text:
Twitter is to acquire ZipDial Mobile Solutions, a Bangalore company that has developed a platform that allows content like promotions to be delivered to users through voice, SMS or an app notification when an user gives a missed call.
The technology takes its cue from the tendency for cost-conscious Indians to signal that they want to talk to someone by placing a call and hanging up before the phone is answered, with the expectation that the other person will then call them back.
The acquisition of the ZipDial platform and its various technologies to address consumers is likely to be useful for Twitter in emerging markets where data access is found to be expensive by consumers or is not easily available.
Users have to just give an advertiser a toll-free “missed call” to a designated phone number to receive content through any of the channels.
“These interactions are especially appealing in areas where people aren’t always connected to data or only access data through intermittent wifi networks,” Christian Oestlien, Twitter’s vice president for product, wrote in a blog post Tuesday.
ZipDial CEO Valerie Wagoner said in a Twitter message that the ambition of the deal was to ”Make @twitter even more accessible in emerging markets.”
“Our ambitious goal is to make Twitter’s unique, great content accessible to 100% of the world’s mobile users, including those in emerging markets who will be experiencing the mobile Internet for the first time,” she wrote in a blog post.
The proposed acquisition, which was rumored earlier, signals the coming of age for Indian technology startups. Facebook acquired last year Little Eye Labs, a developer in Bangalore of mobile app analysis tools for app developers and testers, and the entire team moved to Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California.
Facebook, in its bid to popularize the Internet and its platform in emerging markets, has previously partnered with ZipDial to launch a “missed call” feature for advertisements on the social network.
Twitter said it had collaborated with ZipDial over the past two years on a variety of campaigns in India, including elections and film promotions.
The founders and employees of ZipDial will join Twitter’s Indian operations, and ZipDial’s office in Bangalore will operate as an engineering center for Twitter.


text:
June 13, 2023
Reading time • 5 min
About 500 pairs of counterfeit trainers are seized in Fortaleza
The Civil Police seized, on this Monday (12), about 500 pairs of counterfeit trainers that would be sold over the Internet in Fortaleza. The seizure happened at the profile owner’s house, located in Henrique Jorge neighborhood, after the police officers monitored the social networks.
The investigation began through monitoring and then the civil police officers identified the business establishment with activity in the virtual environment, where counterfeit trainers of various brands would be sold. The investigative work was conducted by the 27th Police District Police Station (27th DP).
With the police work on this Monday, a team located the residence of the owner of the shop. On site, the team found all the counterfeit goods, being about 500 pairs of trainers.
All the goods and the owner were taken to the Police Station of the 27th Police District (27th PD), where it was set against the owner of the goods a Circumstantiated Term of Occurrence (TCO) for crimes against intellectual property and trademarks.
After the appropriate procedures at the police station, the goods were seized at the police unit. The Civil Police continues with the investigations in order to investigate other people who may have involvement with the crime.

domain: news


text:
Greenpeace Aotearoa has renewed its call to ban single-use plastic bottles today by revealing a sculpture of a toroa (albatross) with a ten-metre wingspan, at Mission Bay in Auckland.
The haunting artwork is made out of single-use plastic bottles, and crafted in honour of a toroa who starved to death after swallowing a plastic bottle.
This toroa became a symbol of the campaign to ban single-use plastic bottles.
The super-sized sculpture symbolises the harm plastic pollution brings to all living creatures in nature, including humans.
“The world is in a plastic pollution crisis that requires urgent action and single-use plastic bottles are one of the worst culprits,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa plastics campaigner Juressa Lee.
“We’re here today to highlight the harm caused by throwaway plastic bottles, and to call out Coca-Cola as one of the main contributors to that crisis.
“Companies like Coca-Cola are making and selling one billion plastic bottles every year in Aotearoa, and show no sign of stopping. We’re calling on the government to take action by banning single-use plastic bottles.”
“Our petition calling on the Government to ban the bottle is about to reach 100,000 signatures, so it’s clear New Zealanders want bold action on plastic pollution,” says Lee.
The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo have just been ranked as the world’s top plastic polluters for the 4th consecutive year according to Break Free From Plastic, whose latest global Brand Audit report also charges the same leading plastic polluters for fueling the climate crisis.
Call on the NZ Government to ban unnecessary single-use plastic bottles* in NZ, and to incentivise reusable and refillable alternatives.


text:
- Filed Under
Welcome to the latest business buzz in the tri-county area.
Each week, this column will focus on news about local companies, retailers, restaurants, and business executives.
But first, a quick personal intro: I grew up in the Erlton section of Cherry Hill, and joined the workforce at the tender age of 12 when I got a job grinding cheese for Raymond's Pizza, a sub and pie shop in town. ...


text:
Submitted by Mark O’Byrne – GoldCore
Editors Note: GoldCore believe that blockchain technology will revolutionise the world of finance, payments and money and may have an impact on the world on a scale of that of the internet. Hence, the need to keep an eye on this very important evolving technology that has ramifications for us all.
If you thought the internet was disruptive, well you ain’t seen nothing yet … theblockchain cometh!
Charlie Morris is the editor of Atlas Pulse – a newsletter focusing on gold, bitcoin, blockchain and disruptive technology.. He has written an excellent article looking at bitcoin, the blockchain and the ramifications for banks and our financial system.
Symbols for Gold, Bitcoin and Silver – Atlas Pulse
by Charlie Morris
Bitcoin’s had one hell of a year.
The price of a single bitcoin recently touched $500, which is three times higher than it was in August this year. That’s one hell of a move in a short space of time and I’m going to try and put that into context.
In November 2013, there were just over 12 million bitcoins in circulation and the price touched $1,200, meaning the network was briefly worth $14.4bn. This new form of electronic money had high hopes and some felt it would genuinely catch on as it had the potential to challenge the existing system in global payments.
Bitcoin clearly got ahead of itself and the excitement about the future of money took a turn for the worse.
There were scandals such as the loss of bitcoins at the MT Gox exchange (a bitcoin trading platform), the closure of the Silk Road website (drugs and other bad things) and the banning of bitcoin wallets by Apple (users could no longer transact on their phones).
The lowest ebb came in January this year when the network value briefly dropped below $ bn, a 77% contraction. Many high profile commentators wrote off bitcoin and predicted a future value below $1.
Today the bitcoin network appears to be alive and well. It recently saw total daily transaction volumes rise above $300m. This growth in usage from $50m per day in the summer has caused the price to surge. At $500 per bitcoin, the network value recently touched $7.4bn. Continue reading


text:
Founded in 2007 by the Agresti family, the family-owned and –operated enterprise grows, packs and ships a wide range of root vegetables to customers throughout North and South America, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and Europe from its headquarters in Holland Landing, Ontario.
“My father has been in the business for over 40 years, and I’ve been in it for 20,” says Anthony Agresti, president of ATV Farms.
One of Canada’s largest vegetable growers, packers, shippers and exporters, ATV Farms specializes in the production of carrots, onions, red and green cabbage, beets, parsnips and turnips.
ATV Farms employs some 50 people, though the ranks swell to as much as 70 during the busy harvest season. The company operates two main farms in Ontario — each roughly 500 acres — as well as a number of joint ventures in the U.S. and across Canada.
Selling on both a wholesale and retail business, ATV Farms specializes in the production of onion and carrots. By developing a niche in these two specific crops, ATV Farms has been able to differentiate itself in the market and build a reputation based on quality and service.
“There really isn’t another carrot and onion packer in the area that does what we do. We’ll come in seven days a week, weekends and holidays; whatever the customer needs, we’ll deliver,” says Agresti.
Increased pressure from global competition
In recent years, ATV has seen the produce market become increasingly globalized. With produce from newly-exporting countries flooding traditional markets, companies like ATV Farms have had to work harder than ever to maintain precious market share.
“There is a lot of pressure from the worldwide market, especially from growers in nontraditional markets like China. There’s a big question mark when it comes to food safety, but it’s cheap,” says Agresti. “We continue to count on local support to keep us in competition.”
Agresti says there has also been an increased emphasis on introducing new, improved varieties of popular root vegetables to the market. ATV Farms has done trials on a number of new growing methods and varieties such as candy-striped and golden beets, but is careful to never stray too far from its core business. “We’re really focusing on the carrot and onion market because that’s our bread and butter,” Agresti says.
ATV Farms recently added a 20,000-square-foot climate-controlled cold-storage facility. Designed mainly to house carrots, beets and parsnips, the new facility will allow the company to store produce for longer, ensuring a fresher product regardless of the season.
The company’s full slate of agricultural offerings includes potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, endive, escarole, rutabagas, turnips, radish, peppers, cucumbers and more.
The family-owned nature of the industry has been changing lately as established growers age-out and can’t find a family member interested in taking over the business.
This isn’t the case at ATV Farms, where Agresti’s brother and father are both involved in the family business. As president of ATV Farms, Agresti focuses on vegetable production, sales, logistics and marketing while his brother Travis handles wholesale operations. The brothers are joined by industry veteran Viv Agresti, who has owned and managed various produce concerns throughout his extensive career.
The involvement of various member of the Agresti family has been vital to the operation’s continued success, and has allowed ATV Farms to flourish where others in the local market have failed. As the company continues to grow, it’s looking to aggressively expand on both the growing and processing side of things.
As a business that got its start during some of the leanest economic times on record, ATV Farms knows how to survive a down period in the market. Agresti credits this in part to the simple, affordable nature of their products, which don’t suffer the same fate as more luxury items during a recession.
“We’re growing products in their simplest form. So many people are going to the specialty versions of products like ready to eat processed commodities such as baby carrots, which end up costing more to produce and also to buy, but when the economy is down, people are still going to buy food and buy it in the basic form that it comes in,” he says. “Continuing to grow simple, high quality products like carrots and onions allow us to weather the economic ups and downs.”
While there are a number of challenges facing the industry, a focus on its core business of carrots and onions, along with strong family leadership, will ensure continued success at ATV Farms.


text:
The much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S3 could be launching in July, according to South African network operators, which have made mention of the upcoming smart phone’s launch date.
Mybroadband.co.za reports that South African network Cell C has said that the follow-up to the Samsung Galaxy S2 will be on sale by July of this year, while Virgin Mobile said it would be out in the third quarter of 2012, which means July to September.
The S2 launched in the UK in May 2011, and in South Africa in the June/July period. So if Samsung stays true to form, then based on these reports (and with a little mental maths), we could expect the S3 to be launching over here in June.
There’s no way to be sure about this, as release dates can vary massively from country to country. But judging from what we know, a summer release date would seem to make sense.
The South Korean company was expected to unveil the S3 at Mobile World Congress, a big trade show that kicks off next week. But it won’t be — instead it’s choosing to throw its own party for the S3, which Samsung has promised will take place at some point in the first half of the year.
Very Apple-esque, I think you’ll agree. And I suspect Samsung will be looking to get the S3 on sale as soon as possible after its announcement. So a proper UK launch in the first half of this fine year is definitely on the cards.
In terms of what the S3 will actually look like, very little is known. But I’m expecting a 720p screen, and perhaps a quad-core processor too. Tell me what you’d like to see in the comments below or on our Facebook wall, and check out this video guide to the S3.


text:
The two leading British phone companies, EE and Vodafone, have announced that they will charge their customers for using their phones in the European Union, TheSchengen.com reports.
Although the UK decided to leave the European Union again in 2017, customers were able to use their service of minutes, texts and data while traveling within the EU without additional charges.
People who have used the EE network or upgrade their contracts after 7 July are required to pay £2 (€2.36) per day to use their tariff allocations in 47 European destinations. However, travel to the Republic of Ireland is exempt from this change, which means that the service will continue free of charge unless the traveler stays for more than 30 days.
Like EE, Vodafone has introduced its tariffs charging a fee of £2 for roaming, with longer passes available for some customers. However, only sim card deals can use emergency calls outside the UK and Ireland. Some of the company’s more expensive plans will include free roaming.
However, the rest of the UK operators, such as Three and O2, said they do not plan to apply roaming charges but may add “fair usage limits” to how much their customers use the service while traveling through the European Union.
The UK-EU trade agreement says operators must have “transparent and reasonable rates” if they decide to offer roaming tariffs.
The deal also includes some safeguards for customers, including a £45 (€53.15) limit on mobile data charges when traveling, requirements to notify customers when they reach 80 per cent and 100 per cent of allowed data, and taking “reasonable steps” To prevent customers from spending roaming charges.
As previously reported by TheSchengen.com, the UK did not allow about 3,294 travelers from the European Union to enter the country in the first quarter of 2021, while in 2020, when air traffic was about 400 higher than it is, there were only 493 EU citizens European. Not allowed on British soil.
A petition launched months ago in the UK for artists to continue to perform visa-free in the European Union has received more than 285,000 signatures, urging the government to discuss the matter in Parliament on February 8.
Brexit has affected many aspects and sectors, particularly the creative industry, with losses estimated at £784m, UK artists say.
‘Excuse me? Fisheries provide £445m of GDP. Creative workers £111bn. There is no provision for us in the Brexit ‘deal’, said Englishwoman Sarah Connolly, commenting on the matter. Fisheries gets 15 pages.”
However, EU citizens would like to continue living in the UK after Brexit, with more than five million of them having applied to extend their stay in the UK.
Data released by the UK Home Office in February reveals that more than five million applications were counted, more than 4.5 million from England, 83,800 from Wales, 252,400 from Scotland and 81,800 from Northern Ireland.


text:
With a larger focus on working remotely and even distance learning, consumer tech took a whole new focus in our lives. This effect wasn’t just felt by the consumer, it was felt by the brands too.
“2020 was a year of change, and the role of smartphone has been more crucial than ever in helping us stay connected. Since the pandemic started, people are spending more time with their mobile devices. At the same time, their desire to stay connected is stronger than ever” says Osman Albora, Senior Director, Mobile Division at Samsung Gulf Electronics.
Samsung saw their position in the smartphone market in the UAE grow to 39.2% in 2020, an increase of 3.2 % YOY. The company also yesterday launched their latest Galaxy S21 series here in the UAE, a whole month earlier than every other year.When asked about this, Osman replied “People are spending more time than ever before on their phones, quickly becoming an essential tool. Innovation hasn’t slowed. In fact, we have accelerated our new innovations so consumers can benefit now. That’s why we’re bringing Galaxy S21 to consumers earlier”.
Samsung S21 Series
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series constitutes the flagship S21 Ultra, the S21+ and the S21. This year all three phones come with the brand’s new contour cut design and Samsung’s own Exynos 2100 5nm processor. The S21 Ultra this year (for the first time ever) brings S-Pen support along with a 108MP quad camera setup with 100X zoom, a 5000mAh battery, 5G and an updated Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.8” display.
While the S21 Ultra has a lot of upgrades compared to it’s underwhelming predecessor from 2020, the S21+ and S21 this year come with incremental upgrades but at a slightly lower release price compared to their predecessors last year. The S21 Ultra 5G starts at Dh4899, while the S21+ and S21 start at Dh3799 and Dh3199 respectively.
Surprisingly though, even in these times, the S21 Ultra was 65% of the pre-ordered units here in the UAE and Samsung saw a 56% increase in pre-orders compared to the last year’s S20 series.
While the new Samsung S21 devices are definitely a true testament to powerful smartphones in 2021, there are some very ‘2021’ choices the company has made. First of those being, the removal of the charger and headphones from the box.
“We discovered that more and more Galaxy users are reusing accessories they already have. Therefore, we are transitioning to the removal of the charger plug and earphones in our latest line of Galaxy smartphones. We believe that the gradual removal of the charger plug and earphones from our in-box device packaging can help alleviate pressure that consumers may feel towards continually receiving new chargers and accessories every time they buy a new phone” says Osman. Now while he did add that there is a type-C to type-C usb cable in the box and that people are transitioning to wireless charging, there is not definitely an added expense that users need to consider when buying smartphones in 2021.
The other major change is the removal of the SD card across the series. If you’ve seen a Samsung launch before, you know the brand always touted their inclusion of the SD card. This year though, the SD card was finally removed.
“Galaxy S21 already offers enough storage capacity for S21 and S21+ at 128 or 256GB with S21 Ultra at either 256 or 512GB. Plus with OneDrive and networks including Wi-Fi 6E and 5G, you can store files in the cloud, so you won’t have to worry about running out of storage” said Osman about the removal.
Now while I don’t think that the average user burns through that much storage in the life-time of the device, considering the amount of concentration on content creation, specially on the S21 Ultra, removal and swappable storage would’ve been a huge bonus for the consumer.
In our reviews, the S21 Ultra definitely proved itself had a worthy upgrade. The phone is a powerful and definitely good looking piece of tech. With the inclusion of support for the S-Pen (which needs to be purchased separately) and the new Exynos 2100 processor, the S21 Ultra definitely has the potential to be a handy tool in today’s work-from-home culture.
The cameras shoot up to 8K video and take up to 108MP images with a 100X zoom. In daily use, the cameras proved to be extremely capable and software improvements such as 'Director's View' and 'Single Take' were welcome additions. Battery-life on the device is great. Internal battery-management plus a huge 5000mAh battery prove to help you last through the day even if you're burning through daily tasks like video calls The phone offers the best of the best available in the market right now.


text:
NEW YORK (AP) — Pentair forecast its 2014 earnings on Tuesday and it was within the range of analysts' expectations. The flow control company said that it foresees earnings of $3.85 to $4 per share for the year. Revenue is predicted to be about $7.7 billion . Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect 2014 earnings of $3.96 per share on revenue of $7.73 billion . For the fourth quarter, Pentair Ltd. still anticipates earnings of 83 cents to 85 cents per share. Wall Street is calling for earnings of 84 cents per share. The company still expects 2013 adjusted earnings between $3.19 and $3.21 per share. Analysts expect earnings of $3.20 per share. Pentair maintained its guidance for 2015 earnings of $5 per share. Wall Street is forecasting earnings of $4.83 per share. Last week the company announced a share buyback program worth at least $1 billion . The company also said that its board approved changing its parent company's place of incorporation from Switzerland to Ireland . Shareholders are expected to vote on the proposed change at an anticipated second-quarter shareholders meeting. Pentair shares finished at $71.60 on Monday. Its shares have risen 46 percent so far in 2013.
Most Popular Stories
- Obama Administration Releases Proposal to Regulate For-Profit Colleges
- Elizabeth Vargas' Husband Marc Cohn Addresses Rumors
- Apple, HP, Intel May Take a Hit from Slowdown in Smartphone Sales Growth
- Keurig Adds Peet's coffee, Alters Starbucks deal
- U.S. to Relinquish Gov't Control Over Internet
- Quiznos Files for Chapter 11
- SoCalGas Reaches Record Spend on Diversity Suppliers
- Is Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 in Andaman Sea?
- Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Marries Model Courtney Bingham
- Vybz Kartel Convicted of Murder


text:
For Samsung — its global spends in 2016 on the segment was about $13 bn — this year’s hiring will be a 25% jump over the last year’s 800-odd grads.
Indian troops on the China border have been asked to format their smartphones and delete Chinese apps that may be compromising national security.
“In H1, we had 50% market share (sell out or final sale to consumers) in the premium category, which is Rs 25,000 and above. We have grown 50% over the previous year,” Aditya Babbar said.
The lawsuits have been filed after LeEco failed to make payments for the period from January-December 2016.
'The reason why Xiaomi is known as the Apple of China is because both companies are hugely innovative. But the philosophy of Apple and Xiaomi are very different."
Xiaomi stands a realistic chance of going ahead of the South Korean biggie that has been stagnating in India over the last few quarters.
This is the company's third contract-manufacturing unit in the country and is located in Noida.
Samsung headquarters is upset at the way it lost ground in India to Xiaomi.
The battle for the top spot will get even more intense going forward as Xiaomi would want to consolidate its position on the back of 9 million phones it sells every quarter.
The stores will be tagged ‘Motorola preferred partners’ under the project, mirroring a similar offline retail strategy that helped rival Xiaomi rapidly gain market share in India and close the gap with leader Samsung.
Company is exploring the area for housing plants for its clients like Nokia and Xiaomi, which are growing rapidly and will require more production capacity in the coming quarters.
Chinese telecom giant Huawei's sub-brand Honor wants to take the Indian smartphone market by storm with some innovative and trend-setting products and become the country's top smartphone brand within three years, its Global President George Zhao has said.
In smartphone market share, the difference between Samsung and Xiaomi was a mere half percentage point in the past quarter, Counterpoint said
At present offline accounts for 20% of Xiaomi's India sales, the rest coming from online including its own store Mi.com, which has doubled on-year.
ASUS isn’t looking at major volume growth this year, but it will look at increasing its share in the Rs 10,000 and above category with the launch of its new ZenFone 4 Selfie Series.
Indian executives are multifaceted, agile and adaptive besides tending to be more eager to embrace challenges and adapting to new cultures.


text:
Furniture retailer getting into the hotel businessThe Wall Street Journal (sub. required) 09/25/2016
West Elm will design and furnish a new line of boutique hotels with the first two locations to open in Detroit and Savannah in late 2018. The furniture retailer, which will also market the hotels, is partnering with DDK, a hospitality firm, which will manage the properties. Guests at the hotels will be able to buy the furniture they find in their rooms and throughout the locations online.


text:
Images of Claimed iPhone 5S Rear Panel Surfaces Online
The rear panel looks very similar to the one currently shipping on the iPhone 5, likely because of Apple’s pattern of introducing two models with the same design before redesigning. However, the rear panel of the 5S does have some differences, including the placement of several screw holes for attachment of the logic board to the shell. They are located in different areas than in the iPhone 5.Apple appears to be already working on the next generation iPhone, being called the iPhone 5S based on Apple’s naming pattern for previous generations. On Wednesday, parts company ETrade Supply published images of what they claim to be a rear panel of the upcoming iPhone 5S. Apple’s iPhone 5 was released less than 4 months ago and already, there are reports that a new generation is in the works.
There are several other differences in component placement in the rear panel, such as the writing on the back which typically describes the IMEI and other regulatory identifiers. However, nothing confirms that this is in fact an entirely different phone than the one currently available for sale. It is likely that this was an earlier prototype of the iPhone 5 and Apple scrapped this design for one being used now. Last month, reports from DigiTimes suggested that Apple was already working on the trial production of the iPhone 5S. The rear panel released in the images above appear to have a build quality similar to Apple’s, suggesting that this is likely not a knockoff.
If Apple is in fact working on the iPhone 5S already, the company will likely retain the current iPhone 5 design, include the faster A6X chip found in the fourth generation iPad, and bump up the quality of the front and rear facing cameras.


text:
Subscribe to the CSP Daily News newsletter
Search CSP Daily News
Items include Premium Cookie Bites, Whoopie Pies, Premium Chocolate Bars and ice cream.
Includes brand’s Cake Bites, Almonds and Crisp Bars
Point-of-sale provider approves security firm
Loss of single-store operators drives decline, says NACS
More than 230 bags contained undeclared milk ingredients
And latest Summer Edition coming in April
Lessons from Sears, Toys R Us and retail businesses operating on a ventilator
Part of initiative to become a one-stop shop for all c-store categories, the company says
Oasis Travel Center accuses chain of violating state’s motor fuel marketing act
37-year company veteran joins senior management team
CSP’s annual list of the largest chains in the convenience-store industry.
Category sales performance in Beverages, Candy, General Merchandise, Packaged Food/Foodservice and Snacks.
Will c-store sales and profit streaks overcome the forces of change?
Corporate retail news affecting the convenience-store industry
The latest information on products and trends in the convenience-store and foodservice industries.
Peek inside new convenience stores to uncover the best in retail store design across North America.


text:
Galaxy S III | Samsung
Samsung is updating its flagship handset, the GalaxyS III, to Jelly Bean, starting today.
An enterprising Russian tester has demonstrated the Lumia 920's Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) feature by strapping it to a radio controlled car.
The Wi-Fi Alliance is announcing the beginning of its certification program for its Miracast streaming standard. The first consumer devices to support the standard are the LG Optimus G and Samsung Galaxy S III.
In a bold move reportedly instigated by new CEO Marissa Mayer, aging web giant Yahoo plans to outfit every one of its US employees with a new iOS, Android, or Windows Phone 8 device.
Samsung's Galaxy S III hit the 10 million mark at the end of July, and in the time since then the company has doubled that figure — Samsung says it's reached 20 million Galaxy S III sales, 100 days after the handset launched in May.
With Windows Phone 8, Nokia finally has had its hands untied when it comes to pushing out modern specs on its hardware. The result is the Nokia Lumia 920, with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 32GB of device storage, and a 4.5-inch display. The Lumia 920 also includes wireless charging and "PureView" technology on its 8-megapixel camera. Add in some bright color options and you're looking at the main differentiators on the hardware side.
Samsung’s LTE-capable flagship, the Galaxy S III 4G is coming to Optus’s newly-launched LTE network this month before launching on Telstra later in October. While Optus's pricing is already available, Telstra isn't revealing its own until the October launch.
Mophie is releasing its first non-Apple battery case later this year for the Samsung Galaxy S III.
In addition to laying the groundwork for ISIS NFC payments, T-Mobile's update to the Samsung Galaxy S II included a significant yet unpublicized change to Android 4.0.3 — the removal of universal search.
Samsung made nature a major theme when it launched the Galaxy S III — the UI was even called "TouchWiz Nature UX." Now, the company has announced a number of new colors for the Galaxy S III that it says are similarly inspired by nature.
We take a look at LG's new S4 Pro-toting flagship Optimus G at NTT Docomo's launch event in Tokyo. Unlike international variants, the Japanese version of the handset will be waterproof.
At an event in New York City today, MetroPCS outlined its hardware plans for the fall and revealed that Samsung's Galaxy S III will be available in the coming months.
Today, SamMobile posted the first pre-release version of Android 4.1 for the Galaxy S III, and says that the official update will be available via KIES and over-the-air at the end of this month and the beginning of next.
Carphone Warehouse now has a listing on its internal systems for a black version of the Samsung Galaxy S III.
Yesterday, Samsung's Pakistani Facebook page posted the above image briefly, sparking a flurry of discussion and debate about it being an inadvertent early reveal of the Galaxy Note II. Alas, this isn't the first time we've seen the paricular concept.
Samsung has finished developing an internal test version of Android 4.1 for the Galaxy S III, and is now working on a public release version of the software, according to SamMobile.
US carriers like Verizon may be testing Voice over LTE (VoLTE) as a replacement for old-fashioned circuit-switched voice, but South Korean carrier SK Telecom is set to be first in the world to launch a VoLTE service.
ARM has announced its next generation Mali mobile GPUs, increasing performance by 50 percent while remaining energy efficient.


text:
The Primary Wool Cooperative (PWC) is asking farmers to “keep the faith” in response to yesterday’s announcement of the’ no’ vote for the wool levy.
“Growers need to continue to produce quality wool as the world is increasingly demanding that the products that are in their homes are made of natural and sustainable products. We are on the cusp of the revival of wool and to walk away now would be foolhardy,” says Cooperative Director Bay de Lautour.
PWC claims that the research undertaken in the United States as a part of the Elders Primary Wool Just Shorn TM strategy (which is half owned by PWC) clearly shows that people are willing to pay more to know that their product is safe and where it came from.
“Wool is a wonderful product which makes the best carpet – one that is sustainable, natural and beautiful but is also flame retardant and has a range of other health benefits. The Just Shorn programme, that we are part of, is designed to educate consumers’ of these traits so that they won’t even consider putting synthetic in their homes.”
“This vote clearly indicates that farmers do not support past programmes including the concept of their marketing money going to one commercial entity,” said de Lautour, “We agree with them. We urged farmers to vote against the proposal to ensure that levy money is spent in a targeted and fair way to ensure that all that contribute to it receive the benefits.”
PWC is concerned that their campaign against the levy may see the end of other non-marketing related programmes, and looks forward to working with Meat & Wool to see whether Elders or PWC can continue to offer any of those programmes.
“We are pleased that this difficult time is now behind us and are looking firmly to the future,” said de Lautour. “Clearly wool growers believe that it is time for a change in how things are done, to do this we need to clear the air, take stock and then undertake a well researched and market driven strategy, if New Zealand is to continue being renowned for its quality strong wool.”
For further comment of information please contact
Bay de Lautour
Phone 06 855 6827
Mobile 027 492 8908


text:
Notice: In a latest submit on Twitter, CEO Elon Musk has famous that he doesn’t imagine the report of Bitcoin ATMs in Tesla’s factories is correct.
Tesla, being as forward-thinking as ever, now has Bitcoin ATMs on the Fremont Manufacturing facility and Gigafactory Nevada.
One of many Bitcoin ATMs was initially noticed by Twitter consumer Will Reeves. LibertyX, the corporate answerable for the Bitcoin ATMs, reached out to Finbold and confirmed Reeves’ sighting in an official assertion.
“The Tesla areas have been reside since August. The ATM is at present solely accessible for workers,” LibertyX instructed Finbold.
The Bitcoin ATM firm additionally acknowledged that it didn’t set up a brand new kiosk at Gigafactory Nevada. It merely added Bitcoin-selling options through software program to 3 ATMs within the facility that have been already put in.
— Will Reeves (@wlrvs) October 10, 2020
A fast search by means of LibertyX’s web site revealed that Tesla additionally has a Bitcoin ATM within the Fremont Manufacturing facility for workers to make use of.
Avid Tesla supporters know the intriguing relationship Elon Musk has with cryptocurrencies and crypto scammers.
Simply this previous June, crypto scammers used Elon Musk and SpaceX to steal as much as $150,000 from YouTube viewers. The scammers satisfied viewers to ship Bitcoin to a number of YouTube channels by hacking legit accounts and rebranding them to suit their goal.
They used archived footage of Elon Musk to broadcast a reside occasion and persuade viewers the channels have been genuine. Different scammers went a step additional and copied Elon Musk’s Twitter account, complicated his followers.
I’m going to maintain banging on about this till twitter types it: After I have a look at a trump tweet, 1 of high replies is at all times rip-off re: an Elon Musk BTC giveaway. It has a reply from stolen verified acct, getting used to pump rip-off, which is why I suppose it seems excessive up. pic.twitter.com/Wi3RKyVmPN
— David Osborn (@david_osborn) March 18, 2020
Regardless of crypto scammers utilizing his id and his firms’ manufacturers for his or her schemes, Elon Musk remains a supporter of cryptocurrencies and an influential determine within the crypto business, in line with Cointelegraph.
He has applauded Bitcoin, particularly, for having a “sensible” construction. The set up of two Bitcoin ATMs in two Tesla Gigafactories means that Musk’s stance on cryptocurrencies nonetheless holds.
The Tesla CEO may not cease at putting in Bitcoin ATMs in simply two Gigafactories both. LibertyX acknowledged that it has extra Bitcoin ATMs prepared for set up.
I nonetheless solely personal 0.25 Bitcoins btw
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 15, 2020
“LibertyX has partnered with the 2 largest ATM producers (Genmega and Hyosung) to supply bitcoin software program preinstalled on conventional ATMs. As soon as operators activate the function, customers can begin shopping for bitcoin with their debit card from ATMs nationwide. We’ve got 5,000 ATMs already reside and plan to roll it out at over 100,000 ATMs over the following few years,” the corporate defined additional.
LibertyX didn’t state that extra of its Bitcoin ATMs could be put in at Tesla’s factories. Nonetheless, it’s a chance, particularly if the Bitcoin ATMs in Nevada and Fremont are common with the workers.
They’ve the most effective coin
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2020
If the Bitcoin ATMs do turn out to be a success, Elon Musk could begin considering of putting in Dogecoin ATMs as properly. In spite of everything, Musk was briefly the CEO of Dogecoin, and the cryptocurrency’s meme origins match completely together with his on-line tendencies.


text:
NY, DC still outpace our office rents
Miami office rental prices have picked up and are well above some East Coast urban centers but remain lower than those of Washington, DC, and New York City.
“Rent is at more than $30 per square foot. They’re higher than places such as Atlanta or Philadelphia, not quite as high as Capitol Hill or Georgetown in Washington or Midtown Manhattan, but those are more dense places,” said Hugh Kelly, principal at Real Estate Economics in New York and a long-time observer of Miami’s commercial market.
According to Jones Lang LaSalle’s second quarter statistics this year, the average asking rent price in Miami’s Central Business District – which includes Brickell and Downtown – is $35.46 per square foot.
In contrast, the same real estate firm found the average rent in downtown New York to be $49.60 and $56.73 in the Big Apple’s midtown area.
The Central Business District in Washington, DC, had an average office rental rate of $52.29 and Capitol Hill’s asking price surpassed any other rate at $60.07.
The Jones Lang LaSalle report found Boston’s CBD area to have an asking price of $46.50, lower than the nation’s capital and Big Apple equivalents but higher than Miami’s.
Office space rental prices in Philadelphia’s CBD and Atlanta’s urban center are well below the Magic City’s at $26.45 and $24.94, respectively.
So is Miami a bargain when it comes to office prices?
It is not an effective comparison, Mr. Kelly says. “No one will pick up from Charlotte or from New York to Miami for rent but for other reasons.”
The value that a business gets for its money is something that would make companies seek out the city, he said, as Miami has import and export services.
“Competing on the basis of low cost is a disaster for cities,” Mr. Kelly said. “When they have low rent it’s because those cities are providing less than desirable services. It’s not a sign of health, but of disease.”
New York has stayed robust, and it is much an exception to other East Coast cities, he said, and DC has been suffering more in the past two years, especially since March. “Washington has been understood to be resistant, but things are different. It did well in 2010 but the last two years have not been kind,” Mr. Kelly said, and especially since across-the-board federal spending cuts kicked in this year.
The numbers in Atlanta, the lowest asking price average out of the bigger East Coast cities, keep it still far out of balance, he said.
“Its economy is local. Until population starts growing again, it’s going to struggle,” Mr. Kelly said. Philadelphia has not had the momentum that Miami has had and Boston has been moderately successful, he said.
Investment coming from Latin America is an old story for Miami but nonetheless true, according to Mr. Kelly. “The amount coming in from Latin America is considerable.”
The downtown corridor and Brickell offer full services, but two things are needed in order to keep Miami expanding, Mr. Kelly said: broadening out of the retail base and improvement of the downtown Miami school options. “I am a believer in the renaissance of Miami.”
One of the newest trends that has helped the city has been European and Middle Eastern investments, in addition to the traditional Latin American. “That diversification is important,” Mr. Kelly said, “China will probably follow.”


text:
JetBlue Utilizes Augmented Reality to Promote New Route
JetBlue Airways is the most recent airline to utilize augmented reality in its marketing campaigns, using the technology to promote its new service between New York and Ontario, Calif. The airline set up its business in Victoria Gardens, an outdoor shopping mall just miles from Ontario International Airport in Rancho Cucamonga, to get a virtual tour of the Big Apple.
The occasion, called “OntARio to New York,” with accentuation on the “AR” for expanded reality, empowered members to make a trip to New York with just their cell phone. By downloading an application intended for the event, members could utilize the camera on their phones to explore New York City tourist spots, for example, the Statue of Liberty and Times Square that was overlaid over existing locales in Victoria Gardens.
*JetBlue began service from ONT to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City in September, about 10 years after the company dropped service between the two cities.


text:
Chinese CEOs Take Aim at Australia as Growth Destination
After a year marked by tariffs and more retaliatory tariffs between China and the U.S., Chinese CEOs are looking elsewhere to fulfill their company’s growth goals. The PwC Global CEO survey released just in time for the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos found that Chinese CEOs were turning their eyes away from the United States and instead towards Australia.
With 21 percent of Chinese CEOs saying they wanted to grow their business in the country in 2019, Australia topped the list of Chinese business prospects. The U.S., which was top of the list in the previous years, came in second with 17 percent saying the country would be a growth market for them. Just as many Chinese CEOs said they didn’t want to grow abroad, a number up from zero in the previous year.
CEOs from China were also more likely to report supply chain, sourcing and production location adjustments than other CEOs who also said they were “extremely concerned” about trade conflicts. 58 percent of concerned Chinese CEOs said that they were also shifting their growth strategy to other countries compared to 25 percent of all concerned CEOs.
Generally, more CEOS said they were uncertain about where to grow their business. 15 percent of global CEOs said they didn’t know where to expand to, up from 8 percent in the previous year.
The Statista "Chart of the Day", made available
under the Creative Commons License CC BY-ND 3.0, may be used
and displayed without charge by all commercial and
non-commercial websites. Use is, however, only permitted with
proper attribution to Statista. When publishing one of these graphics,
please include a backlink to the respective infographic URL.
The Statista "Chart of the Day" currently focuses
on two sectors: "Media and Technology", updated
daily and featuring the latest statistics from the media,
internet, telecommunications and consumer electronics
industries; and "Economy and Society", which
current data from the United States and around the
world relating to economic and political issues as well as
sports and entertainment.
For individual content and infographics in your Corporate Design,
please visit our agency website
Any more questions?
Get in touch with us quickly and easily. We are happy to help!


text:
Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around the $62,500. Ethereum (ETH) reached the level of $2,350, and the price of Ripple (XRP) fell to $1.72. The total capitalization of the digital currency market was $2.18 trillion.
Yesterday, a direct listing of shares of the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange on NASDAQ took place. The opening price was $381. During the first minutes, the COIN rate rose to 428, but then fell back below 400. The capitalization of Coinbase has exceeded $100 billion, making it the most capitalized exchange in the world. Trading in COIN's tokenized shares will be available on Binance and is already available on FTX in the form of contracts. The latter converts COIN/USD futures into tokenized shares after the end of the first trading session.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a report on the results of a public discussion related to the launch of the digital Euro. The survey participants expressed what they want to see this digital currency. The vast majority of respondents were individuals. Banks, payment operators and technology companies also took part in the discussions. According to the ECB, 43% of respondents believe that the digital Euro should be confidential. 18% of the survey participants named security as the main advantage of the digital euro. For 11% of users, it is important that they have the opportunity to pay with this asset in the European Union, 9% noted the absence of additional costs, and 8% would like to be able to make payments in digital euros without connecting to the network. More than two-thirds of respondents believe that the digital Euro should be integrated into existing banking and payment systems, so they recognized the importance of intermediaries providing payment services.
About a quarter believe that the digital euro should increase the speed of international payments and reduce their cost. Some users wish that the digital euro can be used outside of Europe, but with certain restrictions. According to ECB President Christine Lagarde, the launch of the digital Euro will take place in the next four years, if regulators approve the plan to develop a digital Euro.
Trading signal for cryptocurrencies BTC, ETH and XRP
In the forecast, I assume a decline of Bitcoin to the level of 61500 USD, Ethereum will decline to the level of 2300 USD, and Ripple - to the price value of 1.65 USD.


text:
The South Korean tech giant is at it again! Samsung is pleading to an American court to not order the company to give in and pay a whopping USD$930 million to Apple!
Samsung was previously ordered to pay these amount of damages from an older ruling. Why? No surprise, it has to do with the fact, the tech tycoon infringed one of the Cupertino tech company’s patents with regards to the Galaxy line up. This was a sum brought down from an original USD$1 billion ruling. This case was settled years ago but has come back to haunt everyone.
Samsung and Apple have been looking to bury the hatchet in disputes for the past few months and even dropped all lawsuits happening outside America. The Galaxy phone maker however, wants this case in particular to be thrown out completely. Looking at the sum awarded, I could see very reasonably, why. A representative of Samsung, Kathleen Sullivan in a statement claimed that the judge presiding in the lower court made an unfounded and poor decision when it came to Galaxy phones being mistaken for an iPhone. The award according to her, is the essence of absurdity. Of course, counsel for Apple, William Lee disagreed.
The ruling has not been set for any date and none of the judges hearing this case on appeal have come to a decision. This case may take awhile to come to an end and rightfully so, as it involves crazy amount of money. The courts will not be taking this decision lightly in any manner.


text:
A Burnside pastor accused of killing three people in a Danville pawn shop in September may be put to death if the Commonwealth's attorney gets his way.
Richie Bottoms announced last week that if Kenneth Keith is found guilty, he will seek the maximum penalty.
Mark Stanziano, Keith's attorney, said he's not surprised, but will continue to maintain his client's innocence.
When it comes to safety in the area where the shooting took place, businesses have said they're not concerned.
In fact, at least one new business has announced its plans to open on Fourth Street in just a few weeks.
In addition, Steve Divine, the property owner of the pawn shop where the shooting happened, has said he wants to reopen the store in a month or two without changing its name.


text:
Smuttynose Owners Pen Note on Brewery Sale
Following yesterday’s news that Smuttynose Brewing Co. will be sold at a bank auction, current owners Peter Egelston and Joanne Francis shared a “personal note” on the company’s Facebook page about the challenges they’ve faced.
During the first craft beer shakeout in the mid-1990s, the pair wrote that they dug “deep into our own pockets” to keep the brewery afloat in hopes that the market would turnaround.
“And it did, ushering in nearly two decades of uninterrupted growth for craft beer in general and Smuttynose in particular,” they wrote. “These days, the beer industry is undergoing another period of sweeping change. At this time, in order for our company to continue on the path we embarked on back in 1994, Smuttynose needs someone who can provide financial resources that will move the company forward.”
Egelston and Francis added that they are “committed to making sure this transition is as smooth as possible.”
“Many of you have asked how you can help,” they wrote. “Keep drinking Smuttynose brews and send your rich aunt or uncle our way.”
FBI Takes Over Ohio Equipment Supplier Fraud Investigation
The FBI has assumed the investigation into Canton, Ohio-based equipment supplier SysTech Stainless Works and its owners, Jason and Amanda Spurrell, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office had been investigating SysTech and the Spurrells, who are accused of defrauding several small brewing companies by selling defective brewing equipment or failing to deliver promised equipment despite taking thousands of dollars in deposits. However, the FBI’s office in Manassas, Virginia, has since taken over the case, the outlet reported. Read more about the case, and the several lawsuits filed against the company, here.
Southern Tier to Open Cleveland Outpost
New York’s Southern Tier Brewing Company plans to open an innovation brewery and tasting room in downtown Cleveland in the spring, according to a press release issued on Thursday.
The new Southern Tier location will offer Cleveland-brewed specialty beers as well as seasonal and year-round releases. The spot will also feature “a street-level tasting room and barrel-aging basement lounge.”
“Cleveland is only two hours from our flagship brewery,” Southern Tier founder Phin DeMink said via the release. “Since we opened our doors, we’ve really appreciated the number of people from Cleveland who have visited us in Lakewood, so I couldn’t be happier to open a brewery there.”
Last August, Artisanal Brewing Ventures, the parent company of Southern Tier and Victory Brewing Co., announced plans for its two breweries to open a jointly run innovation brewery and taproom in Charlotte, North Carolina. Southern Tier had previously opened a satellite brewery and taproom in Pittsburgh in January 2017.
Lagunitas Abandons Plans for South Carolina Brewery
Citing exorbitant restoration costs, Lagunitas has abandoned plans to reopen its Charleston, South Carolina “Beer Sanctuary,” according to the Charleston Post and Courier.
Lagunitas, which purchased the former Southend Brewery and Smokehouse in 2016, closed the spot in July 2017 and planned to renovate the building. The latest, according to Lagunitas spokesperson Karen Hamilton, is that a restoration will be too costly. However, she said Lagunitas is seeking a different Charleston location.
“We’ve got our eyes open,” Hamilton told the outlet. “Or maybe not just another brewery but something else! We’re a fairly creative bunch so you never know.”
Massachusetts Beer Bottle Factory to Shut Down
Due to declining demand from beer manufacturers, Ireland-based Ardagh Group is planning to close a glass beer bottle factory in Milford, Massachusetts, according to the Milford Daily News.
Earlier this week, the Ardagh Group informed the Milford plant’s 250 employees of the impending March 31 closing date for the facility, which had produced beer bottles for three decades, the outlet reported.
“Although capacity dedicated to the mass beer market will be reduced, the group continues to pursue growth opportunities in stronger performing end markets, including wine, spirits and food,” the company said via a press release. “This will entail the conversion of some mass beer capacity to serve these alternative end markets.”
Indiana Senate Panel Rejects Expanded Cold Beer Sales, Favors Sunday Sales
Indiana’s Senate Public Policy Committee rejected a bill to allow grocery and convenience stores, as well as big box retailers, to sell cold beer, according to the Associated Press. Currently, only the state’s liquor stores are allowed to sell cold beer.
Indiana’s liquor store lobby testified against expanding cold beer sales while c-store owners argued that a change was necessary to meet consumer demand.
“I have to sell what my customers want, and my customers want cold beer,” Jay Ricker, owner of the Ricker’s chain of c-stores, testified.
Meanwhile, Indiana’s House Public Policy committee approved a bill to lift the ban on off-premise Sunday alcohol sales. Last week, the Senate panel unanimously approved a similar measure.
South Dakota Considers Alcohol Law Changes
South Dakota lawmakers are considering a bill that would increase the state’s production cap as well as permit brewers to self-distribute their products, according to the Argus Leader.
Breweries in the state are currently allowed to sell up to 5,000 barrels of beer directly to consumers via their taprooms. The new law would increase the cap to 30,000 barrels and also allow self-distribution. The proposed changes have the support of South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who reportedly outlined several changes during his state of the state address earlier this month.
Potential Quality Issue Delays Mother’s MILF Release
Missouri’s Mother’s Brewing Company is delaying the release of its 2018 version of MILF imperial stout due to a potential quality issue.
“A possible quality issue is putting this particular batch outside of our release qualifications, and out of an abundance of caution, we cannot yet clear this beer for sale,” the company wrote on its Facebook page. “We take quality very seriously and would never release a beer if we have any concerns about the integrity of the liquid.”
The company may also consider a name change, following a handful of tweets from consumers and industry members who questioned the “MILF” branding. Mother’s said it would look into changing the name in order to “bring this brand in line with values we want to project as a brewery.”
A-B Announces Super Bowl Lineup
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s lineup of Super Bowl commercials this year will once again include fast-growing, low-calorie brand Michelob Ultra as well as Budweiser, Bud Light and Stella Artois, AdWeek reported. NBC, which will broadcast the February 4 game, is reportedly selling some 30-second spots for more than $5 million.


text:
Marks & Spencer has come out on top in a legal showdown with value grocer Aldi over a seasonal ’light-up’ gin that was found to have infringed design rights.
A spokesman for M&S said: “We are pleased with the judgement, which demonstrates the importance of protecting our innovation.”
Please sign in now if you have a subscription or are already registered with us.
Retail-Week.com provides premium, in-depth intelligence that helps retailers judge risks, spot opportunities and identify what they need to do to win in the digital economy.
Register today for a taste of our high-quality intelligence and enjoy:
Discover Retail Week register now
Please note, if you have recently purchased a subscription, it may take a few minutes before your account is updated.


text:
Hollywood woos Bollywood for bigger hits
By Rina Chandran
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The tale of a dog finding true love after being abandoned in a Mumbai slum is Walt Disney Co's first stab at a local-language film in India, and signals Hollywood's serious intentions in the fast growing market.
Disney is partnering India's Yash Raj Films for the Hindi-language animated flick 'Roadside Romeo' that opens on Friday, Disney's first local partnership for an Indian film.
Disney, which has also bought a children's Hindi-language television channel, is now eyeing regional films, as are NBC, Viacom, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox.
"For Hollywood studios, expanding globally no longer means only pushing their product in these markets," said Smita Jha, entertainment analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC).
The entertainment and media industry in emerging markets such as China, India and Russia is forecast to grow at more than double the pace in developed markets, with India growing the fastest pace, PWC said in a recent report.
China's heavily regulated market makes India a better bet, with India's entertainment and industry market revenues forecast to expand at an average rate of 18.5 percent to more than $36 billion by 2012, PWC said.
Now, about 95 percent of consumer spending in this market in is on local films. Now Hollywood studios, that were earlier content with just dubbing their blockbusters in regional Indian languages or financing productions, want more.
Sony Pictures Entertainment recently released its maiden Hindi film, 'Saawariya' (Beloved), while Warner Bros' first, 'Chandni Chowk to China' is scheduled for release in early 2009, and Fox Star Studios is signing on Bollywood producers. Continued...


text:
Electronics giant Samsung is set to launch a new Android tablet that will be a direct rival to Apple's iPad and so many other tablet devices which will flood the market in the forthcoming months.
The Korean company shed more details about the Galaxy Tab tablet via its South African Twitter (opens in new tab) account and early indications point to a bigger version of the Galaxy S i9000 handset, an Android smartphone which has been launched simultaneously through 110 mobile operators in more than 100 countries globally.
A picture (ed : which has since been removed) shows the device, which looks like a digital photo frame, sitting next to a Samsung Tocco smartphone. It will apparently feature a 7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with an ARM-based processor, voice capabilities (due to the presence of a phone icon) and a special TouchWiz user interface.
The existence of Samsung Galaxy tablet came to light one week after the international launch of the iPad and 24 hours before O2 launched the Dell Streak, a smartphone/tablet hybrid.
There are also indications that the Galaxy tablet could be launched in July 2010 as Samsung sources reported told Infosyncworld of a major product launch next month in partnership with T-Mobile.
Samsung, it seems, will be promoting five operating systems simultaneously - its own BADA OS, Android, Windows Mobile, Meego and Symbian/BrewOS - in an attempt to cover all bases.


text:
Trends forecaster Gerald Celente sees rebirth of niche retail as malls continue their death rattle
On Oct. 5, world renowned trends forecaster Gerald Celente issued two new economic forecasts that are appearing upon the landscape in the wake of dying retail.
According to Celente, the current trend of dying malls and large franchises such as Sears, J.C. Pennys, and K-Mart will continue, with a shift taking place for niche retailers focused more on quality and quantity.Â Additionally, there will emerge a desire for unique smaller brick and mortar stores that offer a social benefit that online shopping cannot provide.
Brick-and-mortar businesses, emphasizing quality and value delivered with a human touch, will grow stronger in the months and years ahead as chains continue their downward spiralâ€¦
The dramatic decline of shopping malls, a trend we forecast in 1997 when we warned that mall culture would degenerate in coming decades, often is attributed to online shoppingâ€™s rise. But as the Trends Research Institute has been forecasting, shifting demographics, a stagnant economy and an overbuilt retail sector â€“ created decades ago for a thriving middle class that has dramatically shrunk â€“ also have fueled the trend.
From grocery stores, whose mainstay brands like Hormel Foods and Campbellâ€™s Soup have lost appeal with younger audiences, to clothing retailers like Macyâ€™s and JCPenney, whose sales continually decline, major chains have sacrificed new-product development.
Yes, online shopping will continue to grow, but not in all categories.
Brick-and-mortar businesses are here to stay. The boutique business model â€“ a personalized business that reflects the quality and uniqueness of the market it serves â€“ is the antidote to the slow death of giant retailers who fail to recognize emerging trends and fail to provide value that reflects consumer needs and interests. â€“Â King World News
Interestingly, retail may also morph into a bi-lateral environment where consumers use online platforms to purchase basic products and services such as groceries and clothing while at the same time using brick and mortar retail for specialized experiences they cannot get from Amazon or Alibaba.
Despite the social trends that have lessened personal contacts between individuals, there will always be that inherent need to experience life away from Smartphones, Tablets, and platforms like Facebook.Â And for businesses trying to survive as the world shifts the paradigm away from the trends created in the 1980s and 90s, finding that niche of quality, affordability, and experience will bring a measure of success as the retail landscape shifts here in the 21st century.
Kenneth Schortgen JrÂ isÂ a writer forÂ The Daily Economist,Â Secretsofthefed.com,Â Roguemoney.net, andÂ Viral Liberty, and hostsÂ the popularÂ youtube podcastÂ on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Â Ken can alsoÂ be heard Wednesday afternoons giving an weekly economic report on theÂ Angel Clark radio show.


text:
Plastic Tree has announced the release of a new single called Silent Noise (サイレントノイズ). The song, or as least the title track as we don’t yet know the track-list, will serve as the opening theme for an upcoming video game. COLLAR X MALICE is an otome-style game for the PlayStation Vita platform. The single will become available on July 27, with the game set for release the next day.
Not much more information is available, however you can get a taste via the game’s trailer.
The band will also be performing during fall tour “Boys Don’t Cry #2,” the sequel to their May 2015 men-only live. This does not mean ticket sales will necessarily be restricted by gender. Ticket prices are 5,000 yen, with the exception of the final performance which is 6,000 yen. The various tour dates and details are as follows:
September 10, 2016 Osaka Club Quattrow
September 17, 2016 Sendai Rensa
September 22, 2016 Niigata LOTS
September 24, 2016 Nagasaki DRUM Be-7
September 25, 2016 Fukuoka DRUM LOGOS
October 1, 2016 Nagoya bottom line
October 10, 2016 Tokyo International Forum Hall A


text:
In five years, Makeup Geek went from doing under $500,000 in revenue to $22 million — largely due to social media.“That’s mainly eye shadow sales — that were $6 each. If you do the math that’s a lot of eye shadows we sell,” said Marlena Stell, chief executive officer of Makeup Geek, noting that revenue has more than doubled every year since she began the line in 2011.Today, Makeup Geek works out of a 50,000-square-foot headquarters in Michigan, with a customer service team, an assembly line, warehouse space and shipping capabilities. Stell said she tries to keep as much possible in-house so she can have control over “personal touches” such as including handwritten notes in every order (this is no small feat for a company that ships, on average, 2,000 orders per day).“Customer service is huge; our customer service tries to have that personal touch as well [through] personal responses — a response from a real human being. I want them to have pictures of themselves so when people are complaining, when they see pictures of a customer service person they are a little bit nicer…[I’m] very big on personal connection with me, staff and across the board,” Stell said.The fan base from the YouTube channel Stell started in 2008 definitely helped propel her business early on, but social media was able to take it to the next level. The personal connection she was able to forge with fans and customers through the various platforms would never have been possible without the advent of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.She called learning how to use each platform “tricky,” detailing that there are different use cases for each one. Stell said Facebook is “peaking” because of Facebook Live, which is the first time brands were able to do live video at scale for customers. Twitter is good for giving updates on product launches, but she warned against being “too sales pitchy.”“Instagram is the big boy…[the] one we try to post most frequently on,” Stell said, recommending that brands post two to three times a day. “[It’s] a lot of sneak peaks…just mix it up…have a brand personality…it’s easy.”
@juicebeauty, where @gwynethpaltrow holds the title of creative director of makeup, has become one of the foremost labels in the organic beauty category –– with sales on track to hit $100 million this year. What’s behind the rapid growth the brand is experiencing right now? It all started in 2005 when the wellness movement was just getting started. Read more on WWD.com. #wwdbeauty
Stay up to do date with breaking news and trending stories with WWD’s “The Essentialist.” Our newsletter delivers the top news in fashion right to your inbox. Want more info? Link in bio. #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)
"I want to tell a story that inspires people to feel good about themselves, but also I'm making a commentary about the lack of female stories and female directors and saying this should change," said @imheathergraham on her latest project "Half Magic." The comedy feature, which the actress wrote and directed, is based on her own struggles as a woman in show business. Read @andrewnodell's full interview with Graham on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery)
@meltcosmetics cofounders @lora_arellano and @danabomar built their brand on a single idea: a true matte lipstick. To set the brand apart, they said they always put their customers first –– including a personalized note in each package. #wwdsummits #wwdbeauty
@moncler unveiled its latest project, #MonclerGenius, yesterday at Milan Fashion Week. The Italian outwear maker gave show-goers a preview of the monthly collections – which were created by eight designers and creative talents including Pierpaolo Piccioli, Simone Rocha, Craig Green and more – that will start rolling out in the summer.


text:
The L701 supports printing roll-to-roll, roll-to-cut—with the option of printing and presenting the label—and can accept fanfold stock for applications where space is at a premium.
The L701 has a lower price point, making it a more affordable option where multiple printers are required, and has the smallest footprint available of any production class color label printer currently available.
“With the addition of the L701, Afinia offers the most comprehensive line of color label printers available today,” said Mike Atkins, National Sales Manager for Afinia Label. “The L701 has incredible print quality and speed, and it fits a perfect price point between the low volume, economy priced color label printers, and the high volume, production-level printers on the market. This combination of speed and economy will enable manufactures across many industries to implement full color label printing across multiple production lines.”
Nathan Daniel, EMEA Sales Manager for Afinia Label, is excited about how the L701’s purchase price will open the door to a new group of users.
“The low price point of the L701 allows those who, in the past, may not have been able to stretch their budgets to a higher yield printer, to take advantage of the many benefits gained by this print technology.”
The L701 is currently available through Afinia Label’s worldwide network of dealers. “We believe the L701 at this price point and size will enable companies to move away from buying printed labels. This will allow purchasers and packaging engineers the flexibility to more efficiently manage their label inventory without sacrificing the look of their brand,” said Mr. Atkins.


text:
Watch out for China’s state-backed cyber warriors.
The FT’s David Bond writes that Chinese hackers have increased attacks on global telecoms companies in the past year, suggesting an escalation in Beijing’s cyber espionage operations as the US pushes allies to block Huawei from future 5G networks.
According to a new report from CrowdStrike, the California-based cyber security company that first attributed the 2016 hack on the US Democratic National Committee to Russia, 2018 saw an overall increase in Chinese cyber attacks, especially against US targets.
Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and chief technology officer of CrowdStrike, said Chinese cyber espionage was now back to the same levels seen prior to a US-China agreement to limit economic spying signed by the two countries in 2015.
“In terms of volume, China is by far the most active [in 2018],” said Mr Alperovitch. “They are fully back and engaging in economic espionage across numerous industries of strategic interest to China.”
Read more here.
Flag as Important
Huawei hits back In a rare interview with the BBC, Huawei’s founder and president Ren Zhengfei has hit back at the US campaign against his company, labelling the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, his daughter and the company’s chief financial officer, as “politically motivated” and asserting that Washington would not “crush” the Chinese group.
Europe’s 5G delay The chief executive of Ericsson has warned that the focus on questions surrounding Chinese telecoms company Huawei risks Europe falling further behind on building 5G networks but that regulation and high investment costs are bigger stumbling blocks.
AI chip race Facebook is racing Amazon and Google to develop its own artificial intelligence chips, after recognising that it needs dramatically faster computing to deliver the next breakthrough in AI, writes Richard Waters in San Francisco.
Amazon Studios After releasing six flops in a row, Amazon is pushing the reset button on its film business. (NYT)
Vision Fund tensions The two biggest outside investors in the $100 billion Vision Fund are complaining about the high prices the fund’s manager, SoftBank, has paid for tech companies and the control wielded by SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son over investment decisions. (WSJ)
Tech tools you can use — Echo Wall Clock
Amazon’s Echo Wall Clock is back. After a few weeks back in the product lab, The Verge writes that the company is ready to ship the $29.99 device after it released a software update to address connectivity issues plaguing the initial version of the product that began selling last month.


text:
“Thuto Went Gold On Release Day” – Cassper Nyovest
Rave of the moment Cassper Nyovest has released his third studio album Thuto went gold on the day of release.
The rapper said he wasn’t going to announce the news until the album goes platinum, which should be any moment now. Cassper told DJ Edu of BBC 1Xtra in London that he is making the judgment based on the number of hard copies they shipped to stores the day it was released. Watch Cassper dish out the info below!
— #AfroBoss (@djedu) May 15, 2017


text:
This week, Microsoft unveiled its "answer to Apple's App Store." (Watch the presentation here.) The new Windows Store will launch alongside the Windows 8 operating system in February, giving Windows users the opportunity to buy games, music, and apps from a desktop storefront. Of course, an app store is only as good as the apps it offers, and the developers it can attract to design those apps. That's why Microsoft is offering developers a bigger slice of the pie than Apple, which gives designers 70 percent of revenue. Windows Store developers will get an 80 percent share if their app brings in more than $25,000. If they don't reach that threshold, developers pocket the standard 70 percent. Could Windows Store really challenge Apple's App Store dominance?
It doesn't do enough for developers: "Microsoft really needed to go further to differentiate itself from Apple," says Rip Empson at TechCrunch. It's nice that it gives developers a bigger share if they pass the $25,000 threshold, but most small apps won't make that much money. Still, a central place for Microsoft users to buy and download apps is a "huge step forward for PC users' experience," and god knows the company could use the revenue the new app store will generate.
"Microsoft dangles carrot in front of developers with windows store economics, but will it be enough?"
Actually, developers should really like this: "Microsoft has fired a significant shot across the bow of Apple and its App Store franchise," says Nicholas Kolakowski at eWeek. Not only is it giving developers a big cut for successful products, it's also giving them control of in-app advertising and a more straightforward approval process for getting apps into the store in the first place. That's a clear "swipe at Apple, whose application-approval process has attracted criticism from some developers as too opaque."
"Microsoft's Windows 8 App Store will challenge Apple, Google"
And Microsoft's customer base dwarfs Apple's: "Microsoft has made its forthcoming platform more appealing than the competition in several ways, at least on paper," says Thomas Claburn at InformationWeek. But perhaps the most important stat: Windows owns 92 percent of the desktop PC operating system market, compared to Apple's 6 percent. With all those Windows users, there's potential for a lucrative payday for app developers.
"Windows 8 Store: 8 ways it beats Apple"
THE WEEK'S AUDIOPHILE PODCASTS: LISTEN SMARTER
- Is it now OK to have sex with animals?
- In defense of Gwyneth Paltrow
- Republicans love this new health care plan. Too bad it's basically a tax cut for the rich.
- 43 TV shows to watch in 2014
- In Ferguson, Michael Brown lost his life — and America's police lost the benefit of the doubt
- How to be the most productive person in your office — and still get home by 5:30 p.m.
- 10 classic Sesame Street moments we wouldn't show today's kids
- 8 tricks to surviving the holidays without gaining weight or being grouchy
- 17 old proverbs we should use more often
- Don't blame Chuck Hagel: Obama's foreign policy has been a disaster from end to end
Subscribe to the Week


text:
Red Ants Pants a perfect fit for Montana
For owner Sarah Calhoun, Red Ants Pants goes beyond mere apparel.
“These pants are meaning something to our customers,” she said. “There’s women wearing these pants going into surgery because they feel stronger and braver, and that’s kind of amazing to me that a product can instill such emotional power.”
Calhoun celebrates a decade in business this month, and the milestone provides her with a chance to look back on the past, look forward to the future – and throw a party in the present.
After growing up on a farm in New England, Calhoun spent about five years after college leading trail crews and instructing for Outward Bound. In these jobs, she always wore men’s work pants and lamented that nothing was available for women.
In 2004, Calhoun moved to Bozeman with the idea of starting a business that would sell work apparel made for a woman’s body.
“It really came from … not having pants that fit,” she said. “There were a lot of men’s work pants on the market – at least a dozen different companies – but nothing out there for women. When you have curves and hips, it just doesn’t work very well in square men’s pants.
Meagher County questions Helena’s Smith River proposal
Calhoun spent a year in Bozeman laying the groundwork for Red Ants Pants, but when it came time to open her company’s doors, she decided a major city was not the place to be.
“I had spent about a year in Bozeman but wanted to be in a more authentic, rural cow town,” Calhoun said.
It was reading White Sulphur Springs native Ivan Doig’s memoir “This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind” that inspired Calhoun to move to the small town more than 90 miles south of Great Falls.
“It hit home for me on some level that nothing had before,” she said. “I came to visit one time, found an old saddle shop on Main Street for sale, and I dove in.”
Calhoun was self-taught in both the business and apparel world, so of course when the company opened its doors in October 2006, she called it something original.
“The name just popped into my head,” said Calhoun, “and it turns out that in an ant colony, the female ants do all the work, so that fit pretty well. I like the ring to it and people remember it well, so Red Ants Pants was born.”
In the beginning, the company offered a T-shirt, a hooded sweatshirt and its original work pants, which are still sold and have not changed in the past 10 years. As with any business, Red Ants Pants had its ups and downs.
“The ’06 to ’08 did get a little shaky, certainly, through the economic downturn,” said Calhoun, “but once we got through that … I would say somewhere in the five-year mark it felt more confident and solid.”
Pair of pups inspire new brewery in White Sulphur Springs
The business has since expanded to include shorts, belts and buckles, hoodies, short and long sleeved shirts, kids’ tees, onesies, aprons, jewelry and hats, all of which are designed in White Sulphur Springs and manufactured in the USA.
If that wasn’t enough, Calhoun started the Red Ants Pants Foundation in 2011 to support women’s leadership, working family farms and ranches in rural communities. Proceeds from the accompanying music festival, which has become a popular event for the community and the state, go to this foundation.
Foundation projects include community grants totaling more than $20,000 in 2016, timber skills workshops and some upcoming women’s leadership workshops.
“In some ways, it’s a little bit random to have a pants company start a music festival and then have an actual nonprofit on the other end,” Calhoun said, “but really the culture of the brand, this value-based business is really coming through and kind of woven together in a beautiful way.”
In celebration of all Red Ants Pants has accomplished, Calhoun invites the public to an anniversary celebration Oct. 15 that includes live music from Rob Quist and Great Northern, food and a fashion show of new products such as wool vests and the company’s new catalog.
“It is a little bit mind-blowing that 10 years have passed since we opened the doors,” Calhoun said. “It’s wonderful to see how far we’ve come and how great the community has been in their support of Red Ants Pants, both in White Sulphur and beyond.”
Owning Red Ants Pants has led to no shortage of accolades for Calhoun. She has been invited by President Barack Obama to attend a White House forum on jobs and economic development and has served as a U.S. delegate to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Women in Business Summit hosted by Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State at the time. In the same year, Gov. Brian Schweitzer named her Montana’s 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year.
Despite those honors, Calhoun’s focus remains on her immediate community.
“It’s funny, people ask me ‘How do you define success?’ and I think the traditional business way is to just look at the bottom line,” she said, “but to me, number one, we have pants that fit – finally – and number two, we are able to create and sustain jobs in rural Montana. And that, to me, is a really big, important thing that we need to do more of.”
Reach Tribune Staff Writer Traci Rosenbaum at 791-1490. Follow her on Twitter @GFTrib_TRosenba.
IF YOU GO
What: Red Ants Pants 10-Year Celebration
When: Saturday, Oct. 15
Where: Main Street, White Sulphur Springs


text:
Barbie gets a makeover
Mattel’s iconic doll will be the star of an exhibit in a private mansion, Le Molière, in Paris, France, on September 26 and 27. About 13 dolls will have been given makeovers by fashion designers, and 10 others immortalised by Studio Harcourt Paris will also be presented.
A model for young girls around the world, but also a fashion icon, Barbie transcends generations by adapting to the evolutions of the world that surrounds her. Today’s Barbie represents more than 50 nationalities, and has successfully navigated from a career in architecture to veterinarian, journalist, astronaut and even fashion designer in just a few years. It’s not really surprising then to learn that this dedicated expo will be run under the banner of cultural diversity.
Year 2015 is the year of Barbie and fashion. It’s a story that’s already more than five decades old, but this year, the doll has taken another important step with the Barbie Fashionista line. This version comes in eight skin colours, 14 face shapes, 18 eye colours, 22 hair styles and 23 hair colours. Another 100% fashion development: Barbie’s ankles are now jointed, which allows her to change shoes as she pleases.
Ten examples from this new collection have also been photog raphed by le gendary Studio Harcourt Paris, well known for photog raphing the biggest movie stars in the world.


text:
By Becca Butler
Press conferences require a great deal of time and effort, but they can be effective in yielding great results.
Companies exhibiting at the 2016 SEMA Show can connect with members of the media in many different ways. Posting a press release in the Online Media Center, distributing press kits onsite and participating in social media using the hashtag #sema2016 are all simple actions to get your news in front of editors and reporters.
Additionally, those who have significant company news that appeals to a large variety of media outlets may want to host a press conference. While press conferences require a great deal of time and effort, and there is risk that media attendance or interest may be low, they can be effective in yielding great results.
A press conference might be right for you if:
- Your announcement will be of interest to a large number of journalists. If your announcement is niche-specific and is more likely to interest a few select reporters, consider offering exclusive one-on-one meetings and interviews instead.
- Your announcement provides journalists with timely photos and interviews. If journalists can obtain your news without having to attend a press conference, consider sending them a press release that includes a photo and quote instead of limiting them to a specific date/time.
- Your product is completely new to the industry. If your product is not completely new to the industry, then it is unlikely that media will go out of their way to block out a specific 20-minute press conference to obtain details on your product. Instead, consider entering a product into the New Products Showcase or offering your product to project vehicle builders.
If you are interested in hosting a press conference, review this video on How to Host a Successful Press Conference.
The deadline to apply is Friday, July 29. Please know that submitting an application does not guarantee placement, and press conferences will be scheduled at the sole discretion of SEMA Show management. Upon submitting an application, an automatic message will be emailed to confirm it was received. Those who do not receive the automatic email or who have questions can contact Becca Butler at email@example.com or call 909-978-6669 for details.


text:
Although John Chen of BlackBerry still sees Qualcomm as a partner, the chip maker and telecommunications company has just been given a preliminary order to pay BlackBerry $814,868,350 in royalty overpayments.
Hip-hop artist Drake once rapped that "goin' online...ain't part of (his) day," but that's not stopping him from promoting his new double album, Scorpion, via augmented reality on Snapchat.
With $100 million in grant funding already available to developers via its MegaGrants program, Epic Games is sweetening the pot with some gear for Magic Leap developers.
The hype surrounding non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has reached astronomical levels over the past few weeks, and now the technology has intersected with augmented reality's orbit in a fantastic way.
Apple's iPhone 8 and iPhone X announcement went about exactly as the rumors predicted. Really, there was only one surprise — the fact that all of the new models will support the Qi wireless charging standard.
Trying to figure out which music streaming service to subscribe to can be a difficult task when the playing field is so crowded. Each has its benefits, as well as downsides, so finding the right one for your needs and wants can take a lot of overwhelming research. But we've done all the research for you to help you find the best music subscription your money can buy.


text:
Lowe’s Companies Inc., which also operates Rona stores, announced on Monday it will be closing 31 of its Canadian stores as well as 20 U.S. stores.
It said the “underperforming” store closures are part of the company’s “ongoing strategic reassessment” and it will “focus on its most profitable stores and improve the overall health of its store portfolio.”
“While decisions that impact our associates are never easy, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic reassessment as we focus on building a stronger business,” said Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe’s president and CEO, in a news release.
“We believe our people are the foundation of our business and essential to our future growth, and we are making every effort to transition impacted associates to nearby Lowe’s stores.”
The company said it expects to close the impacted stores by the end of the company’s 2018 fiscal year (Feb. 1, 2019).
“To facilitate an orderly wind-down, the company intends to conduct store closing sales for most of the impacted locations with the exception of select stores in the U.S., which will close immediately. Lowe’s has partnered with Hilco Merchant Services to help manage the process in the U.S. and ensure a seamless experience for customers,” it said.
Additional details regarding the impact of the store closings will be provided in the next quarterly earnings release on Nov. 20, added Lowe’s.
Here is a list of store closures in Canada:
Rona at 105-1015 Columbia Street, New Westminster.
Rona at 11520 – 24th Street SE, Calgary.
Reno-Depot at 12330 Symons Valley Road NW, Calgary.
Rona at 1133 Dundas Street West, Mississauga.
Rona at1692 Lakeshore Rd, Mississauga.
Rona at 132 Black Road, Sault Ste. Marie.
Rona at 943 Barry Downe Road, Sudbury.
Rona at 1575 Chemong Road, Peterborough.
Rona at 1452 Bath Road, Kingston.
Rona at 178 Water Street, Lakefield Lowe’s, Toronto.
Lowe’s at 6600 Yonge Street, Toronto.
Lowe’s at 248 Northern Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie.
Rona at 335, Route 209, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Chateauguay.
Rona at 870, boulevard d’Iberville, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Rona at 723, boulevard L’Ange-Gardien, L’Assomption.
Rona at 788, rue Moeller, Granby.
Rona at 134, boulevard Sainte-Rose, Laval.
Rona at 9200, boulevard Maurice-Duplessis, Montreal.
Rona at 1200, rue Mantha, Rouyn-Noranda.
Rona at 194, rue Principale, Ange-Gardien.
Rona at 100, rue du Parc Industriel, Saint Elzéar.
Rona at 825 Conception Bay Hwy, Conception Bay.
Rona at 53-59 Main Highway, Goulds.
Rona at 1297 Topsail Road, Paradise.
Rona at 60 O’Leary Avenue, St. John’s.
Rona at 710 Torbay Road, St. John’s
Rona at 239 Conception Bay, Bay Roberts.
Mario Toneguzzi is a veteran Calgary-based journalist who worked for 35 years for the Calgary Herald, including 12 years as a senior business writer.


text:
This year's WardsAuto Interiors Conference was held May 22 at The Henry hotel in Dearborn, MI. The sold-out event delivered compelling keynote speeches and panel sessions, celebrated winners of Ward's 10 Best Interiors and honored student designs from the College for Creative Studies.
Attaching a plastic bin securely around the sides and rear of the floor console would prevent headaches for many drivers and eliminate the black hole where French fries, crumbs and spilled liquid often end up....More
Johnson Controls, the world’s largest seat producer, uses the Detroit auto show each year as a place to highlight new ideas for improving passenger comfort and interior design, such as the plastic "Catch Bin."
The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI, hosted its fifth annual Maker Faire Detroit this past weekend in highlighting the importance of grassroots innovation and problem-solving. Some 400 creators participated in this year’s event, including 100 for the first time.
“What we are finding is manufacturers are not only bringing technology in faster than we thought they would, they are also bringing different technology to fruition than what we anticipated,” says the EPA’s Michael Olechiw....More
The earnings swoon also reflected difficulties in international markets, specifically South America, where economic headwinds are affecting sales, and in Europe, where GM continues to book losses as it restructures its business....More
Popularity of this new breed of vehicles is growing rapidly worldwide, and more automakers are beginning to test the U.S. market, where buyers are expected to migrate from small hatchbacks and sedans....More
In October 2013, trade between NAFTA partners totaled $103.1 billion, up 4.5% from a year earlier, marking the first month in the pact’s history in which trade exceeded $100 billion in a single month....More
Economic recovery is weak and gradual, unemployment remains stubbornly high and Europe faces a growing and acute economic challenge from other global regions. We will only deliver the full potential benefits of the Single Market if we set a genuinely new course for Europe....More


text:
- “There was a time when companies spent so much on content, now they need to focus on the seeding.”
- Jan Razab, CEO, Socialbakers
We are consuming more online video than ever, and 2015 is set for further growth in spend and consumption. This year saw YouTube fall from being the sole host for this type of content. Jan Rezab, CEO at Socialbakers, talks to 12ahead about this shift.
“We were stunned and shocked that it’s gotten to where it has,” he admits, “Facebook went way over the YouTube numbers back in October.” Further research from Socialbakers (pictured) shows that the most shared video on the platform no longer comes from YouTube.
Rezab explains that while a brand like McDonald’s would have originally hosted all videos on YouTube the tides have been turning towards Facebook video, gaining real pace in the last quarter.
There are several reasons for this shift; while Rezab notes that the two platforms are fundamentally different, the noise from brands is that the desire to create something that goes viral is less obvious now. “Facebook is a more natural platform for sharing. YouTube’s problem is that it doesn’t have the discoverability and social sharing that Facebook has. That coupled with the relevance is enough for it to take the traffic away from YouTube.”
For instance the latest Fast and Furious movie trailer was first debuted on Facebook, notching up 100 million video views in the first 48 hours. Directly after it launched on YouTube, where it garnered only 18 million views.
Kleenix is also launching a video-based content campaign on Facebook to support the launch of its new tissue range, Kleenex Sensitive. The campaign is being supported by a paid media strategy and promoted posts with the launch of each video. Numerous others are experimenting in this field also.
“It’s a question of seeding”, says Rezab, “there was a time when companies spent so much on content, now they need to focus on the seeding.”
While technology increases in sophistication, the opportunities will continue to grow, ecommerce for example is a key call to action here and one that retail brands are keen to leverage, says Rezab.
Another intriguing avenue for ambitious marketers is in video seeding and proximity marketing; applicable to conglomerate cities really, Rezab sees interesting possibilities here on short-form video platforms like Vine, towards the end of next year.
There is also the question of quality versus quantity, and it’s something that Rezab and the team are starting to see brands begin to reconcile. For too long the increase in volume has correlated to the decrease in quality. “Brands do have interesting stories to tell,” he says, “probably not 50 or 100 times a month though.” Resisting this pressure to churn out content that fails to gain engagement is something brands have been accused of. Further evidence also comes from Socialbakers who have found that recently there is a decrease in posts, but increase in engagement on these posts by 30-50%. Altogether not insignificant numbers, and potentially ones that will move brands to focus on their seeding, rather than content, strategies.


text:
Jump to navigation
Fashion designer Suneet Varma speaks at the India Today Mind Rocks 2014 in Delhi.
September 06, 2014
Pakistan general election: 106 million voters to elect 13th government on July 25
Arjun Meghwal links rising lynching cases to PM Modi's popularity
Trust vote debate: Breakdown of no-confidence motion against Modi government


text:
Now this is a story about how…you can holiday in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air mansion. Yep, that’s right. To celebrate the shows 30th anniversary, you can rent out a portion of the mansion on Airbnb, including all the fun décor from the show.
This comes just after the real (not fictional) Will Smith teased a Fresh Prince reunion, which is scheduled to air later this year. In a Hollywood Reporter profile on Will Smith last year, there is going to be a Fresh Prince spin-off, we’ve been waiting for for two decades.
At the Airbnb, you’ll be able to stay in what would’ve been Will’s bedroom and bathroom on the show. As well as the poolside lounge area and the stunning dining room, equipped Philly Cheesesteaks, of course.
Those staying in the room will also get an opportunity to lace up in a pair of Air Jordans and shoot hoops in Will’s bedroom. Amazing.
Will’s Air Jordan’s won’t be the only items of clothing that you can get your hands on. You’ll be able to rummage through Will’s closet and complete the outfit in Bel-Air Athletics gear. Or if you’re looking for something a bit smart casual, you can dress in a preppy outfit from Bel-Air academy.
But Aussies will have to live vicariously through Americans, because there are only five overnight dates available and only to residents in the L.A. County.
It’s the first time the mansion has opened up its doors to the public. Let’s hope it’s not the last, especially as many will have miss out due to COVID-19 restrictions.