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Global Panorama Showcase expands its reach pan India with a strong focus on bringing Tier II and Tier III cities to the forefront By Mohit Rathod
Global Panorama Showcase (GPS), a brainchild of Nagpur-based company, Jagsons Travels, recently concluded its fourth edition. Nagpur is considered as one of the emerging markets among the Tier II and Tier III segment. Increase in disposable income, the urge to explore world class destinations, and Qatar Airways’ recent launch of operations from Nagpur, are some of the drivers of growth in tourism activities in the region. With the theme ‘GPS on the move’, the travel trade platform will be marking its entry into four more cities for the first time – Coimbatore, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad.
The event, held at Hotel Centre Point, was inaugurated by GPS co-founders, Harmandeep Singh Anand and Rishiraj Singh Anand; Jagjit Singh Anand, founder of Jagsons Travels; Gulshanpal Singh Anand, chairman of Jagsons Travels; Jatindra Nakade, chairman, TAAI (Travel Agents Association of India) Nagpur Chapter; Ajay Bhatnagar, Kirti Vyas, managing director of Vyas Travels, Raipur; Naresh Rawal, vice president, Star Cruises and Rajiv Duggal, CEO, Lavasa Corporation, among other dignitaries. Around 100 exhibitors and over 95 hosted buyers from Central India participated in the event. Raju Akolkar was announced as the CEO of GPS 2016 and the new logo of GPS was also unveiled.
The first day of the event focused on B2B interactions between buyers and exhibitors, along with presentations by Starwood Hotels, Tourism Malaysia, Singapore Tourism, Destination Canada and Philippines Tourism.
Focus on social initiatives
The major announcements at GPS 2016 were introduction of NGO tourism in and around Nagpur region and mine tourism. Caring Friends, a Nagpur-based NGO, intiated the concept of ‘Voluntourism’, where travellers to the Vidarbha district will be able to interact with local heroes who serve the society. Harmandeep also pointed out that five per cent of the total revenue generated from GPS 2016 will be contributed to NGOs.
Mine tourism is already part of a discussion with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and may take another quarter to commence.Elaborating on mine tourism, Manohar Roy, who is a part of the discusion with MTDC, said, “It is a concept where we will take tourists to open-cast and underground mines in the Vidarbha region. We will co-ordinate with MTDC, Western Coalfields (WCL) and Manganese Ore India (MOIL). MOIL and WCL have 13 and 20 mines in the region respectively. The scope of this tourism product is enormous and will boost tourism in this
Talking about rebranding of GPS and presence in new cities, Harmandeep stated, “We are positioning ourselves as the premier travel trade interaction platform. In comparision with our previous events, this year’s GPS has got wings. Around 40 per cent of the exhibitors have participated for the first time in GPS 2016. Even in the case of repeat exhibitors, the partners are new. From July, we will move away from the brochure concept. We are encouraging tourism boards to adapt the idea of presentations, because presentations reach out to more people at a time. One of the domestic exhibitors had done business of Rs 12 lakh on the first day itself. The cruise segment is rapidly growing; people in smaller cities want to experience cruises, so GPS serves as a platform for Tier II and Tier III cities to get informed about the products that interest them. We are discontinuing the B2C interactions from 2017,” he added.
GPS 2016 will be held in Coimbatore from July 14-15, followed by Kolkata (July 21-22), Chandigarh (July 28-29) and Ahmedabad (August 4-5).
Happy with the response to GPS this year, Harmandeep said, “The numbers have been overwhelming, so the growth potential is high. People came from all the eight districts in Vidarbha. We saw buyers from Amravati, Wardha, Chandrapur, Akola, Jabalpur, Latur, Satara, Nashik, Pune, Aurangabad, Indore, Bhopal and from across central India. Travel agents from Tier II and Tier III cities are working with big players in metro cities. By introducing them directly to the suppliers, we are removing the long middle chain which is not required in this industry.”
Speaking on the Tier II and Tier III markets, he expressed, “Not just Nagpur, but all Tier II and Tier III markets are neglected, which is why we have decided to move to other cities also this year. We are not denying that agents are not there, but out of 500 of them, only 10-15 can afford to attend the top trade shows; there will be an imbalance in the industry. GPS is not a trade show, it is an interactive platform for the travel and tourism fraternity. Empowering and educating is its the first goal.”
Sharing the same views, Madhu Saliankar, director, EntReps Solutions, stated, “Information is available on the internet, but Tier II and Tier III cities are not driven by it. The agents still want a personalised approach. We are starting trade surveys in Coimbatore, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Amhedabad, so that GPS can serve these cities as efficiently as Nagpur.”
Intensive trade focus
The second day of the event consisted of B2B interactions and presentations by Jordan Tourism and Trawelltag. Harmandeep informed at the press conference that it is crucial to educate the travel fraternity of Tier II and Tier III cities and get them look beyond commissions, by making them aware about new tourism products and the business that can be generated around them.
Dream Cruises, a premium cruise brand first announced in November, was promoted as a MICE preference. Expected to start her maiden voyage in mid-October this year from Germany, the cruise liner will stop by Mumbai in the beginning of November. On departure from Mumbai, the ship will visit Colombo, followed by Singapore andGuangzong, China. GPS will conduct a B2B interactive session onboard Dream Cruises in Mumbai.
Cathydja Patel, sales representative, India market, Reunion Island Tourism Board, said, “This is the first time that we participated in GPS. It’s like an experiment for us. The response from buyers has been good. If all goes well, we will participate next year too.”
Paramjit Bawa, country manager – India, Destination NSW, said, “We have participated in GPS for the second time. Nagpur is an important market for us. Even if we wouldn’t have attended GPS, we would have done our own workshop here. We decided to participate in GPS, because the cross section of travel agents that come here is good. Many tourism boards focus just on the major cities, but we believe that there is a lot of people travelling from Tier II and Tier III cities such as Nagpur, Ludhiana, Rajkot, Surat, Coimbatore, Kochi, etc. What differentiates Nagpur from the other cities is the presence of a lot more disposable income, there’s money to be spent. We have also experienced that travellers from Nagpur want to have upper quality travel experience.”
Rajiv Duggal, CEO, Lavasa Corporation, said, “We have been participating in GPS since its inception. A huge difference in this year’s event is the quality of appointments. We met totally different buyers on day one and day two. That makes a lot of sense; we haven’t seen this in any other fair. We had around 540 buyers in just two days.”
Vikas Sharma, assistant vice-president – sales, travel trade, The Oberoi Group, said, “Our focus was to enhance our reach and distribution to this region and the objective has been met well. Number of buyers and responses are growing each year, which is why we participate at GPS every year. We met a lot of quality buyers and also did good business. Tier II and Tier III cities provide higher revenues, due to more business opportunities.”
Mukesh Agrawal, owner of Lakshya Holidays in Gondia district of Maharashtra, commented, “I have been attending GPS since 2013. This is a good platform for tour operators from smaller cities. They can interact with big domestic players and international tourism boards, which was earlier possible only for the travel fraternity based in metro cities. I am glad that GPS has identified the growth potential from Tier II and Tier III cities.”
Madhuri Deo, owner of Nagpur-based Soma Travels and past chairperson of TAAI Nagpur Chapter, opined, “GPS is a great opportunity, not just for Nagpur, but for the entire Vidarbha region. This year’s event has seen more participants, there are numerous products. I appreciate the ideas of NGO tourism and mine tourism; they will definitely boost tourism in the region if they are conceptualised well.”
Somesh Bagdia, managing dirctor of Jalna-based Somesh Travco, said, “Travel agents from smaller cities find it tough to access major trade shows, but GPS is providing us a good opportunity to interact with tourism boards, DMCs, travel companies, etc. I have been coming to GPS since its beginning and this year too, I had lucrative interactions here.”


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Couple of semi-important stories (especially if they affect you). First, CNET is reporting on Intel releasing updated DirectX 10 graphics drivers for its Intel Mobile GM965 Express chipset, aka the X3100 Graphics Media Accelerator. Many ultraportable laptops use the integrated graphics that are available with the GM965. These are available for Microsoft Windows Vista (and not Windows XP).
You can download the X3100 DirectX 10 graphics drivers here (downloadcenter.intel.com).
Next up, the lithium ion battery shortage that has affected some companies should be over by the time the third quarter of 2008 rolls around. IDG News Service/Yahoo is reporting that the affects of the fire at the LG Chem factory in South Korea should be alleviated, according to the chairman of Simplo Technology (world’s largest independent notebook battery maker). Asustek in particular felt that it impacted sales of their ultraportable Asus Eee PCs:
Asustek believes the battery shortage means lost sales of its popular Eee PC low cost laptop this year. The company will reach its 5 million unit shipment target, but it could have increased the target were it not for the battery troubles, said Jerry Shen, CEO of Asustek, at a news conference a few weeks ago.

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Industry News December 2016 Spray 47 The National Aerosol Association (NAA) Board of Directors for 2016-17 was announced. The NAA Executive Officers are: President: Greg Johnson, Sherwin Williams/ Diversified Brands; Past President: George Buckland, Crown Cork & Seal; VP: Harry Zechman, Stoner Inc.; Treasurer: Bart Bastian, Spray Products; and Secretary: Doug Raymond, Raymond Regulatory Resources. The NAA Directors are: Ryun Bibro, IKI Manufacturing; John Blum, Ball Aerosol; Joe Bowen, Aeropres; Steve Cook, Tech Spray, L.P.; Steve Engler, Aerofil Technology, Inc.; Nick Ferring, PLZ Aeroscience; Sean Fitzgerald, Cobra Plastics; John Lynch, Summit Packaging; Kim Miller, Honeywell; Don Rowson, Industrial Hydrocarbons; George Sehringer, Diversified CPC Intl.; Adam Selisker, CRC Industries; and Scott Smith, Procter & Gamble. Tekni-Plex Inc. is combining its aerosol and pump dispensing manufacturing under the Action Technology brand name. The Wayne, PA-based firm no longer will use the American Gasket & Rubber (AGR) brand, which has been in place for more than 70 years. The Action Technology brand itself has been in use for 40 years and has five manufacturing plants in the U.S., Belgium, Italy and China, as well as a contract manufacturing location in Argentina. The Western Aerosol Information Bureau (WAIB) Board of Directors for 2016-17 was announced. The WAIB Executive Officers are: President: Roger Vanderlaan, Shield Packaging of CA; VP: Steve Sanchez, Aeropres; Treasurer: Mike Thaete, Aptar B&H; and Secretary: Ellen Melnitzke, Rackow Polymers. The WAIB directors are: Randy Barry, WD40 Co.; John Davis, PLZ Aeroscience; Frank Facey, Assured Packaging; Ian Fishman, 220 Laboratories; Paul Gardner, Blaster; Jim Johnson, Sherwin Williams/Diversified Brands; Charlie Ortmann, Diversified CPC Intl.; Hunter Williams, Summit Packaging. The Aerosols Promotion Council of India announced its third annual Indian Aerosols Expo 2017. The event will take place on Feb. 17-18 at The Lalit, Mumbai, India. More info: apc-events.com. P&G Professional announced a re-launch of its free online industry training platform, P&G Professional University, which is a major component of P&G Professional’s overall customizable training program. The university features a new user-friendly interface, new training modules, product training and additional opportunities for cleaning professionals to earn continuing education units. New training content was added and the website has been reorganized by industry interest, making it easier to navigate and allowing for searches of how-to cleaning videos and tips, or extended learning that can be applied toward continuing education credits. Now in its second year, The Perfumed Plume Awards for Fragrance Journalism announced that submissions will be accepted at perfumedplume.com from Nov. 1—Jan. 31, 2017. The awards showcase writers whose 2016 published editorials or books provide a broader awareness and appreciation for fragrance through informative and entertaining “scent-centric” stories. The awards celebration will take place on April 6 at a location TBD. Kao announced the opening of a new cosmetics research facility, the Beauty Research & Innovation Center, in Odawara City, Japan. Shiseido Company, Limited held the cornerstone laying ceremony of the Global Innovation Center (GIC) at Minato Mirai 21, Japan, to celebrate the start of construction. AkzoNobel has inaugurated two new specialty chemicals plants at its multi-site in Ningbo, China, that together represent a combined investment of €80 million ($88 million). The company has also announced that a further €90 million ($99 million) is to be invested in building a new specialty chemicals plant in Tianjin, China. Construction of the new Tianjin site will start towards the end of 2016 and is expected to be operational in late 2018. Croda has been awarded the runner-up prize for Sustainability Leadership at the recent Sustainable Beauty Awards, organized by Organic Monitor. Held in Paris, the 3rd annual Sustainable Beauty Awards recognize businesses that continue to push boundaries for sustainability in beauty and personal care Additionally, Croda opened three new Asian laboratories in China, Republic of Korea and Indonesia. Ashland revealed its new “Always Solving” corporate identity and unveiled the organizational culture that will continue to differentiate the company. Lonza Consumer Care has launched a new website—www. lonzapreservation.com—dedicated to its preservation offerings to the personal care and homecare markets. A new customer-focused fragrance assessment center has recently been opened at CPL Aromas Dubai allowing detailed evaluation and testing of fragrances in finished products. BASF celebrated the opening of a new complex for the manufacturing of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) located at the BASF site in Shanghai, China. Givaudan announced the inauguration of a new processing plant for clove leaf oil in Madagascar. NATEMA (Natural Extracts Madagascar) is a joint venture between Givaudan and Henri Fraise Fils et Cie, its longstanding partner company in Madagascar. Firmenich inaugurated its new perfumery plant in Geneva, Switzerland, which represents 25% of its fragrance production worldwide. It is also the largest manufacturing facility among the company’s 28 plants.
Spray Decemberr 2016
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The government has made it mandatory for business whose aggregate turnover in a financial year exceeds Rs 20 lakh to register under Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The GST exemption limit for Northeastern and hilly states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, is Rs 10 lakh.
However, the GST Council on January 10, 2019, doubled the GST exemption limit to Rs 40 lakh for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The GST exemption limit for northeastern and hilly states has also been doubled to Rs 20 lakh.
The new GST rate will come into effect from 1 April 2019.
What is Aggregate Turnover in GST?
The GST registration requirement depends on the aggregate turnover of a business. It is a crucial parameter for deciding the eligibility of business to avail the benefit of GST exemption and for determining the threshold limit for composition levy.
The law defines aggregate turnover as “the aggregate value of all taxable supplies (excluding the value of inward supplies on which tax is payable by a person on a reverse charge basis), exempt supplies, exports of goods or services or both and inter-state supplies of persons having the same Permanent Account Number, to be computed on an all-India basis but excludes Central tax, State tax, Union territory tax, Integrated tax and cess.”
Source- Times of India.


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It’s a white and wintry Christmas in many parts of the world but Mercedes-Benz is in a black mood. A Black Series mood, that is. Following the media campaign for the C63 AMG Black Series coupe and the announcement of the SLS Black Series in its coupe and roadster version comes the confirmation that a Black Series C63 AMG Estate is in the works. There is a certain subset of car enthusiasts that just go gaga over fast estates and Mercedes certainly won’t deny these enthusiastic individuals the chance to own a Black Series estate.
Since the C63 Black Series estate won’t be released til the middle of next year at the earliest, those car enthusiasts pining for that super wagon will have to content themselves with a rendering from Theophilus Chin, who has come up with a version that definitely has our mouths watering. The front of the car is certainly consistent with the official images of the Black Series coupe and the rest of the rendering continues with what AMG designers would probably pen to make an aggressive-looking Black Series estate. It would also be safe to assume that the estate will have the 517 horsepower/7-speed drivetrain of the other C63 Black Series variants, which would mean a 0-60 mph time of around 4 seconds.


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Maryland’s Oculi, which took home the big prize at Luminate Finals, plans to move its headquarters to Rochester. The company also expects to use the $1 million investment from New York to scale its operations for mass production, expand sales, and develop advanced versions of its products.
The Baltimore-based company has developed a smart programmable vision sensor, Oculi SPU. The sensing and processing unit taps the efficiency of the human eye and the speed of machines to make computer vision faster. By embedding intelligence in the sensor at the pixel level, the chip can transform smart devices across homes, offices, and vehicles, officials say. The combination of sensing and pre-processing in the pixel makes it useful for visual intelligence like facial recognition and tracking gestures.
“The Luminate program, team, and the region surpassed my expectations. I learned so much about the beautiful Finger Lakes region and the relevant ecosystem that exists here. Had I known that earlier on, it would have been my company’s home from day one,” says Charbel Rizk, CEO of Oculi.
A cohort-based program, Luminate NY now has 50 companies in its portfolio with a net worth of more than $650 million. Many of these businesses are establishing U.S. operations or some aspect of research and manufacturing in the Rochester region, which has resulted in 164 jobs, Luminate NY officials say. Administered by NextCorps, the optics, photonics and imaging startup accelerator has invested $18 million in 63 startups.
“Early-stage companies developing deep tech require support that is specific to their needs,” says Sujatha Ramanujan, managing director of Luminate NY. “With the rich OPI resources that are available in the Finger Lakes, we’re able to match them to the expertise, partners, and investors that can help them speed the trajectory of their technology and business.”
At the event, Digiteyez won $400,000 in follow-on funding and was named the Outstanding Graduate. The Washington, D.C.-based company hopes to change the vision industry by delivering eyecare on demand through Clear, a quick online eye test taken from any device.
This year, three companies—NanoPattern Technologies (Chicago), Quantune Technologies (Germany) and Swave Photonics (Belgium)—tied for the Distinguished Graduate Award. Each will receive $200,000 in follow-on investment. These startups are working on emerging technologies in the realm of display manufacturing, spectroscopy and augmented and virtual reality. Rochester’s Photonect Interconnect Solutions received the Honorable Achievement Award and $50,000.
Investments today were presented after a panel of judges from the optics, photonics, and imaging industry and venture capitalist community scored the participating companies based on their business pitches and due diligence completed during the six-month accelerator program, officials say.
“Thanks to Luminate NY, our state will continue to lead the nation on cutting-edge technological research,” says Gov. Kathy Hochul. “The winners of the competition’s sixth round represent some of world’s most innovative businesses that are bringing transformative products in optics, photonics and the imaging supply chain to market. I congratulate this year’s winners, and remain committed to supporting the fast-growing, high-tech businesses and industries that will move New York forward.”
Luminate NY is now accepting applications for Round 7 of the sixth-month program. In addition to more than 200 hours of instruction and resources to advance their businesses, teams get $100,000 at the start of the program. Teams are expected to use $50,000 to engage with the Finger Lakes region’s resources.
Smriti Jacob is Rochester Beacon managing editor. The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. Submissions to the Letters page should be sent to [email protected].


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Gerdau to Acquire California Mini-Mill
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Ameron agreed to sell its 50% ownership of Tamco for $82.5 million. Tokyo Steel and Mitsui & Co. agreed to sell the remaining 50% interest for $82.5 million. Tamco will expand Gerdau’s North American network of mini-mills.


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Province advises New Brunsickers to be cautious when buying vehicles from regions hit by flooding
Government is advising New Brunswickers to use caution when buying vehicles from flood-affected areas.
The province says flood branded vehicles are considered non-repairable and cannot be registered in New Brunswick.
Government offers several tips to help people looking to check vehicles for flood damage, which includes asking to see the vehicle registration, obtaining a vehicle history report, having a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle, and asking the seller directly whether the vehicle has been damaged with the answer in writing.
The province says flood-damaged vehicles pose a safety risk because their main systems may no longer work properly, such as the engine, transmission, brakes, electronic equipment, and air bags, while occupants might also develop health problems caused by the growth of mould and bacteria in the vehicle.
The province advised New Brunswickers in a news release yesterday to also be careful when buying appliances without knowing their history.


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Cloudtail supplies hit after Haryana GST registration suspension
The suspension of GST registration sparked some confusions among Cloudtail vendors, many whom approached the Bengaluru-based vendor for answers.
In the midst of Reliance takeover, Future Group sees long-term senior executives quit
In August, Reliance announced that it would acquire the nation’s second largest retail enterprise, Future Group, for Rs 24,713 crore in a deal that would give it control over more than a third of India’s $80 billion annual organised retailing business.
Flipkart narrows loss to Rs 3,150.6 crore in FY20
"During the financial year ended on 31st March 2020, the net total income of company was Rs 34,610.1 crore as against the net total income of Rs 30,934.9 crore in the previous financial year, witnessing an increase of 11.88 per cent in the net total income," documents sourced by business intelligence platform, Tofler said.
Amazon's audio service, Audible, bets on local languages for growth in India
Audible had entered India in November 2018, with a range of audio books and now has over 2 lakh titles available in the country. In December last year, it launched Audible Suno - an India-first app - that offers more than 100 audio stories and podcasts for free in English and Hindi.
'Amazon seeking to exercise control over Future Retail without owning a stake'
Amazon had in August last year bought 49 per cent in one of Kishore Biyani-led Future Group's unlisted firms, with the right to buy into the listed flagship Future Retail Ltd (FRL) after a few years and if the government were to undo its bar on foreign ownership of multibrand retailers.
CAIT accuses Amazon of violating FEMA norms"Documents available in the public domain show that Amazon has made an investment of about Rs 35,000 crore in Amazon India - a make-believe e-commerce marketplace platform, but in reality indirectly carrying multi-brand retail business," CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said in a press conference.
SIAC arbitration order against Rs 24K crore RIL deal not 'enforceable, binding': Future RetailLast Sunday, the SIAC passing an interim award in favour of Amazon had asked the Future group to put the deal on hold and said that the deal cannot go through until it finally decides the matter.
Video app TikTok leans into e-commerce with Shopify dealThe partnership was announced Tuesday amid stalled negotiations for Walmart to buy a 7.5% stake in the video app.
Despite coronavirus, Indian traders stock up in hopes of festive cheerIndia's biggest shopping season is at the time of the festivals of Durga Puja and Diwali, which fall 20 days apart in October-November each year. Traditionally, this is a time when houses are re-decorated, big-ticket items purchased, feasts held and gifts exchanged.
From laptops to grinders, it’s up & up again since May: Reliance DigitalReliance Digital, India's biggest retail chain by revenues, said it has grown business by 30-40% in August and September compared to a year ago, indicating the continuing demand revival in smartphones, televisions and refrigerators on a month-on-month basis.
E-commerce companies to create 3 lakh jobs this festive season: RedSeerMost of the hiring by e-commerce platforms ahead of festive season is temporary and done ahead of time to prepare for surge in orders during the various sale periods.
Reliance Retail is set to wage an online price war against its rivals, as festive season nearsThe deep discounting play will largely be on private and exclusive brands such as its own fashion labels, apart from electronic goods from BPL, Kelvinator, Sharp and others. Prices will be lower for mainstream electronic and smartphone brands too, they added. Companies like Apple and Samsung have said in the past that they do not control pricing on any channel as per Indian laws.
Apple Inc-owned webstore debut in India: Products being sold at maximum retail pricesApple products, such as iPhones and iPads, are sold at up to 12% discount in the online marketplaces and even the webstore of top retail chains like Reliance Digital and Croma. Discounts tend to be higher during busy shopping days, like the upcoming festive season.
Amazon India adds 4 vernacular languages to woo shoppers ahead of festive seasonWalmart-owned Flipkart had introduced Hindi interface for customers last year, and added Tamil, Telugu and Kannada in July this year. Smaller rival Snapdeal on Monday announced that its app is now available in eight languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi and Marathi, in addition to English.
'KVIC forces Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal to remove fake khadi products'These e-commerce portals were selling products like Khadi masks, herbals soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, herbal mehandi, jackets, kurta and many such products through different sellers using this brand name.
Small sellers on e-commerce platforms face funds crunch for stocking up before festive seasonBanks and non-banks have tightened eligibility for loans to third-party ecommerce sellers, inducing a demand-supply constraint in working capital loans to online sellers, according to multiple players, executives and industry watchers.
Reliance Retail increases advertisements four times in July-August for more visibilityReliance Trends and Reliance Digital including My Jio Store were the top brands advertised by the conglomerate. From ranking 162 in the list of top advertisers on TV, according to Adex data, Reliance Retail moved to the 32nd spot this year during July-August period.
IKEA to raise Rs 5,000 crore in India via debentures, issue Rs 550 crore as first trancheIn a registrar of companies filing, the local unit of Swedish retailer said it will issue debentures to IKEA Asia Treasury Centre Limited for Rs 550 crore as the first tranche.
After Jio juggernaut, Reliance Future-proofs retail arm to woo potential investorsThe acquisition of Future Group's 2,000 retail stores and Big Bazaar grocery chain will help Reliance, which sells everything from groceries to electronics through 11,000-plus stores, to broaden its extensive reach across the country.
Amazon taps Voot’s Akash Banerji to head marketing of central mobile biz development unitThe central unit works across Amazon's different businesses - Prime, Prime Video, Music and Kindle and the multiple strategic distribution partners, including with the telecom operators.
Alibaba has no role in Snapdeal’s governance, operations: Kunal BahlCertain practices are not in the right spirit of the law, which always create a distorted picture of competition; that is a non-ideal situation for us.
Chemist body AIOCD writes to Jeff Bezos, says e-pharmacies are 'illegal'The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which claims to represent 8.5 lakh chemists, on August 14 wrote to Bezos and his India CEO Amit Agarwal saying the online pharmacy space "has been marred by extreme controversies, court cases, and legal issues in last few years."
Online channels accounted for 43% of Indian smartphone sales in Q2, says CounterpointThe increase in online channels share is due to a shift in consumer behaviour, who are now preferring contact-less shopping experience and practicing social distancing, according to the Counterpoint report.
Big Saving Days Sale nets e-tailer Flipkart over Rs 2,600 crore in gross merchandise valueAfter a gap of almost four months, e-commerce giants resumed online sales beginning June, addressing continued demand from customers for home essentials including electronics and appliances.
'Amazon Easy' stores now in all-new avatar with a single touchpoint for multiple servicesCustomers can also place an order on Amazon.in with guided assistance from the store staff and either pick up the order from the store or get it delivered at their doorstep, it said. The store owners can now leverage Amazons last-mile delivery program 'I Have Space'to deliver packages to customers in their area as well as facilitate pickups.
Amazon, Flipkart pad up for T20 sale beginning tomorrow before festive testAmazon’s two-day sale will be its first large promotional event since the easing of the lockdown. Flipkart’s four-day event will focus on electronics, appliances and fashion.
Industry captains discuss how coronavirus is changing consumer behaviourChiefs of key companies are confident of the India story and are expecting focus on hygiene and immunity to continue, even as India adopts an increasingly digital ecosystem - one that could be highly beneficial.Load More
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It manages an online marketplace where consumers can purchase merchandise using digital currencies such as bitcoin.
The latest in tech news and trends, focusing on culture, innovation, gadgets and all the ways tech impacts your life.This decentralization is the basis of safety and freedom of Bitcoin.
CNN: Bitcoin is set to split in two, here's what that meansWhat is Bitcoin and how you can claim them at online casinos.That impressive piece of journalism is based on three hacking attempts against South Korean bitcoin exchanges, by a group of hackers that seems to be somehow.Many players hailed the emergence of Bitcoin as a much anticipated option in the online gaming industry.
Bitcoin, the digital currency, has been growing in popularity over the past few months.But really, what is to be made of (or from) all these digital dollars.
starbtc.blogspot.com - STAR BITCOINOn the heels of China failing to back Bitcoin as a legitimate currency, CNN examines whether this is the future of e-commerce or just another monetary fad.
What is Bitcoin? | World Economic ForumTHE controversial digital currency Bitcoin has soared in value and is worth more than a nugget of gold.
CNN Style - Home | Facebook
What Companies Accept Bitcoin? - Nasdaq.com
What is bitcoin? The cryptocurrency explained - Business
Find all you need to know and get started with Bitcoin on bitcoin.org.Jeff Browning - Sep 19, 2015 1 Bitcoin Exchanges The Real Value of Bitcoin and Crypto Currency Technology:Bitcoin Properly Jeff Browning - Sep 17, 2015 1 Bitcoin Exchanges The Essence of Money, Bitcoin, and Gold With Wences Casares Matt Johnson - Sep 9, 2015 0 Bitcoin Mining How to Setup Install USB ASIC Bitcoin Miner Unboxing, Review, and Where to Buy.
Andreas M. Antonopoulos | A personal biographical site
The News UNIT: BITCOIN: CRY OR BUY? Too much FUD FOR YOU?The sensitive snowflakes that inhabit the cryptosphere are losing money now as the market drops dramatically before the next BITCOIN FORK coming October 1st.Season Three Premiere of Morgan Spurlock Inside Man Takes Inside Look At The.
What Is Bitcoin? -- The Motley FoolBitcoin is a relatively new virtual form of currency, with several key advantages over traditional forms of money.Gox Founder Is Arrested Sarah Blaine - Sep 26, 2015 0 Bitcoin Exchanges The Mises Theory of Money, Bitcoin, and Saving the Economy.
Kim Jong-Un Stealing Bitcoin according to CNN | Bitcoin
Buy/Sell Digital Currency - Coinbase
Bitcoin is a worldwide cryptocurrency and digital payment system:3 called the first decentralized digital currency, since the system works without a central.


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Personal income decreased 0.1 percent in October after increasing 0.5 percent in September. Wages and salaries, the largest component of personal income, rose 0.1 percent after rising 0.4 percent. Proprietors’ income fell 1.4 percent in October due to a decline in farm proprietors’ income after farmers received a one-time payment in September for a settlement of a lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture.
Current-dollar disposable personal income (DPI), after-tax income, decreased 0.2 percent in October after increasing 0.5 percent in September.
Real DPI, income adjusted for taxes and inflation, decreased 0.2 percent in October after rising 0.4 percent in September.
Real consumer spending, spending adjusted for price changes, increased 0.3 percent in October after increasing 0.1 percent in September. Spending on durable goods increased in October after decreasing in September.
PCE prices were flat in October after rising 0.1 percent in September. Excluding food and energy, PCE prices rose 0.1 percent in October, the same as in September.
Personal saving rate
Personal saving as a percent of DPI was 4.8 percent in October and 5.2 percent in September.
To learn more about personal income and outlays, read the full report.
You probably noticed that today’s release of the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) local area personal income statistics is missing some detail that’s normally included. Why?
Automatic budget cuts due to the 2013 sequester forced BEA to eliminate some data from the release, including detailed county-level statistics showing how much income people received from specific transfer receipts programs (unemployment benefits, Social Security, and Medicare); information on the categories of farm income and expenses; and data on the number of people employed by industry and the average wage per job.
BEA laid out the impact of the 2013 budget sequester on its local area personal income (LAPI) statistics on June 19. Today’s release is the first LAPI report affected by the automatic budget cuts.
BEA also scaled back some of the local statistical detail normally provided. For instance, today’s report contains detailed compensation and earnings information for 25 industries, instead of the usual 108.
For more information on how BEA’s LAPI statistics were affected by the 2013 sequester, please visit BEA’s Web site.
You can still access historical LAPI statistics that were produced before the detail was eliminated or reduced. Those statistics (which cover the period of 1969–2011 and were published November 2012) are available at http://www.bea.gov/regional/histdata, under the heading Local Area Personal Income.
Personal income growth slowed in 2012 in most of the nation’s 381 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Personal income growth slowed in 311 MSAs, accelerated in 65 MSAs, and remained unchanged in 5 MSAs. On average, MSA personal income rose 4.2 percent in 2012, after growing 6.0 percent in 2011. Personal income growth ranged from 12.1 percent in Midland, TX, to –1.6 percent in Yuma, AZ, one of only five MSAs where personal income declined in 2012. Inflation, as measured by the national price index for personal consumption expenditures, slowed to 1.8 percent in 2012 from 2.4 percent in 2011.
For more on local area personal income, read the full report.


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Two things came out of last night’s meeting between Whole Foods officials and the Lakewood Neighborhood Association. First, the company still isn’t sure when the store will open, but when it does, it will be spiffy -– a LEED-certified building that will include a barbecue stand, an expanded produce section, on-premise bread baking, and cheese made in-house.
And the second? The recent unpleasantness, when Whole Foods decided not tear down the Minyard’s and build a new store because of what it called onerous zoning restrictions and neighborhood objections, has been mostly forgotten. No one brought it up, and Seth Stutzman, Whole Foods’ southwest regional vice president, went out of his way to reassure everyone that the company loves the neighborhood. "We had great communications with the city and our neighbors, and we decided to take our core values into account," he told a standing room only audience of more than 100 people at the Times Ten Cellars annex on Kidwell.
Core values, in this case, means rehabbing the Minyard’s, which is a more environmentally friendly process than tearing it down. And, as Whole Foods likes to point out, it’s an environmentally friendly company. The announcement that the new store would be LEED-certified was met with a round of applause, which wasn’t surprising. One of the sticking points between Whole Foods and some in the neighborhood was that the new store wouldn’t be LEED certified. Stutzman said the company didn’t know what level of certification the remodeled store would get, since remodeling is still underway and LEED certification is a complicated process.
Which is also why the company isn’t quite sure when the new store will open. Remodeling revealed what Stutzman called "foundation issues." "We’re going to fix them and do it the right way," he said, but that means the store might not open by the end of February, which was the last, best guess. But Stutzman did guarantee an opening sometime in the first half of 2009, which elicited much good-natured laughter from the audience.
"I’ve worked on the all the new stores in this area, including Park Lane, and this is the most exciting project I've worked on," he said. "We're making so many big stores, and it's tough to make them feel like part of the community. But that's what we’ve been able to do with this one."
Among the remodeled store's other details:
• The entrance will move more towards Gaston, though much of the parking lot will remain the same. It will have a Lakewood and Texas theme, with old photos, designs and the like. It will be extensively landscaped with native plants.
• The store will be one story. Stutzman said it would too difficult to get LEED certification to build a second story on the existing structure.
• Other environmental touches include 48 skylights, energy efficient lighting and dairy and freezer cases. Some trees will have to be removed, but Whole Foods is working with the Lakewood Neighborhood Association to find places to plant them elsewhere. The company has already sold some of the brick from the rehab to a Florida company, which has re-sold it for another construction project.
• Hours will be 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, and the coffee bar will probably open at 7 a.m.
• The store will be about 40,000 square feet, about twice as big as the Greenville Avenue location. The company has not yet decided on what it will do with the Greenville site, but is looking at several options, which Stutzman didn’t want to discuss.
• Whole Foods is working with the city to improve security, which had been a problem in Minyard’s last days. Stutzman said the company is familiar with the situation, and wanted to prevent any recurrence of those problems.
• The company will build a Lakewood-style welcome column and install it at the bottom of the property, on the point where Abrams meets Gaston. It’s doing this, said Scott Simons, the Whole Foods marketing official for this area, to honor the neighborhood and reflect the store’s roots.
Stutzman spoke for about 10 or 15 minutes, and then he and Simons took questions for another 15 or 20 minutes. Most were intelligent and direct, focusing on the building’s green aspects, parking and security, and the store’s features. Only one question really touched on the new vs. remodeled issue: What did the neighborhood lose by not building a new store?
"I don’t know if you really lost anything," Stutzman said, citing a wine bar and the second story that were in the original plans but won't be built now. No one in the audience seemed to disagree with him.


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SIJIBOMI Ogundele’s appearance on the social scene has no doubt been causing stir among society-watchers. At 33, the stylish founder and lead partner of Sujimoto Group of Companies, which deals in real estate, finance and energy with offices in Paris, Accra, Madrid, Dubai, Riyadh and recently Lagos, has garnered so much for himself within a short time.
Ogundele, launched the brand in Nigeria to bridge the gap in the provision of exceptional luxury structures in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa with Lagos as a starting point.
Raised in Agege, a Lagos suburb, today, Sijibomi is a member of Ikoyi Landlords Association with about seven properties listed as his. His Sujimoto Luxury Terraces in Ikoyi has continued to wow.


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It would appear that Nintendo hasn't lost its touch despite the launch of Kinect and Move, with the company revealing bragworthy Wii and DS sales over this year's Black Friday.
According to Nintendo, the company reckons it shifted around 900,000 DS' and 600,000 Wiis over the most undignified day in the American calender. Nintendo encouraged the sales with a few recolors, namely the orange and green DS units and the Mario 25th anniversary Wii.
Despite the gossip claiming that Nintendo is suffering from a downturn of sales, it would appear the platform holder's doing alright.
Having mostly burned off my Thanksgiving meal (and ensuing leftovers), now is a good time to reflect back on last week. I didn't leave the house to participate in the frenzy of consumer spending, but a considerable amount of ...more
Nintendo of America's minestrone president, Reggie Fils-Aime, has taken to CNET to proclaim the Wii U a sellout and reveal the sale of 400,000 units since launch last Sunday. For comparison, the Wii was also able to get anoth...more
The only thing more American than eating so much that you can't get up from the couch is waiting in line to buy a bunch of dumb stuff you don't need. Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm no judge! I just want to persuade as m...more


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Class 8 same dealer used truck sales dropped by 17 percent last month following the unexpected climb in October, ACT Research announced Thursday in its latest State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks report.
“Seasonal weakness is not uncommon in early to middle fall,” says Steve Tam, vice president at ACT Research. “Some would argue this is due to buyers waiting for the more favorable pricing that sometimes occurs in December, due to dealers attempting to reduce inventory before year end.”
Despite the sequential decline, ACT states dealers are reporting that used truck sales have improved from early 2017 levels. That said, ACT adds the market continues to be negatively impacted by the large numbers of used late model aerodynamic sleepers in inventory that are pushing down prices.
“The good news is, buyers are more active now than a few months ago,” says Tam. “One issue impacting used truck sales is there is better communication about used truck prices than there was a few years ago.”
The average price of total reported used Class 8 trucks fell 3 percent month-over-month in November, but were 1 percent higher compared to last November, ACT says.
“Year-to-date values continue to lag behind last year’s prices, down 6% compared to the comparable period from 2016,” says Tam.


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Frankie & Benny’s is the UK’s first family restaurant to ban mobile phones
Frankie & Benny’s becomes the UK’s first family restaurant to introduce a ban on mobile phones, requiring its customers to leave their phones in a designated ‘’no phone zone’’ box at the table with the intention of keeping it there for the entirety of their meal.
The nationwide chain’s latest move comes in the wake of new research which revealed that 72% of children wish parents would decrease the time that they spend on their phones, with a further 70% saying they thought their parents enjoyed more screen time than them.
In support of its family friendly ethos, the initiative is part of the restaurant’s ''No phone Campaign’’, which ran from from 29 November to 7 December, designed to encourage families to spend more time together without the distraction of mobile phones’’.
It’s unclear at this stage whether or not the ban will be reintroduced on a more long-term basis.


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(Gibson) Arctic Monkeys' new album, Suck it and See, has drawn the ire of some American store chains, according to band members. Alex Turner and Matt Helders said their fourth albums hasn't "traveled very well," in an interview with Xfm.
Apparently some chains aren't happy with the album cover, which is fairly plain, and simply features the record's title in black on a cream background. Arctic Monkeys wouldn't name which stores were taking action.
"They think it is rude, disrespectful," Turner said. "They're putting a sticker over it in America in certain stores, big ones." more on this story


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We know we're posting tons of Super Bowl stories. Hard to keep up? Here's a list of our hottest, most popular stories. Keep checking back, we're gonna post our best-of list a couple of times per day.
1) Richard Sherman regrets incident with Michael Crabtree
It has become the hottest story surrounding the Super Bowl -- Richard Sherman and his postgame antics. While it has made him a household name, Sherman says he regrets the way he treated Michael Crabtree.
2) Peyton Manning Quiz
You think you know Peyton Manning? Try our quiz and see just how well you actually know the Denver Broncos' quarterback.
3) Seahawks' legend isn't a fan of outdoor Super Bowl
In case you haven't heard, some people aren't a fan of the big game being held in cold weather. Add Seahawks legend Steve Largent to that list.
4) Hotel room rates drop:
Rooms that used to cost in the thousands can now be had for less than $500.
5) Weather bigger threat than terror at Super Bowl
Security is going to be at an all-time high at the Super Bowl. And while the security team will be prepared for anything, it is the weather that they are most worried about.
6) Live Coverage of Media Day
The NJ.com team is at Super Bowl media, so check in throughout the day for live coverage of the event.
7) Ticket prices going up for the Super Bowl
Tickets are going fast, and with less than 1,000 available, the prices are going up.
8) Jersey Residents won't buy New Jersey Super Bowl merchandise
New Jersey residents aren't spending the big money on merchandise many assumed they would.
9) $500,000 travel package being sold for Super Bowl
Going to the big game? Why not go in style, with this half-a-million dollar transportation package, featuring sexy flight attendants and more.
10) Super Bowl program, Jersified
New Jersey isn't very well represented on the actual Super Bowl program -- We asked our users to give it a makeover and they delivered
Follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks


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Cloud kitchen player in talks with Temasek, Falcon Edge, Goldman Sachs, others
Zomato Gold, which was launched in 2016 in Portugal and in the UAE, before being formally launched in India in November 2017, has now crossed the milestone of having 800,000 paying subscribers in its home market
After a pilot started in October last year with 50 buses, the Gurgaon-based company plans to scale up the offering this year by providing meals on 1,200 buses, most of which operate in Delhi NCR.
While China topped the app download market, emerging markets saw a significant growth while US slowed down.
This financing comes at a time when Faasos is in the process of closing its latest round of equity financing, as it looks to enter foreign markets, expand its product offerings and cloud kitchen presence across the country.
Rival Swiggy continues to clock 28 million monthly orders in absolute terms, confirmed a person aware of the matter. Zomato declined to share its absolute numbers.
A look at how Swiggy and Zomato stack up on various parameters as they go beyond food delivery
Zomato is in discussions with Chinese private equity major Primavera Capital and existing backer Alibaba's payments affiliate, Ant Financial, for the new round besides other investors.
In the last six months, Swiggy said it has expanded to 42 additional cities and doubled in gross merchandise value.
Residents of more than 100 apartment communities are using FoodyBuddy, which has sold more than 2.5 lakh meals till date and reaches 20,000 households.
Swiggy is currently running pilots for the Launchpad in universities including Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Hyderabad, Lovely Professional University in Punjab and Chitkara University, also in Punjab.
The video which has gone viral on social media has received flak from across users. However, the authenticity of the video could not be verified.
Zomato said this acquisition will help them pave the way towards drone-based food delivery in India, creating a technology that will power hub to hub delivery network
The ongoing week is Maheshwary’s last at the company, according to three people aware of the developments.
The acquisition of Torqus will further enhance Dineout’s bouquet of services to the restaurant industry.
"Food will continue to be a large area of focus for us. Over the past few years, we have deployed close to $2 billion in food delivery (globally)" said Naspers Ventures CEO Larry Illg
For this international expansion, the firm is looking to team up with franchise partners for increasing its outlets
Editor's Picks ›
- Mindtree's independent directors must guide investors: IiAS
- Hyundai & Kia Motors invest $300M into Ola
- Karnataka RERA in, but website lacks many details
- Startups focus on employees' emotional wellbeing
- Freshworks expands to Singapore
- No respite from angel tax despite DPIIT notification
- L&T's pursuit for scale drives its Mindtree ambition
- #MindtreeMatters, say employees
- Vivriti Capital securitises Rs 236 cr worth two-wheeler loans with Muthoot Capital
- Nazara, Delta Corp invest Rs 40 crore in fantasy sports startup Halaplay


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Post-Pandemic Marketing: How to Transition Sales and Marketing Efforts Towards a Digital Future
ST PETERSBURG, Fla. — Learn how you can transition sales and marketing efforts towards a digital future from Kent Lewis, President and Founder of Anvil Media.
2020 has ushered in a new world, thanks to COVID-19. With consumers locked down in their homes for much of the year, shopping and buying habits have been dramatically (if not permanently) altered. More than ever, consumers are starting (and completing) their buying journey online, which poses challenges for the trailer industry. This session will provide a fundamental overview of digital marketing best practices, including search engine optimization (SEO), paid search and social media advertising and organic social media marketing.
Anvil President and Founder, Kent Lewis, returns to NATDA to help attendees through a transformation from analog to digital marketing, including building a meaningful presence on search engines like Google and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. This session will provide digital marketing industry statistics, best practice strategies and tactics, trends, budgeting and necessary resources you will need to maximize awareness and sales in the 'new normal' and turn these uncertain times into certain revenue.
Originally aired during the 2020 NATDA Virtual Trailer Show.
For more information or for questions, please contact NATDA at 727-360-0304 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
About Kent Lewis, Anvil Media
As President and Founder of Anvil Media, Inc., Kent Lewis is responsible for ensuring the company is living its mission and vision by managing overall corporate strategy, including operations, business development, sales and marketing. Specializing in analytics, search engine and social media marketing services, Anvil is a digital agency which provides measurable marketing that moves clients’ businesses forward.
About NATDA Dealer Performance Week
Starting on Monday, March 8, 2021, trailer dealership professionals can tune into NATDA’s YouTube channel each day to find new videos from partners within the trailer industry. Each day will cover a new topic starting with Monday’s kickoff event, which will feature a variety of companies discussing the state of the trailer industry after an interesting 2020.


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Back in May of last year, we reported that The Pinball Arcade would be heading to the Wii U and 3DS, but no date had been given at the time.
A couple of months later, FarSight Studios, the developer behind Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, announced it was hoping to release the arcade title during the Wii U's launch window, but since then information has rolled off the table into the abyss.
Nintendo Everything recently caught up with the developer, which revealed that the game is still in the development process, so don't doubt it just yet. The Pinball Arcade beta is scheduled for internal testing over the next couple of days, with the final submission being given at the end of this month. It's possible that we may see the game's release this September, but it's yet to be confirmed.
As for the 3DS version, the last we knew about it on the handheld was that the studio ran into some problems with power issues and pushing for an appropriate frame rate, so it's looking bleak for a release on the 3DS.


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View trailers, IMDb info, and Rotten Tomatoes ratings without leaving Netflix.
A group of activists in England are carrying out a series of protests aimed at forcing Amazon into changing its working conditions.
When there was only one set of footprints, somebody stopped to measure them.
Today, we celebrate the woman with perfect bone structure.
Alexander Rhodes’s IMDB entry was catapulted to Internet fame by Reddit. Now the movie extra is trying to return the favor.
Alexander Rhodes, a redditor and extra in the upcoming Tom Cruise flick Jack Reacher, is now billed above Cruise himself on the movie's IMDB page.


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Sony has just announced that you can now pre-load games on the PlayStation 4, something that was promised a while ago. There is a full list of gmaes that support pre-loading for now, with more to be announced as time goes by.
Destiny, Bloodborne and Dragon Age: Inquisition are the first in the pre-order lineup, and if you pre-order them, they will pre-load by default. You'll have to leave your PS4 in standby mode, and online for this to happen. So the PS4 just caught up to the PC from years ago, yay.
Last updated: Jun 16, 2020 at 04:29 pm CDT
- > NEXT STORY: NVIDIA unleashes new GeForce 340.43 beta drivers
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Tech start-ups are dominated by twenty-somethings high on enthusiasm but low on experience. So what does it look like when an experienced electronics engineer leaves corporate security to form his own IoT-focused company?
Specialist print machinery company Müller Martini is adapting to meet the change in the printing world by helping their customers to deliver flexible products. This is reflected in the way they design new, modular products, partly made possible by flexible software such as E3.series.
CAT Racing, the Zuken-sponsored Formula Student race team from Germany’s University of Applied Sciences Coburg made a strong appearance both at the ZIW Germany conference where we celebrated our 40th anniversary as a company and – even more important, one week later at the race track in Varano de´ Melegari in Italy, where the team secured a clear win in their class.
You might be aware that FIAT has been a user of our harness design software E3.series for seven years. That means all FIAT group vehicles including Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and the main stay FIAT brand of vehicle, including the FIAT 500.
Hot on the heels of Racetech and Teepee Electrical, another autosport supplier has recently opted for E3.series to design their harnesses. I’d like to introduce HCI Systems and the man behind the operation, Mike Tickner. Why E3.series… and why now, was the basis of our chat last week.


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NEW DELHI-- Audi AG NSU.XE -1.43% Audi AG Germany: Xetra €651.00 -9.45 -1.43% Dec. 12, 2013 10:37 am Volume : 8 P/E Ratio 6.70 Market Cap €28.40 Billion Dividend Yield 0.54% Rev. per Employee €711,921 11/21/13 German Luxury Auto Makers Conf... 11/20/13 Rivals Out to Break Germany's ... 11/20/13 Tesla Faces New Competition Fr... More quote details and news » Tuesday reported a 63% increase in its 2012 vehicle sales in India and said it is confident of becoming the largest luxury-car maker in the country by 2015.
The German auto maker sold 9,003 vehicles in India last year, including 931 in December.
Audi trails its native rival, BMW AG BMW.XE -1.27% Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Germany: Xetra €79.56 -1.02 -1.27% Dec. 12, 2013 1:59 pm Volume : 835,967 P/E Ratio 9.99 Market Cap €51.81 Billion Dividend Yield 3.14% Rev. per Employee €721,448 12/03/13 Buyers Illegally Shipping BMW ... 12/02/13 A Profitable Trade: Illicitly ... 12/02/13 Mercedes-Benz Outruns BMW in U... More quote details and news » , by market share in India. Daimler AG DAI.XE -0.76% Daimler AG Germany: Xetra €58.70 -0.45 -0.76% Dec. 12, 2013 2:00 pm Volume : 1.57M P/E Ratio 8.43 Market Cap €63.27 Billion Dividend Yield 3.75% Rev. per Employee €420,678 12/03/13 High-End Motorcycles Rev Up Sa... 12/03/13 In a Test, Mercedes-Benz to Se... 12/02/13 Chrysler to Challenge Ford's T... More quote details and news » 's Mercedes-Benz unit is at the third place.
India is the "fastest growing strategic market" for Audi worldwide, the company said, adding that it plans to open more showrooms in the country this year, including in Lucknow, Noida, Mumbai South and Vadodara.
"We set a target of 8,000 cars for the year 2012 but managed to achieve that target by November itself and revised it further to 8,600 cars," said Michael Perschke, head of Audi India. "We have managed to exceed this target as well."
Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd. said last week that it sold 7,138 vehicles in 2012. BMW India Pvt. Ltd. has yet to report its sales performance for the year.
Mr. Perschke attributed the growth in sales to a diverse product portfolio, wide network of dealerships and service centers as well as marketing steps.
Audi India opened nine dealerships in 2012, taking the total number of its dealerships to 24 in 21 cities.
The Volkswagen AG unit introduced several vehicle models in 2012, including the Q3 compact sport-utility vehicle, which received 500 customer orders within five days of its introduction.
Audi India also sells vehicle models such as the A4, A6, A8, Q5 and Q7.
Mr. Perschke said he is confident "that 2013 will be more rewarding than 2012" despite a recent price increase announced by the company.
Audi India increased the prices of all its vehicles by up to 5% from Jan. 1 to offset higher costs.


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Esteemed journalist Cathy Horyn has resigned as the New York Times' chief fashion critic. These are our picks of her greatest (and often, withering) hits.
Something old gets something new as Oscar de la Renta's perfume line launches new bridal bouquet-inspired scent, Something Blue.
Is John Galliano's latest get-up a costume too far?
The fashion designs that emerged from his Venetian palazzo workshop were favoured by the artistic intelligentsia, and now they're on view in New York
While Lance Armstrong was busy not apologizing with Oprah, John Galliano has been spending time with Oscar
Apple Inc. released an update to the software that powers the iPhone and iPad tablet, fixing bugs that caused some customers’ smartphones to crash and implementing some design changes
With the industry turning digital, music companies can now understand their customers’ listening habits in greater depth than ever before, which has led to fierce competition over access to data
Samsung Electronics Co. began offering a free radio-streaming service in the U.S. today, taking on Pandora Media Inc. and Apple Inc.


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FREAK Stories March 10, 2015
FREAK Stories March 4, 2015
Cryptographers have discovered that a security flaw dating back to the ’90s is placing OS X, iOS and Android users at risk from hacking attacks when visiting some major websites, including American Express, Airtel, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Groupon, Marriott and many more.
The FREAK exploit allows an attacker to force a website to use lower-grade encryption for HTTPS connections, which can be cracked within a few hours when using a small botnet of just 75 computers. Once cracked, attackers would be able to hack the website as well as steal personal data from those visiting the site … expand full story


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HONG KONG: Win Hanverky boosts H1 net by 4.6%
Sportswear manufacturer Win Hanverky Holdings has posted a 4.6% rise in interim net profit to HKD$140m (US$17.97m).
Revenue for the six months ended 30 June, meanwhile, amounted to $1.39bn this year, an increase of 16.4% compared with the corresponding period of 2006.
The rise in sales was mainly attributable to the satisfactory performance of its sportswear manufacturing business, sportswear distribution business and the inclusion of Win Sports Limited under the company's sportswear retail operations.
By segment, sportswear manufacturing revenues increased by 11.1% to $936.1m, sportswear distribution increased by 53.8% to $255.4m, while active and outer wear increased 5.7% to $221.3m.
Most group sales were to Europe, where export revenues increased to $610.7m from $597.5m for the six-month period.
In February 2007, the company's Team & Sports Limited subsidiary signed an agreement to act as exclusive distributor for Umbro branded products in Greater China from March 2007 to December 2020.
Under the new distribution agreement, the group is required to pay Umbro International Limited, a shareholder of Team & Sports Limited, royalty on all Umbro branded products sold at an agreed rate ranging from 6% to 25% based on the selling price, but is not obligated to any fixed periodic royalty payment, Win Hanverky added.
Many Chinese manufacturers have faced the spotlight lately, as higher operating costs and the appreciation of the yuan have allowed Asian competitors such as Vietnam to become cheaper in some cases.
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The CEO at football kit maker Umbro is to be replaced by an executive from Nike, the sporting goods giant that is currently completing its acquisition of the UK firm....
Nike could face pressure from the Brazilian Soccer Federation (CBF) to renegotiate sponsorship terms after details of its lucrative deal with the French national team were revealed by the French Footb...
Sporting goods giant Nike has been signed up as the next equipment supplier of the French Football Federation (FFF), ousting current sponsor Adidas and reinforcing its focus on the global soccer field...
Sports Direct International is to sell its leasurewear brands in China after inking a GBP20m deal with domestic retailer ITAT Group Limited....
The shareholders of UK football brand Umbro have voted in favour of a proposed GBP285 (US$565m) takeover offer from sporting goods giant Nike today (31 January)....
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The UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has cleared Nike's anticipated GBP285m (US$565m) acquisition of Umbro....
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On top of securing value, Evans says carry-out helps maintain the quality of Papa Murphy’s pies and supports the element of control for the chain’s customers.
“The biggest gripes about delivery overall for the baked guys is complete lack of control over the timing of that process,” he says. “We continue to deliver, so to speak, by virtue of carryout the whole convenience factor, because consumers, once they understand the Papa Murphy’s process and that fact that they can control it from beginning to end … equate that control to convenience.”
Evans says the entire pizza segment would struggle in the catering industry, as portability of the cooking and heating process is a major roadblock.
“The big issue is, ‘How do I come up with a portable pizza oven that can cook enough to satisfy a big, catering-type event, and get it around and have it make sense economically?’” he says. “That would be the issue for not just Papa Murphy’s, but for the pizza category.”
Indeed, Atlanta Bread’s Basil Couvaras echoes the fact that many challenges in the catering industry prevent it from becoming a widespread phenomenon. Costs for transportation, extra labor, and specialized packaging are just a few of the extra burdens. But he agrees that any concept with hot food faces an especially difficult challenge.
“The integrity of the product is the challenge with any hot product,” Basil says. “That’s probably why you see a lot of the quick serves not offering catering, because a lot of their food doesn’t translate or execute well 20 or 30 minutes later, driven across town.”
Technomic’s Wilson says one segment of the quick-service industry in particular faces more of an uphill climb than others in the catering realm: the burger segment.
“I think the burger segment is a little bit trickier because the product isn’t likely to be as portable,” she says. “I would say it depends on the operator and how he has the program structured.”
Back Yard Burgers is one burger operation that seems to think differently. The Nashville, Tennessee–based chain caters events every week, says the company’s chief financial officer, Steve Neuroth, by essentially taking its operations to a customer’s back yard: Trucks haul a grill to the customer’s location.
“We view it as an extension of the brand, an extension of the footprint of the brand, so we’re just trying to be out there in the community and be visible as much as we can.”
Indeed, food trucks provide a means for quick serves to take their catering options on the road and cook their products fresh at the consumer’s doorstep. And with the trend growing all over the U.S., one can only suspect that mobile operations are in the catering industry’s future.
But for now, the players in the catering business are just trying to stay up to date with what their customers are demanding.
“We’re constantly taking a look to say, ‘How can we provide a better product, a better service, that delivers on our brand standard?’” Qdoba’s Thielen says. “So with catering we’re taking a look at different options.”
The five times weekly e-newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest industry news and additions to this website.


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The French games company Gameloft have announced the closure of it's seventh studio as their New Zealand office is closing.
Six years after it opened this was the biggest games studio in New Zealand.
Gameloft was founded in 2000 by Michael Guillemot, one of the co-founders and owners of video game publisher and developer Ubisoft.
As of July 2015, Gameloft has released 69 games for Apple devices.
Top games by gameloft...
Hero of Sparta
Sacred Odyssey: Rise of Ayden
Order & Chaos


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By Kevin Chupka
It wasn't long ago that many were declaring the wristwatch dead, killed by the rise of cellphones. The logic: Why would you need a time-tracker on your wrist when you have a smartphone that provides this service – and so much more?
According to sales data from NPD Group, in the two-year period from 2008 to 2010, casual watch sales in the 18-24 demographic fell a whopping 29%, even as overall growth was at 4%. Given this downtrend in sales to an emerging generation of consumers, it might seem counterintuitive that all the big tech companies have either announced plans to release a “smartwatch” or are at the center of rumors about them.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Microsoft (MSFT) would enter the space with a Windows watch. Microsoft joins the likes of Google (GOOG), Apple (AAPL) and Samsung, who, according to speculation across the industry, are all in some stage of development regarding smartwatches.
The idea is not new. Sony (SNE), Casio, Timex and Fossil (FOSL) all have iterations of watches that are labeled “smart” or “connected.” As of now, however, the traditional watchmakers seem to remain focused on devices that tell time first and do other things second.
New kid on the block
Enter new kid on the block, Pebble. Pebble began shipping smartwatches earlier this year after a very successful Kickstarter campaign. The gadgets give users even more functionality through various apps that work in harmony with Apple’s iPhone and the Google Android platform.
Among its features, Pebble broadcasts text messages and missed calls on its face and gives users the ability to control music apps such as Pandora (P) and Spotify on their smartphones. Pebble has become the gold standard – if there even is one – among smartwatches already available to the public.
“It came about because I wanted to know what was going on with my phone without having to take it out of my pocket,” Pebble’s founder, Eric Migicovsky, says. “I first had the idea when I was cycling and wanted to check in on text messages and caller ID but not drop my phone while riding.”
While Pebble has caught on with the techie set, it remains to be seen if the broader watch-wearing public will take to the new technology. Migicovsky believes they will. “People are accustomed to all of the ways their smartphone keeps them informed and in touch," he says, and "they've accessed apps that serve their interests. Pebble is simply an extension of that.”
So wearable technology could be the wave of the future – but can any of the innovative "little guys" survive in this space? If, for instance, Apple and Google release a watch that better integrates into their ecosystems, will Pebble become a distant memory?
"Great demand and opportunity"
“Seeing more companies enter the smartwatch market just reinforces that there is great demand and opportunity,” says Migicovsky. “For now, we're just focused on delivering the things we think make Pebble great, including platform flexibility and software development that enables third-party developers to create all kinds of interesting apps.”
The existence of a true competitor such as the “iWatch” or “Google watch” in any stage of development is still unproven and, until that changes, Pebble remains leader of the pack.
The Pebble watch was recently reviewed by Zach Honig, senior associate editor at Engadget. Being constantly connected to the Web for his job, Honig says the watch makes him more likely to reply to an email quickly and offers him direct access to key information he needs throughout the day.
He doesn’t, however, envision wide adoption of the technology because it represents a “financial and physical commitment” that smartphones have largely filled. He even notes that he “would be surprised” if Apple ever actually releases any sort of “iWatch.”
Another key barrier to entry for consumers will be price point. Honig thinks Pebble has hit the right cost; at $150 it is a relatively small investment. If Apple, Google and others don’t hit that low price point, Honig sees even less potential for broad adoption of the technology.
For his part, Migicovsky thinks the “death of the wristwatch” talk has been greatly exaggerated.
“People started saying the wristwatch was dead around the time smartphones came about,” he says. “Who needed a watch? Now that people have been using smartphones for a while and understand all of the ways they can be both useful and cumbersome, the idea that you could use an accessory on your wrist to receive all of those same kinds of information is novel. We've come full circle. Now a 'watch' can be much more.”
Your move, Apple…


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Today Nintendo confirmed the long awaited release date for their upcoming RPG, Xenoblade Chronicles X. The game will be released on December 4, 2015 just in time for Christmas. Here’s a look at the E3 trailer that showcased the concept of the game, including some of the backstory and what to expect.
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- WiiUDaily's Big Switch
TAGS: Nintendo, wii u, xenoblade chronicles x


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The cosmetics giant is in the midst of a new era of innovation with its new Garnier-branded hair dye.
The new products, which come in five different colors, include a color that’s reminiscent of the garnier, a more metallic hue.
It’s an innovative move from the company, which has been trying to move away from its trademark pink and pink-tinged color palette since its early days in the 1970s.
The company also launched a new range of high-performance pigments that look and feel like they were created in the studio.
But what does it all mean for Garnier?
The brand has struggled to stay relevant in the beauty and personal care space over the past few years.
The popularity of nail polish and nail-care products has skyrocketed in recent years, which could be attributed in part to the rise of the Internet, which allows people to share their own manicures and skincare products online.
It also makes the brand more appealing to younger generations.
In addition to its new products from Garnier, the brand is also introducing a new product in March that will allow consumers to make their own custom-designed hair dye for personal care and beauty products.
The Garnier Beauty Hair Dots will be available at select retailers in the U.S. and Canada.
They are priced at $18.99, $39.99 and $79.99.
The brand is rolling out new products with a similar color scheme, which means it’s a new direction for the company.


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New 'Cardcaptor Sakura' Anime Project Launched
The July 2016 issue of Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine (pictured), which goes on sale on June 3, has announced the launch of a new Cardcaptor Sakura anime project...read more
Jun 2, 10:09 AM by arsonal | Discuss (76 comments)
Manga 'Cardcaptor Sakura' Gets Sequel Series
As part of the 20th anniversary to celebrate the Cardcaptor Sakura franchise, a new manga sequel series will be released by the creative members of CLAMP. According ...read more
Apr 26, 7:35 AM by Stark700 | Discuss (83 comments)
Eight Mostly Ill-Advised Upcoming & Current Anime Remakes


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Deloitte Access Economics Retail Forecasts: a sprint to Christmas has been saved
Deloitte Access Economics Retail Forecasts: a sprint to Christmas
30 November 2022: The outlook for retailers is changing fast and they are sprinting to Christmas before consumer caution takes hold.
Releasing the latest edition of Deloitte Access Economics’ Retail Forecasts, Deloitte Access Economics partner and principal report author, David Rumbens, said: “Despite increases in the cost of living, retail remained buoyant through the September quarter, with nominal retail turnover increasing by 2.3%. However, cracks are beginning to appear with growth in sales volumes slowing to just 0.2%.
“The domestic and global economic environment is souring as retailers face strong headwinds. Rising inflation and interest rates are increasing cost of living pressures, causing consumer confidence to plummet.
“While the poor sentiment hasn’t been fully reflected in spending yet, it will only be a matter of time before spending growth moderates further. Internationally, spending has already dipped, with nominal retail spending in the US decreasing by 1.3% and UK sales volumes decreasing by 3.0% over the September quarter.
“For now, we’re expecting the holiday season and end-of-year events to throw the retail sector a lifeline. Year-to December growth in nominal retail sales is expected to grow by 10.4%. But most of this is expected to be driven by prices, as retailers try to maintain their margins by passing on rising costs. Retail prices are anticipated to grow by 7.6% over the year to December.
“Looking ahead, retailers are likely to face a difficult six months as they ring in the new year. With cost of living pressures and a mortgage rate squeeze clouding the horizon, retailers are growing pessimistic about the state of the consumer in 2023. Some 58% of respondents to the recent Deloitte Retailers’ Holiday Survey for 2022 expect that consumer confidence will deteriorate through 2023.
“Sales are expected to curtail at the start of 2023. The result could see the sector entering a short and shallow ‘retail recession’. Sales volumes are anticipated to decrease by 0.2% and 0.4% over the March and June quarters of 2023, respectively, and few retail categories are expected to be spared, with a wide sweeping reduction in demand expected.
“Sales are likely to pick up through the second half of 2023, but result in a bottoming at zero real growth over the year to December 2023. So a more sombre 2023 after a sprint to Christmas in 2022.”
Real and nominal retail turnover growth (year-to change)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Cat 8501.0, Deloitte Access Economics
Retail Forecasts is produced quarterly and provides analysis of current retail spending and the economic drivers that influence this. It includes ten year forecasts of retail sales by major category and of key economic drivers.


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The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) is turning trade finance into a vehicle for sustainable change. Adding to its green financial offerings, the bank has performed its first sustainability-tied trade finance transaction for Hong Kong-based multinational manufacturing powerhouse Epic Group.
“More companies have set supply chain sustainability as a key corporate goal, focusing on the environmental and social impacts of their product life cycles,” said Frank Fang, head of commercial banking, Hong Kong, at HSBC. “We are delighted to arrange the first sustainability-linked trade facility in Hong Kong and extend the range of our green finance solutions. As Epic Group’s banking partner for more than 40 years, it is our pleasure to offer further support to their net-zero transition journey.”
This facility for Epic incentivizes sustainable action by tying the pricing to the manufacturing group’s environmental performance, with the proceeds going toward Epic’s working capital and trade cycle. HSBC worked with Epic to determine the three benchmarking areas of focus for the initiative: carbon emissions, freshwater use and the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM). All of these targets reflect the manufacturer’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals.
“As these targets are directly related to the amount of water and energy used during the course of production, by achieving these targets we believe the client will make a positive environmental impact,” an HSBC spokesperson told Sourcing Journal.
HSBC’s aim was “ambitious” goals that were also of “high strategic significance” for Epic. Among the group’s sustainable plans announced in 2020 are a 40 percent reduction in freshwater use by 2023 and a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, with both goals using 2017 figures as a baseline. Another of Epic’s targets is surpassing a Higg FEM rating of 75 in all of its facilities. The tool from Higg provides a standardized assessment of manufacturers’ ecological impact across aspects like energy and water use and chemical and waste management. Epic’s average FEM score of 33 in 2018 rose to 52 by 2020.
“HSBC has been a strong supporter and partner since our inception. It gives us great pleasure to partner with HSBC on the sustainability-linked trade initiative, as sustainability is the core and helm of our operations,” said Ranjan Mahtani, founder and group chairman of Epic Group, whose clients include Walmart, Uniqlo, Amazon and Kontoor. “This facility will propel us even further to enhance our relentless aspiration mission of achieving sustainability leadership and making the world a better place.”
This environmentally-linked trade finance transaction is another facet of HSBC’s sustainable products and services, which include capital markets, lending, transaction banking, advisory services and investments. HSBC has also been active in green bonds.
Green bonds, along with sustainability bonds, have been growing as a means to fund environmental or social projects. With these solutions, companies raise money by selling debt to investors, with the money borrowed earmarked for improving sustainability. For instance, last year Amazon raised $1 billion to support initiatives such as purchasing renewable energy and deploying new electric vehicles. Also in 2021, Walmart closed a $2 billion green bond as it works toward goals including using 100 percent renewable energy by 2035.
Epic Group’s trade facility was the first of its kind from HSBC, but the bank sees the potential for more of this type of solution.
“Sustainability-linked trade finance is a tailored solution that aligns with customers’ sustainability efforts and investments,” the HSBC spokesperson said. “We see many opportunities to both apparel and non-apparel corporates; this is a growing model for trade financing as more companies are keen to set ambitious ESG targets.”


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RV industrys stellar year keeps up with double-digit growth in July
Posted: 08/28/2013 at 9:58 am
By: Justin Leighty
Click here to view in a gallery.
The Midwest RV Super Show finished Aug. 11, 2013 at the RV Hall of Fame. Manufacturers are enjoying strong double-digit growth in 2013. (Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)
The prototype of the new Sterling brand (right) at Total Value RV in Elkhart, Ind., sits next to a medium sized RV. Hank Schrock, owner of Total Value, has been behind the new recreational vehicle. Manufacturers are enjoying strong double-digit growth in 2013. (Truth Photo By Jon Garcia)
That’s what the monthly RV shipment report from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association said Wednesday morning, Aug. 28.
Bill Baker, senior director of communications for the RVIA, called it a “torrid pace in July, as manufacturers reported to RVIA a total of 26,212 units for the month.”
In the announcement he also said, “Through July, manufacturers have reported a total of 201,120 units shipped to retailers.”
Motorhomes have seen the biggest increase for the year, up 35 percent compared to last year, according to the RVIA’s numbers.
Towable RVs are up 10.8 percent over last year, though it’s a huge increase in terms of numbers, since motorhomes only account for one-ninth of the total RVs built this year.
Truck campers and class B motorhomes both saw small declines in July, but both are up so far this year. The only category down for the year to date is folding camping trailers, down 2.8 percent from the same point last year.
Travel trailers are up 13 percent over last year, and fifth-wheel towables are up 8 percent, according to the RVIA. The big class A motorhomes are up 33.3 percent, and class C motorhomes are up 42.5 percent.
At last estimate from the RVIA, about 83 percent of all RVs in North America are built in and around Elkhart County, with the industry representing about a quarter of all direct employment in the county.


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In fact, according to a study, within a decade smartphones could account for 3.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. By 2040 that number could well rise to 14%. “This would result in the industry using approximately 20% of all of the world’s electricity by 2025,” the World Economic Forum explains.
Do mobile phones contribute to climate change?
The Impact of Smartphones
Research has shown that smartphones have a much higher energy impact on the environment than any other ICT device. And this impact is only expected to increase over the next few years. The main cause of this footprint is not because of how the device is used, but rather how it is produced.
Do mobile phones damage the environment?
Smartphones and data centres are damaging to the environment and will have the biggest carbon footprint in the tech industry by 2040, researchers have found. … While these phones consume little energy to operate, 85% of their emissions impact comes from production, the researchers said.
How smartphones are heating up the planet?
The analysis showed that smartphone emissions will go up from 17 to 125 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2010 and 2020. That’s an increase from 4 percent to 11 percent of total ICT emissions. This footprint is driven by the pithy two years that a smartphone is used on average.
Are Mobile Phones carbon neutral?
the carbon footprint of using and charging your phone. Using your phone each day has a bigger impact on the environment than just manufacturing it. … We were the first mobile network in the UK to become carbon neutral and are now the only carbon negative one too.
Is Samsung bad for the environment?
According to a Greenpeace report, Samsung are amongst the wort offenders when it comes down to environmental impact. Samsung is really bad for renewable energy policies. The company used more than 16,000 GWh of energy in 2016, of which one percent came from renewables.
Are mobile phones eco friendly?
The problems with mobile phones lie mostly in their supply chain. Rare earth materials such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, yttrium, or lithium, to name just a few are needed for their components, making them one of the most resource intensive products by weight on the planet.
Are phones eco friendly?
Yes, a used cellphone is an eco-friendly option as it is not only cheaper but also cuts down on manufacturing waste and saves resources. Refurbished phones are becoming quite popular in global cellphone markets so you shouldn’t have any problem finding your favorite brand and model.
Do electronics cause global warming?
Waste heat from your computers isn’t causing global warming — but the dirty energy powering your computer is. The engines, appliances and electronic devices we use release heat during operation. … Waste heat is currently responsible for about 100 times less global warming than carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Does WIFI cause climate change?
Between February and April last year, at the peak of worldwide lockdowns, global internet traffic surged by nearly 40%. Web traffic is set to double by 2022. Studies estimate that digital technologies already contribute between 1.4% to 5.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Do electronics contribute to climate change?
Our internet-connected devices could be impeding climate change efforts, according to an update to a 2016 peer-reviewed study on power consumption, as reported by Climate Home News. The billions of devices many of us use every day could produce 3.5 percent of global emissions within 10 years and 14 percent by 2040.
Is charging your phone bad for the environment?
One of the biggest reasons why wireless chargers are bad for the environment is that they use a lot more energy than a standard wired smartphone cable. According to one report, it takes 15 watt-hours to charge a device using a cable, but on a wireless charger, it’s around 21 watt-hours.
Do phones emit CO2?
Greenhouse gas emissions related to a specific smartphone (Sony Z5 with accessories) is estimated to be 19 kg CO2-equivalents annually, assuming medium usage and an operating lifetime of three years. By also including the impact from using networks and data centers, the annual emissions increase to 62 CO2-equivalents.
How bad is the banana?
Bananas are a sugary fruit, so eating too many and not maintaining proper dental hygiene practices can lead to tooth decay. They also do not contain enough fat or protein to be a healthy meal on their own, or an effective post-workout snack. Eating bananas becomes significantly risky only if you eat too many.


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As communities around the world settle down to celebrate Easter this weekend around the world, it’s certain that there will be plenty of opportunity to reflect on the monumental events of the past year.
This Easter, you may have more reasons than usual to treat yourself or your loved ones to some chocolate eggs. Not only could we all do with a pick-me-up after what has been a mentally and physically draining year for many, but eating or drinking chocolate could actually be better for our sleep health than originally thought, as sleep expert Dormeo reports.
UK malt loaf brand Soreen has announced the Spring return of its Chocolate & Orange Mini Loaves, which are now also vegan-friendly.
Fortnum’s new Sailboat 85% Chocolate Easter Egg is vegan-friendly and comes with a unique sustainability story.
Lir Chocolates is offering adults an Easter treat with the launch of new Luxe Mini Eggs with creamy chocolate Baileys filling.
Allergen-free, vegan mallow specialist Freedom Confectionery has released a box of ‘mallowtastic’ vegan goodies to inspire families across the UK to create their own Easter Mallow hunt at home.
Featuring two milk chocolate, one milk and white chocolate and two vegan-friendly eggs, the range is available now from the company’s website.
Here is our roundup of headlines from the Valentine’s Day-related sweets and snack news this past month.
Allergen-free, vegan mallow specialist Freedom Confectionery has released a box featuring its most popular mallow ranges to help UK couples celebrate Valentine’s in lockdown.
This year, Yowie will be offering special Valentine’s Day discounts, free activities, DIY craft ideas and more on its website.


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The President of Kazakhstan sends condolence message to Prime Minister Pashinyan
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev sent a telegram of condolence to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regarding the explosion in Yerevan's "Surmalu" shopping center. The message reads as follows,
"I extend my sincere condolences to you and the entire Armenian people in connection with the tragic incident that took place in Yerevan's "Surmalu" shopping center, which claimed many lives.
Please convey my words of sympathy to the relatives of the victims and the injured."


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Baja California Aims to Legalize Auto-Chocolates by Decree
BAJA CALIFORNIA – Authorities in Baja California have proposed a decree to legalize about 700,000 “auto-chocolates” or vehicles illegally imported into the country from the United States.
The proposal is pending approval of a deal between the state and federal government, said Secretary of Sustainable Economy and Tourism Mario Escobedo Carignan. The cars, which have California or foreign plates, are bought cheap and owned by Baja California residents to drive without proper documentation, according to state officials.
Registering the vehicles is necessary to combat narcotrafficking, according to the governor.
“About 80% of the crime in Baja California that involves a vehicle involves an auto-chocolate,” said Baja California Gov. Jaime Bonilla. “Why? Because there’s no way to figure out who it belongs to.”
Critics say registering the vehicles will deliver a blow to Mexico’s automotive industry, which is dependent on global supply chains to produce vehicles. Automobile industry representatives say legalization will cause new car sales to decline in Mexico.
A 2019 federal legislation to legalize the vehicles at a national level was rejected by Mexico’s Senate in October 2019.
The term “auto-chocolates” comes from a childhood game in Mexico that allows a player (usually someone’s younger brother) to participate in a game but not count as a “real player,” as a player de chocolate.
Vehicles that are models 2008 or newer can be registered for $3,600 pesos or about US$163 in Baja California, if the proposal is approved.
Source: BORDER-NOW September 2020 edition


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A new report from market research company IDC predicts that the global shipment of second-hand smartphones, including both officially refurbished and used smartphones, will reach 206.7 million units in 2019, which is a 17.6% increase over the 175.8 million units shipped in 2018.
The IDC report also predicts that by 2023, second-hand smartphone shipments will reach 332.9 million units with a market value of $67 billion and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% from 2018 to 2023.
“In contrast to the recent declines in the new smartphone market, as well as the forecast for minimal growth in new shipments over the next few years, the used market for smartphones shows no signs of slowing down across all parts of the globe,” said Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
The research firm attributes the increase to the rise in demand for used smartphones and the OEMs’ struggle to produce new models that strike a balance between desirable new features and a price that is seen as reasonable. Looking ahead, IDC expects that the deployment of 5G networks and smartphones will affect the secondary market, as smartphone users are already starting to trade their 4G smartphones for higher-performing 5G handsets.
“Refurbished and used devices continue to provide cost-effective alternatives to both consumers and businesses that are looking to save money when purchasing a smartphone. Moreover, the ability for vendors to push more affordable refurbished devices in markets in which they normally would not have a presence is helping these players grow their brand as well as their ecosystem of apps, services, and accessories,” Scarsella added.