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Map data © 2020 Google
Don’t get too excited yet–it’s not opening until at least 2023, when the lease expires for the space’s current tenant, the Food Emporium grocery store. The Post reports that Target signed a lease for the 32,579-square-foot space at the base of 10 Union Square East. Target currently has seven stores in Manhattan, with two more set to open in Times Square, Columbus Circle, and Washinton Heights. One of their stores is just a few avenues east on 14th Street at Avenue A.
Rendering courtesy of Target
New York City is getting another Target. The retailer announced on Thursday plans to open a small-format store in Times Square, its 10th store in Manhattan. The 33,000-square-foot location will be located at a five-level retail complex on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The property, owned and managed by Tishman Realty, is currently undergoing a $60 million renovation. The 42nd Street shop is expected to open in 2022.
The Target takeover continues
Image via Google Earth.
A planned expansion by Target into several Queens neighborhoods has run afoul of politicians and community groups. The chain store hopes to open new stores in Astoria and Elmhurst by 2022, but activists in the borough have been fighting to stop the new additions, objecting to the fact that they’ll replace mom-and-pop stores and concerned about the effects of gentrification in their neighborhoods. Another concern is that Target’s non-union workforce will replace union jobs, The City reports.
Find out more
Google Street View of 600 West 181st Street
New Yorkers love to emphasize their non-suburban tendencies, but something about big-box retailer Target must be working because they’ve just announced plans to open yet another store in NYC. First reported by The Real Deal, Target will open a Washington Heights outpost at 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in 2020.
Get the scoop
Rendering via Target
New York City is getting its 28th Target store, the retail giant announced on Monday. The company will open a “small-format” store near Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side in 2019. This new Target is part of the company’s plan to open 130 small-format stores by the end of next year in urban and highly-populated suburban areas, as well as near college campuses.
Find out more
Photo by Tia Richards for 6sqft
Target officially opened its first store in the East Village on Saturday, to mixed reviews from locals. During its grand opening, the chain recreated the storefront of CBGB, a famous punk rock club where the Ramones, Patti Smith and Blondie played, with a red-and-white awning that reads “TRGT.” Located on 14th Street and Avenue A, the design included red newspaper boxes similar to old ones of the Village Voice paper, fake fire-hydrants and a temporary facade made to look like the housing tenements of the Village in the 1970s and 1980s. Jeremiah Moss, the author behind the Vanishing New York blog, called the new store “the most deplorable commodification of local neighborhood culture I’ve ever witnessed.” As of Monday, the CBGB-themed storefront is no longer up.
It might seem like it’s been there forever, but the new East Village Target store at 14th Street and Avenue A opened its doors this week ahead of a scheduled grand opening Saturday, July 21. The small-format chain icon occupies the corner spot in the EVGB (“East Village’s Greatest Building”) rental building that opened at 510 East 14th Street this year and is now stocked and ready to supply residents (the building is 50 percent leased according to a press release from developer Extell) and the rest of the ‘hood with everything from cosmetics and cleaning supplies to apples and Amy’s Bowls to the cheap-but-funky home goods the store is famous for. Also beer.
Already, complaints about the beer selection
Rendering via Target
Retail giant Target announced on Tuesday that it will bring three new Target stores to New York City, further expanding its footprint in the Big Apple. The new stores, planned for the Upper East Side, Astoria and Staten Island, will be “small format,” tailored to the needs of shoppers in urban areas (h/t NBC). In a statement, Mark Schindele, a senior vice president of Target’s properties, said: “All three of these new stores will offer the best of Target in that borough, yet curate the assortment to meet the needs and preferences of the nearby community.”
More details here
Ambitiously dubbed EVGB–for “East Village’s Greatest Building”–Extell Development’s new rental building at 510 East 14th Street between Avenues A and B just hit the rental market. In addition to amenities like a fitness center, saltwater pool and rooftop deck, the new building is perhaps best known for its also-new retail anchor tenant, a two-level Target store, the chain’s first location in the neighborhood. The building’s 110 market-rate and 50 affordable–the lottery for those launched recently–units are expected to be ready for occupancy by April. According to the building’s just-launched website, available apartments range from studios for $3,695 a month to a three-bedroom unit for $12,425.
Take a look and find out more
Rendering via Extell Development
An Extell Development rental building in the East Village is now accepting applications for 50 newly constructed, middle-income units. Not only does the chic building at 524 East 14th Street boast amenities like a fitness center, pool and rooftop deck, it will also have a two-level Target, the chain’s first location in the neighborhood. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $1,114/studios to $2,733/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you quality


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TEL AVIV, Israel, September 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Crosswise, an innovator in cross-device identification mapping, announced today that it has closed a $3 million Series A round of financing led by Pereg Ventures with the participation of ZhenFund, Emerge and existing investors Giza Venture Capital, OurCrowd and Horizons Ventures. The company will use the funding to expand its international presence and increase its sales and marketing efforts.
Crosswise's technology anonymously identifies which devices-such as smartphones, tablets, PCs and digital TVs-are being used by individual consumers. Identifying these connections from among billions of different devices allows companies to shift their advertising, retargeting, content personalization and marketing analytics from being device-focused to being person-focused. The results include improved online experiences for consumers, dramatically improved marketing ROI for advertisers, and more valuable ad space and audience segments for publishers.
"After evaluating multiple providers in the rapidly-growing cross-device matching sector, we became very excited about the leadership team and distinctive platform that Crosswise has created," said Ziv Ben Barouch, General Partner at Pereg Ventures. "We are confident in their ability to serve more clients in more countries around the world, and we look forward to helping them exceed their goals."
"I see significant potential in the Chinese market for unique technological solutions such as the one provided by Crosswise," said Xu Xiaoping, Founder of ZhenFund, and investor in and advisor to Emerge. "Crosswise's solution will help Chinese companies grow, both in the Chinese market where mobile device use is growing rapidly, and also in global markets."
"The fact that most consumers now use between two and four different devices to conduct their online affairs makes it critical for advertisers and publishers to be able to identify which devices are being used by a single consumer," said Dovi Ollech, founder of Emerge and co-investor with ZhenFund in Crosswise. "The unique technology developed by Crosswise meets this challenge."
"We are very pleased to welcome Pereg Ventures, ZhenFund and Emerge as investors in Crosswise," said Steven Glanz, Founder and CEO of Crosswise. "This is a very exciting period in the evolution of digital marketing and analytics, and we look forward to helping many more advertisers and publishers improve their relationships with customers and increase the ROI of their online investments."
Published findings from various sources support the importance of integrating cross-device data into all aspects of online marketing and analytics. Examples include:
- Americans own an average of four digital devices and engage with media content across screens for more than 60 hours per week. (Nielsen)
- 90% of consumers accomplish online activities, such as researching and shopping online, using multiple devices. (Google)
- 71% of consumers don't take well to inconsistent messaging from a brand across their devices. (Forrester)
Crosswise provides the world's most authoritative anonymous cross-device mapping data. Based on proprietary machine learning, data science and Big Data technologies, Crosswise's device map enables ad tech vendors, retail brands and premium publishers to realize the tremendous benefits of cross-device advertising, content personalization and analytics. The company's team consists of ad tech industry veterans, Big Data engineers and the world's largest team of data scientists dedicated exclusively to the cross-device identification challenge. Crosswise is backed by Pereg Ventures, ZhenFund, Horizons Ventures, Giza Ventures and OurCrowd. Learn more at http://www.crosswise.com.
About Pereg Ventures
Pereg Ventures is a venture capital firm headquartered in New York City. The firm offers unique expertise to entrepreneurs who are leading innovative B2B information services companies, particularly those that help consumer-driven companies measure their market performance and/or optimize their marketing investments. Our investment focus is Series A and B financing rounds. Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) is a strategic investor in Pereg Ventures. Learn more at: peregventures.com.
ZhenFund was established in 2011 in collaboration with Sequoia Capital China. The fund is led by Xu Xiaoping, co-founder of New Oriental Education & Technology Group (NYSE: EDU) and one of China's pioneering angel investors. The company's portfolio includes over 150 high-growth companies in the Internet, e-commerce, gaming, enterprise software and education sectors. Learn more at zhenfund.com/Home/Index/en.
Emerge is a venture capital fund focused on assisting Israeli technology companies to create value through the Chinese market. The fund, backed by leading Chinese tech entrepreneurs and investors, is led by Dovi Ollech, former Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to Israel's Chief Scientist. Learn more at http://www.emerge.co.il.
About Giza Venture Capital
Giza Venture Capital, established in 1992, is a pioneer investor in seed and early-stage technology companies and currently manages five funds totaling over $600 million. Giza has invested in over 100 companies and has had over 35 successful exits. Learn more at http://www.gizavc.com.
OurCrowd is a leading global equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors to invest in Israeli and global companies. Managed by a team of well-known professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities and invests its own capital alongside its accredited individual investors. OurCrowd investors must meet stringent accreditation criteria and invest a minimum of $10,000 per deal of their choice. OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigning industry experts as mentors and taking board seats. OurCrowd has raised over $130 million in equity crowdfunding for its 70 portfolio companies including Borro, BillGuard, Consumer Physics (SCiO), BioCatch, Abe's Market, and ReWalk, OurCrowd's first portfolio company to complete a successful IPO. For more information, visit http://www.ourcrowd.com.
About Horizons Ventures
Based in Hong Kong, Horizons Ventures manages the technology investments of Mr. Li Ka-Shing globally, including investments in companies such as Skype, Facebook, Spotify, Siri, Waze, Deepmind, Hampton Creek, and Windward. Learn more at http://www.horizonsventures.com.
For more info, please contact:

domain: news


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'24' -- Watch Company Sues Fox ... You Really Ticked Us off!
'24'Watch Co. Sues FoxYou Really Ticked Us Off!
1/19/2015 12:15 AM PT
Fox is being sued by a watch company that made a deal to produce special "24" timepieces ... a deal which turned into a financial disaster.
The U.S. Agency Watch Company claims Fox was asleep at the wheel in providing a style guide and approving watch designs branded specifically for "24." The company claims Fox dragged it's feet for months, and by the time they finally got approval they couldn't meet their production deadline.
They say as a result 15,000 orders had to be cancelled.
On the bright side, we're thinking the watches that were actually produced may become collector's items and more valuable.
Sounds like Jack Bauer needed just a few more minutes.


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The next roll-out of iPhone emojis is scheduled for September 2021 approval. Here's a first look at the 102 emojis in review.
You can get emoji on your MacBook's Touch Bar by tapping the smiley face symbol — but only if the program you're using supports them.
Disney Plus GroupWatch reactions are emojis that you can select while streaming that will appear on all GroupWatch participants' screens.
You can use emoji on your Mac through the "Emoji & Symbols" menu, which can be opened by pressing Control + Command + Spacebar.
iOS 14 allows you to search for emojis by name or category on your iPhone's keyboard, so that you don't have to scroll through the whole list — here's how to do it
You can search for emojis on your iPhone starting with iOS 14, so that you don't have to browse through every emoji to find a specific one.
Every year, new emoji are released. But did you know they were created by everyday people? Here's a breakdown of how an emoji is created.
You can't change the default emoji on Gboard, but you can create new emoji stickers to send to others using Emoji Kitchen.
You can add emojis to Slack messages by using the emoji menu, or by manually typing in the name of the emoji.
Lush is relaunching its peach and eggplant bath bombs — originally created for Valentine's Day 2019 — as permanent items starting January 3.
The Taiwan flag emoji has disappeared from the latest iPhone keyboard for users in Hong Kong and Macau
Hong Kong and Macau users reported the the Taiwan flag emoji has disappeared for iPhone users in iOS 13.1.1 or above.
A pink 'emoji house' has gone on sale for $1.7 million in California after angering neighbors with its controversial makeover
The home sparked headlines across the world after its owner painted the exterior a vibrant shade of pink with two huge emoji faces on the walls.
Facemoji, an app that lets you create your own virtual avatar, has over 2 million downloads by tapping into what makes teens in 2019 different from other generations
Facemoji has over 2 million users and creates digital avatars that compete with popular platforms like Bitmoji and Memoji.
New Hershey's Milk Chocolate Emoji Bars come embossed with popular emoticons like the "thumbs up," "100," and "cowboy."
People in Queensland, Australia, can only choose the emojis "laughing out loud," "winking face," "cool sunglasses," "heart eyes," and "smiley face."
Emojis have been around for 10 years this November, and they've gone through some significant changes in the past decade.
A peacock, lacrosse stick, teddy bear, and cupcake are all on the list of new emojis arriving on iPhones.
Google's cute blob faces have been replaced with normal-looking emojis.
Though site moderators are told to consider the context of emoji use, some of the examples may be surprising.
Red-headed people will be depicted in emoji form for the first time on Tuesday, when 157 new emoji will be added to the official Unicode registry. Bagels, cupcakes, kangaroos, and toilet paper will also be included in the update, which may take a bit longer to reach your phone.
The world's foremost emoji historian shares how emoji get made and what new emoji you can expect soon
On your emoji keyboard, you can specificy skin tone and gender for just about every person emoji, peruse nearly every country's flag, and enjoy an ever-growing selection of foods and sports. The creator of Emojipedia said there's much more to come, though.


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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Daily News may be up for sale.
Mort Zuckerman, the owner and publisher of the New York City tabloid newspaper, sent a memo to employees on Thursday that said he was approached about a potential sale a few weeks ago. The memo was sent to The Associated Press.
“Although there were no immediate plans to consider a sale, we thought it would be prudent to explore the possibility and talk to potential buyers and/or investors,” Zuckerman wrote in the memo.
He has hired the financial advisory firm Lazard to help with the process.
Zuckerman did not say who the potential buyer is and his spokesman Tom Goodman had no comment beyond the memo.
The newspaper industry has been suffering for years from declining print circulation and advertising revenue, as readership and ad dollars have shifted online. While online advertising is growing at many newspapers, this is not always enough to make up for the print losses.
Zuckerman said that the “immense hard work in turning the business around in an extremely challenging period for the industry, has put the Daily News in as strong a position than it has ever been, particularly online.”


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Most companies look to press releases and sponsored news stories (à la Chanel’s recurring ad in WWD) to educate the public, or in Chanel's case, "fashion editors, advertisers, copywriters, and other well-intentioned mis-users of the Chanel name," about the legal repercussions of using their trademark-protected names. They tend to also file trademark infringement lawsuits to protect the value associated with their valuable marks.
Unlike some other forms of intellectual property protection (namely, patents and copyrights), trademark protection can potentially last forever, as long as the trademark is being used in commerce and has not been subjected to generalization, thus giving rise to the need for trademark holders to make sure others' are not using their marks in ways that would lessen the distinctiveness or uniqueness of the marks.
Just as Chanel does not want people using its name to describe quilted bags or tweed jackets, Velcro does not want consumers using its trademark to describe the mechanism for which the company is famous – the temporarily attaching (until pulled apart) fabric. With that in mind, the company released a music video entitled "Don't Say Velcro" explaining that every time you use the word "Velcro" to describe self-fasteners, you are hurting the actual Velcro brand.
The music video features a band of lawyers singing the company's qualms, and pleading with the public to cease saying phrases like, "Velcro shoes" when the fastener is not actually made by the Velcro brand.
"It's not about doing it for us, it's about doing the right thing," the website reads. "Successful brands around the world need your support to help protect trademark guidelines. Pledge to end the era of broken trademark laws."
As for what brand should probably start policing its marks more heavily? Teva, as the sandal company's trademark-protected name is consistently used - by the fashion industry - as a term to describe a specific type of sandal, one that looks like Teva's sandals, of course.
The usage has gotten so out of hand that as of this past spring after Prada showed what Vogue called a “Teva” sandal for S/S 2017, Saks Fifth Avenue began stocking the "Prada Teva" sandal. Not only is this problematic in terms of genericization, it is also potentially confusing to consumers, who, in the age of collaborations, might think that Teva was involved in the creation/marketing of the $545 Prada sandal, which, in fact, it was not.
Teva might want to consider taking a page from Chanel or Velcro's book ... and soon.


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A farmer in central Ha Tinh Province sprays pesticide on a field. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Hung.
Pesticide companies saw revenues and profits plunge in the first half of the year as the Covid-19 outbreak took a toll on agriculture.
Loc Troi Group Jsc based in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang saw post-tax profits plummet by 55 percent year-on-year to VND116 billion ($5 million), and revenues by half to VND2.2 trillion ($94.73 million).
Ho Chi Minh City-based HAI Agrochem Joint Stock Company reported a 94 percent drop in post-tax profit to VND702 million ($30,230), while revenues fell 77 percent to 181.7 billion.
Techno-Agricultural Supplying Jsc in the southern Can Tho City slipped marginally into the red after achieving profits in the same period last year.
All the companies said sales dropped as many farmers stopped farming because of the Covid-19 pandemic. They had already been affected by saltwater intrusion in rivers and drought.
Agricultural expert Vo Tong Xuan said while it might be bad for business it is good for the country’s agriculture since pesticides have been abused for years.
A report by the World Bank three years ago said 50-60 of Vietnamese farmers use excessive pesticides, some use 5-8 times each season to protect vegetables.
High demand means listed pesticide companies achieved an average profit margin of 25.6 percent last year compared to 17 percent for all listed companies.
If Vietnam continues to abuse pesticides, its produce could only be sold domestically and to China, Xuan said.
The pandemic is a good opportunity for farmers to reduce dependency on pesticides and sell to more difficult markets such as the U.S. and the E.U., he said.
Analysts from FPT Securities Jsc said there is increasing research into organic plant protection products, which could bring about a more sustainable future for the agriculture sector.


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Vulcan retail businesses say they’re pleased with the support they’ve received so far during the holiday shopping season.
Black Friday, which was Nov. 27, was low key this year in Vulcan during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Alberta government on Nov. 24 put new gathering restrictions in place to slow the growth of COVID-19, including restricting retail businesses to 25 per cent of their capacity.
Dwayne Dallmann, owner of Dallmann Computers, said he had deals on throughout the week of Black Friday. He didn’t stay open late that day, closing at 5 p.m.
Dallmann said he sold a few TVs and computers during the week of Black Friday. Unsold items that were marked down will remain discounted at those prices until they sell, he said.
He said this year has been an “interesting” one for his business.
With more people at home since the start of pandemic, Dallmann has sold more custom-built PCs for gaming this year, and he’s accepting many more courier packages these days, too.


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A Chennai-based pharmaceutical company, Global Pharma Healthcare, is recalling an entire consignment of eye drops linked to vision loss in the US, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. The country's health protection agency said drug-resistant bacteria could have contaminated the eye drop, which has been also linked to one death from a bloodstream infection.
The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is testing unopened bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops, manufactured by the company, while the US Food and Drug Administration said it has moved to restrict imports of products made by the company.
To date, there have been 55 reports of adverse events, including eye infections, permanent loss of vision and a death with bloodstream infection, it added.
The USFDA underscored that "use of contaminated artificial tears can result in the risk of eye infections that could result in blindness".
Artificial Tears Lubricant eye drops are used as a protectant against irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye.
The bacterium usually spreads to people in hospitals or other healthcare settings when they're exposed to contaminated water or soil, where it typically lives.
The India-made eye drops are the latest pharmaceutical product from the country to land under scrutiny after dozens of deaths among children in Gambia and Uzbekistan last year linked to cough syrups.
In a statement posted on its website, Global Pharma Healthcare said consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to using these over-the-counter drug products.
Global Pharma Healthcare produces and supplies a wide range of pharmaceutical formulations in several therapeutic forms to a variety of markets in Southeast Asia, Central America, LATAM, CIS, and Africa.
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PS5 Price And Launch Supply Not Affected By Coronavirus
Sony's Jim Ryan talks about the debut of PlayStation 5, which is still without an exact release date.
The question of when exactly PS5 and Xbox Series X will launch continues to persist, although both Sony and Microsoft have announced a target of late 2020. Sony has reiterated that PS5's release date is set for Holiday 2020, noting that the coronavirus is not expected to impact the launch supply in any significant way, nor will it affect pricing.
Speaking with GameSpot sister site CNET, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan confirmed that there has been no interruption to Sony's plan to launch PS5 worldwide later this year. "We remain absolutely on track," he said. "We're going to launch this holiday, we will have a global launch. And we're greatly looking forward to it. And we very much want the gaming world to look forward to it, too."
The launch of any major new game system is typically accompanied by sellouts, as demand often far outpaces the available supply. That's certainly been the case with Sony's past consoles, as anyone who attempted to get a PS4 on launch day can attest. And it's expected to again occur whenever PS5 hits, but the console selling out won't be due to any major impact of the coronavirus.
"Right now, we're not seeing anything saying to us there's going to be problems with quantities or we won't be able to launch the way we want," Ryan told CNET, matching up with what the company had indicated earlier this year.
In an interview with the BBC, Ryan also noted that the ongoing pandemic has not impacted a decision regarding PS5's price. That said, the price is still not being announced yet.
Manufacturing of PS5 is expected to start soon in order for the console to make its launch date. That could potentially lead to a leak regarding the look of the system, which remains a complete mystery (although we have gotten a look at the PS5's controller, DualSense). As such, Sony may intend to publicly reveal the look of the system in the near future.
We do now know for sure that the company intends to host a PS5 games-focused event on June 4. At this point, however, that is only confirmed to showcase games and gameplay, not the hardware itself or any of the major topics like release date, price, or launch lineup. You can keep track of how and when you can buy the console in our PS5 pre-order guide.
Starting June 1, GameSpot will be hosting Play For All--a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer's hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch And More Games Coverage
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.


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Budleigh woman's mission to drive sales of English wines
PUBLISHED: 09:28 06 June 2016 | UPDATED: 09:28 06 June 2016
The co-owner of a Budleigh Salterton vineyard has said an upcoming tasting event is an opportunity for people to sample English wines.
Faye Pratt, of Lily Farm Vineyard, Dalditch Lane, is also the membership secretary for the South West Vineyards Association, which is organising the occasion.
The trade and consumer tasting event, at Exeter Phoenix later this month, is in its second year.
Vineyards such as Budleigh-based Lily Farm will be offering visitors a chance to sample their home-grown wine.
Faye, who runs the business with husband Alan, said that the success of last year’s event at Rendezvous Wine Bar, Exeter, meant they had been forced to move to a larger location.
She said: “After the success of last year and the requests from consumers to attend, we had to make it a ticket event.
“We (Lily Farm) certainly always look forward to any event which promotes English wines because it is a really successful industry.
“Some people don’t realise that English wines are produced, but people in the industry and the supermarkets are stocking English wines now.
“The climate in England is very suitable at the moment to produce wines which have a full fruit flavour.
“As membership secretary, I am delighted to actually be involved in organising the event.”
Lily Farm, which uses grapes grown in Knowle, has been producing English wines for the last nine years and has five harvests for every variety they produce.
The business, which also offers public tours around the vineyard, recently won a certificate of excellence from Trip Advisor.
● The South West Vineyards Association tasting event will take place on Monday, June 20, from 7.30pm. Tickets costing £5 in advance and £6 on the door are available from www.exeterphoenix.org.uk or from www.eventbrite.cco.uk


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Houston Texans star J.J. Watt has called on fans of fast food chain Whataburger to buy the Texas-based fast food joint back after a majority stake was sold to a Chicago investment firm.
News of the sale to Chicago-based BDP capital Partners prompted dismay from its fans, including the Houston Texans defensive end, who tweeted his proposal.
Watt tweeted, “Ok, I say we all chip in and buy Whataburger back. Make honey butter chicken biscuits available all day, add kolaches to the menu and change nothing else. Especially not the ketchup.”
Watt has shown himself to be a galvanizing force when it comes to causes outside football, helping raise more than $37 million to help Houston recover from Hurricane Harvey, among other charitable endeavors.
Other fans took to social media to express their thoughts on the sale, including Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush.
“Whata-shame,” Bush tweeted.
Whataburger tweeted a letter to its fans, assuring them the chain will always be a part of Texas.
“Texas, we don’t want you to be upset. We will always be Texan and represent you in a way that makes you proud #believethat,” the company wrote.
The purchase is slated to be finalized by the end of the summer and will be subject to regulatory overview.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. BDT Capital Partners, which often invests in family-owned companies, will provide long-term capital and guidance as Whataburger, which has its headquarters in San Antonio, competes at a time when convenience stores are offering more food options and eating into market share.
Last month, the company confirmed to local media that it had hired Morgan Stanley to explore its options, including a possible sale.
The first Whataburger opened in 1950 as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi. It now has nearly 700 restaurants in Texas and more than 150 others in southern states extending from Arizona to Florida. Whataburger is known for its white-and-orange-striped packaging and its spicy ketchup.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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AT&T, WorldCom Splits May Help Competitors
AT&T, WorldCom Splits May Help Competitors
By Jennifer Freer, Staff Writer
The planned breakups of AT&T Corp. and WorldCom Inc. could open the door for competitors to steal federal business from the two telecommunications giants, according to industry analysts and competitors.
"This is a way for the next tier of telecom companies to move up in the market," said Jim Payne, vice president of the government systems unit for Qwest Communications International Inc. of Denver.
"The government market is dominated by WorldCom and AT&T. Now, this is a signal for Qwest to step up and play a larger role in the market," he said.
AT&T of Basking Ridge, N.J., plans to create four new companies, with its government business falling under the new AT&T Business company.
WorldCom of Clinton, Miss., is planning to divide its business into two separately traded tracking stocks, WorldCom and MCI, with the federal business going with the WorldCom company.
The challenge for AT&T and WorldCom will be to avoid becoming so focused on restructuring and internal processes that they ignore their government business and customers, said industry analysts.
"It's always a challenge to get the right level of resources, attention and decisions in the federal business with large telecom companies," said Warren Suss, a telecom analyst in Jenkintown, Pa. "Generally, these companies don't understand the federal business very well and are focused on the commercial side of business."
The companies that have succeeded in the federal market are the ones that have high-level management attention, he said. The major problem with the break-up of AT&T and WorldCom is that management's attention will be distracted by the reorganization.
Lisa Crawford agreed. She is chief executive of the Crawford Group, a Washington-based consulting firm specializing in the government market and a former executive director of state and local government for AT&T.
"All eyes in the corporations are going to be focused internally and not paying attention to the marketplace for every market space, including the government," Crawford said.
"It does provide an opportunity for other players to take advantage and carve out a niche for themselves. They can get in the market and cement their relationships with the government customers," she said.
The planned restructuring also will make it more difficult for the federal groups within AT&T and WorldCom to get the pricing and post-award resources for implementing the government contracts, Suss said.
This will make it difficult for them to provide complete, end-to-end solutions for the government customers, because they will have to deal with separate companies for voice, data and video solutions, he said.
Soon, the winners of FTS2001, the General Services Administration's program to provide long-distance voice, data and video services to government agencies, and Metropolitan Area Acquisition contracts will be able to compete against each for local and long-distance services.
If the long-distance companies have not learned to compete effectively in the local market, then the local companies will hold an advantage in offering end-to-end telecommunications services, Suss said.
WorldCom, however, does not think its government business will suffer.
"The restructuring is a financial-based transaction that will allow us to make the changes we need," said Ron McMurtrie, vice president of business product marketing for WorldCom.
"[The breakup] was done for growth. I think saying anything otherwise is somewhat unfounded and not the case."
AT&T would not comment for this article.
McMurtrie said WorldCom's restructuring effort will improve, not hurt, the company's ability to compete in the FTS2001 and MAA markets.
The government business is all about changing technology, and WorldCom believes it's a growth-oriented business, he said.
WorldCom will concentrate on high-growth markets such as data, Internet, hosting, international businesses, wireless and long-distance and local voice telecom services for businesses. MCI will include the consumer, small business, wholesale long- distance voice and dial-up Internet access operations.
Analysts said the breakups were spurred by problems such as a loss in shareholder value and concerns in the investment community.
"Long-distance revenue is falling," said Jeff Moore, a senior analyst for network services with Current Analysis, a business intelligence and analysis company in Sterling, Va. "The prospects of long-distance business is not bright, and it is driving the breakup of both companies."
Crawford agreed. "The companies know long-distance minutes are on their way to being free," she said. "That is the driver. They have failed to come up with a strategy to bundle long-distance into a package that continues to deliver profit."
Crawford believes the objective of AT&T and WorldCom is to sell off the long-distance piece of the business and keep the data and Internet services. As the technology im-proves, there will be no need for separate voice services, she said.
Moore also said WorldCom's decision to create two tracking stocks, rather than spinning off companies, was a smart approach.
That's because a tracking stock allows investors to invest in specific areas of the company, but does not create a new company that might compete with the original company, he said.


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Motorola XT1058 ‘XFON’ swings through FCC
A Motorola XT1058 has made its way through the FCC, carrying what appears to be support for AT&T’s network. Based on the image that accompanies the listing, the phone looks to be the same “X Phone” that leaked back in March.
Things are falling into place for the so-called ‘X FON’ with AT&T emerging as the to carrier of choice to offer support for the phone. Initially rumored to arrive at Google I/O and the middle of the year, the handset now seems to be slated for a few months from now.
There have been whispers that Google is stepping out of the picture


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AAR reports carload and intermodal gains for week ending January 18
Intermodal—at 267,428 trailers and containers—was up 7.2 percent compared to the same week last year, and carloads—at 289,825—were up 4.5 percent annually.
in the NewsIAM, IoT and the Connected Supply Chain New shipper survey reveals that small businesses face “import overhead” Happy 100th Birthday, New England Motor Freight! What a ride, chairman says U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed for week ending February 10 Memo to Washington D.C.: Stop talking about raising the gas tax, go do it More News
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported this week that carload and intermodal volumes were both up for the week ending January 18.
Carloads—at 289,825—were up 4.5 percent annually and ahead of the week ending January 11 at 256,849 and the week ending January 4 at 246,846.
Intermodal—at 267,428 trailers and containers—was up 7.2 percent compared to the same week last year and was ahead of the weeks ending January 11 and January 4 at 235,987 and 186,878, respectively.
Of the ten main commodity groups tracked by the AAR, eight saw annual increases for the week ending January 18.
Nonmetallic minerals and products were up 20.9 percent or 232,557 carloads. Metallic ores and minerals were down 1.5 percent or 25,509 carloads.
For the first three weeks of 2014, carloads are down 0.7 percent at 793,520, and intermodal is up 1.4 percent at 690,293 trailers and containers.
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Both Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile this week took the wraps off their latest and most affordable pre-paid “unlimited” plan offerings, giving would-be switchers and first-time subscribers a unique opportunity to hop aboard either of America’s fastest and highest-rated mobile networks for an unbeatable price.
First up is Verizon, who on Tuesday announced a selection of new pre-paid plans that are more competitive with offerings from AT&T and Sprint.
Effective immediately, Verizon’s pre-paid mobile plans start at just $30 per month, while topping out at $65, instead of $75 per month, previously.
The notable changes, as outlined in the chart below, were made to Verizon’s top-tier plans, where a new $45 option (offering unlimited talk, text, and 8GB of data per month) usurps the original $50 per month option, which included just 7GB of data.
Similarly, Big Red dropped its original unlimited plan from $75 down to just $65/month, which offers unlimited talk, text and LTE data.
Additional lines can be added to each pre-paid plan, with discounts ranging from $10 to $20 per line, Verizon says.
What About T-Mobile?
As we’ve seen so many times in the past when wireless carriers introduce new lower-cost or limited-time offers on their products and service, Verizon’s new offerings were quickly (and strategically) undercut by T-Mobile — one of its fiercest competitors in the U.S. mobile market.
The Magenta carrier on Wednesday introduced a new “limited-time” offer for those looking to save even more money over Verizon.
Specifically, T-Mo’s new pre-paid unlimited plan offering undercuts Verizon’s by a fair margin, giving users unlimited talk, text and LTE data for just $50 per month — an impressive $15 per month, and $180 per year in savings, over the comparable Verizon plan.
Both plans come with their fair share of caveats and restrictions — such as Verizon’s offer being contingent upon a $5/month discount with mandatory auto-pay enrollment, or T-Mobile’s reversion to 2G data speeds for users who exceed (a very, very generous) 50 GB of LTE usage in a single billing period.
It’s unclear as of this write-up how long T-Mobile’s new “limited-time” unlimited offering will be available — but there’s certainly no denying it’s a much better value, dollar per dollar, then Verizon’s plan.
Still, while both plans offer consumers looking for the best wireless service at the most affordable price attractive options; you’ll be best served by scoping out the offerings via Verizon and T-Mobile directly to see which works best in your area.


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It looks like we'll be waiting a little longer than expected to crawl around as everyone's favourite little cave gremlin, because The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum has been delayed to 2022. When it was first announced back in 2019, developers Daedalic Entertainment had planned on releasing the game later this year. However, the devs have managed to bag a new publishing deal with Nacon, which seems to have pushed back their plans.
In a press release, Nacon and Daedalic announced that they've signed a new co-publishing and distribution agreement, adding that LOTR: Gollum would arrive on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles sometime in 2022.
They don't give a clear reason for the delay, but hell, we've seen a lot of game delays over the last few months. I wouldn't be surprised if it was pandemic related.
While the devs have been pretty light on the game's details so far, they have shown a few titbits over the last year, including a bunch of screenshots with various locations players might get to explore. Daedalic have also mentioned before that the game won't look like the movies, and will have a focus on stealth and "vertical climbing parkour."
"It is mostly a non-combat game, but Gollum will be able to stealthily take out enemies," lead game designer Martin Wilkes said in an interview last year. "However, this will not be easy and always come with big risks. We want players to carefully weigh these encounters. After all, Gollum’s strengths lie in cunning not combat."
In that same interview they add that LOTR: Gollum will have some sort of branching narrative, which they've suggested previously could involve the character's two personalities. I think this is the bit that interests me most, purely because I'm curious how much the player can influence a story that's already pretty well-known.
So, The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum should be out sometime in 2022. I hope we hear more about it soon.


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American startup Cognixion is developing a neural interface combined with an augmented reality device.
California-based neural interface startup Cognixion recently unveiled a new typeface. Its uniqueness is that it provides the so-called augmented alternative communication (Augmentative alternate communication, AAC). It is planned that it will help people with physical or neurological problems to establish communication with others.
The Cognixion One system consists of an augmented reality headset combined with a non-invasive brain-computer interface. The headset stimulates the visual cortex, the area of the brain that receives and analyzes visual signals, while the wireless interface reads neural activity, interprets it, and sends it back to the headset for further action.
In addition to the device, the startup creates machine learning algorithms and uses artificial intelligence to design a language system. It will be able to adapt to the unique communication style of each user so that the system more effectively recognizes what the person is about to say or do. For this, the company has already received funding of $ 12 million from several investors and has already developed a prototype.
The device is still being tested. Users can enter commands using the keyboard. The headset connects to a PC, smartphone or laptop via a USB cable or Wi-Fi, and can also work autonomously using 4G LTE. By the way, not only words and phrases are displayed on the screen of the headset, but also emoji.


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Australia Post will spend close to a billion dollars over the next three years preparing its parcel delivery business for a rapid rise in volumes, as online shopping grows faster than it expected and customers demand quicker deliveries.
The government-owned postal service’s annual e-commerce report, to be released on Tuesday, estimates Australians spent $27.5 billion shopping online last year, up 24 per cent from 2017.
The online spend represents 10 per cent of all Australian retail turnover, hitting the double-digit milestone two years earlier than Australia Post had expected.
Ben Franzi, Australia Post’s general manager of eCommerce, said several trends had converged to drive faster than expected online shopping growth.
Most significantly were sales events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and the rise of “buy-now, pay-later” services.
“Millennials will always want it quickly, want it now and want it cheap," Mr Franzi said.
"So you get these sales events, buy-now, pay-later all coming together, which is really driving online shopping at the moment."
Buy-now, pay later providers such as Afterpay and Zip accounted for 6.7 per cent of all online sales in 2017, dominated by women millennial shoppers (79 per cent) buying clothes (48 per cent of all transactions), the report finds.
The report also showed fluctuations in parcel volumes, triggered by online sales events, but also on occasions like Mother's Day which last year caused a 25 per cent spike in weekly parcel volumes.
Mr Franzi said delivery speed was becoming a key way for retailers to get an edge over competitors, and customers were expecting faster shipping times.
Mr Franzi said Australia Post was preparing for this, with same-day services in particular requiring it to rejig its operations. It will spend $900 million over the next three years building infrastructure and automating its sorting centres to cope.
Same-day deliveries account for only about 2 per cent of the total volume of the parcels Australia Post handles, but that could grow to as much as 30 per cent of the next five years, he said.
“It changes the nature of the distribution; it moves it much more to a point-to-point or a dedicated run, than a standard parcel delivery,” he said.
Retailers also had to change the way they did business to make same-day deliveries work, needing to dispatch orders in waves throughout the day, rather than just once at the end of the day.
Australia Post needed to incorporate those parcels into its delivery schedule, which Mr Franzi said included getting mail posties to deliver more parcels. Posties carry about 30 per cent of parcels at the moment, with the rest handled by the StarTrack network, but that would grow to 50 per cent in the long-term, he said.
It also has to gear its network to cater to suburbs with the highest delivery demand, which were generally growth areas with a higher proportion of young families, and which often do not have existing local bricks and mortar shopping districts.
Point Cook, a high-growth suburb in Melbourne’s west, was the top online shopping destination for the fourth year in a row last year.


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AT&T Advertising & Publishing saw a 3.3 percent first-half revenue decline, to US$2.82 billion. Part of the decline reflects the sale of the L.M. Berry operation to Local Insight Media, and the resulting lost revenues. That deal closed early in the second quarter. AT&T reported that its Yellowpages.com revenues grew 40.2 percent in the second quarter, compared with 41.1 percent in the first quarter. Based on its strong online growth rate, TKG estimates that AT&T’s print revenues declined more than 6 percent in the first half of the year.
This result underscores the importance of AT&T’s emerging multiplatform business, which ties in print, YPC, SEM, mobile search and the U-verse IPTV platform.
TKG recently conducted an extensive interview with AT&T Advertising & Publishing CEO Frank Jules, who talked about how AT&T is positioned to move from a print-dominated business to one that is genuinely leads based and multiplatform.
We will post a summary and audio clips from that interview soon. Jules will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming Directional Media Strategies event, Sept. 15-17 in Atlanta.
Second-quarter earnings have begun trickling out, with more to come later this week and into next week. Yell Group will report its first-quarter 2009 earnings tomorrow, and PagesJaunes posted its first-half results Friday. BNP Paribas analyst Sami Kassab has estimated that Yell will report 1 percent organic growth for the quarter, while PagesJaunes will show a 3.8 percent climb. Both are expected to show declines in print in their flagship markets. Kassab is also slated to speak at DMS.
Last week, the Swedish publisher Eniro announced its first-half results, showing continued softness in print. In Sweden, Eniro’s largest market, organic “offline” revenues declined 8 percent in the first half. Offline was down 14 percent in Norway. The second-quarter call marked the debut of Eniro’s new CEO, Jesper Karrbrink.
The Kelsey Report will produce summaries of these results as they occur and in August will issue an overall summary of the industry first-half 2008.


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Taipei, Export orders given to companies in Taiwan edged lower in June from a year earlier because of weak demand for the country's electronics and information and communication products, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) figures showed.
Taiwan's export orders fell 0.1 percent year-on-year in June to US$40.31 billion, only the second monthly drop since July 2016, according to figures released Friday.
The previous drop came in February 2018, which was caused by fewer working days in the month compared with a year earlier because of the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday.
Officials had been confident that export orders would continue to show year-on-year growth in June after having grown 21 of the previous 22 months.
For the first half of the year, however, Taiwan's export orders totaled US$238.44 billion, up 6.6 percent from a year earlier, the data showed.
Lin Li-chen (???), director of the ministry's Department of Statistics, said the June decline was mainly due to slow demand for the country's electronics, optical equipment, and information and communication products.
The electronics segment was mainly affected by the slowdown in sales of smartphones in June, Lin said, but emerging technology applications such as automotive electronics and biometrics continued to expand.
Export orders for electronics goods in June dropped by 0.2 percent from the previous year.
Orders for optical equipment were down for the fifth consecutive month, reflecting a fall in global LCD panel prices, she said.
In the information and communication sector, export orders in June also dropped by 7.6 percent over the same period last year, according to MOEA data.
With the global economy continuing a steady recovery, Lin expected exports to pick up sometime in the second half of this year with the help of new smartphone releases by major international brands.


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Kandima Maldives launches worldwide holiday competition
Lifestyle resort Kandima Maldives has launched a worldwide holiday competition, and the resort’s first ever global social media campaign. The prize of the competition is a seven-night holiday for two at Kandima Maldives with flights from Turkish Airlines included.
The competition titled the “Oh-so Kool Kandima competition” runs on Facebook and Instagram, where Kandima Maldives will ask its celebrity fans to share the competition video. According to the resort, Katie Price renewed her wedding vows at the resort earlier this year, and DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles runs a yoga retreat on the island.
In addition, former Strictly Come Dancing stars James and Ola Jordan and Love Island couple Scott Thomas and Kady McDermott have also holidayed there. Celebrity fans sharing the competition will even be giving away special discount codes for anyone who can’t wait to win the contest and wants to book a holiday to get “Kandimatised!” adds the resort.
Winners will get to stay in one of Kandima’s Oh-so Stylish villas, they can dine in any of the world- class restaurants and bars on the island, k’ool off in the longest swimming pool in the Maldives and enjoy a range of activities from Maldivian fishing trips, DJ lessons, through to spa treatments and surfing.
The competition starts runs for a month. The winner will be announced on September 1 and it’s open to anyone in the world! Kandima Maldives is a new lifestyle experience aimed at the four-star market. It is part of Pulse Hotels and Resorts, a Maldivian brand that prides itself on being playful, smart and customer friendly as well as operating in a responsible manner – socially, environmentally, sustainably and ethically. To find out more about the competition, please visit kandima.com.


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There is no doubt that we all want to cruise around the neighbourhood in a shit hot super cool sports car, but in today’s market we’re lucky if we can jump start a Saxo and make it to the Co-Op. However help is at hand thanks to an Austrian artist who has created a pedal powered version of the Ferrari.
Hannes Langedar has basically surrounded a bicycle with a lightweight frame to emulate that of a Ferrari. The combination of plastic and light weight steel is controlled with pedals and holds an astonishing 11 gears.
Named the Fahrradi Farfall FFX, which is inspired by the Italian for butterfly due to its weightless silent motion, the make shift super car took a year to create. The car has been confirmed as road safe and is currently on display at an automotive exhibition in Austria.
Weighing in at 11 kilos you may need some pedal power to get it going, but imagine how cool you’ll look as you cruise round the streets, well until the chain comes off anyway!


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ISUTAMI attended the WESTEC 2012 from March 27th - 29th in Los Angeles Convention Center. Our management team is keen to meet new clients and potential business partners during this exhibition. Our exhibition information is as below:
March 27- March 29
Los Angeles Convention Center, USA
Company Name: ISUTAMI USA INC.
Contact Person: Hagard Wei
TEL: (818)528 5988
Fax: (818)540 0988
As the region’s definitive manufacturing event, WESTEC has always been the West Coast’s “can’t miss” event, a technology showcase that helped generations of manufacturers grow their businesses. The show, which is being redefined in 2012, is adding several new features and opportunities for exhibitors and attendees to better share their collective vision and ideas for the evolving industry. "We have designed WESTEC 2012 for industry leaders and innovators to identify new ways to support the growth of manufacturing," said Christine Longroy, event manager.


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Apple recently launched itself into the online radio arena by officially unveiling iTunes Radio. Embedded within the iOS Music app, iTunes Radio has the potential of taking millons of iOS users away from other online radio services. Spotify is evidently up for the competition and has now made its ‘Discover’ feature available on the Spotify iOS app.
The key feature of iTunes Radio is, Apple claims, that it will be able to deliver music to the users based on their listening habits. Spotify has been offering a similar feature called ‘Discover’ for a while now, although the feature wasn’t formerly available on its iOS app.
The Discover feature is essentially a news feed which offers you songs and playlists based on your listening habits. In other words, it automatically recommends you such tracks which may suit your taste in music.
Spotify has now updated its iOS app with this feature and has added a number of other improvements to the app too. Although the ‘Discover’ feature is part of the iOS app, users won’t be able to enjoy it on iPad or other iOS devices. Rather, for now, Spotify has limited the roll out to iPhone users alone.
Interestingly, many reports suggest that a select few iPhone users have been able to access the updated Spotify iOS app before today’s roll out. This may have been a beta test by Spotify to gauge how effective and well-functional the new feature was working on iPhone devices.


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HTC confirms the impossibility of access to data fingerprint reader for HTC One Max phone
Confirmed the company " HTC " Taiwanese that the data recorded by the fingerprint reader in her new One Max can not be any external party access.
She explained, " HTC " is that the data recorded by the fingerprint reader is saved in the internal memory of the phone , nor can the company or any of the applications to access them , as they can not be copied to another device.
The Taiwanese company said , in her response to user concerns about access to private data from fingerprints , that those fingerprints are stored encrypted in the form of letters and not a picture using special algorithms.
The " HTC " revealed Tablet Phone HTC One Max days ago , the first tablet phone is supplied with a fingerprint reader , and a second phone being launched this year that feature after the iPhone 5S phone launched by the "Apple" last September.
It is worth mentioning that the advantage of reading the fingerprint devices Smart had faced some criticism on the level of privacy , after fears the number of users of the arrival of the manufacturers of phones to those fingerprints, and the level of risk to users where apprehensive number of analysts from the increase in incidents of theft of mobile accompanied by violence to force users to open their phone equipped with that feature.


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Microsoft has today announced that it has completed the full rollout of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update to compatible devices. This means that every device running a version of Windows 10 that isn't the Fall Creators Update, and is compatible with the Fall Creators Update, is now able to receive the latest version of Windows via Windows Update.
The company claims the Fall Creators Update is the fastest version of Windows 10 ever to reach 100 million devices. The full availability milestone is the final rollout phase that Microsoft puts Windows releases through.
When a new feature update is released, we begin by targeting a select set of devices that we believe will have the best update experience based on device characteristics and testing done by us and our device partners. We then monitor feedback for issues around application and device compatibility and make adjustments along the way, if necessary. Actively listening for and responding to issues as they emerge helps us confidently expand the release to additional devices while maintaining a quality experience.>
Microsoft appears to be picking up the pace when it comes to releasing new versions of Windows 10 to the public. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update took a long time to rollout completely, so it appears Microsoft is doing things faster these days. This is a good thing, as it means Windows 10 releases are getting more stable as time progresses, and more users are getting the latest version of Windows 10 quicker.
Of course, each new version of Windows 10 is offered to Windows 10 users as a free update, meaning all you have to do is press "check for updates" in Windows Update and have the rest taken care of for you. The upgrade will arrive like any other update, but may take a little longer to install. Make sure you apply the upgrade when you won't be needing to use your device for a short time.
Microsoft is currently working on the next major version of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 4, that's expected to launch in April this year. The update will rollout much the same as the Fall Creators Update, targeting a smaller release circle first, and then expanding to full availability once it's clear there are no major issues. Let us know if you've received the Fall Creators Update in the comments!
Microsoft Flight Simulator VR finally has a release date (and a surprise)
Microsoft Flight Simulator's long-awaited VR mode is finally being released in the very near future and it comes with one huge surprise, too!
Check out they new HyperX Cloud Revolver + 7.1 gaming headset
This new headset from HyperX complements its Cloud Revolver lineup. It's a high-end option with virtual 7.1 surround sound and robust audio.
Review: Twin Mirror, the first self-published game from Dontnod, is a miss
Twin Mirror follows the standard Dontnod formula with some twists, but it ultimately fails because of its lackluster and selfish lead character.
These are the best PC sticks for when you're on the move
Instant computer, just add a screen! That’s the general idea of the ultra-portable PC Compute Sticks, but it can be hard to know which one you want. Relax, we’ve got you covered.


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BIG SPRING - 3,100 electric customers spent about an hour in the dark on Wednesday all because of a bird.
The power went out around 10:45a.m. to ONCOR customers in Big Spring.
A spokesperson tells NewsWest 9, a bird got into a large transformer at the sub-station, which is what caused the problem.
Crews were able to get the power restored to most customers in about thirty minutes.


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Again, whether you fully believe Donaghy or not, he does provide a fascinating perspective into the world of refereeing that simply no one else can provide.


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The San Francisco-based company, has agreed to acquire the technology and team behind Instapaper. Instapaper is a tool which helps people save webpages for later reading. Both parties haven’t disclosed the the terms and conditions of the acquisition yet. Pinterest confirmed one thing which is that they have also bought the majority stake seed-stage VC firm Betaworks. It is also confirmed that Instapaper will work as a separate app. Pinterest will be investing for the further development of the app. The majority of the team of Instapaper is relocating from New York to San Francisco.
How This Acquisition will Benefit Pinterest?
It’s not immediately obvious what Pinterest would want with Instapaper. Instapaper makes the majority of its revenue through paid version of app, subscription and selling advertising but its margins are slim likely. Still, Pinterest says that majority of their 100 million active users are already using their platform for saving articles for later reading, calling this a core use case. Now after acquiring Instapaper, they can collect more data on how users share and save articles. They will be knowing more about how users are deciding what they read and what they don’t read. And Pinterest can put the Instapaper to use more widely in the ecosystem, including the technologies of bolstering. Social network uses this technology for indexing text-based content and making recommendations and suggestions to the users.
Instapaper is available on web, Kindle, Android and iOS. First acquisition of Instapaper was in 2013 by Betaworks but now it has a new owner. Pinterest is planning to use the app of Instapaper for encouraging the users to save more articles to the website. It is a feature which existed for many years but not used frequently. They said that they will also use some of the Instapaper’s search functionality which will be integrated into Pinterest. Instapaper said that this acquisition would give them resources to grow their core mission of enabling users to discover, save and experience exciting web content


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“Volvo Car Corporation has today signed a unique agreement with the local unions which most probably means that the company can avoid further employee separations,” the Ford-owned car maker said in a statement.
“The agreement means that all employees – both white collars and blue collars – will contribute to lowering personnel costs in the company during 2009 through, for example, postponed salary revisions,” it added.
Volvo stressed that “the cost savings also include the company’s top management,” pointing out that 40 executives had accepted a five-percent pay-cut between April and December.
The company also said no bonuses would be paid this year or next.
“We are in an extreme situation with a continuing weak global market for new cars, especially in the United States and Sweden, and we need to take action to further reduce our costs,” Volvo Car CEO Stephen Odell said in the statement.
Volvo Cars, which was purchased by Ford in 1999 and which counts nearly 20,000 employees worldwide – 15,000 of whom work in Sweden – announced last years plans to slash more than 4,600 jobs.
The Swedish car maker was on Thursday waiting for word on whether it would receive a massive loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).


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A recent study by Kantar Retail found bargains are not always a prime motivator of shopping trips.
The study compared the value propositions of 11 retailers to find which is the most compelling. It also looked at breadth of selection and promotional activity.
The research firm then juxtaposed the findings with data from its ShopperScape consumer survey. Probably the most confounding consumer finding is that the main reason shoppers go to a specific store is not to find bargains. Rather, Kantar found that trip missions differ by retailer. For example, Macy’s shoppers are most likely to be looking for items to build their wardrobes, while Wal-Mart shoppers want to replace items that are worn or torn. Browsing dominates at Old Navy and off-price retailers. Meanwhile, specific needs send shoppers to J.C. Penney, Target and Kohl’s. The latter is by far the most promotional retailer in the study, followed by Penney’s, Old Navy, Sears and Macy’s.
The survey found that only a small percentage of shoppers are focused on styles and trends when they visit a store. And men disproportionately focus on replacing worn or stained items rather than shop for new looks.
Pricing touches consumers’ psyches as well as wallets, influencing their perception of a brand. Premium pricing promotes a retailer’s credibility. “Target’s limited time collections [such as Go International] are extremely important because they establish the references for value for the work horses such as Mossimo,” said Anne Zybowski, Kantar’s director of retail insights.
At Nordstrom, luxury brands establish expertise through breadth of assortment, helping to reinforce the company’s positioning. Women’s jeans at Nordstrom had a weighted average price of $160, yet there were styles priced as low as $100 and as high as $350. “Nordstrom uses a lot of luxury brands to carve out fashion at the top end of the price range,” Zybowski said.
While shoppers of certain retailers overlap in some cases, consumers of each channel essentially have different needs. Dollar store shoppers are looking for value and quick check out. “Dollar stores are playing to their audience with a much tighter assortment,” said Zybowski. “The [stores] are easy to shop and provide a lot of clarity. Dollar General has one or two jeans stockkeeping units at $10 each. Clarity is critical to help close the deal.”
In terms of where people shop, power centers had the biggest drop, down 2.7 percent from 2010, followed by strip centers with specialty stores, down 0.2 percent, and regional malls, down 0.1 percent. Online shopping sites grew by 1.2 percent and lifestyle centers, 0.9 percent.
“The regional mall base is holding steady with one-quarter of all shoppers going there,” Zybowski said. Online shopping may be getting more competitive, though. One-quarter of online consumers buy only when there’s an offer for free shipping.
Etro’s show, titled “The Tree of Life,” was a celebration of the house’s 50th anniversary. “My father founded the company in 1968, which was the year of counterculture and psychedelia. It’s really a show that celebrates that and the paisley design of India and its origin,” said Veronica Etro. #wwdfashion #mfw #ss18 (📷: @delphineachard)
For @msgm’s spring 2018 show, creative director @massimogiorgetti said “Words, sounds, colors. Synthesis and therapy of a collection,” were the inspirations behind the collection, showing today. Read the rest of Milan spring 2018 inspirations on WWD.com. #mfw #wwdfashion #ss18
For her first solo album in over 10 years, Fergie tapped Carine Roitfeld, Mert and Marcus, Giovanni Bianco and more to create a fashion-focused video approach for the record, Double Dutchess. "Giovanni really helped me get back in touch with my tomboy side, my hardside," said the singer. #wwdeye #wwdfashion ( : @slovekinpics)
“Volumes and Graphic Art of the Nineties are the main inspirations of the new Aquilano.Rimondi SS 2018 collection,” said cocreative directors Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi. #wwdfashion #mfw #ss18


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Drools inaugurates largest CNF warehouse for pet food industry
Warehouse will reduce delivery time to under 48 hours & improve order fulfilment for pet owners of Mumbai and Nashik
Drools India, a leading provider of quality pet food and nutrition products, opened the largest cost and freight (CNF) warehouse in the pet food category in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra.
"This state-of-the-art facility has a storage space of 70,000 sq. ft. enabling faster supply chain management and quality control. The warehouse will revolutionise the way Drools serves its customers by sharing fresher inventory straight out of their manufacturing unit. It has already established primary routes across the state and will serve the expanding customer base across key cities such as Mumbai, Nashik and Thane," says an official release.
The warehouse features advanced technology and equipment that will streamline the loading and unloading process, reducing the time it takes to unload an 18-MT vehicle to just three hours and to load an LCV in just one hour. It further will be able to load and unload five vehicles at once, reducing billing and delivery time to just 48 hours, the release said.
“The inauguration of the largest CNF warehouse in this industry marks a significant step ahead for Drools," says Shashank Sinha, CEO, Drools. "We are excited to unveil this new state-of-the-art warehouse, which will significantly improve our supply chain and customer experience. It will provide a direct upgrade to 2,500+ retail outlets, pet stores and shops. Our ultimate goal is to provide all our stakeholders with the highest quality products and exceptional service, and this new facility will allow us to do just that. We are committed to investing in our infrastructure to better serve our customers and continue our growth as a leader in the pet food and nutrition industry."
The new facility is the seventh in the state and the 38th in India. The facility employs more than 50 warehouse associates and support staff, the release added.


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Automotive News has interesting insight into the tenuous, and now soon-to-end, relationship between TrueCar and car dealer-giant AutoNation.
The report details a May lunch between TrueCar CEO Scott Painter, President John Krafcik and Senior Vice President of Dealer Development Mike Timmons, and AutoNation COO Bill Berman and Chief Marketing Officer Marc Cannon. At the lunch, TrueCar executives reportedly said they would require data from all AutoNation sales — regardless if they were generated by TrueCar — for the two companies to continue doing business.
“Over my dead body,” AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson said later, according to Automotive News.
Car dealerships may be forced to pay some of their employees more under new overtime rules proposed by President Barack Obama, Automotive News is reporting.
The proposed overhaul for employees who make less than $50,000 a year could impact dealers who make a significant portion of their earnings from salary, rather than commission.
The suggested overtime rules would apply to roughly 40 percent of the American workforce, rather than the 8 percent the current rules apply to now. The Department of Labor estimates more than 5 million workers would be covered by the new rules.
Details between the AutoNation and TrueCar split are becoming clear, Automotive News is reporting.
After yesterday’s announcement that the web service and nationwide dealership chain were splitting up — in which AutoNation laid most of the blame on unreasonable demands by TrueCar during contract negotiations — the company’s respective CEOs have been getting nasty.
“Our partnership with AutoNation just turned into, in a very real sense, a choice for the consumer,” TrueCar CEO Scott Painter told Automotive News. “It really makes them our competition.”
The Detroit Bureau is reporting that even though June was a record sales month for many automakers, many of those sales were partly fueled with record incentives from the manufacturer.
Buyers could get up to $8,000 knocked of the price of a Kia K900 or up to $7,000 off of Ford hybrids or electric cars — even $8,000 for the 2015 Ford C-Max Energi.
I grew up in the back of two-door family cars ranging from a ’67 Camaro to an ’83 Civic 1500 “S”. It never seemed like a hardship to me. Nor does it seem like a hardship to have my six-year-old son in the back of my Accord Coupe. He knows how to let himself in and out of the back seat. It’s no different from having a four-door sedan and letting him out of the back door. Ninety-nine percent of the time I don’t even think about it.
The other one percent of the time is when I clean the interior of the car. It takes the strength of Hercules and the flexibility of a Cirque du Soleil headliner to get the explosion of fast food, Legos, school paperwork, and miscellaneous unidentifiable items out of the cave behind the front seats. And then I have to condition the leather, you see, which would work better if my arms were between six and eighteen inches longer. So having done all that this past Sunday, I figured I’d do my other least favorite job: brake dust removal. I was already in a bit of a bad mood, crouching next to my Griot’s Garage bucket and shaking out my favorite horse-hair wheel brush, when I saw it.
Oh, hell no.
I come to bury Derek Kreindler, not to praise him.
I come to praise Derek, not to bury him.
I come to agree with Derek, and to disagree with him. And to agree with him again. Wait a minute, it will make sense.
In a move that that will be mourned by…well, I am not sure by who, the lone surviving Cadillac retailer in England has closed its doors. English trade journal Car Dealer Magazine reports that dealership Bauer Millett in Manchester shut down just before Christmas. Citing the high cost of doing business and increased competition, owner Mitch Millet also gave up his Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Jeep and Chrysler franchises.
It is not our intention to pile on poor Cadillac after our recent discussion, but comments made last week by the automaker’s marketing manager Ewe Ellinghaus must be noted. Speaking to Advertising Age, he repeated the new company mantra about the carmaker becoming a “the first luxury brand that happens to make cars,” and then added:
“When I recruit new people, I don’t need petrolheads. We have more than enough petrolheads and we will still. I need people with experiences in other industries, but with luxury brands.”
We must assume that Ellinghaus, most recently with Montblanc pens and formerly with BMW, was using the European term equivalent to what we call a “car guy” or “car gal.” If so, Cadillac’s future is as bleak as the B&B thinks it is, and not just because of products. (Read More…)
In an unprecedented move that has sent chills down the white-belted spines of American car dealers, General Motors has declared nearly 1,000 of its 4,355 US retailers as “unfit and downright dangerous” to its customers and will be recalled immediately.
Dodge dealers wanting to help their customers destroy wannabes with the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat will themselves need to prove their worth to the brand before a single car leaves the carrier.


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Former Spotify Director of Global Competition Policy joins advocacy group for an open and interoperable web
Gene Burrus, the former Director of Global Competition at Spotify, has joined forces with the Movement for an Open Web (MOW), to support MOW’s mission in the US. Burrus will be supporting the campaigning group as it seeks to secure the future of an open and interoperable internet in the face of multiple challenges from the digital platforms.
Founded in 2020, MOW campaigns to enforce open standards online and to empower regulators to effectively regulate the tech giants. It was launched in response to attempts by the platforms to exert their monopoly power by manipulating standards and closing down interoperable technologies. The organization was the initial complainant in the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) investigation into Google’s Privacy Sandbox, which resulted in the imposition of commitments that have delayed its roll out.
Gene Burrus is one of the United States’ most experienced competition law professionals dealing with issues surrounding dominant digital platforms, having worked as Assistant General Counsel for Microsoft for 15 years and, more recently, as Spotify’s Director of Global Competition Policy from 2020-2023. Gene recently left Spotify to start a private practice.
James Rosewell, co-founder of MOW, said: “Authorities around the world are sitting up and paying attention to the threat posed by the dominance of the digital platforms. From the CMA in the UK to the DoJ in the US, there are significant cases in process that have the potential to either save or condemn the Internet as we know it. Our ask is simple, we want to see an end to data discrimination by the platforms and freedom of interoperation for all players.
“The platforms have been working hard to spread the incorrect message that first party is good and third party is bad – this deliberately misleading language threatens competition and consumer privacy and we see it as our role to set the record straight. Gene will be taking that story to regulators and legislators across the US to help inform and enable them to take the necessary action.”
Gene Burrus, Director of MOW’s US Operations, said: “For too long, the tech giants have been able to exert and protect their monopoly power unchecked, resulting in a significant impairment to competition in the online world. They’ve been trying to cement this dominance by leveraging their gatekeeper role on the browser to shut down the open and interoperable standards that underpin the web as we know it. MOW has already secured significant wins as it works to rein in the power of the platforms and the future of a fee and open internet. I’m looking forward to building on that momentum by taking their message further into the US market, to unleash competition and innovation. It is not just dominant platforms that can look out for consumers interests not just dominant platforms that have innovative ideas. Everyone does better when disciplined by market forces.”
“MOW is a coalition of businesses that recognise the threat to competition and innovation posed by the dominant platforms. It’s vital that any business that understands the threat of monopoly dominance of the web takes action, whether on their own or as part of MOW.”
For more information:
The Movement for an Open Web is a campaign group dedicated to preserving an open and decentralised web in the face of efforts by the major platforms to exert monopolistic control over its operations.
Big tech corporations are trying to secure ownership and control of key aspects of the web, from people’s online identity to the way in which the internet is monetised. MOW draws attention to these issues to the public, media, regulators and policy makers.
MOW is not dedicated to preserving the status quo or any specific technological solutions. It simply asks that any fundamental changes to the way the web works are open and competitive, not proprietary and closed.
MOW is made up of a group of concerned organisations that want to preserve an open and decentralised web. They are by necessity anonymous for fear of retaliation from browser owners, in itself a clear indication of their market dominance.


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More use of organic and waste-based fertilisers is now possible thanks to new EU rules governing fertilising products such as liming materials, soil improvers, growing agents, plant bio-stimulants and blends.
The new EU regulation on fertilising products promotes sustainable agriculture in support of the European Green Deal’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. These rules have been introduced to help reduce the environmental impact of fertilisers, limit their risk to human health as well as reduce Europe’s dependency on imported fertilisers. They address safety, quality and labelling requirements that companies producing and selling such fertilisers will need to comply with allowing their products to be freely traded across the EU without additional formalities. A Guidance document on the labelling of EU fertiliser products is available to support businesses with the implementation of new rules.


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Surprise hike in inflation rate confounds economist predictions
Inflation has taken a surprise upswing to 4% in the year to December 2023 – confounding analyst expectations that it would fall.
The consumer price index rose from 3.9% in November comes as retailers launched sales in the run-up to Christmas in order to try and boost sales.
Meanwhile, the cost of raw materials fell by 2.8%, down from a decrease of 2.7% in November, and the cost of goods leaving factories rose by 0.1%, up from a decrease of 0.1%.
Office of National Statistics chief economist Grant Fitzner said: “The rate of inflation ticked up a little in December, with rises in tobacco prices due to recently introduced duty increases.
“These were partially offset by falling food inflation, where prices rose but at a much lower rate than this time last year.
“Meanwhile, the prices of goods leaving factories are little changed over the last few months, while the costs of raw materials remain lower than a year ago.”


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The impact of Covid-19 drove New Zealand King Salmon to a $7.1m loss for the seven months to January against an $18m profit for the 12 months to June, the company said.
The South Island acquaculture company has changed to a January 31 balance date from June 30 to better reflect the business.
NZ King Salmon said its pro forma EBITDA came to $10m in the seven months, compared to $25.1m in the 2020 year.
Chairman John Ryder said it was a "creditable outcome" considering the company was recovering from the challenges posed by the pandemic.
"The full financial impact of excess inventory, caused by the pandemic, has been absorbed into these results with appropriate contingencies built in.
"Going forward, our average price will return to pre-Covid levels, however margins will still be affected by higher freight and distribution costs.
"We are seeking to increase prices globally around the middle of the calendar year with a view to recovering some of these ongoing costs."
NZ King Salmon had come through summer in reasonable shape with sea temperatures around average.
Managing director and chief executive Grant Rosewarne expected NZ King Salmon to regain its pre-Covid momentum in the coming months.
"As a company we continue to diversify, our brands remain strong and we are highly optimistic that our plans to farm in the open ocean on the Blue Endeavour site will come to fruition later this year."
NZ King Salmon's "Blue Endeavour" application to farm in the Cook Strait, 7km north of Cape Lambert is likely to go to a hearing in August.
"If successful this will drive significant economic benefits to the region, eventually delivering hundreds of green jobs to the Top of the South. It will provide better waterspace and conditions to grow our fish," Rosewarne said.
The earliest possible harvest from the venture would be mid calendar 2024.
Meanwhile, climate change would continue to impact the business.
NZ King Salmon expects to provide market guidance in mid to late 2021.
The company last year opted not to pay a dividend due to the uncertainty caused by Covid-19, higher levels of inventory and the need to preserve cash.
The board has yet to decide on when dividends would resume.


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HCMC – Vietnam’s coffee exports may rise to a record high of US$4 billion this year amid a global undersupply and the upcoming harvest season.
Coffee exports in the year to September had soared 37.6% over the same period last year, at US$3.1 billion, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported. The strong rise was attributed to a price surge of 22%, at US$2,280 per ton on average.
Coffee shipments to major markets picked up on growing demand, dwindling supply caused by poor harvests, and logistics disruptions in some major exporting countries.
The European Union remained the biggest buyer of Vietnamese coffee, accounting for 39% of the total, with some 490,700 tons valued at US$1.1 billion, surging 27% and 54% year-on-year, respectively.
Coffee exports to Russia grew 17.3%, the UK 57.9% and India 116%. Meanwhile, coffee shipped to Mexico shot up 52-fold against 2021.
The UK emerged as the fifth largest European importer of Vietnamese coffee after Germany, Italy, France and Spain, at some 30% in the first half of 2022, nearly doubling the figure recorded last year.
Between January and August, Vietnam shipped nearly 34,700 tons of coffee valued at about US$70.7 million, up 57.9% in volume and 84.2% in value compared to the same period of 2021.
Demand for coffee in the U.S. remained high amid concerns over inflation. Data from the United States International Trade Commission showed the country imported nearly 834,000 tons of coffee worth US$4.68 billion in the first half of 2022, up 5.4% in volume and 51.3% in value year-on-year.
The price of coffee exported to the U.S. soared by 43.5% over 2021, averaging out at US$5,615 per ton.


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First Free Story (1 of 3)Join Skift Pro
Serviced apartment rentals are an often overlooked sector that has deep penetration among business travelers.
The Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report 2016/17 from The Apartment Service Worldwide shows that hotel companies dominate the space in terms of pure capacity, and adoption seems to be slipping compared to previous years.
“Overall, 88 percent of companies now use serviced apartments for one business reason or another,” reads the report. “However in 2016, just 47.37 percent now report that their usage for business travel is increasing, compared to 54.9 percent for assignments and 30.43 percent for relocation. This does not suggest that interest is waning, but that mature corporate accommodation programmes now routinely include serviced apartments and that the sector is now more secure in its niche.”
More than 70 percent of global serviced apartment inventory is now bookable online, compared to around 60 percent last year. This is important, since many business travelers remain unfamiliar with dedicated corporate housing brands.
“As awareness of the serviced apartment product has grown amongst corporates, travellers and TMCs, so too has the level of expectation,” states the report. “At 83.08 percent free high-speed WiFi ranks highest on corporates’ priority lists, followed by (perhaps paradoxically) single occupancy (75.38 percent) and the scope to accommodate an entire family (49.23 percent). In-house services are not regarded as essential and is only a priority for 35.38 percent of corporates, whilst amenities are important to 32.31 percent.”
Here are four takeaways from the report.
OTA use is growing
|% of Bookings||0 – 30%||31 – 50%||51 – 70%||70 – 100%|
|Online booking sites (OTAs)||60.04%||66.03%||22.60%||12.26%||13.21%||15.09%||3.77%||4.72%|
While confusing, GSAIR’s data on how business travelers are booking their serviced apartment stays is illuminating. Stays are booked through a diverse variety of channels, and direct bookings, along with online booking sites, are gaining traction.
“Overall, 88 percent of companies now use serviced apartments for one business reason or another,” states the report. “And yet only a half have a formal procurement process in place, suggesting that serviced apartments are either too difficult to source or book, or that they do not represent a high enough proportion of overall accommodation spend to be incorporates into annual RFPs.”
Marriott leads in global apartment units
|Company||2016/2017 Locations||2016/2017 Units|
|Extended Stay Hotels USA||629||69,400|
|Homewood Suites & Home2Suites||479||53,040|
Overall, Marriott owns the most serviced apartment units worldwide, while Oakwood has the most locations. Hotel companies dominate the space in terms of sheer units.
Serviced apartment usage is dropping… slightly
In the last year, more workers are using serviced apartments for projects and assignments than normal business travel or due to relocation. One has to wonder if homesharing services have contributed to the lack of growth among traditional business travelers.
“Companies like Airbnb are leading the expansion of the short term rental market, estimated to be turning over $100 billion annually and predicted to rise to $169.7 billion by 2019 (source: Research & Markets),” states the report. “Short-term rental platforms are bringing serviced apartments to a wider audience whilst bringing yet another alternative to traditional hotel stays. The vacation rental market is also competing directly with the serviced apartment sector by offering check-in/check-out, keyless entry, slicker booking processes and other services. Today’s competitor could be tomorrow’s colleague.”
There aren’t not enough apartments in popular destinations
Despite the proliferation of corporate housing around the world, the report indicates that there is still a shortfall in key business travel destinations. Inconsistent services and the lack of recognized brands are other impediments to the lack of adoption by business travelers.


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Crypto news websites like CoinDesk, The Block, and Decrypt planted their flags together with tradition publications this month while reporting on the disaster of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange FTX.
The catastrophe rattled crypto markets, fired up chaos at other big crypto companies, and has actually shined a light on the crypto news websites covering the crisis. It’s all unfolding as media business ward off cuts and layoffs and an industry-wide downturn in marketing income, which has actually seen huge crypto business like Grayscale, Binance, and Coinbase slash their marketing spending plans.
” The economy itself is weaker, and for that reason marketing invest is not what it was,” Michael Casey, the primary material officer at CoinDesk, informed Expert in an interview in November. “We need to take on all of the other publications that are aiming to get those marketing dollars and state, ‘Why do you wish to be with CoinDesk and not with them?'”
” The pie is smaller sized,” he included. “We need to defend a larger piece of it.”
A variety of CoinDesk’s marketers have actually verified they’ll restore their advertisement invest with the outlet next year, Casey stated.
Established in 2013, CoinDesk has actually turned into among the most identifiable crypto-focused media business today, with reporters who previously operated at tradition outlets like the Wall Street Journal, the New York City Times, and Bloomberg News throughout its ranks. The website now discovers itself in the center of the storm following Bankman-Fried’s spectacular fall from grace.
The outlet’s November 2 scoop about Bankman-Fried’s trading company, Alameda Research study, exposed its curious relationship with FTX, and in turn activated an outcry that culminated in FTX’s insolvency. The business’s insolvency hearing started today.
FTX’s implosion likewise released a cause and effect that has actually endangered other crypto exchanges like Genesis, a loan provider that now deals with a liquidity crisis and the specter of its own possible insolvency, reports today alerted.
Genesis is owned by Digital Currency Group, the very same moms and dad business that owns CoinDesk. Whatever comes of the travails at Genesis, the story shows how the crypto neighborhood is deeply linked, and difficulties at one company can put tension on the entire environment. The news outlets covering this are likewise based on that tension, considered that they count on the crypto neighborhood for both audience and marketing. Media watchers and crypto lovers have actually viewed the scenario unfold with fascination.
” The most intriguing story in journalism today is CoinDesk,” Pat Regnier, a financing editor at Bloomberg Businessweek,tweeted over the weekend “They did a story that deciphered the entire market, and now it’s squashing DCG, the business that owns them.”
A DCG representative formerly stated the business would “momentarily suspend redemptions and brand-new loan originations” in a choice that “has no influence on business operations of DCG and our other completely owned subsidiaries.” In an e-mail to Expert, Casey repeated that the occurrence does not effect CoinDesk’s company. The outlet has actually likewise released a variety of stories tracking the Genesis fallout.
However beyond the crypto neighborhood, publications like CoinDesk, The Block, and Decrypt are likewise part of the wider media sector, where the tremblings are installing.
Layoffs are anticipated to strike NBCUniversal in early 2023, Expert initially reported today. Procedure, a tech publication owned by Expert’s moms and dad business Axel Springer, shuttered this month after 2 years in company, laying off its group of about 60. And recently, Early morning Brew– a newsletter publisher in which Expert obtained a bulk stake in 2020– cut 14% of personnel, according to a dripped memo shared by a Semafor press reporter on Twitter. Amongst those who lost their tasks were 2 reporters who dealt with Early morning Brew’s crypto newsletter, both of whom formerly operated at Expert.
Casey recommended that, similar to any high-pressure scenario, need is the mom of development. His publication is checking out brand-new opportunities to make it through the tempest, varying from standard marketing to brand-new chances in the rapidly-developing digital economy, he stated.
” I believe that any media business, however specifically a crypto business, requires to be thinking of how it will shift into a world where things like NFTs and the metaverse are really a component of what you’re doing,” he informed Expert.
” Marketing is still crucial to all of our organizations, however there is a genuine chance to believe outside package,” he included. “Possibly in these minutes of crisis is when you take them for the chance that they are.”
Take a look at Expert’s take a look at how the FTX story has actually put crypto news outlets like CoinDesk on the map– and their method to keep their winning streak alive even after the story fades.
Are you a crypto or media expert with insight to share? Contact this press reporter. Reed Alexander can be reached by means of e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.org, or SMS/the secured app Signal at (561) 247-5758.
Disclosure: Axel Springer is Expert’s moms and dad business.
Procedure was gotten by Axel Springer in 2021.
Expert obtained a bulk stake in Early morning Brew in 2020.
Source: Business Insider.