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Monterey County’s hospitality industry just got a whole lot less hospitable to short-term rentals.
The Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors voted Jan. 30 to exclude vacation rental businesses from its membership. The change was effective immediately for five dues-paying businesses. The move followed similar anti-short-term-rental decisions by the Monterey County Hospitality Association and the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce, after concerns that competition from vacation rentals was driving down hotel occupancy rates.
MCCVB Executive Director Tammy Blount says the board – made up of 30 representatives from hotels and inns, restaurants, golf courses, tourist attractions and local governments – is sharpening its mission to promote overnight visitation growth among properties that pay transient-occupancy taxes and pay into the Monterey County Tourism Improvement District. (While legal short-term rentals do pay TOT, they are not eligible to pay the $1 per night TID fee attached to hotel bills.)
The vote came as a surprise to short-term rental businesses. “We’ve been a little bit under attack and scratching our heads,” says Ben Edwards, a co-owner of Sanctuary Vacation Rentals. “I thought we were all on the same side of the fence, trying to pull in people to share Monterey County with them.”
Annee Martin, Sanctuary co-owner and president, says she was excited to join MCCVB three years ago, hoping to partner on tourism marketing efforts. She says getting her dues returned was “heartbreaking.”
Edwards and Martin believe there is room for both short-term rentals and hotels in the lodging market. “We really don’t see those guys as competition,” Edwards says. He argues that the average length of a stay in his company’s properties is 9.5 days, longer than hotels. Sanctuary manages about 90 homes in Monterey County, booking 2,000 reservations a year for more than 10,000 visitors.
The company is planning on going to the MCCVB board with “hat in hand,” Edwards says, to make the case for getting back into the fold – and back on a website that drives thousands of tourists to hospitality businesses.
Blount notes board meetings are open to the public, and anyone is welcome to come address the board members.
“We are all on the same side of growing the tourism economy,” says Blount. “The best solutions come from an ongoing dialogue.”
Vacation renters booted from MCCVB
By KELLY NIX
Carmel Pine Cone, March 9, 2018
A DECISION by Monterey County’s tourism bureau to expel vacation rental agencies from its mem- bership roster two months ago is “short sighted” and possibly “illegal,” according to a spokeswoman for one of the local short-term rental agencies affected by the move.
In January, the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau decided to expel members that offer local vacation rentals. In response to the move, Debra Ryll with Monterey Bay Vacation Rentals, one of those businesses, wrote a terse letter this week to the tourism bureau’s president and CEO, Tammy Blount.
“The board’s decision is counterproductive and grossly unfair, if not illegal,” Ryll said.
Such rentals are a big part of the local economy and generate millions of dollars a year in transient occupancy tax for local cities. Ryll said she believes the visitors bu- reau suspended her group’s membership at the behest of hotels, which view vacation rentals as formidable competition.
In response to questions from The Pine Cone about Ryll’s letter, Blount said the bureau’s primary goal is to drive business growth by increasing overnight visitation at lodging properties that collect and remit taxes.
The bureau, Blount said, consulted with its legal counsel be- fore it changed the bylaws — “as we always do when making edits to that document.”
“Owners, operators, and promoters of vacation rentals, con- dos, single-family homes, individual apartment units, or any lodging facility or activity not authorized by local ordinance or state statute are not eligible for regular non-voting membership with the MCCVB,” she said of the bureau’s new stance.
The organization has contacted ve companies that don’t fall in line with its mission and offered refunds for membership dues that have already been paid, Blount said. Ryll said Monte- rey Bay Vacation Rentals has not yet been refunded.
The bureau’s position on vacation rentals follows a wave of local opposition against such rentals, which have long been banned in residential parts of Carmel. Paci c Grove allows them with conditions, although the P.G. Chamber of Commerce opposes them, and there is a petition to qualify an initiative that seeks to “preserve and protect Paci c Grove’s residential char- acter” by banning and phasing out existing short-term rentals in residential districts, except those in the city’s coastal zone.
More than 60 percent of Monterey Bay Vacation Rentals’ 100-plus furnished rentals are monthly rentals “which don’t compete with hotels, inns” and bed and breakfasts, maintained Ryll, who added that many of its guests have said they wouldn’t stay in the Monterey area at all if vacation rentals weren’t an option.
“Short-term vacation rentals offer a choice that is sometimes preferred by families and groups of friends who want the com- fort of a home, and a kitchen where they can cook some of their meals,” she said.
The visitors bureau also kicked out the Monterey County Vacation Rental Alliance. President Jan Leasure said the “vast majority” of its rentals are for 30 days or more, “so I fail to see how that interferes with anybody’s business.”
Asked whether the organization is considering suing the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Leasure said, “We are not there yet.”
“We found [the MCCVB’s] actions inexplicable; that an or- ganization whose mission it is to bring visitors to the county would want to drop members who do that exact thing,” she said


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Pent-up demand indicates an increase in consumer spending this holiday season: HRC Retail Advisory president
Black Friday arrived with less fanfare than usual this year after an abundance of sales earlier in the fall, yet malls and shopping districts were still bustling with shoppers in search of discounts and a little holiday cheer.
On the East Coast, the Halifax Shopping Centre had a festive atmosphere as customers clutching shopping bags snapped photos in front of a towering Christmas tree while others watched the crowds from a cafe in the mall.
Yet the discounts were hit and miss. One shopper describing the deals as ``really bad'' while others emerged from the mall laden with bags and boxes of gifts.
``It's not like it normally is,'' Kim McLeod said of the Black Friday sales. ``We just got a couple of specific things.''
Shopper Nick Dempsey said he had already bought most of what he needed online but came to the mall to ``fill in the blanks.''
``I do the majority of my holiday shopping online but I like to take advantage of Black Friday and come in and see what people are doing and what deals there are,'' he said. ``I'm a big fan of Christmas music and some stores play it ... it adds to the holiday spirit.''
Meanwhile, a big box store shopping area outside of Halifax appeared busy, but without the congestion that sometimes occurs on Black Friday.
Best Buy, for example, was busy with shoppers but it was a far cry from the hectic crowds and jammed parking lot that have sometimes occurred on previous Black Fridays.
Shopper Alex Knights said the discounts were ``pretty good'' on some products.
``It depends on what you're getting,'' he said. ``But you can check the deals online before you come in. I found a speaker with a subwoofer and it was $100 off.''
Ian Leslie went to Best Buy to get a gift for his son.
``I could have ordered it online but now it's in my hand, so I don't have to worry about supply issues or shipping delays,'' he said.
Leslie said his concerns about inventory shortages and supply chain constraints prompted him to shop early this year.
``I'm just finishing my holiday shopping today,'' he said. ``I did probably half online and half in stores.''
Stores have been rolling out discounts for weeks, encouraging consumers to buy early to avoid potential product shortages.
The situation has accelerated so-called Black Friday creep, a trend that started before the pandemic in which retailers try to maximize sales by pushing discounts earlier into the fall.
Retail experts say online sales are expected to remain strong this year and even grow slightly from 2020, with services like curbside pickup remaining popular.
But Anwar White with McGill University's Bensadoun School of Retail Management said many consumers will continue to shop at stores during the holidays.
``There is still something special about Black Friday and there are still people that are going to be actually going out,'' he said. ``But it won't be hugely driven by the sales. When you shop on Black Friday there is an energy that is unmatched and it really does say 'OK, now it's Christmastime.'''
Bradley Jones, head of retail for Oxford Properties _ which owns 10 shopping centres including Square One, Yorkdale and Scarborough Town Centre in Ontario _ said the holiday ambience is a big draw for shoppers.
``All of our Christmas decor is back, our safe Santa experience is set up and we have the music in the mall that puts people in the spirit,'' he said. ``The retailers are feeling optimism because they're seeing customers coming back.''

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VTE Inc. has introduced a new busbar design with push-on connections. Busbars are a vital part of any electrical system, but traditional units can be difficult to mount.
The VTE Tab-Type Busbar installs on average 255 percent faster than fork-type and 340 percent faster than ring-terminal-type connections, according to Pellston, Mich.-based VTE. The device is available with 10, 20 or 30 connection points, and it can be mounted horizontally, vertically and upside down, says company president Ralph Van Tielen. “Your typical ring terminals have mounting limitations,” he says. “With our product, you can get a lot more use out of the real estate under the dash.”
With a heavy-duty, GF nylon base and 1/4-inch stainless-steel connection posts, the Tab-Type Busbar is ideal for electrical power distribution and grounding applications. Each connection point is rated up to 20 amps at 12 volts DC with a maximum load of 120 amps for the busbar. It accepts 1/4-inch push-on, blade-receptacle-type terminals, also known as quick disconnect. VTE made the stainless connection posts thicker to make sure the connections remain intact, says Van Tielen. “It has a 16-pound holding force, which is 7 more pounds than the standard,” he says. To comply with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and ABYC standards, an optional tab-type busbar protective insulator kit also is available. Offered in red, black and yellow, the kit includes a protective cover, as well as 8-2 and 18-10 gauge terminal insulators. The Tab-Type Busbar has suggested retail prices starting at $17.51. For quantities of 100-249, the prices start at $6.37 each. The optional kit is about $3. Contact: VTE Inc., Pellston, Mich., (800) 527-9256, email@example.com, www.vteworld.com.


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Laika Believes, its space-dog action platformer, on August 2, one week before the project would have ended. It raised $12,082, which isn't bad – but Minicore requested $100,000 to implement sound assets and localize the game's first episode, The Sun at Night.
Mostly, Minicore saw Kickstarter as a platform for early players to provide feedback on the game and to cultivate "a true testing environment." In this sense, the Kickstarter was a success, Minicore Marketing Director Shelley Smith tells Joystiq.
"It was a great success in many ways," she says. "We've met so many new supporters and their feedback has given us a better sense of what makes Laika Believes special."
Now, Minicore is still developing Laika Believes: The Sun at Night, and the team is digging into the budget to unearth extra cash for those audio assets. The failed Kickstarter means localization will be delayed.
"We wanted that to be a day one thing, but now we'll have to look at different ways of getting that done," Shelley says. "Maybe some specific crowdsourced localization? We'll see."
Laika Believes: The Sun at Night is still going strong on Steam Greenlight, and Minicore hasn't given up on its pet project.
"In any case, it's onwards and upwards!" as Shelley puts it.


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Dutch speciality ingredients distributor Barentz International has acquired US counterpart Viachem.
The Viachem team will continue to be led by Mike Efting, Viachem’s president and founder, and its offices will remain in Plano, Texas and Augusta, Georgia.
Barentz said by combining a dedicated market research function and digitally enabled sales and marketing capabilities, Viachem represents a market growth engine for the former and its principal suppliers.
Viachem, it says, has in-house market development function to identify, research, and qualify market opportunities for new and existing product lines, as well as digital marketing capabilities to drive targeted customer development efforts and lead qualification.
In addition, it has a technical sales team that utilizes a systematic sales process to identify new market opportunities and provide customers with a high-touch service model, plus a portfolio of blue-chip product lines that are synergistic with the Barentz portfolio.
“Viachem has developed sales and marketing capabilities that are unique in the industry and we’re thrilled to welcome Mike and his team into the Barentz organization,” said Hidde van der Wal, group CEO of Barentz.
“By combining these capabilities with Barentz’s global scale, technical expertise, and extensive digital infrastructure, we see significant opportunity to expand market share for our customers and principal suppliers,” he added.


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Consumer attitudes regained their positive momentum in June. We expect this strong confidence to continue as all the key indicators of the economy buttress confidence in the economy. —Aaron Andersen, director at the Cicero Group
SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns appear to be more confident in the direction of the state’s economic future, according to a new report.
The Zions Bank Utah Consumer Attitude Index climbed 2 percentage points to 98.3 from May to June, regaining some of last month’s 6.6-point decline. The index has improved 10.4 points over the past year. Nationally, the consumer confidence index jumped 3 percentage points to register at 85.2.
The local index moved higher this month due to increased confidence in current economic conditions, said Aaron Andersen, director at the Cicero Group.
“Consumer attitudes regained their positive momentum in June," Andersen said Tuesday at a monthly news conference. "We expect this strong confidence to continue as all the key indicators of the economy buttress confidence in the economy.”
The percentage of Utahns who believe current business conditions are “good” rose from 43 percent in May to 46 percent in June, and 10 percentage points from a year ago.
Utahns also see a strong labor market, with the percentage who said jobs in their area are “plentiful” rising to 31 percent, up 3 percentage points from May and 16 percentage points year over year, the report stated.
Over the past 12 months, the state’s unemployment rate has fallen from 4.6 percent to 3.6 percent, as all major stock indices have increased and the housing market has continued to show strong improvement, Andersen said.
“Because of these improved conditions, more Utahns seem to think the economy has peaked and will remain steady over the next few months,” he said. “The percentage of Utahns who think business conditions will be the same six months from now increased 4 percentage points this month to an all-time high of 65 percent.”
The consumer attitude index is based on a representative sample of 500 Utah households surveyed monthly by the Cicero Group, with confidence level of plus or minus 4.4 percent.
Meanwhile, the present situation index — a reflection of how consumers feel about current economic conditions — registered an all all-time high of 101.9 points after climbing 5.7 points from May to June. The index has increased 24.5 points over the past year, indicating the ongoing progress of positive economic conditions in the state, Andersen said.
The expectations index — a measure of consumers’ outlook for economic conditions six months from now — declined slightly, falling 0.5 points from May to June.
Andersen noted that a rise in the expectations index would generally predict a rise in the present situation index, as consumers move from anticipating improvements to the economy to observing them. This principle has played out over the past year, he said.
The expectations index was 17.4 points higher than the present situation index in June 2013, but, with observably improved economic conditions, the present situation index has not only risen to meet expectations, it also stands 6.1 points higher than the expectations index, Andersen said.
Over the course of this time, the present situation index has increased drastically, while the expectations index has remained steady, he said.


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It’s an Easter tradition many people have grown up with but you might still not know the reason why we eat fish on Good Friday.
The meaning behind traditions often get lost over time and this is one that particularly confuses some people.
For many, Easter Sunday is associated with eating chocolate or tucking into a roast dinner - usually spring lamb.
So why the fish on Good Friday? It’s certainly a tradition that many continue to follow, with huge queues spotted outside Liverpool chip shops in previous years on this day.
With this year’s social distancing requirements in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, the queues may not be as big as usual , but there are still places serving fish and chips across the city today and many will be getting their fix.
So why do we eat fish on Good Friday?
Christians believe Jesus was executed on Good Friday and died for our sins, sacrificing his flesh.
The Church therefore encourages followers to abstain from eating meaty flesh on the anniversary of Christ’s death.
Fish is perceived to be a different kind of flesh, as it comes from the sea. Fish shapes are also said to have been used as a secret symbol by Christians to identify each other when their religion was banned. Many of Christ’s followers were fishermen too.
Nowadays, plenty of people join in with eating fish on Good Friday as something of a national tradition.
Other things that have been banned on Good Friday
Until 2008, gambling was banned in Britain on Good Friday and there was no racing on the day until 2014.
In Ireland, people are supposed to abstain from drinking, with bars and pubs generally shut or only selling soft drinks on this day - although they are closed this year anyway due to the lockdown currently in place in Ireland.
Over in Germany, Christians ban dancing on Good Friday and even nightclub capital Berlin has restrictions in place until 9pm.


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Your daily selection of the hottest trending tech news!
According to Liliputing (This article and its images were originally posted on Liliputing October 30, 2018 at 10:02AM.)
A few months after launching a public beta of a new tool that allows you to run Windows PC games on Linux, it looks like thousands of games are supported
Valve’s Steam game client is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. But up until recently developers had to specifically target each platform — if there wasn’t officially a Linux version of a game you wanted to play then you couldn’t use Steam to install it on a computer running Linux.
In August Valve released a beta update to Steam Play with a modified version of Wine (a Windows compatibility layer) called Proton that let you run some Windows games without any intervention from developers.
At the time Valve only confirmed that 27 games were supported. But the company also allowed users to check a box that would “enable Steam Play for all titles,” whether they’re officially supported or not. And it turns out many of those games do work.
To see more posts like these; please subscribe to our newsletter. By entering a valid email, you’ll receive top trending reports delivered to your inbox.


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Efforts continue to build on the Upper Ohio Valley economy, and a recent announcement from West Virginia officials and the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle adds a new dimension to the development of the region.
Pure Watercraft, a Seattle-based company that manufactures electric boats and electric boat motors, has chosen to locate a new operation in part of the Beech Bottom Industrial Park. Expected to create more than 100 jobs, the company plans to manufacture a range of electric pontoon boats.
The batteries for the boats will be supplied by General Motors, which has a 25% stake in Pure Watercraft, with construction of the boats to take place at part of the Brooke County facility that once served as Wheeling Corrugating’s headquarters.
An investment of approximately $5 million is planned as part of the renovations before the opening of operations.
Pure Watercraft blends the traditional manufacturing of our region with the technological advances we have experienced in recent years. Its engines are quieter and more environmentally friendly, preserving the beauty of our lakes and rivers while providing the opportunity for some of the outdoor recreational activities that many of our residents enjoy.
More importantly, the company’s decision to come to our region will create jobs. BDC continues its efforts to attract new businesses to Brooke and Hancock counties. For several years, the organization has been listing and rehabilitating old industrial properties in our region in order to make them available for new businesses.
Pure Watercraft’s decision shows that these efforts continue to bear fruit.


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2019 is off to a great start for Apple lovers like us as Apple India has announced its plans to begin assembling their top-end iPhones in the country. The plant will be run by Apple’s Taiwanese contract manufacturer, Foxconn, and is likely to be operational within a few months.
The Taiwanese manufacturer, which already manufactures phones for Xiaomi Corp, has their manufacturing plant in Sriperumbudur town in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu’s Industries Minister M C Sampath told Reuters that Foxconn will invest Rs. 25 billion to expand the plant which will also reportedly create 250,000 jobs.
Reuters also reported that Foxconn will be assembling expensive models like the flagship iPhone X family which will potentially improve Apple’s business in the Indian market.
Apple’s unimpressive sales shocked its investors when the sales predictions actually fell short in spite of the launch of the 3 new models – iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and Xr. The pricey iPhone X was
Apple has mostly focused on the sales of the lower end phones in India with sales driven mainly by models older than the iPhone 8, according to Counterpoint, technology research firm.
Before Foxconn’s entry into the scene, Cupertino, California-based Apple assembled the lower cost iPhone SE and iPhone 6S models in Bengaluru through
Apple hasn’t fully disclosed the details of the deal, so there are still a lot of things that aren’t clear. Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller declined to comment on whether any of the iPhone assembly will be moved from the existing Foxconn factories in China and elsewhere. They also did not disclose whether the production will only be confined to assembly or if it will include any component production in India.
Foxconn also took the same stand and refused to comment on matters related to current or potential customers, or any of their products. They also did not immediately respond to a confirmation query regarding the Rs. 25 billion investment in Tamil Nadu.
We can now only wait until both parties come out with more detailed reports. However, the news of more iPhones getting the ‘assembled in India’ is all but confirmed.


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Tiffany (TIF), Amazon (AMZN): S&P Gainers
NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Tiffany
The S&P 500 fell 4.23 points, or 0.3%, to close at 1,405.52.
Shares of Tiffany rose 6.68% to $73.27 on about eight times the stock's average daily trading volume of 1.9 million shares. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $178.4 million, or $1.39 a share, down from earlier earnings of $181.2 million, or $1.41 a share. Analysts, on average, anticipated a profit of $1.42 a share.
Tiffany's 2012 outlook includes a projected 10% increase in global sales led by the Asia/Pacific region and the Americas and between a 16% and 19% increase in earnings per share to a range of between $3.95 and $4.05.
Tiffany shares trade at an estimated price-to-earnings ratio for next year of 16.18X; the average for specialty retailers is 16.1X.
Thirteen of the 23 analysts who cover Tiffany rate it at hold; 10 analysts give the stock a buy rating.
TheStreet Ratings gives Tiffany a B grade with a buy rating and a $79.64 price target. The stock has risen 10.58% year to date.
Amazon shares increased 3.67% to $192.33 on about double the stock's average daily trading volume of 5.49 million shares. The online retailer agreed to acquire Kiva Systems, which makes robots used in warehouses, for $775 million in cash after Monday's closing bell.
Amazon shares trade at a forward P/E is 49.1X; the average for broad-line retailers is 20.6X. For comparison, both Wal-Mart
Twenty-three of the 39 analysts who cover Amazon rate it at buy. Fifteen analysts give the stock a hold rating and one rate it at sell.
TheStreet Ratings gives Amazon a C+ grade and hold rating. The stock has risen 11.11% year to date.
Other top-performing S&P 500 stocks Tuesday include:
Bank of America
: The stock rose 2.94% Tuesday to $9.81. The stock has increased 76.44% year to date. TheStreet Ratings gives Bank of America a C- grade and hold rating.
: The stock increased 2.89% Tuesday to $31.30. The stock has fallen 5.21% year to date. TheStreet Ratings gives Williams a B- grade with a buy rating and $38.14 price target.
: The stock rose 2.84% Tuesday to $45.31. The stock has increased 24.92% year to date. TheStreet Ratings gives NetApp a B grade with a buy rating and $50.05 price target.
: The stock increased 2.52% Tuesday to $28.51. The stock has risen 3.45% year to date. TheStreet Ratings gives Urban Outfitters a B- grade with a buy rating and $32.32 price target.
: The stock rose 2.45% Tuesday to $38.08. The stock has increased 44.74% year to date. TheStreet Ratings gives Citigroup a C+ grade and hold rating.
The stock increased 2.33% Tuesday to $39.08. The stock has risen 26.27% year to date. TheStreet Ratings gives Western Digital a B- grade with a buy rating and $44.89 price target.
: The stock rose 2.14% Tuesday to $20.57. The stock has increased 13.77% year to date. TheStreet Ratings gives Cisco a B grade with a buy rating and $23 price target.
: The stock increased 2.1% Tuesday to $36.98. The stock has risen 5.21% year to date. TheStreet Ratings gives J.C. Penney a C+ grade and hold rating.
--Written by Alexandra Zendrian in New York.
>To contact the writer of this article, click here: Alexandra Zendrian
>To submit a news tip, send an email to: email@example.com.
>To follow the writer on Twitter, go to Alexandra Zendrian.


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The fourth and final edition of the virtual drupa preview held online Tuesday, February 23 once again featured a comprehensive conference program for knowledge exchange in the print and packaging sectors. Video presentations and live web sessions by industry experts and partner associations focused on topics and global trends such as Industry 4.0, Digitalization, the Circular Economy, Sustainability, E-Commerce and Platform Economy. More than 5,300 visitors took advantage of the virtual event with international participation at 81%. The top 10 countries included drupa’s core target markets – namely Germany, India, USA, UK, Belgium, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
New user interest at 77% demonstrated that the event opened up new target groups and market potential for exhibitors. About 15,400 page impressions for this fourth drupa preview also reflected high visitor interest in the topics and exhibitors. This was especially encouraging, said organizers, for the upcoming virtual.drupa (April 20 – 23, 2021) with the extensive range of products and services offered in the Conference Area and the Exhibition Space.
“The four editions of the drupa preview days have enabled continuous exchange with the industry on a global level since October 2020,” said Sabine Geldermann, Director of Print Technologies at event organizer Messe Düsseldorf. The success is also documented in KPIs – key figures and analyses on international reach, access by existing and new users, and the significant increase in page views. These developments make us optimistic regarding virtual.drupa. And the PR and marketing campaigns already launched internationally are additionally strengthened by the promotion of the event by our exhibitors, who activate their target groups and set positive impulses.”
Due to the virtual format and the ability to access content 24/7 after the live presentations, participants worldwide were able to participate in the drupa preview – and are now also automatically registered for the virtual.drupa taking place, as previously mentioned, from Tuesday, April 20 to Friday, April 23, 2021.
The post Fourth drupa online preview attracts over 5,000 visitors appeared first on Graphic Arts Magazine.


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Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
Twitter partnered with enterprise social technology company Sprinklr to analyze millennials’ habits and customer-care preferences.
Sprinklr revealed the results of a survey conducted on its behalf by Toluna Group, which gathered responses from 1,255 U.S. adults aged 18-34 who use social media. Of these users, 528 use Twitter. The responses were gathered in December 2017.
The survey showed that a majority of millennial Twitter users (70.67 percent) have used social media to comment on the quality of a company’s customer service.


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Factory activity in the eurozone continued to progress in October, data from Eurostat showed on Wednesday, picking up after a month-on-month fall in September.
The data showed that industrial production in the 19-nation single currency bloc rose by a monthly 0.2% in October after falling by 0.5% in September.
On an annualised basis, the rate of growth pushed up to 3.7% in October from 3.4% in the previous month, and beat forecasts of a 3.5% rise.
Breakdown of gains
The rise came thanks to heightened production of non-durable consumer goods, which rose 0.5% on a monthly basis and at an annual growth rate of 5.7%.


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Consumer confidence falls hard in November on job market worries
WASHINGTON - Confidence in the economy eroded this month as Americans became more worried about the job market.
A business research group said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 90.4 in November, down from 99.1 in October. The index is at its lowest level since September 2014.
The share of Americans surveyed by the Conference Board anticipating more jobs in the coming months fell. Fewer people also expect to see their incomes increase. The percentage describing jobs as “plentiful” declined to 19.9 percent from 22.7 percent.
The decline in the confidence index comes after a robust month of hiring in October. Employers added 271,000 jobs last month as the unemployment rate settled at a healthy 5 percent, an indication that companies see the economy as continuing its gradual, six-year expansion from the depths of the recession.
The drop in consumer confidence was a curveball for many economists, some of whom warned that the population might be reflecting concerns about hiring momentum while others could not reconcile the survey with other indicators hinting at a resilient U.S. economy.
“November’s results could be sending a cautionary signal about the key economic variable of job growth,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at the consultancy MFR.
Economic growth revised up to 2.1% in Q3 from initial 1.5% estimate
Still, the decline conflicts “with what practically every other gauge of consumer attitudes (and labor market conditions) is showing right now,” said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpont Securities.
The economy has strengthened by many measures over the past month. Hiring averaged just 145,000 in September and August, as the weight of China’s slowing economy has damaged growth prospects worldwide, the dollar has risen in value and oil prices remain low amid relatively weak demand.
U.S. economic growth appears to have improved slightly after slowing in the July-September quarter. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.1 percent in those months, up from an initial estimate of 1.9 percent but down from growth of 3.9 percent in the prior quarter. The Atlanta Federal Reserve expects that growth domestic product will advance at a 2.3 percent rate during the final three months of the year.
The October jobs report also indicated that wage growth is starting to improve. Average hourly earnings have advanced 2.5 percent over the past 12 months to $25.20, the largest gain in more than seven years. Weak wage growth has tempered growth in retail sales, with auto dealers and restaurants accounting for much of the increase this year.
Economic growth in China has tilted downward this year, causing the prices for oil, coal and other commodities to tumble. The result of slower economic growth worldwide has been a stronger dollar, making U.S. goods more expensive abroad and reducing exports. The lower oil costs have also damaged the U.S. energy sector, forcing layoffs among drilling companies and leading to cutbacks on orders for pipeline and equipment.


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The onset of COVID-19 has presented many curveballs throughout the industry to dealerships that throughout the year would otherwise offer business as usual; from closed showrooms, to curbside parts pickup offerings and appointment-only showings, to unexpectedly high demand met by low inventory – 2020 has been anything but normal for many.
Along with the operational changes needed to maintain margins successfully, event planning and marketing to promote growth has also changed – perhaps permanently. No longer are large groups of crowds organized loosely around the premise of a fun sales event considered appropriate, let alone commonplace, during the middle of a pandemic.
As more and more potential customers enter the industry as a result of social distancing, to separate themselves from the competition some shops have consciously began shifting strategies in an effort to keep new audiences aimed at their offerings specifically.
In the absence of physical events, many dealerships have turned to an increased use of technology in conjunction with social media as a means for promotion.
“We’ve recently turned to producing videos of doing a walk-around that really show all the details of any new product. We do these a couple times a week,” said Mandi Gardner, marketing and events director with Fay Myers Motorcycle World in Greenwood Village, Colorado. “We’ve also created promo videos about our services to offer more awareness that we will pick up your unit, fix it up and drop it back off.”
In Colorado the shop’s parts and sales departments were considered an essential business and allowed to remain open, while online sales inquiries increased dramatically during the outbreak of COVID-19. Although offered previously, same-day deliveries have also increased. “We’ve had a record-breaking year and we’ve been in business more than 75 years…” said Gardner. “Sales slowed a little at first, but then we really saw sales skyrocket along with parts. Basically all areas of the store really picked up… And all these cool videos create traction that not only helps people see inventory, but explains services and increases interest. We’ve had really good feedback.”
The videos themselves aren’t a costly endeavor – most the time they’re created by a hired hand that has worked with the shop in the past (Jason Leeper of Kreation Films). Staff and street team members are featured in all videos, making them a collaborative effort. If anything, Gardner says, when supported by ownership they can become a creative outlet for those already so inclined to multimedia.
“We’ve taken some event aspects and put them into our marketing, pushing our website and really cleaning up everything – really targeting people online since that’s where everyone is turning if they aren’t going to anything in person. We’ve focused a lot of that energy and time toward otherwise growing our presence online,” said Gardner.
To further the interest of niche and new customers, the company has produced an informative and entertaining video series focused on exotic and rare bikes, among other industry interests and trends.
“It depends on what we have new in stock, which could include anything from a campaign on side-by-sides, to e-bikes; anything that’s popular – from accessories to units,” said Gardner of the shop’s video inspirations. “We try to think outside of the box and showcase things in-store that wouldn’t typically be part of a sale. That really engages people online and gets them to follow us, and check out what we have going on. We don’t have a specific number goal [for audience reach], but we want to offer something that will grab their attention, which really sets us apart from the competition.”
According to Gardner, the online exposure has fostered a pool of leads that the shop otherwise would never have been found had the potential customer not been willing to solicit the dealership on their own – in short, everyone’s more comfortable behind the comfort of their familiar screen, when they’re in control.
“We’re reaching people that we normally wouldn’t reach or ever see coming through the door. We’re capturing several different audiences, and reaching interests – not just selling something… We’re exposing new consumers to the industry and getting them excited about we have to offer as a whole,” she said.
Events can still happen
The increased use of technology has oftentimes been a harbinger for new trends in any industry. Rarely organized and attended only one year ago, online and social media-based events are now all the rage today. If you haven’t had at least one Zoom meeting yet – it’s you who is the exception.
But that’s not to say all in-person events have been cancelled entirely – many have been able to proceed with caution on a case-by-case basis.
“In June we held a BMW truck demo and sold out its demo rides for both days of the event. It was a very busy event, but we were super precautious, asking everyone to wear masks and [use] sanitizer,” said Sarah McVean Brown, chief marketing officer with Freedom Powersports. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Powersports Business spoke with founder and CEO Kevin Lackey in July about their company goals as well as expansion plans for the future after growing at a rapid pace into three different states.
After a series of cancellations, Freedom held two Kawasaki demo events in July, both in Georgia and Texas. In August, the company hosted an Indian demo event.
“Then we decided it was time to see what we could do to get customers excited again, and started planning a bike night,” said McVean Brown. In addition to its September bike night (which she says will become a monthly event after community requests), the dealership has also hosted rides for Spyder and Ryker enthusiasts at its Lewisville location. “We’ve had more engagement on Facebook then we’ve ever had with any other event… People came from five hours away because they want something to do with all the equipment they’ve been buying the last five months.”
Last July Powersports Business reported that Freedom Powersports, like many around the nation, were experiencing exceptionally strong sales during a period of time in which people were actively met with additional time-off, supplemental income and government efforts to restrict social gatherings – the perfect storm for the powersports industry, apparently.
However, since the summer most of the industry was met with inventory shortages on popular models in many segments. It’s a good problem to have, but one that poses additional headaches from McVean Brown nonetheless.
“Sales have slowed a bit, but they’re still exceeding expectations. Right now we’re feeling the same pain as every other powersports dealer in the nation – we don’t have enough inventory for the amount of people who want to buy them” she said. “Which makes for all new marketing issues, because we’re advertising for product that we don’t have. We want the lead, but how do you nurture it until they can actually become a customer?”
McVean Brown said in a normal year its fall season strategy would be focused on moving leftover in-season available inventory, but instead this year it’s shifted toward promoting accessories, due primarily to inventory.
In the new normal since COVID-19, event-planning guidelines have changed from state to state, and even county by county, when determining best practices at any moment in time.
“In Texas, Georgia and Alabama customers aren’t overly precautious, but it’s something we’re very conscious of,” said McVean Brown. At its events social distancing and the use of masks have been encouraged, but not enforced. However, a self-imposed “Freedom standard” is imposed on staff. According to McVean Brown, most community response to events they organize have been positive – although some instances of outliers have arisen.
Whether marketing or event planning, the current industry is primed for adapting to customer wants and needs. Both McVean Brown and Gardner suggest looking for new opportunities rather than trying to wait out the uncertainty of a pandemic doing the same routine.
“We’ve found we’re very capable even with a small team as long as communication is dialed-in,” said McVean Brown, who at one point led a team with multiple graphic designers and interns, but has watched her department dwindle since the onset of COVID.
“Don’t be afraid to think outside-the-box to find what will work for your shop,” said Gardner.


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Bit Valley has become a tech startup mecca in Japan
Shibuya is well-known for the largest intersection in Japan (we call it “scramble intersection) where vehicles from all directions are stopped at a time for pedestrians. You could also see a whole bunch of cellphone addicts turning cities into increasingly hazardous hot spots in which zombified shoppers appear to be part of a vast game of human pinball.
If you’ve visited Shibuya before, you must know how crazy it is. The characteristics of the city are that there’re a number of shopping malls, stylish cafes, restaurants, and this city is basically for young people.
From a business perspective, Shibuya can also be described as a city for new industries. In fact, there’re over 26,000 tech businesses as of 2009 according to an economic census reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2009, which is the latest report.
In Shibuya, IT accounts for 8% and 15% of entire businesses in terms of the number of offices and workers respectively, which are larger figures than other districts in Tokyo.
Among the 23 special economic zones in Tokyo, the city which comes to people’s mind first must be Shibuya when hearing the center of IT businesses.
Hence, there’re also a lot of its incidental businesses.
・The number of offices: 8% (3rd out of the 23 special economic zones)
・The number of workers: 15% ( 4th out of 23 special economic zones)
・The number of offices of it incidental businesses: 302 (2nd out of 23 economic zones)
Bit Valley (Shibuya)
Shibuya Stream (Google will move to this building)
Last year, Google Japan announced that they would move their office to Shibuya from Roppongi.
The media reported that Google would come back to their birthplace. So, Google Japan started off their business in this IT hub.
Actually, Shibuya is called “Bit Valley” among Japanese tech stars. During the dot-com boom in the 1990s, many tech startups were based in Shibuya.
In fact, a number of IT both large corporations and startups have chosen Shibuya for their bases such Google, CyberAgent, Amazon, mixi, GMO, LINE, DeNA, DMM, etc.
The name “
People often compare Bit Valley to Japan’s Silicon Valley. Needless to say, its economic scale cannot be compared with Silicon Valley, but it has become more vibrant recently.
Shibuya’s success consists of multiple factors. Perhaps, one of the biggest reasons for that is a change in features of the city itself.
As many shopping malls opened, Shibuya has attracted young people rather than adults in terms of fashion, music, etc.
People even say, “if you want to know the latest trends, go to Shibuya”.
As a result, the city underwent a dramatic transformation, meaning now Shibuya is completely for young people, which has also attracted young entrepreneurs.
The Bit Valley Plan
Furthermore, when looking into the word “Bit Valley” itself, we could see some sort of efforts devoted by entrepreneurs of those days.
In 1992, Shibuya-based entrepreneurs expressed “The Bit Valley Plan” aimed at producing capable entrepreneurs from Shibuya.
Back in the day, Japanese companies hesitated to invest in startup firms. However, Bit Valley-based firms were able to get a high level of funding from Japanese large enterprises because entrepreneurs in Shibuya were actively geared toward creating an entrepreneur-friendly community.
The groundbreaking results have created a virtuous circle, attracting more investors and people considering starting up new businesses, which accelerated the creation of the startup-friendly environment.
Looking at the map “1999’s Bit Valley“, it can be clearly seen that there were a lot of tech startup firms in the district of Shibuya even back then though there weren’t as many shopping complexes as now.
Shibuya had already been a popular place among tech entrepreneurs.
2000. Mark City
2001. Cerulean Tower
2003. Roppongi Hills
2007. Tokyo Midtown
A subcenter of Tokyo
Moreover, since Shibuya has been designated as a subcenter of Tokyo, the convenience of the public transportation system has also been improved.
There’re a number of train, subway and bus lines. Literally, you can go any direction from Shibuya.
This has enabled the district to enhance its reputation also as a business location. Consequently, not only have a number of IT people chosen Shibuya for launching their new businesses, but there’re still many IT firms headquartered in Bit Valley (haven’t moved out).
This fact has also attracted a ton of incidental businesses. As a result, Shibuya’s IT economic block is one of the largest in Japan’s tech scene.
As I mentioned earlier, Google Japan will come back to Bit Valley soon. This might cause a new sensation in Shibuya where you could see a lot of IT starts.


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Just a quick piece of news regarding the HTC One. You can already go ahead and pre-order from eXpansys but the latest on stock is that they should be arriving on the 14th March and will ship immediately, so with customers on Friday 15th March, just in time for the weekend! 🙂
Head over to http://www.expansys.com/htc-one if you want to pre-order now.
Posted by: Matt


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Continuing trends from the third quarter, the number of new listings in the month of October was down 12.9% from September and down 18.7% when compared to October of 2020. Month over month the number of sales increased by 9.5% and the number of days-on-market decreased by 3%. Prices continued their upper trend with an average month over month increase of 3.3% from September and an impressive 33.5% when compared to October of 2020.
Buyer demand is still high and with so few homes available, Sellers who list their homes this Fall will likely have a tremendous advantage also known as leverage. Buyers want to buy before prices go even higher, they want to buy before interest rates rise, and in the likely event of having to compete with other Offers, they want their Offer accepted.
These three Buyer needs give homeowners a leg up when selling their house. Seller might already realize this leverage enables them to sell at a good price, but it also means they can negotiate the best terms to suit their needs.


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SriLankan Airlines won the Travel & Tourism category of Effie Awards for its ' Hotseats' marketing campaign, the latest accolade received by the National Carrier.
The Effie Awards started in 1968 in the United States by the New York American Marketing Association dedicated to advancing the art of marketing among professionals.
"Winning an Effie Award is very special because Effies are given for efficiency in communication, which we at SriLankan take pride in doing well. The campaign made a considerable impact in creating public awareness of the Hotseats product, and resulted in a significant positive effect on sales. The team from SriLankan and Grant McCann Erickson fully deserves this win," said SriLankan's Manager Marketing Communication, Priya Epitawala.
SriLankan has in recent months won a series of international and national awards in fields ranging from passenger transport to marketing and IT. They include the Presidential Award for Airline of the year, the Presidential Award for Outbound Tour Operator of the year.


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Most companies still haven’t shifted their entire NVMe SSD lineups to use PCI Express 4.0, but PCIe 5.0 SSDs for PCs are already on the horizon.
Storage company Silicon Motion said in a recent earnings call that it expects its PCIe 5.0-capable SSD controllers for consumer SSDs will be available sometime in 2024, opening the door to a wide variety of high-performance drives from different manufacturers. SSD manufacturer ADATA teased some PCIe 5.0 SSDs at CES last month (albeit without an expected release date), boasting of read speeds up to 14GB/s and write speeds of up to 12GB/s using a Silicon Motion SM2508 controller. Current high-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs like Samsung’s 980 Pro top out at roughly half those speeds.
Other reports have suggested that these PCIe 5.0 consumer SSDs are coming later in 2022, but according to the call transcript, that only applies to the latest version of Silicon Motion’s PCIe 5.0 controller for enterprise SSDs—the products that end up in servers and data centers, not what typically ends up in the PC on your desk or lap. Early PCIe 4.0 SSDs for consumer PCs were also demonstrated at CES a couple of years before they became products that you could actually buy.
For 2022 and 2023, Silicon Motion will continue to focus on those PCIe 4.0 SSDs. Budget SSDs like Western Digital’s WD Black SN770 SE are only beginning to transition to PCIe 4.0, and according to reviews like this one from Tom’s Hardware, their controllers and flash memory aren’t yet fast enough to benefit much from the extra bandwidth. Silicon Motion also says that PCIe 4.0 SSDs have only become common in pre-built PCs within the last year because of “extensive verification and testing” requirements.
If you’d like to future-proof your PC for PCIe 5.0 SSDs when they do arrive, Intel’s 12th-generation “Alder Lake” processors and AMD’s upcoming Ryzen 7000-series Zen 4 CPUs both support PCIe 5.0.


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Kingfisher’s market share drops as foreign beer brands gain ground
Kingfisher beer has lost 4.3% market share by volume between 2011 and 2016 while Carlsberg’s Tuborg, Budweiser, Heineken and Bira have gained
Mumbai: India’s biggest beer brand Kingfisher is ceding market share to premium foreign brands as urban Indians develop a liking for high-end brands over high alcohol content in their beers.
Kingfisher, which is still the largest beer brand in India, has lost 4.3% market share by volume between 2011 and 2016, according to data from market researcher Euromonitor. This is the steepest decline among the top beer brands in India during this time.
Meanwhile, Danish beer maker Carlsberg A/S, and the world’s largest alcohol maker Anheuser-Busch InBev NV have capitalized on the gap left behind by Kingfisher’s decline. Carlsberg’s Tuborg brand is now India’s second-largest beer by volume with 11.1% market share, a near five-fold jump since 2011. The firm’s flagship beer Carlsberg is also on the list, whose market share has doubled to 5.8% since 2011, Euromonitor data shows.
Anheuser-Busch InBev has also rapidly gained market share through its main beer brand Budweiser whose market share has also witnessed a near five-fold jump from 2011 to 4.9% in 2016. AB InBev has also strengthened its position with brands of SABMiller Plc, the English alcohol maker that merged with AB InBev in 2016. In India, AB InBev now owns Haywards, the country’s third-largest beer by volume share worth 10.7%, as per Euromonitor. However, this share has declined since 2011, when it was 14.6%.
Most of these brands are positioned as premium urban beers and marketed in association with music festivals and other events that target a young working population in the cities. While Budweiser is a sponsor of music events including Electric Daisy Carnival and Tomorrowland, Carlsberg is a sponsor of events including football tournament UEFA Euro in India.
The onslaught of these brands has reduced United Breweries’ sway over the beer market in India, estimated to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 7.5% between 2017 and 2021, according to market intelligence firm BMI Research. UB’s overall market share, through its seven major brands among the top 23 beer brands in India, was 44.1% in 2016, down from 50.1% in 2011, data from Euromonitor shows. However, the company remains the largest in India’s beer market. Carlsberg’s total share is 16.9% and AB InBev has 24.6% share by volume in 2016, according to Euromonitor.
Emails sent to United Breweries’ spokesperson remained unanswered.
“It is clear that SAB getting together with AB InBev makes it a very strong competitor, with a portfolio of strong beers, as well as mild beers, in the mainstream, and also in the premium space,” Steven Bosch, chief financial officer of United Breweries had said in an investor call on 9 November.
“So clearly it is a strong competitor and we have our own portfolio to counter that,” he said, adding that the company has launched premium beer brands Desperados, Sol, Dos Equis, and a few others to capitalize on growth in the craft beer market in large metros with brands including Delhi-based Bira91. These brands are owned by Dutch brewer Heineken that owns over 40% of the firm.
However, Kingfisher remains the company’s core segment, with variations including Kingfisher Premium and Kingfisher Strong, Bosch said. Meanwhile, AB InBev India is banking on Budweiser to lead the firm’s growth here with a premium positioning and focus on tier I and now tier II cities, Mint reported on 17 July.
For Carlsberg, India along with China and Vietnam accounts for 10% of the group’s operating profit worth 8.3 billion Danish kroner (Rs8,471 crore), according to the firm’s latest annual report for calendar year 2016.
Emails to a spokesperson for Carlsberg India remained unanswered.


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March 22, 2011 1 min read
Eli Gerstner announced on Facebook just 1 hour ago that YBC will be releasing a NEW album! YBC ACAPPELLA!! That’s right Eli and YBC will be stepping into the acappella arena to make their mark. The album will iy”H be released just in time for Pesach/sefira!! The album will not feature YBC hits from past albums, but NEW songs and Eli’s songs which were recorded by other EG artists that YBC fans have never heard in this way. Keep in mind that the last Eli Gerstner Acappella album “the Chevra Acappella album” is still the #1 selling Jewish acappella album after 9 years. More info to follow in the coming days!
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TOKYO Publicly acknowledging that the Content Scrambling System (CSS) used in DVD video players has been hacked, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and JVC abruptly canceled their planned pre-Christmas launch of new DVD-Audio players. The DVD-Audio launch could be postponed by "about six months," said a Matsushita spokesman.
This is the first time that a consumer electronics company's business plan has been altered by a breach of copy protection codes. But it foreshadows proliferation of such problems, as more consumer devices go digital and consumer electronics manufacturers are held responsible for content security.
The infiltrated code cracked by hackers and paraded on the Internet a few months ago was the CSS used in current DVD-Video players. But DVD-Audio players are designed to use CSS2. While that's a different copy protection scheme from CSS, it is believed to share some core scrambling technologies of CSS.
"Compromised CSS video led major record labels to be concerned about the copy protection of DVD-Audio," said Michael Moradzadeh, director of external legal affairs at Intel Corp.
The 4C group, composed of IBM, Intel, Matsushita and Toshiba, has been working together with major record labels on appropriate digital security measures for DVD-Audio, and "is currently looking at the situation and figuring out what to do," Moradzadeh said.
It is not known how soon and what kind of encryption system will now be designed into DVD-Audio players. Matsushita plans to propose a new encryption system to the music industry through the 4C group, the Matsushita spokesman said. Noting that the encryption system is still under consideration, Matsushita declined to discuss its details.
Meanwhile, some industry observers remained skeptical whether the exposed CSS code was the real reason for the postponement for the DVD-Audio launch. The music industry, which has been expressing a need for more robust encryption system for DVD-Audio, has not been in sync with hardware system manufacturers. Major labels have been far less willing and less prepared than systems makers for launching DVD-Audio titles.
The CSS code cracking is not new to the music industry or to consumer-electronics manufacturers. There have been a number of incidents where DVD's regional coding scheme, as well as content scrambling system, has been hacked in recent months. Among them, one of the notable incidents was the effort made by a group of Norwegian programmers who were developing DVD playback software for Linux.
In the course of trying to reverse-engineer Windows DVD players, they discovered XingDVD developed by RealNetwork's subsidiary Xing Technologies had failed to encrypt a decryption key for CSS. Consequently, some of those who discovered the secret used the decryption key to create a utility to remove the encryption in a DVD movie, making it possible for DVD movies to be illegally copied.
Since the time when the utility software called DeCSS was posted on the Web, "CSS has been opened up," said Moradzadeh. However, he noted that "we never said that CSS is a nuclear secret. We said all along that this is a light scrambling system, and we knew this was going to happen sooner or later." Noting that CSS has been used for three years, he added, "It has lasted a lot longer than we expected."
Some cryptography experts said there are serious flaws in the DVD copy protection scheme.
Bruce Schneier, founder and chief technology officer of Counterpane Internet Security Inc., said in his recent news letter that the DVD security model is flawed because it displays decrypted DVD data. "No matter how good the encryption scheme is, the DVD data is available in plaintext to anyone who can write a computer program to take it . . . And so is the decryption key. So the decryption key is available, in the clear, to anyone who knows where to look."
While it "might be a bitter pill for the entertainment industry to swallow," Schneier said "software content protection does not work. It cannot work. You can distribute encrypted content, but in order for it to be read, viewed, or listened to, it must be turned into plaintext. If it must be turned into plaintext, the computer must have a copy of the key and the algorithm to turn it into plaintext. A clever enough hacker with good enough debugging tools will always be able to reverse-engineer the algorithm, get the key, or just capture the plaintext after decryption. And he can write a software program that allows others to do it automatically. This cannot be stopped."
Most industry sources do not believe that the development of a new encryption system for DVD-Audio will lead to a change of copy protection system for DVD-Video players. "It needs to be figured out," said Moradzadeh. "On one hand, DVD-Video has been a rousing commercial success," and nobody wants to change the spec. On the other hand, not everyone is exactly happy about the copy protection system.
DVD-Audio became an easy target, mainly because the DVD-Audio players are not on the market yet. Moreover, DVD-Audio requires much less storage space for recording, compared to DVD-Video, so that making pristine digital copies off of DVD-Audio has become a much more immediate threat to record labels, Moradzadeh said.


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UPDATE: Barnes & Noble has confirmed that the NOOKcolor will be getting an Android 2.2 update in 2011. The NOOKcolor will not be getting Android Market access however. Barnes & Noble will be opening its own NOOKcolor app store instead.
With that in mind, the NOOKcolor will be getting Android 2.2 (Froyo), the same OS powering the Samsung Galaxy Tab and many high-end Android smartphones, in January along with Android Market access, according to SmartphoneMag. The update will also bring with it the standard Android home screen and pinch-to-zoom web browsing.
The report mentions that the NOOKcolor may not have full access to the Android Market, which makes sense as some apps do not support large display resolutions. The Samsung Galaxy Tab has full access, with some apps running centered on the display surrounded by black space.
Priced $250 at launch, the NOOKcolor will be one of the least expensive Android tablets on the market with access to the Android Market.
Along with Android 2.2, the NOOKcolor update is also said to bring battery and performance improvements.
TabletPCReview will have a full review of the NOOKcolor later this week.


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Is syska is a Chinese company?
Chinese LED light manufacturer Advanced Optronic Devices and Indian company Syska LED Lights will jointly invest INR 5 billion (US $75.21 million) in a LED manufacturing plant in the state of Telangana in India, according to a report from Live Mint.
Which company brand is syska?
|Consulting, Engineering, Commissioning
|Number of employees
|Syska Hennessy Group, Syska Hennessy Group China, Syska Hennessy Group, MENA (Middle East North Africa)
Is syska a Indian company?
Syska LED Lights General Information Manufacturer of LED lighting solutions based in India. The company provides LED bulbs, LED tube lights, power banks, dry irons, street lights, smartwatches, shavers and other products, enabling consumers to get innovative and energy-efficient lighting products.
What is the full form of Syska?
After a few days, and nights, of intense brainstorming, the duo hit their Eureka moment with Syska (Shree Yogi Sant Kripa Anant).
Which country made syska?
With an aim to support government’s initiative of Make in India, SYSKA has set up over three manufacturing plants for its lighting products in the country. Headquartered in Pune, SYSKA is one of the few companies in its sector to invest heavily to start manufacturing plants in Shirwal, Rabale and Chakan.
Is syska sold to Crompton?
Crompton Greaves Consumer Electrical (CG Consumer) is eyeing an acquisition to beef up its lighting portfolio, sources said on July 23. The company is in an advanced stage of talks to buy the Syska LED Lighting business and the negotiations are going on around Rs 2,000 crore of deal value.
Is syska Indian company Quora?
Syska is an Indian company. In 1989, the SSK Group set up its flagship company, Shree Sant Kripa Appliances Pvt. Ltd.


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Kingfisher Said To Pay $98 Million for Romania Bricostore DealSarah Shannon
Kingfisher Plc, Europe’s largest home-improvement retailer, agreed to pay 75 million euros ($98 million) for Romania’s third-largest do-it-yourself chain Bricostore in a bid to extend its trade business, according to a person familiar with the transaction.
The price for the 15-store chain, owned by French retail firm Group Bresson, is worth less than the net asset value of the business, said the person, who declined to be identified because the deal is not yet final. That’s mainly due to the 60 percent freehold ownership of the stores. The retailer said today the deal will be completed in the next two months and is expected to be earnings “neutral” in the first year.
Kingfisher, which also owns the B&Q and Castorama chains in Europe, said it will convert the retailer to its Brico Depot trade format to take advantage of the “strong DIY culture among homeowners” and trade professionals. The retailer is looking to extend its Brico Depot and Screwfix trade formats in new markets to drive growth after reporting the first annual profit decline in four years last month.
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Cisco Systems Inc. /zigman2/quotes/209509471/composite CSCO +0.62% announced an agreement Tuesday to acquire AppDynamics Inc. for $3.7 billion, just before the tech startup was set for an initial public offering that would have valued the company at potentially half that total. AppDynamics increased its price range in a filing Tuesday morning, which was expected to be one of the last steps before the software firm sold its first batch of public shares. The IPO was expected to value AppDynamics at a similar or lower level to its most recent private investment, which placed a $1.9 billion price tag on the company. AppDynamics tracks and manages data and performance from business-focused applications, which could be a selling point for Cisco as it looks to provide more software to its large enterprise customers. "As companies across industries are expanding their digital infrastructure, IT departments are faced with vast amounts of complex, siloed data," wrote Rob Salvagno, Cisco's head of mergers and acquisitions, in a blog post . "AppDynamics helps many of the world's largest enterprises translate this data into business insights and empowers them to drive value for their customers in today's digital world." Cisco shares gained about 0.2% in late trading after the acquisition was announced Tuesday evening.
Read the full story:
The lessons from Cisco’s at-the-buzzer buy of AppDynamics


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Paris-based on demand logistics and order fulfillment company Cubyn has raised €35 million in a Series-C round. This now brings their total raise to €55 million.
The round was led by Eurazeo and Bpifrance Large Venture with new participation from First Bridge Ventures and Fuse Venture Partners. Existing investors DN Capital, 360 Capital, Bpifrance Smart Cities fund and BNP Development also followed on.
With the new funding, Cubyn is expected to double their headcount to 170 employees by year's end, as well as press beyond their French borders. Spain and Portugal will launch next month with Germany, Italy, and the UK also on the radar. Likewise, the firm is also reporting that they’ll be opening a 25,000 m² automated facility in the Paris area in the coming months.
The end-to-end e-commerce fulfillment game isn’t exactly straightforward. There’s one particular supplier we can all think of, but what if you’re not playing in Jeff’s sandbox? Cubyn is addressing this problem head on, in a rapidly growing, highly fragmented market. One estimated at €500 billion worldwide.
Cubyn’s proprietary technology seeks to streamline merchant logistics through everything from web apps to algorithm optimisation to warehouse robotics. This technology stack then enables Cubyn to operate at a fraction of the “standard” industry cost. And the proof is in the pudding; in their first year, 2020, they grew their gross merchandise values from €30 million to €250 million.
“15% of the gross merchandise value transacted in e-commerce globally goes to e-logistics. Still today, there is no scalable, efficient logistics solution aside from the ones offered by siloed marketplaces. Cubyn is disrupting the traditional e-commerce third party logistics market from the ground up, offering a better, faster and cross-border service at a 30% lower price,” says Cubyn co-founder and CEO Adrien Fernandez-Baca.


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Version 1.1 of Mozilla’s web-centric smartphone platform adds major features such as push notifications and browser downloads. But will this be enough to see signed-up manufacturers such as Huawei and LG actually produce Firefox OS phones?
Google touts the new Chromebook Pixel for “what’s next” or the touchable web, but the fact is we already have that experience on tablets and such. Maybe this is what’s really next for the Pixel.
The modern era of mobile apps is just over four years old, but their usage continues to grow, according to new survey data released Wednesday. Time spent in apps grew 35 percent in the last year, while TV watching remained steady and web usage dropped.
Pocket, which allows users to save content from the web to view later, has added a Mac app to its lineup of iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and web apps.
If a web app works on Google’s old Chromebooks, it works on the new one just announced, right? Not exactly: Netflix doesn’t, nor does Bastion, a fun browser-based game. Native code in the browser may require web apps to be recompiled for the new chips.
Startup BookShout lets users import their Kindle and Nook books into its iOS, Android and web-based social reading platform. But the function doesn’t work very well yet, and it seems as if it’s only a matter of time before Barnes & Noble or Amazon shuts it down.
The New York Times is introducing an HTML5 web app for the iPad that will offer digital subscribers another way to access content outside the Times’ website and native apps. The Times said the app is experimental and part of its larger NYT Everywhere strategy.
Hosted memcached provider MemCachier is expanding like crazy, moving from its homebase on Heroku into the AppFog, CloudBees, DotCloud and Amazon EC2 platforms. It’s impressive growth for a bootstrapped company that launched in April and was little more than an idea a year ago.
Google’s Chromebook continues to improve. The latest software update for all Chromebooks — even the CR-48 laptops — upgrades the browser to version 21 of Chrome. Even better are some user interface enhancements, more offline support and the ability to use wireless gamepads with a Chromebook.
What if Facebook is nothing more than a digital drug dealer and we’re all just junkies? As we head toward a future where technology is not just something we do, but a part of our biology, the answer to that question might take on grave importance.


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Major publisher and developer Electronic Arts has announced that that Madden NFL 07
has sold more than five million copies across a total of ten different console and handheld platforms.
First released on August 22, the game set records
by selling an estimated 2 million copies in its first week at retail, a figure that placed the game's sales up 12 percent from sales of last year's release, which saw sales of 1.8 million units over the same general period.
Following today's news, EA has now proclaimed the multiplatform sports title, which is available for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, GameCube, PC, Nintendo DS and PSP, to be “North America’s most popular game of 2006”, based on both internal sales data as well as industry sources.
Adding to the popularity of the long running franchise, EA will also host its fifth annual 2006 EA Sports Madden Challenge, a Madden NFL
tournament that will award a check for $100,000 to the best Madden NFL 07 on February 8 in Hawaii. Other events include the second annual Madden Nation competitive television series on ESPN, as well as the 12th Annual EA Sports Madden Bowl in Miami, Florida on February 1.
“Madden NFL 07
is the must-have game for players to realize the full power of the new systems like the Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360,” said EA Sports marketing vice president Todd Sitrin. “EA’s Tiburon Studio has once again set the bar for innovation and consumers have responded. This has been an amazing holiday season for Madden NFL 07


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One Million 3D Printed Parts: Aleph Objects Celebrates Cluster, Puts Large Herringbone Gear on Display
If there’s a story about Aleph Objects, Inc. and LulzBot 3D printers in the works, I’m usually clamoring like an eager fourth grader with hand raised, bouncing in my seat offering to write the story. Why? I just dig everything about Colorado—but as a matter of fact, it certainly seems as if Colorado digs everything about Aleph Objects, Inc.
Not just experiencing mere pleasantries and state pride or industry fanfare either, this company has handfuls of awards to prove their merit and recognition by others around the world. And you can bet if there is a ‘best of’ listicle popping up online, they are going to be on it; in fact, we see their name on a constant basis from the 3D Hubs Monthly Worldwide Trends Reports to a very well thought out report recently from Aniwaa on the best 3D printers, which had the LulzBot Taz 5 at the number one spot for this year’s best.
It must be a pretty great feeling to have everybody celebrating what you—and your users around the world—have created, demonstrating the rewards of hard work and being an authentic company offering true value to their customers. The celebrating is not over by any means however, and especially not today as they announce the 3D printing of their one millionth part.
This momentous 3D printed part rolled out of the company’s Cluster, which is made up of 140 LulzBot 3D printers and is a process they’ve had going for a while now, as we reported on last year. And sending them over the one million mark indeed was a large herringbone gear licensed under the GNU GPLv3. With the amount of power the company has going in their Cluster, inspired by RepRap pioneering practices, it’s not surprising to hear about such a volume being produced, with the printers operating at more than 100 hours per week. Each LulzBot printer itself is made up of 30 3D printed parts.
“LulzBot desktop 3D printers are workhorse machines that we, and our customers in over 85 countries around the world, rely on every day,” Aleph Objects, Inc. Vice President of Marketing Harris Kenny said. “We are proud to see the growing number of universities, laboratories, facilities, and businesses investing in clusters of LulzBot 3D printers to scale up educating, training, prototyping, and manufacturing.”Powered by Aniwaa
With over two and a half years involved in just producing the first 500,000 parts, the company is now able to print that volume in just one year. They’ve accelerated production exponentially by using new models of their LulzBot 3D printers in the Cluster, adding more machines, and increasing the number of operating hours. With new technology constantly evolving, as it is added to their process, efficiency just keeps improving, with better operating and monitoring.
Aleph Objects has also published a Cluster case study in conjunction with highlighting production of their millionth part. The study highlights how the Cluster works, with the herringbone part not only being put on display there at their Loveland, CO headquarters, but also offered as a free download, both in BLEND format and as an .stl file for fans of the company and the part.
All of this celebration now marks five years of history for LulzBot desktop 3D printers, and if you’d like to find out more, you can check out the PDF here. The millionth part can be viewed in Loveland during company tours offered to the public every Friday at 2 PM Mountain Time, with holidays excluded. Are you surprised they have printed so many parts already? Discuss in the LulzBot Millionth 3D Printed Part forum over at 3DPB.com.
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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has requested Union Minister for Textiles Piyush Goyal to consider setting up of a Greenfield Mitra Park in the state of Odisha.
In a letter to Mr Goyal, the Union Minister said, in view of the immense potential in the sector in Odisha, such a park will go a long way in ensuring the success of Mission Purvodaya envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
AIR correspondent reports, Making a reference to the recent government announcement on setting up of seven MITRA or Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Park with the aim to help Indian companies emerge as global champions in the sector, the Union Minister said, Odisha is already famous for its Ikat type of weaving with various designs like Samabalpuri, Berhampuri and Bomkei.
Stating that apparel and textile including technical textile is one of the six focus sectors of the state, Mr Pradhan said, Odisha too has an industrial and apparel policy in place to ensure smooth clearances of projects.
In addition, Odisha is also one of the first states to have a dedicated Skill Development Authority to develop customised training programs for workers. Together with factors such as these, the Minister added, that Odisha is also well poised logistically and industrially to qualify for a MITRA park.


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Texas Gulf Shrimp Recipes Featured at Texas Fine Wine Monthly Vintner Dinner Series at Fischer & Wieser Culinary Adventure Cooking School
CENTRAL TEXAS, May 9, 2017 –Texas Gulf shrimp and Texas wine are two of the Lone Star State’s summer favorites so Texas Fine Wine has created a new Texas Gulf Shrimp and Wine Pairing Guide. The pairing guide features five special Texas Gulf shrimp recipes, developed by Chef John DeMers, which will be prepared at five upcoming Fischer & Wieser Culinary Adventure Cooking School vintner dinners hosted by Texas Fine Wine.
Brennan Vineyards will be the featured wine for the first Texas Fine Wine Vintner Dinner on Friday, May 12. The subsequent dinners are Spicewood Vineyards on June 16; Duchman Family Winery on July 14; Pedernales Cellars on August 18; and Bending Branch Winery on September 15.
Guests will enjoy a five-course meal, which includes a Texas Gulf shrimp dish, paired with five wines from the featured winery. Guests will also receive the new Texas Gulf Shrimp and Wine Pairing Guide along with a Texas Fine Wine tote bag. Tickets are $75.
“Texas white and rosé wines are great pairings for so many Texas Gulf shrimp dishes,” says Robert Young, M.D., owner and winemaker for Bending Branch Winery. “From Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano and Vermentino to Texas’ up-and-coming Roussanne and especially Picpoul Blanc with its high natural acidity, there is something for everyone.”
Each month, the new Culinary Adventure Cooking School will offer tastings from the featured winery in its renovated space at the historic Das Peach Haus store and will sell wine by the bottle.
Texas Fine Wine is a group of five distinctive wineries dedicated to making quality wines from Texas appellation vineyards and setting the highest standards in the Texas wine industry. Texas Fine Wine invites wine enthusiasts to visit TexasFineWine.com for information about each winery, news releases about recent wine awards, and other materials such as its Iconic Texas Food & Wine Pairing Guide. Follow Texas Fine Wine on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Texas is a top producer of quality, wild-caught shrimp, landing approximately 45 million pounds of shrimp each year. For the pairing guide recipes and other information about Texas Gulf shrimp, visit http://www.gotexan.org/ExperienceGOTEXAN/GOTEXANShrimp.aspx.


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Mario’s less famous brother will star in a bunch of new games.
After decades of playing second fiddle to the No. 1 video game hero, Luigi is getting some love from Nintendo. Nintendo has named 2013 the “Year of Luigi,” thanks to the numerous appearances that Mario’s timid, green-clad twin brother will be making in games this year. In a Nintendo Direct video, Nintendo provided details about games on the way that feature Luigi, as well as information about more than two dozen upcoming games, including content for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS across packaged and digital formats.
“Luigi is just the green tip of the iceberg of all the great news we have to share with Nintendo fans this year and beyond,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s president and COO. “We’re showing how Nintendo 3DS and Wii U continue to be a source of fun, entertainment and great surprises.”
The Year of Luigi
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon: The game that kicks off the Year of Luigi launches March 24 and will include additional multiplayer modes beyond the previously revealed Hunter Mode. Up to four players with their own Nintendo 3DS systems can team up via local wireless, pair up in Download Play or connect over the Internet to escape each floor within the time limit in Rush Mode and search for the hidden ghost dogs in Polterpup Mode (up to four game cards may be required).


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We discuss an autonomous truck becoming approved on US roads, Apple's force touch technology, a $9 computer Netflix data impact, tax changes for online services, new smartphones from Microsoft, a very robust Samsung tablet and finally a stylish wearable device.
Get the Podcast here:
Other related posts:
NZ Tech Podcast: iPhone 11 Pro's superb night photography, Microsoft Surface Duo (Android Phone) and Surface Neo (Windows 10X tablet)
NZ Tech Podcast 455: Ex-Uber engineer charged for stealing IP, Australia vs Online Extremism, Huawei Mate 30 to lack Google Play Store
Sky TV's Parnell Skunkworks and Tuia 250 data breach - NZ Tech Podcast 454


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Mac sales are booming in Asia
In past earnings conference calls, Apple has emphasized the important role of Asia in its future growth. And it's not just iPhones that are flying off the shelves. Mac shipments are also booming in the Asia-Pacific region. According to Needham analyst Charlie Wolf, Mac shipments rose 67.6% in the region and this explosive growth drove worldwide shipments to a staggering 55.2% year-over-year increase. Mac sales have been on the rise over the last six quarters, a trend that is only increasing and not slowing down.
Apple products are popular in Asia and its middle class, with discretionary income, is growing. If you need more proof, just look at all the fake Apple stores that are cropping up across China. They are trying to capitalize on Apple's success, too
In past earnings conference calls, Apple has emphasized the important role of Asia in its future growth. And it's not just iPhones...
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- Weather Underground iPhone app gets crowdsourced weather, iOS 7 style
- Apple updates iMovie, adds support for older Macs


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- News tagged "phablet"
Friday, 20 Sep 2013
Consumers who have registered their interest for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 can collect their devices starting 27 September from local telcos as well as Samsung Experience Stores. Alternatively, you may purchase the gadget from 28 September onwards.
Monday, 9 Sep 2013
Windows Phone Central obtained an alleged image of Nokia's upcoming 6-inch Lumia 1520. Hit the link to find out more. (Update: More images of the device leaked, including comparison shots with the 5-inch Sony Xperia Z.)
Thursday, 5 Sep 2013
Samsung has announced that the registration of interest for its Galaxy Note 3 will begin on 7th Sep, at 0000 hours. Alternatively, you can also visit Samsung Experience stores on the same day during opening hours to pre-order a unit of the mobile device (without contract) by placing a S$50 deposit. Details inside.
Wednesday, 27 Feb 2013
With the recent influx of 5-inch devices, ZTE has gone ahead and announced an Android smartphone with a 5.7-inch, 720 x 1280 display at MWC 2013. Comparatively, Samsung's Galaxy Note II comes with a 5.5-inch screen and Huawei's Ascend Mate comes with a bigger 6.1-inch screen.
Tuesday, 22 Jan 2013
A post from Chinese forum digi-wo.com has indicated that Sony might go with an odd 6.44-inch display for its upcoming device. The leaked image shows the device "with Sony branding" and is said to be made for a phablet device "with a 1080p display".
Friday, 11 Jan 2013
As expected, Huawei reveals its flagship 5-inch Ascend D2 at CES 2013. The device runs on Android 4.1, and comes with a 5-inch Super Retina LCD display, 2GB of RAM and a 3000mAh battery.
Wednesday, 9 Jan 2013
ZTE officially announces the Grand S smartphone, which is currently the world's thinnest 5-inch FHD smartphone at 6.9mm.
Thursday, 3 Jan 2013
According to DigiTimes, LG's next-gen flagship device, the 5.5-inch Optimus G2, will be making an appearance at the upcoming CES event as well.
Wednesday, 2 Jan 2013
The Sony Xperia Z (Yuga) and the Xperia ZL (Odin) aren't new to rumors. This time, two official images have made to the surface, with both of them hosted on SonyMobile.com.
Saturday, 29 Dec 2012
Samsung may be introducing a black variant of the Galaxy Note II.


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Alejandra Cancino's article on tax incentives provides some interesting insights on Illinois edge incentives as well as corporate tax incentives in general. Cancino discusses the 43 million dollar incentive package that was given to Motorola for a cell phone assembly line in Mchenry Country. According to state data more than $500 million was spent on business incentives in the fiscal year of 2016 in Illinois alone. Full article listed below.
General Motors has greatly benefited from the federal tax break "net operating loss carry forward". This year alone they have avoided paying 18 million in federal taxes due to previously filing for bankruptcy. Additionally, at the end of last year GM still has 8.6 billion in future domestic tax credits. GM also received a $7,500 credit that buyers get for purchasing plug in cars. Furthermore, GM was awarded tens of millions in research grants in a variety of departments, such as energy. This is a great example of tax incentives at work. Full article below.
Amazon's H2Q is to be located in Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia as well as Long Island City in Queens, New York. As stated by Amy Plitt in NY Curbed, New York will be giving amazon up to 1.7 BILLION in subsidies. In exchange, Amazon is committing to creating 25,000 new jobs in addition to building a school. Despite popular belief, you do not need to be a large company to qualify for government incentives. ENJEN takes pride in contributing to organic job growth by negotiating maximum benefits for mid market companies.
Full article listed below.
Read this and more just like it and then ask yourself...wouldn't it be smarter to take this money and energy and use it to grow the multitude of small to mid-market companies? Post2grow.com
ENJEN.US is committed to sharing news surrounding the use of government incentives for growth responsibly.
Other News in Incentives


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WHAT'S NEW IN CONTACT LENSES
WHAT'S NEW IN CONTACT LENSES; The Bitter Battle Between Doctors and Chain Stores
By Jonathan Gill
Published: June 19, 1988
TEN years ago, private optometrists and ophthalmologists prescribed and fit 80 percent of all lenses. Today, that figure has shrunk to less than 50 percent, in the face of competition from high-volume retail chains and phone and mail order companies. The largest of the these is Pearle Health Services, a retail chain which fits and sells lenses at 1,300 storefronts in 45 states and recruits optometrists directly from optometry schools.
Even though the shift is thought to have stabilized, the competition among retailers, who now number almost 10,000, and private doctors is bitter. In New Mexico, for example, a group of doctors refuse to prescribe lenses for patients who intend to buy them more cheaply in a retail outlet.
''It's incredible what goes on at the quickie places,'' said Michael A. Feldman, a Long Island optometrist. ''What they're interested in is sales, and it really hurts our industry.''
Private doctors, many of whom confine their work to contact lenses, say that despite strict Federal regulations governing the dispensing of contact lenses, retail operations neglect medical care in favor of quick service and low prices.
Complaints about the chains range from sales pressure for or against certain lenses to failure to clean sample lenses after each try-on. Some companies use aggressive advertising to draw in crowds. One Pennsylvania chain recently advertised in a Philadelphia newspaper a special on soft lenses for $1.99 a pair, but the price applied only to first-time, near-sighted patients who also paid $50 for an eye exam.
The high-volume operations like Pearle, Cole National, with almost 600 stores, and Royal Optical, with almost 500 stores, say they offer adequate care and low prices to most lens wearers - even specialty lenses are available from some services for less than $50 - and that private doctors use big mark-ups to make up for low volume.
''We're taking a major bite out of their profits and I think that's where the animosity comes in,'' said Michael A. Ames, the general manager of Dial-A-Contact-Lens in La Jolla, Calif., one of several high-volume telephone services nationwide. ''We're probably blowing off a lot of their Ferraris,'' Mr. Ames said.
''We have had complaints, but there are probably complaints about doctors too,'' said Rhonda Klein Singer, the vice president and general counsel of the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York. The bureau, which keeps records of complaints, says the number of complaints about retail operations in the New York area has been decreasing.
''For the average person it may be a money saver,'' said Ms. Singer.


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IGTV Abandoned its Vertical Video Requirement, but Will It Matter?
Say goodbye to those ugly cropped videos in IGTV.
In the hopes of drawing more people, viewers and creators alike, to the struggling platform, IGTV is scrapping its vertical video requirement, instead supporting both horizontal and vertical video. Now, instead of seeing those ugly blurred bars or giant letterboxes at the top and bottom of horizontally-oriented videos, users will be able to rotate their screens to view the video in full-screen.
To understand what this adjustment could mean for the platform, let’s take a quick look at the history of IGTV and the changes that could still be ahead.
Why Vertical Video?
Instagram’s original idea — creating IGTV as a vertical video-only platform — was always a bit of a gamble. While you could say that vertical video is having a moment, it’s still not the norm for viewing long form content.
Instagram’s Stories feature, which uses vertical video, has been wildly successful since its introduction in 2016, and aiming to use that popularity to take on video-giant Youtube, Instagram introduced IGTV last year. The difference between Stories and IGTV, however, is that Stories are only 15 seconds long at maximum, and IGTV videos can be up to 10 minutes long for average users and 60 minutes long for established channels.
Another strike against vertical video is the simple fact that video platforms like YouTube have become about much more than candid viral videos shot from a person’s iPhone. Most popular content creators don’t shot video in a vertical format. They use expensive cameras and fancy editing software to create highly-produced content. Uploading those videos into a vertical format on IGTV leaves unsightly blurred boxes on the top and bottom of the screen, making the video much smaller and more difficult to view.
With horizontal videos now supported on IGTV, it could be just the thing content creators are looking for to populate the platform with more diverse, better quality content.
We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet
IGTV still likely has a long ways to go, however, if it wants to give YouTube a run for its money.
The main issue that IGTV needs to address now is monetization. YouTube offers ad revenue incentives for creators to post videos to their site, but IGTV has no such monetization scheme, which leaves many users wondering, “Why bother?”
While there are still no ad options on IGTV, influencers may still make money on IGTV through brand partnerships.
While content-makers can, of course, still make money through IGTV via product endorsements and brand partnerships, low viewership stemming from a lack of quality content makes IGTV a less appealing option for influencer marketing than a standard IG post. You could say we’re stuck in a sort of loop when it comes to quality branded content. Because there’s little existing IGTV content, viewers steer clear, and brands refrain from using IGTV to create new content. However, monetization options may help to break that cycle and bring more quality content, and therefore more viewers, to the platform.
Will IGTV Ever Catch On?
IGTV looked like it had one foot in the grave almost since the day it launched. Suffering from low viewership and a lack of content, the platform failed to truly pick up steam. Even IGTV’s celebrity and influencer launch partners only produced an average of 5 videos prior to abandoning the platform.
Back in the end of February, however, something interesting happened. IGTV’s views suddenly took a sharp turn upward, averaging between a 300–1000% increase across many popular channels. This uptick in viewership was thanks in no small part to Instagram choosing to show short IGTV previews in users’ main feeds. Users could then tap the preview to continue to watch the full video in IGTV.
With these latest changes, it’s clear that Instagram isn’t quite ready to give up on IGTV, so maybe we shouldn’t either.


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Storm United: Demolition Mode Alpha Footage
A first look at Demolition Mode in Storm United’s first alpha.
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Silicon carbide semiconductors are seen as a game changer in electromobility. With these powerful chips, electric cars could become more attractive: They promise faster charging, more economical consumption and thus a longer range.
According to the latest media reports, the US chip manufacturer Wolfspeed now wants to build what is said to be the world's largest factory for silicon carbide semiconductors on the site of a former coal-fired power plant in Ensdorf in Saarland. There is no official confirmation of this yet.
This Wednesday there could be clarity. According to the Federal Chancellery, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) are taking part in Ensdorf "in an event on an industrial policy project in the field of microelectronics" (3.30 p.m.). Further details were not initially available.
Wolfspeed wants funding
The car supplier ZF also has a minority stake in the factory, the “Handelsblatt” reported. According to information from the "Saarbrücker Zeitung" and the Saarländisches Rundfunk, up to 1000 jobs will be created. Series production of the chips, which are primarily used in electric vehicles, should begin in a few years. The Saarland state government and ZF did not want to comment on the reports.
According to media reports, a joint research center is also planned, in which ZF holds the majority. The automotive supplier ZF has around 9,000 employees at its Saarbrücken location. In November 2022, ZF announced that its Saarbrücken plant would become the lead location for electric drive systems. Investments in the three-digit million range are planned in order to develop drive technology for purely electric vehicles in the future, said ZF board member Stephan von Schuckmann.
According to the "Handelsblatt", however, there has not yet been any commitment for state subsidies for the Wolfspeed project. The subsidies are the prerequisite for the commitment in Saarland. Semiconductor manufacturers usually calculate with public funds of 40 percent of the total costs.
Chips are required in many industries
The US company Wolfspeed was founded in 1987 under the name Cree in Durham, North Carolina. According to Wolfspeed, it is the market leader in the application of semiconductors based on the particularly conductive materials silicon carbide and gallium nitride. These chips are required, among other things, for electric cars, fast chargers, 5G mobile communications technology, energy storage and projects in the aerospace and defense industries.
For fiscal year 2022, the company reported sales of $746 million (€689 million). By 2027, sales should increase to USD 4 billion (3.7 billion euros). A presentation to investors in October 2022 said the planned new plant at the yet-to-be-declared location will be the largest Wolfspeed factory.
Of the company's total investment of $6.5 billion, this new facility alone would account for more than $2 billion. More than half of the total sales would then be made in the new plant. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2023 and production will start in 2027.