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Starting with The Crew 2: Year 3, Ubisoft will be introducing a host of new updates for the title as well as a new season system to deliver them.
During Ubisoft’s UbiForward presentation, we got a look at new update system that will be implemented for The Crew 2, starting with Year 3. According to the trailer below each of these seasons will drop new content for the game every four months, with every season being split into two different episodes. There’s also a bit of a story teaser featured in said trailer:
The Crew 2‘s new system will start November 2020 with the introduction of MotorFlix, a new TV show company that will hire you for your driving skills. Nothing else has been revealed about MotorFlix, but I imagine new info coming out as we get closer to the The Crew 2: Year 3 launch.
The UbiFoward event also revealed several other surprise announcements. One of them included the triumphant return of the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World video game that was released for the Xbox Arcade and then delisted in 2014. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Complete Edition is releasing this holiday season on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and PC via UPlay.
The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake was also revealed and launches on January 21st on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This was quite the happy announcement for fans of the franchise, as it’s been essentially dormant since 2010 (barring the occasional mobile game and Prince cameo).
Watch Dogs: Legion also received some love, as Ubisoft and rapper Stormzy announced their collaboration for a brand new music video titled “Rainfall,” which will be part of a special mission available at launch. The collab is meant to reflect the diversity of the upcoming title’s latest locale of London.
Ahead of the UbiForward event, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot addressed some of the many controversies the company has encountered in the last few months and gave some plans for meaningful action. Guillemot stated that the company will commit to putting together a million-dollar fund for its graduate program. This will focus on providing opportunities for underrepresented groups including women and people of color. The company is also making a donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, though the amount has not been specified.
For the latest tech news and updates, Install TechCodex App, and follow us on Google News, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, if you like our efforts, consider sharing this story with your friends, this will encourage us to bring more exciting updates for you.


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Dollar General Corporation (DG) and Target Corporation (TGT) are established companies in the discount retail space. Both the companies offer a selection of merchandise, including consumables, seasonal home products and apparel across the United States.
In addition to its high-quality private brands, DG also sells products from manufacturers including Procter & Gamble, Hanes, Coca-Cola, Mars, Unilever, and Nestle, to name a few. TGT’s own brands include Archer Farms, Market Pantry, Ava & Viv, Pillowfort, Room Essentials, Wine Cube, Cat & Jack, Simply Balanced, and Wondershop, among others.
Because the demand for online discount retail platforms are on the rise, both DG and TGT are expected to continue performing well in the coming months.
While DG has returned 192.6% over the past five years, TGT has gained 143.1%. In terms of their past-year performance, TGT is a clear winner with 37.7% returns versus DG’s 34.8%. But which of these two stocks is a better pick now? Let us find out.
DG announced the grand opening of its 17,000th store in Fountain, Colorado, on November 14. To mark the milestone, the company donated $17,000 to the Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8. On November 10, the company announced its plans to build a combination dry and DG Fresh distribution center in Blair, Nebraska. DG also has plans to expand its DG Private Fleet presence at the Blair facility.
The company announced a pre-holiday sales event on November 13. DG offered several deals that deliver more savings to families. DG introduced its newest retail store concept, popshelf, in October, where roughly 95% of the items are priced at $5 or less. DG promoted Kathy Reardon to executive vice president and chief people officer on August 27.
TGT offered contactless pick up and at-home delivery services for the last-minute shoppers — even for those without memberships — till 5 p.m. on December 24. The company also doubled its drive-up parking spaces from last year. The company offered deep discounts on key categories and top items during its largest-ever Cyber Week event, which was held from November 29 to December 5.
TGT celebrated the one-year anniversary of its popular, easy-to-use loyalty program, Target Circle, on November 12. It offered nearly 80 million members more ways to save more during the holiday season. On November 10, TGT and Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) announced a strategic, long-term partnership to transform the beauty landscape.
Recent Financial Results
DG’s net sales have climbed 17.3% year-over-year to $8.2 billion for the third quarter ended October 30, 2020. Same-store sales increased 12.2% year-over-year. Its gross profit increased 24.4% year-over-year to $2.6 billion, while net income increased more than 57% year-over-year to $574.3 million, yielding EPS of $2.31, which increased 62.7% year-over-year.
TGT’s total revenue for the third quarter ended October 31, 2020 increased 21.3% year-over-year to $22.6 billion. Comparable sales increased 20.7% year-over-year driven by 155% year-over-year digital comparable sales growth. While comparable traffic increased 4.5% year-over-year, average ticket size increased 15.6% year-over-year. EPS increased 105.1% year-over-year to $2.79.
Past and Expected Financial Performance
DG’s revenue and EBITDA have grown at a CAGR of 11.6% and 16.7%, respectively, over the past three years. Also, the company’s EPS has grown at a CAGR of 30.8% over the same period.
The market expects the company’s revenue to increase 15.7% for the current quarter ending January 31, 2021, 6.2% for the quarter ending April 2021, and 21.1% this year. DG’s EPS is expected to grow 29.5% for the current quarter, and 59.3% this year. Moreover, its EPS is expected to grow at a rate of 16% per annum over the next five years.
In comparison, TGT’s revenue and EBITDA have grown at a CAGR of 8% and 7.7%, respectively, over the past three years. Also, the company’s EPS grew at a CAGR of 16.6% over the same period.
The market expects TGT’s revenue to increase 13.9% for the current quarter ending January 31, 2021, 6.7% for the quarter ending April 30, 2021, and 17.6% this year. The company’s EPS is expected to grow 33.7% for the current quarter, and 41.5% this year. Moreover, TGT’s EPS is expected to grow at a rate of 13.1% per annum over the next five years.
TGT’s trailing-12-month revenue is 2.73 DG’s. However, DG is more profitable with a gross margin of 31.6% versus TGT’s 29.4%.
Also, DG’s leverage free cash flow margin of 7.5% compares favorably with TGT’s 6.7%.
In terms of forward P/E, DG is currently trading at 19.89x, slightly more expensive than TGT which is currently trading at 19.69x. Moreover, DG is more expensive both in terms of trailing-12-month P/S (1.62x versus TGT’s 1.00x), and trailing-12-month EV/S (1.93x versus TGT’s 1.10x).
In terms of trailing-12-month price to book , DG’s 7.38x is 11.1% higher than TGT’s 6.64x.
Though DG looks slightly more expensive compared to TGT, we think it is worth paying this premium considering DG’s higher earnings growth potential.
Both DG and TGT are rated “Strong Buy” in our proprietary POWR Ratings system. Here are how the four components of overall POWR Rating are graded for DG and TGT:
DG has an “A” for Trade Grade and Buy & Hold Grade, and a “B” for Peer Grade, and Industry Rank. It is currently ranked #3 of 18 stocks in the Grocery/Big Box Retailers industry.
TGT holds an “A” for Trade Grade, Buy & Hold Grade, and Peer Grade and a “B” for Industry Rank. It is currently ranked #2 in the same industry.
Both DG and TGT are good investment bets considering their market dominance and continued expansion. However, DG appears to be a better buy despite trading at a marginally higher valuation.
Want More Great Investing Ideas?
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DG shares were trading at $208.54 per share on Monday afternoon, down $1.76 (-0.84%). Year-to-date, DG has declined -0.84%, versus a -1.83% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.
About the Author: Manisha Chatterjee
Since she was young, Manisha has had a strong interest in the stock market. She majored in Economics in college and has a passion for writing, which has led to her career as a research analyst. More…
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Delta Pilot Union Votes To Strike 'If Necessary' Amid Contract Negotiations
U.S. law requires things including a cooling-off period and an arbitration offer before airline pilots can strike, but the pilots have been working with an old contract since 2019.
Skin Rules: Judge Says Ordinance Against Bikini Baristas is Unconstitutional
The servers of the Hillbilly Hotties, a coffee chain in Washington state, have been fighting since 2009 for the right to wear bikinis to work — and they just secured a legal victory.
Ford to Underperforming, Longterm Workers: Take Severance or Take Part in a 'Performance Enhancement Plan'
The car manufacturer has some 30,000 salaried employees in the U.S. But it's been looking to cut down employees as part of its shift to electric vehicles.
Lawsuit: Starbucks 'Effectively Stole' Coffee Lip Balm Product, Supplier From Smaller Business
Starbucks said via email that it "firmly believe[s] these claims to be without merit, and we look forward to presenting our case in court."
Mark Zuckerberg Has Lost More Than $100 Billion of Personal Wealth in 13 Months
His fortune is closely tied to the performance of shares of Meta Platforms, whose stock has lost some 70% of its value since January.
This Guy Did The Same Thing on TikTok for 200 Days Straight to Land His Dream Job on CSI
CBS reached out after seeing the aspiring actor go all-in on being an "unalive body."


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Vinton G. (Vint) Cerf, PhD, an acknowledged “Father of the Internet,” will address attendees at NEMA’s 90th Annual Membership Meeting in Cleveland on November 16 and 17. One major focus at the event will be an in-depth look into the Internet of Things.
Mr. Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google Inc., is responsible for identifying new enabling technologies to support the development of advanced, Internet-based products and services for the company.
Helping lay the foundation for the internet as we know it more than 30 years ago, Mr. Cerf was the co-creator of the protocols that became TCP/IP, the standard for what is now called the Internet.
For up-to-the-minute information on NEMA’s 90th Annual Membership Meeting, visit www.nema.org/annual-meeting.


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In a world bursting with abundances like self-driving cars and robotic personal assistants, you would think that basic needs like sustainable food sourcing and distribution would be a problem of the past. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. According to the Food and Agriculture Organ…
Members of Tesla's board of directors are hiring lawyers amid the ongoing fallout from Elon Musk's public claims about taking the company private, The New York Times reported on Tuesday night. It all started with a tweet, in which Musk said on August 7 that he had "funding secured" for such a deal.


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The Heavy Table's latest project began with a simple enough question from illustrator Robb Burnham to editor James Norton: "Hey, do you ever drive down Central Avenue and want to check out every single place on the street?"
As it turns out, Norton had thought the exact same thing — so they scouted the street from Interstate 694 in Columbia Heights to Broadway Street in northeast Minneapolis and drew up a literal checklist of 52 independently-owned restaurants that they've been working their way through.
The Heavy Table team has visited about 40 places so far — everything from an Iraqi bakery to a Korean cafeteria to an Ecuadorian dance club to the VFW — and they hope to have the last of the stories published by the end of September.
Norton says the project is about more than just the food. "The people we've met — chefs and owners and waiters and waitresses, neighbors and more — have been a real highlight for us," he said. At a now-closed Chilean lunch counter in a gas station, the owner insisted they stick around and try some of the salsa he sells at the Minneapolis Farmers market.
So why Central Avenue? As Norton explained, "I really feel like Central Avenue is a window into the entire American immigrant experience. You've got everything from 100 percent authentic first-generation restaurants to bars serving pizza and macro brews to totally '80s fun-Mex restaurants serving chimichangas and watered down margaritas. It's an incredible cross section."
While they're still working through their Central Avenue Checklist, Norton said that The Heavy Table is thinking about exploring St. Paul in a similar fashion next.


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The governing body in Roseland passed a resolution at its March 18 meeting creating a “Halfway to Valentine’s Day” to help local businesses that were hurt by the vicious snow storm that shut down large portions of the state in February.
Councilman Richard Leonard championed the idea to help area merchants celebrate Half Way to St. Valentine’s Day on Aug. 14. This sort of creative thinking is exactly the sort of thing needed to help promote local business and shopping locally.
The harshness of the winter affected many families in the area, but none more so than the small business owner. Sure, if you sell snow blowers, rock salt or charge for plowing services you probably cleaned up. But for folks who weren’t selling shovels, gloves and boots it was a lot harder to make the most out of the deep freeze.
The weather made it hard to shop on Main Street in town when winter weather abbreviated hours or shut down stores completely. Delivery services kept inventory low and childcare issues short staffed those stores that were able to open.
For the consumer, the cycle of storms left icebergs large enough to sink the Titanic sitting in the few precious parking spaces available, draining most of the will to fight through it.
Frank Dellisanti, owner of Caldwell Flowerland, reported that his shop had a revenue drop approaching $20,000 this year from St. Valentine’s Day last year.
These small businesses are the lifeblood of the community and they need support now more than ever.
In a time when the lingering winter weather may drive folks to click their way through their shopping needs on the internet, it is crucial that a concerted effort be made to spend money in town and support local business in all forms.
While this certainly means the new businesses like the Family Deli and Pizzeria, located at 359 on the Avenue in Caldwell, it also means stepping back into the stores that have been here for years that you may have stopped frequenting for one reason or another.
Shopping locally puts money back into the community as sales taxes help provide vital services such as police and fire protection, street repairs and trash collection.
On top of that, local business owners often sell local products, which can help promote the community’s distinction, help local vendors and by keeping them viable can create more jobs locally.
Local business owners also tend to be well informed about their products and know what they are selling. They also are able to adapt quickly in stocking the shelves with what their customers need and want. Because it is their business, they are the decision-makers and it makes that adaptability possible.
A vibrant, bustling downtown is the cure to what ails many municipalities and those successful businesses often have residents who live in the community, have children who go to area schools and are intertwined in every way in the fabric of towns in which they live in work.
Supporting local businesses doesn’t even mean just the so-called “Mom and Pop” stores. It means supporting any business that has a local connection and that includes franchise owners who live and work in these communities. If you have the hankering for a sandwich from a certain shop, buy it from the franchise in town.
There is a well-worn saying that it takes a village to raise a child. And it takes that same village to keep local stores open enough so that child has a place to work and shop when they grow up.
The Half Way to St. Valentine’s Day initiative should not only be commended, but it should be expanded and duplicated.
Surrounding municipalities, as they finalize their budgets and see the stark reality of their ratables, should be exploring every way in which they can help their business community not only survive, but thrive.
Roseland took an important step toward protecting its local businesses and assisting them during tough times, but it isn’t enough.
It will take action and creativity from officials, the hard work of the store owners and the generosity and forethought of residents.
Everyone must do their part, and the community must participate by putting their money where their house is.


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Stardock Entertainment has released a new update for spacegoing strategy sequel Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion. The update can be downloaded by game owners now on Steam. This update adds dozens of new maps to the game.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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The pricers at AK Steel (AKS) are at it again. This time, the company announced price hikes for carbon steel products:
“Base prices will increase by $50 per ton for hot rolled and cold rolled carbon steel products, and by $60 per ton for coated carbon steel products.”
AKS is facing higher input costs for making steel. More importantly, the company is experiencing stronger demand for its carbon steel products.
Disclosure: author owns shares in AKS
What’s a debate about inflation without more price hikes from a steel company?
AK Steel (AKS) announced additional surcharges today based on “…reported prices for raw materials and energy used to manufacture the products.” This announcement is one more small reminder of how commodity price pressures begin pushing their way through the supply chain:
“AK Steel…has advised its customers that a $390 per ton surcharge will be added to invoices for electrical steel products shipped in May 2011.”
Disclosure: author owns shares in AKS
When AK Steel (AKS) reported earnings for the latest quarter, the company made it clear that it would drive for more pricing power with its customers. True to form, AKS has already announced three separate price hikes in the past in less than three weeks:
“AK Steel Announces March 2011 Surcharges For Electrical And Stainless Steels”
AKS announces “…a $430 per ton surcharge will be added to invoices for electrical steel products shipped in March 2011.”
“AK Steel Announces Price Increase For Carbon Steel Products”
AKS announces it “…will increase current spot market base prices for all carbon flat-rolled steel products, effective immediately with new orders. Base prices for carbon flat-rolled products will increase by $50 per ton.”
“AK Steel Announces Stainless Steel Price Increase”
AKS announces “…it will increase base prices for all 200, 300 and 400 series flat rolled stainless steel products, effective with shipments on February 27, 2011….Base prices of automotive exhaust grades will increase by $.04 per pound. In addition to the base price increases, AK Steel will increase the price for its bright anneal finish extra by $.05 per pound.”
Disclosure: author is long AKS stock
Talk to any steel company, and you will quickly discover the impact of commodity inflation. Steel companies in general have struggled to keep up with the soaring prices of coking coal and iron ore. It seems it is only a matter of time before these price pressures begin to push their way into the rest of the economy.
For example, in its latest earnings report, AK Steel (AKS) announced its plans for achieving greater pricing power by passing on input prices more quickly to its customers. We have also chronicled many of AK Steel’s price increases over the past year.
In “Steel-Price Increases Creep Into Supply Chain“, The Wall Street Journal demonstrates how steel companies are responding to higher input costs by passing along these costs to their customers:
“Steelmakers have increased prices six times, for a total increase of 20% to 30%, since November on basic flat-rolled steel, used in everything from cars to toasters, to offset higher input costs of raw materials, such as iron ore and coal. Higher costs for steel, which are expected to continue well into this year, are hitting bottom lines of companies and prompting additional price increases.”
The general expectation seems to insist that these pricing pressures will not percolate into final end consumer prices. However, I believe this thinking is just the lingering aura of the deflationary mindset of the last recession, and it will fade as surely as commodity prices have soared.
Disclosure: Author owns shares in AK Steel
AK Steel (AKS) is increasing prices yet again. Effective today and starting with new orders, AKS announced: “…it will increase current spot market base prices for all carbon flat-rolled steel products…Base prices for carbon flat-rolled products will increase by $40 per ton.” AKS explained the reason for this price hike as a “…response to increased demand for carbon steel products, as well as the need to recover higher costs for steelmaking inputs.”
Since July, 2010, AKS has increased prices at least 10 times: four increases for carbon steel products and six increases in surcharges for electrical and stainless steel.
Full disclosure: author owns shares in AKS
A common theme has connected the earnings reports of most steel companies: lower prices for many steel products and higher input costs. This margin squeeze has produced poor earnings, and steel companies are providing very cautious outlooks. While pricing for steel products varies – some strong, some weak – the increasing cost pressures are near universal. Inflation is very real for these companies.
Arcelor Mittal (MT), AK Steel (AKS), and U.S. Steel (X) all reported this week. I have included some quotes from their earnings report to provide some examples of the pressures that these companies face.
“In Q3 the business performed towards the lower end of our expectations against a background of seasonally lower volumes, weakening spot prices and higher costs. Our outlook for Q4 remains cautious as the expected higher input prices continue to work through the business and demand remains muted, though with some regional differences.”
“Sales were lower during the third quarter of 2010 as compared to the second quarter of 2010 due to seasonally lower volumes (-8%), partly offset by higher average steel selling prices (+4%).”
“Sales in the Stainless Steel segment were $1.4 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2010, a decrease of 12% as compared to $1.5 billion for the three months ended June 30, 2010. Sales declined primarily due to lower steel shipments (-8%) as discussed above and lower average steel selling prices (-5%) due to a weak market environment and pressure from imports.”
“The company said its average selling price for the third quarter of 2010 was $1,075 per ton, a 2% decrease from the $1,101 per-ton price in the second quarter of 2010, and approximately 8% higher than the $994 per-ton average price realized in the third quarter of 2009.”
“2010 Iron Ore Price Increase Impacts Third Quarter:
AK Steel said that it has agreed with two of its three primary iron ore suppliers that the requirements for the establishment of the annual benchmark price of iron ore for 2010 have been met. That 2010 benchmark is an increase of 98.65% over the 2009 benchmark, and is higher than the 65% increase the company had previously estimated for the first half and for its third quarter guidance. The third primary supplier of iron ore to the company has not acknowledged yet that an annual benchmark price has been established. Instead, that supplier continues to seek a price increase in excess of the 98.65% annual benchmark price. The company does not agree that this supplier has a right under the parties’ contract to charge based on other than an annual benchmark price and, for purposes of the iron ore purchased from this supplier, the company has used an estimated benchmark price increase of 98.65% in its third quarter financial results.”
“The company’s third quarter 2010 financial results reflect the year-to-date impact of the higher iron ore price, which increased the company’s third quarter operating loss by approximately $76.0 million, or $52 per ton.”
“AK Steel said it expects shipments of approximately 1,300,000 to 1,350,000 tons for the fourth quarter, with an average selling price per ton decrease of approximately 4% from the third quarter. While the company expects fourth-quarter maintenance costs to decrease by about $20 million from the third quarter, it nonetheless expects to incur an operating loss of approximately $80 per ton for the fourth quarter of 2010, largely due to the lower shipments and selling prices combined with continued high iron ore and other raw material costs.”
(Quotes transcribed and paraphrased)
“Results declined in 3rd quarter from 2nd from lower flat-rolled average prices, higher raw material costs in flat-rolled segment and European operations: decreased shipments and production volumes, decreased average realized prices, increased costs for facility repair and maintenance (higher activity, not input costs), and consumption of higher cost coal, coke and iron ore purchased to support earlier facility restarts. Decreased spot prices more than compensated for increased contract prices.”
“In 4th quarter, expect lower average realized prices, lower spot and contract.”
“Tubular operations had higher average prices for fifth quarter in a row. Decreased costs for steel substrate. Not expecting same price performance in 4th quarter but costs should continue down.”
Disclosure: author owns X and AKS
Yesterday, AK Steel (AKS) warned investors that earnings would be lower than expected partly due to increasing material costs (mainly iron ore). Today, AK Steel told its customers that prices will increase as part of an effort to recoup some of those rising material costs. These price hikes are also enabled by strong demand for stainless steel products.
AKS will raise prices for specialty flat-rolled stainless steel products by about 5% to 10%. These products include “…tensilized, bright annealed and special finishes, along with special mechanical requirements.”
Full disclosure: author owns shares of AKS


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July 18, 2013 |
WASHINGTON: NASA's Curiosity rover has hit a milestone as its odometer passed one kilometre travelled on the Red Planet. The drive covered about 38 meters and brought the mission's odometry to about 1.029 kilometres. It was completed in the early afternoon of the rover's 335th Martian day, or sol, of work on Mars. The rover continued progress in a multi-month trek begun this month toward a mountain destination, NASA said. "When I saw that the drive had gone well and passed the kilometre mark, I was really pleased and proud," said rover driver Frank Hartman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory , Pasadena.
September 8, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: Train enquiry mobile app, 'Go India' smart cards, next-generation e-ticketing system and successful trial of semi-high speed trains were some of the achievements that Railway Minister Sadandada Gowda on Monday cited in his ministry's 100-day report card. Gowda also assured, "Third party audit system of catering services will be in place shortly so that the quality is assured. " The Railways is also exploring options of advertisements on the wagons for increasing the revenue, Gowda said.
June 24, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: Looking to kick-start a dampening diesel car market, Maruti Suzuki India is planning to launch an 800 cc diesel engine Celerio in the current financial year. Both Celerio and the company's Light Commerical Vehicles (LCVs) will use this engine. According to ET Now, the 800 cc diesel engine will be the smallest in the market. Currently Chevrolet Beat's 1,000 cc diesel engine is the smallest. A Maruti Suzuki official told ET Now that the diesel engine will be developed at the auto major's Gurgaon plant.
March 19, 2013 |
NEW DELHI: Nine years after the country's first electric car REVAi, Mahindra Reva has launched a secondgeneration four-seat hatchback called the e2o that it says will bring down the running cost to 50 paise per kilometre. "It's a world class innovation. Electric cars are not new to the world, but the e2o is the embodiment of the shift to the new league for the Indian automotive industry. It also shows that markets like China and India would be a tipping point for such world class technologies of the future," said Mahindra & Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra at the launch.
July 6, 2012 |
Many of us prefer buying a second-hand car or a used car after obtaining a driving licence. The argument is: it is always better to go for a new car after honing your driving skills in a used car. Also, financing the used car is no more a nightmare. A large number of lenders, both in the banking as well as the NBFC space, like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Tata Capital, Magma Fincorp and Fullerton Credit, finance used cars. However,"used car" loans are tougher to obtain. "The age of a car and its model play a key role in the financing decision for a used car. Loans for used cars on an average cost 3% more than that for a new car. You may at best get about 75% of the value of the car as loan," says Rajan Pental, executive vice-president (auto loans)
January 7, 2013 |
MUMBAI: A diesel price hike of Rs 5 in September has seen demand for passenger cars perk up in favour of petrol versions. Going forward, it will decisively tilt the scales in favour of petrol when the proposed hike of Rs 10 in diesel will be implemented. The industry expects the momentum for petrol cars to gather speed. In 2010-11, the price differential between petrol and diesel stretched to almost Rs 25 a litre forcing many customers to opt for diesel cars. Since then, analysts say, thanks to a hard sell by auto companies to its dealers, the customer is now more informed about which fuel powered car to choose depending on the usage.
April 23, 2013 |
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: In a small factory on the outskirts of Pune, a handful of employees spends most of its time thrashing out innovative tiny toys. They send the toys to school kids for approval before these are mass-produced. That's still only half the job done. The toys are then sent to Baramati, a rural area some 100 kilometres from Pune, where the company in question, chocolate maker Ferrero India, packs them as a surprise toy inside its Kinder Joy chocolate egg. This surprise factor and other differentiation strategy in packaging and distribution seem to have paid off as Kinder, the German word for children, has helped the Italian chocolate maker beat Swiss giant Nestle's chocolate division in incremental sales growth last year.
September 9, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: Relief is in sight for more than 30,000 apartment owners in Noida as the government has decided to re-designate the eco-sensitive zone around the Okhla bird Sanctuary , bringing it down to 100 metres on three sides where several real-estate projects were impacted because of a green tribunal's order. On the fourth side, the sanctuary's north towards the DND flyway, the zone will extend up to 1.27 kilometres, said a senior official at the Ministry of Environment and Forests who didn't want to be named.
July 2, 2012 |
MUMBAI: For Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, this could well be the game changer in the small car segment which makes up for 45% of the market. The company is working overtime on developing a small two-cylinder 800cc diesel engine along with its parent Suzuki Motor Corp in Japan, three people in the know said. EThas learnt that the engine is codenamed E2, and the Japanese parent is taking the lead for its development. The all-new diesel engine is likely to punch 40 horsepower and may deliver fuel efficiency of 25-30 kilometres to a litre.
December 31, 2013 |
CHANDIGARH: The Rs 2,494 crore project of extension of Delhi Metro from Badarpur to YMCA Chowk, Faridabad is expected to be completed by September 2014. The project will cover a length of 13.875 kilometres, a spokesperson of Haryana Town and Country Planning Department said, adding that a memorandum of agreement was signed with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited ( DMRCL ) in March 2012 for implementation of the project. The Haryana government's share in this project is Rs 1557.40 crore and the government has released Rs 437.07 crore upto November 30, 2013 for it. Extension of Delhi Metro from Mundka to Bahadurgarh is expected to be completed by March 2016, the spokesman said.


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On this weeks show we will be learning about advances in mobility devices for seniors who need some assistance getting around, ranging from revolutionary new designs in walkers to patient transfer devices for those who are bedbound. Our guest is Kelly Krenzke of Humancare, a manufacturer of revolutionary products for those facing mobility challenges. You can get more information on their devices at Humancare Products and you can see their revolutionary paient transfer system at Barton Chair video
With Suport from:
Thanks to those who help bring The Senior Answer to our audience.


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Like the fictional Beth Harmon in “The Queen’s Gambit,” she’s trying to find a way to get to Russia to compete. Unlike Beth, she’s blind.
The Netflix show about a chess prodigy has reignited interest in the game and fueled demand for sets, accessories and timers.
The world’s top chess players are competing online with in-person tournaments shut down. Millions of amateurs are joining in, too.


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Gardai in West Cork have seized what looks to be a homemade motorbike fashioned out of a regular bicycle, and fitted with a little engine - complete with throttle and exhaust.
One person had been whizzing around on the contraption before the Bandon Roads Policing Unit put a stop to it by seizing the vehicle on Monday.
Sharing snaps of the modded bike to Twitter, gardai and the RSA say the vehicle is "dangerously defective" and that there will be "proceedings to follow."
The inventor behind the motor-powered pushbike must have been attempting to avoid the price hikes at petrol pumps across the county by ditching the car for a cheaper alternative.
Or perhaps they were simply inspired by the huge popularity of e-scooters that people can been seen zipping around on since the electric motor vehicles became a trend on Irish roads.
In fact, electric scooters and bikes have become so common that Cabinet approved regulation for the vehicles last year and the rules are expected to come into effect soon.
Maybe the owner of the motorized Bandon bike will have to make the switch to the safer, and legally acceptable option and follow the e-scooter trend.


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The parade of tax hikes by local government is taking another step forward.
Just two days after Mayor Rahm Emanuel moved to raise levies on everything from parking at Chicago Cubs games to using loading zones, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle plans to propose a penny-an-ounce tax on sugared drinks, such as soda pop, sources familiar with the matter say.
The plan is to be unveiled at midday Thursday when Preckwinkle submits her proposed 2017 county budget.
Only a year ago, Preckwinkle raised the county's general sales tax by a penny on the dollar, giving parts of central Chicago the highest sales tax rate of any city in the country.
Preckwinkle said most of that money was targeted at worker pensions and the soda pop tax is expected to go to other purposes.
Word that Preckwinkle was consider the levy leaked out weeks ago and has already stirred intense opposition from retailers and the bottled beverage industry. But board sources said that Preckwinkle appears to have the nine votes she needs to enact the measure in coming weeks.
The budget also is expected to include a small number of layoffs.


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Apple fans could see some fascinating upgrades to their devices if the technology outlined in the company's patents and patent applications actually come to life.
For instance, shattered iPhone screens could be no more thanks to one patented Apple technology.
According to one patent Apple patent, sensors can detect a fall and the weight distribution of Apple devices could be adjusted so that the most destructive impact points could be avoided, according to a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
As a result, iPhones could virtually "land on their feet" the way a cat does, notes DigitalTrends.com.
And Apple could give the stylus a much-needed upgrade. The tech giant filed a patent for an addition to the tool that would include an image-sensing device that can pick up the texture of an object that it scans, according to patent office filings.
The stylus could be used to pick up the texture of fabric, for example, and to create 3-D images to work with computer-aided design software.
Read MoreApple's next big device…a pen?
It could be years before many of the technologies in Apple's patents make it into the company's products, according to Maulin Shah, managing attorney at Envision IP, but many of them eventually will.
Apple is selective about the patents it decides to file, and it has a smaller patent portfolio than many of its peers, Shah said.
"Their patents do reflect the work that's coming out of their [research and development]," according to Shah, however.
All told, Apple competitor Samsung has been granted 55,417 patents by the U.S. patent office, far exceeding the 10,942 granted to Apple, according to research firm MDB Capital. And LG Electronics has been granted 18,330 patents, according to the firm.
Samsung and LG have more patents on hardware, including television sets, as opposed Apple's concentration on patents related to design and software, for instance, Shah said.
'Make Me a Millionaire Inventor' premieres tonight at 10p ET/PT on CNBC!


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Aussie business Flow Hive has raised the most money ever on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo.
Entrepreneur reports father-and-son entrepreneurs Stuart and Cedar Anderson now have the most funded project in the platform’s history, raking in $US5.3 million ($6.91 million). The Andersons created a system which allows beekeepers to harvest honey on tap, without disturbing the hive.
After a decade of research and development, the duo launched their business, Flow Hive, on Indiegogo two weeks ago with an initial target of $US70,000 in 42 days. It took just 477 seconds for the Andersons to reach their goal.
The first 500 beehives, priced at $US600 each, sold out within an hour and the father and son hit the $US1 million mark in a record three hours. The Anderson’s decision to switch from Australian platform Kickstarter to US platform Indiegogo appears to have been validated by the high amount of investment from the United States in Flow Hive.
Stuart Anderson said in a statement he has been thrilled and a little shocked by the response.
“We’re just so grateful for all the support,” he said. “The aim of this has always been to make things less stressful for the bees and easier on the beekeeper. Now things are on a much bigger scale.”
Anderson said Flow Hive is working hard to fulfil its commitments to its Indiegogo supporters as quickly as possible. “There’s a lot to do, but we’re completely confident that we will meet our pledge as our supporters have met theirs,” he said.
Andrew Ward, director of the Crowdfunding Institute of Australia and Crowd Sourced Equity Funding Australia, told SmartCompany Flow Hive’s success was likely to encourage other businesses to consider crowdfunding as a funding option.
“Yes, I think if they have a popular business to consumer offering, then success like Flow Hive has had is more attractive than seeking angel investors,” he says. “There is significantly less cost in building a prototype and putting a video campaign together. At the end of it you have the money plus a committed fanbase who will keep the business going.”
But Ward cautions crowdfunding is not the solution for all businesses.
“With business to consumer services and business to business crowdfunding the jury is still out, they haven’t had anywhere near the same success as smart products.”
Read the full article at Smart Company.


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Whisky experts reveal how you could make a small fortune by collecting your favorite tipple!
WHISKY drinkers who have a bottle lurking at the back of the cupboard could be sitting on an investment worth thousands of Dollars. The price of the booze has shot up at a jaw-dropping rate over recent years. According to a report by Rare Whisky 101, which measures the value of 1,000 of the most sought after drinks, the value of collectable bottles of single-malt Scotch whisky sold at auction in the UK rose by more than 90 per cent in the first half of 2017 to £11.6 million. On a good month, some collectors make from $5,000 to $10,000 by reselling around 15 to 20 bottle of whisky every week, according to Anne-Sophie, but it requires work and dedication. So how can you decide whether your old whisky bottle is a decent investment, or something to just enjoy?
According to Anne-Sophie, whisky is considered a safe investment, because at "the worst case scenario" you'll sell a bottle at the same price you bought it in the first place.
Sadly, it's highly improbable that the standard bottle of booze that you have picked up from your local off-licence and kept unopened is worth much more than you paid for it. It is the rare bottles and special editions (like the one produced especially from Dr Jones Whisky for the Monaco race track - Circuit de Monaco) that you should look out for. "Reputation for quality, scarcity and exclusivity are very important when it comes to single malt whisky. Many leading distillers produce special limited editions of their very finest whisky, which become collectors’ items."
The trick, according to the experts, is to identify fairly-priced limited edition bottles that are likely to rise in value once sold out.
"If you look and follow specialist websites firms will announce they will stop producing some of their bottles. That's when it's worth buying them to eventually resell them for more later," Anne-Sophie explained. But how much could you make out of your collection?
Single bottles regularly go for hundreds of pounds but if you become a serious collector there are thousands to be made.


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Added by Pat Williams on April 26, 2012
Facebook Timeline Covers is pleased to announce the launch of its new website at CoversForTimeline.com.
“The Facebook Timeline is a great feature to keep your friends and others up-to-date about activities and your life events. Facebook introduced Covers for Timeline on the same day everyone’s layout was converted to the timeline layout. The Cover section is an almost screen-width wide at the top of Timeline page. You can add your own banner to that section, making your Timeline unique,” said a spokesperson.
The website cautions Facebook users that Facebook has some rules about what users are not allowed to include on their Cover images. Items not allowed include: contact information, references to Like or Share, price or purchase information, and may not include calls to action, such as “download now”. Clearly, said the spokesperson, Facebook Timeline Covers are intended for personal use.
According to the spokesperson, many Facebook users have tried to create their own Facebook Timeline cover, yet do not know the image’s proper size and elements that are not allowed.
“We take the guesswork out of Facebook Timeline Covers – just visit CoversForTimeline.com, find a Cover you like, save it, and then setup the Cover on your Facebook Timeline. You’ll have peace of mind knowing your Facebook Timeline Cover does not break any of Facebook’s rules,” explained the spokesperson.
Find out more by visiting CoversForTimeline.com


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An "electronic tongue" that can digitally measure the taste of sweetness has been created by scientists.
Under the leadership of Kenneth Suslick, a chemistry professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the revolutionary device, which makes use of a postage stamp-size piece of paper dotted with colored pigments, has been developed.
The study has appeared August 1 in the journal Analytical Chemistry.
Suslick's team spent a decade developing colorimetric sensor arrays (PDF), where chemicals in each of the 16 to 36 micro dye spots reacted with sweet substances to produce color changes.
The colors tell not just which types of sweeteners are present, but also how much there is.


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Company news in brief
30 January 2020 | Business
Cash-strapped state carrier South African Airways (SAA) will receive R3.5 billion of emergency funding from the government-owned Development Bank of Southern Africa, the airline's business rescue practitioners said on Tuesday.
SAA is fighting for its survival after it entered a form of bankruptcy protection in December and cancelled some flights because of cash shortages.
“We can confirm that the Development Bank of Southern Africa has committed R3.5 billion in funding to the SAA practitioners, with an immediate draw-down of R2 billion,” the team overseeing SAA's bankruptcy-protected restructuring said.
“Funding for the restructuring phase after the business plan is adopted is being considered by potential funders,” the practitioners said.
SAA has not made a profit since 2011, surviving instead on more than R20 billion in bailouts over the last three years. That has put the country's credit rating and investor confidence under increasing pressure.
Starbucks sees hit from
Starbucks Corp on Tuesday became the first major US company to warn of a financial hit from the new coronavirus outbreak in China, as it closed thousands of restaurants and adjusted operating hours in its biggest growth market.
The world's largest coffee chain delayed a planned update - based on strong quarterly earnings results - to its 2020 financial forecast because of the outbreak, which has caused over 100 deaths and over 4 000 confirmed cases in China.
Shares of the company, which operates 4 292 stores in China, fell 1% in extended trading.
The company expects the financial impact to be material but temporary, and it will depend on the number of stores it has to close and for how long. Currently about half of its stores are shuttered in China, which makes up about 10% of global revenue.
It will not know until March at the earliest what the financial impact will be, but its long-term double-digit growth expectations are intact, executives said.
EU will not ban Huawei
The EU will not ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei or any other company in Europe, a top official said on Tuesday, despite intense pressure from Washington to shun the firm over spying fears.
“It is not a question of discrimination, it is a question of laying down rules. They will be strict, they will be demanding and of course we will welcome in Europe all operators who are willing to apply them,” commissioner Thierry Breton said.
The EU, while never explicitly naming the Chinese giant, is struggling to find a middle way to balance Huawei's huge dominance in the 5G sector with security concerns pressed by Washington.
The proposal is part of a so-called “toolbox” of recommendations that will guide the EU's 27 post-Brexit member states as they build crucial 5G networks.
A ban on Huawei would ultimately be up to an individual member state, but the commission's middle road recommendation gives cover to European capitals to resist pleas from Washington.
EBay forecast disappoints
EBay Inc forecast first-quarter revenue below analysts' estimates on Tuesday, as the e-commerce company faces fierce competition from Amazon.com Inc and Walmart Inc.
“The relative growth rates of eBay's business versus Walmart's e-commerce efforts suggests eBay is losing market share to Walmart in the category,” D.A. Davidson analyst Tom Forte said.
Facing stiff competition in its marketplace business, eBay has shifted focus to its advertising and payments businesses, as well as worked to make its platform simpler to use by adding features such as grouped listings and personal recommendations.
EBay slashed nearly US$116 million in marketing expense in the fourth quarter in line with its continued effort to cut costs.
The company is also reeling under pressure from activist investors to hive off some of its businesses to improve profitability.
Airbus faces record US$4bn fine
Airbus faces a record US$4 billion fine and lower 2019 profits after unveiling a preliminary deal with French, British and US authorities following a crippling three-year probe into allegations of bribery and corruption over jetliner sales.
The deal, believed by anti-corruption experts to be the largest ever in a bribery case, ends an almost four-year crisis that led to a sweeping management overhaul and delayed plans to redeploy the plane giant's cash surplus.
If approved by courts, the deal is expected to allow Airbus to avoid criminal charges that risked banning the company from public contracts in the United States and European Union – a massive setback for one of Europe's top defence and space firms.
The European planemaker has been investigated by French and British authorities for suspected corruption over jet sales dating back over a decade. It has also faced US investigations over suspected violations of export controls.
Announcing the tentative agreement, Airbus - which dominates the commercial jet market alongside US rival Boeing - said it would take a provision of 3.6 billion euro (US$3.96 billion) in its 2019 earnings if the deal won approval in court hearings in the United States, Britain and France on Jan 31.


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Disney will end ‘Magical Express’ airport transportation service in 2022, announces new ‘Early Theme Park Entry’ for resort guests
Posted: Jan 11, 2021 / 12:06 PM EST/ Updated: Jan 11, 2021 / 12:50 PM EST
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Disney announced on Monday it will end its complimentary airport transportation service for Disney hotel guests starting in 2022 and unveiled a new early theme park entry offering coming later this year.
“As consumer needs and preferences change, we will no longer offer Disney’s Magical Express service starting with arrivals in 2022,” a Disney spokesperson said on Monday.
Disney cited changes in transportation offerings and the use of ride-share services that “provide more flexibility.”
Disney said the service will continue to operate for all Disney hotel stays through the end of 2021. Disney also said other complimentary transportation options on property at Walt Disney World will continue without changes.
Disney also announced a new early theme park entry offering for hotel guests that will debut later this year. The new perk will allow Disney hotel guests to enter any of the four theme parks 30 minutes early each day.
“The new early theme park entry benefit helps


text: NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU) President and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas E. Gottwald, released the following earnings report of the Company’s operations for the first quarter of 2014. Net income for the first quarter of 2014 was $57.5 million, or $4.43 per share, compared to net income of $67.8 million, or $5.07 per share for the first quarter of last year. Earnings for both the first quarter of this year and the first quarter of last year included the impact of valuing an interest rate swap at fair value, while the first quarter of last year also included income from operations of a discontinued business. Excluding these items, EPS for the first quarter of 2014 was $4.54, compared to $4.97 for the first quarter of last year (see Summary of Earnings table below). Petroleum additives sales for this year’s first quarter were $574.0 million, up 2.8% versus the same period last year, and shipments were up 5.9%. Petroleum additives operating profit for the quarter was $96.2 million, or 5.7% lower than last year’s very strong first quarter of $102.0 million. Foreign currency exchange had a small unfavorable effect in the first quarter of 2014 versus a larger favorable effect in last year’s first quarter, resulting in a total decrease in operating profit between periods of about $6 million. We also experienced an unfavorable product mix when comparing the two quarters. The operating profit margin for the quarter was 16.8% and the margin for the four quarters ended March 31, 2014 was 16.2%. Both amounts are in line with our expectations of the performance of our business over the long-term. The effective tax rate this quarter was 31.4% while last year’s first quarter rate was 27.6%. Last year’s rate included the effects of the R&D tax credit for all of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, as the R&D tax credit extension was not enacted until January 2013. Congress has not yet enacted the R&D tax credit for 2014.


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Online food delivery startup Swiggy is expected to lay off around 800-900 employees next month after the company received board approval for their cost-cutting plan, according to two people familiar with the matter. This comes as startups are being forced to take harsh steps due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which has hit the economy with a deathblow.
“The employees that are expected to be asked to leave are going to be across teams in their cloud kitchen division,” said one of the persons cited above, requesting anonymity.
The Bengaluru-based firm is also in the process of shutting down around half of its cloud kitchens while also renegotiating rents for many of them, added the people mentioned above. “Whichever ones have low occupancy are shutting down or at least rents are renegotiated,” said the source, requesting anonymity.
Swiggy had initially charted out a layoff plan in February-March, but that decision was held back.
With this move, Swiggy becomes the second unicorn in the consumer internet space to opt for mass layoffs. On Monday, Paytm laid off about 700 employees. Source’s queries sent to a Paytm spokesperson remained unanswered.
The layoffs and downscaling of the cloud kitchen division have come at a time when Swiggy had raised about $153 million from existing investors across two tranches since February. Tencent recently led $43 million in its ongoing Series I round.
According to sources, about 40% of the layoff is likely to be done on the basis of an annual performance review. “Over 300 employees who have been poor performers and low graders will be asked to leave,” added the second source. He requested not to be named.
“As the lockdown gets further extended, we are evaluating various means to stay nimble and focused on growth and profitability across our kitchens,” said a Swiggy spokesperson. “These include renegotiating contracts with landlords, relocation of certain kitchens to more optimal locations and discontinuing operations at a few kitchens that have been severely impacted since the lockdown came into effect.”
The spokesperson further added, “This will, unfortunately, have an impact on a certain number of kitchen staff who will be fully supported during this transition.” They did not comment on the number of jobs being impacted.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to several growth-stage startups trimming their teams in order to preserve cash. This includes companies such as Acko Insurance, Meesho, Travel Triangle, Shop101, among others, that have cut jobs and the salaries of senior and mid-level employees.
Until now, Swiggy had been aggressively ramping up its cloud kitchen business. In November, the firm had claimed that it had established around 1,000 for its restaurant partners across 14 cities with plans to invest $10.5 million more into it by last month. It claims to have created 15,000 direct and indirect jobs through its cloud kitchen vertical — Swiggy Access.
However, with a countrywide lockdown, food delivery players have seen a sharp drop in their daily orders. Prior to the lockdown, food delivery players used to clock daily 1 million orders each.
Food delivery orders took a further dent after some food delivery executives were tested positive in some cities. Telangana banned food delivery across the state till May 7 in order to prevent the spread of the virus. In Delhi, a delivery boy tested positive who has come in contact with as many as 70 families.
Importantly, government authorities have also released an advisory for cloud kitchen brands to operate with half of their workforce. This is also a reason for Swiggy cutting jobs across the functions.
Globally, too, cloud kitchens have seen a negative impact on its business. Travis Kalanick’s CloudKitchens, which was expected to take off as people turned to food delivery, has been severely hit alongside several key employees leaving the firm as well.


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One month ahead of a Dell Inc. shareholder vote on the company's
proposed buyout, there are few signs that activist investor Carl Icahn has put
together all the pieces he needs to offer an alternative proposal for investors.
Icahn, who has the backing of Memphis-based Southeastern Asset Management Inc., a big and disgruntled Dell shareholder, has suggested two possible plans for the company, but has not submitted a formal proposal.
Late last week, David Faber of CNBC reported that Icahn is "increasingly likely to drop his bid" for Dell.
Icahn wrote a letter to Dell Inc.'s board of directors on May 10 suggesting that the company use its own cash and additional borrowing to pay stockholders $12 a share in a special dividend that would be paid either in cash or in Dell stock valued at $1.65 a share.
Dell's board got no response from Icahn when it asked him for more details so that it could evaluate his plan.
In early June, the special committee to Dell's Board issued a formal criticism of Icahn's plan and formally endorsed the $24.4 billion buyout bid from company founder and CEO Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners, a California investment company. That deal is valued at $13.65 a share.
The Dell special committee said it found flaws in Icahn's proposal that indicated it has a $3.9 billion "funding gap," in the plan which would not enable a $12 per share dividend to be paid.
CNBC's Faber wrote that "sources close to the situation tell me the chances Icahn will back out of his recap have grown considerably."
Icahn could not be reached for comment Monday.
Even if Icahn failed to submit a formal proposal for the Round Rock company, he could continue with his opposition to the Michel Dell/Silver Lake offer.
Dell Inc. has hired a proxy solicitation company to seek votes in favor of the Michael Dell buyout, while Icahn and Southeastern Asset have hired a separate proxy firm to seek votes against the proposal.
Icahn and Southeastern Asset together own more 12.7 percent of Dell's stock. Michael Dell and a group of senior Dell executives together own about 16 percent of the company's stock, but their shares will not be counted in the buyout vote.
Technology analyst Patrick Moorhead, with Moor Insights & Strategy, said he has never considered Icahn to be a serious bidder for Dell Inc. with a long-term plan for the company.
Dell Inc., which is coping with a downturn in the global personal computer business, requires a long-term business overhaul as it shifts more of its business toward providing advanced hardware, software and services to enterprise customers.
"I don't think Carl Icahn has any intention of making a long-term investment in Dell," Moorhead said. "He wants to make money on the spread and get out."
Because the deterioration of the PC industry indicates there is no "quick fix" for Dell, it makes sense that Icahn would have a difficult time getting lenders to support his deal."
Voting down the Michael Dell bid for the company without a legitimate alternative is risky for shareholders, Moorhead said, because the company's stock probably will drop in the absence of another bid.
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Hewlett-Packard is buying OuterBay, a maker of information lifecycle management software that culls inactive data from databases to make a leaner, swifter, less expensive way to administer production databases.
OuterBay’s ADM (Application Data Management) Suite relocates inactive data—what users may consider closed transactions—to less expensive servers and storage technologies, while retaining user and application transparency.
OuterBay and HP already have a tight relationship. In September, the two signed a worldwide technology and distribution agreement under which OuterBay’s ADM Suite would be resold by HP.
The OuterBay purchase is part of HP’s strategy to bolster its server, storage and software offerings, HP said in a release. Other recent purchases with the same goal in mind were HP’s purchase of storage vendor AppIQ and its buy of asset management and IT service management provider Peregrine Systems, both announced in September.
With OuterBay, HP plans to help organizations get a handle on database growth and improve database performance by up to 80 percent. This will help HP expand its footprint with customers deploying Oracle, SQL Server and Sybase databases, along with enterprise applications including Oracle’s E-Business Suite, SAP and PeopleSoft.
Charlie Garry, a former Meta Group vice president and currently a consultant, said HP’s move for OuterBay is indicative of impending consolidation in the ILM (information lifecycle management) space. Years ago, Garry predicted that the ILM market would hit $2.2 billion by 2007, but it’s “not even close” to that size now, he said, given that organizations have been focusing more on e-mail archiving in the current compliance-heavy environment.
As far as database or application archiving goes, none of the vendors has talked a good-enough game to make the ILM market grow, Garry said. “It never jumped into the mainstream thought that this is a fundamental process we should be doing to maintain overall performance of our infrastructure and stay as agile as possible,” he said.
But when you look carefully at streamlining of databases, it’s a no-brainer, Garry said, since it impacts not only performance but also costs associated with maintenance and administration of ever-larger databases.
The reason enterprises aren’t doing it boils down to the old canard: Storage is cheap. “One [IT manager who’s a client], high up at Avon, he said, ‘I dunno, we had [an ILM vendor] in here, and we looked at it, but we decided storage is cheap,'” Garry recounted. “‘But if I had known it did all the things you just told me it does …'”
EMC unveils a number of storage and virtualization products designed to enhance information lifecycle management capabilities. Click here to read more.
ILM actually sprang from storage vendors who foretold the dropping revenue that comes along with the concept that storage is cheap. Obviously, many of the ILM offerings have been storage-centric, given its beginnings.
But the concepts of things such as e-mail archiving have little to do with ILM and how it interacts with applications and databases, Garry said. Whereas e-mail archiving solutions just make a copy of every e-mail that comes in or out or an organization, having no impact on saving storage or having nothing to do with improving performance in the database space, ILM is all about looking at and determining through complex business rules what data doesn’t need to be in a production database any longer, since it’s not being accessed much or at all.
Moving inactive data from a production database into an archive means the production instance of the database is smaller. It performs better, it can be backed up better, and it’s less costly to manage. If this isn’t done, databases get bigger, requiring more time to tune and to keep performing acceptably.
Garry referred to Solix, another ILM player that’s thinking even bigger. Solix is looking at database subsetting, for example, meaning technology that allows uses to take a small but referentially intact chunk of data from a live production database—a working subset, in other words.
So instead of having to copy an entire 3-terabyte database for a given sales region to write reports on, for example, users can store a subset that’s maybe 3GB, is still valid and still lets users work with it.
Garry challenges the idea that storage is cheap, at any rate. He’s set to give a speech at an ILM forum next week in which he will display numbers he’s crunched regarding how much enterprises are spending on unorganized data maintenance and administration.
It isn’t pretty. For example, Garry recently worked with one client who complained about spending too much on Oracle licenses. After Garry checked out the client’s systems, he reported that it was costing the customer some $10 million annually to maintain the databases, given system administrators and database administrators. It was five times what the customer was spending on Oracle licenses, he said.
Given the rising awareness of the problem, Garry predicts we’ll see more consolidation in the ILM space.
EMC in particular is now in a “tough spot and will need to acquire someone,” Garry said. He pointed to Solix, Princeton Softech and Applimation as being possible buys.
Check out eWEEK.com’s Database Center for the latest database news, reviews and analysis.


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After three long years, Coachella returned with a bang. The stars were out, and big-name brands also established a presence in the desert. Boardroom breaks it down.
Coachella 2022 set the bar high for festival season in Indio, California, over the weekend.
Harry Styles shimmered (and shimmied) in a custom Gucci sequin jumpsuit while debuting two new songs — “Boyfriends” and “Late Night Talking” — from his forthcoming third studio album Harry’s House during his first-ever headlining Coachella set on Friday night.
Billie Eilish took over Saturday night, becoming the youngest-ever headliner since the festival debuted in 1999. (Billie was born in 2001, by the way.) For our purposes, it’s worth noting that the seven-time Grammy winner rocked a pair of all-white PSNY x Nike Air Force 1 High sneakers ahead of her “Mushroom” Air Force 1 silhouette dropping next weekend.
The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia tag-teamed Sunday’s headline slot — replacing Ye — but before the first weekend came to a close, big-name brand activations took over the desert, too.
Below, Boardroom highlights eight brands who established a presence and enhanced the experience for those who were camped out at Coachella.
Absolut Vodka used Coachella to roll out Absolut.Land, a “Coachella-inspired pop-up experience” with “a festival-appropriate collection of digital fashion wearables,” as reported by Forbes.
There was an IRL vibe to go along with a presence in Decentraland:
The metaverse is a nice touch, but Absolut has been the official vodka of Coachella for the last 10 years. The only thing missing was Lizzo, who was busy handling double duty on Saturday Night Live, as she created Absolut Juice with the brand in August 2019.
Billie Eilish’s impact cannot be contained to a stage, even one as large as the main Coachella Stage.
American Express, one of the festival’s sponsors, partnered with Bravado and added a pop-up shop to its on-site Amex Lounge. There, American Express card members had access to limited edition merchandise from Eilish and Conan Gray, who made his Coachella debut earlier Saturday.
Other benefits for card members included “Sweet Treat Saturday,” access to relax at a wellness retreat on Sunday, and one free ferris wheel ride.
BMW’s “Road to Coachella” campaign starred Doja Cat as she prepared to make her debut solo performance at the festival:
The luxury vehicle company continued to support Doja as her set drew closer:
“Road to Coachella” is an ongoing BMW campaign, and the last featured artist was Khalid in 2019.
BMW chose the right artist to revive the campaign with this year, as Doja was touted for the rap acumen on display during her set by the likes of IDK and Wale:
BMW isn’t the only brand attracted to Doja lately. The Monday after the Planet Her star claimed her first-ever Grammy earlier this month, JBL unveiled her as its newest brand ambassador.
The instantaneous popularity has to be attributed at least in part to Justin Bieber’s support, as adorable as the digital teddy bears are on their own.
At Coachella, InBetweeners increased its footing in the music space with two afterparties in partnership with The h.wood Group and Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila.
Bieber joined Daniel Caesar on Friday night to perform their Grammy-nominated single “Peaches,” and then he and his wife, Hailey Bieber, hit the InBetweeners event, where they danced with Jenner while Zack Bia DJed.
The next night’s InBetweeners afterparty saw Travis Scott perform. Scott was removed from the official Coachella lineup in December after a crowd surge at his November Astroworld Festival in Houston killed 10 people and injured many more.
Who is hotter than Jack Harlow right now?
The Louisville rapper earned his first solo No. 1 on Billboard ‘s coveted Hot 100 singles chart with “First Class” on Monday, and the feat comes after Harlow spent the weekend helping Liquid I.V. cool festivalgoers down with its House of Hydration launch on Saturday.
And in the theme of foreshadowing, Liquid I.V. will follow up its Coachella debut with a Hydration Saloon at Stagecoach during the weekend of April 29.
Jaden Smith didn’t perform at Coachella, but he spent his break from opening on Bieber’s Justice World Tour on festival grounds with a MSFTS pop-up for his Trippy Summer collection in conjunction with New Balance and Samsung.
The pop-up gave attendees the first look at the newest colorway for the New Balance Vision Racer sneaker within the Sunset Chaser pack.
Jaden was introduced as a New Balance brand ambassador in July 2019, and by July 2020, his Vision Racer silhouette arrived.
MSFTS is the 23-year-old multi-hyphenate talent’s skate and streetwear brand that he oversees with his sister, Willow, and brothers Moises Arias and Mateo “Téo” Arias.
Ray-Ban unleashed limited festival edition Stories smart glasses for anybody who came to visit at Coachella, promising a “journey through a mystic Mojave desert” and “an immersive dreamscape of energized sound, light and color:”
TikToker and model Remi Bader documented her experience for those curiously following online:
Actress and Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter Chloe Bailey (also known as Chlöe) and Euphoria breakout star Angus Cloud rocked pairs when stopping by the tent:
The Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses collection was introduced last fall with Facebook and Luxottica, boasting technology that allows wearers to take photos or record videos.
As teased above, Jack Harlow was back on stage for day two of Revolve Festival on Sunday:
Revolve put on the festival within the festival — a hot spot for some of the industry’s hottest artists and their fans, such as Chloe x Halle, Post Malone, BIA, and Quavo. Film and television stars such as Timothée Chalamet (!) and Euphoria‘s Sydney Sweeney and Storm Reid got in on the fun, too.
Revolve Festival’s in-house activations included Jenner’s 818 tequila, a Venmo swing ride with funds supporting Girls Inc., and the Spotify K-Pop Cafe.
Coachella will ramp up again next weekend (April 22-24) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.


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Skin in the Game
In an era marked by monumental challenges, from global health crises to renewed demands for racial justice, the state of Black businesses stands at a critical crossroads. Our new Black Business Report, titled "Skin In The Game: A Closer Look at How Supplier Diversity Programs Impact Black Businesses", shines a light on the undeniable disparities that Black entrepreneurs face.
A Closer Look
The tumultuous aftermath of George Floyd’s death combined with the harsh impact of COVID-19, which saw 53% of Black businesses reporting a significant revenue drop, underscored the pre-existing systemic imbalances. Despite the rallying cries and corporate pledges worth billions, many Black businesses remain on the brink, illustrating that addressing these gaps requires more than mere commitments—it calls for tangible, impactful solutions.
Dive into our Black Business Report to gain a comprehensive understanding of the hurdles faced by Black entrepreneurs and explore innovative pathways to foster sustainable growth and success in the Black business community.


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Below you will find articles on Canonical’s ‘convergence’ pocket desktop technology and devices that support it.
A redesign for Ubuntu Scopes appears to be on the way, with a pair of new images showing a hugely improved layout and interaction experience.
Most of us have a good handle on what Ubuntu ‘convergence’ is (or what we think it is). But it never hurts to have a big ol’ reminder. And the video we’re cushioning with over wrung sentences is just […]
See the video above? That’s Ubuntu convergence in action on what’s being billed as ‘the world’s most affordable laptop’. Except isn’t a laptop at all. It’s the NexDock, which is crowdfunding a smooth $300,000 to pay for its first […]
Hoping to use your Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Phone as a convergence device via wireless display technologies? I've some bad news…
Canonical is not the only software company who is interested in the idea of using a single mobile device to power additional computing experiences. Microsoft — boo, hiss, etc — has long pursued the idea, starting with Windows XP […]
The ability to run traditional desktop applications on the Ubuntu phone & tablet has a lot of you (quite rightly) excited. Carrying the powerful LibreOffice, Mozilla Firefox and The GIMP in your pocket is a big draw. An Ubuntu phone, […]
This six minute video of Ubuntu convergence does a fantastic job of demonstrating why Ubuntu on phones and tablets is so exciting. Watch it, share it.
And Canonical say it will #reinvent personal mobile computing
Canonical is looking to build hype for its upcoming Mobile World Congress announcements though a mysterious new online initiative.
Bq has teased the Spanish technology press about its upcoming MWC2016 presence, confirming that an Ubuntu Tablet will be involved.
Canonical will demo at least one new Ubuntu convergence device at next month's Mobile World Congress, we've learned.
A new video shows off yet more progress on getting Unity 8 ship-shape for desktop usage.


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SAN JOSE, Calif. DirecTV is testing versions of Wi-Fi and aims to test wired links based on the ITU G.hn standard. Earlier this week, the company debuted the first satellite TV set-top boxes to use the home networking technology of the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) which to date has mainly been used in set-top boxes for Verizon's Fios IPTV service.
DirecTV's efforts parallel those of many OEMs in the evolving sector of home networking where new technology options are still emerging. About 18 months ago DirecTV decided it wanted to roll out set-tops supporting multi-room digital video recording and chose MoCA.
"Back then the pickings were few—it was basically MoCA or HomePNA," said Henry Derovanessian, vice president of set top engineering at DirecTV. "We've invested heavily in MoCA, in part because it's reliable with Verizon's service delivering as many MoCA set-tops as they have," he added.
Along the way, DirecTV discontinued powerline adapters based on technology from the HomePlug Powerline Alliance it used to offer. But the company is still exploring new options. "We are keeping a close eye on the evolution of G.hn and wireless," said Derovanessian.
"802.11n and peripheral technologies are in the core of what we're looking at in wireless," he said. "There are quite a lot of antenna techniques out there extending .11n in range and quality-of-service," he added.
However "nothing I have seen so far shows we are at a point of wireless maturity" for carrying premium satellite TV over a home network, he said. "Wireless and G.hn are very much in their infancy and in R&D stages, and don't know when we'd be ready to talk about productization," he added.
Wired chips using the G.hn standard are expected to sample this summer, according to Matt Theall, president of the Home Grid Forum promoting the standard. Coppergate, acquired by Sigma Designs in October is expected to be one of the first companies to sample parts.
"The PHY and architecture portions of the [G.hn] specification were approved last year," said Theall in an email exchange. "The DLL and Coexistence mechanism (G.cx) have now both been [agreed on] and with this consent the specification is essentially done," he added.
"I hear it will be any day we'll get our hands on [G.hn samples], but I haven't seen them yet and we want to see them," said Derovanessian.
In the meantime, DirecTV is content with MoCA chip sets from Entropic Communications. It was picked more than a year ago when it was effectively the only MoCA vendor, though others including Broadcom have jumped into the market since then.
Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Samsung and Verizon are among DirecTV's partners in the RVU Alliance which develops and maintains a protocol for sharing user interface data and video over a home network. The protocol is used in DirecTV's MoCA set-tops, and Broadcom showed it at the Consumer Electronics Show in an embedded device for TV sets.


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Check out who's clinched the award for our favourite fashion moment of the day!
The Nokia 3310 Is COMING BACK So iPhones Can Stick It!
Our most beloved item from the noughties is set to get a reinvention!
If you remember playing 'Snake' and trying to squeeze all your text messages in just a few characters, then you'll be happy to know that the 3310 could be making a comeback.
Yep, our much-loved brick phone could be making a reappearance on the market, as Nokia are set to relaunch the MUST-HAVE mobile from the noughties.
Anyone who had one knows just how reliable they were; it might have taken a whole day to charge but the battery pretty much lasted about a week!
Now it's reported that Nokia are due to make an announcement at a Mobile World Congress later this month.
The memorable phone was first released in 2000 and is predicted to make a comeback once again, at the cheap price of €59.
Although there are a few 3310s still in existence and able to be bought on the internet, it can’t be bought directly from the company currently.
Nokia sales have suffered in recent years, and while they have tried to launch new models in the past they have more success when they launch new versions of old models.
Every finger crossed that this new is true!
Let's face it, nothing beats old school Hollywood glamour...especially when it's given a modern twist!
Take a look at these stars before and after the stylist's touch.
Men's beauty regimes are nothing like women's. They need to be hassle free and reliable.
Singer Ciara blows competition out of the water with her incredible monochrome dress at the AMAs 2016.
Heart Beauty has trialled three different ways to keep your brows in check - and here are the results.
Gigi Hadid, Michelle Keegan, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Drew Barrymore ditch the makeup and go for a natural look.
We take a look at what 10 icons say about beauty and look at how this can work for you.
Deposit £10 to get a £40 Welcome Bonus - That's £50 to play bingo, slots and more!*
Over 50 tracks to make you feel-good. New album out now...


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Clothing and footwear stores saw a fall in retail sales volumes of 0.6% in March this year,against a 1.3% rise in the overall volume of retail sales, excluding petrol, compared to the same month a year ago. But the figures, released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), show the value of overall retail sales in the same period increased by 4.5%.
Compared to the previous month, overall retail sales volumes for March were up by 0.2% and the value of retail sales increased by 0.1%.
These figures are at odds with those released earlier this month by the British Retail Consortium which said that total retail sales for the first three months of this year fell 1.9% year-on-year, with like-for-likes down 3.5% year-on-year.
According to the ONS the largest contributors to the change in sales volumes came from non-food stores which increased by 8.2% and non-store retailing which increased by 13.1%.
The sector experiencing the largest fall in retail sales was household goods stores which fell by 7.7% driven by a decline in DIY store sales.
All stores, with the exception of household goods, experienced increases in the value of retail sales and prices across all stores are estimated to have risen by 3.4% over the year from March 2010 to March 2011.


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“Advisory by the government, both the labour ministry and home ministry, is not at all working at ground level to prevent loss of employment and earnings and also eviction from local residence in the process of lock down,” the unions said in a joint statement.
According to the statement, workers across the country are complaining of forced unpaid leave, including from the National Capital Region. despite repeated advisories from the government.
The 10 central trade unions include the INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.
The trade union, had in their letter to PM on March 26, demanded strong statutory enforceable measures to arrest and put a ban on the ongoing spree of retrenchments, wage cut, forced unpaid leave being perpetrated by the employers on the workers, particularly contract, casual, temporary and fixed term workers in various establishments.
Raising the distress of migrant workers, Unions have urged the government to act urgently to rescue them with necessary transport facilities and ensure they are provided with food, shelter, water and required health services, in line with the directions issued by the government.
In view of the ever-growing scale and spread of the problems of these workers particularly migrant workers, we request you to ask the counterparts in ministry of labour in respective states to communicate and coordinate with all the trade unions in their states including formation of trade union committees and issuing valid passes to office bearers of trade unions for addressing the above mentioned issues including their participation in relief work, it said in a statement.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Sumitomo Mitsui, 4 Others Sought Info on IDBI Sale
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and one other global bank are among five potential investors that have sought information from the Centre about the sale of state equity in IDBI Bank through a formal query process that closed on November 10, people familiar with the matter told ET.Flipkart may go in for $700m Esop Buyback
Walmart-owned homegrown ecommerce marketplace Flipkart is likely to facilitate a $700 million employee stock buyback as part of digital payments platform PhonePe’s new financing round, multiple sources briefed on the matter told ET.Falling Input Costs may Cool Prices of Essentials, Apparel
Prices of groceries, daily essentials and apparel are likely to fall over the next two quarters as input costs are expected to decline, spurring sales in the process, according to consumer goods makers.
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Amsterdam – The brand has announced plans to digitise its entire design process.
By 2021, 3D design technology will be incorporated into all global apparel design teams at Tommy Hilfiger’s headquarters in Amsterdam. To enable a fully digital design workflow, the brand has developed an eco-system of tools, including a digital fabric, pattern and colour asset library, digital 3D presentation tools and rendering technology. Together, these will transform all design and sample production steps into virtual processes.
‘The potential of 3D design is limitless, allowing us to meet consumer needs faster and in a more sustainable way,’ says Daniel Grieder, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Global and its parent company PVH Europe. ‘The technology has become a fundamental tool in our collection design and has the potential to significantly accelerate our speed to market.’
As we explore in our Immaterial Fashion macrotrend, digitisation offers brands an opportunity to streamline their production processes and curb overconsumption.


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In a statement Ericsson said the deal was for a multi-year global patent cross-licensing agreement that covers the companies’ respective sales of network infrastructure and consumer devices.
Under the agreement both companies global access to each other's patented, standardized technologies, including smartphones.
"We are pleased to announce our renewal of our global cross-licensing agreement with Huawei," said Christina Petersson, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson.
"Both companies are major contributors to mobile communication standards and recognize the value of each other's intellectual property. This agreement demonstrates the commitment of both parties that intellectual property should be respected and rewarded, and that leading technological innovations should be shared across the industry."
According to Electronics Weekly, the deal involves a payment of an undisclosed amount from Huawei to Ericsson.
Ericsson said its patent development is helped by an annual investment of $4 billion in R&D and that its revenues from IP licensing will reach more than $1 billion this year.


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Halo 5 developer 343 Industries has snapped up former Crystal Dynamics staffer Tim Longo.
The Tomb Raider creative director indicated the job change on his LinkedIn profile.
Longo’s new role as 343’s creative director means former incumbent Josh Holmes has been bumped up to executive producer.
343 Industries is currently working on an untitled new Halo game revealed for Xbox One at E3 2013.
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Health officials turn focus to Caroline Springs square shopping centre as Victoria records 20 new local cases
Victorian health officials are turning their focus to a popular city shopping centre as Melburnians await a decision on lockdown.
A shopping centre in Melbourne’s northwest has been revealed as “an area of most concern” after Victoria recorded 20 new local cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday.
While five of those cases were in quarantine during their infectious period – an increase on Monday – testing commander Jeroen Weimar said Caroline Springs square shopping centre continued to alarm health authorities.
“The area of most concern to us today is Caroline Springs and continues to be Caroline Springs,” he told reporters.
“We have seen now 25 cases associated with the Caroline Springs square shopping centre across a number of different retail units and people – some of those are household contacts.”
Department of Health deputy secretary Kate Matson said health officials were warned of two cases late on Monday night, which could be traced back to the shopping centre.
She said they shopped at the centre and investigations were underway into how they contracted the virus.
“We don‘t know whether it was a fleeting transmission in perhaps one of the common areas related to the toilets, someone else or passing someone in an open area or whether they went to one of the identified retail sites,” Ms Matson said.
The shopping centre has been listed as a tier two coronavirus exposure site, with anyone who visited the venue between July 27 and August 5 urged to get a Covid-19 test and isolate until a negative result had been received.
“If you‘ve been to other parts of the shopping centre, come forward and get tested and wait for your results,” Mr Weimar said.
About 400 of yesterday’s 34,892 Covid-19 tests were undertaken as a pop-up testing site in Caroline Springs.
One of the sites was set up at the city vista sports precinct, and the other was established at the Caroline Springs leisure centre.
“I need those numbers to increase,” Mr Weimar said.
“We need more people in the Caroline Springs area coming forward for testing – it’s a busy, important shopping centre.”
There are more than 12,000 primary close contacts linked to Victoria’s latest outbreak.
More than 1100 of those people were contacts of the Caroline Springs shopping centre, with 67 per cent of them returning negative test results.


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Molly-Mae Hague has angered locals after the farm shop she frequents became 'like Alton Towers' after she gave it a shoutout.
A woman criticised the Love Island star for 'ruining' her local farm shop, The Hollies, after she turned up to find the car park became 'pure carnage'. She expressed her annoyance as she revealed there were ridiculously long queues out the door. Taking to her TikTok page, influencer Hollie Elizabeth explained the 'Molly-Mae effect'.
It comes after Molly-Mae, 24, visited the farm shop with her daughter Bambi and shared adorable snaps of their day out. It didn't take long before fans rushed to the store to enjoy everything it had to offer. Sitting in her car in the parking lot, influencer Hollie said: "If you do not believe in the Molly-Mae effect, watch this video..."
She continued: "Everyone said we have that communal Molly-Mae jacket. Now it's the communal Molly-Mae places. We always come to Holly's Farm Shop, we've been coming here for years. Never ever is there anyone there really. She posted it on her Instagram, we've just driven to come here on a Sunday to get a hot chocolate and they're queuing out three doors. We literally got lamb kebabs from here last week and no one was bothered.
"It's pure carnage in the car park, it's like going to Alton Towers for a day out. You'll have to buy fast passes soon. I'm sorry Molly-Mae, I really do love you but this has taken the mick a bit because you have ruined Holly's Farm Shop... It's literally raining and people are queueing out the door."
Many locals took to the comment section to complain about how the shop is now 'ruined' because of the shout-out. One user said: "Literally a local to me and now it's ruined it so bad! Hahaha," while one disappointed person added: "I turned up yesterday and turned around and left."
Others reminded the original poster that many people just got paid and claimed the store had always been busy - even before Molly-Mae visited. One commented: "Are you joking?! Every time I've been there I've had to queue to get in," while another posted: "I've been on a Sunday before and it was just as busy! Before Molly-Mae went."
One user said the influx of people is "really good for small businesses," while one fan added: "I've been going to The Hollies since before Molly-Mae was known, it's always busy! Don't forget it's the end of the month... payday." Earlier this month, Molly-Mae shared a few snaps of her and Bambi enjoying a hot chocolate while sitting inside the farm shop.
She also posted an adorable snap of herself holding her baby while posing by her car in the parking lot.


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“It is important to think what mobile can do for your brand rather than what brand can do on mobile.”
Those were the wise words from Shaveta Bhardwaj, senior exec at marketing intelligence agency Kantar Millward Brown, at last year’s Mobile Marketing Association ‘Smarties’ awards ceremony – and it provides sound advice for retailers and hospitality brands looking to build out their strategies. In essence, the message here is use the technology to its greatest potential.
Mobile marketing magic
Why you should add iVend Passes to your mobile marketing box of tricks
So, what are mobile technology’s main strengths when it comes to marketing – and how are businesses already driving significant benefits from it? Let’s take a look.
Mobile Marketing is in the Moment
If you hear any retail executive speak these days, the chances are they will say they are looking to build a strategy to serve customers whenever, and wherever they are – that’s the omnichannel way, and increasingly it involves mobile because these devices tend to be in people’s hands.
Mobile marketing using geo-fencing technology has the ability to get your brand’s message into your customers’ hands at the most relevant times, acting as a trigger point to conversion. Many brands are talking about reaching a one-to-one communication level with their customers, and mobile supports this move.
In a recent interview with UK title Internet Retailing, Matthew Gaunt, customer communications director at DIY retailer Wickes, says “relevance is absolutely critical” otherwise shoppers simply fall by the wayside and they lose interest. Mobile marketing, though, can get an offer – be it a digital coupon or an emailed money-off voucher – into a customer’s hands when they are in the most suitable shop and ready to spend, which can do wonders for a marketing team’s conversion stats.
Wrapping up marketing into mobile, means there will be no need for shoppers to carry paper or plastic cards or cut coupons, because redemption is completed by scanning barcodes on their phones. That’s surely a case of achieving the ultimate aim of today’s retailers to be with shoppers whenever and wherever they are, while also giving consumers some real convenient benefits in the process.
Mobile Marketing Gathers the Data
As my colleague Kamal recently blogged on these pages, using digital coupons as part of a multifaceted mobile marketing strategy enables businesses to track redemptions both in-store and online. It gives them visibility of their customers.
This is rich data as far as retailers and hospitality firms are concerned because it gives them all-important information about consumer behaviour, which can be leveraged for future business optimisation and planning. The more connections retailers can make between the digital and physical channels their customers shop on, the better they can shape their proposition accordingly.
Mobile Marketing for Maximum Engagement
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) statistics provide a view of the wider picture. And it all points towards mobile being at the heart of consumer communication and general advertising.
Mobile now accounts for nearly two-thirds (63%) of all digital ad revenue in the US, according to the IAB’s research for the first half of 2018, and it continues to be the internet’s leading ad platform – it’s up from 54% of total revenues year on year. The study also found that advertisers spent $30.9 billion on mobile media during the period, so businesses must be reaping the benefits of this approach.
I started this blog with a quote, and it seems fitting to finish with another one. This time from Randall Rothenberg, CEO of the IAB, who reiterates the importance of digital advertising and digital communication, in whatever guise, saying it is “one of the most powerful mechanisms of all time for brands to build relationships with consumers”.
He added: “It’s a truth upon which direct-to-consumer brands have built their businesses, and from which all businesses can benefit.” Retailers and hospitality firms might just want to take note.


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Another of Ball Packaging Europe’s plants has achieved zero waste to landfill. John Griffiths AM, Welsh Government Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, visited Ball’s can end facility in Deeside, UK, on Tuesday (26 July).
Canvironment Week 2011 was officially launched at Metpack with the ringing of a sustainability bell earlier this week. The global event, which is being organised by Indian can maker Hindustan Tin Works, aims to promote sustainability and the environmental friendliness of cans.
Metal Packaging Europe, a new trade body representing the united interests of producers and suppliers of metal packaging across Europe, will launch at this year’s Interpack, held in Düsseldorf, Germany on 12 – 18 May 2011. MPE brings together metal packaging manufacturers, metal producers and their existing trade associations (APEAL, BCME, EAA, EMPAC) from across […]
Regulars: Equipment News: The latest machinery and equipment for the can line New Products: New cans and ends in the market place Candid: Evelyne Frauman, quality and environment manager, Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL) Features: Knight’s knowledge: Jack Knight is senior international technical service manager for INX International Ink Co. He […]
Evelyne Frauman has been appointed quality and environment manager for the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL). APEAL is a federation of four multi-national producers of steel for packaging ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel Packaging, Rasselstein-ThyssenKrupp and US Steel Kosiçe.
Hindustan Tin Work’s Canvironment Week has been awarded the Environment Initiative of the Year Award at Ambrosia Indspirit 2010. Ambrosia Indspirit is an Alcobev trade event in Asia. This year it was held in Mumbai, India.


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Hong Kong’s startups
in April 2019
Note: Obviously, a city like Hong Kong has a constant volume of tech, funding and startup activity that is belied by news coverage like April 2019’s below.
We’ll be revising our channels for curation around HK thru May 2019, and aim to have a better representation of Hong Kong’s startup activity for May/June 2019.
- Hong Kong: Trailer unveiled for Kowloon Forest virtual reality film
- Hong Kong: Amazon cloud business to launch as competition with Chinese rivals heats up
- Hong Kong: Agorize online platform for Open Innovation challenges raises US$14.6M to step up international growth
- Hong Kong: Blue Cross insurance firm adopts blockchain, aiming to speed up medical claims, eliminate fraud and cut costs
- Hong Kong launches augmented reality tourism experience
- Hong Kong grants first digital banking licences; companies granted licences can compete for $15BN retail banking business