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The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.
May 20, 2021 (AB Digital via COMTEX) — Don’t let the softening share price fool you. Alternet Systems, Inc. (USOTC: ALYI) is laying the groundwork to have what could be a transformative back half of the year. In fact, last week ALYI announced its intention to deliver 2000 EV motorcycles in July to serve the surging African boda-boda motorcycle rideshare market. Successful delivery of the bikes could quickly push ALYI back toward its February highs of roughly $0.20, more than 300% higher than current prices.
Better still, while the production launch and delivery of 2000 EV motorcycles is certainly a milestone reached, it’s also only the first of several more expected later this year. Participating in the estimated $4 billion African rideshare sector is one thing; taking the initiative to build a massive supporting EV ecosystem takes the near term opportunities for ALYI to the highest level. And with its finance partner, RevoltToken having committed to invest upwards of $100 million into the comprehensive project, current prices for ALYI stock might be the most undervalued in their history.
Moreover, Alternet is seizing a new opportunity that adds to its presence in the African markets. Beyond serving users in the rideshare market, ALYI is advancing plans to launch a self-drive rental program to complement its rideshare business. In an update last week, ALYI said it plans to rent electric motorcycles in Kenya that can be activated through a smartphone app. And its plans are timely.
In fact, ALYI won’t be far behind Bird, the shared electric scooter company scheduled to go public through a SPAC later this year. Incidentally, that deal with Switchback II (NYSE: SWBK) has already earned an implied valuation of $2.3 billion. And they do what ALYI plans to do…rent electric scooters in urban areas that can be unlocked via a mobile phone app. The difference, though, is that ALYI is taking advantage of a massive untapped Kenya market, where providing electric motorcycles accessible via a mobile phone app could become an enormously lucrative venture.
Best of all, ALYI has a lot more on its development plate for 2021
Alternet Systems is Poised for Rapid Growth in 2021
Despite the markets continued beatdown of EV sector stocks, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) again delivered a massive quarter that again exceeded investor expectations. That news initially drove EV company prices substantially higher. However, a wave of bad economic data, rising interest rates, and slowing job growth spooked the markets enough to take back all its gains. Tesla is down more than 18% since posting one of its best quarters in history. But, don’t expect TSLA, or other EV companies, to stay down for long. When risk returns back to the market, it’s expected that the sector will lead the gainers.
After all, Tesla is the leading barometer of health within the EV sector. And despite its wild swings, the message they sent was to stay long in the EV sector. And for ALYI investors, the remainder of this year can be transformational to the company – and here’s why.
Foremost, the most compelling aspect to the ALYI story is that they are creating more than just an exciting electric motorcycle. Behind the innovative and well-designed ReVolt EV motorcycle is a growing ecosystem expected to bring significant value to companies in the sector. ALYI is helping to lead the charge to build and benefit from an Electric Vehicle (EV) Ecosystem that commits to a perpetual period of research and development for battery-powered transportation technologies. Its plans were detailed in an April update that set near and long term strategies to reach lofty goals. Best of all, the strategy inherently offers multiple shots on revenue-generating goals, with ALYI pursuing simultaneous projects that can benefit from an evolution of transportation networks surrounding EV technologies.
And while the pandemic-related headwinds slowed development progress, ALYI is far from stalled. In fact, the current share price, likely broader market related, entirely neglects the near term milestones coming this July.
A Successful Beginning Has Generated Serious Momentum
The great news for ALYI shareholders is that the actions needed to generate meaningful shareholder value have already begun. Already, ALYI teased with the unveiling of an electric motorcycle concept that will serve as the basis for its first order of 2,000 electric motorcycles in Africa. That deal takes advantage of the booming motorcycle taxi (boda boda) market, where demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles is expected to rise as the technology becomes more accessible.
And ALYI is well-positioned to extend its reach in the market by creating, in a partnership with iQSTEL, Inc. (OTC: IQST), a communication-technology-enabled rideshare platform offering a number of user benefits. The strategies are targeting US markets as well.
Although the ReVolt EV motorcycle will make its service debut in Africa later this year, ALYI is focused on bringing a version of the ReVolt back the United States. Inspired by the pre-sale interest, ALYI introduced the Retro Revolt Electric Motorcycle, a bike that will be sold in limited quantities in North America. The limited-edition cycle is intended to raise awareness of ALYI’s broader plan to help reduce carbon emissions by facilitating a wider adoption of electric vehicles in the transportation and ride-sharing industry – and the style, efficiency, and reliability of the bike are likely to attract significant interest.
Even better from an operational perspective, ALYI recently highlighted its operating plan that reduces early-stage operational costs by retaining revenue-generating coincidental services contracts. The deals outlined in ALYI’s recently released Annual Report for FY2020 show its staying power and willingness to go the distance toward meeting its latest EV sector goals. The good news is that adjustments to base operations are keeping financial obligations manageable, which allows the company to maintain an ample ability to pursue its EV Ecosystem vision.
Perhaps its biggest asset is its relationship with RevoltTOKEN, the company’s financial partner.
RevoltTOKEN Partnership to Provide New Opportunities
ALYI is expected to get the funding it needs to create, develop, and commercialize assets from its finance partner, RevoltToken.
ALYI unveiled its investment strategy earlier this year, taking on a cryptocurrency approach to financing that limits dilution of its common stock to raise capital. That will happen through its partnership with RevoltTOKEN , which will serve to support the funding of ALYI’s EV Ecosystem. Information about RevoltToken can be found at rvlttoken.com. The site details plans of how the token will benefit ALYI and also provides information on how to purchase and store the token. RevoltToken is expected to become available for purchase on one or more cryptocurrency exchanges in the near future, and look for updates included with ALYI press releases.
More good news on the financial front came when ALYI revealed that it had completed a $1 million raise at a $0.10 price point to finance its latest EV ecosystem investment and growth initiatives. The deal will help ALYI extend its operations past its existing rideshare entry point. It also provides ALYI with regional growth potential that will allow the company to expand operations well beyond its East African focus.
There’s more value from its iQSTEL, Inc. partnership.
A Potentially Transformative Partnership with IQST
An especially important partnership is with iQSTEL, Inc., with the two working together to advance develop-stage projects toward commercialization. The first joint effort is to develop innovative battery designs that could help revolutionize the industry. The advanced innovations use HD thin-film technology in one and industrial hemp in the other. The excellent news is that both technologies are able to deliver a final product that is potentially more sturdy and longer-lasting than existing EV battery options. This potential could prove enormous in the long run, extending its application opportunities well beyond electric motorcycles.
Further, the team is working to develop geolocation, battery management, break-in and crash interfacing with EMS, and remote maintenance capabilities that could provide a substantial advantages compared to current communications products on the market. Specifically, the comprehensive framework is designed to support vehicle body and component leasing services, driver and passenger personal mobile interfaces, and a rideshare interface. ALYI believes the system, just like its battery prototype, could attract business from even its rivals as its benefits could have widespread appeal to those already operating in the EV industry.
iQSTEL, by the way, is expected to reach $60.5 million in sales this year. They also partner with Fortune 500 companies and have several international projects that could drive their value substantially higher. In other words, they are a good partner to have on the ALYI team.
2021 Could Bring Massive Value to Shareholders
Indeed, ALYI stocks appears quite attractive at current levels. And for those holding the stock, despite the recent pullback, the stock is still higher by than 340% year to date. With Tesla demonstrating that the market is stable despite some component supply delays, ALYI’s consolidation at these levels may reward investors sooner rather than later.
As noted, the expected production launch and selling of ALYI’s ReVolt EV motorcycles in Kenya could send the stock back toward its February high. As investors know, ALYI stock moves on news, and actually jumped 19% intraday after a “sneak preview” video of the ReVolt EV motorcycle was published. The actual release could make that percentage change seem insignificant in comparison.
The better news is that ALYI’s planned partnerships, strategic acquisitions, and value-generating IP ownership could add to those potential gains, making the next few weeks an opportune time to consider investing.
The bottom line is this – with a strengthened balance sheet, several active and potentially lucrative partnerships, and the imminent release of the ReVolt EV motorcycle, ALYI is better positioned than ever to maximize its opportunities. Moreover, the current valuation of the stock appears to be neglecting the near-term sale of 2000 EV motorcycles and its deals with RevoltTOKEN and IQST. But, the great news for investors is that valuation disconnects can be quickly cured. And with ALYI historically showing its ability to respond favorably to positive headlines, the timing may be ideal for positioning ahead of likely near term catalysts.
Disclaimers: Hawk Point Media is responsible for the production and distribution of this content. Hawk Point Media is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment adviser. It should be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. Our reports/releases are a commercial advertisement and are for general information purposes ONLY. We are engaged in the business of marketing and advertising companies for monetary compensation. Never invest in any stock featured on our site or emails unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. The information made available by Hawk Point Media is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, investment advice or recommendations. The contributors may buy and sell securities before and after any particular article, report and publication. In no event shall Hawk Point Media be liable to any member, guest or third party for any damages of any kind arising out of the use of any content or other material published or made available by Hawk Point Media, including, without limitation, any investment losses, lost profits, lost opportunity, special, incidental, indirect, consequential or punitive damages. Hawk Point Media was compensated three-thousand-five-hundred-dollars by wire transfer to produce research, video, email, newsletters, and editorial commentary for Alternet Systems, Inc. by a third party. Past performance is a poor indicator of future performance. The information in this video, article, and in its related newsletters, is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, investment advice or recommendations. Hawk Point Mediastrongly urges you conduct a complete and independent investigation of the respective companies and consideration of all pertinent risks. Readers are advised to review SEC periodic reports: Forms 10-Q, 10K, Form 8-K, insider reports, Forms 3, 4, 5 Schedule 13D.
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, goals, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward looking statements in this action may be identified through use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements indicating certain actions & quote; may, could, or might occur. Understand there is no guarantee past performance will be indicative of future results.Investing in micro-cap and growth securities is highly speculative and carries an extremely high degree of risk. It is possible that an investors investment may be lost or impaired due to the speculative nature of the companies profiled.
The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.


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Facebook's popularity keeps climbing in terms of new members, but some say 'Facebook fatigue' or 'News Feed overload' make visiting the site a chore.
Analytics firm Gartner has painted a grim portrait of the PC market over the next couple years. But is it accurate?
Facebook has sent out invitations to an event on April 4, where the company promised to unveil its 'new home on Android.'
Rubin, a co-founder of Android, will be replaced by Chrome chief Sundar Pichai.
Apple's never formally announced its iRadio streaming music service, but details have been creeping out for months. A new report suggests iRadio could be delayed for a few more months while Apple negotiates royalty rates with record companies.
The 2013 Mobile World Congress wrapped today in Barcelona. Here's a brief look at the best-in-show.
Koozoo allows you to post or sift through videos of your environment. But don't worry – the Koozoo CEO says it's all perfectly secure.
Do you lock the front door but leave the windows open? A new hack shows how iPhones are vulnerable, even when locked.
Evad3rs has released an iOS 6 jailbreak that works with the Apple iPhone and iPad.
Meanwhile, Apple has released iOS 6.1, the latest version of its iPhone, iPad, and iPhone software.

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In his new book “Entrepreneurial Journalism,” Mark Briggs discusses the future of journalism and with the waning of print journalism, he sees an online future full of opportunity. With the plethora of blogs online, the key to attracting an audience is differentiating your online outlet from the pack and in doing so, finding a loyal audience. However, Briggs warns that audience loyalty isn’t all that is required. “The audience must be loyal and fully engaged if you want to produce dynamic, vibrant content and help your news site grow (Briggs, Quill re-print, 29).” It is important to build a loyal audience that will return again and again, but also an audience that will stick around when they visit the site and read more pages than just the home page. An online outlet will not grow unless this occurs. “When a publication builds a loyal audience based on the quality of its news coverage, advertisers pay to be seen in the same space (Briggs, Quill, Nov/Dec 2011, 29).”
In an article in American Journalism Review by Sherry Ricchiardi, Megan Kamerick recounts a personal work experience where a sports editor covered a run-of-the-mill men’s basketball team while totally neglecting the women’s basketball team that made it to the tournament finals. “When outraged readers asked why, the sports editor said he forgot (Ricchiardi, AJR, Winter 2011, 33).” The newspaper decided to follow its own interests, rather than the interests of its readers. With so many options available on the web, serving the audience will become even more important in the coming years. Again, if a website serves the audience, it will attract a loyal audience.
In the November/December 2011 issue of the Columbia Journalism Review, Michael Meyer wrote, “Online local news sites struggle with the same economic environment as the rest of the media industry, but with the additional challenges of a small audience base, a reliance on financing from local foundations with unstable endowments, and a need to convince cautious small-business owners to embrace online advertising (Meyer, CJR, 141).” Meyer tackles the familiar subject of not only finding an audience, but also of figuring out what to do regarding funding. His conclusion is that funding is a unique situation that is highly contingent on the needs of each individual website. It all depends on the goals of the website. Make no mistake: funding is a critical element in helping to differentiate a professional journalist from someone blogging from their bedroom. Unfortunately, the distinction is often difficult to decipher. A well-trained writer with no business background may suffer. “As a result, business strategies are frequently incoherent. Some sites operate in a manner indistinguishable from a freelancer scrambling for his next assignment (Meyer, CJR, 141).” The bottom line is taking the first step and getting off the ground. Meyer says the most innovative people in online news are those who regularly produce journalism and sustain it long-term.


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Growth in eurozone private sector picks up slightly: ECB
Growth of loans to the private sector in the euro area picked up fractionally in January, European Central Bank data showed on Thursday. For the ECB, the statistics are a key indicator of economic health of the single currency area, as borrowing is a main financing source for corporate investment which in turn should boost the eurozone's currently weak economy.
In January, approved loans rose 0.8 percent from a year ago, fractionally faster than growth of 0.7 percent in December, an ECB statement said. When certain strictly financial transactions are stripped out from the loans data, the trend remained the same -- with credit accorded to households and companies up 0.6 percent in January, compared with 0.4 percent in December. The ECB has launched a raft of policy measures to get credit flowing, most significantly a massive programme to buy more than one trillion euros ($1.1 trillion) worth of public sector bonds to pump liquidity into the system.
The ECB already extended that programme by a further six months in a bid to drive eurozone inflation higher.
But ECB chief Mario Draghi has hinted that more stimulus measures could be on the cards in March if eurozone inflation does not pick up soon. Growth in the overall money supply, known as M3, accelerated to 5.0 percent in January from 4.7 percent in December, the ECB also said Thursday. The ECB regards M3 money supply as a barometer for future inflation.
Euro-area consumer prices rose less than initially estimated in January, increasing the pressure on the European Central Bank to take steps to sustain the region's recovery. The inflation rate was 0.3 percent, less than the 0.4 percent reported on Jan. 29, data from the European Union's statistics office showed on Thursday. ECB policy makers will review their stimulus package at a monetary-policy meeting on March 9-10, when they'll also release revised economic projections.
A commodity slump and a China-led emerging-market slowdown are weighing on global growth and damping price pressures. That's making the ECB's medium-term inflation goal of just under 2 percent harder to achieve, despite unprecedented measures including negative interest rates and a 1.5 trillion-euro ($1.7 trillion) bond-buying program.
While the revision wasn't major, persistent weakness "probably hurts long-term inflation expectations," said Jean-Francois Perrin, an inflation strategist at Credit Agricole SA's corporate and investment bank unit in Paris.
"It means clearly the ECB is not fulfilling its mandate in regard to inflation right now." The euro fluctuated after the report and was little changed at $1.1019 at 11:39 a.m. Frankfurt time. While inflation in January was still higher than the 0.2 percent registered the previous month, policy makers have said the rate may turn negative in coming months. Core prices, which strip out volatile components such as fuel, rose an annual 1 percent last month from 0.9 percent in December, Eurostat said. Energy costs declined 5.4 percent. An initial estimate for this month's inflation is due on Feb. 29.


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With the staying at home recommendations, and travel bans, the hospitality industry has been one of the most heavily impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, with lost revenue, fired personnel and even some of them closing altogether. To face the new circumstances, businesses have adapted in different ways to stay afloat in the middle of a recession and a future that still seems uncertain, and restaurants, hotels and tourism venues are no exception to this.
Increased sanitation measures on all surfaces, pickup services, and capacity restrictions were among the first steps taken by the industry in June 2020 during the pandemic first wave, however, with increased case numbers, those actions are no longer enough to inspire confidence in their customers, which is why a lot of business owners are wondering how to survive and keep the industry going.
Rely on Automation Tools
Staying at a hotel can take more than the usual check-in time, plus the time it takes to drive to the location. Nowadays, it is required that hospitality workers screen every client with a checklist that could protect the business and the customers. As soon as reaching the lobby, visitors are asked if they’ve been in contact with anybody who tested positive in the last 15 days, if they are coming from abroad, and if they’ve had any symptoms that could indicate that they may have the virus. Only after answering ‘no’ to all the questions, they are allowed to proceed with the usual registration. Experts in the industry state that these actions could take less time if they are automated. “Automation tools can be used for guest communication, staff management, pricing, payments, cleaning tasks and more. These tools streamline internal operations, save your team time on the most repetitive aspects of their jobs and speed up response rate, which ultimately results in positive guest experiences and glowing reviews.”, said the president of Guesty, Vered Schwarz, to Forbes recently.
Relying on automation can bring benefits for the industry, not only because it streamlines work processes, but also because it can alleviate the weight on human resources to clean, and screen clients before receiving them. According to a recent article by Brad Beumer from UiPath, the industry could benefit from making these changes, “automation technologies are not only a solution for addressing pressing challenges resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak but also optimizing customer-facing operations in the long-term. Together, these capabilities work to free up hospitality workers to focus on the more personable activities that attract guests and drive the industry forward”.
Build Trust Through a Commitment to Health and Safety
Another aspect businesses could focus on is in letting their customers know they are committed to health and safety. Since the desire for travelling and getting away from their daily routine hasn’t gone, and some might say it has increased due to the confinement, by conveying that there is guarantee of doing it in a secure way, clients will feel confident in purchasing the services that are being offered, while staying protected and healthy at the same time. The real estate professional Chris Bounds, stated to Forbes that companies need to demonstrate how they are being extra careful, and putting the health and safety of customers first. “Describe measures that are taken before, during and after guests arrive to help build trust with travelers.”
Make Strategic Forecasts
Trying to perform under a pandemic can be a challenge, especially without having a clear picture of the future. Nonetheless, businesses need to make strategic forecasts taking into account all the variables possible to be able to respond to different scenarios.
“Dan Hedeen advocates for starting with assumptions in the planning process. Tracking those assumptions over time can help to identify plans that won’t work very well. For example, if a plan is based on the assumption of accelerating e-commerce, that assumption can be monitored. If it turns out that people really want to go back into stores, and e-commerce levels off, it’s good to know that as soon as possible”, said Bill Conerly in a Forbes column.
Reevaluating the current method of work is another piece of advice experts suggest. “Get a sense of strategic forecasting. Think red, yellow, and green revenue outcomes at specific dates in the future. Then work backward from those outcomes in terms of investment and cost structure decisions today“, explained Clark Twiddy, from Twiddy and Company
Establish and Strengthen Client Relationships
Even though physical distancing has been the rule for more than a year, it doesn’t mean losing connection with customers and other businesses. Hospitality professionals can build resiliency by cultivating relationships. Keep clients updated on what’s going on and the changes you are making, and that might also inspire others and strengthen the connection while staying apart.
Focus on the Customer Experience
The hospitality industry revolves around the guest or customer, so going back to that in times of uncertainty is the more logical action. In the context of a pandemic, this means being able to adapt to the client’s needs, especially when the industry can’t do business as usual.
Yannis Moati, CEO of HotelsByDay, said recently to the Washington Post that “hotels are going to be, in our view, more flexible than ever. Whereas before they used to focus solely on overnights, post-pandemic they’re going to be much more flexible in their use of the space.”
Moati’s company lets people book rooms for part of a day, as a way to adapt. He mentioned that some hotels are renting some of their rooms as “gym rooms”, so customers can use a Peloton bike in privacy.
Create Multiple Revenue Sources
Reshaping the business goes in hand with diversifying the revenue sources, since having more services to offer will generate other income sources. This means the hospitality industry will need to go outside of its comfort zone to go the extra mile for the client. “Building up multiple sources of revenue allows for the distribution of risk and increased revenue. Think of things like repurposing shared spaces to co-working spaces, maximizing food and beverage offerings or outreach and integration in the community. Don’t just be hospitality, create options”, said Charles Argianas, from Argianas & Associates, Inc.
Rethink Existing Spaces
Rethinking the spaces means the rooms and services the business used to offer could adapt to offer a different kind of service to suit the customer’s needs. According to the Washington Post, some hotels are offering their rooms as office space to people who can’t work from home, and private dining rooms as an option to eating outside of your home, when restaurants are not open or a safe choice. “The ‘Work From Hamilton’ offer at D.C.’s Hamilton Hotel includes a Keurig coffee maker and a fax machine or printer upon request; prices start at $79. The Sawyer in Sacramento rents out pool cabanas for $150 a day for people who want to work poolside; lunch, water, Wi-Fi and parking are included.”
Diversify your Clientele
After reshaping spaces, and offering different services, the target audience of the business will expand, and the industry has to take advantage of the opportunity by addressing clients that otherwise wouldn’t have noticed them. As some have moved to open private in-person services, others moved to online resources that allow them to expand the scope of their market.
“Hospitality professionals are coming up with innovative solutions to think outside the box. As people continue to scale back their travel, the focus is on virtual. Professionals are utilizing unique features such as chefs providing cooking demonstrations or bartenders giving mixology lessons. Although not conventional, these alternatives will help the industry to continue to deliver key services.”, said Don Wenner, from DLP Real Estate Capital.
Prioritize Planning, Transparency and Communication
While the industry is facing a contingency and going through a transition, it’s important to remember that having a plan for every scenario might reduce the uncertainty inherent to the times, and will bring more fluent communication and transparency to the employees and customers. “With the uncertainty and misinformation surrounding the pandemic, building and showcasing trust with your customers will help you earn more business and thrive during the pandemic and well after.”, Ron Costa, The Eighty-Two Group.
Provide Incentives to Attract Consumers
Finally, hospitality professionals are always working on different ways to attract and retain customers and the pandemic is no exception. With social distancing and the fear of contracting the virus once outside of the house, businesses will have to convince their customers by providing a safe space, and something extra that they wouldn’t get under regular circumstances (aka pre-pandemic), a special discount, increased rewards, could go a long way right now in customer service.


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May News in Brief
♦ Schneider Electric has doubled the size of its motion and drives sales team in the UK to support its continued growth in this area. It says it has had an “exceptional” year, despite the downturn. It expects sales to be boosted further by the Altivar 32 drive that it is launching at the Drives & Controls Show in June.
♦ Machinebuilding.net has published the fourth edition of its free Guide to the New Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. The new edition is the first since the new Directive came into force last December, and has been updated with the latest guidance and sources of further information. It also highlights changes from the old Directive. Copies are available via www.machinebuilding.net
♦ Visitors to Leuze electronic’s stand at the Drives & Controls Show in June will have a chance of winning a one-day machine safety inspection, worth £750. One winner will be picked each day for the prize which will involve a visit by an inspector who will check whether their machinery complies with safety and quality standards.


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The biggest news out of Apple’s event yesterday was the debut of its wild iPhone X. Apple saved the device for last and took its time expounding the phone’s technical feats, yet the highlight of the presentation was far more carefree: an overview of animated emoji, a selfie portrait mode, and Snapchat filters.
The iPhone X represents, in Apple’s words, “the future of the smartphone.” Its Super Retina display has essentially no bezels. Its cameras are loaded with new hardware to support facial recognition, and the home button is replaced by gesture controls. Although it’s impressive to some, those details aren’t going to sell this $1,000 phone.
Most regular consumers don’t care about Apple switching to OLED or using a new processor. Instead, they’re interested in how this expensive device will improve their daily lives, one in which they’re frequently interacting with other people through social media. For this presentation, Apple talked directly to the young adults.
Apple needs the youths: they’re the epitome of cool; they set the trends; and they have disposable income. They’re crucial consumers, and Apple requires both their money and loyalty to succeed. The launch of the iPhone X yesterday made this point clear. What delights young people about iPhones? Apple knows the teens love emoji; they love to talk to their friends on iMessage; they loves taking selfies; and supposedly, they love Snapchat, too, especially the AR lenses. The new iPhone X is designed for them.
So of course, Apple partnered with Snapchat to launch lenses that show off its new depth-sensing cameras, including a glittery mask. With the phone fixed on his face, Craig Federighi, SVP of software engineering, pointed out the “detail over the eyes” and the “quality of the tracking.” I enjoy Snapchat because it provides an excuse to take a selfie, and with its presentation of the iPhone X, Apple fully recognized that its front-facing camera is as important as its rear-facing ones.
Phil Schiller, SVP of worldwide marketing, said during the event that, “people love to use [front-facing cameras] for taking selfie photographs.” He sounds desperately out of the loop, but he isn’t wrong. In response to this revolutionary human behavior, the company is now letting people use portrait mode, which blurs the background of an image, when taking a selfie. (No longer will we need to ask our friends with an iPhone 7 Plus to take our portraits on vacation.) The new portrait lighting mode will also work with selfies. That’s nice. Schiller calls these features a “breakthrough for photos you can take for selfies.” Again, he sounds out of touch, but it’s a valid point.
Apple also sold the phone through the availability of personalized emoji. “Many of us like to communicate with emoji,” Federighi said, and now, we can “breathe our own personality into our favorites.” You’re using emoji to talk to friends, and maybe they represent how you feel, so you might as well animate them in your likeness. They’re “so fun, you’ll want to share them,” Federighi said. You know who enjoys sharing? Young adults and influencers.
Diehard Apple fans track processor upgrades, Apple-made GPUs, and additional hardware, but Apple knows all it needs to do to sell phones is continue to make ones that take better selfies than last year’s model. The iPhone X epitomizes that strategy more than any iPhone before.


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P&G's goal is for such premium products as its Physique haircare line and Cascade Complete automatic dishwasher detergent to add 1% to 2% to its sales annually -- the same contribution expected from such areas as new brands and acquisitions.
Premium-price products have been a mixed success for package-goods marketers. Physique, which shattered mass-market haircare price points with prices of $7 or more per bottle when it was launched in January, has done well for P&G and is on pace to top $100 million in sales its first year.
And Gillette Co.'s Duracell Ultra, priced about 20% per battery above the base brand, saw its share of the $2.5 billion category rise 2.5 points to 10.5% in the third quarter, according to Merrill Lynch & Co., though the base brand's share was down 3.3 points to 41.8%.
But P&G's Pampers Rash Guard, priced as much as 50% per diaper above regular Pampers, never saw its share rise higher than 2.7% and fell to 1.9% as some supermarket retailers began delisting the line. Likewise, Bounty Rinse & ReUse, a stronger version of Bounty towels priced roughly 20% higher per sheet, reached only a 2% share in 1998, the year after its launch, and has since fallen to an 0.8% share.
Meanwhile, value brands and private labels have made inroads in some of the same categories. Following Wal-Mart Stores' launch last year of White Cloud disposable diapers and EverActive alkaline batteries, private label has picked up roughly a percentage point in each category in the past year.
The most consistent gainer in batteries in recent years has been Ray-O-Vac, a value brand that went from a 10.9% share in 1996 to 13% in the third quarter. In paper towels, the big gainer in the past year has been Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s Scott value brand, which, after getting its first media advertising in more than a decade starting in summer 1999, has seen its share of the $2.6 billion category grow from 4.7% in the second quarter of 1999 to 7.3% in the second quarter of this year.
ROLLBACK ON BOUNTY PRICES
In response, P&G last week announced it's rolling back prices on Bounty by 4.5% following a 9% price hike earlier this year.
Yet, even in private label, the trend has been toward more premium products. For example, Wal-Mart's White Cloud diaper is priced higher than P&G's Luvs value brand, and EverActive batteries are priced higher than Ray-O-Vac.
"We've seen in private labels more of a shift to premium products," said Todd Hale, ACNielsen Corp.'s senior VP-consumer analytics. "[House] brands that were out there to offer consumers a lower price are out there with a quality play, trying to compete better with the national brands. Higher-income consumers like saving money, too."


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- iPhone 14 series with Samsung, LG OLED displays And the BOE will be equipped
Last week Poe said that Luxshare will remain one of Apple's main suppliers for devices to be available by the end of 2022 to 2024. In addition, the company's augmented reality glasses will be introduced to users in 2024. now he has given us more information by saying that Apple augmented reality glasses have entered the design stage and a prototype will be ready by the end of this year. Also, according to this analyst, this product will reach the mass production stage in the second half of 2024.
Unlike Apple's augmented reality headset, which is rumored to be released later this year, augmented reality glasses will focus entirely on augmented reality technology and, according to one forecast, could replace iPhones within the next 10 years. This is one of the few news releases about Apple augmented reality glasses, as most of the news and rumors are focused on the American tech giant's augmented reality headset.
Apple's augmented reality headset will be equipped with two processors, a 5-nanometer chip and a 4-nanometer chip, each made by TSMC. In November, the well-known Apple analyst announced that the higher-end processor of this headset would have computing power at the level of the M1 chip for the Mac, while a weaker processor would manage aspects of the headset sensor. According to Mr. Koo, the Apple headset offers an innovative experience with seamless switching between augmented reality and virtual reality modes. He also added that Apple's headset will be two to three years ahead of competitors in terms of computing power.
Is. According to the latest information released by suppliers of these Apple products, these headsets have completed the second phase of their valid engineering tests to ensure that the prototypes of these products meet the objectives and design specifications of Apple.
- iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra; Examining Possible Differences
Apparently the three-dimensional sensors that Apple puts in its headset are designed to detect the slightest movement of the hands and fingers. Just as iPhone sensors can detect facial movements to create an animation, so will Apple's augmented reality headset be very careful in recognizing hand gestures.
This headset is working together to make its applications available to users when these headsets are unveiled. Apple's first augmented reality headset weighs between 300 and 400 grams. The American tech giant is also working on the second generation of these headsets, which will have a lighter body, a better battery and a more powerful chip, and will probably be available to users in 2024. Other rumors suggest that the first generation of these headsets uses at least 15 cameras in its structure, which can provide an indescribable experience to users.
Also last month, various news and rumors were published about the possible operating system of this product, RealityOS. Apparently, this trademark was registered on December 8, 2021 (December 8, 2021) and is in the category of peripherals, software and, most importantly, computer wearable hardware.
In addition to augmented reality glasses, Mr. Poe Regarding the iPhone 15 Pro models, he stated that it is not clear whether these phones use a periscope lens or not. With that in mind, the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to feature a new periscope lens, although this lens will only be available for Max models. It remains to be seen what other news will be released in the coming days.
- The new 15-inch MacBook with M2 and M2 Pro chips will be introduced in 2023


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Among Top 100 Etail Sites Only 9 Pct Using Responsive Design
Despite being a recommended mobile “best practice,” only 9 percent of the top 100 e-retail sites are using responsive design. That’s according to the latest edition of The Search Agency’s Mobile Experience Scorecard. Previously, the agency evaluated and ranked the mobile sites of the Fortune 100 and top 100 traditional retailers. In this ranking exercise, […]
Despite being a recommended mobile “best practice,” only 9 percent of the top 100 e-retail sites are using responsive design. That’s according to the latest edition of The Search Agency’s Mobile Experience Scorecard.
In this ranking exercise, The Search Agency considered a range of criteria, including site/page load time, site format, search box, shopping cart, sign in, social media buttons and app presence. Each category offered a potential score of five points. Those were then averaged to determine a total score.
The winners of the study were largely female oriented sites in the jewelry, health/beauty and apparel categories. Below are the top 32 mobile e-tail sites and their composite scores.
The top three were Nasty Gal, eBags and Zazzle. Amazon was ranked 15th. In an earlier study (Fortune 100) using somewhat different criteria, Amazon ranked 14th. Groupon, which says that more than 50 percent of its gross revenues come from mobile, came in at 43.
In the ongoing debate over the value of responsive design, it’s interesting to note that only 9 percent (9 sites) out of 100 had deployed it. The majority (59 percent) were using a dedicated mobile site, which also appeared to load considerably faster on average. Remarkably, nearly a third of these 100 e-tailers were still sending people to PC sites.
It would be very interesting to compare The Search Agency’s rankings with conversion data — if we had access to that — to see whether and how these various scoring criteria played out in actual sales.
- Report: REI Has Best Mobile Site Of Top 100 Retailers, Apple The Worst
- Most Of Fortune 100 Don’t Live Up To Google’s Mobile Best Practices — Even Google
- Is Adaptive Web Design Or RESS Better Than Responsive Design For SEO?
- Why Customer-Centric Mobile Optimization Matters
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


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A regulatory order from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has ordered all app stores in China to take down the mobile app of ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc. This development comes on the heels of the company’s debut in the New York Stock Exchange and an investigation by the aforementioned authority into the company’s operation.
For quite some time now, Chinese authorities have been holding crackdowns that have gravely affected the cryptocurrency and tech space. Big companies like Alibaba were not left out of this widespread regulatory dyspnea by Chinese authorities.
According to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) – the regulatory body that issued the ban against Didi, the ride-hailing giant was found guilty of dire violations in how the personal information of users was collected and used. The regulatory body, in a statement, required Didi to rectify these problems and also said that Didi was not to accept new customers until it completes its probe.
Commenting on the development, Martin Chorzempa – a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics said that “both the Ant IPO cancellation and this action on Didi show that IPOs can be very dangerous in China, shedding light on one’s scale and operations that invite regulatory scrutiny”.
Didi raised $4.4 billion from investors from its New York stock listing about a week ago and has a market value of $75 billion. Didi shares fell 5.3 percent after the announcement by the Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC) that it plans on reviewing the company.
With the ban, all app stores in China are to take down Didi’s app which translates to not being able to welcome new customers. Customers who, however, already have the app can keep on accessing Didi’s services, the company announced via social media.
Without elaborating, Didi mentioned that it will comply with the regulatory rules. The company also mentioned that it expects that “the app takedown may have an adverse impact on its revenue in China”. According to analysts, the app takedown should not affect the company’s earnings by much as its user base in China is large. They also believe that since the ban does not restrict existing customers, it shouldn’t be a major hit on the company’s revenue.
Founded in 2012, Didi is operational in more than 15 countries and reported $6.5 billion as revenue for the first quarter of this year.


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According to Sensor Tower data, first-time downloads of Brawl Stars increased 4.5x week-to-week in the United States following a real-life Squid Game video shot by YouTuber MrBeast.
Squid Game, a viral Netflix series that pits 456 players in a life-or-death game for a chance to win a cash prize of 45.6 billion yen, a life-changing amount for participants, aired in September 2021. The series became Netflix’s most-watched series, and since the show started, Netflix app downloads have increased by 30 percent month-on-month and 23.5 percent year-over-year.
YouTuber MrBeast capitalized on the popularity of the series with a real-life version. As with the series, 456 players participated in games featured on the show for a chance to win $456.000. Supercell, the publisher of Brawl Stars, sponsored the event.
Within six days of the YouTube video’s release, it reached 100 million views. Worldwide Brawl Stars downloads increased by 41 percent week on week to reach 1.4 million. The growth in downloads was led by the United States, where downloads increased by nearly 350 percent week-on-week to 263,000. Player spending likewise increased, with worldwide revenue rising almost 54 percent week-on-week to $8.2 million, while revenue in the US rose 65 percent to $2 million.
To date, Brawl Stars has amassed nearly 324 million downloads worldwide. Russia ranks as the game’s #1 download country with 38.6 million downloads, about 12 percent of the total. Brazil follows it at number 2 and Turkey at number 3. The US is #4 with 21.5 million downloads, 6.6 percent of the game’s all-time total.
Supercell’s hit game Brawl Stars has generated $1.4 billion in total player spending worldwide to date. The US ranks top in revenue, with $209.7 million in player spending, about 15 percent of the total. South Korea ranks 2nd in terms of income, while Germany ranks third.
Games that wanted to capitalize on the popularity of Squid Game dominated the market in October. Best applications such as Candy Challenge 3D by İdil Morgül, Cookie Carver by Azur Games, and 456 by Abi Game Studio were best worldwide. Last month, a total of 53.2 million downloads were achieved in the top 10 overall download rankings worldwide. While these games have been on the rise quickly, it seems as interest in Squid Game content continues after MrBeast’s video was a huge hit two months after its launch. Brawl Stars’ sponsorship of the event demonstrates that unique possibilities can generate solid synergies and the right partnerships.


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Senator Charles Schumer criticizes United and American airlines' plans to charge passengers for using overhead bin storage on flights
- Charles Schumer criticized United and American for charging for carry-on bags
- He fears everyone will eventually be charged extra for the service when flying
- Both American and United airlines announced plans for 'basic economy' tickets
- The new fares are to be rolled out this year, but only permit small items on board
Senator Charles Schumer has criticized the plans by United and American airlines to begin charging passengers for using overhead bin storage on flights.
Schumer fears that other airlines will follow suit and eventually all passengers would be charged extra to store carry-on baggage when flying, the New York lawmaker said on Sunday.
Both United and American announced recently that they would be introducing 'basic economy' fares, but the lower prices severely restricts what luggage is brought on-board.
New York Senator Charles Schumer has criticized the proposal put forth by United and American airlines to begin charging passengers for using overhead bin storage on flights
The airlines argue the new 'basic' fares are simply a way to give passengers a cheaper alternative to standard fares, which come with overhead bin privileges.
However, the tickets come with a catch.
Passengers who buy the 'basic economy' ticket instead of a standard economy fare can only travel with a single small item of carry-on luggage if it fits underneath the seat in front of them.
Both United and American airlines announced recently that they would be introducing 'basic economy' fares, but the lower prices wouldn't include any items larger than a backpack on board
American or United didn't specify how much the tickets would cost, just that in general they will be less than other main-cabin tickets
United Airlines says it will begin selling the cheaper ticket by the end of March for travel starting in late spring or early summer.
American said in January it will begin selling the new fare in February for flights at ten airports, then expand availability later this year.
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Microsoft has made it clear that the upcoming Xbox One console is much more than just a set-top box that plays games on a TV; it is also intended to be a full multimedia center. In addition to developing new games, Microsoft is working on new TV series that will be shown on Xbox Live, including one based on the Halo game franchise.
However, while the company has been quite busy announcing new games for the Xbox One, they have yet to make any official TV show announcements beyond the Halo series. Reuters reports that Microsoft Studios' Vice President, Phil Spencer, said today that the company is "very close" to making some new TV show announcements and that we can expect them to be revealed before the end of 2013.
So what will these Xbox One exclusive shows be like? In another interview with Bloomberg, Spencer says that their Los Angeles-based team "have literally hundreds of ideas that they are incubating right now." He also hinted in the Reuters interview that the shows will have some sort of interactive element - perhaps hinting at Xbox SmartGlass integration - but did not disclose details.
Aside from revealing that director Steven Spielberg will be an executive producer on the Halo TV series, Microsoft has not offered any other information on the show, including when it will begin production.


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Charts of the Day: China’s Movie Box Office Falls for First Time in Eight Years
Chinese movie theaters’ first half-year ticket sales fell for the first time in eight years, reflecting weakening momentum after years of white-hot growth.
Box office revenue slid 2.7% in the first six months to 31.2 billion yuan ($4.5 billion), the first decline since 2011, according to consulting firm EntGroup. The drop compares with a 9.4% drop in ticket sales in North America to $5.6 billion.
The number of Chinese moviegoers totaled 808 million in the first half, a drop of 90 million from the same period a year ago. Construction of new theaters also slowed, with 4,585 screens added during the first half, 207 fewer than in the previous year.
Industry analysts said that the long-running mismatch between the growth in theater screens and movies produced is also contributing to the cooling market. Chinese film production rose 45% between 2012 and 2018, compared with a more than fivefold increase in the number of screens, official data showed.
Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (firstname.lastname@example.org)
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- 4Alibaba-Backed Bike-Sharing Startup Hello Races for Electric Sales
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- 1Power To The People: Pintec Serves A Booming Consumer Class
- 2Largest hotel group in Europe accepts UnionPay
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- 4UnionPay International launches premium catering privilege U Dining Collection
- 5UnionPay International’s U Plan has covered over 1600 stores overseas


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Vickie Crews-Anderson
North American Wholesale Lumber Association Grows Annual Traders Market
Chicago, IL (November 11, 2015) – The North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA) held its annual tradeshow, the Traders Market, November 4-6, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. Since 1996, the Traders Market has held a unique position among building material tradeshows, focusing solely on the lumber supply chain.
“The Traders Market has become the best time to meet face to face with the people that we grow our business with,” said Matt Hamilton, General Manager of Klumb Lumber Company in Atlanta, Georgia. “The industry needs this event to help deepen relationships and build a level of trust that cannot be accomplished via email or telephone!”
The three-day event attracted 1,472 attendees, a three percent increase over 2014. Representatives from lumber wholesaler and manufacturer firms and providers of related services spent the majority of their time visiting current and prospective business partners on the tradeshow floor.
“NAWLA’s Traders Market is the premier forest products industry tradeshow, and this year’s event was a tremendous success,” noted Kip Fotheringham, Vice President of Hampton Lumber Sales Canada and 2015 Traders Market Committee Chairman. “The feedback we have received regarding the 2015 Traders Market and our Dallas location has been very positive. NAWLA is proud to offer such an outstanding event to our members and the industry as a whole.”
In addition to the networking opportunities available with the nearly 250 companies on the tradeshow floor, attendees learned valuable sales techniques from Jim Pancero and listened to a motivational keynote address by Connie Podesta. Both presenters were well received.
“The educational and opening lunch topics were wake-up calls. We always benefit from meeting our industry partners face to face,” said Carroll Korb, President of Forest Products Distributors, Inc.
The 2016 Traders Market, the 20th anniversary of the event, will be held at The Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 26-28, 2016.
NAWLA is the association that delivers unparalleled access to relationships and resources that improve business strategy and performance through sales growth, cost savings and operational efficiencies for wholesalers and manufacturers of forest products and other building materials that conduct business in North America. Learn more at www.nawla.org.


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Girl group ITZY is now the first girl group to have been selected as new global models for the cosmetics brand Maybelline New York.
- McDonald's To Introduce 'BTS Set Menu' aka 'BTS MEAL' In 49 Countries
- Song Kang Chosen As New Muse For Sunglasses Brand CARIN
- Park Seo Joon Chosen As New Muse Of Calvin Klein Jeans
On the 31st, Maybelline New York released campaign videos and photos with ITZY simultaneously around the world. ITZY works as a global model with model support Hadid and actor Storm Reed.
"We are very happy to have ITZY as a global model," said Tricia Ayagari, CEO of Maybelline New York. "ITZY's powerful energy and confident five members' different charms are expected to create synergy with Maybelline New York."
ITZY said, "We want to show our fans new and diverse challenges, as well as support them so that everyone can find a confident self."
In the released pictorial, ITZY has produced strong red lips and clear eye makeup. The video is available on Maybelline's official Facebook and YouTube channels.


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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a new proposal today that states that debt-collectors would no longer be allowed to call consumers multiple times a day and that consumers would have more ability to dispute their bills. Furthermore the new rules would require that “collectors […] have more documentation to prove a debt is owed, and initiate a 30-day waiting period for loans tied to someone who has recently died — halting all collection attempts from a spouse or child during that time.” These would be the biggest changes to the debt-collection industry since the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, passed by Congress in 1977.
Though this proposal will likely face strong resistance from the debt-collection agency and its Washington allies but as for now, the changes only affect third-party agencies. The Bureau’s director said that “This is about bringing better accuracy and accountability to a market that desperately needs it.”
You can read US News’ article here.


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Promotion of electric mobility among citizens and visitors of the City of Ettelbruck
The municipal administration of the City of Ettelbruck is in the process of replacing its old vehicles with new electric models. In the last three years, four electric vans have been acquired and each department has obtained one or more electric bicycles. They are used almost daily by the departments of the municipality.
The citizens of the municipality of Ettelbruck can benefit from subsidies for a bicycle or pedal-assist cycle. In addition, a charging station for electric bicycles on the Marie-Adélaïde square is currently being planned.


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10 Jun Life after Lockdown – Reopening Vietnam’s Economy
On April 23, Vietnam was the first country in Southeast Asia to begin easing lockdown measures after successfully controlling the spread of COVID-19. While many economies around the globe are roiling from the pandemic, Vietnam’s Prime Minister has set a growth target of around 5 per cent this year. This appears to be an ambitious target compared to the IMF’s projections of 2.7 per cent growth, although lower than the 2019 growth rate of 7 per cent.
Even before the pandemic, many were optimistic on Vietnam’s economic prospects. The US-China trade war had fanned investor interest in Vietnam. Companies had already begun shifting some of their production away from countries like China, in order to diversify their manufacturing base. The Covid-19 pandemic and the disruption of supply chains appears to accelerate this trend?
- What was the impact of COVID-19 on Vietnam’s economic sectors and what is the assessment of the government’s response?
- What are the expected drivers of economic growth in Vietnam and how will authorities balance health concerns?
- How will international relations affect Vietnam’s growth targets, especially with the shift in supply chains and Vietnam’s role as ASEAN Chair?
- Dr. Can Van Luc, Chief Economist, Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV)
- Mr. Doan Huu Duc, Founder and CEO, Vietnam Consulting Group
Topic: Life after Lockdown – Reopening Vietnam’s Economy
Date: Wednesday, 10th June 2020
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm (Webinar broadcast opens at 11:55am; Webinar commences at 12:00pm.)
11:55am Webinar broadcast opens
12:00pm Introductory Remarks by Ms. Seraphim Cheong
12:05pm Opening Remarks by Associate Prof. Simon Tay
12:10pm Remarks by Speakers on Life after Lockdown – Reopening Vietnam’s Economy
12:30pm Discussion and Q&A Session
12:55pm Closing Remarks
1:00pm Webinar Ends
This webinar is open to public. If you wish to express your interest in joining the talk, please kindly email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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France to triple investments in India
France says it will aim to triple the number of French companies that have invested in India within the next two years.india Updated: Oct 25, 2006 16:41 IST
France says it will aim to triple the number of French companies that have invested in India within the next two years.
This announcement was made by Nicolas Forissier, a junior minister in the French government at an India Business Meet held on the sidelines of Salon Internationale de Agroalimentaire (SIAL)—one of the world's largest food shows—in Paris on Tuesday.
"Today, there are about 270 French companies that have invested in India—from any sector of the economy. We would like to multiply this number by three times in the next couple of years and I would like to make sure that there is adequate representation from the French food processing industry in the new investments," Forissier told the gathering.
He said he would visit India twice between now and the end of the year to ensure that the target was met. "I will represent France at the Green Revolution meeting in November and again in December with a large delegation of small and medium enterprises from France for a weeklong visit," Forissier said.
The delegation, to be led by Christine Lagarde, the French trade minister, will have over 250 CEOs.
At the meeting, India's Food Processing Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, who is leading the Indian delegation at SIAL, announced that India would significantly increase its presence at the next fair, slated for 2008.
There are about 30 Indian companies participating in the current SIAL, with basmati rice producers dominating the list. Also present at the fair, which concludes on Thursday, are several producers of ready to eat foods, spices, curries and wines.
Sahay emphasised the need for greater cooperation between France and India in this key sector.
"We are a large agro economy and you have a lot of rich and varied experience in the food processing industry. This experience and the technology is what India needs today in order to optimise the use of its agricultural output," Sahay said.
He said the government had liberalised the sector very largely and that India was seeing large companies taking active interest in the food sector. "There is a lot of interest and a lot of potential for French companies to invest in this and benefit from the booming economy," Sahay said.
Earlier, the two ministers toured the fair and the Indian pavilion. Sahay had also met the senior management of Carrefour, the largest French retailer, which is now eyeing India.
First Published: Oct 25, 2006 16:41 IST


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The other day it was reported that BLU had their smartphones delisted from Amazon due to “security concerns”, but it seems that these issues have since been resolved because in a tweet by the company and a confirmation by Amazon to Tom’s Guide, it looks like BLU’s smartphones have since been relisted.
For those hearing about this problem for the first time, apparently this was based on a report from a security firm who found out that BLU’s smartphones was apparently sending data back to China. This isn’t a new issue and back in 2016, BLU stated that this was due to a third-party app that came bundled with the phone, and that they would be replacing the app in future releases.
The recent report from the security firm had suggested that maybe it hadn’t, which caused Amazon to pull the plug on BLU’s smartphones. However like we said, whatever the issue might have been has been resolved. Amazon told Tom’s Guide that they have since been in talks with BLU which is why sales of the phone have resumed.
An Amazon spokesperson was quoted as saying, “If we receive information that could potentially impact our customers’ experience, we may temporarily make a product unavailable for purchase. Based on communication with the manufacturer, BLU Products, we have resumed selling BLU devices on Amazon.com.” On BLU’s end, they are calling this issue a “false alarm”.


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Most Popular in:
New in Manufacturing (page 13 of 59)
Nov 25, 2013 | 01:37 PM CST
By: Alisa Marie Beyer
When it comes to beauty, a good idea may get your new brand kickstarted, but it’s concept testing that gets you to the finish line.
Nov 18, 2013 | 03:22 PM CST
Luxe Pack New York and Luxe Promo New York, which will be held May 14 and 15, 2014, at Pier 92 in Manhattan, will give brands an opportunity to source both packaging and merchandise solutions under one roof with this new area.
Nov 18, 2013 | 02:36 PM CST
By: Darrin C. Duber-Smith
Standards for organic or natural products are largely the same, although some pertain to “natural” while others do “organic.” Each program and seal is intended for a given region, which should be taken into account when targeting specified markets. Here, the author reviews the most recognized natural and organic certifiers and seals around the globe.
Nov 18, 2013 | 12:15 PM CST
Attendance rose 6% from the 2012 Luxe Monaco, helping to usher in an event filled with fulfilling networking, product development, discovery and innovation.
Nov 12, 2013 | 10:39 AM CST
Showcases from Luxe Pack, Mascara, Fragrance, Brushes, and More Beauty Packaging News and Launches for Early November 2013
Catch up on the latest from Aptar, MWV, HCP Packaging, Lumson, Anisa International, Chicago Paper Tube & Can Company, Qosmedix, Quadpack, and more.
Nov 07, 2013 | 01:51 PM CST
Starting in June 2014, China plans to remove its mandatory animal test requirements for domestically manufactured cosmetic products.
Nov 01, 2013 | 09:49 AM CDT
The awards ceremony coincided with the recent Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, Europe, held in Paris.
Oct 31, 2013 | 04:37 PM CDT
By: Sheila Heath
With the holiday season fast approaching, it's a good time to once again consider specialty packaging, and it's always a good time to create better brand engagement through packaging options such as specialty shapes and finishes.
Oct 31, 2013 | 03:06 PM CDT
By: Lisa Doyle
Innovative packaging for each season keeps beauty brands fresh.
Oct 29, 2013 | 11:59 AM CDT
Innovation from Monaco, Lipstick Packs, and More Beauty Packaging News and Launches for Late October 2013
Discover new packaging innovations launched at the 2013 Luxe Pack Monaco, as well as news from Anisa International, Aptar, Topline Products, OekaBeauyt and more.


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Optimist Club Thrift Store reopens with sale
By PAMELA GRANT
The Optimist Club’s Thrift Store reopens its doors on Friday, Jan. 27 and is having a huge blowout sale at 332 Cove Terrace Shopping Center, next to the Coryell County Tax Office in Copperas Cove.
After closing shortly after Christmas and remodeling, the Thrift Store is ready to open with a bang while they raise funds for the community.
Outside the store, they will have a “fill a bag for $1” sale and inside the store, they will have a “fill a bag of clothes for $2” sale. They will be giving away gingerbread houses while they last.
Store hours are Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The store now accepts credit cards as well as cash.
Another new addition to the store is a consignment area. The store takes 25 percent of sales and checks are paid to consigners on the 2nd Wednesday each month.
“The Thrift Store is an ongoing fundraiser for the Optimist Club,” explained Tanja Ridings, store manager. “We only exist from donations. The money that we take in goes to Saint Jude’s, Blue Santa, we adopted the high school band, we help families in need. There’s just so much on the list…All of us are volunteers, so nobody here gets paid.”
The store is run solely through volunteers and most of the work is done by just three women, Tanja Ridings, Linda Makinson, and Mary Dias.
“We really enjoy this place,” said Ridings. “We’re like a little tightknit family.”
Ridings said that she’s especially happy for all the help Makinson and Dias provide.
Those looking to complete community service hours can find volunteer opportunities with the Thrift Store.
“We always need volunteers,” said Ridings. “We’re always looking for someone to fit into our tightknit family.”
Ridings said that while they were closed, they completely revamped the store which was a lot of work. Ridings was proud of how nice the store looks after their revamp and hopes that lots of people will come and check out their shop and take advantage of their cheap prices.
Those looking to donate can do so during regular store hours. If you need to drop something off during other hours, they request that you text them at either (254)-781-9331 or (254) 206-1722.


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On Oct. 1, Calgary-headquartered WestJet Cargo will begin transitioning domestic cargo sales ops to a newly established in-house sales team. Previously, domestic and Canadian export sales were handled through a GSA partner.
Growth of the internal cargo team follows WestJet’s January decision to increase the visibility and expectations of its cargo division by bringing it under the “commercial” umbrella. Until last year, WestJet Cargo was part of the carrier’s “operations” unit. The move was made in parallel with the delivery of the carrier’s first three of ten 787-9 aircraft it has on order with Boeing. WestJet will continue to rely on its GSA partners for international sales in Europe and elsewhere.
Although WestJet has deep roots in cargo that have historically centered around a large fleet of narrowbody and regional aircraft, comprising of 119 737s and 47 Q-400 turboprops with just a few 767-300s, the 787s chart a course for the carrier’s further international expansion.
“As we look forward to the growth of our widebody network, we are going to be expanding our footprint internationally,” Tim Croyle, VP & GM WestJet Vacations and Cargo, told Air Cargo World. With a cavernous bellyhold, cargo has a greater potential to contribute more revenue per flight compared to WestJet’s narrowbody fleet. Insourcing the sales team was a logical step as WestJet looks to increase oversight and insights into its cargo business, Croyle said.
Unlike WestJet’s narrowbody aircraft, the 787s boasts a temperature-controlled section in the lower hold and can accommodate containerized freight. With the first three 787s now in service, the carrier is seeing a wider variety of commodities moving across its network. The new aircraft “have really allowed us to take a different place in cargo as it is all palletized,” said Croyle. “We’re now getting a lot of the perishables and live animals,” he added.
The widebody trio currently operates out of Calgary (YYC) and are utilized for flights to Europe, and for daily flight between YYC and Toronto (YYZ), which facilitates transit cargo. Next year WestJet will take delivery of three more 787-s, with four more to follow in 2021. “We then have another 10 options that we can exercise with Boeing, that we’ll decide on later on,” said Croyle.
Apart from equipment and a stronger sales force, Croyle expects cargo to benefit from the airline’s broader partnerships which could boost interline volumes moving through WestJet’s network. WestJet has already entered into a joint venture with Delta. “Once that is approved, that will open up some opportunities on the cargo side,” said Croyle. “We are also in early discussions with Air France-KLM for pursuing a trans-Atlantic joint venture.”
WestJet operates 23 cargo bases in Canada and 21 cargo stations across the United States, Europe and the Caribbean.2 - Readers Like This Post


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SEATTLE – A 106-year-old baseball card – one of perhaps a dozen of its type known to exist – is expected to sell for as much as $200,000 in a sports and historical memorabilia auction slated for Aug. 18 at MBA Seattle Auction House.
What makes the T206 white-border Joe Doyle card rare and valuable is not the player’s pitching record – he won only 21 games over five seasons – it’s the erroneous caption on the front of the card that makes it special. Below the image of Doyle, the I.D. states that he played for New York of the National League, but in actuality the right-hander pitched for New York of the American League.
Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.com.
“Once the error was discovered they pulled the (printing) plate, chipped off the ‘National’ part, put the plate back on and continued making what experts believe was 99.9 percent of the run,” said Grant Zahajko of MBA Seattle Auction House.
Only a few of the error cards have surfaced over the years.
“The card wasn’t even known to the hobby until the 1990s after a collector named Larry Fritsch discovered it, and then he didn’t tell anybody about the discovery for a while. I think he got his hands on three or four of them before it became public that there was an error-card variation,” said Zahajko, an auctioneer who has been cataloging sports collectibles auctions at MBA Seattle for 15 years.
This is the first T206 Joe Doyle error card Zahajko has ever handled.
“An elderly gentleman from the Midwest, who heard me talking about T206 cards on a podcast, called and mentioned that he had a whole album of antique baseball cards he wanted me to evaluate,” said Zahajko.
The caller said that his paternal grandfather had assembled the scrapbook in November 1910. The present owner had inherited the scrapbook many years ago upon the death of his father.
Following the conversation, the man shipped the album to the Seattle auction house. There, Zahajko leafed through its pages and marveled over the rare sports cards that had been pasted onto its pages.
“There was a Ty Cobb, a Walter Johnson, a lot of big names,” said Zahajko, who had recently reviewed “population reports” from grading services that track the number of rare cards in existence.
“Then I saw the Doyle error card, right in front of me,” said Zahajko. “I couldn’t believe it.”
The Joe Doyle error card is perhaps the scarcest of any from the white-border T206 baseball card series, which was produced from 1909 through 1911 for the American Tobacco Trust, manufacturers of Piedmont Cigarettes.
Zahajko has placed a “conservative” estimate of $100,000 to $200,000 on the card, which has been PSA authenticated and its condition graded 2.0 out of 10.
“For the most part, the rare Honus Wagner and rare Ty Cobbs are going to vary in condition between 2 and 3 if they’ve been handled or in albums,” said Zahajko, adding that the Doyle error card (below) suffers only from a minor bit of paper loss on the back, having been pasted into the scrapbook.
Fortunately for the owner, the card was attached using a water-soluble paste, which dissolved without causing any further damage, said Zahajko.
The top recorded price for such an error card, officially known as the “T206 Piedmont Joe Doyle N.Y. Nat’l Hands Up,” is $414,750. That particular card, which sold at a New Jersey auction house in 2012, was graded PSA 3 – one point higher than the example being offered by MBA Seattle.
“It’s really hard to know what a card like this will bring. It could have all the rarity in the world but the player is not a big name. We just don’t know what’s more important to collectors who are at that level,” said Zahajko. “Coin collectors tend to lean toward rarity – the number of coins known to exist – but baseball cards can be driven sometimes by the (players’) names.”
In any event, the Joe Doyle, N.Y. Nat’l card is considered king of the error cards.
“To the advanced collectors, if they’re going to have a complete set including all error cards, this is the toughest one of them all to find,” said Zahajko.
MBA Seattle Auction House’s Aug. 18 sale will also include the balance of the Ohio baseball card collection consisting of mostly T205 and T206 issues.
For additional information, contact MBA/Seattle Auction House by emailing email@example.com or calling 425-235-6345 or 425-277-7915.


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At a battery pack size of about 65kWh, the factory’s 100GWh per year capacity can satisfy 1.5 million cars per year.
The gentleman makes an excellent point – We in the West are not ready for what is about to come from China.
It is not just Chinese automobile companies, which are building state-of-the-art factories and turning out high quality vehicles. There is also the situation that companies like VW and GM are building more cars in China than in their home countries. Over time, they will become functionally Chinese companies.
Some years ago, there was a report of a new US battery company which started building factories in both the US and China simultaneously. The plant in China was producing product in 9 months. It took the factory in Michigan 27 months.
Over-regulation is going to condemn the West to poverty. Lawyers & politicians will be the end of us!


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Dealership inventory levels will remain at or near record lows for at least another year before they begin to make any recovery, and they may never return to previous levels that required sales incentives, said Jack Hollis, Toyota Motor North America’s newly minted head of sales.
Speaking Thursday during an Automotive Press Association event, Hollis — who succeeded Bob Carter in the top sales role in June — said demand is continuing to outstrip automakers’ abilities to produce enough vehicles to fill dealership lots.
“We’re going to be dealing with this for one more year,” said Hollis. “I do not believe we’re going to see growing dealer stock for one more year. I think we’re going to be in a situation, speaking for Toyota and Lexus, where whatever we wholesaled is what we’ll retail.”
Hollis said dealer inventories are likely to remain tight — he noted that Toyota dealerships have been down to a 36-hour supply at certain points recently — for the foreseeable future, but he said he doubted that any automaker would return to inventory practices that were commonplace before the pandemic.
“They just won’t,” Hollis declared, adding that the advent of widespread digital retailing tools has given consumers a level of comfort with ordering or buying vehicles that are still in transit or waiting to be assembled.
“It all comes back to what the customer is wanting and needing, and they’re getting very used to an online experience,” Hollis said. “The process of buying a car is different, even the pricing. Some of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the entire industry are occurring right now, and everyone’s buying a vehicle at MSRP.”
In other comments, Hollis reiterated Toyota’s belief in offering a wide range of electrified vehicles — hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric vehicles and those powered by hydrogen fuel cells — as the best way to reduce overall carbon emissions. He expressed skepticism that consumers would adopt BEVs at anywhere near the pace that government goals have suggested.
“In my experience over 31 years in this industry, when government and others start telling consumers what they must have, consumers start to push back,” Hollis said, adding that Toyota “may not move first, but it will move best.”
The longtime Toyota executive also said that the 2023 Toyota bZ4X electric compact crossover, which was recalled and which Toyota issued a stop-sale order on after reports from Japan that its wheels could come off, will be back on sale shortly.
“We’ve been working on it each week,” Hollis said. “I would expect we’ll have them back in market here pretty soon,” though he did not specify when. Toyota offered a series of make-goods, up to and including buying back the vehicle, after 260 bZ4Xs sold in the U.S. were recalled in June.
Hollis also was asked about his former co-worker, Jim Farley, who is now CEO of Ford Motor Co. Hollis and Farley worked closely during Toyota’s Scion experiment.
“Jim is one of the most brilliant automotive guys I’ve ever had a chance to work with; truly, the guy is great,” Hollis said. “He’s definitely taken a page out of the Elon Musk school of creating chatter and creating information out there that may or may not come true and may or may not come true at the same timeline that is out there.”
“But I’m going to tell you: The guy is brilliant, the guy is a great car guy, a great dude,” Hollis continued, “But let me tell you: Some of the things that were said? We’re still questioning it as well.”


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US-based foodservice company Aramark has secured a contract to manage food and beverage services at Harbor Yard Amphitheater (HYA) in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
As part of the deal, the foodservice firm will work collaboratively with HYA to develop a food and beverage programme. It will offer a range of local and on-trend menu options and amenities to customers visiting the concert venue.
The company will be responsible for various general concessions, clubs, suites and onsite catering, and special events at the venue.
Aramark Sports and Entertainment president Carl Mittleman said: “We’re excited to partner with the Harbor Yard team and are honoured to have been selected as the Amphitheater’s food and beverage provider.
“We look forward to working with HYA to deliver a line-up of dynamic food and beverage options that complement the overall venue experience, offering something for everyone.”
The company served as the foodservice provider for more than 150 sport and entertainment venues. With this expertise, it will offer HYA an enhanced food and beverage experience of the visitors.
Harbor Yard Amphitheater principal Howard Saffan said: “Aramark is the perfect fit. The Aramark team understands the need for quality, service and innovation, while focusing on locally sourced suppliers.
“Aramark creates unique food experiences that exceed expectations. That is exactly what we strive for at HYA; a premier entertainment experience memorable for all.”
The HYA is set to host an event in collaboration with Live Nation Entertainment and the City of Bridgeport in 2020.
Earlier this month, Aramark acquired app-based on-demand food delivery service Good Uncle, expanding its campus dining solutions.


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Ford is marking 20 years of Mondeo at Edgbaston ahead of tomorrow’s Twenty20 cricket final at the redeveloped stadium.
Since 1993 almost 1,400,000 Ford Mondeos across three major updates of the multi award winning large car have been sold in the UK. Mondeo has led different segments of the large car market for 14 of its 20 years – creating a sought-after group of “Mondeo Men” voters.
Two new Ford Mondeos are helping to celebrate the landmark – the £15,995 Graphite model and luxurious Titanium X Business Edition. While the Ford Mondeo Graphite redefines the car’s entry-level specification, the Mondeo Titanium X Business Edition from £21,995 includes chrome finished windows and grille outside and sumptuous full leather and seven-inch touchscreen infotainment inside.
Launched in 1993, the Ford Mondeo was the culmination of a five-year, £3 billion investment led by British chief engineer Richard Parry-Jones. Two decades later Ford’s flagship car remains a winner as the 2013 best family and best estate car according to What Car?
Ford Mondeo owners were quickly identified as part of the home-owning, aspirational middle Britain which Labour had to win over to seize power in the 1997 General Election.
From launch to the election Ford Mondeo sales consistently topped 100,000 a year in the UK. In 1997 Ford introduced the ST badge on an exciting new Sports Technologies derivative. The ST24 boasted a 170PS 2.5-litre 24-valve V6 and arrived on the road to coincide with Mondeo’s entry into the British Touring Car Championship.
A succession of sporty Ford Mondeos followed. The ST200 was named after the power output from the uprated 2.5 engine, which was then replaced in 2002 by the 150mph ST220 with 3.0-litre V6 24V engine. Actor Ray Winstone posed in moody promotional shots alongside the Ford Mondeo ST220, starting a ST association which saw Winstone star as Jack Regan driving a Flying Squad Focus ST in last year’s “The Sweeney” movie.
So strong is the British demand for fast Fords that the ST badge appeared on a diesel Mondeo to satisfy demand from company car drivers. The popular high-performance 2.2-litre Ford Mondeo ST TDCi with 155PS and 400Nm of torque had a top speed of 137mph.
By 2007 the Ford Mondeo, now in its third iteration, had grown by 40cm in length to 4.88 metres, and had become sufficiently imposing and high-tech to catch the eye of James Bond.
A new-generation top-of-the-range Mondeo with sports bodykit had to be hand built and shipped to the Bahamas for Daniel Craig’s Bond to drive to the island’s Ocean Club in “Casino Royale”.
Filming was in 2006, more than a year ahead of the Ford Mondeo’s UK launch. In the film Bond gets out of his Mondeo and walks away before turning to give the car an appreciative nod – a gesture of pride later reflected by thousands of customers once the flagship appeared in dealerships. Boasting a five-star Euro NCAP rating and a long list of new features for the Ford flagship, the new top-end Mondeo Titanium series was also launched – going on to account for 50 per cent of sales.
Interactive Dynamic Control, adjusting dampers 10 times a second to suit whichever of the sports or comfort settings had been chosen; Adaptive Cruise Control, which automatically maintains an appropriate gap to the vehicle in front irrespective of speed changes on the road; and Adaptive Lighting, which swivels the front lamps up to 15deg to cast extra light into tight bends, were just some of the industry-leading technologies arriving on new Mondeo in 1997.
While the Ford Mondeo may have grown in size since 1993, its fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have decreased. Today’s Ford Mondeo ECOnetic is capable of returning 65.7mpg and CO2 levels of 112g/km, compared with 36mpg from the first Mondeo diesel of 20 years ago. This efficiency, allied to its acclaimed ride and handling and space, sealed What Car? Green Awards for best family car for 2011 and 2012 – which was in addition to Mondeo’s overall What Car? best family car and estate hat-trick in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain chairman and managing director, said: “Ford Mondeo has become the benchmark for its class and the vehicle by which all cars of a similar size are judged. Over 20 years Mondeo has continued to evolve and offers best in class driving dynamics combined with excellent interior space, style and value. Howzat for a great start to an innings?”


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- Aims for EUR 200m+ revenue by 2025
- Targets EUR 10m-EUR 20m companies
- Sector could see merger of two large players
Duell [HEL:DUELL], a Finnish powersport equipment wholesaler, is working through a list of potential targets across Europe and could make acquisitions “in the near future”, CEO Jarkko Ammala told Mergermarket.
While organic growth is Duell’s focus, M&A is an important part of the company’s strategy as it aims to grow revenue above the EUR 200m mark by 2025, Ammala said. Duell reported EUR 77m FY21 net sales, with EUR 7.3m operating profit. In the first nine months of FY22, the company reported EUR 89.3m net sales, up from EUR 57.5m in the same period in FY21.
The EUR 55.62m market cap company predominantly seeks acquisitions that will bring new clients but could also consider companies that will expand its product portfolio, he said. It could also consider product brands, not only wholesalers and importers, he added.
Duell could acquire in markets where it is already physically present - including Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK (England), Germany and France -, or new undisclosed markets, he said. However, for the next fiscal year its plan is to focus on its existing markets and, while it will look for opportunities to enter new markets, it is unlikely to do so until the following year at the earliest, he added.
Any acquisition in the Nordics, where it already is a significant player, will need to bring in new product segments , he said. It could look to add bicycle products - which it currently only has in Finland - to its portfolio in other markets too, for example, he said.
Duell’s latest acquisition was Finnish wholesaler of bicycle parts Powerfactory Nordic, which it acquired for EUR 9.17m in May. The transaction expanded Duell’s product range into the bicycle segment for the first time.
The company’s sweet spot is targets in the EUR 10m-EUR 20m revenue range, Ammala said, adding it has previously acquired companies with approximately EUR 3m-EUR 4m, EUR 15m and EUR 25m revenues. It is interested in targets that are in good financial health and that have good working logistics chains, he said.
Duell scouts targets in-house but also regularly receives approaches from sellers or advisers, Ammala said. The company has participated in auctions but finds that valuations often creep up too high in structured processes, he said. In the case of its last four acquisitions – which it made in the last 14 months – Duell initiated talks with the targets, he said.
The company uses due diligence and legal advisers in transactions, he said. It has “continuous relationships with certain advisers”, he added without naming them.
So far, Duell has financed acquisitions from cashflow and has in some cases used earn-outs as part of the transaction fee structure, he said. It could also consider rights issues to raise funding for acquisitions, he said. The company has an idea of an M&A budget but can be flexible depending on opportunities, he added.
European market landscape and consolidation
While sponsors have actively invested in the sector over the past decade, the market remains fragmented with plenty of entrepreneur-owned companies that in many cases do not have a succession plan, he said. As well as Duell, there are three other large players that have a similar strategy of growing through market consolidation, he said, naming Belgium-based Bihr - acquired by US-based, Genstar Capital-backed Arrowhead in July, Dutch Powersports Distribution (PDG) Group and France-based Parts Europe. A merger between some of the larger players could also be possible at some point as the market develops, Ammala said.
Duell has approximately 235 full time staff. Its range of imported products includes all motorcycling, snowmobiling and boating equipment, accessories, and spare parts, as well as equipment, accessories, and spare parts for bicycling, ATVs/UTVs, mopeds and scooters.
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Nutreco has ended the process to explore a possible divestment of the compound feed and meat businesses in Spain and Portugal.
A comprehensive process determined that at the current time no agreement at a fair valuation and in the best interests of all stakeholders can be reached. Accordingly, these Spanish and Portuguese businesses will remain part of Nutreco.
Driven by its strategic focus on the growth segments Animal Nutrition and Fish Feed, Nutreco initiated a strategic review of its Spanish and Portuguese compound feed and meat businesses in 2013. After carefully reviewing strategic opportunities for these businesses, Nutreco announced an intended divestment in February 2014. A thorough process was undertaken, during which discussions took place with several interested parties. Nutreco continuously operated with the clear intention that any valuation for the businesses should reflect their market-leading positions, solid financial results and future potential. As these discussions developed, it became clear that no fair valuation could be obtained at the current time. In the best interests of Nutreco’s shareholders and in order to bring certainty to its employees, customers and other stakeholders, the divestment process has been halted, the company announced in a statement.
Both the Spanish and Portuguese businesses will remain part of Nutreco as a new and separate Business Unit Compound Feed & Meat Iberia. These businesses are well-managed, combine market leadership with operational excellence and are cash generative. The new Business Unit will be led by Javier Rodriguez Ceballos, who will report directly to the CEO of Nutreco.
The Spanish and Portuguese businesses comprise Sada which is Spain’s market leader in poultry meat products with a 26% market share, the Nanta compound feed business in Spain and Portugal with a 13% market share, and Inga Food which operates pig farming and trading activities in Spain. Sada will continue to improve its footprint in the retail and food service channels and will focus on fresh packed and value-added poultry products that offer the best growth opportunities.


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AFTER months of uptick, the inflation rate has slowed down at 6 percent for the month of November, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported yesterday.
The year-on-year inflation slowed down from 6.7 percent in October 2018, the lowest rate since the 5.7 percent rate in July.
The month-on-month inflation declined 0.3 percent from the same period last year.
In a statement, it said that the slowing down of inflation proved the efficacy of anti-inflationary measures taken by the government and pointing to continuing reduction going forward.
“It is comforting for us that the slowdown will alleviate the struggles of poor Filipinos, especially now that the holiday season is just around the corner,” the PSA said. “This is a positive development in the government’s commitment to manage inflation.”
It added: “This makes us even more determined in curbing inflation and enforcing all measures to guarantee food security.”
The year-to-date inflation as of November 2018 normed 5.2 percent, 1.2 percentage points above the high end of the government’s inflation target range of 2.0 to 4.0 percent, but slightly below the 5.3 percent emerging forecast of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages continue to be the main drivers of inflation. Last month, it decelerated to 8.0 percent from 9.4 percent in October 2018.
This was, however, significantly higher than the 3.0 percent in November 2017.
Food inflation slowed to 7.7 percent in November from the previous month’s 9.2 percent. This was caused by the improvement in the supply of key agricultural commodities such as rice, fish and seafood, meat, vegetables, corn, and fruits.
The PSA however pointed out that the mitigating measures by the government, including Administrative Order 13, issued by the President should be continuously implemented and strictly monitored.
Rice prices are expected to go down further with the passage of the rice tariffication bill in Congress but the measure opens the rice market to qualified players, should be coupled with the full operationalization of the National Window System to allow seamless imports processing and to avoid unwarranted delays.
“We are optimistic that inflation will stabilize further in the near term. But we will keep a vigilant eye on upward pressures such as volatility in the global oil market,” the PSA said.
“Managing inflation expectations, however, is crucial. We ask the business sector to avoid any unwarranted price increases as experienced during the rollout of the first tranche of fuel excise tax increase,” it added. “But we urge the public to be on the lookout and report any profiteering activities. We assure everyone that we will follow through with our efforts to maintain price stability and raise the quality of life of every Filipino.”/PN


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The Twitter ecosystem just continues to grow. The company announced in a blog post on Monday that there are now more than a million registered Twitter apps, up from just 150,000 apps a year ago.
Twitter said these apps are created by more than 750,000 developers, and a new app is added every 1.5 seconds. On top of that, investors have poured more than $500 million into companies involved in the ecosystem, and more than a billion dollars worth of acquisitions have been made, Twitter says. The app categories that have grown most notably are analytics, curation, and publishing tools.
Twitter also launched a new developer portal on Monday to provide better support to the ecosystem. Launched using Drupal, the new dev.twitter.com features discussions, a developer blog, more user-friendly documents, an improved apps manager, and enhanced search.
Despite the impressive growth the ecosystem has had in the past year, Twitter's relationship with the third-party developer community hasn't always been smooth sailing. In March, Twitter's director of platform Ryan Sarver told developers to stop making apps that "mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience," undercutting some of the competition that comes from these third-party devs.
Recently, Twitter has made several moves that indicate it could be attempting to create different aspects of the ecosystem itself. Twitter started making its own official app last spring after it acquired iPhone client Tweetie. Earlier this year, Twitter bought TweetDeck, which was previously the number one app created by a company other than Twitter. Last week, Twitter announced that it had snapped up social analytics company BackType. There has been speculation in the past that Twitter would build its own analytics tool, and this recent acquisition could suggest that there's truth to that rumor.
Aside from predictions about Twitter's plans for the future of the space, the company says app developers are key to "helping people get the best out of Twitter."