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Even without Apple being at the gigantic Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas, it proved to be a treasure trove of iPhone 6 revelations for those with the wit to look beneath the surface of things.
Things like IGZO screens. And Gorilla Glass 3.
Also this week: The sky darkened under the crisscrossing trajectories of contradictory speculation: The Next iPhone would be smaller and cheaper; and bigger and cheaper; and bigger and more expensive. Or something.
You read it here second. SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 release date, rumours and leaked images
iPhone 6 feature revealed by Sharp at CES
And they didn't even realize it! Not so sharp, after all, apparently.
GottaBeMobile's Adam Mills found Sharp's booth, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where the company was proudly showing its IGZO display technology. (You can check out GottaBeMobile's video, which shows a prototype tablet sporting the prototype display.)
"Sharp not only showed off flexible displays like Samsung, but maybe more importantly, the company showed off its IGZO display technology, the same technology that has been rumored to be coming with the next iPhone model, presumably called the iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6," Mill announced, just in case you weren't au courant with the IGZO rumors, which are almost as tediously repetitive as the rumors that Apple's next iWhatever will have a fabulous Liquidmetal body.
IGZO displays can be brighter, higher-than-1080p resolution, and much more power efficient than conventional displays, according to Sharp, which with several other display vendors is a major supplier to Apple.
In a few sentences, possibly using copy/paste or a macro, Mills deftly summed up months of rumors about the next iPhone. And then he ruined it all at the end.
"Keep in mind, Apple rumors often don't pan out so it's possible that Apple will go in a different direction with the new iPad and the new iPhone in 2013," he wrote.
No one has yet connected the dots between another CES reveal and the Next iPhone: TrackingPoint's Precision Guided Firearm (PCWorld has details), which marries a high-tech digital scope and sensors with a custom-built Surgeon Rifles bolt-action long rifle. Among other things, the PGF uses Wi-Fi to display its high-tech in-scope image and data on its accessory iPad mini. Using the Next iPhone and a new software protocol, iShoot, to remotely control the rifle, upload photos and video to iCloud, and automatically sync calendars with your local butcher is an obvious next step.
iPhone 6 will have triple strength Gorilla Glass
If only we could have CES once a month instead of once a year.
Jonathan Leggett, of USwitch.com, was hanging around in Vegas, too, and took note of Corning's announcement that a "new strain of Gorilla Glass purported to be three times tougher than the version currently in service on top-end smartphones, paving the way for a new generation of more robust handsets."
And one Very Special New Generation Handset in particular.
According to a March 2012 post by 9to5Mac's Seth Weintraub, Apple and Corning's relationship has been "shrouded in mystery." The glassmaker was never mentioned in Apple marketing material and "even isn't included in Apple's supplier lists," he wrote. But on March 2, 2012, "Apple released its US Jobs report which included the following info: 'Corning employees in Kentucky and New York who create the majority of the glass for iPhone...,'" Weintraub noted.
"Debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, Gorilla Glass 3 has been conditioned to be less brittle than ever before thanks to an ion-bonding treatment and some clever atomic jiggery-pokery that we're not even going to pretend to understand," Leggett wrote, with disarming humility. (But the neat British-ism "jiggery-pokery" usually suggests trickery or underhandedness rather than manipulation.)
With somewhat less humility, Leggett didn't hesitate to draw the obvious conclusion.
"With rumours indicating that Samsung could opt for a plastic screen for its next kit - possibly even a flexible one - we think [GG3 is] most likely to debut on the sixth-gen iPhone," he declared. "Especially given that Gorilla Glass has featured in every iPhone since the iPhone 4 dropped back in 2010."
iPhone 6 will be a higher-end iPhone
Without a trace of irony, a BGR post this week says that a "new report adds weight to recent rumors" that Apple will launch more than one iPhone model by mid-2013.
The "report" is that treasure trove of firsthand, in-depth knowledge called the Note to Investors, this one by stock analyst T. Michael Walkley, of Canaccord Genuity. In the note, Walkley "sees," according to BGR's Zach Epstein, "Apple launching a new 'higher-end iPhone' sometime in the June quarter, and a low-end model could be in the works as well."
Whoa. Not just a cheaper iPhone 6-or-whatever but also a more expensive one!
According to BGR, Walkley wrote, "We believe Apple could launch a higher-end iPhone model by the June quarter versus its more typical September/October timing for a new iPhone launch. We also believe Apple could potentially launch a lower-end iPhone focused on more price-sensitive pre-paid markets, as we believe consumers in markets such as China, Latin America and Eastern Europe would have very strong demand for a more affordably priced 3G iPhone."
Walkley clearly is willing to take the Rumor Games to the next level, since among the most fecund of recent rumors has been the one insisting that Apple must, must introduce a less expensive version of the iPhone, or face Collapse, Failure, Utter Destruction, and the End of the World. [See "Will Apple introduce a lower-priced iPhone?"]
Probably the more expensive Next iPhone will have a much larger screen, in super high-def with IGZO, a quad-core processor, bigger battery, a kaleidoscope of colors, and Gorilla Glass 3 if not 4. Oh yes: and NFC contactless payments.
iPhone 6 shows radical redesign: It looks just like the iPod nano
For a long time, the Rollup has boycotted any mention of "concept art," a.k.a. "fan art," that purports to show what the Next iPhone will look like, based on current rumors, febrile imagings, or certain organic chemical agents. Or some combination thereof.
But when Macworld Australia's Ashleigh Allsopp headlines her post, "Is this what Apple's iPhone 6 will look like?" we'll make an exception.
Although she doesn't answer the headline's question, we will boldly go where so far no one apparently has and say, "Uh, no."
"New images of a potential iPhone 6 design have been created based on an alleged test prototype, sporting a similar shape to the latest iPod nano," Allsopp reveals.
The renderings are the latest by a talented Italian designer, Federico Ciccarese, with the Twitter handle @ciccaresedesign, a website where he posts these illustrations, and an acknowledged need for some work assignments.
Ciccarese mentions something about his newest creations being based on some iPhone test prototype, but in practice it looks like he just "grew" the iPod nano into the Next iPhone. And added something called "iOSX," a hybrid blend of iOS and OS X. And this is what he comes up with.
iPhone 6 will be cheaper than iPhone 5 ... but it will also be bigger
This is getting confusing, even by the standards of iOSphere rumoring: smaller and cheaper; bigger and more expensive; bigger but cheaper; more expensive but smaller. All of the above.
A characteristically brief and anonymously sourced story at International Business Times repeated the rumor that "according to supply-chain sources," Apple will introduce a low-cost version of iPhone for China and similar markets, in the latter half of 2013. So far, so yawn.
But there was this little iOSphere twist: "Some sources claimed that they have seen the sample of the low-cost iPhone, which will come with a larger display ..." So the intensely rumored "iPhone mini" moniker refers to the phone's price, not its dimension.
The reasons for the cheaper but bigger iPhone 6? "Growing sales of the iPad mini ... may have served as an impetus for Apple to roll out a low-cost iPhone ..." And "Qualcomm's recent launch of its latest family of Snapdragon chipsets ... for the entry-level to mid-range smartphones may pave the way for Apple bringing out the low-cost iPhone ..."
The latter reason is a bit odd, verging on a technical non sequitur. Because Qualcomm offers the ARM-based Snapdragon as a mobile system on a chip, with the processor integrated with a bunch of other components. With the iPhone 5's A6 chip, Apple apparently has for the first time custom-designed its own ARM-based main processor, manufactured by Samsung. Apple does use Qualcomm's mobile data modem chipsets, but not the Snapdragon.
"You'd think if Apple wanted to make a low-cost iPhone, it would be small," wrote Dave Smith, at International Business Times, after reading the DigiTimes account of unsupported anonymous speculation. "An 'iPhone nano,' if you will." (Smith must have been watching Frederico's design blog!)
You would think that. But you would be wrong. Apple is, after all, magical.
"If DigiTimes' sources are correct, Apple's "low-cost iPhone" could easily look like a Galaxy S3 smartphone, and given its 'low cost,' it might even compete with Samsung's prices, too," Smith concluded.
So if DigiTimes' sources are correct, Apple is going to imitate the Galaxy S III and voluntarily start a price war with Samsung.
DigiTimes and various stock analysts agree, according to Smith: "Apple wants to sell a lower-priced iPhone. Whether the 'iPhone 6' will be bigger or smaller has yet to be determined; Apple simply wants it to be cheaper." Clearly. "The obvious explanation: A cheaper iPhone -- easily the company's most popular product -- would help Apple penetrate some key markets, particularly those Eastern, lower-income areas like China and India."
We can hear Apple CEO Tim Cook now, the new Colossus gazing to the East and crying out, "Give me your tired, your poor, your lower-income huddled masses yearning to buy an Apple iPhone, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the phoneless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my cheaper iPhone 6 beside the golden door."
John Cox covers wireless networking and mobile computing for Network World. Twitter: @johnwcoxnwwEmail: [email protected]
Read more about anti-malware in Network World's Anti-malware section.


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PALM DESERT, CA – Chris Andersen’s keynote on his book “The Long Tail,” in which he argues that selling less of more is key, was the inspiration that led the morning panel titled “Key Industry Trends for 2007 and Their Implications for Cross-Channel Growth Strategies: A Chief Executive Officer/President Panel Discussion.”
Steven Skinner, president of Home Depot Direct, said that the long tail theory has helped the retail giant with its business.
“As we look at the long tail effect on Home Depot Direct, what it reminds me of is the endless aisles in the 1990s and special-order business where you take a kiosk into the store to make it easier for customers to order a variety of products that you can’t fit in the store,” Mr. Skinner said.
The Internet is another factor in this, as Home Depot stores feature five or six patio sets, but has 15-20 choices on the Web site, making more products available to different buyers. However, there are some limits. The reason that the site does not carry 100 choices is due to the cost of sourcing the product and getting competitive prices from the manufacturers. Mr. Skinner said that he decides on what to carry based on buying power and keeping costs low for customers in the first place.
Macys.com also provides more SKUs on its Web site with extended sizes and colors, but the retailer says that there must be a balance between carrying too much and too little.
“The Web can do more than the store,” said Kent Anderson, president at Macys.com. “We are always challenging ourselves to bring more to our customers. It is great to have all of these items, but there is cost [involved], so you have to make decisions and decide what will bring value to the customer.”
Bringing value to the customer can also be translated into community forums on retail sites. Jeff Housenbold, CEO at Shutterfly, talked about the benefits of letting consumers say what they think.
“Having customers become evangelical for your brand is the best way to acquire new customers and retain loyalty,” Housenbold said.
Kent Anderson agreed that customer input is key to brand-building.
“I really do think that social networking is part of the shopping experience, which I would not have thought in my past,” he said. “The customer is giving you feedback on products … more information that you didn’t have before. You are interacting with your customer on a whole new level. The idea that a customer wants to download videos to show other customers how they use a product, how they look in a product purchased at Macy’s, is phenomenal.”
Home Depot has recently begun a campaign called True Stories on its site, where customers can create stories about how Home Depot has helped change their lives. The retailer is planning to take those stories and make advertisements out of them.
“I think of social networking as leading the customers to us in a form that allows them to transparently communicate with us, which lets them communicate how good or bad we are doing, and I think this is incumbent for all of us to provide if we are going to survive in 2008, 2009, 2010,” Mr. Skinner said.

domain: news


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BMW will build a new plant for the production of electric carsNovember 19, 2020
The enterprise should earn money in 2022. Also, BMW noted that by this period at each factory the brands will produce at least one electric car.
BMW has shared its production plans for the future. So, by 2022 a new enterprise should be built in Munich – 400 million euros will be allocated for this purpose. This plant will become the most innovative – at its facilities they will establish the production of BMW electric cars on a completely new platform, which will debut in the mid-20s of this century.
Note that the construction of the plant is being carried out at the site where ICE production is currently underway. Thus, the assembly of classic motors will be transferred to Austria and the UK. Also, BMW representatives revealed some details about the production of other electric cars – for example, in 2021 the production of serial BMW i4 and iX will begin.
This will happen at factories in Munich and Dingolfing. The Dingolfing plant will be at the forefront of the production of electric cars at the moment – it will also assemble electric sedans of the 5 and 7 series.
The most interesting information came about the plant in Leipzig. By 2023, it plans to begin assembling the successor to the MINI Countryman at its facilities.
The statement noted that the iconic BMW i3 is being assembled at the Leipzig plant since 2013. All of this suggests that the i3 could give way to the successor to the MINI Countryman.
Meanwhile, the German company BMW will offer its customers a subscription to a built-in radar detector. This option will be available for 2021 model year vehicles. Initially, the trial period will be free, and then you will have to pay for a subscription.
- Ken Block’s Ford Mustang loses a drag race for the first time
- China will double the production of batteries for electric cars
- Ford F-150 electric version released
- New Skoda Enyaq iV Acoustic Signature will receive a unique soundtrack
- Mercedes-AMG has published prices for the extreme sports car GT Black Series 2021


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How beer consumption is slimming but our ‘guts’ continue growing
A SPIRALLING decline in beer drinking is leading Australia to a 55-year low in alcohol consumption, though figures show ours “guts” continue growing.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics report, out this month, shows the average consumption of alcohol of persons aged 15+ is at a 55-year low at 9.4 litres.
There has been a steady decline for the past 10 years.
“This is the lowest annual figure since 1961-62 and it continues the recent downward trend which started around 2008-09,” the ABS says.
“Over three-quarters of alcohol consumed was from either beer (39%) or wine (38%).
“And while alcohol consumed from wine has declined recently, the drop in beer consumption has been the main driver for falling alcohol consumption with an average decline of 2.4% per year over the last ten years.”
The substantial decline in beer consumption offset to a small degree by an increase in wine consumption.
About 20 per cent of the population reports not having consumed alcohol at all in the past 12 months, other ABS figures, meaning the per person consumption figures can be increased relative to that.
The same 2014-15 national health survey shows 28 per cent of Australian adults were obese, an increase of 19 per cent from 1995.
The amazing evidence of marketers moving with this change in drinking behaviour is this month’s launch of a zero-alcohol beer by brewing giant Carlton and United Breweries (CUB).
Carlton Zero is on the shelves because consumers told CUB they wanted opportunities to moderate their drinking, and they asked for a zero-alcohol beer, the company says.
Its release marks a long-term shift in Australia’s drinking habits: low- and mid-strength beers now represent 20 per cent of CUB sales as consumers increasingly moderate their alcohol intake.
Carlton Zero aims to expand the number of occasions people can enjoy beer while encouraging moderate drinking.
While Australian sales of non-alcoholic beers have grown 57 per cent over the last five years, the sales volumes of non-alcoholic beers are modest in the country compared to the US, Canada and Europe.
Also in Australian Food News
- Damaging metabolic effects for inactive, young, obese people who consume soft drink regularly
- What to do about trade mark theft in China
- How beer consumption is slimming but our ‘guts’ continue growing
- Vegetarian nation actually a massive meat market
- Farming the knowledge and experience of older generations
Non-alcoholic beer…is this the answer to a question absolutely no one was asking?!
Posted by 3AW Drive with Tom Elliott on Tuesday, 28 August 2018
As Australians continue to find new ways of keeping themselves entertained during COVID-19 self-iso...
Established supermarkets around the world work from a pretty similar, well-honed playbook.
TRADITIONALLY wheat-based foods such as pastas, bread and other baked goods are getting a makeover t...
Australian Certified Organic has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer.
Deliveroo has denied any suggestion that it will be competing with its customers when it extends its...
Woolworths has launched its 2017 integrated Christmas marketing campaign titled ‘Share the spirit of...
Australian Food News wishes to inform its readers that it will be on a publishing break between Thur...
After tasting their way through a record 470 of Australia’s finest dairy products, judges of the pre...


text: Giresun Beekeepers’ Union (GBU) President, Kubilay Elevli, said that Turkish consumers should be warned against fake honey, asking Imams to brief the public on the matter in Friday sermons. Following a tip off recently the gendarmerie seized three tonnes of the fake honey in the Keşap region of the Province. GBU sent samples to the Giresun Agriculture Bureau laboratories. “When we receive the test results, we will file complaints against these people, who have no compunction against jeopardising public health”, said Kubilay Elevli. “During Ramadan, some were selling honey outside mosques and because most were fasting they cannot taste the honey. We know this ‘honey’ is made from glucose and they sell honey normally worth between YTL 15-20 (US$10-14; €8-11) for only YTL5 (US$3.5; €3). Such sales usually take place in urban regions where inspection mechanisms are almost negligible. Kublilay Elevli asked people to beware of cheap honey and that local laboratories be set up to test honey. He said: “The list of registered honey producers should be constantly updated on the Internet. Municipalities should improve their inspection mechanism and veterinarians should be authorised to carry out regular inspections of bees. Only by increasing consumer awareness can this problem be tackled. Companies and individuals found to be producing fake honey were being fined and having their licenses revoked”.


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kroger co (KR) Key Developments
Kroger Is Reportedly Looking To Buy Bi-Lo
Jan 20 15
The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) is reportedly looking at another expansion and has its corporate eyes on Bi-Lo Holdings, LLC. The Tampa Bay Business Journal is speculating that expansion might be targeted at buying Bi-Lo/Winn-Dixie. First Coast News reached out to Bi-Lo Holdings, but a spokesperson had no comment on the speculation.
Kroger Seeks Acquisitions
Jan 18 15
The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) may be looking to enter Florida in a big way. Analyst Carol Levenson wrote that "all signs point to management's willingness to make a major acquisition" in a report after analyzing the Kroger's bonds, reports Cincinnati Business Courier. Executives of Kroger have indicated recently that it could make another acquisition before long, according to Cincinnati Business Courier. Florida isn't the only place Kroger is looking to expand its presence; other regions of interest include Chicago, the Northeast, the upper Midwest and Oklahoma. But Florida is a market that can't be ignored for a grocer with major growth aspirations, as the state recently passed New York to become the third most populous in the U.S.
The Kroger Co. Declares Quarterly Dividend, Payable on March 1, 2015
Jan 16 15
The Kroger Co.'s board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 18.5 per share to be paid on March 1, 2015, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 16, 2015.
The Kroger Co. Appoints Nora Aufreiter as Board of Director
Jan 4 15
The Kroger Co. on Dec. 11 announced that Nora Aufreiter has been elected to the company's Board of Directors. Aufreiter is Director Emeritus of McKinsey & Company. She had roles of increasing responsibility during her 27 years with the firm including serving on their global personnel committees. Her roles included leading the firm's North American Retail Practice, North American Branding service line, McKinsey's Toronto office, and the firm's Consumer Digital and Omnichannel service line, which she led until her retirement in June of 2014.
Kroger Submits Plans for New Store at the Cornerstone of Centerville Development
Jan 3 15
Kroger officially submitted plans for a new store at the Cornerstone of Centerville development. The store is set to be on about 15 acres just east of the new Costco that opened in November at the multi-use development near the I-675 and Wilmington Pike interchange. Plans show the store facing south with 600 parking spaces and a new Kroger Fuel Center planned near the parking lot entrance off Feedwire Road. The store will have a 116,000-square-foot footprint. The plan on the drawing board is about 20,000 square feet smaller than the Kroger Marketplace at 1095 S. Main St. in Centerville that opened in 2011. Construction plans could be approved as early as Jan. 27 at a Centerville Planning Commission meeting. If no zoning or architectural changes are required, building permits could be filed for and secured within weeks after approval.


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E.V Charge Point
With funding support from Energy Saving Trust we have installed an electric vehicle charging facility which is free to use and open to anyone with an electric vehicle. Our Estates team will use it to charge the electric van. The charging point can be found in the car park between Asbury and Belmar Court, just off Melrose Avenue and the A761.
Once funding was granted Head of Transport in Scotland at the Energy Saving Trust, Matthew Eastwood stated;
“We are delighted to provide Linstone with funding for charging facilities in Linwood. Sales of plug-in vehicles have been increasing every year and we have no doubt that this trend will continue due to the substantial fuel cost savings that can be achieved. Facilities like these are crucial in supporting the growing number of EV drivers in Scotland”
There are a number of benefits to owning an electric vehicle including lower running and and maintenance costs; travelling 100 miles in a traditional petrol or diesel vehicle costs between £11 and £16, in an electric vehicle this distance would cost between £3 and £5. Electric vehicles also have fewer moving parts, meaning less servicing and chances for things to go wrong. With an electric vehicle the battery has to be replaced but most batteries should last around 8 years. Electric vehicles create less pollution helping improve air quality and reduce the climate warming effects of carbon emissions.
We urge any electric vehicle owners in the area to take advantage of this fantastic free facility. Before the Linwood EV Charging Point was installed the closest point was at Renfrewshire Council’s premises in Paisley. We hope easy access to a charge point means people considering an electric vehicle may now make the choice with charging facilities now available in Linwood.
For more information on the funding or to find out more about electric vehicles, visit: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/domestic/improving-my-travel
To search for charging points around Scotland visit:


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Bayer To Invest $100 MM in California FacilityBy
Bayer HealthCare will invest $100 million in its Berkeley, California manufacturing site to build a product testing facility that will support products to treat hemophilia A. The new facility will be built at Bayer’s Berkeley manufacturing site.
Bayer HealthCare’s presence on the US West Coast includes a manufacturing facility in Berkeley and its US research hub, the US Innovation Center in San Francisco.
Source: Bayer HealthCare


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Passengers from 16 cities can now book tickets online on Jet Airway's portal and pay by cash later
Mumbai: Jet Airways has announced a convenient payment option for its customers which allow them to book tickets online on the domestic carrier's portal and pay by cash later, a move aimed at enhancing the airline's distribution network.
The latest offering "cash on delivery" is available only for those customers who book their tickets through the Jet Airways' website, the carrier said in a release.
The airline has tied-up with the Hyderabad-based cash collection solutions provider GharPay to deliver the service, it said.
"Guests selecting the cash-on-delivery option while booking their tickets online will be contacted by GharPay to confirm the time and location for collecting the payment. Once the payment is collected, the e-ticket will be automatically sent to the guest's email address," the release said.
More importantly, guests are not required to make any advance payment online at the time of booking the ticket and there is no additional fee for this service, it added.
"We are happy to introduce a worry-free payment initiative for the discerning guest. We are confident that the convenience and simplicity of this service will increase our distribution reach and will be appreciated by our guests who chose cash-on-delivery as a preferred mode of payment," Jet Airways chief commercial officer Sudheer Raghavan said.
The scheme has been made available across 16 cities pan-India covering over 900 postal codes and will be available in additional cities, which include places like Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Visakhapatnam, the airline said.
The lawyer filed the PIL when a Magistrate Court rejected bail plea of some of his clients...
According to a research commissioned by TCS, customer services and mobile-specific market...


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The Wall Street Journal reports that Spotify Premium will see a $1 price increase later this year.
Spotify has been reluctant to update the price of its premium subscription for several years — despite competition raising prices. YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, and Tidal have seen various price increases for their services over the past 24 months. Now the WSJ is reporting that Spotify is ready to jump on the bandwagon for $10.99/month streaming music.
“In the coming months, there are likely to be further price increases in dozens of markets around the world,” he adds news article. Spotify is the world’s largest music subscription service. Analysts expect more price hikes across the board once Spotify raises its price.
“It’s breaking the dam,” Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives says of the price hike. Ives called the price hike overdue as Wall Street pressured digital streaming providers like Spotify to become profitable. Video streaming services like Peacock and Disney+ have all seen price increases in recent months. Spotify told investors it plans to raise prices this year, but didn’t reveal a timeline for the price increases.
Spotify Premium was launched almost 15 years ago at a price of $9.99/month. It allows a single user to listen to Spotify’s entire music catalog ad-free and offline. Now that the price tier dam is about to burst, will Spotify experiment with more tiers? There has been speculation that the rumored Spotify Hi-Fi Tier would create a tier of service with access to Hi-Fi recordings and possibly audiobooks as Spotify attempts to break into the spoken word market.
The price of Spotify’s family plan rose in several markets including the United States over a year ago. Spotify has raked in higher revenue from families, so it’s no surprise that Spotify individual subscriptions are next on the price increase list. Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl said in May 2023 that by increasing the price of its US subscription by $1, Spotify would generate $1 billion in additional revenue.


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From Singles’ Day livestreams to shoppable reality TV shows, the worlds of entertainment and retail are becoming more intertwined than ever. How can retailers win in the battle for consumer attention both in-store and on-screen?
Nowadays, the average consumer is as likely to forgo a trip to the shops in favour of binging a show on Netflix as they are to decide what they’re going to make for dinner via the latest viral TikTok recipe video.
Against this backdrop, David Roth, chief executive of WPP’s global retail practice The Store, says making shopping entertaining and engaging has never been more important.
“We’ve retailed excitement out of the retail experience,” he says.
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Holiday cheer hits retail, with strongest seasonal sales in 6 years
Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect figure for holiday sales.
Santa's gift to retailers this holiday shopping season was more business.
Holiday sales grew 5.1 percent this year to more than $850 billion, making it the best season in the last six years, according to data Mastercard released Wednesday. In addition, online sales jumped 19.1 percent compared to last year.
The Mastercard SpendingPulse report tracks retail spending across all payment types, including cash and check, between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24.
The apparel and home improvement categories saw the most growth, the research found. Clothing, which benefited from a strong back-to-school season, boomed with a 7.9 percent increase over 2017 – its best numbers since 2010. And thanks to a running start before the holiday season, home improvement saw a 9 percent hike.
More:From delivery to eco-friendly packaging and tons of recalls: A look at 2018's food trends
More:These vehicles will be killed in 2019: Say goodbye to Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan cars
More:3 simple strategies to contributing the maximum to your 401(k) each year
In contrast, electronics and appliances dropped 0.7 percent.
Department stores experienced a 1.3 percent decrease from last year, though growth has been below 2 percent for the previous two years, partly due to stores closing, Mastercard explained. But if you jump from department stores' in-store sales to their online ones, the retailers saw strong growth as Internet sales grew 10.2 percent.
Still, lousy weather put a damper on popular shopping times, like cold weather on Black Friday morning on the East Coast, wet weather the weekend of Dec. 15-16 on both coasts and storms in the East on Dec. 21, according to Mastercard.
"Gas prices are low. People are benefiting from lower tax rates," said Steve Sadove, Mastercard senior advisor. "You have an environment where people are, bottom line, feeling good about their own personal financial situation and that’s been reflected."
Also putting shoppers in the mood to spend: a low unemployment rate, a decline in news about retail's imminent death and rising consumer confidence, according to Bob Phibbs, CEO of the New York-based consultancy The Retail Doctor.
"The reality is the consumer felt comfortable enough to splurge and we’re hearing more and more it's for items for themselves," he said, but added concerns about tariffs and the partial current government shutdown could put a damper on 2019's retail outlook.
Mike Keaton of Washington, D.C., contributed more than $500 to the country's spending tally – all for the nine relatives and friends on his Christmas list and nothing for himself. The 43-year-old public relations executive's purchases were done exclusively online and included store and restaurant gift cards, books and Blu-rays.
"It’s more convenient. It’s simple. Shipping doesn't take too long to get to you for the most part," he said. "Mid-November, I stop buying stuff for myself, so I can put together a list. I’m someone who if I see something I want, I go ahead and buy it."
Follow USA TODAY reporter Zlati Meyer on Twitter: @ZlatiMeyer


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Seattle, Wa. – May 1, 2012 – AdReady, a leading platform for managing digital display advertising, has named Aaron Averbuch President and COO, effective today. Averbuch will transition into the CEO role over the next 90 days.
“I am excited to take over this responsibility and honored to be selected by the board to fulfill this vision,” said Averbuch, who recently served as the company’s VP of Technology.
Averbuch will be replacing Karl Siebrecht who will maintain his role as a board member. “I have worked closely with Aaron and think he brings the right leadership and vision for the company’s future,” Siebrecht said. “I look forward to continuing to play an important role in the company’s growth as a board member.”
AdReady is profitable on an operating basis and has had more than 8,000 customers run over 560,000 ads across nearly 150,000 sites.
Averbuch is a long-time technology industry veteran, having worked in senior technical roles at Microsoft, Pure Networks and Cisco.
AdReady is the leading turnkey platform for online advertising. Its powerful software encompasses all the latest advantages of digital media including precise micro-targeting, re-targeting, cost-effective ad-exchanges, real time measurement and message optimization. AdReady simplifies the process with an intuitive start-to-finish solution that helps you optimize your media spend to achieve measurable results. AdReady has been recognized for “Best Ad Delivery Platform Innovation” by the Digital Publishing and Advertising Conference.
Resonance Public Relations


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Skip to comments.Century-Old Electric Car Technology Still Doesn't Sell
Posted on 06/11/2012 9:01:03 AM PDT by jazusamo
Enthusiasts cant overcome their amazement at the innovation of electric cars technology that is 100-plus years old.
In Fridays edition of the Vancouver Sun, writer Andrew McCredie who is tooling around in a modern, all-electricNissan Leaf and blogging about it marveled at the 1912 electric car produced by the Anderson Car Company, which was on public display at the local Electrafest over the weekend. McCredie, seemingly blinded by the nostalgia surrounding the car, ignored the obvious: that its cost, range, and efficiency illustrate that there has been no significant technological advancement, in practical terms for American usefulness, with todays electric vehicles.
Perhaps most amazing is that electric cars were, in fact, the norm back in 1912, as gasoline engines were still very much in their infancy , McCredie wrote. This particular car was purchased new by a certain Dr. French in 1912 for the princely sum of $3,200, a price more than a large house of the day.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator, that electric car would cost about $75,000 today. Considering the billions of dollars in state and federal government grants and tax breaks for cars like the Leaf and Chevy Volt which retail roughly for $37,000 and $41,000 respectively that figure at a minimum aligns with the electric car of 100 years ago. And it may be worse, as the Mackinac Center for Public Policy estimated that each Volt sold through last year had $250,000 in taxpayer subsidies behind it.
So the sales price for electric cars is no better than 100 years ago what about how far it travels on a full charge? The major all-electric vehicle on the market today, the Leaf, was once touted to get 100 miles on a charge but after 18 months of experience with it, no one can credibly claim it gets more than 80 miles per full charge. In real-life situations when people use their heaters or air conditioners, or must travel up and down hills, its much less than that. For example, one Tennessee owner last year needed four recharging stops to travel 180 miles.
So how far have we come since 1912? Not very, as McCredie explained.
Dr. Frenchs electric car was originally powered by nickel-iron Edison batteries that provided the car with a respectable range of 161 kilometers, which is similar to the full-charge range of the 2012 Nissan Leafs lithium-ion battery pack.
Another electric car from Dr. Frenchs era, the 1909 Baker Electric, was showcased a few years ago by Tonight Show host and car enthusiast Jay Leno (pictured with the Baker). The video segment is viewable on YouTube.
It goes 110 miles on a charge, Leno explains in the video. As you can see, electric cars havent changed a whole lot range-wise.
VIDEO 7 minutes
Of course where the technology has improved as it has with gas-powered vehicles is in size and design, and with the ability to travel at higher speeds. But it hasnt with the length of time it takes to recharge car batteries. Todays Leaf and Volt (whose range is extended by gasoline power) require at least four hours for a full recharge, unless you happen upon a so-called fast charger that will do the job in 30 minutes. Those are almost impossible to find.
As Kris De Decker of Low Tech Magazine explains, EV recharging at the turn of the century in some ways was more efficient.
If todays supporters of EVs would dig into the specifications and the sales brochures of early 20th century electric horseless carriages, their enthusiasm would quickly disappear, he wrote in May 2010. Fast-charged batteries (to 80 percent capacity in 10 minutes), automated battery swapping stations, public charging poles, load balancing, in-wheel motors, regenerative braking: it was all there in the late 1800s or the early 1900s. It did not help (prevent the demise of EVs). Most surprisingly, however, is the seemingly non-existent progress of battery technology (today).
Indeed, scores of years and billions of dollars (much of it that once belonged to taxpayers) dedicated to improvement of electricity storage has yielded little, at least as far as its usefulness for human transportation is concerned. Nevertheless the amount of public money that continues to pour into still-obsolete electric vehicles, batteries and chargers is obscene. About $8.5 billion from the Recovery Act was devoted to loan guarantees for the manufacture of electric vehicles, including $1.4 billion for Nissan to retrofit a Tennessee plant to produce the Leaf. When completed this year the company says it will be able to produce up to 150,000 Leafs annually.
Another loan guarantee recipient, Ford Motor Company, was bestowed with $5.9 million in taxpayer backing. The first Ford Focus Electrics began to roll off the lines late last year. Yet the stimulation that was supposed to come with the subsidization of electric vehicle production hasnt materialized in fact, the Obama administration has over-stimulated battery production as poor EV sales will lead to surplus inventory.
A looming shakeout in the industry, reported the Detroit Free Press in April, which would likely include plant closures and layoffs, is also likely to touch off a fierce debate over whether federal and state government officials made a major error by using more than $1 billion in grants and tax credits to spur massive investments that are not yet needed.
General Motors sold a paltry 1,860 Volts in May (compared to 29,579 Chevy Malibus as my NLPC colleague Mark Modicanoted), while Nissan sold an embarrassing 510 Leafs . Meanwhile Ford has sold only 16 Focus Electrics total so far, but the a company official told USA Today it isnt trying very hard to sell them.
The marketing of the Focus Electric is to people who buy electric vehicles, not to you and me, said Jim Farley, Ford head of global marketing.
So theres something else that hasnt changed since 1912: people arent buying electric cars. That's billions of taxpayer dollars to fund a technology few people want, and that manufacturers dont really care if they sell. And this was supposed to go a long way to help fight global warming. Were doomed.
Paul Chesser is an associate fellow for the National Legal and Policy Center.
No one wants to run out of voltage with no place to charge.
They’ll be charged with even older technology. (Windmills)
It's best to convert the energy to some hydrocarbon that can be joined with the ever present atmospheric oxygen to get appropriate energy densities (mass, valume, cost, liquid pumpability).
Asked him about EV’s and he said it's all in the battery and the technology is just not here yet even though companies are trying to push them. Said he can't see a breakthrough in sight at the present time.
As long as a car-sized battery only contains about two gallons of gas worth of energy, it is a dead technology.
Super capacitors do seem to offer some promise but the best way to develop them is to have a thriving, oil-based economy where companies can afford research.
I too saw one of these in a museum (was a beautiful old vehicle actually) and was struck by the fact that the performance specs were not very different from today’s.
Back then the selling point was not “climate change” but that the use of gasoline would result in streets filled with rolling bombs.
The early electrics were marketed to women because they didn't need to crank start the gas engine or shift a transmission. That's why many of them had lace trimmed upholstery and flower vases. The Mercers and Stutz's of the day featured high torque gas engines and cone clutches.
I never met a battery that I liked.
“Top Gear” (the UK version not the wussy US pretty boy version) pretty much summarized the utter uselessness of these electric cars.
What ever happened to fuel cells that produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity? This was the technology that in the late 1960s powered the Apollo spacecraft. It would seem that fuel cells that could be quickly “refueled” instead of batteries that need lengthy recharging from the power grid might be a better answer.
Check the charge time. Who in the hell wants to sit miles from home and at a charge station for many hours, when it only takes a few minutes to fill up. And try to find a charge station. Guess AAA will have charge trucks that can sit by your car for hours while they run their gas engine generator to charge your wonderful machine. Fools born every day.


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Sims celebrates fifth anniversary
Since its debut, Sims has shipped 52 million units, been translated into 17 languages, and influenced gamer demographics.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
Five years ago this week, Electronic Arts began shipping the first Sims game for the PC. Since then, the lives of millions of gamers (not to mention those of the sims themselves) have never been the same. The series has been a top seller for four of the last five years.
The Sims franchise-cum-social-experiment has shipped over 52 million units worldwide, including more than 16 million units of the first game alone. The original Sims game has been translated into more than 17 languages. It has spawned seven expansion packs--The Sims Livin' Large, The Sims House Party, The Sims Hot Date, The Sims Vacation, The Sims Unleashed, The Sims Superstar, and The Sims Makin' Magic--plus The Sims Online; The Sims Bustin' Out for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance; and The Sims Deluxe games for the PC.
The Sims 2 launched in September 2004, and it has already sold more than 4.5 million units worldwide. Its first expansion pack, The Sims 2: University, is due this March. The Urbz: Sims in the City also shipped in fall 2004 for all major consoles, the DS and the GBA, bringing a kid-friendly, urban-hipster sensibility to the concept.
The creator of The Sims, Will Wright, has won many awards for his work, including induction into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in February 2002.
"The Sims changed the way people play video games and also changed the kinds of people who play video games," said Bing Gordon, executive vice president and chief creative officer of Electronic Arts. He added, "The Sims franchise is still just beginning."
To see what all the hubbub is about, see Andrew Park's full review of The Sims 2.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email email@example.com


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Economy Affecting Mom and Pop Shops
WHITEFISH BAY - The big box stores had plenty of business on Black Friday, but what about the mom and pop joints?
They're worried this holiday season might be their last.
Mom and pop shops are usually on the front lines of tightening in the economy
At Winkie's in Whitefish Bay, Black Friday started two and a half weeks ago.
The owners of the mom and pop variety store sent out their catalogs to try and get a head start on the holiday rush.
“We know the economy is not what it should be,” Winkie’s owner Beth Stulhmacher said.
Many retailers across Milwaukee big and small are very concerned shoppers won't be spending as much this year, but not Stulhmacher.
She's confident her loyal customers will return.
“A lot of people come in and say we're only shopping family-owned, we're shopping local because they want to see us stay around,” Stulhmacher said.
Stulhmacher says in their four decades in business they've never tried to compete against big box retailers. Their strategy has been to offer things that people won't get other places, like free gift wrapping, a shipping service and the best customer service in town.
“We get people what they want when they ask for it. They can find a manager with any concern, and people like that now. They like the personal contact,” Stulhmacher said.
She says despite the downturn in the economy, they'll make it through just fine.
“We’ve been in business for a long time and we just have faith that everything will work out and we'll be okay,” Stulhmacher said.


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Pharrell’s Grammy hat was hands down the most talked, er Tweeted, about fashion moment at the 2014 Grammy Awards last night. And for good reason — it reminded folks of a myriad of cultural symbols, including Smokey Bear, the hat from Harry Potter and Arby’s logo, to name a few.
However no one, except the clever folks over at The Cut, picked up on the fact Pharrell’s over-sized Vivenne Westwood hat was actually an homage to the sartorial style in the 1982 hip-hop video “Buffalo Girls” by Malcolm McLaren and the World’s Famous Supreme Team. The fashion website also pointed out that the tune was adapted from the 1844 song “Buffalo Gals,” which was made famous via Blackface minstrel singer John “Cool White” Hodges and that McLaren’s funky, synthesized version was later sampled in Neenah Cherry’s 1988 hit “Buffalo Stance.”
Well, we’re relieved there’s a legit music reference behind Pharrell’s fashion choice. We’d hate to think that Smokey The Bear was his muse!
For more, click here.


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There were 89,000 identity theft cases in the UK in the first 6 months of 2017 where thieves used identity theft to obtain products or services, with the majority happening online. This 5% rise on last year’s figures has made for a new record high.
According to the BBC, people aged between 31 and 40 are the group most likely to become victims of identity theft. Wealthy couples are another frequently targeted demographic for identity theft with research showing they are particularly likely to be targeted for credit card fraud or fraudulent loan applications.
As well as being wealthy targets, affluent people are at greater risk of identity theft due to being more exposed. They tend to have a larger number of accounts, be incredibly busy, and have a lot of people around them, making them vulnerable to phishing attempts and social engineering.
Preventing identity theft requires a combination of online and physical security measures. Follow our tips to make sure you are safe:
- Never divulge private information in response to a request via an email or website, unless you are certain the request is from a legitimate source.
- Use a password that contains a numeric, alphabet and symbol and change it regularly.
- Avoid sharing too much personal information on social media. Be wary of phishing scams.
- Avoid using shared public PCs to access internet banking.
- Only use reputable websites to purchase goods/services.
- Securely file sensitive documents, and shred those no longer needed.
- Arrange for paperless bills and statements where possible.
- Redirect mail when you move home.
- Be aware of people who may be looking over your shoulder when entering passwords or PINs into a computer or ATM.
- When travelling, lock passports, driving licences and other items of identification in a safe when they are not required.
If you discover you have been a victim of identity theft, it is vital to act quickly to limit the damage by reporting it to the police, your bank, and immediately changing you passwords on all websites and accounts.


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It's time to get your resolutions in for 2013 and while it'd be great to drink more water or get out for a run every morning, you should add getting security savvy to the list.
There once was a time when the biggest shopping scams were overpriced department stores and fake purses. But now shoppers should be on alert for Cyber Monday, the Internet's answer to Black Friday, which creates a whole knew arena for ripping you off.
Apple has pulled security software vendor Bitdefender’s Clueful app from the app store.
Clueful is an app that examines other applications on your phone or iPad and tells you what they’re doing: accessing your address book, using location services such …


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Home Tags Intel
Intel Is Planning Thousands of Job Cuts in Face of PC...
Check out the post here.
New Intel CPU Flaw Exploits Hyper-Threading to Steal Encrypted Data
November 3rd, 2018 A team of security researchers has discovered another serious side-channel vulnerability in Intel CPUs that could allow an attacker to sniff out...
Critical flaws revealed to affect most Intel chips since 1995
Most Intel processors and some ARM chips are confirmed to be vulnerable, putting billions of devices at risk of attacks. One of the security researchers said the bugs are "going to haunt us for years."


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America Online (AOL) on Monday announced an expansion of its online music offerings, including special services for users with broadband Internet access.
AOL said in a statement that it would incorporate Internet radio into its client software and add a service that allows users to look up information about artists, play CDs and download music. The new services add to AOL's existing online music services, which include Web radio service Spinner and music player Winamp.
AOL, part of AOL Time Warner Inc., said it has enlisted several record labels, including its own Warner Brothers Music Group Inc., to power a service dubbed AOL Artist Discovery Network, which, among other features, offers localized pages and a database with artist information. The Artist Discovery Network is available starting Monday.
Radio at AOL (Radio@AOL), a new online radio service with over 50 channels of news, information and entertainment, will be online in the third quarter, AOL said. A button to access the service will be on the toolbar in AOL 7.0, the upcoming version of AOL's client software.
Mimicking the services offered by Launch Media Inc., an online media company that was recently acquired by AOL rival Yahoo Inc., AOL said it will launch later this year customized music services for users with broadband Internet connections. These services will include a radio feature that can be customized and a music recommendation tool.
All of AOL's online music services will have storefronts. Users will be a click away from concert tickets and paraphernalia, AOL said.
AOL will also offer access to MusicNet, the digital music service being developed by BMG Entertainment Inc., RealNetworks Inc., EMI Group PLC and AOL Time Warner's Warner Brothers Music Group Inc. MusicNet, scheduled to launch later this year, is headed by Rob Glaser, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of RealNetworks.


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The one day industrial visit was arranged at MAPRO Pvt Ltd, wai, district Satara on 25th Jan 2016. The objective of the visit was to know the functioning of food processing unit along with other management functions like marketing, budgeting, human resource, physical distribution system etc.
The students and faculty members were greeted warmly with a welcome drink at the plant. The operations of the plant were explained in detail. The processing, filling, packaging was shown which was carried out in clean and hygienic environment. Mr. Mustaq Sheikh, Business Head at MAPRO interacted with the students giving valuable information about the overall functioning of the business unit.
The visit was a great learning experience for the students as it served the motive of practical exposure .


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Apple iOS 6: 3-D maps, more Siri, and a digital Do Not Disturb sign(Read article summary)
iOS 6 won't hit iPhones and iPads until later this year. In the meantime, here's what to expect.
This week, at the annual WWDC conference, Apple took the wraps off iOS 6, the latest iteration of its mobile operating system. iOS 6 brings with it a range of upgrades and new features, including expanded Siri functionality – to the iPad, and one day, even to the car – and increased Facebook integration. So how does it compare to past versions of iOS?
Pretty well, according to a range of hands-on tests published this week. Over at Gizmodo, for instance, Sam Biddle highlights the new FaceTime, which is now accessible through both Wi-Fi and 3G. (In iOS 5, you needed a Wi-Fi connection.)


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Connecting Women in India's Villages to Markets Around the World
Force for Good, JPMorgan Chase’s initiative which assigns over 1,000 employees globally each year to volunteer and build technological solutions for nonprofits, has teamed up with Sa-Ni-Sa to create opportunities for women in rural areas of India.
In India, only 27 percent of adult women—compared to 79 percent of men—have a job.
Sweta Vadhar, a volunteer working in Sudhagad Taluka, a rural area 60 miles outside Mumbai, saw the effect of this imbalance firsthand. Living in unhygienic conditions, struggling with dire poverty and subject to domestic violence, the women of Sudhagad Taluka seemed to have no way out of their situation.
“They live with no hope for the future," Vadhar says.
Even the few available employment options offer little respite. “Women often walk for hours to work in factories with hazardous conditions," Vadhar says. And job opportunities in the cities aren't much better. “Families send adolescent girls to work in urban cities as domestic help where employers often exploit them," she adds.
Giving opportunities and options
Twelve years ago, Vadhar discovered Sa-Ni-Sa, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that works extensively with rural Indian women. Taking its name from the words “Shramik Naari Sangh" which mean “hardworking," “women," and “group," the organization lives up to its name, helping its employees gain valuable work skills that they can use to support themselves.
Sa-Ni-Sa's workers learn to produce an array of products, including khakhras (wheat-based cracker), handicrafts, body care products, and chocolates. Volunteer saleswomen, called “sakhi"—which means "female friend" in Hindi—then sell the products online or in retail stores in Indian cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Kolkata. The profits, in turn, provide wages for the village workers.
In the beginning, Sa-Ni-Sa struggled to gain a foothold in rural communities, but once they persuaded some women to join the organization, neighbors noticed the prosperity that followed. “Word of mouth promoted us," Vadhar says.
As Sa-Ni-Sa grew, it began offering food and healthcare—including breast checks, gynecological exams, and family planning to women in its communities. Listening to the women's concerns about their children inspired it to sponsor elementary, secondary, and college education to ensure that the next generation gains economically viable skills.
Today, Sa-Ni-Sa employs 120 rural women. But as it extends its reach, tracking its supply chain, inventory and orders has become increasingly complex. In the beginning, Sa-Ni-Sa workers confirmed orders orally and young volunteers tracked inventory and orders via Excel, but as the company scaled its business, it often lost orders, especially when a customer ordered something that was out of stock. “We realized door-to-door sales couldn't sustain us for long," Vadhar says.
To continue growing, the organization needed a digital platform to help sell products, manage inventory, and track orders and dispatches. Vadhar began searching for partners to help Sa-Ni-Sa overcome its technical challenges, and discovered JPMorgan Chase's Tech for Social Good initiatives. One program, Force for Good, assigns over 1,000 employees globally each year to volunteer and build technological solutions for nonprofits.
In Mumbai, the Force for Good team was comprised of seven female first-year software engineers, led by two experienced technologists: Hetal Thakkar and Rina Naik. Together, their team chose to work on Sa-Ni-Sa's project. As an all-women team, it felt essential for the Force for Good programmers to help empower other women, Thakkar says.
After consulting with Sa-Ni-Sa, the Force for Good team decided that the organization needed an e-commerce platform to provide inventory tracking, matching and delivery capabilities. In terms of inventory tracking, the tech solution the team built will function much like an online retailer. "The platform ascertains the customer placed the order, Sa-Ni-Sa dispatched the order, and the customer received the delivery," Thakkar says.
Once a customer places an order, the system will provide matching functionality similar to a ride-share or delivery app: it will check how many sakhis, or volunteer salespeople, have the product in stock and will assign delivery to the one who is located closest to the customer. And, because the people in Sa-Ni-Sa's supply chain have access to different technology devices, the platform is designed to work on both computers and mobile phones.
A technology idea scaled for growth
Of course, building a platform like this takes a lot of programming, and while the Force for Good team was encouraged to work on the Sa-Ni-Sa project during work hours, they often sacrificed their personal time to volunteer on the project. But they feel inspired by—and passionate about—the cause. Takkar and Naik say that they have gained a deeper understanding of rural women and their challenges. “Being part of an all women technology team feels amazing," Naik says. “By delivering the project, we give back to the NGO and to society in a fulfilling way."
Last year, the team released the first phase of their tech solution, a web application that could manage a single product and user type, as well as a smartphone app that could assign delivery. This year, they developed the second phase: an app that can work with more products, locations and customers. The team hopes that this will enable Sa-Ni-Sa to nearly double its sakhi volunteer base and make it possible for the NGO to pay volunteers.
For Vadhar, the partnership with JPMorgan Chase has opened new doors. “Before, we had to slow production due to lost sales," she says. "This development means employing more women—and making more sales."
Ultimately, the platform will enable Sa-Ni-Sa to keep pace with the women it seeks to help. “The women are skilled and can work fast," Vadhar says. "When we match their production, and are able to empower more women, we've met full success. This tech solution makes those goals look viable."


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Merdeka.com – The Nokia and the OPPO feature the same patches. The GSM Arena Team, Rabu (28/11), has been working on OPPO as well as developing mobile Nokia mobile devices.
This is a Nokia-based, Nokia-based mobile phone sharing tool.
"We are talking about the smartphone industry, such as those who have been working with OPPO at the same time," said Chief Legal Officer, President of Nokia Technologies, Maria Varsellona.
In addition, the OPPO, Nokia has released a list of smartphones with a smartphone smartphone, with Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei.
Menurut perjanjian, rencananya, Oppo bakal menggunakan hak kekayaan intelektual milik Nokia selama lima tahun.
For example, Nokia Nokia mobile phone shutter has a mobile connectivity, OPPO has gotten patches of high technology technology that can be downloaded on smartphones.
Tahun lalu, OPPO sudah mematenkan setidaknya dua desain untuk smartphone layar lipat. Kabar terkini, pabrikan asal Tiongkok itu telar resmi mendaftarkan desain smartphone layar lipat versi mereka sendiri.
Pekan, the smartphone's smartphone will be able to use the cantor patent Tiongkok, yakni SIPO. [faz]


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International Business Machines Inc. (NYSE: IBM) gained 15 1/4 to 240 3/4 on Thursday after the company told analysts yesterday that its Internet businesses was generating $20 billion of its revenue -- about one-quarter of all sales.
Chief executive Lou Gerstner was upbeat about maitaining double-digit growth at a meeting held for analysts held in New York on Wednesday.
After the meeting, SoundView Technology raised its 12-month share price target to $260 from $225. Merrill Lynch boosted its price target to $270, up from $240 and Goldman Sachs increased its forecast to 250 from 225.
"With 25 percent from e-business, IBM is becoming a quasi-Internet company," said Merrill analyst Steve Minulovich in a report. "We agree that IBM benefits as corporations stampede on the Net."
Big Blue handles big name Web sites, such as Federated Department Stores (NYSE: FD), owner of Macys.com, Intimate Brand's (NYSE: IBI) Vicotoria's Secret's Web site, as well as startrek.com.
Minulovich, who reiterated his "buy" rating, expects Big Blue to outsource more of its PC production and to make up for an overall drop in profit margins through its services. IBM is seen as having, if any, only fleeting problems relating to year-2000 issues, according to the report.
In its first quarter, IBM surprised the Street with strong sales growth in all its businesses, including PCs.


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Apple Pulls Hong Kong Maps App After Facing Pressure from China
A huge chunk of Apple’s business is in Greater China, so the company has to walk a fine line when it comes to politics in the region to keep the ruling Communist government happy.
After initially rejecting the Hong Kong maps app HKmap.live from the App Store, then approving it, Apple has reversed its stance again and banned the app, after consulting with authorities in the region, reports Bloomberg.
Apple released the following statement, via Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman:
“We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps. We have learned that an app, HKmap.live, has been used in ways that endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong. Many concerned customers in Hong Kong have contacted us about this app and we immediately began investigating it. The app displays police locations and we have verified with the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau the app has been used to target and ambush police, threaten public safety, and criminals have used it too victimize residents in areas where they know there is no law enforcement. This app violates our guidelines and local laws, and we have removed it from the App Store.”
Earlier today, Chinese state-owned People’s Daily newspaper criticized Apple for allowing HKmap.live in the App Store, which has been used by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
The People’s Daily also chastised the iPhone maker for allowing media in the App Store that supports pro-independence reporting in favour of Hong Kong. Apple appears to have listened intently, because the Quartz news app was been removed from the App Store earlier this afternoon and the website blocked by the Great Firewall of China.
“Apple just took the Quartz app out of the Chinese app store at the request of China, and http://qz.com is now blocked from mainland China. Our excellent @qz coverage of ongoing Hong Kong protests may be the reason,” wrote John Keefe, investigations editor at the publication.
Apple just took the Quartz app out of the Chinese app store at the request of China, and https://t.co/M7MXa7n7AG is now blocked from mainland China. Our excellent @qz coverage of ongoing Hong Kong protests may be the reason: https://t.co/FI4pcyzARz
— John Keefe (@jkeefe) October 9, 2019
On top of pulling the Hong Kong Maps app and Quartz from the App Store, other moves Apple has made which makes it appear the company is ‘kowtowing’ to the Chinese Communist Party, is the previous removal of the Taiwan flag emoji in iOS 13.1.2 in Hong Kong. Other allegations of siding with the Chinese government include the apparent refusal of Apple Music to accept the song ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ in Hong Kong and Macau.


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All remaining BHS shops are set to close down in the next four weeks, the chain’s administrators have confirmed today.
Philip Duffy and Benjamin Wiles, joint administrators of BHS, informed employees that the remaining stores will commence closure sales from today.
”It is anticipated that failing any last minute rescue attempt the last stores will cease trading by Saturday August 20,” they said. ”There are no specific dates for the closure of stores yet.”
BHS had 164 stores when it collapsed into administration in April. A number have closed in the past few weeks.
As previously reported by Drapers, it is understood some property deals for BHS leases felll through as a result of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union.


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A one-man Sydney-based developer, Achebit (Christopher Yabsley), has just launched his "competitive dungeon crawler party game", Dungeon League, on Steam Early Access and has teamed up with Aussie Indie cartakers Surprise Attack to help nurture and see the game to full release.
In the second bit of Street Fighter news for the day, comes word from Capcom that the retail version of Street Fighter V will be the only version that counts. Or for that matter, will see an actual release. What does that mean? Well no paid-for DLC packs or Special Editions. All additional content, including characters, will be made available either via patches or through a new free to earn in-game currency called Fight Money.
Yeah, yeah, yeah it's a list article, but this is no ordinary list. 2015 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years Triple-A gaming has ever seen, but there are plenty of other amazing games that maybe don't get the media and marketing treatment they deserve, that you deserve to know about.
So here's 10 of them.
What do you get when you cross Blanka with a Rastafarian and Kerrigan from Starcraft? The answer is Necalli, the latest addition to Street Fighter V. In a new reveal trailer get a look at a brand new character entering the world of Street Fighter. And, watch poor Ken get treated like a punching bag.
And becomes the most funded videogame project to date, raising a whopping $6,333,295. Announced at Sony's E3 conference, which is not exactly the home of micro-budget crowdfunded gaming, the success of the Shenmue 3 campaign doesn't come as a surprise. The fact that the game exists and is now well on its way to being completed and released, still does. After all, Shenmue 2 came out all the way back in 2001.


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Trading was muted this morning after coming off of a losing week amid red-hot inflation data. Still, the major averages are not far from their record highs. The S&P 500 is 0.8% off its all-time high. The Dow and Nasdaq sit 1.3% and 1.2%, respectively, away from their records.
Our stock pick for today is one of the fastest-growing names in the cloud-based software space. Last week the company wowed with stellar Q3 earnings, but their stock is down 18% since their earnings call. Continue reading to find out what happened and why the pullback could provide an excellent opportunity to get involved.
Legend Who Bought Apple at $1.42 Says Buy TaaS Now
It’s called TaaS – and if you haven’t yet heard of this technological breakthrough, you soon will. [Full Story…]
The Monday.com (MNDY) Work OS open platform is fully customizable and allows organizations to easily build software applications and work management tools to fit their needs. The platform is currently used by over 127,000 customers across over 200 industries in 190 countries.
Since going public in June, Israeli cloud-based software firm Monday.com has become one of the most-watched IPOs of the year. From the low of its IPO on June 10 until a peak last Tuesday ahead of its company’s call, Monday.com rose 150%. The stock has lost 18% since, despite reporting an impressive 95% acceleration in revenue growth.
While not yet profitable, Monday.com has generated eight quarters of strong sales growth. Revenue gains have been more than 85% for each quarter during that period. Plus, the company has zero debt.
Monday reported another winning quarter last week, blowing past analyst estimates of $0.06 earning per share for the third quarter, reporting $0.26 EPS. The company exceeded consensus expectations of $74.68 million in revenue, reporting $83 million in revenue for the quarter. “We achieved another strong quarter of top-line growth driven by the continued rapid adoption of our Work OS by new customers along with expansion within our existing customer base,” said Monday.com founder and co-CEO Roy Mann. “As Enterprise customers adopt our Work OS and realize its value, their usage quickly expands across use cases and departments.”
Jefferies analyst Brent Thill raised the firm’s price target on Monday.com to $400 from $340 as he raised his FY21 estimates after the company delivered another “beat and raise” quarterly report. The analyst admits his new FY22 estimate of 39% growth “looks conservative” and that he is “enthusiastic on fundamentals.”
The 9 analysts offering 12-month price forecasts for Monday.Com Ltd have a median target of $450, representing a 24% increase from the last price. The consensus among 10 polled analysts is to buy MNDY; 8 rate the stock a Buy, and 2 give it a Hold rating. There are currently no Sell ratings for the stock.
Where to invest $1,000 right now...
Before you consider buying MNDY, you'll want to see this.
Investing legend, Keith Kohl just revealed his #1 stock for 2022...
And it's not MNDY.
Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, and the Rockefellers are betting a colossal nine figures on this tiny company that trades publicly for $5.
Keith say’s he thinks investors will be able to turn a small $50 stake into $150,000.
Find that to be extraordinary?
But you have to act now, because a catalyst coming in a few weeks is set to take this company mainstream... And by then, it could be too late.
Jeff Bezos Just Poured $10 Billion Into This…
Not many people know this story… But in 1998, Bezos invested $250,000 of his own money in Google, when the company was just getting started out of a garage in California. When Google went public in 2004, that $250,000 investment translated into 3.3 million shares of Google stock. Nobody knows if Bezos has sold any shares. If he hasn’t, today they’re worth more than $5.6 billion.Jeff Bezos is betting big on a new trend. This time he’s planning to invest $10 billion of his own money in this exciting new trend. That’s 40,000 times more money than what he invested in Google. That’s how big he thinks this could be. [Full Story…]


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As Secretary of State Catherine Durant on the popular Netflix series “House of Cards,” Jayne Atkinson has both schemed and sparred with political power couple, the Underwoods.
So perhaps it’s no surprise that on a recent trip to Ponte Vedra to visit family, the actress turned to Underwood’s Jewelers to find just the right ornaments to adorn the gown she’ll wear to next month’s Emmy Awards.
Atkinson visited Underwood’s Aug. 20 accompanied by her sister, Dany Atkinson, who lives in Ponte Vedra.
“Dany is my personal dresser for the SAG Awards and the Emmy Awards and other events,” Atkinson said as she prepared to peruse Underwood’s offerings. “I rely on her to help me with all my dresses and jewelry and shoes.”
It was her sister, Atkinson added, who introduced her to the Dao Fournier jewelry collection featured at Underwood’s. Created by Ponte Vedra resident Lucy Price and her twin sister, Kimberly Gibson, the collection features bold, geometric designs featuring diamonds, yellow and white gold, quartz and more.
“I wore some (Dao Fournier) jewelry to the Meridian Ball in Washington DC,” Atkinson noted.
Price, who was on hand to assist Atkinson in selecting her jewelry, said the actress’s visit was well-timed.
“I’m thrilled to have a chance to meet Jayne and show her some of our newest pieces coming in for fall,” she said.
Aided by Price and the Underwood’s staff, Atkinson ultimately selected two Dao Fournier rings and a pair of earrings to wear to the Emmy Awards, which will be presented Sunday, Sept. 18 and broadcast live on ABC.
“I’m so pleased that Underwood’s was able to help Jayne prepare for such an important event,” Manager John Rutkowski said.


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SBI Card is in the process of enrolling "delinquent" customers, who did not repay after the end of moratorium, in the RBI restructuring scheme or its own repayment plan to provide them more time for repayments
SBI Card is in the process of enrolling “delinquent” customers, who did not repay after the end of moratorium, in the RBI restructuring scheme or its own repayment plan to provide them more time for repayments, a top company official said. Due to the moratorium, a number of customers had not been paying for the first three months and the company treated them as standard accounts in line with the entire industry. However, since then, as the first moratorium ended, SBI Card made it a customer-led enrolment in the second moratorium in which a lot of customers did not enrol, SBI Card Managing Director & CEO Ashwini Kumar Tewari said.
“Therefore, we had a large chunk of customers who came out of the moratorium. A lot of them paid up but many of them did not pay also. And these became what we call as more delinquent customers. “So with these delinquent customers, we are now working to enrol them either into the RBI restructuring scheme or our own repayment plans so that they get more time and better interest rate to pay their dues,” Tewari, who took charge over a month ago, told PTI in an interview. According to the company, it had Rs 7,083 crore under moratorium in May which came down to Rs 1,500 crore in June.
Those who would be availing the company’s restructuring plan will have a benefit over the RBI restructuring plan as SBI Card will not report such cases to the credit scoring agency CIBIL. In March, the RBI had allowed the first three-month moratorium on payment of all term loans due between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020. Later on, it was extended for another three months till August 2020. The process of restructuring is going on currently, Tewari said, adding a large number of accounts are to be enrolled and the company needs to make a 10 per cent provisioning on these accounts as per the RBI guidelines. Besides, there are some accounts that surely have become NPA (non-performing) due to the pandemic and therefore additional provisions need to be created for that, he said.
“However, we will be very cautious, even if we get to that number (provisioning), we would still like to provide more because the future is still uncertain,” he added. Tewari said that in the second and the third quarter going forward, the company will be able to handle the situation better. “And of course it will be reverted to normal if the vaccine is made available and if the COVID-19 comes under control. I think from towards the end of quarter three and (beginning) quarter four, we will be in a much better shape,” he said further.
The SBI-promoted card company had posted a 14 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 393 crore in the April-June quarter. There was a decline in total income during the period to Rs 2,196 crore from Rs 2,304 crore in the year-ago period. However, due to the probable rise in NPA, collection challenges and the stress around COVID may pose challenges for the second quarter and the numbers may not be as good as the first quarter, the official said. On being asked about the consumer trend on spends, Tewari said there was a lot of pent-up demand for groceries and essentials shopping as soon as the lockdown was lifted in June.
“As we went towards the end of June, into July as more and more lockdown was lifted and people could go out selectively, this started shifting towards utilities which means people were paying their electricity bills, insurance payments, some people were even paying school fees, lot of online course fees were also paid through cards. And this continues, even today this would be a significant portion out of the total online payments,” Tewari said.
SBI Card also ran a freedom day sales campaign in August with e-retailer Amazon wherein a lot of pick-up in purchases of mobile phones, electronics etc was witnessed, which was a strong driver during the month. “So what I have seen overall is that from essentials to groceries to utilities to electronics, things are slightly getting normalised,” he added. Also, the company’s online spend by the end of June rose to 105 per cent of the purchases during January and February (put together). Online has gone ahead of offline, and this trend is continuing, said the company official.


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As the U.S economy tries to recover, some American businesses are legally dodging billions in taxes by taking advantage of overseas profit transfers. ABC News posted a new article on this questionable tax loophole that is saving U.S. businesses billions of dollars. You can find a snippet of their article below, or read the full post here.
As America struggles with record deficits, tax dodgers apparently are taking billions of dollars out of the country. A new report from the business giant Bloomberg News finds hundreds of companies skirting $60 billion in taxes, and the practice is completely legal.
Thirty million prescriptions were filed last year for the anti-depressant Lexapro, made by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Forest Labs. According to a story in Friday's Bloomberg Businessweek, most of the profits from that drug were transferred overseas, thus avoiding having to pay taxes in the United States.
The news is shocking to Lexapro customers like Tyler Hurst, who buys the drug at a Phoenix pharmacy.


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People in today’s world have paid special attention towards cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. In fact, the lives of people are closely connected to the technology and an ideal platform has been created for the popularity of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. On the other hand, the value associated with Bitcoin has significantly increased throughout the past. Now it has come to a point where the value is over $2000 per Bitcoin. The Bitcoin value has exponentially increased throughout the past and people now think of it as a potential avenue where they can invest money in.
People have started to search more about Bitcoin on Google
As a result of the above mentioned aspects, the popularity of Bitcoin has increased significantly. This has naturally contributed towards the increase in number of searches that people initiate. People who don’t have any idea at all about Bitcoin are curious to see what it is. On the other hand, people who already know a bit about Bitcoin tend to search Google for the potential opportunities associated with it. Moreover, people who are dealing with Bitcoin are concerned to figure out how the future trends of this cryptocurrency would look like.
The popularity of Bitcoin and WannaCry cyber-attack
WannaCry cyber-attack also received much attention during the past couple of months. It attacked computers in all parts of the world and encrypted the data contained within them. People who became victims of this cyber-attack had to use Bitcoin as a cryptocurrency in order to make a payment to the hackers and get their computers unlocked. People who got infected with the cyber-attack started searching for more on Bitcoin and how they can use Bitcoin in order to make a payment. This helped them to discover the amazing functionalities that are associated with this cryptocurrency, such as the ability to make anonymous payments.
Monday is the most popular day of the week to search for Bitcoin
Monday can be considered as the most popular day of the week where people tend to search for the cryptocurrency. In fact, on Monday 22nd of May, the popularity of Bitcoin reached its peak. As a result, it is being considered as the Bitcoin Pizza Day. This closed another chapter in the history of virtual currency.
As per the CNBC notes, a person who spent $100 in order to purchase Bitcoins back in 2010 would be having a total of Bitcoins that are worth $75 million in today’s world. Therefore, it can clearly be seen that there is an excellent investment opportunity associated with the cryptocurrency. People are never too late to purchase this cryptocurrency as well. That’s because the value of Bitcoin is expected to rise significantly in the future as well. Therefore, people who invest their money on the cryptocurrency now would end up with receiving amazing results in the future.
What about Ethereum?
Ethereum is another leading cryptocurrency that you can find out there in the world. The popularity of Ethereum is second only to Bitcoin in the world of cryptocurrencies. As a result, people have started searching for it on the internet as well. This fact is proven from the stats that are obtained from Google search engine results. As per the Google search engine stats, Ethereum holds the 18th place for all search queries that were initiated by people. This fact clearly shows that people are not just interested in exploring the growth that Bitcoin experienced. People are also concerned to figure out how Ethereum would do as a cryptocurrency. When compared to the market value, Ethereum is marked at a low price tag when compared to Bitcoin. However, the value is increasing on a daily basis. As a result, people are concerned about spending their money on Ethereum as well because they know that it could deliver amazing results to them in the long run. Hence, an ideal opportunity has also been created for the increasing popularity of Ethereum. The value of Ethereum was just $14 back in the month of February. However, now it has increased up to $200. This is a massive growth within a short period of time. If this trend continues, people who have already invested their money on this cryptocurrency will be able to end up with amazing results in the long run.
How does the future look like?
Bitcoin is expected to create a tremendous impact on the lives of human beings in future. As a result, the number of people who search for it on the internet would definitely increase as well. The technological development has helped us to change the way how we engage with transactions. In other words, the number of people who are using cash, credit cards or debit cards in order to make payments are reducing along with time. That’s mainly because a lot of people are showing an interest towards making their payments with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoins. The ability to make anonymous payments has contributed a lot towards the popularity of Bitcoin.
Plenty of places are available for the people to make their payments with Bitcoin. As a result, the Bitcoin wallet you have would never be in vain. You would get the chance to use it on a regular basis. Then you will come across the need to get your Bitcoin wallet recharged. In such a situation, you will have to look for Bitcoin. This would increase the number of search queries that people do on Google. Therefore, we will be able to hear much similar news in the near future.
Bitcoin is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies that exist out there in the world. You can simply use Bitcoin in order to make a payment. On the other hand, you will be able to invest in Bitcoin because the price associated with it is increasing exponentially. This would naturally increase the number of people who search about it on Google.


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Shopper home equipment like fridges, washing machines, small display TVs, vacuum cleaners and varied kitchen necessities will now value 7-8 per cent much less, as corporations put together to cross on the advantages of the latest GST revisions. Final week the Modi authorities had introduced the largest GST charge reduce since final November and slashed the levy on a number of white items and generally used kitchen home equipment like mixer-grinders and juicers by 10 per cent – from the very best tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 per cent. The brand new charge comes into impact immediately.
In response to The Financial Occasions, with this growth, the overall taxation quantity on a number of shopper digital merchandise is now decrease than what it was through the earlier VAT regime, when it stood at round 26.5 per cent. Higher nonetheless, trade insiders declare that costs will come down to almost a two-year low.
“With the revision of GST charge on fridges and washing machines, there will probably be a discount of worth to the tune of 7-8 per cent for the tip shopper. Godrej will cross on the whole good thing about GST discount to the customers,” stated Godrej Home equipment Enterprise Head and Govt Vice President Kamal Nandi, including that the speed reduce will present aid to the home equipment trade.
“The revision will make fridges and washing machines extra reasonably priced which is able to speed up the penetration of those home equipment throughout India. This, in flip, will result in a spur in demand which is able to result in enhance in manufacturing and, therefore, have a optimistic affect on the GDP,” he defined.
Korean shopper sturdy majors LG has likewise dedicated to cross on the total good thing about the GST charge reduce to the customers. Citing sources within the know the each day added that the corporate has dropped costs by 8-9 per cent, whereas Samsung and Godrej will probably be decreasing costs by greater than 7.81 per cent throughout all merchandise that acquired a tax reduce. Panasonic’s web worth reduce is between 7-8 per cent.
The worth cuts fluctuate as a result of some corporations have handed on the whole good thing about the tax reduce whereas holding supplier costs intact however some manufacturers have additionally lowered the supplier worth, thus growing the web worth reduce. The tax element is calculated on supplier worth to reach on the product’s most retail costs.
So LG has revised the worth of its 335-litre frost-free fridge worth from Rs 46,490 to Rs 42,840 – a worth drop of 8.5 per cent – and a 6.2 kg prime load washer is now 8.7 per cent cheaper at Rs 18,390. Alternatively, a Godrej 190-litre direct cool fridge is now priced 7.8 per cent decrease at Rs 15,257, in opposition to Rs 16,550 earlier.
Godrej Home equipment enterprise head Kamal Nandi instructed the each day that for the inventory already in commerce, the producers will provide new pricing labels to the retailers mentioning the brand new MRP, which they’ll stick on the product packaging. So if you’re going looking for one of many merchandise that just lately loved a tax reduce, verify for lowered costs earlier than you pay up.
The trade is optimistic that the tax reduce will gasoline demand and supply a brand new impetus for development, particularly forward of the upcoming festive season. The Indian shopper, in spite of everything, has largely been holding again on discretionary spending since demonetisation in November 2016.
“The products to learn probably the most will probably be washing machines and fridges, the place we count on development to choose up considerably. The lowered taxes in tv units of as much as 26 inches will guarantee elevated penetration and affordability in smaller elements of the nation. We plan to cross on the whole advantages translating to round 7-8 per cent,” stated Manish Sharma, president and CEO, Panasonic India and South Asia and President, CEAMA.
Nonetheless, if you’re planning to purchase a larger-sized LED TV – 32 inches or extra – you’d finest achieve this in a rush. As a result of the thrill is that their costs will go up subsequent month.
(Edited by Sushmita Choudhury; with PTI inputs)


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|By PR Newswire||
|April 24, 2014 02:52 PM EDT||
BOSTON, April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Fashion Project, the premier online clothing donation service, today announced a partnership with luxury stores Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman to provide a personalized charitable clothing donation service for customers who participate in the InCircle loyalty program. All members, regardless of their annual spending, can utilize the White Glove Clothing Donation service to donate gently used luxury clothing, shoes, and accessories to a charity of their choice.
The Fashion Project service and accompanying Wardrobe Consultation are just one of the many new benefits the retailers are offering InCircle members in celebration of their 30th anniversary. The retailers have a long-standing commitment to charitable giving and specifically supporting arts experiences for youth through their "The Heart of Neiman Marcus" program, which will be one of the 800,000+ charitable organizations customers can choose to donate to through Fashion Project.
"Partnering with Fashion Project to offer the White Glove donation service presents our InCircle customers with an unprecedented opportunity to give back," said Maggie Lucas, Director of InCircle, Credit and Gift Card Marketing for Neiman Marcus Group Services. "With the help of Fashion Project, we are able to ensure our clothing is well cared for and working towards a worthy cause after it leaves our stores."
The White Glove Clothing Donation service powered by Fashion Project offers pickup services for customers donating 10 items or more for locations within 30 miles of a Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman store. For every 10 items donated, InCircle members will earn $100 gift cards to Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman, up to $1,000. Once a donation is processed, the customer receives a tax receipt via email for the value of the donated items. Fashion Project donates the majority of net proceeds from each item to the charity of the donor's choice. The list of participating charities can be found at https://www.fashionproject.com/donate/charities.
"We have been so excited by the response of retailers and the fashion industry to giving customers an easy way to donate clothing to charitable causes close to their heart," says Anna Palmer, CEO of Fashion Project. "We hope this unprecedented level of service will make the donation of designer labels a personally rewarding and delightful experience."
More information about Fashion Project & InCircle is available at www.fashionproject.com/Incircle.
ABOUT FASHION PROJECT
Fashion Project is the industry leader in online clothing donation. Since it's founding in 2012, Fashion Project has worked with over 300 non-profit partners and powered donation programs for the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Joie, Milly, Helmut Lang, and more. By focusing on maximizing the value of every item donated, Fashion Project can raise up to 100x than an average thrift store. For more information on Fashion Project, visit www.fashionproject.com
SOURCE Fashion Project
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DevOps is about increasing efficiency, but nothing is more inefficient than building the same application twice. However, this is a routine occurrence with enterprise applications that need both a rich desktop web interface and strong mobile support. With recent technological advances from Isomorphic Software and others, rich desktop and tuned mobile experiences can now be created with a single codebase – without compromising functionality, performance or usability. In his session at DevOps Su...
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As organizations realize the scope of the Internet of Things, gaining key insights from Big Data, through the use of advanced analytics, becomes crucial. However, IoT also creates the need for petabyte scale storage of data from millions of devices. A new type of Storage is required which seamlessly integrates robust data analytics with massive scale. These storage systems will act as “smart systems” provide in-place analytics that speed discovery and enable businesses to quickly derive meaningf...
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The new category hasn't shown up in the App Store yet, but what it potentially means is obvious: A place for explicit applications to live. We've been waiting for such a place since the App Store opened, actually getting excited when Parental Controls made their way into iPhone 3.0, hoping it would release a pent-up flood of apps like the long-lost South Park app, or Playboy for those so-inclined. An explicit category suggests that it could finally happen.
It'd be a smart move on Apple's part. Phil Schiller can say we removed all of those overtly sexual apps because they were offensive, but we also value the ability of our adult customers to choose the kind of content they consume, so we've made a special walled-off section of the App Store for that more explicit content. I doubt that even with an explicit category we'd see anything more hardcore than R-rated, though. But still, it'd largely remove Apple from the sticky situation of being an arbiter of taste, an inconsistent censor.
Or you know, maybe it's none of that. [Cult of Mac]


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So apparently Microsoft seems to think Facebook is worth $10 billion. Yes, this after analysts gave the social networking platform a valuation of $4.5 billion a little over a month ago. According to the WSJ, Microsoft is in the early stages of talks with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg about possibly buying a 5% or less stake in the company worth around $300-$500 million.
I'm scratching my head on this one. Mark Zuckerberg, in the meanwhile, is laughing himself silly.
Microsoft hasn't proven too adept at taking advantage of the social web thus far--and this latest move has me wondering how exactly they would integrate Facebook's community into their own products and services. This is the same feeling I had when Microsoft purchased aQuantive back in May. Steve Ballmer really has some work ahead of himself in light of these recent seemingly disconnected moves.
But here's an interesting thought: the fact that Microsoft is even thinking of buying a stake in Facebook is telling on some levels. For one, it could possibly mean that Microsoft is still suffering from the halo-effect that Google has created on the Internet which has caused Ballmer & Co. to react (in some cases) very irrationally. Second, I wonder if Microsoft is in fact worried about Zuckerberg's aspirations for his exploding site. Earlier speculation had Facebook potentially becoming a next generation OS, if you recall. Is this Microsoft's way of keeping the enemy nearby?
It'll be very interesting to see how this discussion between Microsoft and Facebook turns out.


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Supermarket sales recorded a 15-year high in 2020, being one of the very few winners during the pandemic.
Data collected by Nielsen researchers showed a 9.7% rise in organized food retailing during 2020. This concerns supermarkets of at least 100 square meters on mainland Greece and Crete, including retail chains.
The market is eager to see all brick-and-mortar stores reopen as early as possible, even if it is with the shopping by appointment system - dubbed "click inside" - that the government appears to be leaning towards at this stage. This may be the only way for retailers to contain massive turnover losses from the months-long lockdowns.
The 80% rental discount that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Tuesday for January and February will concern the enterprises that were closed on Wednesday. Therefore this regards retail commerce, food service, cultural businesses, sport centers, gyms, tourism, transport and enterprises that will remain shut over Christmas by state order.
Retail trade throughout the country remains suspended