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Native ads are all you hear about in media properties these days, thanks in no small part to big pubs like BuzzFeed wholeheartedly embracing the format, and Twitter and Facebook trying it out, too. Native ads tend to resemble the advertorial of old or, in other words, sponsored content that lives alongside and often closely resembles editorial stuff. Toronto’s Polar (formerly Polar Mobile) is launching a product to capitalize on the interest in native ads.
Native ads were part of Polar’s earlier MediaEverywhere cross-platform publishing efforts, but the company has seen a lot of interest from publishers wanting to use it as a standalone product, hence the decision to unbundle it and launch it separately. The platform allows companies to get reporting on native ads, but Polar CEO and founder Kunal Gupta says that’s just “table stakes” at this stage; the real value is in providing something that acts in every way like an advertising platform to advertisers and publishers, integrated perfectly with existing CMS installs, and results in content that looks and feels like editorial to end users.
The types of ads MediaVoice can create include sponsored stories, videos, photo galleries and outbound content, and integrates with existing ad platforms like DoubleClick. It adapts to the look and feel of the publisher’s site automatically once installed, and offers both self-serve ad creation and real-time analytics on all aspects of ad performance, above and beyond CTRs alone. Launch partners include The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and other high-profile Canadian media companies, and Gupta says American partners will be introduced later this month.
As for why companies that may have existing advertorial departments need something new for the age of content marketing, Gupta says it’s about adapting to a very changed landscape and helping publishers address their growing need for digital and mobile revenues.
“For the user, [content marketing] has to look and feel like content for them to engage, and what’s happening today is the publisher’s treating it like a piece of content, like they do editorial content, as well as the advertisers treating it like content,” he said. “What needs to happen for it to actually scale is that the publisher and the advertiser need to think of it as an ad, and the user needs to think of it as content.”
Gupta says MediaVoice offers that, providing the same benefits as any kind of digital ad product, including banner ads, video ads and more for content marketing pieces, while also focusing on integration with existing ad servers that give publishers the ability to run multiple campaigns with multiple creatives through the same position, something that doesn’t happen if you’re running these types of things through a standard publishing CMS.
Content marketing is bound to bring up questions of just how thin a line should exist between editorial content and sponsored stuff or ads, but it’s impossible to deny that publishers are hungry for new revenue streams, and this seems to be one that has promise in the especially hard-to-monetize realm of mobile. Polar’s repositioning along these lines — including the name change, which reflects its new focus on serving content everywhere, not just on mobile — is a good strategy to capitalize on market trends.


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Vista Alegre USA has appointed Roseann Ferrer as vp/sales. Ferrer has 25 years of experience leading the sales and marketing efforts for various tabletop, giftware and barware brands. She was formerly business manager, Nambé.
She reports to Vista Alegre USA president, Daniel Da Silva. According to the company, Ferrer is tasked with building upon Vista Alegre’s partnerships with independent and specialty retailers, as well as establishing a broader company presence in the lifestyle market.
“Our presence across the country has grown exceptionally fast in several channels of distribution since the company’s debut in 2014, and Roseann’s extensive sales and marketing experience in the tabletop and giftware sectors brings an added dimension to the Vista Alegre USA team expertise,” said Da Silva. “We are confident that she will be successful in the expansion of our independent and specialty retailer partnerships and other initiatives, and look forward to sharing in her success,” he said.

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Federated Auto Parts has honored several of its suppliers for outstanding support of the Federated Car Care Center program.
Federated Auto Parts awarded scholarships to thirteen students through the Art Fisher Memorial Scholarships for the 2017-18 school year.
Federated Auto Parts has announced that it will continue the Federated T-Shirt Tuesdays giveaway this summer.
Federated Auto Parts named Standard Motor Products (SMP) as its Outstanding Vendor of the Year.
Federated Auto Parts is once again running the Federated “Get Dirty with Kenny” dirt track racing experience promotion for select Federated Car Care Center members. Winners will get to participate in a dirt track race experience with Kenny Schrader.
Roy’s Autoworks in Howell, Mich., has won the Federated Shop of the Year.
Federated Auto Parts has raised more than $350,000 for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign and is still taking donations and toys at participating locations. “When people think of Toys for Tots, the holidays often come to mind, but at Federated, the Toys for Tots campaign has become a year-round program,” said
Federated Auto Parts is accepting nominations for the Federated Shop of the Year program. The annual awards program recognizes a shop that demonstrates excellence in customer service, quality repairs, knowledgeable staff and community involvement. Federated Shop of the Year nominations are due Jan. 26, 2017. Shops may be self-nominated or nominated by others. The nomination
Federated Auto Parts members and suppliers raised a record-breaking $272,000 for the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program during its annual auction. “The generosity of Federated members and supplier partners is unsurpassed. We want to thank all of them for their incredible kind-heartedness, making our annual Toys for Tots auction another huge
Larry Sills, executive chairman of Standard Motor Products (SMP), has been inducted into the Federated Auto Parts Vendor Hall of Fame. “A number of words come to mind when I think of Larry Sills: ethical, trustworthy, friendly, highly intelligent and well-rounded,” said Bo Fisher, chairman of Federated Auto Parts. “Federated is very proud to be
Three Federated Auto Parts members were honored for their performance and commitment to select Federated programs during the recent Federated Auto Parts national meeting. “Co-Man, Car Care and National Accounts are among the key programs that help make Federated stand out in the marketplace, so it is our distinct honor to recognize three outstanding members


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Posts Tagged ‘Wii U’
Nintendo once again preys on our weakness to buy themed video game accessories with a new Princess Peach Wii Remote Motion Plus.
The recent Nintendo Direct was dedicated to the newest installment of the Super Smash Bros. series. They packed 39 minutes full of details and the revealed changes to multiplayer were especially plentiful.
The Wii U and 3DS versions of Super Smash Bros. don’t share a launch date. Could this somehow affect the sales of either version?
Nintendo aired an extensive look at their new Super Smash Bros. games recently, and there was a ton of information. In case you missed it, we’ve compiled some of the big announcements.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, previously an exclusive title for 3DS and Vita, joins its big brothers on home consoles today with a few bonuses.
While the newest consoles have been available for anywhere between a few months to a year, renting games for your Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U have mainly involved one option: GameFly.
Nintendo held its first Nintendo Direct of 2014 today, offering a glimpse at the year ahead for Nintendo fans.
In its latest financial report, Watch Dogs developer and publisher Ubisoft said the game will be released in 2014's first fiscal quarter, or sometime between April and June.
A piece of dowloadable content released for Assassin’s Creed IV will now be sold as a standalone experience. Ubisoft announced today that Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry will hit the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on February 18th for $14.99, with a PC release coming a week later. Surprisingly, neither an Xbox One, Wii U, nor […]
If you were to ask someone on the street who would be the first video game company to come to mind, chances are you’d hear “Nintendo.” That’s not an accident.
The financial numbers are in for Nintendo, and it’s not pretty. While the 3DS is still selling like hotcakes, the Wii U will fall more than 6 million units short of their initial sale predictions for the current fiscal year. That’s really bad, and while some are declaring this the official death of the Wii […]
Nintendo may have a reputation of being “kings of the rehash,” but NES Remix, their attempt to introduce newer gamers to the NES generation of gaming, is definitely unique in playing that up.


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It's three days before Christmas, and that means everyone in this country is broke from buying all their holiday gifts. Luckily for you, Gameloft is giving you a gift of its own - one of its best Android games, a $5 value, for free.
It's near the end of the publisher's 24 days of free mobile content, which started December 1. For the most part, these have been cheap casual games, or add-on content. But now that we're in the final swing, the prizes are getting bigger.
Hero of Sparta is an ambitious action adventure game for Android, featuring real-time combat, 360-degree fighting arenas, all sorts of attack combos to master, and even cinematic quick-time events. And yes, it's a total rip off of God of War.
The game normally costs $4.99 from the Android Market, and at midnight tonight will continue to cost $4.99. But until then, you can snatch it up at no cost at all.
And don't forget to keep checkingGameloft's blogfor the final two days of the cheer-filled holiday giveaway.
Dec 22, 2010


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The watchdog has issued advice to retailers not to stock Rampant TT, marketed by Manchester-based 247 Enterprises.
Stores that refuse to comply could get a black mark against their name in future licensing applications.
Portman's independent complaints panel ruled that Rampant TT 's packaging didn't make its alcoholic nature clear and encouraged down-in-one consumption. Its publicity material was judged to promote sexual success and encourage irresponsible
The product's website was also found to have breached the code by showing consumers who appeared to be drunk and under 25, including an image of a woman
with a sign saying: "I'm off my tits".
247 Enterprises director Dave Fash said: "These pictures were of people who weren't anything to do with the company and we took them down as soon as Portman first wrote to us.
"The test-tubes are
about 10% of our sales portfolio, so it's not going to have a very big effect on us as a company."


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Intel Corp. said it will close several older factories, displacing 5,000 to 6,000 workers, as the company reacts to a sharp drop in demand for its computer chips.
The Silicon Valley giant had previously expressed optimism that prior job cuts would be sufficient to cope with the recession's impact on its business. But with a 90% drop in fourth-quarter earnings and a downbeat outlook from computer makers, pressures increased to cut costs further and improve the sagging utilization of its factories.
Intel said not all the affected employees, about 6% to 7% of its work force of 84,000, will lose their jobs. Some may be offered positions at other factories, the company said.
The cuts come on the heels of similar moves across the technology industry. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. last week said it was cutting 1,100 jobs and imposing temporary pay cuts in response to the economic slowdown.
Last week, Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini told employees in an internal Webcast that profitability in the first quarter was too close to call. Intel hasn't reported a net loss since 1986. An account of Mr. Otellini's remarks was reported by Bloomberg.
And even the mighty IBM is feeling the pain:
International Business Machines Corp. employees have informed Alliance@IBM, an affiliate of the Communication Workers of America, that workers at a number of locations have been told their jobs are being eliminated.
Lee Conrad, national coordinator for Alliance, said that he has received a number of reports of people being informed that they are subject to what IBM calls a "resource action." He said that the reports are coming from people who work for the software group in applications development and marketing, among other functions.
Let's tie this information in with the mass-layoff series from the BLS: Here is a graph of seasonally adjusted mass-layoffs:
Not a pretty picture, is it?


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Poll of the Day
Kingdom Hearts χ NewsTweets by @KH13chi
Featured ContentTweets by @KH13community
Recent Status Updates
Hey, guys; what if, theoretically, there was a cuckoo clock Heartless in Galaxy Toys? It could peck at you with its head, or turn it into a boxing glove…you name it!
So, I just came back from an amazing weekend at Comic-Con, and good God, it was such an amazingly good time! My fourth Comic Con in a row was a smashing success, I enjoyed spending time with my best friend/soul brother Angel at the convention! :D
I found the secret episode of BBS today, had no idea it existed. That boss was pretty cool.
Date and Time Announced for Sony's E3 2016 press conference
The invitation sent out announced the date and time as well as the location, which will be the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles, a few minutes away from the Los Angeles Convention Center where E3 will be held.
What are you looking forward to see at Sony's E3 press conference? Let us know in the comments!


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For LPS Integration, becoming one of Nashville’s fastest-growing companies was the result of a specialization strategy and some good timing.
The information technology firm, which specializes in infrastructure, virtualization, storage and networking, started 10 years ago. It was built around being the IT consulting firm for Citrix Solutions, whose products help deliver applications and desktops remotely on any device over any connection.
Since then the company moved to offering support for more vendors, but not just any vendors.
“What we do at LPS versus what our competitors do is we don’t represent every product that’s on the market,” said Todd Sanford, the company’s chief financial officer. “We pick the best and become the experts in that product. We go very deep and broad within a single product line versus having multiple storage vendors.”
When its three vendors— Citrix, EMC and Cisco— partnered to deliver a single product, LPS had the expertise to work across all three platforms.
“We were able to deliver on all three of those components for a seamless solution,” Sanford said. “Based on that we’ve just really captured the momentum.”
He’s not kidding. Over a four-year period from 2007 to 2011, LPS Integration’s revenue skyrocketed 492 percent. Revenue jumped from $7.6 million in 2007 to $45 million in 2011.
“When they all came together, we had the right product at the right time with the right people deploying it,” Sanford said.
The company’s growth trajectory remains strong. Before mid-year it expects to surpass last year’s revenue of $45 million. It’s aiming to crack $90 million for the year.
“We’ve added over $1 million in payroll just this year alone,” Sanford said. “We have added seven people this year, and we’ve got eight more open positions we are trying to fill.”
To keep growing, the company is pouring profits back into the business.
“We are a debt free, privately held company. We don’t owe anybody anything,” he said. “All of the money we’ve been making organically we’ve been plugging it right back into the company. That has caused our growth to really take off.”
Outgrowing its current 15,000-- square-foot home in MetroCenter, the company recently bought a 25,000-square-foot warehouse and a 3,200-square-foot garage in SoBro for $1.46 million. The company plans to move its headquarters there next year following a full rehab of the property.
The key to the company’s success has been hiring top engineers, training internally and delivering a high level of service around the top vendors in the field, Sanford said.
To sustain its success, the company has had to be aggressive in keeping and retaining talent.
“There’s always a bigger multibillion-dollar company that’s willing to give your top guys a big raise to come aboard,” Sanford said. “Our employees get calls three or four times a week from larger companies.”
— Nevin Batiwalla


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Our CEO and co-founder Matt Gillin was asked to share his predictions on what will be important for marketers to consider in the new year.
Companies will be more discerning about where they deploy chatbots
In 2017, businesses will hesitate to use chatbots on Facebook. Chatbots have immense potential, and as they improve, more and more companies will adopt them to enhance their customer experience. But 2017 is when businesses will get smarter about the use of this technology: they will hesitate to use them on third-party properties like Facebook, instead, applying them on their own websites and private channels, as appropriate. This will be driven by a desire to secure customer data, especially in regulated industries like banking and healthcare, and prevent the Facebooks of the world from profiting from it. In an age where more than half of adults don’t trust Facebook with their data, the platform on which chatbots are used becomes even more important.


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Abercrombie & Fitch Unleashes 101 Shirtless Models in Paris
May 16 2011 9:02 AM EST
February 07 2019 10:27 PM EST
Now this is a marketing campaign we can get behind (no pun intended)! Abercrombie & Fitch recently unleashed 101 shirtless models into the streets of Paris to celebrate their latest French flagship store. And word on the street is the store will be staffed by at least a few employees with their nipples showing. Oui! Oui!
Previously > The Queerest Cartoon Ladies We've Known and Loved


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A few weeks ago, US Senator Josh Hawley released an outline of a bill that would ban loot boxes and other play-to-win mechanics. Yesterday, Hawley was joined by senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey in formally introducing the official bill, titled the “Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act.”
The bill notes that “pay-to-win” transactions which give users an advantage at a price is akin to a user–especially minors–playing a slot machine, gambling for special rewards. Because of the perceived negative effect on minors, these senators are pushing for a ban of such games. On top of this, offending game studios could be fined for their games which use these mechanics.
This bill’s success–or even a compromised bill that is successful–could impact the gaming industry in a huge way. Free-to-play games and games that rely heavily on micro-transactions in general make tons of money for game companies. There’s no doubt they’ll feel the hit, or at least shake in their boots a little bit at the thought of this bill’s passing.
Certainly, it is possible that the bill could pass. We have already heard that Animal Crossing Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes are getting the ax in Belgium due to their micro-transactions, which sets a positive precedent for the senators’ cause.
Gambling in the US is heavily restricted as well, banning anyone under 18 from doing so. Even the in-game gambling aspect in older Pokémon games (the Game Corners) was axed due to concerns about minors.
At this time, the Entertainment Software Association has criticized the bill for being “riddled with inaccuracies,” and misrepresenting the gaming industry, potentially harming both those employed by the industry and gamers alike.


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A Bloomberg View column lauds the efforts of a startup called Venture for America, which encourages recent college grads to “become socialized and mobilized as entrepreneurs” and next year plans expansion to Cleveland. Venture for America is the brainchild of Andrew Yang, a former lawyer who grew weary of seeing promising new grads head into narrow fields: banking/finance, law, consulting. “We've got the best universities in the world,” Mr. Yang tells the column's writer, Ezra Klein. “We have the talent. But our best and brightest are being absorbed by what I call 'the meta economy,'” he says. “They're heading into professional services and transactions and optimizing but not into direct value creation. If you can imagine a country where the equivalent wave of talent currently heading to professional services was heading to fast-growing companies, think about what that would do for job creation.” The essence of Mr. Yang's pitch: “Let's say you were to place 20 teachers in Detroit. That would be a great thing. But if you could place 20 entrepreneurs in Detroit and have each start a business, that would also be incredible for Detroit. These regions need our top people helping to build businesses and create opportunities.” In its first year, Mr. Yang estimates Venture for America received about 500 applications for 40 slots, according to Mr. Klein. “The jobs are in fast-growing companies that are less than 10 years old, and they pay from $32,000 to $38,000,” he writes. It's currently working with companies in Cincinnati, Detroit, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Providence, R.I. Next year, the organization expects to have more than a thousand applicants for 100 positions, allowing expansion to Baltimore; Cleveland; New Haven, Conn.; Pittsburgh; and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Finding a passion
Immigrants are more likely than native-born Americans to keep the faith in running a small business, according to this story from The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reports that immigrants “accounted for 18% of the country's 4.9 million small-business owners in 2010, a six-percentage-point increase from two decades earlier, according to analysis of census data by the nonpartisan Fiscal Policy Institute.” As a result, immigrants, who represent 13% of the population, “accounted for a third of the increase in the number of small-business owners between 1990 and 2010,” The Journal says. The data defined small businesses as companies with fewer than 100 employees. Small businesses owned by immigrants “employed 4.7 million people in 2010 and generated an estimated $776 billion in revenue, according to FPI calculations,” the newspaper reports.
On the move
Hudson advertising agency GO2 Marketing next week will move its 58 employees and computer and video equipment to Twinsburg, according to this story posted on the website of the Hudson Hub Times. GO2 will open the doors June 18 at a 25,000-square-foot location at 2265 E. Enterprise Parkway. The firm also plans to open an office in downtown Cleveland, at 2217 E. Ninth Street. “This is an exciting time for GO2,” says Kacy Wells, partner and co-founder of the firm currently based at 1742 Georgetown Road in Hudson. “Our expansion into these two new spaces will give our clients better access to our people and better access means superior communication, quicker reaction times and greater partnership possibilities.” There is no specific date for the Cleveland location to open, according to Jason Gottshall, creative services manager for GO2.
Hope for a fragile industry
It's on a vastly different scale, but it turns out shale is not the only boom industry in eastern Ohio. The New York Times visits East Liverpool to look at a mini-revival of a small business in a town that used to call itself the pottery capital of the nation. Four dozen pottery factories used to call the area home, until global competition and economic collapse changed that. “Just two pottery makers remain, and one, the American Mug and Stein Co., was on the verge of closing last fall,” The Times says. “Then Ulrich Honighausen called.” Mr. Honighausen is the owner of a tableware company, Hausenware, in Sonoma County, Calif., that supplies retailers like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn. He called with a plan to revitalize American Mug and create jobs in an industry that had all but died: What if American Mug were to make mugs for Starbucks? “I almost didn't take his call because I figured it was a crank call or something,” Clyde M. McClellan, owner of American Mug, tells The Times. But on Tuesday, the company's mugs went on sale in Starbucks stores across the country as part of a line of new merchandise made in America and branded Indivisible. American Mug's production “has kept four people employed and created eight more jobs here, and money from the sale of the mugs and other Indivisible merchandise will go to support Starbucks' Create Jobs for USA Fund, which helps small businesses,” The Times reports. “You have to start somewhere,” Mr. Honighausen says. No doubt. Wouldn't it be striking to see a company like, say, Apple, make the same kind of commitment to American manufacturing that Hausenware is making? You also can follow me on Twitter for more news about business and Northeast Ohio.


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Blog: Drinking on the job
Chris Brook-Carter | 31 March 2004
Nice work if you can get it? Don’t ask AmBev.
It was reported this week, that a Brazilian court has ordered the brewing giant to pay €1.7m to an employee whose job turned him to drink. Berd Naveke became an alcoholic after the company made him taste 8 litres of Brahma a day as part of his job, it was claimed.
Naveke told Brazilian daily O Globo: “I came home drunk every night.”
He had held the job for 22 years.
Today is SABMiller's final day. Some time this evening, Brussel's time, the second-biggest brewer in the world will be subsumed into the biggest, creating a beer behemoth of unprecedented proportions....
No, this is not PepsiCo's new ad slogan for its Mountain Dew brand....
Major wine players flocked to China ready for online giant Alibaba's 9.9 Global Wine and Spirits Festival, which took place on 9 September....
In May, Heineken's CEO, Jean-François van Boxmeer, called Vietnam the "poster child" for international beer thanks to strong demographics and growing demand....
- Will Coca-Cola Co’s Dunkin’ Donuts move pay off?
- Five ways small brands can beat big players
- Heineken's Q3 2016 results - Preview
- Interview, Bulldog Gin CEO Anshuman Vohra, Pt II
- Ten ways to successfully target older consumers
- Diageo weathers Thailand alcohol ban
- Heineken's YTD performance by region - Focus
- SWA's David Frost to leave for foreign office role
- Stock Spirits appointments provoke investor unrest
- Anheuser-Busch InBev's Q3 & YTD results - Preview
- Global gin insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global Scotch whisky insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global Wine Market 2016-2020
- Global rum insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global RTD insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends


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There are more than 50 “choke points” in chip manufacturing
By Ankur Bisen
US President Joe Biden on 9 August signed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America (CHIPS) Act and rolled out $52 billion worth of government subsidies and incentives for the semiconductor industry to boost manufacturing within the country.
In December 2021, India announced its own plan: an ambitious $10 billion package of incentives and subsidies for the domestic manufacture of chips. But what explains this sudden rush for “chip nationalism” and how does India’s chip nationalism fare vis-à-vis that of the rest, particularly China?
Fuel Cells of Economy
Semiconductors or microchips are miniature circuits that make all things electronic work. They are manufactured in factories that are called foundries and shipped to customers across the globe to use in everything from mobile phones to computers.
The rise of chips is intertwined with the recent triumph of electronics engineering. For instance, fuel gauges have changed from mechanical devices to chip-based displays in the car. Manual devices that measure blood pressure have given way to battery-powered, chip-enabled systems that not only measure a person’s blood pressure but also store it as a data set.
The chip foundries are finishing kitchens for components and materials sourced from all over. In many cases, several supply bases are monopoly sources. So much so there are more than 50 “choke points” in chip manufacturing. Choke points are defined as activities for which more than 60 percent of the inputs come from a single source.
For instance, while 40 percent of all chips manufactured in the world are made either by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) or United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) – both Taiwanese companies and 80 percent of the valves that go inside the gas cylinders that are used to make these chips come from a single source based in Luxembourg. The U.S. still is the undisputed leader in research and development.
Covid-19 disruptions and the war in Ukraine have brought out the criticality of chips in everything from space exploration to driving cars. For the first time, the global nature of chip manufacturing has been open to a world order that is no more global.
The centrality of the Indo-Pacific
The US-China confrontation has brought the crucial role of Taiwan in the chip scenario to the surface. It is difficult to believe that the present hawkish stance of China over Taiwan has nothing to do with chips.
The environmental impact notwithstanding, suppliers and sources that are spread all over the world converge at foundries that are optimized for costs and efficiency. Differently put, a globalized world and the set-up of the chip industry feed into one another.
Chip nationalism is a bold but uncharted attempt to turn the industry into a geopolitical tool in the hope of nudging participants to choose between a US-led and China-led coalition and everyone in between.
Even China and the US may not have the answer to what will it cost to pull this off and whether they will succeed. China, for instance, has allocated $220 billion in public and private capital to the effort but with underwhelming results.
Opportunity for India
Chip nationalism is a silent war that everyone is pursuing but no one will win because a stable globalized world of trade is an essential pre-condition for the chip industry, argues a recent Nikkei Asia article.
The second question pertains to the demand trajectory for chips going forward. Analysts who track the industry have begun to assign single-digit growth for the industry as the new normal in the foreseeable future. In this context, the plans of the significant chip powers may well turn out to be instances of chasing a shrinking pie.
Both these questions pose a crucial question for India: should it pursue chip manufacturing by rolling out incentives or is there a smarter alternative to this global game that everyone else seems to be rushing into blindfolded? If with $220 billion China is still figuring out the answer and another $100 billion of war chest is waiting to be deployed between the EU and the US, what makes India’s $10 billion stand out in a maturing industry?
India’s interest will be better served if it re-evaluates its role in the semiconductor value chain and picks areas that emphasize its strengths such as chip design and testing or as a supplier of critical components and raw materials such as fluoropolymers. It could also reorient public sector companies such as National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) for rare earth coalitions and explorations.
Going strong on positions of strength will not only give India the necessary leverage but also ease the pressure on the government to offer incentives that carry a high opportunity cost.
The Way Forward
The assumption that Indian foundries will entice component and raw material sources to set up shop here, as happened in the case of auto components, may be misplaced. Any country or source that is a critical player in the chip value chain intends to hold on to its advantage or further consolidate it for leverage. Moreover, major powers like the US will use all their tools to entice such monopolistic sources in the hope of creating consortiums and supplier blocs.
India’s interest will be better served if she picks areas that emphasize its strengths such as chip design and testing or as a supplier of critical components.
India’s current plan to in-source foundries relies on a simplistic calculation of the balance of trade, which it intends to pursue in isolation, or at least that is what can be inferred from the limited information on the subject available in the public domain.
Chip manufacturing in the new world order is unlike garment manufacturing, which can be encouraged through incentives alone. Moreover, the opportunity cost for India to invest $10 billion through subsidies in foundries over investments in healthcare, jobs, education, and climate resilience is immense.
Is India ready to plug and play?
The US-led Minerals and Security Partnership (MSP) includes Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, and the EU but not India. The government of India has expressed its concern about being left out, but this post-facto reaction to such an important announcement shows that the country is still figuring out the rules of this game.
Should India sit at this high stake table in which the other parties are far ahead on human development indicators and are ready to play it blind for the foreseeable future?
It will take at least a decade before we can conclusively establish the success or failure of India’s push into chip manufacturing. At this time, we also do not know even how to define success. India’s plan looks underwhelming any which way we look at it.
(Courtesy: The India Forum)
Ankur Bisen is a senior partner with Technopak Advisors, and the author of ‘Wasted: The Messy Story of Sanitation in India, A Manifesto for Change’. Twitter: @AnkurBisen1
Disclaimer: The views expressed are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times


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Every year, the Florida Legislature passes about 300 new laws. And every year, the new regulations pile onto already existing ones, shutting out new competition or preventing entrepreneurs from starting or expanding their businesses. So many new laws are proposed each session that representatives, by rule, are prohibited from introducing more than six new laws per session.
Nowhere is overregulation more evident than in small-business regulation. “Florida’s Dirty Dozen,” released today by the Institute for Justice, highlights 12 laws in Florida that are burdensome and unfriendly to small businesses. A few of the laws are even unabashedly designed to prevent economic growth.
Regulations such as these have no business staying on the books. That’s why “The Dirty Dozen” calls for their elimination. Florida cannot claim to be friendly to small business and economic growth, while at the same time maintaining policies that undermine those very interests.
Occupational licensing laws are simply burdensome regulations passed by legislators to protect the pocketbooks of industry insiders. Would-be barbers must spend 1,200 hours of training at specialty schools, which can cost between $10,000-$15,000. Auctioneers are forced to complete an apprenticeship under an already licensed auctioneer or complete 80 hours of classroom instruction. And even after they complete unnecessary training, both groups must spend thousands of dollars on licensing exams and fees before they start work.
These regulations are often passed under the guise of “health and safety.” For example, thanks to heavy lobbying by the American Society of Interior Designers, Florida is one of only three states, along with the District of Columbia, that requires a license to practice interior design. ASID claims that the unlicensed practice of interior designer would contribute to 88,000 deaths per year. But the Florida Attorney General’s Office has admitted it has no evidence that interior design presents any genuine threat to the public.
Excessive educational requirements and supposed health and safety justifications are not the only ways special interests shut out competition. Not even our beer is safe from overregulation.
Florida bans growlers, which are large resealable containers consumers can buy and fill with fresh draft beer from a local brewery or tavern to keep at home. Small breweries use growlers to help develop a customer base because it allows them to sell more of their product without incurring the expense of setting up a full bottling facility. In states that allow growlers, the craft-beer industry is booming. In Florida, however, small producers are struggling to keep up. And that’s exactly how the large breweries want it: Two recent attempts to reform the law were derailed by industry lobbyists, a sobering reminder of the power of big business in Florida.
Even worse, these regulations are full of exemptions. For example, although most cosmetologists need a license to apply makeup, the law exempts those working at the makeup counter of large department stores or backstage on a movie set. Would-be funeral directors have to hold a valid embalmers license, yet already established funeral directors are excluded from complying. The result is fewer competitors, higher prices and less choice for consumers.
Every election cycle, Floridians are introduced (or re-introduced) to a crop of candidates who are eager to promote laws they passed, or would pass if elected. But sometimes the most effective action is getting out of the way. As Floridians continue to struggle to make ends meet, perhaps it is time to place more weight not on what our representatives have done, but on what they have undone.
Ari Bargil and Claudia Murray Edenfield are attorneys at the Institute for Justice Florida Chapter. The report can be found at www. ij.org/FlaDirtyDozen.


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According to reports Samsung is working on its own Facebook-like service set to debut early next year. The codename for Samsung’s alleged Facebook competitor is “Samsung Facebook”. It’s almost too obvious to be true, and too deliciously amusing to be believed.
Samsung is looking to build on the social service it already has available, “Family Story,” which allows you to share pictures and messages between connected devices such as TVs and tablets. Samsung is confident that the service will be popular globally but I remain skeptical, we already have enough social networks that provide the majority of features that we all need and Samsung making theirs available on other devices such as cameras and Blu-ray players won’t be enough to make people use it over Facebook. Another idea is that maybe Samsung isn’t looking to directly compete with Facebook but are just looking for a way to tie in all their existing services (ChatOn, etc.) through a social layer as a way to provide a better experience for their customers.
Samsung is planning on using Amazon’s cloud computing platform to allow users access to the service at any time, from anywhere and from any device but has yet to decide on a name for the service hence the poor internal codename.
A Samsung official speaking to The Korea Times stated that the goal was to expand the “service across different devices from different companies across different mobile platforms”.


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Oli Dugmore 4am - 7am
Sainsbury's introduces AI security cabinets in latest bid to tackle spike in shoplifting
22 February 2024, 17:18 | Updated: 22 February 2024, 17:21
Sainsbury's is introducing AI security cabinets in a bid to tackle growing numbers of thefts.
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The supermarket giant has started trialling locked self-service cabinets in its alcohol aisles.
The Freedom Case tech has only been rolled out across a few stores so far, including in St Albans, but could be used more widely if it proves successful.
Customers are required to go through a four-step touchscreen process to open the cabinet, with built in sensors being used to track activity and identify potential thefts.
The 'Active Deterrence' system can be triggered depending on the length of time the doors are open and if anything inside has been moved, according to creators Indyme.
A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said: "The version we are trialling does not require any customer information, data, or loyalty card."
Customer Anne Banks, 67, told the Mal: "It seems unnecessarily complicated doesn't it?
"If someone's going to steal a bottle of vodka they're not going to nick the expensive stuff anyway when there's plenty of the cheaper bottles lying around.
"I don't like anything that makes me feel people are checking up on me, and so I'll avoid using these things when I can."
Sainsbury's is not the only supermarket to have begun cracking down on shoplifting, with Tesco and Aldi among the stores to have rolled out security tags on more items in recent months.
The British Retail Consortium's (BRC) annual survey found that the amount lost to shoplifting in the latest year was the highest ever recorded.
The number of incidents against staff rose by 50% to 1,300 per day in the year to September 2023, from 870 the year before.
About 8,800 of the total across the year resulted in injury.
Bottles of alcohol are among the most commonly targeted due to their high cost.
Earlier this month, a pair of masked shoplifters were even caught on video running into a branch of Tesco in London and helping themselves to booze from a fridge.
Incidents have remained significantly higher than before the pandemic, and were on a par with Covid-era levels last year.


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Twitter on Thursday rolled out an iOS and Google Android app update. The new version of the company’s mobile software now allows users to specify trends based on location and specific topic interests.
Users can customize their trends panel for a specific location of their choosing or via any content they already follow in the app.
Other new user options have also been added. Users can now invite social contact to join Twitter from the mobile app. The app also automatically notifies both the original poster and the re-tweeter when a reply is posted for a tweet.
The new update also brings improved playback to Vine just one week after users received an update that allowed front-facing camera recording.


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Electric hybrid technology has become commonplace in the auto industry — each of the major manufacturers builds one. Toyota, with its popular Prius leading the way, now offers 15 hybrid models and sells about 6 million hybrids a year. Look around; hybrids are in every parking lot.
With advances such as diesel-electric inboards and electric and propane-powered outboards, the industry continues to improve the way it powers boats.
The Monaco Yacht Show is known for luxury yachts set amid immaculate scenery, but a different breed of boat was introduced this year.
In August, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk in Connecticut will launch the Spirit of the Sound, a $2.7 million boat that will be the only research vessel in the country operating on hybrid electric propulsion.
During the last 18 months, I have written several stories about the diesel/electric hybrid boats from Greenline Hybrid Yachts, a company based in Slovenia that has a growing presence in the States.
Greenline Hybrid Yachts will unveil its new flagship 48 Hybrid to the world at the Düsseldorf Boat Show Jan. 18.
Minneapolis-based Electric Yacht is expanding with a new office in Annapolis, Md.
The International Council of Marine Industry Associations’ second International Hybrid Marine Propulsion Conference will be held Nov. 12 immediately before the Marine Equipment Trade Show at the Amsterdam RAI. Organizers say the conference is a must for anyone considering investing in hybrids, including boatbuilders, equipment suppliers, systems integrators, equipment, engine and propeller makers, designers and…more
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. completed the first hybrid car carrier, the Emerald Ace, at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Kobe shipyard in Tokyo. The ship, which can hold up to 6,400 standard passenger vehicles, was designed to generate zero emissions while berthed. It is equipped with a hybrid electric power system that combines a 160-kW…more
Go-Float’s line of electric boats is expanding for the 2012 model year. The company’s sun lounger model, the SL1, has evolved into the new Impulse for 2012. Joining the Impulse are two other new models, the Ion and the Fusion. “Electric-powered vehicles continue to drive a lot of media coverage and consumer interest. These affordable…more
French boatbuilder Rhea Marine partnered with ReGen Nautic USA in the installation of an all-electric propulsion system currently on display at the Paris Boat Show. Designed and shipped by ReGen Nautic to Rhea Marine, the hybrid system was installed in Rhea’s 850 model and has been receiving tremendous interest from the public during the boat…more


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SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka bans alcohol advertising
The bill will now have to be submitted to the country's parliament. The move had been recommended by a Presidential Task Force on Tobacco, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs, which was set up to coordinate a national policy aimed at cutting alcohol and tobacco consumption, particularly amongst young people.
The Columbo government accepted the recommendations and wanted to enforce a ban in January l999 after steering the necessary legislation through Sri Lanka's parliament.
However, industry protests have stalled the process.
SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE
The global roll-out of InBev's Brazilian beer, Brahma, adds a third premium brand to the global brewer's international portfolio but some observers have suggested it's an unnecessary step which threat...
Brasserie Kronenbourg has clarified earlier reports about its entry into the low alcohol beer sector in France....
Costs relating to alcohol abuse in Sweden are on the rise, according to research out this week....
Police in eastern Kenya have said that at least 24 people died on Saturday after drinking illegally produced alcohol....
According to a recently published study, people who drink alcohol may have a lower risk of developing a type of cancer which affects the lymphatic system known as non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)....
Diageo is calling for facts labels to be placed on alcohol beverages in the US....
Kenyan authorities are to ban beer and spirits advertising from television and billboards in the country, according to a local report late last week....
Post-menopausal women who consume even moderate amounts of alcohol may face an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a comprehensive US study....
- Diageo Q4 & FY - Preview
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Superior announces its, "Back to Green Campaign" for the Upcoming fall season
August 17, 2010 (PRLEAP.COM) Business NewsOver the summer months it is easy to lose sight of the benefits gained from using energy saving lighting products. We are all outdoors more often right now and can forget that the natural sunshine we are experiencing is already starting to set sooner and that the morning light doesn't rise as early as it did just a few weeks ago.
Superior is redoubling their efforts to inform the commercial market that it can go "Green" while bringing the natural sunlight indoors for the benefit of all as the days grow shorter. "The combination of their hi-tech lighting products and the fact that these products save all their accounts on time, energy and effort has always been the keystone to our success" says, Tom Mosher a member of their executive staff. Tom continues and announces that, "For companies considering the use of our quality products they will certainly receive the benefits from investing in their lighting products by gaining the advantages of working under "corrected light" and increasing "seeability". Seeability is derived from the balanced light produced by their "Heavy Duty Xtrabrite fluorescents and according to Tom, renders natural color and less eye-strain.
All of Superior's lamps offer these proven benefits and additionally last up to 24 times longer than conventional products. It's easy to see that the reduced number of bulbs used alone will decrease the recycling process by a tremendous amount. As for the labor involved in having to replace up to 24 lamps as compared to installing just one of the Superior Lamp heavy duty products, the savings become even more impressive.
America is constantly seeking out better solutions to daily workplace demands. Superior states that by using their quality Heavy Duty lighting products there are numerous benefits. Not only do their products offer the immediate user benefits, but the fact that their "Xtrabrite Fluorescents" are made in America with American components, greatly reduces the use of offshore considerations.
Superior continues to state that, "This fall we can all receive the benefits from using the right product for the right task. Heavy Duty Xtrabrite is the answer for today's problems. Save your company on time and effort while helping to save the environment for our children. This fall reignite your efforts to go Green!"
For more information about Superior Lamp, please feel free to visitor their website at the following link: http://www.superiorlampinc.com/ and their blog at the following link: http://superiorlamp.blogspot.com/ .


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Uniworld’s Joie de Vivre Sets Sail
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s newest Super Ship, the S.S. Joie de Vivre, has set sail on its maiden voyage along the historic Seine River.
Inaugural events included a christening ceremony in Paris led by the ship’s Godmother, Dame Joan Collins. Following the event, the Joie de Vivre embarked on its journey through Northern France along Uniworld’s Paris & Normandy itinerary.
“We are delighted to welcome the S.S. Joie de Vivre to our impeccable fleet of floating boutique luxury hotels, as the first of Uniworld’s Super Ships to sail the renowned Seine River,” said Uniworld president Ellen Bettridge. “Our company has brought travellers to France for more than 70 years and we are thrilled to introduce a new, enticing way to experience the country. Godmother Dame Joan epitomizes the same ‘joy of living’ philosophy embodied by the S.S. Joie de Vivre, and we are honoured to have had her christen the ship before its inaugural journey.”
With a length of 125 metres, rather than the typical 135 metres, the Joie de Vivre can conveniently dock in the heart of Paris. The ship has two Royal Suites, eight Junior Suites, and 54 staterooms for a maximum capacity of 128 guests. Sailings on the Joie de Vivre in 2017 run from April 2 to Dec. 27.
Pictured, Collins, Bea Tollman and Bettridge. (photo by Steve Dunlop)


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WATCH: F1 2020 game trailer shows how you can create your own F1 squad in 'My Team' mode
The latest trailer for Codemasters' new F1 2020 game shows off the brand new ‘My Team’ mode – and reveals just how deep customisation runs in this year’s official Formula 1 videogame.
Not only will players be able to create their own driver as in past iterations, but you’ll be able to create your own team – choosing a unique logo, livery, sponsors and colour scheme – to become the 11th constructor on the grid.
Customisation runs deeper than that, however, as the game also allows you to choose a real power unit supplier – from Renault, Mercedes, Honda or Ferrari – and sign a second driver from the 2019 Formula 2 grid, with new-for-2020 dynamic driver ratings helping you make that tough decision.
“My Team is a feature that both the studio and our community have wanted for some time,” said Lee Mather, Codemasters’ F1 franchise game director. “My Team thrusts the player into the world of F1 with its unique driver-manager experience. We know our players are going to love this new feature.”
Furthermore, team facilities are upgradable now, so you’ll be able to see the environment around you grow and improve to represent your investments. And, as Team Principal, you can also allocate funds, affect staff activities, team motivation, and the development of your team mate to ultimately clinch those drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
Codemasters' have also twinned media interviews with car development, so whatever you say to the press before unveiling the new car – with questions about car and race performance predictions – has an impact on the car’s development.
With the game releasing on July 10 (on Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4 and Google Stadia) to coincide with the second Grand Prix of the new season, we’re readying ourselves for one of the best weekends of the year.
F1 2020 will be released on Friday 10 July 2020 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Windows PC (DVD and via Steam), and Google Stadia. Players who purchase the Michael Schumacher Deluxe Edition will receive exclusive content and three days early access.


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Business intelligence (BI), once thought to be a dying technology, has ballooned in recent months to become a top IT priority once again.
Decision-makers are leveraging advanced data analytics for its ability to provide real-time insights into a number of categories – consumer trends, cybersecurity, predicting the effectiveness of future tech projects and more. Because of the vast capabilities of these solutions, the BI and data analytics market is set to rise 9 percent over the next three years to surpass $25 billion, according to a recent study from Technology Business Research.
Perhaps more remarkable than the sector's rapid growth is how quickly it's evolved. Not too long ago, BI applications were primarily reserved for IT departments. Now, however, data analytics is starting to reach every level of the business, from salespeople and marketers all the way to the top brass. It's at the point where business intelligence has almost become an enterprise strategy in and of itself, as opposed to being a tool that's used as part of the overall plan.
At least that's the belief of Eric Lundquist, a tech analyst at Ziff Brothers Investments. In a recent column for eWeek, Lundquist suggested that as organizations implement data analytics more directly into their business plans, they are "transforming into intelligent businesses."
BI's impact on the big and the small
Lundquist said this evolution has, in large part, resulted from the immense amount of information that is produced outside of company databases, making note of the necessity of understanding customer trends and sentiment to survive in today's business world.
"As the rapid expansion of data across the enterprise creates headaches for customers and opportunities for innovative vendors, understanding customer needs and vendor capabilities becomes even more critical," said Elizabeth Henlin, an analyst at Technology Business Research.
There is still a significant need for traditional BI, especially in areas such as security and fraud prevention. For instance, if IT leaders know that their networks have specific vulnerabilities, they can use business intelligence applications to detect cyberattacks and breaches right when they occur.
At the same time, the major driving force in the data analytics market is "making better use of … those vast pools of data outside your firm," Lundquist said. This is especially true with regard to understanding consumer sentiment, as customers are increasingly using social media, mobile devices and other web-based platforms to voice their opinions about products and services.


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Bill Gates doesn’t have anything to do with the day-to-day operations of Microsoft. Since stepping down back in 2008, he’s been full-timing it at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world. But he’s still an important figure in the tech world, especially for anyone following Microsoft. He’s also back on top as the world’s richest person.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Bill Gates is back on top with a net worth of $72.7 billion. The previous number one was Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim, who now sits in the number two position with a-nothing-to-scoff-at $72.1 billion.
How did our man Bill take the top spot? Two things. First, Carlos lost about $3 billion due to his primary company, America Movil, dropping 14% in value after a bill was passed in Mexico to break up American Movil's monopoly. Second, Microsoft is trading at its highest value in 5 years. That helped give Bill his number one spot on the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, a position he hasn’t held since 2007.
It’s worth noting that Bill Gates has contributed $28 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. And has plans to donate up to 90% of his fortune by the time he passes. Without donating, he could easily have been the wealthiest man.
So Bill Gates is number one again. Big deal, right? While it won’t really change life for you, me, or Dupree, it’s worth nothing that Microsoft is doing well as a company. A company that could be doing much worse in this “post-PC” age.
A lot of pundits have questioned Gates’ business tactics while in charge of Microsoft. But it’s hard to ignore the amount of good he’s done with his fortune so far and what can be accomplished over the next few decades. I’m just hoping he’ll never lose his ability to jump the standard office chair. Bill Gates: billionaire, philanthropist, and most importantly - slayer of chairs.
Surface Duo is better at multitasking than Galaxy Z Fold 2. Here's why.
The $2,000 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and $1,400 Microsoft Surface Duo are garnering many headlines because of pricing, and they both "fold" in some manner. But these devices are radically different, a point demonstrated with great effectiveness by @iAm_erica in this new video.
Review: Samsung Galaxy Book S brings amazing battery life, tough keyboard
Samsung's Galaxy Book S runs the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx ARM processor. With a slick, slim design and weighing just 2.1lbs how does this ultra-light laptop handle office productivity? With exceptionally good battery life and that always-on 4G LTE we have some thoughts in our latest review.
The games on Xbox Cloud Gaming that need touch controls
Minecraft Dungeons proved that touch controls and cloud streaming games can work, so we put together a list of the games we think need touch controls as soon as possible.
Finding Xbox One Wireless Controller replacement parts is easy
Here are all the replacement Xbox One controller parts you need for an easy fix.


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Eating Saturated Fat Doesn’t Make You Fat
I read on the internet that butter and other saturated fats have recently been found ‘not guilty’ of causing any of the crimes they have been accused of in the past! Woohoo! These quotes are from an article from The Boston Globe:
Decades after Americans began switching from whole milk to skim, from butter to olive oil, and from red meat to turkey breast — all in an effort to cut saturated fat — nutrition researchers have concluded that saturated fat might not be so bad for our hearts after all. A new study that received a lot of attention last week analyzed a trove of data from 27 clinical trials and 49 population studies and found no difference in heart disease rates among those who had the least amount of saturated fat compared to those who consumed the most.
People given fish oil supplements in clinical trials were no less likely to have a heart attack or die of heart disease than those who took placebos. Ditto for those who switched to olive oil — a monounsaturated fat shown to improve cholesterol levels — as well as for those who embraced polyunsaturated fats, like vegetable oil.
The research, published last Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that only trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils were linked to a moderately higher rate of heart disease, but these artificial fats have largely been taken out of the food supply and will likely be banned altogether by the US Food and Drug Administration.
“I think the evidence is really clear that the dietary guidelines shouldn’t be focusing on reducing saturated fat,” said study coauthor Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, an epidemiologist at Harvard School of Public Health. “There is no good evidence that low-fat dairy products are healthier than high-fat dairy.” His previous research found that those who ate butter, whole milk, and cheddar cheese had a lower diabetes risk than those who opted for skim milk and fat-free yogurt.
So, saturated fat, like eggs, are once again OK to eat (our grandmother’s knew this) and if they don’t make us fat what does? How about excessive amounts of SUGAR!
According to another article from The Huffington Post and Christiane Northrup, MD:
Fat is not the enemy when it comes to cardiovascular disease, weight gain, brain health, and so many other issues. It turns out that sugar — in all its many guises — is the real culprit for making you fat. What it also means is that because sugar causes inflammation throughout the body, it increases your risk of cardiovascular disease — and just about everything else!
We’ve all been sold a bill of goods about so-called healthy low-fat foods like cookies and muffins. When you begin to read labels, you’ll quickly see how much sugar is added to just about everything, especially to low-fat foods. When the fat is removed, so is the flavor. To make it more palatable, sugar, sugar substitutes, and salt are added in its place. And as you continue to read labels, I think you’ll be surprised by how much sugar is also in so-called healthy foods, like yogurt, tomato sauce, many fruit juices — even some salad dressings.
I can tell you without a doubt, it’s the sugar that so many of us struggle with, not the fat. Think about it. It’s NOT the burger with cheese and bacon that’s the issue. It’s the ketchup, the bun, and the fries. These are all carbs that instantly raise your blood sugar, because they are higher on the glycemic index than plain old table sugar. This is what I mean by sugar in all its guises.
Foods with little fat and loaded with sugar don’t leave you satiated after a meal — at least not for long. We need the fat to feel sated. Without it, we crave more sugary foods — until we learn to switch to or at least incorporate better food choices. It’s like being on a blood sugar roller coaster. Your body is subjected to the blood sugar highs and lows, and you literally NEED the sugar to feel OK when you’re in one of the lows.
So let’s not kid ourselves anymore about what’s really making us fat. Sugar is the leading culprit today in causing inflammation. Here are some specific stats from anarticle printed in February 2014 in the Journal of the American Medical Association [JAMA], which are worth sharing:
- Sugar is connected to an increased risk of heart attack and dementia, as well as other inflammatory diseases, such as insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, obesity, liver problems, arthritis, reduction in beneficial HDL cholesterol, increase in triglycerides, and cancer.
- Those with the highest sugar intake had a 400 percent higher risk of heart attack than those with the lowest intake of sugar. Note the current recommendation by the American Heart Association: One’s daily intake of sugar should be only 5-7.5 percent of one’s total caloric intake.
- It takes only one 20-ounce soda to increase your risk of heart attack by 30 percent.
- If you consume 20 percent of your calories from sugar, your risk of heart attack doubles.
These statistics were determined after adjusting for independent risk factors for heart attack, such as smoking, high blood pressure, alcohol intake, and other factors.
If that’s not bad enough, it is sugar, not fat, that creates abdominal fat.
Did you know that the average American consumes 132 pounds of sugar a year?  And the rise in sugar intake in recent years has played a key role in the increase in the cellular inflammation — and the soaring obesity and diabetes rates?
I couldn’t have said it better myself! I always tell my students in the cooking classes that I teach that whole foods, not low fat food are better for us because in order to provide the mouth feel, taste, texture or whatever is needed to replicate the whole food, ‘stuff’ is added (usually in the form of sugar) to low-fat foods that are not good for us. I only use whole dairy products, and I am an avid user of saturated and healthy monounsaturated fats for cooking. That means butter, ghee, lard, duck and chicken fat, beef tallow, coconut oil and olive oil. I sparingly use sesame, peanut, sunflower and grape seed oils and I look for the ones that are organic, unrefined and expeller pressed. Any other oil can be toxic because of the way it was processed/refined. And canola oil is a GMO no matter if it’s organic or not, so it is never even considered.
The closer we stay to the natural state of a food item, then the better it is for us. Too much processing and refining strips away vital nutrients we need for our health and man made replacements are really no comparison to the real thing. Sure, I occasionally eat fast or processed food, but I don’t make a habit of it, and who doesn’t love a Marie Callender’s pot pie? I can honestly say, however, that 95% of my pantry contains only whole foods while the remaining 5% is refined or processed. I am certainly not going to grind my own grains for flour, or mill my own rice, or make my own baking soda or powder, but I am conscientious of what I buy and I make sure it is as additive free as possible (with exception to the occasion frozen pot pie—I just avoid reading the ingredients label). We don’t need all of that excess ‘stuff’ in our food and the only way to keep from ingesting it is to make our own. So, yes, I do make my own pot pie and many other dishes that can be found in the frozen food section. It takes a little longer, but is so worth it in the end. And now I don’t have to feel bad about eating saturated fats as I now know, and so do you, it’s not fat that makes one fat! Buon Appetito!


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Global information company The NPD Group says the British foodservice industry should grow by an additional 83 million visits in 2018 (up +0.7% on 2017), despite stagnant wage growth and high inflation. In 2019, visits in the eat-out or out-of-home (OOH) market could grow by a further 93 million (up +0.8% on 2018). Delivery services will continue to expand rapidly and are projected to grow an additional 101m visits by 2019 (+16% on 2017). In addition, the thriving dayparts of breakfast and lunch, alongside the popularity of burgers and the continuing casual dining boom, will help drive the increases.
Delivery still expanding rapidly
Delivery has risen quickly to become a significant catalyst in the British foodservice industry. Its rapid rate of expansion looks set to continue as the likes of Just Eat, UberEATS and Deliveroo expand their reach across the country. This will encourage more foodservice operators to adopt delivery as a route to market, and NPD is predicting an additional spend of £656m (+17%) by consumers on delivery occasions by 2019.
Breakfast and lunch will support growth
Much of the growth in visits will come from specific dayparts. Breakfast currently represents more than one in eight of the 11.36 billion OOH visits expected by the end of 2017. NPD is forecasting breakfast visits will grow by +5.7% in 2018 and +4.8% in 2019. Meanwhile, lunch will remain the largest daypart and is forecast to grow steadily, by +2.2% and +1.9% respectively in the same two years.
Dinner to decline despite delivery trend
In terms of the average bill, dinner is the most expensive daypart but pressure on consumer spending will drive a continuing decline in dinner visits during 2018 and 2019. By the end of 2019, there could be 5% fewer dinner visits compared to 2016, a decline of over 134 million. However, the rapid rise of delivery, providing a more affordable way of ordering from restaurants in a manner that resembles eating out, will provide some relief. Without delivery’s success, dinner visits would register a much sharper decline.
Soft Brexit or hard Brexit?
The NPD Group’s forecasts assume a ‘soft Brexit’ scenario. However, a ‘hard Brexit’ scenario would see lower visits growth at +0.5% for both 2018 and 2019. The difference between ‘soft Brexit’ growth (+1.5% over both years) and ‘hard’ Brexit’ growth (+1.0% over both years) is the equivalent of 60 million visits, or £497 million.
Boost from burgers and casual dining brands
The popularity of burgers and the continuing appeal of Britain’s casual dining brands will also spur growth in Britain’s foodservice industry. Burgers are likely to retain their popularity and enjoy a boost from the delivery boom. The NPD Group expects burgers to lead growth in both visits and consumer spend. Outlets serving quick-service burgers will see visits grow by +5.1% in 2018 and +4.5% in 2019. Casual dining chains are forecast to increase visits by +2.8% in 2018 and +2.7% in 2019. Full-service restaurants serving chicken will benefit from its ongoing popularity and from brand loyalty among millennials and other consumers: such restaurants could grow visits by +4.2% in 2018 and +4.0% in 2019.
Saving on snacks
Snacking visits are also forecast to decline, as more consumers forego this discretionary eating-out occasion. Cutting back on snacks is an established consumer tactic for spending less on eating out, and in 2018 snacking visits could decline -1.2%, followed by a further decline of -1.1% in 2019.
Cyril Lavenant, foodservice director UK at the NPD Group, said: “Delivery shows no signs of running out of steam over the next two years and will help to bring home the bacon in Britain’s £55 billion foodservice industry. Burgers, casual dining, breakfast and lunch are also thriving and should help operators shrug off fragile consumer confidence, as well as inflation and stagnant wages, to achieve growth. We are especially bullish about burger chains and casual dining as these restaurants are meeting the consumer’s appetite for a contemporary experience that also offers a family-oriented treat. Regardless of a soft Brexit or a hard Brexit, any foodservice operator that invests for the future, and gives consumers the value, product quality and service quality they want, can look forward to growing their business in 2018 and 2019.”


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The year 2015 proved to be a defining one for continuing advancements in the digital space. An article published by Forbes in November 2014 predicted successful marketing strategies for the next year. The term “agility marketing” was used to describe companies that obtain more consumer data, are capable of faster adaption, have shorter lead times and provide real-time marketing. The successful digital marketers in 2015 have learned to adapt to these new methods brought upon by the transition of traditional to digital.
1) Google’s announcement in April of its modified search algorithm— which rewards websites that are fully optimized for mobile platforms– is arguably the top marketing movement of 2015. Because the number of mobile users has surpassed desktop users in recent years, this new addition to the algorithm forced almost all businesses to optimize their websites to improve user experience on mobile devices in order to stay competitive. And of course those late adopters who still haven’t optimized for mobile are either blindly unaware or don’t realize how not being a part of the 21st century is impacting their business. Mobile SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has become more important as a result of this algorithm change. In addition, Google announced their use of machine learning, or an artificial intelligence system, as a part of their search algorithm process– foreshadowing future technological advancements for the year 2016.
Other notable digital marketing movements in 2015 include:
2) An increase in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and SEO campaigns. Adam Thompson, 10x digital director states, “2015 continued the general overall trend of PPC being gradually more complicated, with more features, tools, etc.” He goes on to explain that the ability to target Google ads to a list of email addresses, a feature that was previously used by Facebook, was introduced this year. In addition, “2015 was relatively quiet in the SEO world, although content-based link earning is still the king. Editorial links continue to be the goal targeted by all the good SEO’s, yet Google is still far from perfect at filtering out or penalizing spammy links,” he added.
3) Personalized communication in the form of content marketing as well as producing platform specific content has seen a huge increase in 2015. Businesses are gaining a better understanding of publishing content that both builds brand awareness and communicates effectively with their audience. With each social channel and the variety of each audience group, content creation must be customized in order to see maximum engagement. The article 5 Marketing Trends in 2015 That You Can’t Ignore states, “your content marketing plan, your email communication—even your offline marketing efforts—need to be more about connecting with, educating and engaging your supporters and less about the pitch.” For digital marketers (and those who want to be an active part of this group), these changes in the industry are important milestones for the year and need to be heeded for optimal marketing practices.


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Organizer: INCHAM Hanoi
Time: 12:11 AM
Venue: Melia Hotel, Hanoi
On 13 February 2023, the Indian Business Chamber in Hanoi and the Embassy of India in Vietnam jointly organized the Tet Reception 2023. The event welcomed distinguished guests from all government bodies, fellow chambers, and businesses. We would like to extend our gratitude to those who had taken time from their busy schedules to join us for this very celebration.
INCHAM’s Tet Reception was honored to receive H.E. Mr. Sandeep Arya - Ambassador of India to Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Tran Duy Dong - Vice Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh - Vice Chairman of VCCI, Mr. Nguyen Quang Huan - Member of National Assembly, Mr. Nguyen Trong Kien - Director General of Southeast Asia, South Africa, South Pacific Department, External Relations Commission (Communist Party of Vietnam), Mr. Vu Ba Phu, Director General of Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade), Mr. Vu Van Minh - Deputy Director General of Southeast Asia, South Asia & South Pacific Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Mr. Ton Sinh Thanh - Former Ambassador of Vietnam to India.
In addition, we also honored to welcome government officials from: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
From Fellow chambers, we were delighted to receive Mr. Michele D’Ercole - Chairman of Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, Mrs. Virginia Foote - Vice Chairman of American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi, Mr. Tomaso Andreatta - European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.
We would like to express our gratitude to the India Embassy in Vietnam for co-hosting this event and to our sponsors of the night: RK Marble Vietnam Limited, Vietnam Alliance Company Limited, Alleviare Life Sciences Ltd, Invesify Company Limited, IV International Company Limited, Tech Mahindra, Minda Industries Vietnam Company Ltd., ATS Law Firm, and Minda Automotive. Without your support, this event would not be possible.
The year 2022 had come to an end with much positive energy. The pandemic seems to be faded away, and though there are still challenges, business, and trade activities are gradually recovering. On top of that, two-way trade between Vietnam and India hit a record this year with an increase to 15 billion USD. Besides trade, bilateral cooperation in tourism and investment also grew with the resumption and launch of direct air routes.
With this Tet Reception, we would like to celebrate those achievements of the Year of the Tiger, and to welcome the upcoming Year of the Cat.
This is an opportunity for us to express our sincere thanks to our business partners and officials for their continued support and commitment to the India and Vietnam's Economic, Business and Trade relations. We hope the partnership between India and Vietnam will continue to develop and prosper.
For more pictures of the event, please visit: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sPehpGWdmAxkHist8


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Moneypenny has appointed a new Director of Customer Success, Sandy Landrigan who was previously VP of Customer Success and Integration at PKWARE, data discovery, security and compliance solution leaders.
Sandy has been delivering best practices in customer service and experience since beginning her career with Ernst & Young. She joins Moneypenny with a wealth of talent and proficiency and is an expert in aligning processes with people in order to deliver exceptional customer experience.
Richard Culberson CEO North America comments; “We are delighted to welcome Sandy to our fast-growing team and are excited about the first-rate experience she will bring to the Moneypenny Group. Her background and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to deliver the best in customer service and experience across our business, strengthening the brand and positioning the company for further growth both in the US and the UK.”
Sandy comments; “I am thrilled to be joining Moneypenny at such an exciting time in the business and I am looking forward to working closely with the leadership team to unite the culture, people and technology and further enhancing the gold standard customer experience for Moneypenny’s clients and their customers.
The Moneypenny Group has an exceptional offering for clients with unrivalled customer service and state of the art technology services, not to mention an award-winning culture. I am really looking forward to working across the business to further accelerate and nurture these values and purpose and drive them to new levels.”


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Born in a sweaty gym and field-tested in Alaska. What is it? It's the Apple Watch
, dear! See, ABC's Good Morning America had the rare privilege of visiting the place where the Apple Watch - or at least a significant part of it - was born. And that place... was the gym. It was where Apple tested the watch's fitness tracking capabilities, strapping obscured prototypes on largely unsuspecting employees who did yoga, rowing, and other workout activities with it.
Being Apple, Apple went as far as to set up test chambers that recreate the conditions Apple Watch owners will face in different parts of the world, down to atmospheric conditions, altitude, temperature, humidity, and more variables. These control environment tests were followed by field testing in actual places like Alaska and Dubai - obviously, the Apple team isn't afraid of temperature extremes!
The Apple Watch can measure burned calories, heart rate, and health data in real time. The company's director of fitness and health technologies, Jay Blahnik, boasted that Apple has amassed "one of the world's largest pieces of data on fitness", and claimed that this is just the beginning. According to him, Apple's research in health could have a great impact on the medical and fitness industries. So if you see your doctor donning an Apple Watch, don't give him/her the stink-eye. That goes to you too, Android fans!
via Digital Trends


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Apple's new iPads will more closely resemble its latest iPhones as they ditch a home button and fingerprint sensor to make more room for the screen.
Apple is adding the ability to use a digital pencil to draw and write on its cheapest iPad model in an attempt to make the tablet more compelling for creating, teaching and learning.
Microsoft is refreshing its Surface Pro tablet with longer battery life and faster processors.
Apple is cutting prices on two iPad models and introducing red iPhones, but the company held back on updating its higher-end iPad Pro tablets.
British astronaut Tim Peake ran a marathon in space in record time on Sunday, strapped into a treadmill on the International Space Station as thousands ran the London Marathon below.
The first thing you need to know about Apple's iPad Pro is that it's, well, giant.
A US jury on Tuesday found that chips powering coveted Apple mobile devices infringe on technology patented by Wisconsin University researchers.
Don't let looks deceive you. The new iPhones look the same as last year's models on the outside. But changes on the inside matter, from camera improvements to new sensors that enable quicker access to tasks.
From the moment I took it out of the box, Apple's new MacBook looked and felt like an iPad.


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Stockholm-listed Better Collective will significantly expand its presence in the US market through the acquisition of daily fantasy and sports betting affiliate Rical LLC, operator of the RotoGrinders and SportsHandle portals.
Gambling.com Group has reported a 52% year-on-year increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2019, with the affiliate marketing giant to invest in the development of products for the US market in the year ahead.
Digital Fuel is looking to expand into the US market, with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement clearing the Australian online marketing specialist to apply for an Ancillary Casino Service Industry Enterprise Licence in the state.
After a hugely successful launch in 2015 the iGaming North America 2016 awards were presented during a prestigious ceremony on the third day of the iGaming North America Conference to a crowd of industry executives.
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) company DraftKings has entered into partnerships with English Premier League football clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Watford as part of a move to support its global expansion into the UK market.
The PGA Tour, an organising body for professional golf events primarily in North America, has opted to prohibit its players from taking part in daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests or endorsing providers of such services.


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My favorite group of young agriculture professionals, the National Beef Ambassadors, are hard at work promoting the beef industry to consumers on behalf of America's farmers and ranchers. With their latest effort, they are calling for your participation. The 2010 National Beef Ambassador Team is hosting a photography contest, "Farmers and Ranchers Care," on their Facebook Fan Page, and they want you to post your favorite photo that exemplifies this theme. The photos are already pouring in on their Fan Page, which has more than 1,500 fans already! To enter is simple; read on for details. Great job, ambassadors, in sharing our beef story! I'm so proud to be an alumni of this amazing group!
About the contest: Have you heard something in the media lately that has made you think more about the importance of YOUR agriculture story? The National Beef Ambassadors, funded in part by the beef checkoff, can help you spread your message. The “Farmers and Ranchers Care” Earth Day Photo Contest will help you share with consumers and fellow producers how you, as cattle ranchers and beef producers, care for the environment in your ranching practices! This contest will begin on Saturday, March 20th, National Agriculture Day. In order to share the importance of the beef industry’s positive involvement with the environment, you will have the chance to share your photos on the National Beef Ambassador Facebook page.
Step 1: Become a fan of the National Beef Ambassadors on Facebook.
Step 2: Upload your photo to the National Beef Ambassador Facebook page showcasing how you, as a beef producer, are involved in helping the environment.
Step 3: Help fellow producers in the contest and vote on your favorites. Below are the rules and guidelines for the contest. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy what the industry has to offer the environment.
For contest rules and to check out the ambassador blog, link here. Finally, I'm sure the BEEF Daily readers would love to see which photo you are entering in this contest, so be sure to upload your photo in the comments section below. Also, stay tuned for a new photo contest on the blog coming soon!


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The brand's first international store at 480 Broome Street in SoHo is the first location in a planned expansion strategy.
– 9:34 PM, EST
Ongoing struggles with the Calvin Klein Jeans business didn’t stop the firm from beating Wall Street’s and its own expectations for earnings in the period.
– 9:00 PM, EST
The 2013 edition of the fair reached its crescendo Thursday night, leaving the remaining three official days of the fair to more low-key celebrations.
– 8:51 PM, EST
Furs were of course a main element but here they were done with a twist.
– 6:48 PM, EST
These clothes had a playful spirit and could brighten up any festivity.
– 6:45 PM, EST
Sky Ferreira, Sarah Jessica Parker, Barbara Walters and more turned out to Cosmopolitan's second annual luncheon, hosted by Joanna Coles.
– 6:24 PM, EST
Retailers and civil rights groups hammered out a Customers’ Bill of Rights, listing what consumers can and cannot expect when they shop in stores.
– 6:10 PM, EST
After a one-year stint at the magazine, the executive editor is leaving to work on her second novel.
– 6:00 PM, EST
Kaplona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, this week is wrapping up nearly a month-long trip to the U.S. and Canada.
– 5:09 PM, EST
“More and more, each season is starting with the textiles,” said design director Elizabeth Giardina.
– 5:05 PM, EST


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Email marketers claim emails are all about building relationships. Well, they would, wouldn’t they? It’s what they do for a living, after all. What I do for a living, on the other hand, is conduct research that ensures brands to better engage customers, increase loyalty, and grow their customer bases and profits, whatever platforms they use.
Based on a new survey updating a 2018 benchmark wave, Brand Keys can confirm too many emails can be bad for a brand’s engagement health. We’re not talking SPAM. No, these insights are according to 2,208 consumers, 16 to 55 YOA, who initiated the emails from the brands they evaluated. So, just to be clear, not SPAM.
The bottom line hasn’t changed from what we discovered four years ago; too many emails results in brand disengagement, which reduces loyalty and positive behavior toward the brand. What is new is that 40% of the brands appearing on the 2022 list are new.
And, although Amazon and Groupon appear at the top of the Too Many Emails list, they were the only two brands where consumer engagement was significantly increased (as they did four years ago). All other brands showed significant or directional decreases in consumer engagement, which correlates with lower levels of consideration, purchase, and loyalty.
In ranked order, brands consumers indicted they felt they were receiving too many emails too frequently included the following. Numbers appearing in parentheses indicate where they ranked in 2018.
1. Amazon (1)
2. Macy’s (9)
3. Groupon (2)
4. GAP (3)
5. Home Depot (10)
6. Expedia (new)
7. Uber (new)
8. Booking.com (new)
9. Airbnb (new)
10. Walmart (12)
12. Facebook (new)
13. Banana Republic (new)
15. Overstock (6)
Based on the Brand Keys psychological assessments, consumers categorize emails into four classes:
Replies: Consumers asked, brands replied.
Good News: products shipped or were returned successfully or prices were lowered or money returned to me
New News: Brand actually had something new to tell me that interested me.
No News: Not quite SPAM, but SPAM-like outreach.
The COVID pandemic changed the marketing paradigm for a lot of brands, just as it changed consumer behavior. But what Brand Keys can say unequivocally is while there may not be a perfect formula for how many emails are too many emails, there is a proven methodology to measure how emotionally engaging a brand’s email programming is going to be.
Happily, it can also inform your brand planners how often they out to reach out to consumers – without disengaging them.


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Kaine, colleagues call on FTC to protect consumers in response to Equifax breach
In response to the Equifax breach, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine today called on the Federal Trade Commission to outline specific actions being taken to ensure consumers do not fall victim to a second round of attacks on their personal information.
In the letter to Acting Chairman of the FTC Maureen Ohlhausen, Kaine, joined by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), expressed concern over the breach that exposed the personally identifiable information of more than 143 million people.
“With more than half of the U.S. adult population exposed and vulnerable to identity theft, criminals have an extensive range of potential victims, and the FTC has a critical role to play to protect consumers from additional harm,” the Senators wrote. “The internet presents a formidable obstacle to law enforcement, with new bad actors constantly replacing those who have been apprehended. Nonetheless, we have a responsibility to do everything within our power to remain vigilant and prevent harm wherever possible.”
The Senators also expressed concern about Equifax’s own diligence in vetting after it tweeted links to a fake website in response to consumer requests for information and assistance in the aftermath of the data breach.
The letter poses five specific questions to the Acting FTC Chairman:
1. To what extent, if at all, is the FTC tracking Equifax frauds and scams? Is FTC tracking this information in conjunction with any other federal agencies?
2. What steps is the FTC taking to combat Equifax scammers? Please be specific as to how resources are being deployed to combat both internet and phone scams.
3. What steps is FTC taking to educate consumers and ensure they do not fall prey to frauds and scams related to the Equifax data breach?
4. Is the FTC working with all three of the major consumer reporting agencies to identify, report, and interdict these frauds and scams? Please be specific as to what steps are being taken.
5. Does the FTC have sufficient authority and/or resources to effectively combat these frauds and scams? If not, what else is needed?


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Sony promises VR music video, other entertainment content
Sony Corp.’s video game division is readying not just games but also music, movies and other kinds of entertainment for its Virtual Reality headgear
Sony Corp.’s video game division is readying not just games but also music, movies and other kinds of entertainment for its Virtual Reality headgear, set to go on sale next month.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia President Atsushi Morita appeared at a Tokyo event Tuesday, ahead of the Tokyo Game Show annual exhibition opening later this week. The latest in video games, including VR, will be on display at the show at Makuhari Messe in the Tokyo suburb of Chiba.
One of the VR experiences promised is a music video that’s a collaboration between the “Biohazard” horror game, called “Resident Evil” in the US, from Japanese game maker Capcom, and L’Arc-en-Ciel, a Japanese rock band, that takes advantage of VR technology’s illusion of 3-D and 360-degree surround imagery.
VR can make games more immersive, enhancing the effects of horror, razzle-dazzle and erotic titillation.
The Japanese electronics and entertainment company’s PlayStation VR headgear device, going on sale next month for about $400, less than rival VR headsets. Oculus Rift’s goes for about $600, and HTC Vive’s for $800.
Another VR shown at Tokyo-based Sony’s event was the “Anywhere VR,” which delivers to headset wearers a relaxing scene, such as a beach or a star-studded sky, even in their living rooms, while they take care of smartphone chores in VR.
Morita said the PlayStation VR will also be used to show live-theater performances, tours of historical sites and karaoke video. “As a child, I learned so much from games,” he said.
Morita defended his industry against the common criticism that it distracts children from education and real-life development.
He said he learned about societal rules and human drama from games, manga and music. That spirit of creativity must be passed down to future generations, he said.
Sony unveils 2 updated PlayStations: Pro and slim versionsSony is unveiling a slimmer, lighter, cheaper version of its PlayStation 4, as well as a Pro device targeted at hardcore gamers Technology
Playstation virtual reality gear to launchSony’s VR version will cost a few hundred dollars less than competitors Technology
Sony buys Michael Jackson’s stake in music catalog for $750MThe sale does not include rights to Michael Jackson’s master recordings or songs that he wrote Variety
Kesha fans deliver petition to Sony, ask it to drop Dr. LukeThe rally comes a month after a judge denied the "Tik Tok" singer's request to be released from her contract Digital


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Which Convenience & Fuel Retailers Are Capturing the Most Foot Traffic?
BOSTON — Speedway LLC and Thorntons Inc. saw the most foot traffic in the first quarter of 2019, according to GasBuddy's latest quarterly study examining foot traffic in the $564 billion fuel and convenience retailing industry.
The report separates fuel and convenience brands into four segments based on their number of locations. Brands that received the highest average foot traffic per station in their respective categories include: Ohio-based Speedway (1000-plus locations), Washington-based Costco (250–999 locations), Kentucky-based Thorntons (50–249 locations) and Texas-based Buc-ee's (30–49 locations).
"More than half of consumer visits to the pumps in Q1 lasted longer than five minutes, suggesting that they’re just as interested in filling up on in-store items as they are on gas," commented Frank Beard, convenience store and retail trends analyst at GasBuddy. "However, the fact that many consumers prefer to fill up at supermarkets with fuel programs rather than gas stations should be a call-to-action for fuel and convenience brands to rethink their offers before stores with produce sections eat their lunch."
Other highlights from the study include:
More Consumers Moving Beyond the Pumps & Into Stores
Americans are spending more time at gas stations, venturing into the c-store and purchasing items including fresh food, beverages and consumer packaged goods. More than half (55 percent) of consumer visits to fuel and convenience retailers lasted for longer than five minutes during Q1.
This exceeds the average two to three minutes it takes to refuel a vehicle and reflects the industry’s emphasis on quality in-store offers, as well as reaffirming the findings in GasBuddy's Foodservice and Consumer Habits Survey, revealing that 60 percent of consumers purchase food and beverages at convenience stores.
Fridays are the Busiest for Fueling
Friday was the busiest day for fuel and convenience retailers in Q1, followed by Saturday and Thursday. The four busiest times also took place on Friday (5 p.m., 4 p.m., noon and 3 p.m., respectively) followed by Saturday (noon) in fifth place.
Well-Lit Stations Drive Visits
During Q1, stations with above-average outdoor lighting ratings drove 25.9 percent more visits than their below average competitors.
Costco Claims the Top Spot
Costco captured the highest footfall per station of any brand in any segment — more than four-and-a-half times the industry average. Other segment winners include Speedway, Thorntons and Buc-ee's.
Supermarkets are Super Busy
Supermarkets with fuel programs are popular destinations for filling up, representing four out of the top 10 brands in two segments: 50-249 locations and 250-999 locations.
Kroger Wins the Most States
Ohio-based Kroger captured the highest average footfall in six states — the most of any fuel or convenience retailer. Wawa Inc. came in a close second with five states, and Cumberland Farms and Costco tied with four wins each.