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The Podcasting Boom Explained in One Infographic
The impact of technology on how we consume information cannot be understated.
The most seismic shift has been to the media landscape as platforms like Facebook overtake traditional channels of news, distribution, and advertising. Not only does this put incumbent news conglomerates in an unenviable position, but it has also thrust tech companies into the reluctant role of the gatekeeper for society’s most important news and information.
While people may be divided on whether this is good or bad, there is another major change stemming from technology that is more clean cut in having a positive effect on consumers. The internet has allowed the news and content we consume to migrate away from centralized and capital-intensive sources (radio shows, cable TV), opening up many new and digestible formats of storytelling that were never before imaginable.
The barrier of entry for content has dropped towards zero, and it allows for many different “laboratories” to test new ideas, formats, and concepts until the winners are found.
New Formats to Experience
We are obviously advocates of the growing role of the visual medium for storytelling, which we aim to do mainly through infographics and data visualizations. While people have used visual storytelling since the cave drawing days, technology has really allowed this medium to hit a new stride as a way to break through the clutter. Further, science says that people crave visual content, and infographics provide a shareable, intuitive, distilled, and thought-provoking approach to sharing data.
Like infographics, the podcasting format – which is the subject of today’s post from Concordia University – has also recently began hitting a sweet spot for audiences around the world. This convenient audio format has been made possible through technology, and doesn’t rely on the same entrenched distribution channels as old school formats, such as radio.
As a result, podcasters can experiment more with the structures of their craft, while avoiding traditional forms of censorship. Today’s podcasts are breaking new ground daily with unique content that falls anywhere on the spectrum, from improvisational comedy to fact-dense educational features.
The Podcasting Boom
The podcast, a name originating from a portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcast”, was first coined in 2004 by journalist Ben Hammersley of the BBC and The Guardian.
Despite being a feasible form of content even during the age of MP3 players and early broadband connections, the format has only really hit the mainstream in recent years. It’s hard to explain why, but most experts point to increased mobility, better production value, and a group of content creators that have recently managed to capture the imagination of the broader public.
Regardless, in recent years, the podcasting space has boomed to new levels of popularity. Today, the percentage of Americans that listen to podcasts is 24%, which is double what it was in 2013.
Further, the advertising market for podcasts is growing as well. In 2015, the ad market for podcasts was $69 million – but by 2017, the market was triple the size at an estimated $220 million. Podcasts allow advertisers to tap into very specific audience psychographics, and podcasts offer higher CPMs ($25-45) for successful publishers than traditional online content ($1-$20).
When and Where?
Aside from allowing new types of content to blossom outside of traditional distribution channels, podcasting has one other defining characteristic: mobility.
Just as streaming does for video, podcasts allow audio to be played in many situations where it was previously less feasible for a user to curate content. In fact, people listen to podcasts the most while driving (52%), traveling (46%), walking, running, or biking (40%), commuting on public transportation (37%), and while working out (32%).
This carves a pretty interesting niche that video and other content types can’t fill. And if podcasting content keeps getting better, people may even opt to listen in at other times outside of travel, building out the medium to even bigger heights.
Here’s What Happens Every Minute on the Internet in 2020
A lot can happen in an internet minute. This graphic looks at the enormous numbers behind the online services billions use every day.
What Happens Every Minute on the Internet in 2020
In 2020, an unfathomable amount of digital activity is occurring at any given moment. This ongoing explosion in activity is the aggregate output of 4.5 billion internet users today, a number that’s projected to increase even further in coming years.
This powerful visual from Domo helps capture what happens each minute in today’s hyper-connected internet era, and it’s actually the eighth edition produced since the year 2012.
What can we learn from the evolution of what happens in an internet minute?
How Times Have Changed
Over its relatively short history, the internet has been a catalyst for both the rise and demise of new companies and platforms.
By looking at which brands have appeared in the graphic in earlier years, we can roughly chart the prominence of certain tech segments, as well as observe brands with the most staying power.
As you can see above, platforms like Tumblr, Flickr, and Foursquare showed some promise, but eventually got omitted from the graphic as they dropped off in relevance.
Meanwhile, tech companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google have had impressive staying power, evolving to become some of the biggest companies in the world. In the process, they’ve caught up to longer-standing titans like Apple and Microsoft at the top of the food chain.
The New “New Thing”
Not surprisingly, much of the internet landscape looks different in 2020. Here are a few of the digital hot spots today.
Nearly $240,000 worth of transactions occur on Venmo per minute. This has served as a catalyst for parent company PayPal, which evolved along successfully with fintech trends. PayPal’s stock now trades at near all-time highs.
Even before COVID-19 resulted in shuttered storefronts and surging online orders, e-commerce was a booming industry. It’s now estimated that $1 million is now spent per minute online. Amazon ships an astounding 6,659 packages every minute to keep up with this demand.
In a predominantly remote-working environment, tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams host 208,333 and 52,083 users each minute respectively. Particularly in the pandemic era, it seems that this trend is here to stay.
The accelerated world we are in today means that many companies do not sustain a competitive advantage for as long. Social media companies have dwindled as observed above, and this is similarly reflected in the average lifespan of an S&P 500 company.
A typical company’s tenure on the S&P 500 is expected to shrink rapidly in the next few years:
- 1964: 33 years
- 2016: 24 years
- 2027E: 12 years
Companies are shaving anywhere between 15-20 years off those highs, with estimates of further declines. This metric symbolizes the rapid evolution of the business landscape.
What Lies Ahead
It’s seemingly easy to forget mankind is still very early in the developments when it comes to the internet. But in this short period, its rise to prominence and the broad digitization of the world has left us with a very eventful timeline.
If the last decade serves as a reference point, one can expect further and intensifying competition among tech companies. After all, the reward—winning in today’s digital economy—reaps much greater value.
All signs point to internet activity advancing to further heights, if not because of 5G and its associated breakthroughs, then perhaps due to the steady rise in people gaining internet access.
Ranked: The Most Popular Websites Since 1993
This animation provides an interesting overview of the websites with the highest traffic over the last few decades, and how the rankings have changed.
The Most Popular Websites Since 1993
The internet has become an increasingly important part of our everyday lives.
While it’s hard to imagine modern life without Google or YouTube, it’s interesting to reflect on how much the web has changed over the last few decades.
This animation by Captain Gizmo provides a historical rundown of the most popular websites since 1993, showing how much the internet has evolved since the early ’90s.
The Top Websites
While the web has changed drastically over the years, the top-ranking websites have remained relatively consistent. Here’s a look at the websites with the most traffic since 1993, and when each site held the number one spot:
|Date Range||Top Ranking Website||Highest Number of Monthly Visits|
|Jan 1993 - Jun 2000||AOL||405,000,000
|Jul 2000 - May 2006||Yahoo||5,500,000,000
|Jun 2006 - Jul 2008||8,300,000,000
|Aug 2008 - Jun 2010||Yahoo||11,600,000,000
|Jul 2010 - current||81,000,000,000
*Note: Numbers rounded for clarity.
AOL was one of the first major web portals, back in the era of CD-ROMs and dial-up modems. In its heyday, the company dominated the market, largely due to an aggressive free trial campaign that cost millions (possibly even billions) of dollars to execute.
Despite the large investment, the campaign worked—at its peak, AOL had over 30 million users, and a market cap of over $200 billion. It was the most popular website online until the early 2000s, when broadband started to replace dial-up. As the sands shifted, AOL struggled to stay relevant and was eventually sold to Verizon for just $4.4 billion.
Following AOL’s downfall, Yahoo became the next internet giant.
Starting off as a web directory, Yahoo was the first website to offer localized indexes for major cities. At Yahoo’s zenith, it was worth $125 billion, but a series of missed opportunities and failed acquisitions meant that it could not keep up. Like AOL, Yahoo is now also owned by Verizon, but remains a top 10 website globally.
It’s no surprise that Google currently comes in at number one. It started out in the early ’90s as a university research project. Today, it’s become virtually synonymous with the internet, which makes sense, considering 90% of all internet searches are made on Google-owned properties.
Old School Search Engines
Prior to Google’s success, there were several other go-to search engines that paved the way for Google in many ways:
- WebCrawler: One of the earlier search engines, WebCrawler was the first search engine to enable full-text search. At one point, the website was so popular, it’s server would constantly crash, making it virtually unusable during peak hours.
- Lycos: This was another pivotal search engine, created in 1994 (a year before Yahoo). Lycos was the first of its kind to incorporate relevance retrieval, prefix matching, and word proximity.
- Infoseek: As Netscape’s default search engine, Infoseek was popular during the web browser’s heyday. Eventually, Infoseek was purchased by Disney and rebranded to go.com.
Unlike Infoseek, Lycos and WebCrawler have somehow managed to stick around—both companies still exist today. Of course, they’re nowhere near comparable to Google in terms of revenue or daily search volume.
The Evolution of Social Media
Unless you are a Gen Zer, you probably remember MySpace. Like Lycos and WebCrawler, MySpace technically still exists, although it’s certainly not the high traffic site it used to be.
Created in 2004, MySpace became a hub for musicians and music fans on the web. In just a year, the website saw massive growth, and by 2005, it was acquired by News Corp. MySpace continued to dominate the social media landscape until 2008, when Facebook took over as the internet’s most popular social media platform.
Facebook’s story is well-known at this point. The Zuckerberg-led creation was a social networking site that was exclusive to Harvard students, but it soon opened up to dozens of other universities and then finally the general public in 2006. Just two years later, and the site had 100 million active users, rising to the top of the social media spectrum.
Although Facebook often finds itself mired in controversy today, the site remains the world’s most popular social media platform on the internet with close to 3 billion users.
It’s hard to predict what the future holds for Facebook, or for any of the other websites currently dominating the web.
If anything is clear from the above animation, it’s that the list of the world’s most popular websites is constantly shifting—and only time will tell what the next few decades will bring.
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The state of Alabama is offering a $5,000 reward for information about the missing stepdaughter of Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Walt Harris.
The governor's office announced the reward Wednesday for information about 19-year-old Aniah Haley Blanchard.
A statement says the money is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Police initially said there wasn't any indication of foul play but now say it's possible.
The Southern Union State Community College student was last seen a week ago in Auburn, and police later found her damaged car at an apartment complex in Montgomery about 55 miles (90 kilometers) away.
Auburn police on Monday released video showing her in a store the day she was last seen.
Harris and other relatives have issued pleas for information about her whereabouts.
- Alabama offers reward for missing stepdaughter of UFC star
- Reward offered in missing Madison Co. woman's case
- CrimeStoppers, Gov. Ivey offer reward in case of missing Birmingham girl
- Store offering reward for finding bed store burglar
- Woman offers reward after gun, jewelry stolen from home
- $10,000 reward offered in armored car holdup in Birmingham
- Limestone Co. man offering reward after thief took his truck
- ATF offering reward in Huntsville pawn shop gun thefts
- Reward offered for Kamille McKinney, Birmingham toddler kidnapped from party
- Reward offered in connection to Fort Payne home burglaries

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Game launches Halfway Day - See the deals
On 1 July, Game stores will officially launch its first Halfway Day sale in South Africa – offering deep discounts on selected, best-selling items.
The retailer plans to hold this sale annually, to provide consumers with unbeatable deals on whatever they need to make it through the second half of the year.
The sale will run on Friday, 1 July, in all 115 Game stores across the country from 8am to 8pm, and on Game’s revamped website from midnight on Thursday.
“Game leads the way in South Africa in terms of deep discounts. As South Africa’s most Googled retailer during Black Friday, we took the decision to launch this one-day-only, mid-year sale, offering our consumers unbeatable deals to rival all other deals in the market,” said Katherine Madley, Vice President of Marketing, at Game.
As South African consumers face mounting economic pressure, Madley notes that Game will also offer its 52-year-old Price Beat Promise on all Halfway Day deals – which ensures that customers pay the lowest price in the market on any item stocked at Game.
If customers find the exact same product at any other retailer at a lower price, Game will not only match the price, but will beat it by 10% on the difference – both before and for 21 days after purchase.
Supplied by: Game.
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Today the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) granted anti-trust approval for Tesla to acquire SolarCity, as a key authorization in the process. Anti-trust permission is typically given when two companies do not have competing product lines.
This is not the last approval that Tesla needs. Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) must approve the company’s S-4 filing, which will trigger shareholder votes of both parties.
While a number of mainstream media outlets reported that Tesla had bought SolarCity when the deal was announced, SEC approval and votes of shareholders of both companies are still required before the acquisition can go through. Elon Musk and SolarCity Founders Lyndon and Peter Rive have recused themselves from shareholder votes, as have other top executives.
“We hope the transaction will be complete later this year,” SolarCity Director of Communications Kady Cooper told pv magazine.
This approval comes amid a number of troubling signals at SolarCity, which missed its guidance and reported heavy losses in its Q2 results. Since that time the company has planned to lay off 108 staff, including 80 at its headquarters in Menlo Park, and issued a high-interest bond offering which was mostly bought up by Elon Musk and the Rive brothers.
Following the first reports of FTC approval this morning the stock prices of Tesla and SolarCity have shown minor fluctuations, but no significant changes.
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Strawberry season off to a good start 0
Staff photo by Brandon Logan...Agnes and Fabian Mousseau spent their Friday afternoon at Mayfair Farms picking strawberries.
Portage la Prairie is one of the premiere Manitoban destinations to get fresh strawberries.
With strawberry season kicking off last week, many Portagers have been seen flocking to strawberry suppliers to get their fix.
Melanie Giffin, manager at Mayfair Farms, said this year's weather has been good for the strawberries.
"Usually the strawberries are ready around July 1," she said. "This year, however, the warm weather has helped the berries ripen much quicker, so they were ready a few weeks quicker than most growing seasons."
Ivan Hofer, co-owner of Pattern Acres, said this early summer weather has been good to the strawberries.
"The start of the season looks very promising," he said. "While we're only two days in, you can't get too optimistic because the weather could change at any moment."
See more in the Tuesday, July 3 edition of the Portage Daily Graphic.


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iOS 15.1 has resulted in issues including an unresponsive user interface and erratic battery life for some iPhone users, according to a report. An iOS update was released last week to address some issues that appeared on previous iOS versions. It also introduced features including SharePlay support. Besides the issues some users are experiencing, a security researcher has claimed that the iOS 15.1 update includes two unpatched “zero-day” vulnerabilities even though they were reported to Apple a few months ago.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes of ZDNet has reported that a number of users who have updated their iPhone to iOS 15.1 are experiencing issues including an unresponsive user interface along with delays in some areas and extremely variable battery life. The iOS update is also said to have an annoying experience with Bluetooth headphones including AirPods Pro.
The author also notes that the ‘Unlock With Apple Watch’ feature that Apple fixed in iOS 15.0.1 still presents an unpleasant experience because it unlocks the iPhone when looking at the screen without wearing the mask. This is in contrast to the original purpose of the feature which was essentially allowing users to unlock their iPhone using the Apple Watch when wearing a face mask.
In some cases, Kingsley-Hughes has also noticed that the iPhone in his pocket is automatically unlocked by the Apple Watch.
Besides the issues addressed by Kingsley Hughes, security researcher Denis Tokarev has chirp To claim that iOS 15.1 includes two unpatched “zero-day” vulnerabilities. The researcher claimed that these security issues have been known to Apple for more than seven months.
Both serious-looking vulnerabilities are said to allow apps including Facebook and TikTok to track users and their profile and access sensitive user data, without receiving any explicit consent from users.
Tokarev publicly disclosed the flaws through a detailed blog post in September after receiving no official response from Apple. In the past month, though, he seems to have gotten Company commitment To fix the issues last month. However, Apple has not yet corrected the reported defects.
Interestingly, iOS 15.1 was the third iOS update and ninth in the series since the researcher first reported security issues to Apple in March, according to Forbes.
Although Apple didn’t work on the issues reported by Tokarev, it did patch some vulnerabilities in iOS 15.1 released along with iPadOS 15.1. Corrected issues are detailed on the Security page.
Gadgets 360 has reached out to Apple for comment on bugs affecting iPhone users and security issues within iOS 15.1. This article will be updated when the company responds.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 at Twitterand Facebook and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and technology, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Can AI-based solutions help mitigate the climate change crisis?


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PensFan77 Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 On FEB 22, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will be wearing a 'Miracle on Ice' inspired jersey. The jerseys will be worn to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the 'Miracle on Ice' game and will be auctioned off that night, although they're not saying how yet. Here's a picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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PayPal's partnership with Google is "deepening" (as the company puts it) to allow making PayPal payments simpler across Google's multiple products. Soon, adding PayPal as a payment method to one Google service — Google Pay, the Play Store, YouTube, et cetera — will make it available on all of Google's services, including, for the first time, Google Pay Send.
Back in July of last year, Samsung announced that its home-baked payment system, Samsung Pay, was adding PayPal as a payment method. Nine months later Samsung seems to be making good on that declaration. We've received reports that people are finally seeing the option to add a PayPal account as a form of payment in Samsung Pay.
It's been a long time coming, but it appears that you can now add your PayPal Business Debit Mastercard to Android Pay. That means holders of this debit card can finally enjoy that sweet unlimited 1% cash back on eligible purchases when making contactless payments with their Android smartphone.
PayPal has launched a new crowdfunding-type service called Money Pools, which enables users to set a fundraising goal, and share a page describing the nature of the fundraiser with friends. PayPal suggests using money pools for group gifts, planning trips, special events like baby showers, or collecting money for someone in need. Chances are it will be used predominately for the latter, as almost half of the $2 billion raised on GoFundMe has been for medical expense fundraisers. Pages can be shared through email, social media, or messaging apps.
The payment processing is handled securely, as is to be expected from PayPal.
Paypal lets you withdraw money to your bank account, but it usually takes one day for the funds to make it over. In June, the company announced instant bank transfers using eligible debit cards linked to your Paypal account. Those would typically happen very fast (few minutes up to 30 minutes) and instead of being free, they'd cost $0.25 per transaction.
The option, however, was only rolling to select beta testers. Now it appears to be live for everyone on the latest Paypal update on the Play Store. It should only work in the US though — Paypal hasn't yet announced if it will ever come to other countries.
Skype and PayPal have announced a new integration that allows users to transfer money to each other. The Send Money feature means you'll no longer have to leave a Skype conversation when money needs to be exchanged – paying off debts will be just a swipe away.
Samsung Pay started with support for a subset of credit and debit cards when it launched almost two years ago. Over time, Samsung added new cards and banks to the service. Today, it's adding something that isn't a card—PayPal accounts. Plug in your account, and you can pay with PayPal anywhere Samsung Pay is accepted.
Yesterday PayPal updated its Android app to take advantage of Xoom, a service that allows you to transfer money internationally. PayPal acquired Xoom back in 2015 and only began integrating Xoom's features into its own services late last year. With Xoom users can send money to people in over 62 countries via a few different means, including topping up prepaid phones. Anyone who may be regularly sending cash to friends or family abroad will likely welcome the new Xoom integration.
PayPal integration in Android Pay has been a long time coming. We first spotted it in a teardown back in January, and an official announcement came last month. Now the feature appears to be going live, at least for some users.


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According to GSO, the country’s socio-economic development in the first six months of 2022 has prospered in most industries and fields, especially processing and manufacturing industry ; retail sales of consumer goods and services; and exports.
The agriculture-forestry-fishery sector increased 3%, contributing 4.5% to the overall growth of the economy.
The industry and construction sector was up 8.9%, making up 46.8%, while the service sector rose by 8.6 percent, contributing 48.6 percent to the general GDP growth.
In the January – June period, the country’s GDP grew by 6.4%, higher than 2% and 5.7% growth rates of the same periods in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
In terms of economic structure in the first two quarters, the agriculture-forestry-fishery sector accounted for 11% of the country's economy; the industry-construction and service sectors made up 39.3% and 40.6%, respectively, the GSO said./.
- Vietnam’s local currency bond market continued to expand in Q2 2019: ADB
- Vietnam carrier expands 5G trial services to neighboring countries
- PM Phuc supports Samsung Vietnam’s expanded investment
- Vietnam, Cambodia expand SAR cooperation in border areas
- Vietnam’s GDP growth records 9-year high of 6.98% for Jan-Sep
- Vietnam’s GDP growth at 9-year high, topping Southeast Asia: gov’t
- Ambassador highlights good results in Vietnam-Cambodia economic ties
- President encourages Thai businesses to expand investment
- ASEAN Youth Fellowship expands programme to foster deeper people-to-people ties
- Vietnam ranked world’s tenth best country for expats: HSBC
- Vietnam promotes trade, tourism, investment cooperation with Indonesia
- Economists upgrade Vietnam’s growth forecasts as Q3 GDP growth accelerates
- Standard Chartered: Vietnam's economy remains the fastest in ASEAN
- EVFTA - a lever for Vietnam’s economic growth
- WB predicts lower 2019 GDP growth for Vietnam
- GDP in first three quarters climbs to 9-year high
- Vietnam’s digital economy expected to account for 20% of GDP by 2025
- Vietnam’s economy sees bright colours
- China Commercial Property Investment Slows in Q2 as Caution Prevails over Growing Supply
- Expanding the global role for Vietnam’s SMEs
Vietnam’s GDP expands 7.72% in Q2 have 294 words, post on en.vietnamplus.vn at July 4, 2022. This is cached page on Talk Vietnam. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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Reader giveaway: Google Nexus 5
We’re big fans of Google’s Nexus line-up in general at Delimiter towers. Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 … we love pretty much anything Nexus. Because of this we've kicked off a new competition to give away one of Google’s new Nexus 5 smartphones to a lucky reader. Click here to enter.
Featured, News - Written by Renai LeMay on Monday, August 8, 2011 12:15 - 20 Comments
Rotten Apple: Prod Commission targets tech tax
Australia’s Productivity Commission has sharply criticised international manufacturers for marking up their prices for the Australian market in the draft of its landmark report into the retail sector, particularly singling out iconic technology giant Apple in its examination of how so-called “regional price discrimination” affects local consumers.
In its report released last week, the Commission said it was aware of the “longstanding practice” by which some international product suppliers set regional prices which effectively treated consumers in one region as “willing, or able, to tolerate significantly higher prices than those in other countries”. The comments were first reported by ZDNet.com.au.
Some suppliers, the Commisison said, had attempted to defend such price hikes by attributing them to the cost of supplying “a remote and relatively small market like Australia”.
However, it added, “these arguments in most cases are not persuasive, especially in the case of downloaded music, software and videos, for example, where the costs of delivery to the customer are practically zero and uniform around the world”.
The Commission particularly singled out Apple in its analysis, noting that price differences on the cost of applications, video and music downloaded from the company’s iTunes music store was “a common example raised as reflecting international price discrimination against Australian consumers”.
“For Apple, strong brand loyalty from consumers which drives higher demand for their products and a lack of competitive rivals in Australia has helped sustain the price discrimination,” the Commission noted, recognising that consumers were finding workarounds such as other music and video streaming sites, or using fake American billing addresses to buy content from Apple’s US store.
The news comes as debate over Apple’s prices has recently been raised in the Federal Parliament by Labor MP Ed Husic, who criticised Cupertino and other technology companies in late March for hiking prices in Australia. At the time, Husic noted he would write to the managing director of Apple Australia seeking answers on the matter, although it is unclear as to whether Apple has yet responded.
Since that time, however, Apple has taken several steps to bring more uniform pricing to Australians; with some App Store prices becoming very similar across jurisdictions after an update in July.
In addition, although prices on Apple’s new Mac line-up released in late July still displayed some price differences between the US and Australia, a number of commentators flagged the markup as being less proportionally than in the past.
Apple wasn’t the only technology vendor to be singled out in the Productivity Commission’s report.
The agency gave a number of examples, for instance, where products manufactured by companies like Canon, Sony (including games for the PlayStation console) and more were seen to cost more when bought in Australia. Typically the products could be bought for less through online retailers than through shopfront retailers, although the cost was also usually higher when bought from Australian online retailers than when bought from international players.
In one example, the L.A. Noire video game cost as little as AU$48.98 when purchased from one international retailer, but as much as $104.99 in Australia — despite the fact that the game was actually developed in Australia.
“It is widely and frustratingly understood by adult gamers in Australia; we are grossly discriminated against when it comes to retail prices on video games (as well as other retail products),” wrote one video gamer in the Productivity Commission’s report.
“My personal level of frustration grew even further as the Australian dollar reached parity with the United States dollar and prices here only climbed. Still we are being told to pay more than double in retail stores.”
Retail giant Harvey Norman also came under attack, with the Productivity Commission quoting an article which stated the same LG refrigerator had cost AU$2,500 at a Harvey Norman store — but under US$1,500 through Amazon to consumers in the US.
Compared with some other technology suppliers, Apple’s markups are not as steep as they could be, however. For example, PC manufacturer Lenovo was forced to mount a spirited defence of its Australian pricing in mid May this year, despite launching its flagship new ThinkPad X1 laptop in Sydney for $560 more than the same hardware will cost in the US.
Microsoft also regularly marks up prices for the Australian market, but perhaps the worst known culprit is Adobe.
In Australia, Adobe launched its Creative Suite 5 Master Collection in April 2010 for AU$4,344 for the full edition, and AU$1,503 for the upgrade edition. In the US, the same software cost US$2,599 (at that time, AU$2,816.45) for the full edition — more than AU$1,500 less. The upgrade edition cost US$899 (at that time, AU$974.22) — more than AU$500 less.
Shades of grey
However, the picture may not be as black and white as it appeared.
The Productivity Commission’s report also noted that Australian retailers suffered higher costs than some of their international peers — such as higher wages, higher rent and more. Some of the price rises may also be taking place at the distributor layer rather than the retailer layer — with retailers being forced in some cases to pass the costs on to the consumer.
In April last year, after it released its CS5 Suite, Adobe raised the cost of doing business in Australia as a key factor in how it set its prices.
In late April this year, after the video game Portal suffered price hikes for the Australian market, Ron Curry, the chief executive of the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, which represents a number of large and small games manufacturers locally, raised other issues to help explain local prices, such as the cost of shipping boxed copies of video games to remote retail outlets across Australia.
With large amounts of mandatory annual leave allocations, public holidays (such as the Easter long weekend just passed), superannuation, high levels of taxation, occupational health and safety insurance and more — local regulations also ensured it was “very expensive” to run a company locally, according to Curry.
Lastly, Curry pointed out that much of the time, wholesale prices were set in the US and the UK and then imposed on Australia. If the value of the Australian dollar appreciated, Curry said, international distributors may up their price as well, to maintain their own margin on sales — with Australian retailers being caught in the middle.
“Some Australian retailer submissions highlighted the wholesaler or distributor prices which put pressure on their cost of goods, and as a result, their sales prices to consumers,” the Productivity Commission noted in its report.
The Commission is taking written submissions to help shape its final retail report until the 2nd of September. The draft report is available online in full.
Enterprise IT, News - Apr 17, 2014 16:39 - 0 Comments
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Digital Rights, News - Apr 17, 2014 12:41 - 15 Comments
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- Website blocks, court orders, three strikes: Rights holders want it all


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On-demand recruitment management firm Taleo has released a new version of its internet-based service that uses Web 2.0 bells and whistles to attract and retain the interest of job-seeking candidates. ...
Apple in talks with LG and Samsung over OLED 120Hz displays for its high-end iPhones
Exploits expected to emerge within days to take advantage of 9.8-rated critical security flaw in VLC Media Player
FSB projects to de-anonymise Tor and isolate Russia from the internet exposed
Harold Martin stole up to 50TB of classified data from government agencies, according to prosecutors


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Levi’s invented blue jeans and it’s still the world’s denim leader, but with increased competition, the old-schooler is looking to boost its brand (and sex) appeal with youths. One solution: skinnier jeans by offering custom tapered 501s, a new feature it’s just starting to promote in response to consumer demand.
As brand president James Curleigh told the US National Retail Federation trade show this week, Levi’s wants you back, and it’s listening.
“You love us, but you left us … something influenced you to leave us, and our challenge is to get you back,” he told NRF Big Show attendees in New York during his keynote address, admitting what keeps him up at night is how to keep a 160-year-old brand relevant in 2015.
Or as Curleigh put it (after singing a few lines from The Beatles’ Revolution), “Making icons matters, but you have to continue to innovate.”[more]
So how is Levi’s starting its own revolution? With personalization and digital a big theme at NRF 2015 this week, Levis Strauss & Co., is building out its omnichannel team to accomplish just that.
“I feel like I joined a start-up inside a really big sophisticated company,” said Beth Gumm, recently named VP marketing and global e-commerce, in a Levi’s blog post.
“I’m ready to help LS&Co. be on the leading edge of moving the consumer to action — reading results and using e-commerce as an innovation and a learning engine across the whole organization.”
Making omnichannel feel personal and relevant, as well as not only on-trend but ahead of the curve, is a big opportunity for Levi’s. “The meeting place between online and brick and mortar is going to be what the consumer wants in terms of convenience and shipping options,” said Anisa Kumar, senior director of supply chain for LS&Co.
As for how it’s rolling out the new Levi’s 501 CT (Customized & Tapered) jeans, Levi’s Style Director Kaede Matsumoto demonstrates the leaner styling for women:
and for men:
“The consumer is looking for technology,” comments Neil Bell, Levi Strauss & Co’s global fabric innovation manager. “They’re looking for stories and something exciting within their product. They expect us to provide that innovation. And here at LS&Co., we are always at the breakthrough point.”
Levi’s now finds itself at the intersection of old and new, striving to maintain a well-established brand and cultivate new fans, a generation raised on multiple choice, on demand availability via digital channels—and the well-honed ability to vote on brands with their discretionary dollars.


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U.S. ITC will investigate Apple's patent infringement claims of Motorola
Just about a month after Apple filed patent complaints against Motorola, Bloomberg reports that the U.S. International Trade Commission is set to review the claim.
Apple's complaints were filed on October 29, just a few days after Motorola sued Apple over 18 alleged patent infringements on October 6. In this case, it will be the ITC's job to determine if Motorola is indeed infringing on Apple's patents. It must also decide whether to block the import of Motorola phones made overseas running Google's Android OS.
Apple was recently awarded patents for the iPhone 4's design and UI as well as the iPad's design. The specifics of each company's claims are unknown, but we'll follow this story as it develops.
Just about a month after Apple filed patent complaints against Motorola, Bloomberg reports that the U.S. International Trade Commission is...
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Startups Clinch Deals With Corporates As Part Of Dubai Startup Hub's Market Access Program Three UAE-based startups have signed winning agreements with regional and global corporates as part of the latest deals facilitated through Dubai Startup Hub's Market Access program.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Three UAE-based startups have signed winning agreements with regional and global corporates as part of the latest deals facilitated through Dubai Startup Hub's Market Access program.
Winners Tuitify, FOO, Rib & Wit and Evolvin' Women, have scored deals with companies including Emirates NBD, one of the largest banking groups in the Middle East in terms of assets, global biopharmaceutical company Sanofi, and UAE-headquartered global conglomerate Nikai Group.
These corporate-startup partnerships were enabled as part of the second cycle of Dubai Startup Hub's Market Access program, an initiative that aims to introduce and connect UAE's startups and SMEs with Dubai's large corporations and government entities. Dubai Startup Hub is the entrepreneurship support arm of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In a ceremony held at the Dubai Chamber on Wednesday, Emirates NBD signed an MoU with knowledge-based performance improvement startup Tuitify to develop an employee engagement platform for use within the bank to help share content, drive productivity, engage employees and develop reporting. Emirates NBD also signed an MoU with fintech startup FOO to develop a payment platform that supports virtual point of sales, payment via QR code and reporting.
Meanwhile, the Nikai Group signed an MoU with change consulting startup Rib & Wit to work jointly on corporate digital solutions and innovative services.
And in a first, startup Tuitify also signed a second deal with Sanofi to enhance its relationships with its customers through the startup's social media platform.
The agreements remain valid for one year.
Speaking at the event, His Excellency Hisham Abdullah Al Shirawi, 2nd Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber, said: " The response [to Market Access] was overwhelming and the quality of submissions truly exceeded our expectations. The selected startups that made the final cut are a true reflection of the country's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem as it continues to mature and evolve. We hope that the deals signed help take their business to the next level and inspire other startups to join the program in the years to come."
The competition received a total of 155 applications.
In its second cycle, Market Access invites startups and SMEs to submit ideas and solutions that solve key challenges faced by prominent large organizations in Dubai. Dubai Chamber sees it as an opportunity for selected startups and SMEs to find a market for their solutions among leading corporates in the emirate and gain industry experience.
This article was originally published on Dubai Startup Hub and has been reposted on Entrepreneur Middle East based on a mutual agreement between the websites.
Related: Three UAE Startups Seal Deals With Corporates As Part Of Dubai Startup Hub's Market Access Initiative


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Seems like China is back to normal and so is its apparel trade. At least, the exports and imports of the garments say so, if latest data released by General Administration of Customs China (GACC) is anything to go by.
The country noted 50 per cent Y-o-Y rise in its apparel and accessory exports during Jan.-Feb. ’21. And imports of garments were too up by 48 per cent to US $ 1.93 billion in the first two months of 2021.
According to an analysis done by Apparel Resources, after importing US $ 1.11 billion worth of garments and accessories during Jan. ’21, China’s import valued US $ 815.67 million in Feb. ’21 – noting 18.20 per cent surge on Y-o-Y basis.
However, there was a slight drop in imports in Feb. over Jan. this year but that can be attributed to Chinese New Year holidays.
On one hand,while apparel trade is getting back to normal, textile imports of the country are showing negative trajectory but marginally.
As far as textile import is concerned, China’s value declined by around 3 per cent to US $ 2.08 billion in Jan.-Feb. ’21 period. China noted 42.20 per cent growth in Jan. ’21 value, while it dropped by around 45.50 per cent on Y-o-Y in Feb. ’21.
The coming months will be interesting to see where does China position itself in the apparel trade at a time when its Asian counterparts are still on negative side.


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Phoenix-based Shamrock Farms says it is jump-starting the holiday season by introducing eggnog and whipping creams inspired by fall and holiday flavors. Shamrock Farms' handcrafted eggnog will be available beginning in October in three new flavors, including Pumpkin Spice, Irish Whiskey and Pecan Pie.
"Our new line of eggnog is a totally new way to enjoy the tastes of the season," says Ann Ocaña, chief marketing officer for Shamrock Farms. "Every year we see huge demand for our small-batch eggnog, selling out before the season is even over. Our recipe has been perfected over three generations, and we know people are going to love the new flavors."
Shamrock Farms says its award-winning eggnog recipe starts with pure, fresh milk from the company’s family of local farms and is made with a custom blend of spices for a rich and creamy taste. Available in 32-ounce bottles with resealable closures for the freshest taste, the new lineup of Shamrock Farms eggnog is available in dairy cases regionally at Fry's, Albertsons, Giant Food and BevMo and locally at Walmart and Target in Arizona. Additionally, Shamrock Farms eggnog is now available nationwide at Aldi and Dollar General.
With more people craving sweetened and flavored creams, Shamrock Farms says it is expanding its popular line of farm-fresh whipping creams to include Pumpkin Spice, Vanilla Bourbon, Homemade Vanilla and Decadent Chocolate.
"People tell us they love our whipping cream, and each year it becomes increasingly popular," said Ann Ocaña, chief marketing officer for Shamrock Farms. "Not only are people using it in recipes or to top beverages and desserts, but they're also enjoying it as a treat on its own. Now with four new indulgent flavors, these first-of-a-kind whipping creams offer even more ways to enjoy our delicious creams in unexpected ways."


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A flutter of activity heralds Salman Khan’s arrival at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, an upscale suburb in Mumbai. Staff members race to his car, whispering in hushed cohesion that “he’s here”, while bystanders look up from their phone screens.
Khan, who has dominated Hindi cinema for close to three decades along with the other two Khans, Shah Rukh and Aamir, has just begun shooting for Race 3
. But today, at the studio, just a few minutes away from his home, Khan doesn’t want to talk movies. Being Human Clothing, the apparel brand he formally launched with The Mandhana Retail Ventures Ltd. (MRVL) in 2012 to support the activities of the foundation he set up ten years ago, marks its fifth anniversary and he’s here to drum up attention for that landmark.
“We couldn’t keep asking people for donations, so we set up the clothing line,” says Khan, 52, of the start, blowing circles of smoke into the night air.
CLICK HERE to view the 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list
We’re seated in the studio compound under a dimly lit blue tent. Even in the poor light, Khan’s angular, rough-hewn face and biceps—bulging from beneath his black Being Human polo—are visible. The Being Human brand is the soft foil to the obvious ruggedness. As is the origin story of the venture, which was triggered by his love for painting. After dabbling in it for a bit, Khan realised he was good and decided to get one of his artworks printed on a T-shirt. He wore it to actor Mithun Chakraborty’s son’s film’s music release in late 2010. Two days later, when he was driving past Linking Road—Bandra’s busy shopping street—he saw rip-offs of his T-shirt all over. “I told myself, ‘This is it. We’ll sell T-shirts to make money for the charity’,” recalls Khan.
A discussion with his family ensued and the idea took off in a small way in partnership with Cottonworld, the Mumbai-based clothing company. The T-shirt was retailed in three colours—black, white and grey—with the words ‘Being Human’ printed in small typeface. These were initially made in one batch of 5,000. “They flew off the shelves,” says Khan, “So we made another batch and those too sold out.”
It didn’t take long for him to realise that he was on to something big. He licensed the brand to Mandhana Industries, run by Khan’s then acquaintance and now friend Manish Mandhana, in 2011 for the design, manufacture, retail and distribution of clothing and accessories. In December 2016, Mandhana Industries spun off its subsidiary MRVL (formed in 2012), which handles Being Human Clothing, into a separate listed entity. “The idea was to create more long-term value for our stakeholders,” says Mandhana, adding that the company posted a topline of ₹216 crore in FY17 on net profits of around ₹20 crore. Mandhana pays Khan a licence fee [an undisclosed percentage of sales] for leveraging his brand.


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Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Rohm and Haas opens manufacturing facility in China
Article Type: Industry news From: Pigment & Resin Technology. Volume 37, Issue 3.
Rohm and Haas Company launched the initial operations of its new manufacturing plant in Sanshui, Guangdong Province, China. To date, the company has invested approx. US$10 million in this site, which will make products based on acrylic emulsion technology. The plant has more than 20,000 metric tons of capacity. “South China comprises 40 percent of China's total coatings industry. This huge market potential brings us here,” said Helen Zhang, Greater China General Manager, Rohm and Haas paint and coatings materials.


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James Cropper 3D Products is poised to revolutionise the sustainable packaging sector with the launch of COLOURFORM™, a renewable, recyclable and coloured moulded fibre packaging product that helps brands stand out sustainably.
Made from 100 per cent renewable, natural wood fibres from well managed forests and high-quality recycled content from James Cropper’s own world-class recycling plant, COLOURFORM™ acts as a sustainable alternative to plastic and other packaging materials, and aims to help brands reduce their carbon footprint.
COLOURFORM™ is easily recycled with household paper – and the precision embossing enables clear information to help consumers recycle appropriately. However, even if the customer chooses not to recycle and the product ends up in landfill, it is naturally biodegradable and therefore leaves no trace whatsoever.
Benefitting from over 170 years of world-leading innovation and expertise in coloured paper and fibre products, every product is designed and made specifically to customer requirements and can be manufactured to match any colour with guaranteed consistency and a quality, tactile finish.
Matthew Miller, business director at James Cropper 3D Products, said: “Sustainability is higher on the agenda of businesses than ever before, with consumer brands in particular looking to tackle the landfill crisis by sourcing more environmentally responsible ways to package their products. With COLOURFORM™, we’re allowing such companies to boost their ‘green’ credentials, while helping end consumers to recycle easily – a huge milestone for packaging.”
James Cropper 3D Products works with world class brands who are leading the way to a sustainable future with COLOURFORM™. Typical applications include box inserts to support, display and protect products, outer packaging and packaging components.
Matthew added: “Historically, moulded fibre packaging has been rather prosaic and only available in a limited number of colours and textures. However, with our bespoke, design-engineered approach and exact colour matching capabilities, we can offer brands unrivalled quality, appeal and design, which enables them to enhance their brand identity while reducing their environmental impact.
“Brands really do now have all the creative freedom they need to stand out sustainably.”


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Many US cities today promote biking and walking, but streets have actually become more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. Here's what needs to change.
Sidewalk Labs wants to rethink cities. We're finally getting a look at what that will mean in Toronto, where the company is building a prototype neighborhood.
The Analog Research Lab has evolved its messaging, from "Be the nerd" to "What matters is what you do next." Yet it remains a mirror reflection of Facebook's broken culture.
It's an outdated attention-goosing technique that most designers will probably be embarrassed to look back on.
This hilarious design tool turns the spectacular con into boilerplate text for your next pitch deck.
The web is being reshaped by the ubiquitous practice — and it's a serious ethical problem.
Ikea has recalled tens of millions of products, many of them related to children. So why are kids still dying? And why can’t the government do anything about it?
Before midcentury was a household name, the State Department used MoMA's "Good Design" exhibitions to sell the American vision of consumerism abroad.
Silicon Valley luminaries jumped to invest in the first Nebia showerhead. Now, the company is launching its second device.
A crop of new startups are racing to reinvent the cubicle, catering to businesses that want more private space for their employees.
Blue hyperlinks are one of the oldest design standards on the web. Here's what a group of researchers discovered when they set out to study them.
And how to fix it in five steps.
The world is addicted to free returns. Here's why that's a serious problem — and what consumers can do about it.
STIR and SHAKEN have the potential to prevent fraudsters from spoofing Caller ID. But a number of details are yet to be worked out.
If humans can't make a moral decision in the split second before an unavoidable accident, why do we think robotic cars can?
In the last year, a swell of privacy-focused website analytics platforms have started to provide an alternative to Google's tracking behemoth.
The controversial design reflects the evolution of fashion branding. But would it have killed Zara to add just a little more space between the letters?
We talked to parents who are discussing personal finances with their children — and doing it differently than their own parents did.
Knoll, who passed away on Friday, was a brilliant architect who popularized modernism in America. Even 60 years later, her work has a contemporary sheen.
A group that tracks the way politicians market themselves offers a glimpse into the influence of corporate branding, MAGA and Gotham ahead of 2020.


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THE PIPELINE is dedicated to exposing the Environmentalist Movement's undermining of freedom and prosperity across the Anglosphere and beyond.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
Lisa Schiffren • 16 Nov, 2022 • 4 Min Read
Saving the planet, one disgusting ball of refuse at a time.
On Tuesdays the garbage is collected in my neighborhood. Local apartment buildings make sure to put out their trash early. So when I walk my dog, we often pass large masses of see-through plastic trash bags, with their neatly sorted plastic contents, washed and bundled to be recycled. My neighbors are quite fastidious, as are their building superintendents. The effort to recycle takes significant time and effort, and no one skimps on it.
Different trucks pick up different types of trash, and take it to different places, naturally. This is expensive. But New York City has mandated recycling, to be environmentally correct, and help save the planet by re-using juice containers, water bottles, and all the rest of the plastic that holds stuff we want. But what if it turned out that this effort is entirely in vain? That it is a charade? A religious ritual to expiate the sin of consuming things in a wealthy, modern society?
It's great to feel great!
As a matter of fact, it does turn out that all this effort and expense amounts to nothing, environmentally. In a widely circulated paper released on October 24th, no less an authority on environmentalism than radical Greenpeace announced that recycling plastic is a total sham, of tiny value. There is no such thing as recycling most of that plastic.
U.S. households generated an estimated 51 million tons of plastic waste in 2021, only 2.4 million tons of which was recycled. The report also finds that no type of plastic packaging in the U.S. meets the definition of recyclable used by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastic Economy (EMF NPE) Initiative. Plastic recycling was estimated to have declined to about 5–6% in 2021, down from a high of 9.5% in 2014 and 8.7% in 2018. At that time, the U.S. exported millions of tons of plastic waste to China and counted it as recycled even though much of it was burned or dumped.
The report finds that actual plastic recycling is down from a 2014 high of 9.5 percent to a 2021 low of 5-6 percent. Most of that plastic is “recycled” in China, and other poor Asian countries, to which we export it, at great cost. We pay them to recycle it, and we have no idea what they actually do with it. In fact, Greenpeace reports, most of it is dumped, though it is “counted” as recycled. For a lot less taxpayer money we could put it in landfills right here.
This long overdue, honest discussion of just what happens to this expensive garbage notes that the reason for these realities, is that most plastic is simply not recyclable. Lisa Ramsden, Greenpeace’s head of plastics, writes, “But the data is clear: practically speaking, most plastic is just not recyclable.” More specifically, the report tells us: “Mechanical and chemical recycling of plastic waste has largely failed and will always fail because plastic waste is: (1) extremely difficult to collect, (2) virtually impossible to sort for recycling, (3) environmentally harmful to reprocess, (4) often made of and contaminated by toxic materials, and (5) not economical to recycle.”
One wonders how long it will take the environmental consortium of do-gooders and politicians to fess up to this reality? When will school children cease being indoctrinated about the magic of plastic recycling? When will homeowners be absolved of having to separate their trash?
Get 'em while they're young.
Of course, Greenpeace wants us to switch to some other approach. But the point is, we have been lied to, and snookered into washing throwaway bottles that end up in third world dumps, for going on three decades now. This exercise has literally cost us hundreds of billions of dollars for pure virtue signaling. Knowing this, how seriously can you take the next demand?
The next demand, as it happens, is to give up using plastic. Ms. Ramsden exhorts us, “We are at a decision point on plastic pollution. It is time for corporations to turn off the plastic tap. Instead of continuing to greenwash and mislead the American public, industry should stand on the right side of history this November and support an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty that will finally end the age of plastic by significantly decreasing production and increasing refill and reuse.”
In the world that normal people inhabit, plastic containers and wrapping are valuable because they're so very useful. Being able to grab a plastic bottle of water—and to throw it out when you’ve finished with it—is a major convenience. Having grocery stores wrap vegetables and meat in cellophane allows consumers to see what they’re buying, and to transport and store them without leakage. These are not small benefits.
When New Yorkers were forced to give up plastic bags for paper or cloth at stores, the cost was steep. Both paper and cloth, it turns out, are more expensive to manufacture, and leave a larger “carbon footprint,” than the thin plastic formerly in use. Cloth bags, which are theoretically reusable, become vectors for bacteria because no one ever washes them. The plastic bottles that our drugstore items come in—what will replace that? Glass? For better or worse, we depend on plastic for many things.
Meanwhile, we await the next round of truth telling from enviros, about what else they’re making us do that is meaningless. Covid masks, anyone?
Lisa Schiffren has been an editorial writer, political reporter, war correspondent, (Afghanistan during the Soviet war, before there were roads), and GOP speechwriter. She wrote speeches for Vice President Dan Quayle, and worked in Counterterrorism/Special Operations policy at the Department of Defense. She writes these days from her native New York City.


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Remember POP Phones? How I reported that they might just be THE fashion accessory to be seen toting around in 2012. Merely into Day 50-something of 366 we are and it looks like the trend has gathered quite the momentum. Curious to know how?
They were handed out at the Autumn/Winter 2012 round of shows at the London Fashion Week! Other than finding phone chargers under the seats at the venues, the attendees found POP Phones, too. London Fashion Week, celebrated as the most cutting-edge of the four major fashion weeks, is openly advocating it ‒ what could be a bigger acknowledgement of their cool factor than this?
Also, I mentioned how lots of celebs have been spotted with them. Now add Orlando Bloom and The Hoff to that list… ;-)
What are you waiting for? Go get yours NOW!
P.S.: LOOK! Team MissMalini’s Amruta Khatavkar has got one in pink, from the Dubai Mall… :-D


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Melbourne-based telecommunications provider M2 has reportedly outbid TPG Telecom by $100 million for the acquisition of internet service provider iiNet, creating a potential bidding war between the two rival telcos. By Kirsten Robb
When Emma Lovell pitched her business to the judges on Shark Tank she asked $50,000 for 10% of Flybabee, a company that designs and manufactures pop-up canopies for airline bassinets and baby strollers. By Eloise Keating
Calls for real estate agents to avoid holding “disrespectful” auctions on Anzac Day fell on deaf ears for some some realtors at the weekend, as buyers eagerly turned out to buy up at a reduced number of auctions across the country. By Kirsten Robb
SmartCompany.com.au is Australia's leading website for SMEs featuring business news, business information and business blogs. SmartCompany's archive of news, feature articles, entrepreneur interviews and business webinars cover topics such as advertising and marketing, buying or selling a business, starting a business, growing a business, franchising, SEO, superannuation and tax.


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Dixons Carphone has revealed that millions of its customers could have been affected by a major data breach.
The electronics retailer has said that up to ten million users might have been hit by the attack, revealed last month, with details such as names, addresses and email accounts all revealed.
However the company says that no payment cards or bank account information was leaked, and that so far there is no evidence of its customers being hit by fraud.
The news comes as Dixons Carphone continues its investigation into a major cyber-attack that hit the business last year, but was not made public until last month.
The attack, which took place back in July 2017, affected data from 5.9 million credit cards following a breach in one of the processing systems used by both Currys PC World and Dixons Travel stores.
Since then, Dixons Carphone has been working with both cybersecurity experts and the National Crime Agency to help safeguard it against further attacks.
"Since our data security review uncovered last year's breach, we've been working around the clock to put it right," Dixons Carphone chief executive Alex Baldock said in a statement.
"That's included closing off the unauthorised access, adding new security measures and launching an immediate investigation, which has allowed us to build a fuller understanding of the incident that we're updating on today."
"Again, we’re disappointed in having fallen short here, and very sorry for any distress we’ve caused our customers. I want to assure them that we remain fully committed to making their personal data safe with us.”
The news saw Dixons Carphone come in for criticism from many experts, who questioned why the firm hadn't upgraded its online protection following previous attacks.
“The IT infrastructure within any company can be complex and with the rise in cloud services, shadow IT is undoubtedly on the increase," noted Aaron Higbee, CTO and cofounder at Cofense.
"In terms of security, a lack of visibility and control over IT is a huge problem; you can’t secure what you don’t know exists, particularly if you rely on plug-in security solutions. Consequently, security defence needs to evolve and improve as a business grows and threats evolve."
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Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.


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National Registration Bureau (NRB) Principal Secretary Mphatso Sambo has said inclusive digital transformation (IDT) has the potential to stimulate the country’s development as an enabler of Malawi 2063.
Speaking in Lilongwe yesterday during a validation workshop for IDT for Malawi (IDT4M), he observed that the initiative is important as the country is moving towards a digital economy where Malawians need identity documents for identification and to transact as well as conduct businesses in the digital world economy securely.
Said Sambo: “NRB is at the centre of digitalisation, which is the enabler of economic development of the country that will allow people to make registrations online using smartphones and even make payments in this digitised world that will help to reduce time in printing IDs, reduce queues in banks and help to increase accuracy by preventing identity theft in financial transactions through the digital biometric verification initiative.”
In his address, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority director general Daud Suleman described NRB as the source of identity truth to all service providers in performing digital transactions, adding the bureau is crucial to developing the country’s digital economy.
“It’s important to put NRB at the centre of IDT since all the digital identities will be drawn from NRB that creates a consistent perspective of peoples identity in digital transformation,” he said.
United Nations Development Programme resident representative Challah Getachew said the UN was satisfied with the support it provided in the introduction of national identity cards, digital biometric verification and the implementation of birth registration cards in partnership with Unicef in the 2016/17 financial year.
IDT4M is an initiative whose goal is to ensure that all individuals and communities in Malawi, including the most disadvantaged in rural and remote areas, have access to and use of information and communications technology in accessing public services with the aim of creating a conducive environment for everyone in the digital economy.


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MNA – According to the latest statistics released by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), car industry is still experiencing plus 18% growth in Iran.
More 1.718 million of various new vehicles were sold at Iran’s market in 2017, according to sales statistics supplied by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA).
The number indicates a rise by 18 percent year-on-year, as over 1,448,500 new vehicles were sold in the Iranian market in 2016. The growth rate was around 18.5 percent a year earlier. It is the first time in post-sanctions era in which the number surpasses the pre-sanctions statistics. More than 1.688 million of vehicles were sold in the country in 2011.
The OICA data also shows that more than 96.804 million new vehicles were sold in global markets in 2017 in comparison with 93.85 million in 2016. According to the san=me source, the sales in Iran make up for 1.7 percent of the global market.
While Iran is the 12th biggest market of new cars in the world, China is the table-topper in the category ahead of US and Japan. In 2017, around 29 million new vehicles were sold in China while the Americans bought 17 million new vehicles and the Japanese lagged ehind with 5 million purchases.
The number of cars on Iran’s roads surpassed 14.13 million in 2015, according to the OICA. The figure includes 12.7 million passenger cars and 1.43 million commercial vehicles.
The number of vehicles in use in Iran stood at 13.36 and 12.679 million in 2014 and 2013 respectively.
The motorization rate increased from 171 in 2014 to 179 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015 in Iran, according to the report.
The average global motorization rate was 182 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015.
The report says that 1.282 billion cars were in use in the world in 2015. The figure stood at 1.234 billion in 2014.
Iran’s car output reached 1.165 million units in 2016, according to the OICA. The figure indicated an 18.6-percent rise versus 2015, which is the highest output growth rate among car manufacturers in the world.
The Islamic Republic was the world’s 18th biggest car manufacturer in 2016.


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Disney Studio Q2 Operating Income Plummets 97%5 May, 2009 By: Erik Gruenwedel
The quality of packaged media and theatrical releases at The Walt Disney Co. in the second quarter (ended March 28) failed to measure up to releases a year ago.
Studio entertainment revenue, which includes Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, fell 21% to $1.4 billion, with operating income freefalling 97% to $13 million from $377 million last year.
The studio said home video results for High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Bolt compared unfavorably to prior-year releases of Enchanted, The Game Plan and Oscar-winner No Country for Old Men.
In addition, theatrical releases Bedtime Stories, Race to Witch Mountain and Confessions of a Shopaholic performed unfavorably compared to prior-year releases National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds and Enchanted.
In a conference call with analysts, a somber CEO Bob Iger called the studio results “disappointing,” adding that it was too early to write off the results as just due to the economic recession.
“It’s about the choice of films and execution of the films chosen for production,” Iger said. “It is not the marketplace, it's our slate.”
He said Disney would continue to expand its relevance and popularity of its brands online in an effort to combat piracy and diversify revenue without negatively impacting brands and release windows. The CEO said he felt confident that if Disney doesn't put its product out on the Web, consumers would find ways to find alternative content online.
“The movie theater isn’t going away, neither is broadcast television, but the same can also be said of new media,” Iger said. “We must be where our consumers are going. We are better being in that space than not being in that space.”
The CEO said changes created by digital technology and consumer habits would continue to impact costs associated with movie production and marketing. He said there exist dual markets for consumers willing to purchase content electronically and others willing to stream it with advertising.
When asked why Disney didn’t choose YouTube over Hulu for its repurposed content, considering the social video site’s significant advantage in user traffic, Iger said Hulu’s branding as an aggregator of long-form video was more appealing than YouTube’s reputation for short-form video.
“YouTube has to be sold as a long-form play,” Iger said. “We were impressed with the progress that Hulu made from a consumer perspective.”
Sanford Bernstein analyst Michael Nathanson wondered whether the rush to put repurpose content online with little or no incremental revenue in return was worth alienating packaged media, including Blu-ray Disc.
"I'm still not quite sure about the economic tradeoffs here vs. traditional consumption," Nathanson said.
CFO Tom Staggs said he expects difficult results in the third quarter due to year-over-year home video and theatrical titles. The studio remains upbeat for the fourth quarter and into 2010, which include releases Up from Pixar Animation, Toy Story 3, G-Force, A Christmas Tale, Prince of Persia, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Alice in Wonderland and The Princess and the Frog, among others.
Pali Capital analyst Richard Greenfield said that despite significant segment declines throughout the company, studio entertainment remained the single biggest driver for Disney’s 78% year-over-year earnings ($691 million) decline.
“The economy has nothing to do with Disney making bad movies,” Greenfield said in a note. “In fact, the creative struggles are even more concerning given how strong domestic box office has been year-to-date.”
The analyst said Pixar’s upcoming release, Up, would disappoint at the box office relative to last year’s Wall-E due to the film’s skew toward older viewers.
“[It's] visually stunning but may struggle to break $500 million in worldwide box office,” Greenfield wrote.
Overall, Disney net income fell 46% to $613 million, from $1.1 billion last year. Revenue dropped 7.2% to $8 billion, from $8.7 billion last year.


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AIKEN -- If all goes as planned, the city of Aiken will close its first land sale in Ventures Industrial Park by March.
Coca-Cola Consolidated has been in negotiations for more than a year to buy a 15-acre tract in the industrial park, City Manager Roger LeDuc said Thursday.
City council approved the sale at its last meeting, and final approval is expected Dec. 13.
No land has been sold in Ventures Park -- a 185-acre industrial park designed for light- to medium-size manufacturers -- partly because there hasn't been enough demand, Mr. LeDuc said.
When the park opened just south of Aiken Municipal Airport in 1997, Sage Mill, a 1,100-acre park located on Interstate 20 near Graniteville, was attracting all the industries, he said. SKF USA, a Swedish company that produces automobile parts and employs about 275 people, and Bridgestone/Firestone, a tire manufacturer, have moved into that park within the past two years.
"It was a supply-and-demand thing," Mr. LeDuc said. "We also haven't had the infrastructure to make Ventures Park viable."
Mr. LeDuc said the city needs $750,000 to complete the park's roads, water, sewer and storm drainage, which it hopes to do within a year.
A $225,000 land sale to Coca-Cola would help get Ventures Park off the ground, he said.
"It's always good to have the first project out and development started," Mr. LeDuc said.
Coca-Cola Consolidated is expected to buy the land for $10,000 per acre, plus $5,000 per acre for development of a stormwater retention pond.
Mr. Leduc, who traveled to Charlotte, N.C., to meet with Coca-Cola officials a couple of months ago, said he believes their plans meet city officials' expectations for development in the park.
He said the company plans to relocate its Coca-Cola Bottling Co. from York Street to the new park.
Although he doesn't think many jobs will be created immediately, he said the land will allow room for future expansion. Construction on the new bottling company is expected to be completed in a year, Mr. LeDuc said.
Coca-Cola Facilities Director Charlie Weathers said Thursday it would be premature for him to comment on the land sale.
Reach Katie Throne at (803) 279-6895 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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FuboTV Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Media Giants, Alleging Unfair Practices
FuboTV Inc., known as Fubo, a prominent sports-first live TV streaming platform, has taken legal action against media titans The Walt Disney Company, FOX Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., and their affiliates, citing antitrust practices that have hindered fair competition and harmed consumers. The lawsuit, filed today, contends that the defendants’ upcoming launch of a sports streaming joint venture is poised to eliminate competition and inflate prices, echoing longstanding grievances over anti-competitive maneuvers.
Fubo’s complaint outlines a protracted history of obstructionism, asserting that the defendants have systematically impeded the growth of Fubo’s sports-oriented streaming service. Founded nearly a decade ago, Fubo aimed to provide consumers with a cost-effective alternative to conventional cable bundles, centered around sports content. However, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants, wielding their dominance over sports programming, have extracted exorbitant profits through anti-competitive means, ultimately driving up costs for both Fubo and its clientele.
Central to Fubo’s accusations are tactics such as unfair bundling, wherein the defendants compel Fubo to carry a plethora of non-sports channels alongside desired sports content. This practice, as detailed in legal filings, imposes financial burdens on Fubo and its customers, forcing them to absorb the costs of unwanted programming. Moreover, Fubo contends that the defendants have imposed discriminatory content licensing rates, significantly inflating expenses for Fubo while granting preferential treatment to other distributors. Such actions, the lawsuit argues, have inflicted substantial financial losses on Fubo, amounting to billions of dollars.
The complaint further alleges that the defendants have stifled Fubo’s ability to innovate and compete by restricting its access to desirable streaming products, despite offering similar options to rival services. Fubo portrays the defendants’ recent announcement of a joint venture in the sports streaming sector as the latest maneuver in a concerted effort to monopolize the market, marginalizing competitors like Fubo in the process.
According to Fubo’s assertions, the collaboration among the defendants consolidates their grip on the U.S. sports rights market, leaving competitors at a severe disadvantage. By leveraging their collective control over coveted sports content, the defendants purportedly aim to channel these assets exclusively through their joint venture, further entrenching their dominance and limiting consumer choice.
In response to the lawsuit, representatives for the defendants have not issued public statements. However, legal experts anticipate a protracted legal battle, underscoring the high stakes involved in the burgeoning streaming landscape. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for the future of competition in the sports streaming market and the broader media industry.
Source: Morning Star


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Aurich Lawson When Microsoft backed a key motion filed two weeks ago in Epic Games’ antitrust lawsuit against Apple,.
Spectacular Fails in Rebranding the Los Angeles RamsLike the maiden voyage of the Titanic, the 2020 rebranding of Los.
Item specifics Seller Notes: “Brand new, online digital website” Type: Website SPECTACULAR, Work at home, website for sale,.
Another Silicon Valley unicorn is on life support. Last week, Theranos' CEO and founder Elizabeth Holmes and former President Ramesh "Sunny".


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Motorola: refurb tablets shipped with former owners' data intact
Motorola Mobility has admitted that some refurbished Xoom tablets were sent out to their new owners with previous users' data still present in the gadgets' memory banks.
The company, which is waiting for a thumbs-up from the Feds before it can be swallowed by Google, offered its profuse apologies for the snafu.
Some 6200 Android-based Motorola Xoom tablets were sold through US website Woot between October and December 2011. Out of that number, around 100 went out without being fully erased, Motorola confessed on Friday.
The company said it was offering former Xoom owners a free two-year membership of a local service offering protection against identity theft just in case any of the un-zapped info provides access to secure data.
Change your passwords, Xoom owners who sent their kit back are warned.
And if you plan to return kit - any kit - or sell it on, always do factory reset before you do so, we say.
Meanwhile, worried Xoom owners can contact Motorola through its Xoom Returns website to see if they are among those affected. ®


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Marcus Books, the nation's oldest African American bookstore, could be in its final chapter.
The Bay Area landmark, based in Oakland, has provided a wealth of resources on African American history and culture since 1960. But it's now in deep financial trouble, its future in jeopardy.
The store's manager says a Ponzi scheme and a subprime loan have landed the family-run business in foreclosure.
"I believe if there was not a Marcus Books you would not be able to find these resources anywhere else," said Blanche Richardson, the bookstore's manager. "Not in the libraries, certainly not in the schools."
Richardson's parents Raye and Julian Richardson founded the store in San Francisco's Western Addition 50 years ago. They later opened a second location in Oakland. "At that time it was very difficult to acquire books by and about black people," said Richardson. "They felt there was a great need to have that resource in the community and that's how Marcus Books began."
The store has helped launch many careers and has been visited by the nation's most celebrated writers including Maya Angelou and Bill Cosby.
"We're very proud of that," Richardson said. "Proud that we were able to support them and connect them with the community."
But now, the store needs help. Richardson and her family need to raise tens of thousands of dollars to keep the store afloat.
Richardson says she's determined to keep her parents dream alive. She doesn't have to look far to find proof it can be done. The books on the store shelves contain lessons anything can be overcome.
"It's not like we're the first ones that have ever been in trouble and this trouble's nothing compared with being stripped from your homeland, separated from your family your children your language your culture and to still survive. I think we can handle this just fine," she said.
Richardson is encouraging supporters to buy books. Donations can also be made to the store's legal defense fund.
c/o Sandra F. Banks, Esq.
3941 Lincoln Avenue
Oakland, CA 94602


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USDA Recalls More Than 7,000 Pounds of Raw Beef—Because They Forgot to Inspect It
Upwards of 7,000 pounds of raw beef that had been packaged and shipped off to stores in nine states had to be recalled last week, because it was shipped without first being inspected.
According to the official recall issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, federal officers discovered that the 7,146 pounds of beef, which had been produced and packaged by Texas Meat Packers, had not actually been inspected only after the products had reached stores.
The producer, based in Fort Worth, sent the beef to stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Texas.
While there have been no reports of sickness or illness related to the uninspected meat, the USDA points out that many shoppers may have stuck the beef into their freezers for later consumption.
The products in question are vacuum-sealed packages of beef marketed as "beef diced for tacos" and beef flank strips "for fajitas," and were sold both in freezers and as a fresh option.
If you believe you may have picked up a package of the beef, check your packaging—the recalled meat has a USDA mark with the label "EST. 34715." You can return any of the products to the supermarket where you purchased it from, or simply toss it.
This isn't the first time that American shoppers have concerns on the efficiency of food safety programs in the United States—in December, the Department of Health and Human Services released a sweeping report detailing how the Food and Drug Administration's recall protocol fails to adequately ensure food safety. For more information on how to decode recalls and ensure food safety in your own home, click here.


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Triple H is known for many things. His insignia and the Skull King logo has now been locked down.
The company has filed a new trademark for Skull King on March 2nd, 2021. This was done in the for merchandising reasons. Some of the apparel options including in the filing are:
Clothing, namely, tops, shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, hoodies; outerwear, namely, coats; bottoms, pants, shorts, underwear, dresses, pajamas, lingerie, clothing ties, scarves, gloves, swimwear; Halloween and masquerade costumes; footwear, namely, shoes, sneakers, slippers, flip flops, boots; headwear, namely, hats, caps; wrist bands; bandanas
WWE filed a separate trademark for Skull King for entertainment purposes in 2020. Now they can market it on merchandise.
Triple H isn’t booked for a WrestleMania match yet, but you never know what could happen. At least we could see more Skull King merchandise pop up in the meantime.


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Kwon Oh-hyun, the company's vice chairman, said Samsung wants to be the top medical device maker through acquiring companies and developing its own technologies. In the last three years, Samsung spent $1 billion to buy 14 companies in medical equipment, mobile software and services.
The company also said it would target the tablet segment where Apple's iPads dominate. J.K. Shin, co-chief executive and head of Samsung's mobile business, told analysts that Samsung's tablet sales will exceed 40 million units this year, more than double sales in 2012.
However, Samsung remains a second player in the tablet market. It had 20.4 percent of the tablet business in the third quarter versus Apple's 29.6 percent, according to researcher IDC.
Shin said the $228 billion company would continue to invest heavily in marketing to create "buzz" and boost sales of its latest gadgets.
He said Samsung would expand its mobile "experience shops", hold more global events like the launch of its Galaxy S4 smartphone at Manhattan's iconic Radio City Music Hall in March, and try out new marketing formats such as collaboration with fashion shows.
Samsung also disclosed that ut is working on a custom 64-bit CPU core, besides adopting ARM's existing 64-bit core.
The chip will be based on the silicon via (TSV) technology that allows memory and logic circuitry to be stacked on the same package. Samsung says that the chip will offers 14% better memory performance than LPDDR3 with 60% lower power consumption, while the the next generation will furhter boost the performance advantage to 30%.
Samsung also talked about its 14-nm FinFET fabrication process, which will be applied next year.
In the mobile display segment, Samsung will bring fully-foldable screens to customers in 2015. The screens could find their way into both typical smart devices like tablets and smartphones as well as wearables. Starting from next year and running into 2015, the company will focus on curved and bended displays, with an action-bubbled "technology barrier" segueing the way into foldable screen.
Samsung also showcased slides showing smartphone and tablet screens hitting 560 pixels per inch (PPI) next year. For comparison, the full HD 1080p Galaxy S4 screen has a resolution of 441 PPI. Looking ahead even further, Samsung foresees ultra HD screens (3840 x 2160 on a phone) in 2015.
Samsung also said it would spend $14 billion on research and development by the end of this year, compared with $8 billion in 2010.


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With retail operations in 8 countries and a growing portfolio of telecommunications services, Carphone Warehouse is currently Europe’s largest independent mobile retail outfit. Paul Scullion, head of business intelligence at Carphone Warehouse explains to Business Cloud News how the company is using a combination of big data technologies to help improve retail customer service and eventually, help telcos improve their offerings.
Swedish vendor Ericsson on Tuesday agreed to acquire US-based MetraTech, a provider of metadata-based billing, commerce and settlement tools. Financial details were not disclosed but the acquisition is not telecom specific.
G-Cloud sales figures for the month of June have been released, showing the public sector spent just over £217.4m on cloud services through the CloudStore. But while the proportion of sales going to SMEs has fallen since last month, the proportion of cloud services being purchased by the wider public sector vis-à-vis central government has increased.
French cloud service provider Cloudwatt announced that it has deployed open source SDN controller OpenContrail in its OpenStack-based datacentre in a bid to improve network operations and deployment speeds.
AT&T Labs, IBM Research and consultancy Applied Communication Sciences (ACS) said this week they have seen the culmination of a project that started out as a hypothetical network study in 2007, resulting in a real-world, proof-of-concept this May. The technology, co-developed under the US Government’s DARPA CORONET program, aims to bring cloud and datacentre interconnectivity into a more dynamic, elastic state, taking cloud-to-cloud setup times down to minutes from days or even weeks.
Aussie surf brand Rip Curl announced it is using Rackspace’s cloud-based NoSQL MongoDB service to support the company’s recently launched smart watch, which allows surfers to capture and analyse a range of data from their surf sessions.
Everybody stop it – yes, stop it! What I mean is, everyone is talking about the Internet of Things (IoT) as if it’s some life changing experience – well, I don’t necessarily want to be the bearer of a reality check but it’s not! Well, at least not for now. It’s just a term; a simple phrase that’s captured a new sense of excitement and imagination across an industry that’s always eager to deliver the next big thing. In fact, the likes of Intel, Samsung, Dell and many others have established a consortium to help shape and deliver a sensible notion of just how and what the IoT might deliver to both the consumer and industry.
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in southern Taiwan has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese technology provider Futjistu in a move that will see the two organisations work together to build out a big data analytics platform and nurture big data skills in academia.
The ICT solutions arm of Japanese incumbent operator NTT, NTT Com, announced that it has won a deal which will see the company wholesale its infrastructure as a service platform to Philippines’ largest telco, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).
British retailer Crew Clothing has tapped into Oracle’s marketing cloud platform in a bid to improve customer acquisition and the effectiveness of the company’s direct marketing campaigns. Sebastiano Elia, online marketing executive at Crew Clothing said the firm was able to increase active customers by 20 per cent.


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Government seeks industry views on code of practice for app store operators and developers
The UK Government is seeking the views of organisations operating in the tech sector on proposals aimed at making apps safer and more secure for users.
A report published by the National Cyber Security Centre has revealed that malicious apps downloaded by hundreds of thousands of users have put people’s personal data and financial security at risk.
The report found the cyber threats to be broadly similar regardless of the kind of organisation providing the app, with the most prominent problem being malware – corrupted software that can steal data and money and mislead users.
The government has drawn up plans for a code of practice that would set minimum security and privacy requirements for app store operators and developers with the aim of better protecting users from hackers.
The code would apply to developers and store operators whose apps are made available to UK users, meaning big-name organisations including Apple, Google, Amazon, Huawei, Microsoft and Samsung would be covered.
Cyber security minister Julia Lopez said: “Apps on our smartphones and tablets have improved our lives immensely - making it easier to bank and shop online and stay connected with friends. But no app should put our money and data at risk.
“That’s why the government is taking action to ensure app stores and developers raise their security standards and better protect UK consumers in the digital age.”
Ian Levy, technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre, that as apps are becoming far more prominent in day-to-day life “there is more for app stores to do, with cyber criminals currently using weaknesses in app stores on all types of connected devices to cause harm”.
“I support the proposed Code of Practice, which demonstrates the UK’s continued intent to fix systemic cybersecurity issues,” he said.
The code follows a government review of app stores launched in December 2020 that found some developers are not following best practice in developing apps while well-known app stores do not share clear security requirements with developers.
App developers, app store operators and security and privacy experts are being encouraged to provide feedback to inform the government’s work in this area, with the call for view running until the end of June.
The consultation is available on the government’s website.