitive casual games are highly engaging social experiences, and we believe MPL will be a leader in this category globally," Times Internet VP Corporate Development Miten Sampat said.
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USA – Liquid Death, a canned water maker that launched its operations last year, has raised US$9 million in a Series A funding round led by Velvet Sea Ventures.
The funding round also saw the participation of other first-time investors including Jamie Siminoff, Jake Strom and Blake Mycoskie Sophia Amoruso and Thrive Market CEO Nick Green, bringing the company’s total funding to US$11.25 million.
Liquid Death was co-founded by Mike Cessario with a goal of creating a brand that is healthy and sustainable while being “just as exciting, if not more exciting, than energy drinks, soda, alcohol and candy.”
The brand made its first entry into retail last spring introducing an innovative canned water branded product under the tagline “murder your thirst” as well as a generally tongue-in-cheek approach to marketing, including aggressive, heavy metal-influenced art.
Cessario and his team have put significant emphasis on branding – a stronghold which the co-founder explains that when it comes to food and beverage products, branding is the biggest differentiator.
“With a brand like Liquid Death, we kind of wanted to launch the brand on our own terms and prove there’s a lot of people who wanted it before we were going to go into the more traditional retail channels where you have to be selling it in and convincing buyers it’s going to be good,” he adds.
Cessario, Liquid Death’s CEO, said that with the new funding the company will focus on building out its sales team ahead of national expansion in retail and on-premise outlets this year as well as increase its manufacturing output.
The brand is currently available in about 2,000 accounts nationwide including retail chains such as 7-Eleven and on-premise locations including bars and nightclubs.
In March, Liquid Death plans to roll out in Whole Foods stores nationwide and further introduce its first new SKU, an unflavored sparkling water available in a black and gold can.
Though the brand identity may at first seem out of place in the natural channel, Cessario the product has had a “massive halo effect” with a variety of consumers, reports BevNet.


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Amazon-like future awaits banks as virus hastens online push
European lenders may adopt a model similar to that of the e-commerce company, with online shop fronts for financial products
As Spaniards endured one of Europe’s most stringent pandemic lockdowns, business for Banco Santander’s digital-only Openbank flourished. Its brokerage client base expanded 58 per cent in the first four months of the year and trading in shares, exchange traded funds and warrants on its platform more than doubled.
The confinement has made people digital beings “by decree”, says Ezequiel Szafir, Openbank’s chief executive. With that trend expected to continue, he believes banks of the future will look increasingly like Amazon.com – online shop fronts for financial products in much the same way as the retailer is for consumer goods.
Amazon took something that’s real, which is retail, and simply made it digital. We’re trying to do the same transformation in banking.
Ezequiel Szafir, Openbank
“Amazon took something that’s real, which is retail, and simply made it digital,” says Mr Szafir, a former Amazon executive hired in 2015 to oversee Openbank’s new platform. “We’re trying to do the same transformation in banking.”
Businesses reviewing post-coronavirus strategies are finding that online activity – from shopping and gaming to banking and social networking – that was shaking up their worlds even before the pandemic, has increased. For retail banking, a survey by McKinsey & Co from mid-April found a jump of as much as 20 per cent in digital channel use across Europe. More than one in five customers in Spain and Britain tried online banking for the first time.
That is giving a new impetus to banks’ online push. They are looking to speed up plans to move creaking legacy platforms on to the cloud, a slow and often costly process. Some are also building standalone online platforms from scratch or using off-the-shelf solutions designed by FinTech companies, which may be faster and cheaper.
“Many banking groups are taking a hybrid strategy, combining the effort of transforming the original bank and also developing a neobank or, at least, some speed boats, sometimes in alliance with FinTech,” says Francisco Uria, head of financial services, banking and capital markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at KPMG.
Banks globally will spend about $1 trillion (Dh3.67tn) over three years to take more of their operations online, according to an Accenture report. Spending on digital transformation has been led by US banks, with JP Morgan Chase earmarking $11.4 billion a year.
“It’s the only way they’ll remain competitive,” says Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclays Bank between 2012 and 2015 and now chairman and founder of 10x Future Technologies.
“They’re already under pressure because return on equity is poor. They have to compete with FinTech and big tech. They need to get more agile, get these functionalities on to the market quicker.”
Europe’s banks can expect revenue to fall by more than 40 per cent, which means it will take them four years to return to pre-coronavirus levels, the McKinsey report found. With an increase in interest rates from historic lows delayed by the crisis, survival will require cutting costs. That will mean shutting down many more branches, slashing jobs and taking the show online.
The cost-to-income ratio for traditional banks is 55 per cent to 60 per cent compared with half that for online challenger lenders. Santander chairwoman Ana Botin told investors Openbank’s expansion would allow it to reach a ratio of 25 per cent to 35 per cent, a level the entire group could attain in the long term. Santander’s 2018 cost-to-income ratio was 47 per cent, according to S&P Global.
Santander is ploughing €5bn (Dh20.63bn) a year to put its legacy system data in the cloud, even as Openbank expands from Spain into 10 other markets. Ms Botin calls it combining “supertankers” with “speedboats” and suggested in a speech last year that Openbank could eventually become the platform for “a significant part of our business”.
The Spanish bank’s peers are adopting similar strategies. In the UK, Royal Bank of Scotland Group is working on digital business platform Mettle. Nationwide Building Society is working with 10x Futures technology while Lloyds Banking Group is doing something similar with cloud-native digital platform provider Thought Machine. Goldman Sachs Group started Marcus by Goldman Sachs in Britain after launching it in the US.
Digital metamorphoses may be easier said than done. Years of mergers have left banks with core platforms patched together from disparate systems – “a spaghetti party”, as Mr Szafir puts it. For many, it may be simpler to start from scratch. Unlike a legacy platform, native cloud platforms are like newly built homes where the wiring is exactly where it needs to be.
“I sometimes refer to banks as museums of technology because they have got every generation of hardware and software within them,” says 10x’s Mr Jenkins.
The native cloud platform developed by Mr Jenkins’s company is being tried out by banks such as Australia’s Westpac Banking and Nationwide Building Society in the UK. Part of the efficiency of the new platforms is their business model is built around customers rather than products. That cuts out data overlap such as names and addresses that on legacy platforms appear several times for each product.
The open architecture also paves the way for collaboration between financial institutions – something that is being encouraged by regulatory authorities, with the open banking initiative in the UK and the PSD2 directive in the European Union.
“We are moving towards where the bank is becoming a platform with an e-commerce marketplace,” says Oliver Bussmann, a former chief information officer at the UBS Group and now chief executive of Swiss consultancy Bussmann Advisory.
“You sell not only your own products but also get commissions for selling services and products from third parties.”
It is leading to a bifurcation in banking, says 10x’s Mr Jenkins. Larger lenders may choose to use their size and brand recognition to become the distributors of products on their platforms, a bit like an Amazon.
Smaller banks will become more like FinTechs, specialising in certain products that they will sell on the platforms of others. Some, like Santander, will try to do both, Openbank’s Mr Szafir, says.
New systems are already being tested on segments. Openbank’s platform is used for Santander Bank in Miami and could eventually be used by the US unit. In the UK, Lloyds is still testing start-up Thought Machine’s Vault platform, says Zaka Mian, group director of transformation at Lloyds.
“We continue to test and learn to develop the confidence and certainty in the use of public cloud,” Mr Mian says. “But if you look at the very long-term, do I think that [we] and many other banks will end up on technologies like this? More than likely, I would suspect.”
Updated: July 5, 2020 02:38 AM


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Factory-farmed products are eroding your health. Is the savings really worth it? Not in my book. Here’s what’s really going on with mass-produced meats and why you should steer clear.
Will Wal-Mart tweak its business model in a way that allows them to offer organic foods without premium prices, while still adhering to organic federal standards?
Approximately 200 synthetic industrial chemicals interact with our cells every single day. Autism now affects one in 50 children. Cancer is the leading cause of death (after accidents) in children younger than 15 years in the United States. In the last twenty years, the rates of asthma, allergies, and ADHD are on the rise: 400 […]
It’s really awesome to see a growing concern over genetically modified foods. People seem to be waking up to this issue. They don’t want genetically modified foods in their diets. And for good reason!
Times are changing, and many organizations and people are denouncing genetically modified foods and demanding real, untainted foods to be available to all consumers. Natural Food Certifiers, a certification company that does vegan, organic, kosher, and gluten free certifications, is the latest company to jump on the anti GMO bandwagon.
Recently the EPA stated their intention to protect our honeybees. Their declaration to find solutions to the honeybee population decline is now proven to be an empty promise with the approval of the new pesticide called sulfoxaflor.
Monsanto’s RoundUp ready, genetically modified soybeans are patented. Farmers are not allowed to retain and plant the seeds generated from each new crop. By contract, they agree to purchase new seed each year. Bowman diligently purchased annual seeds. But late-season soybean crops are a risk. When Bowman decided to plant a late season crop, he bought cheaper “Outbound Grain” from a local soybean grain elevator. He knew Monsanto genetically modified seeds were popular among his neighboring farmers. As suspected, most of the seed came from Monsanto crops.
The Super Bowl airing of a Dodge Ram commercial in which Paul Harvey described the noble qualities of a farmer is a glamorization of today’s typical agro-industrial production. It is not a true representation of the majority of today’s farmers.
Lamb and other meats are often labeled with stickers reading grass-fed, a USDA term that means the animal was fed nothing but grass from weaning to harvest.
I hoped President Obama was telling us the truth when he said he was against big business and special interests running the country. Then he appointed Vilsack, a Monsanto man through and through, as the Secretary of Agriculture.


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Financial institutions agree to roll over cocoa bills
The Bank of Ghana has announced that financial institutions in the country have agreed to roll over their cocoa bills investments following a meeting held with them, together with the Ghana Cocoa Board.
The central bank noted that on Thursday, January 19, a six-month Cocoa bill with face value of
GH¢940.42 million matured.
The BoG said it went through the usual processes to reissue on behalf of COCOBOD, a new six-month Cocoa bill to raise funds to cover the maturing obligation, but unfortunately, the auction failed and was severely undersubscribed resulting in a shortfall of GH¢ 855.42million.
“At a meeting held on Friday, 20th January 2023 among the banks, COCOBOD and
Bank of Ghana, it was agreed that all institutional investors will roll over their maturing cocoa bill for Tender 6155.
“Financial Institutions have agreed to roll over their cocoa bills investments,” it stated.


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BBB alerts Oklahoma residents of 'Microsoft' tech support scam [The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City :: ]
(Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 17--Swindlers posing as computer experts and using the Microsoft name have been calling Oklahomans, claiming they can remove bugs from the Oklahomans' virus-infected computers -- for a fee.
Kitt Letcher, president of the Better Business Bureau of Central Oklahoma, said her agency began receiving reports of the scam early this month, and has fielded at least two complaints a day for the past two weeks.
If consumers balk, scammers ask for access to their computers so they can show them the offending items -- typically harmless files found on most computers, Letcher said. If the consumers bite on the pitch, the callers request credit card information or direct consumers to their PayPal accounts or other electronic payment methods, she said.
"While they're on the computer with you, they actually can put a virus on your computer that will extort all your information," Letcher said. One victim, she said, watched as her computer files were deleted one after another.
"The scammer told her she had to pay $179 to get them back," she said.
'We have your email'
A former co-owner of a florist shop, Sonjia Henderson, of Rush Springs, said she was caught off-guard by the call because hours earlier she had been discharged from the hospital and had gone days without sleep.
She said the caller, who had a Middle Eastern accent and said he was with Microsoft security, told her, "I noticed your mother's security has been violated, and I'm here to help you take care of it."
Henderson had lost her mother that month and her husband, who typically handled their computer affairs, the month prior.
She asked for the caller's employee I.D. and to talk with his supervisor, who he said was tied up. "Ma'am, you've already lost one-third of your hardware," he said.
Henderson said she panicked, fearing she'd lose sermons and photographs of her husband, who was a minister, as well as a book she's writing about their life together.
She gave the caller her Visa account number, and when he told her the card didn't go through, she gave him her American Express information.
Henderson then turned her computer off, took a four-hour nap and awoke with a clear mind, she said. She called both credit card companies. Visa didn't accept the charge from "Gimitts Global" and American Express hadn't yet processed it.
Henderson said she ignored several subsequent calls, including a call a few days later from someone claiming to be a supervisor, and another a few months later from a woman who said the company had dropped its account with Microsoft and wanted to help her with a refund.
Midwest City retiree Shirley Vollmer said she received eight similar calls from people saying they were with Microsoft and wanted to provide security.
"Are you at your computer now so you can get on it?" they asked her.
She said one caller said, "If you don't want to cooperate, we have your email."
Not just phone calls
Davis Merrey, owner and chief executive of TeamLogic IT of Oklahoma City, said he's received a few calls in the last two weeks from customers who said they had similar experiences. He said he's already warned most of his customers to avoid such scams.
"This latest one was via telephone calls, but they've also been done via emails, texts, links on websites and Internet pop-ups," Merrey said. "We advise our clients not to respond to such 'invitations,'" he said.
"My rule of thumb is: if you don't know and trust, for certain, who you're communicating with, be very suspicious and don't give them access to your data or device, nor give them any information that they could use to gain such access," he said.
If consumers receive pop-ups, they should re-start their computers and refrain from clicking on any parts of their desktops, Merrey said. "Clicking the little 'X' that you think will close the pop-up will in many cases cause your computer to download a virus or form of malware," he said.
Letcher concurs, and recommends consumers regularly change their computer passwords and, if they believe they've been victimized, place fraud alerts on their credit report with the three credit bureaus -- Equifax at (800) 525-6285, Experian at (888) 397-3742 and Trans Union at (800) 680-7289.
"That way, any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and must call you to authorize new credit," she said.
(c)2014 The Oklahoman
Visit The Oklahoman at www.newsok.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]


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OC3D Reviews ›› Storage
Storage | 13th May 2010
We take a look at a pair of Icy Box docking stations and compare E-SATA to USB3
Storage | 19th April 2010
Today we look at the latest high performance SSD from Corsair, the Nova. How does it do?
OC3D Articles ›› Storage
Mark Campbell | 18th November 2014
Nvidia have released their latest beta driver for optimum performance in the latest games.
Mark Campbell | 12th November 2014
SMART Modular Technologies, Inc. today announced its M.2 SATA XR+ product family equipped with SafeDATA power loss protection technology.
Mark Campbell | 11th November 2014
Memblaze takes PCIe SSDs to the extreme with a capacity of a whopping 8TB.
Storage | 26th February 2010
Today we have a look at two Solid State Drives from the Taiwanese company Silicon Power. Do they cut the mustard?
Storage | 22nd February 2010
Synology have just released their latest NAS aimed at the SMB market. But can it hold its own against a fully fledged file server?
Storage | 27th January 2010
With the ever growing need for digital storage, Synology have released a new 4 bay NAS solution for the home and small business user. Look inside to see if it checks all the boxes.
Storage | 6th January 2010
Today we look at the Crucial M225 128GB, a notebook replacement SSD.
Storage | 4th December 2009
The Kingston SSD Now V+ 64GB solid state drive comes through the OC3D Labs. Does it's value price tag mean value performance?
Mark Campbell | 4th November 2014
A new data storage company, Sage Microelectronics, which focuses on SSDs has announced a new SSD controller that enables SSDs with densities up to 5TB.
Mark Campbell | 29th October 2014
Lite-ON has announced the debut of its new EP1 Series M.2 PCIe Gen 2x4 solid-state drive. It's pretty fast.
James Sinclair | 22nd October 2014
The new PCIe SSD from GSkill offers super speedy storage...
Mark Campbell | 15th October 2014
The future of batteries will be here in 2 years. With higher capacity, faster charging and a 20 year lifetime can they come soon enough?
Mark Campbell | 5th October 2014
Over the past few years SSD performance has risen and costs have plummeted. Now according to Toshiba SSDs will be cheaper than HDDs by 2025.
Mark Campbell | 4th October 2014
For professional gamers to win fierce fights easily, Apacer, the pioneer in digital storage, launches the latest SSD - Apacer PT910 SSD.


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Many teams across college football have tried to rip off the Miami Hurricanes' famed turnover chain, but the school keeps coming back with more and more over-the-top versions of its iconic trophy.
On Saturday, the Canes debuted their fourth edition of the necklace given to whichever defender forces a turnover, and it's an absolute beauty.
The charm—shaped like the state of Florida—weighs 300 grams and features 1,400 sapphire stones on the "U" logo. The rest of the state is made from 1,900 sapphires, while the chain itself weighs two kilograms and checks in at 30 inches long.
Miami spent nearly three months putting the piece of jewelry together, and it certainly paid off.
Al Blades Jr. was the first Hurricanes player to win the chain this season with an interception on Louisville's Malik Cunningham late in the second quarter.
After seeing what the chain looks like this year, he'll have plenty of teammates vying for it as well.


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Next week would have marked the annual biggest week in ad tech; kicking off with a trip to the BFI Southbank, for ATS London; a day packed full of insightful content from our industry’s greatest, before going by plane, train, or automobile to Cologne to drink Kölsch, be merry, and get lost in hall 6. While ATS London can’t physically happen this year, we thought it was a great opportunity to share with you some of our favourite highlights from ATS [...]
TagsAd BlockingAd FraudAd NetworkAd SpendAd TechAdvertiserAgenciesATS LondonBrand SafetyContextCookiesCTVDemand SideDigital MarketingDOOHIdentityIn-AppMarketerMobileOOHOTTPrivacyPublisherTechnologyTransparencyTV
This year, for reasons which remain obvious, ExchangeWire were sadly unable to hold live awards ceremonies for The Wires APAC and The Wires Global. Instead, the team worked with the esteemed judging panels across both awards programmes, as well as all the deserving winners, to produce virtual announcements. If you haven’t already seen them, you can view The Wires APAC and The Wires Global 2020 awards announcements. There were many challenges, not the least of which were ExchangeWire’s CEO Ciaran O’Kane, and [...]
The issues surrounding transparency and the process of digital transformation was discussed at length during this panel session at ATS Singapore 2019. Ciaran O’Kane, CEO, ExchangeWire, was joined by Laura Quigley, managing director, Southeast Asia, Integral Ad Science; Amy Good, global digital investments, media procurement, Nestlé; Lani Jamieson, head of Cadreon Singapore, Cadreon; Dennis Buchheim, senior vice president & general manager, IAB Tech Lab.
In this panel discussion at ATS Singapore 2019, the focus shifts towards the programmatic and data-driven advertising market in India. Eileen Yu, APAC editor for DTCDaily (an ExchangeWire publication) chairs the discussion on the region, with expert insight from Abhigyan Shekhar, head – sales, Digital Ventures, Viacom18; Naveen Mathur, head – publisher partnerships and network monetization, Times Internet Limited; and Salil Shankar, head of Amnet India.
The potential for emerging data-driven channels, such as OOH, audio, and in-app, to drive change within the industry was laid bare during this panel discussion at ATS Singapore 2019. ExchangeWire head of content Lindsay Rowntree oversaw proceedings, with input from Silas Lewis-Meilus, director, APAC media consumer health, GSK Consumer Healthcare; Guy Hearn, chief product officer – Asia Pacific, Omnicom Media Group; and Jenn Villalobos, VP and head digital business, digital innovation growth and strategic partnerships, NTUC Income.
The identity challenge of ending reliance on the third-party cookie, and its possible resolutions, were tackled in this panel discussion at ATS Singapore 2019. ExchangeWire CEO Ciaran O’Kane oversaw proceedings with insight from Ravi Shankar, data and technology lead for APAC, Omnicom Media Group; Vidyarth Srivatsan, APAC marketing tech, Coca-Cola; Colleen Ngo, vice president, partnerships and investment, Xaxis APAC; and Sunil Naryani, regional general manager – programmatic & paid media, Dentsu Aegis Network.
In this debate at ATS Singapore 2019, the need for advertisers and publishers to remain transparent in a privacy-first world, while realising the health of the advertising ecosystem, is discussed. Wendy McEwan, head of marketing, communications & digital, APAC, KnightFrank oversaw the conversation between Deirdre Chew, head of platforms tech, Google Singapore; Marcus Chew, chief marketing officer, Income; and Sanchit Mendiratta, senior partner, Happy Marketer.
ExchangeWire CEO Ciaran O’Kane chairs this discussion at ATS Singapore on how the service layer is evolving, along with its relationship with the tech layer. Sonal Patel, president, programmatic services, Asia Pacific, Dentsu Aegis Network; Michel de Rijk, CEO, APAC, S4Capital; Wendy McEwan, head of marketing, communications and digital, Asia Pacific, KnightFrank; and Askshay Trivedi, director – total brand experience APAC, Johnson & Johnson, share their views.
In this discussion at ATS Singapore 2019, the shift in publisher ad monetisation from display to video formats was discussed, with ExchangeWire’s head of content Lindsay Rowntree chairing Tom Simpson, VP, brand and exchange, APAC, AdColony; Hari Shankar, CEO, Singapore Media Exchange; and Dennis Augusto Caharian, general manager / senior vice president, GMA New Media, Inc.
In a feisty debate towards the close of ATS London 2019, the role of programmatic in DOOH advertising was scrutinised by Nick Halas, group head of strategy, Posterscope; Sophie Pemberton, group strategy director, Talon Outdoor; and Seun Odeneye, managing director UK, Cadreon. Lindsay Rowntree, head of content at ExchangeWire, oversaw the discussion.


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The Kent Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Business Expo and ‘Taste of Kent’ event will be held at the ShoWare Center on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019.
Over 90 vendors arecexpected, including 10 restaurants/caters for the ‘Taste of Kent.’
Organizers say that over 2,000 business owners and residents attend this event.
This event is FREE and the public is encouraged to attend.
WHAT: Kent Chamber’s 2019 Business Expo
“Don’t miss the opportunities to promote your business directly!”
WHERE: ShoWare Center – 625 West James Street in Downtown, Kent
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019:
- 12 p.m. ShoWare opens for vendors to set up
- 2 p.m. Vendor Orientation
- 3 p.m. Opening of Business Expo
- 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Taste of Kent
- 7 p.m. – Close of Business Expo
Business to Consumers
- Opportunities to promote your business to consumers with the Taste of Kent and DIY booths.
Business to Business
- Opportunities to promote your business directly to other business
- Blend both audiences for maximum exposure of your business.
- Market your products and services directly to consumers and businesses
- Get concentrated exposure in front of a captive audience
- Impress both existing and prospective customers
- Enhance your image & visibility
- Demonstrate your product face to face
- Interact with other businesses in your market to build beneficial relationships


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The Australian Dairy Products Federation (ADPF) president Grant Crothers said 2020/21 was the third consecutive year of high milk prices for raw milk as processors demand for raw milk continues to be strong. The recent softening of the Australian dollar was good news for local farmgate prices, supporting processors’ decision to “go hard” at opening. The rising trend of opening prices reflected intensifying competition to secure supplier at farmgate in a flat milk pool. Aggressive opening prices are followed by less subsequent step-up activity.
Updated 2021/22 farmgate price data can be accessed at the Milk Value Portal which summarises the range of offers by region, and dependent on supply profile, farm size and milk components.


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Ensuring Responsibility and Compliance: Hong Kong’s Crypto Regulations Unveiled
Hong Kong, in its pursuit to become a leading crypto hub, has initiated the Virtual Asset Trading Platform (VATP) handbook to establish guidelines for cryptocurrency companies operating within the country.
The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) will oversee the licensing process for these companies. A recent article published by Wu Blockchain provides an explanation of the guidelines by Gilbert Ng, a lawyer in the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Chris Lee, the founder of TKX Capital.
The introduction of “transitional agreements” aims to offer a one-year trial period for crypto firms operating in Hong Kong. If these firms meet the necessary requirements, they can apply for a business license in 2024. As stated in the translated publication, companies will be allowed to operate if the SFC deems them to have “genuine operations and genuine business practices.” However, this provision applies only to non-securities trading platforms.
The SFC has outlined various factors that determine genuine operations and practices. These include the company’s location in Hong Kong, its control and operation by employees based in the city, the presence of a local office, and other specified requirements. The guidelines introduced by Hong Kong place a greater level of responsibility on operators and individuals managing cryptocurrency exchanges. The presence of “regulated individuals” such as directors, responsible officers, and managers is emphasized.
The newly approved rules and regulations stipulate that these individuals must pass a “fit and proper” test, requiring them to demonstrate relevant experience in regulated environments, even if obtained in other countries. The handbook also highlights that companies actively marketing to Hong Kong residents fall under the jurisdiction of regulators. Additionally, guidelines determine whether a company needs an SFC license, considering factors such as the existence of a detailed marketing plan targeting retail investors in the city or the availability of trading in Hong Kong dollars.
These stringent regulations in Hong Kong reflect the authorities’ intent to hold companies accountable, influenced by the disappointing performances of certain cryptocurrency firms this year. Despite its proximity to anti-crypto China, Hong Kong aims to establish a regulatory environment that attracts digital asset companies from around the world.
Clever Robot News Desk 15th June 2023


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WALKING STREET ON ARTIST’S IMPRESSION
An artist’s impression of what the future might have in store for Pattaya’s famous Walking Street was posted online by Sophon Cable.
As authorities continue efforts to change the iconic nightlife spot. As you can see from the picture gone are the bright neon signs, Go-Go bar hoardings and nearly all of the people! It now resembles nearly all urban streets found all over the world which might attribute why there are so few people in the picture. Even “Skyfall” a popular Go-Go bar now looks more like a well-known Swedish furniture store than a place to go for a night out.
The rendering comes after a recent campaign by authorities to rid the famous street of its Neon signs which they say need to be removed for fire safety reasons, though not many bars seemed to have got the memo at the moment.Another meeting was held this week chaired by Saksit Yaemsri and engineering chief Sompramai with Walking Street business owners in attendance.
The owners were asked for cooperation and understanding in regards to tidying up signs and advertising in the street stressing that some advertising could prevent emergency vehicles getting down the street. Officials have come up with three new guidelines to limit the height, size and how far signs can stick out in an attempt to solve the problem. This has been deemed a temporary measure which has led to the artist’s interpretation of what the future of Walking Street might look like.
Sophon noted that business owners in attendance agreed to follow the regulations and said they would cooperate with local authorities. What do you think? Should it stay the way it is or would you prefer something resembling the artist’s impression? — Love Pattaya


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Thailand has launched an NFT experience for tourists called ‘Amazing Thailand NFTs’.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has placed QR codes at five cultural landmarks around the country. There are only 3,999 NFTs available at each site, and those who collect three NFTs can unlock deals, discounts and free experiences across the country.
The scarcity of the NFTs (there are only 3,999 at each site) and rewards for collecting them introduce a new element of gamification and competition for tourists visiting Thailand. The increased incentive to visit specific locations encourages tourists to gain a deeper understanding of Thailand’s history and culture.
Tourism is big, big business (especially in Thailand). This initiative gives us a glimpse of how NFTs can be used to provide tourists a more immersive experience when visiting a country and its cultural landmarks. They also make a great souvenir.
If you find yourself in Thailand, there is no time to waste. Participants only have until December 14th to collect the NFTs.


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At today's BlackBerry Jam, RIM unveiled the latest iteration of its BB10 operating system, as well as a new developer device called the "Alpha B." But if that wasn't enough to get developers excited for the BlackBerry platform, the company also released this — a cover of REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You" with some creative changes to the lyrics. The so-awkward-you-can't-look-away video stars members of RIM's developer relations team, and includes lyrics about everything from completed APIs to just how cool the SDK is — you can check it out below.
Update, January 16th, 2020: Added a new YouTube embed, because the original copy of the video appears to be gone. No idea why anyone would ever get rid of this gem.


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By Robert Guttersohn
The customers entering Nona’s Family Closet come from every spectrum: doctors, attorneys, churchgoers and those in need.
“People from all walks of life come through that door,” Nona Sorokach, the owner of the 7-year-old consignment shop, said while pointing toward her business’s front door. “They have a blast.”
Sorakach said she fell into the consignment business more than 30 years ago while first volunteering at Liberty High School’s Nearly New shop. Since then, consignment — a method of selling items from a shop while allowing its owners to retain ownership until the items sell and then splits the profit with the retailer — has become a passion and a career. So much so that at the beginning of the year, she was forced to expand her business, doubling the size of the clothing and jewelry store.
At one time she shared the gray single-story, outpost-looking building with the takeout restaurant Hungry Chucks. But when it closed, she bought its space, knocked down a portion of the wall separating the two places and painted the vacant room a pastel green and purple.
“We wanted something to pop,” Sorokach said of the color.
With that, Nona’s Family Closet opened its kids section, giving parents trying to keep up with the clothes their children are constantly outgrowing a cost-effective option.
With five children of her own, Sorokach, now 66, is speaking from personal experience.
While her husband, Robert, retired from his post as an industrial engineer professor at Youngstown State University, she was actively volunteering at Liberty schools. She ran the Nearly New shop at the school for the last 10 years of its 40-year existence. After the shop was closed to make room for classrooms, she worked at another consignment shop in the Valley for 11 years. There she gained the experience and understanding of the business needed to run a place of her own.
“I treat people exactly the way I wanted to be treated,” she said, standing in one of the narrow aisles created by clothes racks.
She has operated her shop at 1580 E. Liberty St. under that philosophy.
As Lori Drawl, one of six volunteers at the shop, can testify, it’s what keeps the wide range of customers returning.
“Half the reason people come here is to see Nona,” she said, while inventorying a basket’s worth of clothes a customer just dropped off — all folded or on hangers just as the Family Closet requires.
Nona promptly offered coffee and cookies to the customer, and though that one declined saying she was in a hurry, many do stay, eat and talk. And Sorokach listens, giving the consignment shop a salon feel.
Her dog, Bailey, a West Highland White Terrier who sits in his bed behind the front counter, looks curiously at new customers.
“He usually just sleeps,” she said. Customers “don’t even know he’s alive. They think he’s a mannequin.”
Sorokach is assisted by several volunteers, Drawl, Dolly Green, Jan Economides, Rose Mills, Audrey Fairmen and Quesha Stredrick, who come to the store in their free time to be part of the environment.
Sorokach relishes the stories she hears from the patrons.
“I wish I could write a book,” she said.
Some of the stories bring a smile to her face while others bring tears, particularly around Christmas time. She said customers will come in eyeing clothing they’ll want to give to their children but won’t have enough money.
“You can’t help but donate,” she said.
Drawl said sometimes churches or missions will call Family Closet telling them a family needs help.
And Sorokach will say, “Give me their sizes, we’ll clothe them,” Drawl said.
Regardless, clothing that has been in the store for more than 90 days is given to charity, also allowing the person who brought in the items to write them off as a charitable donation.
“It’s really a win-win,” Sorokach said.
Beyond the social vibe to the place, customers also come for the variety of clothes. Since expanding the place, the shop is split into main parts. The western side belongs mostly to kids’ clothing. The eastern side is a collage of evening gowns, cocktail dresses, men’s slacks and shirts and more.
Church hats adorn the shop, too. Some of the hats come from a designer in New York City directly to the Family Closet for consignment, where Sorokach splits the sale 60-40.
But in the far back on the eastern side of the shop is the “Blingware” section, Sorokach calls it.
In a room painted a romantic red are the formal dresses. There are pastel-colored prom dresses, coordinated bridesmaid dresses and even wedding gowns.
And like the customers who walk into Nona’s Family Closet, sometimes the clothes have their own story.
“This one was never worn,” she said, holding up one of the bleach-white wedding dresses.


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Alphabroder Earns FAM Partner Status with BELLA+CANVAS
Alphabroder earns an 80% Fashion Apparel Masterclass (FAM) certification across its sales team employees from BELLA+CANVAS.
PHILADELPHIA-Alphabroder earns an 80 percent Fashion Apparel Masterclass (FAM) certification across its sales team employees from BELLA+CANVAS. BELLA launched FAM in February 2019 as a tool for professionals in the apparel and promotional goods industry to have “the tools to sell more premium apparel and increase their margins and sales.”
With alphabroder’s certification, BELLA+CANVAS says the company has earned FAM Partner status.
“Alphabroder management embraced FAM early and demonstrated impressive leadership by accelerating their team members through the program,” says Chris Blakeslee, EVP of BELLA+CANVAS.
BELLA+CANVAS describes FAM as an online educational program that “provides solutions to modern challenges sellers face in the promotional industry.” The five-hour course spans industry topics such as commoditization, channel disruption, decoration, storytelling, and upselling.
Dan Pantano, president of alphabroder, contests that the company has already seen “increased selling successes” as a result of the course. “In every regard we want our sales team to be the most capable and knowledgeable in the industry,” Pantano adds.
Currently, BELLA+CANVAS cites more than 2,000 industry professionals enrolled in the FAM program with several hundred certified.
For more information, visit famasterclass.com.


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2014 is a big year for Maserati, as it gets to blow 100 candles out on its birthday cake. In order to celebrate the occasion, the luxury Italian sports car brand is set to reveal a new GT concept model at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next week.
Engine options for the awaited concept could include the same options found in the Quattroporte sedan, namely the new V6 or 3.8-liter V8 with twin turbochargers and direct injection that produces 523 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Impressively, that very same V8 powers the all-new Ferrari California T.
Maserati’s new GT concept shows that automakers are taking a great interest in the small luxury sports car market. We fully support this new focus, as it allows more drivers a chance to put a sporty luxury coupe in their driveway without enduring the price tag of a GranTurismo or Jaguar XK.
Although the reveal at Geneva will only be a concept, there’s no better year to release a new Maserati than on its 100-year anniversary.
In addition to the concept unveil, the Maserati booth in Geneva will also include the Maserati Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zenga Limited Edition, which is reason enough alone to make the pilgrimage to Switzerland in March.


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Digital TV News: Milya Timergaleyeva
Alcatel-Lucent to integrate PERSEUS video compression and Oregan Video Client
Sep 7, 2015 – V-Nova has announced that Alcatel-Lucent plans to integrate PERSEUS video compression technology with its Cloud DVR platform and Oregan's Multiscreen Cloud Video Client. The aim is to provide significant improvements in IP Video delivery to both greenfield customer deployments and existing infrastructures.
News categories: Oregan, V-Nova, Alcatel-Lucent, Milya Timergaleyeva, Eric Achtmann, Paul Larbey, Digital TV, IBC2023, Media Player, Mobile, Worldwide
Batelco BlackBox Pioneers Broadband TV in Bahrain using Oregan Digital TV Middleware
Nov 30, 2012 – Oregan Networks has announced that Batelco, the largest telecom operator and ISP in Bahrain, has based the country's first broadband video service on set-top boxes using Oregan's technology.
News categories: Oregan Networks, Batelco, Bahrain, Digital TV, IPTV, Middleware, Set Top Box
LOVEFiLM Service Widens Its Reach with Oregan's Onyx Browser for Connected TVs
Mar 14, 2011 – LOVEFiLM launches its WatchNow video service on Oregan Networks' Onyx media browser, which will further increase LOVEFiLM's platform capability to address a broader cross section of internet-connected televisions and set-top boxes.
News categories: Oregan Networks, LOVEFiLM, Digital TV, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smart TV, UK
Oregan's Onyx Delivers New Apps to Access Hollywood Blockbuster Movie Content, Casual Gaming and TV Series Catch-up in HD
Dec 30, 2010 – Oregan Networks has announced availability of an updated version of its Onyx software featuring enhanced speed and security, as well as providing access to new home entertainment applications, powered by blinkbox and Accedo Broadband.
News categories: Oregan Networks, blinkbox, Accedo Broadband, CES2024, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Smart TV, Streaming
Oregan to Launch Onyx Branded HD Internet Media Player for the UK
Sep 20, 2010 – Oregan Networks has announced the launch of its Onyx STB, manufactured by Digital Streams. The device offers a way for consumers to stream UK internet video and music, as well as accessing photo sharing and social networking sites on their TVs.
News categories: Oregan Networks, Digital Stream, Digital TV, Media Player, Set Top Box, Streaming, UK
Oregan Unveils 'Onyx Dual' Remote Control in Collaboration with Philips Home Control
Sep 9, 2010 – Oregan Networks is showcasing a new motion sensing remote control designed to facilitate an easy text input method into on-screen search menus, user profile settings and social networking apps.
News categories: Oregan Networks, IBC2023, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Smart TV, Social TV
Micronas and Oregan Networks Partner to Bring Internet TV, Movies, Pictures, and Games to the TV
Dec 22, 2008 – Micronas (SIX: MASN) has announced that it is partnering with Oregan Networks™ to offer a complete solution for next-generation internet-connected televisions. The solution is based on Micronas' Pegasus IDTV platform.
News categories: Micronas, Oregan Networks, Digital TV, Middleware, Semiconductor, Smart Home, Smart TV, Streaming
Edgeware and Oregan to Demonstrate Web TV Services Ecosystem at IBC 2008
Sep 11, 2008 – Edgeware and Oregan Networks have announced that they plan to demonstrate interoperability between the new Edgeware Reflex Web TV Server and the Oregan Media Browser client solution at IBC 2008.
News categories: Edgeware, Oregan Networks, Content Distribution, IBC2023, Middleware, Streaming
Flash® video and user generated content on TV becomes a reality with Oregan™ Media Browser
Dec 17, 2007 – Oregan Networks has released a technology feature that makes it possible for consumers to access and control Adobe® Flash® streaming video directly on TV, thus broadening entertainment and communications options for the mass market audience of TV viewers.
News categories: Oregan Networks, Digital TV, Media Player, Middleware, Set Top Box, Streaming
- ThinkAnalytics and Channel 4 renew partnership
- Kaon and AMT to distribute TiVo STBs in North America
- Comscore adds Local TV to campaign ratings platform
- PlayBox Neo playout selected by Orange TV in Florida
- U.S. TV viewing hits four-year high in January
- North America to lose another 10 million pay TV subscribers
- At least 40% of campaigns in Europe to run on CTV
- Titan OS selects OneTrust as data privacy partner
- Pixalate releases Q4 2023 CTV device market share report
- RTL Deutschland and ProSiebenSat.1 join forces in adtech
- EU approves Orange, MásMóvil joint venture with conditions
- Foxtel reveals pricing and retail partners for Hubbl
- Turkcell partners with Qwilt and Cisco to boost content delivery
- Global TV shipments in 2023 down 2.7% YoY at 195 million units
- Pixalate releases Q4 2023 CTV ad supply chain trends report
- Bitcentral integrates AI-driven personalization from Argoid AI
- SMPTE releases engineering report on AI and the media
- TV Sarpi/Ayety selects inext STBs for OK.TV service in Georgia
- Ad tiering pays off as 36% of U.S. subscribers upgrade to avoid ads
- Ateme SSAI supports latest HLS Interstitials spec. from Apple


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- California regulators are examining how automakers and others handle data collected from internet-connected vehicles, the California Privacy Protection Agency said late last month.
- The agency’s enforcement division is investigating whether those companies are following “California law when they collect and use consumers’ data,” CPPA Executive Director Ashkan Soltani said in a statement.
- California is “playing catchup” with European regulators, who have already investigated automakers’ consumer data practices and compelled them to disclose more information, Foley & Lardner Partner Aaron Tantleff said in an email.
The “investigation comes as no surprise,” Tantleff said, given the large amount of potentially sensitive data that automakers and other companies collect from internet-connected vehicles.
“Modern vehicles are effectively connected computers on wheels. They’re able to collect a wealth of information via built-in apps, sensors, and cameras, which can monitor people both inside and near the vehicle,” Soltani said.
That data, alone or in combination with third-party data, can reveal an individual’s most personal information, including their location and travel behavior, health status and religion, Tantleff said. “The risks are endless,” going far beyond the highly detailed consumer profiles used for targeted advertising.
But he said automakers’ privacy policies are vague, hard to find and difficult to understand.
“Most people have no real insight as to what’s actually being collected and who that data is being shared with,” Tantleff said. There’s “no easy way for a consumer to limit what data is collected, how it’s used, and who it’s shared with.”
The CPPA is reviewing whether the automotive industry is complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, which gives Californians the right to know what personal information businesses collect from them. It also empowers consumers to delete their personal data and block companies from selling or sharing it.
Some jurisdictions, including the European Union, require car manufacturers to notify consumers what data is collected and how it’s used or shared. Some also allow drivers to limit what information they provide, as well as revoke consent or turn off features connected to personal data collection, Tantleff said.


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During its 125th anniversary auction, Glenfiddich set a world record for the most expensive bottle of single malt whisky ever sold at auction; the 55-year-old Glenfiddich sold for $94,000.
Sales of single malt scotch are up 12 percent in the U.S. this year, while growing at an even faster rate in parts of Asia.
Glenfiddich is currently the number one single malt worldwide.
“Consumers are looking for that real value. Where is that authenticity? Where is the story behind the brand?” Simon Hunt, president for North America at William Grant & Sons, which owns the Glenfiddich distillery, told CNBC.
“We have the story. We have the history. We’ve been in business for 125 years. We’re still a family company, we’re privately held, and as such it really allows us to deliver what those consumers are looking for," he said.
As spirits continue to soar on Asia demand, Hunt believes that Glenfiddich’s authenticity is the key to driving sales.Page 1 of 3 | Next Page


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The Carrefour retail chain seeks to increase its supplier portfolio in different areas.
In this context, the French group went in search of a hundred national SMEs who want to become its partners. Currently, the company has 745 SMEs in a food universe of almost 900 suppliers.
“The search will run until February 28. We need companies in the segments of bakeries, meat, cleaning, bazaar and textiles, among others, “explains Néstor Sist, Director of Merchandise at Carrefour Argentina. Regarding one of the items that is not yet well attended, he adds that” for example, we need to have more regional and own brand alfajores. We have worked a lot on that and we will be able to launch it soon “.
The executive ensures that it is not exclusive that the interested provider handle a large volume. For example, you can start with a single store inside and then gradually grow into other formats and even expand nationally and internationally. For this, Carrefour also guarantees, through banking entities, financing at a low rate when they make the first sale of merchandise, so that they can reinvest in working capital.
The companies that are chosen not only they will be able to produce their Carrefour line for the chain but they will also have the possibility of reaching the gondolas with the brand that they market until now. “For us, bringing a Carrefour brand product to market can take a year. In the meantime, the supplier can enter with its own label. To cite just one example, Silvia Dairy, an SME from Luján with 70 employees that started working with us in 2018, today sells cheeses from its brand and also from the Carrefour line, “adds Sist.
So far this year, the 600 stores in Argentina have sold about 450 million manufacturing units by SMEs of different areas.
Some of its suppliers are Delpack, a company that makes food, such as mashed potatoes, and sells 12 items in its gondolas, with a volume of 1.9 million units. Another case is that of the pasta firm Villa D’agri, which sells 17 Carrefour brand products and generates a movement of 2.4 million items. Another example is that of Galletitas Trío, which has a movement of 6.6 million units sold not only in Argentina but also in Brazil.
Prices and spaces
The manager assures that the elimination of intermediaries in the value chain that this format guarantees allows them to greatly reduce costs, which results in very competitive prices. “A can of Carrefour tomatoes is 40% less than the most expensive”.
With regard to the space occupied by SME products in the sales rooms, the manager indicates that the Gondolas Law guarantees that those who sell the most have more space available. Today, for its competitive prices, own brands are often imposed.


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Good news for Roayl Enfield enthusiasts. The company plans to launch a new model in the next few months. The company’s next new launch will be cheaper than the Himalayan ADV. According to the report, the new model will go on sale in the Indian market in February 2022.
The new Royal Enfield bike could be called the Scram 411. But the company has not yet officially announced its name. The Chennai-based bike maker is planning to launch several more models, but they will come after the Scrum 411.
Click for video: –
The newly launched bike has already been leaked on the internet. As per the information, many of its exterior design details have also been estimated. Currently, the most prominent detail about the Scrum 411 is its Himalayan ADV-based exterior design. This is being called a more affordable, or road oriented version of the Himalayas.
The Scram 411 will no longer feature the long windscreen, split seats, standard luggage racks, large front wheels and more. With these features, the Himalayan is called an adventure bike. Instead, the new bike will use smaller wheels, lower suspension travel, single-seat and rear pillar grab handles. That would make it a better road and better highway cruising machine.
The post Good news for Royal Enfield enthusiasts, this great motorcycle is about to launch appeared first on Daily Post Punjabi.


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New travel data suggests that 80% of British travellers are considering a holiday abroad this year compared with only 66% in 2012, and that 82% expect to spend an equal amount of money or more on it as last year, compared with 76% who said the same thing in 2014.
And it turns out that Generation Y – people aged 20 to 34 – are spearheading this movement to travel further and spend more. They consistently outstrip any other age group in their plans to visit Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Australasia, and Central and South America.
Jon Young, Associate Director of the BDRC Continental Holiday Trends Report 2015 which gathered the data explains the trend: “Generation Y looks for something new and it definitely seems to permeate every part of their lives; it is driven by social media, where people are constantly showing off the things they’re doing.”
Because Generation Y are also less likely to be on the mortgage ladder and have less disposable income than their compatriots a generation ago, they are seen to value experiences over possessions, and are thus far more likely to book a trip to the Caribbean than buy something like a fancy new fridge.
Unfortunately for the domestic market, trips within the UK don’t really appeal to this age group because it isn’t considered very exciting. If Generation Y holidays at home, it’s usually for reasons of cost or because it’s “less hassle” in the case of 40% of respondents.