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The shifting power dynamics of news on the Web
Monday, December 11, 2017 by Andrew Betts
Over the last several years, control of news on the web has drastically shifted. Social networks and search are increasingly how we find content, and our old loyalties to our favorite publications are giving way to consumption of content from varied and ever changing sources. Large, respectable publishers are still vital to a healthy news industry and indeed a healthy d...
Making in-app purchase whales is more expensive than you think
Friday, December 01, 2017 by Xavier Cramer
Not so long ago, businesses would drive traffic to websites without any concept of what people did once they got there. This traffic could be paid for on a cost-per-click basis and it was relatively cheap. Then we clued into the fact it was possible to track what visitors actually did on websites and equate that in terms of value to the business. The real value of websi...
The mobile printing six best practices for developers
Monday, August 14, 2017 by Patrick Chen
When creating apps, a developer works hard to ensure optimal functionality and a great user experience - so it's critical that an app is truly the best it can be for its audience. These days, ensuring functionality and engagement means adding mobile print to an app. Mobile printing is an unmet need in many apps: According to an InfoTrends study, 95 percent of consumers ...
Mobile rewarded ads help increase IAP spends shows study
Tuesday, August 01, 2017 by Richard Harris
Rewarded videos inside games and apps can be a double edge sword. Give "something" to a user for watching a video is a gamble because it's hard to decipher how users will react. It's an obvious thought to wonder if rewarded ads take revenue away from In-App Purchases (IAPs). But new data out today from Tapjoy shows that rewarded ads actually help increase IAP ...
The best month to acquire users is in September finds new report
Wednesday, June 21, 2017 by Christian Hargrave
Liftoff, a mobile app marketing and retargeting company, has released a new report providing surprising insight into behaviors and trends in the rapidly growing world of mobile shopping. The data reveals the best month to acquire users is in September, ahead of the holiday shopping frenzy, and also examines geographical differences in mobile user engagement between Nort...
How to increase app revenue by using analytics
Wednesday, March 01, 2017 by Richard Harris
Editors note: Guest submission by Mark Rosner, CRO of AppLovinYou wouldn’t create a website without at least one line of code for Google Analytics. So why would you create an app without it? Analytics might seem like an obvious element to incorporate into app development, but I’m still shocked that I regularly meet developers who don’t use analytics at all, or bare...
Overcoming the app marketing sticking point
Monday, February 06, 2017 by Richard Harris
Driving installs is undoubtedly an important metric for any company to track. However success goes beyond just the download. In fact, more than two-thirds of users delete an app within one week of downloading it. Because of this, app developers are tasked with keeping users loyal and engaged over the long-term, which is not guaranteed by the single action of an install....
Report finds American gamers more likely to buy in-app purchases than anyone
Thursday, January 12, 2017 by Richard Harris
New Liftoff report says that gamers in America are more likely to make in-app purchases than anywhere else, including EMEA and APAC users.The new report analyzed millions of post-install events within gaming apps to uncover some surprising data around mobile gamer engagement across gender, geography, seasons and sub-category of game.Here's a highlight of some ...
Cross channel game advertising and the holistic approach
Thursday, December 01, 2016 by Richard Harris
Surprisingly for a mobile-centric world and an industry dominated by mobile games, game marketers are still spending a hefty amount of marketing dollars on television ads. TV isn’t dead yet, but ‘cord-cutting’ is a phenomenon among the millennial generation that can’t be denied. For those still tuned in to TV programming, their attention is increasingly divided bet...
You will pay 22 percent more to acquire users in swing states right now
Wednesday, November 02, 2016 by Richard Harris
Liftoff just released new benchmarks examining the mobile behaviors of Republicans and Democrats by state. The data highlights the key differences in mobile marketing trends across red (Democratic-leaning), blue (Republican-leaning) and swing states (those with support for both parties) to underline the mobile divide between parties. Most notably, the data indicate...
Yahoo Mobile Developer Suite adds two new key ingredients
Thursday, October 27, 2016 by Richard Harris
Flurry Analytics has announced the availability of two advancements to the Yahoo Mobile Developer Suite, Crash Analytics 2.0 and Revenue Analytics.Crash Analytics provides developers information about application crashes, exceptions and errors log, all in real time. This functionality is vital for determining the root cause of any issues quickly, while keeping apps runn...
From installs to value: three trends in the age of app marketing
Thursday, October 20, 2016 by Brendon Kraham
Mobile apps are ubiquitous. We live in a world where there are over four million apps to choose from and where attention spans are shorter than ever before. As a result, it is becoming increasingly more important for marketers to understand the critical moments of engagement that are happening in the palms of users’ hands.Over the past decade, app developers banked on t...
Help for app marketers during the coming holiday rush in the app store
Friday, October 14, 2016 by Richard Harris
AppsFlyer has released their study, App Marketing Best Practices for the 2016 Holiday Season, to guide app marketers' strategies to win the holiday rush. The study focuses on two key app categories: shopping and gaming, and highlights the differences in behaviors between iOS and Android users. The data to inform the study was pulled from 50 million app installs in the U...
Shopping apps that target women will see better profits says new report
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 by Richard Harris
Liftoff has released its annual Mobile App Engagement Index, highlighting trends in how consumers engage with apps and mobile marketers acquire new users. The report highlights gender differences in mobile shopping and gaming in-app purchase behavior, plus other general findings such as seasonality trends. The major takeaway from the data in Liftoff’s App Engagement Ind...
In-App Print Capabilities: What it Means and Why It Matters
Friday, September 23, 2016 by Steve Kim
The realm of mobile development has come a long way, and it’s only getting better – just ask Gordon Moore.Moore, one of the founders of Intel Corporation, came up with an eponymous rule of thumb in 1965 called Moore’s Law. App developers are all familiar with this simple rule – if not by name, then by understanding; its basic tenet has driven the computer industry for 5...
Six Steps to Increased App User Engagement
Thursday, February 25, 2016 by Anton Tyrberg
Driving and increasing app user engagement is a challenge for every app developer, but there’s a fine line between bombarding users with ads and messages and providing them what they need, when they want it. Mobile device proliferation in the past several years puts the smartphone at the center of the technology universe. For many, smartphones are the go-to device ...
New Report Highlights the Monetization Value of Repeat Mobile Game Users
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 by Stuart Parkerson
In its Q1 2016 Mobile Gaming Insights research SOOMLA is reporting that game users who completed an in-app purchase in one game are six times more likely to pay in another game, compared to users who haven’t made a purchase. Also those users who paid $25 or more in one game are 40% more likely to pay in a second game.The research is derived from game play from over 20 m...
A Recap on the Highlights for App Monetization for 2015
Thursday, January 21, 2016 by Richard Harris
2015 saw the app markets continue to grown, driven by the two top players, Apple’s iOS and Google Play. App Annie has just published its annual review of the top app marketing and app monetization trends for 2015.The report shows that, when considering the two top app stores, iOS saw significant increases in worldwide revenue from gains in China, the United States and J...
Mobile Advertising Predictions for 2016
Wednesday, January 06, 2016 by Stuart Parkerson
We recently hosted a Q&A with members from Fiksu’s executive team who offered their predictions on mobile advertising for 2016. Included in the Q&A were Fiksu’s Tom Caputo, Chief Product Officer; Benjamin Hansz, VP of Client Management; Claire Oliverson, Director of Product Marketing; Craig Palli, CSO; Pat Eichmann, Senior Director of Sales West; and Tom Cumming...
Windows Dev Center Rolls Out New Age Rating Process and Other Updates
Wednesday, December 02, 2015 by Richard Harris
The Windows Dev Team is rolling out several updates for how developers work within the Windows Dev Center including a new age rating system, new app promotion and monetization opportunities and updates to the Windows developer agreementNew Simplified Age Rating ProcessIn December Microsoft will begin the rollout of a new process to simplify obtaining age ratings for app...
Marmalade Offers New Backend-as-a-Service for Cross Platform Game Developers
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 by Stuart Parkerson
Marmalade is now offering Marmalade Game Services offering a new backend service powered by GameSparks, a cross platform Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider for games. Through the GameSparks platform and integration via their C++ SDK, Marmalade Game Services allows developers to build the server-side features of their game, offering the ability to connec...
5 Things for Developers to Know About iOS 9
Tuesday, September 08, 2015 by Basil Shikin
With the release of iOS 9 just around the corner, it’s crucial that app developers be proactive about what the release means for security, understand what will now be possible in terms of app thinning, and make the most of other improvements that will enhance user experience and/or increase user engagement. Here’s what I think are the most important things about iO...
Unreal Engine 4.9 Release Offers Game Developers 129 Improvements
Tuesday, September 08, 2015 by Stuart Parkerson
Epic Games has released Unreal Engine 4.9 offering 129 improvements to its gaming engine which is designed to accelerate developers’ productivity for creating high-quality games and applications, training simulations, 3D visualizations, digital films and animated entertainment. Improvements span across PC, mobile, console and VR.For mobile devices, new additions include...
Targeting Your Way to Successful App User Acquisition
Tuesday, August 25, 2015 by Maggie Mesa
“Build it and they will come” just doesn’t work when it comes to mobile applications. With 1.2 million apps available to download in the iTunes App Store, the competition is fierce. And to generate revenue via advertising, app developers must first drive users to download their apps. But when developers don’t have multi-million dollar advertising budgets, a few bas...
Windows and Windows Phone Store Trends for First Quarter 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015 by Richard Harris
Microsoft has released the latest Windows Store trends across categories, markets, and more for Q1 2015. Microsoft provides the quarterly analysis to help app developers understand general trends can help determine what types of apps to build or where to focus development efforts. Data from the Windows Store is presented alongside Windows Phone Stores.Windows and Window...
Play Games Player Analytics Are Now Live On The Google Play Developer Console
Wednesday, April 08, 2015 by Richard Harris
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC), Google announced its new Play Games Player Analytics service, a set of free reports to help developers manage their games business and understand in-game player behavior. Now the service has officially been released and is available through the Google Play Developer Console.Developers whose game is integrated with Google Play gam...
Google at GDC 2015 Launches New Tools for Android Development Monetization, Analytics and TV
Tuesday, March 03, 2015 by Stuart Parkerson
Google has introduced new tools and features for Android developers at its Developer Day during the Game Developers Conference. The new offerings include analytics for Google Play Games, new advertising options for AdMob and a Nearby Connections API for Android TV. Google has introduced Player Analytics, giving developers access to Android analytics repor...
Fuse Powered Launches Monetization Engine for Mobile Gaming Developers
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 by Stuart Parkerson
Fuse Powered has launched a new player-centric monetization engine for mobile gaming that supports the entire player lifecycle, giving publishers the opportunity to monetize each install. The Fuse platform combines in-app purchases and ad monetization capabilities to deliver offers targeted to players based on in-game behavior.Fuse allows mobile game publishers to segme...
Reporting Changes to Windows Phone App Downloads and In App Products Reports
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 by Stuart Parkerson
The Windows Dev Center has announced that Windows Phone download and in-app purchase reports have been optimized to deliver information faster. The team released this change for Windows in December and is now are aligning these improvements to Windows Phone. App developers will now see transaction data no more than 2 days following the transaction itself and in man...
Unity Analytics Services in Beta for iOS and Android Game Developers
Saturday, January 24, 2015 by Richard Harris
Unity is releasing in beta its new game analytics services, Unity Analytics (formerly Playnomics). Unity Analytics gathers data from a Unity game and transfers that data to a cloud-based datastore. From there, Unity’s segmentation technology processes and analyzes the data which is then delivered to the Unity Analytics Dashboard.The web-based dashboard allows developers...
Windows App Store Announces Latest App Download and Monetization Trends
Saturday, December 27, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
The Windows Development Team has released its latest report in a recurring series that provides details about recent Windows App Store trends across categories, markets, and more. Data from the Windows Store is included with Windows Phone Store, to provide information about apps regardless of the devices targeted.This latest update includes several new analyses includin...
Playrific Introduces Playrific 2.0 B2B Mobile Publishing, Data and App Creation Platform
Monday, December 01, 2014 by Richard Harris
Playrific, publishers of popular kids' apps introduces Playrific 2.0, a new B2B mobile publishing, data and app creation platform today. The launch involves its patent-pending platform offering in which partner brands can access real-time COPPA-compliant intelligence to involve faster, fully targeted consumer communities. Playrific currently has been funded with $4...
Think Users Don't Pay for Apps? Think Again, Over 40 percent Of SmartPhone Owners Have Paid Apps Report Finds
Thursday, September 25, 2014 by Richard Harris
It’s generally accepted in the mobile app industry that consumers are now conditioned to downloading apps for free, there still are a number of smartphone users that have downloaded a paid app.A recent study by Branchfire, makers of the Folia and iAnnotate apps, was conducted in July on consumer attitudes towards the cost of apps. Respondents included over 2,0...
App Previews Will Become More Important Than Screenshots In App Marketing For iOS
Thursday, September 18, 2014 by Richard Harris
iOS 8 is out and along with the plethora of changes for consumers there is a new level of commitment each app developer with an app published should consider. That is creating an App Preview for your app. Hint: These will become the staple of marketing an iOS app very soon.What exactly an "App Preview"? It's essentially a short video presenting a demo of your app to the...
What Mobile Developers Need to Know About UK Free to Play Regulatory Focus
Thursday, September 04, 2014 by Luke Moulton
The online and app-based games industry has exploded in recent years. Many gaming companies have developed games which follow a free-to-play (F2P) format. The most common F2P model adopted is the freemium model.The growth of freemium games has undoubtedly entertained millions of gamers and has been a profitable route to market for many gaming companies. Consumer complai...
New Marmalade 7.4 SDK Optimizes Cross Platform Development for Windows Phone 8.1 and iOS 8/Xcode 6
Wednesday, September 03, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Marmalade has launched the latest edition of its cross-platform app development tool with the release of Marmalade 7.4.The updated SDK includes a number of new features to assist developers in deploying their apps to a broad range of platforms. Marmalade uses a core C++ tool to give game developers the ability to publish native like performance for games in the app stor...
Tapjoy Adds New Life Time Value(LTV) Platform with Purchase of 5Rocks
Wednesday, August 06, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Tapjoy, a mobile ad-tech and monetization platform, has announced it has purchased 5Rocks, a company that provides a platform for lifetime value (LTV) maximization, analytics and marketing automation.Tapjoy says the acquisition will allow it to offer a more complete mobile analytics, marketing automation and ad-based monetization solution for mobile freemium a...
New Regulations to Protect Kids Is Driving Change In the Mobile App Industry
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
The European Commission is reporting that Google has agreed to change the way it designates free apps. This is following what the Commission has said have been a large number of complaints in EU countries concerning in-app purchases in online games and in particular, inadvertent purchases by children.According to a recent EU commission announcement, “Google has dec...
Why Mobile App Marketing Matters, And What You Can Do About It
Monday, July 21, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Your app’s success is dependent on two really important things: analytics and marketing. Which means you need to be sure you are choosing the right tools to track user interactions, launch messaging campaigns, optimize acquisition spend, and dynamically optimize your marketing efforts based on detailed analytics. So, how do you choose the right platform to suit your nee...
What’s in the New Google Play Services 5.0 Announced at Google I/O
Thursday, June 26, 2014 by Richard Harris
At Google I/O a new version of Google Play services was revealed that brings new capabilities and the latest optimizations to devices across the Android ecosystem. Here is what Google says about the New Google Play Services 5.0:Services for Android wearables: Apps can more easily communicate and sync with code running on Android wearables through an automatically s...
Amazon Working on Mobile Associates API for iOS App Developers: Looking for Beta Testers
Thursday, June 12, 2014 by Richard Harris
Amazon is exploring integration of the Mobile Associates API into iOS apps. They are in the planning stages of launching a beta program and are encouraging iOS developers to apply now to participate in the upcoming program. Participants will be selected based on their use case and willingness to provide feedback. As a beta tester, developers will receive early acce...
Five Solutions for Common App Development Challenges
Friday, June 06, 2014 by Stefano Sassu
Mobile use among consumers is growing exponentially. Hardware and operating systems aside, new applications are hitting the market every day for everything from commerce and gaming, to utilities and health and fitness. The playing field is wide open for developers of all shapes and sizes, but with it, comes steep competition and common pitfalls that can mean the di...
Analyzing an App’s Potential Using App Annie
Tuesday, June 03, 2014 by Artyom Dogtiev
Questions such as “How do I find a profitable app” and “How much profit does an app bring” are key when investors are making a decision about adding new apps to their portfolio. The fact is, there is no way to figure out how much income an app makes directly, unless you have access to the app’s sales numbers. In this article, we will show you the best way to get in...
App Annie Announces Two New App Analytic Services
Thursday, May 08, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
App Annie has released its new advertising analytics platform and dashboard out of beta. The platform provides connections to more than 20 mobile advertising platforms including iAd, AdMob, Tapjoy, MdotM, TapIt, Chartboost, AdColony, InMobi, RevMob, AppLovin, Everyplay GameAds, LifeStreet Media, AppLift, Appia, Taptica, Millennial Media, LeadBolt and NativeX.&...
Amazon’s Developer Promotions Console (DPC) Now Offers Discounting Opportunities Across Markets to Drive App Promotions
Monday, May 05, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Amazon’s Developer Promotions Console (DPC) now provides the ability to specify when a developer can discount an app or in-app items.The DPC provides the ability to discount the list price of apps and in-app items to promote an update, take advantage of a holiday or special event, or conduct price elasticity tests. Developers can specify in the DPC when and where these ...
The Right Way to Invest in the Mobile Market
Friday, April 18, 2014 by Artyom Dogtiev
Be it a tablet, smartphone or that new-fangled wearable tech, mobile is where it’s at. This statement is supported by the fact that in 2013 worldwide shipping of PCs and laptops declined by a record 6.9% (Gartner, 2014). As such, it’s not surprising that there is a huge move by investors towards the mobile market.But, before you run out and buy stock in a nascent mobile...
Embarcadero RAD Studio XE6 Provides C++ Visual Development Environment for Android
Friday, April 18, 2014 by Richard Harris
Embarcadero Technologies is now offering RAD Studio XE6, a multi-device, natively compiled app development platform for Windows, Android, iOS and Mac.RAD Studio XE6 introduces a C++ visual development environment for Android apps, enabling developers to modernize their Windows applications with VCL enhancements and expansion to mobile, and facilitates the crea...
Report: Freemium and In App Advertising See Massive Revenue Gains
Thursday, April 03, 2014 by Richard Harris
Lets face it, at the end of the day, anyone who creates a mobile app is doing so to generate revenue (most of the time). The largest enterprises all the way to small indie developers don’t spend all the time, energy and cost to develop an app just for grins and giggles, revenue is always the bottom line.From an app monetization and marketing standpoint, mobile still rep...
Over 50 Percent Of Mobile Users Who Buy Something, Buy Again!
Monday, March 24, 2014 by Richard Harris
Is the second in-app purchase more important than first? In terms of targeting app users, it is a critical action, according to Tom Farrell, Director of Marketing for Swrve.In a recent article, on the Swrve website titled “The Time Critical Nature Of Second Purchases,” Tom gives these numbers: only 1.5% of users make a purchase in a given month and of those only 50...
Google Adds New Analytics to AdMob App Monetization Platform
Saturday, March 22, 2014 by Richard Harris
Google has announced the full integration of Google Analytics in the AdMob interface. The service is available on a new Analyze tab. Along with the new intergration there are a new set of features including a new drop down menu to switch between individual apps reports, new home page with combined Google Analytics nd AdMob reporting, and a new A...
Yvolver to Offer In App Game Loyalty Program
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Early this month Yvolver announced its foray into the mobile marketing and monetization game offering in-app incentive and loyalty programs.The new company features veterans from GameStop, Apple and other video game, digital retail, data science and loyalty industries. Currently in beta form, the full Yvolver service will be announced at a later date.The company is prom...
New Google Play Services Are Rolling Out for Game App Developers
Monday, March 17, 2014 by Richard Harris
With GDC at full steam already this week, Google has kicked off the week announcing new services for its Google Play developer program including the new game gifts incentive program and enhanced engagement and discovery options.Highlights of the New Offerings- Google is introducing game gifts, a new service that lets players send virtual in-game obje...
Trends That Will Drive HTML5 This Year
Monday, March 03, 2014 by Robert Grossberg
2014 promises to be a big year for HTML5 mobile games. As
the CEO of a NYC-based mobile web game distribution company, I see three trends
application developers should look for this year that will drive the HTML5
Trend Number 1:
HTML5-based mobile web app demand will skyrocket
There is a growing set of HTML5 app stores that are all
How Game Developers Can Bank on “Found Time”
Monday, March 03, 2014 by Jon Jackson
to Nielsen Mobile, consumers spend more time using their mobile devices to play
games than anything else, and 80 percent of all mobile apps revenue generated
last year was from games.
Motivated by either a fear of missing something or found time,” consumers
pick up their phones hundreds of times a day at idle moments when they have
nothing to do...
Latest Window Store Trends Show Developers Best App Monetization Opportunities
Friday, February 28, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Microsoft has released a report detailing its latest findings as part of a recurring series that provides details about recent trends in the Windows Store across categories, markets, and more. The report was provided by Bernardo Zamora, Senior Business Manager, Windows Store and Windows Phone Store.Included are statistics about the categories, country differences, ...
Amazon Expands the Availability of Amazon Coins for Android Devices
Wednesday, February 19, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Amazon has announced that customers in the US, UK and Germany can now buy, spend and earn Amazon Coins on their Android phones and tablets.Amazon users need to download the latest version of the Amazon Appstore and their existing Coins balances automatically appear. Existing Android users can upgrade to the latest version of the Amazon Appstore and new customers ca...
The Importance of IAP and How Minigames Fit in to Help Developers Maximize App Monetization
Friday, February 14, 2014 by Ilya Nikolayev
It is an exciting time in the world of mobile with record device sales and high-profile developer successes, including Supercell’s 51% exit and King’s upcoming IPO. But, despite the glitter of the industry’s overall metrics, it is important to be aware of the underlying shifts that are occurring. As a developer, these tectonic changes will impact what you need to do to ...
Monetizing Your App with Game Offers
Monday, December 02, 2013 by Thomas Sommer
without doubt the main driver of a developer’s motivation to build great and
beautiful apps. This passion will keep you awake at night and fuel the
creativity and hard work necessary to the completion and perfection of a
passion is not enough.
although you may not be in the game for this reason in the first ...
Splitforce Brings A/B Testing to Unity Apps & Games
Friday, November 29, 2013 by Richard Harris
With the increasing popularity of free-to-play and ad-supported mobile apps and games, indie developers and large publishers alike have begun to embrace the big data analytical methods popularized by web giants like Amazon and Netflix to improve key metrics like average revenue per user and retention rates.One of these methods is A/B testing, the practice of showing mul...
Samsung Increases In App Purchase Revenues for Android App Developers
Wednesday, November 06, 2013 by Stuart Parkerson
For the next six months Samsung is bumping up the revenue share Android app developers receive from in-app purchases on the Samsung Apps ecosystem. The program runs now through April 30, 2014.
Developers who use Samsung’s In-App Purchase 2.0 are eligible for an 80% share - up from the standard 70%. The increase only applies to payments made in-app and not for paid ap...
App Annie Announces New Statistic and Analytic Offerings for App Developers
Saturday, October 26, 2013 by Stuart Parkerson
App Annie has announced some new features to their app store stats and analytics that incorporate some of the changes found around the app stores.
The company has opened up its hourly iOS rankings feature for all users allowing developers to track the hourly rankings of the iPhone, iPad and Mac app stores. In response to the establishment of the new Kids Category for ...
Alternative Ways Of Monetizing Mobile Apps
Saturday, September 07, 2013 by Marjorie Natal
Thanks to mobile technology, people have access to everything at the click of a buttonor a tap on the screen. Google search statistics reveal that 20% of telecom, 30% of restaurant, and 25% of movie searches are performed on mobile. Clearly, right now is a good time for businesses to think about monetizing mobile apps. Mobile owners are always on the lookout for creativ...
App Developers Can Now Become Amazon Associates With In App Purchasing of Products
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 by Richard Harris
Amazon has introduced its new Mobile Associates API for Android devices, enabling app developers to sell associated Amazon merchant products in-app. Developers can take a cut of up to 6% of items sold through Amazon’s 1-Click purchase program by integrating the new API into their app.
The new monetization program is being promoted by Amazon as a way for developers to ...
iOS 7 Beta 6 Download Now Available From Apple Dev Center
Thursday, August 15, 2013 by Richard Harris
iOS 7 beta 6 has been released and is ready for downloading. At only 13 megs it's not a huge update, but Apple has let everyone be privy as to what has been changed for this release by with a complete change log, repeated below.
Notes and Known Issues
The following issues relate to using iOS SDK 7.0 to develop code.
The classes in the Ad...
In App Purchase on NOOK
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Richard Harris
NOOK developers listen up, coming in April you'll have a new option for earning revenue through your apps, in-app purchases!NOOK announced that in-app purchase for NOOK apps will soon be made available in partnership with leading mobile-payment provider Fortumo. Supporting the latest NOOK HD and HD+ tablets, as well as the popular NOOK Color and NOOK Tablet, in-app purc...
Freemium Apps could see less revenue with new Apple Change
Friday, March 22, 2013 by Richard Harris
In a move by Apple to help curve the way users can accidentally perform an in-app purchase for something they weren't aware of, a new change to the desktop version of itunes warns users the app contains in-app purchases. The new notice appears under the price bar and the app icon in app listings.This change hasn't made it's way to the app store listings (yet) but my gue...
Australian CCA warns app developers targeting children
Tuesday, March 05, 2013 by Richard Harris
Are there app developers out there abusing the system to try and lure people into buying more products - you bet there are. With any good system also ushers in the people that will learn to take advantage of it.The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network feels that some app developers are becoming greedy and cashing in on young smartphone and tablet users by t...
No! There will not be a mass exit by Apple developers
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 by Richard Harris
I keep seeing posts around the Internet talking about iOS developers jumping ship from Apple to head over to Google Android Play - much of them coming from Google searches and Google news feeds.These rumors are based on a recent study posted by Distimo, sighting many changes that could be taking place with app development trends as the Android market continues to see gr...
What is an App Developer
Monday, January 07, 2013 by Richard Harris
While the mobile industry continues to grow, it's becoming increasingly obvious that some definitions of who is, and what is, have been lost. Being a mobile app developer myself I thought I would stand back and look at the shadow I cast so as to define exactly what it is I am. There is no way I could completely cover every aspect of my job or mobile app programming in g...
What is lifetime value for an app?
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 by Richard Harris
It’s not surprising that the traditional marketer‘s favourite tool has eventually found its way into an app developer’s life – sooner than expected and with good reason. Let’s face it – your app is your business and you want to measure, monitor and control the value your users bring to your business. Customer Lifetime value -CLV or LTV, as different people choose to cal...


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Nintendo fanboys; prepare to start salivating. It looks like Iwata and his boys have finally found a way to set their handheld gaming devices above the iPhone. Since they can't match the versatility of a smartphone with something like the DS, Nintendo intends to attract consumers back to handheld gaming by offering them graphics quality that no iPhone game can compete with. Digital Foundry (via Electronista) reports that the new DSi will pack a Tegra 2 processor.
Don't Miss: Incredible Pokemon Gifts
This new processor will mark a "colossal" jump in power and speed. How colossal? The new DSi could be just as fast as the Wii, with more support for visual effects. If true, this will mark the first time that a handset has been more powerful than a modern console.
What makes this possible is the ARM11 architecture inside the Tegra 2 chip. This CPU will allow the new DSi to render texture and shade like never before. Bottom line; the Tegra 2 will be roughly twice as powerful as the Tegra, while running at a higher clock speed and using less power than its predecessor.
Nintendo isn't the only company looking to beef up their handsets. Sony's PSP is also rumored to have a new processor; the quad-core SGX543. This would put it on roughly the same level as the Xbox, well above even the Tegra 2. So when will we see these sweet new handsets?
Don't Miss: See the first leaked Black Friday 2016 Ad
The new DSi could be out as early as next year. Tegra 2 production begins in 2010, and it's possible that we could see a new DSi by that year's holiday season. The new PSP is likely to take longer to arrive; around 2011. All of this news is still unconfirmed, so take it with a grain of salt until we start to see some more detailed leaks from Nintendo and Sony.

domain: news


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In the fall of 2008, Akoo Clothing was released. The lines promptly sold up as the clothing line stuffed Stores with rapper's clothes. "Fine Quality Clothing for men of distinction and taste" - that was their catchword. And it seems that clients can't look to go incorrect. And it would look that he hasn't.
Nonetheless in 2009 some painful news fallen to TI lovers. The rap superstar was condemned to face federal imprisonment. With the rapper in jailhouse, the news was offending and taunting. It would demonstrate to be a ruin for the business as the possessor won't be capable to work anymore.. But this was not the slip for Akoo Clothing. They continuing winning even with the possessor in imprison. Why?
Firstly, TI was permitted to function in his prison house jail cell. He can likewise speak to Akoo advisors through his prison cell phone.. With the rendered favors, TI covered to work for his clothing line, and Akoo clothing still soared high.
Yet, there are as well some superior reverses such as pulling an Akoo Photo shoot, among many other matters. Nonetheless, with their continuing hard work, Akoo clothing venture turned more prosperous. The promotion TI and his fashion line has took has been brilliant.
With the publicity of TI being in put behind bars, his clothing brand stuck on individuals. With songs on the top of the charts also helps a lot.
View more: http://www.clothinglinestartup.com


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Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 series on January 14, 2021. That’s a much earlier date than usual for a Galaxy S launch. This is perhaps partially due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Pre-orders for the three phones in the series opened on January 14 as well, with the devices hitting store shelves on Friday, January 29, 2021, in the US and across Europe.
The South Korean electronics giant on Thursday, during its first virtual Unpacked event of the year, showed off its three new phones: the $800 Galaxy S21, the $1,000 Galaxy S21 Plus and the $1,200 Galaxy S21 Ultra. (In the UK, the S21 will start at £769, just £30 cheaper than the S20.) It also unveiled new $200 earbuds, called the Galaxy Buds Pro; $30 Tile-like Galaxy SmartTags that can track nonelectronic items like pets; and a $40 S Pen accessory. The event took place on the last day of this year's CES and more than a month earlier than normal.
Samsung's Galaxy S21 lineup is packed with refinements to the cameras, displays and 5G capabilities. The new phones feature a redesign that accentuates the camera lenses on their backs while linking them with their metal frames, something Samsung calls "Contour Cut Camera" housing. The base amount of storage for all of the S21 models is 128GB, and Samsung boosted the photo and video capabilities for vloggers and others.
The lower price is a nod to the realities of the world, with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down many global economies and eliminating millions of jobs. Smartphones, serving as a lifeline to friends and co-workers, remain one of the few essential gadgets. This is also one of the first phones in a few years that didn't introduce a brand new technology like 5G, which often justifies a premium.
"In 2021, our top priority is to bring the benefit of technology to more people," TM Roh, the head of Samsung's mobile communication business, said in a statement, calling the Galaxy S21 series "the most powerful and versatile flagship lineup ever."
On the other end of the spectrum, the S21 Ultra is designed for people who want the "best of the best." It features a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display, Samsung's best camera of the S21 lineup with four back lenses, and Corning's scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back. The S21 and S21 Plus have 6.2- and 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x displays, respectively, and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front. The S21 Plus also has the glass on the back, while the regular S21 features a plastic polycarbonate backing. Both have three camera lenses on the back.
This year, Samsung has brought support for its S Pen, a hallmark of the Galaxy Note lineup, to its Galaxy S family for the first time. Of the three new phones, only the S21 Ultra works with the S Pen, and it comes as a separate accessory that costs $40 for just the pen or $70 when bundled with a specially designed case that stores the stylus. Users can't stow the S Pen away inside the S21 Ultra like they can with Note, but they can use their old Note styluses with the S21 Ultra. The new accessory doesn't work with gestures or many of the other features found in the Note's S Pen, which likely means the Note line isn't dead quite yet.
Samsung will introduce an S Pen Pro later this year, though, that has some of the Bluetooth-enabled features found in the Note's stylus, like gestures. Samsung didn't give a price or release date for the S Pen Pro.
The new phones come as Samsung faces a tougher market for 5G phones. When the Galaxy S20 lineup hit the market a year ago, there still were relatively few 5G phones available, and they weren't cheap. Now competition is fierce. Prices for 5G phones go as low as $300 in the US, and virtually all companies sell 5G models. Every phone in Apple's iPhone 12 lineup from late 2020 came with 5G by default, something that was expected to help the technology go mainstream. At the same time, the world continues to grapple with a pandemic that's limiting budgets for new gadgets.


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Apple A8 chipset used on the previous generation iPhone, the iPhone 6 is produced by TSMC. And what about the Apple A9 chipset that will be used by the iPhone 6s and will be available in a few months?
According to recent reports from reliable sources, TSMC will still hold a production base of this chipset has completed trial production of Apple A9 chip. In fact, according to the report, TSMC managed to produce chipsets with amazing results from the latest chipset made by Samsung. Not only that, TSMC is also able to reduce production costs become lower Apple A9. The report adds that even Apple A9 chip performance artificial TSMC manufactured using 16nm process there is no difference with the Samsung-made chipsets that are manufactured using a 14nm process.
With these results, it is not possible estimates of KGI Securities analyst Ming–Chi Kuo who had said that TSMC will only be given 30% of Apple A9 terpentalkan chipset business, because the results of this trial could change the situation. As is known, the information has previously said that Apple wants to hand over most of the production of Apple A9 chipset to Samsung. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether Apple is going to hand over most of the production A9 chipset Apple to Samsung, or handed over entirely to TSMC. Or even Apple will produce some big chip Apple A9. But for TSMC itself is said to begin mass producing A9 chip Apple this month.


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The Newquay First loyalty and discount scheme, designed to encourage residents to support local businesses, is celebrating its first anniversary.
The scheme – set up jointly by Newquay Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, Newquay’s Town Centre Manager, Tourism Newquay, Newquay For Excellence Training and Twenty-Twenty Marketing – has not just benefitted local residents. It has also meant participating businesses become eligible for free and discounted staff training.
So far more than 100 businesses have signed up for the scheme – 70% of those taking advantage of the training opportunities – and more than ten thousand residents are enjoying the discount.
Director of Newquay for Excellence Training, Gill Moore, said: “We needed an angle to encourage businesses to get involved with training so the loyalty cards’ scheme was used as a hook.
“It has been hugely beneficial on many levels and has enabled a number of organisations to work more closely together. That has resulted in a more coordinated effort which means businesses get the right support at the right time.”


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Kia celebrates 5 million sales of its popular K-seriesCombined shipments of K-series automobiles by Kia Motors Corp. reached 5 million units, the company said Sunday.
Korea’s No. 2 carmaker said the accumulated sales of the K-series sedans reached around 4.1 million units at overseas markets and 920,000 units at home through April this year.
Of the cars sold overseas, 1.28 million units were produced in Korea, while the remainder were manufactured at foreign facilities.
First released in November 2009, the K-series sedans have been taking up more than 30 percent of Kia’s shipments every year since 2013.
The most popular K-series sedan was the K5, which posted accumulated sales of 1.93 million units over the cited period, followed by the K3 with 1.78 million units and the K2 with 840,509.
Kia Motors has been seeking to add more models to the K-series, including the K5 hybrid, to grab a wider scope of customers.
“The K-series has pushed up Kia Motors’ global reputation by becoming the company’s flagship sedan series,” an official from the company said. “We plan to beef up the series’ competitiveness by releasing new models.” YONHAP
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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Tesla recently filed a patent application for an “ultra-hard cold-worked steel alloy” that can likely make its way into the electrical vehicle (EV) maker’s Cybertruck, in keeping with a report from electrek.
Responding to a report on the patent application from fellow publication Tesmanian, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said it was a “latest metal.”
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2023
The Cybertruck’s all-stainless steel body will probably be considered one of its defining characteristics, which is very significant considering loads of other fully electric pickup trucks have already beaten it to market. Tesla planned to develop its own alloy for the Cybertruck’s chassis, and that might be what the patent application is for.
Within the filing, Tesla noted that this latest alloy might be used to form the “exoskeleton” of a vehicle. The automaker went on to detail some technical specifications of this latest steel alloy, including hardness of a minimum of 400 HV and as much as 500 HV in some embodiments, together with Epit-Eocp corrosion resistance of a minimum of about 500 mV.
Tesla is anticipated to begin producing the Cybertruck at its Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, sometime this summer, with deliveries starting near the top of this yr and volume production in 2024. Staff at Giga Texas have repeatedly been spotted organising the “Giga Press” die-casting machine that can make the chassis and panels for the all-electric pickup.
Last yr, Tesla confirmed that the steel utilized in the Cybertruck will probably be supplied by Steel Dynamics, which has a brand new plant positioned not too removed from Giga Texas. Earlier this week, Tesla was seen testing the Cybertruck’s ability to leap curbs in California.


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Google is poised to get its mitts on Twitch. But the billion-dollar acquisition isn’t just about live-streaming videogame play, as robust as Twitch’s large and fast-growing audience is. In the long run, the deal would pave the way for YouTube to redefine and lead the future of social TV.
As first reported by Variety, Google has reached a preliminary agreement to buy Twitch for more than $1 billion in cash, according to sources familiar with the talks. (Company reps have declined to comment.)
San Francisco-based Twitch sprang out of Justin.tv, a website designed for users to “lifecast” themselves with online video. That never took off, but videogamers began using the service to broadcast their feats to fans, and the company launched the dedicated Twitch.tv service in mid-2011.
Since then, Twitch has exploded. The service now has 45 million-plus monthly users — who watch an astonishing 106 minutes of video daily (on average!) — with more than 1 million members who stream video. The monthly user number is up from 20 million in 2012 and 3.2 million when it launched. And Twitch is now integrated directly into Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 consoles, as well as through titles from game publishers.
Those big numbers alone make Twitch a valuable target for YouTube, for which gameplay videos already are a popular category. Check out YouTube star PewDiePie, who specializes in the genre: The Swede’s 27 million subscribers make him YouTube’s most-subscribed channel with 4.5 billion views to date.
Twitch’s largely 18-29 male demo “is a large and largely incremental audience to YouTube and is growing quickly,” Citi analyst Mark May wrote in a research note. “In short, we like the strategic synergies and see the building blocks to a rational (even attractive) pricetag” of $1 billion.
Privately held Twitch, which has raised $35 million in funding, doesn’t disclose financials. But the company is cash-flow positive and doesn’t need additional outside funding to maintain its growth, according to sources. Twitch generates revenue through ads as well as subscriptions, with about 300,000 paying members today.
But for YouTube, the potential of Twitch isn’t just about, say, letting fans of “League of Legends,” “Titanfall” or “World of Warcraft” watch superstar gamers narrate the action and chat about it in real time. Again, that’s clearly an attractive business, but beyond that, YouTube would be expected to extend the live-streaming model to other categories — both on YouTube, including with multichannel network partners like Disney’s Maker Studios and Machinima, as well as potentially with mainstream TV channels. YouTube’s own efforts to intro live broadcasting have had limited success so far.
“Twitch delivers the obsessive power of watching something unfold live in a way that YouTube cannot and other media typically do not,” Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey said. “The trick will be finding those genres where the match between interested viewer, obsession for the content and passion for connecting with others socially all line up as elegantly as they do for gamers.”
Think about what YouTube could do with Twitch: Users could watch the Oscars, the Super Bowl or “Dancing With the Stars” — with voiceover commentary from their favorite personalities and a highly interactive set of social features.
Of course, getting to that point would require participation of the traditional TV networks. But as long as they can generate ad revenue, something like Twitch for TV would be a no-brainer. As McQuivey noted: “Live programming is the thing keeping the hopes of the TV industry alive right now.”
It’s worth pointing out that when Twitch first launched, videogame publishers were wary about the service. “Twitch was a hard sell in the early days,” VP of marketing Matt DiPietro said in an interview this week. “People could not wrap their heads around this.” The industry has come around now — big time — and game companies see Twitch as a fantastic promo and lead-generation tool. (DiPietro would not comment on YouTube’s play for Twitch.)
There are caveats to a YouTube-Twitch tie-up. For one thing, U.S. regulators may challenge the deal if they determine the combination of the No. 1 online-video platform (YouTube) and the No. 1 live-streaming Internet service (Twitch) raises anticompetitive issues. Google’s lawyers are preparing for such an objection, sources said. “Anytime Google is involved in any deal, it gets extra scrutiny,” said VideoNuze industry analyst Will Richmond.
YouTube could also mishandle Twitch, and alienate Twitch’s users, if it makes unpopular changes the existing service; witness the negative reaction when YouTube last fall started requiring Google+ to comment on videos.
But if the deal goes through, YouTube would become a place for both on-demand and live video: certainly the model for the future of Internet-video entertainment and perhaps even TV, too.


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The Microsoft-Motorola spat is just one strand of a wide-ranging battle over who owns the technology behind new electronic devices.
Updated : April 26, 2013, 3:55 pm
A new console from the software company will come on the heels of rival Sony's announcement in February that it will launch the PlayStation4 this holiday season.
Updated : April 25, 2013, 1:19 am
To make the deal sweeter, Alexandros Makris has given a list of things that he owns and which he is putting up for sale.
Updated : February 27, 2013, 9:48 pm
Sony unveiled its next generation gaming system, PlayStation 4, at an event in New York, saying the console will be part of a new ecosystem focused on hardware, software and "the fastest, most powerful gaming network."
Updated : February 21, 2013, 8:42 pm
Though the electronics giant did not reveal the gadget, it hinted that
its price would not be as high as what the PlayStation 3 cost initially.
Updated : February 21, 2013, 2:28 pm
The PS4 will be jostling for attention this holiday season with Microsoft's successor to the Xbox.
Updated : February 21, 2013, 1:18 pm
The move by Sony Corp is to pre-empt Microsoft and get the spotlight for PlayStation 4 without much competition.
Updated : February 2, 2013, 1:18 pm
With a thickness of 6.9mm, and weighing just 495 grams, the Tablet is thinner and lighter than the 8 inch iPad Mini.
Updated : January 25, 2013, 6:20 pm
Active video games help children become smarter by boosting their self-esteem and problem-solving skills besides motivating them to exercise, says a new study.
Updated : January 21, 2013, 7:19 pm
A new wave of gritty realistic cinema is eliminating the rural-urban divide on screen.
Updated : January 12, 2013, 10:06 am
In classrooms and boardrooms, lanes and bylanes, restaurants and pubs, advertisements and jokes, Star TV's megahit game show sparks off its own mania.
Updated : December 11, 2012, 3:45 pm
Simply Mumbai plays gadget guru this month, bringing you the hottest sets of wheels and hi-tech gizmos in the city.
Updated : September 21, 2012, 10:52 am
TMC on Tuesday withdrew its support from the UPA and decided to formally pull out its ministers from the government on Friday. Read Story
Updated : September 19, 2012, 10:33 pm
Some speculation is buzzing about a PlayStation 4, possibly before the end of next year, but officials were mum on that topic.
Updated : September 19, 2012, 6:58 pm
Simply Delhi plays gadget guru this month, bringing you the hottest sets of wheels and hi-tech gizmos in the city.
Updated : September 16, 2012, 9:36 am


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Johannes Cullberg is a man on a mission. The Swedish ethical entrepreneur and founder of Stockholm’s iconoclastic organic store Paradiset, is waging war on what he calls ‘fake food’ – and the big grocery retailers who sell it.
In a talk at this week’s Natural Products Scandinavia event titled ‘David versus Goliath’ Cullberg explained what prompted him to open his first Paradiset store.
It all started, he said, with a miserable 37 minute shopping experience – the time it took to do the weekly family shop. “When they rearranged the store and it started to take an hour, I thought that’s it, there needs a different way.”
Cullberg’s early career was with Lidl where, as purchasing director, he helped turn the discounter’s fledgling Norwegian operation into a formidable force in the country. But it was his big passions in life – “good food, training and living well” – that turned him into an ethical entrepreneur and led to the Paradiset concept. “Paradiset is where all those things come together”.
Cut the crap
Cullberg is very clear that there is also a need for retailers like Paradiset. “Why? Because the dominant grocery retailers sell so much crap.” At this point he shows an example of a breakfast cereal that purports to be ‘healthy’ but is one third sugar! Next up is an avocado dip that contains a risible 1.5% avocado, followed by a cheese dip that musters just 4% cheese (milk powder makes up the bulk). These are examples of the ‘fake food’ Cullberg wants to expose.
“The big grocery retailers are selling you a cocktail of stuff you really don’t want in your body,” Cullberg said. “Who benefits from this? Well, it’s mainly the 10 food multinationals who totally dominate the food business (cue a slide displaying a blizzard of household-name food brands fanning out from a nucleus of familiar corporates – Kraft, P&G Coca Cola, Mars, Unilever, Nestlé and so on). Companies “with budgets the size of small countries.”
Cullberg said that a triumvirate of interests – the big food multinationals, nutritional scientists and the media – all benefit from maintaining the status quo.
“These big food companies love nutritional scientists who love turning food into science because that makes food easier to ‘own’.” A manipulative media, meanwhile, fuels constant food anxiety that plays straight into the hands of Big Food’s interests in creating false needs.
“It is time for the grocery industry to grow a spine. The question the people who run these businesses should ask themselves is ‘would you want your family eating some of the crap you sell?’ If not, don’t sell it”
Would you eat this yourself?
“It is time for the grocery industry to grow a spine. The question the people who run these businesses should ask themselves is ‘would you want your family eating some of the crap you sell?’ If not, don’t sell it. Only sell food you’d like your family to eat!”
Cullberg opened his first Paradiset store in Stockholm in 2015 as a kind of antidote to the dominant food system. At 1600m2 (and located in the city’s hipster Södermalm district) it is the largest organic food store in Sweden.
“So, what is Paradiset? It’s three things in one – it’ a supermarket, where you can do a full shop, it’s natural beauty store, and it’s a food hall. And it has also has three restaurants, so you can come for lunch, or enjoy a beer or coffee, or have an ice cream.”
Two more Paradiset stores have followed, including a city centre store – “think Whole Foods Market but with better prices and a nicer shopping experience” – and Cullberg plans to launch a crowd-funded online Paradiset store in 2018.
” … crowd-funding is a great tool we can work with to drive the fight against fake food, and for real food”
Here, Cullberg took his cue from the Park Slope Food Coop (a highly successful community food coop that’s operated in Brooklyn, New York, since the 1970s) and the Scottish craft brewery Brewdog, famous for its ‘equity for punks’ crowd-funding scheme. Cullberg calls crowd-funding “a great tool we can work with to drive the fight against fake food, and for real food”.
The Paradiset stores are “70% organic and 100% natural”. Knowing full well that ‘natural’ is a conveniently elastic term in the hands of big food brands, Cullberg has developed ‘Black List’ of over 200 food industry ingredients and additives to keep things very simple. “We don’t sell anything that contains any one of these substances. It really is that simple.”


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With help from Megan Cassella, Sabrina Rodriguez, Doug Palmer and Victoria Guida
Editor’s Note: This edition of Morning Trade is published weekdays at 10 a.m. POLITICO Pro Trade subscribers hold exclusive early access to the newsletter each morning at 6 a.m. Learn more about POLITICO Pro’s comprehensive policy intelligence coverage, policy tools and services, at politicopro.com.
— More than a dozen moderate House Democrats from contested districts made a push for a USMCA vote as soon as possible.
— The Commerce Department is expected to extend a temporary waiver that allows a limited range of transactions with blacklisted Chinese company Huawei.
— House Democrats want USTR to divulge which trade powers it’s using to justify a mini trade deal with Japan and future talks with the country.
MODERATE DEMS ANTSY FOR USMCA VOTE: More than a dozen battleground House Democrats on Thursday tried to rally support for the USMCA in a special caucus meeting on the issue, according to multiple people familiar with the conversations.
“They were very forceful,” Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) told POLITICO, adding that he urged a lot of USMCA supporters to be more vocal in their support of the deal. “Nobody wants to just talk about impeachment.”
The push marks the latest sign of moderate House members growing agitated over the lack of movement to get the deal passed. Some moderates feared a backlash from progressives in the meeting, but according to one person in the room, only Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) pushed back.
Getting it right: Schakowsky said after the meeting that she believes a deal can be wrapped up this year but cautioned that “those who are anxious just to move [the deal] need to think about the necessity for getting it right” and the ultimate goal is a deal “we can all be proud of.”
Define ‘imminent’: Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday morning indicated that a deal between Democrats and Lighthizer is “imminent,” adding that she would like to see the trade agreement pass the House this year — a timeline that matches the Trump administration’s goal.
But Democrats left the caucus meeting less than confident that a deal would be reached in the next few days, with 12 legislative days left this session. Schakowsky said the administration would have to send over a draft implementing bill for members to review before a deal is announced.
The ‘L’ word: House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who’s leading USMCA talks with the administration, said some labor issues are still outstanding. Asked whether he believed support from labor unions like the AFL-CIO was in reach, Neal said: “I do and we need it.”
HELLO, IT’S ME, LIU HE: U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are expected to speak with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on the phone today, USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney said in an interview posted online. “Who knows what will come from that, but I’m at least encouraged that the warming trend will continue. We’ve got a number of things lined up to sell, if they will agree to it. But we’ve also got to have some structural change,” McKinney said.
Wait for it: White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow wouldn’t confirm the call last night but told reporters that talks are “coming down to the short strokes.”
“I would say close,” Kudlow said of a possible deal. “But it’s not done yet.”
TRUMP LOOKING AT AUTO TARIFF REPORT: President Donald Trump is keeping up the suspense on whether he will move ahead with national security tariffs on European auto imports. Kudlow wouldn’t offer any details Thursday night on how Trump is leaning.
“We submitted a report to the president and he’s looking at the report,” Kudlow told reporters after an event at the Council on Foreign Relations.
COMMERCE CONSIDERS EXTENSION OF HUAWEI WAIVER: The Commerce Department is likely to grant a six-month extension to a temporary general license that will allow a limited range of transactions to continue with blacklisted Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei, people familiar with the decision told Morning Trade. The administration has already extended the license once before, but that waiver is set to expire on Monday.
No decision for U.S. chipmakers: Commerce is still sitting on applications for export licenses that would allow those transactions to continue, and there’s no schedule for when those waivers might be granted, the people said. Lighthizer said last month that easing broader export restrictions on Huawei would not be part of a so-called phase one trade deal the U.S. and China are working to finalize in the coming weeks.
LAWMAKERS WANT ANSWERS ON JAPAN DEAL: Reps. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) and Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) are joining forces to get USTR to describe what legal authority it’s using to enter into a mini trade deal with Japan. A letter being circulated for signatures and obtained by Morning Trade asks how agreements on goods and digital trade signed last month, as well as a second phase of talks for a more comprehensive agreement, fit within legislation that gives the executive branch the authority to negotiate trade deals. The letter comes before a Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee hearing Wednesday on the agreements.
The administration relied on section 103(a) of Trade Promotion Authority legislation to strike a deal on tariffs. The provision gives the president the authority to do so without congressional approval as long as it doesn’t adjust any U.S. tariff that is higher than 5 percent.
FREE-MARKET GROUPS REJECT LINKING USMCA, PENSION BILLS: Nearly 20 free-market groups are warning Congress against tying the USMCA trade deal to any private pension legislation, specifically the Butch Lewis Act.
Neal floated the idea in recent weeks of moving the two pieces of legislation in tandem as a way to help shore up some support among labor groups. But in a letter sent today to members of Congress, groups including Americans for Prosperity and the Club for Growth called the pension legislation “risky and far-reaching” and warned against attaching it to the USMCA.
U.S. FEARS BREXIT TRADE TURNDOWN: The U.S. and other countries want the United Kingdom and European Union to compensate for commercial losses that have occurred as a result of Brexit uncertainty. The angst stems from a process for how the U.K. and EU are splitting up tariff rate quotas on sensitive imports that the U.S. and others say will limit or completely eliminate preferential access for certain products.
“Indeed, for certain TRQ products, the proposed apportionment will result in no in-quota access to either the U.K. or the EU-27,” the U.S. said in a statement at a WTO Goods Council on Wednesday. The U.S. cited a specific example of losing in-quota access for exports of grape juice to the EU and pizza cheese to the U.K.
The U.S. also raised concerns that any TRQs the U.K. and EU establish with each other will leave little room for other countries, given the volume of trade that already exists between the two economies. Specifically, the U.S. said the volume of chilled or frozen pork the U.K. imports from the EU is currently 26 times larger than the proposed TRQ. The volume of U.K. wine imports from the EU is 9,000 times larger than the proposed TRQ. “In light of such odds, it is difficult to imagine how we will not lose access to the U.K. market under the current proposals,” the U.S. said.
INTERNET INDUSTRY SENDS WARNING ON CANADA DIGITAL TAX IDEA: A coalition of Internet and other business groups want the Trump administration to squelch Canadian plans to impose a digital services tax, or DST, on big U.S. tech companies like Google, Netflix and Facebook.
“Unilateral measures such as the Canadian proposal threaten the progress of multilateral, collaborative work that considers all aspects of the changing global economy,” the Internet Association and other groups said in a letter to Mnuchin and other top administration officials.
The groups also said the proposal could violate Canada’s “national treatment” commitments to the United States under NAFTA, the newly negotiated USMCA and the WTO.
Newly reelected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has proposed implementing a DST similar to the one recently adopted by France that prompted Trump to threaten retaliatory tariffs. The United States and France agreed to a 90-day cease-fire in late August to try to reach agreement on a framework for taxing digital services that could become the basis for a multilateral deal at the OECD. “Those negotiations are ongoing,” Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy David Kautter said Wednesday. “That 90-day window expires later this month.”
MAINE LAWMAKERS SNAP BACK ON EU LOBSTER REJECTION: Members of Maine’s congressional delegation are pressing Lighthizer to continue working to get duty-free access for American lobsters in the European Union. The Nov. 14 letter obtained by Morning Trade comes after European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström rejected a request by Lighthizer for the EU to cut tariffs on lobster and chemicals as part of a quick agreement.
“Having all but lost the large and growing Chinese export market due to retaliatory Chinese tariffs on American lobster, Maine lobster producers and dealers must find new customers for our state’s most iconic product,” the lawmakers wrote. “European buyers would undoubtedly purchase more Maine lobster if, like Canadian lobster, our product entered the E.U. tariff-free.”
— Bloomberg reports how trade negotiations with China went from method to madness.
— Attorney General Bill Barr said Huawei cannot be trusted and poses a national security threat, Reuters reports.
— A Chinese electric vehicle maker that established production in the U.S. may find itself a target of U.S. legislation, the South China Morning Post reports.
— Senators move to speed up passage of a bill supporting pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, POLITICO Pro reports.
THAT’S ALL FOR MORNING TRADE! See you again soon! In the meantime, drop the team a line: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]. Follow us@POLITICOPro and @Morning_Trade.


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By Tiernan Ray
Shares of Honeywell (HON) are up 9 cents at $116.19 after The Wall Street Journal’s Ted Mann this morning followed up on a Reuters speculative piece a week ago saying that the company may buy supply chain software vendor JDA Software Group (JDAS) for $3 billion.
Last Monday, Reuters’s Lauren Hirsch and Greg Roumeliotis reported that Honeywell was in talks with JDA, which was taken private back in 2012, citing multiple unnamed sources. This morning, Mann reports Honeywell is “nearing a deal,” citing one unnamed source.
Reports Mann, this is an increase in Honeywell’s existing software portfolio:
The acquisition would boost Honeywell’s shift into software. The industrial conglomerate’s chief executive, David Cote, says about half of the New Jersey-based company’s 23,000 engineers are now working on software, as opposed to the heavy goods like jet engines and building control systems for which the company is best known.


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8.34 lakh MSME units aided with Rs 20,643 cr margin money subsidy under PMEGP
New Delhi, Dec 19 (KNN) Since the inception of Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) in 2008-09, about 8.34 lakh units have been assisted with Margin Money subsidy of Rs 20,643 crore, informed Minister of State for MSME, Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The scheme has so far helped in generating estimated employment for about 68 lakh youths across the country.
Ministry of MSME, through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is implementing PMEGP to facilitate generation of employment opportunities by assisting in setting up of micro-enterprises in non-farm sector.
It also implementing Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) since 2014-15 and till date 498 clusters have been approved with GoI commitment of Rs 1292 crore, providing sustainable employment to around 2.94 lakh artisans.
Under this scheme it organizes traditional industries and artisans into collectives to make their products competitive and provide the artisans with sustainable employment. (KNN Bureau)


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Those of you who have been wondering when Prime Day 2022 will be can rest easy now. Prime Day 2022 will start at 3 am ET on Tuesday, July 12. For 48 hours only, Prime Day discounts will be available on Amazon.com.
The purpose of the retailer’s massive phony holiday, known as “Prime Day,” is to promote the purchase of Prime memberships. Everything from Instant Pots to running sneakers is on sale during the 48-hour event. Prior to this year, Prime Day was observed on June 21 and 22. Over two million Amazon deals were delivered in every category.
Great discounts on Amazon-made gear like Echo speakers, Fire tablets, and Fire TV Edition televisions may be found during Prime Day. When it comes to Amazon’s hardware, Prime Day is the best day of the year (except Black Friday, of course).
Just remember that Prime Day is exclusive to Amazon Prime members, so if you’re not a member, you won’t be able to take advantage of the sales. Amazon offers a free 30-day trial to new customers.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2022?
The 12th and 13th of July, 2022, will be Amazon Prime Day. Prime Day is the day when Amazon offers its finest deals of the year to its customers. In 2015, Amazon celebrated its 20th anniversary by launching Prime Day. It started out as a 24-hour sale and has since expanded to a 48-hour event celebrated in over 18 nations.
Amazon traditionally begins Prime Day with a week of pre-event promotions known as “teasers.” Previous promotions have featured dollar-off discounts on Amazon Fire tablets, free Amazon credits, and sales at Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon. Remember to check back with Tom’s Guide for up-to-the-minute coverage as we lead up to Prime Day.
Before this year, Prime Day was celebrated on June 21 and 22. Before that, on October 13 and 14, Prime Day was celebrated.
What is Prime Day?
For those who have never participated in the annual shopping extravaganza, Amazon Prime Day is like a miniature Black Friday. In addition to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Prime Day is now the biggest shopping day of the year. Major retailers will also join the sale frenzy in opposition to Amazon’s Prime Day. In an effort to overshadow Amazon’s Prime Day promotions, many of Amazon’s competitors begin their own sales the weekend before.
Amazon’s promotions are only available to Prime members, whereas those of competitors are open to everyone. However, with the rise of membership programs like Walmart+, PowerUp Rewards Pro, Totaltech Unlocked, and others, it’s very feasible that the best prices, including any PS5 restocks, will be exclusive to customers of competing stores.
As a whole, that week will feature thousands upon thousands of discounts from Amazon and other large shops. Nearly every imaginable type of consumer good, from video games and electronics to movies and toys, will be on sale.
What deals do we expect on Prime Day?
Amazon Prime Day deals on certain items are notoriously hard to forecast. The Echo Show, Kindle, Echo Dot, and Fire TVs from Amazon are the only exceptions. During Prime Day, you may get the lowest prices of the year on Amazon-branded electronics. That being said, you should probably hold off on buying a smart home gadget like a new Kindle until Prime Day.
Although we cannot reveal which specific gaming products will be discounted, we can say that the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X will have some incredible sales. The AAA games that are featured in the offers that occur on Prime Day are usually those that were released within the past year, so you can expect to see some 2021 seasonal hits as well as games that were released earlier this year.
Prime Day is a terrific time to buy games and other gaming accessories including controllers, headsets, and laptops/PCs for gaming. And much as on Black Friday, you may find some amazing prices on 4K TVs on Prime Day, both cheap models and high-end models that are perfect for gamers.
When is Prime Day FAQ
Are prime days once a year?
Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale is unparalleled in the online retail giant’s history. The two-day sales event is held every year in the summer, and only Amazon Prime members can participate. Throughout the duration of the sale, there will be non-Prime bargains, but the deepest discounts will be reserved for Prime Day.
How do I find upcoming prime day deals?
If you wish to keep an eye on a certain product, you can do so by clicking the “Watch this deal” button that appears beneath the item’s description on the “Upcoming” page. To view the items you have marked as “Watching,” select that column. To unwatch a transaction, simply click the “Watching” tab again.
What is Prime Day by Amazon?
As a shopping occasion, Amazon’s annual Prime Day has been likened to Black Friday in July. To celebrate Amazon’s 15th anniversary, the sale was held for 24 hours in July of 2015. The 2019 edition of the event spanned two days and featured discounts on everything from electronics to clothing.
What is so special about Prime Day?
More than a million discounts are available to Prime members around the world on Prime Day, an annual shopping event exclusive to Prime subscribers. Find exclusive discounts on books, audiobooks, and other Alexa-enabled products, as well as the latest and greatest in music and entertainment.
How do I see a price drop on Amazon?
The Shopping Price Alert app will alert you whenever an item you’ve been keeping an eye on in the Amazon Store goes on sale. All you have to do is add items you’re interested in into the app’s watchlist and maybe even set a price limit.


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The Black Hornet is the latest and smallest unmanned aerial vehicle becoming available to Army units. It’s equipped with a camera that transmits video back to the person operating the tiny drone. Its Norwegian manufacturer calls it a pair of flying binoculars.
This UAV is intended for use by ground troops to see a target before they arrive. This could give them a sneak peek of what they’re facing, such as the number of enemies, their weaponry, or the layout of their installation. It would also mean that they wouldn’t have to rely on solely on second-hand accounts, but could see it for themselves.
One potential drawback to the system could be its base station. Although the station looks small (about the size of a book), it is one more piece of gear to carry. It could be difficult to keep up with on the go. The drone itself only weighs as much as three sheets of paper. But do not be fooled by its toy-like appearance: it costs tens of thousands of dollars apiece and is designed for combat use.
Under the Radar blog includes the Black Hornet on their list of “the coolest military tech coming in 2016.” Under the Radar also says that PEO-Soldier will be fielding more of these mini-drones in 2016.


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Off The Wire
U.S. consumers' inflation view lowest since late 2017: NY Fed survey
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumers’ inflation expectations deteriorated to their weakest levels since late 2017 in May, while their views on jobs and family finances grew less certain, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey published on Monday.
The weakening in inflation expectations may factor into Fed policy-makers’ decision whether to lower interest rates in the coming months to help boost U.S. price growth towards the central bank’s 2% goal.
The survey of consumer expectations, which the Fed considers along with other data on U.S. price pressures, showed consumers’ one-year inflation outlook losing 0.1 percentage point to 2.5% last month.
The survey’s three-year inflation measure also fell by 0.1 point to 2.6%.
The drop in consumers’ inflation outlook followed a disappointing payrolls report released last Friday, which showed a sharp slowdown in domestic jobs growth in May. Analysts said businesses worried about trade tensions between the United States and its trading partners are scaling back hiring.
The New York Fed survey is done by a third party that taps a rotating panel of about 1,300 household heads.
The latest New York Fed survey showed some uncertainty creeping into consumer sentiment on labor conditions and household finances, even as their expectations on wages improved a bit to 2.5% last month.
The New York Fed’s gauge on consumers’ view on unemployment rising a year from now increased by 1 point to 36.7%, but a barometer on confidence to find a job increased from 59.3% in April to 61.5%, the highest since the series began in June 2013.
Median expectations on household income growth dipped to 2.8% from 2.9% in April.
Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Susan Thomas


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Vaping-linked death probed in Oregon, symptoms similar to more than 200 cases
The person, who was not identified, passed away in July, according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). He or she used a vape that contained marijuana prior to falling ill, according to reports received OHA Public Health Division. The vaping device was purchased at a dispensary, officials said in a news release.
“The individual’s symptoms were consistent with those of more than 200 similar cases in a national cluster of respiratory illness, mostly affecting teenagers and young adults, in at least 25 states,” the OHA said.
Symptoms in nearly all the cases have included shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and weight loss.
“We don’t yet know the exact cause of these illnesses — whether they’re caused by contaminants, ingredients in the liquid or something else, such as the device itself,” Ann Thomas, a public health physician at OHA’s Public Health Division, said in a statement.
The news comes after a patient who developed serious lung disease after vaping died in Illinois last month, marking what officials said at the time was the first vaping-related death in the U.S.
‘ At this time, the specific substances within the e-cigarette products that cause illness are not known’
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday there were 215 potential cases of respiratory illnesses linked to vaping across 25 states. Teens primarily have been affected.
Both the CDC and the FDA are investigating what may be behind the illnesses, though a specific product has not yet been identified. An unnamed source reportedly told The Washington Post last week both state and federal health officials are looking at “contaminants or counterfeit substances,” specifically in THC-containing vaping products, as a possible source.
“More information is needed to better understand whether there’s a relationship between any specific products or substances and the reported illnesses,” the CDC told Fox News in a statement. “At this time, there does not appear to be one product involved in all of the cases, although THC and cannabinoids use has been reported in many cases. At this time, the specific substances within the e-cigarette products that cause illness are not known and could involve a variety of substances.”
“We continue to gather information about the names of the products used, where they were purchased, and how the products were used. That information is critical to help determine whether patterns emerge on which we can take additional action.”
Separately, Michigan on Wednesday became the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes in an effort to deter young people, specifically, from using the devices.
Real Estate, and Personal Injury Lawyers. Contact us at: https://westlakelegal.com


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Top Selling Smartphones In India 2020
The Indian market also has several players that have been introducing smartphones proactively. A major chunk is undeniably dominated by then Chinese brands. However, brands like Samsung, Apple Google, and others have been competing well against the Chinese rivals and are popular not just in the global market but amongst the Indian audience as well.
There has been a major spike in smartphone shipments in the past few years. And not just Chinese smartphone makers but others have also grabbed the audience with their products. In this article, we have compiled a list of the highest-selling smartphones of 2020. Let's have a look:
Apple iPhone 11 Series
Apple introduced the flagship iPhone 11 series towards the end of 2019. The Cupertino giant had introduced the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max in this series. According to several reports online, all the models in the iPhone 11 series topped the charts when it comes to the highest selling smartphones in India. Apple has sold over 37 million units of the standard iPhone 11 since its launch in India; followed by the iPhone 11 Pro whose sold units crossed over 6 million in the country.
Apple iPhone XR, iPhone SE
Apple's previous generation smartphone, i.e, the iPhone XR is also on the list of most sold smartphones in the year 2020. While the handset was announced back in 2018, it has been one of the most popular choices amongst Indian consumers both o 2019 and 2020 consecutively. Similarly, the iPhone SE which is the most compact iPhone which you can get today in the market has been the highest selling smartphone ever since its launch. The secret to the success of both these units in India is their affordable price tag. You get the Apple labeled smartphone under Rs. 50,000 price mark. This low-end pricing gave an edge to both these Apple units an edge over the Android devices.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
While we are talking of most sold premium smartphones, how can Samsung be left behind? The company's Galaxy S20 series was announced earlier this year. It comprises the Galaxy S20 Plus and the Galaxy S20 Ultra besides the standard Galaxy S20. The Galaxy S20 Plus took the crown for the highest-selling premium smartphone in India in 2020. The unit crossed over the 3.5 million marks in sales in Q1 2020. The device is packed with top-notch hardware such as a Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and the Exynos 990 5G processor.
Samsung Galaxy A51
The Samsung Galaxy A51 remained the highest selling smartphone in 2020. Thanks to the capable mid-range hardware and pocket-friendly pricing, this smartphone logged the maximum number of sales this year in India. The company has sold over 11 million of the Galaxy A51 in 2020 in the Indian market.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Series
It isn't a surprise that the mid-range affordable lineup by the Chinese company Xiaomi comes in the list of most sold smartphones this year. The Redmi Note 8 and the Redmi Note 8 Pro are amongst the most sold Android mid-tier smartphones in the Indian market. This series was announced back in 2019 and its shipment has crossed the 30 million mark since then. The company has also introduced its successor in the form of Redmi Note 9. The new lineup also grabbed a good user base in the country.
Xiaomi Redmi 8 Series
Xiaomi has been popular amongst consumers looking for affordable smartphones. The Redmi 8 series is one good example of the company's orientation in the budget segment. Both the Redmi 8A and the Redmi 8 have crossed the 7 million mark in terms of sale.


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Mānuka roots found to assist water quality – Alexa Cook:
A new study has found that mānuka and kānuka plants reduce nitrate leaching into waterways.
Researchers planted young mānuka, kānuka, and radiata pine trees in containers, called lysimeters, which measure drainage and evapotranspiration from the soil, and then fertilised the plants with urea for 15 weeks.
They applied the equivalent of 800kg per hectare to each pot to simulate urine patches, because research shows that on grazed land, animal urine adds nitrogen at rates up to 1000kg a hectare, contributing up to 70 percent of nitrate leachates. . .
Westland Milk vows to up game – Simon Hartley:
Beleaguered Westland Milk Products has achieved a profit turnaround and promised co-op shareholders to do better this dairy season.
It has also confirmed its target forecast payout range of $6.40-$6.80.
Westland Milk Products payout to farmers of $3.88 per kilogram of milk solids, was the lowest in the country in the 2015-16 season, as the company booked a $10.3million loss. . .
The Ministry for Primary Industries’ testing programme has identified one new property as positive for the bacterial cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.
The newly identified property is a Van Leeuwen Dairy Group farm which was already under a Restricted Place notice under the Biosecurity Act. . .
Zespri’s chief executive of nine years Lain Jager stepped aside last week for new executive and long-time company man Dan Mathieson. Mathieson spoke to Richard Rennie about where he sees the marketer going after a period that has included the worst of times and the best of times for the industry.
Only four days into his new position Dan Mathieson is having to think hard about how he will balance the local, supply-focused challenges of growing more fruit in Bay of Plenty and beyond with the rocketing market growth being experienced out of the company’s Singapore marketing hub.
To help achieve that he intended to spend his time split evenly between head office in Bay of Plenty and the Singapore base he had headed up as Zespri’s global sales and marketing manager. . .
Beef exports hitting headwinds – Simon Hartley:
Further declines in beef prices have been predicted as the strength of the New Zealand dollar and falling United States prices weigh more heavily on exporters.
Rabobank animal proteins analyst Blake Holgate said beef prices had dropped “marginally lower” during the past quarter.
However, further downward price pressure was expected in the months ahead from increased Japanese tariffs on frozen beef imports, creating additional headwinds for Kiwi exporters, he said. . .
The confidence boost from winning the 2010 Dairy Trainee of the Year award is propelling a young sharemilker along a valuable career track, he says.
Blake Korteweg, a young herd manager from Otago, in 2010 entered the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards and won the Southland-Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year competition.
Later that year at the national awards gala dinner in Rotorua he was named 2010 Dairy Trainee of the Year.. . .


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Tesla Giga Berlin that is located in Germany will become the first production line of the company that adopts its latest technology, which indicates that the European version of Model Y will be the first batch of “lab rats” since these new technologies come with risks.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on his twitter page that the Giga Berlin will initiate 3 of the company’s latest technologies, including the 4680 battery cell, structured battery, and the brand new baking paint technology, which will first be applied on Model Y.
Tesla had announced its new battery cell and the structured battery technology on Battery Day not long ago. According to the data of the company, the new 4680 battery cell will be able to provide five times the energy density that will elevate the driving range by 16% and achieve a sixfold increase in output.
The structured battery integrates battery with the vehicle body, where the front half and the rear half of Model Y will be formed with a one-piece casting method, and the battery cell is embedded directly into the structure of the vehicle body without additional connecting parts, thus preserving more space in the vehicle, or placing more batteries.
The latest baking painting technology is provided by Geico Taikisha, a traditional paint baking company for automobiles, who possesses the finest essence of Italian lineage and Japanese crafts technology. Multiple large machinery of Geico Taikisha has been stationed at Giga Berlin, and will be responsible for the smart painting procedure.
However, what is noteworthy is that Musk, who has always been confident, has been very cautious in his statement since the Battery Day. Musk commented on the day of the Battery Day that these new inventions are relatively difficult, and that even he isn’t 100% certain that they will succeed, not to mention the required amount of time and manpower.
In his tweet, Musk added “this much innovation comes with risks”, which is the reason that he did not incorporate new technologies into the US and Chinese factories.
The paint baking section contains the lowest degree of risk, where the biggest manufacturing risk is the unavoidable adjustment in the collaboration between Tesla’s own smart production system and third parties, and such run-in period may lead to a reduction in the quality of paint or production efficiency.
The second risk comes from the new 4680 battery cell, for which the manufacturing comprises of numerous new inventions, including the pressing method, winding method, material composition, and the recycling of byproducts (wastewater), which are results that have yet to be achieved by various major global battery suppliers, and whether Tesla is able to design a battery cell in merely a year that can be mass produced is a huge risk.
The third risk is derived from the structured battery. Numerous people have mentioned that the one-piece casing method for the vehicle body may lead to a substantial increase in the cost of maintenance, and the new European version of Model Y not only comes with a one-piece design for its front and rear part, but is also filled with batteries, thus the wisdom of Tesla will play a major role in whether this pristine process will bear fruit at the end. However, what Tesla is unable to control is, how will insurance providers regard such a vehicle?
Taking into account the numerous risks, Musk decided to commence testing at Giga Berlin that has yet to shoulder the responsibility of production capacity, and the company will incorporate these new technologies into the Gigafactories in China and the US after two years, should they pass the relevant tests.
Although Giga Berlin is considered as an excellent location for Tesla in testing new technologies, there are two major potential risks in the European market, one being that the EU has discovered that the electric vehicle market has given a window for US automotive manufacturers in counterattacking German automotive manufacturers, and will be exerting all strengths in suppressing Tesla if opportunities surface, and two being that the EU is extremely sensitive towards safety specifications, where any safety incidents on the new battery will be put under the microscope.
Poor testing results will significantly impact Tesla’s reputation and sales volume in the European market, which allows the eyeing ID.3 and ID.4 of Ford to reclaim their lost markets.
After seeing these few risks, it’s easy to understand as why someone as ambitious as Musk would put on a cautious tone when he commented that there will be “a lot of risks”.
(Cover photo source: Tesla)


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Restaurant insolvencies jumped by 7% in the three months to the end of 2013, despite signs of an economic recovery.
That's according to accountancy and business advistory firm Wilkins Kennedy, which said 182 restaurants became insolvent in Q4 2013, up from 170 in Q3.
Meanwhile, insolvencies for Q4 2013 were up by nearly 9% on the same period a year ago.
Wilkins Kennedy attributed the situation to extreme weather conditions, as well as banks withdrawing funding from restaurants that were failing to garner sufficient bookings.
Anthony Cork, partner at Wilkins Kennedy, said: "The Christmas period should be a big earner for most restaurants, and a healthy restaurant should have plenty of advance bookings for office Christmas dos and family celebrations.
"An empty reservation book in this crucial period is likely to be a sign of a wider failure to draw in the crowds."
He added: "The recent flooding will only have exacerbated the problem. Trading in many rural restaurants will have been decimated."
Wilkins Kennedy said that the rise in restaurant closures showed that the economic recovery has not fully fed through to significant wage growth, which means that discretionary spending in restaurants outside of London is struggling.
Cork said: "With the economy just returning to form, individuals may not yet be enjoying the benefits of growth. It may take a while before improved consumer confidence is firmly established and spending in restaurants increases."


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Apple‘s shares fell 1.5% in premarket trading on Thursday as brokers and traders speculated over poor demand and cuts in production of iPhone 8, ahead of the November launch of the 10th anniversary iPhone X.
Apple (AAPL) no longer gives regular updates on sales numbers but indications from supply channels, phone operators, and analysts who track the sector have fueled talk of poor sales for the latest update of the smartphone.
KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst John Vinh reported earlier this week that a carrier store survey suggested the iPhone 7 was outselling the new phone just a month after the latter’s launch.
The iPhone X, eagerly awaited by fans, will go on sale from Nov. 3 and may also be weighing on demand.
Some analysts cited a report in Taiwan-based newspaper Economic Times, in which an unnamed source talked of a 50% cut in orders for the iPhone 8.
Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang said he believed Apple could cut iPhone 8 production and shift capacity toward iPhone X as the premium phone is expected to sell out quickly.
“Our research suggests the production mix was 50/50 between iPhone 8/8 Plus and the iPhone X, but iPhone X allocation could shift up to 60-70% in December and even more in the March quarter,” Zhang wrote in a note.
Deutsche Bank analysts, however, played down the importance of any cut in iPhone 8 production in favor of iPhone X.
“We think the market could have over-focused on the production swing in different SKUs, but overlooked that the overall iPhone production is largely on track,” they wrote, differentiating between different Taiwanese suppliers.
“We still expect Hon Hai, Pegatron and Wistron to account for 68%-70%, 24%-26% and 5%-6% of total production in 4Q17 (similar to 3Q17). Pegatron and Wistron should take more iPhone 8/8Plus orders, while Hon Hai is shifting its resource to iPhone X.”
Pegatron shares were down 2.7% and Wistron down 1.2% in Taiwan Stock Exchange. Hon Hai shares were up 1.35%.
Shares of Apple were trading down $2.46, or 1.5%, at $157.30 in premarket trading on the Nasdaq.


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Effective immediately, Thomas Staudt is CEO of GlobalCollect. This follows the recent development of Jan Manten, former CEO, changing his role to become Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cerceris BV, the holding company of GlobalCollect.
Mr. Staudt is a business veteran with over 25 years of experience in leading global companies to success through strategic repositioning. His previous roles include CEO of Ruesch International, Inc., CEO of MedE America, and COO of Card Establishment Services.
In addition, Koen Vanpraet has started as CCO of GlobalCollect. Mr. Vanpraet has built a successful career in Sales, Business Development, and Marketing within the international technology environment. Most recently, he held the position of Global Sales & Marketing Director at Easynet Global Services, preceded by several executive positions at Hewlett-Packard and Xerox.
Jan Manten, Chairman of the Board, said: "We are delighted to welcome Thomas and Koen to the company as well as to the Board. Both have a proven track record within their respective field of expertise and are predestined to advance GlobalCollect's standing as a leading Payment Service Provider, thanks to their business acumen.
"E-commerce figures continued to show a double-digit growth rate throughout 2010. With well over 200 million payment transactions and a 50% surge in transaction volume during the 2010 holiday season, GlobalCollect mirrored this trend. With Thomas at the helm to oversee the overall growth strategy and Koen driving targeted Sales and Marketing initiatives, we are confident that GlobalCollect is well positioned for the future."