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Extreme Networks has forked out $180m (£113.5m) to acquire all outstanding stock of Enterasys to in an acquisition billed as largely complementary.
Extreme has historically been known for high-performance Ethernet switching solutions for cloud, datacentre and mobile networks, while Enterasys specialises in wired and wireless network infrastructure and security lines.
The firms plan to amalgamate certain Enterasys features into Extreme’s flagship ExtremeXOS operating system to fully support both hardware platforms.
Since its launch nine years ago, ExtremeOS has included a Linux abstraction layer designed to make it relatively easy to support other vendors’ hardware.
Extreme said it believed that customers would ultimately benefit from a single network OS delivering functionality across both product lines, designed to “allow customers to seamlessly choose which hardware platform best meets their needs”.
This should also bring a wider product and services set to sell in their combined channel. As yet there is no word on the integration of their respective partner programmes although Extreme CEO Bob Berger noted that they had very little overlap in terms of resellers.
Industry-watcher and ZK Research president Zeus Kerravala said: “The combination of Extreme Networks and Enterasys is significant in that it brings together two companies with distinct strengths addressing the key areas of the network, from unified wired and wireless edge, to the enterprise core, to the data center and cloud.
“With an open software approach, the companies can drive product innovations and customers will benefit from their increased resources and larger scale,” he added.
"Our number one priority is to ensure an even more positive customer experience by preserving the value of our current customers' investments and combining the best of both companies' technologies and talent," said Chris Crowell, president and CEO of Enterasys Networks.


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FINLAND Long-distance passengers have more options following the launch by Omnibus of a new route between Helsinki and Vaasa and increases in the frequency on four of its other routes. Competitor Koiviston Auto, in turn, is cutting fares on routes serving 13 cities. Other operators are expected to announce similar changes as the year unfolds.
“Services will increase rather notably in the course of the year,” said Jarmo Oksaharju, Managing Director of Matkahuolto. It’s beneficial for consumers in the short term because competition will offer further alternatives.” Matkahuolto is owned by private bus and coach operators, to which it provides marketing, ticket sales and other services.
“Onnibus is operating alongside our services on National Road 5, where we and Koiviston Auto operate,” said Raimo O. Honkanen, Managing Director of Savonlinja. “The same applies to all main roads north from Helsinki. We have to adjust our position one way or the other.”
Koiviston Auto is halving its fares on the Helsinki—Kuopio route to €30 and the Helsinki—Lahti route to €10, below the price of an advance train ticket. “Train Z has seen our passenger numbers fall to one-fifth of record levels,” said Kari Hietaniemi from Koiviston Auto. “We’ll now see whether or not we can get any passengers back.”
As part of its new price regime, Koiviston Auto will also lower the prices of tickets purchased from drivers to the levels of tickets bought online in a bid to attract more passengers.
Mika Mäkilä, the managing director at the Finnish Bus and Coach Association, says that operators have yet to fully align their prices to the demand. “We’re getting closer to genuine competition where the nature of services is determined by the demand,” he said.
Competition effectively began with Onnibus’ foray into the public transport sector in 2012. The budget operator has declared its intention to double the scope of its operations this year. “You can expect us to expand aggressively,” said Pekka Möttö, Onnibus Managing Director. “We’ll launch new routes and increase our service frequency.”
The operator increased services between Helsinki and Turku, no more than a couple of days after a similar move by one of its main rivals on the route, Vainion Liikenne.
“I’d say that competition is generally very tough,” said Matti Vainio, Managing Director at Vainion Liikenne. “It looks like customers will benefit and prices stay [at their current levels] in the near future,”
All the managing directors seem confident that the popularity of bus and coach travel will grow as new routes are being launched and service frequencies increased. However, the constant changes in prices and routes may prove problematic for commuters.

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Last winter Microsoft announced that the company started working together with its PC hardware partners to develop headsets that support a mixed mode, between virtual and augmented reality. These headsets run a new version of Microsoft’s software called Windows Mixed Reality, a version of Windows that natively supports both augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences. At the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin, or IFA, the biggest annual consumer electronics trade fair in Europe which started last week, this software giant took the center stage. They said that they will include their “Windows Mixed Reality” in the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (available from Oct 17).
During its newly established EDU event, Microsoft announced Windows 10 S (S for Student, not for Superman), a new Surface laptop and several partner PCs. The goal of new EDU strategy is to win back schools across the country. Years ago, Microsoft dominated schools with affordable Windows PCs, taking a back seat when Apple rebuilt itself with the iMac and then MacBook. Just as Apple started to run out of steam, Google came to the front with its cloud-driven Chromebooks. Now when the things are changed Microsoft wants to take back the throne, and once again have a prime place in the classroom, where it
Welcome to this week’s edition of Top Five Thursday. What’s new around the globe: Sky is the limit for the upcoming drone with a 100 megapixel camera! https://www.slashgear.com/dji-and-hasselblad-team-for-a-100-megapixel-camera-drone-25483279/ “This new 100-megapixel aerial solution is a combination of three products: the DJI M600 Pro drone, the aforementioned Ronin-MX Gimbal, as well as Hasselblad’s H6D-100c camera. When combined, these products enable drone operators to capture very high resolution photos from the sky. The camera boasts a large 53.4mm x 40mm sensor, among other things, for superior low-light performance.” NVIDIA Starts to Focus on VR in Gaming with a new bundle for GeForce GTX cards http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/nvidia-offers-geforce-gtx-oculus-bundle-with-3-free-games.html “There is “no better
Microsoft today released Windows 10 in multiple versions. The company offers multiple versions to professional and consumers, as you can see from the wide array of versions available on its MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) website. Still, we believe that most of Windows 10 users will be those upgrading from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, which had the “Install Windows 10” icon in their trays for couple of months now. The company is moving away from its numbering system, since Windows 10 in reality are 6.4, while much searched “Windows 10 10240 RTM” is becoming a thing of past, as 10240 will be succeeded by 10275 and
Notice that Windows icon in your toolbar? That’s Microsoft telling you Windows 10 is almost here.


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TORONTO -- Wal-Mart has begun its assault on the Great White North.
The giant discounter is currently liquidating and converting the 122-unit Woolco chain purchased from Woolworth Canada Inc. last January.
The company is also considering up to five more units in Canada by spring.
It's all part of the chain's grand scheme for international expansion. Wal-Mart has units in Mexico and Puerto Rico and plans stores in Brazil, Argentina, Hong Kong and China. It is also exploring sites in Europe. Wal-Mart had sales of $67.3 billion in 1993, and is projecting volume at $85 billion this year.
In Canada, it's widely believed that Wal-Mart will easily surpass Woolco's $1.9 billion in sales last year and will be a bigger player in apparel than Woolco was. Overall, stockkeeping units will double to 70,000 from Woolco's 35,000, and clothing will receive its share of the growth, according to Wal-Mart.
"You'll see a significant increase in the amount of apparel we will be offering," the spokesman said.
Wal-Mart declined to reveal its sales goal, though a Wal-Mart Canada Inc. spokesman said same-store sales at Wal-Mart's Canadian stores are ahead of Woolco stores by "high double digits," and "as high as 60 to 80 percent" in the best stores.
Canadian units closely resemble U.S. stores, with 11 of 36 departments devoted to apparel, footwear and fashion accessories, he said. He noted, however, that apparel reflects Canadian tastes and regional differences. "The focus is on value, a higher quality with an affordable price," he added. "You'll see a greater emphasis on selection and more contemporary styling."
Wal-Mart also invested about $200 million (C$275 million) in store renovations that are slated for completion by December. New ceilings and floors, brighter lights, wider aisles and more dramatic merchandising layout and signs are "designed to create a more dynamic shopping environment," the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Canadian discounters, Wal-Mart's primary competitors in terms of apparel, are also sprucing up to meet the competition.
"It's really given us a call to action," said Don Beaumont, president and chief executive officer of Toronto-based Kmart Canada Ltd. "If anything, we're going to stay with them."The 128-store Kmart chain, which had sales of $889 million last year, is among Wal-Mart's stiffest Canadian competitors, along with Zellers Inc., with 294 outlets. Zellers rang up $2.27 billion in sales last year.
But Beaumont said Kmart Canada, which launched a store renewal program in 1991, is well positioned to compete with Wal-Mart in fashion because it derives a greater percentage of store sales from apparel and footwear than Kmart's U.S. operations.
"We have overtly gone after apparel and dedicated incremental floor space," he said. "We're giving particular attention to children's apparel."
Kmart has been offering some higher price points than those typical of discount store apparel, such as its private label Jaclyn Smith collection. However, it plans to meet Wal-Mart with entry price points as well on a broad range of apparel, especially with "on-trend" fashion merchandise, Beaumont said.
Despite mediocre 1993 clothing sales in the U.S., the Canadian Kmart stores did well with apparel last year. This year, he said, "Business has been quite brisk."
Zellers' counterattack, last May, includes lower prices, wider product assortments, more advertising and enhancements to its "Club Z" program of frequent-shopper rewards. The firm also plans to accelerate renovations at 65 stores, focusing on areas where Wal-Marts are opening. Those outlets will be expanded to 100,000 square feet.
Sears Canada Inc., with 110 locations, does not consider itself a head-on competitor with Wal-Mart because only about 20 percent of their merchandise overlaps, said Ron MacInnes, vice president of public affairs and government relations. Furthermore, Sears emphasizes house brands at middle, not discount, prices on items including apparel, he said. The chain rang up sales of $2.9 billion last year.
Small specialty apparel retailers, particularly if they are geared to the middle and upper markets, are unlikely to be affected by Wal-Mart, said Toronto retail consultant John Williams.
Not that they should ignore the threat.
"This is no time to be lackadaisical," said Donald Cooper, owner of Alive & Well, a 14,000-square-foot discounter of women's and children's apparel in Markham, Ontario, near Toronto. "The day to start training for the race is not the day of the race."But Wal-Mart simply cannot match the service and "added emotional value" that a specialty store can, said Cooper, who has made his store a popular Ontario destination by offering such customer amenities as free beverages, courtesy phones and electric massage chairs to revive weary shoppers.
Small merchants can build personal relationships with customers, Cooper said. "You have to do a bang-up job of the one or two things they can't," he added.
"I think I can compete with them," agreed Jim Coyle, owner of Janie's Fashions Ltd., a 2,600-square-foot retailer of moderate-priced women's apparel in Chatham, Ontario. "I can call people by their first names."
Toronto retail consultant Len Kubas said Wal-Mart will be a bigger threat to apparel retailers than Woolco because of increased inventory. "They're going to be much tougher competitors."
He predicts Wal-Mart Canada will strive for benchmark pricing on key brand-name apparel items, like Lee jeans, and may ultimately put a heavier emphasis on soft goods and fashion than in the U.S. For Wal-Mart, showcasing apparel may be the key to boosting profits, Kubas said. "It has to earn higher margins in Canada to offset the higher operating costs, and apparel is one way of doing that."
EXCLUSIVE: @tomford is opening its first-ever beauty store. The boutique, which opens November 20 in London’s Covent Gardens, was designed with the over-the-top glam Ford is known for. Read the full story on WWD.com, link in bio. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews (📷: Simon Wagner) #TomFordBeauty
New York-based DJ @harleyvnewton threw a party to celebrate the holiday collection of her dress and pajama line @hvn at the Ladurée Beverly Hills. It Girls @katebosworth, @rashidajones and more joined in on the fun, which included cocktails, croque monsieur sandwiches and a photo booth. #wwdfashion (📷: Owen Kolasinski/BFA.com)
For the holidays, @Burberry partnered with 20-year-old artist @blondeymccoy on a series of three outdoor murals in downtown Manhattan. The murals are McCoy’s interpretation of a Christmas eve party, the idea of charity and the spirit of family. His third mural, pictured here, is the most personal. The image depicts McCoy’s grandparents and father in London’s Trafalgar Square in the Seventies. “My work often features lots of sentimental objects.” #wwdeye
For spring 2018, designers applied bold colors and cartoonish motifs on everything from sneakers and belts to key chains. See all the top men’s accessories trends on WWD.com. #wwdtrends (📷: George Chinsee; Prop Styling by @rnasti; Market Editor: @luiscampuzano)
The @dior-sponsored @guggenheim international gala pre-party has a history of drawing cool-girl musical acts to serenade the crowd –– and last night was no exception. @haimtheband performed songs both new and old, and lured a star-studded audience with the likes of Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Mamoudou Athie and more. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
In a partnership between the @metopera and the @englishnationalopera, “Marnie” was born. The opera, with costumes sponsored by @mrporterlive, is an adaptation of the 1961 thriller by Winston Graham. Arianne Phillips, who created the costumes, is no rookie: She’s styled Madonna for her tours and created costumes for a myriad of films in the past. Read WWD’s interview with Phillips, where she talks about her inspiration for the opera’s costumes on WWD.com #wwdfashion
@barneysnyc took a different approach to their holiday windows this year. Instead of Christmas decor, Barneys tapped @thehaasbrothers to tell a story of positivity, gratitude and inclusivity via heartwarming silliness and humor. “It’s about kids and it’s about coming together and being family and loving each other,” said Simon Haas. #wwdfashion (📷: @joshuascottphoto)
Beauty influencer @kandeejohnson makes her foray into hair care with a collaboration with @ogx_beauty — making it the first time that OGX has teamed up for a product creation. The collab includes shampoos and conditioners in three scents. At 39 and a mom, Johnson is a different profile than the emerging social media stars, but is considered one of the pioneers of the digital beauty influencer world. Read WWD’s interview with her on wwd.com, including the strangest beauty product she’s ever tried #wwdbeauty


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Coffee shops still growing
Australia’s coffee culture and the prevalence of small specialty cafes and coffee shops has resulted in a high level of competition, low barriers to entry and low industry concentration, according to IbisWorld.
Success for industry operators is often determined by the level of customer service, price, the quality of their coffee brand and how well they make a cup of coffee from the texture, temperature and taste of the milk, down to the amount of crema in espressos.
“Moreover, the ability to understand and cater to the unique characteristics of demand has been a determinant of success for some players, but an obstacle for those who fail to incorporate them into business operations,” says IbisWorld industry analyst, Ryan Lin.
Revenue is expected to grow by a compound annual rate of 3.1 per cent over the five years through 2013-14. Revenue is forecast to increase by 3.7 per cent to $5.3 billion in 2013-14.
The industry has a low level of market share concentration, much like the hospitality industry as a whole. The industry is highly fragmented and traditionally encompasses a large number of single establishment, owner operated cafes.
The cafe and coffee shop industry is expected to post sustained growth over the five years through 2018-19, as Australians remain keen on coffee. Consumer demand for high quality, convenient food and beverage offerings should support strong sales of coffee and other cafe products.
Gradually strengthening economic conditions and ongoing interest in health and ethical issues are also expected to bolster sales. While the presence of international players and coffee shop franchises is expected to increase, the prevalence of small specialty operators and intense competition driven by the nation’s entrenched coffee culture will remain the underlying drivers of the industry’s success and vibrancy.
The cafe and coffee shops industry in Australia owes its success to the nation’s love for quality gourmet coffee, and the extent to which this is entrenched in the daily routine of many Australian consumers.
The arrival of European immigrants after World War II, and the emergence of popular European-style cafes in the 1950s, crafted a strong and vibrant coffee culture that has endured to the present day.
According to Lin, “this unique aspect of the Australian market supported demand for the industry during the global economic downturn”.
For more information, visit IBISWorld’s cafe and coffee shops industry in Australia industry report page.
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An innovative boat that began as a discussion five years ago at the Miami International Boat Show has come to fruition and stands out as an example of effective use of small-engine electric power.
The new Light 18 from Wing Systems uses Torqeedo electric motors to power its hydrodynamic hulls. The Light 18 made its debut in April at Charleston Race Week in South Carolina.
“We went through two years of prototypes, design and development,” Wing Systems director of special projects Skip Barker said. “We designed it from the keel up; the Torqeedo motor was part of the design from the very beginning.”
The Light 18, an acronym for Low-Impact Green Hull Technology, is a center console design with hydrodynamic catamaran hulls. It is designed to take advantage of Torqeedo's high-efficiency electric outboards without sacrificing maneuverability, stability and speed. The principle of the design will allow the builder to create other sizes and models, Barker said.
Equipped with two Torqeedo 9.9-hp motors and four lithium batteries, the Light 18 has a top speed of 15 knots and a cruising speed of 10 to 12 knots. At 6 to 8 knots it has a range of as much as 10 hours. Gasoline-free operation makes the Light 18 particularly useful for environmentally sensitive applications, such as water quality management and reservoir maintenance. It has been available as a crew boat on a volunteer basis at sailing races and regattas. Its silence and speed make it an ideal coaching launch, Barker said.
"Making its debut at Charleston Race Week as a media platform, the Light 18 was quick, nimble and able to get close to the action without disturbing the sailors with wake, noise and exhaust," Torqeedo president Steve Trkla said. "Torqeedo's quiet electric motors allow for easy communication on the water, so they're ideal for safety vessels or coaching boats."
Each hull has more than 9 square feet of planing surface. Powerboats have tremendous trouble between 8 and 12 knots, Barker said. On the Light 18, the displacement-to-planing transition is made almost instantly, he said. “That’s what these hulls do magnificently.”


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With the World Mobile Congress just a couple a days away we hear many news leaking from different directions.
The interesting news/battle seems to be in preserving the information of your mobile device in the cloud. No, not just when your are switching your phone and staying with the same platform. Why not just switch phones and and platform and still be able to get all your data over the air back onto your new phone.
An article just last week gave some hints of Microsoft’s cloud-based service complements to mobile phones named Skybox. This service will grow to be available for Windows Mobile and Non-Windows Mobile devices. It’s also going to be called My Phone
It looks like Google is reacting to this need as well with the expansion of their Google Sync services (in Beta) to the iPhone and Windows Mobile devices.
The war of cloud data management is on, and consumers won’t be tied down to a single platform anymore for their mobile device.


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Italian Business Summit 2016 hosted by SLT
The 2016 edition of the Italian Business Summit just took place from May 27th until 29th, hosted and organised by SLT.
It concerns the annual event which GGI, Geneva Group International, dedicates to Italy, to its opportunities and peculiarities.
Friday’s programme, which involved the participation of 50 delegates, Italian and foreign, coming from both Europe and the United States, allowed participants to catch up with the latest news during three Practice Groups, touching technical and legislative updates as well as those of economic interest, with a special outlook on Italy in particular.
The Saturday morning conference offered a trip through Italy, thanks to the guest speaker entrepreneurs and manager’s contributions. Among them, offered their insight both Italians who have embarked onto foreign investments, for a global view of company management, and foreigners who have found in Italy business opportunities and stimulus.
We shall send out a comprehensive News Letter, but first, we’d like to thank all those who joined forces with SLT to make the event possible, as well as those who have dedicated to it from our firm.


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Carphone Warehouse’s tactic to take market share at the expense of margins is paying off, as it continues to cut prices and secure a range of coveted exclusives.
The retailer is now taking over a quarter of all prepay sales in the UK; double the level of its nearest competitor, Argos, and three times the amount of pay-as-you-go sales from Tesco and Phones 4u.
The LG Cookie has been leading Carphone’s prepay sales, with what is understood to be a steady period of 20,000 sales per week. LG’s £100 touch-screen device proved the surprise handset hit in the run-up to Christmas, and even into the start of 2009.
The jump in market share to around 26% is a significant improvement on Carphone’s usual level of under 20% of the market, and although the rise comes during a period of fewer overall sales and declining margins for the industry, it puts greater pressure on Carphone’s rivals.
The share levels cover high street, online and telesales.
Carphone CEO Charles Dunstone said in the run-up to Christmas: ‘I keep saying to the business that the main focus [in the second half of the financial year] is market share, cash and margin. And I want it in that order.’
The group is believed to have had 17 prepay exclusives in the market since around Christmas, compared with Phones 4u’s seven, and 21 exclusives on contract, while Phones 4u had 12. The bulk of Phones 4u’s exclusives are network locked.
By contrast, Phones 4u sources said before Christmas that its sales through its non high street channels (web and telesales) were propping up its poorly performing shops.
On the contract front, the gap is also widening between Phones 4u and Carphone, with Phones 4u securing less than half the 20% share that Carphone takes on contracts.
Sources said Phones 4u’s contract sales from its shops in October 2008 were at 47,000, half the level of 18 months previously, although there was an impressive 25,000 direct sales for the same month.
Among the networks, O2 is now just below Carphone’s share of contract sales, with Orange slightly behind O2, and Vodafone further adrift.


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Yep, Xbox One totally kicking PS4 butt, according to a new tweet from Zlatan Ibrahimović , he totally loves Xbox one check out his tweet below:
Thats just one part of the news, now the second part, twitter just published a picture showing us that Xbox One seriously has a big voice, according to the image, Xbox one gets more tweets per hours than PS4 does, check out the image below as well.
This seriously going to hurt Sony. Interesting to see what Sony has to say about this, since Xbox one has a bigger number of tweets per hour than PS4 does ( much higher ).
For more news and updates about Xbox one be sure to follow us at twitter Follow @myxboblog


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Dubai Ladies Club has announced the winners of the Oriental Red Carpet Emerging Fashion Designer Contest 2010. The four winners will showcase their mini-collections at the third annual Oriental Red Carpet Fashion Show on 30 September, 2010 at Dubai Ladies Club.
At a private Judging Ceremony held last week, Hessa Al Falasi (winner of Jalabiyas category), Hanadi Badu (winner of Abayas category), Moza Al Mazrou (winner of Ready-to-wear category) and Halima Al Sayegh (winner of Jewellery category) were selected, by a group of eminent panellists, from among 15 shortlisted Emirati fashion designers in four categories – Jalabiyas, Abayas, Ready-to-Wear and Jewellery.
This year's selection committee included Mirvat Ghanem, Editor of L'Officiel Middle East magazine, Amal Murad, Abaya Fashion Designer, Carla Zaroubi Daaboul, of Saks Fifth Avenue and Nada Al Zarouni, Fashion Editor of Emarat Al Youm.
On Monday, 30th August, the jury convened at Dubai Ladies Club where the 15 finalists were given a chance to show their designs and sketches to the panel. Each contestant spent fifteen minutes with the panel to discuss her designs, background and future plans. The judges made their decision based on creativity, marketability, workmanship, fabric suitability and overall appeal.
Following the success of the inaugural launch of Oriental Red Carpet Fashion Show in 2008, the competition returns once again - for its third edition - as a pioneering campaign aimed at promoting young emerging designers and advancing their careers through extensive media exposure and introductions to key local & international clientele.
Eman Al Mansoori, Events Manager of Dubai Ladies Club commented: "Our judges met contestants who were poised and who demonstrated professionalism in their approach. They enjoyed hearing about the resourcefulness and creativity that was exhibited during their design process. Our objective in hosting and organizing this competition is to encourage young Emirati female entrepreneurs and designers to come forward and unveil their latest designs to an elite audience and clientele. Every year, we aim to bring to the forth the works and talent of new and promising Emirati designers."
The Oriental Red Carpet Fashion Show has been a launch pad for a number of distinguished local fashion designers such as Mariam Al Mazrou, Fatima Al Hashimi, Athija Al Mazroui, Reem Beljafla, Fatima Al Qassimi and Fatima Al Tunaiji, who have gone on to accomplish even greater things.
Focussing on Emirati women's overall development, Dubai Ladies Club has consistently promoted Emirati talents through a number of educational and career-oriented professional programmes to open avenues for women to channelize their strengths and contribute effectively to the social and economic progress of the UAE.
© 2000 - 2021 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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“In the battle between a massive prehistoric beast and a fluttering bird, we all know what’s destined to come out on top. But in the case of Mastodon, a social network with the potential to take on Twitter, the former just so happens to be the underdog. And yet, it’s an underdog with serious spunk. Started by 24-year-old Eugen Rochko, Mastodon allows users to create accounts, follow others, and post status updates called “toots.” In many ways it’s like Twitter, but it is also so not like Twitter.” – Mashable Continue reading “This week’s starting line-up for social media changes includes: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.”
Plus beer recos and dog pics.
During last year’s election season, we heard pundits and politicians bemoan the effect of algorithms on what news we see, serving up content that reinforces and echoes choices and preferences we’ve demonstrated through past behavior. Because I happened to watch the Billy Bush bus video, does that make me a Trump supporter? Or if I happened to get click-baited into watching a shark video, does some data engine tag me as an Animals Attack! fan? The answer to those questions appears to be, largely, “yes” and therein lies a problem for our society (we are confined to a machine-determined perspective) and for practitioners of CPG marketing. Is media fragmentation making it harder and harder to create broadly popular CPG brands? Continue reading “Advertising In Echo Chambers”
Smith Brothers has been named agency of record for the Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Group after a competitive review. The partnership comes as Iron Hill undertakes a major expansion over the next five years, opening new restaurants in the greater Philadelphia market as well as several cities along the East Coast. Continue reading “NEW CLIENT WIN: IRON HILL BREWERY”
“While translating a target audience simply into a demographic may have been suitable in an offline world, their true effectiveness in the digital world is limited at best. Because the digital world thinks audience first, not media first. Grouping online audiences by demo produces very narrow targets that do not necessarily represent a brand’s most productive audience. Dropping targeting altogether is equally likely to produce waste. Instead, the answer lies in a productive middle ground between mass reach and segmentation targeting, where more productive audience models can be built based on Behaviors, Emotions and Moments. BEM targeting can identify consumers moving into a consideration phase and speak to them directly with relevant messages. The results can be dramatic. Brand preference and purchase intent lift can nearly double when compared to traditional demographic targeting.” – Ad Age Continue reading “Targeting Can No Longer Rely On Rigid Demographic Profiles”
Facebook Just Changed the Mobile Web Landscape With Header Bidding
Facebook just executed what might best be described as a digital advertising coup against rival Google and its DoubleClick Empire. The social media power recently said that it’s bringing advertiser demand from its Audience Network to mobile web publishers that use header bidding.
– AdAge Continue reading “Changing Tech for Changing Times”
After several months of testing, Messenger Day, Facebook Messenger’s answer to Snapchat Stories, began officially rolling out Thursday to iOS and Android users worldwide. Messenger Day allows users to curate photos and videos in a single destination and choose whom to share their Messenger Day creations with and, just like Snapchat, everything disappears after 24 hours. – Adweek
“Consumer trust is something you have to earn every day. The day you start taking that for granted, it’s over.”
– Denise Morrison, CEO of Campbell Soup Company
This note of caution – equal parts somber and energizing – set the tone for the 37th annual Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event. Held at the Anaheim Convention Center March 9-12, a record-setting crowd of 85,000 attendees gathered to celebrate and support the more than 3,100 exhibiting brands – and to reflect on the critical role that consumers have played in the rapid rise of the better-for-you segment.
Last month, the platform announced their new Pinterest Lens tool, which enables users to search Pinterest for related items and ideas based on real world examples, captured on their phone. Now, Pinterest is looking to extend that visual search capacity to the web more broadly, with a new browser extension which enables you to search for related Pins based on any image on any website. It’s another way for Pinterest to expand its search capacity – and given that there are already two billion searches conducted on the platform every month, and Pinners come to the network with higher purchase intent than users on other platforms, the potential value-add for Pinterest users is significant. – Social Media Today Continue reading “Why You May Soon Be Watching Original TV Shows in Your News Feed”
That’s how Fortune recently described 3G’s business model. The magazine goes on to say, “A central feature of this model is that it can’t work forever. It builds value only by buying more companies.” Continue reading “The Shark That Can’t Stop Swimming”
“Twitter is launching a new feature called “custom profiles” for businesses to create better customer experiences through Twitter. This feature will connect real people to Direct Message threads instead of bots or the business’ logo. These “customer service agents” will have their real face, name, and title listed in the DM. Twitter states, from their research, that personalized experiences with a human connection can create significant benefits for businesses, and 77% of people are likely to recommend a brand following a personalized customer service interaction on Twitter.” – Social Media Week Continue reading “Instagram tests a game-changing feature for influencers”


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kenny ‘babyface’ edmonds at caesars atlantic city in atlantic city
Celine Bags Cheap “It comforting to know we not alone. We received tremendous support and condolences from several area schools,” Principal Jeff Hinman told the crowd. “To the students, let me say this day is especially created for you. 5 nationally, has three representatives as does St. Frances, which reached the Catholic League Tournament championship game. Southwestern and Walbrook will have three players each on the West roster.. Celine Bags Cheap
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Cookies on fushi.co.uk
We're known for having a lack of vitamin D in our bodies in the UK, primarily because, let's face it, we don't get much sun, especially at this time of year.
When you're heading to work before the sun comes up and getting home after dark, you can go a whole winter without so much of a glimpse of that big yellow ball in the sky.
And you may be feeling a little down in the dumps because of it. Research has linked a lack of natural sunlight to seasonal affective disorder, and it's vitamin D that's at the heart of it.
Known as the sunshine vitamin, it's what our bodies produce when we're exposed to the sun's rays.
Of course there are well known dangers of sizzling in the sun all day without protection, but likewise, staying indoors and having no exposure at all can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
Herbalist and nutritional therapist Andrew Johnson said having a vitamin D deficiency is common between January and March.
"Research has shown that people who get the most colds and infections at this time of year are the ones who are lowest in vitamin D, because of the lack of sun," he remarked.
What he's suggesting is that as well as affecting our moods, a lack of vitamin D can also have a negative impact on our immune systems.
If you're about to jet off on a holiday in the sun, then you should be able to boost your levels quite easily. Just remember to take all the necessary precautions to protect your skin.
If a getaway isn't on the agenda any time soon, then nutritional supplements could be your best bet.
Mr Johnson recommended having your vitamin D levels checked out, then you'll know which products to take and how much.


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It is hard to believe that one year has passed since the Pioneer Girl Project first unloaded pallets upon pallets and boxes upon boxes of books—readying them to be sent out all over the world. And what a year it has been!
“The past twelve months have been a wild ride,” says Nancy Tystad Koupal, director of the Pioneer Girl Project. “We are ecstatic; the success of the book has been beyond our wildest dreams.”
On November 17, 2014, the South Dakota Historical Society Press released Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography. And, as readers of this site know, the first three printings quickly sold out as the title became the “it book” of the 2014 holiday season. As more copies rolled off the presses, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography jumped up to number one on Amazon.com and spent six weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list, an amazing accomplishment for what various media networks have dubbed “a small press on the prairie.”
To date, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography has sold over 145,000 copies and been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on National Public Radio. It has over 2,635 ratings and 600 reviews on Goodreads and has been held up as the best way to publish a famous author’s first draft—see the Willamette Week’s review of Go Set a Watchman and numerous conversations on Reddit/r/books. It is the stuff of publishing legends. And it does not end there.
The November 2, 2015, issue of Publishers Weekly featured Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography on the cover. And the November 23, 2015, issue will feature a story about the book and Press.
What a great year it has been!


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TAMPA BAY, Fla. — Cash is just a few clicks away with mobile payment or person-to-person pay apps. That convenience is part of the appeal for consumers like Clearwater consumer Frank Sarivola, who told ABC Action News the app is “quick and easy and so much of everything in life is automated now.”
Sarivola said he often used Zelle to send money to his college-aged son for gas and other expenses — but not anymore.
He stopped using the Zelle app in March after his son was involved in a minor accident and needed $1,500 for repairs.
Sarivola, a former law enforcement officer, said in the rush to get the cash to his son he typed in a phone number that was off by one digit.
“I put in the phone number, I transposed one number accidentally and I immediately recognized that after I hit the send button,” he said.
That one-digit mistake prompted the bank to send that $1,500 to a stranger’s account in Fort Myers. Sarivola said he was on the phone with his bank, Chase, within 3 minutes. But he said a customer service agent told him there was nothing they could do.
The unintended recipient in Fort Myers returned the money to his bank Wells Fargo. And for weeks the money remained in limbo. Leaving Sarivola worried and wondering if he would ever get it back.
Bankrate.com Senior Analyst Ted Rossman explained that Zelle is owned by a group of big banks. But the app doesn’t have any of the protections you may have from bank-issued debit or credit cards. An issue, Rossman told ABC Action News, that could only be fixed by regulation.
“It might be nice if there was some sort of waiting period there. If this person called within 2 minutes, well then they could get their money back,” he said.
After a month of waiting, Sarivola made a call for action. ABC Action News reached out to Chase via email and a spokesperson replied that they were already working on the case and hoped to have it resolved very soon.
Sarivola told ABC Action News he got immediate action.
“When you followed up with Chase within a couple of days the money was credited back to my account," he said. “It was great. Thank you very much, I really appreciate all your help.”
According to a Consumer Reports survey conducted in March, 22% of the people who have used mobile pay apps have had an issue with them. On the fraud end alone, in 2021 more than 70,000 people filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission. The losses topped $130 million.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers these tips to improve safety and avoid risky mistakes when using person-to-person payment apps:
- Consider having your friend send you a request for payment first
- Double check before you press send
- Set up your app to require a passcode, PIN, or fingerprint before making a payment
- Contact your bank or payment provider if you suspect an error


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Porsche AG has released the first official photos of the new Panamera, the German auto maker’s four-door grand touring sports car that has been widely anticipated and tracked in the automotive enthusiast community.
Unfortunately, the new model comes global economy that could limit sales. In its recent earning report, Porsche said profits were weighed down by the costs associated with developing the Panamera, which is the company’s first all-new model since the Cayenne SUV was introduced in 2002 — the Cayman sports coupe is an evolution of the Boxster convertible.
The Panamera expected to go on sale in the U.S. and Europe in August or September of next year. Prices haven’t been set yet.
The design combines elements of both a coupe and sedan, and will compete with vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Maserati’s Quattroporte. Aston Martin is also developing a similar model.
The success of Mercedes with the CLS and Bentley with the Continental and Flying Spur models have pushed high end auto makers to expand their offerings in the ultra-luxury segment — above $70,000. – David Patton


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Price of Bitcoin reaches all-time high in 2020
Bitcoin’s epic bull run is backed by strong investor interest, according to new research from analyst firm GlobalData.
The price of Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, has grown four times from nearly US$5,000 in March 2020 to an all-time high of over US$20,000 in December 2020.
According to GlobalData, the changing monetary policies, rising inflation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted investors focus to alternative asset classes like cryptocurrencies to secure the value of their capital.
“Unlike Bitcoin’s previous surge in 2017, which was driven by the hype among retail investors, the latest increase is a result of institutional investors, public companies, major banks and payment companies turning their investment focus to digital assets like cryptocurrency,” says Kiran Raj, principal disruptive tech analyst at GlobalData.
“Institutional investors such as Ark Invest, Addison Capital and Horizon Kinetic have recently invested in Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, a cryptocurrency investment trust from NY-based Grayscale Investments, which now manages over US$13bn in crypto assets,” he says.
“Public companies also piqued their interest in American financial services, merchant services aggregator Square, Inc., which has recently converted US$50m worth of cash into Bitcoin to represent about 1% of its total assets.”
Raj says big banks such as Citibank and Bank of America are increasingly positive about crypto assets.
“Analysts at Citibank forecast Bitcoin’s price to cross US$300,000 by the end of 2021 and refer it as the 21st-century gold,” he says.
Online payments company PayPal recently introduced a new service allowing its merchants and end-users to buy, sell, hold and accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
According to GlobalData, other reasons for the price appreciation of Bitcoin include the continuous rollout of financial stimulus by various governments to help overcome the COVID-19 pandemic-induced economic crisis.
To read more, please click on the link below…


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After being discontinued in Australia six years ago and shelved even further back in some overseas markets, Mitsubishi’s Ralliart sub-brand is set to make a return.
Mitsubishi CEO, Takao Kato, confirmed Ralliart’s return as part of a presentation announcing the carmaker’s EOFY earnings.
“We have decided to relaunch the Ralliart brand for customers in Mitsubishi Motors brand who want to add to Mitsubishi Motors-ness even more,” said Kato.
“For customers who wish to experience our Mitsubishi-ness, we will launch custom-made accessories for our model line-up as well as re-entering motorsport events around the world.”
Before it was shuttered, Ralliart enjoyed a long and successful history with Mitsubishi, being connected to the carmaker’s successful World Rally Championship campaigns initially, then the Dakar Rally, which resulted in 12 victories for the Pajero – the most of any single model.
To homologate the competition models for racing, various ‘Evolution’ production vehicles were built, including a Pajero Evolution that is now highly collectable.
As Kato indicated in his statement, the revival of Ralliart will see Mitsubishi return to racing in a factory capacity, presumably in the off-road arena, and bring a range of performance parts to market.
Specifics on where Mitsubishi will race and what parts will be offered are unclear at this stage, but it seems a Triton may be the first beneficiary of the revived programme, as the presentation included a rendering of a Triton wearing a specific body kit, striping and other details in addition to a Ralliart nameplate.


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MAS has been selling its Amanté branded lingerie in India since 2007, through its MAS Brands unit.
"We are targeting Rs 800-1,000 crore (135 to 170 million US dollars turnover by 2020 through a portfolio of brands, including Amante," Amalean was quoted as saying.
"We are looking at acquiring other brands to increase our reach and product offerings."The firm may also look at acquisitions, he said. MAS Holdings was also eyeing Malaysia and Indonesia.


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The University Bookstore is featured in an article published Aug. 18 on Foreword Online, a website with ideas and industry news for collegiate retailers, for its dorm delivery service that puts textbooks in students rooms before they arrive on campus. Belmont has offered dorm-room delivery for seven years and donates $4 per bundle to University Ministries and $1 per bundle to the Office of Residence Life. Click here to read the article.
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Psychological Science Professor Lonnie Yandell has published an article with Belmont psychology alumni Ben McGlothlin ('10) and Dawn Jiacoletti ('11). The article titled "The...


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Plus, a look back at a successful year for the Swedish automaker. You've read about this over and over again: the coronavirus pandemic had a negative effect on automotive sales in 2020 because of obvious reasons. But not Volvo – the Swedish company is one of the few automakers that posted positive sales in the US. In an interview with Automotive News , Ernie Norcross, Volvo Retail Advisory Board Chairman, said that last year was a strong profit and volume year. Volvo was able to bounce back from the sales slump by June 2020 and ended the year with a 1.8 percent sales increase compared to 2019. Gallery: Volvo XC40 Electric 18 Photos Norcross attributed the company's success to the autonomy that Volvo Cars USA gave them in the early parts of the pandemic. This allowed them to react quickly to local market conditions. Apart from that, Norcross added that … [Read more...] about Volvo Dealers Asking For Larger SUV To Fight BMW X7, Mercedes GLS
A large number of messages containing only the link "goo.gl/R7f68" have appeared on Twitter today, redirecting the users to various malware-laden sites. The messages are mostly coming from disposable accounts, but they also show up on some accounts that appear to be genuine, which indicates that there's a worm spreading and sending the messages from infected accounts. Furthermore, all of the messages containing the link are sent from the mobile version of Twitter. The Next Web has traced the origins of the link in the messages, which sends users to a French site (http://artcan-developpement.fr) that has apparently been hacked to forward users to sites containing various malware scripts. While the majority of the messages currently contain an identical shortened link, keep in mind that the link is very likely to change in the future. As always, do not click on any suspicious links, and always keep your computer protected with antivirus and anti-malware software. … [Read more...] about Malicious Goo.gl Links Spreading on Twitter [WARNING]
WASHINGTON: Daimler AG's U.S. unit Mercedes-Benz USA said Saturday it is recalling 1.29 million vehicles sold since 2016 because software may fail to communicate correct vehicle location in the event of a crash. The recall covers some 2016-2021 model year CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS-Class, SL-Class, B-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and G-Class vehicles, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . The German automaker plans to issue a software update that will be installed by dealers or over-the-air. Mercedes-Benz USA said Saturday it is neither aware of any case of material damage nor personal injury in connection with the issue. The automaker said "a temporary collapse of the communication module's power supply caused by a crash might lead to the vehicle's position during a potential emergency call being incorrect." Mercedes-Benz added that "other functions … [Read more...] about Daimler recalls 1.29 million U.S. vehicles for software issue
Home Four wheelers oi-Promeet Ghosh By Promeet Ghosh Updated: Monday, February 8, 2021, 16:11 [IST] Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced that the Range Rover Sport has crossed the 1 million sales milestone across the globe. This news was announced by the carmaker through its official social media accounts. The Range Rover Sport was introduced in the year 2005. The company introduced the MY2021 Range Rover Sport at the end of 2020. The Range Rover Sport carries a price tag of 89.13 lakh for the entry-level model and goes all the way up to the Rs 1.43 crore, all prices mentioned above are ex-showroom. The SUV is offered in seven variants: S, SE, HSE, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography Dynamic, HSE Silver and HSE Dynamic Black variants. The Range Rover Sport SUV features sharp design elements put together in a modern package. The Range Rover Sport, as the name suggests, adds some sporty bits to its styling. It has got larger air dams, sharper edges and blacked-out elements. … [Read more...] about Land Rover Range Rover Sport Variant Crosses 1 Million Sales Mark Globally: Read More To Find Out!
Workers at a garment factory (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam targets raising the proportion of trained workers to 35-40 percent by 2030 under a support programme for labour market development newly issued by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.Global Innovation Index (GII) by 2025 and among the top 55 by 2030. The country also sets having 80 percent of its workforce possess IT skills by 2025 and 90 percent by 2030, while reducing the rate of young adults unemployed or untrained to below 8 percent.labour market compared with the regional and global markets, and evaluate the labour gap between regions./. VNA … [Read more...] about Vietnam to raise rate of trained workers to 40 percent by 2030


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As we reported earlier regarding this year’s Steam Summer Sales by Valve, which has been kicked off yesterday, and just like previous years, the famous gaming store is offering discounts of up to 50 percent of the most popular games.
Valve Explains Why CS: GO is not Available to Buy and Gift During Summer Sales
Soon after the sale kicked off, players reported that they were unable to buy the popular Counter Strike: Global Offensive, which was being offered with 50 % off and send the game as a gift on Steam just like the rest of the other games.
Meanwhile Valve’s representative Ido Magal on reddit forums has issued a statement confirming that the feature has been turned off for CS: GO throughout the sales period, which will be ending earlier next month. He said;
“CS:GO will not be giftable during the sale. Our goal with sales is to grow the community and historically, during sales, the new users that stick around are mainly the ones that purchase copies for themselves,“
It seems that the Store is trying to avoid digital reselling of the games by some of the online retailers who purchase the game in bulk during sales period and later on, resale it at prices lower than what the Steam is offering. Valve’s Summer Sales is running as of now with a decent amount of drop in the price of many games and will be ending on July 4th, 2016 at 10 AM PDT. Stay tuned for more updates!


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It's a worrying time for the gaming industry when the UK's largest dedicated games retailer, The Game Group PLC, lands on hard times, requiring support from shareholders and lenders simply to avoid bankruptcy; support provided on the condition that the firm closes at least 60 of its stores in the UK by 2013, in an effort to operate its business "within lower limits".
The firm has already taken steps of announcing closure of 35 of its UK stores and has amalgamated the www.gameplay.co.uk website into www.gamestation.co.uk in an effort to reduce overheads and strengthen the brand. Likewise, the firm recently laid-off 46 employees at its Basingstoke central support centre.
These cuts may seem dramatic, however the group consists of 1,275 stores worldwide, having already sold off over 92 stores in the past two years. The firm's decline had recently been accelerated by its lack of capital, leading to issues in obtaining stock for many EA and Nintendo games, with it looking likely that GAME will not be able to obtain enough stock to fulfil all of the firm's pre-orders for the upcoming release of Mass Effect 3.
Does this spell bad news for the gaming industry? Is GAME perhaps a victim of increased growth in the on-line segment? Or has it toppled under its own weight and a tradition of inefficient operations? Let us know what you think.


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Lordstown Motors has just announced that production of its fully electric pickup truck has begun. In fact, the American manufacturer, which has taken up residence in the plant formerly used by General Motors to assemble its small cars (Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet Cavalier, Chevrolet Vega, etc.), has only produced two examples of its electron-powered pickup truck, with a third one almost completed. These first three trucks are part of the first batch of 500 planned pickups.
FMVSS crash tests have been successfully completed, and EPA and CARB applications have been submitted as well, according to the manufacturer. Lordstown is also continuing its testing and certification phase. Don’t expect to see many Endurance pickups on the continent’s roads before the end of the year, as management of the fledgling automotive brand expects to deliver about 50 units of the electric pickup before the end of this year, while the next 450 vehicles are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2023, subject to sufficient capital being raised.
The Endurance pickup is expected to see its production rate increase over the next few weeks, a pace that will of course be tied to the supply crisis still raging globally.
“We will continue to build at a slow pace as we address pedigree and parts availability issues. We expect to increase production speed in November and December,” said Edward Hightower, Lordstown’s CEO, “Our certification and homologation processes are on schedule.”
Lordstown Motors also said it expects to begin the sales process before the end of the year, subject to full homologation testing and the required certification. It now remains to be seen if the Lordstown Endurance will be selected as a finalist for the 2023 North American Truck of the Year by NACTOY member journalists, with the vehicle still in the running as of this writing.


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- A week and a half after announcing a CEO succession plan, footwear company Deckers on Monday named a new president for Hoka. Robin Green will take on the role, effective immediately, reporting to outgoing CEO Dave Powers, according to a press release.
- Green, who has “an extensive track record of leading and operating complex global businesses,” joins the running brand from Nike, where she served as global vice president of Men’s Running and Fitness.
- She will join the executive leadership team at Deckers and will be tasked with driving Hoka’s growth and accelerating product innovation.
Hoka is turning to an experienced footwear executive as its next leader. Green spent more than 17 years at Nike, according to her LinkedIn, in roles spanning both men’s and women’s footwear and several focused on the running category.
"Robin is a strong leader with a demonstrated ability to develop and execute on multi-year strategic, growth-driving initiatives for global performance businesses, and I am eager for her to leverage that expertise as part of Deckers," Powers said in a statement, noting that the Hoka brand is the strongest it’s ever been. "Together, we will focus on continuing to expand consumer awareness of Hoka, maximizing and scaling our product offerings and accessibility, and eclipsing the exceptional revenue milestones hit over the last year."
Deckers’ sales surged 16% in Q3, and the strength of Hoka was a notable part of that: The running brand reported sales grew 21.9% to $429.3 million in the quarter. For the first nine months of the fiscal year, Hoka’s brand revenues were up 25% year over year, thanks to a nearly 50% increase in DTC, per a Seeking Alpha transcript of the company’s latest earnings call.
“We believe Hoka is still in the early stages of expansion internationally, as we continue to build brand awareness in key markets to establish Hoka as a major worldwide player in the performance space,” Powers said on the call.
Hoka has expanded significantly in the last few years, opening its first stores in 2021 and launching its first global campaign in 2022 as it looks to broaden its customer base. In May last year, Powers said the $1.4-billion brand was set to cross the $2 billion mark “pretty soon” and in July, the brand hit a quarterly sales record of $420 million. Hoka’s past year has been marked by consecutive quarters of more than 20% sales growth.
The brand has increased marketing efforts as it vies for market share against powerhouses like Nike and Adidas, as well as younger rivals like On. In bringing on Green, the retailer is turning to an executive with longtime experience at a powerful competitor. DTC activewear brand Sweaty Betty likewise recently hired a Nike veteran to fill out its C-suite, and Timberland last year turned to a longtime Nike exec for a chief merchant role.


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Apple thinks that the Samsung Galaxy Tab looks a lot like the iPhone and the iPad, from the appearance of the device right down to the packaging it comes in. Now it seems that the courts agree. Well, one of them at least. The Dusseldorf District Court in Germany has awarded a preliminary injunction in favour of Apple which, get this, bans the sale of Samsung Galaxy Tabs throughout the European Union (with the strange exception of the Netherlands where a separate court action is underway). Customs officials have apparently been given orders to seize shipments of the tablet, and tens of thousands of them are understood to have been seized so far today.
The injunction is unusual in that it does not refer to alleged software patent violations, as we are used to in the world of hi-tech gadgets these days, but rather a design. Apple maintains that the Samsung Galaxy Tab is a blatant copy of the iPad and iPhone in terms of design, and has insisted it will take any necessary measures to protect itself when other companies steal Apple ideas. Samsung, on the other hand, has said it is disappointed by the ruling and has vowed to defend itself in the on-going proceedings in order to get the ban lifted as soon as possible.
The preliminary injunction could be a costly gamble as far as Apple is concerned as it is far from meaning that the case is cut and dried. Germany has a rather unusual process which allows these preliminary injunctions to be granted without notifying the company concerned in advance. Once the case is heard, and should Apple lose then it will be liable for full damages to compensate Samsung for the loss of sales that the injunction has caused. By granting the preliminary injunction, however, the Dusseldorf court has indicated that it thinks there is a very good chance that Apple will win.
DaniWeb will keep you informed of updates to this case as soon as we hear about them.
The 'community design' image which Apple claims that Samsung has copied can be seen here . You might want to ensure you are sitting down to prevent injury caused from excessive laughter before you view it though.
I'm a hacker turned writer and consultant, specialising in IT security. I've been a freelance word punk for over 20 years and along the way I have seen 23 of my books published, produced and presented programmes for TV and radio, picked up a bunch of awards and continue being a contributing editor with PC Pro - the best selling IT magazine in the UK .
What I find rather hard to understand, let alone believe, is that one court in Germany can effectively ban the sale of an item across the entire rest of the European Union (with the notable exception of the Netherlands but, as I mentioned in the article, that's only due to some complexity courtesy of another court case being ongoing there apparently)
Since most items are imported to the EU via Germany before being distributed further I guess it is the best location to have such an injunction in place! It sure will be interesting to see how this one proceeds over the coming months due to the increasing tensions between Apple & Samsung as well as the more general cases involving Android-powered handsets versus Apple & Microsoft.
I think that this is going to turn right around and bite apple on the ... Samsung has already sued Apple for violating its own patents, so I can just see Samsung getting the iPad blocked from sales in Europe as well because of patent issues.
I suspect that the price of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 units already in UK shops will go up as retailers cash in on the curiosity/scarcity factor for the time being.
Sad thing is, from what I've seen of the latest Galaxy Tab (and a DaniWeb review will be published shortly) it's actually right up there as pretty much the best of the Android-powered bunch right now, and not a million miles away from iPad 2 territory either.
You people should've seen the trial we had here (the Netherlands) yesterday, it almost looked like two kids fighting over eachother's treehouse ideas. It was pathetic, although Samsung seemed to be in control a little more than Apple.


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Craft Brew earnings fall flat on higher taxes, expenses
- Staff Portland Business Journal
Craft Brew Alliance reported net income of $2.5 million, or 13 cents a share, in 2012 on sales of $169.3 million.
Earnings were hit with a one-time $10.4 million gain from the sale of its interest in Fulton Street Brewery. Excluding the gain, earnings would have been 17 cents per share.
In 2011, Craft Brew earned $9.7 million, or 51 cents a share, on sales of $149.2 million.
Shipments were up nearly 8 percent, due in part of the March 2012 launch of its gluten-free Omission brand and international exports.
CEO Terry Michaelson said the company expects continued expansion of brands including Kona, Redhook and Omission. The company will also pursue expansion into new markets and update its packaging with the introduction of "unique can and bottle offerings."
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The use of IoT tech in the retail sector is growing fast, but where’s the killer app?
IoT 2019- Retailers see some tantalizing possibilities for using IoT technology in their businesses, but 2019 seems likely to feature more pilot programs and small-scale testing than widespread upheaval.
Bridging the gap between online and in-person shopping, increased automation, and new ways to engage with customers (mostly by showing them ads) are all concepts with major upside for retailers, but the technology has only recently started to take hold.
Some of IoT’s presence in the retail world isn’t retail-specific. Companies use asset-management systems, integrated HVAC and other smart-building tech just like many other industries, according to analysts, but physical retailers have been having a tough time across the board lately, and investments in new technology can quickly fall down priority lists.
Nevertheless, IoT is slowly slipping into the mainstream of the retail world, and one of the biggest players in the room, unsurprisingly, is leading the way.
The empty register
Retail titan Amazon has been a user of IoT technology for a long time – the complexity and automation used in its vast web of supply chain and logistics functions are already well-documented and aimed squarely at efficiency. Armies of robots wrangle packages in huge warehouses, and centralized planning and development software determines the most efficient possible way to ship Amazon’s myriad products around the globe.
Interestingly, some of the most cutting-edge IoT tech isn’t really relevant to such an operation, according to Sucharita Kodali, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester.
“IoT is very expensive and is used for monitoring high value shipments like medical supplies, often that need temperature control, not for toys or lower-value holiday purchases, many of which are sent through the cheapest shipment method possible to save costs,” she said.
But the Amazon retail division’s designs for the future are larger still than its online shopping empire. In addition to its new wave of traditional brick and mortar stores, currently operating in 22 states and the District of Columbia, the company’s Amazon Go stores are pioneering a completely automated shopping experience.
It works like this: Shoppers scan a barcode upon entering the store to “sign in.” They simply grab whatever they want from the store’s shelves, leave, and the app automatically adds up their bill and charges their Amazon account.
Obviously, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes of a store like this, according to Gartner research vice president Mark Hung. Central to the whole concept is smart vision technology, which uses cameras to track individual shoppers and their physical positions in the store, but there’s more to it than that, and the company hasn’t publicized the exact details of how the system works.
Nevertheless, there are hints, and Hung thinks some of it has to do with sensors in the shelves themselves.
“Amazon’s never disclosed what they’re using for Amazon Go stores, but if you do some searching online, you’ll find they’ve filed patents for that kind of smart shelving technology,” he said.
That, at least, is how a startup called Zippin, which is pursuing a similar type of fully automated retail experience, is going about the process. Weight sensors built into store shelves supplement the smart vision technology to provide more accurate tracking. Zippin founder Krishna Motukuri told Fast Company in Augustthat a 1,000 square foot bodega-style mini-mart could be covered by just 15 cameras – Amazon Go uses hundreds for one of its (albeit larger) stores.
Zippin currently operates a flagship store in San Francisco, mostly as a way to showcase its technology. Amazon Go has six locations – three in Seattle, two in Chicago, and one in San Francisco – but plans to open as many as 3,000 stores by 2021.


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The Telegraph Launches New Subscription iPad App
It you happen to read The Telegraph and also be an owner of an iPad, you may be interesting in knowing that the popular newspaper that has now launched its own subscription service for the Apple iPad. The app itself is a free download, however readers will pay for either a daily edition at £1.19, […]
10-inch Blackberry Playbook coming later this year?
With Blackberry World coming to a close, tech websites and publications are hunting out those last bits of vital information on what RIM will being coming up with this year. We’ve already seen official announcements for the Bold 9900 and 9930, and learned that BES will work with iPhone and Android in the near future, […]
Blackberry Playbook will get BBM and more via OTA update on 3rd May
Research in Motion (RIM) has confirmed that a major software update will be coming to the Blackberry Playbook on May 3rd, bringing with it some of the important features missing from the device currently. Blackberry Messenger (or BBM) will now work on the Playbook via Blackberry Bridge, which means you’ll need to pair a Blackberry […]
iPad 2 now on sale in 12 more countries
Amidst the iPhone and iPad location tracking hubbub, Apple has snuck out a press release confirming that the iPad 2 will be coming to 12 more countries worldwide in the coming weeks. The Wi-Fi only models will be available in Japan today (April 28th), then in Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South […]


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Everything in Kingdom Hearts 3 and 2.5 ReMix Connects, Former has Old and New Worlds
It is clearly understood that Kingdom Hearts III is not a game for this year, and Yasue has also confirmed it recently that this year is for Kingdom Hearts 2.5. However, the former has a lot of enthusiasm and expectations behind it – we just want to know more.
Recently, the game’s director Tai Yasue was interviewed where he talked about the two games and trickled down bits and pieces about the upcoming main entry in the series.
To start off, we know that the development of Kingdom Hearts III and 2.5 is being handled side by side by Square Enix. What he emphasized was that there was that currently they are focusing on Kingdom Hearts 2.5 for this year, which was also the reason why there was no dedicated trailer for KH III at this year’s E3.
That being said, he said upon the question relationship between the two titles that ‘everything [in Kingdom Hearts 2.5] has to do with Kingdom Hearts 3. It will connect. The whole experience, the theater and the story, will all connect to Kingdom Hearts III.’ Of course he wasn’t being specific on purpose, but this tells us that the story is going to be highly important – and connected.
Moving on, he stated that the world of KH III will not only comprise of new worlds but come with a mix of old and new worlds from the series. There will be different categories.
In the end, Yasue hinted that we should look forward to more information about Kingdom Hearts III in certain game shows in the future.


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Less-than-truckload carrier Pitt Ohio announced it has expanded its next-day service in and out of New England, a Monday news release said.
The Pittsburgh-based carrier, which primarily provides regional service in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Midwest, said the new service will now be offered out of three more terminals. The company said its previous standard offering from service centers in Maryland and Philadelphia had delivery windows as long as three days. Roughly half of its 25 terminals now have 24-hour service in the region.
“This expansion of next-day shipping lanes to New England for our customers in the Maryland and southeastern [Pennsylvania] markets delivers on our commitment to providing customers with the most convenient and efficient shipping options possible,” stated Geoff Muessig, Pitt Ohio’s chief marketing officer.
The service in the region builds on recent lane additions from terminals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. It is working with sister company Ross Express to execute the deliveries.
“Ross Express and PITT OHIO both have proven track records and the advanced logistics networks for consistent, on-time delivery,” said Ross Express’ President Steve Brown. “We are excited to continue to provide reliable, next day delivery to and from the New England states for PITT OHIO customers.”
Pitt Ohio generated more than $900 million in revenue last year with over 3,500 employees. In addition to LTL service, it offers expedited, dedicated and truckload transportation as well as transloading and warehousing services.


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When environmental and social challenges start to heavily impact both a business’s image and its performance, adopting a sustainable business model can no longer be considered a luxury.
That’s especially true in the fashion industry, which is not only one of the most polluting in the world in terms of water waste (20%), but also in terms of carbon emissions (10%), according to a UNECE report published in 2018. On the social and societal level, the industry is also widely criticized for failing to offer decent work conditions and salaries to a majority of its workforce, not to mention its issues with gender equality and inclusivity. For example, the non-profit organization Remake underlines the fact that it takes “a garment worker 18 months to earn what a fashion brand CEO makes on their lunch break.”
These challenges are particularly serious in the MENA region, where most countries are very vulnerable to climate change and where inequalities are particularly harsh. *This is pushing brands to promote sustainability. The Middle East is the most unequal region worldwide in terms of revenue repartition: In 2020, only 56% of national income accrued to the top 10%, and only 12% went to the bottom 50%, according to the World Inequality database.
Learning to value the digital
“Today’s world has taken major strides in understanding the mistakes generations before made in depleting natural resources and harming the environment, especially in the fashion industry. Nevertheless, driven by consumers’ appetites for new trends, new clothes, new accessories, and the “more” mentality, many of us in the industry have failed to make the changes needed for a sustainable brand, and a better future”, says Dima Nawbar co-founder of L’Atelier Nawbar. “We believe in making effort through everyday choices in life and business that consider human and ecological health, because we believe in the importance of acting now, for the future to exist” adds Dima’s sister, Tania.


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According to Food Safety News, there are 32 cases reported in MI, 11 in IN, 10 in Missouri, six in IL and one in Ohio. The CDC said that 60 people have reportedly been infected with a strain of Salmonella Adelaide, with 31 people hospitalized.
This includes pre-cut melon in salad mixes.
Walmart stores in IL have removed pre-cut melons from their shelves, according to IDPH.
For now the agency is recommending that Missourians discard melon and fruit salads that contain it if it came from Walmart or if they don't remember where it came from.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting 60 cases of salmonellosis from five states, including OH have been linked to pre-cut melon sold at Kroger and Walmart.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning OH residents to not eat pre-cut melon from Walmart after an investigation into 60 salmonella cases in five states.
The FDA is working to identify a supplier of pre-cut melon to stores where ill people shopped.
Rashford enjoying 'freedom' of England role
The next time the Three Lions will be in action is for their Russian Federation 2018 opener against Tunisia on Monday 18 June. It took just 13 minutes for 20-year-old Marcus Rashford to open the scoring.
Season's 1st tropical storm forms in eastern Pacific
Kossin told Nature that a 10% slow-down in storm speed corresponds to a 10% increase in rainfall when a hurricane makes landfall. Kossin concluded that the trend has all the signs of human-induced climate change.
Not a wave, but Democrats are gaining
Mimi Walters easily advanced to the November election in her Orange County district that has been targeted by Democrats. Senator Roger Wicker , Republican of MS , won his primary contest as did Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey .
Those salmonella symptoms usually show up 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food.
Pre-cut melon sold at Walmart stores in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, or Ohio. The elderly, infants, and those with weak immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
The investigation into the outbreak is expanding rapidly.
Those products have now been linked by officials to a rash of salmonella infections around the county.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there's no need to avoid whole melon at this point.
More information and steps to take to reduce the risk of infection can be found on the CDC Salmonella website at www.cdc.gov/salmonella/.


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L’Oeil de la Photographie went through several iterations in its short history. It started as La Lettre de la Photographie, before switching its name to Le Journal de la Photographie. It then was forced to shut down in August 2013, before rising from its ashes three months later as L’Oeil. “Last year, Le Journal had a business partner who owned 51% of the company,” says Jean-Jacques Naudet, the site’s founder and managing editor. “But that partner had financial issues, so he started delaying payments to our contributors. And one day, these payments stopped altogether. When you’re working with such a partner, there comes a point when enough is enough, especially since we had 36 contributors, so we made the decision in August last year to leave the site.”
After receiving hundreds of emails and phone calls, says Naudet, “I thought we couldn’t just give up.” Backed by seven “godfathers and godmothers,” including Maja Hoffmann of the Luma Foundation, photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, curator W.M. Hunt, and Philippe Gassmann of Picto, the site was revived under its new moniker: L’Oeil de la Photographie (The Eye of Photography).
Naudet’s plans are ambitious. This week, he launched five diaries – exhibitions, auctions, festivals, events and photobooks – with the goal “to cover everything that’s happening around the world in photography,” he tells BJP. “A couple more will be launched later this year for workshops and portfolio reviews.”
L’Oeil has also partnered with China Photo Service, a subsidiary of the Xinhua News Agency, to produce a weekly version in Chinese. “And then, we’ll launch our Italian, German and Russian version. I also want to offer Spanish and Portuguese versions, but that will be for later.”


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After Mutant Year Zero was added to Xbox Game Pass earlier this week, Xbox’s Major Nelson has just announced that nine new titles will be coming to the catalog in December. Two new games are available starting today, the fighting game Mortal Kombat X and the co-op RPG Ashen. The latter was expected to support Xbox Play Anywhere, but Epic Games apparently managed to make the PC version exclusive to its new digital store, as noted by Windows Central today.
The flow of new Xbox Game Pass games will continue on December 11 with Kingdom Two Crowns, followed by PES 2019 and Spintires: Mudrunner 5 on December 13, and then Below on December 14. As you may recall, Konami added PES 2018 to Game Pass earlier this year before it was eventually removed in September, and it’s great to see the latest installment join Microsoft’s subscription service just four months after its release.
The last wave of new Xbox Game Pass titles for December will start on December 17 with Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, which will be followed by Ori and the Blind Forest and Shadow Warrior 2 on December 20. Overall, there are many great additions to the catalog this month and we hope this trend will continue in January.


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Looking for a used car? Not a good time to buy a used car given that prices have recently increased by 20% in the UAE in 2022 and are expected to rise even further given the lack of new cars, population growth that is out of control, and the need for personal mobility in the post-pandemic period.
A used car, also known as a second-hand car, is a previously owned or used vehicle.
These used cars are sold through a variety of channels, including dealers, buy here pay here dealerships, outlets, auctions, rental car companies, and private party sales.
A used car’s price is determined by its condition and location.
Mechanical condition, appearance, mileage, and vehicle history all play a role in determining a vehicle’s condition.
Vehicle industry executives observed that, due to a scarcity of cars, many car owners keep their vehicles for a slightly longer period than previously examined.
They also ruled out any significant impact of high oil prices and an increase in interest rates on used vehicle sales in the country, with auto loans accounting for 70% of sales.
The UAE used car market was worth USD 20.60 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at an 8.3 % CAGR by 2025.
More than one million used cars are expected to be sold by 2025, thanks to the competitive growth of franchised dealers, Certified Pre-owned (CPO) and organized independent dealers.
According to Abhinav Gupta, CEO of Gulf Region at Cars24, the UAE’s used car market has seen an exponential increase in demand since the pandemic, driven by Expo 2020’s massive boost in tourism and job creation.
Additionally, the pandemic’s effects have accelerated the growth of both first-time and second-car buyers due to the increased need for personal mobility.
The global chip shortage has also contributed to continued growth in the used car market.
As reported in Khaleej Times, Iqbal Dawood, managing director of Abu Mousa Motors, said that the prices of used as well as new cars prices are increasing due to exponentially high freight rates and the lingering effect of the pandemic.
Dawood said prices of used cars in the UAE have increased around 15-20 % in the UAE this year and projected that this trend will continue for the remainder of the year. “We expect another 20 % further increase in pre-owned car prices this year,” he said in
Abhinav Gupta said there has not been much of an impact of high oil prices and interest rates on used cars.
Oil prices in the UAE reached an all-time high in June, crossing Dh4 per litter for the first time since the country aligned fuel prices with international rates in 2015.
Gupta added that there has not been much of an impact of high oil prices on the used car market. Though it has been seen a lot of buyers switching their decision from buying a new car to buying a used car. This points to the affordability of this segment, and naturally reflects the confidence of buyers in the quality and reliability of used cars in the organized players market.
He added the used car industry is need-based, so if a customer wants to buy a car, then they would buy it irrespective of the interest rate. And also, the interest rates in UAE are still on the lower side as compared to the rates in other international markets.


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The BBC and ITV have confirmed plans for a new streaming service for UK viewers – the aptly-named BritBox.
The BritBox streaming service is already available in the US and Canada, with over half a million subscribers.
It's promising viewers the biggest collection of British-created content across any streaming service, and it's also planning to commission new, original shows from British companies as well.
The broadcasters are in the concluding phase of talks, and now working on a formal legal agreement ahead of the service's launch. The BBC and ITV expect to add other partners to BritBox.
Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV, commented: "I am really pleased that ITV and the BBC are at the concluding stage of discussions to launch a new streaming service.
"BritBox will be the home for the best of British creativity – celebrating the best of the past, the best of today and investing in new British originated content in the future."
BBC director general Tony Hall, said: "I am delighted that the BBC and ITV are working together on something truly special – BritBox. A new streaming service delivering the best home-grown content to the public who love it best.
"The service will have everything from old favourites to recent shows and brand new commissions. It’s an exciting time for the viewing public."
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Apple 'in talks to acquire Tidal'
Apple is reportedly in talks to purchase Jay Z's streaming music platform Tidal. The acquisition would neutralise one of Apple Music's biggest competitors and is likely to hand the tech giant Tidal's impressive trove, expanding Apple's footprint in the music streaming space. Ongoing talks about the potential deal were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Jane Birkin cancels Shanghai concert
British actress and singer Jane Birkin has cancelled a planned concert in Shanghai on Saturday after failing to obtain a Chinese visa, her entourage said. China "gave no explanation", said an associate, who noted that Birkin is a member of Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights.
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra was to have accompanied Birkin at the concert, part of her tour to mark 25 years since the death of iconic French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, who was her former lover.


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China’s UnionPay has knocked Visa off the number one spot when it comes to card payments globally. That’s according to a new report from RBR, which says Visa has had the biggest scheme globally since 2010, UnionPay is handled more by value of card payments in 2015.
Card payments at a glance
> Payment cards in circulation globally up 8% to 13bn in 2015
> Rate of growth slowed from 11% in 2014, due to China
> UnionPay, Visa & MasterCard accounted for 89% spending worldwide
Overall, the number of payment cards in circulation climbed 8% in the space of the year, hitting a total of 13 billion. That number sounds big, but the rate of growth is actually slowing, down from 11% in 2014. That’s down to a slowing in the expansion of the Chinese market, which had been seeing runaway growth.
According to RBR, Middle East and Africa as well as Asia-Pacific saw the fastest rate of growth in card numbers, climbing 13% and 10% respectively. A specific factor driving the growth in this region can be attributed to efforts to boost financial inclusion and bring in people who have traditionally been locked out of the financial services market for the first time.
When it comes to where those payments are taking place, Visa, MasterCard and UnionPay account for the majority (89%) of spending globally. UnionPay is now the biggest scheme by the value spent on cards, accounting for 37% of the $21.6 trillion spent last year. That’s up from a share of 32% a year earlier and puts it ahead of Visa with 32% and MasterCard with 20%.
In terms of number of cards, the report says UnionPay has been the biggest scheme since 2010, hitting 5.3bn branded cards by the end of last year and accounting for 41% of the global card base.
Favourable regulation, a lack of legacy systems, and growth in smartphone adoption is fuelling the pace of change in the Indian payments market.
New research suggests that mobile payments still have a way to go before they become an ingrained part of everyday payments, but more importantly, life.
Christmas is a time for family, friends, love and Christmas TV, and new research shows that one more thing that people do during Christmas is...Christmas shopping.
Never mind the Twelve Days of Christmas -- here are twelve essential facts that all retailers should know about the m-commerce revolution and mobile payments going into 2017.


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A Hamburger Today
Motorino Heads East
Yesterday, Eater announced that Mathieu Palombino's next Motorino opening will take place not in Williamsburg, where we've had our attention directed, but in HONG KONG! The Brooklyn Motorino is still underway, but first Mathieu will have to make sure the onsite contracted Steffano Ferrara oven is firing nicely by March 14th, the proposed opening date. Then it's back to NYC to get things in order for the Williamsburg opening.
What with the Singapore Mozza location and now this Motorino opening, it seems like some pizza makers are naming Asia as the new pizza frontier. Of course, the chains have laid some tracks, but they're not pretty. That's not to say that there aren't already good, if not great, pizzas to be had though out the East. Gino's Brick Oven Pizza in the Philippines shows promise, as do Cibo, and Nuccio's. Maybe it's time for a list of Eastern hemisphere pizza notables...


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Retailers are scrambling to adapt to the expectations of today’s customers. Radial partnered with Incisiv for a quantitative survey of executives across the retail supply chain and discovered that less than half of retailers are optimized to deliver on complex orders.
From a new POS system and digital commerce capabilities, to testing new store concepts, a merchandising and supply chain platform, and much more, Sally Beauty Holdings is in the thick of a multi-quarter digital transformation plan.
Retailers are searching for the keys to the fastest, best fulfillment methods that will set them apart from the competition. Download this Trendagram to learn the four pillars that hold the key to agile operations and satisfied shoppers.
Customer’s thirst for instant gratification, mixed with the convenience of online shopping has given rise to buy online, pickup in-store. By implementing smart pickup lockers, retailers can take the service to the next level and further differentiate from the competition.
Internet of Things technologies brings real-time visibility to the supply chain. With a sensor-based digital supply chain, businesses can transform how they manage products and shipments across channels. To do so, companies need the right strategy.
These 10 innovative retail leaders are out in front of the pack setting the pace for change in their organizations and the industry. See which transformative retailers made RIS’ annual look at the retail industry’s fastest rising executives.
The store of tomorrow is a full-service, connected hub; integrating web, social networks, and the supply chain. To stay competitive, retailers need to be equipped with intelligent and scalable technology to offer their customers a seamless shopping experience.


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Editorial: 50 Million iPods and Growing?
This Wednesday, Apple Computer will announce its financial results for the last three months, and as always, the company will disclose the number of iPods sold to date. Last quarter, over 42 million iPods had been sold, and analysts now conservatively anticipate actual sales in the 8.5 to 8.8 million range. From there, the math is simple: on Wednesday, we should expect to hear that over 50 million iPods have been sold since late 2001.
If this happens - and we think that it will - there are two reasons Apple will have pulled off an unbelievably impressive feat. First, the 50 million mark is generally reserved for truly famous products; household names that people still remember 20 years after they were introduced. As just one example, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, said to be the best-selling album of all time, is the only one estimated to have sold over 50 million copies worldwide over its lifetime; his other albums haven’t come close. Back when iLounge started, we thought the iPod was amazing, but could anyone have guessed back then that it would be in this league?
And so quickly? Even if Apple barely missed the 50 million mark, the speed of the iPod’s growth would still be staggering. Sony took over 10 years to sell its 50 millionth Walkman, noting that it had shipped 50 million by the device’s 10th anniversary. Similarly, according to Mobile Ecosystem, it took around 12 years for multiple brands of wireless phones to collectively reach the 50 million mark, and more than 15 for computers or TVs to do so. By contrast, the iPod would have done it in only 5 years even if it took Apple until this November; 4.5 years if earlier.
Going forward, our biggest concern is how further iPod growth will be achieved: will Apple try and sell multiple iPods to the same old customers, or expand the iPod’s userbase and appeal to reach even more people? We’re obviously hoping for the latter; in our view, expanded international sales will be one key to making this happen. But even if not, this week’s sales milestone will be something no one can ever take away from the iPod - leadership by a factor of miles and hours, not inches and seconds, won through innovation and continued improvement. We look forward to leading the cheer once the official announcement is made.
What do you think? Your comments and insights are appreciated.
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