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JAKARTA -- Indonesia's domestic demand should be chugging along, but a weakening rupiah and rising inflation are crimping spending by consumers and businesses alike.
In predominantly Muslim countries like Indonesia, the busiest shopping season occurs during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. This year's Festival Jakarta Great Sale, an annual sales event that runs for roughly five weeks during this time of the year, involved no less than 78 malls, multiple shopping centers and thousands of shops across the capital, attracting bargain hunters from Indonesia and abroad.
But business has not been as brisk at this year's Great Sale, which kicked off on June 6. "Sales in the first half of the event declined by as much as 25% from a year ago," said Ellen Hidayat, head of the FJGS 2015 committee and chairwoman of Indonesia Shopping Centers Management Association.
Total sales rose a disappointing 7% on the year, marking the first time the event has failed to achieve double-digit growth since assuming its current form in 2009. This anemic increase came despite having the largest number of participating shops and extending late-night operations beyond opening weekend.
Hidayat attributed this to the continued surge in the consumer price index, which stood at 7.26% in June. "Many shoppers are choosing to buy affordable goods closer to home instead of going on a shopping expedition."
The capital is not the only place experiencing weaker sales. According to the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, sales at shopping malls, including restaurants, across the nation declined 20-30% on the year during the first half of 2015.
Rising inflation is putting consumers increasingly on edge. Bank Indonesia, the nation's central bank, reported that the consumer confidence index in June dropped 1.5 percentage points from the previous month to 111.3 points. This is slightly above the 100 mark -- the line used to determine whether consumers are optimistic or pessimistic -- but it is nonetheless rare for the figure to dip during the festive Ramadan shopping season. The CCI during this time last year, for example, hit a roughly two-year high.
Running out of gas
The darkening mood is even more noticeable in smaller outlying cities, particularly those with moderate-sized populations. The CCI in Palembang, a city of 1.45 million on the island of Sumatra, slid 20.6 percentage points, while that of Banjarmasin on the island of Kalimantan, with its population of 620,000, dropped 13.7 percentage points.
Sales of automobiles and motorbikes for the six months through June fell by around 20% on the year. A senior official of a Japanese automobile component maker that has been supplying parts for trucks and motorbikes in Indonesia for more than a decade blamed the slump on the weaker rupiah rather than on a decrease in actual demand.
The company suspended production lines for two days in June to deal with the softer sales, but it also faces rising production costs, as it sources metal and other materials from abroad.
"We will definitely log a loss this year and may not be able to continue doing business here if the difficulties continue next year," the official said.
Indonesia is the largest car and motorbike market in Southeast Asia, but automakers and their suppliers cannot simply pass on costs increases to buyers. Doing so would only further discourage drivers from opening up their wallets.
The official at the Japanese component maker said that its clients, far from accepting higher prices, have demanded price cuts. As a result, employees' wages have not risen as expected, dealing a further blow to consumption.
Rising consumer prices and slowing consumption can be traced to the weakening rupiah, which has fallen roughly 40% against the dollar during the last three years. The exchange rate is now hovering around 13,300 rupiah to the greenback, the lowest level since the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998.
This continued depreciation has pushed up core inflation, which excludes the volatile prices of raw food and energy, to above 5% for the first time in roughly four years.
Assuming the U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates in September, an executive at a Japanese bank in Jakarta said, the Indonesian currency could weaken to 14,300 rupiah against the greenback between now and then. A U.S. rate hike would draw investors away from rupiah, which is deemed a risky asset.
The weaker rupiah could also become a liability for Indonesian businesses.
The nation's private-sector external debt as of April was double what it was a decade ago. Roughly 90% of the loans were made -- and will have to be repaid in -- dollars. An unfavorable exchange rate would make it hard for many domestic-focused Indonesian companies, which generate sales primarily in rupiah, to turn a profit.
Indomobil Sukses Internasional, an automobile unit of Salim Group, posted a net loss last year. It has formed production and sales alliances with Japan's Nissan Motor and other carmakers to strengthen its position.
Garuda Indonesia has also reported a loss -- its first since debuting on the market in 2011 -- largely due to the increased cost of purchasing aircraft and fuel. The state-owned flag carrier pays for most of its fleet and fuel dollars.
Rising interest rates at commercial banks, meanwhile, are discouraging businesses from investing in equipment and facilities due to the higher cost of borrowing.
Investors started dumping the rupiah in mid-2013, scared off by the country's rising trade deficit. Exports of resources, Indonesia's main export, took a severe hit around that time from the economic slowdown in developed nations and China.
Growing domestic demand exacerbated the situation, as an increase in imports of consumer and producer goods caused the trade deficit to widen further. In a more industrialized economy, a weaker currency would have helped boost exports. For Indonesia, however, which is yet to develop competitive industrial exports, the benefits of a weaker rupiah are limited.
Jakarta will be hard-pressed to come up with effective solutions, as it is already burdened with a fiscal and current-account deficit.
Since taking office last October, President Joko Widodo has rolled out a series of reforms aimed at resolving the deficit problem. These include raising the fuel price, increasing the budget allocation for infrastructure development and simplifying procedures for investment.
Widodo has also pointed to his efforts to improve social welfare through such measures as introducing free medical care and education for the poor, and developing housing for workers.
But such reforms have borne little fruit. The supplemental budget for fiscal 2015, which began in January, increased the allocation for infrastructure development projects, but only a little over 30% of them had been executed as of July. According to a stakeholder, this is mainly due to the confusion arising from Widodo's reorganization of government agencies.
Fear of getting caught up in a corruption scandal is also dissuading government officials from placing or receiving orders for construction work and procurement.
Making matters worse, measures proposed by cabinet members to promote domestic industries have often been seen as protectionist, damaging the market's trust in the government.
Many cabinet members are under pressure to quickly come up with a reform plan, effective or not. Ali Setiawan, managing director and head of global markets, at HSBC Indonesia, said this is because businesses and investors have yet to feel the benefit of reforms and are growing impatient with the lack of progress in implementing such measures as preferential tax treatment.
Despite these clouds, however, Jakarta seems optimistic. It recently revised downward its outlook for gross domestic product for 2015, but the adjustment -- from 5.7% to 5.2% -- was smaller than those made by others. The International Monetary Fund, for example, revised its estimate to below 5%.


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Christmas is no longer just about chocolate as sugar confectionery giant Haribo this year has its biggest ever Christmas range.
The nation has fallen under the spell of Halloween and there are monster sales to be had for retailers who get into the spirit of it
Consumers looking for that extra flavanoid fix will be delighted to hear about the launch of Mars Triple Choc.
Nestle is investing in an experience day giveaway for the mint brand.
Ferrero has refreshed the sustainability targets it set in 2013.
The brand is launching a new premium range and a limited edition line.
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Santa Fe, NM- House Bill 33, a measure that would create in-state meat inspection in New Mexico unanimously passed the House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representatives Rebecca Dow (R-TorC), Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena), Moe Maestas (D-Albuquerque), and Andres Romero (D-Albuquerque) is an effort to establish in-state meat inspections in New Mexico. Currently, New Mexico meat producers send 99% of their products out of state to be processed. HB 33 is part of a farm to table package of bills, including HB 121 sponsored by Rep. Jack Chatfield (R-Mosquero), that would localize meat inspections and consumption.
Shortened event returns in virtual format, highlighting New Mexico products LAS CRUCES – The taste of New Mexico cuisine is one like no other. That’s


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Business and financial management solutions provider Intuit Inc and a platform for small business loans OnDeck jointly launched QuickBooks Financing line of credit to provide faster access to lower-rate small business loans.
Intuit and OnDeck will launch a new $100 million small business lending fund to back the new product.
“This new product is all about empowering small businesses to leverage the power of their own data so that they can take advantage of better financing options,” said Dan Wernikoff, executive vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Small Business Group.
QuickBooks Financing Line of Credit product will be powered by Intuit’s customer data and leverage OnDeck’s industry leading technology. It is designed to offer a better financing experience for established small businesses with strong credit.


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Several major car companies, including GM and Volvo, have announced plans to build only electric cars by 2035 or earlier in anticipation of the shift. But not all automakers are on the same page.
Notably, Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has stressed that it plans to offer a range of options, including hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles, rather than focusing exclusively on electric cars. A Toyota spokesperson told MIT Technology Review that the company is focused on how to reduce carbon emissions faster than how many cars it can sell of a certain type.
The company continues to release new hybrid vehicles, including plug-in hybrids that can drive short distances on electricity using a small battery. In November, Toyota announced the 2023 version of its Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid.
Some environmental groups have criticized the company’s slow move on EVs. To reach zero emissions, they argue, we’ll need all-electric cars, and the sooner the better.
But in a recent interview, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda cast doubt on how quickly the auto industry can pull a U-turn on fossil fuels, calling the U.S. goal of having EVs make up half of new car sales by 2030 a “tough ask.” Toyota plans to reach 3.5 million EV sales by 2030 (or 35% of its current annual sales), the company also sees hybrids as an affordable option that consumers will want and that can play an important role in reducing emissions.
A tale of two hybrids
Two different classes of vehicles are called hybrids. Conventional hybrid electric vehicles have a small battery that helps the gas-powered engine recover energy while driving, such as energy that would otherwise be lost during braking. They can’t drive more than a few miles on battery power, and slowly. Rather, the battery helps increase gas mileage and can provide additional torque. The original Toyota Prius models are among the best-known traditional hybrid cars.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles, on the other hand, have a battery that is about 10 times larger than a conventional hybrid vehicle, and that battery can be plugged in and charged using electricity. Plug-in hybrids can typically run 25 to 50 miles on electricity, switching to their gasoline engine for longer distances. Prius Prime, introduced in 2012, is a plug-in hybrid.
Conventional hybrids are far more common than all-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles in the United States, although electric vehicle sales have grown rapidly over the past few years.


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Type-Moon has announced the establishment of Type-Moon Studio BB, a new game development studio with Kazuya Niinou at the head. Niinou recently announced his departure from Square Enix, where he was notably the director for the Dragon Quest Builders series.
An official website for Type-Moon Studio BB has been launched, with a message from Kazuya Niinou on the concept of the new studio:
Studio BB is a new studio established by TYPE-MOON as a new game development initiative.
I hope to cooperate with many creators and publishers, as well as Takashi Takeuchi and Kinoko Nasu, to deliver the charm of the TYPE-MOON world to everyone as a wide variety of games.
Studio BB’s development plan is based on two pillars: medium to large 3D games developed in cooperation with external developers and small 2D games developed in-house.
Type-Moon Studio BB is currently recruiting programmers, art designers, game designers, and project managers.
This is very exciting! In particular, a mix of working with other studios and developing internally sounds like a great step for seeing more from Type-Moon in the future, and it’s bound to be an interesting variety too. I’ll be looking forward to their first announcement!
- AeternoBlade II Out now on Switch and PS4 - October 11, 2019
- Code: Realize Future Blessings Comes to Switch Spring 2020 - October 3, 2019
- Code Vein Out Now, Launch Trailer Released - September 27, 2019


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Adam from demonstrates and explains some of the real truth about civilian hobbyist drones and what they can actually capt. Federal privacy laws won't necessarily protect you from spying drones he warned that new drone privacy laws may inadvertently violate the first amendment rights of drone operators who are . With the limited laws on drones in massachusetts, what can be done if you feel your privacy is being invaded by a drone massachusetts, unlike many states, provides a specific right to privacy for its residents :. Law enforcement departments are already making use of drones to help them on different mission types, but laws revolving privacy and safety of a drone’s usage are still a concern of many, especially the public in january 2017, the los angeles county sheriff’s department announced they will be .
In some ways, the privacy concerns being raised about drones echo those from earlier technologies as a 1990 article in the new york times noted, customers buying telescopes in cities were not . In essence, none of the drone-related provisions of the fmra directed the faa to consider privacy issues when addressing the integration of small drones into the airspace, or mandated the inclusion of privacy considerations in the drone comprehensive plan. Last year was a big year for drones causing many of us to sit up and take notice, and 2015 should be even bigger this leads to many privacy issues that we need to start seriously considering say the word “drone” and you’re likely to get any one of a half-dozen reactions drones or uavs .
On one side of the first question are certain members of congress and civil liberties advocates, who have called for a robust federal approach to drones and privacy 2 on the other are “drone . With commercial drones soon to be everywhere, senate intel committee chair dianne feinstein says it’s time to set some rules. The justice department on friday released guidelines that would explicitly bar the agency from using drones solely to monitor activity protected by the first amendment, like peaceful protests.
Probably not, but it depends on where you live, who used the drone for filming, the purpose behind their drone footage, and how they use it right of publicity the common law right to privacy prohibits others from using your likeness, photograph, name, or image for their own private benefit. A lawsuit seeks to force the faa to make sure drones don't infringe on privacy—but for now, there are few protections. Drone use in the united states is a wildly controversial topic many people conjure up a 1984-esque image of government planes hovering high in the sky, recording every word and movement made by the more than 300 million people living within america’s borders.
With drones flying overhead, apps tracking our every move, and more personal data flowing into cyberspace every second, there is widespread concern about sensitive data and images ending up in the . The incident is part of a series of events raising questions about drones and their effect on privacy (jabin botsford / los angeles times). 2015 review of research on the use of drone aircraft by commercial organizations and government agencies, and the dilemmas it poses, including public safety and individual privacy. Drones pose a serious risk to security and privacy, but fortunately, various methods of protection - from birds of prey to lasers - are being developed right now let's take a look at them.
Associated today with the theatre of war, the widespread domestic use of drones for surveillance seems inevitable existing privacy law will not stand. Although drone hardware and software technology is rapidly evolving, privacy and safety matters are still a top concern to the public in a study carried out in december 2017 by pew research center, 54% of the public thinks drones should not be allowed to fly near people’s homes this isn’t very . Act 293: prohibits the use of drones to commit video voyeurism (invasion of privacy) class b misdemeanor class a misdemeanor if images were distributed or transmitted to another party, or posted to the internet.


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At the start of 2020, the UK’s vaping and tobacco alternatives category is readying itself for a year of fresh new opportunity and prosperity
The year ahead certainly looks set to be a seminal one for UK vape sales. Following a bruising ride in the second half of 2019, it appears that the category is now on its way towards shaking off the mantle of consumer misunderstanding and fear prompted by the US health crisis, which many convenience retailers claim had dogged it in recent months.
While consumer confidence was undoubtedly hit as a result of widespread ignorance of the marked regulatory differences between the US and UK vaping markets, with many convenience retailers reporting a slowdown in the number of new vapers in the latter part of the year, the traditional retail market (excluding vape shops and online sales) was still worth a whopping £228m at the last count, according to JTI figures from September 2019.
And its head of reduced risk products Nick Geens says he expects the category to experience “several sales spikes throughout the course of the year”.
Sales surges are expected at the start of the year as existing adult smokers attempt to kick off 2020 by quitting tobacco with the help of a vape, and then again in April when the Vapril stop smoking campaign will be in full play.
However, it’s the months following 20 May that are being touted as one of the biggest opportunities for the UK vaping category, after the ban on traditional menthol and capsule tobacco cigarettes, including capsule and slim products, comes into force.
While many existing adult menthol smokers are expected to remain within the cigarette category by reverting to non-mentholated variants, the major tobacco manufacturers and vape suppliers also believe that about a quarter of menthol smokers could switch to vaping, where a vast and growing choice of mint and menthol flavours rule.
Imperial Tobacco and Blu UK corporate affairs director Duncan Cunningham elaborates: “The forthcoming menthol ban in May is an opportunity for vendors, as existing menthol cigarette smokers go in search of alternatives,” he says.
“Menthol (and crushball) sales are collectively worth 26% of the total UK tobacco market, which means they make up nearly one in four cigarette sales. While some adult smokers may simply switch to other traditional tobacco alternatives, many menthol consumers may also use this as an opportunity to explore new ways to stick with menthol flavours and start vaping.”
The year ahead is likely to see a raft of new menthol and mint-based flavours for vaping hitting the market in the lead-up to the ban – particularly within the closed pod market which currently accounts for more than 28% of sales through independents and convenience stores, according to Juul data for November 2019.
Their convenient, quick and easy-to-use format means pod devices are a popular choice with new vapers, and given the fears about vaping generated by the US health crisis, retailers also say that pre-filled pod devices from big name brands are also more trusted by UK consumers.
“One clear trend over the past 12 months, which will continue to grow in popularity across 2020, is the rise of closed tank devices, or pod mods – now the fastest growing vaping segment in the UK,” JTI’s Geens says.
JTI’s Logic Compact range made its debut in the convenience channel in 2019 with a starter kit comprising “everything new vapers require, including a Compact device, USB charger and pods”.
Imperial’s Cunningham was also keen to extol the benefits of pod mod devices such as its MyBlu. “Pod mod devices are among the most popular products for smokers who want switch to vaping,” he says.
And it’s not just pods that look set for a sales boost this year. Surprisingly, given the growing consumer backlash against plastic being experienced across many other retail product categories, the year ahead is also predicted to spell growing success for disposable devices.
Budgens retailer Sid Sidhu, who at the end of 2019 invested in a Vape Store within his St John’s Budgens in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, elaborates: “Pod devices are doing really, really well and interestingly so are disposables. In fact, sales of disposable vapes such as Aquavape’s Disposable Nano are growing month on month.
“In many ways it’s almost like we’ve come full circle as the industry started out with disposable devices. They have a broad appeal, as for less than £5 they offer a fairly cheap way for an adult smoker to trial vaping, but also they appeal to regular vapers on the go as they are so convenient.
“Quality has improved, too, and vapers say that disposable products now perform well in terms of nicotine delivery, but also power, and when the battery is gone they can just be disposed of.”
Aquavape’s Disposable Nano comes in three flavours including menthol, and retails at £4.99.
Vape Dinner Lady chief marketing officer John Taylor expects products such as its Disposable Pod e-cigarette to fuel growth for the company this year.
“The Disposable Pod e-cigarette is making real waves right now. For smokers looking to support their new year’s resolution to switch, it offers a cheaper and less-harmful alternative to a pack of cigarettes.
“It is also popular with existing vapers concerned that their e-liquid or battery may run out.”
Investing in the future
Another retailer who is well-positioned to take advantage of the 2020 vape opportunity is Justin Whittaker of Premier MJ’s store in Royton, Greater Manchester, having recently invested in a dedicated vaping display unit in association with Real Trading.
“I expect the vaping market to play an increasingly big role in my business this year,” he predicts. “From looking at social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram, and particularly the accounts of celebrities and footballers, it really feels like there is now a clear social stigma associated with smoking tobacco, and alternatives such as vaping are gaining traction.
“We are well positioned to meet this rise in demand with a new dedicated vape display that really stands out and have already noticed a sales rise. Education is important, too, and that’s why working with reputable suppliers who can support you in your understanding is vital,” he adds.
Sid agrees that education is key. In addition to his own knowledge of the category, his new Vape Store features a “silent salesman” media screen which allows vapers to find out about the range he offers and pick the right type of product for their needs.
“For example, it asks existing adult smokers how many cigarettes they typically consume a day. Their answer will then suggest a range of products most suited. This last point is crucial as I think in the early days quite a few adult smokers tried to quit the habit with vaping, but because they bought the wrong device for them they didn’t stick with it and went back to smoking.
“There is so much choice now, particularly when it comes to nicotine content and nicotine delivery with Nic Salts, so it’s vital that people looking to switch buy the right product for their needs,” he adds.
He says that we he first opened he also received a bit of backlash from customers who had lost confidence in the vaping category overall, as a result of having tried cheap inferior products in the past. “Consumers need to understand, for instance, that cheap e-liquids for £1 are not going to deliver anything like the vaping experience of more premium quality products.
“Cheap e-liquids are also much thinner and so will burn through coils much faster, which means vapers will constantly be having to replace coils – further marring the experience. It’s actually a massive false economy, but people don’t understand that – until it’s explained to them properly and as the front line for vape sales, it’s our job as retailers to try to do so.”
Sid adds that another big issue is new vapers not using or maintaining their devices properly. “I often get people coming in and saying things like,“My device tastes funny” and when I look at the device it’s clear that they are practically running it dry, which will burn out the coils, or aren’t replacing the coils regularly enough. I try to explain that tanks need to be cleaned regularly and coils, depending on frequency of use, should probably be replaced about once a fortnight.
“Equally, we’ve had some people who have tried products from reputable brands before in the wrong format or strength for them, which has also led them to form a negative opinion.
“It all comes back to education so it’s important that we spend the time explaining the differences to them.”
For Sid, stores that invest in displays, range and crucially consumer education stand to win big in 2020, especially in the wake of the US heath scare when shoppers will be looking more than ever towards trusted sources of supply and brands to meet their needs.
Interestingly, he also expects that traditional vape stores, which still currently account for a significant share of sales, to begin losing ground to traditional retail as the challenges of operating standalone stores in the current economic climate begin to make themselves more widely felt.
“Going forward I think that vape shops will start to suffer with the pressure of business rates and consumers’ growing appetite to buy from stores that offer everything they need, not just vapes, under one roof.
“It makes far more sense for vapers to come to a store like mine, which has a range to meet all their vaping needs, where they can also do a full food shop, grab some food or coffee to go, and not worry about finding or paying for parking, too.”
While no hard evidence exists on this, PMI md Peter Nixon believes that specialist vape stores have had a hard time of late. “While vape stores were doing pretty well at the start of the year, following all these scare stories from the US, anecdotal evidence suggests that times are tough for the specialist vape stores, particularly for those that opened multiple vape shops during a short space of time,” he says.
This suggests a clear opportunity for good convenience retailers. And of course, as we approach the menthol ban, it’s important that retailers keep the wider tobacco alternatives market in mind, not just vaping products.
Products such as JTI’s Nordic Spirit tobacco pouches could also grow in popularity, as could the heated tobacco market.
Bipin Haria, owner of Seaford News in East Sussex, is already experiencing growing sales of PMI’s Heets, as is Sid. It’s news which will no doubt be music to their ears of PMI’s Nixon.
“Heated tobacco is doing pretty well in the UK,” he says. “It’s not on the same scale as in some other countries, but we have turned a corner in 2019.
“Because we can’t advertise, we rely to a certain extent on word of mouth, and only when you have a certain number of consumers do you start to see a real impact.
“I think that in 2019 we reached a tipping point and it’s really starting to grow now.”
The fact that heated tobacco was also granted a separate tax category back in July also helped the market by driving down prices.
“Heated tobacco products now have to pay less tax than cigarettes so we can sell Heets for an rrp of £5 – half the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes,” Nixon adds.
“UK retailers are starting to see the benefits of this as a lot of Iqos users were previously buying their heats in Europe or via online sellers.”
Next year the menthol ban will provide another significant opportunity for the brand, as Nixon explains: “Following the ban on menthol and capsule cigarettes on 20 May, Heets – which are classed as a ‘novel tobacco product’ – will be the only mentholated tobacco products that adult smokers will legally be able to buy.
“Stocking them alongside a range of other alternatives including vape will be key for those retailers looking to retain and potentially grow their footfall in the months following the ban,” he adds.
Safety briefing: where the UK stands
BAT UK & Ireland general manager Fredrik Svensson comments on the US health scare and what can be done to better support UK vape sales.
“Recent and tragic stories in the US have led to some concern about the relative safety of vaping, but it’s important to reiterate that, unlike in the US, vaping products are tightly regulated in the UK.
“Anyone looking to make the switch to vaping should feel confident in the knowledge that Public Health England, alongside Cancer Research UK and Action on Smoking and Health, have reiterated their advice that vaping is a much less harmful alternative to smoking and can help smokers quit.
“The UK vaping market is tightly regulated and all products have to be pre-notified to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency before launch. We fully support this regulation.
“We encourage the government to make sure vaping products are widely available, affordable and accessible to adult smokers and nicotine users, through appropriate age-gated sales channels.
“To encourage even more switching, government must do two things. First, it must ensure doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and local council stop smoking services lead the way in providing accurate and informative advice about the potential benefits of switching to vaping.
“Second, it should change its policy to allow vaping products manufactured by tobacco companies to be offered through stop smoking services. It doesn’t make sense to exclude some of the highest quality products from the market due to a misunderstanding about current regulations and ideological opposition to the tobacco industry.”
Juul distribution grows in convenience
A range of Juul products are now being listed by the Dhamecha Group and United Wholesale as Juul Labs UK continues to expand its distribution to independent retailers.
Dhamecha trading director Mukesh Vithlani welcomed the move, saying the vaping category offers independent retailers “huge scope for growth”.
Juul Labs UK sales director Jonathan Patterson adds: “To achieve our mission of improving the lives of the world’s one billion adult smokers and eliminating cigarettes, we have to be stocked and visible in stores where adult smokers purchase their tobacco products.
“Juul Labs has been highly selective in entering the wholesale channel as each retailer has to sign up to Juul’s Challenge 25 programme.”


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Open-source developers should stop bickering, unite and jointly develop a Windows user interface to make XO laptops more appealing to users, One Laptop Per Child Chairman Nicholas Negroponte has urged in a public note to that community.
On a day when companies are promoting their green efforts as part of Earth Day, a nonprofit has accused some organizations of causing more environmental damage in the name of recycling electronic equipment.
In a repeat of a February donnybrook over Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows Vista, IT professionals and developers are blasting Microsoft's decision to withhold the final version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) from them until after it's released t...
Microsoft sees the ultra-low cost PC market as a significant opportunity and plans to pursue it with vigor, according to Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer.
Microsoft's attempt to reverse a lower court's ruling in the ongoing "Vista Capable" lawsuit was denied by an appeals court on Monday, a decision that means the case can resume.
Advanced Micro Devices Monday released two more 45-watt, energy-efficient Athlon desktop processors.
As expected, Microsoft Monday announced that it has finished work on Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) and released it to computer makers and volume licensing customers.
Intel is slashing the price of some of its processors up to 50 percent, a slap in the face to rival Advanced Micro Devices, long known as the low-price alternative in the chip market.
Business travellers to Russia might want to keep their laptops and iPhones well-concealed - not from muggers, necessarily, but from the country's recently formed regulatory super-agency, Rossvyazokhrankultura (short for the Russian Mass Media, Commun...
Bull has a gadget for businesses worried about the security of data stored on laptops: a bootable, portable password-protected hard disk drive with an embedded cryptographic processor that protects data if the device is lost or stolen.
Asustek Computer Tuesday launched its biggest low-cost Eee laptop yet, and as expected, will offer it with either Linux or Microsoft's Windows XP Home.
Details of the first few processors belonging to Intel's latest Centrino 2 mobile platform have been leaked on a PC maker's Web site, preempting Intel's official launch of the platform at the middle of this year.
More than two years before Microsoft extended Windows XP's lifespan so makers of new low-cost laptops could install the operating system, a company analyst had warned that Vista's "harsher" system requirements might mean trouble, according to interna...
Calling the situation "untenable" and describing Windows as "collapsing," a pair of Gartner analysts this week said Microsoft must make radical changes to the operating system or risk becoming a has-been.
Hackers are trying to exploit a critical Windows vulnerability just patched on Tuesday, security researchers said this afternoon -- and the only version of Windows not at risk is the unfinished Windows XP SP3.
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Posted Monday, December 30th 2013 @ 11am
SAN DIEGO - A photo of an iconic American doll is creating a social media firestorm.
The site, Plus Size Modeling, posted a photoshopped image of a plus-sized Barbie doll on its Facebook page with the caption: "Should toy companies start making plus-sized dolls?"
The post has already netted more than 39,000 likes and 4,000 comments.
But many people are outraged, saying an "obese" doll would promote unhealthiness, rather than "realness."


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Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is paying US$1 billion for a controlling stake in Singapore e-commerce startup Lazada Group, its biggest overseas acquisition to date.
The Chinese e-commerce giant is betting on growth in populous Southeast Asia, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Lazada sells everything from rice cookers to smartphones and operates e-commerce platforms throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The acquisition comes as Alibaba has been using its US$3.7 billion in free cash flow to expand into e-commerce, logistics and media, as well as entertainment both at home and abroad.
In December, Alibaba agreed to pay HK$2.06 billion (US$266 million) for Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post.
“Globalization is a critical strategy for the growth of Alibaba Group today and well into the future,” said Alibaba president Michael Evans.
Separately, an Alibaba spokesman said the company will be able to tap into Lazada’s “logistics backbone.”
Chinese companies have been on an acquisition sprees as they seek to expand into new areas and as growth slows at home.
They have turned into voracious suitors this year, agreeing to US$92.3 billion of foreign takeovers in industries from semiconductors to agriculture, compared with US$106.7 billion for all of 2015, according to data provider Dealogic.
Last year, Alibaba, along with Foxconn Technology Group and SoftBank Group Co., took part in a US$500 million investment in Indian e-commerce startup Snapdeal.com.
In 2014, Alibaba bought a minority stake in Singapore’s main postal service for US$249 million to create an international e-commerce logistics business.
– Contact us at [email protected]


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According to Times Finance, news from within the group, Guangzhou Auto is developing a flying car, while industry insiders said that Guangzhou Auto is now transforming to technology, so this possibility is relatively large. Zhang Fan, vice president of Guangzhou Automobile Research Institute, also said in an interview with Times Finance yesterday, “Our research institute will also lay out extensively in future travel technology, and will conduct certain research on multiple travel scene carriers to grasp the trend.”
And you can also see on the recruitment platform that BAIC Research Institute has already started recruiting related talents, including vehicle ground dispatch system development engineers, vehicle test engineers, vehicle architecture design responsibility engineers, etc., with salaries between 20,000 and 40,000 yuan.
Before GAC Group entered the game, the same car companies Xiaopeng and Geely in the flying car has a long time in the research and development investment, Xiaopeng car’s flying car company Xiaopeng Huitian in 2013 began to involve in the field of manned vehicles; Geely in 2017 acquired the U.S. flying car startup Terrafugia (Tai Li).
It is worth mentioning that the day Guangzhou Auto rumors to enter the flying car, Xiaopeng Huitian new pilot plant officially opened, in the other day when He Xiaopeng also announced the Xiaopeng Huitian travel voyager X2 test video, He Xiaopeng said: “emergency braking, large maneuvers, control precision, convergence is very crisp, very with the hand, pointing to where to hit, there is a feeling of playing through the machine. ” According to Peng Huitian President Zhao Deli previously revealed that both flight and land-based functions of the sixth generation of flying cars will be planned for mass production delivery in 2024.
Flying cars have great prospects in the future, according to the report “Urban Air Transportation — The Rise of a New Mode of Transportation” predicts that by 2025, there will be 3,000 flying cars in use, and then their number will grow exponentially; by 2050, there will be nearly 100,000 flying cars worldwide By 2050, nearly 100,000 flying cars will be in use worldwide. However, similar to autonomous driving, flying cars are in a paradox of large market space and difficult commercialization (technology, policy).


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More than 2 000 vendors from Gweru who were moved to designated sites by Gweru Council to the outskirts of the town are threatening to return to the pavements following the flooding of the sites which has made the area inaccessible and difficult to work from.
The heavy rains that pounded the city in the past few days left the designated vending site at the open space near swift flooded and muddy making it difficult for the vendors to work from the site.
They (vendors) said the situation is now threatening their livelihoods as their clients cannot access the flooded area to buy their wares.
Although some were happy with the vending site they said the problem of flooding which left some of their goods submerged in water will soon force them back to the pavements.
They implored the local authority to expedite the setting up of a proper a drainage system that will ease flooding at the site.
Concerns were also raised over the sprouting of illegal vendors which they said council is taking long to address.
The local authority is mobilising resources for drainage systems on the site said chamber secretary Vakayi Chikwekwe who also added that a committee is already in place that will look into the issue of illegal vendors on the streets.
The strong willed ones have since deserted their vending bays at the designated sites and they are back on the streets of Gweru selling their wares which at times distract movement of people.


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Our county’s obstructionist Congressmen Tom McClintock and Doug LaMalfa, CABPRO, Defend Rural America and their local “parrot bloggers” keep complaining that environmentalists are to blame for too little timber harvest and too much wildfire risk. They also complain about all the jobs that are being exported out of state, blaming “regulation,” the Global Warming...
We wrote about this tactic previously. Now Swift’s “free” online Tahoe newspapers, including Truckee’s, have joined them, at least in some instances. You have to answer a marketing question to access the content, in this case one about Truckee’s incorporation, 20 years later. (I searched for this article via Google). At The Union, the...
The Fall issue of Sierra FoodWineArt magazine is out. It’s record-sized for this time of year; some of the content will be republished in the Sacramento Bee later this month. We’ll be up in Truckee this weekend for the 10th annual “Wine, Walk & Shop.” Enjoy the fall colors this weekend. The digital version...
Here’s a letter ran in the Mammoth Times about Dan Holler, as well as this editorial, pointing to a “stand-up guy who understands finances, knows the Eastside (he was an administrator in Douglas County, Nev.) and grasps the vicissitudes of a tourism-based economy, having come from the Gold Country City of Grass Valley.” I’ve...


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Competition for convenience and fuel will be getting hotter as Publix Super Markets, based here, and discount merchandiser Fred Meyer both turned up the heat last month.
Publix, the latest major supermarket to find value in fuel centers and convenience stores, recently rolled out two 4,000-square-foot super-convenience outlets on lots of existing locations in Poinciana and Deltona, Fla., recently. The new stores opened six months after the grocery chain launched its Pix c-store concept, a 1,000-square-foot retail combination featuring traditional convenience merchandise and gasoline.
Fred Meyer, an operating company of Hutchinson, Kan.-based Kroger Co., also upped its fuel ante as it began construction on a new FM Fuel Stop in Albany, Ore., its 17th in four states and the sixth in Oregon. Kroger Co. also operates more than 800 convenience stores under various brands.
The FM Fuel Stop, which will have five pumps including diesel, will open in July. The arrival of the new outlet comes just eight months after Costco opened a members-only gas station, driving prices down by some 30 cents a gallon, said Chuck Grato, a Shell jobber and operator of a Shell ETD convenience store also located in Albany.
Retailers in numerous markets have been struggling to develop strategies to compete more effectively with high- volume retailers (HVRs) selling gas. "The growth of high-volume retailers isn't slowing down and it's getting to the point where every large market is going to have at least one HVR to compete with," said Joe Gauthier, director of operations for Wesco Inc., a North Muskegon, Mich.-based operator of 53 c-stores. "If we try to hold on to market share based on price alone we are going to lose every time. We need to diversify our offerings by developing loyalty programs to keep our customers satisfied."
Designed by New York-based CDI Group Inc., the Pix stations promote a variety of Publix and nationally branded merchandise, as well as foodservice items including fountain beverages and sandwiches. The fuel islands offer eight gasoline nozzles.
Company spokesman Lee Brunson declined to comment on the fuel operations.
Publix, which operates more than 650 stores in four southern states, lags behind Albertson's, Safeway, Kroger and other supermarket chains that embraced gasoline as far back as the mid-1990s. Analysts have described the company as conservative, but growing.
"Supermarkets like Publix are seeing the value in having both fuel and traditional offerings in the same location," said George Dahlman, senior research analyst at U.S. Bancorp Piper and Jaffray. "[Pix] will cannibalize sales from the supermarket, but it also will take sales away from surrounding convenience store chains. From Publix's perspective it still means they've got that shopper buying from them. Whether it's in the supermarket or in their convenience store, it still goes in Publix's pockets."
Like Publix, Fred Meyer buys its fuel directly from the refineries, allowing it to save the cost of dealing with jobbers. In contrast, according to Oregon jobber Grato, most independent or leased stations in his region purchase their fuel from jobbers, adding an additional layer of cost.
In response to the burgeoning competition by volume dealers, Grato says some refiners are helping c-store retailers compete by paying dealer rebates. Grato participates in a program that pays retailers a per-gallon rebate and has been offered since another big competitor, Costco, moved into Oregon last year.


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Facebook, Inc.FB has finally introduced a person to person payment feature on its messenger service nationwide. Users can easily send money to anyone on their friends list without accessing third party fund transfer services. All they need to do is link their Visa or Mastercard debit card to their Facebook account. The service is active on Apple's AAPL iOS and Google's GOOGL Android based devices as well as desktops and is currently available across the U.S.
This move marks Facebook's entry into a burgeoning online payment business. Not only will it make the social networking giant less dependent on services like PayPal or Venmo but will also place it in direct competition with veteran players like PayPal and other leading credit card companies and technology companies like Apple, Google and Twitter TWTR .
Reportedly, Facebook started to deploy its payment services gradually on a city-by-city basis in March this year beginning with New York City. Last month, Facebook Messenger added the ability to pay within group chats and allowed non-Facebook users to join its chat service last week.
We believe that with constantly evolving payment methods and consumers' demand for speedy and easy transactions, Facebook's new venture is likely to gain popularity, given its benefits over traditional payment methods, lower cost, faster responses and improved consumer interfaces.
In fact, its growing number of subscribers will ensure a steady customer base for the company's payment business. However, the company, like other social media websites is prone to hacks and data theft. Therefore, users might as well think more than once before linking their bank accounts to their respective Facebook accounts.
Nevertheless, Facebook believes that transactions via its messenger service are safe and secure as payment information is encrypted and separate from other parts of the network. In addition, the company reportedly also ensured that the whole process will receive an additional monitoring system in order to avoid security breaches.
We believe that Facebook's success in payment services can't easily be foretold. However, other services like WeChat are doing it easily enough. Since Facebook has significant global reach, which should help it expand its Messenger payment service worldwide to fully capitalize on this opportunity.
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Boris Johnson has hired top design consultants to "rebrand" London at a cost of £500,000.
International design agency Saffron will create a new image and logo for the capital. City Hall wants to emulate New York's "NYC" emblem.
However, Green Party Assembly member Darren Johnson said: "London has a very clear identity that's known throughout the world. We don't need to spend £500,000 on branding."
The Mayor said: "We need to have a multitude of promotional banners that encapsulate the vivacity of this wonderful city."
Wally Olins, chairman of Saffron, previously co-founded Wolff Olins, which was behind the "jagged" 2012 Olympics logo.Reuse content


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Women Are Losing Retail Jobs to MenLatest
Retail is dying and stores are closing but somehow life—and men?—find a way: according to the Washington Post, analysis of new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that even though the retail industry is shedding jobs like crazy, many of the new opportunities in that sector are going to men, not women.
According to the Institute For Women’s Policy Research, women lost 160,300 jobs in retail while 106,000 new jobs in the field went to men—that means that “women’s share of all retail trade jobs fell from 50.4 to 49.6 percent.” Great news for women, once again!
The reason for this decline isn’t clear, but economist Heidi Hartmann of the IWPR has a theory that checks out: due to some miracle, the jobless rate has dropped to the lowest its been in 17 years. As a result of this increase, Hartmann theorizes that spending also increased, especially on things like appliances and furniture—both items which are traditonally sold by men, in jobs that offer more security and higher commissions.
“There’s basically sex segregation within the retail industry,” Hartmann said. “Women have tried very hard to get into jobs like that.”
Other theories about this slightly depressing bit of news are that men are often employed in the shipping end of retail; another is that women are getting the hell out of whatever department stores are left and hightailing it for the higher-paying world of health care.
Though this might seem cause for screeching alarm, let’s all take a collective breath. Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US LLP, an international consulting firm told the Washington Post that women are outpacing men in college enrollment, which ostensibly would put them on the management track after they graduate. I’ll take it!


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Businesses use market-leading wireless charging technology to engage customers across multiple touch points
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Powermat Technologies today announced its market-leading wireless charging platform can help businesses of all sizes improve customer engagement and increase sales by providing them with the personalized marketing tools necessary to drive repeat business. Cloud connected charging spots make Powermat truly unique in the industry, as it's currently the only wireless charging platform on the market to offer businesses the opportunity to engage with customers across multiple touch points—before they're in the store, while they're in it, and after.
"Customers have deep connections with their phones, and an expectation of instant communication or immediate access to information has created a real fear of running out of battery," said Thorsten Heins, Chief Executive Officer of Powermat Technologies. "Powermat's mobile engagement solution alleviates this fear by offering a phone charging service that not only provides customers with power, but also provides businesses with the ability to attract, engage and service customers in a much more meaningful way."
Helping businesses become optimized for mobile, Powermat's engagement platform is a marketing tool through which businesses can send customized offers, tailored content and special rewards to customers in order to generate repeat business and increased revenue. Best of all, brick-and-mortar businesses can better understand their customers.
Once customers download the Powermat Mobile App, required to enable charging at participating Powermat locations, businesses can use customizable, geo-targeted push-notifications to send information to a customer on-site, or to share offers and content when a customer is nearby. When customers lay their smartphone on a Powermat Charging Spot, businesses can then send them contextual messages such as special offers, surveys and in-store deals that help generate customer loyalty and even drive a second purchase. Finally, businesses can bring customers back in store by running gratitude campaigns that, through push notifications, entice customers with loyalty points, rewards and other exciting promotions.
Since Powermat's mobile engagement platform is built on a cloud infrastructure with portals for each client, venues can also easily customize offers to match their customers' specific needs. Businesses have the tools to analyze users of the service and marketing metrics. Additionally, venues can build campaign calendars and time their campaigns to a specific time of day and/or location, depending on peak periods at their store and/or the type of customer they're trying to attract.
"E-commerce retailers have a rich knowledge of consumer preferences and buying habits due to the digital nature of their business, but traditional brick and mortar operators need and want help catching up," said Carlo Chiarello, Chief Product Officer of Powermat Technologies. "Our engagement platform gives businesses the customizable marketing tools they need to learn more about their customers and serve them better."
Powermat technology helps businesses drive reoccurring revenue, and generate a solid return on investment on any wireless charging installation. In a recent online consumer survey conducted by Powermat, 4 out of 5 respondents said they'd frequent a venue with wireless charging at least once more per week. In addition, 86 percent said they'd spend more time at a store, and 56 percent said they'd spend more money while there.
As pioneers in the wireless charging industry, Powermat has attained a great deal of mass market installation experience over the past decade. Whether a business owner is opening a new location or retrofitting a store, Powermat has created a scalable process that's seamless, and extremely efficient with almost no impact on daily operations.
Business owners considering wireless charging solutions should contact us at: https://www.powermat.com/contact/
Images and press material can be downloaded from: http://mwc.vporoom.com/Powermat
About Powermat Technologies
Our vision is to help create a world where people never again need worry about running out of power. By equipping venues with a wireless charging infrastructure, Powermat's platform allows businesses to increase relevant engagement with customers sending contextual information, alerts, offers and promotions through the Powermat app before, during and after on-site consumer interactions. Together with more than 100 partners, we are building a global wireless power ecosystem. A pioneer in cloud connected wireless charging infrastructure, we utilize existing principles of magnetic inductivity to wirelessly transfer electricity in a safe and effective manner. As founding members of the Power Matters Alliance (now AirFuel Alliance) we are dedicated to creating an industry standard for smart, environmental and accessible wireless power. Everyone should live life at 100%. For more information please visit www.powermat.com.
SOURCE Powermat Technologies


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Although online sales are very popular, Apple still relies on its retail stores to reach potential customers and to provide support to those in need. The company has no brick and mortar retail location in South Korea yet, but it looks like things are soon going to change.
According to insiders familiar with the plans of the Cupertino-based company, Apple's regional office in South Korea signed no less than three long-term lease contracts for land in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam District in Seoul. The same sources reveal that the contracts were signed at the end of February and the lease will last until the end of February 2036. After reviewing multiple locations last year, the iPhone maker has settled for one that will host a two- to three-story retail store.
Unfortunately, there is no information available about the opening date of the company's first South Korean store and its construction still has to begin. Right now, Apple sells its products in South Korea via a local partner.
Codrut Nistor - Senior Tech Writer - 5995 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2013
In my early school days, I hated writing and having to make up stories. A decade later, I started to enjoy it. Since then, I published a few offline articles and then I moved to the online space, where I contributed to major websites that are still present online as of 2021 such as Softpedia, Brothersoft, Download3000, but I also wrote for multiple blogs that have disappeared over the years. I've been riding with the Notebookcheck crew since 2013 and I am not planning to leave it anytime soon. In love with good mechanical keyboards, vinyl and tape sound, but also smartphones, streaming services, and digital art.


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Higher transportation costs here to stay
- Mark Szakonyi, Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE — The cost of moving goods is rising via truck and rail and isn’t expected to fall for several years, thus increasing the cost of many goods, logistics executives say.
The recent jump in fuel prices only exacerbated the cost of trucking, which has risen as demand outpaces trucking companies’ willingness to expand their fleets. The next two years look bright for trucking companies because they have come out of the recession better-run, with far less competition and more pricing power, said Stephen Silverman, Raven Transport Co.’s chief operations officer.
The spot market for trucking, or pricing for moves not prearranged, rose 38 percent from January to February, and was 65 percent higher year-over-year, according to TransCore, a transportation technology company. Over the next year, Silverman expects the average trucking rate per mile of roughly $1.50 to increase by at least 10 cents per mile.
Diesel fuel prices are nearing $4 per gallon and trucking executives expect prices to surpass that mark by the summer. The high season for many trucking companies operating in Florida, especially those that haul produce, starts in April and runs through August.
“The companies that have built a relationship with [trucking companies] instead of taking advantage of them over the past two years are best poised for better rates,” said Rob Hooper Jr.">Rob Hooper Jr., senior vice president of Atlantic Logistics Inc., based in Jacksonville. “The [trucking] carriers have gotten it so bad in the past two years that there is a payback atmosphere.”
Increased federal regulation making it harder for trucking companies to find qualified drivers, and potential legislation that would reduce truckers’ driving times, prevent trucking companies from expanding, said Tim Guin, president of Arnold Transportation Services Inc. He has no plans to expand his company’s fleet of about 1,000 drivers until it’s clear business will increase and stay steady.
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SHIJIAZHUANG, July 4 (Xinhua) -- North China's Hebei province saw $3.72 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first five months of this year, up 19.2 percent year on year, authorities said Thursday.
(File Photo: CGTN)
According to the provincial commerce department, $3.22 billion, or 86.5 percent of the total FDI, went into the secondary industry, an increase of 26.5 percent compared with the same period of last year.
About $2.82 billion went into the manufacturing industry, up 18.1 percent. And 40 enterprises with foreign investment of $1.58 billion were established in the province from January to May.
The investments were mainly from Asia and Europe, said the provincial commerce department. Investment from Asia rose 47.9 percent to 2.86 billion dollars and that from Europe increased 41.6 percent to $240 million.


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Database manufacturer Oracle Corporation has told the US Supreme Court that Google's appropriation of code from its Java programming language for use in the Android mobile operating systems undercut Oracle's chances of competing in this sector of the tech industry.
A fresh saga has begun in the long-running case between Google and Oracle, with the search giant asking the US Supreme Court on Thursday to reverse a verdict granted in Oracle's favour.
AWS used a keynote presentation by Amazon.com chief technology officer Werner Vogels at its AWS re-Invent conference to announce a raft of new products and features aimed at developers, with an emphasis on serverless.
So much for former NBN Co boss Bill Morrow claiming people didn’t want higher broadband speeds! But spare a thought[…]
Perhaps this is a shitstorm specifically designed to slow Chinese tech companies down. Europeans are suggesting Huawei's G5 technology is[…]
Thank you to Alex, to Sam, and to ITWire for covering this stuff."...working on its own homegrown OS," might be[…]
LNP SCOMO ship will do nothing to any of their Big business supporters. So in other words, it will be[…]


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linuxwrangler writes "It started with a dream of building a full-sized jet flight simulator. Now, 20 years, $150,000 and one divorce later, James Price can walk to his garage and fly the 737 simulator he built built from the nose of a surplus 737. From the article: 'James Price had one must-have when looking for a new home -- the garage had to be able to hold the nose of a Boeing 737 jetliner. "Once I realized I could get it in here, I was OK with the house," Price said. In his spacious three-car garage Price has a well-traveled jetliner cockpit tucked in next to the family car. Aviation experts say Price, 52, is one of only a handful of people in the world who have built their own flight simulator cockpit in an actual jet nose."
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rbarreira writes "The source code for the original Prince of Persia game has been released on github by its author, Jordan Mechner. This release comes three weeks after Jordan announced the find of a box containing old floppy disks that had been forgotten in the back of a closet for 20+ years. A 'digital archeology' effort was launched to recover the contents of the floppy disks, with the help of Jason Scott from textfiles.com. Some photos from the 'copy party' have also been posted."
zacharye writes "The next-generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles currently being developed by Microsoft and Sony will make the disparity between console and mobile gaming even more vast, adding more fluid animation support and a number of additional enhancements that will make video games more realistic than ever. But even when confined to the capabilities present in today's home consoles, new video game engines show us just how amazing gaming will be moving forward. Ctytek, the lab behind the popular Crysis franchise, recently released the CryENGINE 3 SDK 3.4.0 DX11 update for developers, along with a quick reel to highlight some of the engine's capabilities." Crysis 3 has also been officially confirmed. They're aiming for a Spring 2013 release date, and the game will be set within a dome in New York City that contains an 'urban rainforest.'
braindrainbahrain writes "Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, has a Facebook page in which he posts a short gripe about Comcast. It seems watching video through the Xfinity app on an Xbox does not counting towards your cap on your Comcast data plan. All other services, Netflix included, do. To quote Hastings: 'For example, if I watch last night's SNL episode on my Xbox through the Hulu app, it eats up about one gigabyte of my cap, but if I watch that same episode through the Xfinity Xbox app, it doesn't use up my cap at all. The same device, the same IP address, the same wifi, the same internet connection, but totally different cap treatment. In what way is this neutral?'" The difference, of course, is that you need a Comcast cable TV subscription in order to have the Xfinity app not count toward your monthly data usage allowance. Then again, you can't exactly sign up for a similar plan through Netflix or Hulu.
New submitter thunderdanp writes with news that a company called Worlds Inc. has filed a patent suit against Activision Blizzard, targeting World of Warcraft and the Call of Duty series. The patents in question describe a "System and Method for Enabling Users to Interact in a Virtual Space." Worlds Inc. is quite glad that "their" technology has "helped the businesses of virtual worlds gaming and the sale of virtual goods to grow into a multibillion-dollar industry" — but now they want a cut.
jjp9999 writes "Bethesda announced they're bringing Kinect support to Skyrim. It doesn't sound like this will include motion detection. Rather, it will be around voice commands — tons of voice commands. It supports dragon shouts, trading, navigation, switching weapons, and a whole lot of other features that usually require you to assign hotkeys or to sort through menus. They also gave a brief hint at new content, stating they've 'been hard at work on creating the first set of game add-ons that will be exclusive to the Xbox 360. This additional content will add new quests, locations, features, and much more to the world of Skyrim.'"
New submitter Canazza writes "According to Develop, 'PC games giant Valve wants to "invent whole new gaming experiences" and is looking for people to help create new hardware, the Washington studio has confirmed. Off the back of a wave of speculation that the studio is building its own games console – a rumour which Valve has not specifically denied – the company now appears to be increasing capacity of its hardware development division.' Is Valve designing a new console? Or is this an expansion of its biometric controls research? Either way, something big is going down at Valve."
TPIRman writes "In 1994, a physics doctoral student named Dave Ring assembled more than 100 math and puzzle enthusiasts on Usenet for what became one of the earliest online 'crowdsourcing' projects. Their goal: to determine if every hand in Windows' FreeCell solitaire game was in fact winnable, as the program's help file implied. Their efforts soon focused in on one incredibly stubborn hand: #11,982. They couldn't beat it, but in the process of trying, they proved the viability of an idea that would later be refined with crowdsourcing models like Amazon's Mechanical Turk."
techfun89 writes "Ever wished that you could defeat Bowser literally right from your coffee table with giant built in buttons? Well, your dreams have come true with the fully-functional Nintendo Controller Coffee Table. This is the creation of Charles Lushear that has combined old school entertainment with maple wood and craftsmanship. Simply plug into an existing classic NES system and go to town. The table also features a removable glass top with retractable cord to use the furniture as just a table when you are done playing Mario."
Lendrick writes "OpenGameArt.org, the Free Software Foundation, and the Creative Commons are teaming up to bring the Liberated Pixel Cup, a free-as-in-freedom game making contest starting on June 1st and going through July 31st. The contest will be divided into two phases: the first phase will be about adding on to a consistent set of art commissioned specially for the contest, and the second phase, starting on July 1st, will be about building games using the provided art."
cylonlover writes "While games like Batman: Arkham City and Gears of War are certainly entertaining, virtually beating up thugs and fighting subterranean creatures doesn't exactly translate into real world skills. However, a new agreement with teaching software developer Virtual Heroes could see Epic's Unreal Engine platform used to create more practical experiences and train medical staff and law enforcement officers to handle high-stress situations. By using Epic's Unreal Engine 3, some United States government agencies like the FBI and U.S. Army are hoping to give their employees tools for virtually practicing their skills in a more realistic environment and better prepare them to save lives."
jfruh writes "Most gamers probably know that legendary game designer Tim Schafer turned to Kickstarter to help raise money a new adventure game; aiming for $400,000, he managed to raise more than $3 million. But you might not know that a host of other game projects are doing well on the crowdfunding site, with creators ranging from industry famous to unknown. By bypassing corporate funding and appealing directly to their audience, these developers are sparking a renaissance in quirky, personal games that probably wouldn't be backed by a big label looking for a sure-fire hit."
An anonymous reader writes "The U.S. Navy is paying a company six figures to hack into used video game consoles and extract sensitive information. The tasks to be completed are for both offline and online data. The organization says it will only use the technology on consoles belonging to nations overseas, because the law doesn't allow it to be used on any 'U.S. persons.'" Should be a doddle.
An anonymous reader writes "The battle between angry fans and BioWare has been raging since the game's release over several issues, with the biggest being the disappointing ending. BioWare have stuck to their guns and stated that they won't make a new ending, but will release free DLC to add clarity to the existing ones."
silentbrad writes "As announced last month, Notch — creator of Minecraft — is working on a sandbox space game (no, not the Mars Effect April Fools joke, though it's similar). "The game [0x10c] is still extremely early in development, but like we did with Minecraft, we expect to release it early and let the players help me shape the game as it grows. The cost of the game is still undecided, but it's likely there will be a monthly fee for joining the Multiverse as we are going to emulate all computers and physics even when players aren't logged in. Single player won't have any recurring fees. ... The computer in the game is a fully functioning emulated 16 bit CPU that can be used to control your entire ship, or just to play games on while waiting for a large mining operation to finish. Full specifications of the CPU will be released shortly, so the more programatically advanced of you can get a head start.""


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Steve Blank describes Death By Revenue Plan:
We were at the board meeting of company building a radically new type of communication hardware. The company was going through some tough times. It had taken the company almost twice as long as planned to get their product out the door. But that wasn’t what the heat being generated at this board meeting was about. All discussion focused on “missing the revenue plan.”
Spread out in front of everyone around the conference table were the latest Income Statement, Balance Sheets and Cash Flow Statements. The VC’s were very concerned that the revenue the financial plan called for wasn’t being delivered by the sales team. They were also looking at the Cash Flow Statement and expressed their concern (i.e. raised their voices in a annoyed investor tone) that the headcount and its attendant burn rate combined with the lack of revenue meant the company would run out of money much sooner than anyone planned.
The VC’s concluded that the company needed to change direction and act aggressively to increase revenue so the company could “make the plan.” They told the CEO (who was the technical founder) that the sales team should focus on “other markets.” Another VC added that engineering should redesign the product to meet the price and performance of current users in an adjacent market.
The founder was doing his best to try to explain that his vision today was the same as when he pitched the company to the VC’s and when they funded the company. He said, “I told you it was going to take it least five years for the underlying industry infrastructure to mature, and that we had to convince OEMs to design in our product. All this takes time.” But the VC’s kept coming back to the lack of adoption of the product, the floundering sales force, the burn rate — and “the plan.”
Given the tongue-lashing the VC’s were giving the CEO and the VP of Sales, you would have thought that selling the product was something any high-school kid could have done.
What went wrong?
What went wrong was that the founder had built a product for a New Market and the VC’s allowed him to execute, hire and burn cash like he was in an Existing Market.


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Saab aims to break even next year with the help of a job-cutting restructuring plan announced in November last year, the head of the Swedish car maker told Reuters at the Geneva motor show.
Saab chief Peter Augustsson told the news agency that the restructuring, which includes cutting 1,400 jobs, mostly in Sweden, will trim Saab’s breakeven point to an annual vehicle sales level of 130,000 to 140,000 cars, which Saab should be able to hit next year.
According to Reuters, Saab sold about 120,000 vehicles last year, and its new 9-3 line, including a convertible unveiled this week at Geneva, will help boost sales over the next few years, Augustsson said.
“We should in a couple of years be in a profit,” Augustsson told Reuters.
Reuters said that, with the new 9-3 sedan on the market, Saab recorded its strongest February ever in the US market. Augustsson told the news agency he expected worldwide sales to climb to 135,000 vehicles this year.
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Reuters said that next year, the full impact of Saab’s cost cuts will be realised. “From a cost side, we will be there next year,” Augustsson said.
Reuters noted that, in addition to cutting 1,400 jobs, Saab is also eliminating costs by moving production of the 9-3 and the larger 9-5 car to the same assembly line and integrating engineering operations with GM Europe.
The losses expected for Saab this year are one reason why GM is expecting its European operations to break even or post another loss this year, GM officials told Reuters.
GM’s Opel brand, also in the midst of a turnaround, still expects to break even toward the end of this year, Carl-Peter Forster, the head of the Germany-based car division, told Reuters.
According to Reuters, in February, Opel’s market share in Germany, its biggest market, rose more than 1% from last year as sales climbed by around 10%, Forster said.
“It really depends on the German economy and the war scenario,” Forster told Reuters at the auto show. “Germany is the big question mark. We would predict a flat market in Europe. Some others are more bearish.”
Reuters noted that Forster said that incentive costs are rising as car makers battle for market share amid signs of a weakening market. “Always, at times of stress, your costs of sales go up,” Forster said, according to Reuters.


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A sneaker recycling company has taken a step towards a more sustainable future by switching to eco-friendly packaging. The company, called Sneaker LAB, is based in South Africa and specializes in cleaning and refurbishing sneakers for resale. Their new packaging is made from 100% recycled materials and is designed to be reusable and biodegradable.
Sneaker LAB’s move towards sustainable packaging is part of a larger trend towards more eco-friendly solutions in the fashion industry. Many companies are recognizing the need to reduce waste and environmental impact and are taking steps towards more sustainable practices.
Sneaker LAB’s new packaging is made from recycled cardboard and is designed to be easily assembled and disassembled. It can be reused multiple times and is also biodegradable, making it a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional packaging materials.
The company’s CEO, Jo Farah, said that the decision to switch to sustainable packaging was driven by a desire to reduce the environmental impact of their products. “Our mission has always been to reduce our impact on the environment, and our packaging is a big part of that,” he said.
In addition to their new packaging, Sneaker LAB also uses eco-friendly cleaning products and has implemented a number of other sustainable practices in their operations. This includes using solar power and rainwater harvesting to reduce their energy and water consumption.
Sneaker LAB’s move towards sustainable packaging is a positive step towards a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. By adopting more eco-friendly solutions, companies can reduce their impact on the environment and create a more positive image for their brand.


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Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, featuring a twin-turbo 5.5L V8. Check the video below!
Engine downsizing has now come to the almost top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG with the adoption of AMG’s new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8. The new direct-injected V8 bumps output up from a mere 518 horsepower to 571 horsepower along with generating 663 pound-feet of torque between 2,250 and 3,750 rpm. That’s sufficient to propel this behemoth to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds in normal trim or 4.4 seconds if you opt for the AMG sports package.


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Shoppers find a more mellow Black Friday
- Shoppers find a more mellow Black Friday after many Thursday night openings
Even though the buying blitz started Thursday night, bargain-hunters were still out in force Friday morning, roaming the malls and shops of Richmond in search of sales.
But because many sales started the day before, Black Friday was not nearly as manic as in years past.
“It wasn’t bad at all,” said Montana Houshel, 15, of Troy, Ohio, who stood outside Menards at 6:30 a.m., waiting to load a giant teddy bear into his parents’ car. “The lines weren’t bad. It was only about a 15- or 20-minute wait.”
Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Best Buy in the Richmond Village mall were steady, but Menards was perhaps the busiest.
“I got here at 4 a.m. and there were probably 30 or 40 people waiting in line,” said Adam Kruth, store manager at Menards. “By the time we opened at six, the line was down past Kohl’s (about 300 yards).
“The one thing about Menards is we opened holiday shopping today. We were not open Thanksgiving. The company believes that’s a time for family. That’s also why it’s as busy as it is today,” Kruth said.
Shop-Vacs, infrared heaters, clothing, electronics and toys flew off the shelves as shoppers worked well into the morning finding sales.
Things were sleepy at Wal-Mart on Friday morning after an evening of chaos. Wal-Mart started its sale Thursday night.
“It was pretty crazy in there,” said David Allen of Richmond, who finished shopping at Menards on Friday morning. “Menards was jam-packed today but nothing like Wal-Mart last night.”
Allen and his wife, Casey, were buying toys and gifts for family, starting at Wal-Mart at 4 p.m. Thursday.
“For all the deals we got, it’s worth it,” David Allen said.
At the Richmond Square Mall, J.C. Penny, Aeropostale, American Eagle and Bath & Body Works were bustling.
Victoria Secret had a line of about 25 outside the store at 6 a.m. with security guards in black attire letting a few people in, mostly young women, as a few people came out.
For many shoppers, the day-after-Thanksgiving trek has become a tradition.
Katie Mastores and Madelyn Kinyon shopped at Victoria Secret on Friday morning, Mastores calling it “our little adventure after Thanksgiving.”
The two 17-year-old Richmond High School seniors met eight friends at Starbucks in the Richmond Village at midnight and then set out, shopping at Elder-Beerman, Kohl’s, Best Buy, J.C. Penny and American Eagle.
“It’s kind of our tradition the last couple of years,” Mastores said. “We’re not so much attracted to the sales, more the adventure.”
“Some of the most memorable times we’ve had as friends is this shopping trip, when we’ve wandered around tired and loopy but still on our feet,” Kinyon said.
“But it has been successful,” Mastores added. “I have most of the men in my family done. The women, however, are a little harder to shop for.”
Jeff York, 21, of Richmond shopped with his mother, Paula, at Richmond Square Mall on Friday morning. Their first stop was Bath & Body Works to get a deal on VIP bags.
They started shopping at 6 p.m. Thursday.
“We do this every year. It’s worth it,” Paula York said. “The sales are great.”
Jeff York bought golf balls, a golf glove, a hoodie and two pair of pants.
“My feeling is I’m going to buy this stuff anyway; might as well save a little money,” he said.
Nick Thomas, 19, an Indiana University East student from Richmond, was at Hibbett Sports at the Richmond Square Mall to get a ticket to buy the Air Jordan 6 Retro shoes.
The Nike tennis shoe is a limited-edition basketball shoe that was launched Friday. A pair retails for $185.
“They’re hard to get. Everybody wants them,” Thomas said. “They just came out today, and if you don’t get them now, they won’t be back out for a couple of years.”
For some shoppers, the day ended shortly after 8 a.m. Friday. Ron and Amy Puckett of Cambridge City started at midnight.
“It’s been a good day,” Ron Puckett said. “The main thing my wife wanted to do is to hit the sales at Menards. It was busy. We got in line at 5:30 (a.m.) But I don’t mind. We’re just about done.”
Staff writer Bill Engle: (765) 973-4481 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/billengle_PI.


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TechForum 2012 Vienna
The TechForum 2012 was being held today at the Austrian Economic Chamber in Vienna sponsored by go international. More than just discussing visions for the future, the conference provided practical tips and tricks for small and medium sized businesses on how to profit from new trends in technology.
Speakers included Kathlin McCowin of the University of California, Berkeley, who analysed the market possibilities and success chances of new technology developments as well as Debu Purkayastha, New Business Development Principal at Google, who gave an update on revolutionary developments of the WorldWideWeb. Representatives of the SBI explained the process of technology roadmapping by way practical examples and a workshop.


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There has been a recent debate about whether social media markers can even relate to normal people. An Australian study titled AdNation 2017 has a lot to say about advertising agencies. Apparently, agencies are “out of touch with the general public”. The survey concluded that people are more likely to trust and get entertainment from a television commercial compared to social media. Let’s look at some other findings of those surveyed.
These surveys were conducted by Think TV. Think TV is an independent research group funded by the Nine, Seven, and Ten networks and Foxtel’s marketing arm, Multi-Channel Network. Their survey sample was made up of professionals from different marketing areas (AdLand) and the general Australian population. They then compared the answers between the two groups to see if these marketing professionals really know normal people. The findings are pretty surprising.
The survey concluded that “AdLand” professionals are way more likely to use social media on a given day than normal people. Those same professionals also answered that they thought normal people spent almost 25% of their online time on social media when the fact is they spend less time on social media than that. “AdLand” professionals spend significantly more time on social media than the people they are trying to reach.
There can be a few errors in these results. For starters, “AdLand” professionals work in social media and advertising, so of course they would be spending more time on it; however, that doesn’t change the fact that these professionals have a skewed understanding of normal people. But then again, how alike is the Australian audience compared to the United States when it comes to social media. The two markets probably aren’t identical, but they can’t be too much different either. These findings might be alarming but they can be a helpful message as advertisers move forward, especially since we are predicting that online ad spend will surpass TV for the first time in history this year.
According to these findings, it is important that digital advertisers don’t forget about data. Use data for all your content and marketing needs to keep in touch with normal people. Don’t assume that you know something about your market because “AdLand” professionals don’t always know as much as they think they do. It is key that advertisers produce quality content that is trustworthy, entertaining, and memorable for the everyday social media user. It really is all about effort and social media advertising needs the same effort that goes into television to be effective. Read more about Australia’s AdNation 2017 report and take a look at the data charts.
Interested in reading more stories like this? Stay up to date with the digital marketing world by signing up for our weekly newsletter.


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The school cafeteria just got a whole lot healthier. Earlier this year, the USDA launched the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act designed to improve the nutrition of 32 million schoolchildren nationwide. This August and September, when kids head back to the classroom, hot dogs will give way to turkey subs on whole-wheat, 1 percent and skim milk will replace whole milk, and fruits and vegetables will command prime real estate on student's plates.
The goal: to deliver wholesome meals that mirror the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government's blueprint for optimal nutrition. "It's well documented that well nourished children perform better in the classroom," says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson Kristi L. King, RDN, LD. "With these changes we can expect to see our kids' bodies filled with healthy foods and their brains working on all cylinders for peak performance."
Here's what's on the menu:
A Bigger Bounty of Fruits and Vegetables
The push for more produce begins at breakfast where every morning meal will now contain at least one serving of fruit. Lunches will do double-duty with both a fruit and a vegetable. And those vegetables will be filled with a variety of hues ranging from red and orange to deep, dark green. "Currently, only 10 percent of children consume dark green or red-orange vegetables on a daily basis," says Academy Spokesperson Deborah S. Beauvais, RDN, SNS. "Each of these colors gives kids different nutrients they need for energy production and concentration."
An Eye on Heart Health
Although it may be hard to imagine now, the type of fat in our kids' diets can impact their heart health later in life. To keep young hearts in tip top share, saturated fat will continue to be capped at 10 percent of calories overall. New measures will be taken to help schools meet the goal. For starters, only fat free or 1 percent milk will be offered. Schools will also receive assistance rounding up foods that are lower in saturated fat like skinless poultry, lean meat and heart smart vegetable oils. In addition, trans fats will be limited to zero grams per serving.
Sodium Gets Slashed
Before the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a school lunch could easily contain more than 1,400 milligrams of sodium – that's 60 percent of most children's maximum daily allotment. So it's no surprise that schools will need to get tough on sodium, just not all at once. Over the next decade, schools will slowly be required to reduce sodium by 25 to 50 percent, starting with a 5 to 10 percent decrease by 2014.
Whole Grains Make Their Move
"Whole grains take longer to digest so they provide more sustainable energy than refined grains," says King. They also contain important nutrients like B vitamins, selenium and magnesium. To make it easier for kids to get their fill, half of all grains offered will now be whole. That means more whole-wheat bread, spaghetti and pizza crust. The whole grain push doesn't end there. In two years all grains offered will be required to be whole.
Improvements Beyond the Lunchroom
Because busy students don't always eat in the cafeteria, the USDA is currently in the process of developing guidelines for foods sold from vending machines and outside of the lunchroom. But many schools aren't waiting. "We're seeing more and more healthy vending machines and they're getting rave reviews," says Beauvais. With choices like sandwiches, salads, fresh fruits, veggies, and low fat and fat free milk, grabbing a bite after school will soon be a whole lot healthier too.


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Written by Mary Buffett
When it comes to creating hype and buzz, no company could do it with as much scientific precision as Apple. Whether it was Steve Jobs introducing the original Macintosh or at the end of countless presentations when he pulled the first iPod out of his pocket, many of Jobs’ presentations still resonate as popular fare on YouTube.
However, buzz and hype is a fickle beast that can easily backfire and quickly devour its messenger. That was another tough lesson that Apple CEO Tim Cook seemed to endure after a rough week when he introduced two lower-priced iPhones, noteworthy for its fingerprint recognition instead of using a password.
The stock price took a 5 percent hit after Tim Cook’s announcement.
The chattering classes pounced quickly and demanded even lower prices for the iPhone 5S and 5C. Worse, some commentators wondered if the iPhone’s new signature fingerprint password might signal a pathway to something more ominous, in light of Google’s relationship with the NSA.
The big question people have asked is this — has Apple run out of ideas? Even in this week’s The Onion, there was an article on Tim Cook’s being out of gas. Is Apple bereft of ideas? Of course not. However, is Apple at a crossroads? Maybe.
From 1995 until 2010, no American company stood conventional wisdom on its head more often than Apple. As the quirky brand rose in the 1970s, fell to earth by mid 1990s, and was rescued by its co-founder until he fell ill, these product launches were events unto themselves. As his health ebbed, rumors of Steve Jobs condition took equal billing to the products at center stage.
Did Jobs invent all of these game-changing tools we take for granted today? Of course not, but he cajoled and bullied people over things he loved and emotionally crucified those he labeled “bozos.” As a result, those products became embodiments of all that Jobs stood for. As Cook became CEO, there were long conversations with Jobs about the future. Supposedly, there was a huge cache of products in development but where are they?
Because of the past announcements, expectations are always high. The analyst community and chattering classes expect these presentations to be like Christmas morning and will become angry and disappointed if they receive socks and underwear.
The question remains — and this is something that I’ve discussed before — can Tim Cook help champion transformative products at Apple, or is he merely the executor of Steve Jobs’ corporate last will and testament? After three years on the job, the products released by Apple still appear to have the imprimatur of Steve Jobs on them. There are no “Tim Cook” products from Apple yet.
In one sense, Apple is the victim of its own success. When it comes to exceeding expectations in these product launches, it becomes harder and harder to top oneself. Like I have said in the past, when the expectations are unreasonably high, not living up to those unrealistic expectations can have its own odor of failure. When Jobs returned to Apple, the company revolutionized the Internet, music, book sales, and finally telephony; it was the one company who could bring it all together. However, after Tim Cook made his announcement about the new products last week, the stock tanked.
Some may conclude that Apple’s best days might be behind them. However, I disagree.
How ironic that Cook, the guy who always cleaned up after the latest Steve Jobs outburst, the one who assuaged the walking wounded, the one who stood in for Jobs as his health woes mounted is somehow perceived as an empty chair leading Apple in a post-Jobs era. With Jobs, regardless of his demeanor, he always had a pied-piper quality about his presentations and you felt like you were along for the ride. The role of Apple CEO is half philosopher, half king. Perhaps that’s why CEOs John Scully, Michael Spindler, and Gill Amelio failed.
I happen to think that Tim Cook has both qualities — half philosopher, half king — and perhaps more. He has excelled in a pressure-cooker environment, is loyal to product development, and has a top-flight senior staff. He understands the legacy of Apple and further understands how to summon the “power of cool.” We just haven’t not seen it yet.
So my message to Tim Cook is this: “Wow us.”
Disclaimer: Mary Buffett has owned Apple Computer stock.


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Yum! Brands opened its first Taco Bell restaurant in India with the help of its international division, Yum! Restaurants International (YRI).
Yum! Brands opened its first Taco Bell restaurant in India with the help of its international division, Yum! Restaurants International (YRI). Yum! is the leading restaurant company in India with its KFC and Pizza Hut brands. The introduction of the first Taco Bell in India reflects the company's strategy of creating a third global brand. Further, the company plans to open 1000 Taco Bell restaurants by 2015.
The company is delighted with the opening of its third brand and expects it to be extremely popular among the Indian consumers. The Mexican-style food is perfect for the Indian taste palate and offers a variety of vegetarian meals.
The first outlet opened in Bengaluru is the country's first experience with the Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant brand. Taco Bell's ‘Think outside the Bun’ is expected to resonate extremely well with India's young population. The new Taco Bell Indian menu features tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas and Crunchwraps, including spicier products tailored to suit the Indian market. Moreover, 50 per cent of the menu features a vegetarian range of products especially for Indian consumers.
Yum! Brands is focused on developing Taco Bell as its third global brand after KFC and Pizza Hut. Yum! is optimistic about the long-term potential of growing Taco Bell internationally. India is considered the key growth market for Yum! Brands. Over the past 12 years, Yum! has become the largest and fastest growing restaurant company in India by developing a strong infrastructure, highly-skilled workforce focused on providing outstanding customer service, and innovative, localised menus offering value options.