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Sales and use taxes are key issues for many states that have been hit with dwindling revenue due to the economic downturn. And theres a case now on appeal in a New York court that is being closely watched by other states suffering a loss of tax revenue from Internet sales.
The case, Amazon.com v New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, stems from a New York law passed in 2008 requiring online retailers to collect sales tax if they have marketing affiliates in the state. The law defines affiliates as including third-party Web sites that run ads that direct users to another e-commerce site, such as Amazon, according to Venable LLP partner John F. Cooney. The law was upheld in a lower court, and is on appeal before the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court. (Contrary to other states, New Yorks Supreme Court is the trial court of original jurisdiction.)
Rhode Island and North Carolina have adopted similar laws, while at least six other states including California, Illinois, Connecticut and Virginia are considering their own versions of a tax on online sales, said Cooney. And Colorado has passed a variant which requires the company that runs the Web site to collect the names of people in Colorado who make purchases.
The case was argued last fall, and the expectation is that it will be decided before the court goes on summer vacation in July, he added.
Cooney is the author of an amicus brief in the Amazon case for the Performance Marketing Alliance, a trade group representing online affiliate marketers.
It revisits the late 1980s and early 1990s when brick-and-mortar shops were upset that catalog shops were getting an unfair advantage because they didnt have to collect sales and use taxes, he said. Then in 1992 the Supreme Court decided the Quill case, which held that a state does not have nexus to require out-of-state retailers to collect taxes from residents in states in which the retailers do not have a physical presence.
For purposes of state taxes, nexus is the minimum threshold of contact that must exist between a taxpayer and a state that would allow the state to impose a tax. The concept is based on two clauses in the Constitution: the Commerce Clause, which prohibits states from unduly burdening interstate commerce, and the Due Process clause, which requires a minimum connection between a state and an entity it wishes to tax.
In the Quill case, the Court held that while solicitation of business accomplished by a deluge of catalogs might be sufficient to establish minimum contacts with a state for purposes of the Due Process Clause, it was not sufficient to constitute a substantial nexus for Commerce Clause purposes.
New York claims that the affiliates operate like sales agents, thereby creating nexus. Amazon and other retailers argue that the affiliates are more like sales channels, simply displaying electronic advertisements to users of their Web sites.
If the corporation is organized in New York, or if the server for the Web site is in New York, the state would have nexus, Cooney said. There has to be some physical presence in New York.
He noted that Joseph Wanamaker, the retailer considered by many to be the father of American advertising, once complained that half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I dont know which half.
The advertising model used by Amazon and other Internet retailers has solved Wanamakers dilemma, he observed.
In traditional advertising theres no way to connect the ad with the sales it generates, but the performance model has solved this, he said. Amazon knows where you clicked through from and compensates the publisher of the ad only if a potential customer takes a defined action, such as making a purchase from the advertiser.
With electronic marketing, the recipient clicks on a banner ad and is directed to the Amazon site. There is almost no physical contact between the state where the recipient is and the transaction, so its really reviving an old dispute in a new and technical framework, said Cooney.
Thanks to other aspects of the Internet, the retailer can contract with hundreds of thousands because there are no up-front costs to find someone to advertise, Cooney observed. Links can be sent out in an automated fashion, and very small businesses and individuals can become advertisers, he said. The process has allowed a revenue flow that goes out to small content providers and provides them the financial resources to enhance their offerings.
The approach to online ads is just one part of a bigger battle, in Cooneys estimate. Because Congress has not passed a new statute, they have to use existing precedents developed under catalog-shopping technology, he said.
Whichever way the court decides the case, it will likely be appealed. It might eventually go before the Supreme Court, since it involves the application of one of the Courts prior decisions to a new and fast-growing technology, Cooney predicted. Other states are watching. If New York is upheld, they will pass their own versions.
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For those dedicated to the cool, tart, and healthy Brazilian craze that is açaí, this spring brings good news: The popular açaí bowl franchise SoBol has arrived in Westhampton Beach, just in time for summer. Franchise owner Jason Mazzarone opened his first açaí restaurant, Açaí Café, in 2012. Mr. Mazzarone, who has a background in culinary arts and kitchens, teamed with Jim Kalomiris and the two franchised the idea. SoBol now boasts 32 East Coast locations, 21 of which are on Long Island.
In Westhampton Beach, 25-year-old Conor Billings is poised to become SoBol’s youngest franchise owner in partner with his father, Fred Billings. For Conor Billings, the store will be the realization of a long-simmering dream.
“I had the vision of taking it out [east],” said Mr. Billings, who grew up in Brookhaven but spent summers in Montauk. “I wanted to start off with what I thought would be the perfect spot.”
Originally committed to opening a storefront in Montauk, Conor Billings felt stymied by steep prices and a lack of retail availability in the hamlet. He began looking further west. Finally, one day, he came across a new development on Sunset Avenue in Westhampton Beach.
“As soon as I took a ride down there, I saw the whole new development with the CVS and everything,” he said.
The building underwent a massive build-out and is now outfitted with dark bead board counters, neutral walls, and lots of wood accents. There are also specialized features like a surfboard and a wall decoration in the shape of Long Island. It’s a decidedly Montauk aesthetic.
Conor Billings came to know the Brazilian health food bowls as a result of a personal journey. Faced, in high school, with a series of maladies that doctors treated medically but not systemically, he began searching for more comprehensive options to improve his health. Research led Mr. Billings to organics, and the switch in his diet staved off headaches, indigestion, and fatigue. Subsequently, he decided to pursue working with health-driven food trends.
“I want to help myself and I want to help other people,” he said. “I’m helping myself and I’m providing help to other people in a very satisfying way.”
Food service work, it turns out, is a family business. Mr. Billings’ father and SoBol partner Fred Billings opened East Islip’s Irish Coffee Pub in 1983, a restaurant that also serves as a catering hall and event space. Conor Billings saw this industry first-hand from a young age.
“I was already interested in service,” he said of the experience, “but the whole restaurant deal is very stressful. I was very interested in where foods were coming from. I wanted to stay in the realm of health foods.”
In addition to the regular menu, which is determined by the franchise and which includes açaí bowls, pitaya (or dragonfruit) bowls, smoothies, and green bowls—all of which are vegan—Conor Billings will also offer retail items from local purveyors. His goal is to represent the local community, while simultaneously upholding the standards set by the franchise. He will have additional local vendors represented in the future. For now, he will carry the cold brew coffees of Sail Away, a Long Island-based company.
Mr. Billings hopes to expand his interaction with the community, too.
“We’re definitely trying to capture [the interest of] the locals. I want to get involved with the schools and the local sports team. The açaí is the perfect fuel for athletes,” said Mr. Billings who is currently in the process of talking to the East Hampton YMCA in hopes of collaborating on one of their summer camp programs.
If the program comes to pass, parents and their children will be able to order camp meals a day in advance, and SoBol will drive the orders out to East Hampton for kids to enjoy at lunchtime. Besides hiring a driver to deliver food to the YMCA, SoBol will work in tandem with Uber Eats and Door Dash offering local customers home delivery.
SoBol is at 87 Sunset Avenue in Westhampton Beach. Conor Billings is the store’s general manager, while Fred Billings performs the duties of a director of operations. Like other spaces within the franchise, the store is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The phone number is 631-248-4400 and the store’s Instagram handle is @sobol_whb.

domain: news


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The Hong Kong .hk domain has jumped 28 places to the most dangerous domain to surf and search on the web according to security experts this week.
Antivirus firm McAfee said Hong Kong takes the mantle from Tokelau, a tiny island of 1,500 inhabitants in the South Pacific.
According to the vendor, 19.2 per cent of all web sites ending in the .hk domain pose a security threat to web users. China (.cn) is second this year with over 11 per cent.
By contrast Finland (.fi) remains the safest online destination for the second year with 0.05 per cent, followed by Japan (.jp).
IBM and Technical University of Munich team demonstrate how Shor's algorithm, which can't be cracked by conventional computers, can be solved quickly with quantum computing
Hubble Space Telescope finds superflares from young red dwarfs could strip away planetary atmosphere
Younger stars are 100 to 1,000 times more energetic than when they're older
Two of the big four supermarkets will use the system to control sales of restricted products
PUBG news and updates: November's Update #23 to bring new Skorpion pistol and changes to blue zone visibility
Genuinely useful side-arm coming to PUBG in Update #23


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During an interview with the developers behind Dead Rising 3, we have found out a few more details on the game itself. The video is called "Zombie Apocalypse Evolved", and has three of Dead Rising's creators talking about the game's new features and creatures. Check it out, below.
Dead Rising 3's Producer, Mike Jones, has teased us all by stating that Dead Rising 3 is bigger than both predecessors combined "multiple times over", which means the game is going to be absolutely gigantic. There's new zombies, which will arrive in the form of cops, prisoners and football players, who will all be smarter and more dangerous than previous Dead Rising zombies.
Jones teases "every zombie is a snowflake". Dead Rising 3 is an Xbox One exclusive, and will make great use of the next-gen Kinect sensor, which will make audio in the game a huge factor. Executive Producer and Creative Lead, Josh Bridge, explained that DR3 gamers can distract zombies by yelling at them through the Kinect sensor.


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Check out the on-demand sessions from the Low-Code/No-Code Summit to learn how to successfully innovate and achieve efficiency by upskilling and scaling citizen developers. Watch now.
Microsoft today announced a public preview of its Cortana Skills Kit that allows developers to create voice apps for the intelligent assistant.
The announcement was made at Build 2017, Microsoft’s annual developer conference taking place May 10-12 in Seattle.
Third-party developers have already made hundreds of Google Assistant actions and more than 10,000 Alexa skills using Actions on Google and the Alexa Skills Kit.
The Harman Kardon Invoke speaker with Cortana inside is due in Microsoft stores this fall. Microsoft also announced today that it will work with HP and Intel on ways to put Cortana into more devices.
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Cortana was first made available for personal computers with the release of Windows 10 in July 2015. The digital assistant is used by 145 million monthly active users, a figure first shared in March 2017.
Early skills-making partners include Expedia, Capital One, and home repair company TalkLocal. Additional early makers of skills for Cortana are likely to make announcements today.
Developers will be able to create Cortana skills with both the Cortana Skills Kit and by using a Microsoft Bot Framework conversion in the same simple one-click way you convert a Kik or Facebook Messenger bot with the framework.
No word yet on when a software development kit (SDK) for Cortana, which was teased alongside the skills kit last December, will become available. An SDK would bring Cortana to a range of devices beyond smart speakers or those made by Microsoft. The Cortana SDK is still in private preview.
With the exception of Apple, virtually every tech giant is currently inviting developers to make third-party voice apps for their intelligent assistant or smart speaker, from Samsung to Google to Amazon, and now Microsoft.


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Acer has announced a smartphone and tablet hybrid called the Liquid S2. One of the highlight features on this phone is the ability to record video with a 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels).
Some of the other specs include a 6-inch IPS LCD screen with a 1080p resolution and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor that runs at 2.2GHz. There is also 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 4G LTE connectivity, and Android 4.2.2.
The camera is 13-megapixels and it can shoot video at 1080p also. The Liquid S2 is expected to arrive in Europe by the end of October. It is unknown whether it will arrive in the U.S. or not.
[Source: Digital Trends]


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Resident Evil 7 will be a Cross-Buy affair on Xbox One and Windows 10, meaning that if you buy it on one platform you'll get it on both.
The news was just confirmed by head of Xbox Phil Spencer on Twitter.
This should make Microsoft's platforms more competitive with the PS4 version, which supports PlayStation VR - something that will be exclusive for a year.
Resident Evil 7 is launching just next week on 24th January. For more on the game, you can watch the above video of our Resi expert Aoife Wilson gushing about its oldschool survival horror atmosphere, which she felt lost nothing in its switch to first-person. Having played Resi 7 for five hours, she'd know.


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20-year-old cosmetics mogul, Kylie Jenner soared past her half-sister Kim Kardashian to topped the 2018 Instagram Rich List.
This year’s edition of the illustrious lineup was compiled by Hopper HQ. The top dog of the 2017 list had been Selena Gomez, whom Kylie has triumphantly knocked down to the second place position this year.
Their view is that Kylie’s cost per post is $1 million, with Selena netting $800,000 for the same and Kim drifting behind at $720,00.
Pro footballer and international heartthrob Cristiano Ronaldo found himself at number three in 2018, the same spot on the list he held in 2017.
Kim had been in the number two position in the 2017 list, but has slid down two places and settled at number four in 2018.
See the top 10 full list below…
1. Kylie Jenner
2. Selena Gomez
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
4. Kim Kardashian
6. Dwayne Johnson
7. Justin Bieber
9. Lionel Messi
10. Kendall Jenner
The number 10 position on the list went to none other than Kylie’s elder sister Kendall Jenner – such that three women of the Kardashian-Jenner clan are in the top 10.


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Past Articles Victory Motorcycle News
2012 Victory Hard-Ball First Look
Friday, December 9, 2011
With DNA borrowed from the best-selling High-Ball, Victory introduces its new bagger/tourer/cruiser, the 2012 Hard-Ball.
Polaris Posts Strong Third Quarter Results 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Polaris Industries Inc. continues to buck the trend after reporting another record quarter of sales, net income and earnings per share.
2012 Victory Motorcycles First Look
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Victory Motorcycles introduced its 2012 lineup, highlighted by the release of the 2012 Victory Cross Country Tour and three motorcycles customized by the Ness clan - Arlen, Cory and Zach.
Victory Motorcycles Ready to Storm Sturgis
Monday, July 18, 2011
Victory Motorcycles gets ready to storm Sturgis with demo rides on its 2012 models, a chance to win a customized Klock Werks Victory Kingpin, a Victory Owners Ride and parties at the Buffalo Chip.
Win a Victory Motorcycle in Spring Giveaway
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Victory Motorcycles will be giving away a brand new 2011 Victory to the lucky winner of its Spring Bike Giveaway. Sign up to win today.
Polaris Breaks Records in First Quarter 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Polaris Industries continues to buck the trend by posting record-breaking results in its first financial report of 2011.
Polaris to Keep Engine Manufacturing in Osceola
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Polaris Industries announced it will keep its Osceola, Wisconsin plant open for engine manufacturing after stronger than expected growth projections.
Polaris Industries Acquires Indian Motorcycles
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Polaris Industries, parent company of Victory Motorcycles, just announced that it has acquired Indian Motorcycles.
Victory High-Ball Riders Road to 1000 Challenge
Friday, April 15, 2011
Victory Motorcycles is challenging owners of its 2012 High-Ball to be among the first 50 riders to log 1000 miles on their new motorcycle with specially badged engine covers up for grabs.
Victory Warrior Made Vegas 8-Ball Give-Away
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Victory Motorcycles salutes U.S. military personnel and is sponsoring MilitaryTimes.com 'Warrior Made' series by giving away a special 2011 Vegas 8-Ball.
Polaris & Victory Employees Get 19% Bonus
Monday, March 7, 2011
Enjoying robust profits for 2010, Polaris Industries has continued with its profit-sharing program – with $13.6 million getting divvied up between the company’s 2250 non-salaried employees.
Victory Motorcycles Big Bike Week 2011 Plans
Friday, February 25, 2011
Victory Motorcycles has big plans for Bike Week 2011, from drag runs at Speed World Orlando Dragway to parties for the VRA to demo rides at the Speedway.
Victory Motorcycles Said to Expand into India
Monday, February 21, 2011
Victory Motorcycles is reportedly seeking to test the Indian motorcycle market with the prospect of opening an assembly plant there in the future.
Victory Sales Up in Polaris' Record Setting 4Q
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Victory Motorcycles continues to gain in market share and growth in retail sales after reporting an eight percent increase in motorcycle sales according to Polaris' Fourth Quarter Results.
2012 Victory High-Ball First Look
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Victory draws inspiration from garage builders for the design of its latest bike, the 2012 High-Ball, a cruiser with two-way adjustable handlebars, a chopped front fender and chunky tires with spoke wheels and whitewalls.
Victory Awards Two in US Military Vegas 8-Balls
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Two lucky US military members received the keys to a Victory Vegas 8-Ball over the holidays as Victory Motorcycles demonstrated its support for their efforts through the Operation Gratitude and Hometown Heroes program.
Victory Kingpin in MythBusters Bug vs Biker
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A Victory Kingpin outfitted with a Motorvation sidecar is used to test a motorcycle myth on the Discovery Channel's MythBusters Bug Special episode airing tonight and Sunday.
Victory Hometown Heroes Program
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Victory Motorcycles has launched its 'Hometown Heroes' program to honor military personnel and to collect personal items at Victory dealerships that will be distributed to troops worldwide.
Polaris and Victory Motorcycles 3Q Sales Up
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Behind strong sales of side-by-side vehicles and Victory Motorcycles, Polaris Industries posted a 51% increase in third-quarter earnings compared to the same period last year.
2011 Victory Motorcycles First Look
Monday, July 26, 2010
Victory Motorcycles releases its 2011 lineup consisting of 15 cruiser and touring motorcycles including three limited edition models customized by three generations of the Ness family, Arlen, Cory and Zach.
Past Articles By Category:
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Mossoff Discusses Seven-Year Patent War
Professor Adam Mossoff was recently interviewed for a podcast on a patent war between Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark. The patent war, lasting from 1985 to 1992, was over the technology used in Pampers and Huggies, the biggest brands of disposable diapers for babies.
The Diaper Wars, Life of the Law, February 10, 2015. By Audrey Quinn.


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With the recently announced online subscription based model for the Switch, Nintendo may finally accept that industry standards are the best for business decisions.
Yeah but unfortunately they are following the industry standard of the PS2 when it comes to online.
Clearly you've never played online on PS2.
I did, played socom, Smackdown VS raw 2006, Metal Gear Online.
“Microsoft paved the way for a subscription based service when XBOX Live Gold was announced alongside the XBOX 360.” Sega pioneered online subscriptions with Dreamcast first. “The 360 benefitted heavily from its domination over the shooter market, something that was clearly lacking on both the PS3 and Wii.” PS3 had an over abundance of shooters. It could in no way be described as lacking in that area as any way. “By placing a monetary value on a service and outlining features, it creates the image of being valuable.” Not always the case. Having a paid service doesn’t instantly make it more appealing. It actually has to provide benefits to justify the cost. “Nintendo has always been criticized as being clueless when it comes to business decisions.” And they still are. Switch still has no backup to local storage, party chat, simple voice chat, Achievement/Trophy system, or monthly free Switch games.
Does the article really say xbox live started with the Xbox 360? Lol I paid for the starter kit on my OG xbox in 2003
Xbox Live existed on the original Xbox. Xbox Live Gold, though, started with the Xbox 360. Xbox Live Gold was more of a proper service, rather than the primitive service available on the original Xbox.
Yea I've been paying $60 a year for Xbox Live since 2004. It's been worth it every year...it's not different for PS4 or Switch either.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Despite the industrial transformation the Ethiopian government is developing as a launch pad for economic growth, the manufacturing industry sector is not doing as well as expected, lagging far behind in terms of competitiveness in the international market. This manifests itself in the reality that foreign currency generation from the manufacturing sector is trending down on pars of planned export targets. With the first phase of the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) already gone, export plans increased by an average of 50.6Pct, while performance remained at 19Pct. Even export-oriented sectors like leather, textile and garment have been registering low export performances vis-à-vis industry plans.
However, although not satisfactory, government capacity building and facilitation support – ranging from easing customs authorization to bench-marking and twinning arrangements –have enabled companies to increase productivity towards having more value-added and quality manufactured items.
Unfortunately, these efforts didn’t help the export market significantly.
So, what factors are contributing to such restraints in the export of manufacturing items? One can assume poor planning may be to blame. But most outstandingly, the following phenomena are to blame:
Experts in the developmental state narrative argue that for an intact industry sector to exist, infrastructure development should precede almost everything. Prior to the whole lot, roads must be built to connect critical market points within a country and the neighbouring regions; power shortages must be sorted out by providing priority rights to manufacturers – as well as to exporters. But to date, as cities and rural villages in the country are experiencing blackouts, industries are no exception.
In addition to this, the Ethiopian financial sector is not manufacturing–friendly. The corporate nature of banks is infertile to manufacturing investments. The financial industry should be restructured in such a manner that banks should be flexible enough to lend money to manufacturers – slotting in the very concept that unlike other forms of trading, manufacturing is not a quick profit-making enterprise.
Above all, one critical factor stands out in dragging back the manufacturing momentum: infrastructure development is taking the money. In fact, as a gross domestic product (GDP) share, Ethiopia’s spending on infrastructure is the highest in Africa. And for a foreseeable manufacturing sector, we need to have robust infrastructure development. But creating a fair balance in terms of distributing capital funds towards priority sectors is always intelligent.
Even so, that is not the reality on the ground: infrastructure development takes loans funds, sometimes emptying the government’s coffer. But private or public, manufacturing companies are desperately in need of huge loan to feed their research and development activities, increase productivity, finance expansion projects and for skill and manpower development.
In the early 1990s, the term glocalisation was invented by sceptics of globalization who claimed to witness that the world is getting more fragmented, not united. Their argument was that there is no globalization but regionalization or localization. And, according to the book World 3.0 by Pankaj Ghemawat (PhD), Professor of Management and Strategy at New York University, there are some statistics to substantiate the argument: world exports today are limited to around 30Pct and cross-border foreign direct investment is only 9Pct.
Today, this is also evidenced by the geopolitical showdown in Eastern Europe, the surge of radical Islam in the Middle East and Africa, the ascending of non-democratic economic superpower China, and the rise of self-serving emerging economies, which are all obviously threats to Western globalizers.
The bottom line: if there is so-called localization over globalization, it immensely impinges on global trade, FDI and tourism, affecting the manufacturing industry and, by extension, the export market.
Since the financial crisis of 2008, the USA, EU, China and Japan made more tariff increases and export restrictions to favour local processers. The USA, the second largest manufacturing economy of the world after China, revitalizes its manufacturing industry with a new concept of localnomics through revising its industrial policy.
In 2012, the Obama administration proposed new tax breaks, vigorous research and development spending and vocational training for the manufacturing sector. This has brought some international American firms back home. The paradigm shift was also felt in the poor regions of the world as well. In 2013, Sudan amplified its domestic tax by 50Pct, which immediately triggered huge export decline from Ethiopia.
Booming Ethiopian Local Market
The fact that the local marketing of manufactured items avoids customs and logistics holdups makes domestic markets for companies preferable compared to export. In fact, it helps local manufacturers get their money collected on the spot or a few weeks after sales, whereas if they were to export they may have to wait up to three months to get paid. For cash-strapped exporters, waiting this long to receive their bank transfer is a headache. In addition, product quality is compromised in the domestic market, giving relief to manufacturers with no certificates of good manufacturing practices. But most important is the rise of consumer spending in the local market.
The domestic market of leather and textile products is on the rise with the surge in the fashion industry. All drug formulations made locally are consumed locally, as the Ethiopian pharmaceuticals demand is increasing by 25Pct every year, while export of pharmaceuticals is almost non-existent. Export sales of alcohol and beverages are less than 1Pct of the total production, while the local consumption is skyrocketing. The metal industry is yet to register exports while the local demand is ascending.
So because of the oddities, could the idiosyncrasy in export ambition shift back to its deserving state of import substitution? Only time will tell.
3rd Year • August 16 – September 15 2015 • No. 30


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Demand for calcium is rising, major suppliers report, fueled by a trend toward fortifying foods and beverages. While the link between calcium and bone health has long been recognized, emerging studies linking calcium to weight loss may soon open up a hefty new market for suppliers of calcium. Raw material suppliers, in turn, are responding to demand by developing innovative new delivery forms, such as dissolvable strips and soluble calcium that doesn’t impact taste. New natural sources of
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Golf show hits the green the weekend
The fourth annual Mid-Atlantic Golf Show swings into the Ocean City convention center this weekend when golfers from all over will be in area to play during the busiest golf package weekend of the year.
The show, presented by Pohanka Mercedes-Benz, features everything for the avid golfer from exhibitors, to a variety of attractions and activities, demonstrations and seminars.
According to Jon Westman, co-producer of the show, it is the only retail golf show in Maryland and Delaware.
“We draw not only local golfers, but we also try to attract both regional golfers and those already in town,” Westman said.
He added they anticipate a lot of golfers coming with this being the biggest golf package weekend and with more golfers in the area, they are ecstatic the show is this weekend.
Westman said there are many new things going this year, starting with its sponsors. Several local groups have come on board supporting the show including Ruddo’s Golf, Ocean City Golf Getaway and the Harrison Golf and Hotel Group.
Also new this year, representatives from national golf manufactures such as TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway Golf, Cobra and Ben Hogan will be on hand Friday and Saturday giving the public the opportunity to test all the new and latest clubs and equipment and to answer any questions.
During Demo Days show-goers can swing the clubs, test new equipment and also get their swing captured on video and analyzed by a professional. The V1 Teaching System captures a player’s swing and can compare it to any pro golfer. An instructor can show what is wrong with the swing and how it can be improved.
Local professionals will also be at the show providing free golf instruction and conducting seminars on topics from proper putting techniques to physical therapy in relation to golf injuries.
Women’s Golf Getaway has joined the show this year to help promote women’s and junior’s golf. On Saturday at noon, the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting for Women’s Golf Getaway at the show. During the weekend the group will offer clinics for women and girls.
More than 70 vendors will have booths filled with everything from clubs to balls, bags, shoes, merchandise, apparel, golf packages and vacations.
Looking for a new car? Participants can test drive a Mercedes out in the parking lot of the convention center.
Also during the show, visitors will have the chance to win one of many prizes participating in skills competitions, contests and promotions.
Creative Greens of York, Pa., will have two putting greens — a 31-foot and 16-foot — at the show. They will host several contests and also have its “Kangaroo Kages” available for purchase. They can be used for hitting golf balls, baseballs or for any other sport. Creative Greens also installs backyard putting greens.
Ruddo’s Golf will sponsor a “Golf Chipping Challenge.” The golf balls used in the contest are lighter than real golf balls and do not travel as far. Contestants will get three shots with the best score each day winning golf merchandise.
Links Worldwide offers a grand prize of $10,000 on their putting green. Contestants will take a shot at a 10-foot putt. Making the first shot gets participants a three-day/two-night vacation voucher good at about two dozen U.S. destinations. Those hitting the second shot, which is from 25 feet, get a voucher for a seven-day/six-night stay in either Cancun, Mexico or Puerto Vallarta. Those who make both shots will come back for the chance at a 50-foot shot to win $10,000. The first person to make this shot will get the money.
Ocean Resorts Golf Club of Berlin will bring its high-tech golf simulator to the event. This life-sized video game acts as a backdrop for the “closest to the pin” contest. Competitors will hit a real golf ball into the screen and the distance will be measured. Prizes will be given.
Between contests, stop by Harpoon Hanna’s beer garden and take a break with a cold beer. This spot was a big hit last year.
Every attendee of the show who registers to win prizes will receive a free one-year subscription to Golf Magazine as well as a golf goodie bag filled with golfing gifts and restaurant/bar discounts. The grand prize given away this year is a complete set of clubs and bag, entry into the Ocean City Amateur Golf Classic on June 26-30 as well as additional golf prizes. This prize is estimated at more than $2,500.
Sponsors of the Mid-Atlantic Golf Show include Pohanka Mercedes-Benz, Ruddo’s Golf, the Harrison Golf and Hotel Group, Ocean City Golf Getaway, Clear Channel Radio, Harpoon Hanna’s and Creative Greens Inc.
The Mid-Atlantic Golf Show is open on Friday from 2-8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and children under 12 are admitted free.
What: Mid-Atlantic Golf Show
When: Friday, April 29, through Sunday, May 1
Show times: Friday, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Ocean City Convention Center
Daily Admission: Adults: $5, seniors $4 and children under 12 years of age are free. Every attendee will receive a one-year subscription to Golf Magazine, as well as get a golf goodie bag filled with golfing gifts and restaurant/bar discounts. For more information, visit www.midatlanticgolfshow.com.


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In today's top stories, Nintendo says that production challenges may mean it can't meet holiday demand. Meanwhile, Apple's software head says letting customers install apps outside of its App Store can be problematic.
In today's top stories, Mark Zuckerberg outlines his vision for the future and rebrands the company as Meta. Meanwhile, a new version of Android is coming to take on big-screen devices.
Social media companies faced five hours of questioning by a UK parliamentary committee examining the incoming Online Harms Bill.
The company's subscription service adds experimental features like longer video uploads and pinned conversations.
Case will move to California after judge finds the former president wasn't exempt from terms of service clause because he was the sitting president.
Prosecutors say the stock trader allegedly operated a social media scheme involving penny stocks that garnered $1 million in illicit profits.
The social media company releases its third-quarter earnings.
The YubiKey Security Key C is geared for consumers who don't need some more elaborate login options. Such keys are much more secure than passwords alone.
The London-based startup will begin to wind down its independent operations.
An in-house study finds that Twitter's algorithms amplify tweets from the political right more than they do the left, but it's unclear why.
In today's top stories, HTC unveils the Vive Flow smart glasses. Meanwhile, Microsoft cites compliance challenges as a reason to pull its social network from China.
In today's top stories, Apple's next event is set for Oct. 18, and we expect to see new Macs. Meanwhile, a former Facebook data scientist says she's provided documents to US authorities.


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Blizzard opened themselves up to the idea, and have now completely abandoned it in favor of four person multiplayer.
Diablo could have been a cool MMO. though really, i think the Starcraft universe is much richer for an MMO.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of “The Great Gatsby,” is reported to have said to Ernest Hemingway: “The rich are different from you and me.” Hemingway responded with, “Yes, they have more money.”
I am sure the rich are still different than you and me, but there is one thing we all have in common, apparently we all shop at Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Five Below. Yes, the rich have discovered the dollar stores.
That’s according to an excellent Wall Street Journal article by Rachel Wolfe. Entitled “One-Percenters Keep Shopping at the Dollar Store,” it’s all about the increase in affluent shoppers visiting stores they once turned their noses up at.
Dollar General, Aldi, Five Below, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree are just some of the chains benefiting. How significant is the shift? According to Rachel Wolfe in her Wall Street Journal article,
Households with six-figure incomes are 15% more likely to say they would shop at dollar stores than they were last June, going from 39% to 45%, according to daily surveys from Morning Consult of about 50,000 Americans.“One-Percenters Keep Shopping at the Dollar Store,” Rachel wolfe, Wall street journal, June 19, 2023
So the question that naturally arises is: “Do you include the dollar stores in your account base?” If you don’t and think your products are too expensive to sell in a Dollar General or a Family Dollar, you may want to think again.
Why? Because Covid and our current bout with inflation have changed the retail landscape. The very wealthy, those who drive Mercedes and BMWs, have discovered the dollar store and the pleasure of finding a great price for an ordinary product. It’s more than a fling. It’s a full-fledged love affair.
Smart toy companies will want to visit these stores and see what they are selling, not just in the toy department but all of the areas of the store. Doing so will produce an education in what types of toys and what price points will trigger sales at these chains that, between them, have 46,106 stores (I added them up).
Those who predicted the demise of bricks and mortar will be disappointed. The dollar stores are just getting started.


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A popular fitness chain is expanding in Trexlertown.
The Maxx Fitness Clubzz, with eight locations in four states, has announced it will open its fifth area location this fall — “sometime around October” — at 6900 Hamilton Blvd., according to the business’ Facebook page.
The space, in The Shoppes at Trexler, was previously occupied by OxyFit Gym, which closed in December.
Founded in 2011, the chain offers state-of-the-art cardio and weight-training equipment, smoothie bars, Cinemaxx cardio movie theaters, functional fitness areas, Kidzz Club childcare rooms, tanning beds and booths, locker rooms with showers and group fitness classes that include cycling, kickboxing, pilates, yoga, Zumba and more.
Membership starts at $10 a month.
Maxx Fitness’ newest gym opened in the spring in the Richland Crossings shopping center at 223 N. West End Blvd. in Quakertown.
Other area locations are on South Fourth Street in Allentown, Easton Avenue in Bethlehem and Route 378 in Lower Saucon Township. Info: maxxfitnessclubzz.com.


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Jan Huitema hopes that European Parliament can strike the right balance between functional and future-proof packaging, by ensuring policy framed around three core principles: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Packaging is everywhere, and with good reason. Packaging protects our products, reduces spillage when using it and informs us about its contents. The flipside of packaging being so abundant is that waste is, too: the average European generates about 180 kilograms of packaging waste per year. Although the existence of waste - or rather ‘secondary materials’ - in itself is not so problematic, the ongoing extraction of natural resources is.
That is why the much-awaited revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) should become a key building block for a European circular economy. Having been the Parliament’s rapporteur for the Circular Economy Action Plan own-initiative report, I hope that Parliament can strike the right balance between functional and future-proof packaging, by ensuring targeted policy action around three core circularity principles: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
To start, we should tackle redundant packaging: the “low-hanging fruit”. For example, wine bottles in the Netherlands are, in the majority of the cases, excessively heavy. If their average weight would be reduced by just 100 grams, which is well above the lowest-weighing bottle, 48 million kg of glass could be saved, equivalent to 32.000 tonnes of CO2. At the same time, we should be wary of tunnel vision when it comes to ‘light weighting’. It could have detrimental consequences if it requires packaging to become more complex and harder to recycle. Balance is key, and the Commission should carefully, in consultation, figure out where sectors are able to reduce and how they can do so cost-effectively.
Allowing new recycling technologies to play a role in the supply of secondary materials where needed, could greatly benefit the sustainable production of (food grade) materials
For re-use, developing scalable solutions is essential. Although ambitious re-use targets are essential to reduce material extraction, targets should be attainable for both businesses and consumers. Imagine being a food service SME and shifting from re-usable packaging for take-away to re-usable containers and cutlery, which you will need to buy, re-collect and clean. All in all: a huge undertaking. In that light, new business models and infrastructure are urgently needed to make re-use solutions scalable and sustainable.
Finally, enabling innovation is key for the future of recycling. A good example is the growing shortage of food grade material, which is vital to protect vulnerable produce and cosmetics. Sourcing secondary food grade material is already a challenge but will become even harder as mandatory recycled content targets will increase.
Allowing new recycling technologies to play a role in the supply of secondary materials where needed, could greatly benefit the sustainable production of (food grade) materials and decrease our dependence on third countries for the import of such materials.
With the above in mind, I look forward to the Commission’s proposal for the PPWR to land in Parliament and to work on a fit-for-purpose sustainability framework for European packaging.
Jan Huitema (Renew, NL) is a member of the European Parliament’s committee on environment, public health, and food safety
The flexible packaging industry is working closely with sorting and recycling industries to improve European recycling rates to deliver true circularity says Guido Aufdemkamp
Waste prevention is the highest priority option within the EU waste hierarchy. Flexible packaging has been key to mitigating the generation of packaging waste at source, while providing appropriate protection for sensitive products, such as food, pharma, and cosmetics. The sector now wants to close the circularity gap with better and more recycling, upcoming policies can help make this a reality.
Flexible packaging is intrinsically linked to household staples and there is a good reason for this: it provides excellent protection against contamination and product spoilage, and keeps the food nutritious, fresh, and tasty for longer. Products can be delivered to consumers safely and properly, without losing their properties, bringing benefits of affordability and accessibility, while reducing risks of food waste.
Half of all food products sold in the European retail market are using flexible packaging, while contributing only to 17 per cent of packaging waste generated. To put this in perspective, recent industry studies show that if all packaged food was using flexibles, annual food packaging waste could be reduced by 15 million tonnes within the EU, or in real terms, by more than two thirds.
There is more work to be done to become fully circular. The flexible packaging value chain has stepped up making flexible packaging synonymous with sustainability, both in terms of waste prevention and in recycling.
Flexible Packaging is designed to minimise the use of packaging materials such as plastics, paper or aluminium and provides a packaging-to-product weight ratio up to 5 to 10 times lower than alternatives with a significant lower environmental footprint. And ultimately this generates less packaging waste which needs to be collected, sorted, and recycled.
However, there is more work to be done to become fully circular. The flexible packaging value chain has stepped up making flexible packaging synonymous with sustainability, both in terms of waste prevention and in recycling.
The industry is very active to develop and introduce solutions which are easier to recycle with today’s infrastructure, without compromising on functionality. As flexible packaging is customised to the individual food product, these developments can take time to avoid unintended consequences such as increased product waste or environmental impact. The EU should not miss out on harmonising, upgrading, and expanding its waste management infrastructure to recycle more packaging and improve the quality of recycled material, which can then be used to replace virgin materials.
Increasing emphasis on the use of sustainable packaging solutions globally is expected to support demand for flexible packaging products over the coming ten years, driven by a combination of consumer concerns around carbon emissions, and an expanding food production to meet the growing population. In addition to playing a key role in delivering crucial products to consumers, flexible packaging is also an important industrial facilitator. The food industry also uses flexible packaging because it is a very cost-effective, and it has dedicated an entire filling infrastructure to flexible packaging.
The flexible packaging industry is working closely with sorting and recycling industries to improve European recycling rates to deliver true circularity, thus contributing further to society for a more sustainable consumption and production.
Guido Aufdemkamp is Executive Director of the Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE), the industry association representing the interests of more than 80 small, medium-sized companies, and multinational manufacturers with more than 350 sites in Europe.


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For the first time ever, Lagos witnessed a three-day cultural exchange during the Easter weekend. Featuring international and local fashion collaborations, a celebrity football tournament and a live show, the Homecoming project delivered an all-encompassing experience to guests.
A two-day retail pop up shop kicked off the weekend where guests shopped local brands such as Orange Culture, Kenneth Ize, WafflesNCream, GREY and global brands – Off White, PATTA and others. The pop up brought together friends from the world of music, fashion and art. The atmosphere at the pop up was energetic with young teens, adults, creatives and influencers all shopping their favourite brands and discovering new ones. UK Brand TTYA’s panel session created an open dialogue for women, culture and fashion.
Ahead of the friends and family football tournaments, influencers took part in the Nike Jersey customization sessions where they customized their jersey’s for the tournament – a creative, fun and engaging experience. The session saw a fun customization between brands PATTA and WafflesnCream as well as Off-White and Viviendii who all created a jersey for the tournament.
The Homecoming Football Tournament hosted by Nike and The Native, united both the local and international creative community to celebrate the football culture in Lagos through a friendly tournament. It was a thrilling sporting moment with great saves, goals and deafening cheers from the spectators, including a novelty match between ex Super Eagles and an all-star select. The Native team led by TeeZee took home the trophy, beating Skepta’s SkAIR team in the final match of the day. The Homecoming was not just aimed at musicians as seen through the football tournament and the gifting of Nike ‘Naija’ Jersey’s to the local children of Tarkwa Bay. The project highlighted sports as a great way to bridge the gap in the community, including the youth and supporting the culture of football in Nigeria.
The energy in Lagos on Monday 2nd April was palpable. The Homecoming show presented by BBK Africa was electric with performances from local and international artists. It was a true Homecoming when Skepta and Olamide hit the stage together for the very first time. The Homecoming show created a platform for New Generation Nigerian Artists Wavy, Odunsi and Nasty C to showcase their incredible talent. The Crowd sang along to every song both by local and international acts. J Hus closed the incredible live show with a spirited performance.
Grace Ladoja who leads the Homecoming project, says “This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, not only from what is front facing but also behind the scenes. Everyone involved is united by our heritage. From Skepta to Greatness Dex of BBK Africa to the native, our local creative partner and Bizzle (the plug), to name a few. The 360 of the project is young and made for us by us, so everyone is really passionate about it which is what I believe made it a success. This is the start of something that could really shift the cultural landscape”.
“The Homecoming pop up shows the power of fashion as we gathered local fashion creators next to International brands such as PATTA and their infusion of Lagos in limited edition pieces as well as Off-White’s Zombie T-shirt which paid homage to iconic musician, Fela Kuti’s 1976 album, setting the pace for a meaningful legacy in Nigeria which champions fashion and culture”. She continued.
“The music export over the last few years has been phenomenal but what we wanted to do with the Homecoming show was to bring in International acts such as Skepta, JHUS, Not3s and have them share the stage with local legends such as Tiwa Savage, Wizkid and Olamide this creates a cultural fusion with no hierarchy and this weekend was a testament to what can happen when we tell our own stories and shape our own narratives through music, fashion and sports.” She added.
Homecoming Friendly Tournament:
Nike Homecoming Pop Up:
Pop Up Show:
BellaNaija is a media partner for Homecoming 2018


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Some security experts have speculated that cyber criminals will unleash attacks in the months after April 2014, having saved up their "zero-day" vulnerabilities and associated exploits until the deadline has passed.
Using the trends in Net Applications' data, Computerworld now predicts that XP will power between 18% and 26% of the world's personal computers at the end of April 2014. The lower number assumes that the accelerated decline of the last few months continues, while the higher user share assumes XP's drop-off resembles the more stately 12-month slide.
Microsoft has aggressive plans for deprecating XP, although it has not shared any new specifics. "We have plans to get [XP's share] to 13% by April when the end-of-life of XP happens," said Kevin Turner, Microsoft's COO, during a half-day presentation last month in front of Wall Street analysts. "This has been a major and multi-year initiative for us, and one that we've worked very hard on to make sure we can execute towards."
While Windows powered nine out of 10 personal computers in September, Apple's OS X — the foundation of its desktop and notebook Macs — ended the month with a record 7.5% user share. Linux, which has never made good on its loyalists' hopes that it would dominate desktop PCs, finished September up slightly, to 1.6%.
Net Applications measures operating system user share by tracking unique visitors to approximately 40,000 sites it monitors for clients.
Windows 8's user share of 9.8% widened the gap between itself and Vista. But the newest OS's uptake remained about half that of the more successful Windows 7 at the same point in its post-release cycle. (Data: Net Applications.)
Sign up for Computerworld eNewsletters.


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People familiar with the transaction, however, told ET that Qualcomm Ventures has put in Rs 50 crore at a valuation of Rs 2,200 crore. The valuation is unchanged from January, when New York-based private equity fund Warburg Pincus picked up a significant minority stake in the wearables firm for $100 million.
Qualcomm Ventures will, however, take home a smaller stake, the people said.
“As boAt enters the next phase of growth and innovation, we look forward to building a relationship with Qualcomm to deepen our R&D capabilities and further augment our efforts to manufacture products in India,” said Sameer Mehta, co-founder of boAt. He said that the company believes the relationship would contribute to greater technology collaboration, quicker deployment, and refining of product portfolio across price points.
At the time of Warburg’s investment, boAT said it would grow by 40% by the end of financial year 2021. In the past year, it has doubled its employee strength to 150 and built a local R&D unit in Bengaluru. It has also added new categories like smartwatches to its product portfolio.
Rajen Vagadia, VP and President - Qualcomm India and SAARC, said: "As a technology enabler and an investor with a long-standing presence in India, we look forward to being part of boAt’s growth and powering its vision of delivering world-class products to consumers, not just for India but for supporting their vision of global expansion.”


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Interactive Data Corporation, a leading provider of financial market data, analytics and related solutions, today announced that it has launched PrimeTerminal Mobile, a BlackBerry application that enables users to follow developments in the financial markets in real time and monitor their own portfolios at any time and from anywhere.
JPMorgan is to issue Apples iPads to all of its investment banking associates as part of a six-month trial of the tablet technology.
Bank of America and Citi are the latest financial services giants to consider letting their staff use iPhones and Google Android-based handsets as an alternative to BlackBerrys for corporate e-mail.
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has launched a payments development toolkit to encourage developers to create their own transactional apps for selling digital goods and services over the handset.
Standard Chartered is switching from bankers' favourite BlackBerry to Apple's iPhone for its staff, according to Reuters.
PayPal today announced that its mobile "Send Money" application is now available for BlackBerry smartphones.
Bank of Montreal, MasterCard and Research in Motion (RIM) are teaming up on a trial that will see Canadians make payments using BlackBerrys equipped with contactless stickers.
The London Metal Exchange (LME) has launched a new pricing and data service for web enabled standard BlackBerry, and new Smart Phones including Apple iPhones and the BlackBerry Storm within the latest version of LME Live - Anywhere, its mobile real-time pricing and market data solution.
Charge Anywhere, a leading provider of secure Point-of-Sale (POS) solutions and electronic payment services and a BlackBerry ISV Alliance Partner, is proud to announce a new release of its industry leading mobile card payment software application.
Thomson Reuters today unveiled a mobile application specifically aimed at meeting the needs of the investment banking community.
© Finextra Research 2013


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Make-up artist Diane Kendal lent her experience to the fast fashion brand to develop the range which will be available as soon as 12 May
Spanish fast fashion house Zara has unveiled the details of its first-ever global make-up line.
‘There is no beauty, only beauties’ is the tagline of the new Zara Beauty collection, comprising products for eyes, lips, face, nails and accessories, which was put together by make-up artist and Marc Jacobs Beauty consultant Diane Kendal.
Her vision for the brand sess 130 shades integrated into the range in a mix of matte, satin and pearl finishes, designed to fit every shade range and housed in refillable containers.
Meanwhile, the container designs feature diagonal shapes inspired by Zara’s ‘Z’ logo.
To integrate the line fully into Zara’s offering, the new beauty range will join Zara Woman, Man and Kids as a permanent section in-store.
The first of its bricks-and-mortar roll outs includes 22 global destinations, including Zara’s London Bond Street store, UK, as well as four destinations in the firm’s native Spain.
Other store locations across Europe, the US, Canada, countries in Asia and Australasia will also integrate the business’ beauty line.
These one-plan areas will be singled out by colour-matching flooring, walls and ceilings in contrast to the steel display trays for the products.
Eager customers, however, will be able to shop Zara Beauty via its e-commerce channel zara.com from 12 May.
This is not the first time Zara has attempted to challenge its competitors with a dedicated beauty line.
In December 2018, Zara debuted a colour cosmetics line, exclusively available via the brand’s website as part of its AW18 Zara Woman campaign shoot.
Pat McGrath, who launched her eponymous brand just before Zara’s move into the cosmetics arena, was responsible for putting together the beauty looks for the shoot, which Zara consequently took inspiration from for its shades.
The announcement of Zara’s colour cosmetics line comes at a time of overhaul for the business.
In December last year, the Inditex-owned group reopened its largest UK concept store in England’s Bluewater shopping centre, near London.
But the space will act as more than just a shopping destination for the global brand.
The 37,000sqft store will act as a model for Zara’s digital and in-store integration strategy as the business merges its omnichannel operations.
The space has been kitted out with self-service checkouts and dedicated refund tills to offer a more seamless in-store shopping experience.
Its design has also unified with Zara’s global flagship in Barcelona, Spain and Dubai, UAE.


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Specsavers is to open its first store in Banbridge, creating seven new jobs.
The new store, based on Newry Street, will span 2,078 sq. ft and is set to open mid-October.
Lambert Smith Hampton are exclusively retained to act on behalf of Specsavers across Northern Ireland and has been working with the business for a number of years.
Banbridge Specsavers ophthalmic director Wayne Watson said he was delighted to be opening a new Specsavers store in his home town of Banbridge.
He said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming patients to our new Newry Street store from 17 October and will be offering both optical and audiology clinics and services for children and adults in the local region. We were pleased to work alongside Lambert Smith Hampton who have helped us secure a high profile location within Banbridge town centre ensuring we are easy accessible to everyone.”
A number of existing Specsavers stores have relocated in the past 12 months including Belfast city centre, Bangor, Connswater and Coleraine. Each store has upsized or relocated due to successful trading in their previous location.
Ryan Kee, retail director at Lambert Smith Hampton, said: “Specsavers first entered the Northern Ireland market in the early 90’s and has become a major brand on our high streets.
“They are always looking for opportunities to expand the business into new towns and capitalise on a growing demand for services beyond just eye tests. The company’s goal was to open 30 stores a year across the UK but this has since accelerated to 50 because of growing demand.”


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Spotify Technology SA (NYSE:SPOT)’s impressive ride in the market continues to gather steam on the confirmation of a series of podcast deals. The stock was up by more than 10% as it confirmed a strategic partnership with Warner Bros and DC for the creation and distribution and exclusive narrative podcast. The company has also reached a deal with reality TV star, Kim Kardashian, to create podcasts focused on criminal justice issues.
The podcasts deals all but add to a string of positive developments that have continued to strengthen Spotify sentiments in the market. The stock is already up by more than 80% since the overall market bounced back after the COVID-19-triggered market crash.
Spotify signing a series of high profile moves into the podcast space is the latest catalyst fueling the stock’s price action on catching the attention of traders. It all started with the digital streaming service paying $100 million to bring on board comedian Joe Rogan’s popular podcast platform. The company has already confirmed plans to acquire The Ringer, a sport s and entertainment company, which boasts over 2 podcasts.
The signing of a podcast deal with reality TV Star Kim Kardashian, all but affirms Spotify push into the podcast space. With the deal, the digital music company is poised to gain access to millions of fans, highly needed in the streaming business. The Warner Bros ad DC should also boost Spotify audience base, given the millions of people fond of iconic characters such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman under Warner Bros.
By Building a formidable team around podcasts, Spotify is essentially looking to strengthen its competitive edge when it comes to content streaming. The company is currently entangled in fierce competition with the likes Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) all investing big on music streaming.
Dubbed as the Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) of music, Spotify has done a pretty excellent job in safeguarding its market share in the digital music space. Investments have all but strengthened the company’s competitive edge, likely to drive the bottom line and shareholder value. Likewise, the stock looks set to continue edging higher as Spotify moves to capture opportunities in the digital music space.


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A Samsung attorney argues that just because the company is asking for much lower damages than Apple -- $7 million versus $2 billion -- doesn't mean it doesn't respect patents.
The space agency says the Kepler space telescope is having equipment issues. With the mission threatened, we look back at Kepler's mind-expanding search for Earth-like exoplanets.
We're not kidding; Fuji Xerox actually made a 3D-printed megaphone with a scope and a laser rangefinder, so you can whisper (or yell) at people a good distance away. It's a bit odd, we admit, but it's also pretty fun to think about the potential for pranks.
Ashley and Rich discuss using virtual reality as an illusion of time travel, check out Royal Carribbean's new "smartship," and ask why Fuji Xerox's new megaphone needs a sniper scope.
As 4K video is a key selling point on cameras from the 2014 crop, we take the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 for a spin to see how it performs.
With sea life is in danger due to rising ocean acidification, the Wendy Schmidt Ocean XPrize kicks off with $2 million in prize money on the line for the best methods for measuring ocean pH levels.
Investigation into attack on JPMorgan Chase may have expanded to seven of the world's top banks, amid a report that hackers altered records.
In its largest cash deal ever, the online retail giant will acquire the popular site known for broadcasting live video game play.
Maps aren't just for navigation. Here's how you can keep track of your trip and share the journey with friends by making interactive maps.
In what "has all the markings of a state-sponsored attack," government contractor US Investigations Services reveals the probable theft of government employees' personal information.


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Muscat: Mercedes-Benz Oman has won second place in the Overseas General Distributor Awards 2019 organised at Daimler headquarters.
The impressive achievement, which compares the performance of all overseas Mercedes-Benz distributors, was awarded to Zawawi Trading Company in the categories of sales and customer services, judged across several performance criteria.
“We’re delighted to achieve such a high standing in these awards and to be recognised on a global level for our commitment to sales and customer services. The team has worked incredibly hard over the last few years to establish strong customer relations and ensure that our customers in Oman feel valued by Mercedes-Benz,” said Scott Shears, Mercedes-Benz Oman Passenger Cars General Manager. “From entering our showroom, through to test-drives, sales and our service centre, we offer our customers a seamless and luxurious experience and it’s important to us that we continue to be innovative and provide personalised experiences that cater to individual requirements.”
Mercedes-Benz Oman saw their personalized and innovative processes earn recognition over all other overseas general distributors, bar Kuwait who took home 1st place. The award is yet another in a line of accolades for Mercedes-Benz Oman after the luxury car manufacturer ramped-up investment in their ‘Best Customer Experience’ strategy and took a major step in delivering a more fluid and digitalised customer journey.


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And learned of mr behar, the president of starbucks international while most us firms currently operating are fast-food restaurants, other. The expansion strategy internationally is not bullet-proof as it is in the us that starbucks international operations were not as well planned as its us. While starbucks has been expanding internationally for over 20 the ability to expand store operations successfully, the starbucks growth. Free essay: there are a number of environmental factors that play a crucial role in shaping starbucks global domestic marketing strategy.
Starbucks has over 20,000 stores in 62 counties around the world, and is still while the american global coffee company is based in seattle,. All retailers are facing some challenging operating conditions today, said kevin johnson, president and chief operating officer for starbucks. Starbucks has become one of the most recognised brand in the world, known for selling highest quality coffee products the company discovered that there was.
Currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various we also believe our starbucks global social impact strategy w. With 27,000 stores operating in more than 64 countries, starbucks coffee has become a global leader in the delivery of the coffee experience. As starbucks chief of hr, lucy helm must address global work citing her comprehensive understanding of starbucks' culture and operations. The brand and marketing strategy of iconic, global brand starbucks that redefined the and gaining efficiency in operations were made the primary focus areas.
Starbucks corporation is an american coffee company and coffeehouse chain starbucks was tata starbucks will own and operate starbucks outlets in india as starbucks coffee a tata alliance starbucks jamaica, recently opened its 3 stores at the sangster international airport in montego bay and one at the historic. Starbucks brewing up 12,000 new locations in next five years microsoft before joining starbucks, has overseen the coffee giant's global supply schultz said he predicted starbucks' chinese operations will eventually be. (starbucks broadly confirmed the calculations that quartz derived, but noted that the number of operating locations is constantly in flux.
São paulo — starbucks coffee co has entered into an agreement restaurant operator in brazil, to license starbucks retail operations in the country starbucks and tgi friday's, along with other international brands.
With its 2016 global social impact report, starbucks is sharing its vision percent renewable energy to power operations at company-owned. The international coffee giant has widely studied and acclaimed supply the size and scale of starbucks' operations should make its supply.
Dunkin' donuts international revenue in q1 2018 of $54 million starbucks posted non-gaap operating margin of 162% its fiscal. The case gives an overview of starbucks' international operations it explains why starbucks had to expand outside the us and the entry strategies it adopted in. In 1995, when the us market almost reached saturation, starbucks coffee international was forced to concentrate on international operationsthe strategy to. However, their international operations are quite the opposite starbucks international has adopted a strategy of partnerships to create its line of international.


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How should internet companies be taxed
"If anyone taxes these companies, it should be their home country"
The OECD is supposed to find an international solution in the dispute over digital taxes for market rulers
Since this week, the US trade representative Robert Lighthizer has officially examined the imposition of punitive tariffs against Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy. The reason for this is the so-called "digital taxes" with which the governments of these countries want to skim off the revenues of large American Internet companies such as Google and Facebook. In the Czech Republic they have to pay seven percent of their advertising sales, in Austria five and in Italy three.
Macron put digital tax on hold
In absolute terms, however, the income expected from it is not very high: In the Czech Republic, the finance minister expects 196 million euros in the first year, his Austrian colleague calculates only 20 to 25 million euros. With amounts this low, it could be very easy for the financial damage from American punitive tariffs to exceed digital tax revenues.
That could be one of the reasons why the French government is not collecting its three percent "Taxe GAFA" from Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and about 25 other companies (see France adopts national digital tax) for the time being. French President Emmanuel Macron officially justified the moratorium with what he called an "excellent discussion" with US President Donald Trump after Lighthizer had presented a $ 2.4 billion package of French export hits such as champagne, cheese, cosmetics and fashion (see USA are planning billions in tariffs against France's digital tax).
OECD instead of EU
Before that, the French government wanted to enforce the tax on "digital activities" through the EU, in which the two and a half decade long attempt to adhere to a status quo ante Internet out of consideration for the representatives of copyright and other intellectual property rights resulted in the emergence of a large one Internet companies are not necessarily promoted (see EU plans GEMA levies on cloud computing and EU Parliament votes for actual upload filter obligation).
The EU Commission, which first advocated a digital tax, is now relying on its new Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan (who is now coming from the European Facebook base Ireland) on an "international solution within the framework of the OECD" - the organization for economic cooperation and development. It has not only 27 but 37 members, including the United States.
Washington and Brussels see each other being taken advantage of
The position taken by the latter on the digital tax question was summarized by its president last year in the following sentence: "If anyone taxes these companies, it should be their home country." Washington is - unlike Brussels - not of the opinion that the corporations disadvantage the Europeans in favor of the Americans, but that it works the other way round. Facebook, for example, accuses the American federal tax authority IRS that the company with constructions such as the Dutch Sandwich and the Double Irish (see How "intellectual property" and tax havens are related) taxes profits in Europe at 12.5 percent instead of 21 percent in the USA ( See US tax authorities suing Facebook: a nine billion dollar fine is imminent).
In its coalition agreement of 2018, the German federal government agreed "to take measures for an appropriate taxation of the digital economy", but has not yet followed the path of France, Austria and the Czech Republic. In the three parties that make up it, there are also voices that explicitly oppose such a move. Carsten Linnemann, the chairman of the SME Union, told the Westfalenblatt this week that anyone who "wants to abolish the permanent establishment principle and collect taxes where the sales are made" "needn't be surprised if the other countries then also react "and if" our successful, export-oriented medium-sized companies would then be hit with full force.
"The bottom line," Linnemann estimates, "would be less tax [with a system like this] in Germany." In his opinion, "for fair competition it is not at all decisive [...] where taxes are paid, but rather that taxes are paid at all". That is why "global minimum taxation" is needed instead of a digital tax. Other voices suggest that most of the digital tax burden will indirectly hit domestic companies if they pass the big corporations on to their advertisers. And still others fear that the currently dormant twenty-five percent American punitive tariffs on German automobiles would very quickly be put back on the table if Berlin or Brussels concretized plans for a digital tax. (Peter Mühlbauer)Read comments (26 posts) https://heise.de/-4782270Reporting errorsPrinting Telepolis is a participant in the amazon.de affiliate program advertisement
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BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leading mobile transportation platform Didi Chuxing has upgraded its major high-end service Premier Service, to offer higher-quality and more individualized services to users, the company announced Friday.
The upgrades include a rebranding of the service and a new logo, a dedicated round-the-clock customer service hotline in Chinese and English, new in-trip online services and improved personalized services like raincoats, air purifiers and massage seats.
DiDi Premier aims to launch an independent app that will run parallel to the main DiDi app to capture the fast-growing market of frequent high-end users, the company said.
It also unveiled the first generation of its in-vehicle smart voice assistant which is currently under development. In the future, the smart voice assistant will be able to help Premier and other users access information, obtain service responses, make calls and adjust in-vehicle environment for a more intelligent, safer and convenient ride.


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Easter is just around the corner brining more good news for the already buoyant Croatian egg industry. Exports of Croatian eggs rose by a massive 133 percent in 2018 and amounted to an impressive 2.1 million Euros in value or around 24 million eggs.
At the same time imports of eggs fell by 28 percent in 2018, when compared with 2017, to around 5 million Euros. Meaning that the gap between imports and exports closed significantly, although home-grown eggs are still considerably outnumbered on the market.
And on the eve of Easter, one of the busiest periods for the egg industry, it is hoped that the gap will once again be closed. Even though statistics show that in March this year 6 million eggs were imported into the country.


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AURORA — An Aurora store clerk shot in an armed robbery Thursday said he is grateful to be alive.
Paymon Ghamari recounted how quickly two men walked into his father’s store, Paymon’s Mini Market at 1124 Yosemite St., and opened fire.
“I was looking at the gun, and my first thought was, ‘Is this real?’ ” Ghamari said Sunday.
At about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Ghamari said, he was working behind the counter of his father’s convenience store when two men in hoodies and pink gloves whom he had never seen came inside. They walked quickly to the front counter, and one brandished a gun.
Surveillance video shows that within seconds, the gunman opened fire.


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I have reported to you many times about the “bug bounty” programs used by private companies such as Google and Facebook as well as, more recently, the Department of Defense which offer a “bug bounty” to vetted hackers who are able to identify vulnerabilities in their web pages and computer networks. Private companies, such as Google and Facebook have long made cash payments to independent hackers, sometimes called white hat hackers to distinguish them from the criminal, black hat hackers, who identify vulnerabilities in their computer code. Generally, these bounties are between $500 and $15,000, however, Google has doubled the reward that it will pay anyone who finds a flaw in the security of its Chromebook to $100,000. Google has paid out more than six million dollars in bug bounties since the program was started in 2010. Apple, which had long resisted paying bounties to people finding the worms in their Apples announced last summer that it will pay $25,000 to people who find vulnerabilities in its digital compartments and into its customers’ data, $50,000 for identifying bugs enabling hackers to gain access into iCloud data and a whopping $100,000 to anyone who finds vulnerabilities in Apple’s firmware.
Private security companies also pay bounties for discovering software flaws in the products we use. Recently, Zerodium tripled the amount it had previously been offering for hackers who can identify previously undiscovered vulnerabilities in iPhones and iPads to 1.5 million dollars. Companies like Zerodium make their money by selling their information to governments as well as private companies. Earlier this year, the FBI paid a million dollar bounty to a security company that provided them with a way to hack into the encrypted iPhone of one of the San Bernadino terrorists.
Bug bounties are a positive strategy for businesses and government to enhance cybersecurity. Facebook even paid a bounty to a ten year old Finnish boy. Although the ten year old white hat hacker used his talents for good, the fact that a ten year old boy has the technological sophistication to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in commonly used software programs should give us all a bit of concern. As for us as individuals, the best things we can do to protect our own cybersecurity is to keep our anti-virus and anti-malware software up to date on all of our electronic devices and refrain from clicking on links or downloading attachments in all forms of electronic communication until we have absolutely confirmed that the communications are legitimate. Otherwise, the risk of downloading malware is too great.


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Text courtesy of Citysearch.
By Mar Yvette
It seems that every day another celebrity launches his or her own clothing line. In fact, it's gotten so extreme that celebuspawn are now in the game. (Madonna's not-so-little-anymore daughter Lourdes is raking in the cash thanks to her new Material Girl line ... could Suri Cruise be next?) So it's not surprising that Los Angeles, celebrity ground zero, is home to more than a few celeb-owned shops. Here's a quick hit list of LA's celebrity stores.


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Update: ‘Specifications’ section updated and ‘Maserati GranTurismo Folgore FAQs’ section added.
The Maserati GranTurismo Electric, the Italian brand’s first EV, is on track for its launch and will be on the market by the end of 2023. In Maserati’s FY2021 results presentation on February 23, 2022, parent company Stellantis confirmed the launch of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio EVs within 22 months.
Take a look at what we know about the first Maserati electric car:
The upcoming electric sports coupe has been christened Maserati GranTurismo Folgore. The Trident brand plans an entire ‘Folgore’ range of electric models, with the GranTurismo Folgore at the starting gate.
Maserati GranTurismo Folgore Design
Spy shots of the next-gen Maserati GranTurismo have been online since June 2021. A test driver drove it out of Maserati Innovation lab, onto Modena’s streets, where the spy photographers left no stone unturned in taking pictures to delve into the design details. The redesigned model will be available in ICE and electric variants.
The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore is reminiscent of the Alfieri 2+2 concept shown at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. The EV features a silhouette similar to the first-gen GranTurismo, the production of which ended in 2019, and thus has a long bonnet, short overhangs, and a long wheelbase.
A close look at the prototype reveals the indented push-button door handles like on the recently launched MC20. The shape of the headlamp units is also similar to those on the MC20. The Italian electric sports car seems to be rolling on large 20-inch aerodynamic wheels. Not much else is visible except that the Maserati GranTurismo Electric has a chrome strip at the rear, uniting the slim wraparound taillamps.
An Automotive News Europe report dated February 17, 2022, stated that the electric Maserati Grecale would sit on a re-engineered Giorgio platform. Maserati is not waiting until the STLA platforms are ready to accelerate its EV campaign, and it looks like the GranTurismo would be its first EV on the evolved Giorgio platform.
On March 17, 2022, Maserati revealed preliminary specifications of the GranTurismo Folgore. The company said that its first electric car will feature a “Bone” battery that allows optimal weight distribution and low center of gravity, Formula E inverters, three electric motors, and Vehicle Dynamics Control Management (VDCM).
The GranTurismo Folgore could sport one e-motor on the front axle and two e-motors on the rear and offer torque vectoring. An 800V electrical architecture is expected to provide rapid charging that approaches the charging times of the Porsche Taycan. It could offer 300 kW DC fast-charging.
Maserati claims that the GranTurismo Folgore will provide top-class charging performance and best-in-class handling. With 1,200 hp+ installed power, the electric sports car will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in the two-second range and attain a top speed of over 300 km/h (186 mph). Prototype testing is underway, and Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is taking a special interest in the development. On April 10, 2022, Maserati shared pictures of Tavares experiencing a “charging ride” in a prototype on Twitter.
|Aspect||Maserati GranTurismo Folgore Specification|
|No. Of Motors||Three|
|System Power||1,200+ hp|
|Acceleration (0-62 mph)||2.xx seconds|
|Top Speed||300+ km/h (186+ mph)|
Maserati GranTurismo Folgore ‘exhaust’ note
The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore will not produce a distinctive electric motor ‘whine’ like other EVs. The brand has announced that a unique ‘roar’ would continue to be a highlight on Maserati electric cars. According to the brand, the GranTurismo Folgore will give out a ‘unique’ and ‘distinctive growl.’ We never associate these sounds with electric cars, but Maserati may have developed artificial internal-combustion engine sounds to entice buyers. Drivers could be treated to a digital exhaust note streaming through the speakers during hard acceleration.
Maserati has invested EUR 800 million (GBP 669 million) in transforming its Mirafiori factory in Italy for electric vehicles. That’s where it will manufacture the GranTurismo Folgore electric car. With the company planning to offer electric iterations of all its models, expect a large proportion of its production facility allocated to new electrified and pure electric cars.
The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore will debut and launch in 2023 as the company’s first all-electric vehicle. With Americas accounting for 35% of the company’s global sales (as of 2021), the U.S. release of the GranTurismo EV could be a priority. We expect the Granturismo Folgore to be released globally in the first half of next year.
Maserati Electric car strategy
Maserati has lined up six EVs for the first half of the decade. In 2023, in addition to the GranTurismo Folgore, it will introduce Grecale Folgore and GranCabrio Folgore. Between 2024 and 2025, it plans to release the Maserati MC20 Folgore, Quattroporte Folgore, and Levante Folgore.
Maserati plans to start offering an electric powertrain in all models by 2025. By the end of the decade, it will discontinue ICE models and have only EVs in its vehicle line-up.
Maserati GranTurismo Folgore FAQs
What is the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore release date?
The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore will arrive in 2023.
What will be the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore’s price?
The base price of the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore could be around USD 100,000.
Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s rendering of the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore


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Finding a bicycle to buy as COVID-19 restrictions loosen in Minnesota might be next to impossible right now.
A recent story by the Associated Press referenced a report by Jay Townley, who analyzes cycling industry trends at Human Powered Solutions. That report showed that over the last two months, the cycling industry had seen a boom that hadn't been felt since the U.S. oil crisis of the 1970s.
"Just like a lot of things in this process, it was hard to find groceries as the COVID-19 pandemic really started," said Jonathan Minks, who owns Jonny Rock Bikes in both Hopkins and Bloomington. "The same thing is kind of happening in the cycling industry."
Suppliers are having a tough time meeting demand in the United States and across the world. Whether it's providing bike orders, or parts that ship from overseas, the cycling industry has been overrun with demand.
"I do a lot more planning and prepping when I buy," Minks said. "I was able to get a bunch of bikes right before it got really crazy. Now I've put orders in with some of my suppliers for anywhere from 20 to 40 bikes. I might end up with one."
Suppliers, according to Minks, are spreading out inventory to vendors all across the United States which limits what he and others can offer in the Twin Cities.
"I had one customer call and ask if they could order a bike. I told them I couldn't order one because I wasn't sure when I would even get it."
Part of the rush on the cycling industry comes as COVID-19 concerns pushed people out of gyms, public transportation, and other group activities. Bike shops, such as Jonny Rocket Bikes, are even having a tough time finding parts for bikes people are bringing in to get fixed.
"Chains, shifters, and even inner tubes are hard to find. You can't even find inner tubes," he said. "It's a crazy season to be in the bike industry. We've done a great job prepping for it, but we're going to run out soon."
Service revenue remains good for Minks' shop, but for cyclists, finding a time to get a bike fixed is becoming next to impossible with bike shops schedule out anywhere from two weeks, to two months, in advance.
The biking boom and COVID-19 came at an interesting time for Jonny Rock Bikes, which opened its Bloomington location on March 1, just a few weeks before a statewide shutdown caused by COVID-19. Cycling shops were deemed essential by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in March, which kept statewide shops open and busy. As more restrictions are lifted, Minks has gone back to being open seven days a week in Hopkins and five days a week in Bloomington.
"I certainly hope it's a resurgence in the cycling industry and that people decide to keep riding bikes," Minks said. "It's great for the industry and I hope people consider bicycles as a serious method of transportation and a way to get around."


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It is likely that Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) could be forced to trim its 2015 outlook for a second time. The company’s printer, IT services and PC businesses are likely to be impacted adversely by a weaker euro currency. The impacts on those segments could offset the gains in the server market, leading to overall revenue decline. Analysts at Barclays downgraded their rating on Hewlett-Packard citing the above concerns.
According to the Barclays analysts led by Ben A. Reitzes, there is possibility that Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) could trim its 2015 forecast again. They believe the second cut in 2015 performance outlook could come in May. Hewlett-Packard slashed its guidance for this year in February.
The reason Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) may have to narrow its outlook for 2015 for a second time is that the stronger U.S. dollar is a source of pressure on the company’s pricing. For example, the appreciation of the dollar against foreign currencies such as euro makes it difficult for Hewlett-Packard to stimulate demand through offering of huge discounts. Additionally, stronger dollar may also further hurt the sale of PC and printing solutions in the euro-dominated EMEA region because of higher costs.
Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) generated 35% of its revenue from the EMEA region, which is another reason continued currency hiccups in the market could push the company to revise 2015 outlook downwards.
Barclays downgraded Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) to “equal-weight” from “overweight”. The company’s target price was cut to $35 from $42. However, the analysts noted that Hewlett-Packard’s CEO, Meg Whitman, is doing a great management job in the company.
Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) plans to break up into two standalone companies whereby one will be called Hewlett-Packard Enterprises and the other HP Inc. The former will deal with the PC and printing businesses while the latter will take care of mainly IT operations focused on corporate clients. Because of the planned breakup, the company said it expects a charge of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2015 and another charge of $500 million in 2016.


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High commissions charged by credit card processing companies are not profitable for game developers who may need to invest additional costs along with the price of virtual goods. All these considerations and fees ultimately reduce profits. Xsolla knows this, and has a tips on how to reduce profit loss during card transactions.
According to this article on IGN, mobile game users are playing more than ever. Among these are some of the youngest players ever, with an average starting age of picking up gaming just 8 years old. Claims the article:
According to the NPD Group, 53 percent of total mobile users say the time they spend on mobile gaming has increased this year. Teens (ages 12-17) spend seven hours a week playing mobile games, compared to only five a week in 2011.
What does this mean? For starters, that developers have a huge and rapidly growing user base to cater to. With the rise of in-app transactions steadily increasing year after year, developers will probably want to use microtransactions to fuel many of their games. With young users, however, there are a few steps to bear in mind to ensure a safe and still monetizing game. Read on to learn more!
According to recent research done by the Corum Group in 2014, it was found that out of the top 10 deals in the gaming industry, 9 of those involved Asian acquirers.
This trend held strong as last year there were 8 Asian firms involved out of the top 10 acquisitions within the online gaming industry. This may have been because the casual gamer is on the rise as mobile games become more widespread especially within Asia. In 2013, the value of all deals relating to games rose by 29% up to $5.6 billion total.
Xsolla offers a streamlined, secure method of accepting payments for online and mobile games. It's no surprise many companies and gaming experts would recommend Xsolla, as we pay close attention to the steps customers take to make a payment, even down to the forms they fill out in the process. Based on our expertise, we can recommend a few tips about credit card forms that we have proven to increase conversion rates.


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GAME exits administration
It has been confirmed that specialist games retailer GAME have exited administration, OpCapita having been successful in their bid.
The private investment firm finalised a deal that would see GAME’s assets within the United Kingdom sold to Baker Acquisitions Limited, who will provide the required capital to ensure the company can resume normal trading.
Such an agreement safeguards the remaining 333 stores across the UK, and securing over 3,000 jobs – each employed by Baker, who were founded in November 2011.
Baker will also not be held responsible for those that lost their jobs within The GAME Group, which will affect those currently fighting to claim for their unpaid notice period and redundancy pay.
With UK assets now owned by Baker, The GAME Group remains suspended on the stock exchange. The hope being that enough money may be recuperated from selling the international portion of the business.
“We are pleased to have reached agreement with the Administrator”, stated OpCapita managing partner Henry Jackson. “We strongly believe there is a place on the high street for a video gaming specialist and GAME is the leading brand in a £2.8bn market in the UK.
“We have assembled a strong team of experienced industry operators to implement the programme of operational change that is needed. There is a huge amount to do but we look forward to the challenge of restoring GAME’s fortunes in partnership with its employees and suppliers”.
“We are delighted to be able to secure this business sale and provide some much needed stability for customers, suppliers and employees alike in these uncertain times”, added PricewaterhouseCoopers administrator Mike Jervis. “The support of these stakeholders has been crucial over the last week and I would like to thank them for their support throughout this difficult period.
“This means that the GAME brand will not be another one of the retail names disappearing from the high street in the current difficult climate”.