text:
Video games are getting to be as expensive to produce as Hollywood films.
In fact, some video games have ended up costing way more than even the most expensive feature films.
Unlike with movies, though, the amount of money it costs to make video games is a closely guarded secret. Most of the costs we see floating around are purely based on analyst estimates.
And when specific numbers are released, they take into account not just production, but things like marketing and packaging as well.
“Tomb Raider” came out in 2013 to much hype — and much acclaim. It sold around 1 million copies within 48 hours of its release, and around 6.5 million as of last month.
Game industry analyst Billy Pidgeon estimated that the game cost $100 million to produce.
(Adjusted for inflation: $102 million)
Set in the Old West, “Red Dead Redemption” was Rockstar Games’ way to prove that it was more than just the company that made “Grand Theft Auto.”
The game took more than six years to develop and was delayed several times. According to the New York Times, it cost between $80 million and $100 million to produce.
(Adjusted for inflation: $109 million)
Speaking of Rockstar Games and “Grand Theft Auto,” at the time it came out in 2008, “Grand Theft Auto IV” was the most expensive game ever produced. Its producer, Leslie Benzies, estimated it cost Rockstar around $100 million. Of course, he later said that was just a guess, so take it with a grain of salt.
Within 24 hours, “Grand Theft Auto IV” sold 3.6 million copies, shattering sales records.
(Adjusted for inflation: $110 million)
Disney’s video game unit was struggling, losing $1.4 billion from 2008 to 2013.
The company decided to take a different approach to gaming, and that’s where “Infinity” comes in. Production of the games and accompanying toys cost the company around $100 million, according to the WSJ.
But that’s a drop in the bucket compared to what Disney is expecting to make off the game: The company told Reuters it expects revenues to reach $1 billion.
(Adjusted for inflation: $102 million)
Rockstar Games is back on the list, this time with “Max Payne 3,” which came out in 2012, although it was originally scheduled for a 2009 release.
It had a weak debut, selling only 440,000 units in the first month. This missed analyst predictions that it needed to sell 4 million units in order to break even, since it cost $105 million to produce. A year after it was released, “Max Payne 3” finally achieved that goal.
(Adjusted for inflation: $108 million)
“Final Fantasy VII” cost around $45 million to make, and had a U.S. marketing budget of around $100 million.
The game came out in 1997 following a huge three-month-long marketing campaign in the United States that included TV and theatrical commercials, a holiday promotion with Pepsi, and print ads.
(Adjusted for inflation: $214 million)
At the time of its release in 2011, analysts pegged “Star Wars: The Old Republic” as being the most expensive video game ever produced: They predicted it cost BioWare between $150 million and $200 million.
The game costs $60, and players pay around $15 a month in subscription fees to play as Jedis and Siths. It got around 1 million subscribers within the first three days after it launched, making it the fastest-growing massively multiplayer online role-playing game ever at the time.
(Adjusted for inflation: $155 million to $207 million)
“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” is a first-person shooter that was released in 2009. It’s the sixth installment of the series, and is the sequel to “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.” Don’t let the naming convention fool you.
According to the LA Times, “Call of Duty” cost around $50 million to produce. But add to that marketing expenses, as well as production and distribution costs, and the launch budget was around $200 million.
(Adjusted for inflation: $221 million)
The estimates for how much “Grand Theft Auto V” cost to develop and market range from around $137 million all the way up to $265 million.
The game won seven Guinness World Records in 2013, including best-selling action-adventure video game in 24 hours, best-selling video game in 24 hours (it generated around $800 million in sales within the first day), and fastest video game to gross $1 billion.
(Adjusted for inflation: $139 million to $270 million)
“Destiny” – $500 million
“Destiny,” which comes out in the fall, is as of right now the most expensive video game ever made: $500 million.
The $500 million price tag breaks down to $140 million for development costs, according to a leaked contract between Bungie (the developer) and Activision (the publisher), and the rest being marketing, distribution, royalties, etc.
Just note that the most expensive film ever made, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” cost $300 million.


text:
Many of the 20 largest U.S. banks require multiple forms of ID, complicated passwords, numerous clicks, and several days to open an online account
CATONSVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. banks are making the online onboarding process unnecessarily complicated and missing some key opportunities to improve security and the customer experience, according to a new report from iProov, the leading provider of Genuine Presence Assurance technology.
The report, Online Security for U.S. Banks, was created using research about 20 of the largest retail banks in the United States. From August 3-31, 2020, iProov researchers opened a personal account online at each bank to track the digital onboarding process—from initial website or app contact through online ID setup and account funding.
While banks must meet KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements, the research found that the banks tested varied greatly in terms of their onboarding processes:
● 65% of banks did not allow users to set up an account via a mobile app
● 50% required three pieces of ID to open an account online
● 45% of accounts took more than two days to open and fund
● 20% required the customer to come into a branch or complete the process over the phone – full online onboarding was not possible
● 35% required more than 20 clicks for onboarding; one bank required 39 clicks, while another onboarded a customer in fewer than 10
● 75% had four or more password requirements
Additionally, more than half (55%) required new customers to remember detailed credit events from their past. Responses were required within a given timeframe or they were incorrect. Interestingly, several of the test consumers were not able to remember these financial moments from their own past.
Some 40% of the test accounts had additional levels of security to fund new accounts, including trial deposits of small amounts, confirmation that the funder resided in the same Zip code as a bank branch, or a requirement that the initial deposit be made in-person at a bank branch location.
“Biometric technology now outperforms humans when it comes to identity verification,” said Joe Palmer, President of iProov Inc. “An online biometric face scan provides banks with a greater level of assurance of a customer’s identity than if they walked into a branch to be checked by a person.”
Palmer added, “This is a game-changer for financial institutions, because they no longer need to sacrifice online user experience for security or vice versa. Genuine Presence Assurance gives banks the confirmation that an online customer is the right person, a real person, authenticating in real time. This can mean reduced fraud losses, lower onboarding costs, and an improved digital customer experience.”
Banks, governments, social networks, and healthcare and travel providers around the world are using iProov Genuine Presence Assurance technology to confirm that online users are who they claim to be. Consumers wanting to open a bank account, apply for a visa or access other secure services simply complete a brief, effortless facial scan using a mobile phone, computer or kiosk. The scan can be matched to the image in a trusted government identity document, ensuring the individual is the right person and not an imposter, while a unique colored illumination confirms that they are a real person and not a photograph or video and that they are authenticating right now.
Founded in 2012, iProov is the world leader in online facial biometric authentication, working with governments, banks and other enterprises to remotely verify customer identity. Used for onboarding, logon and authentication, customers include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the UK Home Office, the UK National Health Service (NHS), GovTech Singapore, Rabobank, ING, and others. iProov’s unique patented technology provides Genuine Presence Assurance, ensuring that an online customer is the right person, a real person, and authenticating right now. This protects against spoof attacks from photos, videos, masks, and replay attacks and the emerging threat of deepfakes. iProov was named as a Gartner Cool Vendor 2020 in Identity Access Management & Fraud Detection. For more information, please see www.iproov.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

domain: news


text:
What Government Contractors Should Know About the 2023 Recession
📖 Table of content
- 1. Decline in Employment
- 2. Decline in Real Income and Consumer Spending
- 3. Decline in Production
- 4. Increase in Cost of Living
Decreases in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) have spurred forecasts for a recession in 2023. However, the country won’t officially be in a recession unless it’s announced by economists in the Business Cycle Dating Committee.
Despite murmurs of a recession announcement in 2023, a survey of U.S. macroeconomists revealed that 68% of respondents believe 2023 to be the most likely start for the next recession.
Experts also predict that the country’s next recession will be unlike the previous economic downturn in 2008 that resulted from the crash of the subprime mortgage market.
Still, the economy is expected to contract in the near future, and that can mean fewer business development opportunities and slower revenue growth.
But what about businesses that rely on government contracts?
Government work has long been considered relatively recession-proof. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between previous economic downturns and the upcoming recession and see what steps state and federal contractors can take to prepare.
Comparing the 2023 Recessionwith Previous Economic Downturns
One question at the forefront of many Americans’ minds is, “Will this be another 2008 recession?”
The 2008 recession (also known as The Great Recession) lasted 18 months, from December 2007 to June 2009. It’s the country’s second-largest economic downturn after the Great Depression of the 1930s. Notably, it left 8.7 million Americans unemployed, and its stock market crash resulted in a collective loss of $19 trillion of net worth.
While the Great Recession was preceded by an asset bubble burst in the housing market, the leading indicator for the next recession is rising inflation.
However, there are several economic indicators in 2023 that lead experts to believe the next recession will not be as severe as the downturn of 2008. Specifically, economists point to strong housing and auto markets as well as low unemployment as signs of a more robust economy.
The Economic Indicatorsof a Recession
The classic indicator for a recession has been a decline in a country’s GDP for two consecutive quarters. But, with the U.S. economy increasingly depending on labor (instead of manufacturing), experts are turning to other signals before declaring a recession for the coming year.
To better understand how the next recession may impact the economy, as well as government contractors, it’s helpful to know what typically happens during times of economic downturn.
Here are the indicators economists use to declare recessions and a look at the performance of the U.S. economy in 2023.
1. Decline in Employment
When the economy contracts, it becomes harder for people to find jobs. As a result, unemployment rates begin to rise.
While unemployment rates peaked in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic recession, they have been steadily declining since. In 2023, unemployment has remained at a low, staying at 4% or under.
2. Decline in Real Income and Consumer Spending
When the economy struggles, employers are forced to reduce hours or lay off employees, which leads to a decline in income rates. Lower income rates also lead to a decrease in consumer spending.
From 2007 to 2008, the Real Median Household Income decreased by roughly 3.6%. During the COVID-19 recession, income decreased by 2.2% from 2019 to 2020. And from 2020 to 2021, income saw a slightly smaller decrease of about 0.6%.
Consumer spending dipped during the pandemic but bounced back 9.1% in 2021 despite the small decrease in income.
3. Decline in Production
Recession economies also see a decline in production and manufacturing as a result of more expensive raw materials.
While U.S. manufacturing output decreased during the COVID-19 recession, it’s continued to increase each quarter since the third quarter of 2020, with quarterly growth ranging from 2.6% to 5.9% since 2021.
4. Increase in Cost of Living
Higher costs of living (as measured by the Consumer Price Index) may be indicative of a recession if inflation is involved. An increased cost of living has similar economic effects as a drop in income. Namely, it can curb consumer spending.
In the case of a 2022 or 2023 recession, inflation appears to be one of the stronger leading indicators. The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) has continued to rise along with inflation for the first half of 2022, declining for the first time in August.
What the 2023 RecessionMay Mean for Government Contractors
The government contracting market has traditionally been a reliable source of income for contractors, even during times of economic downturn. When other sectors slow down, government spending tends to continue (or increase) to jumpstart the economy.
During the Great Recession, 80% of suppliers sustained or increased their income from government business.
If the same pattern follows, we can expect that procurement from government agencies will remain a steady revenue source for suppliers.
In particular, General Services Administration’s Multiple Award Schedules (GSA/MAS) purchasing program is known as an almost recession-proof bid since it offers long-term contracts ranging from five to 20 years. A small business that wins a GSA Schedule contract earns $880,000 in annual federal sales on average.
According to the U.S. Treasury’s Dynamic Forecast for the 2023 fiscal year, there are 849 awards to be given (at the time of writing). The federal agencies with the most contract opportunities are the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Departmental Offices, and the U.S. Mint.
In addition to increasing federal contracting opportunities, Congress seems to be taking proactive steps to stimulate the economy despite the fact that the next recession will likely be milder than 2008’s.
The U.S. government has passed two initiatives that will help state and local governments fund infrastructure projects: 2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Preparing Your Businessfor a Recession
Even if you win public sector bids, there are several unknowns going into the next recession. In particular, the rising cost of goods and raw materials continues to be a source of concern for suppliers.
Here are some steps you can take to improve your cash position and make your business more recession-proof:
Final Thoughts:The 2023 Recession and Trends in Government Contracting
Recessions are a normal part of the economic cycle, resulting in lean times for consumers and businesses alike. If you’re a supplier looking for revenue sources that can withstand an economic downturn, government bids are an excellent option.
Traditionally, federal government procurement remains stable (and sometimes even increases) during a recession to help the economy recover. To get started finding perfectly matched public bids for your company, explore BidNet Direct, Powered by mdf commerce.
Negotiation Course For Procurement Professionals
You'll get a certificate after completing the course
Rated 9.2/10 ★★★★★


text:
Facebook Defeats German Watchdog Group in "Fake Names" Case
February 15, 2013 3:11 PM
comment(s) - last by
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner for Schleswig-Holstein said it would appeal
A German court ruling will allow Facebook to ban the use of fake names on the social network.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner for Schleswig-Holstein challenged a Facebook policy last year that requires users to create profiles with their
real names only
-- no nicknames or fake names allowed.
The German privacy watchdog said this policy breaches German privacy laws that allow free speech on the Internet. Facebook argued that real names were necessary to protect users.
"It is unacceptable that a U.S. portal like Facebook violates German data protection law unopposed and with no prospect of an end," said Thilo Weichert, Privacy Commissioner and head of ULD. "The aim of the orders of ULD is to finally bring about a legal clarification of who is responsible for Facebook and to what this company is bound to."
However, the German court ruled that the Irish data protection law applied in this case, where Irish data protection officials handle Facebook privacy concerns in Europe (because Facebook's European headquarters is in Ireland).
"We are pleased with the decision, [which] we believe ... is a step into the right direction," a Facebook spokesman said in a statement. "We hope that our critics will understand that it is the role of individual services to determine their own policies about anonymity within the governing law – for Facebook Ireland European data protection and Irish law. We therefore feel affirmed that the orders are without merit."
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner for Schleswig-Holstein said it would appeal.
Last August, Facebook reported that
8.7 percent of active user accounts are fake
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
2/15/2013 5:37:45 PM
They make ad revenue off German citizens selling German ads...
2/16/2013 2:04:06 AM
So Germany should ban Facebook from their country.
But oh wait, German laws say that can't do that.
So German laws have an internal conflict. It should be resolved internally. Sucks to be Germany. Oh noes, they have to legislate a teensy-tiny bit!
"If you mod me down, I will become more insightful than you can possibly imagine." -- Slashdot
Quick Note: China Wants Real Names When Registering for Internet Access
December 26, 2012, 10:23 PM
Facebook Reports 8.7 Percent of Active User Accounts are Fake
August 2, 2012, 9:23 PM
Google Fiber Finally Heading to Austin, Texas in December
October 16, 2014, 11:48 AM
Dropbox Flexes Security Muscle, Appears to Have Squashed Password Breach
October 15, 2014, 12:12 PM
U2’s Bono Apologizes for Forced “Songs of Innocence” Album Downloads
October 15, 2014, 7:55 AM
Google Launches "Same-day Delivery" Subscription Service for $95/year
October 14, 2014, 10:37 AM
Netflix 4K Content to Cost Subscribers Extra $3/Month
October 13, 2014, 8:01 AM
Marriott Slapped with $600k Penalty by FCC for Jamming Mobile Hotspots
October 3, 2014, 2:16 PM
Most Popular Articles
Google Announces Android 5.0 “Lollipop”, Nexus 9 Tablet, and Nexus 6 “Phablet”
October 15, 2014, 12:41 PM
Cool Science Video of the Day: Carnivorous Leech Eats Giant Jungle Worm
October 16, 2014, 6:44 PM
Oops! Apple Outs iPad mini 3, iPad Air 2 via iTunes Store
October 15, 2014, 1:32 PM
HBO, CBS Lead Charge to Ditch Cable
October 16, 2014, 4:40 PM
Google Offers $99 Nexus Player w/$40 Controller for Android Set-Top Streaming, Gaming
October 15, 2014, 3:01 PM
Latest Blog Posts
The Surface Mini That Was Never Released Gets "Hands On" Treatment
Sep 26, 2014, 8:22 AM
ISIS Imposes Ban on Teaching Evolution in Iraq
Sep 17, 2014, 5:22 PM
Space Terrorism is a Looming Threat For the United States
Apr 23, 2014, 7:47 PM
Facebook Aims to Provide Internet to "Every Person in the World" with Drones, Satellites
Apr 1, 2014, 10:20 AM
Retail Mobile Sites Experience Outages in Light of Simplexity's Bankruptcy
Mar 14, 2014, 8:48 AM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2014 DailyTech LLC. -
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information


text:
Bayside has released the official video for their latest single, “Sick, Sick, Sick,” from their upcoming album, Killing Time. The video features the band performing the song live to a packed house. Fans can purchase the single on iTunes now as well as preorder the entire album and receive two bonus tracks. Killing Time, is hitting stores on February 22nd and is already pulling in rave reviews; Alternative Press even announcing it as their most anticipated album of 2011.
Watch the video here:
Last week we announced our Bayside Killing Time Signed Album Giveaway!
And the winner is…
Congrats! Check your email for more info on claiming your prize.


text:
Meijer moves to boost its fashion business
Meijer, the Michigan-based retailer that is preparing to enter Wisconsin, has expanded the fashion portion of its one-stop shopping business model and says in a statement that it intends to "challenge national retailers in the fashion space," according to a statement the company issued this week.
"We want our customers to know that we are serious about offering the most up-to-date fashion in our stores," Lynn Hempe, group vice president of softlines at Meijer, said in the statement. “Our goal is to find that just-right mix where affordability and on-trend fashion inspire our customers to recognize opportunities to update their day-to-day style.”
Meijer said that as part of its fashion expansion, it will launch regional advertising in national fashion magazines, including Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Cosmopolitan and Elle. Meijer has also launched a fashion website, meijerstyle.com and social media as part of the iniative.
The company also says it will distribute a Look Book that will feature spring trends.
Meijer operates 204 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
As it continues plans to move into Wisconsin, Meijer has proposed a number of supermarket and discount stores across metro Milwaukee.
- Hallmark aiming for another touchdown: Packer Jordy Nelson is 2016 Keepsake ornament
- Wisconsin's first Akira store opens Friday at Brookfield Square
- Downtown Boston Store's new furniture department debuts Thursday
- Meijer partners with Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin network
- Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly lands meat contest awards
- TUMI luggage store to open at Pleasant Prairie outlet mall
- Marketing executive resigns from Kohl's
- Talbots will open store in Johnson Creek outlet mall
- Mini-golf tavern to open on Milwaukee's east side
- Noodles & Co. to open in West Milwaukee
Retail Business News
As Wisconsin's first Portillo's restaurant takes shape along W. Blue Mound Road in Brookfield, food service expert Darren Tristano has, in the same breath, both a warning and an endorsement.
"They've got something called the cake shake, which, if you can avoid it, I would," deadpanned Tristano, who is president of Chicago-based Technomic Inc., a research and consulting firm for the food service industry. "Because it's highly addictive and incredibly craveable."
While folks in America's Dairyland probably don't needa new way to ingest cake and ice cream — the cake shake is created by mixing a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream in a milkshake blender — it soon will be available here, along with Italian beef, hot dogs, hamburgers and other Portillo's menu offerings.


text:
Magazine publishers had high hopes for digital editions but new figures suggest a rethink is in order.
Digital editions were supposed to be the magazine industry’s future. The sector spent the first 15 years of digital publishing trying lots of different things but nobody really developed a serious business proposition. Then, three years ago, tablet editions of print magazines were heralded in these pages as a “second chance” for publishers.
For the full story read Brand Republic


text:
This is a paid-for submitted press release. CCN does not endorse, nor is responsible for any material included below and isn’t responsible for any damages or losses connected with any products or services mentioned in the press release. CCN urges readers to conduct their own research with due diligence into the company, product or service mentioned in the press release.
The Blockchain Futurist Conference was successfully concluded in Toronto, Canada. Toronto is the birthplace of Ethereum and home to thousands of blockchain enthusiasts and hundreds of blockchain startups. The Blockchain Futurist Conference has known the participation of more than 1000 elites.
Blockchain Futurist Conference was organized by Untraceable; the event was held for three days from the 14th to 16th August 2018. Untraceable is a Toronto-based company that has been organizing blockchain events since 2013; from the first Bitcoin Expo in Canada to the first Ethereum hackathon in the world; this time, they created an unforgettable event that brought together the world leaders in blockchain technology. MOAC has had the opportunity to experience the next technological revolution and meet some of the outstanding industries open to cooperate for the sake of upping blockchain’s weight throughout the globe.
This conference is the largest and most highly-profiled blockchain event in Canada. It was packed with a combination of presentations and networking events. The first presentations discussed blockchain technology trends and future in commercial industries such as logistics, finance, gaming, and announced special news regarding new tech start-ups, investments, partnerships, etc. They shed light on the latest products and technology being implemented and the outstanding results they already saw in the market.
These topics aligned closely with MOAC’s purpose and vision. Our Chief Business Development Officer, Ryan Wang, gave a speech about blockchain status, blockchain application problems and MOAC’s solutions to these problems. Its structure makes MOAC the first multi-layer blockchain that is simultaneously scalable, secure, and decentralized. Besides, MOAC’s revolutionary sharding and microchain technology effectively are able to resolve Ethereum’s and EOS’s low TPS and scalability issues.
Ryan Wang highlighted that MOAC’s leading atomic exchange and asynchronous smart contract calling technology perfect the MOAC ecosystem, providing ideal conditions for true realization of large-scale commercial DAPP!
The audience portrayed great enthusiasm for the topic and interacted with Ryan Wang in relation to MOAC’s solutions for commercial application and its progress. They hoped that MOAC could further improve its development tools to achieve a public blockchain that would enable all enterprises and individuals to access it. MOAC is glad to have interacted with such an outstanding audience.
With over 1,000 industry leaders attending the event, MOAC was proud to be amongst the elites. The star-studded guest list included Anthony Di Iorio and Charles Hoskinson, co-founders of Ethereum as well as Larry King, a CNN legend.
Throughout the conference, there were many opportunities for fostering conversations and networking.MOAC is proud to have joined such interesting conversations and to have exchanged ideas with others. After all, all attending industries and individuals are eager to contribute to the progress of the blockchain technology.
We are grateful to all the fans who came to see us at the event. And we’d like to give our thanks to the organizer — Untraceable — for providing such a great platform for companies to raise capital, network and experience the next technological revolution.
We are looking forward to bringing MOAC to more events and we hope to see all our supporters and fellow enthusiasts there too. We will definitely be hosting an event of our own in the very near future — So stay tuned!


text:
MUMBAI, April 1, 2014
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan on Tuesday kept the key policy rate (repo) unchanged since retail inflation still remains “sticky” but introduced steps to increase liquidity and contain volatility in the money market.
The RBI, in its first bimonthly monetary policy statement, left the short-term lending rate or repo rate unchanged at 8 per cent and the cash reserve ratio static at 4 per cent. It halved the overnight call money rate to 0.25 per cent and increased the 7-day and 14-day repo limits to 0.75 per cent from 0.50 per cent.
“At the current juncture, it is appropriate to hold the policy rate, while allowing the rate increases undertaken during September 2013-January 2014 to work their way through the economy,” said Mr. Rajan, who had in previous policy announcements surprised the markets with policy rate changes.
If inflation continues along the glide path of reaching 8 per cent by January 2015 and 6 per cent by the year after, the Governor promised there won’t be any rate hikes.
On liquidity moves, Mr. Rajan said the primary objective is to improve transmission of policy impulses across the interest spectrum and improve liquidity in the system.
“The term repo has evolved as a useful indicator of underlying liquidity conditions. It also allows market participants to hold liquidity for a longer period…evolving market-based benchmarks for pricing various financial products,” he said.
On inflation, the Governor said he sees retail inflation softening in 2014 to under 6 per cent.
“Excluding food and fuel…retail inflation remained sticky around 8 per cent. This suggests that some demand pressures are still at play,” he said.
The RBI pegged 2014-15 GDP growth at a central estimate of 5.5 per cent. It said the FY14 current account deficit would be about 2 per cent of GDP.
From: The Hindu


text:
WEST TRENTON, NJ – Homasote®, the leading manufacturer of quality building products made from recycled materials, will exhibit its versatile product line at the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, one of the most significant tradeshows in the building industry, November 19-21 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
Striving to enhance the nation's environmental practices, the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo enables green building industry professionals such as architects, building owners, contractors, developers, educators, product manufacturers, schools, universities, students, urban planners and more to network with other green building peers while sharing ideas about the green building movement. Homasote products help provide its customers with an opportunity to earn points toward the USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
"Being an environmentally-friendly company for nearly 100 years, we strive to provide our customers with quality building products," said Warren Flicker, CEO of Homasote. "We are honored to be a part of such a prestigious industry event."
Additionally, Homasote's 440 SoundBarrier® products were recently approved for Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Certification and will now also be listed on the Low-Emitting Materials (LEM) Table on the CHPS website. The certification allows Homasote's 440 SoundBarrier products to be used for application in a classroom environment including bulletin boards, finished wall panels, furniture component and sound control for floors and walls.
Homasote has been providing the building industry with quality building products and will be celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2009. Their products are made from post-consumer recycled paper making them the leading manufacturer of green building products in the United States. For more information, please visit www.homasote.com.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Louisville Business First Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Kentucky's wine industry ages well
- Staff Business First
Kentucky's winemaking industry is a bit different from 10 years ago, when Dennis Walter wanted to save his family farm in Northern Kentucky.
There were just a few other wineries and virtually no support network, NKY.com reports. When disease set in on his new vines, he had to send photos to Virginia for a diagnosis.
But a decade later, his StoneBrook Winery is part of the state's flourishing wine industry. According to the report, Kentucky has 68 licensed wineries, including a dozen in Northern Kentucky. There also are more than 113 grape growers across the state.
Until Prohibition, Kentucky was third in the country for grape and wine production. But it's making a comeback, Tyler Madison, director of the Kentucky Agriculture Commission's grape and wine program, told NKY.com.
How often do you "showroom shop" — check out merchandise in a store then order it online?
Executive Director The Bluegrass Sports Commission | Lexington, KY
Catering Manager Hyatt Regency Louisville | Louisville, KY
Director of Nursing Job HCR ManorCare | Louisville, KY
Retail Sales Representative Verizon Wireless | Louisville, KY
Registered Nurse, SMEH-3A PCU, Full Time, 7p-7a Catholic Health Initiatives | Louisville, KY
- Most popular
- Bloomberg: GE taking bids on appliance division
- Where's the wealth: Demographics in the top five local zip codes
- PNC unveils new branch concept
- Against the Grain Brewery plans Portland location
- Disappointing year continues for Pizza Hut
- Louisville makes a good impression on Forecastle Festival's out-of-tow
- Open date set for Bardstown Road Chipotle
- Sam Swope has sold its Buick GMC franchise
- Hotel developers plan entertainment complex south of Broadway
- Top 5: Wealthiest ZIP codes
Business First offers news you need now to do business today.


text:
500 jobs could be created in Bristol with warehouse plan
AS many as 500 new jobs could be created in the Bristol area thanks to the creation of two new warehouses near Avonmouth.
The new development, part of a recently-designated "enterprise area", is being built without an employer lined up to move in.
But the company building the development is confident it can find tenants wanting to open distribution operations in an area that has already attracted supermarket giants Tesco, Asda and the Co-operative. And the jobs would be a welcome opportunity for the 24,000 people currently seeking a job in the city and surrounding area – about one in 14 of the working population.
The massive new buildings will cover an area the same size as nine football pitches at the Westgate Distribution Park, between Avonmouth and Severn Beach.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.ukView details
Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
The area has become increasingly popular with companies looking to base their distribution centres in easily accessible areas. New arrivals in recent years have included Asda, John Lewis and the American owned household gift company Yankee Candle, as well as dairy firm Robert Wiseman, and the new development will be built behind a similar warehouse scheme currently operated by Tesco.
The Co-operative is also in the process of building a giant warehouse in the area which is due to open at the end of the year. The warehouse will employ 1,000 staff and will run the supermarket's distribution operation for the whole of the South West and south Wales.
The Co-operative had been looking for a new centre after its £1.5 billion takeover off the former Bristol based supermarket chain Somerfield.
The company behind the planned new development, Harrow Estates, is willing to push ahead with the development without a tenant signed up for the scheme.
The recession and financial crisis has meant that speculative developments have almost entirely ground to a halt over the last four years.
But the new warehouse is being built in the recently named Severnside Enterprise Area. The enterprise area is one of five in and around Bristol set up to encourage companies to invest in the area in return for perks.
There are also plans to build a new motorway junction which would make the Severnside area more accessible. The government has been asked for £18 million to pay for the new junction on the M49. South Gloucestershire Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership say the new junction will improve access and open up the area to developers.
Although the South West is still relatively more affluent than most other parts of the country, the unemployment rate in the region has increased steadily in recent months. According to official figures from the Office for National Statistics the total number of unemployed people in the area covered by Bristol and its neighbouring three councils now stands at around 24,000 – around seven per cent of the working population.
South Gloucestershire Council has approved the warehouse scheme even though concerns were raised from residents about the impact it will have on the local area. Pilning and Severn Beach Parish Council also objected to the scheme on the grounds it would affect people living in the area.
Barton Willmore, the country's biggest planning and design consultancy, was granted planning permission for the 38,000 square metre distribution centre, which will be built on open land behind the Tesco warehouse. The application was granted with a number of conditions attached to it.
The building will be made up of two storage and distribution units but could be used one big development.
The developers responsible for the planning application are Harrow Estates, a subsidiary of Redrow Homes, and Cheltenham-based developer Robert Hitchins.
Simon Prescott, partner in Barton Willmore's Bristol office, said: "This planning permission is an important step in creating new jobs for Bristol and is a statement of intent from local authorities about the potential of the new Severnside Enterprise Area."
Paul Hobbs, who works for property firm GVA in Bristol believes the massive scale of work taking place at Avonmouth has been overlooked in recent years.
He said: "Speculative commercial property development has been in the doldrums for over four years because institutional funding has dried up.
"But with the growth of new industries and technologies, such as waste to energy, buildings are once again coming out of the ground at a great pace in Severnside.
"Within the 2,000-plus acres that lie between the coast and the M4/M5 network, there is a mass of commercial development that is going to drive our regional construction and mechanical engineering economy over the next ten years.
"The landscape is changing with new buildings springing out of the ground to house new industries and cater for the increasing number of retail led companies looking to set up new distribution hubs here."


text:
CALIFORNIA – Apple, an American multinational technology company is developing a new iPhone with a flexible curved screen that could be likely to introduce in 2018.
The device would have a similar screen to the Apple Watch that is based on a technology called organic light-emitting diode (OLED).
One thing good about it is that it would brighter and show colors better than current iPhone screens.
Apple has adopted some of that technology, such as OLED, in its Apple Watch, but has been reluctant to use them in its iPads and iPhones.
OLED screens are deployed by manufacturers such as LG and Samsung, the latter of which has been using them in its smartphones, wearables and tablets for several years now.
Samsung’s OLED screens are often viewed as the best on the market. LG also uses flexible screens in devices such as the G Flex and G Flex 2.
Business Korea has claimed that Apple is ‘serious’ about transferring its flagship product lineup to one equipped with OLED, screens as those displays can solve its existing weak points such as color saturation, accuracy, and brightness.’
The source added that if Apple releases an iPhone with an OLED-based flexible screen, it will create a huge market, as Apple has not yet used the technology in its flagship models.
Apple is also believed to be mulling killing off the home button, it has been claimed.
The move would allow the entire front of the gadgets to become a screen. Instead of a button, fingerprint sensors would be built into the screen to allow the firms Touch ID system to work.
Do you have information you wish to share with PakistanTribe.com? Email our News Desk to share news tips, reports and general feedback. You can also email the Blog Desk if you have an opinion or narrative to share. Follow PakistanTribe on Twitter Follow @PakistanTribe and Join us on Facebook


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Nashville Business Journal Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
GM, Nissan flex muscles to satisfy buyers, market
Middle Tennessee’s auto giants are shifting to a higher gear in flexible manufacturing, looking for ways to more nimbly meet the demands of customers and a changing economy.
From integrating all-electric vehicles into existing assembly lines to finding ways to make a range of vehicles instead of marquis models, Nissan North America Inc. and General Motors Co. — both major job creators in Middle Tennessee — are unveiling new ways of upping their games. Whether their strategies pay off will affect not only their long-term health, but the size and type of ripple they create throughout the regional economy.
Nissan casts the sort of innovation taking place as a natural step in a long line of bucking industry limitations.
“This is not a new strategy for Nissan,” Susan Brennan, a vice president of manufacturing for Nissan, said after a tour of the Smyrna plant. “This is flexibility that Nissan has had in its DNA.”
That notwithstanding, the flexibility is taking on new forms in Smyrna, where the Franklin-based division of the Japanese automaker has spent about $700 million to prepare its plant for the 2013 version of its all-electric Leaf. When production begins, Nissan plans for the Leaf to roll down the same line as the Altima and Maxima, robotic technology alternating between dropping in all-electric and internal combustion engines moment to moment.
GM, meanwhile, is instituting a range of flexibility strategies as it prepares to unveil major changes to 70 percent of its products for 2013, executives said.
Industry executives and experts say the concept of flexible manufacturing is also not entirely new — it’s been a decades-long push — but said it is taking on new forms as technology evolves and the perils of the down economy point to a need for new strategies. This means more versatile robotic equipment, more cross-training of workers and new demands on supply chains that previously sprouted up to service a narrower band of vehicles.
Brian Reisinger covers banking/finance, state government and manufacturing. You can follow him on Twitter at @BrianJReisinger.
- Most popular
- Giarratana moves 505 CST skyscraper to front burner
- Nashville's most-overpaid CEOs: slideshow
- Tennessee becomes first state to face lawsuit over Medicaid practices
- What’s keeping the big national banks from taking over Nashville?
- Here's what Mike Curb thinks about saving Studio A and preserving
- Nashville's most-underpaid CEOs: slideshow
- SouthStar on Summit, the $200M project you've never heard of
- The New York Times' latest Nashville love affair: fashion
- New area coming soon; residents asked to start dialing 10 digits
- Palmer's namesake Palmer Plaza expected to sell for about $50M
Work For: Capital Financial Group Capital Financial Group | Brentwood, TN
Executive Director The Bluegrass Sports Commission | Lexington, KY
Call Center Customer Service Representative – Technical Support IBEX Global | Nashville, TN
Marketing Manager The Creative Group | Nashville, TN
Senior Accountant Accountemps | Nashville, TN


text:
■ LG Energy Solution announces mid- to long-term corporate strategies aimed at reinforcing product and market portfolios, quality assurance,smart factory technology, value chain and new business opportunities
■ The revised annual revenue target set around KRW 22 trillion, expecting a meaningful growth in the second-half year revenue
■ The company posts quarterly revenue of KRW 5.071 trillion; operating profit at KRW 195.6 billion
SEOUL, July 27, 2022 – LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today announced its mid to long term corporate strategies, withthe goal of more than tripling revenue in five years and achieving double-digit operating profit margin. The company also increased the annual revenue target to KRW 22 trillion.
At the second quarter earnings conference call, LGES said it would increase revenue over three times in five years,by expanding JVs with OEMs in North America, scaling up the supply of cylindrical batteries, developing the new form factor, and discovering new business opportunities.
The company also aims to achieve double-digit operating profit margin, by obtaining technological leadership withdifferentiated chemistries and processes. In addition, LGES will devote to stabilizing and localizing value chain based on strategic partnerships, and also to enhancing quality and manufacturing capability with smart factory.
“Our ultimate goal is to provide the world-best QCD (Quality, Cost, Delivery) to our customers, thereby becoming the number one company in terms of profitability, loved and trusted by our customers,” said Youngsoo Kwon,CEO of LG Energy Solution. “Going forward, we will continue to secure technological leaderships and reinforceour product competitiveness.”
■ ReinforcingPortfolios through Selective Strategies
LGES plans to focus on the North American market where the fastest growth is expected. On pouch-type batteries,LGES plans to expand JV partnerships with its major partners, and on cylindrical batteries, it intends to supply to not only the existing strategic customers but also EV start-ups, thereby reinforcing its competitive edge in the market.
In addition, the company will add a new production footprint for cylindrical batteries in Europe to cope withincreasing demand, and also secure a new production site in Asia, in addition to the existing production facilities in Korea and China.
“The current production capacity is more heavily invested in Asia (59%) and Europe (34%), compared to North America(7%),” explained LG Energy Solution. “We aim to increase the production capacity in North America to 45 percent by 2025, thereby enabling a balanced global operation portfolio of 45 percent in North America, 35 percent in Asia, and 20 percent in Europe.”
In terms of product portfolio, LGES plans to reinforce the dual form factor portfolio of pouch-type and cylindricalbatteries, and at the same time, continue its R&D efforts for next-generation battery technology.
On premium pouch-type batteries, LGES will maintain its product competitiveness through applying single crystalNCMA cathode and silicon anode. On mainstream segment of pouch-type batteries, the company will secure enhanced cost-competitive technologies such as LFP and manganese-rich chemistries.
In terms of cylindrical batteries, LGES aims to lead the market by securing the mass-production capability forthe new 4680 battery. In addition, the company will focus on developing next-generation battery technologies such as polymer-based solid-state battery and sulfide-based solid-state battery.
■ StrengtheningCompetitiveness in Quality, Cost and Delivery
LGES also plans to offer the highest level of QCD (Quality,Cost, Delivery) to customers by concentrating on product quality, smart factory, value chain, and new businesses.
For product quality assurance, LGES will improve the product design and manufacturing processes, thereby minimizingthe possibility of defects. The company will also establish full in-line inspection system, and upgrade safety diagnostic algorithm in Battery Management System (BMS) to detect abnormal cases pre-emptively.
Another key factor in enhancing product quality lies in establishing a smart factory, a system that carries outall decision making on machine-produced data, independent from human experience and capabilities. Through smart factory technology, LGES aims to increase yield, stabilize product quality, improve manufacturing processes and boost productivity, and enhanceworkforce efficiency.
LGES also plans to establish a stable supply chain by investing in upstream suppliers and expanding long termsupply contracts. Also, the company will implement a closed-loop system of collecting used batteries and recycling them, through partnerships with leading material recycling companies.
In addition, LGES will reinforce the investment for the future and new businesses, such as BaaS (Battery as aService) model based on battery data, as well as EaaS (Energy as a Service) model, while maintaining the conservative approach when it comes to expansions to increase the profitability of its investments.
■ AnnualRevenue Target Adjusted to KRW 22 trillion
LGES also made an upward adjustment to the annual revenue target to KRW 22 trillion, a KRW 2.8 trillion increasefrom the previous target (KRW 19.2 trillion) set early this year. Last year’s annual consolidated revenue recorded KRW 17.9 trillion.
The company predicted the revenue for the second half of this year would reach KRW 12.6 trillion, a 48 percentincrease on-year (KRW 8.5 trillion), and a 34 percent increase from the first half of 2022 (KRW 9.4 trillion).
“We expect a meaningful revenue growth in the second half of this year, capitalizing on increased demand fromOEMs’ new model launch, phase 1 production ramp-up of Ultium Cells (GM JV)’ Ohio plant, and the price impact from cost pass-through mechanisms,” explained LGES.
■ SteadyGrowth in Q2 Revenue Despite Challenging Economic Conditions
LGES reported its second quarter financial results of KRW 5.071 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 195.6billion in operating profit.
The second quarter revenue of 2022 increased by 16.8 percent and the operating profit decreased by 24.4 percent from the previous quarter. Compared to the same period last year, the revenue decreased by 1.2 percent and the operating profit by 73 percent. The second quarter operating profit of last year includes one-off factors such as provisions related to recalls and a lump-sum payment of license fee from another industry player. Taking these factors into account, this year’s second quarter revenuerecorded a modest decrease on-year.
“This quarter’s profitability has shown moderate drop, mainly due the impacts from lock-down measures in China,global supply chain disruptions, and the time gap between the actual increase in material costs and applying them to selling prices,” said Chang Sil Lee, CFO of LG Energy Solution at the conference call. “Nevertheless, steady growth in revenue was possiblethanks to the strong sales of cylindrical cells for EV, as well as successfully passing through major metal price hikes to the battery prices.”


text:
By Cody Bryans
Back to the future fans can rejoice; the hoverboard is on its way. Even though we may been years away from the self-tying shoe, the company Hendo is making the first real hoverboard. The Hendo hoverboard is the world’s first working hoverboard and is still currently on Kickstarter (a website where companies can go and ask for money in order to make their ideas a reality) asking for funds. The Hendo hoverboard is operational in a video on Kickstarter, showing the 100 pound board lifting a man about 1 inch off the ground.
The board works by having an underside with 4 disk shaped engines that create an electromagnetic pulse that can push a 300 pound man about one inch off the ground. The website says the hoverboard has “effortless glide, full control, and a high performance design, and is is perfect for riding.”
According to an article by TechnoBuffalo , “Hendo Hover uses magnetic levitation, which means it only works on a metal surface, and the battery is limited to just seven minutes of use per charge.”
The Kickstarter site reports that the first few will come out on October 21, 2015 (which isn’t just a date but the day Marty McFly travels back into the future in the movie Back to the Future Part 2). Only 10 will be given out to the public, and the people who will be getting the 10 prototypes are the 10 Kickstarter backers who donated $10,000 or more to the Hendo hoverboard Kickstarter page.
If you can’t afford the Hoverboard but are interested in the technology, the makers of the hoverboard are also releasing “The White Box,” which has the same technology but is a 10”x10” white cube that can float for about 10-15 minutes. The purpose for the white box is for people interested in the technology to “tinker” with it. Anyone who backs from $696 to $969 on Kickstarter will get their very own white box.
“In March, the website Funny or Die released a video that seemed to show the skateboarder Tony Hawk on a real hoverboard. Mr. Hawk later apologized for misleading fans,” the New York Times also reported.
Creators Greg and Jill Henderson said, “This is a proof of concept, this is the first step in the future of transportation. Try to imagine a vehicle with all the movability of a car with the efficacy of a high speed train”.
Many are excited about the creation of the technology and many are looking at this as the future. But there are skeptics due to the very short battery life and and the fact it only works on certain materials. We won’t know how this technology will be used in the future, but we can only wait.


text:
New Delhi: The Telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI) issued a showcase notice to the BARC India as the company fails to release the Weekly TV viewership Data in their site as mandated by TRAI in its directive on 22nd February demanding rating agency to release the Viewership data on their site available for public access with immediate effect.
BARC India issued a statement in response to TRAI’s Showcase notice that “BARC India is a joint industry body, and operates under selfregulation model, in compliance with Ministry of I&B Guidelines. In the NTO transition period, due to disruptions in distribution there is volatility in data”
“Putting such misleading data on the website would be against public interest and could be misused. BARC is constantly monitoring the ground situation on this. We have made detailed submissions to TRAI and MIB, backed by data, on several occasions. Even though the data is pulled down from the site, there is no stoppage of data supply to our clients” a Spokesperson from BARC India said.
TRAI in its earlier directive stated that BARC India has modified its Fair and Permissible Usage Policy in February 14, 2019, even after being repeatedly asked by the authority to not stop publishing of rating data and viewership data on its website during the migration to new regulatory framework until and unless explicitly permitted by the authority.
BARC in its argument on suspending the data from site said “As there is a disruption in migration to a new regulatory framework, few consumers might fails to access channels of their choice thereby resulting in inaccurate portrayal of TV viewership data in the country”


text:
While US mass-market retailer Toys ‘R’ Us’s domestic sales declined by 2.5% in its second quarter of 2015, international sales rose by 3.3% and the global toy retailer’s persistent focus on cost-cutting measures seem to be starting to pay off.
International gains were driven by the learning, baby and core toy categories, and were partially offset by losses in entertainment (electronics, video game hardware and software). Of note, Canada, Central Europe and China and Southeast Asia were particularly strong this past quarter.
Declines domestically were largely attributed to planned decreases in promotions. And while core toy sales increased in the US, they were partially offset by drops in baby, entertainment and seasonal categories.
Overall net sales totaled US$2.293 billion - a decrease of US$147 million, of which, US$144 million is attributed to negative foreign currency exchange rates. And net losses for the quarter were US$99 million compared to US$148 million last year, a significant positive change.
While net sales were relatively flat, TRU’s in-house belt-tightening - part of its Fit For Growth initiative, which includes cutting sales and admin costs - resulted in a second-quarter adjusted earnings before tax and interest increase of 47% (US$83 million to US$122 million).
Total sales and admin costs dropped by US$82 million to US$796 million, thanks primarily to a US$50-million favorable impact from foreign currency, a US$15-million decline in store payroll expenses, a US$9-million decrease in advertising and promotional expenses and a US$6- million reduction in sponsor fees. These cost-cutting measures also contributed to operating earnings increasing by US$15 million, compared to declines of US$42 million last year.
This quarter was split between outgoing chairman and CEO Antonio Urcelay, who retired in June, and his successor Dave Brandon. Brandon was impressed by the cost-cutting measures taken in Q2 and says the focus now turns to solidifying the company’s roadmap for the future and making sure the right talent and structure is in place to move quickly.


text:
In 2012, however, NFC started to break out of its shell. NFC-enabled devices rocketed up to 100 million shipped, a significant climb from 2010’s 2 million devices sold. Estimates call for 300 million NFC-enabled devices to be sold in 2013 and for the billion-device mark to be reached in 2015.
To date, most such devices are smartphones. With many smartphone makers in the Android and now Windows camps getting on board with NFC, leading OEMs including LG, Nokia, and Samsung have begun designing NFC into products.


text:
Soul Sacrifice Delta is coming to PlayStation Vita in Japan in March 2014, Keiji Inafune announced at the Sony Computer Entertainment Japan press conference today.
The title features a myriad of additional elements, including new monsters, items, magic, and a third neutral faction. Soul Sacrifice Delta will be playable at Tokyo Game Show.
How to locate the final hidden boss in Bloodborne, and achieve the true ending
12:45 PM on 03.26.2015


text:
If the reviews haven't convinced you that Titanfall is a big deal, maybe its cross-promotional marketing will. In addition to the recently-revealed K'NEX sets, Respawn's shooter has found another interesting partner: 5-Hour Energy.
Special edition energy drinks can now be purchased at Walmart. However, Gamespot points out that they'll only be available for a "limited time." According to the site, the flavor is berry--because our review pointed out that the game is berry good.
Okay, we'll go sit in the corner.


text:
The median sales price of a single-family home in Washoe County jumped by 15 percent in November from the same month in 2016 as the housing market remained tight, a report Tuesday shows.
Data from the Reno/Sparks Association of Realtors put the median sales price of an existing home at $355,000, an increase of 15 percent from a year earlier and up 3 percent from October. Total sales in Washoe fell 3 percent over the year and fell 7 percent from October.
The figures are based on information from the Northern Nevada Regional Multiple Listing Service.
Within Washoe, the median sales price for an existing home in Reno in November was $365,000, up 13 percent over the year, and the price in Sparks was $335,000, up 19 percent over the year.
In Fernley 30 miles east of Sparks, the median sales price in November was $248,743, up 19 percent over the year while total sales over the year fell 10 percent.


text:
Korean auto maker Hyundai has shown the automotive world that neither Mother Nature nor an economic crisis can slow it down, as sales have been at record levels over the past year and a half.
Read This Article
If you live in North America, you have an array of muscle cars to choose from.
Earlier today, Hyundai Motor America announced the pricing for its new seven passenger Santa Fe.
It's been a busy couple of months for Hyundai: In November the Korean automaker debuted the all new 2012 Hyundai Azera, and just this past week in Detroit it unveiled the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Veloster Turbo.


text:
Privacy Developments in CaliforniaPublications - Client Alert | June 19, 2020
The State of California continues its longstanding tradition of implementing unprecedented changes to the data protection landscape within the United States. The California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) went into effect on January 1. In May, Californians for Consumer Privacy announced that it has secured sufficient signatures to ensure that the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) is included within the November 2020 ballot. This June, California Attorney General Becerra announced that the proposed final CCPA regulations have been submitted to California’s Office of Administrative Law for expedited review.
The CPRA Initiative:
Commonly referred to as CCPA 2.0, the CPRA is designed to expand privacy rights for Californian residents. It is expected that the CPRA will be included in the November 2020 ballot, and if passed would become effective on January 1, 2023. Notably, the CPRA will apply to businesses that maintain the personal information of 100,000 or more consumers or households.
In line with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the CPRA seeks to:
- Establish a “sensitive personal information” category, which goes beyond the scope of the GDPR counterpart to include geolocation data, racial or ethnic origin, religion or philosophical beliefs, content of digital messages, sexual orientation, and health and biometric information. Consumers will obtain a right to limit the use of their sensitive personal information, including for any secondary purpose.
- Provide consumers with the right of correction for any personal information maintained by a business that is inaccurate.
- Permit businesses not to honor access requests if such information is used for security purposes or would expose trade secrets.
- Clarify the definition of “sale” of personal information in relation to permissible business purposes.
- Prohibit businesses from retaining personal information for longer than reasonably necessary for the disclosed purpose of collection, and require consumer notice about retention periods for each category of personal information collected.
- Establish a right to know, access, and receive personal information collected before a 12-month lookback period of data collected on or after January 1, 2022.
- Increase financial penalties for businesses engaging in the unauthorized collection, processing, and sale of personal information belonging to children under the age of 16.
- Include the breach of a consumer’s email address and either their password or a security question answer in the categories of personal information subject a private right of action under Section 1798.150(a).
- Place new obligations on services provided to include, assisting businesses comply with privacy obligations, requiring service providers to inform businesses when they use sub-processors, and requiring service providers to formalize any relations with sub-processor with a binding contract.
- Create a new privacy enforcement regulator called the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”). Revisions to the proposed CPRA text clarify how the CPPA will not be directly funded by regulatory fines.
While the initiative clarifies some key issues under the law, it is likely to be unwelcome by businesses as it potentially creates substantial new compliance costs and obligations.
Thankfully, the CPRA would extend the current employee and business-to-business moratoriums until the CPRA’s 2023 effective date. Our prior alert discussing the employee moratorium can be found here.
Although a number of the proposed amendments would increase burdens on businesses, there are several amendments that would be beneficial by reducing ambiguity in the law and introducing more balanced compliance obligations. Despite this, the CPRA still leaves significant gaps in compliance details to be addressed through the rulemaking authority of the California Attorney General and the proposed California Privacy Protection Agency. As a result, CPRA will impact businesses’ compliance with California privacy law, but the full extent of that impact will continue to evolve as this proposed ballot measure makes its way through the lawmaking process.
CCPA Final Regulations:
On June 1, 2020 the California Attorney General submitted the CCPA final regulations to the California Office of Administrative Law, which has 30 working days, plus an additional 60 calendar days, to review the final regulations for procedural compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act. It is reported that the Office of Administrative Law is experiencing a backlog and, consequently, they will likely consume the total amount of time allotted. The final regulations are materially the same as the draft regulations published in March 2020 and will be enforced from July 1, 2020 onward. Despite COVID-19-related concerns from various industries, the Attorney General has indicated that no delay in enforcement will be permitted.
The Attorney General rejected repeated requests to delay CCPA enforcement and the rollout of the finalized regulations, particularly from critics who insisted that businesses must focus on the COVID-19 pandemic and might face special burdens with much of their workforce working from home. The Attorney General explained that “[t]he proposed rules were released on October 11, 2019, with modifications made public on February 10, 2020 and March 11, 2020. Thus, businesses have been aware that these requirements could be imposed as part of the [Attorney General’s] regulations.” Despite this, the Attorney General also indicated that his office would exercise “prosecutorial discretion if warranted, depending on the particular facts at issue. Prosecutorial discretion permits [my office] to choose which entities to prosecute, whether to prosecute, and when to prosecute.” This suggests that the Attorney General will take a more flexible approach toward enforcement, even though there is no willingness to change the effective date. In response to the criticism that due to COVID-19 the time of these regulations is poor, the Attorney General argued that “any delays in implementation of the regulation will have a detrimental effect on consumer privacy as more and more Californians are using online resources to shop, work, and go to school.”
While the Attorney General may choose to be lenient in the prosecution of the law, this by no means should give businesses an excuse to pause their efforts in becoming CCPA compliant.
Kutak Rock’s Privacy and Data Security Group will continue to monitor the progress of the CPRA and all forthcoming CCPA enforcement action. Kutak Rock is strategically placed to help businesses across the nation engage with the legislative process at all stages.


text:
Only have 1 minute? Here are 3 key takeaways:
- ElevenLabs successfully closed an $80 million Series B funding round, bringing their total raised capital to $101 million, and achieving unicorn status.
- The round was co-led by Andreessen Horowitz, Nat Friedman, and Daniel Gross, with the participation of Sequoia Capital, Smash Capital, SV Angel, BroadLight Capital, and Credo Ventures.
- The new investment will be used for AI research and product deployment, expanding infrastructure and the team, and developing new products for specific verticals.
Polish ElevenLabs, a startup developing AI-powered tools to create and edit synthetic voices, closed an $80M Series B, which led them to a total raise of $101M. The company has now an unicorn status, being valued at over $1B.
The round was co-led by the previous investors Andreessen Horowitz, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, and entrepreneur Daniel Gross, with the participation of Sequoia Capital, Smash Capital, SV Angel, BroadLight Capital, and the Czech-based venture capital firm, Credo Ventures.
ElevenLabs, a research startup developing AI voice synthesis software for creators and publishers, launched a beta version around a year ago. The company was founded in 2022 by two Polish childhood friends, Mati Staniszewski, a former Palantir deployment strategist, and Piotr Dabkowski, an ex-Google machine learning engineer. Both sharing a passion for technology, they were inspired to create voice cloning tools by poorly dubbed American films.
With this Series B investment, ElevenLabs intends to strengthen its position in voice AI research and product deployment. The capital will be put into advancing research, expanding infrastructure and the team, and developing new products for specific verticals. The CEO, Mati Staniszewski, says they are dedicated to enhancing “safety measures to ensure responsible and ethical development of AI technology.”
ElevenLabs will focus on enabling detection to ensure all AI-generated content is clearly identifiable. The company launched an AI Speech Classifier last year, a tool that can verify if an audio sample contains ElevenLabs-generated content. This year, the company will work on enhancing the Classifier’s capabilities to cover more voice AI models, as well as partner with other distribution platforms for wider implementation.
ElevenLabs is also revealing a set of new products, including Dubbing Studio, Voice Library marketplace, an early preview of a Mobile Reader App, and new models with improved speed and language coverage.
Throughout 2023, ElevenLabs has also expanded its presence in various sectors, including publishing, gaming, media, and conversational verticals, as well as forging B2B partnerships with major media houses, including Storytel, The Washington Post, FlowGPT, TheSoul Publishing, Paradox Interactive, and more.
ElevenLabs plans to grow its headcount from 40 people to 100 by the end of the year. “Our team’s dedication has already made a lasting impact on voice AI. This new funding enables us to take on even bigger challenges and focus on maintaining our competitive edge in research and product development”, adds Piotr Dabkowski, CTO of ElevenLabs.


text:
Editor's Choice Re-CreatingSweet Tasteof SuccessProves Elusive
Sun | Local
Midway through the afternoon, when the belly yearns for snacks, three NutraSweet executives are going wild: cola, orange drink, citrus punch, chocolate milk, more cola, pound cake and crispy squares of coconut pie — all test kitchen concoctions made with artificial sweeteners.
They consume two servings of everything. In quick succession.
They wax exuberant about one of the pound cakes — moist, crumbly and nicely browned.
"The person who cooked these said she never had such browning before," says Craig R. Petray, chief executive of NutraSweet Co.
In the bounty of goodies before them lies a vision of the future of sweetness — a future, these executives hope, just as sweet and delectable as real sugar.
But, as researchers have discovered, the quest to find a perfect, consequence-free artificial sweetener is deceptively difficult, littered with cloying, metallic and just plain odd-tasting chemicals.
Today, the research is receiving fresh attention — fueled by an expanding national waistline. Nutritionists believe that Americans' breathtaking intake of sugars in soft drinks and processed foods is partly to blame.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the average American eats about 100 pounds of added sugars a year, up 30 percent since the 1980s.
Consumers are taking note, trying in small ways to clean up their act. Diet soft drinks sales are growing at about 6 percent a year, while those of regular soft drinks are declining by as much as 2 percent.
After years of loading snacks with sugar, food manufacturers are developing more reduced sugar brands so that consumers can have their cake and eat it.
To tackle the problem, some are cutting down just slightly on sugar in their products, or artfully combining high-intensity artificial sweeteners to find just the right combinations to mimic real sugar.
Other companies are turning to the latest research in genetics and chemistry. Now there are humming labs, seeking out "enhancer" chemicals that accentuate the effects of real sugars, thus allowing less to be used.
Sugar does much more than merely sweeten. It provides crumbliness to a cake's interior, crispness to its outside and a richer taste to a soft drink.
Despite decades of research, artificial sweeteners — a $1 billion-a-year market in the United States — still taste noticeably unnatural.
"You could probably line up 30 different sweeteners and I could tell you what each one was, no problem," says Susan Schiffman, a sweetness researcher at Duke University.
The human lust for sweetness runs deep. Even newborn babies have an innate love of sugar-flavored water.
There is a sensible evolutionary reason for this: Sugar means fuel — 15 calories in each teaspoon. Homing in on rich sources in nature — fruits, berries, honey — is a key for creatures as varied as flies, birds and dogs.
It's an instinct that proved useful back when calories were scarce. It is far less beneficial in a land flowing with candy, super-sized soft drinks and doughnuts.
A problem with cutting sugar is that its sweetness is tricky to imitate.
Artificial sweeteners stick to the same receptor but to different parts, and with different speeds and tightness. Those factors translate into subtle differences in onset of taste, intensity and length of sweetness.
The first artificial sweetener was found in 1879 by accident.
Two chemists at Johns Hopkins University, Constantine Fahlberg and Ira Remsen, were trying to make new chemical dyes from coal tar derivatives when a vessel boiled over in the lab one day. Fahlberg failed to properly wash his hands before a meal and noted how sweet his fingers tasted.
He traced the sweetness back to a two-ringed chemical called benzoic acid sulfanilamide. Fully 300 times sweeter than sugar, it is indigestible by the body, and thus calorie-free. He later dubbed the chemical saccharin, from saccharum, the Latin word for sugar.
The pattern of serendipity has continued up until today.
Cyclamate, used in soft drinks until it was banned, was discovered in 1937 when University of Illinois graduate student Michael Sveda put his cigarette down near a compound he was testing as a possible anti-fever drug and later noticed he was smoking a sweet cigarette.
Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by chemist Jim Schlatter, who licked his finger while testing a new anti-ulcer drug for the pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle & Co.
Scientists now know of scores of sweet chemicals, but only a handful have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as sweeteners: saccharin (most commonly known by the ubiquitous pink Sweet'N Low packets); acesulfame K (a less-known saccharin-like chemical); aspartame (in Diet Coke and Pepsi and the little blue packets of Equal); sucralose (in yellow Splenda packets); and neotame, the most recently-discovered sweetener, more than 7,000 times sweeter than sugar.
The problems in removing sugar from products have sparked a revolution in taste science.
Could there be a way to make a little bit of sugar pack a big dollop of sweetness?
It's an approach that has been embraced by Senomyx Inc. of San Diego.
Senomyx has trawled through 200,000 chemicals and found several hundred sweetness enhancer candidates.
The company is now tinkering with two, dubbed S299 and S679.
In Chicago, among a rainbow-like product display at NutraSweet are a New Zealand beverage called Budget Pineapple and a gallon-sized bottle of Peach Flavored Drink: Both use artificial sweeteners because they are often cheaper than sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.
In the case of some honey wheat pretzels on display, an artificial sweetener was added to cut down on honey that was clogging the manufacturer's pretzel-extruding machine and also stopping the pretzels from rising.
NutraSweet's Sweet Spot test kitchen is trying to combine artificial sweeteners so that one makes up for the deficiencies of the other in mimicking the precise nature of sugar.
"No. 267 finished cleaner, with a good cola flavor at the end," says Ihab E. Bishay, NutraSweet's vice president for research and developing who was sipping a small plastic beaker of the cola sample in the test kitchen, as he does several times a week.
Bishay and two other executives turn next to two chocolate milks — one partly sweetened with neotame. They bite into two pound cakes, one reduced one-third in sugar, with sweetener taking up the slack.
The cakes are identical in taste and moisture. But the crust gives the artificially sweetened one away: It's less crispy and crumbly.
The rich and buttery cake, loaded with fat and flour, seems to challenge some of the logic of the enterprise. Reducing sugar in foods might be a health boon — or might possibly, like low-fat foods before them, backfire.
"It doesn't turn the pound cake into a healthy food — especially if you eat 30 percent more thinking it's a low calorie pound cake," says Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based consumer group.
Nonetheless, the quest continues.
"Do I get seconds?" asks Kevin Bauer, NutraSweet's vice president for sales and marketing, as he reaches across the table for another slice of the artificially sweetened pound cake.


text:
Magic Leap might start selling its HoloLens competitor soon
Magic Leap has been working on Augmented Reality for while now and in December of 2019, the company announced its AR headset which would be in direct competition with Microsoft HoloLens. Back then the company said that the headset...
Magic Leap announces enterprise version of its AR headset to compete with Microsoft HoloLens
When Microsoft announced HoloLens 2 early this year, Microsoft made it clear that they are focusing on the enterprise market. In fact, regular consumers can’t buy HoloLens 2 from Microsoft. Magic Leap One is the only competi...
Magic Leap One developer slams the product – “An absolute nightmare.”
We have recently heard that Magic Leap has only managed to sell 6000 units of their Magic Leak One headset, despite it being $1000 cheaper than Microsoft’s HoloLens. The device has nearly equivalent specs to the HoloLens 2 a...
Surprise! Magic Leap is failing even harder than the HoloLens 1
Magic Leap has been famous as the company who was big on talk but small on delivery. The company managed to raise more than $2.3 billion from investors such as Google, Alibaba and AT&T, but it seems their flashy demos were les...
Spotify app now available for Magic Leap mixed reality device
Spotify has released their official app for Magic Leap One mixed reality device. This new app takes advantage of the power spatial computing to bring your favorite bands and artists to life in the world around you. Since the app ...
Controversy around HoloLens 2 Field of View continues
Usually, when Microsoft is being imprecise it is because they have something to hide. One issue which may Mixed Reality watchers have been waiting for has been exactly how improved the field of view of the Microsoft HoloLens 2 i...
Magic Leap admits they have been leapfrogged by HoloLens 2
Given that the Microsoft HoloLens 2 has just been announced, and few people have tried both the HoloLens 2 and the Magic Leap headset, it is at this point not clear which is the better Mixed Reality headset. It is therefore helpfu...
nreal’s new mixed reality glasses offer better FoV than Microsoft HoloLens
nreal, a young startup working on mixed reality technologies, today announced nreal light, its first mixed reality glasses. Unlike Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap One, nreal light resemble regular sunglasses and it weighs just 8...
Palmer Luckey: Magic Leap “does not deliver on almost any of the promises”
Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR and designer of the Oculus Rift, is a divisive figure, but when it comes to VR and AR he knows what he is talking about, and he’s not too impressed with Magic Leap’s ML1 headset. H...
Magic Leap One Mixed Reality Headset now on sale for $2,295
Magic Leap One Creator Edition mixed-reality headset is finally on sale for $2,295. Magic Leap One is a spatial computing system similar to Microsoft HoloLens. Magic Leap One brings natural light waves together with softly layer...


text:
How The New York Times and CafeMedia have taken divergent approaches to complying with California’s privacy law
More than a year after the California Consumer Privacy Act took effect, publishers and programmatic ad sellers are still split on how they are required to comply with California’s privacy law.
Some like The New York Times have taken a strict interpretation, adopting a conservative approach in complying with the law. Others like ad management firm CafeMedia have taken a looser interpretation of the CCPA’s notoriously ambiguous definition of sale and may eventually find themselves running afoul of regulators.
When California residents request that website publishers stop selling their personal information in accordance with the state’s privacy law, many publishers still use that information to sell targeted ads by passing the data into programmatic ad marketplaces where they have little control over how other companies use that information. Although the publishers are using the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s CCPA compliance framework, the rickety custody of the data they share may put them at risk of non-compliance, making them vulnerable to lawsuits or legal enforcement, according to privacy lawyers.
“I would not say it’s illegal. I would not say it’s not compliant,” Jessica Lee, partner and co-chair of the privacy, security and data innovation practice group at law firm Loeb and Loeb, said of the IAB’s CCPA framework. In fact, for companies that want to continue participating in the programmatic ad marketplace, she said, “the IAB’s framework is the best option that we have.”
Still, said Lee, the IAB approach “definitely creates some risk” because the companies with whom data is shared may use the data in violation of their contractual agreements. She and other ad tech and privacy lawyers say there are risks to assuming every entity along the complex ad supply chain is clean. “There are parties in your supply chain that are taking an aggressive approach,” speculated Alysa Hutnik, partner and chair of the privacy and security practice at law firm Kelley Drye and Warren.
The New York Times’ conservative approach
For more risk-averse publishers like The New York Times, a loose interpretation of the CCPA is not an option. “We’ve really been trying to demonstrate and open the path toward a more privacy-friendly ecosystem, and so we’re trying to push the envelope,” said Robin Berjon, vp of data governance at The New York Times.
When a California resident has opted out of their data being sold — or enabled the Global Privacy Control tool, which California’s attorney general has implied qualifies as an opt-out request — the Times prevents the ad space created by that person’s page visit from being sold in real-time programmatic ad marketplaces. Instead, the publisher relies on contextual signals and its first-party data to target ads to these site visitors.
“We basically shut down open programmatic when people are in a Do Not Sell state,” Berjon said. However, when a California resident requests that the Times not sell their personal information, the publisher’s opt-out tool states that it “will continue to share your personal information with our service providers, which process it on our behalf,” which could create exposure risks for the Times.
Berjon told Digiday those service providers perform tasks related to analytics and ad serving. He pointed Digiday to a blog post he wrote in July 2020, which noted that the company shares data about readers with tracking companies or “data controllers” to attract new subscribers. The post states that as of April 2019, the firm limited those data controllers to “marketing-related parts of the site, such as subscription offer pages,” adding, “This reduced the amount of data we shared with third-party data controllers by over 90 percent.”
The New York Times’s approach is just one of many, and a relatively conservative one when it comes to data use, said Hutnik. “There’s no common approach right now. It’s all over the map,” she said.
CafeMedia’s looser interpretation
On another side of that map is CafeMedia, which uses the IAB’s CCPA compliance framework. The company manages ad operations and sales for 3,000 digital publishers, all of which now feature Do Not Sell buttons, according to Don Marti, vp of ecosystem innovation at CafeMedia.
When people use those buttons to opt-out from sales of their data, the firm continues to use open programmatic systems to fill ad inventory, passing the same data along to third-party firms operating in those ad marketplaces as they would if someone had not enabled Do Not Sell, according to Marti. He said CafeMedia does not monitor what actually happens to the data downstream and that the company leaves it up to its third-party partners to decide how certain data might be used. “That is where it goes back to how vendors define sale under CCPA,” he said.
Given the CCPA’s vague definition, “‘sale’ is a highly-contested term,” said Lee. Because firms like CafeMedia and others employing the IAB framework leave the definition of Do Not Sell up to the interpretations of third-parties, companies intercepting that data could have various interpretations regarding what they can and cannot do with the data, she said.
Lawyers interviewed for this story lamented the lack of clarity from California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra around how the CCPA applies to technical aspects of programmatic advertising. They said the ambiguity has created confusion in how the law is interpreted.
CafeMedia is far from the only company in the programmatic advertising market relying on the IAB’s framework. “The vast majority of our publisher partners have adopted the IAB framework,” said Eric Shih, global svp business development for Teads, which helps manage advertising for publishers including ESPN, Washington Post, BuzzFeed and others. He did not say specifically which of its publisher clients use the IAB approach. Shih said Teads requires contractually that DSPs and ad buyers abide by CCPA regulations if applicable by preventing tracking across sites through third-party cookies.
In one example Marti gave, one external company with which CafeMedia shares data has an internal firewall set up that prevents commingling of some data from other sources, therefore restricting the information used to decide how the ad is targeted.
Enforcement on the horizon
While companies using the IAB’s framework appear to be compliant under the CCPA, that status could change if the law’s definition of sale and application to targeted advertising is cleared up. And if that happens, a company would be on the hook for having shared data with another company if the latter company had continued to use it. “You could be subject to an enforcement action by the attorney general,” said Lee. Alleged violations could also trigger lawsuits under CCPA or other California privacy laws, she added.
Further clarity and a greater likelihood for enforcement is on the horizon. The revised version of the CCPA, the California Privacy Rights and Enforcement Act, which will cover data use beginning in 2022, removes confusion around the meaning of “sell,” by explicitly giving consumers the right to opt out of the “sharing” of their data. It places the burden on companies to monitor whether other entities with which they share data comply with the terms of contracts through yearly audits.
Plus, the CPRA creates a new agency intended to strengthen enforcement capabilities. That state agency, said Lee, will be watching to ensure that companies actually conduct audits. Simply relying on contractual agreements to ensure compliance of third-party partners, she said, “I don’t think that’s going to be good enough.”
An earlier version of this story misstated Robin Berjon’s title. Berjon is the vp of data governance at The New York Times.
More in Media
An analysis of four publishers’ Q4 and full-year 2023 earnings.
Sharing a stage with leading media executives from PepsiCo, Samsung Mobile, and Unilever, leading execs at the DSP shared their vision for the year ahead.
The U.S. Supreme Court addressed separate cases about a similar question: Can states limit social media companies’ moderation?


text:
Valentina Sampaio became the first-ever transgender model for the famous lingerie company, Victoria’s Secret, almost a year after its marketing officer was forced to apologize for his statement.
This Brazilian model posted several behind-the-scenes from a new VS Pink campaign, and many celebrities shared her delight.
Laverne Cox, also a transgender person, shared one of Sampaio’s photos, praising the achievement.
Last year, Ed Razek, the marketing officer for the L Brands Inc., which is a parent company of Victoria’s Secret, said during an interview with Vogue that the well-known annual Victoria’s Secret angels TV show will never include transgender people since the show isn’t a fantasy. He was forced to apologize, which he did after an outrage.
In the end, Sampaio didn’t manage to get hired for that show. Also, the company is thinking about whether having the show at all is a good idea since its ratings were so low.


text:
The free-to-play game, which officially launched on Tuesday, has also grossed over $2 million to date, according to mobile data tracker Sensor Tower.
Update, October 4: Call of Duty Mobile has been downloaded over 35 million times across iOS and Android devices, according to publisher Activision.
Original story continues: The data includes versions of the game published by Activision and Garena, which holds the rights to distribute developer Tencent’s mobile and PC games in Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.
Sensor Tower said India leads with 14% of total installs, while the US is at No.9 with 9%.
Some users initially experienced problems logging in to play the game due to what Activision labelled “an incredibly high-volume of traffic”, although it said these issues were resolved on Tuesday.
Developed by Tencent’s Timi studio, the game brings together maps, modes, weapons and characters from across the Call of Duty franchise, including the Black Ops and Modern Warfare series.
Prior to the title’s official launch, Call of Duty Mobile controller support was included in the game’s settings, leading many to believe it would be available upon release.
However, Activision subsequently confirmed Call of Duty Mobile controller support had been removed via an update and is no longer available.
Call of Duty: Mobile is playable on PC via Android emulator GameLoop, which offers mouse and keyboard controls plus “exclusive key mapping”.


text:
NEW YORK (CBSMiami/AP) — Retailer Target says it will hire more than 70,000 seasonal store workers during the busy holiday shopping season.READ MORE: Federal Government's N95 Masks Distribution Starts Monday
It’s about the same as it hired last year.
The company says it also plans to hire an additional 7,500 people for its distribution facilities, which ship online orders and send products to stores.READ MORE: Mark Rosenberg Acknowledges He Resigned As FIU President Because ‘I Caused Discomfort For A Valued Employee’
The discount chain said it will hold hiring events at all of its 1,800 stores on Oct. 14th and 15th. Candidates can also apply online.
Target Corp., based in Minneapolis, says existing employees will first get to choose which extra holiday hours they want to work.MORE NEWS: Mural Honoring Gloria & Emilio Estefan Unveiled In Little Havana
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


text:
Until six months ago, venture-capital firms were racing to put money into online shopping stores in India. Now, they're staying away in the wake of Facebook's listing and amid questions about the social network's advertising revenue.
Money flow gives a snapshot of relative buying and selling pressure in a stock.
A ratio above one suggests greater buying pressure, below one suggests greater selling.
MMYT has not issued dividends in more than 2 years