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As Shops Reopen, What Does This Mean for Online Retail?
Online retail had been growing steadily for well over a decade. But when the Covid-19 pandemic led to ‘stay at home orders’ and lockdown restrictions across the globe, the impact on eCommerce was dramatic, immediate and significant.
Total retail volumes fell whilst online retail sales grew. According to the ONS, in 2020, total retail sales volumes in the UK fell by 1.9% compared with 2019, the largest annual fall on record. However, online sales rose to a record high of 33.9% as a share of all retail spending, climbing from 20% pre-lockdown in February 2020.
New product categories were suddenly purchased online. A 2021 report from Retail Economic and Natwest found that, since the pandemic began, nearly half (46%) of UK consumers bought something online that they had previously only purchased in a physical store. In the UK, Amazon sales grew an almighty 51% in 2020 to reach $26.5bn (£19.4bn).
The impact has been seen globally too. A report by SEM Rush published in July 2020 found that overall retail websites generated almost 22 billion visits in June 2020, up from 16.07 billion global visits in January 2020, an uplift of 37%. This surpassed even holiday season traffic peaks.
Online retail has boomed in the Covid-19 economy, but as the UK opens up, what does this mean for online shopping long-term?
How can eCommerce adapt as we replace on-screen time with in-real-life interaction?
Embracing the new hybrid model
We are undoubtedly facing an imminent shift in consumer behaviour. In the first sign of change for online retail, eBay’s shares dropped 7% last week as investors fear the pandemic-induced boom is coming to an end.
In-person experiences are more important than ever, as we seek to rebuild relationships and lost communities. The drive to rediscover physical locations and stimulate our senses will increase over the summer months as more people across the country are vaccinated.
But this isn’t necessarily bad news for eCommerce. Online retailers and marketplaces are in a stronger financial position than traditional retailers and have the leg up as we leave our homes. This strong standing gives them the flexibility to explore blended channels, to experiment with pop-up stores and brand experiences.
High street retailers are disadvantaged, even as footfall returns. Those with no online presence will have experienced substantial financial lows this past year and will be facing one of the greatest uphill struggles they have ever experienced.
It has long been assumed that for the high street to survive, physical stores need to digitise. I believe that ship has sailed. The new high street will be online-first, led by the big eCommerce players who see physical retail as a channel to provide enhanced, in-real-life experience to loyal shoppers.
From online to IRL
Pre-pandemic, there were many online-first retailers and marketplaces getting this right. In 2019, Glossier launched a pop-up in London which was intended to become a permanent store after welcoming over 100,000 shoppers in just two and a half months.
In the spring of 2020, the Glossier store closed due to impacts of the pandemic. In a statement on the matter, CEO Emily Weiss shared the company’s strategy for integrating offline and online experiences:
“As a digital-first company, we have always viewed our offline experiences as a channel for connection and community, and that mandate has not changed. We will keep working to find new formats for bringing joy to our community in this current environment, while reimagining Glossier retail for the future so that we can reopen with renewed creativity, energy, and scale when it is safe to do so. And we’ll continue to focus on delivering an engaging customer experience on our primary channel, e-commerce, at a time when beauty shopping and discovery are rapidly moving online.”
Depop ‘Live’ is another great example of how marketplaces can deliver memorable in-person experiences for buyers and sellers. The fashion marketplace has over 13 million users worldwide and prides itself on a strong and creative Gen Z community.
At its debut Live event in New York, the company invited 50 of its bestsellers to set up shop within Depop's rented space. Shoppers were entertained with music, art installations and workshops. Panel events discussed sustainability and activism in the fashion industry, and how to build a successful business for sellers. According to a spokesperson for the company, Depop Live welcomed more than 3,000 visitors in two days and made tens of thousands of dollars in sales.
And it’s not just female-centred Millennial and Gen Z brands that are playing in this space. In 2019, Amazon launched ‘Clicks and Mortar’ in partnership with Enterprise Nation, opening 10 stores across the UK. The year-long pilot programme was set up to explore a new model to help up and coming online brands grow their high street presence. eBay also launched a pop-up shop in May 2019 in Wolverhampton, housing small businesses to investigate how stores drive online sales.
This industry-wide shift to embrace community in a long-term bid to boost sales and grow market share is clear. After a year of ‘staying at home’, those that capitalise rapidly on this approach will likely win.
Creativity, flexibility and community will prevail as shops reopen and the purpose of stores evolves. For the nostalgic among us, it will be sad to say goodbye to the fixtures we’ve become used to, with the likes of Topshop and Debenhams noticeably absent.
But perhaps this regeneration is exactly what was needed, a shock to the system to reboot retail and deliver an altogether greater customer experience.


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Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature has been rolled out to several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The announcement was made via a press release on Apple’s website, where the company revealed that users will need an iPhone 14 running iOS 16.4 to access the feature.
The Emergency SOS via satellite feature was first announced at WWDC 2022 and has been eagerly anticipated by many iPhone users. It is a combination of an iOS app, hardware within the iPhone 14 range, and the network of Globalstar satellites plus ground stations and staff.
When a user finds themselves in a dire situation and in need of emergency services but without Wi-Fi or cellular service, the Emergency SOS via satellite feature comes into play. It will automatically appear when a user tries to call emergency services and will ask a user several initial questions to determine the nature of the emergency.
This feature is a game-changer for iPhone users who frequently travel to remote areas where Wi-Fi or cellular service is limited or non-existent. With Emergency SOS via satellite, they can rest assured that they will be able to contact emergency services if they ever find themselves in a dangerous situation.
- New Yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus is Now Available
- Apple Pay Launches in South Korea After Years-Long Wait
Apple first expanded this feature into select countries in December of last year, allowing users in the UK, Ireland, France, and Germany to get help without a network connection. The recent expansion into six additional European countries demonstrates Apple’s commitment to providing its users with the latest technology and services to keep them safe.

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In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer opened up about the company’s efforts to bring its beloved gaming franchises to the world of film and television. Spencer acknowledged that Microsoft has been trailing behind its competitors in this endeavor but expressed determination to catch up.
In contrast to Microsoft’s relatively late start, Sony has established a prominent film and TV studio and even launched PlayStation Productions, a label dedicated to adapting PlayStation game titles into visual media. Notably, this has resulted in the production of HBO’s highly anticipated “The Last of Us” series and several other upcoming projects.
Nintendo, too, has made significant strides in this arena. The company recently formed a partnership with Universal that proved highly successful with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
Microsoft’s Ongoing Efforts
While Microsoft may be behind, it is not without its own initiatives. The tech giant is actively working on the Halo TV series in collaboration with Paramount, and a second season is currently in development. Notably, Microsoft once partnered with acclaimed director Peter Jackson for a Halo movie, though the project encountered well-documented challenges.
Looking ahead, Microsoft has joined forces with Netflix to bring the Gears of War franchise to life, both in the form of a movie and an anime series. Additionally, fans can anticipate a Minecraft movie featuring Jason Momoa and a Fallout series crafted by the creators of Westworld.
Spencer admitted that Microsoft faces a steep learning curve in this endeavor. “We don’t have the deep expertise that Sony obviously has from their movie studios that make world-class video content, and Nintendo did a great job obviously,” he said. Nevertheless, he emphasized the importance of expanding the universes created in games to different mediums.
Reflecting on the evolution of storytelling, Spencer noted, “We used to have a lot of envy in our industry of Hollywood and what they created, then you see comics kind of take over, and now you’re going to see video game stories continue to grow in importance because our creators are as capable as creators of any medium.”
Microsoft’s Previous Attempts
Microsoft had previously adopted a different strategy by launching Xbox Entertainment Studios, a unit that enlisted industry veterans to oversee the creation of several high-profile projects. However, the company decided to close this division in 2014, leading to a shift in their approach to gaming-entertainment crossovers.
Intriguingly, Xbox boss Matt Booty hinted at even more exciting developments on the horizon. “There are some things that we’ve got going on as well that I can’t, you know, they’re not public yet, but there’s a lot there,” Booty teased during a June 2023 interview, when asked about potential adaptations of titles like Starfield.
As Microsoft continues its journey to bridge the gap between gaming and entertainment, fans and industry observers eagerly await the company’s next big moves in this burgeoning field.


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OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Calling all car enthusiasts.
Saturday was your first chance to see a large collection of cars at the CHI Health Center.
Hundreds of cars from classic to contemporary and everything in between was on display for the O'Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels nationwide tour.
This event features a contest with some local entries fighting for the top prize.
Organizers spoke to 3 News Now about how excited they were to see a bump in attendance for the show.
"It's great because this year there's a lot more people attendance is up we've had more car owners come in and everyone is here for some really spirited competition throughout the entire weekend," said Host Doc Riley.
World of Wheels also returned to CHI Health Center Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.


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The makers of the The Walking Dead have revealed the first footage of their new episodic game, which starts with Episode One: Iron from Ice.
There’s still no firm release date for the Game Of Thrones game, but Telltale are insisting that it will start this year. More than one of their previous games have begun in December, so this wouldn’t be a first.
18:59 'Silicon Valley': Richard bends the rules in Season 4 trailer17
16:02 Kansas City Royals' Jorge Soler may start season on DL14
17:51 Stephen Strasburg named Washington Nationals' Opening Day starter17
11:45 Telltale Games 'The Walking Dead: A New Frontier' Episode 3 trailer released17


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Sushi Joint Serves Edible QR Codes, Sustainable Fish
Harney Sushiâ€™s will print edible, water-based ink quick response (QR) codes on rice paper wafers and serve these codes on its sushi. The QR code will take customers to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationâ€™s FishWatch website, which will provide diners with information about the fish theyâ€™re consuming, sustainable species on Harneyâ€™s menu and the latest news coming from the sustainable seafood world. The initial launch will utilize just one code that will lead to the FishWatch homepage, but the program will eventually include species-specific codes.
Harney Sushiâ€™s owners Dustin Summerville and Kirk Harrison, and executive chef Robert Ruiz, have been working closely with NOAA over the last several months at its Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, Calif. to help establish better sustainability standards. The restaurant owners say Harney Sushi is among the first restaurants in the US to offer such edible technology.
Last week, Whole Foods, Trader Joeâ€™s and other grocery retailers representing more than 2,000 stores across the US pledged to not sell genetically engineered seafood if it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as the FDA conducts its final review of AquAdvantage Salmon, a genetically engineered Atlantic salmon.
In January, McDonaldâ€™s USA said it will become the first national restaurant chain to serve fish bearing the Marine Stewardship Council eco-label at all of its US locations.
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Following the conclusion of her husband’s presidency, Michelle Obama has been sporting a pretty laidback style over the past few months.
Most recently, the former First Lady was spotted out in Italy, wearing a series of shoulder-baring tops. Standout pieces include a one-shoulder ruffle top by TEIJA in a pink stripe fabric. Obama paired the look with distressed white denim by AG Jeans, and a Jimmy Choo handbag.
You can snag the top online at Matches Fashion for $397.00.


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Torrent Account Hacker V3.9.9 Windows Nulled Registration
over the course of the day on july 14, 2020, the hackers accessed 18,000 twitter accounts, gaining control of more than 1,000 of them. in addition to the 1,000 compromised accounts, the hackers also gained access to millions of data points on the accounts. by leveraging these data points, the hackers were able to access the accounts of the targeted users, including their follower counts, their follower lists, their interactions with other users, the accounts they follow, and the tweets they liked.
Account Hacker V3.9.9 Activation Code 28
in total, the hackers gained access to more than 70 accounts. among those accounts was obamas. the hacker who accessed obamas twitter account first tweeted out a double your bitcoin scam, then posted a message to obamas facebook account asking for a bitcoin transaction to be made. the hackers also tried to make it appear as though obamas account was compromised as part of the attack. the hackers posted a link to an article about the hack, linking to a copy of a screenshot that they claimed was of their message to obamas facebook account. however, this was a fake screenshot, a ploy to trick obamas into believing the entire hack was real. the hackers then switched the order of the two messages in the tweet, so that the bitcoin scam was the last part of the message, and obamas facebook account was the first. when twitter security responded to the messages, the hackers changed the order back to the original, fake order to trick security into thinking the original message was still active.
hackers gained access to a number of cryptocurrency exchanges, such as binance, coinbase, and gemini, and attempted to steal a total of more than $100 million. at gemini, the hackers attempted to sell $100 million worth of ether (eth) tokens. the hackers told the exchange to wire the tokens to an account controlled by them and a relative, which the hackers claimed would ensure that the tokens were unassailable by the government. the hackers also claimed that the money would be frozen until the hackers had a chance to transfer it to an undisclosed location. this scam netted the hackers more than $7 million in eth and tokens from the exchange. the hackers then went to binance, where they attempted to sell over $40 million worth of eos tokens. the hackers posted a fake announcement to eos accounts that claimed a hack had happened, and offered a malicious link to give them access to binance accounts, presumably so they could steal money from the exchange. the announcement also claimed the hackers were working with binance security to recover funds.


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Variety the spice of life at buffet
• World Buffet offers a range of dishes.
THE team behind restaurant chain Cook and Indi’s World Buffet has expanded its internationally-themed menu to include burgers, a carvery and a kids’ section at its venue in Darnley, near Glasgow.
The new menu options join the expansive range of buffet items which is said to number over 100 dishes comprising five different international cuisines.
Indi Singh, who founded the chain with Cook Gill in 2011, said the new dishes “are already going down a treat”.


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Upon leaving Oracle in September, after a 22-year career at the software giant, Thomas Kurian told friends and colleagues that he was going to take a step back and decide what to do next.
One person he exchanged LinkedIn messages with was a former boss at Oracle, Gary Bloom, who has spent the past six years running database company MarkLogic. On Friday, Bloom, like the rest of us, learned that Kurian is headed to Google to run the internet company’s high-profile but struggling cloud business.
Kurian will try to accomplish what his predecessor, VMware co-founder Diane Greene, couldn’t, and turn one of the most successful and profitable consumer technology companies ever into a power player in enterprise. Bloom knows how hard that will be. MarkLogic sells database technology to large enterprises like Johnson & Johnson & J.P. Morgan Chase, and his customers, when they turn to the cloud, are almost exclusively using Google’s top two competitors.
“They’re predominantly looking at the Microsoft platform and the Amazon platform, and Google only comes up one out of 20 or one out of 30 times,” said Bloom, who worked at Oracle for 14 years and was an executive vice president when he left in 2000.
“The comment I’m picking up from my customer base is that that it doesn’t feel like Google is really serious about the enterprise. That could’ve been Diane, or Google management not listening to Diane.”
Bloom praised Kurian as an “exceptional executive,” but said he has no idea if it will work out at Google. While Oracle and Google are two of Silicon Valley’s most notable stalwarts, separated by just 13 miles on Highway 101, they are universes apart from a cultural perspective.
One is a stodgy old software company known for selling million-dollar licenses and racking up maintenance fees. The other is where the hipster coders want to go to work on futuristic projects.
And they don’t particularly like each other.
The two companies are embroiled in a nasty eight-year legal battle related to Google’s use of the Java programming language, without a license, in developing its Android operating system for smartphones. Oracle owns the intellectual property behind Java, thanks to its 2009 acquisition of Sun Microsystems. In March, the Federal Circuit reversed a district court’s ruling that had favored Google, sending the case back to the lower court to determine damages that it now must pay Oracle.
One former Google employee, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, is not optimistic that Kurian will be well received. The person said that despite the fact that he’s focused on enterprise and not Android, he still has to figure out how to work with Googlers.
A Google spokesperson declined to comment beyond the company’s blog post on Friday. A representative for Kurian didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Greene, who took over the business three years ago when Google acquired her software company, Bebop, wrote a blog post on Friday announcing that Kurian would be joining the company this month and taking over the top spot in early 2019.
The announcement comes less than two months after Kurian’s departure from Oracle, which was a bit awkward.
Kurian, who held the position of president of product development since 2015, told employees in an email on Sept. 5 that he was taking “extended time off from Oracle” and said he was “so very proud of all that we have accomplished” in moving the business forward, including to the cloud. The company said in a statement at the time that “we expect him to return soon.”
But 23 days later, Oracle put out a filing saying that Kurian had resigned “to pursue other opportunities.”
Kurian’s former employer and new company have one big thing in common: Both have struggled to keep up with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure in cloud infrastructure.
Google has been a persistent third or fourth place, unable to crack double-digit market share, despite adding more people than any other Google product group in 2016 and 2017, according to Greene. Oracle has had some success moving its traditional database customers to its own cloud, but according to industry researchers, its market share in public cloud is tiny.
Google touts itself as having the best technology for sophisticated machine learning and artificial intelligence workloads. The company also created the Kubernetes technology for virtual containers, which enables developers to easily move around code between machines and clouds.
But when it comes to the big storage and core computing contracts, numerous industry experts, venture capitalists and tech executives alike told CNBC that Google’s sales team is ineffective, preferring to sell what it thinks is best rather than what customers say they need.
“You don’t get paid to be right, you get paid to sell what the customer wants to buy,” said Mackey Craven, a partner at venture firm OpenView Venture Partners in Boston who focuses on enterprise start-ups.
Bloom said that Kurian may have an advantage over Greene because his work at Oracle has spanned the technology stack, from the data center and hardware all the way up to application software. That’s important at Google, because the company’s cloud group includes cloud infrastructure as well as applications like email, word processing and spreadsheets. Greene, by contrast, spent her career in the “guts of the operating environment,” Bloom said.
“Thomas is a really strong general manager and he understands all aspects of the business,” Bloom said.
Still, Kurian has a major challenge ahead of him, not just getting Google’s developer culture to come aboard, but also getting buyers comfortable and trusting of the Google brand.
While Google has long had a large roster of small and mid-size businesses using its apps, it’s a whole different matter to attract chief information officers of large companies, particularly in tightly regulated industries. Kurian will need Alphabet’s investment dollars to hire the right sales people and to pursue the big-spending accounts aggressively.
That’s a tough sell at Google, whose investor base has come to expect high operating margins. A previous big-name enterprise executive, Diane Bryant was brought on as operating chief last November but lasted only seven months at the company.
“There are very few companies that serve the enterprise and low-end well,” said Lew Cirne, CEO of software developer New Relic, which has been through its own struggles in that department. New Relic sold almost exclusively to smaller businesses when it went public in 2014, and now gets over half its revenue from enterprises, according to Cirne. “I underestimated how hard it can be,” he said.
But Cirne is quick to point out that we’re still in the early days of companies moving their core workloads and applications from their own facilities into the public cloud. Customers want multiple options for security purposes as well as to make sure they’re getting the best deals available in each market where they operate.
In other words, it’s not too late to make up ground.
“Thomas is a world-class executive and Google is showing a commitment to this,” Cirne said. “We firmly believe it will be a multi-cloud world, and we’re in the early innings.”
— CNBC’s Jordan Novet and Jillian D’Onfro contributed to this report.


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August 17, 2018, Tokyo – Today Matsuya Ginza hosted a live-streaming event in its Ginza store in Tokyo, featuring a well-known Chinese KOL who introduced Japanese products to viewers back home in China. This is the second live-streaming event that Matsuya Ginza has held to promote the launch of its new Chinese-language website, http://cn.matsuya.com/, with the first held in December 2017.
The two live-streaming events were organized by strategic partner Azoya International. Azoya assists Japanese companies with selling to China through cross-border e-commerce, helping brands and retailers to build up their online presence by setting up independent e-commerce websites and selling on marketplace platforms. The company provides one-stop services that include logistics, payments, operations, digital marketing, and more. Last December’s live-streaming event was accompanied by a winter sales promotion, which drove up new user registrations for Matsuya in China by over 20 times.
Matsuya Ginza Doubles Down on Increasing Brand Awareness in China by Leveraging KOL Marketing
This year’s Ghost Festival fell upon Chinese Valentines’ Day, which is also an e-commerce sales festival in China. What was new this time around was the presence of Chinese KOL Lin Ping. Ms. Lin is popular on China’s Weibo platform for being a Japanese lifestyle KOL, with a personal following of over 1.2 million fans. She has lived in Japan for 12 years, and has years of experience with media and sharing Japanese culture with Chinese followers. As a result, over the years she has accumulated a large following of very loyal Japanese enthusiasts.
This time Matsuya Ginza and Ms. Lin worked together to showcase specific brands, leveraging Ms. Lin’s popularity to raise awareness for Matsuya Ginza, whose target audience coincides with her fan base. The collaboration between the two parties going forward will continue to have a lasting, positive effect on Chinese consumers.
Ms. Lin live-streams her experience inside one of Matsuya's shopping malls
In keeping up with the preferences of Chinese consumers, Matsuya Ginza and Ms. Lin singled out Maria Akoya jewelry, Christian Louboutin lipstick, and Matsuya Ginza’s proprietary private-label products. Over the course of the two-hour live-streaming event, Ms. Lin introduced the products in detail and tested them out on the spot, giving viewers a real-time demonstration of the products. At the same time, an accompanying sales promotion was held on Matsuya’s official Chinese website (http://cn.matsuya.com/). On this particular day, Ms. Lin’s live-streaming performance resulted in peak viewership of over 181,000 people and a total viewership of over 2.76 million, with over 1,250 fans engaging in live commentary online.
Matsuya Ginza's official Chinese website features a two-week sale to celebrate Ms. Lin Ping's live-streaming event
“China’s e-commerce market is changing rapidly, so much so that every month there are new developments and marketing tactics to be aware of. For international retailers and brands to be able to adapt to such a dynamic market, they have to be able to understand Chinese consumers and their preferences, and learn how to work with changing trends., said Azoya CEO Don Zhao. “This is a challenge for many foreign companies. We typically recommend that they set up a local Chinese team, or find a strategic partner on the ground who can adapt to market conditions quickly.”
Combining Online Promotions with Chinese Tourists to Build Brand Awareness
Matsuya Ginza’s event was held during the Chinese summer months, when the number of Chinese tourists is on par with that of China’s Spring Festival and National Golden Week. For Matsuya Ginza, which does not operate physical stores in China, this was a great opportunity to reach out to and connect with Chinese consumers, raising awareness for the company’s brand and products.
Amongst her followers, Ms. Lin has a strong reputation for being knowledgeable about Japanese tourism spots and shopping destinations. This Walk into Matsuya Ginza event enabled the company to increase online sales for its official Chinese website, as well as target Chinese tourists in Japan. In addition to the live-streaming event, this month Matsuya Ginza’s Chinese site will also run Chinese Valentines’ Day and summer promotions. Such events will seek to drive tourist visits and on-site purchases for Matsuya Ginza’s physical department stores as well.
A picture of Ms. Lin on one of Tokyo's shopping streets


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John Keane was elected a corporate senior vice president of Nordson Corporation, a supplier of dispensing and finishing equipment. Keane will have worldwide responsibility for the adhesive dispensing and nonwoven fiber systems business segment. Douglas Bloomfield was elected a corporate vice president in charge of coating and finishing systems segment worldwide. Andy Dunn, corporate vice president in charge of the company’s Asymtek, March Plasma, UV Curing Systems, and Life Sciences business, will add corporate development function to his responsibilities. Peter Lambert was elected a corporate vice president and president of the company’s EFD business. John Byers was named business unit director for Asymtek business. Gregory Thaxton will become corporate controller in February 2006. Most recently, Jeff Pembroke joined Nordson as vice president of sales and marketing for its Finishing and Coating business segment.
Back to Breaking News


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Australians are spending more time accessing media on the Internet than they are watching television or movies, according to a study of more than 850 broadband users.
The "connected consumer" study commissioned by Cisco, and conducted by research firm Illuminas, surveyed 864 broadband users from Australia, 219 from New Zealand, 1500 from Europe and 1085 from the US to determine what influenced their purchase of Internet services and multimedia consumption.
The study found that Australian consumers spend a weekly average of 22 hours surfing the Internet, eight hours listening to or downloading music and three hours gaming, contributing to a total of 47 hours conducting media-related activities online either at work or home. This compares to just 14 hours in front of the television.
Only New Zealand (48 hours), the UK (47 hours) and the US (47 hours) beat Australia in terms of hours spent online each week.
Managing director of Illuminas, Jay Shutter, said that while it was important to recognise that the respondents are broadband consumers and therefore tend to be more connected than the average consumer, it comes as no surprise that the Internet now demands more time than the television.
"It really doesn't surprise me. Spending 47 hours on the Internet during the week seems like a lot of time, but we are globally a media driven society," Shutter said.
"The Internet has become such a centre point for not only TV content, but also how people manage their lives; get movie or theatre tickets, plan a vacation, communicate with friends, search for a new fridge, whatever it might be. The Internet has become an invaluable resource for so many elements of the digital lifestyle."
According to the survey, Australians own an average of seven devices, the most prevalent being mobile phones (96 percent), desktop PCs (89 percent), digital cameras (85 percent), MP3 players (61 percent), laptop/notebooks (57 percent) and gaming consoles (54 percent).
External storage devices, home theatre systems, DVRs, flat panel or projector televisions, portable DVD players, high definition televisions and portable gaming consoles all came in at under 41 percent penetration. Yet, Australian households boast the highest numbers of high-def television and home theatre system adoption compared to NZ, Europe and the US.
On the home network front, the survey found that just over a third of Australians have a wired home network, just over a third have a wireless home network, and a third have no home network at all.
The vast majority (70 percent) of home networks are used for enabling multiple computers to connect to the Internet. The most popular reasons given for being connected were accessing e-mail (62 percent), being accessible to family and friends (53 percent) and needing to be connected at all times (42 percent).
The most popular method of accessing online media amongst respondents was using a Web site to watch videos (46 percent), followed closely by using a Web site to download music (45 percent). Only 23 percent use their mobile phone to access media online.
Short video or music clips on sites such as YouTube are the most popular form of content accessed (36 percent), followed by news programs (23 percent), TV programs (21 percent) and full length movies (18 percent). The majority of respondents indicated that the Internet was the preferred medium to access content as it was free, followed by convenience (37 percent) and the ability to view missed content when it originally aired (31 percent).
Mobile media consumption was found to be continually low, with only 2 percent saying they had used their phone to access short video or music clips, news, sport events, TV programs or movies on a daily basis. Less than 4 percent indicated a likelihood of using their mobile phones to access media within the next year.
"What we are seeing is the mobile device today is not yet where it needs to be to really drive people to spend time watching movies," Shutter said.
"People are more likely to be accessing news, short video clips or games on their mobiles, but not a very high percentage of people are doing any of these on a regular basis. It will take time for that whole technology to work itself out in terms of higher broadband speeds to the mobile device, and a form factor that is good for watching those," he said.


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Jeddah: Electromin has announced its participation as a supporting sponsor for the closing ceremony of the National Auto Award in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is scheduled to take place on November 6, 2023. It joins the elite group of partners for the largest and most prestigious automotive award in the Middle East, with the goal of promoting and encouraging Smart & e-Mobility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Electromin has been classified as a partner in the "Sustainable Smart & e-Mobility" category, During the award ceremony, the latest electric vehicles recently launched in the Kingdom will be honored, and companies interested in this field will also receive special awards bearing the Electromin logo in addition to the award's logo.
As part of Electromin's Sustainable Smart & e-Mobility strategy, the company is dedicating its efforts to keep pace with the rapid growth of electric vehicles in the Kingdom, with expectations that they will comprise up to 30% of all vehicles by 2030, driving the Kingdom to the forefront in this field.
The National Auto Award in the Kingdom represents a significant step for the automotive industry, confirming market trends following the agency's previous successes. This comes after the recent signing of a sponsorship agreement with Electromin Saudi Arabia, making them an official partner to contribute to the continued success of the award.
Mufaq Al-Saadi, the General Manager of Marketing and Sales at Electromin in the Kingdom, emphasized the importance of this sponsorship, as it aligns with Electromen's future plans for electric vehicles in the Kingdom. Electromin is passionately leading the way by providing the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicles. They have launched the largest charging network in the Kingdom, featuring 100 AC charging points, and they are also introducing a new network of fast DC chargers, along with other innovative technological services.
These services assist both private and commercial vehicle owners in locating and using charging stations through a mobile app that supports payment procedures, marketing, loyalty programs, and other services to support the electric vehicle sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In conclusion, he stated, "The National Auto Award serves as a public vote on consumers' favorite cars, and our sponsorship comes as part of diversifying the promotion of the Electromin brand through various marketing channels due to our direct involvement in the automotive sector, specifically in hybrid and electric cars. We will also present special awards to recognize the efforts in this field.
For more information, please call:
National Auto Award
JED - KSA


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New industry group aims to share best practices for promoting benefits of green energy
Marketing professionals from several of the world's leading renewable energy firms have joined forces to form the industry's first marketing trade association. The US-based Renewable Energy Marketers...
All the green business news from around the world this week
Civil society, researchers, and business leaders argue that multi-million pound transport industry bailouts must come with climate-friendly conditions attached
Food redistribution charities urged to apply for funding to help prevent 14,000 tonnes of surplus food going to waste amid Covid-19 disruption
Green investor Earthworm ups its support for London food technology firm as it eyes significant growth for urban and indoor farming


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A Growth Market
The companion animal veterinary health market is large and growing.
In just the EU and US areas there are over 140 million pet dogs and 160 million pet cats. A growing middle class in China, Brazil and India is spurring an increase in pet ownership.
The Pet Industry Turnover in the EU exceeds €35.5 billion combining pet food, related products and services.
The Livestock market continues to be the cornerstone of veterinary medicines.
There are 1.4 billion cattle and 980 million pigs worldwide.
Gross income from cattle production exceeds 80 billion USD in the US from a total of 98.4 million head of cattle.
An estimated 22 billion USD of personal income is derived from the pork industry in the US.
There are 23 Billion chickens worldwide, a number which has doubled since 1990.
With evolving husbandry practices and issues with existing medications, the industry needs a new wave of therapies to address these challenges.
Low cost biotherapeutics will transform this arena


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Wilfred Pinfold is not an arrogant guy. But who would have blamed him if, after 23 years at Intel, he considered Silicon Valley's primacy a given? Then, in 2015, he and three partners launched Urban Systems, a Portland, Oregon-based integrator of smart-city technologies. They had a choice: Work solely with tech firms and cities in the U.S., or go where the action was.
For Urban Systems, the action was in Europe and Asia. Cities there were older, less car-centric, and more open to alternative transportation. The company partnered with startups in Portugal and the U.K. to develop technology that plots routes for buses, rail, rental bikes, and rideshares. In Hong Kong, the company worked with another startup, in which it holds a minority stake, to investigate deploying autonomous vehicles in a nightlife-starved corporate park. Entrepreneurs overseas "were developing technologies with different priorities for solving problems," says Pinfold. "Understanding those priorities was very helpful."
Silicon Valley remains the polestar of global innovation. But founders everywhere now speak its language, know its secrets, and tussle for its money and talent. U.S. companies can--must--try to beat them. But they can also join them.
If American business and political leaders are getting twitchy about U.S. competitiveness, it is less because we're falling behind than because others are catching up. According to a report from the Center for American Entrepreneurship, 14 of the 20 top contributing cities to global VC growth are outside the U.S. Places like South Korea, Japan, and Germany spend more than we do on R&D as a percentage of GDP.
"Many countries are progressing from imitation to innovation. That's where the big threat to--and opportunities for--the U.S. will be," says Donna Kelley, a professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College. And, according to Babson's Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, even the poorest countries have more opportunity-driven entrepreneurs than those who are driven by necessity.
And these days, U.S. immigration policy greets immigrant founders with obstacle courses rather than red carpets. That, despite the fact that 55 percent of U.S. startups valued at $1 billion or more include immigrant founders, and 76 percent of patents awarded to top universities have involved at least one foreign-born inventor. Meanwhile, a growing number of countries tempt them with special visas or even automatic residency--including our neighbors just north of the border.
"The conversation has largely been about the U.S.," says Skip Newberry, CEO of the Technology Association of Oregon, which helps domestic companies identify opportunities in global startup hubs. But, he adds, "you have got companies springing up in some of these other markets that are possibly better, and more competitive, than some of the startups coming out of the U.S." For example, even Siri--from what is arguably America's most innovative company--sounds positively inhuman compared with the emotionally responsive digital assistants developed by Soul Machines in New Zealand.
for nearly 90 percent of total VC activity.
61 percent of them are outside the U.S.Source: Center for American Entrepreneurship
With other countries catching up, the U.S. must do more, particularly in critical industries like A.I. But foreign entrepreneurs needn't be the enemy. They offer U.S. companies access to ideas, talent, and diverse perspectives. Startup Genome, which studies and supports entrepreneurship (and partners with Inc. on various editorial projects), found that one key contributing factor to entrepreneurial success is connections to peers in global innovation hubs. Domestic ecosystems are enriched when members import ideas and experiences from innovators abroad.
Won't they steal your IP? There is a risk that some may. But others have tasty IP of their own to share, says Doc Parghi, a partner at Philadelphia-based SRI Capital, which provides capital for companies with both U.S. and Indian connections. SRI recently matched a U.S. drone services startup with an early-stage Indian company "that has a bit of IP that works very well with their offering," says Parghi. This brings benefits to both businesses, he adds: "They can jointly attack big government contracts."
It's worth remembering that the U.S. can't claim the mantle of Startup Nation. It belongs to Israel, home to Tel Aviv, the city with the world's highest per-capita concentration of startups. Founders there are often seeking a good collaboration. Trade organizations in several U.S. states are happy to oblige. In 2017, tech entrepreneur Leib Bolel launched the Arizona Israel Technology Alliance. Among other things, it introduces founders working in key sectors like biotech, agtech, and cybersecurity. Israel is tiny, so its startup activity is densely concentrated. Consequently, Bolel says, "being able to find the right innovation fit is easier there than in some areas of the U.S."
Still, we can't be complacent about the rise of the global rest. "My concern, from a U.S. perspective, is the loss of foreign talent, which has played a major role in U.S. startups for decades," says Ian Hathaway, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and research director at the Center for American Entrepreneurship. "On the margins, we might lose our most precious asset as markets overseas develop more."
The U.S. must be vigilant about protecting its lead. But all agree: Innovation is not a zero-sum game. Diversity research tells us that smart people with different backgrounds and frames of reference can make one another better.
Which Wilfred Pinfold understands. Now that smart cities are taking off in the U.S., Urban Systems is applying lessons from its early global partnerships to the local Portland market. Those relationships positioned him to beat competitors--the ones launched right here in the U.S.


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Drink up, Red Sea: Red Bird Lager is back
Red Bird Lager, a beer brewed in celebration of—and in collaboration with—the Arizona Cardinals, is back.
This will be the third year we’ve released Red Bird Lager. Newly designed 15-packs will begin landing in grocery and convenience stores throughout Arizona beginning Friday, Aug. 13—the same day as the Cardinals’ first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.
“There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Cardinals this year, and we wanted to release a beer that gave fans just as many reasons to cheer,” says Four Peaks co-founder and head brewer Andy Ingram. “With Red Bird Lager, Cards fans can be red, see red, and drink red.”
First released in 2019, Red Bird Lager is a 4.5% ABV amber lager with light toasty malt flavor and a crisp finish that satisfies from kickoff to the final whistle. We haven’t made any changes to the recipe for 2021, but we did update the beer with new packaging celebrating 120 years of Cardinals football. (The team we now know as the Arizona Cardinals was founded in 1898 as the “Morgan Athletic Club;” it was renamed the “Racine Street Cardinals” in 1901.)
Red Bird Lager is available now at Four Peaks 8th Street and will begin landing in stores throughout Arizona beginning Friday, Aug. 13.


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Lady Gaga wants to be a professor! Who knew?
The pop queen has applied for a job teaching fashion and art appreciation at a university in New York. According to a snitch close to Gaga, she “wants to be a college lecturer and has asked about a position at the famous Parsons School For Design.”
Nice! She has already made waves in the world of fashion, so why not teach her little monsters in the process? The source revealed, “She wants to use her fashion sense and avant garde art obsession to launch an academic career.”
The insider went on to say, “Nothing has been finalized yet, but she’d like to teach in the fashion design program. She wants to incorporate elements of music study, popular culture and media studies. If it goes well, she’d be interested in a more permanent arrangement.
She thinks teaching would make people see she is much more than just a flamboyant pop star.”
What do you think of Lady Gaga teaching fashion and music?


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● 27th Investments presents
The 27th Sports focuses in emerging markets and sports such as cricket, golf, beach sports, e-sports and more.
Check event details
In the newsSports
27th Sports buys World Tennis League Team Hawks ahead of its Inaugural Tournament
27th Sports, the sports arm of investment company 27th Investments, has announced the acquisition of The Hawks, a team competing in the inaugural edition of the World Tennis League in Dubai.
27th Sports acquire exclusive marketing mandate for India’s Test and ODI series
US-based investment firm 27th Investments-backed 27th Sports acquire exclusive commercial rights for the Bangladesh cricket team’s 3-match ODI and 2-match Test series against India starting December 4, 2022.


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The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), however, faced a production disruption due to the semiconductors shortage and Covid-19 in 2021, but top 10 companies increased their spending on chip by 25% which accounted over 42% of the entire market.
“Semiconductor vendors shipped more chips in 2021, but the OEMs’ demand was far stronger than the vendors’ production capacity,” said Masatsune Yamaji, research director at Gartner.
According to a Gartner report, Apple remained at the leading semiconductor spender in 2021 at $68,269 million, followed by second placed Samsung, which shelled out $45,775 million.
Likewise, Lenovo came third by forking out $25,283, followed by BBK Electronics at $23,350 million and Dell Technologies at $21,092.
As per Gartner, Apple increased its spending on memory by 36.8% and on non-memory chips by 20.2% in 2021. However, it decreased its demand for computing micro processing units (MPUs) due to the shift to its own in-house-designed application processors. Samsung Electronics increased its memory spending by 34.1% and non-memory chip spending by 23.9% in 2021.
The average selling prices (ASPs) of semiconductor chips, such as microcontroller units, general-purpose logic integrated circuits (ICs), and a wide variety of application-specific semiconductors, increased by 15% or more in 2021.
“The semiconductor shortage also accelerated OEMs’ double booking and panic buying, causing a huge spike in their semiconductor spending,” maintained Yamaji.


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Davao Del Norte -- The province of Davao del Norte is noted to have pegged the lowest inflation rate in the entire Davao Region in December 2023 at 2.9 percent.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Davao Region revealed that during the period, Davao City posted the highest inflation rate at 6.5 percent, followed by Davao Oriental at 6.0 percent; Davao Occidental, 5.1 percent; Davao de Oro, 4.7 percent; and Davao del Sur, 4.2 percent.
According to PSA Davao del Norte, the Inflation rate of the province started at its peak at 6.9 percent in January 2023, and settled at 2.9 percent at the end of the year, posting an annual average of 3.7 percent.
The 2.9 December 2023 inflation rate of the province was way below the Davao Region rate of 5.3 percent in the same month and was still lower than the national inflation rate calculated at 3.9 percent.
Likewise, the data cited was that the 2.9 December 2023 inflation rate of Davao del Norte manifested a decrease of 3.7 percent compared to the same month last year at 6.6 percent.
The downtrend of inflation rate in the province was noted since November 2023 when it was pegged at 3.2 percent.
The downward movement of the index for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels from a rate of -7.3 percent in Nov 2023 to -8.8 percent in December 2023 was the reason for the downtrend of the inflation rate.
Slow price movements of personal care, miscellaneous goods and services, and health were also factored in as contributing to the lower inflation rate in Davao del Norte.
Several commodity items remained stable, from November 2023 to December 2023, relatively providing the foundation of the generally slow movement of prices, the data showed.
PSA revealed that these commodities were furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance; education services; restaurants and accommodation services; and financial services.
It also noted a stable price index on the food group (rice, fish, and other seafood; fruits and nuts) at 7.4 percent in November and December last year. (JMDA/ Davao del Norte/ With reports from PSA Davao del Norte and PSA Davao Region)


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Citizens group angers Guild members
Some call for union to end its ties with Two-Newspaper Town
Published 10:00 pm, Friday, April 28, 2006
An officer at the union representing editorial workers at Seattle's two daily newspapers said he'll ask the group -- for the third time in 18 months -- to withdraw support from a committee that some Seattle Times employees feel jeopardizes their interests.
Steve Miletich, vice president of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, said he has requested a special meeting of the Guild's executive board next week at which he will move that the Guild cut its ties to the Committee for a Two-Newspaper Town.
At the latest, he'll introduce the motion May 6 at a scheduled meeting of the 11-member board, he said.
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If it carries, the motion would likely have to be voted on by the general membership, consisting mainly of reporters, photographers and copy editors, before it becomes effective.
Since 2003, the Guild has been the main financial backer of the committee, which intervened in a court fight between the papers' publishers over whether The Seattle Times Co. can withdraw from the joint operating agreement that has linked it with the Seattle P-I since 1983.
Miletich, a Seattle Times reporter, said he's making the motion because "at least a half-dozen Times employees have told me since (Thursday) they are very angry that the committee has put in jeopardy what they see as the most preferable option to resolve the JOA dispute."
On Thursday, the committee won the right to proceed with two legal claims against the papers' publishers, defeating an attempt by the publishers to halt those claims while they enter binding arbitration.
The Seattle Times Co. had said it might refuse to participate in arbitration unless King County Superior Court Judge Greg Canova suspended both the committee's claims against the publishers and the papers' claims against each other.
As of Thursday afternoon, The Times Co. hadn't decided whether to withdraw. The company didn't respond to calls for comment Friday.
The Guild, along with its parent union, has contributed about $28,000 to the committee -- about 80 percent of the total raised by the committee to date, said co-chairwoman Anne Bremner.
"We would much prefer to have the Guild's support, but I'm confident we can raise money from the public," Bremner said. "We're going to have to relay the message that the circumstances are dire -- we need public assistance."
The committee has said it intends to promptly pursue its breach-of-contract and antitrust claims against The Times Co. and the Hearst Corp., which owns the Seattle P-I, through its attorney, Dmitri Iglitzin. The committee needs money mainly to pay for his services, Bremner said.
Similar motions, put forth then as now by Miletich, were defeated by votes of the Guild's general membership in December 2004 and January 2005.
But "if the landscape has changed and the bulk of the membership want it, we ought to pull out," said Mike Lewis, a P-I reporter serving as the Guild's secretary.
Additional impetus to the motion, Miletich said, is that negotiations over a new labor contract between Guild workers and the publishers are due to begin in mid-May.
"I'm hearing, 'The Guild wants my support in contract negotiations, but how can I do that when it's aligned with this committee that's harming my interest?' " Miletich said.
"The Guild is basically saying we're supposed to be all in unison, yet there's this lingering resentment over the Guild's position."


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As things are starting to get back to normal, we are all being reminded of the power of an in-person meeting. This was definitely the case when the TFSA team visited Lesotho earlier this year. “The visit really helped getting things off the ground,” says George Barrett, Head of Trade Programming Southern Africa at the British High Commission, Pretoria. One of the highlights of the trip, according to George, was an event hosted at the British High Commission in Maseru. “Bringing together all our partners under one roof really made the connection between the organisations evident, and it was a great opportunity to see where TFSA can add greater value.”
Since the visit, the Lesotho country team has been busy rolling out training to help women entrepreneurs get export ready, and field work has been completed in preparation of introducing a new TFSA priority sector in Lesotho.
Preparing small businesses for global markets
In April, TFSA partner African Women in Small Business conducted training in international market standards for 22 women entrepreneurs working in the cosmetics and natural ingredients, and specialty foods sectors. The 3-day training event helped the women improve their understanding of the standards and procedures they need to meet in order to export their products internationally, as well as the internal factors that contribute to successfully trading across borders.
22 women small business owners show off their training certificates.
The same group of women entrepreneurs also participated in a number of site visits in Lesotho and South Africa for practical tips and knowledge transfer on key issues such as packaging and other vital steps in the cosmetics value and supply chain. This is what one of them had to say after learning from packaging firm, Bloem Pack, in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
“This trip was really an opener for all of us. We have seen where to get the best packaging materials which will help us to improve the standards of our products.”
April also saw 11 Lesotho women in trade graduate from TFSA’s first regional Export Trade Training programme. The 9-week programme offered a roadmap to export success through expert coaching, strategies, networking and actionable modules to help participants enter new markets.
“TFSA came at the opportune moment and empowered me with export trading management skills, and the pros and cons of export, which enabled me to really assess if my business is ready to export. After completing all the modules and conducting an in depth assessment of where my business is, I have already introduced systems to close some of the gaps. From the vast knowledge I have gained, I feel confident that I will realise my dream and be able to export my products internationally.” Mampho Ntsekhe, Leeto Snacks
Preparing to meet the growing global demand for ethically sourced mohair
The wool and mohair sector is hugely important to Lesotho, not least for its many rural, small-scale producers. With the global trend towards ethically sourced mohair, TFSA is working with the Lesotho National Wool and Mohair Growers Association to develop and pilot a certification model of Textile Exchange’s Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS), which focuses on:
- Animal welfare
- Preserving land health
- Protecting social welfare
- Chain of custody
- Credible certification
- Stakeholder engagement
Though RMS certification is voluntary, adoption of the standard is rapidly gaining momentum among leading fashion brands and retailers worldwide. Since its introduction in 2019, 27% of global mohair production is already certified to the standard, and a growing number of buyers are setting goals to only source RMS certified materials by 2025. Producers of mohair in Lesotho currently do not comply with the standards and are therefore at risk of losing out on future market share. By developing and implementing a model specifically tailored for Lesotho growers and shearing sheds, TFSA is offering support vital for the sector to remain competitive. According to Liz Whitehouse from Africa House, which oversees this work for TFSA, time is of the essence. ”This is all about being proactive and get growers certified before it is too late. Right now, we’re mapping out the pilot according to the Lesotho standards – where many farmers are high up in the mountains without internet access – and will start training of the groups included in the pilot.”
As work progresses, we will keep sharing updates from Lesotho on what this work means for the industry. Meanwhile, this video offers a glimpse into the origins of mohair before it ends up in retail stores around the world.


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Tank Girl has long been one of comics’ most iconic creations. Created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin, the cult classic title about a girl and her tank surviving in a punk AF post-apocalyptic world was first published in 1988 and is still going strong 30 years later. Tank Girl was a radical addition to the black and white comics boom of the ’80s and she quickly became a counterculture icon, especially within the queer punk scene, with her image appearing on posters and t-shirts promoting everything from the comic itself to anti-homophobia protests in the U.K. To celebrate this landmark anniversary, Titan Comics has a year of exciting releases and radical announcements, and we’re lucky enough to get to share some of them right here!
First up, we’ve got an exclusive sneak peak at the gorgeous wraparound cover for the upcoming series collection The Legend of Tank Girl, by fan favorite artist Brett Parson! This radical hardcover collection rounds up Parson and Martin’s Tank Girl Gold, Two Girls One Tank, and World War Tank Girl for the first time for your perusing pleasure, and you’ll be able to grab it from your local comic shop on August 15th.
That’s not the only Tank Girl treat that we have for you–don’t we spoil you?–because we also have the first look at the newly colored classic Tank Girl comics which Titan announced under the banner Tank Girl: Full Color Classics earlier this month. Colored fanatically by Tracy Bailey and Sofie Dodgson, the vibrant pages are a new take on the classic black and white illustrations by Jamie Hewlett. If you recognize the distinct art style but have never come across Tank Girl before, it’s likely because Hewlett was also the creative mind behind Gorillaz. These new colors are a joyous way to celebrate 30 years of Tank Girl and we can’t wait until April 18th when we’ll be able to see the full glory.
For Tank Girl co-creator Alan Martin, the recolors were an obvious way to celebrate the landmark anniversary of his beloved creation. “We are exceptionally excited to go back and revisit the roots of Tank Girl. There was no choice to release the comics in full color back in the day, but if we had, this is precisely how we would have envisaged them,” said Martin, in Titan’s official press release. “We’re also having a great time searching through the archives and finding unseen artwork and photos, which will give enlightening and contemporary context to the strips. This is a whole new light shining on the origins of our comics, just in time for her 30th Anniversary. We hope you will enjoy going back in time as much as we have!”
Stay tuned, Tank Girl fans, as we’ll be celebrating “The Year of Tank Girl” at Nerdist and will likely have some more radical exclusives and announcements coming your way! (Check out our gallery below for even more Tank Girl: Full Color Classics!)
Are you excited to see your favorite post-apocalyptic superhero in all her technicolor glory? Can’t wait to take home the brand new collections of Rebecca Buck a.k.a. Tank Girl? Just stoked to see Tank Girl getting her due in the overstuffed landscape of superhero comics? Shoot into the comments below!
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New York, March 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reportlinker.com announces the release of the “Smart Home Security Global Market Report 2022” – https://www.reportlinker.com/p06246496/?utm_source=GNW
com, Canary connect, AT&T, August Home, Google, Butterfeye, Tyco security products, Livewatch security, G4S, Cocoon labs, Legrand and Ingersoll Rand.
The global smart home security market is expected to grow from $2.69 billion in 2021 to $3.27 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.6%. The change in growth trend is mainly due to the companies stabilizing their production after meeting the demand which increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The market is expected to reach $6.81 billion in 2026 with a CAGR of 20.1%.
The smart home security system market includes the sale of smart home security devices and related services. Smart home security devices can be connected to Wi-Fi and accessed from anywhere using smartphones, smartwatches or voice.
Security devices produced include devices such as smart alarms, smart cameras, smart locks, smart detectors and others. This market does not include the installation of these devices and/or the integration with the domestic installation.
The main products of smart home security systems are smart alarms, smart cameras and surveillance systems, smart locks and sensors, and smart detectors. A smart alarm is a system that uses wireless technology, home networks and mobile phones to integrate day-to-day security. life today.
The components of smart home security systems are hardware, software and services. The different types of applications are in independent houses, apartments and condominiums.
Regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.
The smart home security market is driven by rising crime rates across the globe. With rising crime rates, consumers are increasingly focusing on safety and security systems, especially in residential areas.
Smart home devices such as smart alarms, smart cameras and smart lockers are preferred by households to be more safe and secure. According to home burglary statistics, 88% of all burglaries are residential in nature and there is a 300% chance of theft. in homes without a security system.
According to 2019 crime statistics from NCRB, in 2019, 1,833 violent crimes were recorded in Himachal.
High installation costs of smart home security devices are restraining the growth of the smart home security market. Being a relatively new technology, the cost of installing smart home security systems and the cost of other related expenses such as utilities, maintenance and repair of the technology is also high.
The cost of home security devices depends on the installation plan and the size of the property. Installing alarm systems and security cameras is more expensive than installing other smart home security devices.
The basic smart home security system consisting of a burglar alarm, thermostat, outdoor lighting and a backdoor lock that can be controlled remotely costs $2,500. And an advanced, high-end security and home automation system costs $1.8 million. For example, in 2019 the cost range for installing basic security cameras is $663 to $2,019.
Manufacturers of smart home security systems are increasingly integrating technologies with visual recognition based on AI (artificial intelligence) into security devices. AI is developing to a new stage where security confirmation and authentication will be handled from facial and visual recognition.
Home security systems such as consumer video cameras are integrated with AI technology with a new security validation framework to improve safety and security through facial recognition, fingerprints and voice recognition. It is proposed to apply AI in smart alarms to create databases of all incoming alerts, which could then be analyzed to predict false alarms.
For example, in 2019, SimCam Lab, a security and home automation system provider, introduced the SimCam security and home automation camera that uses “”SimCam Alloy”” AI to recognize faces and monitor pets, objects and others.
California Senate Bill 327 outlines security rules for all devices that connect to the Internet, including smart home security systems. The bill requires the manufacturer of such a device to be equipped with appropriate security features designed to prevent unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure of information.
The bill states that the information collected by the device must be appropriate and protected from unauthorized use. In addition, if the device is to be used outside the local network, the user must generate a new password other than the one assigned to him by default. , in order to prevent hacker attacks.
This bill is expected to go into effect on January 1, 2020 in California, USA.
In September 2021, Security Alarm Corporation (SAC), a commercial and residential systems integration company, acquired Alert Alarm Systems Plus, Inc. (AASP) of Sarasota FL. The objective behind this acquisition is to expand the company’s Gulf Coast and AASP market. Alert Alarm Systems Plus, Inc. offers security monitoring equipment and monitoring services.
The countries covered in the Smart Home Security System market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06246496/?utm_source=GNW
ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need – instantly, in one place.
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IBM said it inked a deal to buy Unica Corp. for about $480 million.
Big Blue reckons Unica will expand its ability to help organisations "analyse and predict customer preferences and develop more targeted marketing campaigns."
Craig Hayman, general manager, IBM Industry Solutions called Unica, "a clear choice for IBM, based on its power to automate a broad set of marketing capabilities and its established reputation for delivering customer success in marketing to organisations around the world."
Unica shareholders will trouser $21 a share in cash, IBM said today in a statement, which is more than double the stock’s price on the day the deal was announced - yesterday.
IBM said Unica's 500 employees will be borged into IBM’s Software Solutions Group.
IBM said it expects to close the deal by the end of the year.


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Venice company hired 64 since Jan. 1 and is looking for still more workers
PGT Inc., boosted by a revival in new residential construction and the launch of a new line of storm-resistant windows for retail storefronts, has added dozens of workers at its Venice headquarters and plant since the start of the year.
In all, the maker of impact-resistant windows and doors has hired 64 new workers since Jan. 1, and it has more positions to fill, said Alicia Adams, PGT's human resources director.
"We are gearing up right now for our busy season," Adams said. "And with the economy improving some, we have seen some improvement in the new-construction market."
The company has recently filled positions in sales, marketing, manufacturing and glass operations, and it continues to recruit for jobs in manufacturing, for maintenance mechanics, electrical technicians and international sales representatives, among others.
PGT also is now taking orders for its Storefront Commercial System, which features large, storm-resistant panes of glass meant for retail storefronts.
"We are very excited about that," said Adams.
She estimated the current payroll at 1,060.
The company now operates three production shifts in Venice.
Founded in 1980, PGT established itself as a leader in the impact-resistant window industry following Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
A NASDAQ-traded company, PGT posted its last quarterly report in October. While sales were flat at $129 million in the first nine months of the year, gross profit margins improved substantially, to about 34 percent -- from 23 percent a year earlier. Net income of $5.8 million compared with a net loss of $10.6 million a year earlier.
In another sign of its own confidence in its future, PGT announced in November that it would spend up to $20 million by the end of 2013 to buy back its own common stock.
The company said at the end of 2010 that it would close its plant in Salisbury, N.C., consolidating operations in Venice. The assembly operations conducted in North Carolina were moved to the Venice plant in 2011. The company finalized its North Carolina exit in January, when it sold its plant there for $8 million.


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Elon Musk Wants 50% Of Twitter's Total Subscription Revenue
November 26 2022
Elon Musk has revealed Twitter's revenue model to increase its value
Elon Musk has kickstarted Twitter subscription revenue model but many users may not be willing to pay to use the platform.
Reports said Elon Musk wants paid subscribers to account for 50% of Twitter's revenue
A survey from The Harris Poll, a global market research and consulting firm, found half of Twitter users said they would leave the platform if it came with a monthly subscription fee.
Some public figures have said they'll quit the platform if Twitter starts charging for verification.
The firm polled 2,063 US adults, 1,212 of which were Twitter users, from October 20 to October 28, the week Musk took over the company.
Musk thought the subscription aim "could help with conversations" and "pay by credit card could help with bots" Platformer's Casey Newton’s tweet said.


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Ian Beavis, Chief Strategy Officer, AMCI Global, and Amber Quist, CMO, Silvercar by Audi, were in agreement on most product innovation and consumer education topics that came up at MediaPost's Marketing:Automotive conference.
”Affordability is a problem now,” said Beaver, “driven a lot by technology. And there is very little online that truly helps you understand the value of safety systems. If you don’t know the true value of what is in that car, the dealer is in trouble. The industry needs to change that situation to get people to physically experience the car, to be excited about the opportunities of technology.”
Dealerships, said Quist, “are becoming more like product experts. Buyers are 80% informed before they enter a dealership. Sales people look different than they used to. But we have to ask if we’re developing technology for technology’s sake. Customers only care when you solve a need that exists.”
Take lane-departure warning. “If a person is not shown what lane departure is doing, they’ll probably turn it off,” said Beavis. “Backup cameras, same thing. Until they actually experience one and then they’ll never go back.”
“We’re looking at a new landscape,” Quist said. “All OEMs have this challenge before them. Silvercar allows people the flexibility to change models but some are using it to bridge between leases, others to test drive before a purchase.”
As far as game changers go, Beavis said 5G will do it for the auto industry. “Tesla’s got a jump on everyone. 5G is an opportunity for OEMs to have direct connection with customers. It will help with loyalty. Silvercar is brilliant in enhancing loyalty for Audi. So much is electronic, and recalls will be electronically done. Just download, change software, done overnight. It’s going to be wonderful for customer experience.”
“Tesla operates as a software company, essentially,” added Quist.


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Under Armour is upping its fitness level.
The Baltimore-based company acquired MapMyFitness for $150 million in a deal expected to close by the end of the year. The digital fitness platform allows users to track and share fitness progress through social tools and owns additional brands such as MapMyRun and MapMyRide. The company has more than 20 million registered users.
“The partnership is about Under Armour enhancing our digital expertise to drive the future of performance innovation for the global athlete community,” Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank said in a statement. “We will build on the community MapMyFitness has cultivated in the connected fitness space and together we will serve as a destination for the measurement and analytics needs of all athletes.”
As part of the deal, Under Armour plans to add an elevated training experience with the release of updated digital products and platforms.
“The combination of Under Armour’s powerful commitment to athletes and innovation and our connected fitness technology allows us to better serve the needs of athletes around the world,” said Robin Thurston, co-founder and CEO of MapMyFitness.


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Nissan is currently testing out a prototype that it says could make car washes a relic of the past. The test car benefits from a new nano-paint treatment that repels dirt and grime. The automaker is putting the car through the dirty wringer to see how well it holds up in the real world. Not only can car washes be time-consuming and/or expensive, they are a short-term solution. How many times do you roll that dripping, glistening car out of the car wash parking lot only to hit a muddy puddle or rainstorm within the first day or two?
Nissan says it is the first automaker to apply a super-hydrophobic, oleophobic industrial treatment called Ultra-Ever Dry to a vehicle body. The treatment is designed to repel all water-based and some oil-based liquids using a protective top layer of air. When a car runs through a muddy puddle, the treatment will purportedly prevent that mud and road grit from sticking to the body, keeping it car wash-fresh. Nissan Europe has applied the Ultra-Ever Dry to a test Note and says that it’s performed well in rain, spray, frost, sleet and standing water. It plans to continue testing the car in a variety of conditions over the next few months.
Ultra-Ever Dry launched in 2012 and is sold and marketed by Florida-based Ultratech International. The company staged a “phase II” launch earlier this year and says that it’s improved the formula, pricing and distribution. It demonstrates the treatment being used for all kinds of applications, from clothing and footwear to building materials.
In addition to repelling liquid itself, it can be used for related purposes such as anti-icing and anti-bacterial treatments. Nissan is not currently considering introducing the treatment as a standard in its line-up. Instead, it sees the opportunity to offer the coating as an aftermarket option. ( By C.C. Weiss from Gizmag.com ) The first video below shows the Ultra-Ever Dry treatment being put to the test on the Nissan Note. The second video is one of the latest from Ultratech, showing it in a variety of other applications.


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April Fool's Day falling on Easter Sunday this year probably held back some parks from going all-out with the gags this year, but several parks did play along by creating fake press releases and video announcements.
Here are three that I found myself chuckling at, including Efteling revealing the real reason why it retracked its Python roller coaster, Busch Gardens Tampa's announcement about its newest animal habitat, and a Walt Disney World food announcement that I actually would have believed for a moment had it come from California's Disneyland instead.
Efteling's Baby Seats on Python:
Busch Gardens Tampa's Squirrel Habitat:
We’ve got some exciting news to share... 2022 will be the year of the squirrel! pic.twitter.com/EPajA1QMiJ— Busch Gardens Tampa (@BuschGardens) April 1, 2018
Walt Disney World's Kale Churros:
Which one was your favorite? Please share any other parks' April Fool's gags in the comments.Tweet
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The topic that was under much discussion and debate for almost a year finally saw the light of the day, yesterday. The store was opened to developer testing to have a commercial opening of the same. The concept of in-application billing isn’t new; in fact, users of Apple’s iTunes and Nokia’s Ovi Store have already been using this for a while now. Next week onwards, users of Android will also be able to avail of the service.
Picture courtesy: puremobile.com
In-application billing or the popular coined term ‘Please insert a coin to continue’ has been one of the prime generators of revenue, as also a model that most games are based on. The games, by themselves, on these platforms may be free. But, additional content that is needed for the game will essentially require this system. Hence, developers have been very keen on emulating this model.
Android, however, plans to go very innovative with its approach to in-application billing. Big hopes have been pinned with these plans. But, the final picture is yet to be seen.
Published Date: Mar 26, 2011 10:11 am | Updated Date: Mar 26, 2011 10:11 am


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With 40 year anniversary celebrations, open days and new product launches, it's fair to say that it has been a very busy year for Montracon as a company.
Gap Group has been a Montracon customer for the last couple of years and we have several new orders in the pipeline.
Montracon has a dedicated refurbishment and repairs centre in a purpose built facility at Wilberfoss near York.
Orsam Trailers Ltd in Burton-upon-Trent, Derbyshire have recently taken delivery of 25 Montracon tri-axle box van trailers.
A successful open day for Montracon's 40th Anniversary was held late last week. It gave all our customers and suppliers a great opportunity to view our products and our factory site.
Montracons Open Day is an opportunity to celebrate the companies 40th anniversary.
R.T. Keedwell has put into service its first urban delivery vehicles, with two new 9.7m length Urban Montracon trailers.
The Asset Alliance Group have bought from Montracon a total of 308 units since June 2016. The units have been a mixture of both semi-trailers and rigid bodies.
In addition to the Refrigerated Trailers, Montracon have manufactured and supplied a number of Tesco Curtainsider Trailers.
Following on from an initial order of 50 Tesco Refrigerated Trailers, Montracon have secured an additional order for a further 24 Fridges.


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St Leonards development to redefine the lower north shore
A $1.6 BILLION integrated living development will attempt to replicate Chatswood in St Leonards with an a large commercial and retail precinct as well as hundreds of new apartments.
THE St Leonards skyline is set for a big change with a $1.6 billion development to erected over the next four years.
Located at 88 Christie St, the residences will be spread across two towers with 647 apartments between them.
The tallest building will have 47 storeys.
Eighty Eight will have a range of one bedroom apartments up to penthouses, plus 30,000sqm of commercial space including a supermarket, fine dining eateries, retailers and a library.
Since launching the project three weeks ago, CBRE sales director Ben Stewart said the demand had been phenomenal.
“Since the first release opened, we have already sold 140 of the 180 apartments in such a short time,” Mr Stewart said.
Developed by JQZ, the project has attracted many north shore buyers.
“About 70 per cent of buyers have come out of the lower or upper north shore,” Mr Stewart said.
Mr Stewart said buyers were attracted to the convenience of the site.
“The amenities on offer in the complex has been a big draw card, plus the views of Sydney Harbour,” he said.
One-bedroom apartments (44-58 sqm) are priced from $785,000 to $960,000; two-bedders (75-90sqm) are $1.35 million-$1.95 million and the three-bedders (95-101sqm) $2.05 million-$2.95 million.
The penthouses range between 169sqm and 217sqm, with prices available upon inspection.
Eighty Eight will feature direct access to St Leonards train station and will be a short walk to the proposed Crows Nest metro station.
“Buyers see St Leonards as the next Chatswood with lots of eating and shopping choices,” Mr Steward said.
The second phase of apartments is expected to be released in the next month.
Originally published as St Leonards development to redefine the lower north shore


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- ShipBob is offering Amazon Shipping as a new delivery option for eligible U.S. orders, the fulfillment and supply chain platform announced in its "Winter '24 Release."
- ShipBob Head of Product Marketing Brittany Barron said in a video that the company is "the only fulfillment solution to offer this" with Amazon Shipping, which she called "the fastest growing carrier in the U.S."
- Amazon Shipping is a ground shipping service available to Amazon.com sellers for orders placed outside of the e-commerce giant's marketplace. Experts say the offering could be an affordable alternative for smaller shippers looking for options outside of FedEx and UPS.
As of June, ShipBob has shipped more than 100 million orders through its fulfillment network. Amazon snagging even a small share of this volume from other ShipBob-partnered carriers would provide a volume boost for its emerging delivery service.
FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service are among the other carriers ShipBob partners with to deliver thousands of brands' shipments to customers. That carrier base also helps the company offer 2-day shipping coverage across the continental U.S.
Amazon Shipping provides delivery in two to five days by leveraging its own transportation network and the Postal Service. Nate Skiver, founder of LPF Spend Management, said in a LinkedIn post that ShipBob is the first Amazon Shipping customer he's aware of beyond smaller merchants.
ShipBob's announcement pointed to the experience of AutoBrush, an electric toothbrush company, which is bringing Amazon Shipping as an option for orders placed on its website. CEO Chris Lander highlighted the service’s shipping speeds and real-time tracking capabilities.
ShipBob had plenty of familiarity with Amazon before the announcement, offering the e-commerce giants' sellers services for "Fulfilled by Merchant" and "Fulfillment by Amazon" orders. The company hired Amazon's former VP of North America customer fulfillment, Melissa Nick, as its first chief supply chain officer in June.


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Trust Payments is proud to announce its recognition as one of the “Best Companies to Work For” in several categories in the UK.
The payments group has received several employee-recognition awards, including one of the top 30 Financial Services firms to work for in the UK, as well as regional awards in London and Wales. It also received a 1 Star rating signifying ‘very good’ levels of workplace engagement.
Daniel Holden, CEO, Trust Payments commented: “Talented people, properly engaged, are at the heart of our culture. I’m extremely proud of our successes in 2020, but most importantly our people. They have created a culture of passion and energy; a desire to put customers first; and an innovation hub which has challenged traditional workspaces. This has been even more impressive given the exceptional challenges all companies have faced in 2020. The future of UK fintech is bright at Trust Payments.”
Ian Hughes, Chief Technology Officer, who is based in the company’s Wales technology hub in Bangor, added: “The technology developed out of Wales underpins our business. As a company, we push the boundaries of technology in the development of our platforms and fuel a culture of innovation across the payments and loyalty industries. Our work culture and environment allows us to develop new products at an accelerated rate to the market, as well as draw in global talent remotely. We are extremely proud of our team’s commitment and passion, which is evident in our fantastic retention. Several of our Wales team have been with the company for a considerable number of years and continue to strive for excellence in what they deliver. We are delighted that, with our team’s open and honest feedback and input, we are now considered one of the top companies to work for in Wales.”
The group was awarded 3 accolades in the 2021 Best Companies to Work For List:
– One of Financial Services’ 30 Best Companies to Work For
– One of London’s Top 75 large companies to work for
– One of Wales’ Top 30 Companies to work for
The company has 260 employees globally, including over 40 in Wales. Trust Payments is expanding rapidly, doubling its headcount in the last year, opening new offices and seeing a growth of year-on-year revenue of more than 60%. The company works tirelessly to help optimise sales and customer experience for more than 20,000 businesses and, in turn, for millions of end users. It strongly believes its people are paramount to its success.
Join our journey today, check out Careers at Trust Payments.
The full list and rankings will be announced on 21 May at https://www.bestcompanies.live/.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook (pictured above) has been the target of an apparently crazy woman, and the company has taken immediate steps to protect him–a far cry from how it handles customer safety, especially in China.
The woman has fashioned Cook in her imagination (and on social media) as her “bed man” and “husband.” She traveled across country from Virginia to California to find him, and now has been served with a restraining order and is not to go near him, his home, or any Apple property.
As an additional security measure, Apple has pixelated his home on its Maps app (as has Google) so he can be found less easily.
The U.K. Daily Mail reports:
Mr. Cook’s £2.5million home in California has now been pixelated on both Apple Maps and Google Maps. …
She emailed Cook approximately 200 times from October to November 2020, sending him messages which included photos of what appear to be loaded handguns, according to documents. …
Court documents said the emails demonstrated ‘a significant escalation in tone.’
It’s understandable that Cook and Apple would want to do everything possible to protect the CEO.
Unfortunately, the Cupertino, Calif. tech giant does not feel compelled to extend similar protections to its customers – especially those in China.
As NLPC reported last year, Cook capitulated to the communist Chinese government’s demands for access to its citizens’ private data. The New York Times found that not only did Apple give a government-owned firm access to encryption keys for customers’ data on the iCloud; it also ceded to the Chinese firm control of the massive server farms that host its cloud computing.
And in 2019, Cook removed a crowd-sourcing app called HKmap.live from its App Store, following complaints by the government (through its state-run media) that Hong Kong protesters used it to target individual police officers for attacks.
Apple rakes in billions of dollars from China and most of its products are assembled with cheap labor there, so it routinely removes apps from its store that the communist regime doesn’t like.
The company is under the thumb of the Chinese government, but at least Tim Cook is safe(r).


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For the second week in a row, this is not the usual, lighthearted installment of Hot Plate, sharing information about wine dinners and seafood festivals, as events are canceled and restaurants are no longer open in their traditional capacity, in an effort to flatten the curve and stem the transmission of coronavirus.
This is a challenging time around the world and in every industry. The restaurant business, with low margins and reliance on tipping and on customers gathering in one place to generate income, has been hit especially hard (though it is by no means the only industry suffering).
To understand some of what restaurants are dealing with right now, read this Facebook post from Clavel owner Lane Harlan.
So as lovers of Baltimore and lovers of restaurants, what can we do to help? There are a few things.
Order takeaway/curbside service or delivery.
While some restaurants have closed completely, others have modified operations to offer carryout and delivery options. Menus are typically pared down and these organizations have adopted stringent hygiene practices and organizational protocols to limit transmission of germs.
A few individuals and organizations have taken the time to gather lists of restaurants offering these services.
Links to Baltimore City restaurants still operating are in this ever-changing Google Doc.
Baltimore County has developed an online tool to identify restaurants offering to-go options.
Howard County restaurants and liquor pickup/delivery options can be found here.
But stay flexible. As we all know by now, things change on a daily basis–sometimes even several times a day. Some restaurants that started out offering carryout have since stopped the practice. This includes Lobo, Petit Louis, Bar Vasquez, Cinghiale and Johhny’s.
Rely on restaurants for groceries and beverages.
In addition to carryout and delivery, some restaurants are operating like grocery stores, selling raw ingredients.
In addition to a limited menu of a la carte dishes and family-style dishes, The Capital Grille is also offering uncooked steaks for sale; they are cut daily. Call the restaurant to place orders.
Many restaurants throughout the region are also selling beer and wine, often at a discount. Some venues will deliver within a certain radius.
This includes bottled cocktails from places like Clavel, Nepenthe Brewing Co., Wet City and Bluebird Cocktail Room, as well as prepared foods from companies like Trinacria and John Brown General and Butchery. Dutch Courage is currently operating as a bottle shop–and offering up cocktail recipes and recommendations, too!
And at some spots, certain purchases directly help support staff member needs. At Woodberry Kitchen, 100 percent of sales of Beach Face pounders (4-pack) and 6-packs of Soak Up the Sun and sparkling Bay Rose will go to a fund covering the Woodberry team’s health benefit costs and a team stipend.
Buy gift cards or merchandise.
Buying gift cards or merchandise offers restaurants an infusion of cash right now, when they need it most. And you get a little treat out of it, too, whether that’s a cool new T-shirt or hat, or the promise of a great meal later in the year.
Some spots have special deals on merchandise right now, like True Chesapeake, where gear is 10 percent off for the rest of the month with the code RAWSOME.
Some local restaurants have announced they will donate all proceeds from gift cards directly to their staff. These places inlude Gertrude’s, Foreman Wolf restaurants (Bar Vasquez, Johnny’s, Cinghiale, Charleston, Petit Louis), the Atlas Restaurant Group locations (Ouzo Bay, Tagliata, The Bygone, Maximon, Italian Disco, Azumi, Harbor East Deli) and Thames Street Oyster House.
Contribute to a fundraising campaign.
Both individual restaurants and industry support organizations have started GoFundMe and other fundraising efforts designed to keep employees and businesses afloat during this time. This includes small-but-beloved spots like Dutch Courage, Silver Queen Café, and Foraged Eatery.
This Adopt-a-Bartender emergency fund GoFundMe supports bartenders from a variety of establishments (and has been vetted–it’s legitimate).
And there’s also a Google Doc that’s been created as a “virtual tip jar” for displaced Baltimore restaurant workers. The document includes the names, restaurants and Paypal or Venmo information for local restaurant industry workers who could use help at this time.
Celebrate the good.
Even in these very confusing and stressful times, people within the community have come together and are giving back in inspiring ways, including the fundraising campaigns and restaurant identification tools shared in this column.
Foraged Eatery has pressed pause on curbside orders but is generously preparing “family meals” for members of the restaurant industry. Mera Kitchen Collective is cooking meals for community members in need (and raising funds to continue to do so). In Fells Point, Pie in the Sky is offering free slices of pizza for those who need it, and they aren’t the only people in the industry working to feed people in need right now. Saval Food Service has donated a large amount of food to efforts supporting laid off restaurant employees. Several local distilleries, including Lyon Distilling and Patapsco Distilling Company, are shifting gears to produce hand sanitizer.
A wide variety of restaurant and other professionals have joined together to support the restaurant industry in a variety of ways, from lobbying to advice, in a Facebook group called Baltimore Area Restaurant Industry Relief Group. If you are a part of the restaurant community and haven’t yet joined the group or if you are an individual who may be able to offer support or advice to members, check it out.
Those are just a few of the ways–both big and small–Baltimoreans are supporting one another during these unpredictable times. There’s a lot of good out there – and a lot of ways to help.